Macworld articles from August 2006

Macworld archives from August 2006

Caveat lector.(FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK)(Editorial)
August 1, 2006... This year, we've seen a flood of new Intel-based Macs, from the Mac mini and the iMac to the MacBook and the MacBook Pro. And with the appearance of each new Mac, we've also seen reports of the quirks, flaws, annoyances, and other problems that...

Troubleshooting trouble.(FEEDBACK)
August 1, 2006... Whenever we propose a story about troubleshooting Macs, some folks around here get nervous. "What problems?" they ask. "How could you even suggest that the World's Most Perfect Computer has problems?" Well, we love our Macs as much as anyone....

First aid responders.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... RUSS HODES # Thanks for Ted Landau's excellent, concise article about troubleshooting your Mac ("OS X First Aid," May 2006). This one issue alone is worth the price of a year's subscription. By the way, my most useful troubleshooting tool...

Your syncing feelings.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... CHRIS FANTA # I was really glad to read "Keeping Your Macs in Sync" (Mobile Mac, May 2006): However, I think you should have mentioned another way to sync POP mail accounts. After selecting an account in Entourage (Tools: Accounts),...

Virology 101.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... RON LEPPKE # Regarding "Mac Virus Attack" (Mac Beat, May 2006): I feel much more secure on my Mac than my friends do on their Windows machines. I don't know a single Mac user who has ever reported finding a virus on his or her system. I...

Same old quark.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... JESUS ALI # "Killer XPress Time-Savers" (Create, May 2006) exposed exactly why QuarkXPress is dead in the water. I haven't used XPress for more than three years, and yet I recognized 90 percent of the tips. When my college computer lab...

Just deserts.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... DANIEL SCHERL # In your May 2006 Mac 911 column, there is a problem that I think needs to be addressed. On page 90, there is a sidebar titled, "The Desert Island Question." It should have been "The Deserted Island Question." Though some...

No reason to switch.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... MATT BLITZ # As a creative professional who uses a dual-core G5, I can't imagine why anyone would upgrade to an Intel Mac until Adobe and Microsoft come out with Universal versions of Creative Suite and Office ("Where Are Adobe and...

Feedback feedback.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the editor)
August 1, 2006... TONY THOMPSON # In Feedback (May 2006), Bruce Carey wrote that "people feel they have the right to make a copy of a copyrighted work and then give it to someone else." People should have this belief, because it's correct, as long as the...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
August 1, 2006... In our June 2006 Mobile Mac column, we mistakenly implied that the Sennheiser PX 100 W and AKG K 26 P headphones are appropriate for listening on a plane. They are not, because they'd require dangerous volume levels to be audible in such an...

MacBook FAQs: what you need to know about Apple's new laptop.(macbeat)
August 1, 2006... The MacBook replaces both the iBook and the 12-inch PowerBook G4 in the Apple product line. Just as you might expect from a product that replaces both a consumer and professional system, the MacBook is a fascinating hybrid of high-end features...

WWDC to focus on Leopard.(NEWS IN BRIEF)
August 1, 2006... Apple will hold its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) from August 7 to August 11 at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco. The annual conference provides hardware and software developers with in-depth information and access to Apple...

Quark releases XPress 7.(NEWS IN BRIEF)(QuarkXPress 7.0)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... During a special event in New York City's SoHo district in May, Quark announced the latest version of its page-layout software, QuarkXPress 7. The company estimates that it has licensed well over three million copies of XPress over the years,...

Apple sells its PowerSchool software.(NEWS IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Apple said it will sell its PowerSchool software--used by K-12 school administrators, teachers, and parents to track students' grades, homework, and attendance--to New Jersey-based Pearson Education. Pearson, publishers of educational content...

Company is seeking identities of leakers: Apple loses rumor-site appeal.(macbeat)
August 1, 2006... In 2004, details of an unannounced Apple product (code-named Asteroid) made their way onto an online news site called PowerPage. A none-too-happy Apple sued several unnamed individuals for leaking that information, and subpoenaed PowerPage...

