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Adobe unveils CS6 and subscription-based Creative Cloud service, up for pre-order now (video)
Adobe's biggest day of 2012? Go ahead, don't be afraid to call it what it (probably) is. For starters, the outfit is introducing Creative Suite 6 to the world in formal fashion, with 14 applications either unveiled or refreshed. Photoshop CS6 is graduating from beta -- seeing an update that'll provide "near instant results" thanks to the Mercury Graphics Engine -- while Content-Aware Patch and Content-Aware Move are sure to please artists suffering from the "Surely you can fix this in post!" clientele backlash. Adobe Muse is happily entering the scene for the first time, described as a "radical tool that'll enables designers to create and publish HTML5 web sites without writing code." (We're still waiting for Flash to comment.) In related news, those who aren't up for paying $1,299 (and up) for one of the new suites can try something a bit different: monthly installments. That's coming courtesy of Creative Cloud, an quasi-new initiative designed to harness the power of cloud-based app distribution and streaming in a way that'll make CS6 more accessible than any of the packs that came before. You can tap into CS6's amenities over your broadband connection for $74.99 per month, while those who agree to an annual subscription can get in for $49.99 per month. To be clear, that provides unbridled access to any CS6 tool: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and AfterEffects, and the rest of the gang. If you're jonesing for Photoshop alone, that one will be available for $29.99 per month (no contract) or $19.99 per month (annual agreement). There's no set release date just yet, but we're told to expect the new goods "within 30 days," and pre-orders seem to be a go. Head on down to the source links for more details on each individual aspect, and catch a promo video for the cloud-based subscription offering just after the break.
New Guns of Icarus video shows off cooperative airship battles
Remember Guns of Icarus? If not, let's recap: small indie studio, steampunk, airships. That probably rings a few bells, and you'll be happy to know that the dev team has parlayed a successful Kickstarter campaign into an extended development cycle. As a result, we have a spiffy new video that shows off cooperative airship combat. Muse Games also wants you to know that you can download the single-player game (and sign up for the multiplayer beta) at its official website. Before you go, check out the full clip after the cut.
Adobe's Muse a middle ground between iWeb and Dreamweaver
Adobe sent out an email yesterday inviting users to test its Muse beta. The software brings the ease of InDesign to creating HTML and CSS websites without code and could be a boon to those looking for an iWeb replacement. While much of iWeb's strength was in its templates, Adobe is emphasizing the process of creating a site from scratch sans code knowledge. iWeb does allow you to do this, but it was always easier to start from a template, especially for beginners. Muse appears to be aimed at print designers looking to transition to web design without learning web code. UI Muse feels and acts more like InDesign than Dreamweaver, Adobe's professional web-authoring program, but is a good hybrid of the programs. The large menu bar clearly indicates the steps to publishing a website: a grid-style planning section, a design section that mimics InDesign, a preview section where you can play with your site without having to load it in a browser and a publishing section where it'll upload everything for you. At the moment, publishing a site requires an Adobe Business Catalyst account, but you can export the files and upload them to your own server using FTP. %Gallery-130749% Use When you create a new site, you can quickly plot out the pages using the planning section. Plus (+) buttons to the left and right of the page thumbnail will let you create individual pages or sub-pages. You can rename these pages by double-clicking on the name. Clicking the thumbnail itself will open that page in design view. Design view is similar to InDesign, Photoshop or Illustrator. A floating menu palette on the right gives you access to several features. Instead of a floating toolbar to the left, it's integrated with the menubar. Unlike InDesign and Photoshop, the menu palettes can't be anchored to the edge of the page. They can be collapsed into a single, thin bar showing icons, but selecting one item opens the entire palette. If designing in InDesign is your speciality, then you'll feel at home using Muse. I quickly created a basic layout, though there were some InDesign-specific features I missed such as giving a text box more than one column and the align palette. There also is no line tool, which I hope is rectified very quickly. However, there are some nice extras for those getting used to web design. For example, when you select text from the dropdown box, Adobe identifies a web-safe font and which fonts will be exported as images. The color picker will let you key in RGB numbers and return the hexadecimal for that color. The eyedropper tool will run over any image and provides the hexadecimal and RGB values