Latest from TechRadar NZ in Creative-software

AI may kill the app grid, but complex tasks still need apps

Ross Rubin — Fri, 08 May 2026 07:20:00 +0000

Apps — once more commonly called “applications,” “executables,” or “programs” — have defined how we’ve gotten things done on computers since before the dawn of the PC. Indeed, some early home computers like the Commodore 64 booted up into a BASIC interpreter to allow users to write their own programs.

Since those days, we’ve seen many software transitions: single-tasking to multitasking, text interfaces to graphical interfaces, disks to downloads, desktop to mobile.

But the paradigm hasn’t really changed at its core. Want something done? Enter an app, do it, and either exit it or switch out of it. The app model took over the web, which evolved from a content-sharing system to an interactive platform, and has defined the "smart" part of smart TVs and watches.

Curiously, Apple — which drove the iPhone to become a premier smart platform with the slogan, “There’s an app for that” — tried twice to minimize them. In the ‘90s, as Microsoft was forming tighter links between Windows programs through an OS-level linking technology called Object Linking and Embedding, Apple sought to tear down the value of big, monolithic apps (like those in Microsoft Office) with OpenDoc. The framework reduced apps to lightweight “editors” that operated on sections of a compound document.

Despite support from a consortium, it saw limited support and was killed when Steve Jobs returned. Jobs also initially opposed adding native apps to the iPhone, which was originally supposed to support only web apps in part to avoid security risks.

However, he was persuaded to support a native SDK and the rest was history. Smartphones became packed with screens full of grids of colored squares tied to awkward switching mechanisms, and Apple eventually added a "Library" screen that addresses the clutter by offering categorically defined smart folders: bigger squares filled with the same squares.

There's a Chat for that

ChatGPT and similar AI chatbots, though, have raised the question of whether the age of the app is finally over. After all, why begin work by selecting a container of functionality when an agent can fluidly deliver the resources needed to meet the task at hand as casually as someone sitting next to you might pass the butter?

On the desktop, this helps explain why Copilot feels like such a bolt-on to Windows and perhaps why Apple has struggled to find the right way to integrate Siri.

AI has also driven Google, which opened the Android app floodgates to Chrome OS after starting that platform as an app-free platform, to start combining its operating systems The distinctions between mobile vs. desktop fade when you compare both to what an AI-first operating system should be. That said, there will be plenty of GUI in “Aluminium” for the foreseeable future.

On the other hand, while chat interfaces have made great progress in managing iteration and revision, more complex creation demands more interface infrastructure. We first saw evidence of this when apps like Photoshop, daVinci Resolve, Notion, and Visual Studio Code embedded generative AI within their feature sets.

Now, though, we are seeing “native” AI apps that often have dramatically different approaches to workflow than incumbents, but still benefit from an app approach.

AI song generator Suno, for example, has launched its own take on a DAW (digital audio workstation, like GarageBand or Ableton Live). Google has released Flow, a web app that facilitates developing longer videos with its Veo video generation model.

And leading frontier model vendors have released apps that serve as homes for their coding agents, Claude Code, OpenAI’s Codex, and Google Antigravity.

We’ve also seen more broadly focused agentic apps like Zo Computer, Kimi, and Manus AI (acquired by Meta) appify (or perhaps seek to “OSify”) the OpenClaw experience. As the most popular chatbots take on more agentic capabilities, their apps are following similar models, adding workspaces.

A vibe-culled quest

Beyond these creation environments, AI is poised to radically change the nature of apps. Via vibe coding, we have only begun to see how it can craft highly personalized digital work frameworks on the fly to meet requirements and workstyles in ways that today’s one-size-fits-all apps can’t hope to match.

For example, for years I sought out a modern version of an organizational app I loved using on classic macOS, but the only options I could find had limited platform support or were overkill.

Little by little, though, I’m developing it myself, mostly using Claude Code, which I have also used to create customized information displays to gauge, for example, the optimal time to leave my office to catch a train.

Today’s chatbots may be “superapps” that can handle tasks that once demanded separate apps, and tomorrow’s platforms may flip the app paradigm on its head, bringing in environments as needed as opposed to them being grand entranceways to getting something done.

Screens of grids can and should fade from prominence. Apps, however, are poised to remain, even if they are unrecognizable from the experiences that live within our devices’ bright squares.

In The Matrix, for example, where people can acquire new skillsets by loading programs into their brains, the drama of Neo declaring, “I know kung fu.” comes from the audience’s unfamiliarity with that method of skill acquisition.

Even if AI is constructing an experience on the fly for such enrichment, it will essentially be creating “an app for that.”

We put over 70 of the best AI tools to the test

I tried Photoshop in ChatGPT — it's an awesome free AI superpower

john-anthony.disotto@futurenet.com (John-Anthony Disotto) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 13:29:04 +0000

Adobe just launched a whole suite of editing products into ChatGPT, and the best bit is that they are available for free.

I decided to give Photoshop in OpenAI's chatbot a try, opting to see if it's really better than opening up my app just to remove the background from a product image to create a header image at work.

I don't like to exaggerate, but honestly, I'm so impressed with this new addition to ChatGPT that I want to shout about it from the rooftops. And that's not all. OpenAI's chatbot now works with Express and Acrobat, too!

In fact, it's so great that I've decided to write about the best 3 new additions now available thanks to Adobe's ChatGPT integration - and best of all, you don't need to pay a fee.

To enable these features in ChatGPT open Settings, then Apps & Connectors, and enable each Adobe product.

1. Photoshop background removal

(Image credit: Future)

I’ve used Photoshop for years, and I still find half the tools confusing, so being able to type “brighten the face” and get a perfect adjustment feels like cheating. ChatGPT taps into proper Photoshop tools, so the edits actually look good, not like AI slop.

You can fix exposure, sharpen details, add effects, or tidy up messy backgrounds. If you want more control, sliders pop up so you can fine-tune things. It’s the sort of quick edit that normally takes five minutes, done in five seconds.

The best bit, however, is being able to remove the background from images in a split second without the need for any extra software. Simply type "Adobe Photoshop remove background", upload an image, and click go. Easy peasy.

2. Express for quick graphics

(Image credit: Adobe)

I’m constantly making quick graphics for articles, and Adobe's Express ChatGPT integration shocked me the most. You can ask ChatGPT to create a design, pull in templates from Adobe Express, and adjust everything on the fly – fonts, colors, images, animations, the lot.

It’s perfect if you want something that looks polished but don’t have the time to mess around in another app. The whole thing happens right where you’re already chatting, which makes the workflow feel weirdly natural.

I followed Adobe's example to create a Christmas party invite, and something that would've taken me a good hour now can be done in a split second – impressive.

3. Acrobat PDF editing

(Image credit: Adobe)

This one might be less glamorous, but it’s easily the feature I’ll use the most. Acrobat tools are now built into ChatGPT too, so you can fix PDF text, edit images, merge documents, extract data, compress huge files, and even redact sensitive info.

It turns all the annoying little work tasks into quick voice or text-based commands. I decided to test it out by uploading a PDF draft of an article I wrote, and thanks to Acrobat, I was able to edit directly from within the PDF, something I've always wanted to be able to do in ChatGPT.

This addition to ChatGPT might be less flashy than Photoshop's inclusion, but I think a lot of people will fall in love with this newfound ability.

Adobe Photoshop is now built into ChatGPT for free – and you don't need graphic design skills to use it

Graham Barlow — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:28:10 +0000

Adobe Photoshop, Express, and Acrobat are now apps inside ChatGPT and are free for everyone to use
The apps come with sliders and controls inside ChatGPT that let you adjust effects and colors
You can open your creations directly in the web versions of the apps

Adobe has launched its most popular creativity and productivity apps inside ChatGPT, and yes, that includes Adobe Photoshop. The premier graphic design tool is now an app inside ChatGPT alongside Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Express, and they are all free.

Best of all, you do not need to understand how any of these apps work. Inside ChatGPT, you simply describe what you want using natural language, and the apps do it for you. Instead of generating a single static image or document, the apps give you control sliders and options right inside ChatGPT so you can tweak and adjust the results until you get exactly what you want.

Photoshop is well known for editing images, while Adobe Express is built for fast document creation with templates that let you spin up a party invitation or an invoice in seconds. Finally, Acrobat is its PDF manager and editor.

What is it like to Photoshop in ChatGPT?

(Image credit: Adobe)

We watched a demo of Photoshop running as an app inside the web version of ChatGPT, and it is impressive. Here's how it works:

First, you drag an image into the ChatGPT prompt bar to upload it. You can then ask ChatGPT to perform an edit in Photoshop, such as "Convert this image to black and white using Photoshop." There is no need to know how to use Photoshop at all.

After a brief moment, ChatGPT shows you the image converted to black and white using Photoshop and presents an Intensity slider so you can control the strength of the effect.

But you can keep going. If you type "Adjust the exposure on the image," ChatGPT will again think for a moment and then display Photoshop's exposure sliders so you can fine-tune the result.

You do not even need to know what tools you want. For example, you can upload another image and type "Add some effects to the image," and ChatGPT will show previews of five different Photoshop effects, including Tritone, Halftone Color, Glitch, and Dither. Pick one, and you will get sliders to adjust the look.

Photoshop-level selections can also be controlled with natural language. You can type "Apply a Halftone Color effect to the image everywhere except her hair," and ChatGPT will handle the masking automatically.

Each creation includes an "Open in Photoshop" button that launches the file in Photoshop on the web.

Adobe Express in use

(Image credit: Adobe)

If you need something like a party invitation, Adobe Express can be used inside ChatGPT, too. You can ask ChatGPT to come up with holiday party invitation ideas, pick one you like, and say, "Use Adobe Express to create this theme."

You can then edit the invitation using natural language. If you ask it to change the background color, it will do that and also give you a set of color options with on-screen controls.

Adobe Acrobat in use

(Image credit: Adobe)

Acrobat, Adobe's PDF editor, works just like the other apps. You can use natural language to perform tasks without opening the standalone program. Upload your resume, cover letter, and references, then ask it to merge them into one PDF using Acrobat, and you will get a unified document.

It takes a few moments to complete, but once it is done, you can even make last-minute edits to the PDF directly inside ChatGPT without switching to the full Acrobat interface.

Adobe's arrival inside ChatGPT is a significant milestone. It pushes OpenAI's chatbot into new territory, expanding what is possible and moving it beyond content generation into real editing, design, and document workflows. If this is only the beginning, it is not hard to imagine a future where ChatGPT becomes the place where ideas are not just created but completed without ever leaving the chatbot.

Better object removal, improved lighting and more - these "Sneaks" could be Adobe's next big leap forward

Craig Hale — Sun, 09 Nov 2025 16:04:00 +0000

As has become tradition at its conferences, Adobe MAX 2025 concluded with what’s become known as ‘Sneaks’ – a hotly anticipated interactive evening presentation designed to showcase what’s next (or what could be next).

Think of them as passion projects, dreamt up by internal staffers in response to customer demand and emerging trends, whereby experimental features could make it into Adobe’s pipeline.

This year in LA, critically acclaimed comedian, writer and actress Jessica Williams took to the stage together with Adobe Senior Creative Cloud Evangelist Paul Trani to host the session, which comprised 10 individual ‘Sneaks’ demonstrated by their creators.

Although the company stressed that not all of these will reach production, we think they may just do that. Not only did the crowd go wild at each and every Sneak, but with seemingly hundreds of new AI-powered features already launched at MAX 2025, we think there’s room for more in the coming years.

We’ve listed some of our favorites below:

Project Light Touch

(Image credit: Adobe)

Ever taken a photo and gone back to the studio (or perhaps just your phone editor) to realize maybe the lighting wasn’t quite right?

This tool allows users to reshape light sources after capturing them, be it moving the source of the light to cast different shadows, turning day into night or even adding a new light source to any part of the picture (such as lighting up a Halloween pumpkin from within).

Project Trace Erase

(Image credit: Adobe)

“Say goodbye to clunky object removal,” Adobe writes in its summary blog post. This tool addresses one of the most common Photoshop actions – cleaning up photos.

The demo sees a new trace erase tool use diffusion transformer models to erase elements associated with the object that has been selected, such as shadows, reflections and environmental distortions – not just the primary object in question.

Project Frame Forward

(Image credit: Adobe)

Moving over to video, Project Frame Forward does away with having to address each and every frame in video edits, making it simpler and quicker to make changes to an entire clip.

Users can annotate and edit one single frame, and this in-development tool will transfer those edits to every relevant frame. Need to remove an unwanted object from a shot? Just make the change to a single frame and those changes will carry through the entire clip. Adobe boasts that this even maintains original quality.

Project Clean Take

(Image credit: Adobe)

Up next, an audio-focused tool that does everything you could ask of it – of course, powered by AI. Podcasters and filmmakers alike would be able to use the tool to make all manner of changes to soundtracks without re-recording.

Besides isolating voices and removing background noises, Clean Take can also correct mispronunciations. Editors can even go into the transcript and swap out words, which then sound like they’re being said by the original speaker.

Special mention: Project Scene It

(Image credit: Adobe)

Scene It is worthy of its own mention, enabling marketers to generate 3D versions of products from a single image to place them in different scenes for promotional activity.

But the best part came at the end of the mini-presentation, when presenter and project lead Oindrila Saha turned an illustrated glass of champagne into a reality, bringing three glasses out on stage to share with Jessica and Paul.

Little did Oindrila know that those glasses of champagne were part of a broader plan to celebrate what came next – her offer of a permanent position at Adobe after joining as a research intern this summer.

Though not all may make the cut, Adobe’s Sneaks session has always been about more than just hinting at what could come next. It’s all about giving dreamers and creatives the chance for their voices to be heard.

“What begins as a bold experiment at Sneaks often becomes tomorrow’s creative superpower,” Adobe concluded. “We can’t wait to see where these ideas go next.”

Unleash your creativity on the fly

Sponsored — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 00:08:14 +0000

Bringing powerful AI-assisted video and image generation to mobile, the new Adobe Firefly app grants you the freedom to explore your ideas on the move.

The commercially safe creative AI solution, Adobe Firefly is an all-in-one destination for AI-assisted ideation, creation and production. Its content creation tools make it easy for anyone to produce amazing images, video, audio and vector graphics.

This means you can use Firefly to create everything from b-roll and video backgrounds to hero images to use them in memes, blogs, presentations, posters or anything that could use a little visual pizzazz.

(Image credit: Adobe)

New features include the ability to turn a still image into a video, or to create a clip with a simple text prompt. Shots are easily refined by selecting camera angles, motion and style, while improved video controls give creative pros more frame-by-frame precision to shape composition and pacing.

Thanks to Generative Expand and Generative Fill, Firefly can bring your favourite snapshots to life, even if they're not quite perfect. If an unwanted passerby spoils the scene, Generative Remove can instantly replace them with whatever new objects you can dream up.

Once you're happy with your creation, you'll want to share it with the world. Adobe Firefly is designed for a global audience, with the ability to translate clips and make anyone sound like a native speaker, all while maintaining the same voice, tone and cadence across more than 20 languages.

Hit the road

Now available for iOS and Android, the Adobe Firefly app ensures creators can get creative anywhere, anytime. The app uses the same technology underlying many of the most powerful features of Photoshop, Premiere Pro and Lightroom.

Struck by inspiration when you're about and about? Just enter a prompt into the Firefly app and then iterate with tweaks and adjustments until you've generated an image or video that's exactly what you envisioned.

The Adobe Firefly app is available as a standalone experience or as part of Adobe's Creative Cloud. With Creative Cloud syncing, it's easy to jump between your phone, the web app (where you can experiment with more models and media types) and desktop apps like Photoshop.

(Image credit: Adobe)

Work together

Firefly Boards is a new space within Adobe Firefly where creative teams can ideate, mood-board and storyboard. Available in public beta on the web, it's a collaborative, intuitive way to brainstorm, offering the ability to explore creative concepts and iterate on ideas before jumping into production.

Boards transforms the collaborative process by taking a generative AI-first approach to mood boarding. The addition of video now allows creative professionals to collaboratively explore and iterate across more media types.

Once you've fleshed out your ideas, Adobe Firefly can easily bring them to life through generating text, images and now video as well.

To help with this, the Adobe Firefly app expands its AI model integrations. Ideogram, Luma AI, Pika and Runway now join OpenAI's image generation, Black Forest Labs' Flux and Google's Imagen and Veo, offering creators even more choice of aesthetic styles.

(Image credit: Adobe)

Get creative while playing it safe

Whether you work for a major corporation or you're running your own side hustle, you'll want to avoid legal issues – especially if you'll be using content commercially. That's why it's essential to be sure every image or video has the appropriate legal permission.

With AI generated content, it can be more difficult to identify the sources used in its creation, compared to identifying the copyright or trademark of an existing image. Even so, you need to be absolutely confident that your AI generated content does not include any protected elements without the necessary releases.

(Image credit: Adobe)

That's where Adobe Firefly has you covered. As part of Adobe's initiatives to ensure Firefly is commercially safe, it only trains its AI models on content for which it has permission or rights. This means the initial commercial Firefly model is only trained on Adobe Stock images as well as openly licensed and public domain content.

Adobe does not train Firefly on customer content, or on content mined from the web. This prevents Firefly from creating content which infringes copyright or intellectual property rights.

As a founding member of the international Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI), Adobe sets the industry standard for responsible generative AI. The CAI is a community of media and tech companies, NGOs, academics and others which are working to promote adoption of an open industry standard for content authenticity and provenance.

This is in conjunction with the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), which has developed an open technical standard that offers publishers, creators and consumers the ability to understand the origin of different types of media. This includes the option to add a Content Credential that allows a creator to indicate that generative AI was used in its creation.

Combining the power of Firefly with Adobe's responsible approach to generative AI ensures that you can unleash your creativity with confidence.

(Image credit: Adobe)

Start for free or buy a Firefly plan that matches your needs and budget to create incredible video, audio, images, and vector graphics. View Deal

Photoshop finally gets a pro-grade Android app – here are 3 reasons why I'm excited to try the free version

Timothy Coleman — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 13:01:00 +0000

Photoshop on Android (beta) drops for devices running Android 11 or later
It's free for a limited time
Creative Cloud subscriptions unlock Adobe Stock assets and generative edits

Following the release of Photoshop for iPhone earlier this year, the biggest photo-editing app has finally made it to Android in pro-grade form, complete with Photoshop's marquee features and generative capabilities.

Offering much of the same functionality as the iPhone app, the free beta version of Photoshop for Android has an intuitive interface designed specifically for phones, with core Photoshop tools such as layering, masking, and blending.

I'm yet to use the app, but I watched a demonstration of its capabilities presented by Adobe, and it looks super impressive, seemingly being one of if not the most fully equipped and powerful photo editors for Android phones.

