Data is input, stored and edited in a spreadsheet, and all models have graphic and analytic representations.

Although most data mining systems deal only deal with static systems, KnowledgeMiner supports predictions of dynamic systems, that is, the behavior of any time-based process. Copper Student Edition, $65; Copper Edition, $120; Silver Edition, $400; Gold Edition, $780.

KnockOut now works within Photoshop and other compatible image editors such s Corel PHOTO-PAINT and Painter 7 (prior versions were standalone), making it a more fluid part of a digital workflow. Users no longer need to leave their primary image editor to access the KnockOut functionality, nor do they need to convert from CMYK to RGB to use the program. The program also provides a set of touch-up tools consisting of an eraser and brush, and an improved polygon line tool that makes it easier to trace large, complex images. The 99 levels of Undo/Redo ensure that no important work is lost.

Simply stated, KnockOut works by having the user draw an outline around the outside and the inside of the target object. Using the Auto Complete option, the program now automatically completes the outside selection after the user draws the inside selection on the masked object. This is the tool that every serious digital image specialist must have. $329

The program includes several Microsoft Word templates (for APA, Nature, BioMed Central, etc.) that simplify compliance with publication requirements. Authors benefit from semi-automation of their formatted in-text citations, bibliography, and figure list.

The rich feature set provides multiple ways for authors to gather data from online sources, many of which can export their references in EndNote format. The program includes a listing of dozens of such sources that can accessed directly from within the program. A successful search of a site will reveal a list of references that can be selected and inserted immediately into the user's bibliography. This is the king of bibliographic generators. $329.95

Toast 5 Titanium is the most feature-packed CD burning software available for the Macintosh, and likely, for any computer. It combines ease-of-use with sophisticated and all encompassing CD- and DVD-writing and reproduction capabilities.

The program sports a new, streamlined look that simplifies the basic functions of creating a new audio or data disc, or of duplicating an existing disc. Roxio research has found that 94% of the discs produced by their users fall into these three categories. A user can easily begin the process of making such a disc in seconds. Once the process is underway, the user can attend to other computer tasks since the program now supports background burning.

Roxio has folded in the capabilities of their Toast DVD product into Toast 5 Titanium. In addition to burning DVDs, a user can produce hybrid Macintosh and Windows CDs, videoCDs, audio CDs, and CD-ROM XA and Mixed Mode CDs, such as Sony PlayStation CDs, Enhanced Music CDs, and Karaoke CDs for which the user has a valid copyright license. VideoCDs, containing digital video movies, can be read on most DVD-equipped computers and home DVD players.

Toast 5 supports the automatic conversion of MP3 files into audio CD format, or retaining their format for play on MP3 players. Music CDs can be burned from music obtained from virtually any source: records, tapes, CDs, or MP3s. The CD Spin Doctor program, which is provided, supports the transfer of analog music (using a supplied cable), on vinyl or tape cassettes, into digital format. The program can eliminate unwanted noise, such as crackling, clicks, pops, and hisses.

Other features include: The Toast Audio Extractor, to rip audio files directly from a CD; Qdesign MVP, an MP3 player application; MPEG encoding, useful for burning iMovies onto Video CDs; support for the Joliet format, which maintains long file names on Windows PCs; CD or DVD Copy, which produces a bit for bit copy; creation of bootable CDs; support for Mac/ISO Hybrid, Enhanced Music CD, CD-DA, Mixed Mode, CD extra (multimedia, audio and data), Multitrack CD-ROM XA, multisession CD, Video CD, CD-I, Disc Image, MP3 Disc, Disc At Once (DAO), Track At Once, 700MB CD, and 80 minute CD; CDDB or FreeDB support for automatic download of song titles from the Internet; Retrospect compatibility; Web-CheckUp (to download latest program updates); and more.

JAM for Macintosh is a sophisticated application for producing Red Book-compliant audio CD image files. The Red Book specifies an audio format of 16 bit/44.1 kHz, stereo, meaning that each sample is equivalent to 4 bytes (16 bits = 2 bytes per channel), and one second of audio consists of 44,100 samples.

JAM supports the production of commercial-quality CDs composed of SDII (Sound Designer II), AIFF, or WAV files, which can be dragged and dropped easily into the program. The program supports nondestructive editing, meaning that changes to a track, such as increasing its volume, does not affect the original data.

