Seagate Leads 1-Inch Hard Disc Drive Market With Cybercapture Technology

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Seagate Technology (NYSE:STX) , the world’s leading supplier of Consumer Electronics hard disc drives, today announced the first practical implementation of Cybercapture(TM) technology. Sony Corporation has employed this technology in its new Compactvault(TM) removable hard disc media drive that uses Seagate’s CompactFlash Photo Hard Drive, following a joint implementation effort between the two companies.

Hard disc drives with Cybercapture(TM) technology maximize hard disc performance, enabling faster shooting and high definition video capture. By moving control of the file system from the consumer electronics device onto the hard disc drive itself, Cybercapture technology will allow an even higher recording rate of still pictures in multi-shot mode as well as higher quality recording of moving pictures, on a drive running in AV mode.

FotoNation Press Release

FOTONATION IS FINALIST FOR EUROPEAN IST GRAND PRIZE AWARD - CHOSEN FOR RED-EYE TECHNOLOGY

Galway, Ireland, November 29, 2005—FotoNation® Ireland Ltd., a subsidiary of FotoNation Inc. (www.fotonation.com), one of the world’s leading imaging and connectivity solutions, announced today that it has been selected as finalist for the prestigious 2006 European IST (Information Society Technology) Grand Prize for its innovative Red-Eye Technology.

Drawn from a pool of 213 nominees from 29 countries, FotoNation is one of only twenty finalists for the IST award.  Now in its eleventh year, the European IST Prize (www.ist-prize.org ) is awarded for groundbreaking products that represent the best of European innovation in IT technology.  The award provides public recognition and is a highly visible display of entrepreneurial teams that excel in generating unique ideas and R&D and converting them into marketable products.  The high standard of applicants and the competitive selection procedure makes this prize the most distinguished for new technology products.

FotoInsight Press Release

FotoInsight.co.uk Launches New Photobook in the UK

The innovative photo book featuring 26 glossy satin finish pages takes up to 312 pictures and can be ordered online without any special software

In time for the holiday gift shopping season, FotoInsight of Cambridge launches an innovative 26 page photo book displaying up to 312 images through its online photo processing service. Presenting someone with a personalised, hardbound photo book, complete with the details of an adventure illustrated with own photographs is arguably the greatest gift idea this year. The new photo book can be ordered from FotoInsight.com online without need for any special digital photo album software. The lay-out tool allows for text and various picture formats and sizes. The photobook is the latest addition to Europe’s most innovative range of photo gifts at http://www.fotoinsight.co.uk/.

1-more.com Press Release

1-more.com Releases New Version of its Popular PhotoCalendar Software

Widest choice of photo calendar layouts with 1-more.com software provides many options for individual, home made gifts.

In time for the holiday gift shopping season, 1-more Software launches an innovative software application to tailor photographic calendars from the growing number of personal digital photographs. Presenting someone with a personalized, beautifully laid out calendar with own photographs is arguably one of the greatest gift ideas this year. The new PhotoCalendar software for Windows PC can be downloaded from the 1-more.com website at http://www.1-more-photocalendar.com, where a limited edition can also be tried free of charge (though the free version is limited to monochrome printing). The layout tool allows for text and various picture formats and sizes. The PhotoCalendar application is the latest addition to the innovative range of specialist photo software applications at www.1-more.com.

DivX Press Release

DivX Technology Adopted by Pentax to Create Industry’s First DivX Certified(R) Digital Camera

SAN DIEGO—Nov. 29, 2005—DivX, Inc. announced today that the first DivX(R) Certified digital still camera, the Pentax Optio S6, is now available for sale in retail stores in Europe, Japan and North America. The Optio S6 represents a breakthrough device by allowing digital camera users to natively capture videos in the extremely popular DivX format for the first time.

As a fully DivX Certified Encoder device, the Pentax Optio S6 is the first digital camera that can capture full-screen VGA (640x480, 30 fps) video directly encoded into DivX on the device itself. DivX has become one of the most popular video technologies in the world by enabling the creation and distribution of DVD quality video at a file size small enough to be easily transferred among an entire ecosystem of devices and platforms.

The BBC are reporting that UK retailer photography Jessops have announced a small drop in sales between September and November, blaming declining digital camera sales. Jessop’s share price still rose slightly on the back of pre-tax profits of £5.9m in the year to the end of September.

Website: BBC News -  Jessops reports digital sales dip

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Epson PictureMate 100 printer, which provides glossy high-quality 6x4 inch prints at £0.19p per photo.

“Judging by the amount of television advertising devoted to personal photo printers, they are becoming very valuable products for their manufacturers. Epson now has one of these ‘photo lab’ devices at well under £100, and so puts itself up against HP and Lexmark, in what is an increasingly crowded market. The white and purply-silver case of this small-loaf sized printer gives it a clean, homely look and there’s a handle for carrying it around with you. This is somewhat spoiled by the fact you also have to carry a power supply and mains lead, but you can invest in an optional Lithium ion battery (around £50), if you need to print away from the mains.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Epson PictureMate 100 Review

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CNET have just reviewed the Nikon Coolpix L1 digicam, which offers a 5x optical zoom lens, 2.5-inch LCD monitor and 6.2 megapixels.

