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003
iPhone 4 is getting slammed by the

media, but itll still y o the shelves.
Phone 4. What a surprise. Were you disappointed? I was.

Not with the specs. Not with the hardware. Not with the forthcoming
and slightly awkwardly named iOS4, but by the lack of, well,
surprise. But enough of the spoilers. We all might have been able
to write Jobs script on his behalf, as his job was really no more than
conrming what we already knew, but that didnt make the specs any
less impressive.
The case is subtly improved, being smarter and sleeker, and the
addition of a front-facing camera for use with FaceTime, Apples name
for video calls, which is about as close to VoIP as the Cupertino giant
is ever going to get, is as logical as its overdue. Moreover, while I dont
buy into the alleged higher-than-retina-resolution screen hold the
phone close enough and I bet you can make out the pixels Im quietly
impressed nonetheless.
So why isnt everyone else?
Most of the coverage factual pieces aside has been
resoundingly negative, and this is before 99.9% recurring of the global
population has got their hands on one (factory workers aside). Clicks,
it seems, are becoming more important than reasoned,
considered argument, and 10 reasons why the iPhone is
not for you/is a waste of money/wont work underwater
seem to be more effective at dragging in the viewers
than a proper hands-on review.
Expect this all to change when review units
become available.
There are few companies that can attract the kind of
unwarranted hatred that Apple does right now. Fewer
still could attract such inaccurate reporting. iPhone
4s case will scratch easily because its made
of plastic, said one such report. No its not. It
uses Bing rather than Google for search, said
another. Nope. Its expensive. Really? Bear in
mind that many of these stories were written
before the UK networks announced their
prices and make up your own mind.
iPhone 4 has had an unprecedented
amount of bad publicity, but that will make no
difference. Despite being an evolution of an
evolution of an evolution of what was once a
radical and original product like nothing we had
seen before it will sell and it will sell well.
So lets see the naysayers put their
money where their collective mouths are. If
you really do think the iPhone 4 is destined
to fail, then pick a number whichever
number it would need to sell to prove to
you that its done pretty well and take it
to your local bookie with some cash. See
if theyll take a bet that it wont reach that
level. If iPhone 4 really is as underwhelming
as you seem to believe, youll turn a quick
prot. Quicker, perhaps, than Apple.
Nik Rawlinson is the editor. This

issue hes been eating too many
croissants and enjoying a break
from the online world.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Detractors will
eat their words
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
004
contents
MACUSER, 18 JUNE 2010 VOLUME 26 NUMBER 13
PAGE 52
P60
P52
We set you up
with your Mac
soulmate
P74
P86
PAGE 30
P30
HALF-LIFE 2
PAGE 6 0
MUST-HAVE
iPAD APPS
PAGE 51
AN ATLONA
TO MINI DISP DVI
PORT CONVE LAY
RTER
PAGE 46
iWANT
this
issue
News
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
WIN
005
007
Steve Jobs shows off slinky iPhone 4 at

WWDC + US Justice Department puts
Apple under scrutiny.
www.macuser.co.uk/news
Reviews
Specialist Real World Columnists
030
The latest products reviewed and rated

by our team of experts, including:
Half-Life 2 One of the best games ever
nally makes it to the Mac Everything
iWant A round-up of the latest, mostdesirable gadgets available for the iPad
and iPhone + Plug-ins for InDesign and
QuarkXPress Boost the performance
of these DTP applications with our
favourite third-party add-ons.
www.macuser.co.uk/reviews
DESIGN FOR PRINT PAGE 72

Keep your projects on the straight and narrow
K
PHOTOGRAPHY PAGE 74
Push your gear to the limits, not your budget
Features
052
Find your perfect Mac iMac, iBook,

Mac Pro or iPad? Find out with our
essential guide to choosing a Mac
Must-have iPad apps Weve raided the
App Store to bring you the best apps
you should download on to your iPad.
VIDEO PAGE 76
Get the best chroma key from green screen work
AUDIO PAGE 78
Has digitising music actually devalued it?
MAC TO THE FUTURE PAGE 80
Method/Create 070
Method Using line graphs to best
represent your data Plus Essential
tips in photography, audio, video, print
design, future Macs and iWork Create
Use Photoshop CS5s Puppet Warp
tool to manipulate images + Working
smarter with text in InDesign CS5 +
Enhance your iWeb blog with widgets
Theres a cloud hanging over the iPhone
iWORK PAGE 82
Finding the Keynote within the keynote
Beginners Guide to
Macshopper
113
Mac range Check the specs before

you buy + Hot Kit The denitive guide
to the best Mac products + Classied
Find specic products or services.
Switching to the Mac
Dashboard
PAGE 102
iChat
PAGE 104
How to store
and run all of your Widgets
gi g
Apples Instant messaging
tool and its alternatives
Help
124
Master of all things techie Howard

Oakley answers all your questions, and
tackles issues with Macs in business.
news
007
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
FOR THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS GO TO WWW.MACUSER.CO.UK
Steve Jobs introduces stylish

new iPhone 4 at WWDC keynote
Image Courtesy of Apple
teve Jobs used the opening

keynote presentation for this
years Worldwide Developers
Conference (WWDC) to talk about the
much-anticipated fourth-generation
iPhone. Speculation and supposed
leaks turned out to be incredibly
accurate. The iPhone 4 dispenses with
the two-year-old design of the 3G and
3GS models, and introduces a new
look and feel thats only 9.3mm thick,
which Apple says makes it the worlds
thinnest smartphone.
The front and back of the phone
are made of a specially engineered
aluminosilicate glass that Apple
claims is very durable and more
scratch resistant than previous iPhone
models. A stainless steel band runs
around the edges and serves as
the mounting point for all of the
components and also as the antenna
for the various wireless transmissions.
The iPhone 4s screen size hasnt
changed its still 3.5in diagonally
across but the resolution has doubled
to 960 x 640 pixels, making the overall
The iPhone 4 has a high-resolution 940 x 640-pixel screen with
resolution only slightly less than the
a pixel density of 326ppi, which gives it incredible sharpness.
1024 x 768 resolution of the iPad.
However, the smaller screen means the pixel
camera that allows this feature, which only
density is far higher than in any previous
works over wi networks. The camera on the
iPhone, up from 163ppi to 326ppi. Apple says
back of iPhone 4 can record HD video (720p)
that, at 78 micrometres across, the pixels are
at up to 30fps, while the front-facing camera
so tiny that the human eye cant distinguish
records at 640 x 480 pixels at up to 30fps.
one from the next. Developers wont have to
Tap to focus now works with video, too.
re-engineer their apps to make use of this, as
Theres also an LED ash on the back
the operating system will simply render text
of the phone, which should help alleviate
and graphics more crisply on the new display,
previous models problems with shooting in
giving unprecedented sharpness for a mobile
low light, although Apple claims it has made
phone. The display uses IPS technology,
improvements to image quality in those
which is also used in the iPad and iMacs, and
circumstances anyway. The ash also stays
has an 800:1 contrast ratio.
on when youre recording video in order to
light up scenes. Furthermore, theres now a
Video and stills
ve-megapixel sensor on board, up from three
Another signicant new feature is FaceTime,
megapixels in the 3GS.
Apples name for video calls. As longApple has added a second mic to the
rumoured, the iPhone 4 has a front-facing
phone, situated near the headphone jack,
which is used to monitor background

noise and eliminate it so the person
which whom youre speaking can hear
you more clearly.
The accelerometer is supplemented
by a three-axis gyroscope, which tracks
acceleration, angular velocity and
rotation rate. Apple is pitching this at
the gaming market, an area to which its
increasingly paying attention, thanks to
the explosion in the popularity of games
on the App Store.
The iPhone 4 can connect to
802.11n wi networks, although only
those operating in the 2.4GHz band.
That differs from the iPad, which can
also connect to networks that are
broadcasting at 5GHz and so support
faster transmission rates.
External hardware
There are no changes to the iPhone
4s physical button conguration. The
switch that silences ringtones and
other sounds still serves that function.
On the iPad, that switchs function is
to lock the screen orientation so that
the accelerometer doesnt trigger the
screens contents to rotate. This is expected
to be a software-based feature in the new
version of the iPhones operating system,
accessed by double-tapping Home to call up
the task switcher and swiping right.
Apples 30-pin Dock Connector is still
present for syncing the iPhone. Nothing was
announced about the possibility of wireless
syncing. iPhone 4 is compatible with the Dock
Connector-to-VGA adaptor that was released
alongside the iPad, which allows for playback
of video up to 1024 x 768 pixels in resolution.
Under the hood

The heart of the iPhone 4 is Apples internally
designed A4 processor, rst used in the
iPad. Apple says that this processors power
Page 009
efciency means longer battery
Hello World.
Are you ready for this?
Its not often that you get a chance to

take on the world. Entrepreneur and
Stockbyte founder Jerry Kennelly is
heading up Gustavo, a new, disruptive
business which will operate globally.
Hes looking for the level of talent
which allowed his creative stock photo
company become one of the most
successful in the world, before it was
sold to Getty Images in 2006.
Hes brought some of his former team
along for a second whirl on the merrygo-round, but this time is taking on a
much bigger challenge than launching
one of the worlds rst royalty-free
stock photography companies, like he
did in 1996.
Jerry is looking for supercharged,

hard-working creatives for our new
London ofce.
If you dont have ambitions to change

the world with excellent work, then its
probably not worth reading any further.
Advertising Creatives
However, if you do have that re

in your belly, email your CV and
portfolio (smaller than 6mb) with
your best work to:
creative@gustavoltd.com before
June 25th. For le sizes larger than 6mb
please use sendspace.com
Passionate ad pros who have spent a

few years working at a high level.
Senior Designers
A great opportunity for a fresh,
creative view. Clean design,
carefully crafted typography and an
eye for amazing images.
Senior Artworkers
High-octane artworkers who live for
interpreting and executing creative
vision.
It might be a good idea to include

a letter to Jerry.Tell him why youd
like to work for him. He will read
every one. Soon enough, you might
be joining one of the most exciting
ventures in our industry.
009
life, giving seven hours of

still only two colour options
talk time on a 3G network
black and white which
and 14 hours on a 2G
is consistent between the
network, an increase of two
front and back panels, unlike
hours over the iPhone 3GS in
previous versions. A new
both instances. Meanwhile,
8GB version of the iPhone
Internet use is quoted at
3GS will be made available
six hours over 3G and nine
for $99, the entry-level price
point previously occupied by
hours over a wi connection,
an improvement of one hour
an iPhone 3G model of the
over the iPhone 3GS in both
same capacity.
instances. Apples gure
The iPhone 4 will be
for video playback remains
available in the UK along with
10 hours, yet it claims the
the US, France and Germany
Apple claims the iPhone 4s
iPhone 4 will last an extra 10
from 24 June, and preA4 chip prolongs battery life.
hours when playing audio,
ordering is now open. At the
taking it to 40 hours, which exceeds the iPod
time of going to press, O2, Orange, T-Mobile
classics quoted playback time by four hours.
and Vodafone all indicated that they would
The iPhone 4 uses a Micro Sim card, the
carry iPhone 4 at launch.
same as the iPad. O2s website suggests it
O2 announced that existing iPhone
will be sending these to interested customers
owners will be able to upgrade to the new
ready for the handset going on sale. In the
model even if theyre currently within a
US, the iPhone 4 will cost $299 for a 32GB
contract period, but this offer will be timemodel on a 24-month contract and $199 for a
limited. Orange and Vodafone have yet to
16 model on a 24-month contract. There are
announce their plans.
New York Times unleashes

lawyers on Pulse RSS app
he New York Times Company, which

owns the eponymous US newspaper
and The Boston Globe, has
despatched its lawyers to take action against
the Pulse RSS reader app for the iPad,
claiming it illegally makes commercial use
of its news feeds.
Richard Samson, senior counsel for The
New York Times Company, wrote to Apple
last week asking that Pulse be removed
Pulse, an RSS news reader for the iPad, allegedly

infringes The New York Times Companys rights.
from the App Store. The Pulse News Reader

app makes commercial use of the NYTimes.
com and Boston.com RSS feeds, in violation
of their Terms of Use. Thus, the use of our
content is unlicensed. The app also frames
the NYTimes.com and Boston.com websites
in violation of their respective Terms of Use,
he wrote.
A few days later, Apple CEO Steve Jobs
featured Pulse during his opening address to
the audience at Apples Worldwide Developers
Conference at the beginning of this month.
However, within hours it had been removed
from the App Store.
Apple emailed Pulse developer Akshay
Kothari, saying: The New York Times
Company believes your application named
Pulse News Reader infringes The New York
Times Companys rights. Accordingly, we have
pulled your application from the App Store.
Then, without explanation, Apple had a
change of heart, restoring Pulse to the store.
Kothari was certainly nonplussed. Were trying
to gure that out ourselves, he said when
asked why the app was back.
Robert Christie, a spokesman for The New
York Times Company, was equally bafed. We
think it has been reinstated by error, and we
have asked Apple for an explanation, he said,
adding that the company wanted to work with
Pulse, but only under our terms of use.
Apple has yet to comment.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Apple claims that its new-look iPhone 4

is now the worlds thinnest smartphone
Google offers
new encrypted
search option
oogle has started offering a new,

secure method for accessing its web
search, using industry-standard SSL
encryption. Entering a search query at https://
www.google.com creates a secure connection
between the web browser and Google,
preventing a third party from snooping on the
search terms used and results delivered.
The service does come with some
reservations hence the beta tag. Results
wont include Google Images and Maps,
as they dont currently support SSL, and
the encryption process might mean that
searching could be slightly slower.
Although encryption should protect
searches from prying eyes, it wont hide your
data from Google. Google will still maintain
search data to improve your search quality
and to provide better service, noted Evan
Roseman, software engineer on the Google
Blog. Searching over SSL doesnt reduce the
data sent to Google it only hides that data
from third parties who seek it.
Roseman added that clicking on search
results could break the secure connection
(in fact, thats likely). Our hope is that more
sites and services will add support for SSL
to help create a better and more consistent
experience for you, he explained.
Quote, unquote
Sure, of course it is. Its a different
rent
form factor of a PC. It wouldnt
surprise me to see competition try
to eliminate the role of what theyve
had that hasnt been popular, in
order to popularise the thing thats
new and fashionable. Thats a
legitimate approach.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer when
asked if the iPad was a PC.
010
In retaliation, it was claimed that Apple began

to withdraw marketing support for tracks that
were sold early on Amazon.
There are other ongoing investigations into
Apple by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC),
which is looking at its rules for developers
after complaints from Adobe, and by the
DoJ, which is examining hiring practices.
Although the news is unlikely to be welcomed
at Apple, some analysts suggest that this
attention from regulators is a good sign for
investors, and indicative of the inuence and
reach that the company now has.
Apple, Amazon and the DoJ have all
remained tight-lipped on the claims, despite
close scrutiny from the US media. Speaking
to The New York Times, antitrust lawyer
Daniel Brown said: Certainly if the Justice
Department is getting involved, it raises
the possibility of potential serious problems
down the road for Apple.
pples music sales operation in

the US is being investigated by
the Department of Justice (DoJ),
according to reports. The New York Times
claims an inquiry has so far led to DoJ staff
talking to lawyers or legal departments at
major music labels and other online retailers.
Apple currently has a 70% online market
share in the US. As a vast amount of music is
now bought online rather than in bricks-andmortar shops, this means it can claim more
than a quarter of all music sales.
Its not clear on what the investigation will
focus, but its likely that as Apples market
share is growing, it will look at the inuence it
now has on the market. Rival Amazon is the
second largest online music retailer, with 8%
of the US market. Earlier this year, it came
under re for allegedly asking labels to allow it
to sell tracks one day before other retailers in
return for promotional help for those artists.
Apple currently has a 70% market share of online music in the US and accounts for 25% of all music sold there.
Jobs hints at Flash volte-face
teve Jobs has insinuated that Apple

