Archive for March, 2006
Digital camera developments
A phone that takes 3.2 MP photos is due soon
By Eric Gwinn/Chicago Tribune
Tucson, Arizona
A friend of mine who is a professional film photographer recently shot a kids’ party. After she took the first photo, the kids crowded around her to look for their faces on the back of the camera.
“Sorry, kids,” she had to say. “It’s not that kind of camera.”
Our expectations of what cameras are sure has changed. As spring nears, here’s what’s blooming in the field of digital cameras:
Some JVC Camcorders get own DVD burner
JVC has come out with a DVD burner for three of the company’s Everio camcorders. The DVD burner, called the Share Station, connects by USB cable to the new Everio GZMG27, GZ-MG37 and GZ-MG77 cameras, and turns home video into DVDs without using a computer.
The Share Station works with DVD-R/-RW disks, and you can use it as a DVD burner for your computer running Windows XP or Windows 2000 (with Service Pack 4).
The Share Station, $200, is available at JVC.com online.
Ready for your eBay closeup?
Casio’s new EX-Z60 Exilim Zoom camera has an eBay Easy Shot mode that takes photos at a size optimized for displaying on eBay.
The EX-Z60 will be available April 17 for $250 at Casio.com online.
Head-to-head contest winners
The Digital Imaging Marketing Association picked three top point-and-shoot cameras in its 10th annual Digital Shoot-out. The competition, held amid the recent Photo Marketing Association’s convention in Orlando, pitted 17 cameras from seven manufacturers against one another. A photographer used the cameras to shoot a model in a studio, and four journalist-judges looked for color accuracy and quality of the print. The winners:
The 4.0-megapixel HP Photosmart M22 (at HP.com) took the $100-$199 category.
The waterproof Pentax Optio W10 (at PentaxImaging.com) won the $200-$299 category.
The 6.2-megapixel HP Photosmart R717 (at HP.com) topped the $300-$399 category.
Sony Ericsson announces 3.2-megapixel phone
Sony Ericsson is coming out this summer with a new line of camera phones, called Cyber-shots, that will include a 3.2-megapixel model. That’s a lot of pixels in the land of 2.1-megapixel camera phones.
The phone will capture video, play MP3 music files and 3-D video games, and work with UMTS and EDGE phone networks.
The K790 Cyber-shot camera phone will be available at SonyEricsson.com online. Prices will be announced.
March 27th, 2006
Get Most Out Of Digital Camera
March 26, 2006/ Hartford Courant
By JAIN LEMOS, Special to The Los Angeles Times
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Getting the most out of your new digital camera requires knowing about more than megapixels and compression. It also requires knowing your strengths and weaknesses.
Nature lovers often do well photographing rose petals or sunsets. Graphically oriented people recognize natural patterns or unique signs. Are you ultra-organized or carefree on a trip? Should you set aside extra time to take and organize your shots?
Acknowledging such things about yourself can help you prepare your camera equipment in ways that will help you get the most from your efforts. Know your camera’s strengths and weaknesses – as well as your own – before taking off for vacation. Here are some of the keys:
Practice, practice. Affordable compact digital cameras with professional features are finally here. For just a few hundred dollars, palm-sized models now come with higher resolution, longer battery life and larger capacity. They also have more menus to scroll through and option lists that can intimidate even tech-savvy users. Become familiar with your camera’s capabilities immediately, taking test shots over several days.
Start with the lens. Does it zoom, and to what magnitude? Practice zooming, then try duplicating the same shot by walking forward instead of zooming. Zooming causes more camera shake, so steady your shot by holding your elbows closer to your body. Also, turn the camera to the side or point it slightly upward for alternative angles.
Next, get in sync with the cycling time between shots (called “shutter lag”). Don’t get frustrated when you want to press the shutter button and the camera’s processor needs to recycle. Experiment with exposure times by shooting a moving subject on fast and slow speeds.
Built-in flash units on most compacts extend light only a few feet in front of the photographer, and red-eye or overexposure is often the result. Experiment with your flash indoors in low light and outside in shade.
Be sure to read the manual and visit the manufacturer’s website. Now is a good time for a more thorough review of the instructions. If the camera has preset modes such as macro, landscape and portrait settings, look at the instruction booklet examples and try to duplicate the shots.
