So, when you look at the second-quarter press release from Eastman Kodak (NYSE: EK), you notice something right off the bat. Part of the headline reads as follows: "Kodak Reports 2nd-Quarter 2009 Results, Reflecting Global Economic Realities." I don't think a shareholder can feel too encouraged after mentally processing the implied image that the results are like a mirror being held up to the ugly face of the recession, do you?

I didn't think so. Anyway, sales declined 29%, and I don't think we can use the currency issue to save the day on this particular top line. On an adjusted basis, the 43 cents from continuing operations that was lost during the quarter missed expectations by 7 cents, according to Reuters.

There may be many good reasons to own an iPhone from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL). Although I still haven't gotten my hands on one, I have been able to get a good look at some of what the device can do. Perhaps these aren't the ten best reasons, but they are ten good ones.

To the best of my knowledge, all of the photo gallery images that I'm providing here for you have been sent using the iPhone. Though I'm impressed, I did notice that the iPhone image quality declines slightly as light levels decrease, but it still does remarkably well for a phone. Yes folks, the attached gallery pictures were sent by mobile phones.

The gallery images are all at original resolutions and are all unretouched. If it is true that we can now take digital images of this quality and instantly download them to our favorite picture manager as well as e-mail them to anywhere in the world that we choose, it is my opinion that the makers of memory cards for digital cameras had better be working on some new product ideas, because I'm guessing that image data storage has just taken a turn for the best.

Please do enjoy the gallery.

By now everyone has heard about the new Google Street View. While this new Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) feature may be unnerving to some and even patently offensive to others, it's my solemn duty to inform you that legally, Google is doing nothing wrong. For the purposes of Fourth Amendment searches, this particular scenario has been put to rest. You see, the Supreme Court decided long ago that any area that can be plainly viewed from any place in which a person has a right to be, retains no right of privacy for the area being viewed. Simply put, a cop can stand on the sidewalk and gawk all he wants toward the front of your house. Anything within his view is fair game.

Additionally, the court then determined that it is permissible for that cop to use magnifying lenses to enhance his ability to see. This means he can stand on the sidewalk with binoculars and peer into any place he'd like (within reason of course). Furthermore, he may fly over your home in an airplane with a camera and spy into any space available to his line of sight. The Supreme Court said he can, and so Google can too.

My advice to you dear friends is to simply remain aware of the fact that you might possibly be viewed and recorded at any time. You may wish to remember also that any cell phone communications you have carry no privacy privileges. Any of your internet access is readily available for instant scrutiny, and any public establishment you enter has a right to record your image and pretty much do with it as it pleases. At least we don't have those nasty British hovering camera drones to deal with, or at least I haven't seen any here yet.

If you would like some more input on the Google Street View issue, here are the observations of Tom Barlow, Sheldon Liber, and Peter Cohan. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. In the meantime:

Smile! You're on not-so-candid camera!

It's hard to imagine a worse PR move than ditching the Better Business Bureau to avoid expulsion, but that is exactly what Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) is doing. The BBB had commenced expulsion proceedings against the company, accusing the Kodak of failing to provide data regarding the resolution of consumer complaints filed with the Bureau. According to the USA Today:

During the last three years, Kodak customers have logged 183 complaints for problems ranging from repairs to digital cameras to difficulties communicating with customer service representatives, said David Polino, head of the regional Better Business Bureau.

While characterizing that number as "small for a large, multinational company," Polino said Kodak's response has been a corporate headache. Instead of revealing how the firm processed the complaints, he said Kodak's response has been to say ... nothing.

While the camera company may have valid complaints about the way that the BBB was handling issues, this just doesn't make sense to me. Polaroid and other competitors will now be able to advertise "Unlike our number 1 competitor, we are a member of the Better Business Bureau."

It sure seems like Kodak would have been better to bite the bullet and do what they had to do to appease the Bureau, because this does not look good from a PR perspective: The fact that it's being picked up in major newspapers could hurt the brand's reputation and sales.

The Wall Street Journal had a story [subscription required] a month or so ago in which readers complained about the ubiquity of digital cameras, reporting that at weddings, so many of the guests were snapping photos that there were no pictures of people enjoying themselves -- only meta-photos of other cameras. I'm certainly the worst kind of offender; my mom's been known to tell me that it still happened even if I didn't get a picture of it! (My answer: no it didn't!)

Is there a technology backlash? Are consumers deciding to forego the digitalization of every minute of their lives and just frickin' enjoy them for a minute? Ummm, nope. If the leaked sales for Black Friday are any indication, come New Year's Eve, there will be ever more amateurs making high-resolution memories of that New Year's kiss.

I remember it used to be $100 per megapixel, but now you can get massive resolution for a miniature price. But how many megapixels do you (and your gift-ees) need? And can you really get a good 6MP camera for $99? Here are some of the sales we've found for this Friday:

Sears
Polaroid i630 6MP Digital Camera $99
Kodak EasyShare 6.1MP Digital Camera and Printer Dock $329.99
Kodak EasyShare 7.1MP Digital Camera with Printer Dock $244.00 Doorbuster Sale

Wal-Mart
Casio Elixim EX-Z60 Digital Camera $199.88
Kodak Z612 Digital Camera $329.76
Kodak EasyShare C633 Digital Camera and Printer Dock $189.74 Doorbuster Sale

Best Buy
Canon PowerShot 6MP Digital ELPH Camera $219.99
Kodak 5MP Digital Camera $79.99 Doorbuster Sale
Nikon Coolpix 5.1MP Digital Camera $119.99