Sony Europe Press Release

SONY ADDS VIRTUAL EXPANDER TO MICRO VAULT™ USB STORAGE MEDIA

PARK RIDGE, N.J., May, 31, 2005—Sony’s latest enhancements to its Micro Vault™ USB storage media line include a new Virtual Expander feature that stretches the virtual capacity of the device to store as much as three times more data.

The Virtual Expander feature is included in the latest Classic and Mini Micro Vault designs.

In addition, Sony is introducing the Micro Vault Turbo with a rapid 28MB/sec maximum transfer speed. Together, these products create a comprehensive offering for increasingly storage-hungry users who need to take more data and high quality multimedia content wherever they go.

Good news for everyone who is waiting for the Leica Digital-Modul-R digital back - Leica have announced today that deliveries wil begin on June 15th. This news comes just a couple of weeks after Leica announced that shipments would be delayed, so it seems that the German company have been working hard to rectify last-minute problems.

“Deliveries of the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R will start on June 15th 2005. The digital addition to the Leica R SLR range, developed in cooperation with Denmark’s Imacon A/S and Kodak’s sensor business Kodak ISS has fully met the stringent testing and acceptance conditions of Leica Camera AG and is now ready to market.

“The quality of the digital photographs taken with the LEICA DIGITAL-MODUL-R is even better than we expected. The new product shows that Leica is able to puts its special strengths in optics and product design into attractive, high-performance digital solutions. Our customers had to wait longer than planned for the unique digital solution from Leica, but are now rewarded with an outstanding product,“ says Mario Thurnherr, Manager of Leica Camera’s Photo Division.”

Now that red-eye has been largely banished from digital camera photos, it’s time to remove that other common problem of portrait shots, shut-eye. Yes, a team of scientists have apparently developed a system that eliminates blinking, even from group photographs of up to 30 people. Eye-opening stuff (groan…).

“The system developed by Kaneko’s team gets around the problem by snapping 15 frames in 0.5 seconds after the shutter button is clicked. A computer then rapidly analyses these image, discarding those in which the subject is blinking, leaving photographer with a better final snap.”

Website: New Scientist - Sensor prevents shut-eye in digital snaps

I/OMagic GigaBank Premier 80 Announced is announced. The I/OMagic GigaBank Premier 80 is a portable storage device featuring an 80Gb hard-drive and USB 2.0 connectivity. The I/OMagic GigaBank Premier 80 has a suggested retail price of $199.99.

I/OMagic Press Release

New GigaBank Premier 80 Joins I/OMagic’s Portable Storage Device Line-Up; Pocket-Sized External 2.5’’ Hard Disk Drive Let’s You Take All of Your Data with You

IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—May 24, 2005—I/OMagic Corporation (OTCBB:IOMG), a leading provider of data storage products, announced today the release of its GigaBank(TM) Premier 80, the latest addition to its line of portable storage devices. Featuring up to 80GB(a) of storage capacity, the GigaBank(TM) Premier 80 is a 2.5” IDE hard disk drive (HDD) highlighted with a single-touch data back-up function.

GretagMacbeth Press Release

Latest enhancements to GretagMacbeth’s Eye-One color management solutions set new benchmark for speed and error-free handling

- New accelerated Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer and enhanced Eye-One Match software incorporate improved, intelligent algorithms, making chart reading twice as fast and even more effortless
- New, easy-to-use Digital Camera module addresses primary photo workflow tasks

Regensdorf, Switzerland, – May 19, 2005 – GretagMacbeth, the worldwide technological leader in color measurement and management solutions announced that it is shipping the accelerated version of its award winning Eye-One color management solutions that set a new benchmark for speed, error free handling and usability. The new features make it possible to go from zero to color in no time and ensure GretagMacbeth’s Eye-One solutions are the fastest, smartest, and easiest to use color management solutions available for creative and photographic professionals.

Kodak Press Release

New KODAK EASYSHARE Picture Viewer an Ideal Gift for Dads, Grads or Yourself; Share Digital Pictures from the Palm of Your Hand; Available for the First Time: A Credit Card-Size Viewer with Big, Bright LCD Display

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—May 24, 2005—Are you searching for a trendy yet affordable gift for dads and new graduates, one that they’ll actually use instead of tossing in a drawer after a week? Look no further than the new KODAK EASYSHARE Picture Viewer, which is available at retail stores worldwide beginning this week (US$149).

This credit card-sized “digital photo album” can be slipped into a pocket or purse, but is powerful enough to hold life’s biggest memories. With the ability to internally store and show up to 150 digital pictures with its crystal-clear, 2.5-inch LCD screen, the EASYSHARE Picture Viewer is perfect for dads who want to show off snapshots of the kids, or the graduate who wants to keep pictures of hometown family and friends close at hand. To view even more pictures, simply insert a standard SD or MMC memory card.

