Canon to franchise photo-book service

       Canon Marketing (Thailand) will franchise its photo book-making service next quarter to tap rising demand from consumers in the near future, while its traditional enterprise market has been throttled by the global crisis.
       "The photo book-making service overseas such as in the US is very popular, as the business so far this year has grown by 35 per cent from last year. We expect our revenue from the new business to grow not less than that in the US," Soontorn Pantaramongkon, senior director and general manager for business imakging solutions, said yesterday.
       Canon wants to diversify risk from the corporate market, which took the brunt of the economic slump, while the retail market was relatively unscathed.
       The company along with its strategic partner in photo book-making - Sib Khon - were preparing a franchise business model under the brand "imageGang by Canon", as well as a marketing plan aimed at whipping up consumer demand.
       The companies plan to unveil the new business model next quarter.
       Canon Marketing will recognise revenue from the business by selling printing solutions and after-sales services to the franchisees.
       Sib Khon has designed photo book-making software to use with Canon's Press C6000 digital image printer. Canon and Sib Khon started the business at the beginning of this year by setting up the first branch in Siam Square.
       The photo book-making service is under Canon's print on-demand business unit (POD). Sales of Canon printers have dropped from last year, while sales of products from the POD and the professional and graphic arts business unit (PGA) have increased by 50 per cent.
       About 80 per cent of Canon's revenue comes from multifunction photocopiers, and colour and black-and-white digital printers.
       The overall market for those products in the first half of the year slid by 15 per cent from the same half in 2008. Although Canon has lost share in that business - from 23 per cent last year to 20 per cent - it is still the market leader.
       POD and PGA focus on printing for young entrepreneurs and SMEs, whose printing volumes are smaller than that of a large corporation.
       Examples of printing materials are business cards, manuals, brochures, cards, posters, leaflets and coupons.
       Canon targets its total revenue rising 18 per cent this year to Bt1.28 billion, with Bt60 million generated by POD and PGA. That forecast excludes revenue from photo book-making service, which is quite difficult to evaluate this year.

A CLOSE-UP TALE OF TWO CITIES

       How does Berlin compare visually to New York, the epitome of the modern metropolis? German photographer Gerrit Engel has lined the walls of Munich's International Design Museum with nearly 70 images of both, but it's not just a contrast in skylines.
       Berline - which next month marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall - can't match Manhattan's array of skyscrapers, but in Engel's survey, its buildings have character to spare.
       Engel, 44, is an Essen native who trained in architecture and photography in Munich and New York. His acclainmed 1997 debut as a photographer involved images of grain elevators, a theme that had previously drawn Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier.
       In the current exhibition, continuing through Novermber 1, Engel examines his subject buildings like a scientist studying exotic beings.
       His "portraits" of houses present individual faces that become a panorama of the city.
       Photos from both cities are gathered in groups according to similar characteristics and history. There are massive enlargements of some images mounted in the middle of the gallery, among them such familiar edifices as the Trump Tower, Sony Plaza and Rockefeller Centre.
       Anything but postcards, the pictures carry all the realism of broad daylight - no pretty red glow or even a blue aky. The soft, milky grey and white shades of the sky allow the details and nuances of colour to stand out in even greater clarity.
       The show is a breath of fresh air, a chance to see these cities as never before. New York is renowned for its magnificent skyline, but it's remarkable to see the components singled out, such as the aptly named Majestic Apartments, built in 1931.
       There are many such surprises, such as the fact - little known to outsiders - that Manhattan has white wooden houses. Engel's shots of the Morris-Jumel Mansion and the romantic Engine Company No 31, resembling a little castle, give New York a homier perspective than is usually depicted in the news media.
       The exhibition is rather small but lots of fun ride. You can visit two great cities in the space of an hour and see both in a whole new light.
       Find out more at www.Die-Neue-Sammlung.de.

GORGEOUS GADGETS GALORE!

