multimedia
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Twitter's latest test lets people cram video, images and GIFs into one tweet
The company wants to learn how people combine the formats 'to express themselves more creatively.'
Adobe's Creative Cloud Express is a multimedia creation suite for web and mobile
The company's taking on the likes of Canva with its freemium model.
Barnes & Noble's new Nook tablet will be revealed soon
The Nook tablet isn't dead -- Barnes & Noble and Lenovo are collaborating on a new device.
'Digital vegetables' emit music and light when touched
Small-plot urban farming used to be widespread in Tokyo, but other than specialized projects like the Pasona Urban Farm, there aren't many tomato plots around the city anymore. A Tokyo creative lab called Party has created an art installation that aiming to puts residents literally back in touch with their gardening roots with a digitally-enhanced greenhouse installation called "Digital Vegetables," or "DigiVege" in Japan.
Logitech Craft keyboard has a ‘smart’ dial for creatives
Logitech has unveiled a very interesting flagship wireless keyboard that should grab the attention of folks who do video editing and web or graphics design. Called the Craft, it has a "creative input dial" installed in the top left part of the keyboard. That lets you do image adjustment in apps like Adobe Photoshop CC, Illustrator CC or InDesign CC, or jog video in Adobe Premiere Pro CC, not unlike Microsoft's standalone Surface Dial product.
Now Apple's Live Photos can work on any website
Apple first introduced Live Photos in the iPhone 6S series back in 2015, but the odd photo/video-clip hybrid has taken its time coming to the internet. While Tumblr was the first to integrate Live Photos into its site last September, Apple is finally introducing an official JavaScript API to get its odd photo/video hybrid format out onto the web at large.
Video: The Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh Experience CD
On January 7, 1997, Apple announced a completely revolutionary -- for the time -- Mac called the Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (TAM). The US$7,499 TAM celebrated the 20th anniversary of Apple's founding and was the first desktop Mac to use features that we now consider commonplace like an all-in-one design, a flat screen display, a trackpad, and a number of multimedia features. Australian artist and filmmaker Max Piantoni (@maxpiantoni) found one of the rare Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh Experience CDs that accompanied the computer and created the video you see below to show how the CD was used to educate buyers about the remarkable device they had purchased. While the Experience CD was primarily used to show how the many features (built-in TV and radio, external brightness controls), it's also notable for a long interview with none other than current Apple design senior vice president Jony Ive. It's fun to see a younger Ive -- with hair! -- outside of his usual featureless white box, talking about the design features of the TAM. Enjoy the video!
Microsoft multimedia exec Blair Westlake resigns
The man who oversaw Microsoft's licensing of TV, movies, and music for services including Xbox is no longer at the company. As Variety reports, former Corporate VP of Media & Entertainment Blair Westlake said Microsoft's future plans didn't align with his expertise. "It has become clear to me the organization is moving in a direction that does not fit either my expertise or my skill sets," reads Westlake's statement to Variety. "Over the last few months Microsoft has been undergoing a large-scale reorganization. During that period, I have had the privilege of working with numerous talented and professional people. While I will miss their company and our interaction, I truly believe that this move is in the best interest of all parties concerned. I want to thank my talented and committed team, as well as Yusuf Mehdi, Robbie Bach, Will Poole and Hank Vigil, all of whom had a significant and positive impact on me during my tenure at Microsoft." Westlake joined Microsoft in August 2004 after a long career in Hollywood, having consulted for Comcast and NBC Universal, and chaired Universal Studios' Television & Networks group. At Microsoft, Westlake liaised with TV, film, and music industries, and helped push Xbox towards becoming an all-in-one games and entertainment hub. That push continues in 2014 with original programming coming to Xbox, which President of Entertainment & Digtial Media Nancy Tellem has overseen since joining the company in 2012. Meanwhile, Microsoft is still looking for a CEO to succeed the retiring Steve Ballmer.
Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 available, bringing new characters, physics and more
Poser has come a long way from the last time I used it, right around version 4. We're now at 10 for the basic edition (retail US$299.99) and Poser Pro 2014 (retail $499.99) has become a powerful animation tool in its own right. I got to look at some of the new features rolling out today and they are impressive, putting Poser on par with many animation and modeling suites costing much more. A problem with any humanoid character is how the "skin" folds when you bend it. Poser now offers Pixar's OpenSubdiv libraries, which means subdivision surfaces anywhere you need them. I was impressed with the accuracy and speed at which Poser created subdivisions, which add greatly to the realism already available in Poser. There are also some new characters, both realistic and cartoonish, to help get you started. For basic work the stock characters will keep you busy for quite a while, but there's also a great third-party market for Poser models should you need more. One pain point for many digital artists are the hair and clothes for models. Getting those to "fit" properly can take a long time. Poser Pro now offers a "fitting room" which speeds up this process. Poser already has a cottage industry of third-party models and props, including clothes and hair. Now with the fitting room you can quickly fit those accessories to your basic models faster. Sure, you've still got the morph targets you've come to know and love, but Poser Pro now offers five specialized tools for interactively loosening, tightening clothes while retaining their physics properties (rigid or soft-body deformations). Both the Pro and basic editions now offer Bullet Physics, which simulates rigid-body and soft-body dynamics. Applying regions of soft-body dynamics is as easy as painting on your character, and the results are truly impressive with very little learning curve for newbies. That's the power of Poser, really. Many of the trickier elements of 3D modeling and animation are done for you (if you've ever rigged a biped using IK you know how tedious it can be!), leaving you to "play" with the models, lighting and accessories to get just the right look. With models already rigged, and now with Bullet Time, it has become easier than ever to get realistic animation out of the box with very little effort. Poser has become a powerful tool for graphic novelists as well, allowing artists to quickly pose and render characters. The latest addition offers a Comic Book Preview mode which allows artists to dial in the correct amount of lines and shading throughout a scene, even animated. Doing this in your 3D tool counts for a lot, and the examples I saw were impressive and fast. If you've ever set up a scene, added a cartoon render and discovered lines going funky when you animate, you'll be pleasantly surprised by Poser's ability to lock down lines and shaders in Comic Book mode. In addition to all this, there's a more capable Morph Brush for enhancing models, and a Live Simulation preview which allows you to quickly render ray traced models or preview animation using Bullet Time. Poser has become more capable and faster -- exactly what you want in a 3D modeling and animation tool. While the cost isn't cheap, Smith Micro is offering a deal through June 30. Poser 10 will be available for $239.99 and Poser Pro 2014 will be $399.99. If you're upgrading, check the Poser site for more details. Compared to 3ds Max and other tools, Poser is a steal at those prices. If you find yourself needing character models (for medical illustrations, graphic novels, stock photos, etc.) I think the basic version will make you very happy. If you need animated characters with lifelike skin, hair and clothes, Pro is simply brilliant and priced very competitively for what it delivers. No, these are not hobbyist tools exactly, but they are accessible to anyone and powerful enough to be used in professional situations. Check out Poser if you need a reliable solution to character animation or modeling needs. Show full PR text New Poser 10 and Poser PRO 2014 Animation Software Now Available · New 3D characters · Subdivision Surfaces · Bullet Physics with soft body dynamics · Interactive Raytrace Preview · Comic Book Preview Mode ALISO VIEJO, CA – May 21, 2013 – Smith Micro Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMSI) Productivity and Graphics Group today announced the newest version of its 3D animation software program, Poser® 10 and Poser® Pro 2014. Perfect for artists, illustrators, animators and graphic designers, Poser enables users to easily create full 3D scenes with digital humans, animals and props. In addition to an extensive library of pre-loaded characters and content, Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 come equipped with new features such as Subdivision Surfaces for improved bending fidelity, Bullet Physics for adding increased realism to animation and Live Simulation mode for previewing dynamics in real-time. Watch a video teaser for Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 here. "It's our goal to provide illustrators, graphic designers, animators and 3D artists as well as novice users and hobbyists with a resource for telling their stories in 3D, via images and video," said Steve Cooper, senior product manager