ADOBE

Does Google have a similar software that can counter Skype's popularity?

Adobe Systems Inc reported on Tuesday a 54 percent jump in quarterly net profit and held on to its sales growth target, but warned of weakness in demand for its applications in Europe.

The love-hate relationship between Apple Inc. and Adobe Systems Inc., whose Flash technology was banned from use on Apple products so far, took a new direction, Monday, with Adobe announcing that the latest versions of its Flash Builder and Flex support building apps for not only Android devices and BlackBerry Playbook but also for the iPhone and iPad.

Apple products users that uses iOS operating platforms, namely the iPad and iPhone, are expected to have more Flash experience opportunity on their device which does not natively support Adobe Flash.

Paper-based computing platform giant Livescribe hopes to make an impact by introducing the new Connect feature to its Echo and Pulse smartpens

Apple's launch of iOS5, might have played as an update on Apple's mobile operating system to catch up with the other mobile operating systems in the market, but some features sported by Google's Android are way ahead.

The virus Microsoft Update pops up only when users are using Mozilla Firefox on Windows and the users familiar with Microsoft Updates would know that they only happen on Internet Explorer.

Google Chrome 12 launched on Tuesday is said to be more secure while it takes care of user privacy and brings in improved graphics.

The rising popularity of HTML5 and the declining dominance of Flash will spell tougher times ahead for Creative Suite (CS) Adobe Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE).

The CEO of Adobe Systems, Shantanu Narayen, thinks the era of Apple's dominance of the tablet market will soon come to an end.

Global Equities Research has lowered its profit and sales estimate of Adobe Systems on weak creative suite 5.5 upgrades.

FBR Capital Markets believes Adobe Systems Inc.'s (NASDAQ: ADBE) flagship offering, Creative Suite (CS), is losing its ability to drive Adobe’s business and doesn't see much to materially offset this. The brokerage downgraded its rating on shares of Adobe to underperform from market perform and lowered its price target to $28 from $33.

Adobe said a critical vulnerability has been found in certain versions of its Flash Player that could allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.

Adobe has launched subscription editions for its new Creative Suite 5.5, a collection of graphic design, video editing, and web development applications including Photoshop, Acrobat and InDesign.

Apple's hawk eye on the gaming scene has been the point of much discussion and speculation. And finally there seems to be some real development. From rumors about acquiring Sony, or eying Adobe or Disney, there are now reports that Apple is hiring executives from gaming giant Nintendo to push its gaming presence.

Priced lower than any tablet in the current market, Acer Iconia A500 is a direct hit for Xoom and iPad 2. Xoom had the advantage of being the first tablet running on Honeycomb, the latest android version.

Since the launch of the Apple's new iPad 2 on March 11 in the US, then March 25 in various more countries, it has been an incredible success. But the device isn't perfect. There are a number of drawbacks that potential buyers should know about before they purchase it impusively.

At least three brokerages have cut the profit forecasts of Adobe Systems (NASDAQ: ADBE), a day after the software company reduced its second quarter outlook by $50 million.

Shares of companies active in Wednesday's early trade are: Jabil Circuit, Cree, Adobe, Veeco Instruments, XOMA, Tata Communications, China Southern Airlines Co., Cintas, Global Industries and Northern Oil & Gas.

Adobe Flash may struggle to gain adoption on the Post-PC devices including smartphones and tablets as behavioral shift of consumers to apps from web browsing may make Flash less relevant on these devices, according to Global Equities Research.

ON Semiconductor recently purchased Sanyo Semiconductor ($1.1 billion in annual revenues) and thus has several thousand employees and several fabs in Japan.