New store for big Apple.(macbeat)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... In May, Apple opened its newest flagship location--a 10,000 square foot subterranean retail store--on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The 32-foot cube that caps the store only hints at the massive retail store beneath. There are 538 sheets of glass...

Multimedia beat.(macbeat)(Flix Pro 8.5, video-encoding software from On2 Technologies)(Miglia Technology introduces TVMax)(Stone Design introduces Videator 1.0)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Ampeg SVX, from IK Multimedia (www.ampegsvx.com): Bass amp plug-in includes more than 20 bass gear emulations ($399). Flix Pro 8.5, from On2 Technologies (www.on2.com): Flash video-encoding software supports two-pass Flash 8-based video...

Program adds Intel support, Dynamic RT, and more: Apple updates Final Cut Express HD.(macbeat)
August 1, 2006... Not long after releasing an Intel-native version of Final Cut Studio (which includes Final Cut Pro 5, DVD Studio Pro 4, Motion 2, and Soundtrack Pro) Apple also updated Final Cut Express HD--the company's video-editing software aimed at video...

The readers speak; Boot Camp: first thoughts.(macbeat)
August 1, 2006... How important is Apple's Boot Camp software (which lets Intel-based Macs run Windows XP) to Mac users? What will it mean for future software development? Will it bring more people to the Mac? To find out what people think, we surveyed 1,884...

Productivity beat.(macbeat)
August 1, 2006... AtTask 4, from AtTask (www.attask.com): Java-based, browser-independent project-management system adds new tabbed navigation interface and task-management functionality (contact AtTask for pricing). ConceptDraw Mindmap 4.4, from Concept...

Apple partners on Nike+ product line: Nike to add iPod-integration.(macbeat)
August 1, 2006... Apple and Nike are two of the most recognizable companies in the world, and they hope to take advantage of that fact as they join together to sell a new line of interactive fitness products known as Nike + iPod (nikeplus.com). The first product...

Check it out: widget.(macbeat)
August 1, 2006... When I need to buy something--whether it's a used toaster or a used Mac--I always check Craigslist first (www.craigslist.org). This classified ad Web site started as an e-mail list in San Francisco in 1995 and now covers more than 120 cities in...

Storage beat.(macbeat)
August 1, 2006... Mercury Elite-AL 800 Pro RAID-1 750GB, from Other World Computing (www.macsales.com): External hard drive uses FireWire 400 and 800 to attach to the Mac, with its chassis housing two individual 750GB mirrored drives ($1,219). miniStack V2,...

MacBooks, in black and white: impressive laptops narrow the gap between consumer and Pro models.(Reviews)
August 1, 2006... The release of the MacBook Pro ushered in a new era in mobile computing for Apple: the professional laptop introduced two processing cores, a built-in video camera, remote-controlled multimedia software, and more. The three new...

17-inch MacBook Pro: flagship of Apple's portable fleet gets Intel engine.(Reviews)
August 1, 2006... At first glance, you could easily mistake the 17-inch MacBook Pro for its predecessor, the legendary 17-inch PowerBook G4 (VERY GOOD; macworld.com/0947). The MacBook Pro retains the familiar aluminum enclosure and sleek design and has roughly...

QuarkXPress 7: slow performer's new features and improvements cater to a limited audience.(Reviews)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2006... For several years, Adobe InDesign (VERY GOOD 1/2; macworld.com/1365) has been stealing the spotlight from longtime page-layout front-runner QuarkXPress. So the design community has been looking forward to the release of QuarkXPress 7, to see if...

More reviews.(Reviews)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2006... For complete reviews of the products listed here, visit www.macworld.com/reviews. VERY GOOD 1/2 Apple Remote Desktop 3 (ten computers, $299; unlimited number of computers, $499), from Apple Computer (www.apple.com): Apple's long-awaited...

Fifth-generation iPod cases.(iPod Gear)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD CEO Classic ($35), from Marware (www.marware.com): As more and more cases are released for the fifth-generation (5G) iPod, each one faces the challenge of standing out from the crowd. But Marware's CEO Classic does just that by...

iPods.(iPod Gear)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Product Capacity Rating Price Display iPod 30GB VERY GOOD 1/2 $299 2.5-inch color iPod 60GB VERY GOOD 1/2 $399 2.5-inch color iPod nano 1GB VERY GOOD 1/2 $149 1.5-inch color...

