MacRumors

Flexibits, the company that makes popular calendar app Fantastical, today launched a new contacts management app, Cardhop. Designed to be more than just a simple contacts app, Cardhop is interactive and is designed to be your communications hub, allowing you to email, message, and interface with your contacts from one central location.

When developing Cardhop, Flexibits aimed to do the same thing for contacts that it did for the calendar - turn an app that can be dull, unintuitive, and slow into a robust, streamlined app that offers a lot more utility.

A search for "Eric" for example, will bring up the card for a contact named Eric, with information like phone number, email address, birth date, home address, Twitter handle, Facebook profile, Skype username, and more. There are dozens of fields that can be added for each contact.

Entering a phrase like "Eric 867-5309 work" will automatically add the phone number you entered to Eric's contact card under the work heading, and similar phrases can be used to quickly update or remove information for all contacts. Added information will sync to the default Apple Contacts app.

If you start typing a name that's not already in your contacts list, Cardhop will automatically add a new entry with the information. Groups of contacts are also supported, so you can create a group like "work" to automatically send an email or a message to everyone you work with.

Cardhop's most useful feature is perhaps its quick actions. Every contact card in Cardhop features four customizable quick action buttons for interacting with contacts and performing tasks like placing a call, sending a tweet, or sending an email. The following quick actions are available: Call, Copy, Directions, Email, FaceTime, FaceTime Audio, Large Type, Message, Skype, Telegram, Twitter, URL, and VoIP.

Clicking on one of the quick action buttons performs the task assigned to the button, but typing a quick action like "Skype Eric" or "Message Eric" also works. When using the call feature, there's also an option to place the call on your iPhone from your Mac using Bluetooth. Cardhop has the potential to save time in a workflow because it automates tasks that would normally take several clicks.

Cardhop also takes advantage of the underused "note" feature available in the default Contacts app, making a notes section front and center for each contact in the app. Notes can be used to add details about contacts that you want to remember, leading to richer interactions.

"Until now, contacts apps were basically boring databases," said Michael Simmons, Co-founder of Flexibits. "Cardhop is an entirely different approach and we think it's going to simplify and truly change the way people think about and interact with their contacts."

Cardhop is normally priced at $19.99, but to celebrate its launch, Flexibits is offering it for $14.99 for a limited time. Cardhop can be downloaded from the Mac App Store.

Adobe's annual Adobe MAX conference kicks off today, and the company is introducing a whole slew of updates to its Creative Cloud platform. Among those updates is a new version of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC, which is now a full cloud-based photography service.

Lightroom CC has been available cross-platform for some time now with a dedicated Mac app and an iOS app, but with the new cloud service, Adobe is aiming to make editing and organizing photos simpler for both professionals and enthusiasts across multiple devices.

The new version of Lightroom CC continues to offer the same image editing capabilities that have been available in previous versions of Lightroom, but there's a new streamlined user interface with quick adjustment tools and presets that are quicker and easier to use.

All content is stored in the cloud, with Adobe providing users with up to 1TB of storage space that includes support for RAW images.

Full resolution photos stored in Lightroom can be edited on any device using the Lightroom CC app for Mac, the iOS app, or the web interface. Lightroom backs up all photos and keeps edits synced across devices.

Lightroom CC supports Adobe Sensei machine learning technology, which is able to recognize objects and people in photographs to make searching for and finding content simpler. Keywords are automatically applied to photos based on content.

Sharing tools make it simple to share Lightroom CC content directly to social networks, and there's an option to create Lightroom web galleries to showcase multiple photos at once. Lightroom CC also supports integration with Adobe Portfolio.

On iOS devices, the updated Lightroom CC app features the same Adobe Sensei search technology, and it offers an enhanced iPad layout, support for the iOS 11 Files app, and support for the HEIF image format introduced in iOS 11.

With the launch of the new cloud-based Lightroom CC app, Adobe is not eliminating the previous version of Lightroom. The older non-cloud version of Lightroom, which will continue to focus on a more traditional desktop-first workflow, has been renamed to Lightroom Classic CC. Lightroom Classic CC is also getting several new updates. It is gaining an enhanced Embedded Preview workflow for scrolling through large sets of photos faster than before, and new editing capabilities like a new Color Range and Luminance Masking feature.

