Samsung has released a firmware update for its NX5 and NX10 compact system cameras, adding support for the new i-Function lens.Version 1.20 also provides support for an external GPS module that enables the geotagging of photos captured with these cameras. Additional improvements include better AF speed and accuracy and the addition of firmware-based lens distortion reduction. To download the firmware update, follow the link below.

Website: Samsung UK

Ricoh has issued a function-enhancing firmware update for the GR DIGITAL III. The third release adds a high-contrast black-and-white mode, a cross-process filter, a 4:1 magnification when using manual focus, a “My Setting delete” function and a “key custom setting initialisation” feature. The firmware update will be available on Ricoh’s website in the near future.

Panasonic has teamed up with Adobe and Going Digital to offer a photography gift pack worth £150, available with any purchase of a Panasonic GF1, G10 or G2 compact system camera. Included in the pack is Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 as well as Adobe Premiere Elements 9 software plus Going Digital, who offer a range of one-day photography workshops for beginners to more experienced photographers. The free training voucher can be used on any of their training workshops. The Photography Gift Pack will be available from 8th October – 31st January.

Adventure Travel Live,  the UK’s biggest travel event dedicated to adventure and off-the-beaten-track travel, has teamed up with some of the best travel photographers in the business who will offer a mixture of informative lectures and open panel discussions at the show. Hosted by Chris Coe, photographer and founder of the prestigious Travel Photographer of the Year awards, the panel includes travel photographer Steve Bloom, top wildlife photographer Chris Weston and adventure and expedition photographer, Martin Hartley. The seminars will be held Friday and Saturday, 28-29th January 2011 from 6pm to 9pm. Advance tickets including admission to either the Friday or the Saturday seminars are available at £45, while a special combined ticket valid for both evenings can be purchased for £75.

Canon has announced further details about the Pro Photo Solutions Show scheduled for 26th and 27th October 2010 at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London. At this year’s show, Canon will be running a separate seminar room with speakers like Phillip Bloom, Thorsten Milse, Clive Booth, Dan Cheung, Jonathan Scott, Ben Osborne, Brett Harkness, Matthew Lloyd, and more. The show will also feature a live professional kitchen hosted by chef and food writer Alex Rushmer – one of the last three finalists in the BBC’s MasterChef 2010.  Mark Moreve, Director of Photography will be running live emonstrations in the HD zone using Canon’s latest XF 305 professional camcorder and the EOS 5D Mark II. Plus, a live studio will be at the centre of the show, and Andy Kruczek, Gary Fong and David Newton will be running live shoots and demonstrations.

Human Monitoring (HM) has announced the global availability of its new hipix still image compression technology. Designed to answer the market needs from cameras to web applications and mobile phones. hipix enables users to send and store high-resolution images at between 15% and 50% of the size of normal compressed JPEGs. To view hipix images, on a computer or mobile, users must initially download a viewer, and to create or convert images to the hipix format users need the hipix “Wiz” application. Both are currently free to download for a limited time. You can view a video demonstration of hipix in action after the break.

WD has just introduced its My Book Live home network drive. The device’s built-in DLNA media server makes it a fast, simple solution for users who wish to view videos, music and images on any Mac or PC connected to the home network and stream digital media to a television set, the company says. Compatible with the Apple Time Machine, the WD My Book Live incorporates Gigabit Ethernet technology for speeds up to three times faster than that of traditional USB 2.0 drives. The My Book Live is available in capacities of 1TB and 2TB, priced at $169.99 and $229.99, respectively.

WD has released WD Photos, the newest release of its free photo viewer app, which is now optimised for the iPad and the iPhone 4. The WD Photos app provides remote access to photos stored on a WD network hard drive including My Book World Edition, My Book Live and WD ShareSpace. The images are displayed in native iPad and iPhone resolution, and users can access up to 285,000 of their favourite photos anywhere they can access the Internet by simply copying their pictures into the “Shared Pictures” folder on their WD network hard drive.

DxOMark raw sensor data are are now available for the new Canon EOS 60D, Samsung NX10 and NX100 digital cameras. Unsurprisingly, the Canon 60D produced almost exactly the same results as the 7D and the 550D, with only the Low-Light ISO score differing slightly from both of these models (which received different scores on this metric themselves). The two Samsung produced lower scores on Low-Light ISO (and also in terms of dynamic range), but got higher scores on colour depth. Overall the two Samsung models finished just slightly behind the Canon EOS 60D.

