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JAXTR MAKES CLICK-TO-CALL
REALLY, REALLY SIMPLE (UPDATED)
By Rafe
Needleman
There's a new
click-to-call service launching soon: Jaxtr. Like
Jangl, Jaxtr is a way station for phone calls that
gives the person being called a lot of control over
who can reach them.
The Jaxtr team is
pitching its widget technology as the main
differentiator of the service. Each Jaxtr user can
put a box on their blog or their social network
page that allows anyone to connect to them by
phone. The reader puts in their phone number, and
then Jaxtr calls both parties and connects them.
Or--more likely for Jaxtr widgets posted on blog
pages--Jaxtr connects the caller to voice mail for
the blog owner. The owner can then pick up his or
her messages on Jaxtr's Web site.
Go ahead and try
it. You can use this widget to leave me a voice
message (it's configured so that no matter which
button you push, it won't ring my phone directly).
Tell me what you think of Jaxtr or of this blog.
Update: If you're going to try this, please don't
put in a made-up phone number! I've been getting
confused messages from people that Jaxtr has
called, who clearly have not read this article...
More->
Nikon Announces D80
Digital SLR
The latest in
digital advances delivers outstanding performance,
ease of operation, versatile control and exciting
in-camera effect
Mississauga, ON,
August 9, 2006 - Nikon Canada Inc. today introduced
the Nikon D80 Digital SLR. Incorporating Nikon's
latest digital and photographic technologies, this
new high-performance digital SLR camera - including
an interchangeable-lens with automated operation
and advanced features -- is designed to satisfy
photographers' passion for creating beautiful
photographs and preserving special
moments.
The Nikon D80
Digital SLR features a new 10.2 effective megapixel
DX Format CCD image sensor, bringing a new level of
high resolution and sharp detail to the class while
providing the freedom to crop creatively and print
impressive enlargements. Nikon's DX Format sensor
and Nikon F bayonet lens mount design assure
unprecedented compatibility across the
comprehensive assortment of AF Nikkor lenses and DX
Nikkor lenses designed exclusively for Nikon
digital SLR cameras.
One of the key
advances developed for the D80 is Nikon's own
high-resolution image processing engine. Advantages
inherited from Nikon's latest professional digital
SLR cameras include colour independent analogue
pre-conditioning and high-precision 12-bit digital
image processing algorithms, which combine to
produce natural-looking images that benefit from
faithful colour and tone reproduction. A
new-dedicated high-performance processing chip
greatly accelerates performance on all levels,
while also achieving lower power consumption,
providing more pictures per battery
charge.
Nikon's exclusive
3D Colour Matrix Metering II ensures accurate
automatic exposure control for ideal exposures,
even in the most challenging lighting conditions.
Evaluating, rather than merely measuring or
averaging the true content of each scene, input
from the system's frame-wide 420-pixel sensor is
automatically referenced against an onboard
database of over 30,000 scenes from actual
photography to calculate final exposure value.
Variable centre-weighted metering and spot metering
centred on the active focus area are also
available, as are exposure compensation and auto
exposure bracketing. Sophisticated exposure
automation combined with options for complete user
control help make the D80 an ideal high-performance
digital SLR for passionate photography
enthusiasts.
Advanced Auto White
Balance (AWB) produces natural colouration by
measuring the entire frame of each scene and
matching white balance to the light source. For
those seeking greater personal control, the
flexible options include a choice of six specific
manual settings, (Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct
Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy and Shade), as well as a
preset option for using a gray or white object as a
reference.
Ensuring
consistently fast and precise focus lock under
varying shooting conditions is the D80's refined
11-area AF system. This new 11-area AF system
adopts a refined version of Nikon's advanced
Multi-CAM 1000 AF Sensor Module, adding effective
new focusing options that will instill greater
confidence in obtaining the desired shot. For
example, while the system is able to use each of
its 11 focus areas individually, the centre sensor
can also be switched to wide-frame operation for
broader coverage. New Auto-area AF mode measures
all 11 focus areas, and automatically determines
which of them are on the primary subject, and
activates only those areas.
Ready to shoot
whenever that priceless expression or special
moment presents itself, the D80 takes only 0.18
seconds to power up. And, the shutter's minimal
release lag time of approximately 80 milliseconds
delivers instant response while shooting, as does
the fast and precise focus of the refined 11-area
AF system with AF-assist illuminator. Images are
processed instantly and recorded quickly to the
inserted SD memory card . Preview images are also
displayed near instantly.
Action photography
is a reality with continuous shooting at a rapid 3
frames per second in bursts of up to 100 JPEG (FINE
M-size or smaller) images.
