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April 25, 2006 – Kodak announced the update to the wireless enabled EasyShare-one today. The two versions in the series will now be distinguished by the number of megapixels the image sensors contain. Thus, the brand new digital camera will be called the Kodak EasyShare-one 6 MP. Today Kodak celebrates the fifth birthday of the EasyShare system with announcements of the V610 and EasyShare-one 6 MP digital cameras, a new version of the EasyShare Software, and a host of new digital technologies.
The Kodak EasyShare-one 6 MP has many of the same specifications as the original camera, but with a few tweaks. The biggest difference is the number of megapixels of course; the original camera had 4 megapixels. This difference affects the burst mode, which shoots 1.5 frames per second for up to 3 frames on the 6-megapixel EasyShare-one. The older version shot 1.2 fps for up to 5 images. The frame rate differs in the movie mode as well. The older camera shot 24 fps, while the new version reaches a full 30 fps.
The two EasyShare-one digital cameras are otherwise the same. Both have 4.1 x 2.5 x 1-inch dimensions and weigh 7.9 oz without the cards and battery. Both cameras are wireless enabled, although the original camera comes with the WiFi card in the package. The new Kodak EasyShare-one 6 MP will retail for $299 in June and the WiFi card will be sold separately for $99. In the end, the two Kodak cameras will cost about the same since the original one retails for $399.
Both Kodak EasyShare-ones have the 3-inch LCD screen that folds outward and rotates. The on-screen menus can be controlled through either the multi-selector on the back of the camera or the included stylus that is integrated into the housing of the cameras. Both models have 3x optical zoom lenses and 256 MB of internal memory with which to store up to 1,500 photographs in albums. The album function isn’t new for the second generation EasyShare-one, but its technology is being newly advanced.
"Kodak continues to innovate to make the complex simple – delivering new technologies that enrich the consumer experience," said Pierre Schaeffer, vice president and chief marketing officer of Kodak’s Consumer Digital Group, in today’s press release. "Today we’re unveiling the next innovations in consumer digital photography that will allow people to take, share and archive pictures in ways they never thought possible."
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of its EasyShare launch, Kodak announced some of the technology it is working on for future models. The company unveiled face-recognition technology that will be able to sort through numerous albums and find photographs of a selected person. Kodak is also working on ways to streamline the digital archival process.
Kodak also announced a new version of their Kodak EasyShare software. The version 6.0 software has a new user interface and a photo card printing feature that prints announcements, cards, and invitations with a one-touch button. The program is available for Macs or PCs and will be available for free download from the company’s web site in May. Kodak launched its EasyShare line of digital cameras, software, and home printers in 2001 and has since moved to the No. 1 position for point-and-shoot market share in the United States.