Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Cool Tool: GTD Free AIR App

 Why Doit.im?
1. Doit.im is built on the Adobe AIR platform,
supports cross-platform usage,can work
well in OS of Windows and Mac
2. Doit.im is a powerful, clear and easy yet
free task management tool.
3. Doit.im adopts the principles of GTD,
guides you to enjoy working pressure-free
and efficient.
4. Doit.im for phones is coming soon. Take
your to-dos anywhere online. And Sync your Phone with the PC and work anytime without delay.
5. Doit.im support delegation feature, you can
collaborate with others in your task
management.


Check it out at: http://doit.im/gtd.jsp
Lifehacker article on AIR app for keeping GoogleVoice transcripts on your desktop: http://lifehacker.com/5390864/google-voice-air-app-keeps-voicemail-and-sms-on-your-desktop

Monday, October 26, 2009

Cool Tool: Livebrush

What is Livebrush?

Livebrush is a drawing application. It employs an easy-to-use brush tool that reacts to your gesture. By combining simple motion controls with brush styles, Livebrush offers a fun and unique way to create graphics.

How can I use Livebrush?

Use graphics you create in Livebrush within your existing projects. Create entire compositions in Livebrush alone. Share styles and see how others combine your brush with their ideas. Give it a try, or learn more.

Check it out at: http://livebrush.com/

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

CPAUG meetings - Every 3rd Tuesday!

UPDATE 11-10-09: THIS IS NO LONGER ACCURATE.
=========================================

I know that we've had some irregular dates for the CPAUG meetings lately but now that we've got our great new meeting location at Computer Aid, we've also managed to set a regular meeting schedule. We'll be meeting on the 3rd Tuesday of each month (except December when we're on break) from now until at least June 2010. So...mark your calendars!

We've got some great presentations we're working on lining up including topics such as After Effects, Flash with the Wiimote, Captivate, and using plug-ins to enhance Photoshop.

Hope to see you at the meetings!

October "Meeting Minutes" posted

You can find the "Meeting Minutes" for the October meeting at: http://groups.adobe.com/posts/a4d338aae5

I've posted my presentation notes (PDF) along with helpful links for Bridge.

Congrats to Shagufta who is our CS4 Software Suite winner!


Cover survey for new book series - Enter to win Amazon gift card / book from InformIT

Visit www.informit.com/promotions/promotion.aspx?promo=137411 and select your favorite design. It's a simple, quick survey to give your feedback on book covers.

CPAUG book library is a GO!

UPDATE 11-10-09: THIS IS NO LONGER ACCURATE. BOOKS WILL BE HOUSED AT MEGAN'S HOME SO ALL REQUESTS NEED TO BE MADE BY 3PM THE DAY OF MEETINGS.
=========================================

You've voted and we heard you: We'll be starting a CPAUG book library in January 2010.

Art has graciously offered to let us store the library in his office at Computer Aid but I'd still like to have you request any books via email (cpaugManager@gmail.com) ahead of time in case there's a wait on it. You may request books at the meeting too but since it's his private office, you won't be able to actually browse the books. I'll have a list of inventory with me at each meeting and it will be available online too (TBA).

Have a book in mind that you'd like to have in the library? Request books from Peachpit Press or Focal Press here and I'll do my best to procure it from our monthly free book that they send us. You can being requesting "wish list" books immediately at:

Of course, if you have a newer book that you'd like to donate to the library, we'd love to have it. Just bring it to a meeting with you.

Here's to making the CPAUG library a success!

O’Reilly wants to help with your computer book clutter (via Unclutterer)

O’Reilly, one of the foremost publishers of technology books, is currently running a promotion to allow owners of paper versions of their books to buy ebook versions at a substantial discount of only $4.99 per book.

To take advantage of this offer:
  • Visit oreilly.com and log in to your account, or create a new one.

  • Register each book you own using its 13 digit ISBN number.

  • Find one of your registered books in the O’Reilly store and add the ebook version to your shopping cart.

  • Enter the discount code 499UP during checkout.

The promotion runs through the month of October.

