|
CARLSBAD, Calif., May 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at The Wall Street Journal's high-profile D: All Things Digital conference hosted by columnists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher, Sharpcast, a pioneer in next-generation synchronization services for consumers, released a public preview version of Sharpcast Photos, the absolute simplest way to share, access, sync and back up digital photos.
Sharpcast was one of only five companies selected by Mossberg and Swisher to present new technology on stage at this prestigious gathering of some of the technology and entertainment industry's brightest minds. The preview version of Sharpcast Photos is free at www.sharpcast.com.
The company also announced that industry veteran Bud Colligan, co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Macromedia, has joined the company's board of directors as an independent director.
Sharpcast Photos eliminates the complexities of accessing, sharing and backing up digital photos by keeping a person's desktop photo collection automatically synchronized with the web, and optionally with a mobile phone. Based on a Sharpcast's new patent-pending synchronization platform, Sharpcast Photos enables a person to always have fast, easy access to their photo collection from any PC, the web or their phone, organized the same way everywhere. Any change made in one place, even while offline, is automatically made everywhere else.
With this powerful and effortless real-time synchronization capability, Sharpcast photos offers a comprehensive set of advanced features found nowhere else including:
-- Sharing without uploading: simply drag and drop albums onto a name in
a buddy list to share them with others, so you never have to wait
around for uploads
-- Desktop delivery of shared albums: albums shared with you are
delivered right into your desktop application, so you never have to go
to the web to see shared photos
-- Instant Web Publishing: with a simple drag and drop of albums into
Sharpcast Photos on the desktop, they are arranged into online albums
instantly
-- Transparent back-up: photos kept in Sharpcast Photos are always backed
up online automatically, along with all of the metadata (captions,
album titles etc.)
-- One-step recovery and migration: to recreate your entire collection on
a secondary or new PC, simply log into Sharpcast Photos on the new
PC -- the entire collection will be created exactly as it was last
organized
-- Automatic mobile syncing: an entire photo collection can be viewed on
a mobile phone, even when out of coverage. Photos taken on the mobile
phone are instantaneously synced to your desktop PC and the web.
-- Full offline capability: Continue to manage or share your photos even
if you are not online. All changes are synchronized seamlessly
everywhere, including on the web.
On stage at D4 today, Sharpcast CEO Gibu Thomas will also demonstrate the flexibility of the Sharpcast synchronization platform with another industry first: personal information being synchronized in real-time between a Windows PC, a Macintosh computer, and a mobile phone. This early technology demonstration is a preview of the company's next service offering which is expected by the end of the year.
Gibu Thomas, CEO of Sharpcast, said, "We're honored to have the D4 stage as a launch pad for Sharpcast Photos, which simplifies life for anyone with a digital photo collection. And we're honored to have someone of Bud Colligan's caliber join our team. Bud shares our vision of seamless, ubiquitous access to personal media and information, and his experience building and marketing great products will be beneficial to Sharpcast as we roll out our services this year."
"I see tremendous potential in Sharpcast's ability to set higher new standards for the way people access and manage digital media and information," Colligan said. There's tremendous value in having fast, always-synchronized access to data and other digital content across PCs, the web and mobile devices. Sharpcast's services deliver this functionality like none other."
Colligan brings over 20 years of experience to Sharpcast, including five years at Apple Computer where he helped launch the ground-breaking Macintosh personal computer and later headed the company's higher education marketing group. . He subsequently co-founded Macromedia, led its initial public offering and grew the company to over $100M in sales. He has been an investor and director in other successful companies including S3 Corporation, CNET Networks and Brightmail. Colligan joins the Sharpcast board as an independent director.
Digital Photo
StudioLighting.net introduces a new portrait photography contest and a chance to improve your studio lighting with Shootsmarter instructional DVDs.