of productivity and graphics at Smith Micro. "Poser not only provides professional users with powerful tools for creating 3D character content and scenes, but also offers a variety of easy-to-use features and pre-loaded figures and props that allow beginners to get into 3D art without forcing them to master figure modeling, texturing and rigging." Poser comes with pre-built, ready to use 3D characters that enable users to begin posing and animating right out of the box. Supported by a multitude of tutorial videos as well as by an experienced team of content creators, developers, QA testers and customer service and support teams, the full featured software is reliable, well documented and easy-to-learn. "With each new version that is released, Poser continues to raise the bar for 3D illustrators and artists," said Brian Haberlin, co-artist and co-writer of the multimedia sci-fi adventure saga Anomaly. "Poser gives users the ability to create exceedingly realistic animations and illustrations and has emerged as the digital artist's secret little helper." Poser 10 and Poser Pro 2014 provide new professional level features, even at the base version of the software. The integration of Pixar's OpenSubdiv library enables artists to define subdivision levels by prop, figure or even individual body part with ease. This feature, known as Subdivision Surfaces, improves bending accuracy, smoothens polygonal surfaces and boosts overall performance by enabling lighter poly-count content. Poser's new Bullet Physics tool simulates rigid body dynamics, soft body dynamics and even dynamic strand-based hair. Poser artists can now add jiggle and bounce to any prop or character, paint soft body constraint weights to animate and more. Users can even preview their animations in real-time with the Live Simulation feature. "Poser offers a variety of features that help everyone from beginners to professional animators alike," said Monty Oum, director of animation at Rooster Teeth Productions. "Whether you are just jumping into 3D animation or are a skilled digital artist, Poser has tools that will help bring your art to life, while cutting down production time and cost." Comic Book Preview Mode and new Fitting Room: Poser's new Comic Book Preview Mode enables illustrators to create color or black and white comic art with improved line control and outlines with persistent shading, even when rotating or animating their point of view. Users can also interactively fit existing clothing and props to any Poser figure with Poser Pro's Fitting Room, which provides five intelligent methods that interactively loosen, tighten, smooth and preserve soft and rigid features. With the click of a single button, designers can generate a new conforming clothing item, using the original figure's rig, complete with full morph transfer. For a full feature-listing visit here. Pricing and Availability: From now until June 20, 2013 Poser 10 is available for $239.99 and Poser 2014 for $399.99. After this time, Poser 10 will be available for $299.99 and Poser 2014 for $499.99. For more detailed product, pricing and tiered upgrade pricing information, please visit the Poser website. About Smith Micro Software, Inc. - Productivity and Graphics Group: Based in Santa Cruz, Calif., the Smith Micro Software Productivity and Graphics Group produces award-winning software that inspires consumer creativity and enables efficiency. The group's creative suite of programs provides artists of all skill levels – from novice to professional – with the tools to illustrate, animate and create 2D and 3D art. Some of the Productivity and Graphics Group's award-winning creative and utilities products include Poser, Anime Studio, Manga Studio and StuffIt. For more information, please visit: www.smithmicro.com. (NASDAQ: SMSI) Safe Harbor Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including without limitation, forward-looking statements relating to the company's financial prospects and other projections of its performance, the existence of new market opportunities and interest in the company's products and solutions, and the company's ability to increase its revenue and regain profitability by capitalizing on these new market opportunities and interest and introducing new products and solutions. Among the important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements are changes in demand for the company's products from its customers and their end-users, customer concentration given that the majority of our sales depend on a few large client relationships, including Sprint, new and changing technologies, customer acceptance and timing of deployment of those technologies, new and continuing adverse economic conditions, and the company's ability to compete effectively with other software companies. These and other factors discussed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are made on the basis of the views and assumptions of management regarding future events and business performance as of the date of this release, and the company does not undertake any obligation to update these statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this release. Smith Micro, the Smith Micro logo and Poser are trademarks or registered trademarks of Smith Micro Software, Inc. All other trademarks and product names are the property of their respective companies.
