Sandisk Press Release 09/11/04

SANDISK LAUNCHES HIGHER CAPACITIES AND WIDER TEMPERATURE RANGES FOR INDUSTRIAL SD CARDS AND TRANSFLASH MODULES

Growth Potential Seen For Embedded Systems and Automotive Telematics

Munich, Germany, November 9, 2004 - Responding to an increasing demand for durable flash memory in automotive telematics, military and medical applications, SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK) today announced larger capacities and extended operating temperature ranges for its line of industrial-grade SD flash memory cards and tiny TransFlash modules. The announcement was made at Electronica 2004, where SanDisk is exhibiting in Hall A4, Stand 243 of the New Munich Trade Fair Center.

SanDisk introduced a 1-gigabyte (GB) industrial SD card and a 256-megabyte (MB) industrial TransFlash module, providing twice as much memory as their previous highest capacities. Also, the company is offering high reliability with an improved temperature range of -40 to +85 Celsius (-40 to +185 degrees Fahrenheit) for both form factors. The new SD and TransFlash models are expected to ship worldwide starting in January. Pricing is being determined and will vary from region to region.

Sandisk Press Release 09/11/04

SANDISK INTRODUCES 4 AND 8 GIGABYTE INDUSTRIAL CF CARDS AND 8 AND 16GB INDUSTRIAL PC CARDS

Speed, Reliability and Cost Efficiency Offer World-Class Flash Storage Solutions For Today’s Demanding Industrial Applications

Munich, Germany, November 9, 2004 - Providing a reliable storage alternative to hard drives, SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK) today announced significantly higher capacities and faster read/write times for its industrial product line including Industrial Grade and Standard Grade Flash ATA cards. These new cards now provide memory options of as much as 16 gigabytes (GB) for PC Cards and up to 8GB for CompactFlash cards. The announcement was made at Electronica 2004, where SanDisk is exhibiting in Hall A4, Stand 243 of the New Munich Trade Fair Center.

The new cards double the current maximum flash storage capacities of these form factors. The highest capacities for industrial CF cards, which are the more popular Type I form factors, are increased from 2GB to 4GB (industrial grade) and from 4GB to 8GB (standard grade). Likewise, the PC Cards, which are Type II form factors and are based on state-of-the-art 90nm (nanometer) NAND flash technology, will go from 4GB to 8GB for industrial grade and from 8GB to 16GB for standard grade. The cards are expected to be available starting in December. Pricing is being determined and will vary from region to region.

The New York Times has recently published an article looking at portable storage devices for digital photographers, including the new Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer (pictured) (found via Website: Engadget).

“Of the six devices I tested, the P-2000 is arguably the most ambitious and, in many respects, the most successful.

The device, which is now reaching stores (information will soon be at www.epson .com), acts as an electronic snapshot as well as a shoebox for digital photos. Its L.C.D. display is 2? by 3 inches - smaller than a snapshot (typically 4 by 6 inches) but larger than those on any of the other devices I tried, not to mention the tiny camera monitors.”

Website: New York Times - Portable Storage Devices Review

CameraTown have just reviewed the new Apple iPod Photo.

“There has been a lot of talk online about the iPod Photo ever since Apple announced it on October 26th, 2004. But, as quickly as you could say “iPod,” there were rants all over the web about the limitations of the new iPod Photo as a photo storage device, as well as its larger size. I immediately ordered one so that I could take a first-hand look at this product, knowing that it will inevitably be a hot item this holiday season. This review will look at the iPod Photo from two functionality standpoints; As a photo storage/player device, and as an all around multimedia device (Music, Photos, and Slideshows). If you are considering getting an MP3 player or a photo/media device sometime soon then I recommend reading further.”

Website: CameraTown - Apple iPod Photo Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Apple iPod Photo

Samsung Electronics 03/11/04

Samsung Electronics develops 4-inch Widescreen LCD for Portable Media Players

Seoul, Korea - November 3, 2004 - Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest provider of TFT-LCD display panels, announced today that it has developed a 4-inch screen digital interface LCD with a 16:9 screen ratio exclusively for Portable Media Players (PMP).

