That pic of you with a laptop on your head at the office party could soon replace this scenic shot above Times Square.
(Credit: CanvasPop)You know that picture of you and your cat that features so prominently on your Facebook page? Well, play your cards right and you and Buttons could show up on the 7,400-square-foot Reuters Billboard in New York's Times Square. Fortunately for the rest of us cynical travelers, the pic will only tower 23 stories above the city for 15 seconds.
It's all part of a promotion by a new company called CanvasPop that lets you print any image at any size on canvas, including pics from Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket, and iPhones. CanvasPop's first 100 customers will get to beam shots from their personal collections above New York starting next month. Then, for $40, they can get a time-stamped photograph as a memento.
Services like Artistic Photo Canvas and Canvas Press already print photos onto canvas. But CanvasPop--which just came out of beta--claims to be the only one to turn low-res images from social-media sites and phones into high-quality canvas prints.
No word on whether CanvasPop will screen images before they show up in Times Square or if you'll be able to humiliate yourself and your friends at will.
It's been about five years since Wacom launched its Intuos3 tablet line. That's an awfully long time in computer years; then again, Wacom has little in the way of competition for a tiny slice of the pro graphics input device pie. And it's nice to have some products that you don't have to constantly worry about upgrading to the Next New Thing.
Still, it looks like Wacom has spent its time well, because the new Intuos4 tablet line was worth the wait. With a sophisticated design and cleverly engineered new controls, the Intuos4 is both a pleasure to use and to look at.
Read my review of the Wacom Intuos4 (watch for it on 3/25).
Adobe's trotting out the carrot-and-stick approach to convince people to upgrade to Photoshop CS4. The carrot is CS4 Configurator, a free utility that currently allows you to create custom panels for Photoshop CS4 and eventually for the entire suite. The stick? This year's iteration of its three-generations-back-only upgrade pricing (only users of the previous three versions qualify for upgrade pricing), which will cut off eligibility for Photoshop 7 users on October 15.
CS4 configurator, which should be freely available for public download from Adobe Labs at the end of the month when Creative Suite 4 ships, is the first stab at allowing users to create Flash-based custom panels for the applications. The tool, an Adobe AIR application, is made possible by the software's interface re-architecture to support Flash.
According to John Nack, senior product manager for Photoshop, Configurator is intended to "let anyone with ideas and experience extend and remix the interface," not just to remix the elements but to "contextualize them in meaningful ways." He expects "only about 2 percent of Photoshop users to create panels, but 98 percent to use them."
I've played with Configurator a bit--well, as much as possible given how unstable the the Photoshop CS4 beta has been on my system--and while I love the idea, Adobe has a bit further to go before the beta even becomes useful to seriously try out, much less create distributable panels.
On one hand, almost every aspect of the application can be empaneled: menu commands; tools from the tool palette; and Actions, scripts, and Javascript. There are also widgets for adding text display (to the panel), Flash animations, Flash videos, and a cool search box to find tools within the application. You then simply export the panel to the appropriate folder and it appears under the Extensions menu; enable it and the panel pops up and can be docked along with the others.
Photoshop has been getting so bloated crammed with features that something like this was inevitable. Corporate shops will eventually be able to supply production drones with quick access to just the tools they need and authors and trainers will be able to supply custom panels that match up with specific tutorials.
Earlier in the week we posted a review of the JVC Everio GZ-MG330, a good, basic compact camcorder with a 30GB hard disk drive (HDD) for recording anywhere from around 7 hours to nearly 40 hours of digital video, depending on quality mode. We're also currently testing the Sony Handycam DCR-SR45 that similarly offers copious recording times on a 30GB hard drive (check Crave on Monday for a testing update). Both models also come in step-up versions with 60GB capacities. More storage space, especially in the case of fixed-media camcorders, is great since it means longer recording times.
However, all this extra room means less reason for you to offload your footage--or in this case byte-age--between shooting sessions.This got us thinking: should manufacturers of HDD camcorders (or flash-based ones, too, for that matter) build in a warning to users about the growing amount of video stored on their camcorders?
Mobile devices, by nature, are easy to walk off with and are subject to all manner of abuse, which translates into a greater risk of losing any recordings that remain on the camcorder. With larger and larger drives being used, it's easy to see an average consumer not stopping to connect to a computer until they absolutely have to. What if makers put a simple warning after every 5GB of space used just to say, "Hey, you may want to transfer your video to your PC soon?" Or do it after a month of activity or inactivity with a Clippy-esque, "I've noticed you have a lot of video stored on the hard drive. What would you like to do with it?" It's a simple fix that could prevent a lot of heartache. Then again, it'll probably just get ignored like countless other pop-up warnings.
