Firefox has just released an update to version 3.5.4, correcting quite a few security flaws and correcting a number of stability issues.
This update is recommended for all Firefox users of the 3.5.x family of browsers.
From www.mozilla.com, the list of fixes includes the following:
Today, I have two quick Power Tips for using Adobe’s Camera Raw. These are just a couple of little time savers that aren’t obvious… and if you didn’t know they were there, you could skim right past them without seeing them.
Take a gander at these tips, and I hope they will lead you to further discoveries in the world of Adobe Camera Raw. Should you want to learn more, I’ve added some links to further learning at the end of this article.
The WordPress development team has released an interim update to version 2.8.5.
Classified as a “hardening release,” this series of updates is focused on improving several areas of security concern, and is therefore recommended for anyone running WordPress on their site.
According to the WordPress Blog, the biggest changes in this release are:
If you are running WordPress and haven’t upgraded, please take the time and do so as soon as you can!
WordPress 2.9 is just around the corner, and beta testing is due to begin almost any day now. The final release of 2.9 is due out later this year, so keep an eye out here for news and availability.
Adobe Photoshop has had a color picker that hasn’t changed significantly for many versions. There is a hue slider, and a brightness/saturation gradient square in which you can pick the color you desire by clicking directly on it.
If you’re like most people, you often want to pick pure black or white, or a pure saturated hue such as 100% red form the picker. Yet you try and try to click close to the corner, and you always seem to get a value that is just slightly removed – it is really hard to get the picker directly on the corner as you click.
Once in a while, you get far more than you expect from a piece of gear. On Saturday, I used my tripod to help save a life.
I was happy to have purchased Induro’s C214 Carbon 8X CT-Series tripod during Photoshop World Boston back in March. I have found the C214 to be lightweight, sturdy, reliable, and most importantly, affordable! Combined with the Induro DM12 ballhead, I have a budget minded gem of a tripod, just right for my mid-sized SLR rig.
This weekend, though, I got my money’s worth and more from my Induro. My wife and I joined my parents in the mountains of northern Georgia, land of a thousand waterfalls. It being the peak weekend for fall foliage in that area, we were taking in the scenery and visited some of the local waterfalls as well, including Helton Creek Falls near Blairsville, GA. I was able to capture some nice pictures such as the one below:
Adobe announced yesterday the release of the public beta for Lightroom 3. This is sure to get a lot of attention, as soon as we early adopters come up for air!!
At first glance, it appears Adobe has made some nice changes on both the importing and exporting side of the program. While some of us have learned to “do things the Lightroom way” when it comes to managing the import process, these changes are sure to help the people who struggle with Lightroom’s methods of copying, storing and organizing files on your hard drive. On the export side, look for a host of improvements for getting your images posted on the web, including an interface for Flickr (although there is some innuendo that developers for other services will be able to create connections to other popular sites as well, perhaps available as a plug-in).
Also on the output side, the ability to add watermarks is beefed up considerably, with support for opacity, something that was sorely lacking in previous versions. And, for those interested in creating multimedia presentations, you can now embed music in your slideshows.
There are too many new features to list here, so I’ll just send you over to The Lightroom Journal where you can read much more directly from Tom Hogarty himself. Also, head over to the NAPP website for the updated Lightroom Learning Center.
That’s it for now, I’m diving back in!!
In the afterlife, it seems there exists the definite possibility that one will have to run Microsoft Office PowerPoint forever. I’ve seen the dialog box. There is no escape.
Luckily, my laptop has a full charge. Looks like I’m gonna need it.
I sure hope the “End Now” button works better than the big red “X” in the upper right of the caption bar; I thought that’s what it was for.
I’ve missed a few weeks with my recent travel, and boy do we have a lot to talk about with security updates this week! In fact, there is so much, I’m going to have to give it to you in condensed form, and provide the links for further reading if you’re interested. We’ve had a big Windows patch Tuesday for October (the biggest ever!), some Apple updates and some Adobe updates. Remember, keeping up to date, currently patched software is a major step in keeping your system secure and protected against malware and worse.
Let’s start with the Microsoft Windows updates.
One of the most frequently asked questions regarding Adobe Bridge CS4 is, “What happened to Contact Sheets?” They are no longer available as a script, although the Contact Sheet II, Picture Package, and other “missing” scripts are still available for download (Mac). In fact, if you ordered Photoshop CS4 in the box, you’ll find this and other scripts in the “Goodies” folder on the Content disk.
However, the reason these scripts aren’t installed by default, is that they’ve largely been replaced by Bridge’s new Output work space. With this work space, the Bridge developers have taken a hint from Lightroom’s Output Module, and have created an experience that, well, heads in that direction. As you’ll see, there is still room for improvement; but give the new work space a chance – it is certainly an improvement over the CS3 scripts, and I’m sure you’ll see many ways that it will help make you more productive.
…or, “What I learned on my recent trip to Europe.”
OK, I’ve been on the road and traveling for over 2 weeks and across 10 time zones, so maybe it’s me that’s a bit schizophrenic. But, bear with me a little bit as I relate a tale of many cities, and when we’re done, we can compare notes. I think you’ll agree that there are strange things afoot.
