Nikon has posted firmware updates for its new Nikon 1 J1 and Nikon 1 V1 compact system cameras. Version 1.10 adds a pixel mapping function and support for the FT-1 adapter that enables users to attach F-mount lenses to these cameras. You can download the firmware updates from the websites below.

Website: Nikon 1 J1 Firmware Update 1.10
Website: Nikon 1 V1 Firmware Update 1.10

iLightningCam 1.2 allows you to capture a lightning strike using the 8-megapixel camera of the Apple iPhone 4S. In full-resolution mode, the app builds on the increased speed of capture offered by the iPhone 4s, which “should capture almost all lightning strikes within range”, the developer says (the app works on the iPhone 4 too, but fast lightning strikes might be missed “due to hardware limitations”). iLighningCam 1.2 also works in video mode, where it analyses the footage and grabs the frame in which the lightning occurs and saves it - along with the next one - as a JPEG with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels on the iPhone 4 and 1920x1080 pixels on the 4S. The app is available on iTunes for $0.99.

Ecce Terram has launched a new photo book app for Facebook. The application enables members of the social network to create and order photo books from their favourite photo services provider, using photos stored in their Facebook albums. Order processing is handled by Ecce Terram’s Photo2Lab CentralHub middleware. For large retail chains with the Photo2Lab infrastructure already in place, configuration and deployment of the new app to work with their existing order processing system can be completed within a matter of days, the company says. Facebook members who log in to the Share Your Photostory app can simply select one of their albums, choose a background colour and pick the photos they want to include in their photo book, add some text, define the sort order and determine the cover image, and order the book, without ever leaving Facebook.

AKVIS has released version 4.0 of its NatureArt image manipulation software. Described by its developers as “an excellent tool for imitating the magnificence of natural phenomena”, AKVIS NatureArt lets photographers choose from up to eight nature effects including ice, frost, rain, water, lightning, clouds, fire and Sun. The new version makes it possible to apply an effect to a transparent area, adds new presets to the Sun and lightning effects, and includes an improved, more realistic version of the fire effect. AKVIS NatureArt is available in two editions, including a standalone version and a plug-in to a photo editor. The program sells for $72 USD for Home version (either Plugin or Standalone, 6 effects), $129 USD for Home Deluxe (Plugin and Standalone, 8 effects), $189 USD for Business (Plugin and Standalone, 8 effects, for commercial use).

Adobe has released the final versions of Lightroom 3.6 and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) 6.6. Previously available as “release candidates”, these updates add support for new cameras including the Nikon 1 V1 and J1, the Canon Powershot S100, the Fujifilm X10, the Leica V-Lux 3, the Ricoh GR Digital IV, the Sony NEX-7, the Panasonic GX1 and the Samsung NX200 and NX5 (pictured). They also contain various bug fixes.

Website: Adobe Software Updates

Sigma has just announced the release of the PG-31 power grip for the Sigma SD1 digital SLR camera. Measuring 156mmx72mmx77mm, the Sigma PG-31 vertical grip can accommodate up to two BP-21 lithium-ion batteries for extended battery life, and features a shutter release for easier shooting in portrait orientation. Availability is slated for January, SRP to be announced.

The winners of the international Travel Photographer of the Year 2011 competition have been announced. The overall winner is Louis Montrose of the USA - an Elizabethan scholar and former professor at the University of California -, who has received the award for his two striking, and very different, portfolios; one documenting life in a painted village in Burkina Faso and the other depicting the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival in Oaxaca, Mexico. Mr Montrose will be given a unique personal showcase within the exhibition at the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in the summer of 2012. In addition he’ll receive a £1,000 cash bursary, plus Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium 5.5 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 software, a Plastic Sandwich personalised leather iPad portfolio case, complete with iPad2, and a Lexar Professional 600x 32GB CompactFlash memory card + Lexar Professional Dual-Slot USB 3.0 card Reader.

Chrome Industries have launched a photo contest, entitled “‘I’m A McKenzie, You’re A McKenzie”. Interested photographers are invited to visit and “like” the Facebook fan page of Chrome Bags, and email a picture of a friend that most closely resembles Bob or Doug McKenzie from the film, ‘Strange Brew’. “We’re talking winter truck stop beanies, hunting caps, flannel and charm,” says Corinne Avganim of Chrome Industries. The submission deadline is Thursday, 15th December, and the main prize is a Nikon D300 and a Chrome Niko pro camera bag.

