Canon Q2 profit more than doubles, keeps outlook

July 27 (Reuters) – Japanese camera and office equipment maker Canon Inc (7751.T) posted a 153 percent rise in quarterly profit, a bigger than expected climb on robust sales of its high-end cameras.

For the year to Dec. 31 the maker of IXY compact cameras and upmarket EOS cameras kept its operating profit outlook at 360 billion yen ($4.1 billion), compared with a consensus for 384 billion yen in a poll of seven analysts by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

April-June operating profit was 113.4 billion yen, compared with a consensus forecast of 90.6 billion yen in a poll of four analysts by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

It marked the third straight quarter of year-on-year profit growth for the world’s biggest maker of digital cameras, ahead of Sony Corp (6758.T) and Nikon (7731.T).

Shares in Canon, which also competes with Xerox Corp (XRX.N) and Ricoh Co (7752.T) in office equipment, fell 19.2 percent from April to Monday, underperforming Tokyo’s electrical machinery index IELEC.T, which fell 16.8 percent in the same period. (Reporting by Isabel Reynolds, Editing by Ian Geoghegan)

LucidPort Ships Second Generation USB 3.0 to SATA Bridge

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., July 22 /PRNewswire/ — LucidPort Technology today released the USB302, a second generation USB 3.0 to SATA-II bridge designed for external USB storage devices. Following in the footsteps of the industry’s first USB 3.0 device, the LucidPort USB300, the USB302 is physically smaller and consumes less power than any other chip of its kind. Its support for USB Attached SCSI Protocol (UASP) allows it to run 20 to 100% faster than comparable USB 3.0 drives that use legacy mass storage drivers.

The UASP standard was developed by the USB-IF to enhance the efficiency of USB storage devices. It delivers faster and more consistent performance while lowering CPU utilization. “The market expects USB 3.0 to be fast,” said Reid Augustin, VP of Product Development at LucidPort. “UASP makes this a reality by running external USB drives as fast as, or even faster than drives connected directly to the motherboard.”

The USB302 is highly configurable and supports many premium features. These include automatic fan control, automatic standby timer, write protection, one touch backup, a safe power down button, Blu-ray drive support, and various activity and free space indicators. The USB302 keeps total BOM costs low by requiring only a single voltage (3.3V) and a single clock source (30 MHz).

The USB302 is shipping now and available in a 48 pin (6×6 mm) QFN package.

About LucidPort Technology, Inc.

LucidPort Technology, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company developing SuperSpeed USB and Wireless USB controllers. LucidPort’s controllers add functionality to PC peripheral and consumer electronic devices like printers, scanners, digital cameras, portable media players, and external hard drives. LucidPort’s technologies apply advanced hardware with integrated software to create flexible, high performance, and easy to use USB products. LucidPort is headquartered at 335 Pioneer Way, Mountain View, CA 94041, 650-968-6800, www.lucidport.com

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Camcorder Redefined: Sony Debuts World’s First Consumer Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder

SAN DIEGO, June 14 /PRNewswire/ — Following the 25th anniversary of its industry-leading Handycam® product line, Sony today announced the innovative NEX-VG10 Interchangeable Lens HD Camcorder.

The new NEX-VG10 is the world’s first consumer camcorder with interchangeable lenses and the first Handycam camcorder to feature an extra-large Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor.

“The NEX-VG10 takes Sony’s Handycam line to the next level by allowing unprecedented artistic expression that isn’t possible with conventional consumer video cameras,” said Andy Bubala, director of Sony’s camcorder business. “With this camcorder, video enthusiasts and photographers can now capture cinematic full HD movies and premium stereo sound.”

Sony’s NEX-VG10 Interchangeable Lens HD Handycam® Camcorder is equipped with the same Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor used in the “NEX-5″ and “NEX-3″ digital cameras and compatible with the high grade “E-mount” series of smaller, lighter lenses optimized for video shooting with silent operation and AF. It is also compatible with a wealth of “A-mount” interchangeable lenses used by Sony’s existing alpha DSLR camera lineup via a mount adapter (sold separately), including award winning Sony G Lenses and Carl Zeiss® branded lenses.

