Sketchoo Mac
Green and Slimy
Website
App Store Link
Price: $29.99
I have tried many painting/drawing programs since I have been writing for MyMac.com, and Sketchoo is the latest to be installed on my computer. Sketchoo’s website describes the app as “Drawing for everyone.” It also states that it is “for beginners and professionals.” I would definitely agree that it is a drawing program that anyone can use, but I would have to disagree with the part about it being for professionals.
Noise Master
Company: Lucky Clan
Price: Currently on sale for $.99
iTunes Link
If you have an iPhone, one of the past two releases of the iPod Touch, or an iPad 2 you have access to a camera. Depending on your iPhone, the camera is most likely better on the iPhone than you have on an iPod Touch or iPad. However, you are likely to encounter noise in some of your pictures even with the iPhone 4S. Noise can be described as pixelation in the picture which is often caused by poor lighting but can be caused for other reasons. The iPod Touch and iPad cameras will probably give you more noise than the iPhone due to the lower quality camera. In fact, I don’t remember taking a noiseless picture with the iPod Touch.
Customized iCase
Company: Powis
Prices $79.95
In December of 2010 I had the pleasure of review the Powis iCase for the iPad. I loved the case, and still think it is one of the best and nicest iPad cases I have tried. I was recently given the opportunity to try their new customization option for the cases. This allows you to upload your own photo to their site and have it printed on the front of the iPad case itself. What did I think? Read on.
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Inkling
Company: Wacom
Price: $199
When I first saw the Wacom Inkling my reaction was “Wow!” I also thought it was too good to be true. Well, I am happy to report, after being sent a review unit by Wacom, that it is not too good to be true and the device is awesome! As an illustrator who has scanned sketches into my computer for years and redrawn those sketches in Illustrator the Inkling is exactly what I have been looking for. Not only will it save me time and allow me to skip the scanning process it will propel me to another level where I can do a lot more artwork on my computer.
One of the biggest complaints and surprises about iCloud is the fact that Apple did not update its suite of iWork applications to be iCloud compatible. iWork is long overdue for an update and I, like many, thought an iCloud update was coming with a new version of the apps (Keynote, Pages, Numbers).
Photoshop Elements 10
Company: Adobe
Price: $99.99 new, $79.99 Upgrade, $119.99 with Premiere Elements
Website: www.adobe.com
Note: As the title of this article suggests this review is for the experienced Photoshop Elements user and aims to help that person answer the question of “Should I upgrade?”
It’s that time of year again when Adobe hits you Photoshop Elements users with an update and the (seemingly) annual question “Should I update?” Well, I’ve gotten my hands on Photoshop Elements and tried out the new features. Are they good enough to justify paying for the update? Read on.
So what are the new features in Photoshop Elements 10?
Well, before getting to the actual features let me say that Photoshop Elements 10 is Lion compatible. It does not have a full screen mode, but it is compatible with Lion and works fine in Lion. In fact, I don’t think Photoshop Elements ( any Adobe product) really needs full screen mode. My opinion is these types of programs run fine in “normal” mode and full screen would just be distracting.
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Book Creator for iPad
Price: $6.99
Red Jumper
iTunes Link
About ten years ago I started illustrating a series of children’s books by Mark Creech, a husband of a coworker. We shopped them around to publishers, created PDF ebooks, and made them available for purchase at Lulu.com. When the iBookstore came out I made it a goal to get these books converted for the store. However, this proved to be easier said than done. The books are heavy on layout with text intertwined in images and converting that to an ePub format was not an easy task. I tried converting them in Pages, but that was not easy and I could not get the formatting correct. Not to mention the first attempt was rejected by Apple early this year. Ever since that first attempt I have been exploring other options, but had not found a solution until now. Enter Book Creator for iPad.
Book Creator for iPad is an app for your iPad that helps you create an ePub formatted book which can then be read in iBooks and (if accepted) sold in the iBookstore. When I found out about Book Creator I had to try it, and the developer provided me with the app. I was definitely hesitant. After all, this sounded too good (and too easy) to be true. At $6.99 would this app really do what it claims?
Crayola Color Studio HD Review
Company: Griffin Technology
Price: $29.99
When I heard about the Color Studio HD earlier this year I was really interested. A “pen” that you can use with the iPad in a coloring app. It sounded great and I couldn’t wait to try it out. Well, recently Griffin sent me a sample unit and I got to satisfy my curiosity. Is it as great as it seemed? Read on to find out.
First, a little more about the Color Studio HD. The Color Studio HD consists of two parts. First there is an iPad app which is free to download from the App Store. The app consists of animated coloring pages. Second, and the main part, is the drawing pen. The pen looks like an oversized Crayola marker which runs on a AA battery. The tip is rubber and the bottom is the on/off switch. It is like a battery powered stylus that makes a humming sound when on. The concept is that you use the pen to color the animated pages in the app.
