The 2014 international Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards are open for entry. There are three portfolio categories - Tribes, Spirit of Adventure and Earth, Air, Fire and Water –, a New Talent award and an HD video category. The overall winner of TPOTY – the Travel Photographer of the Year 2014 - will receive £2,500 and a Plastic Sandwich personalised leather print book or iPad case. In addition, they will receive a private showcase of their travel photography at next year’s Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition. Entry to the awards costs from £7.50, and entry to Young Travel Photographer of the Year is free.

Jessops has announced that its Exclusive Olympus OM-D E-M10 kit comprising a silver camera body and 14-42mm II R lens is available now. Priced at £599.99, the kit can be purchased online and in-store, For those who want a little help on the way, Jessops offers tailored one-to-one training sessions from as little as £39.

Review: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Review

The Leica M Edition 100 is a special kit comprising a purely mechanical rangefinder camera for film photography – the Leica M-A, which is based on the currently available Leica MP – and a digital Leica M Monochrom, alongside three Leica Summilux-M lenses with focal lengths of 28, 35 and 50mm. Of these, the Leica Summilux-M 1,4/28 mm ASPH. is a completely new lens, designed specifically for the Leica M Edition 100 bundle. These cameras and lenses will be available exclusively as sets from Leica Stores and Boutiques and strictly limited to 101 sets.

Leica has announced a new version of the Leica M Monochrom digital rangefinder camera. "The design of the new silver chrome version is as discreet as the popular design of the black chrome version, with a uniform colouration and a minimum of details," the company says. "Naturally the black chrome version will still be available in parallel and besides the colour of outer parts, there is no technical difference between the two colour versions." The new model is planned to be available in limited quantities by the end of May, with an order no. of 10787 and RRP of £6,200.

The Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 is a new, collapsible macro lens for the Leica M-System. Featuring four elements in four groups, the lens has a close-focus point of 0.8m and comes with a detachable, metal lens hood. In combination with the new Leica Macro-Adapter-M,, the Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 allows photographers to capture macro shots at a reproduction ratio of up to 1:2. The Leica Macro-Elmar-M 90 mm f/4 (£2250) and the Leica Macro-Adapter-M (£500) are planned to be available from June.

Dublin-based student Conor Clinch has been named a winner of Samsung’s ‘Launching People’ project, a search for undiscovered British and Irish talent with a passion for food, film, music and photography. The 18 year-old was revealed as Rankin’s chosen protégé in the ‘Photography’ category this weekend in a new television series, The Ones To Watch, airing on Sky 1 at 7pm every Sunday until 8th June. Conor’s project was a photography exhibition based around the idea of ‘lad’ culture in Dublin, which aimed to portray the subjects’ pride in their fashion and how they presented themselves outwardly though their clothes. After learning he had won the ‘Photography’ category, Conor spent two weeks working with Rankin one-on-one on a unique project. Conor’s Launching People submission can be found at the website below.

The Group of the Party of European Socialists (PES Group) in the Committee of the Regions (CoR) has launched a photo competition. Jobs for Europe – Europe for Jobs invites amateur photographers to capture in a photo the diversity of job realities and job aspirations in Europe. The competition runs until 30 June 2014 and is open to European residents aged 18 and older. The first prize is photographic equipment worth €2000 plus a three-day trip to Brussels  The winners will be announced in October 2014.

TeoreX has released an update to PhotoScissors, a smart software tool capable of removing unwanted backgrounds from photos. Targeting users who don’t want to learn the secrets of retouching, PhotoScissors is really easy to use: the user marks foreground and background zones in the image and immediately sees the results, which can then be fine-tuned with a few mouse gestures. Version 1.1 smoothly feathers the edges of the cutout for a professional look. Conveniently, the feathering radius can be now changed depending on the user´s needs. Additionally, the latest version adds support for HiDPI and Retina displays, a convenient option to pan the image while holding the SPACE button and few more GUI improvements. The price for a single license of PhotoScissors is $19.99.

Calumet UK have launched a new website. Located at www.calphoto.co.uk, the new site offers the same features as previously with the facility to purchase a wide range of photographic products, award-winning customer service, next-day delivery service and much more. To celebrate the launch, Calumet is offering 30% off Calumet branded products and free standard delivery using the code CALPHOTO. This offer is valid through 1st June.

Corel's new AfterShot Pro 2 software is billed as the industry’s fastest raw converter and photo management application. Available for Linux, MacOS and Windows, Corel AfterShot Pro 2 features 64-bit processing, 26 new camera profiles, workspace enhancements, a complete range of HDR imaging tools (currently Windows only), easier batch processing, manual redeye removal, local contrast enhancements, Athentec noise removal algorithms and better performance with TIFF files. AfterShot Pro 2 is available now in English, German, French, Dutch, Italian and Japanese. Suggested retail pricing is $79.99 / €69.99/ £57.99.

DxO Labs have released DxO Optics Pro 9.5 for Mac and Windows. This version offers a new image transfer feature that lets users process their raw  photos from Adobe Lightroom. The upgrade also adds support for 4 new cameras including the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark II, the Nikon 1 V3, the Panasonic Lumix GH-4, and the Sony A6000; and adds 165 new camera-lens combinations to the ever-growing library of DxO Optics Modules.

Panasonic has released a firmware update for its GX7 compact system camera. According to the company, version 1.3 incorporates the following improvements/fixes:

"Connection problem with Apple iOS devices via Wi-Fi is fixed."
"Improved stability of startup process in the use of UHS-I compliant SD memory card."

Joint update service for FourThirds

Olympus has posted a firmware update for its OM-D E-M10 compact system camera. According to the company, version 1.1 incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

• Image stabilisation compensation while shooting videos has been stabilised.
• A 0-second setting has been added to Anti-Shock mode.

You can update your camera's firmware via the free Digital Camera Updater utility.

Olympus has issued a firmware update for the OM-D E-M1 compact system camera. Version 1.4 incorporates the following improvements:

• AF response when using FourThirds lenses has been improved.
• Stabilisation of shooting in C-AF has been improved.
• Shooting images when using the remote control function of the smart phone application "OLYMPUS Image Share" now supports Art Filters, custom self timer, zoom operation when using the electric zoom, Digital Tele-converter, and Release mode.

You can update your camera's firmware via the free Digital Camera Updater utility.

Butterfleye today unveiled a smart camera with Active Eye Intelligence that lets you see and hear what’s happening in your home when you are away. " When you are nearby, butterfleye becomes your personal photographer, capturing candid moments that might otherwise be missed," the company says. The smart, social and connected Fukk HD camera features Active Eye Intelligence that automatically captures pictures and videos throughout the day and uploads them to the Cloud, where they can then be accessed via an iPhone and shared on social networks including Facebook, Instagram and Vine. butterfleye now available to pre-order, for $199.

The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 is a 12" tablet featuring 4th-generation Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor options, click-in keyboards, and a multiposition kickstand. The display boasts a resolution of 2160x1440 pixels and an aspect ratio of 3:2. Connectivity options and ports include Wi-Fi 802.11ac/802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3.0, Mini Display Port and a microSD memory card slot. The Windows 8.1 powered Microsoft Surface 3 Pro is capable of running desktop software suites and features two 5-megapixel camera modules. Pricing starts at £639/$799.