NPD Press Release

Decline of Tech Product Prices Accelerates Moving into Holiday Buying Season; Latest Results from NPD CE Price Watch Released

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y.—(Business Wire)—Dec. 22, 2004—The average selling price of technology products was down during the month of October, according to the latest NPD Consumer Electronics Price Watch, a monthly pricing monitor from The NPD Group that provides a top-line look into the pricing of technology products being sold in the U.S.

While prices in October 2004 were down 18 percent when compared with October 2003, the average selling price of tech products was moderate when compared to September 2004, with the most expensive items in the basket - plasma and rear projection TVs - posting only slight declines. Overall, price declines accelerated in October as the total cost for the market basket of goods tracked by Price Watch fell. The overall basket of goods is now $11,280, nearly $5,400 less than it was in January 2003, and almost $2,500 less than it was in October 2003.

Digital cameras and memory cards saw sharp declines in prices from September 2004 to October 2004. Digital camera prices fell seven percent and dipped below the $200 level for the first time. Memory cards dropped 10 percent from September to $36.58, the first time a 128 MB card was under $40.

NETGEAR Press Release

NETGEAR Announces Wireless Digital Media Player Bringing Digital Entertainment to the Living Room

Wireless Digital Media Player (Model MP115) Bridges Gap Between PC Digital Content and Home Entertainment Systems, Delivering Digital Video, Photos and Music Over Wireless Networks

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — December 22, 2004 — NETGEAR®, Inc. (Nasdaq: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking products, today announced its easy-to-use networked digital home entertainment solution, the NETGEAR Wireless Digital Media Player (MP115). As the latest addition to NETGEAR’s family of digital entertainment solutions, the Wireless Digital Media Player provides simple, affordable access to video, photo, and music file collections from anywhere within the home network. Parents can share digital home movies and slideshows and kids can stream their favorite MP3s and online radio stations through their television sets and home entertainment systems – all without leaving the comfort of the couch.

Corel Corporation Press Release

Corel’s Paint Shop Pro 9 Named PC Magazine’s ‘Best of the Year’ : Flagship Digital Image Editing Software Takes Top Honors

OTTAWA—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Dec. 22, 2004—Corel Corporation today announced that PC Magazine will name its Paint Shop(TM) Pro(R) 9 “Best of the Year” in the Image Editing-Serious Hobbyist category in its upcoming December 28 issue. Paint Shop Pro 9 was lauded among products that, according to PC Magazine editors, “... wowed us, simply by being the best.”

According to the editors, “Paint Shop Pro 9 goes beyond simple image editing, with impressive new tools and capabilities,” and calls the product “excellent for digital photo editing.”

Norwegian website Akamera.no have reviewed the Fujifilm Digital Mobile Printer MP-100, a new wireless mobile printer for sharing photos from camera-phones.

Website: Akamera.no - Fujifilm Digital Mobile Printer MP-100 Review

Interested in reducing the noise in your digital photos? Then take a look at Photo.net’s latest article:

“This article is about a method of reducing noise in images taken with digital cameras - especially long exposure and/or high ISO images taken with digital SLRs. The simplified workflow presented here is derived from more advanced techniques of noise reduction (known as calibration) that are used in scientific and technical imaging. Because of limitations in the software tools commonly available to mainstream photographers, and because of limitations to the image-making equipment, there are several significant differences between the technique described here and a proper calibration of a scientific image. Still, the method here can result in significant aesthetic improvement to many digital images that suffer from noise.”

Website: Photo.net - Using Image Calibration to Reduce Noise in Digital Images

Fujifilm Press Release

Color photo paper for professional portraits

With the new Fujicolor Crystal Archive Digital Paper Type DP Silk, Fujifilm is presenting a new color photo paper with a silk finish for professional portrait photography. In combination with digital exposure units such as the Fujifilm Frontier system, the paper offers the excellent picture quality of silver halide print material: outstanding color reproduction, sharpness and a high D-max value for deep, saturated black tones. Brilliant, long-lasting white tones, an extended color space and excellent shadow delineation – these special character- istics make this paper particularly suitable for professional portrait, wedding, school and kindergarten photos.

