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Adobe unplugs Creative Cloud sync tool during transition

Unexpected instabilities forced Adobe Systems to hasten a planned outage for its Creative Cloud Connection, a service that keeps files made on mobile devices or uploaded to the Web in sync with customers' PCs.

Adobe launched it a half year ago in a preview version, and had planned to take it offline this week to update the interfaces the software uses to communicate with Adobe's servers. However, the company said in a blog post on Friday, " some updates...have caused instability in the service. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused you."

As a … Read more

Survey: Is Adobe Creative Cloud subscription worth the price?

Are you happy or horrified by Adobe Systems' announcement last week that the Creative Cloud and other subscriptions will be the only way to get new versions of its broad array of software?

Now's the time to weigh in with your opinion.

CNET and analyst firm Jefferies are again surveying Adobe customers to gauge their response to Adobe's different sales approach.

Click here for our newest Adobe customer survey. In it, you'll find questions about whether you plan to move to the Creative Cloud or not, upgrade from earlier versions of the Creative Suite to CS6, and … Read more

Adobe mulls Creative Cloud tweaks for long-term file access

Adobe Systems is trying to address one complaint about the company's decision to sell its major software products only through subscription plans, the fact that designers can't do anything with their files if they stop paying for access to the software.

"You should never lose access to your work, period," wrote John Nack, a principal product manager at Adobe, in response to criticism that the Creative Cloud subscription is in effect an "Adobe tax."

He wrote on Thursday:

Your work is absolutely your property. Adobe fully agrees, and that's why we've worked … Read more

How greedy is Adobe's Creative Cloud subscription? Not very

Plenty of people are outraged that Adobe is moving to subscription plans and scrapping perpetual licenses. But should they be?

To shed some light on the situation, CNET broke out the spreadsheet software, dug into pricing information from Adobe and retail outlets, and put together some actual comparisons to see whether that wrath is deserved.

The answer, as with all things complicated, is that it depends. But at least in some reasonable situations -- not just power users but also middle-end customers who upgrade to Adobe's latest releases -- the Creative Cloud isn't a bad deal at all. … Read more

Working robot mecha suit is built for kids

What do you get the kid who has it all? A robot mecha suit wouldn't hurt.

Japan's Sakakibara Kikai has a new crushworthy robot exoskeleton that would turn a few heads at school.

The bright green Kid's Walker Cyclops is an 800-pound, 7-foot-tall drivable mecha suit with a cockpit and moving arms.

The front of the machine opens to become a ladder to the cockpit. As seen in the vid below, one hand has a hook to grapple foes and the other has a power drill to smite obstacles. … Read more

Adobe requires monthly payments for Photoshop

CNET Update subscribes:

In this edition of Update:

- Welcome to the software subscription era. Adobe is moving its creative software, including Photoshop, to a subscription-only model. Read up on the latest upgrades to see if you want to go the monthly-payment route.

- YouTube also is joining the subscription movement. YouTube has been talking about offering some premium channels for $2 a month, and reports say it could launch this week.

- Fitness gadgets are a growing trend, and the latest device to hit the market -- the Fitbit Flex wristband -- is better than most. Read our full reviewRead more

Adobe's professional cloud push arrives at its final destination

In a move that's bound to tick off a lot of (probably formerly) devoted users, Adobe's finally made the jump we've been expecting to an all-subscription model for the applications that used to be part of Creative Suite. Adobe's not just rebranding all of its professional applications with the Creative Cloud moniker (except Lightroom -- so far). Now it's created a supercell composed of Photoshop CC, Dreamweaver CC, InDesign CC, so on and so on, ad infinitum. You'll only be able to get individual copies of those packages by subscription, though that individual-product subscription … Read more

Adobe kills Creative Suite, goes subscription-only

In a major shift for its business and its customers, Adobe Systems on Monday announced it no longer will sell its Creative Suite software as it moves instead to the $50-per-month Creative Cloud and other subscription plans.

"We have no current plans to release another perpetual release of the CS tools and suites. Creative Cloud is going to be our sole focus moving forward," said Scott Morris, senior director of product marketing for Creative Cloud.

When Adobe launched its Creative Cloud subscription last year, executives weren't sure how long it would offer it alongside the traditional perpetual-license … Read more

Adobe Photoshop CS6 Review

Adobe Photoshop CS6 only strengthens the benchmark software's existing position as the unrivaled production suite and an indispensable tool for old and new generation creative minds: graphic designers, web developers, video editors, you name it.

Let's start with the interface: dark is good. Photoshop CS6 brings a darker, more focused default work environment, with menus and toolbars painted in dark grays and blacks. Of course, if you're itching for a brighter look, CS6 gives users lighter-colored interfaces, reminiscent of previous versions. Tools are more streamlined thanks to Adobe's continuing move towards collapsible menus, while leaving the … Read more

Apple sued over EarPods product name

A new lawsuit claims Apple's latest headphones could be confused with a line of hearing aids bearing a similar, trademarked name.

In a complaint filed late last week, Randolph Divisions and Hearpod Inc. said Apple's EarPods headphones infringe on its trademark for "Hearpods." Randolph Divisions filed for the name in February 2005, and ended up using the name in its line of hearing aids.

"Both Plaintiffs' Goods and Defendant's Goods are similar in nature in that, among other things, they are inserted into the ears of their users and are used to facilitate and … Read more