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iListen 1.6.6 Speech Recognition Dictation, Command & Control, Transcription
DEVONthink Personal Edition 1.9 Released
FirmTek Announces and Ships Full Featured Dual-Bay Hot-Swappable Serial ATA External Enclosure
FirmTek Ships Innovative External Serial ATA Adapter for Macintosh and Windows Computers
Creative Manager Pro Adds New Features and Support for Safari 1.2.4 and iCal 1.5.4
Olympus Introduces Stylus 500 All-Weather 5-Megapixel Digital Camera
Hollywood Veterans Bring Next Generation Websites To a Computer Screen Near You
Aspyr Media Inc. Ships Call of Duty: United Offensive for the Mac
Toshiba Introduces Multimedia Center Hub to Enhance Notebook Computer Experience at Home
Agilent Technologies Introduces High-Performance, LED-Based Optical Mouse Sensor [/url]
iListen 1.6.6 Speech Recognition Dictation, Command & Control, Transcription
Dictation, correction, transcription, formatting and speech navigation with any application. iListen lets you use your voice, instead of your fingers.
iListens exclusive TalkAnywhere and CorrectAnywhere technology lets you dictate and correct anywhere you can type, even in Mail, Entourage, Word, FileMaker, iChat, AOL and many many more.
iListen even supports transcription. iListen will transcribe text from audio files and supports the Olympus series of Digital Voice Recorders.
New In iListen 1.6.6
• The total number of commands in an individual command set has been increased from 256 to 2,048.
• Individual commands can now be disabled.
• The Command Set version number has been added to the command set list display.
• New dictation commands have been added.
• Changed the behavior of deleting a word in Correction when the "no space" flag is on.
• The behavior of "No Leading Space" in Correction mode has been modified.
• The "Commit Corrections" command has been modified in Correction mode.
• Includes a new Mac OS X Voice Launcher command set.
• Miscellaneous bug fixes
1.6.6 is a free update to all version 1.6 users. A complete description of all the bug fixes and enhancements are included with this release.
iListen Features and Benefits
Dictation, Transcription, Editing, Formatting and Speech Navigation within any application. iListen frees you from the keyboard and mouse. You are able to dictate text, edit and format it with just the power of your voice.
iListen provides you with the simplest and easiest way to get text into the applications that you use - simply dictate anywhere you would type. Our exclusive TalkAnywhere technology allow to dictate and correct directly into almost ANY application on Mac OS 9.2.2 or Mac OS X.
iListen also provides Speech Navigation. You can press buttons, control the mouse, navigate the Finder and File Dialogs, open and close files, print, etc... all by voice.
Transcription will generate text from your WAV and AIFF audio files. Now for the first time on the Mac you can be productive with your Digital Voice Recorder, record now, transcribe later.
Hands Free Correction makes it easy to correct, update and teach iListen new words and phrases.
iListen's new Dock Menu provides you with one click access to iListen's most used funtions.
Package includes iListen 1.6.6 for Mac OS X, iListen 1.5.6 for Mac OS 9.2.2.
Mac OS 9 version of iListen - 1.5.6
The Mac OS 9 version of iListen in this release is 1.5.6. iListen on Mac OS 9.2.2. has not kept pace with the development of iListen 1.6.6 for Mac OS X. The new advanced features of iListen 1.6.6 are not available on Mac OS 9.2.2.
Feature Summary
• Easy to install, train and use
• Continuous Speech Recognition - Dictation in normal tone of voice and at a normal pace using the Philips FreeSpeech 2000 speech engine
• Direct Dictation - Dictate, edit and format text directly in any Application
• Correction - Correct and Update your Voice Model in almost any Application.
• Hands Free Correction - Correct using your voice, no need to use the keyboard or mouse, (Mac OS X only)
• Correction Playback - Hear what you said - in your own Voice!
• Adapts to your Speech - iListen adapts to your pronunciation of words faster and more accurately
• Transcription - Use a Digital Voice Recorder such as the Olympus DM-1, DS-330, or DS-2000 with your Mac. Let iListen read and transcribe your AIFF or WAV audio files into text. See the iListen Transcription Solution special offer.
• Huge Vocabulary - Vocabulary of more than 330,000 words developed in cooperation with Oxford University
• Command and Control - Speech control of the computer through built-in normal language and individually created commands
• Constant Feedback - The iListen Floating Palette provides you with constant feedback.
• Dock Menu - You can even use the Dock to access iListen functions on Mac OS X.
• Multiple Profiles - Everyone in your home can create their own voice profile, now everyone can use it.
