Macworld articles from October 2005

Macworld archives from October 2005

Media feast.(use of podcasting)(Column)
October 1, 2005... After a recent three-week journey (see my September 2005 column), I was extremely happy to return home. But I was taken aback by what I found waiting for me there--a gigantic stack of magazines, a TiVo bursting with shows, the new Bob Mould CD,...

Talking Tiger.(market share of Mac OS X 10.4)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... As we were preparing this month's issue, we picked up an amazing little tidbit from our market-research folks. Just a couple of months after the introduction of Mac OS X 10.4--or Tiger--about half of Macworld's readers are already using it....

Early adopters speak.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... MARY STAMPER # My thoughts on Tiger? Dashboard: I like the idea of little programs that don't take too much space or time to open. But I wish Apple would just go ahead and give us true virtual desktops; I could reserve one for accessory...

Classical gas.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... JAMIE PHELPS # Your Playlist column about managing classical music in iTunes was quite good ("Corral Your Classical Music," July 2005). One thing you neglected to mention was the Grouping tag. I use Grouping to label the overall piece...

AirPort assistance.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... MICHAEL AND SARAH RUSSO # We want to thank Andrew Laurence for his July 2005 Mobile Mac column ("Fix AirPort Printing Problems"). Our home network includes two Macs and a Windows XP box, along with an AirPort Extreme Base Station that has...

What the "L"?(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... ROB MARTINI # You folks have been a terrific help to me. Thank you! Because I've experienced difficulties with my battery, the July issue's "Unix Tip of the Month" (Mac OS X Hints) regarding battery life was most welcome. But I didn't get...

Adobe redux.(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... JD WARRICK # David Sawyer McFarland's article on what will happen when Adobe consumes Macromedia was very interesting ("Adobe Swallows Macromedia," Mac Beat, July 2005). But if you really want know what will happen in the aftermath, I have...

CameraWorld?(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... GARY WRIGHT # OK, what's the deal with digital cameras? My latest issue of Macworld (July 2005) has two articles devoted to cameras, taking up four pages. The April issue had reviews of photo viewers, photo printers, and a camera, and the...

iProblems.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2005... JOSE DONIDA # I recently purchased an open-box iPod mini. When I loaded the software and hooked up my iPod with the USB cable, nothing happened. iTunes didn't open, the iPod just flashed its "Do not disconnect" message. The disk icon of...

Corrections.(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2005... In the Mac Beat section of our September issue, we described the Cobb County, Georgia, school district's plans to lease 17,000 iBooks from Apple for its students ("iBooks for Everyone"). Shortly after that issue went to press, a Superior Court...

Intel's road map: what is Intel working on, and what will it mean for future Macs?(MAC BEAT)
October 1, 2005... Contrary to some opinions, Apple didn't walk into its Intel deal with eyes wide shut. Whatever the reason for the processor switch--whether it's Intel's better performance per watt, as Steve Jobs has said, or one of the more complex...

Apple introduces the Mighty Mouse: saving the day.(MAC BEAT)(product launch by Apple Computer Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... It has taken 21 years, but Mac users can finally cross one item off of their collective wish list--a multibutton mouse from Apple. The $49 Mighty Mouse (yes, that's really its name) is the same shape and size as Apple's standard mouse, but it...

Yahoo acquires Konfabulator: a second chance.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... When Apple first showed off OS X 10.4's Dashboard feature, many people thought that Konfabulator--a cross-platform application that also allows users to run miniature applications, known as widgets, on the desktop--might go the way of the...

Apple expands RAM and features on iBooks and Mac minis: RAM-tastic updates.(MAC BEAT)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... No user should have to upgrade a brand-new Mac to get good performance out of it--and Apple has taken a major step forward by releasing its latest generation of Mac mini and iBook models with a standard 512MB of RAM. (For reviews of the new...

Macromedia unveils Studio 8: not so fast, Adobe.(MAC BEAT)
October 1, 2005... When Adobe announced in April 2005 that it planned to purchase Macromedia (www.macromedia.com), many assumed that this would mean the end of Macromedia-branded products. But the San Francisco-based Macromedia recently introduced Studio 8, the...

