Archive for February, 2012

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Whitney Houston Remembered

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

Whitney Houston, 1963–2012

Her Powerful, Timeless Voice Influenced Generations of Singers

Whitney Houston was born on August 9th, 1963 in Newark, New Jersey. She died just 48 years later. Infamous in recent years for her struggles with drug addiction and her famously volatile marriage to Bobby Brown, Houston will ultimately be remembered not for her troubled personal life, but for her powerful, timeless voice and her triumphs as a music sensation.

Houston grew up around music, soaking in the sounds of gospel choirs and well-known singers before she could even talk. Her Mother, Cissy, sang gospel and was a backup singer for some of the biggest acts in the business, including Dusty Springfield, Otis Redding, and Wilson Pickett. Singing talent was in Houston’s blood (and in that of her cousins, Dee Dee and Dionne Warwick), and her godmother was none other than Aretha Franklin. By the time she reached high school, Whitney Houston was already on the path to stardom, singing backup for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls. Meanwhile, she had begun a successful modeling career, appearing in the pages of popular magazines like Glamour and Seventeen.

In 1985, Houston’s first album was launched and became a huge hit, propelling the singer into fame seemingly overnight, though the project had been in the works for nearly two years when it was released. Simply titled “Whitney Houston,” the album became the first by a new female artist ever to yield three number-one singles, the most memorable of which being “The Greatest Love of All.” The black-and-white photo above, which was scanned to digital by the Associated Press, shows Houston belting out a powerful melody during a benefit concert at Boston Garden on May 10th, 1986.

Houston’s huge voice and unique style put her at the center of pop culture, and under this spotlight she became a strong influence on generations of singers to follow, from Mariah Carey and Alicia Keys to Christina Aguilera, Queen Latifah, and Jennifer Hudson.

In 1992, Whitney Houston took Hollywood by storm when she starred with Kevin Costner in “The Bodyguard.” The film yielded the hit song “I Will Always Love You,” a soft melodic love song by Dolly Parton reinterpreted by Houston as a power ballad. The single became the best-selling single by a female artist in music history, and the soundtrack won a Grammy for Album of the Year. Over the following years of her career, Houston amassed 22 American Music Awards and six Grammys, making her one of the most decorated female singers of all time.

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My pictures came back in great shape and the digital pictures are wonderful!

Saturday, February 25th, 2012

We love our customers. That’s why we follow up with everyone after their order is complete to assure we’re doing our job right. If there’s ever any issue, we address it immediately. Most of the time however, we receive rave reports. On behalf of the ScanDigital team, I’d like to say “Thank You” to our amazing customers. We’re truly flattered to know you are happy and honored to have been trusted with your family’s precious memories. Please find a sampling of the testimonials below that we’ve received recently.

If you’d like to hear more from our customers, you are welcome to visit our Testimonial page. As always, we’re always here on Twitter and Facebook, by email at info@scandigital.com or by phone at 888.333.2808 if you have any questions or just want to chat!

“Scan Digital is like a can of WD40–everybody needs a can!” – Cheryl (Elgin, IL)

“The overall caliber of helpfulness and cordiality was very nice. I was happy with the resulting scans and would definitely recommend and use again.” – Colleen (Cottage Grove, OR)

“I was so pleasantly surprised that the DVD made by ScanDigital was so good! I also commend your company on the excellent customer service—from placing my order to keeping me updated on the progress all the way to the end!” – Dyanne (Nicholasvile, KY)

“Your service was easy to use and the people are helpful and patient.” – Gabriela (Oakland, CA)

“I feel that I got very good service at Scan Digital! The best part was being able to track the progress of my order online; I could see each step that was being taken as my slides were digitized!” – Susan (Portland, ME)

“This was my first experience with ScanDigital and I was so impressed! I was a little nervous about mailing away the ONLY copy I have of my wedding video, but the excellent communication that came from your company along the way put my mind at ease! The communication from beginning to end was stellar!” – Angie (Mason, OH)

“The process was easy and straight forward. There was communication [throughout] the process about how the order was proceeding and I appreciated that. It was good to know when my order had arrived and that it had started processing and also when the order was complete and being shipped.” – Tricia (Alberta, Canada)

“My pictures came back in great shape and the digital pictures are wonderful!” – Carol (Ephrata, PA)

“I most definitely will recommend your services. Very professional, website is well laid out and easy to use, excellent pricing, exceptional customer service, and service delivery timelines are very good!” – Linda (British Columbia, Canada)

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The service and quality I received was excellent. I [also] used the online help a couple of times and they were always quick, efficient and friendly with their responses!”

