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| Rudy Awards |
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| PixFusion Personalized, Animated DVDs PixFusion creates personalized, branded video products and services, using its patented technology to automate the production of the finished DVD. Winner of several product awards, such as iParenting Media Award and the National Parenting Center Award, PixFusion has proprietary content agreements with the likes of Lucidiom, Fujifilm, Ritz and Wal↔Mart, among other retailers and kiosk manufacturers, who offer the personalized products to consumers. The technology allows children to star in their own cartoon DVD adventures with some of today’s popular characters, including Dora the Explorer, Spider-Man, Arthur and Care Bears. Once consumers submit photos of their children, it typically takes 3–5 days to receive their personalized, 26-minute DVD. The videos retail for just under $40. pixfusion.com or kideo.com |
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| Pandigital Multiframe The 6-inch digital photo multiframe from Pandigital pairs the best of the digital and print photography worlds in one sleek, stylish frame combination. The product includes a 6-inch LCD digital photo frame, which plays pictures, MP3 songs and video, and is connected to three traditional frames—one that houses a 5x7-inch photo and two that display 4x6-inch photos. This lets consumers pick three of their favorite print photos to display constantly, then rotate the rest digitally via the LCD display. Pandigital’s 6-inch digital photo multiframe has 128MB of internal memory, so consumers can store ample photos, video and music. They can transfer photos to the frame’s internal memory via an integrated 6-in-1 media reader or by USB from computer or mini USB from a digital camera. People who think “green” will appreciate that power usage can be minimized with programmable on/off times and power-saving options. Calendar and clock functions allow photos, video and music to be programmed for specific play times. The company says to look for a 7-inch version in Q2. MSRP: $129.99. pandigital.net |
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| Argraph’s Remotest Remote Control? The Argraph Twin1 R3-UT Max is not named after the CEO’s Uncle Max. This clever infrared (IR) remote earns its title from being able to fire a shutter from 330 feet away, max., and has the added capability of operating a delayed shutter release and connecting to compatible cameras for bulb release. For cameras with built-in IR sensors, the Twin1 R3-UT Max is claimed to provide more than triple the operational range of competitive IR transmitters, and it is compatibile with Nikon, Canon Pentax and Samsung cameras simultaneously. It also includes a cable release for wired shutter release functions for cameras having a shutter-release port. One center button fires the camera shutter, and it supports instant and half-shutter-release AE/AF functions. The transmitter is powered by an easy-to-replace CR123A battery; the receiver takes a CR2032—and, wonder of wonders, batteries are included. MSRP for the set, including transmitter and receiver: $119.95. argraph.com |
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| Samung GX-20 DSLR with Wireless Transfer Samsung’s GX-20 is its next-gen DSLR with a 14.6 megapixel, proprietary CMOS sensor engineered to capture 14-bit RAW images and maintain “outstanding noise performance, even at a high ISO setting of 6400.” The camera improves on many of the qualities of its sibling, the 10.2MP GX-10, adding features and firsts that set it apart from other GX-series models previously introduced by Samsung. Among those features are a 2.7-inch live view LCD screen, which lets users check composition and focus on the LCD in real time; a pentaprism viewfinder that yields a 95 percent wide field of view; a 1/4,000-sec shutter speed; a new double dust-removal system designed to prevent dust from threatening image quality; and an improved shake-reduction system, dubbed Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), that helps photographers overcome the effects of hand shake and minimize blur in situations where the camera is unstable or in low light. What really struck us here though is the camera’s ability to wirelessly transfer capture images to Samsung large-screen HDTVs in a matter of seconds. MSRP: $1,399.95. samsungcamerausa.com |