Harrisburg, PA, June 16, 2006 --(PR.COM)-- StudioLighting.net, a web site that introduces photographers to portrait and studio lighting techniques and equipment, and the LightSource studio photography podcast, in association with Shootsmarter.com, today announced the StudioLighting.net Official Portrait Photo Contest that challenges photographers to submit their best portrait ' as long as the main light source is artificial ' for the opportunity to win a Grand Prize package including a complete library of Shootsmarter.com instructional photography DVD videos. The contest begins immediately and ends on July 15, 2006. To view entries and official contest rules, visit www.studiolighting.net
'ShootSmarter.com presents the highest quality professional shooting and photo business info on the planet. Our panel of experts are here to help you to shoot better, faster, and smarter', according to Will Crockett, founder of Shootsmarter.com 'I LOVE the idea of a contest for StudioLighting.net readers and the top pick gets the Shootsmarter DVD collection - every DVD in the catalogue!'
To enter the StudioLighting.net Official Portrait Photo Contest, photographers simply select the portrait that best represents their personal photographic and lighting style and then tag it and post it to the LightSource group photo pool on Flickr.com. The photos will be judged by Shootsmarter instructor, author and professional photographer Christopher Grey. StudioLighting.net visitors and LightSource listeners are limited to one portrait for consideration. Three finalists will be selected and prizes will be awarded according to the evaluation of Christopher and the staff at ShootSmarter.com who will look at lighting quality, composure and creativity.
'As more and more photographers are joining us online and listening to our LightSource podcast, it's clear that they are hungry for knowledge and looking to improve their lighting techniques,' said Bill Crawford, Publisher of StudioLighting.net. 'By adding challenging contests to the StudioLighting.net experience, like the Portrait Photo Contest, we are giving our readers a chance to show us what they've learned.'
StudioLighting.net Portrait Photography Prize Details
Grand Prize (one winner): The entire library of Shootsmarter digital photography instructional DVD videos. Titles include: Digital Portrait Lighting level THREE with Christopher Grey, Digital Exposure Control with Will Crockett, Digital Portraiture Lighting Level 2, Digital Portraiture Basics and more.
Second Prize (one winner): Shootsmarter.com instructional DVD videos: Digital Portrait Lighting level THREE with Christopher Grey and Digital Exposure Control with Will Crockett
Third Prize (one winner): The latest DVD release from Shootsmarter.com: Digital Portrait Lighting level THREE with Christopher Grey
The new StudioLighting.net contest series will provide photographers with an easy way to engage in educational competition within the StudioLighting.net and LightSource community. In the coming months, photographers will have the opportunity to compete in a variety of themed contests highlighting a wide range of portrait and studio lighting topics.
Digital Photo
The ENHC is particularly indebted to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy for his participation and the many years of support and commitment to this initiative that has benefited so many in this region. We look forward to continuing our relationships with the hundreds of organizations we have developed partnerships with in the last decade to insure the continuing success of the ENHC and the advancement of our mission into the future.
Photo opportunities
The Essex National Heritage Commission, with the sponsorship of Hunt's Photo and Video of Melrose embarked on two projects for the amateur photographers - a series of Photo Safaris. Participants will have the opportunity to test the newest digital photography and optic equipment from Canon, Nikon and Olympus using for background the area's best natural, cultural and historic landscapes. Each of the events feature demonstrations, lectures and tips from some of the best professional photographers and camera manufacturers in the world. Participants will also be able to save their images from the day's activities on complimentary memory sticks provided by Delkin and each participant will receive a $50 gift certificate from Hunt's.
The final Photo Safari of the series is scheduled at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site on July 8 sponsored by Cannon. There will be two safaris's that day, at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. There is a registration fee for this event and sign ups can be accepted on the Essex Heritage Web site at www.essexheriatge.org.
On the night of July 7, prior to the final safari, Canon and Hunt's Photo and Video will present a special outdoor and digital photography seminar at the National Park Service's Regional Visitor Center in Salem from 7 to 9 p.m. The seminar will feature Cannon Representative Rick Sammon, one of the top authorities on digital photography. This is a ticketed event and registrations are being accepted online at www.esssexheritage.org.
Digital Photo
TORONTO 'C The Canadian online shopping experience continues to show growth and promise, but experts suggest it may still lack the pizzazz and muscle that characterizes U.S. Web retailers.
