The CompactFlash Association Press Release

CompactFlash Association Announces Availability of Revision 3.0 of the CF+ & CompactFlash Specification; Revision 3.0 Increases CF Interface Data Transfer Rate to 66MB/sec.

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Jan. 7, 2005 The CompactFlash Association (CFA) announces the approval and availability of the CF+(TM) & CompactFlash(R) Specification Revision 3.0. Revision 3.0 increases the CompactFlash interface data transfer rate from 16MB/sec to 66MB/sec, while maintaining forward and backward compatibility with old and new host systems.

Mr. Shigeto Kanda of Canon and the CFA chairman of the board said: “The development of the CompactFlash 66MB/sec interface means that the CompactFlash interface will not restrict the sustained data transfer rate of CompactFlash cards in the near future. Having the fastest interface data rate of any flash cards is a significant step for CompactFlash. Data write performance of digital SLR cameras as well as other high-performance cameras will not be limited by the flash card interface.”

DCResource have published their review of the 8 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8400.

“If you want an ultra wide-angle camera, the Nikon Coolpix 8400 is the only game in town. And thankfully, it plays a pretty good game. While it could be faster in terms of performance, the bottom line is that the 8400 takes good quality pictures with a larger field-of-view than any other fixed-lens digital camera on the market. As expected, a lens that wide will result in some distortion, most notably when you take pictures of buildings or interiors. While its 8 Megapixel images are noisier than what some are used to, they’re competitive with other cameras using this sensor. Be warned that at high ISOs, the noise levels may be unacceptable, especially compared to a digital SLR. Nikon has done a good job keeping purple fringing levels low on the 8400, and redeye was not a problem.”

Website: DCResource - Nikon Coolpix 8400 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Nikon Coolpix 8400

Samsung USA Press Release

SAMSUNG ADDS NEW 7 MEGA PIXEL FLAGSHIP MODEL TO ITS HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL V-SERIES LINE OF DIGITAL CAMERAS

New Digimax V700 To Lead the Way for 2005

LAS VEGAS, N.V., (January 6, 2005) – For manufacturers, there is no better launch pad than the Consumer Electronics Show when it comes to introducing their hottest, most advanced electronics for the new year.  Samsung Camera will do exactly that as they are set to introduce the Digimax V700 - a seven mega pixel digital still camera. Following the Digimax V50, introduced at CES 2004, the V700 is the latest addition to Samsung’s highly successful V-Series line of high end digital cameras.  Competitively priced at $399.99, the V700 is sure to turn heads with its unparalleled style and host of features, making it one of the most affordable, advanced point-and-shoot digital still cameras on the market today.

Samsung USA Press Release

SAMSUNG INTRODUCES 3 NEW MODELS TO ITS AVANCED, HI-TECH AND AFFORDABLE A-SERIES LINE OF DIGITAL CAMERAS

LAS VEGAS, N.V., (January 6, 2005) – Samsung Camera is pleased to announce the introduction of 3 new models to its newly formed A-Series line of midrange digital cameras. At 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0 effective mega pixels respectively, the Digimax A5, A6 and A7 are far more than stereotypical midrange point and shoot digital still cameras as each is equipped with a wide range of the most technologically advanced and cutting-edge features available on the market. The A5, A6 and A7 are among six new, affordable digital cameras that Samsung will be introducing at this year’s CES.

Samsung USA Press Release

SAMSUNG CAMERA PACKS 5 MEGA PIXEL POWER AND HOST OF IMPRESSIVE FEATURES IN AN ULTRA-THIN PACKAGE

Digimax U-CA 505—Small Enough to Fit In the Palm of Your Hand

LAS VEGAS, N.V., (January 6, 2005) – Thin is in at the 2005 CES show in Las Vegas, as all of the top digital camera manufacturers will be showing their slimmest, most compact models on the exhibit floor.  Samsung Camera is no exception and the new Digimax U?CA 505 is a perfect example of the trend toward thin this year.  Sleek, compact and ultra thin (97mm x 52mm x 25mm), the new Digimax U-CA 505 packs a ton of impressive features into a stylish body that’s small enough to take anywhere.  A 5 mega pixel camera with 5x digital zoom, the U-CA 505 is destined to become the camera of choice for style conscious consumers who travel light and want to catch life’s excitement along the way.

