The Olymous Air A01, a Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled camera unit designed for use with smartphones, will become available in the US in July. Originally announced in February by Olympus Japan, the Olympus Air A01 features a Four Thirds sized 16-megapixel MOS sensor, a Micro Four Thirds lens mount, an electronic shutter with a top speed of 1/16,000s, an 81-point AF system, a shutter release and a tripod socket. Weighing-in at 147 grams, the Olympus Air A01 can be controlled via a smartphone app. In the United States, the Air A01 will be available for $299.99 (sans lens), and $499.99 in a kit with the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ zoom. Canadian customers will be able to purchase it in August for CDN$399.99 (body only) and CDN$599,99 (kit).

Leica says the development phase of a new generation of imagers, which should fix the corrosion-related issue pertaining to the cover glass of the sensors of the Leica M9 / M9-P / M Monochrom and M-E, has now nearly been completed. The issue, which causes white speckles to appear in photos taken with some of these cameras, was acknowledged by Leica on 10 December 2014. Since then, the company has been working with its sensor supplier on a long-term technical solution. In the next phase, independent users will be testing the new-generation imagers "in practical situations." After completion and evaluation of this testing phase, Leica will begin replacing the corroded sensors as a "goodwill arrangement." Do note that the free sensor replacement service is only offered for cameras actually affected by the corrosion issue.

InfoParrot have released a new bundle of 10 free "HDR" presets for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. Do note that in order to download the bundle, you first need to "like" or share the InfoParrot page on Facebook / Twitter.

Transcend today announced the Transcend StoreJet 35T3, its latest 3.5" external hard drive featuring storage capacities up to 8TB and USB 3.0 interface. Designed for users with high-capacity requirements, the StoreJet 35T3 delivers real-world transfer rates of up to 200 MB/s, fast enough to transfer a 4.7GB movie in 24 seconds. The new Transcend drive features a unique One Touch auto-backup button that other 3.5-inch external hard drive brands do not include. The One Touch backup system allows users to instantly backup and synchronize data with their notebook or desktop PC. For added value, the StoreJet 35T3 includes a free download of the exclusive Transcend Elite data management software that helps users manage data and increase productivity. With this convenient software, users can easily perform incremental backups, secure confidential information, and much more. Transcend's StoreJet 35T3 external hard drives are available in 3TB, 4TB  and 8TB capacities and carry a three-year limited warranty.

The second in the Mastering your DSLR series by Simon Watkinson, the iBook Mastering DSLR Travel Photography will benefit any photographer wishing to improve their travel photography skills. Simon has been teaching photography for nearly 15 years and has a way with explaining his subject in a simple and easy to understand manner. As well as explaining the techniques and technical aspects of photography this book considers all aspects of travel photography from what equipment to take, how to stay well and planning a trip. There are also tutorials of process techniques in Adobe Lightroom as well a exploring the world of black and white photography. The 200-page iBook is currently available at the discounted price of £2.99/$3.99 - for the Apple iPad and Mac computers only.

Xara have released the latest new version of their creative design and photo editing software, Xara Photo & Graphic Designer. Version 11 adds new Art Brush technology to the Brush Tool, a range of high quality realistic textured brush effects, and the ability to sync files via Dropbox and Google Drive. In the Transparency Tool 5 new W3C standard, web-safe and PDF-safe blend modes have been added - Overlay, Hard Light, Soft Light, Luminosity & Colour. Xara Photo & Graphic Designer 11 costs £49.99/$69.99, and includes two valuable free additions – the Premium version of MAGIX Online Photo Album to share photos with friends and Photolooks 2, a powerful and flexible plug-in (previously sold by Red Giant for $199) that can change the colour and light effects in a photo.

From 1-3 August 2015, the Magnum Print Room will host a three-day Editing & Zine Making Masterclass led by acclaimed contemporary photographer Moises Saman and artist Daria Birang. This workshop is aimed at photographers with completed bodies of work, who require advice on honing editing skills, final image selections, design and layout. Critiques will be conducted both individually and in groups, encouraging confidence building skills and the ability to communicate projects, as well as engaging in peer-to-peer feedback. Each student will come away with 10 printed copies of their zine, printed through a four colour Risograph press. The workshop size is limited to a maximum of 15 students. The course fee is £600.

The Magnum Documentary Photography Course: in association with London College of Communication is a three-week course led by award-winning Magnum photographers Mark Power and Stuart Franklin (pictured). During the course, which will be taking place from 7- 27 August 2015, students will become absorbed in the practice and history of documentary photography and Magnum's legacy and contemporary contribution to it. Magnum and LCC will equip students with the historical and contextual framework required to raise critical thinking about documentary photography, as well as providing technical guidance and tutorial support. Class time will be supported by evening lectures from LCC staff, guest lecturers and a selection of Magnum photographers. The course fee is £3000.

