Iridient Digital has released Iridient Developer 3.0 beta 4. This update adds several new demosaicing algorithms, monochrome-specific raw processing options for Bayer and X-Trans cameras, two new sharpening methods, Fill Light and neighbourhood-adaptive Highlight/Shadow adjustments, and much more. It also adds support for an array of new cameras from Canon, Nikon, Leica, Olympus, Sony, Panasonic, Pentax, Fuji and Leaf. For more information, visit the website below.

Kenro has announced the immediate UK availability of the Reflecta RPS 10M 35mm film scanner. Featuring a resolution of 10,000dpi and a dMax of of 4.2, the Reflecta RPS 10M boasts a hardware-based dust and scratch removal system as well as an auto transport system for film strips of up to 36 frames. The suggested retail price is £696 including a copy of Adobe Photoshop Elements 12.

Profoto has released a fast, powerful and consistent HSS (high-speed sync) solution for its B1 off-camera flash. The company's unique, patent-pending technology uses an extremely fast series of flash pulses to provide consistent exposures with shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000 of a second. Available via a firmware update, Profoto HSS works with both Canon and Nikon versions of the B1 off-camera flash and has been tested for all common camera models. You can use Profoto HSS with TTL flash exposure control, making it fast and easy to do fast paced action shots or daylight backlit portraits with large apertures. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Profoto has launched an online teaser campaign. Featuring the letters H and S, the mysterious ads have popped up on the company's official blog and Facebook fan page along with the question 'Could It Be?' The consensus among commenters and industry insiders seems to be that Profoto is set to launch a new mains flash boasting High-Speed Synchronisation (HSS) to compete with products such as the Phottix Indra500 TTL Studio Light. According to the adverts, the new Profoto offering will be launched tomorrow, 15 December 2014.

Via LR

Update: Profoto has now released its HSS solution for the B1 off-camera flash.

The new BosStrap Dual Side Slide camera strap consists of two BosStrap Side Slide straps connected with a pair of  Bridge Straps, allowing sports and wedding photographers, photojournalists and other professionals to carry two cameras without interference. Like all BosStrap products, cameras are connected using a camera strap lug rather than the tripod socket. The Side Slide straps use a Side Release connector to separate the cameras from the straps. The BosStrap Dual Side Slide is available for $129.95, shipping included.

Kenro has announced the UK availability of two new Braun action cameras. The Braun Jumper 720p ActionCam HD (£49.50) is a 5-megapixel model capable of recording HD videos. The camera incorporates a 90-degree ultra-wide lens and a built-in microphone, and comes with a waterproof housing (up to 3m). The battery recharges via USB and lasts up to 70 minutes. The other camera (Braun Champion Full HD ActionCam, £110.22) shoots 1080p videos and features a 120°, f/2.9 lens as well as a 5-megapixel CMOS imager. It boasts integrated Wi-Fi functionality and a waterproof housing usable up to a depth of 45m. Operating time is 60 minutes with Wi-Fi and 110 without. Both cameras are available immediately.

Nikon will be exhibiting its product line-up at The Photography Show, an exhibition dedicated to photography and open to all, from 21st to 24th March 2015 at the Birmingham NEC. A fresh new interactive Nikon stand will showcase the newest Nikon gear, including the Nikon D750 and D3300 dSLRs, Nikon 1 series compact system cameras, along with selected Coolpix models and interchangeable Nikkor lenses. Central to the stand will be the Nikon School stage, where a host of inspirational speakers, will give insightful talks on a range of photography topics to inspire passionate photographers. Tickets are now on sale for The Photography Show 2015.

Adobe has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Fotolia. Founded in 2004, Fotolia currently operates in 23 countries and has websites in 14 languages. The service will be integrated into Adobe Creative Cloud, providing current and future Creative Cloud members with the ability to access and purchase over 34 million images and videos. “The acquisition of Fotolia will reinforce Creative Cloud’s role as the preeminent destination for creatives,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president, Digital Media, Adobe. “Creative Cloud is becoming the go-to marketplace for the creative community to access images, videos, fonts and creative talent, through critical creative services like Fotolia and our new Creative Talent Search capabilities." The transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of Adobe’s fiscal Q1 2015, is subject to certain regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. Upon close Fotolia CEO, Oleg Tscheltzoff, will continue to lead the Fotolia team as part of Adobe’s Digital Media business.

Sony has posted a firmware update for the Sony A77 II digital SLT camera. Version 2.00 brings improved AF speed and enables shooting movies in 50p/25p (PAL mode) and 60p/30p/24p (NTSC mode) in XAVC S format. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Website: Sony A77 II Firmware Update 2.00 for Mac
Website: Sony A77 II Firmware Update 2.00 for Windows

Samsung has announced the premiere of a new short film created by renowned actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his open collaborative production company, hitRECord. ‘In a City’ was shot entirely on the Samsung NX1 compact system camera (pictured) in 4K resolution. “This emotive short film is testament to both Joseph’s exceptional talents as a director and the outstanding technology within the Samsung NX1,” said Younghee Lee, Executive Vice President of Global Marketing, IT & Mobile Division at Samsung Electronics. “The NX1’s advanced features make it ideal for filmmakers in search of a camera with 4K UHD capabilities, to wow their audiences with exceptional beauty and clarity in every shot.” Click through / scroll down to watch the movie.

