Macworld articles from December 2006

Macworld archives from December 2006

Five years of the iPod.(Editorial)
December 1, 2006... Since its debut five years ago, the iPod has become one of the most recognizable products in the world. It has transformed Apple's business and public image, and its halo effect has likely improved the Mac's image and fortunes as well. Whether...

Mac TV.
December 1, 2006... Every month, we get letters from readers complaining about excessive coverage of iPods and digital cameras, and arguing that Macworld should stick to covering Macs. But strangely, we didn't get any such complaints about our September issue,...

Straight to video.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... GLENN KOENING # Your latest review of video camcorders (Reviews, September 2006) is good to see, but I think you neglect one important feature: sound. The review barely mentions audio features. Which models have microphone jacks? Can you...

Wireless wandering.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... DAVID D. EDGINGTON # Regarding "Get Online from Anywhere" (Mobile Mac, September 2006): I have been using the Kyocera KPC650 EV-DO card with Verizon service for several months now, and it works like a charm. I shuttle between three...

Wish list.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... CONRAD FLYNN # In "10 Wishes for Leopard" (Mac Beat, September 2006), Christopher Breen writes that he wishes Apple would implement a system-restore feature in OS X, similar to the one in Windows XP. As a veteran Windows user turned Mac...

The truth about Treos.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... CHAD DE HAAN * In your review of the Treo 700p (macworld.com/1510), you say that it can be used as an EV-DO modem with a Mac only if you connect via Bluetooth, and that the Treo's USB connection works only with Windows. But I've been able...

Backup caution.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... FIEDOTIN ARNOLDO # In "Back Up Photos on the Road" (Digital Photo, November 2006), you recommend considering a backup service. I would offer a word of caution. Over the years, I have subscribed to three such services. All three have gone...

Better iTunes printing.(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... DAN GENITON # The picture accompanying your story about printing jewel-case inserts from iTunes ("Printing from iTunes," Playlist, September 2006) perfectly illustrates one of the biggest complaints about the program. As far as I can tell,...

Multiple masters: who cares?(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2006... ALAN SANDERS * I'm puzzled by Bill Troop's enthusiasm for FontLab Studio's support of Multiple Master fonts (macworld.com/1512), because OS X essentially doesn't support such fonts. One can use the canned instances that come with a...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
December 1, 2006... In our September story "The Multimedia Mac Mini," we mistakenly reported that Display-ConfigX was free. It actually costs $12. In "Get Smart" (September 2006), we didn't correctly attribute two of the reviews of iPod cases. Dan Moren wrote...

iTV FAQs: what you need to know about Apple's upcoming set-top box.
December 1, 2006... Apple rarely gives us a preview of a piece of hardware many months before it's set to arrive. But the transformation of the iTunes Store to include full-length motion pictures wouldn't have had as much impact if Apple hadn't also announced a...

Some developers faced challenges, others were shut out: making iPod games.
December 1, 2006... The latest full-size iPods and a software update to the previous fifth-generation iPods brought with them several improvements, one of which was the ability to play a new breed of sophisticated iPod games. The game developers tasked with...

Adobe releases new Lightroom beta.(Adobe Systems Inc. developing image processing software)(Adobe Photoshop Lightroom)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Adobe introduced the fourth beta version of its pro software for processing digital photos. With this release, the company has also renamed the app Photoshop Lightroom. New to this release are precision white-balance selection options; a new...

Apple offers red iPod nano.(teaming up with U2 lead singer Bono for fund raising events)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Teaming up with U2 lead singer Bono, Apple released the iPod nano (Product) Red Special Edition in October. The red iPod is available in a 4GB model for $199, and Apple will contribute $10 from each sale to The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,...

Parallels update fixes RAM problem.(Parallels Desktop, virtualization software)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Parallels has released an update for Parallels Desktop, a virtualization program that lets Intel-based Mac users run Windows alongside OS X without having to reboot (as Apple's own Boot Camp software requires). The update to the $80 Parallels...

Apple unveils update to digital photography software: Aperture 1.5 released.(macbeat)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Digital photographers were in for a treat when Apple recently announced a free update to its $299 Aperture software--a postproduction tool designed for professional photographers--during a special event at the Photokina trade show in Cologne,...

