GeekSugar

Kodak Halts Camera Production: A Look Back at Its Vintage Beauties

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:21:25 PST

Kodak announced today that it would be halting production of digital cameras, pocket video cameras, and digital picture frames in the first half of this year. The company will instead focus its business on retail-based photo printing and inkjet printers, camera accessories, and batteries, while seeking out licensing partners for future camera products.

Kodak introduced the first digital camera in 1975, but had an impressive lineup of film cameras prior to, and after, that date. We pay tribute to Kodak's legacy here, with a slideshow of our favorite vintage Kodak cameras. Click through the gallery to see more.

Download of the Day: Kodak Gallery For Group Photo Sharing

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:11:26 PST

I'd have a beautiful collection of photos from every family get-together or Summer vacation if only I could get my hands on all the pics hiding out on the cameras and iPhones of those in attendance of these memorable events. What to do? Download the free Kodak Gallery app, which allows one person to create a photo album and invite select people to add their photos to the collection.

Photo contributors to Kodak Gallery don't have to create an account to add to the gallery - phew! - so no new log-in needed. Invite these contributors by email, text, Facebook message, or dozens of other social networks, and they'll be sent a link to the online album. If the contributor also downloaded the iPhone app, they can add photos directly from their phone to the Kodak gallery. Only those invited to an album can see the photos, so there won't be friends of friends of friends seeing how much fun was had on that recent Las Vegas trip.

Like the features we've become used to on sites like Facebook, album users can like and comment on photos. The feature I'll be using the most for the holidays is downloading full-resolution size of photos I had never been able to get my hands on before the group sharing to create custom gifts directly within the Kodak website.

Kodak Playfull Camera Is Big on Fun

Kelly Schwarze — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 11:27:44 PDT

While this would've been perfect for tropical Summer getaways, Kodak's new Playfull waterproof video camera has us itching to plan a new island vacation as an excuse to put its waterproof function to the test.

The just-announced gadget packs 720p HD video quality in its four-inch, pocket-size frame and withstands up to 10 feet under water for up to two hours. Included camera effects are black and white, sepia, high saturation, and a '70s-style lens. Unfortunately, still shots are only captured at a 1MP resolution.

The camera's Share button automatically uploads content to top social networking sites when connected to a computer. Look for the Playfull in stores this month in black for $120 with a 4GB SDHC memory card and in red and white for $100 without the SDHC card.

Up Mama's Geek Ante With Gadget Finds For Mother's Day

Rebecca M Gruber — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:31:56 PDT

Mama's already equipped with a smartphone and the hottest apps, so now's your chance to kick it up a notch. There's a whole world of gadgets that translate perfectly into the world of motherhood. Think of them as toy box finds for moms. Check out my picks for mom's special day.

My Favorite Gadgets of CES 2011

Kristen Hawley — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:30:05 PST

After two full days of scouring the floor for the coolest, most exciting, and most original new gadgets, here is a list of my five favorite gadgets from this year's CES.

House of Marley iPhone and iPod Dock - Take a look at this gorgeous dock, called the One Foundation. It was one of the first products I had a chance to look at during CES and remained one of my favorites throughout. The entire House of Marley collection is made from eco-friendly materials, and the sound quality is excellent. This $500 beauty is high on my wish list.
Samsung 7 Series Slider PC - After initially knocking the device for its slide-out keyboard, I got a firsthand look at the tablet/PC hybrid and am impressed with both its form and function. While it would take some serious power to convert this Apple girl into a Windows fan, Samsung's answer to the tablet craze hits closer to awesome than I expected.
Speck TimeToRock iPod Nano Strap - I love my perfect-for-exercising iPod Nano, and this wrist strap takes it to the next level. It's lightweight, but keeps your Nano accessible. And an included arm strap keeps a long cord from getting in the way during your workout.
Kodak's 3D printing software - Kodak All-in-One Printer owners can now print photos in 3D with new software. The technology is so cool, I even waited in line myself to check it out. To print a 3D photo, take two photos of the subject, shifting the camera about three inches to the right for the second picture. It's very important your subject stands perfectly still as you snap the photos, but combining them using the Kodak's new software yields a great 3D image that can be printed on most recent Kodak printers and viewed with traditional red and blue 3D glasses. A little bit kitschy, a little bit geeky, all awesome.
Laptop bags and sleeves from PKG - PKG is a Canadian company who I saw for the first time at CES. After nearly two days of looking at hundreds of bags and accessories, their excellently designed bags and sleeves stood out from the rest. They aren't in US stores just yet, but you can check out some of their offerings on their website. I'm especially in love with an orange version of the Quilted Laptop Sleeve that also has an outer pouch to accommodate the iPad.

