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-- Top News Stories -- Adobe Photoshop Elements v2.0 Canon A10/20/30/40 Firmware Update Canon Posts EOS-1D Firmware Update Canon Posts D60 Firmware Update Canon S530D/S830D Photo Printers Forgent Clarifies JPEG Licensing Arrangement Fuji Intros xD-Picture Card HP Photosmart 720, 620, 320 Digital Cameras HP Photosmart 7550, 7350, 7150, 130 Printers Hi-Ti 630PS $249 4x6" Dye Sub Printer Minolta DiMAGE 7 Upgrade Kit Available Nikon Coolpix 995, 2000, 885 Firmware Updates Nikon USA/Canada D100 Firmware Update Olympus Announces C4000 Zoom Olympus Announces New Digicam Pricing Rayovac's 15-Minute Charging NiMH Batteries SmartDisk Low-Cost Film Scanners The TIPA 2002-2003 Awards June 2002 News Index May 2002 News Index April 2002 News Index Steve's "Best of 2001" Camera Awards Sunday Morning Photographer Index (A weekly column by Mike Johnston)

07-31-2002

Canon Posts New EOS-1D Firmware Canon Japan has posted the EOS-1D Firmware Update 1.4.0 and New Driver Software. Canon has improved the EOS-1D's firmware and driver software for better performance and greater functionality. All EOS-1D owners should install Firmware Update 1.4.0 together with the latest versions of the EOS-1D driver software in order to utilize the following new features: Noise reduction tone curve settings are added to the EOS-1D's monitor menu. Continuous shooting is supported with Remote Capture 2.5 or higher. Exif 2.2 (Exif Print) is supported. Windows® XP is supported. (Direct connect support via WIA 4.5) Camera settings metadata has been modified.

07-30-2002

Minolta DiMAGE 7 Enhancement Upgrade Now Available Dimâge 7 Optional Enhancement Upgrade Kit is now available for $79.95 from Minolta. New kit enhances performance and adds features to the award-winning Minolta Dimâge 7 digital camera. Comprised of Minolta's new firmware upgrade and new Dimâge Viewer software, the Upgrade kit transforms the award-winning Minolta Dimâge 7 into an even easier to use and more responsive digital camera. Read our D7 Upgrade mini-review

07-30-2002

Olympus Announces Development of xD-Picture Card July 30, 2002, Melville, NY -- Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. and Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. (Fujifilm) of Japan today announced they have jointly developed the xD-Picture Card, a new type of memory media with an ultra-compact design about the size of a postage stamp, image storage capacity of up to 8 gigabytes, compatibility with different digital camera brands, and prices that are comparable to current SmartMedia cards. The name of the new xD-Picture Card was inspired by the words "eXtreme digital" to signify the excellence of this new memory media for recording, storing, and transporting audiovisual information. The xD-Picture Card will be produced on consignment by Toshiba Corporation in Japan and introduced in the Americas this fall along with digital cameras from Olympus and Fujifilm that support the media. Olympus and Fujifilm cooperated on the development of the xD-Picture Card to respond to the needs of consumers using today's advanced digital still cameras. These users require greater memory capacity, and with initial sizes from 16 to 128 megabytes at introduction, and followed by 256 megabytes by the end of 2002 and larger sizes up to 8 gigabytes in the future, the new xD-Picture Card meets and exceeds memory needs. Camera users concerned with compatibility of digital media between different brands of digital cameras will appreciate the xD-Picture Card's versatility. With a Compact Flash adapter the xD-Picture Card can be used with any Compact Flash compatible device for even more possibilities. A USB Reader/Writer provides easy computer connectivity, and a PCMCIA PC Card adapter for laptops and other devices ensures the easy downloading of data. Although similar in some ways to all flash media, xD-Picture Cards are designed for increased durability and reliability despite their size. The small size of the card will also allow for digital manufacturers to design even smaller, more stylish and powerful digital devices in the future. "Olympus has been a supporter of SmartMedia in our digital cameras since the introduction of our first digital camera in 1997, and we plan to continue distributing this media for our customers," said John Knaur, Product Manager for Digital Consumer Products Group at Olympus, "As the needs of digital camera users evolve and the demand for greater memory capacities combines with the necessity for compatibility, Olympus and Fuji are responding with a new media designed to grow along with the market and meet the challenges of tomorrow." xD-Picture CARD MAIN FEATURES Ultra-compact 0.79" x 0.98" x .07" size With a volume of 0.85cc and a weight of 2g, the xD-Picture Card boasts the smallest form factor of any digital memory card, making it exceptionally portable and convenient. The miniature size of the new Card will enable development of even smaller digital cameras. Four types of Cards will be available initially: 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, and 128MB. 256MB Cards are planned to be introduced this December, with 512MB and 1GB - 8GB Cards to follow from the next year. PC Card adapters and USB card readers will be available simultaneously with xD-Picture Cards, allowing easy interfacing with personal computers. A CompactFlash adapter is being developed that will allow the use of xD-Picture Cards in cameras designed for CompactFlash media. Plans to adapt the new media for PDAs, audio players and other IT appliances are also underway. Comparison of current flash memory cards and new xD-Picture Card