Website: DxOMark

In order to help those interested in traditional wet darkroom practices, Peter Heaton - former head of photography at York Art College - has created Vale of York Darkrooms; a darkroom and teaching solution at Stillington, 10 miles north of York, North Yorkshire. Vale of York Darkrooms offer a range of Black and White photographic courses throughout the year. They are suitable for absolute beginners through to the more experienced photographer, and cover traditional and experimental photographic techniques. The fully equipped darkroom is also available for hire to groups or individuals, though a low-cost annual membership is required prior to any hire usage.

Joby has launched the Gorillapod Video, a compact and highly adaptable video support system. Videographers can bend, wrap, stand or hang the tripod – even attach the powerful magnetic feet to metal surfaces for stability. The omni-directional video head enables you to follow the action with smooth 360° pan and 135° tilt. The design includes a durable aluminum handle that can be adjusted for right- and left-handers, and locks down for compact storage. The Gorillapod Video supports up to 325 grams and weighs 79.5 grams. The recommended retail price is £29.99 and the product will be available in the UK from mid November 2010.

Insight Guides will mark its 40th anniversary later this month with the publication of its very own Insight Guide to Travel Photography. Created by experts in this field and giving plenty of examples, the book covers everything from digital processing to the selling of images. Unique to the Insight Guide to Travel Photography is a section on how to photograph people respectfully in their own environment, focusing on the importance of establishing rapport with the subject. Authoritative essays focus upon Capturing the Soul, The Family of Man and Flash Photography.  Illustrated sections explore all aspects of technique, from lighting and composition to camera settings, exposure and lenses. The book is available now at a price of £14.99.

PictoColor Software has released iCorrect OneClick 2.0 Photoshop Plug-in for Windows. The newest version of this point-and-click colour correction software offers full compatibility with Adobe Photoshop CS5 in both 32 and 64-bit Windows environments. iCorrect OneClick 2.0 may be purchased at PictoColor’s secure on-line store for $59.95 as a software download, and may be installed on two computers.

The PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) is calling for volunteer studio photographers throughout the US to participate in its annual Portraits of Love Project. Offering families of deployed military free portraits for the holiday season, Portraits of Love has been launched through a joint effort between the PMDA and Soldiers’ Angels, a grassroots volunteer organisation serving military families. “Last year we had more than 400 photographers host portrait sessions for military families on bases and in studios throughout the country,” said Joellyn Gray, President of the PMDA and Director of Marketing at Fujifilm. “This year we hope to expand the effort and help deliver a small taste of home to those deployed overseas during the holiday season.”

Nik Software has released free 64-bit updates for Color Efex Pro and Silver Efex Pro. The updates are available to registered users of Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Silver Efex Pro, respectively. Both can be downloaded from the website below.

Website: Nik Software Downloads

Beta testing of ACD Systems International’s ACDSee Pro Photo Manager for Mac is heading into its final phase with the introduction of non-destructive editing. Other notable additions to the beta 1.4 version include faster operation, an improved graphical user interface for Process mode, the ability to easily copy and paste processing settings from one image to another, support for XMP sidecar files and more. The program is now available for download at the website below.

Fujifilm USA has launched the first in a series of Twitter sweepstakes for a free Finepix REAL 3D W3 camera. To participate, all you have to do is follow the FujifilmUS twitter handle, @ message FujifilmUS and answer the question “Which movie should be remade in 3D?” while including the #sweepstakes and #3D hash tags. One lucky US winner will be selected at random at the end of the month and will be adding Fujifilm’s 3D W3 camera to their gadget repertoire.

In a bid to demonstrate the resilience of its SD card range, Samsung UK is launching a worldwide search for 100 messages that will be loaded onto SD cards and launched in paper planes from space. There are 100 planes to personalise and members of the public are encouraged to submit details that can be uploaded onto each card like pictures of themselves, family and friends, greetings for the person that finds it and something which expresses themselves. Once all the SD cards have been filled, they will be slotted into specially designed, bright paper planes which will include greetings in several different languages. The SD cards will then be launched as a flotilla of 100 paper planes into the atmosphere from space. Interested readers should check out the website below.

Rizzoli’s new monograph of photographer Mika Ninagawa’s work, which we wrote about a few months ago, will go on sale in November in the UK. Lauded as an art and fashion photographer, Mika Ninagawa has become a cultural superstar in Japan since her debut only a decade ago. Her portraits of international personalities including Cameron Diaz, the late Isabella Blow, Dita von Teese, Chiaki Kuriyama and Beyoncé, plus her elaborate, fantasy-infused landscapes and still-lifes illustrate how and why her vibrant aesthetic has been influential in the fashion world. The 352-page hardcover includes 300 of her photographs and sells for ?45.