Packing high
performance and high resolution into a slimmer,
more compact body, the D80 also remains true to
Nikon's commitment to intuitive operation. The
size, layout and operation of all buttons and
controls are designed for maximum convenience and
ease of use.
The D80 features a
large and bright viewfinder with large 0.94x
magnification to ensure the clearest view possible
for precise composition. Included is a built-in
diopter adjustment control knob that also makes it
easier to fine-tune the view to match eyesight. The
viewfinder's integrated grid display can also be
turned on to assist with composition.
A large 2.5-inch
230,000-dot high-resolution LCD provides an
ultra-wide 170-degree viewing angle from all
directions, while a new, dedicated Zoom button
makes it easy to preview images and assess
sharpness at up to 25 times magnification. A new
RGB histogram display aids in evaluating exposures
with greater precision. Other playback options
include single frame, 4 or 9-image thumbnail
display, an improved histogram display and
highlight point display.
The D80 also adds
built-in Standard or Advanced Pictmotion slideshow
options, which includes style selections that
control transitions and background music. Shows can
be enjoyed on the 2.5-inch LCD, or complete with
audio on a television when connected via the
supplied AV cable.
A new menu
interface featuring refinements to the carefully
chosen colour scheme and increased font size makes
navigation easier on the eye, easier to understand
and easier to use. Menus can be customized to
display only selected items using the new "My Menu"
set.
Exclusive in-camera
image editing features under the new Retouch menu
help ensure consistently satisfying results and
greater creative freedom without the use of a
computer. D-Lighting automatically brings out
detail to enhance results and add creative flair
while optimizing overall exposure balance. Red-eye
correction automatically detects and compensates
for the annoying red-eye effect sometimes caused by
flash. Trim can be used to produce smaller files
for easy sharing or greater efficiency. Image
Overlay merges a pair of selected RAW (NEF) files
taken with the D80 to create a new composite image.
Other options include Monochrome settings
(Black-and-white, Sepia, Cyanotype) and Filter
Effects (Skylight, Warm Filter, Colour Balance).
Multiple Exposure
is a new shooting option that creates a single
image within the camera from up to three
consecutive exposures, producing an automatic
effect that resembles multiple exposure techniques
used with film.
Creative
photography is as simple as rotating the mode dial
with the D80's selection of seven automated Digital
Vari-Programs. Choose from Auto, Portrait,
Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Landscape, or
Night Portrait and the selected program
automatically optimizes white balance, sharpening,
tone (contrast), colour, saturation and hue
settings to best match the shot. The D80 also
offers personal control over image optimization
settings, with user-selectable menu settings for
the Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid, Portrait,
Custom and Black-and-White options.
The powerful
built-in flash employs Nikon's highly robust i-TTL
flash control for greater precision in flash
exposure evaluation that achieves better automatic
flash balance. i-TTL flash control also helps
realize built-in features such as Repeating Flash
function for creating stroboscopic effects and the
Modeling Flash, which allows photographers to
visually assess overall lighting and shadow
conditions prior to shooting. Full support for the
Advanced Wireless Lighting System lets the built-in
flash function as a two-group remote commander that
provides direct control over wireless SB-800 or
SB-600 Speedlights.
The inherent
advantages of the D80 combine with the empowering
and creatively inspiring components of Nikon's
Total Digital Imaging System to deliver a new level
of operating ease, expanded creative possibilities,
and pure enjoyment. This begins with the lineup of
interchangeable high-quality AF and DX Nikkor
lenses, which extends to maximize the potential of
Nikon's Creative Lighting System, offering benefits
such as i-TTL flash control, Advanced Wireless
Lighting. It also offers the highly reliable FV
Lock and Auto FP High-Speed Sync, enabling
high-precision flash photography with SB-800,
SB-600 and SB-R200 Speedlights.
Convenient and
practical Total Imaging System add-ons include the
new MB-D80 Multi-Power Battery Pack. Featuring an
ergonomic design that blends added stability with
extended shooting potential for more comfortable
shooting in vertical format. The Wireless ML-L3
(IR) Remote Control and MC-DC1 Remote Cord options
provide necessary camera stability when using long
exposures, such as for landscape and macro
photography.
Nikon's
PictureProject software, provided with every
purchase of a Nikon D80, enables easy image
importing, editing, organization and sharing.
Design templates make it easy to produce prints,
tailor images to e-mail, or lay out several images
on a page to produce creative album
layouts.
Capture NX
(available for purchase separately) is Nikon's
highly versatile and elegantly simple new photo
editing solution designed for those who desire more
creative control over post-processing and to help
photographers tap the full potential of NEF (RAW)
images. Featuring an innovative user interface that
provides easier access to powerful and visually
intuitive enhancement tools, Capture NX's powerful
photo image processing and editing tools can also
be applied to JPEG and TIFF files to satisfy a
broader range of photofinishing needs and
applications.
