Digital Media Monthly 
Issue 1.1                                                                8/96

This issue of DMM is sponsored by:

Contents


Welcome to Digital Media Monthly

by Professor Michael Kleper <mkleper@printerport.com>

Welcome to the inaugural issue of Digital Media Monthly (DMM). DMM brings news and comment on the products, services, and events that are shaping the appearance and production of print, CD-ROM, and Web publications.

DMM is the next step in a succession of newsletters that were started in the 1970s by renown industry luminary Frank Romano. In 1979 I took over the editorship of The Direct Input Phototypesetting newsletter, which combined a family of newsletters that addressed the informational needs of users of VIP, Comp/Set, and EditWriter phototypesetters. That newsletter evolved into The Personal Composition Report (PCR), which has been published, without interruption, until now. PCR, like its predecessors, has been paper-based, and has been supported by reader subscriptions.

DMM is free, and is available by sending a request to our mailing list. Although this new publishing model is a risk, it offers such strong benefits, that we are compelled to give it a try. By going to the Web we eliminate several production steps, and the delays and expense of postal delivery. In addition we can provide a searchable archive, color photos and illustrations, and links to vendor, industry, and other Web site categories. It also provides an easy way to communicate with our readers, and get late-breaking news out immediately.

The field of Digital Media is coming into its own as a legitimate, recognizable career area. Much of that evolution has been realized through the electronic prepress departments of commercial printing businesses, which have repurposed print projects into alternative media formats, such as hybrid book/CD-ROM, interactive multimedia, and Web delivery. DMM is committed to tracking that development, and highlighting the technology that is making it possible.

I've been a professor of electronic publishing at Rochester Institute of Technology since 1969. Along with my son, Scott, who is a talented writer, programmer, and Stanford Computer Science student, we'll bring you information we think you'll find useful. We invite your comments and suggestions.


Son of Welcome to Digital Media Monthly

by Scott J. Kleper <scott@printerport.com>

Welcome again to Digital Media Monthly, one of only a handful of father-son publications. This should actually make for an interesting combination. My father has been publishing the Personal Composition Report since I was about two years old. We've always shared an interest in computers (Macs in particular), but our fields of expertise diverged somewhere when I was in high school.

While my father has always had an interest in design, layout, and graphics, I've mostly focused on telecommunications, programming, and multimedia. The sudden explosion of interest in the Internet has brought a degree of unity to these two fields. I've found myself taking on more design-related tasks (like web page building) and my father has faced more technical issues (like UNIX shell commands). The entire field of electronic publishing has been redefined. Electronic publishing is no longer restricted to page layout with a computer. We are now seeing electronic delivery, online content, and high-quality multimedia. The line between publishing (which I would consider a user activity) and programming (which I would consider a developer activity) has been narrowed. Digital Media Monthly is a reaction to this redefinition of electronic publishing. Desktop publishers need to keep themselves updated on new developments more than ever before. DMM will provide a way to stay up-to-date on new tools that will help your tasks and new technologies that will redefine your job.

My primary role with DMM is to provide the technical support for the magazine and web site. I'm responsible for the mailing list, web site, advertiser information, etc. I will also be answering most of the email and writing an editorial for each issue. I hope to contribute many of the reviews, especially products of interest to developers and programs by lesser-known companies or shareware authors.

Since Digital Media Monthly is a new publication, we would really appreciate your feedback. Let us know if there is anything you would like to see changed in the format, content, or delivery of DMM. Right now, we are using a production method similar to TidBITS, the legendary Mac e-zine which comes out every other week. Our email issues will be in setext format, which you can read with a regular mail program or with a setext viewer like Easy View. Each issue will also be available in HTML format on the web site. Both issues will have links to screen shots for reviews and URL's when appropriate. Also like TidBITS, our issues will be free and will be funded by advertisers and sponsors.