in the color picket. There are palettes for wrapping text around images and spacing. While Muse doesn't have any premade templates, it does come with basic widgets that allow you to add galleries, slideshows, menubars and a few more options. You'll also find web-specific palettes such as states, where you apply an attribute to elements like rollovers, action upon clicking a mouse, etc. Preview mode is nice. You can test links to external websites from within Muse, and you can also preview using external browsers. The publish section is useless unless you have an Adobe Business Catalyst account. I hope that Muse gains built-in FTP client like Dreamweaver has. Comparison with iWeb Muse is not quite iWeb, but it's not Dreamweaver or InDesign either. iWeb holds your hand every step of the way, from a plethora of templates to colorful widgets that tell you exactly what each element does. Dreamweaver is not for novices. Even though you can work in WYSIWYG mode, you still need a good knowledge of code to fully utilize it. While Muse hides the code, you still need a basic understanding of how a website functions in order to use it effectively. For example, if you want to click on an image and have it link to somewhere else, you need to fill out the hyperlink option when the box is selected. You must understand how anchors work, rollovers and so on. If you're comfortable with iWeb and want to explore with designing your own elements, then Muse is a good fit and is worth a try. Otherwise, there are several iWeb replacements to consider. Requirements Muse requires installing Adobe AIR, which can be a turnoff for some people. The program is mostly stable, and I did my testing on my 11-inch MacBook Air. While the fans kicked on, I've certainly heard them make more noise then they did while running Muse. The first time I used Muse was fine, but the second time it locked up upon launch and required a force quit. Once it successfully launches, it hasn't crashed. Muse requires an Intel Core Duo or faster processor, OS X 10.6 or higher, at least 512 MB of RAM (1 GB recommended) and Adobe AIR 2.7 or higher. It's worth giving the beta a shot as an iWeb replacement. You can see some screenshots in the gallery above. However, it is very much a beta product, and I expect a number of features to come out over the next few months as testers weigh in. Muse will be available in early 2012 via Adobe's subscription model only because of expected frequent updates. If you sign up for a year, it's US$15 a month. If you go month to month, it'll be $20.
Muse announces Guns of Icarus, unveils CG trailer
Browser MMOs are a dime a dozen these days, and sometimes it seems like there's a new one popping up on an hourly basis. Consequently, first impressions are everything in such a crowded marketplace, and if its CG trailer is anything to go by, Guns of Icarus may raise a few eyebrows when it launches in 2012. The game is built around the popular Unity engine and features a post-apocalyptic world that mixes steampunk, classic aviation, and an adventure-serial feel that evokes the seminal Xbox shooter Crimson Skies (and perhaps a gritty, aerial homage to Indiana Jones). Gameplay centers around your airship, and dev studio Muse Games says that "moving from town to town, trading and collecting resources, outfitting your ship, and battling deadly pirates" are just a few of the things you'll do. Your airship can also feature additional player crewmembers (or NPCs if you're a loner), and the game's skill and leveling system looks to make each crewman both unique and versatile. "Expect to find your pilot putting out a fire or your mechanic manning the guns at any moment," says Muse's press release. You can check out the new CG trailer as well as a brief gameplay video after the break.
The Game Archaeologist plays with MUDs: The history
You know that sinking feeling when you get into something that's way, waaaay over your head and you have no choice but to swim furiously or drown? That's exactly how I felt when I started to do research for this month's series on MUDs -- Multi-User Dungeons -- and their descendants. At first I was thrilled, because I knew that along with Dungeons & Dragons and Bulletin Board Systems, the MUD was one of the key predecessors to the MMORPG as we know it today. It was, and still is, vital gaming history that helped to shape the genre. The only problem was that for various reasons -- mostly a lack of good internet access in college and general ignorance -- I'd missed out on MUDs back in the day. But it's not like that stopped me from covering any of the other games in this series that I never experienced first-hand way back when; after all, there are few among us who can honestly say they did everything. So the problem wasn't the lack of first-hand knowledge but the sheer, overwhelming scope of this subject. One game alone is a manageable subject -- MUDs are an entire genre unto themselves. It's intimidating, to say the least. It doesn't still my excitement, however, nor will it stop us from diving into this topic no matter how deep the waters get. This week we'll take a look at the brief history of the MUD/MUSH/MOO/et al. and then get into specific games later this month. So hold your breath and jump on in with me!