       The latest line of devices that keep you up to the times without jeopardising your sense of style
       Super sleek and slick
       Okay fashionistas, your dream phone has just arrived! LG has recently released the spectacular LG BL40 Chocolate, which is included in its Black Label line. The universal remote lookalike houses a stunning 4-inch display with full cinematic screen (21:9). The high-definition real VGA LCD supports a 345x800 pixel resolution and projects a dualscreen UI that can display two different types of content at the same time. Made out of curved,tempered glass and featuringa5megapixel camera with LED flash, the super sleek and slick device retails at $499(17,020 baht).
       A headphone case with style
       Paul Frank brings you a very fashionable way to protect your iPod touch. Made from super-durable silicone, the Paul Frank Headphones Julius Case for iPod touch (2nd generation) hugs your iPod touch and keeps it safe from accidental damage while you enjoy listening to music on the go. The flexible outerwear also allows functionality with cut-outs providing access to all touch controls,headphone jack and dock connector for easy in-case use. The Headphones Julius Case is definitely a great way to protect and add a Paul Frank style to your sleek iPod touch without extra bulk. The Paul Frank Headphones Julius Case retails at $29.95(1,018 baht).
       All-in-one booklet Nokia delivers a brand new breed of portable devices with its Nokia Booklet 3G - a Windows-based mini laptop PC supported by Intel Atom Processor.With a battery life of up to 12 hours, the Booklet comes toting a glass 10.1-inch HD display with HDMI port for HD video out. Packed with 3G/HSPA/Wi-Fi/Ovi/Built-in camera/Bluetooth/Built-in SD card reader and on-board assisted GPS, the Booklet also supports hot-swappable SIM card functionality.
       All of which are placed within a smart aluminium shell that measures in at just 2cm thin and tips the scales at just 1kg.
       Expect Nokia's new wave sensation soon!
       Must-have running gear
       Nike recently unveiled its new Nike+ SportBand to make sure that all beloved runners can achieve real time performance feedback on their distance, pace, time and calories burned with just a glance at their wrist. Not only does it come with a new visibility-enhanced screen and a welded seal to improve water resistance,the Nike+ SportBand also allows runners to enjoy their favourite tunes through its Apple iPod nano, iTouch or iPhone systems. And thanks to Nikeplus.com,runners will be able to find the right gear, the latest event details, track progress and even connect with friends. The Nike+ SportBand retails at 2,190 baht.
       Heavenly halal!
       Let's altogether, people of all religious beliefs, welcome the month of Ramadan with Eat's My World - the new halal restaurant in town. Located at CentralWorld,7th Floor, Eat's My World features international,100 percent halal cuisines so that you can enjoy all of your favourite dishes from around the world.And since the kitchen is ruled by two young chefs - Bilal and Yassin from Paris, France - you can be sure that this will be the most interesting halal food you'll ever experience here in Bangkok. Recommended dishes are: burritos, grilled duck, chicken creole, cheeseburgers, red curry and tom yum kung. Lunch set,149 baht; Steak Set,249 baht; and Dinner Set,299 baht.
       All-weather headset
       Jawbone boasts that its Jawbone PRIME(TM) is the best Bluetooth headset they have ever created; continuing Aliph's tradition of marrying technology and design to deliver the best Bluetooth headset on the market. With NoiseAssasin 2.0, Acoustic Voice Activity Detector (Avad), Voice Activity Sensor (VAS) and Digital Signal Processing (DAS), means you'll be able to talk in a tsunami storm if you'd like. In short,Jawbone PRIME(TM) brings you even better audio quality,improved comfort and fresh, fun colour choices. What more could you ask for? Jawbone PRIME(TM) retails at $129.99 (4,421 baht). Check out http://us.jawbone.com.
       Speakers that rock!
       Bowers & Wilkins shows off its sound system mastery, this time with its first iPod speaker named after the legendary rock band,(Led) Zeppelin. Zeppelin is the first integrated iPod speaker system by the design-house, which takes its quest for true sound to a whole new level as Zeppelin provides a level of sound quality usually available only through dedicated hi-fi separates.Compatible with all the latest generations of iPods and connections at the back of the iPod speaker system allows the user to play other sources such as channelling images from the iPod to the television. All hail the new speaker and the band! Zeppelin rocks! Check out www.bowers-wilkins.com.

