AAUG Reviews

by Linda Ewers, AAUG Member

I was in the market for a new digital camera when I got this book to review. I found it very helpful in evaluating a potential purchase. There were obvious features I knew I wanted, but others I learned were important that I otherwise would have overlooked. I felt more empowered after having read through this book.

The book, all 726 pages of it, is touted as 8 books in 1, and I have to agree. There is a phenomenal amount of information packed into this book. Much of it I have yet to read, just because of where I am on the learning curve of digital photography. Although I have been taking digital pictures for about 5 years, I havenít done much with them except view them as slide shows on my computer. I have done little with editing, printing or sharing my pictures. This book describes how to do these activities and more. The 8 books can be synopsized as: 1) Digital Photography Overview, 2) Building your Digital Photography Studio (which helped me chose the right camera), 3) Using Digital SLRs, 4) Taking Great pictures, 5) Image Editing, 6) Editing with Photoshop and Photoshop Elements, 7) Restoring Old Photos, and (8) Printing and Sharing your Images. Each mini-book can be treated as a standalone document: the reader need not master one before moving on to another. The book is written to assume that the reader has computer skills and a basic understanding of digital camera operation.

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by Theresa Geiger, AAUG Member

This book covers just about everything you want to know about iPods and iTunes. It starts out with the history and development of iPods with pictures. This is great if want to know what is out there in iPods. It also helps you make the right purchase for your needs. Accessories are explained so when you shop for the extra’s you know what the sales person is talking about and how you might set things up with the equipment you have. Protection skins for the iPod are reviewed also. Dummies also covers setting up and acquiring content for your Pod on either a Mac or PC.

The book starts with explaining the way the iPods work, how to power it up and the different ways of charging the battery. It gives advice on how to save your battery so the charges last longer. One of the sad things it tells you is your Pod has a shelf life or your battery does. You cannot just replace the battery your self. It must be sent in to Apple with a 50 dollar bill attached. If you try to do it yourself if voids the warranty.

The installation chapter walks you through setting up you Pod on a Max or PC. It was interesting to note iTunes is a late arrival. Musicmatch Jukebox was used before that. iTunes has been installed on Mac’s since 2003. The book talks about a CD to install your Pod but on the latest models you download any installation.

Most people use an iPod to play music. To have something to listen to you need to rip some music off your music CD’s into iTunes. This is an easy job. You can also buy and download music from the iTunes Store or other stores which you can buy music from on line. The book goes on to tell you how to get music from some of your old media such as records and tapes. This is not an easy way to go but it can be done. Downloading music is much easier if you have a broad-band or cable connection other wise it can be frustrating. The book states you can down load music for personal use. (more…)

by Jack Mosby, AAUG Member

Being a new InDesign user of two months, the 189-page “How to Wow with InDesign CS2″ was a good starting point for me to begin to learn how to more effectively use IDCS2. Written by two of Australia’s experts in using InDesign, Wayne Rankin and Mike McHugh, I learned many of the IDCS2 basics and beyond through the text, numerous graphics, text boxes, and accompanying CD. The CD provides raw text and graphic examples from the text as well as templates to practice with and/or see how they changed during the development of the book. Almost every other page has one or more short tips or insights to help you with the topic at hand. The book was written with the beginner to intermediate user in mind although I think it’s more toward the latter. The book also covers both MAC and Window applications.

“How To Wow with InDesign CS2″ is broken down into nine chapters, a nine-page index, and accompanying CD that includes grayscale and RGB textures, templates, graphics library with custom-made elements; project files; document presets; stroke styles; and a list of keyboard shortcuts.

Chapter 1 covers the basics including your desktop workspace, creating a document, setting defaults, transforming (moving, resizing, and rotating) objects in your new document, how text frames are created and work, acquainting you
with Adobe Bridge to work more effectively with other Adobe products, and using color management to name a few topics. (more…)

by Chuck Maas, AAUG Member

With the huge popularity of digital imaging, authors and publishers continue to flood bookstore shelves with answers to every conceivable question. Of course the questions themselves keep evolving, which leaves the door open for new approaches to old topics, and for new editions with updated data.

This Second Edition uses both angles. It’s clear this is not intended as a book for beginners (hence the reference to “Expert Techniques”), but is aimed at photographers already fairly high on the digital learning curve. In that regard, Adobe Photoshop, the uncontested industry standard of image editing programs, is presumed to occupy the core of the reader’s operational workflow. While treatises on Photoshop abound, this one takes a considerably boarder view. Intended for serious hobbyists or working professional photographers, the author lays out a strategy for overall efficiency and effectiveness from photo shoot to finished product, underscoring the need to work quickly, without wasted steps, to create high quality image files that are easy to access and deliver. (more…)

by Chuck Schumann, AAUG Member

I received a new Video iPod as a birthday present and so I was in the market for a protective case. When I first saw the iSkin box I thought it would be the perfect fit! I just could not stand the thought of taking the chance to mar up the case of the new iPod.

When I opened the box I was pleasantly surprised to find there were three protective cases inside instead of just the one blue skin that I thought was there. From what I have learned now there are various color packaged together and in this box I received the blue one plus both white and black skins.

The skins are very easy to put on by sliding the iPod through the opening for the screen and pulling the top up around the screen. The lack of the screen protector is the one con that I see in an otherwise simple and elegant product. I think that the addition of even a separate clear film type screen protector or two in the box will make this a complete solution. In my case I am back to the store to buy a separate pack of those.

I ended up settling on the black cover and I put the other two away for future use. The skin does the job of protecting your iPod without letting you lose the feel of the scroll wheel. I was pleased with the feel of it and did not really sense any loss of control at all. All of the ports on the iPod remain available through precision places portals on the skin.

