Corel has posted a free update to Corel Painter 12. Version 12.2 offers new flow maps, multi-touch support for Wacom Intuos5 touch pen tablets and Cintiq 24HD touch interactive pen displays, and vertical docking for palettes. The update can be downloaded from Corel’s website.

DZED Systems have announced Dragonframe 3.0.4 for Mac OS X, The program simplifies stop motion animation, motion graphics, and visual effects, with integrated USB control of Nikon and Canon DSLRs. The application supports lip-sync, automated lighting via DMX, 3D stereoscopic capture, and camera motion control. Previously called Dragon Stop Motion, Dragonframe 3.0.4 offers support for the latest DSLRs from Canon and Nikon, including the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 1D X and 60Da as well as the Nikon D4, D800 and D800E. The update is free to Dragonframe 3 users.

Nik Software has just released HDR Efex Pro 2. New features include an improved tone mapping engine, full GPU processing and multi-core optimisation, a new depth control function, chromatic aberration reduction, graduated neutral density control, and more. Available now, HDR Efex Pro 2 installs as a plug-in to Photoshop CS5 & CS6, Aperture 3, Lightroom 3 and later, and sells for for €99.95.

AKVIS today announced SmartMask 4.0, its latest selection tool designed to make image area selection simple. With a few mouse clicks SmartMask v.4.0 helps select fluff, hair, fur, tree branches, glass, or a transparent veil as well as remove unwanted colour shades left on the cutout object by the environment. Now the software is accessible in two editions: as a standalone program and as a plugin to photo editors. The new version also adds compatibility with Adobe Photoshop CS6. SmartMask 4.0 is available for purchase with a Home license for 2 computers ($90), Home Deluxe license ($120) and Business license ($160).

Juicy Bits have announced that their latest app, Layout, is now available for the Apple iPad.  Layout uses touch to split frames into sections and populate them with images from the photo library, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr. Photos are enhanced with built-in filters and effects, captions can be added to tell a story, and borders are styled using 100 built-in patterns. Layout supports sharing via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr, and projects can be stored in iCloud, making them easy to open on multiple iOS devices. The Layout App is available for $2.99 from the iTunes App Store.

iPrintagram is a new iOS app that allows Instagram users to have their pictures printed and delivered to their door in a matter of days. Billed as “the most convenient way to have an Instagram image printed and delivered from a mobile device,” iPrintagr.am gives every user the ability to keep their images not only in digital format, but as a real, hard copy print. The app itself is a free download from the iTunes App Store.

Unified Color has announced that its Photoshop filter plug-in, 32 Float v2, now fully supports the most recently-released version of Adobe Photoshop. “Ideal for HDR photographers looking to unlock the true potential of 32-bit true-color editing functionality, 32 Float v2 enables edits directly to the 32-bit image producing much more natural-looking tone mapped results due to Unified Color Technologies’ Beyond RGBTM color technology platform,” the company says. Existing users can now download the update free of charge.

Corel has acquired Avid’s consumer video editing product lines, including Pinnacle Studio HD and Avid Studio. “With the power of the Pinnacle Studio and Corel VideoStudio brands, Corel now offers the industry’s broadest consumer video editing software portfolio,” said Matt DiMaria, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Digital Media at Corel. “These products will meet virtually any need or creative impulse – whether customers are looking to quickly capture, edit and share videos on their iPad or require the exceptional control of a full-featured desktop application.” Corel will offer the Pinnacle consumer video editing products to customers and partners through its global sales, marketing and services organisations.

iPhoto for iOS, a new iBook textbook about iPhoto for iOS, has just been released. iPhoto for iOS offers technical information that other books don’t offer such as how iPhoto handles high-resolution images, what Photo Box is, and how to beam RAW files as well as video tutorials to cover all parts of iPhoto’s user interface. iPhoto for iOS is available for $4.99 on the US Apple store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/iphoto-for-ios/id539513153?mt=11 .

Oloneo has released Oloneo PhotoEngine 1.1 and Oloneo HDRengine 1.1 for Windows. These updates support DNG v1.4 as well as 24 new cameras including the Nikon D800, D800E and D4, the Canon EOS-1D X, 5D Mark III and PowerShot G1 X, the Sony SLT A37 and SLT A57, as well as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 among others. The latest English/International 32-bit/64-bit versions of Oloneo PhotoEngine and Oloneo HDRengine for Windows are available through the Oloneo online store. A 20% Summer Special discount is available until 15th July.

Apple has posted a new Digital Camera Raw Compatibility Update to Apple Aperture 3 and iPhoto 11. Version 3.14 adds support for raw image files generated by the new Canon EOS 650D / Rebel T4i and the Sony SLT-A37. You can download the upgrade from the website below.