Steve Jobs returns for highlight event

       Charismatic Apple CEO Steve Jobs returned to the showman role that has helped define his company leadership last week, taking the stage for the first time since lengthy medical leave to undergo a liver transplant.
       He announced the latest collection of updates to Apple's iPod range:
       Nano with a video camera: The Nano, the smallest iPod that has a screen, now comes with a built-in video camera, a microphone, a pedometer, a 2.2-inch display and an FM radio tuner. It costs US$149 (Bt5,100) for an 8-gigabyte version or $179 for a 16GB model.
       Price cuts and storage expansion: The 8GB model of the iPod Touch-basically an iPhone without the phone capabilities - now costs $199, or $30 less. Apple kept prices constant for its larger models, but doubled the storage space; the price tag for a 32GB version is now $299 and a 64GB model sells for $399.
       Colourful shuffles: The tiny $79 4GB Shuffle now comes in silver, black, pink, blue and green. A smaller, less expensive version was added - $59 for a 2GB model, also in multiple colours.
       Beefier classic: The traditional iPod model now has a 160GB hard drive - a 40GB boost in storage - for the existing price of $249.
       Itunes upgrade: The iTunes 9 has cleaned-up software design. It gives users more control over what gets loaded on to iPods and iPhones and introduces a way to organise applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. It also lets five computers on the same home network share - by streaming or copying - music, video and other content, a departure from the strict copy-right protection that Apple has earlier insisted upon.
       Digital albums: ITunes will now sell some albums packged with digital photography, cover art, liner notes and other media reminiscent of the days of vinyl. ITunes LP can include interviews and other video, all of which can be viewed through iTunes. It's a way for recording companies to boost album sales as online stores make it easier to buy songs individually.

APPLE INVESTORS ARE LOOKING BEYOND STEVE JOBS

       Apple investors focused on the shortcoming of a new iPod line-up rather than on the reappearance of chief executive Steve Jobs at a product event in San Francisco on Thursday, analysts said.
       Apple fell as much as 1.9 per cent yesterday in Nasdaq Stock Market trading after Jobs introduced an iPod Nano with a video camera and cut prices on other models. Some investors had expected more, such as an iPod Touch with a camera, said Brian Marshall, an analyst at Broadpoint AmTech.
       "That was one potential negative to offset the potential positive surprise that we saw with Steve's appearance," said Marshall.
       Investors are less focused on Jobs than they used to be, he said. "The investment community is very comfortable with Apple's existing management team in addition to Steve."
       Jobs, 54, spoke publicly about his liver transplant for the first time. he said he now has the liver of a person in their mid-20s who died in a car crash and had donated their organs.
       "I would not be here without such generosity," Jobs said. "I'm vertical. I am back at Apple and loving every minute of it."
       Jobs, who went on an almost six-month medical levae in January, last appeared at a company event in October, when he introduced Macintosh notebooks.
       Dressed in his trademark blue jeans and black turtleneck, Jobs appeared to a standing ovation and spoke for about a half-hour. He mingled with the crowd after his presentation.
       Jobs relied on a team of executives, including product marketing chief Phil Schiller, to oversee company events while he was on leave.
       Chief operating officer Tim Cook handled Apple's day-to-day management. The executives ran the company "very ably" in his absence, Jobs said. He returned to Apple in June, staying out of the spotlight until yesterday.
       "The big news is Steve Jobs looks relatively well," said Ryan Jacob, a fund manager at Jacob Asset Management in Los Angeles. He manages about $40 million, and Apple is one of the fund's largest holdings. "Obviously he's been back at work, but I think it's encouraging that he's well enought to make a full presentation."
       Apple's iPhone sales have climbed to 30 million, Jobs said. There are now more than 75,000 applications available at the company's App Store, and users have downloaded more than 1.8 billion of the programmes, he siad. An iPhone version of Electronic Arts' John Madden football game went on sales recently.
       Cook was in the audience at the event, along with Apple retail chief Ron Johnson and Google CEO Eric Schmidt.
       In addition to a video camera, the new iPod Nano has an FM radio and pedometre. The 8-gigabyte device costs $149, while a 16-gigabyte model goes for $179. It will compete against products such as Cisco Systems' Flip camera.
       Cisco, the largest maker of networking equipment, said it welcomes new competition and that increased use of video will help sales of its routers and switches.
       "We are flattered that Apple and others perceive video is an important market," said Jonathan Kaplan, general manager of the consumer product unit at San Jose, California-based Cisco.