Friday, February 24th, 2012

To assure we’re doing our job right, we follow up with every customer after their order is complete. If there’s ever any issue, we address it immediately. Most of the time however, we receive rave reports. On behalf of the ScanDigital team, I’d like to say “Thank You” to our amazing customers. We’re truly flattered to know you are happy and honored to have been trusted with your family’s precious memories. Please find a sampling of the testimonials below that we’ve recently received.

If you’d like to hear more from our customers, you are welcome to visit our Testimonial page. If you have any questions or would just like to chat, you can always find us here on Twitter and Facebook, by email at info@scandigital.com or by phone at 888.333.2808 if you have any questions or just want to chat!

“I was impressed with the results that I received back, how speedy everything was, and the customer service was great!” – Tara (Sun City, AZ)

“I was hesitant to send tapes away that had once-in-a-lifetime footage on them, but your services have alleviated that concern!” – Pam, SC

“I really appreciate that your company provides professional products. I don’t want to pay a significant amount of money for a service that I could do myself with a scanner from Best Buy and a week off of work. There are too many places that offer shoddy service and I’m glad that ScanDigital doesn’t!” – Mark, MI

“Your service was fabulous! I have used competitive services in the past and think you offer higher-quality service. The things that make you stand out [are] the online timeline that shows you exactly where your project is in the process…turnaround time…[and] presentation of the DVDs!” – Anne, AZ

“The service was fast and well done [and] the photos look great. I would and I have recommended ScanDigital. It’s an efficient way to get old photos scanned and ready for digital use!” – Douglas, CA

“The service and quality I received was excellent. I [also] used the online help a couple of times and they were always quick, efficient and friendly with their responses!” – Kim, British Columbia

“I am very picky about scan quality and ScanDigital does a great job!” – Sarah, CA

“Your company did a great job! Communication was outstanding and the product and service were both very high quality!” – Michelle, IN

“Kudos for a wonderful experience! Your company, your staff I talked to when I called, were all very helpful in getting my husband’s work and memories documented for generations to come. Keep giving that excellent service for future customers!” – Darlene (Roanoke, VA)

“Although I sent away my family’s historical photographs with much trepidation, I received them back in perfect condition.” – Allison (Berkeley, CA)

“I am a three-time customer, maybe four. I love your service. No complaints here. You are great! I sing your praises everywhere!” – Teresa (Gulfport, MS)

“I would recommend [ScanDigital]. The service was fast and professional!” – Shelley (Madison, WI)

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Your company did a great job! Communication was outstanding and the product and service were both very high quality!

Friday, February 17th, 2012

We follow up with every customer because we care. We truly want to hear about as many customer experiences as possible to assure we’re doing our job right. If there’s ever any issue, we address it immediately. Most of the time however, we hear from customers overjoyed to have their memories preserved and thankful the process was so easy. On behalf of the ScanDigital team, I’d like to say “Thank You” to our amazing customers. We’re truly flattered to know you are happy and honored to have been trusted with your family’s precious memories.

If you’d like to hear more from our customers, you are welcome to visit our Testimonial page. If you have any questions or would just like to chat, you can always find us here on Twitter and Facebook, by email at info@scandigital.com or by phone at 888.333.2808. Hope to hear from you soon!

“I was impressed with the results that I received back, how speedy everything was, and the customer service was great!” – Tara, AZ

“I was hesitant to send tapes away that had once-in-a-lifetime footage on them, but your services have alleviated that concern!” – Pam, SC

“I really appreciate that your company provides professional products. I don’t want to pay a significant amount of money for a service that I could do myself with a scanner from Best Buy and a week off of work. There are too many places that offer shoddy service and I’m glad that ScanDigital doesn’t!” – Mark, MI

“Your service was fabulous! I have used competitive services in the past and think you offer higher-quality service. The things that make you stand out [are] the online timeline that shows you exactly where your project is in the process…turnaround time…[and] presentation of the DVDs!” – Anne, AZ

“The service was fast and well done [and] the photos look great. I would and I have recommended ScanDigital. It’s an efficient way to get old photos scanned and ready for digital use!” – Douglas, CA

“The service and quality I received was excellent. I [also] used the online help a couple of times and they were always quick, efficient and friendly with their responses!” – Kim, British Columbia

“I am very picky about scan quality and ScanDigital does a great job!” – Sarah, CA

“Your company did a great job! Communication was outstanding and the product and service were both very high quality!” – Michelle, IN

