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Apple's iWork for iCloud now lets you collaborate on projects with 100 friends
If you're using Apple's iWork for iCloud to get stuff done, now you can collaborate on projects with even more people. Before if you wanted to get your co-workers input on your big plans for the company retreat (Laser Tag definitely promotes synergy) you could only have 50 contributors. Now 100 people can work on the same Keynote, Numbers or Pages file at once, and those projects can also be a lot larger. Previously you were limited to 200MB per file, with a 5MB cap for included images. Now there's 1GB of space to fill with details about your group-cooking class plans, complete with images of up to 10MB each -- that's a lot more fancy dessert photos
Google Docs and Sheets: A first look at the underpowered iOS apps
Two new competitors in the realm of productivity apps for iOS showed up on Wednesday in the form of Google Docs and Google Sheets. Docs is, of course, a word processing/page layout application that works like the web-based Google Docs, and Sheets is the equivalent of its web-based sibling. Both of the apps work both in sync with their online counterparts and offline, and Google's blog says that a presentation app -- Slides -- is on the way. Let's take a quick first look at both of the current apps: Google Docs Launching the Google Docs app, you're greeted with a login for your Google Drive account. Sign in, and a list of all current docs you have online appears. Either tap one of those existing docs to open it, or tap a plus sign button for a blank document. And blank is what you get. A white page with no ruler (not that it's needed in this day and age), and a toolbar with some standard mundane formatting commands: fonts, bold, italics, underline, justification (left, center, right and fully justified), numbered/unnumbered lists, and indent/outdent. If you're looking for full page layout capabilities as you see in Apple's own Pages or on the Web version of Docs, you're going to be disappointed because they're not here. On the other hand, if you're working on simple memos, letters, or notes, then Google Docs is probably up your alley. What's even better is that the app is targeted to those who want to collaborate on documents -- there's a comments button on the right side of the toolbar, along with a button showing who else is viewing the document. To share your Google Doc, just save it with a tap on the "checkmark" button, and then tap the information icon to bring up a Details pane. From that pane, you can share the document, rename it, even get a link to send to others who you'd like to have download the document. Unlike Microsoft Office for iPad, Google Docs supported printing from day one. There's a toggle on the Details pane for keeping a local copy of the document, and a graphical indication of who is currently sharing the doc. At least at this point, there's no way I could find to actually drop an image into a document -- c'mon, Google! Even the original MacWrite back in 1984 could handle copying an image and pasting it into a doc. In many iOS document apps, a tap-and-hold in a document brings up "paste" in a pop-up, or you can add an image directly by tapping a plus sign button and searching for an photo to paste in. Here? Nothing. Google Docs is also missing most of the features I've come to know and love in Pages. Things like real-time spell checking, the ability to do actual page layouts? Not there. If you're planning on writing a simple document and need to have others check or comment on your writing, then Google Docs is a workable alternative. Offline work can be immediately synced upon connecting to a network, and you can polish things drafted on an iPad or iPhone once you're using the online version of the app. The Web app is at least fully-functional and also has a variety of add-ons that you can use to make your document look beautiful and professional. The bottom line: Google Docs for iOS is an excellent bare-bones text editor that syncs with the Web-based version and can be used to create rough drafts of work that will be finished in the online version. Google Sheets For spreadsheets, Google Sheets provides an on-device-synced-to-Google-Drive solution similar to Google Docs. And by that, I mean that it's a faint replica of the Google Sheets found online. In fact, Google Sheets is only usable for portable data entry. You can't do anything even remotely spreadsheet-like with the app except for entering numbers or text into cells. Want to add a formula to a spreadsheet? You'd better know what the exact format for each function is, since Google Sheets for iOS has no way of inserting those formulas from a pop-up, nor does it give you hints when you're starting to enter a formula. At least Google Sheets has some of the collaborative tools of its Web-based sibling, so you can share documents with other or open and edit spreadsheets created online by others. But there's no way to leave a note for one of your collaborators as there is with Google Docs. You can change the font, borders, and formatting of cells, but that's about it other than just entering data or hand-typing formulae into cells. The bottom line: Google Sheets for iOS is a only good for doing basic data entry into existing spreadsheets that are created online with the Web-based version. Conclusion Both Google Sheets and Google Docs are very bare-bones and basic versions of what's available online. Rather than useful tools, both apps appear to be rushed-to-market responses to Microsoft Word and Excel for iOS. While Google Docs can at least be used to do drafts of documents and share them with other individuals while mobile, Google Sheets has nothing to commend it as a true spreadsheet other than the fact that it presents cells on a page. Anyone who is looking at getting real work done on an iOS device at this point will be better served by Apple's Pages and Numbers (US$9.99 each, free to owners of new iOS devices) or Microsoft Word for iPad and Microsoft Excel for iPad (free, but requires an annual subscription to Office 365 at $75+ per year).