Coupled with Sony’s powerful BIONZ® processor, the camcorder’s Exmor™ APS HD CMOS sensor realizes high resolution video and 14 megapixel still images. Approximately 19.5 times bigger than the standard sensor found in conventional camcorders, the APS HD CMOS sensor enables an extremely shallow depth of field. This allows videographers to achieve cinematic results with stunning background defocus (bokeh). Users can also enjoy DSLR-quality photo capture with features like Auto HDR, Handheld Twilight, and Anti Motion Blur, as well as catch fast action sequences with a continuous burst rate of up to seven fps.

The NEX-VG10 can capture full 1920×1080 high definition video at up to 24Mbps for amazing clarity and detail, ideal for recording on to Blu-ray Disc™ media. It also comes with an E-mount 18-200mm lens optimized for video shooting that offers a powerful 11x optical zoom in addition to a silent auto-focus system and Optical Steadyshot™ image stabilization with Active Mode for superior versatility.

Satisfying the needs of serious videographers, sound quality matches the stellar imaging performance of the NEX-VG10. Its Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone uses advanced processing algorithms to combine signals from four individual microphone capsules. The result is exceptionally clear stereo audio with high directional response, allowing videographers to capture more sound from their subject and less background noise. The camcorder also features dedicated inputs for optional external microphones and headphones to monitor sound levels.

The camcorder’s TruBlack™ technology brings remarkably higher contrast and brightness to its 3.0″ Xtra Fine LCD™ swivel display, delivering more natural, realistic colors and easier viewing in bright conditions. The LCD is supplemented by a high-resolution adjustable electronic viewfinder that helps framing, monitoring and capturing clear images.

Compact and easy to handle, the NEX-VG10 gives videographers the flexibility of a removable lens with the ergonomics and operability of a Handycam camcorder. An intuitive jog dial and hotkeys make it easy to navigate menus and adjust shooting parameters, including full manual control of Iris, Shutter Speed, Gain and White Balance for professional results.

Dual accessory shoes (Alpha Hot Shoe/Universal Cold Shoe) allow for many still photography and video accessories, such as the ECM-CG50 shotgun microphone and external flash lighting. There’s also a choice of rechargeable battery options, including the NP-FV100 that provides up to 315 minutes of continuous HD shooting (may vary), and a specially designed soft carrying case.

Included with purchase as a download voucher ($99 value), Sony Vegas® Movie Studio HD Platinum 10 video editing software includes powerful tools for video compositing, color correction and sound mixing to produce cinema-quality HD movies with ease. You can also share your creations via DVD, Blu-ray Disc™ media, or upload to the web – all from one simple program.

The NEX-VG10 accepts both Memory Stick PRO Duo™ (including Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo™) and SD (including both SDHC and SDXC formats) media. Users can record up to four hours of high definition footage (1920×1080, FH mode) when using the 32GB memory card.

Sony’s Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo HX offers an industry leading 30MB per second transfer rate, which means Handycam users can upload video clips in a fraction of actual playback time.

Price and Availability

The NEX-VG10 will be available in September for about $2,000 and presales on www.sonystyle.com will begin July 14. They will also be available at Sony Style® retail stores and at authorized dealers nationwide.

SOURCE Sony Electronics

Andor Technology plc announces Interim Results

15 June 2010

Andor Technology plc (“Andor”)

Interim Results for the Six Months ended 31 March 2010

Andor Technology plc (AND.L), the leading developer and manufacturer of
high performance digital cameras for academic, industrial and
government applications globally today announces interim results for
the six months ended 31 March 2010.

Financial highlights

. Turnover up 24% to GBP20.0m (H1’09: GBP16.1m)
. Adjusted* operating profit up 85% to GBP3.2m (H1’09:GBP1.7m)
. Adjusted* PBT up 87% to GBP3.3m (H1’09: GBP1.7m)
. Adjusted* EPS up 73% to 9.32 pence (H1’09: 5.39 pence)
. GBP4.0m cash generated from operations
. Record GBP0.5m profit related pay distributed amongst all employees
*Adjusted results are before acquisition costs, amortisation of
acquired intangibles and IFRS2 share based payments

Operational highlights

. Growth in sales in China – up 71%
. Acquisition of Bitplane AG (“Bitplane”)
. Launch of Revolution(R) DSD
. Launch of Ikon-M PV for solar panel market
. Completed transition to IFRS
. sCMOS camera on track for H2 launch

Commenting on the results Conor Walsh, Chief Executive, said:”I am
delighted to report that, for the six months to 31 March 2010,
the employees of Andor have again delivered an exceptional set of
results. The scale of improvement year on year, and the consistency of
performance over the past number of years have been extraordinary.

