PMA, Jackson, Mich., announces two new reports available in the PMA online store. f/22 Consulting Inc., Eagle, Idaho, and Photofinishing News Inc., Bonita Springs, Fla., released "Navigating Retail Imaging Opportunities 2007-2011." This report includes market data and projections for conventional photo prints, personal photo products, and output platforms. It also identifies market drivers for future growth opportunities and tools to evaluate investment decisions.

  The authors, Don Franz, Frank Baillargeon, Meg Weston, and Maury Kahn all have experience with retailers and suppliers through the United States and internationally. The report costs $5,000 and a version including spreadsheets of data and forecasts, plus a half-day presentation and consultation with the authors, costs $10,000. The report is offered at a 15 percent discount for PMA members. (Watch for the July/August PMA magazine to read the article "Trend Tracker" by Meg Weston about new product and service opportunities for retailers.)

  "User-generated Visual Content: Understanding The Supply-Side Motivations," a report supplied by Future Image Inc., San Mateo, Calif., contains 90 pages of survey information about user-generated Web content. The report is focused on identifying what motivates people who provide photos and videos for Web-based businesses, and how that motivation differs from common viewers. Future Image surveyed close to 2,000 members of photo and video sharing websites, and answers to more than 20 questions are compiled in various charts and graphs throughout the report. Areas such as levels of sharing activity, motivations, subject choices, and desire for making sales are targeted in the report.

  The report also includes interviews with executives from Webshots, Simple Star, Corel, iStock, muvee, Filmloop, and Pure Digital. Price of the full report is $2,000, with a 30 percent discount for PMA members.

Rohm and Haas Co., Philadelphia, Pa., completed its acquisition of Rochester, N.Y.-based Eastman Kodak Co.'s Light Management Films business, which produces advanced films that improve the brightness and efficiency of liquid crystal displays (LCD). The acquisition was finalized on Friday, June 15. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

  Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials develops and delivers innovative material solutions and processes to the electronic and optoelectronic industries. Focused on the circuit board, semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, and flat panel display industries, its products and technologies are integral elements in electronic devices around the world.

Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Yahoo! Inc.'s Flickr is currently facing accusations of censorship from German users. The company is preventing users in Germany from viewing many of the images posted on its website, due to strict German laws requiring websites verify that visitors are old enough to see potentially sensitive content, reports The Associated Press.

  Flickr features a "SafeSearch" function which can typically be turned off by users interested in seeing all the photos available on Flickr, but that option isn't being offered in Germany. According to the FAQ section of the Flickr website, if a Yahoo username is based in Singapore, Germany, Hong Kong or Korea, that user will only be able to view safe content based on local terms of service -- and won't be able to turn "SafeSearch" off.

  "We're all getting really uncomfortable that the words 'Flickr' and 'censorship' are being jammed together with increasing frequency because that is so far from the direction we're trying to move in," Heather Champ, Flickr's community manager, wrote in a note posted on the Flickr blog. Champ suggested that the company decided to remain cautious rather than expose company employees in Germany to possible jail time for breaking the age-restriction laws, says the AP.

  "We should have handled this differently, and have been exploring many possible approaches which would allow us to do what makes sense while still operating inside the law," Yahoo said in a recent statement.

  Flickr is no stranger to this type of criticism. Some of its photos were blocked in the United Arab Emirates and China in the past. Parent company Yahoo has also faced accusations of censorship when access to some of its content was blocked and e-mail information was turned over that helped China's government convict dissidents. Two of the dissidents are currently suing Yahoo for its role in their convictions, reports the AP.

Best Buy Co. Inc., Minneapolis, Minn., will close a repair center in the Minnesota suburb of Bloomington, which employs 140 people, and one in St. Louis, Mo., which employs 40 people, reports The Associated Press. Both centers repair audio-visual equipment, such as camcorders and music players, work which will be taken over by a Best Buy repair center in Chicago, Ill.

  "This is all about efficiency and maximizing square footage and reducing overhead," said spokeswoman Dawn Bryant. She also said she had no estimate for how much the closures would save the company. According to Bryant, workers in both centers will get help finding other jobs, either within or outside the company, says the AP.

Check out photographer John Hyde's photo tips at www.kingston.com/look.

Kingston Technology Co. Inc., Fountain Valley, Calif., an independent leader in memory products, announced world-class nature and wildlife photographer John Hyde will be the next participant to share how he uses Kingston Flash memory on the company's "Look Who's Using Kingston" microsite. Hyde discusses how he captures the majestic beauty of Alaska's national parks and the wildlife, including native Alaskan wolves, birds, and orcas. Hyde also offers insightful tips on how consumers can take their own beautiful photos during visits to national parks and other outdoor venues.

  "I believe that by photographing wildlife and their surroundings, I'm helping to promote awareness of the environment to consumers through posters, fine-art prints, calendars and my website," said Hyde.

  For the past 25 years, Hyde has captured the beauty of Alaska with a primary focus on large predators, marine mammals, recreational sports, glacial formations, and forested and marine environments. His goal is to capture decisive moments combined with a sense of place, portraying the essence of his -- and his subject's -- experiences.

Leica Camera AG, Solms, Germany, will provide a free firmware update for the Leica Digilux 3 on its website www.leica-camera.com. The new firmware, Version 2.0, offers extensive improvements in the performance of DSLR camera.

  The new firmware for the Leica Digilux 3 optimizes the functionality of the camera across many applications. This will include additional exposure functions and will, for the first time, offer a "Mode 3" for optical stabilization. Mode 3 will further compensate and correct longitudinal camera movement. This mode is ideal for panning, a method of taking photographs where the camera follows a moving object.

  Version 2.0 will also include a new mode that facilitates the reading of the LCD monitor during use of the LiveView. This setting will assist the photographer when the camera is held in a position close to ground level. Further improvements include the "Auto Review" setting, a Replay Zoom, easier accessibility to the ISO setting in Auto Exposure (AE) mode, as well as further improvements to camera operation and user interface.

  Detailed information on the firmware update for the Leica Digilux 3 will be available at www.leica-camera.com in the Photography/D-System/Digilux 3 section beginning in mid-June.

The Sun Deck Gallery aboard the Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif., presents Rockin' Hollywood, an exhibition featuring more than 80 images of classic rock and movie legends by photographer Michael Childers. The exhibit runs through Sept. 3. The exhibition is part of a year-long 40th anniversary celebration of the Queen Mary's 1967 arrival in Long Beach.

According to the 2007 PMA U.S. Digital Imaging Survey, the majority of DSLR users -- 51 percent -- are now women. Furthermore, more than 50 percent of DSLR households where the primary users are women, have annual incomes of $75,000 or more. These same households are also almost twice as likely to have children under 6 years old.

  Male DSLR users are a little more spread out across income groups and family demographics, meaning women are more likely to use DSLRs for family picture taking than men. Retailers should illustrate the added benefits of using DSLRs in family picture taking when targeting women consumers.

Source: 2007 PMA U.S. Digital Imaging Survey

-- By Dimitrios Delis

Director, PMA Marketing Research

"PMA Data Watch" is a weekly feature in Newsline International, prepared by the PMA Marketing Research Department. Every Monday morning, "Data Watch" presents a brief summary of a current industry trend. The articles feature data relevant to the United States, Canada, and other regions of the world.

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