Colour Confidence today announced the UK launch of Cube, by Palette. Designed to remove the guesswork from colour matching, Cube is an incredibly accurate colour capture device that makes it easy to record raw colour data with a simple tap. Using an internal spherical light source, Cube picks up the desired hue in a controlled sequence and records the raw colour values for future reference. The Cube Link application enables users to seamlessly import real-world colour directly into Adobe Photoshop and match to multiple colour libraries, including Pantone. Cube can output colours in RGB, CMYK, HEX, Lab, and LRV colour spaces. The device is priced at £149.95. Cube Link is a free download available for Windows, with the Mac edition coming soon.

A group of researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have proposed a camera that can take a perfect picture, even in extremely contrasty lighting conditions. Called a “modulo camera,” this device designed to never overexpose any part of a photograph, enabling single-capture HDR imaging. Where "traditional" HDR-capable cameras use multiple normal images to create one final high-dynamic-range photograph, the modulo camera only requires one shot to create an HDR image. The new solution gets around the limited well capacity of conventional sensors by resetting the sensor capacitors whenever the "well" gets full, and uses an inverse modulo algorithm to calculate how much light the reset sensors took in. This algorithm recovers a much larger dynamic range. For example, if a certain camera sensor can record eight bits of information, then when those eight bits are filled, the capacitor will be reset to zero. The number of resets is recovered by the algorithm, which then calculates the relative brightness of each area of the photo. Interested readers are encouraged to visit the project's website and read the technical paper published by the researchers.

UK photo specialist Jessops has just opened the doors to three brand new stores located at the Sainsbury's in Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Gloucestershire’s Cheltenham and Abbey Wood, South-East London. These new Jessops stores aim to bring a fresh photography experience to its local shoppers, whilst still offering try-before-you buy product displays, one-to-one photography tuition in-store, on-site lab for photo products made in-store within the hour, and the widest ranges of the latest cameras and photographic accessories from the world’s leading imaging brands. New services on offer at the three stores include the Jessops rental service, a trade-In offering and sensor cleaning. The Murrayfield and Cheltenham concession stores also have a Jessops Academy Training room to deliver their photography courses.

Nikon have postponed the launch of their new AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR lens. Originally planned for an August 27 release, the new image stabilised full-frame standard zoom is now expected to hit the shelves in October 2015. Offering up to four stops of image stabilisation, the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8E ED VR is constructed of 20 elements arranged in 16 groups - including a number of aspherical and ED glass elements as well as a new ASP/ED element - and features an iris diaphragm with 9 rounded aperture blades. Nikon's exclusive nano crystal coating is also employed to reduce flare and ghosting. The lens has a minimum focus distance of 38cm and a maximum reproduction ratio of 1:3.6, and is equipped with a Silent Wave Motor for fast and quiet auto focus. The suggested retail price is £1,849.99 / €2,499.00 /$2,399.95.

Source: Nikon Japan via The Digital Picture

Lytro has opened its imaging platform to developers, photographers and producers, enabling them to explore light field photography and integrate the underlying 3D data into new applications. Lytro Power Tools (LPT) Beta was developed to give programmers, researchers and artists complete control at every step – from capture on the camera to post-processing light field data. Initially announced as an Alpha program only available in the United States, LPT Beta is now available to anyone who’s interested. Alpha participants have created and shared tools to generate time-lapse video as well as panoramic video that can be viewed with virtual reality headsets like Google Cardboard and Samsung Gear VR. To learn more and download Lytro Power Tools Beta, visit the website below.

Magix have released a free video editor for Android devices. The new Fastcut app uses your video clips to automatically create dynamic short films right on your smartphone or tablet. After selecting your footage and a template you can rearrange individual clips, or have Fastcut automatically rearrange them for you if you are not satisfied with the initial result. All of your creations can be exported in all resolutions up to Full HD, uploaded to the Internet and shared on Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook and other platforms. The app can be upgraded with extra templates and features for £0.89 or $0.99 per month.

Corel have just released Paint Shop Pro X8 (read review) and PaintShop Pro X8 Ultimate. New features include text wrapping, a content-aware Magic Move tool, a comprehensive set of lens corrections, UHD monitor support, a Before/After button in the Adjust workspace, new swatches in the Materials Palette, Text & Shape Cutter preview, Gradient preview and more. This latest version of the application also boasts an enhanced Batch Mode, an updated Camera Raw Lab, an expanded range of selection tool options, various performance gains and an improved layer workflow. PaintShop Pro X8 Ultimate offers the versatility of PaintShop Pro X8, plus a collection of photo-focused add-ons including AfterShot 2, Perfectly Clear 2 SE and Perfect Effects 9.5. Suggested retail pricing for PaintShop Pro X8 is $79.99 (USD/CAN) / €69.99 / £59.99 / $99.95 AUD. PaintShop Pro X8 Ultimate is available for $99.99 (USD/CAN) / €89.99 / £79.99/ $129.95 AUD.

