Recently in Digital Cameras Category

Krusell is expanding its product portfolio with a new line of camera cases designed in Sweden.

The Sirius and Polaris camera cases, which come in high quality leather with five different color combinations, fit most compact cameras. The Coco camera case in diamond quilted leather comes in four different colors; it's more suitable for glamorous events and late nights.  Finally, the Radical camera case comes in unique designed embroideries to match the already existing laptop messenger bags in the Krusell assortment.

Check them out for your digi.

www.krusell.se

SanDisk has introduced a 32-GB CompactFlash card, the company's largest CF storage device for professional digital photographers and videographers.

The latest Extreme III CompactFlash is twice the size of SanDisk's previous largest product. The new card has read and write speeds of 30 MBps.

The higher-capacity card is aimed at people who use Hi-Def camcorders, enabling users to store as much as 80 minutes of 100 MBps, 10-bit, 4:2:2 HD video, which is of sufficient quality for today's professional video applications, according to SanDisk.

For photographers, the additional capacity is useful for storing pictures shot in RAW format. The format uses 10 times the storage space as regular JPG images, but provides higher-quality images.

The card can operate under temperatures ranging from minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit to 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pricing: 2 GB, $45; 4 GB, $70; 8 GB, $130; and 16 GB, $240; 32 GB, $300.

Availability: October.

Get more at Information Week.

Samsung has announced free recycling for all Samsung-branded consumer electronics in all 50 states, beginning October 1.

Samsung has just announced its Recycling Direct, a program that will enable consumers in all 50 states to recycle Samsung-branded consumer electronics devices like televisions, monitors, DVD players, home theater systems, cameras, camcorders, printers, peripherals -- essentially, all Samsung-branded consumer electronics.

(Look for the one in the photo above at a recycling center sometime this century ...0

The exception will be home appliances (too bad about my washer and dryer when that day comes), which can't be accepted at the drop-off points, although a growing number will be accepting them.

Recycling for Samsung-branded electronics will be free; consumers can also drop off non-Samsung electronics for recycling and safe disposal for a nominal fee. The program will include a number of collection sites, including permanent drop-off centers in all 50 U.S. states.

Samsung is working directly with recycling companies rather than intermediaries and claims it is only working with operations that meet Samsung's criteria and are a good match with its environmental philosophy: Samsung says it is utilizing recyclers that do not incinerate, landfill or export toxic waste to developing economies, and that it will be tracking and monitoring all the recycled electronics to ensure they're disposed of properly. The company plans to publish the results of the program on its Web site. 

Now if everybody else will please get in line ...

Microsoft is putting its touchy-feely side to the test at the Sheraton Hotel.

The software giant recently showed off its new Surface technology at five Sheraton hotels nationwide. The demonstration allowed the public to get a feel for Microsoft's first fully touch-screen computer.

The table-like Surface computer operates entirely through a 30-inch interactive screen, which works along the same lines as Apple's iPhone. But the Surface also recognizes and interacts with objects such as iPods and digital cameras that it comes in contact with, allowing users to edit photos or play music on the spot. The display, which rotates, can also recognize multiple hands or fingers. 

NewsFactor's got more.

If you make cases for mobile phones, then why not make cases for cameras?

At least that's what Krusell may have been thinking with the announcement that they will roll out their first line of camera cases next month at the huge Photokina trade show in Germany.

If they are anything as interesting and practical as the existing product line, they will be sure to attract attention.

And will there be a monthly list of best selling cameras based on case sales?

www.krusell.se

Getting your great candid pictures off your camera phone is no easy matter -- it should be so simple!

CNET gives us a couple of ways to do it. One of them has got to work!

The least labor-intensive way to rescue your pictures from being trapped on your phone is to send them to an e-mail address in a multimedia message. But as you know, this costs money, so you'll be pleased to hear there are alternatives.

If your phone accepts a memory card, you can save your pictures to the card, then use the card to transfer the images. Most cell phones use smaller memory cards in a Micro SD or Mini SD card format, so if you don't have an adapter, the cards won't fit in most readers.

If you don't have a memory card slot, you can use Bluetooth or an infrared port to send shots to another capable device. But be wary, because some carriers block some Bluetooth transfers on its phones.

Still another method is to use a USB cable that connects your cell phone with your computer. Not all phones have USB capability, so check to see if yours does. Also, USB transfers on some phones require software from the carrier or the manufacturer.

If your phone doesn't come with any of the features, don't despair, as you're not out of luck. A final method is to invest in cell phone-syncing software. Although these products require an initial investment, it's not an ongoing one, and you'll be able to not only transfer photos but also sync your calendar, your contacts list, and your messages.