Full article from Unclutter: http://unclutterer.com/2009/10/20/oreilly-wants-to-help-with-your-computer-book-clutter/


Monday, October 19, 2009

Flex Builder 3 / CS4 Promotion


Get a copy of Adobe® Flex® Builder 3 Standard at no additional charge

Adobe Creative Suite® 4 software provides the tools you need to deliver extraordinary online projects. With your order of Creative Suite 4 Master Collection or Creative Suite 4 Web Premium, you are eligible to download Adobe Flex Builder 3 Standard software—the ideal tool for building highly interactive, expressive web applications—at no additional charge. Flex Builder 3 enables designers and developers to rapidly create engaging, cross-platform rich Internet applications.

How to get your copy of Flex Builder 3 Standard:

1. Go to www.adobe.com/go/freeflexforcs.

2. Register to receive a Flex Builder 3 serial number. Your Creative Suite 4 serial number will be required.

3. Download Flex Builder 3.

Offer is valid September 15, 2009, through April 30, 2010.

Training also available at no additional charge:

To get started with Flex Builder 3 and the open source Adobe Flex framework, access online training and learning resources at http://developer.adobe.com/flex at no additional charge. To learn more about Flex, visit www.adobe.com/flex.


Friday, October 16, 2009

CPAUG Members: Vote for a CPAUG Book Library!

In the past, group members have expressed an interest in having a CPAUG library. The library would work as such: Members would be able to request a book online and pick it up and return it at meetings. All books that we receive from book publishers would go into the library for everyone's use. Any duplicate books we may receive would be raffled off at our meetings. Returning books would be on the honor system. We would start this in January 2010 to allow time to set up the database and catalogue books.

Please take a minute to vote and let us know if you'd like a user group library or not.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEV6ME5fZmdDSnd1dWhoazdBMW5UeUE6MA

Scott Kelby's Photoshop® for Digital Photographers - Philadelphia

Monday, November 2, 2009
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Room 103
1101 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: 800-428-9000
$99 Regular, $79 NAPP Members
Details & Registration: http://www.kelbytraining.com/product.html&id=392

Scott Kelby's Photoshop® for Digital Photographers

This new tour, developed and taught by Scott Kelby (the world's leading Photoshop author and author of the all time #1 bestselling book on digital photography), focuses on nothing but the most-requested, and most-important Adobe Photoshop techniques for photographers.

Although we cover everything from getting your color right, to the pro's secrets for sharpening images, this one-day seminar covers so much more---including everything from today's hottest Photoshop special effects for photographers to how to work faster, smarter, and more efficiently in Photoshop.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Adobe Flash Catalyst - Beta download

Adobe® Flash® Catalyst™ is a new professional interaction design tool for rapidly creating expressive interfaces and interactive content without writing code. Create interactive portfolios, product guides, microsites, site navigation, interfaces for RIAs and more.

Friday, October 9, 2009

ALERT: Vulnerability Discovered in Adobe Acrobat and Reader

http://mashable.com/2009/10/09/acrobat-vulnerability/

Mobile Photoshop for iPhone

http://mobile.photoshop.com/iphone/

Adobe Photoshop on the iPhone

Hey Look, It's Adobe Photoshop on the iPhone [del.icio.us] - iPhone & iPod touch tips and tricks | TouchTip

Yep, Photoshop on the iPhone. At first glance, it's not much different from other light iPhone photo editing apps, except that it's tied to their online service, but the effects and interface look above average.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

55 Adobe Illustrator Icon Design Tutorials (via Noup)

"Every graphic designer will end up, at some point, with a client who needs an icon designed. Going into the project, your first idea would be to use your experience, training and creativity and dive straight into the project gung-ho. In some occasions, doing this could be disastrous. Ideally, you should learn the basic principles of icon design first, the importance and functions of icons on web sites and in user interfaces, the difference between icon and logo designs, and most importantly, how to use your imagination and creativity to reflect the characteristics of the icon effectively."

Monday, October 5, 2009

Applications for iPhone Demonstrations

http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashcs5/appsfor_iphone/

These are the example applications that you can test now if you have an iPhone or iPod Touch:

Chroma Circuit
Trading Stuff
Ficklebox
Just Letters
South Park
That Roach Game
Red Hood

More about Flash Professional CS5

What did Adobe announce at MAX regarding Flash Professional?
Adobe previewed an early version of the next major version of Flash, Adobe Flash Professional CS5. Adobe also announced that a public beta of Flash Professional CS5 will be available for download from Adobe Labs later this year. That beta will include support for the ability to compile ActionScript 3® projects in Adobe Flash Professional to run as applications for iPhone. Interested designers and developers can go to Adobe Labs to sign up and to be notified when the beta is available.