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| Memory Maker Guardian Angel Photo Jewelry Memory Maker photo accessories are produced by Key Item Sales; Jeff and Abbie Rapport founded this family-operated jewelry company in 1988. Jeff heads up the sales and marketing, while Abbie is in charge of design and production. The company’s goal is “to create beautiful jewelry that would bring a smile to your face.” Products include bracelets, charms, necklaces and cell phone charms in various styles and finishes. New in Memory Maker’s photo jewelry and accessories line is an inspirational collection called Guardian Angels. With the rise of sales in the inspirational market, Memory Maker has created three new items targeted at “anyone wishing their loved ones a little extra protection, guidance and love,” says the company. There is a four-frame bracelet, a key chain and a cell phone charm, all of which hold photos. MSRPs: $5–$20. memorymakerbracelet.com |
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| Vista Reengineers the Travel Tripod We’ve all seen travel tripods before, but the Vista Voyager provides a very cool combination of size, features, ingenuity and price. It’s a lightweight aluminum grounder tripod (minimum height 11 inches) featuring a three-way adjustable pan/tilt FZ10 head, four-section, three-position, 26.5mm-diameter snap-lock legs and bubble levels on the head and yoke. It’s even got a directional compass set into the tripod base. Other features: quick-lift two-section 12-inch-long, 28mm-diameter center post with wing lock control for rapid adjustment and locking; bottom center post hook; and a padded carrying bag. Designed for airline travel, the Voyager extends to 58 inches, weighs only 3.8 pounds and folds to 21 inches. MSRP: $119.95; $129.95 with ball head. tiffen.com |
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| Digital Scrapbook Place Tutorial CDs These digital scrapbooking tutorial CDs teach retailers and their staff, step by step, how to hold a digital scrapbooking class in their own stores. Through a new agreement, Adobe software is used for all the Digital Scrapbook Place CDs. The training curriculum CDs can be purchased for $149.95, and Digital Scrapbook Place says that with one class of 15 students a retailer can earn back the money invested in the CD. The company also notes that the more digital scrapbookers retailers count among their customers, the more prints, frames, albums and photo books they’ll sell, plus all the fun photo gift items consumers can make with digital scrapbook pages. The tutorial CDs are designed to show retailers how to enter the hot digital scrapbooking market to add print revenue to their bottom line by offering teaching tips, marketing ideas and laptop crop information, in addition to how to hold a Digital Scrapbooking 101 class and photo manipulation classes. digitalscrapbookplace.com |
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| Lowepro Fastpack Backpacks: Maximum Accessibility Lowepro’s Fastpack backpacks, for on-the-go photo enthusiasts, have a triple compartment configuration and are designed to provide a lightweight, comfortable carrying solution for a DSLR, extra lenses or flash units, a laptop, accessories and personal gear. A 180º access panel makes loading and retrieving equipment quick and easy, and with adjustable dividers, the compartments can be customized to fit different gear combinations. A security flap over the camera compartment offers more security while still letting photographers gain quick access through the side entry compartment, even while the pack is being worn. Lowepro offers four models in black, arctic blue and red: the Fastpack 250 ($119.99) and 350 ($149.99) have an additional compartment with side access to a laptop; the Fastpack 100 ($74.99) carries a DSLR with lens attached, plus an extra mid-range zoom lens, flash unit and personal gear; and the Fastpack 200 ($99.99) holds a DSLR with attached zoom lens, plus one or two extra lenses or flash units and accessories. lowepro.com |
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| Delkin LumiPrint: What’s on the Wall, but off the Wall Delkin Devices’ LumiPrint is a new twist on the illuminated photo frame that works with prints rather than digital image files. Using a modified light pipe technology and 16 bright white LEDs to provide even illumination to an image printed on special photo paper, the light is directed into an acrylic layer surrounded by reflective sheeting. Unable to escape, the light bounces around inside the acrylic, causing the plastic to glow brightly. The frame comes with five sheets of LumiPrint inkjet photo paper, a hybrid of matte photo paper and transparency material. The end result is an evenly illuminated image, richly colored and with an appealing glow. The system works with any image, digital or analog, printed on LumiPrint paper. The frame, available in brushed aluminum, black and maple, is less than an inch thick, so it can be placed on a desk or hung on a wall. For now the LumiPrint frame is only offered in the 4x6 size, but larger sizes and a variety of faceplate styles and colors will be introduced. MSRP: $29.95. delkin.com <BACK TO AWARDS |
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