Related Articles
Adobe Systems
Adobe Systems has begun letting people test Ginger, its new iPad app for creating video presentations, but only in secret.
“Ginger is now in beta, and you’re invited to join the Ginger prerelease program, which will give you exclusive access to Ginger before it’s released to the public,” the company said Tuesday in a message to those who signed up to try the software. “You’ll be able to share the videos you create using Ginger with anyone, so you can share your story.”
Beta testers will be able to share their stories, but apparently not their experiences with the software itself. Adobe requires testers to agree to a confidentiality agreement before being able to try the software.
Ginger is a new development in Adobe’s attempt to adapt to a computing market that includes mobile phones and tablets, not just personal computers. It’s sells several apps already, but the mobile market is full of new entrants, and incumbents such as Adobe don’t have the installed-base advantages they do on PCs.
The Ginger software, aimed squarely at the creative types at the core of the company’s business, is designed to make it easier to build animated video presentations. It’s designed for sales pitches, product explanations, and other situations where a person needs to get an audience to see the light.
screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET
Adobe hasn’t yet committed to shipping it. “Adobe is constantly evaluating new ideas and market testing new innovative products,” the company said in a statement last week. “Ginger is one of many explorations in our product pipeline.”
PowerPoint today is the king of the heap when it comes to creating presentations. There are competitors, too, including Google Slides, Apple Keynote, and Prezi. Those are all geared for circumstances where a person is delivering the presentation in person, though, not posting a video online or sending it to clients by e-mail.
Another company called Brainshark, though, can convert PowerPoint documents into online videos. On Tuesday, Brainshark and Embed.ly announced a partnership that will make it easier to embed those videos on a social-media Web sites such as Facebook and on corporate intranets.
screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET
