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Kodak's 7.6-inch OLED photo frame now available on Amazon
We knew it was coming, but Amazon is now listing Kodak's Flickr-compatible OLED 7.6-inch photo frame as in stock and shipping for $999.95. They say a picture is worth a thousand words -- here, that word is "dollar."[Via OLED]
Video: First look at Kodak's 7.6-inch OLED photo frame
Having developed the first diode device back in the 80s, Kodak knows a thing or two about OLEDs. So it's no surprise (ok, maybe a little) to see them rolling out the world's first 7.6-inch OLED photo frame. CNET got its hands on the $1,000 device considered a "vanity piece" at that price. It offers "brilliant color" as you'd expect and "sharp" 800 x 480 pixel images on the thin OLED panel pushing a 30,000:1 contrast ratio. The WiFi panel connects to Flickr and Kodak's own photo sharing service (if you must) but will not transfer images from Macs direct to the frame -- PCs are apparently fine. Mac users will have to resort to USB drives, SD cards, or Kodak's on-line gallery for image transfers. The frame itself, is touch-sensitive (not the display) and features audio-in and audio-out jacks for musical slideshows. Check out CNET's first look in the video after the break. [Via OLED-Info]
Kodak's Theatre HD Player reviewed: not all smiles
It's mildly unfathomable that we're just now seeing a review on Kodak's July-announced Theatre HD Player, but maybe that's because most folks could smell the lameness from the press release. Nevertheless, one critic finally got up the courage to publish his feelings online, and while the unit did have its bright spots, not everything was fine and dandy. First and foremost, the $299 price point was deemed absurd given the omission of any built-in storage and the unit's inability to access HD movies / TV shows. That said, the user interface "shined in its simplicity and was a lot of fun to use," which inevitably left the reviewer simply wanting more. In other words, you're probably better off passing this one by until Kodak figures out a way to add in a bit more functionality, but feel free to give the read link a look if you're still in doubt.
Prosilica's GE1910 camera brings Kodak HD sensor together with GigE Vision standard
If you're looking for HD resolution in an industrial app -- you know, so your work rig can be on equal footing with your home one -- last month's introduction of the Kodak KAI-02150 HD CCD sensor may have caught your attention. But not everyone is into developing cameras from sensors, so Prosilica has kindly done that lifting for you with its new (but almost as forgettably named) GE1910 camera. The GE1910 puts the Kodak sensor into a C-mount lens body up front, a Gigabit Ethernet interface (GigE Vision standard) around back and a host of camera control features between (binning, shutter, IP configuration, etc.). Surely you can find a work-related requirement for this kind of hardware, right?
Lawsuit whirligig: Spansion and Kodak sue Samsung, LG sued only by Kodak
Mark it down as a coincidence if you'd like, but a flurry of lawsuits revolving around the same companies just became public knowledge. For starters, Eastman Kodak has decided to sue Samsung and LG, alleging infringement of digital camera patents relating to image capture, compression and data storage; the suit is asking for "unspecified damages, and both cases seek injunctions prohibiting Samsung and LG from further imports and sales of the products." Just hours later, Samsung hit back with this response: "Samsung plans to respond actively to these litigations and will remain committed to serving our customers by ensuring that accurate and reliable delivery of our products is not compromised in any way." Got all that? Good. Moving on, we've also got chipmaker Spansion tossing a suit in Samsung's direction, which is asking for "billions" in damages for patent infringement presumably related to flash memory. Who says it's a slow period in the courtroom?Read - Kodak sues Samsung / LGRead - Samsung's reply to lawsuitsRead - Spansion sues Samsung
Kodak signs into patent cross-license agreement with Nokia
Details are pretty scant at the moment, but Eastman Kodak Company has entered into a mysterious patent license agreement with Nokia. All we're told is that the deal will enable each outfit "access to the other's intellectual property portfolio," and it'll also provide "significant benefits to both companies, [while being] royalty bearing to Kodak." Outside of that, we're left to wonder what's in store here, so what they hey -- we'll take a stab: a Kodak sensor within the not-yet-conceived N97? Or maybe a Kodak-branded printer-scanner-fax machine in the Tube 2? The intrigue is killing us.[Via phonescoop]
New Kodak OLED material promises longer life, better colors
Kodak has already managed to impress with its use of existing OLED technology, but it looks like the company isn't about to rest on its laurels, and it's now promising that a new OLED material it has developed will make future products even better and more OLED-y. The key to that material, dubbed EK-GD403, is its used of so-called "green dopant" technology which, when used in combination with Kodak's equally mysterious EK-BH109 OLED material, apparently allows for luminous efficiencies greater than 31 cd/A and lifetimes "in excess of 65,000 hours," among other OLED-improving measures. Of course, there's no indication just yet as to when that material may show up in some actual products but, from the sound of things, it doesn't seem like something that's years away.