Kodak Introduces Second-Gen Playsport, First-Gen Playfull

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 02:00:19 PST

My feelings for the Kodak Playsport have been well-documented. Not only can you take this pocket cam almost anywhere (even in super rugged conditions) but you can shoot up to 10 hours of HD video! And, well, the affordable price doesn't hurt either.

Announced before the CES show floor opens, Kodak ushered in a new generation of Playsport camcorders and even added in a little something extra. Called the Playfull, this pint-size camcorder is small - so small you might forget you even have it in your pocket. It's like the iPod Nano of Kodak camcorders. Taking full 1,080p videos and five MP stills (with expandable memory up to 32GB), you can capture videos and email them to your YouTube, Flickr, Facebook, and Twitter accounts (among others), and connect right to your computer using the built-in USB arm. Look for the Playfull to hit shelves in March for $150.

View 5 Photos ›

Want the skinny on the second-gen Playsport? Find out more after the break.

Lil Gift Guide: Best Gifts For Grandparents

LilSugar — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:00:08 PST

Grandma and grandpa may love the lil ones' daily art projects, but that doesn't mean they don't need something else during the holiday season. Celebrate the special bond between grandparents and grandchildren with these fun gifts that keep the conversations going all year long.

Clockwise from top left: The Grandparent Book ($12) is the perfect spot for grandparents to record their memories for the next generation. Oeuf's Squeeze Me Mittens ($60) make walking hand in hand a fun new experience for lil ones and their elders. The eco-friendly alpaca wool mittens allow a tot to hold on tight during a cold weather stroll. Grandparents will love walking kids through their family history with Famille Summerbelle's photo family tree ($65), which can be updated with new photos as the tots grow up. Kodak's Pulse Digital Picture Frame ($109) allows distant families to email images directly to the frame for grandparents to view throughout the day. It's ideal for grandparents who aren't exactly computer-savvy! Give grandparents what they want the most - the gift of time - with an annual membership to a local children's museum, kid-friendly rec center, or craft studio, such as NYC's Make Meaning, where memberships only cost $36 for a year's worth of studio time.

Print Your Facebook Photos at Target

Kristen Hawley — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 08:30:52 PDT

Earlier this year, Kodak announced a partnership with Facebook allowing users to print photos via in-store kiosks. Now, not long after Facebook announced new, larger photo sizes would be added to the site, Kodak kiosks at Target stores nationwide are poised to allow the ability to print your Facebook photos in-store. To print your photos, simply log onto your Facebook account on the kiosk and access your photos. And to allay any privacy concerns, rest assured that these kiosks will have very limited access to your Facebook information - the software has been specially created to access photos only.

The kiosks will support a variety of photo options, from single prints to photo books and collages - perfect for immortalizing your favorite vacation, new baby, or formative and fun college years.

Kodak Unveils M590 and PlayTouch For Your Sharing Pleasure

GeekSugar — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 10:45:38 PDT

Kodak released two new cameras this morning - one digital photo, one camcorder - that will not only be super easy to pack along for your late Summer travels (thanks to their small stature), but will also make it incredibly simple to share images with friends and family in just a few steps.

First up, the Kodak M590 digital camera. Coming with a 14.5MP lens, this camera lets you share your pics with your Facebook, YouTube, and Flickr friends with the Kodak Share button. Plus, with the M590's face detection, various scene modes, image stabilization, and photo editing features (like crop, tag, and keyword additions), you can just snap away, connect to your computer, and send your pics off automatically to be enjoyed without needing any additional equipment. What's more, the M590 comes with a nice 2.7-inch touchscreen and HD playback and recording, and it's super thin (just 0.6 inches thick) so you can take it with you everywhere. The M590 comes in four colors - purple, red, blue, and silver - and is available for preorder online for $200 and can be found in stores this Fall.

Get all the details about the new Kodak camcorder on the block after the break.

Print Your Facebook Photos Directly From Kodak Kiosks

GeekSugar — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 01:47:41 PDT

There's something to be said for printed photos. Although I don't print my pics anymore - I keep them stored online - I know friends and family members who still like to print a photo or two. Thankfully, Kodak is making it easy to print your favorite social network pics right from their in-store kiosks.

Rolling out this year at stores like CVS and Target, Kodak's new kiosk software update will allow users to log into their Facebook and Picasa accounts, use some cool photo editing software - like image resize, pet red eye retouching, and spot-healing - and print out pics on the fly.

Logging into your accounts is easy, since you won't be signing into the full version of the sites - it will be a modified, photo-only version. Additionally, you'll be able to grab images from videos stored online! This is great news for Facebook fiends, but it's not the only easy way to print out your digital pics. Check out five more easy ways you can print your favorite photos after the break.