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Google’s Rose Yao talks to us this week about the latest Macintosh software for the Mac, Google Desktop. Robert H. reviews the Logitech FreePulse Wireless Headphones and the Aluminum Desktop Stand from LapWorks. And Nemo returns with another great interview, this time with author Tim Grey. Plus the latest in Apple, iPod, iPhone, and Macintosh news.

This weeks show is sponsored by Audible.com. If you are looking for new content to listen to on your iPod, you can’t do any better than Audible!

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We would love to hear from you. Please email any comments to mymacpodcast@gmail.com, or better still, call us at 801-938-5559 and leave your feedback there so we can share your thoughts on a future episode.

Links from the show:
Google Desktop for Macintosh
Logitech FreePulse Wireless Headphones
Aluminum Desktop Stand
Tim Grey
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Workflow

Regular readers of the MyMac website or listeners to the MyMac.com podcast will be familiar with the disappointment expressed by Tim Robertson and myself about the divergence in compatibility between Microsoft Office versions on the Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Unlike Microsoft, one of the other giants of the software industry that also straddles the Apple and PC divide recognizes the business benefits that truly embracing a cross-platform approach can offer – that company is Adobe.

Maybe it is because Adobe started in the font business (where the look of text needs to be consistent on different computers), and originally developed for the Macintosh alone, but their approach has always recognized that making it easier to share data benefits everyone. Take the development of their Portable Document Format (PDF) technology – using PDF means that any document can be distributed to any user, and that document will always appear and print exactly as the creator intended – whatever the computing platform being used, and whatever the print platform might be (be it a cheap inkjet or a high end professional print setting machine).

Look at Adobe’s bread and butter nowadays – the mighty Creative Suite, incorporating the heavyweights Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign – these applications not only use their own functionally identical file formats on the Windows and Mac platforms, but also a common feature set and interface for each. This allows a user to learn the applications on their platform of choice – and once learnt, that knowledge will apply whichever the underlying computing platform might be, thus strengthening the value of the Adobe creative proposition. It will be interesting to see with their newest CS3 suite how they have approached migrating the acquired applications from Macromedia to this approach.

They have taken it further with Photoshop Lightroom, their new photography workflow application. Aimed at professional and high-end amateur photographers, Lightroom offers similar functionality to Apple’s Aperture – a single environment where large numbers of photos can be managed, categorized and adjusted, with all changes being non-destructive. However, Aperture is only available for the Mac (and powerful ones at that), whereas Lightroom will run on on lower-end hardware in either OS X or Windows. As with the CS apps, the user environment is the same on either – in fact, when you buy it both versions ship in the same box and your license key will activate either version.

One of the key advantages that Lightroom or Aperture offer photographers is that they can work effectively on RAW image files. RAW files are minimally processed by the camera, and as such offer the most flexibility in terms of adjustments – but they have to be processed and rendered in order to be viewed. Each camera manufacturer does this a different way – so for software to support all of the RAW formats, the software house must work with each camera manufacturer to provide RAW support. Adobe recognizes that this is less than optimal, and replicating its approach to print with PDF has created the DNG format for RAW image files. While no cameras support DNG directly as yet, all of Adobe’s image apps can convert a RAW file to DNG, and once converted the DNG image retains all of the advantages of RAW while yet again becoming a cross-platform and cross-application document.

As Macintosh users, we should appreciate how Adobe have continued to create and promote interoperability between disparate hardware and software solutions. Perhaps one of these days Microsoft will look to replicate Adobe’s example…

As I write articles or do other work on my mac I occasionally accidentally hit some keyboard combination that does something on my screen. Here is a list of some of these discoveries I have made recently. You might know these tips, or you might not.

1. If you are scrolling through a folder full of stuff and you want to quickly get to the top of the window press your spacebar. You will instantly go to the top of the window.

2. Here’s another tip with the spacebar. If you press the combination of the Apple key and the spacebar the Spotlight search field will drop from the Spotlight icon in the menu bar.

3. Is Spotlight giving you too many results when you perform a search? If so, you can control what results appear by changing the settings in the Spotlight Preference Pane. This is accessible through System Preferences.

4. You probably know the uses for the red, yellow, and green circles at the top left of open windows on the Mac. However did you know holding the option key while clicking these circles will perform other actions?

Option+Red Circle: If you have a bunch of windows open at the same time holding the option key and clicking the green circle will close all the windows together.

Option+Yellow Circle: Just like the option key plus the green circle effects all the open windows, so does this combination. Pressing the option key and clicking the yellow button will minimize all of the windows at the same time.

Option+Green Circle: Once again, this effects all the open windows at once, but in a way you may not expect. This option neatly arranges all open windows in a neat pile on the left of your screen.

5. This is probably part of #4, but I’ve decided to make it #5. The tips in #3 not only work from the Desktop, but they also work in any program.

6. Having wireless internet connection issues? The easiest thing to try is turning Airport off then on. You can do this through the Airport menu in the menu bar.

7. Is the Airport menu I mentioned in #6 not in your menu bar? Open “Internet Connect” from your Applications folder. Click “Airport” at the top of the window. Check the box next to “Show Airport status in menu bar.” You can turn Airport on and off from this window and you can turn on a similar menu for Bluetooth from this program, too.

8. Need to quickly change a TIFF file to a JPG? Or a JPG to a PNG? By the time you wait for Photoshop to open you could have the new file saved by using Preview. Open the file in Preview, and choose “Save As” from the file menu. On the window that opens you can choose the file type to save the file as.

9. Need a screenshot but you don’t have a screenshot program? You don’t need a program at all. Try Apple+Shift+3 to take a picture of your entire screen. Try Apple+Shift+4 to transform your pointer into a cross-hair that will allow you to take a snapshot of what you draw a box around with the cross-hair. The pictures will appear on your desktop instantly.

10. Need more viewing space in your browser? Turn off the row of icons with the address bar (usually called the toolbar) and turn off the bookmarks bar (a row of links under the toolbar). In most programs you can do this from the “View” menu. In Camino you would choose “Hide Toolbar” and “Hide bookmark Bar.” To get them back, go back to the “View” menu and choose to “Show” them. It might be called something different in other programs, but if you look hard enough you’ll find it.

