Macworld articles from September 2006

Macworld archives from September 2006

Net returns.(internet services)(Editorial)
September 1, 2006... It's easy to take the Internet for granted. But once in a while, I'm reminded of just how integral the Net's become to my life--by making me more productive at work, by making it easier to stay in touch with family and friends, and most...

The shock of the new.
September 1, 2006... By now, you have to forgive Mac fans for being a bit punchy. Over the past year, they've been through two tectonic shifts in the Mac landscape. First came the shock of hearing the words "Mac" and "Intel chips" in the same sentence. Then came...

Boot Camp recruits.(FEEDBACK)
September 1, 2006... TOM KIRKMAN # Apple's decision to allow the Mac to boot Windows is going to be a public relations nightmare. Windows is defective. It is laden with bugs, glitches, and holes. Even when installed on a Mac, it will still freeze, hang, and...

Apple's top 30.(FEEDBACK)
September 1, 2006... JIM MARTIN # I was greatly disappointed to see that you omitted Keynote from your list of the top 30 Apple products of all time (Mac Beat, June 2006). Even in its first version, Keynote overwhelmed PowerPoint with its capabilities and...

Pros and cams.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... KENNETH REITHER # I found Richard Baguley's roundup of point-and-shoot digital cameras to be superficial and grossly in error. For example, I seriously doubt that the Nikon Coolpix P2's image quality is "mediocre." I have a similar lens on...

No accounting for taste.(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... GARY STEIN # I followed your advice (which is usually pretty good) and purchased MYOB's First Edge (More Reviews, June 2006). Big mistake! It comes with no customer support--none, zero, nada. There isn't even e-mail support! If you have a...

Which way up?(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... CLYDE MUELLER # In "New Life for Old Photos" (June 2006), author Derrick Story referred to the film's emulsion as "the shinier side." The emulsion side is actually the duller, matte side. It's important to know which side is which, or else...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
September 1, 2006... In the story "30 Products for 30 Years" (Mac Beat, June 2006), the photos accompanying two items, the PowerBook G4 (Titanium) and the iMac Core Duo, were incorrect.

Crossing over to Intel: a year into the switch, analysts and developers see move going well.(macbeat)
September 1, 2006... In June 2005, Steve Jobs announced that Apple would start using Intel processors as the brains inside Macs. The change wasn't going to happen overnight, but one year later, Apple has already transitioned most of its hardware to the new...

What we hope Mac OS X 10.5 includes: 10 wishes for Leopard.(macbeat)(Apple Computer Inc.)
September 1, 2006... When Steve Jobs takes the stage in San Francisco at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), he'll offer attendees a glimpse of the next major release of OS X, code-named Leopard. Because Apple has been typically tight-lipped about...

Apple adds education iMac.(NEWS IN BRIEF)(Apple Computer Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Replacing the eMac--the only CRT-based Mac left in Apple's lineup--Apple has begun offering educational institutions an $899 17-inch iMac. This version of the Core Duo iMac loses Bluetooth connectivity, a DVD-burning SuperDrive, and the Apple...

Microsoft buys iView.(NEWS IN BRIEF)(iView Multimedia Ltd.)
September 1, 2006... Software giant Microsoft announced that it has purchased iView Multimedia, makers of the MediaPro digital-asset--management application for OS X and Windows. An FAQ on the iView Web site notes that Microsoft will continue to support and sell...

IBM runs chip at 500GHz.(NEWS IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... IBM researchers have pushed a microprocessor to speeds of 500GHz. The researchers built a prototype silicon-germanium (SiGe) chip that ran at 350GHz at room temperature, and then used liquid helium to freeze the chip to--451 degrees...

Belgium moves toward OpenDocument Format.(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... In another blow to the supremacy of Microsoft's Office franchise, Belgium became the second governmental body (after the state of Massachusetts) to approve the use of the OpenDocument Format (ODF), a free XML file format, as a way to exchange...

Google wows geeks at conference: Mac map makers.(macbeat)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... In June, more than 700 cartographers, developers, and entrepreneurs flocked to San Jose for Where 2.0, a conference by publisher O'Reilly on "the future of mapping and local search." I spent a day at the conference checking out the latest...

Compositing app gains Intel support, sees huge price drop: Apple updates Shake.(macbeat)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Although many Mac users have never heard of Apple's Shake application, the company has given people two good reasons to stand up and take notice of the professional video-compositing software. The recently released Shake 4.1 update brings...

GarageBand is pushing companies to aim mainstream: music for all.(macbeat)
September 1, 2006... When Apple released GarageBand in 2004, the music-creation program aimed at consumers seemed like just another component in the iLife suite of multimedia applications. But a few years after GarageBand's release, many professional audio-software...

Apple technology helped bring soccer updates to millions: Macs go to the World Cup.(macbeat)
September 1, 2006... Chances are pretty good that if you watched highlights from the 2006 FIFA World Cup matches on television, you witnessed Apple technology hard at work. The Host Broadcast Service (HBS)--a collection of production groups brought together...

Productivity beat.(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Business Card Composer 4.0, from BeLight Software (www.belightsoft.com): Design program for business cards includes 100 new card designs and improved iPhoto integration ($35; upgrade, free). Meetro, from Meetroduction (www.meetro.com): New...

Multimedia beat.(Multimedia software)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Peak Pro 5.2, from BIAS (www.bias-inc.com): Two-channel audio-editing software is now available in a Universal version and no longer requires a USB key ($599; upgrade, free). XLR8 ProView USB, from Daystar Technology (www.daystar-tech.com):...

European discontent against Apple's DRM spreading: iTunes' Woes.(digital rights management)
September 1, 2006... While some consumers in the United States have complained about Apple's FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) technology, pressure is mounting more broadly in Europe for Apple to loosen the ties between its iTunes Music Store (iTMS) and its...

Imaging beat.
September 1, 2006... FlickrExport 2.0, from Connected Flow (www.connectedflow.com): Updated software for sending photos directly from iPhoto to Flickr now supports uploading to existing sets of images and can copy titles and descriptions back to iPhoto if they've...

Hardware beat.
September 1, 2006... SeriTek 2SE2-E, from FirmTek (www.firmtek.com): PCI Express card has two external SATA ports for ultrafast data transfer ($100). Card Drive U510, from PQI (www.pqimemory.com): The new addition to PQI's credit-card-size flash-drive line will...

MiniDV camcorders: a wide spectrum of features and prices for a range of shooters.(Reviews)
September 1, 2006... Choosing a camcorder can be a tricky business. There are hundreds of models out there, from tiny pocket-size models to the hulking shoulder-mounted behemoths that the pros use. Our guide to choosing a camcorder (see "Digital Video Essentials,"...

Photoshop plug-ins: making Adobe's image-editing program even better.(image processing software)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2006... It may seem that Adobe Photoshop CS2 allows you to edit a digital image in any way you can imagine; however, Photoshop has spawned a bustling industry based on plug-ins that enhance its abilities. We took a look at five recently released...

More reviews.(Camino 1.0 web browser)(Final Cut Express HD 3.5 desktop video software)(FontLab Studio 5.0 desktop video software)(Palm Treo 700p smart phone)(NetBarrier X4 10.4, networksecurity software)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2006... For complete reviews of the products listed here, visit www.macworld.com/reviews. VERY GOOD Camino 1.0 (free), from Mozilla Corporation (www.caminobrowser.org): Camino 1.0.1, a fleet-footed, lightweight, open source Web browser, is loaded...

CAD programs: drafting in 2-D and 3-D.(computer-aided design software)(TurboCAD 2D Macintosh)(TurboCAD 3D Macintosh)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... VERY GOOD TurboCAD 2D Macintosh ($100), from IMSI (www.turbocad.com): TurboCAD 2D Macintosh, an easy-to-use 2-D CAD (computer-aided design) application, is a terrific value for professionals looking for a full-featured drafting application or...

Magicolor 2430 DL.(color laser printers)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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...

Macs.(personal computers, laptop computers)(Buyers guide)(Table)
September 1, 2006... DESKTOP Product Processor Display Rating More Information iMac Intel Core 17 inches VERY GOOD macworld.com/1153 Duo/1.83GHz Intel Core 20 inches VERY GOOD ...

Stylus Photo R340.(inkjet photo printers)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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...

Desktop drive.(Iomega Black Series)(OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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.(OWC Mercury On-the-Go)(WiebeTech ComboGB)(Iomega MiniMax)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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 scanners)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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.(HP L2335, liquid crystal display monitors)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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.(liquid crystal display monitors)(NEC MultiSync LCD2070NX)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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)(Sony SDM-HS75P)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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...

8-megapixel Digital SLR.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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 Rebel XT is a very small...

Advanced digital camera.(DIGITAL CAMERAS)(Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30K)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... VERY GOOD Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30K ($700), from Panasonic (www.panasonic.com): The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30K is a sizable beast: at 1.5 pounds and just over five inches long, it feels more like an SLR than an all-in-one camera. The chunky...

PX-716UF DVD[+ or -]R/RW.(DUAL-LAYER DVD BURNER)(Plexus Corp.)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 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...

5.1-megapixel digital camera.(Hardware Products We Tested This Month)(Fujifilm FinePix V10)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... FLAWED 1/2 Fujifilm FinePix V10 ($349), from Fuji (www.fujifilmusa.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The most striking feature of the compact FinePix V10 is its three-inch LCD, which almost fills the back of the camera. It's handy for...

6.1-megapixel digital camera.(Hardware Products We Tested This Month)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... FLAWED 1/2 Kodak EasyShare V610 ($450), from Kodak (www.kodak.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a long-range 10x optical zoom, the EasyShare V610 can bring the farthest subjects into full, detailed view. Although packed with features,...

Midrange flatbed scanner.(Hardware Products We Tested This Month)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... VERY GOOD Epson Perfection V700 Photo ($550), from Epson (www.epson.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The V700 is a fine choice for people looking for a midrange scanner for both photos and high-resolution transparencies. Its has two lenses...

Midrange flatbed scanner.(Microtek ScanMaker i800)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... GOOD Microtek ScanMaker i800 ($450), from Microtek (www.microtekusa.com): [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The ScanMaker i800 is a midrange flatbed scanner with a longer-than-average scanning bed capable of digitizing legal-size documents. It...

File-transfer APP: FileChute 2.0.5.(Mac Gems)(Yellow Mug Software)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2006... The ubiquity of e-mail makes it easy to send small files to anyone as attachments. But what if you need to send large files? Many Internet service providers have limits on attachment sizes, and even when they don't, trying to send (or receive)...

Battery-status utility: UnPlugged 1.7.(Mac Gems)(Michele Balistreri)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Does this scenario sound familiar? You sit down, plug in your Mac laptop, and then get to work, figuring your laptop battery is charging all the while. Later, you unplug your laptop to go mobile--and its battery dies after a few minutes. Turns...

Contextual-menu hot-key APP: shortcuts 1.0.(Mac Gems)(Abracode)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2006... I love keyboard shortcuts. I'm also a big fan of contextual-menu plug-ins. But until now, I haven't been able to assign keyboard shortcuts to my contextual-menu items. If you're like me, Abracode's Shortcuts 1.0 (GOOD 1/2; free;...

iPod video tagger: Parsley is Atomically Delicious 1.3.6.(Mac Gems)( James Huston)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2006... Except for the movies I get in the mail from Netflix, I don't spend very much time watching DVDs on my TV at home--which is too bad, because I have a big collection. But I've recently discovered a new life for my DVDs--especially the TV...

Menu-bar utilities.(Caps Warn 2.1)(WindowFinder 1.4)(CoconutWiFi 1.2)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Many people forget about the right side of OS X's menu bar, a place for quick access to settings and application controls. That's a shame, because menu-bar utilities can be very useful. Here are a few of my recent favorites. Looking for an...

Windows volume cleaner: BlueHarvest 1.1.(disk and file management software)(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2006... Out of the box, OS X can connect to Windows servers and shares. However, as any Windows-centric IT person will tell you, OS X isn't necessarily the best neighbor in the Network Neighborhood. Every time you access a remote Windows share (or an...

Digital video essentials: how to pick the perfect camcorder and shoot like a pro.(Buyers guide)
September 1, 2006... Drama, laughter, mortal embarrassment--digital video lets you relive the special, and not so special, moments of your life with the mere press of a rewind button. And sharing digital video with other people is easy. you can burn it to a DVD,...