       Obviously he's been back at work since June but some analysts think it's encouraging that he's well enough to make a full presentation.

Frail-looking Jobs returns, introduces new Nano

       Apple co-founder Steve Jobs returned to the spotlight on Wednesday for the first time since having a liver transplant, overshadowing the unveiling of an iPod with a built-in video camera and several new iTunes features.
       Jobs, who resumed work part-time in June after nearly six months of medical leave, received a standing ovation from a packed auditorium as he took the stage in his first public appearance in nearly a year.
       His dramatic return to centre stage kicked off a music-themed product event that disappointed some industry observers who speculated Apple would announce that the songs of The Beatles would finally be available on iTunes.
       The 54-year-old Apple chief executive,the visionary behind the Macintosh computer, the iPod and the iPhone, appeared gaunt but not dramatically more so than during his last public appearance in October 2008.
       The notoriously private Jobs, who was wearing his trademark long-sleeved black shirt, jeans and sneakers, referred to his illness right off the bat.
       "I'm vertical," he said."I'm back at Apple, loving every day of it.
       "I'm very happy to be here today with you all," he said."About five months ago I had a liver transplant. So I now have the liver of a mid-20s person who died in a car crash and was generous enough to donate their organs.
       "I hope all of us can be as generous and elect to be organ donors," said Jobs,who underwent an operation for pancreatic cancer five years ago.
       Jobs also addressed his health in a rare interview following his on-stage performance, telling the New York Times he feels "great".
       "I probably need to gain about 30 pounds, but I feel really good," he said."I'm eating like crazy. A lot of ice cream."
       Apple did not announce prior to the event at a San Francisco theatre that Jobs would attend, and Silicon Valley technology blogs had been buzzing for days with rumours over whether or not he would show up.
       Jobs' appearance was the highlight of the event, during which Apple unveiled updates to iTunes, its online music store,the availability of 30,000 ringtones for sale for the iPhone, and a video cameraequipped iPod.
       Jobs said the iPod Nano, Apple's bestselling music player with over 100 million units sold, would now include a video camera, an FM radio, a pedometer and a microphone and speaker.
       "You can watch your video on the Nano or sync it back to your computer,"he said."With one click you can send it to YouTube. Pretty amazing to always have a video camera of that quality in your pocket, built right into your Nano."
       Jobs said there would be two models - an eight-gigabyte version for $149 and a 16GB model for $179.
       He also said that the updated iTunes store would feature iTunes LPs complete with liner notes, photos and other background information - just like record albums of the past.
       "Some of us are old enough here that we actually bought LPs," he joked to a crowd made up predominantly of people under 35.
       "It was great. You not only got great music, but you got great photography and great liner notes."
       Jobs said Apple would be introducing ringtones for sale through the iPhone store at $1.29 each.
       Apple also announced it was cutting the prices on various iPod models, with the price of an 8GB iPod Touch, for example, dropping to $199 from $249.
       The event closed with a live performance by Grammy Award-winning singer Norah Jones.
       But in a sign of who really was the star of the show, Jones got some of her biggest applause when Jobs kissed her on the cheek after she performed two songs.