Nine more DLC tracks make it to Guitar Hero
The good news is that Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock DLC continues, thanks to enthusiasm from fans. The bad news is that the DLC schedule's life has been extended just long enough to enable the release of Trapt's "Headstrong." Perhaps the series is better off dead ... Okay, that's not fair to the eight songs in today's "Mega Pack" that aren't "Headstrong" -- or to the fact that for DLC that we didn't think would exist a couple of weeks ago, a nine-song pack is pretty generous. Check out the full lineup after the break.
Philips crams ATSC M/H tuner into PD725 portable DVD player, intros PB9013 mobile Blu-ray player
In recent years, Philips has strayed somewhat from introducing products catering to the North American marketplace. We're thrilled to say that this year's spate of CES announcements signifies a stark turn from that approach. The most interesting release from the company during this year's blowout is probably the PS725 (shown above), a 7-inch portable DVD player that doubles as a mobile TV viewer. Before you bust out the yawn collector, you should know that Philips managed to stuff both an ATSC and an ATSC M/H tuner within, the latter of which just announced a major push into 20 major metropolitan markets back in November. The unit has an 800 x 480 resolution display, three hours of nonstop playback via a rechargeable Li-Polymer battery pack, a screen that swivels 180 degrees and a $299 price point. It'll ship in March, just as your FLO TV service keels over. In related news, the outfit is also outing a PB9013 portable Blu-ray player, which touts a 9-inch display, a battery good for three hours of enjoyment, a bundled mounting kit and an HDMI output. You'll also see this one ship in March, but with a $399 retail sticker. Outside of those two, we're told that the GeGear Muse MP4 player is now on track to ship in March, with the 8GB model going for $149, the 16GB edition for $179 and the high-end 32GB model for $229. For those out of the loop, it'll deliver a 3.2-inch HVGA touchpanel, an FM radio tuner, 720p movie support and compatibility with FLAC and APE lossless files. Closing things up, we've got the Fidelio DS8550 and DS9010 speaker docks. The former handles your iPod, iPhone and / or iPad, streams tunes over Bluetooth and touts a built-in, rechargeable battery; this guy's on sale now for $299. As for the latter? That one's expected to ship at the tail-end of March for $599, with the price premium netting you an aircraft quality aluminum enclosure, improved audio drivers and a proximity sensor to activate a backlit control panel. Bullet points after the break, per usual. %Gallery-112183%
Microsoft Kin: everything you ever wanted to know
For as long as Windows Mobile 6.x overstayed its welcome, Microsoft seems to be doing what it can to launch a full-out assault on the mobile battlefield -- first with Windows Phone 7, and now less than a month later with Kin. As we were reminded ad nauseam at the unveiling, the pair of devices -- dubbed Kin One and Kin Two -- aren't for the tech enthusiasts in the crowd, but rather for a younger audience Microsoft is calling "generation upload." That's apparently a group whose life is focused around capturing memories and updating Facebook, without any care or concern whatsoever for apps. Will Microsoft's gamble for control of the feature phone market prove successful? That remains to be seen, but for everything we know so far, read on!%Gallery-90313%
GoGear Muse refresh sports touchscreen, Songbird media player, HDMI output
Looks like the Android-powered Connect isn't the only bit of GoGear news coming out of the armed Philips compound as of late. The Pocket-lint gang have got their hands on a refresh of the GoGear Muse and we should say that the thing looks pretty sweet. In addition to a rare new modern interface solution called "touchscreen," this bad boy eschews Windows Media Player in favor of the open source Songbird player, and sports an FM radio, iPlayer, Audible, FLAC, and APE support. As for video playback, the device's 3.2-inch display is complimented by a 720p HDMI out. Look for this bad boy in 8GB, 16GB, and 32GB sizes; all models include a 32GB microSD slot. We're still holding out on the definitive word regarding price, but apparently Philips is estimating something in the £100 - £120 ($155 - $185) range.