SoundBridge Radio.(NEW: WIRELESS PLAYER)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD SoundBridge Radio ($400), from Roku (www.rokulabs.com): The SoundBridge Radio is a unique product that combines the functionality of a wireless music player, the convenience of an AM/FM table radio, and the practicality of a...

i-deck.(NEW: iPOD SPEAKERS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 i-deck ($249), from Monitor Audio (www.i-deckusa.com): Despite its lack of low-end extension, the i-deck is one of the most balanced and natural-sounding iPod speaker systems--it should more than satisfy people who prefer detail...

First-person shooter: Call of Duty 2.(Game Room)(Product/service evaluation)
August 1, 2006... Over the years, I've seen numerous first-person shooters set during World War II. And Aspyr Media's Call of Duty has always stood out, thanks to its combination of gritty realism, challenging game play, and robust multiplayer capabilities. But...

WarBirds 2006.(News Feed)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... iEntertainment Network has announced a new version of WarBirds, its long-running massively multiplayer online World War II combat series. WarBirds 2006 includes a new role-playing system, new interface elements, and support for Intel-powered...

$600 for PS3.(News Feed)(PlayStation 3 game console from Sony Inc.)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Sony has announced that its PlayStation 3 game console will go on sale this fall for the wallet-busting price of $600--that's even more expensive than Microsoft's 2005 release of the Xbox 360 console. On the bright side, the PlayStation 3 will...

Virtual pet owner.(News Feed)(Lost Sock Games)(Macgamestore.com)(Puppy Luv: A New Breed)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Lost Sock Games and Macgamestore.com have released Puppy Luv: A New Breed. The $20 game gives you a virtual puppy to train, care for, and show off. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Puzzle: Flip or Flop Home Edition.(Game Room)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD; Toybox Games, www.macgamestore.com; $20 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In Toybox Games' Flip or Flop Home Edition, you'll need to turn a small bit of investment capital into a pile of money big enough to save Grandma, who's in...

Quake 4.(Recently Reviewed)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD; Aspyr Media, www.aspyr.com; $50 The Mac conversion of Quake 4 has been a long time coming. And if you're a fan of first-person shooters, your patience has paid off. This game has the highest production value of any first-person...

Action: Jets'n'Guns.(Game Room)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD; Rake in Grass, jng.rakeingrass.com; $20 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Jets'n'Guns, by Rake in Grass, is a remarkable side-scrolling homage to consoles such as the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. As a...

Puzzle: Lumox 2.(Game Room)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... GOOD 1/2; Laser Pirate Squad, www.laserpirate.com; $10 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you've played Tetris or any of its countless variations, you'll find the basic mechanics of Lumox 2, a new puzzle game by Laser Pirate Squad, very...

Magicolor 2430 DL.(COLOR LASER PRINTER)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD Magicolor 2430 DL ($499), from Konica Minolta (www.konicaminolta.com): The Magicolor 2430 DL is a capable networked color laser printer whose setup needs a bit of finessing. (The toner cartridges are preinstalled, but you need to...

Stylus Photo R340.(INK-JET PHOTO PRINTER)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 Stylus Photo R340 ($200), from Epson (www.epson.com): The Epson Stylus Photo R340 prints the best color photos in its class, and it reproduces shadow detail extremely well. It's a great choice for printing brilliant color...

Macs.(Top Products)(Buyers guide)
August 1, 2006... DESKTOP Product Processor Display Rating iMac Intel Core 17 inches VERY GOOD Duo/1.83GHz Intel Core 20 inches VERY GOOD Duo/2GHz Mac mini Intel Core not...

Desktop drive.(FIREWIRE DRIVES)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 Black Series Triple Interface, 250GB ($240), from Iomega (www.iomega.com): You can't go wrong with its speed, connection options, and low price per gigabyte. This drive can boot OS X via FireWire and includes Retrospect...