What are the new features of Flash Professional CS5?
There are many new and exciting features in Flash Professional CS5. These include
• New text capabilities via the Text Layout Framework (TLF). Get unprecedented control and creativity with text in Flash projects. Advanced styling and layout, including right to left text, columns, threaded text blocks let you work with text in Flash like never before.
• XML based FLA files let you manage and modify project assets using source control systems, and enable teams to easily collaborate on files.
• Code Snippets panel provides pre-built code that can be injected into projects for greater interactivity and also reduces the ActionScript 3 learning curve. The panel includes code for timeline navigation (ie: click to go to the next scene) actions (ie: drag and drop), animation (ie: move with keyboard arrows), audio and video, event handlers (ie: mouse events) and loading and unloading of assets.
• Flash Builder integration. Use Flash Builder to write ActionScript code within Flash projects.
• Improved ActionScript editor, including custom class code-hinting and completion

When will the Flash Professional CS5 beta be available for download?
The beta will be available for download from Adobe Labs before the end of 2009.

How much will Flash Professional CS5 or Creative Suite cost?
We are not announcing any pricing at this time.

Where can customers go to be notified when the beta is available?
You can sign up to be notified:
https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=fpcs5_notify

More information about applications for iPhone

Q: When will Adobe Flash Platform tooling support building applications for iPhone?
A public beta of Flash Professional CS5 including support for building applications for iPhone is planned for later this year. Sign up to be notified when the beta is available.:
https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=fpcs5_notify

Q: How does the Flash Platform tooling update help developers?
The tooling update allows developers to use Flash technologies to develop content for iPhone and iPod touch, devices that were previously closed to them. Developers can write new code or reuse existing web content to build applications for iPhone. Because the source code and assets are reusable across the Flash Platform runtimes,—Adobe AIR and Flash Player—it also gives developers a way to more easily target other mobile and desktop environments.

Q: How is this different from Adobe Flash Player 10 coming to iPhone? Will iPhone users be able to view web content built with Flash technology in the iPhone browser?
The new support for iPhone applications in the Flash Platform tooling will not allow iPhone users to browse web content built with Flash technology on iPhone, but it may allow developers to repackage existing web content as applications for iPhone if they choose to do so.

Flash Player uses a just-in-time compiler and virtual machine within a browser plug-in to play back content on websites. Those technologies are not allowed on the iPhone at this time, so a Flash Player for iPhone is not being made available today.

Flash Professional CS5 will enable developers to build applications for iPhone that are installed as native applications. Users will be able to access the apps after downloading them from Apple’s App Store and installing them on iPhone or iPod touch.

Q: Can applications for iPhone built with Flash Platform tooling be delivered through Apple’s App Store?
Yes. Developers can deliver applications built with Flash Platform tooling just like any other iPhone application. This will require the developer to be a member of the iPhone Developer Program and follow the program guidelines.

Q: Do developers need to participate in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program in order to develop or deploy applications for iPhone using the Flash Platform tools?
Yes. A developer certificate from Apple is required in order to test and deploy applications to iPhone. Apple provides information on its developer programs at
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/.

Q: Are applications for iPhone built with Flash Platform tools interpreted at runtime?
No. IPhone applications built with Flash Platform tools are compiled into standard, native iPhone executables, just like any other iPhone application.

Q: Can applications load SWF files or other code at runtime, such as a module from a website?
No. iPhone applications built with Flash Platform tools are compiled into standard, native iPhone executable packages and there is no runtime interpreter that could be used to run ActionScript bytecode within the application.

Q: Which version of the iPhone SDK/operating system is supported by the applications?
Applications can be built targeting iPhone OS 3.0 and later.

Q: Will applications built with Flash Platform tools work on iPod touch? iPhone 1.0? iPhone 3G? iPhone 3GS?
Applications should work on all iPhone and iPod touch devices. However, as the hardware specifications of the devices are widely divergent, content performance may vary between devices and device generations.


• Adobe News Room (http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/)
• Information about apps for iPhone on Adobe Labs
(http://www.adobe.com/go/iphone)
• Information about Flash Professional CS5 on Adobe Labs
(http://www.adobe.com/go/flashprobeta)

Adobe Flash Professional CS5 to create rich, interactive applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch

At the MAX conference today, Adobe announced that designers and developers will be able to use Adobe Flash Professional CS5 to create rich, interactive applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

This is NOT Flash Player running on the iPhone. There is no new information about Flash Player on the iPhone. This announcement means that Flash designers and developers can use Flash Professional CS5 and ActionScript 3 to build native applications that can be distributed and downloaded via the Apple App Store.