You can import images from your camera roll, start from a blank canvas, utilize Adobe Stock assets, and take a photo with your phone to then edit.

As a regular Photoshop user I can't wait to try the app out on my Google Pixel phone, and here are three tools I'll start with…

Tap select can be applied to both subjects and backgrounds and can utilize Adobe's generative Firefly tools. (Image credit: Adobe)

1. Tap select

Simplifying Photoshop's subject and background selection tools on a mobile phone is no easy task, but what Adobe calls 'Tap select' appears to do the trick nicely.

During a demo, an Adobe professional walked us through an edit of a classic car photo, using Tap select to make image adjustments to just the car itself, and then to other subjects.

Tap select suggests various objects in an image that you might want to selectively edit, displaying thumbnails of these, and when you've made a selection it'll suggest a huge arsenal of Photoshop tools such as color adjustments and so forth.

Subject selection can be refined with Photoshop's Brush Tool to add / subtract from the selection when it has missed the mark.

And with these edits working within Photoshop's layering capabilities, changes can be tweaked at any point in the editing process.

Tap select is the kind of tool I can see myself using on almost every edit, and its implementation for Android phones looks well thought out.

With the model's clothes selected, it's possible to make selective edits, such as changing the hue. (Image credit: Adobe)

2. Generative Firefly

Adobe has focused a lot of its energy recently into developing Firefly – the generative AI tools that sit within its leading apps such as Photoshop. Naturally, Photoshop for Android phones can tap into these tools too.

For example, Generative Fill can replace subjects and backgrounds to your liking, however fanciful your ideas are. Again, during the demo, we saw these tools put into practice – removing parked cars in the background and replacing surrounding trees for palm trees, with multiple generated options to choose between.

Naturally, there are limits to Firefly's capabilities, but the Android phone version appeared to be as powerful and efficient as the full version of Photoshop with the word prompt tasks it was assigned.

It's possible to work on the same file across Photoshop on mobile and Photoshop on web apps. (Image credit: Adobe)

3. Tapping into Adobe Stock assets

Despite having a Creative Cloud subscription, I don't generally make use of the 'commercially safe' Adobe Stock assets at my disposal, whether that's images or textures or other assets. However, on the mobile version I can see myself having a proper play with these.

Let's say I want to add text to an image, for which there's a huge selection of fonts to choose from. I can then mask that text layer, modifying the lettering with just about any texture or image of my choice from hundreds of thousands of stock assets.

In the demo, we saw 'Aloha' text added to the classic car photo, taken in Hawaii, and then modified with an image of a hibiscus flower within the lettering.

I came away from the demo with the feeling that the scope of the edits I can make to photos from my phone is vast, and limited only by my imagination.

I'm really looking forward to having a play with Photoshop on my Android phone to get a proper feel for it.

The 5 biggest new Photoshop, Firefly and Premiere Pro tools that were announced at Adobe Max London 2025

Timothy Coleman — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:50:32 +0000

Adobe introduces latest Firefly Image Model 4 & 4 Ultra
Firefly Boards debuts, plus mobile app coming soon
Adobe's new Content Authenticity app can verify creator's digital work

Adobe Max 2025 is currently being hosted in London, where the creative software giant has revealed the latest round of updates to its key apps, including Firefly, Photoshop and Premiere Pro.

As we expected, almost every improvement is powered by AI, yet Adobe is also keen to point out that these tools are designed to aid human creativity, not replace it. We'll see.

Adobe hopes to reenforce this sentiment with a new Content Authenticity app that should make it easier for creators to gain proper attribution for their digital work. It's a bit of a minefield when you start thinking about all of the permutations, but kudos to Adobe for being at the forefront for protecting creators in this ever evolving space.

There's a raft of new features and tools to cover, from a new collaborative moodboard app to smarter Photoshop color adjustments, and we've compiled the top five changes that you need to know about, below.

1. Firefly Image Model 4 & 4 Ultra is here, plus a mobile app is on the way

Created by Brandi Licciardo using Adobe Firefly Image Model 4 with the word prompts; small sweeper men, cleaning up pencil shavings from a huge pencil pointing downwards vertically, (Image credit: Adobe / Brandi Licciardo)

Firefly seemingly has enjoyed the bulk of Adobe's advances, with the latest generative AI model promising more lifelike image generation smarts and faster output.

The 'commercially safe' Firefly Model 4 is free to use for those with Adobe subscriptions and, as always with Firefly tools, is by extension available in Adobe's apps such as Photoshop, meaning these improved generative powers can enhance the editing experience.

Firefly Model 4 Ultra is a credit-based model designed for further enhancements of images created using Model 4.

Adobe also showcased the first commercially safe AI video model, now generally available through the Firefly web app, with a new text-to vector for creating fully editable vector-based artwork.

For example, users can select one of their images as the opening and end keyframe, and use a word prompt to generate a video effect to bring that image to life.

All the tools we were shown during Adobe Max 2025 are available in Adobe's apps, some of which are now in public beta. We were also told that a new Firefly mobile app is coming soon, though the launch date has yet to be confirmed.

2. The all-new Firefly Boards

(Image credit: Adobe)

During Adobe's Max 2025 presentation, we were also shown the impressive capabilities of an all-new Adobe tool; Firefly Boards.

Firefly Boards is an 'AI-first' surface designed for moodboarding, brainstorming and exploring creative concepts, ideal for collaborative projects.

Picture this; multiple generated images can be displayed side by side on a board, moved and grouped, with the possibility of moving those ideas and aesthetic styles into production using Adobe's other tools such as Photoshop, plus non-Adobe models such as OpenAI.

The scope for what is possible through Firefly in general, now made easier with the Boards app that can utilize multiple AI image generators for the same project, is vast. We're keen to take Boards for a spin.

3. Photoshop, refined with Firefly

(Image credit: Adobe)

Adobe Photoshop receives a number of refined tools that should speed up edits that could otherwise be a time sink.

Adobe says 'Select Details' makes it faster and more intuitive to select things like hair, facial features and clothing; 'Adjust Colors' simplifies the process of adjusting color hue, saturation and lightness in images for seamless, instant color adjustments; while a reimagined Actions panel (beta) delivers smarter workflow suggestions, based on the user's unique language.

Again, during a demo, the speed and accuracy of certain tools was clear to see. The remove background feature was able to isolate a fish in a net with remarkable precision, removing the ocean backdrop while keeping every strand of the net.

Overall, the majority of Photoshop improvements are realized because of the improved generative powers of the latest Firefly image model, which can be directly accessed through Photoshop.

4. Content Credentials is here via a free app

(Image credit: Adobe)

As Adobe further utilizes AI tools in its creative apps, authenticity is an increasing concern for photographers and viewers alike. That's why the ability to verify images is all the more vital, and why this next Adobe announcement is most welcome.

Adobe Content Credentials – an industry-recognized image verification standard, adds a digital signature to images to verify ownership and authenticity – and is now available in a free Adobe Content Authenticity app, launched in public beta.

Through the app, creators can attach info about themselves; their LinkedIn and social media accounts, plus image authenticity, including date, time, place and edits of said image. An invisible watermark is added to an image, and the info is easily seen with a new Chrome browser extension installed.

Furthermore, through the app, creators will be able to attach their preferences for Adobe's use of their content, including Generative AI Training and Usage Preference. This should put the control back with creators, although this is also a bit of a minefield – other generative AI models do not currently adhere to the same practices.

5. Adobe rolls out Premiere Pro's Generative Extend

The upgrades to Premiere Pro are more restrained, with the Firefly-powered Generative Extend now generally available being the headline announcement. Not only is the powerful tool now available to all users, but it also now supports 4K and vertical video.

Elsewhere, 'Media Intelligence' helps editors find relevant clips in seconds from vast amounts of footage, plus Caption Translation can recognize captions in up to 27 languages.

These tools are powered by, you guessed it: Adobe Firefly.

Adobe Max London 2025 live – all the new features coming to Photoshop, Firefly, Premiere Pro and more

mark.wilson@futurenet.com (Mark Wilson) — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 08:48:10 +0000

Welcome to our liveblog for Adobe Max London 2025. The 'creativity conference', as Adobe calls it, is where top designers and photographers show us how they're using the company's latest tools. But it's also where Adobe reveals the new features it's bringing to the likes of Photoshop, Firefly, Lightroom and more – and that's what we've rounded up in this live report direct from the show.

The Adobe Max London 2025 keynote kicked off at 5am ET / 10am BST / 7pm ACT. You can re-watch the livestream on Adobe's website and also see demos from the show floor on the Adobe Live YouTube channel. But we're also at the show in London and will be bringing you all of the news and our first impressions direct from the source.

Given Adobe has been racing to add AI features to its apps to compete with the likes of ChatGPT, Midjourney and others, that was understandably a big theme of the London edition of Adobe Max – which is a forerunner of the main Max show in LA that kicks off on October 28.

Here were all of the biggest announcements from Adobe Max London 2025...

The latest news

Adobe has announced the new Firefly Boards in public beta
New AI tool for moodboarding lets you use non-Adobe AI models
Firefly has also been updated with the new Image Model 4

Adobe Firefly was the undisputed star of the show at this year's Max

Integrated into almost every Adobe app, Firefly is tailor-made for creatives at every level - from professionals to consumers. You can check out the latest Firefly tools by clicking here.

Welcome to Adobe Max London 2025

(Image credit: Future)

Good morning from London, where it's a classic grey April start. We're outside the Adobe Max London 2025 venue in Greenwich where there'll be a bit more color in the keynote that kicks off in about 15 minutes.

It's going to be fascinating to see how Adobe bakes more AI-powered tools into apps like Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro and Firefly, without incurring the wrath of traditional fans who feel their skills are being sidelined by some of these new tricks.

So if, like me, you're a longtime Creative Cloud user, it's going to be essential viewing...

We're almost ready for kick off

(Image credit: Future)

We've taken our spot in the Adobe Max London 2025 venue. As predicted, it's looking a bit more colorful in here than the grey London skies outside.

You can watch the keynote live on the Adobe Max London website,but we'll be bringing you all of the news and our early reactions here – starting in just a few minutes...

And we're off

(Image credit: Future)

Adobe's David Wadhwani (President, Digital Media Business) is now on stage talking about the first Max event in London last year – and the early days of Photoshop.

Interestingly, he's talking about the early worries that "digital editing would kill creativity", before Photoshop became mainstream. Definite parallels with AI here...

Jumping forward to Firefly

(Image credit: Future)

We're now talking Adobe Firefly, which is evolving fast – Adobe is calling it the "all-in-one app for ideation" with generative AI.

Adobe has just announced a new Firefly Image Model 4, which seems to be particularly focused on "greater photo realism".

A demo is showing some impressive, hyper-realistic portrait results, with options to tweak the lighting and more. Some photographers may not be happy with how easy this is becoming, but it looks handy for planning shoots.

Firefly's video powers are evolving

(Image credit: Future)

Adobe's Kelly Hurlburt is showing off Firefly's text-to-video powers now – you can start with text or your own sample image.

It's been trained on Adobe Stock, so is commercially viable in theory. Oh, and Adobe has just mentioned that Firefly is coming to iOS and Android, so to keep an eye out for that "in the next few months".

Firefly Boards is a new feature

(Image credit: Adobe)

We're now getting out first look at Firefly Boards, which is out now in public beta.

It's basically an AI-powered moodboarding tool, where you add some images for inspiration then hit 'generate' to see some AI images in a film strip.

A remix feature lets you merge images together and then get a suggested prompt, if you're not sure what to type. It's collaborative too, so co-workers can chuck their ideas onto the same board. Very cool.

You can use non-Adobe AI models too

(Image credit: Adobe)

Interestingly, in Firefly Boards you can also use non-Adobe models, like Google Imagen. These AI images can then sit alongside the ones you've generated with Firefly.

That will definitely broaden its appeal a lot. On the other hand, it also slightly dilutes Adobe's approach to strictly using generative AI that's been trained on Stock images with a known origin.

Adobe addresses AI concerns

(Image credit: Future)

Adobe's David Wadhwani is back on stage now to calm some of the recent concerns that have understandably surfaced about AI tools.

He's reiterating that Firefly models are "commercially safe", though this obviously doesn't include the non-Adobe models you can use in the new Firefly Boards.

Adobe has also again promised that "your content will not be used to train generative AI". That includes images and videos generated by Adobe's models and also third-party ones in Firefly Boards.

That won't calm everyone's concerns about AI tools, but it makes sense for Adobe to repeat it as a point-of-difference from its rivals.

We're talking new Photoshop features now

(Image credit: Future)

Adobe's Paul Trani (Creative Cloud Evangelist, what a job title that is) is on stage now showing some new tools for Photoshop.

Naturally, some of these are Firefly-powered, including 'Composition Reference' in text-to-image, which lets you use a reference image to generate new assets. You can also generate videos too, which isn't something Photoshop is traditionally known for.

The new 'Adjust colors' also looks a handy way to tweak hue, saturation and more, and I'm personally quite excited about the improved selection tools, which automatically pick out specific details like a person's hair.

But the biggest new addition for Photoshop newbies is probably the updated 'Actions panel' (now in beta). You can use natural language like 'increase saturation' and 'brighten the image' to quickly make edits.

(Image credit: Future)

Illustrator is next, homies!

(Image credit: Future)

It's Illustrator's turn for the spotlight now, with Michael Fugoso (Senior Design Evangelist) – the London audience doesn't know quite what to do with his impressive enthusiasm and 'homies' call-outs.

The headlines are a speed boost (it's apparently now up to five times faster, presumably depending on your machine) and, naturally, some new Firefly-powered tools like 'Text to Pattern' and, helpfully, generative expand (in beta from today).

Because you can never have enough fonts, there's also apparently 1,500 new fonts in Illustrator. That'll keep your designer friends happy.

(Image credit: Future)

Premiere Pro gets some useful upgrades

(Image credit: Future)

AI is supposed to be saving us from organizational drudgery, so it's good to see Adobe highlighting some of the new workflow benefits in Premiere Pro.

Kelly Weldon (Senior Experience Designer) is showing the app's improved search experience in the app, which lets you type in specifics like "brown hat" to quickly find clips.

But there are naturally some generative AI tricks, too. 'Generative Extend' is now available in 4K, letting you extend a scene in both horizontal and vertical video – very handy, particularly for fleshing out b-roll.

Captions have also been given a boost, with the most useful trick being Caption Translation – it instantly creates captions in 25 languages.

Even better, you can use it to automatically translate voiceovers – that takes a bit longer to generate, but will be a big boost for YouTube channels with multi-national audiences.

A fresh look at Photoshop on iPhone

(Image credit: Future)

It's now time for a run-through of Photoshop on iPhone, which landed last month – Adobe says an Android version will arrive "early this Summer".

There doesn't appear to be anything new here, which isn't surprising as the app's only about a month old.

The main theme is the desktop-level tools like generative expand and adjustment layers – although you can read our first impressions of the app for our thoughts on what it's still missing.

'Created without generative AI'

This is interesting – Adobe's free graphics editor Fresco now has a new “created without generative AI" tag, which you can include in the image’s Content Credentials to help protect your rights (in theory). That label could become increasingly important, and popular, and in the years ahead.

Lightroom masks get better

(Image credit: Future)

One of the most popular new tricks on smartphones is removing distractions from your images – see 'Clean Up' in Apple Intelligence on iPhones and Samsung's impressive Galaxy AI (which we recently pitted against each other).

If you don't have one of those latest smartphones, Lightroom on mobile can also do something similar with 'generative remove' – that isn't new, but from the demos it looks like Adobe has given it a Firefly-powered boost.

But the new feature I'm most looking forward to is 'Select Landscape' in desktop Lightroom and Lightroom Classic. It goes beyond 'Select Sky' to automatically create masks for different parts of your landscape scene for local edits – I can see that being a big time-saver.

A new tool to stop AI stealing your work

(Image credit: Future)

This will be one of the biggest headlines from Max London 2025 – Adobe has launched a free Content Authenticity web app in public beta, which has a few tricks to help protect your creative works.

The app can apply invisible metadata, baked into the pixels so it works even with screenshotting, to any work regardless of which tool or app you've used to make it. You can add all kinds of attribution data, including your websites or social accounts, and can prove your identity using LinkedIn verification. It can also describe how an image has been altered (or not).

But perhaps the most interesting feature is a check box that says “I request that generative AI models not use my content". Of course, that only works if AI companies respect those requests when training models, which remains to be seen – but it's another step in the right direction.

A 'creative civil war'

(Image credit: Future)

The YouTuber Brandon Baum is on stage now talking (at some considerable length) about what he's calling the "creative civil war" of AI.

The diatribe is dragging on a bit and he may love James Cameron a bit too much, but there are some fair historical parallels – like Tron once being disqualified from the 'best special effects' Oscars because using computers was considered 'cheating', and Netflix once being disqualified from the Oscars.

You wouldn't expect anything less than a passionate defense of AI tools at an Adobe conference, and it probably won't go down well with what he calls creative "traditionalists". But AI is indeed all about tools – and Adobe clearly wants to make sure the likes of OpenAI doesn't steal its lunch.

That's a wrap

(Image credit: Adobe)

That's it for the Adobe Max London 2025 keynote – which contained enough enthusiasm about generative AI to power North Greenwich for a year or so. If you missed the news, we've rounded it all up in our guide to the 5 biggest new tools for Photoshop, Firefly, Premiere Pro and more.

The standout stories for me were Firefly Boards (looking forward to giving that a spin for brainstorming soon), the new Content Authenticity Web app (another small step towards protecting the work of creatives) and, as a Lightroom user, that app's new 'Select Landscape' masks.

We'll be getting involved in the demos now and bringing you some of our early impressions, but that's all from Max London 2025 for now – thanks for tuning in.

One more thing – here's what Firefly 4 can do

Aside from the new Firefly Boards, one of the biggest pieces of news from this year's Max London was the arrival of Firefly Image Model 4 – an updated generative AI tool that's capable of some impressively realistic photo generation.

You can see some examples below, along with the prompts that were used to create them. Adobe was naturally keen to reiterate at Max that its Firefly models are "commercially safe", due to being trained on Adobe Stock images.

So while some photographers might be fretting at the quality of these results, it's good to see that artists are at least being compensated in some form for the AI training – although exactly how much isn't clear.

