Issue 7.6 December 2002 / January 2003
Contact: Electric Rain, Inc., 5171 Eldorado Springs Drive, Boulder, CO 80303-9642, 303 543-8233, http://www.erain.com, fax: 303 543-8225.
Contact: Three-2-One, Sudwall 22, 47798 Krefeld, Germany, ++49 2151 31945-0, http://three-2-one.com, e-mail: info@three-2-one.com, fax: ++49 2151 31945-09.
Contact: Keyspan, a division of InnoSys, Inc., 3095 Richmond Parkway, Suite 207, Richmond, CA 94806, 510 222-0131, http://www.keyspan.com, e-mail: info@keyspan.com, fax: 510 222-0323.
PowerMate (MAC/WIN)
PowerMate is a programmable USB controller in the form of a large, solid, polished
aluminum button. The function of the button can programmed by the user to execute
a wide variety of things in almost any program. For example, it can be used as
a Jog/Shuttle wheel in a video editing program, or to scroll long documents in
a word processor, or as a convenient power-on button for the computer, or a volume
control for audio. The base of the button contains a glowing blue light that pulses
while the computer sleeps. $45
Contact: Griffin Technology, Inc., 1619 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37210, 615 399-7000, http://www.griffintechnology.com, e-mail: support@griffintechnology.com, fax: 615 399-8041.
Contact: Markzware, 1805 E. Dyer Road, Suite #101, Santa Ana, CA 92705, 949 756-5100, 800-300-3532, http://www.markzware.com, email: info@markzware.com, fax: 949 756-5108.
Digital SHO (MAC/WIN)
Digital SHO is an impressive, powerful, and highly useful plug-in for Adobe Photoshop
and other compatible host applications that produces automatic contrast and exposure
optimatization on improperly exposed digital images. The plug-in can correct for
poorly backlit subjects, uneven flash illumination, and partial shade. This highly
productive software, which is based on proprietary algorithms, intelligently analyzes
the gradations in the darker image areas to uncover latent details.
The software, which was originally available only in OEM scanning devices, provides both preview and zoom views, and slider control over both amount of exposure and vibrancy of color. The results are truly amazing. $49.95
Contact: Applied Science Fiction, 8920 Business Bark Drive, Austin, TX 78759, 512 651-6200, http://www.asf.com, fax: 512 651-6205.
Digital ROC (MAC/WIN)
Digital ROC, originally provided only as a component in OEM scanner packages,
is a Photoshop compatible plug-in that automates the color restoration process
that normally takes a skilled digital image technician to produce. The plug-in,
which is based on proprietary algorithms, analyzes the color gradients in the
image and generates the optimum tonal curve for each color channel. This serves
to counter the effects of tungsten and fluorescent lighting, and more importantly,
to remove the color cast from faded and poorly exposed images.
Readers should look at the sample images provided on the ASF site (http://www.asf.com/products/plugins/roc/pluginROC.asp) to see the image manipulation magic that this plug-in can perform. The plug-in can also be used effective on black-and-white images that have been scanned in RGB color mode. $49.95
Contact: Applied Science Fiction, 8920 Business Bark Drive, Austin, TX 78759, 512 651-6200, http://www.asf.com, fax: 512 651-6205.
Hermera Photo-Objects are digital photographs of real objects that have been cut from their backgrounds. Each object can be composited independently and used like clip art.
The actual contents consists of 10,100 Hemera Photo-Objects, 241,300 vector clip art images, 50,000 raster illustrations, 35,200 professional color photos, 15,000 professional black-and-white photos, 260,200 Web graphics, 2,000 textured photos, 500 animations, and 500 PhotoFont textures.
The package includes two bonus software applications: T-Shirt Creator and Greeting Card Creator, and the addition of 200 templates to support them. A third bonus, CD Designs Creator, is available as a free download. $69.95
Contact: Hemera Technologies, 490 St. Joseph Blvd., Hull, Quebec, Canada J8Y 3Y7, 819 772-8200, http://www.hemera.com, fax: 819 778-6252.
The Big Box of
Art: Holidays & Events (WIN )
The Big Box of Art: Holidays & Events consists of over 30,000 images categorized
to support a wide variety of holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day,
Easter, Independence Day, St. Patrick's Day, Halloween, Hanukkah, and more) and
events (birthdays, weddings, graduation, anniversaries, mother's and father's
day, baby showers, back to school, parties, picnics and barbeques, and more).
