There's no full-frame sensor or advanced mode dial here, but Sonyhas managed to line up a compelling set of features for its CES flagship point-and-shoot. At $199, the Cyber-shot WX80 offers a huge jump in performance with only a modest bump in price, making it by far Sony's best value of the show. Granted, we haven't seen sample images or video clips, but boy does this camera pack an impressive spec list. There's a 20.1-megapixel CMOS sensor at the core, paired with a 25mm 8x optical zoom lens with SteadyShot OIS and a new lens-shift algorithm, improved autofocus, a 10 frames-per-second consecutive shooting mode, a top ISO of 12,800, 1080p video, a new intelligent flash for more even coverage and a 2.7-inch LCD.
On the software side, Sony's brought over some features from the mirrorless camera line. There's an improved selection of picture effects, like Toy Photo, Pop Color and four color highlight modes that display either red, green, blue or yellow in color with the rest of the frame in black and white. There's also a "virtual cosmetic surgery" function, which changes skin tone, softens skin, removes shine, widens eyes and whitens teeth automatically with adjustable effect levels. As another Cyber-shot first, Sony's added WiFi to the WX80, along with the same Smart Remote Control and Send to Smartphone features we've used with the company's NEX-6.
The camera housing itself has a plasticky feel, despite the high-end internals -- the WX80 may not look like a sub-$200 camera on paper, but its true colors shine through once you have it in hand. The display is fairly basic, and while it looks alright at a distance, the UI experience doesn't exactly feel high-end. The camera will ship in pink, white and black finishes, and you'll want to opt for the latter flavor if you're after a somewhat-premium look and feel. You'll need to hang tight for a few weeks before you have a chance to evaluate the WX80 yourself, but housing and display aside, Sony seems to have a winner here. Sneak a peek in our gallery below.
National Academy of Inventors inaugural conference highlights innovative technologiesPublic release date: 8-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Judy Lowry jhlowry@usf.edu 813-974-3181 University of South Florida (USF Innovation)
Focus: Job creation through innovation and global patent harmonization
TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 8, 2013)The current special issue of "Technology and Innovation-Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors" is devoted to presentations from the Inaugural Conference of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), which was hosted by the University of South Florida, Feb. 16-17, 2012.
"This conference brought together inventors, researchers and leaders from universities, nonprofit research institutions, national laboratories and government institutions to discuss issues pertaining the technological development and commercialization," said Paul R. Sanberg, senior vice president for research and innovation at the University of South Florida and president of the NAI.
The goal of the conference, said Sanberg, was to encourage and recognize the value of academic invention and entreprenuership. Presenters spoke on a wide range of topics, including global patent harmonization; job creation through innovation; innovative technologies for surgery; potential therapies for Alzheimer's disease; and legal and intellectual requirements in innovating and inventing, among other topics.
In the conference's first keynote address, David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), discussed the mission and changes enacted by the USPTO since his appointment by President Obama in 2009. Thomas J. Fogarty, who was inducted as the first Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, was the second conference keynote speaker. Fogarty invented the cardiac balloon catheter. His keynote presentation focused on overcoming institutional barriers to innovation.
The conference featured oral and poster presentations by representatives from National Academy of Inventors Charter Member Institutions. This special issue of Technology and Innovation, volume 14 nos. 3-4, includes a section featuring the oral and poster presentations.
Global Patent Harmonization
Alex Camarota, of the Office of Innovation at the USPTO, spoke on efforts to "harmonize" patent offices around the world to ensure standardized methods of measuring patent quality and, at the same time, help spur global innovation.
"The potential for robust digital collaboration among the world's patent offices remains largely unrealized," said Camarota. "This is not surprising as patent systems, like the nations they serve, embody different languages, cultural values, policies and legal systems."
For Camarota, reconciling these differences represents a "Herculean task," yet it must be done to better ensure the future of innovation.
"Perhaps the most difficult and immediate barrier to harmonization is the lack of a system for measuring patent quality," he said. "Without standard patent quality metrics, collaboration between IP offices is difficult."
He described a partnership between the USPTO and the European Patent Office (EPO) called the "Cooperative Patent Classification" (CPC) project charged with building and maintaining a jointly managed patent classification system using the best practices from each system. The new system, launched Jan. 2, 2013, will be used by 45 patent offices and 20,000 patent examiners worldwide.
Job Creation through Innovation
According to Daniel Daly, director of the Alabama Innovation and Mentoring of Entrepreneurs Center at the University of Alabama, higher labor costs, shrinking margins, and a growing aversion to the risks of longer term research and development appear to play significant roles in job loss in the U.S., especially among chemists. Daly presented a case study in which the American Chemical Society (ACS) responded to help its members, who are highly skilled and highly paid workers, to overcome unemployment, much of it due, according to Daly, to the pharmaceutical industry's trend toward moving its U.S. manufacturing facilities "offshore."
"Unlike during any other time in its 135 year history, the ACS had an opportunity to help its members," said Daly. "The ACS responded by forming an Entrepreneur Resource Center and Training Center to serve as a virtual accelerator providing resources and services to chemical startups. The center provides tools and important networks."
