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Huawei's MatePad Pro has been officially announced and this uber-sleek tablet appears to be Huawei's answer to the iPad Pro. With Huawei already taking on Apple and creating some of the world's best camera phones, could this MatePad Pro launch be the next step in its disruption of Apple's reign? But of course, the MatePad Pro isn't exactly like the iPad Pro. The MatePad Pro has a punch-hole cutout corner, which we kind of like as a nod to our analogue filing days. It also means that the 10.5-inch screen (2K) takes up 90 per cent of the body of the tablet. That's a lot of screen. It might just make it into our best drawing tablets roundup. That little cutout houses an 8MP selfie camera, and round the back there's a 14MP main camera. The pixel resolution is 2,560 x 1,600 and the aspect ratio is 16:9. The MatePad Pro comes with either 6/8GB RAM and 128/256GB storage, and like the iPad, it comes in either Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi and cellular options. It runs on a Kirin 990 chip (the same as you'll find in the Huawei Mate 30 Pro) and has a 7,250mAh battery, wireless charging and even reverse wireless charging – so you can use it to charge other devices (a pretty cool feature, we think). There are also four speakers. The best iPad Black Friday deals Huawei's tablet comes with an M-Pencil, which has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity – the same as the Apple Pencil. And like the latest Apple Pencil, you can charge the M-Pencil on the top of the frame, where it attaches magnetically. One of the neat things about the new MatePad Pro is how it works with other Huawei devices. For example, you can mirror your Huawei smartphone's screen on your tablet, which is pretty cool. Although we're not 100 per cent sure how useful that is in practice. One compatibility problem is, however, that it doesn't play nice with Google Play and other Google apps, although it runs EMUI 10, which is based on Android 10. More usefully, there's also a laptop mode, where you can have multiple windows open at once. The MatePad Pro will be available in white, black, green and orange, and will cost $470 for the basic 6GB RAM/128GB SSD WiFi model. The models with Cellular start at $540, and the top-specced version with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD will cost $640. There's also talk of launching a 5G version in the future. Pre-orders begin today, with the official release coming on 12 December. However, as yet, the MatePad Pro will only be available in China. And with the Huawei ban still ongoing, it's not clear when, or if, it'll launch elsewhere. So it looks like Apple can rest easy for a little longer. And if you were hoping to add this one to your Christmas list, you may have to wait till next year. If you can't wait till then, see our amazing iPad Pro Black Friday deals (such as the one below) or scroll down for more deals in your area using our price checker. Read more: The best drawing tablet: This year's best graphics tablet Huawei squares up to Apple with new MateBook laptop This iPad Pro is ridiculously cheap View the full article

Lego is a brilliant tool for designers, and with Lego Black Friday upon us, there's never been a better time to invest. Today, Lego launched its pre Black Friday Lego deals, and there's some unmissable offers to be had. So whether you can use Lego to help you prototype, build 3D models or simply want to immerse yourself in themed set, there's a Lego set on offer to suit. Just a few days ago we reported that John Lewis had reduced the Ultimate Lego Millennium Falcon set to its lowest price ever. And this morning Lego has followed suit, releasing a number of brilliant deals ahead of the big day on Friday. There's a select number of sets reduced by a whopping 30%, which translates to £45 off a couple of items. There's a variety of themes and topics on offer today, so no matter what you're into, you're sure to find a set to suit. The main Lego Black Friday sale starts on Thursday 28 November, and we'll bring you details of all the best offers as they arrive. Walmart and Amazon are also getting in on the Lego action, offering some impressive discounts across the board on Lego sets. From Lego Star Wars, Frozen, Lego City, Brick Headz, Lego Minecraft, Lego Ideas and everything in between, there's a set here for everyone. View the full article

Amazon Black Friday is in full swing now, even though there are still a few days to go until the big day. We're seeing some massive reductions on some of Wacom's most popular tablets, including some of the top-end models, and we suggest you act quickly if you want one of them, as these are Amazon's Deal of the Day, so as the name suggests, they're only live today! Right now the hugely popular Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 is £238 less than normal, costing just £1,100 at Amazon. Across the pond, Best Buy is offering some really fantastic deals overall (and these aren't just for today), including $100 off the Wacom Cintiq 16. Wacom tablets are well-known for being ideal for creatives, and some of the world's most exciting art and design has been created with a Wacom. The best thing? You usually get a stylus thrown in as part of the package, and some of the tablets on offer also include a couple of months' of Creative Cloud subscriptions thrown in to the bargain (see our Adobe Black Friday deals post for more top CC offers). Keep up to date with all the Wacom offers as they roll in by bookmarking our best Wacom Black Friday deals post. See below for more top Wacom deals in your area. View the full article

Black Friday is here, and the Adobe Black Friday sale has arrived. If you want to pick up a bargain subscription on the industry-leading suite of creative software, now is the time. Adobe is known for making its offers region-specific, but this time it's treats all round: you can get 40% or more off a CC subscription wherever you are in the world. For more deals and advice, take a look at our guide to nailing Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019, or explore our roundup of all the Adobe Black Friday deals. The price reduction applies to the complete Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses over 20 different apps. That includes all the big players – photo editing favourite Photoshop, digital artists' go-to Illustrator, video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects. You'll also be able to explore the new additions to the Adobe family, tablet-based art app Adobe Fresco, and Photoshop on iPad. If you need any extra encouragement, remember that when you buy Adobe's full All Apps package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage (with the option to upgrade to 10TB) and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. Created on Illustrator by Karan Singh The programmes are fully integrated, so you can switch between them (and jump from one device to another) seamlessly – whether you’re out and about or in the studio. Built-in templates help you jump-start your designs, while step-by-step tutorials will help you sharpen your skills and get up to speed quickly. This deal will be available until 29 November 2019, so if you want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it now. Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills The best Apple Black Friday deals The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