Filemaker releases version 8: a better database.(FileMaker Pro 8.0)
October 1, 2005... A little less than a year and a half after the last big revision to its database application, FileMaker (www.filemaker.com) is at it again, releasing a major FileMaker Pro update aimed at improving user experience and extending the program's...

Boston Expo includes noteworthy new products: Best of Show.(MAC BEAT)
October 1, 2005... Apple may not have taken part in July's Macworld Conference & Expo in Boston, but other companies did show off some cool new products. As always, the editors of Macworld and Macworld.com selected the top hardware and software for our Best of...

Hardware beat.(computer peripherals)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... 319 LCD, from LaCie (www.lacie.com): This 19-inch monitor features a maximum resolution of 1,280 by 1,024, a contrast ratio of 600:1, and a 178-degree viewing angle ($999). Aficio CL 7200 and CL 7300, from Ricoh (www.ricoh-usa.com): These...

Education beat.(educational software)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... CrystalMaker 7.0, from CrystalMaker Software (www.crystalmaker.com): Scientific software now has a more flexible engine that handles more complex atomic structures, for display and manipulation on screen ($429; upgrade, $179). Mathematica...

Productivity beat.(file synchronization software and financial software)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... iSync 2.1, from Apple (www.apple.com): Synchronization utility for OS X 10.4 now supports more devices; a complete list of compatible devices is available at macworld.com/0720 (free). Quantrix Modeler 2.0, from Quantrix (www.quantrix.com):...

Storage beat.(hard disk drives)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... 1TB Mercury Elite-AL Pro 800 RAID Dual Drive, from Other World Computing (www.macsales.com): External hard-disk system uses two 500GB drives for 1TB of total storage with a FireWire 800 interface ($980). Biggest S2S, from LaCie...

Internet beat.(freeware)(Brief Article)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... FeedForAll Mac, from NotePage (www.feedforall.com): Software for OS X 10.3.9 and later helps users create, edit, manage, and publish RSS feeds and Podcasts ($40). .Mac, from Apple (www.apple.com): Online service adds higher-bandwidth...

Creative beat.(MAC BEAT)(product details of software industry)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... iMaginator 2.0, from Stone Design (www.stone.com): Updated image-processing application for OS X 10.4 uses OpenGL and Core Image for improved speed ($49; upgrade, free). Maya 7, from Alias (www.alias.com): 3-D-modeling and -animation...

Final Cut Studio.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Final Cut Studio is a substantial update to Apple's professional-level postproduction software bundle. Apple has packaged updated versions of its flagship video-editing application, Final Cut Pro 5; its DVD-authoring program, DVD Studio Pro 4;...

Final Cut Pro 5: multicamera editing steals the show.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... The cornerstone of Final Cut Studio is Final Cut Pro 5. Apple's slogan for Final Cut Pro 5 is "Edit everything. Wait for nothing." And this is not an idle boast--the vast range of video formats and codecs that Final Cut Pro 5 can edit is...

Soundtrack Pro: all-purpose sound tool cuts drudgery out of audio editing and design.(Apple Soundtrack Pro)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Soundtrack Pro isn't just an upgrade to Soundtrack (VERY GOOD 1/2; macworld.com/0732)--it's an entirely new program with broader capabilities. And despite its beginner-friendly interface, this program packs some amazing power and has automation...

DVD Studio Pro 4: forward-looking update adds HD support and distributed encoding.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Last year's DVD Studio Pro 3 offered some gorgeous new menu-design and slide-show options (VERY GOOD; macworld.com/0731). The enhancements in DVD Studio Pro 4 are less cosmetic and more foundational. Because of the nature of DVD Studio Pro 4's...

Motion 2: Apple's latest motion-graphics tool puts the moves on the competition.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Motion 1.0 (VERY GOOD 1/2; macworld.com/0730) provided video editors and motion-graphics pros with an excellent alternative to programs such as Adobe After Effects. Motion 2 builds on the original program, with improved performance, support for...

