We will be pushing out a new version of Photo Finale tomorrow morning.  Here are the changes you will see:

Photo Finale 8.1.0.25300 Release •  27 January 2012

Redesigned “Review your Photos” Page

New Features/Improvements:

• New “My Projects” page with support for customer-entered names and descriptions per-project, and a Copy Project feature.
• Redesigned “Review Your Photos” page, focuses customer on only photos that require cropping, allows for filtering by status, product and orientation, and supports thumbnail zooming.
• Revamped Photo Browser & Photo Viewer pages with a cleaner, sleeker look and feel, better consistency throughout, and improved load speeds for accounts with many collections.
• Improvements to the Style Selection page to load style preview thumbnails faster and adjust the workflow so customers always see a full-size preview of their style before selecting it.
• All text fields in creative products are now free-form, allowing them to be resized and repositioned as need by the customer.
• Support for drag and drop in the Upload Photos dialog.
• Automatic redirection of iPhone/ iPad / iPod Touch users to the iTunes App Store for dealers with a custom-branded Pocket Pics app.
• New infrastructure to allow Folio Content changes (uploading updates to existing styles) that remove previously linked backgrounds and/or layouts, while still preserving the items for customers with saved projects utilizing them.
• Labs utilizing online payment processing can now choose between Deferred Capture, the existing method where payments are “authorized” when the customer submits their order online and captured later after fulfillment, or a new Authorize & Capture method that captures the payment immediately as the order is placed.
• A number of smaller fixes and tweaks.

The New "My Projects" Page

APM v7.5 and Lab 50 v7.5 have released and feature free form-layouts & text, enhanced autofill, print bundles, print review screen, Folio branding, premium content functionality, expanded discount and promotion system, Windows 7 support and a long list of other enhancements. Make sure you are up to date with your support agreement so you are eligible for this big update!

Visit the Support Downloads page for instructions, downloads and release notes.

The ancient Greeks believed the number 7 represented perfection and plenty (hence, the ‘7’ wonders of the ancient world as opposed to the 5 or 6).  While Moore’s Law and the pace of digital innovation make it impossible to claim any technology achieves perfection, Lucidiom’s APM 7.0 software certainly comes close.  It also offers plenty of hot new customer features and retailing aides.  So, I thought it fitting for this latest version of our APM software to highlight 7 of my favorite things for you as opposed to my customary 5 top picks. 

 The 7 Wonders of APM 7.0:

1.  Instant Uploads – We’re calling it a software feature, but for the retailer, the ability to offer this kind of connectivity is really a whole new way of doing business.  With APM 7.0 any Photo Finale Web member can simply take her media card to the APM kiosk and upload photos to her Photo Finale Web account.  Why is this so extraordinary?  Ask anyone short on time. 

Instant uploads reduce the frustration consumers face at home of long upload times and difficulty getting photos from their cameras onto their computer.  [Read more in this post.]  The in-store upload capability of APM 7.0 also provides an immediate new revenue stream for stores and drives future online revenue by promoting ‘social picturing’ – online sharing and ordering. 

2. Photo Finale Web Downloads – APM 7.0 brings the in-store and Web experience full circle by also allowing customers to access their online photos from the APM for an in-store order.  When your customers are at the kiosk, they can now tap into their online photo collections from their Photo Finale web account. Their selected collection will be downloaded to the kiosk and then they can use the photos for in-store ordering. Plus, they can load photos from multiple sources for the same order — combine photos from various media cards, online collections, flatbed scanner, and Bluetooth or Infrared device.
3. Redesigned Product Finder & New Style Previews – To help customers navigate the ever-growing breadth of photo expression options and find the perfect product for their occasion, APM 7.0 introduces a completely redesigned Product Finder.  Products are grouped by type and size, making it easier for customers to hone in on exactly what they want.  Four retailer-configurable “featured” product spots – one of which can even be an automatically-rotating seasonal selection – allow you to highlight top sellers and really catch the customers’ attention. The new “Browse By Occasion” tab lets customers quickly find products that match their needs — a birthday party, new baby, weddings, etc. While browsing products, customers can jump back to any point using the breadcrumb icons to change their selections. Plus, style previews three times larger than before give customers a large and clear preview of each kiosk product and provide a good sense of each product theme as they browse.
4. Upsell Recommendation Screen – Another key innovation in APM 7.0 is a brand new product recommendation up-sell engine.  No more, “I didn’t know you did those!,” excuses… the kiosk now puts products right in front of your customers.  At the end of each order, they are presented with targeted products based on Lucidiom’s extensive database of historical kiosk sales data, powered by the APM Network.  For example, customers ordering a greeting card might be prompted to purchase a photo envelope, a set of thank you note cards and custom notepads, all in matching designs.  If one or more suggested products are selected, the APM will help you create them in a flash by defaulting to a similar theme and using the same collection of photos to produce the new product.
5.  Multi-select – Gone are the days of hunting and pecking when it comes to selecting photos and print sizes.  In APM 7.0 customers now can select photos one by one or row by row.  Then they select the size and that size is added to each photo.
6. Filtering / Sorting – We all know digital customers often complain of photo overload.  APM 7.0 allows them to now easily find the photos they want to order by filtering images by date range or by folder. Images also can be sorted by date (newest/oldest) or name.
7. Photo Archive on DVD Cinema – This great product is made even better in APM 7.0. The DVD Cinema product now includes an archive folder on the disc with a copy of all the JPEGs, so the DVD can be used at the kiosk to reorder prints, as well as in a DVD player.  Encourage your customers to enjoy the movie; then use the same DVD to order prints from the kiosk.