The Surface Pro Black Friday deals are arriving, and this is one of the best offers we've seen to date. Walmart is offering an incredible Surface Pro 6 deal, which includes the Surface Type Cover and Office 365 Personal (for one year), all for the bargain price of just $799.99. That's a huge $268 saving against Walmart's regular retail price! The Surface Pro 6 has recently been superseded by the all-new Surface Pro 7 (check out our Surface Pro Black Friday post for all the best deals), however the Pro 6 is still a highly sought-after device. A firm listing in our round up of the best tablets with a stylus, the Surface Pro 6 is a popular choice among creatives. And with features like being able to run full-fat desktop software (think Adobe CC) without compromising on features or performance, and support for Microsoft's excellent Surface Pen, it's not hard to see why. Outside of this deal we looked to see how much it would cost to buy all three elements separately in comparison. The cheapest we could find the same spec (8GB, 128GB SSD) Surface Pro 6, Type Cover and Office 365 was $689, $89 and $69.99 respectively. That's a total of $847.99 for the trio, so whichever way you look at it, this Walmart Black Friday deal is a cracker. Find full details below, plus some other excellent Black Friday Surface Pro savings. If you're after a different device in the Surface range, here are the best prices on Microsoft's most popular products: View the full article

The Lego Black Friday deals are in full swing, so if you're on the hunt for a new set, there's never been a better time to buy. Lego is arguably the world's most creative tool, whether you use it for prototyping or simply as a way to switch off, the humble little brick's possibilities are endless. The tactile nature of Lego combined with intricately detailed sets has made Lego hugely popular among adults and children alike in recent years. One of the most popular set themes is Lego Star Wars, with many fans placing the epic Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon set at the top of their wishlists. However the 7,000+ piece set is far from cheap, which is why we were super-excited to see it as part of a Lego Black Friday deal at John Lewis. The retailer has reduced the mega set by 15%, dropping it down to £548.67 – the lowest price we've ever seen! If Star Wars isn't your thing, never fear, there are plenty more amazing Lego Black Friday deals just waiting to be snapped up. Maybe you prefer Harry Potter... There are plenty more amazing Lego Black Friday deals around if neither of the above take your fancy. Walmart has Lego Black Friday discounts of 20% or more on right now so you're sure to find a set to suit. Read more: Introducing Lego, as you've never seen it before The Knight Bus Lego review Stranger Things Lego set available now – and it's EPIC! View the full article

Paula Scher is one of the living legends of graphic design. 50 plus years into her career, and she's still making some of the most talked-about and celebrated branding schemes around. Fittingly, Design Manchester's picked Scher to wrap up its SMART design conference. She rounded off the day with a talk packed with insights into her creative life so far, from her career at Pentagram (which she joined in 1991) and before. Taken from her talk, these are seven insights to help you create a brand that stands out from the crowd and sticks in the memory. You'll find more inspiration and advice in our roundup of logo design tips, and stunning poster designs. Alternatively, explore more about Design Manchester's incredible programme of events. iPad Black Friday deals - The best offers, updated live 01. Harness the power of type Scher's typographical experiment for The New School paid off Scher's speciality is typography, and recently she has been working on branding projects that make a statement with using alphabets and visual language. “It’s a fantastic time for typography,” she insists. Some of her most successful recent projects use such distinctive type schemes that mean you can recognise the brand even without the logo – for example, the celebrated rebrands of Parsons (shown above) and Expedia, with its highly distinctive ‘E’s. 02. Simplify your logos “All things are memorable in repetition, but if a logo is too busy it tends to get in its own way,” Scher explained. “The trick is to keep it simple because it’s got to do complicated things.” That logo needs to be able to appear on everything from signage to stationery to packaging, so your design needs to go with a broad range of things. Still want to keep things interesting? Find a different way – as explained in tip #1, Scher's a master of using a brand's type choices to make an exciting identity. 03. Get flexible Three very different (but still recognisable) logo versions for TDC In a project for The Type Directors Club, Scher picked a colour and and character style, then created a whole range of new and different versions of the organisation’s initials. The aim was to see how far your could push things and still remain recognisable as the same brand. Turns out, further than you might expect. That scheme was used for the TDC book and show that year. 04. Consider where people will see it Scher is well known for her work on New York’s not-for-profit Public Theatre - she has created various identity schemes for the theatre’s show programmes over the years. The first year she created a range of posters using wood type, with the idea that they would appear all over the streets of New York, the residents would come to recognise the typography and it would build brand awareness. In reality, the theatre didn’t have enough money to be putting up posters everywhere, and no one saw the concept unless they were actually seeing a show there. The posters were celebrated by the design community, but weren’t seen by your average New Yorker – not so good for the Public Theatre. 05. Don’t let a city eat your style The style of these posters came to represent New York itself Scher’s scheme for the 1995 Public Theatre season Bring In Da Noise Bring In Da Funk was much more successful. Sort of. People loved the style so much they started copying it. It became a full-blown trend, but no one associated it with the Theatre any more – it came to represent New York itself. “It’s a terrible thing, to design a style and have a city eat it,” said Scher. 06. Keep it in the family Nowadays, Scher uses the same style and typography to promote all the shows in the season The approach that finally worked for the Public Theatre was to create a flexible style that could be applied to all the posters in a particular season. “I thought, what if I take the poster and turn it into a design manual?” says Scher. Her approach is to create a new identity every year, but to create some continuity and familiarity, it uses the same family of fonts. This repetition means New Yorkers now finally recognise the Public Theatre brand. 07. Make the most of your pro bono work A small project for TDC inspired this one for Philadelphia Museum of Art Scher balances big, commercial projects with pro bono work or interesting, less well paid clients. “I use free projects very often to get me to grow and stretch my vocabulary as a designer,” she explains. But just because a job isn’t so well paid doesn’t mean it can’t be useful – a small project for TDC (number #3) laid the foundation for two much more high-profile branding projects: Jazz at Lincoln Centre and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And experimental projects are often where the real magic happens. Scher spoke about how important 'accidents' are in having breakthroughs in your work. In big, corporate projects with big budgets and lots of stakeholders, it’s very difficult to have accidents. With small projects you have more freedom. “You do it and you’re not sure if it’s going to work or not. And sometimes things all fall apart, but the doing of it is really an adventure," she smiles. Read more: Adobe Creative Cloud sale: get a mega 40% off 78 best free fonts for designers LEGO Millennium Falcon drops to lowest price ever View the full article