If you have any tips list them below, or email them to me for a future article.

Shure Sound Isolating Earphones
Models SE210 and SE310
Price: SE210 is $150 and SE310 is $250
http://www.shure.com

"Developed for THE PROS" is on the packaging. I was excited to hear these little wonders. After all, I’m a PRO, musician that is. And I have not had a very successful history with ear buds (as I like to call them). They never seem to fit my ears correctly. And Shure has made sure (no pun intended) that problem doesn’t happen to me this time.

They included with the phones, as they call them, a nice semi hard zippered carrying case that contains a cable extension for the cord, and a re-sealable plastic baggy with no less than seven pairs of "sleeves," and a cleaning wand that can be used to dig dirt or wax out of the sleeve you’ll be using most of the time. The phones come with a set of sleeves already installed. That makes eight sets all together. I thought if I couldn’t find the right set of sleeves for me in this selection then I will never be able to enjoy using ear buds. Ever!

The sleeves come in three incarnations: a Soft Flex Sleeve in small, medium, and large, all made from pliable rubber; a Soft Foam Sleeve, which needs to be compressed between your fingers before inserting into the ear canal; and a Triple-Flange Sleeve which has soft rubber flanges ostensibly made to block outside noise while listening.

Any of these would work fine when the sleeve is exactly right for the size of the ear canal. I suppose there’s an average size ear canal and everything revolves around that assumption. I’ve never had an easy time getting ear buds to fit well enough to experience all of the bass frequencies available on any particular recording.

As I tried sleeve size after sleeve size I was resigned to another disappointing experience with this type of listening device. On my last attempt I tried the medium sized foam sleeve. SECRET: After attaching them to the nozzle barb I rolled them between my fingers, reached over my head with my right hand and pulled my left ear from the top, opening the canal as much as I could while gently pushing the phone in with a slight twist as far as it would comfortably go. I wound the chord around my ear from the front. I did the right ear the same way. Lo and behold I actually had some bass response. This was starting to sound like real music, not just the mids and highs.

I used the new Beatles LOVE album as my test music, and iTunes as the player. It sounds so good in my car and on my home stereo (Bose Wave) I could hardly wait to see if I could get the same sonic experience with these new Shure earphones playing from my MacBook. After all the fumbling around and almost wearing out the skin In my ear canal I finally found what I was after. Yeah!

I like the way these phones are not "bass heavy." The balance of the frequencies is smooth and very listen-able, even at higher volumes. I could hear the tambourine and it didn’t sound brittle. The guitars were present without sounding pushy, and the drums and bass sounded like they belonged together. I could sense the bass drum backing up the cymbals and snare, but never overtaking them.

It seems that today’s music market insists that "bass rules." Bull hockey! There should be a balance between highs, mids, and lows, and without this blend the music will not sound like it should. Listening to live music in a good listening room is the best musical experience one can get. Any device designed to allow us to hear music is trying to accomplish a facsimile (as close as possible) of that same experience. Cheaper gear will always get you cheaper sound. As the price goes up, so goes the quality. Supposedly. Some manufacturers of ear phones or buds or whatever you want to call them have their own idea of what "quality sound" is. After years in the sound reproduction business Shure has established itself as a company who knows quality and value.

Example: I’ve been using a Shure SM57 microphone for the better part of 25 years while I sing and play drums in the various bands and sessions of which I’ve been a part. I’ve gone through probably four or five SM57′s because of the beating they take in packing up equipment and resetting the stage. And theft. Nobody doesn’t like an SM57 (to borrow from Miss Sara Lee). They’re built so well you could hammer tent posts into the ground with them and still use them that night to sing into. My point is that Shure makes things to last, and to keep sounding good.

The real advantage of these SE-series "buds" is that they’re very portable. Try sticking a set of regular earphones (headphones) into your shirt pocket. Most people can use buds with plus or minus some success. Ear buds will be with us for a long time, and I have no doubt that the industry, especially companies as dedicated to sound as Shure has been, is aware of the downside of the product and are working to correct, if possible, the shortcomings which are inherent in something that has to "fit" correctly before it will perform properly. That’s why they include all the various sleeves in their different sizes and materials.

I didn’t mean to make this review a treatise on the earphone industry. But I could hardly contain my frustration when I know that these little phones should sound great. I just couldn’t get them to fill my ear hole easily. As I said, this time I found the sleeves that work for me. But the comfort factor still cannot be changed for me. Yes, I could hear the bass, mids, and highs. But if I had to wear these things for any length of time, like say, an hour, my ears would be fried. Not from the sound but from the pressure of the phones pushing against my inner ear. For sheer comfort give me regular over the ear head phones any day.

And now, since I found the sleeves that work for me, I will give the SE 210′s and SE310′s a spin.

The first thing I did was find the right sleeves for the SE310′s, remove the ones already on the unit and put on my personal favorites. Again, it was not easy getting the factory installed sleeves off of the stems. It seems as though there is some kind of glue holding the sleeves on. I had to twist and pull gently lest I rip the sleeve right off the stem. But once I got the new sleeves on I was ready to rock. That made a nice tight seal and the phones sounded like I think Shure wanted them to.

Both sets had smooth highs. Not brittle. There was a nice transition between lows and mids. Not honky at all. The bass in both units was substantial without being obnoxious. Keeping the buds in place is the key to gaining access to all the frequencies available. The 310′s are bit more beefy, but both units, when fit properly in the ear canal, sound terrific.

The challenging aspect of reviewing these two closely related products is A/B-ing them. Listen to set A. Remove set A and insert set B. Listen to set B. Remove. Replace with set A. Ad nauseam, until the whole process becomes a crap-shoot with almost no discernible differences. But wait, there ARE differences: SE210′s are a full spectrum set of earphones which can, when fit into the ear canal tightly, reproduce your music with very accurate sound. The highs are not brittle, the mids are solid with no hint of boxiness or that "canned" effect. The bass is satisfactory with a pleasant warmth and depth without being obtrusive and bulky. The SE310′s are more of the same but with a little more separation in the bass. Nothing earth shattering, but to a true audiophile it could make all the difference in the world. To me it’s not that important because both sets sound very balanced and warm.