Although not all CD recorders support it, JAM can produce discs using the Disc-at-Once recording method, wherein the entire CD is recorded in a single pass without turning off the laser. This is advantageous because no run-out sectors are produced, providing the flexibility to make the pause between tracks any length required (or conversely to have the songs run together). In addition, commerical CD replicators usually require a Disc-at-Once master, since the presence of run-out sectors are often misinterpreted as errors.

JAM includes Peak LE, a limited version of the comprehensive sound editing software from BIAS. Peak LE makes it possible to apply advanced editing processes to each track, such as independently setting the volume for each track and channel.

JAM provides easy controls for changing the order of the tracks, modifying the track pause, and applying various audio techniques such as crossfades and trims. The program makes it possible to produce professional master audio CDs using standard equipment. $199.95

The Readiris pro 7 OCR engine has been improved, both in speed and accuracy (40% more accurate than version 6), and is claimed to be \"the fastest OCR in the world.\"

Other significant new or improved features are: the direct generation of PDF documents from scanned paper originals (the resulting PDFs are fully searchable and editable); support for documents captured using digital cameras; auto-detection of the document page orientation (and auto rotation if necessary for optimum scanning); support for scanners with ADF (automatic document feeders); adjustment of the OCR recognition to allot for color; auto straightening of skewed documents for perfect alignment; recognition of up to 94 languages and 6 user interface languages; and more. $99

Alpengeist: A Blacketter typeface inspired by the sign for a Swiss Alps themed ride at a popular California theme park. It is more legible than many blackletter faces and is useful for any project needing a Fairy Tale, Alpine, Swiss, or even Horror/Gothic feel. The name in German means ""spirit of the Alps"".

Annabelle: A roundhand style Script face. It's more upscale appearance would make it useful for any application requiring an elegant script font, such as wedding invitations, greeting cards, announcements or titling.

Blairesque: The Blairesque Family consists of three typefaces and one dingbat font designed in the style of, and dedicated to, the unique and ingenious visions of artist Mary Blair. The range of uses is versatile for this family, but all have a ""playful"" feel and are intended for display work. The dingbat font contains a set of alternate numerals that can be used with any of the other three faces.

Boxer Script: A machine style Script font inspired by the type designs used on automobiles in the 1940's and 1950's. One unique aspect of this font is that the capitals are more organic in design than the lowercase and yet they are unified and work well together.

Buena Park: This typeface was inspired by the logo for a theme park/food company located in Buena Park CA. It is intended more for display work, but can also be used for short text passages. The flourishes on the letters give it a slight ""Art Noveau"" feel.

Charade: A playful and dynamic typeface good for greeting cards, children's themes, or anything that needs a ""happy-go-lucky"" feel. Its inspiration comes from handlettering in a shop window.

Debonair: One of three revival fonts in the library. Debonair is based on an old typeface named ""Diane"" which never made it to digital format. Changes have been made mostly to the lowercase characters so that they will all connect. It is an elegant design with unusual angularity in the lowercase, and is good for anything that requires a high class script font.

Fairy Tale: An ""almost but not quite"" blackletter typeface. As the name implies it is good for fairy tale titles or anything themed around magic. The design was inspired by the hand lettered titles of a popular animated fairy tale.

Fenway Park: One of two ""athletic style"" script fonts in the library. It is inspired by an amalgam of sources but is clearly in the style often used for sports team names, especially baseball. Being a casual style script it has a variety of uses.

Friki Tiki: This font is more specific in its design, but can be used for anything with a Hawaiian/Tiki/or Asian theme. It contains a number of alternate ligatures that provide more versatility. The way in which it is designed allows for the ligatures, capitals and lowercase to be intermixed within words for a true ""tiki"" look.

Holiday Times: A playful, fun font inspired by the hand lettered titles from a 1960's children's Christmas special...hence the name. Good for anything that needs a bouncy, upbeat feel.

Jeffriana: A handwriting style script face, named after an old friend. This is essentially an original design. Its casual feel makes it perfect for anything that requires a consistency of design with a personal touch.

Mary Helen: Named after the designer's paternal Grandmother, this font is also a casual handwriting style font, but is slightly more elegant than ""Jeffriana"". It would be appropriate for greeting cards, stationery, or titling.

Peregroy: A casual script face that one combines both handwritten and calligraphic qualities. It seems to have a somewhat nostalgic feel to it, but is versatile in its uses. It was inspired by the hand lettered titles of a popular animated movie.

