Note: I [Sean] own a 16GB Google Nexus 7 that I use every day. I use it to keep up with social media, read up on current events, shop on eBay, and control my Roku Streaming Media Player all from the comfort of my sofa.
The device is also great for showing loved ones (or clients) your photography - the 7" screen showcases your photos better than the average smartphone. And with the ability to store media content in the cloud (Google Music, for example), 8GBs of storage goes quite a bit farther than it used to.
DateTime: 3/21/2013 11:06:54 AM CT Posted By: Sean
Canon Ranks Fourth in Fortune Magazine's 2013 World's Most Admired Companies
From Canon:
MELVILLE, N.Y., March 21, 2013 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced that its parent company, Canon Inc., has placed on Fortune Magazine's 2013 World's Most Admired Companies list. Moving up one spot in 2013 to fourth globally in the Computers category, Canon ranked in the top three for innovation, financial soundness and long-term investment. In addition, the company placed first among corporations based internationally.
Close to 700 companies from 30 countries around the world were analyzed and ranked with the input from 3,800 executives, directors and analysts. The 2013 list was separated into 57 industries ranging from aerospace and defense to trucking, transportation and logistics.
"The companies ranked by Fortune are the most innovative and influential around the world," said Bunji Yano, senior director and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A. "To simply be a part of this list is an honor in itself, yet to rank so highly exemplifies our dedication to not only our customers, but our employees and the communities we serve."
For 2013, companies were judged in nine different attributes of recognition including global competitiveness, use of corporate assets and people management.
Nikon Corporation (Makoto Kimura, President) is pleased to announce the establishment of a new factory in the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Laos) to reinforce its digital SLR camera manufacturing organization and reduce costs. Operations are scheduled to commence in October 2013.
Entry-level and mid-class digital SLR cameras, and some interchangeable lenses are manufactured by Nikon (Thailand) Co., Ltd. in the Ayutthaya province of Thailand. With the establishment of this new factory in Laos, a part of the production for digital SLR cameras which are completed as final products at Nikon (Thailand) will be done in Laos.
Company Overview
Name
Nikon Lao Co., Ltd.
Address
KM 28, Savan-Seno Special Economic Zone, Savannakhet Province, Lao P.D.R.
Capital
LAK 60,000,000,000 (approx. ¥ 600,000,000)
Ownership
Nikon (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Approximately 99.99%) and other
Representative director
Nobuyuki Muraishi *Part-time service. Also serves as Managing Director of Nikon (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Site area
Approximately 12,500 m2
Floor space
Approximately 10,000 m2
No. of employees
Approximately 800 (planned) when operations commence
Canon Enhances Project 1709 Beta with New Social Integration and Management Tools
From Canon UK:
Canon has updated its Project 1709 beta, introducing version 1.1 that offers users the option of full Flickr integration, as well as new management and organisation features.
United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 20 March 2013 – Project 1709 version 1.1 now makes it possible to publish images and comments directly to Flickr from within the Project 1709 interface, as well as to pull in images already stored on Flickr, allowing users to enjoy their photographs from an even wider range of social networks.
A series of enhanced functions and management tools have also been added providing greater flexibility to manage and organise images. Project 1709 now includes the ability to edit file names, rotate and delete images and create albums, along with improved search functionality, allowing users to filter images by ‘All’ and ‘Any’ tags.
These new features and functionalities have been added to Project 1709 following feedback and requests from photography enthusiasts who have joined the beta programme since its launch at Photokina in September 2012. Canon will continue development of the service in the run up to a full public launch in 2013.
Consumers interested in participating in the beta can register at www.Project1709.com
Project 1709 - key features
Store a lifetime of your images
Find any image when you need it
Access all your photos anytime, everywhere
Enjoy and make the most of your photos
Improve your photos to make them the best they can be
DxO Announces "First Steps with DxO ViewPoint" Webinars
From DxO:
03/20/2013
Discover DxO ViewPoint in this one-hour session led by Hector Martinez, who will teach you how to best use its tools for correcting keystoning and other problems with perspective, as well as share with you his professional advice and tips!