This is also the time to understand the model’s various image compression settings to calculate how many images you can store on each memory card.
Finally, make a habit of running through a short mental checklist every time you pick up your camera:
Check batteries.
Check room on memory card, or that you have an extra one.
Delete unwanted images.
Adjust settings for conditions.
Switch to shooting mode.
Make Photos A Focus
Make photography an activity. Part of relaxing with vacation photography is not feeling pressured to constantly record everything you see. Set aside an hour a day specifically for picture-taking, preferably during the magic hours around sunrise and sunset.
If traveling with companions, try going out alone some days. You’ll be creating a separate vacation within a vacation that only you experience, and your photos will become more personal and less static.
In the morning, gather your equipment and contemplate your day. Perhaps you previously visited a place you would like to capture better or differently. Ask a local to help you get onto the roof of a high building or out to the nearest fishing hole – someplace you wouldn’t normally visit. Browse through local publications or your travel guide to see what images are being published of nearby attractions.
Digital photography also means you’ll need time for housekeeping. Deleting excess frames and making caption notes are good tasks to do before bed. If you have a laptop or other separate storage unit, download images off your camera for editing later.
Framing, subject matter, composition and a relaxed state of mind are more important than perfect shooting conditions.
Think about creating an assignment. It can be overwhelming to know what to shoot, even if prepared with a list of places and local contacts to help you. Having a theme in mind helps you link the pictures together.
Start with a clear idea even if something else appears once you’ve set out. The pictures will have a common thread and convey continuity.
Some destinations are image gold mines; many, however, present little else than a dismal sky, an old man and a not-too-attractive dog. It’s easy to get discouraged by trying too hard to make something out of nothing. Wherever you are, you must be visually scanning your surroundings to see if this is where you can take your best photos.
Just as writers are advised to write about what they know, good photographers should take pictures of familiar subjects. For example, if you work one-on-one with people, chances are you will take natural-looking portraits. If you are more mechanically inclined, look for pictures of people at work or play using their environment as a significant background element.
March 27th, 2006
Digital Gear
PC World
Agam Shah offers the gearhead’s guide to gadgets for use on the go or at home.
Snap It and Get Fit,New gadgets help you keep fit, and take better photos.
Agam Shah, IDG News Service
Thursday, March 23, 2006
A number of recent gadgets seek to deliver better workout results. For example, TheEnterTrainer.com sells The EnterTrainer, a remote-control system that optimizes a workout by helping users keep their heart rates consistent as they exercise. And the Tempo Trainer from Finis times stroke rates to help swimmers maintain a steady pace.
For those who prefer less strenuous activity, several interesting products for photographers were announced at the Photo Marketing Association International’s recent annual trade show in Las Vegas. Samsung Camera’s DigiMax L60 digital camera captures MPEG-4 video as well as still images. Digital Foci launched Picture Porter Elite, a portable storage device with a 3.6-inch LCD. Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., meanwhile, refreshed its line of disposable film cameras with the QuickSnap 1000
PC World’s Eric Butterfield attended the show; read “PMA: Say Adios to Blurry Photos,” “PMA: Sony Delivers the Big Zoom,” and “PMA: Sony Introduces Two Compact Point-and-Shoots” for his reports.
A Moving EnterTrainer
The $130 EnterTrainer uses an armband monitor to collect heart rate information in a 12-sided device, which then transfers the data wirelessly to a TV. If a user’s heart rate increases, the TV volume increases. If the heart rate falls, the volume drops, presumably thereby reminding the user to pick up the slack. The system turns the TV into a good personal trainer replacement, according to TheEnterTrainer.com, which makes the device.
The EnterTrainer calculates a user’s target heart rate based on age, type of workout (fat burn, cardio, or aerobic), and length of session. Using an included Velcro clip, the device can be attached to exercise machines such as treadmills and exercise bikes, said Joe Volpe, vice president of TheEnterTrainer.com, formerly PowerUp Fitness.
