Webster’s New World Computer Dictionary
Bryan Pfaffenberger
ISBN 0-7645-6325-4
US $16.99, CAN $25.99
No plot, no tips, no tricks, and no pics: Are these the ingredients of the worst book ever? Well, they would be if it weren’t a dictionary. Fortunately I am reviewing a dictionary, Webster’s New World Computer Dictionary to be precise. What you have here is your basic dictionary: Words and acronyms in bold followed by the definition the whole shebang flows down two columns per page. The difference is the focus, Webster’s New World Computer Dictionary focuses solely on Computers so the reference won’t be much use to scrabble players looking for a two-letter word that starts with Q (answer “qa”, it’s legit, trust me).
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Sony Vaio wireless LAN PC Card model PCWA-C150S
Company: Sony Corporation
Price: $89.95
http://www.sony.com
PC card 802.11b driver software
Company: IOXperts
Price: $14.95 (while in beta test)
http://www.ioxperts.com
Apple PowerBook G4 Titanium owners are painfully aware that AirPort reception range is woefully inadequate. The thin titanium sheathing of the case severely inhibits the built-in antenna. The newest PowerBooks, the aluminum 12″ and 17″ versions, have antennae located around the edge of the screen bezel, which is supposed to improve reception range.
But most Titanium owners are not going to sell their existing computers and buy a 12″, a 17″, or wait for the rumored 15″ aluminum version, just to get better AirPort range. What alternatives are there for better AirPort reception?
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One Click Wow is one of those books we struggling want-to-be computer artists see in bookstores and fall in love with at first sight. The accompanying CD alone contains a smorgasbord of Photoshop styles, actions, and other effects that can make anyone look good with virtually no effort at all. Obviously true artists and Photoshop experts may look upon this with some disdain but there’s no denying that One Click Wow exemplifies software automation and productivity to the delight of the unskilled such as myself.
This book contains the tools to take a simple graphic and convert it to chiseled steel, chrome, plastic, glass, neon, wood grain, and on and on. Want a frame or special edge treatment for that photograph? How about textures, edges or photo enhancements? Need some dynamic rollovers? No problem.
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Adobe Photoshop 7 One Click Wow
by Jack Davis and Linnea Dayton
Peachpit Press
90 pages, all in color
CD included with supporting files and samples
ISBN 0-321-12531-2
$29.99 US, $46.99 CN, £22.99 UK
Review by: Wynne Stevens
One Click Wow is one of those books we struggling want-to-be computer artists see in bookstores and fall in love with at first sight. The accompanying CD alone contains a smorgasbord of Photoshop styles, actions, and other effects that can make anyone look good with virtually no effort at all. Obviously true artists and Photoshop experts may look upon this with some disdain but there’s no denying that One Click Wow exemplifies software automation and productivity to the delight of the unskilled such as myself.
This book contains the tools to take a simple graphic and convert it to chiseled steel, chrome, plastic, glass, neon, wood grain, and on and on. Want a frame or special edge treatment for that photograph? How about textures, edges or photo enhancements? Need some dynamic rollovers? No problem.
The authors present the various included effects with a simple clarity that makes it possible to start experimenting immediately. Once hooked, the process is addictive and a truly great way to explore the incredibly vast range of image effects that are possible with Photoshop.
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Adobe Photoshop 7 One Click Wow
by Jack Davis and Linnea Dayton
Peachpit Press
90 pages, all in color
CD included with supporting files and samples
ISBN 0-321-12531-2
$29.99 US, $46.99 CN, £22.99 UK
Review by: Wynne Stevens
One Click Wow is one of those books we struggling want-to-be computer artists see in bookstores and fall in love with at first sight. The accompanying CD alone contains a smorgasbord of Photoshop styles, actions, and other effects that can make anyone look good with virtually no effort at all. Obviously true artists and Photoshop experts may look upon this with some disdain but there’s no denying that One Click Wow exemplifies software automation and productivity to the delight of the unskilled such as myself.