“Kudos for a wonderful experience! Your company, your staff I talked to when I called, were all very helpful in getting my husband’s work and memories documented for generations to come. Keep giving that excellent service for future customers!” – Darlene (Roanoke, VA)

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Posted in Photo Scanning, ScanDigital, negative scanning | No Comments »

The Return Of The Electric Car

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

The Electric Car: Then And Now

Battery-Powered Cars Aren’t So New, As These Photos Show

Although the recent resurgence of electric and hybrid electric cars has shed new light on the potential benefits that such designs offer over conventional gasoline-powered cars, the electric car is far from a new concept. In fact, electric cars have been around since the very early days of the automotive industry. In the early 20th century, there was a close battle for dominance among several automotive technologies, as steam-powered cars and electric cars had yet to give way to the internal combustion engine. The first picture here, which was scanned to digital for preservation, shows the prolific inventor Thomas Edison (left) standing with an electric car running on an alkaline battery of his design. Edison strongly believed in electric cars, and took up the cause in 1900 to design an entirely new battery chemistry to improve the range of battery-powered vehicles. He believed that trains and trucks could also be improved by switching to electric power. Around the year 1910, Edison abandoned his work on electric car batteries as gas-powered engines became the front-runner for setting the standard in automotive tech.

What’s the earliest hybrid car you can think of? The Toyota Prius was certainly the first to become widely popular. The Honda Insight, first launched in the late 1990s, was the first to be mass-produced and sold to the public. But the concept dates back quite a bit further, to the beginnings of automotive history. In 1900, a 25-year-old engineer named Ferdinand Porsche (yes, that Porsche) invented the first hybrid car, which is pictured in the second photo, scanned to digital by the Museum of Automotive History. The designed utilized electric motors mounted near the front wheels to help propel the car.

Fast forward a century, and the streets are full of hybrid cars. Meanwhile, the all-electric car is making a serious comeback. Mainstream automakers like Nissan and Mitsubishi are selling electric cars in increasing numbers, and boutique automakers like Tesla have made a name for themselves by making only electric cars. Tesla recently announced its newest design, the Model X, which features stylish and functional falcon-wing doors that make ingress and egress easy even in tight spots. In the photo here, Tesla co-founder Elon Musk demonstrates the doors, which have a unique hinge that allows the doors to fold as they rise from the car’s frame. The Model X’s SUV-like design is large enough to replace the family minivan, yet compact enough to maneuver in and out of tight parking spaces. The Model X will have an estimated range of up to 260 miles per charge, depending on battery options, when it is released next year.

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“Yes We Scan” Initiative Hopes To Create Digital Library of Congress

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Former White House Chief Of Staff Pushes For Comprehensive

Will The Library Of Congress Move Into Cyberspace?

For years, organizations such as Google, the Internet Archive, and the Library of Congress have been pushing efforts to digitize the contents of libraries all over the world. But the U.S. Government has not yet endeavored to create a comprehensive digitization program to preserve and organize the millions of books, films, audio recordings, and other valuable content owned by the nation. There have been small scale efforts to use photo scanning technology to immortalize certain collections here and there, but so far the prospect of digitizing everything remains in the future. Some argue that such an undertaking would be dizzyingly labor-intensive even with the latest technology at hand. There is no arguing that the task would be less than Herculean, but there are many who believe it would be well worth the effort.

John Podesta, the former transition team co-chair for President Obama, and White House Chief of Staff for President Clinton, believes that “the vast holdings of the federal government” should be digitized and catalogued in what he calls a “Digital Library of Congress.” The founder of the Center for American Progress, Podesta has partnered with public.resource.org to petition the White House to build this digital library by scanning content that is currently stashed away in places like the Smithsonian Institution and the National Archives, unavailable to the American public.

Podesta is calling the initiative “Yes We Scan,” perhaps in hopes to win over the current administration and gain support. He believes that universal access to the nation’s vast resources would have profound effect on research and education in this country. Although technologies like photo scanning and text-recognition would certainly be involved, Podesta has left the exact strategy for attaining his lofty goals up for debate, encouraging the White House to craft a strategy to get the job done. In a recent letter to the White House, Podesta referred to Thomas Jefferson’s famous decision to donate his library to the government of the United States. Podesta suggests that the current administration could help realize Jefferson’s vision of government as an agency for the diffusion of knowledge for the good of humankind.

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Posted in Photo Scanning, film transfer, photos, video transfer | No Comments »

The services were excellent! All the items scanned beautifully and I received the originals back in perfect shape.

