Bernskiold Media

Adobe releases Configurator 1.0!

Adobe has just released the first prerelease version of the Adobe Configurator 1.0 that will allow you to customize your panels in Photoshop CS4 as you want! It’s all a simple drag and drop interface and it’s well worth a check. It’s a download from the Adobe Labs which does meant that it is a prerelease version, nonetheless it is very stable as it is released.

To learn the deal about Configurator, view this introduction video made by John Nack, then go to download it.

Pixel Bender in Photoshop CS4

Yesterday Adobe released the new Pixel Bender plugin for Photoshop CS4 is now available (for free) at the Adobe Labs for download. The main thing about Pixel Bender is that it uses the GPU to make rendering of special filter effects, really fast as well as opens up the world of filter development to practically everyone. Furthermore, Pixel Bender is available for Flash 10 as well as After Effects CS4 and the cool things is that the filters people write for Flash, will be compatible with Photoshop CS4 directly.

Once people have started writing filters, you will be able to download a lot of cool filters at the Adobe Exchange. To install extra bundles, just drop the downloaded file into the Pixel Bender Files folder (any PBK or PBG Pixel Bender will will work) you will create upon installation and you’re done. Then just go to Filters > Pixel Bender > Pixel Bender Gallery, chose the filter and start working!

Pixel Bender has a lot of cool things in it for Photoshop filters and could partly be a reason why we haven’t been seeing a lot of new filter related things now in CS4 at all. Enter this new, free, product that allows you to do it all!

Adobe releases CS4 trials

Adobe has today released all of the CS4 trial versions and they are all available on the Adobe downloads site. For all of you who have been waiting for this, it’s a finally thing with them here. It’s worth to note that the trials available for download also include localized versions for download so it’s not only the English trials available.

• Download Adobe trials

First CS4 Impressions

This afternoon came a very plesant surprise namely UPS with my copy of Design Premium CS4. A very welcome thing I must say! Needless to say, I installed it right away and after playing with the different applications my first thought is that I don’t want to go back to CS3 for any moment.

I’m really digging the new features in most CS4 applications although I currently have a bummer. My MacBook doesn’t have a good enough video card meaning that I can’t take advantage of any OpenGL features which are said to be the most awesome ones. That does only give me a good reason to upgrade to a new MacBook Pro as soon as possible.

Throughout the applications I really like the updated interface. It just feels a little better than it was in CS3 and of course a little more unified throughout. The application frame now on the Mac is something I do like a lot but that you get the option of either or is even better. Sometimes there are times I want to skip it.

I must mention Content Aware Scale in Photoshop. While it is a really really cool feature that’s mind blowing and all I just don’t feel that I would use it that much although when I do, I’m probably going to be happy it is there. I’ll be touching on this in a bunch of CS4 videos I’m planning out now.

Throughout the applications I think that the multiple artboards are really cool in Illustrator and I really love the swf export in InDesign as well. I haven’t had much time to get into Flash, Dreamweaver or Fireworks yet so I’ll write more about that later on. If you are thinking about upgrading to CS4, I can only say that it is fully worth the upgrade price. I would not want to get back into CS3 at all after a short time of CS4 useage.

CS4 is now shipping

Though I should get this out before the regular news post later today. Adobe is now shipping the CS4 versions and they are available for immidiate purchase right from the Adobe store. Pre-orders should begin shipping out today and on. For any specific questions, contact Adobe support.

Monday “A” News

It’s Monday and here are the news, a lot of A-companies today:

• Adobe late last week announced that the official release of Camera Raw 4.6 is here. This is probably also going to be the last update before CS4 — which is due to start shipping on Wednesday 15th. Download Here: Windows | Macintosh
   
• Tomorrow it’s time for Apple’s special event, "The Spotlight turns to Notebook" where they’re bound to release new MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops. Rumors has it today that we also might get to see new versions of iLife and iWork. You’ll be able to follow my metaliveblog from the event, right here on the site, starting 15 minutes before the event tomorrow, at 11a.m Pacific (7p.m CET). The metaliveblog post will be up in the morning!
   
• With the release of CS4, I plan to post the new CS4 features in tutorials and cover them and mix them to get some interesting workflow based improvements and to give some suggestions on how to improve it. If there is anything special you want me to cover in terms of CS4, shoot me a comment or a mail.
   
• More about Apple. In a recent poll. Apple shows off to be the most environmentally-friendly tech company as seen by the general public, which is pretty interesting considering that they’ve gotten a lot of critique about the production process from a few places.
   
• What more can I do but to send you off to my buddy Jason Andersons blog today (being influenced by all the "A"’s used in this post I have to end with one as well), he runs a great blog called Canonblogger and he just announced the continuation of his podcasts from today and on!

Thursday Morning News

It’s a semi-early Thursday morning here and I’m yawning my way through work before it’s time to get up. Here are the news:

• A couple of days ago a very cool application called Fring was released in the App Store for the iPhone/iPod Touch. What makes it remarkable is that it’s the first one to allow Skype calls (while on WiFi). It doesn’t only work as a normal skype ID client, but it works with skype out and skype in numbers alike! Get it in the App Store, for free!
   
