Fireside is a smart system for your home that makes enjoying all your photos and videos as easy as taking them. The system consists of an intelligent curation and delivery service, and SmartFrame, a new generation digital picture frame that connects to users’ iOS/Android devices and the cloud to seamlessly integrate their curated content into everyday life. The Fireside app effortlessly brings all of a family’s photos and videos together to a private, secure place in the cloud, and makes them searchable. Then, Fireside’s cloud service uses contextual computing and machine learning to automatically curate and organise libraries of thousands of photos, showing families the content they actually want to see, the company says. Starting at $399 and available in both black and white, Fireside is launching on Kickstarter today.

Nikon UK today launched a new promotion offering customers a free battery grip with purchases of selected Nikon dSLR cameras. From 30th October to 4th February 2015 customers looking to purchase a Nikon D7100 are able to claim a free MB-D15 portrait grip, whilst customers considering the Nikon D610 are entitled to a free MB-D14 battery grip. A maximum of one claim can be made per person on each model included in the promotion, and all claims must be received by the 28th February 2015 (inclusive) in order to qualify.

The Vanguard Alta CA 234AGH is an aluminum tripod that combines 4-section aluminum legs with the GH-30 pistol grip head.

OmegaBrandess has announced the acquisition of the assets of the Gigapan hardware division of Gigapan Systems. Gigapan, which was formed in 2008 as a commercial spin-off of successful research collaboration between a team of researchers at NASA and Carnegie Mellon University, manufactures Gigapan EPIC Robotic Mounts. Part of a fully integrated solution, the Gigapan EPIC and EPIC 100 are compatible with a broad range of point-and-shoot cameras and small DSLRs to capture Gigapans, quickly and accurately. The EPIC Pro is designed to work with DSLR cameras and larger lenses, features advanced technology to deliver stunning performance and precision. OmegaBrandess is now in the process of transitioning the operation to their facility in Hampstead, MD where they plan to be in full production as soon as possible.

Bowens has been appointed exclusive UK distributor for the LED Light Cube, billed as the world’s first high-end, portable and interlocking LED flash and constant light source. Australian developers and manufacturers IC12 say the unit’s zero recycling time outperforms any camera or radio trigger in the market today. “The key Light Cube features are unique in the marketplace right now,” said Nathan Oxley, Managing Director at IC12. “We developed this product after documenting photographers’ ongoing and very real frustrations with their hardware limitations. Our engineers worked for fifteen months to deliver this hybrid light, which now enables both photographers and videographers to capture their moments without concerns about flash recycling times.” The new LED Light Cube will be available for £430 excl. tax.

Canon UK has just launched its winter cashback offer, which enables you to receive up to £80 cashback on a selected range of Canon products including DSLRs, lenses, compact cameras, camcorders and printers. The offer runs from 29st October 2014 to 21st January 2015 for eligible products purchased from UK or Republic of Ireland retailers. Click through / scroll down for a list of all eligible cameras, lenses, printers and accessories.

Samsung announced today that it is now shipping its EVO 16GB and 32GB memory cards in twin packs. There are four new twin packs available in time for Christmas, including the EVO Micro SD Twin Pack 32GB (£44.95), the EVO Micro SD Twin Pack 16GB (£28.95), the EVO SD Twin Pack 32 GB  (£47.95) and the EVO SD Twin Pack 16GB (£28.95). Both EVO cards boast Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) Grade 1 level performance and offer read speeds of up to 48MB/s.

Vanguard are showcasing their latest award-winning products at the annual PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo. Their latest tripods, heads and bags are currently on display at the Javits Convention Center (booth #1045) in New York City. The newest additions include the Havana, Oslo, Sedona and Reno bags, and the Alta CA and Espod CX series tripods. Click through / scroll down for more information.

