📸 Apple acquires Pixelmator

This week’s new tools, tutorials, and resources 👇️

• Codia AI: Transform screenshots into editable Figma UI designs effortlessly (Free plugin).

• ElevenLabs: An open-source app that generates a unique voice from your X (Twitter) profile.

• Meshcapade: Create animated, rigged characters with text prompts (Free tool).

• Unblocked AI: Generate images, vectors, and more with AI directly in Figma (Free plugin).

• Adobe Project Neo: A 3D graphics and illustration tool (Free).

In partnership with

Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe for $1.

TOP STORY
📸 Apple acquires Pixelmator

This week, Apple announced that it’s acquiring Pixelmator, a popular photo-editing app for Mac and iOS.

Pixelmator announced this exciting change on their blog, noting that joining Apple will help them reach more users and impact even more creative people worldwide.

Pixelmator’s team, based in Vilnius, Lithuania, has spent 17 years building a user-friendly, high-performing alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

The one-time purchase currently costs $49.99.

Apple has a history of acquiring software that enhances its creative tools, often leading to tighter integration within its ecosystem.

• Apple acquired Final Cut in 1998 and transformed it into Final Cut Pro, a powerful video editing suite now widely used in the industry.

• In 2002, Apple also acquired Logic Pro, an independent audio production software that became a leading tool for music producers on macOS.

While some acquisitions, like Dark Sky, were eventually merged into Apple’s native apps (e.g., its weather app), others, like Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro, have remained standalone products, continuing to offer professional-grade tools tailored for Apple’s platforms.

ANIMATION
🤖 Wonder Dynamics releases “Video to 3D Scene”

This week, Wonder Dynamics introduced a new tool for easily turning multi-camera videos into fully animated 3D scenes.

The latest feature automates animation, enabling users to input almost any video and receive a customizable 3D scene with characters.

This tool builds on their previous technology, which allowed users to replace real people with animated 3D characters that mimicked their movements.

Now, it also lets you add your choice of 3D backgrounds, making it easier to create detailed scenes without the hassle of location shooting. 

The process is designed for the early stages of production, allowing you to film in your living room and get quick previews of your animation.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
📹️ Runway releases “Advanced Camera Control”

This week, Runway released a new “Advanced Camera Control" feature for Gen-3 Alpha Turbo, giving users new options for camera movement.

• This update allows them to set direction and intensity to achieve highly intentional, dynamic shots.

• It is designed to help users bring more precision and nuance to every frame, making it easier to tailor shots to the exact look and feel they envision.

With Advanced Camera Control, creators can now pan horizontally to arc around subjects, creating cinematic perspectives highlighting their focus with sweeping, intentional motion.

Here are some examples of the new “Advanced Camera Control” feature 👇️ 

FROM OUR FRIENDS @ BEEHIIV

Who really owns your audience?

Being a Creator has never been easy, but unpredictable algorithms make connecting with your audience on social media harder than ever.

Enter beehiiv, the newsletter platform used to send this very email.

beehiiv frees you from the algorithms, giving you the tools to connect and create a more direct relationship with your followers.

Plus, with a network of premium advertisers and paid subscription options, you can tap into new revenue streams from day one.

Expand your brand with the most powerful newsletter platform on the planet. Start your 30-day free trial today.

Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe for $1.

FROM OUR FRIENDS @ BRANDED BILLS

Looking to elevate your brand with a custom hat?

Don’t make it just any hat. Make it a Branded Bills hat.

Why? They make quality merch (especially hats) that people actually want to wear.

Don’t just take it from us, here is what one of their recent clients has to say:

“I think Branded Bills is memorable because it is more of a lifestyle brand for us. It’s not just employees wearing them to work or technicians wearing them out in the field; they're wearing them to bowling alleys, sporting events, etc, and they’re repping our brand which is exactly what we want.” Rebecca Ferguson, Empire CAT

Want some more? Get $200 off your first order over $1000 with the code NEWSLETTER.

If this is what you want (and we’re guessing you do), hit up Branded Bills.

Want an ad-free experience? Subscribe for $1.

📰 Other news you might’ve missed:

• Rive now allows you to create responsive layouts.

• Procreate Dreams introduced “Recovery Points,” auto-save points when using undo, and performance enhancements.

• Riverside now allows you to set the duration, speakers, and topics of “Magic Clips.”

• Magnific AI released Mystic v2.5, a new AI image model.

• Suno released “Personas,” a way to let you save the essence of a song (e.g., vocals, style, and vibe) and reuse it across your creations.

• Runway released “Advanced Camera Control,” which allows you to control the direction and intensity of a scene's movement.

• Figma released an app for Zoom, allowing you to collaborate in your Figma files without leaving Zoom.

• Figma made it possible to see changes to variables in branch reviews.

• HeyGen now allows you to create life-like, full-motion avatars with a single text prompt.

• Webflow’s “Analyze” feature is now available as an add-on to all customers on Basic, CMS, Business, and Enterprise plans.

• Figma Slides now allows you to download and present your prototypes and slides offline and anywhere.

• KREA AI added two new AI models to its platform: Ideogram V2 and Flux 1.1.

• Udio now allows you to regenerate a specific section of a track.

• Cap teased upcoming automatic zoom and custom cursor features.

• Captions released “LIpdub Playground,” allowing you to add voices to your videos and have it automatically sync the lips to the audio.

• RenderNet “Canvas” now allows you to add text to your storyboards, share your canvases, and has a new Mac app.

• Freepik teased a new “AI Video” generator coming to its app.

• Riverside released “Music Overlays,” allowing you to choose from a library of royalty-free options in the Editor.

• Suno on iOS is now available internationally in early access.

• Jitter released an all-new, revamped Lottie exporter.

• Magnific released an Upscaler API.

• Gamma revamped its Theme Builder, giving you more control over the look and feel of your presentations.

• Rive x Unreal Engine v0.2.2 was released with the ability to swap font and image assets at runtime.

• Webflow updated its template marketplace, making it easier to find what you need.

• Play released v2.1 with new SVG support, type accessibility for custom fonts, and more.

• Maxon Cinema 4D released improved import/export features.

• Riveo now allows you to add materials to any shape.

• Freepik updated its Retouch tool with a new Flux model and zoom-in feature.