LaCie today announced its innovative iamaKey has won a Gold Award at this year's International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA®) – sponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) and Fast Company magazine. LaCie's dashing Starck hard drive line was also recognized as an award finalist.
The coveted gold acknowledgment is awarded to only 38 recipients out of 405 finalists. As one of the world's most prestigious and recognizable design competitions, IDEA is a celebration of the year's most innovative and exciting product and product concept designs. This year submissions came from 29 different countries.
"It is in the DNA of LaCie that we constantly push the limits of great product design," said Philippe Spruch, LaCie Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Winning a Gold Award in such a prestigious design competition is truly a testament of our work and the talent of the designers we work with. I commend 5.5 Designers for their precision on this project."
Designed by 5.5 Designers, the iamaKey is an inventive, compact key-shaped USB key that conveniently fits in a pocket or on a key ring and holds up to 64GB of flash storage.
Built with sturdy aluminum, the key is resilient to the rigorous treatment that often befalls common USB keys. The iamaKey is both water- and scratch-resistant, making it one of the most durable flash drive choices on the market.
"When designing this USB key our number one priority was storing and protecting users' data. With a myriad of existing USB designs, we decided to focus the original product name and propose a USB key in the form of key," said Jean-Sebastien Blanc, 5.5 Designers. "It is an obvious idea and one could easily wonder why no one had the idea before."
The simplicity and functionality of this design have garnered an abundance of media coverage. The iamaKey was featured on popular morning shows such as "Live with Regis and Kelly" and "Good Morning America." It was also a hit during the holiday season, debuting in Associate Press and Wired gift guides – making it one of the most desired USB keys on the market.
The iamaKey now comes in three unique key-shaped designs and is available through the LaCie Online Store at www.lacie.com.
Fast Company feature - http://www.fastcodesign.com/idea-2010/lacie-iamakey-cookey-and-whiskey-usb-flash-drives
IDSA feature - http://www.blue-harvest.org/content/content1/usb-flash-keys
About 5.5 Designers
Recipients of the "Grand prix de la creation" by the city council of Paris, the 5.5 Designers studio focuses on research and consulting. Since its inception in 2003, 5.5 Designers has consulted on projects ranging from electronics to public installations and household products. With its focus on "sublimating the ordinary" and talent for humor and simplicity, 5.5 Designers has developed a client list populated with major French and international brands and organizations such as Baccarat, Bernardaud, Centre Pompidou and LaCie.
About LaCie
Located in the USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, Europe, Singapore and Hong Kong, LaCie is the leading manufacturer of computer peripherals for Windows, Apple and Linux users. LaCie creates external storage solutions and color monitors that help professionals and everyday people easily manage their digital lives. LaCie has differentiated its products through original designs and leading-edge technology. Established in France in 1989, LaCie is listed on Euronext under FR0000054314 (LAC). For more information, visit www.lacie.com
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Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sigma SD15 DSLR camera now available
Sigma SD15 DSLR camera now available for estimated street price of $989
Latest model in SD series boasts enhanced image quality, more pixels and faster processor
Ronkonkoma, NY, June 30, 2010 – Sigma Corporation of America (www.sigmaphoto.com), a leading researcher, developer, manufacturer and service provider of some of the world's most impressive lines of lenses, cameras and flashes, is pleased to announce that the company’s highly anticipated SD15 digital SLR camera is now available in the United States for the estimated street price of $989.
The SD15 is the latest model in Sigma’s SD series, which previously consisted of the SD9, SD10, and now includes the SD14. The DSLR has been developed to produce superior image quality with improved processing speed, operation and performance, and its 14-megapixel Foveon X3 direct image sensor can capture all primary RGB colors at each pixel location arranged in three layers. The SD15’s “TRUE II” image processing engine helps the camera process a large amount of data, while producing high-resolution, high-definition images with impressive three-dimensional detail and rich gradation.