Amazon Black Friday is officially under way, with the retail giant today kicking the event off with some of the most impressive deals we've seen to date. But the best one so far has got to be this unbelievable lightning deal, which knocks the price of this 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 256GB, Space Grey iPad Pro down to just £448.99 – that's a whopping 42% discount on the popular Apple device! The iPad Pro has become a popular tool among artists and designer in recent years. Almost, if not as powerful as some laptops, the iPad Pro combines a whole lot of horsepower with some of the most creative apps around. Oh, and don't forget support for the excellent Apple Pencil too. But like a lot of Apple products, the iPad Pro is far from cheap, until today, that is. As part of the Amazon Black Friday sale, various iPad Pro models have been reduced by a staggering amount. Ok so it's not the shiniest new device, it is in fact the 2017 model, which is still a highly powerful, capable device. So if the Pro's price tag was previously an issue, right now could be the best time to buy. Looking for a different iPad or iPad Pro model? Take a look at our best iPad Black Friday and Apple Black Friday posts, which we will update with all the latest deals as they arrive. Here are the best Amazon Black Friday iPad Pro deals available right now... The best Amazon UK Black Friday iPad Pro deals Looking for an iPad Pro deal in the US? Here's the offer currently available on the 10.5-inch model. See below for even more great iPad deals: View the full article

It's not often you come across discounts on Apple products, in fact, finding a brilliant Apple Black Friday deal on a popular creative device like a MacBook Pro is much harder than it might seem. So imagine our surprise – and delight – to find Amazon has knocked over £250 off Apple's shiny new 16-inch MacBook Pro. Although having only been around a matter of weeks, Apple latest update to its MacBook Pro range is already proving popular among the creative community. Not only does it boast a bigger, stunning 16-inch screen, Apple has also pumped more power under the hood to help it handle even the most labour-intensive tasks, and, one of the biggest surprises of all, kept it the same price as the previous model. Add all that up and it's not hard to see why the MacBook Pro regularly tops our list of the best laptops for graphic design. The particular model on offer right now boasts a number of features sure to excite busy creatives, including super-powered Intel Core i9 processor, AMD Radeon Pro 5500M graphics with GDDR6 memory, six-sound speaker system, 1TB of storage, four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports and up to 11 hours of battery life. What more could you possibly want? Deals across the pond aren't quite so impressive, however if you're a regular shopper and member at Best Buy, there's some very decent savings to be made on the new 16-inch MacBook Pro. View the full article

Some of the bugs allow remote code-execution. View the full article

The Lego Black Friday deals are in full swing, so if you're on the hunt for a new set, there's never been a better time to buy. Lego is arguably the world's most creative tool, whether you use it for prototyping or simply as a way to switch off, the humble little brick's possibilities are endless. The tactile nature of Lego combined with intricately detailed sets has made Lego hugely popular among adults and children alike in recent years. One of the most popular set themes is Lego Star Wars, with many fans placing the epic Lego Star Wars Millennium Falcon set at the top of their wishlists. However the 7,000+ piece set is far from cheap, which is why we were super-excited to see it as part of a Lego Black Friday deal at John Lewis. The retailer has reduced the mega set by 15%, dropping it down to £548.67 – the lowest price we've ever seen! If Star Wars isn't your thing, never fear, there are plenty more amazing Lego Black Friday deals just waiting to be snapped up. Maybe you prefer Harry Potter... There are plenty more amazing Lego Black Friday deals around if neither of the above take your fancy. Walmart has Lego Black Friday discounts of 20% or more on right now so you're sure to find a set to suit. Read more: Introducing Lego, as you've never seen it before The Knight Bus Lego review Stranger Things Lego set available now – and it's EPIC! View the full article

So, you want to know how to make a meme in Photoshop? We've got you covered. The internet has changed the way that information is shared and distributed, distilling large, complex issues into easily-consumed nuggets. Memes are at the forefront of this evolution, presenting low-investment, high-impact graphics that can be churned out as quickly as possible and discarded just as quickly. There are plenty of meme makers out there, including an explicit function in Photoshop Elements, but none of these will give you the same level of control you get in the full blown Photoshop. This tutorial will show you how to turn your computer into a meme factory using nothing more than Photoshop and a creative mind. If you want to up your Photoshop skills across the (art)board, check out our roundup of the best Photoshop tutorials. 01. Create document Make sure Artboards are ticked in the New Document window Before opening Photoshop you should check your preferred social platform for the desired format and dimensions. For this tutorial I will start with a canvas size of 1080px x 1080px, which is the standard square image used on Instagram. I will also be using Artboards to create a range of templates, so make sure they are turned on in the New Document window. 02. Select an image Use the Transform tool to resize your image by dragging the edges and corners The success of a meme is often based on the strength of the image, usually relying on humour to draw attention. There are plenty of methods for bringing an image into a Photoshop document. One option is to open the image in the app, selecting, copying and pasting it onto the other canvas. Alternatively you can import the image directly into the file or drag and drop in from the Finder. You can resize the image on your canvas using the Transform tool, either under Edit > Transform or using the shortcut Cmd + T, dragging the corner or edges of the frame. Holding the Shift key will retain the proportions and stop your content distorting. You can add a stroke around the edge of the image by using an Outer Glow and setting it to Normal blending, a distance of 15px and a Range of 1%. If you want to crop part of the image out, use one of the marquee tools to select unwanted areas of the image, then either delete them outright or create a mask and fill the selection with black. If your image is a Smart Object then you can easily move the image around in the frame and switch it out for another image, by double clicking on the layer image. 03. Make a background Add pattern packages to your Custom Patterns for more choice No meme would be complete without a distinct background to frame the image and make your content pop. Create a new layer with the shortcut Cmd + Shift + N, drag it to the bottom of layers and go to Edit > Fill. You will be presented with a number of options in a drop down menu. Select Pattern and choose a Custom Pattern to use. If this is your first time using patterns, the list on offer may be quite limited, so click on the icon in the top-right corner and add some packages from the list. If patterns aren’t to your taste, using a flat colour can work just as well. Your design instincts might be screaming at you to pick a colour that complements the image, but memes don’t follow normal rules, and can benefit from garish, clashing colours that might draw the eye and won’t suffer from the same intense scrutiny as other designs. Create a new layer and use the Paint Bucket or Gradient tool to fill it with colour. You can even mix the two ideas by adding a color overlay to a pattern in the Layer Style window. 04. Add text Drop shadows may seem a little dated, but can help the text to stand out on a complicated background Ultimately the design of a meme is no more than a vehicle for the content. Alongside the image, the text needs to be unapologetically large and brash, sacrificing style for impact. Use the Type tool to draw a box across your canvas. Keep the text large and minimal, aiming for a hierarchy, with one larger statement and a smaller message below. Pick a thick, blocky typeface that will stand out on top of a busy background, like Impact or Tungsten. Although it may seem dated, adding a Drop Shadow is a surefire way to make the text stand out. Double-click on the text layer to open the Layer Style window and add a Drop Shadow. I used 100% black and a distance of 8px, creating a hard, angled shadow. 05. Duplicate artboards Make multiple Artboards to compare your designs side by side The beauty of using Smart Objects is the potential for repopulating with new assets, while Artboards will allow you to quickly duplicate and compare different designs side-by-side. Click on the Artboard layer in the Layers tab, then click on one of the plus signs on the canvas to add a new Artboard (or hold alt and drag the existing Artboard across). You will then be able to experiment with different backgrounds and colours, without ever losing your original design. Make sure you save your file as a .psd file, meaning you can return and keep editing. Then save as a jpg and upload. Read more: The 13 best alternatives to Photoshop How to remove wrinkles in Photoshop All the best free Photoshop brushes View the full article