iWork: The changes in Apple's productivity suite
This week brought a big update to iWork, the iOS, OS X and iCloud productivity suite made up of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. You may have already grabbed the updates for iOS and OS X from the respective App Stores and not noticed too much of a visual change to the apps, but here's what has changed. iCloud Versions Let's take a quick look at the iCloud version of the apps. All of the apps now feature Retina display-ready graphics that really look impressive on a MacBook Pro with Retina display. While I must confess to not having used the previous versions of the beta iCloud apps very much, it does appear that Apple has attempted to make the app look very similar to the iOS apps. Those documents can now be shared with others in a view-only mode, making it easy to let someone see the latest revision of a document without giving them full access to make changes. For new documents, the apps have additional templates that have been added to the mix. If anyone sends you a Pages, Keynote or Numbers document via iCloud Mail, you can now open that document directly in the iCloud version of the app -- the email features an "Open in Pages/Keynote/Numbers" link making it easy to get right to work. Pages The Mac version of Pages now allows users to delete, duplicate, and reorder sections of their documents using the page navigator, and copying and pasting styles has been improved a bit. Apple says that they've improved Instant Alpha editing of images, although I saw no variation in the way that function works. The Media Browser is improved, although still not exactly speedy. I did see vastly improved support for AppleScript in Pages 5.2. That's something that power users have been asking for since Pages 5.0, and the addition of an iWork Suite of commands appears to bring back most of the functionality that was available in previous versions of Pages. That suite is available for all of the iWork apps. Apple says that they've improved text box behavior, although I was unable to ascertain exactly what was different from previous versions. There's improved support for EndNote, including citations in footnotes, and for those who are using Pages for ebook creation, ePub export is allegedly better. The iOS version now lets you search documents by name -- previously, you could only browse documents in a list or thumbnail mode. Inline images and shapes in table cells are now preserved properly when you import a document or table, and placement of inserted and pasted objects now seems to work better. If you write in Hebrew, you'll be glad to know that there's now a word count feature for that language, and all in all the app seems somewhat more usable (especially on iPad) than previously. Keynote Apple's presentation app gained some new features on iOS, including one that I am already in love with -- you can now use your finger to draw on any of your slides by just tapping and holding. A "crayon box" of pencils shows up at the bottom, along with the familiar "laser pointer". It's now possible to hold your iPad in portrait mode while giving a presentation thanks to a new portrait layout option in the presenter display. A couple of new transitions and builds -- object revolve, drift and scale, and skid -- have been added, and animations just seem to be much smoother than before. The Mac version adds some fun features in addition to those found in the iOS version -- there are improved presenter display layouts and labels, and Magic Move now includes text morphing. The app now exports to PPTX format, and there's support for animated GIFs being pasted or imported into presentations. Numbers This is the part of Apple's productivity suite that I probably use the least, both on iOS and Mac. Some of the big changes to the iOS version include the ability to search spreadsheets by name and faster imports of CSV (comma-separated text) files, as well as improved compatibility with Microsoft Excel documents. The Mac version adds the ability to set margins and create headers and footers in print setup, and there are new printing options that include page numbering, page ordering, and zoom. If you want custom data formats, you can now create them in Numbers. Customization of table styles is also added. And remember those CSV improvements in the iOS version? Now you can drag and drop a CSV file right onto a sheet, or update an existing table by dragging in a CSV file.
iWork upgrade lets you share read-only documents
Apple isn't letting the launch of Office for iPad go completely unanswered. It's pushing out a slew of iWork updates that might not keep Microsoft awake at night, but should fill in a few conspicuous feature gaps. You can now share read-only documents, for one thing -- you no longer have to worry that others will mess with a Pages report. You can also open iWork documents from iCloud webmail, and there's a host of cross-app improvements that include a new editor tab and the option of modifying imported charts. All the upgrades are available on iCloud, iOS and the Mac, so you can check out the many, many tweaks for yourself.
AnyFont helps you configure custom fonts for all your iOS applications
AnyFont (US$1.99) enables you to add custom True Type and Open Type fonts to your iOS device for use in any application. When I first heard about this app, I was curious. How could an app like this "break sandboxing," the security feature that keeps each app separate and safe? I contact the developer, Florian Schimanke, who explained the steps the application takes. "[In iOS 7], it is possible to include fonts in configuration profiles. You can do this for example using the Apple Configurator from the Mac App Store," he wrote. "[AnyFont] takes the fonts that are added to the app's storage by the user via iTunes file sharing or the 'Open in...' dialog and creates a configuration profile from it so it can be installed on the device. AnyFont hands over the newly created profile to Safari which then takes the user to the installation process. When finished, the user is then taken back to AnyFont." I added a copy of the app to my iPod and dropped in a copy of a True Type (ttf) font I found on my Mac. I then launched the app and selected the font, which moved me through a few screens to the "Install Profile" pane you see in the image at the top of this post. From there, I clicked Install and then consented to having the profile install the font. A further tap to "Done" and I was ready to start using my new font. What's more, once installed, the font appears in the General > Profiles settings, making it simple to remove the item should you change your mind in the future or wish to tidy up your device. A visit to Pages showed the new font was installed and ready for use. If you regularly perform content creation on iOS, this clever two-dollar utility will expand your font horizon. I found it easy to use and that it delivered exactly the functionality promised.
Daily Update for January 24, 2014
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get some the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update has been moved to a new podcast host in the past few days. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Using Pages to print Christmas card labels
Unless you just have a handful of people that you send Christmas cards to -- or you're lucky enough to have friends and relatives who are happy with receiving a phone call or email for the holidays -- you may have the annual task of sending out a pile of cards. Before computers came along, my wife and I used to hand-write the address onto every envelope... To make life easier, I eventually created a set of labels in Microsoft Word that would print out onto Avery labels, and I just update that list every year to print out another set. This year, I wanted to do it with Pages as I'd love to eventually be able to just grab my iPad, load the printer with the Avery sticky labels, and have 'em done in a few minutes. Here's a how-to on printing creating labels in Pages for OS X -- and once you've created them on a Mac, you can open up that document on your iPad or iPhone. 1) Find a label format you like. Here, I suggest going out to the Avery website and using their Label Selector wizard. You can specify the type of label, the number you want to print per page, the type of printer (laser or inkjet) and other factors, at which point it gives you an idea of the labels to buy. You can pick 'em up at your local Office Max/Office Depot/Staples, as they usually have a good selection of the label stock on hand. I personally like the Avery 8160 labels, which come in a pack of 750. Others might select the 5660 laser labels, which are clear. You might wonder why I wouldn't just use the Avery label templates. Well, all of them are in Microsoft Word format, and when opened in Pages, you get some odd results ... like two pages of misaligned labels. The process described here really doesn't take too long, and you'll be an expert with the table tool in Pages when you're done. 2) Take some measurements Once you've purchased your labels, measure the following dimensions: Margin on left, right, top and bottom of page Spacing between labels (horizontally; there's usually no space between the labels vertically) The height and width of the labels 3) Launch Pages for OS X First thing we need to do is select a document type. I chose a "Blank" document (it's in portrait orientation). Select that from the Choose a Template dialog, then click Choose. 4) Set Document Margins Choose View > Inspector > Document Setup from the menu. Uncheck header and footer, and set the document margins to the dimensions you measured in Step 2. For my labels, those measurements were .18" on the left and right sides of the labels, and .5" at the top and bottom. 5) Add a table We're going to use a table to hold the text for the labels. Click the Table button on the toolbar and select a format. Don't worry about the shading; we'll get rid of it later. By default, Pages added a table that was 4 columns across and 5 rows high. We need to match the labels -- three across with two spaces or five columns total, and 10 rows. Add another column by right-clicking on any one of the column headers and selecting either Add Column Before or Add Column After (see below). In this example, I now have five columns. To add rows, I click on any cell in the table to see the column and row headers, then click on the button below the last row (it looks like a circle with an equal sign in it). A number picker appears (see below), and I click the "up arrow" until the number of rows is 10. 6) Change the table cell dimensions The first thing we need to do is make columns B and D -- which will be the horizontal spaces between the labels -- .16" wide. Click on the header for column B, then Command-Click the header of column D. Move the cursor to the right side of the header for column B until it turns into a double-sided arrow, then click and drag the column border to the left until the dimension is .16". Your other selected column, D, will also become smaller. Now we need to make the columns A, C and E the same width as our labels; in this case, that's 2.6". I click on the header for column A, then Command-Click on the header of columns C and E. Next, I move my cursor to the right side of the header for column A until it turns into a double-sided arrow. At this point, I can click and drag the column border to the right until the dimension figure is 2.6". Note that my other selected columns, C and E, will also expand. Lastly, we need to increase the height of the rows to match our label height -- in this case, 1.0". To do this, I click on a cell in the first row to show the column and row headers, then I hover my cursor over the both of the Row 1 header until it turns into a double-ended arrow, this time pointing up and down. Drag the row border down until the vertical dimension is 1.0" (see below). Unfortunately, you need to do this separately to each row. 7) Get rid of the cell shading Select View > Inspector > Format from the menu, when you see the sidebar appear, click on Table, then uncheck Alternating Row Color (see below). This should give you an "all white" label with a thin black border. 8) Save the document At this point, save this document -- either onto your Mac or onto iCloud -- so you don't lose your work. 9) Add more pages of labels Unless you have a lot of friends and relatives who are happy to exchange Christmas greetings electronically, you may need more than one page for your labels -- including a page for return address labels. Adding more labels is as simple as clicking in one cell, choosing Edit > Select All from the menu, then choosing Copy (Command-C), clicking outside of the table at the very bottom of the page, and then doing a Paste (Command-V). The second batch of labels is pasted onto a new page, although with the wrong column widths and placement -- you'll need to move them around a bit and check the column widths and row heights until you get your labels just right. Then repeat to add even more pages of labels to your document. For a friend of mine who needs a lot of labels, I created an empty document that had ten pages -- that's 300 -- labels. Me? I don't have that many friends. :-( 10) Add addresses Before you start adding addresses, let's do one more thing: go into the sidebar in Pages and uncheck "Resize rows to fit cell contents". This insures that if you accidentally put too much information into a cell or increase the text size too much, you won't accidentally knock your labels out of whack. Now just start typing into the cells. You can click "Text" in the sidebar to change fonts, sizes, styles. You can even paste in some little graphics if you'd like. I found a nice holly PNG file with a quick Google search, and inserted it into my cells (below). 11) Remove grid lines prior to printing OK, now it's time to do one last thing -- get rid of those grid lines on the tables. To do this, select one cell on each page and then click the "Grid Lines" buttons in the sidebar (Table) to make the grid lines go away. 12) Test printing Before you waste some of those expensive labels, be sure to make a test print. Print your completed document on paper, and then put it behind the labels to make sure that things line up. You may find that addresses are too close to the borders, in which case you can consider using the text indentation tools in the sidebar to move text to the right. That's it. You still have some time to get your labels typed in and printed out, so you have no excuse for not sending out those holiday greetings. Get to work!
