editing
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DaVinci Resolve 15 is a free, Hollywood-grade video editor
With the latest release of DaVinci Resolve 15, Blackmagic Design has radically made over its editing suite to create one of the best video-editing systems at any price -- even against mainstream options like Premiere Pro CC and Apple's Final Cut Pro X. It now comes with Fusion, a powerful visual effects (VFX) app used in Hollywood films, along with an excellent color corrector and audio editor. Despite doing more than most editors will ever need, the full studio release costs just $300, and you can get a stripped-down version with most features for a grand total of zero dollars. I use Adobe's Premiere Pro CC as part of its Creative Cloud suite, which costs more than $50 a month, so Resolve 15 is certainly a cheaper option. After trying it out for a week, would I be willing to switch? That would be tough, because I also do photo editing, and Creative Cloud includes Photoshop and Lightroom. If you're looking strictly for video and audio editing, color correction and effects, however, Resolve is well worth a look. It is surprisingly easy to learn and use and has more speed and power than you'll probably ever need.
Adobe Premiere makes it easier to edit Insta360 Pro footage
Insta360's more affordable 8K VR camera was made available for pre-orders in 2017, with a major software update in December of that same year that kicked the high-end 360-degree camera's image processing up a notch. The camera got a stamp of approval from Google last year, too, which gives you the power to contribute to the tech giant's Street View mapping with the device. Now Adobe just made editing 360 video captured with the Insta360 Pro much easier with a new plugin for Adobe Premiere Pro CC.
Adobe's AI will automatically color-match shots in Premiere
At NAB 2018, Adobe has announced that the Sensei AI used in Photoshop and Lightroom have come to its Premiere Pro CC editing app. The first tool, Color Match, takes a lot of tedium out an edit. Even when filmmakers are careful, hues and tones can vary from shot to shot, so editors usually have to do a laborious color correction. All you have to do is tweak one shot just the way you want it, and Color Match will apply them to your other shots as editable color adjustments. That way, if it's still not quite perfect, you can do a final tweak to get it right.
Gnarbox's mobile video editing drive now comes in an SSD version
Gnarbox broke new ground in portable storage with its first drive, which let pros start editing photos and videos before they've reached a PC. But what if you still want something more powerful? Don't worry, you're covered: the company is crowdfunding Gnarbox 2.0, an updated version with an NVMe-based solid-state drive (instead of the previous model's basic flash storage) as its centerpiece. Hook up a camera through USB-C and you can back up your photos and videos at a rapid 450MB/s, which might set your mind at ease if you have a ton of footage to save. You'll also find a faster processor (an unnamed 2.4GHz quad-core Intel chip) and an OLED that lets you perform some backups without even needing your phone.
Apple Clips has better controls and loads of new 'Star Wars' effects
Apple's Clips video creation app is less than a year old, but it's already getting a big update. Thanks to lots of user feedback and the proliferation of new, more powerful iOS devices, Clips is now more polished than ever, and that's very good news for people looking to craft their next viral video masterpiece.
Latest macOS kills pro video editor favorite Final Cut Pro 7
When Final Cut Pro X (FCP X) launched to replace version 7, it sent shockwaves through the professional editing community. Many users had moved to FCP 7 from Avid because it was cheaper, and after much development on Apple's part, was capable of doing professional jobs. However, FCP X was widely aimed at consumers and lacked a lot of professional features, so many stuck with the original. That's going to be difficult now, though, as Apple has told users via email that its latest version of macOS, High Sierra will not run the older version anymore.
Gnarbox turns your phone into a 4K video-editing studio
It's an overcast day in San Francisco, and there's a drone buzzing high above the city. I'm with Tim Feess, the young co-founder of Gnarbox, a rugged portable video-editing tool that pairs with an app on your phone and works with multiple cameras and memory cards. Clouds might be lingering over the skyline, but Feess is unperturbed. He's confident that we can make a video of our afternoon that I'd not only be pleased with but would find a cinch to create. He brings the drone down, and we decide to find a more colorful spot to fly.
Hollywood's favorite video-editing tools arrive in a free app
If you're serious about video editing and are weighing up your software options, two choices usually pop up: Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Final Cut Pro X (FCPX). But Avid, Hollywood's go-to editing company, just played a wild card by releasing Media Composer First, a limited version of its pro software, for the hard-to-resist price of "free." I'm well-acquainted with Avid and have used Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro since they launched. I was excited to try out MC First to figure out if I'd recommend it, and the answer is a qualified yes -- I like it, but it's not for everyone.
Adobe shows how AI can work wonders on your selfie game
Adobe has been focused on making its mobile apps powerful photo-editing tools for quite some time. At its annual MAX design conference last fall, the company debuted Sensei: a collection of AI and deep learning tools that can analyze an image before applying some pretty hefty edits. To show off just what the system is capable of, Adobe posted a video this week that shows how Sensei can help transform a sub-par selfie into something worthy of Instagram or Snapchat.