07-30-2002

Fujifilm Introduces the xD-Picture Card Smallest Storage Format of its Kind will have the Potential for 8GB Storage Capacity, Consumes Less Power, Compatibility with Other Camera Brands ELMSFORD, NY, July 30, 2002 - Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd. a leader in innovative imaging and information products and services, along with Olympus Optical Co., Ltd., has developed the new xD-Picture Card, a high-capacity flash memory format for digital cameras. The xD-Picture Card will be the smallest storage format of its kind on the market - comparable in size to a penny, measuring just 0.79" x 0.98" x 0.07" and weighing less than one-tenth of an ounce - with the potential for up to 8GB storage capacity in a single card. This unprecedented combination of small size and large capacity will allow Fujifilm and other companies to manufacture sleeker and lighter digital cameras than ever before. Both Fujifilm and Olympus plan to offer cameras compatible with the xD-Picture Card this fall. In addition, the xD-Picture Card was designed to minimize power consumption, saving battery life and with fast read/write capabilities for smoother digital camera operation. PCMCIA and CompactFlash adapters will be available at the time of camera introduction, allowing use of xD-Picture card in a variety of cameras and other devices from multiple manufacturers. The name "xD-Picture Card" was inspired by "eXtreme Digital", suggesting the excellence of this new memory media for recording, storing, and transporting audiovisual information. Production will be consigned to Toshiba Corporation. Fujifilm's xD-Picture Card features include: Storage Capacity - Initially, Fujifilm xD-Picture Cards have 16MB, 32MB, 64MB and 128MB capacities, with a 256MB card planned for later this year. The media's roadmap shows storage capacity potential of up to 8GB. Extremely Compact - Comparable in size to a penny (0.79" x 0.98" x .07") and weighing a less than one-tenth of an ounce, the xD-Picture Card is the smallest storage media format available. Read/Write Speeds -The xD-Picture Card will have fast read/write speeds. A 16 or 32MB card can record data at 1.3MB/sec. A 64MB card or higher can record data at 3MB/sec and both offer a read speed of 5MB/sec. Power Consumption - xD Picture-Card was designed to consume minimal power. Users will benefit from the convenience and savings of longer battery life on a single charge. Compatibility - PCMCIA and CF Card Adapters will be available, allowing use of xD-Picture Card in a variety of cameras and other devices.

07-29-2002

BreezeBrowser v2.1 Released With New Color Profile Support Chris Breeze emailed to tell me that he had just released BreezeBrowser v2.1 and it is now available for download. BreezeBrowser is a powerful browser for viewing and manipulating digital images and Canon raw image files quickly and efficiently. It can be thought of as a kind of digital light box - use it to sort through your shots and convert raw files ready for further processing. New in this release: Color profile support: a) uses color profiles for accurate display of colors in main view, slideshow and view actual image b) batch processing of JPEGs to embed a color profile c) raw converter optionally embeds a color profile in raw files converted to TIFF or JPEG d) color profiles used in raw conversion preview for accurate white balance setting. This is particularly important when converting Canon EOS 1D raw files using color matrix 4 (AdobeRGB). Improved control of color balance when using combined raw conversion Added captioning/watermarking of images in proofs and HTML generation New "picture frame" HTML template added plus "drop shadow multi-index" and "picture frame multi-index" templates which combine the popular "picture frame" and "drop shadow" templates with the "multi- index" template for displaying large numbers of images The order of images in thumbnail view can now be modified using drag and drop Zoom in/zoom out option added to view actual image and Win98/WinME display problems with large images fixed Slideshow has new "View tagged only" option to help separate the "keepers" from the not so good shots Batch rename has additional options for extracting parts of the original filename and new "As displayed" sort order Contact sheet printing has additional options for thumnail sizes, draws a thin black border around thumbnails and has user-definable fonts for caption and footer text Additional image placement options added to full size printing New HTML options to remember the output directory, to convert images with embedded color profiles to sRGB and to override the @owner@ token.