Authors rejoice! Pages for iOS now does a better job round-tripping to MS Word
One of the very few remaining reasons why I don't go all "Ticci" and do all of my writing on the iPad is that when I'm writing books for traditional publishers, they have a tendency to get queasy with anything that isn't written in Microsoft Word. Since they also like to keep an eye on what changes authors are making to documents, change tracking has to be turned on in Word all the time. So in the past, the vast majority of my offline writing has been done in Word on a Mac just to keep those publishers happy. Not any more. Through a happy experiment this morning, I found that Pages (for both Mac and iOS) now does a much better job of round-tripping with Word. That's the term for shifting a document back and forth between different applications on different platforms, hopefully without too many formatting changes happening in the process. So here's my workflow: Open Word document from editor in Pages (currently version 5.0.1) on the Mac Turn on change tracking in Pages (Edit > Turn On Tracking) Save Pages document to iCloud Open Pages document on the iPad or iPhone Make sure change tracking is turned on (tap the "Wrench" button, then make sure the change tracking button is green [on]) Work on the document anywhere at any time, and changes are auto-saved to iCloud Once back on the Mac, open the document in Pages on the Mac Export as Word .doc or .docx Sure, it would probably be a lot easier for me to just do the editing on my MacBook Pro, but it weighs more than my iPad Air or iPhone and it's owned by my employer, so it's probably not a good idea to work on a side project on it... Is this a perfect solution? No. My book editor came back almost immediately saying that the tables in one chapter weren't formatted properly, so I'll need to fix them in Word before shipping the files off. But other than that, it's comforting to know that I can now do this work on an iPad or even an iPhone (see title image) from basically anywhere. If you're doing any round-tripping between iWork for iOS or Mac and Microsoft Office, what problems are you running into? Do the current versions of Pages, Keynote and Numbers work better for you for round-tripping than they used to? Let us know in the comments.
iWork apps updated with customization options
Apple has updated the three apps that make up the iWork suite. Pages was updated to version 5.0.1. This upgrade adds the ability to customize the toolbar with the tools you deem most important. In addition, the center and edge guides are now on by default. Keynote is up to version 6.0.1. The update adds the ability to customize the toolbar with the tools you deem most important. A number of slide transitions were added. Numbers* received a bump to version 3.0.1. The toolbar is now customizable. In addition, the window size and placement is preserved when you save a document. You can also set the default zoom in the preferences. The current iWork suite is compatible with OS X 10.9 Mavericks only. The iWork 9.3 update is recommended for OS X Lion 10.7.x and OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.x users. *Typo corrected.
Apple updates iWork iCloud beta with new collaboration tools
The ongoing beta of Apple's iWork for iCloud received an update today that delivers new features aimed at improving collaboration. New features for Keynote, Numbers and Pages in iCloud are fully explained when you first activate the apps on iCloud.com, but we've got a list of what you can expect. Most of the feature additions are largely the same across the whole suite. Each app now has the following new features: Collaborator list: View the list of collaborators currently in a document. Collaborator cursor: See cursors and selections for everyone in a document. Jump to collaborator: Instantly jump to a collaborator's cursor by clicking their name in the collaborator list. Collaboration animation: Watch as images and shapes animate as others move them around. Print: Print your documents and presentations directly from the Tools menu. Folders: The ability to organize documents into folders. In addition, the beta for Numbers is now able to reorder sheets in a spreadsheet from the browser and add hyperlinks. Keynote beta users are also getting an extra feature; the ability to right-click any slide in the navigator to skip it during playback.
Facebook's latest test run puts star ratings on businesses' pages
Facebook's known for testing new features with a limited group before a broader rollout, and it's latest one could have some real implications for both businesses and individual users of the social network alike. As TechCrunch reports, Facebook is now testing a new five star rating system that's prominently displayed on pages for places or businesses -- a move that would place it even more directly in competition with the likes of Yelp. As TechCrunch notes, Facebook has already been collecting star ratings from users through various means, but this is the most public use of those results to date. For its part, though, Facebook isn't offering any indication just yet as to when or if we'll see a broader rollout of the feature.
Apple wisely brings its iLife strategy to the iPhone and iPad
Perhaps lost in the shuffle amidst a slew of announcements on Tuesday is that Apple is making its fleet of iWork apps available free for download on new iOS devices. In addition to Pages, Keynote and Numbers, users will also be able to download iMovie and iPhoto free of charge. Think about that for a second; in one fell swoop, Apple made its entire range of productivity and creativity apps (save for GarageBand) available for free. As it stands now, purchasing all of the aforementioned apps would set you back US$40. This is significant on a number of levels, and harkens back to Apple's strategy with the Mac when it first began introducing what would soon become a formidable collection of apps that together comprised Apple's iLife suite of software -- iTunes, iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD (now defunct), iWeb (also defunct) and, last but not least, GarageBand. Steve Jobs first introduced Apple's "Digital Hub" strategy back at Macworld in 2001 (though iMovie had already existed at that point). "If you use iMovie," Jobs boasted during a vintage performance, "it makes your digital camcorder worth 10 times as much because you can convert raw footage into an incredible movie." In relaying the thought process behind Apple's digital hub strategy, Jobs explained that the "glue that's going to make all this happen are the applications: iMovie. iTunes. iDVD. They are going to be our passport into our new digital lifestyle era." And Jobs was spot on. Macs in the early 2000s began shipping with powerful software applications that enabled users to harness their creative juices and manage their digital media right out of the box. I myself was a heavy iMovie user early on and remember being blown away by what was now possible. While my videos were hardly award-winning productions, my friends would often excitedly remark, "You were able to do that on your computer? And the software to do that just comes with it for free?" Once iPhoto hit the scene in 2002, soon followed by GarageBand in 2004, Apple's suite of iLife software really empowered the average user to create ambitious and professional-grade projects. Apple's iLife strategy with the Mac provided a value proposition that was simply unmatched on the Windows side. While it's impossible to quantify how many Macs were sold on account iLife, there's no denying that iMovie and its brethren created a lot of happy customers who became reliant upon and excited about the Apple ecosystem. Now, Apple is taking that same strategy and applying it to iOS. While the aforementioned iOS apps won't be pre-loaded, they will be available as free downloads on new iOS devices. Much like the Mac, this strategy aims to enhance the value of iOS devices, especially when measured against competing devices from the likes of Android and, well, I guess mostly Android. During yesterday's event, Tim Cook explained: We think that iWork is a really key advantage for our customers' productivity, and that iPhoto and iMovie are great for are customers creativity. No other platform has any apps like these. We think that all iOS devices are made even better if they have these apps. And almost all of our customers want these apps. Sounds a lot like Jobs back in 2001, right? iLife on the Mac put powerful media creation tools at the forefront of the PC user experience. Now, Apple is implementing the very same strategy for iOS and it's hard to see this as anything but a savvy business move on Apple's part. Out of the box, productivity and media-creation tools will be more accessible and intuitive on iOS than on any other mobile platform. Well played Apple, well played.
iWork for iCloud beta now open to anyone with an Apple ID
First it was available to developers, then a select few who received invitations, and now the beta of iWork for iCloud is available for all. Apple's made no official announcement, but point your browser to icloud.com, punch in your Apple ID details, and there you have it: Pages, Numbers and Keynote. Seeming as you normally have to pay for the iWork software suite, this could be a time-sensitive public beta that'll be pulled once you've found all the bugs (this editor has full access without owning any of the iWork programs). So, you might as well have a go at being productive in the cloud before it's too late.
Apple sends iWork for iCloud beta invitations to everyday users
Apple was quick to invite developers to the iWork for iCloud beta in the aftermath of WWDC, but us commoners have had to settle for watching from afar. The company is quickly opening things up, however -- it just started sending out beta invitations to ordinary iCloud users, including some Engadget readers. While this isn't likely to represent Apple's promised public beta, it's clear that we're now much closer to the day when everyone can give the web-based iWork a try. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Apple unveils iWork for iCloud
iWork has been a traditional software suite ever since it first launched (the brief availability of iWork.com notwithstanding), but Apple is bringing it to the web in earnest today by revealing iWork for iCloud. The suite includes Keynote, Numbers and Pages, and each of the web apps preserves many of the same real-time editing features as its iOS and Mac counterparts. The collection officially supports Chrome, Internet Explorer and (logically) Safari, although you'll likely be waiting awhile to try them: only developers get an iWork beta today, and a public beta is due later this year. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub. %Gallery-190881%
Facebook introduces verified Pages and Profiles
Taking a page out of the book of other social networks, Facebook is now making it possible to verify celebs and other high-profile people and companies. The feature, which consists of a small blue checkmark sitting next to their name, extends to Pages and Profiles of popular individuals and businesses, as a way to limit the confusion a reader may experience when trying to filter between real and fake accounts. It appears that Facebook is taking upon itself the duty of deciding who to verify, but it's still a good way to ensure that your favorite Engadget Facebook Page is manned by -- you know -- actual Engadget editors (nudge nudge, Mark!).