While Andor is not insulated from the macro-economic environment we
have strengths that help us in difficult times. We are balanced across
the geographic segments and the market sectors that we serve, we have a
clear strategy to deliver growth through investment and innovation and
we are obsessive about our execution.”

For further information, please contact:
Enquiries:-
Andor Technology plc 028 9023 7126
Conor Walsh, Chief Executive Officer

Nominated Adviser & Broker
Arden Partners plc 020 7614 5928
Fred Walsh
Matthew Armitt

Notes to Editors:

Andor Technology plc (www.andor.com) is at the forefront of developing
and manufacturing instruments for the global scientific imaging and
spectroscopy markets. The company’s range of CCD and intensified CCD
camera systems are used throughout the world for academic, industrial
and government research across a wide range of fields such as
biotechnology, physics and chemistry. Using Andor products these
customers can break new ground by performing experiments that were
previously considered impossible. Independently conducted customer
research confirms that Andor’s low light solutions are considered world
beating.

Established in 1989, Andor’s corporate headquarters are in Belfast,
Northern Ireland. Operating in a global market, Andor’s US headquarters
opened in Connecticut in 1997. Andor has regional sales offices in
Europe, the US, Japan and China.

The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market and
commenced dealings in its ordinary shares in December 2004 (AND.L).

Introduction by the Chairman

These interim financial statements are my first as Chairman and the
first results reported by Andor that have been prepared in accordance
with the International Financial Reporting Standard (“IFRS”) as adopted
by the European Union. Previous financial statements were prepared in
accordance with UK Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“UKGAAP”).
Prior to the acquisition of Bitplane, Andor was not obliged to prepare
accounts in accordance with IFRS as we were not required to prepare
consolidated financial statements.

The trading performance of the business has continued to strengthen as
evidenced in the significant increase in both revenue and profit. Under
Conor’s leadership “Team Andor” has delivered another strong
performance during the first half of the year and your Board is pleased
with the results that have been achieved and grateful to all the staff
that have contributed to this performance.

Financial Overview

For the six month period ended 31 March 2010, the conversion from
UKGAAP to IFRS as adopted by the EU increased the operating profit by
GBP89,000. For the same period in the prior year the effect was to
increase operating profit by GBP39,000. The effect of the transition to
IFRS is fully explained in note 13 to these interim financial
statements.

Throughout this document adjusted results are stated after adding back
acquisition costs, amortisation of acquired intangible assets and the
IFRS2 share based payments adjustment. A reconciliation of reported
results to adjusted results, for the six months ended 31 March 2010 and
for the six months ended 31 March 2009, is given in note 14 of these
interim financial statements.

The Board is delighted to welcome to Andor the staff of Bitplane, which
we acquired in late December 2009. In the current results Bitplane has
contributed revenue of GBP1.0m and profit before tax of GBP0.3m. Current
performance remains in line with our expectations.

Turnover grew 24% to GBP20.0m (H1’09: GBP16.1m) and adjusted operating
profit grew 85% to GBP3.2m (H1’09: GBP1.7m). This converted to cash at a
rate of 152% delivering GBP4.0m cash before financing and acquisition
activity. Taken in the context of the first half of last year, which
saw increases of 40% in revenue and 102% in adjusted operating profit,
today’s results are truly outstanding.

EBITDA grew to GBP3.5m from GBP2.1m, an increase of 68% resulting in an
EBITDA margin of 17.5%. Adjusted PBT grew 87% to GBP3.3m from GBP1.7m
and adjusted earnings per share increased by 73% to 9.32 pence from 5.39
pence. We generated GBP4.0m of cash in the period and working capital to
sales is now at an all time low of 10.7%.