could reconsider its decision not to
allow Adobes Flash technology on
the iPhone or iPad. Speaking at the All Things
Digital D8 conference in California, Apples
CEO answered questions on the issue. Some
things are good in a product, some things
are bad, he said. If the market tells us were
making bad choices, well make changes.
Were just trying to make great products.
Jobs maintained his stance that Apples
objection to Flash is a technical one: We just
made a technical decision. [We] told Adobe
[that] if you ever have this thing running fast,
come back and tell us. We shipped iPhone

without Flash, too. [It] wasnt until iPad that
Adobe raised a stink.
Jobs also discussed the early
development of the iPad. I had this idea
about a glass display, a multitouch display
you could type on. I asked our people about
it and six months later they came back with
this amazing display, Jobs said. And I gave it
to one of our really brilliant UI guys. He then
got inertial scrolling working and some other
things, and I thought, my God, we can build
a phone with this, and we put the tablet
aside, and we went to work on the phone.
Microsoft reshuffle
finds MBU part of
Business Division
icrosofts Mac Business Unit

has a new home, following the
reorganisation of the company
in the wake of the departure of two of its
most high-prole executives.
The Unit, which develops the Mac version
of Ofce, is to become part of Microsofts
Business Division, home of Ofce for
Windows. The company isnt saying if the
move has any implications beyond the
The reorganisation has seen the

departure of two of the companys
most high-profile executives
organisational. A new Ofce for Windows
was released earlier this month, with a Mac
version expected some time next year.
The reorganisation has seen the departure
of two of the companys most high-prole
executives, J Allard and Robbie Bach. They
were the brains behind the Entertainment
and Devices Division, which is responsible
for the Xbox, Zune and Windows Mobile.
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer
has assumed direct control of the division as
it prepares for the release later this year of
Windows Mobile 7, its last chance to recover
its slumping share of the smartphone market.
In an email to staff, Ballmer thanked the
departing executives and said the changes
were necessary to ensure that the company
had the right leaders in the right positions.
As we nalise and ship so many of our
key products, it is a natural time for us to
look ahead and make sure we have the
right talent in the right roles to fuel our next
set of offerings. I am condent that the
changes above will set us up well for the
months and years ahead, he wrote.
Steve Jobs discussed the

development of the iPad
at the recent D8 conference.
Image Asa Mathat/All Things Digital
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Justice Department
turns gaze on Apple
011
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
News ash
Apple has announced that it sold two
million iPads in the rst 60 days of its
availability. At this rate, it will outsell the
Mac in the June to September quarter,
although its likely that with the US and
international launches now accounted
for, the rate of sales will slow.
Apple sold the rst million units in
the 28 days following the US launch
on 3 April and took 31 days to sell the
second million. Debut sales for the iPad
were stronger than that of the original
iPhone, which took two months to sell
one million units, but not as impressive
as the iPhone 3G, which sold three
million units in its rst month.
Apple doesnt break down sales
gures by model or geographic region,
but the Financial Times reported that
anecdotal evidence showed that the
wi models had proved more popular
in the US, while in the rest of the world
the 3G line seemed to be selling more
in the rst few days after launch. The
3G model didnt launch in the US until
four weeks after the wi model, which
may have a bearing on this.
Sales of the iPad have been much stronger than even the most bullish of predictions, with Apple selling more than two million devices since its launch two months ago.
Apple streaks past Microsoft to

become worlds largest tech firm
pple has done what seemed

impossible a decade ago and passed
the software giant Microsoft and is
now the worlds largest technology rm.
Last month, for the rst time ever, the
market value of Apple Inc. rose past $220
billion (about 151.09 billion) and surpassed
Microsoft, which is currently valued at $219
billion (about 150.4 billion).
Just 10 years ago, the scene was
extremely different, with Microsoft worth
more than half a trillion dollars on paper
and Apple just $15.6 billion. It was only 13
years ago that Microsoft offered a $150
million investment just to help Apple stay
aoat. After returning to Apple that same
year, 1997, Steve Jobs took just a year to
release the iMac, which was to act as a
catalyst for 12 years of innovation and
market share growth.
The rst iPod, launched in 2001, was also
to become a worldwide phenomenon and
open new business opportunities for Apple,
such as the iTunes Store and eventually
the App Store. And now, with the iPad, the
company looks set for yet another huge
success. Microsoft, on the other hand, has
seen a long period that many analysts claim
has been devoid of innovation and signicant

new product launches.
However, these nancial gures,
interesting as they are, paint only half the
picture. While Apple has grown from niche
player to a producer of must-have gadgets,
Microsoft has decades of proven ability to
bring in prot under its belt.
This market capitalisation is also

based on share price, driven by
investor confidence in the firm.
This can be a ckle metric
In the last accounting period, Microsoft
brought in more than $14 billion (about
9.6 billion) for its shareholders, but Apple
managed less than half of this, at $5.7
billion (about 3.91 billion). In terms of
revenue, Apple fell $22 billion (about 15.11
billion) short of Microsofts income of $58.4
billion (about 40.1 billion).
Apple recently announced that it had
already sold two million iPads, a full six
months before it hit the same milestone with
the iPhone (see story, above), and hopes to

shift four times that amount by the end of the
year. However, as Microsofts core business
still revolves around software, and Apples
around hardware, it will be difcult for the
Cupertino company to squeeze the same
prot from its market value.
This market capitalisation is also based
entirely on share price, driven by investor
condence in the rm. This can be a ckle
metric, and a bad day of trading could easily
see Apple dip back below Microsofts value
BPs recent catastrophe shows just how
quickly investors can abandon a company.
Expectations are riding high for Apple
at the moment, following the introduction
of the iPad, but this excitement could
wane quickly, and many analysts believe
that Microsofts value is built on stronger
foundations. Apple was at one time struggling
for survival, but has enjoyed just over a
decade of staggering growth. Within the
company there will be celebrations about
the signicant milestone, but also concerns
that without constant innovation to keep
customers and investors happy, the rm
could nd the bubble bursting even quicker
than it inated.
Image PA Photos
iPad sales hit 2 million
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
012
Medical app lets

surgeons practice
hernia repairs
Eco-Pad, anyone?
A
pple is many things to many

At rst it seems like a ludicrous idea, but
our society is increasingly worrying about the
people, but with its slick, constant
innovations that drive us fanboys
consequences of its actions, and realising
and girls to constant upgrading, to some
that perhaps the greatest power is wielded
its the very concept of consumerism made
when it chooses where to spend its hardsolid. And those people have a point.
earned money. Many of us are already willing
Few of us truly need the performance
to pay a little extra for coffee, tea, bananas
of the latest and greatest model, and a lot
and a host of other consumables if we can
of new purchases are not so much driven
eat or drink them with a clean conscience.
by necessity as
We buy eco-friendly
lust. And, of course,
washing powder at
Few of us truly need the
this isnt good for
twice the price of more
the environment.
harmful products, opt
performance of the latest model,
It would be better
for a Prius instead of
and a lot of purchases are not so
all round if everyone
a less-economical but
much driven by necessity as lust
held on to their ageing
cheaper car. Why not a
phones and laptops
laptop that we can use
until they literally
without worrying about
crumbled, nally unusable after years of
what chemicals seeped into the soil after
faithful service. Despite the new iPad being
its creation, or who leaped off a roof after
really rather admirable when compared with
worrying about lling that next shipment?
some devices, with its mercury-free display,
The truth is that electrical goods are vastly
arsenic-free glass and total absence of BFR
complex, include components made all over
and PVC, if you dont need one (in the true
the world and require some truly horrendous
sense of the word need), then buying one is,
chemicals. But the technology industry seems
by denition, waste.
to be dragging its heels where others are at
On top of this, those wonderful websites
least ambling, shufing or strolling. Personally,
and applications we use on our fancy new
Im opting for a small compromise: Ill keep
gadgets require city-sized clusters of servers
my gadgets, but give up a car for a bike. And
whirring away, out of sight and almost out
the second Apple launches a Fairtrade iPad
of mind, sucking up power and spewing out
for a 20% premium, Ill take one.
emails, API calls and, indirectly, tonnes and
tonnes of carbon dioxide. And now, as if all
that wasnt enough bad news, we hear from
human rights campaigners that working
conditions in the Chinese plants where
the devices are made are little better than
sweatshops. Eleven people in one factory
alone have committed suicide this year.
Can we, in good conscience, continue
to buy new gadgets at the rate we are?
Perhaps its time somebody stepped up to
Matthew Sparkes has a couple of
solve these issues and launched a Fairtrade
degrees in computer science, but has yet
laptop or mobile phone. Would there be a
to pay even one of them off. He made
market for such things?
the leap from Redmond to Cupertino in 2006.
Image Simbionix
Many of us already buy Fairtrade consumables, so why not a laptop that we can use with a clear conscience?
urgeons with an iPhone, iPod touch

or iPad can now use their device
to brush up on procedures on a
bus, in a lift or waiting in a line at a caf.
Medical simulation and training software
rm Simbionix USA Corporation has released
Ethicon PVP, an interactive app that trains
surgeons to carry out an umbilical hernia
repair using a partially absorbable mesh
patch. The application, which is free to
download, is now available on the App Store.
It uses high-delity 3D animations, text
descriptions and voice-over narration to train
surgeons how to carry out the procedure.
It also provides a useful testing feature so
doctors can check to see whether theyve
remembered the relevant information.
Handily, the application doesnt need a live
web connection, so can be used anywhere
including hospitals, which often ban the
use of mobiles. Quite how effective it is as a
training tool isnt yet known, as the application
currently has no ratings on the App Store.
Paul Jensen, general manager of
Simbionixs medical education division,
said: Smartphones are rapidly becoming
an indispensable tool for physicians. The
addition of mobile-based training gives
medical device manufacturers an efcient
way to communicate the safe and effective
use of surgical devices.
The company claims that in just two
years time, smartphones will be the primary
method for professional research for 81%
of doctors. Launching the application is an
attempt to capture that market, and the rm
said it was also working on versions for other
mobile platforms.
Simbionix also claimed that it would
release a library of mobile apps to address
a variety of medical topics and procedures,
and sees it as an important step in the
companys evolution.
The Ethicon PVP app lets surgeons practice hernia

repair, and apps for other procedures are on their way.
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www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
014
Apples suicide probe

Apple investigates working conditions at Chinese
manufacturing plant after tragic spate of suicides.
Image PA Photos
pple has launched an investigation

into conditions at Foxconn
Technology Groups manufacturing
plants in China after it was reported that 11
workers had committed suicide this year.
Ten of those deaths occurred at the rms
Shenzhen plant, which is also contracted to
manufacture devices for Nintendo and Sony.
Devices including the iPad, iPhone and
iPods are all produced in the factory by mostly
young workers who can be placed under
enormous pressure to meet tight deadlines.
The latest victim was a 19-year-old man
called Li Hai who had only worked at the
plant for 42 days. However, speaking at the
All Things Digital D8 conference last month,
Apple CEO Steve Jobs denied that the factory
was a sweatshop. You go in this place
and its a factory, but, my gosh, theyve got

restaurants and movie theatres and hospitals
and swimming pools. For a factory, its pretty
nice, he said.
Nevertheless, he also admitted the
situation was troubling and added that the
company was looking into the issue. Were
trying to understand right now, before we go
in and say we know the solution, he said.
He added that the number of deaths, given
the huge size of the plant, which employs
400,000 workers, was less than the overall
suicide rate in the US.
The comments were the rst time that
the Apple boss had commented publicly on
the tragic situation, which has shown no sign
of improvement this year. Foxconn has also
attempted to ensure the spate of suicides
stopped, and has employed 100 counsellors

and even taken on Buddhist monks to see to
the spiritual well-being of staff.
Safety nets have also been installed
around buildings, as each of the suicide
victims had jumped off the plants roofs.
The company pledged in May to employ a
more traditional method of staff motivation
and gave workers a 30% rise in pay. It then
announced a further 70% pay rise from 1
October if certain conditions were met. Entrylevel workers at the plant earn around 90
per month, but often work long, 12-hour shifts
and get only one day off per week.
Terry Gou, chairman of Foxconns parent
company, Hon Hai, has been reported in the
Taiwanese media as saying that he plans
to relocate around a fth of the Shenzhen
015
Google releases stable

Mac version of Chrome
workforce to western China. This is where
many young workers are from and its
hoped that this would help to alleviate
homesickness. Other rms that contract out
their manufacturing to Foxconn, including HP,
Nokia, Sony and Dell, also promised they
would investigate conditions at the plant.
We are concerned and take this very
seriously, said a statement released
by Nokia. Given the concerning reports
regarding Foxconn, we are in continuous
contact with Foxconn to ensure any issues
are identied and addressed.
Foxconn was founded in 1974 and is
headquartered in Tucheng, Taipei County,
Taiwan. In 2009, it recorded revenues of
$61.8 billion (about 42.5 billion) and
prots of $1.74 billion (about 1.2 billion).
oogle has rolled out the rst stable

Mac version of its Chrome web
browser, ve months after the rst
public beta. The browser now has feature
parity with the Windows and Linux versions,
with support for 4500 extensions and
most-requested options such as bookmark
and preference syncing between computers
and a full-screen mode.
Today, Im happy to announce that
Google Chrome for Mac is being promoted
out of beta to our stable channel, said Mike
Smith, product manager of the Google
Chrome Team. We believe that it provides not
only the stability, performance and polish that
every Mac user expects, but also a seamless
native Mac application experience that Mac
users will feel instantly at home with.
Existing Chrome installations will

automatically update to the non-beta release
(v. 5.0.375.55); otherwise the browser is a
free download from google.com/chrome.
Google claims that
its Mac offering has
the same features
as the Windows
and Linux versions.
Image Microsoft
icrosoft used Twitter to deny

at WWDC would have made a contrast to
Steve Ballmer would be attending
Jobs stylish and relaxed talk. Making Visual
this months WWDC, after several
Studio open to Apple developers would be a
websites reported he would be speaking.
pragmatic move by the company, as it would
Ballmer is employee number 24 at
give it market share in a growing sector. It
would also allow more developers to work
Microsoft, and took over as CEO in 2000.
It was rumoured that he would appear at
on the platform, even if they dont own an
WWDC and unveil a slew of tools to allow
Apple computer, iPhone or iPad.
developers to create iPad and iPhone
applications in Visual Studio.
However, Microsoft squashed
the rumour at with an update on
its ofcial Twitter account. Steve
Ballmer not speaking at Apple Dev
Conf. Nor appearing on Dancing
with the Stars. Nor riding in the
Belmont. Just FYI, said the tweet.
The claims rst emerged on a
blog owned by The Wall Street
Journal, which quoted industry
analyst Trip Chowdhry as saying
that Ballmer had a seven-minute
slot at the Apple event. However,
Chowdhry later explained that it
wasnt true, leaving the blog to
post: Thursday afternoon, the
analyst who oated this rumor
in the rst place now says it
isnt true. Too bad, it would
have been fun if it was. My
deepest apologies for creating
such a ruckus over nothing.
Ballmer is famous for his
energetic and often sweaty
Microsoft denied on its ofcial Twitter account that its CEO, Steve
Ballmer, would be making a speech at this months WWDC.
presentations, so an appearance
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Ballmer at WWDC
rumours quashed
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017
he BBC has created a version of its

hugely popular television catch-up
service, iPlayer, specically to take
advantage of the increased screen real estate
on Apples iPad.
The BBC hinted in February that it would
bring the iPlayer to the iPhone in April, but
made no mention of the then-secret iPad. The
site launched last month and uses QuickTime
to stream video unlike the standard version,
which uses Flash, because of Apples
continuing refusal to support Adobes player
on its iPad and iPhone platforms.
iPlayer for the iPad is free to use and is
capable of streaming high-denition television
programmes broadcast in the last seven days
to the iPad. While still in beta, the service
provides access to the same programs and
features as its desktop cousin.
The title bar of the program shows the
name Bigscreen, which may be an internal
development codename from the BBC.
Apple said that it had sold two million
iPads in the rst two months availability,
which means the audience for the iPlayer
application could already be signicant in the
UK. However, those who havent already preordered an iPad may face yet more delays as
The new BBC iPlayer can stream high-denition programmes from the last seven days to the iPad.
Apple struggles to match supply to massive