As with all Lucidiom products, APM 7.0 is flexible, open and brand neutral.  Your brand is front and center and the technology works with legacy equipment and third-party printers.  Those are all the original wonders of Lucidiom.  We’re delighted to continue innovating new software and services that allow you to focus on your top priority – the customer.

(Posted by Steve Jr)

We are excited to announce the release of APM & Lab 50 6.1! (Download it here.)

I would like to tell you about a few of my favorite things about 6.1. No, I’m not talking about raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, though brown paper packages tied up with strings might fall under this heading if that brown paper can be swapped for our new wrapping paper product! So many readers said they enjoyed my list of “favorite things” from our last software upgrade (APM 6.0), so here we go with my top picks for 6.1. These are sure to be top-sellers during your busy holiday selling season:

Wrapping paper…which I think of it in Mastercard ad terminology:

• Another scarf for grandma – $30.
• A tie for grandpa – $40.
• Wrapping paper with the grandkids in their “I love you grandma” t-shirts…PRICELESS!

Previewed at the PRO and IPI shows, Lucidiom’s wrapping paper is the must-have new product of the 2008 holiday season. With this product you truly can offer one-stop shopping for the holiday shopper…custom EQ photo gifts, folded photo cards and photo wrapping paper. All the customer has to do now is drop it in the mail. Basically, it’s a wide format inkjet print with photo or logo designs that tile so the pattern repeats. We’re selling this as an a la carte product, at a cost of $300 per kiosk. Not bad for something that’s sure to have customers buzzing. And be sure to ask your Lucidiom sales representative about discounted bulk “site license” pricing.

APM Gift Wrap

Proof books…think Card Catalog meets customization. These are like a contact sheet, but in book form, great for customers or professionals who want an easy reference of their photos. Proof books are available in the following sizes: 6×6, 8×6, 11×8.5 and 12×12. People loved it so much we had to build on it. The Card Catalog product is an order upsell (like Index Prints or the Image CD) where you define the product and customers can simply select if they want it or not. (If you’re not offer that product, you should be!) Proof books are available like photo books, where the customer has control over size, photos included and photo editing.

Photo book covers…these are covers, or dust jackets for photo books. According to PMA market research, the photo book market is expected to reach $389 million in 2008, up from $267 million in 2007. With Lucidiom as your partner, not only are you going to be selling a lot of photo books, you also now have a way to upsell all those photo book customers – the photo book dust jacket. These are the perfect finishing touch and create a real coffee table look and feel for the photo book. Customers can choose a single photo or multiple photos for the jackets and can include text if they wish. Even the inside flaps are customizable–you can put a photo and book summary or “about the author,” just like in a hard cover book you’d buy. Offered in 11×8.5 and 8×6 sizes, these are sure to be a customer favorite.

Note Cards…presented to customers as stationery 10-packs, these are folded cards in sizes 4×6 and 6×4 with a photo cover (various edges available) and a blank inside. And, this is what I love about note cards…they make a perfect last minute sale at the register. If I had a store in our area, for instance, I would take 10 local Washington DC shots and print up a few 10 packs to sit by the register and see how they do. As soon as I sell the last pack, I print up a few more…inventory on demand! And, of course, Kesley comes up with an even more creative spin on my idea…“Take a stationery pack, a pen and tie it up with a ribbon and you’ve got the perfect teacher’s gift or hostess gift.” Even better! For the teacher gift, use a photo of the school on them–great for a teacher gift. Again – you’re providing one-stop shopping for your customers.

Scanner Calibration. Ok, this one isn’t nearly as flashy as the others, but I know you retailers have been waiting for this one for a long time: the ability to calibrate your flatbed scanner through the APM. This is particularly helpful now for two reasons: 1) calendar and book season is approaching and those use a lot of scans! 2) we have restoration available as an EQ Gift product, and when you send your scan in for restoration, you want the best possible quality. **Insider Tip** Restoration as a service is coming soon…scan image, order restoration and print on the APM, image gets sent electronically to the restoration service and delivered directly back into Lab 50 for printing! How slick is that?

(posted by Steve)