“The Nikon Coolpix L1 is not a fast camera. Since all operations cease while it writes an image to its built-in storage or to an SD memory card, it takes an excruciatingly long 6.8 seconds between shots in single-shot mode; make it 9.5 seconds if you’re using flash. Continuous-shooting speed is a little less than 0.7 frame per second, so forget about catching frenetic sports action with this camera. While the L1 takes about 5 seconds to fire off a shot after you press the power button, it has an adequate 0.9-second shutter lag in high-contrast lighting.”

Website: CNET - Nikon Coolpix L1 Review

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DigiCamReview have reviewed the Olympus FE-120, a 6 megapixel camera with 3x zoom lens and 1.8 inch LCD screen.

“The camera is very easy to use. The controls on the back of the camera are very easy to use. The camera is fairly compact and pocketable in baggy trouser pockets. The menus are easy to use, and the options are easy enough to see clearly. The modes are easy to access, quick and simple - there’s a fully automatic mode as well as lots of scene modes for simple point and shoot operation. The camera is an excellent example of a point and shoot camera, with very little in the way of more advanced controls, it would be very easy to use for beginners making good photos atainable every time.”

Website: DigiCamReview - Olympus FE-120 Review

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BitShelter Press Release

PhotoShelter Integrates PayPal Payment Processing to Allow Photographers to Sell Directly from Their Online Image Archives

NEW YORK—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Nov. 28, 2005—Digital storage platform provider BitShelter LLC today announced the immediate availability of PayPal payment processing within PhotoShelter (www.PhotoShelter.com), their online image archiving service and marketplace.

The integration of PayPal payment processing adds an additional secure e-commerce payment gateway option for their subscribers.

“Making it easy for photographers to collect money from their clients is important,” says Grover Sanschagrin, VP of Sales & Marketing for PhotoShelter. “PayPal is an excellent, trusted, easy-to-use solution for those who don’t wish to use a standard credit card merchant account.”

Canon UK Press Release

Go PIXMAD!  A great Christmas offer from Canon

Free Canon glossy photo paper worth over £30/€40 with Canon’s PIXMA MP450 or PIXMA iP5200

Anyone buying a Canon PIXMA MP450 multifuntional or iP5200 printer in December 2005 or January 2006 can GO PIXMAD with over £30/€40 worth of free Canon glossy photo paper. With Canon’s photographic paper in these, or any other Canon PIXMA printers and multifunctionals it’s easy to produce great looking, lab-quality photos that can last a lifetime. To claim their free glossy photo paper, customers can pick up a leaflet in store (or download it from www.canon.co.uk/gopixmad), complete the voucher and return with original proof of purchase (being sure to take a copy). Canon will then post the paper pack directly to them.

Canon UK Press Release

Free battery pack and the freedom to print anywhere with Canon SELPHY printers

Anyone who buys a Canon SELPHY CP710 or CP510 compact photo printer in December will be free to roam with their photography thanks to Canon’s Set your SELPHY free promotion. Throughout December , Canon is giving away a portable battery pack worth £50 free with every SELPHY CP710 or CP510 purchased; making it even easier to have fun with photography. To claim their free battery pack, customers can pick up a leaflet in store, complete the voucher and return with original proof of purchase (being sure to take a copy). Canon will then post the free battery pack directly to them.

O’Reilly Press Release

Take, Edit, and Create Perfect Digital Photos O’Reilly Introduces “Photoshop Elements 4 One-on-One”

Sebastopol, CA—The quality and features in today’s digital cameras are inspiring consumers to become more creative with their photography and photo editing. Trying to achieve the envisioned result can be a frustrating experience—especially when the software and manual are not up to the task.  Photoshop Elements 4—the most popular image editing application for Windows-based PCs—will multiply your options, and using “Photoshop Elements 4 One-on-One” (McClelland, O’Reilly, $34.95 US) will turn the learning curve into a speedway. Digital photographers—amateur and experienced alike—will easily and quickly learn to edit and produce shots with extraordinary results.

Unipart Press Release

Renowned photographer, Patrick Lichfield, photographed 17 years of the world-famous Unipart calendars and was working on his favourite selection of images before his sudden death in November.

In his own words, the idea was to produce “a best of the Unipart Calendars.” After consulting his family, Unipart has agreed to honour his memory by producing a limited edition, 2006 calendar, featuring the Lichfield Selection. This unique calendar will be made directly available to the public.

The last Lichfield Unipart Calendar will be sold to raise funds for two charities, Acorns and automotive industry charity - BEN. Lord Lichfield was the founding patron of Acorns, a Midlands-based charity which supports three children’s hospices as well as providing home-based services. He remained a committed patron and supporter until his death.