07-29-2002

HP Announces Three New Digital Cameras and New Line of Glossy Photo Paper Hewlett Packard will announce today new digital imaging offerings that produce prints surpassing both the photo quality and fade resistance -- up to 73 years, more than twice as long as most traditional prints -- of traditionally processed photographs, according to the company. Comprising HP's largest consumer product rollout in its history are eight products, including four photo printers, three digital cameras and photo paper. In addition, HP introduced the HP Photosmart 720, 620 and 320 digital cameras, featuring the exclusive HP Instant Share technology, which lets you choose where photos will be sent or printed. The new HP Premium Plus Photo papers, developed for use with HP's new photo inks and new generation of inkjet printers, offer 10-mil thickness, high-gloss coating, vivid colors, realistic skin tones and glossy blacks, Peery said. The 320, expected to cost $179, will be a step up from the current 120 camera. It's a 2 megapixel autofocus camera with video clip capability of 14 frames per second. The 620, which will cost $249, is a 2 megapixel device that offers video clip capability of up to 16 frames per second. The 720, a replacement for HP's 715, will boast 3.3 megapixels, and the same features as the 720. The $399 camera! will also have audio clip support, which lets you attach a .WAV file to any image or series of images. The cameras comes with a HP Photo and Imaging Software suite, which offers creative printing options, photo album options and much more. It also comes with the HP Memory Disk Creation tool that can grab images that sit on your Mac and pull them into a slide show format. The HP Photosmart 720, 620 and 320 digital cameras feature HP Instant Share technology and are compatible with the optional HP Photosmart 8881 digital camera dock. The dock lets you connect to a computer, TV or printer while recharging batteries. HP Instant Share technology is an Internet-based software application for sharing digital photos. From the back of the camera, you can select up to 14 destinations for any photo. Then, by connecting the camera to your Mac, the photos are instantly sent to the selected destinations -- e-mail addresses, printers or HP's photo server site. The bad news is that Instant Share isn't yet Mac compatible. However, HP is working "incredibly hard to make this happen," Fleming said.

07-29-2002

HP Announces Four New Photo Printers Hewlett Packard will announce today new digital imaging offerings that produce prints surpassing both the photo quality and fade resistance -- up to 73 years, more than twice as long as most traditional prints -- of traditionally processed photographs, according to the company. Comprising HP's largest consumer product rollout in its history are eight products, including four photo printers, three digital cameras and photo paper. The HP Photosmart 7550, 7350 and 7150 photo printers feature new print technology that, when used in conjunction with HP's enhanced Premium Plus Photo papers, gives consumers prints that exceed both the photo quality and image permanence of traditionally processed photographs, according to Mary Peery, senior vice president, HP Digital Imaging and Publishing. The printers offer up to 4,800-optimized dpi or up to six- and seven-ink color printing. All the printers offer support for Mac OS 9 or greater, including Mac OS X ( news - web sites) (10.1 and higher). When Jaguar (Mac OS X 10.2) is released, there'll be updated drivers available on Apple's Web site. The HP Photosmart 7550 photo printer lets you preview, edit and enhance photos using its LCD screen and front-panel buttons. Additionally, the HP Photosmart 7550 and 7350 photo printers provide the ability to print borderless 4 x 6-inch prints and feature slots that accommodate CompactFlash, Secure Digital, SmartMedia, MultiMedia and Sony Memory Stick memory cards for computer-free printing. The three printers also feature front USB ports, giving HP Photosmart digital camera owners another way to print photos without using a computer. And all are optimized to take advantage of automatic media sensing technology. This means you don't have to set the controls manually -- though you can if you want. The HP Photosmart 7150 is an entry-level product with a street price of US$179. The 7350 is a midline $249 ! product and the 7550, which has an estimated street price of $399, is HP's flagship product. It boasts a 1.5-inch LDC display, so users can insert a memory card and review images on the display. "With these printers, we're bringing a whole new inkjet platform to market," Ken Fleming, product generation organization for HP's Imaging Division, told MacCentral. "The 4800 dpi resolution we're offering is something many users won't need. However, we felt it was an enhancement we wanted to add with high-pixel digital cameras being released." The HP Photosmart 130 photo printer also joins HP's photo printer lineup. It's designed as a portable solution for producing photo-quality, 4 x 6-inch prints, and also boasts CompactFlash, Secure Digital, SmartMedia, MultiMedia and Sony Memory Stick memory card slots. The Photosmart 130 offers borderless prints with up to 4,800-optimized dpi. The Photosmart 130 is a replacement for the current Photosmart 100 model! . It should have a street price of $179. The Photosmart 7150 is currently shipping. The other new printers should begin shipping in a week or so.

