The JVC Everio X is a small, light all-in-one camera that shoots both slow-motion HD video and high-speed stills. The JVC GZ-X900 can shoot 1920 x 1080 Full HD AVCHD video and 9 megapixel stills with no interpolation required. Up to six nine-megapixel stills can be shot at 15 images per second, faster than most DSLRs, and the JVC Everio X can also simultaneously record five-megapixel digital stills while recording full HD video at shutter speeds as fast as 1/4000th second. The JVC Everio GZ-X900 will be available in June for $999.95.

Pretec has unveiled the world’s first highest capacity and fastest SD card. The Pretec 32GB SDXC card is a next-generation SD card offering read/write speeds of up to 50MB/s. Pretec are demonstrating the new card at this week’s PMA show in Las Vegas. The capacity of Pretec’s SDXC cards will be increased to 64GB by the second half of this year.

Pretec has unveiled the fastest compact flash card in the world. Four times faster than a typical compact flash card, the Pretec 666X card offers 100MB/s transfer speeds, approaching the theoretical maximum speed of the compact flash specification (133MB/s). The Pretec 666X CF card will start sampling by April from capacities of 4GB to 64GB.

Nik Software’s Viveza plug-in is now compatible with Lightroom 2. Viveza is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images. The update is free to current owners of Viveza. Nik Software has also announced that all of its other photographic filter products are being updated to support Lightroom by the second quarter of 2009.

The Casio EX-Z29 is a new stylish and slim 10 megapixel compact camera. Offering a 3x optical zoom lens and 2.7-inch wide LCD display, the Casio EX Z29 also features 23 Best Shot Modes, face detection, Anti-Shake DSP and an Easy Mode for beginners. The Casio EX-Z29 will be available in April in black, pink, blue, silver and purple for $149.99.

The new Apple Mac Pro delivers up to twice the performance of the previous system. Available in quad-core or 8-core models, the Mac Pro uses Intel “Nehalem” Xeon processors, NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 graphics cards and up to 4TB of internal storage. The new Mac Pro will be available next week, priced at £1,899 for the quad-core Mac Pro and £2,499 for the 8-core Mac Pro.

Apple has updated its iMac and Mac mini desktop lines with faster processors and twice the memory. The entire iMac line comes with faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors up to 3.06 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics, double the memory and up to one terabyte of storage. Apple also announced that its AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi Base Station and Time Capsule now feature simultaneous 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz dual-band networking. The new iMac and Mac mini lines are available now.

The Sony Cyber-shot HX1 is a new super-zoom compact camera featuring a 9.1 megapixel ‘Exmor’ CMOS sensor. Offering a 20x optical zoom range (28-480mm), the Sony HX1’s G lens was originally developed for the Sony Alpha DSLR family. The Sony HX1 can also shoot 1080/30p HD movies, provides continuous shooting up to 10 frames per second, has a 3.0” tilt-angle LCD screen, and offers a new ‘Sweep Panorama’ mode which captures extra-wide landscapes. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 digital compact camera will be available from the beginning of May 2009.

The Pentax X70 is a new super-zoom compact camera with a 24x optical lens (26-624mm). Coupled with the Intelligent Zoom function, the X70’s range can be extended to approximately 150 times (for an approximate focal length of 3900mm!). The X70 incorporates a 12 megapixel sensor, image-sensor-shift shake reduction system, continuous shooting up to 11 frames per second (at 5 megapixels), 1280x720 pixel HD movies, 2.7-inch LCD monitor,and Aperture-Priority AE, Shutter-Priority AE and Metered Manual modes. The Pentax X70 will cost £369.99.

The smc PENTAX-DA15mm F4 ED AL Limited is a new ultra-wide angle lens. When mounted on a Pentax DSLR, the Pentax DA 15mm F4 lens offers the equivalent to a 23mm angle of view in the 35mm format. The smc PENTAX-DA15mm F4 ED AL Limited will be available in April for £569.99 / $649.95.