“Our plans for the SD15 were originally shared with the photo community at photokina in 2008 because we wanted our customers to know that we’re committed to the SD camera system and our outstanding Foveon technology,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, general manager of Sigma Corporation of America. “It’s been long-awaited, for sure, but it’s worth the wait. We are really pleased with the image quality we’re getting from this camera.”
In addition to the enhanced processing speed from the TRUE II engine, the SD15 adopts the SD card and incorporates a highly visible 3.0 inch LCD monitor with 460,000 pixels and greater pixel density, a new, 77-Segment AE sensor, an Analog Front End (AFE), and an extra ISO stop at 3200. The SD15’s buffer is also larger than its predecessor’s, allowing 21 raw images to be shot continuously, as opposed to six, and the camera has an improved user interface.
The Sigma SD15 comes with the company’s new Sigma Photo Pro (SPP) 4.0 software, which features new, user-controlled noise sliders that allow for greater control over detail rendering in images taken at ISO 400 and higher, and special algorithms that were specifically developed for processing SD15 raw files. Like earlier versions of the software, SPP 4.0 also contains the X3 Fill Light function, which allows users to easily add light to shaded areas of an image, without overexposing highlighted areas.
In March of 2008, Sigma introduced a high-end compact digital camera, the DP1, which uses the same large image sensor as featured in Sigma’s digital SLR cameras. That camera was soon followed by the DP2, DP1s, DP1x and DP2s. The DP and SD series have established a strong following from a wide range of amateur and professional photographers.
For information about the SD15, visit www.sigmaphoto.com. To view an SD15 sample image photo gallery visit www.sigma-sd.com/SD15/sample-photo/index.html and to view video tutorials of the SD15 camera and the SPP software, visit Sigma Corporation of America’s YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/SigmaAmerica
About Sigma Corporation
For nearly 50 years, Sigma Corporation’s expertise and innovation has driven the company’s core philosophy of “knowledge, plus experience, plus imagination,” with an emphasis on producing high-quality, high-performance photographic technology at moderate prices. This family-owned organization is the largest, independent SLR lens manufacturer in the world, producing more than 50 lenses that are compatible with most manufacturers, including Sigma, Canon, Sony, Nikon, Olympus and Pentax. Sigma Corporation also produces digital SLR cameras and high-definition digital compact cameras. The company is headquartered in Japan, with offices strategically located throughout Europe, Asia and North America. For information, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com.
Litepanels Micro Pro Hybrid
Flash and Continuous Output in One Fixture!
Discover the world’s first Continuous LED light combined with a "Flash" feature. The Hybrid’s “Continuous Mode” provides luminous, wrap-around soft output that beautifully complements the camera’s video capability in today’s motion-enabled DSLR cameras. The “Flash” feature produces a 400% brighter burst, which is perfect for illuminating a variety of still images.
Shift free, Flicker free, Heat free.
At the top of the Hybrid housing, a convenient integrated dimmer offers instant 100% to 0 dimming with minimal color shift. Output is flicker free and heat free and remains consistent. For greater versatility, an integrated filter holder on the face of the light allows you to work with three (included) color/diffusion gels. Additional filters can be conveniently stored on the back of the fixture. A Strobe Sync Cable included at the base of the unit simply plugs in to enable a strobe function.
Power Saver!
Litepanels Micro Pro Hybrid produces 1.5 hours of continuous output from 6 AAHD batteries or 5-6 hours from Energizer e2 Lithium cells. It generates almost no heat, so it’s remarkably easy to handle. And the system can be run off of either standard or rechargeable batteries. Power can be supplied optionally through a convenient 5-16V input jack located on the back of the unit. In addition there is an optional DV Adapter Plate for Panasonic, Canon and Sony batteries.
Advantages:
- Heat free LED technology
- Produces bright, HD-friendly soft light
- Integrated dimmer 100% to 0
- All in one with Strobe Sync Cable
- Absolutely flicker free light output
- Runs 1.5 hrs. on 6 AAHD Alkaline batteries, or 5-6 hours on Energizer e2 Lithium cells
- Uses standard or rechargeable batteries
- Lightweight and compact
- 50,000+ hours of LED life
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