Segmental Performance

Rest of World

Revenue to Rest of World grew 6% from GBP8.2m to GBP8.7m. Our strongest
growth was achieved in China where sales grew 71% to GBP1.7m. We
continue to invest in this high growth region and in the period we
restructured our sales organisation to deliver a more targeted
approach. We have also increased our direct sales presence on the
ground as we believe this visible commitment to the region is important
both to Andor and our customers.

In the current period sales of Systems to Rest of World fell slightly
from the heights achieved in the same period last year. This situation
is not uncommon in the introduction of new technology and we are clear
on the actions we need to take to move the technology from early
adopters to more mainstream use. Because of this, revenue from Europe
fell by 3% in the period to GBP7.0m.

European research sales have remained strong. We are also seeing a
significant increase in OEM sales to Europe as a result of our
investment in both product and channel. The iKon-M PV, launched for the
solar cell inspection market, has generated significant interest
amongst new OEM customers.

Japan

Because of its significance as the world’s second largest economy we
report Japan separately from the Rest of World. Revenue here grew by
33% from GBP2.2mto GBP2.9m. Since we opened our second Japanese office,
in Osaka, we have seen increased business with research customers in
both the physical and life sciences. At Andor we believe it is
important to show commitment to your market and your customers and
investing in this way demonstrates that commitment.

US

Revenue from the US grew by 30% to GBP7.4m from GBP5.7m. We have seen
growth in the Systems Division and the OEM business but especially
pleasing is the strong performance achieved by our research sales team
who have worked extremely hard in difficult market conditions to
deliver real growth.

In the US, and across all the regions, we have revisited the
organisational structure to ensure it is capable of delivering the
growth targets we set ourselves for the coming years. In most regions
we have made changes and added resource and are confident the current
structure is fit for the future.

Bitplane

On 23 December 2009 we acquired the entire issued share capital of
Bitplane. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, Bitplane is a world leader in
3D and 4D image analysis software for the medical and life sciences
sector. Bitplane is established globally with a strong brand and will
continue to be run as a standalone business, but very much as part of
the Andor family.

The consideration was composed GBP5.6m of cash and 283,851 ordinary
shares in Andor (valued at GBP0.5m) with the potential for further
consideration in the form of cash and shares totalling GBP0.5m under an
earn out provision in the event Bitplane achieves certain EBITDA
targets in the twelve months post acquisition. The acquisition was
funded by a placing in December 2009 of Andor ordinary share which
raised GBP3.0m with the remainder drawn from cash. At the balance sheet
date we had GBP11.0m of cash in hand and net cash (after deducting debt)
of GBP9.0m.

We have appointed an Integration Manager from within the Andor
Leadership Team with responsibility for all aspects of the integration
process and we have already identified a number of ways that Andor and
Bitplane can work together to generate additional returns. We
successfully completed the transition of the Bitplane management
reporting to the Andor standard including the additional requirements
under IFRS. Product training has been completed across both businesses
and we are beginning to see the benefits that the joint Andor/ Bitplane
product offerings bring to the market. In the three months since
acquisition Bitplane contributed revenue of GBP1.0million and operating
profit of GBP0.3 million.

Operational Review

Systems Division

The Systems Division compliments our camera component business by
offering a complete solution to customers. Our existing Revolution(R) XD
system offers ultimate sensitivity and performance for live cell
imaging and growth rates in sales have been exceptional over the past
three years.

There remain significant growth opportunities in this space and we have
continued to invest in expanding our channel to market, taking a
largely direct approach to these large and often complex sales. We have
added to our sales team in the US and in China and we believe these
regions hold significant potential for further growth in this division.

We are also expanding our product offering and in February of this year
we announced the release of our Revolution(R) DSD. This is a white light
spinning disc confocal systems that delivers comparable image quality
to traditional laser-point scanning confocal microscope but at
significantly lower cost. This product will move to production in the
second half of this year and we expect to see an impact in the order
book by year end.

In April 2010 we acquired Photonic Instruments (“Photonic”) in the US
for consideration comprising $5m (GBP3.25m) in cash and the issue of
156,627 ordinary shares. The acquisitions of Bitplane and Photonic also
add significantly to the product offering in the systems division and
enhance our competitive differentiation. We were delighted that our
first joint demonstration incorporating product from the three
businesses was successful and generated a single order worth almost
$700,000.

