Sony Media Software Press Release

A New Fun, Fast and Easy Way to Organize, Edit and Share Digital Photos Is Now Available

MADISON, Wis., Dec. 13 /PRNewswire/—Sony Media Software, a leading provider of creative editing software applications, today unveiled a new way to edit and share photos with a product called Photo Go (TM) software. The new image editing and management software provides a fun, fast and easy way to organize, edit and share digital photos for people who are looking for an all-in-one solution to manage their growing image collection. “With ever-expanding digital lifestyles, and increasing use of digital cameras and cell phones for capturing still images, more and more people are looking for an efficient and cost-effective way to manage their growing collection of digital images,” says Dave Chaimson, VP Marketing for Sony Media Software. “Whether it’s simple fixes, photo printing, or uploading and sharing, our new program provides a very easy way for experienced photo editors as well as people who have never used photo management software to get started right away. This is a great new product that will not only enhance the holiday season for many people, but also provide them with a way to get even more enjoyment out of their digital images for years to come.”

BenQ Press Release

TAIPEI, TAIWAN, 11 December, 2006 - The new BenQ X710 digital camera features an ultra-slim body with a large 3-inch display. BenQ today announces the launch of the BenQ X710, featuring a large 3-inch LTPS LCD display, a 7.2-megapixel CCD imager, a smc Pentax (Super Multi-Coating) lens with 3x optical zoom and supports up to ISO4000 in movie recording mode. The slender X710 arrives with an ultra-slim body in an eye-catching aluminum casing and is the slimmest camera that features a 3-inch high resolution display to date, offering users instant photo sharing at any viewing angle.

Luminous Landscape have reviewed the Pentax K10D, which offers 10.2 megapixels, shake-reduction, dust removal system, 22-bit colour, three new shooting modes, 2.5 inch LCD screen and 11 point auto-focusing.

“One can’t really get the measure of a complex camera like the Pentax 10D after just a week of use and a few hundred frames. But, it didn’t take me long to discover that this is a camera that the sophisticated user will find to be a pleasure to work with. Image quality is on a par with virtually anything else on the market, the camera is very feature rich, the price is right, and it therefore isn’t a stretch to say that the K10D is probably the best value in a 10 Megapixel DSLR at this time.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Pentax K10D Review

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DigitalCameraInfo have just reviewed the new 10 megapixel Nikon D80 DSLR camera.

“The Nikon D80 is a well-built, easy-to-operate 10-megapixel DSLR with good image quality, good auto focus and features for both experienced photographers and snapshooters. The D80 is slower than the Nikon D200, and its controls are less convenient, but the D80 beats the more expensive camera in some measures of image quality. Though there are cameras with more features and very good image quality available for less, it’s clear why the D80 costs what it does: it’s better-built, it has better auto focus, and better controls. It may not be a bargain, but its price is justified.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Nikon D80 Review

Website: Read our Nikon D80 Review

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DPReview have reviewed the new Canon PowerShot A710 IS digital camera.

“The A710 IS takes the formula established with the A700 - well-priced, compact camera with big zoom and full photographic control - and adds the one thing that was missing, an effective optical image stabilization system. And in doing so it makes a good camera immeasurably better. The extra megapixel offers little if any real advantage; the resolution is increased slightly at ISO 80, but at higher ISO settings the slightly stronger NR soon gets rid of that.”

Website: DPReview - Canon PowerShot A710 IS Review

Website: Read our Canon Powershot A710 IS Review

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ePhotoZine have reviewed the new Nikon Coolpix S7c, which offers 7 megapixels, a 35-105mm lens and electronic Vibration Reduction.

“The lens is internal and doesn’t extend at all, which makes the camera start thin and stay thin. It’s easily pocket sized and the build quality is very good. It’s just annoying that buttons on the top are so awkward. Handling is generally good, but there’s only the smallest knurled area to put a thumb to hold it, and invariably, fingers go over the lens or onto the LCD. You’ll also spent no little time polishing the chrome bits. The only problem is that on cold days, the very smoothness of the camera makes it slippy to hold and easy to drop.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Nikon Coolpix S7c Review

Website: Read our Nikon Coolpix S7c Review

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Adobe’s John Nack (the Senior Product Manager for Photoshop no less) has rounded-up a number of in-depth guides about digital photography that Adobe has recently published. Preparing Images for Delivery by Jeff Schewe and State of the Art by R. Mac Holbert look particularly interesting. John’s helpful posting has links to all 11 guides.