Topics:
The philosophy of the software
Hands-on perspective control tools
Hints and tips to fine-tune your architecture images
3 good reasons to adopt DxO ViewPoint if you already own DxO Optics Pro
What is volume anamorphosis and how to correct it
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 – 8:00 pm (London). [Register] Thursday, March 28, 2013 – 8:00 pm (New York) – 5:00 pm (San Francisco).[Register] Speaker: Hector MARTINEZ Duration: 60 minutes
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The webinar will take place on Wednesday, May 27 at 8:00 pm London time, not Paris time, as erroneously stated in our previous e-mails.
AdoramaTV Presents "Photo on the Go" with Joe McNally
AdoramaTV has published a couple of really good "photo deconstructions" by world-renowned photographer Joe McNally. McNally primarily uses Nikon Speedlights in his work, but the concepts apply to photographers using Canon gear as well.
From AdoramaTV:
Mimic Big Natural Light With a Speedlight for Environmental Portraits
In this episode of Photo on the Go, prepared exclusively for AdoramaTV, JoeMcNally explains how you can take a small speedlight and turn it into natural-looking daylight. He'll show you how he created the light in a scene using small flash units and made it look like it was natural daylight streaming through a window. Using this technique you can shoot more dramatic environmental portraits.
The Secret to Shooting Dramatic Flash-Lit Portrait Photography That Looks Like Natural Daylight
In this episode of Photo On The Go, shot exclusively for AdoramaTV, Joe McNally explains how to create natural looking daylight through a window by bringing in light from two different directions. He explains how he sets up the light to mimic the look of diffused daylight using Nikon Speedlights while lighting details in shadows that might fall on a face if the subject is wearing a wide-rimmed hat. Watch as he shows where he places his light sources to capture all the details of two subjects with a moody midwestern flavor.
Extension tubes can provide a great introduction to macro photography. If you are not quite sure about investing in a dedicated macro lens, a set of extension tubes will allow you to explore the world of macro photography quite inexpensively by using the lenses you already own.
If you didn't get the chance to attend Focus on Imaging photography fair, here's your opportunity to see what the Samyang booth looked like - Samyang has posted some images from its booth at the European event.
Entertainment Radio Network to Broadcast Live from The Big Photo Show
From PMA:
Nationally syndicated shows Popular Photography Radio, The Drive with Alan Taylor, Parenting Magazine Live and others to air live, onsite at The Big Photo Show
JACKSON, Mich. – PMA – The Worldwide Community of Imaging Associations, announces Entertainment Radio Network will broadcast live from The Big Photo Show in Los Angeles, May 4-5, 2013. Entertainment Radio Network produces nationally syndicated and internet radio shows including Popular Photography Radio, The Drive with Alan Taylor, Parenting Magazine Live, Sound + Vision Radio, and Popular Science Radio – all of which will be broadcasting and recording episodes from The Big Photo Show. Program hosts Mike Etchart, Alan Taylor, and Bettina Bush will be onsite, covering news, technology, equipment, creative photo display and product ideas, and more, as well as interviewing exhibitors, photographers and attendees at the event. Several programs will air live, and others will be recorded for later broadcast.
"The Entertainment Radio Network strives to capture dynamic events that feature the most compelling brands, technology, and products across all industries and passion points,” said Alan Taylor, CEO of Entertainment Radio Network and host of both The Drive with Alan Taylor and Popular Science Radio. “We feel that The Big Photo Show will be a premier event for both photographers and enthusiasts to network, touch and try new products, and connect with industry leading manufacturers. We are pleased to broadcast live at this event to help consumers discover the most innovative, cutting-edge products on the market."
PMA President Allen Showalter commented, “We are thrilled to welcome Entertainment Radio Network to The Big Photo Show, where their huge, national audience will discover the latest innovations from top manufacturers and retailers in the imaging space; hear from our stellar lineup of professional photographer educators; and discover all the amazing things they can do with their images. The Big Photo Show is designed to spur a greater passion for photography among photo enthusiasts and grow the imaging industry. Having Entertainment Radio Network broadcasting live onsite will help us do that.”