Firefly prompt used: clear-headed thinking visualized through extremely shallow depth of field (Image credit: Adobe)

Firefly prompts (left): 'A striking african woman in her late 30s with sharp, defined features and a short, sleek bob', (right) 'Portrait of male old looking with hope in his eyes' (Image credit: Adobe)

Firefly prompts (left): 'A striking woman in her late 30s with sharp, defined features and a short, sleek bob haircut', (right) 'Actual butterflies arranged to create lighting pattern on subject's face, insects as lighting' (Image credit: Adobe)

Firefly prompt: 'Actual butterflies arranged to create lighting pattern on subject's face, portrait of a child' (Image credit: Adobe)

Firefly prompt: 'A cinematic studio photograph of a tiger jumping forward illuminated by gelled lights' (Image credit: Adobe)

How to make an image background transparent in Photoshop

Jasmine Mannan — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 12:42:30 +0000

When putting together graphic designs or editing photos, opaque backgrounds on images can be a hindrance - so knowing how to make the background transparent in Photoshop is a useful trick. Whether it's a plain white background, or you’ve been caught out with some fake grey and white squares, we’ll be covering all bases in this step-by-step guide.

Sometimes Adobe Photoshop can be a finicky software to get the hang of, so we’ve been sure to boil this down to basics so even those who are just starting out with the software can learn how to make an image background transparent in Photoshop.

Tools and requirements

PC or Laptop
Adobe Photoshop

Steps for how to make the background transparent in Photoshop

Upload your image into Photoshop and then click Window and then check Layers if it doesn’t already have a tick next to it
Rasterize the layer if required
Open the properties panel, select Quick Actions, and then hit Remove Background
Hide the background layer
Save the image as a PNG to retain the transparency

Step by step guide on how to make the background transparent in Photoshop

1. Create a new file

(Image: © Adobe)

To begin with start with a brand new file in Photoshop, you can do this by selecting File and then New.

2. Open your chosen image

(Image: © Adobe)

Upload the image you want to remove the background from to Photoshop. You can do this by dragging and dropping it from your File Explorer into Photoshop.

3. Rasterize the layer (optional)

(Image: © Adobe)

You may be required to Rasterize the layer based on what image type you have uploaded. Right-click on the layer in the layers window and then hit Rasterize Layer

4. Remove the background

(Image: © Adobe)

In the properties tab, scroll down to the quick actions section and then hit Remove Background. You might have to confirm your action if you have something else selected. You can then hide the background layer if you need to. You can do this by pressing the Eye icon by the Background in the layers tab.

5. Export the image as a transparent PNG

(Image: © Adobe)

Once done, export the image as a PNG to retain the background transparency. You can now place the image on top of other images without a background or use it for any other purpose.

Final thoughts on downloading TikTok videos without a watermark

And there you have it! These steps should work no matter what is going on in the background of your image, simple or complicated. Knowing how to make the background transparent in Photoshop is a handy trick for those who are editing photos, creating custom images, or even just putting together a meme for the work chat (we've all been there).

Adobe's Photoshop and Lightroom photo plans get a huge price hike, but there's a way to avoid it

David Nield — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 11:35:40 +0000

Some monthly costs are going up for Adobe's Photography plans
The cheapest option will no longer be available for new users
Changes come into effect from January 15, 2025

Brace yourself for price rises if you're signed up to one of the Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom photography plans – these are the subscription options that just give you access to the photo applications, rather than the whole of Creative Cloud.

As per the Adobe blog (via PetaPixel), these new prices come into effect from January 15, 2025. At the moment we just have US pricing, but you can calculate the equivalent price rise for your region. Long story cut short: the users currently paying Adobe the least money will have to cough up more cash, or start paying annually.

The new pricing structure – the plan on the left is going away for new subscribers (Image credit: Adobe)

The Photography plan with 20GB of storage (including Photoshop, Lightroom, and Lightroom Classic) will be $14.99 a month rather than $9.99 – a bump of over 50%. You'll need to commit for a year ($179.88) or pay an unspecified termination fee, or switch to the $119.88-per-year plan, which remains unchanged (and locks you in for longer).

On top of all that, this cheapest plan is going away, and won't be available to new subscribers next year, so these changes are only for existing subscribers. If you're signing up for Photoshop after January 15, the cheapest option will be twice as much as it currently is (though you do get 50 times as much cloud storage).

Going up

Photoshop recently added a reflection removal tool (Image credit: Adobe)

There's no change to the more expensive monthly ($19.99) or yearly ($239.88) Photography plans with 1TB of storage, which of course send more revenue Adobe's way. As mentioned above, from January 15, these plans will be the only way to just get Photoshop without the rest of Creative Cloud.

Prices for the Lightroom-only plan with 1TB of storage are going up too, though you will now get Lightroom Classic as well as Lightroom. Going forward you need to pay $11.99 per month rather than $9.99 a month – so it's 20% more expensive. Again, you need to commit for a year ($143.88) or pay a penalty.

Adobe would prefer you to lock yourself in to the $119.88-per-year plan, the cost of which remains unchanged. If these prices are now a little too rich for your blood, then you might want to check out our guides to the best Adobe Lightroom alternatives and the best Adobe Photoshop alternatives.

These new prices "better reflect the value that the apps deliver" Adobe says, noting it hasn't raised subscription prices since it started demanding continuous monthly or yearly payments for Photoshop rather than one-off fees for each version. If you're an existing subscriber, look out for an email from Adobe close to renewal time.

Adobe Photoshop CC (2024) review: the best photo editor gets even better

christian.rowlands@me.com (Chris Rowlands) — Sun, 08 Dec 2024 09:00:00 +0000

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024: two-minute review

Photoshop has long been our benchmark for what a photo-editing app should be capable of, and that doesn’t change with the 2024 edition. Whether you work with graphics or photographs, it’s a comprehensive solution for manipulating images in pretty much any way you can think of.

As we covered in our in-depth Adobe Photoshop CC 2023 review, the last edition of Photoshop introduced a range of significant AI-powered upgrades. Those included generative features for creating visual assets using simple text prompts, as well as object-selection and removal tools supercharged by AI.

The 2024 version of Photoshop is an evolution of last year’s release. Rather than introducing any groundbreaking features, it builds on the existing toolkit to offer users an even more polished, accessible and powerful editing app.

Adobe sticks with a proven interface, and Photoshop CC 2024 will feel familiar to anyone who's used an older version of the app in recent years. The useful Contextual Task Bar returns, now with enhanced support for the transform, shape and gradient tools. Nothing is dramatically different, and the app is all the better for it.

Chief among the updates is Adobe’s Firefly Image Model 3, which drives the generative AI tools in Photoshop CC 2024. The net gain here is more realistic and consistent AI imagery from text-based prompts. Photoshop’s AI is far from infallible, but its best output is significantly more believable and convincingly integrated when compared to Photoshop CC 2023.

New generative tools help in this regard. Generate Similar allows you to create further variations based on your favorite of three generated images, letting you get closer to a visual that fits. When you find one that does, the Enhance Detail option boosts detail in a generated image for better clarity.

It’s all very effectively executed. You’ll still encounter errant output, sometimes to a laughable degree, and an eagle-eyed inspection will still pick up inconsistencies and smudginess in the best of Photoshop’s efforts. But if you want to incorporate generative AI into your workflow, Photoshop CC 2024 has the most complete set of tools to let you do so.

That includes a new Selection Brush option, which allows you to more easily make selections using a hybrid of the brush and lasso tools, as well as an Adjustment Brush for selectively applying granular tweaks to parts of an image.

Further refining the formula is the Distraction Removal tool, which can automatically detect, select and paint out people and wires from your photos with remarkable effectiveness.

With more updates in the pipeline, including a Generative Workspace that’s currently available in Photoshop Beta, Photoshop continues to set the standard for photo-editing apps in 2024. Adobe’s payment model might not be popular with everyone, but we think a Creative Cloud subscription offers a lot of value.

If you need an all-in-one image-editing solution with the latest generative AI features implemented to genuinely useful effect, Photoshop CC 2024 is the app to beat.

Best Adobe Photoshop alternatives

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024: pricing & plans

Available as part of an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription
From $22.99 / £21.98 / AU$32.99 per month for the Photoshop plan
From $19.99 / £9.98 / AU$28.59 per month for the Photography plan

As with all Adobe apps, Photoshop is only available to use via a Creative Cloud subscription. There’s no option to buy a one-off license, so you’ll need to keep paying for this subscription to maintain your access. You can sign up for plans on a monthly or an annual basis, with significant savings offered if you pay for the full year up front.

Photoshop is also available as part of several Creative Cloud plans, including the All Apps bundle. You can also choose to take out a single-app subscription for Photoshop alone, but this isn’t actually the most cost-effective way to access the app. Strangely, you’re better off with the Photography plan, which combines Photoshop and Lightroom, together with 20GB of cloud storage

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 review: Interface

(Image credit: Future)

Interface largely unchanged from Photoshop Creative Cloud 2023
Contextual Task Bar supports more shape, transform and gradient settings

Photoshop’s interface has undergone iterative refinements over the years, but it remains fundamentally familiar for anyone who’s used a version of Photoshop – or, indeed, any desktop photo editor – in the past. Tool shortcuts reside in a vertical column down the left-hand side, while panels on the right are where you’ll find layers, image adjustments and color controls. Granular settings for your chosen tool can be found in the options bar along the top of the workspace.

The interface is largely unchanged from Photoshop CC 2023. Seasoned users won’t notice any major changes, which is the kind of consistency that keeps people paying for a Creative Cloud subscription. It does also mean that the same learning curve is present in 2024, with a degree of tuition required to fully get to grips with everything that Photoshop has to offer. It’s not the most beginner-friendly photo editor, but that’s inevitable when you’re dealing with such a capable and comprehensive piece of software.

Returning in Photoshop CC 2024 is the Contextual Task Bar, which floats at the bottom of the workspace. It can also be dragged around, pinned in place or disabled if you don’t need its input. Wherever you place it, the Contextual Task Bar displays shortcuts relevant to your current task or selection, genuinely streamlining editing workflows.

The Contextual Task Bar has been improved for 2024 to support fill and stroke settings for shapes, rotate and flip tools when transforming objects, as well as the ability to change color, opacity, type, and presets when working with gradients. These aren’t groundbreaking additions, but they are genuinely useful refinements that contribute to a slicker user experience.

(Image credit: Adobe)

That user experience is going to evolve in future iterations, and you can get a preview of this by downloading the Photoshop Beta version through Creative Cloud. Choose Generative Workspace from the welcome screen and you’ll find a space where you can create visual assets from text prompts and browse through previously generated elements. You can have several prompts running simultaneously, and everything is saved to a timeline, which allows you to go back and add variables.

Photoshop’s Generative Workspace is not dissimilar to the interface used by some of the best AI image generators. In our experience, it adds a useful cataloging function to Photoshop’s AI toolkit, allowing you to easily generate, manage and build on a library of generated creative assets in real time.

Interface score: 4.5/5

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 review: generative AI features

Generative features powered by Firefly Image Model 3 for greater realism
New Generate Similar feature lets you create more image variations

One of the most significant additions to Photoshop CC 2023 was its suite of generative tools, which use Adobe’s Firefly Image Model to drive AI-powered image generation. We covered the effectiveness of these features at length in our review of Photoshop 2023, and they return with even greater potential in 2024.

Generative Fill and Generative Expand are now driven by the latest version of Adobe’s Firefly Image Model. The tools themselves still function in the same way: Generative Fill creates AI imagery in a selected area based on a descriptive text prompt, which can include adding and removing objects, while Generative Expand allows you to increase the dimensions of an existing image using generated content.

(Image credit: Future)

What the upgrade means for Photoshop users is more realistic generated imagery, complete with enhanced control over detail and composition. This bears out in practice: while Photoshop’s generative tools aren’t perfect, results in the 2024 edition are consistently more believable. We encountered far fewer uncanny effects, particularly when text prompts included living creatures.

In our review of Photoshop CC 2023, we commented that the unreality of AI-generated imagery could be spotted fairly easily upon closer inspection, particularly when larger objects were added or generative adjustments were made to bigger areas of an image. These issues have been significantly improved in the 2024 version.

We still encountered smudging of detailed textures, as well as warped edges and occasional freakish shapes, particularly in mixed lighting. It also struggles with reflections. Certain prompts simply produce hilarious results, like when we tried to change a blue-sky background for a fiery one over a volcano. On the whole, though, we were very impressed with the realism of generated elements in Photoshop CC 2024.

(Image credit: Future)

What struck us is that when we compared the ‘best’ result from the same prompt in the 2023 and 2024 versions, we had to look much closer in the latest edition before spotting any telltale signs that AI was involved. Everything from shadows and tone to general detail is more consistent – and that’s particularly the case if you hover over the thumbnail of a generated variation in the Properties panel and hit the Enhance Detail icon, which boosts detail further.

The Generate Similar option also allows you to refine generated content by choosing the best variation and generating more iterations from it. Say you prompt Photoshop to create a red truck – it will give you three variations to begin with. Pick the one of these that best fits your vision, click the three dots icon on the Contextual Tool Bar and select Generate Similar. You’ll then get three more images based on that variation, allowing you to steer the AI model towards what’s in your mind’s eye.

Generative AI features score: 4.5/5

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 review: selection

(Image credit: Future)

Selection Brush is a hybrid of Brush and Lasso tools
Adjustment Brush applies non-destructive edits selectively

Photoshop already has some of the most powerful selection features of any photo editor, including the AI-driven Object Selection Tool and ‘select subject’ shortcut found on the Contextual Task Bar. While some tidying up is often still required when using these tools to mask off parts of an image, they can significantly accelerate workflow and, depending on the object you’re selecting, can sometimes automate it entirely.

Photoshop CC 2024 doesn’t introduce any groundbreaking selection features, but there are a few new and improved tools which enhance the existing offering. First is the enhanced Selection Brush Tool, which is designed to simplify the selection process for trackpad users. It’s really a combination of masking and lasso tools, executed in a more user-friendly way.

Choose the Selection Brush then simply paint over an area as you would when masking. You can adjust the brush hardness, opacity and color from the toolbar, as well as toggling between add and subtract modes to amend your selection. Switch to another tool and your selection will change from a pink overlay to a classic ‘marching ants’ outline, as if you’ve lassoed your way around the object. Both visually and practically, it’s an effective change that’s genuinely useful.

(Image credit: Future)

Joining it is the Adjustment Brush tool, which allows you to apply non-destructive edits to specific areas of an image. Select the tool, then use the Contextual Task Bar to select the kind of adjustment you want to make. You can then paint over part of your image or select ‘Apply to object.’ You can change the hardness and size of the brush, as well as subtracting from your selection. You can then make granular changes to that new adjustment layer in the adjustments panel.

Again, this isn’t a groundbreaking feature. Instead, it’s one more way in which Adobe is making Photoshop more intuitive and accessible, through new applications of existing editing mechanics. While seasoned users may prefer to stick with traditional selection and application techniques, we think these brush tools tools will be easier for beginners to grasp. The good thing about Photoshop is that the choice is yours.

Selection score: 5/5

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024: Removal tools

(Image credit: Future)

Distraction Removal automatically takes away distracting elements
Generate Background Tool can simulate photorealistic settings

We talked extensively about the effectiveness of the Remove Tool in our review of Photoshop CC 2023. In short, it’s a powerful feature that’s able to make unwanted elements disappear from your images in just a few clicks. Paint over anything in your image that you want gone and Photoshop will replace it with AI-generated pixels which, more often than not, blend effortlessly into the existing scene as if the original element was never there.

This feature returns in Photoshop CC 2024, with added functionality. Rather than manually painting over unwanted wires and people in your image, you can now use the Distraction Removal Tool to detect and remove them with a couple of clicks.

Select the Remove Tool from the sidebar, then select ‘Find distractions’ from the toolbar at the top. Here you can select ‘Wires and cables’ or ‘People’. Choose the former and Photoshop will try to remove all telephone and power lines from a scene. Select the latter and it will highlight all the people it can find, giving you the option to deselect any that you want to keep in the image.

(Image credit: Future)

When it works, it’s an impressive feature that genuinely saves time. We found it incredibly effective for removing wires and cables, even where these run across different backgrounds. For example, in an image in which multiple cables were running away from the camera, in front of several buildings and the sky, every single wire was seamlessly removed, and it wasn’t possible to trace where they’d been.

People selection is also powerful. Even out-of-focus figures in the background were picked up by the tool, and it was also able to detect people walking side-on to and away from the camera, only once missing someone with their back turned. The effectiveness of the actual removal depends on the given scene, with complex textures resulting in a few floating faces. Nevertheless, it’s a useful and convincing enhancement to Photoshop's object removal arsenal.

Firefly improvements are also evident when using the Generate Background Tool. Background removal was another big introduction in Photoshop CC 2023. After removing a background, the Generate Background tool lets you swap in a completely different setting which matches the position and lighting of the subject. Once again, it isn’t faultless by any means, but in our tests we did find it a particularly effective shortcut for changing the background of product shots and flatlay photography.

Removal tools score: 4.5/5

Should you buy Adobe Photoshop CC 2024?

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024 score card
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Interface	A familiar interface is complemented by refinements to the Contextual Task Bar, including shape, gradient and transform tools.	4.5/5
Generative AI	Adobe’s Firefly Image Model 3 isn’t perfect, but it’s capable of generating impressively detailed and realistic image assets in context.	4.5/5
Selection	New brush tools make it visually and practically easier to make selections and apply adjustments when manipulating images.	5/5
Removal	Distraction Removal can automatically select and remove wires and people from the background of images with impressive accuracy.	4.5/5

Buy it if...

You want the latest generative AI tools
Powered by Firefly Image Model 3, the generative tools in Photoshop CC 2024 are at the cutting edge of what AI can do, creating realistic visuals from short text prompts.

You want powerful removal tools
Complementing the Remove and Background Removal tools, Photoshop’s new Distraction Removal feature uses AI to instantly and seamlessly remove unnecessary elements from your compositions, as if they were never there.

You want a complete image editor
From adjustment presets to comprehensive layer tools, Photoshop is the most complete image editor available. Whether you’re working with graphics or photographs, Photoshop is the ultimate all-in-one app.

Don't buy it if...

You like to own your apps outright
As with all Creative Cloud apps, Photoshop is only available as part of a subscription, and you’ll need to keep paying to maintain access to the software. If you prefer to pay a one-off fee you’ll need to look elsewhere.

You only need to make basic edits
Photoshop is an incredibly powerful app with a learning curve and price tag to match. If you only want to make simple adjustments to your images, there are cheaper and easier-to-use software options out there.

You don’t have a modern computer
Because of its powerful feature set, Photoshop demands a pretty significant amount of computer processing power. Even some relatively recent models don’t officially meet the spec benchmark specified by Adobe, so do check that your hardware is up to the task.

Adobe Photoshop CC 2024: Also consider

Serif Affinity Photo 2022
It might not have the cutting-edge features of Photoshop, but if you want a solid set of photo-editing features at a very fair price Affinity Photo is a great desktop alternative that’s available for a one-off fee.
Read our Serif Affinity Photo 2022 review.