With the help of the ACS center, start-up companies, explained Daly, receive the "invaluable training, advice, and business connections that it would have taken them years, or decades, to acquire on their own."
The second annual conference of the National Academy of Inventors will take place Feb. 21-23, 2013, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Tampa, FL. The inaugural class of NAI Charter Fellows will be inducted at the conference.
###
The National Academy of Inventors is a 501c3 non-profit member organization comprised of more than 45 U.S. and international universities and non-profit research institutes, with over 2,000 individual academic inventor members, and growing rapidly. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with a patent issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The offices of the NAI are located in the University of South Florida Research Park of Tampa Bay. www.academyofinventors.org
The editorial offices of Technology and Innovation are located at the University of South Florida, USF Research & Innovation, 3702 Spectrum Blvd., Suite 175, Tampa, FL, 33612 USA. Tel: 813-974-1347. TIJournal@research.usf.edu
News Release by Florida Science Communications, www.sciencescribe.net
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
National Academy of Inventors inaugural conference highlights innovative technologiesPublic release date: 8-Jan-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Judy Lowry jhlowry@usf.edu 813-974-3181 University of South Florida (USF Innovation)
Focus: Job creation through innovation and global patent harmonization
TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 8, 2013)The current special issue of "Technology and Innovation-Proceedings of the National Academy of Inventors" is devoted to presentations from the Inaugural Conference of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), which was hosted by the University of South Florida, Feb. 16-17, 2012.
"This conference brought together inventors, researchers and leaders from universities, nonprofit research institutions, national laboratories and government institutions to discuss issues pertaining the technological development and commercialization," said Paul R. Sanberg, senior vice president for research and innovation at the University of South Florida and president of the NAI.
The goal of the conference, said Sanberg, was to encourage and recognize the value of academic invention and entreprenuership. Presenters spoke on a wide range of topics, including global patent harmonization; job creation through innovation; innovative technologies for surgery; potential therapies for Alzheimer's disease; and legal and intellectual requirements in innovating and inventing, among other topics.
In the conference's first keynote address, David Kappos, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), discussed the mission and changes enacted by the USPTO since his appointment by President Obama in 2009. Thomas J. Fogarty, who was inducted as the first Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, was the second conference keynote speaker. Fogarty invented the cardiac balloon catheter. His keynote presentation focused on overcoming institutional barriers to innovation.
The conference featured oral and poster presentations by representatives from National Academy of Inventors Charter Member Institutions. This special issue of Technology and Innovation, volume 14 nos. 3-4, includes a section featuring the oral and poster presentations.
Global Patent Harmonization
Alex Camarota, of the Office of Innovation at the USPTO, spoke on efforts to "harmonize" patent offices around the world to ensure standardized methods of measuring patent quality and, at the same time, help spur global innovation.
"The potential for robust digital collaboration among the world's patent offices remains largely unrealized," said Camarota. "This is not surprising as patent systems, like the nations they serve, embody different languages, cultural values, policies and legal systems."
For Camarota, reconciling these differences represents a "Herculean task," yet it must be done to better ensure the future of innovation.
"Perhaps the most difficult and immediate barrier to harmonization is the lack of a system for measuring patent quality," he said. "Without standard patent quality metrics, collaboration between IP offices is difficult."
He described a partnership between the USPTO and the European Patent Office (EPO) called the "Cooperative Patent Classification" (CPC) project charged with building and maintaining a jointly managed patent classification system using the best practices from each system. The new system, launched Jan. 2, 2013, will be used by 45 patent offices and 20,000 patent examiners worldwide.
Job Creation through Innovation
According to Daniel Daly, director of the Alabama Innovation and Mentoring of Entrepreneurs Center at the University of Alabama, higher labor costs, shrinking margins, and a growing aversion to the risks of longer term research and development appear to play significant roles in job loss in the U.S., especially among chemists. Daly presented a case study in which the American Chemical Society (ACS) responded to help its members, who are highly skilled and highly paid workers, to overcome unemployment, much of it due, according to Daly, to the pharmaceutical industry's trend toward moving its U.S. manufacturing facilities "offshore."
"Unlike during any other time in its 135 year history, the ACS had an opportunity to help its members," said Daly. "The ACS responded by forming an Entrepreneur Resource Center and Training Center to serve as a virtual accelerator providing resources and services to chemical startups. The center provides tools and important networks."
With the help of the ACS center, start-up companies, explained Daly, receive the "invaluable training, advice, and business connections that it would have taken them years, or decades, to acquire on their own."
The second annual conference of the National Academy of Inventors will take place Feb. 21-23, 2013, at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Tampa, FL. The inaugural class of NAI Charter Fellows will be inducted at the conference.
