Industry Notes for the week of Dec. 20

The Daily Mirror reports research polling conducted by Fujifilm U.K. of 2,000 U.K., adults found, after spending so much time indoors this year, half have had enough of the digital life and are starting to appreciate physical items again. (H/T to Michel Lacaille for the tip)

Some of the findings:

• 56 percent believe people are turning to real photos rather than their digital counterparts.
• Of those, 49 percent think printed photos now have “more value” than digital ones while 46 percent put it down to the nation becoming more sentimental due to the pandemic.
• And more than a quarter think the novelty of displaying pictures online is wearing off

In this video interview at WhatTheyThink, Cary Sherburne speaks with Dwayne Black, COO of Shutterfly, and Haim Levit, general manager, HP Indigo, about the agreement with HP Indigo for more than 60 new HP Indigo digital presses.

Rise Above Research reports photo products are experiencing strong sales and should close out the year on a positive note\, despite the COVID-19 global pandemic. “The reasons for photo product sales success are quite simple. Consumers have more time at home to work on projects like photo books, calendars, or wall decor, and photo products provide a lot of value for the cost.”

Photobox Group has selected NetApp HCI to fulfill customer orders. The solution enables Photobox to process international orders almost instantly by sending them directly to its factory in Paris for printing. the announcement said the move marks the second phase of Photobox’s software-defined infrastructure rollout, following a recent SD-WAN deployment. NetApp HCI increased Photobox’s capacity and capabilities across three international sites in the UK, France, and Germany.

Infoworld reports Adobe’s once-ubiquitous Flash Player has reached the end of the road, with the company making the final scheduled release Dec. 8 of the technology for all regions outside mainland China. Adobe will no longer support Flash Player after this month; Flash content will be blocked from running in Flash Player beginning on Jan. 12, 2021.

Nikon Inc. released firmware update 3.2 for the Nikon Z 7 and Z 6 mirrorless cameras, enabling users to record 12-bit RAW video in 4K UHD or Full HD to a compatible Blackmagic Design external recorder. Customers who previously purchased the RAW video upgrade can download firmware version 3.2 for free with no service required. Owners of the Z 6II, Z 7II, Z 6 or Z 7 who are interested in activating RAW video features on their cameras can send them to a Nikon service facility for a $199.95 fee applies. A free firmware update is scheduled for February 2021, which will enable Blackmagic RAW functionality in Z 6II and Z 7II cameras that have had the RAW video upgrade previously activated.

Getty Images announced the appointment of Milena Alberti-Perez as CFO. Alberti-Perez will be based out Getty Images’ New York office.