dotPhoto.com Wins Prestigious CNET Editors’ Choice Award

SAN FRANCISCO, May 5, 2003 - dotPhoto, Inc., a global leader in state-of-the-art online and wireless digital image handling, today announced that it received a CNET Editors’ Choice award for its online photo printing service located at www.dotphoto.com. Featured in an article in Computer Shopper magazine, CNET’s flagship print publication for technology  enthusiasts, dotPhoto offers a wide range of print sizes; subscription and bulk pricing plans; and the ability to see prints online.

Of the 10 sites reviewed the article stated: “The biggest variation we found was pricing, with dotPhoto offering the best overall value.” The coveted CNET Editors’ Choice award recognizes outstanding computing and electronics products that represent the best available choice for quality, performance, design, and service, and its logo is a mark of excellence denoting the best possible investment for technology buyers.

CNET Editors’ Choice winners are recognized as top products in their respective technology categories, and contribute to the standard by which all future products are judged. A key selection requirement is the difference it makes in the lives of its users, whether through innovative features, exceptional value for the price, remarkable ease of use, or a demonstrable boost to users' productivity.

CNET’s Computer Shopper editors found that “trigger happy shooters will love dotPhoto’s low prices and discount plans.” Additionally, the reviewers found that “test prints [from dotPhoto] came out equal in quality to those from nearly all the sites we tested.”

The article also noted “You can even add voice clips to your photos using your PC microphone.” dotPhoto’s voice technology has been an integral part of the site since its inception. “Combining sound and pictures enables dotPhoto users to create and preserve a more complete memory,” said founder and CEO Glenn Paul. dotPhoto’s unique sound recording ability has also been adapted to create custom ringtones for cellular phones on dotPhoto’s subsidiary site located at www.blabtones.com.  

The ability for free members to sell photographic prints through dotPhoto’s photo-commerce platform was also highlighted in the article as a differentiating service. dotPhoto users can host their photos on dotPhoto, establish their own branded banner that clicks back to their web site, set their own prices for prints, and receive a monthly check from dotPhoto based on the number of prints they have sold. With no set-up fees to sell photos online, dotPhoto’s photo-commerce service has proved popular with hundreds of newspaper, amateur and professional photographers who sell their photos online at dotPhoto.

Photos saved on dotPhoto are also available to view on color phones from Verizon Wireless and Alltel with dotPhoto’s Pictavision application. Verizon Wireless listed Pictavision as the fourth most popular downloaded application on its Get It NowSM service on April 29, 2003. No other photo application made the Verizon Wireless top 10 list.

“We are very excited about this honor from CNET as their Editors’ Choice award has become the hallmark of technology quality and innovation, and its logo is a symbol consumers know and trust,” said Glenn Paul, President & CEO, dotPhoto, Inc. “This is an exceptional achievement and we are very proud to be recognized for our dedication and commitment to producing the highest quality products available today.”

About dotPhoto
Launched in 1999, dotPhoto, Inc. ( www.dotphoto.com) is a privately-held online photo-printing, sharing and image e-commerce portal where members can print, share and sell digital photos online or via their wireless phone. dotPhoto offers users the ability to add sound, text and voice to their online images; organize them into their own portfolio or album; arrange for secure access by friends, family members and business associates; and sell downloads or prints of their images at prices they determine. The Company’s patent-pending “talking pictures” technology greatly enhances the process of photo-sharing on the Internet, enabling a more realistic and human digital photography experience. dotPhoto’s Pictavision enables customers to see their photos on color cell phones.

For businesses, dotPhoto offers a full range of digital photography processing and storage solutions with both online and wireless access. The Company’s state-of-the-art high-speed digital processing system enables rapid file transfer, processing and print output of digital images to custom print formats. Corporate customers can also utilize dotPhoto’s dynamic “talking pictures” technology to enhance their marketing and presentation efforts.

For more information, visit www.dotphoto.com or call 1-609-434-0340.