Gary Fong have today introduced their Studio-To-Go range, which is exclusive to the Gary Fong e-store. There are four Studio-To-Go Kits to choose from, each offering the ability to create dramatic studio-like lighting effects in practically any location. These include the Studio-To-Go Wedding & Event Kit, the Studio-To-Go Portrait Kit, the Studio-To-Go Fashion & Commercial Kit and the Studio-To-Go Flash Kit. “The new Studio-To-Go systems are the most complete kits we’ve ever offered. The contents of each were carefully tested and selected to closely replicate the compact systems I use when traveling all over the world photographing and teaching lighting,” Gary Fong said. “Each Kit is supported with countless tutorials to help users master the many techniques. The ultimate goal is to give photographers the confidence to control the light versus the light controlling the photographer.” The Studio-To-Go Wedding & Event Kit is available for $423.95, a $100 savings versus purchasing products separately. The Studio-To-Go Portrait Kit is available for $529.95, a $130 savings. The Studio-To-Go Fashion & Commercial Kit is available for $544.95, a $150 savings. The Studio-To-Go Flash Kit is available for $1021.95, a $250 savings.

Power Practical has launched a Kickstarter campaign to hekp fund the commercialisation of its Pronto fast-charge battery pack. The Pronto comes in two flavours - the 4500mAh Pronto 5 can store enough power to charge 3 iPhones within one hour, whereas the 13,500mAh offers dual high-power 2.4 A USB ports and includes a 12V adapter, allowing you to charge larger devices such as laptops, DSLR cameras, and drone batteries. The Pronto 5 will be available for $59, while the Pronto 12 will retail for $99. For more details head to the project's Kickstarter page.

Joby have released a brand new ‘supersized’ version of its GripTight system, designed for use with larger smartphones/phablets. The new GripTight XL will securely hold devices from 69-99mm inches in width including the iPhone 6 Plus, Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Xperia Z3. Supporting a maximum load of 325g, the Joby GripTight XL weighs a mere 20g and sells for £15.

Iceland-based Kúla Inventions have announced Kúla Bebe, a new product that will enable 3D photography with smartphones. Comprising four high-precision mirrors, Kúla Bebe is easily attached to and detached from the phone's lens and comes with Kúla’s Cinema-Box for immediate 3D viewing on the smartphone display. The company is launching the product tomorrow on Kickstarter, along with an improved version of the Kúla Deeper 3D photography attachment for DSLR cameras. Kúla’s image processing software Kúlacode can export images and videos captured with Kúla Deeper and Bebe to multiple 3D formats including 3D TV, stereoscopic (for CinemaBox, StereoViewer, Oculus Rift and more), anaglyph (red/cyan), crosseye and wigglegram. The company aims to raise $40.000 through the Kickstarter campaign.

Manfrotto has introduced a range of light modifiers. The collection include twelve products: a series of reflectors and diffusers, a series of softboxes to use on camera and off camera, a duo umbrella and a background support system.  Manfrotto reflectors and diffusers are triple stitched, guaranteeing durability and dependability. They all collapse to a third of their original size and are sold with their own carry case.  Manfrotto softboxes are available in different sizes and can be used on and off camera. The Duo Umbrella is a dual functional product that can be used as a shoot through or to bounce light onto the subject. Translucent white fabric ensures the light passing through the umbrella is diffused to a softer light. Alternatively, the removable black covering on the outside of the umbrella ensures all the light is bounced back onto the subject. Manfrotto softboxes are available in different sizes and can be used on and off camera. The Duo Umbrella is a dual functional product that can be used as a shoot through or to bounce light onto the subject. Translucent white fabric ensures the light passing through the umbrella is diffused to a softer light. Alternatively, the removable black covering on the outside of the umbrella ensures all the light is bounced back onto the subject.

Apple has launched a new 27-inch iMac with a 5K "Retina" display. Billed as the world's highest-resolution computer screen, the new iMac's integrated 5K monitor can display 14.7-megapixel (5120x2880-pixel) photos at native resolution. "To improve the contrast ratio, iMac with Retina 5K display uses a new photo alignment process and a compensation film to deliver blacker blacks and more vibrant colors from any viewing angle," the company says. "In addition, every iMac with Retina 5K display is calibrated using three state-of-the-art spectroradiometers to ensure precise and accurate colour." The new iMac comes with a 3.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.9 GHz, and for the first time can be configured with a 4 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 4.4 GHz. Itc can also be configured with up to 32GB of memory, a 3TB Fusion Drive, or up to 1TB of PCIe-based flash storage. In addition, iMac with Retina 5K display includes two Thunderbolt 2 ports that deliver up to 20Gbps each.  The basic configuration is available for $2,499 

The Apple iPad Mini 3 is a new 7.9" tablet with a 5-megapixel primary camera, a 326ppi display and a fingerprint sensor. From a photographer's point of view, the iPad Mini 3 is essentially identical to its predecessor: it has the same iSight camera module with a five-element f/2.4 lens, geotagging, HDR exposure blending, timer and panorama modes, and Full HD movie recording capabilities; and the same 2048x1536-pixel IPS panel as the iPad Mini 2. Pricing for the new tablet starts at $399.

