PhotoVu Press Release

PhotoVu Announces World’s Most Powerful Wireless Digital Picture Frame

Double Memory Increase and Upgradeability Ensures Support of Rapid Camera Megapixel Growth

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/—Today PhotoVu(TM) announced the availability of the new PhotoVu PV1955(TM) picture frame, which adds support for up to 16.7 megapixel cameras, USB 2.0, and future upgradeability to Wi-Fi(R) wireless-G networking, advanced screen transitions, commercial applications, and Internet services. An optional 1GB USB flash drive or USB 40GB removable hard drive can also be used for stand-alone play.

Motorola / Kodak Press Release

Leading Mobile and Digital Imaging Companies Team to Build Breakthrough Mobile Imaging Experience

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—CES—Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) , a global leader in wireless communications, and Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) , the world’s most recognized brand in digital imaging and the U.S. market-share leader in digital cameras, today announced a 10-year global product, cross licensing and marketing alliance intended to fulfill the promise of mobile imaging for the benefit of consumers.

DIWA member Steves Digicams have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix S4, which has 6 megapixels and a 10x Zoom-Nikkor lens that is equivalent to 38-380mm.

“Image quality was good for a 6-megapixel consumer model. Using its 6M High mode, we captured relatively sharp images with good exposure. However it does sometimes over expose objects of high contrast (snow or white buildings) and there was visible edge blurring in a large majority of our samples. I also noticed noise levels were a bit higher than comparable models. Nikon’s D-lighting feature proved to be very useful both indoors and out. While noise does become more noticeable, I found the usefulness of this feature out weighs this downfall. Plus, you won’t even notice much of anything when printing your typical 4x6-inch photo.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Nikon Coolpix S4 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

ePhotoZine have reviewed the Wacom Graphire4 pen tablet, which offers a new, ergonomically designed pen and tablet in either A6 or A5 size and silver, metallic design.

“Another major improvement is in the Graphire4’s pen. It now has a rubberised grip which makes it really comfortable to use and the front and back pen keys are set slightly apart to help you find and press the right key every time. In use I found the two keys positioned too high up the shaft and not that conveniently placed for my index finger or thumb action. I do, however, tend to write holding a pen really close to the nib, so I checked with colleagues. Three out of the four preferred lower buttons.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Wacom Graphire4 Review

Samsung Press Release

Samsung Digimax A503 to offer superior value with features including 2” LCD and 5x Digital Zoom

Las Vegas , NV ( January 5, 2005 ) Samsung is proud to announce the newest addition to their exceptional line of Digimax digital cameras, the A503. This five mega-pixel model features a 5x digital zoom, as well as an 8x zoom during playback, allowing shooters to check the precision and detail of their images. Along with excellent lens quality, the A503 is equipped with a large, two-inch 115k pixel TFT LCD screen that provides outstanding image quality for shooting and reviewing pictures.

Sony Europe Press Release

SONY ANNOUNCES Sony Cyber-shot S600 COMPACT DIGITAL STILL CAMERA TO ENABLE SUREFIRE SUCCESSFUL SHOOTING FOR EVERYONE

A powerful combination: 6.0 effective Megapixels, High Sensitivity for sharper shots, ZEISS Wide-Angle zoom lens and a Strong Flash

Berlin, 04 January 2006 - The point-and-shoot Sony Cyber-shot S600 combines great design and compactness with the forward-thinking, high quality and easy to use camera technology you have come to expect from Sony. The result? A fun, convenient shooting experience ensuring superb image quality every time – ideal as a first step into digital photography.

BenQ Press Release

BenQ Announces New High-Performance, Ultra-Slim Digital Cameras; Stylish Cameras Include the World’s Smallest 6-Megapixel Camera, a 5-Megapixel Model with an OLED Advanced Display and a Versatile 8-Megapixel Model

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Jan. 5, 2006 BenQ, a leading manufacturer of digital lifestyle devices, today unveiled three new additions to its digital camera lineup, the X600, C800 and E521. The highlight of the three models is the X600, the world’s smallest 6-megapixel camera. All three digital cameras offer an ultra-slim, compact design and versatile feature set, and are ideal for consumers seeking a high-quality multi-function digital camera at an affordable price.

Sony USA Press Release

Sony Launches Designs for Micro Vault Lineup at CES - “Tiny” and Biometric Models Highlight Lineup

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/—CES Booth # 14200—At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Sony Electronics will unveil a redesigned Micro Vault lineup, which will include the Micro Vault “Tiny,” the Micro Vault PRO 8GB, the Micro Vault Classic and Turbo and the Micro Vault with Fingerprint Access. Each offers users substantial storage capacity and high transfer speeds in stylish designs.