More reviews.(Current 1.5, CyberTablet 8600, Finale Songwriter 1.0, SmartDisk FlashTrax XT, FotoChute, InterWrite MeetingPad, Mathematica CalcCenter 3, Nik Sharpener Pro 2.0, PGP Desktop Home 9, Phlink 2.2)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... For complete reviews of the products listed here, visit www.macworld.com/reviews. UNACCEPTABLE 1/2 Current 1.5 ($50), from Near-Time (www.near-time.com): Current combines a word processor, a content organizer, a Web browser, a blogging...

Color-screen price drop: new iPod lineup.(production management of Apple Computer Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... OUTSTANDING 20GB iPod ($299; 60GB model, $399), from Apple Computer (www.apple.com): Apple tweaked the full-size iPod line by dropping the $299, 20GB standard model and the $349, 30GB iPod photo and adding a $299, 20GB iPod with a color screen....

Golf simulation: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005.(Game Room)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005, from Aspyr Media, is the closest most of us will ever come to the world of professional golf. The game puts you in control of Tiger himself--and other legendary PGA pros--as you prove your mettle against some of the...

Real-time strategy: Commandos Battle Pack.(Game Room)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Real-time-strategy gaming meets World War II action in Feral Interactive's new Commandos Battle Pack, a combo that brings Commandos 2: Men of Courage and Commandos 3: Destination Berlin together in one package for the first time on the Mac. ...

Action game: Diner Dash.(Game Room)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Meet Flo. Tired of the rat race, she's quit her job as a stockbroker. Now she's trying her hand at running a restaurant, and it's up to you to help. In PlayFirst's Diner Dash, Flo is a veritable cyclone of activity: she's in charge of...

Real-time strategy: Darwinia.(Game Room)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Ambrosia Software's Darwinia combines a deliberately retro look with a modern real-time-strategy twist. In the game, you must save the Darwinians--denizens of a virtual theme park--from a raging computer virus that has multiplied out of...

Fable coming to the Mac.(launch of Fable: The Lost Chapters by Feral Interactive)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... This fall, Feral Interactive (www.feralinteractive.com) plans to release Fable: The Lost Chapters for the Mac. This expanded version of the popular Xbox role-playing game Fable will sport additional content and improved graphics. ...

Mythic fighting.(product details of Cartel Games and Vermillion Games)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... If you're looking for a Mac fighting game akin to console games such as King of Fighters and Soul Calibur, keep your eyes peeled for Mythic Blades, coming to the Mac sometime this fall, from Vermillion Games (www.vermilliongames.com) and Cartel...

Get your game on.(BlizzCon)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... BlizzCon (www.blizzcon.com), Blizzard Entertainment's first gaming festival, takes place on October 28 and 29 at the Anaheim (California) Convention Center and offers tournaments, concerts, and plenty of opportunities to play World of Warcraft,...

Garden Golf.(Top Downloads)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... If you can't get out to the local miniature-golf courses this summer, you can at least play a few rounds on your Mac. FunPause's Garden Golf is mini golf stripped to its basic essence. The game features three 18-hole golf courses with plenty of...

Airport Express base: AirBase.(Mac Gems)(Griffin Technology Airbase)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... As someone who's been reviewing software and hardware for a while now, I like to think that I have a fairly reliable gut reaction to new products. But I admit to being wrong about Griffin Technology's $25 AirBase (VERY GOOD;...

Contextual-menu item: Move Items X 1.5.7.(Mac Gems)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Many Mac users would like to use contextual menus to move files and folders in the Finder--especially switchers, who had such an option in Windows. For those people, I suggest Naratt's $15 Move Items X 1.5.7 (VERY GOOD; www.naratt.com), which...

Spelling checker: HyperSpell 1.3.1.(Mac Gems)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... In Mac OS 9, if you wanted to check spelling in something you were writing, you had to rely on the spelling checker in your text editor or word processor, or you had to purchase a third-party spelling checker. Commercial spelling checkers are...