Easy View 2.6.1:
 <ftp://mirrors.apple.com/mirrors/info-mac/text/easy-view-261.hqx>


MacWorld Boston 1996

by Scott J. Kleper <scott@printerport.com>

This issue of DMM was delayed slightly because we were in Boston for this year's MacWorld Expo. Our extensive coverage of the event will be found in our next issue, available on September 1. Until then, I'll give a general overview of the show and its highlights.

The main focus of the show (at least as far as Apple was concerned) was OpenDoc. Despite its failure to catch on over the past year, OpenDoc is very likely to change the way we work. The developers who exhibited at Apple's pavilion showed that there will be no lack of OpenDoc parts and containers. Established companies like Corel and Bare Bones Software were showing their existing products with OpenDoc capabilities. Newcomers like Digital Harbor also showed some innovative parts that can all work together. At the show, Apple showed version 1.1 of CyberDog, its Internet component for OpenDoc. The demonstrations and hands-on tutorials presented this new technology and its products (now called LiveObjects) as a very effective and natural way of working.

There was no shortage of clones at this year's show. Motorola showed some prototypes of Mac compatibles and IBM's PowerPC division showed machines from several different manufacturers including Umax and Power Computing. Be, Inc., makers of the dual-processor BeBox and BeOS, showed their multithreaded operating system (BeOS DR8) running on a PowerMac. The Be operating system will be available for 603 and 604-based Macs in first quarter '97.

Be beat Apple to the punch on a multithreaded OS by a long shot. According to the most recent estimates, MacOS 8 (a.k.a Copland) may not be ready until 1998! During the show, Apple announced that system updates would now ship on a regular schedule, to avoid monolithic overhauls of the OS like System 7 was. The first update, which should be ready in January, will reportedly not include any of the features slated for Copland (despite earlier promises to the contrary). The second update will, however, include many of the interface components of MacOS 8, although Apple has not yet decided which components it can separate from the MacOS 8 system.

A slew of new utilities and Internet-related programs were announced at the show. Connectix began shipping RAM Doubler 2, which can effectively triple usable RAM. Claris showed its new Home Page HTML editor directly across the hall from where Adobe was previewing Page Mill 2.0. CE Software showed a much-needed update to QuicKeys that looked promising. These and other programs will be reviewed in our September issue.


Feature Review: FBI (Fingerprinting of Binary Information)

FBI (Fingerprinting of Binary Information) is the first commercially available copyright deterrent software published for the Macintosh. It provides a means both to add an invisible identification to any RGB or CMYK color or grayscale digital image, and once added, to detect it. It is provided as Adobe Photoshop plug-ins in the form of a Writer and a Detector. The digital fingerprint is difficult to remove and can not easily be altered, even if the image is edited or modified. The need for copyright protection is obvious, especially since the digital capture of copyrighted images is so easily achieved. FBI applies a complex, mathematically derived pattern that travels as a part of any fingerprinted file. The fingerprint is considered "smart", since it varies in intensity depending on the density of the image area. A higher density area of a given image, for example, would receive a more dense fingerprint than an area which contained less detail. The fingerprint remains even after the file has been opened, edited or copied. The fingerprint can be detected even if only a part of the originally protected image is used, such as in a montage.

The fingerprint is composed of two elements, an owner identification (Fingerprint ID), and an image reference (Image ID). Both elements are maintained in alpha-numeric format and provide the minimum amount of data necessary to ensure image quality and allow for many millions of unique identification code combinations.

The unique fingerprint code which is assigned to an individual user is programmed into a security device (dongle) which must be present in order for FBI to operate. The addition of an FBI fingerprint does not add to the size of a file, nor does it degrade the quality of an image in either its displayed or printed appearance. Fingerprinted files can also undergo image compression, such as JPEG. In testing, fingerprints have been found to remain in images undergoing compression as high as 20:1.

An image fingerprint can be detected by anyone using Photoshop on an Apple Macintosh. A freeware FBI Detector is available from HighWater at their web site <http://www.highwaterfbi.com>. The FBI Pro version provides for batch processing of image files to detect the presence of FBI fingerprints. Batch processing results in a log file of fingerprint identification information.

