So, you likely already know that Canon Italy did something weird.
I’m too bored to report. You can get the story at Fujirumors, no one better than Patrick to tell you what happened.
Enjoy life, snap pics, have a cool one, and don’t mingle too much with patents.
Canon press release:
“Every year, it is a great honor of mine to announce the well-deserved promotions of some of our cherished Canon team members,” said Joe Adachi, chairman and chief executive officer, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “These individuals are truly representative of the valuable leadership and dedication that is prevalent in so many of our esteemed employees. Having shown a strong commitment to helping cement our company’s standing as an industry leader, I thank them for their continued service and wish them much success with their new responsibilities.”
Executive promotions for the New Year include:
For more information about Canon U.S.A., visit www.usa.canon.com.
Well, it’s the camera and lens manufacturer we love for their reliable gear, and we all know how diligent they are in filing patent applications. I’ve some doubts about the “innovation” aspect, though.
Press release:
MELVILLE, N.Y., January 10, 2018 – As part of its mission to redefine the boundaries of innovation and expand the possibilities of imaging technology, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, has announced that its parent company, Canon Inc., based in Tokyo, Japan, ranks third among U.S. patent holders in 2017.
According to patent results issued by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, a leading producer of global patent databases, Canon was granted a total of 3,285 patents in 2017. This is the 32nd consecutive year that Canon Inc., has been ranked among the top five U.S. patent holders and for the 13th consecutive year, ranked first among Japanese companies for the number of U.S. patents granted. The patents granted demonstrate the company’s commitment to using a robust set of intellectual property rights to develop visionary consumer, business and medical solutions.
“Having landed once again among the top three patent holders, Canon’s longstanding and continued commitment to strategic research and development through continued innovation is evident,” said Seymour Liebman, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Canon U.S.A. Inc. “With 3,285 patents to our name, Canon is immensely proud of our strong standing among fellow tech giants as we continue to cement our role as a worldwide leader in imaging solutions in 2018 and beyond.”
In 2017, Canon U.S.A. imaging IP and technology innovation has earned Emmy recognition for its 4K cameras and lenses and opened up new research opportunities for wildlife habitats in the dark with its low light camera, the ME20. Ripples of Canon’s technological advancements were also felt in the production printing industry, where the company unveiled breakthrough new technology such as the Océ Colorado 1640 wide format printer, powered by Canon’s UVgel technology, which is the world’s first 64-inch roll-to-roll printer.
The patent news also comes on the heels of Canon’s innovation showcase at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where its “Visionaries Welcome” themed-booth featured previously-patented technologies integrations in manufacturing, retail, sports and entertainment and experiential marketing solutions.For more information on Canon and its products, please visit www.usa.canon.com.
Canon press release:
The new PIXMA G series collection includes:
Boost Productivity
Created for home, home offices and small office environments, the PIXMA G Series has been designed to boost productivity. Keeping running costs down and delivering more prints, the PIXMA G Series offers convenience and efficiency to suit all printing requirements.
Key Features:
Canon PowerShot Pro1 at a glance:
Before you get excited: The Canon PowerShot Pro1 was released 13 years ago. However, it’s the only PowerShot camera Canon ever released featuring a L-grade lens (see the red ring?).
The folks over at The Camera Store TV posted a 11 minutes video review of the PowerShot Pro1. Chris Niccolls got a PowerShot Pro1 in his hands and wants to see what features are still compelling, and which are hopelessly out of date. Enjoy.
Some more bits about the Canon PowerShot Pro1 (source: Wikipedia):
[the PowerShot Pro1] was the most expensive fixed-lens camera sold by Canon at the time, and thus the top of the PowerShot range. It was the first fixed lens designated a Canon L series lens, a designation normally reserved for expensive EF-series SLR lenses.It has a variable-angle two-inch, polycrystalline silicon, thin-film transistor, color liquid crystal display with approximately 235,000 pixels and a colour electronic viewfinder (EVF) with the same resolution. The lens has a 35 mm equivalent zoom range of 28 to 200 mm. The shutter has a maximum speed of 1/4,000 second. The camera’s dimensions are 117.5 mm in width, 72 mm in height, and 90.3 mm in depth. Its mass is 545 g.
The PowerShot Pro1 was announced in August 2004, and then sold for $999. I found Canon’s press release for the PowerShot Pro1, you can read it after the break.
Nikkei Asian Review posted a short interview with Fuji Mitarai, Canon Chairman and CEO.
Canon appears to be pretty satisfied with their results. However, Mr. Fuji Mitarai argues the company has to move beyond photographic gear and approach new markets, like factory equipment and health care.
The interview will be published in paper form, but Nikkei posted some excerpts.
Q: What is the biggest issue currently facing Canon?
A: Our primary management goal this year is to raise our antennas high toward cutting-edge technology. It is on this point where we lag behind other companies. We will open up a research and development center in the U.S.’s Silicon Valley, where we will actively adopt new technology.
Q: What do you believe is imperative for today’s corporation?
A: To read the trends of an era. Innovation is steadily advancing, and it has become difficult to put out products that are ahead of the competition, even if by just a little. This is now an era when latecomer manufacturers stand to gain. Compared with the past, even I feel mounting tensions. Read the report at Nikkei Asian Review.
This fits with another report coming from the same news agency, which states that Canon plans $3.5bn buying spree in medical and security ops. Security and health care seem to be definitely on Canon’s agenda:
TOKYO — Canon is putting its ample cash on hand to work by spending up to 400 billion yen ($3.53 billion) on acquisitions over the next three years to beef up its medical and security segments.
The Japanese technology group aims to take in 1.5 trillion yen in sales from new business operations by 2020, Chairman and CEO Fujio Mitarai told The Nikkei on Friday.
Canon’s biggest takeover so far is the 2016 acquisition of Toshiba Medical Systems from the Toshiba group. But apart from that, Canon in effect invested around 400 billion yen in new businesses over nine years. Moving forward, the company will explore the same level of expenditures in just one third of the time.
Let’s hope they do not forget how good they are in making cameras and lenses.
:-)
Notice
This website or its third-party tools use cookies, which are necessary to its functioning and required to achieve the purposes illustrated in the cookie policy. If you want to know more or withdraw your consent to all or some of the cookies, please refer to the cookie policy.
By closing this banner you agree to the use of cookies.