Top Camera
Company: Lucky Clan
Price: $.99 for a limited time
Top Camera
When I heard Lucky Clan was releasing a camera app for the iPhone I knew it had to be good. After all, this is the same developer that released the fantastic ArtStudio for the iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad. I also knew, based on ArtStudio, that this is an app that will be constantly updated with new features as time went on and well worth the money. In fact less than three weeks after the initial release and update has happened with more features added. Was I right about it being a great app? Read on.
Painter 12
Company: Corel
Price: $429 USD Upgrade $229
In my time at MyMac.com I have had the pleasure of being given the opportunity to test several of the past versions of Corel Painter and Painter Essentials. I have said the following in past reviews, and it is worth saying again. Instead of releasing a new Painter every year, Corel waits at least two years between releases and when they release a new version they pack it with new features. Painter 12 follows this pattern. It is packed with new features. Looking at the list on Corel’s website there are well over twelve new features in Painter 12! New features are great, but they have to be good to make upgrading worthwhile. Does Painter 12 have enough to pass the upgrade test? Read on.
Artboard
Company: Mapdiva
Price: $19.99
As regular readers know, I am constantly on the lookout for affordable apps for the Mac that can be decent substitutes or replacements for what I call the “big” programs (Illustrator, Photoshop, Painter, etc). I have tried and reviewed many. Some are good and some are awful. Artboard is a vector drawing program available in the Mac App Store that I would definitely put in the good category.
EyeTV HD
Company: Elgato
Price: $199.95 (US)
I have been a long time user and fan of EyeTV. In fact, we don’t have a true DVR in our house. EyeTV is our DVR. I currently use the EyeTV Hybrid with the EyeTV software, and when I was presented with the opportunity to try the EyeTV HD I jumped at it.
Let me take a step back for those who don’t know what EyeTV is. EyeTV is software for your Mac that basically, with the proper hardware, turns your Mac into a TV and/or DVR. Recordings can then be viewed through EyeTV, transferred to iTunes for your AppleTV or iOS device, and even watched anywhere in the world through the EyeTV app. Through the software you have a program guide, can schedule recordings, and even edit the recordings to trim out commercials or unwanted sections. The program is also integrated with Roxio Toast for burning your recordings to disc.
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If you are a person who reads the news, speculation, and rumors about any Apple product you know that iOS 5 rumors and speculation is in full swing. One of these rumors I saw (and I don’t remember where) was that Spaces is coming to iOS 5. When I first heard this I thought this was a stupid idea. However, now that I have thought about it I think I have figured out a way it might work.
Spaces on the Mac allows you to have additional desktop “spaces” with certain applications. You could have a space for productivity applications, a space for internet/email, etc. When you run a certain application it will only be visible in its assigned space.
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Mobile hotspots, the feature that basically turns new cell phones into a wireless router is nothing new. It is just, officially, new to the iPhone. In the US this feature comes with a $20 addition to your phone bill. With that twenty dollars you get an additional 2gb of data for your connected devices. I say this feature should be free. Why? Read on.
Sketch
Company: Bohemiancoding
Price: $40
I have tried a lot of vector drawing tools out there that I consider a more affordable way to get vector drawing on a Mac without have to buy Adobe Illustrator. Sketch is a new entry into the market that aims to be one of these products. The price is right, but how does it compete?
First let’s look at the features. Sketch is packed with different features including an infinite workspace. The infinite workspace allows you to create without being confined to the dimensions of a piece of paper. However, I personally don’t see much purpose to this. In the end, your image will have to confined to some dimensions. I’d rather work towards those dimensions up front instead of having to plan and adjust after I create.
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Casestand
Company Macally
Price: $29.99
Are you looking for a case for the new fourth generation iPod Touch you just got as a present over the holidays? If you are, I suggest checking out Macally’s new Casestand.
I love my iPad and I use it for many tasks that I would normally do on my computer. However, there is still one task I always have to go to the computer for. I can’t upload a file from my iPad to a website.
For example, I am typing this post on my iPad right now. If I want to upload an image to the article I can’t unless I go to my iMac. There are many times I need to upload something to a website and can’t do it because I am on my iPad. This might be for an article I am writing or another project I am working on.
Wouldn’t it be nice for those browse buttons on webpages could work and access the file system on the iPad? Or Dropbox?
I can’t think of many new features for the next version of iOS, but this is definitely on my wish list.
What features do you want in the iOS?
iCase
Company: Powis
Prices range between $49.95-$79.95
iPad cases are a dime a dozen and I wasn’t expecting much when I got an email asking me to try out a new and different type of case. I agreed, and it turns out I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. The iCase is the iPad case I have been looking for, and didn’t even know it.
The case itself is made up of a very hard board. When closed it looks like a book. In fact, one of the customization options is to have a book/journal look to the outside of the case. The case is also available in a variety of leather, color, and/or pattern finishes. These finishes are what determine the price of the case. In the near future you will be able to provide your own artwork for the case. In the meantime, you can personalize the case with your name, website, or whatever on the inside of the case and it looks fantastic.
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