Branching out from the realm of software plugins, Nik Software has moved into the tablet world with Snapseed, the latest in photo editing applications. This summer, Nik released a universal version of their program, making it now compatible with the all iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices.

Adhering to iPad ergonomics, Snapseed is designed to make alterations by swiping left and right (or by pinching), rather than by adjusting images with a menu and a bar like most editing programs.

Equipped with all the photo-editing essentials — crop, rotate, straighten, white balance, saturation, contrast, brightness — Snapseed also is replete with an array of adjustable creative features. For a quick fix, users can opt for the auto-correct tool to create depth-of-field adjustments, fit photos into a frame or manipulate camera grain.

With the release of the universal version, Nik has introduced other upgrades, including camera capture and crop aspect ratios, as well as creative filters such as grunge, drama, black/white and vintage film. A sharing feature has also been added to allow users to upload to Facebook and Flickr instantly.

For those who want to learn more, Nik has also uploaded a set of video tutorials through their website or YouTube. Available through iTunes, the iPad version of Snapseed costs $4.99. For a limited time, iPhone and iPod touch users can download the app for free.