The collection consists of 28,000 vector clip art images, 1,500 Hemera Photo-Objects
images, and 500 color photographs, all royalty-free. Also included is a free copy
of Greeting Card Creator. $29.99
Contact: Hemera Technologies, 490 St. Joseph Blvd., Hull, Quebec, Canada J8Y 3Y7, 819 772-8200, http://www.hemera.com, fax: 819 778-6252.
Photo Clip Art 100,000 (MAC/WIN)
Photo Clip Art 100,000 consists of photos that have been cut from their backgrounds,
and which can be used like clip art. The images, all professionally produced,
are grouped in over 100 themed categories, including agriculture, animals, applicances,
awards, buildings, cars, children, family, gardening, home, maps, pets, safety,
sports & leisure, tools, toys, and many more.
The Windows version includes Jigsaw Puzzler, which can be used to create a puzzle from any of the included images of those of the user. The Macintosh version includes Hemera's PhotoFont Maker that can be used to apply a photographic texture to any font using the images in the collection, or those belonging to the user.
Images are easily located using the provided search engine. The user selects a background color and then drags-and-drops the image into a project. The images are compatible with most applications (i.e. PhotoDeluxe, Photoshop, FrameMaker, InDesign, PageMaker, GoLive, FreeHand, etc.). $49.99
Contact: Hemera Technologies, 490 St. Joseph Blvd., Hull, Quebec, Canada J8Y 3Y7, 819 772-8200, http://www.hemera.com, fax: 819 778-6252.
Contact: The MacGuy, 3560 Cephas Way, Lexington, KY 40503, 859 619-4579, http://www.cousinmichael.com, e-mail: mike@cousinmichael.com.
The VFZ file structure holds six levels of quality in a single file. The levels range from proof, the lowest resolution, through levels 1-5. The proof level contains less than 10% of the original data. Level 3 is considered suitable for printing and normal use, including Web applications. Levels 4 and 5 are almost indistinguishable. Level 5 is used for master imaging, archiving, artwork, or medical use. At level 5 the image can be reversed to TIFF or BMP. This factor is important, since only one VFZ file need be stored to achieve a variety of outputs, including restoring the file to its original state. An original image that was 261KB, would be 19.8KB at the proof level (proofing quality), 42.3KB at Level 1 (proofing quality), 70.2KB at Level 2 (proofing quality), 101.1KB at Level 3 (on the screen lossless), 132.9KB at Level 4 (printable), and 164.8KB at Level 5 (lossless).
VFZ is efficient in its capability to enable the user to work with a low-resolution version of an image, and therefore save the time needed to transfer and manipulate a large image. For example, if only a small area was to be cropped, the image could be transferred at the proof level, cropped, and then only the cropped area would be increased to the required level.
Unlike TIFF, BMP, or JPEG, VFZ supports image information to be stored with the file, including title, author, date, genre, copyright, and comment. Security can be attached to each image by saving it in the PFZ (Protected VFZ) format. $119.95
Contact: Celartem Technology USA Inc., 41 East 11th St., 11th Floor, New York, NY 10003, 212 699-3775, http://www.celartem.com, fax: 212 331-1106.
Spector Professional Edition
(WIN )
Spector Professional Edition is considered to be the most sophisticated Internet
monitoring and surveillance software on the market. It is appropriate for businesses
that need to monitor employee computer use, and for parents concerned about their
children's safety while on-line. The program combines snapshot recording (as frequently
as once per second), e-mail recording (e-mails viewed, sent, and received), chat
recording, and keystroke recording.
In addition the Professional version utilizes intelligent monitoring so that instant notification can be sent to the administrator when specified kinds of content are identified. Everything that is done on the computer, including chat sessions, visited Web sites, and programs that are run, is recorded. $149.95
The regular version of the program, without the intelligent monitoring, is available for both Windows and Macintosh computers. $99.95
Contact: SpectorSoft, 333 17th St., Vero Beach, FL 32960, 888 598 2788, http://www.spectorsoft.com, fax: 772 770-3442.
Contact: Omni Development, Inc., 2707 NE Blakeley St., Seattle, WA 98105-3318, 800 315-OMNI, 206 523-4152, http://www.omnigroup.com, e-mail: info@omnigroup.com, fax: 206 523-5896.
Contact: Finite Matters Ltd., 3064 River Road West, Suite B, Goochland, Virginia 23063, 888 230-1365, 804 556-1180, e-mail: info@fml.com, fax: 804 556-1183.