'We certainly recognize that shopping habits evolve,' said Ralph McNeil, vice-president of consumer marketing for HP Canada. There is an 'overwhelming requirement and desire amongst consumers for choice 'C a choice of product and how that transaction will take place.'
Ralph McNeil was one of four speakers on a Tuesday panel organized by retail consulting firm the J.C. Williams Group. McNeil said that HP works with its retail partners in all aspects of consumer management, including the so-called 'final four feet' that describes the line-up at the cash register. HP also offers its own Canadian shopping portal at HPShopping.ca.
One of the keys to offering a full service Web offering is to make sure it integrates with other aspects of shopping, said McNeil, including catalogue mail-order sales and brick-and-mortar sales. For example, some people prefer to browse products online but shop in an actual store. Others may prefer the reverse. The shopping experience 'really needs to be continuous and float through,' he said.
'We're starting to see consumer behaviour really change,' agreed Patrick Bartlett, vice-president of Canada Post's direct marketing division. But Canadian retailers need to be more adaptive to this change, he said. 'The barrier has been an underserving of the market' for online consumer market here. 'Canadian retailers really need to step up to the plate in a big way.'
By adopting a multi-channel strategy, Canadian stores 'are going to see a lift in sales,' he said. 'Consumers want choice. Those guys who are going to those people choice are going to win in this battle.'
Retailers in Canada are 'very well developed in the first spots where online works' such as books, electronics and travel, but lack the depth of product selection that's available from their U.S. counterparts. It's not uncommon for American shoppers to buy lawn furniture or health and beauty products online, he said.
According to Jim Okamura, a senior partner at J.C. Williams, only two per cent of all retail sales in Canada are conducted on the Web. In the U.K., it's five per cent and in the U.S., six. Despite the fact that Canada lags, the market is growing dramatically. Estimates range from 30 to 40 per cent annually, depending on the numbers are being reported. 'That's really where retailers are sitting up and taking notice,' said Okamura.
By introducing services that are unique to the Internet, businesses can carve out a larger piece of the online pie, said McNeil. HP, for example, offers a digital photo service where consumers can store their pictures online or have them printed on mugs or T-shirts.
Businesses need to promote these types of services more, said Bartlett. 'I think the big issue is around marketing,' he said. 'We need to encourage (new consumers) to try and use (the Web).'
According to a recent study of 2,000 Canadian shoppers conducted by J.C. Williams, the No. 1 reason people are wary of the Internet is security concerns. Of the 688 that said they hadn't shopped online, 42 per cent said they were worried about credit card concerns and 36 per cent were worried about posting their private information.
The perception of security problems continue to linger, despite the best efforts of online retailers to provide a safe shopping environment.
Visa Canada is attempting to do its part by providing an additional layer of security for online shoppers. The company introduced its 'Verified by Visa' service whereby card holders can type in a password at the time they make an online purchase in order to confirm their identity. Canadian retailers that are currently subscribing to the service include Dell and Air Canada. MasterCard Canada introduced a similar service earlier this week.
Mike Bradley, vice-president of new platforms and products for Visa Canada, said that 1.5 million card holders have signed up for their passwords and that 20 per cent of all card holders have shopped online. He said, 'They're comfortable that they're going to get finality of payment' without any unexpected security snafus.
'We've certainly seen these concerns ease over time,' said Okamura. One simple, user-friendly experience can cement the Web as a viable medium for shoppers, he said. 'Uneventful is good.'
Digital Photo
You may or may not have heard - Google has launched Picasa Web Albums, which basically is your personal online photo sharing site which you can upload to using Google's Picasa software. Yeah yeah, you say, there are heaps of other sites/software/galleries like that already, like flickr, or kodak's gallery. I personally like Picasa because it's a really fast and easy way to browse through your collection of images, and since I already use it, it's just a little step to let it do all the resizing and uploading for me, all from within the program. Plus, it's free, no restrictions in terms of
Digital Photo
|
Search This Site
Syndicate this blog site
Powered by BlogEasy
Free Blog Hosting
|