AppCam have issued a statement regarding what they call a "surprising resemblance" of the Leica T's graphical user interface (GUI) and operating system to the AppCam OS-II. "The only major difference is that the values ​​are set by tapping on the display on the Leica T," the company says (AppCam uses dials and soft buttons instead). "The use of camera apps and their free configuration - like the apps on a smartphone - equates otherwise more or less exactly to our system." AppCam's Jürgen Habenstein claims they had presented their system approximately two and a half years ago to Leica's product manager, Stefan Daniel, at the former company headquarters in Solms but eventually, the German company refused any form of cooperation. Despite this, AppCam do not explicitly allege that Leica stole their idea. "We are really looking forward [to] the great success of the Leica T, because it contributes to mak[ing] the benefits of camera apps known worldwide," Habenstein says. "Camera apps are the future."

At this year's Cine Gear Expo, G-Technology is demonstrating new storage solutions, including the new G-RAID with removable drives, and the award-winning Studio Line and Evolution Series with the new G-DRIVE ev 220 external storage module. Taking place today and tomorrow at The Studios at Paramount, Los Angeles, is the premier film, video, and digital media expo for the entertainment industry. G-Technolgoy's demonstrations are held in Booth # S 315A on Stage 32.

The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) has announced a series of bursaries to support both young and established photographers and film makers in realising photography projects. These include the RPS Society Events Bursary, the Joan Wakelin Bursary, the Shoer Film Award, the Postgraduate Bursary and two Environmental Awareness bursaries. “The RPS bursaries are designed to help photographers to realise projects that would not happen otherwise, says Michael Pritchard, Director General of The  Royal Photographic Society. "Past recipients have gone on to establish a career in photography and have acknowledged the importance of the support of the RPS. We look forward to this year’s recipients producing some great and important work."

Brian Griffith has released Iridient Developer 2.4.1 for Mac OS X. This update includes hot and dead pixel filters, and adds support for the Sony: DSC-RX100 III. Additionally, the monochrome channel mixer conversion controls now have a "preserve luminosity" option to make interactive editing of channel mixer blends easier; and the Open dialogue box now has raw sizing options for using common fixed aspect ratios when loading raw images. JPEG export speed has also been improved along with various other bug fixes and improvements. This release is a paid upgrade for users who originally purchased a license prior to 1 November 2012.

National Geographic and Manfrotto have launched six new camera bags to refresh their Africa collection. The bags have been designed to look more fashionable retaining quality and practicality. The inner parts have been designed with great care and attention to detail further improving the protection of cameras. Each bag is ergonomically designed to facilitate comfort and utility, providing photographers a safe, easy way to extract the camera quickly without the risk of missing the moment. The new models include a midi sachet, tote bag, sling-bag and backpack/sling-bags, as well as medium and small backpacks. Prices start at £79.95.

Caesarea, Israel-based LinX Computational Imaging has successfully developed miniature multi-aperture cameras designed for mobile devices. The camera modules are about half the height of a standard mobile camera and are capable of creating true-colour images and high accuracy depth maps. The accuracy and resolution of details in distance maps create an opportunity to use the suggested algorithms for 3D reconstruction, the company says. Other uses of the technology include automatic background removal, biometric three-dimensional face recognition, post-capture refocusing, and more. LinX has developed a variety of products ranging from arrays of two, three, and four cameras in various configurations and sizes, some with autofocus and others without. At present, it is unclear how long it will take for the new LinX technology to be incorporated into a commercially available camera phone, but the company says it is "ready for integration into the current generation mobile devices."

GoPro has launched a 3-way grip/arm/tripod and a new bodyboard mount. The modular design of the GoPro 3-Way opens up countless configurations and angles, and is perfect for capturing selfies without the mount appearing in the shot. The Bodyboard Mount allows the GoPro camera to be mounted to any bodyboard, soft-top surfboard or SUP. The GoPro 3-Way retails for €79, and the Bodyboard Mount is available for €25.

hipjib is a new accessory that converts common tripods and monopods into a highly flexible camera support within seconds. The clever device allows the full weight of the camera and tripod/monopod to rest on your hips (hence the name). Additionally, hipjib can be worn using shoulder straps, thus enabling the cameraman to adjust the height and achieve greater flexibility if the shot requires them to walk as they film. "hipjib enables beautifully steady camera movements and mobile camera stability," the inventor says. "It instantly creates the comforting feeling of solid support and freedom of movement."

