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April 2004
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| 04-30-2004 |
Review of Belkin's New Media Reader for Apple iPod
Of interest for those of you with a digital camera and an Apple iPod is Belkin's
new Media Reader. This is an $80 device that lets you transfer data from your camera
into the iPod via your camera's USB cable. It works with many, but not all, digital
cameras. You can read a review of this new gizmo over at the
iPodlounge.com web site. You can visit
Belkin's site for a list
of cameras that are known to be compatible with the Media Reader.
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| 04-30-2004 |
New Web Site Provides Information About Digicam RAW Image SoftwareStoring pictures as RAW data has become one preferred feature of professional DSLR-Systems as well as consumer targeted compact digital cameras. The new website RAW-Converter.com currently is the only site in the world that covers every aspect of RAW-enabled photography in German and English - from manipulation tutorials to software to camera models. The most important feature of raw-converter.com is its huge database that enables the visitor to explicitly search for software that can handle his camera's RAW data. A list of cameras that are capable of RAW-shooting is maintained on a regular basis as well.
Considered the fact that the market has grown to a rather confusing extent, a website
covering the details is going to be most welcome - many photographers already consider RAW
data a vital criteria when making their choice but usually lack the knowlegde whether there
is RAW software available that can satisfy the needs. RAW-converter.com has been created to
fill the gap and keep users informed about anything that convers the subject RAW in the
greatest possible detail.
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| 04-30-2004 |
Pictocolor Release CorrectPhoto for Windows XPPictoColor is pleased to announce the release of CorrectPhoto for Windows XP, an easy-to-use tool kit for managing, correcting, preserving and sharing digital photos. CorrectPhoto is designed for amateur photographers and photo enthusiasts who have discovered the joys and flexibility of digital cameras, but aren't interested in learning complex photo editing and album software. With its built-in Windows Explorer, CorrectPhoto provides direct access to Windows XP file managment and integrated digital media tools. CorrectPhoto combines the award winning iCorrect "point and click" color correction technology (licensed from Pictographics) with a complete set of picture editing tools into an easy to use Windows XP digital workflow wizard. CorrectPhoto helps the digital photographer easily turn a mediocre photos into a great photos.
Introductory price: $29.95 (Regular price: $39.95), A Trial Version is available.
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| 04-30-2004 |
BreezeBrowser v2.9 Adds Support for Canon EOS-1D Mark II and Sony DSC-F82830 April 2004: Breeze Systems today released BreezeBrowser v2.9. Canon EOS-1D Mark II, Canon PowerShot Pro1, Sony DSC-F828 and Nikon D70 owners can use this popular workflow tool to view both raw and JPEG images. BreezeBrowser v2.9 now displays Paint Shop Pro files and introduces raw conversion for the Nikon D70, Pentax *ist D, Minolta DiMAGE 7i, A1 and A2 and Olympus E-1, C5050WZ, C5060WZ, C8080WZ cameras. Chris Breeze said, "Canon EOS-1D Mark II owners have inundated us with requests to add support for this camera as BreezeBrowser and Downloader Pro are an integral part of their digital workflow." Downloader Pro v1.3 was released last week, adding support for Canon's newest digital SLR.
BreezeBrowser is available for Windows and can be purchased from
www.breezesys.com for only
$49.95 or $64.90 bundled with Downloader Pro. This includes free upgrades for one year from
the date of purchase. BreezeBrowser v2.9 is a free upgrade for all registered users.
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| 04-29-2004 |
School of Digital Photography, Underwritten by Olympus, Brings Intensive Day-Long Session to Seattle, Vancouver and OttawaThe School of Digital Photography is a comprehensive, one-day workshop that covers the entire digital process: composing shots; manipulating images using the latest software tools; file storage and formats; printing images on different types of paper. Underwritten by Olympus, the School of Digital Photography was launched in 2000 to address the growing need to educate professionals and consumers about all aspects of digital photography.
In Seattle, Saturday, May 15, 9AM – 5PM, in Vancouver, Saturday, May 22, 9AM – 5PM,
in Ottawa, Saturday, June 5, 9AM – 5PM. The Seminar's cost is $99.
