Zoom-in Online

PDN had so much fun at the PhotoPlus Expo they decided to throw a mini-expo online for free. That's right, keynote speakers and all - for free!

Complete with virtual booths where experts can answer your questions, six webcast panel discussions, and two keynote speakers, there is no excuse not to attend. All you have to do is point and click.

The event runs on December 2nd and 3rd from this site.

To register, click here.

PDN's own tech editor is billed as the first speaker, and the second is yet to be announced.

Earlier this week we touched upon the SD cards being implemented by movie rental giant Blockbuster. This shift is just one of many changes companies are making to keep up with the digital era, and Best Buy conglomerate is determined to stay current as well. The chain recently announced its newest plan to sell its entertainment bit by bit, literally.

Looks like there's no turning back now. This is war; at least for Blockbuster, Netflix and the surprisingly popular RedBox, each relentless participants in the fight to monopolize the movie-renting, -streaming, -downloading industry. If you haven't already heard, Blockbuster should be changing its name to Brokebuster by now. According to slashfilm.com, the company plans on closing 1,000 more of its stores in the next twelve months, leaving thousands of Blockbuster employees without jobs.

Fotolia's new plug-in, created for Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft PowerPoint 2007, lets users directly log in to their image gallery to purchase pictures. The application is free and gives you access to Fotolia's high resolution images.

One you buy an image, you can use it without any restrictions on locations or number of times used or period of time. The images are royalty-free.

This blog was contributed by Frances Cirenza, ZIO Photography Channel Assistant.

About 27,000 people flocked to the PhotoPlus Expo this year, despite the bad economy.  Apparently, no matter how weak the dollar is, there isn't a price limit for ideas and networking.
 
Big names meant big displays. While some companies decided to try out their own semi-infomercials, complete with headsets and overly dramatic gestures, many opted for more sophistication.

This blog was contributed by Frances Cirenza, ZIO Photography Channel Assistant.

Athentech is releasing their newest add-on for Photoshop, this time for Windows users. The plug-in, Perfectly Clear, enhances control over exposure, color accuracy and sharpness.  The product will hit markets at the end of November. It claims to cut the adjustment time of images down to a measly two seconds.

Hey there filmmakers! Want to show off your chops and compete for a chance to win some great gear?

Grass Valley, the go-to company for broadcast and production equipment, is hosting a contest for an opportunity to win a free filmmaking kit.  All you have to do is create a commercial no longer than 60 seconds for EDIUS, Grass Valley's nonlinear editing program. The grand-prize winner will receive:

-HP ProBook Laptop Loaded with EDIUS Nonlinear Editing Software

-Panasonic HDC-HS250K Videocamera

-LaCie d2 Quadra External Drive (1 TB)

This blog was contributed by Frances Cirenza, ZIO Photography Channel Assistant.

It's the week of the Expo and all through the town, every photographer is scrambling to write events down.  Along came a blog that said nothing to fear, we will let you know what's happening while the event looms near.

PhotoPlus Expo is the photography event of the year. Everyone has something to learn, whether you are a seasoned professional or a newcomer. From October 22nd- 24th, the Jacob Javits Center in New York City is the place to be.A few of this year's keynote speakers include Harry Benson, Chris Dougherty and Nigel Parry.

This blog was contributed by Frances Cirenza, ZIO Photography Channel Assistant.

Photoshop the App is available to download for free for your iPhone. Now you can take those quick phone snaps and perform a routine cleanup. You can flip, stretch, rotate and crop, easily.

Adding a free Photoshop.com account allows you to send your images and save them without taking up too much for your phone's memory.

If you have some time to kill on a long commute you can also apply ample effects such as rainbow coloring, vintage, blur part of the picture, turn the photo into a sketch or watercolor, and more.

The app doesn't have the full range of features in the full verision of photoshop for your computer, but the photographs your phone can take aren't as nice as those with a camera either. It's easy to use and did I mention, FREE?

So for those rocking the apps laden phones, here's one not to be overlooked for your arsenal.