Megapixel Dreaming

I'm dreaming of a megapixel Christmas................
With so many new choices of "real" digital cameras, we're lucky to have sites like DP Review and Imaging Resource to keep us well informed about all of the newest models, I find their insights to be invaluable (they both also have RSS feeds!). From the $500 Kodak DX6490, new high-zoom cameras from Olympus, Fuji, Minolta, to the $999 Canon Digital Rebel, there will be a lot of first and second generation digital cameras getting handed down and replaced by some of these new models. I think we'll see a lot of users replacing one camera with two, an SLR-like camera that takes great pictures and a pocketable carry-everywhere camera. Now there's a bundle deal - buy a $799 five megapixel model and a get a free SMaL Camera UltraPocket. I'm sure SMaL would be happy to private label it for them!
This new Panasonic Lumix has a lot of positive buzz......

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10. Panasonic has today introduced the first 4-megapixel
consumer digital camera with 12x optical zoom. Featuring F2.8 brightness
throughout the entire zoom range, the camera's powerful 12x zoom (equiv. to
35-420mm on 35mm). It has Panasonic's MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)
which helps to deliver sharp, vivid images even when taking handheld telephoto
shots or shooting in low light. It is targeted for retail introduction in
November, and will have a manufacturer's suggested retail... [Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)]

Lightsurf is - "providing the underpinnings of instant imaging--the Polaroid of the 21st century." says founder Phillipe Kahn in new PC World Interview.

philippe kahn's doing moblogging?. the crazy frenchman behind Borland is finally back in the news [anil dash's daily links]

Lightsurf is a major player in providing imaging services and infrastructure for companies like Kodak and Sprint. I'm sure the interest and media attention around photoblogging has not gone un-noticed as well as competitive offerings from companies such as NewBay (see PicturePhoning link below). It will be nice to see the mobile operators recognizing that picture publishing (one-to-many) is just as important, maybe more, than picture messaging (one-to-one or one-to-few).

Irish Mobile Operator offers Phoneblogging Service, Newbay Software - who claims to have developped the world?s first mobile phone blogging system - announced today that its Foneblog service is now available to customers of one of Ireland?s leading mobile operators ? O2. [picturephoning.com]