InterVideo Press Release

Comprehensive 3-Step DVD Software with Advanced DVD Copying Capabilities and Enhanced Customisation Features.

Northampton UK, November 2005—InterVideo®, Inc. (NASDAQ: IVII) announced InterVideo DVD Copy™ 4, the latest release of its award-winning, three-step software for making high-quality copies of unencrypted* CDs, DVDs, video, music, photo and data files. Consistently rated as one of the easiest and most comprehensive copy and DVD burning applications, DVD Copy enables consumers to meet all of their video duplication, conversion and reproduction needs with a single solution. With the new version, InterVideo adds “most-wanted” features such as automated Internet file copy support, support for handheld and gaming devices and support for the new DivX® Media Format features introduced with DivX 6.

Iomega Press Release

New Iomega Desktop Hard Drive XL Series Offers Massive Capacity for Your Digital Photos, Music, Video, Work Files and Other Data Intensive Projects

Triple-Interface, One-Terabyte External Drive Delivers Powerful, High-Performance Storage Solution for Today’s Small Business and Digital Home

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Iomega Corporation (NYSE:IOM) , a global leader in data storage celebrating 25 years of business, today announced the Iomega(R) Desktop Hard Drive XL Series, a compact four-drive enclosure with 1 terabyte (TB) of capacity*. Designed for creative services professionals and others who require the fastest editing speeds possible in today’s small office and tech-savvy home office, the Iomega XL Series 1TB drive delivers advanced capacity and performance and includes Dantz(R) Retrospect(TM) Express software for a complete data backup and disaster recovery solution.

Two Pilots Press Release

Two Pilots has released Beauty Pilot, a Windows application that allows you to conceal skin imperfections on a photo and bring out the beauty in women’s digital portraits.

What is beauty? It is doubted whether anyone can put into words what beauty is. As Oscar Wilde said, “Beauty is a form of genius - is higher, indeed, than genius, as it needs no explanation”. Do you agree? If so, you will probably like a beauty program created by Two Pilots. This sophisticated software is so easy to use that it needs no explanation regarding its user interface. Only a gentle touch is required to erase skin imperfections on a photo: moles, warts, pimples, heat-spots, and more. Beauty Pilot shows you at your very best.

With this program, you can easily complete the most delicate retouching task. Run the demo examples from the Demonstration menu to see exactly how the program works.

Agilent Technologies Press Release

Agilent Technologies Announces Innovative Image Pipe for Camera Phones; Processor Enables Digital-Camera-Like Image Quality for Cell-Phone Cameras in All Lighting Conditions

PALO ALTO, Calif.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Nov. 28, 2005—Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A) today announced an innovative image pipe processor that allows mobile phone and computing devices to take lifelike, rich color photos in all lighting conditions. The image pipe is integrated in Agilent’s new family of system-on-chip (SOC) sensors, which feature the enhanced-performance (EP) pixel architecture.

What sets Agilent’s image pipe apart from existing image signal processors (ISPs) is the degree of built-in processing intelligence and adaptability to lighting conditions, which results in exceptional image quality. The image pipe accommodates a wide range of lighting conditions, from indoor to sunlight to fluorescent, and can enhance overexposed or underexposed images.

DIWA member Steves Digicams have reviewed the Canon PowerShot S80, an 8 megapixel update of the S70 which offers a 28-100mm f/2.8-5.3 lens, 2.5 inch LCD screen and Canon’s advanced image processor, DIGIC II.

“The Canon PowerShot S80 is the successor to the Powershot S70 that we reviewed in 2004. It offers a marginal improvement in resolution (8-megapixels versus 7.1), while retaining the versatile 28-100mm optical zoom lens. Canon also improved the camera’s buffering, offering an unlimited shooting depth during rapid or continuous operation. Like the S70, it is an enthusiast’s camera, offering complete exposure control and manual focus, while its automatic and scene modes will allow the beginner to obtain good results without any fuss. But unlike the S70, RAW shooting mode is not a feature of the S80.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon PowerShot S80 Review

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DIWA member Steves Digicams have just reviewed the Panasonic DMC-FZ30. This is an 8 megapixel compact digital camera with a 12x Leica optical zoom lens equivalent to 35-420mm, optical image stabilizer, addition of a manual zoom ring and rotating LCD screen with 235,000 pixels.

“Shooting performance was very impressive. Power up to first image captured measured just 1.3 seconds. The all important shutter lag (time between depressing the shutter release to actually capturing the image) measured less than 1/10 of a second when pre-focused and only 3/10 of a second including autofocus. In single frame mode, the shot to shot delay averaged only 1.3 seconds without using the flash, and 1.7 - 3 seconds with the flash, depending on subject distance. When using TIFF mode, it slows down to about 4 seconds between frames, while RAW mode measured about 3.6 seconds.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Panasonic DMC-FZ30 Review

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