Sony unveils Anycast Touch all-in-one production system at NAB
In addition to announcing pricing for its 55- and 65-inch 4K TVs at its NAB press event, Sony unveiled updates to its Anycast studio-in-a-box. Sony has been offering its live broadcasting all-in-one for quite some time, but the Anycast Touch (AWS-750) unveiled today features several updates, including sliding dual touch displays. (The product looks more like a beefed-up Duo 11 than a bulky suitcase, which can't be said about earlier models from the Anycast line.) A tilt-screen function lets you split audio- and video-editing functions between the two panels, and you'll be able to bring up video sources just by tapping their thumbnails on-screen. Aside from the new touchscreen design, the Anycast Touch offers all the A/V essentials: a video switcher, audio mixer, a special effects generator, an encoder and a scale converter. Video output tops out at 1080p with 10-bit processing, though other specs, such as display size, are TBA. Sony hasn't discussed pricing yet, but it did reveal that the Anycast Touch will go on sale in September -- we imagine additional details will surface before that far-off date.
Wi-Fi Media lets your Nexus 7 play movies on any screen via HTC's Media Link HD (hands-on video)
We're rather big fans of the Nexus 7 here at Engadget HQ -- it's just hard not to like a $200 tablet with a Tegra 3 SoC and 7-inch glass-bonded IPS display running pure Jelly Bean. Of the few missing features, there's one we're bemoaning more than the lack of rear camera, and that's the absence of any kind of HDMI or MHL video output. So far, watching movies with the Nexus 7's been relegated to using a Nexus Q and streaming content from Google Play or YouTube. Enter Wi-Fi Media, an app available for free on Google Play that lets most Android devices like the Nexus 7 play movies, music and stills on any screen via any Cavium PureVu-compatible streamer, such as HTC's $90 Media Link HD. We tested Wi-Fi Media with our Nexus 7 and Media Link HD and found it to work pretty much as advertised except for some caveats. First the app doesn't mirror your screen -- you're limited to playing content stored on the tablet or on the network via DLNA, which means no YouTube, Netflix or games. Second, the app doesn't handle some common file types -- like AVI, for example. While it supports watching movies, listening to music and looking at pictures, keep in mind that Wi-Fi Media is not a particularly polished app. In addition to playing local and remote DLNA content, you're able to login to Facebook and Picasa and stream images directly from these accounts, but that's pretty much it in terms of functionality. There's also no way to configure the Media Link HD, so you'll need a sanctioned HTC handset to setup the multimedia streamer before using it with a Nexus 7. Want to know more? Peek at our screenshot gallery below and hit the break for our hands-on video.%Gallery-160849% Update: Since there's some confusion in the comments, we'd like to clarify that the Media Link HD is not a DLNA device. It normally only works with select HTC phones like the One X, One S and EVO 4G LTE. WiFi-Media's primary purpose is to connect with a Media Link HD -- the app also just happens to support DLNA. [Thanks, Matt]
Acer Aspire V3 coming to Japan for $1,100 with right processor, wrong ppi
Want a 2.1GHz Ivy Bridge Core i7 in your next media laptop? Mmm, yes please. And a 1080p LED backlit display to devour movies on? Well, of course. Then keep looking, because the Acer Aspire V3 maxes out at just 1366 x 768 -- despite being equipped with a Blu-ray spinner and Dolby Theater v4, and also despite the eye-popping competition. Then again, at 15.6-inches that resolution might not be a total deal-breaker, plus our hands-on taster at CeBIT (before we even knew about the Ivy Bridge internals) wasn't totally unpleasant. The HD 4000 graphics should give you the odd gaming snack, even if not a full meal, while a 750GB HDD, up to 8GB RAM and a ton of I/O options take care of the back room. The V3 will hit Japanese shelves on April 29th for around $1,100 -- but watch out for a 17-incher too (which will do 1080p) plus cheaper Core i5 variants coming later.