DVR and streaming software pair rival EyeTV, iTV: SageTV coming to the Mac.(digital video recorders)(SageTV developing operating systems)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Using TV-tuning hardware to record and then watch shows on your Mac is a neat trick. Sending those programs over to your TV so you can enjoy them in the living room is even neater. But software maker SageTV has a bigger idea in mind. The...

Internet beat.(macbeat)
December 1, 2006... eCart 3.7, from WebAssist (www.webassist.com): Shopping-cart software for Adobe's Dreamweaver Web design tool adds support for Website Payments Pro, from PayPal ($250; upgrade from version 3.X, free). Messenger for Mac 6.0, from Microsoft...

Creative beat.(Recosoft's PDF20ffice Personal 3.0, portable document software)(GenevaLogic's Print-Limit Pro 6.2, print-management software)(Freeverse Software's Lineform 1.2.1, drawing software)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Lineform 1.2.1, from Freeverse Software (www.freeverse.com): Drawing and illustration tool features a streamlined user interface and adds new Core Image-based filters ($80). PDF20ffice Personal 3.0, from Recosoft (www.recosoft.com): Plug-in...

Adobe update adds Universal support: Acrobat 8 is on the way.(Adobe Systems Inc.)
December 1, 2006... As the design and publishing markets wait for their bread-and-butter apps to make the move to Intel, Adobe has taken its first big step toward Universal support with the announcement of Adobe Acrobat 8, the latest version of the company's...

Multimedia beat.(macbeat)
December 1, 2006... DeckLink HD Studio, from Blackmagic Design (www.blackmagic-design.com): PCI Express-based video-capture and -playback card supports both High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) and analog component video ($995). iScratch, from Red Rock...

Productivity beat.(macbeat)
December 1, 2006... BBEdit 8.5, from Bare Bones Software (www.barebones.com): HTML and text editor adds support for the Ruby, SQL, and YAML languages, and sports an updated interface ($125; upgrade from BBEdit 8, $30; upgrade from BBEdit 7 and earlier, $40). ...

Nokia announces Wibree wireless technology: Bluetooth killer?(macbeat)
December 1, 2006... In an advancement that threatens to knock Bluetooth off the technological map, Nokia has developed a new short-range wireless technology that it says could overcome some of Bluetooth's shortcomings. Called Wibree, the technology aims to be a...

Storage beat.(macbeat)
December 1, 2006... 80GB Data to Go, from I/OMagic (www.iomagic.com): Portable hard drive features a USB 2.0 connection in a pocket-size 4.88-by-2.88-by-0.5-inch enclosure ($120). DriveStation Duo, from Buffalo Technology (www.buffalotech.com): External...

Hardware beat.(macbeat)
December 1, 2006... 27dBm Transceiver, from QuickerTek (www.quickertek.com): Transceiver incorporates its own antenna to improve wireless networking coverage for MacBooks by a reported 100 percent ($200). Ci25m, from Kensington (www.kensington.com): Wired...

Havok engine new on the Mac.(Havok licensing agreement with Blizzard Entertainment)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Havok (www.havok.com), the maker of a middleware physics engine whose absence on the Mac platform may have contributed to the demise of more than one major game conversion, has announced that Blizzard Entertainment--developer of World of...

New Xgaming game controller released.(X-Arcade TankStick)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Gaming products company Xgaming (xgaming.com) has released its newest creation, the X-Arcade TankStick, which connects to your Mac via USB. The $200 behemoth (it measures 30 inches across and weighs 20 pounds) re-creates an authentic coin-op...

Civilization IV demo now available.(Sid Meier's new computer strategy games)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... If the high system requirements scared you away from Aspyr Media's conversion of Sid Meier's Civilization IV, now you can kick the tires and drive it around the block before you actually put your money down. The playable demo of the popular...

iMac powerhouse: huge 24-inch screen and core 2 Duo processor pack a wallop.(desktop computers)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... The iMac was originally conceived of as a relatively compact all-in-one computer, and that was a large part of its appeal. Compact, however, is not a word most people would use to describe the 24-inch iMac, which features the latest Apple...

New iMac lineup showcases Intel's Core 2 Duo processors: speed boost and lower prices for 17-inch and 20-inch models.(Reviews)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... These days, whenever Intel announces a new processor, it's only a matter of time before that chip ends up in a Mac. Apple's latest iMacs--two 17-inch models running at 1.83GHz and 2GHz, the 20-inch model at 2.16GHz, and the 24-inch model at...

