AAUG Reviews

By Marcia Templin AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

The Microsport for iPod Nano by Xtrememac.com is a dark gray/black heavy rubber case that surrounds the nano, holding it firmly and securely around the edges leaving the front exposed for access of the controls and viewing the screen. It is designed to fit in the palm of the hand with the Nano facing the user ñ for extra security there is an adjustable Velcro strap that fits around the back of the userís hand. It can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

I used the Microsport while running and walking the Nano was obviously very secure during both activities. It never wiggled or looked/felt as though it would come loose. The grip was comfortable and not too heavy. I found it easy to switch from hand to hand and to access the control dial for volume and song selection. I was certain that if I dropped it that the nano would not fall out or be damaged by impact.

The security of the Nano may not be long-lived because of the Microsport’s design it is very difficult to remove the Nano from the Microsport, especially with sweaty fingers. Because of the amount of stretching and bending of the Microsport required to remove my Nano from it, I am wondering if eventually the security would be compromised as the rubber stretches and perhaps cracks with repeated use and/or if my Nano one day will come popping out unexpectedly and be damaged. Using the Microsport on a daily basis as a case to avoid the need to remove the Nano is not practical - although there is access to the earbud jack through the bottom, there is no access for the USB cable used in charging and (more…)

By Wayne Watson, AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

Have you ever glanced at a book on the store book shelf and the book just cried out to go home with you? Well, this book jumped into my basket from the AAUG reviews table and ran away to my house.

A little background is in order. Our family has five iPods, of varying sizes and versions. The newest is a 4 GB Nano I purchased for my wife 8 months ago. 18 months ago, my wife surprised me with a 40 GB photo iPod, and our teenagers have two 6 GB iPod minis and one 20 GB iPod. We use an iMac (OS 10.4) and run iTunes 6. However, with so many people updating their iPods and monkeying around with iTunes and the iPod sync protocols, each of these iPods have developed varying idiosyncrasies and periodic glitches that frustrate us. I have felt at a loss for information that can help me reset, restore, or otherwise fix my problems. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love our iPods and wouldn’t consider any other MP3 players. But periodic maintenance seems reasonable considering how may hours we use our iPods. For instance, some of our songs in iTunes have exclamation points next to them. This manual helped me solve this problem.

Within a few minutes of browsing through his manual, I had a new respect for the full potential of each of our iPods. For instance, we now know how to efficiently use our iPods, in addition to storing music, as an external hard disk to store other data or for transferring to another computer. Our school children use their iPods to transfer home work assignments to and from school. If I did not have this manual, I would have spent some time surfing the Apple website for similar information. Instead, we can quickly flip through (more…)

By AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

This kit comes with two gold-tipped cables that are identical with each other–except one cable is 6 feet long and the other cable is 7 inches long. Each cable has one 3.5 mm (1/8″) stereo mini-plug on one each and two standard gold-tipped RCA audio jacks on the other end. Most home stereo receives come with an extra set of inputs. Look for an empty AUX jack (left and right inputs) or another unused jack such as CD. You plug the smaller end into the iPod’s headphones jack and the other end into the back of your home stereo receiver. It is just that simple.

The 6 foot cable is plenty long to wrap round the receiver so you can plug the iPod in and place the iPod on a shelf for easy access. When not using the iPod to play tunes on your home stereo system, you can tuck the wire on top of or to the side of the receiver. The 6 feet length is perfect.

My three teenage sons each have an iPod. We leave the cable dangling out in front of the receiver and they play their tunes over our stereo system. The sound is fantastic. For a few years I have been thinking about a wireless unit to play our iTunes selections over the home stereo. But the cost of this system chilled my interest. Now Griffin has solved my dilemma with their kit, which retails for $14.99.

The second cable that comes in the kit is 7 inches long. At first I stared at it and wondered what in the world I could do with it? But the instructions (which I read as a last resort) describe how the two cables can be connected RCA cable to RCA cable so you have a mini to mini plug connection on each end. (more…)

By Gary Miller, AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

The Nucleus Line by Pacific Design is perfect for a new MacBoo or PC, it’s sturdy enough with it’s semi-hardshell molded foam construction, included shoulder strap, and has additional storage inside. And colors, yes, all the new desirable ones like lime green, teal, red, pink, grey, and the more sedate ones too like black. I chose a new version of teal blue, it’s handles were easy to use and fit perfect, padded for either large or small hands.

