MicroSD cards are the driving force of the worldwide flash memory market, according to the latest research from Futuresource Consulting. The total market is estimated to have increased 2% in 2014, with growth in the microSD card segment reaching 11%. "In a consolidated market, SanDisk is the leading vendor followed by Kingston and Transcend, with the top three brands together accounting for 50% of the worldwide retail market," says Larsson. "16GB capacity took the number one spot in worldwide retail last year, followed by 8GB, which still remains the capacity of choice in many countries across the globe."

Eyefi has released new features and functionality including the ability to preview, enhance and organise your photos on the spot; view EXIF data; browse photos by camera type; and sync photos to other devices automatically for instant access whenever and wherever, even offline. Eyefi Cloud customers will benefit from Eyefi’s newest photo uploader functionality that gives users the power to transfer existing photos from a PC to Eyefi Cloud for unlimited syncing. With the photo uploader, pictures are easily sent to Eyefi Cloud and instantly synced to all devices. This makes the entire collection of photos accessible anytime on tablets, phones or any web-enabled device. To further simplify photo management Eyefi is making APIs available for Eyefi Cloud customers to personalise their workflow. With these APIs, photographers can customise the photo upload and download functions, automate tagging and create custom photo searches.

Toshiba today announced the upcoming launch of the world’s first SDHC memory card with built-in NFC functionality. The new product utilizes the features of NFC technology to exchange data simply with a touch. By holding an NFC-enabled Android smartphone, with the app “Memory Card Preview” installed, over the memory cards lets you preview the available storage space, as well as a maximum of 16 thumbnails of the photos stored in the card.. Sales of the 8GB, 16GB and 32GB cards will start from February 2015.

G-Technology has announced the G-DRIVE ev ATC with Thunderbolt, G-DRIVE ev ATC with USB 3.0 and G-DRIVE ev RaW ruggedised hard drives. The G-DRIVE ev RaW is a rugged and lightweight portable hard drive that’s small enough to fit in a backpack, briefcase or purse, and strong enough to withstand a 1.5-meter drop, protecting up to 1TB of data. This durable, lightweight drive comes with a USB 3.0 cable, and can be used as a standalone device, or used with the Evolutions Series’ G-DOCK ev with Thunderbolt or the new ev all-terrain case for ultra-fast transfers and editing. The drive is formatted for Mac and can be easily reformatted for Windows. The G-DRIVE ev RaW will be available this month. MSRP is 1TB for £99.95 and £79.95 for 500GB. The G-DRIVE ev ATC drives feature an all-terrain case with a tethered Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 cable that shields a removable G-DRIVE ev RaW hard drive. For added flexibility, the removable case is compatible with the Evolution Series, easily fitting the G-DRIVE ev or G-DRIVE ev SSD. The G-DRIVE ev ATC with Thunderbolt will be available this month. Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing is £179.95 for 1TB. The G-DRIVE ev ATC with USB 3.0 will be available in February. MSRP is £139.95 for 1TB.

MindShift Gear’s new House of Cards is a lightweight memory card wallet which offers convenient storage and protection for six CF and three SD memory cards. The built in business card holder makes for easy identification. Its orange coloured elastic band offers silent access plus additional wallet security. The House of Cards’ removable tether clip allows it to be worn on the outside for quick access. The product is available now for $19.99.

MindShift Gear has announced two new additions to its line-up of filter carrying solutions for outdoor photography. The Filter Nest Mini (pictured) fits four round filters (up to 82 mm) including a variable ND. The Filter Hive Mini fits four square/rectangular filters (up to 4 x 6 or 100 x 150 mm). “Their superior materials and design insure that photographers have durable and compact solutions to filter storage for many years to come,” said MindShift’s president and lead designer Doug Murdoch. “They are another indication of our commitment to serving the needs of serious outdoor photographers.”

Wacom have introduced the Cintiq Companion 2, a powerful touchscreen tablet for professional creators of digital content.. The new mobile solution from Wacom works either as a fully fledged Windows 8 tablet with all the creative input capabilities of a Cintiq or, when the need arises, will connect, via Cintiq Connect to the home or office computer and function as a primary or secondary graphics tablet. With 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and tilt recognition, the Cintiq Companion 2’s Pro Pen performs like a traditional brush, pen or marker when used in combination with creative software applications. The pen and high-resolution screen (2560 x 1440) interact to provide a realistic pen-on-paper feel with limited glare that allows artists and designers to quickly produce detailed and accurate material, the company says. The Cintiq Companion 2 will be available at the Wacom eStore in several configurations this February – Value (64GB SSD, £1199.99), Standard (128GB SSD, £1299.99) and Premium (256GB SSD, £1599.99). The Enhanced (512GB SSD, £1999.99) and Enterprise (customisable, prices TBC) versions are expected to begin shipping this coming spring.