07-28-2002

Nikon USA/Canada D100 Firmware Update Nikon has identified a white balance bracketing problem on the D100 SLR and is offering an "adjustment" to fix the same. Nikon USA is paying the shipping to/from the customer as this adjustment can only be done by their service center. For more information please check the following links: Nikon USA Nikon Canada For cameras purchased in the US, the following cameras require a firmware update: If the box has no sticker and the camera has a serial number smaller than 2030000. If the box has a Blue sticker Following cameras do not require the firmware update: Green sticker on box No sticker on box with a camera serial number above 2030001. For units purchased in Canada the following cameras would require a firmware update: No sticker on box and a camera with a serial number less than 2030000. Following cameras would not require the firmware update: Blue sticker on the box Green sticker on the box No sticker on the box and a camera with serial number larger than 2030001.

07-28-2002

Sunday Morning Photographer This Sunday Mike tells us why he loves his new Sony F707, check it out in the latest weekly installment of our Sunday Morning Photographer - "Real Photographers Don't Use Sonys". Want to discuss what you think of Mike's columns, then go over and join our new SMP Discussion Group on our Public Forums.

07-26-2002

Nikon Euro Posts Firmware Updates for Coolpix 995, 2000 and 885 Coolpix 995 Firmware v1.7 (Windows and Mac): This firmware upgrade improves the issue of images captured by Coolpix 995 appearing too red when using Auto White Balance under incandescent light. Coolpix 2000 Firmware v1.4 (Windows only at this time) fixes: 1. Sometimes when using the EC-8CF CF card provided in box, the warning "Please format the CF Card" or similar appears on the camera LCD monitor when the camera is connected to a PC via USB 2. When inserting a formatted CF card into the camera and switching the camera on in Playback mode "All images are hidden" is displayed on the LCD monitor Coolpix 885 v1.1 (Windows and Mac) fixes: 1. Depending on the shooting scene, a higher compression ratio than normal was applied to images captured in Fine image-quality and FULL image size settings. This issue has been eliminated. 2. Action has been taken to improve the camera firmware preventing a certain type of SYSTEM ERROR from being displayed on the camera LCD display Nikon USA will be posting these Coolpix updates soon. They are checking them carefully before posting them.

07-26-2002

Fujifilm S2 Pro SLR First Look Posted We've only had the camera for a few days and our weather has been going dark, cloudy and rainy by early afternoon every day. I've still managed to put together a starter set of sample photos with more to come including some more of Dan's excellent studio shots. For now I've posted the Fuji S2 Pro First Look review with lots of good info for you potential buyers out there.

07-24-2002

Fred Miranda Releases New Sharpen Actions for Popular dSLRs and Photoshop Fred Miranda has released his Custom Sharpen (CS) actions for the Canon D30, D60 and EOS 1D. To quote Fred, "They are customized to provide an automated and easy route to Haloless sharpening, Edgesharpening, Highpass sharpening, Mode sharpening, Lab sharpening with only the press of a button." A few weeks ago he posted the actions for the 1D and has now followed that up with versions for the D30 and D60. Fred's D30 CS pro Fred's D60 CS pro Fred's Canon 1D CS pro Fred's custom actions aren't free but they're certainly reasonably priced and very effective. Give them a try, they'll save you time and improve your image quality.

07-23-2002

Eric Cheng Takes the D60 "Down Under" Want to see how the D60 works underwater? Then check out Eric Cheng's Bahamas Trip Eric and friends took 5 Canon D60's into the deep blue.

07-23-2002

Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) Responds to Forgent Networks' Claim of Intellectual Property Rights Last week the digital imaging and graphics world was in a buzz over Forgent Networks' claims that it owns the compression technology used in the JPEG file standard. Forgent Networks bought the intellectual property rights to their compression technology some time back and only recently have they decided to try to "cash in" on it. Many are calling this a "get rich quick" scheme and it certainly looks like one. So far only Sony has paid them any licensing fees and now the JPEG Committee is refuting Forgent's claims. They posted a news release on their web site on July 19th stating their feelings on this matter. There's a lot of legal and technical issues involved here regarding patent rights but basically they feel that Forgent's claims won't stand up. The JPEG group is now and has been hard at work getting the new JPEG2000 standard put through. Besides offering improved compression technology the new standard will be realized by an agreement reached with over 20 organisations that hold the patents to allow the use of their intellectual property without payment of licensing fees or royalties. Needless to say, we'll keep you abreast of this story as it affects all of us in the digital imaging world. 07/25/02 update: The Register posts this news article:   "No more JPEGs - ISO to withdraw image standard"