With the launch of the Lightroom CC Cloud Photography service, Adobe is introducing new pricing plans. The Lightroom CC Cloud service with 1TB of storage plus Photoshop CC and access to Lightroom for mobile and web is priced at $19.99 per month. For existing Photography subscribers, Adobe is dropping that price to $14.99 per month for the first year.

Adobe is adding Lightroom CC to the existing Creative Cloud Photography plan and providing current subscribers with 20GB of storage space. The plan will continue to cost $9.99 per month and includes Lightroom CC, Lightroom mobile, Lightroom web, Lightroom Classic, and Photoshop CC.

A standalone Lightroom CC plan is available for customers who don't need Photoshop access. It includes 1TB of storage and access to the mobile and web apps for $9.99 per month. For mobile only users, there's a Lightroom Mobile plan for iOS that offers 100GB of cloud storage for $4.99 per month.

More information about Adobe's New Lightroom CC Cloud Photography service can be found on the Adobe website.

At its annual Adobe MAX Creativity Conference, Adobe today announced a range of updates that are being introduced to its Creative Cloud software.

Three Adobe apps that have been available in a beta capacity are officially launching, including Adobe XD CC for user interface design, Adobe Dimension CC for 2D to 3D compositing, and Adobe Character Animator CC for 2D character animations.

Adobe is also introducing a new Lightroom CC app that includes a built-in cloud storage feature, and it is announcing feature updates for Photoshop CC, InDesign CC, Illustrator CC, and Premiere Pro.

"Adobe continues to lead the creative revolution, driving modernization and innovation that will accelerate the creative process across all platforms and devices," said Bryan Lamkin, executive vice president and general manager, Digital Media at Adobe. "Today, we unveiled a new generation of Creative Cloud, with a wide spectrum of capabilities--from new experience design, 2D animation and 3D rendering apps to an all-new, cloud-based photography service. These tools enable creative professionals and enthusiasts to express themselves and reach their full creative potential anytime, anywhere, on any device."

Photoshop CC is gaining 1,400 new brushes from Adobe's acquisition of KyleBrush.com, and Adobe is introducing new tools and tutorials that are designed to make it easier for first-time Photoshop users to learn how to do basic tasks in the app, which are available in a new Learn Panel.

Adobe is integrating the Lightroom cloud catalog into Photoshop for quicker access to Lightroom photos, there are new tools for editing 360 spherical panoramic images, and new Range Masks make it easier to make local adjustments with fine control.

Photoshop CC also features improved brush preset management tools, automatic brush stroke smoothing, better select and mask tools, a new Curvature Pen tool, improvements for painting performance, and a symmetry painting experience for creating mirrored brush strokes along a symmetry axis.

Illustrator CC features an updated Essentials workspace with a new Properties Panel that offers up dynamic access to controls and better panel organization for less clutter on the workspace. It also includes support for more artboards (up to 1,000), an option to disable Zoom to Selection, support for variable fonts, and global color swatches.

InDesign CC includes supports for endnotes and annotations, enhancements to object-styles, paragraph borders, and an option to manage text in Creative Cloud Libraries.

Updates for Premiere Pro CC and After Effects CC that were detailed earlier this year at IBC are also launching today.

Adobe Stock, Adobe's collection of professionally created images and videos, is being updated with new motion graphics templates for Premiere Pro and After Effects, and TypeKit is using Adobe Sensei technology for a new feature that lets users search for fonts using a photograph.

These are just a handful of the new features Adobe is introducing today. Details on all of the updates debuting across Adobe's range of apps can be found on the Adobe website.

Adobe is planning to raise the price of its Creative Cloud plans in North America in the near future. Starting on March 1 or when a contract is up for renewal, pricing across all plans will increase. The Adobe CC plan that provides access to all apps for individuals, for example, will be priced at $52.99 instead of $49.99 going forward. Pricing information is available on Adobe's Creative Cloud membership site.

A bug in macOS High Sierra is causing users to receive iMessages and SMS texts on Macs and other iCloud-connected devices long after they were originally sent, according to reports that have been gradually building up over the last week or so.

