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Adobe XD's Project Mighty and Napoleon: the future of cloud-connected design tools for tablets (hands-on)
Adobe's best known for its creative software, but lately it's been toying with the hardware side of design. Over the past few weeks, the company's XD division's been teasing Projects Mighty and Napoleon for tablets: the former is a pressure-sensitive stylus, while the latter is a ruler for drafting. Both hardware experiments feature Bluetooth but, more importantly, they tap in Adobe's Creative Cloud. The units are essentially a serious side project for Adobe, but we have a feeling designers will be seriously excited once they get to see these prototypes in action. Geoff Dowd, XD's Design Lead, was kind enough to delve a bit deeper into the projects for us in a video walkthrough you can catch after the break.%Gallery-190361%
Adobe's move to the cloud: What it means, and why it isn't so bad
In case you haven't heard, a chapter in the history of Adobe's venerated Photoshop (and other Creative Suite applications) has just snapped shut. That's because all future versions have been moved to the Creative Cloud and renamed "CC," meaning that the only way to grab anything after CS6 will be to sign up for an internet-only subscription. Now, many of Adobe's customers for those apps (at least those who actually pony up for it) are pros who use it for paying gigs, and as Apple discovered with Final Cut Pro X, they're a vocal bunch when they see any threat to their livelihoods. You may not be sure whether to get angry and look for an alternative (good luck with that), or to just go with the flow and regard the whole thing as inevitable. Luckily, we've been using the Creative Cloud since it came out and Creative Suite before that, so our rundown after the break should help you make up your mind.
Adobe to go subscription-only with Creative Cloud software
As Adobe finds its footing in a cloud-based world, it pulled a move that most likely will generate a backlash from the students and creative professionals that rely on its software. Adobe announced that the Creative Suite software will be rebranded as Creative Cloud and confirmed it will no longer develop the Creative Suite line. Adobe CS6 will still be supported and available for purchase, but all future products will be provided through the subscription-only Creative Cloud service. As part of this announcement, Adobe demonstrated the first version of the new Adobe Photoshop CC. The move shouldn't come as a huge surprise. The writing's been on the wall since the launch of the Creative Suite subscription service in 2011 and Creative Cloud in 2012. Adobe announced in March that it would end sales of boxed versions of Creative Suite and Acrobat by May 1. New products such as Muse have been exclusive to the service. The Next Web says that its sources told them that it was a way for the company to stabilize its income, rather than the little bursts of extra revenue when a new release, but it (and I) agree that piracy is also a huge concern. Even with discounts, Adobe's software was out of the price range for many students and entry-level professionals. It was the thing everyone knew but didn't speak aloud -- if you had a personal copy of an Adobe product, it was most likely pirated. With Creative Cloud, it is a lot easier to access Adobe's suite of software legally. Even though you're paying more over a longer period of time, $20 to $50 per month is an easier chunk to swallow than the full price of the Creative Suite software. But that move isn't for everyone, and therein lies the problem. As a friend pointed out to me, digital artists and freelancers don't always have guaranteed income. If income runs short one month and they can't make the subscription payment, their access to the software that provides their livelihood is cut off. Fellow TUAW writers Erica Sadun and Mel Martin echoed their displeasure for Adobe's move, saying that it took people's choice away. "Going to web-only is a bridge too far," Erica said. Mel agreed. "I don't want a subscription. I don't want the cloud," he said. Though Adobe is pushing that way, not everyone wants to be tied to the web service. Adobe's subscription plan is $19.99 per month for a single piece of software and $49.95 per month for access to all of its software, plus updates. If you're using CS6 now, you can upgrade to the CC software this summer without having to worry about buying additional software. Existing CS3-5 customers can get the complete Creative Cloud for $29.99 per month for the first year and CS6 for $19.99 per month. There's separate pricing tiers for businesses and education, with the education plan being $19.99 per month for the first year and $29.99 per month after that.
