Sheila Ward
- http://www.sjwvideo.com
Filed under: Macintosh, Productivity, Apple
Mac OS X tip: Navigating open applications
by Sheila Ward Jun 16th 2007
Here are some quick shortcuts for navigating open applications in OS X that will save you a few mouse clicks. You probably know all about switching between applications with Command-Tab, but you may no know that you can hide and close applications too:
- If you want to close an app, hit "Q" when it's highlighted
- If you just want to hide an app, hit "H" when it's highlighted.
- If you decided you want to stay in the app you had active when you invoked Command-Tab, hit ESC.
Filed under: Design, Windows, Macintosh, Freeware
Download Bryce 5.5 for free
by Sheila Ward Jun 16th 2007
Those wonderful folks over at DAZ 3D are doing it again by making Bryce 5.5, a 3D landscape and animation tool, available as a free download. The latest version of their software is at 6.1, but with version 5.5 you get a free, fully functional version of the software with no time-limit or disabled features to worry about. If you've been itching to play around in the 3D world you should check this out. The software is available for both Mac and PC platforms.[via Creative Cow]
Filed under: Design, Developer, Macintosh, Commercial
Panic brings Coda to the web development world
by Sheila Ward May 16th 2007
Coda brings all these tools together in one neat interface. You can organize your files using Sites, edit with the text editor, utilize the built in preview functionality, style your pages with the CSS builder and even access Terminal with one click for those times you need to do a little MySQL or other Terminal task. You can make your changes locally then publish to the web, or edit the files directly on the server using the built in Transmit FTP engine. And as an added bonus, for those times you are stuck trying to remember syntax or learning something new, it also includes access to HTML, CSS, Javascript and PHP reference books from within the interface.
Filed under: Design, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Adobe
Adobe releases preview versions of After Effects CS3 and Premiere Pro CS3
by Sheila Ward Apr 16th 2007
The After Effects preview is available to licensed users of After Effects 7, Production Studio, Video Bundle or Web Bundle. You will need to provide your AE7, Production Studio or Bundle serial number in order to get an After Effects CS3 preview serial number. If you don't own any of the required products, you can check out the software for 2 days before it self destructs. The preview is available as a Universal Binary for Mac and XP/Vista platforms.
The Premiere Pro preview is available for Intel Macs and XP/Vista platforms. Sorry PowerPC users, there are no plans for a version of Premiere Pro for you. I don't see any license restriction on this preview so it looks like anyone can give it a whirl. There is a big gotcha if you are running Mac OS 10.4.9. DV Capture will not be functional, and that's kinda a big deal. Adobe is working with Apple to resolve this problem, but if you want to capture DV with the preview version, Adobe recommends you reinstall the OS using your original system discs, then update to 10.4.8. No thank you.
Remember, these are preview versions so if you get into trouble there is no tech support. As a Premiere Pro to Final Cut Pro switcher, I'm curious how Premiere's entry back into the Mac world will play out.
Filed under: Audio, Design, Video, Macintosh, Apple, Commercial
Apple announces Final Cut Studio 2
by Sheila Ward Apr 15th 2007
Engadget had live coverage of the Apple keynote taking place at NAB. Here's what was announced in the world of software:
Final Cut Server: Media asset management, workflow automation, automated encode and publish. It includes a cross platform interface so PC users aren't left out of the game. Cost is $999 for 10 concurrent users, $1999 for unlimited concurrent users. It will be available this summer.
Final Cut Studio 2: Includes Final Cut Pro 6, Compressor 3, Motion 3 and Soundtrack Pro 2. There's also a new kid included in the FCS2 family, Color, which provides real time application color grading. Color is the result of Apple's acquisition of FinalTouch. The cost of FCS2 stays at $1299. Current Final Cut Studio users can upgrade for $499, and users with any older version of Final Cut Pro can upgrade for $699.
There's a member of the Final Cut Studio family that was not mentioned, DVD Studio Pro. It is still included in FCS2, but the Apple store lists it as version 4, which is the current version. The Apple store was down for a bit, as usual, but it's back online and you can order FCS2 right now, but it won't ship until May.
Final Cut Server: Media asset management, workflow automation, automated encode and publish. It includes a cross platform interface so PC users aren't left out of the game. Cost is $999 for 10 concurrent users, $1999 for unlimited concurrent users. It will be available this summer.
Final Cut Studio 2: Includes Final Cut Pro 6, Compressor 3, Motion 3 and Soundtrack Pro 2. There's also a new kid included in the FCS2 family, Color, which provides real time application color grading. Color is the result of Apple's acquisition of FinalTouch. The cost of FCS2 stays at $1299. Current Final Cut Studio users can upgrade for $499, and users with any older version of Final Cut Pro can upgrade for $699.
There's a member of the Final Cut Studio family that was not mentioned, DVD Studio Pro. It is still included in FCS2, but the Apple store lists it as version 4, which is the current version. The Apple store was down for a bit, as usual, but it's back online and you can order FCS2 right now, but it won't ship until May.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 now shipping
by Sheila Ward Feb 20th 2007 {4 comments}
After approximately a year of beta testing, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 is ready for prime time. Photoshop Lightroom is a software application that helps improve the digital photo workflow by providing a central point to organize and adjust digital images. It is a compliment to Photoshop, not a replacement.
If you didn't get a chance to check out the beta, you can download a 30-day trial of ...Adobe provides info on Vista compatibility
by Sheila Ward Feb 20th 2007 {2 comments}
If you are using any of the Adobe products and have the itch to upgrade to Windows Vista, you might want to check out the How Adobe Products Support Windows Vista document (pdf alert). Adobe applications are listed with their current status concerning Windows Vista support and any workarounds that might be needed until official support is available. Adobe plans to keep this document updated as ...Quicktracks for Adobe Premiere Pro and Premiere Elements now a freebie
Here's a great deal for all you Adobe Premiere Pro and Premiere Elements users out there. SmartSound has decided to make the music score plug-in Quicktracks available as a free download. One of the great features of this software is the ability to "customize" a track for the length of your clip. For example if your clip is 46 seconds but the music track is 60 seconds, Quicktracks will ...Easily access your photo's EXIF data
by Sheila Ward Feb 7th 2007 {7 comments}
With the recent release of Microsoft Photo Info, your photo's EXIF data is just a hover away. This little software add-in allows you to view, add or modify common metadata that is stored in digital photos. Once installed you'll find a new "Photo Info" option when you right-click supported image files in Explorer. Microsoft Photo Info lets you work with individual or groups of images, which is a ...
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
