Apple Updates Pro Apps

Apple has released an update for the Final Cut Studio Applications.

Pro Applications Updates improve reliability for Apple’s professional applications and are recommended for all users of Final Cut Studio, Final Cut Server, and Logic Studio. Pro Applications Update 2008-04 addresses general performance issues and improves overall stability. 

Applications included in the update: 

Final Cut Pro 6.0.5 | Compressor 3.0.5 | Color 1.0.3 | Shake 4.1.1

Intel Core i7 Chips

Intel's Core i7 (Nehalem) processors officially launched on November 17th, 2008. The company has extensively tested the chips in an effort to avoid previous show stopping bugs.

It has been speculated that Apple will be migrating the Mac Pro to these Nehalem Xeon processors which are due to be updated at Macworld San Fransico in January 5th-9th 2009. 

Apple is also amongst several vendors awaiting the release of three new low-power desktop CPUs due in January. Intel will launch the Core 2 Quad Q8200s (2.33GHz/4MB L2), Core 2 Quad Q9400s (2.66GHz/6MB L2) and Core 2 Quad Q9550s (2.83GHz/12MB L2) Apple is reported to have decided to launch the new chips in it's iMac line which has been rumored for a revision at Macworld 2009.

Parallels Desktop V 4.0

Parallels Desktop Version 4 has been released. So you can run Windows Xp, Vista or Linux on your Mac without having to restart your computer. It can also use the BootCamp Windows partition you may already have.

Parallels also has some great resources online including User Guides, How To Tutorials and Videos.

Adobe CS4 Demos Now Online

Adobe has released the CS4 Suite 30 Day trials for download earlier this morning, available for Mac and Windows. The Mac versions are quite big this time round : 

Photoshop (1012.8Mb)

Illustrator (1.44Gb)

Indesign (1.08Gb)

Flash (1.36Gb)

Dreamweaver (634.9Mb)

After Effects (1.31Gb)

Premiere Pro (1.96Gb)

Be warned it'll put a serious dint into your download allowance for this month.....  Adobe has also released a series of Trial DVDs with these programs on them. Considering the size of the downloads and the time involved this could be an attractive option. Adobe is currently offering free shipping till December 1st, 2008.

Master Collection $29Au | Design Premium $26Au | Web Premium $26Au

SEOmoz's Web 2.0 Awards 2008

SEOmoz's Web 2.0 Awards for 2008 lists 174 Web 2.0 sites in 41 categories. With everything from Bookmarking to Widgets. Well worth a look, even if you don't know what a Web 2.0 site is.

Adobe CS Icon Colours

Ever wonder where the Adobe CS program icon colours come from, a colour wheel of course ! Speaking of colour Adobe Kuler lets you design a colour scheme online. Very cool stuff. There's also some nice links on Kolor Theory. Requires the Flash Player plug-in for your Web Browser.

Adobe CS4 Shipping

The Adobe CS4 suite is now shipping and available to purchase here in Australia. Demo versions should be available sometime in Novermber 2008.

Cult of the Amateur

Whilst egalitarian access to digital technology empowers people, creating more opportunities that may not have been there before. It cannot be done at the expense of standards. Content can't be all good, all true and all in good taste. Or is it all about self indulgent individuals with over inflated opinions of non existent skills and abilities, on a massive ego trip.

Cult Of The Amateur : How Today's Internet is Killing Our Culture by Andrew Keen raises some very interesting issues. Some of which are currently being played out in the education system at both the Secondary & Tertiary levels.

Social networking gives people a voice and a way to express themselves, but does making a MySpace or FaceBook page using a template make you a Web Designer ? Does creating a mash up with other people's work really make you an Artist ?

Twittering Away

Twitter is a quick way to get information up online, it's text only limited to 140 characters per post, but there again sometime's being short and sweet is a good thing.

http://twitter.com/sixem

A Social Web Butterfly

It seems that in order to be in the "real world" you have to have a "virtual" one. Some of my colleagues are currently at a 2 day seminar on the subject, in relation to how it can be implemented into educaton systems such as TAFE colleges.

learntelconf08.blogspot.com