AAUG Reviews

by Bruce Herman, AAUG Member

Data Backup v 3.0 by ProSoft Engineering is a highly versatile backup utility written for both Intel and PowerPC Macs. Data Backup is THE backup utility if you want the maximum control of your backups.

When you first open the software, it asks for your user name and the license number for the software. The interface then opens with a statement that the target drive has not been selected. When I first installed Data Backup v3.0, the interface was not complete. It also requested the registration information each time I logged in. I called tech support and received a very prompt response. They suggested uninstalling the software with the uninstall utility that is provided with the software. After rebooting, I reinstalled the software and the interface worked properly. However, it continued to request my registration information upon starting for the next several starts. For whatever reason, it finally stopped asking for the information. This unexplained behavior is one of the reasons that I could not give the software 5 moose.

Data Backup’s interface logically ordered, but information entered at the top does not seem to trigger appropriate default responses lower on the interface. The top-most line is a drop down menu with a variety of backup options. These include backing up your entire internal drive, which would be the choice for typical users. A number of other useful options are also presented, which adds to the power of this program, but may overwhelm the typical user. Unfortunately, selecting “Entire Internal Drive” does not automatically select “Clone” in a drop down menu below. Instead, the default appeared to be “Simple Copy.” So most users would have to manually select “Clone”. (more…)

by Devon Peake, AAUG Member

I reviewed this MacBook case for a MacBook that I recently purchased. It is the “Sahara” color combination - black with orange stitching and padding. The black faux leather with contrasting orange stitching is nice looking and “city sleek” - it has that urban flair! The MacBook fits snugly inside, and is safely housed inside the reinforced case. The protective padded fabric inside the case is super-soft, with the iSkin logo very faintly visible. There are two elastic straps for the corners of the display which will wake the MacBook if you choose to leave it in sleep mode. The iSkin is perfect for tucking into a tote or a backpack, but is also professional enough to carry alone to a meeting or a conference.

The only thing I would change in the design for this case would be to add a couple nice looking clips so it could also be carried with a removable shoulder strap. An outside pocket for something like a thin document would also be nice, but I do like the very sleek design as it is currently made. If you are in the market for a case for a 15″ MacBook, this is a GREAT choice. It is a very well-made and good looking case.

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by Guy Okada, AAUG Member

As I’ve admitted before I am a font junkie. I love to experiment with fonts and text graphics to use in newsletters, posters and other publications that I’m involved with at work and for different non-profits. Many years ago there was a program called TypeStyler that was renowned for producing terrific textual graphics, but unfortunately when the Mac world turned X, the producers of TypeStyler never followed suit. Advanced applications such as PhotoShop and Illustrator are capable of producing eye popping textual graphics but they’re complex programs that have a steep learning curve. Now we have Art Text by the good folks at BeLight Software and it fills the void left by TypeStyler to easily create fantastic textual graphics in a few minutes.

BeLight Software produces useful applications for business and personal productivity such as Disc Cover, Swift Publisher, and Mail Factory. Their applications are focused, user-friendly and very practical. Art Text is no exception. It works with OS 10.4 and costs $39.95. The installation is simple and you can be up and running in minutes producing very cool textual graphics. (more…)

by Chuck Maas, AAUG Member

Most folks who’ve been around digital imaging for any length of time know Tim Grey. An engaging, energy-filled, computer whiz who used to teach for George Lepp at the Lepp Institute of Digital Imaging and then got hired by Microsoft to head their professional photo expansion effort, Tim has a rare talent for clear, insightful writing about complex subjects. He’s parlayed that skill into a whole series of books, of which this is one of his latest, and it carries on the tradition of being very thorough and easy to read and understand.

The topic of this book is one of a new breed of image editing tools that takes a fundamentally different approach to working with digital photo files from the King Kong of the industry, Adobe Photoshop. While Photoshop still is the industry leader by far, it has several serious drawbacks, including expense, complexity, and a very steep learning curve.

Enter Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. The concept for this new tool is to provide a more user friendly, efficient end-to-end workflow within one program that includes editing, optimizing, cataloguing, and output, allowing the photographer to spend less time in front of the computer and more time actually taking pictures. There are competing programs from other companies with a similar goal ñ Apple’s Aperture (strictly for Macs), and LightZone from Light Crafts (for both platforms), but only Lightroom has near-seamless cross compatibility with Adobe’s other creative products.

Lightroom has strong promise. One of its leading attributes is that it works nondestructively. When you make editing changes to images you are not altering actual pixel values within the image file but only adding a set of instructions for changes you wish to make and shows those effects on the fly. (more…)

by Richard Geiger, AAUG Member

What is Aperture? The program is Apple Computer Company’s answer to a digital workflow for digital images. The program tries to recreate the days of editing slides on a light table. The program is like the professional version of iPhoto but with more power. It is also designed to handle RAW images which most professional Single-Reflex-Lens (SLR) cameras can shoot.

The program is a digital workflow program and has many nondestructive editing features built into it. The program is not a substitute an external image editor such as Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or other photo editing programs if you are interested in more creative editing.

I reviewed Apple Pro Training Series Aperture 1.5: Professionally Manage Digital Photographs. The book covers Aperture version 1.5 and is written for a intermediate level user and has good understanding of Mac OS X. The book is designed to be used in conjunction with enclosed DVD. The book is 543 pages with 12 lessons. I found the book most useful when I followed the exercise instead of just reading the book. The book gives you a feel of a college text book. Each chapter tends to build on the next chapter so it is not that easy to jump around in the book.

