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Adobe Creative Cloud rolls out today: CS6 applications, storage and syncing from $50 per month
If you haven't already upgraded to CS6, then maybe Adobe can entice you to take the "radical" next step of signing up to its cloud service, which starts today in 36 countries priced at $50 per month on an annual contract, or $75 per month for the non-committal. Will it be worth the potatoes? That depends on whether you're the type of person who prefers to pay $2,600 upfront for a perpetual license, or alternatively make use of subscription-based access to online install files, HTML5 apps like Adobe Muse 1.0 (for code-free HTML design) and Adobe Edge preview (for animations and interactive content), plus integration with Adobe's Touch Apps for iOS and Android tablets. You'd also get that other big cloudy offering: 20GB of online storage for easy sharing, viewing and syncing of all your hard work. Finally, if you're using an older version of Creative Suite, then Adobe's offering you a pretty hefty introductory discount to entice you onto the slippery upgrade slope. Check out the press release for further price info, or just look up in the sky.
Dropbox adds automatic photo uploads for Windows and Mac, up to 3GB just for using it
Dropbox isn't short of aficionados, but it's undoubtedly lost some of its gleam since Google drove the cloud war into a frenzy. In response, Dropbox's devs have been at the squat rack pumping up their multimedia credentials, recently adding auto photo and video uploads to their Android app and now extending that feature to any camera, tablet, smartphone or SD card via the Mac or Windows utility -- an add-on that was previously beta-only. Access the web interface and you'll see your stills arranged in a handy new Photos page, which displays them as large thumbnails bunched together by month. There's a blunter enticement too: your first auto upload will secure 500MB in extra storage, with subsequent efforts also rewarded up to 3GB. Perhaps that cardboard isn't looking so soggy after all.
SMS Audio SYNC by 50 wireless headphones review
Ah, celebrity-endorsed headphones -- whether it's Beats by Dre or Soul by Ludacris, you've always gotta wonder whether their actual sound-reproduction chops will match up with the steep price tags and fashion-focused designs. Oftentimes, shocker of shockers, the answer is a resounding "no." One of the newest entrants into this game is SYNC by 50, stemming from a long collaboration between Sleek Audio SMS Audio and none other than Curtis James Jackson III -- 50 Cent, of course. Unlike the partners' $250 Street offering, these headphones have the unique selling point of offering both wireless and wired operation, a convenience for which you'll pay a staggering $400. Although they don't offer active noise-cancellation like competing models, these headphones are banking on Kleer's tried-and-true wireless audio technology, which touts 16-bit CD-quality resolution. We spent several weeks testing these spendy sound-blasters, so continue on to our full review to learn whether they live up to the hype or could us to a second trip back to the studio for remastering.
Google Drive SDK, Gmail integration hinted at in Google Docs source code
Still wondering if Mountain View's Google Drive service will launch as a Google Docs rebranding? The folks at the Google Operating System blog have some code you might want to peek at, then. Apparently the Docs' source code mentions an SDK connected to the upcoming Google Drive, opening the door for third party app support. The code hints at deeper Gmail integration too, "Say goodbye to email attachments and hello to real time collaboration," it says, "Drag anything shared with you to My Drive for easy access." If Drive turns out to be more than a hefty Docs update, at the very least it seems clear that the new service will play nice with El Goog's other web apps -- after all, isn't that what that consolidated privacy policy is supposed to be about?
Chrome stable channel hits version 16, adds multi-user sync support (video)
Subscribers to the beta and dev channels of Google's browser have been enjoying the fruits of the company's syncing labor for sometime now. But, with the stable release of Chrome 16, the Mountain View crew is finally bringing those features to less adventurous users. An entry in the wrench menu offers you the option to "sign in to Chrome," automatically syncing your installed apps, extensions, bookmarks, browsing history and settings. But, if you've got more than one user sharing the same PC, you can keep your experiences separate and customized by adding new users from the "Personal Stuff" page in the options menu. Then you're just a couple of quick clicks on the user menu (that new icon in the upper left- or right-hand corner depending on your OS) away from alternating between sets of synced data. Head on after the break for a quick video demo.