The multimedia Mac mini: is Apple's compact computer ready to rule your living room?
September 1, 2006... With the introduction of the iMac G5 and its accompanying remote control and Front Row media-browser software, Apple hinted that the Mac was ready to add a new skill to its resume--multimedia center. But the iMac wasn't really up to the task of...

Making the grade: smart Mac gear for college students.(Product/service evaluation)
September 1, 2006... As summer turns to fall, young folks all over the United States are heading back to college. For the students in your life, a Mac can be one of the smartest back-to-school tools they can pack--perfect for taking notes, performing research...

Outwit PDF annoyances.(applications and utilities for portable document format files)
September 1, 2006... From downloadable tax forms to your company's online medical forms, Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) files are everywhere. And that's no surprise: PDFs preserve a document's look, and you can open them on any computer. But PDF files--and...

Printing from iTunes.(iTunes has some powerful printing features in addition to its music-playing abilities)
September 1, 2006... If you're busy grooving to your favorite tunes, you may not have realized that iTunes has some powerful printing features in addition to its music-playing abilities. You can print custom inserts for CDs you've burned from your playlists, create...

Camera phone tips.(DIGITAL PHOTO)
September 1, 2006... The best camera in the world is the one that's in your hand when you need to take a photo. While few of us take our digital cameras everywhere we go, many of us do carry around cell phones with built-in cameras. True, you're probably not going...

Get online from anywhere.
September 1, 2006... Until recently, if you wanted to get online while on the road, you had two main options: jack in to your hotel's in-house network or find a Wi-Fi hotspot. But a third option is slowly gaining traction: 3G (third-generation) cellular data...

Extreme Mac makeover.(upgrading operating systems)
September 1, 2006... Mac OS X is a slick and beautiful operating system. Still, the allure of personalizing one's environment--to make it more aesthetically pleasing--is tempting. Why should your Mac look like everyone else's? Luckily, with the help of a few...

Mac OS X Hints: the insiders' tips you won't get from Apple.(HELP DESK)
September 1, 2006... Drag-and-Drop Disk-Image Creation Using Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities), you can create a disk image--a sort of virtual hard drive--from any folder in OS X. I use disk images for quite a few things: Classic lives on a compressed disk...

Mac 911: solutions to your most vexing Mac problems.
September 1, 2006... Restoring Sidebar Entries I accidentally removed the Computer entry from the Finder sidebar. How can I get it back? Nathan Parker It's easy enough to lose things in the sidebar--drag them out, and they disappear in a puff of...

Alt Pack.
September 1, 2006... Backpacks with iPod controls aren't so uncommon anymore. But add in Bluetooth connectivity, and you've got something special--as with JanSport's $300 Alt Pack. One strap has iPod controls and a headphone jack, while the other strap features a...

Southwest Airlines' ding.
September 1, 2006... My family lives in Los Angeles, so I'm often scouring the Web for cheap flights. Usually this involves numerous visits to Southwest Airlines' Web site--almost always the least expensive way to go--looking for good deals. But lately, I've been...

The Missing Sync for PSP.
September 1, 2006... Connecting Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) to a Mac via USB and transferring files should be easy--until you actually try to figure out what goes where on the PSP's memory card. I'm happy that Mark/Space has stepped up to the challenge with...

What's hot.(Bill Gates will leave Microsoft in July of 2008)(Apple faces criticism over labor practices)(Fox News appointed John Dvorak)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... 1 Bill Gates announces he will leave Microsoft in July of 2008 to devote more time to charity work. Gates plans on using his foundation's huge budget and vast reach to put all competing charities out of business. 2 Apple faces criticism...

Seritek/2SM2-E.
September 1, 2006... The ExpressCard/34 slot on the MacBook Pro, which replaced the PowerBook's PC card slot, brought with it a lot of new possibilities that were deferred without cards to put in it. Thanks to FirmTek, that ExpressCard slot is finally good for...

Astronomy widgets.
September 1, 2006... People may debate whether Tiger's Dashboard is useful, but as an outer-space enthusiast I'm delighted to be able to feed my obsession with some free widgets. From solar flares to supernovas, haym37 Software's Astronomy Picture of the Day...