Today, Corel introduced VideoStudio Ultimate X10, the latest version of their most powerful video editing application. New tools and features include a Mask Creator, 360° video support, Time Remapping, three new premium effect collections, integrated learning materials, enhanced H.265 support, and more. Corel VideoStudio Ultimate X10 is available now in English, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese. The suggested retail price is $99.99/€89.99/£79.99.

Version 5 of RawTherapee is now available for Linux, Mac OS and Windows. This update adds support for 32-bit TIFF files, a Lockable Colour Picker, two new tools (Retinex and Wavelets), automated chroma noise reduction, a new Inspect tab, print soft-proofing support, two new exposure tone curves, monitor profile and rendering intent support, and much more. The Mac and Windows versions are downloadable from the RawTherapee project's website, whilst Linux users can get it via their package manager.

Free trial versions of Affinity Photo and Affinity Designer are now available for Windows users. The ‘try before you buy’ offer follows the launch of the two products on Windows late last year, and means potential customers will be able to spend ten days testing the software before committing to a purchase. “Even though we offer a no-strings refund policy for 14 days, trial versions for Windows have been a popular request and we know there’s still a huge market out there of people who want a professional graphics or photo editor for a one-time cost with no expensive ongoing payments," says Ashley Hewson, Managing Director of Serif.

Epson America today announced Epson Print Layout, a software application designed to simplify the highly complex print and colour management workflow for photographers. Compatible with Epson SureColor P-Series printers, Epson Print Layout provides an intuitive linear workflow specifically designed to provide easy printer selection, layout, and colour management settings, in addition to providing a live Advanced Black-and-White Mode output preview. Available as an Adobe Photoshop  plug-in or standalone application for Windows and Mac, Epson Print Layout makes printing easier with a step-by-step selection of frequently used printing options, such as printer selection, layout, and colour settings. The program offers full ICC profile support or users can select automatic colour modes through the Epson print driver. Enhanced features include customised frame and border options for gallery-wrap printing and automatic paper sizing for panoramas. Epson Print Layout software is currently available for free download.

DxO Labs have announced a special offer enabling anyone to download a copy of DxO Optics Pro 9 Elite for free. To take advantage of this offer, you simply need to provide your email address and wait for your activation code and download link to be sent to your inbox. Do note that the free license is not upgradable and your camera may not be supported if you are using a recent model. The offer expires on 28 February 2017.

Phase One have released version 10.0.2 of Capture One Pro. This update brings support for the Fujifilm X100F, the Olympus E-PL6, the Fujifilm X-A3, the Panasonic LX9/LX10/LX15, the Panasonic G8/G80/G81/G85, the Canon M5 and the Nikon 1 J5 cameras, and the Sony DT 18–250mm F3.5–6.3, Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM, Panasonic LUMIX G Leica DG Summilux 15mm f/1.7 ASPH, Panasonic LUMIX G LEICA DG VARIO-ELMAR 100-400mm F4.0-6.3 ASPH, Panasonic LUMIX G VARIO 7-14mm F4 ASPH and Tamron SP 24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD lenses; and fixes bugs.

Ohanaware have just released their latest high-dynamic-range imaging software, HDRtist NX. Featuring brand new technology and functionality that Ohanaware have been refining in the last 7 years, HDRtist NX is the third installment in the HDRtist series of applications that Ohanaware started back in 2009. This version boasts 128-bit image processing utilising multi-core processors and accelerated graphics hardware, a next-generation user interface, a large live editor with split view, providing near-real-time performance while the images are being edited, 1-click Styles, and much more. HDRtist NX is available from the Ohanaware website and the Apple Mac App Store.

Akvis have announced an update of the four programs thatmake up the Photo Correction Bundle: Enhancer, Noise Buster, Refocus and HDRFactory. Each program has its unique algorithm to help users optimise their photos without having to spend hours of their precious time. The new versions offer a redesigned interface with support for Ultra HD displays, provide full compatibility with Photoshop CC 2017, and provide a number of new tools and options. The programs run on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10; and Mac OS X 10.7-10.12. All of them are available as Photoshop compatible plug-ins and as standalone applications.

