Here is a collection of new background videos that are available for download at the Defy Creative online store. These seamless looping videos are part of a collection I’m calling Rhythm and Flow and can be used in presentation software such as Keynote or MediaShout. They are 640×480 and are in the .MOV(H.264) format and are $8.00 each.
JM
Well, the wait is almost over. Today at 6pm, Apple stores all over this great land will begin selling Mac OSX (10.5) —Leopard to the teeming masses. Leopard was put on hold earlier this year presumably so that more attention could be paid to the launch of the iPhone. No doubt a smart move now that we know the iPhone had a stellar launch and by all accounts, Leopard is the “cat’s meow” (I’m sorry, I had to do it).
Some journalists had their copy a week ago and those who pre-ordered online have received them or are even as I type this. So far, there seem to be no big hang-ups in the installation and there are also speed gains realized on multi processor Macs. Remarks are also positive on the drastically redesigned Finder area of the interface.
I for one am still planning on waiting a bit before taking the plunge. Since I only have one machine that I would install it on, that being my production machine, I don’t want any surprises. My main concern is what software I have or might get in the near future that would cause a conflict with the new OS. Much to the chagrin of developers, the final build was withheld from them so last minute tweaks won’t be known until they get their copies like everyone else.
So, go out and pick up your copy and be my guinea pigs. I know…I’m a scaredy cat.
JM
There is a great tip on resolutions over at the Clearpoint Presentations blog. This tip specifically relates to MediaShout but the same could hold true for other presentation apps such as Apple’s Keynote software, part of the iWork suite of applications.
JM
First up on the Pixelmator tour is the tools palette. To me, one of Pixelmator’s strengths is its beautiful user interface. The first place that is evidenced is in the tools palette. The tools are colorful and set on a dark gray background which helps them really pop.
One of the first things you will notice when a tool is selected is a size increase in that tool. This is a great indicator for which tool you are working with and is an example of the nice touches in this program. Another palette that is used in conjunction with the tool palette is contextual palette that changes options depending on the tool. This is something that users of Apple’s pro products will be familiar with. In fact, my only criticism of the tools palette is that the Move tool, Crop tool, and Type tool are a little hard to see on the dark background and could use some contrast.
There are no big surprises about the collection of tools. For the most part, you see the usual suspects here that you see in Photoshop or Fireworks. One noticeable difference is the separation of the rectangular and elliptical marquee. Also, there is a lack of a true airbrush tool though the same effect can be achieved by adjusting the opacity of the Brush tool along with the softness of the brush edge.
All in all, this is a great implementation of a tools palette and the developers have done a good job of adding some thoughtful design touches that are actually useful.
Pixelmator is available now for $59 and there is also a 30-day demo so you can try before you buy.
JM
Here is a complete sample of one of the videos from the Luminous collection. Find out more details here.
This ought to shut some people up. The iPhone SDK is coming in February to much rejoicing I’m sure. His Steveness has come down from on high and declared it himself.
JM
Recently, an amazing new image editor was released for the Mac OS. It’s called Pixelmator and I love it. Pixelmator’s tagline is “Image editing for the rest of us” and I believe that to be true. Even though I’m an experienced Photoshop user, I can see myself more often that not using this for many things that would be overkill in Photoshop.
Pixelmator is built on and utilizes many technologies that are part of OS X such as Core Image, Open GL and Spotlight. With Core Image for instance, Pixelmator uses the graphics card processor of the computer to do all the heavy lifting freeing up the computer’s processor for other things. As a result, things like applying a filter can happen in real time. This is also a feature used in Apple’s Motion software.
I believe that Pixelmator is the answer to people’s need for a capable “light-weight” image editing application that can take care of the vast majority of the tasks that they require.
This is a beautiful application and in the coming days, I will be reviewing and sharing what I find here.
JM
Recently there was an interesting article on TechCrunch about the online television service Joost. It argued, truly enough, that Joost had better continue innovating in the online television realm before others catch up. This stems from the beta release of Adobe Flash Player 9 which incorporates the H.264 codec into videos.
H.264 is a compression standard that has seen widespread adoption in video editing software like Apple’s Final Cut Pro to a crop of new HD video cameras. It allows for a greatly reduced file size compared to uncompressed footage while keeping a very high level of quality. Many video services that rely on the Flash video standard for deployment of content are eagerly awaiting the moment when the H.264 codec is ready for prime-time in Flash video.
Of course, the immediate payoff is not having to suffer through a crappy, pixelated version of “Leave Britney Spears Alone” on YouTube. Wait, maybe that was crappy for another reason. Anyway, the gains in quality from H.264 would be great. However, the thing that interests me the most is what it could mean for interactivity in video content. For instance, the ability to watch a video about someone’s recording studio and at certain points being able to pause the video to highlight a piece of gear. From that you would be able to find out more about that gear and even buy it.
I’ll be anxious to see how much further this technology is taken beyond gains in quality. With more and more content being deployed via the internet to our computers and televisions, maybe we’ve yet to realize that whole convergence thing.
JM
Finally, it’s done. Luminous is my first background video collection that is on sale now at the Defy Creative Store. Luminous is for use with MediaShout presentation software as well as other presentation software that uses either WMV or MOV(h.264) formatted videos.
MediaShout v3.2 as well as computers that are specially selected to run the software are also available at the store from Defy Creative business partner Clearpoint Presentations.
Luminous is available now for $65.
JM
I had a post all written up about this issue and I had decided not to publish it. It was all about Radiohead and how they put their latest album online for download at a price to be decided by each fan. How other artists like Prince (who gave away his latest album in a British newspaper), Oasis and Jamiroquai are doing things differently or thinking about following Radiohead’s lead. However, now I’m changing the focus a bit.
There seems to be an ever-growing group of artists who are free from the bonds of their record company and are now doing what’s best for them, their music and their fans. For instance Madonna, it has been reported, has signed a 120 million dollar deal with events promoter Live Nation to handle recording an touring after her deal with Warner Music Group expires. WMG responds with “Who cares, she’s gonna be old!”
This is to what the conversation has been reduced? Neener, Neener, Neener you’re getting old? Very nice WMG. With each passing day, I realize the record companies will never get it. Notice to all aspiring musicians: YOU DON’T NEED A RECORD COMPANY. If you are any good, you can succeed on your own.
JM