• Text Macro Capabilities - Insert (up to 32,000 character) standardized or predetermined phrases and text - with a single spoken phrase
• Speech Navigation - Open, close and control applications and navigate the desktop by speech
• AppleScript Compatible - Ability to take advantage of Apple's built-in scripting language
• Internet Ready - Surf the web with your voice
System requirements:
• Mac OS 9.2.2, Mac OS 10.1.5, Mac OS 10.2.x or greater (including Panther)
• Requires a PowerMacintosh G3 or PowerMacintosh G4 computer with at least 192MB of RAM, 256MB RAM with Mac OS X.
Suggested Retail Price $99 without headset, $149.00 with headset/microphone.
For more information, visit:
http://www.macspeech.com/products/ilisten/
DEVONthink Personal Edition 1.9 Released
DEVONthink is the Mac incarnation of the real paperless office. It's a notepad, outliner, scrapbook manager, information manager, freeform database, archive, bookmark manager and image and multimedia database, all in one integrated application. DEVONthink intelligently stores and helps organizing all types of data, text files, PDFs, images, bookmarks, even QuickTime movies and MP3 files. A hierarchical filing structure and AI functions for sorting in and finding documents makes it ideal for both keeping a simple notebook and organizing large information collections.
DEVONthink Personal Edition 1.9 is the largest update to DEVONthink ever and comes with a completely overhauled user interface and more than 200 new functions, commands, file formats and improvements. Among them are extended text editing capabilities, automatic Wiki-style links, user-defined labels, an improved "Go" menu and an "Action" button, a sychronization function, a completely new preferences panel, a rewritten search function and dramatic speed improvements -- DEVONthink 1.9 indexes text files up to 6.5x faster than Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther" and up to 2.7x faster than "Tiger".
Also, we've added a flexible import/export plug-in architecture, updated the AppleScripts and added a few more, and integrated a new pdf-to-text engine in version 3.0. Additionally, the support for asian languages has been improved and the integrated web browser is easier to navigate and more compatible. And finally, DEVON have dropped their policy to distribute license codes that can only be entered within the first 30 days after they have been created. So, no more "outdated licenses" again.
An integrated text and RTF editor including a real-time paragraph/word/character count and many other comfortable editing and highlighting functions make it easy to not only enter short notes but to write letters, articles, even books. Finally, the integrated Safari-based web browser displays web pages directly within the DEVONthink workspace, e-mails can be comfortably imported using a provided AppleScript and all documents that DEVONthink does not natively recognize can be "printed" directly into the database from any other application.
Following DEVONnote 1.5 (released beginning of November), DEVONthink 1.9 is the second and largest update to DEVONtechnologies' range of applications. Version 1.9 comes with a completely overhauled user interface and more than 200 new functions, commands, file formats and other improvements.
New Features At-a-glance
The most notably new features are: automatic linking of words to other documents with the same name (automatic Wiki-style links), user-definable labels, an improved "Go" menu for easier navigation, an "Action" button for people with a one-button mouse, a completely rewritten search function and a command for synchronizing the database with files on disk. Importing and exporting is now handled by a flexible plug-in architecture, the accompanying AppleScript scripts have been improved and new scripts have been added, DEVONthink now supports all major QuickTime features such as zoom or automatic playback, and PostScript files are automatically converted on-the-fly to PDF. For PDF documents, the integrated PDF-to-Text engine has been updated to version 3.0, and DEVONthink 1.9 better supports texts in Asian languages.
User Interface
The user interface has been completely revamped and cleaned up, many commands are found now in more logical places, and unnecessary options have been removed or replaced by others. A new log panel keeps the user informed about files that could not be imported or any other incident. Additionally, to keep the most important functions always at hand, many new commands have been added to the contextual menu and can also be accessed via an "Action" button. This together with many more minor interface changes enhances the user experience and makes DEVONthink a lot easier to use than previous versions.
Speed Bump
DEVONthink Personal Edition already works with the database core of the forthcoming Professional Edition, which is significantly faster than in previous versions. DEVONthink Personal Edition 1.9 indexes text documents 6.5 times faster than Mac OS X 10.3 and 2.2 faster than the latest build of Mac OS X 10.4 ("Tiger"), XML files even up to 2.7 times faster than "Tiger".
Text Editing
The text editing capabilities have been significantly extended including a new sub-menu for inserting bullets, page breaks, the current date and time as well as for embedding a picture into rich texts, an option for displaying invisible characters such as spaces, tabs, line and page breaks, and enhanced character, word and paragraph statistics.
Preferences, Web Browser, Backup
The new preference panel allows to configure DEVONthink not only much easier, but also to modify DEVONthink's behaviour to a much wider extent. Finally, the integrated Safari-based web browser is easier to navigate and supports Java, JavaScript and plug-ins. Last but not least, the new backup function maintains one or more automatic backups of the database and restores them with just one click.
