Phase One has released an update to Capture One. Version 8.1 incorporates the following feature enhancements: incremental camera controls, up to sixteen adjustment layers, additional TIFF processing options, LiveVIew support for select models of Sony cameras, the ability to edit images in external applications, and much more. The upgrade also adds support for a range of Canon, Fuji, Leica, Panasonic and Sony cameras; and fixes bugs.

Apple has posted a Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update, which adds system-level support for raw image files generated by the Canon PowerShot G7 X and PowerShot SX60 HS, the Fujifilm X100T (pictured), the Nikon 1 J4, the Olympus E-PL7. the Panasonic GM5, and the Sony Alpha ILCE-5100 digital cameras. You can download the update from the website below.

Website: Apple

Totally Rad has released an update to its PicTapGo app for iOS. Version 2.0 adds a new Straighten tool and offers an improved Crop & Rotate tool. Also, you can now edit photos directly from other apps with Totally Rad's new App Extension under iOS 8, and share them via e-mail and MMS. PicTapGo 2.0 is available on the iTunes App Store for $1.99 in English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Chinese versions.

Iridient Digital has released Iridient Developer 3.0 beta 4. This update adds several new demosaicing algorithms, monochrome-specific raw processing options for Bayer and X-Trans cameras, two new sharpening methods, Fill Light and neighbourhood-adaptive Highlight/Shadow adjustments, and much more. It also adds support for an array of new cameras from Canon, Nikon, Leica, Olympus, Sony, Panasonic, Pentax, Fuji and Leaf. For more information, visit the website below.

Adobe Camera Raw 8.7.1 is now available as a final release for Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop CC. This update adds support for the Sony Alpha A7 II (pictured) and also includes a bug fix related to issues with chromatic aberration specific to the Samsung NX1.

Website: Adobe

Alien Skin has announced Exposure 7, the latest version of its flagship photography effects software. As a standalone program, Exposure 7 will now allow you to work on raw image files from a wide range of cameras from all manufacturers without having to convert them to a TIFF or JPEG first. Also, Exposure 7 now provides rapid folder and file browsing right within the same UI when working in standalone mode. Other highlights include non-destructive editing, new film emulation presets, textures and easy-to-use Crop and Rotate panels. Alien Skin Exposure 7 is now available for $149. Owners of any version of Exposure may upgrade for $69.

The new ACDSee Ultimate 8 software is billed as the first all-in-one digital asset manager and layered photo editor. "Until today, photographers would have to run multiple, expensive applications to edit and achieve professional results," the company says. "Now, professionals and sophisticated amateurs can rely on one product for an unparalleled number of creative graphic and image composition needs." ACDSee Ultimate 8 combines layers, GPU-accelerated image processing and support for 32-bit and 64-bit transparency with all of the photo adjustment and management capabilities available in ACDSee Pro 8 and ACDSee 18. The program is available for $149.99.

Topaz Labs have released Topaz Glow, a new program that uses state-of-the-art image processing techniques to produce illuminating light effects. “We took an extra step to push forward the processing technology in Glow to make it much faster with GPU acceleration, speeding up your creativity and empowering your imagination,” said Dr. Yang Yang, the research scientist who led the product development of Glow. “By developing a unique proprietary algorithm that extracts hidden light in an image, Glow gives the user freedom to produce both subtle and dramatic looks.” Glow works as a standalone editor as well as a plugin for Photoshop CS4+, Photoshop Elements 6+, Photoshop Creative Cloud and as an external editor for Lightroom. It is compatible with 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8 and Mac OS X 10.8 and up. Though the standard retail price of Glow is $69.99, it is available at a special reduced price of $49.99 until the end of this year.

DxO Labs have just launched DxO OpticsPro v10.1. The program is now compatible with Lightroom and other third-party software’s star ranking systems, has improved the speed at which it displays its visual presets in Windows, and has enriched its DxO FilmPack and DxO ViewPoint plugins. This update also allows DxO OpticsPro 10 to support the Canon EOS 7D Mark II and PowerShot G7 X (pictured), the GoPro HERO4 Black Edition, the Panasonic Lumix DMC- ZS40, and the Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

PSKiss hsd released its Faces & Places Colour DNG profiles for Lightroom and Photoshop. The new profiles include Dark Skin 2, Lights On, Man's World, Vintage 2, Tanned Bride and Vivid Landscape 2. The Faces & Places pack, which is part of the growing PSKiss Looks Series, is available for $14.90 per camera.

