Photoshop Can Determine the Subject Matter of Your Images.

Hat Tip: Popular Photography

I actually find this to be a bit disturbing and file it under just another reason not to use Photoshop.

It turns out that Photoshop will refuse to load images of currency.  That requires Photoshop to determine the subject matter of any image the user wants to edit with the program.  Couple that with Adobe's Cloud Computer model, which requires an active Internet connection to Adobe's servers in order to use the program and you have a nightmare for any paranoid individual.

Not only can the program determine when you are attempting to open a file containing the image of a banknote, but the program is in constant communications with the software company that owns the software.

Anyone else wondering whether the NSA also knows when you attempt to open a file containing a banknote image?  Or maybe the Government mandates Adobe turn over information whenever the program flags a file as containing a banknote image?

(We have examples of them forcing companies to turn over information.)


Why would anyone use a program that stops working if you lose Internet service and examines the content of the files you edit?  Especially if it flags content as "illegal".


Big Brother is here.

Its name is Adobe.

FYI, it is actually legal to possess digital images of U.S. banknotes.  It has to be for non-fraudulent purposes and the image needs to be black and white instead of color.  There is also a size requirement, but that seems to apply more to anything that is actually printed. 

New Alternative to Adobe's Mobile Apps

Adobe announced its new mobile apps this week, including hardware that turns an iPad into a drawing tablet.


Avatron has just introduced a competitor  to Adobe's mobile apps: Air Stylus.



Air Stylus costs $19.99 versus Adobe offering their mobile apps free of charge.  On the plus side, it is compatible with most pressure-sensitive graphics applications.  This means you aren't limited to Adobe products.

There is a list of incompatible programs on the Apple Store page.  The list:

• Autodesk Sketchbook (Express and Pro)
• Corel Painter X3
• Escape Motions FlamePainter
• Mapdiva Artboard
• Synthetik Software Studio Artist 4.0
• Toon Boom Studio, Harmony, Animate, and Pencil Check

Avatron is working on the compatibility issues with those programs.


It is also compatible with multiple pressure-sensitive pens.  Currently three pens are supported:  the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus,  the Adonit Jot Touch 4, and the Ten One Designs Pogo Connect.  These pens are currently half the price of Adobe's Ink and Slide combo.

(Technical note: you don't have to use Adobe's hardware with their mobile software.  It will work with fingertip or plain stylus.  Pressure sensitive pens just help produce better results. The app store page suggests Adonit Jot Touch Pixelpoint pens in addition to Adobe's Ink and Slide.)


Technically, Air Stylus isn't an alternative to the Adobe mobile apps/hardware combination.

Adobe's apps allow an iPad to be used as a drawing device without having it connected to a computer.  Avatron's Air Stylus app turns the iPad into a drawing tablet, which requires it to be connected to a computer running image editing software.

On the other hand, Adobe's mobile apps require an Internet connection and a Creative Cloud subscription to use them fully.  There is a free subscription option, but the Internet connection requirement may be a deal breaker for some people.


It is possible to install both apps on an iPad, using one for editing images when in a studio and the second away from it.  The pressure-sensitive pen used needs to be compatible with both apps, though.  (It looks like the Adonit Jot Touch 4 might be the best choice if using both apps.)


Hat Tip: DP Connect

Photoshop CC to Work With Touchscreen Technology

Hat Tip: Pop Photo

Adobe is working on making Photoshop compatible with touchscreen technology.  This would enable using tablets and similar devices to be used to edit photos without having to use an additional keyboard or mouse.  Photos could be edited on site.  This could greatly benefit photographers that shoot on location instead of in a studio. 

The edited photos could be sent to an editor or client while still on location as long as the device had communications capabilities.


This also has implications for in studio editing.  Many of the current computer display options include touchscreen capabilities.  These displays could conceivably replace art tablets.  The touchscreen display could be used exactly like an art canvas.  (How viable this options turns out to be is anybody's guess at this time.)


Personally, I have mixed feelings about Adobe.  I'm not a fan of the Cloud Computing subscription model.  The latest Abode server issue illustrates why.

At the same time, the arguably produces the best image editing software currently available.  Photoshop is usually the first program to offer new features.  Other companies then have to find a way to include similar features in their products.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes those other companies to offer this feature as well.

One Thing That Makes Me Glad That I Can't Afford Photoshop

I am forced to operate on a tight budget due to limited finances.  Among other things, that means no Adobe Photoshop or other expensive image editing software.


Turns out there's a huge drawback with Photoshop.

If Adobe's servers go out, you can't use your applications.  A brief interruption is one thing, but the server problem has lasted nearly 24 hours.  Some photographers can get around the problem by using applications offline in "trial mode."

Unfortunately, this doesn't work for everyone.  Some photographers have found that their applications won't go into trial mode.  The application is set so that the "Trail Period" has expired.  The only way to fix this is to log into Adobe's server.  You know.  The one that is currently down.


Adobe already antagonized photographers by moving to the Crowd Computing model.  Now it has just reinforced the idea that its CC business model is a bad idea for its customers.

