Aviary is a set of web based applications for creating all sorts of media. The concept of this suite of creative content creation tools is similar to Picnik, Google Docs, and Adobe Kuler, all of which are rich internet applications (RIAs) to be used within your browser. RIAs provide the possibility to run the application on any machine that has a proper browser and an internet connection without the need to carry your data along with you or even install the applications on the computer you work on. The nature of web applications creates unlimited opportunities for collaboration at real time as featured in Google Docs.

Aviary takes RIAs one step further by providing relatively more powerful applications than what we have seen before, these applications include an image editor, a vector editor, a 3D modeling tool, a video editor, a music generator and other creative tools that make up its 14 application-suite. The video below illustrates the capability of Phoenix, Aviary’s image editor:

I personally use many web applications and Google Docs and Picnik are some of my favourites. I find Aviary’s project very interesting and think that it shows us a glimpse of how the future should be.Aviary is currently in private beta and invitations are floating around the internet. You can submit your email to the invitation queue and learn more about Aviary from their official website.

PFTracK, the video production tool used for tracking and match-moving (i.e. inserting special effects into real footage video), has released the Personal Learning Edition of its latest version. The PLE of PFTrack is a fully function edition that will allows students and professionals to evaluate and master PFTrack without the need to purchase a license. You can learn more about this video production tool from its official website here.

Adobe released yesterday the latest issue of Adobe Magazine, its free quarterly online publication on visual communication. The latest issue that could be downloaded in PDF format explores the expansion multimedia onto cellular screens, the merger of technology and biology through photography, adding interactivity to print, and creating high quality videos on a limited budget. You can download this issue of the Adobe Magazine and check out previous issues as well from the Adobe Magazine website.

Reuters is reporting that Bruce Chizen, CEO of Adobe, said in a Q&A session during the Web 2.0 Summit in San Fransisco that Adobe sees a full shift of its applications from the desktop to the web within a period of ten years.

More and more applications are being made for the web so that they are accessed directly through a web browser without the need to install the application itself on the computer of the user. Such applications include Google Docs (for word processing, spreedsheets, and presentations) and Picnik (for simple image editing). These applications make it possible to save work data on the servers of the application provider so that the user can continue working from any machine without the need to install the applications or carry his data along with him. An additional feature of web applications worth noting is the possibility to share files and collaborate to work on the same file simultaneously.

Adobe announced several months ago its intention to release a lite version of Photoshop as a web application to be called Photoshop Express. Adobe said that this will not be a replacement of the desktop Photoshop, but it will be a much simpler version to target casual Internet users and not professionals. This recent report of Adobe’s CEO reflects Adobe serious consideration of migrating of applications from the desktop to the web, though a significant number of people think that while web applications do provide new opportunities and benefits over desktop, they will never be a total replacement due to the dependence of web applications on an active Internet connection to work, for which reliability will always be an issue.

We have ten years to see if Adobe could pull this off, while waiting for those ten years to pass, you can test drive and read about Aviary’s web creation project, an online suite created in Flex for creating all sorts of content that includes an image editor, a 3d modeling application, a vector drawing application, an audio editing application, and many others all available as web application or AIR applications. Check out their website for more info.

[via Download Squad]

Toxik 2008 is a standalone high-end post-production video composition tool made by Autodesk for Linux and Windows operating systems. The new standalone product, that seems like an alternative to Combustion, features support HDRI images and tight integration with Maya 2008. Toxik was previously released as a server/client setup, but the new Toxik 2008 no longer requires a database and can be used as a standalone application making it more appealing to relatively smaller video production studios. No firm release date has been announced for Toxic, but it should be out in the autumn of 2008. Learn more about it at Autodesk’s website.

In addition to the announcement of the new 3DS Max 2008, Autodesk also announced Maya 2008, the update to its other 3D modeling, animation, and rendering tool. To be released next month, Maya 2008 will feature several enhancements to increase polygon modeling efficiency and overall performance, support for DirectX HLSL for creating content for next-generation consoles such as the Wii, Xbox 360, and the PS3, and improvements for the skinning and rigging toolsets. You can learn more about the upcoming release of Maya 2008 from Autodesk’s website.

Adobe recently announced the release of the ‘Production Premium’ and ‘Master Collection’ bundles of Creative Suite 3. The Production Premium bundle includes the video post-production tool After Effects CS3, real-time video editing tool Premier Pro, sound production tool Soundbooth, and DVD production tool Encore. The Master Collection bundle includes the whole set of the Adobe Creative Suite applications for design, web and production. Learn more on Adobe’s website.