Robots for Your Photos is a new service aimed at photographers, which automates the photo-sharing process across multiple social media platforms. The service basically takes care of the most boring tasks by automatically uploading your photographs to various photo servers and online galleries (such as Flickr, Facebook, 500px etc.) and publishing each photo at the optimal time of day to ensure it’s seen by the highest possible number of viewers. "Monitoring the reaction to your published photos closely is part of our job," the company says. "We therefore know quite precisely what is the best time for you to publish in order to get the most feedback. And that is when we always publish - at the best times." Moreover, Robots for Your Photos collects all likes, favourites and comments from all services and presents them all in one place. Note that the project is still in the development phase - but you can sign up now to be among the first to try the service once it's launched.

Lumulabs have released a major update to its free Lumu Photo app, which is designed to work with the Lumu light meter. The app has a completely new reflected light meter mode, which enables it to use the iPhone's camera as an exposure meter. To celebrate the launch of this update, the Lumu light meter hardware is now available at a 30% discount through the website below.

Website: Lumulabs Shop

Macphun have announced their Black Friday offers for the UK market. Customers have two options to choose from - they can either purchase Macphun's "Creative Kit Plus" software bundle, which includes Intensify Pro, Snapheal Pro, Focus Pro and Tonality Pro, at a reduced price of £79.99 and get a free £15 Amazon.co.uk gift card; or take advantage of a 34-50% discount on a variety of Macphun apps on the Mac app store. For more information, visit the website below.

The new Magix Photostory 2015 Deluxe slideshow editor offers over 300 high-quality effects, animations and decorative elements. You can combine individual images to make panoramas or 3D photos, while travel route animations allow you to create interactive presentations of travel images. With over 50 new music pieces and 500 effects, the program now features more than 850 professional sounds & songs for audio dubbing. You can assign photos, videos and music to up to 8 multimedia tracks, and the optimised multi-track performance allows for a more efficient use of multi-core processors. The software is now available for £59.99 from Amazon.
 

17hats have just launched their business management web app, which tames the chaos of running a small business such as a photography studio. "When my wife started her own business as a wedding photographer, she loved the creative elements, but became overwhelmed and frustrated by the business side of things," remarks founder Donovan Janus. "After looking into different programs and apps to help her, I came up empty-­handed. There was no single service that included everything she needed." Consolidating everything needed on a daily basis -­ contracts, invoices, bookkeeping, to-­do lists, email, client contacts, online payments and more -­ into one easy-­to-­use app, 17hats simplifies business with its template system, enabling users to enter data once and re-­use it with one click. The app offers 3 pricing plans: $19/month annually, $25/month for a 6-­month plan, and $29/month for a monthly plan. The app supports several different currencies and connects to over 10,000 banks in the U.S.

Totally Rad! has announced its annual Black Friday sale. This Friday the company will be offering all of itsproducts, including the bestselling pair Replichrome I: Icon and Replichrome II: Slide, at a 35% discount. Beginning at 12am on 28th November, you will be able to use the coupon code BLACKFRIDAY2014 to take advantage of this offer in their online store.

Fastcut from Magix is a new video editor optimised for action cams. The program allows you to automatically or manually edit your videos, and offers a wide range of thematic templates with fitting songs, cuts and transitions. Additional effects such as vintage look, tracking shots and slow-motion effects can also be added individually. You can minimise wind noise, correct skewed footage, remove lens distortions, adjust the colours and apply post-capture exposure compensation to backlit shots. Fastcut is available now online for a special introductory price of $49.99.

Apple has posted a Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update, which adds system-level support for raw image files generated by the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Fujifilm X30, Nikon D750 (pictured) and Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100 cameras. You can download the update from the website below.

Website: Apple

ACD Systems have released the ACDSee iPhone app designed to help users capture and perfect photos all from their iPhone. ACDSee for iPhone provides a camera, photo editor and collage maker all in one app with unique features such as the advanced Selfie Mode, Flash Fusion,, HDR Fusion, and manual controls for exposure, focus and white balance. The ACDSee Pro Pack is an add-on to the app and includes additional features for professional photographers or expert users looking for more advanced capabilities. ACDSee for iPhone is $1.99 and available now in the iTunes App Store. The “Pro Pack” can be purchased for an additional $4.99.

Akvis has released version 16 of its Sketch application, which turns photos into pencil drawings. The new version adds numerous new features and lets a user make a snapshot during processing, add a watermark, erase pencil lines, and more. The standalone edition now comes with a smart non-destructive Crop tool, whereas the plugin offers improved compatibility with Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 and Adobe Photoshop Elements 13. All owners of Sketch v.9-15 can upgrade to version 16 for free by downloading and installing the updated software.