Adobe announces Projects Mighty and Napoleon: Creative Cloud-connected hardware for tablet-based creations
On the heels of today's Creative Cloud software announcement, Adobe pulled the wraps off a new peripheral initiative for creating on a slate. First, Project Mighty is a cloud-connected stylus experiment that pulls tools from Creative Cloud setups and offers pressure sensitivity, a rechargeable battery, Bluetooth connectivity and built-in memory. This device is part of a new undertaking for Adobe that will seek to bridge the gap between software and hardware. In addition to Mighty, there's Project Napoleon, which will offer a second tool for tablet-style drawing. This peripheral will project straight lines to keep sketches neat and tidy in a high-tech ruler fashion. Details are scarce on both items for now, but those who are interested can opt for updates via the source link. Update: We added a video demo from Adobe after the break
Adobe rebrands Creative Suite to focus on Creative Cloud, outlines new features for Photoshop (update: subscription only)
When Adobe first offered up Creative Cloud to those opting for its design software, the outfit promised that those members would get access to new features first. Now, the company has rebranded its Creative Suite to keep the creativity cloud-focused. Adobe has announced an entire line of CC apps at its annual MAX event, replacing the CS naming convention to follow up on last year's CS6 release. There's no word on if those numerals are gone for good too, but what we do know is that the list of newfangled tools for Photoshop CC includes revamped Smart Sharpen, upsampling for low-res images, support for Camera Raw 8 (as editable layers, too), editable rounded rectangles and more. Additionally, a few tools that were only available in the Extended versions of Photoshop (3D editing and image analysis items) are now available in this Creative Cloud version. Join us on the other side of the break for a quick rundown of the digital workbench that will arrive in June. Update: The Next Web reports that from hence forth, Creative Cloud apps will only be available through the subscription-based service for $50 (£38.12 ex-VAT) a month. Subscriptions are discounted for Creative Suite owners for the first year and both education and team-based pricing is available. CS6 will still be available for purchase, but will not receive the support of updates and bug fixes.
Adobe brings Photoshop Touch to the iPhone
Just about a year ago at this time, Adobe released an iPad version of their flagship app, called Photoshop Touch. Now, a year later, they've announced a version of the app built specifically for the iPhone's smaller screen, that should be propagating out to the App Store very soon, listed at a price of US$4.99. So what's different? Product Manager Stephen Nielson sat down with TUAW a little while ago to demo the new version of the app, and show off just what's been done differently with the smaller screen. One thing is that despite the touchscreen interface, this is still Photoshop. You can open photos, edit them as you see fit, crop and retouch. It also allows you to edit layers with the standard cloning, brush and effects tools, and do nearly everything the desktop version of the app can do. There are even some things the desktop version app can't do -- Adobe built a "Scribble selection" feature for the touchscreen, where you can simply drag your finger around to select, and the app will intelligently nail your choice down. And there's also a "camera fill" feature, where you can choose a selection, and then use your iPhone or iPad's camera to shoot a picture right there and fill it in. And there's a 3D layer-viewing mode, where you can expand your image out into its various layers, and then drag around the touchscreen to view them in 3D. All of this is powered by Adobe's Creative Cloud service, too, so you can seamlessly transfer to and open photos from your phone, work on them and then save and reopen them up on your desktop. It's all very smooth and simple, and for just $4.99, the app seems like a bargain for any Photoshop ninjas out there. Of course, not everything is perfect. First up, as you might imagine, the iPhone and iPad have power limits that your desktop does not, so the biggest image you can open is a 12-megapixel image with three layers. If you open a smaller image, you can trade that off for more layers, so a 3-megapixel image can run up to 16 layers at a time on the iOS versions. The good news, though, is that if you open up an image with more layers than your iOS device can handle, it gets saved into a new format, so you'll never lose your work. The other big missing piece on the iPhone itself is tutorials -- there are some text-based informational tutorials included with the iPhone app, but the iPad had much more involved tutorials and demos. That's not a big loss, however, and Nielson told us it was mostly just to save space in the iPhone's internal memory. But "by and large," says Nielson, the iPhone version has "just about everything" else the iPad version has, despite it being half the price. As for what Adobe has planned next, Nielson said the company will "continue to explore new features for these apps, but also other apps and other services, especially services and workflows that can be enabled by Creative Cloud." Nielson didn't have any other announcements, but promised more is coming soon. Photoshop Touch seems like an excellent (and much cheaper) version of the image-editing standard, and now it's been ported over successfully to the iPhone. It's too bad the company didn't go universal, but given all of the work that went into this new version, and the comparably much higher price of the desktop software, anyone who uses Photoshop regularly probably won't hesitate to grab it right away.
