Following the success of the inaugural ArtGemini Prize 2013 which attracted 744 entries from 33 countries, today sees the launch of the ArtGemini Prize 2014. Open to all photographers and painters form anywhere in the world, the ArtGemini Prize is described as "a celebration to promote international contemporary art for emerging and established artists." A cash fund of £5500 will be awarded to the winners in 4 categories, Photography, Painting & Sculpture, Young Artist and Public Choice. The shortlisted entries will be exhibited in London and Singapore. Do note that entry fees apply. The deadline for entries is 7th September.

Jennifer Schwartz, Executive Director of Crusade for Art, announced the finalists today for the first $10,000 Crusade Engagement Grant. The Crusade Engagement Grant was created to foster the exploration of innovative programs to connect new audiences to photography. Over 170 artists and photography professionals submitted applications online, outlining their proposed project idea. The ten finalists include Ken Winnick, Amy Parrish, Jason Parker, Lindsay Nicole, Larissa Leclair, Matt Eich, Matthew Conboy, Cleveland Print Room, and Lisa Armitage, Joseph Gamble, Jamie Jackson, Marian Tagliarino, Cyndi Vickers.

Avis and Getty Images have extended the deadline for extries for its “I Can’t Believe My Eyes” photo competition. Andy Letting, Head of Social Media at Avis Budget Group says, “Car travel is often seen as less glamorous than other modes of transport but with the I Can’t Believe My Eyes campaign we hope to show that this is not the case. Traveling by car opens up a whole world of possibilities - we want to celebrate road trips so are calling for people to share their best driving images to prove that how you get there can be as exciting as where you’re going.” Photos can be submitted via Avis UK's Facebook page, where you can also immerse yourself in a specially made film of beautifully captured landmarks from across the globe for inspiration. The winning shot will not only win a trip from BA Holidays, but it will also form part of the Avis advertising campaign to encourage others to open their eyes. The new deadline for UK entries is 21 May, and the lucky overall winner will be announced on 19 June 2014.

The LockPort 800 DUAL is a new accessory developed to help avoid damaging your Nikon D800/800E  micro HDMI and micro USB 3.0 camera ports. Designed to fit easily every head, baseplate, sliding plate, support out there using the original camera screws, the. LockPort 800 DUAL safely secures to the camera the HDMI/USB 3.0  90° REAR adapters, protecting forever the “expensive to repair” ports on your camera. The LockPort 800 DUAL is available for €119/$149.

Canon UK has launched its summer cashback promotion giving you the chance to.get up to £100/€120 cashback on a range of selected Canon products across DSLRs, compact cameras, lenses, video cameras and printers. The offer runs from 15 May 2014 to 13 August 2014 for eligible products purchased from UK or Republic of Ireland retailers. Canon is also taking its cashback offer on the road this summer, visiting locations across the UK. To learn more, visit Canon UK’s Facebook page.

Totally Rad! has announced today the launch of Replichrome II: Slide, a new collection of presets for Adobe Lightroom and ACR that brings the classic look of film to digital photography. Replichrome II includes presets for the most popular Fuji, Kodak and Agfa slide films, many of which were discontinued in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The collection has 19 films and 203 presets available – all unique compared to Replichrome I. The film presets have Noritsu and Calibrated variants, each with several additional variations with varying degrees of contrast. Replichrome I and II are available now for $99 each.

The Nikon 1 S2 is a new compact system camera featuring a 14-megapixel CX sensor and the world's fastest continuous shooting frame rates. Designed without an optical low-pass filter, and offering a wide 200–12800 ISO range, the Nikon 1 S2 shoots ten raw-format images at up to 20 fps with continuous autofocus, and at up to 60 fps with focus fixed at the first frame. Other highlights include a hybrid AF system with 135 focus points including 73 on-chip PDAF sensors, a 3" display with a resolution of 460,000 dots, 1080/60p movies, high-speed video recording for slow-motion playback, and microSD memory card compatibility. The Nikon 1 S2 will be available for around £380 / $450 for a single-lens kit. A double-lens kit including the camera, 11-27.5mm standard zoom and 30-110mm telezoom will also be available, priced at around £530 / $700.