Microsoft's Surface series is incredibly popular with creatives, and with good reason. That's why we were extra excited to see that Amazon, Microsoft and Best Buy are already discounting several Surface Pro and Surface Book models as part of their Black Friday deals. And this even includes the hottest new Surface Pro: The Surface Pro 7, which we've been drooling over ever since its release. The biggest savings to be had are on the slick, high-specced version of the 13.5-inch Surface Book 2 on Amazon for just £1,899, that's a whopping £600 saving! But there's also plenty more on offer on other models, and there's even the chance to save up to £375 on a Surface Pro 7 and Type Cover bundle. With super-hot deals like these, we advise you to act quickly. Black Friday might not be here quite yet, but we don't think you'll see much better deals than these (though keep checking our Surface Pro Black Friday deals and Microsoft Black Friday deals pages to keep an eye on those prices). Surface Pro 7 deals If you're in the US, then Best Buy also has some top Surface Pro deals, also on the Surface Pro 7. Surface Book 2 deals See more Surface deals in your area using our dedicated price checker below: View the full article

From stalkerware to Amazon Ring doorbell outrage, Threatpost editors break down the top news stories of the week. View the full article

If you're stumped for Christmas gift ideas, we've got the perfect solution. Whether you're spending the festive season with the family, friends or having a quiet one at home, this Lego Gingerbread House (creator set no #10267) is this year's must-have Christmas present. Why? Well, for a start, it's Lego, and it's a well-known fact that everyone loves Lego (even if you don't realise you do – our Lego art round up will persuade you). Secondly, it's great value for money, but most importantly, it's one of the best Christmas gifts to get you and your loved ones in the festive spirit. Full of seasonal charm and a unbelievable level of detail, the two-storey house is an absolute delight to put together. A Gingerbread/sweet theme runs all the way through, with the downstairs area featuring a living room, complete with arm chair, open fire with battery operated light to get that authentic cosy feeling, and an adorable family portrait. The upper level consists of a bed and bedside table (with the most wonderful sweet-inspired lamp), and let's not forget the full-sized bath and toilet next door. The outside of the house is decorated in authentic-looking gingerbread, with icing and sweets, and snow on the window sills and oversized candy canes really bring its Christmassy feel to life. If all that wasn't charming enough for you, minifigures include a gingerbread man and woman, plus a super-cute gingerbread baby and pushchair. No matter what your interests, if this Lego set doesn't tug at your heart strings, we don't know what will. The ultimate Christmas gift, the Lego Gingerbread House is sure to put a smile on the face of whoever is lucky enough to have it wrapped under the tree. And the great news is, there's still plenty of time to grab one before the big day. If the Lego Gingerbread house doesn't quite suit, never fear, Lego has hundreds of sets to choose from. And with Black Friday almost upon us, there's never been a better time to get your hands on some. Lego itself is launching its Black Friday deals on Monday 25 November, but in the meantime, here are some of the best places to get excellent deals on Lego sets right now. Read more: Amazon Black Friday deal: this iPad Pro is unbelievably cheap Adobe Creative Cloud sale kicks off with MEGA 40% discount Best iPad Black Friday deals: Get an Apple tablet for less View the full article

The company expanded its Android bug bounty program as one of several recent moves to ramp up mobile security. View the full article

