Posts Tagged ‘ipad’

Adobe to Roll Out iPad Publishing Software

// Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 09:05 am GMT -5 // No Comments » // Design

Adobe is working on a new kind of creative software specifically intended to help you publish digital magazines for tablet devices such as the iPad, the company revealed today. Here’s an overview of what Adobe is calling the Digital Magazine Workflow/Digital Content Builder:

This new software, which will soon take its place in the Creative Suite pantheon, will be downloadable from Adobe Labs and will include tools that bridge the gap between print-oriented InDesign and software for interactive formats.

The company’s goal is to make it simpler for more publishers to create and profit from tablet magazines like Wired’s hugely successful iPad offering. Wired used InDesign and a mix of other software to make its product.

The new Adobe technologies will focus on mobile hardware-specific needs, including 360-degree image rotation and pinch/swipe gestural navigation for panning and zooming. This is currently accomplished through an AIR utility, the Interactive Overlay Creator. In future versions of InDesign, the Interactive Overlay Creator will be an integrated feature.

Adobe is also making it easier to add mobile-friendly multimedia to slick, print-reminiscent layouts. From what we can see in a brief demo, it looks like designers will have a lot of fun taking an on-screen mockup to a .issue format magazine with relative ease. We can’t wait to try it out ourselves.

Adobe will let you import layouts from InDesign to the new workflow. From there, you’ll be able to add metadata, experiment with portrait and landscape layouts, and export content to the .issue format — a brand-new, ready-to-render file for digital magazines.

Apple’s iAd Mobile Advertising

// Monday, April 19th, 2010 12:03 pm GMT -5 // No Comments » // Advertising, Design

Apple is set to deliver a mobile ad platform by the name if iAd to one billion devices (iPhones, iPads and iPod touches). This ad platform isn’t just banners and text links. It is robust brand advertising that is as fully functional as a website or an app itself. Yes, ads that are apps within an app. iAds will be defining mobile advertising and will definitely shake up the mobile market. People aren’t searching on mobile devices, they are using apps so it only makes sense to enhance this experience. No one is happy clicking a banner and leaving their current site/app. This alone is brilliant. The ads have been hinted to be “premium” which sounds expensive. Sure they’ll make money from all this but I think it’s more for Apple to be the leader in this market. They want to to be the innovator in mobile advertising, reshape the industry and stick it to Google. Another tidbit is they’ll offer 60% of the revenue back to developers (ala Google Adsense) to help the creation of great apps on the App Store. And then HTML5! Every Flash shop in the country better be sharpening their HTML5 skillz. Anyway you see it, Apple’s new iAd is an exciting move.
Only problem is Apple will now massively once again control something else. Will they approve our anti/parody Apple ad?

Power to the people – publishers take notice!

// Wednesday, March 24th, 2010 01:50 pm GMT -5 // 1 Comment » // Random

mgkmchxkazywcMichael Lewis’ latest book - The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine was published recently and the book’s reviews are extremely negative. Most of these reviewers haven’t even read the book! Reviewers are irate due to the fact that publisher WW Norton has decided not to release a Kindle version (nor Nook) of the book at the same time as its hardback release. Example review:

“I’d like to add my name to the list of people who are very disappointed that this book does not have a Kindle edition. No, I haven’t read the book, but I want to — on my Kindle! If all these one star reviews lead to fewer sales, I think that would be a great result and an excellent lesson for the author/publisher.”

I support these efforts 100% because publishers delaying Kindle releases to protect hardback sales is bullshit. Similar to what movie publishers are doing with Netflix, this is only pissing off consumers like myself whose spent hundreds of dollars on a Kindle and its books because we want our media in a different, arguably better format. Publishers should be embracing technology, not hinder it in any way.

At the time of this post, there are 70 one star reviews (more than all others combined) sending a clear message to publishers – we want digital versions now. I’m glad people are doing something about this although it sucks for Michael whom I’m sure has no word on this. Please don’t take it personal Michael, your just the “Rosa Parks” of the digital book revolution.

PS. Had to throw this funny review:

I cannot believe that Mr. Lewis and his publishers have the nerve to produce a book and not simultaneously produce a Na’Vi Audio Version. After watching Avatar, I only speak Na’Vi now with my friends and we wanted to listen to this audiobook – in Na’Vi – while on our summer roadtrip to Pandora. Avatar is the most successful movie ever by some measures. It’s not like we’re asking them to produce one in Xhosa.