Portable drive.(FIREWIRE DRIVES)(Mercury On-the-Go)(ComboGB)(MiniMax 250GB)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD Mercury On-the-Go 7,200 rpm 8MB, 60GB ($250), from OWC (www.macsales.com): Loaded with useful utilities, this little drive has good connection options and an eye-catching design. It's also fast; it can boot OS X via FireWire and...

CanoScan 9950F.(FLATBED SCANNER)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 CanoScan 9950F ($400), from Canon (www.canon.com): The CanoScan 9950F offers improved scan quality and more-intuitive software controls. This model tops its predecessor, the 9900F, in almost every way--resolution, color...

23-inch display.(LCD MONITORS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 L2335 ($1,599), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): Along with its outstanding value, analog and digital connectors, ability to pivot to portrait mode, and adjustable height, the L2335 provides excellent video-in options and...

20-inch display.(LCD MONITORS)(MultiSync LCD2070NX)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 MultiSync LCD2070NX ($799), from NEC (www.necdisplay.com): The MultiSync LCD2070NX is great for people who want a moderately priced 20-inch monitor that can display bright, accurate colors. It sports digital and analog...

17-inch display.(LCD MONITORS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD SDM-HS75P ($450), from Sony (www.sony.com): Although it's short on bells and whistles--this display doesn't have built-in USB, speakers, or the ability to pivot--the HS75P is a good choice for people with limited desk space who...

6-megapixel digital SLR.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(EOS Digital Rebel XT)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 EOS Digital Rebel XT ($899; with lens, $999), from Canon (www.canon.com): Canon defined this market with the original Digital Rebel, and the company keeps its lead with the EOS Digital Rebel XT. The camera's feature set,...

Advanced digital camera.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Power-Shot G6)(Lumix DMC-FZ30K)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 Power-Shot G6 ($699), from Canon (www.canon.com): This is a compact and powerful 7.1-megapixel digital camera that should appeal to advanced photographers. It captures very sharp pictures with little noise, and its remote lets...

PX-716UF DVD[+ or -]R/RW.(DUAL-LAYER DVD BURNER)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD PX-716UF DVD[+ or -]R/RW ($239), from Plextor (www.plextor.com): The PX-716UF DVD[+ or -]R/RW drive features flexible connectivity options; it burns 2.4x-rated dual-layer media at 4x; it has fast 16x burn speeds; and it has the...

Desktop drive.(Hardware Products We Tested This Month)(Rocbit 3B)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD Rocbit 3B ($425), from Rocsecure (www.rocsecure.com): If security is very important to you, the Rocbit 3B with 40-bit encryption is easily worth the extra money it costs, compared with similar desktop drives. Rocsecure's Secure...

Portable drive.(Hardware Products We Tested This Month)(Rocbit 2B)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... OUTSTANDING Rocbit 2B ($230), from Rocsecure (www.rocsecure.com): The Rocbit 2B's aluminum enclosure is light and won't burden mobile users. Featuring real-time encryption, with no performance penalty, this small but sturdy drive tested 6...

6.1-megapixel digital SLR.(Hardware Products We Tested This Month)(Samsung Digimax GX-1S)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... GOOD 1/2 Samsung Digimax GX-1S ($700), from Samsung (www.samsung camerausa.com): This entry-level digital SLR is well built, thoughtfully designed, and very small. It delivers perfectly acceptable prints for its target market, with nice...

21-inch display.(Hardware Products We Tested This Month)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 NEC MultiSync 2190UXi ($1,500), from NEC (www.necdisplay.com): This display doesn't come cheap, but graphics pros will love its vivid and accurate color, with no perceptible loss of contrast or color shifts at extreme angles....

Software jackpot: 82 of the best software bargains you can download right now.(Buyers guide)
August 1, 2006... Finding great software for your Mac can sometimes feel like a gamble. But we're here to help--each month in Macworld and every week in the Mac Gems Weblog at macworld.com/macgems, we deal out low-cost software that delivers big-time returns. We...