Kodak Press Release

Kodak Licenses OLED Technology to Fuji Electric Holdings Co., Ltd.

ROCHESTER, N.Y.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—May 23, 2005—Eastman Kodak Company said that Fuji Electric Holdings Co., Ltd. of Japan (Fuji) is a licensee of Kodak’s organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology, and is applying its license toward development of its own color conversion matrix (CCM) full-color OLED display technology with the intention of offering flat panel passive matrix (PM) displays.

Based in Tokyo, Japan, Fuji Electric Holdings is comprised of four operating divisions: Fuji Electric Systems, Fuji Electric FA Components & Systems, Fuji Electric Device Technology and Fuji Electric Retail Systems. The company is focused on the development of high performance components, products, systems and services in the industrial, automation and information device fields.

Fuji Electric’s CCM technology uses a production technique the company calls the “metal mask-less organic film deposition method,” for dramatic improvement in manufacturing yield rate, and greater reliability in superior full-color PM displays.

LightScribe Press Release

Licensee base of market leaders highlights broad LightScribe technology adoption and reflects enthusiastic customer response

Corvallis, Oregon, May 24, 2005 – LightScribe today announced that a number of additional leading optical drive and system manufacturers, software developers, and hardware and media brands have licensed its Direct Disc Labeling technology. These new licensees include leading optical disc drive manufacturers Panasonic Communications, Panasonic Shikoku Electronics, Pioneer, and QSI; hardware brands Asustek, Freecom Technologies, I/OMagic, Lite-On IT, ProStar Computer and Sager Midern Computer; media brands BenQ and Maxell; software developers Acoustica, Droppix, New Tech Infosystems and NewSoft Technology; and system integrator Micro-Star International.

The Archos AV 700 Mobile Digital Video Recorder is announced. The Archos AV 700 features a 7 inch colour screen and 100Gb hardrive which can store up to one million JPEG photos. You can transfer photos onto the Archos AV 700 from a computer using USB 2.0 or from a digital camera using the USB Host connection. The Archos AV 700 Mobile DVR will be available in June 2005 at $599.95 and $799.95 for the 40-gigabyte and 100-gigabyte models, respectively.

Archos Press Release

IRVINE, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—May 23, 2005—ARCHOS(R), Inc., a global consumer electronics manufacturer and leader in portable digital entertainment solutions, introduced today the new AV 700 Mobile Digital Video Recorder (DVR), which combines the mobility and wide screen of a portable DVD player, with the video recording and scheduling features of a digital video recorder. The ARCHOS AV 700 is the only portable video player to enable direct video recording onto a 100-gigabyte hard drive, which makes up to 400(1) hours of video or 250(1) movies available for viewing anytime, anywhere. The AV 700 will be available for purchase at retail and from the ARCHOS Web site beginning in June 2005.

Bob Atkins has posted a brief round-up of portable storage devices, including the SmartDisk FlashTrax (pictured).

“Second you can get a full features portable hard drive with image display. These are similar to the simple devices, but they have a color LCD on which you can view any of the images on the drive (assuming they are JPEGs). They also often let you play “slide shows” of your images and sometimes they have a connection so that you can play images on a TV monitor. Since they do more, they cost more, typically $400+”

Website: Bob Atkins - Portable Digital Photo Storage Devices Roundup

Rollei USA Press Release

Rollei Announces Camera, Software and Lens Bundle to Give Professional Photographers Everything in One Medium Format

—New 6008 AF “Bundle” Includes Single-Lens Reflex Camera in 6x6 Medium Format, Digital Back, Editing Software, and Top-of-The-Line Lens

STROUDSBURG, PA (May 19, 2005) – Rollei, manufacturer of the classic twin-lens 6x6 Rolleiflex, today announced the availability of the 6008 AF “Bundle,” which will be the top-of-the-line offering in a family of products Rollei is rolling out in the U.S.

The bundle includes the Rollei 6008 AF camera, the world’s first auto focus single lens reflex camera in a 6 x 6 medium format;  C1 Pro software for precise workflow that supports all phases of image editing and intuitive operation; and the PhaseOne db20p digital back, which gives photographers film and digital picture taking capability in one package. The interchangeable film packs allow a photographer to shoot film, Polaroid-type shots as well as digital shots.

Further evidence that the digital camera market is reaching saturation point as most of the big manufacturers say that shipments will fall or slow considerably compared with the previous year. Even Canon are saying this, so it must be true :-) According to the report on Bloomberg.com half of the population of Japan already own a digicam…

“The rush for digital cameras in Japan had its peak last year, and the U.S. is about a year behind that,’’ said Mitsuhiro Osawa, an analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities Co. who covers precision-instrument makers. About a third of consumers in the U.S. have a digital camera, compared with about a quarter in Europe, he said.”