Kodak taps small businesses

       To tap the growth of digital printing,Kodak (Thailand) has consolidated its technology resource bringing to retailers its new look Kodak Digital Express Solution.
       Kodak Express Solution will be one of the major focus movements this year as Kodak keeps supporting the retail shops with upgrading their service capability, according to Preecha Prasatwattana, the new managing director since April.
       The look of those retailers will be revamped, together with new merchan-dise, to catch up with digital technology.
       By the second half year, Preecha said Kodak would concentrate on the activity and package offer for SMEs. A Kodak Express conference will be held for partners and retailers in September and the company will help them to better offer services to customers with The KCPS (KODAK Creative Production Software),the workflow software designed specifically for photo retailers. The package offered to SMEs also includes Kodak Express Light Version which comes up with an APEX printer package that helps SMEs to start photo printing businesses on a small budget.
       Thailand is one of the world's best retail systems and Kodak Express is also regarded one of the most advanced in the world, said the managing director who has been overseeing Kodak's Southeast Asia market for over 10 years.
       The company will also expand the numbers of printing kiosks in Bangkok and upcountry to around 150 locations by this year.
       Digital printing still has a promising growth, at 35 percent, he said.
       Preecha admitted that sales of digital cameras had declined during the first half year, around 20 percent, due to the economic slowdown.

Kodak taps small businesses

       To tap the growth of digital printing,Kodak (Thailand) has consolidated its technology resource bringing to retailers its new look Kodak Digital Express Solution.
       Kodak Express Solution will be one of the major focus movements this year as Kodak keeps supporting the retail shops with upgrading their service capability, according to Preecha Prasatwattana, the new managing director since April.
       The look of those retailers will be revamped, together with new merchan-dise, to catch up with digital technology.
       By the second half year, Preecha said Kodak would concentrate on the activity and package offer for SMEs. A Kodak Express conference will be held for partners and retailers in September and the company will help them to better offer services to customers with The KCPS (KODAK Creative Production Software),the workflow software designed specifically for photo retailers. The package offered to SMEs also includes Kodak Express Light Version which comes up with an APEX printer package that helps SMEs to start photo printing businesses on a small budget.
       Thailand is one of the world's best retail systems and Kodak Express is also regarded one of the most advanced in the world, said the managing director who has been overseeing Kodak's Southeast Asia market for over 10 years.
       The company will also expand the numbers of printing kiosks in Bangkok and upcountry to around 150 locations by this year.
       Digital printing still has a promising growth, at 35 percent, he said.
       Preecha admitted that sales of digital cameras had declined during the first half year, around 20 percent, due to the economic slowdown.

SONY'S WALKMAN BEATS APPLE'S IPOD

       The Walkman outsold the iPod in Japan last week for the first time in four years, handing Japanese electronics giant Sony a rare victory over arch-rival Apple, a survey showed.
       Sony's share of the Japanese market for portable music players stood at 43 per cent in the week to August 30, ahead of Apple which had 42.1 per cent in the week to August 30, ahead of Apple which had 42.1 per cent, according to the Tokyo-based marketing research company BCN.
       Sony has had a tough time in recent years in the face of the huge popularity of the iPod and other rival products such as Nintendo's Wii.
       BCN said Walkman sales were benefiting from an expanded product line-p and more affordable prices.
       The iPod has also been a victim of Apple's own success because some people are buying the iPhone - which doubles as a portable music player - instead. Sales of the iPhone are not included in the survey.
       But Sony's victory was bitter-sweet because overall sales of portable music players on the decline in Japan, BCN said.
       The launch of the Walkman three decades ago revolutionised the way people around the world listened to music and helped transform Sony into a global electronics powerhouse.
       But in recent years it has failed to match the success of Apple, which sold 100 million iPods in less than six years after its 2001 launch, making it the fastest selling music player in history. Sales have since topped 200 million.
       Sony, the maker of Bravia televisions and PlayStation game consoles, announced in May its first annual loss in 14 years and is on course to stay in the red for a second year for the first time in half a century.
       Chief executive Howard Stringer is slashing 16,000 jobs and axing about 10 per cent of the manufacturing plants in a bid to return to profit.