Friday, February 10th, 2012

We love hearing from our customers. That’s why we reach out to everyone after the completion of their order- it’s important to assure we’re doing our job right. If there’s ever any issue, we address it immediately. Most of the time however, we receive rave reports. On behalf of the ScanDigital team, I’d like to say “Thank You” to our amazing customers. We’re truly flattered to know you are happy and honored to have been trusted with your family’s precious memories. Please find a sampling of the testimonials below that we have received from the remainder of this month.

If you’d like to hear more from our customers, you are welcome to visit our Testimonial page. As always, we’re always here on Twitter and Facebook, by email at info@scandigital.com or by phone at 888.333.2808 if you have any questions or just want to chat!

“Thanks for taking good care of my originals and for the time and effort it took to scan them all and restore color and clarity!” – Candace, NV

“I LOVED your service!  Loved the updates on the progress, neat return packaging, and CD with all of the pictures!” – Cheryl, IL

“I had an excellent experience with ScanDigital and I would never hesitate to recommend you to others. I can’t think of a thing that you could do to improve your service. It was perfect from beginning to end!” – Janet, MN

“I have investigated ways to get slides digitized and this is the best value I can find!” – John, MD

“I’ve told friends that you cannot do this at home with your own scanner; the quality is way better with ScanDigital!” – Chelsey, BC

“ScanDigital is a very professional service! I like the fact that the work is done in the U.S. rather than overseas. If people are just too busy to do these themselves, then this is a good alternative.” – Sue, OH

“I was thrilled to find [the service] so easy to use!” – Deborah, NC

“I would recommend your service.  The work was professional and done quickly and I liked that I could follow the progress!” – Maechelle, MN

“The services were excellent! All the items scanned beautifully and I received the originals back in perfect shape.” – Teresa, IL

“I was very impressed with your service.  Everything was done perfectly and in a timely manner!” “– Allyn, OR

“I was very pleased with the service I received at ScanDigital and would highly recommend your services to others! I called Customer Service with several questions and the representative was able to respond in a clear and concise way. My photographs were scanned, burned to a disc, and returned in a timely manner, and I received email updates along the way.  Everything was returned looking just like it did when I sent it.” – Jill, CT

“It was incredibly helpful to know how much time was left on the project and when my photos were safely in the mail. I was incredibly impressed with the professional quality of my scanned photos and the ease with which I could download them to my own computer and share them with family!” – Stefanie, NE

“The process was very simple to follow and the turnaround time was great! I would definitely consider using your company in the future!” – Shellie, SD

“My originals were in pretty poor shape, and they were expertly scanned and oh-so-lightly retouched. Really nice technical work!” – Claire, NY

“I was very impressed with the professionalism of the whole transaction from beginning to end.    You make it very easy for the customer to get their photos to you and provided great tracking of the job! You will be the first company I contact when I am ready for more digital scanning!” – Janée, CA

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John Lowry Dies, Innovative Film Restoration Executive

Thursday, February 9th, 2012

Film Restoration Innovator John Lowry Dies

Lowry To Be Honored By Academy

John D. Lowry, the innovative film restoration executive whose technology has been used to restore classic films from “Casablanca” to “Star Wars,” died on January 21st at the age of 79. Lowry, shown here with the Star Wars writer/producer/director George Lucas, was the founder of Lowry Digital Images. Of Lowry, Lucas said that “his passion for cinema and expertise in technology were essential in preserving the work of filmmakers for future generations to enjoy.”

The Burbank-based Lowry Digital Images is renowned in the entertainment technology industry for its work restoring some of the most important films in history for their release on DVD and Blu-ray. Lowry’s proprietary film digitization and restoration technologies have been used to preserve classics such as “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Sunset Boulevard,” and “Gone With the Wind.” Timeless Disney films such as “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and “Bambi” were also given the Lowry treatment, as were thrillers such as the “Indiana Jones” and “James Bond” films.

Lucas went on to say that Lowry’s innovations had “rescued many movies from irreparable decay, making it possible to enjoy them forever as the artists envisioned, without the damage of time.” Lowry’s career took shape in 1971 when he launched a company called Image Transform. This company developed a system for NASA to clean up live images being broadcast from the moon. Lowry later developed a new system for reducing visual “noise” in motion pictures. This process became the centerpiece of Lowry Digital Images, which Lowry launched in 1998 with engineer Ian Cavén. The film digitization and de-noising process allowed restorers to sharpen images, remove dirt, repair scratches, and reduce visible flicker in films. The process is not only intended for old films – new ones can be improved as well. Recent films such as “Avatar” and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” also benefited from improved image quality after being treated by the Lowry System.