Keeping Tempo in Training
Finis, the company that makes the underwater audio player SwiMP3, also sells Tempo Trainer, a $32 device that maximizes a swimmer’s workout by monitoring stroke rates. The round device, about the size of a stopwatch, hooks to a swimmer’s goggles and emits one beep on the completion of a stroke and three beeps on the completion of a lap.
The device is meant to help swimmers develop a consistent stroke and lap rate, skills that help a swimmer conserve energy and use it efficiently.
Picture Porter Elite
To address the storage needs of digital camera users, Digital Foci in February announced the $499 Picture Porter Elite, which the company describes as a portable photo album with a color LCD and an internal hard drive that stores up to 80GB of data. The device also functions as a portable video player, MP3 player, and voice recorder. The LCD is 3.6 inches on the diagonal and can be used to view videos, images, and slide shows.
The Picture Porter Elite’s portability makes it a better alternative than a laptop for storing and viewing pictures while on the go, according to the company. For additional storage, it has a memory card slot that supports multiple formats, including CompactFlash, Memory Stick, and MultiMediaCard.
The device has a USB 2.0 port for connecting to a digital camera. The Picture Porter Elite weighs 0.6 pounds and measures 5.3 by 3.1 by 1.1 inches. Digital Foci says it is slated to ship in May.
Digimax L60
Samsung Camera’s Digimax L60 digital camera offers a 3X optical zoom, a 2.4-inch color LCD, and the ability to capture MPEG-4 videos as well as 6-megapixel stills.
The L60 records MPEG-4 files at 640-by-480 resolution at 30 frames per second. Developed by the Moving Picture Experts Group, MPEG-4 is a high-compression multimedia file format that delivers DVD-quality video at smaller file sizes than the popular MPEG-2 format used for digital TV broadcasts. The camera’s stabilization features keep video images steady and movies can be edited directly on the camera.
Still images can be captured during video playback and then cropped, resized, and rotated directly on the camera, according to Samsung.
Users can add special effects such as color effects and photo frames, and shoot fast-moving objects in a series of images, the company says.
The camera provides 11 modes for capturing still images, including a “text recognition” mode that supports extraction of editable text from images using optical character recognition software that comes with the camera.
The L60 has 32MB of internal memory and a Secure Digital/MMC memory card slot for additional storage. It also has a voice recording function. The $299 camera is designed for users who want an advanced model with easy-to-use functions, Samsung says. The company plans to ship it in April.
QuickSnap 1000
Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. will soon phase out its flagship QuickSnap 800 disposable film camera, replacing it with the new QuickSnap 1000 one-time-use film camera announced in February.
With faster film and an extended flash range of 17 feet, QuickSnap 1000 lessens blur and captures action shots better than the QuickSnap 800, said Joe Vaughey, vice president of marketing at Fuji Photo Film’s photo-capture division. The extended flash lets photographers capture better background detail in low-light conditions, he said.
Photos are digitized during development and can be returned to users on photo CDs. QuickSnap 1000 is priced at $13 for 27 exposures, though retailers are expected to offer it at lower prices, Vaughey said. It is slated for an April release.
Agam Shah is an editor with the IDG News Service, based in San Francisco. Questions or comments? Write to Agam Shah.
March 24th, 2006
DALSA Announces Successful Completion of Commercial Shoot Featuring Origin 4K Cinematography Camera
Thursday March 23, 4:00 pm ET/ [Press Release] CCNMatthews via Yahoo! Finance
WATERLOO, ONTARIO–(CCNMatthews – March 23, 2006) – DALSA Corporation (TSX:DSA – News), an international high performance semiconductor and electronics company, today announced the successful completion of a commercial shoot featuring the DALSA Origin, the world’s first and only commercially available 4K digital cinematography camera.
The DALSA Origin camera was used to shoot a recently completed project featuring the musical group, “The Black Eyed Peas”. The piece will appear in theatrical trailers, television commercials and through web distribution as part of an advertising campaign for Snickers. The eight day shoot was produced by “Form”, a Los Angeles based Production Company, and directed by Jesse Dylan. The director of photography was Rolf Kesterman
“We had a very aggressive shooting schedule and the camera saved us a lot of time. Constantly re-loading film magazines would have killed us on this project. With the Origin camera we just kept shooting,” commented director, Jesse Dylan. “Throughout the production the DALSA team were consummate professionals. I can see this 4K camera being used more and more in the future. I would use it again in a heart beat.” Director of photography, Rolf Kesterman added, “The Origin camera fit very well into the film production environment. I would certainly use it again.”