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Digital Photography for Dummies
Author: Julie Adair King
John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 0764506463
US $24.99
I have never read the any of the “Dummies” books; I always thought they were reserved for people named Lamont (’cause, you know, of Sanford and Son). I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this particular “Dummy” book. Digital Photography for Dummies contains just about anything you need to know about the world of digital cameras: storing images, transferring images, printing etc. and a bunch of (well marked) trivia you’ll never use but you’ll be glad you read.
Stupendous Bundle
OS X compatible
Company: Stupendous Software
Individual Bundles: $25.00
Stupendous Bundle: $200.00
Site License, Educational Discounts Available
http://www.stupendous-software.com
(Author’s note: Stupendous Software is giving away (as in free) 43 effects. They do this in homage to all the freeware they’ve enjoyed over the years; I think that’s pretty cool. Free is a pretty good deal in my opinion so head over there and download them; you’ll end up with a better idea that plugs are for you.)
A while back I received some software from Stupendous Software. Usually I try to review the stuff I get within a week but with Stupendous Bundle I purposefully put it off. Was I slacking like I am so often accused of? Heck no I was waiting for the latest release of iMovie. How could I recommend a product that didn’t work with iMovie 3? So after the extra weeks wait I can report that Stupendous Bundle works flawlessly with iMovie 3. I can also steal a line from Martha “Stock Guru Extreme” Stewart and say “it’s a very good thing”.
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Asanté VR2004AC Wireless Router
Company: Asanté Technologies
Price: $269.00
http://www.asante.com
The popularity of wireless networking has jumped explosively over the past year. More and more computers, especially laptops, come factory-equipped with wireless networking cards. Apple Computer coined the term “AirPort” for its implementation of the 802.11 wireless networking technology. The Windows world uses the marketing term “WiFi” for 802.11. But the technology is virtually the same for both platforms.
So, you’ve got an AirPort’ed or WiFi’ed computer; you’re going to need a wireless access point. That’s the box that takes an incoming Internet signal (usually a from a cable modem or a DSL line, but sometimes from a dial-up connection) and makes it available to networked computers via a radio signal Again, marketing jargon reigns supreme: Apple calls the wireless access point a “Base Station.” The Windows world uses the more technical term “wireless access point.”
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MYOB AccountEdge 3
Company: MYOB
Price: Full Version $249
http://www.myob.com/us
Way back in the Roman times (1999) when Y2K fears were all the rage, I switched accounting programs from Quickbooks to MYOB Accounting v.8. Intuit had been promising a Y2K ‘patch’ for it’s Macintosh version, but as the months rolled along into September and no patch appeared, I convinced my company to switch to MYOB accounting software which had been Y2K compliant since 1993. The learning curve was simple, as this software had been first developed in 1989 for the Macintosh platform as “a software program that enables small businesses to ‘Mind Your Own Business’.” MYOB added a Windows version in 1991, but over the years the company has maintained its commitment to the Macintosh platform as a first priority.
MYOB was one of the very first applications ready for OSX when Apple announced the new operating system in January of 2000. MYOB hasn’t left OS 8.6-9x users in the dust, either. AccountEdge version 3 and FirstEdge (the slimmed down version of AccountEdge developed for sole-proprietorships) are available for all Macintosh operating systems 8.6 and newer. Upgrading from one of the older operating systems to OSX is made easy as well. Users who want to switch from QuickBooks are offered a downloadable patch from the MYOB website, to easily import QuickBooks data.
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Taunting “The Happy Fun Ball”.
(And Other Strange things to do when it’s just to damn cold for Anything Else.)
“The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don’t have it.”
- George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)
“Beam Me up Scotty, there’s no intelligent life here”.
- Bumper Sticker.
It’s cold outside. Much too cold for any kind of outdoor activity. My fixed gear bicycle is leaning against a wall. It wants to go for a ride, and so do I. Alas, it’s just too cold. (If you are a real “Hard Core” cyclist, and you can handle riding in this cold, I salute you.) This is the type of cold that makes me seriously consider heading to the town of Needles, California. Oh I know, it gets way too hot from about June on. A hundred and twenty degrees? Well, as long as I have plenty of chilled beverages to consume, I’m good for it, really.