demand for the device.
The BBCs support for the iPad came
early, as it worked with Apple to have a news
application ready for the tablets launch. In
a speech last month, BBC director general
Mark Thompson said: It shouldnt come as
a surprise that the BBC News application was

one of a handful of news apps selected by
Steve Jobs and Apple to support the launch
of the iPad, or that it continues to be one of
the most popular applications in the iTunes
store. The BBC News app, however, is
only available outside the UK.
Government rejects repeal

of Digital Economy Act
T
Image The Department for Culture, Media and Sport
he new UK government has

decided that it wont repeal the
Digital Economy Act, despite
previous commitments to address its more
contentious provisions.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that,
instead, the government would review the
legislation to see how it worked in practice
and make any changes deemed necessary.
Campaigners had hoped

the new government would
repeal at least some of the Act
Campaigners led by the Open Rights
Group had hoped the new government would
repeal at least some of the Act, particularly
the sections providing for technical
measures to be taken against alleged
persistent le sharers.
During the House of Commons debate
shortly before the election, Conservative
frontbencher Adam Afriyie described the

proposals as a cobbled together mismatch
and a washed-up bill from a washed-up
government, although he and his party later
voted in favour.
Moreover, during the election campaign,
Liberal Democrat leader, now Deputy Prime
Minister, Nick Clegg said the legislation
badly needed to be repealed.
The decision to stick with it has delighted
the laws supporters, such as John Lovelock,
chief executive of the Federation Against
Software Theft (Fast).
He said that: This is great news for the
software industry, long struggling with Internet
piracy, together with other intellectual property
rights holders.
Our hope is that the graduated response
provisions of this Act will be proportionate
and drive trafc towards legitimate
downloads. At this time of economic
pressure, this is great news for the country
too, since more legitimate sales will mean
more tax revenue and more workers in
employment everyone wins.
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government

would review the Digital Economy Act.
Quote, unquote
Within ve years there will be more
digital content sold than physical
content. Three years ago, I said
within 10 years, but I realised that
was wrong its within ve.
Steve Haber, head of Sonys digital
reading business division on the
growth of eBooks.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
BBC embraces cult of iPad with

specially written iPlayer service
018
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
SPECIAL REPORT
UK iPad launch
Bleary-eyed Apple
fans line Regent
Street to get their
paws on an iPad.
Up at the crack of dawn, Camille Neilson caught up with

some keen consumers in the queue at Apples Regent
Street store for the launch of the much-anticipated iPad.
First in line Jake Lee, 17, Essex
Jewels Lewis, 32, London
Kukpin Tan (special T), 51, Malaysia
Arrived 12pm Thurs Model 64GB wi

What convinced you to buy the iPad?
I love all the applications and the specs:
theres so much to do on it and its so fast.
Arrived 4.30am Model 64GB wi

Nothing, really I just love all the Apple
products. Its part of your ve a day.
Will you take your iPad everywhere?

Yeah. Hopefully, it will replace my laptop.
What are you going to do with it?

Im going to see all the World Cup games
that are available while Im at work, and then
sneak it out to watch them at lunchtime.
Arrived 6pm Thursday Model 32GB wi

I saw the presentation by Steve Jobs and
I think its cool. I use my iPhone a lot for
email, but the keyboard is too small. With the
iPad, I can really write emails without errors.
What do you plan on using it for?

Mainly for the Internet and video.
Do you plan to buy any accessories?

Im going to have to buy a man bag, so I can
take it everywhere with me.
Do you think it will replace your laptop?

No, I love my MacBook at the same time,
and I want to have it all.

Grifn has given me loads for being rst in the
queue, but I still want the ofcial Apple case.
Do you own any other Apple products?

I think Ive got the whole family now: the
Book, the Pro, the Pad Ive got everything
that begins with i.
Which applications do you plan on getting?

The news apps. If Im at the airport, I can
catch up on whats going on, as I dont have
time to read newspapers.
Fay, 32, and Anna, 30, East London
Ade Famuboni, 36, Penge
Natasha Horne, 23, Hackney
Arrived 10pm Thursday Model 16GB wi 3G

Im getting it for web browsing and the apps.
Arrived 5.40am Model 64GB 3G wi

Are you going to take it everywhere?
Of course. Its gonna be with me everywhere,
even if Im going to the toilet.

Its actually for my grandad. Hes not very
well at the moment and hes bedridden. He
absolutely loves gadgets and its one of his
greatest wishes
right now to
have one of
these iPads.
Hes already
got an iPod
and a Mac,
and hes really
up to date, but,
sadly, hes not
very well.
Which applications are you going to buy?

Im denitely going to buy the iWork apps, so
I can do my college work.
Images Camille Neilson

Yes, I travel a lot, so it will be very useful.

Yes, Im looking forward to looking at maps
on it. Sat nav is
better because
the iPad screen
is bigger than
the iPhones.
It will give you
a better view,
so you can
see where
youre going.

Yes, I really
want to get
something that
keeps it safe.
What will you
do with it?
Emailing,
browsing and,
well, games.
019
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Mac fan Stephen

Fry was quick to bag
one of the first UK
Apple tablets.
A limit of two iPads per shopper

was in place on the day and
many took advantage of it.
For those who were in the queue

early enough, Apple donated branded
umbrellas in case of rain.
Kenneth Ginell, 22, Hackney
Ai Shimohama, 30, Japan/London
Mike Lehnert, 35 York
Arrived 9pm Thursday Model 16GB

Im a concept artist, so I like the apps you
can use for drawing. I can then convert those
drawings to Photoshop formats, which is
going to be really useful to me.

I want to see how it works, as Im thinking of
buying it for my mum too, so I have to try it
out. Ill probably use it for email and watching
some videos. I used to do photography, so I
also want to compile my photos.
Arrived 6.30pm Thursday Model 64GB wi

It was destiny. I was in London on business
and there were no hotel rooms available
because of the Chelsea Flower Show, so
I thought, why not get an iPad? I bought a
canvas chair to sit on, and then enjoyed an
evening drinking wine and people-watching.
Everyone was really friendly.
I would say that the whole experience
was, I imagine, a bit like giving birth: 13
hours in labour being hot, uncomfortable
and in pain, and then the ecstasy of giving
birth and having the iPad in the end.
Which applications are you going to get?

Basically, just the drawing apps really.
Whenever I get an idea, its important that
I can record it straightaway.
A pen so I can draw with it, but not a case
at this stage.
Ive got an iPod.
Do you already own any Apple products?

I have an iPod nano and an iPod mini, but
theyre quite old. Im quite excited, because
I dont have any touchscreen products, so I
want to see how they work.
Yes, I denitely need a case. My mum said
she could make some accessories for me,
and she said I should buy an iPad for her.
Andy Parkinson, 51, Stevenage
Jason Warner, 20, Stratford

Mainly for the Internet, email and remotecontrolling the computers I have at home, so
I wont have to go upstairs to work on them.

What made you decide to buy the iPad?
I really love all of Apples products and the
iPad is similar to the iPod touch. However,
the larger screen means that you can do
a lot more with it. Watching videos is a
lot easier too, so thats probably what Ill
mostly use it for.
Which apps?
Ive already
downloaded
the iBooks
app. And,
obviously, some
of the apps
I have on my
iPhone will port
straight across.
Are you going to take it everywhere?

Yeah, I hope so for the amount of money
that it costs.
Yes, the ofcial Apple case just to protect it,
and maybe the SD card adaptor so I can put

Ill use it for web browsing, watching movies,
the iBook Store and musical apps.
all my pictures
on it, and
organise and
view them.
Applications?
I denitely
want to get
the Pages app to do my university work,
and I also want to get a couple of games
probably racing ones.
I have an iPhone and a MacBook Pro.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
020
coming soon
WATCH OUT FOR REVIEWS OF THESE PRODUCTS IN THE COMING ISSUES
This issues round-up of the latest products features a rugged mobile hard
drive from LaCie, an NEC display and a compact camera from Panasonic.
LaCie Rugged Safe
Price 169 (144 ex VAT)

Contact LaCie + lacie.com/uk
LaCie describes the Rugged Safe as the safest
mobile hard drive on the market. The reason for
such a bold claim? According to its maker, it features
government-grade 128-bit AES hardware encryption,
the safest biometric authentication technology and a
military-grade shock-proof enclosure. The biometric
authentication takes the form of a fingerprint reader
on the top of the drive, and additional protection for
the drive is provided by the black rubber bumper
that surrounds the drive.
021
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
NEC SpectraView
Reference 241

Contact NEC + nec.com/eu
This NEC 24in display has an IPS panel, a
native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and
a maximum brightness of 360cd/m2. The
Reference 241 has one DisplayPort and two
DVI-D interfaces, and a programmable USB hub.
The stands height is adjustable, and the display
can be used in portrait mode. According to NEC, the
displays Digital Uniformity Control (ColorComp) and
Backlight Ageing Control ensure controlled and peak
performance throughout the entire life cycle.
Iomega 1TB eGo

BlackBelt Mac Edition
Price tbc
Contact Iomega + iomega.com
The 1TB eGo BlackBelt Mac Edition is a portable hard
drive with two FireWire 800 ports and one USB 2
port. It also comes with a FireWire 400-to-800 cable,
so you can connect it to a Mac that only has the older
type of socket. The drive also features Iomegas Drop
Guard Xtreme, which helps protect the drive from
accidental drops of up to seven feet.
Panasonic Lumix
DMC-FX70
Price tbc
Contact Panasonic
+ panasonic.co.uk
Panasonics latest compact camera has an F2.2

24mm ultra-wide-angle Leica DC Vario-Summicron
lens and 5x optical zoom (equivalent to 24mm
to 120mm on a 35mm camera). The FX70 also
records HD movies in AVCHD Lite format. It uses
Panasonics intelligent zoom to extend the zoom
range to 6.5x, and theres the usual AF tracking,
face detection with face recognition, optical image
stabiliser, and intelligent ISO control, scene selector
and exposure features.
HAVE YOUR SAY. EMAIL US AT MAILBOX@MACUSER.CO.UK
Star letter
Dennis Publishing Ltd, 30 Cleveland St, London, W1T 4JD
EDITORIAL
Editor Nik Rawlinson nik_rawlinson@dennis.co.uk
Deputy editor Kenny Hemphill reviews@macuser.co.uk
Contributing editor Howard Oakley
Technical editor Keith Martin
Sta writer Alan Stonebridge alan_stonebridge@dennis.co.uk
Senior reporter Matthew Sparkes
ART
Art editor Camille Neilson
Freelance designers Heather Reeves, Fanni Kosztolanyi
Images Danny Bird, Jan Cihak
PRODUCTION
Production editor Jon Lysons
Remote sub-editor Kirsty Fortune
Sub-editors Rob Woodcock
Ad production executive Michael Hills 020 7907 6129
Digital production manager Nicky Baker
iPad UK pricing
From Christian Webb
A magical and revolutionary product at
an unbelievable price. What a load of
bol****s. They clearly missed out the
word high.
Now, not one to have ever written a
letter to Inbox, but the iPads UK pricing
leaves me incensed. Im a true Apple
acionado, and I work, rest and play with
its products, so there has got to be
something seriously amiss for me to feel
this way. Apple has certainly lost the plot
with this one and no amount of fudging
the exchange rate or lame excuse can
justify the pricing structure for the
long-suffering UK customer.
This has certainly distanced me from
what was going to be a dead-cert purchase.
I even jumped the gun and already have
the hand-crafted Vaja case in waiting for the
iPads impending release. The US price of
$829 for the 64GB wi + 3G translates at
current exchange rates at 562.50, so why
do we have to suffer a 136.50 penalty?
Looks like the Vaja will stay in its box until
Apple realigns its prices.
The iPad is a cool technology, yes, but
not at any price.
MacUser replies: But the $829 64GB wi
+ 3G iPad doesnt actually cost $829,
does it? Buy it in Chicago and youll have
to pay an additional 9.75% in sales tax,
which pushes up the price to $909.82.
In sterling, thats 627.53, which is 71
(around 10%) less than it costs in the
ADVERTISING
UK. Prices quoted on the US Apple

Store dont include tax, you see, as it
varies between states, which means
direct comparisons with UK prices are
often inaccurate.
Now, I would like it as much as
the next person if there was no 71
difference between the US and UK
prices, but there are plenty of reasons
why any US company not just Apple
would choose to sell something for
more in the UK than it does at home.
Transportation, for example: the iPad
is built in China, which is one Pacic
crossing away from the US west
coast. To get the same product to us
involves a far longer voyage, which in
turn will cost more to commission.
It works both ways. There are
plenty of products that cost less in
the UK than they do in the US, either
because of tax positions or business
decisions. The product youre holding
right now is a prime example: buy a
UK magazine here in Britain and it will
almost certainly cost you less than it
does to buy the same thing in the US.
Lets play club a penguin
COMPETITION WINNERS
From Andy Thornley

In response to Apple CEO Steve Jobs attack
on Adobes Flash, is he perhaps shooting
himself in the foot whereby the incredibly
popular (and I assume protable) kids site,
Club Penguin, which uses Flash almost
exclusively, wont be able to run on one of
the most affordable and desirable web
browsing devices ever?
My kids are already drooling over the iPad
as the ultimate new gaming device. As Steve
is the major shareholder of Disney, which
owns the Club Penguin site, am I missing
something here?
The winner of a Mac1 DataTale Raid

storage system (see MacUser, 26 February
2010, p43, and 12 March 2010, p43) is:
Robert Fairbrother, Surrey
Advertising manager Alexandra Skinner

020 7907 6623 alex_skinner@dennis.co.uk
Account director Nicky Crawford
020 7907 6624 nicky_crawford@dennis.co.uk
Online group ad manager Gary Rayneau
020 7907 6812 gary_rayneau@dennis.co.uk
Classified sales executive Carol-Anne Cross
020 7907 6617 carol-anne_cross@dennis.co.uk
US advertising manager Matthew Sullivan-Pond
++1 646 717 9555 matthew_sullivan@dennis.co.uk
List rental inserts executive John Perry
020 7907 6151 john_perry@dennis.co.uk
PUBLISHING & MARKETING

Publisher Paul Rayner 020 7907 6663
paul_rayner@dennis.co.uk
Marketing manager Claire Scrase 020 7907 6113
Editorial & marketing assistant
Emily Hodges 020 7907 6270
DENNIS PUBLISHING LTD
Managing director technology and motoring Ian Westwood
Production director Robin Ryan
Managing director of advertising Julian Lloyd-Evans
Newstrade director Martin Belson
Managing director digital Pete Wootton
Chief operating ocer Brett Reynolds
Group nance director Ian Leggett
Chief executive James Tye
Chairman Felix Dennis
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This issue is dedicated to summer holidays.
The winners of an inMotion Max and .Audio

995 headset (see MacUser, 26 March
2010, p41, and 9 April 2010, p72) are:
Ryan Coles, Bristol; Ross Allmett, Plymouth
The winners of a Mac refurbishment (see
MacUser, 9 April 2010, p20) are:
Emma Scrivener, Otley; Graham Cutter,
Fareham; S Y McGreavy, London
The paper used within this magazine is

produced from sustainable bre,
manufactured by mills with a valid chain
of custody.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
inbox
023
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
024
showcase
MAC-USING CREATIVES SHOW OFF THEIR WORK AND REVEAL WHAT MAKES THEM TICK
Jake Blanchard was born in the Peak District. Afer nishing his degree
in illustration in Brighton, he moved to London and is now a freelance
illustrator. Clients include the BBC, Nike, The Guardian and Habitat
Skateboards. He has exhibited throughout the UK, the US and France.
What was your rst Mac?

