AAUG Reviews

by Randy Brandon, AAUG Member

First things first. Painter is not a production tool like Adobe Photoshop, or LightRoom. It can certainly handle several of the same functions as these other programs can, but that is not what it was designed to do.

What it offers in general is an amazing suite of editing, and brush tools of the likes of which you may never have even imagined were possible. Being familiar with several of the previous versions of Painter, I loaded up the CD, and dove right in. It is nice to see that while there are numerous new additions to Painter X, the overall look, and feel of the basic program remains the same. And so, for previous version users such as myself, the transition to this latest version should be a snap.

What’s new? Well there are numerous new features, and so, here they are in no particular order.

Workspace customization. The great feature is one that I use with all of my “other” digital editing programs. It basically allows the user to set up, and use numerous workspace setups, like palettes, and toolbars, and then switch between them at will.

Auto backup, and Saving. Painter X now provides automatic backup features that add another level of protection in spite of system crashes, or power outages..nice!

Session memory: This feature serves to retain the numerous different settings (more…)

by Scott Semans, AAUG Member

My idea in doing a User Group review of this software was to adapt it to what I was writing and I thought I could use it to write 10-minute plays and utilize it for research on a non-fiction book instead of a novel.  e.g: “Characters” in the software format would be issues to be developed.  ”Plotline” would be the arc of the subject presentation, etc.  It would be something I could use for a word processor for a book, practice by doing the review with it, and then have it, ready to use.  How great a deal is that?

The challenge for me was not in keeping my re-designations straight, in fact Storyist® helped me to keep aware of a literary structure.  I am technologically a newby, having done as little as possible on a computer screen until Mac came out with the LED backlit LCD screen, which stopped the flicker-rate eyeball burnout.  This allowed me to embrace this kind of software as the very best organizational tool, instead of keeping everything on tablets and cards that I’d then have to cross reference or cut into moveable pieces.

With this you can still do the print & cut, or do it  •”storyboard” fashion on screen, and both.  The four jacket bullets are all true and have further advantages, but as an habitual computer-user novice I had trouble with the  •”intuitive interface” part. Most of you trying this are word processor adepts already.  That said, I still had difficulties in working it. It’s not that the elements are unclear, the structure is easy to read and not hidden away.  The process was not obvious for me to just jump in, and especially to jump around.   •”Word processor” people should have no trouble. (more…)

by Chris Tofteberg, AAUG Member

Digital Rights Management (DRM) rules our digital lives, from the music we listen to to the movies we watch. If you’re like me, you’ve been looking for a way to copy your DVDs to play them without physically having the DVD in the drive. Drive-in provides just the solution. Legally.

Drive-in makes a copy of your disc to your hard drive that can be played back on your Mac. Sure, there are plenty of applications out there that do the same thing, but they are probably not legal. Drive-in has built in features that prevent pirating, such as the inability to make copies. I should note that Drive-in is not meant to be a DVD ripping application. Rather, it is a means to get movies onto your Mac without having to carry the DVD media with you. Perfect for long flights or sitting in your bed. Your hard drive pulls less power than spinning up a DVD does, so it’s a perfect solution in a disconnected environment.

The interface couldn’t be simpler: Just insert your DVD and click “Create Image.” What Drive-in does is create a disc image (called a DVD Case) of your DVD that is only playable on your Mac. The single seat license allows you to play the DVD disc image on one Mac, the multi seat license allows you to play the image on up to 5 Macs.

One of my favorite features of Drive-in is the ability to automatically download DVD information from the internet. Simply click the “Download Info” button, enter the UPC code (more…)

by Chris Tofteberg, AAUG Member

Taking photos with your digital camera is one thing. Presenting them is a totally different issue. Photoprinto presents a solution for easily creating scrapbooks of photos.