New Mac minis get speed boost: all tiny Macs now have Core Duo chips.(personal computers)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Lost amid the flurry of Apple's late-summer product announcements was a small but significant upgrade to the Mac mini line: Apple dropped the low-end 1.5GHz Mac mini Core Solo, lowered the price of the 1.66GHz Mac mini Core Duo model to $599,...

Colorful second-generation iPod nanos: updated midsize iPod finds inspiration in the past.(mp3 players)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Only in the fast-paced world of technology would the phrase "What's old is new again" refer to a product that's been dead for barely a year. And yet, how else would you describe the second-generation (2G) iPod nano but as the resurrection of...

The best full-size iPod yet: fifth-generation (Late 2006) model sports improved hardware and software.(Apple iPOD 80 GB, Apple iPod 30 GB)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... The new full-size iPod--officially known as Fifth Generation iPod (Late 2006)--is virtually identical to its original 5G predecessor on the outside--most of its changes are under the hood, in the form of software updates and improved hardware....

More reviews.(iBiz 2.5, billing software)(Script Debugger 4.0, debugging software)(MindManager 6.0, information management software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... For complete reviews of the products listed here, visit www.macworld.com/reviews. VERY GOOD iBiz 2.5 ($30; upgrade, $16), from IGG Software (www.iggsoftware.com): iBiz 2.5.3 is a time-billing and invoicing application aimed at...

Mobile phones: smart phone syncing.(Missing Sync for Palm OS 5.1)(Missing Sync for Windows Mobile 2.5)(Shoebox Pro 1.6)(SnapMail 5.0)(VisiStat 4.0)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 The Missing Sync for Palm OS 5.1 ($40), from Mark/Space (www.markspace.com): The HotSync software included with Palm devices is slow and clunky, and it hasn't kept up-to-date with the Mac. Mark/Space has incorporated a slew of...

Map overlay tool: Meander 1.2.(mapping software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... If I'm going somewhere, or if I'm trying to help someone else get somewhere, I often use Google Maps or Yahoo Maps to create a map, take a screenshot of that map, and then use a graphics app to draw the route in a bright red line so it's easier...

Music sleep timer: iTunesShut 4.4.2.(audio software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Have you ever wanted to listen to a few songs in iTunes as you're going to sleep? You could create a new playlist with the appropriate number of tracks and just let it play out, but doing that on a regular basis would be a hassle. And what if...

Window tool: MondoMouse 1.1.(Shareware (Software))(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Despite all the niceties of OS X's windows, many users lament the fact that you can resize a window only via its lower right corner, or that you can move a window only by grabbing the title bar or the brushed-metal window border (assuming the...

Image-resizing utilities.(image processing software)(Resize 1.4.2)(SmallImage 2.0.6)(PhotoToolCM 2.0)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... In my everyday work, resizing images is a common task. Specifically, I need a tool that lets me resize an image based on its long side (see "Resize Them All"). Although many graphics applications can perform this task, many are overkill if all...

Browser tab saver: ForgetMeNot 2.0.(systems management software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Tabbed browsing--which lets you open multiple Web sites in a single browser window--is a handy feature. It's been available in some Web browsers since as far back as the mid-1990s, and Safari finally added it in 2003. However, tabbed browsing...

On top of the hardware world.
December 1, 2006... Every month, Top Products presents the highest-rated hardware that Mac-world has reviewed. When a new product becomes available and emerges as the best new hardware in its class, we replace the former Top Product with the new, better one. ...

HP Deskjet 5940.(inkjet printers)(HP Officejet Pro K550)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD Deskjet 5940 ($100), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): The HP Deskjet 5940 is a good general ink-jet that will print cleaner text more economically than a photo printer and produce better photographs than a color laser printer....

Epson AcuLaser CX11NF.(multifunction printers)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD AcuLaser CX11NF ($800), from Epson (www.epson.com): The AcuLaser has it all: a color laser printer, a sheet-fed scanner, a copier with networking capabilities, and a fax machine (macworld.com/1669). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Oki C6100dn.(color laser printers)(Konica Magicolor 2430 DL)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 C6100dn ($1,102), from Oki Data (www.okidata.com): The Oki C6100dn works very well for small and midsize workgroups. It produces great-looking prints, and it has built-in duplexing, easy network connectivity, and quick...