It was one of the anglepoise-style iMacs, with
the dome-shaped base and the stem bearing
a at-screen monitor.
What Mac you are using?
A MacBook Pro. Ive had it for around three
years now and plan to upgrade soon.
CONTACT DETAILS
Name Jake Blanchard
Current employment Self-employed
Email jaketb@gmail.com
URL www.jakeblanchard.co.uk
Tel +44 (0)7905 656464
What other equipment do you use?

Obviously, I use a lot of drawing equipment
pens, pencils and so on. In terms of
electronics, I use a Wacom Intuos 3, which
has become a pretty important part of my
working process. I also have a Brother DCP-
Creative workspace
330C A4 printer and scanner, an HP Deskjet

1220C A3 printer, a LaCie external hard drive
and an Akasa laptop cooling pad.
Whats your favourite software program and
what was the rst program you used?
I suppose Photoshop is my favourite, as I use
it in pretty much all of my work and Ive been
using it since I rst employed a computer for
artwork. I suppose the rst artistic program
I used was Flash I used to make little
animations when I was a kid.
Can you offer any tips for success?
I think if you really love what you do, then
youll nd a way, but it doesnt hurt to do a
bit of self-promotion you wont get any work
unless people know you exist.
As a child, what did you want
to be when you grew up?
Some kind of art was always on the cards,
but for a while I wanted to be a biologist of
some sort. Im still really interested in the
sciences and I try to keep up to date with
whats going on.
How did you get your rst big break?
It doesnt really feel like Ive had a big break.
If there was one, I suppose it was a book cover
I did for Random House someone there saw
my degree show gave me a commission. I also
did some skateboards for Habitat about two
weeks after my show.
Talk us through these examples:
01 Rainforest
This was a window Display for Douglas &
Gordon. As with all my work here, it was hand
drawn, and then scanned and coloured in
Photoshop. This piece was then separated
025
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
01
02
to make positives and screen printed into

mountboard. The individual elements were
then cut out by hand. Some of the larger
pieces were digitally printed onto plastic and
then Cad cut.
02 Enjoy Nature
This was a T-shirt design for Howies. Again, it
was hand drawn, scanned, coloured and then
laid out in Photoshop.
03 Hell Horse and Heady Stratus
A record sleeve for Moon Unit, under the
Blackest Rainbow Records label. Once
again, this was hand drawn, scanned
and digitally coloured.
03
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
026
04
04 Mammoth Hunt
This is artwork for a wrapping paper
repeat pattern for Frinton Press. To make
the repeat pattern, I used a square
image and then cut it into quarters in
Photoshop. Once the corners had been
reversed, I simply lled the gaps with
more drawings.
05 MV&EE
These works were for UK and European
tour posters for MV&EE. The nished
pieces were separated to make positives
for screen printing.
06 Bait Ball
This was personal work for an exhibition.
Halftone dots were added to the hand-
05
drawn and digitally coloured piece, and

then the image was separated to make
positives for screen printing.
What or who inspires your work?
I have a huge number of inuences. I grew
up on Maurice Sendak and Quentin Blake,
who initially made me consider doing
illustration. Also Hayao Miyazaki and Isao
Takahata of Studio Ghibli. More recently,
I think Stuart Kolakovic and Pietari Posti
are producing some amazing work.
Im also inspired by the lms of
Wes Anderson, Takeshi Kitano and
Shane Meadows.
Music is also a huge inuence, and I
have to thank my brother for introducing
me to so much of it.
027
What mistakes have you learned from?

Learn to play an instrument when youre
young, because youll regret it in later life
if you dont.
Whats your ideal project?
I always enjoy working with Habitat
Skateboards, but really I love the variety
of working on different things. I think just
working with nice people who respect the
illustrators with whom they work is whats
most important to me.
Oh, actually, Id like to do a vinyl sleeve
with a gatefold.
Tell us something good...
Pangolins are good.
Whats your favourite gadget?
My lap steel guitar, if that counts as
a gadget. I just wish I could actually
play the thing.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
06
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18 June 2010
030
reviews
FOR THE LATEST REVIEWS GO TO WWW.MACUSER.CO.UK/REVIEWS
Reviews
Half-Life 2
Reviews policy
31
Immersive and exciting game that has you

taking on aliens who have taken over Earth
Leica M9
34
A compelling choice for professionals who

need a full-frame CCD in a compact body
Clickfree C2N 250GB
35
A neat solution to the problem of backing

up multiple computers over a network
Adobe Lightroom 3
36
This top-class photographic workow

application is bursting with useful features
Monotype Web Fonts
38
The easiest way so far to use custom

typefaces in a website. And its free
NeatImage Pro 6.2
40
This Photoshop plug-in is perfect for

removing noise from digital images
Samsung NX10
42
This compact from Samsung is an attractive

alternative to Micro Four Thirds cameras
Camera Connection Kit
43
If youre a photographer, youll get more out

of your iPad thanks to this accessory
iBomber 2
44
Take to the skies with this highly addictive

game that uses the iPhones accelerometer
Canon 5D Mark II:

Basic Controls
44
This app is of interest to novices of both

the Canon Eos 5D Mark II and photography
Everything iWant
46
A round-up of the latest, most-desirable

gadgets available for the iPad and iPhone
Plug-ins for InDesign

and QuarkXPress
48
Boost the performance of these programs

with our favourite third-party add-ons
Awards system
Editors Choice
HOW
MacUser rmly believes that a proper,
detailed review can be carried out
only by rigorously testing the product.
We dont believe value is derived from
describing a products features without
any analysis. Well never give a positive
review to a product that we believe isnt
worth our readers buying, which means
that a positive MacUser review is of
enormous value to both the reader and
the manufacturer of the product.
Products are tested in-house wherever
possible, using a mix of industry-standard
and bespoke testing software suites.
Top-rated products earn themselves
a place in our exclusive Hot Kit section to
provide you with an issue-by-issue update
of the best products in any category for use
on a Mac. This, along with our denitive
awards system (below), lets you see at
a glance which products are worth the
manufacturers asking price.
EDITORS
CHOICE
This award can be given at the

editors discretion to a product
judged as outstanding and a
must-buy in the issue.
Labs Winner
LABS
WINNER
Given to the products that in

the opinion of the reviewer are
the best in their eld at the
time of testing.
Best Value
Only the very best products
make it into our Hot Kit
section. They are the products
on which the editorial team
would spend their own money.
MacUser ratings
PRODUCT SELECTION
We give priority to mainstream products,
but we also make every effort to cover a
broad range of items, and regularly feature
niche products.
COMPLAINTS
We do everything we can to publish fair
and accurate reviews. If errors do occur we
correct them in Search and Replace in the
Mailbox section.
A perfect product with great features

at a great price.
A product with minor aws but which

is nonetheless excellent.
A good product that does everything

its designed to do.
A product thats outclassed by

others in its eld.
A poor product that we cant

recommend in its current state.
031
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Game
Illustrations Courtesy of Valve Software
Half-Life 2
Price 6.99 for Half-Life 2 alone;
16.99 as part of The Orange Box
Contact Steam + steampowered.com
Requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later +
Nvidia GeForce 8 Series or better + ATI
X1600 or better + Steam application
and account + Internet connection
Pros Thrilling storyline + Exciting
gameplay + Superb characterisations
and dialogue + Decent graphics
despite its age
Cons Story continues with two shorter
episodes but has yet to be concluded
Verdict Half-Life 2 is an enduring
masterpiece and, regardless of its age,
its the most thrilling game to hit the
Mac in a very long time.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
032
alf-Life 2 puts you in the boots of

Doctor Gordon Freeman, a survivor
of an incident at the Black Mesa
Research Facility, chronicled in the original
game, in which an experiment opened a
gateway to another world, allowing alien life
forms to spill through. In that game, Freeman
found himself caught in the crossre of the
aliens and the US militarys attempts to clean
up the situation and dispose of all witnesses.
You dont need to have played the original,
though, as Half-Life 2 picks up long after the
events of the original game.
Freeman nds himself on a train bound
for City 17, having just been woken from
stasis by G-Man, a character spotted at
several points wandering through Black Mesa
with a mysterious agenda. In his absence,
Freemans world has changed dramatically
and its clear something is amiss the moment
he steps off the train. Video screens tower
above, playing platitudes from Doctor Breen,
the citys human administrator, but they offer
little comfort as you guide Freeman through
the train station, bearing witness to masked
Civil Protection ofcers that brutalise the
human population.
When you step outside of the railway
station, youre greeted by an eastern
European city with the distinctly unearthly
Citadel towering in the distance. Seconds
later, a robotic camera oats into view and
blasts a camera ash in your face. Not long
after that, the weaponless protagonist is on
the run in this dystopian nightmare, dashing
through buildings and down alleys in ight
from the citys police force. An alien force
known as The Combine is behind this hellish
vision of the future. Breen refers to them as
our benefactors, but you wont be mistaken
for a second that their intentions towards the
humans are hostile.
Despite the games age, its art direction
and soundscape hold up well after six years
and portray a convincing environment, enough
that youll ignore any signs of ageing and
focus on the storyline. The characters you
meet and the events that take place pull you
One of the games early highlights is Freemans
attempt to ee the city via aqueducts and canals.
A shadow is cast over City 17 by The Combines

Citadel. Wherever you go, surveillance ofcers and
oating scanners are in hot pursuit.
in and barely relax their grip during the long

aqueducts. The intensity of that segment
and arduous journey, which takes in a variety
mounts over time, like a solid action movie.
of locations that steadily reveal more of this
Its an exhilarating ride that incorporates
worlds horrors.
some stunning battles where you face foot
Its vital that you keep watch for lambda
soldiers taking aim from bridges overhead all
symbols painted on walls, which indicate a
the way up to some of the most frightening
nearby cache left by the human resistance
military hardware.
movement. Reassuring crates of rst aid kits
Half-Life 2 is devoid of traditional
may also conceal cruel surprises as alien
cutscenes that wrestle control from your
head crabs (a lot like face huggers from the
hands to deliver exposition. Youre always in
Alien lms) leap at
you and try to attach
to Freemans cephalic
Freemans torch can only power itself for a short time,
region. Theyre among
although it will quickly recharge, but thats enough for
the least aggressive
the alien/human hybrids to swarm around you
enemies youll face,
but they can still
overpower you when
reeling from an intense Combine attack. Far
control of Freeman and free to move about
more nerve wracking are moments spent in
a room as a conversation takes place. The
dark, conned spaces. Freemans torch can
storys background is rooted in science
only power itself for a short time, although it
ction, but most of the technobabble in
will quickly recharge, but thats enough for the
the dialogue actually helps ll in the gaps
zombie-like alien/human hybrids that dwell in
in Freemans understanding of what has
unwelcoming places to swarm around you.
happened to the world.
Not all of the action takes place on foot.
Characters turn their heads to look in
Early on, theres a spectacular and lengthy
your direction and, when you stand close,
water-based sequence in which Freeman
their eyes arent glassy and cold but warm,
attempts to leave the city, eeing along
like real esh and blood. They also exhibit a
sense of personality and mental state through
their facial expressions. There are some
wonderfully tender moments in which Freeman
gets to know Alyx, the feisty young woman
who helps him adjust to his surroundings.
Freeman doesnt utter a word during
the game, which is important, as it lets
you imprint your own personality upon him.
The game is heavily scripted, both in these
moments and in the action, and although
your path is guided and linear, theres enough
room to manoeuvre in every scene that,
should Freeman be killed, you get a real
sense that you can try a different approach.
A large part of that is down to the arsenal
at your disposal, which includes standard
fare such as shotguns and ries. You also
have a crowbar, but pray you never have to fall
back on it because thats a sure sign youre
033
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Half-Life 2s cast of characters is brought to life with great dialogue and expressive animation.
outmatched. Half-Life 2 also introduces the

gravity gun, which lets you pick up large objects
such as metal drums and wooden planks, then
toss them away with a forceful blast: pick up an
explosive barrel and wipe out a bunch of your
enemies. You can even pick up some of your
humanoid foes and use their ailing body to
knock down their squad like bowling pins. The
gravity gun is also the basis of many puzzles in
Half-Life 2, balancing out the action with some
more thoughtful moments.
The environment feels like a living,
breathing world, although there are pauses
at specic points as the next area is loaded.
Theyre carefully positioned for the most part,
and not too intrusive to the ow of the story. By
the time you reach the end, youll be relieved
and breathless, like youve just enjoyed a
great novel. The journey is substantial, but
make no mistake: this is denitely not one for
young kids to play. Although there are puzzle
elements, there is a considerable amount of
violence, even though Half-Life 2 justies it
as a battle against subjugation. With an open
mind about that, youre in for one hell of a ride.
Its easy to see why Half-Life 2 has garnered a
reputation as one of the best PC games ever
released, and thats why its right at the top of
our list as the best Mac game.
Alan Stonebridge
The story
continues
Half-Life 2 is followed by two episodic
installments that depict the aftermath
of the main games events. Episode 1
is the weaker of the two, although it
eshes out more of the background
and shouldnt be skipped, as its
an important bridge into Episode 2.
Were fast approaching Episode 2s
third anniversary with little information
available about the next installment. At
least youll endure a shorter wait for it
to materialise than PC gamers. In the
meantime, the best-value option is to
snap up Half-Life 2 and its expansions
in The Orange Box (16.99), which
also includes Portal (see MacUser
4 June, p47) and online multiplayer
Team Fortress 2, which will be
available to download at a later date.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
034
Digital rangender camera
Leica M9
EDITORS
CHOICE
Price 4850 (4128 ex VAT) body

only; 6810 (5796 ex VAT) with
Leica 35mm f/2.0 Summicron
Contact Leica + en.leica-camera.com
Needs Mac OS X 10.3 or later
Pros Picture quality + Lens choice
+ Discrete operation + Build
Cons Price
Verdict A compelling choice for
professionals who need a fullframe CCD in a compact body.
he pressures on photographers in
public spaces these days means that
the need for smaller, lighter and more
discreet cameras is higher now than at any
time previously. Perhaps thats one of the
reasons why mirrorless cameras, such as
the Micro Four Thirds Olympus Pen E-P2 (see
MacUser, 26 February, p38) and Panasonic
Lumix GF1 (see MacUser 1 January, p30), are
so popular. With the Samsung NX 10 (see
p42) and now Sony joining the fray, its ironic
that the bulky SLR was a direct adaptation
from the original mirrorless camera, the
coupled rangender, in the late 1950s.
Leicas iconic M3 rangender has evolved
into the digital M9. Its the rst M-series
digital body from Leica to adopt a full-frame
CCD, the same size as a 35mm negative.
With its physically smaller APS-H size CCD,
the M8.2 (see MacUser, 28 August 2009,
p32) was unable to fully exploit the original
angle of view of Leicas extensive range of
highly-regarded lenses. Existing users would
have been forced to accept the cropped
image or replace valuable lenses with more
costly wider alternatives.
Detractors also cited Leicas use of an

exceptionally thin hot-mirror lter over the
sensor to prevent infrared pollution, giving rise
to the occasional magenta tinted skin-tones
and mauve tint to black synthetics under
certain incandescent lighting. Noise levels
werent great at high ISOs, for instance, but in
fairness the M8.2 was capable of the highest
quality stills using most of the ISO range, while
providing access to some remarkable lenses.
The M3 rangefinder has evolved

into the digital M9. Its the
first M-series digital body from
Leica to adopt a full-frame CCD
In many respects the M9 can be viewed
as an upgrade. Rangender lenses sit very
close to the sensor, and so are smaller than
DSLR lenses, though corner shading is an
issue. Boasting offset micro-lenses with a lowrefractive index to capture the most oblique
rays and to reduce fringing, the headline
news is the new 24 x 36mm 18-megapixel