Scientific Research

Research sales are the bedrock of the Andor business. Historically our
product offering has been at the high end of the performance spectrum
delivering ultimate sensitivity to our research customers in both the
physical and life science markets. Our first objective is to continue
to invest and grow this high end market where we have built our
reputation for innovation, quality and superior customer service.
Largely driven by this core market sales grew 16% in the period to
GBP10.7 million from GBP9.2 million in the same period last year.

In addition, our strategy is to use our experience, technical knowledge
and manufacturing capability to expand our product offering into the
much larger mid range market. We have delivered a number of products
addressed at this space however the most significant is our ground
breaking sCMOS camera. As we said in February, we expect this product
to move to production in the second half of this year and expect sales
to benefit from H1 2011. There has been a high level of interest in
this technology and we have been working on developing additional
indirect channels to support the expected demand for product.

OEM

Growing our OEM business is another key aspect of our strategy. This is
higher volume business to business sales for Andor and leverages the
investment we make in our research market by bringing similar
technology to these instrumentation companies. It also supports our
investment in engineering and manufacturing capability which is another
differentiator for Andor. OEM customers need to know Andor’s
manufacturing capability can keep up with and support their growth over
time. Our facility, opened in 2005, is custom designed for Andor and
has capacity to support our growth plans going forward. We have
invested in automated quality control systems, train our staff in Six
Sigma and embrace the principles of Lean Manufacturing. All of this is
to achieve our ultimate goal of becoming world class.

We have seen growth across all of our regions but especially in the US
where our performance has been particularly strong. We received
follow-on funding of $0.5 million for our design contract that we
announced in April 2009 taking the total order to in excess of $2.6
million for delivery in 2010. The potential remains for this camera to
move to production for the customer and be a significant revenue
contributor from 2011 onwards.

We restructured our sales and engineering teams to better support our
OEM customers and this is delivering real benefit. In Europe we have
also seen real growth, particularly from our new Ikon-M PV product.
This is a dedicated CCD camera designed to deliver market leading speed
and sensitivity for in-line inspection of photovoltaic cells used in
solar panels. We have also gained traction in the Chinese OEM market,
although this is early stage business for Andor.

Outlook

We have again exceeded market expectations. The reason is because we
have outstanding individuals who are focused and dedicated to
delivering innovative, superior products and service to our customers
and whose personal goals are totally aligned with those of the
business. On behalf of the Board I thank them for their efforts.

While Andor is not insulated from the macro-economic environment wehave
strengths that help us in difficult times. We are balanced across
the geographic segments with sales in Rest of World, the US and Japan.
We are equally balanced across the markets that we serve having
successfully grown our OEM and systems business. We have a clear
strategy to deliver growth through investment and innovation. And
finally we are obsessive about our execution. For these reasons the
Board remains confident about the outlook for the full year and beyond.

Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to view
the associated PDF document.

http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/6022N_1-2010-6-14.pdf

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

END

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Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved

Sony unit in $80 mln Thai expansion-investment board

June 10 (Reuters) – A unit of Japan’s Sony Corp (6758.T) plans to invest 2.6 billion baht ($80 million) to expand production capacity for digital cameras, lenses and parts in Thailand, the Board of Investment (BOI) said on Thursday.

Cyclical Consumer Goods

The plant in central Ayutthaya province operated by Sony Technology (Thailand) will have capacity to produce 2.1 million digital cameras per year, mainly for export, the BOI said in a statement.

It also has capacity to produce 2.73 million lenses plus camera parts. ($1=32.56 Baht) (Reporting by Khettiya Jittapong; Editing by Alan Raybould)

Consumer”s “positivity bubble” easy to burst

Washington, April 20(ANI): People build a “positivity bubble” while choosing between two good products. However, a new study has found that it is quite easy to burst the bubble.

Ab Litt and Zakary L. Tormala from Stanford University have explained the phenomenon in the new study.

Tormala said: “From routine cereal-aisle shopping to expensive big-ticket purchases, consumers are often free to choose among many similarly attractive options.