In addition to the
advantages of Nikon's total imaging system, the
Nikon D80 beautifully combines the best of latest
advances in digital technology with ease of
operation and quick and efficient camera handling.
Aspiring photographers everywhere are certain to
enjoy the Nikon digital SLR experience as much as
they enjoy the superb pictures it
produces.
D80 Major
Features Overview
Exceptional
Imaging Quality
* New 10.2
effective megapixel Nikon DX Format CCD image
sensor with the power to capture exceptional
sharpness and faithful colour at 3,872 x 2,592
pixels size.
* Inherits
industry-leading advanced imaging processing engine
of Nikon professional D-SLR cameras.
Colour-independent pre-conditioning prior to A/D
conversion works in harmony with high-precision
digital image processing algorithms to produce
natural-looking images that benefit from faithful
colour and tone reproduction.
* 3D Colour Matrix
Metering II automatic exposure control ensures
ideal exposures in most lighting conditions.
Evaluating brightness, colour, contrast, selected
focus area and camera-to-subject distance, the
system references the data against an expanded
onboard database created using data from more than
30,000 actual photographic scenes to instantly and
accurately calculate the final exposure value for
the shot. Variable centre-weighted metering and
spot metering centered on the active focus area are
also available.
* Refined 11-area
AF system packs the same number of focus areas
available for the professional D2 series into a
space-efficient system that features fast, precise
operation. Each of the 11 focus areas can be used
individually, the centre sensor can be switched to
wide-frame operation for broader coverage, and new
Auto-area AF mode measures all 11 focus areas,
automatically determining which of them are on the
primary subject, activating only those
areas.
* ISO AUTO mode
automatically adjusts sensitivity between ISO 100
to 1600 to maximize available light and achieve
optimal exposure. Sensitivity can also be set
manually between ISO 100 to 1600 in steps of 1/3
EV, plus HI-0.3, HI-0.7 and HI-1. Three levels of
High ISO Noise Reduction are available when
shooting at high ISO settings. Long Exposure Noise
Reduction is also available when shooting at
shutter speeds of 8 seconds or slower.
Optimized and
Predictable Results
* Seven automated
Digital Vari-Programs easily accessed from the Mode
Dial provide automatic operation that optimizes
white balance, sharpening, tone, colour, saturation
and hue for crisp and vivid results that match the
intended shot. Selections include Auto, Portrait,
Landscape, Close Up, Sports, Night Landscape and
Night Portrait.
* Easily accessed
image optimization options closely tailor results
to the scene at hand or the intended use of the
image. Image sharpening, tone (contrast)
compensation, colour mode, saturation and hue
adjustment is controlled by the user-selected
choice of Normal, Softer, Vivid, More Vivid,
Portrait, Custom and Black-and-white.
Immediate Response
and Fast Performance
* Near instant
power-up of 0.18 seconds.
* A mere
80-millisecond shutter time lag (approximate)
promotes fast handling.
* Swift continuous
shooting performance at 3 frames per second enables
the shooting of up to 100 JPEG (FINE M-size or
smaller) or up to 6 RAW (NEF) images.
* Average frame
rate with continuous-servo AF, manual or
shutter-priority auto exposure, a shutter speed of
1/250 seconds or faster, and remaining buffer
memory.
* Shutter speeds
ranging from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds or bulb setting
provide full creative control.
In-camera Image
Editing and Effects -Creative in-camera effects and
editing functions available under the new Retouch
menu:
* D-Lighting
automatically brings out detail to enhance results
and add creative flair, all while optimizing
overall exposure balance.
* Red-eye
correction automatically detects and compensates
for the annoying red-eye effect sometimes caused by
flash.
* Trim can be used
to produce smaller files for easy sharing or
greater efficiency for specific end
purposes.
* Image Overlay
merges a pair of selected RAW (NEF) files taken
with the D80 to create a new composite image that
can be saved in RAW or JPEG format.
* Monochrome
settings (Black-and-white, Sepia,
Cyanotype)
* Filter Effects
(Skylight, Warm Filter, Colour Balance) Multiple
Exposure creates a single image within the camera
from up to 3 consecutive exposures to produce
imaginative and even surreal results.
Ergonomics for
efficient handling and further
versatility
* The D80 features
a slimmer, more compact body with the size, layout
and operation of all buttons and controls designed
for intuitive operation.