First spotted by AppleInsider, a growing number of complaints on Apple's support forums detail the issue, which is affecting Mac owners with iPads, iPhones, and Apple Watches. The issue has also been picked up on MacRumors' forums, while at least one MacRumors staff member has experienced the same problem.

On updating to macOS High Sierra, some users report that iMessages only appear on their Mac after a long delay compared to their iPads and iPhones. Others have noticed that notifications are not coming through at all on other devices connected to the same iCloud account.

Some contributors to Apple's support forum and the MacRumors forum have suggested a couple of temporary fixes, including disabling and re-enabling messages, or sending messages on a Mac instead of an iOS device. Recent beta versions of macOS High Sierra don't appear to solve the problem, making reverting to macOS Sierra the only persistent workaround. Meanwhile, a community bug report has been created to alert Apple to the issue.

There's some speculation that the bug could be related to changes to the way iMessages function behind the scenes. Apple is working to bring iCloud syncing to iMessage in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11, so that deleting a message on one device removes it from all devices linked to the same account, for example. The advertised feature was pulled when the two operating systems were launched, but Apple hopes to introduce it later this fall.

Microsoft and Qualcomm have revealed they hope to release ARM-powered laptops by the end of the year, with the two companies promising multi-day battery life from the new machines (via Trusted Reviews).

At its annual 5G summit in Hong Kong, Qualcomm revealed new details about the PCs it is developing in partnership with Microsoft. Known as "Always Connected PCs", the laptops are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 processor and rely on an ARM emulation layer to run x86 Windows 10 desktop applications.

ARM processors require fewer transistors, which enables a smaller die size for the integrated circuitry. Their smaller size and lower power consumption are two reasons why they can be found in iPhones and iPads, but the increasing performance and efficiency of the chips is making the step up to laptops a realistic proposition.

Microsoft said it is already testing "hundreds" of the ARM-powered laptops internally on a daily basis, with battery life in particular exceeding expectations.

"To be frank, it's actually beyond our expectations. We set a high bar for [our developers], and we're now beyond that. It's the kind of battery life where I use it on a daily basis. I don't take my charger with me. I may charge it every couple of days or so. It's that kind of battery life."

Bernard added: "I would consider it a game-changer in terms of the way people have experienced PCs in the past."

The first round of Always Connected PCs are said to be coming from the likes of Asus, HP, and Lenovo, but they aren't expected to be cheap. Qualcomm said more affordable Windows 10 Always Connected PCs should become available once the portfolio expands.

Apple is reportedly looking into using ARM-based core processor chips for future MacBooks, which would reduce the company's dependence on Intel. Industry sources claim that Apple would instead build its notebook chips using ARM Holding's technology, a British company that designs ARM architecture and licenses it out to other companies.

Several Apple executives were today awarded 128,584 restricted stock units or RSUs worth upwards of $20 million at Apple's current price. The RSUs are set to vest after a set period of time and serve as bonus compensation to encourage employees to stay with the company.

Johny Srouji, Phil Schiller, Dan Riccio, Luca Maestri, Craig Federighi, Eddy Cue, and Angela Ahrendts all received 128,584 restricted stock units this month. 64,885 RSUs were awarded on 10/1, while an additional 63,699 were awarded on 10/15.

For the first batch, the vesting of the restricted stock units depends on Apple's total shareholder return starting on the first day of fiscal 2018 and ending on the last day of fiscal 2020. Up to 200 percent of the shares can vest should Apple's performance in the S&P 500 be in the 85th percentile or higher relative to other companies.

If Apple's performance falls below that, a smaller percentage of shares will vest, but should the company hit its target, each executive could receive 129,770 shares worth over $20 million at today's prices. Apple did not hit that target with its last performance based stock award.

The second batch of RSUs will vest over time and each executive will see the full award of 63,699 shares should they stay with the company. One-third of the shares will vest on April 1, 2020, another third on April 1, 2021, and the final third on April 1, 2022. Chris Kondo, Apple Senior Director of Corporate Accounting, also received a smaller award of 12,740 shares that will vest starting in 2018.

At a maximum, each executive could earn up to 193,469 shares by 2022, worth more than $30 million today.