Epson today announced that it has begun volume production of a new high-temperature polysilicon (HTPS) TFT colour panel for electronic viewfinders. Measuring just 0.47 of an inch (1.2 cm) diagonally, the new panels offer SVGA resolution in red, green and blue, translating into 1.44 million dots. The new panels are targeted at camera manufacturers for use as electronic viewfinders in mid- to high-end digital interchangeable-lens camera models. The new panel, which uses an analog driver to recreate smooth gradations and a natural softness, is claimed to rival optical viewfinders in clarity, resolution and fidelity. Epson’s new “Ultimicron” TFT colour panel has a contrast ratio of 280:1, surface luminance of 460 cd/m², and can reproduce 92% of the gamut of the sRGB colour space. It will be interesting to see how this panel stacks up against the one used by Panasonic in the EVFs of the Lumix DMC-G1 and GH1 models.

Clickfree today announced the launch of C2, its new flagship portable hard drive. New product features in the C2 include a redesigned interface, a built-in USB cable, iPod music and playlist import, migration between computers, 256-bit hardware-based encryption, DVD burning capability, built-in photo sharing and scheduled backup. Available in a high gloss black or white finish, the Clickfree C2 comes in 250GB and 500GB storage capacity and retails for £105.00 and £140.00 respectively. A 320GB capacity drive will be available through QVC UK starting October 31, 2009 for £120.00.

Jobo AG has announced the Jobo Plano 10 Gestic digital picture frame, which features integrated sensors for intuitive touchless operation. This slim frame can be conveniently operated with the simple movement of a user’s hand or several fingers directly in front of the frame without the need to touch the frame. By moving a hand or fingers within 6 inches of the frame, users can easily scroll through their pictures from the left or the right to reach the first or the last picture. The Jobo Plano 10 Gestic incorporates a large 10.4” high resolution TFT-Color-LCD display with a resolution of 800x600 pixels and aspect ratio of 4:3. The Gestic will be available end of November with an AC adapter, remote control, and manual for $249.

Texas Instruments have announced the OMAP-DM515 coprocessor, which delivers up to 20-megapixel still imaging capabilities, as well as 720p HD camcorder functionality.  Note that, as with the Silicon Image announcement posted earlier today, it remains to be seen if any sensor manufacturer will ever actually bother to produce such high-resolution sensors for camera phones, and if any optics maker can come up with a lens that can support them, but the announcements indicate that the processing power will be there to handle the amount of data such a sensor would generate.

Silicon Image has introduced the camerIC-18, the newest member of its family of camerIC camera processor IP cores. The camerIC-18 is targeted for integration into digital still camera and video System-on-a-Chip (SoC) application processors for mobile devices such as cell phones.  The camerIC-18 supports resolutions ranging from 5MP to 18MP, all in a single low-cost/low-power design. To effectively deliver resolutions above 12MP, the camerIC-18 IP core now includes sophisticated bad pixel detection/correction and noise reduction techniques to ensure image quality even when combined with the lower cost, high-resolution CMOS sensors commonly found in mobile devices, the company says. The camerIC-18 IP core has the imaging bandwidth to support HD, 3D, 4K and higher resolution video camcorder ISP functions.

Fujifilm has announced the release of Wunderbars, billed as “a revolutionary framing system for canvas prints”. Wunderbars gives users a new way to create canvas wraps - quickly, easily, without the need for specialist tools and thanks to Wunderbars’ exclusive stretcher bars each canvas will retain its tension, Fujifilm says. Each frame features a sprung pin mechanism which automatically stretches the canvas and ensures it remains under constant tension. No wedges are needed, making for a cleaner finish on the rear of the frame. Wunderbars frames come in packs of four in a range of sizes from 8inch to 48inch and are priced at £12.90 to £39.98.

Speedlight Pro Kit’s latest innovation, a flash-mounted 46cm beauty dish, is being launched in Europe. Designed for portraiture, the beauty dish consists of two key elements; a large white collar and an inverted silvered cone mounted within.  The dish is fixed to the flash so that its light is bounced back off the cone’s silvered surface onto the white material giving an even and flattering lift to the subject. The opaque central portion of the cone diverts away light from the centre, thus eliminating hotspots and harsh shadows. The beauty dish retails at £52.00 via the website below.

