Dreamweaver, first released by Macromedia in 1997, was the first WYSIWYG HTML editor that produced clean HTML code and set itself apart from, for example, Microsoft’s Frontpage, or Symantec’s Visual Page, by bringing easy WYSIWYG web page creation to the graphic design community.

Muse is taking a similar route, but isn’t so much based on the idea of how Photoshop works, but rather integrates a process that is reminiscent of the layout software InDesign. Muse feels like a multimedia creation tool that takes away the pain of learning and writing code to a certain degree, and clearly targets users and developers that are used to Adobe’s design tools. For example, Muse site structures are created via master pages and set page styles that work similar to the master pages in InDesign. Adobe says that the software comes with tools for interactivity and access to more than 400 Web fonts via Adobe Typekit.

“There have been more than 700,000 beta downloads of Adobe Muse to date. We have incorporated feedback from our beta users into the first release of Muse and the response has been very positive,” said David Wadhwani, a senior vice president at Adobe. “Adobe Muse gives designers the freedom to build sites without having to learn code, which will help them expand their businesses and offer their clients more cost effective, professional websites.”

Adobe does not offer website designers to purchase Muse outright. Instead, the software is offered as a service for $14.99 per month (annual subscription) or for $24.99 (month-to-month). Muse is also offered as part of the Adobe Creative Cloud $49.99 per month based on annual membership and $74.99 on a month-to-month basis. Owners of Adobe’s CS3, CS4, CS5 and CS5.5 are offered the Creative Cloud service for $29.99 per month (annual subscription).

SOURCE via Adobe

Mozilla has shown off ideas for future versions of Firefox as it becomes less of a traditional browser and more of a “soft, friendly, human” ecosystem. Slides released on the web hint at a new desktop environ with a simplified menu, cleaner download interface, and a more functional startpage — all the while maintaining the same curved-edge look as the mobile variant. A Windows 8 Metro tile-based version is also in the works that’s similar to the Firefox tab layout on Android. There’s no word when Mozilla’s so-called Kilimanjaro project will come to fruition, but you can check out the slideshow after the break for an early glimpse.

SOURCE via The Verge

Eager to get your fancy new mask on? Open up the wallet. Adobe’s freshly announced Creative Suite (we’re up to CS6, for those keeping count) is now available, with Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Flash Professional and more up for grabs. As for that subscription-based Creative Cloud option? Folks looking to pay monthly for the new wares will have to wait until Friday, May 11th. Those buying outright can get the CS6 Master Collection for $2,599, while $1,899 gets you Production Premium (or Design & Web Premium) and $1,299 nets you Design Standard.

SOURCE via Adobe

Internet Explorer associated with an exploit? Color us shocked. Facetiousness aside, it’s seriously about time you switched over to Chrome or Firefox (as a mitigation tool; not a foolproof solution), and if you’re a desktop user relying on Flash Player, well… it’s about time you updated that, too. Adobe has just released a security update for Flash Player 11.2.202.233 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux, Adobe Flash Player 11.1.115.7 and earlier versions for Android 4.x, and Adobe Flash Player 11.1.111.8 and earlier versions for Android 3.x and 2.x. We’re told that these updates “address an object confusion vulnerability (CVE-2012-0779) that could cause the application to crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.” Adobe specifically mentions an exploit that targets Flash Player on Internet Explorer for Windows, where a user is duped into clicking on a malicious file delivered in an email message. Hit up the source link for more information on getting your system out of The Danger Zone. Which, conveniently, can be looped as you update with a click after the break.

SOURCE via Adobe

Adobe’s famous desktop browser plugin may be looking forward to a 2013 overhaul, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t out to improve itself in the here and now. Flash Player’s 11.3 beta, for instance, rolls in low latency audio support through NetStream, designed specifically to cut back audio lag in cloud gaming. The beta also introduces support for complete keyboard control when in full-screen mode, background Flash updating on Macs, and a Protected Mode for Firefox that keeps rogue Flash files from compromising Windows PCs using Vista or later.

The AIR 3.3 beta, on the other hand, smooths the runtime’s iOS experience, allowing compiled apps to run in the background more like their natively-compiled siblings. It’s also friendlier to developers, with new USB debugging and simulator support that now doesn’t require a physical device. Android 4.0 users aren’t entirely left out, getting stylus support for AIR apps on their platform. Adobe hasn’t said when the finished versions of Flash 11.3 and AIR 3.3 will reach its servers, but if you’re willing to live life on the bleeding edge, you can find the download links below.