To pre-register for the School of Digital Photography you can
email: photoschool@olympus.com,
call 1-800-645-8100 x 6161 or visit
www.olympusphotoschool.com.
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| 04-29-2004 |
New Camera and Printer Reviews PostedToday is Sony day at Steve's - just posted is our DSC-W1 Cyber-shot review, a very affordable, high quality and high performance 5-megapixel compact with a 3x Carl Zeiss optical zoom and a huge 2.5-inch color LCD. Perfect for the beginner or most advanced user. Next up is the even more compact DSC-P100 Cyber-shot, Sony's top-of-the-line "P" series camera with 3x Carl Zeiss optical zoom, 1.8-inch color LCD, InfoLithium rechargeable battery and stylish metal body. After you take your pictures you need a printer to make photos to give to family and friends. The perfect companion for these cameras is the Sony DPP-EX50 Picture Station dye-sub photo printer. The DPP-EX50 makes beautiful 4x6" prints directly from memory cards or PictBridge compatible cameras and can be connected to your PC or TV. Check it out. Also posted is our Contax SL300R T* review, this is nearly identical to the Kyocera SL300R, they're both tiny, swiveling body/lens 3-megapixel cameras. Pocket-size but powerful with a nearly non-existant shutter lag and a 3.5fps burst rate.
And because it's nearing summer vacation time, we've reviewed another one of the
portable CD burning gadgets. The new Apacer
Disc Steno CP-200 is a major upgrade from last year's model. This is a battery-operated
portable CD burner that directly reads most flash memory cards. It now features disc
spanning so you can offload big flash cards and Microdrives on multiple CD discs. It also
features a new OLED display panel that lets you know exactly what's going on at all times.
And it has an A-V output so it can be connected to the TV for slideshows, controlled
by the included wireless remote controller.
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| 04-27-2004 |
Alex Majoli Wins Top Two Photojournalism AwardsMelville, New York, April 22, 2004 — Magnum photographer and Olympus Visionary Alex Majoli was named Magazine Photographer of the Year in the National Press Photographers Association’s Best of Photojournalism 2004 Contest. His winning work included a portfolio of images from the Iraqi war and of daily life in China. Majoli also received the Overseas Press Club’s prestigious Feature Photography Award for his coverage of the war in the Congo. The images submitted for both awards were all shot for Newsweek with the Olympus C-5050 digital camera. Majoli’s winning images are representative of the penetrating investigative and political coverage and razor-edged style for which he has become widely known. His work runs a gamut of subjects and emotions, from the brutal reality of war in Iraq to the quiet daily routine of a garbage collector in China. Majoli’s assignments for Newsweek, with whom he has a long- standing contract, and for The New York Times Magazine and Vanity Fair, regularly place him in situations where his equipment must respond immediately and flawlessly. For the last two years Majoli has relied exclusively on Olympus digital cameras.
Click here to see
Alex Majoli's winning portfolio.
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| 04-27-2004 |
SMaL Camera Technologies Enables Slim and Stylish Digital Cameras by NHJ
In the OEM partnership between the two companies, NHJ leveraged SMaL’s Ultra-Pocket® 3 and 4 rapid development kits to design and develop the Foxz1 (1.3-megapixel resolution) and Foxz2 (2-megapixel resolution), respectively. Due to the industry-leading low power (Longevity™), Autobrite® wide dynamic range, and high integration of SMaL’s Ultra-Pocket kits, the Foxz products feature stylish designs, worry-free battery life, and ease of use at an affordable cost. The Foxz1’s sophisticated credit card design is a mere 11.5mm thick and comes in a stylish assortment of colors (silver, red, blue, pink, and black). At 9.8mm thin, the metallic silver Foxz2 fits in any pocket, handbag, or backpack. The cameras feature 1.5” color TFT LCD screen, built-in flash, 2X digital zoom, Autobrite wide dynamic range, 8MB of internal flash memory plus a SD card slot and uploading of images and automatic recharging by USB connection to a PC or Mac.
Read the full
SMaL Camera press release.
