Vietnam: The Real War - A Photographic History by the Associated Press is a new title from Abrams Books. Collected in this book are images that tell the story of the war that left a deep and lasting impression on American life. From Malcolm Browne's photograph of the burning monk to Nick Ut's picture of a nine-year-old running from a napalm attack to Eddie Adams's photograph of the execution of a Viet Cong prisoner, this book contains the pictures that both recorded and made history, taken by unbelievably courageous photojournalists. The book publishes tomorrow 1st October in recognition of the 50th anniversary Vietnam War Commemorative, and is accompanied by an exhibition at Steven Kasher Gallery.

InfoTrends’ latest survey results show that 92% of cellphone owners use these devices to take photographs, and the embedded camera is the second most important feature in the purchase decision when choosing a phone. Photo editing apps also enjoy increasing popularity. Carrie Sylvester, Consultant for InfoTrends’ Consumer Services, recommends that digital camera and mobile phone vendors offer users their own branded app, or support the more popular apps that allow digital photos to be edited and shared. InfoTrends’ 2013 U.S. Mobile Imaging End-User Survey is available for purchase through the website below.

Autodesk has announced the Snap, Style and Share design competition that encourages students across the world to show off their photography skills using Autodesk’s Pixlr Express app. To participate, students (ages 13-24) must take a picture of something they think demonstrates exceptional design, edit the picture with at least three Pixlr Express editing tools and share the before/after images by 25th October. A panel of judges will select the winning photo to be showcased at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco. An assortment of prizes such as new tablets are also up for grabs. As always we suggest that you read the rules before entering your work.

Website: Snap, Style & Share

The winners of the Epson International Pano Awards 2013 competition have been announced. The overall winner of the Open Competition was Timo Lieber from the UK with a compelling black-and-white photograph of Dumont Dunes in the Mojave Desert, USA (above). The winner of the Amateur competition was Gary Schlatter of Australia, with a monochromatic image of a famous cluster of Cypress trees near San Quirico d'Orcia, Tuscany. The VR/360° competition winner was Dmitry Moiseenko with a spectacular aerial image of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Casio has issued firmware updates for a whole slew of its compact cameras. The Casio EX-ZR1000, EX-ZR800, EX-ZR750, EX-ZR710, EX-ZR700, EX-ZR410, EX-ZR400, EX-ZR310, EX-ZR300, EX-ZR200, EX-ZR20, EX-ZR15, EX-FC200S and EX-TR200 gain compatibility with FlashAir W-02 Class10 memory cards. The Casio EX-TR350, EX-TR300, EX-TR15 (pictured) and EX-TR10 benefit from improved microSD card reading. Registered owners of these cameras can download the firmware upgrades from the website below.

Website: Casio Digital Cameras Firmware Update

Samsung Electronics announced its new advanced pixel technology for CMOS image sensors. The ISOCELL technology is claimed to "substantially increase" light sensitivity and to effectively control the absorption of electrons, resulting in higher colour fidelity even in poor light. The company argues that while back-side illumination - introduced a few years ago - did improve the light absorption of each pixel, "BSI technology also faced limitations in improving image quality as pixel sizes continued to decrease." Samsung's patent-pending ISOCELL technology forms a physical barrier between neighboring pixels – isolating the pixel. This isolation enables more photons to be collected from the micro-lens and absorbed into the correct pixel’s photodiode minimising undesired electrical crosstalk between pixels – by as much as 30% compared to BSI sensors - and allowing expanded full well capacity, leading to greater dynamic range. The first Samsung image sensor to adopt this new technology, the S5K4H5YB 8-megapixel imager, is currently sampling to mobile device manufacturers with mass production scheduled for Q4 2013.

NEC has added five updated display models to its SpectraView and SpectraView Reference Series. One of five new models to the updated range - the 24" SpectraView Reference 242 display - leads the way with the best high-performance 10-bit AH-IPS with GB-R LED backlight for wide gamut colour, deep blacks and minimal colour shift. Best brightness uniformity together with features such as backlight ageing correction, ensure perfect colour control for consistent image quality. Thanks to its picture-by-picture function, users can view two images from different data sources simultaneously, to enhance productivity and save space compared with dual-screen alternatives. The other updated models include the 24" NEC SpectraView Reference 242, the 27" SpectraView 272 and SpectraView Reference 272, and the 30" SpectraView Reference 302. The NEC SpectraView 242 and SpectraView Reference 242 are both available across Europe from the end of September. The SpectraView 272 and SpectraView Reference 272 will be available from mid-November, with the SpectraView Reference 302 coming from mid-December.