“We are pleased that a high profile production company such as Form chose to use the DALSA Origin camera and that they were happy with the results,” said Savvas Chamberlain, CEO of DALSA Corporation. “The project demonstrates that the DALSA name is gaining recognition in the motion picture industry, and we are looking forward to the many productions we have in our pipeline.”
About the DALSA Origin Cinematography Camera
Designed for cinematographers with 35mm cine lenses and a through-the-lens reflex viewfinder, DALSA’s award winning Origin camera delivers the optical performance professionals demand. Origin is the world’s first and only commercially available digital camera to combine industry leading 4K output with the widest possible exposure latitude for the highest quality motion picture production. The Origin camera is available for rental through the DALSA Digital Cinema Center in Woodland Hills, California. For more information, visit www.dalsa.com/dc.
About DALSA Corporation
DALSA is an international high performance semiconductor and electronics company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets digital imaging products and solutions, in addition to providing semiconductor products and services. DALSA’s core competencies are in specialized integrated circuit and electronics technology, software, and highly engineered semiconductor wafer processing. Products and services include image sensor components; electronic digital cameras; vision processors; image processing software; and semiconductor wafer foundry services for use in MEMS, high-voltage semiconductors, image sensors and mixed-signal CMOS chips. DALSA is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “DSA”. The Company has its corporate offices in Waterloo, ON and approximately 1000 employees world-wide.
This press release contains forward looking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management’s best estimates of future events. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements are detailed from time to time in DALSA’s periodic reports filed with the Ontario Securities Commission and other regulatory authorities. DALSA has no intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
March 24th, 2006
China Digital Communication Group Engages Hawk Associates for Investor Relations Services
SYS-CON Media
LOS ANGELES and SHENZHEN, China, March 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — China Digital Communication Group (BULLETIN BOARD: CHID) , one of the fastest growing battery components manufacturers in China and an emerging supplier of high-tech products for the telecommunication industry, announced today that it has engaged Hawk Associates Inc. to provide investor relations services.
China Digital Chairman and CEO Changchun Zheng said, “Hawk Associates has an excellent reputation for successfully helping emerging companies credibly tell their stories to the investment community. CEO Frank Hawkins, President Julie Marshall and the Hawk team make sophisticated use of the latest technology and techniques, including the company’s two websites and their proprietary e-mail alert system. With their strong relationships developed over the past 11 years on Wall Street, they have been effective in reaching the retail and the institutional communities for their clients. We look forward to working with them.”
Frank Hawkins, CEO of Hawk Associates, said, “China Digital is at an important pivot point in its history. The company is known as the strongest and fastest growing battery components maker in China and should have significant market share by the end of the year. That business will continue to generate solid revenue and profit growth. Within the past month, however, the company has announced agreements to acquire two Chinese telecommunications equipment and technology companies that should propel China Digital profitably into the 3G telecommunications space in Asia. Galaxy View International, which owns Sono Digital, has said that Sono produced approximately $6 million in revenue and $2 million in net earnings in 2005. Zhou Tong has said the company produced $5.4 million in 2005 revenue and $1.85 million in net income. The successful closing of these two acquisitions would position China Digital for strong and profitable growth and open further opportunities in the exploding Chinese telecommunications market. The closing of both agreements is pending subject to completion of customary audits, financial due diligence and receipt of normal consents, approvals and opinions.”
About China Digital Communication Group
China Digital Communication Group, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Shenzhen E’Jenie Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (E’Jenie), is one of China’s leading manufacturers and developers of advanced telecommunications equipment. E’Jenie sells advanced high-quality lithium ion battery shell and cap products to all major lithium ion battery cell manufacturers in China. E’Jenie’s products are used to power mobile phones, MP3 players, laptops, digital cameras, PDAs, camera recorders and other consumer electronic digital devices. China Digital is continuing its expansion across East Asia, while also seeking distribution partners and acquisitions in new global markets, including the United States. For more information, visit http://www.chinadigitalgroup.com/.