Rizom-Lab has released the first major update of the year for its standalone UV mapper, RizomUV. UV mapping is a vital part of 3D artists' workflow and so RizomUV has helped many. But what's new in the latest version of RizomUV? "We started developing RizomUV 2019 in 2018," says Cirstyn Bech-Yagher, product manager at RizomUV. "One of our biggest and best development tools is our community. We ran a poll with user-suggested features, which we then worked on implementing." The team at Rizom-Lab realise ease and quality of life are as important a feature as continuously improved 3D art tools, hence their dedication to inviting input and discussion from the community. Since 2017 RizomUV has been speeding up users' UV mapping processes by providing automatic as well as manual UV unwrapping and an easy-to-use toolkit to go with it. It is the brainchild of Rémi Arquier, who started Rizom-Lab in 2016. The company takes its name from a perpetually growing, underground root system called a rhizome, reflecting Rizom-Lab's own refusal to stop growing. UV mapping for beginners RizomUV takes a traditionally scary and slow process and turns it into an intuitive and rewarding one that is fun to do The company's products are used in pipelines across VFX houses, game studios, freelancers and hobbyists. They are a vital part of the toolkit for modellers and sculptors, as well as texture and CAD artists. The company's mission is to create the ideal UV mapping toolset for any pipeline. RizomUV: New tools Among the updates in RizomUV 2019 is a new script launcher panel, which allows users to load and store relevant scripts after using the LUA scripting tool. There is also the addition of a growing script library, including a starter script that lets users select an edge, and leaves the script to find similar edges, unwrap and pack them. Elsewhere there are point-snapping improvements for vertices, edges, polygons and island selections to vertices located on an island's border. Grid snapping distance can now be viewport zoom grid or absolute distance based. FBX enhancements mean that Island Groups, UDIMs, tile geometry and island properties are now saved into FBX files. Rizom-Labs wants Rizo-UV to be the go-to UV mapping kit for any pipeline Similar island stacking changes ensure that RizomUV now takes the current island selection as a working set, which means that the first island selected is now the reference island and destination position. In addition to this, both viewports can now display either Flat or Unflattened or Both Flat and Unflattened islands. Tools and commands will be applied to what is currently displayed in the viewport under the user's mouse pointer. Finally, in-panel statistics island, group and tile selection are now displayed condensed and in colour. According to Bech-Yagher the scripting panel and the growing library of scripts are the most significant updates to RizomUV. "One of our scripts lets you make a single cut, and the script will then copy the cuts to matching geometry, unwrap and pack it for you," she explains. Why use RizomUV? Updates such as RizomUV 2019 are increasingly important as the market for UV mapping applications grows ever more demanding. "With the emergence of tools like the Substance suite and Quixel's MegaScans tools a few years ago, texturing has gone through a fantastic revolution," says Bech-Yagher. "However, not all UV problems can be solved with a triplanar map, and now more than ever, ease of texturing demands a solid canvas to speed up your workflow. That's where we come in." Rizom prides itself on being light and fast, alongside its ability to auto-unwrap. When asked what sets RizomUV apart from its competition, Bech-Yagher adds: "We have some of the flattest and fastest algorithms around, together with a super-friendly UI. Besides, our developer has worked with UV mapping algorithms for almost 20 years, so if there's something he knows how to do, it's how to get it flat, and fast." Rizom-Labs is already working out features for upcoming versions of RizomUV After a short vacation the team at Rizom-Labs will begin fleshing out features for the upcoming autumn and winter releases. "One thing we've learned is that we need to take a look at how we can improve the workflow for what's called 'dirty' or 'messy' geometry," explains Bech-Yagher, "which typically is a mix of subD and CAD mesh, and that mix of tris and quads doesn't always play nice together. I'm sure we'll ask our community what they'd like to see as well." RizomUV 2019 RS, VS and SDK updates are free for currently licensed users. New users can purchase a variety of licenses, ranging from student licenses at a 70% discount, Indie pricing at a monthly cost of €14.90 and annual rates of €149.90, as well as Pro and SDK licensing. Find out more here. This article was originally published in issue 135 of 3D Artist. Buy issue 135 here. Related articles: Create a UV wrap using Maya's Roadkill plugin Model 3D textures quickly with Normal maps A beginner's guide to displacement and bump maps View the full article

Amazon Black Friday is officially under way, with the retail giant today kicking the event off with some of the most impressive deals we've seen to date. But the best one so far has got to be this unbelievable lightning deal, which knocks the price of this 10.5-inch iPad Pro, 64GB, Space Grey iPad Pro down to just £398 – that's a whopping 36% discount on the popular Apple device! The iPad Pro has become a popular tool among artists and designer in recent years. Almost, if not as powerful as some laptops, the iPad Pro combines a whole lot of horsepower with some of the most creative apps around. Oh, and don't forget support for the excellent Apple Pencil too. But like a lot of Apple products, the iPad Pro is far from cheap, until today, that is. As part of the Amazon Black Friday sale, various iPad Pro models have been reduced by a staggering amount. Ok so it's not the shiniest new device, it is in fact the 2017 model, which is still a highly powerful, capable device. So if the Pro's price tag was previously an issue, right now could be the best time to buy. Looking for a different iPad or iPad Pro model? Take a look at our best iPad Black Friday and Apple Black Friday posts, which we will update with all the latest deals as they arrive. Here are the best Amazon Black Friday iPad Pro deals available right now... The best Amazon UK Black Friday iPad Pro deals Looking for an iPad Pro deal in the US? Here's the offer currently available on the 10.5-inch model. See below for even more great iPad deals: View the full article

Tesla's Cybertruck has been unveiled. This bizarre new vehicle is an electric pickup truck with some daring branding we thought had been faxed to us from the 1990s – including typography that would be totally at home in our retro fonts guide. And to focus on the branding for a moment, rather than the actual truck (more on the earth-shattering launch later), it seems the bold wordmark may hide a hidden treat in the form of a design Easter Egg – a secret message from designer to consumer. We hasten to stress that it may be hiding a treat, as we're not totally sold that the alleged Easter Egg isn't a little bit of a stretch. So where did this idea come from? Let's take a look. And if you haven't seen the original Cybertruck branding yet, you can read all about it here. Online forum Cybrtrkownersclub (currently down – we assume because of all last night's excitement) was buzzing with speculation about the release of the electric pickup truck, and user KuMX went a step further with some stellar creative thinking. He put together this video (above) detailing how the Cybertruck wordmark could be rearranged into a stylised pickup truck. And now people are wondering if Tesla did it on purpose. But does it actually look like a truck, though? Well, kind of. We were ready to be scathing but it obviously has the integral parts of a vehicle there, and that might just be a person driving it. Or maybe it's a seat. Some serious transformation had to happen to those letters to make it appear though... and with such a wealth of angles and shapes to choose from, the wordmark potentially contains the building blocks for a range of stylised pictures (we wonder what else could be achieved?). Or, maybe this whole thing actually explains why the typography is so stylised in the first place. Now that the Cybertruck has actually been revealed in all its *glory* (at a hilariously eventful reveal event at which all the truck's windows shattered), we think the case may have been strengthened. The slanted front of the model is bang on, even if the bubble-like back of the image is not so accurate. Hiding Easter Eggs would be on-brand for Tesla, as secret messages and functions have been rife in the company's past marketing strategy. A hidden reveal in the credits of Blade Runner is one example of this, as well as this email reveal for the Model Y. Kudos to KuMX for the strategic thinking – if it wasn't actually intended then he has pulled off something quite special, and if it's official then he's cracked the egg-code of the year. Searching for Easter Eggs is almost as fun as having them handed to you (we don't think we've sucked the fun out of it with this Google Easter Eggs piece so check it out), and it's always a special feeling when you connect with a designer's intention – especially when it's a product that's important to you. So perhaps it doesn't really matter if KuMX's Easter Egg is the real deal. Read more: The best print adverts ever Has branding become boring? Are trends any good for branding? View the full article