Less than two weeks before Lowry’s death, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that Lowry and his partners would be honored at this year’s Scientific and Technical Awards ceremony, held on February 11th, for the invention of the Lowry System.

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Valentines Day Photo Gift Ideas

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

Impress Your Someone Special With A Photo Gift

Give Your Valentine A Gift With A Personal Touch

Finding the perfect Valentines Day gift for your someone special can be really tough. The pressure is on, and expectations can run high. What’s the best way to show that you really care? Classic options like flowers and chocolates are always welcome, but the best gifts are more memorable. If you don’t have the budget for a grand gesture such as a piece of fine jewelry or a romantic getaway to the Caribbean, you should think about putting together a homemade gift. When you make a gift for someone, you demonstrate that you care enough to give of yourself – your time, your effort, and your talents.

For a great handmade Valentines Day gift with a personal touch, consider making a photo gift of some kind. You can make a scrapbook full of photos and mementos, or you can scan old photos to digital and make a video slideshow. Scanning your photos to digital is a great first step because digital photos can be quickly sorted and organized. For example, if you have a large collection of old unorganized photos, you can have them scanned to digital and then sort them into various categories such as events and parties, location, vacations, or sort by year. This approach allows you to make a photo timeline, which you can print or share online. Scanning old photos also allows you to touch up and resize photos to be re-printed and included in a scrap book or photo album. Your more recent photos may already be on your computer or digital camera. By mixing and matching recent photos with older memories, you can create a gift that will be sure to have a winning reaction from your Valentine.

Everyone loves to reminisce, and Valentines Day is a great time to look back and appreciate the good times you and your someone special have shared together. But what if you and your sweetheart are in a new relationship, without years of history to call on? A photo gift can still be a great idea – you just need a different approach. For example, you can choose a photo of you and your Valentine, and get a high-quality print made. Then, you can have the photo custom framed, and even personalized with engraving. This type of gift shows that you put some thought and care into Valentines Day, and is sure to make anyone a happy Valentine.

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Posted in Organizational, Photo Scanning, Photo Tips, photos | No Comments »

Kodak Files Chapter 11 As Film Industry Dwindles

Thursday, February 2nd, 2012

Kodak Falls Victim To Own Creation: Digital Photography

Unable To Adapt, Kodak Calls It Quits (For Now)

Eastman Kodak Co., one of the most recognizable name brands of the 20th century, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last Thursday after months of speculation about the company’s ability to stay afloat amid falling sales in an increasingly digital world. A vanguard brand in the world of photography, Kodak became a household name with products such as Instamatic cameras and Kodachrome photographic film (forever immortalized in the song by Paul Simon). But this former trailblazer has lost its glory now that film cameras and printed photos are on their way to becoming relics of the past. Digital photography, which actually originated decades ago at Kodak, has now made the film maker nearly obsolete. Although Kodak did try to compete in the digital camera business, it never had as strong a presence as camera hardware specialist such as Nikon and Canon, or consumer electronics giants such as Sony. Interestingly, the advent of digital photography has now cannibalized the digital camera business as well, because smartphone cameras have become so good and so ubiquitous that many casual users have ditched their point-and-shoot digital cameras.

Based out of Rochester, New York, Kodak has been exposed to heavy foreign competition in its primary business of film sales and processing, and has had a dwindling customer base over the last 15 years or so. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that the news was “difficult and disappointing,” and that the city of Rochester owed much to the 132-year-old company. With the help of an 18-month, $950-million credit facility from Citigroup, Kodak continue operating through the restructuring. Kodak’s CEO Antonio M. Perez said that filing for bankruptcy was “a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak.” In the last nine years, Kodak has closed13 manufacturing plants and 130 processing labs, laying off 47,000 workers in the process.

Widespread film digitization, which of course has contributed to Kodak’s woes, may eventually be the key to future profitability. Last year, the company’s digital and printing technologies accounted for 75% of its revenue. Many analysts believe that film digitization wasn’t Kodak’s main problem. Instead, the trouble lay in the fact that Kodak didn’t listen its own innovators – the ones who invented digital photography – when they predicted that digitization would one day make the film business obsolete. Back then, the film industry was Kodak’s main moneymaker, and the company wasn’t prepared for widespread sea change. Just ten years ago, Kodak stock was trading at $20 or more. Last Thursday, it was down 35% from the day before – at 36 cents per share.

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Posted in Products, digital photography, technology | 1 Comment »

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