SmartList To Go (MAC/WIN)
SmartList To Go is a list and database application for handheld computers that
use the Palm OS 3.5 or higher. The software imports data from Excel, FileMaker
Pro 5, Microsoft Access, and others. The software is very secure, supporting up
to six levels of password protection. Up to 60,000 records per database can be
supported, with up to 21 different field types. In addition to importing data
from existing databases, the user can create databases directly in the application,
and take advantage of the many templates that are provided. Data input in the
handheld can be synched to the desktop when the user uses MS Access. This product
was the winner of Handheld Computing's Best Product in 2000 and 2001. $49.95
Contact: Dataviz, 55 Corporate Dr., Trumbull, CT 06611, 203 268-0030, 800 733-0030, http://www.dataviz.com, e-mail: info@dataviz.com, fax: 203 268-4345.
The Capture function supports the direct input of video into the PC, from camcorders as well as most other video sources, including still images. The video sources include live capture, DV-AVI, DAT, MPET-1, and MPEG-2; the audio sources include MP3, WAV, and Audio CD; and the image sources include JPEG, TIFF, BMP, and GIF. The Edit function provides easy-to-use editing tools, a drag-and-drop interface, over 100 transitions, special video effects, picture-in-picture, titling effects, and more. Movies can be output in DV-AVI, Windows AVI, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MWV, MOV, RM, DivX (with the use of an additional codec), and DVD/SVCD/VCD/MPEG Video. The Author function is supported with a step-by-step Disc Wizard that leads the user through the process of creating menus with associated chapters. The Burn function can be initiated on DVD, VCD, SVCD, or mini-DVD discs, and then playedback on the PC, or using a standard DVD player.
Other features include: scene detection technology; trim mode to remove unwanted video segments; color adjustment tools (color, brightness, hue, etc.); over 50 unique title effects, with up to nine titles applied on one video clip simultaneously; gridline and TV safe zone; slow/fast motion video effects; support for up to five audio tracks; Smart Video Rendering Technology (SVRT) to render MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and DV-AVI video faster than any other software on the market; and much more. $99.95
Contact: Cyberlink USA, 46728 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 95538, 510 668-0118, http://www.goCyberlink.com, fax: 510 668-0121.
After Effects 5.5 (MAC/WIN)
After Effects 5.5 is the standard application for adding motion graphics and special
effects to digital video productions for film, video, multimedia, and the Web.
The software provides a rich environment for manipulating text, graphics, video
clips, and other elements using sophisticated controls and settings. The program
uses a timeline interface with preview windows to apply, control, and view effects
in realtime. The program integrates easily with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator,
taking advantage of layers, paths, and transparency. Up to 127 masks can be created
per layer. The program also supports the importation of Adobe Premiere projects
as compositions. This compatibility makes it possible to utilize the video and
audio as layers.
The program includes more than 90 plug-ins for producing special effects, manipulating color, and tweaking the appearance of elements. Users can work in either the 2D or 3D image compositing environment. In addition to its visual controls, the program provides precise control over audio effects, and supports compressed audio and MP3 encoding. $699
Contact: Adobe Systems Inc., 345 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95110-2704, 408 536-6000, http://www.adobe.com, fax: 408 537-6000.
Sorenson Squeeze (MAC)
Sorenson Squeeze is a video compression codec for the QuickTime architecture.
It is useful for compressing high-quality digital content for streaming, progressive
downloads, and CD-ROM expression. Squeeze provides options for outputting video
for delivery via modem, ISDN, broadband low, broadband, broadband high, LAN/CD,
CD HQ, and custom. The easy-to-use interface makes it simple for virtually anyone
to use. $299
Contact: Sorenson Vision, Inc., 2060 Walsh Ave., Suite 194, Santa Clara, CA 95050, 888 767-3676, 408 970-0696, http://www.sorensonvideo.com, http://www.s-vision.com, fax: 408 970-0906.
Contact: Omni Development, Inc., 2707 NE Blakeley St., Seattle, WA 98105-3318, 800 315-OMNI, 206 523-4152, http://www.omnigroup.com, e-mail: info@omnigroup.com, fax: 206 523-5896.
OmniOutliner 2.1.1 (MAC)
OmniOutliner 2.1.1 is a neat OS X application for listing and organizing thoughts
and ideas. It supports the rapid input of content and the easy movement of items
into any order and any hierarchy. Users can add columns for expanding on items
or adding explanations. The program supports rich text editing for each item.