###
The National Academy of Inventors is a 501c3 non-profit member organization comprised of more than 45 U.S. and international universities and non-profit research institutes, with over 2,000 individual academic inventor members, and growing rapidly. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with a patent issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society. The offices of the NAI are located in the University of South Florida Research Park of Tampa Bay. www.academyofinventors.org
The editorial offices of Technology and Innovation are located at the University of South Florida, USF Research & Innovation, 3702 Spectrum Blvd., Suite 175, Tampa, FL, 33612 USA. Tel: 813-974-1347. TIJournal@research.usf.edu
News Release by Florida Science Communications, www.sciencescribe.net
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
3 simple ideas to get more referrals without discussing price.
Do those you network with KNOW that you do the job properly, or do you just tell them?
I?m sure that you?re saying yes, we are very good at what we do. We always do a good job. Possibly you?re even asking why I ask such a daft question?
The most meaningless marketing statement EVER
Have you ever thought about some of the claims made in marketing statements?
?High quality?
?We will do your accounts properly?
?We are proactive accountants who save you tax??
Stop for a moment: Networking is marketing, and when networking claims are being made. Have you ever heard networkers in the room saying things like this? Next time you sit through the never ending round of 60 seconds, count how many statements like this get made.
Your problem is that every firm out there says this sort of thing.?Can you HONESTLY find me a firm that doesn?t say that they do a good job? The problem is that everybody makes this claim; so how are those you network with supposed to tell the difference? Are most people you network with equipped to tell the difference between a good and a bad accountant?
My visit to the Doctors
In ?how-my-doctors-visit-can-inspire-confidence-in-your-clients??I talked about my trips to the Doctor and the elements of his service which inspired trust (if want to learn about 3 simple things to inspire trust ? just click)
When I sat down in his surgery I was feeling more comfortable, then I saw a Sphygmomanometer on his desk. That?s right, proper old fashioned one, this made me relax and feel good! I?ve had my blood pressure taken by machines that seem to generate results that are all over the place. Every time I?ve ever had my blood pressure taken by a ?craftsman? with a ?proper Sphygmomanometer? it?s worked well. I now have a mental association between a proper Sphygmomanometer and good care (wrongly or rightly).
I?m sure I?m not the only one, there are things I associate with quality in many professions. How about you?
How can you assure your prospects that you do the job properly?
What things are associated with quality in your profession? How do you use / display them? How do you get that message over when you?re networking? That will help increase referrals without you making claims that get ignored.
Now concentrate on the way you develop rapport with those in the room. How do you build trust with them (you do know that people do NOT buy from people, don?t you? ?? click if not)
Most importantly: You need to teach the people you network with what a really good job entails! The people you meet are very unlikely to have the skills to tell one statement about ?we?re best? from another. That means that you will not be believed! If they can?t differentiate on quality, their choice will be pot luck (or worse). When you?re networking, how can you teach people what is involved with a good lawyer/ accountant/ your profession. Know that they can tell the difference between good and bad, they?ll be able to refer you with more confidence. If you need more persuading on this, click to read ?Why you must ensure your prospects know real quality when they see it?
What says quality and care in your profession? How can you educate your networking contacts?
Written by Jon Baker The 5-50 Coach.?I help professionals grow their firms from 5 to 50 employees, sustainably, profitably and still have fun. Networking is a key part of getting great results in small firms. If you want great networking tips sent to your desk once a month, click here to order your copy.
With mergers and acquisitions now hitting prerecession levels, it?s no surprise that Metrocorp Inc., the publisher of Boston and Philadelphia magazines, is expanding its reach by acquiring a majority stake in Slice Communications.
This small Philadelphia-based boutique public relations and social media agency that was founded in 2008 works with a variety of clients in the technology, professional services, customer services and non-profit sectors.
The roots of the deal began growing in 2012 after Slice Communications executed some successful social media campaigns for clients of Boston and Philadelphia magazines.?
?They went extremely well,? Staci Bender, founder and principal of Slice Communications, tells FOLIO:. ?That was what really propelled this forward. We had a really good working relationship and for Metrocorp, they wanted to further engage and develop their community strategies with the insights and analytic tools that Slice brings to the table. Being a social media and public relations agency, that really interested them moving forward?being able to offer some of these services to their clients.?
Slice Communications will continue to function as an independent business unit within Metrocorp, with Bender and her team overseeing day-to-day operations and management of the business.
?Slice will still continue to bring on social media and public relations clients, and Metrocorp will still have their whole sales force in advertising, digital and online sales,? adds Bender. ?Together, I think we?re hoping to be a strong entity and partnership and we can offer social media services to their clients. For our clients, once it makes sense, we can absolutely offer Metrocorp services. That was really the hope and goal?to leverage each other?s expertise.?
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I've given a special coffee mug on several occasions and people are always delighted to receive one. It's fun to have a special mug to drink out of at home or work.
Furthermore, coffee mugs are just the right size for holding an extra present... You can put something small in them, like candy, tea bags, coffee samples, gift cards, money, jewelry, etc.
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Public release date: 8-Jan-2013
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3 simple ideas to get more referrals without discussing price.
With mergers and acquisitions now hitting prerecession levels, it?s no surprise that Metrocorp Inc., the publisher of Boston and Philadelphia magazines, is expanding its reach by acquiring a majority stake in Slice Communications.