Shiny Development today announced Explore Flickr 2.0, an update to their popular flickr app for iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Since its release in May, version 1 of Explore Flickr has been featured as ‘What’s hot’ in 45 countries and has been downloaded over 75,000 times, the company says. Today’s update includes a range of user requested features including text search, exploring images by tag and slideshow viewing. Explore Flickr itself is free, but these premium features cost $4.99.

Ricoh has released an app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch devices, which enables its users to easily find and view images that were taken with a GR Digital camera and uploaded to Flickr. The GR World app also allows users to specify photo genres and bookmark their favourite photos for viewing them together. GR World can be downloaded from the App Store for free.

DxO Labs have just released DxO Optics Pro v6.5.2 for Mac and Windows that adds raw file support in both its Standard and Elite editions for the Pentax K-5 (pictured), plus the Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3. Further, 50 new DxO Optics Modules are now available to DxO Optics Pro users, covering numerous Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Sony cameras. DxO Optics Pro v6.5.2 for Windows and Mac, Standard and Elite editions are available from both DxO Labs’ e-store and selected resellers at a 30% holiday season discount until 25th December.

Daemgen has released ProCamera 3.0 for iOS, a major update to their best-selling camera app. Improvements over the previous version include advanced picture optimisation, anti-shake image stabilisation, still/video compatibility, iOS 4 multi-tasking, auto-timer, virtual horizon, multiple compositional grid lines, photo compass, and an Expert Mode that enables the user to set and lock focus, exposure, and white balance to different areas on the display. A complete redesign, the update adds Pro FX Studio to turn photos into art, a new Pro Lab to improve picture quality, and Pro Cut Studio for leveling and cropping. The update is free to existing users.

A new version of Zoner Photo Studio, which is claimed to bring a significant increase in speed for all operations thanks to multi-core optimisations, has just been announced. Other improvements versus the previous version include an improved catalogue, easier work with two monitors, and easier photo sharing.  The basic single-user licence for the PRO Edition costs $69.99, and a three-seat licence is $99.99.

Unified Colour has released HDR Express, a program that allows HDR newbies to create convincing HDR images quickly. HDR Express automates key aspects of the HDR production process, such as tone mapping and halo elimination, offering a streamlined and very easy-to-follow workflow. After merging the multiple exposures required for the HDR process into a 32-bit image, the simplified user interface presents an animated exposure range preview of the HDR image along with five tone mapping preset options. For the fastest results, users can then choose from a series of colour and style presets or create their own presets using the program’s adjustment sliders which manipulate brightness, highlight and shadow recovery, black point, contrast, saturation and white balance. HDR Express is available for $99 at the website below.

Adobe has posted the full versions of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) 6.3 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.3, adding raw file support for 15 new cameras and distortion profiles for a number of lenses. Previously available as Release Candidates only, ACR 6.3 and Lightroom 3.3 add support for the Canon PowerShot G12, Canon PowerShot S95, Nikon D3100 (pictured), Nikon D7000, Nikon Coolpix P7000, Olympus E-5, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2, Pentax K-5, Pentax K-r, Ricoh GXR & GR LENS A12 28mm f/2.5, Samsung NX100, Samsung TL350 (WB2000), Sony A560 and Sony A580 models. Adobe has also released the free Lens Profile Downloader 1.0 for Camera Raw 6, Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5. This companion application allows customers to search, download, rate and comment on over 300 lens correction profiles provided by the Adobe user community.

MacPhun today announced the upcoming release of FX Photo Studio 3.1 for the iPhone, IPad and iPod Touch. Billed as the collection of photo effects on the AppStore, The new version adds 10 new filters, introduces faster image processing and sharing via Tumblr. The most innovative new feature is the sharing of presets - the user gets a unique code for every preset created, which can then be emailed or shared from inside the app via Twitter, Tumblr, Flickr or Facebook. FX Photo Studio sells for $2.99, with this version expected to be available in the App Store within a week or two.

BenVista released PhotoZoom Pro 4 and PhotoZoom Classic 4 today. With PhotoZoom Pro 4, BenVista claims to offer a breakthrough in “uprezzing” and cleaning up mediocre or even low-quality photos to produce acceptable enlargements. Says D.S. Schoolwerth, CEO at BenVista: “We have developed a technology that combines perfectly with our S-Spline Max resize method. Not only it cleans up JPEG compression artifacts and noise, the image will also look perfectly sharp and true to nature after enlargement.” Other improvements include 64-bit support, additional fine-tuning options, new pre-defined settings for different types of images, and additional presets for common print and pixel sizes. PhotoZoom Pro 4 costs €169, while the less feature-rich but still powerful PhotoZoom Classic sells for €79.

The Plugin Site just released Version 2 of its FocalBlade plug-in for Mac Os. FocalBlade is a plugin that sharpens photos for display and print with the help of various automatic and manual tools. It also reduces noise and produces natural-looking bokeh, soft focus and special effects. Version 2 renders 10 to 100 times faster than Version 1 (depending on the used settings and CPU). It supports multiple sharpening workflows and various output devices. Additionally, FocalBlade 2 achieves better sharpening effects with less artifacts through improved edge masking and halo reduction. FocalBlade 2 for Mac OS X is $69.95 for the regular licence and $39.95 for the academic licence. A Windows version is also available.

Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, announced the release of Ansel Adams for the iPad. The app provides a multi-tiered introduction to the life and work of the most honored American photographer of the twentieth century, and includes a slideshow of 40 Ansel Adams photographs, with optional audio narration, written commentary, or synchronised music. Ansel Adams for the iPad is available on iTunes for $13.99.

onOne Software has released Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Aperture. With support for Photoshop CS5, CS4 and CS3, the Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 includes the company’s FocalPoint 2, PhotoTune 3, PhotoFrame 4.6, PhotoTools 2.6, MaskPro 4.1 and Perfect Resize 7 plug-ins (the last of which is the next generation of Genuine Fractals). Additionally, the new version allows photographers to use FocalPoint 2, PhotoTune 3, PhotoFrame 4.6 and Perfect Resize 7 directly within Lightroom and Aperture without the need for a separate host application. The new Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 is available immediately to owners of Plug-In Suite 5 as a free upgrade at the website below. New users may purchase Perfect Photo Suite 5.5 for $499.95.

PictoColor Software has released iCorrect EditLab Pro 6.0 for Windows, an upgrade to its Photoshop plug-in for precise selective colour correction and colour editing. Product highlights include the ability to make both selective and global colour and exposure adjustments, advanced temperature based controls for colour balance correction, new 64-bit support on Windows, asvanced sharpeing and noise removal, shadow and highlight revovery on a global or hue-selective basis, and more. iCorrect EditLab Pro 6.0 may be purchased at PictoColor Software’s secure on-line store for $124.95 as a software download.  Upgrades are $79.95.

First Rodeo Software has released Face2Face 3D 1.0, billed as the first 3D face swapping and blending app available on iPhone and iPod touch. The app lets you swap and blend faces within your photos by manipulating 3D models of the faces using the touch interface of the iPhone.Unlike traditional 2D methods, which often make it look like a cutout head has been pasted onto a body, Face2Face’s 3D algorithms automatically determine and compensate for the orientation and shapes of the heads. “This allows for faces to be rotated away from the camera, and provides very convincing blends with the user required to position only a few points within the images,” the company said.Face2Face 3D 1.0 is $1.99 and available through the App Store in the Photography category.

A new version of TrueHDR is now available on the App Store. TrueHDR enables you to take two pictures at different exposures, and then takes the best features of each and merges them into one picture that has vivid colours and details in both the shadows and highlights. Version 2.1 offers a new “Natural” mode for taking HDR photos with realistic colours, fast processing, and low image noise. TrueHDR 2.1 is available at a price of $1.99.

Colorado-based Occipital has just introduced 360 Panorama 3.0 for iPhone and iPod touch devices. Using 360 Panorama, users simply pan their camera and see the application “paint” the panoramic scene in front of them from live video. Moments later the panorama is ready to be saved, emailed or uploaded via Twitter. 360 Panorama 3.0 requires iOS 4.0 or later, and is temporarily on sale for $0.99 USD (normally $2.99) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category.

Topaz InFocus is a new Photoshop plug-in used for image sharpening and blur reduction. Auto-blur estimation and advanced deconvolution technology that helps reverse the effects of image blur completely changes the way detail refinement is done, by recovering true details, restoring image clarity and offering natural sharp-looking enhancements. InFocus works with a variety of host programs including Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Aperture, iPhoto and Lightroom, and is compatible with Windows and Intel-based Macs. Topaz InFocus retails for $69.99, but is being offered at a one-time introductory price of $29.99 until December 3, 2010.

Capture One 6 is a new version of Phase One’s professional raw conversion and image editing software. Supporting more than 170 different digital camera models, Capture One Pro 6 now allows you to edit selected areas of images non-destructively, precisely adjust color channels to create split toning effects when converting to grayscale, and reduce or eliminate perspective distortion while maintaining dimension integrity. The basic version of Capture One is now called Capture One Express. Capture One 6 for Mac and for Windows is commercially available in two versions: Capture One Express 6, priced at 129 USD and 99 EUR, and Capture One Pro 6, costing 399 USD and 299 EUR.

In addition Phase One have revealed details about an upcoming iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch application called Capture Pilot that will allow you to wirelessly view, zoom in on, and pan high resolution RAW, JPEG and TIFF images from leading DSLR and medium format camera systems.

DxO Optics Pro v6.5.1 adds support for the Nikon D7000 and Sony A390 and 120 new DxO Optics modules. All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro since June 1st, 2009 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 6.5. DxO Optics Pro v6.5.1 for Windows and Mac, Standard and Elite editions, is now available at a significant 30 percent holiday season discount until December 25, 2010.

Kubota Image Tools have released the new Kubota Creative Tools – The Lensbaby Pak, specially designed to enhance the artistic effects created with Lensbaby optics. “Lensbaby optics open up a distinctive set of creative options for photographers, and you want to preserve all of that great effect when editing,” said Kevin Kubota of Kubota Image Tools. “These new enhancement tools work with the captured image to add drama and feel without masking the impact of the optics’ effects.” The Kubota Lensbaby image enhancement tools are currently available for instant download for $39, through the website below.