People use DEVONthink to
- collect text snippets, documents, images, PDF or movies, bookmarks, - archive their e-mails, - write new documents,
- organize all of them,
- create links between them,
- find that "needle in the haystack",
- and surf the Internet.
DEVONthink provides the main features of many standard applications such as Finder, Sherlock, Safari, TextEdit, Stickies, Preview, iPhoto, QuickTime Player and Help Viewer with one consistent, easy-to-use Mac-like interface.
Key features:
- Stores whatever you like, from texts, images, PDF, HTML and XML over text clippings, iChat logs, scripts and Microsoft Word/RTF files to links
- Is able to index contents only instead of storing them in the database
- Integrated browser based on Apple's WebKit ("Safari Engine")
- Helps you to sort in new stuff ("Classify", "See Also", keywords etc.)
- Advanced text editing including rulers, highlighting realtime statistics and display of invisible characters
- Lightning-fast, intelligent search function
- User-defined labels
- Dynamic Wiki-style links and static cross links
- Built-in outlining capabilities
- Easy-to-use interface providing Services and a Dock menu
- Supports Services (like CalcService or WordService)
- Supports drag-and-drop in both directions
What's unique:
- Im- and exports Finder comments
- Captures contents from the built-in browser or from Safari
- Imports e-mails from Apple Mail
- Plays QuickTime movies and MP3 files
- Stores aliases to local files
- Groups or ungroups documents, organizes them into hierarchies
- Works with much more file formats than all alternatives
- Batch imports and exports data extremely fast
- Works flawlessly with huge databases (>300 MB)
- Does not need indexing but searches faster than the competition
- Uses all major features of Mac OS X
DEVONnote 1.6
Version 1.6 is a minor update to DEVONnote 1.5, released on the 4th of November, and adds a new command for merging two or more documents into one large rich text document, the possibility to create more than one automatic backup of the database and the ability to add or remove columns in vertical and horizontal split views. Also, the integration with PhotoStickies has been improved as well as the overall user experience. DEVONnote 1.6 inherits a new revision of the database core from DEVONthink, is slightly faster and more stable.
DEVONthink and DEVONnote require at least Mac OS X 10.2.7 or higher with 256 MB RAM recommended. Both are immediately available for downloading from http://www.devon-technologies.com ; DEVONthink must be registered after the trial period for US$ 40, DEVONnote for US$ 20.
As with all "dot" updates, DEVONthink Personal Edition 1.9 is free for all registered users of DEVONthink. Download your copy here:
http://www.devon-technologies.com/download/commercial.php
For more information, visit:
http://www.devon-technologies.com/
FirmTek Announces and Ships Full Featured Dual-Bay Hot-Swappable Serial ATA External Enclosure
FirmTek, LLC, the world's leading developer of ATA host adapter solutions for Apple's Macintosh, has announced and begun shipping their new external SeriTek/1EN2 Serial ATA drive enclosure, providing the ultimate in storage flexibility when combined with the new SeriTek/1SE2 host adapter on a Macintosh or PC. The SeriTek/1EN2 delivers two state-of-the-art hot swappable hard drive bays which support today's media-rich applications. With key-lockable, hot-swappable drive bays and internal cooling, the system is designed from the ground up to deliver the ultimate in Serial ATA power and performance. It also features a case constructed of aluminum, providing both strength and efficient heat dissipation, and two fully shielded Serial ATA cables for the most reliable data transfer at all times.
The SeriTek/1EN2 represents FirmTek's latest storage upgrade solution for Macintosh and PC platforms. "Our engineering has remained at the forefront of ATA technology for the past several generations," said Chi Kim Stanford, Vice President of Business Development for FirmTek. "Our expertise has provided the foundation of many of the industry's best selling products for Ultra ATA/33/66/100/133 and now Serial ATA technology. We know that many knowledgeable users are aware of the role we have been playing, and we are well positioned to deliver this high performance external storage solution for their desktop."
The SeriTek/1EN2, combined with your choice of top-performance drives and a host adapter like the SeriTek/1SE2, can deliver data transfer rates of up to 150MBytes/sec or 1.5Gbits/sec per drive, easily supporting some of the most demanding applications like digital video creation & editing, computer animation, and digital photography. Its "hot swap" benefit allows users to remove and replace drives from either bay at any time, without powering down the computer. This allows for maximum flexibility and provides fast recovery with RAID-protected volumes.
