Corel has just released Corel VideoStudio Pro X5, the newest version of its video editing software, featuring screen recording and HTML5 authoring capabilities, multi-core acceleration, and advanced video compositing. “HTML5 offers a lot of possibilities for consumers who aspire to see their videos integrated onto web sites. Since HTML5 video can be played natively within any browser, it offers a much more robust, flexible solution for developers who have been constrained by funneling content through plug-ins,” said Rob Enderle, President and Principal Analyst of the Enderle Group. “VideoStudio Pro X5 is a pioneer in its category because it marks the first time we’re seeing HTML5 video creation placed in the hands of consumers.” Additionally, VideoStudio Pro X5 provides new support for Canon DSLR cameras for creating stop-motion animations. Users can connect their Live View compatible DSLR to their PC or laptop with a USB cable.

Corel VideoStudio Pro X5 is available immediately as an electronic download. Box versions will be available from Corel’s global resellers after 21 March 2012. Suggested retail pricing is £59.99.

Professional photo printing lab theprintspace has announced that it will host the awards ceremony & exhibition of the Professional Photographer of the Year (PPOTY) 2011 Awards. Organised by Professional Photographer Magazine, the competition was open to digital submissions by photographers from the UK and those across the globe, and there were 13 different categories to compete in, such as The Wild World, Street Photography, Still Life and Breaking the Mould. At the awards ceremony, a winner and runner-up will be appointed in each category as well as an overall winner, who will receive the Professional Photographer of the Year title. In addition, the best portfolio will also be recognised and awarded. The exhibition will run from Thursday 22nd March until Wednesday 11th April, at theprintspace gallery on 74 Kingsland Road, London.

Apple today introduced the new iPad, featuring a 9.7-inch Retina display with 2048x1536 pixels, new dual-core A5X chip with quad-core graphics, and a 5-megapixel camera. The new display boasts a resolution of 264 pixels per inch (ppi), up from 132ppi in the iPad 2. The integrated “iSight” camera module features a five-element f/2.4 lens and a BSI sensor as well as digital image stabilisation for capturing shake-free Full HD (1080p/30fps) movies. The new iPad Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white on Friday, 16th March for a suggested retail price of £399 including VAT for the 16GB model, £479 for the 32GB variant and £559 for the 64GB version. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G will be available for a suggested retail price of £499 (16GB), £579 (32GB) and £659 for the 64GB model.

The winners of the February 2012 Photography Blog Competition have been announced. The theme for February was “Friends” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
A lifelong friendship by miliu

Prize: X-Rite ColourChecker Passport
Kindly donated by X-Rite
http://www.xritephoto.com/

DxO Labs have announced the immediate availability of DxO FilmPack 3.2 for Mac and Windows. This version adds full support for 64-bit environments and the ability to process very large files of up to 200 megapixels. Additionally, it brings major improvements in speed - the software starts up almost instantaneously, and image processing is up to two times faster than in version 3.1 - and adds full compatibility with Photoshop CS3, CS4, CS5, Photoshop Elements 9 and 10, and Aperture 3. .

As part of its current contemporary black & white photography exhibition, No Place Like Home – Photographs by Judah Passow, the Jewish Museum London has announced an upcoming Photography Masterclass. The museum’s four-week documentary photography course kicks off on Sunday, 15th April. The cost of attendance is £150 including free entry to the galleries. Advance registration is required.

SmugMug has announced that its free iPhone app Camera Awesome has been downloaded over 2 million times in less than a week. This app enables users to capture images faster, and offers features like a built-in electronic level and the ability to focus on one spot and set exposure on another. Additionally, it allows for a wide range of one-tap adjustments including filters, borders and special effects. Photos can then be shared via email, or uploaded to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, SmugMug, Flickr, Picasa and Photobucket.

Following news that Hasselblad H4D medium format cameras will ship with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom from March 12, an update announcement reveals the software will be Adobe’s latest version, Lightroom 4. Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad Global Sales and Marketing Director said: “Integrating the Adobe platform with Hasselblad is a ground-breaking step. Changing platforms is always a challenge for time-starved photographers and digital operators but now all users can have the excellence of a Hasselblad image file married to the functionality and ease of use of Adobe Lightroom.”

Canon USA has announced the Canon Pixma MX892 Wireless All-In-One (AIO) printer. This print, copy, scan and fax machine has a variety of connectivity options for easy printing of documents and images from the cloud and other compatible portable devices. For those registered with Google’s PicasaWeb Albums, there is Pixma Cloud Link so users can print photos directly from their online albums. The printer also provides direct access to a wide range of printable templates, such as stationary and calendars, so photographers can get creative with their images, the company says. Additionally, the Canon Pixma MX892 Wireless Office AIO printer will also have 802.11n wireless capability allowing for a high-speed network transfer rate and easy sharing on a network. The will have an estimated selling price of $199.99.

