Sony Corporation today announced that it has launched a new type of lithium ion secondary battery that combines high-power and long-life performance. By combining a new olivine type lithium ion phosphate acting as the cathode material with Sony’s proprietary particle design technology that minimises electrical resistance to deliver high power output, and also leveraging the cell structure design technology Sony accrued developing its current “Fortelion series” lithium ion secondary battery line-up, Sony has realized a high power density of 1800W/kg and extended life span of approximately 2,000 charge-discharge cycles. Moreover, the new batteries can be charged to 99% of their capacity in half an hour. The new Sony batteries come in a capacity of 1,100mAh and have a nominal voltage of 3.2V.

Wi-Pics Mobile is a new product billed as an advanced solution designed for the professional photographer that provides the ability to data associate and wirelessly transmit their images at point of capture. Wi-Pics Mobile features a small, light and compact design that mounts under the camera with a custom designed bracket that allows easy movement and does not impede the photographer or camera performance. Alternatively, you can purchase it with a quick-draw hip-mount. Click through / read on for the details.

JP Distribution has announced the UK launch and pricing of the new MiniTT1 & FlexTT5 ControlTL System from PocketWizard. Since the first introduction of PocketWizard, professional photographers have demanded a TTL flash controlled PocketWizard system. PocketWizard has made it possible with “Slide-n-Shoot” simplicity by utilizing their new ControlTL system featuring the MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver dedicated for Canon camera/flash systems. The MiniTT1 has a recommended retail price of £209.99, whilst the FlexTT5 costs £229.99. These prices include value added tax.

Brando WorkShop has in stock a unique-looking 3-point hand/wrist strap, designed for use with cameras and camcorders. The accessory, which features a wrist support as well as a somewhat surprising tripod socket, retails for $16 and is claimed to be universal.

Website: Brando

Via Bigyóblog

Super Talent Technology has succeeded in squeezing 32GB of NAND Flash storage into a thumbnail sized USB drive that is water resistant and supports data transfer speeds up to 200X (30MB/sec). The Pico C drive measures only 31 x 12 x 3 mm and weighs less than an American nickel (~5g). Super Talent uses a COB manufacturing process for its Pico series to achieve the smallest possible size. The 32GB Pico C is offered in either a nickel plated or 24K gold plated steel casing, while the 32GB Pico E, with a patent-pending sliding lid, is available with 24K gold plating. The Pico series 32GB USB drives are expected to retail for $85 each.

Autoexposure, autofocus and auto white balance might all be old news, but Sony is now offering an auto-everything solution in the form of the Sony Party-shot IPT-DS1 “personal photographer” - an innovative camera dock that pans 360 degrees and tilts 24 degrees, automatically detects faces, adjusts composition[!] and takes photos for you. The Party-shot camera accessory uses the camera’s BIONZ image processor with its face detection and Smile Shutter features to take photos without the user needing to snap the shutter button. Compatible with the newly announced Sony DSC-WX1 and DSC-TX1 Cyber-shot digital cameras, the Party-shot camera accessory is mountable on nearly any tripod, so you can set it up in a convenient location in your home, especially when you are entertaining. With two AA batteries, the Party-shot camera accessory captures photos for up to 11 hours. The Party-shot camera accessory will be available for about $150 from September onward. Do you think the Sony Party-shot will be the star of the next party you throw? Or do you think it’s going to take the last bit of fun out of photography? Let your voice be heard by leaving a comment below!

Novoflex, a German manufacturer of high-quality accessories, has announced the availability of a new range of adapters that allow photographers to mount a multitude of older lenses on Micro FourThirds cameras, such as the Panasonic G1 / GH1 and the Olympus PEN E-P1. Adapters are available for the following lenses: Canon FD, Contax/Yashica, Leica M, Leica R, M42, Minolta MD / MC, Minolta (Sony) A, Nikon F, Olympus OM, Pentax K and T2. The adapters for Minolta (Sony) A, Nikon F and Pentax K mount lenses provide aperture control even for those lenses that do not have an aperture ring. These adapters are therefore more expensive (costing €169) than the others (priced between €89 and €149). All adapters allow infinity focus and stop-down TTL exposure metering. According to Cameratown, the new MicroFourThirds adapters are available now from HP Marketing Corp. dealers in the USA.

Website: Novoflex

Epson has issued a free firmware update for its P6000 and P7000 Photoviewers, which enables tethered shooting with the Nikon D90, D300, D700, D3, D3X and Canon EOS 40D, 50D, 5D Mark II, 1D Mark III and 1Ds Mark III cameras. The new firmware allows images to be captured directly onto the Photoviewer by remotely controlling the firing of the camera shutter up to a distance of seven metres from the camera body. Once a photograph has been taken, the image can be immediately previewed on the Photoviewer’s screen. Photographs are saved to both the camera memory card and the Hard Disk Drive of the Photoviewer, bypassing the process of transferring images whilst simultaneously backing up all photos.

Website: Epson Firmware Update

Toshiba have announced the launch date of the world’s first 64GB SDXC Memory Card capable of operating at the world’s fastest data transfer rate for reading and writing to a flash memory card. The new card is compliant with the new SD Memory Standard, Ver. 3.00, UHS104, boasting a maximum write speed of 35MB per second, and a read speed of 60MB per second. Mass production will start in the spring of 2010. Note that SDXC Memory Cards are interoperable only with an SDXC host device, which implements the exFAT file system, and do not work with existing SD and SDHC host devices.