Kodak-sourced, purpose-made CCD. Theres
no anti-aliasing, or moir, lter, so images are
extremely well detailed and the slightly thicker
cover-glass is much more efcient at blocking
infrared. We couldnt detect any contamination
in our test shots and fringing was very low, too.
As well as the new full-frame sensor,
the M9 has sensitivity running natively
from ISO160 through to IS02500 with a
pull setting of ISO80, continuous shooting
at around 2fps for eight Raw les and a
2.5in 230,000-pixel screen. All somewhat
conservative, but with top and bottom
plates made of brass and a shell made from
magnesium alloy, build quality is high.
The body is remarkably similar in design to
the M8 models, but the small top-plate LCD
depicting the battery status has gone. This
has been replaced now with an info panel,
depicting battery life as well the remaining SD
cards capacity using the rear screen. While
not as large or as detailed as the majority of
panels now on offer, its size doesnt affect
the M-series, clean lines. At the rear, the
controls look identical, though some of the
NO IR CONTAMINATION
Infrared contamination, an issue for
the M8.2, has been largely eradicated
thanks to a new, thicker, more efcient
hot-mirror cover-glass over the CCD.
HIGH BUILD QUALITY

Both top and bottom plates are made
of brass, while the body is made
high-strength magnesium alloy. Largely
hand-made in Porto, Portugal and
Solms, Germany, build quality of the
Leica M9 is very high.
035
WIDE LENS CHOICE

The Leica M9 has the widest range
of high-quality lenses available for a
camera of this size. Rival mirrorless
cameras simply dont offer professional
image makers the choice.
SMALL BUT POWERFUL

Boasting laterally displaced microlenses to reduce corner-shading, the
M9 is the smallest camera to feature a
full-frame 35mm format CCD purposemade for the M-series RF lenses.
functionality has been changed for the better;

most notably, selection of EV compensation.
You can make adjustments in three different
ways now, two of which can be made without
taking the camera from your eye.
From our test shots, noise levels have
been improved, but even though the sensor
is larger, the pixel density remains the same
as the previous models. All but the maximum
sensitivity of ISO2500 is usable, and even
Picture quality is excellent,

with great colour rendition,
smooth out-of-focus highlights
and superb tonal gradation
then with very careful exposure it can still
be selected in emergencies. While there
are no electronic contacts between camera
and lens the latest lenses are coded, a
series of black and white dots are read
optically to compensate for vignetting. We
saw some evidence of it, though with the
superbly mounted, manual-focus 35mm f/2
Summicron lens we had during review, but its
common with fast aperture lenses. Picture
quality is excellent overall, with terric colour
rendition, smooth out of focus highlights and
superb tonal gradation. Raw le conversions
are especially striking in Aperture 3 and incamera Jpegs are improved over the M8.2.
While we were impressed with that
model, the M9 is clearly a step forward. At
this price though, its a considered choice.
For existing M-series lm users with a handful
of lenses, the M9 is the camera they will
have been waiting for. As the smallest, most
discreet camera available with a full-frame
35mm sensor and a range of lenses that
cant be bettered, professional image-makers
will nd the Leica M9 just as compelling.
Kevin Carter
Clickfree
C2N 250GB
Contact Clickfree + clickfree.com
Needs Mac OS X 10.5 or later + Intel
processor + USB port
Pros Easy to back up data + Portable
+ Can use over a network
Cons Restoring individual les and
folders is difcult
Verdict If retrieving data was as easy
as backing it up, the C2N would get full
marks. As it is, its a neat way to back
up multiple computers over a network.
lickfree has built its business on

encouraging us to back up our data
by making the process as simple as
possible. The C2N is its latest offering. The
basis of the device is a 250GB USB hard
drive, but theres a lot more to it than that.
The drive can connect directly to your
Mac, or sit in a dock that hooks up to the
computer. The dock cable has a second
USB plug, in case you use it with a laptop
that doesnt supply enough power over
a single USB connection to run the drive.
When you rst connect the C2N to your
Mac, it mounts a disk image that contains
the Clickfree software. Run the application,
and it immediately starts a 60-second
countdown before it starts backing up the
contents of your Home folder. If you dont
want all the contents of that directory
backed up, you can customise the
backup set by clicking on the Options
button, and checking and unchecking
folders as required.
Each time you plug-in the C2N
thereafter, it will perform an incremental
backup according to the settings that
youve chosen. Or, if youd rather, you can
keep the drive plugged in and create a
schedule for back-up routines.
If that was all there was to the
C2N, it would be useful, but not
particularly newsworthy. What takes
it beyond that is the way it allows you
to back up multiple machines. So
long as the Macs or PCs you want to
back up are on the same local network,
all you need to do is connect the drive
to each of them once, and install
the Backup Link software.
The rst backup takes place
locally, but after that, as long
as the C2N is connected to
a computer on the network,
and that device is switched
on, every other machine on
the network can run scheduled backups to

it over the network.
As with every backup tool, the rst backup
isnt quick. Copying tens of gigabytes of
data, comprising tens of thousands of les,
takes several hours, even over USB 2. Once
thats done though, subsequent backups,
which only copy les that have been added
or changed since last time, are relatively
quick. And the performance hit on your Mac
when the backup is running, is minimal.
You can customise the backup

set by clicking on the Options
button, and checking and
unchecking folders as required
So far, so good. Things start to go a little
awry though, when you need to restore from
a backup. If you want to restore everything, or
the entire contents of, say, your Documents
or Pictures folder, its easy. If, on the other
hand, you want to restore specic les, its
very difcult. Folders are listed in the Clickfree
softwares window in an apparently random
order, and theres no way to change the view
or the way theyre listed. This makes locating
nested folders or individual les very tricky.
That aside, the C2N is a neat solution to
the problem of backing up multiple computers
over a network. The fact that it works on both
Macs and PCs will be a boon if you have both
on your network and, as the drive is easily
portable, you can remove it and store it away
from the premises when its not in use. At
119 for 250GB, its not a cheap solution, but
it may just be worth it for the convenience.
Kenny Hemphill
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Portable backup tool
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
036
Digital darkroom
EDITORS
CHOICE
Adobe
Lightroom 3
Price 233 (198 ex VAT); upgrade

75 (64 ex VAT)
Contact Abobe + adobe.co.uk
Needs Intel-based Mac + Mac OS X
10.5 or higher + 2GB Ram
Pros Very fast + Easy to use + Useful
new features
Cons Expensive compared to Aperture
Verdict A top-class photographic
workow application, bursting with
features and adding some important
new ones to the old version.
fter an enormously successful

beta program that saw 600,000
pre-launch downloads, Lightroom
3 is out. It promises performance
improvements, new features and compatibility
with the image libraries generated by previous
versions of Lightroom, as well as those from
Photoshop Elements 6 and upwards.
The bones of the application are the
same as in previous versions, but thats not
to say there havent been some important
changes. A major new feature is the Lens
Prole tool. Select a lens you own from the
list and its aws are smoothed out. You can
even change exactly which alterations are
made to suit your own preferences. A decent
number of lenses are supported if you own
a Canon or Nikon consumer DSLR and use
the kit lens, youre probably covered. For more
esoteric lenses, you might nd yourself using
Adobes free Lens Prole Corrector, though.
For instance, Lightroom 3 supports just one
lens each from Sony and Tamron.
The Lightroom environment features many tools that will already be familiar to Photoshop users, such as the
histogram and curves control. The strip running along the bottom of the screen is the library.
Lightroom 3 also includes a new tool for

adding lm-like grain to your shots, which
is useful for making low-ISO images more
textured. Life is otherwise as it was in the
Develop module Lightroom continues to
offer swift performance, and its powerful
brushes and graduated lter tools are just
as useful this time around.
Previously, tethering a camera to a Mac
running Lightroom required a complicated
series of workarounds, and third-party plug-ins
or applications. Now its included out of the
box for a decent selection of mid-range and
above Nikon cameras, and nearly all current
Canons from the 1000D up. It works well,
too. You cant change shooting settings
from the software, but you can trigger the
shutter, and the delay between taking a
10MB Raw le and it appearing in Lightroom
is comfortably under ve seconds on a midrange MacBook. Its entirely usable and an
excellent addition for studio photographers.
Theres some good news for slideshow
acionados, with Lightroom 3 adding the
Like Aperture, Lightroom has a slideshow feature, allowing you to show off your best images in the way that
suits them best. Adding a watermark to your images will help protect them from online theft.
ability to export a slideshow to an Mpeg-4

video. However, it still cant set differing
display times for individual slides and still has
relatively few templates. It adds some muscle
to the series watermarking capabilities,
though: you can now choose the font (or an
image), as well its size, location in the frame,
its shadow and its colour.
All of these features add up to a good,
if not essential, upgrade. Lightrooms core
editing suite remains as powerful as ever.
Performance is exceptional and, although
theres a perceptible difference in how it
handles noise reduction, its only really
obvious when viewing images at 100%.
Upgrading from an earlier version of
Lightroom is good value it will cost you
75 to upgrade from an old version. The
big question comes if youre looking to
invest in a new software package and
are deciding between Lightroom and the
excellent Aperture 3. The full version of
Apples program costs 169, while Adobes
is more than 60 more expensive, at 233.
Aperture also offers a few consumer-friendly
touches features such as Faces and Places,
which place your images on a map and pick
out people automatically.
Lightroom is, however, streets ahead in
some important areas. New features such
as lens proles give photographers more
editing exibility, and it continues to offer
tools missing from Apples photo-editing
application, not least the landscape-saving
graduated lter. Its also much faster and
more stable than Aperture.
In this latest version, Lightroom 2s
limitations, such as poor watermarking
and lack of tethered shooting, have been
addressed, while Adobe has wisely avoided
attempting to x features that didnt need
it. The result is a fast, stable workow
application that addresses virtually every
need a photographer might have and,
crucially, still produces stellar images.
Dave Stevenson
Getting the perfect wildlife shot

becomes your life. Losing it would
be like losing part of yourself.
Stefano Unterthiner | www.stefanounterthiner.com
Portable Bus-Powered Dual-Drive System
Award-winning wildlife photographer Stefano Unterthiner has

learned to be tough, resilient and fast. For his hard drives, it
comes naturally.
Stefano spends months in the wilderness, often in brutal conditions,
making friends with his elusive, wary subjects so he can convey their true
character. On location, he uses a bus-powered G-RAID Mini to store
the extraordinary, up-close images he takes with his Nikon D3 camera,
always condent hell get them home in one piece.
Back in the studio, Stefano processes and edits in Adobe Lightroom,
backing up on a G-SAFE drive as he makes ne adjustments to coax out
even more drama and intensity.
Losing his precious images at any stage would be hard to bear. But thats
one danger hell happily live without.
UP TO
1TB
,
800,
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when connected eSATA
Comes with leather

carrying case
*via included FireWire 800 to FireWire 400 cable
Stefano Unterthiner trusts his creativity to G-Technology drives. Find out more at G-Technology.eu
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
038
The changing face of

typography online
There are lots of ways to use custom fonts on websites, but they all have
their caveats. Monotypes Web Fonts service could change all that.
ay web and typography in

the same breath and you know
youre facing a tough challenge.
Using type effectively, from the design
side, in web pages has been problematic
since the dawn of web browsers. Having
to stick to typefaces installed on visitors
computers the so-called web-safe
fonts is a painful lesson every designer
has to learn.
The big news is that in recent years
custom fonts have become not just possible,
but easy to implement. The @font-face CSS
rule, sIFR and Cufn all satisfy the basic
requirement of having real text in the web
page, keeping things search engine-friendly
and accessible.
All these methods also present custom

typeset words to most visitors, but theyre
not all equal. sIFR (Scalable Inman Flash
Replacement), for example, replaces text
elements with Flash graphics; clever but
reliant on Flash, which isnt quite as sure
a bet as it used to be. Cufn, on the other
hand, uses VML or HTML5s canvas element
to draw character shapes, but fonts need to
be converted to an SVG format rst.
The @font-face format is a little more
direct: it effectively downloads and soft
installs the required typeface to the
browser. This works in the majority of
browsers, including (dont faint) Internet
Explorer 4. Its effective and it works with
standard web production techniques, but
not all font foundries are exactly happy with

this because it requires allowing fonts to be
copied whenever a web page is visited.
This point meant that Monotypes
recently announced Web Fonts service,
currently running as a free beta program,
took us somewhat by surprise. This uses
the companys own take on the @font-face
process, and it offers a large chunk of
Monotypes core font library to play with.
Now, calm down yes, this is one of
the key foundries, and, yes, it does make
custom font use easier than ever before,
and, yes, it costs nothing... oh okay, go
ahead and get excited. However, read our
review below and digest everything before
making any decisions.
Typeface library
Monotype
Web Fonts
Price Beta is free for the moment;

pricing to be conrmed.
Contact Monotype + webfonts.fonts.com
Pros Easy way to get non-web-safe
fonts into web pages + Broad selection
Cons Uncertain future cost + Will
encourage use of unsuitable fonts
Verdict Monotype Web Fonts lets you
use a broad range of typefaces in web
pages. Its worth exploring, but keep an
eye on the site in case of changes.
Once a selection of fonts has been made, Web Fonts lets you override the web pages existing type settings.
onotypes Web Fonts beta

program is free, which is a great
deal considering that you get
web-use access to a generous selection
of Monotypes typeface library. Not all of it,
but an impressive 2312 fonts, weights and
styles at the time we tested it. This puts
the alternatives to shame: Google currently
offers just 18 fonts, and even FontSquirrels
library is less than half the size.
Searching through the library (ltering
fonts alphabetically, by classication,
designer, foundry and by language support)
shows a good selection of classics and font
workhorses, plus quirky headliners, ourishing
scripts, ornaments, technical curiosities

and everything else that youd expect from a
mature type catalogue.
Using the Web Fonts service is easier than
the alternatives. First, set up a project you
can have multiple projects. Youll need to
add the web domain that will be used for
example, www.macuser.co.uk. To test pages
locally, add le:/// as a domain as well. At
this point, you can browse the font library and
add likely candidates to your project. This
builds a font shortlist. Once you have some
fonts to try, you set up style sheets. Simply
add the appropriate selectors (for example,
h1, body, .navigation, or whatever you use
to style your text now) and pick the font you

want. Paste a single line of JavaScript code
into the body of your HTML page and the jobs
done. You should still set up regular CSS font
styles for browsers that dont work with this
font trick, and for those that cant or wont
process JavaScript, too, but in our tests it
seemed to be a robust process.
Changing the fonts that are shown in a
site is just a matter of logging into fonts.com,
picking a selector and changing the font thats
assigned to it. Your sites will instantly show
the new selection, using the same one-liner
JavaScript string you added in the rst place.
The fonts are served from Monotypes
039
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Monotypes Web Fonts beta

program is free, which is a great
deal considering you get web-use
access to a generous selection of
Monotypes typeface library
Monotypes claims for the Web Fonts service font selection, speed, ease of use, and so on seem justied.
Fonts.com contains a large number of different

fonts, although many are only suited to headlines.
Restrain yourself
The end result of using the Web Fonts service is true custom typefaces in regular web page layouts with
no impact on standard production methods or search engine visibility.
fonts.com server network, an array of hundreds

of machines, so accessing the font data is
likely to be the fastest part of your overall site.
The bottom line is that this Web Fonts
service does what it promises. But although
the service is free now, it wont be when
it leaves beta or at least not fully free.
Pricing hasnt been nalised, but current beta
accounts will be converted automatically to a
free Trial Tier account rather than become
chargeable. According to Monotype, these
will have access to all the fonts currently
available, although it reserves the right to
serve adverts on Trial Tier account websites.
Is this fair? Uninvited ads arent exactly
endearing. This sort of thing can turn people
off, but it isnt at all unfair, just perhaps
not the friendliest approach. Professional
typeface designs do take staggering levels
of effort to make, and Monotype is in the
business of selling typefaces, and what we
choose to use on our sites is up to us.
The Web Fonts beta program is the
easiest way so far to use custom typefaces
in a site, and its linked to a world-class font
library. If you want to use custom fonts, this

is a very tempting method and commercial
projects should be able to swallow the
eventual fee without a problem. But if youre
dabbling and you use this in a public site, you
should keep an eye out for when the service
leaves beta and be ready to remove it, switch
to a different font-replacement method, or
The Web Fonts beta program is

the easiest way so far to use
custom typefaces in a site, and it is
linked to a world-class font library.
upgrade to the paid-for service if ads appear.
Switching the free beta service to an adsupported free service transparently is both
understandable (from Monotypes position)
and worrying (from the users position).
Turn these things over in your mind; if it still
bothers you, then use a different method.
Keith Martin
Just because you can now use almost any

font you like in a website doesnt mean
you should. For one thing, looking good
in print is no guarantee of looking good
on screen, especially at body text sizes.
One of the reasons why the core web-safe
fonts were made back in the early 1990s
was to create fonts that were exceptionally
clear at small sizes on computer screens.
Matthew Carters Verdana and Georgia
are amazing at this, whereas Gill Sans at
9pt or 9 pixels just isnt. By all means use
custom Web Fonts, but start with displaylevel text and tread carefully with smaller
sizes and longer runs of type.
Were still not sure how Monotype
squares the inherent insecurity of the
@font-face process with its own interests
and basic copyright questions. Extracting
an @font-face TrueType font from the
browser cache is simple, although
admittedly, in Monotypes case, the le
naming was hashed up impressively.
Will the company rely on licences and
copyright awareness to prevent font
pilfering or is it working on more robust
methods for later beta or nal versions
of the service? Well have to wait to be
certain. For now, this is impressively easy
and offers a huge range of faces. But be
warned: if you pick and use a Comic Sans
lookalike, we will hunt you down.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
040
Photoshop plug-in
NeatImage
Pro 6.2
EDITORS
CHOICE
Price $49.90 (about 34); Pro version

