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Tag: Polaroid

  • Kurt Cobain Suicide: 35 New Photos Released

    With the impending 20-year anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s April 8, 1994 death, interest in the late Nirvana frontman has hit fever pitch. Seattle police have recently stated that they won’t be reopening the case regarding the death of the iconic singer, after years of speculation and numerous conspiracy theories concerning some unknown cause of Cobain’s passing. The SPD insists that it was a gunshot wound to the head, and have now released dozens of never-before-seen pictures taken during the initial investigation.

    Seattle Police Department Cold Case Detective Mike Ciesynski had commented, “We knew with the 20th anniversary coming up and we knew there was going to be a lot of media interest.” Referring to all of the conspiracy media produced regarding Cobain over two decades, Ciesynski adds, “They’re all very interesting. I can see why people have questions (about the case), but you can always point to something and say ‘what if.’” The only thing that Ciesynski found odd about the case was that four rolls of film taken at the scene were never developed, though believes that since investigators “felt it was a suicide and already had polaroids and photos from the medical examiner,” there was no need for more pictures. Ciesynski ended up having the rolls developed regardless.

    Here’s an image of Cobain’s driver’s license:

    cobain

    Before the advent of digital photography and smartphones, photos were taken with 35mm and Polaroid camera systems at crime scenes. The 35mm film was so old that degradation has tinged the developed photographs with a greenish hue. Ciesynski commented, “I thought it would be a good idea to take a look at that (undeveloped film) because there were some conspiracy theories that we (SPD) were hiding the film.”

    The only piece of furniture in the greenhouse where Cobain’s body was found was a wooden stool:

    cobain

    Various drug paraphernalia:

    cobain

    Cobain’s suicide note:

    cobain
    cobain

    During the later portion of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction, an undiagnosed illness and depression. He had also found it hard to cope with his fame and public image. He was found dead by an electrician in his Seattle home. He was 27.

    Images via YouTube

  • Polaroid’s Socialmatic Camera Is A Weird Mix Of Old And New School Sensibilities

    It’s probably been years since you’ve held a physical photograph in your hands. It’s probably been even longer since you’ve used one of those at the time revolutionary cameras that printed out photographs as soon as you took them. Well, Polaroid figures it’s about time to bring those cameras back, but with a modern twist.

    At CES, Polaroid announced its new Socialmatic camera – a camera that allows users to share photographs instantly via social channels while also printing out physical photographs using a new digital printing process from Zink Imaging. It’s pretty wild.

    Check it out:

    Polaroid's Socialmatic Camera

    “We are very excited about the partnership with Socialmatic and the pending launch of this remarkable camera,” said Scott W. Hardy, President and CEO of Polaroid. “Polaroid was the original social network: allowing people to instantly capture, print and share life’s moments in a way that had never been possible before. This relationship with Socialmatic allows Polaroid to come full circle and once again allow people to capture and share images in ways that are only possible with a Polaroid camera in their hands.”

    As you might expect, the Polaroid Socialmatic is a smart camera that comes equipped with Android. This allows the camera to instantly share photos via social media channels, but it also includes a fully featured photo editor for when it comes to print a photograph.

    Speaking of printing, the Socialmatic uses Zink Imaging’s new Zero Ink printing technology to instantly print a 2×3 photograph. The photos even come with a sticker backing so you can decorate your locker with all the voyeuristic shots you take of your crush.

    While smart cameras aren’t exactly new anymore, you have to give props to Polaroid for trying something new with the idea. By making the camera socially connected in the digital and physical worlds, it might just have a hit on its hands. I’m certainly intrigued and others will probably be too.

    The Polaroid Socialmatic camera will launch in late fall 2014. There’s no price attached to it yet, but it probably won’t be cheap.

    Image via Polaroid/Business Wire

  • Polaroid Announces New Q Tablets Ahead Of CES

    When you think Android tablets, do you ever think of Polaroid? No? Well, you might want to keep an eye out for Polaroid this year as it debuts a new line of Android tablets at CES 2014.

    Polaroid announced today that it will debut the Q7, Q8 and Q10 tablets at CES next week. As the names imply, these are 7, 8 and 10-inch tablets that will appeal to the cost conscious consumers that want decent specs for an affordable price.

