G-Technology has announced four new products in its Evolution Series of docking stations, interchangeable external hard drives and accessories. The G-SPEED Studio XL with two ev Series Bay Adapters is a flexible, eight-bay Thunderbolt 2 storage solution, which comes with six enterprise-class hard drives and two integrated ev Series Bay Adapters. Configurable in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, & 10, it supports multi-stream compressed 4K workflows with extremely large volumes of data at transfer rates of up to 1,200MB/s. Manufacturer’s suggested retail pricing for 18TB is £1,867, 24TB is £2,000, 36TB is £2,667 and 48TB is £3,333. The ev Series Reader RED MINI-MAG Edition (£133, pictured) leverages high-performance connectivity for fast RED footage transfers and backup. Users can transfer content quickly from a RED MINI-MAG media card onto any G-DOCK ev docking station or G-SPEED Studio XL with ev Series Bay Adapters. The G-DOCK ev Solo (£67) is a convenient and flexible USB 3.0 docking solution for shared environments. Last but not least the ev Series FireWire Adapter (£33) easily attaches to your ev Series drive, enabling you to connect to an existing FireWire 800 port on your computer. The first three products will become available in October, and the ev Series FireWire Adapter can be purchased today.

Lenovo has launched  the 5.0” Lenovo VIBE S1, a unique smartphone with two front cameras. The 8MP primary front camera takes the sharpest photos and a 2MP secondary front camera analyzes depth of field information to replicate human binocular vision. After taking a selfie with both cameras, there are various options to modify the selfie by selecting from a number of built-in photo editing tools. ‘Blur’ allows refocusing anywhere within the frame (up to 3 focal planes). With ‘Cut Out’, people can be cropped out of a selfie and then placed on any other image (from a wide selection preloaded on the VIBE S1 or downloaded from the Internet), and even on a photo taken with the 13-megapixel rear camera of the smartphone. The VIBE S1 will be available starting in November in countries where Lenovo smartphones are sold. Pricing starts at $299.

JK Imaging Europe has unveiled the new Kodak PixPro SP360-4K Camera, billed as the world first and most complete 4K recording device to capture 360° immersive videos and still images without the need for multiple cameras. The new, 4K capable version of the PixPro SP360 camera captures 360-degree field of view in multiple directions via its dome shaped lens design and can be panned not only 360-degrees horizontally, but also up and down with a host of different vantage points and views for playback post capture. Newly added features include time-lapse video, 12-megapixel stills capture and a burst mode. Like its predecessor, the new Kodak PixPro SP360-4K comes with a wide range of attachments (over 12) from waterproof housing (up to 60m) to flat adhesive suction mount and remote control. Availability is slated for October 2015.

Canon has launched its hdbook service at a range of retailers across the UK and Ireland. Professionally printed and bound on a state-of-the-art Canon DreamLabo 5000 printer, Canon hdbooks are offered at a range of customisable sizes. The free hdbook software lets you easily design a photo book in minutes. Simply download the software to your PC or Mac from one of the hdbook retailers’ websites, lay out your photos and text, and send it to print. Canon is offering 25% off the first 100 books ordered via each of the retailers.

Canon U.S.A. today announced two new long-zoom 2/3-inch 4K field lenses for 4K UHD broadcast camera systems. The UJ86x9.3B (UHD-DIGISUPER 86) is the flagship Premium 4K field lens and is flanked by the UJ90x9B (UHD-DIGISUPER 90) standard 4K field lens. The zoom ratios of 90x and 86x of these two lenses make them the longest and second-longest 4K broadcast lenses in the world. The UHD-DIGISUPER 86 (pictured) offers a focal range extending from the wide-angle 9.3mm setting out to the telephoto 800mm extremity (18.6-1600mm with the 2x extender). The UHD-DIGISUPER 90 has a wide-angle setting of 9mm and a telephoto extremity of 810mm (18-1620mm with the 2x extender). The UHD-DIGISUPER 86 and 90 lenses will be shipping in October 2015 and March 2016, respectively.

Canon today announced that it is developing a Cinema EOS System 8K camera and professional-use 8K reference display, along with a 120-megapixel still-image SLR camera. The Cinema EOS System 8K camera being developed will be equipped with a Canon Super 35 mm-equivalent CMOS sensor that makes possible high-resolution 8,192 x 4,320 pixel video performance even at a frame rate of 60fps with 13 stops of dynamic range. The 8K reference display currently under development will achieve high brightness, high contrast and a wide gamut, as well as a pixel density exceeding 300ppi.

Hasselblad has released Version 2.9 of its Phocus software. This update adds support for custom colour calibrations without any need for the use of third-party calibration software, and adds a new slider to the Scene Calibration tool.

Transcend Information have announced a high-end UHS-II U3 compliant memory card. By utilising the new UHS-II bus standard featuring a UHS Speed Class rating of 3, Transcend's new SDHC/SDXC UHS-II U3 card boasts a maximum read speed of up to 285MB/s and with write speeds of up to 180MB/s. Outfitted with top-tier MLC NAND flash chips, the card provides enhanced durability, and comes in 32GB and 64GB versions. Transcend SDHC/SDXC UHS-II U3 memory cards are backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

Canon is developing an APS-H-size CMOS sensor incorporating approximately 250 million pixels. With CMOS imagers, increases in pixel counts result in increased signal volume, which can cause such problems as signal delays and slight discrepancies in timing. The new Canon-developed CMOS sensor, however, despite its exceptionally high pixel count, achieves an ultra-high signal readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second, made possible through such advancements as circuit miniaturisation and enhanced signal-processing technology. Accordingly, the sensor enables ultra-high-resolution sequential shooting at a speed of five frames per second. Canon is considering the application of this technology in specialised surveillance and crime prevention tools, ultra-high-resolution measuring instruments and other industrial equipment, and the field of "visual expression."