Kodak's new CCD brings HD to industrial applications
If your day job involves some CCD imaging, Kodak wants to bring some HD excitement to your 9-to-5 with its KAI-02150 (the name alone says "buttoned-down") CCD sensor. The interline transfer sensor reads out its 1920x1080 pixels at 60 frames per second and boasts high dynamic range (64dB) needed for many industrial applications. Engineering samples are available now, which will give you a few months to retool your microscopy/machine vision/imaging science application with eye-popping HD before production hits its stride in Q4 2008.
Kodak's Zi6 pocket HD camcorder reviewed
Comically (and accurately, might we add) described as being "about the size of a late 90's mobile phone," Kodak's Zi6 was widely hailed as the first true competitor to the mighty Flip Video. As we completely expected, this bugger was found to be remarkably easy to use by critics at Gadling, though the portable nature and simplistic operations were overshadowed by lackluster image quality. The cam struggled to adjust when whizzed around and when going from dark to light areas, and we were told to just put the thing away rather than attempt to use it in low-light scenarios. Of course, this shooter is only $179, so it still may be perfect for a select group of daylight-lovin' users. Hit the read link for the full review and a quick sample video to help you make up your mind.[Via Switched]
Kodak rolls out new image sensors at Photokina, one for Leica's S2
We noticed that the writeup for Leica's newly unveiled S2 made mention of a new Kodak sensor, but we'll leave it to Kodak to do the boasting. Sure enough, the outfit responsible for this atrocity has rolled out a few new image sensors at Photokina 2008, one of which -- the KAF-37500 -- proudly resides in the aforementioned S2. The company is showcasing sensors for medium format rigs such as the Sinar HY6-65 (KAF-31600) and Hasselblad H3DII-50 (KAF-50100), though quite honestly, it spends more time gloating about what manufacturers it's partnering with than describing the technology. Oh well, so long as it keeps Kodak from focusing on its pathetic point-and-shoot lineup, we'll keep smiling.
Kodak reveals EasyShare Z1485 IS point-and-shoot
Kodak's hitting us up with one of the less momentous Photokina moments today by getting official with its EasyShare Z1485 IS. Traces of the cam were spotted a few weeks back, but the outfit chose today to formally introduce it to the world. The point-and-shoot boasts an absurd 14-megapixel sensor, face detection technology, 5x optical zoom with optical image stabilization, ISO up to 6,400 and a 720p movie mode at 30fps. Truthfully, the specs don't look so bad on paper, but are you seriously considering spending three bills on a camera that reeks of 2001 in the design department? Nah, we thought not.[Via LetsGoDigital]
Kodak stuns with world's first 7.6-inch OLED picture frame
We figured it was coming, now sure enough, Kodak just let loose a new picture frame based on CMEL's new mass-produced, 7.6-inch OLED panels. Ultra-thin as you'd expect and wireless as you'd hope, the new 800 x 480 pixel Wireless Frame should be ready for the holidays sporting 2GB of internal storage, integrated audio, a 30,000:1 contrast, 180-degree viewing angle, and photo service compatibility with Flickr and others. Unfortunately, it's got a price you'd expect from this nascent display tech: $999. Sparky, had better be worth it.[Via OLED-Display]
Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.2
Today Apple released an update for Mac OS X's RAW compatibility. iPhoto '08 and Aperture will now be able to work with RAW formats from the following cameras: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/Kiss Digital F/1000D Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n Nikon D700 Olympus EVOLT E-420 Olympus EVOLT E-520 Olympus SP-570 Samsung GX-10 Samsung GX-20 Sony DSLR-A300 Sony DSC-R1 I'm sure this isn't a fix for everyone, but will probably make most photographers happy to see their camera on the list. You can download this update by opening Software Update (Apple menu > Software Update) or by visiting Apple's downloads website and downloading the installer package.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Kodak's P520 digiframe touts Quick Touch Border for off-screen flicking
We can all agree that touchscreens are pretty much the best thing ever, right? Good. Can we also agree that fingerprints on said screens are patently awful? Marvelous. Apparently Kodak is right in tune with us, as its 5-inch P520 digital photo frame enables owners to flick through photos without actually greasing up the LCD. The secret is the "Quick Touch Border," a sensitive side panel that lets viewers slide their finger to move to the next photo. From what we can garner, that's about all this thing really has going for it, but if that's plenty for you, look for it next month at around $79.95.
7.6-inch OLED displays go mass production, next stop UMPCs and Kodak photo frames?