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023
A comprehensive image editor with a generous set of tools to rival Photoshop's, PaintShop Pro is a reasonably priced option to consider if you don’t need the generative AI features offered by Adobe’s app.
Read our Corel PaintShop Pro 2023 review.

How I tested Adobe Photoshop CC 2024

(Image credit: Future)

I tested it for more than three months
I used it as my primary image-editing app
I created a range visuals in different styles

As I regularly edit images for work, Photoshop was already an important part of my visual toolkit. Having updated the app to version 26, I continued to use it as my primary editing tool for both photo and graphics work. Because I’m familiar with the software’s interface and capabilities, I was able to focus on the new features and compare these to previous versions.

I spent a lot of time exploring the capabilities of Firefly Image Model 3. This included making adjustments to a range of photos, as well as removing objects, to see how Photoshop’s updated generative tools could streamline my workflow. I also tested these extensively with a wide range of text prompts, to assess how realistically and seamlessly Photoshop was able to integrated generated content into compositions.

First reviewed: December 2024

Read TechRadar's reviews guarantee

Adobe Lightroom's new Generative Remove AI tool makes Content-aware Fill feel basic – and gives you one less reason to use Photoshop

Timothy Coleman — Tue, 21 May 2024 13:00:00 +0000

One of Adobe Lightroom's most used editing tools, Content-aware Fill, just got a serious upgrade in the AI-powered shape of Generative Remove. The Adobe Firefly tool is branded "Lightroom's most powerful remove tool yet" and after a quick play ahead of its announcement, I'd have to agree.

Compared to Content-aware Fill, which will remain in Adobe's popular photo organizer and editor, Generative Remove is much more intelligent, plus it's non-destructive.

As you can see from the gif below, Generative Remove is used to remove unwanted objects in your image, plus it works a treat for retouching. You simply brush over the area you'd like to edit – whether that's removing a photo bomber or something as simple as creases in clothing – and then the new tool creates a selection of smart edits with the object removed (or retouch applied) for you to pick your favorite from.

If I was to use Lightroom's existing Content-aware Fill for the same image in the gif below and in the same way, or even for a much smaller selection, it would sample parts of the model's orange jacket and hair and place them in the selection. I'd then need to repeatedly apply the tool to remove these new unwanted details, and the new area increasingly becomes an artifact-ridden mess.

(Image credit: Adobe)

Put simply, Lightroom's existing remove tool works okay for small selections but it regularly includes samples of parts of the image you don't want. Generative Remove is significantly faster and more effective for objects of all sizes than Content-aware Fill, plus it's non-destructive, creating a new layer that you can turn on and off.

From professionals wanting to speed up their workflow to simply removing distant photo bombers with better results, Generative Remove is next-level Lightroom editing and it gives you one less reason to use Adobe Photoshop. It is set to be a popular tool for photographers of all skills levels needing to make quick remove and retouching edits.

Generative Remove is available now as an early access feature across all Lightroom platforms: mobile, desktop, iPad, web and Classic.

(Image credit: Adobe)

Adobe also announced that its Lens Blur tool is being rolled out in full to Lightroom, with new automatic presets. As you can see in the gif above, presets include subtle, bubble and geometric effects to bokeh. For example, speckled and artificial light can be given a circular shape with the Lens Blur bubble effect.

Lens Blur is another AI-tool and doesn't just apply a uniform strength blur to the background, but uses 3D mapping in order to apply a different strength of blur based on how far away objects are in the background, for more believable results.

It's another non-destructive edit, too, meaning that you can add to or remove from the selection if you're not happy with the strength of blur applied or if background objects get missed out first time around – for instance, it might mistake a lamp in the image above as a subject and not apply blur to it.

Having both Generative Remove and Lens Blur AI-tools to hand makes Lightroom more powerful than ever. Lens Blur is now generally available across the Lightroom ecosystem. Furthermore, there are other new tools added to Lightroom and you can find out more on the Adobe website.

Apple's new Final Cut Pro apps turn the iPad into an impressive live multicam studio

cesartechradar@gmail.com (Cesar Cadenas) — Tue, 07 May 2024 19:46:26 +0000

At Let Loose 2024, Apple revealed big changes coming to its Final Cut software, ones that effectively turn your iPad into a mini production studio. Chief among these is the launch of Final Cut Pro for iPad 2. It’s a direct upgrade to the current app that is capable of taking full advantage of the new M4 chipset. According to the company, it can render videos up to twice as fast as Final Cut Pro running on an M1 iPad.

Apple is also introducing a feature called Live Multicam. This allows users to connect their tablet to up to four different iPhones or iPads at once and watch a video feed from all the sources in real time. You can even adjust the “exposure, focus, [and] zoom” of each live feed directly from your master iPad.

Looking at Apple’s demo video, selecting a source expands the footage to fill up the entire screen where you can then make the necessary adjustments. Tapping the Minimize icon in the bottom right corner lets creators return to the four-split view. Apple states that previews from external devices are sent to Final Cut Pro so you can quickly begin editing.

Impactful upgrades

You can’t connect your iPhone to the multicam studio using the regular camera app, which won’t support the setup. Users will instead have to install a new app called Final Cut Camera on their mobile device. Besides the Live Multicam compatibility, Apple says you can tweak settings like white balance, shutter speed, and more to obtain professional-grade recordings. The on-screen interface even lets videographers monitor their footage via a zebra stripe pattern tool and an audio meter.

(Image credit: Apple)

Going back to the Final Cut Pro update, there are other important features we’ve yet to mention. The platform “now supports external projects”. This means you can create a video project on and import media to “an external storage” drive without sacrificing space on an iPad. Apple is also adding more customization tools to the software like 12 additional color-grading presets and more dynamic backgrounds.

Final Cut Pro for Mac is set to receive a substantial upgrade too. Although it won’t support the four iPhone video feeds, version 10.8 does introduce several tools. For example, Enhance Light and Color offers a quick way to improve color balance and contrast in a clip among other things. Users can also give video effects and color corrections a custom name for easy identification. It’s not a total overhaul, but these changes will take some of the headache out of video editing.

(Image credit: Apple)

Availability

There are different availability dates for the three products. Final Cut Pro for iPad 2 launches this spring and will be a “free update for existing users”. For everyone else, it will be $5/£5/$8 AUD a month or $50/£50/$60 AUD a year for access. Final Cut Camera is set to release in the spring as well and will be free for everyone. Final Cut Pro for Mac 10.8 is another free update for existing users. On the Mac App Store, it’ll cost you $300/£300/$500 AUD.

We don’t blame you if you were totally unaware of the Final Cut Pro changes as they were overshadowed by Apple's new iPad news. Speaking of which, check out TechRadar’s guide on where to preorder Apple’s 2024 iPad Pro and Air tablets.

Watch this: Adobe shows how OpenAI's Sora will change Premiere Pro and video editing forever

mark.wilson@futurenet.com (Mark Wilson) — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 10:52:00 +0000

OpenAI's Sora gave us a glimpse earlier this year of how generative AI is going to change video editing – and now Adobe has shown off how that's going to play out by previewing of some fascinating new Premiere Pro tools.

The new AI-powered features, powered by Adobe Firefly, effectively bring the kinds of tricks we've seen from Google's photo-focused Magic Editor – erasing unwanted objects, adding objects and extending scenes – to video. And while it isn't the first piece of software to do that, seeing these tools in an industry standard app that's used by professionals is significant.

For a glimpse of what's coming "this year" to Premiere Pro and other video editing apps, check out the video below. In a new Generative panel, there's a new 'add object' option that lets you type in an object you want to add to the scene. This appears to be for static objects, rather than things like a galloping horse, but it looks handy for b-roll and backgrounds.

Arguably even more helpful is 'object removal', which uses Firefly's AI-based smart masking to help you quickly select an object to remove then make it vanish with a click. Alternatively, you can just combine the two tools to, for example, swap the watch that someone's wearing for a non-branded alternative.

One of the most powerful new AI-powered features in photo editing is extending backgrounds – called Generative Fill in Photoshop – and Premiere Pro will soon have a similar feature for video. Rather than extending the frame's size, Generative Extend will let you add frames to a video to help you, for example, pause on your character's face for a little longer.

While Adobe hasn't given these tools a firm release date, only revealing that they're coming "later this year", it certainly looks like they'll change Premiere Pro workflows in a several major ways. But the bigger AI video change could be yet to come...

Will Adobe really plug into OpenAI's Sora?

(Image credit: Adobe)

The biggest Premiere Pro announcement, and also the most nebulous one, was Adobe's preview of third-party models for the editing app. In short, Adobe is planning to let you plug generative AI video tools including OpenAI's Sora, Runway and Pika Labs into Premiere Pro to sprinkle your videos with their effects.

In theory, that sounds great. Adobe showed an example of OpenAI's Sora generating b-roll with a text-to-video prompt, and Pika powering Generative Extend. But these "early examples" of Adobe's "research exploration" with its "friends" from the likes of OpenAI are still clouded in uncertainty.

Firstly, Adobe hasn't committed to launching the third-party plug-ins in the same way as its own Firefly-powered tools. That shows it's really only testing the waters with this part of the Premiere Pro preview. Also, the integration sits a little uneasily with Adobe's current stance on generative AI tools.

(Image credit: Adobe)

Adobe has sought to set itself apart from the likes of Midjourney and Stable Diffusion by highlighting that Adobe Firefly is only trained on Adobe Stock image library, which is apparently free of commercial, branded and trademark imagery. “We’re using hundreds of millions of assets, all trained and moderated to have no IP,” Adobe's VP of Generative AI, Alexandru Costin, told us earlier this year.

Yet a new report from Bloomberg claims that Firefly was partially trained on images generated by Midjourney (with Adobe suggesting that could account for 5% of Firefly's training data). And these previews of new alliances with generative video AI models, which are similarly opaque when it comes to their training data, again sits uneasily with Adobe's stance.

Adobe's potential get-out here is Content Credentials, a kind of nutrition label that's also coming to Premiere Pro and will add watermarks to clarify when AI was used in a video and with which model. Whether or not this is enough for Adobe to balance making a commercially-friendly pro video editor with keeping up in the AI race remains to be seen.

Procreate Dreams isn’t quite the revolution I wanted for animation – but I’m holding out hope

josephine.watson@futurenet.com (Josephine Watson) — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 12:55:01 +0000

I went to Procreate Dreams’ grand unveiling earlier this year in September and I was blown away by Savage Interactive’s latest iPad-based creative software.

Procreate is one of my most-used apps, and I’ve always adored how it caters to artists of all skill levels, all without any subscription fees. To see an animation app created by the same team and with the same ethos was an incredibly welcomed development, and the excitement from the developers and artists at the event was palpable.

While there are a few mobile and tablet-based animation apps, to get anything with pro-grade capabilities, you're most likely looking at investing heavily in software and maybe even one of the best drawing tablets.

So, you can imagine my excitement when Procreate Dreams was released on November 22 and I finally had the opportunity to try out the real thing. Thus far, I’ve been pretty impressed – it’s a very powerful tool and the fact it runs so seamlessly on an iPad is a real feat.

However, between missing features, a lack of in-app education materials, and some pretty notable bugs, the launch of Procreate Dreams hasn’t exactly gone without a hitch.

A sweet dream...

Let’s quickly rattle through the big wins. The first one, for me, is the biggest win of all for artists of all skill levels; the price and accessibility. It’s completely subscription-free, costs just $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$29.99, and supports iPads running iPadOS 16.3 or later. It does work on older iPads, but it’s worth noting the performance won’t be quite as good when you're not using one of the best iPads; but considering how powerful the tool is, that’s already incredibly impressive.

There’s a lot to love about Procreate Dreams, but one of the best things about the app is its user interface. While I wouldn’t go as far as to call it as intuitive as Procreate – by its very nature, an animation app is going to be far more complex than a drawing app – it’s pretty impressive how easy it is to pick up the basics. The top half of the screen is the canvas, and the bottom is the timeline; a nice clean interface that’s much less intimidating than the likes of Adobe Animate and After Effects.

In general, the app is incredibly friendly to first-time animators – though there are some caveats I’ll get into shortly. There’s an expansive Procreate Dreams handbook to get you started, of course, but in general, there are lots of tools that remove some of the complexity from traditional animation. Most impressive of all of these, in my opinion, is Performance Mode. This allows you to animate your assets and even effects in real time by moving, warping, and resizing them. There are also conventional keyframing and frame-by-frame animation options, which are made easy and intuitive, too.

Much like its drawing app sibling, Procreate Dreams is resistant to hiding features and tools in stacks of menus; almost everything you need is accessible in a couple of taps, or by using one of the many touch gestures or stylus controls. The timeline is the best example of this, offering incredible control and detail without the need for technical know-how. Want to select multiple tracks or frames? Just draw across them with your stylus. You can zoom into specific clips using the usual pinch gestures, and expand or reduce the amount of your timeline you see by swiping three fingers across the screen.

There’s a lot more I could praise; the comprehensive toolset, the ability to drag and drop drawings from Procreate, the real-time rendering, the potential of 1M x 1M pixel drawings, continuous auto save, and undo history. Without a doubt, this is one of the best creative apps ever made.

(Image credit: Savage Interactive / Procreate Dreams)

… or a beautiful nightmare?

That being said, there are a lot of things I find very difficult, sometimes borderline irritating, about Procreate Dreams. Pretty much every qualm I have is listed in the Procreate Dreams roadmap, but there are a few the app just shouldn’t have launched without, in my opinion.

Coming soon to Dreams

As of right now, the following features are in Procreate Dreams’ roadmap:

Early updates (meant for 1.0, but delayed)

- Transform and selections
- Merging layers and tracks
- Group blend modes, opacity in Layers

In the pipeline

- Curves filter
- Brush customization
- Organizing drawing layers
- Adding Layer and Clipping masks to drawings
- App pressure, smoothing, and global stabilization
- Scenes
- Camera mode
- Custom easings, keyframe copy and paste

There are also plans to improve the Flipbook, painting experience, resource management streaming, preloading and playback (though I’m impressed with this as-is!).

Principal among these are some of Procreate’s best features, like quick shapes (not mentioned in the pipeline, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t add these), brush customization, and stabilization (both in the pipeline). Yes, these are drawing-first tools, but that’s a huge selling point for Procreate Dreams.

As of right now, I rely heavily on Procreate to make my drawings, which I can then manipulate in Dreams – but that’s only getting me so far. I have very shaky hands, so frame-by-frame animation sans-stabilization is taking me about three times longer just to trial and error my line work. I’ve also noticed way more white artifacts when using the fill tool, even when the tolerance is upped to the max, and sometimes it just inexplicably decides that specific frames deserve to get flooded with color, while others take up to a minute to render – or the app just crashes.

Also, despite my earlier praise, there are some niggly aspects to the UI, especially when it comes to changing frames, that I just can’t get on board with. For example, if you want to loop just a small segment of frames, you’d have to select them, group them, copy and paste, and then ungroup if you need to do more work on them. Onion skinning is pretty hidden too, which surprised me considering it best uses all of Procreate’s hard-earned drawing tool prowess.

(Image credit: Savage Interactive / Procreate Dreams)

Even beginners can’t catch a break; Performance mode is excellent, but there’s no way I could find to change the playback speed, meaning any more granular control afforded by Performing only pays off if you’re doing relatively slow, purposeful movements.

I’m still in the very early stages of learning how to animate, but I can certainly echo some of the more technical frustrations of the wider Dreams community; that pretty crucial tools like shift and trace, custom easings, layer and clipping masks and reference layers are missing is pretty damning.

Give Dreams a chance

I won’t lie, a part of me was a little disappointed with some of the early experiences I had with Procreate Dreams, and judging by Procreate’s roadmap forum post, I wasn’t alone. The resounding feeling is that the app isn’t finished, and that’s a very valid criticism - but it doesn’t have to determine the future of this creative powerhouse.

In the road map forum post, Michael Shaw, Chief Technology Officer at Procreate highlighted that many of these features just weren’t possible to rush, largely due to that Dreams allows document sizes of up to 1M x 1M pixels. I’m perhaps being hard on the team in my criticism, then, as all signs are pointing to Procreate Dreams being an immense tool that could shepherd in the next era of 2D animators, and some of the early animations coming out of the community are incredible already.

Procreate hasn’t always been the tour-de-force app it is today; any software requires ongoing development, after all, and Dreams is likewise no exception – I’m just very, very impatient.

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023 review: low-cost Photoshop alternative

Richard Sibley — Sun, 10 Dec 2023 08:30:24 +0000

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: Two-minute review

For image editing, the market leader for decades has been Adobe Photoshop. However, PaintShop Pro has been around for almost as long and has grown to include a nearly identical feature set.

The main Complete workspace will serve anyone wanting a Photoshop alternative well, with almost everything looking and feeling very familiar. There's also a dedicated Photography workspace, designed for use on a touchscreen, with a minimal design and tools that are essential rather than comprehensive. Its biggest frustration is that the look and feel are so different from the Complete workspace that it can be jarring. The same can also be said for the raw image editor.

As with all new software, there are AI tools. However, these tools are similar to those Adobe has been using for years, even back when AI was just a scary buzzword. Some of the AI tools do an excellent job of masking images or reducing noise; they just don't seem as precise and intelligent as Adobe offerings. And there's no Generative Fill - the real cherry on the Photoshop cake.

It feels like Corel is trying to pack as much as possible into PaintShop Pro without really thinking about how it all works together, and that is perhaps its biggest weakness.

The tools are all there, and anyone looking for a budget Photoshop alternative would do well to consider PaintShop Pro. It is excellent value and great for those who don't want to sign up for a subscription.

(Image credit: Future)

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: Pricing & plans

Available as Standalone software with Pro and Ultimate Versions
Pro - $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$83
Ultimate - $99.99 / £89.99 / AU$104
Regular offers and discounts

Unlike Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Pro is a subscription-free image-editing suite and comes at a very affordable price. We've tested the Pro version in this review, but there's also an Ultimate version that includes extra software packages, but in our eyes is far from essential.

In addition to the tools mentioned in this review, the Ultimate version adds Corel Mutilcam Capture 2 for recording from a screen and webcam simultaneously, Highlight Reel, which lets you create short highlight videos, and the Sea to Sky workspace, that's designed for use with underwater and drone images. There's also Photo Mirage Express for creating animated versions of your images, Corel Painter Essentials 8, 50 free fonts, and a Corel Creative Collection that includes new backgrounds, paintbrushes, and textures.

PaintShop Pro currently on offer at Corel for £48.99

Again, most photographers and graphic artists will need nothing but PaintShop Pro, but PaintShop Ultimate may be useful for the Sea to Sky mode if you regularly shoot drone or underwater images and wish to speed up your editing.

Upgrade pricing is available for those who already own PaintShop Pro or Ultimate. Best of all there's a 30-day free trial so you can give the software a try and see if it meets your needs.