The Manfrotto 500 Video Head has been awarded “European Photo-Video Accessory 2013-2014” by the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA). The jury of EISA recognised the Manfrotto 500 Video Head under the video category, thanks to its innovative functionality and advancement in video technology. This is the second award this year for the winning product, which also won the Videomaker's Best Support at the NAB Show in Las Vegas.

Photoshop Elements 12: The Missing Manual by Barbara Brundage is a new title from O'Reilly Media. “With candid, jargon-free advice and step-by-step guidance, you’ll get the most out of Elements for everything from sharing and touching-up photos to fun print and online projects,” the publisher says. The 648-page volume is available for $44.99 in printed format or $35.99 as an ebook. You can buy both versions in a bundle for $49.49.

There are only a few days left for photographers and artists to enter the inaugural Art Gemini Prize. Open to all photographers and painters form anywhere in the world, the Art Gemini Prize is described as "a celebration to promote international contemporary art for emerging and established artists." A cash fund of £5000 will be awarded to the winners in three categories, Photography, Painting and Public Choice. The shortlisted applicants will be exhibited in London at the Rebecca Hossack Gallery. The deadline for entries is 30 September 2013. Do note that entry fees apply.

The new Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is a high-end instant film camera. "The mini 90 stands apart from the previous 'cute' image that instax had built up in the past and features a variety of shooting modes for various scenes and applications for users to enjoy," Fujifilm says. These shooting modes include a double-exposure mode, a bulb setting and a macro mode which allows short-distance photography at the press of a button without attaching a closeup lens like previous instax models. Encased in a stylish and premium body, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic also has a "kids" mode, a "party" mode and a "landscape" mode. The Fuji Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is available for £129.99 for the camera only and £139.99 for the camera + 20 sheets of film. In the United States, the camera will go on sale early next year, priced at $199.99.

A team of hardware and software architects and designers led by two MIT-educated engineers has developed a special camera which can shoot high-resolution 1280x1024-pixel movies at 494fps, 720p at 701fps, VGA at 1,849fps and tiny 192x96-pixel videos at an incredible 17,791fps. These ultra-high frame rates enable super-slow-motion playback at 30fps, allowing users to record and observe high-speed movements such as the smashing of a light bulb, the popping of a water-filled balloon or a hummingbird's wings in motion. The camera has been named "Edgertronic" in honour of MIT professor Harold Eugene Edgerton, a pioneer of ultra-high-speed photography. Equipped with a standard Nikon F mount and bundled with a Nikkor 50mm f/1.8 lens, the Edgertronic will be available for around $5,000. Those who back the Kickstarter campaign launched in order to help raise funds for the project can get a special "Kickstarter edition" complete with accessories by contributing $4,895 or more. Availability is slated for December. Scroll down / click through for a selection of sample videos shot with a working prototype.

Available today - CLARITY is a brand new experience that explores photography from a lifestyle perspective. CLARITY goes far beyond tutorials that could be easily searched on the web to provide readers with the necessary information to enjoy a photographic lifestyle to its fullest.

In addition to rock-solid photographic education, CLARITY provides readers with articles “beyond the camera”, covering a range of important topics such as creative development, psychology of great imagery, post-processing, data backup and security, how to improve the lives of others through your photography, and much more.

Editor-in-chief, Dave Seeram, had these comments: "The challenge nowadays is that it’s so easy and convenient for anybody to seek out information, photography tutorials, and/or anything you know you’d like to learn. So, we’ve decided to take a different route. CLARITY is here to provide you with the equally important information that you didn’t know you needed. Our singular goal is to make a measurable, positive difference in your lives, and we are accomplishing that starting with our first issue."

Volume One of CLARITY includes 72 gorgeous page spreads, 9 videos, a 30-minute podcast, and articles from the most inspirational photography professionals including: Kevin Kubota, Piet Van den Eynde, Lindsay Ostrom, Sean McCormack, Howard Pinsky, Dave Delnea, Bill McCarroll, Michael Frye, Jay Livens, Lee Sacrey, Barry J. Brady, and Jon McCormack.

CLARITY is available for only USD $6.99 each, or a subscription savings bundle of one-year (6 issues, published bi-monthly) for only $29.99 USD.