“We’re really focusing on new, conducive designs that deliver high performance in high style,” said Mike Lucas, Sony’s marketing director for consumer media products.

SD Card Association Press Release

New High Capacity SD Memory Card Specification Under Final Review by SD Card Association - Specification to Allow Development of Higher-Capacity Memory Cards for Next Generation A/V and Telecommunications Devices -

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/—At the 2006 International CES held here this week, the SD Card Association (SDA) announced it expects to finalize specifications for a new, high-capacity SD Memory Card—the SDHC Memory Card—in early 2006. The new specification will expand SD card capacity beyond 2GB, to meet the memory-hungry requirements of a new generation of audio/video and telecommunications devices—from camcorders to cell phones and computers, digital still cameras to plasma televisions and PDAs, among others.

Simple Star Press Release

Simple Star Announces New PhotoShow 4 Home DVD Add On; Users Can Create and Burn DVDs at Home for Enjoying Memories on TV

SAN FRANCISCO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Jan. 4, 2006—Additional Upgrade to PhotoShow 4 Gives Digital Photography Lovers Even More Options for Organizing, Managing and Sharing Photos and Video Clips

Consumers received DVD players in huge numbers this holiday season (2.6 million as of December 2)(a), and with Simple Star’s new PhotoShow 4 Home DVD Add On, they will be able to easily create and burn DVDs at home, allowing friends and family to view memories of holiday cheer right in their living rooms.

“The PhotoShow 4 Home DVD Add On helps consumers get the most enjoyment from three of the hottest-selling consumer electronics products this holiday season - digital cameras, flat panel TVs and DVD players,” noted Chad Richard, Simple Star CEO.

PNY Technologies Press Release

STORE MORE FILES WITH PNY TECHNOLOGIES’ 8GB, USB 2.0 EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE

LAS VEGAS - January 05, 2006 – Announced today at CES, PNY Technologies®, Inc. has unveiled Maxfile™, a USB 2.0 external hard drive. This portable storage device provides a convenient and economical way for mobile users to carry more than 8GB* of data or transfer files at speeds up to 480MB/sec*. Its small form factor fits conveniently in a briefcase or backpack.

Maxfile’s cost-per-megabyte is much less compared to other portable storage solutions of this physical size. Weighing only 60 grams and with a capacity starting at 8GB, users can store more than 16,000 digital photos, 2,400 songs in MP3 format, or thousands of text files. Its integrated USB connector plugs into any (MAC or PC) USB port to immediately store and access files, without requiring an extra power supply.

D-Link Press Release

D-Link First to Introduce HD Wireless Media Server With 100GB Built-in Storage and 5-in-1 Media Card Reader - Newest Addition to MediaLounge Family Lets Users Store, Share, Play Back Photos, Music and HD Videos Over Home Network

LAS VEGAS, NV, January 4, 2006 - D-Link, the end-to-end networking solutions provider for consumers and business, today became the first company to offer a streaming wireless high-definition media player/server with 100GB of built-in storage and a 5-in-1 media card reader.

The newest addition to D-Link’s popular MediaLounge family of products is the D-Link Wireless HD Media Server (DSM-5210R). It allows users to conveniently store, share and play back photos, music and high definition videos over a home network. Its full capabilities will be on display throughout CES 2006 in Booth 35832, South Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center.

Inventors of Charge-Coupled Device and Founders of Learning Factory Receive Highest Engineering Honors for 2006

WASHINGTON—The engineering profession’s highest honors for 2006, presented by the National Academies’ National Academy of Engineering (NAE), recognize an invention that revolutionized imaging technologies and an undergraduate education program designed to create leaders in engineering by solving challenges posed by industry.

Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith will share the Charles Stark Draper Prize—a $500,000 annual award that honors engineers whose accomplishments have significantly benefited society—“for the invention of the Charge-Coupled Device (CCD), a light-sensitive component at the heart of digital cameras and other widely used imaging technologies.”

ILFORD Photo / CALUMET Press Release

The ILFORD Photo / CALUMET black-and-white photography event being staged in Pasadena, California, next March under the title SILVER is drawing bookings from across the United States as well as from overseas, and is anticipated to become a major event on the photographic calendar.

The inaugural staging of the SILVER black-and-white photography conference, together with its accompanying print competition, commemorative book, workshops and social events, planned to take place over March 3 - 5 next year at the Pasadena Arts Centre, has generated a great deal of enthusiasm and anticipation.

Being heavily sponsored by ILFORD Photo and CALUMET as a non-profit making event with any surplus revenue being donated to the Pasadena Art Centre to fund scholarships to photography students who need support and to assist photo educators, SILVER sees the coming together of some of the world’s leading exponents of black-and-white photography.

Trusted Reviews have reviewed the Samsung Digimax L55W, a 5 megapixel digital camera with a 4.8x optical zoom lens equivalent to 28mm-135mm and a 2.8 inch wide LCD that allows you to view in 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratios.

“The images are massively over-processed, robbing what would otherwise be outstanding shots of much of their fine detail. This is most likely done to combat image noise, because the L55W also has a big problem in this department. In long-exposure test shots, some image noise was present at 50, 100 and 200 ISO, but at 400 ISO the noise reduction seemed to switch off and then things got really bad.”

Website: Trusted Reviews - Samsung Digimax L55W Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

DIWA member Photexels have reviewed the Canon PowerShot A620, which features a 7.1 megapixel sensor, 2 inch LCD screen and 4x optical zoom lens equivalent to 35–140 mm focal length.

“The Canon PowerShot A620 is excellent value for money: excellent image quality with lots of detail, fast operations with no practical shutter lag, fast and precise AF that works in low-light, intuitive operation, full exposure flexibility, accurate exposure metering, an immensely practical flip-and-rotate LCD…. if you’re not sure which digital camera to buy, you can’t go wrong with the Canon A620.”

Website: Photexels - Canon PowerShot A620 Review

Website: Read my Canon Powershot A620 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

DigitalCameraInfo have the first online review of the Casio EX-S600, a 6 megapixel ultra-slim digital camera with a movie stabilizer function that reduces camera shake when recording movies.

“The EX-S600 isn’t our style. It’s very small and the design is bold, but the sad fact is that these are the most appealing things about the camera, and they won’t help anyone take pictures. We appreciate that the camera is made of metal, but that’s only a good start at making a durable imager. A camera is only as tough as its most vulnerable part, and the EX-S600’slens assembly and unsealed battery and memory compartment are pretty vulnerable. If the color and size were wrapped around a good imaging system, if the camera were tough enough to go where it can fit, and if it were easy to hold securely, we’d be enthusiastic. As it stands, there is clearly a market for tiny cameras; however, they generally come with some compromises. Unfortunately, for the S600, one of them is image quality.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Casio EX-S600 Review

Latest Prices / User Reviews

Panasonic UK Press Release

Panasonic DMC-LZ5 and DMC-LZ3 - Featuring Optical 6x Zoom and MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer) Running on AA Batteries

Panasonic is introducing the incoming LUMIX models 6.0-megapixel DMC-LZ5 and 5.0-megapixel DMC-LZ3, incorporating MEGA O.I.S.(Optical Image Stabilizer)  and 6x optical zoom(equivalent to 37mm to 222mm on a 35mm film camera) lens, that run on two AA batteries.

MEGA O.I.S. is the image stabilization system against handshake that bears no picture deterioration.  Panasonic is the first company in the industry to have succeeded in incorporating MEGA O.I.S. into a compact digital camera and now its benefit is strongly approved by the users of the world, considered to be the standard of photography.

Panasonic UK Press Release

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS2 - MEGA O.I.S. Equipped 5-megapixel 3x Optical Zoom DMC-LS2 Running on AA batteries

Panasonic is introducing the incoming LUMIX models 5.0-megapixel DMC-LS2, incorporating MEGA O.I.S., an Optical Image Stabilizer that compensates the handshake, and 3x optical zoom lens, that runs on two AA batteries.

MEGA O.I.S. is the image stabilization system against handshake that bears no picture deterioration. Panasonic is the first company in the industry to have succeeded in incorporating MEGA O.I.S. into a compact digital camera and now its benefit is strongly approved by the users of the world, considered to be the standard of photography.

Lexmark US Press Release

New Lexmark X7350 Office All-in-One Makes Multi-Tasking Easy For Soho

LEXINGTON, Ky., Jan. 4, 2006—Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) today introduced the Lexmark X7350 Office All-in-One printer, designed to provide the most cost-conscious small office/home office (SOHO) customers with an easy-to-use combination of performance, functionality and photo features for under $150.

The Lexmark X7350 offers photo capabilities along with the ability to print, scan, copy and fax at business-class speeds, as well as manage and share color documents and photos. Users can print directly from their PC or a PictBridge-compatible digital camera.