Samsung SC-HMX10
(Credit: CNET Networks)It was a relatively quiet week for digital imaging coverage, but here's the wrap-up (didn't that get you all excited?):
Panasonic's first Wi-Fi camera, the Lumix DMC-TZ50
(Credit: Panasonic)Panasonic has announced its first camera to include built-in Wi-Fi, called the Lumix DMC-TZ50. As the model name hints, the TZ50 is basically the DMC-TZ5 with Wi-Fi. Both are 9-megapixel cameras with optically stabilized 10x optical, 28-280mm equivalent lenses, and can record video at up to 1,280x720 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second. They both also include Panasonic's Advanced Intelligent Auto features, which include Intelligent Exposure, which adjusts brightness after a picture is taken; Digital Red-eye Correction to remove red eye after the image is captured; Intelligent ISO, which determines if a subject is moving and, if so, boosts the camera's sensitivity to allow a faster shutter speed so you can freeze the action; Intelligent Scene Selector, which analyzes what's in frame and tries to choose the best scene mode for the given subject; Face Detection, so the camera can see up to 15 faces and use them to set focus and exposure; and Continuous AF, which can lock on your subject and follow it as it moves through the frame.
Like Nikon's S52c, Panasonic says that the DMC-TZ50 will work with wireless home routers and T-Mobile's HotSpot service. They also say that it'll come with 12 months of free T-Mobile service-- that's six months more than Nikon includes with its Wi-Fi cam. Unlike Nikon, Panasonic hasn't set up its own image hosting. Instead, they say the camera will send images directly to Picasa's Web Albums. The info we received from Panasonic says that you can register only one e-mail account with the TZ50, so that the URL of the Picasa album created when you upload will be sent to that address. They then suggest that you can set up that e-mail account to forward on to friends and family, but that all sounds a bit complicated to me. The Nikon lets you e-mail images straight from the camera and can store more than just one e-mail address. Once we get a TZ50 in for review, we'll get a better sense of what the wireless experience will be like.
Panasonic says that the Lumix DMC-TZ50 will be available in May for about $450. That's about $100 more than the TZ5 and about $200 more than Nikon's S52c, though the Nikon is an ultracompact with a 3x optical zoom, while the Panasonic has a longer zoom and is a more advanced camera overall than the Nikon. It's somewhat unfair to compare them, but it's bound to happen since they're the only two Wi-Fi cameras so far from the major camera manufacturers.
Nikon's new 9MP Coolpix S52 is ready to slip into your pocket.
(Credit: Nikon)Nikon has just unleashed the latest version of its Wi-Fi ultracompact camera, the Coolpix S52c. As has become custom, they'll also offer a version without the "c" designation, called the S52, which doesn't include the Wi-Fi capabilities. Both cameras will sport a 9-megapixel sensor, a 3-inch LCD, a 3x optical zoom, a 38-114mm equivalent lens, an optical image stabilization system, and will support sensitivity of up to ISO 3200. Both will also carry over the distinctive, sleek, extremely pocketable body design.
According to Nikon, this year's models should have improved signal-to-noise ratios thanks to the company's Expeed image processor, though we'll have to see it in our lab to believe it. One nice sign is that Nikon set the auto ISO control to top out at ISO 800 (or ISO 2000 in the high-sensitivity auto mode), and they have a tendency to put a strict cap on ISO when it comes to the trade off between noise and image quality. For example, in the company's SLRs, they call the highest sensitivity settings Hi1 and H2 rather than ISO 3200 or ISO 6400. The reason they give for this is that they feel that the image quality diminishes at that point so they switch to the Hi nomenclature. I wouldn't be surprised if we end up seeing usable image quality up to ISO 800 in the S52 and S52c, though ultimately, we'll have to wait and see. Nikon also includes its usual array of in-camera D-Lighting photo editing features, as well as in-camera red-eye fix and Face-Priority AF, which can find up to five faces in a given scene and use them to determine focus.