Saharan: An Arabian style font inspired by hotel signage in Las Vegas. It captures the feeling of the Las Vegas idealized view of caravans, camels and magic lamps. It would be good for any application requiring a desert/Arabian theme or feel.

Southland: Inspired by an old hand lettered poster, this typeface is a cross between a script and sans serif style. It is heavy and commanding, yet at the same time, upbeat. The heavy contrast between thick and thin creates an interesting rhythm between letterforms. It would be useful for advertising, titling, or similar uses.

Spaulding Sans: This typface family is a humanist style sans serif with Venetian proportions. One of the few typefaces in the library that can be used for long text passages, it retains a sans serif feel while offering an alternative to the traditional grotesque style sans serifs. The italic version is more of a ""true Italic"" than other sans serif fonts.

Stanzie: A digital revivalÉthis font is based on an older typeface named ""Constance"". It preserves more of a hand drawn feel, while retaining its basic design attributes. It is an elegant but non-connecting demi-formal script font.

Valentina: This typeface was inspired by some signage on an apartment building. It has both a handwritten and designed feel to it as well as being somewhat ""1960's Retro"" in style. It is a casual script face good for a variety of applications.

Varsity Script: The second of the collection's ""athletic style"" scripts. This one is more casual and informal. It would be useful for anything involving sports or athletics.

Viceroy: A digital revival based on a typeface originally called ""Virtuoso,"" this too is an elegant but non-connecting script font. This face could be used with any application requiring a classy script face including wedding invitations, stationery, certificates or titling.

Walcott Gothic: The Walcott Gothic Family consists of three typefaces inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood before the bulk of movie studios moved to the San Fernando Valley. The three variants can be used together or separately. Good for use as a display or sans serif design, it has a 1930's feel to it.

Wonderboy: This is a brush style script/display font, reminiscent of signage used in grocery and department stores. Good for advertising, titling and similar uses.

All fonts are available individually for $20 each. Family prices are: Blairesque Set (4 fonts) $55, Spaulding Sans Set (2 fonts) $32, Walcott Gothic Set (3 fonts) $45.

The program can be configured so that the user can select which applications are allowed to access the Internet, and users are alerted when an unauthorized program, such as a Trojan horse, attempts to send information from the host computer.

The performance of the program can be determined by using either a self-check, built into the software, or by accessing the Symantec Security Check, which is a utility on the Symantec Web site that scans a user's Firewall for security risks. $69.95

Recorded CDs or DVDs can be produced with complete CD labels and jewel case inserts. CD labels can hold up to 150 track titles. The Smart Split feature enables users to evenly backup files across multiple CD-Rs or DVDs.

The jukebox feature supports playback of MP3, Windows Media Audio, CDs, video, and others. Playlists can be composed through drag-and-drop. The jukebox window displays the CD name, song name, and performer information. MP3 music can be transferred to a portable MP3 player from within the application.

Boxed product includes an 8' patch cord, Verbatim Recordable CD, over 30 songs, and a 3 month subscription to Radio MX with Earthlink DSL. $29.99

In many digital publishing environments it is common for users to need access to both Macintosh and Windows computers, and switch between them several times during the day. A KVM switch simplifies that process, and allows the user to stay seated in one place, yet have immediate access to the particular system that is needed. It also provides the means for a user to share USB peripherals between the systems, thus saving money and deskspace, and making the most efficient use of external devices.

The unit is very compact, and provides for built-in cable management. The four LEDs on the front panel clearly show which computer is in use. The user can switch computers using either a hot key or a port access button.

In addition to its 5-year warranty and free technical support, the OmniView is differentiated by its flash-upgrade firmware support. $179.95

The operation involves only three steps: Users import their video, add the music using the intuitive Maestro \"wizard,\" and click \"Save Soundtrack.\" The result is custom-fit arrangements that match video clip lengths perfectly, with appropriate musical endings, not fade-outs. The software includes a library of 26 music tracks, and add-on Movie Music CDs are priced at $29.95. The software is priced at $49.95.

Both printers and publishers use the software. Printers use it to monitor files coming in from customers and third-parties; publishers use it to alert customers that files are ready for proofing or final approval. Users may also modify the software to monitor remote FTP servers for file activity.

The program is available in three versions, Basic, Professional, and Corporate. The versions differ primarily in the number of directories that can be monitored...Basic (2), Professional (100), and Corporate (400). Both the Professional and Corporate versions also support application launching in addition to e-mail alerts, as well as support additional e-mail options. The Basic version is $35, the Professional version is $195, and the Corporate price is available upon request.