SeriTek/1EN2 Key Features and Benefits:
* Attractive, durable design will impress in any workspace
* Power and activity LEDs for each hard drive
* Easy to set up: Only 3 steps to integrate each hard drive
* Easy to operate: Simply unlock and move latch to add or remove drives
* Easy to transport: Compact, portable, lightweight
* Brushed aluminum body for maximum durability and heat dissipation
* Two lockable drive bays for maximum security
* Hot-swappable, plug-and-play flexibility in switching drives
* Unprecedented system performance with data transfer rates of up to 150MBytes/sec or 1.5Gbits/sec per drive (may vary with adapters and drives)
* Designed as a native Serial ATA solution; no Parallel ATA to Serial ATA signal converters that might impact performance and reliability
* All connectors and cables are designed to minimize electrostatic discharge and electromagnetic emissions, providing the most secure environment for your data
* Compatible with all Power PC Macintosh and Windows computers equipped with external shielded Serial ATA ports, native or via PCI expansion cards
* Supports Mac OS 8.X, 9.X, and OS X version 10.1.5 or later and Windows 98/98SE/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003
* Ideal for multimedia-intensive applications: audio/video capture and editing, graphics manipulation and high-end digital publishing
* Delivers top performance for all Power Macintosh and Windows computers, especially for Macintosh G5 users who are limited to two internal drive bays
* Includes two fully shielded external Serial ATA cables and power adapter
FirmTek's SeriTek/1EN2 Serial ATA enclosure is available now for the estimated retail price of USD$169.95 (SATA-1EN2). A model bundled with FirmTek's SeriTek/1SE2 PCI adapter is also available for USD$259.95 (SATA-1SEN2). For more information or to find out how to purchase FirmTek products, please email or visit FirmTek's website at:
http://www.firmtek.com
FirmTek Ships Innovative External Serial ATA Adapter for Macintosh and Windows Computers
FirmTek, LLC, the world's leading developer of ATA host adapter solutions for Apple's Macintosh, has announced the shipment of their new external SeriTek/1SE2 Serial ATA PCI host adapter, with the bonus addition of Windows support on the same card. The SeriTek/1SE2 extends Serial ATA's 1.5Gbits/sec performance to the outside of the computer chassis, enabling users to take advantage of external Serial ATA drives and enclosures. With two external ports, it provides the bandwidth necessary to meet the needs of performance-hungry applications like high-definition digital video creation & editing and other high quality digital creations. For maximum flexibility in any environment the SeriTek/1SE2 is also designed to support the hot-swapping of drives, similar to that of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and FireWire.
"For the past several years, FirmTek has provided the engineering behind the world's best selling ATA host adapters for the Macintosh," said Chi Kim Stanford, Vice President of Business Development for FirmTek. "We have applied this experience and expertise to develop this unique hot-swap storage solution, available only from FirmTek. External Serial ATA is a powerful new capability, as it offers virtually unlimited storage capacity at a new level of personal computing performance. We are very proud to be able to offer this breakthrough technology to Macintosh users today, and we are very happy to announce that we also offer Windows support."
The SeriTek/1SE2 offers three key benefits: capacity, speed and flexibility. With the ability to support two external drives that are hot-swappable, a user is limited only by the number of drives they have on hand during a project. With drives now surpassing 400GB, there are few applications with requirements too extreme to be supported. When formatted and controlled by Mac OS X's RAID software or equivalent Windows Disk Management utility, the SeriTek/1SE2 will push the highest performance drives at speeds that support the storage of high-definition streaming video, which was difficult for most desktop systems before the arrival of Serial ATA. The hot-swap feature also provides for exceptional flexibility, as numerous users or applications can be supported without restarting the computer; when one task is completed, all of its files and applications can be disconnected, and a drive with the next project's software can be attached immediately.
SeriTek/1SE2 Key Features and Benefits:
* Two external ports with patent-pending hot-swap RAID synchronization capabilities
* Hot-swaps both stand-alone drives and drives within a RAID volume
* Boosts overall system performance with data transfer rates of up to 150MBytes/sec or 1.5Gbits/sec per port
* Compatible with all PCI-based Power PC Macintosh and Windows PCs
* Self-contained booting functionality with "Plug and Play" drivers built-in for Macintosh
* Supports Mac OS 8, OS 9, and OS X version 10.1.5 or later
* Drivers included for Windows 98/98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows 2003
* Provides performance and protection: Supports native OS X RAID 0/1; OS 9 RAID (with third party software) and adapter-based RAID 0/1 for Windows
* User-upgradeable firmware for updates and platform support
* Large LBA support for drives larger than 137GB
* Includes a "works with Macintosh" one-meter, fully shielded, thin and flexible SATA cable with 7-pin connector to allow easy, optimal placement of devices.