About Hawk Associates, Inc.
Hawk Associates, Inc. is a full-service national investor relations and financial media relations consulting firm serving clients nationwide and in Canada and China. For more information and a company profile, visit http://www.hawkassociates.com/ or contact Frank Hawkins or Julie Marshall at (305) 451-1888 or info@hawkassociates.com.
For investor relations information, contact Ken AuYeung or Frank Hawkins, Hawk Associates, at (305) 451-1888, e-mail: info@hawkassociates.com. An online investor kit, including copies of China Digital press releases, current price quotes, stock charts and other valuable information for investors, may be found at http://www.hawkassociates.com/ and http://www.americanmicrocaps.com/.
Investors may also contact Peter Clark, OTC Financial Network, 9781) 444- 6100, ext. 629, e-mail: peter@otcfn.com, http://www.otcfn.com/chid .
To contact the company, call Roy Teng, China Digital Communication Group, (310) 461-1322, e-mail: info@chinadigitalgroup.com, http://www.chinadigitalgroup.com/ .
Forward-looking statement: Except for the historical information, the matters discussed in this news release may contain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, factors relating to future sales. These forward-looking statements may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, uncertainties in product demand, risks related to doing business in China, the impact of competitive products and pricing, changing economic conditions around the world, release and sales of new products and other risk factors detailed in the company’s most recent annual report and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
March 23rd, 2006
Panasonic Boom: Electronics Giant Unveils 2006 Product Lineup
DigitalJournal.com
By David Silverberg
Digital Journal – Walking into the 2006 Panasonic Canada Consumers Electronics Show at the Toronto Congress Centre, your eyes are bombarded by the stunning visuals on display. It’s almost too much at first: a pillar of plasma TVs straight ahead, with a wall of projection screens covering the far back wall; rows of digital cameras grouped beside a projector dishing out a looping slideshow; massage chairs rumbling softly while a next-generation stovetop turns one area into a kitchen of the future.
After a few moments, you get used to the array of electronics, and you learn to sidestep the many tech heads and dealers winding their way through the show. Here, the gadget-friendly shopper could spend hours salivating over new camcorders or plasma screens or even bagless vacuums soon to be hitting store shelves. Panasonic knows how to make anyone interested in technology
Panasonic Canada is unveiling its complete 2006 lineup with much fanfare, and there’s good reason for the buzz. Besides tweaking already popular gadgets, the company also plans to introduce several products making their Canadian debut.
One such product is a new Core Trainer that resembles a horse saddle. And much like a wannabe wrangler, the user can ride ‘em good since the seat swerves and dips to build core body strength. Riding the Trainer feels a bit foolish at first, but once the seat begins to tilt and throw the body off balance it’s apparent how it could be seen as an innovative addition to any home gym. Retailing for $2,500 and due out in the summer, the Core Trainer features a nine-stage speed adjustment with three movement programs, adjustable stirrups and a 15-minute program timer.
From gadgets that promote exercise to ones that satisfy the epicurean desire, Panasonic also introduced a fascinating entry into the home appliance market. The Induction Heating (IH) Cooktop line brings innovative technology to a traditional family activity. The IH Cooktop uses induction heating to allow for uniform cooking, made possible by a spiral coil that generates a magnetic field transmitted through metal cookware. Essentially, the chef can place his hands on the heated elements and not feel a thing. But a pot of water will boil faster than you can say “Bam!â€
“This technology is the first of its kind coming to Canada,†says Wanda Day, corporate communications specialist for Panasonic Canada. “Quite frankly, it’s miraculous.â€
New products aside, Panasonic was also keen to highlight its updated line of popular electronics. Starting with its home theatre division, the company displayed 61-inch projection TVs with DLP technology, beside a 58-inch high-def plasma screen retailing for $3,600. The company also showcased a 1,200 watt five-disc DVD-audio system ($700) and a wireless version due out in a month costing $450.
But let’s not forget one of the big drivers in consumer electronics, the digital camera. Panasonic is pushing its line of small and slim Lumix digital still cameras, featuring some of the more stylish designs in the market. The newest addition to the lineup is the FX7K, a 6-megapixel beaut complete with 2.5-inch LCD, Optical Image Stabilizer (for those shaky shots) and 12x optical zoom. It retails for $600 and is best suited for the serious photographer who wants to ensure she or he gets top-notch shots.
