The twelve-megapixel Pentax Optio W90 is a heavy-duty water-, dust-, freeze- and shockproof digital compact camera that also provides an all-new Digital Microscope mode. Combining a macro shooting capability from one centimetre away with the Digital Zoom function, the Optio W90’s new Digital Microscope mode delivers a magnified view of miniscule subjects difficult to observe closely with the naked eye. Also, Pntax has upgraded the Optio W90’s underwater picture-taking performance to six metres (compared to five metres for its predecessor) and for up to two hours of continuous operation. In addition, the Pentax Optio W90 can withstand a fall from a height of 1.2 metres without damage to the body, and is also freezeproof down to –10°C. Upgrtaded face detection, 720p HD movie recording and a 28-140mm equivalent 5x optical zoom round off the features list. Available from the end of March 2010, the Pentax Optio W90 has a recommended retail price of £269.99.

Prix Pictet 2009 Commission winner Ed Kashi will show his photographs from Madagascar at London’s Diemar / Noble Photography gallery from 20 April to 1 May 2010. Kashi was one of twelve leading international photographers shortlisted for the 2009 Prix Pictet, the world’s only major annual photography award to focus on sustainability. Nadav Kander, the 2009 Prix Pictet winner, received the CHF100,000 award from Kofi Annan, honorary president of the Prix Pictet, in October 2009. At the same time Kashi was invited to produce a portfolio of images from Madagascar, where Pictet & Cie had decided to support a sustainability programme relating to ‘Earth’, the theme of the 2009 award. Kashi, who travelled to Madagascar in January 2010 said, “My work has led me to many places on this earth and it’s critically clear our world is under tremendous stress.  The relationship we hold as human beings with the earth, and the issues that are raised with regard to how we go about conducting this vital relationship, have developed into core themes within my work. Nowhere are the effects of this dysfunctional relationship more evident than in Madagascar.” The Diemar / Noble Photography gallery is located at 66/67 Wells Street, London W1T 3PY.

Announced today, Fotobabble allows people to add voice to photos in seconds with just a few clicks on a web browser or an iPhone. Simply upload a photo and record your voice directly through your computer’s microphone to create a talking photo. On your iPhone, after downloading the free Fotobabble app, select an existing photo or a snap a new one, hit record and you’re done. Whether using a computer or your iPhone, you can share talking photos via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or embed them into a blog or website free of charge. Businesses can create Fotobabbles to promote a product, to more effectively engage with customers online, or to increase the number of visitors to their website.

Website: Fotobabble

According to Sigma, FLD glass, which has a performace equal to fluorite glass but costs less, has been adopted and used in Sigma’s new high-performance lenses. FLD glass offers the same optical performance as fluorite, at an affordable price. Also, the density of FLD glass is lower than traditional optical glass, ensuring a lighter construction of large aperture lenses. FLD glass has been incorporated into the Sigma 8-16mm F4.5-5.6 DC HSM - the widest lens available for digital SLR cameras with APS-C sized sensors, pictured -, the Sigma APO 70-200mm F2.8 EX DG OS HSM and the Sigma 17-50mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM.

The Leaf Aptus-II / Aptus digital backs have gained significant workflow options with the extended tethered support in the latest release of Capture One 5.1. This latest Capture One release extends tethered and raw image support to a wide range of Leaf digital backs, including the Leaf Aptus-II 10, Aptus-II 7, Aptus-II 6, Aptus-II 5, AFi-II 10, AFi-II 7, AFi-II 6, Aptus 65S, Aptus 54S, AFi 7, AFi 6, AFi 5, Aptus 75, Aptus 65, Aptus 22 and Aptus 17, in addtion to the Aptus-II 10, Aptus-II 8 (pictured), Aptus II 7, Aptus-II 6, Aptus-II 5, AFi-II 10, AFi-II 7 and AFi-II 6.

Photo and video sharing service DPHOTO has seamlessly integrated high-definition video into its premium photo sharing and backup solution. This enables albums and slideshows to come to life, seamlessly combining large high-quality photos and high-definition video. Allowing users to upload large, high-definition videos to their account in almost any format, DPHOTO simplifies the sharing process and also optimises each viewer’s experience by automatically displaying video in the most appropriate resolution based on the viewer’s computer specifications. In addition to its sharing capabilities, DPHOTO also provides remote backup protection for your original hi-resolution photos and videos. With a Pro account priced at $90 per year, users can store an unlimited number of photos and videos, with each video being up to five minutes long and 500mb in size.

Focus on Imaging 2010 marks the fist time that British Photographer James Madelin will be showcasing his award-winning invention, the orbis ring flash, on home soil. Designed to be a compact and affordable alternative to expensive studio ring flash systems, the orbis ring flash was first conceived in James’ garden shed. Now manufactured in New Zealand, has secured global distribution a year after launch. James Madelin and the orbis ring flash can be found on stand C41 in Hall 9 & 10 at Focus on Imaging at Birmingham NEC, 7 - 10 March 2010.

Explorer Richard Wiese has chosen the Epson P-7000 multimedia photo viewer (read review) to back up his photographs during his Kilimanjaro expedition. After the day’s climb, Wiese would insert the card from his camera into the viewer and swiftly download several hundred images. Zooming in to confirm focus and fine detail, he could preview both RAW and JPEG images, and make quick edits if needed. With the option of video and audio output, he’d then set up a slide show of the day’s images for the entire group to view. “With the Epson P-7000 viewer, I never worry about losing photos,” he said.