Wacom have launched the Cintiq 27QHD and Cintiq 27QHD touch 27" graphics tablets. Both versions of the new flagship product feature a 27” 2560 x 1440 seamless edge-to-edge glass screen which displays 1.07 billion colours and 97% of the Adobe RGB colour space. The extra wide viewing angle enables designers, artists, game or film developers to create rich, detailed, large-scale work directly on the screen. To help support a natural and intuitive workflow, the Cintiq 27’s new ExpressKey Remote, which can be placed anywhere on the screen or desk, gives users more flexibility and power as to how, when and where customisable keyboard shortcuts and modifiers are implemented. The Cintiq 27QHD (£1799.99 / $2299.99) and Cintiq 27QHD touch (£2099.99 / $2799.99) replace the Cintiq 24HD models and will be available later this month.

Adorama has expanded the Flashpoint lighting line with the launch of Zoom Li-on, a collection of on- and off-camera flash products with internal lithium-ion batteries. Products include the Zoom Li-on speedlight flash (available in manual, Canon TTL and Nikon TTL models), and the Zoom Li-on Flash Commander Transmitter and Receiver Set. The Zoom Li-on speedlight flash has a full-power recycle time of less than 1.5 seconds, allowing for near-instant continuous shooting. One battery charge holds up to 650 full-power shots, and even more for lower-powered use. The flash head rotates 360°, tilts over 90°, and zooms from 24mm to 105mm. In addition to TTL automatic output, the Zoom Li-on models for Canon or Nikon TTL offer all the extra features of a system flash, such as HSS, exposure compensation, exposure bracketing, automatic zooming and flash exposure lock. Additionally, they offer complete integration with proprietary TTL strobe IR remote control systems, and can be used to control or be controlled by Canon or Nikon flashes as a master or slave, as well as for group control. The Commander Transmitter and Receiver Set allows remote power control from 150+ feet, enabling users to view and change flash output at any time. Other flash functions can also be adjusted remotely. With 16 channels and 16 groups, you can remotely control individual units or groups of flashes. The Flashpoint Zoom Li-on Flash is available now in three models – manual ($99.95), Canon TTL and Nikon TTL ($179.95). The Zoom Li-on Flash comes with a li-ion battery pack, battery charger, mini stand, protective case and instruction manual. The Flashpoint Zoom Li-on Flash Commander Transmitter and Receiver Set is now available for $69.95.

Lexar today announced the new Lexar Professional 1000x microSD UHS-II cards, offering read transfer speeds up to 150MB per second. Designed for sports camcorders, tablets, and smartphones, the new microSD cards leverage Ultra High Speed II (U3) to provide faster capture, play back, and transfer of photo and video files. The cards are also an excellent choice for photographers needing multiple memory cards for extended use to capture aerial content with a quadcopter. Available in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB capacities, the Professional 1000x microSD UHS-II cards are backwards compatible with UHS-I cameras and readers at UHS-I speeds, as well as non-UHS-I devices at Class 10 speeds. Lexar Professional 1000x microSD UHS-II cards will be available in the first calendar quarter of 2015 with a MSRP of £46.99 (32GB), £84.99 (64GB), and £145.99 (128GB).

Toshiba today introduced the FlashAir III Wireless SD Card, a third-generation memory card that serves as its own wireless LAN access point, allowing users to share images, videos and other files wirelessly. The FlashAir III Wireless SD Card’s Internet pass-through feature allows users to access the card and Internet (via your separate wireless router) simultaneously – enabling the ability to upload images in real-time. Using a wireless LAN chip, The FlashAir III Wireless SD Card is accessible to any wireless capable computers, smartphones or tablets, and can support simultaneous access from up to seven devices. In addition, the built-in Wi-Fi access point also allows for transfers without an Internet connection, as before. The Toshiba FlashAir III Wireless SD Card will be available for purchase in March for $79.99 for 16GB and $99.99 for 32GB.

Panasonic is introducing its new lineup of UHS-I type SDXC/SDHC memory cards by upgrading to the latest "SDUD" that boasts maximum read speed of 95MB/s and maximum write speed of 90MB/s, in addition to compliance with UHS Speed Class 3 specifications. Additionally, the lineup now includes a 128GB model (pictured).

The Phottix Indra500 TTL studio light is now available from the Phottix Online Store. Offering a new level of power for photographers on the move, the 500Ws Phottix Indra500 TTL studio light features through-the-lens flash exposure control with Canon and Nikon cameras, high-speed sync, manual power adjustment in 1/3EV increments, wireless radio control with Phottix Odin and Mitros+ systems, and a maximum recycle time of 2 seconds. The Phottix Indra500 TTL studio light is priced at $1,110 (AC adapter kit) and $1,199 (battery pack kit).