Users can not only edit, using Timeline and Storyboard views, but can also capture video directly from its source. Users can capture input directly into the Bin Window from either analog or digital (FireWire) sources. In addition, the user can directly import a variety of file types, including AVI, PICS, JPEG, GIF, and others.

The list of video tools and capabilities is extensive, with a library of video transitions, including explode and mosaic; filters for video reverse, morphing, chroma key, and others; video tools for composite mixing, video transparency, and clip motion; and much more. This is an excellent step up for users of entry-level DV editing programs such as iMovie. $495

There are many significant benefits to running multiple operating systems. First the user can maintain their legacy system while moving to a new operating system such as Windows XP. The user can switch between the two operating systems with a single mouse click, and, most importantly, without the need to reboot. This removes the uncertainty of committing to a new operating system only to find that certain essential applications do not work. The same is true for running an earlier OS to support older software that may be mission-critical, but is not supported by newer operating systems.

Running multiple operating systems on a single computer is more cost-effective than running multiple computers, and certainly more convenient for the user. The Connectix technology is affordable and allows the user to install any of the wide variety of operating systems that run on a PC.

The operating system environments that are are supported under Virtual PC for Windows provide a secure area for running applications that can not be run on the host system. The virtual system can be \"cut off\" from the other environments so that any of its operations do not negatively affect those which are resident on the host. The virtual environment provides a testing platform for configuring systems without risk of harming the host, and are highly useful in technical support areas for replicating a situation on a client's computer. In addition, technical support personnel can test a deployment of a particular OS, then stage it on a file server in a single file that can be downloaded to any computer on the network in a matter of minutes.

In training situations the use of Virtual PC for Windows provides the option of offering instruction on any OS without the need to change the hardware. A single computer can be used to support any number of different operating systems, and allow for upgrading without abandoning applications which require legacy environments.

Software developers can easily test how their applications will run in a variety of environments, all on a developer's own computer. They can also certify that their applications are compatible.

Connectix has covered all of the bases in terms of compatibility, connectivity, configuration, and installation. The guest operating systems that are installed under Virtual PC for Windows automatically detect and work with the network, printer and other settings of the host PC. Repartitioning the host hard drive is not necessary, nor is rebooting to move from one OS to another. Each guest host OS is contained in a single \"drive container,\" a single file that can be easily moved if necessary. The guest operating systems are sold in individual Connectix OS Packs, and are easily installed by copying the pre-installed and pre-configured environments to the user's hard drive. $199 for Virtual PC for Windows, OS packs are $249 for Windows XP Professional, $149 for Windows XP Home, $199 for Windows 2000, $149 for Windows 98, and $149 for Windows ME.

This version of the software introduces dynamic data-driven graphics providing print designers with the means to automate the preparation of repetitive artwork, and to create an unlimited number of variations of similarly formatted graphics. In a parallel fashion, Web designers can generate a template and use the new Variables palette to define objects within a Web banner, for example, as variables. Using scripts or dynamic image servers, such as the new Adobe AlterCast, users can generate an unlimited number of graphic variations.

A new level of support is provided for symbols, which can be expressed either in vector or raster format, giving designers the capability to design a symbol and then modify all instances of that symbol by redefining the original. Symbols can be created from drawn objects, text, images, or any combination thereof. The use of symbols is further enhanced through the capability to spray naturalistic masses of repeating elements, such as for foliage or a crowd scene. The sprayed symbols can be further modified with the use of tools to adust colors, spin, size, and inter-object spacing (scrunch).

More robust features have been added to Illustrator's object-based slicing, HTML tables with Cascading Style Sheet layers, and enhanced SVG import and export of Macromedia Flash (SWF) format export. Raster and vector format options can be assigned for each slice.

The new live enveloping, warping, and liquifying tools provide for exceptional Live Distortion control, with easy to use tools to bend, stretch, and twist text, graphics and images. Despite the degree of distortion the object remain completely editable. $399

The author, a skilled digital video editor, brings his personal method of learning non-linear editing. Through the use of profuse illustrations, easy to follow text, and a Macintosh-compatible DVD with sample files, the reader can learn a workable process of assembling digital video clips into professional-quality video productions. To be most effective, readers should have a Macintosh with DVD drive, OS 8.5 or later, and a copy of Final Cut Pro version 1.25 or later.