“In these contexts, it can be difficult to resolve one”s preferences to arrive at a purchasing decision.”

When decisions are difficult because the choices are equally appealing, people often become more positive in their attitudes and behaviors toward their chosen option after they choose it. But the authors found that this enhancement of a product is surprisingly fragile, and collapses easily in the face of even minor negative information about it.

The authors wrote: “We show that the process is more like inflating a ”positivity bubble,” where there”s an appearance of strong positive attitudes, but which masks a heightened vulnerability to ultimately collapsing.”

In three experiments, researchers asked consumers to make easy or difficult decisions to select one of two products (digital cameras or car stereos). Easy decisions were between a liked and disliked option, based on participants” earlier ranking of products. Difficult decisions were between two options that were ranked and liked similarly in that earlier stage.

The experts added: “Difficult decision scenarios with heightened stakes-such as shopping for expensive durable goods, choosing a gift for a loved one, or choosing a job, college, or house-are precisely those in which people would most hope to have accurate and stable attitudes.

“Perversely, our results suggest that in these cases their attitudes might actually be the most fragile and bubble-like, appearing strong but actually quite vulnerable to collapse.”

They concluded: “For consumers, our results suggest that the motivation to enhance and build up products chosen with difficulty (especially in important decisions) might boost happiness with them in the short term, but carry the risk of even greater dissatisfaction over time and experience.”

The study has been published in the Journal of Consumer Research. (ANI)

Moblies, digital cameras to feature in new WPI list

New Delhi, Sep. 8 (ANI): Moblie phones and digital cameras are among the 300 new items, which would figure in the new Wholesale Price Index (WPI).

Over 30 items would be taken off the new inflation series, which is expected to be out by December. Existing series has many obsolete items. They will not figure in the new series. There will be 25-30 articles which you will not see in the new index we are compiling,” an official said.

Most of the addition would be in the manufacturing products category and the primary items, which consist of food grains and milk, would remain unchanged, the official added.

There could be minor changes in the fuel, power light and lubricant group.

With the addition of new items, data reporting would be more representative and give a better picture of the price situation, he said.

The base year for the new index will be 2004-05 while the WPI is presently calculated on 1993-94 base.

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which brings out the inflation data, has started a trial run of the new index and data is being collected.

In the trail index, data for 1,100 items are being collected, which would be eventually consolidated to about 700 articles, the official said.

In the existing series, the weight of primary articles is 22.02 per cent while manufactured products contribute 63.75 per cent.

The weight of fuel, power, light and lubricants in the index is about 14 per cent. (ANI)

Novel light sensor to enhance digital cameras

Washington, June 19 : Performance of a large number of electronic devices, including digital cameras, could soon be enhanced, for researchers have now created light sensor-like a pixel in a digital camera-that benefits from a phenomenon known as multi-exciton generation (MEG).

University of Toronto (UT) scientists, who led the research, claim that they are the first group to have collected an electrical current from a device that makes use of MEG.

“Digital cameras are now universal, but they suffer from a major limitation: they take poor pictures under dim light. One reason for this is that the image sensor chips inside cameras collect, at most, one electron”s worth of current for every photon (particle of light) that strikes the pixel. Instead generating multiple excitons per photon could ultimately lead to better low-light pictures,” said Ted Sargent, professor in UT”s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

In solar cells and digital cameras, particles of light called photons are absorbed in a semiconductor, such a silicon, and generate excited electrons, known as excitons.

Thus, the semiconductor chip measures a current that flows as a result.

Normally, each photon is converted into at most one exciton, which lowers the efficiency of solar cells and it limits the sensitivity of digital cameras.

When a scene is dimly lit, small portable cameras like those in laptops suffer from noise and grainy images as a result of the small number excitons.

“Multi-exciton generation breaks the conventional rules that bind traditional semiconductor devices. This finding shows that it”s more than a fascinating concept: the tangible benefits of multiple excitons can be seen in a light sensor”s measured current,” said Sargent.

World’s fastest camera can capture 6 million snaps in a second

London, April 30 (ANI): Scientists have demonstrated the fastest imaging system ever devised, a camera that snaps images less than a half a billionth of a second long, capturing over six million of them in a second continuously.

