Fuji has issued firmware updates for a number of its compact system cameras. Available for the Fujifilm X-A1, X-E1, X-E2, X-M1 and X-Pro1 models, the latest upgrade improves auto exposure (and, with the X-E2, auto focus) accuracy with the XF56mm f1.2 R lens.

Website: Fujifilm X-A1 Firmware Version 1.10
Website: Fujifilm X-E1 Firmware Version 2.20
Website: Fujifilm X-E2 Firmware Version 1.20
Website: Fujilfilm X-Pro1 Firmware Version 3.20
Website: Fujifilm X-M1 Firmware Version 1.10

Samsung Electronics America has officially announced availability and pricing details for the new Samsung Galaxy Camera 2. Unveiled in the run-up to this year's Consumer Electronics Show, the Galaxy Camera 2's upgrades include a faster 1.6GHz Quad Core processor, 2.0 GB of RAM, enhanced battery life, Android 4.3 and NFC connectivity. The Samsung Galaxy Camera 2 will be available from mid-March at a retail price of $449.99.

Flowers Gallery (21 Cork Street,London W1S 3lZ) will host the first European exhibition of South Korean photographer Boomoon. Comprising selected works from his series Sansu, Naksan, Northscape and On the Clouds, Boomoon’s debut UK exhibition will be accompanied by a new catalogue published by Flowers with text by Charlotte Cotton. A monograph published by Nazraeli press (£32) illustrating 33 works from the Naksan series will also be available. The exhibition opens on 26th February and runs until 5th April.

BeatTheBrochure has announced its very first photo competition, A Colourful World. Offering a range of prizes from a digital camera, discounts on BeatTheBrochure holidays, as well as vouchers for Ticketmaster and Love2Shop, the photo contest allows entrants to share their favourite, and most colourful, holiday photos.  All entries will be showcased across the BeatTheBrochure site and its platforms, Google+, Facebook and Twitter. The deadline for submissions is 15 March 2014.

Following a similar announcement made by its UK sister company, Samsung Electronics America today revealed availability and pricing details for the Samsung NX30 compact system camera.  The traditionally-styled NX30 features a 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor, tiltable electronic viewfinder, 3.0-inch Super AMOLED swivel and touch display, 1/8000 sec maximum shutter speed, 9fps continuous shooting, and NFC and Wi-Fi capabilities. In the United States, the NX30 will be available from mid-March, at an MSRP of $999.99.

Toshiba has launced a 13-megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor that allows smartphones and tablets to record full HD video at 240 equivalent frames per second. The Toshiba "T4K82" imager incorporates “Bright Mode” technology that boosts imaged brightness up to four times, and adopts a newly developed low power circuit design that reduces power consumption to 82% that of “T4K37”, a 13-megapixel sensor in mass production. Sampling is scheduled to start in March.

The 2014 UK National Photography Awards are now open for submissions. Entries are welcome in any genre, giving those in both wide and more niche sectors of the industry an opportunity to gain exposure and recognition for their work. Entries are judged each month and those achieving top marks will receive national award winning status, at bronze, silver, gold or diamond level. This year's categories include: Wedding, Portrait, Wildlife, Landscape, Sports, Newborn, Travel, Boudoir & Glamour, Fashion, Advertising, Equestrian and Astronomy. There is also a 'Young Photographer of the Year' category, for entrants aged between 12-17 and a 'Judges' Choice Award' for images that do not fall into any of the other categories. For more information, and to enter the competition, visit the website below.

World Press Photo (WPP) has issued a statement regarding the possible conflict of interest in awarding the World Press Photo of the Year 2013 to John Stanmeyer. Both Stanmeyer and general jury chair Gary Knight are founding members of VII Photo Agency - a fact that has sparked a debate in the global professional photographic community.."World Press Photo affirms that the two-week judging process culminating in the selection of Stanmeyer’s photo was conducted according to procedures established over a 57-year history that are specifically designed to ensure the integrity of the awards," WPP says. "World Press Photo has total confidence in its judging process and how it was applied this year. We trust absolutely in the integrity of our chairs and jurors and we honor the selections they have made."

Milk Tailor Made Books have released MILK Photo Books for iPad, an application combining "a smart book-making experience with uncompromising production values that result in a beautifully crafted book, made the old-fashioned way." The MILK Books app is free to download and enables users to create and print their own customised photobooks simply and easily directly from their iPad. It is available now at the iTunes store.