Black Friday is almost upon us, and the Adobe Black Friday sale has arrived. If you want to pick up a bargain subscription on the industry-leading suite of creative software, now is the time. Adobe is known for making its offers region-specific, but this time it's treats all round: you can get 40% or more off a CC subscription wherever you are in the world. For more deals and advice, take a look at our guide to nailing Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019, or explore our roundup of all the Adobe Black Friday deals. The price reduction applies to the complete Adobe Creative Cloud suite, which encompasses over 20 different apps. That includes all the big players – photo editing favourite Photoshop, digital artists' go-to Illustrator, video editing software Premiere Pro, web prototyping tool Adobe XD and motion effects creator After Effects. You'll also be able to explore the new additions to the Adobe family, tablet-based art app Adobe Fresco, and Photoshop on iPad. If you need any extra encouragement, remember that when you buy Adobe's full All Apps package you're also getting 100GB of cloud storage (with the option to upgrade to 10TB) and premium features like Adobe Portfolio, Adobe Fonts, and Adobe Spark. Created on Illustrator by Karan Singh The programmes are fully integrated, so you can switch between them (and jump from one device to another) seamlessly – whether you’re out and about or in the studio. Built-in templates help you jump-start your designs, while step-by-step tutorials will help you sharpen your skills and get up to speed quickly. This deal will be available until 29 November 2019, so if you want to save big on Adobe's entire suite of creative software, grab it now. Related articles: Top-class Photoshop tutorials to hone your skills The best Apple Black Friday deals The best web hosting services for designers View the full article