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50 Fast Photoshop 7 Techniques
Gregory Georges
Wiley.com
ISBN 0-7645-3672-9
368 pps
$34.99 (US), $52.99 (CAN) UK incl. VAT ©25.95
Intended user: Beginning to Advanced
I knew just by thumbing through this book that I was going to enjoy the time I spent reviewing it. And then when I read these words on page two of the introduction – “If I had to make a single recommendation about how to quickly learn to successfully use Photoshop, it would be to learn all about those few features that you need to use to get your work done – and ignore the rest.” – I said where was this book 5+ years ago? Oh sure there has always been instructional books similiar to this, but most are bible length epics and just as cryptic as the bible itself.
The book comes with a CD-ROM that not only includes:
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Altec Lansing 2100
Company: Altec Lansing
Price: $99.95 US
http://www.altecmm.com
My first impression upon seeing the 2100 series speaker from Altec Lansing was “sweet!” Yes, I like the look of these speakers, but looks are but one of the many important factors into making your decision on what speakers to buy.
Sounds quality, I hope, is the number one factor. In that regard, the 2100′s sound great. While not as loud as the just-reviewed Monsoon PlanarMedia 9 speakers, they do have about the same clarity of sound. That is to say, very good in both audio reproduction and imaging.
The 2100 series are a three-piece speaker system, consisting of two satellite speakers, and one powered sub-woofer. Like most other computer speaker systems, this one also has a remote control (wired) that has a Mute button, as well as two volume controls. Nice, but what I especially enjoyed was the metal stand the remote control rests on. This may seem a small thing, but not after you have had to deal with the remotes on most other computer speakers, which usually lay on the desk. The remote stand shows forethought on Altec Lansing’s part.
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Blog On
Todd Stauffer
Osborne
ISBN 0-07-222712-5
$29.99 US, $44.95 CAN
Essential Blogging
Cory Doctorow et. al.
O’reilly
ISBN 0-596-00388-9
$29.95 US, $46.95 CAN
If you’re unfamiliar with the term blog, blogging or blogged it’s a bit like the word “smurf”, both a verb and a noun. When used as a noun “blog” is short for weblog, when used as a verb “blogging” (in this instance a gerund) is what you do on said weblog. If you need an example of a nifty weblog check out chrisnull.com. It’s a nicely done blog (I stumbled across when reviewing one of his books) that will give you an idea of what a blog can do for and/or to you. You’ll note that it has some announcements and pics, links to his other sites and a few other things of utility to those interested in Chris Null. If you ever start a personal blog I suggest you avoid some Chris Null’s missteps, namely his Amazon gift list. It seems like a nifty idea for anyone’s personal log and possibly a real headache saver for those who want to give Chris a present (I wonder if his wife looks at the list) but it also illustrates the danger of a personal weblog. Chris’ misstep comes in when the blog reveals too much about himself, you see on his wish list Chris has included a DVD of the god awful Star Wars Episode I (or as I call it Plan Nine From outer Space: Part Duex) while liking a bad movie and pining for a copy of said horrible movie is no crime, one wonders what a film critic is doing yearning for a copy of the most Jar-Jar infested movie of all time.
802.11 Security
Bruce Potter and Bob Fleck
O’Reilly and Associates
ISBN 0-596-00290-4
US$ 34.95 CA$ 54.95
GEEK ALERT!
Warning Will Robinson! This small book on 802.11b wireless security (167 pages not including the comprehensive index) is not for the faint of heart. To take full advantage of the copious amount of detail that Potter and Fleck provide, you need a good working knowledge of networking, and familiarity with either the Linux, FreeBSD, or OpenBSD operating systems.
802.11 Security is aimed at people who need to configure and administer secure 802.11b wireless (popularly named Airport or WiFi) networks. 802.11 Security is NOT targeted at the casual home computer user who merely wants to keep others from poaching their wireless connection. Those users are best served by Adam Engst’s and Glenn Fleishman’s Wireless Internet Starter Kit.