07-22-2002

Smartdisk Announces Two New Low-Cost High-Resolution Film Scanners New York, NY, July 17, 2002 -- SmartDisk Corporation (Nasdaq: SMDK) today announced the availability of two Mac- and Windows-compatible film scanners, one for consumers/prosumers and one for professionals. Featuring high-resolution scans and competitive prices, the new SmartDisk "SmartScan" scanners make film negative and slide digitization easy and affordable for everyone from photo hobbyists to professional artists and photographers. SmartDisk showed their new scanners in booth 749, Javits Center at Macworld Expo, July 17-19 in New York. SmartScan 2700 Offers One-Touch Scanning for Consumers, Prosumers, SOHO Users Designed for use at home, at school or in the office, SmartDisk's SmartScan 2700 scans film negatives and 35mm slides at the touch of a single button. It captures up to 9.6 million pixels per image, giving users digital images from negatives or slides that meet or exceed the resolution quality produced by the most sophisticated consumer digital still cameras on the market. To scan, consumers simply insert a film strip or mounted slide into a viewing window and press one button. The result is a scan that is more than three times sharper than that produced by the average flat-bed scanner. SmartScan 2700 captures 2700 dots per inch (dpi), which means users can enlarge images to approximately 7.8" x 5.1" and still maintain resolution sufficient for color separation and offset printing. It incorporates USB connectivity for use with either PCs or Macintosh computers. For Professionals, SmartScan 3600 Offers Superior Quality, Automated Features for Convenience. Graphic designers, professional photographers and others who require 3600 dpi scans - equivalent to 17.2 million pixels per image - will find the SmartScan 3600 perfect for their needs. It scans 35mm negative film rolls or filmstrips and mounted slides, and does not require a film holder or template. For extra efficiency, the SmartScan 3600 features batch scanning, auto film loading and auto-focus, producing perfectly optimized scans. The SmartScan 3600 has both IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and USB connectivity for easy and convenient use with both PC and Macintosh computers. SmartScan 2700 and SmartScan 3600 units ship with condensed Mac and Windows versions of Adobe PhotoShop Elements 1.0 for creating and editing digital imagery for print and the Web. The units also ship with Mac and Windows trial versions of Applied Science Fiction's Digital SHO™ 1.0 and Digital ROC™ 1.0 PhotoShop-compatible plug-ins. SHO automatically optimizes digital image contrast and exposure and brings out details in shadows. ROC restores color quality to digital images regardless of the condition of the original. The suggested retail price for the SmartScan 2700 is $249.95; the SmartScan 3600 is priced at $499.95. Both models will be available in August through retailers and distributors, as well as through the company's Web site.

07-21-2002

TIPA 2002-2003 European Photo & Imaging Awards Every year the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) hands out their European Photo & Imaging Awards. To quote the TIPA folks, "Many awards are presented each year all over the world in all sectors of commerce, industry, and the arts. Some awards are sold, others are bought. But we can assure you that only those products that really deserve them can win the TIPA awards. That's why they are so prestigious." You can see all of the TIPA 2002-2003 awards on this page. The ones of most interest to us are as follows: Best Lens: Canon EF 400mm f/4 DO IS USM Best Innovative Technology: Foveon X3 chip Best Design: DiMAGE X Best Digital Consumer Camera: Canon PowerShot S40 Best Digital Prosumer Camera: Olympus Camedia E-20P Best SLR Digital: Canon EOS 1D Best Digital Professional Product: Kodak ProBack 645 Best Camrecorder: Sony DCR-TRV40/50 Best Scanner: Nikon Super Coolscan 8000 ED Best Photo Printer: Epson Stylus Photo 2100 Best Consumer Software: Apple iPhoto 1.1

07-21-2002

Digital Photography & Imaging Cruise Offers Each Attendee Over $1,000 In Gifts An 8-day Digital Photography & Imaging Cruise featuring workshops for beginning and intermediate photographers will embark from Ft. Lauderdale, FL on December 4, 2002, aboard Carnival's newest superliner, LEGEND. Each workshop attendee can choose camera, accessory or software gift packages worth over $1,000 provided by participating sponsors including Epson, Olympus, Adobe, and two dozen others The cruise is the second in a series that offers instruction in photodigital technologies in a relaxed learning environment. Scheduled ports of call include Belize, Costa Rica, and Panama, with an optional side trip to the Panama Canal. Up to 30 beginners and intermediates, will participate in lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on use of a wide range of equipment. They will also take photos, have them critiqued, and print them. Attendees can upload their pictures to their own or Epson's photo-sharing website or send them via email to friends and family anywhere in the world through the ship's state-of-the-art satellite facilities which allow transmission while the ship is at sea. Lead instructor for the workshop is Arthur H. Bleich, award-winning photographer, digital photography expert, educator, and Feature Editor of Digital Camera Magazine. Cost of the cruise workshop starts at $1940 with non-attendee companions paying half-price. Further information at: www.dpcorner.com/cruise.