Consumer alternatives to Adobe Creative Cloud: practical software choices
Yesterday, Adobe introduced Creative Cloud, an on-line subscription based suite with $49.99 monthly charges that moves into the Creative Suite subscription space first started back in 2011. Existing customers of CS 3 to CS 5.5 and academics will pay $29.99 per month. Both Adobe and Microsoft are exploring subscription models in place of buy-once-then-use purchases. This has a number of us here at TUAW looking around to see what apps we might want to jump to as we move away from our premium products into the current marketplace. Although I am fond of Adobe Photoshop Elements, the consumer-priced version of Adobe's flagship photo editor, it's an app with walls. I accomplish far more using Photoshop and the other Creative Suite products, items I have spent years upgrading at considerable expense. Like many other Adobe customers, I live in the hazy world that stretches between Pro apps at one and and Consumer grade at the other. I've purchased CS because the consumer products aren't powerful enough for my needs, but I'm certainly not a full time "creative" who thinks of the suite as merely an incidental purchase. As a rule, I have upgraded as infrequently as possible, stretching out my purchases over as many years and operating systems as possible. I live very low on the Adobe consumer hierarchy, trying to eke out whatever time I have left with my CS 4 suite. It's time now to seriously look at alternatives. On the photo editing side of things, we propose three candidates. Acorn ($29.99) is on sale throughout May. Called the "Image Editor for Humans", it comes with great word of mouth and growing buzz. At just $14.99, Pixelmator's price point can't be beat. This "inspiring, easy-to-use, beautifully designed image editor" has somewhat mixed reviews on the Mac App Stores, but those who love it seem to do so passionately. GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program, has a lock on price. For years, this free app has been a stepping-stone app for people who didn't yet have the cash for Photoshop but who wanted access to powerful image editing. As for the rest of the suite, we TUAWians mostly use Acrobat, Illustrator, and InDesign: With Acrobat, you need look no further than Preview for an app that offers many similar features. Power users, however, may want to consider PDFPen Pro, a product we've covered in the past, which offers extensive PDF editing features. Illustrator users will find a variety vector drawing solutions for OS X including Vector Designer, Intaglio, Sketch, and EazyDraw. TUAW recently looked at EazyDraw. For page layout, Apple offers both Pages and iBooks Author. Swift Publisher from Belight seems to offer good word of mouth as well. Speaking of pages, both iWork and Apache's OpenOffice provide promising alternatives to Microsoft Office. GigaOM recently posted an excellent list of their take on Adobe Creative Suite alternatives. Got another alternative vendor to suggest for Creative Suite or Office products? Drop a note in the comments with your suggestion. TUAW will be reviewing many of these alternative apps over the coming weeks.
Apple issues minor updates to iWork for iOS apps
Apple has just released very minor updates to its iWork for iOS apps. Pages, Keynote and Numbers have all been updated with "stability improvements and bug fixes." Let us know in the comments if you notice anything different!
Google Takeout now liberating Blogger and Google+ Pages
Google Takeout's export functions have slowly extended their reach from profiles and personal contacts to heftier material, such as all our videos. However much we've been using that data portability, Google is eliminating what few gaps are left in its coverage: the company's Data Liberation Front has expanded Takeout to preserve both Blogger content as well as Google+ Pages. Web denizens can cherry-pick just the blogs or Pages they want if a whole-enchilada backup is too much. Regardless of how large a safety net we need, the new options are ready and waiting at the source links.
Google+ Pages gain interaction with those beyond their circles, will get analytics soon
Many running Google+ Pages for their companies have likely been frustrated by the lack of interaction with some of their fans -- if visitors haven't already put the brand in a circle, they've been off-limits regardless of their interest. A quiet change may have just opened the floodgates. Pages can now share, comment on and +1 posts from those who weren't already followers. Google hasn't made the change official, but it is promising a feature that's ultimately complementary: Pages should get their own analytics for demographics and social activity in the "coming weeks," giving owners an idea as to who they're attracting. While we hope that the loosened restrictions don't lead to unwanted conversations in our feeds, they're undoubtedly valuable to companies that just want to share good news or offer a helping hand.