The fingerprint process can be initiated using one of the two FBI products. The first is the FBI Writer, which is an Adobe Photoshop plug-in. The second is FBI Pro, which is a batch-processing, stand-alone program providing unattended, background operation. The first product is aimed at individual users, such as photographers, designers, and publishers who have small picture libraries. The second is aimed at stock photo-libraries, picture agencies, and information providers who have significant numbers of images.

The detection process yields the Fingerprint ID and the Image ID which can be used to interrogate the FBI Registry and obtain details about the image originator. FBI users are strongly encouraged to register their images on the FBI Registry which is the only way to identify and contact a copyright owner of a fingerprinted image. The FBI Registry Web site is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at <http://www.highwaterfbi.com>. The information can also be obtained directly from HighWater Designs by phone or fax during normal working hours. The registry service is supported by a small annual fee which is paid by registered users. The FBI Writer plug-in is $395. FBI Pro pricing has not been announced.

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1fbi.jpg>

HighWater Designs Inc.
6 Bedford Farms
Bedford, NH
03110-6532
(603) 669-7466
FAX: (603) 669-7456
<http://www.highwater.com>

DTP Reviews

Web publishing has become easier with the release of FrontPage (MAC/PC), a visual web publishing tool that doesn't require a knowledge of HTML or CGI. The WYSIWYG editor can be used to create, edit, or refine web pages using wizards and templates. The program supports navigation bars, discussion groups, full-text search, registration forms and other advanced interactive capabilities.

Vermeer Technologies, Inc.
725 Concord Ave., 6th Fl.,
Cambridge, MA 02138
1-800-WEB-0075
FAX: (617) 576-1780.
<info@vermeer.com>
<http://www.vermeer.com>

Automated desktop publishing, within either WordPerfect for Windows 6.0a/6.1 or MS Word for Windows 6.0, is possible using Design Portfolio (WIN). This accessory software is accessed directly from the word processor's menu, and requires three simple steps: selecting a design, customizing it, and providing the formatting. Professional looking documents are guaranteed within 10 minutes of launching the software. $89.95 The Lifetime Encyclopedia of Letters is a database of 850 letters in over 500 categories. The extensive search capabilities are available either standalone or from MS Word or WordPerfect menus. $49.95

Streetwise Software Inc.
2118 Wilshire Blvd., #836
Santa Monica, CA 90403
800-743-6765
FAX: 800-340-8666.

Surf 'n' Print (WIN) is a printing utility that converts files from the Internet, AOL, CompuServe and Prodigy into double-sided booklets. The program intercepts standard-size pages on the way to any laser or inkjet printer and automatically reduces pages and then rearranges them into front sides and back sides. The program even prints out a cover page showing exactly how to reinsert paper to print back sides. A single fold turns standard 8.5" x 11" pages into an easily handled 5.5" x 8.5" digest size booklet. $14.95

BookMaker Corp.
2470 El Camino Real, Suite 108
Palo Alto, CA 94306
415-354-8160
FAX: 415-856-4734.

Version 2.0 of ClickBook for Windows 95 adds features that automatically turn Internet, CD-ROM and Windows program files into 30 types of double-sided booklets and brochures. The program intercepts standard-size pages going from any Windows application program to a printer. Users simply click to select the size and type of output they prefer, from wallet-size address book to digest size. ClickBook automatically reduces standard-size pages and then rearranges them into the correct order for double-sided printing on any laser or ink jet printer. $69.95

BookMaker Corp.
2470 El Camino Real, Suite 108
Palo Alto, CA 94306
415-354-8160
FAX: 415-856-4734.

CD-ROM Reviews

Making good on its commitment to multiple operating systems, Elektroson has bundled its GEAR CD-Recordable software for Windows 95, NT and 3.1; Mac OS and Mac OS for Power Macintosh; and OS/2 Warp operating systems on one CD-ROM. The Multi-OS Desktop Bundle will be one of two available GEAR Multi-OS kits available to multimedia publishers, audio recording studios, pre- press and data storage end users. All platforms of the GEAR CD-R software support ISO 9660 conventions and carry an extensive array of multimedia features. GEAR supports Multisession, HFS, Shared Hybrid, Enhanced CD, CD-ROM XA, Digital Audio, Video CD, CD-I and custom multimedia format files. $299

Elektroson Inc.
10 Presidential Blvd., Suite 125
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
610-617-0850
FAX: 610-617-0856.
<jparikh@elektroson.com>

The Berkeley Macintosh Users Group, the world's largest group of its kind has released several CD-ROM-based titles. The BMUG Font Collection ($30) includes over 1700 TrueType and PostScript fonts organized within a HyperCard-based viewer for easy selection and copying. Roadside Resources 2.0 ($30) is an extensive collection of Internet-related files, WWW bookmarks, shareware and freeware, and six complete digital Internet books.

BMUG, Inc.
1442A Walnut St., No. 62
Berkeley, CA 94709-1496
510-549-2684
FAX: 510-849-9026.

CD-R prices continue to fall, breaking the $900 level. The CD- R1002/Pro for Windows 95 and Windows NT consists of an internal double-speed CD-Recorder (serving as both a recorder and reader), a 650MB CD-R disc, and Adaptec SCSI host adapter, and Incat software. $899

Smart and Friendly
20520 Nordhoff St.
Chatsworth, CA 91311
818-772-8001
800-959-7001
FAX: 818-772-2888.

The Clip Art Image Library (WIN) is a collection of 6372 pieces of clipart (5342 black and white, 1030 color images) in .PCX and .TIF formats from England. An image viewing program provides an easy method to find, view and select images. Images are classified into several topics including animals, cartoons, business, computer, education, and dozens of others. $34.95

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1cil.jpg>

Walnut Creek CDROM
Suite 260
1547 Palos Verdes Mall
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
510-674-0783
800-731-7177
<info@cdrom.com>

Digital Photography Reviews

Chinon has what may be the smallest digital camera ever made. The ultracompact 24-bit color ES-1000 pocket digital camera for Mac or PC, is less than 5 oz. (with battery). Features include automatic exposure and automatic shutter speed; optional external memory in 2, 4, 8 or 16MB PC flash memory cards. $499

Chinon America, Inc.
615 Hawaii Ave.
Torrance, CA 90503
800-441-0222
FAX: 310-533-1727
<http://www.chinon.com>

Epson is now in the photography business. The Epson Photo PC Color Digital Camera for Macintosh and Windows, stores up to 160 standard resolution images, and accepts 37mm videocamcorder accessory lens and filters. The auto-focus camera, with built-in automatic flash, records in 24-bit color, using two quality modes: high resolution (640 x 480 pixels) and standard resolution (320 x 240 pixels). The standard 1MB internal flash memory stores up to 32 standard resolution images and 16 high resolution images. The LCD display indicates the number of images taken, the number remaining, the image quality, self-timer, erase last image, and the battery level. Pricing unannounced.

Epson America, Inc.
20770 Madrona Ave.
Torrance, CA 90503
800-289-3776
FAXBACK: 310-782-4214
<http://www.epson.com>

KPT Power Photos II: The Elite Series consists of five CD-ROMs containing 375 royalty-free images. The collection includes objects with built-in channels and Transflectance Channels, prepress-ready layouts and backgrounds. Transflectance channels mask out complex areas of images that are either semi-transparent, transparent or reflective. When combined with other images, these areas either reflect or "show through". Additionally, all objects have built-in channels for easy compositing. The packages includes Kodak's Browser for easy selection. $199

Metatools, Inc.
6303 Carpinteria Ave.
Carpinteria, CA 93013
805 566-6200
FAX: 805-566-6385
<kptsupport@aol.com>
<http://www.metatools.com>

Photo Pro Select is a collection of more than 100 high-quality 24-bit TIFF images selected from the nine volumes of the Photo Pro series. $19

Wayzata Technology
21 Northeast Fourth St.
Grand Rapids, MI 55744
218-326-0597
FAX: 218-326-0598
<Info@Wayzata.Tech.com>
<http://Wayzata-Tech.com>

Ricoh's new digital camera can record and playback both still and moving images, with sound. The RDC-1 digital camera, the world's first multimedia digital camera, is pocket-sized and stores images on standard PC memory cards. The camera can be connected to a Mac or PC, a modem, an optional 2.5-inch LCD monitor, or a video printer. One 24MB PC card can hold up to 492 still images, four motion scenes with sound (five seconds each), or about one hour and forty minutes of sounds. The media types can be mixed in any order the user chooses. Although the camera fits in a shirt pocket it records continuous images at Super-VHS quality (768 x 480) resolution. A special text mode enables sharp image capture of documents and business cards. Other features include a 3X continuous zoom lens, shutter and viewfinder, automatic focus, exposure and white balance, and a credit-card sized remote control for operation from a distance. $1,800

Image: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1rdc.jpg>

Ricoh Corp.
475 Lillard Dr.
Sparks, NV 89434
702-352-1600
FAX: 702-352-1615

Imaging Reviews

When I was in junior high, we had to use Photoshop to distort our teachers' faces. Today's youth have a new set of tools. Kai's Power Goo (MAC/WIN) promises to bring the latest Hollywood-style effects to the Macintosh, just as Morph did several years ago. Goo can turn any face (or any picture for that matter) into a putty-like substance that you can sculpt with a variety of tools. The program works in real-time (which is astonishing in itself) and allows you to import pictures from files, movies, or digital cameras and output them as stills, QuickTime movies, or "Goovies". Power Goo can also combine various components of pictures, creating morph-like effects over portions of a picture. For example, one could give Gorbachev's haircut to Bill Clinton, an exercise I highly recommend. Goo comes with an extensive library of faces and effects and ships on a CD-ROM. The CD-ROM must be inserted each time you launch Goo, which is very annoying. Other than that, it's a steal at $49.95.

Review by Scott J. Kleper

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1goo.jpg>

Metatools, Inc.
6303 Carpinteria Ave.
Carpinteria, CA 93013
805 566-6200
FAX: 805-566-6385
<kptsupport@aol.com>
<http://www.metatools.com>

Page/Edges is a collection of over 1000 creative design elements for use within Macintosh and Windows page layout programs such as PageMaker and QuarkXPress, or any layout or illustration program that supports LZW compressed TIFF file formats. These elements, in the form of edged text blocks, headline blocks, ragged page edges, dropped caps, and photograph edges provide a highly professional and personal touch to page design. They provide an extensive library of unique backgrounds, frames, and edges which personalize a page design quickly, easily, and at reasonable cost. Each effect can be used in either of two ways. First the effect can be layered under text or graphic elements providing an edged border. Second the effect can be positioned over a photograph so that the image shows through the center of the effect. In either case the effect can be colored, reshaped and/or scaled (up to 200%). Over half of the effects have white/transparent centers or edges for seamless merging over or under other objects. $249

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1pge.jpg>

Auto F/X
Black Point, HCR-73
Box 689
Alton Bay, NH 03810
603-772-4725
800-839-2008
FAX: 603-772-4644

Typo/Graphic Edges is a highly creative interactive special effects addition for Photoshop 3.0 or higher that provides a library of over 10,000 different edge effects for application to any existing typeface, logo or scanned artwork. Edges can be applied by degree, and result in such diverse looks as weathered, distressed, roughened, edged, eroded, sandpapered, gritty, chiseled, or wispy. Multiple effects can be applied to given images for an unlimited variety of results. In addition to the Typo/Graphic Edges library, four Auto/Effects modules are included. Auto/Textures produces any of 500 seamless textures and patterns into a given piece of digital artwork. Auto/Shadow produces over 300 stylized drop shadow effects, with control over the color, fade out, opacity, and the offset direction of the shadow. Auto/Select makes it easy to select a given graphic element, even if it contains a gradient or soft edge. Auto/Path provides a powerful tool to build automatically a clipping and vector path around artwork for export to a page layout or illustration program. $249