Dropbox for Teams offers businesses copious amounts of sharable storage
Dropbox is an indispensable part of many a computer users' arsenal, including several here at Engadget. But, the company hasn't had a viable option for businesses who would have an obvious use for a tool that allows you to easily sync files between PCs, share them amongst users and always have backups in the cloud. The boys and girls at the Y Combinator startup know that there's lots of money to be made in the enterprise space and that's why they've unveiled Dropbox for Teams. The general experience is the same, but rather than individually managed chunks of storage, teams share one large repository, starting at 1TB for five users. The base plan costs $795 a year and additional users, which also includes 200GB of storage, can be tacked on for $125 annually. The business offering also includes special tools for administrators to add or delete users and dedicated phone support. Check out the full PR after the break.
Griffin's Multidock system charges and syncs up to 30 iPads at once
Don't you hate it when all of your iPads collectively run out of juice? Well, praise Griffin for announcing its first business centric iOS "accessory" in the shape of the Multidock. It has its own power connection for simultaneous charging of ten iPads, but it can be chain-linked to two other docks for syncing of up to 30 tablets with a single Mac. With each server-esque tower measuring up at 18.6 inches (47.2 cm) tall and priced even higher at $700, this one's for IT pros and Scrabble aficionados only. %Gallery-135272%
Google Drive could finally be ready for launch, may just be rebranded Docs
GDrive, GDisk, Google Drive - whatever they're calling it these days - is coming. At least according to our friends over at TechCrunch. The service has not just been a rumor, but an actual product since 2007. Sadly though, it never made it past the dogfooding stage. The internal cloud storage tool for Googlers has been highly anticipated, but in 2010 it seemed like the final nail was put in its coffin when Docs was turned into a makeshift replacement with the ability to store any file. Well, Google Drive still exists, and speculation is that Google Docs will eventually be rebranded as Drive and relaunched with non-Docs file storage moved to the forefront. What's more, it's rumored that there will be a desktop syncing component, similar to Dropbox. Of course, the image above (from a Google-sponsored presentation) and recently discovered mentions of Drive.Google.com in Chromium don't necessarily mean anything. But, if Google actually plans on taking this Chrome OS thing seriously, Drive seems like a natural companion service. For now though, we're just going to have wait patiently to see what, if anything, comes of these latest rumblings.
Apple confirms iCloud web apps, impending death of iWeb and iDisk
MobileMe's complete disappearance is still a good ways off, but it's safe to say that the transition to iCloud is well underway at Cupertino (and Maiden, North Carolina, for that matter). A brief FAQ has emerged today over at Apple's site, detailing answers to a few burning questions about the future of MobileMe. As stated before, all MobileMe users who had an account prior to June 6, 2011 will see their service extended through June 30, 2012 at no extra cost, but what's new here is the amount of functionality that'll also be available from a website. Starting at an undisclosed time "this fall," icloud.com will allow users to access Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Bookmarks, Find My iPhone and Back to my Mac, relieving fears that iCloud was severing ties with the browser altogether. Unfortunately, iWeb, Gallery and iDisk aren't making the cut, and while it seems that previously stored files will still be accessible, we wouldn't count on being able to add anything new a year from now. Hit the source for the rest of the nitty-gritty.
More iOS 5 features get their moment in the beta testing sun
Steve Jobs and co. showed off all kinds of cool new features during the debut of iOS 5 at WWDC earlier this month. We had the chance to take a few of them for a spin, when we tested the beta build of the mobile operating system, and now that more and more folks have tried their hand at iOS 5, more and more features are getting their turn to shine. Here's a list of some of the cooler ones we've seen in the last few weeks. Apple has added the ability to make FaceTime calls over 3G -- though rumor has it that this may be a beta-only feature, which carriers can choose to disable, over obvious data usage concerns. AirPlay Mirroring has been shown off. The feature lets users display video from an iPad 2 on an HDTV, by way of Apple TV, for those times when you just can't keep your tablet content to yourself. (Read) The new software also offers up the ability to sync 1080p video to iOS 5 devices, opening the door to speculation that future iPads and iPhones may be able to play back content at full 1080p. (Read) Like to play your iTunes over your car stereo? Good news, iOS 5 will transfer audio information like album, track, and artist names over Bluetooth. (Read) [Thanks to everyone who sent in tips]
Apple turns iOS 'PC Free' with OTA updates and wireless sync
Love your iPhone, but hate all of the PC-based tethering it entails? Apple has some good news: the company is taking its "post-PC" stance a step further, letting you activate your smartphone straight out of the box without syncing it to a computer. Also big news is the addition of over-the-air updates, which will let you receive changes without plugging the handset in. And some big news for music fans: users will be able to sync their iTunes libraries over WiFi connections with the update. %Gallery-125446%
iPhone turntable concept brings dropped calls to your record collection
Any audiophile worth their weight in 180 gram vinyl will gladly tell you that nothing sounds quite as good as a record. Unfortunately, the format has a few major drawbacks, like a lack of portability and the fact that it really sucks at making phone calls. The iPhone, on the other hand, is light years ahead of those fronts -- well, one of out two ain't bad. This new concept from designer Olivier Meynard offers the best of both worlds, embedding a horizontal iPhone dock next to a wheel of steel, so you can play back your favorite LP through the built-in speakers and encode those tracks as MP3s, which are uploaded to your handset as it charges. Finally, a way to turn your long out of print prog rock albums into ringtones, as they were meant to be heard.