Website: Bloomberg - Canon, Sony, Olympus Expect Digital Cameras Shipments to Slow

Bonusprint Press Release

~ Save, back-up and print to keep photos safe ~

Digital camera users are in danger of losing their precious memories if they do not take steps to preserve their photos, warns Bonusprint. To keep them safe, they must learn to save, back-up and print their images.

According to the photo printing company, the growing popularity of digital cameras has given people a false sense of security - that storing images on the computer or digital camera is enough. However, what is overlooked is what happens to their priceless memories if the camera or computer is lost, stolen or corrupted, for example.

Bonusprint Press Release

~ Save, back-up and print to keep photos safe ~

Digital camera users are in danger of losing their precious memories if they do not take steps to preserve their photos, warns Bonusprint. To keep them safe, they must learn to save, back-up and print their images.

According to the photo printing company, the growing popularity of digital cameras has given people a false sense of security - that storing images on the computer or digital camera is enough. However, what is overlooked is what happens to their priceless memories if the camera or computer is lost, stolen or corrupted, for example.

An open letter on Leica’s website announces that the German company have delayed the release of their long-awaited Digital-Modul-R. “A few last software problems” are blamed for the delay - “Although these do not impair the basic function of the module, they have to be remedied before it is fully ready for production.” The new release date for the 10 megapixel Digital-Modul-R digital back will now be announced at the end of May.

Website: Leica’s Open Letter

The Mossberg Solution have taken a look at 2 different ways of storing and sharing your digital photos whilst on the move - the Kodak EASYSHARE Picture Viewer (pictured) and the iPod Camera Connector (plus an iPod Photo of course!).

“There’s no doubt that using the iPod Photo with a Camera Connector offers greater versatility for storing and viewing photos than the Kodak EasyShare Picture Viewer. But if you can’t afford an iPod Photo and you’d like a way to bring your digital memories with you on the go, the Picture Viewer is a less expensive, lightweight option. Just don’t count on it for heavy photo storage, especially without expanding the memory with an SD or MMC card.”

Website: The Mossberg Solution - New Ways to Store and View Digital Pictures

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Press Release

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ Western European Digital Photography Study Reveals Strong Regional Differences in Digital Camera and Print Behaviour

LUTON, U.K.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—May 11, 2005—Germany and the U.K. are the most mature digital camera markets in Europe, according to a new study from InfoTrends/CAP Ventures that details European digital camera and printing behaviour.

Although Europe is still in the early adopter stage of the digital camera market, significant growth is expected in 2005, with household penetration expected to reach 40% by the end of this year.

Replacement cameras are helping to drive the market. European consumers are paying premium prices for replacement and additional cameras to obtain the brands and features they desire, which is good news for camera manufacturers.

It’s been quite a week for Olympus as they announce a restructure involving 4,000 job losses, following a recent sharp decline in profits. Falling prices are blamed for Olympus’ loss-making camera division. Olympus shares fell by 3% following the announcement.

“It aims to reduce its global workforce by 4,000 employees to 10,000 by the end of September, mostly by suspending hiring at two Chinese plants. The move marks the first drastic restructuring in the digital camera industry to include consolidation of manufacturing facilities, the financial daily said.”

Website: Forbes.com - Japan’s Olympus to overhaul digital camera ops; to cut 4,000 jobs

Website: BusinessWeek Online - Olympus closing plants in Japan

PNY Press Release

PNY and Olympus Sign Distribution Agreement to Offer the Latest Flash Card Format

PARSIPPANY, NJ – May 10, 2005 – PNY Technologies®, Inc. allows professional photographers and enthusiasts the freedom to entrust their most valuable photographs with the latest flash card format.  As a leader in the flash card market, PNY Technologies has signed a distribution agreement with Olympus Imaging America Inc. to introduce the xD-Picture Card.

“Resulting from increased market growth in portable, compact digital cameras, PNY Technologies is pleased to partner with Olympus to deliver our customers the xD-Picture Card,” said John Orzepowski, marketing manager for flash media, digital entertainment and flash drives for PNY Technologies.  “As demand for new flash formats continues to increase, PNY will offer more choices for popular digital solutions.  Therefore users can enjoy today’s sleek, stylish digital cameras while gaining increased memory capacity to ensure high quality photos.”

Pocket-Lint have just reviewed the Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer.

“But I defy anyone to look at the Viewer in action, see that amazing screen and not be won over. While not exactly cheap for a 40GB portable hard disk, the other elements it contains (music and video player) and the superb screen make it well worth the dosh in my view. In fact, I want one and so does my wife… ‘Nuff said.”

Website: Pocket-Lint - Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer Review

Website: Read my Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer Review