* Utilization of external storage minimizes system heat generation and power consumption
* Ideal for multimedia-intensive applications: audio/video capture and editing, graphics manipulation and high-end digital publishing
* Delivers top performance for all Power Macintosh and Windows computers, especially for Macintosh G5 users who are limited to two internal drive bays
FirmTek's SeriTek/1SE2 Serial ATA host adapter for the Macintosh is available now for the estimated retail price of USD$99.95 (SATA-1SE2). For more information or to find out how to purchase FirmTek products, please email or visit FirmTek's website at: http://www.firmtek.com
Creative Manager Pro Adds New Features and Support for Safari 1.2.4 and iCal 1.5.4
Creative Manager Pro, Ad Agency Software and Project Management Groupware for Creative and Design firms, have released version 7.4 adding new features for Client Profit & Loss reporting, support for Safari 1.2.4 and iCal 1.5.4, and more.
Lakewood NJ-based Creative Manager, Inc., provider of Creative Manager Pro and Creative Project Manager, announced today the release of version 7.4, adding a new Excel Financial Interface, Client Profit & Loss reporting and upgraded support for the security enhancements in Safari 1.2.4 and iCal 1.5.4, among other upgrades.
No installation or conversion will be necessary, and the update is free to all users of Creative Manager Pro and Creative Project Manager.
With the new Excel Financial Reporting, users don't need to export or import financial information. They create their own spreadsheets formatted the way they want, and the spreadsheet reads the financial data directly.
Ron Ause, Director of Marketing for Creative Manager, Inc., said "The Excel Financial Interface is a hot feature that no other web-based Ad Agency Software solution can offer. Profit & Loss reporting by Client is accomplished from the General Ledger itself, and all the way through to Excel. Try that with any other solution!"
Building on their long string of successful monthly releases and in response to increasing demand for these new features, Creative Manager Pro invested heavily to add the new financial features.
When asked about the new upgrade, Ause said "With the new security enhancements in Safari 1.2.4 and iCal 1.5.4, we're walking in step with Apple every step of the way!"
Additional enhancements allow users to schedule projects from the end date backwards, yielding a start date for the project.
Creative Manager Pro goes beyond costing to offer full Project Management, CRM, Digital Asset Management, billing and accounting, and Extranet capabilities.
Creative Manager Pro (at http://www.Creative-Manager.com ), is the only Ad Agency software and Project Management Software for the Creative Design industry, created exclusively for design firms, ad agencies, in-house creative/MarCom departments, and creative service firms. It is a web-based integrated project management software and job tracking solution which streamlines the entire firm, from developing new business, to staffing, managing, and executing projects through to accounting and financial reporting.
Creative Manager Pro is a full-featured, intuitive system which makes project and ad agency management a breeze. Creative Manager Pro supports Customer Relationship Management, Document Management, Shared Calendaring, Accounting and much more. Because it is web-based, there is nothing to install and it can be set up in a single day. It works with both PC and Macintosh from any location over any connection. It may also be installed locally on the client's own servers. All options include training and support to ensure that clients are up and running quickly.
Among the many features of Creative Manager Pro:
- Graphically view your firm's metrics - manage your firm by the numbers.
- Manage Contacts and Leads
- Create Project Schedules, Calendars and Manage Tasks
- Take your contacts and calendar on the road with iCal, AddressBook & Outlook
- Approve Timesheets, Purchasing, Billing and Budgets
- Review and Approve Artwork Online
- Store and Manage Digital Assets
- Manage and Balance the Books
- Free client and vendor access to streamline workflow.
- Quick startup/import from Clients & Profits, Adman and other systems
- Full-featured CRM (Client Relationship Management)
- Extranet capabilities
- Manage media with an interface with Strata
- Charting of important industry metrics and firm statistics
Take a test drive at:
http://www.Creative-Manager.com
Olympus Introduces Stylus 500 All-Weather 5-Megapixel Digital Camera
Olympus has announced the next generation in its best-selling Stylus series of premium point-and-shoot digital cameras: the Stylus 500. Featuring an impressive 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD that is as bright as it is big, 5.0-megapixels of image resolution, and a compact, durable, all-weather body, the Stylus 500 demonstrates that power and elegance can co-exist in a stylish package that delivers brilliant images.
"At Olympus we believe that great design is fundamental to the functionality of our cameras," said Tomoko Matsunaga, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. "When you merge superior performance with exceptional style, the result is an elegant looking camera that performs at the top of its class. With the introduction of the Stylus 500, Olympus has added advanced features and power to the lineup, such as a large, high quality LCD, 23 shooting modes and Album functionality."