RIM acquires Tungle, might soon bridge your calendar across platforms
The BlackBerry PlayBook may be noticeably lacking a calendar app of its own (at least for now), but it looks like RIM could soon have more scheduling options than ever -- it's just acquired fellow Canadian company Tungle, which specializes in syncing your calendar across platforms. At the moment, that's done with either the company's web application, or its iOS or BlackBerry app (an Android version has also been promised), which also let you share your calendar with folks inside or outside your company and, of course, tie it into your various social networks -- so you can learn about the person you're having a meeting with, for instance. As you might expect, however, RIM is staying mum on exactly what it has in mind for the company, and it also isn't divulging any specific terms of the acquisition. Head on past the break for a video demonstrating how the current service works.
HP may bless webOS with cloud-syncing music store
Rumor has it that HP is preparing to enter the cloud-based music storage fray. A reader at PreCentral sent in what purports to be a confidential PowerPoint presentation indicating the TouchPad will launch with an HP-branded music and movie store, as well as a smart syncing service that caches frequently accessed media for local playback. This may very well be the "Music Synergy" that SVP Steven McArthur mentioned to us. Amazon has already launched such an app and it's all but official that Google is planning the same thing, so it only makes sense that the company would want to imbue webOS with similar powers. We can't verify these claims ourselves and the slide above is clearly a wonky Photoshop job, but it's would hardly be surprising after snatching up Melodeo and the streaming music service Nutsie. And, while webOS and Android are working to banish the quaint ritual of plugging your cellphone into a computer, we can only imagine what the Lala team is up to -- maybe Jobs has them washing his turtlenecks.
Nokia experiments with Drop, elegantly shuttles photos and web links to mobiles (video)
Proving not all clever projects need witty names, Nokia introduced an experimental project known as Drop -- and it's likely to make your web browser and Symbian phone the best of friends. Intrepid testers may now push links, pictures, and even apply wallpaper to linked mobile devices, all from the comfort of Firefox or Chrome. While Nokia intends to add more features as development matures, what we're previewing appears decidedly familiar. Symbian^3 and S60 5th Ed. users can get a taste of the clever trickery right now, though considering Nokia's excitement in heralding this innovation late in Symbian's life cycle, we wonder if our friends from Espoo are pondering Drop's future for Windows Phone handsets. Want to join us in the speculation? Take a gander at the video after the break to see what these wide-eyed developers have in store.
BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS brings WiFi music sync, broader iPhoto / iTunes support
About time, eh? Wintel users have been enjoying the spoils of WiFi music sync on their BlackBerry handsets for the past few months now, but if you're still stickin' with RIM (through the thick and thin), and you just so happen to roll primarily on OS X, there's a new piece of software that you should consider. BlackBerry Desktop Software 2.0 for Mac OS has just been let loose, and it's a pretty substantial update. Aside from supporting WiFi music sync in official fashion, there's also a new device switch wizard and the ability to import and sync photos and videos with iPhoto and iTunes. She's waiting for you there in the source link -- all 39.713 megabytes. You know what to do.