Hungarian website Index Digicam have just reviewed the 8 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 digital camera, which incorporates anti-shake technology and a swivelling LCD monitor.

Website: Index Digicam - Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200

The Slovenian website e-fotografija have today posted their review of the new Olympus E-300/Evolt DSLR.

Website: e-fotografija - Olympus E-300/Evolt Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Olympus E-300 / Evolt

Write a Review of the Olympus E-300 / Evolt

ArkiPix I/S Press Release 22/12/04

ArkiPix I/S is now offering an English version of their image archive management software ArkiPix in version 2.1

With this new and highly improved ArkiPix 2.1 for PC, photographers, companies and digital photography enthusiasts will find a wide range of functions for archiving, importing and searching for photos.

ArkiPix 2.1 turns the job of archiving into a positive experience with fast results. New users become familiar with the program quickly because ArkiPix in daily use requires only a few clicks of the mouse. The many essential and unique features of ArkiPix make it a strong competitor for established and more costly image archiving programs.

The Danish website Digital Magasinet have postedtheir review of the Konica Minolta 7D DSLR.

Website: Digital Magasinet - Konica Minolta 7D Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta Dynax 7D

The German website Digitalkamera have just reviewed the 4 megapixel Canon Digital IXUS 40 (also known as the PowerShot SD300 Digital ELPH).

Website: Digitalkamera - Canon Digital IXUS 40 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Canon Digital IXUS 40

Sony Europe Press Release

Sony presents the world’s smallest and lightest miniDV camcorder* and ultra-modern designed DVD Handycam (*As of November 2004)

The world’s smallest and lightest MiniDV format camcorder* the DCR-PC55E and DCR-PC53E will be launched in February 2005. (*As of November 2004)
 
The modern designed engineering DVD Handycam, DCR-DVD7 will be launched in May 2005
Thanks to mobile-friendly size and features the camcorders are always ready for shooting and playing back, whatever the situation.

DCR-PC55E and DCR-PC53E
Wherever you go, whenever you shoot, the world’s smallest and lightest Handycam is always on your side. The tiny DCR-PC55E and its sibling DCR-PC53E are scarcely larger than the mini DV cassettes they use. Fully featured, they are packed with innovative technology such as a 3.0-inch Hybrid LCD monitor which simply swivels round to display your high-resolution video.

DCR-DVD7E
The new design of the DVD Handycam DCR-DVD7E offers a brand new shooting style for camcorders. All the convenience of DVD recording has been combined with modern styling in the futuristic DCR-DVD7E, supporting DVD-R/-RW/+RW compatible formats for shooting and playing back.

DxO Labs Email Newsletter

The year is finishing on a very high note at DxO Labs, especially as regards our developments for Canon users. Judge for yourself:

New from DxO for your Canon EOS 10D  
We’re pleased to announce that DxO Raw Engine now supports the Canon EOS 10D. So now you can enhance your Raw-format images taken using the following lenses:
 
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX Diagonal Fisheye
Canon EF15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
Canon EF50mm f/1.4 USM
Canon EF85mm f/1.2L USM
Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 EX DG
Canon EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM
Canon EF17-40mm f/4L USM
Sigma 18-125mm f/3.5-5.6 DC
Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM
Canon EF28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 USM (I or II)
Canon EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Tamron AF28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR (or XR Di)
Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM (non IS)
Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Canon EF70-200mm f/4L USM

Media Magick UK Press Release

This is to respectfully introduce ourselves and for you to consider if our product may be of use to yourselves.  Our company, Media Magick UK, is promoting a new product on behalf of Photos Forever who have developed a new and revolutionary way to produce images that are extremely durable and fade resistant under any conditions, including outdoors.

This was developed by Mr. Charles Kelly B.S.C (hons) and is tested to the very highest level by the British Standards (Please see report attached).