Logitech today unveiled its first Mac-compatible webcam with premium autofocus technology and Carl Zeiss optics - the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac. The new Logitech webcam of course works with iChat and Skype and features a 2-megapixel camera sensor.

The new Logitech webcam uses a voice coil motor for its autofocus system, instead of a stepper motor. According to the news, "Focusing is fast and fluid - crisp even in extreme close-ups only 10 cm from the camera lens. Logitech's autofocus system compensates for changes in image-edge sharpness and refocuses images in less than three seconds"

What I don't get is why Logitech chooses to make operating system specfic webcams. Isn't USB supposed to be an industry standard? I should be able to take any USB device and plug it into a Mac, Windows XP, or Vista, and it should have drivers available that just work. I have plenty of headsets and USB VoIP devices that work on multiple operating systems. I just don't get the point of operating system specific webcams.

In any event, similar to the Logitech Quickcam Orbit AF I reviewed, the new Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac leverages Logitech's RightLight 2 Technology, which enables the webcam to adjust intelligently in dim or harshly backlighted situations.

Features:

• VGA-quality video at up to 30 frames per second
• the QuickCam Vision Pro records sharp video clips in the 720p high-definition (HD) video format (960-by-720 pixels).
• Complementing the style of your Mac computer, the new webcam for Mac computers presents a black-and-silver profile with a prominent built-in silver microphone.

Pricing and Availability
The Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac is expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in July. The suggested retail price to buy one in the U.S. is $129.99.

SmugMug has always allowed everyone to upload an unlimited number of web-displayable files (JPEG, GIF, PNG, and MP4), but hasn't until now been able to accept the RAW files generated by digital cameras.

Now SmugVault is a new SmugMug product that lets you upload all the RAW, PSD, BMP, and TIFF files you'd like.  And not just those -- how about XMP sidecars, PDF files, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, video archives, and anything else you might want to store with your photos.

To read more about it, click here.

Check SmugVault out and let us know ...
 

 

Microsoft launched a webcam called the Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000 that "literally bends over backwards for you." Or at least, that's what Microsoft says.

Somehow picturing a webcam and bending over backwards sounds a wee bit pornographic is you ask me. That is until I found out what the fuss was all about. The LifeCam VX-5000 lets you "bend" its shape. The bendable attachment base that molds to virtually any surface so it can work on either a notebook or a desktop.

The LifeCam VX-5000 features a brightly colored ring around the front of the webcam in the colors Cool Blue, Lucky Green and Fire Red. The LifeCam VX-5000 also features MSN Photo Swap, a special feature that lets consumers share digital photos in midvideo conversation and see real-time reactions as both callers view the pictures.

“With the LifeCam VX-5000 we are changing the perception of webcams from boring and bulky to fun and flexible,” said Michael Cowan, product marketing manager for the Hardware Division at Microsoft. “We designed this LifeCam to match the experience its technology delivers — it’s all about fun and letting consumers share their personalities.”

Ok, Microsoft, if you say so. To me these webcams don't look stylish or futuristic - they look 1970s retro, kinda remind me of 1970s speakers. But then again, retro can be cool too. Well, you make the call. Full news release after the jump...

Last week TMC held our very successful ITEXPO tradeshow covering various IP communications and contact center technologies. One thing we all need to keep in mind when it comes to voice over IP is that voice over IP is simply a dumb transport. What really gets customers excited and coming to various VoIP tradeshows is to learn about how they can leverage VoIP within their business processes, whether that's screenpop of customer data, remote agents using soft or hard phones, mobile phone capabilities, etc. Customers are looking to integrate all of their various communications - email, voice, CRM, etc. VoIP is definitely becoming less about saving on toll charges and more about the applications.

What's nice about this last ITEXPO was that it had a nice mix of IP communications companies and call center companies. Call centers are often at the forefront of communications technologies since they need to optimize their communications and make their agents as productive as possible. TMC's Customer Interaction Solutions Magazine is the premiere magazine discussing call center technologies and how VoIP is changing the game in the call center arena. So it certainly didn't hurt that CIS Magazine (through active promotion) helped bring call center companies and call center-related attendees to ITEXPO.

In any event, let me tell you what I found interesting at the show. One interesting company, and whom I know quite well, is Intuitive Voice Technology. I stopped by their booth at ITEXPO to check out their Asterisk-based Evolution PBX 3.0 platform. I like the Evolution PBX system a lot. It has some unique features that you won't find in any other Asterisk solution. At ITEXPO they were demoing the integration of Evolution PBX with a Citel Portico TVA gateway, which enables you to connect legacy digital phone handsets. Useful for instance if the receptionist has a legacy phone with lots of programmed extensions for quick transfers. Why buy a new expensive VoIP attendant console when the old one works just fine? You do pay about $139/port on the Citel gateways, but $139 is still cheaper than most VoIP phones, so there is some cost savings there.

