Panasonic has posted a firmware update for its Lumix GX7 compact system camera. Version 1.2 improves manual focus operation with the Lumix G Vario 12-32mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. lens, and allows the adjustment of flash output to be assigned to the Fn button. You can download the firmware upgrade from the website below.

Website: Panasonic Japan ! Support

Akvis has released version 7 of Akvis Magnifier. Available as a plug-in or a standalone application, the software is claimed to “deliver good results” when ‘uprezzing’ a photo to create poster-sized enlargements. “Resizing pictures with Akvis Magnifier yields a much higher quality image than simple bicubic interpolation,” the company says. Version 7 offers native 64-bit support, compatibility improvements, a new Crop tool and a Share option that lets you post images from the program to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr and Google+. Registered users of Magnifier can upgrade to version 7 free of charge.

MeCam HD is a diminutive wearable video camera that shoots 1080p high-definition video. The miniature camera weighs 2.5 ounces and measures 2x2 inches. A proprietary app connects the device via Wi-Fi to any smartphone/tablet. This allows the user to view in real-time what they are recording, playback, and share content without having to connect to a computer. To change the way users share their content, MeCam has also partnered with HighlightCam to provide a proprietary video editing solution. MeCam is working to incorporate this technology into the MeCam app so their users can easily submit their footage and receive back an edited video, all through their phone. The MeCam HD is now live at crowd funding website Dragon Innovation. Those contributing at least $170.00 to the project will receive a MeCam HD ahead of its official launch. The MSRP of the device will be $259.99.

Lytro has raised a $40 million round of financing to fund the expansion of Light Field photography with new products. “We are excited to partner with Lytro in building the next wave of interactive image capture and sharing,” said Jonathan Heiliger, general partner at Lytro's new investor North Bridge Venture Partners. “The fun you experience when using a Lytro camera comes from the ability to engage with your photos in ways you never could before. But powering that interactivity is some great software and hardware technology that can be used for everything with a lens and sensor.”

Sigma has issued an update to Sigma Optimisation Pro, the dedicated software for the Sigma USB Dock (pictured), providing a fix for a couple of compatibility issues with five of its lenses and the new Nikon D5300. Owners of the Nikon-mount versions of the Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM, 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM, 30mm F1.4 DC HSM, 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM and 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM optics are advised to update their lens firmware via Sigma Optimisation Pro if they plan on using their lenses on a Nikon D5300 body.

G-Technology has announced the grand prize winner and individual category winners of its 4th annual Driven Creativity competition. The overall winner is Stephen Murphy, who won the grand prize for his role as director of photography on the film “Coward”.  Entered in the Professional Short Film category, “Coward” tells a touching story of two Irish soldiers who leave their homes to fight in World War I.  It balances the truth and the hardships they endure, while delivering a compelling cinematic approach to storytelling. In the Photography category, the amateur and professional winners are Christian Meermann for his image Thinker (above) and Clair Anderson, respectively. You can view Stephen Murphy's winning video after the jump.

With the new Weye Feye equipment from Xsories, available in the UK from Ultrasport, Canon and Nikon DSLR owners can now control their camera settings from up to 80 metres away. Compatible with a number of camera models, the Weye Feye enables you to retrieve photos, even in raw format, from the camera and transfer them to your smartphone/tablet using bespoke Android and iOS apps. With live view available via the apps you take control of the camera settings - ISO, white balance, aperture, speed, for either photo or video - and then take your pictures. The unit has its own battery and server and operates with 802.11n Wi-Fi technology, ensuring a powerful signal with high speeds and a larger range. The Weye Feye is available through select retailers for less than £200.

Adobe is extending its Photoshop Photography Programme to all photographers as a limited-time offer. The company initially launched this programme in September to support the needs and workflow of photographers who use CS3 or later. Now, for a limited time, Adobe is extending this offer to all photographers for £8.78/month as an annual subscription. Those wishing to take advantage of this offer have until 2nd December (7:59 pm GMT) to register. The programme offers access to Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5 (plus respective feature updates and upgrades as they are available), 20GB of cloud storage and Behance ProSite, all via Adobe Creative Cloud.

Website: Adobe UK

The Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year competition is now open for entries. Launched in 2007 by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), the competition honours amateurs and professionals of all ages. Following a successful first-year partnership, Atkins, one of the world's leading design, engineering and project management consultancies, are once again sponsoring the competition, allowing for two significant improvements this year. 2014 sees the introduction of the Atkins Cityscape Prize of £1,000, and free entry for photographers. Selected from an open submission process, entries are judged on impact, composition, originality, creativity and technical ability. Photographers may submit up to ten works until 31 March 2014, by 5pm GMT.

Leica has announced its collaboration with Gagosian Gallery on the new-limited edition Leica X2 Gagosian Edition. Established in 1980 by Larry Gagosian in Los Angeles, Gagosian Gallery’s international exhibition and publishing programs parallel Leica’s own global legacy and values of artistic integrity and expressive freedom, the company says. Handmade at Leica’s headquarters in Germany, the compact camera features an APS-C-format professional CMOS image sensor with over 16.5 megapixels, and an Elmarit 24 mm f/2.8 ASPH lens. “The Leica X2 Gagosian Edition continues Leica’s rich heritage in all technical aspects and function, married with an artistic flair reflective of Gagosian’s presence in the world of art,” said Roland Wolff, Vice President of Marketing for Leica Camera USA. “Leica’s heritage of artistic collaborations, partnerships and projects allows us to move beyond the photographic image, and turn the tool itself into a piece of art.” The Leica X2 Gagosian Edition camera, produced in a limited run of one hundred units, is available for purchase exclusively at the Gagosian Shop and on the Shop’s website.

Rory’s Club is a new, full colour hardback book documenting the life and times of Rory McIlroy MBE, one of Northern Ireland’s most popular sporting heroes. With a personal foreword by Rory and hitherto unpublished photographs supplied from private family collections, Rory’s Club explores the early developments of the game and the unfolding career of one of our most popular golfing icons, featuring over 180 photographs from Rory’s early years to the present day. The 128-page hardback can be purchased online for £20 (+£3.95 P&P) at the website below.

Discover the World is introducing a number of Northern Lights, Snow and Ice Photography lectures with award-winning photographer Ragnar Sigurddson for a number of departures to the Ice Hotel and Abisko in Swedish Lapland this winter. With two locations used over the short break guests will double their chances of catching the spectacle on camera as well as receiving advice on how best to capture snow and ice during daylight and evening. These special lectures will run during the 3-night breaks departing on the 20th December and 25th January 2014 which are priced from £1,278pp, including direct flights from Heathrow to Kiruna, accommodation and transfers. For more information visit the website below.

Sinar CTM (Colour To Match) is a multispectral dual-pass filter solution for highly accurate colour reproduction in digital high-end photography. Developed in collaboration with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Sinar CTM works exclusively with Sinar's eVolution75 H, 86 H and eXact digital backs. The main benefit of Sinar CTM - unmatched colour accuracy - is best utilised in reprography, archiving, scientific and advertising photography, the company says.

Journey Five is the latest book of award-winning images from the international Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) awards. Compact enough to fit into a Christmas stocking, yet elegant enough to be a special gift, ‘Journey Five’ contains over 120 images and features the stories behind many of the photographs. These are the images which attracted almost 50,000 people to the Travel Photographer of the Year exhibition at London’s Royal Geographical Society earlier this year. Priced at  £7.99 plus P&P, Journey Five is available to order online from the website below.