The Nikon AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR is a new full-frame super-telephoto lens for professional photographers. Offering improved auto focus and superior exposure accuracy owing to an elecro-magnetically controlled iris diaphragm (hence the E designation in the product name), the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR is almost 2lbs lighter than the company's previous 400mm f/2.8 lens. In addition, the lens features a new VR Sport mode, nine rounded aperture blades, two fluorite elements two Extra-Low Dispersion (ED) glass elements and Nano Crystal Coating. The AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens will be available in August 2014, and will have a suggested retail price of £10,399.99 / $11,999.95.

The Nikon AF-S TC-14E III is  a new 1.4x teleconverter for F-mount lenses. The construction of the teleconverter has been significantly upgraded for both durability and optical brilliance. Comprising 7 elements arranged in 4 groups, the outer elements feature a fluorine coating for enhanced resistance to dirt and water droplets. For added durability, the lens barrel has been designed for increased moisture and dust resistance. The AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III will be available in August for an SRP of £449.99 / $499.95.

Nikon has announced US availability and pricing information for the Nikon 1 J4 compact system camera. Announced in April, the Nikon 1 J4 is a new, WiFi-enabled compact system camera with an 18-megapixel CX sensor with no low-pass filter, a 1-million-dot 3" touchscreen, improved hybrid AF system and an aluminium housing. The auto focus system offers 105 focus points with phase-detection AF and 171 focus points with contrast-detect AF. The Nikon 1 J4 supports high-speed continuous shooting at approximately 20fps with AF tracking, and up to 60fps when focus is locked. Other highlights include a sensitivity range of ISO 100-12,800, Full HD 60p movies, improved Motion Snapshots and manual exposure modes. Available in May 2014 the Nikon 1 J4, kitted with the 1 Nikkor 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom lens, will be sold at $649.95, while a kit with the 1 Nikkor 10-100mm f/4.0-5.6 VR lens will also be available for $849.95. Additionally, a double lens kit including the 1 Nikkor 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom lens and 1 Nikkor VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6 lens will be available for $1,049.95.

Nikon has released a firmwar update for the Nikon D800 and D800E FX-format digital SLR cameras. Version 1.10 brings a host of improvements and fixes including a new HTTP server mode, support for CompactFlash memory cards with capacities greater than 128GB, and much more. Click through / scroll down for the details.

Olympus has issued a firmware update for the Olympus E-P5 compact system camera. Version 1.4 adds a zero-second option to the Anti Shock menu setting, and improves remote control functionality when using the "Olympus Image Share" app. You can update the camera firmware with the help of the Digital Camera Updater software.

Olympus has posted a firmware update for the Olympus Stylus 1 enhusiast compact camera. Version 1.1 improves remote control functionality when using the "Olympus Image Share" app. You can update your camera's firmware using the Digital Camera Updater app.

OmageBrandess has launched the Original On-Hot Shoe LCD Cleaner in the United States. Designed specifically for cleaning any electronic glass such as LCD screens on digital cameras, OnSlot is an innovative cleaning system which attaches to the hot-shoe of your camera. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the OnSlot is $9.99 with a special Rosewood edition available for $19.99.

Unified Color Technologies have announced HDR Expose 3.1, a significant update to its standalone HDR image processing application. The newest features include faster merge and alignment tools, improved de-ghosting algorithms, a new panorama batch processing assist mode and a redesigned Merge dialogue box. HDR Expose 3.1 is available immediately and can be applied to all existing HDR Expose 3 licenses free of charge. New licenses for HDR Expose 3.1 can be purchased for $119.

Astrophotography.photos has just gone live. Very similar to its sister sites, Zeissimages.com and Leicaimages.com, Astrophotography.photos is a free online gallery with advanced search features and customisation which gives the amateur or professional astronomer the ability to show case his or her photos to the public.

Intensify is a new Macintosh application that gives you precise control over details in your images. Key features include integration with Smugmug, Mavericks support, Macphun Print Lab compatibility and support for raw images. "Use dozens of professionally inspired presets – one click enhances your photos – or drop into the Adjust panel for complete control and flexibility," the company says. "Our 4 detail enhancement tools – Pro Contrast, Structure, Details and Micro Sharpness – all combine to give you incredible results. Want more? Apply enhancements based on highlight, midtone and shadow tonal ranges. Or, use layers to creatively apply detail to specific parts of your image." Intensify Pro is available for $59.99.