Along with the set of ear phones Shure has included a very plain and simple set of instructions for using the phones and the extra sleeves which are included in the fit kit. In the SE210 package the fit kit, carrying case, and instructions were included. The instructions are in pictures and text giving the user a clear understanding of what’s included and practical suggestions on how best to use the phones and all of the accessories.

In the SE310 kit, however, there is included not only the instructions and fit kit with the same accessories as the SE210′s, but also additional pamphlets warning the new user (consumer) that certain decibel levels of listening can be dangerous and damage the ear (hearing) permanently.

The yellow pamphlet contains the WARNING! in no less than eleven languages. That includes English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and several Asian languages with which I am not familiar. If that doesn’t cover their butts I don’t know what will.

The white pamphlet, which contains the limited warranty, is in only nine languages. I don’t know if that’s because two, I don’t know which, nationalities will have no warranty, or they just ran out of paper. Strange, to say the least. The warranty gives the purchaser two years from the date of purchase for the ear phones to be free of defects and workmanship. There are, of course, the usual litany of disclaimers about misuse of the product, intent, and unauthorized repair.

The WARNING pamphlet is much more interesting in that Shure prints out a list of maximum time exposures to particular sound pressure levels before hearing damage may occur.

For example, the first guideline is: 90 dB SPL @ 8 hours. That means that one can endure, with the ear phones placed properly in the ear, 90 decibels of sound for approximately eight hours before damage may occur. The next guideline is: 95 dB SPL @ 4 hours, and continues to 120 dB SPL— Avoid or Damage May Occur.

These warnings are not for fun. They are Shure’s way of not only covering themselves lest they be sued by some idiot running these phones at ridiculous volume levels, but they are trying to keep the user from losing their hearing, or getting tinitus, a ringing in the ears which, when chronic, does not go away and for which there is no known cure. These phones are a quality product and can take a lot of power before they distort. If you abuse them, and yourself, by playing them too loudly, you may lose some of what music makes us love so much: the ability to hear.

The construction on these phones is substantial. Like most Shure products these phones are built to last. The cords and ends are quality molded to take the stresses and strains of every day use.

I’ve enjoyed listening to these two new earphones from Shure and trying to compare them. I suppose if you put these two units on a scope to quantify all the sonic aspects of each one there would certainly be mathematical differences which can be "sold" as beneficial or detrimental. But the difference between the two phones is miniscule to my ears.

The $100 price difference between the SE210′s and SE310′s may not stop a true audiophile from spending more to get a little more. But for my money the value is arguable, at least from this musician’s point of view. If someone were to give me my choice, I’d have to go with the SE310′s. But if I had a budget to stay with the SE210′s would give me great service and there would be no looking back.

I must insert a Post Script here having to do with the packaging. It took me all the strength I had in my hands and then some to get the package open. I could have just cut it up with a sharp utility knife, but I was trying to keep the package in one piece if I could. The companies using this type of plastic sealed packaging would do well to find a way for the customer to get to their product without having to shred the packaging to bits.

MyMac Rating: 4 out of 5

ety8 In-the-Ear Bluetooth Earphones
Etymotic Research

Price: $299 with iPod Adapter, or $199 earphones only

http://www.etymotic.com/ephp/er88.aspx

Late-model iPods are the only ones that can use ER’s 8-Mate Adapter for iPod, so don’t bother trying with your 3G iPod. I did, and flunked. 4G or later, plus all nanos and minis are supported. You can learn about this and everything else relating to ety8 from the links on its informative web site.

* * * * *

What you really need to know about these new Bluetooth wireless premium in-ear ‘phones:

• AUDIO QUALITY = very good (not excellent — see below)
• SOUND VOLUME = loud and robust (be careful, please)
• BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY = almost immediate
• BATTERY CHARGING VIA USB = effortless
• SIZE AND WEIGHT = tiny and lightweight
• IN-EAR COMFORT = good, after break in period
• EASE OF WORKING CONTROLS WHILE IN-EARS = acceptable
• VARIETY OF SIZES OF EAR TIPS PROVIDED = extensive
• QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION = very good
• APPEARANCE AND STYLING = peculiar but distinctive
• NEED TO BUY IPOD BLUETOOTH ADAPTER = good idea

* * * * *

I had two concerns before auditioning ety8 in-ear ‘phones from Etymotic Research (E.R). First was that their triple-flange noise-isolating ear tips would be uncomfortable in my precious ear canals. The new design and material used is softer and easier to insert than with the company’s previous products, and the new two-flange tips are just right for this listener/reviewer. Second was Bluetooth (BT) is more hype than performance. I was somewhat correct on this matter. Keep reading.

ER’s products are consistently first-rate. MyMac.com considers ER4-P Micro to be a qualitative standard for $300 in-ear wired ‘phones. See our review here. When the company claims ety8 has "close to ER4-P response," they are correct. In my A/B comparisons, ER4-P are always excellent across the frequency spectrum. Ety8 have more emphasis in the mid-to-high frequency range than their wired cousins, but audio response is enjoyable, without any obvious bumps in the road. Bass is not booming, but the melody-rich middle zone has plenty of punch. On listener-value-per-dollar alone, $200 US for these wireless in-ear phones is a fair price. Sound isolation is good, but there is a little white noise at all times (not a deal breaker).

You’ll need the most recent Bluetooth technology in your computer, cell phone, or other device for proper connectivity to ety8. BT standards are an evolving terrain, and I am not an expert on this subject. My G4 PowerBook does not pair properly with ety8. Is this a software or hardware glitch? Inexpensive USB/BT dongles are available, and Koss Cobalt’s BT accessories, for example, do the job perfectly. Stop! Etymotic Research tells MyMac.com: "ety8s will not work with the current Mac OS. They will work well with Leopard. We have verified this on prerelease software." That explains a lot.

Late-model iPods are the only ones that can use ER’s 8-Mate Adapter for iPod, so don’t bother trying with your 3G iPod. I did, and flunked. 4G or later, plus all nanos and minis are supported. You can learn about this and everything else relating to ety8 from the links on its informative web site. MyMac.com suggests you spend the extra $100 for this easy to use iPod adapter, because it has a magical feature. Company representative explains: "The dongle has a unique capability. Not only does the adapter not ‘take over’ the functions of the iPod, like docking stations and other peripherals, the feature allows the user to view adjustments on the iPod display. No other external devices can do that." For that trick alone, 8-Mate’s price is justified. Using the adapter may cause slight battery drain on your iPod, but this is understandable.