Report: Microsoft revealing Xbox 'Woodstock' music service at E3
We are stardust. We are golden. And we've got to get ourselves back to the Xbox. According to some anonymous-type sources over at The Verge, Microsoft is set to continue its shift away from Zuneland into the world of Woodstock -- that's reportedly the codename of a new Spotify-like service set to make its debut at this year's E3. According to the reports, the tiny yellow bird of a service will work across platforms (think Windows 8, iOS, Android and, of course, the Xbox, amongst others), thanks, at least in part, to browser-based functionality. The service is said to be set to launch later in the year, around the same as some key MS operating systems.
Patent for advanced authoring tool from Apple looks like what iWeb should have been
Anyone remember HyperCard? I sure do. I miss HyperCard, an "authoring tool for the rest of us" that allowed mere mortals to make simplistic programs by ordering and linking "cards" and packing them up for users to try out on the Macs -- back in the 1980s, anyway. A patent unearthed by Patently Apple reminds me of HyperCard, and it looks similar to the toolset used to make iAds. Apparently designed to make authoring content easier across a variety of platforms, Apple's authoring tools appear to use web technologies and some clever JavaScript effects. The multi-image displays sure remind me of QuickTime VR. I think all of this just looks like what iWeb was meant to be: a standards-compliant, innovative, create-once-publish-anywhere tool that just works. Here's hoping we see it on the App Store soon!
Oregon Scientific announces MEEP! Android tablet for Kids, Wile E's ears prick up
While this might not be the first kid-centric tablet we've seen, it's certainly got the coolest name. All we know about the MEEP! kiddie-slate right now is that it's made by Oregon Scientific, has a 7-inch Neonode zForce touchscreen display, WiFi, an SD card slot, a "G-sensor" for screen rotation -- and runs on an as yet unspecified version of Android. The makers claim it's suitable for ages six and up, and parents can monitor and limit web access via an online control panel. We're told that accessories will soon be on their way, including every parent's favorite: musical instruments. The full unveiling will be at the TIA toy fair this weekend. Road-run over the break for the full press release. MEEP! MEEP!
TerraRay for Mac doubles rendering speed and drops price for 1 week
I've enjoyed using TerraRay for some months. It's in the tradition of terrain creation apps like Bryce, but at a much lower price. I don't think it is quite as photo realistic as some other 3D landscape programs, but it is continuously upgrading features and quality. TerraRay 6 is just out, and rendering speeds have been increased by 25 to 50%. This latest version can use 64 bit processors to speed up processing. Even better, the US $19.99 Mac app is available through the app store for $9.99 through December 7. It's a fraction of the cost of other similar programs. I've tried the latest version and can confirm the speed increases. This new version also improves rendering of clouds, grass, rocks and adds some post processing effects to make your creations even more realistic. I find TerraRay to be a good starter to mid-range renderer. If you were thinking of picking it up, this sale is even further incentive. Check the gallery below for some samples. %Gallery-140949%
CSR sharpens indoor and in-car navigation with SiRFstarV, SiRFusion and SiRFprimaII
It's been a while since we last heard from CSR, but that changed earlier this week, when the company unveiled its new SiRFprimaII and SiRFusion platforms, alongside its SiRFstarV architecture. According to the UK-based firm, both SiRFstarV and SiRFusion are designed to provide more accurate geographic data and enhanced indoor navigation capabilities across PNDs and other mobile devices. SiRFstarV, the logical follow-up to CSR's SiRFstarIV architecture, culls location data not only from GPS, but from Galileo, Glonass and Compass satellites, as well as a range of radio signals, accelerometers, gyros and compasses. All this information is fed to the user via the SiRFusion platform, which combines data from radio systems and sensors to provide constantly updated location graphics. Together, both SiRFstarV and SiRFusion promise to help users find their way around both indoor and outdoor locales, within an accuracy range of ten to 15 meters. The SiRFprimaII platform, displayed above, is strictly geared toward in-car navigation and infotainment systems. This system combines a SiRFprimaII SoC and TriG RF multi-GNSS radio with CSR's Bluetooth and WiFi technologies to create a multimedia rich, touchscreen-based in-car environment. Geared toward both ODMs and OEMs, this hardware-software combo enables drivers to get more reliable navigation data, while allowing passengers to stream video, surf the web and manipulate everything via remote control. As for that SoC, it's powered by a 1GHz ARM Cortex A9 app processor, features an LCD controller for displays of up to 1280 x 720 resolution, and boasts a pair of 3D graphics and video accelerators. For more details, check out the pair of press releases, after the break.
