Adobe unveiled its latest experimental tool for Web designers, called Shadow, on Wednesday. Adobe Shadow lets users pair mobile devices with their computer so they can see real-time previews of websites they’re viewing in their desktop Web browser.
Once the mobile devices are paired with Shadow on a computer, they mirror the browsing activity from your computer, making it easier to preview Web designs on multiple devices simultaneously.
Adobe Shadow on the Mac
Adobe Shadow runs as an application and includes an extension for Google’s Chrome browser for OS X and Windows, so it can be used along side any Web development tools. It supports iOS and Android, letting users can view site designs on multiple platforms at the same time without having to load pages device-by-device.
Site changes appear on mobile devices as you make them, and supports Wi-Fi connections on local networks. Adobe is using Weinre, or Web Inspector Remote, to drive Shadow, but includes its own front end making the utility user-friendly — something Weinre isn’t known for.
Adobe plans to ship the finished version of Shadow in the second half of 2012. The public beta is available as a free download at the Adobe Labs website. Pricing for the final shipping version hasn’t been announced yet.
The iOS companion app is available as a free download for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch at Apple’s iTunes-based App Store.