The Tiffen Company has announced its new product lineup for the 2015 International CES exhibition. The special star of this year’s show is CES’ newest Digital Imaging Innovation Honoree, Steadicam CURVE. Billed as a "groundbreaking camera stabilisation product," CURVE’s compact form factor gives GoPro users the freedom to shoot shake-free video. Tiffen will also be showcasing the latest updates to Tiffen Dfx. Version 4 now offers OFX plugin support for compatibility with digital intermediate workflows such as Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve and Assimilate Scratch, as well as The Foundry’s high-end NUKE visual effects program. Tiffen’s brand new XLE Series filters help colour correct images captured during long, extreme exposure shooting, producing a smooth, softening effect on objects and matter in motion. On display at CES 2015, the APEX, the ADVANTIX and the AXENT XLE filters are the ultimate imaging tools designed to provide control for these issues. The ZING imageTAKER Collection includes an innovative iPad case that gives users the ability to quickly switch from protecting to shooting, all without the trouble of removing the iPad from the case. Last but not least, the Lowel PRO Power LED is a compact focusing light available in hi-CRI tungsten or daylight color, with impressive output and a wide fresnel 8:1 focus range for lighting from a distance. You can get your hands on these products at booth #C10441.

To celebrate the release of the Fujifilm X-T1 Graphite Silver edition (read review), Fujifilm and Globe-Trotter have joined forces to create an exclusive mirrorless camera kit. Handcrafted at the Globe-Trotter workshop in Hertfordshire, England, each bespoke, 21’’ Trolley Case features a Fujifilm X-T1 camera body in Graphite Silver, a range of hand-picked Fujinon optics, dedicated accessories and an engraved Apple iPad Air 2 16GB. The set also includes a unique handmade Day Bag, featuring leather straps, plush internal dividers to protect the X-T1 and its accompanying lenses, beautifully embossed with the iconic Globe-Trotter logo. The limited edition run of 10 handmade travel cases is available exclusively at Harrods from Saturday 20th December 2014.

Sigma UK have announced the UK availability of the LCD Viewfinder LVF-01, which has been developed as a dedicated attachment for the dp Quattro camera series. By attaching it to the dp Quattro camera’s LCD display, the LCD Viewfinder cuts off outside light and magnifies the LCD display by 2.5 times to allow photographers to check the live view feed for critical focus more easily. Similar to using a viewfinder of a DSLR, holding the viewfinder to your eye allows more stable handling, thus reducing camera shake, and enables the photographer to see more detail in the image.  The Sigma LCD Viewfinder LVF-01 will be available in the UK from January 2015 with a suggested retail price of £179.99.

Samsung has unveiled its highest storage capacity for its EVO MicroSD memory cards. Boasting Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) Class 10, Grade 1 level performance, the new EVO 128GB MicroSD card offers read speeds of up to 48MB/s, can survive up to 20 hours in sea water, endures operating temperatures from -25 – 85 °C, can resist over 10,000 gauss, and is also protected from damage caused by airport X-ray machines. The new Samsung EVO 128GB card is available for £92.99 (£93.99 with an SD card adapter that allows it to be used in digital cameras).

In February, Think Tank Photo will release their most travel friendly, comfortable, and reasonably priced backpack for users of DJI Phantom 2, Phantom 2 Vision or other similar sized drones.The Airport Helipak will easily hold a drone plus a 15” laptop, controller, GoPros WiFi range extender, charger, spare rotors, extra batteries, and a Delvcam Camera-Top 7" HDMI LCD Monitor, while still complying with airline carry-on size requirements. “As with all Think Tank gear, the Airport Helipak will be backed by our commitment to using only the highest quality materials,” said Think Tank Photo’s president and lead designer Doug Murdoch. “These include YKK RC Fuse zippers, 1680D Ballistic nylon bottom panel, metal hardware, and nylon webbing that are the most durable, longest lasting materials on the market. The last thing drone users want to worry about is if their backpack will hold up in rigorous outdoor conditions.”

UK-based Torquing Group has tapped Lantronix to provide secure, onboard Wi-Fi technology for its new ZANO nano drone, an aerial photography and HD video capture nano platform. The hand-sized ZANO utilises the Lantronix xPico Wi-Fi module to provide secure and direct connectivity to both iOS and Android devices, which enables users to communicate with and control the ZANO. Utilising a smartphone or tablet, users can either direct ZANO or set the intelligent nano drone to automatically follow the user and capture photos from a fixed distance. A multitude of sensors work seamlessly together to allow ZANO to avoid obstacles, hold its position, and know exactly where it is in conjunction with a smart handheld device, at all times. The companies will showcase the product during the 2015 International CES from 6 - 9 January 2015 at booth 25621 in LVCC, South Hall 2.

Profoto has released a fast, powerful and consistent HSS (high-speed sync) solution for its B1 off-camera flash. The company's unique, patent-pending technology uses an extremely fast series of flash pulses to provide consistent exposures with shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000 of a second. Available via a firmware update, Profoto HSS works with both Canon and Nikon versions of the B1 off-camera flash and has been tested for all common camera models. You can use Profoto HSS with TTL flash exposure control, making it fast and easy to do fast paced action shots or daylight backlit portraits with large apertures. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.