FaceTime from FotoNation is a new technology that makes it easier to take a self-portrait when using digital camera or camera phones. FotoNation FaceTime is a new type of shutter trigger technology that is invoked when the photographer’s face is detected in a scene. The camera waits to fire the shutter until it recognizes face of the photographer. “Sooner or later, every photographer wants to be part of a photo they are composing; and until now, it has always been a cumbersome effort. We believe that FaceTime is the first new technology that brings a pragmatic solution to self-portraits,” said Eran Steinberg, CEO of FotoNation, Inc.

Printroom has released new plug-ins for Apple Aperture and Apple iPhoto that enable photographers to upload images into their Printroom online storefronts. The next generation of Printroom’s own complete photo management application, Printroom Studio Manager (PSM) 3.1, has also been unveiled at MacWorld. “Now Mac users can choose the studio workflow that best fits their needs, whether it is with Aperture, iPhoto or PSM, and quickly publish online galleries that meet the expectations of the most demanding clientele. As soon as the shoot is over, no matter where they are, the pro can quickly update their dynamic Flash home page and post galleries. said Printroom vice president of marketing Andrew Baum. All three software tools are free to Printroom customers.

PicMarkr is a new web application lets users add custom watermarks to their photos for free. You can either upload images from your computer or grab them from a Flickr account. Users can then download the watermarked images or upload them to their Flickr account. There is also an optional feature for resizing images to some of the most popular sizes by width. You can try out the watermarking service for free at http://picmarkr.com .

The G-DRIVE mini Triple 500 is the world’s first 500GB portable hard drive. With a FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interface, the G-DRIVE mini Triple 500 is bus-powered and doesn’t require an AC adaptor. It fits into a computer, camera or camcorder bag and can store 200,000 5 megapixel JPEG photos. Available in March 2008, the G-DRIVE mini Triple 500 comes complete with cables, a protective leather carrying case and 3 year warranty. Price is to be confirmed.

PicWash is a new photo-enhancement web service that delivers professional retouching to the masses. From as little as $7 per photo, you and your pictures will look better than ever, with photos returned in 48 hours via e-mail. The first product, PicWash, is $7 and focuses on the most requested touch ups. The second product, PicWash with Note, is $10 and gives the user more control over the touch-up.

Ovolab Geophoto 2 is an all-in-one application for easily organizing and browsing photos by location on your Mac. You can pan, zoom and fly through the photos via a three-dimensional representation of the Earth. Ovolab Geophoto 2 now supports importing track data from GPS devices, including GPS-equipped cameras. Ovolab Geophoto 2.0 will be released in the second half of February 2007 as an electronic download, and will cost $19.95.

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Olympus Stylus 830, a weatherproof digital camera offers a 5x optical zoom lens (36-180mm) and 8 megapixel resolution.

“When it comes to picture quality, the results are surprising, but not in a good way. As I’ve mentioned, the 830 is an update of the 780, so you’d expect that it would have accordingly superior image quality. However in every respect except that of image size the performance of the two cameras is all but identical, in fact I found more corner blurring in the images from the 830. The level of detail, degree of barrel distortion, and centre sharpness are virtually identical, and it even suffers from the same mid-tone image noise at all ISO settings from 200 upward.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Olympus mju 830 Review

The new G-RAID mini is the world’s first 1TB portable hard drive. G-RAID mini features a triple FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 interface for universal connectivity. “The G-RAID mini is a perfect addition to our family, as it supports our strong following of creative professionals who need reliable, high capacity, high-performance storage.” said Roger Mabon, vice president of sales and marketing for Fabrik’s G-Technology product group. Available in March 2008, the G-RAID mini has a standard 3-Year factory warranty, price to be announced.

Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 is now available for £59, a £20 saving off the full retail price. Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2 provides users with the widest selection of photo editing features ranging from automatic tools for quick fixes to precision controls for fine-tuning. This special one week only offer expires at Midnight on January 22nd.

Website: Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2

Matsushita Electric is changing its name to ‘Panasonic Corporation’ from October 1st, 2008. All worldwide corporate brands will also be unified to the Panasonic brand. The timing to change the company name and unify its global brand coincides with its 90th anniversary this year. The company name change and brand unification aims to make the Panasonic Corporation a truly global organisation.