Auto F/X
Black Point, HCR-73
Box 689
Alton Bay, NH 03810
603-772-4725
800-839-2008
FAX: 603-772-4644

Mac-In-DOS is a PC utility that provides PC users with the capability to read and write Macintosh disks, including 1.44 MB diskettes, SyQuest, Bernoulli, and Sony magneto-optical cartridges. The software runs in DOS, or within a DOS shell within Windows. Text files are transferred in ASCII, graphics and more complex files are transferred in binary. File transfers can be executed in either direction. $99

Pacific Micro
201 San Antonio Circle, C250
Mountain View, CA 94040
415-948-6200
FAX: 415-948-6296

Printing Reviews

PrinterSwitch (MAC) is a very useful utility that effectively solves the problem of frequent switching between and among multiple printers. It eliminates the need to go to the Chooser to make a printer selection. PrinterSwitch is a control panel/system extension that presents a consistent and simple user interface which precedes the normal Macintosh Print Dialog box. A new printer is added to PrinterSwitch menu by simply selecting the printer from the Chooser and initiating the print cycle once. As new printers are learned a new preferences file is created. Network administrators can copy these preference files to new user machines to provide access immediately to all network printers. The program is available as shareware with a free 14-day trial. $14

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1psw.jpg>

Brookline Software
7 Strathmore Road, #2
Brookline, MA 02146
<Brookline_Software@kagi.com>
<http://www.brooklinesw.com>

The preferred PostScript utility for Windows printing and graphic enhancement is ZScript. This 32-bit PostScript interpreter is recommended by Microsoft, and its developer will be supplying Microsoft with proprietary printing technology. ZScript allows PostScript files to be read and printed on non-PostScript printers.

Zenographics Inc.
34 Executive Park
Irvine, CA 92714
800-366-7494
CompuServe: Go ZENO
<http://www.zeno.com>

Input/Output Reviews

IBM VoiceType Dictation for Windows Version 1.32 is a functional voice input system for people whose jobs require extensive note- taking and document creation. This includes professionals such as doctors and lawyers, as well as general word processing users. Users talk into a microphone connected to their desktop or notebook PC and the VoiceType system converts their speech into on-screen text almost instantaneously, allowing the user to create text faster than most people can type. Documents created using dictation can be integrated easily into word processing and other applications. Packages consisting of software, microphone, and PC adaptor card cost between $999 and $1099.

IBM United States
1133 Westchester Ave.
White Plains, NY 10604
<http://www.ibm.com>

Kurzweil has upgraded its Kurzweil Voice for Windows to Release 1.5. The system supports voice input for navigation and dictation. Users can choose either a 30,000 or 60,000 active vocabulary. The technology is speaker-independent, with discrete speech recognition technology. No training is required for the system to react to each user's voice. Dictation rates of from 45 to 60 words per minute, with 95% accuracy (or better) are obtainable. The software is bundled with the Mwave WindSurfer multimedia sound board from IBM. $995

Kurzweil Applied Intelligence, Inc.
411 Waverley Oaks Rd.
Waltham, MA 02154
617-893-5151

The functionality of the software that is usually bundled with dedicated personal scanners is being offered to existing scanner owners. e-Paper is a suite of applications that support the input of paper documents into a Macintosh, so that they can be marked-up. annotated, copied, faxed, OCRed, or emailed. A unique feature is the intelligent text tool that can be used to convert a paper form into a computer form. The software supports most popular scanners. $179

Second Glance Software
7248 Sunset Ave. N.E.
Bremerton, WA 98311
360-692-3694.

PosterWorks 4.0 is a major upgrade to the premiere large-format PostScript output production tool. PosterWorks supports the production of layouts up to 10,000 square feet, composed of multiple, custom-sized panels, appropriate for exhibits, banners, backdrops, and billboards. New features include support for Power Macintosh, panel composition tools, color management options, the generation of multiple posters on a single layout (each with registration and crop marks), and an electronic guide called the Layout Assistant. Artwork is imported in EPS, TIFF or Scitex format. The artwork is composed, sized and cropped within PosterWorks.

