Following an extensive period of negotiations with HSBC, Jessops plc has agreed a solvent restructuring of Jessops Group Limited, its principal trading company, which will “place that business on a sound financial footing for the future”. The restructuring proposal, achieved with the support of HSBC, will enable Jessops to continue with business as usual. Importantly, the restructuring will protect 2,000 jobs directly, as well as others in the supply chain, the company says. Under the restructuring, Jessops main operating company is being sold to a newly formed company, Snap Equity Limited, which will be 47 per cent owned by HSBC. In exchange, HSBC will forgive £34m of debt owed by Jessops plc.

Ohanaware announced the immediate availability of their new HDR Photography software “HDRtist” for the Macintosh platform.  HDRtist is easy to use HDR software that creates HDR photos and tone maps them in a single step. An intuitive design makes it simple to choose from our 4 different tone mapping techniques.  To celebrate the launch of HDRtist, Ohanaware is offering 20% off its Mac OS X photo editing software “Funtastic Photos”. HDRtist is available today as freeware, requiring only a Power Macintosh G5 or Intel based Macintosh computer, running Mac OS X v 10.4 or later. The Funtastic Photos promotion is available from today, throughout the month of October 2009. 20% off reduces the price of a single user licence from $34.99 down to $27.99.

Acronis released today their first backup and recovery software optimised for netbooks’ screen size and unique hardware configuration. Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition delivers the patented disk-imaging technology and bare metal restore technologies of the Acronis True Image family combined with an option for online backup. From its intuitive graphical interface, users can back up their entire disk locally and to any attached device. One-Click Protection and powerful scheduler allows users to simply create and automate regular backups. Acronis® True Image Home Netbook Edition supports Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP Home and XP Professional operating systems and requires a minimum screen resolution of 1024x600. The new software supports netbooks that use Intel’s Atom 230, 330, N270, N280, Z500, Z510, Z520, Z530, and Z540 chips or the VIA C7-M chip. Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition, priced at £23.95, can be downloaded at the website below.

Website: Acronis True Image Home 2010 Netbook Edition

Topaz Labs have announced the release of Topaz ReMask, a fast and highly efficient Photoshop plug-in for masking and cutting out digital images. Masking and cutting out image elements are very common tasks among photographers and graphic designers, but the process is generally repetitive and slow, especially when it comes to intricate details like hair and fur. Topaz ReMask’s advanced technology operates by using a tri-map, or user-generated mask-map, made up of three tones: white, black and gray. Users are able to quickly define the elements in their image that they want to keep using white; elements they want to get rid of using black; and elements that they want ReMask to figure out using gray. Topaz ReMask is available for a 30-day free trial, with the full version being priced at $69.99.

Website: Topaz ReMask

Samsung Digital Imaging is launching a £2m multi-discipline advertising campaign this week, featuring a heavyweight TV campaign to support Samsung’s new 2View products. The campaign, comprising TV, print and online activity, will focus on the recently launched ST500 and ST550 cameras, which feature the world’s first front and back LCD screens. The dual LCD screens offer photography enthusiasts a unique opportunity to perfect their self-portraits and this feature will be central to the advertising campaign.

Ricoh has posted a firmware update for the Ricoh GR Digital III digital camera. Version 1.21 fixes a number of playback- and MF-related bugs, plus an issue with the GW-2 wide conversion lens. Click through / read on for the details.

Website: Ricoh GRD III Firmware 1.21

O’Reilly has just released Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows: The Missing Manual, a new book by Barbara Brundage From this book, you’ll learn not only what each tool does, but also when it makes the most sense to use it and why. You get easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for everything from importing photos to organising, editing, sharing, and storing your images. Photoshop Elements 8 for Windows: The Missing Manual is available for $44.99 / £32.99.

Minox GmbH has announced the “rebirth” of the classic Minox Pocket Tripod. Originally developed by Walter Zapp, inventor of the legendary Minox 8x11 miniature camera, this solid accessory is now available in a new edition. Featuring a uniquely designed ball-head, the Minox Pocket Tripod is not only designed for MINOX cameras, it is also compatible with the tripod thread of several cameras of other manufacturers. The Minox Pocket Tripod is available now from specialist dealers.

Fujifilm has released the Fujifilm FP-100B 4x5 black-and-white instant film in the USA. The availability of this particular instant film type provides a practical proofing and testing solution for large-format photographers to check light, depth and overall composition when shooting. The Fujifilm FP-100B 4x5 instant film is a positive, “peel-apart” panchromatic material designed for camera back-incorporated photographic equipment and cameras that accept instant film packs. It develops in 30 seconds and produces glossy finished photos with an image area of 3.5” x 4.5”. Available in 10 sheets per pack for $42.40, the Fujifilm FP-100B 4x5 can be purchased wherever Fujifilm professional films are sold.

Samsung has officially announced the Samsung SCH-W880, also called the Samsung AMOLED 12M - a 12-megapixel digital camera with 3x optical zoom and a phone inside. Alternatively, you could call it a 12-megapixel camera phone with optical zoom, but the SCH-W880 has real camera controls such as a mode dial and a zoom rocker encircling a shutter release button. The rear panel features a 3.3” AMOLED display that allegedly boasts a resolution of 800x480 pixels. Touch-sensitive autofocus, image stabilisation and 720p video capture round off the features list. The SCH-W880 has a generous 4GB of internal memory, expandable by up to 32GB via Micro SD cards. According to Engadget, the Samsung SCH-W880 is going to hit the [Korean] market in October, but there is no word on international availability or pricing.