White Knight Press have released their newest camera guide book, Photographer’s Guide to the Nikon Coolpix P900: Getting the Most from Nikon’s Superzoom Digital Camera. This book, by Alexander S. White, is a complete guide to the operation of the Nikon Coolpix P900. Explaining topics such as autofocus, manual focus, HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, ISO sensitivity, memory cards and flash modes; it discusses techniques for using the P900’s superzoom lens to full advantage. The book also explains the camera’s features for remote control and image transfer using a smartphone or tablet with the P900’s built-in Wi-Fi capability, as well as the camera’s features for adding location data to images. The Photographer’s Guide to the Nikon Coolpix P900 is available now for $9.99 in PDF, iPad, and Kindle formats for download through the website below. The paperback version is available now for $24.95 from Amazon.

Meyer Optik USA has launched a Kickstarter campaign to reintroduce the Trioplan f2.8/100 lens, known for its ‘soap bubble’ bokeh and sharp focus. The Trioplan lens was first manufactured in 1916 in Görlitz, as the brainchild of Hugo Meyer. The new lens will also be hand-made in the same city, at the site of the original Meyer Optik company. The updated Trioplan is manufactured using high-end coated glass made by Schott, features an iris diaphragm of 15 steel blades for a near-circular aperture, and comes in Canon, Nikon, Fuji X, Sony-E, MFT and M42 mounts. The optical construction follows a classic triplet design and the image circle has a diameter of 44mm, making the lens suitable for 35mm full-frame cameras. Backers of the campaign can purchase the lens at an early-bird discount price of $899. Delivery is expected for December.

Tamron USA have released a firmware update service for owners of select Tamron lenses who wish to use their lenses on the Canon EOS 5DS or 5DSR cameras. "We have learned that the AF functions of the following interchangeable lenses for Canon do not function in Live View mode when used on the EOS 5Ds and EOS 5DsR  which went on sale in June 2015," the company says. "Firmware update service is already available as this is the same case when EOS Rebel T6s and the EOS Rebel T6i were released." Those who require the firmware update service are advised to consult Tamron's service department.

The next generation of the Polaroid Cube "lifestyle action camera," the WiFi-enabled Polaroid Cube+, made its debut at CE Week 2015. Compatible with iOS and Android devices via the Polaroid Cube+ app, users can sync the camera with their smartphone or tablet to capture and share their 1080p videos and still images instantaneously. The app allows users to control their Polaroid Cube+ lifestyle action camera through their mobile device, or use their device as a viewfinder. Additionally, users can edit, save, print and share their videos and photos instantly from their mobile device using the app. The Polaroid Cube+ will become available in August, priced at $149.

Adobe have reset all 30-day free trial offers for their Creative Cloud applications, including Lightroom and Photoshop CC, to everyone who had already taken advantage of them before the release of Creative Cloud 2015. This enables you to try out all the new features of Lightroom CC 2015 and Photoshop 2015 such as Dehaze, which eliminates fog and haze from photos. To try the new versions you need to download the Creative Cloud utility (if it's not yet installed on your computer), log on to your Adobe account, and click the Try button next to the name of the application(s) you are interested in.

The winnders of the Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year 2015 contest have now been revealed. This year's Environmental Photographer of the Year award and £5,000 cash prize went to Uttam Kamati for his inspiring image ‘Watering Melon’ (above). Kamati’s winning image depicts a husband and wife watering watermelon saplings on the Teesta river bed, in West Bengal, India. The Atkins CIWEM Young Environmental Photographer of the Year 2015 prize of £1,000 has been awarded to Bhar Dipayan, whilst the Atkins CIWEM Environmental Film of the Year of £1,000 goes to environmental and wildlife film-maker Verity White. The Atkins Cityscape Prize of £1,000 went to Michael Theodoric, and Esme Allen has been awarded the Forestry Commission England Exhibition Award for her series entitled ‘Eden Restored - The Mesopotamian Marshes of Iraq.' The award-winning works and over one hundred other high-quality entries can be seen at the Royal Geographical Society in London from 22 June - 10 July 2015

CyberLink have launched their fourth annual “I Love Travel” competition that challenges the creative and editing skills of video enthusiasts from all around the world. The contest invites everyone from novices to experienced editors to create a short film using CyberLink’s PowerDirector video editing software. The film can be about the contestant’s most memorable travel experience, a story deserving to be told, or even a vacation that holds personal significance to the creator. Contestants can download the free trial version of PowerDirector to create their submission. Prizes for the winners include a GoPro Hero 4 Silver camera, an Apple Watch, and an HTC RE camera. The deadline for submissions is 7th September. As with any competition, we recommend that you read the rules before entering your work.

Samsung have posted a major firmware update for their NX500 compact system camera. Version 1.10 brings an array of auto focus improvements for still photography (including better AF performance in low-light and backlit conditions, enhanced Face Detection, a new Zone AF mode, and much more), adds a Pro video recording mode, increases the maximum video bitrate to 70Mb/s, gives users more precise frame capture from 4K movies, adds a new MF responsiveness mode, and increases the maximum movie recording time to 25 minutes. Click through / scroll down for a complete list of improvements.