Several sources have confirmed that Apple now offers an antiglare option for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. Such an option has already been available for the 17-inch MacBook Pro for some time, but the 15-inch variant has hitherto been offered with a high-gloss screen only. Given that glossy monitors, while trendy, are impractical to use anywhere but a darkened room; this is definitely good news for MacBook Pro users. Moreover, matte screens are allegedly better at displaying colours accurately, which is an important point for photographers. The antiglare option for the 15-inch MacBook Pro is available as a $50 / €45 upgrade from Apple.

Via photoscala | cnet | AppleInsider

Aerial photographers and videographers will be excited to see the newest product from Draganfly Innovations Inc. - the Draganflyer X4 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, a computer-stabilised, miniature airborne platform with a wireless video downlink and remote flight control. The four-rotor, 680 gram electric helicopter is a flying platform capable of vertical take-off and landing, and is classified as an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The Draganflyer X4 UAV helicopter carries a camera which captures high resolution aerial photographs and high definition video. This onboard camera features remote controlled zoom, tilt, and shutter. The viewfinder signal from the camera is transmitted wirelessly from the helicopter and received by an embedded video receiver in the handheld controller. This video can also be displayed on video glasses allowing the user to see what the helicopter sees. Availability is slated for Fall 2009.

If you’ve been craving a Panasonic GH1 ever since it came out, now’s your chance to win one by joining Panasonic’s LivingInHD community and uploading your favourite summer photos or videos that meet the weekly theme of their End of Summer Celebration. Entrants can also include a caption that provides viewers with helpful information about the content’s subject. The photos and videos uploaded to the site will spark ideas for summer weddings, roadtrips, vacations and foods, while giving members the chance to win their choice of either the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 digital camera (valued at $1,499.95) or a 50-inch VIERA G10 Series Plasma TV (valued at $1799.95). The End of Summer Celebration Giveaway contest runs through 6 September 2009.

Website: LivingInHD
Review: Read our in-depth review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

Lowepro has introduced the latest addition to its Classified Series, the Classified Sling.  Designed to quickly rotate from back to front allowing you to work out of the roomy and deep side-entry compartment, the Classified Sling is ideal to travel with and part of the discreet Classified range of protective camera bags, the company says. There are two sizes to choose from, the 180 AW and the 220 AW. The 180 AW offers a stabiliser strap with a sliding buckle to provide extra stability when on the move. It also features a pocket that fits a 7-9” netbook, while the 220 AW includes a tuck-away waistbelt to offer extra comfort and evenly distribute weight, plus a zippered padded pocket that fits up to a 15.4” widescreen laptop. Available in black the Classified Sling can be purchased from all good stockists priced from around £100.

Verbatim announced today its new TUFF-’N’-TINY family of ultra-portable USB drives with capacities of 4GB in emerald green and 8GB in royal purple (pictured). The new TUFF-’N’-TINY drives measure about 1-inch long, one-half inch wide and are the thickness of a penny. With support for Windows (2000, XP, Vista), Mac OS (9.x or higher) and Linux (kernel 2.6x or higher) systems, the TUFF-’N’-TINY USB Drives also provide true cross-platform compatibility and a convenient way to transfer files between systems. Verbatim’s new travel-tough USB drives include a key ring lanyard that can be clipped on a key ring, PDA or cell phone to ensure that the user’s data is always conveniently at hand. The new drives are available with retail prices starting at $30 for the 4GB variant and $50 for the 8GB version.

Epson America Inc. is offering a $40 instant rebate on two of its new all-in-one devices. Those buying an Epson Stylus NX415 or an Epson Stylus NX515 printer/scanner/copier until the end of this month will get the rebate right at the point of sale. The Epson Stylus NX415 and NX515 were announced in May and are currently available through major computer, office and electronic superstores, a variety of retail stores, mail order, PC manufacturers, the Internet, and Epson’s own retail site, www.epsonstore.com.

Imatronics have launched version 3.0 of Panorama Express, designed to make it easy for anyone to create, manage and publish spectacular virtual tour packages. Users can simply open their photos (standard or panoramic) and Panorama Express automatically creates a professional virtual tour complete with transition effects, attractive skin packaging, engaging startup screens and more. A free trial version can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Panorama Express

Tiny Prints have teamed up with the photo book expert, MyCanvas.com, to launch a premium photo books service. With the premium photo books from Tiny Prints and MyCanvas, consumers can now take their favourite snapshots and create charming, one-of-a-kind photo books using fresh and modern design templates exclusively from Tiny Prints artists, while also adding a variety of borders, embellishments and more. For more information, visit the website below.

Website: Tiny Prints

Sony Corporation today announced that it has launched a new type of lithium ion secondary battery that combines high-power and long-life performance. By combining a new olivine type lithium ion phosphate acting as the cathode material with Sony’s proprietary particle design technology that minimises electrical resistance to deliver high power output, and also leveraging the cell structure design technology Sony accrued developing its current “Fortelion series” lithium ion secondary battery line-up, Sony has realized a high power density of 1800W/kg and extended life span of approximately 2,000 charge-discharge cycles. Moreover, the new batteries can be charged to 99% of their capacity in half an hour. The new Sony batteries come in a capacity of 1,100mAh and have a nominal voltage of 3.2V.