The S52c will work with Nikon's myPicturetown, in addition to letting you e-mail photos directly from the camera. The my Picturetown service gives you 2GB of free storage for your images, and has tools in the program that let you send photos to your Flickr account, or to a friend's Blackberry so that they're viewable on those mobile devices. Both the S52 and S52c also include Pictmotion, which lets you create slide shows with transitions and music. As with previous incarnations of their Wi-Fi cameras, the Coolpix S52c will include 6 months of free T-Mobile Hotspot service and will work at Starbucks with the roaming agreement between T-Mobile and AT&T as America's coffee monolith switches away from T-Mobile for its wireless access.
According to Nikon, the S52 will be available in Crimson Red and Midnight Black and cost about $250, while the S52c will be available in Vibrant Black for about $280. Both should be in stores this May.
On Sale Now: $399.95
View the latest prices for Coolpix S52 (Midnight Black)
On Sale Now: $299.99
View the latest prices for Coolpix S52 (Crimson Red)
On Sale Now: $299.99
View the latest prices for Nikon Coolpix S52c
Nikon's new Coolpix P80 has an 18X optical zoom lens and a 10MP sensor.
(Credit: Nikon)Nikon had been eschewing the superzoom category in recent years, with the notable exception of the S10, which had a 10X optical zoom lens and wouldn't qualify as a superzoom in the current market. Now, Nikon has introduced the 10MP Coolpix P80, which includes an optically stabilized 18X optical, 27-486mm equivalent zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, as well as an electronic viewfinder (EVF) for a more SLR-like experience. The camera also includes manual, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and program-exposure modes, along with 15 preset scene modes.
In case your picture doesn't turn out to your liking, Nikon includes its D-Lighting in-camera fixes, as well as in-camera red-eye fix. To help you get it right the first time, the company also includes Face-Priority AF, which in this incarnation can see up to 12 faces in a scene and use them to determine focus. Sensitivity ranges from ISO 64 to ISO 3,200 at full resolution, though you can bump that up to ISO 6,400 if you don't mind that the resolution drops to 5MP. Similarly, the camera's continuous-shooting mode offers a choice of four or six frames a second at full resolution, but you can step up to 13 frames per second, though the resolution drops to 3MP.
Nikon says that the Coolpix P80 will hit stores later this month for a price of about $400.
On Sale Now: $399.95
View the latest prices for Nikon Coolpix P80
The U.S. Secret Service may have overstepped its bounds by asking a man to delete a photograph of the entrance to a baseball stadium.
(Credit: U.S. Secret Service)I don't know if it's silly that this surprises me, but apparently London's police aren't the only ones who have a problem with photography. According to a report on wusa9.com, the Web site of a local news station in Washington, the United States Secret Service asked a man outside the stadium of the Washington National's baseball team to delete a photo he took that included one of the stadium's security checkpoints. President George W. Bush was in the stadium to throw the first pitch for the team's opening day.
I know that a lot of people would think that the Secret Service's request is normal, but I also think that a lot of those same people might've wanted to take the same picture in that moment (you can see the entrance gate in the video on the wusa9.com site). Since the checkpoint includes a sign with the stadium's name, it would've been an easy way to show a friend the scene at the stadium that night. Interestingly, since the Secret Service's request had little legal merit, the video crew for the news station was able to film the security checkpoints and included the footage in the report they aired on television and which is now posted on the station's Web site. This is a touchy subject, especially since it involves the security of the president and isn't just about a photographer's rights in an everyday situation, but I see it as another example of the obstacles photographers face as they try to enjoy their hobby. Ultimately, the photographer has to stand up for their rights in that moment. When faced with someone who has the power to physically detain you if you refuse his request, however, I know I tend to comply.
Popular Photography magazine has a long history of April Fools jokes and this year they've taken the tradition to their Web site.
(Credit: PopPhoto.com)At first glance, you might mistake it for a profile of the latest gimmicky art photographer, but as you read you'll soon discover that you've been suckered by this year's installment of Popular Photography and Imaging's long tradition of April Fools pranks. This year, the magazine chose to pull your leg through its Web site, with a profile of a phoney photographer named Richard Baresall. The tale, complete with the trademark puns and zany humor that have endeared the magazine's editors with generations of photographers, is a bit more risque than I would have expected from them, but it's encouraging to see them expose this side of themselves.
Popular Photography has been including April Fools jokes in the print magazine for many years now and their readers enjoy finding them and typically write in or, in recent years, comment on the Web site's forums when they think they've discovered the joke. A few years ago, while I was on staff there, the magazine spoofed itself by applying Photoshop fixes to famous photographs, such as Dorothea Lange's Migrant Mother. Some of the readership was upset, but most realized it for the lighthearted joke that it was.
