X-Rite has entered into a long-term partnership with Color Confidence to form X-Rite Photo Europe. The creation of X-Rite Photo Europe establishes a dedicated team, solely focussed on the X-Rite range of photo products, which from July 1st will manage the sales, marketing and support to partners and end user customers across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Russia. X-Rite Photo Europe’s product portfolio includes the ColorMunki range, the i1 range and the ColorChecker line-up. Existing X-Rite partners, and prospective resellers looking to learn more about X-Rite’s photo portfolio, can begin trading with X-Rite Photo Europe immediately.

Multiblitz USA has added Maryland child and newborn photographer Jodie Otte to the Multiblitz Professional Team. “We are extremely excited that one of the most renowned names in newborn photography decided to join the Multiblitz Professional Team,” said Falk Wulms, Director of Sales & Marketing of Multiblitz Germany. “Jodie Otte is one of the leading photographers in the Mid-Atlantic region in the field of newborn photography as well as portrait and senior photography. Pretty much every mother has seen her pictures in recent years. Her work on the Similac Infant Formula campaign was simply stunning.”

Pentax Ricoh Imaging today announced that it is changing its company name to Ricoh Imaging, effective from 1st August. The company has also unveiled its future product brand strategy: both Pentax and Ricoh products will remain in the market with Pentax becoming the brand for all DSLR, interchangeable lens cameras and binoculars, and Ricoh becoming its brand for compact cameras and "new technological innovations."

The fourteenth issue of Adore Noir Magazine is now available for purchase. Adore Noir is a fine art photography magazine available exclusively in digital format. Featuring stunning landscapes by Frang Dushaj, exquisite portraits of American workers by Phil Pantano, strikingly original works of art from the series Traces of Existence by Angela Bacon-Kidwell, excellent and unusual panoramic street photographs by Goran Basarić, and much more; this edition reinforces the magazine’s commitment to high-quality black-and-white imagery. The latest issue of Adore Noir is available for $2.95 from the website below.

Website: Adore Noir

Switronix has unveiled its latest all-in-one power distributor, called the FlyPack. A scaled-down version of the JetPack, the FlyPack features an all-aluminium chassis, with three 1/4-20 threads on the back for easy mounting. Available in two different models (the 5v/7.2v/12v Base model and the 5v/12v/12v FP-212 variant), the FlyPack includes a powertap cable, accepting a power input from 12-17vdc, as well as one USB output, one 5v Lemo output, one 7.2v regulated outputs, and one 12v regulated. The Switronix FlyPack enables you to power a camcorder/dslr, video processing converter and audio recorder, all from one device.

Kenro has announced the UK launch of a new, cost-effective LED macro ring light by Reflecta. The light's 49 LED's (equivalent to 3.4 Watt) and colour temperatures of 6.500K to 5.900K allow for a shadow-free and consistent illumination on the subject. For further creative opportunities, Reflecta has added a 60 degree tilting feature which allows the photographer to get up close and personal to their subject without compromising on light control. The dimmable Reflecta LED Macro Ring Light can be powered by a DC Power Adapter or two AA batteries. Performing at 100%, is has an 80-minute operating time, increasing to 160 minutes at 50%. The new Reflecta LED Macro Ring Light is available now and has a SRP of £84.78.

Lomography UK’s July exhibition, opening this Thursday, will feature work from analogue photographer, Richard Heeps. In his Man’s Ruin collection, Heeps explores retro Americana imagery in vibrant, immediate photos. Working largely with rare, end-of-line films, Heeps travelled the US, capturing this collection on his Mamiya RB67 and Nikon FM2 cameras. On show until 26th July, the exhibition will be hosted by Lomography's East London gallery located at 117 Commercial Street, London, E1 6BG. Open daily from 11am-7pm.

Canon has issued a firmware update for the Canon EOS M compact system camera. Version 2.0.2 incorporates the following fixes and improvements.

1. Improves focusing speed in One-Shot AF mode.
2. Now supports EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM.
3. Corrects errors in the Simplified Chinese, Hungarian, Traditional Chinese and Korean language menus.

*When placing the EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM without conducting the firmware update, although rare, at times the EOS M will not function.

Website: Canon USA Support

Lytro has introduced a new iOS app that allows people to use their iPhone, iPad or iPod touch device to experience and share light field pictures taken with Lytro cameras. The app communicates with Lytro cameras, whose wireless capabilities can be activated with a free software update, letting camera owners preview and upload pictures to Lytro.com directly from their iOS device while on the go, using either a cellular or Wi-Fi network. The Lytro Mobile App is available as a free download from iTunes.