07-21-2002

Sunday Morning Photographer This week's installent of the Sunday Morning Photographer covers Mike's feeling about digicams vs digital SLR cameras. His view on this subject may just surprise (enlighten) you. I agree with most of his points except I just happen to "Say YES to digital SLRs."

07-19-2002

Sony FD200 and FD100 Reviews Posted I just posted our Sony Mavica MVC-FD200 review and the Mavica MVC-FD100 review. Sony has not yet given up on their "FD" line of Mavica cameras with the builtin 3-1/2" floppy disk drives, they just modernized them. These two cameras are twins in every respect except for image resolution, the FD100 is 1.2-megapixel and the FD200 is 2.0-megapixel. Both cameras are equipped with 3x optical zooms, a huge 2.5-inch color LCD, a floppy disk drive and a Memory Stick card slot. Check them out!

07-16-2002

Forgent Networks Clarifies (JPEG) Licensing Arrangement AUSTIN, Texas, July 11, 2002 -- Forgent Networks Inc. (Nasdaq:FORG) today clarified its licensing program regarding Forgent's JPEG data compression technology, owned by its subsidiary Compression Labs Inc., embodied in U.S. Patent No. 4,698,672. JPEG is a standardized image compression mechanism and is designed for compressing either full-color or gray-scale still images. Forgent has the sole and exclusive right to use and license all the claims under the '672 patent that implement JPEG in all "fields of use" except in the satellite broadcast business. Forgent's "fields of use" for licensing opportunities include digital cameras, digital still image devices, personal digital assistants (PDA's), cellular telephones that download images, browsers, digital camcorders with a still image function, scanners and other devices used to compress, store, manipulate, print or transmit digital images. Forgent and a national law firm, who has made and continues to make a significant investment to develop Forgent's IP licensing program, are the sole beneficiaries of the patent license revenue. "We wanted to ensure the investment community and the general public are clear about the terms of our valuable JPEG data compression technology, one of the many technologies we have in our patent portfolio," stated Richard Snyder, chairman and chief executive officer at Forgent. "We are in ongoing discussions with other manufacturers of digital still cameras, printers, scanners and other products that use JPEG technology for licensing opportunities." Here's the source for this press release. Thanks to Ron Tussy - Principal Analyst, Imerge Consulting Group LLC, for bringing this incredibly hot news item to my attention. The implications of this will undoubtedly rock the digital imaging industry as these "JPEG licensing arrangements" will end up costing all of us some money. The digital camera and scanner makers as well as the software companies will have to pay a licensing fee to continue using Forgent's JPEG compression technology. Word has it that Sony has already paid them $15 million for their license. Ron Tussy had this to say about it, "this will have broadest impact of just about any patent (IP) licensing enforcement we've seen to-date inside and outside of the imaging industry. The IP and patent and it's implications effects nearly every consumer imaging device, Internet browser and even operating system. If Forgent Networks is successful in it's enforcemnent, imaging hardware vendors, PC makers, software providers, browser providers and operating system makers will need to build-in these licensing costs to every device or unit shipped. This could have an enormous impact on the cost of doing business in the imaging industry and could even have the effect of forcing certain vendors to rethink their go-to-market business strategies."

07-15-2002

Rayovac and Yuasa-Delta Sign Agreement for Revolutionary New IC3 15-Minute Rechargeable NiMH Batteries MADISON, Wis., July 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Rayovac Corp. (NYSE: ROV) and Yuasa-Delta Technology, Taiwan announced today the signing of a manufacturing and purchasing agreement, under which Yuasa-Delta will produce Rayovac's revolutionary new IC3 rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and other NiMH products. Rayovac's patent-pending IC3 technology (In-Cell Charge Control) puts the control of recharging into the battery, instead of the charger, resulting in batteries that can be recharged in as little as 15 minutes. This breakthrough in Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) technology is expected to provide significant performance and convenience advantages over existing rechargeable and disposable battery systems. Rayovac IC3 technology NiMH batteries are designed to be the longest-lasting rechargeables and can last up to four times longer than regular single-use alkaline in certain applications. Rayovac's IC3 rechargeable batteries with built-in charging control will provide several significant advantages over other battery technologies, including charging in as little as 15 minutes and lasting up to four times longer than regular alkaline batteries in certain applications. It is anticipated that the IC3 NiMH batteries can be recharged up to 1,000 times. Rayovac IC3 technology also is designed to ensure safety, speed and reliability by monitoring the charge in each individual battery. Rayovac is currently evaluating options for strategic partnerships with major OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). Retail products are expected to be introduced in mid-to-late 2003.