Amidst the gadgetry fanfare, one of the busiest Panasonic staffers was able to answer questions on Panasonic’s future in the electronics industry. When asked what Panasonic Canada was most interested in highlighting today, Ian Kilvert, general manager of corporate communications, replied, “Our flat-panel screens, displaying stunning picture quality, are very impressive. Plus, we plan on taking a share of the digital camera market with our wide range of digital cameras.â€
Kilvert also mentioned how Panasonic is standing behind Blu-ray, the new DVD format poised to battle HD-DVD in the burgeoning format war. While no Blu-ray player was available in the showroom, Kilvert said consumers can expect one in the future.
For now, the technology fiend should be truly satisfied with Panasonic’s latest goodies, designed for both form and function. It’s always a pleasure to see a company eager to please the geek inside all of us, whether that geek wants to tighten his abs, watch a high-def DVD or snap a pic on the go.
www.panasonic.ca
March 23rd, 2006
A Camera Made for Pictures Shot in the Dark
New York Times
Shooting digital photos in dim light poses several hazards: use flash (and risk red-eyed subjects), use very slow shutter speeds (blurry results from camera shake), or turn up the camera’s ISO sensitivity for faster shutter speeds (grainy pictures). But digital single-lens reflex cameras, which can offer clear shots at high ISO settings, are heavy and expensive.
Fujifilm’s FinePix 6.3-megapixel F30 pocket camera ($399) gets around these problems. Its light sensor and processing chip allow an ISO setting as high as 3200, so you can shoot by natural light where many cameras would require flash. When you need more light, an “intelligent flash” system adjusts the flash’s intensity to blend with existing light for more natural-looking pictures. And when you’re not sure whether you need flash or not, the F30 can shoot two pictures, one with and one without flash, in rapid succession.
Available in April, the F30 has a 2.5-inch liquid-crystal display with antiglare coating, a 3X zoom lens, full auto and programmed auto exposure and 15 preset scene modes as well as aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes. It adds up to a brighter picture for people who shoot in the near dark. IVAN BERGER
March 23rd, 2006
PENTAX Employs Cypress’s PSoC(R) Mixed-Signal Array for New Optio A10 Compact Digital Camera
Monday March 20, 9:00 am ET/ [Press Release] Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance
Programmable System-on-Chip(TM) Product Offers Cost-Effective Solution for Image Stabilization
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–March 20, 2006–Cypress Semiconductor Corp. (NYSE:CY – News) today announced that PENTAX Corporation, a leading global provider of imaging systems, life care and optical components products, has adopted Cypress’s PSoC® (Programmable System-on-Chip(TM)) mixed-signal array for its compact new Optio A10 digital camera. The Cypress PSoC solution is employed in the Optio A10′s proprietary new Shake Reduction system.
Optio A10 is the flagship model of PENTAX’s new Optio compact digital camera series. The 8-megapixel camera combines a slim, lightweight, stylish design with the new Shake Reduction system for sharper quality images. It represents a complete overhaul of the Optio compact digital camera series and the first model of the new high-end Optio A Series.
PENTAX selected the Cypress CY8C27643-24LFXI PSoC mixed-signal array for the new camera. The chip integrates all the shake reduction functions to drive PENTAX’s proprietary image sensor stabilizing system — all in a low profile, 7 x 7 mm QFN package.
“The PSoC device is an integral part of our Shake Reduction system, which separates the Optio A10 from the competition,” said Tahei Morisawa, General Manager of First Development Department, Imaging System Business Headquarters in PENTAX Corporation. “The chip’s flexibility gave us the ability to integrate numerous functions, saving design time and cost. We were able to treat the PSoC chip like our own Flash-configurable ASIC.”
“The list of applications for the PSoC family continues to grow, based on its uniquely flexible architecture,” said George Saul, vice president of Cypress’s PSoC Business Unit. “Digital cameras are another such application, and we are pleased and proud to help enable an exceptional product such as the Optio A10.”
