Adobe promises better Creative Cloud support for Android is coming this summer

There comes a day in every company’s life where they just have to bite the bullet and admit they haven’t put their best foot forward. For Adobe, that day is today. While Adobe has released a number of great apps on Android already, the latest advances in their suite of multimedia editing tools under the Creative Cloud banner have largely been confined to iOS.

Namely, the Creative Profile and Creative Profile SDK that gives you access to all your image profiles, presets, brushes and colors have yet to find a home on Android. Adobe says that doesn’t mean they aren’t in the works, though, and tells us to expect the first of these apps to arrive in the Summer of 2015.Android users have cause to be upset, for sure. After all, they pay just as much for their Creative Cloud subscriptions as iOS users and aren’t getting nearly the same level of support. We’re not sure what Adobe has to do to make sure Android doesn’t fall behind again — perhaps adding a team of software engineers dedicated to Android is in order — but we’re hopeful this first step is a sign that they’re finally getting serious about the world’s leading smartphone platform.[via Adobe]

Microsoft confirms Cortana personal assistant is coming to Android this summer

Microsoft today announced that Windows 10 will support Cortana integration not only with their own smartphone, but also for those using Android phones or the iPhone. The functionality will come as part of the OS upgrade happening later this summer.

Microsoft Cortana is a voice assistant service, not all that dissimilar to Siri or Google Search + Google Now. Cortana is actually pretty good at what it does, with some people willing to give it the throne of best voice assistant.

So what’ll it bring? Here’s a quick look at the feature set Microsoft is boasting:

• You can have Cortana remind you to pick up milk the next time you’re at the grocery store, and then your phone will wake up and buzz with the reminder.


• You’ll be able to ask about the weather.


• Or sports scores.


• Or anything else you would head to a search engine for.


• You’ll be able to track a flight using Cortana on both your phone and your PC, and get the updates on the device that you’re on so you don’t miss anything.


• Everything in Cortana’s Notebook will show up across all your devices and any changes you make on one device will be reflected when you use Cortana on any of your other devices.


• The Cortana companion app will help you complete tasks you begin on your PC wherever you are, on your phone.

Unfortunately Android and iOS users won’t be enjoying some of the other things made possible by owning a Windows phone, such as being able to toggle settings. That sort of stuff requires more open access to system settings which Microsoft doesn’t have. Regardless, it’s better than having nothing at all.

Microsoft also detailed some of the other Windows 10 integration being worked on, including syncing your files across devices with OneDrive and being able to play music stored in OneDrive through the Xbox Music app. It all sounds great and we can’t wait for it to arrive.

So when will it happen? Microsoft says a new preview version of Windows 10 is heading out in a few weeks, and the Cortana apps for mobile should be out by the end of June. That’s not a long wait and you can bet we’ll be checking it out to see if it can’t steal us away from Google Now.

[via Microsoft]

Google confirms their self-driving cars will be on public roads this summer

Google’s self-driving vehicle prototypes are real, but they have yet to be tested in very real environments. That will change this summer, according to the Mountain View company.

They confirmed that the cars would be out on public roads in Mountain View as early as this summer, though obviously not without training wheels. Each vehicle will be manned by a human test driver who will have detachable steering wheels and pedals to take over driving whenever they need.

Each prototype’s speed will be hard capped at 25 miles per hour, which isn’t exactly freeway-friendly pace but should be both slow and fast enough for safe travels through small residential and commercial areas.

Google says their goal within the next few years is to learn what people would use these vehicles for by running a small pilot program. That’s a seemingly long wait for baseline consumer trialing, though this sort of technology is so new and delicate that you have to expect it to take years before a commercial product comes to market.

In the meantime just sit back, enjoy the ride (no pun intended) and know that Google is inching closer and closer to an autonomous future for roadways each and every day.

[via Google]

Verizon’s Sony Xperia Z4v comes with Snapdragon 810 later this summer

Verizon has announced that they’ll be carrying the Sony Xperia Z4v later this summer. Their variant is a bit more beefy internally than the regular Xperia Z4, although it still uses the same Snapdragon 810 chipset. It’s a 64-bit piece of silicon that has gotten flak for apparent overheating issues, but it’s still a pretty powerful beast.

Their device also sports 2560 x 1440 resolution for its 5.2-inch display, as well as a roomy 32GB of internal storage (with microSD for expansion, if you need). You can also expect a 3,000mAh battery with built-in wireless charging (both Qi and PMA standards) and Quick Charge 2.0. Finally, you’ll get a 20.7 megapixel Sony sensor on the rear and a 5 megapixel camera on the front for your photo and video taking needs.

Verizon only had a “this summer” date to give us, though that’s not too long of a wait considering we’re already deep into the warm months. It’ll be available in Black or White. Be sure to sign up to be notified for more information once its launch nears right here.