    So, what can we expect from Polaroid’s new Q tablet line? The company isn’t saying much yet, but it claims that all three have “super fast quad-core processors.” Even better, all three will come with Android 4.4 so consumers are going to get a good experience out of the box.

    “Tablets are changing the way consumers use and share their favorite media and memories, and Polaroid’s robust line of tablets is allowing more consumers to share with on-the-go convenience,” said Polaroid President and CEO Scott W. Hardy. “Our Q Series provides consumers with super-fast quad core processing speeds allowing for faster performance and less wait times when watching movies, or playing games. In addition the Q series’ sleek design and affordable price point make it a great choice.”

    In what may be the biggest surprise, Polaroids new Q tablets are incredibly affordable. The Q7 will retail for $129, the Q8 will retail for $149 and the Q10 will retail for $179. All three will be available in spring 2014.

    In other Polaroid news, the company announced that it will show off a new 50-inch smart TV and 50-inch 4K Ultra HDTV at CES. Both will be incredibly affordable with the smart TV retailing for $599 and the 4K TV retailing for $999.

    Image via fonearena

  • Gifts for Men: 7 Top Picks for Him

    Looking for the perfect Christmas gift for the guy in your life? Then look no further; your gift-giving guide awaits.  From young to old, tech savvy to sports guru, fashionistas and outdoorsmen, these gifts are sure to please even the pickiest of men on your list.

    Everyone has a camera on their phone these days. But not all of them can safely be used underwater.  Put your bags of rice away and check out the rugged Polaroid XS100 sports action video camera – useful for both photography buffs, wedding videographers, and everyday functionality. Plus, did I mention it’s waterproof? Your techie will love it, and you’ll enjoy not having to replace it.

    Next up is a gift every man can use. Can you still hear your grandfather reminiscing about the old-time barber shop where Barber Bill had the closest straight razor shave in three counties? Minus the striped pole, the Man Can serves up a healthy portion of pampering with a side of male humor.  What man doesn’t need an extra paint can?

    If you have a sports fan on your list, you’ll score a home run with this gift.  No matter their age, boys from 8 to 80 will be telling their friends about your gifting genius for years to come. A classic ballpark  blueprint, beautifully framed to match any decor, is the perfect addition to a child’s room or man cave. They’re available in several different stadiums and make a great conversation starter.

    Does the special guy in your life have a musical side? Whether he plays guitar, piano or just sings in the shower, this guitar pick punch is as creative a gift as they come.  He can make his own or matching ones for his garage band buddies with just about any hard plastic object.  The guitar pick punch can use anything from an old credit card to that employee name badge you accidentally washed – making the possibilities to personalize virtually endless.

    If the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach then he’ll be head over heels for you after his taste buds get a hold of these simple sweets.  Chocolate almond clusters that call for just two ingredients are not only better on your wallet than special order designer chocolates, he will ask you over and over to make these – usually garnering a favor from him in the process.

    Ringing in at number six is for your closet comedian and will come in handy at all the right times.  Check out the Zombie Survival Crate from Man Crates, one of many crate options that range from oddly entertaining to downright useful.  Your zombie-fighting soldier will not only be prepared with first aid supplies and survival guide, he’ll have plenty of energy and strength from eating the included Spam and Twinkies.

    Last but certainly not least is a gift for the man who TRULY has everything.  Picture him out on the links in his designer polo and custom fitted clubs.  You come rolling – no –  gliding in on this futuristic find.  A Golf Cart Hovercraft is not only a creative gift idea, its extremely functional.  While he’s waving off George Jetson jokes he’s also avoiding water hazards, sand traps, and keeping from damaging the well manicured greens and fairways of his favorite courses.  It’s price tag is not for the faint of heart, but is definitely for the Fortune 500 company man with money to spend on gadgets that most of us only dream about.

    So, whether your guy is packing around a fishing pole in his truck or a laptop on the subway, he’ll definitely know that you put forth a lot of thought and effort into figuring out his ideal Christmas present this year. And when all else fails…..you can always give him a gift card to your favorite store – claiming that your happiness is all the gift he’ll ever need. Hey, you never know. It could work.

    Image via Man Crates  

  • CES 2013: Polaroid Announces 10 and 7-inch Tablets

    Camera film businesses were devastated in the wake of the digital camera revolution, and standalone, non-professional digital cameras are taking a beating now that cameras are part of nearly every “smart” device on the market. So, camera companies will have to reinvent themselves to stay relevant. Sure, falling back on patent portfolio lawsuits is a decent short-term solution, but only if a company is buying its time to enter new markets.