$29.95
Contact: Omni Development, Inc., 2707 NE Blakeley St., Seattle, WA 98105-3318, 800 315-OMNI, 206 523-4152, http://www.omnigroup.com, e-mail: info@omnigroup.com, fax: 206 523-5896.
Font Reserve maintains fonts in a database, which makes it easy to identify, search, and sort even the largest collection. Fonts can be maintained in a single secure location called the Font Reserve Vault, which can be hidden from view to prevent unintentional deletions. If users prefer they can maintain their fonts according to their current font organization, and alias the fonts. Font Reserve provides the option for users to move fonts out of OS X and Classic Fonts folders automatically, and place them into the Font Reserve environment. The program includes the ClassicActivator, an application that manages fonts for applications that run in the Classic environment.
The Font Reserve Browser presents an intuitive interface for activating and deactivating fonts, organizing them for specific jobs and clients, and viewing them by various identifying criteria, such as classification and foundry. The Preview function enables the user to see the entire font character complement on-screen, or print it out in a variety of professional specimen book layouts. The font book printing functions alone justify the cost of the software.
Font Reserve also helps to maintain a stable environment as it repairs corrupt fonts, on-the-fly, as they are added. It allows for the activation of font copies, rather than moving the original, which ensures the likelihood that future corruption will not occur. Font corruption can cause unexplained system crashes. In addition, the program manages font conflicts automatically, eliminating a problem that can plague a user of fonts from diverse origins.
Fonts are added to Font Reserve through a simple drag and drop process. Any media containing fonts can be dragged into Font Reserve, and the program will locate all of the font files and correctly add them to its database.
Digital publishers will appreciate that Font Reserve provides Font Sense plug-ins for the most popular professional publishing applications (Adobe InDesign 2, Adobe Illustrator 10, and QuarkXPress 5) so that fonts are accurately activated automatically. Font Reserve single user is also available for Windows. $99.95
Contact: Diamondsoft, Inc., 1050 Redwood Highway, Mill Valley, CA 94941, 415 381-3303, http://www.fontreserve.com, fax: 415 381-3503.
Contact: SpectorSoft, 333 17th St., Vero Beach, FL 32960, 888 598-2788, http://www.spectorsoft.com, fax: 772 770-3442.
OmniWeb 4 (MAC)
OmniWeb 4 is a new Web browser for Macintosh OS X which incorporates a slew of
innovative features that both simplify and enhance the browsing experience. The
application supports a long list of Internet protocols and technologies including
JavaScript, Flash, Layers, QuickTime, SSL. CSS, and Java applets. Users maintain
control over cookies, and can selectively block pop-ups and banner ads. The History
feature is searchable, making it easy to locate sites that were visited previously,
but were not bookmarked. Bookmarks auto-update and inform the user if a site has
been modified, or if it is down for maintenance. The in-place HTML editor makes
it possible to not only view HTML code, but to make changes and see the results
instantly. The program also responds to voice commands so that the user can navigate
by using normal speech. $29.95
Contact: Omni Development, Inc., 2707 NE Blakeley St., Seattle, WA 98105-3318, 800 315-OMNI, 206 523-4152, http://www.omnigroup.com, e-mail: info@omnigroup.com, fax: 206 523-5896.
Contact: Synthetik Software, Inc., 30 Sheridan St., San Francisco, CA 94103, 888 808-4188, 415 864-6582, http://www.synthetik.com, fax: 415 854-0433.
A combination book and CD-ROM that is organized to emulate an in-class experience by providing instructor-led instruction that complements and expands on the content that is presented in print. The book presents step-by-step information about essential Adobe Illustrator 10 operation, with tutorials on the disc.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0072223391
0072223391 290 pp. $39.99
Contact: Osborne McGraw-Hill, 2600 Tenth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 510 549-6600, fax: 510 549-6603.
Adobe Premiere 6.5 Classroom
in a Book
Adobe Systems, Inc.