Time-tracking tool: Active Timer 1.1.(Mac Gems)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Have you ever wondered exactly how much time you spend working in an application on your computer? For example, how much do you use Safari in a given day? There are plenty of utilities designed to help freelancers keep track of their hours for...

Safari tab utility: Taboo 0.3.(Mac Gems)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... I love Safari's tabbed browsing feature--I can't use a browser without tabs. But I do have a couple of complaints about Safari's implementation of tabbed browsing, including one major gripe. Have you ever accidentally closed a Safari window...

Disk Cloner: SuperDuper 1.5.5.(Mac Gems)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... When a major Mac OS release such as Tiger comes out, it brings up the perennial topic of hard-drive backups--a vital part of any upgrade. But savvy users know you should always have a working backup of your Mac's hard drive, one that includes...

d2 DVD[+ or -] RW 16X FireWire, with Double Layer.(Plextor PX-716UF and Lacie d2 DVD[+ or -] RW 16X FireWire)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD d2 DVD[+ or -] RW 16X FireWire, with Double Layer ($189), from LaCie (www.lacie.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This DVD burner can burn 8.5GB of data to dual-layer DVDs (which offer twice the capacity of single-layer discs)....

EOS Digital Rebel XT.(DIGITAL SLR CAMERA)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 EOS Digital Rebel XT ($899; with EF-S 18mm-55mm f3.5-f5.6 zoom lens, $999), from Canon (www.canon.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Canon defined the digital SLR market with the original Digital Rebel, and it keeps its lead...

Midrange scanner.(Canon CanoScan 9950F)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 CanoScan 9950F ($400), from Canon (www.canon.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This CanoScan raises the bar for midrange scanners by offering high optical resolution, improved scan quality, and more-intuitive software...

Low-end scanner.(Canon CanoScan 8400F)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD CanoScan 8400F ($150), from Canon (www.canon.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 8400F has limited film and transparency support but is a great all-around scanner with some high-end features and a low-end price...

LaserJet 2550Ln.(HP LaserJet 2550Ln and Konica Minolta magicolor 2430 DL)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD LaserJet 2550Ln ($600), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This inexpensive, networkable printer offers crisp text and good color fidelity. It supports Apple's Bonjour (formerly Rendezvous). Its paper...

Desktop drives.(Iomega External Hard Drive FireWire 800/FireWire 400/USB 2.0 250GB, OWC 400GB Mercury Elite-AL Pro 7,200 rpm)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... NEW VERY GOOD 1/2 External Hard Drive FireWire 800/FireWire 400/USB 2.0 250GB, Black Series ($240), from Iomega (www.iomega.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Iomega's new desktop drive has it all--a full complement of ports with both...

Portable drives.(Fireware Mobile Hard Drive, OWC 100GB Mercury On-the-Go 5,4000-rpm 8MB)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 100GB Mercury On-the-Go 5,4000-rpm 8MB ($300), from OWC (www.macsales.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's a little expensive compared with others in its class, but this bus-powered drive has everything: FireWire 400 and 800,...

Photosmart 8450.(Epson Stylus Photo R800, Canon Pixma iP8500)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 Photosmart 8450 ($250), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This networkable ink-jet printer uses eight inks to print excellent-looking photos (macworld.com/0280). ALSO RECOMMENDED: VERY...

Optura 60.(MINIDV CAMCORDER)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD Optura 60 ($899), from Canon (www.canon.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Optura 60 shoots excellent video (as long as you have enough light) with accurate, vibrant color. It also offers optical image stabilization, a true...

23-inch display.(HP L2335)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 L2335 ($1,599), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Along with its outstanding value and ability to pivot to portrait mode, the HP L2335 also provides excellent video-in options and very good color...

20-inch display.(NEC MultiSync LCD 2070NX)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD 1/2 MultiSync LCD 2070NX ($799), from NEC Display Solutions (www.necdisplay.com): The MultiSync LCD2070NX is great for people who want a moderately priced monitor that can display bright, accurate colors (macworld.com/0636).