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Personal Backup X
OS X Compatible
Company: Intego
Price: $59.95
http://www.intego.com
I have been using Personal Backup since version 1.2.1 back in 1998 when it was under the auspices of another software company with OS 8.6, 9 and 9.1. When they transferred Personal Backup over to Intego, I looked forward to using the version that was being developed for OS X.
When I finally upgraded to OS X, it was about the same time that Intego finally released Personal Backup for OS X. So when I arranged to review Backup, I was familiar with it and its operation. When I set up Personal Backup (v10.0.2), I was impressed with the look that Intego had given it for OS X and the drag and drop capability that was now in the program.
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Mac OS X for Unix Geeks
Brian Jepson and Ernest E. Rothman
O’Reilly & Associates, Inc.
ISBN 0-596-00356-0
US $24.95 CA $38.95 UK £
188 pages not including index
Confessions of a ‘Net Geezer:’ Yep, I’m old enough to remember when the term ‘geek’ was synonymous with ‘nerd;’ old enough to remember programming computers with punch cards; old enough to remember when “real geeks wore pocket-protectors.” Now, of course, most of you reading this came on board the personal computing platform during the great Internet-Quake, which brought with it that dreaded Dot-Com Tsunami which is still wreaking havoc in the ebb of its tide.
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by William Du Bois, Ph.D.
Former Assistant Professor of Sociology
South Dakota State University
One year ago, after the publication of our review of CD and DVD editions of Encyclopedia Britannica 2002, Nemo received an intriguing email from a loyal reader, stating:
I ran into several articles on the Britannica site to which as an educator and Ph.D. sociologist, I was appalled.
Anything with social or political implications, I would be quite skeptical of treating as true.
Britannica didn’t used to be like this.
Nemo maintained a regular email correspondence with Bill Du Bois, encouraging him to expand on his original perspective. What follows is a long, detailed, opinionated commentary on why the non-print editions of Encyclopedia Britannica have a strong bias. Du Bois accepts responsibility for his essay, and welcomes your responses.
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Toast Titanium with Jam
OS X Compatible
Company: Roxio
Price: $199.95
http://www.roxio.com
For Toast 5 Titanium owners, Jam upgrade is $99 for boxed version, $69 as downloadable, which does not include Peak LE. Check Roxio’s web store for current promotions and rebates.
Let’s get a couple of things straight from the outset.
Roxio’s Toast (either Titanium or Lite edition) is some of the very best software created ever for the Macintosh, period. It works almost effortlessly to burn music and data CDs. This application is indispensable both to Nemo and Weeks, for our professional and personal work and pleasure. We give Toast a rousing FIVE MAC MICE out of five, and applaud Roxio for its ongoing support of the Mac OS and community.
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Unix Power Tools, 3rd Edition
Shelley Powers, Jerry Peek, Tim O’Reilly and Mike Loukides
O’Reilly & Associates, Inc.
ISBN 1-596-00330-7
US $69.95 CA $108.95
1,036 pages not including index
Unix Power Tools, an apt title not meant to be redundant (Unix is THE power-user’s operating system, after all) has been the ShopSmith manual or the Unix Almanac since it first appeared in the early 1990s. The second edition appeared in 1999, and with the amazing, if not predicted, growth of Unix and expansion into many flavors; it’s fitting that a 3rd edition should appear now. Over half of the articles have been revised since that last edition to include information pertaining to many of the smaller but ground-gaining Unix’s such as Linux, freeBSD, and Mac OS X’s Darwin.
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Mastering Mac OS X Second Edition
Author: Todd Stauffer
Sybex
ISBN 0-7821-4118-8
US $39.99, CAN $63.95
Todd Stauffer’s Mastering Mac OS X Second Edition is a worthy addition to any OS X user’s personal library. Updated with lots of new information for OS X 10.2 “Jaguar,” this book (hereafter referred to as MMOSX2 to save my fingers) covers the waterfront for the intermediate and advanced user. While the back cover bills the book as suitable for users of all levels, I think that the raw Macintosh novice would find this book a bit intimidating, with the section Macintosh essentials being swamped by the huge amount of more advanced topics.
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MyMac Podcast #385
MyMac Podcast #384