Adobe has announced the private beta launch of its new suit of products for hobbyist-level users who enjoy editing their photos and movies. Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 and Adobe Premiere Elements 7 for Windows will be publicly available, as of October, in a bundle that cuts off the price corresponding to the separate acquisition of the products with $50.

One of the improvements to come with Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 is the Smart Brush tool, which enables users to apply an effect to or edit just a small surface of a picture. Scene Cleaner allows photographers to eliminate unwanted persons or objects from pictures. The movie editor Premiere Elements 7 also promises updates, such as Videomerge, a technique similar to the "green screen" technology that integrates persons in natural-like environments that have been previously computer generated or filmed.

Adobe also announced the availability of a new website, designed to support Photoshop users - Photoshop.com. The website will offer two membership possibilities: the Basic one, which is free of charge, and the Plus membership, which requires a $49,99 yearly fee. The simpler type of subscription comes with 5 GB of storage in the cloud, online albums to make picture exchanges with friends easier and access to the stored items from anywhere. The Plus membership offers tutorials and moviemaking ideas, simple movie scores and special effects. Also, the template database to help users provide their albums with a better appearance is constantly updated. The storage capacity is four times bigger than the Basic's one.

"Our customers are spending more time online and we want to help them stay connected with their favorite people and memories," said Doug Mack, vice president and general manager of Consumer and Hosted Solutions at Adobe. "The introduction of Photoshop.com membership means photos and videos are accessible from virtually anywhere and we're no longer limited to what we can fit into 'the box'. We've got a new mechanism that delivers fresh ideas and inspiration, safely protects what you're storing, and provides fun options for sharing. The best part is - it's all dynamic and current, expanding the already powerful capabilities of Photoshop Elements 7 and Premiere Elements 7 throughout the year."

The Basic membership is not conditioned by the acquisition of either of the components of the new bundle of products.