19-inch display.(Sony SDM-HS95P)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD SDM-HS95P ($699), from Sony (www.sony.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This display lacks some of the extra features found on other displays (such as a USB hub, speakers, or the ability to pivot), but the SDM-HS95P is a bright...

17-inch display.(Sony SDM-HS75P)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... VERY GOOD SDM-HS75P ($450), from Sony (www.sony.com): It's short on bells and whistles--no built-in USB support, speakers, or ability to pivot--but the SDM-HS75P is a good choice for people who have limited desk space and who want a bright...

Digital cameras.(HP Photosmart M22, Canon PowerShot SD400, Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom and Konica Minolta Dimage Z5)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... BUDGET CAMERA GOOD Photosmart M22 ($150), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com); macworld.com/0595 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FOR DIGITAL PHOTO BEGINNERS VERY GOOD PowerShot SD400 ($399), from Canon (www.canon.com); macworld.com/0634...

Color ink-jet printer.(HP Photosmart 8750)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... GOOD 1/2 Photosmart 8750 ($500), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Photosmart 8750 is a good large-format desktop photo printer and a good match for the advanced hobbyist who wants to make large prints at...

Digital camera.(Casio Exilim EX-Z750)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... GOOD 1/2 Exilim EX-Z750 ($450), from Casio (www.casio.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Aside from a few convenience issues, the 7.2-megapixel Exilim EX-Z750 is a fun camera with many interesting, and some useful, features, such as...

Color laser printer.(HP LaserJet 2600n)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... GOOD 1/2 LaserJet 2600n ($399), from Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The LaserJet 2600n's price is hard to beat, but picky printer shoppers might want to spend a little more for a printer with better image quality...

Minidv camcorder: DCR-PC55.(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... GOOD DCR-PC55 ($800), from Sony (www.sony.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Sony DCR-PC55 looks good, but its video quality is only average. Consider shelling out an additional $100 for the Canon Optura 60, which offers much more...

Minidv camcorder: DCR-HC42.(Hardware Products We Tested This Month)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... GOOD DCR-HC42 ($600), from Sony (www.sony.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Sony DCR-HC42 captures respectable video, but the fringing will annoy people who have discriminating eyes (macworld.com/0740).

Tiger secrets declassified: 55 hidden features, slick tricks, and smart Time-Savers in the latest OS X.(new Mac OS X 10.4 from Apple Computer Inc.)
October 1, 2005... Secret shortcuts. Hidden helpers. Mysterious menus. You could spend months tracking down all the undocumented features tucked away in Mac OS X 10.4, Apple's newest operating system. But chances are, you're too busy using Tiger for...

Which Mac is right for you? Desktop or laptop? Professional or consumer? Here's how to decide.
October 1, 2005... The cost of a Mac system hasn't changed much over the years. Of course, you get a lot more for your money now than you did in the past, but one way or another you'll probably spend somewhere between $1,000 and $3,000 on a new Mac. That makes a...

Use mail's smarts: with many people rarely picking up the phone anymore, it's easy to find yourself overwhelmed by a deluge of e-mail. Mail 2.0 (included with OS X 10.4) can help. Its new Smart Mailbox feature lets you see a dynamic view of messages matching criteria you specify.(WORKING MAC)
October 1, 2005... Use smart mailboxes to show high-priority messages received today, to highlight all the correspondence between you and a friend, or to identify space-hogging attachments. And with a little know-how, you can combine multiple smart mailboxes to...

Fix iTunes and iPod problems: apple has created a winning combination with iTunes and the iPod--products that are both fun and easy to use. But even these well-designed feats of Apple software and hardware engineering can cause a few headaches from time to time (some of the new difficulties are due to changes wrought by Tiger). Here are some problems you're likely to encounter and how to fix them.(PLAYLIST)
October 1, 2005... Sync Contacts and Calendars I used to use iSync to sync my Mac's Address Book contacts and iCal calendars with my iPod. Now that I've switched to Tiger, my iPod no longer shows up in iSync. With Tiger, Apple removed syncing for iPods...