PMP is a next-generation multimedia player that can play video images downloaded from the Internet at any time, any where in a convenient format. Market anticipation for a full-scale portable video player has increased dramatically in recent months. PMP’s expanded capacity allows for variety of media player features including music and video.

Made exclusively for the PMP market, Samsung’s 4-inch widescreen LCD with a 16:9 ratio provides an outstanding digital interface with excellent color gamut and brightness. The LCD panel used for existing PMPs is generally 3.5 inches and has 4:3 ratio. When a 16:9 Digital Internet Video eXpress (Divx) file is played in the current format, the screen is not fully utilized, particularly at the top and bottom of the screen.

Intro 2020 Press Release 04/11/04

Elio Photo Jukebox
A stylish, portable device for your Photo and music storage and playback.

With its compact size and big capacity, the new ELIO PHOTO JUKEBOX incorporates a 1.8” 20GB hard drive, making it one of the smallest units currently available.

The Elio features a 2.2 inch colour TFT screen for viewing images and navigating files, and an SD card slot, making the transfer of images and other files extremely easy. JPEG Images can be played back either individually, as a slide show or slide shows can be
created automatically with music and transitions between images.

Many digital cameras produced today incorporate the technology to connect directly to the Elio using PTP mode (Peer to Peer) or if they are MSC (Mass Storage Class) compatible. Simply connect the camera to the Elio with the supplied USB cables and select “Upload to Elio” and the images or information will be transferred directly without having to remove the card from the camera. Cameras which incorporate this technology can use any type of Media storage cards, not just SD.

The Wall Street Journal have just reviewed the new Apple iPod Photo.

“I tested the iPod Photo on a Mac PowerBook G4 laptop. It was a breeze to use. I just installed the software that came with it, launched iTunes, and chose how I wanted to synchronize with my photos, which were already in iPhoto. In seconds I had moved over several iPhoto albums, including one filled with pictures I took at the World Series in Fenway Park in Boston, when my beloved Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals.”

Website: The Wall Street Journal - Apple iPod Photo Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Apple iPod Photo

DPNow have just reviewed the Vosonic X’S-Drive Pro VP3310, a 9in1 portable storage device with 20GB hard drive or more.

“We measured a transfer rate of just 0.68MB/second from both high-speed or standard compact flash cards. That means a 256MB card of a formatted capacity of 243MB would take six minutes to copy, or nearly 25 minutes for a full 1GB card.

As we found with the IC Drive SD cards copy more quickly, achieving a transfer rate of 0.8MB/second. A full 256MB (243MB formatted) SD card will take five minutes and eight seconds to be copied - almost a minute quicker than a CF card.

This performance is pretty basic and indicates that no bus-optimisation of the interface between the card slots and the hard drive has been implemented. There are faster portable hard drives but they are invariably more expensive.”

Website: DPNow - Vosonic X’S-Drive Pro VP3310 Review

Tom’s Hardware have just reviewed the Archos Gmini 400 portable storage device, which amongst other things allows you to view photos (found via digicamera.net).

“To display photos, you just open the appropriate menu. Useful thumbnails let you see the current, previous and next photos, and navigation is simple using folders. The only potential issue is the size of the photos. When copying, the player doesn’t resize the pictures, which is normally what you want. But if they’re too big (from a 5 megapixel camera, for example), it takes time for them to display on the Gmini, and the quality of reproduction on the screen won’t be optimal.”

Website: Tom’s Hardware - Archos Gmini 400 Review

CameraTown have posted one of the first reviews of the new ColorVision Spyder2PRO Studio monitor calibration device.

“I never really thought that spending money on a monitor calibrator made sense - until now. I know there are many professionals out there that would be amazed by that statement. I got used to making a print, re-adjusting the photo, then making the print again, as my way of “calibrating” my screen. Not only is this annoying, expensive, and a waste of time, it also frustrated me continuously since an adjustment I made for one photo didn’t apply to the next one.”