Accessories are numerous, but I don’t like the included leather case. Its shape and construction are not ideal for containing or carrying ety8. This is a minor gripe, but a genuine one. I was told by the company that "We are working on one to offer as an accessory," so the case remains open on this grumble.

Wireless earphones are miraculous, but Bluetooth range is limited. Forget about 30 feet (10 meters) in real-life interior situations. Up to 15 feet is dandy, but over 20 feet is not. This problem is not unique to ER, because we’ve experienced it using the aforementioned Cobalt and other BT devices.

Speaking of Cobalt from Koss, in our recent review we praised as them the best Bluetooth wireless earphones we’ve tested for audio quality. I’m afraid we have to put that claim to rest. Ety8 sound better, except for the bass range, so let’s issue a revised sonic bulletin: Cobalt from Koss are the best over-ear padded BT ‘phones we’ve tested, and ety8 from Etymotic Research are the best in-ear sound isolating ‘phones, and are superior overall for your BT listening experience.

* * * * *

Bonus: Pairing with BT-enabled stereo/music phones with A2DP and AVRCP protocols is an added feature of ety8. Let’s take a brief detour to examine this attribute.

Etymotic Research provided a Sony Ericsson Walkman cellular telephone so we could test ety8′s Bluetooth pairing and playback capabilities. After a false start (I accidentally switched the phone’s language to Arabic), Dave from ER walked me through every step for wireless transmission of impressive audio fidelity from phone to ‘phones. Music sounds just as good as from other BT sources. I’ll bet you 99 cents ER is poised to have ety8 perform cleanly and clearly with Apple’s iPhone when that gem appears for real in several weeks.

I was clueless about A2DP and AVRCP technologies and protocols, and Dave explained them briefly. You can learn more by doing web or Wikipedia.com searches for those terms. My hunch is we’ll be hearing a lot about one or both, as more cellphones containing them arrive in the United States. Dave says they are already big sellers overseas. I wondered why my Motorola RAZR cellphone worked with Cobalt from Koss but not with ety8 from Etymotic Research, and if there were other differences I was too ignorant to ask about.

Dave from Etymotic Research clarifies, via email to MyMac.com:
"A2DP and AVRCP are actually not constrained simply to BT-enabled phones. A2DP is required for a device to stream audio to the ety8s (and other high quality stereo Bluetooth devices). This is used by the 8-Mate Adapter as well as many other Bluetooth devices. Without A2DP on the device, it won’t be able to actually stream music to ety8. My guess is that the Koss headphones work with your non-A2DP RAZR because they default down to the standard monaural microphone headset profile (not a bad thing if you have a microphone on the headphones and no A2DP device)."

MyMac.com confirms that ety8 picks up audio perfectly when the cellphone source is itself a high-quality music/Bluetooth combo. Beyond that is beyond the scope of this review. If you want to enhance our knowledge base, please post your informed comments in our Article Discussion area below this review.

* * * * *

Ety8 "look weird," as I heard people mutter during demos at Macworld 2007 Expo last January. But they "sound pretty darn good," according to the same unofficial testers. MyMac.com agrees, and is not going to penalize ER for their taste in design, because ety8′s engineering, performance, and innovation are impressive. Lightweight ety8 were dangling from my neck for five minutes last night before I realized where they were, because I was rummaging through a bag where I thought I had placed them.

I usually don’t read other reviews before evaluating a product such as ety8, and there are many of them linked from Etymotic Research’s site and from a Google search for "ety8 review" (quotation marks not needed). MyMac.com is comfortable awarding these in-ear ‘phones our recommendation, because their strengths strongly outweigh their deficiencies. Ety8 is a new category of audio technology, and we applaud the company for developing these earphones.

MyMac.com rating: 4 out of 5

iKaraoke
Griffin Technology
Price: $50
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/ikaraoke/

It’s hot. It’s cool. It works. It sounds good (but not great). It takes less than ten minutes to set up the first time, and ten seconds afterward. It speaks iPod, and iPod speaks and sings through it. So do you. It’s a terrific bargain, and a brilliant innovation. If you don’t have it already, stop reading and get it now.


It’s iKaraoke from Griffin Technology. Apple Store staff tell MyMac.com it’s flying off the shelves, week after week. (Editors note: this was one of the most wanted giveaway items during our AppleQuiz at the Apple Store in Grand Rapids. Everyone wanted this!) You use it to sing or speak via iPod through your stereo system. Fifty dollars? Ha! Once you try it you’ll be hooked, and go out of your way to find opportunities to use iKaraoke as often as possible. You’ll start telling friends and strangers about it, and drive them nuts until they obtain one and do the same ad infinitum.

Extract iKaraoke from its sealed plastic package, plug it into your iPod dock connector, configure a few basic settings, and sing along with whoever and whatever is playing on your iPod. Griffin gives you a choice of FM transmission or auxiliary cable connection to a stereo system. In our tests, "FM Mode" was inconsistent, so MyMac.com recommends "Line Out Mode" for best music and vocal quality. A printed manual is included with iKaraoke, so you don’t need to guess how to use the darn thing.

"The thrill of karaoke on your iPod" may not ring your chimes, but there are many other potential uses for iKaraoke. Music, dance, and other performing arts instructors will immediately see its benefits for enhanced teaching and rehearsing. Family sing-a-longs will never again be dull, assisted by iKaraoke. It "isolates the lead vocals and fades them into the background," exactly like genuine karaoke recordings, using a physical Vocals switch.

