Livestation, a service which will challenge the Slingbox in streaming your TV to a remote computer.

By using the Microsoft’s Flash-like Silverlight plugin will allow any computer to display TV either in a stand-alone window or in a web browser. Thereby allowing Windows users, soon the Mac and potentially even Windows Mobile cell phones to have TV on the go.

It is in private beta right now and should hit the market in October of this year.

Video: LiveStation Demo

Technorati Tags: Livestation, Slingbox, Adobe, Flash, TV, Skinkers, Microsoft, Silverlight

Per an update to Postman’s blog, photographer Michael Yon released the following statement

Earlier today, concerns were raised about the use of an iconic photo to which I own the copyright. I understand that mistakes of this nature can happen with no malevolent intent, and the Washington State Democratic Party has responsibly addressed my concerns. We have agreed on a one-time license for the past use of the image and this matter has been fully and completely resolved.

I hope Mr. Yon got a triple fee for their “unauthorized used” of your great work.

But what is still unresolved and is just as important, is will Darcy Burner make a statement denouncing the “unauthorized use” of this photo and DCCC use of TVW tapes in a TV hit ad. Her actions will be an aid to voters in the WA 8th CD, the home of Microsoft, about her views on intellectual property rights, business practices, and genernal ethics. Darcy Burner, we all are watching to see actions that will allow us to get to know the real you. After all, how can you deal with China, where rampant software piracy and generally low regard for intellectual property rights make it difficult for technology companies, such as Microsoft and Adobe, to do business when you are willing to tolerate this for your personal gain.

Technorati Tags: Darcy Burner,  Dave Reichert,  Washington State Democratic Party,  WSDCC,  John Mason,   Michael Yon,  photography,  photo,   Democrats,   Thief,   Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee,  DCCC,  TVW, China, Microsoft, Adobe

Apple has demo’d and launched Aperture, a high end professional photo software package. As Apple did with Final Cut Pro, they are now taking on another Adobe product, Photoshop. Final Cut Pro did so well, Adobe stopped making Premiere Pro for the Mac.

One thing Abobe Photoshop has going for it, is that it does not require 1GB of RAM and 17- or 20-inch iMac G5 with a 1.8 GHz or faster PowerPC G5 processor or 15-inch PowerBook G4 with a 1.25 GHz or faster PowerPC G4 processor. I do find it odd that the ATI Radeon X600 XT and Radeon X600 Pro videos cards, which are on the new iMac, are not listed on Aperture’s specs page as one of the appoved graphics cards. If Apple is going to get schools to teach Aperture, working on a iMac for intro classes is a must. Apple needs schools to teach this software to gain market share. Unlike video software when Final Cut Pro was launched, Photoshop is the clear leader in a mature market and is meeting the needs of most of it users.

Then there is Microsoft, with Microsoft Expression Family that includes Acrylic Graphic Designer, Mirosoft’s answer to both Photoshop and Illustrator. The Expression Family also includes Microsoft Expression Sparkle Interactive Designer and Microsoft Expression Quartz Web Designer, which will take on the GoLive and when Adobe’s acquisition of Macromedia is finished, Flash and Dreamweaver.

Adobe has a plus over both Microsoft and Apple. They can ship everything they do on both platforms and they should. This means bringing back Premiere Pro to the Mac platform. Adobe should also think about shipping their products on Linux as a way to push their brand without the need of Microsoft or Apple. There are a lot of people who need cross platform solutions, an area that Adobe has excelled in before.

The other ace up Adobe’s sleeve, once they own Macromedia, is the Flex 2.0 familiy of technologies, which includes Flex Framework 2.0, Flex Builder 2.0 (aka Zorn), Flash Player 8.5 and ActionScript 3. Here is a 15 minute video of Kevin Lynch’s Web 2.0 conference presentation announcing Flex 2.0 and Flash 8.5.

Technorati Tags: Apple, Adobe, Microsoft, Final Cut Pro, Photoshop, Aperture, Premiere Pro, Illustrator, Expression, Acrylic , Sparkle, Quartz Web Designer, GoLive, Flash, Dreamweaver

Well it looks like Microsoft will be showing more than Acrylic- their Photoshop and Illustrator Killer at the PDC. Expect Sparkle to be shown, as well. So Microsoft’s dreams of a Flash killer are not dead. Heck isn’t this try number 3 or 4 now but at least this time the code name has stayed the same. These products will form the core of the Microsoft Expression Studio too package. I wonder if they will put FrontPage in that box, as well.

With Adobe buying Macromedia, they can match Microsoft on every front with products, which already lead the pack in their respective categories. After all, MS is going to take on PDF soon, which I think is a foolish since the legal and business world are already too invested in that format and have too many business processes and in house tools that would need to be changed. Plus Adobe has a good track record at being cross platform, Microsoft does not. Especially once it feels it has a safe market share in a category. Take IE for the Mac and Unix as exhibit one and two.

Apple has a great opportunity to mend fences with Abode right now. Apple uses PDF as a core part of it’s OS and has a strong past with Abode. Yes, Final Cut Pro and Express caused Adobe to pull further development of Adobe Premiere Pro for OS X, but I think Apple should work with Adobe to have them return to the Mac. It is in Adobe and Apple’s best interest to have all Adobe products on the Mac. At the same time Apple will need to understand the next version of Flash will be take on Quicktime for some uses. Right now these two need to kiss and make-up and practice coopertition (a combination of cooperation and competition), not doing so will only help the kids in Redmond.

Technorati Tags: Expression Studio, Acrylic, Sparkle, FrontPage, Microsoft, Photoshop, Illustrator, PDF, Acrobat, Adobe, Flash, Macromedia, Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express, Quicktime, Apple