If you are just starting out with Aperture I would recommend “Aperture Expose” by Ellen Anon and Josh Anon. The book covers Aperture 1.1 but the current is version 1.53. However, the book gives you a good introduction to Aperture for an new user, but would be a light side for a intermediate user. (more…)

by Theresa Geiger, AAUG Member

This man covers just about anything you want to know about digital cameras, photo programs and accessories. This book is not for a beginner who doesn’t know much about cameras, but for a advanced beginner who wants to improve his or her techniques and learn more about digital cameras. He sets situations up for a consumer grade camera shots as well as for someone with a professional camera. He shoots with all levels of cameras and is well acquainted on how to handle them in many situations.

This book is overwhelming if you think you are going to read and remember everything the first time through. I think it should be read through once and then go back and choose what you would want to work on to improve your photography and study that chapter. Get to know your camera and how it handles and practice with the examples given in that chapter. If you have a smaller megapixel camera he shows you how you can use it and still get good shots. I have a Cannon Powershot G 1 and will reread some chapters and use it in some situations. You just have to know your camera’s limitations.

I think this book is a great reference book for someone wanting to learn and improve their digital photography. The strong point of this book is the many examples given not only by the author but other well know photographers in their field on how to handle different photo situations so you can pick and choose what works best for you and give it a try. (more…)

by Ronald Schoedel, AAUG Member

Send Station has a hit on their hands. Imagine an iPod accessory that can be billed as “Zero features; Most wanted.” For at least three years, I have wanted a product like this, and have emailed several manufacturers requesting they produce it. Forums on iPod- and Mac-related websites contain similar pleas from other iPod users, all of who would like nothing more than for all their iPod accessories to “just get along”.

Allow me to set up the problem, before explaining the solution. Many of us keep, or would like to keep, our iPods in a case. Perhaps a silicone “skin”, perhaps a leather cover, or whatever. These cases add a bit of bulk to our iPods, and usually just enough bulk that they become incompatible with any “docking” accessories while iPod is in its case. Now, no one wants to keep taking iPod out of the case just to use accessories, sometimes multiple times throughout the course of the day. Some cases, especially those that are very protective, are very involved to put on and take off. This inconvenience–wanting to dock your iPod but leave it in its case–called for a dock extender, the very thing Send Station has produced and now markets for $28.95.

The dock extender is a very simple concept. (more…)

by Richard Geiger, AAUG Member

This program helps you organize your PDF documents such as manuals, legal documents, bank statements, project files, newsletters, forms and anything else that is in a PDF format. You can scan or print your document as PDF and store them into DocumentWallet. The Mac OS X operating system has a built in print to PDF so you can easily convert the documents to PDF files. You can attach information such as title, date, category, sub category, description, reference number, status, URL, several custom fields, and notes to a single PDF document. You then can search on the document using the search function in the program or use Mac OS 10.4 spotlight function.

From the main library of DocumentWallet, you can create a collection which you can create manually or use a smart collection based on keywords or other criteria. For example, if you create a smart collection base on the keyword “manual” you would have all the manuals in the subset of you main library. The program also lets you back up your data and archive your documents to a CD or DVD. If you archive to a CD or DVD the documents will be removed from the DocumentWallet library. If you load the CD or DVD back into computer you would be able to search for the documents.

The program is easy to use if you have had experience using other program and have a basic understanding of Mac OS X. (more…)

by Richard Geiger, AAUG Member

This program helps you organize your receipts PDF such as food receipts, insurance explanation of benefits, doctors office receipts, small business purchases and anything else that is in a PDF format. You can scan or print your document as PDF and store them into ReceiptWallet. The Mac OS X operating system has a built in print to PDF so you can easily convert the receipts to PDF files. For example, if you purchased a item from an online store and the receipt is displayed in your browser you can go to print and select print to PDF. You can then import the PDF into the program and attach information such as Merchant, date, amount, payment, several custom fields, and notes to a single PDF document. You then can search on the document using the search function in the program or use Mac OS 10.4 spotlight function.

ReceiptWallet also supports exporting your receipt information to quicken. You have to manually type in the amounts off your receipts in order to export the information to Quicken. I use QuickBooks which the program does not support so I was not able to test the feature. The program does have some simple accounting reports which you can calculate the totals and subtotals on the merchant, date, amount, payment, an several custom fields.

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by Dennis Doland, AAUG Member

EarthDesk is sort of like the seasons. Subtle, gradual, and amazing to witness over time. EarthDesk doesn’t crunch any numbers, it won’t make work any easier (although it can add some fun to your Desktop), and you can’t play video games with it. Instead, EarthDesk’s claim to fame is the ever-changing way it presents the physical earth to the user.

We all have our favorite photos or graphics that we use to spice up our computer desktop, but let’s face it, looking at a static photo of last weekend’s BBQ or a dew-covered rose can become a little monotonous after awhile. Compared to still photos or those ubiquitous random image generators, EarthDesk seems more — for lack of a better word — alive.

Here’s how it works: After EarthDesk is downloaded and installed on your Mac, it becomes your Desktop. Instead of a photo or a graphic, what you see at the Desktop level is a satellite image of the earth. Then — and this is where it gets fun! — superimposed over this map are real-time clouds, city lights in densely populated areas, day/night light gradients, and moonlight reflections on the earth (depending on the phase of the moon). The clouds are rendered from actual satellite photos and are updated every few hours. (more…)