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Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (April 27, 2004) – SMaL Camera Technologies, a developer of
digital imaging solutions and enabler of award-winning super-thin digital still cameras,
announced today that it has enabled two new ultra-slim digital cameras by NHJ Limited, which
is making its debut in the North American consumer electronics market. The 9.8mm thin Foxz2 –
the thinnest digital camera in the world with an LCD display – is now available nationwide in
Target Stores for $99.
| 04-25-2004 |
cam2pc, the digital imaging solution gets a "video update"Following on the success of the cam2pc 4 series, nabocorp. softwares brings video capabilities to cam2pc, its award winning digital imaging solution. Most of today's digital cameras feature the possibility to shoot small videos. This makes video files a new key element of digital imaging although no easy-to-use tools are available. But with cam2pc 4.3, nabocorp. softwares has the answer! Not only are video files now fully integrated in cam2pc's workflow, but users can also perform everyday tasks on their video files: Trim video files (without recompression for AVI and QuickTime files). Rotate video files. Convert video files to modern compression schemes like DivX or MPEG-4. Use video files to create contents : video files can now be integrated in created slideshows and web galleries. cam2pc 4.3 is also able to create its own video files by mixing your images, video files and background music. This requires DirectX 8.0 (or later) and cam2pc is able to create AVI, MPEG-1 and QuickTime files.
cam2pc 4.3 is available through nabocorp. softwares' web site:
www.nabocorp.com/cam2pc.
A 30-day free trial is available for download. Registration is $30 and can be
purchased through Paypal and Shareit systems.
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| 04-25-2004 |
Adobe Posts Camera Raw 2.2 Update for Photoshop CSThe Camera Raw 2.2 update adds support for the following new cameras: Canon PowerShot Pro1 and EOS-1D MARK II, Kodak DCS Pro 14nx and DCS Pro SLR/n, Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2, Nikon D70 and Coolpix 8700, Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom, Sigma SD9 and SD10.
Click here for
Camera Raw 2.2 Windows download page and click here for
Click here for
Camera Raw 2.2 Macintosh download page.
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| 04-25-2004 |
Canon EOS-1D MarkII Pro SLR First Look Posted
It's still a work in progress but most of our Canon
EOS-1D MarkII review is now online including sample photos. It's been about two
and a half years since we reviewed the EOS-1D and there's been a lot of improvements
made. Canon has doubled the number of effective pixels, it now captures 8-megapixels
and does it at a blazing 8.5 frames per second. This is one incredible SLR, check
it out!
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| 04-23-2004 |
Olympus C-765 Ultra Zoom Review Posted
Just posted is our Olympus C-765 Ultra Zoom review,
this is a 4-megapixel compact with a 38-380mm equivalent 10X zoom lens. Tired of
cameras with wimpy zooms? Then you'll love this one. Get as close to the action as
possible without ever moving your feet. And it has the typically good Olympus image
quality, sharpness and color that we've come to expect from their cameras.
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| 04-23-2004 |
Forgent Networks Names 31 Companies in JPEG Compression Patent Infringement SuitFirst reported here back in July 2002, Forgent Networks announced that it was going to enforce its ownership of the popular JPEG compression technology used by digital cameras, camcorders, cellphones, scanners and other devices used to compress, store, manipulate, print or transmit digital images. Well, they're back! Forgent has initiated litigation against 31 companies for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 4,698,672 in U.S. District Court in Texas. The companies named by Forget are Adobe Systems Inc., Agfa Corp., Apple Computer Inco., Axis Communications Inc., Canon USA, Concord Camera Corp., Creative Labs Inc., Dell Inc., Eastman Kodak Co., Fuji Photo Film Co U.S.A, Fujitsu Computer Products of America, Gateway Inc., Hewlett-Packard Co., International Business Machines Corp., JASC Software, JVC Americas Corp., Kyocera Wireless Corp., Macromedia Inc., Matsushita Electric Corp. of America, Oce' North America Inc., Onkyo Corp., PalmOne Inc., Panasonic Communications Corp. of America, Panasonic Mobile Communications Development Corp. of USA, Ricoh Corp., Riverdeep Inc. (d.b.a. Broderbund), Savin Corp., Thomson S.A., Toshiba Corp. and Xerox Corp.