       Sony's victory was bitter sweet because overall sales of portable music players are on the decline in Japan.

Kodak launches "Transpromo"

       Kodak is going to change the market perception of its "yellow box with camera" to the world of graphic communication by helping businesses to create effective customer communications.
       Called "Transpromo", the strategy is all about creating higher value, more effective customer communications to strengthen customer relations and drive higher response rates, said Pat McGrew,Eastman Kodak Data-Driven Communication Segment Evangelist, during an interview with Database .Kodak does this by offering technology that aligns transactional documents and promotional offers, and increases customer loyalty with one-to-one engagement.
       McGrew noted that companies around the world use billing statements to have contacts with their customers on a regular basis. Bills, statements,direct mail and other documents are delivered to someone to communicate.The bank and cell phone providers send monthly statements out to their customers.
       "The bill is a monthly appointment with customers because customers ex-pect it. If it is postcard or another piece of promotional material, they might throw it away because it something they don't want to take time reading, so why not put more marketing messages on the bill," she said.
       McGrew suggested the brand owners,the service providers, and those who deal with the billing should turn that monthly appointment into a regular conversation with their customers.
       "The first thing you want is to make sure that it must be easy for them to understand, and add good information content helping the customer to be a better customer."
       Credit card companies, banks, insurance companies and telephone companies around the world all have the same number one problem - losing customers.
       "Customers leave because they don't think they are getting value for the relationship and because they find it hard to do business with you. That's where the whole story comes together. Teaching them how to make them easy to read, teaching them to design the document so that when someone receives it they know exactly what they are supposed to do. Giving more information so that customers feel you value their time then you can educate them," she said.
       Kodak has partnered and worked with the post around the world McGrew said,adding that the post knows their customers. They can adopt the transpromotional strategy to create a personal relationship with customers. For instance, a cell phone provider used bills to tell customers about a special offer allowing them to call a country at a lower rate on a specific day and reminding them that the discount will be coming up.
       The bill cost per print is not the right conversation, she said. It is a matter of "cost per response"."If I charge you four times more for your prints, but you get a 500 percent higher response rate, most marketers said yes because most marketing offers made by any brand owners typically only get a 1 or 2 percent response rate. If I can take them 10,12 or 20 percent, which usually use data to create personal relations,then that's a lot more revenue coming back to the company."
       Asked how long the business can take to respond, McGrew said that it depends on various factors. Usually for customers, like mobile phone operators in Australia who issue the cell phone bills, from the time they have the idea to the time to implement, takes about 6 to 7 months.
       McGrew, whose job is to educate the market globally, said that it is market development, Kodak has to find the printers who are interested in changing the way they print for their customers,find the customers that are interested in working with the printer and educate them, and get to brand agencies, advertising agencies who advise their customers.
       "Most brand owners and advertising agencies know all this very well - SMS,web, email, billboard, direct mail but this one they've never heard of, so we have to find those people and tell them this service is available to them and it's an effective market. They can get a higher response rate because this is a personal communication market,this is one-to-one and this can be complimentary to web marketing, to mass marketing."
       McGrew, who was recently in Thailand, said she saw tremendous opportunity here."This is an interesting country because you have a rich understanding of colour, you like to communicate in colour. Look at the billboards, every building is colourful so the opportunity to communicate in colour, and also to bring the idea of data-driven personal in market is amazing.
       "Kodak has talked to customers here and there is a great deal of interest.Over the next year, you will see your mail box changed, the providers who create bills and statements learn the technique, the access to the technology.
       "The most normal thing to do is to work with brand owners, someone has to do data collecting, someone has to do market message development, sometimes the printers provide all of the services for free, so there are a number of different ways that you can handle the cost.
       "Way to be successful is get one thing to do first, start with a small project,and learn with the data track the data the use the method. Then once you have experience, you then grow. Then get more sophisticated with the data and with the messaging."