Philips Cam, Muse and Ariaz mark a renaissance for the boring PMP
This is soon enough to market that it's hard to blame the iPod nano specifically for its appearance, but either way it seems that the Philips Cam is the newest member to the oh-so-small club of MP3 / camera combos. The new player is joined in its life of crime by the new Muse and Ariaz, which at last offer a higher-end aspect to Philips' long-lackluster PMP lineup. The Cam does up a 1.8-inch screen, 8GB of storage and a 2 megapixel camera for $100, but the Muse has a full 3.2-inches of touchscreen, 16GB of flash, SD expansion and HDMI out for a mere $50 more. The Ariaz finds a simpler calling, with a 2.4-inch LCD, HDMI, 8GB and an $80 tag. We'll have to play with these to see if they're worth taking home from Walmart, but we're glad to see Philips is trying to stay in the game -- we can't all be lucky enough to be Zune HD owners.
Video: Manson MB-1 guitar sports X-Y midi controller, tons of 'tude
We're generally downright Ludditic when it comes to our music (we like it loud and bratty -- and no backing tapes, please) but one can't help but get a little giddy when confronted with a guitar that does, you know, other stuff. Matt Bellamy's Manson MB-1 signature is not only a respectable ax in its own right, but it also features an X-Y controller (think Korg Kaoss Pad) for two dimensional control of damn near any FX plug-in you can get your hands on. Available in "Matt Black" and "Red Sparkle," this bad boy starts at £2,999 (that's almost $4,400, folks). But what do you expect for what Music Radar has termed "easily the most technologically advanced signature guitar on the planet?" Or you could just buy a Kaoss Pad and shove it in your Les Paul. But we wouldn't recommend that. Make sure you check out the stunning video demonstration after the break.[Via Music Radar]
Oppo's Muse G11 is more portable than an SNES, cheaper than an iPod Touch
Looking to mix in some illegal ROM downloading action with your standard PMP activities? Oppo's got your number with the Muse G11, confirmed back in September and just now getting a few more details. The swiveling 3.2-inch, 432 x 240 touchscreen device offers a scant 4GB of storage, low for its $161 asking price, but support for extensive audio and video formats, text to speech capabilities, and integrated FM tuning make it a bit more functional than your average media player. Of course its biggest draw will be among the gaming community thanks to its d-pad and dedicated buttons, but we still don't have any confirmation of what sort of games it'll support out of the box -- nor any idea of when we might be able to get our hands on one. [Via PMP Today]
Oppo's Muse G11 gets real
In our perpetual search for the perfect "miniature PMP that just so happens to play SNES games with a reasonable control scheme," the Oppo Muse G11 is certainly a forerunner. We swooned when we saw those swivel-display technical drawings, and now Oppo has the first prototype of the device out and about. We're still a little short on tech specs, but as long as that mystery processor is prepared to draw Chrono Trigger with pixel-perfect precision, we couldn't care less. [Via PMP Today]
Guitar Hero III getting triple-pack of Muse on May 8
It seems that Activision has stumbled across the correct formula for getting us to drop our drumsticks and don our trusty, dusty Les Paul peripherals -- a three-song DLC pack for Guitar Hero III featuring the music of the epic British prog-rock trio, Muse. As of May 8, "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Exo-Politics" from their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations as well as the fan-favorite "Stockholm Syndrome" from 2003's Absolution will be available to download for a heretofore unannounced price (we're assuming it will match the $6.25 price of former GHIII packs). We've got videos for all three tunes after the jump -- go decide which ones are purchase-worthy! (Hint: All of them.)
GHIII to get a three pack of Muse DLC
Activision just sent word that a three song pack of new Guitar Hero III downloadable content is making its way to the XBLM featuring British rockers Muse. The Muse Track Pack will be available for purchase on Thursday, May 8th and feature their three hits "Exo-Politics", "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Stockholm Syndrome" all for (what we expect) to cost 500 Microsoft points. You can check out the complete press release after the break.
