The Vancouver Sun’s tech reporter Gillian Shaw stopped by Caya last week to check out all the great gift ideas we’ve got for Father’s Day.

Is your dad a daring trendsetter? An electric orange Jack Spade briefcase might be just thing.

A little more traditional? Perhaps some our retro-themed products like Lomography cameras and POP Phone handsets would be up his alley!

Check out her article and video at The Vancouver Sun and stop by Caya this weekend for more recommendations from our own Matchmakers of Merchandise!

How do you give where you live?

TELUS has launched the Give Where We Live campaign and we want to see how you give back by entering the photo contest at www.givewherewelive.ca.

Until June 15, just tweet or Instagram your photos with the hashtag #givewherewelive. Ten winners will be selected and each winner will receive a $10,000 donation to the community organization of their choice.

Let’s spread some good together and give where we live!

Today is World Film Photography Day, a part of the larger Analogue Day project from Lomography. Untangle yourself from the wires and waves of the digital grind, give your gadgets a break, and today YOU can be in control. Scary, we know, but we bet it’ll be pretty liberating! You could even have a regular, ongoing Analogue Day once a week where you meet with your friends instead of texting them or play games outside instead of on your phone. (Here’s a whole list of fun analogue activities!)

We’re going to celebrate by breaking out our Lomography cameras today and firing off a couple rolls of film! How about you? If you don’t know the joys of analogue photography, drop by Caya any time and we’ll show you the ins and outs of our Lomography lineup like the Diana series which produces dreamy, lo-fi images that will make any Instagram user jealous. When you polish off your first roll of film, bring it back to Caya and we can develop and print it too.

Got some analogue images you’d like to share? Post them on our Facebook Page or tweet at us and we’ll share our favourites with everyone.

Order your special Valentine’s Candygram today, pay online and they’ll mail it for you anywhere in Canada!

All CandyGrams include:

• a special edition card
• unique message
• two delicious Purdy’s chocolates
• Yelpstick lip balm
• fresh mints in a stylish tin from Yelp
• Shamin Jewelers’ love bracelet (unisex)

CandyGrams can be sent to your husband, wife, friends, brother, sister, co-worker, teacher, boyfriend, girlfriend or crush… the possibilities are endless.

Be anonymous or tell them who you are, it’s up to you!

All funds generated by CandyGrams will be used to provide meals for men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Get started at CandyGram.ca!

Mobile Sharing

It’s been a slow march to get to this point — a couple years ago, a sporadic assortment of cameras included WiFi capabilities to connect to your home network. Then a few apps started to trickle out. 2013 is finally the year where our devices are truly connected. More models than ever before now include WiFi (and some like the Galaxy Camera below even have cellular connections).

What’s different in 2013 is the ease of which you can now share your images. Sharing can often be done right from the camera’s touchscreen, without having to download the images to your computer first. Via the use of proprietary apps, it’s easy to get images from your “real” camera on to your smartphone so you can upload them to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Flickr. Even the process of connecting via WiFi has been simplified — Panasonic, for instance, allows you to simply tap compatible NFC devices together to initiate a connection. That’s a feature inspired by the many smartphones before it which have embraced NFC technology (Android, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry phones primarily — sorry, iPhone users).

Unique New Designs

Since smartphones have a home in everyone’s back pocket now, manufacturers have had to come up with unique new concepts and designs for their compact cameras to keep interest high. The Nikon Coolpix S01, for instance, is ridiculously tiny, easily able to be worn in the same style as a necklace. It has a footprint the same size as a credit card, but slightly thicker. Remember many years ago when flip phones (led by Motorola) got ridiculously small? This reminds us of that. There’s nothing else like it from a major camera company that can match its size or sleekness.

Also, check out the Canon PowerShot N below. Its form factor is nearly square and has no traditional shutter button or zoom lever like thousands of digital and film cameras before it. Instead, two rings around the lens are used for zooming and snapping shots. While it might seem odd at first, this new design is actually very intuitive and well thought out by Canon. Paired with the tilting screen, it makes getting great, stable shots from any angle a breeze compared to a smartphone.

Lastly, even dedicated video machines like this wearable Panasonic HX-A100 camcorder are sporting some really inspired design. And yes, that really is a video camera you see below, able to be twisted and tilted, swung and turned, flipped and flopped in any direction you want.

4k Video

High resolution 4k video has been a mainstay of professional productions for a while now, but it’s just starting to trickle down to consumer devices. What is 4k video exactly? Today’s consumer devices used to top out at 1920 x 1080 pixels, shortened to “1080p” HD video, whereas 4k video offers double the pixels instead!

The first consumer device to support this in a big way is the new GoPro Hero3 Black Edition, and you’ll see it in more devices before 2013 is done. The only problem right now? 4k televisions are still on the horizon and a few years away from being popular, so there’s no easy way to consume this content yet.

More Megapixels

Every year, the race for the most megapixels looks like it might slow down. And then, boom, one company comes along with a game changer. This year that company is Nikon, who now have three DSLR models (including their two entry level models) that come in at 24MP, and one that’s even 36MP! Canon has a couple models at 20MP or higher. The megapixel war never seems like it will be over! What will happen in 2014? 40 or 50 megapixels? Only time will tell.

Stylish Materials

In addition to unique camera designs, stylish high-end materials are being used to further differentiate traditional cameras from smartphones. Pentax just introduced a new camera with brass plates, and Fuji has been using a synthetic leather finish on many of their X-series cameras. Compared to mostly plastic smartphones, these premium materials provide a satisfying, tactile experience that’s hard to get in other consumer electronics. Cameras are no longer about only taking great pictures — they serve a style function as well, allowing you to pair your camera to your outfit like another accessory.