Tiny buttons near the microphone-tip of iKaraoke control Play/Pause and Forward/Backward track selections on an iPod. A custom on-screen iPod display menu offers choices for music volume, including "Off" to use iKaraoke as a public address microphone. Other screen menus can set Reverb to Low/Medium/High/Off, switch output audio source between wired Line Level 3.5 mm and FM transmission, and set the best empty FM frequency to broadcast audio to your stereo. Griffin’s web page for iKaraoke includes a PDF download of its printed manual, with longer explanations of the switches and menus, plus all specifications.

iKaraoke receives its microphone power from your iPod. The mic is small and very lightweight, with a glowing red ring to indicate activity. The attached cable is 130 cm or over four feet in length. You’ll have to experiment with different volume settings on your iPod and stereo for optimum audio output in the room. More important is where and how iKaraoke’s microphone interface captures your voice and breath. If pops and hisses are annoying, consider buying an inexpensive pop-filter for cleaner vocals.

This microphone is not concert or studio quality. Considering its minute size and weight, vocal delivery is surprisingly robust. You will be heard, singing or speaking, and your voice will sound as good or awful via iKaraoke as it does in real life. Lose your inhibitions and risk losing your friends, or at least allow them to have a good laugh at your expense. It’s a load of fun, so join the party and croon to your heart’s content until you clear the room. Experiment! Find an empty FM frequency on your car radio, like someone recently told me: "It’s so fun! My teenage sisters and I used it on a road-trip and we had a blast."

All recent iPods with displays are compatible with iKaraoke: 4th generation and up (4G, 5G, 5.5G), minis, and all nanos. MyMac.com averages out the plusses and minuses, awarding this versatile product a healthy 4 out of 5 recommendation.

Painter X
Company: Corel
Price: $419.00 ($219.00 upgrade, $99.00 education)
corel.com

2007 might be known as the year the big software titles jumped onto the universal binary ship. Adobe just announced CS3, Microsoft Office is expected later this year, and Corel recently released Painter X.

I have been a long time user of Painter. The last version I purchased was Painter 8, which did run on my Intel Mac, and I did notice a speed bump running in Rosetta. However, the speed bump of Painter X running as a universal binary is even more noticeable. In fact, Corel states that users will see up to a 5 times faster startup time, and other impressive speed improvements (of course this all depends on your processor and memory amounts).

Besides startup, the most noticeable speed enhancement is with the workflow. One of the downsides to using Painter in the past (and this was partially due to my machine’s speed) was the brush lag. I would make a brush stroke and the program would have to catch up. The brush lag is gone in Painter X. However, I did notice a lag in switching brush sizes. It was brief, but I had to wait a second for the computer to catch up. I could not start drawing immediately after some switches. Other than that, the speed improvement is fantastic.

Becoming a Universal Binary is not the only new feature of Painter X. Corel packed the new version with a bunch of other new features.

Real Bristles

Real Bristles is the “big” new feature. Corel says it “replicates the sensation of the interaction between the paint, canvas, and brush.” I don’t know if I’d go that far, but the Real Bristle system is a nice addition. It does a nice job replicating the various brushes, and (like the other drawing and painting tools) it just feels right.

Divine Proportion and the Layout Grid

Corel has made Painter more student friendly this year with the introduction of Divine Proportion and the Layout Grid. Basically, these are two tools that help the user make the “perfect” layout of a painting or drawing. They help with composition and emphasis. To the seasoned artist this is something that probably comes naturally, and without thinking. However, for students these are great tools.

Paint a Photo

Painter has had tools and methods to help turn a painting into a photo in past versions. This year another tool is introduced called Smart Stroke. The Smart Stroke painting system is great. You clone a photo, make it your tracing source, choose your Smart Stroke brush and paint away. The brush will automatically pick up colors and details from the source image, while adding brush strokes and paint texture to your painting. This is a great and simple way to turn a photo into a painting. It could not be easier.

The image below was made with several of the photo to painting techniques in painter. It took under five minutes to complete.

It’s All About Color

Two other improvements include the Match Palette command, and the Mixer Pallette. Both are tools that help you get the right colors for your image. I really like the Mixer Palette. Instead of using sliders to get the color you need, you can use the Mixer Palette like a regular palette and paint and mix your color “the old fashion way.”

If those features aren’t enough, there are even more new features in Painter X. One new feature is an automatic backup feature. When I cropped the saved image of the painting below, a second file of the original was also saved with _bak on the end of the name. This is a great feature. If you accidentally save a changed file and want the original back, Painter X has you covered.

I could go on and on about the new features of Painter X (including more photo editing support), not to mention all of the great old features which make Painter the Rolls Royce of painting programs. Plus, Corel includes a fantastic instruction book made up of over 300 pages (no PDF file here!!!) and free online training videos.

Not all program upgrades are worth the money. Especially when your talking about programs that cost as much as Painter X. I’ve been known to skip versions of programs every now and then. However, Painter X is one of those upgrades that is well worth the investment. It is packed with features, and you can’t forget the universal binary speed boost.

A downloadable demo is available at www.corel.com and to see some fantastic Painter samples visit http://apps.corel.com/painterx/us/gallery_home.html.

MyMac.com rating 4.5 out of 5

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Robert Hazelrigg joins Tim, Chad, and Guy for our roundtable discussion on the weeks Mac and Apple news. He also reviews a processor upgrade for the original iMac and the Crumpler Bag. David Cohen spends time responding to listener feedback – dodging potential Microsoft detection of running Vista in a virtual machine, and getting Bonjour for Windows working effectively on an Airport network. Plus John Nemo interviews Katrin Eismann, the author of Real World Digital Photography.

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We would love to hear from you. Please email any comments to mymacpodcast@gmail.com, or better still, call us at 801-938-5559 and leave your feedback there so we can share your thoughts on a future episode.

Links from the show:

crumplerbags (Super Annoying Website Warning)
FastMac
Variant Frequencies Podcast
Katrin Eismann
Photoshop Restoration & Retouching
Adobe Events

40 Digital Photography Techniques, 3rd Edition
by : Young Jin

O’Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 89-314-3369-7

208 pages
$16.99 US, $22.99 CA

Most people who like taking pictures probably don’t want to spend time reading manuals and long books about camera techniques. Most avid shooters I imagine just want specific techniques and strategies they can easily understand and try out.

Well, Young Jin’s 3rd edition of 40 Digital Photography Techniques is a very useful resources for these type of digital photographers. First off, the almost 7"x7" size of the book makes it very useful for fitting it into a medium size camera bag and using it when you’re out taking pictures. Secondly, manner of the instructions in the book are easy to follow and apply, though the book does provide some advance techniques.

The contents of the book include:
-Choose, use, and accessorize your digital camera
-Understand and exploit various sources of light
-Get creative with filters
-Become effective with low-light and night photography
-Capture expressive portraits of adults, children, and yourself
-Photograph objects in motion and get great action shots
-Catch the mood of your vacation, a snowy or rainy day, a brilliant
sunrise or sunset
-Shoot everything–panoramas, architecture, landscapes, products,
food, cars, and pets
-Transfer, edit, and print your images, or share them on the Web

Each page contains professional and normal looking photos and captions that illustrate particular techniques. The chapter titles and headings are well designed for easy reference, and each technique is explained in about 3-5 pages.

This book is not only just for 35mm digital camera users. The chapter on Using Flash, for example, provides a really good technique on how and why to diffuse a flash on a point-and-shoot camera, or how to use an equally inexpensive home-made reflector. Many beginning photographers might not understand the importance of using a flash diffuser, but this book explains and illustrates the reason very well.

Even the first section about choosing a digital camera does a good job summarizing exactly what to consider when looking at different types of cameras—from simple point-and-shoots, DSLR’s, to portable cameras with rotating lens or LCD screen. Many of the techniques in this book, however, would be difficult to next impossible to achieve with cameras that fall into the simple automatic point-and-shoot category where you can’t, say, control the aperture and shooter speed.

Other techniques in the book include adjusting for size and quality of photos, shooting close-ups of small objects, taking continuous shots, using white balance, using selective focus, controlling exposure, locking and changing selective focus, and photographing children, pets, weddings, sports events, landscapes, sunrises and sunsets, food and other products. While each of these techniques are covered in other full length books, this book provides a good introduction for beginning photographers. (However, those shooting with a professional a 35mm DSLR camera will probably want something more than what this book offers. There’s no info on how to read a histogram or how to sync and use two external flashes.) The end of each chapter also includes a nice check list of points covered in the chapter. I’ve often found myself making similar checklists for when I’m preparing for photo shoots.

Some advance techniques like light-metering methods, using the Slow Sync mode in flash photography, and various methods for shooting under different lighting conditions are not adequately explained, especially for beginning photographers. Some readers may have to look elsewhere for instructions on these and other advance techniques. A perfunctory illustration of various aperture sizes in a lens, which most digital photography books include, would also have been useful.

Unlike many other digital photographers books, this one doesn’t just provide a few chapters on using a digital camera and then go on to spend two-thirds or more of the book focusing on Photoshop techniques for digital photography. Only the last section, titled "After the Shoot", spends twelve pages on Photoshop techniques. The entire book indeed covers camera techniques.

40 Digital Photography Techniques would make a great gift for someone who is interested digital photography or if you’re looking to purchase a new digital camera and want to get beyond the typically boring and dictionary style manuals that come with it.

MyMac.com Rating: 4 out of 5

moshi Nano Pouch
Aevoe Corporation
Price: $20.00
www.aevoe.com/moshi

Moshi, purveyor of electronics fashion, is a company looking towards quality and utility.

With an eye for fashion the company is quickly establishing itself as the "go to" makers of protective products for computers as well as other electronic devices, such as this wonderful little Nano Pouch I now have protecting my iPod Nano.

The pouch comes in three designs, one tailored for the Nano, one tailored for the iPod mini as well as one for the Video iPod. My Nano slipped perfectly into the protective embrace of the pouch, which is lined with a micro-fiber fabric called Terahedron™. This Micron-sized fibre, says moshi, will not scratch the handset, has an anti-static and splash-proof surface treatment, is free of chemical treatments, and is machine washable (cold wash, no bleach, delicate cycle). The anti-static feature will keep your iPod free from electrical discharge.

There is a small pocket designed into the side of the pouch which will stow your earbuds snugly and securely. The pocket is tight. I had to work a little to get my earbuds into it, but they fit. I doubt they could fall out very easily, if at all.

The top of the pouch has a reinforced metal ring drawstring to keep your iPod securely in the pouch.

For even more convenience use the included adjustable tube lanyard to wear your iPod around your neck while you listen to your favorite tunes. The spring-loaded clip attaches easily to the drawstring and keeps everything where it’s supposed to be.

It seems to me that moshi has done its homework in designing the products they offer. But I wonder if they gave any thought to a Shellcase for the iPod, much like their excellent Codex Shellcase made for the MacBooks. It could be made light and small enough to keep it very portable, but would offer a level of protection against crushing and the thrashing that iPods are sometimes put through — a level not afforded by the soft iPouch. Just a thought.

In real-world experience moshi’s products do their job and, at the same time, look good. I like the design and construction of the two products I’ve reviewed so far. They may not be the cheapest game in town, but then, they’re not trying to be. They’re trying to be the best at what they do while keeping the prices within the reach of most users of electronica. I say, "Keep up the good work." It’s refreshing to see a company that creates products which are nice to look at as well as practical.

MyMac.com Rating: 4.5 out of 5

VisualHub
Company: Techspansion
Price: $23.32
www.techspansion.com

Watching videos on your computer, iPod, AppleTV, or any other device should be simple. Unfortunately, with so many choices in video format, watching videos can be a royal pain. Trying to remember which device can play which format is not fun. And while there are plenty of other video conversion tools for the Macintosh, I haven’t found any that offers either the ease of use or the depth that VisualHub does.

VisualHub solves the problem of converting video formats in a very simple, intuitive interface. At the top of the screen, you simply click the button you want to convert your video to, including iTunes, PSP, DV, DVD, AVI, MP4, WMV, MPEG, and Flash. You have a simple sliding bar for quality, which ranges from Tiny to Go Nuts. (That would be large) Depending on which button you click to convert your video file to, you are presented with more choices for your conversion. For instance, if you choose iTunes, you can then click iPod Screen, iPod / TV Screen, or AppleTV. You can also have VisualHub use H.264 Encoding, as well as automatically send the converted file to iTunes.

Many people use the PSP (PlayStation Portable from Sony) to watch movies. It has a larger and better screen than the iPod, much more suited for watching videos. (UMD notwithstanding). VisualHub can make the converted video an Anamorphic 16:9, which would fill the entire PSP screen.

