Adobe Stock, Apple News Editors, BuzzFeed App Launch, LinkedIn’s Lynda.com Strategy, Great Stuff: Adobe CC 2015, TFP’s June Book Picks: Data Visualization, Infographic Pick of the Week, InDesign CC Tip: Install Previous Versions of Adobe Apps
Welcome to Technology for Publishing’s roundup of news and tips for media industry pros! This week, we’re sharing stories about the new stock image service Adobe launched alongside InDesign CC 2015, Apple’s plan to use editors to curate content for its new News app, how BuzzFeed got out in front of its just launched news app, LinkedIn’s plan for newly acquired online skills company Lynda.com, and more.
- Along with its InDesign CC 2015 release (see details below on our coverage), Adobe launched Adobe Stock, a new stock image service that’s available both in its Creative Cloud offering and as a stand-alone option. Priced at $9.99 and up for individual images and $29.99 to $199.99 per month for packages, the service stands a good chance at becoming a leading stock photograpy destination among designers, publishers, advertisers, and photographers alike, the Verge reported, noting that 85% of stock image buyers use Adobe apps. And increasingly, it added, the service will be integrated right into those apps, offering CC subscribers discounts to lure them over from popular services like Getty and Shutterstock. With its acquisition of Fotolia earlier this year, the service is launching with 40 million photos, illustrations, and graphics, with plans to add videos “soon,” the report said.
- In a departure from the algorithm-fueled news feeds of competitors like Facebook and Flipboard, Apple is planning to hire editors to curate content for its new News app, which is replacing Newsstand as part of its iOS 9 rollout, the Guardian reported. Using humans to curate the news could result in a wider range of content, it said, but if the app becomes a major source of traffic, there are sure to be questions raised about editorial decisions around stories that are either negative toward Apple or promote its competitors. While scrutiny of tech platforms acting as news gatekeepers isn’t anything new, the article said the scenario likely to play out is Apple will decide which stories it wants to run in its app while other apps available on its devices will offer content that provides additional perspectives.
- One of those other apps—BuzzFeed—was formally launched Thursday, after the company spent months publicly detailing its development in a new newletter, numerous blog posts, and a hashtag campaign on Twitter, among other places, a Nieman Lab article noted. News apps editor Stacy-Marie Ishmael said BuzzFeed’s new product philosophy is “get stuff out in front of the people who are likely to be using it as quickly as you can and often as you can.” That means super-agile development, she added, noting that the main focus was on providing context in the main stream of the app as well as in its push notifications. Now that the app is out the door, the plan is to continue to update and add features in two-week cycles.
- Need to learn a new skill or brush up on one you already have? No more excuses: LinkedIn is offering Lynda.com classes for free for 30 days to its Premium customers, while non-paying users will get access to classes for a 21-day trial period. You can also sign up for a 10-day trial if you want to give the service just a quick spin. In a report on LinkedIn’s plan for its newly acquired online training company, Adweek said the moves are geared toward drawing in not only more paying Lynda.com customers but also recruiters looking for job candidates with specific skills. Another idea it’s floating: give users who complete Lynda.com classes virtual badges they can use on their LinkedIn profiles to highlight newly learned skills, similar to a “seal of approval.” Based on a self-service model, Lynda.com is one of the bigger players in the digital skills market, it said, offering thousands of courses in design, business, web development, and more.
- On the Technology for Publishing blog: It’s here! We’re covering all the new and updated features in Adobe’s just announced InDesign CC 2015, a release designed to enhance anytime, any device collaboration. See our post Great Stuff: Adobe CC 2015 for highlights, and check out our Using Adobe InDesign CC 2015 handbook for step-by-step instructions on how to make the most of all the added capabilities.
- Also take a look at our June book picks on data visualization, a key component of today’s content business. With valuable insights on everything from design fundamentals to the most vexing data visualization challenges, our recommended reads can help you create visual content that packs a punch.
- Ready, set, write. Our Infographic Pick of the Week explains how organizations still struggling to find the key to content success can build a culture in which “everyone writes.”
- Finally, in the Creative Cloud desktop app, it may appear that you can update only previously installed apps. But if you look further, you’ll find an option to install previous versions of CC apps. See this week’s InDesign CC Tip for more details.
Image: Adobe
Check out our blog for highlights of interesting and noteworthy stories from the publishing world every Friday, and sign up for TFP’s This Week in Publishing newsletter. Think we missed something great? Let us know! Leave a comment below or drop us a note.
Posted by: Monica Sambataro
