Check out this tutorial on how to stitch multiple pictures into one beautiful panoramic shot.

Almost a year ago, Microsoft announced that it will no longer support Internet Explorer 6. Most people thought that this would be the end of the dreaded browser, but by some miracle, it survived and thrived. Recently however, with IE6's market share dipping below 1% (according to Netmarketshare.com), it looks like IE6 has finally reached its demise.

Does this mean that we can build our sites without worrying about IE hacks and weird rendering anomalies? Not necessarily...

I hate to break it to you but IE7 and IE8 are still out in the wild. Though these browsers are better than its predecessor, they still lack the standards that most current browsers support. One of the major issues web developers face is that some users are still reluctant to upgrade their Windows OS to Vista or 7. So the real issue here is not really the browser version but the OS version being utilized.

Windows XP is a very old OS and will never support the newer IE browsers after 8, which means most users are stuck. With a little less than 50 percent of users still on XP, it is going to take a while before we can rid ourselves of all the headaches of web development.

So, if you are reading this on your Window XP IE8, please for the love of Grayskull, update your OS….or at least switch to Firefox or Chrome.

Adobe Max 2011 has come to a close, and for the most part, it was good. Most of the new products
and enhancements were geared towards mobile and tablet applications development. This was the
apparent overall theme, not only for the general session and Keynote, but also within the Community
Pavillion. It looks like the way we will be communicating our products and services is evolving once
again.

Let us take a look at some of the features and products that were unveiled.

Hello All,

This week, I will be attending Adobe MAX 2011. So with that I will be attempting to post on anything new or cool. Keep checking in on both this blog and my User Group Facebook Page.

-Feed the Brain

Are you a designer? Do you want to build a web page without looking at code? Is Dreamweaver still to difficult to use?

Well I have a solution for you. Introducing Adobe Muse. Adobe Muse makes building a website as easy as designing it. Simply layout your site design in an InDesign like fashion, with the capabilities of building rich and dynamic content that most developers take years to master.

Ok, enough of the sales pitch. Adobe Muse is a new beta project design to make building interact website quickly and efficiently. There's no code involved. No complicated server configurations. Just design and build. Visit the Adobe Muse website and see if this product can help you out. It's free until the 1.0 release. Then it will be subscription based.

On August 22nd and 23rd I will be performing my Second Adobe Days Seminar in Orlando, FL. I'm really excited for this will be my first time in Orlando. I plan on enjoying the sites, soaking up the sun and speaking about some of the Adobe products that I'm really passionate about.

The focus of sessions will be Acrobat, Livecycle and Adobe Design Tools. I have some really awesome Tips and Tricks to share that will benefit beginner to expert level users. There will be something for everyone. Check out the Sessions below:

Acrobat X Pro Tips & Tricks
August 22, 2011, 9am-12pm
Learn the new features of Adobe Acrobat X Pro. Deliver professional PDF communications. Create and edit PDF files with rich media included, share information more securely, and gather feedback more efficiently. This lesson also includes an overview of the powerful forms creation tools available in Adobe Acrobat X Pro.


Designing Forms Workflow with Acrobat X Pro and LiveCycle Designer
August 22, 2011, 1pm-4pm
Learn how to effectively create interactive PDF forms from scratch with Acrobat X Pro and LiveCycle Designer. Take Microsoft Word documents and convert them to add form fields and user controls with Acrobat X Pro. Take your documents to the next level with LiveCycle Designer to add polish using custom date pickers, templates and more.


Tips & Tricks - Creative Suite 5.5 Production Premium
August 23, 2011, 9am-12pm
This session includes an overview of creative workflow between Premiere and After Effects to rapidly produce professional video content. The new features in Creative Suite 5.5 are demonstrated as well as everyday tips and tricks that will boost your agency's productivity. Some new topics include new workflow features in Premiere and new effects in AfterEffects.


Tips & Tricks - Creative Suite 5.5 Design Premium
August 23, 2011, 1pm-4pm
This session includes an overview of the design workflow using Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Learn how the different products can be used together to create content across your agency's communication eco system. The new features in Creative Suite 5.5 are demonstrated as well as everyday tips and tricks that will boost your agency's productivity. Some new topics include Ebook authoring with InDesign.