Mobile photo browsing app Linea has been updated to version 3.3 to include direct access to Dropbox. "Photo enthusiasts who need a way to back up their photos, but can never see or find their photos in Dropbox’s non visual folders, can use Linea to organise and view thousands of pictures, pulling images straight from Dropbox to Linea’s mobile app," the company says. "We realise photo enthusasts are pained with storage and organisation woes on a daily basis. Uploading photos from Dropbox means your photos remain backed up while they are organised automatically in a visually compelling line to be shared with friends and family.” Linea is available as a free download from the App Store.

Via its official blog, Carl Zeiss has announced that it "will... label its lenses differently: Carl Zeiss will become ZEISS." Throughout its long history, Carl Zeiss has used various labels on its lenses. From the 1920s, the moniker "Carl Zeiss Jena" would appear on a variety of its products. After WW2, some of the company's employees established a new factory in Oberkochen, West Germany, and adopted a new label with the inscription "Carl Zeiss," while the East German factory located in Jena continued to brand its products "Carl Zeiss Jena." After several, often long-winded international lawsuits, the West German factory dropped the founder's first name, Carl, from its logo; while in the US - where the Oberkochen-based company was granted exclusive use of the name "Carl Zeiss" - the East German factory's produts were relabelled "aus Jena." The reunification of Germany brought about a merger of the two Zeiss firms, and a new company logo was created - but the branding of the photographic lenses continued to differ from that of the firm's other products (such as eyeglasses and microscopes). Now the company decided that it will use only the ZEISS logo on the front ring of its lenses. "The changeover for the lenses will take place at the family level: existing lens families will not be changed after-the-fact, but future families will be labelled with ZEISS," the company said in a statement. "The first family to introduce this change is the ZEISS Touit lenses."

The third issue of the recently revived English/French language Camera magazine will be available from 4th July. This edition showcases a portfolio of photographs taken by the up-and-coming American photographer Brea Souders. “She speaks a poignant, sophisticated yet lovely language throughout the images which completely feels original and personal," says South-Korean artist Ina Jang, whose work is also featured in the magazine. The 76-page magazine is available in print form, priced at €9.00 (or €12.50 including shipping if purchased online). You can order your copy through the website below, starting 4th July.

Kenro is offering photographers an exclusive deal when purchasing the Nissin MG8000 Extreme Flash Gun together with the PS 8 Power Pack. Compatible with the E-TTL, E-TTL II (Canon) and i-TTL (Nikon) systems, the Nissin MG8000 Extreme features the world's highest "Machine Gun" strobe, and boasts an impressive recycle time of just three seconds for the first 200 shots, and then five to seven seconds for subsequent frames. The Nissin PS 8 Power Pack (pictured) features a redesigned core circuit that reduces the heat produced, and an exclusive battery cartridge design, which greatly increases the battery capability whilst also helping to decrease its overall weight to 761 grams. The Nissin MG 8000 and PS 8 Power Pack bundle deal is available now and has a suggested retail price of £570 (incl VAT), in comparison to an SRP of £621 combined (incl VAT) when purchasing both items separately.

Olympus have just released update 2.0 for their image sharing app OI.Share. The free app allows images taken on a compatible Olympus camera (using a FlashAir memory card) to be shared without the need for cables or waiting until you get home and in front of a PC. More importantly, OI.Share gives forthcoming owners of the new PEN E-P5 the ability to control the camera wirelessly using the PEN's built-in Wi-Fi. Version 2.0 makes the app available to Android users.

TeoreX has updated its Batch Inpaint software to Version 2.0. This application allows removing or retouching undesirable objects pretty much like its flagship cousin Inpaint does, and offers means to process multiple photos at once. Version 2.0 features a whole new look with a simpler and more accessible interface. Batch Inpaint 2.0 also features several new selection tools (Lasso, Polygonal Lasso, Magic Wand), and provides better overall stability and improved performance. Available for Windows XP or higher and for Max OS X 10.7 or higher, Batch Inpaint 2.0 sells for $19.99.

The Photographer’s Guide to the Canon PowerShot S110: Getting the Most from Canon’s Pocketable Digital Camera is a new title from White Knight Press. This guide book explains all operations, features, menus, and controls of the Canon PowerShot S110 camera, providing information about how to accomplish things with the camera as well as when and why to use certain features. More than 300 photographs, almost all in full color, illustrate the camera’s controls and menus and include examples of the photographs that can be taken using the S110’s many options. In addition, the book goes beyond the realm of everyday photography with introductions to topics such as infrared photography, street photography, and using the raw format. The book is available as a 411-page paperback for $24.95, and as an e-book priced at $9.99.

Manfrotto and Gitzo have just launched a new promotion offering birdwatchers the chance to improve their arsenal of birding kit. Running until 31st August 2013, this new offer enables any UK resident to get 5% off the purchase of selected Gitzo and Manfrotto birdwatching supports, plus free shipping. There are no restrictions on the number of purchases per customer, but the offer cannot be combined with any other online promotions. For more information, visit one of the websites below.