Photoprinto takes the work out of having to put photos into a format that is presentable to friends and family. It puts photos into templates that are simple yet fun, making the photos a bit more interesting to view. Photoprinto uses canned templates for your project, and you can also create your own templates. The canned templates are light-hearted with basic but fun backgrounds. Photos are masked into the templates.

Several templates are included but I have to say they’re cheesy. Masking options are very limited with just a few basic shapes included. That said, there are quite a few effects hidden in the Mask dropdown menu. You can even do some basic color correction within the program. Photoprinto works with Photoshop documents, so you can use your .psd files within the program, which is nice.

In my opinion, the application didn’t have a natural flow to it; I had to read the Help files to understand why the Templates area was completely separate from the Edit area. And why there is a Store button on the palette I couldn’t figure out. It just takes you to an online store for Smile On My Mac. That seems like something that should be under Help. (more…)

by Gary Miller, AAUG Member

If your desk is like mine with multiple power supply cables, USB cables for various items, and then you have your digital camera ready to download your photos, and seeking another cable, well Simplfi by Griffin Technology answers all these needs in one device! Finally…

You get 2 USB ports, read and writes media card reader in formats:

Memory Stick
Memory Stick Pro,
SD
XD
Compact Flash

The included AC power source allows power to some USB devices we use and the included mini USB cable to your computer is there too. I liked powering up my iPhone or iPods, each size device matches the included dock adapters so they fit perfectly. I tried charging my iPhone while inserting my Canon’s Compact Flash media card, and quickly the card was read, opened up iPhoto, and the iPhone showed it was being charged, and sync’d, all at the same time. I then added another device, since the Simplfi is also hub, so less clutter. I liked it’s looks too, anodized aluminum, so it matched the current Mac products. A blue light glows to let you know it’s on. It’s functional, and nice looking.
(more…)

by Guy Okada, AAUG Member

The Canon EOS XSi or 450D (European Market) is an mid-level digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera. It is capable of phenomenal photographs if you know how to use its manual features combined with good photographic technique. The manual that comes with the besides being diminutive, is woefully inadequate. Learning to use a digital camera is more about trial and error than it is a deliberate exercise in reading and self instruction. Being able to simply erase unwanted images and snap away without care is one of the liberating advantages of digital cameras. And it is easy to enhance mediocre photographs using editing software to create stunning images. But DLSR cameras offer the best of all worlds: the ability to shoot outstanding images, keep those you want, experiment without limitations and practice, practice, practice. A good “how to” book will help anyone become more adept and comfortable using their DSLR so there is definitely a market for these books. Focal Press was one of the first publishers to release a “how to” book for the popular Canon Digital Rebel XSi. This is a good book for a someone who is new to SLR cameras and to digital photography and the Canon line of cameras.

The 249 page book starts off with a full color 4-page visual tour of the camera–certainly not all that enlightening as the camera’s manual explains the same thing, albeit in black and white. Next is a 4-page “Quick Start - Up and Running in Five Minutes”–another full color explanation on how to insert the battery, lens, memory card, and other preparations to take the first photo. At this point I thought to myself, “come on, when does the feature begin?” (more…)

by Bruno Kappes, Ph.D., AAUG Member

If you compare the iPhone User Guide available for download from Apple online compared to the “iPhone 3G: The Missing Manual” by David Pogue, you will first recognize the much appreciated user-friendly style of the latter. Although many of the multiple functions on the iphone itself are rather basic, intuitive and easy to use (what we expect from Apple), The Missing Manual provides excellent photos, step-by-step examples and easy to follow instructions that even my grandmother or a caveman would understand.

The book’s strength lies in the colorful quality, clarity and ease of use. I find that it explains better than most computer books and answer all my questions fully and completely without hype and unnecessary information. It truly is an excellent resource and beats Apple’s manual totally. What I liked are the “Tips” and “Notes” highlighted in yellow for quick reference to important features. Apple should hire David Pogue or at least incorporate his style and quality into their instruction manuals.