The bright, clear 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD with 215,000 pixels of high resolution puts the Stylus 500 in a class of its own. Because it is a HyperCrystal LCD, it delivers a high contrast image and 160 degree wide-view radius. So gather your friends around - your photos are viewable from above, from the side, and from below. And while conventional LCD screens appear dim against bright light, the HyperCrystal LCD provides excellent visibility in any light condition - on the beach or on the slopes.
The Stylus 500 Digital combines a 5.0-megapixel CCD sensor with Olympus' exclusive image processor, TruePic TURBO, which significantly enhances image quality and delivers faster overall processing speeds for rapid startup, shutter release and playback. TruePic TURBO allows the Stylus 500 to capture information from all 5.0 million pixels with pixel "micro-smoothing" that delivers clearer and more color-accurate photos, even at lower resolutions. The result is high quality prints that can be cropped and printed to 11 x 14 inches and larger. The fast startup of less than one second and nearly instant shutter release time ensures high-speed response so you are always ready to take great pictures.
The compact, all-weather Stylus 500 can go virtually anywhere you can. The body is constructed of durable, lightweight metal with rubber gaskets throughout the interior to ensure that rain, sleet, snow or sand won't get in the way of great photos.
The Stylus 500 represents the next generation of the Stylus line. In addition to the durable, all-weather construction that made the Stylus famous, the Stylus 500 boasts a new flat-surface body design that takes the series in a new direction.
The look of the Stylus 500 is all about clean lines. Smooth, rounded edges make the camera comfortable to hold and easy to handle, and at a compact size of 3.9" (W) x 2.2" (H) x 1.2" (D), it fits snugly into a pocket and will not crowd a backpack. The circular lens barrier tucks away inside the camera body with a snap when powered on, and protects the lens with an impenetrable seal when closed, leaving the camera face smooth and flat. The back of the camera features a simple, functional design that emphasizes the large 2.5-inch LCD.
The Stylus 500 offers advanced features with point-and-shoot simplicity for taking flawless pictures. Designed to perform during a variety of occasions, 23 easy-to-use shooting modes can be accessed through the camera's menu, providing fully automatic exposure adjustments for shooting Portraits, Landscapes, Fireworks, and more. The camera's shooting modes now include two new underwater shooting modes and two Shoot & Select modes, which enable users to shoot rapid sequences of frames then select the best shot from the series and delete the rest.
The Stylus 500 will change the way you view your digital camera. Now instead of simply capturing images with the Stylus 500, you can think of it as a "Portable Photo Album" that goes wherever you go. With a new Album Function, photos can be easily organized into photo albums stored on the camera's xD-Picture Card. Create up to 12 individual albums of 100 images each, in the order you want to show them, and take your photos everywhere - your photo album will no longer be confined to your coffee table.
Olympus photos are known worldwide for sharp, vibrant image quality. This is achieved through a number of key technologies, such as Olympus' high-quality all-glass lens (with aspherical lens elements), designed specifically for digital cameras. The lens provides the equivalent of 35 to 105mm, f3.1 - f5.2 in 35mm photography, with 12x combined total zoom (3x optical and 4x digital) to bring the action closer, and a Super Macro Mode that captures details as small as the wings of a butterfly.
The Stylus 500 also features an all-weather speaker and microphone, enabling users to narrate images with personalized audio captions. With its QuickTime Movie Mode, the Stylus 500 can record movies of any length, limited only by the size of the memory card in the camera.
Connecting the Stylus 500 to a computer is easy with the USB Auto Connect feature, which connects directly via USB 2.0 cable and requires no software. Or, If you prefer, forget the computer altogether. The power of PictBridge technology enables photos to be printed directly from the Stylus 500 to any PictBridge-enabled printer, such as the Olympus P-10 Digital Photo Printer, without using a computer. Printing and sharing images has never been easier, and the P-10's photo lab-quality dye-sublimation printing produces archival-quality prints in rich color.
OLYMPUS Master software provides the ultimate in digital imaging management. An intuitive user interface makes downloading to your computer quick and simple, and images are searchable by date or keyword in the Calendar View. And with one-click editing tools, such as red-eye reduction, images can be touched up before printing or emailing. Online support, templates, firmware upgrades and other user services are just a mouse-click away.
The Stylus 500 will be available in January 2005. It includes: 32MB xD-Picture Card, Wrist Strap, Camera WIN/Mac USB Cable, Audio/Video cable, Li-12B Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery and Charger, Quick Start Guide, Basic Instruction Manual, Warranty Card, CD-ROM with OLYMPUS Master Software, and Camera reference manual.
Estimated Street Price: $399.99 (U.S.)