According to a report by BBC News, a research team from University of California, Los Angeles, US, designed the world’s fastest camera, which has been dubbed Serial Time-Encoded Amplified imaging, or Steam.

It works by using a fast laser pulse dispersed in space and then stretched in time and detected electronically.

What is more, the camera works with just one detector, rather than the millions in a typical digital camera.

While other cameras used in scientific research can capture shorter-lived images, they can only capture about eight images, and have to be triggered to do so for a given event.

The Steam camera, by contrast, can capture images continuously, making it ideal for random events that cannot be triggered.

Some applications that may benefit from the approach include observing the communication between cells, or the activity of neurons.

But, the perfect example of an application for the Steam camera’s specifications is analyzing flowing blood samples in a search for diseased cells.

“Our next step is to improve the spatial resolution so we can take crystal clear pictures of the inner structure of cells,” said Bahram Jalali, the University of California, Los Angeles professor who led the research.

The technique depends on carefully manipulating so-called “supercontinuum” laser pulses.

These pulses, less than a millionth of a millionth of a second long, contain an enormously broad range of colours.

Because the spreading of the pulse’s various colours is so regular and ordered, the range of colours reflected contains detailed spatial information about the sample.

The researchers used a laser that fired more than six million pulses in a second, resulting in as many images.

However, they say that the system can be improved to acquire more than 10 million images per second – more than 200,000 times faster than a standard video camera.

The team is working to extend the technique to 3-D imaging with the same time resolution, and to increase the effective number of “pixels” in a given image to 100,000. (ANI)

Kodak India inaugurates state-of-the-art service facility

Mumbai, Apr 22 (ANI/Business Wire India): Kodak India today inaugurated its state-of-the-art digital camera service facility at Noida.

This ‘Level III’ facility is a pioneering initiative aimed at increasing greater customer satisfaction and enhancing convenience. Kodak India’s national distribution partner HCL Infosystems Ltd, India’s leading system integration and distribution company, will manage the back-end repairs and service at this new world class repair centre.

This is the first facility setup in India and only the second in Asia for Kodak to be equipped with the latest calibration and setup equipments for digital cameras and can handle complex servicing and repairs for Kodak customers in India.

This service facility is a part of Kodak’s integrated 3-tier integrated customer service offering which encompasses toll-free helpline and biker courier service. This initiative is part of the Kodak India endeavor to provide its customers with multiple touch points across various levels depending on the level of complexity of service requests.

The facility will augment its nation-wide service presence with back-end support to enable quicker and faster service for digital cameras. This service greatly helps in reducing turnaround time. This means that service centres do not have to wait for spares but can have the repairs done in the country itself.

Commenting on the inauguration, Ravi Karamcheti, MD, Kodak India said “Kodak after- sales service has always been a significant differentiator and we have been continually raising the bar in our pioneering service-related initiatives and upgrading our service infrastructure. Today Kodak has its service footprint across 30 + cities in the country. his service centre is a reiteration of Kodak’s customer centric approach in the country.”

Added Steve Green, Managing Director, Asia Pacific Region, Eastman Kodak Company “Eastman Kodak continues to be committed to enhance its service delivery in the Indian market. This world-class service infrastructure, second only in Asia, is a step in that direction”.

According to George Paul, Executive Vice President, HCL Infosystems, “At HCL, we bring three decades of ICT technology know how and we understand service requirements of the customers. Therefore, besides establishing country’s largest service and support network, we also support our partners to deliver efficiently on this front. Partners and Customer have always been at the core of HCL’s business and with this launch of Kodak service facility our partnership only gets stronger. We are sure that this initiative will go a long way in meeting the service needs of Kodak customers in India.”

Kodak already has in place a pickup and post-repair delivery biker courier service that is operational in seven metros. All the dealer has to do is call up the service centre and log the camera service call. In addition Kodak also provides service facilities like a toll-free helpline. (ANI)

Nikon planning to expand its retail outlets; launches eight new models of Coolpix cameras

The manufacturer of cameras and digital imaging products – Nikon India yesterday declared that it is planning to expand the number of its retail stores, to enhance its presence in the Indian Market. The camera maker announced that it will hire around 200 salespersons to beef up its sales force, under its retail expansion plan in India.