I suspect that many current Photoshop users are going to start looking for viable alternatives.  This is especially true for professional photographers whose livelihood depend on reliable image editing software.  One that becomes unusable for 24 hours because the software company's servers go down doesn't fit that need.

Camera and Lens News and Reviews for the Week of April 27

Cameras

Samsung NX30 - First Shots from Samsung’s flagship 
Samsung NX Mini Expert Review 

Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Instant Camera Review

Olympus Stylus Tough TG-850 Waterproof Review
Olympus E-M10 Review: Affordable image quality and performance, truly the ‘OM-D for all.’

Pentax K-3 review: Big tech, little package. Can Ricoh’s enthusiast DSLR beat Canon and Nikon? 

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H400 Review
Hands On With the Sony Alpha 77 II 
Sony targets Alpha 77 II at serious enthusiasts 
Sony announces SLT-A77 II high-end APS-C A-mount fixed-mirror DSLR
A newfound focus: Sony SLT-A77 II First Impressions Review
Sony a77 II DSLT With Built-In Wi-Fi
New Gear: Sony A77 II Camera With 79 AF Points
Sony A77II Officially Unveiled, Includes “World Record” 79 point AF System
Sony A77 II adds 79-point AF system, more speed
Sony Releases The a77 II – Will 79 AF Points, Built In Wifi Remote And Pro Movie Features Shift The Market? 
Sony’s a77 II Has Arrived, and It’s Packing an AF Sensor Worth Drooling Over

Blackmagic URSA 4K Camera: $6k Professional Cinema Camera Announced

Nikon D3300 Shooter’s Reports 1 and 2: Is this affordable SLR for you?


Lenses

Samyang announces 'AE' 35mm F1.4 for Canon, and 300mm F6.3 for DSLRs 
Samyang announces five news lenses, all tweaks to existing models 

Lens Test: Nikon 18–140mm f/3.5–5.6g DX ED VR AF-S Zoom

Lens Review Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD

Sony Announces Zeiss FE 16-35mm f4 and FE PZ 28-135mm f4

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens Review


Other

Serif PhotoPlus X7 Digital Photo Studio

EIZO ColorEdge CX271 27inch Monitor Review

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 Review

Alien Skin Software announces Exposure 6 plugin

DxO launches upgrade for Optics Pro, now supports Nokia Lumia 1020

Review: f-stop Gear’s Loka UL Backpack is Feather Light and Feature Rich

Federal Truth in Advertising Law Proposal: The Ultimate Photoshop Failure

Posting articles analyzing Photoshop failures has become a common practice for web sites that have anything remotely to do with photography.  This includes sites dedicated to social commentary, fashion, celebrities as well as photography sites.

Well, the folks over at SLR Lounge and DIY Photography have articles on what may be the ultimate Photoshop failure.

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Lois Capps (D-CA) have introduced the Truth in Advertising Act (H.R. 4341) that would address Photoshop use in advertising.

There aren't any regulations proposed at this point.  The Act directs the Commerce Department to "study" the impact of Photoshop in advertising.  (The Act specifically mentions Photoshopping models and the impact it has on "body image.")


I'll put it bluntly, this is nothing more than the Congress asking for a study to justify regulating the use of Photoshop in advertisement.  Why ask for the study if you're not prepared to act on it?

The worst part is that the justification given for the study applies to other advertising sectors.  Obesity epidemic?  Let's go after Photoshopping in food advertisements.


Do these Congresswomen not understand the can of worms they are opening here?

Let's decide for the sake of argument that Congress decides something has to be done about Photoshopping advertisements.  What do they do?

Who gets to decide what is allowed?  How do you implement limitations?  Who enforces regulations?  (And how many new federal employees would it take?)  Do you limited rules to just Photoshopping people in advertisements?  (I can hear Michelle Obama already calling for regulating food ads.)


Most importantly, how do you justify Government involvement given that the Supreme Court has already ruled that advertisements amount to Constitutionally protected Free Speech?


We have a $17 Trillion National Debt, one we add nearly $1 Trillion to every year.  We have little economic growth.  Food prices (especially beef, pork and shrimp) are going up dramatically.  We have Putin destabilizing Eastern Europe.

And these two nitwits decide the most pressing issue that needs addressing is the use of Photoshop in advertising.


Is there any doubt as to why there is little respect for the people running Washington right now?

Another Reason Why Adobe's Subscription Model Was a Bad Idea

As if annoying its customers by switching to a Creative Cloud/Subscription business wasn't enough, Adobe just announced that it was hacked and almost 3 Million customers had their information stolen.

The information stolen includes Credit Card information.  The information was apparently encrypted, which should prevent the thieves from being able to use it.  There is the possibility that the information could be decrypted  (probably not that likely with modern encryption techniques).  There is also the possibility that the thieves managed to access the decrypted Credit Card information.

Adobe has reset the password of any account believed to have been compromised.  Other Adobe account holders may want to change their passwords as well.  Adobe account holders should also keep an eye on the Credit Card used in conjunction with their Adobe account.

This was almost predictable after Adobe forced Photoshop users into cloud computing.  These users had privacy concerns and those concerns have just been realized.  The question is, how many customers will be in a position to leave Adobe for a competing product?