Website: PopPhoto - Pentax K10D Review

Photodex Press Release

Innovative New Release Includes Chroma Key and Masking Tools, Keyframing Controls, and Expanded, Popular Output Options Like Adobe® Flash®, QuickTime® and HD Video.

Austin, TX December 12, 2006- Photodex Corporation today announced the release of the next generation of its award-winning slide show software for professional photographers. The all-new ProShow Producer 3.0 expands upon the already impressive list of creative features and production control options. Now photographers can create professional-grade slide show masterpieces that not only look polished, but exhibit advanced, high-end artistic effects previously achievable only through using 3rd party professional photo and video editing software. From digital proofing to high-end multimedia slide shows, ProShow Producer has introduced photographers to a new way of presenting their images to the world. With Producer, photographers can create multimedia slide show presentations and output them to their choice of 14 different formats, including DVD, CD and the newly-added HD Video, Flash and QuickTime output options.

ArcSoft Press Release

FREMONT, CA— Dec 12, 2006—ArcSoft, Inc. released today ArcSoft® PhotoStudio® Darkroom 1.5, a new version of its popular image editing application that provides non-destructive photo processing for RAW, JPEG, and TIFF image files. The program offers professional photographers and photo hobbyists a complete set of image enhancement tools and export options. The new version more than doubles the number of RAW formats supported, and allows users to import photos directly into the application from a camera or removable drive. Additionally, ArcSoft’s automatic red-eye removal and spot and patch removal technologies have been integrated into the program, letting users perform common blemish removal functions in one click.

Tabblo Press Release

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—A significant percentage of Americans have turned into shutterbugs according to an Internet survey conducted by Tabblo this month. Fully 11 percent of respondents indicated they have more than 10,000 digital photos. The largest group of survey respondents (27 percent) has between 1,001 and 5,000 digital photos. If this data is extrapolated to the general public, it translates into Americans having almost 500 billion digital photos. Additionally, when asked how they were going to photograph the holiday and New Year’s parties they planned to attend, point and shoot cameras remain the preferred choice, with 55 percent of survey respondents indicating they planned to use them. Digital SLRs were a popular second choice, with 37 percent of respondents indicating they planned to use them to capture holiday memories. Despite the dramatic growth in the number of camera phones, only 3 percent of respondents indicated they planned to use them to take pictures at upcoming parties.

Sharpcast Press Release

Company delivers completely new experience for viewing and sharing PC and web photos on mobile phones, Partnership with Alltel Wireless marks first wireless operator deployment for award-winning service

PALO ALTO, CALIF. (December 13, 2006) —Sharpcast today introduced a powerful new version of Sharpcast Photos mobile edition, delivering a completely new way to view entire photo collections on mobile phones, share desktop PC and web photos from anywhere, and get camera-phone photos automatically to a person’s PC and the web where they can be enjoyed more easily. The new Sharpcast Photos mobile edition, available today as a free download at www.sharpcast.com/download, gives consumers fast, fully automatic synchronization of their photos between their mobile phone or wireless PDA, all the PCs they use, and the web. Sharpcast Photos is the debut service built on the company’s patent-pending universal push synchronization platform, which marks the first instance where Blackberry-like push synchronization capability is available to the average consumer, outside of an enterprise setting. It automatically backs up photo collections online, organizes them into web albums, and keeps the collection constantly up to date across all of a person’s mobile phone, all their PCs and the web.  Sharpcast eliminates the every-day hassles of manual uploading, tedious sharing processes, forgotten backups and sync cables so people can get on with creating and enjoying their media.

Photobird.com Press Release

San Francisco, CA - December 12, 2006 - Photobird.com, the easy way to share your photos, today announced that the new Photobird Photo Contest will start January 1, 2007.  This monthly photo contest will be free to enter and everyone who visits Photobird.com will be able to see and vote for as many contest photos as they would like.  Each monthly photo contest will have two winners who will receive several exciting, high-quality prizes.  Details about the Photobird Photo Contest are available at www.photobird.com/contest/ . “Photo contests should be free to enter, offer high-quality prizes, and allow everyone to see the photo entries.  The new Photobird Photo Contest gives you all of those features, plus your friends can vote for you,” said Ed Krimen, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Photobird.com.  “I’m looking forward to seeing the gorgeous photos that contestants will submit and to award great prizes that the winners will truly enjoy.”