"Forgent is committed to developing all of its assets and technologies to maximize
shareholder value. We believe we will prevail in this litigation as the '672 Patent is
valid, enforceable and infringed," said Richard Snyder, chairman and CEO of Forgent.
"It's unfortunate that despite the many opportunities these companies have had to license
the patent, they have all declined to participate, leaving us no alternative but to
litigate."
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| 04-22-2004 |
Breeze Downloader Pro 1.3 Adds Support for Canon EOS-1D Mark II and Sony DSC-F828Breeze Systems today released Downloader Pro 1.3. This simple but powerful tool enables photographers to transfer images to a PC at the touch of a button, renaming and storing them with file and directories names chosen by the user. It includes sophisticated handling of IPTC data, automatic lossless rotation of JPEGs and support for downloading from card readers and portable hard drives. Use the camera model name mapping function to give meaningful names identifying the camera used to take pictures e.g. when different members of the family have their own camera this function can be used to download images to separate directories
Download raw images from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta, Fuji, Pentax and Sony cameras
and use shooting data for directory and image naming. Supported cameras include the new
Canon EOS-1D Mark II, Canon PowerShot Pro1, Nikon D70, Minolta DiMAGE A2, Olympus C8080WZ
and Sony DSC-F828.
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| 04-20-2004 |
Casio Exilim Pro EX-P600 Review and Nikon D70 SLR Conclusion PostedThe last of our trio of new 6-megapixel digicams has now been reviewed and posted, see the Casio Pro Exilim EX-P600 review. This is the most advanced Exilim camera yet, 4x Canon optical zoom lens, 2-inch color LCD, stainless steel body and a long-life rechargeable Li-ion battery.
And I've also posted the conclusion and a few more sample photos from the
Nikon D70 SLR. If you want more control and
better image quality than the consumer digicams offer you probably want a real SLR.
The D70 is all that you've come to expect in a Nikon and gives you the freedom of
using many different lenses too. Check it out.
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| 04-19-2004 |
Olympus Japan Announces New Camedia AZ-1
Olympus Japan today announced a new flat and thin 3.2-megapixel, 3x optical
internal zoom lens digital camera designated the Camedia AZ-1. It closely resembles
the Sony T1 and Konica Minolta DiMAGE X series of ultra-thin cameras. It features a new,
high-resolution Sharp 2.5-inch color LCD with a wide 160°viewing angle and improved
daylight visibility. Currently, the AZ-1 is only scheduled to be sold in the Japanese
market and available at the end of May 2004. We got no press release on this camera
from Olympus America so check out the information at either
LetsGoDigital's site or over at
Imaging-Resource's site.
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| 04-19-2004 |
Kodak DX7630 Zoom Review Posted
Just posted is our Kodak Easyshare DX7630 Zoom
review, the second of the new crop of 6-megapixel cameras that we have looked
at. The DX7630 has a 3x optical zoom and a larger than average 2.2-inch color LCD.
It can be used with the Easyshare 6000 Camera Dock and the Easyshare 6000 Printer
Dock - check it out.
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| 04-17-2004 |
LetsGoDigital Posts Fujifilm F610 Zoom Review
Our friends in the Netherlands have posted their
Fujifilm F610 Zoom Review, a vertically-oriented compact digicam with a 6-megapixel
SuperCCD HR sensor. This is the successor to the Finepix F601, neither of these
cameras are sold in the USA so we won't be reviewing them - we've got our hands
full just covering our continent's camera models.
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| 04-17-2004 |
Olympus C-60 Zoom Review PostedJust posted is our first six-megapixel digicam review, the Olympus C-60 Zoom is a compact, metal-bodied camera with a 3x optical zoom, a 1.8-inch semi-transmissive color LCD, TruePic Turbo processor, USB 2.0 and lots more. Check it out.
Following this camera are two more 6-megapixel digicams, the Kodak DX7630 and the
Casio Exilim Pro 600. Watch for these reviews soon. Also in the works is the
conclusion for the Nikon D70 SLR and a full review of the Canon EOS-1D Mark II
professional SLR.