Website: Speedlight Pro Kit

Induro have just announced a new line of tripods, monopods and heads, claiming that their design team came up with “new designs from top to bottom”. The redesigned spider has a wider stance, reinforced cross braces and is machined out of high-strength magnesium alloy. Changes in the leg lock make locking and unlocking the legs fast and easy. And, each leg angle has allegedly been selected for maximum performance. The new Induro Carbon Fibre 8X CT-Series tripods are claimed to be the “strongest, most stable tripods ever offered”, while the Induro AT-Series aluminium alloy tripods promise uncompromising quality, strength and durability at a reasonable price. Plus, Induro also offers new carbon fibre and aluminium alloy monopods that have up to twice the load capacity of earlier models. Finally, Induro have also announced new heads, including the BHD-Series dual-action ballheads with an Arca-Swiss style quick release plate system, and the all-new Induro Gimbal Head, designed for long and heavy telephoto lenses.

Website: Induro

The Eye-Fi wireless SDHC memory cards will soon be available in the United Kingdom. The launch date is 19 October 2009.  Eye-Fi cards allow users to take photos and videos anywhere (like their existing memory card) and automatically upload their photos and videos as soon as the camera is within range of the user’s Wi-Fi network. Three Eye-Fi cards will be available in the UK: the Eye-Fi Home Video, the Eye-Fi Share Video and the Eye-Fi Pro. These Eye-Fi cards will range in price from £49.99-£119.00 depending on model.

LaCie, in collaboration with world-famous designer Philippe Starck, announced the LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive and the LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive. Encased in sturdy aluminium, the LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive and LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive allegedly offer the most resistant choices for consumer hard drives on the market. The durable exterior protects the hard drives from shock and overheating, making them thoroughly dependable. The LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive features a status LED in the form of Starck’s signature symbol. The symbol glows orange or green to indicate different activity. The LaCie Starck Mobile Hard Drive offers a built-in USB cable, uniquely placed for convenient storing and data accessibility. The LaCie Starck Desktop Hard Drive is available in 1TB and 2TB capacities, and the LaCie Starck Mobile Drive in 320GB and 500GB capacities. The suggested retail prices are £109.90 for the Desktop and £84.90 for the Mobile (including VAT).

Western Digital has unveiled its new My Book Elite desktop external drives. The new My Book Elite drives feature automatic and continuous backup with WD SmartWare software and 256-bit hardware-based encryption. Like the My Book Studio drives also announced today, the My Book Elite family has a customisable e-label that’s always visible, even when the drive is unplugged, making it easy to know what’s on the drive and how much space is left. The e-label smart display on the spine of the My Book drives can be changed easily and as often as desired. It utilises e-paper technology which reads like ink on paper. Available now at select retailers and shopwd.com, the new My Book Elite drives are offered in capacities of 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB. MSRP for the My Book Elite drives ranges from $169.99 to $279.99 depending on capacity.

Western Digital has announced its new ultra-portable My Passport Elite external hard drives featuring an illuminated capacity gauge and drive lock indicator so users can see at a glance how much space is left on their drive and whether their data is secure. Like the previously announced My Passport Essential drives, the My Passport Elite portable drives feature automatic and continuous backup with WD SmartWare software and 256-bit hardware-based encryption. My Passport Elite drives are available now in 3 colours - Metallic Red, Metallic Blue and Charcoal Metallic - and are offered in capacities of 320 GB, 500 GB and 640 GB. MSRP for the 320 GB My Passport Elite is $119.99, $159.99 for the 500 GB and $169.99 for the 640 GB capacity.

Western Digital today introduced its new My Book Studio desktop external drives with a customisable e-label that is always visible, even when unplugged, so it’s easy to know the contents of the drive. Designed for Mac users, the new My Book Studio drives are equipped with a FireWire® 800 interface to give users the speed they need for demanding tasks like photo and video editing and graphic design. The new My Book Studio drives are TimeMachine compatible, offer automatic, continuous backup with WD SmartWare software, and include 256-bit hardware-based encryption to provide a high level of security. Available now at select retailers and the WD online store, the new My Book Studio drives are formatted for Mac and offered in capacities of 500 GB, 1 TB, 1.5 TB and 2 TB. MSRP ranges from $149.99 to $299.99 USD depending on model.