Like all books in the Classroom in a Book series, this one takes the reader step-by-step through the process of learning the fundamental operations of an Adobe software product, in this case, Adobe Premiere 6.5. Through a series of 12 lessons, the reader, with the use of the text, and the files on the accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM, follows each tutorial lesson to achieve a level of success. Major subject areas include a tour of the program's fundamental structure and layout, basics of the digital video editing process, basic editing procedures, the use of transitions, the addition of audio tracks, the creation of titles, superimposition, the addition of motion, adding special effects, and duplicate and virtual clips.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0321158857
0321158857 470 pp. $45
Contact: Adobe Press, Prentice Hall, 113 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
Beyond HTML Goodies
Burns, Joe
The author, the architect of the popular www.htmlgoodies.com site, provides advanced lessons on Web site optimization and making a site more user-friendly. Lessons include the use of drop-down boxes and radio buttons in forms, improving downloading speeds, using server-side includes, and supporting a variety of browsers.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0789727803
0789727803 242 pp. $24.99
Contact: Que Corporation, 11711 North College Ave., Carmel, IN 46032, http://www.quecorp.com.
Database Administration
Mullins, Craig
The author describes the functions and responsibilities of a database administrator, giving specific examples of job tasks and performance objectives. The reader is exposed to the various kinds of database administrators and their related job tasks. Chapters are devoted to the spectrum of common responsibilities that are expected of virtually all database administrators.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0201741296
0201741296 703 pp. $44.99
Contact: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867.
Guide to Creating
Digital Video Like A Pro
Flynn, Deras
A complete guide to the process of planning and producing digital video productions. The author covers a comparison of analog and digital video, how to select and set-up the hardware, fundamentals of shooting video (with attention to lighting and sound), the editing process, special effects, and movie encoding and output.
The accompanying PC CD-ROM includes Web resources, utilities, and several trial versions of video-based applications, including DVD MovieFactory, Paint Shop Pro, and Adobe Premiere.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0789726564
0789726564 486 pp. $24.99
Contact: Que Corporation, 11711 North College Ave., Carmel, IN 46032, http://www.quecorp.com.
Inside the Publishing Revolution
Pfiffner, Pamela
This is the book that tells the story of modern publishing, and the people who created the tools to make it possible. Author Pfiffner, a witness to much of the development, tells a fascinating account of how Adobe founders John Warnock and Chuck Geschke created PostScript and changed the face of printing and publishing forevermore. The book is richly illustrated with rare photos and examples of the art and imagery made possible through the use of Adobe products. This book will be hard to put down for anyone who has a kinship with the graphic arts.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0321115643
0321115643 256 pp. $50
Contact: Adobe Press, Prentice Hall, 113 Sylvan Ave., Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
Photoshop 7 Down & Dirty Tricks
Kelby, Scott
This is the book that any experienced Photoshop user can grab and instantly achieve success in producing a slew of professional effects. The highly graphic design, and step-by-step processes, can lead anyone familiar with Photoshop to learn and implement effects that they thought were reserved only for digital imaging experts. The author is himself an expert who has written several books and is he editor of Photoshop User magazine.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0735712379
0735712379 279 pp. $39.99
Contact: New Riders Publishing, 201 West 103rd St., Indianapolis, IN 46290.
Photoshop Color Correction
Kieran, Michael
The author, an expert in the field of color reproduction, takes the reader through the spectrum of methods and procedures that can be applied in Photoshop 6 or 7 to achieve high-quality color image reproduction. The content is well-constructed, beginning with Color Fundamentals, and continuing with Color Management, Photoshop Tools, Highlights and Shadows, Neutral Tones, Contrast, Sharpening, and Advanced Techniques. The accompanying cross-platform CD-ROM contains sample images from the book.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0321124014
0321124014 384 pp. $49.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 8th St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510 524-2221.
QuarkXPress 5 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide
Weinmann, Elaine; Peter Lourekas
This Visual QuickStart Guide, a patented form of information display from Peachpit Press, presents the essential operating features of QuarkXPress 5. New to this edition is information on tables and tabs, export as a Web page or in XML, applying style sheets, and expanded coverage of version 5's scripting capabilities.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0201354918
0201354918 520 pp. $24.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 8th St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510 524-2221.
QuarkXPress Power Shortcuts
Blatner, David
This book presents more than 400 keyboard shortcuts that are certain to make a QuarkXPress 4 or 5 user more productive. The shortcuts are sorted into sections dealing with such common operations as handling palettes and manipulating text and graphics. The book is short, to the point, and a handy reference tool.
Available for on-line ordering at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?tag=thekleperreporto&path=ISBN%3D0789724332
0789724332 176 pp. $21.99
Contact: Peachpit Press, 1249 8th St., Berkeley, CA 94710, 800 283-9444, http://www.peachpit.com, fax: 510 524-2221.
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