This new feature was demonstrated in a sneak peak of Flash Professional CS5. The new features of Flash Professional CS5 also include a new text engine for creative freedom and control with text, XML based FLAs to boost team collaboration on projects, prebuilt code snippets for rapidly adding interactivity, as well as integrations with Adobe Flash Builder to improve ActionScript editing. A beta of Flash Professional CS5 will be available later this year via Adobe Labs.

Adobe announces ability to publish ActionScript 3 projects to run as native iPhone apps. More info at
http://www.adobe.com/go/iphone

Adobe Flash Pro CS5 beta coming, supporting native iPhone apps. Sign up and more info at
http://www.adobe.com/go/flashprobeta

Adobe Opens iPhone to Flash Developers

Breaking News from Adobe MAX:

"At Adobe MAX, the company's worldwide developer conference, Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced that Adobe® Flash Professional CS5 will enable developers to create rich, interactive applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch. A public beta of Flash Professional CS5 is expected to be available later this year. In a sneak peek, during the MAX keynote presentation, Adobe demonstrated how developers can utilize Flash Professional CS5 to export applications for the iPhone, leveraging the same source code used to deliver applications across desktops and devices for Flash Platform runtimes – Adobe AIR™ and Flash Player 10. The new functionality opens iPhone development to millions of designers and developers who currently use Adobe’s popular Flash authoring tools."

In the "good news, bad news" category.... Flash for mobile





















"Flash Arriving by Year-End on Every Smartphone Except iPhones

Adobe has promised betas of a mobile-ready Flash 10.1 for Windows Mobile and Palm Pre late this year, and early next year for Android, Symbian, and BlackBerry phones, as well as NVIDIA-powered netbooks. The only hold-out? The iPhone, of course."

October Meeting: Adobe Bridge 101 & CS4 Software Raffle


Date and Time:
October 20, 2009 from 6:30pm - 8:00pm

Address:
Computer Aid, Inc.
Susquehanna Dining Room - 3rd Floor
(Former AMP World HQ, next to Harrisburg Mall)

470 Friendship Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17111

Speakers:
Megan Fister, CPAUG Manager

Agenda:
Adobe Bridge is one of those programs that you probably installed with your CS4 suite and then promptly ignored. Now, it's time to fire up Bridge and see what you've been missing! Megan Fister will take you through "Bridge 101" where you'll learn what Bridge is and how you can use it to improve your workflow.

CS4 Suite Raffle

One lucky CPAUG member will be randomly selected from a raffle to win their choice of one of the CS4 Suites! Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 delivers tightly integrated software and services that measurably improve productivity and enable you to produce richly expressive work in print, web, interactive, video, audio, and mobile.

Everyone who is present will get a raffle ticket but the raffle will include bonus tickets for CPAUG members and a better chance to win:

A) 1 extra ticket for every meeting you've attended and signed-in for since May 2009.

B) 5 extra tickets for bringing a new person to this meeting.

C) 5 extra tickets if you were a presenter at one of our meetings since May 2009.

The fine print: You must be a CPAUG member and you must be present to win and this must not be your first attended meeting. Approximate retail value of the prize is up to $1900.00. CS4 Master Collection is excluded. Maximum 16 total tickets per person. Winner must not have won a CS Suite in the past 12 months.

RSVP at http://groups.adobe.com/posts/a4d338aae5 or email cpaugManager@gmail.com. Thanks.

Map (Accurate):

Meetings are always free of charge and open to the public.

CPAUG has a new regular meeting place at Computer Aid, Inc., Harrisburg PA!

I am pleased to announce that CPAUG has found a new regular meeting location at :

Susquehanna Dining Room - 3rd Floor
(Former AMP World HQ, next to Harrisburg Mall)
470 Friendship Rd
Harrisburg, PA 17111

This meeting spot is located right off of I-83 near Harrisburg Mall and has ample parking. The room itself has plent of comfortable seating with large tables, a projector, and allows refreshments.

This is in no small part to your fellow UG member Art. Thanks Art & Computer Aid, Inc.!

Computer Aid, Inc. is a global IT services firm that is currently managing active engagements with over 100 Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies around the world.