Pacific Design is a company that’s located in Austin, Texas, and makes innovative products, many cases depending on your storage requirements or use, or iPod cases in many configurations; we’ll be reviewing more in the future.

The Blue Nucleus PC Portfolio has a strong feel to it, and is designed to fit inside larger cases by the company, good planning! Inside you’ll see storage for a few documents, plugs, charger, etc. I really liked how light weight it is. It fits the new MacBook perfectly, here’s the specifics: (more…)

By Bruce M. Herman, AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

The Apple Shuffle seems at times to be the forgotten step child of the iPod line of music players. Once the best choice for people involved in active sports, it has been eclipsed by the Nano. This may explain why it has fewer accessories than the other iPods. So I was excited when I saw Griffin’s new iVault for the Shuffle. Leather cases seem inappropriate for an iPod that is meant to go along with you on bike rides and running where it can be exposed to the elements. This metal case would give the Shuffle some additional protection. But I discovered that it has some drawbacks.

The iVault consists of two halves of brushed aluminum that are screwed together over the Shuffle. A screw driver is included in the package, as is a USB cable. Once assembled, the iVault has a cut-out on the front for the click wheel and another on the back for the Shuffle’s power switch. There are also openings on each end, one for the head phone jack and another for the USB port.

The iVault case extends to just beyond the length of the USB connector and so affords it some protection. However, there is no cover for the opening, leaving the connector exposed to any dirt or water that may head that way. The Shuffle’s regular USB cap fit does not into the opening either. In fact the USB jack opening is too small to allow the Griffen Shuffle lanyard to be used. We may forgive Griffin of this oversight because the lanyard is no longer a current product. Hopefully Griffin will reintroduce their headphones lanyard redesigned to fit the USB opening on the iVault. (more…)

By Steve Nigl, AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

The Griffin iTrip Auto is car ipod charger with an FM transmitter built in. It allows you to listen to your iPod via the car radio while the iPod recharges.

I have been a great fan of Griffin’s products. I believe that they are generally engineered well and the consumer gets a good quality product for a reasonable price. With that said, I was a bit disappointed with the iTrip Auto. I have been using a low-end FM transmitter (Belkin Tunecast II) for most of a year now, and use it as a baseline for comparison against Griffin’s offering.

The Belkin product also plugs into a cigarette lighter for power, but does not charge the iPod. The Belkin gets signal via the headphone jack on the iPod. By contrast, the iTrip connects via an iPod dock connector and provides both power and signal connections simultaneously. The Belkin’s power cable is an accessory and can derive power from two internal AAA batteries. The iTrip must be plugged into the car to work. The only benefit to the Belkin on this point is that my car’s cigarette lighter is not powered when the engine is off or the key is on ‘radio only’. The ignition must be at ‘on’. The Belkin still provides FM transmitter function with the engine off. The AAA batteries also remember which station freq. is being used, when the unit is off. One of my first concerns about the iTrip was to reset the freq. every time I use it. Not so. It seems to have non-volitile memory for this. (more…)

By Robert King, AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

I’m a sometimes-frustrated PowerPoint user, so when I saw this book promising ways to overcome some of the problems I’ve encountered with this great program, I was very interested to read it and I’m not disappointed that I did. I’ll keep this book handy as a reference whenever I launch into creating a new PowerPoint show. It is easy to find what you need to know by using the 7-page index at the back, plus the list of topics given under each of the 9 chapters in start of this 305-page book.

Chapter 1 covers lots of things that can go wrong in trying to deliver your PowerPoint show. Here you learn about setting up your equipment properly, solving projection troubles like the slides appearing crooked. You also learn some of the basic skills you need in navigating through your slides. You are also introduced to the basic style used through the book, which I liked. A sentence or two, labeled “The Annoyance,” starts out the topic and explains the problem in common terms. Sometimes these are quite amusing when they use wording that captures the real frustration you may have when you cannot do what you want in PowerPoint. “The Fix” follows that. Again, using easy to understand language, it goes into as much detail as needed to address and solve the problem. Often accompanying each problem-solution section are useful graphics.