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are now just a matter of weeks away, meaning soon we'll be practically swimming in top Black Friday deals. And the first pre-Black Friday deals are already starting to appear. So what exactly can we expect from Black Friday 2019, which these days also extends throughout the weekend, all the way until Cyber Monday 2019? And how can you get the best Black Friday deals? Let's find out. When is Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019? Before we dive head-first into the Black Friday deals we expect to see, let's first make sure you've got the dates marked in your diaries. Black Friday traditionally takes place on the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, meaning this year it falls on 29 November. That means Cyber Monday is 2 December this year, three days after Black Friday. While Black Friday is a frenzied cacophony of high street and online deals, Cyber Monday was originally conceived by savvy marketers as a way to sell more of their wares online, back when online shopping wasn’t as prevalent as it is today. These days, Cyber Monday usually sees a wider range of deals across individual retailers. It's less about one-off discounts, and more about lower prices generally. Saying that, if stores need to shift stock they’ll follow up Black Friday discounts with further reductions on Cyber Monday – so expect one-off deals too. With Black Friday and Cyber Monday happening a little later than normal this year, it may well be a good opportunity to get your Christmas shopping sorted. The best pre-Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals for creatives Where will we see the best Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals? While we can't say for sure where and what the best Black Friday deals will be, we can make educated guesses based on previous years. It's wise to keep an eye on any sought-after items throughout the whole of November, because Black Friday deals surface earlier and earlier each year. However, the best deals have historically happened later in the month, with retailers offering bigger discounts on the most expensive items, as well as accessories that might go with them. And typically, the best bargains are still reserved for Black Friday and Cyber Monday themselves. So what kind of items are we talking about? Below are our top predictions on the creative items you might have on your Christmas list this year. But first, here's the early Black Friday deals we're already seeing, and guess what? They're on the items we predicted. 01. Microsoft Surface range The Microsoft Surface range has become hugely popular among artists and designers in recent years. The Surface Pro and Surface Go lend themselves well to the needs of a creative, so it was no surprise to see them fly off the shelves in some of the best Black Friday deals we saw last year. Microsoft has been busy this year, recently announcing six new devices to its Surface range, all of which are aimed at a creative audience. With the release of these devices so close to Black Friday 2019, it's highly unlikely we'll see any discounts on these newer models. However, with the introduction of the new Surface Pro 7 and Surface Pro X, we will almost certainly see some great savings on the Surface Pro 6. A fantastic device in its own right, the Surface Pro 6 is currently one of the best tablets with a stylus around, so if you're not bothered about having the shiniest new Microsoft model, this will be a product to watch out for this Black Friday. Bookmark our dedicated Surface Pro Black Friday deals page for all the latest deals and updates on these popular devices. 02. Adobe Creative Cloud subscription Adobe has offered big Black Friday deals in the past Last year, creative software giant Adobe got stuck in all the Black Friday deals action, offering up to a whopping 40 per cent off a subscription to its Creative Suite of apps. That meant new subscribers could snap up Adobe’s entire collection of 20-plus creative desktop and mobile apps, and more, for just £30.34/€36.29/$22.99 a month, instead of £49.94/€60.49/$52.99 a month. And let's be honest, it doesn't get much cheaper than that (unless you're a student, where we have occasionally seen around 70 per cent off). That said, Adobe offers other discounts throughout the year, so it's worth keeping an eye on our Adobe Black Friday deals post. We expect that Adobe will get involved with Black Friday 2019, and the deals usually last a few days, so should be around on Cyber Monday 2019 too. 03. Apple iPad and iPhone We expect to some great savings on various iPad models this Black Friday and Cyber Monday Apple has been busy this year, launching its new iPad Mini and iPad Air, plus the iPad 10.2-inch. With all these models offering Apple Pencil support, they are a great choice for busy creatives on the go. As shiny new additions to Apple's portfolio, we don't expect to see huge savings on these, but if there are any discounts to be had, we'll keep you posted. And if you're after an Apple Pencil, then see our Apple Pencil Black Friday deals. But the best deals will almost certainly be on older – but still very sought-after – iPad models. For example, last year saw the iPad (2018) reduced to the bargain price of just $249 at Walmart, and it, unsurprisingly, flew off the shelves. If you're after a bit more power, the iPad Pro (2017) was reduced to $524.99 (from $649) at Walmart last year too. Whatever iPad model you're after, we have details of all the best iPad Black Friday deals right now and will update as the best Black Friday deals drop. If it's an iPhone XR you're in the market for, the latest iPhone has just dropped, meaning the ever popular 2018 model will likely see some pretty impressive savings. It's worth noting that these discounts will come from retailers, rather than directly from Apple, which tends to only extend its Black Friday involvement to that of extra Apple gift cards when you make a purchase. Which is fine if you're a super-Apple fan, but not so great if you're only likely to buy one or two Apple products per year. 04. Apple MacBook Pro Oh MacBook Pro, how we wish you were cheaper It's a firm favourite among creatives, but the MacBook Pro doesn't come cheap. So it's no surprise that a load of them got snapped up last year when B&H dropped the 2017 15.4-inch model to $2,149 (from $2,799). It may not be the newest version, but the MacBook Pro 2017 is still a highly capable and powerful machine. It's rare to see big savings like this on the latest Apple products, but if you're not worried about having the most up-to-date specs, you can save an absolute packet, and grab a great bit of kit while you're at it. And the place to do so? On our dedicated best Black Friday Macbook deals post, which has all the biggest savings as and when they arrive. 05. Apple Watch We don't know about you but keeping up with what version the Apple Watch is currently on is exhausting. That said, now there are a number of models (at time of writing the most recent model is Series 5), there's quite a high chance we're going to see some good savings on older (but still highly capable) devices. If you really want to find a bargain, Series 1 and Series 2 are almost certainly going to be where it's at. But if you want the option to have GPS and Cellular connections, go for the Series 3. Keep up to date with all the biggest offers over on our best Apple Watch deals post, which will include all Black Friday savings too. See an early Black Friday Apple Watch offer on the Series 3 Watch below. 06. Apple AirPods Hold tight! You could save a packet on Apple AirPods later this year Rounding up our Apple products Black Friday review is the company's controversial AirPods. Some people love them, others think they look weird/want the headphone jack back. And the release of the AirPods Pro has been even more controversial – here's why we were pleasantly surprised by their release. Last year, the biggest discount we saw was around £20/$30, which isn't much to shout about. However, with the new improved Apple AirPods (2019) out now, plus the AirPods Pro, we're hopeful we'll see much better Black Friday AirPod deals in November (although we're not holding our breath for deals on the AirPods Pro). We'll keep you updated with any great offers that land via our dedicated best Apple AirPods deals post, so make sure to bookmark that page and check back regularly. 07. Wacom drawing tablets Will there be any Black Friday deals to be had on the new Wacom Cintiq 16? Here's hoping. It's tricky to find discounted Wacom products, which is why Black Friday 2018 was such a pleasant surprise for designers in the market for one. Various retailers dropped the price of Wacom's sought-after products, with the best Black Friday deals seeing a whopping $200-$500 knocked off the popular Cintiq Pro range. Wacom has recently released its budget Wacom Cintiq 16. It'll be interesting to see if any Black Friday deals crop up on this already affordable creative pen display. In a similar vein to Apple, it's rare for Wacom to offer discounts directly – if you want to make a saving, you're best looking at major retailers such as Amazon or Walmart. Alternatively, if you're on the hunt for a graphics tablet, but don't mind if it's not a Wacom, last year there were some great bargains on XP-Pens, so that could be one to watch out for. Better still, save yourself the hassle, bookmark our Wacom Black Friday deals page and let us do the work for you. 08. External hard drives Black Friday 2019 could help you make big savings on quality external hard drives Okay, so it's not exactly the sexiest of items, but an external hard drive can form a vital part of a designer's toolset. And, as anyone who's bought one will attest, they don't come cheap. Last year, leading manufacturer Western Digital offered some decent savings on its 'My Passport' range, which starts at around £90 for its 4TB option. We'll be keeping you up to date with any offers over on our best Black Friday external hard drives post, where you'll find all the lowest prices now and over the Black Friday period. Look out for more Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019 information and deals coming soon! View the full article