Pricing & plans score: 4/5

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: Interface

A variety of different workspaces for different types of users
Dedicated Photography workspace designed to be used with touchscreen devices

Since its creation, originally by Jasc software, PaintShop Pro has always had a very familiar interface. Initially, it resembled an advanced version of Microsoft Paint, with tools for beginner and advanced image editors. As Adobe Photoshop became the industry-leading image editor, PaintShop Pro gradually adopted more and more of Photoshop's features. Now, it's one of Photoshop's main competitors on Windows computers, which is most likely why you're reading this. But how close is it to Adobe Photoshop, and how user-friendly is it for those who don't need all of Photoshop's often intimidating advanced features?

When you first load PaintShop Pro, you're asked which workspace you want to use - Complete, Essentials, or Photography (and even within these, there are sub-workspaces, depending on the task you're performing).

The first workspace is the Complete workspace. It's best to consider this your all-in-one image-editing space; it's where you want to go for a Photoshop-esque experience.

(Image credit: Future)

Everything in the Complete workspace is very familiar, down to the color scheme and choice of iconography for the tools. There's a Tool palette, Layers panel, and Materials panel - featuring color swatches and a Filmstrip bar at the bottom where you can see thumbnails of library images. The language of the user interface is familiar and understandable, and anyone with knowledge of Photoshop or similar image editing software will be able to jump right in. If you're a beginner, there's a Learning panel that outlines everything in easy-to-understand language.

At the top of the Complete workspace are the sub-workspace options of Edit and Manage. Selecting Manage opens an Adobe Bridge-style experience for viewing and organizing your image. However, in the Edit workspace, you can add an Organiser panel that's effectively a filmstrip bar for easy search access to images you may need. You can switch individual panels on or off, or move them around to customize the workspace.

Without going into every menu item and aspect, enthusiast image editors should be able to find everything they need. There are Selection and Masking tools, including Smart and Auto selection options, and the usual text and brush tools. Everything may have slightly different names or sit in different places, but all the essential tools exist. Layers can be created with various opacity, masking, and blending options. And within the Effects menus are a vast number of image editing effects. Those used to Photoshop will need to grab a coffee and have a play around but should be able to easily work out where everything they're used to can be found.

(Image credit: Future)

Those wanting a more simplified experience can opt for the Essentials workspace, which does what you'd expect to. Gone are the vast majority of the panels; instead, there's a simple Tools Panel and a Materials Panel. You can do some basic image editing in this space, and it's still customizable, so if you find you need a few of the advanced tools, you can add them to the Tools Palette or add something like the Layers palette back into the workspace.

Then there's the Photography workspace. This is designed for touchscreen devices, and it declutters the space with large, clear icons and a simplified menu system – basically, it looks like an app. All the standard photo-editing sliders you'd expect to find are here: Brightness and Contrast, White Balance, Sharpening, Fill Light, and Clarity. However, it is very basic – don't expect to see histograms or be able to work with individual color channels in this workspace.

(Image credit: Future)

There's also an AI button in this mode. It allows you to apply Instant Effects to an image, such as an Aged Effect or Watercolour. On double-clicking to apply the AI-powered effects, the screen is overlaid with 3D Mesh grids twirling around, implying that some AI power is going on in the background. However, these seem to be no more AI-powered than any of the effects that other software uses. There are sliders to make adjustments, and I can't tell where the AI comes into play. It seems more like an algorithmic application of an effect without any scene or object recognition that we'd associate with AI. And the results certainly don't appear to offer any advantage over any other effect.

Interface score: 3/5

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: Raw photo editing

Three different ways of editing and converting raw images
Aftershot Lab is a Camera Raw style editor, lacking more advanced options such as selective adjustments and masking

Photographers wanting to edit raw files are better taken care of with three different options. The Aftershot Lab is reminiscent of Adobe Lightroom but lacks any of Lightroom's organization or output options. It also lacks a lot of the more advanced color and retouching tools; it's simply image-adjustment software, with noise, sharpening and lens correction, plus other essential tools. The Camera RAW Lab option streamlines this further and works within a floating window. However, it looks very dated and even advertises the company's AfterShot Pro 3 software, its raw photo management and editing software package (when advertised to me within the software, it cost £54.99). The third option is that Paintshop Pro can automatically apply a default decoding of the raw image and open it directly in Paintshop Pro for editing.

(Image credit: Future)

Raw Editing score: 3.5/5

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: AI Portrait mode

AI Portrait mode recognizes subjects and creates a selection
It allows for backgrounds to be blurred to create a shallow depth-of-field effect
It lacks AI effects such as changing facial features or applying makeup

AI Portrait Mode is the one that most users will head towards, and it's at least straightforward to use. All the AI tools are found within the Adjust Menu, with a sub-menu revealing the four tools. However, there are no facial adjustments, skin smoothing, AI makeup, or any other effects than the ability to blur the background. The artificial intelligence part of Portrait Mode is actually image recognition; the first stage of the software presents you with a cutout area of the image that it detects as people.

The cutout is good but far from perfect. Edges that were quite clear in some of the images that I tried it with, such as a mid-length portrait against a red curtain backdrop, still showed too much of the background. Hair is always the most significant challenge with a portrait cutout, but even with slick black hair against the red background, the software showed significant parts where it had either masked some of my hair or left apparent areas of the background. Photoshop's AI tools produced a much cleaner result with the initial selection.

Users can adjust the mask. There are standard options to paint on areas to add and remove, as well as being able to expand the border and feather the edge, which is helpful with curly hair. If you want perfection, you'll be using these tools a lot. For the average user just wanting to blur the background a little for a social media post, the cutout will probably be okay, although it's a little obvious if you are looking at it.

(Image credit: Future)

The next stage is to blur the background around the subject. You can adjust the strength of the blur, and you can even change the shape of the aperture, which can be fun if you have specular highlights and want a more hexagonal-shaped bokeh. The range of the focus can also be changed, which adjusts the strength of blur, but seemingly only over the face. There doesn't appear to be any form of AI depth map creation, except for knowing where the edges of the face are and increasing the blur towards them appropriately. Then there's the feather edge, which changes how quickly the edge of the face drops off into the blur of the background.

Again, you can achieve reasonable results – with some work. My main problem with the Portrait Mode is that, as something advertised as 'AI,' a lot of user input is needed.

When nearly all premium smartphones have Portrait Modes that use depth effects and very simple settings to increase or decrease the strength, I don't think Paintshop Pro does any better, especially considering the effort involved.

AI Portrait Mode score: 3.5/5

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: AI Background Replace

Utilizes portrait recognition to mask subjects
There's a range of backgrounds to choose from or you can use your own images

Corel PaintShop Pro AI Background replace toolFuture

A screen of Adobe Photoshop showing how Generative Fill has been used to replace a backgroundFuture

Using much of the AI Portrait Mode is the AI Background Replace tool. This uses the same cutout technology found in AI Portrait Mode but allows you to add a background. Corel provides a handful of backgrounds, or you can use your own.

Again, the tool is dependent on how good the initial selection is, so Adobe Photoshop has the advantage. In addition, the Generative Fill tools in Photoshop allow you to simply describe the background that you want and it will create it. This allows for a lot of flexibility and creativity compared to what is basically adding a layer below a portrait cutout, which is what PaintShop Pro is doing.

Overall, Corel PaintShop Pro AI background replacement does a reasonable job of cutting out a portrait and changing the background, but it lacks the power and finesse of Adobe Photoshop's AI tools.

Background Replace score: 4/5

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: AI Denoise and Artifact Removal

Removes noise using AI
Automated artifact removal gets rid of artifacts with a single click

Also within the AI menu are AI Denoise and Artifact Removal. Of these two simple tools, Artifact Removal is simply a button that automatically analyses the image and reduces artifacts. I found a slight difference in JPEG artifacts, but you can't see any difference unless you look at pictures at a very high magnification. As a single button press, there's no preview option to see the side-by-side changes.

AI Denoise, on the other hand, does have a preview window. There are three different options for the severity of the removal, and I found it best to use the highest setting, which did an excellent job of reducing both luminance and color noise. However, in some cases, you'll want to add a touch of a film grain effect for a little texture.

One confusing thing is that there's also a Digital Noise Removal Tool, a one-step noise removal tool - that removes noise with a single click, as well as an Add/Remove Noise menu option with several different options, such as Despeckle and a Salt and Pepper Filter. This is without mentioning the noise removal options within the raw conversion options.

(Image credit: Future)

AI Noise removal score: 4/5

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: AI Upscaling

AI-powered image upscaling up to 10,000 pixels along the longest edge
Automated noise reduction with three strength options can be processed at the same time

Lurking within the Photography Editing workspace is also an AI-powered upscaling tool. The tool is straightforward and has Photorealistic or Illustration options to help you decide how to render the upscaled image. You can also reduce noise while upscaling, with a slider giving you control over the strength. A slider also allows you to select the size of the increase up to 10,000 pixels along the longest edge.

I compared it to Adobe Camera Raw's new Enhance feature, which allows resolution to be increased by 100%. I also ran the image through Topaz AI with the default image settings.

The quick comparison of the image shows that Topaz AI has a clear advantage, though as a standalone piece of specialist software, this is expected. Adobe Camera Raw's Enhance produced a surprisingly similar result, which, with some tweaking in Camera Raw, could probably match Topaz, or at least not be far off. The result from PaintShop Pro 2023 was a good starting point but would require some work to make it match Photoshop or Topaz AI. Once again, though, AI Upscaling is another useful feature in Corel's affordable and comprehensive photo editing software suite.

(Image credit: Future)

AI Upscaling score: 3/5

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: Should I buy?

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023
Attributes	Notes	Rating
Pricing & packages	One-time purchase	4 / 5
Interface	Contextual Task Bar is tidy	3 / 5
Raw Editing	All basic features included	3.5/ 5
AI Portrait Mode	Basic selection and background blur	3.5 / 5
Background Replace	Efficient	4 / 5
AI Noise Removal	Efficient and effective	4 / 5
AI Upscaling	Lacks advanced features	3 / 5

Corel PaintShop Pro 2023: Also consider

For Windows users, Corel PaintShop Pro is one of the most comprehensive image editing solutions and an obvious alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is the king of image editors for good reason, and you can read our full review of Photoshop 2023 to see what the latest incarnation brings. However, Photoshop is subscription-based, which can put some users off. It can also be overwhelming for new users.

Luminar Neo is another option that takes a middle path. An AI photo editor with a suite of intelligent tools, it costs $11.95 per month, $99 per year, or $149 every two years. Alternatively, you can purchase it outright with a one-time payment of $249. It can’t match Photoshop for sheer versatility, but if you want affordable access to automated edits and quality results, it’s worth considering.

You can read our in-depth guide to the best Photoshop alternatives here.

These are the best photo editors you can buy right now

Adobe Max 2023 unveils AI-powered editing tools that can make almost anything from text prompts

codyhmelar@gmail.com (Cody Hmelar) — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 18:30:11 +0000

The three-day Adobe Max 2023 event in Los Angeles is in full swing, and the leading name in digital photo, video, and design suites unveiled major updates to its Creative Cloud, including – you guessed it – the latest AI-powered editing and generation tools.

Adobe’s Creative Cloud which includes Photoshop, Lightroom, Premiere Pro, and Illustrator, has received a bumper update this year, and the next-gen Firefly plays a leading role. There’s too much to sensibly cover here, so let’s take a closer look at the headlines for the respective platforms.

Adobe’s next generation Firefly

In the video short (above), Aya, an Adobe Product Manager on ‘Project Stardust’, talks us through Adobe’s new object-aware editing engine that is “going to revolutionize the way we interact with Adobe products”.

The video shows an image file being imported into the next-gen Firefly editor, where AI-powered non-destructive edits can be made. A yellow suitcase in a model’s hand is selected and becomes a new layer that can be moved around within the frame or deleted, and content-aware intelligently fills the background space left behind.

We are then taken through generative word prompts, putting yellow flowers in the hands of the model instead of the suitcase. In another example (below), we see Firefly’s improved image generation capabilities.

All of this is nothing new per se, and it’s clear even from the first demo on a small display that there are artifacts where the yellow suitcase has been removed, but the ease with which these edits can be made seems to be another level from Adobe’s beta AI Firefly interface.

Adobe

Firefly works across Photoshop, Express and Illustrator, and includes the world's first generative AI for vector graphics, powering Text to Vector Graphic in Illustrator, with editable graphics including icons, scenes and patterns.

Put simply, the latest Firefly engine appears smarter, more versatile and more powerful, with a greater understanding of text prompts that can create commercially-ready assets just from a sentence of text. Firefly can recognize more landmarks and cultural symbols, give guidance to either expand or reword a prompt, and yield better results. It's not perfect, but it certainly is impressive and sees Adobe take a step forward from the competition.

New photo editing tools

Outside of Firefly’s generative AI, Adobe has added a host of tools for Photoshop and Lightroom. In the promo video (above), Adobe shows a new Lens Blur tool for Lightroom, which acts much like a smartphone's portrait mode, adding a blur to the background to make subjects stand out from their surroundings. The shape of the bokeh (out-of-focus points of light) can be changed to any one of five options, including perfect circles – again a tool we see on flagship handsets like the Huawei P60 Pro.

Other Lightroom tools include improved HDR optimization and Point Color which helps photographers make precise, accurate, and detailed color refinements.

(Image credit: Adobe)

And as more concerns over what is real and what is AI-generated arise, Adobe has highlighted its Content Credentials support for new file types, which serve as a digital “nutrition label”.

Content Credentials provide information about the creator, date, edits – including those generated by AI – and tools used from start to finish of a digital file. This is a step up from a photographer simply adding copyright to their photos for ownership – it's proof of authenticity for those who wish to be more informed about what has and hasn't been changed in the photo.

In the example of penguins in a desert (above), Content Credentials indicate that at least one element in the image has been generated with an AI tool.

Adobe Max 2023 marks an evolution for the leading name in the creative digital space, an AI evolution that is rapidly enhancing what we can do in the editing suite. It's not perfect, but it's fun, it's speeding up the editing process, and shows plenty of promise.

Photoshop has a new AI-powered fix for your compositional mistakes

mark.wilson@futurenet.com (Mark Wilson) — Thu, 27 Jul 2023 15:46:41 +0000

Photoshop has matched its growing number of AI-powered rivals with a new feature that lets you expand images with a few clicks.

Like the existing Generative Fill, the new Generative Expand feature – available to Photoshop (Beta) users – lets you extend an existing image in any direction, with the software filling in the extra space either automatically or based on the guidance of your prompts.

If you already know how to use Generative Fill in Photoshop, then you'll quickly be able to pick up Generative Expand. It's based on the same AI generative tech, but instead works with the Crop tool (rather than the Marquee or Lasso tools).

In fact, it's a bit like using the Crop tool in reverse. Rather than cropping images smaller, the feature lets you fix compositional mistakes or effectively switch to a wider angle view. You just select the Crop tool from the toolbar, go to the Fill menu in the Options bars, and select Generative Expand.

Once you've done that, it's a case of dragging the corner and side handles to the size you want, then clicking the 'Generative Expand' button. You can leave Photoshop to guess what it should added to the image (which it's very good at, based on our experiences with Generative Fill) or add a text prompt to give it a helping hand.

From the demos so far, it looks like another very useful AI feature, with photo-realistic results. Like its rivals – for example, Midjourney's 'outpainting' feature – there is are potential mistakes and artifacts, but Photoshop also gives you three variations of your expanded image to choose from.

Adobe now has a full guide to using Generative Expand – and if you aren't already using Photoshop (Beta), you can download it by going to your Creative Cloud download app and clicking 'Beta apps' on the left-hand side.

Playing AI catchup

A whole range of apps have been offering image expansion, or 'outpainting' as Midjourney calls it, for a while now – so it may look like Photoshop is a bit behind the curve here.

But with the launch of Firefly – Adobe's family of tools to take on Midjourney and Dall-E – the company has shown it's keen to tread carefully in the world of AI image generation. This is understandable given the emergence of class-action lawsuits against the likes of Midjourney from artists, who claim some models are based on copyrighted works.

Adobe has been keen to stress that Firefly-powered tools like Generative Expand and Fill have been trained on Adobe Stock images, openly-licensed content, or public domain content where the copyright has expired.

This means that pros who uses the likes of Photoshop can use its generative AI tools without any concerns about copyright infringement, even if those tools are a bit slower to roll out than on some rivals.

Google is also happy with Adobe's more ethical approach to AI, with the search giant announcing back in May that it would be integrating Firefly image generation into its Bard chatbot. So far, that still hasn't rolled out, so we've asked Adobe for an update on when that will happen and will update this article when we hear back.

5 reasons why creatives are using SSDs to supercharge their workflows

christian.guyton@futurenet.com (Christian Guyton) — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:44 +0000

Whatever level you work at - whether you’re an independent creative, run a small business, or work for a big organization - it’s important to have the right tools for your creative projects. We’re talking about the components inside your computer; an SSD is a vital element of your PC, and having the best SSD you can get means that you’ll be able to get work done faster.

More specifically, we’d always recommend a Gen5 SSD for any creative professional. They’re the fastest, most reliable storage you can buy right now, available with high capacity to ensure you never run out of space for your files. We’ve got five reasons why you should get yourself a shiny new SSD to power up your creative workflow: read on to find out more.

Load files faster

With a Gen5 SSD - such as Crucial’s new T700 - you can load up large files much faster than with older storage solutions. Thanks to sequential reads speeds of up to 12,400MB/s (that’s twice the speed of Crucial’s previous-gen SSD), you’ll never sit around waiting for a large video file to open up.

Since Gen5 SSDs like the T700 use the PCIe bus for accessing system file transfer bandwidth, rather than the outdated SATA bus format used by conventional hard drives and older SSDs, you’re getting the fastest transfer speeds possible - and that’s not just for opening files, but it lets you move them around your system faster too. Need to copy a file from one place to another on your desktop? Consider it done.

The Crucial T700 offers blistering transfer speeds thanks to the PCIe Gen5 format. (Image credit: Micron)

Export at maximum speed

If you work in graphic design or photo editing, you’ll no doubt be familiar with the exporting process - and the fact that it can be a lengthy one. Exporting high-resolution images from your image editor of choice to a fixed file format can take a while, and the older your storage, the longer it’s going to take.

But with write speeds as fast as 11,800MB/s, saving data to your drive - whether it’s a file export from Photoshop or processing high-res video files - is as speedy as you could possibly want. A Gen5 SSD guarantees that your drive will never become a bottleneck to your PC’s performance.

Store as many files as you want

As a brand of memory experts Micron, SSDs from Crucial come in a wide range of capacities to suit your exact needs, so you’ll always have enough storage space for your data – without needing to shell out extra cash for precious gigabytes you won’t use.