The “Unofficial” iPad Experience

// Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 10:14 am GMT -5 // No Comments » // Random

Scott Dadich, Creative Director for Wired describes the “revolution in the way people consume journalism” (well said) allowing consumption in many different places, “paper, mobile devices, iPhone, iPad…”, and that’s his whole list. (more…)

3 things Apple needs for iPad

// Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 11:02 am GMT -5 // No Comments » // Personal, Random

So I’ve come to the conclusion that not only do I want an iPad, but I need one. Yes, I’m a card carrying Apple Fan Boy. With that being said, here are the 3 things Apple needs to implement right now. There’s a good chance some of these wishes will have to wait until iPad 2.0, but we’re hoping Apple has some cards to play and will further enhance its device before the March launch-date.

1. Printing from iPad

The brief iWork demos showed how capable these apps are, but no mention was made about printing. We’re hoping there’s direct network printing from iPad apps, because without this functionality, iPad will sit squarely in the ‘peripheral’ category.

PS. I know you can print now from an iPhone but you need to install an app on your Mac/PC as well as the iPhone. This should be native using existing technologies such as Bonjour/Wifi/Bluetooth.

2. A front-facing iPad camera

Only crazy people want to be able to use iPad for taking photos. A 10-inch flatscreen device is more than a little unwieldy for such endeavors. However, we already know a number of people that consider the lack of an iPad webcam a deal-breaker. Video chatting never became ubiquitous in the manner shown in sci-fi movies, but it’s popular with some, especially anyone with friends and family overseas via Skype, iChat etc.

3. Wireless device syncing

If you’ve got a Mac or PC, you can back-up your iPad to it via a sync, just like an iPod/iPhone. Big hard drive space is now very much needed as your main computer has to store backups of these devices. There needs to be a optional way to backup wireless via MobileMe at prices similar to Amazon’s S3 storage.

First thoughts on the iPad

// Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 08:39 pm GMT -5 // 4 Comments » // Design, Personal

While we ate lunch and followed the announcement, David asked me: but if you have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro, why would you need an iPad? It’s a good question. Perhaps if you don’t have a laptop it’s a great way to own a second, more mobile computer that’s more powerful than the iPhone. Maybe it’s great for my mom as she just uses it to surf the web, facebook and pay bills. But is there really a need for a third, in-between semi-mobile computer?

I’m trying to imagine the situations: at home, in the office, I have my MBP hooked up to the 24? LED Display and various hard drives so to all intents and purposes it’s a desktop, but I can take it with me when I’m travelling (which I do a lot) and that’s why I love having the flexibility of a laptop. But would I use an iPad when I’m at work? No, I’d use my MBP. What about that other common situation, where I’m sitting in front of the TV at night — casually replying to emails or surfing the web (as I am now)? Would I use an iPad then? No, probably not because truthfully I’m working as well and need access to Photoshop, Coda, etc. I’m pretty sure I’d continue to use the laptop on almost all occasions. Ok, so what about on very small journeys where it’s between home and work without getting out the laptop? In those circumstances I usually use the iPhone to reply to emails and I guess that would be an instance where it’d be preferable to do it on an iPad. But is that it?!? Is there really a need for a third, in-between semi-mobile computer?

I do see scenarios for the iPad: My mom for example. I just bought her first computer and the cheapest Mac I got her was a white MB for $999 (God knows how much time I would have spent doing tech support if I had bought her a cheap PC). All she does is surf the web, pays her bills online, facebook, transfers some photos, emails me spam and that’s about it. This would have been perfect for her and at half the price. She would even save money in the long run with the unlimited $30 a month of AT&T’s 3G as opposed to Comcast’s $50 for hi-speed cable. Another use would be for a student who uses iWork/Office for schoolwork except this doubles as a gaming device and iPod as well. Or an iPad as a replacement to our more pricier “Office Laptop” that we use solely for the purpose of  keynote/powerpoint presentations that we can do now on our iPad. So I do see potential.

Let’s go back in time and look at a few of the reviews about the iPhone when it was launched:

The iPhone: Apple’s First Flop

Initial review of iPhone

iPhone Already Getting Some Negative Reviews – Yep, It’s the Touchscreen

iPhone 1.0: Looks 10, Utility 3? Wait for Version 2 in October

iPhone: Good News and Bad

Apple iPhone Review Roundup

The Big But

I’m disappointed that the iPad isn’t a device that can dock with another Mac. I feel a little let-down that’s not being quite as ground-breaking as I’d hoped. And I’m concerned that there may not be an actual need for it (I guess only time will tell). But has Apple created another gorgeous device? Yes. Have they pushed yet more UI design boundaries? Yes. And have they come through and delivered it all at a reasonable price? Amazingly, yes. So I’m still pretty excited.

I’m prepared to admit that — as a self-confessed Apple fanboy and a designer with a soft spot for all things pretty — the device’s beauty is possibly overpowering my logical reasoning, but the iPad really does look like an amazing piece of kit and it’s one I can’t wait to try out, as that’s the only way these concerns might be confirmed or quashed. Is it actually worth buying? It’s simply too soon to tell but I’ll make sure I have one and be the one to judge.