Sometime shortly after Philips introduced it first digital photo frame -- let's call it CES, January 2006 -- something happened to the industry: it went to crap. Instead of focusing on quality displays vendors started tossing in gimmicks to sell their goods. This might change now that 7.6-inch OLEDs are going mass production. Already, Kodak is rumored to have placed an order for the medium-sized panels set to roll off the lines in September at CMO's Chi Mei EL (CMEL) factory. That should mean incredibly vibrant, thin, high-contrast frames with 16.7 million colors spread across 800 x 480 pixels just in time for the holidays. While dropping these pricey displays into low-cost netbooks would be a stretch, we wouldn't be surprised to see a few of those 7-inch UMPCs make the move to OLED as well. [Via OLED-info] Read -- Kodak rumor Read -- CMEL 7.6-inch specs
Kodak's $180 Zi6 HD pocket video camera up for pre-order
There's still a great chance that this thing will completely underwhelm, but those willing to give it a shot without reading so much as a single review can now secure their place in line. For $179.95, to-be owners can pre-order Kodak's Zi6 HD pocket video camera in either pink or black, but there's no mention of how soon it'll ship. Anyone taking the plunge (and willing to admit it)?[Via Gadling]
TransferJet forms a consortium to confuse consumers
As the saying goes, the great thing about standards is that we have so many to choose from. Enter TransferJet, as much as we'd like to ignore it, it won't go away. In fact, today the nascent close (real close, as in 3-cm or less) proximity wireless technology just snowballed itself into a proper consortium which lists a who's who of consumer electronics and camera manufacturers including Sony, Canon, Panasonic, Nikon, Samsung, Kodak, and interestingly enough, Sony Ericsson. Sony will lead the effort to develop the specs, guidelines, and licensing schemes required to interconnect TransferJet-compliant products offering a 375Mbps data transfer rate (560Mbps theoretical) without requiring any complex setup (just touch the devices together). Right, they're looking directly at your NFC and Wibree shortcomings Bluetooth SIG. Full list of TransferJet members after the break.
Kodak intros the C913, M1073 IS and M1063 cheapcams
We're not certain why Kodak is trickling out these middle-of-the-road digicams instead of announcing them all at once, but here we are. Joining the M1093 IS are the new M1073 IS (pictured) and M1063, while the C813 get a new friend in the C913. As you'd expect, almost nothing about these is all that spectacular: the $179 M1063 and M1073 IS are both 10 megapixel units with ISO1000 sensitivity and face detection, while the $120 C913 is a 9.2 megapixel unit with a 2.4-inch display and digital image stabilization. Expect to see these all in October, and check out the C913 after the break.Read - M1073 ISRead - M1063Read - C913
Hands-on with Kodak's latest and greatest
We got a nice look at Kodak's newest gear from this morning, and while it's an uneven showing at best, there are certainly some gems. The real standout of the bunch is the Kodak Theatre HD Player, a teensy box with all the right ins and outs, a purtiful interface, and a glorious motion-sensing remote. We really haven't had this much fun with a peripheral since the Wiimote came along, and Kodak has somehow managed to best that in the role of couch-based cursor positioning. Kodak was a bit coy about what exactly goes on inside the thing, and we're even more curious as to whether somebody can produce a dongle to let it operate a PC, but it's a marvel all the same. Next up -- in importance, anyways -- is Kodak's new Zi6 HD pocket video camera, a transparent bid to cut in on those Pure Digital dollars. It's a bit of a bulky beast, and the image quality is hardly an improvement over the competition, but it certainly works as advertised: it really couldn't be simpler to turn it on, shoot a video, and upload that video to the internet. Perhaps our biggest gripe is that it looks like it was built by some second-tier consumer electronics company, and shares zero design language with Kodak's other products -- many of which have really matured in the looks department of late. The Z1015 IS we didn't spend as much time with, but it seemed nice, light but not too light, and has a gorgeous screen. Finally, the new W820 and W1020 wireless photo frames were on display, with some prototype software showing off some add-ridden FrameChannel content (seriously Kodak, what were you thinking?) but loved just about everything else on the frames.%Gallery-27314%
Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS camera rolls in late
We're not sure why Kodak saw fit to announce the EasyShare M1093 IS camera separately from the slew of new gear it dropped early this morning, but here it is, all $199 and 10 megapixels of it. Nothing too spectacular here apart from Smart Capture, which intelligently adjusts settings based on the scene, but you're getting an image stabilizer, ISO 3200 sensitivity, and an optional HDTV dock for two bills, so it's not a bad deal -- just don't expect your socks to be rocked. Available in September.
