Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) is reminding interested photographers that the deadline for entries for the 2011 competition is getting closer and closer. TPOTY 2011 has four portfolio categories – Cultures & Traditions, Exotic, Natural Elements and Spirit of Adventure – two single image categories, Wild Moments and Work, Rest, Play, plus a New Talent award, Diary of a Destination, for students or those looking to kick-start a career in photography. For younger photographers there’s Young TPOTY, with awards for 14 and under and 15-18 age groups. The submission deadline is 9th October.

Adobe has announced Adobe Carousel, a set of photo viewing, browsing and editing applications and cloud-based storage service for MacOS and iOS. “Setting up Adobe Carousel is easy,” Adobe says. “Customers will just download the apps, set up a subscription plan on their iPhone and iPad, and they are ready to go.” When users import their photo library into Adobe Carousel, or take new photos using Carousel on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch, those photos become automatically accessible on any supported device through Adobe’s cloud-based smart mesh technology. Once imported, any edits, deletions or additions to the library made on one device are automatically updated across all devices linked with the account. The Adobe Carousel apps will be available later this month. Through 31 January 2012, Adobe plans to offer Carousel for a special introductory price of US$59.99/year or US$5.99/month. Anyone subscribing at that price will be able to renew at that same price for an additional two years. At the conclusion of the introductory offer, Adobe Carousel will be US$99.99/year or US$9.99/month.

Fujifilm Japan has announced the discontinuation of several film products. The decision concerns Fujichrome Sensia III 100 (35mm, both 24- and 36-exposure rolls), Fujichrome T64 (35mm, 36 exposures), Astia 100F (120, 220, 4"x5”, 8"x10” and 4"x5” quickload versions), Velvia 100F (4"x5” quickload type only; note that Velvia 100F is a different emulsion to Velvia 100, which remains in production), Fujicolor Pro 160NC (in 4"x5” and 4"x5” quickload versions) and Fujifilm Neopan SS (35mm, 36 exposures).

Source: Fujifilm Japan

Nik Software has just announced its Color Efex Pro 4 filter suite offering up to 55 different filter effects, stackable filter combinations and visual presets. New effects include Detail Extractor, Vintage Film Efex, and Image Borders. The release also includes a new History Browser, improvements to imaging algorithms, greater performance, and enhanced usability. Color Efex Pro 4 will be available directly from Nik Software in October 2011. The Color Efex Pro 4 Complete Edition contains all 55 filters with a suggested retail price of $199.95. The Color Efex Pro 4 Select Edition contains 26 filters with an SRP of $99.95.

Corel has released PaintShop Pro X4, the latest version of its award-winning photo editing software. Claimed to deliver “dramatic improvements in speed and performance”, Corel PaintShop Pro X4 includes over 75 new and enhanced features - such as a completely redesigned HDR engine -, enhancements to the user interface and convenient ways to share through social media. PaintShop Pro X4 is available now in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Dutch and Polish for £59.99 including VAT.

Nikon has announced a new, red version of the Nikon D3100 digital SLR camera. Featuring the same 14.2-megapixel sensor, Guide mode and Full HD video recording capability as the original D3100, the red version is Nikon’s first foray into the realm of colourful DSLRs. Aimed at families and young photographers, the red Nikon D3100 will be available across Europe and the US starting 22nd September.

Review: Read our in-depth review of the Nikon D3100

Want to see what the new Kodak Hero printers look like in the flesh?

Here’s a gallery of hands-on photos of the four Kodak Hero printers, which claim to offer the cheapest running costs on the market.

Kodak have launched the new Hero all-in-one printer range. The Kodak Hero printers are all wireless compatible and are Google Cloud Print Ready and KODAK Email Print Ready. There are four models in the new Hero line-up - the HERO 5.1, HERO 7.1 and HERO 9.1, and the KODAK OFFICE HERO 6.1, with prices ranging from £99 to £199.

Redrock Micro has announced the immediate availability of microTies, an accessory for managing all cables on video camera or HDSLR rigs. “microTies work with almost all cables (video, audio, power, data) and reduce the chance of snags, accidental disconnects or cable fatigue due to bending or repeated insertions,” the company says. Available now, microTies are sold in a pack of three for $24.50.