* A large 2.5-inch
LCD monitor with a 170° viewing angle and new
dedicated zoom button assist accurate and easy
assessment of sharpness by enabling image preview
at up to 25 times magnification (for L-size
images). Convenient displays include RGB
information as a single histogram display or as
separate histograms for each colour
channel.
* Built-in
slideshow options include Advanced Pictmotion shows
with style selections that control transitions and
background music, and can be enjoyed on the
2.5-inch LCD, or complete with audio on a
television via the supplied AV cable.
* The carefully
chosen colour scheme and increased font size of the
new colour-coded menu display makes navigation easy
on the eye, easier to understand and easier to use.
"My Menu" lets you customize Menus to display only
the items you wish to see.
* Bright pentaprism
viewfinder with large 0.94x magnification ensures
the clearest view possible for precise
composition.
* Nikon's EN-EL3e
rechargeable lithium-ion battery delivers enough
power to support the shooting of up to 2,700 images
on a single charge, can be recharged at any time
and features a handy real-time fuel gauge system
display that shows remaining charge by percentage,
number of shots since last charge and overall
battery status.
Seamless
integration with Nikon's Total Imaging
System
* Unprecedented
compatibility with Nikon's lineup of AF Nikkor
lenses and digital-exclusive DX Nikkor lenses.
(When used with the D80 or any DX Format SLR, all
AF and DX Nikkor lenses have a picture angle
comparable to 1.5x that of 35mm [135]
format).
* Compatibility
with the Nikon Creative Lighting System allows the
D80 to work seamlessly with SB-800, SB-600 and
SB-R200 Speedlights to deliver the benefits of
i-TTL flash control's advanced monitor pre-flash,
accurate measurement for bounce and versatile
wireless operation. SB-800 and SB-600 Speedlights
also offer a Wide-Area AF-assist Illuminator, which
aids flash photography in dim light by projecting a
pattern of red light that covers all eleven
autofocus areas of the D80's 11-area Multi-CAM 1000
AF Sensor Module.
* The optional
MB-D80 battery pack adds extended shooting
capability in an ergonomic design that adds
shooting stability. Able to run on either one or
two EN-EL3e batteries or six AA-size batteries ,
the pack also features an additional command dial
and alternative buttons for shutter release and
AE-Lock/AF-Lock that make vertical shooting more
comfortable.
* PictureProject
software (complimentary with camera) features an
intuitive user interface that provides fast and
easy access to powerful tools for organizing,
editing and sharing images. Auto Enhance and other
creative functions are readily available via handy
buttons, as are Mail, Slideshow and CD/DVD burning
functions. Pictures can be organized using simple
drag 'n' drop operation, and can be quickly located
by name, keyword, or date. Design templates make it
easy to produce prints, tailor images to e-mail, or
lay out several images on a page to produce
creative album layouts.
* Capture NX
(available for purchase separately) is Nikon's
highly versatile and elegantly simple new photo
editing solution designed to help photographers tap
the full potential of NEF (RAW) images. Featuring
an innovative user interface that provides easier
access to powerful and visually intuitive
enhancement tools, Capture NX's powerful photo
image processing and editing tools can also be
applied to JPEG and TIFF files to satisfy a broader
range of photofinishing needs and applications.
Exclusive Canadian Warranty
Nikon Canada offers
an exclusive 2-year warranty for all COOLPIX and
the D50, D70s and D80 Digital SLR cameras purchased
from a Nikon Canada Authorized Dealer. Consumers
can feel comfort knowing their investment in
protected by Nikon Canada's 2-Year Warranty with
in-Canada service.
Pricing and
Availability
The Nikon D80
Digital SLR will be available by mid-September
2006, with an approximate MSRP of $1,249.99 (body
only).
About
Nikon
Nikon, At the Heart
of the ImageTM, is the world leader in digital
imaging, precision optics and photo imaging
technology and is globally recognized for setting
new standards in product design and performance for
its award-winning consumer and professional
photographic equipment. Nikon Canada distributes
consumer and professional digital SLR cameras,
Nikkor optics, Speedlights and System Accessories;
Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras;
COOLSCAN® digital film scanners; 35mm film SLR
cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports
and recreational optics. At the heart of every
Nikon camera is Nikon's Exclusive Feature System,
making it easy for anyone to take amazing digital
pictures. All Nikon Canada products are sold
through a network of Nikon Canada Authorized
Dealers. For more information on Nikon Canada and
its products and services or to find a Nikon
Authorized Dealer, visit www.nikon.ca.
Note:
Specifications, design, product name, standard
accessories, and release schedule may differ by
country or area.
For more
information:
Katie Rankin/Tara
Reed
Strategic/Ampersand
416-961-5595
katie@stratamp.com
tara@stratamp.com
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