Website: CameraTown - ColorVision Spyder2PRO Studio Review

Epson Japan Press Release 01/11/04

- TOKYO, Japan, November 1, 2004 - Seiko Epson Corporation (“Epson”) today announced that it has succeeded in leveraging its proprietary inkjet technology to develop what the company believes is the world’s first ultra-thin 20-layer circuit board.

Multilayer circuit boards are normally produced by using a photolithography process to pattern a copper foil bonded to a base board. However, the industry has struggled to produce thin, lightweight, high-density multilayer circuit boards cheaply because the traditional process requires (1) thick copper layers; (2) the creation of a different photomask for each layer; (3) a complex step for forming through-holes to electrically connect different layers; and (4) a large volume of photoresist, developer, etchants, stripping agents and other chemicals.

Against this backdrop, Epson received a grant from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), an independent Japanese governmental agency, to develop technology for fabricating circuit boards using inkjet technology. The goal of the three-year project, which was launched in June 2003, is two-fold: dramatically reduce the energy consumed in the manufacture of circuit boards; and fabricate small, lightweight, high-performance circuit boards used in end-products such as information and communications equipment, thus helping to bring about the realization of a ubiquitous computing society.

Ritz Camera Centers/Mirra, Inc. Press Release 01/11/04

Mirra Digital Shoebox Featured at Ritz Camera Stores as a Must-Have Digital Camera Accessory for Protecting and Sharing Digital Photos

Beltsville, MD and Sunnyvale, CA (November 1, 2004) - Ritz Camera Centers, the largest retail camera and photo chain in the United States, and Mirra, Inc., developer of content protection and management solutions for the consumer and home office market, today announced the immediate availability of the Mirra Digital Shoebox at select Ritz Camera Stores nationwide.

An exclusive Ritz holiday promotion, the Mirra Digital Shoebox is an essential camera accessory offering 80 gigabytes of backup protection-enough to protect more than 100,000 3-megapixel digital photos. In addition to hands-free backup, the Mirra Digital Shoebox provides free, secure photo sharing over the web. The Digital Shoebox can also protect and share any kind of digital file, making it an ideal solution for home users with valuable content on their PCs, ranging from photos to music, work documents, financial records, and email.

BIOS magazine have posted one of the first reviews of the new ColorVision Spyder2 monitor calibration device.

“If you work with digital images on a regular basis, a calibrated monitor is essential in order to produce prints that resemble their on-screen counterparts. ColorVision’s Spyder2Pro is a monitor calibrator that works well with both PCs and Macs and will help you to achieve consistent and neutral grey values as well as exceptionally smooth tonal response on CRTs, LCD and laptop displays. New optimised hardware that’s easier to attach to monitors, and new photo sensors that are around five times more sensitive during calibration than the previous model, help you to improve your display’s colour uniformity more effectively on different monitors relatively quickly and easily. Spyder2Pro Studio is one of the most effective and attractively priced products for professionals, although its results on a laptop screen were less impressive.”

Website: BIOS - ColorVision Spyder2 Review

The Norwegian website Digit.no have just reviewed the SmartDisk FlashTrax portable storage device.

Website: Digit.no - SmartDisk FlashTrax Review

Bad news for photographers everywhere - looks like the new Apple iPod won’t be such a great option for storing your digital images, at least according to Playlist Magazine (found via Gizmodo).

“I assumed that if you attached a media card reader to the iPod, it would not only download pictures from the reader but also display those pictures on the iPod. Not so. The iPod stores its pictures in special thumbnail files. These files hold multiple pictures that are displayed on the iPod?s screen and an attached video output device (TV or camcorder). When you import photographs (either from a media reader or by storing the full resolution images on the iPod - an option in iTunes) those photos are stored in a Full Resolution folder inside the Photos folder that appears at the root level of the iPod.”

Website: Playlist Magazine - iPod Photo: First Impressions

Check the Latest Prices for the Apple iPod Photo

Gateway Press Release 28/10/04

Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox Brings Digital Music and Photos to One Compact Device

New Mini MP3 Player Includes Color Screen for Viewing Photos, Convenient Way to Transfer Photos From a Digital Camera, and One Month of Napster To Go Unlimited Music Service

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—The new Gateway(TM) MP3 Photo Jukebox will give music lovers a new fun, affordable and very convenient way to take their favorite music and photos with them wherever they go.

