Polaroid was once the hipster of photography but their day is gone. Digital cameras have pushed the need/fun of instant photos to the wayside and the storied company is going to stop manufacturing the instant film at the end of this year. I’m sure most of us have pleasant memories waiting for the sub-par photos slowly emerge from the grey film. Those still enjoying the format should know that this news isn’t all that bad though ’cause Fujifilm still has a line of instant film cameras and they haven’t announced a production cut – yet. We wish Polaroid the best of luck in this fast paced, digital world and the namesake will always conjure up fond memories. [image credit: Collin David] → Read More
Alas, as you may know, Polaroid is stepping out of the film business, and although I’m sure 3rd-party film will be available at a premium in the future, Polaroid has set the dates after which their instant film will no longer be available. Check out the link below for the info on when the film cartridges for your camera will die the true death. [via Geeksugar] → Read More
I would have preferred that Polaroid just ran itself into the ground making the same exact Polaroid film cameras and cartridges, but someone got ambitious over there and now they’re getting into the business of making just about everything. Coming soon is a new PMP, and believe it or not, they didn’t call it the PMPeroid, which would have sold so many. The PMP itself sports a 4.3″ 16:9 LCD screen and 60 gigs of memory. It’s supposed to sell for under $400, so that makes it a decent deal right there as long as it’s not crippled in some way. It does WMV and mp4 and there are plans for DivX plugins, which makes it sound a bit dated. I’d like to get you more info and pictures but Polaroid.co.uk seems to have died for the moment. But keep hammering it anyway. Polaroid reveals their new PMP player, catchily titled the MPU-43315 [Shiny Shiny] → Read More
[photopress:polaroid_zink_w606.jpg,full,center] Polaroid is staying in the instant photo biz with the ZINK printer. Keep it in your pocket, and when you’ve got an image you want to print, just send it to the tiny printer from your camera to have a regular-sized, sticky print in just under a minute. If you’re old school, you can shake it while it comes out. It connects via USB or Bluetooth. The ink isn’t inkjet, meaning it’s more water resistant (and hopefully less expensive). We’re going to try to get a demo unit of this sexy box for sure. Hit the link to see a video of the device in action. Exclusive Video: Polaroid’s ZINK printer [T3] → Read More
[photopress:polo.jpg,full,center] One of the unfortunate aspects of the so-called digital revolution is that older, analog technologies get left behind. With digital cameras, Polaroid photos are being replaced. Digitals are more instant, and usually look better, though there’s something about the primary colors and blurry edges of a Polaroid that will always rule. Those days are soon to pass. Polaroid is closing its last film plant in Concord, Mass. It will continue to work in the digital field, but there will be no more shaking of those 3×3 pieces of chemically-enhanced plastic. So sad. Polaroid to Close Last Remaining Film Plants [Fox News] → Read More
Here’s a great list comprised of tech and food failures from the last 50 or so years. I don’t even remember some of these things, but I’m sure the old farts in the audience will be able to tell me what they were. What’s Betamax? The IBM PC Jr.? WTF?! Hop on over and check them out and leave your thoughts in comments. Maybe I’ll learn something today. Is there anything you’d add, whether it’s food or tech? 10 Famous Product Failures [Grow Think] → Read More
Biggs and I were talking shop awhile back and I mentioned that it was as if, sometime in the past decade, LG and RCA had a Freaky Friday-like switcheroo. As anybody over the age of 10 likely recalls, RCA used to be an omnipresent CE brand—especially in TVs. And LG? Let’s just say those letters didn’t always stand for “Life’s Good.” Rather, the company-formerly-known-as Lucky-Goldstar used to be synonymous with el cheapo bargain basement goods. The fact is, for consumer electronics companies, brand is everything. It isn’t just features and value that causes somebody to reach for a certain box at Best Buy, its the warm and fuzzy feelings a brand name gives them. And, as RCA and Lucky-Goldstar show us, a brand’s fortunes can change on a whim. So now, we take a look not only at one company that has done a great job of keeping with the times, but the many who have failed, and the lessons they can offer to those who are on the verge of winding up in the clearance bin. Click the jump to read the rest of the story… → Read More
Zink is using a new kind of printing technology utilizing crystalized-ink embedded in paper. The result is a heat-activated printing solution that will create quick, great looking photos. Zink’s first product is a small pocket printer that is about the size of a deck of cards and is priced to sell for less than $100. The printer will easily connect to a mobile phone or a computer to print out fun little prints that you and your friends can throw up on the fridge. Little details are available on a release date, but this could really bring Polaroid (Zink’s parent company) back into the limelight. Zink Pocket Printer: iPhone Companion? [Gizmodo] → Read More
There are a few more products from CES I wanted to fill you in on. One I met with before CES (TeleNav), one I missed my meeting with (Trimble Outdoors) and the other was a spur-of-the-moment thing (Polaroid’s Media Backup Drives). TeleNav makes GPS solutions for mobile devices. (Trimble does, too, for that matter.) TeleNav’s big announcement for CES was that it’ll have the first mobile phone-based GPS navigation service with intelligent traffic notification and rerouting functionality. Initially only available to Sprint customers using the $9.99-per-month TeleNav GPS Navigator service, TeleNav Traffic will—for no additional charge through June 30, 2007, $3.99 a month thereafter—regularly monitor traffic and proactively alert you of slowdowns and incidents along your route. And most importantly, with a single button press it will reroute you according to the latest traffic conditions. → Read More
San Francisco, CA