Adobe CEO clumsily dodges pricing questions in YouTube 'farce' (video)
If Adobe has any love whatsoever for its non-US customers, it's not great at showing it. The video after the break reveals CEO Shantanu Narayen evading the genuine questions of a Delimiter journalist at a press conference in Sydney. The reporter wanted to know why Adobe's Creative Suite is priced $1,400 higher in Australia than in America, reflecting a geographic disparity that has long vexed Australian customers and lawmakers alike. But instead of answering, Narayen reverted to type and sought to shrug the journalist off with some marketing spiel about an entirely different product -- Creative Cloud -- ultimately leading Delimiter to condemn the whole episode as a "farce." If we understand Narayen right, he seems to be implying that Australian customers are being charged a high price for traditional boxed software in order to nudge them towards Adobe's subscription-based cloud service instead. Given that the Creative Cloud was itself hugely overpriced in Australia until a sudden and awkward u-turn just a couple of days ago, that sort of argument is hardly likely to win back much affection. However, this older Narayen clip actually might.
Adobe acquires Behance, sets sights on community-driven Creative Cloud
Well, it looks like Adobe is wrapping things up nicely before the long holiday weekend. Mere days after the most recent round of updates, the software outfit has just announced its acquisition of Behance, the online portfolio community for creatives in a number of disciplines. Founded in 2006 by CEO Scott Belsky, they NYC-based outfit will remain it's current location and retain all of its 32 current employees. Touting over 1 million active users and 90 million project views in the past month, Behance is an online repository for portfolios, feedback, inspiration and the hiring of creative pros. Adobe is planning to fully integrate the design community's wares into it's Creative Cloud arsenal "allowing members to seamlessly create content, seek feedback, showcase their work and distribute it across devices." For now, there won't be any changes for free and paid members of the Behance offerings, but Adobe is evaluating how to integrate the paid portions into Creative Cloud memberships with the free option from the community remaining as such. Head on past the break to take a gander at the full announcement.
Adobe announces Creative Cloud updates to Muse and Photoshop, team subscriptions and more
If you jumped on the Creative Cloud bandwagon, you're about to cash in one of the major perks of taking said leap. Keeping its promise to roll out new features to the aforementioned members first, Adobe has announced updates to Muse and Photoshop alongside Creative Cloud training materials and team subscriptions. Let's hit the highlights, shall we? Muse can not only help you publish websites without writing a line of code, but the software now offers assistance with smartphone and tablet-friendly versions of desktop sites, too. As far as new features for Photoshop CS6 are concerned, conditional actions (if this, then that), expanded Smart Object support, improved 3D effects and default type styles all settle in on the tool bench. Looking to opt in to Adobe's software service for your entire studio? No worries, the company has also outed Creative Cloud subscriptions for teams -- complete with centralized admin tools and expert support -- for $69 per month. That's not all. Less than a month ago, the wraps were taken off of Creative Cloud Connection for sharing all of those essential project files. Now, said functionality is being trotted out in proper fashion. From what we gather, this will be a Dropbox-esque affair complete with drag-and-drop functionality that extends across Touch apps, too. Clients can also view design files here, like those from InDesign, even if they don't have the requisite software installed on their machines. If that wasn't enough, training materials are on the way in the form of exclusive content for card-carrying members. Get all that? Good. For the full rundown on all of the new features, consult the full PR that follows.