    This week at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Polaroid announced it will soon be entering the tablet market. Sometime in spring 2013 Polaroid will release two different tablets, a 7-inch and a 10-inch. What’s more, the company isn’t shying away from comparisons with the iPad Mini or the Galaxy Note 10.1.

    The 7-inch tablet, called the M7, has a 7″ screen, a dual core processor, and a 2 MP front camera. Though the screen is slightly smaller than the iPad mini’s it’s resolution is slightly higher at 1280 x 800. It doesn’t come with 4G LTE, and it only comes with 8 GB of internal storage, but it does have an expandable storage option, presumably with an SD card slot. The tablet is comparable to Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD, but at has a far lower price of $129. That’s less than half the price of a iPad Mini.

    The 10-inch tablet, the M10, has a 10.1″ screen with a 1280 x 800 resolution. It also has a quad-core processor, and HDMI out, and 16 GB of internal storage. The cameras on the back of the M10 is 5 MP, and the front one is 2 MP. It will retail for $229.

    Both the M7 and the M10 will come running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. While they aren’t the most powerful tablets on the market (Razer might have that distinction later this year), Polaroid appears to have created two solid devices that will compare favorably with tablet market leaders until the next generation of tablets come along this summer.

  • Polaroid Wants to Free Your ‘Trapped’ Digital Photos with New Fotobar Stores

    Polaroid is hoping that people have a desire for the revival of physical photos. Sure, having thousands of photos online is great (in fact, it’s amazing), but for those great photos, the ones that truly mean something – don’t you want to hold it in your hand or hang it on your wall?

    The company is thinking that answer may be yes, as they have just announced plans to open “at least ten” new Polaroid Fotobar stores across the country. These stores will allow customers to “make the process of turning peoples’ best pictures into cherished pieces of art both rewarding and fun,” according to Polaroid.

    The process is simple and interactive. Customers will be able to choose specific photos and transmit them wirelessly to “workstations,” where they can be “enhanced using photo-effect technologies.” Yes, this includes filters.

    People will be able to choose photos stored on their mobile devices as well as those on photo-sharing networks like Facebook, Instagram, and Picasa. Polaroid has yet to mention many other popular photo services like Flickr or Google+, but one would imagine that they wouldn’t be left off the compatibility list.

    Once a photo is properly tooled, people will have the ability to print it onto various types of materials and will have custom framing options. Some of those substrates include canvas, metal, acrylic, wood and bamboo. Once ordered, prints will be manufactured and shipped within 72 hours, says Polaroid.

    “There are currently around 1.5 billion pictures taken every single day, and that number continues to grow in tandem with the popularity and quality of camera phones,” said Warren Struhl, founder and CEO of Fotobar, LLC. “Unfortunately, even the very best of those pictures rarely ever escape the camera phone with which they were taken to be put on display around our homes and offices. Why? Because turning those pictures into something tangible, creative and permanent is neither easy nor fun. Polaroid Fotobar stores are going to change all of that.”

    The first Polaroid Fotobar store will open in Delray Beach, Florida. It will be a 2,000 sq ft space that’s slated to be completed and ready to go by February. Future locations for 2013 include New York, Las Vegas, and Boston.

    Polaroid says that the Fotobar stores will “help people release their ‘trapped’ photos and display their cherished memories in the form of premium quality art.”

    Do you feel like your digital photos are “trapped?” I’m not sure about that, but high-quality analog photos are totally “in” right now (or at least on the way back). What do you think of Polaroid’s bet?

  • CES 2012: Polaroid Builds Android-Powered Smart Camera

    Polaroid has announced a new take on the digital camera at this year’s CES. The new SC1630 Smart Camera is a digital camera built on Google’s Android operating system. The 16 megapixel camera comes with 3X optical zoom, a 3.2-inch touch screen display, and wi-fi connectivity. The camera promises users the ability to capture HD images and video, and then immediately upload them to the social media site of their choice.