WD has introduced the My Book Pro storage device featuring transfer rates of up to 435 MB/s. With capacity options including 6 TB, 8 TB, 10 TB and 12 TB, two 7200 RPM WD drives with Intel's Thunderbolt 2 technology and a hot-swappable hardware RAID controller, the My Book Pro carries an MSRP of $599 (6TB), $749 (8TB), $899 (10TB) and $999 (12TB).

Panasonic has launched its Lumix Ambassador programme. The first six ambassadors are Jonas Borg, Marco Crupi, Casey Gutteridge, Caroline Roxy, Ferdinand Wolf and Daimo Xanthopoulos. These photographers and cinematographers will host workshops across Europe and have their work, captured on Lumix cameras, displayed at the Panasonic Lumix Ambassador website.

JP Distribution have announced a £20/€25 cashback promotion on the ever-popular Sekonic L-308S Flashmate meter. The pocket-sized Sekonic L-308S Flashmate is designed to read ambient or flash exposures in either reflected or incident modes and it displays accurate exposure readings in full, half, or third-stop increments to mirror the exposure settings of today's DSLR and film cameras. Do note that the promotion is only available from authorised UK and Ireland resellers for purchases made between 1st September and 31st October 2015.

Toshiba has just launched a new SDHC card that combines Class 10 memory with TransferJet close proximity wireless transfer technology. The new 16GB SDHCTM card will enable users of digital still cameras or camcorders to quickly transfer photos and videos to mobile devices such as tablets, notebooks and smartphones equipped with TransferJet adapters. The new SDHC card joins Toshiba’s line-up of TransferJet adapters for USB and microUSB ports as well as Lightning ports for iPhone and iPad. Toshiba will be exhibiting its entire range of TransferJet devices at IFA 2015 in Berlin in Hall 12, Booth 106.

Toshiba has extended its range of EXCERIA memory cards. The new additions include a Compact Flash card, new SD and MicroSD cards, all of which combine large capacity and high read and write speeds. The EXCERIA PROC501 CF card features capacities of up to 128GB and a UDMA 7 interface that supports data transfer speeds up to 167MB/s and is rated to the VPG 65 standard, making it suitable for 4K video recording. Featuring capacities up to 128GB and read speeds of up to 48MB/s, the new mainstream EXCERIA MicroSD M301 product family comprises 3 cards for use in mobile phones (M301-EA), digital cameras (M301-EB) and notebooks and tablets (M301-EC). All cards meet UHS speed class 1 ratings and are fully compatible with standard MicroSD card readers. The series also features an adapter to make it compatible with UHS-I SD slots.  All members of the M301 family are shock, water, temperature and X-ray proof.

Toshiba today launched the Satellite Radius 12, the World’s first 12.5” 4K Ultra HD convertible laptop featuring a Technicolor-certified display aimed at imaging professionals. Designed with color accuracy in mind, the wide-gamut RGB display supports 100% Adobe RGB colour space reproduction, making it an ideal choice for mobile content creators. Lab tested and certified by the colour experts at Technicolor, this laptop’s display also meets the same strict standards for colour fidelity used in Hollywood movies. Powered by 6th-generation Intel Core processors, the Toshiba Satellite Radius 12 will be available in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Epson have announced a new, Wi-FI enabled A3+ professional photo printer. Combining a seven-colour UltraChrome HiGloss 2 ink-set and advanced connectivity features in one affordable package, the Epson SC-P400 boasts the smallest ink droplet size of any A3+ photo printer on the market today. For users who desire prints with a museum-quality appearance, the SC-P400 includes a fine art paper path that is extremely easy to use as it has a rear-loading tray. Printing on roll media is optimised with two roll paper holders that allow accurate printing on two-inch core media. If users require thicker photos, rigid media of up to 1.3mm are also supported. The SC-P400 will be available to buy from 1st November 2015.

Eyefi today added a 16GB model to their Mobi Pro product line. Billed as the most powerful WiFi SD card ever, the Eyefi Mobi Pro combines advanced wireless transfer features with photo apps and integrated cloud services. "By offering a 16GB version of our award-winning Mobi Pro WiFi SD card with one year of Eyefi Cloud membership, we’re enabling more photographers to benefit from the convenience and power of EyeFi Cloud,” said Laura Torres, VP of product marketing at Eyefi. “Eyefi goes to work the moment an image is captured, automatically creating a consolidated and intelligently organised photo library synced with all devices, securing photos in the cloud, and even archiving them to desktop computers. It’s like having a photo assistant with you on every shot.” Mobi Pro 16GB is available for £49.99 and comes with one full year of membership to Eyefi Cloud with unlimited syncing and storage - a £34.99 value.

Ricoh today announced the Ricoh Theta S, the newest model in their Theta series of spherical cameras. Unveiled today in Berlin at IFA, the camera features a resolution of nearly 14 megapixels, fully spherical photos and videos captured in one shot, a live preview function and even greater compatibility with social media platforms. It also comes with an enlarged image sensor and fast f/2 lenses. Spherical images can be uploaded to theta360.com, shared via Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, and posted to Google Maps, Google+ and YouTube's360°Channel. Coinciding with the launch of the camera, Google Maps today introduced a new Google Street View app that offers the ability to shoot photo spheres and to connect to spherical cameras. The recommended retail price of the Ricoh Theta S is £299.99.

Manfrotto have launched a new range of sliders for videographers. Available in a 60cm and 100cm version, the sliders ensure an extremely smooth and accurate sliding movement thanks to their 8 high precision steel ball bearings. They will be available in combination with photo and flat base video heads: multiple standard attachments will allow users to combine the sliders with a variety of accessories and products. Prices start at £359.95.