SOURCE via Adobe

If you’ve been defiantly clinging onto Firefox 3.6 by your fingertips, bad news. Mozilla is officially putting it to sleep — whether you like it or not — by auto-updating users to version 12. You’ve still got a few days to bid your emotional farewells, with the switchover being pegged as early May. But, the browser’s creators stop short of setting a date for you to get the flowers delivered by. Official support for the 2010 release finished this week, and the final bout of security fixes was back in January. At the other end of the spectrum, Firefox 13 wobbled up onto its beta legs yesterday, bringing a new homepage, Google’s new SPDY protocol and tab extra features with it. If you’re making the leap, don’t panic if you find some old friends missing.

SOURCE via Mozilla

Who’d have thought those tiny reminders of the site you’re browsing could bite your backside? Apparently Mozilla did, and with its latest nightly Firefox build it has expunged favicons from their eternal perch just left of the URL. The problem is that instead something friendly — like Google’s famous “g” — nefarious sites can use a padlock or similar image, making you think you’re on a secure SSL page. So, starting from mid-July you’ll see a generic globe for standard websites, green padlocks for SSL sites with validation, and gray padlocks for SSL sites without it. Take note that (so far) tabs will keep their favicons, so those of us with 94 sites open at the same time will still know where in the web we are.

SOURCE via Mozilla

It doesn’t yet include the opt-in system for plug-ins that Mozilla is working on, but Firefox users can now download an update that adds a few other new features and new tools for developers. If you’ve lost track, that means were now at version 12.0, and the biggest addition this time around is reserved for Windows users — they’ll now get silent updates that bypass the User Account Control prompt. Apart from that, you’ll now get line numbers when you view a page’s source code, along with a number of other more minor fixes and performance improvements. You can find the full release notes at the source link below.

SOURCE via Mozilla

Here’s a bit of news that should get the MPAA all fired up: Dropbox now offers public file sharing.

On Monday Dropbox announced that it has added a public file sharing option to its virtual locker service, allowing users to send links leading back to documents, photos, and videos to anyone, whether they’re Dropbox members or not. Previously users could send links, but the recipient needed to create a Dropbox account in order to view and use the files.

“Dropbox links allow people to easily view documents, photos, and videos in a beautiful full-browser display without any setup,” the company explains. “Business presentations, home movies, and even entire folders can be opened and viewed instantly without having to sign in, download anything, or open files separately.”

In the Dropbox desktop, mobile and web-based applications, the “Get Link” button creates a unique link to the desired file or folder. The link can then be sent to other users — if they’re already a Dropbox member, they’ll have the added option of saving the file to their own Dropbox virtual locker.

“Anyone with the link gets access to a snazzy page where they can view (but not edit) your stuff,” the company said in a blog. “Our gallery pages give your photos, videos, and even docs the gorgeous, full-browser view they deserve. This means that people who follow your link can see pictures, look at presentations, and watch home videos without having to download and open them separately.”

The news arrives just before Google reportedly launches its own virtual locker service, Google Drive. Little is known about the service at this point save for that it will start with 5 GB of free storage. Given the new Dropbox feature, it’s easy to assume that Google Drive will also provide a public file sharing option. Google Drive is slated to launch on Wednesday or Thursday although Google hasn’t officially acknowledged a street date.

Just recently Dropbox announced that Bono and The Edge from the popular Irish band U2 are now investors in the company. The two reportedly came across Dropbox when they were building a project on Facebook. Once Dropbox raised $250 million last year, the duo decided the online storage business might actually be profitable.

“We’re always looking for ways to make life easier and solve the basic problems people face everyday,” said Drew Houston, CEO and co-founder of Dropbox. “Sending files has always been a painful process, but now with Dropbox, sharing with friends, family, and colleagues is effortless.”

]]> http://www.2dayblog.com/2012/04/24/dropbox-now-allows-public-sharing-of-files/feed/ 0 http://www.2dayblog.com/2012/04/24/adobe-unveils-cs6-and-subscription-based-creative-cloud-service-up-for-pre-order-now/ http://www.2dayblog.com/2012/04/24/adobe-unveils-cs6-and-subscription-based-creative-cloud-service-up-for-pre-order-now/#comments Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:35:28 +0000 Rie http://www.2dayblog.com/?p=42044

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.”

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.

SOURCE via TechCrunch