News

There
are many options for traveling photographers these days, including on-the-go
download devices, portable CD and DVD burners and of course the venerable laptop
computer. But a new breed of storage devices, USB Flash Drives, is also making
a big for the store and show photographer who doesn't want to lug along
anything more than a drive the size of a pack of gum. Memorex has come up with
a twist on all this with their TravelDrive ID USB Flash Drive. This is the first
USB flash drive with a built-in, customizable LCD screen.



The clever iLCD screen not only shows the remaining memory but also lets you
display a descriptive name for the drive or its contents. This sure helps me
sort out the bunch of Flash Drives I have rattling around my backpack, and now
I can assign one to teaching, one to word docs and one to storing images for
show, all activities I might engage in over the course of a week.



What Memorex calls the "advanced Surface Stabilized Cholesterin (SSC)
LCD" can display up to 11 characters, so you can ID it even when it's
not plugged into a computer's USB port. TravelDrive ID conforms to the
USB 2.0 standard and comes in 512MB, 1GB and 2GB of portable storage. It's
also Mac or PC compatible. The Memorex TravelDrive ID has a suggested retail
price of $79.99 for 512MB of capacity, $119.99 for 1GB of capacity, and $199.99
for 2GB of capacity. It just shows you that there can be something new under
the sun in something as "generic" as USB drives.



www.memorex.com

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Datacolor has introduced ColorVision PrintFIX PRO, a new spectro precision
profiling hardware and software package. The PrintFIX PRO's handheld Spectrocolorimeter
is designed to meet the needs of discerning photographic professionals as well
as graphic designers and digital imaging specialists for quality output with
an RGB workflow. A key offering in the ColorVision by Datacolor portfolio of
products, ColorVision PrintFIX PRO represents the next generation of the world's
most recognizable and honored brand in color calibration, the Spyder2.

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Just when you thought the R2 was the pinnacle of Voigtländer Bessa design, along came the R2A and R3A. They differ from the R2 in several ways, most notably the adoption of an electronic shutter allowing Aperture Priority automation; this is combined with a new meter. Other significant differences are a revised (and easier-to-use) rewind crank; the addition of a back lock...

Based on their highly successful Goombah, the new mini-Goombah has all the same
features, in a smaller, lighter package. It's both a rolling case and
a backpack. The wide-set oversize wheels provide a stable platform for rolling
the case through airports, or down city streets. The thickly padded concealable
shoulder straps, adjustable lumbar pad and waist belt transforms the mini-Goombah
into a backpack.

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Coming this spring, the new Tamron AF70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD Macro 1:2 features
a Di optical system designed for both digital and film cameras. Di (Digitally
Integrated) is a designation Tamron gives lenses featuring optical systems designed
to meet the performance characteristics of digital SLR cameras as well as film
cameras.

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Panasonic has introduced the latest of their "super zoom" models,
the six-megapixel DMC-FZ7. This compact camera features a Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT
lens system, a 12x optical zoom (equivalent to 36mm to 432mm on a 35mm film
camera lens) with aperture of F2.8 to 3.3, and Panasonic's MEGA Optical
Image Stabilizer.

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Casio, Inc. has announced the release of the latest addition to its EXILIM
ZOOM digital camera series with the EX-Z600. The latest evolution in this popular
series offers 6.0 megapixel high resolution photos in a compact, and pocket-sized
package. The extra large 2.7-inch Super Bright LCD is approximately three times
brighter than the previous EX-Z500 model, producing an impressive luminance
of 1200 candelas per square meter. This significant advancement makes the LCD
easier to see, especially when viewed in the sunny outdoors. In auto mode, the
LCD automatically adjusts to the brightness of the surrounding environment.
The EX-Z600's Super Life Battery now has an even longer battery life,
supporting a staggering 550 shots per charge.

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