Silence noisy photos: want to take sharp low-light photos without the glare of a flash? How about capturing high-speed daytime action, such as your kid's debut as a soccer goalie? By using your camera's menus to increase the ISO setting, you can capture tricky shots such as these and expand your picture-taking options--but at a cost.(use of Photoshop CS2 and Photoshop Elements 3)
October 1, 2005... Raising the ISO will also increase the amount of image noise--unsightly flecks that can make it look as if you took your picture during a digital snowstorm. Because image editors have trouble distinguishing these errant particles from...

Avoid iMovie HD annoyances; iMovie HD, the video-editing component of the iLife '05 suite, isn't just a tweaked update to previous versions. Apple completely rewrote big chunks of the program's code. Put another way, big chunks of the program are now at version 1.0. And you know what that means: bugs.(CREATE)
October 1, 2005... Here are a few of the most common iMovie HD problems--and the world's best attempts at solving them. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] iMovie Misbehaves When Accessing Files on an External Disk The disk on which your iMovie HD project sits...

Ad hoc networking: when you're on the road, your portable Mac is often on its own, cut adrift from the networks it usually relies on for Internet access and file sharing. And while you can often get Net access, one way or another, there are times when you need to share that access, or share files, with your traveling companions. The solution is ad hoc (or computer-to-computer) networking.(MOBILE MAC)
October 1, 2005... An ad hoc network (ad hoc means "for this purpose") is a network you create on-the-fly, using direct Ethernet, FireWire, Wi-Fi, or even Bluetooth connections among your Macs. An ad hoc, computer-to-computer network doesn't rely on a local...

Whip up a widget: sure, you can download a widget that finds the nearest Pizza Hut or that flips a virtual coin. But what if you simply want to keep track of the days until your next vacation, or make sure that your spouse remembers to plan your surprise birthday party? You don't have to settle for downloaded widgets when it's so easy to make your own.(GEEK FACTOR)
October 1, 2005... I'll show you how to build a widget that counts down to an event that's as far as a year away. Because the widget does all this with a single image and some HTML, JavaScript, and CSS, you can easily modify it to display whatever you want. You...

Mac 911: solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.(HELP DESK)(usage of Apple Mail 2.0 and Apple iBook)(management of wireless local area networks)
October 1, 2005... Crossed Signals To boost my wireless network's signal strength, I have an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station on the second floor of my town house and an AirPort Express on the first floor. Aside from the neighbors' occasional 2.4GHz phone...

Power Game Factory.(Our Favorite New Stuff)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... In case just playing games isn't enough for you, Sawblade Software's $44 Power Game Factory lets you make your own side-scrolling 2-D action game--no programming required. Power Game Factory emphasizes your artistic skills, rather than your...

Photoshop Automator actions.(Our Favorite New Stuff)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... When I made the move to Tiger, I was ready to start simplifying my daily life with Automator workflows. Then I discovered that Automator couldn't speak to many of the apps I use most often--including Adobe Photoshop. Luckily, Ben Long--the...

Quicksilver.(Our Favorite New Stuff)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Sure, you can use Spotlight to find and launch apps, but it's really better suited to finding files. For launching apps, Blacktree's free Quicksilver is my tool of choice--and the latest version (a beta release at press time) can run Automator...

What's hot.(naming of Microsoft Windows Vista)(Apple Mighty Mouse launched)(financial results of Apple Computer Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... 1 Apple introduces the multibutton Mighty Mouse. Unfortunately, this was immediately followed by the introduction of the one-button Underdog keyboard. 2 Microsoft renames Longhorn--its next OS, scheduled for release in 2006--"Windows...

Shutterbug.(Our Favorite New Stuff)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... I've got too many digital photos and not enough time to organize and post them online--so I was intrigued by the concept behind XtraLean Software's $34 ShutterBug 1.2. The app can whip up any batch of photos into an attractive online photo...

WMV Player.(Our Favorite New Stuff)
October 1, 2005... My favorite baseball team and I are separated by 400 miles, so I enjoy watching streaming highlights on the Major League Baseball site (mlb.com). But I hate the fact that I have to use the awful Windows Media plug-in. Flip4Mac's WMV Player,...