LaCie's LaPlug turns your USB HDD into a network storage device, for LaPrice of $75 (video)
LaCie has always taken an understated approach to its lineup of boxy network storage devices, and the LaPlug is no different. With this little guy sitting in your living room, you can wirelessly share and access data across your home network, while streaming USB drive-stored multimedia content to any UPnP/DLNA-certified devices, including the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 or any compatible smartphones and tablets. With a quartet of USB 2.0 ports, along with gigabit ethernet and WiFi b/g/n capabilities, the LaPlug also allows you to back up your files in a centralized and remotely accessible location. You can grab one now for $75 at the source link below, or breeze past the break for more details in the full PR and accompanying video.
Engadget's back to school guide 2011: accessories
Welcome to Engadget's Back to School guide! We know that this time of year can be pretty annoying and stressful for everyone, so we're here to help out with the heartbreaking process of gadget buying for the school-aged crowd. Today, we've got a slew of accessories -- and you can head to the Back to School hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Fall's slowly, but surely creeping back in, and we bet you've already started to gather up the necessary gear for your return to the residence hall. Sure, you've got the basics covered, with a computer, smartphone, MP3 player and even a tablet at the ready. But wouldn't it be nice to start the school year off in style with some handy accoutrements to trick out those digital crutches? Let's face it, you're going to need a lapdesk buffer zone between you and your laptop's scorching heat for those countless hours spent churning out term papers. Or, an external hard drive, so you can store those full seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and bring the late night funny to your stressed-out friends. However you manage to make it through the year and snag that 4.0 GPA, we've got a selection of accessorized aids to match your collegiate budget. Oh, and don't forget, we're giving away $3,000 worth of essential back to school gear to 15 readers, and you can be among the chosen few simply by dropping a comment below! Click on past the break to start browsing.
TUAW's Daily Mac App: VLC
Yesterday on the Daily Mac App, we showed you how to bestow QuickTime Player with the ability to play a multitude of formats and codecs, but sometimes even Perian won't cut it, and that's where you can turn to VLC to get the job done. VLC is a free, open-source, cross-platform multimedia player that we've covered extensively in the past, and for good reason. It'll play almost everything under the sun without requiring any additional codec packs or plug-ins. That means you can literally throw just about any media file you can find at it and marvel as it plays back in a fast and smooth fashion. No fuss -- it just works. If you like to delve into a myriad of settings and features, VLC comes up trumps. From being able to set playback delay for audio, ironing out those sync issues, to spitting out AC3 or DTS through an optical cable, it's all there in the preferences. VLC resembles the iTunes Mini Player and, for the most part, the UI is usable and gets out of your way. When you're playing video, you get a familiar disappearing media playback control bar that sinks into the background when not in use leaving you with your media. VLC is available free from the VideoLAN website, and it's an absolute must download if you ever play non-Apple approved media formats on your Mac. There are quite a few decent alternatives to VLC available on the Mac. If you've got a favorite, shout out in the comments and tell us why you prefer it over other options.
