Imaging briefs

Long Beach, Calif.— Epson announced a new flagship in its all-in-one line, the Stylus Photo RX640. The printer features a 2.5-inch LCD, direct printing to CD/DVD printable media, PC-free photo card creation and border-free printing. The RX640 can produce a 4-inch by 6-inch photo print in 39 seconds, black or color text at 21 pages per minute and features six dye-based inks with 1.5 picoliter droplet sizes for a maximum resolution of 5,760 by 1,440 dpi. The scanner features a resolution of 3,200 by 6,400 dpi with 48-bit color and a 3.3 optical density. The unit ships this month for an estimated $299.

Chatsworth, Calif. — Sanyo announced a new model in its Xacti family of digital still cameras. The 6-megapixel S60 features a 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD, a “touch sensor” shutter for quick focusing and a nine-point auto focus. The camera will offer a new voice-recording feature that lets users add audio to recorded images and can capture VGA/30 fps video to its SD card or 21.9MB of internal memory. The video can be recorded with an ISO sensitivity up to 1600. Additional features include eight scene modes and six digital filters and a 5 cm macro focus. Sanyo plans to introduce the model in the second quarter of the year. Pricing has not been determined.

Cerritos, Calif.— Flash memory OEM M-Systems announced a new USB flash drive called FlashDisc, which will be available in low capacities to hit mass-market price points. Verbatim and Memorex have both announced plans to ship the product under their respective brands. The companies positioned the product as a “new category” arguing that the low cost and low capacity would allow consumers to use it as replacement for floppy discs. Since typical USB flash drives are higher capacity and more expensive, consumers are reluctant to part with them, the companies said. In contrast, FlashDisc, which will be available in 16MB and 32MB capacities, will inspire a new usage model as consumers will be more willing to part with them. The product is shaped like a compact disk and separates to reveal a USB pin. It is housed in a rugged enclosure with a blank label for writing notes. Memorex will initially ship the product through Best Buy. A package with three multi-colored 16MB drives will sell for $19.99. Verbatim will also ship a three-pack of 16MB drives for $19.99.

Dallas— Memory supplier Edge Tech announced a new, 7-inch digital frame to its peripheral lineup. The TFT LCD-based frame accepts eight memory formats and supports MP3 playback on built-in speakers. The product is shipping this month for $189.95 ($149.95 with a $40 rebate).