Website: Apple

Adobe today announced that its Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4 software is now available as part of Adobe Creative Cloud membership. “The addition of Lightroom to Creative Cloud delivers on our promise to bring the best in Adobe innovation to Creative Cloud members,” said Winston Hendrickson, vice president products, Creative Media Solutions, Adobe. “Over the next few months we’ll continue to add new products and services, keeping Creative Cloud members up to date with the latest advancements in Adobe software and services.”  Pricing for Creative Cloud membership for individuals is £38.11 (ex VAT) per month based on annual membership and £57.17 (ex VAT) per month for month-to-month membership. A special introductory offer of £22.23 (ex VAT) per month for CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 individual customers is also available.

Pixite has released an update to their Flickr photo management app, Flickring HD for iPad. The new update adds 2048-pixel, high-resolution photo viewing on the new iPad, and full-resolution photo viewing during zoom-in on all iPads. Furthermore, Flickring HD now also supports Full HD video playback and makes protecting the users’ privacy easier by including the option to strip location data from images and to set privacy levels on the photos during uploading. Flickring HD for Flickr is available on iTunes for $3.99.

DxO Labs have released DxO Optics Pro v7.5.1. This update adds support for the Nikon D800E (Elite edition only) and D3200, the Sony SLT A35 and SLT A57, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC GX1. The program’s raw conversion algorithms have been fine-tuned such that the “Remove colour moiré” tool works more effectively for the Nikon D800E camera to restore the finest details. Additionally,  DxO Optics Pro v7.5.1 has integrated more than 400 new DxO Optics Modules, of which 61 are modules for the Nikon D800E and 71 are for the Nikon D3200. The Standard and Elite editions of DxO Optics Pro for Mac and Windows are available in the DxO Labs online boutique and at photo resellers, at a special discount price good through June 30, 2012.

ACD Systems has released ACDSee Pro 2 (Mac). According to the company, ACDSee Pro 2 (Mac) includes a combination of features unavailable through any other Mac photography software product. New features include the ability to import files from a connected device or access files from their original locations, apply rules to batches of photos as they are being imported, edit photos faster with non-destructive editing tools that operate in real time, gain complete control over shadows, mid-tones and highlights, quickly identify groups within a large number of photos for further processing using customizable Colour Labels, easily find duplicates and more. ACDSee Pro 2 (Mac) is available now at a suggested retail price of $139.99. Existing ACDSee Pro (Mac) users can upgrade for $79.99.

Apple has announced that OS X Mountain Lion will be available in July as a download from the Mac App Store. New system-wide Sharing allows you to share photos and videos quickly via a Share button, without having to switch to another app, and you just need to sign in once to use third-party services like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Vimeo. With built-in support for Facebook, you can post photos with locations right from your apps. Additionally, the new AirPlay Mirroring lets you wirelessly send an up-to-1080p secure stream of what’s on your Mac to an HDTV using Apple TV. OS X Mountain Lion will be available in July from the Mac App Store for $19.99

Apple has previewed iOS 6, and released a beta version to iOS Developer Program members.  New iOS 6 features include an all-new Maps app, Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center, Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari and Maps; Shared Photo Streams via iCloud; and more. Shared Photo Streams in particular allow users to select the photos they want to share, pick which friends they want to receive the album, and the Shared Photo Stream album is instantly available on their iOS devices, iPhoto and Aperture on their Mac, via the web or even through Apple TV. iOS 6 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, the new iPad, iPad 2 and iPod touch (fourth generation) this fall.

Billed as “the most advanced image sharpness calculating tool for photographers, cinematographers and videographers,” OptimumCS-Pro 2 is now available for iPhone and iPod Touch. This version introduces substantial usability enhancements including user-definable focal length presets, a more elegant settings screen, an expanded “links” screen, instructions on using OptimumCS-Pro 2 with tilt-shift lenses, and more. OptimumCS-Pro 2 is available now from the iTunes App Store for $6.99.

MacPhun has released an iPhone version of its Color Splash Studio software. Allowing users to create photos with selective colour, Color Splash Studio offerst the following features: special effects to make pictures more dramatic; blue tone, grayscale and sepia monochrome layers; hue, saturation, contrast, brightness adjustments; a customisable smart brush and integration with Instagram and FX Photo Studio. Color Splash Studio for iPhone is available on the App Store for $0.99.

Rusted Gears today released an update to their Photo LoL app. Version 2.0 boasts a completely new look and multiple orientation support, advanced selection tools, and iPad compatibility. Like the previous version, it comes with a layer system that uses the same principles as the professional photo-retouching programs. Photo LoL 2.0 is available now for $1.99 on the iTunes App Store.