Grab Jeff Carlson's Free iDVD Chapter

Posted Friday, May 29, 2009

My friend and colleague Jeff Carlson is giving away the iDVD chapter of his book, iMovie '09 and iDVD Visual QuickStart Guide.

Jeff is a long-time Mac and technology journalist and the managing editor of the legendary TidBITS newsletter. He has also helped me revise my book for the last couple of editions, expertly tackling the iMovie and iDVD chapters.

Grab his iDVD chapter and buy his book. And pre-order mine while you're at it -- it's at the printer now, and I expect to see my first author's copy next week!

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Improve the Readability of Any Web Page

Posted Thursday, May 21, 2009

Don't like to read long articles on the Web? You aren't alone.

Readability relief is at hand, thanks to an incredibly cool tool named, incredibly enough, Readability.

Using it couldn't be easier. Make some settings (the default settings worked fine for me), then drag its button up to your browser's bookmarks bar.

When you arrive at a Web page containing a lengthy article, click the Readability button on your bookmarks bar. You'll love the result.

Happy reading!

Speaking of reading. My iLife '09 book is at the printer! We shipped on Monday, and the presses are rolling even as I type. Look for it in stores within a couple of weeks. I'm wrapping up a couple of projects in advance of the US Memorial Day weekend, but next week I'll start posting some excerpts. Meantime, pre-order your copy on Amazon; see the sidebar at right.

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Tonight at 7 pm Pacific: Interview with Visionary Dan Bricklin

Posted Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Tonight at 7 pm Pacific time, I'll be interviewing computer industry pioneer and visionary Dan Bricklin, who in 1979 co-created VisiCalc, the world's first electronic spreadsheet program.

You can listen online. I'll also post an archive of the show in the next day or two.



Expert Tips on Photographing Your Pets

Posted Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The New York Times has a nice little article on photographing pets. Which is one of my favorite activities.

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Lighting: Green Scheme for iMovie '09 Fun

Posted Friday, May 15, 2009

Popular Photography's site has a nice little piece on a $249 lighting kit that looks perfect for use with iMovie '09's new green-screening feature (you know, that feature that lets you do the "weather forecaster standing in front of a map" thing).

The Photo Basics uLite Video Lighting Kit includes two lights with softboxes (which, true to their name, provide a diffused, even light -- important for getting good green-screen results), and what looks like a generous bolt of green fabric, complete with stands for supporting it. It looks nice, not just for green-screening, but for all your interior lighting endeavors.

The article contains a couple of nice lighting tips, too. Check it out, and have a green weekend!

Monday's the day! Me, I'll be parked in front of my Mac most of this weekend, because the iLife '09 edition of my book goes to the printer on Monday. The word "yay" only begins to approximate my delight. The new edition will be the most beautiful yet. See the sidebar at right to pre-order yours!

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10 Online Photography Magazines

Posted Monday, May 11, 2009

The always-delightful Photojojo has compiled a list: 10 Online Photography Magazines We Love.

Lots of great exloring here.

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HD Pocket Camcorders Go Head-to-Head

PCWorld.com has a comparison of six high-definition pocket camcorders.

I adore my old Canon Elura miniDV camera -- it's one of the first ones they made, and it's built like my dad's old Bell & Howell 16mm movie camera, all heavy and rugged. (It does not, however, have a spring-wound motor -- now that would be a cool thing to have in a digital camcorder.)

But compared to these new pocketcams, it's about as bulky and heavy as my dad's 16mm camera, too. So I think I'm going to take the plunge.

PC World likes Creative's Vado HD best, followed by the wildly popular Flip MinoHD.

These puppies are all in the $200 (US) range -- nuts.

Check 'em out, along with PC World's full camcorder buying guide.

One week and counting! I've finished revisions on The Macintosh iLife '09! It's all about proofing and polishing now. The book goes to the printer one week from today -- yay! Pre-order your copy from Amazon for $26.39 (34 percent off the cover price).

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Great GarageBand FAQ

Posted Tuesday, May 05, 2009

While wrapping up revisions on the GarageBand chapter of my iLife '09 book, I came across a great GarageBand FAQ.

Lots of good stuff here.

And speaking of GarageBand, don't miss this nice sampler showcasing GarageBand's incredible new guitar and stomp box simulators.

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