Speaking of the expansion plan of the company, Hidehiko Tanaka, the Managing Director of Nikon India, said, “Our expansion plans include increasing our sales force. So, this year we would be hiring around 200 demonstrators.”

According to Nikon India, it is planning to increase the number of its retail outlets to about 800 in India this year, and it is eying for 10 percent share in the estimated one-million-unit Indian compact camera market, and it is aiming for 40 percent share in the 13,000 unit SLR camera market.

Mr. Tanaka said, “We are planning to make our products available to around 800 shop-in-shop stores this year. Currently, we are present in 100 stores. So our focus this year in India would be expanding our base.”

Mr. Tanaka disclosed that the company is looking to open its new retail stores in the major cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Bangalore. He told that the company is also planning to introduce its ‘SLR Zone’ concept, which was recently introduced in New Delhi, to its retail stores in other major cities as well.

Additionally, Nikon India launched eight new models of its flagship Coolpix brand of digital cameras, including Nikon Coolpix P90, Coolpix S-Series including S630, S620, S230 and S220 cameras, Coolpix L100, Coolpix L20, Coolpix L19, priced in the range of Rs 7,450-Rs.25,950.

Sony Rolls Out 11 Digital Cameras; Eyes 42% Share In Digital Cameras Mkt

Sony Rolls Out 11 Digital Cameras; Eyes 42% Share In Digital Cameras Mkt The technology seems to be advancing day by day and it brings happy news for all those who are Gizmo freaks.

To strengthen its leadership position in the digital camera market, Sony India recently has launched 11 new digital still cameras in the market.

The newly launched digital still cameras come packed with newest technologies, and are available in the price range between Rs 7,990 and Rs 29,990.

Mr. Masaru Tamagawa, Sony India Managing Director, said, “With the introduction of new product line, we are looking to increase our market share to 42 per cent in the fiscal year 2009 from 37 per cent in the fiscal year 2008.”

The new products include the world’s slimmest digital camera having optical image stabiliser and digital still camera with burst shooting and sweep panorama function.

Sony has also introduced 10-12 mega-pixel resolution in all its cyber-shot models.

Moreover, the company is also eyeing to raise the total number of its outlets to 200 from 150 by the end of the existing year (2009).

Mr. Tamagawa said, “The company will increase the number of its exclusive outlets from 150 to 200 by the end of this year.”

He also said that Sony rolled out the new line to capture the rising market.

Fujifilm shows 3D camera at Photokina in Cologne

Fujifilm shows 3D camera at Photokina in CologneCologne, Germany – A Fujifilm camera that uses two lenses to create three-dimensional images is among eye-catching new products at the Photokina trade show currently under way in Cologne, Germany.

The Japanese company said Wednesday the Finepix Real 3D System can take both still images and video in 3D. Every exposure comprises two images taken from slightly different angles, creating the same effect as seeing with two eyes.

Photokina, held every two years, opened Tuesday and runs for six days. It has 1,500 exhibitors from 49 nations. The organizing company, Koelnmesse, said that among Asian nations, had the largest number of manufacturers representing it.

In the line-up of 45 Japanese companies at Photokina, world-class brands such as Nikon, Panasonic, Konica Minolta, Sigma and Olympus stand out. The main products at the show are digital cameras, both compact.

The fair organizers hailed a new camera-body family, the Micro Four-Thirds system, as a revolution in photography. Panasonic and Olympus are offering new products using it, including the Panasonic Lumix G1.

The cameras dispense with the mirror and prism which have been key parts of single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras for 70 years.

The user instead focuses using the live view on a high-resolution LCD screen. That makes the cameras smaller and lighter, while ensuring quick lens changes and high-quality pictures as with other SLR cameras.

Another Japanese-made attraction at Photokina is the Nikon Coolpix P6000, a camera with a GPS receiver to mark and save the geographical location of images.

A particularly robust camera on show is the Olympus 1050 SW, which can function in rain or snow.

Among the digital SLR cameras, the Nikon D90 is another eye- catcher. It can shoot high-quality video as well as still images.

Some 160,000 visitors are expected at the fair.