Samsung USA Press Release

SAMSUNG CAMERA PROVES THAT VERSATILITY CAN BE AFFORDABLE WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF THE DIGIMAX A400

A400 Joins the Ranks of the Affordable A-Series with a Host of User Friendly Features

LAS VEGAS, N.V., (January 6, 2005) – Samsung Camera is proud to introduce the Digimax A400—a 4.0 mega pixel digital camera that is big on functionality and small on price.  With a host of advanced features such as 9 different and customizable photo frame modes, 5 different scene modes and 2.8x optical and 4x digital zoom, the Samsung Digimax A400 is one of the only compact digital cameras in its class to offer such an impressive combination of quality and creative control.  With an estimated street price of just $189.99, the Digimax A400 was designed to deliver high-end performance without breaking the consumers’ bank.

REALVIZ Press Release

New Stitching Product Enables Professional & Amateur Photographers to Create Superb Panoramas From Simple Photos in Just a Few Clicks

Sophia Antipolis, France (January 5, 2005) - REALVIZ, a leader in image processing software development, has announced the release of a brand new stitching product called Stitcher Express. REALVIZ Stitcher Express draws on the award-winning technology of Stitcher 4.0, already used by thousands of professional photographers, architects, multimedia and 3D artists worldwide, and offers an intuitive and complete solution, which enables both professional and amateur photographers to create superb panoramas from a series of simple photos in just a few clicks. REALVIZ Stitcher Express 1.0 is now available in both English and French for Mac & Windows.

Kodak Press Release

New KODAK PROFESSIONAL 1400 Digital Photo Printer Delivers Durable, High-Quality Photos Immediately at Home, in Studio or on Location

Easy-to-Use, Affordable Thermal Printer Ideal for Professionals, AdAm Photographers

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5—At the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, Eastman Kodak Company is showcasing the newKODAK PROFESSIONAL 1400 Digital Photo Printer, an affordable system for professional and Advanced Amateur (AdAm) photographers that delivers outstanding quality and durability of KODAK prints immediately.

Whether in a studio or on location for proofing or at home for final printing and displaying, the robust desktop printer produces one 8x12, one 8x10, two 6x8, two5x7 or four 4x6-inch photos per sheet, and the water-resistant photos last a lifetime. The KODAK PROFESSIONAL paper and ribbon consumables are bundled in matched volumes to provide optimum color density for every print, eliminating worries associated with low ink levels. Consumables—including paper available in 50- and 25-sheet packs—are priced competitively to similar offerings on the market.

Toshiba Press Release

TOSHIBA ANNOUNCES 2 AND 4 GIGABYTE COMPACTFLASH CARDS FOR DIGITAL CAMERAS AND OTHER CONSUMER ELECTRONICS DEVICES

2GB Cards Available in Standard and High-speed Models; Highest Density 4GB Card Achieved Using 90 Nanometer Multi-Level Cell NAND Flash Technology

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 6, 2004 - Further expanding its portfolio of memory solutions for consumer electronics applications, Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. (TAEC)* today announced its new highest capacity 4-gigabyte (GB)1 CompactFlash card, and high-speed 2GB CompactFlash card. The new cards, developed by Toshiba Corp. (Toshiba) using 90 nanometer (nm) NAND Flash memory technology, help meet the continually increasing demand for greater capacity and performance in data storage cards for digital cameras, digital camcorders, MP3 players and PDAs, as well as some networking and embedded applications.

Hauppauge Press Release

Large Screen Wide-Format 16:9 LCD Display is Perfect for Viewing MPEG-4 and DivX(R) Movies; Also Stores/Plays Digital Pictures, MP3 Music and Much More

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW—Hauppauge Digital, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAUP) , a leading developer and manufacturer of digital video, TV, and data broadcast receiver products for personal computers, today announced its new Portable MediaMVP(R), an all-in-one multimedia storage/playback device, at the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Combining small size, a 20 Gigabyte hard disk drive and a wide format 7-inch LCD display with video/audio recording capability, the Portable MediaMVP allows anyone to enjoy videos, movies, music, photos and much more, anywhere and anytime they wish.