    The camera weighs only 5 ounces. It comes with a variety of interesting features, including automatic face and smile detection, as well as a Smart Album feature that organizes images by date, location, and people. It also includes a number of editing features built in, allowing for cropping, red-eye reduction, resizing, and color correction. In addition to the built-in wi-fi, the camera also includes the option to connect to other devices via Bluetooth, and to access the internet via cellular data connection. What’s more, since the camera runs the Android operating system, it includes access to the Android app market.

    Digital camera makers have increasingly found themselves in competition with smartphones. As the cameras on these phones have gotten increasingly better, people have found that they need their standalone digital camera less and less. By and large, the camera industry has had a great deal of difficulty stopping this trend. Polaroid’s solution is intriguing. Indeed, it is even a little poetic: the camera industry fares poorly because manufacturers are putting cameras in their smartphones, so Polaroid put a smartphone in its camera. The SC1630 offers users all the advantages of taking pictures with their phones – ease of upload, mainly – but also gives them the opportunity to take far better pictures than their phone ever could.

    The camera’s price has not yet been determined, though Polaroid expects availability sometime this year.

    What do you think? Can Polaroid convince people to start carrying their cameras again? Sound off in the comments.

    [Source: Polaroid Press Release]

  • Polaroid Aims to Recapture Tradition in the Digital Age

    Jon Pollock, Polaroid’s Chief Marketing Officer, spoke with WebProNews about the new addition to their Polaroid collection during CES 2010 in Las Vegas. In 2008 Polaroid ended its line of Instant Film cameras, but  the company has decided to bring back its traditional Polaroid OneStep camera. Althought the Polaroid camera will contain many of the same qualities as previous ones, this time it will have a contemporary twist.

    Pollock discussed how many individuals, including artist and photographers, showed their appreciation towards the Polaroid camera, and pleaded for its return. In November of 2009, Polariod made the announcement that it was bring back classic film.  Pollock said this camera “really represents Polaroid.”

    Polaroid’s new Creative Director, Lady Gaga, stated she was excited to help Polaroid take its Instant Film into the digital age.

    The New Polaroid offers:

    • flash
    • red-eye reduction
    • self timer

    The new Polaroid will be available in sliver or a wooden look right around the holidays this year. The price has not been established. 

  • Polaroid Talks About Lady Gaga’s Role with the Company

    Earlier this month, Polaroid announced a multi-year strategic partnership with Lada Gaga, which will see the pop superstar serving as the company’s creative director for a specialty line of Polaroid Imaging products. This was highlighted at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, which WebPronews attended.

    While we were there, we had the opportunity to speak with Polaroid Chief Marketing Officer John Pollock, who talked about some of Lady Gaga’s duties with the company. "She’ll be in charge of directing us creatively, and she’ll also be in charge of working with us on a co-branded line, a Polaroid-branded sub-brand with a lady Gaga twist to it," he said.

    "I am so proud to announce my new partnership with Polaroid as the creative director and inventor of specialty projects", said Lady Gaga said upon the original announcement. "The Haus of Gaga has been developing prototypes in the vein of fashion/technology/photography innovation–blending the iconic history of Polaroid and instant film with the digital era–and we are excited to collaborate on these ventures with the Polaroid brand."

    "Lifestyle, music, art, fashion: I am so excited to extend myself behind the scenes as a designer, and to as my father puts it–finally, have a real job," she added.

    The products that will come from Lady Gaga’s partnership with Polaroid are expected to be available in late 2010. On a related note, Polaroid also gave WebProNews an exclusive look at its new photo sharing site PolaroidStudio.com.
     

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  • Looking at Polaroid’s Photo Sharing Service

    A couple months ago Polaroid launched a new online photo and video sharing service called Polaroid Studio. It didn’t initially receive a whole lot of buzz, but WebProNews stopped by their exhibit at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Vegas earlier this month, and got a look at just what Polaroid Studio’s all about.

    You can use the service to upload photos or videos, but it offers a unique feature in that you can customize what your photo albums look like. You can choose backgrounds, pick how many photos you want to display across, up and down, etc.

    Social media hounds may particularly like the Facebook app, which lets you easily import the photos into Facebook from Polaroid Studio. The site also has a store right in it where you can purchase various items with your photos on them. If you want a coffee mug, a Calendar, playing cards, or whatever, look no further than the site where you are already keeping your photos. That’s kind of convenient.

    The service is still young, but so far it claims already over 62 million photos. They are also about to launch a pro version for professional photographers that they will be able to take and brand as their own.

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