The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM is a new super-wide angle lens offering a maximum aperture of F3.5 throughout the entire zoom range. Two ELD (Extraordinary Low Dispersion) glass elements and a SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass element provide excellent correction of color aberration. Four aspherical lenses provide correction for distortion and allow compact and lightweight construction. The incorporation of HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focusing capability. The Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts.

The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM is a new standard zoom lens for DSLRs with APS-C / DX size sensors. It incorporates Sigma’s Optical Stabilisation system which works with the anti-shake function of Sony and Pentax DSLRs. The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM offers a large aperture of F2.8 at 18mm wide angle, faster than most standard kit lenses, and the HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor) ensures quiet and high speed auto-focusing. The Sigma 18-50mm F2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM lens will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts.

The Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM is a new high-performance telephoto zoom lens. It incorporates Sigma’s Optical Stabilisation system which allows the use of shutter speeds approximately 4 stops slower than normal. The lens is also compatible with the anti-shake function of Sony and Pentax DSLRs. The Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM will be available in Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony mounts.

The Kodak EasyShare Z915 is a new compact digital camera with an image-stabilized 10x zoom lens. The Z915’s Smart Capture feature automatically detects the scene being shot and adjusts the camera settings to capture the best image. A 2.5 inch LCD display and use of AA batteries completes the headline specs. The Kodak Z915 will be available in red, blue, black and gray in April for $199.95 in the US, and £179.99 from May in the UK.

The Sony DPP-FP97 and DPP-FP67 are two new compact photo printers. Both models produce 4 x 6-inch photo prints - the DPP-FP97 in about 45 seconds, and the DPP-FP67 in about 63 seconds. The Sony DPP-FP97 comes with frame, scrapbooking and calendar templates, an auto touch-up feature, 3.5-inch LCD screen, HDMI-out port, plus a software keyboard for quick type messages and personalized greeting cards. In May, the DPP-FP97 digital photo printer will be available for about $200, and the DPP-FP67 model for about $120.

The final versions of Lightroom 2.3 and Camera Raw 5.3 are now available. Adobe Lightroom 2.3 and Camera Raw 5.3 provide raw file support for the Nikon D3X and Olympus E-30 cameras, and Lightroom 2.3 addresses several issues including a solution to a memory leak. Adobe Lightroom 2.3 and Camera Raw 5.3 are both available now as free updates for eligible customers.

Leica have released a new firmware update, 2.004, for the M8 and M8.2 cameras. It adds support for new lenses and also a discrete mode / delayed shutter-cocking action to the M8 model.

Website: Leica M8 Firmware Update 2.004

Apple have just released the Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.5 for Mac OS X 10.4.11 or Mac OS X 10.5.3 or later. This update extends RAW file compatibility for Aperture 2, iPhoto ‘08, and iPhoto ‘09 for the Nikon D3X and Epson R-D1x cameras. It also addresses issues related to specific cameras and overall stability.

Website: Apple Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.5

The second annual Photography.Book.Now competition is now open for entries. The contest celebrates self-published photography books and the photographers behind them, with a grand prize of $25,000 on offer. Entries will be accepted in three categories – Fine Art, Editorial, and Commercial. “Photography.Book.Now offers photographers of all backgrounds a wonderful opportunity to showcase compelling work in book form. The three categories celebrate the photography book as an experience that is more than just the sum of its parts.” commented Darius Himes, lead judge. The closing date is 16:00pm BST on the 16th July, 2009.

The Magnum Expression Photography Award is a new international competition which aims to emphasise the value of storytelling through the use of imagery. The theme of this year’s Expression Photography Award is “communities”. From March 16th to September 30th 2009, participants will be able to submit eight to 15 images, a biography and statement about their project via Magnum’s website. The winner of the Magnum Expression Photography Award will receive an HP Designjet Z3200 Photo Printer and supplies and a $10,000 grant. The 19 finalists and overall winner will be announced later in the year.