DV conversion can be done to either NTSC or PAL formats, as well as making the file Final Cut ready. (Also works best with iMovie).

Converting a video to DVD gives you the option to actually author as a DVD and burn the disc in either PAL or NTSC.

The AVI output allows you assign a built-in profile to your video, which includes DivX Home Theatre, DivX Portable, Simple, Best Compatibility, and even Nintendo Wii. MP4 conversion allows for fixed 320 pixels mode, "Hint for Streaming" if you plan on posting the MP4 video online, and H.264 Encoding for better quality.

The only simple option for converting to a WMV format is forcing 320 Pixel Width. Then again, why would you really want to use WMV format?

MPEG format allows many options, including MPEG-2, and profiles that include VCD, SVCD, CVD, TiVo, Transport Stream, 720P, and 1080i. (What, no 1080P?) If you plan on watching MPEG videos on a consumer DVD player that supports these formats, you will be spending a lot of time in the MPEG section. All the videos people are watching on YouTube are in Flash format, the VisualHub will convert to that format as well.

There is an Advanced setting for each of the above video formats. This is for video experts, and in fact the first thing you see when you click the Advanced button is a message that reads "Don’t! You’ll screw it all up!" But it’s here under the advanced button that you will find the real hidden treasure-trove of features VisualHub offers. Want to Crop your video? You can do it from the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right side. If you want to De-interlace your video, you can. You can force a preset size, such as 480X600. You can change the Bitrate, or force your video to fit a certain size, such as 700MB. There is also an option to force decoding of your video to QuickTime, FFmpeg, or even the ever-popular VLC. Want to change the Frames Per Second (FPS)? You can.

My favorite advanced feature, however, and about the only one I dare use, is to change the output volume. You can go from 0% (silent) all the way up to 300% of the original volume of the video you are converting.

Once you have determined the format you want to convert your video file to, you simply drag it onto the open VisualHub window, and go have a sandwich waiting for it to be done. VisualHub does batch conversions as well, so that if you have a couple of videos you swiped from YouTube you want to convert and send to iTunes, you just drag the lot of them in.

There’s even an option that will allow you to determine what happens after VisualHub has converted your videos. Say you have a bunch of QuickTime videos you want to convert to Flash, but it’s a task best left to do overnight. You don’t want to leave your Mac on all night long after VisualHub has done its thing, right? Simply click the "When Done" box, and choose from a list of options, including Shut Down Computer, Set Computer to Sleep, Quit VisualHub, or even to Open the Destination Folder of your converted videos.

During the encoding process, you do have the option to both use Xgrid Encoding and, if you are converting multiple videos, to have them stitched together as one large video file. This is handy if, say, you have downloaded the latest Amazing Race episodes in four parts, and want to watch them from start to finish without having to manually start each video.

I’m very pleased with VisualHub, and can easily understand why it has won as many awards as it has, including Playlist Plays of the Year, a Macworld Eddy award, and the most prestigious of all, the "This is one cool Mac Application" award from me! Or "This is the application to show your Mac-hating PC friends!"

I love this program; it’s simple to use and works very well.

MyMac.com rating: 5 out of 5

So I’ve covered Safari alternatives and Thunderbird alternatives, so now it is time for iChat alternatives. These alternatives are chat clients that will communicate with iChat. With the exception of AIM, the main benefit of these programs is that they will allow you to talk to your friends on several services at once. Instead of opening Yahoo Messenger, iChat, Microsoft Messenger, and others at the same time, these programs will talk with most of the popular clients at the same time.

By the way, all of these programs are free.

AIM
AIM, or AOL Instant Messenger is the simplest iChat alternative. Before there was iChat many people (myself included) used AIM. The downside of AIM is that it has not been updated for the Mac since 2004, and with AIM comes ads.

Adium
Not only is Adium compatible with iChat, it allows you to chat with Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Jabber, Windows Messenger, and more. Adium is loaded with extra features, as well. My favorite is the ability to open the program and be invisible. This way you can see who is online chatting, but they can’t see you.

Fire
Fire is similar to Adium by being able to have chats with multiple chat clients at the same time. The downside of Fire is that it is no longer being developed. It is still available for download, but don’t look for any updates.

Proteus
I don’t have too much experience with Proteus, but I figured I’d list it as an option to those who want to try it. Proteus will work with AIM, MSN, ICQ, Yahoo, and Jabber.

There you go, a list of four iChat alternatives. Now you have no reason to stay in touch with your friends and family.

TruePower AC Laptop Adapter
FastMac
Price: $36
http://fastmac.com/poweradapter.php

Road warriors and computer professionals value having multiples of everything, but few people spend the pocket change price of this mighty TruePower cable for PowerBooks and iBooks. It’s a versatile product at a very affordable price. Learn everything about it here.

Remove TruePower from package, connect plug ends to AC power and PowerBook/iBook, then charge or operate your laptop as usual. Function and fit are identical to Apple’s original equipment power units, with three notable exceptions:

• There is no amber/green illumination where TruePower meets laptop chassis
• TruePower is a one-piece unit, that doesn’t split apart into two segments
• Electrical fitting is two-prong only, for maximum ease of use.

Construction is robust, and a movie on FastMac’s web site demonstrates how much abuse the cable and power briquette can withstand.

I use TruePower every day. It resides in the frontmost zippered compartment of my massive Torq computer pack for instant retrieval and storage. My Apple equivalent power unit stays at home, and my FastMac cable goes everywhere with John Nemo, Computer Tutor.

MyMac.com rating: 4 out of 5. Price is low, value is high, quality is good.

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Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard is delayed, and this weeks show looks into the news. Also, Robert reviews the TVMini HD from Miglia and David talks about Adobe, their contributions to cross-platform computing, and their current cross-platform approach in their software products.

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Dung
TVMini HD

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Guy Serle was invited to speak Washington Apple Pi User Group Meeting on March 24, and this is the result of that visit.