AirSync for doubleTwist brings wireless syncing to Android phones
Been looking for the perfect thing to boast to your iPhone-owning friends about? Well brace yourself, because doubleTwist has just gone wireless with its latest update, introducing a feature called AirSync which allows Android users to keep their media collection simpatico sans cabling. The new app for PC and Mac boxes couples with its Android counterpart (along with a new AirSync component) and lets you do most of your management without needing a wire between your phone and computer. The desktop application and DoubleTwist player for phones won't cost you a thing, though AirSync itself is $0.99 on the phone for the first 10,000 buyers, and then jumps to $4.99 a shot. Setup is relatively painless, requiring just a passcode from your phone which is input on the PC side. From then on, whenever you've got the app open and your device in range, the content stored on the phone will appear in your DoubleTwist list just as if you'd plugged the phone in (similar to the Windows Phone 7 / Zune wireless sync). We took AirSync for a ride with our Mac and Droid Incredible, and everything seemed to work fine, though we did notice a few bugs (one that was pretty major) that need worked out. Firstly, you'll probably want to just start fresh with syncing your collection -- we made the mistake of trying to pick up where we'd left off and accidentally wiped the content stored on the phone. We also noticed issues with the application trying to sync or update your database while listening to music; more than once our playback abruptly stopped when the app was attempting to talk to the phone. Syncing can also be pretty slow depending on your connection -- really slow if you've got a big collection. Despite those complaints, AirSync (and both the doubleTwist Android app and desktop client) are incredibly slick solutions to a problem plaguing lots of smartphone users. The company obviously has just begun its work with the app -- and it's clear that there are kinks to work out -- but the dream of a wireless future for Android users just got a lot closer to reality.
LG X170 netbook controls your phone, adds SmartPOP to the lexicon
We're guessing that this newfangled SmartPOP feature works a lot like Lenovo's Constant Connect (or perhaps LG's own Air Sync?), but either way, the feature set is still fairly innovative. On the surface, LG is today introducing its X170 netbook -- a 10.1-incher with an Atom N455 (or N550), 1GB of RAM, a 250GB hard drive and integrated Intel GMA 3150 graphics. But it's the accompanying SmartPOP feature that's really worth a second glance; purportedly, the system utilizes Bluetooth 3.0 in order to connect to your LG phone (supported models haven't been made public thus far) and do all sorts of things. Syncing your files and email is just the beginning -- once you're in, you can send an SMS, view contacts / files and dial a phone number from the comfort of your PC. We're guessing that future uses will be somewhat more impressive than existing ones, but you've got to start somewhere, right? Word on the street has this one going for just under $700 in South Korea, and we're definitely hoping that mobile there is included for that price.
Microsoft announces Windows Phone 7 sync software for Macs due this year
Even though we kind of saw this coming, it's still nice to hear. Microsoft has gone and done the (nearly) unthinkable, announcing this evening plans for a Mac compatible sync client for its soon-to-be-launched Windows Phone 7 devices. According to a statement from the company issued late in the day, beginning some time "later in 2010" Mac users will be able to live the dream along with their PC counterparts by downloading a beta OS X application which will allow you to sync "select content" from a Mac of their choosing to a Windows Phone. The company was short on details, but hopefully we can pry more info out of the big M in the coming days. For now, we can all bask in the shocking open-mindedness of this news, and give the folks in Redmond a golf clap for finally acknowledging that yes, some Mac owners may actually want to get in on the Windows Phone party. As for Hell, there haven't been any reports of recent temperature changes, but we'll keep you posted as we get more information. For your perusal, the full statement: Later in 2010 Microsoft will make a public beta available of a tool that allows Windows Phone 7 to sync select content with Mac computers.
GooTasks syncs tasks from Google
We all know that trying to sync up tasks from your Google account to your iPhone / iPad can be a laborious, if not impossible, task! And if you didn't know that, ... now you do. The only way to access Google tasks is through mobile Safari or another Web browser. Even Google Mobile App will direct you to the Web-based version of Google tasks, via Safari. And, as it stands, there is no way to access Google tasks on the iOS Mail.app either, only notes can be synced through that. No one's saying the Web-based version of Google tasks is such a bad thing, but if you're desperate to deal with your Google tasks through an app, with that app feel, shine and shimmer, then check out GooTasks. GooTasks is a straight forward and very simple app. It allows you to manage, create, edit, and delete Google tasks from various Google accounts and lists so that you can have all of your tasks in just one place. And it's free. I must admit, it's not all that different from Google's own mobile, Web-based version. The only difference that I could find is an offline mode, for use when you're off the grid. Naturally, your tasks will only sync once you're back online. GooTasks is made by French developer Runware. You can check out the GooTasks website in English here, but be warned, the iTunes App Store description is in French only. Another word of caution, GooTasks has an in-app purchase to upgrade to GooTasks Pro at £2.99. For the life of me, I can't figure out what added features you get from this, and I can't glean any further details from their website. So, play it safe, kids! If you're in the market for something similar to GooTasks, check out CalenGoo or GeeTasks, but these are paid apps. Or, why not make a little Web shortcut on your home screen? That way, with one touch, your tasks will appear before you -- just remember to save your log in details!
