ImagenAI raises $30 million News 

ImagenAI raises $30 million

GaryPageau , ,
ImagenAI, a provider of AI-powered editing solutions for professional photographers, today announced a $30 million investment led by global growth investor Summit Partners with participation from existing investor NFX. The financing will support continued investment in strategic hiring and M-and-A, expansion of the company’s SaaS product, and further acceleration of Imagen’s rapid growth, the company said. The investment brings the... Read More
IDC: Global smartphone shipments continue to be Impacted by slowed demand and setbacks in China Market research 

IDC: Global smartphone shipments continue to be Impacted by slowed demand and setbacks in China

GaryPageau ,
An updated forecast for the worldwide smartphone market from IDC is showing a more prolonged recovery than previously expected. According to the latest Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker forecast, shipments of smartphones will decline 9.1% in 2022, a reduction of 2.6 percentage points from the previous forecast. As a result, IDC expects smartphone shipment volumes to total 1.24 billion units in 2022. While... Read More
Growing a portrait business with Lisa Staff Marketing Podcasts 

Growing a portrait business with Lisa Staff

GaryPageau ,
Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society talked with Lisa Staff, of Hilton Head, S.C.-based photography studio, Lisa Staff Photography. In this interview, Staff talks about brand strategy, reinventing your business, and lessons learned from decades of location shooting. Staff has been photographing fashion and connecting with people from all walks of life for more than 20 years. She heads one of the most... Read More
Herff Jones to pay $100,000 to settle data-breach claims News 

Herff Jones to pay $100,000 to settle data-breach claims

GaryPageau
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced a settlement with Herff Jones, LLC, the producer and seller of yearbooks, class rings, caps and gowns, and other graduation memorabilia, after a data security event discovered in April 2021 exposed 30,295 Pennsylvania consumers’ payment card information. The investigation conducted by Attorney General Shapiro, in conjunction with the New York Attorney General’s office, revealed Herff... Read More
NRF: First half of holiday season shows strong year-over-year results News 

NRF: First half of holiday season shows strong year-over-year results

GaryPageau
November retail sales dipped from a surge of early holiday shopping the month before but still saw solid year-over-year growth that marked a strong start to the holiday season, said the National Retail Federation (NRF). “Consumers continued to spend on household priorities and holiday gifts for loved ones this November despite continued inflation and rising interest rates,” said Matthew Shay,... Read More
Emerald taps Anderson, Varanakis to oversee Photo Group Portfolio People on the Move 

Emerald taps Anderson, Varanakis to oversee Photo Group Portfolio

GaryPageau ,
Emerald, an operator of large business-to-business trade shows, including the Wedding and Portrait Photography International (WPPI) Conference, has tasked two industry veterans with helping WPPI organizers create vibrant, educational, and interactive experiences for exhibitors and attendees. Beginning in 2023, Aaron Anderson will assume the role of Group Show Director of the Emerald Photo Group, which now includes WPPI, Portrait Masters and The... Read More
YouCam launches holiday collection of AR looks Updates 

YouCam launches holiday collection of AR looks

GaryPageau ,
Perfect Corp., a leading provider of artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) beauty and fashion tech solutions, and developer of the YouCam suite of apps released its largest collection of holiday-inspired looks and effects across YouCam Makeup, YouCam Perfect, YouCam Video, and YouCam Nails. The extensive holiday collection features more than 500 effects including animated backgrounds, stickers, festive holiday makeup, nail styles, and... Read More
Tiffen introduces the next generation Lowel Tota LED XL floodlight New Products 

Tiffen introduces the next generation Lowel Tota LED XL floodlight

GaryPageau ,
Tiffen introduces the next generation Lowel Tota LED XL daylight-balanced panel floodlight with an innovative foldable design and 3X the brightness of the previous model. The complete Tota LED XL comes in a ready-to-run handled case, with a custom foam insert with cutouts for the full array of components at $399. Designed for lighting subjects or raising the ambient set... Read More
Investment firm completes purchase of Fujifilm’s Greenwood plant Acquisitions News 

Investment firm completes purchase of Fujifilm’s Greenwood plant

GaryPageau ,
GSA Business Report revealed the sale of the Fujifilm North America manufacuring complex in Greenwood S.C. has officially closed in a deal that preserved 300 jobs at the once-sprawling plant. The sale of the property was announced in July after Phoenix Investors leased 1.1 million square feet back to Fujifilm. Fujifilm, which was the only occupant of the site since 1988,... Read More
Holiday season profits crucial for small businesses, inflation concerns remain Market research 

Holiday season profits crucial for small businesses, inflation concerns remain

GaryPageau ,
The quarterly MetLife and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Index reveals this holiday season is critical for small businesses’ finances. Eight in 10 (79%) say the holiday season is important for their overall profit, up from 70% who said the same last year. At the same time, inflation remains a top concern. This marks the fourth consecutive quarter that inflation... Read More
Markzware announces FlightCheck 2023 for macOS Updates 

Markzware announces FlightCheck 2023 for macOS

GaryPageau
Markzware Inc. announces FlightCheck 2023 for macOS. This stand-alone preflight application previews, inspects, analyzes, and provides a complete Inventory Report, to ensure print-ready PDF and native files. FlightCheck is the prepress solution that enables companies to easily set up cost-efficient preflight workflow stations for quality print output. System requirements are macOS 10.13 or higher. A yearly subscription for FlightCheck is $/€... Read More
Panasonic redesigns F2.8 Large Aperture 24-70mm Wide Zoom MFT lens New Products 

Panasonic redesigns F2.8 Large Aperture 24-70mm Wide Zoom MFT lens

GaryPageau
Panasonic announced a new large-aperture wide zoom lens, the LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. for the LUMIX G Series. The LEICA DG VARIO-ELMARIT 12-35mm / F2.8 ASPH. / POWER O.I.S. is a versatile lens ideal for virtually any shooting situation thanks to its large aperture, O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer) integration, compact size, and lightweight profile,... Read More
NRF: 2022 retail returns rate remains flat at $816 billion Market research 

NRF: 2022 retail returns rate remains flat at $816 billion

GaryPageau ,
Consumers are expected to return more than $816 billion worth of retail merchandise purchased in 2022, according to a report released today by the National Retail Federation and Appriss Retail. As retail sales continue to grow, the average rate of return has remained flat at 16.5% compared with 16.6% in 2021. “Even with 29 continuous months of retail sales growth,... Read More