The Apple iPad Air 2 is a new iOS 8.1-powered tablet with an enhanced Retina display and improved cameras. The main iSight camera now features an 8-megapixel imager, burst shooting, 43-megapixel panoramic images, 1080p Full HD video recording at 30fps, slow-motion and time-lapse movie capture, improved face detection, 3x video zoom and geotagging. The 9.8-inch, 264ppi display is fully laminated and comes with an anti-reflective coating for better outdoors visibility. Now just 6.1 mm thin and weighing less than a pound, iPad Air 2 is available in gold, silver and space grey. iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi editions will be available for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 64GB model and $699 (US) for the 128GB model. iPad Air 2 with Wi-Fi + Cellular editions will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 64GB model and $829 (US) for the 128GB model.

Delkin Devices have announced a new line of SD memory cards that feature a specialised casing and design that make them waterproof, dustproof, extreme temperature resistant, and virtually unbreakable. Delkin BLACK SD cards are built using a proprietary injection molding process that differs from the traditional surface mounted components and welded case design that most cards utilise. This process uses an innovative material to give the cards advantages that are far superior in terms of reliability and ruggedness when compared to traditional memory cards, the company says. Read and write speeds are proven at 99MB/s and 80MB/s respectively, and the cards are rated for UHS-I Speed Class 3, meaning they are guaranteed to perform at a minimum sequential write speed of 30MB/s - a rating that is required for many 4K applications. The added ruggedness of Delkin BLACK has allowed Delkin to offer a unique built-in insurance policy for the cards, called their "48 Hour, No-Questions-Asked Replacement Guarantee". Users are asked to register their Delkin BLACK card using the card's unique serial number to activate the policy, which enables traceability and gives each owner the added security against loss, theft, and damage. Delkin BLACK cards are available in capacities of 32GB, 64GB and 128GB and sold exclusively through authoised camera stores in the US and in Europe.

NEC Display Solutions of America announced today its latest Ultra High-Definition (UHD) display, the professional grade MultiSync PA322UHD. The32-inch PA322UHD display uses a wide-gamut white LED backlight and an IGZO technology IPS-type LCD panel that delivers 99.2 percent coverage of the Adobe RGB colour space. Boasting a multitude of inputs, including two DisplayPort, two DVI-D and four HDMI as well as a USB 3.0 hub with DisplaySync Pro technology, the new MultiSync PA Series display offers a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels and a static contrast ratio of 1000:1. The stand supports both landscape and portrait modes, and the display will automatically rotate the image when the display is rotated. Other highlights include 14-bit 3D internal programmable lookup tables (LUTs) for calibration, Picture in Picture and Picture by Picture modes which split the screen in half or in quarters to up to 4 Full HD images, and a USB 3.0 hub with DisplaySync Pro. The MultiSync PA322UHD-BK ships with a four-year limited warranty, and will be available at an estimated street price of $2,999 with first shipments in December 2014.

Sigma has posted a firmware update for its USB dock. Version 1.02 adds compatibility with the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM S014 and 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM C014 lenses. Do note that you will need Sigma Optimization Po 1.2 to perform the upgrade.

Website: Sigma

Think Tank Photo has introduced its Airport Accelerator Phantom 2 Quadcopter Divider Kit, which allows you to convert a separately sold Think Tank Photo Airport Accelerator backpack into a customised quadcopter carrying bag. "On point with the new era of photographic possibilities and needs, the adjustable dividers offer multi-compartment convenience to hold every key component and accessories of a quadcopter plus supplies for the day’s outing," the company says. "With its durable and changeable storage dividers, all of their gear and personal items are safe, organized, and at the ready." Designed to fit the DJI Phantom 2 quadcopter plus accessories, the Think Tank Photo Airport Accelerator Phantom 2 Quadcopter Divider Kit is available for $34.75 via the website below.