For more information, visit:
http://www.olympusamerica.com
Hollywood Veterans Bring Next Generation Websites To a Computer Screen Near You
Long Island-based high-tech PR powerhouse Thomas Public Relations, Inc. announced today that it has been chosen agency of record by Los Angeles-based interactive Web solutions company NexcoSM:
http://www.nexco.com/>www.nexco.com
Thomas PRĂ’ was chosen because of its leadership position in PR and branding for the Internet, multimedia and consumer electronics markets.Â
Nexco is a leading Web and wireless business solutions provider with a stellar team headed by Hollywood veteran writer/director Gregg Goldstone, who worked as assistant director with Mel Brooks, as well as with John Milius and Paul Verhoeven, most notably on “Starship Troopers,� which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Effects, Visual Effects in 1998. Nexco’s enterprise services are powered by a staff experienced in high impact messaging, Web services development, multimedia content creation, global branding, IT systems integration and business process consulting.  Nexco’s team hail from such companies as Oracle, Apple Computer, American Management Systems, BT CellNet, Disney Online, IKEA Shanghai, Car & Driver, Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount, Universal, New Line Cinema and Walt Disney Pictures, as well as television networks NBC, CBS, ABC and PBS.
“Every year since we launched our first Web brand in 1998, the baseline for what Web and wireless communications should look like has changed in new interlocking ways. We’ve made it our business to be out in front of those changes then and now. Today’s Web audiences expect next-generation experiences that are truly remarkable, and if they don’t get what they expect, they may not come back. That’s the experience economy at work, and it’s what Nexco is all about. We’re driven by a single realization: that a human being’s interaction with a brand today constitutes a wholly new kind of relationship; that market forces are transforming yesterday’s customer/visitor into today’s interactive audience member. Nexco’s been listening to what large enterprises and their audiences have been telling us, and completely structured its business around delivering the solutions enterprise needs to engage today’s interactive audiences. Delivering high performance solutions that plus the bottom line is our job one,� said Gregg Goldstone, CEO, Nexco.
Nexco joins Thomas PR’s roster of successful companies in the multimedia and entertainment fields. In addition, Thomas PR’s International clients focus on markets such as networking, wireless technologies and telephony, home entertainment and music, and include Concord Camera for low-cost consumer digital cameras and camcorders; SkipJam for the first whole-house high fidelity, all-digital integrated home entertainment system; Kidz Gear for consumer electronics for children; Octiv for broadcast-quality business telephony and audio products for iTunes; M-ROCK for the ultimate camera and accessory bags, Express Digital for pro and consumer photography software and their pro photo site
Aspyr Media Inc. Ships Call of Duty: United Offensive for the Mac
The war the changed the world rages on. Call of Duty: United Offensive is the highly anticipated expansion pack to Infinity Ward's award-winning Call of Duty -- which has received over 80 Game of the Year and 50 Editor's Choice Awards worldwide. Call of Duty: United Offensive is a robust expansion pack, introducing 13 all-new single-player missions distributed among historical U.S., British and Russian campaigns, an expanded multiplayer experience featuring 11 new maps and three new modes of play, plus new weapons, player abilities and special effects. Developed by Gray Matter Interactive Studios, Call of Duty: United Offensive has been brought to the Macintosh by Aspyr Studios and is licensed by Activision, Inc.
Call of Duty: United Offensive allows gamers to experience more of WWII's most legendary conflicts through the eyes of Allied soldiers fighting for the liberation of Europe through 13 intense new single player missions. Featuring three all-new campaigns, the game lets players join the U.S. 101st Airborne during the Battle of the Bulge, the British campaign as an airman shooting down German ME-109s from a B-17 bomber, and the Russian frontlines as a conscript in the crucial eight-day Battle of Kursk.
The expansion pack also features a handful of enhancements, such as new realistic WWII weapons, including the German Flammenwerfer 35 Flamethrower and Panzerschrek anti-tank weapon, American M1A1 Bazooka, Russian Tokarev SVT-40 Self-Loading Rifle, portable deployable machine-guns, smoke grenades and more. Furthermore, Gray Matter has added an entirely new special effects system to Call of Duty: United Offensive, providing visually stunning moments to players with realistic explosions, weather and particle effects.
Additionally, Call of Duty: United Offensive expands on the popular multiplayer experience of the original Call of Duty. Players can go online for the ultimate battle between Axis and Allied powers, now including vehicle combat aboard tanks and jeeps as well as tank-and-foot-soldier combined arms action. The expanded multiplayer component offers 11 new maps and three new modes of play -- including Base Assault, Capture the Flag and Domination -- where squads must take control of key locations while preventing enemy troops from advancing. And, a newly added ranking system now lets players earn additional weaponry upon completion of objectives, call in artillery support, and gain the respect of friends and foes alike.