Corel today introduced a new version of their ParticleShop plugin, which gives professional photo editors and compositors the ability to create images that were previously too time consuming or even impossible to achieve - right within Photoshop and Lightroom. ParticleShop uses the power of the Corel Painter Particle brush technology to create specific, photo-realistic effects. Whether users want to add hair, fabric, fire, smoke, fur, dust or lighting to their photos, ParticleShop brushes can create these life-like effects with a simple brushstroke. Built to perform with a pressure-sensitive tablet, touchscreen or mouse, ParticleShop brushes enable users to add their unique artistic enhancements to any image. The updated version adds support for Dynamic Speckles and F-X Effects, as well as more than 100 new brushes allowing users to create looks that are more realistic than ever. ParticleShop is available for $49.99 or as a free update for all registered owners.

Over the next 6 days we’ll be revealing our favourite products from last year in our annual awards, looking back at the essential photography kit that helped to define 2016.

Kicking things off is the Software of the Year 2016 award, which goes to Macphun Luminar.

“If you do delve deeper into all the different options, you’ll find that there’s a lot to like about the editing software, with it capable of producing some excellent results. You’re unlikely to find a piece of software that is as extensive as this for the same kind of value.”

Read our Macphun Luminar Review

Congratulations to Macphun!

London-based design studio Wolf in Motion has unveiled Magic Hour, a VR photography simulator for taking "dream-like" pictures. Magic Hour's VR camera has similar characteristics to those of a high-end camera and offers full control on exposure, aperture ratio, shutter speed, focal length, ISO and white balance. It can optically reproduce the physics of any camera or lens but also easily go beyond the realm of the possible. Magic Hour's hand-crafted digital playground offers countless photographic opportunities from wildlife encounters to painting light with the stars. While experienced photographers will have fun experimenting in ways they have never been able to with a physical camera, newcomers will be able to learn the technical aspects of photography through a rewarding interactive experience.:"The arrival of consumer VR has unlocked exciting new opportunities in training and education," says Charlie Fuller, founding partner at Wolf in Motion. "Magic Hour is one of the first of such products, letting players experiment with a manual control camera before they've ever held a real one in their hands." Magic Hour is available now on Steam VR.

Photolemur for Mac is billed as the World’s first fully automatic photo enhancement solution built on artificial intelligence AI). Unlike many other image enhancement tools, Photolemur doesn’t have any hard coded filters - rather, it applies specific enhancements to each image. Powered by new technology which recognises objects, faces, trees, sky, foliage and more, Photolemur differentiates between portraits, landscapes and macro photographs and applies the right enhancements for those pictures. As you bring in more images, every saved or shared photo builds a database of successful enhancements, and every non-saved image goes into an unsuccessful database. This ensures that all future enhancements are built on a record of success. Photolemur is constantly learning what you like and don’t like. Photolemur is available for pre order for $29 from the website below.

FotoQuote, an image pricing application by Cradoc fotoSoftware, is now available for iPhone and iPad use. “We are so excited about the new fotoQuote Mobile that we are including it for free with every fotoQuote order placed between now and the end of the year,” said fotoQuote creator, Cradoc Bagshaw. “We want everyone who has fotoQuote Pro 7 to be given the opportunity to also benefit from the mobile version.” fotoQuote Pro 7.0 itself retails for $149.99 with a limited time introductory offer of $129.99. FotoQuote orders placed before the end of the year will include the fotoQuote Mobile version at no additional cost.

Macphun has released a new update to Luminar, its first all-in-one photo editor. The Pluto update brings batch processing, a new Dehaze filter that can quickly fix hazy photos in a snap, an also-new Golden hour filter that adds a warm-toned sunlight effect to your photos (see illustration above), and the opportunity to include textures inside your presets. Additionally, the company has enhanced the colour temperature filter with quick presets and an eye-dropper tool for choosing precisely what tones to reference.