Zacuto has announced the ZGrip iPhone Jr., a more affordable version of the ZGrip iPhone Pro handgrip for shooting stable video using the iPhone 3Gs. The iPhone 3Gs snaps into the iPhone cradle which is attached to the handgrip. The ZGrip iPhone Jr. has a ¼ 20” thread on the bottom so you can mount it to a tripod. It also has a ¼ 20” thread on the top for mounting accessories such as a light. The ZGrip iPhone Jr. will be available for $69 including a lifetime warranty, but by pre-ordering it until 15 August 2009, you can get a $10 instant rebate.

Delkin have added a smaller version of their award winning Fat Gecko to its line of camera mounts, the Fat Gecko Mini. It uses one suction cup to attain a powerful suction that makes video and photography capture possible from almost any smooth surface.  With an incredibly strong locking suction and a universal mounting screw the Fat Gecko Mini can be attached almost anywhere and use any standard camera or camcorder. The small footprint of one suction cup allows users to capitalize on the versatility of mounting a camera in tight situations, such as on surfboards, motorcycles, wakeboards, ATVs, helmets, windows and any other smooth non-porous surface. The Fat Gecko Mini camera mount is available now and can be purchased at an array of digital camera shops and other camera accessory retailers worldwide for $39.99.

Kodak has introduced a family of new portable power-charging solutions that enable fast and convenient charging of multiple devices, including a solar-powered charger that harnesses the sun’s power to charge gadgets while on the go. The Kodak Solar Charger KS100-C+2 produces enough power to deliver 1.5 charges to a cell phone, or run a music player for an additional 33 hours, or capture up to 200 digital camera pictures (actual results will vary by device). When light is scarce, consumers can use the included USB cable to recharge from a computer or other USB power source. The Kodak Solar Charger KS100-C+2 will retail for US $39.95 MSRP beginning in September, 2009.

5.11 Tactical, a leader in high endurance tactical clothing and gear, has a range of bags that are perfect for photographers. The DC Roller Travel Bag (pictured) is just the right size to fit in an overhead compartment when traveling on a airplane and is easy to transport even when fully loaded and is designed to allow quick access. The Side Trip Briefcase is a multi-functional, medium sized gear bag that can hold a laptop and accommodate a lot of your day-to-day gear. The Practical Utility Shoulder Hold Pack, is a rugged yet modern version of the traditional belt pack. This versatile bag is great for on location photo shoots where photographers need to be as mobile as possible. Read on / click through for the details.

Bogen Imaging has announced that Litepanels will be awarded a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for its proprietary lighting systems. Litepanels fixtures are used on a variety of network television productions including high profile programs such as Desperate Housewives, Fox’s 24, and Without a Trace. The Emmy award is the first in the Academy’s 61 year history to be awarded for television lighting technology, and will be presented on Saturday, 22 August, at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles.

Eye-Fi Inc. today unveiled the Eye-Fi Geo card, a new wireless SD memory card exclusive to Apple that allows users to automatically upload photos from a digital camera to a computer and offers lifetime geotagging service. The Eye-Fi Geo wirelessly uploads photos straight to a folder on your computer or Apple’s iPhoto gallery where they arrive automatically geotagged with location information about where the image was captured. The 2GB Eye-Fi Geo card is available exclusively at Apple stores and Apple.com for $59.99.

Jessops have announced their latest line in camera accessories – the 2AM range of camera bags, sleeves and pouches by Acme Made. These include the Bowler, a feminine alternative to the standard DSLR camera bag, the Sexy Little Pouch (pictured), a sleek way to protect your digital compact camera, the Sexy Little Protective Sleeve, the slimmest form of protection for your DSLR and the Sleek Case featuring a molded clamshell design. The Acme Made range of accessories are available online at www.jessops.com and are available in selected Jessops stores.

Kenro has announced the UK release of a new range of wireless transmitter and receiver kits designed to trigger studio lighting flash heads. They feature either mains or battery powered units. Each system comes with a radio signal transmitter and receiver that offer effective triggering of flash heads up to distances of 30m. They are available in four channel or eight channel kits. The four channel battery version costs £63.50 and the mains system is available for £58.50. The eight channel battery version is £66.75, while the eight channel mains system costs £67.50.

Western Digital (WD) has introduced its new one terabyte and 750 gigabyte capacity My Passport Essential SE Portable USB Drives. The new 1 TB and 750 GB capacity My Passport Essential SE drives are light and compact to carry and, because they are USB-powered, they do not need an external power adapter. WD’s My Passport Essential SE portable drives are available now in the U.S. at select retail stores and from WD’s online store (www.shopwd.com). MSRP for the My Passport Essential SE 1 TB portable drive is $299.99 USD and for the 750 GB model is $199.99 USD.

The Western Digital Scorpio Blue 1TB and the Western Digital Scorpio Blue mobile 750GB SATA 2.5” hard drives are now shipping. Both the 1TB and the 750GB models feature Western Digital’s exclusive WhisperDrive, ShockGuard and SecurePark technologies. The 750GB model (WD7500KEVT) is available now through select distributors and resellers; the 1 TB capacity (model WD10TEVT) is available now configured into My Passport Essential SE USB drives. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for the WD Scorpio Blue 1 TB drive is $249.99 USD and for the 750 GB version it is $189.99 USD.

Hama has announced two solar chargers for digital cameras and other devices. Both chargers are small, handy and light. They are easy to transport and come with an integrated battery. These chargers are charged using solar cells and then serve as “filling stations” for your end devices. Both models come with a USB cable and mini-USB adapter for connecting to digital cameras. The new solar chargers will be on display in Hall 7.2c at the IFA show in Berlin.