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by Dave Patterson, AAUG Member

This device armors an iPod Nano with an attractive sleeve like semi-soft plastic material that fits the nano like a glove but still allows for easy removal of the nano when desired. Two varieties of Iconz Sports are available; One for each of the Major League Baseball Teams and one for each of the National Basketball Teams.

The Iconz Sport displays the official Team Logo and attractive graphics on one side and has a semi-transparent back. The screen shows up well through the screen window and the control wheel cover allows the necessary feeling to come through while still protecting the nano. The opening in the bottom of the Iconz accommodates the control cable and the ear bud plug without interference.

The Iconz is both functional and attractive giving the protection required for a busy nano. Iconz makes this product for first and second-generation nanos and iPods. A variety of other colors and familiar logos are available. Check out the Xtreme Mac Products website for a variety of other products for your iPod or your Nano.

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by Elaine Robinson, AAUG Member

First of all, allow me to compliment the company on its packaging. It has the ubiquitous transparent plastic encasement but instead of the usual scissor hacking needed to open, I simply had to remove 3 small staples. Thanks iRocks.

The package contains the i-rocks card reader, USB 2.0 cable, User’s Manual (pamphlet), Installation Driver mini-CD (not needed for Mac) and a soft drawstring pouch to carry all in. This little crystal wonder measures approx. 3 X 2 X .5 (78×58x15 mm), has a clear plastic slightly curved top with “i-rocks” in grey which casts a shadow. OK, it is pretty but what does it do?

My first use was when a friend came over and forgot her digital camera USB cable to connect to my computer. My camera cable did not fit her camera. I removed the SD memory card from her camera inserted into the SD card slot and we were immediately downloading photos.

The i-rocks card reader has 4 slots that support - Compact Flash Card(CF1/CF2), Smart Media, Multi-Media, Secure Digital, IBM Micro Drive, Memory Stick, and Memory Stick Pro Cards. An adapter is required for Reduced Size Multi-Media,Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Mini Secure Digital and Mini SD Cards.

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by Chris Tofteberg, AAUG Member

ThinkFree Office 3 is an affordable replacement to the pricier but more feature-rich Microsoft Office. ThinkFree Office 3 includes a word processor, a spreadsheet and a slideshow program. While the price is nice, one should consider performance and features before buying this program.

Write is a word processor included in the ThinkFree Office 3 bundle and can be equated to Microsoft’s Word and the interface will look very familiar to most people. While advanced features like Track Changes and Mail Merge are not present, Write performs well as a basic word processor. One word of warning: While reviewing ThinkFree Office, I thought it would be real swell to do the review in Write. Bad idea. I had this review all written and ready to go when the program crashed. So save frequently, good advice for any application.

I was also surprised at the limited features in the spell checker, a must in any word processor. While unrecognized words were underlined with that familiar squiggly line, suggestions were not provided. In fact, trying to set up spelling options under Tools…Autocorrect Options… did nothing. I mean nothing. I was also disappointed with the number of options available in either Preferences or Options. Very limited and basic.

Calc is the counterpart to Microsoft Excel and once again the interface has the look and feel of the Microsoft offering. I’m not an advanced Excel user, so the basic features that I am familiar with were all there. (more…)

by Zach Manzella, AAUG Member

The i-mini Crystal 4 Port HUB by i-rocks is an inexpensive way to add USB ports to your computer. The 4 Port HUB comes with a 5 volt AC power adaptor, a 4 Port HUB, and a USB connector cable to run from the HUB to your computer. Although the HUB is USB 2.0, it is backwards compatible to USB 1.1. The AC power adaptor supports the self-powered mode, which provides the power that might be needed to run the bigger peripherals.

I use a laptop. The 4 Port HUB allows me to leave the peripherals plugged in the 4 Port HUB when I take my laptop on the road. When I return to my desk I plug the connection cord from the 4 Port HUB into a USB port in my laptop. This act is essentially saving me the time and effort of plugging in three and sometimes four USB connectors.

The 4 Port HUB is small in size (83 x 33 x 13mm) and light in weight so that it can easily be carried with the user if needed without getting in the way or taking up much computer bag space. The HUB comes with a soft drawstring case for transport protection.

This product saves time and energy if you are consistently changing in and out USB cords because your computer has limited ports. 4 Port HUB is also convenient for those with desktop computers and the tower is in a difficult to reach position. (more…)

by Jeff Ridder, AAUG Member

Did you realize that in just a little over 2 short years from now (the current date is February 17th, 2009) analog television will be switched off and that HDTV will be the only thing you will be able to pickup on over the air broadcast. To me that’s a good thing. Gone will be the days of ghosts and static pictures. In its place will be clean clear pictures and awesome digital sound. If you have a later generation Macintosh (must have USB 2.0) you can take advantage of the new HD broadcasts right now.

I tested the EyeTV Hybrid on the following configuration using a Intel Core Duo Mac Mini (1.83Ghz, 1GB of RAM, 80GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW, Mac OS X 10.4.8) and a 20″ Cinema Display. Signal to the unit was provided by a coax cable running into my house from a 100″ VHF and 30″ UHF antennas attached to the roof of my house.

What’s in the box?
The EyeTV Hybrid is a 3″ long USB dongle that plugs into an available USB 2.0 port and provides both analog and HD TV signals. The kit comes with a USB cable so that you can still plug the unit in if you have a tight collection of USB devices plugged into the computer. Also inside the box is a A/V cable adapter to give you an additional connection for importing video using composite or s-video as well as stereo audio, the software installer CD’s for the drivers and TV applications and a remote control unit. You will also want to check Elgato’s website at www.elgato.com for updates. As of the time this was written Elgato has released an update that allows you to use the Apple remote to control the unit and has changed the TV application to mimic how Front Row works. (more…)