Founded by Thomas Max, Captoria is an iOS-based social media platform that allows you to capture iconic moments of every-day life and shares them on a global scale; allowing multiple users to capture and share their perspective of it. " Whether it’s a national headline event, a restaurant visit or the BAFTA’s you can freeze the moment in one simple space that is globally accessible by everyone, on a live platform," Thomas says. "Offering a whole new dimension to photo sharing, Captoria allows you to visit or revisit the moment and enjoy it all over again from someone else’s perspective." The Captoria application is available as a free download on the iTunes App Store.

Alamy today launched Stockimo, an iPhone app that "turns smartphone photos into cash." By signing up to Stockimo, users will be able to upload and tag their iPhone photos. Uploads are reviewed by photo experts before going on sale on Alamy and through its established global sales and distribution network. Until 30th April, any user that registers with Stockimo will earn a commission of 40% on all sales (in the future the standard deal will pay 20%). The app is designed for the iPhone 4S and above and is available worldwide as a free download on the iTunes App Store.

Canon U.S.A. have issued a product advisory to PowerShot ELPH 330HS owners. According to the company there is a possibility that the following operation errors may occur due to insufficient contact between the camera’s battery terminal and the battery, even when the battery has sufficient power remaining: 1) the camera does not turn on, 2) the warning 'Charge the battery' appears immediately after turning on the camera, 3) the camera turns off during use.  If you own an affected unit, contact Canon's Customer Support Center to have your camera and battery inspected free of charge.

Panasonic will be exhibiting its newly announced GH4 compact system camera for the first time in the UK at The Photography Show, taking place from 1st-4th March at the Birmingham NEC. The most advanced camera yet in Panasonic’s series of Lumix G cameras, the Lumix DMC-GH4 boasts a Four Thirds sized image sensor and 4K video capability in a compact and durable chassis .In addition to the much-anticipated GH4, Panasonic’s 4K themed stands (G50 and G60) will also showcase its Lumix G series CSCs, Lumix compacts and HD camcorders. Click through / read on for the stands' detailed programme.

The 18th issue of Adore Noir Magazine is now available for purchase. Adore Noir is a fine art photography magazine available exclusively in digital format. Featuring female portraits and nudes by Juul de Vries, images of a post-industrial England by John Claridge, works from E. E. McCollum's Cocoon series, photographs from Mark Sadan's Dancer portfolio, ethereal landscapes by Ludmila Espiaube, and much more; this edition reinforces the magazine’s commitment to high-quality black-and-white Photography. The latest issue of Adore Noir is available for $2.95 from the website below.

Website: Adore Noir

Gitzo has launched a new tripod collection. The redesigned Mountaineer tripods have been developed to incorporate the latest Gitzo technology which increases rigidity and improves performance. "The new tubing optimises fibre composition for each tube size, including HM (High Modulus) carbon fibre composition (a denser fibre made up of finer individual fibres) in the narrower tubes. Carbon eXact tubes have larger diameters that strengthen the tripods even further, particularly the narrower tubes used for the lower leg sections," the company says. Mountaineer tripods are available from the lightweight and compact Series 0, up to the sturdiest Series 3, with the collection comprising 13 products. For more information, visit the website below.

Last year, 'selfie' was officially named the Oxford Dictionaries' word of the year - now it's time to learn the phrase 'petsie.' A recent survey conducted by Samsung Digital Imaging shows that Brits are literally "obsessed with taking and sharing more photos of our furry friends than of our own friends and family." 63% of pet-owners in the UK confess to taking photos of their pets on a regular basis, with 62% of respondents admitting to frequently taking photos of their dogs, 52% of their cats, 8% of their rabbits and 4% even taking ‘petsies’ of their guinea pigs. In a sign of the social world in which we now live, nearly two thirds (62%) of people admit to regularly uploading and sharing photos of their pets on Facebook and Twitter, with a further 16% revealing that half of the photos they upload onto Facebook are of their pets. To celebrate Britain’s love of dogs and the growing ‘petsie’ phenomenon, Samsung Digital Imaging has launched an online search to find Britain’s best ‘petsies’. To take part in the Petsie Awards, all you have to do is upload the coolest picture of your pet dog on Facebook by visiting the website below.