• Microsoft has decided to extend its support for Windows XP through July 31, 2009 which is a full six months more than they originally planned! Good news for all still on XP who don’t want to move over to Vista.
   
• If you’re looking for a good provider of online training classes (and I mean 1+ hour ones) then go and check out the Kelby Training website where they offer some really great classes for only 19.95 a month. Also if you like seminars then go over to the Adobe seminar page where you can sign up for city tour events but more interestingly for eSeminars. If you don’t have the time to be available for an eSeminar, take a look at their long list of OnDemand Seminars that you can just load up and watch!
   
• CS4 is coming closer to being released by every day. Just a reminder, if you recently purchased a version of any of their programs that will update in CS4, contact them and check your eligibility for a post-announce upgrade (free upgrade) to CS4!

Monday Informational Newsbits

Mondays can be pretty rough on you when you think back on the weekend and how short it actually was and how much you have got to do this week! Hopefully there are some good news today that might get the mood up a bit.

• I bet you too have been faced with the scenario that you’ve accidentally deleted a bunch of music tracks from iTunes but still have them on your iPod/iPhone. However, after wondering a while, you realize there is seemingly no way of getting them back. That’s what Senuti is for. Senuti is basically a free little cool application that allows you to transfer songs and playlists from your iPod/iPhone back onto your computer. You can browse what you have on your iPod before chosing what to bring back as well.
   
• Attention Photoshop 7 Users! If anyone of you reading this are using PS7 (or know someone who does) be sure to note that this is the absolute last chance to be eligible for the upgrade pricing on Photoshop. With the release of CS3, Adobe instituted a "3 version back" upgrade policy which basically now means that you can upgrade your version of PS7 to CS3 now, or be faced with buying a full new license for Photoshop CS4, should you want it come release. The deadline is by October 15!
   
• On a photography related note, the Canon G10 is now in-stock over at B&H Photo for $500 plus shipping and handling, so if you’ve been waiting on it, now is the time to be able to lay your hands on one! Also note that B&H is observing the Jewish holidays and will be closed for an extensive period now come mid October. Go to their site to read up on that and when to order to get it shipped before their closings.
   
• Finally a service tip of the day: Kuler. Kuler is a sharing site—created by Adobe—that lets you download, share and create colours swatches in a community. If you’ve ever been stuck for a colour scheme in a project; just download a swatch from the site, import into the application you want to use it in (Adobe application) and start using!

It’s Friday — here’re the news!

It’s a brilliant Friday again! Why? It’s the end of the week, I’m loosing my cold and it’s soon weekend which for me means studio shooting! Now let’s get right on to the news!

• Backup is a very important thing for everyone to do. There are many different solutions available, one that might just suit you right. The Drobo solution is getting praise by many people and they recently released a Firewire 800 compatible unit. The gang over at Macworld has a full review of the system, which may help you if you’re looking for a good backup solution.
   
• Parallels – the virtulasation software makers for mac – have made up an application bundle, called the "Green Application Bundle". It’s got nine apps in it for the great price of $49.95, with perhaps the most interesting thing being Parallels Desktop itself in the bundle, which you’ll get in the budle or $49 instead of $79.
   
• With the CS4 announcement, a lot of plugin developers like OnOne Software for Photoshop and WoodWing for InDesign, has announced that their plugins for respective programs, will be fully compatible with CS4 once it ships! Some great news if you have plugins for the suite apps. Also, if you are pondering if you should upgrade to CS4, Dave Cross has a good blog post where he talks about that.
   
• Last but not least, in the shade of the CS4 announcement, Adobe has released a new version of Adobe TV where you can get a whole lot of different video content. Improved things include improved loading time and an improved navigation structure.

Wednesday Newsflash Goodies

Here’s some goodies for today, Wednesday.

• As y’all know, the big photo convention Photokina is going on in Cologne (Köln), Germany. WIth my hectic schedule right now, I can’t possibly follow up on all (I will on some stuff) new releases from home here so I’m going to link you to a sum-up of the news so far, from 1001 Noisy Cameras.
   
• It can be really hard to find good quality free fonts sometimes especially as the font databases like DaFont is getting so large. Thus, I really like the releases Smashing Magazine are doing a little now and then. They’ve gone ahead and posted some free fonts of the month over at their site. They’re really good and really useful. I’ve played around with some and I do find them super.
   
• I’ve been digging the LumniQuest Softbox III for a while on and off and been pondering if I should get one. I was really happy to see a review of it by David Hobby at the Strobist. David really knows what he is talking about so it’s really good to be able to hear what he thinks!
   
• Finally, with the CS4 announcement yesterday there were a bunch of learning centers published (I wish I would have the software to be able to create one myself, but I’m just not an adobe partnert there). If you wish to learn the new Photoshop CS4, there is no better place than from the Photoshop Guys over at NAPP, at their learning center. If you wish to learn about all the new suite, Layers Magazine has put together a great learning center online as well. Both are free!