One other notably feature of “The Fix” section is that the solution includes different answers for different versions of PowerPoint (2000, 2002, 2003, and for Mac users), as needed. In some cases, such as problems in getting your PowerPoint presentation to loop back to the proper slide during a set up for continuous presentations in a kiosk, “The Fix” may also include the identification of a special program you need to download off the web depending on your particular version of PowerPoint. (more…)

By Steve Nigl, AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

This is my fifth photography book in the past year, and I’m getting to be a bit of an expert on them! (joke). This is the first book that I have seen that is intended for the digital photographer who is planning a trip.

David assumes some photographic knowledge, but covers some of the basics anyway. I won’t go into that. Where this book excels is in teaching how to prepare for a photo-safari trip, or just how to maximize on a regular vacation. How to take photos that don’t look like the typical tourist shots. What to pack. What not to. And how to learn to take good travel photos by using your home area in a series of homework assignments. “Digital Travel Photography” covers technique for landscape photography, nature, portraits (that don’t look posed), and even planning a photo-vacaton to cover local annual events.

Although David recommends packing this book as a filed guide, I don’t equate it to the bird and nature guides that are pocketable. High marks for content and abundant color illustration.

By Robert King, AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

I was initially drawn to this book by its cover’s three statements of what the reader would learn: 1) edit, retouch, and enhance digital images; 2) get the most out of all the software’s feature; and 3) prepare images for print or the web. In the 426 pages, it really does this! And I was please how well it is organized and how easy it is to read.

The book is divided into 5 parts that walk you through the amazingly powerful program, Photoshop Elements 4. Progressively you learn all that it has to offer-which is an amazing lot for its low price! You build on basic skills and you also learn how to customize the program to fit your own needs. You start with Part I: “Getting to Know Photoshop Elements,” divided into 3 chapters. In these you learn the basics of how to navigate the program, plus how to get your images into Photoshop Elements, and also how to view them. As with the rest of the book, the color graphics really enhance the well-written text.

Part II, divided into 6 chapters, continues with learning how to make simple adjustments to your images using many of the same tools found in this program more expensive “big brother,” Photoshop. This includes cropping; correcting for color, lighting, and focus; adjusting exposure and quick-fixing your photos with preset adjustments which sometimes are all you need. It also includes use of the paint and brush tools, how to touch up our photos with brushes, and also how to clean up areas with darkroom-like tools.

Part III, with 6 more chapters, moves to applying changes to specific parts of your photos, including how to select and correct only certain areas in your image. Here you learn how to create and manage layers, work with layer masks, customize your layers with layer styles, and also add perspective as well as add objects and shapes to your images. (more…)

By Ron Schoedel, AAUG Member
Reviewed 7/06

Mac security software publisher Intego is hot on the trail of all those spam emails that fill up inboxes around the world. I thought I had great spam filtering with Apple’s Mail program in OS X 10.4 (Tiger). And I did. But I was happily surprised when I installed Intego Personal Anti-Spam (PAS) X 4 and found that it caught and deleted some troublesome messages of a sort that Mail just could never reliably catch. I was impressed that before I even had a chance to teach it, it was well on its way to clearing my email accounts of incoming spam.

PAS uses several different methods of detecting spam, such as blacklists (senders or domains that are specified as bad), whitelists (senders or domains you specify as always being good), lexicon (looks for keywords more likely to appear in spam than in normal email, especially when combined with other keywords), and filters updated regularly by Intego and downloaded automagically by the NetUpdate feature that ties all Intego products together to keep them all updated. This is particularly useful since hackers and virus writers, as well as just plain old spammers work fast and frequently change their tactics. Automatic updates ensure that emails matching common filenames and using new spamming techniques are always caught. The initial purchase price includes one year of free updates to the spam definitions service.

I’ve had about 28 days to watch PAS get even more accurate in its “hits”. PAS installs a menu in the Apple Mail program from which you invoke either a command to teach it what’s good or what’s spam, as well as to empty the spam mailbox. I was at first not so sure I believed Intego’s claim that it was smarter than the spam tools in Mail and Entourage, mainly because I have found both of those programs to have very good filtering abilities. (more…)