The Powermat, a new invention that can wirelessly charge up to three low-power electric devices simultaneously, is to hit the market in just over a week. While the Powermat itself does have to be plugged in, it requires a single mains socket only, while the devices you would like to charge simply need to be placed on the Powermat’s ultra-thin surface, without the need for additional cables and sockets. Given that existing mobile devices were not designed with wireless charging in mind, the manufacturer will also market a range of so-called “receivers”. These are basically cases with onboard RFID tags that allow the Powermat to determine how much to charge, so that the charging process can be terminated at the right time. Just place your phone, PDA etc. in an appropriate receiver and throw it on the Powermat, which will charge it using magnetic induction. Going on sale on 15 October, the Powermat will be available in two versions; one for the home/office, and a folding/portable iteration for when you are on the go.

The new Giotto’s MTL8251B, 8261B and 8271B carbon fibre tripods are now shipping. With a weight capacity of 5kg and maximum operating height of over 160cm the MTL8251B weighs in at only 1.25kg. The MTL8261B weighs in at 1.6kg, will support up to 8kg and has a max height of 167cm. Finally the MTL8271B has a max operating height of 177cm, weighs 1.85kg and will support up to 10kg. All three models have a 5 year warranty. These three new tripods are available from all good stockists across the UK.

Jessops has unveiled their latest line in camera accessories – the Acme Made Fuzz Ball. The Fuzz Ball is a fun yet highly protective little case for digital compact cameras. Featuring a synthetic fur exterior, quited satin tuxedo lining and a stylish wrist strap, the Acme Made Fuzz Ball is available exclusively to Jessops in both brown and white, priced at £15.

Clickfree today announced the availability of their Transformer SE (Special Edition) backup solution. The Transformer SE allows users to automatically backup their irreplaceable digital photos, videos music and other data files onto the excess storage space of any external USB hard drive, iPod or iPhone. It can also be used to automatically import music from any iPod or iPhone to any computer - Windows or Mac. Backup starts automatically simply connecting your USB hard drive, iPod or iPhone to the Transformer SE. Only the excess capacity of your device will be used: none of the existing content will ever be overwritten. The Clickfree Transformer SE retails for £59.00 and is available now at www.clickfree.com.

The HP StorageWorks X500 Data Vault Series is a new family of storage devices that provide a simple and cost effective solution for a small business such as a photography studio to store, secure and share data for under $1000. The X500 provides you with automated backup for up to 10 PCs and Macintoshes clients on the network while providing additional background features like folder duplication and data deduplication. It comes with two or three empty bays (depending on the model) for internal storage expansion and also offers external USB and eSATA ports for additional external expansion. The HP StorageWorks X500 Data Vault Series is available now with pricing starting at $699.99.

Website: HP StorageWorks X500 Data Vault

Joby, the designer of the Gorillapod line of unique camera tripods, has announced the Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS. Its flexible, wrappable legs enable the user to secure the Gorillamobile to virtually any surface. With four interchangeable quick-release adapters, including the addition of a custom engineered, slim line iPhone case, the Gorillamobile for 3G/3GS supports one’s entire collection of mobile devices., the company says. The Gorillamobile weighs 4.5 ounces, is 8-inches tall, has a US MSRP of $39.95 - $44.95, and features a one year limited warranty. The product is available in the US now, and will be available globally by the end of October.

Hama has introduced the new Rexton series of robust, stable and water-resistant camera cases.  Six sizes are available in the following colour combinations: black, black/blue, black/red and black/white. They have zips with extra rubber inlasys on the lid and front compartment, a cleverly thought-out rain cover and padded internal side walls with adjustable inner dividers, and a separate protective insert.  Compartments and pockets are marked with small images, which instantly describe their use and content. The new Rexton camera cases are priced from €54.99 to €99.99 (SRP), depending on size.