LaCie d2 DVD[+ or -]RW with LightScribe.(dual-layer DVD burners)(Plextor PX-716UF)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 d2 DVD[+ or -]RW with LightScribe ($189), from LaCie (www.lacie.com): Whether you're looking to add DVD-burning capability to your system, looking for an easier way to copy optical media, or just want the latest and fastest...

Panasonic PV-GS500.(MininDV Camcorders)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD PV-GS500 ($1,000), from Panasonic (www.panasonic.com): The PV-GS500 offers great control, excellent video quality, and broad operational flexibility. It's at the high end of the feature scale, but it's moderately priced for what...

Stylus Photo R340.(ink- jet photo printers)(Canon Pixma iP6600D)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 Stylus Photo R340 ($200), from Epson (www.epson.com): The R340 is the best photo printer in its class. Its color photo prints are great, and it reproduces impressive shadow detail. This printer can print brilliant color photos...

Lumix DMC-FZ30K.(digital cameras)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD Lumix DMC-FZ30K ($700), from Panasonic (www.panasonic.com): The Lumix DMC-FZ30K feels like an SLR, but its chunky body may be a blessing for people with large hands, who often find smaller cameras uncomfortable...

FinePix E900.(digital cameras)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD FinePix E900 ($410), from Fujifilm (www.fujifilm.com): This camera is for people who want simplicity and the ability to take control when desired (macworld.com/1523). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BUYING ADVICE Purchasing a...

Macs.(laptop computers, desktop computers)(Buyers guide)(Table)
December 1, 2006... DESKTOP Product Processor Display Rating More Information iMac Intel Core 2 17 inches VERY GOOD macworld.com/1727 Duo/1.83GHz Intel Core 2 17 inches VERY GOOD 1/2...

Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT.(digital SLR cameras)(Canon EOS 30D)(Nikon D200)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 EOS Digital Rebel XT ($899; with lens, $999), from Canon (www.canonusa.com): Canon defined this market with the original Digital Rebel, and the company keeps its lead with the EOS Digital Rebel XT. It's feature set, image...

Canon CanoScan 9950F.(image scanners)(Epson Perfection V700)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD 1/2 CanoScan 9950F ($399), from Canon (www.canonusa.com): The CanoScan 9950F raises the bar for midrange scanners by offering high optical resolution, improved scan quality for both transparent and reflective media, and intuitive...

G-Drive Q.(desktop hard drives)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... OUTSTANDING G-Drive Q ($559), from G-Technology (www.g-technology.com): The G-Drive Q SATA 500GB hard drive has nearly every type of connection you could want. The Q stands for quad--referring to the four different types of data connectors...

Rocbit 2B 100GB.(PORTABLE HARD DRIVE)(Rocsecure )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... OUTSTANDING Rocbit 2B 100GB ($230), from Rocsecure (www.rocsecure.com): The Rocbit 2B, which has 40-bit encryption, is priced a bit higher than similar portable drives that lack encryption, but it's well worth the premium if security is a...

MiniMax 250GB.(MAC MINI HARD DRIVE)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD MiniMax 250GB ($250), from Iomega (www.iomega.com): The MiniMax fits neatly under the mini, and its integrated USB and FireWire hub makes it a great companion to the littlest Mac (macworld.com/1159). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Large LCD monitors.(LCD MONITORS)(Hewlett-Packard L2335)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 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 23-inch L2335 provides excellent video-in...

Medium LCD monitors.(LCD MONITORS)(NEC MultiSync LCD2070NX)(NEC MultiSync 2190UXi)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 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...

Small LCD monitors.(LCD MONITORS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... VERY GOOD UltraSharp 1707FP ($279), from Dell (www.dell.com): Budget-conscious shoppers won't be disappointed with this highly flexible 17-inch monitor (macworld.com/1259). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] BUYING ADVICE You can spend a...

Macworld's gear guide: 52 ultracool gadgets, apps, and tech wonders.
December 1, 2006... The mercury's dropping, the days are shorter, and the chill in the air has a little more bite to it. If the arrival of winter has got you down, take comfort in the fact that there's still one thing cooler than the weather--all the great...

iTunes remixed: tips and tricks for iTunes 7--plus our review.
December 1, 2006... When Steve Jobs introduced iTunes 7, he said that it was the biggest upgrade to the music program since it made its debut almost six years ago. Nobody argued. From the overall interface to each song's metadata, from the way the program...