Adobe Edge swells to include Tools & Services, streamlines the designer web
Adobe really wants web designers to kick things up a notch. Not satisfied with where Edge has gone so far, it just released a full-fledged Edge Tools & Services suite to cover the bases for polished desktop and mobile pages on most any modern platform. Motion tool Edge Animate (formerly Edge Preview), automated previewing tool Edge Inspect (formerly Shadow) and mobile app packager PhoneGap Build have all arrived in the suite as version 1.0 releases, and come with both Edge Web Fonts as well as TypeKit to spruce up text. A pair of pre-release utilities, Edge Code (Brackets) and Edge Reflow, are also joining the group to tackle the nitty-gritty of editing web code and layouts. Any of the apps will readily cooperate with third-party software, although they won't always be cheap: while most of the Edge suite is free to use in at least a basic form as long as you have a Creative Cloud membership at any level, Edge Animate is only free during its initial run and should eventually cost either $15 per month or $499 in a one-time sale. For pros that want to burnish their corner of the web to a shine, the result just might be worth the expense.
Adobe Digital Publishing Suite Single Edition gets cozy with Creative Cloud, code deficient designers rejoice
If you've been looking for a way to make publishing for the iPad much easier and erase the coding headaches, Adobe is looking to oblige. The software company has announced that its Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) Single Edition is now part of the Creative Cloud software collection. Not familiar with DPS? No worries. The program allows designers to create single-issue iPad publications (annual reports, brochures, portfolios, etc.) in InDesign and then export them to the Digital Publishing Suite App Builder for all of the requisite coding and finishing touches. When all is said and done, the user is left with an app that can be immediately sent to Apple for its seal of approval. Pretty neat, eh? The software will still be available on its own for $395 or as part of a $49.99 annual or $74.99 month-to-month Creative Cloud commitment. However, those upgrading from CS3 or later can opt in for $29.99 per month. If a few more details are what you're after before signing up, consult the full PR below.
Adobe begins regular updates to Creative Cloud applications, details future improvements for Creative Suite
Adobe's subscription-based software service is three months old and the outfit is rolling out the first of its regular updates to the Creative Cloud set of applications. Alongside a new preview of Adobe Edge (now Edge Animate), added features to Adobe Muse highlight this round of improvements -- set to go live for members at 12:01 AM EDT tonight. The app that allows users to create websites without writing a line of code now includes custom contact forms, links to downloadable files (PDFs and such) and the option of using HTML5 animations from Edge and other programs. Other tweaks range from align / distribute and ruler guides that you've grown accustom to using on the fly in Creative Suite to a few FTP and publishing enhancements. Also included in the news is that the company plans to roll out select new features to the regular ol' Creative Suite offerings ahead of the annual release schedule to Creative Cloud subscribers. Some of the newfangled features that will arrive in CS7 will arrive early for those who opt for the membership route as each product team sees fit. For example, a file-packaging feature for Illustrator that was previewed recently is on its way soon. In order to get the entire truckload of new tech that the aforementioned release stands to haul, though, you'll have to wait until the entire lot hits in properly licensed form. Sound like the kind of early access you'd enjoy? Well, those looking to switch from the normal CS license model (CS3 and later) can join the Cloud for $29.99 per month for the first year instead of the usual $49.99 until August 31st.
Lightroom 4 finally floats into Adobe's Creative Cloud
Adobe's primary tool for tweaking and organizing photos was always destined to be part of the Creative Cloud offering, but for whatever reason it didn't make it in time for launch. As of today though, Lightroom 4 is available to download on PC or 64-bit Mac (or both, since you're allowed multiple installations) as part of a CS6 monthly license. The additional title may not be enough to sway cloud doubters, but even they can't dispute that the subscription approach now delivers more software than the full-on $2599 shrink-wrapped Master Collection.