For example, Crucial’s T700 Gen5 SSD comes in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB flavors, which should be plenty of storage for anyone - even if you’re looking to save a bunch of huge 8K video files.

If you edit music or video for work, chances are you need plenty of storage capacity on your PC. (Image credit: Crucial)

Enjoy enhanced reliability

There’s nothing worse than losing your files due to hardware failure. We’ve all been there; the files you need for work are trapped on a dead laptop hard drive, or a corrupted USB stick.

The most common risk factors for any type of computer component are heat and impacts - and Gen5 SSDs are more resilient to both, especially compared with conventional HDDs. An SSD has no moving parts, meaning it generates less heat while in use and also doesn’t run the risk of having something knocked loose if your PC takes a knock. They use less electricity to run, too.

For those who want to stay even cooler in the moment, the T700 is also available with a custom-designed aluminum and nickel-plated copper heatsink.

Rest easy knowing your files are safe

Modern Gen5 SSDs typically offer superior data security to older storage solutions - and the Crucial T700 is no exception. It supports the Trusted Computing Group ‘Opal 2.01’ security specification for high-end hardware encryption.

What this means is that even if someone manages to steal or otherwise access your actual device, your files will be shielded from attempts to break in thanks to permanently active encryption. This is a must-have feature for professionals, especially anyone working on branding or marketing material that needs to be kept under wraps!

Adobe FireFly AI wants to take on Bing Chat - here's why it could win the battle

springboard@darylbaxter.com (Daryl Baxter) — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 09:30:00 +0000

With AI coming to Windows 11 with Bing AI and Co-Pilot, it may need to be on guard for what Adobe is cooking up.

In a matter of months, AI has become Adobe’s main focus for its apps, with its AI platform, Firefly, being integrated into its Creative Cloud suite of apps, such as a generative color palette in Illustrator.

The possibilities are becoming endless, with AI becoming ever more accurate, and at its ‘Max on Tour’ event in London on June 14, it showcased a big update for its web-based Express suite that could tempt Windows users to move to this as its AI choice, rather than Bing AI.

The hills are alive with the sound of AI

(Image credit: TechRadar)

For those unaware, Adobe Express is its web-based suite where you can create social media posts, video projects, menus and flyers, and now, AI-generated content. Having attended Adobe’s MAX London event on June 14, Firefly was demoed in this new version of Express, where it touted a faster interface, easier ways to export and edit content, and how Firefly could more accurately generate backgrounds and objects.

It was an interesting experience to see a dog in a spacesuit be generated, alongside the two hosts choosing between a number of supernovas to then move into Photoshop, and export as a file.

Adobe made sure to hammer down the point, that all of this content that Firefly was using, was from its own Adobe Stock package, where many creators will be able to be credited and paid for thanks to a system that it’s cooking up.

It’s already an encouraging start, and while some requests still don’t quite make the mark, Adobe also made sure to let everyone know that Firefly should be used as a tool - not as a go-to method to create a project from start to finish.

Watching all of this and seeing how Firefly is being integrated into its other apps, makes me think that Microsoft has a lot to do already when it comes to this space.

Stop right now Bing, thank you very much

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Let’s be honest - Microsoft’s Bing search engine has never really caught on, and it’s thanks to AI that it’s become a big talking point in the space. Bing AI lets you generate images through text requests, just like Adobe, but it’s never been clear as to where these images have been from to help generate these requests.

Adobe seems to already be leapfrogging how Microsoft is angling AI with Bing and Windows Co-Pilot, mainly by justifying how AI could help someone’s workflow.

Picture the scene - you’re wanting to create an image but you’re hitting a creative wall. You go on your web browser of choice, head to Adobe Express, and put in some prompts. They’re not the greatest, but it gives you something to work from at least.

You move over to Photoshop in Windows 11, and you’re able to create something thanks to some inspiration from Firefly’s image. But then, you’re not sure about the color scheme you chose for it. Instead of redoing the palette again, you head on over to Illustrator, and, using the Generative Color feature that rolled out on June 14, you’re given a bunch of options.

The image you created is now a bunch of these to pick from as a template to work off. One has a sunset, another is a full moon at night, and it sets the scene to better help you improve the image further.

Just from this, AI justifies itself when it comes to a workflow - it gives you options and inspiration, not as a method to replace your ideas and projects.

(Image credit: Adobe)

Granted, that’s just one situation, but it gives you an idea as to how Adobe could be the ever-present AI in Windows, and Bing AI could be reduced to a smart search engine for the foreseeable future.

And that’s not even going into how Adobe Express could be used in Apple’s Vision Pro headset, within the Safari web browser in visionOS. All of this brings potential for AI, and, for Adobe, a ringside seat as to how it could soon be the go-to option for AI in Windows.

Google Photos for web gets huge update, but is still missing one big feature

hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector) — Tue, 13 Jun 2023 11:18:20 +0000

The web version of Google Photos just got a major upgrade that brings a slew of editing features like Color Pop, Portrait Blur and Sky suggestions. But it’s not perfect.

Google Photos has been a great photo cloud storage platform for some time, making it easy to share your snaps between devices, and on mobile it’s also a solid photo editor. It’s not on par with services like Photoshop, but you can pull off some great looking adjustments – we particularly like Color Pop which makes the image black and white except for objects you select, and Background Blur which artificially blurs the background of pictures.

While this update finally gives the web client these tools and others found on the version on your Google Pixel 7, there are unfortunately two catches to the new and improved Google Photos web version.

Firstly, you’ll need to be subscribed to Google One – Google’s paid subscription service – to be able to take advantage of these new features. The cheapest Google One tier is Basic; it costs $1.99 / £1.59 / AU$2.49 per month and gives you access to these Photos tools as well as 100GB of storage, the use of the Google One VPN and a handful of extra benefits.

The other catch is the new Google Photos web tools lack the best feature found on the Google Pixel version of the app: Magic Eraser. This AI-powered tool allows you to clean up your photos; the app removes the objects you’ve highlighted and then cleverly fills in the blank space with a background using context from the image. It’s not perfect, but nine times out of 10 you wouldn’t know the image was altered unless someone told you.

Opinion: Magic Eraser is like a photo cheat code

(Image credit: Google)

Magic Eraser isn’t a Google Photos editing tool you should always rely on. Our Cameras Editor Timothy Coleman recently argued that cleaning your messy photos with Magic Eraser is a bad thing. It removes authenticity from your snaps, and often options like Background Blur can create a much tidier looking image.

But there are plenty of times when a minor fix from Magic Eraser can help remove a distraction that blemishes a shot you love. When I took a holiday with my parents in December 2021, I snapped a picture of them next to a huge Christmas tree, but they’d left their brightly colored bags in the shot. Thanks to Magic Eraser I could clean up the offending items, and get a result we were much happier with.

Given my success with the tool, I’m disappointed to see it’s not coming to Google’s Photos web app yet. This is hardly a surprise though; Magic Eraser is one of the best features on Pixel phones and by making it available to any Google One subscriber, Pixel handsets would lose one of their unique appeals.

Hopefully this Pixel exclusivity won’t last forever. But even if it does, with a bevvy of AI image tools on the rise alongside the best AI art generators, you might find the best Google Photos alternatives can offer tools to rival Magic Eraser.

Topaz Photo AI makes up for my dated camera gear and photo mistakes

Richard Sibley — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 09:48:54 +0000

Going back 12 years, I was shooting almost everything with a 12-million-pixel Nikon D300 and a Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 VR lens. I loved that combination partly because it was all I had at the time; that camera and lens went everywhere with me.

It was a compromise using that camera and lens back then, and looking back at those images in 2023 only compounds those feelings: low light shots suffer from high-sensitivity image noise, and the sharpness and resolution are far from perfect – that lens is so complicated, with so many different optical elements, after all.

Like everything these days, AI is here to help. Recently I've been playing around with some of my images that didn't quite make it using Topaz Photo AI software – one of the best AI tools – and I've been blown away by what it can do.

This isn't software that creates AI images from scratch like the best AI art generators. It analyses your images and identifies subjects you may want to make sharper and more detailed. It can intelligently make the image look as perfect as possible by removing noise, sharpening, reducing blur, and even adding perceived detail to the image where it is lacking.

Like any image editing software, you are in control and need to find the right balance and not go too far to extremes. However, it has helped make images taken on 15-year-old technology look like they should have if I had 'got it right in camera' using a contemporary professional camera and lens. Here are three ways that Topaz Photo AI has revived my old photos.

Future

Intelligent sharpening

One of my favorite photographs is of Canadian geese flying low over the calm water of White Rock, B.C., Canada. I shot it jetlagged, awake at 5 am as the sun rose. The trouble is I had been taking snapshots of sunrise and had set the sensitivity to a hefty ISO 1000. Combine this with the less-than-stellar sharpness of the 18-200mm lens, and it is an image I love but that I have never felt was up to scratch hanging on my wall.

Five minutes in Topaz AI changed that. The slight motion blur has been reduced. Sharpness has been increased with an intelligence above the traditional sharpness settings that other photo editors I have used in the past provide. I have finally been able to get the image I had wanted when I frantically picked up the D300 as I spotted the geese flying in.

(Image credit: Future)

Noise reduction

Noise reduction is where most photographers will benefit from Topaz AI. It intelligently removes noise and has saved several images I shot at ISO 400 and above on my old D300. With a few clicks, the software estimates what it thinks needs to be done, but you can tweak all the settings to your heart's content to find the balance you need.

My image of the Canadian geese also benefited from noise reduction – image noise has been removed, yet in the background, it has kept the small choppy waves that could have easily been confused for image noise. Of course, Adobe is quickly getting on board with AI and intelligent image editing features such as noise reduction, and it will be interesting to see how it integrates and improves over the next few years.

(Image credit: Future)

Better focus

When I'm traveling, I'm a point-and-shoot merchant. I leave my lens set to f/8, point the camera and fire the shutter. Usually, this gets me by without having to stress too much about settings, but occasionally I'll have something in the foreground that I want to get sharp.

This happened on a trip to Vancouver. The odd arrangement of gulls in a shallow pool caught my eye as foreground interest, so I casually composed the shot, focusing on the background leaving the gulls slightly too close to be in focus, and the distant buildings of the city are soft due to haze and the fact that the lens is far from the sharpest.

Up steps Topaz AI again, and with a tweak of some sharpening settings and a slight noise reduction, I have perceived detail there that makes those elements that matter to pop with sharpness. At the same time, the noise reduction has taken some of the ISO 400 noise out of the sky.

(Image credit: Future)

First impressions

Using Topaz Photo AI, or any other best AI photo enhancers, is no match for good practice and getting it right in camera. Like any other editing software, it is there to help make up for weaknesses in cameras and lenses and the photographer mistakes – we are all human and don't always get it right.

It has got me thinking about returning to the easy days of packing a single travel zoom lens for all my adventures. I'd have one camera, one lens, much less stress and anxiety over what kit I should take, and less time messing around swapping lenses and going in and out of a camera bag when I should be relaxing and taking it all in.

Despite the compromises of my D800 camera and 18-200mm lens, most of those images I took were fit for purpose, and the ones that weren't now are, some 10-15 years later. AI has been able to fill in the gaps and compute what the image should have looked like on these archive images.

Why not use AI as a tool now to make my life a little simpler – isn't that the goal of technology in the first place? Oh, and I'm now going to keep those images that didn't quite make the cut; who knows where the technology will be in another ten years?

The list price of Topaz Photo AI is $199 / although there are often discounts. At the time of writing the software was listed as $159

Major Adobe Express update brings Firefly Generative AI integration

Timothy Coleman — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 11:07:58 +0000

Adobe Creative Cloud Express – which enables you to design everything from social media posts to fliers – has received a major update in a beta version that chiefly integrates Adobe Firefly Generative AI.

The desktop and mobile app is designed for users of all skill levels, and is now more versatile than ever, with generative text-to-image and text effects expanding the app’s extensive collection of assets and templates.

A new-look editor for its multimedia design, photo, and video features can easily integrate Adobe's CC app files from Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro and Acrobat to your Express creations, which can now be shared via the cloud for collaborative projects, with changes synced in real-time.

The previous Express update included a content scheduler, and this latest release takes Express to new heights – with Google Bard integration for good measure – rapidly making the all-in-one editor an easy-to-use, comprehensive and fun app for content creators.

A major generative AI boost

Following the integration of Adobe Firefly into Adobe Photoshop, it was inevitable that the generative AI tool would be embedded into Adobe Express content workflows, and it’s a major boost for the all-in-one editor.

This new beta version of Express gets the same Firefly generative AI text-to-image and text effects tool, although Generative Fill, which was recently introduced in a beta version of Photoshop, will not be part of Express for now.

Express has a catalog of more than 20,000 assets and fonts, all of which can now be personalized using generative text effects. For example, you can type in the visual effect that you’d like, such as pink balloons, for whichever font you're using, and as with text-to-image, the effect is taken and applied from Adobe Stock dataset.

We're looking forward to having a play with this beta version of Express and sharing our experiences with you soon.

Adobe

Price and release date

The latest beta desktop version of Express is available now for free, and when the full version of the software is launched it will be available both for mobile and desktop.

Existing Adobe Creative Cloud members can enjoy the Adobe Express premium plan, with more assets and templates to choose from than the free tier, and subscriptions start at $9.99 / £9.99 / AU$10.99 a month.

Photoshop AI Generative Fill is so powerful it might change photo editing forever

lance.ulanoff@futurenet.com (Lance Ulanoff) — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 18:00:20 +0000

Adobe Photoshop Firefly Generative AI is so good, it's addictive.

That's not supposed to be the case with a powerful productivity tool like Adobe Photoshop. Preferably you open the Mac or Windows application, do your photo editing task, close it, and walk away. It's not a toy, it's not fun. Is it?

With the new Generative Fill tool, though, Photoshop is fun and ridiculously powerful. I've now spent hours completing, or letting the AI complete, all manner of images.

Released late last month, this new beta version of Photoshop looks and works a lot like previous Creative Cloud versions, but as soon as you start messing with subjects and backgrounds, the new Firefly-powered generative fill tools steps in to help you utterly transform your images with nothing more than a single click.

Having used Photoshop for decades, I know my way around the app and thought quite a bit about how I might use these new tools, but it wasn't until I saw a TikTok where someone 'completed' famous meme images using Photoshop Beta Generative AI that I knew I had to try it out myself.

The Generative AI box, which is powered by Adobe Firefly, appears when you make an image selection. (Image credit: Future)

I started by finding almost a dozen classic meme images (Strutting Leonardo DiCaprio, Sad Keanu, Success Kid, Distracted Boyfriend, Disaster Girl) and then, through some experimentation, figured out how to expand the frame to imagine the rest of these iconic and often-used images.

In order to imagine what might be, for instance, going on around the Distracted Boyfriend, I had to expand the canvas of the image and then reposition the original so there's ample white space (background).

Once I'd established a bit of white space around the original image, I could select it with the magic selector and then select the generative fill button that automatically appeared.

The generated image is, at a glance, almost perfect, but then you notice the gaps and that the boyfriend and girlfriend may be sharing a limb. (Image credit: Future)

Doing so launched a prompt box where I could describe how I wanted the Firefly-powered AI to fill in the photo. I found, however, that the system usually worked best when I left that space blank and just hit "Generate."

AI image generation usually takes about 15 seconds on a MacBook Air M2. It's worth noting that Adobe Photoshop Generative AI relies on a cloud-based system, which means it won't work unless you're connected to the Internet.

The meme I started with. (Image credit: Future)

In the case of the Ermahgerd Girl (an image of an extremely enthusiastic girl holding her favorite Goose Bumps books), the results were shockingly good. Adobe Generative AI completed the background and crafted an entire body and fashion ensemble out of little more than portions of a white shirt and a vest.

I actually ran the Generative AI three times and got different outfits and backgrounds. All were pretty convincing and not just because the AI hit the fashion aesthetics. The resulting image followed the overall photo quality and tone and seamlessly blended it all together.

It's not perfect. The girl's fingers appear blended together and I can't tell if one of her hands has five or seven fingers.

This was pretty impressive. (Image credit: Future)

On Distracted Boyfriend, Adobe Generative AI did a better job with the fingers and created an even more convincing overall image with a couple of exceptions. There are some small gaps between the original image and where it was generated and the legs of two of the subjects may have blended into a single, twisted, jean-covered limb.

Some of the generative images were both convincing and comical. The resulting Shibu dog's body blended was turned into a couch-covering throw blanket.

Future

Adobe Generative AI almost perfectly completed Scumbag Steve's pants and fur jacket and made convincing work of the finished doorway we never saw before.

There were some truly bizarre results like the disaster girl image that Adobe Generative AI turned into a full blockbuster movie-worthy calamity.

For Sad Keanu, I started with a fairly tight crop of the actor on the bench and let Adobe Generative AI finish the bench and the rest of the actor's body. At a glance, the picture looks solid and quite similar to the full-uncropped image. Close examination, though, reveals that the bench is poorly constructed and Keanu appears to be sitting on air. Also, his fingers are a bit sausage-like. The AI did manage to put what looks like a burrito in his hand, but there was no neglected lunch on the bench beside him.

Adobe's Firefly Generative AI created most of this image. (Image credit: Future)

Later, I tried Adobe Generative AI on some of my own photos. The results were often quite good, though it does seem to work best when the subject is closer to the center of the original frame.

Clearer images also work better. The original Real Housewives image is a little blurry, mostly because the subjects are engaged in a shouting match. The Generative AI's first attempt at completing the image failed miserably. For a second attempt, I typed in "Complete the women." The result was comically insane.

Future

Finally, I used the AI selection tool to remove subjects and essentially de-meme-mify some pictures. Disaster Girl, for instance, hits differently when you remove the little girl.

Overall, results ranged from realistic with only barely noticeable mistakes and oddities to pleasingly artistic and sometimes a little plastic. Some look quite plausible at a glance but, upon closer examination, appeared grotesque.

If you think these results are not nearly good enough to use, just wait. This is only the first beta and Firefly and Adobe Photoshop Generative AI is guaranteed to get better. By the time this app moves from beta to final release, we may not be able to tell the difference between original memes and those fleshed out with a single mouse click.

Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are finally available on your iPad – here's how to get them

cesartechradar@gmail.com (Cesar Cadenas) — Wed, 24 May 2023 04:00:28 +0000

Just two weeks after the initial announcement, Apple's Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro editing software have made landfall on select iPad models.

Both apps function similarly to their desktop counterparts with some customizations so they can take full advantage of the hardware. As stated in our previous coverage, Final Cut Pro will feature a new jog wheel to make interacting with the touch screen easy to do. This includes smoothly navigating the Magnetic Timeline and moving clips for a video. Support for the Apple Pencil is present enabling Live Drawing so you can draw and write on top of content. Additionally, Final Cut Pro on iPad allows for multicamera editing so you can easily combine multiple angles into one timeline.