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Washington Apple Pi

Maxtor OneTouch III Mini 160GB
Company: Seagate Maxtor
Price $200 (large discounts are available, so shop with that in mind)
http://www.maxtorsolutions.com/en/catalog/OTIII_Mini/

Seagate buys Maxtor and retains the Maxtor brand. The company provides a unit to MyMac.com reviewer during Macworld 2007 Expo. Reviewer successfully uses and evaluates hardware/software combo. The product has both strengths and weaknesses. Positive outweighs negative, and reviewer recommends unit, with some reservations. Reviewer uses product, and learns to optimize its features. End of story, or beginning? Reviewer is tempted to make this a "RSR" (really short review).

* * * * *

I am a sucker for lightweight, portable, external hard drives. I currently own and use (gasp) eight total models from three different companies. I’m happy with each one, having different features than its neighbors on my shelf. Maxtor’s OneTouch III Mini (abbreviated here as OT3M) is the only USB-2 unit that is exclusively USB, with no FireWire port. It’s also the only one with included backup/restore software that is designed and engineered by the same company — a comprehensive hardware/software solution (so they promise).

Software setup instructions are almost complete, meaning if you are a total newbie you’ll miss a couple of important points. Maxtor needs to rewrite their single-sheet installation guide to include those missing steps. What they intend to say is Mac users must copy all included software to their primary computer hard disks, then use Apple’s Disk Utility to erase OT3M so it’s configured as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) instead of the DOS configuration that’s inherent upon arrival. Then software is used to allow OT3M to backup and restore data from the external USB drive to any other computer that has Maxtor OneTouch Manager installed. Easier to do than explain, and it’s not difficult if you are computer savvy.

The physical drive is medium-size for a portable external unit. It is well-constructed, stylish, durable, and very light weight. You can get all the specifications from a link at the top of this page. Most important criteria are: 5400 RPM speed, works with OS 10.2.8 and higher, and NOT Universal-binary Intel Mac native, although it is fully-functional via Rosetta (if you don’t know what that means, don’t worry). The actual hard disk in this unit is a Seagate Momentus 5400.3/160GB drive. Gear-heads can learn more here at this PDF.

A custom, elongated V-shaped USB cable connects OT3M to computer. If you’re lucky, you only need one of the cable’s USB ends to power this bus-powered external unit, and all current Macintoshes should work connecting via either one or both USB-ports. OT3M beeps to alert you that you’ll need to use two, when appropriate. Again, this is much easier to do than explain, and after ten seconds you’ll be an expert on your own computer. Laptops are typically bus-power challenged, requiring both USB tips, and desktop workhorse Macs generally only require the single connection.

Software works as advertised. Note that you can NOT backup a complete hard drive. Users are not able to duplicate an entire boot volume to OT3M via OneTouch Manager software. Instead, I successfully backed up complete root folders (such as Documents, Library, and Users) from within Macintosh HD. Maxtor tells MyMac.com: "OT3 software by design does not do full images of the drive and it only backs up the user’s data as they can always reinstall the OS." That info needs to be in bold type on all included instruction sheets.

USB-2 is not as fast as FireWire 400, and don’t let anybody convince you to the contrary. I have a TON of experience using external FW400 drives, and they are faster than this or any other USB-2 transfer device. Backing up and restoring to and from OT3M is efficient, but won’t break any speed records. I’m not going to do any supergeek benchmark testing, because real world experience confirms my hypothesis. When you need the fastest possible movement of data, FW800 is the way to go. Under typical home or office circumstances, USB-2 is adequate.

Newcomers to Maxtor software will need a few minutes to navigate the interface on the Maxtor OneTouch Manager application. It’s straightforward to use. Any familiarity with other backup utilities will help, but total strangers should not be intimidated. As backup/restore apps go, this is a clean and simple process.

* * * * *

How to rate Maxtor OneTouch III Mini 160GB? Hardware and performance are good-to-very good, and software is very good, once you accept it can’t backup your complete drive. Just like in competitive aquatic diving or gymnastics, let’s toss out the top and bottom numbers, and award this innovative hardware-software product a respectable 3.5 out of 5.

Recently, a coworker had problems downloading email attachments from Thunderbird. The program wanted to save the file to the Desktop of another user on the computer. I searched through Thunderbird’s preferences numerous times for a download location and I could not find anything that would fix the problem. I figured it was a Thunderbird bug. Then I was in Safari’s preferences and found what I was looking for.

You see, Safari is the control center for several internet related actions. Instead of putting these actions in a System Preference (which would make sense) Apple has these settings hidden in Safari. These settings are your default web browser, where to save downloaded files, and your default rss reader.

DEFAULT WEB BROWSER
I have never been a fan of Safari. I like Camino. Some people prefer Firefox. Firefox and Camino has built in settings to make these browsers the default browser on your computer. However, not all versions of these programs have this settings, and not all browsers have these settings. For those browsers that don’t have these settings, you can change the default browser in Safari. To change the browser open Safari and open System Preferences. Make sure you are in the “General” preferences. At the top of the window you will see a pull down menu for your default web browser. Any web browser on your computer will be listed here. Pull down the menu and pick the one you want. If it is not listed, choose "Select…" and navigate to the browser you want to use, and click "Select."

Why set a default browser? Well, you can always open any browser you want to use, but if you have a link in another program (like an email program) you need to tell your Mac what program to open the link in. If you don’t change this setting, whenever you click one of these links Safari will open.

SAVE DOWNLOADED FILE TO
About halfway down the the General screen of the Safari preferences you’ll find the setting to tell the computer where to save downloaded files. Once again, many programs have this setting, and Thunderbird actually has this setting. However, for some reason this setting in Safari was overriding the setting in Thunderbird. To change this setting click the pull down menu and choose "Other…" Navigate to the folder you want to choose and click "Select."

SET YOUR DEFAULT RSS READER
Many people don’t even know what RSS is. Actually, I don’t really understand it completely, but I do get RSS feeds in NetNewsWire. The RSS feeds I get have headlines from different websites and a short description of these headlines. Safari can read RSS feeds also, so can Firefox, and other programs. To change your default RSS reader from Safari to another program you want to go to the RSS section of the Safari preferences. Right at the top is another pull down menu where you can choose your default RSS reader just like you choose the default browser.

On a final note, you can set your default email program in the general preference section of Mail.

Maybe Apple will make this less confusing and make a new System Preference in Leopard.