Nik Software has announced that all of the company’s image editing plug-ins have been updated to ensure full compatibility with the newly released Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4. The updates are available now free-of-charge to registered customers from the website below.

Website: Nik Software

BRASSAÏ: Paris by Night is a high-quality reproduction of the Hungarian photographer’s now-legendary and extremely rare first book of photographs. Born as Gyula Halász in the Transylvanian city of Brassó, Brassaï moved to Paris in 1924 and quickly became part of the avant-garde artist community. It was around this time that he began to teach himself photography. Fascinated by the city’s night-life, Brassaï photographed prostitutes, policemen and other typical characters as well as empty Parisian streets. His works were first published in 1932 in a book entitled “Paris de Nuit”. This reproduction, published by Flammarion, includes 64 duotone illustrations in a 96-page hardover format, available for $45 in the US and $51 in Canada.

Version 6.7 Release Candidate of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is now available. This update adds support for a number of new cameras, including the Canon EOS 1D X, EOS 5D Mark III, PowerShot G1 X and PowerShot S100V, the Fujifilm FinePix F505EXR, F605EXR, HS30EXR and X-S1, as well as the Nikon D4, D800 and D800E. Additionally, the list of supported lenses has been expanded with a number of Leica, Sigma, Tamron and Tokina lenses. A Release Candidate label indicates that this update is well tested but would benefit from additional community testing before it is distributed automatically to all of Adobe’s customers.

Website: Adobe Labs

The Focus on Imaging 2012 photography show, being held this week in Birmingham, UK, has proven to be very popular indeed. Despite the dire state of the economy, photographers have been attracted by major new products from Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus, Sigma and Tamron, not to mention the likes of LowePro, Wacom, Samyang, Gitzo and Tokina. Retailers like CameraWorld and Jacobs were also swamped with people looking for a show bargain - the Panasonic GF3 compact system camera complete with a 14-42mm kit lens for just £199 caught our eye. The last day of Focus 2012 is tomorrow, so you still have the chance to pay a visit.

Failing that, if you can’t make the show in person, then simply sit back and enjoy our extensive gallery of photos of some of the key products of Focus on Imaging 2012.

In addition to the incredibly popular 5D Mark III, Canon were also showcasing the flagship EOS-1D X DLSR and some of their new compact camera models at Focus 2012.

We caught up with the new PowerShot SX40 HS, SX260 HS, SX240 HS, the waterproof D20 and the IXUS 510 HS. In addition, the 200-400mm f/4 L lens made a brief appearance behind closed doors, apparently one of only two such lenses in the world.

Want to see exactly what the new Sigma SD1, DP2 and DP1 Merrill cameras look like in the flesh?

The Sigma SD1 is a rebranded and crucially much cheaper version of the original SD1 DSLR, while the brand new DP2 and DP1 Merrill are compact cameras with fixed 30mm and 19mm lenses that incorporate the same 46 megapixel Foveon sensor as the SD1.

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the Sigma SD1, DP2 and DP1 Merrill cameras.

The integrated photo book module within Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 is the result of close co-operation between Adobe and Blurb, the latter said in a statement. The integration offers a seamless experience by providing the tools to create professional-quality photography books, coupled with a direct link to Blurb.com for printing, marketing and distribution. “The Lightroom 4 integration has enabled us to reach a whole new set of professional and enthusiast photographers who are just now discovering Blurb for the first time,” said Eileen Gittins, founder and CEO of Blurb. “The feedback from this discriminating group has been consistent: they are blown away by the quality we offer.” Users will automatically receive a 20% discount on their first Blurb book created within - and ordered through - Lightroom 4. This offer is valid through 31 December 2012.

Adobe has just released Lightroom 4 for MacOS and Windows. Major enhancements versus the previous version include refined technology for superior shadow and highlight processing, the ability to create photo books, additional local adjustment controls, and enhanced video support. Now, native video support gives photographers the capability to play, trim and extract frames from video clips shot on DSLRs, point-and-shoot cameras and smartphones. Video-specific presets and many standard Lightroom image adjustment controls can be applied to video clips, and adjusted videos can be exported as a H.264 file or published directly to Facebook or Flickr. The estimated street price of Adobe Lightroom 4 is $149 for new users or $79 for upgrades. In the UK, Lightroom 4 is now available for £86.57 ex VAT for the full version and £49.24 ex VAT for the upgrade. A Student and Teacher edition is available for £49.24 ex VAT.

The Honestech nScreen Deluxe device enables users to stream videos and images stored on their PCs, laptops, smartphones and tablets to a TV, monitor or projector using a wireless network. The device works with Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7 systems.  An update that supports Mac OS for streaming and mirroring will be available later this month. The Honestech nScreen Deluxe can be purchased for £129.99 including VAT from Amazon UK. The scope of delivery includes a HDMI cable to connect the nScreen Deluxe to your HDTV set. Free mobile apps are available in the Android Market and iTunes.