Create Positivity is a non-profit organisation whose first project will see 8 UK photographers travel to South America and teach a 2 week photography course to underprivileged children. They will provide the children with all the equipment and educational materials they need to get a grasp of photography and the course will end with their work being put on display. The project, entitled Portraits of another life has been inspired by studies which show that by having a creative output children tend to steer away from antisocial behavior allowing them to create community and develop their skills for future life. If you agree with the project’s aims, you can make a donation via the website below.

Website: Create Positivity

LaCie today announced the next generation line of network storage devices for small to medium-sized businesses: the LaCie d2 Network 2, LaCie 2big Network 2 and LaCie 5big Network 2. These complete backup solutions are Time Machine compatible and include Genie Backup Manager Pro (Windows) and Intego Backup Manager Pro (Mac). With these applications you can make encrypted, compressed backups, restore files, and even perform disaster recovery. The LaCie 2big Network 2 and LaCie 5big Network 2 feature hot-swappable disks and RAID 1 for redundancy, and the 5big Network 2 offers RAID 6 for added security. Backed up with a 3-year limited warranty, the LaCie d2 Network 2, 2big Network 2, and 5big Network 2 are available through the LaCie Online Store, LaCie Reseller+, LaCie Storage Partner, starting at the suggested retail price of £149.

The British Journal of Photography (BJP) has been relaunched as a monthly title. The world’s longest running photography magazine now features a brilliant new look, new editorial sections, more in-depth analysis and greater space to showcase the stunning photographs that are a hallmark of the publication. “We believe that print magazines have a positive future, so when we began thinking about what we could deliver as a monthly, we decided to play to the strengths of print,” editor Simon Bainbridge says. “While many magazines are cutting costs and chasing readers that now have an allegedly shorter attention span, we are investing, rewarding them with a redesigned magazine that uses higher quality paper, has superior reproduction techniques and delivers more depth.” The new-look British Journal of Photography hits the newsstands on Wednesday, 3 March. The title is on sale the first Wednesday of every month, priced £6.99.

In just six weeks, Hearst Corporation’s 2011 8x10 Photography Biennial Competition has received 1,300+ submissions, already surpassing the total number of entries received for the 2009 competition. The 2011 contest is open to all U.S. and international freelance, amateur and professional photographers and students, aged 18 to 35 years of age.  All entries must be submitted no later than May 31, 2010.  Additional information and submission guidelines can be found at www.hearst8x10.com.

Canon has issued a firmware update for the Canon EOS 500D / Digital Rebel T1i digital SLR camera. Version 1.1.0 enahnces the reliability of Live View and fixes incorrect indications in the Arabic, English and Swedish menus.

Website: Canon EOS Digital Rebel T1i / 500D Firmware Update Page

Brushed Pixel Software has just released Catapult 1.0.6, a free update to its raw workflow plugin for Apple Aperture. Catapult automates the process of exporting raw files for editing and importing converted JPEG or TIFF files, while stacking the versions together to keep projects organised. Version 1.0.6 adds support for Aperture 3, and is available as a 64-bit Universal plugin.

Website: Brushed Pixel Software

At PMA 2010, the US distributor of Tokina products displayed the mock-up of an ultrawide-to-wide zoom for 35mm SLR cameras and “full-frame” DSLRs. As the Tokina SD 16-28mm f2.8 (IF) FX is currently in the development phase, no information on availability or pricing has been released yet.

Via 1001 Noisy Cameras

Today, Fotolia officially launched Flixtime, a free site that enables users to create free 60-second videos using their personal image collection or those provided by Fotolia.  AudioMicro also provides users with a selection of award-winning tracks, sound effects, and stock music. All Flixtime video productions can be used both for personal or independent commercial purposes. “Companies from all over the world have video needs, whether for websites, projects, or presentations. Until now, production costs were very high,” says Fotolia and Flixtime CEO Oleg Tscheltzoff. “Just like we democratized stock images on Fotolia by offering images for under $1 USD, we have made videos accessible and affordable to countless companies. Instead of investing tons of money in equipment, talent, and a location to produce videos, our users can simply use their content, or the images and music provided by Flixtime, to create the videos they envision.”

Website: Flixtime

Ricoh today announced the development of two new camera-lens units for the Ricoh GXR interchangeable unit camera system. One of them, tentatively named RICOH LENS P10 28-300 mm F3.5-5.6 VC, features a back-illuminated compact camera sensor with the ability to capture images at 120 frames per second, and a 28-300mm equivalent lens. The “VC” designation indicates that this unit has the vibration correction function developed independently by Ricoh. The other, called GR LENS A12 28 mm F2.5 for the time being, is a unit boasting an APS-C sized CMOS sensor ana 28mm lens. The former is scheduled to ship in the summer, while the latter is expected to go on sale at the end of the year.

The shortlist for the 2010 Sony World Photography Awards has just been announced.  The list contains the names of 190 outstanding photographers from 48 different countries. In order to choose them, the Honorary Judging Committee had to go through more than 80,000 submissions. Astrid Merget, Creative Director of the World Photography Organisation says: “As in past years, the sheer number of entries from across the globe overwhelms us and reminds us of how universal photography is as a creative expression.  We are thrilled to see the quality of entries once again heighten and even more pleased to see many returning photographers on the shortlist.”  Click through / read on for the entire list.