Adobe Camera Raw 8.7.1 is now available as a final release for Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop CC. This update adds support for the Sony Alpha A7 II (pictured) and also includes a bug fix related to issues with chromatic aberration specific to the Samsung NX1.

Website: Adobe

Alien Skin has announced Exposure 7, the latest version of its flagship photography effects software. As a standalone program, Exposure 7 will now allow you to work on raw image files from a wide range of cameras from all manufacturers without having to convert them to a TIFF or JPEG first. Also, Exposure 7 now provides rapid folder and file browsing right within the same UI when working in standalone mode. Other highlights include non-destructive editing, new film emulation presets, textures and easy-to-use Crop and Rotate panels. Alien Skin Exposure 7 is now available for $149. Owners of any version of Exposure may upgrade for $69.

Toshiba has launched the Canvio AeroCast, an HDD storage device with Wi-Fi connectivity. This new addition to Toshiba’s Canvio storage range lets you share and back-up media from mobile devices, as well as cast entertainment directly to an HDTV. The Canvio AeroCast creates its own wireless LAN network, so you don’t have to be connected to the Internet to access your content. Offering 1TB of storage, the portable Canvio AeroCast can be accessed by six devices simultaneously. With the dedicated Toshiba Wireless HDD app for Android and iOS devices, browsing, streaming or saving files on your mobile devices is even easier. The Canvio AeroCast creates its own wireless LAN network, so you don’t have to be connected to the Internet to access your content. The Canvio AeroCast wireless HDD is compatible with Microsoft Windows 8.1, 8 and 7, Mac OS X 10.7, 10.8 and 10.9, iOS version 6 to 7 and Android version 2.3 to 4.4. It runs on USB 3.0, as well as supporting older USB 2.0 connections.

The new ACDSee Ultimate 8 software is billed as the first all-in-one digital asset manager and layered photo editor. "Until today, photographers would have to run multiple, expensive applications to edit and achieve professional results," the company says. "Now, professionals and sophisticated amateurs can rely on one product for an unparalleled number of creative graphic and image composition needs." ACDSee Ultimate 8 combines layers, GPU-accelerated image processing and support for 32-bit and 64-bit transparency with all of the photo adjustment and management capabilities available in ACDSee Pro 8 and ACDSee 18. The program is available for $149.99.

First announced a month ago, Tiffen's new XLE filters are now available in the United States. These long-exposure filters allow stills photographers to capture extreme long exposure images without incurring the red colour cast that occurs when photographers use high-density ND filters to shoot long exposures during daylight hours. Many camera sensors are sensitive to infrared wavelengths when they are exposed for prolonged periods and record this light as a slight warm red tint on some sensors, to an extreme red tint on other sensors in very bright conditions. The Tiffen XLE series comprises 3 different 10-stop reduction filters with varying infrared-cut characteristics, ranging from nothing in the XLE aXent ($37.99 - $98.99), to moderate in the XLE advantiX ($70.00 - $266.67) to complete infrared suppression in the XLE apeX ($170.00 - $366.67). These new screw-in filters are available in sizes ranging from 40.5mm to 82mm.

Creative Flash Photography by Tilo Gockel is a new title from Rocky Nook. In this book, Tilo uses 40 lighting workshops to teach his methods for producing impressive flash shots in portraiture, fashion, macro, food, still life, and high-speed photography. The richly illustrated, easy-to-understand workshops are filled with recommendations and instructions for flash setups, detailed lighting diagrams, and tips and tricks on how to achieve the look of high-end studio shots using simple, accessible equipment, even in your own home. The 304-page softcover is available for $44.95.

Topaz Labs have released Topaz Glow, a new program that uses state-of-the-art image processing techniques to produce illuminating light effects. “We took an extra step to push forward the processing technology in Glow to make it much faster with GPU acceleration, speeding up your creativity and empowering your imagination,” said Dr. Yang Yang, the research scientist who led the product development of Glow. “By developing a unique proprietary algorithm that extracts hidden light in an image, Glow gives the user freedom to produce both subtle and dramatic looks.” Glow works as a standalone editor as well as a plugin for Photoshop CS4+, Photoshop Elements 6+, Photoshop Creative Cloud and as an external editor for Lightroom. It is compatible with 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8 and Mac OS X 10.8 and up. Though the standard retail price of Glow is $69.99, it is available at a special reduced price of $49.99 until the end of this year.