Medea International Press Release

The people at Medea International have done it again with the launch of their innovative Print’n’Save range of inkjet printer inks. The Print’n’Save system is an extension of the unique Inkrite PhotoPlus cartridge design, combining the use of the patented ‘sponge-less’ ink tank and unique diaphragm regulator (which results in a page yield of up to 30% more than other 3rd party manufacturers) whilst using the 2-part construction of the ink cartridge to its full potential.

O’Reilly Press Release

Sebastopol, CA—It makes total sense—with prices of digital cameras rapidly shrinking—that more folks than ever will be wrapping and unwrapping these fervently craved devices in the weeks to come. Yes, such pixel-packed stocking stuffers possess seductive new features—yet trying to create artful and arresting images straight out-of-the box can be frustrating. Happily, next month digital camera enthusiasts traveling to and in northern California can cure the digital blues and get their photography questions answered at a pre-Macworld bookstore reading and Macworld events: oreilly.com/go/macworld2007

PopPhoto have reviewed the Pentax K10D, which offers 10.2 megapixels, shake-reduction, dust removal system, 22-bit colour, three new shooting modes, 2.5 inch LCD screen and 11 point auto-focusing.

“In the hands, the camera feels satisfyingly solid. The concave lip/grip below the K10D logo is a great little consideration for times when it’s necessary to hold the camera with the left hand. For those unfamiliar with the floating sensor stabilization design, it can be a bit unsettling to hear the sensor rattle around when the camera is off, but you’ll get over it when you see the image results, especially at slow shutter speeds in low light.”

Website: PopPhoto - Pentax K10D Review

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Imaging Resource have reviewed the 7 megapixel, 10x optical zoom Olympus SP-510 UZ.

“The Olympus SP-510 does capture very nice images in daylight and under adequate indoor lighting conditions. Macro shots I took of the few flowers in my neighborhood still growing this late in the season had lively but not overly saturated color. The Olympus ED 10x f/2.8-f/3.8 aperture optical zoom lens provides very good sharpness, though because the camera uses digital image stabilization instead of hardware-based optical image stabilization, some shots I took at the full 10x zoom were not very sharp, especially in low light conditions when the camera automatically boosts the ISO.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus SP-510 UZ Review

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Apple have just released Apple Aperture 1.5.2, which addresses some issues related to overall reliability and performance in a number of areas of the application (see list below). The download is 131Mb. This update is recommended for all Aperture users.

What’s New in this Version
• Contact sheet printing
• Smart Albums
• Watermarks
• Lift and stamp
• Image export
• Versions created using an external editor

Sharpcast Press Release

Sharpcast Photos iPhoto uploader is an ideal solution for people who use both a Mac and a PC; delivers a completely new way to back up and share photo albums online

PALO ALTO, CALIF. (December 12, 2006) – Sharpcast today introduced a completely new and effortless way for Mac owners to back up and share their iPhoto albums online, and to view their iPhoto albums on a mobile phone or Windows-based PC. With the Sharpcast Photos iPhoto uploader, Mac owners can export iPhoto albums directly from their Macs into their Sharpcast Photos Web albums in just a few clicks, where they are backed up, easy to share, and automatically synced all the way down to the person’s mobile phone and PC desktop.  Sharpcast’s iPhoto uploader is available as a free download at www.sharpcast.com/download.

Olympus Press Release

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., Dec. 11 /PRNewswire/—For most of us, red eye in our photos is nothing to be proud of. But for scientists around the globe, a brilliant crimson image of the inside of a mouse’s eye has set a new standard as one of the most beautiful and striking photos in the world. The image, captured by San Diego researcher Thomas Deerinck, triumphed over more than 1200 other entries to become the top prizewinner in the international 2006 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition—the world’s foremost forum for showcasing microscope photos and videos of life science subjects.

OnAsia Press Release

Bangkok , THAILAND -  December 12th, 2006 - Kashmir-based OnAsia Photographer Yasin Dar has won the People in the News category of the prestigious India Press Photo (IPP) Awards 2006. His winning photo essay offers a poignant description of the lives of children orphaned by the ongoing conflict in Kashmir (click here to view Yasin’s winning story: http://www.onasia.com/content/story.aspx?storyID=262&page=3 ) “Yasin Dar’s images combine an understanding of the situation in Kashmir with a strong photojournalistic vision. His pictures show the human cost of the conflict in Kashmir. Much of their strength is derived from the fact that they are powerful without being sensational,” said OnAsia’s Chief Editor Olivier Nilsson who works regularly with Yasin.