07-15-2002

Canon Introduces Three New Photo Printers and New Photo Papers LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. July 15, 2002 - Canon U.S.A., Inc. today introduces two new Bubble Jet Direct photo printers and one entry-level Color Bubble Jet printer for the consumer and SOHO markets - the Canon S530D, S830D and S330. The four-color S530D and six-color S830D provide fast, high-quality, borderless photo prints directly from a removable memory card, through a PC or from Bubble Jet Direct-enabled Canon PowerShot digital cameras. The entry-level S330 Color Bubble Jet printer features borderless printing and Advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology for exceptional quality. All of the new printers offer Exif Print support for easy, smart processing of digital images. To ensure optimal results from Canon's full line of Bubble Jet printers, the Company is also announcing today new Photo Paper Plus Glossy and Matte Photo Paper. Read the entire Canon press release.

07-15-2002

Adobe Announces Photoshop Elements 2.0 Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., USA, has announced Photoshop Elements 2.0 with new features for editing digital photos, and designed for photo hobbyists and amateur photographers. With Photoshop Elements 2.0, users can apply common lighting and color correction in a single dialog window while viewing the original side-by-side with the modified version. Instant access to help files and "how to" recipes is readily available by typing key words such as "red-eye" into a help window on the toolbar. With one-step to resize and attach images, Adobe said sharing photos via e-mail is now easier; and a new file browser lets users preview, sort and organize images in thumbnail form, without opening the files. Photoshop Elements 2.0 gives users editing capabilities with new color correction, compositing and creative tools. The Color Variations feature now includes tips and an updated design, giving the user a preview of real-time color adjustments prior to applying. The new Selection Brush masks unwanted areas of a photo. New paintbrush options simulate oils, watercolors, charcoal, pastels, and different canvas textures. Also, users can capture individual frames from video clips, which are saved as still images for editing and sharing electronically. Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 is expected to ship in the third quarter of 2002. The estimated street price is US$99 for all platforms. (Article from PMA Newsline)

07-15-2002

Casio's Exilim Card Camera Wins PC Magazine's 'Best of Show' Award In the Personal Technology Category DOVER, N.J., July 11 -- Casio, Inc., manufacturer of the first consumer digital camera with an LCD screen, was awarded the "Best of Show" in the Personal Technology category for the EXILIM Card Camera. The award was given by PC Magazine, the largest technology publication in the world, at the PC XPO show in New York City. Each year, PC Magazine honors a select group of products for their innovation, creativity of design and new ideas. This year, EXILIM was recognized for its portable, compact design, ease of use and ability to take terrific photos. EXILIM attracted considerable attention at Casio's booth at PC Expo, as well as earlier this year when it debuted at the CeBit show in Germany. In conjunction with these shows, EXILIM has also garnered coverage in broadcast and print media including CBS-TV, CNN, New York One, USA Today, Chicago Tribune, The New York Times and the New York Daily News, among others. "Casio is especially pleased to receive this honor from such an esteemed source as PC Magazine. Our goal is to deliver stylish, simple to use, lifestyle oriented technology products, and we think we have truly achieved this with EXILIM. We're truly excited that EXILIM has had such a wonderful reception at this early stage," said Gary Schultz, director of marketing, Casio, Inc. "We consider the award a great compliment." Among the smallest fully functional digital cameras on the market and sized for fashion and portability, both cameras in the EXILIM line, EX-S1 and EX-M1, measure less than 1/2" thick, 3.46" wide and 2.16" high and weigh just a fraction over 3 ounces. Both are crafted in all metal and feature a high quality silver finish. The cameras feature a 1.6" LCD and 1280 x 960 dpi image size. 12 MB of internal memory allows storage of up to a 30 second AVI movie and SD/ MMC cards can be purchased separately for additional storage. Included accessories are a lithium ion battery, strap and a USB docking station. The EX-M1 boasts the additional capabilities of integrated MP3, voice recorder, short movie pictures with sound, pictures using the self-timer feature and individual pictures with sound. The EX-S1 retails at the suggested price of $299 and the EX-M1 has a suggested retail price tag of $349. Both cameras are currently available.

07-15-2002

Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Announcements from the Imaging USA 2002 Show StudioMaster PRO, Fujifilm's new state-of-the art portrait workflow and ordering software, is now available to professional labs nationwide. Designed for wedding and portrait photographers, StudioMaster PRO is an image presentation and order-entry interface application that provides professional photographers with a flexible solution to improve digital imaging workflow. The Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro digital camera, the widely anticipated successor to its acclaimed FinePix S1 Pro, is now available at professional dealers. The new SLR-type digital camera builds upon its predecessor's legacy for outstanding picture color and detail while empowering professional photographers with greater control over the editing, storing and transferring of high resolution images, both in the studio and on the road. The Fujifilm Luma II Digital Camera Back is now shipping to retailers nationwide. For use with Fujifilm's high-powered GX 680III Professional Camera System, the Luma II Digital Back is designed to give professional photographers the best of both the digital imaging and traditional film photography worlds by offering twice the functionality of its predecessor, the Luma Digital Camera Back, and enables users to easily produce output of exceptionally high quality.