Living in a Windows world: how to share files, drives, and networks with PCs.
August 1, 2006... Mac OS X may be the greatest operating system in the world, but somehow that news hasn't reached most of the planet. The sad fact is that most of us are surrounded by Windows PCs. And while it's easier than ever to share files and networks with...

How to do a to-do list.(WORKING MAC)
August 1, 2006... Everyone has a to-do list. And everyone has a favorite way to handle it, from index cards to computer-based project managers. No matter how you manage yours, your Mac can help. Here are some to-do list tips for Apple's iCal, Microsoft's...

Your iTunes toolbox.(PLAYLIST)
August 1, 2006... If you love music, then iTunes likely logs more hours on your desktop than most applications. iTunes may have a well-designed interface and tight integration with the iPod and the iTunes Music Store, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. There...

Weighing the pros of Raw.(DIGITAL PHOTO)
August 1, 2006... Talk to just about any professional digital photographer these days, and you're sure to hear about the wonders of shooting in Raw mode. This feature, typically found in high-end cameras and digital SLRs, gives you much more control over a...

Polish your presentations.(CREATE)
August 1, 2006... If you've ever watched Steve Jobs deliver a keynote address, you've seen a master presenter in action. However, even a sparkling delivery won't salvage your presentation if the audience can't read your slides or decipher your charts. Read on,...

Mobile backup tips.(MOBILE MAC)
August 1, 2006... If you back up your Mac laptop only when you're at home or in the office, you may be living dangerously. After all, a bad crash or a hard-drive failure can happen just as easily when you're traveling as when you're at home. Sure, backing up...

Amazing Mac Mods.(GEEK FACTOR)
August 1, 2006... Back in the day, clever geeks who wanted to customize a cool piece of hardware hot-rodded their cars. These days, they mod their Macs. In the Mac's sleek exterior, they see an invitation to a little self-expression. Modders love their Macs (and...

Mac OS X Hints: the insiders' tips you won't get from apple.(HELP DESK)
August 1, 2006... Distinguish Docked URLs One handy OS X feature is the Dock's ability to give you one-click access to Web sites. Drag a URL to the right side of the Dock (or to the bottom, if you orient your Dock vertically), and you create a spring icon...

Mac 911: solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.(HELP DESK)
August 1, 2006... Toying with Textures In January, Steve Jobs showed off Keynote 3's cool new charts--the ones with the wood and marble textures. I've been trying to change textures in my charts and can't figure out how to do it. What's the trick? ...

UC Berkeley on iTunes U.(Our Favorite New Stuff)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... In late April, the University of California at Berkeley became the latest addition to the iTunes U program, which lets universities use the iTunes interface for distributing material to students. But unlike most other members of the program,...

Apple on YouTube.(Our Favorite New Stuff)
August 1, 2006... You could waste an entire work week just cruising around YouTube (www.youtube.com) and perusing its ever growing library of user-submitted videos. And those of us who have a particular obsession with a certain fruit-themed computer company can...

InstantGallery 1.1.(Our Favorite New Stuff)
August 1, 2006... While online photo galleries are plentiful, those with an attractive look-and-feel are much harder to find. If you want to join the ranks of the latter, check out ThinkMac Software's $15 InstantGallery 1.1--an easy-to-use tool with a...

What's hot.(Our Favorite New Stuff)(Apple introduces its MacBook laptop)(Nike and Apple team up)(Apple introduces a new ad campaign)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... 1 Apple introduces its MacBook laptop, in a choice of black or white. Indecisive shoppers are already asking for a swirled model that includes a bit of both flavors--I mean colors. 2 Nike and Apple team up to offer shoes that transfer...

DivX 6.5.(Our Favorite New Stuff)(Brief article)
August 1, 2006... Because it produces high-quality video (all the way up to HD resolutions) with relatively small file sizes for computers, some portable devices, and DVD players, the DivX encoding format has become increasingly popular among video enthusiasts...

Instant HandBrake.(Our Favorite New StuffI)
August 1, 2006... There are skeptics out there who don't think that the iPod is suitable for watching videos, but I really enjoy watching TV shows and movies on mine. And getting your DVDs onto your iPod has just gotten a lot easier. Eric Petit, the author of...