(supports 16-bit images and Actions)
$79.90 (about 55)
Contact Neat Image + neatimage.com
Needs Mac OS X + Intel or PowerPC
+ 1GB Ram
Pros Fast, effective noise removal +
Fine detail is retained +Slick interface
Cons None
Verdict The perfect solution for
removing noise from digital photos
Taken without a ash in an art gallery this photo shows a high degree of noise, making it unusable as it stands.
f theres one thing that frustrates

photographers more than anything,
its noise. Taking photographs indoors,
without a ash, requires either a tripod or
a high ISO setting and this necessarily
produces a lot of grainy noise in the image.
While Camera Raw in Photoshop CS5 at
last offers some noise-reduction technology,
the NeatImage plug-in performs a far better
job, and offers a high degree of user control
over the nished image.
NeatImage works in two ways: the rst
is to use an existing prole for your camera,
freely downloadable from the huge range
of camera models, le types and even ISO
proles available on the NeatImage website.
Once these are placed in the Proles folder,
the plug-in will automatically match the
image its working on with the appropriate
prole, using the Exif data stored within the
image. By matching the le with a prole that

describes the noise typical of that particular
combination of camera, le and ISO setting,
NeatImage is then able to apply a standard
noise reduction that best suits the generic
image in question.
The second method is to build an
automatic noise-reduction algorithm on the
y, and this is the really ingenious part.
First of all, the application examines your
photograph, looking for a blank region
which may be an area of sky, or a wall,
or a piece of white paper. It needs a region
128 pixels square in order to produce a
good result: if it cant nd one automatically,
you can select an area yourself.
Once a blank area has been identied,
NeatImage examines the noise in that area
and then proceeds to remove exactly that
type of noise from the rest of the image.
Advanced Mode offers a high degree of control, but even its automatic settings produce vastly superior results.
And the results can be extraordinary: all

the noise and only the noise is ltered
out, leaving the rest of the image sharp
and clear. The really surprising result is
that ne detail is retained, even when the
detail is so small that its apparently ner
than the noise itself.
The NeatImage interface is in two
panes. The rst is the Device Noise Prole
pane, where we choose the noise reduction
method (building a prole from the image,
or matching to an existing le). Here, you
can choose to view a graphical read-out of
the noise levels, together with a view of the
blank area sampled by Auto Proling. You
can also switch to an Advanced Mode, which
displays a graph showing the RGB component
that you can tweak manually.
When you switch to the Noise Filter
Settings pain, you can see the results of the
operation. In Standard Mode, NeatImage
offers two sliders that control the amount
of luminance and colour noise reduction, as
well as a single slider to adjust sharpening.
Initially, the whole image is shown with the
lter applied, but you can select any region to
see the effect applied just there, allowing you
to see the unltered image behind.
In Advanced Mode, the Filter Settings
pane expands to show sliders for high, midand low-value noise, as well as for each of
the Lab channel components: you can adjust
each of these settings individually to ne-tune
the results, and can also apply sharpening to
specic noise types and Lab components.
This latest version of NeatImage works in
64-bit mode with Photoshop CS5, is speedy
in operation and produces dramatically
enhanced images even from seemingly
irreparable images. It also has the ability
to prepare the plug-in for bulk Actions.
Speedy, intuitive and remarkably effective,
NeatImage is the single Photoshop plug-in
we couldnt live without.
Steve Caplin
CMOS SENSOR
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
042
With over a 60% increase in the

surface area of an MFT sensor, the
NX10 is the rst mirrorless camera to
adopt an APS-C-size Cmos sensor.
Digital compact camera
Samsung NX10
with 18-55mm OIS kit lens
Contact Samsung
+ samsungcamera.co.uk
Needs Mac OS X 10.3 or later
Pros Compact size + Excellent
build and ergonomics + Detailed
EVF + Quality AMOLED screen
Cons Lenses + Clear rolling shutter
effects in HD video capture
Verdict An attractive alternative
to Micro Four Thirds cameras, but
Panasonic and Olympus have the edge.
IMAGE STABILISATION
amsung has both trumped former

collaborator, Pentax, and targeted
rival Micro Four Thirds cameras by
unveiling a new mirrorless camera system.
Dubbed NX, the rst offering in the
range is the NX10, a DSLR-style camera
with interchangeable lenses, an electronic
viewnder, built-in ash, a 3in AMOLED
screen and 720p HD video using an APS-Csize 14.6-megapixel Cmos sensor. Despite
a sensor thats physically larger than most
rivals, measuring 123 x 87 x 39.8mm, the
NX10 is no larger than the Panasonic Lumix
G2. Weighing in at around 400g with the
battery, the body is quite hefty but its an
indication of the quality of the build.
AMOLED DISPLAY
With excellent refresh rates, good
colour and detail, the NX10 has a
3in AMOLED display. Unfortunately,
the surface is highly reective.
WEIGHT LOSS
Like the MFT cameras, the NX10
lacks the bulky mirror box and
pentaprism of DSLRs, allowing for a
substantial reduction in the size and
weight of the bodies and lenses.
While the outer shell is of a polycarbonate

material, its impressively solid. We were sent
the 18-55mm (28-80mm equivalent) f/3.5-5.6
kit lens, a decent performer complete with
optical image stabilisation, but its a little
larger than rival Micro Four Thirds offerings.
We suspect that future lenses will be big too,
a consequence of the sensor size.
We were, however, sent an optionally
available 30mm (45mm equivalent) f/2 prime,
a fast, incredibly small pancake lens. While
less versatile than the zoom, the two together
are smaller than the Canon Eos 550 (see
MacUser, 23 April, p32) body on its own and
easily tted in a coat pocket, making them
an extremely attractive proposition.
In the hands, the NX10 is well thought
out and while ergonomics are subjective,
most who handled the camera thought it
well-balanced and comfortable. Its sprightly
in operation too, taking a second only to
power up and focus for the rst shot. You
can choose between either the electronic
viewnder or AMOLED screen.
Rather than in-camera anti-shake like

the rival Olympus Pen models, the
18-55mm (28-80 equivalent) kit lens
has built-in optical image stabilisation,
but bear in mind that the optional
pancake lens doesnt.
Both are usable, the electronic viewnder

surprisingly so. While the image is decent, part
of the reason is the clear layout of viewnder
information and the various menus. Some
of the sub-menus use an innovative circular
display of settings, controlled by the top-plate
command dial. Its all mirrored in the rear
AMOLED panel and its head and shoulders
above rivals. With super-fast refresh rates and
excellent colour and detail, the rear screen is
a highlight. Its supposed to be better in bright
light than conventional panels and while thats
true, the screen is still highly reective.
With all the usual features, auto-focus
options are extensive and perform largely to
expectations, though the NX10 adopts the
usual contrast AF mode of mirrorless cameras
so while its faster than the Olympus Pens its
still slightly behind that of a DSLR. Moreover,
its accurate in low-light at short distances
thanks to a AF assist lamp.
Picture quality is impressive, with very
good colour and detail at low ISOs, but out-ofcamera Jpegs lose more ne detail through
the range to the maximum ISO3200. Both
that and ISO1600 arent likely to be used
except for the web or smaller size prints.
We also noticed heavy rolling shutter effects
during HD video capture, and while useful, the
optical image stabiliser in the kit lens wasnt
as effective as some rival options.
Theres no doubt that the Samsung NX10
is an attractive proposition and a great rst
effort from a company with such a short
track record, but its limitations mean theres
no clear cut advantage over the already
established Micro Four Thirds models.
Kevin Carter
043
Camera
Connection Kit
Price 25 (21.28 ex VAT)

Contact Apple
Pros Attractive for photographers and
bloggers + Quick preview and import
+ Small and easy to store in a kit bag
Cons Poor options for browsing images
before importing them + One of the
adaptors may be totally redundant
Verdict Theres nothing wrong with the
kit per se, but Apple needs to improve
to the Photos app especially full-size
previews before importing.
he Camera Connection Kit consists

of a pair of white adaptors that plug
into the iPads Dock port. One is a
straight SD card reader and the other adds a
USB port, so you can connect cameras that
use other media. You will need to be in PTP
mode to transfer photos, and you can also
import images from an iPhone.
Once the media is recognised, the Photos
app opens at the hitherto unavailable Camera
tab. Its contents are shown as a long

list of small thumbnails, and you
can import everything or just a
selection of images. Ticks in
circles make it clear whats
already been imported
(green) and what youve
queued (blue). At the
end of the process,
a dialog asks if you
want to delete
or keep the
images on the
card, in case you
want to carry a second
copy. Images shot in both Jpeg
and Raw formats are agged up
as such in a single thumbnail,
and both are imported so you can
do more with the Raw version once
synced back to your Mac.
Our issues arent with the adaptors,
which do their job well. Thumbnails appear
quickly enough when you scroll down then
stop, but the inability to see images full-size
without importing them is a limitation on
the softwares side. The organisation of
a cameras contents is also poor. Theres
no way to hide previously imported photos
altogether, and with todays huge storage
you might end up scrolling past hundreds
of photos to reach your newest shots.
Momentum scrolling alleviates that a little,
but Apple has missed a trick by not letting
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
iPad accessory
The adaptors are small and light, so youll

easily nd a place for them in your kit bag.
you view a cards contents by date or some

other arrangement.
Its a little objectionable having to pay for
both adaptors, even if it makes sense from
a marketing point of view that you should
only need to buy a single, complete kit to
connect a camera. Despite the poor software
interface, if youre a blogger or a photographer
youll get a lot more out of your iPad thanks to
this kit, and the weight reduction over carrying
a MacBook is a bonus, so long as you can
cope with the limited photo manipulation
tools available for the iPad.
Alan Stonebridge
Finally, a way to connect your

pre-2009 Mac with an Apple
LED 24 Cinema Display
If you bought your Mac before 2009 you may already be aware that you can't directly connect it to one of Apple's new 24" Cinema
Displays. This is because the new LED screens only have a Mini DisplayPort input and your older Mac only has a DVI output.
But now atlast, this barrier can be removed thanks to the AT-DP200 DVI to Mini
DisplayPort converter from Atlona Technologies
Technologies. Exactly what you've been waiting for.
for
Buy the DVI to Mini DisplayPort

converter from www.futureshop.co.uk
For sales and expert advice please call 020 8905 1555
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
044
The games missions
range from destroying
the launch site for
the V-2 rocket to
sinking the enemys
super battleship.
iPhone app
iBomber 2
Price 1.79 from the App Store
URL bit.ly/a7HHgX
Verdict Take to the skies with this
highly addictive and good-looking
arcade-stlye game that makes full
use of the iPhones accelerometer.
Bomber 2 is the sequel to the successful

iBomber from developer Cobra Mobile.
Again, youre in the cockpit of a bomber
sent on hazardous missions in a bid to wipe
out specic enemy targets. There are 12
new missions to choose from, ranging from
destroying enemy bunkers to sinking a super
battleship, with each having a different set
of objectives.
The game is viewed through the
bombsights as you y over enemy territory,
and clicking on the red button releases your
load. Meanwhile, the enemy will try to shoot
you down with an array of military hardware.
With the bombsight in the centre of the
iPhone app
Canon 5D Mark
II: Basic Controls
Price 14.99 from the App Store
URL bit.ly/cO8Vqt
Verdict Theres a lot of video here
on the Eos 5D Mark II, but the cost
is too high considering that theres
an app for the cameras advanced
controls with the same price tag.
he rst thing you notice about Canon

5D Mark II: Basic Controls is the price.
At 14.99, its not an inexpensive
purchase. The next thing you notice is that,
at 214MB, its not a quick download, either.
This is due to the amount of video, as this
isnt just a digitisation of the text manual
for the Canon Eos 5D Mark II like the Handi
5Dmk2, but an app version of Blue Crane
Digitals training DVD.
As such, its a straight translation of
the DVD edition, complete with reference
to having your remote handy so you can
pause the DVD player, and theres over 90
minutes of video. On starting, you have
screen, you control your aircraft by tilting right

and left. To increase your aircrafts speed, you
tilt forwards while tilting back decreases it.
The controls are easy to get to grips with and
you can set the sensitivity to suit your needs.
just two choices: Play all or Select Chapter.