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1pw4.jpg>

S. H. Pierce & Co.
Suite 323, Building 600
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-338-2222
<news@posterworks.com>
<http://www.posterworks.com>

Internet Reviews

Artbeats WebTools is a comprehensive library of thousands of graphics and sounds for Web page design.The Macintosh and Windows CD-ROM is a cooperative effort between Artbeats and stat media who have combined their libraries of buttons, decorative bars, icons, sounds, and seamless tiles. The product contains over 600MB of data and also incorporates a "TurboSearch" browser for quick viewing and installation of the files on the user's hard drive. Graphic formats include PICT, BMP, and GIF. Sound formats include AIF, AU and WAV. The Button category contains over 1,400 files and includes a wide variety of toggles, devices, dials, sliders, switches, keyboards, panels and pointers, all of them with at least two states, normal and depressed. Many of them include "in-between" morphed states as well. The Pattern category contains hundreds of seamless woods, marbles, papers, fabric and more in sizes that will render quickly in the Web environment. Specific Features of Artbeats WebTools include: 234 Icons, 182 Sounds, 156 Bars (468 pixels long in widths of 12, 32 and 60 pixels), 490 Patterns in 128 and 64 pixel sizes, and 1496 Buttons (quantity does not include depressed and morphed states). $89

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1awt.jpg>

Artbeats Software, Inc.
2611 South Myrtle Rd.
Myrtle Creek, OR 97457
503-863-4429

The Internet Pro CD-ROM (MAC/WIN) contains all of the tools necessary for composing, assembling, previewing, and publishing web pages. The CD includes web browsers and Internet web page creation utilities, as well as links to several HTML tutorials and references. $25

Wayzata Technology
21 Northeast Fourth St.
Grand Rapids, MI 55744
218-326-0597
<Info@Wayzata.Tech.com>
<http://Wayzata-Tech.com>

CyberFinder 2.0 (MAC) integrates World Wide Web URL management directly into the Macintosh Finder. Browser bookmark collections appear in a Finder window as a library, and new URLs can be added by using a user-defined hot key. The URL can be accessed by simply double-clicking the address in the CyberFinder window. CyberFinder can easily convert bookmark files from most popular WWW browsers. The program is easily accessible and eliminates the need to keep separate bookmark libraries for each application. $30

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/cf2.jpg>

Aladdin Systems, Inc.
165 Westridge Drive
Watsonville, CA 95076
408-761-6200
<cust.service@aladdinsys.com>
<http://www.aladdinsys.com>

Utility Reviews

EPS and PostScript files can be edited directly in Macromedia FreeHand with PS EditLink, a FreeHand Xtra. PS EditLink is a complete Level 2 PostScript interpreter that works within FreeHand, allowing editing of all paths and gradients. Text is editable, allowing text and font changes. Images can be copied and pasted into Photoshop. PostScript and EPS files can be opened from QuarkXPress, PageMaker, PowerPoint, and other popular applications. $250

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1pse.jpg>

TechPool Software
1463 Warrensville Center Road
Cleveland, OH 44121-2676
216-291-1922
<info@techpool.com>
<http://www.techpool.com>

Conversions Plus 3.0 is the solution for transferring and translating files between PCs and Macs, and between PCs. This latest version adds several new translators, enhanced graphic capabilities, and a new file preview feature, which lets users preview a file before converting it. Thousands of file translation combinations are supported, and converted documents retain their original formatting, such as headers, footers, paragraph attributes, style sheets and embedded graphics. The Macintosh disk mounting utility lets users view and format Macintosh disks from within the program, the File Manager, DOS or any PC program. $149

DataViz, Inc.
55 Corporate Dr.
Trumbull, CT 06611
203-268-0030
<http://www.dataviz.com>

Suitcase 3.0 is a powerful yet easy-to-use font (sound and fkey) manager with a drag-and-drop interface. The PowerMac native utility provides the means not only to add and remove fonts easily, but to organize them into sets which can be applied to certain applications, projects, documents, or clients. Font conflict detection and resolution are automatic, and built-in font compression can save up to 60% of given disk space. A built-in WYSIWYG display option can be applied to work continuously for all font menus, selectively using a hot key, or not at all.