Grizzly: The Bears of Greater Yellowstone by Thomas D. Mangelsen is a new title from Rizzoli International Publications. Celebrating the most famous family of grizzly bears in the world — matriarch 399 and her offspring — Mangelsen has been tracking and photographing them for 10 years, amassing an incomparable portfolio that offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of this celebrated bear family. With more than 150 breathtaking images, this is a dramatic tale of life and death, near annihilation and survival, and the relationship between people and grizzly bears. A treasure for naturalists and conservationists as well as photography enthusiasts, this 240-page hardback will be available from October, priced at $60 / £40.

DxO have released DxO OpticsPro 10.4.3, DxO FilmPack 5.1.5 and DxO ViewPoint 2.5.7. These updates add support for the Canon EOS 750D / Rebel T6i, the EOS 760D / Rebel T6s and the EOS M3, as well as the Leica T (Typ 701), the Nikon 1 J5 (pictured) and the Pentax K-3 II. DxO OpticsPro 10.4.3 also adds 672 new camera/lens combinations to the DxO Optics Module library, providing support for Canon, GoPro, Leica, Nikon, Pentax, Samsung, Sigma, Sony, Tamron, Tokina and Zeiss lenses for numerous Canon, GoPro, Leica, Nikon, Pentax, Samsung and Sony cameras.

UK photo accessory distributor Kenro has announced the upcoming launch of its own brand range of supports. The initial line-up consists of four tripod kits and one monopod kit, each of which is supplied with legs and head along with a bag to transport it all in. Out of the four tripod kits, three of them convert into monopods, while the fourth one boasts an ultra-compact design, ideal for the traveller with restricted luggage space. All five models come with a 6-year limited warranty. Retail pricing to be announced.

Impossible have just launched their new Instant Film Starter Pack. Consisting of 3 packs of film, the starter pack comes complete with a list of tips on how to make the most of every photograph. There are two options available, the Starter Pack Film combined with a Polaroid 600 camera priced at €150, and the Starter Pack film alone for €52 for those who already have an original Polaroid camera but have not had the chance to start using it yet. Both are available from the website below.

Macphun today launched an updated version of its Noiseless app. The program, which provides a one-click solution for eliminating noise from your digital photographs, now includes the option of batch processing. The update is an in-app purchase for current owners who bought Noiseless on the Mac App Store. Noiseless Pro owners will automatically receive the update free of charge. “For photographers shooting in low light situations, the ability to quickly process a range of images with one particular preset or setting will significantly speed up the noise reduction process, ” explains Macphun COO, Alex Tsepko. “Owners of Macphun’s Creative Kit will notice how seamlessly Noiseless works with other apps. A great example is Snapselect which can be used to pick the best images from a group to be batch processed in Noiseless.”

The Canon Pixma MG7750 is a compact all-in-one printer with Wi-Fi and NFC functionality. Offering print, copy and scan functionality, the Canon Pixma MG7750 features Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print support and a 8.8cm colour display; and comes with Canon's Pixma Cloud Link Scan and Remote Print feature, which allows users to scan a document or photo with one printer and print from another in a different location through the cloud. Thanks to the six individual ink cartridges, the MG7750 produces high resolution images up to 9600dpi with smooth gradations, even in monochrome prints. The new printer supports optional XL cartridges, which allow users to print more for less. THe new Canon Pixma MG7750 will be available from October 2015 with an SRP of £169.99/€239.99.

The Canon Pixma MG6850 is a compact all-in-one printer with Wi-Fi connectivity. Capable of printing, copying and scanning, it offers Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print support and a 7.5cm colour display; and comes with Canon's Pixma Cloud Link Scan and Remote Print feature, which allows users to scan a document or photo with one printer and print from another in a different location through the cloud. The new printer supports optional XL cartridges, which allow users to print more for less. The Canon Pixma MG6850 will be available from October 2015 with an SRP of  £129.99/€179.99.

The Canon Pixma MG5750 is a compact all-in-one device combining enhanced cloud and Wi-Fi functions with new high quality printing technology. Offering print, copy and scan functionality, the Canon Pixma MG5750 features Apple AirPrint and Google Cloud Print support and a 6.2cm colour display; and comes with Canon's Pixma Cloud Link Scan and Remote Print feature, which allows users to scan a document or photo with one printer and print from another in a different location through the cloud. The new printer supports optional XL cartridges, which allow users to print more for less. The Canon Pixma MG5750 will be available from October 2015 with an SRP of  £99.99 / €139.99.