The chapters are fairly short and are based
around topics such as Aperture Value, ISO
and White Balance. The explanations are
succinct, but with just the right level of
information, and its handy
to see the cameras controls
being manipulated so you can
do the same on your own.
Nevertheless, the benet of
being able to view the video in
the eld to remind yourself of a
certain control is a real boon.
Other apps look at different
camera models, with the
Canon Eos 7D, Nikon D90 and
the D5000 already covered,
as well as apps for those
manufacturers ashguns.
Annoyingly, theres another
app for the Eos 5D Mark
IIs advance controls, which
means that if you want detailed
coverage of this cameras
system, including ash, you
would have to spend over 50.
If youre already an Eos 5D
Mark II owner, youre unlikely
to benet from watching the
Fortunately, the presenter isnt on
screen for much of the video, with the
real benet being the ability to see the
controls set on the camera, so you can
do the same on yours.
Youre armed with an

unlimited supply of bombs,
although you can pick up a
variety of specialist weaponry
with the help of power-ups.
New for iBomber 2 are depth
charges, torpedoes, artillery
support, blanket bombs and
ghter support in the form
of two spitres. A nice touch
here is that you can now hold
off using these until just the
right moment.
The graphics are highly
detailed and its easy to lose
a considerable amount of time
as the gameplay draws you
in. If you liked iBomber, youll see this as a
must-have app. For those who might dither
over the purchase, theres a lite version,
so you can at least try before you buy this
highly addictive game.
entire video from the beginning, which makes

this app only of real interest to absolute
novices of not just the Eos 5D Mark II but
also of photography.
Jon Lysons
0800 08 27753
www.computerwarehouse.co.uk
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www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
046
Everything
iWant
Words Kenny Hemphill
Photography Danny Bird
Apple
iPad Case
Price 3
Price
30
0 (25
(25
25.53
.53 ex VA
VAT)
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Con
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Apple
le
Apple
App
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ell iP
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case
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has a rubb
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serves to
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from
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047
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Apple iPad Dock

Price 2
Price
25
5 (21
(21.74
.74 ex VA
VAT)
T)
Contac
Con
tactt Ap
Apple
ple
The iP
iPad
ads
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Dock Co
Conne
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www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
048
Plug-ins for InDesign

and QuarkXPress
Adobe InDesign and QuarkXPress are both great desktop publishing tools,
but you can boost their performance with these third-party add-ons
If short-run printing is your thing, then Xdata is

a highly useful and powerful tool for your arsenal.
Xdata
Price $400 (about 272)
Contact Em Software + emsoftware.com
hile not a full-blown cataloguing

XTension (a role lled by its sister
product, xCatalog), Xdata for
QuarkXPress 6, 7 and 8 essentially works as
a high-powered and scriptable mail merge
application for short-run tailored printing.
Taking source data from a le such as
a spreadsheet, or tab or comma-delimited
text, you can set up matching elds in the
XPress document and then dene Englishlike scripts that tell it what to do with the
imported data. For example, you can store
variables and apply conditional formatting to
a page element based on the contents of any
eld in the source document.
Barcoder XT
Cropster
Price 68.15 (58 ex VAT)

Contact XChange UK + xchangeuk.com
Price $109 (about 74)

Contact Gluon + gluon.com
arCoderXT lets you add high-quality

EPS barcodes to your XPress layout
without the need for an external
third-party product. There are a number of
symbiologies from EAN, which is used in book
publishing, to UPC and Bookland.
Creating the barcode is easy. Once youve
chosen the symbiology from the XTensions
pop-up menu, you enter the relevant barcode
details and any supplemental data.
You can also enter a width reduction, set
a colour and produce half-height barcodes
(if allowed by the symbiology). Barcoder
checks the validity of the barcode at least
in the sense that youre entering the correct
number of digits and then lets you save
the resulting EPS.
You dont need a third-party tool to create

barcodes. This will do all the hard work for you.
nDesign may offer some detailed settings

for registration and crop marks, but they
apply to entire documents. If you want
to create crop or fold marks for particular
purposes, such as creating oversized
pages, adverts and so on, then you need a
lot more versatility.
Cropster, which is also available
for XPress, allows you to add crop and
registration marks, guides and fold marks
to page elements. When creating crops, you
can specify bleed, trim and safety settings
from a single dialog and choose where those
marks should appear on the page.
Handily, your registration marks appear in
their own, locked InDesign layer, so they can
be hidden from view if needed.
Add crop or registration marks, guides and fold

marks to any object on a page with Cropster.
Page Control 2.2

Price 59 (about 50)
Contact DTP Tools + dtptools.com
uccessfully putting together print publications

containing different pages sizes, such as those
including cover spines or gatefold spreads, has
become something of an art in itself. However, this
plug-in simplies the whole process.
Page Control, available for InDesign CS to CS4,
lets you create different page sizes within the same
documents. For all its power, its surprisingly easy to
use: just right-click the page you want to resize in the
Pages palette, choose the Resize Pages option and set
your preferences for that page. You can even assign a
different print preset to each page size, so you could
send, for example, the A4

pages in your document
to one printer and an A3
spread to another.
The plug-in comes
with scripts, including
one that automates the
creation of book covers
based on the page count
of the current document, and its reassuring to note that
documents created using Page Control can be edited
elsewhere with a freely downloadable reader plug-in.
PageControl
simplies the process
of altering page size
and adjusting content.
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www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
050
EasyCatalog for
InDesign CS5
Not cheap, but a

very powerful way of
integrating a layout with
a background database.
Price $1299 (about 885); Lite version $299 (about 204)

Contact 65bit + 65bit.com
etting information from a database whether

its stored on the network or held locally is vital
for publishing data-heavy documents such as
directories. EasyCatalog InDesign CS5 takes raw data
from source les or through an additional module SQL
or FileMaker databases, or XML data.
Through its control panel, you can not only quickly
synchronise data from the external source le into
InDesign, but data changed in the document itself can
also be copied back to the original database. Thats both
a timesaver and a reassurance when you have to make
last-minute change to information on page layouts. The
control panel highlights any differences in data from the
source le, so you can approve or reject changes.
As youd expect, you automatically apply formatting to
imported text and set parameters for imported pictures,
such as how they should be scaled, but the ability to lter
the database data so only information matching criteria

you specify appears on the pages is a powerful extra.
That said, EasyCatalog InDesign CS5 isnt cheap, and
some of its better functionality, such as ODBC integration
and the ability to script the integration through AppleScript
or JavaScript, is only available through add-on modules.
However, if youre a data-driven publisher, the benets
should recoup the costs quickly, and a much cheaper
Lite version of the software, which has basic linking and
updating features, is also available.
TexTractor
Atomik XML

Contact XChange UK + xchangeuk.com

Contact XChange UK
+ xchangeuk.com
f theres value in the write once,

publish anywhere mantra, then the
currency is XML. Exporting data in this
format from XPress documents means
that its easy to repurpose elsewhere, not
just for web publication, but for integration
into any of the increasing number of
environment where XML is used.
Atomik seamlessly manages the export
and conversion of data in XPress tables
and images can be exported as XML. There
are also lters, so you can export only the
Atomik makes it easy to perform ltered export of

XML data so that it can be repurposed elsewhere.
content that you want for example, text

formatted with a particular style. Information
can ow both ways, too. Raw XML content
can also ow into an XPress layout and be
automatically formatted as it comes in.
Add a History palette to InDesign and changes of

mind will no longer be a source of frustration.
EasyHistory
Price 7 (5.96 ex VAT)
Contact 65bit + 65bit.com
reating a page layout is rarely a

linear process. Ideas arrive and
ounder, and a layout that didnt make
sense half an hour ago turns out in retrospect
to be better than the one youve just nished.

Wouldnt it be good to switch between edits
like you can in Photoshop?
EasyHistory, a plug-in for InDesign CS2
to CS4, lets you do just that by adding a
Photoshop-like History palette to the program.
It tracks changes to your document in its own
palette. Double-clicking an item in the panel
takes you to a particular point in its history.
It also takes snapshots of a document
automatically whenever its saved, or you can
create your own by clicking a button in the
palette. The snapshots appear as clickable
preview thumbnails in the palette.
For all that, EasyHistory runs speedily
at least on the smaller documents we tried it
on. Its inexpensive, too, and is one of those
add-ons you would expect Adobe to have
added to InDesigns built-in plug-in list.
one are the days when you needed

third-party plug-ins to add simple
effects such as drop-shadows to your
page, but the diverse ways that XPress and
InDesign are used means that theres still a
strong market for plug-ins and XTensions for
specic purposes.
One such purpose is extracting the text
from your layout to be used elsewhere. Its
long been possible to extract text from XPress
documents through a helping of AppleScript
allied to a dollop of patience and liberal
use of the Save Text command. TexTractor,
available for XPress 6 to 8, gives better
options. Alongside a standard text export,
you can choose to only export text matching
a specic style sheet or limit extraction to a
particular part of the page, so running heads
and footers are automatically excluded.
And theres a great timesaving extra:
you can also automatically extract text from
multiple XPress documents in a batch, thanks
to a powerful auto-extraction tool, which can
be set to check particular folders at set times
and automatically process them.
TexTractors AutoXTract feature lets you batchextract text from multiple documents at set times.
051
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
ENTER OUR COMPETITION FOR FREE AT WWW.MACUSER.CO.UK
WIN!
An Atlona DVI to Mini

DisplayPort converter
MacUser has teamed up with Future Shop
to oer you the chance to win one of three
Atlona AT-DP200 DVI to Mini DisplayPort
converters, worth 170.
acs with DVI or mini-DVI output

cant connect to monitors that have
the Mini DisplayPort connector. This
means these Mac models arent compatible
with Apples new 24in LED Cinema Display or
the 27in iMac.
Fortunately, Atlona Technologies has come
up with a neat solution. The AT-DP200 DVI to
Mini DisplayPort converter enables pre-2009
Macs to connect to an Apple 24in Cinema
Display or 27in iMac, while maintaining
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The unit can pass resolutions of up
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AT-DP200 DVI to Mini DisplayPort converter,
visit futureshop.co.uk or call 020 8905 1555.
How to enter
Simply answer the question below
and enter for FREE online at
www.macuser.co.uk
QUESTION
Are Macs with DVI output
compatible with Apples
24in LED Cinema Display?
Yes
No
The rst three names out of the
hat will win an AP-DP200 DVI to
Mini DisplayPort converter.
Closing date: 15 July 2010
On completing and submitting this competition, you will automatically be entered into
a draw for one of these prizes. No correspondence will be entered into and the
winners will be notied by post or email within 28 days of the closing date. The
competition is not open to employees of Dennis Publishing or participating
companies. No cash alternative will be offered. The prize(s) described are available at
the date of publication. Events may occur that render the promotion or the rewarding
of the prize impossible due to reasons beyond MacUsers control, which may at its
discretion vary or amend the promotion and the reader agrees that no liability shall
be attached to MacUser as a result thereof. Proof of emailing will not be accepted as
proof of delivery and no responsibility can be accepted for entries lost, delayed,
mislaid or for any technical failure or for any event, which may cause the competition
to be disrupted or corrupted. Where necessary, in order to determine an outright
winner or winners to a competition, the editor reserves the right to request entrants
to take part in an eliminating contest (or tie breaker). Where for any reason there are
more winners than prizes on offer, the editor reserves the right to conduct a simple
draw to determine the winner or winners of the prizes. Unless otherwise stated, entry
to all competitions is restricted to entrants of 18 years of age or over. Names of
winners will be available on receipt of a request, enclosing a stamped self-addressed
envelope, to: Competitions Manager, Dennis Publishing, 30 Cleveland St, London
W1T 4JD. If the winner of a competition is unable to take up a prize for any reason,
the editor reserves the right to award it to an alternative winner, in which case the
rst winner chosen will not be eligible for any share of the prize whatsoever. The
editors decision is nal, and it is a condition of entry to any competition that the
entrant agrees to be bound by these rules whether they be published or not, and that
the decisions of the editor and judges on any matter whatsoever arising out of or
connected with the competition are nal. No purchase of the magazine is necessary.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
052
053
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Words Kenny Hemphill Photography Danny Bird
eciding that you need a new Mac is one thing,

choosing which to buy is quite another. Desktop or
laptop? Mac Pro or iMac? MacBook Air or iPad? The
choices on offer can make even the most avid follower of
Apples new Mac releases dizzy with indecision.
The rst choice you need to make is what you
want the Mac for. Will it be your main work machine or
a secondary computer to carry with you when youre
away from the ofce? Will you be using it to crunch
high-denition video or large audio les? Or will it be
required to do nothing more strenuous than juggle a few
Excel spreadsheets and the odd Keynote presentation?
The answers to these questions will shape your decision,
ruling out some machines and putting others in the frame.
You might think that once youve determined which
model to buy the decision-making is over, but thats not
the case. Each type of Mac, except for the MacBook,
is available in at least different two versions. And once
youve chosen the precise model, theres still the build-toorder options to wade through. Do you want extra Ram, a
bigger hard drive or perhaps that anti-glare high resolution
display on the MacBook Pro? Over the next few pages,
well help you navigate the decision-making process and
guide you step by step to the perfect Mac for you. So turn
the page and follow our ow chart to begin
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
054
SO YOU NEED
A NEW MAC?
Start by deciding what you need it to do...
START
Are you likely to need
to take your Mac to
another location?
yes
no
yes
Is portability more
important than power
and performance?
Will you be encoding

video, recording music,
or working with large
Photoshop les?
no
no yes
Do you need
an internal
DVD drive?
Do you need
a large,
high-resolution
screen?
yes
no
no
MacBook
yes
Do you need
an Express
Card slot?
MacBook
Pro 13in
yes
no
iMac
055
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Mac Pro
yes
Do you regularly
play games?
yes
Do you need
slots for
expansion
cards?
yes
no
no
Will you be
using it for
photography
or design?
Do you need
to watch
online video
or view
interactive
web content?
MacBook
Air
no
yes
no
MacBook
Pro 17in
Mac mini
MacBook
Pro 15in
iPad
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
056
As you can see from the chart, there are a number of
factors to consider. Some are fairly obvious, others
less so. For example, you may think that if you spend
all day manipulating huge Photoshop les, your
only option is a Mac Pro. However, the current crop
of iMacs in particular, the Core i5 model, which
comes with a decent amount of Ram are more
than capable of handling just about anything you
could throw at them in Photoshop. This is particularly
true at the moment, as the Mac Pro is overdue for
an update. The most compelling reasons for buying
a Mac Pro are if youll need to draw on its multiple
cores and its expansion slots. Serious numbercrunching tasks, such as encoding high-denition
video and rendering large 3D animations, will see the
most benet from the Mac Pros eight cores.
You should also consider a MacBook Pro, even if
you dont plan on travelling with your Mac. While the
performance difference between the fastest model
and the fastest iMacs or Mac Pros is noticeable, for
most tasks the MacBook Pro is more than adequate.
And when you consider that you can take it with you
wherever you go and that, when you nish working on
it, you can close it up and lock it away in a drawer,
The reasons for buying a Mac Pro are

if youll need to draw on its multiple
cores and its expansion slots
theres a strong case for choosing a laptop over a
desktop Mac. If you dont like the idea of spending
all day hunched over a laptop, you can always buy
a separate keyboard and mouse, and connect the
MacBook Pro to a full-size display. That way, you
can have the best of both worlds. And, remember,
both the iMac and Mac mini are effectively laptop
computers in desktop cases and arent any more
expansible than a MacBook Pro.
If you want a second Mac to use when youre
away from the ofce, but plan to keep a desktop
Mac for doing most of your work, the key issue is
portability. Its unlikely youll need the raw power
in a second machine that you have in your main
Mac, and so theres every reason to consider the
13in MacBook Pro, or even the MacBook. Both of
these Macs are more than capable of performing
day-to-day ofce tasks.
The most portable Mac of all is the MacBook Air.
Its svelte shapes and light weight make it very easy
to slot into a laptop bag and carry with you. It, too,
is a very capable second machine, but it lacks a
DVD drive and FireWire 800 port. It also has only one
USB port and if you need to connect to an Ethernet
network, youll need to buy Apples USB-to-Ethernet
adaptor, robbing you of that single USB slot.
The only reason for choosing a MacBook Air over
a white MacBook or 13in MacBook Pro, looks aside,
is its size and weight. And if that really is your chief
consideration, you should ask yourself whether an
iPad wouldnt t the bill just as well. It is, of course,
smaller, lighter and cheaper than the Air. You wont
be able to do any serious image editing on it, and
it will involve re-thinking the way you work, but an
iPad will allow you to check your email, surf the
web, work with text documents, spreadsheets and
presentations, and give you access to your contacts
Graphics
The graphics processing unit, or GPU,
is responsible for rendering 2D and
3D graphics. The design of GPU chips
makes them much more efcient at
manipulating graphics than CPUs, and
allows them to take that load off the
main processor.
Apples current range of Macs uses
two types of GPU: one that shares
Ram with the CPU, known as integrated
graphics; and one that has its own
Ram. The Nvidia GeForce 9400m found
in the Mac mini, the low-end iMac
and the MacBook Air is an integrated
graphics chip, as is the GeForce 320
in the MacBook. The rest of the iMac
models use GPUs with dedicated Ram,
as does the Mac Pro. The MacBook
Pro range has an integrated GPU, the
Intel HD, and one with dedicated Ram,
Nvidias GeForce 330M.
While integrated graphics chips are
ne for all day-to-day work and even for
working with large 2D images, games,
high-denition video and 3D graphics
all benet signicantly from GPUs with
dedicated Ram.
057
Ram, or Random Access Memory to give it its full name,
consists of a number of integrated circuit boards that
store data and enable them to be accessed in any
order. Its used to allow data to be passed to and from
the CPU quickly, though that data is lost soon after the
computer is shut down. The more data that is held in
Ram and the faster that it can be passed to the CPU, the
less chance of a bottleneck occurring, so the computer
will run faster. In general, the more Ram you have and the
faster it runs, the better.
Processor
The processor, or CPU, is responsible
for executing instructions passed to
it by software programs. In the most
general terms, the faster the processor
can execute instructions, the quicker
the Mac will run. There are a number
of other factors to consider, however.
These include the speed of the
system bus, and the size of the cache
local storage used by the CPU to store
the results of common calculations.
The quantity and speed of Ram, and
the speed of both the graphics chip
and hard drive are also important.
Apple uses ve different Intel processor
families in its Macs, ranging from Core