As for Logic Pro, the music editing software comes with Multi-Touch so you can use your hands to zoom in on tracks or scroll through them. Custom audio boards can be built thanks to Plug-in Tiles. All you have to do is drag audio control plug-ins together like a jigsaw puzzle. Apple Pencil support is here as well for “precision edits”.

There are even a couple of new features not present on the desktop version. First, you have Beat Breaker, which lets “creators “reshape and shuffle sounds with a swipe of their finger or a pinch. There’s also Sample Alchemy for manipulating music samples with, as you can probably guess, just your finger.

Availability

The apps can do more than what we just described, but we think you get the picture. It doesn’t look like there will be any hiccups in the transition from desktop to tablet. So, how can you buy them?

Both Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are available through the App Store for $4.99 USD (£4.99 and $7.99 AUD) a month or $49 USD (£49 and $59 AUD) a year “with a one-month free trial.” As you can see, the iPad versions of these apps are much, much cheaper than on Mac. Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro will run you $299.99 (£299.99/$499.99 AUD) and $199.99 (£174.99/$299.99 AUD) respectively.

Do note there are some limitations. The software only works with select iPad models. To use Final Cut Pro, you need to own either a 12.9-inch iPad Pro (5th or 6th gen), 11-inch iPad Pro (3rd or 4th gen), or iPad Air (5th gen) with iPadOS 16.4 or later installed. For Logic Pro, the app will work on “any iPad with the A12 Bionic chip or later” like the 7th Gen iPad from 2019. The device must also be running iPadOS 16.4.

It’s worth mentioning there have been rumors of these two applications coming to Apple’s rumored VR headset. This information comes from notable industry insider Mark Gurman who claims “there’s a very real possibility” they’ll roll out to the headset at some point. Apparently, the xrOS platform can run iPad apps.

It’s unknown if that’ll actually happen, but our questions may soon be answered. The company’s big WWDC 2023 event will be held in less than two weeks on June 5. We do expect to see the long-awaited reveal of Apple's VR device among other high-profile gadgets.

YouTube is attempting to block your ad-blocker in new experiment

cesartechradar@gmail.com (Cesar Cadenas) — Thu, 11 May 2023 21:00:00 +0000

Google continues to “experiment” with its advertising efforts as it looks like YouTube may begin looking for ad-blockers.

Reddit user Sazk100 posted a screenshot of a new popup on the YouTube subreddit telling them ad-blockers are no longer allowed on the website. As a result they were unable to watch videos. After getting the notification, YouTube gave Sazk100 two options: one) disable the ad-blocker or two) purchase a subscription to YouTube Premium. This does appear to be a real notice and not some prank. The moderator team on the subreddit claims a YouTube employee reached out to them confirming its legitimacy. Other outlets have had a YouTube spokesperson tell them the company is running a small global experiment urging users with ad blockers to allow ads or try YouTube Premium.

It’s unknown just how far reaching this experiment is nor do we know if YouTube will officially implement these plans. We asked the company these questions only to be given the same comment by a representative – that it's all an "experiment".

It is important to point out Google has been conducting multiple advertising tests such as the recent flood of integrated ads into Gmail accounts. As you can probably imagine, people aren’t too happy with any of them.

War against ad-blockers

For the past several years, Google has been at war with ad-blocking software. Back in early 2016, the company actually banned ad-blockers from its Play Store only to revert its decision not long after. But that hasn’t stopped Google from trying other methods to ensure you get your daily dose of commercials. Last year, Android VPN apps that didn’t use the VPNService API (Application Programming Interface) were banned from the Play Store because they were claimed to interfere with advertising. And YouTube Vanced, which offered a totally ad-free experience of the video platform, was unceremoniously taken down.

Don’t think that browser extensions are safe either. Google has been working on the third version of its Manifest API which may prevent privacy tools like uBlock Origin from working as it would remove “key read and modify data permissions”.

Intrusive

None of this would be so bad if YouTube ads weren’t intrusive. Unfortunately, they are. Screenshots from Twitter and Reddit posts have shown people getting as much as 10 unskippable advertisements back-to-back on certain videos. These unskippable advertisements cropped up in late 2022, and like today, a YouTube spokesperson back then said the unskippable advertisements were a part of an experiment. So it is possible Google is telling the truth and has no real intention of implementing anything.

But if it is implemented, you have to wonder if this whole thing is going to turn into a weird cat-and-mouse game where developers find a way to circumvent YouTube’s ad-blocker detector only for the platform to make stricter tech ad infinitum. Let's hope this doesn't happen.

Intrusive advertising online has gotten so bad you even have the FBI recommending people get an ad-blocker. To find out which one is the best, check out TechRadar’s list of the best ad-blockers for 2023.

The new Google Photos update makes it easier to find the exact picture you want

hamish.hector@futurenet.com (Hamish Hector) — Tue, 02 May 2023 10:11:48 +0000

If you have a mountain of Google Photos that you struggle to sift through to find the one you want, then Google’s “more powerful” search tool could be a huge time saver.

Currently, if you want to search your Google Photos library you have to rely on pretty simple terms – such as “garden,” “beach,” or “sunset” – and tags and labels – such as names if you’ve labeled people, or locations if you’ve turned on location tagging. But even after filtering the results with your searches, you might still need to dig for a while to find just what you’re after.

This is where Google Photo’s new experimental search tool comes in. The updated version of search – which is currently only available on the web version of Google Photos – allows you to make your search queries more specific with qualifiers. For example, rather than simply searching for a “sunset” you can search for a “colorful sunset” and Google Photo’s new powerful search tool will serve up sunsets that are full of color.

If you’ve tagged faces in your photos you can add names to your search queries to filter results so that you’re only shown images with certain people. Rather than simply searching for a “beach at sunset” you could search for “Izzy at the beach at sunset,” and Google Photos will deliver the images you’ve requested – assuming you have some that fit the description.

Still an experiment

The new search tool – which was first spotted by 9to5Google – is currently being tested by Google, so you may not have access to it. To know if you’re part of the experiment, you need to go to Google Photos on the web, and you might see a blue box attached to the search bar saying “Try a more powerful search” – if you do, you’re able to use the new search option.

There’s no word yet on when this feature will roll out to all users, nor when it’ll make its way to the mobile version of Google Photos – but hopefully, we won’t be waiting for too long.

If this search update isn't enough of an improvement to Google Photos for you, why not check out our picks for the best Google Photos alternatives to find other cloud storage options for your snaps?

6 ways Canva's AI tool can be an easier alternative to Photoshop

josephine.watson@futurenet.com (Josephine Watson) — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 08:08:10 +0000

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the slew of AI developments we’ve seen in the last year from big names like ChatGPT, Google Bard and Microsoft Bing, then it won’t surprise you that smaller platforms and services are gunning for a slice of the pie.

AI-generated imagery has been the next biggest AI news trend, with some of the best photo editing apps as well as tools like Dall-E and Adobe Firefly rising to prominence. However, one tool that might have flown under your radar is the slightly more accessible Canva Magic Edit tool.

Announced in March 2023 alongside a slew of tools, most of which targeted specifically at brand representatives and creatives, Magic Edit allows Canva Pro users to transform a selected area of their image with AI. Simply highlight a selection in Canva’s image editor, give a prompt of what you’d like to see in the selection and the tool will then come up with a few different iterations. Voila; you have an AI-altered image.

Of course, it wasn’t long before users started having a bit of fun with the tool, and used it for more creative ideas. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Freshen up a 'fit

@inuriofficial
♬ original sound - Inuri📱 Digital Marketing Tips

Arguably one of the more useful examples on this list, Magic Edit can be used to quickly adjust your look.

The possibilities are endless, from sprucing up a social media post where you’re wearing your most beaten-up sweater and leggings to transforming your OOTD into something more professional.

@positivelyuncensored
♬ original sound - Positively Uncensored

Why stop at clothing? TikTok creator @positivelyuncensored took to the tool play hairdresser, and while the AI isn’t quite sophisticated enough yet to seamlessly and radically change your look, it handled a quick restyle and recolor well.

2. Turn into a superhero

Was working on stuff in Canva and started to use the new Magic Edit app.So, of course I needed to make a video about it during my lunch break #canva pic.twitter.com/L0kGVpPOwmApril 14, 2023

Magic Edit isn’t just useful for regular outfit changes. Sure, professional headshots are fun - but living out your superhero fantasies is way more entertaining.

Plus, it’s the perfect way to psych yourself up before you settle in to watch the Marvel movies in order. In Twitter user @JasonAWheeler’s example, there are some interesting elements of different superheroes making an appearance here; in particular, the X-Men / Thanos-esque blue and yellow figure erupting from Jason’s shoulder.

3. Create absurdist artworks

Thanks for making my dreams come true @canva, your new Magic Edit AI-powered photo editor turned a plate of pasta into something else 🤣 pic.twitter.com/vok6E7SV9iApril 11, 2023

Whether you’re making memes or adding an absurdist twist to an otherwise innocuous image, users like @mattytwoshoes on Twitter have taken the opportunity to get creative with Canva’s Magic Edit tool.

4. Get a change of scenery

I used Canva's magic edit tool to change the background of this photo and I'm obsessed 😍 pic.twitter.com/h63btWk7VuApril 20, 2023

While it might seem like the most obvious option, using Magic Edit to switch up your backdrop is incredibly useful to add (or remove) personality from your pictures, making them Instagram – or LinkedIn – ready.

Ya'll...I'm cackling over here. I was playing with the Magic Edit feature in Canva, and it's new and I've never used it so keep that in mind🤣I thought I looked cute in my pics with @jvn so I was playing with turning them into professional pics and ya'll...I cannot 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/mQtPsbmKpyMarch 26, 2023

Alternatively, if, like me, you’re uncomfortable with having solo pictures taken, one workaround is editing out someone you photographed, either by replacing them with something else or by isolating and transporting you into an entirely different environment.

However, if you opt for a background with other people in it, you might find your co-star appearing in strange places like Twitter user @TeachinaTARDIS did.

5. Add props or transform background clutter

@itsbrialeesocials
♬ original sound - kardashianshulu

If you’re tired of your social media posts looking barren, Magic Edit can help spruce up your space, adding props from the mundane to the fantastical and making your pictures a bit more dynamic.

Other users have found it useful for removing and transforming unsightly clutter into something a bit more aesthetically pleasing.

6. Enjoy the cursed/blursed results

I think I'm coming around to AI art, Canva's "Magic Edit" has been giving me some fun results. I'll be sad when it eventually improves though. pic.twitter.com/t2XTHRRDCUApril 23, 2023

Sometimes, half the fun of AI image generation is in twisting it to your mercy until, well, something like this happens. We’re a long way from these tools being remotely capable of true-to-life human faces, and until then we’ll have to have all the fun we can.

Or, of course, go for the down-right nightmare fuel approach:

The Canva magic edit feature is… remarkable. pic.twitter.com/ejTYedQ1oAMarch 28, 2023

Canva Pro is a lot more accessible and functional than some of the other AI tools available, what with Adobe’s Creative Cloud being known for its lofty subscriptions and Dall-E serving a fairly singular purpose using a credits-based payment system.

Although Canva’s AI still doesn’t seem to have quite cracked the art of human faces, it’s pretty good as a quick way to transform and edit your images. For micro-influencers, photography hobbyists and those who just want to have a bit of fun, Canva Pro makes for a fantastic next-best thing.

Microsoft Paint hacks take it a step closer to being Photoshop

Darren Allan — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:48:04 +0000

The Windows 11 (and 10) app Microsoft Paint just got modded to allow the software to be used to create basic animations (and more besides).

This feat of app hacking was achieved by YouTuber Sam Chiet, who tweeted an example of what’s described as Flipnote-style animation software (via Windows Central).

I just hacked MS Paint into a Flipnote-style animation software. pic.twitter.com/uRLojwZGGgApril 15, 2023

As you can see, the animation appears in a separate panel, and you can play or pause it, or step through individual frames which are shown in that panel, and in the main Paint window itself.

Then if you want to make changes to any given frame, you can simply edit in the Paint app and see the results instantly in the animation panel to the side. Pretty nifty indeed, and Chiet has already shared an animated GIF made with the feature.

Want more? Well, there is more on the Microsoft Paint modding scene as it happens, courtesy of game developer Talon Zane (as Gizmodo reports).

Earlier this week, Zane managed to introduce layers to the application somehow. Yes, a fully functioning layer facility in Paint, albeit one implemented via a companion app, and you can see the tweet demonstrating this here (with a warning that it contains profanity – yes, someone got excited about their achievement).

Analysis: Is Microsoft watching all this?

Microsoft Paint is a popular little program. In fact, we still remember the outcry way back in 2017 when Microsoft was considering ejecting the app from Windows 10. The support shown for Paint ensured that it wasn’t banished from the OS in the end, and it’s still going strong today.

Going even stronger in the near future, perhaps, looking at these mods, both of which could be out soon enough (neither feature is ready for release just yet). It’d certainly be very cool to have the ability to knock out simple animations, swiftly and easily, with Paint, and layers would also make for a smart piece of added functionality.

Maybe Microsoft will be sitting up and taking notes (in Notepad, perhaps) of these impressive developments in the modding scene. Not to mention the reaction on Twitter, and elsewhere online, to these mods which have certainly been getting plenty of excited calls to have them released quickly. Watch this space, we guess.

Major Adobe Lightroom update brings powerful noise reduction to your photos

cesartechradar@gmail.com (Cesar Cadenas) — Tue, 18 Apr 2023 19:37:12 +0000

Not every image can be a gem and even those we love can, upon closer examination, be disfigured by blemishes or, worse yet, unsightly grain. Removing it isn't easy, but Adobe now has an AI-based denoise solution for this common image problem.

Adobe has been on a tear lately rolling out updates to its various platforms from collaboration tools on Frame.io to improved image generation on Firefly. With this latest round, Adobe Lightroom is getting a smorgasbord of new features including this powerful, new AI-based one.

The AI-powered Denoise tool can, according to Adobe, eliminate grainy noise in photographs taken by cameras with high ISO settings, which are often used to capture images in low light.

Clean-up can be done either automatically or you can manually adjust the removal via an in-app slider. Do note Denoise only works with two types of files. According to a web page on Adobe’s Help Center, the tool currently applies to “raw [mosaic] files from cameras with Bayer sensors (Canon, Nikon, Sony, and others) and Fujifilm X-Trans sensors.” Denoise also “isn’t supported when applied [to photos] with Super Resolution” enabled.

The other major addition consists of two new categories in the Masking tool that let users edit both facial hair and clothes. Looking at the recently updated Help Center page, it appears the new masks will have some preset options to tell Lightroom what it should focus on. For example, you can enhance a person’s skin to presumably remove blemishes or clean up imperfections on their clothing.

Further enhancements

Besides the AI-powered features, Adobe is improving Lightroom’s video editing capabilities. There will now be a Trim icon in the lower right-hand corner of a video's timeline for making quick edits. New Extract or Export options will be added to the Lighthouse toolbox if you need to do small edits to a video. Also, the company is now offering a B&W (black and white) mode if you want to add a cinematic, film noir look.

The last major set of changes involves the new set of Adaptive: Portrait presets. Just to highlight a couple, you have Polished Portrait to “refine facial features to achieve [a] desired look” and Darken Beard to remove those streaks of wisdom (i.e. grey hairs) from a beard.

For the rest of the update, Adobe is focused on growing the list of devices Lightroom supports, now including the Google Pixel 6a smartphone and Sony ZV-E1 camera. A full list can be found on the company’s Help Center website. There are a few tweaks too like improving the performance of select tools for Lightroom on desktop. The Android app is seeing similar performance upgrades alongside support for Filipino and Malay languages.

Everything you see here will be available on the desktop version of Lightroom. Neither the iOS nor Android apps will get Denoise. However, the former will have the video editing tools mentioned earlier. The update is slated to launch later this month with no exact date given. We asked Adobe if it could tell us an exact date and if it has plans to expand the rest of the update to mobile. This story will be updated at a later time.

If you’re looking for a good camera to use with the Lightroom update, be sure to check out TechRadar’s recently updated list of the best camera for 2023. We have top picks for every budget.

The Future of Video Editing: Exploring Filmora’s AI Roadmap

Sponsored — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 12:00:15 +0000

People can't stop talking about ChatGPT, and with good reason. Over the past few months, the chatbot's generative AI has taken the world by storm. Trained on a more or less unfathomable volume of web data, ChatGPT is capable of disarmingly humanlike responses to virtually any query.

With the recent launch of GPT-4, ChatGPT has become even smarter, capable of doing everything from writing code to recommending a grocery list. It's not an exaggeration to say that the potential applications of this technology verge on limitless. As it turns out, market-leading software developer Wondershare agrees wholeheartedly.

Which is likely why the latest release of Wondershare Filmora, its video editing software, now features a ChatGPT plugin for AI-supported copywriting.

The launch of Filmora 12 makes Wondershare Filmora the first major video editor to integrate ChatGPT. Through the feature, known as Swift Script, videographers will be able to generate video scripts, titles, chapter themes, social media captions, video descriptions, and any other copy they might need for their projects. More importantly, they can do this from entirely within Filmora — no tool switching required.

"ChatGPT is a game-changer for video editing," Wondershare CEO Tobee Wu explained in a recent press release. "By integrating this plug-in into our software, we are providing our users with an innovative solution to improve their creative efficiency. Whether you are a business owner, creator, influencer, or professional videographer, Filmora plus ChatGPT boosts efficiency by generating text content without leaving the Filmora editing platform, streamlining the editing process and enhancing video content."

Smarter, Better, Faster, Stronger Video

One thing a lot of people don't seem to realize about artificial intelligence is that it was never supposed to replace or supplant human intelligence. Trying to force machines to think like humans only hobbles their true potential. The reality is that artificial intelligence only truly shines when paired with human creativity.

Wondershare clearly recognizes this — streamlined copywriting isn't the only way Filmora 12 taps into AI. The video editing software includes a number of innovative AI-driven features designed to make life easier for videographers. These include:

AI Smart Cutout. Remove people and objects from frames with a single tap.
AI Audio Stretch. Intelligently stretch and tweak a soundtrack to fit the length of an entire video recording. No more clumsy transitions, cross cutting, or unnecessary looping.
AI Audio Denoise. Remove background noise from your video for cleaner, crisper, clearer sound.

All this is in addition to several major quality of life features:

Multi platform support.
Asset backup and synchronization.
Live/collaborative video review.
Custom workspace layouts.
Streamlined draw mask.
Enhanced keyframe, now extended to all parameters.
3D titles.
Adjustment layers that allow you to apply the same effect to multiple clips simultaneously.
New filmstock effects.

