PRESS RELEASE

August 25, 1999

Plustek Ships First 350K pixel CCD Digital PC Camera: Plustek OptiCam 500U Provides Users With Live Teleconferencing Capabilities for Under $100

LIVERMORE, CA- Plustek Inc., a leader in the home scanner industry, announced plans today to expand its line of imaging products to include the Plustek OptiCam 500U, their first digital PC camera which allows 3-D image capturing. The500U in addition to providing consumers with live teleconferencing capabilities allows users to create live Web pages, produce slide presentations using images and video, design virtual greeting cards and much more for under $100.

The 500U provides 350K pixel, 24-bit true color, 640 x 480 resolution and is adjustable up to 30 frames per second (fps). The One-Touch snapshot button located on the top of the camera allows user to easily capture an image just like a conventional camera. Software includes Micrografx Picture Publisher 7.0, Live Express and Adobe Photo Deluxe. The 500U ships to major retail locations September 15, 1999.

"Due to the popularity of the Internet telecommunications has now become the way of the future, said David Chen vice president of Plustek. With the 500U users now have an affordable access to this exciting new teleconferencing technology."

The 500U comes equipped with a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port design providing easy installation and eliminating the need for an interface card. Users simply plug in and start communicating. Additionally, with the incorporation of an USB connection users can be assured a highest bandwidth possible from a serial connection and subsequently the highest quality video conferencing that can be obtained from a port design.

Other state-of the art features found in the 500U include a tilt swivel base for easy camera rotation, an adjustable lens that is adjustable from four centimeters to infinity and instant live video for more natural movement. The OpticCam 500U features automatic gain control and initial white balance control for the best possible image. With the included full version of Picture Publisher and the 500Us special snapshot button users can also capture and edit true 3-D objects and live still images. Its software allows users to store files in BMP, JPG, TIF and FPX while using only one to two megabytes of hard drive space per one minute of video.

Additionally, while other PC cameras on the market today have only about 100K to 150K pixels resolution, the Plustek OpticCam 500U incorporates high power CCD image sensor and offers 350K Pixel resolution for the ultimate details. No additional power adapter is required. The Plustek OptiCam 500U is fully TWAIN compliant and runs on Windows 98 and Windows 2000 operating systems and using the most advanced technology in PC cameras on the market today.

For more information, contact Plustek at 1-800-685-8088, or visit their Web site at www.plustek.com

PRESS CONTACT:

Joseph Chan
Director of Public Relations
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