Adobe Lightroom mobile now captures RAW images in HDR mode
If you enjoy capturing high dynamic range (HDR) images with your phone, Adobe just added a new feature to Lightroom mobile that might come in handy. Starting today on both Android and iOS versions of the app, you can capture those HDR scenes as RAW files. The software automatically scans your subject to determine the ideal exposure range before snapping three photos in Adobe's DNG RAW format. Lightroom mobile will then employ algorithms to do all the aligning, merging, tone mapping and more to build the final 32-bit RAW image.
Adobe demos a virtual assistant for voice-based photo edits
If CES was any indication, voice control and virtual assistants will rule in 2017. While some companies seem to be adding the tools just for the sake of doing so, others are finding some implementations that could actually be useful. Adobe falls into the latter category and the company is showing off what it calls "a first step" towards voice-controlled edits in its design apps.
Adobe Lightroom update makes edits easier on desktop and iOS
Adobe brought true RAW file edits to Lightroom mobile for iOS a while back and now the company is updating the interface to make photo tweaks easier while you're on the go. First, Adobe redesigned the edit view to make it friendlier for one-hand use. This includes a slider-based UI for making adjustments and putting the tools you use most often, like showing the before and after images, where you you can get at them quickly and with one hand.
Adobe brings full RAW support to Lightroom on Android
While iOS users have enjoyed full RAW support in Adobe's Lightroom mobile app since this summer, the Android faithful had to be content with the company's own DNG RAW format. Thanks to an update to the software today, Android users will now get the same functionality. Adobe has revamped the version of Lightroom mobile to include a technology preview of full RAW support. The new feature set includes the ability to connect a camera directly to a phone or tablet to access files if you have the necessary cable to do so.
Adobe experiment slips new words into your voice recordings
If you've ever recorded a podcast or a voiceover, you know how frustrating it can be. One slip of the tongue may force you to chop up your recording, or even redo an entire segment. Adobe believes it has a better solution: change what you said. As part of a trio of experiments, the software pioneer has introduced a VoCo tool that would let you insert dialogue into existing voice recordings. All you need is enough audio for the software to get a sense of someone's voice -- after that, you can type what you want that person to say. The results aren't always perfect in this early software, but they're surprisingly natural-sounding.
Adobe's powerful Photoshop Fix app finally arrives on Android
Adobe isn't always quick to bring new creative apps and features to Android. It took the company over a year to deliver a version of Photoshop Fix for those devices. After making its debut for iOS last October, the mobile software brings some powerful desktop editing tools to phones and tablets that run Google's OS. Tools like the face-aware Liquify tool to adjust facial expressions are here alongside Heal, Smooth and other adjustments that can make precise changes to images from a mobile device.
Twitch rolls out video uploads, clip editing on iOS and Android
While Amazon-linked Prime features are the big news out of TwitchCon, the livestreaming service is bringing some long-promised new features to users. Starting today, users can upload videos directly to Twitch. That means streamers can apply their video editing and production skills to archived clips for their audiences, without having to take them somewhere else, like YouTube Gaming. The feature was announced at TwitchCon last year, but at least it's here now in beta form.
Adobe Lightroom now lets you edit RAW files on your phone
Adobe Lightroom mobile users have been asking for the ability to edit RAW files in the mobile app, and now the company doing something about the request. In the latest update for the iOS version of the software, there's a RAW Technology preview. This means that you'll be able to import those hefty files to your iPhone or iPad, giving you a means of checking the images before you get back to your computer. Lightroom mobile for iOS will also let you edit the files just like you would in the desktop or web versions of the app, making changes to white balance, highlights and more for an uncompressed file. Those changes also sync across devices.
Adobe Lightroom mobile for iOS handles full resolution images
Back in February, Adobe updated Lightroom mobile for Android to include the ability to open, edit and export images at their full resolution. Now, the same feature is available inside the iOS version of Lightroom. The app can output any full resolution image that was either captured with the mobile device or added manually. And yes, this means that you can transfer directly from a camera over WiFi or nab a file from the likes of Dropbox, Google Drive and other cloud-based repositories before doing your edits.
Google Photos gets some much-needed editing tools
When Google broke Photos out from Google+, there were a lot of benefits -- a canny search algorithm, unlimited storage for compressed photos and more. One thing that got lost, however, was the Snapseed-based photo editing tool in G+ that gave users a decent option to Adobe's Photoshop (Snapseed is still available as a standalone Android app, though). In the latest web-based version of Photos, Google has made some much-needed improvements to the editing tools.
Adobe Lightroom mobile brings more desktop tools to Android
Adobe's Lightroom mobile got a handful of useful desktop features on iOS back in December, and now those tools are available on Android. In terms of more robust editing, the Android version now offers a dehaze tool that will help with any fog and haze adjustments on a photo. There's also split toning for adding color to the shadows and highlights of an image and a targeted-adjustment feature for those more precise tweaks. A point mode in the Curve tool gives you full control over the contrast and tone of the snapshot you're editing. If you make changes that you want to carry over to other images, Lightroom mobile already gives you the ability to copy/paste them on another photo.
