Adobe share price drops with announcement of 750 job cuts (USA)
Adobe Systems Inc., an American based computer software company, has announced 750 job cuts in order to discontinue its flash technology for mobile devices and focus on programs for digital publishing and advertising.
The job cuts taking place largely in North America and Europe, accounting for more than 7 percent of the company’s workforce, are expected to cost $87 million to $94 million before taxes. According to reports, the graphic design software maker has been facing tough competition from Apple and Microsoft, and is planning to shift its focus towards the HTML5 programming language and software for cloud computing, delivered over the Web.
As per sources, Shantanu Narayen, CEO, Adobe has hinted at plans to release a tablet-computer software with aggressive subscription plans in order to attract new customers, claiming that Adobe’s software-as-a- service business may reach $1 billion over time.
Adobe plans upgraded Flash Player for smartphones
Adobe has announced that it is planning an upgrade for the Flash player, deployed in most smartphones – excepting Apple iPhones to support improved video performance through optimizing hardware acceleration on mobile devices. Support for mobile devices will be available on Android 3.0 Honeycomb and BlackBerry Tablet OS.
According to the company, it’s Adobe AIR platform is now compatible with both Android and Apple smartphones. By the end of 2011, Adobe expects more than 200 million smartphones and tablets to support Adobe AIR applications.
In addition, Adobe has announced that more than 20 million smartphones were shipped or upgraded with Adobe Flash Player 10.1 software on over 35 certified devices in the first six months following the launch. For 2011, the company expects Flash Player to be supported on more than 132 million units worldwide. More than 50 tablets are expected to support Flash Player this year alone.
According to David Wadhwani, Senior Vice President, Creative and Interactive Solutions Business Unit, Adobe, the company is thrilled to see mobile adoption of Flash Player and AIR exceeding even their expectations, with much more to come in the months ahead. This is tremendous progress toward ensuring that mobile users everywhere have access to their favorite content from casual games to Web video and enterprise applications regardless of what device they are using. CS5 customers are excited about the ability to easily extend their creative work across millions of mobile devices.
Microsoft in talks to Acquire Adobe to unite against Apple
If rumors are to be believed, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen were in a meeting to discuss over Apple and its control of the mobile phone market and how the two companies could collaborate in the battle against Apple. A possible acquisition of Adobe by Microsoft was among the options.
Formally, Adobe and Microsoft have been opponents with challenging software and the companies became really aggressive in 2007 when Microsoft began promoting Silverlight, its software plug-in for the Web that directly competes with Adobe Flash.
According to sources, the two companies had talked about the obstruction that Apple’s chief executive, Steven P. Jobs, had placed on Adobe’s Flash software for its hand-held devices and whether a partnership by Adobe and Microsoft could fend off Apple, which continues to grow at juggernaut speeds. Microsoft had courted Adobe several years ago. But the deal never moved past informal talks as Microsoft feared that the Justice Department would most likely block the acquisition on antitrust grounds.
The source noted that Microsoft was the dominant force in technology, Google and Apple were not the giants they are today.
Samsung launches Android tablet in joint venture with Vodafone
Samsung has launched its first tablet device ‘The Galaxy Tab’ with global carrier Vodafone and set to offer the product from October.
The market prices have not been released yet and much will obviously hinge on that, but Vodafone’s Samsung Galaxy Tab looks like a real contender for iPad in terms of functionality.
Unlike the Apple iPad, to which the Galaxy Tab bears an expected resemblance, Samsung’s unit possesses cellular connectivity from the beginning, to harmonize its Wi-Fi capabilities. It supports all cellular communication, offering voice and video calling, SMS and MMS plus email. It also support for Adobe’s Flash Player 10.1 which again makes it different from Apple. It has a 3 megapixel camera, can do more than 7 hours video between charges and has a phone function. The table can also be used to receive calls by using its in built speaker and mic.
The Galaxy Tab will run Android 2.2 and has a 7 inch display. And it’s a multi-purpose ‘media centre’ which sounds as if it’s slightly more portable and tuned up for mobility than the iPad.
The Tab is high-definition and can also be used as an e-reader or a navigation device. It features 32 GB of storage and weights 380gm.
According to JK Shin, president of Samsung’s mobile unit, talking about the nascent tablet market, Samsung identifies the marvelous growth potential in this newly created market. There is a new and emerging consumer demand that Samsung can satisfy since mobile is in the company’s DNA. This demand continues to grow and develop as users tap its limitless potential.
Vodafone was the first operator to announce a sharing deal for the device.
According to Patrick Chomet, Group Director of Terminals at Vodafone, Vodafone’s aim is to offer all customers new and attractive ways to enjoy mobile data, on the move, across a variety of devices. Adding tablets as part of our device range is a natural next step that gives customers an alternative way to enjoy great content and internet services.
Apple undermining WEB- Adobe
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: The war between Adobe Systems-Apple over Flash is heating up. Adobe cofounders John Warnock and Chuck Geschke have accused Apple through an open letter to be the company behind the iPhone, iPod and iPad of undermining “the next chapter of the web.”
A letter has been posted on the website of Adobe and an advertising campaign has been started under the name, The Freedom of Choice as per which, while Adobe loves Apple, the iPhone maker is “taking away your freedom.” The ads are also displayed in The New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and The Wall Street Journal, as well as technology blogs and news sites including TopTechNews.com.
According to the Adobe co- founders, consumers should be able to freely access their favorite content and applications, regardless of what computer they have, what browser they like, or what device suits their needs and if the web fragments into closed systems, come at the expense of the very creativity and innovation that has made the Internet a revolutionary force.
Since they publish Flash specifications are made by them, anyone can make a player. The letters by the cofounders also pointed to Postscript and PDF, two Adobe cross-platform software solutions with openly published specifications. It has to be kept in mind that Adobe is not only resorting to the letter and ads to pressurize Apple, as it has been reported that a possible federal antitrust investigation might also be there in response to a complaint from Adobe.
Apple on the other hand has also replied through an open lengthy in which the cofounder and CEO Steve Jobs has attempted to explain why Adobe’s nearly ubiquitous Flash technology is not allowed on Apple’s mobile devices calling Flash a proprietary, closed system.
Samsung’s YP-T9 reviewed
Alright, we’ve seen it hit the FCC, China and Korea, but how do we really feel about this new Yepp player diving into the already crowded nano-killer space? According to CNET, we feel “Very good.” The YP-T9 sounds to be quite tactile and fun to use, with solid buttons, a nice finish and that lovable Adobe Flash interface. CNET found the 1.8-inch 176 x 220 display to be plenty good for a device of this size, but though photos looked sharp and videos played back smoothly, the device only supports the SVI codec, so it’ll be a chore getting any video to watch on the tiny screen. As for performance, the player sounds like a winner — even using the stock earphones — and the 30 hours of audio playback and 7 hours of video (Samsung promised 6) are some of the best battery life stats going. The player turns out to be quite a worthy successor to the YP-T8, and while it didn’t knock the socks off anybody at CNET-land, it should do all right for itself all the same.
Source- http://www.engadget.com
