RitzBitz

·    Today’s addition to the DIMA podcast library presents the Closing Keynote session from  DIMA 2007 held in Las Vegas, Nev., in March, just prior to PMA 07. Graham Nash and R. Mac Holbert, founders of Nash Editions Ltd., Manhattan Beach, Calif., were presented with the DIMA Lifetime Achievement Award. Nash and Holbert then shared with the audience the entertaining and fascinating story of their history in this industry and in the world of rock ‘n roll. Download the podcast now to hear it for yourself.

·    Don’t forget to read the April PMA Washington Report online now. This month’s Washington, D.C. news includes information the progress of possible estate tax relief legislation, the consideration on the House of Representatives of a bill that doesn’t prohibit the use of genetic testing for insurance and employment purposes, and more. Find out all the details by reading the Washington Report, which is available to all PMA members.

·    Cathy and Rudy Schmidt of Photo Therapy, Lexington, Ky., became the 500th member of Independent Photo Imagers (IPI), Charleston, W.V., during the recent PMA 07 in Las Vegas, Nev. Independent Photo Imagers is an organization of independently owned and operated service specialty retailers and has more than 500 members running 738 labs.

·    CVS/pharmacy, Woonsocket, R.I., launched of its first-ever “Digital Sundays” program — free digital photography workshops for consumers in every U.S. store location with one-hour photo. Starting April 29, workshops will be held every Sunday from noon until 2:00 p.m. through August. To find a location near them, consumers can go to www.cvs.com/storefinder. Workshop participants will explore digital camera quality settings and what to consider when purchasing media cards, batteries and storage. Digital Experts will teach basic editing skills and provide hands-on instruction using the Digital Order Stations. Participants will learn how to make collages, calendars, photo mugs, and other photo gifts at home and in-store. No previous digital photography experience is necessary. All participants are encouraged to bring along their digital camera and ask questions. Discounts on photo products will be advertised in circulars with coupons available at each workshop.

·    RadioShack Corp., Fort Worth , Texas , is cutting around 280 jobs this month, mainly at the company’s headquarters, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, reports The Associated Press. The cuts will be made across all of its various support functions, the company said, adding that the move is expected to generate annual pretax savings of about $30 million. The company estimated it will record a pretax charge of about $8.5 million for one-time termination benefits in the fiscal quarter ended March 31.

·    Wolverine Data Inc., Irvine , Calif., announced that its Wolverine ESP portable photo storage and multimedia player will be available at Circuit City Stores Inc., Richmond, Va., and Circuit City online. The Wolverine ESP features a 3.6-inch LCD display and the ability to store and view up to 80,000 digital photos, play 320 hours of video or 50,000 songs, and record television programs and FM radio. It is available in four models, ranging in capacity from 80GB to 160GB with an MSRP starting at $379.99.

·    Aurora Photos , Portland, Maine, announces the launch of Aurora Select, a photographer representation division in New York, N.Y. Aurora Select works with editorial photographers and represents them in magazine and commercial areas of photography. Aurora Photos, a small independent photo agency, licenses various types of photography, from outdoor adventure and lifestyle, to geography and culture. Select maintains a unique roster of photographers with diverse styles.

·      X-Rite Color Services, Akron, Ohio, is offering the Picture Perfect Color full-day seminar that will teach photographers how to manage color and perfect their workflow through an understanding of digital color control from input to output. The full-day training seminar will tour 40 cities in the United States and Canada from May-December 2007 with support from Adobe, Eizo, Epson, Fujifilm, Marathon, PocketWizard, ProFoto, Tenba and Sekonic. The first stop is Boston, Mass., on May 15. Registration is now open for most cities, with dates and venues, and other details listed online. Additional cities will be added as the tour progresses. The cost is $299 with discounts available.

·    Lulu.com, Raleigh, N.C., an online marketplace that provides a platform to create, buy, sell and control digital content on demand, announces a multi-year agreement with Seattle-Wash.-based Getty Images, the world’s leading creator and distributor of visual content. Beginning summer 2007, authors, creators and organizations will have access to portions of Getty Images’ royalty-free collections to enhance and monetize their original works while protecting and compensating copyright holders. Getty Images’ collections offer a diverse range of concepts and subject matter including business, education, healthcare, nature and travel. New content will be added on a continuing basis to ensure Lulu.com users have the freshest and most relevant imagery, say the companies. All images are available under a flexible royalty- free licensing model on a per image, per use basis. Every time an item containing a licensed image is sold at the Lulu.com Marketplace, the usage fee for the image is included in the selling price and collected from the buyer.

·    MakeMoreArt.com is a new online Web resource for the art and framing industry which includes vendors, framers, photographers, artists, and anyone else that has an online art-related website. MakeMoreArt.com offers a platform for individuals or businesses to increase awareness of their own art related website and plans on expanding its resources to include free educational marketing materials as well. To learn more about MakeMoreArt.com, e-mail Contact@MakeMoreArt.com.