canonical

Google gives respite from a raw camera deal

I was in a pinch a few weeks ago, and Google's Picasa software saved my skin. But now my warm glow of gratitude has begun wearing off, replaced by a simmering annoyance with camera makers for their profusion of proprietary raw formats.

Let me explain. I was covering the Photo Marketing Association trade show in Las Vegas, toting my Canon EOS Rebel XT camera to photograph products and people. For my personal photography I usually shoot in raw format to maximize the detail and flexibility, but for work purposes I use JPEG because it's faster to process and … Read more

'Intrepid Ibex' Ubuntu priority: Mobile Linux

Fans of Ubuntu, the version of Linux developed by start-up Canonical and its open-source allies, now have a name and a priority for the version due in October: Intrepid Ibex will be designed to make mobile computing better.

"A particular focus for us will be pervasive Internet access, the ability to tap into bandwidth whenever and wherever you happen to be," said Canonical Chief Executive Mark Shuttleworth in an e-mail announcement of Intrepid Ibex, also known as version 8.10. "We want you to be able to move from the office, to the train, and home, staying … Read more

Underexposed blog: Links of the day

Aperture exit strategies - Apple discussion forum - A post just days before Aperture 2.0 was released. "As there seem to be some issues concerning the long-term viability of Aperture, I am looking at how to salvage my work and move to a supported professional-level application." Some Apple commentary on raw support with Aperture 2.0 - Not a huge advance in the discussion here, but some scraps of detail from Apple execs. Tech Tips from Chuck Westfall - No, shooting a Canon PowerShot G9 set to 6 megapixels doesn't produce better image quality than set … Read more

Cameras with built-in geotagging on horizon

Geotagging, in which digital photos are labeled with the location where they were taken, is mostly unfamiliar to photographers today. But new developments are likely going to put the technology on the map.

In interviews at the Photo Marketing Association trade show in Las Vegas recently, several camera executives expressed an interest in geotagging and some companies were demonstrating technology. It's clear that mainstream geotagging is a matter of when, not if.

The strongest evidence I encountered is Air Semiconductor, a start-up building a chip designed to let cameras process GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite signals so latitude and … Read more

Ubuntu picks KVM over Xen for virtualization

Heading in a different direction from its main rivals, Ubuntu Linux will use KVM as its primary virtualization software.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Novell's Suse Linux Enterprise Server both use the Xen virtualization software, a "hypervisor" layer that lets multiple operating systems run on the same computer. In contrast, the KVM software runs on top of a version of Linux, the "host" operating system that provides a foundation for other "guest" operating systems to run in a virtual mode.

"We've chosen to settle on KVM as our main virtualization focus,&… Read more

Could JPEG XR deliver cheaper, better burst shooting?

When Canon's Chuck Westfall popped by last month to give us a sneak preview of the EOS Rebel XSi, I expressed my disappointment that the camera's raw continuous-shooting maxed out at a mere 6 frames. I asked Chuck if there was anything on the horizon that might deliver a better raw burst-shooting experience for the can't-afford-a-Mark-III set. His immediate and somewhat unexpected response: "JPEG XR." A few weeks later, I put a similar question to Casio's Scott Nelson, a product manager in the camera division, as he showed off the company's burst-mode … Read more

End of the line for Canon's midsize sensor?

It looks like Canon's intermediate-size APS-H sensor line, found in the 1D Mark III SLRs used by photojournalists, may be at the end of its life span.

The sensor is larger than the APS-C sensors used in mainstream Canon SLRs such as the EOS-40D or the new Canon EOS Rebel XSi, but it's smaller than those in a 1Ds Mark III or 5D, which is the size of a full frame of 35mm film. With Nikon now selling its first full-frame model, the D3, and Sony planning to launch its own full-frame competitor by the end of 2008, … Read more

Q&A: Canon's camera tech guru Chuck Westfall

LAS VEGAS--Two's company, three's a crowd, and Canon's Chuck Westfall is a lot less lonely these days.

Canon once was the sole camera company offering a digital SLR whose sensor is the size of a full frame of 35mm film, a technology that can increase the performance advantage and price penalty that SLR cameras already have compared with compact cameras. In November, though, Nikon began selling its full-frame rival, the D3, and last week Sony said it will launch its own full-frame competitor by the end of 2008.

Westfall is a camera tech guru and the technical … Read more

The stretch limo of printers

Looking for a fast printer? If you happen to have 33 feet of wallspace and a spare $280,000 lying around, this may be the perfect one for you.

The Canon ImagePress C6000 can print up to 70 pages a minute at 1,200-dpi resolution, according to OhGizmo, with a capacity for 10,000 sheets of paper. To achieve that insane rate, this monster needs a built-in computer of its own with a 10.4-inch LCD, 800MHz processor, 1.5GB of memory, and 80GB hard drive.

Still, we remain unimpressed. For that kind of money, it should make a decent latte.… Read more