Review: new look for iTunes 7; Rough edges mar significant iTunes enhancement.(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... iTunes 7.0.1 includes enhancements to many of iTunes' existing capabilities, as well as some groundbreaking new features. Those enhancements and new features make for a better and brighter iTunes, but I'd still like more--specifically, more...

Diagnose hard-drive disaster.(WORKING MAC)
December 1, 2006... Without warning, your Mac is on the fritz. System crashes occur every time you click your mouse, or worse, your Mac displays a gray screen at startup. You feel panic. Is your hard drive dying and taking your data with it? Maybe not. There are a...

Never rip again.(iTunes software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... Although Apple has sold more than 1.5 billion songs through the iTunes Store, most of the tunes that most people listen to come from the CD collections they've amassed over the years. But ripping those CDs into iTunes can be a time-consuming...

Beyond Apple's photo books.(image processing software)(Product/service evaluation)
December 1, 2006... With the layout tools built into iPhoto and Aperture, Apple has made it easy to assemble your favorite snapshots in a professionally bound photo book. But Apple isn't the only game in town. Whether you're looking for improved image quality,...

Create a time-lapse movie.(CREATE)
December 1, 2006... Although you can't fast-forward life (caffeine notwithstanding), you can speed up time in your movies with time-lapse photography. This video technique compresses hours of action into mere seconds--clouds roll overhead, the sun races toward the...

Encrypt files for safety.(MOBILE MAC)(Column)
December 1, 2006... True story: A friend of mine--a programmer I'll call Annie--came home one day to find her new town house burglarized. Among the stolen items was the PowerBook she used for work. While she hoped that the thief would simply junk or erase the hard...

Inside Network Utility.(GEEK FACTOR)
December 1, 2006... If you're like most people, you've never taken a look at Network Utility (/Applications/Utilities), one of the free applications that comes with Mac OS X. But for geeks, it can be a useful diagnostic tool, whether you're trying to figure out...

Mac OS X Hints: the insiders' tips you won't get from Apple.(HELP DESK)(Column)
December 1, 2006... Use Screen-Saver Images as Desktop Pictures Apple ships a number of very nice screen savers with OS X--you'll find them all in the Desktop & Screen Saver preference pane. Some of the screen savers, such as Beach and Cosmos, consist of...

Mac 911: solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.(Apple iMac)(Column)
December 1, 2006... Short-Name Shortcut I recently bought a new 20-inch iMac. Unfortunately, not long after I bought it, my partner and I parted ways. We had been sharing an old Power Mac G4, so I had to transfer my files and information from it to my new...

Photo icing.(Our Favorite New Stuff)
December 1, 2006... I've got something of a soft spot for cupcakes--they're perfectly sized and completely delicious, and you don't have to divide them into 13 even pieces to share with other people. Now you can also top them with a favorite photo. E-mail an image...

Versomatic.(Our Favorite New Stuff)
December 1, 2006... Elsewhere in this issue, you may have noticed Macworld's nine-page Gear Guide, a massive effort that fell to me to coordinate. So how did I stay on top of a project involving 20 writers, a multitude of submissions, and enough revisions to make...

Fission.(Our Favorite New Stuff)
December 1, 2006... If you record lectures, meetings, or other content, and you want a way to break those audio files up into manageable chunks, Rogue Amoeba's Fission might be just what you need. It lets you trim and split MP3, AAC, Apple Loss-less, and AIFF...

What's hot.(Apple Inc. marketing its products)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... 1 Apple's new iPod nano comes in silver, pink, black, green, and blue. No word on whether a towheaded boy has found the last of the five golden nanos that grant access to a special tour of Steve Jobs's Mac factory. 2 At a special event,...

Virtual Physics Lab.(Our Favorite New Stuff)
December 1, 2006... Who says that science has to be dull? With Kinetic Books' $30 Virtual Physics Labs, anyone can practice tasks such as juggling chain saws, driving race cars, and maneuvering helicopters to rescue a man atop a speeding train--all from in front...

Universal TechTool Protege.(Our Favorite New Stuff)
December 1, 2006... It's a laptop user's worst nightmare: Your computer dies while you're on the road, and there's no Apple Store or IT department to come to the rescue. But if you have Micromat's $229 Protege, there's hope. The Protege is a tiny 1GB FireWire...