Alltel's Samsung Muse now available
As the name implies, Samsung's Muse flip is all about the music thanks to 64MB of onboard memory (enough for a meager album of low-grade MP3s, we suppose), a microSD slot, external music controls, and stereo Bluetooth -- and after a January reveal, it's now available to Alltel customers across the land. Besides the comprehensive tuneage support, the Muse features EV-DO, GPS and a 2 megapixel cam, all for a somewhat reasonable $89.99 charge after $50 rebate.
Alltel announces LG Scoop, Samsung Muse, and red BlackBerry Pearl 8130
Alltel's emphasizing the cool, fashion-friendly, stylish side of the three phones it's officially announcing today. First up, the LG Scoop is a dead ringer for the Rumor found on Sprint, featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a side-sliding QWERTY keyboard for the text maniacs among us; it'll be available in black, blue, and orange. Next, the Samsung Muse is a midrange flip with a penchant for audio (hence the name), rocking out with a 2 megapixel shooter, stereo Bluetooth, and a dedicated music key. Finally, the BlackBerry 8130 -- already launched in "amethyst" -- gets redone in red. No word on exactly when these puppies will be available, but all three will launch before the first quarter's out, and you can preorder the red 8130 immediately.
Ever-2 Muse conquers stage fright
It is hard not to feel a sense of irony, that up until now the first ever entertaining humanoid -- the Ever-2 Muse -- has been void of some serious glamour shots. Finally over her stage fright, the robot designed by the KITEC -- seemingly to test the limits of the uncanny valley theory -- is made up of 60 joints around the face, neck, and lower body. With Ever-3 and 4 only a couple of years away, a next-gen girl band might not be too far off. So, while we wait for the Korean Lou Pearlman to make that happen, continue reading for some more pics of the Ever-2's many faces.
Weekend Windows Mobile rumor roundup
For anyone concerned that all's been quiet on the HTC front (which is a pretty tough sell, considering the Excalibur news), we've got yer scoop right here. Pocket PC Thoughts is reporting that the oft-rumored but never-materialized 4GB HTC Muse / Melody may have been euthanized. Without a clear parallel in HTC's lineup, we'd like to believe that the beast has merely been pulled back for re-engineering, but we simply don't know at this point. Now turning our attention to less somber news, Smartphone Thoughts sez that an HSDPA-ready variant of Samsung's i320 might be in the works for Cingular for Q4 2006 or early 2007. Of course, we've also heard that we can expect a UMTS / HSDPA Q around that time frame, and it seems improbable that they'd pick up two head-to-head business-oriented devices like that in the same launch window. If true, though, well... the more, the merrier.Read - HTC Muse killed?Read - Samsung i320 for Cingular?
Barrage of HTCs rumored in the pipeline
HTC, making sure that the enjoyment of our fresh Star Trek is kept to an absolute minimum, looks to be preparing a spectrum of lustworthy new devices. This information is entirely unconfirmed, and we don't know much about what we're about to tell you -- some of these code names are as new to us as they are to you -- but we can tell you it comes from a reliable source.First up, the Muse has been mercifully renamed the "Melody," and the Triolgy has become "Monet." The Hermes, which is just starting to drop across Europe, has been upped to 400MHz for full-scale production; you might recall we recently reported that O2 was bringing a 400MHz Hermes to the table, and it now appears this will be standard fare for launches going forward. Trinity (pictured) specs are coming into focus, and we should expect this beast to throw down HSDPA, WiFi, and integrated GPS. There have been some rumblings of an "Artemis" recently, and that device still appears to be on the map, bringing integrated GPS and a trackball (wha?) but topping out with EDGE data. The "Herald" sounds positively gorgeous, similar in concept and functionality to the Hermes but measuring just 17mm thick. The Foreseer and Monet will be joined by the "Oxygen" in HTC's mobile TV lineup, though we don't know which standard it'll be packing. Looking to steal some of the Q's thunder, the "Excalibur" will be getting its QWERTY on and running Smartphone. Finally, look for "Vera" as a possible successor to the Star Trek, packing HSDPA and a front-facing camera for video calling.That's a lot of unconfirmed data to digest, we know, and we're still trying to make sense of it all ourselves. No word on release windows for most of these -- if we could divine you a Vera tomorrow, we would -- but as always, we'll be burning the midnight oil in our quest for deets.