Via Engadget

ACD Systems International Inc. today unveiled ACDSee Pro 3, a new version of their popular photo management software that introduces new image processing and publishing capabilities. The beta version of ACDSee Pro 3 has been available to interested photographers for awhile, but today marks the release of the full version. ACDSee Pro 3 provides photographers with the capability to manage digital assets to their own specifications using both folders and metadata. New additions allow users to distribute their creative work effortlessly through SMTP-enabled e-mail applications such as Gmail and Yahoo! Mail Plus. In view mode, images can be seen in full size at “unparalleled” speeds. Finally, ACDSee Pro 3’s new process mode integrates nondestructive image editing and precise pixel-level editing into one seamless application. ACDSee Pro 3 is available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase at $169.99 by visiting www.acdsee.com. Registered owners of ACDSee Pro, Pro 2 and Pro 2.5 are eligible to upgrade for less than $90. Purchasing a licence of ACDSee Pro 3 also gives you access to a 2GB account on the ACDSee Online Web site.

This Autumn, a series of state of the art exhibitions will take place around Europe to showcase stunning images taken by Daniel Beltrá, the winner of this year’s Prince’s Rainforests Project Award at the Sony World Photography Awards. The exhibitions entitled, ‘Focus on the Rainforests’, will take place in London (Kew Gardens), Paris (Hotel de Ville) and Berlin (Alexa Centre). Opening in October, these interactive photographic experiences form the closing chapter of Daniel’s trip. The London exhibition will take place from 3 October through 6 December.

Joby, the designer of the Gorillapod photo tripods, has announced the GorillaTORCH. It is an electric torch that casts a focused beam of intense light and allows you to illuminate any target, hands?free. The GorillaTORCH is mounted on Joby’s award?winning bendable and flexible legs comprised of medical?grade ABS plastic and German TPE rubber. Combined with its powerful magnetic feet, the GorillaTORCH will grip to virtually anything, the manufacturer claims. The GorillaTORCH weighs under 197 gram, is 20 centimeters tall, has a suggested retail price of £29.99 including VAT. The product will be available from Amazon from October.

General Imaging has announced two new digital cameras, the GE J1050 and the J1250 (pictured). Shared features include Pan-Capture Panorama; Auto Scene Detection; Blink, Smile and Face Detection; Image Stabilisation and in-camera Red-Eye Removal. Out of these, Pan-Capture Panorama is the most interesting, which allows the creation of seamless panoramic photographs without a need for stitching. Also, both cameras have a 35-175mm equivalent zoom lens and a 2.7”; 230,400-dot TFT LCD. They practically only differ in their pixel count and price: the GE J1050 is a ten-megapixel model costing $129, whereas the GE J1250 is a twelve-megapixel camera that sells for $149.

iSyndica’s latest feature, called “Promotion,” enables users to securely distribute their portfolio on social media and photo-sharing sites for free, thereby gaining visibility without jeopardizing the rights to their work. Initial supported sites include Flickr, Picasa, Facebook and Twitter. The feature will also be available to videographers for seven popular video destinations, including BlipTV, Viddler, and YouTube. Historically, image theft made professional photographers anxious about sharing their images on social media sites. And for good reason - the Stock Artists Alliance estimated in 2007 that such theft resulted in $65 million of lost revenue for the industry. iSyndica’s Promotion feature addresses these concerns in a safe and easy way: distributed photographs are automatically watermarked and resized, effectively preventing their misuse, the company says.

Giottos are now shipping the VH6011 two-way birding / video head. Described as a sturdy yet lightweight head, the VH6011 features smooth fluid pan & tilt movements and a counterbalance spring on the tilt function to improve the head performance.  To assist with balance, a sliding scope attachment thread and Arca-Swiss compatible sliding quick release plate allow up to 60mm of sliding forward movement. The MH658D quick release plate features a VHS locating pin and anti-twist blocks to help prevent scope movement whilst in use. Both pan & tilt movements can be locked independently of each other and the pan bar can be adjusted for left- or right-handed use. Manufactured from die cast aluminium, the VH6011 head weighs in at 0.57kg and has a maximum weight capacity of 4kg. The VH6011 is available now for approximately £80, and comes with a five-year warranty.

Welshot Photographic Academy is staging an all-day event at Chester Zoo on Sunday, October 25. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn how to take stunning mains flash portraiture photographs, get up-close and personal with macro and floral photography, how to get your best photographs published and more. Leading professional photographers John Arnold, Will Cheung FRPS, Chris Noble and Steward Ellett will lead a series of informal yet instructive practical modules. The cost including zoo admission, lunch and all refreshments, is £45 for Welshot Photographic Academy members and £55 for non-members. Places are limited and booking is essential. You can register online at the website below.

Website: Welshot Imaging

VSO Software has just released VSO Seam Carving, a freeware program offering the seam carving resizing method to shrink or enlarge an image while the important features stay unaffected. This smart “content aware” resizing technology optimizes the resizing of full pictures to a new resolution, by keeping the full content without distorting, stretching or removing part of the image. The program also allows users to remove an object or a person from a photo very easily and without any knowledge of Photoshop, the company claims. VSO Seam Carving will be also implemented in the forthcoming VSO Image Resizer 3.0. Click through / read on to learn where you can download the program.

Rollip.com is a new site where you can turn your digital photographs into Polaroid lookalikes. The site allows users to choose one of a number of effects, add text or decorations and upload their photos so that they can receive the “Polaroid” treatment. “It’s addictive,” says Lead Developer Maurice Sikkink. “Users who try it with one photo often end up processing their entire collection.” Rollip is a free service, and devoted users already have their own Flickr group.

Website: Rollip