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Welcome to our guide to the best Apple Black Friday deals. Black Friday is almost upon us, and we're starting to see some strong Apple Black Friday deals appearing already. In this article, we'll be sharing all the best early Apple Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers as soon as they go live – and of course, on the big day itself (29 November, with Cyber Monday following on 2 December), we'll be working tirelessly to sort through all the deals going live to find you the very best bargains across the whole range of Apple kit. We've also gathered together everything we know from last year to give you a good idea of how the 2019 Apple Black Friday event will look, and help you plan accordingly. This is your one-stop shop for everything to do with the Apple Black Friday sales. The best early Apple Black Friday deals There's just days to go until the big day(s), and we're seeing strong deals rolling in. There are going to be more and more of these appearing as we get closer to 29 November, but if you see what you're looking for on offer already, our advice is to snap it up now (and avoid all the madness across Black Friday itself). Will Apple have deals on Black Friday? Yes, it does. In previous years we've seen impressive Apple Black Friday deals across a whole range of devices, from Black Friday iPads and Apple Pencil Black Friday deals, to offers on iPhones and Apple Watches. However, unless you're dead set on shopping in the Apple Store itself, you're almost certain to find the best Apple Black Friday deals come from other retailers. In previous years, rather than discounting the products themselves, the tech giant offered money off further Apple spending, with gift cards given on purchases made over the shopping event. In 2018, shoppers could get Apple Store gift cards from $25/£20 right up to $200/£160 when they purchased selected products. Are Apple Cyber Monday deals the same as Black Friday? There will be Apple Cyber Monday offers, but traditionally, Black Friday is a better time to bag a bargain. Retailers tend to bring out the highest concentration of bargains on Black Friday itself, and Cyber Monday is slightly less of a big deal. So if you're wondering whether to hold off for a hot Apple Cyber Monday Apple deal, we'd probably advise against it. Some will be offering blanket deals across the whole long weekend, while other promotions will be live for a shorter period, and the best offers will likely sell out. That's a slightly frustrating answer, but our general advice is to think ahead on what you want to buy. Do you need particular specs or a specific model, or are you happy with whatever model the biggest Apple Black Friday discount happens to be on? Make a plan and if an offer crops up that matches your plans, snap it up then and there rather than waiting on the off chance something better will come around. Apple Black Friday deals: iPad offers Tablets are always in demand on Black Friday, and we saw a lot of good Black Friday iPad deals in 2018. Figuring out which is the best offer, taking into account the different models, storage options and features, can be difficult. We've sorted through the best options with this in mind. In terms of where to shop, in 2018 Walmart was the place to head for US shoppers, while in the UK, Very, John Lewis and eglobal central all had good deals. Take a look at the best iPad offers right now in the widget below, or scroll down to explore the best expired iPad deals from 2018. The best Black Friday MacBook deals MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Black Friday deals are in high demand every year – mainly because, as designers will know, this kind of top-quality kit doesn't come cheap. So how much does a MacBook cost on Black Friday? Short answer: it depends where you go and which model and spec you're interested in. As you might expect the best discounts are typically on slightly older machines, so if you don't mind not having the latest, greatest MacBook then that's often a good way to bag a bargain. Another hot tip is to keep an eye out for refurbished models – there can be some hidden gems on pre-owned models. In 2018 in the US, Jet, B&H and Adorama were the places to bag the best Black Friday Apple offers on MacBooks. In the UK, John Lewis, Very and Curry's came through with some good deals, and there was also a standout offer from Laptops Direct. Can't wait? Take a look at the best prices right now in the widget below. Alternatively, read on for the best Apple Black Friday and Apple Cyber Monday deals from 2018. Black Friday Apple Airpods deals In 2018, everyone was after an Airpod deal. Retailers did not oblige. There were a few little discounts here and there, but nothing that really made a dent in the hefty price tag. Will AirPods go on sale for Black Friday or Cyber Monday 2019? Well, we think so. We're already starting to see some decent discounts on these true wireless earbuds (the price widget below will pull in the best offers in your region). These little devices aren't quite as new and exciting now (and there's a fair bit of competition hitting the market in the form of Amazon's Echo Buds and Microsoft's Surface Earbuds), so here's hoping this November brings some strong Black Friday Apple Airpod deals. Black Friday Apple Watch deals There were quite a few good Apple Watch deals on Black Friday 2018, with discounts on the Series 3 as well as older models. The newest model back then – the Apple Watch 4, released September 2018 – didn't get much Black Friday action. Apple has just launched its Apple Watch Series 5, so Black Friday 2019 might be the time to bag a bargain on a Series 4 Apple Watch. In the US, the best 2018 Black Friday Apple Watch deals came from B&H, Macy's and Amazon. In the UK, shoppers were better off heading to John Lewis or Very. Back to the top Where to find the best Apple Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals As we said above, the Apple Store isn't usually the best place to grab a bargain in the Apple Black Friday sale. Keep an eye on retailers such as Currys, Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Walmart and John Lewis. And don't forget to check back here, as we'll be curating the best deals as they come in. How to get the best Apple Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals To get the best deal possible, it's best to have a product and a price in mind. You don't want to end up getting overwhelmed by the options and being unable to make a decision (or panicking and making the wrong decision), so start out with a clear plan. Once you've decided on the product you're after, you can start tracking its price on various retailers – or even simpler, bookmark this page and keep checking it. You could also set up a Google Alert for the prices you're after. Here are some more tips here on how to make the most of Black Friday. Apple Store Black Friday 2019 opening hours Will you have to queue up round the block to get the best Apple Black Friday deals? This seems unlikely, because most Apple Stores will operate their usual opening hours across this period. If you're in the US, check your local Apple Store opening times here. As mentioned, however, the Apple Store isn't likely to be the best place to bag yourself the best Apple Black Friday deals – you'll probably be better off going to another retailer or shopping online. Don't forget that we'll be reporting on deals as they come in, so you can keep checking this page to bag yourself an Apple Black Friday bargain. Read more: Microsoft Black Friday: what to expect Adobe deals: Where to get a Creative Cloud discount Wacom Black Friday 2019: our predictions View the full article

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Black Friday is just around the corner but if you're looking for a decent iPad Pro today then look no further than Walmart's latest deal. It is offering an Apple 10.5-inch iPad Pro Wi-Fi 512GB for the incredibly low price of just $699 – that's an impressive reduction of $300. The model is second generation from 2017, and while it doesn't include some of the newer nice-to-have features of the 2019 model, such as Face ID or a USB- C connectors, it still packs enough of a punch for today's casual consumer, digital artist or illustrator. You can also match it with a Apple Pencil (see our best Apple Pencil Black Friday deals here). The 2017 iPad Pro specs include a 10.5-inch Retina display, a powerful A10X Fusion chip, a Touch ID fingerprint sensor, a 12 megapixel camera with 4K HD video, a 7 megapixel FaceTime HD camera and up to 10 hours of battery life. This is a great set of features at an even better price. This is undoubtedly a very strong early Black Friday deal, and we can expect more as this year's big shopping event gets ever closer. November 29 will bring with it impressive deals on all your favourite hardware and beyond. Make sure you don't miss out on a great Apple tablet deal by visiting our best iPad Black Friday deals page. If you're not in the US, or the above deal isn't quite right you, see more iPad Pro deals below. Read more: Apple Black Friday deals: The best offers on Apple kit in 2019 4 reasons you need an Apple Pencil New 16" MacBook Pro leaves previous model in the dust View the full article