The new Gateway MP3 Photo Jukebox will make anyone currently on a waiting list for other mini-digital music players think twice.  The new Gateway jukebox combines 4GB of storage in a small and lightweight 3.4-ounce design, with cool new features including a large color display, digital photo storage, and a removable and rechargeable battery.(1)

“This feature-rich digital music player is very small, sleek, easy to use and offers a combination of features that can’t be found anywhere else in the market,” said Ed Fisher, senior vice president of product planning for Gateway, Inc.  “Combine its affordable price, unique features, music service compatibility and out-of-the box Napster To Go Service, and you’ve got a great
holiday gift for music lovers of all ages.”

“iriver Press Release 28/10/04”

Serious about entertainment?

The iriver PMP140 and PMP120 (pictured) herald a new era in portable entertainment electronics

The iriver PMP series offers a striking design, 3.5” colour screen, a Linux-based operating system and support for all standard video and audio formats.

iriver, the leading provider of innovative portable audio and video solutions in the digital entertainment segment, has launched its new Portable Media Player (PMP).  The perfect travelling companion, the iriver PMP is the most versatile entertainment device available on the market today, with the ability to watch movies, listen to music, check out the latest news headlines on the radio and even view your latest snapshots, since shots taken on a digital camera can be downloaded to the PMP in seconds. Available in 20 and 40GB versions, the Linux?-based operating system sets the iriver PMP apart from the personal media centres (PMCs) currently on the market by offering the ability to play MP3, ASF, WMA and WAV audio files, as well as numerous video formats, including AVI in MPEG4, DivX and XviD.

Steves Digicams has just reviewed the Transcend Digital Album, a 20Gb portable data and image storage device, viewer and multimedia player that retails for $359.99.

“The DA’s main job is to act as a portable storage unit for digital camera users and it performs this function quickly and easily. Insert your card and press a total of 3 buttons and it is off and running on its own. A graphical progress bar display is shown during the copy process to let you know how it is doing. As I stated in the review, the actual copy time depends on the media and the amount of data being copied. Using a fairly average Secure Digital card I copied 512MB of data in about ten minutes. The copy process is automatic and needs no user attention so you could carry the DA on your belt, swap cards and keep on shooting with very little delay.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Transcend Digital Album Review

Apple Press Release 26/10/04

Your Entire Music & Photo Library in Your Pocket

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Apple(R) today introduced iPod(R) Photo, the newest member of the iPod family that lets you take your entire music and photo library with you wherever you go. iPod Photo holds up to 25,000 digital photos alongside your music library and displays them on its stunning high-resolution color screen, allowing you to scroll through your photo library almost instantly using iPod’s patent pending Click Wheel. iPod Photo lets you combine your music and your favorite photos to create magical slideshows on your iPod, and features TV-out for sharing your slideshows on big screen televisions and projectors. iPod Photo comes in 40GB or 60GB models which hold up to 10,000 or 15,000 songs, and its extended battery life gives users up to 15 hours of music playback or up to 5 hours of slideshows.

“Having both your entire photo and music collections with you wherever you go is the next big thing,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Everyone has a digital camera and wants to enjoy and share their growing library of digital photos wherever they are. Unlike video content, photo content is free and abundant, and there are no copyright issues to deal with.”

Check the Latest Prices for the Apple iPod Photo

DPreview are exclusively reporting that Sharp have just announced an 8.5 million total pixels (8.3 million effective), 1/1.8” CCD sensor, which will no doubt feature in many compact digicams next year.

“Further indication that the pixel race certainly isn’t over, my guess is that this is just the tip of the iceberg with ten million pixel compact cameras before the end of next year. Once again I’ll place my stake in the ground and say I’d rather see manufacturers spending time and money on better lenses, better AF, faster cameras, better auto WB, and some real innovation.”

Website: DPReview - Sharp’s eight megapixel 1/1.8” CCD