Kata has launched a photographic contest calling for entrants to submit shots of their Kata camera bag “in action”.

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Tokina has announced an updated version of its highly-regarded 11-16mm F2.8 wideangle zoom for APS-C SLRs. The AT-X 116 PRO DX II adds a 'Silent Drive-Module' (SD-M) focus motor that enables it to autofocus on all Nikon SLRs. The latest version also includes improved surface coatings (which are particularly important for wide-angle lenses) and adds a 'GMR' sensor to locate the focus element's current position, to speed up autofocus - a technology first introduced on the AT-X 16-28 F2.8 PRO FX full-frame wide-angle. US distributor THK Photo tells us the Nikon version should be available around April with a Canon version following around August.

Software maker Daminion has announced Daminion Server, a network-friendly digital asset management program. The software allows multiple users to access a centrally-held archive of images, with version control and user access controls to ensure images are kept safe and only edited or accessed by authorized people. It also ensures multiple people don't work on the same file simultaneously, avoiding data loss. It includes extensive control of metadata in a wide range of file types to help manage files within the archive. It is designed to integrate with standalone image and document editors such as Photoshop and InDesign, to allow users to continue to use their preferred editing tools.

French manufacturer MicroOLED has announced a 5 million dot OLED suitable for use as an electronic viewfinder - far beyond the resolution of the current best units used in recent Sony cameras. The 5.2M effective dots mean it can display 1280x1024 pixel resolution in color, assuming a four-dots-per-pixel layout. Imaging Resource has written an  article in which they suggest it could spell the end of the optical viewfinder. (From Imaging Resource)

Fujifilm has posted the English-language manual of the X-Pro1 compact system camera on its website.

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Digital Anarchy has recently released version 5.1 of its Primatte Event plug-in for Apple Aperture 3.0 and higher.

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Celebrity photographer Nick Saglimbeni has announced the return of his PhotoKamp workshop to Los Angeles.

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Topaz Labs have released Topaz Star Effects, a Photoshop plug-in that manipulates and enhances light sources to create radiant lighting and star effects.

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Map-A-Pic for Android has been updated to include a new feature called Public Pictures.

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