This is a process whereby an image is put onto either aluminium, being the lighter, or steel.  Steel being the more solid looking but both are of equal quality and make little difference except for with regard to shipping costs.  A coating is then placed over the top and it is this coating that Mr. Kelly has developed.

Fortune Magazine have published their round-up pf the best technology of 2004, which includes the HP Photosmart R707 (pictured) as the year’s best point and shoot camera:

“This 5-megapixel model produces impressive shots for a $350 camera, but the thing that makes it special is its friendliness for beginning digital photographers. The R707 uses adaptive lighting to help the user take the best possible images in difficult situations, and it also has a help system that analyzes photos and recommends steps the shooter can take to create better shots.”

Other photography award winners included the Canon i9900 as best printer (with Epson PictureMate as runner-up) and Canon 20D as best digital SLR (with Nikon D70 as runner-up).

Thanks to Sanj for the link.

Website: Fortune Magazine (subscribers only)

Check the Latest Prices for the HP Photosmart R707

Sony Press Release

16x DVD-R and DVD+R First New Sony Products to Feature AccuCORE Technology

PARK RIDGE, N.J., Dec. 20, 2004 - Sony Electronics today announced a new development in recordable DVD media with the introduction of AccuCORE™ technology, delivering an enhanced level of recording accuracy, compatibility and reliability.

Sony’s new 16x DVD-R and DVD+R media will mark the first new product introductions to feature AccuCORE, which will also be implemented in the company’s 8x recordable DVD products.

Consumers recording on discs with AccuCORE technology are expected to appreciate five key benefits: wider compatibility for DVD-R and DVD+R recordings with various types of drives or recorders at various speeds; faster addressing of the DVD-R format in high-speed dubbing and time-shift playback applications; stable writing capabilities for both DVD-R and DVD+R formats through reduced disc vibrations at high speeds; greater temperature adaptability for optimal performance during extended burning processes for all (DVD-R/-RW and DVD+R/+RW) formats; and improved archival reliability for long-term storage, also for all formats.

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the FujiFilm FinePix S5500 Zoom digital camera (also known as the S5100 in the USA), which has a 10x optical zoom and 4 megapixel resolution and is the successor to the popular FinePix S5000 Zoom.

Website: Index Digicam - FujiFilm FinePix S5500 Zoom Review

Check the Latest Prices for the FujiFilm FinePix S5500 Zoom

Spanish website Quesabesde has reviewed the Kodak Easyshare CX7530, a 5-megapixel digital camera with a 3X optical zoom lens, selling for US$299.

Website: Quesabesde - Kodak Easyshare CX7530 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Kodak Easyshare CX7530

DigitalCameraInfo have just reviewed the PowerShot SD110 Digital ELPH (also known as the Digital IXUS IIs), which packs 3.2 megapixels into the smallest digital ELPH camera ever made with an optical zoom. Estimated street price is $299.

“Like all digital cameras, the Canon PowerShot SD110 has its pros and cons. It is very compact and easy to fit in a pocket. It’s durable with its attractive stainless steel frame, so it can survive a few drops and bumps. The layout is simple to use, and the menus follow suit. The camera even sports a Print/Share button to ease the stress of transferring photos directly to a printer. This Digital ELPH has 3.3 megapixels on its 1/2.7-inch CCD. The SD110 retails for $299, but can be found online for $200. The lens is from Canon, which is known for its optics. However, this camera only has 2x optical zoom – a definite letdown.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Canon PowerShot SD110 Digital ELPH Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Canon PowerShot SD110 Digital ELPH

Pocket-Lint have just reviewed the new 4 megapixel Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3.

“In terms of image quality, the Z3 produces excellent shots. Colours are brilliant, white balance is well controlled and although many of my shots were taken on an overcast day, detail is still superb, just look at my macro picture of a Tulip. Some noise is evident at higher ISOs however but overall, a great performance from an unusually styled digicam.”

Website: Pocket-Lint - Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3