Panasonic is spending 94 billion yen to expand its semiconductor production facility at the Tonami plant in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The plant will produce image sensors for various digital appliances starting in September 2008. After commencing production in August 2009, Panasonic plans to gradually increase its production capacity up to 30,000 wafers per month. The new plant will strengthen Panasonic’s image sensor business in digital cameras, in-vehicle devices, camcorders, broadcasting and medical equipment.

Mamiya have released an IR Photo filter for the Mamiya ZD Digital back. The IR Photo Filter YD401 is a clear filter that allows the transmission of infrared light as well as visible light rays. “Unlike specialized IR cameras or modified systems the Mamiya ZD Digital Back can be transformed from standard digital to IR digital, simply by changing the user-replaceable sensor filters.” said Jeff Karp, Mamiya Product Marketing Manager. The Mamiya IR Photo Filter is available in mid-January 2008, price to be announced.

Two new Mamiya Lens Mount Adapters allow the use of Hasselblad V-series medium format lenses on Mamiya 645AF series cameras. “The adapters provide the mechanical interface and precise flange-to-film plane distance required for proper focusing of Hasselblad lenses,” said Jeff Karp, Mamiya Product Marketing Manager, “allowing the photographer to use their existing Hasselblad V series lenses on the high-precision Mamiya 645AFD II. The adapters come in black (#404) or silver (#405) and will be available in January 2008.

The Mamiya Sekor Macro MF 120mm F4 Lens has been upgraded with th addition of a 16-bit CPU for enhanced digital communication. “The Mamiya 120mm f/4 macro lens is one of the sharpest lenses available today,” said Jeff Karp, Mamiya Product Marketing Manager, “and it has already been critically corrected for digital imaging. But it needed an upgrade to be fully compatible with the latest cameras, software and digital backs.” The Mamiya Sekor Macro MF 120mm f/4 D Lens is compatible with the Mamiya 645AFD ll camera and is available now.

DroboShare is a companion product for Drobo, the world’s first storage robot, that enables users to easily share files over a Local Area Network (LAN). With DroboShare, users can now access the information stored on the award-winning Drobo from any client on the network, including Windows, Apple or Linux computers. In the USA Drobo retails for $499 and DroboShare for $199.

A photo of an anti-Bush demonstration has won first prize in Woophy’s 3rd international photo contest. The winning photograph by Gabriel Rojas from Bogotá, Colombia, was chosen from more than 3,000 entries. The jury praised the picture by Rojas for its powerful contrast between the police vehicle on the foreground and the vulnerable demonstrator in the back. The winner received an Olympus E-410 SLR camera.

The new JOBO Energy PREMIO battery has been developed specifically for use with digital SLRs, compact digital cameras and camcorders. They provide a constant capacity across many charging cycles (300 to 500 depending on usage). Jobo PREMIO batteries do not have a memory effect, are high current capable and quick charge capable. JOBO is also showing its range of mobile image storage devices and digital picture frames at PMA 2008.

TrustedReviews have just tested the Olympus FE-290, a 7.1 megapixel camera with a 4x wide optical zoom (28-112mm).

“So the FE-290 has virtually no features apart from its zoom range and monitor, overall performance that is merely average, and it costs £30 too much, but much of that could be forgiven if only it had really nice image quality. Sadly however, it does not. In fact the image quality is the weakest point of an already weak camera.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Olympus FE-290 Review

Imaging Resource have reviewed the Panasonic DMC-LZ7 camera, which offers a 6x zoom lens, 7.2 megapixels, Optical Image Stabilizer and Intelligent ISO Control.

“Ultimately, the Lumix DMC-LZ7 is a good snapshot camera. It has an impressive array of features, and a definite bent toward improving family photography, but high image noise will limit print size. That said, if you plan on making small prints (8x10 inches or less on average) or simply posting photos on the Web, the DMC-LZ7 offers a lot for its small price. Its 6x optical zoom provides greater flexibility, and options like image stabilization and high ISO help you in difficult lighting.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Panasonic DMC-LZ7 Review

The HP Photosmart Pro B8850 is a new photo printer aimed at advanced amateur photographers. The HP B8850 is seamlessly integrated with Adobe Photoshop CS3, features an Electrostatic Drop Detection printhead management system that efficiently self-monitors and self-cleans the printer, and automatically adjusts print settings to maintain color consistency. It also offers truly neutral black-and-white printing with individual HP Vivera pigment inks. The HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Photo Printer is expected to be available for purchase in North America in April for $549.