07-13-2002

Casio Exilim EX-S1 Review Posted Casio grabs the title of the World's Smallest Digicam with their new Exilim line of super-thin cameras. We just posted the full Casio Exilim EX-S1 review and have to agree -- it is indeed small and thin. If you're looking for a "go anywhere" digicam then this one certainly deserves a good look-see. Besides being small it's built like a tank with a stainless steel body and should be more than able to take the usual amount of punishment and then some.

07-12-2002

Full Nikon Coolpix 4500 Review Posted We've posted the full Nikon Coolpix 4500 review complete with conclusion and a starter set of sample photos from a full production camera. The weather here has not been too great lately so I'll be adding more photos when I get the chance. I also be finalizing our Coolpix 5700 review by early next week as we have a production model of that camera as well.

07-12-2002

Mike Chaney Posts Fuji S2 Pro First Look Mike Chaney, author of Qimage Pro 2002, has posted what he calls his Fuji S2 Initial Impressions report. Mike gives us a rather brief but detailed look at the ergonomics, image quality and color rendition of Fuji's new dSLR. Hopefully we will get our review S2 Pro soon so we can give you are usual detailed tour of the camera and its physical features. In the meantime give Mike's review a perusal, it makes for interesting reading for sure. 2002 will definitely be the year that digital SLR cameras came into their own, even for us non-pros.

07-11-2002

Canon D60 Firmware Update Canon Japan has posted a firmware update for the EOS D60 SLR to resolve the following issues: 1. Underexposure may occur in low light situations when the SI (Superimpose) display is ON. 2. Duplicate file numbers may occur when more than 100 images are recorded per folder. Go to the Canon BeBit D60 page for more information and to download the firmware update.

07-10-2002

Hi-Ti 630PS Full-Featured 4x6" $249 Dye Sub Printer We just posted the Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies (HiTi) 630PS Photo Printer review.   Over the last couple of years we have looked at a number of these personal dye sub photo printers. They all share the same excellent photo quality and print longevity and they all share about the same $0.80 per 4x6" print cost. The Hi-Touch folks have now slashed that per print cost in half, their 50-print packs cost just $19.95. To make it even more appealing the cost of the 630PS printer is just $249. It can make prints with or without a computer, it's small and lightweight and has a built-in 1.6-inch color LCD and both CompactFlash (Type I and II) and SmartMedia card slots. Check it out, this one's a winner!

07-09-2002

Olympus America Announces New Pricing We received an email from the Olympus America PR folks today with new, lower pricing for current Olympus digital cameras. The new pricing is as follows: D-380   $199.00 D-520   $299.00 D-550   $399.00 C-3020   $499.00 D-40   $599.00 C-720   $599.00 C-4040   $699.00 E-10   $1299.00 E-20N   $1699.00

07-08-2002

Olympus America Announces Affordable Full Featured 4 Megapixel Digital Camera For Under $500 July 8, 2002, Melville, NY–– Olympus America announced today the CAMEDIA C-4000 ZOOM, an affordable, full featured 4-Megapixel, 3x optical zoom digital cameras that offers a world-class Olympus zoom lens, total photographic control and advanced features such as Multi-Point Spot Average Metering, Super Macro focusing, and Histogram in Shooting and Review modes. Click here to read the full Olympus press release.

07-05-2002

Sony Reviews Posted In the last couple of days we have posted our Sony DPP-SV55 dye sub printer review. This is a relatively inexpensive 4x6" personal photo printer that gives you the digital equivalent of film "jumbo prints." Unlike inkjet prints, dye sub prints are waterproof and offer high resistance to UV fading. Today we finalized the Sony CD400 review with a full conclusion and a new set of sample images. The CD400 is Sony's flagship camera in the CD Mavica line and offers 4-megapixel resolution, a 3x Zeiss lens and the ability to store its images on inexpensive mini-CD discs. 07/08/02:  Just posted the full Sony CD250 review with a full conclusion and a new set of sample images. The CD250 is Sony's entry level camera in the CD Mavica line and offers 2-megapixel resolution, a 3x optical lens and the ability to store its images on inexpensive mini-CD discs.

07-02-2002

Canon Posts Firmware Updates for A10, A20, A30, A40 To Improve Telephoto Auto Focus Canon Japan has posted a new firmware update for the popular "A" series PowerShot cameras to improve their auto focus at the telephoto end of the zoom. Please see the Canon BeBit site for the appropriate download links for the A10, A20, A30 or A40 camera.

June 2002 News

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