Another cool feature in the Evolution PBX is that it supports call screening. Callers can be prompted for their name and then you can accept the call, send to voicemail, and I think they mentioned you can redirect to another number. I use call screening all the time since I get public relations pitches all day long. I wouldn't get anything done if I actually took every phone call. I inquired about the ability to screen a voice message being left and then 'pull' the caller out of voicemail if you deem it necessary. Similar to what you can do with most home answering machines. Evolution PBX doesn't currently have that capability. We discussed how the voicemail system in Asterisk v1.2 wasn't really designed for this level of customizing to add additional functionality. However, with Asterisk v1.4 the voicemail system has been revamped it is much easier to "hook" into the voicemail and develop powerful applications such as voicemail screening and pulling callers out of voicemail.

XORCOM is another interesting Asterisk-based solution called Astribank. I've nicknamed them the Analog Asterisk due to their main "claim to fame" of supporting the most analog trunks in a single Asterisk appliance. They support FXO & FXS ports, but they also support BRI (ISDN) and PRI as well. They actually leverage the USB channel to daisy-chain multiple appliances to add additional scalability. Neat idea! Astribank comes in two flavors - a compact chassis and a standard 1U 19" rackmount or wall mount chassis.

Now let me get off my Asterisk kick for a moment and tell you about MobileMax, one of the coolest mobile applications you've never heard of. I kept trying to stop by their booth, but every time I did their was several people talking to just a single guy manning the booth. It wasn't until the very final hour of the show that I was able to stop and check out MobileMax. First, let me point out that one of the main challenges when using Jajah, Rebtel, Talkster, and all the other mobile apps that aim to reduce costs is "usability". In some cases, you have to install an application, while in others you have to go to a web browser. In either case, you are forcing users to use another interface to initiate dialing. Why can't you simply dial a phone number and let the phone figure out the best way to dial and route the number?

Well, with MobileMax, you can do just that. Using MobileMax’s technology, mobile subscribers can dial international calls directly from their mobile handset — with no additional keystrokes and automatically enjoy reduced-rate services. Their solution allows end users to dial with their cell phones as they are used to through their address book or call log. Their application will then route the call to a specific access number on a PBX or IVR. The MobileMax client resides on the cell phone and will intercept your dial string based on pre-defined criteria such as destination number, caller location (in/out home country/home area code), connectivity (WiFi or 3G availability & quality), VoIP provider plan (QoS, termination cost), and more.

Perry Nalevka, Director of Business Development gave me a demo of the application in action. From his personal cell phone he initiated an outbound phone call like he would normally do. After pressing the Talk button, the phone call is initiated (said 'calling'), but a second later, the phone call was stopped in its tracks by the MobileMax application and then the call was placed through the MobileMax application. Service providers, pre-paid carriers, etc. using MobileMax can divert the call to their platform's access number, send the PIN tones and the required destination number. All of this is seamless to the mobile phone user. Currently, MobileMax supports over 300 mobile phone models.

Another interesting company I saw at ITEXPO was iKNOWWARE, a web-based on demand process management/CRM solution that can be accesses from PCs, PDAs, mobile, and VoIP telephony products. Just like your typical SaaS hosted CRM platform, iKNOWWARE includes contact management and case management, but they also integrate inventory control, order entry, and project management. They showed me how well their application works even on small mobile phone screens.

GVSC USA was demoing some cool VoIP/videophones in their booth, including the Leadtek BVP8882 videophone and the Leadtek NetWork Care Phone NCP3680 surveillance camera. They demonstrated how the BVP8882 could not only be used as a videophone, but it can be used to watch TV channels over the Internet and even remotely change the channel. Benny Shea, the President showed me how he was able to change the channel on a TV tuner located in South Korea. The quality was pretty good and it supports H.261 and H.262. The Leadtek NetWork Care Phone NCP3680 is a very thin camerphone designed to stick outside your door. It has a built-in speakerphone and two way audio plus one-way video, along with a one-touch button to initiate audio/video communication with a PC-based softphone application.

Here are the phones if curious.

Leadtek BVP8882 videophone

Leadtek NetWork Care Phone NCP3680

All in all, it was a great show and everyone was ecstatic with the attendance. I saw some other cool stuff like the new Adtran 706 and the Adtran 712, which marks Adtran's entry into the VoIP phone biz. The phones are SIP-based, feature PoE (Power over Ethernet), dual RJ45 network ports, and more. SmithOnVoIP took a photo (below) of the phones at ITEXPO and has some insights on these new phones worth checking out.