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1sc3.jpg>

Symantec Corp.
10201 Torre Ave.
Cupertino, CA 95014-2132
408-253-9600

Multimedia Reviews

Matt & Joe's Cool Screen Backgrounds is a CD-ROM containing almost 500 unique royalty-free backgrounds for desktop publishing and multimedia projects. $20

Wayzata Technology
21 Northeast Fourth St.
Grand Rapids, MI 55744
218-326-0597
<Info@Wayzata.Tech.com>
<http://Wayzata-Tech.com>

Living Album/Web 1.0 is the second generation of the Living Album, the program that lets users create electronic albums that contain photos, QuickTime movies, and audio in a photo album-like format, with full-screen and slide show views. The program provides several features, including text-to-speech, music or voice annotation for any entry, and easy sharing of albums on floppies, CDs, or the Internet. The Internet feature is of special interest, since it creates, with unparalleled simplicity, HTML files and file format appropriate images. Each Living Album page can contain up to 36 entries, each represented by a thumbnail image. An album can contain up to 1000 album pages. An entry can be either a photo, QuickTime movie, or a combination of photo, movie, audio and descriptive text. Albums can be be created in either of two styles: filmstrip (appearing as a strip of thumbnail images running around the perimeter of the screen), or catalog, with the thumbnail images stacked on the bottom of the screen. The creation of Living Album pages is straight forward and easy. No scripting, coding or programming is required. Once imported, entries can be moved easily, with drag and drop, redefining the default viewing order. Users have the option of creating an Opening Screen, which can describe, in photo, movie and/or audio form, what is contained in the album. Album content can be located by using the Table of Contents, which lists all of the entries, or by using the Find command. An Album can be exported as Internet Web Pages using the Export As Web Page command. This operation creates HTML-coded pages and source files in the proper file formats.

Screen shot: <http://www.printerport.com/dmm/issues/art/v1n1law.jpg>

QuickMedia Labs, Inc.
100 Saratoga Ave.
Suite 320, Santa Clara, CA 95051
415-508-1757
<http://www.quickmedia.com>

The Web version of the Multimedia Source Book is hot-linked to the Web Sites of organizations, associations, companies and advertisers involved in the Multimedia and OnLine industry. The online database includes over 6000 company listings and display ads.

Hi-Tech Media, Inc.
445 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10016,
212-293-3900
<msb@i-2000.com>
<http://www.mmsourcebook.com/msb>

Miscellaneous Reviews

Trumatch has launched their Internet World Wide Web site offering a wide range of useful information along with the chance to win free airline miles. Each month, web site visitors can download a paper airplane template, colorize it on their computer, and send it to Trumatch to enter a monthly contest. Each month the winner will receive 10,000 free American Airlines AAdvantage miles.

Trumatch
25 West 23rd St.
Suite 817
New York, NY 10036-7406
212-302-9100
<info@trumatch.com>
<http://www.trumatch.com>

Ricoh has released the first samples of their CD-Erasable (CD-E) media for evaluation purposes. The media conforms to the Orange Book Part III standards which are supported by ten major manufacturers. The medium is ideal for the storage of text, images, movies and sounds. The media has an archival life of more than ten years.

Ricoh Corp.
475 Lillard Dr.
Sparks, NV 89434
702-352-1600

SD-ROM is the next generation high-density optical disc, the same size as a CD-ROM, but with more than seven times the data storage (4.7 gigabytes). The data transfer rate is 1350 kilobytes per second, equal to 9 times the transfer rate of a standard CD-ROM. SD-ROM is expected to find strong market support as read-only drives for PCs by 1998.

Members of the SD Alliance: Hitachi, Ltd.; Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.; Mitsubishi Electric Corp.; Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC); Pioneer Electronic Corp.; Thomson Multimedia; and Toshiba Corp.

A Word From Our Sponsors

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