If you see something that interest you and you will be in the Orlando area the week of August 22nd, then head on down to the event, it's free.

For more detail, check our the Adobe Days Site.

HTML 5 is hot, and some might even say it's the "Flash Killer". Now I'm gonna have to disagree about the Flash Killer part, but Adobe is not going down without a fight. Bring on the mighty Wallaby!

"Wallaby" is an experimental technology that will be able to take basic timeline animations and graphics created in Flash Professional, and convert it into HTML 5. Imagine content created in Flash supported by all devices, whether Flash enabled or not. That's the idea behind "Wallaby". While it's still in beta, you can test drive it for free and give any feedback. Who knows, it might be integrated in the next version of Flash.

You can download "Wallaby" from Adobe Labs.

Flash Training Phoenix

Acrobat has reach level 10

Offense +7
Defense +8
Magic +7
Awesomeness +10

Ok enough of the nerd gaming reference, Acrobat X is now out in the wild. It offers some fancy upgrades as well as a slick new interface. The new version might take a little getting used to, but it's all worth it. Check out this little video I whipped up.


Acrobat Training Phoenix

In my last Dreamweaver Training, a lot of my students had questions about SEO (Search Engine Optimization). While I shared my knowledge of what tricks and tips to implement, I couldn't really give an answer on how to check your rankings without just doing a search. Until Now! Chrome to the rescue. 

I found a cool extension called Chrome SEO . This extension adds a nifty little button just right of your address bar. When clicked, it'll give you a rundown of your current SEO rankings. Not only that, but you can type up some keywords and it will offer up some suggestions.

Try it out, the best thing is that it's free. 

Dreamweaver Training Phoenix

Mobile is big business, so you need to get a piece of that cake. One of my students brought a site to my attention that creates a QR Code for a web address, encoded message or even contact info. So what's a QR Code...well according to wikipedia:

"A QR Code is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data."

You've probably seen these around. Small barcodes you take a picture of with your mobile device. You will then be taken to some downloadable page or special location on the web. You do need an app that will do this for you though. I recommend Goggles which is installed on my Android device.

Its real easy to use, navigate to I-nigma and select the Create Barcodes nav. Type in your site or message...then presto, you're done. You can now take that image and paste it all over the place. Scan mine below.



Site: http://www.i-nigma.com/CreateBarcodes.html

Here's another round of video tutorials. I put together a little something showing how to use a mask in Photoshop and create a really interesting effect. Check it out.

Even though HTML 5 seems to be the new and hot buzz word out on the web, there are some really cool sites that actually showcase the possibilities with this new syntax. Case in point...The Wilderness Down Town.

This Google Chrome experiment was a project by artist Chris Milk, the good guys at Google and the music of Arcade Fire. The Wilderness Down Town uses Google Maps and Google Street view to create a personalized experience along side video and vector graphics all within multiple pop-up windows. At one point of the of the experience , you are required to write a message that becomes part of the project. Totally Mind Blowing!

If you haven't already, install Google Chrome and check out The Wilderness Down Town.

With the support for CSS3 increasing, trying to remember the browser specific tags is a bit of a challenge. I found this site that will create the mark up for you with a few simple clicks. CSS3 Maker lists all the new and hot techniques that are supported with todays current browsers. If you would like to add rounded corners to your containers, just specify the parameters.

This is also a great way to learn the new syntax and start experimenting. Keep in mind that these techniques are only supported with current browsers, so no need to run out and update all your clients sites just yet.

David Rojo is a great illustrator and a buddy of mine. He has put together a couple of awesome illustrator brushes to add to your arsenal. Visit his blog site and download them today. And while you're at it, check out some of his latest work in his portfolio section. Awesome!

RojoRevolution.com

Every morning, I regularly visit a list of blogs sites looking for either inspiration, tutorials or freebies. This allows me to reference great places for my students during my classes. This morning, one of my favorite site has a set of 10 Free Online Books for Web Designers. Time to grab a nice cup of coffee and start ready. Check them out and enjoy.

Feed the Brain.