Polaroid Holding Company and Petters Group Worldwide Press Release

—Transaction Will Drive Global Growth of Polaroid Branded Products in Imaging and Consumer Electronics—

—Shareholders of Polaroid Holding Company Common Stock to Receive $12.08 Per Share in Transaction Valued at $426 Million—

—One Equity Partners Agrees to Vote its Shares in Favor of Transaction—

WALTHAM, Mass., and MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/—Polaroid Holding Company and Petters Group Worldwide today announced that they have reached an agreement for Petters, through an affiliate, to acquire Polaroid, by merger, for $12.08 per share in cash. The total value of the transaction is approximately $426 million. Following the merger, Polaroid will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Petters and Polaroid Holding Company will no longer be a publicly traded company. Polaroid’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the merger agreement. In connection with the transaction, JPMorgan and Lehman Brothers delivered fairness opinions.

Pretec Press Release

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Jan. 7, 2005 Pretec Electronics Corp., the inventor of iDisk Tiny, the smallest USB flash Drive in the world since 2003, is demonstrating CU-Flash(TM), the even smaller USB flash drive with area of 45% smaller and volume of 40% smaller than a US Quarter coin at CES (booth # IP 531& 532) in Las Vegas.

With volume of 0.47cm3 (21mmX11.9mmX1.9mm), only 25% of the size of bare iDisk Tiny (volume of 1.88cm3); CU-Flash is about 1/10 of the size of a typical USB flash drive. Much smaller than Pretec iDisk Tiny; the smallest USB flash drive in the world, with raw dimension of 32mmX13.5mmX4.5mm, which has been hailed by TIME Magazine (Nov. 2003) as “Best Gear of 2003,” CU-Flash can be an excellent companion to usher a new trend of mobile storage solution in fashionable style. With patented design, construction and stylish outlook, CU-Flash can be an ideal add-on for any stationery such as pen, jewelry or personal accessories such as watch, necktie pin, hairpin, etc. for value-added or personalized premium gift.

Pretec Press Release

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Jan. 7, 2005 Pretec Electronics Corp., the inventor of iDisk Tiny, the smallest USB Flash Drive in the world since 2003, is demonstrating the fastest USB flash drive in the world, with access speed up to 166X (24.9MB/s), at CES (booth # IP 531 & 532) in Las Vegas.

With more than 250% faster READ speed and at least 500% faster WRITE speed than the leading flash vendor in the world, Pretec iDisk Tiny 166X brings an entire new level of use for world’s fastest access speed in read & write up to 24.9MB/sec and 12MB/sec. Constructed with patented technologies of rugged and compact size with mere raw dimensions of 32mm x 13.5mm x 4.5mm, iDisk Tiny has been hailed by TIME Magazine (Nov. 2003) as “Best Gear of 2003.” Jointly promoted by Pretec and reputable companies around the globe such as NOKIA, ACATEL, YAHOO, VISA, OKWAP, MITAC, MICRON, etc., iDisk Tiny is the ideal premium gift. For the 1st time now users can enjoy the USB flash drive with the concurrent features of smallest size in the world together with the fastest access speed in the world.

Sony Press Release

Sony DCR-HC42E and Sony DCR-HC39E
One step ahead, the Sony DCR-HC42E (DCRHC42E) and Sony DCR-HC39E (DCRHC39E) Compact DV camcorders use the full width of a 1megapixel CCD to always capture and playback your images in true 16:9 widescreen. A high picture quality for both movies and still images is guaranteed and true 16:9 movies can be played back to the full on a home theatre system.

Sony DCR-HC19E, Sony DCR-HC22E and Sony DCR-HC32E
The Sony DCR-HC19E (DCRHC19E), Sony DCR-HC22E (DCRHC22E) and Sony DCR-HC32E (DCRHC32E) camcorders will ensure that the quality of your image will remain high as you zoom into your subject from a distance with featuring Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens capable of a 20X optical zoom.

Imation Press Release

Imation Unveils New Media Products for Preserving and Sharing Personal Memories at CES 2005

Imation Corp will unveil its new selection of digital media products designed to help “memory keepers” create, capture, preserve and share users’ important personal digital memories and data during the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Jan. 6-9, 2005. These new product offerings are targeting a customer segment that Imation has coined “memory keepers”—users with an expectation for higher quality, longer-lasting and more innovative digital media to protect and save their most precious video, music and photo memories.