Athentech Imaging Inc. has announced an iPhone / iPod application featuring the company’s Perfectly Clear image correction technology, which has been used successfully in retail photo kiosks, minilabs and online photo sites. Athentech Imaging’s “one click” Perfectly Clear iPhone application assures that the millions of photos being taken by iPhone and iPod users can be simply optimized for exposure, colour accuracy, sharpness and “depth” with a single touch, the company said. Perfectly Clear iPhone is available as an online download via the Apple iTunes App Store for $2.99.

Dive Photo Guide has announced a series of online underwater photo contests, organised monthly. This contest is geared to promote friendly competition, to push photographers’ skills and to give photographers specific themes or subjects to shoot on their next dive. The monthly contest is free to enter and Dive Photo Guide will be giving away valuable prizes each month and a grand prize at the end of each year. Head to the website below for the details.

Website: Dive Photo Guide’s Monthly Underwater Photography Contest Series

Wi-Pics Mobile is a new product billed as an advanced solution designed for the professional photographer that provides the ability to data associate and wirelessly transmit their images at point of capture. Wi-Pics Mobile features a small, light and compact design that mounts under the camera with a custom designed bracket that allows easy movement and does not impede the photographer or camera performance. Alternatively, you can purchase it with a quick-draw hip-mount. Click through / read on for the details.

The new Mamiya M18, Mamiya M22 and Mamiya M31 digital backs, which were announced two months ago, are now available in the United Kingdom. The M series digital backs have all been designed for compatibility with the Mamiya 645AFDIII medium-format SLR body, as well as the soon-to-be-released 645DF, which was recently show-cased at the 2009 Tokyo Photo Expo. Through use of the specifically designed digital back adapter HX701, the backs can also be attached to the Mamiya RZ Pro IID. The M18 has a resolution of 18 megapixels and a CCD size of 44.2 x 33.1mm. The M22 has a resolution of 22.1 megapixels and a CCD size of 48.9 x 36.7mm while the M31 has a resolution of 31.6 megapixels and a CCD size of 44.2 x 33.1mm. Each digital back can be purchased separately or in a system kit with the Mamiya 645AFDIII camera and Sekor 80mm F2.8 D lens (see picture). Mamiya Digital products are exclusively distributed in the UK by Johnsons Photopia.

The lucky winner of our fantastic July 2009 Newsletter contest has been randomly selected from the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter subscriber list.

Kathryn McGrath wins a Billingham Large Hadley shoulder bag in Khaki/Tan finish, worth £125.99, kindly provided by Billingham.

The winners of the July 2009 Photography Blog Competition have been selected by a panel of judges. The theme for July was “Heat” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
The Sparks are Flying by Jackie

Prize: ColorMunki Photo
Kindly donated by X-Rite
http://www.colormunki.com

Following the success of their six previous Teaching Seminars, the Imaging Science Group of the Royal Photographic Society is organising another of its 1 day tutorial seminars this year on Saturday 12th December 2009. Entitled “Good Picture - 2009: Making Imaging Work” and taking place at the University of Westminster, the symposium is open to all. The £60 admission fee includes buffet lunch plus morning and afternoon coffee & biscuits. Click through / read on for the full programme.

JP Distribution has announced the launch of the new Lastolite School of Photography website. The aim of the Lastolite School of Photography is to provide free of charge video and written tutorials for photographers on a monthly basis, building an ‘industry leading’ library of tutorials. The new site has launched with six, twenty minute video tutorials featuring five of Lastolite’s new products. There are also 10 ‘back to basics’ PDF tutorials available.

Website: Lastolite School of Photography

Datacolor, a global leader in digital colour management technology, has brightened the lives of underprivileged children in Chile with the production and sale of the photography book, “Colors of My Life.” This is an 80-page hardcover photography book, which began as a simple photography contest sponsored by Datacolor’s European office.  As part of the contest, consumers submitted two photographs that incorporated colors they felt best depicted their lives or personalities.  The final images—60 images total—worked so well as a single body of work that Datacolor decided to create a portfolio in the form of a book. “Colors of My Life” can be purchased through Blurb at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/750811 for $22.82.

FotoMuse for iPhone is an application that promises to transform snapshots into “artistic renderings” in just a few simple steps. The FotoMuse app enables users to import any photo from their iPhone album and “transform it into a work of art” in under 20 seconds. “People can crop, resize, and mix images with artifacts from old photos, vintage-edged film, and other media,” said Kris Gebhardt, developer. “After adding contrast, selecting a border, and choosing a layer, it’s easy to save the image – without actually changing the original photo.”

Website: Kris Gebhardt

JP Distribution has announced the UK launch and pricing of the new MiniTT1 & FlexTT5 ControlTL System from PocketWizard. Since the first introduction of PocketWizard, professional photographers have demanded a TTL flash controlled PocketWizard system. PocketWizard has made it possible with “Slide-n-Shoot” simplicity by utilizing their new ControlTL system featuring the MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver dedicated for Canon camera/flash systems. The MiniTT1 has a recommended retail price of £209.99, whilst the FlexTT5 costs £229.99. These prices include value added tax.