Transcend has launched  its brand new StoreJet Cloud 110 and StoreJet Cloud 210 Personal Cloud Storage products. Allowing users to access all of their data wherever they might be - while storing it all at home -, Transcend’s StoreJet Cloud offers a centralised 4TB and 8TB storage capacity, automatic data backup, fast transfer speeds and media streaming. With a stable Internet connection, users can freely access all personal files stored on their StoreJet Cloud through Transcend’s exclusive StoreJet Cloud web link and iOS or Android app. Transcend’s StoreJet Cloud also allows multiple personal accounts to be created by family members and friends. Each account is individually maintained and securely protected. StoreJet Cloud also offers a one-touch backup function when a USB flash drive or external hard drive is connected to the rear USB 3.0 port. For Mac users, StoreJet Cloud works with Apple Time Machine, enabling fast and easy backup.

AKVIS have announced the release of AKVIS SmartMask 8.0 for Windows and Mac. This edition adds support for Ultra HD 4K & 5K monitors. Thanks to new technologies, the interface details, texts and icons scale correctly even on super high resolution monitors. Version.8.0 is a free upgrade for everyone who bought the product in the last 12 months. The software runs on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10; and on Mac OS X 10.7-10.11. The product is available as a standalone application and as a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Corel PaintShop Pro.

World-famous guitarist and lifelong stereoscopy enthusiast Brian May has announced the upcoming launch of a virtual reality and 3D stereo image viewer designed for smartphone users. The new OWL VR Smart Phone Kit takes the existing OWL Stereo Viewer and, through use of a simple but ingenious adaptor, enables its use with a smartphone not only to view online 3D images, but also those taken by the user. Manufactured from high-grade polypropylene and fully collapsible to a thin flat configuration, the OWL is supplied ready for use in seconds. Its carefully positioned high-quality lenses, plus fully adjustable focus, present every user with the ideal optical geometry for perfect viewing of side-by-side 3D photos. The OWL Smart Phone VR Kit will be available from mid-June for £25.

Western Digital Technologies have completed the acquisition of SanDisk. “Today is a significant day in the history of Western Digital,” said Steve Milligan, CEO. “We are delighted to welcome SanDisk into the Western Digital family. This transformational combination creates a media-agnostic leader in storage technology with a robust portfolio of products and solutions that will address a wide range of applications in almost all of the world’s computing and mobile devices.” Under the terms of the transaction, each outstanding share of SanDisk common stock was converted into the right to receive $67.50 per share in cash and 0.2387 shares of Western Digital common stock. Steve Milligan will continue to serve as chief executive officer of Western Digital. Sanjay Mehrotra, co-founder, president and chief executive officer of SanDisk, will serve as a member of the Western Digital Board of Directors.

Adobe are offering a sneak peek into a new feature called Content-Aware Crop, coming to Photoshop CC later this year. With Content-Aware Crop, Photoshop looks at all the pixels around the edges of your photo and automatically, seamlessly fills in the blank space with content when you expand or rotate that image. This enables users to straighten images without having to give up any of their pixels. Click through / scroll down for a video demonstration.

Magix have released a new version of Video easy HD, a beginner-level application for editing video footage. The software's native 64-bit architecture and H.264 support lets you import, edit and export videos faster than ever before, and the latest version of Video easy HD lets you edit video footage in resolutions up to 4K Ultra HD. Using the automatic image optimisation and backlight correction features, users can enhance colour, brightness and contrast and make one-click adjustments to lighting. You can burn videos to DVD or Blu-ray Disc, upload directly to YouTube and Facebook from within the program or save them on your hard drive. The new version of Video easy HD is now available in stores and online, priced at £29.99.

PolarPro, a manufacturer of professional-grade accessories for action cameras, drones and smartphones; has announced a partnership with OtterBox to offer 7 accessory modules as part of the new OtterBox uniVERSE Case System. Designed for the latest iPhone 6 models, the protective OtterBox case offers the ability to expand the iPhone’s features with swappable modules, each of which attach seamlessly to the case using a slotted rail. One of the seven accessory modules offered by PolarPro is a multi-coated clip-on fish-eye conversion lens ($29.99) compatible with both front- and rear-facing cameras, which attaches directly to the OtterBox uniVERSE case. A snap-on lens cap safeguards the lens when not in use.

Xara has released Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 365, which comes with a new Update Guarantee that provides regular updates during the year. Additionally, the new release provides a number of new photo tools and SmartShapes, and significant text enhancements. Charles Moir, Managing Director said “Xara Photo & Graphic Designer has evolved into being a supremely capable non-destructive photo editor... Photo editing now includes the ability to paint enhancements or effects onto images, new pre-set filter effects, new ways of cutting images out of backgrounds and more. This really is the greatest version of Xara Photo & Graphic Designer we've ever released.” Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 365 is available for £49.99. Upgrades from v11 to Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 365 cost £24.99.

Leica has revealed that the presentation of the Leica Oscar Barnack Award 2016 will take place in Berlin, Germany, on 28th September. The Award's return to Germany brings the competition back to the birthplace of its namesake - Oskar Barnack, the inventor of the ‘Ur-Leica.’ Approximately 3,200 photographers from a total of 108 countries submitted entries to the 2016 Award - almost twice as many entrants as in the previous year, with a record number of submissions. The portfolios of the twelve finalists in the categories ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Award’ and ‘Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award’ will be publicly announced on 15 June 2016 on the Award's website.

Macphun has launched a new Creative XXL Kit – a bundle of 6 powerful photo editing applications: Noiseless, Intensify, Tonality, Snapheal, Focus and FX Photo Studio, combined with more than 40 various e-books, training materials and photo-related apps. The standard value of all the contents in the package stands around £1715/$2000 but you can now purchase them all for only £110/$129. Do note that this is a time-limited offer, expiring on 31st May.

Phase One has released an update to Capture One Pro 9. Version 9.1.2, which is free to all Capture One Pro 9 license owners and Capture One Pro subscribers, adds support for the Canon EOS-1DX Mark II, EOS 1300D and EOS 80D, the Nikon D5 and the Panasonic G70 cameras; as well as the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 8mm Fisheye 1:3.5 and M.Zuiko ED 8mm F1.8 Fisheye PRO, the Zeiss Loxia 2/35, Loxia 2/50, Loxia 2.8/21, Touit 2.8/12, Touit 1.8/32, Touit 2.8/50 and Batis 2.8/18, the Sony FE 70-300mm F4.5-5.6 G OSS, the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-140mm f3.5-5.6, and the Rodenstock HR Digaron-SW 5.6/90 mm/Aerial and ALPA HR Alpagon 5.6/90mm lenses.

Macphun have announced an update to Aurora HDR Pro, their latest Macintosh software co-developed with Trey Ratcliff. The features of Version 1.2.2 include added support for raw files generated by the Canon 80D, 1300D and 1DX Mk II, the Leica M (Typ 262), the Nikon D5, the Olympus SH3 and Pen F, the Panasonic GX80/85, TZ80/81/85/ZS60 and TZ100/101/ZS100, the Samsung Galaxy S7, the Sony A68, ILCE6300, RX1R II and RX10 III, the DxO ONE Digital Camera and the Fuji X-Pro2. The update also bringsa number of performance improvements. Aurora HDR Pro is available for $99.99.