Adobe Muse is ready to let you design websites without the coding headaches for $15 a month
If you've been looking to get that web project off the ground but despise the idea of coding it, Adobe's recently announced web design tool has just landed. Muse, the program that allows you to design websites without having to get your hands dirty with HTML5 is now available. The kit behaves more like a layout program (like InDesign) instead of a web publishing / programming tool, allowing those who are more design-minded to feel right at home. As you might expect, the software is available with an annual $49.99 per month Creative Cloud subscription alongside CS6 heavyweights like Photoshop and Illustrator. If Muse is all you're after, you can snag it alone for a $24.99 month-to-month fee or $14.99 for a twelve-month commitment. Need to see it in action before you open your wallet? No worries. Hit the coverage link below for a look at what the application can do.
Adobe Creative Cloud and Creative Suite 6 now available
A few days after originally anticipated, Adobe has now made its Creative Cloud and Creative Suite 6 products available for purchase and download. Adobe is making a big push for its Creative Cloud subscription service, which offers access to all 14 of its desktop apps and previews for other products. The exception is Lightroom, which Adobe says will be coming soon. The six Adobe Touch apps are each a separate purchase, with four of those apps available for the iPad now. Adobe Collage and Adobe Proto are newly available on the App Store. The only Touch apps now available are Kuler and Debut, but they'll most likely hit the App Store soon.
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.
Adobe formally unveils CS6, Creative Cloud, launch event April 23
Adobe has formally announced its upcoming Creative Cloud service, along with Adobe Creative Suite 6, and Adobe will stream a launch event at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET today, April 23. All products are available for preorder. Creative Cloud is US$49.99 per month; however, those who currently have an Adobe subscription or own Adobe CS3 through CS5.5 can get a subscription for $29.99 per month for a year. When I preordered Creative Cloud, the order screen showed an estimated availability of May 7. We first heard of Creative Cloud in October, and the Photoshop CS6 beta was released in March. Adobe Creative Cloud will allow access to all 14 CS6 applications via monthly subscription. CS6 contains major upgrades to all Adobe apps and Adobe Muse, which we reviewed in August, exits its beta form. Creative Suite prices range from $1,299 for Design Standard to $2,599 for the Master Collection. Upgrades start at $275. Education discounts are available.
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.
Adobe drops Creative Suite subscriptions to prepare for Creative Cloud
As of Thursday, Adobe has dropped sales of suite edition subscriptions to prepare for the upcoming Adobe Creative Cloud service. Subscriptions to the individual applications remain available. Those interested in subscribing to a suite edition must purchase the software instead. Adobe quietly introduced this change to their subscription program days after it relented and said it would offer special upgrade pricing for CS3 and CS4 users who want to upgrade to CS6. Suite editions started around $65 a month for the standard suites, and the Adobe Creative Cloud service will start at $49.95 a month. The Adobe rep I talked with did not provide an answer if I asked him if it was possible to convert current subscriptions to Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions when that service launches. There's no launch date for Creative Cloud as of yet other than early 2012, but with Adobe ceasing its suite edition subscriptions, it's safe to say that day is close.
Adobe reveals Creative Cloud, links Touch Apps to Creative Suite with 20GB storage
Dropbox just not doing the trick for your design work load? Perhaps Adobe can help. The company has announced Creative Cloud, a "hub for viewing, sharing and syncing of files created by Adobe Touch Apps and Adobe Creative Suite." Included with the service is 20GB of cloud storage, which will probably get you through that web design project you've been putting off. After the first of the year, Adobe expects its cloud to include access to applications software (apps too), digital publishing / business services and a global creative community for inspiration and feedback. Also unveiled were Touch Apps, a set of six applications designed to make your tablet a design machine -- if you're down to work on that small of a screen, of course. You'll have to wait until November to find out just how much the Creative Cloud will set you back, but in the meantime check out the source link for more details.
