Lightroom Classic CC v7.2 has just been released. This version offers faster performance on machines with 12 GB of RAM or more, when you import and export photos, move between photos in Loupe view, or create HDR images and panoramas. 

Version 1.1.3 of Aurora HDR 2018 brings new and improved features for both MAC and Windows users.

Version 1.1.1 of Luminar 2018 for MAC and Windows has been released today. The free 1.1.1 update includes numerous features enhancements and bug fixes for the Windows and Mac versions.

ScanTransfer (https://ScanTransfer.net) is a free Windows desktop software program which enables users to transfer photos and videos from their smart phones to a computer or laptop.

StoryPix enables users to create short narrated videos quickly and easily. After taking a photo or uploading an image, users can add text and voice description as the software zooms into elements of the photo, easily saving and sharing the final product with as many people as they like.

A VEGAS Pro 365 subscription is now available, allowing you to get started with professional video editing at only $16.67 month. This new version offers a complete video and audio editing solution with all the features of VEGAS Pro 15 and SOUND FORGE Audio Studio 12, along with online training courses to learn VEGAS Pro. After taking over the video editing software VEGAS Pro from Sony Creative Software in 2016, MAGIX has since then released two new versions, VEGAS Pro 14 and 15.

Adobe has released Photoshop CC 19.1 today, which includes Select Subject, a tool that enables users to make selections with a single click. Other additions include Windows 10 support for for UI scale factors from 100% through 400%, a new Select and Mask slider, and changing brush settings using Microsoft Dial.

Cascable Shutter Robot Recipes is a new photography automation tool available on mobile platforms. Alongside a powerful and intuitive recipe editor, Cascable provides tools to ensure your recipe works exactly as intended, including a built-in camera simulator.

Cascable is available to get started with for free from the iOS App Store. Cascable's Pro features come with a free trial when subscribing from $2 per month, or can be unlocked with a one-time $29.99 purchase.

Sony has announced a new accessory Camera Control Box (model CCB-WD1) that connects to the RX0 camera and enables PC control with a web browser via a wired IP connection. Up to 100 can be controlled to produce high quality movie effects like “bullet-time” or virtual reality, or to shoot high profile events from unique angles. The new CCB-WD1 Camera Control Box will ship next month for about $700 US or $900 CA. 

Sony are also releasing version 6.2 of its PlayMemories Mobile application in January 2018, which will allow users to link their smartphone or tablet to up to 50 RX0 cameras via an access point to control them simultaneously.

Purchase a select X-Rite product before 31^st March 2018 and get Affinity Photo from Serif for free (worth £48.99 / €54.99).

AKVIS MakeUp 5.0 is easy-to-use portrait enhancement software. Version 5.0 offers the brand new portrait retouching algorithm with significantly improved results. Also, it provides the updated list of ready-to-use presets, the improved Vignette effect, the Crop tool, some interface changes, and other improvements. The update is free for users who bought MakeUp in the last 12 months. Users, whose license is older and is not valid for the new version, can get MakeUp 5.0 for only $14.95.

Adobe have updated the entire Lightroom CC ecosystem, including for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and the web, as well as updates to Lightroom Classic CC and Adobe Camera Raw. The new Auto Setting creates a better photo by using Adobe Sensei artificial intelligence to analyse your photo and compare it to tens of thousands of professionally edited photos. The Tone Curve has been added to Lightroom CC on desktop, along with split toning.

PortraitPro Body 2 is a new standalone full body retouching software and plugin for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Elements. Version 2 of the industry’s first and only dedicated body contouring software offers Warp Fixer controls, Photoshop Smart Filter, Lite Mode and is the fastest and most accurate PortraitPro Body ever.

DxO PhotoLab 1.1 offers an easier-to-use design, the ability to interface with Adobe Lightroom CC Classic, and an improved brush tool.

Nikon has released version 2.0 of SnapBridge, completely overhauling the screen design and menu structure. It also offers new functions, including instructions for connecting to a camera, that make the app easier to use, more intuitive, and enable simpler connection.

Looparoid is the first app that lets you combine multiple pictures to create unique photo stories that resemble Polaroids to share with your friends and family.

Fujifilm X Raw Studio is new conversion software that allows photographers to quickly and easily convert RAW files. X Raw Studio utilizes the connected camera’s X-Processor Pro high-speed image processing engine, allowing for quick and effective conversion without compromising on image quality. Compatible with both Mac and PC systems, it enables batch conversion of a selection of images.

Fujifilm X Raw Studio for Mac is available now, and is set to launch for Windows in February 2018. It is available to users at no cost.

Also available today are Firmware updates for the Fujifilm X-T2 and X-T20 X Series cameras and the GFX 50S.

Capture One 11 is a major new version of the industry’s premier RAW conversion and image editing software. Capture One 11 has been designed to deliver a significantly faster and smoother experience, offering new, highly responsive tools, workflow enhancements and a finely tuned processing engine.

Zoner Photo Studio X has added support for HEIF files from the latest iPhones, making it the first software in the world to offer a solution for reading and writing this format on Windows. Zoner Photo Studio X can be purchased as a one-year subscription license for $49.

Luminar 2018 adds a new RAW file conversion engine, new photo editing filters, major speed improvements and a forthcoming digital asset management platform. Luminar is a universal all-in-one photo app designed to offer everything a modern photographer needs for photo editing. 

Luminar 2018 is available today:

• $49 upgrade for current Luminar users
• $59 for Luminar for Windows Beta testers
• $69 for new users

The Digital Asset Management platform will arrive in 2018 as a free update.