Nik Software’s first-ever mobile app, Snapseed, has been named by Apple as iPad app of the year in the company’s App Store Rewind 2011. Introduced half a year ago and featuring the company’s award-winning U Point technology, Snapseed enables users to apply a wide variety of innovative filters to their photos including Grunge, Vintage and Drama. “It’s very rewarding for our entire team to have Snapseed for iPad recognized as the number one app available for iPad, having released Snapseed just 6 months ago,” said Michael J. Slater, President and CEO of Nik Software. “We look forward to bringing Snapseed’s powerful, fun photo experience to the desktop and other devices as we continue to grow Snapseed.”

X-Rite has released several free downloadable software updates including ColorMunki Display software, i1Profiler software and i1Profiler D2LionEdition software for i1Display LT and i1Display 2 colour calibration devices. Click through / read on for a detailed description of these updates.

At CES 2012, Parkside is introducing a new line of LensPen cleaning products featuring a brand new, stylish design. The new LensPens use the same special carbon compound, cleaning tip and natural goat hair brush that’s found in the old ones, but sport a completely new look and state-of-the-art packaging. For more information on LensPen products, visit the website below.

The BenQ GH700 is a 16-megapixel camera with a 21x zoom lens and a 1/2.3-type Sony BSI CMOS sensor. Capable of shooting 16-megapixel stills as well as 1080p/60fps Full HD videos, the BenQ GH700 comes equipped with a 25-525mm equivalent zoom lens featuring aspherical and low-dispersion lens elements and nano-scale anti-reflection coating. The camera also offers a selection of Program, Manual and Scene modes, a pop-up flash, 1cm super-macro mode, optical image stabilisation and a 3-inch, 460,000-dot rear screen. The BenQ GH700 carries a recommended retail price of €200.

The BenQ GH600 is a 16-megapixel camera with 25-525mm equivalent zoom lens. Unlike its stablemate the BenQ GH700, the GH600 shoots 720p rather than 1080p video. uses a CCD rather than a BSI CMOS sensor, and features Tv and Av shooting modes in addtion to P and M. Otherwise the two models are quite similar, sharing the same 21x zoom lens, optical image stabilisation and 3” rear screen with a resolution of 460,000 dots. The BenQ GH600 is available in white and black colours.

The free Kodak Document Print App allows you to send images and documents from your Android device directly to any Kodak all-in-one printer that is registered with, and connected to, Google Cloud Print. Supported file types include JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP, GIF, PDF, PowerPoint slideshows, web pages and Word documents. In addition to printing files that are located locally on your Android smartphone or tablet, files can be accessed on Google Docs, Dropbox and Evernote sites. Web pages can be accessed using the KODAK Document Print App’s built-in browser.

iStockphoto has recently unveiled a new referral programme that rewards participants with their choice of $20, 20 credits or 20 percent commission on all first-time purchases by customers they generate. The programme is open to all iStockphoto members and participation is simple. The agency is providing several plug-and-play email templates and banner ads or participants can create their own. They can also promote the program via social sharing links to Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin found below every iStock image. Any time a participant shares an image, their referral code is automatically embedded. If the share results in a new sale, payment is awarded. Customers who have been participating in the existing referral programme simply have to agree to the new terms and conditions and update their links to continue earning payouts. For more information, visit the website below.

The new USB-IF Audio/Video Device Class Specification supports the transfer of A/V data over USB to a wide variety of A/V devices, including cell phones, cameras, pico projectors, webcams, large HD displays and TVs. “The USB-IF is thrilled to have added the USB Audio/Visual Device Class Definition to its robust set of specifications,” said Jeff Ravencraft, USB-IF President & COO. “This addition further establishes USB as an all-inclusive, comprehensive solution for manufacturers and consumers, while maintaining the affordability and ease-of-use that have made USB so successful.”

Adobe has issued the call for entries for the 12th annual Adobe Design Achievement Awards (ADAA). The competition recognises the best student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers and computer artists from higher education institutions worldwide who have created innovative projects using Adobe software. Free to enter, the 2012 ADAA will be judged by a panel of international design experts in three independent judging sessions. Submission deadlines are 27 January, 27 April, and 22 June 2012.

The Photo Imaging Council (PIC) has announced that its members have pledged £100,000 in sponsorship to support National Photography Month, a major new initiative to be held across the UK in June 2012.  The first such initiative of its kind in the UK, National Photography Month aims to encourage the nation both to get more involved in photography and to explore new ways to ‘capture and keep’ life’s most important moments. Organised by the PIC and Photo Marketing Association, the initiative is supported by organisations from the photographic community including the Royal Photographic Society and National Geographic.