DxO has announced a major update to its DxO ONE camera app, introducing what it calls "the World’s first pro-level multi-camera solution for Facebook Live." When combined with full Wi-Fi remote control, the DxO ONE will operate as a remote broadcast camera, giving users the ability to experiment with camera compositions and placements that are impossible to achieve with the iPhone’s built-in cameras alone. The DxO ONE Facebook Live solution provides a sophisticated set of controls, including an elegant multi-camera source panel, that lets users preview all three camera views at once­ — DxO ONE, iPhone front and back — so they can recompose the shot, adjust the lighting, or prepare their subject before going live with any camera view. The audio feed can be sourced from the DxO ONE’s internal microphone, the iPhone’s microphone, or set to automatically switch between the two as users cut between cameras. “Because it’s so incredibly compact, the DxO ONE has been my go-to camera for pro-quality video whenever and wherever I need it most,” said Nathan Yamniak, Film Director. “Now with the addition of a multi-camera broadcast control panel, and deep support for Facebook Live, it has become for me and my clients the ultimate pro-quality live broadcasting solution.” Available to all DxO ONE users free of charge, the update is expected to be available in early 2017 via the iTunes App Store.

Zoer has released the first major update to Zoner Photo Studio X. The Editor now offers deeper work with layers and masks, and several old functions are back in an improved form. Additionally, the Develop module has a new radial filter and an advanced noise removal algorithm. All of the new ZPS X features now come in the form of a prepaid yearly subscription license for a fee of $95.88.

Affinity Photo is now available to buy for Windows. The software offers raw image processing, PSD import and export, 16-bit-per-channel editing, colour management,camera lens and exposure corrections, accurate adjustments, live filter layers, high-end controls for channels and masks, advanced layer handling, and built-in frequency separation editing. Other features include andvanced HDR exposure blending, a novel way to edit 360-degree images, tone mapping, batch processing, focus stacking and macros. In addition to the brand new Windows version, Serif have also released Affinity Photo 1.5 for Mac, which represents the biggest single update to the app since it was launched over a year ago. Both versions are available for $39.99 / £29.99 / €39.99 until 22 December 2016. The usual price will be $49.99 / £39.99 / €49.99. Existing owners of the Mac version can download the 1.5 update free of charge.

Adobe Camera Raw 9.8 is now available through the update mechanism in Photoshop CC and the Creative Cloud application. This update adds support for the Canon EOS M5, Fujifilm XA3, Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Hasselblad X1D, Leica TL, Nikon D5600, Olympus EM1 Mark II (preliminary), Olympus PEN EPL8, Panasonic LUMIX DMCFZ2500 (DMCFZ2000 and DMCFZH1), Pentax K70 (pictured), Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Sony Alpha a6500 (ILCE 6500), Sony Alpha a99 II (ILCA99M2) and Sony DSCRX100 Mark V cameras, and dozens of new camera-lens profiles. Creative Cloud users can select Help>Updates to use the update mechanism in the Creative Cloud app.

Adobe Lightroom CC 2015.8 is now available. This version introduces a new view mode witin the Develop Module called Reference View, which allows you to compare 2 different images in order to make them visually consistent. This is helpful when making a group of images from a single event look similar or setting the white balance appropriately in mixed lighting conditions. Additionally, Adobe Lightroom CC 2015.8 adds support for raw image files generated by the Canon EOS M5, Fujifilm X-A3, Google Pixel, Google Pixel XL, Hasselblad X1D, Leica TL, Nikon D5600, Olympus E-M1 Mark II (preliminary), Olympus PEN E-PL8, Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ2500 (DMC-FZ2000 and DMC-FZH1), Pentax K-70, Samsung Galaxy S7, Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, Sony Alpha a6500 (ILCE­-6500). Sony Alpha a99 II (ILCA-99M2) and Sony DSC-RX100 Mark V cameras, plus tethered shooting support for the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV SLR. Creative Cloud users can select Help > Updates to use the update mechanism in the Creative Cloud app.

Adobe has released version 2.6 of Lightroom 2.6. This update brings a new Edit interface, a new info section, a new capture interface with a brand new professional mode, bug fixes and improvements. The company has also added new functionality such as the often requested ability to add in titles, captions, and copyright from mobile devices. You can download Lightroom for iOS from the iTunes App Store.