And we'll be working through a pile of new Pentax Optios, an Olympus C-765 UZ and
more coming...
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| 04-16-2004 |
Diwa Welcomes Germany's Most Influential Digital Camera Review Site As Its 10th MemberFriday, 16th April 2004: DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association), the fast-growing association of expert Web-based publications specialising in digital imaging product reviews, has signed up its tenth member publication: digitalkamera.de, the top German language digital photography editorial site. Digitalkamera.de, based in the historic port city of Lübeck in northern Germany, joins DIWA members covering most of Europe as well as the USA. In addition to highly detailed digital camera tests, digitalkamera.de offers its impressive 1.25 million visitors per month a comprehensive camera reference database, news, advice, articles on software and also book recommendations. Jan-Markus Rupprecht, digitalkamera.de founder and editor, explained: "I'm looking forward to participate in DIWA and to help DIWA become the most important camera award worldwide," adding: "I am confident that together we can reach this goal."
DIWA general manager, Ian Burley, commented: "Our many contacts in the industry have been
urging us to get digitalkamera.de onboard and now we have done it. The momentum behind
DIWA has received another big boost with this great news."
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| 04-16-2004 |
Try Out QPict RAW File Support and Get a 60% Discount!QPict for Mac OS 9/X is a fully featured, easy-to-use media asset manager for all kinds of multimedia files including images, movies, fonts and sounds. Recognizing the importance of RAW file support the next version of QPict will have improved support for RAW files and support for over 100 different camera models including the recently released NIKON D70. We are now seeking input from people working with RAW files. We will randomly give away 10 full copies of the software among those who participate. All participants will get a 60% rebate from the full price!
We accept a limited number of participants. To participate please visit our web site:
http://www.qpict.net
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| 04-15-2004 |
Nikon Lowers Price of Coolpix 5400, Offers $500 Rebate on D1X Plus Free Nikon Capture 4 Software
An email flyer from Nikon USA announces that the price of the 5-megapixel, 4x zoom
Coolpix 5400 has been lowered to $599 MSRP, so expect to see even lower street prices.
For those looking to buy a digital SLR, the
Nikon D1x is now being offered with a $500 mail-in rebate, good through April 30,
2004 from your local dealer. To further sweeten the deal, Nikon Capture 4 software is
now FREE ($149 value) with the purchase of a new Nikon D1x SLR.
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| 04-10-2004 |
Epson Stylus Photo R800 Review Posted
Just posted is the Epson Stylus Photo R800
printer review. This is Epson's fastest photo inkjet printer ever and it uses
the archival UltraChrome Hi-Gloss pigment inks. It can make borderless 4x6" prints
in about 45 seconds and they last a good long time. And it can also print CD and
DVD discs too.
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| 04-09-2004 |
PMA "Find a Photo Lab" Feature Lists 20,000 LocationsThe "Find a Photo Lab" feature on its consumer website, " Prints Are Memories," produced by Photo Marketing Association International (PMAI), Jackson, Mich., has more than 20,000 locations in its worldwide database. That means consumers from Birmingham, Ala., to Birmingham, Calif., can find local retailers who can make real photo prints from digital cameras. Retailers listed in the "Find a Photo Lab" feature are Qualified Digital Processing Centers, determined by PMA to have the onsite capability to make digital prints. To become a PMA Qualified Digital Processing Center, the retailer has to be an active PMA member and to own and operate the equipment to process photos from digital camera/media on site. The program is expanding outside the United States, as well. Most recently, Jessops, a major U.K. photo retailer, has committed the Qualified Digital Processing Center program in 250 stores. Also, LifePics, a Boulder, Colo.-based online service, just signed up its 85 lab service members, while Canada's London Drugs signed up 60 stores.
PMA will continue to promote "Prints Are Memories" and the "Find a Photo Lab" feature throughout the prime
picture-taking spring and summer months, including National Photo Month in May. If interested in the program or
for more details, visit http://qdpc.pmai.org.