Iridient Digital has released RAW developer 1.9.2 for MacOS X. This update adds support for a number of new digital cameras including the Nikon D5100, Olympus E-P3 / E-PL3, Panasonic G3 / GF3, Pentax Q, Sasmung NX11, Sigma DP2x, Sony NEX-C3 / NEX-5N / SLT-A35 / SLT-A65 / SLT-A77, plus the Leaf Aptus-II 12 medium-format digital back and the Ricoh GXR Leica Mount Module. Non-raw DNG format images, including DNG files from many scanners, are also supported in the new version.

Using an approach similar to that of Vimeo/YouTube, SoundCloud and Scribd, a new service called Picuous allows people to present their pictures in an interactive HTML5 player that makes it easy for their audience to share them with one-click simplicity. At the same time, the photographers are provided with detailed traffic statistics so they can keep track of their pictures online. “Some plateforms, such as Tumblr, already have picture “reblogging” and “liking” features,” says Martin Pannier, Cofounder & CEO, Picuous. “In fact, half of the the 14 million daily posts on Tumblr are picture posts, and these posts are the most shared, reblogged, and commented upon. But these features are only available inside the platforms, while Picuous makes them available cross-platform.”

The British Journal of Photography (BJP) is now available free as a quarterly app, created bespoke for the Apple iPad. “The BJP app gives readers the highlight features of our print editions together with extra features, photos and a raft of new multimedia and video content, including a moving image cover created by New York-based artists Reed+Rader,” BJP says. The first issue, available now on iTunes, includes exclusive interviews, a special report on the role of photojournalism since 9/11, a trend report on the new fashion for “character culture”, a Q&A with legendary South African photographer David Goldblatt, and more.

Reallusion has just released Visualize; an iPad app that “combines the power of free-hand cutouts, visual templates and layered compositing”. The program creates instant PNG cutouts by importing and editing images directly from the iPad camera or the Internet. Cutouts may then be saved in the onboard gallery folders, to expand the current collection, or be retouched for further layering and compositing. Visualize sells for $2.99 on iTunes, with a trial version available for free.

CineStories’ upcoming Get In Motion Tour teaches photographers how to leverage digital SLR technology for filmmaking. Participants will learn to make Web commercials, wedding videos, birth-announcement films, family movies, and more. The Tour, which has 37 stops in cities across the US and Canada, will also teach you how to record your audio properly and how to mix it in post productions. Tickets start at $49 with a $10 discount if using the coupon code BLOGVID. For more information including exact dates and locations, and to register, visit the Get in Motion Tour website.

Epson has introduced the Epson Stylus NX430, an all-in-one printer-copier-scanner that is the first model in the company’s new Small-in-One range. The space-saving, ultra-compact Epson NX430 can print up to A4 size and comes complete with a 2.5” colour LCD touch panel. Other highlights include 4-colour (CMYK) drop-on-demand MicroPiezo inkjet technology, 1200dpi optical scanner resolution, and Wi-Fi connectivity. “Consumers will be amazed with the compact size and powerful performance of the Epson Stylus NX430,” said Kristi Lanzit, product manager, Consumer Ink Jets, Epson America, Inc. “The name Small-in-One says it all; no other printer offers such great performance in a small size – guaranteed.” The first Epson Small-in-One is available for $99.99 in the US.

In the UK, the device is marketed under the name Epson Stylus SX445W Small-in-One and carries a recommended retail price of £99.99.

DxO Labs have just released DxO Film Pack 3, a collection of photo effects designed to simulate the look of various film emulsions. The company says it has “worked with world class film processing facilities, Picto in Paris and Duggal in New York, to develop a unique film profiling process that ensures the most precise film simulation available on the market today”. Version 3 adds ten new film looks, additional colour filters and black-and-white conversion controls, a completely revamped user-friendly interface and multiple plug-ins for better workflow integration. Compatible with Mac and Windows, DxO FilmPack 3 is available in two editions, Essential and Expert, which differ in terms of available film renderings and features. A free 31-day trial version of DxO FilmPack 3 is available on DxO Labs’ website.

Camera PRO Real is a new camera app for the Apple iPad 2. Featuring a graphical user interface (GUI) that resembles the control layout of an SLR camera, Camera PRO Real allows you take photos directly from within the app and comes with five different effects for your photos that can be applied separately or combined. The app is available on iTunes for $5.99.