“Consumers are extremely passionate about sharing and capturing their digital creations and memories, and place a lot of trust in the media they use,” said Tom Lally, executive director of sales and marketing, Consumer and Office Markets, Imation. “Imation’s newest product introductions are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of ”memory keepers“ by delivering premium- quality, easy-to-use CDs, DVDs and flash drives that provide ultimate creativity, convenience and peace of mind that their memories and files will be there when they need them.”

Plustek Launches OpticSlim 2420T at CES 2005; Ultra-Slim, Fast Scans with Hinged Lid for Book Scanning and Cordless TPA Adapter for 35mm Slides and Negatives

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Jan. 6, 2005 Plustek Inc (http://www.plustek.com), a leading manufacturer of consumer, prosumer and professional imaging devices, today launched the OpticSlim 2420T ultra-slim and stylish scanner at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). With its patented hinged lid and cordless/removable TPA adapter for 35mm slides and negatives, this robust scanner is powerful enough for the office (or home office) yet compact enough for the mobile executive to take it along inside their laptop case. Priced at $119, the OpticSlim 2420T will begin shipping in the United States in February.

DXG USA Press Release

DXG USA Rocks Digital Camera Industry With Eye-Catching Digital Camcorder / MP3 Player; Retailers and Consumers Take Notice of Stylish 5-in-1 DXG-305V

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Jan. 6, 2005—DXG USA, one of the fastest growing digital camera manufacturers in the United States, today announced its latest trend-setting digital camcorder for entry-level enthusiasts. The new DXG-305V digital camcorder is a perfect 5-in-1 companion for those on the go by combining a video camcorder, MP3 player, 3.0 megapixel digital still camera, voice recorder, and PC camera - all in one compact design the length and width of a credit card. The DXG-305V is available in four fashionable colors including iridescent blue, hot pink, lime green, and silver. It will be available at retail stores nationwide beginning in February 2005 for $129.

DXG USA Press Release

New DXG-502 Digital Camera Reinforces DXG’s Strategy of Providing Higher-end Cameras at More Affordable Prices

LAS VEGAS—(Business Wire)—Jan. 6, 2005—DXG USA, one of the fastest growing digital camera manufacturers in the United States, today announced the DXG-502, a 5.0 megapixel CCD digital camera with 3x optical zoom. The new DXG-502 represents the start of the company’s strategy of producing higher-end cameras at lower price points.

“Our new DXG-502 represents a new field of play for DXG,” said Paul Goldberg, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for DXG USA. “Up to now, DXG has been known for producing only entry level cameras, but the DXG-502 marks our progression into higher-end models with more professional feature sets.”

NewSoft Press Release

NewSoft Simplifies DVD, SVCD and VCD Photo Slideshow Creation with the Launch of Presto! PhotoDisc

Easy-to-Use Workflow and Themed Templates Turn Photos into Professional-Looking Slideshows in Three Quick Steps

LAS VEGAS, NV (CES, Booth 9017) - January 5, 2005 NewSoft Inc., a leading provider of innovative business and consumer software, introduced their new digital photo slideshow suite, Presto! PhotoDisc today from Booth #9017 at the 2005 International CES. A truly user-friendly solution, the software’s ready-to-use templates and step-by-step workflow walk users from photo collection to dynamic slideshow in three quick steps. PhotoDisc users can burn their slideshows to DVD, SVCD or VCD, for anytime viewing from the comfort of the family room couch, using a standard home DVD player and TV. Complete with DVD motion menus, animated titles, transition effects, sound bites and music, Presto! PhotoDisc makes it easy for users of all experience levels to show their memories to family and friends with confidence.

Targus Press Release

Targus Debuts Industry’s First Complete Suite of Camera and Camcorder Accessories; Turnkey Collection of Accessories Answers Consumer Demand for Single, Trusted Manufacturer

2005 International CES South Hall, Booth #31242

LAS VEGAS—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Jan. 5, 2005—Targus Inc., maker of the world’s top-selling notebook cases and accessories, today launched a complete line of camera and camcorder accessories, complementing its popular camera case lineup. Targus has added 200 new products to its camera and camcorder accessory family, encompassing everything from miniature tripods to lens cleaners. The breadth of products catapults the Targus brand into a leadership position, offering consumers the most comprehensive suite of case and accessory solutions for cameras and camcorders. A preview of these new accessories and cases will be on display in the Targus booth during the 2005 International CES in Las Vegas from Jan. 6-9, 2005.