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| 04-06-2004 |
Hi Touch 640GALA Printer Review Posted
And speaking of Hi Touch Imaging, just posted is our
HiTi 640GALA printer review. This is a very compact, vertically-oriented 4x6" dye
sublimation printer. For event photographers you can now design and create your own
custom e-frame templates that can be loaded from a flash card and used to enhance your
photo prints.
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| 04-06-2004 |
Hi Touch Imaging Offers Ribbon for B&W Printing
Hi Touch Imaging has released an ink ribbon for their dye-sublimiation printers that is
specifically for making black and white prints. Hi-Ti says the new ribbon delivers
punchy, crisp, high-quality B&W images. The new KO ribbon is available for Hi-Ti
printer models Photoshuttle, 640PS and 640DL. It can be found at the
HiTiShop.com
web site for $26.99 for the 75-sheet print pack.
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| 04-06-2004 |
ColorVision and Pantone Ship New Lower-Priced ColorPlus Monitor Calibration Tool
ColorVision and Pantone have introduced a new, low cost monitor calibration tool to aid
digital camera owners in easily and accurately adjust their CRT or LCD monitors for
reliable and consistent color. The new ColorPlus product is a Windows-based hardware
sensor that connects via USB to desktop and laptop computers. The whole process is
driven by an intuitive software interface that guides users in balancing the screen colors
and setting the gamma, whitepoint and luminance targets to industry standard values in a
few simple steps. ColorPlus comes bundled with Adobe Photoshop Album Starter Edition.
Available for Windows users only at the introductory price
of $99 - buy today and save $20 off the $119 list price.
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| 04-05-2004 |
Olympus Posts PictBridge Firmware UpdateOlympus Japan has posted a firmware upgrade to add or enhance the PictBridge (direct printing) capability of the following cameras:
D-560 ZOOM µ[mju:] 300 Digital µ[mju:] 400 Digital Stylus 300 Digital Stylus 400 Digital C-740 Ultra Zoom C-750 Ultra Zoom Conforms with the PictBridge* function. When your camera is already PictBridge- compatible, the following condition will be revised by the firmware update: an operation malfunction occurs when trying to imprint date on pictures in combination of the C-350Z,D-560Z camera and a certain type of printer connected with bundled USB cable.
(* PictBridge is a standard used to connect a digital camera directly to a PictBridge
compatible printer. This enables direct printing without the use of a computer. Prints
can be made using simple camera control regardless of the device manufacturers.)
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| 04-04-2004 |
Gateway Closing Its Retail Stores, Eliminating 2,500 JobsTroubled computer maker Gateway Inc., Poway, Calif., USA, said it will shutter all of its stores next week, eliminating 2,500 jobs, or nearly 40 percent of its work force, The Associated Press reports. The company said that its 188 stores will close April 9 and workers will be dismissed as the store operations wind down by the end of the month. The company, which recently posted its 12th loss in 13 quarters, said it is exploring other ways to sell its wares in United States and abroad but declined to elaborate. It said it would provide details when it releases first-quarter results on April 29.
Gateway said it will continue to sell online and over the phone. It has not said whether it will pursue sales
through third-party distributors. The Gateway stores will all close on the same day. Spokesman David Hallisey
said the company will sell its inventory in a sale beginning Saturday.
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| 04-03-2004 |
Canon Announces New Card Photo Printers CP-330 and CP-220LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., March 31, 2004 — Whether announcing a "new arrival" or capturing family fun at a weekend barbecue, Canon's new Compact Photo Printers CP-220 and CP-330 allow consumers to print pictures quickly, easily and directly from a digital camera, virtually anywhere. Canon's small and stylish CP photo printers now print high-quality color prints in three different paper sizes from a computer via USB or by direct camera- to-printer connection. These sizes include 4"x8" for personalized greeting cards or invitations; 4"x6" postcard-size or credit-card size pictures.
Read the Canon press release.
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| 04-01-2004 |
Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2 Review Posted
No April Fool'ing, just posted is our full Konica Minolta
DiMAGE Z2 review. This is a compact and lightweight 4-megapixel Super-Zoom camera
with a 10x optical zoom. It takes wonderful still pictures and just wait until you see
one of its screen-filling 800x600 resolution movies - they're awesome
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