Adobe Creative Cloud Subscriptions Surpass Half-Million Mark
From Adobe:
Free Creative Cloud Memberships Exceed 2 Million
SAN JOSE, Calif. — March 19, 2013 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that Adobe® Creative Cloud™ has exceeded 500,000 paid individual members. The company also reported that free and trial memberships have exceeded 2 million. Free subscriptions are a proven on-ramp for customers to move to a paid Creative Cloud membership.
“Creative Cloud adoption continues to accelerate,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media Business, Adobe. “Reaching the half-million subscription milestone in less than one year is a strong indication of customer appetite for the ongoing stream of innovation we are delivering.”
Adobe’s Creative Cloud is the go-to destination for creative professionals, satisfying their need to access all their creative tools and services as well as sync and store their work and collaborate with fellow creatives. Creative Cloud subscription growth is being driven by its attractive pricing as well as the frequent product, feature and service enhancements the company is providing. Adobe’s recent acquisition of Behance, the leading online social media platform for creatives, accelerates Adobe’s strategy to bring great community features to Creative Cloud.
Right now, students and teachers can save 60% on an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription for the first year while existing Creative Suite customers can save 40%.
Wacom’s Cintiq line draws attention once again with its slim, new 13-inch interactive pen display
Boasting high quality HD resolution with advanced control and comfort, the new Cintiq provides an immersive experience consistent with Wacom’s family of interactive pen displays
19/03/2013 - Wacom, the industry leader of pen tablets for professional designers, today boosts its lineup of Cintiq interactive pen displays with the addition of the Cintiq 13HD. Aimed at creative professionals working in areas such as design, art and image editing, it combines a 13” HD screen, slim and compact design, simple setup, an adjustable stand and an improved pen for creating directly on the screen. Easily integrated into any environment, the Cintiq 13HD is the ideal tool to support creativity and enhance productivity, offering a natural and immersive experience.
Key to the Cintiq 13HD is its compact, slim design and easy setup with both Macs and PCs. For complete comfort, the Cintiq 13HD’s stand is optimised for use in a choice of four settings – flat, 22°, 35° and 50° and is detachable too.
Superior screen in HD quality Perfect for professionals such as artists, graphic designers and photographers, the Cintiq 13HD’s best-in-class screen displays 16.7m colours to ensure life-like colour quality. In addition, the wide-format HD LED display offers a wide viewing angle of 178° and a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels that is particularly beneficial for handling intricate graphics.
The full Cintiq experience As with all Wacom interactive pen displays, the Cintiq 13HD enables users to create directly on the screen for an immersive and seamless process that feels natural and saves time.
The new and improved cordless and battery-free Pro Pen offers advanced pen performance, superior comfort, precision and control. With 2,048 levels of pressure and tilt sensitivity, it is perfect for precision work and is ergonomically designed. The Cintiq 13HD comes with a convenient case to securely store the Pro Pen and everything else an artist needs at their fingertips including spare nibs.
To further improve workflow and productivity, frequently used shortcut commands are available at the user’s fingertips through four customisable and application-specific ExpressKeys and Rocker Ring. Making use of these shortcuts can save valuable time by minimising keyboard dependency.
With the existing 22HD, 24HD and 24HD touch, there is a Cintiq interactive pen display to suit anyone’s workflow requirements and budget.
Guido Möller, product manager creative products, at Wacom Europe says: “We’ve gained valuable customer feedback in developing our latest Cintiq which will support professionals and help them spur creativity on the 13” high resolution screen. Not only that, it also enhances productivity and saves creator time with new features. As with our entire Cintiq range, the new Cintiq 13HD provides a completely immersive and ergonomic pen-on-screen experience that adapts seamlessly to all working environments and practices.”
Pricing and availability The new Cintiq 13HD will be available for £749.99 (incl. VAT) from April 2013 onwards at Wacom’s eStore and other retailers.
Inspiration from the ‘Pioneers of Now’ For further information on what can be achieved with a Wacom Cintiq, check out Wacom’s ‘Pioneers of Now’. The ‘Pioneers’ are inspiring because they have vision, talent, perseverance and stamina. But above all, they have the tools to make their new worlds a reality.
Note: This lens is a "white box" sale and does not include OEM packaging.
Caveat Emptor: BigValueInc's positive feedback rating is at 98.1%. However, eBay seems to trust them enough to continue listing their auctions as "Daily Deals."