Filmora 12 also supports AV1 dual encoders based on the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs — meaning faster video exporting speed for you.

Experience the Freedom of Creativity

(Image credit: Wondershare)

Wondershare has always been about enabling digital creativity by empowering creators. By all appearances, Filmora 12 is no exception to this rule. Already powerful and easy to use, the latest iteration of the video editing software promises to supercharge both productivity and creativity thanks to built-in artificial intelligence (and with a little help from ChatGPT).

And it's only going to get smarter from here.

Wondershare Filmora is compatible with Windows PC, Mac, Android Phone, iPhone, iPad, and Android Tablet. The software is available for purchase starting at $49.99 per year via Wondershare. For more information or to stay up to date with product announcements, you can also check out the official Filmora Facebook page.

I'm a live music fan - and I'd be lost without this one app

marc.mclaren@futurenet.com (Marc McLaren) — Sat, 08 Apr 2023 04:00:00 +0000

For as long as I can remember I've been obsessed with music.

As a baby, my parents could only get me to sleep by driving me around the neighborhood while playing Pink Floyd. I bought my first single (Madness' version of It Must be Love) aged six and by my early teens I had discovered The Clash. And that was that - I was hooked. At college, I was music editor on a campus magazine, and I eventually ended up working on a music magazine/website for six years.

So yeah, music is important to me, and always will be.

Homescreen heroes

This is the first in a regular series of articles exploring the apps that we couldn't live without. Read them all here.

That much is clear by looking at my Google Pixel 6's homescreen: Spotify, Sonos, the BBC Sounds app and YouTube are all given valuable real estate, and all are regularly used as I either immerse myself in old favorites or seek out new playlist fodder. But if pushed, I could do without them all; I have stacks of vinyl and a turntable; I have hundreds of gigabytes of MP3s ripped from the CD collection that's now been consigned to the shed; I have a DAB radio; I have one of the best Bluetooth speakers. I'd manage.

The app I couldn't live without, though, is Songkick.

Taking center stage

(Image credit: Songkick)

Songkick is a music discovery service, but more specifically it's a way to find out about upcoming concerts you might want to go to.

It's far from new; the service has been around since 2007 and the app arrived more than a decade ago, in 2011. But it remains the best such example on either the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

And honestly, I'd be lost without it. Live music is a particular passion: for most of my adult life, I've gone to a gig every week or two. When it was part of my job, that number increased to two or three concerts a week, countless nights spent in dingy venues scattered across London, faded entry stamps on hands, beer on shoes and hangovers in the morning.

But it's hard keeping up with things as you get older. The demands of two kids, a busy job and just life in general get in the way. And my memory is terrible. Friends help, but honestly if it wasn't for Songkick I'd have no chance.

Here's how it works: Songkick serves up suggestions for concerts in your area by artists / bands you like. You tell it where you live, tell it what you listen to and it does the rest, sending you notifications when a new tour date gets announced then letting you buy tickets from the official sellers.

(Image credit: Songkick)

Notifications are the big thing, because the chances of me actually remembering to find out who's playing where in the next month are roughly zero - it's just not something I am capable of.

Back in my twenties that didn't matter, because I was out most nights and someone would always give me a heads up. And in my thirties, I was told where and when to go and paid to do so. But now? Well, now I'm on my own, with a window of about 20 free minutes a day in which to book some tickets, and an increasingly unreliable brain reminding me to do so.

Songkick, together with my phone, acts like a personal concert planner. And it's really smart. Although you can easily search for bands you like and add them that way, there's a Spotify integration that makes it so much better. Link the services and Songkick will scan your Spotify library, adding artists you listen to regularly and saving you from having to do it manually. It's all very slick.

What's more, it remembers things. If I see something I want to go to, I can click that I'm interested and it will remind me nearer the time. If tickets aren't yet on sale, it will tell me when they are. It links with Google Calendar - basically the only guarantee I'll remember anything - and tells me what's coming up.

And when I do buy tickets, it keeps track of them and emails me in the days before. More than once this has saved me from completely forgetting about a gig I was supposed to be attending - and saved friends from being stood up by me.

I guess what this all says about me is that I'm unreliable and forgetful and generally useless - all things I already know. Still, as long as Songkick exists I have a workaround, for one area of my life at least.

Download Songkick for free on iOS / Android

UPDF makes editing PDF files quick and easy with 54% off and free gifts

Sponsored — Thu, 06 Apr 2023 11:38:05 +0000

Boost your productivity with UPDF - an easy to use Adobe Acrobat alternative that lets you edit PDF files quickly and easily, across a range of devices.

PDFs are hugely versatile files, and that’s why they are so popular on the internet. Being able to edit, add images and annotate PDF documents is incredibly important, whether you’re working with PDFs for work, studying or just day-to-day life.

Rather than shelling out for an expensive PDF editor, or rely on limited free services which lack features, 1 license of UPDF offers powerful tools for PC, Mac, Android and iPhone with 54% off discount and free gifts (a lifetime license of aJoysoft PDF Password Remover for free).

UPDF can open any PDF file you want on pretty much any device you own, so no matter where you are, you can view the PDF using an easy-to-use interface that’s tailor made for use on PC and Mac, as well as Android and iOS smartphones and tablets.

You can also quickly annotate the PDF by highlighting words, adding notes in text boxes, adding stickers, sticky notes and more! It’s the perfect tool for students who want to jot down notes and thoughts while studying.

UPDF lets you edit pretty much anything in the PDF, including text, images, links, watermarks and headers and footers. If you’re creating professional PDFs for work, you can also use UPDF to process bulk PDFs, and you can lock them with a password - essential if you are creative PDFs for internal use only.

(Image credit: Superace)

UPDF makes it easy to lay out amazing looking PDFs and organize pages like reordering, deleting, rotating, inserting or extracting pages, and you can also convert PDFs into other formats like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images or into editable text documents using the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature. It can recognize text in over 38 languages in scanned documents or images.

Adobe Acrobat vs. UPDF: how do they compare?

For a long time, Adobe Acrobat was the default PDF app for most people - but that doesn’t mean it's the best.

UPDF hasn’t been around as long as Adobe Acrobat, but it’s already made a huge splash thanks to being more affordable and versatile.

(Image credit: Superace)

While you’re looking at $155.88 per year for Adobe Acrobat Standard DC, and to get more features that rises to $239.88 per year for Adobe Acrobat Professional DC, UPDF costs just $39.99 a year - or you can pay $59.99 for lifetime access.

For that price, you get access to almost every feature that comes with the more expensive Adobe Acrobat.

(Image credit: Superace)

While Adobe Acrobat Professional DC lets you redact sensitive information in PDFs, allows you to create PDF files from other file formats and lets you sign forms digitally, UPDF comes with a host of features that the much more expensive Adobe Acrobat lacks, such as being able to convert PDFs to CSV, BMP and GIF formats, add stickers and rich text for annotations and turns PDFs into slideshows.

When it comes to functionality and sheer value for money, UPDF simply cannot be beat. For more information on how they compare, check out this in depth UPDF vs Adobe Acrobat guide.

Plans for everyone

UPDF has plans for both individuals and businesses, and no matter what type of subscription you go for, you can get an exclusive 54% off and free gifts, which includes a lifetime licence for a PDF password management tool and 10GB of UPDF Cloud.

With the individual plan, a single account can be used on two desktops and two mobile devices.

When it comes to the UPDF enterprise plan for businesses, an easy-to-use portal allows admins to manage licences and users for effective deployment and centralized management.

If you’re buying in bulk, you can get exclusive discounts by mentioning TechRadar in the inquiry email.

Google Photos is getting a major new feature on Chromebook

allisa.james@futurenet.com (Allisa James) — Fri, 31 Mar 2023 18:10:26 +0000

ChromeOS has been getting plenty of upgrades to its video editing since 2022, and now it's getting even more from Google Photos.

According to a new Google support page post, Google Photos will be empowering the best Chromebooks everywhere with even more new features. Jumping off from Chromebook’s Gallery app integration in 2022, Google Photos has added more support for Gallery and Files by allowing you to “seamlessly” use photos and images saved on the Chromebook and edit them in Google Photos.

Another major edit comes in the form of revamped movie creation tools on the Photos app, which lets you create a movie from scratch using a suggested theme. After you choose a theme from the Photos app, as well as the people or pets you want to be included in the movie, the video editor uses video clips and photos you have stored that match that theme and strings them together into a custom movie. If you want a more hands-on approach instead, Google Photos has a search feature that lets you find and arrange all that media yourself.

Google has a full how-to on creating movies, as well as editing photos and videos, through the app on ChromeOS. But it’s a simple process that involves the following:

Install the Google Photos app
Open up the media you want to be edited and select Edit.
From there you choose whichever editing tool you want to use.

If you want to create a movie:

Select Creations on the Google Photos app
Choose either the suggested movie option or New movie

Chromebooks are getting more recognition

ChromeOS, once the oft-ignored child of Google that's been the platform for the best cheap laptop option for school kids and nothing more, has been growing in both popularity among users and in support by its own creator.

Last year, we saw the debut of the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, considered by our standards to be the best Chromebook and one that can stand toe to toe with plenty of the best Ultrabooks out there.

More features like the aforementioned updates to Google Photos and the addition of more Apple support via one of the best video editors, Apple’s LumaFusion app, have become commonplace in the last several years. We even have gaming Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook 516 GE that are specifically designed to handle high-end gaming via the cloud.

And, unlike even the best Windows laptop, ChromeOS simply doesn’t see the kinds of viruses and malware plaguing other operating systems, meaning you don’t need to worry about constantly protecting and scanning your machine for threats (or cleaning it out if something nasty does worm its way in).

It’ll be interesting to see how much more support Chromebooks get in the future, but it’s an exciting time for Chromebook fans.

Adobe's new Firefly AI art generator is here to take on Midjourney and Dall-E

mark.wilson@futurenet.com (Mark Wilson) — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 13:00:36 +0000

Adobe has revealed its answer to AI art generators like Midjourney, Dall-E, and Stable Diffusion – and the new family of generative AI tools, collectively called Adobe Firefly, could ultimately be as influential as the original Photoshop was in 1990.

The giant behind apps like Photoshop and Illustrator has been baking AI image generation into its software for years, but Adobe Firefly takes it to a whole new level. Its first Firefly beta brings text-to-image generation to Photoshop and gives you the ability to apply styles to text in Illustrator, among other skills.

A key difference from the likes of Midjourney and Dall-E is that Adobe Firefly is more open about the data its AI models have been trained on. Adobe says this first beta model has been trained on Adobe Stock images, openly-licensed content, and public domain content where the copyright has expired.

In theory, this makes it a more ethical alternative to rivals that have attracted class-action lawsuits from artists who claim that some AI models, including Midjourney and Stability AI, are illegally based on copyrighted artworks. While this is an understandable policy from a giant as big as Adobe, it isn't yet clear what effect this will have on Firefly's overall power and versatility.

Adobe is treading carefully in this space, with a Firefly beta sign-up now open. Signing up won't necessarily grant you access to the new tools, though, as Adobe says that the beta process will be used to "engage with the creative community and customers as it evolves this transformational technology". But the good news for amateurs is that it will be asking "creators of all skills levels" to contribute.

While it might be a while until we see Adobe Firefly's new AI models rolled out across its full range of Creative Cloud apps, the early demos show that some fascinating, powerful tools are coming soon. In general, Firefly takes the usability and creative potential of its apps to new heights, thanks to the ability to simply describe an image, style, or text effect you're looking for.

The first apps that'll benefit from Firefly beta are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Express, and Adobe Experience Manager. And Adobe says this Firefly beta is just the first AI model in a family that is in the pipeline, with all of them likely to be integrated into Creative Cloud and Express workflows.

So what exactly is Adobe Firefly right now and how does it compare to the best AI art generators? We've gathered everything you need to know about Adobe's AI milestone in this guide, which you can navigate using the shortcuts on the left.

You can apply to be an Adobe Firefly beta tester right now. It isn't yet clear how many people will be granted beta access, but Adobe will use the process to fine-tune its models before fully integrating them into applications.

Adobe also hasn't yet revealed how long the beta process will be, but says that it'll use the period to "engage with the creative community and customers as it evolves this transformational technology". The speed of its full rollout will likely depend on how successful this beta period proves to be.

Adobe Firefly: which apps is it for?

The first Adobe apps to benefit from Firefly integration will be Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Express, and Adobe Experience Manager. These will get new tools like text-to-image generation, AI-generated text effects, and more, which you can see in action below.

(Image credit: Adobe)

But AI tools are coming soon to other apps, too. For example, Adobe previewed a feature in Premiere Pro that'll let you change the season and weather of a video scene, simply by writing the request in a text box.

Video editing is about to get a lot more powerful and user-friendly, although it isn't yet clear how quickly Adobe plans to roll out the betas for this next wave of Firefly tools.

Adobe Firefly: how do you use it?

We haven't yet been able to use Adobe Firefly's new tools, but we have seen them in action. And if they work as well as the early demos, they could have a dramatic impact on how Adobe's apps work – and who uses them.

The most obvious parallel to AI art generators like Midjourney, Dall-E, and Stable Diffusion is the text-to-image user interface. Like its rivals, the Firefly beta will let you type a request into a box (for example, "side profile face and ocean double exposure portrait") and it'll produce an AI-generated example.

You'll also be able to apply different styles using a menu that lets you choose between, for example, styling the image as a photo, graphic, or piece of art format. And there'll be further tweaks possible from a menu that has options like 'techniques', 'materials', and 'themes'.

(Image credit: Adobe)

It'll be a similar story with new AI text effects in the likes of Illustrator. For example, you'll be able to type a specific prompt like 'many fireflies in the night, bokeh light' and the AI generator will cook up a font matching that particular description. The possibilities for marketing, social media, and more are huge, particularly for those with no background in digital art.

Looking further ahead, Illustrator will be able to take sketched fonts and turn them into digital reality, while Adobe Express will let you generate social media templates from simple prompts like 'make templates from mood board.

Adobe Firefly vs Midjourney vs Dall-E

It's a bit too early to make any conclusions about how well Adobe's new Firefly tools work compared to the likes of Midjourney and Dall-E, but one area where it does differ is in the AI model's training.

Adobe says this first Firefly model is trained on "Adobe Stock images, openly-licensed content, and public domain content where copyright has expired", which means it'll be available for commercial use without the potential threat of copyright issues. Other AI art generators, meanwhile, are embroiled in potential class-action lawsuits from creators who argue that they involve “the illegal use of copyrighted works.”

(Image credit: Adobe)

Interestingly, Adobe also says that it's planning to "enable creators that contribute content for training to benefit from the revenue Firefly generates from images generated from the Adobe Stock dataset". Exactly how Adobe plans to do this hasn't yet been decided, though, so while the intent is laudable, we're interested to hear more details. The company says it "will share details on how contributors are compensated once Firefly is out of beta".

Similarly, Adobe says that one of the broader goals of its Content Authenticity Initiative (an initiative that includes members like Getty and Microsoft) is the creation of a universal 'Do Not Train' content credentials tag for images, which would allow artists to exclude their creations from being part of an AI image generators training. Again, while this is a promising development, it's currently only at the "goal" stage.

Adobe Firefly: how good is it?

Adobe Firefly is clearly a huge moment for its creative apps – and anyone who relies on digital tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, or Express.

While many people already use AI-powered Adobe tools (like Photoshop's Neural filters), Firefly could open them up to a whole new audience – all you need to do is describe anything from images to illustrations and video and the software 'co-pilot' (as Adobe likes to call its AI) will give you a helping hand.

Of course, none of this is new, and the likes of Midjourney and Stable Diffusion have stolen a march on Adobe in getting AI art generators out into the wild. It also remains to be seen how much Adobe's understandable attempts to make Firefly ethical (by restricting its training data) will impact its overall usefulness and versatility.

The likelihood is that Firefly will simply give existing Adobe customers some very useful new tools to dream up new creations, rather than attracting hordes of converts over from the likes of Midjourney. But we'll give you our first thoughts once we've taken the Firefly beta for a spin, hopefully very soon.

Google Photos could soon bring its AI editing tricks to your videos

cesartechradar@gmail.com (Cesar Cadenas) — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 22:29:52 +0000

Google’s upcoming Pixel 8 series may have a new feature allowing the phones to boost the visual quality of videos, similar to Photo Unblur on the Pixel 7 Pro.

It’s called Video Unblur and it was first discovered by the team over at 9to5Google who dug through the APK file (Android Package Kit) of the latest version of Google Photos. They were able to forcibly enable the user interface for Video Unblur on the app. However, the team couldn’t get it to work. According to the report, the tool currently doesn’t have any “noticeable effect on videos'' as it’s probably still in development. But once it does launch, 9to5Google states the tool should work just like Photo Unblur by utilizing machine learning to spruce up videos shot on a Pixel 8 phone – probably.

The report adds that there’s nothing in the APK’s code directly tying Video Blur to Pixel phones. But if history repeats itself, the software could follow the same trajectory as Photo Unblur by staying exclusive to Google’s phones. And speaking of app history, 9to5Google points out this update is following the same pattern as the HDR effect on Google Photos, as that feature supported images first before moving on to video.

Besides Video Unblur, the team also discovered a series of filters users can apply to videos to add a bit of creativity. Those filters will have their home in the new Overlays tab on Google Photos which will appear whenever you begin editing. Currently, there are 14 visual effects including the VHS filter, which is probably based on the old video format, and B&W which is most likely a simple black-and-white effect.

Still in the works

As interesting as all this may sound, don’t get too attached to the idea of them. As 9to5Google notes, there’s no guarantee either Video Blur or the filters will release in their current state or if at all. All we know for sure is Google is working on something with the chance the final product may look completely different.

The big question is what will the hardware powering Video Unblur look like, assuming the feature is exclusive to the Pixel 8. There have been some reports Google’s upcoming flagship phone will come with a Tensor G3 chipset slated to be more powerful and efficient than Tensor G2 on the Google Pixel 7.

The launch date of the Pixel 8 line is currently unknown. Although if history repeats itself (and it probably will), we expect the release to be sometime around October 2023.

The best Google Pixel phones ranked for 2023

How to use Photos in macOS Ventura - from moving videos from iOS, to editing

sofiawycislikwilson@gmail.com (Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson) — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 12:00:07 +0000

The Photos app has been a part of macOS for so long, it is almost possible to forget that it's there -- but it is fabulously useful. Much more than simply a tool for viewing your digital snaps and videos, in macOS Ventura, Photos has developed into a complete image management utility.

That's also thanks to iCloud, where you can take a photo on your iPhone and see it 'magically' appear on your Mac or iPad without doing any additional work to make that so.

However, as the years pass, some features could have gone under the radar for you, which is why we've created this guide to showcase some of the best features of Apple's Photos app in macOS.