The game is rated "T" (Teen -- Blood, Mild Language, Violence) by the ESRB and is available now at:
http://www.aspyr.com/games.php/mac/coduo/
Toshiba Introduces Multimedia Center Hub to Enhance Notebook Computer Experience at Home
Toshiba's Digital Products Division, a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. and provider of industry-leading portable computers, projectors and other mobile-related services and products, today introduced the Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub that allows consumers to easily connect their notebook computers to their home entertainment systems.
The Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub enables users of any notebook computer running Microsoft Windows XP Home, Microsoft Windows XP Pro and the recently released Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 to:
-- Play music, movies or games in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound from home entertainment systems or external PC speakers;
-- Play games in full EAX(TM) Advanced HD Surround Sound for a realistic 3D audio experience;
-- Listen to MP3 play lists on home stereo speakers by connecting the hub to a stereo receiver via a SPDIF coaxial audio cable;
-- Connect joy sticks, steering wheels and game pads for an enhanced gaming experience via any of four USB ports, as well as connect other devices such as a printer or scanner;
-- Connect to the Internet via an integrated Ethernet port to download music or digital video, or just send a friendly e-mail.
"The notebook computer is being transformed from primarily a productivity tool into a personal entertainment hub where users can manage and enjoy multimedia content," said Taro Hiyama, vice president of marketing, Toshiba Digital Products Division. "The Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub offers consumers a simple and inexpensive way to enhance their multimedia experience on their notebook computers."
Designed in a compact form smaller than a VHS tape, the Multimedia Center Audio/USB Hub is priced at $129.99 and is currently available from ToshibaDirect at:
http://www.toshibadirect.com
Agilent Technologies Introduces High-Performance, LED-Based Optical Mouse Sensor
Agilent Technologies Inc. today introduced an LED-based optical mouse sensor that provides better tracking control than the company's previous-generation LED-based devices. The new sensor outperforms other optical mouse sensors by working over a wider variety of surfaces, including wood desktops and halftone images. Only Agilent's revolutionary laser mouse technology introduced earlier this year works on more surfaces, due to its 20x improvement over LED-based devices in surface tracking accuracy.
The Agilent ADNS-3060 LED-based optical mouse sensor provides excellent tracking control for applications such as corded and cordless mice for desktop and game PCs, notebook PCs, trackballs and integrated input devices.
"Agilent's latest LED-based optical mouse sensor provides performance enhancements that enable OEMs to offer higher-performing corded or wireless mice at a moderate incremental cost," said Ed Keane, navigation sensors business manager for Agilent's Sensor Solutions Division. "Consumers can expect increased precision, reliability and performance with optical mice powered by Agilent's new navigation sensor."
Compared with Agilent's widely used ADNS-2051 high-performance optical navigation sensor, the ADNS-3060 features 3.3-volt (vs. 5 V) operation, power-down current consumption of 30 uA (vs. 240 uA), maximum clock frequency of 24 MHz (vs. 18 MHz), and a maximum speed of 40 inches per second at 6,400 frames per second (vs. 14 ips at 1,500 fps). Both sensors offer a resolution of up to 800 cpi (counts per inch). The ADNS-3060 is designed for use with the Agilent ADNS-2120/ADNS-2120-001 lens, the ADNS-2220/ADNS-2220-001 clip and the HLMP-ED80-XX000 LED. Together these parts form a complete, compact mouse sensor solution.
The ADNS-3060 sensor uses a self-adjusting frame rate, which automatically matches the frame rate to the surface characteristics for optimum performance. If the navigation surface reflects light efficiently, for example, the sensors will tune for a higher frame rate to improve the tracking performance; in previous optical sensors the frame rate was adjusted by external microcontroller firmware. The self-adjusting frame rate feature can be disabled if manual control is preferred.
The ADNS-3060 contains an image acquisition system (IAS), a digital signal processor (DSP) and a four-wire serial port. The IAS acquires microscopic surface images via the lens and illumination system. These images are processed by the DSP to determine the direction and distance of motion. The DSP generates the (delta) x and (delta) y relative displacement values, which are converted into SPI (system-packet interface) signals. An external microcontroller reads the x and y information, then translates the data into PS2 or USB signals before sending them to the host PC or game console.
The Agilent ADNS-3060 optical navigation sensor is priced at $5.00 each in high-volume quantities. It is available now through Agilent's direct sales channels and worldwide distribution partners. The ADNS-3060 is delivered in a 20-pin DIP (dual inline package). The combination of the ADNS-2120/ADNS-2120-001 lens, the ADNS-2220/ADNS-2220-001 clip and the HLMP-ED80-XX000 LED is priced at $0.56 in high-volume quantities.
For more information, visit:
http://www.agilent.com/view/opticalnavigation
Charles W. Moore
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