About the PSoC Family
PSoC devices are configurable mixed signal arrays that integrate a fast 8-bit microcontroller with many peripheral functions typically found in an embedded design. PSoC devices provide the advantages of an ASIC without the ASIC NRE or turn-around time. A single PSoC device can integrate as many as 100 peripheral functions with a microcontroller, saving customers design time, board space, and power consumption. Customers can save from 5 cents to as much as $10 in system costs. Easy to use development tools enable designers to select configurable library elements to provide analog functions such as amplifiers, ADCs, DACs, filters and comparators and digital functions such as timers, counters, PWMs, SPI and UARTs. The PSoC family’s analog features include rail-to-rail inputs, programmable gain amplifiers and up to 14-bit ADCs with exceptionally low noise, input leakage and voltage offset. PSoC devices include up to 32KB of Flash memory, 2KB of SRAM, an 8×8 multiplier with 32-bit accumulator, power and sleep monitoring circuits, and hardware I2C communications.
About PENTAX
Over many years, PENTAX has gained a vast pool of knowledge and expertise through ongoing introduction of innovative and industry-first technologies. These cover many fields, from cameras and digital devices to medical equipment, industrial systems and biotechnology. All efforts are aimed at one goal: to provide customers with the tools for greater fun and pleasure. PENTAX’s commitment is to continue to develop and produce the new technologies and attractive products that keep the company as part of your life. More information about the company is available online at www.pentax.co.jp.
About Cypress
Cypress solutions are at the heart of any system that is built to perform: consumer, computation, data communications, automotive, industrial, and solar power. Leveraging a strong commitment to customer service and performance-based process and manufacturing expertise, Cypress’s product portfolio includes a broad selection of wired and wireless USB devices, CMOS image sensors, timing solutions, network search engines, specialty memories, high-bandwidth synchronous and micropower memory products, optical solutions, and reconfigurable mixed-signal arrays. Cypress stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol CY. More information about the company is available online at www.cypress.com.
Cypress, the Cypress logo and PSoC are registered trademarks, and Programmable System-on-Chip is a trademark of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. PENTAX and Optio are registered trademarks of PENTAX Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
March 22nd, 2006
Business Showroom / No-shake digital camera
Daily Yomiuri Online
The Yomiuri Shimbun
Canon Inc. will release in mid-April a compact digital camera with built-in optical image stabilization to counter so-called camera shake.
The six-megapixel IXY Digital 800 IS, which is 90.4 millimeters wide and 56.5 millimeters tall, will be equipped with a 4x optical zoom lens, as well as optical image stabilizer technology to reduce blurred images
Price: Open, with an estimated retail price of about 50,000 yen
Hay fever-free vehicle
Honda Motor Co. has introduced new models of its Airwave station wagon equipped with an air conditioner that features a high-performance air filter.
The company says the new 1.5-liter engine wagon is ideal for people who suffer from hay fever. The new Airwaves are available in eight colors.
Price: About 1.5 million yen to 1.95 million yen
Rotating TV
Mitsubishi Electric Corp. has added to its Real series a 37-inch liquid crystal display television with a built-in rotating base.
The LCD-R37MX5 model can rotate 30 degrees to the left or right by using its remote control.
Price: Open, with an estimated retail price of about 270,000 yen
(Mar. 21, 2006)
March 22nd, 2006
“Call for Artists: 2006 National Photography Competition”
2006-03-22 until 2006-06-20/Absolutearts.com
The Camera Club of New York announces its 2006 National Photography Competition. The competition is open to all US residents 18 years or older except members of the Camera Club of New York or their families, and employees. Freestanding pieces will not be accepted. We are most pleased that Antonin Kratochvil renowned photographer and documentarian, will be our Juror.
Each entry will consist of either 6 digital entries or 6 slides with a fee of $35.00. Deadline for receipt of CD or slides is June 20, 2006. Chosen artist will receive a one-person exhibition in our Alfred Lowenherz Gallery and a cash award of $300.00. Other finalists will participate in a group show. Send self-addressed stamped envelope for prospectus to: 2006 National Photography Competition, Camera Club of New York, 853 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 or visit our website at www.cameraclubofnewyork.org, download an entry form and view the complete rules and information about The Camera Club of New York.
March 22nd, 2006
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