What We Won’t See

Camera companies are more conservative than smartphone companies, so we won’t see smartphone features like “face replace” or “time shift” to be widespread in traditional cameras just yet. Most new camera innovations from 2013 and beyond will likely come from out-of-the-box thinking in regards to software advances, and features borrowed from smartphones. The 3D fad is also done. While interesting, just isn’t supported widely enough across the rest of the technology industry. 3D televisions have mostly been a flop, 3D gaming devices have only a niche market, and 3D smartphones, tablets, and computer monitors are basically non-existent.

Which trends do you foresee for 2013 and beyond? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Today Research In Motion announced the next evolution of BlackBerry devices — the BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 — coming soon to TELUS and Caya!

Here’s a quick preview of each device:

BlackBerry Z10

• 4.2″ screen with 356 ppi
• “Writing without typing” — just flick the keyboard with a single thumb to use the stunningly accurate predictive text
• Available in black or white finishes

BlackBerry Q10

• Physical QWERTY keyboard
• Glass-weave backing, thinner, lighter, and stronger than plastic

Both models feature:

• BlackBerry Peek, which gives you one-handed, single-thumb operation using unique new gestures to “peek” at incoming notifications without having to leave the app you’re in
• BlackBerry Hub, which integrates all of your text messages, notifications, emails, and other communications in one place
• BlackBerry Balance, allowing you to easily separate Personal and Work workspaces to keep your personal apps, emails and contacts separate from your work ones
• BlackBerry Messenger, which has now added video calling and screen sharing
• BlackBerry Remember, allowing you to save pictures, bookmarks, flagged emails and more in one place with Evernote integration
• BlackBerry Time Shift camera, allowing you to move forward and backward through time to find the best expressions on your subjects’ faces
• A new picture editor with built-in filters and easy two-finger cropping and straightening of your images
• BlackBerry Story Maker, a video editor to combine video, music, transition effects, and title credits quickly and easily on your device

All of this comes in addition to the apps you’ve come to expect like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Skype, Kindle, Whatsapp, Angry Birds, and 70,000 other applications.

As you can see, BlackBerry is back and better than ever before! Activating your new BlackBerry 10 device at Caya comes with a host of great benefits, including complimentary espresso while you wait. You’ll relax in our stylish, inspired store environments as we show you the ins and outs of the new platform. And when you’ve created photographic masterpieces with the BlackBerry’s Time Shift camera, you can bring your images back to us where we’ll print them out for you absolutely FREE.

Got questions? Comment below or ask our Matchmakers of Merchandise in store!

POP Phone

Remember the comfort of an old-school telephone receiver? They’re easier to hold and also cradle between your head and your shoulder – something that ultra-thin smartphones fail at. Just plug the POP Phone in to any phone, laptop, or tablet and start talking! Available in sky blue, white, yellow, red, purple, and black. Read more about POP Phone online here.

Fujifilm XF1

A hot seller this past holiday season, the decidedly 50s styling of the Fujifilm XF1 has made it hugely popular. But don’t worry, the exterior 50s styling gives way to advanced digital technology from 2013. Available with a textured leatherette finish, the XF1 looks good enough to wear but also has the advantage of taking outrageously great photos. Fashionable and functional! What’s not to love? Available in brown and black.

Lomography

What’s Lomography? Oh, just an insanely popular line of film cameras (35mm and 120). Lomography has been going strong for the last 20 years, offering up fun cameras in wild colours with unique features like fisheye lenses, wide angle views, lo-fi image capture, and 360° panoramics. Read more about Lomography cameras here.

And yes, we still sell film and process it too!

Printed products

Before 35mm film asserted itself as the standard format, many different square picture formats dominated the photography landscape. Square photos were so prevalent that when Instagram was introduced, they decided the square format was ripe for a comeback. With over 100 million Instagram users, we’ve seen demand for square printing services rise, and we’re happy to deliver! Our lineup of photobooks, for instance, offer many square templated pages, so you won’t have to crop your perfectly composed masterpieces. Traditional prints starting at 4×4 (and larger!) are easy to make from our in-store kiosks, and square canvas prints are also available.

Do you have suggestions for other products and services you’d like to see from us? Leave your comments below!

Leading the way is the flagship Fujifilm XF1, a digital camera that blends advanced technology with an unforgettable retro design. 

Available in black or tan, the XF1 looks good enough to wear and takes outrageous photos thanks to its fast f/1.8 wide angle lens. It’s the perfect accessory for any glitzy holiday party this season, and will help you remember the fun as well.

Watch the Fujifilm XF1 television ad:

Speaking of retro, by now you’ve surely noticed the colourful, kitschy Lomography cameras peppering our store shelves. Taking photos with film was never this much fun!

If you prefer something a little more modern, the new Nikon Coolpix S01 might be more your style, with it’s sleek rounded corners, touchscreen interface, and petite 3″ x 2″ form factor (think of it as a tiny Altoids tin). Discrete enough for all those embarrassing office party photos.

The adventurous types in your life might like to find a GoPro HERO3 under the tree this year. This HD video camera sports an ultra-wide lens and can be controlled via WiFi while you take it swimming, surfing, dirt biking, skiing, or anything else your rough-and-tumble heart desires.

Lastly, if you know someone who could use a truly connected camera, we have two. The Nikon Coolpix S800c and Samsung Galaxy Camera both run Android (and therefore Android apps!) while boasting Wi-Fi or 4G connectivity for instant sharing (varies by model). Through our affiliation with TELUS, Caya is one of the only stores in the entire country where you can get the new Samsung Galaxy Camera, already a hot seller since its launch last week.

See all these models and more in our Products section.

Come as you are to Caya for the distinct and the stylish, selected with you in mind.

Give the gift of the world’s most versatile action camera. Come to think of it, you may want to keep this for yourself. Enter online now!