The pictures and writing style is clear and directly tied to the applications without the numerous distractions and unnecessary information aimed at impressing the reader. The examples are colorful, visually relevant, and specific to the desired goal. Because of this simple specificity, no-nonsense, and accuracy, I am more likely to choose other books in the “Missing Manual” series if this a sample of the quality found in their other manuals. First and foremost, I like and expect a manual to answers my questions (duh!). Technology can be confusing enough, no need for manuals to be confusing or totally useless!

by Chris Tofteberg, AAUG Member

With the release of iMovie 7, Apple stripped away many of the special effects found in previous versions of iMovie. iMovie 7 also does not support plugins, another source for many effects many of us came to love. Creaceed’s Magnet application helps fill that void.

Magnet is not a plugin for iMovie, it is a stand alone application for adding special effects to video clips. This is not an application to do editing like color correction or cropping. Rather, Magnet is an application you would use to get a laugh or add some “Wow, how’d you do that?” to your movie.

Most effects work by setting Probes, which are markers for what part of the movie you want an effect to apply to. For example, if you wish to add a light streak or lens flare to your subject’s eye, you would set the Probe on that eye. You don’t necessarily have to set Probes, you can apply special effects to the entire frame if you wish. But the real fun is in adding effects to just those areas of the frame that you want.

The Magnet interface is simple enough although some features and terms (translation, rotation, time limited) warrant a trip to the Magnet manual. To manipulate movies, you first click “Track” to set your Probes. Areas with high contrast (a black object against a light colored background for example) work best. Once you’ve set your Probes, click “Track Probes” and Magnet will set the Probe points on each frame of your movie. It does a pretty good job even on the first pass but you’ll probably have to reset your Probes in certain frames for some movies. (more…)

by J. Robin Donaldson, AAUG Member

For those of you who enjoy reference books, this one is a must buy. Opening the cover of this book is like being gently taken by the hand, and led through all that both an Apple computer and the OS X Leopard software has to offer. It presents everything you want to know or need to know about your Apple operating system. This book has 1000+ pages of great reference material. It offers loads of visuals to aid the reader in knowing exactly what is being talked about, what is to be expected and to what the author is referring. The book seems to give up at least one helpful Tip on each page as well as Caution notes and simple informational Notes to help you build your logic of the Mac, how it works, and to keep you away from trouble. It also offers the page number(s) other reference sources within the book just in case your question was more extensive or actually something completely different.

This book is written for readers of all levels of computer and Apple experience. It starts with the reader looking at the `core’, the basics of the Apple desktop environment and ends with a 100-page section on protecting, maintaining and repairing your Mac. This is always a very helpful section and vital to read and comprehend. We can never be too safe.

Because I have years of experience working in the Apple environment, I felt I could skip a few of the sections and hop right into the areas where I knew I needed help, areas I hadn’t taken the time to become familiar with my earlier versions of the OS X system. Initially, I just did a quick glance at the start-up chapter. (more…)

by Ron Schoedel, AAUG Member

Griffin’s FlexGrip comes in four colors and is a great way to give your iPhone 3G a little extra traction. The textured back and sides are among the grippiest I have had the pleasure of holding on to. The silicone material is strong, flexible, and appears to be rather durable. I’ve used it for a couple weeks straight and it shows no signs of wear.

Like many iPhone cases, the FlexGrip does add a little bit of bulk to the iPhone, owing to its little silicone nubs that protrude from the skin that wraps around the entire phone. But the bulk is not too bad, in fact it seems thinner than many cases I’ve tried. One of my big concerns is not bulking up my iPhone, and the FlexGrip meets my demands in this area just fine.

Another positive is that the entire phone, except for necessary ports and sensors, gets wrapped in its flexible silicone protection. The volume rocker switch works just fine through the FlexGrip, as does the home button. This added protection is another way of keeping dust, dirt, crumbs, and other crud outside the case, rather than letting it sneak in through openings. So, in my view, the fewer openings, the better. (more…)