The Impossible Project has released a new Special Edition Color SX-70 Skins instant film for Polaroid SX-70 cameras. The film features frames patterned with zebra, rattlesnake, tiger, crocodile, fish, giraffe, leopard and iguana skins, resulting in a picture that is instantly recognisable. “Impossible has always been a favorite of the fashion crowd,” says Alex Holbrook, Impossible’s Berlin-based Marketing Communications Manager. “Skins underscores Impossible’s position as the instant film brand of choice among industry creatives, as well as a perception that our films offer something indefinably ‘more’ among those fashion-forward customers.” The new Impossible Special Edition Color SX-70 Skins film is available to pre-order from 9th June through the Impossible Online Shop and from 19th June in selected retail stockists.

Jessops has announced a camera sensor cleaning service. Available at any of their 28 stores, the cleaning starts at £30 for a two-day service. A same-day upgrade is available for an extra £10. A 1-hour service (subject to availability) will set you back £50.

Vanguard today announced several new product ranges.. These include the all new Alta CA enthusiast level tripods, the Sedona bag series, the Espod CX series tripods and the Reno bag range. The Alta CA and Espod CX tropods are now available, while the Sedona and Reno bags will go on sale later this month. Click through / scroll down for the details, including prices.

Manfrotto today announced its new Compact Range of entry-level supports for photographers. The new range of tripods and monopods is characterised by brand new design, innovative and intuitive features and an expanded range of colours. The lineup comprises a total of 15 items including a compact light tripod in 4 colours, a compact action tripod in 3 colours, a compact advanced tripod in 2 colours, a compact monopod in 4 colours and a compact advanced monopod in 2 colours. The full range is available now, with prices starting from £19.95.

Canon today revealed irista – an advanced, cloud-based image management platform that allows users to access and manage their photo libraries "like never before." Previously known in beta-form as Project1709, irista makes it easy to find any picture, regardless of which device it was shot on. Simple to use, inspired and connected, irista enables everybody to store all of their images securely in one location so they can be accessed anytime, anywhere. The service supports a wide range of file types, has no file size limitations and automatically uploads new additions to image collections. irista is available to everyone, with tiered storage options to suit a range of different needs. The ‘entry’ tier offers 10GB of cloud storage space completely free-of-charge. Advanced enthusiasts or professional users, who require larger capacities, can also choose from two further storage options, with 50GB and 100GB tiers available for a monthly or annual cost.

The ‘CLAstory’ is an open-sourced creative project by Mercedes-Benz, aimed at supporting fledgling filmmakers. At the heart of the project is the Mercedes-Benz CLA four-door coupé. Three high-profile Instagrammers - Jiri Siftar, Alan Brutenic and Allan Edward Hinton - have each collaborated with Mercedes-Benz to create a trio of short films featuring actor, comedy writer, producer and presenter, James Corden. Their instavids provide a basic framework for the story - forming the beginning, middle and end of a storyboard – six vital scenes from which are missing. Budding film directors are invited to complete the scenes and the film in the #CLAstory by uploading their videos onto the Mercedes-Benz UK Instagram channel. The creator of the winning film will then get the chance to direct their #CLAstory starring James Corden and the Mercedes-Benz CLA AMG Sport. The winner of each of the six scenes will receive a Go Pro camera as a prize.

Ricoh have posted a function-enhancing firmware update for the Ricoh GR digital compact camera. Version 4.0 adds the following features:

• Added [Shift Crop] on [Effect] of [Shooting] menu.
• Added [AF Mode] on [Set up] menu. It has two options: [Normal] or [High speed].
• Added [Card Sequence No.] on [Setup] menu. It has two options: [On] or [Off].
• Added [Playback Animation] on [Setup] menu. It has two options: [On] or [Off]
• When deleting an image taken with RAW+ on Playback Mode, [Delete RAW+ JPEG], [Delete JPEG only] or [Delete RAW only] can be selected instead of [Delete One].

Website: Ricoh