2 Duo, through Core i5 and i7, to Xeon
3500 and 5500. The Core 2 Duo is
the oldest and least powerful of these,
while the Core i5 and i7 are Intels latest
mid-range CPUs. The Xeon processors
are fast workstation CPUs, but are well
over a year old.
Complicating matters still further,
processors can have multiple cores and
be employed in different congurations.
For example, Apple employs the i5 and
Xeon 3500 quad-core processors in
a single-processor conguration, but
doubles up the Xeon 5500 to give the
top-end Mac Pro eight cores.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Ram
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
058
Ethernet
Ethernet is a wired networking standard
that has been on the Mac for around
15 years. The current incarnation on
the Mac has a data transfer rate of
1Gbits/sec. Known as Gigabit Ethernet,
it provides faster, more secure data
transfer over a network than wi, but
is less convenient.
Mini DisplayPort
SD Card Reader
The Mini DisplayPort allows the

MacBook Pro to connect to the latest
range of Apple Cinema Displays.
MacBook Pros come with an SD card

slot for reading media cards from
digital cameras and video cameras.
FireWire 800
USB 2
Audio
FireWire 800 is a faster version of

the original FireWire interface rst
introduced on Macs in 1999, and has
a theoretical data transfer rate roughly
twice that of USB 2. Its used to
connect hard drives and other storage
devices that need fast data transfer.
Its much less common than USB 2,
and many peripheral manufacturers
have chosen to support eSata for
external hard drives.
USB 2 has become the standard

for connecting printers, hard drives,
memory sticks, digital cameras and
anything else that doesnt require really
fast data transfer. USB 2 can also pass
power to connected devices and is
used to charge iPods, iPhones, iPads,
and so on. USB 2 has been superseded
by USB 3, which can transfer data at
10 times the rate of USB 2, but Apple
hasnt yet adopted it on any Mac.
Most Macs, with the exception of the

MacBook Air, have 3.5mm audio input
and output jacks. Both support linelevel audio and double as analogue
and digital ports. The output jack is
most often used as a headphone
connector. The MacBook Air only has
a headphone jack.
and calendars. And if those tasks are all

youre likely to do, then an iPad may well be
your best bet for a second machine.
Every Mac has at least one USB 2 port,
with most having several ports. Its
transfer rate means that its suitable
for external hard drives, printers, card
readers and most other peripherals.
Those tasks that need very fast data
transfer, such as video and audio
editing, will need a hard drive connected
to a FireWire 800 port.
The iMac, Mac Pro and MacBook Pro
all have FireWire 800. If you have an older
FireWire 400 drive, this can be connected
to a FireWire 800 port with a FireWire 400-toFireWire 800 cable.

If you need to use a PCI Express card
for example, to add a second video card
or to connect a Sata storage device youll
have to buy a Mac Pro. However, before you
do make that decision, it might be worth
considering whether you actually need the
expansion card. Many of the functions
for which a PCI card was once necessary
can now be fullled by an external device
connected by FireWire or USB 2.
Tests and benchmarks

Dont get too hung up on test results and
benchmark scores. We publish them to give
you an idea of the comparative performance
of different Macs. However, even the most
carefully designed tests rarely reect the way
a Mac performs over a period of weeks or
months. There are so many different variables
that inuence performance that the best we
can do is give you a guide, and thats exactly
how you should treat test results.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
060
MUST-HAVE
iPAD APPS
Weve raided the App Store to bring you the

best apps you should download on to your iPad.
061
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Words Alan Stonebridge

Photography Danny Bird
ithin days of its launch, there

were already hundreds of
iPad-specic apps on App Store.
And because this much choice can leave
you feeling bewildered, weve chosen the
cream of the crop so you know that youre
downloading the best ones. Weve picked
a range of apps that covers reading,
research, media consumption and even
browsing the web, because as good as the
iPad is, the Safari web browser is a little
underwhelming when it comes to features.
All of the apps featured are written
specically for the iPad, so they make full
use of its increased screen resolution.
None of them are simply iPhone apps
blown up to ll the screen. Although
thats possible and you can install
your favourite iPhone apps on your
new iPad the apps that have been
properly designed for the larger hardware
feel more comfortable and make for
better interaction.
Weve also highlighted some
applications that are universal, which
means if you buy it for your iPad, you dont
need to buy a separate version for your
iPhone or iPod touch. Instead, the same
download can be installed on all of Apples
touchscreen devices, but the interface is
optimised for the different screen sizes.
Youll see why thats useful when you read
about Instapaper Pro (see p63).
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
062
Air Display
Price 5.99
URL bit.ly/airdisplayipad
Air Display turns your iPad into a second
display for your Mac, and it does so without
you having to plug in any cables. All thats
needed is for both devices to be on the same
wi network, the iPad app to be installed and
running, and another small application to be
installed on your Mac. That app lets your Mac
see the iPad and make Mac OS X think that
its actually a display.
With those pieces in place, the iPad
appears in System Preferences Display pane,
so you can position it relative to your Macs
main display. Alter the iPads orientation and
the app sends that information to your Mac to
reect the change. Youll need a way to prop
up your iPad to make the most of Air Display,
so its good to have a dock or a stand like
Apples ofcial case to hand.
The Mac component uses Mac OS Xs
screen-sharing technology to talk to the iPad
app. If youre concerned about how much
bandwidth will be sapped by the wi activity,
dont be. We checked Activity Monitor to see
what the Mac component was doing, and
it only consumes a signicant amount of
network bandwidth and processing power
when the picture thats transmitted to the
iPads display changes.
TweetDeck
Price Free
URL tweetdeck.com/ipad
You might recognise this Twitter app, as its
also available for the Mac and it feels right at
home on the iPad. It uses the same columnbased layout as the Mac version. Each
column scrolls independently as you swipe up
Dont expect Air Display to work as

well as a monitor connected via a cable.
It isnt great for streaming video and
other rapidly changing content to the
iPads screen, but its useful for windows
that infrequently update. It makes your
iPads display a great place to tuck your
Twitter application, Facebook or palettes
for applications such as Photoshop that
benet from as much screen space
as possible. As such, Air Display is
especially useful if youre travelling with
your iPad and a small MacBook, as it
gives you room to play with.
or down, and if you add additional columns,

they can be reached by swiping horizontally.
Among the most useful columns that you can
add are searches, which look for new tweets
on subjects that interest you.
TweetDecks interface is incredibly clear,
much more so than apps on the iPhone,
whose icons and interactions can be esoteric.
Tap a tweet and youll see a straightforward
menu that includes options to reply, retweet
and to visit web addresses mentioned in the

tweet without having to carefully tap them
inline in the message.
You cant connect this version to your
Facebook account to keep track of friends
status updates, but dont let that put you
off: its still a great app for monitoring Twitter,
especially if you spend any length of time
conversing with other people on the service.
In fact, TweetDeck feels inherently
suited to the iPads way of working. We
experienced a few crashes during testing,
which is frustrating, but the short nature of
tweets means theyre easy to recover from,
and we expect these occasional issues will
be resolved with updates.
What about Facebook?

At the time of writing, Facebook hasnt
updated its app to make use of the
iPads screen resolution, and its
probably easier to use Safari to add
the site to the iPads Home Screen.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and
choose to view the full site rather
than the mobile version, too. Its still
worth installing the Facebook app to
post photos transferred to the iPad
using the Camera Connection Kit, as
the Facebook website cant access
images stored in the Photos app.
063
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18 June 2010
Instapaper
Pro
Price 2.99
URL bit.ly/instapaperproipad
Instapaper is an essential download if you

nd yourself bookmarking web pages in
Safari with the intention of reading them
later but then forget about them. Its a great
alternative to subscribing to RSS feeds for
sites you stumble upon by accident, or which
you discover from other peoples tweets and
Facebook updates.
The app has been available for a long
time on the iPhone, and several other apps
integrate with the service, enabling you to
stack up reading material from a variety
of different sources. Instapaper benets
hugely from the iPads large screen and that
makes this version genuinely indispensable,
as you can work your way through your
repository with greater comfort.
You can install a special bookmark in
Safari that uploads a link to the page youre
viewing to your Instapaper account, which
saves you from having to jump back and forth
between two apps.
Instead, a couple of taps adds the
page to your collection of reading material,
so you can keep yourself informed about your
chosen topics.
If youve taken our advice on replacing
Safari with iCab Mobile (see p64), you can
replicate Instapapers bookmark in that
application by hand and use it to the same
effect. Once youve read an article that you

think is worth sharing, you can direct others
to the original version on the web via Twitter,
Tumblr and email.
Instapaper is a universal app, so you
can install it on your iPhone as well. Thats a
sensible approach, as you might not always
have your iPad to hand and an interesting
page could simply be too long to bother
reading on your iPhones screen. It doesnt
matter, though. Flag up the story and you
can look at it later, when you can nd time
to settle down with your iPad.
Price 1.79
URL bit.ly/airvideoipad
Bento
Price 2.99
URL bit.ly/bentoipadapp
Bento is a great place to store an inventory,
a record of your business expenses as you
travel, or any other valuable information that
you want to keep at your ngertips, ready to
browse at a moments notice.
Like the Mac version, its a great-looking
app with a range of templates and visual
themes, and you can adjust the form layouts
used to enter information
so they suit your needs.
You dont actually need the
Mac version of Bento 3 to
use the iPad app. It lets
you create new databases,
or libraries, on the iPad.
We have already
reviewed the iPhone
version of Bento and found
it lacking in some areas,
especially because it omits
the Mac versions Smart
Collections, which is one
of its most useful search
features. The iPad version
suffers from that too,
Air Video
and youll also have to pay for it even if you

bought it for your iPhone.
Nonetheless, the iPads larger screen
and keyboard make Bento more pleasant to
use and easier to enter a large amount of
information into your databases. That makes
it worth every penny if you need a goodlooking database while youre on the move.
Air Video makes video content stored on your

Mac available on your iPad over a network,
converting any les that are incompatible with
the device to a format it can play. It requires
a small application to be installed on your
Mac, which you instruct to keep an eye on
particular folders or iTunes playlists and make
their contents available to the iPad app.
Videos can be converted ahead of time
or on the y, provided your Mac is powerful
enough. You also get to choose the resolution
(up to the iPads native 1024 x 768-pixel
display) and bitrate of your video. This is
controlled from the iPad, enabling you to
balance your desired quality against the
bandwidth needed by other members of
your household in order to browse the web.
Dont bother trying to stream DRMprotected video such as TV shows and
movies from the iTunes Store, as Air Video
wont do anything with them. However, it will
work with movies that youve created yourself
in an application such as Final Cut Express or
iMovie, as well as other unprotected les.
Youll nd it especially useful if youve
settled on a 16GB iPad and want to watch
a few hours of video without having to wipe
other content from its memory.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
064
GoodReader
Price 59p (introductory price)
URL bit.ly/goodreaderipad
Apples iBooks app can display books bought
from its own store, and it works with ePub
les bought elsewhere, as long as they
arent protected with any DRM technology.
However, iBooks cant read PDFs, which is
a bit of a problem if youve bought anything
in the past that uses this well-established
format. That might be eBooks purchased
from other online stores, reports that you
need to reference while working on the
move or even just manuals that you want
to store in one place.
Youll need a more versatile document
reader to view such documents on your iPad.
iCab Mobile
Price 1.19
URL bit.ly/icabipad
iCab is one of several alternative web
browsers now available on the App Store.
Last issue we looked at Atomic Web
Browser (see MacUser, 4 June, p42) and
recommended it as a replacement for Safari
on the iPhone due to additional gestures that
speed up navigation on the smaller screen.
iCab doesnt do that, but it has many of the
same features, including a traditional tabbed
browser (albeit without site icons on the
tabs), full-screen mode, ad ltering, bookmark
import and the ability to turn off images.
The reason weve included iCab in this
round-up is its ability to download les as
you would on a Mac, and you can open
les in other applications, too. For instance,
we downloaded a PDF then opened it in
GoodReader, which is a far better tool for
working with that type of le than a web
browser. Due to this exibility, iCab has
ousted Safari from our iPads dock as our
preferred web browser.
GoodReader, then, is an excellent choice.

Unlike iBooks, it can cope with unprotected
PDFs those that dont include any DRM
including those youve created from Mac OS
Xs Print dialog. And by and large, it manages
to make reading PDFs on the iPad a graceful
experience. However, try the app with a
protected PDF and it will simply display blank
pages throughout the book.
Youll have to negotiate a slight learning
curve at rst, as the interface is a little
more complex than that of iBooks. Pages
ow vertically, rather than being turned over
horizontally like a traditional book. In that
respect, GoodReader is more like using
Preview on your Mac, but rather than showing
pages continuously, it requires you to tap in
particular regions of the screen to advance
through books, or in the centre of the screen
to reveal the toolbars. Alternatively, you can

drag pages up or down a short way until
GoodReader snaps to the next one.
A slider runs down the left of the screen,
so you can quickly get to any point in a book,
but it doesnt show a thumbnail preview of
each page to which you scroll. However, PDFs
that are properly formatted with different
heading styles work a treat with GoodReader.
Tap the bookmark icon in the toolbar to pull
up a table of contents. Nested headline
styles appear as submenus in this pop-up,
so as long as your books are well-structured,
youll have no trouble getting around them.
Like iBooks, you can add your own bookmarks
to pick up where you left off.
Books can be transferred to it by
connecting to the apps built-in server
using your Macs web browser, which lets
you upload one le at a time. You can
also drop multiple les onto the iPad via
the File Sharing box, which appears under
your iPads Apps tab in iTunes.
Since iBooks doesnt currently support
the PDF format, GoodReader is an essential
download for reading eBooks and other
documents in that format.
Broaden your reading

The iBookstore isnt the only source
of eBooks for your iPad, which is good
news, as the selection available is
fairly small at present. You can also
download Amazons free Kindle app
and purchase books from its online
store. You can also read those books
on your iPhone and Mac.
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18 June 2010
Marvel
Price App is free; 1.19 per
issue (there are some free
sample issues available)
URL bit.ly/marvelipad
If you need a great showcase of the iPads
capabilities, you cant go far wrong with
Marvels comic app. It was one of the rst iPad
apps to really take our breath away, and none
of the MacUser team is especially a fan of
comics. It lets you view pages full-screen, but
if you nd the text a little too small, you can
double-tap a picture box to zoom into it. That
strips away all of the other nearby content on
the page, so you dont glance at any spoilers
in forthcoming frames.
While youre zoomed in, swiping the
screen triggers a transition to the next frame.
When youre in a large box, sometimes that
means itll slide over a little to reveal a bit
more of the drama and dialogue, which
adds extra suspense to the experience
of reading a comic.
Transitions between picture boxes respect
the ow of the page, so the transition feels
like your eyes are simply glancing across and
down the page. Reach the end of a page
IMDb
Price Free
URL bit.ly/imdbipad
The Internet Movie Databases app is an
extremely good example of how information
normally presented in a mundane website
interface can be spruced up and dispensed in
a better fashion through a dedicated app. We
were expecting something more reminiscent
of the less-attractive web version, so IMDb
took us by surprise.
It divides the screen into clear,
independently scrollable regions. The cast
appears on the left, while the right-hand side
shows the movie poster, its rating among
and you get a different, full-screen transition,

which steadily builds up an idea of how much
of a comic youve got through.
This all adds up to a great experience
because it preserves the feel that youre
reading a physical comic, so if youre a comic
fan, you neednt worry about the artform being
destroyed by the transition to digital.
The sense of motion is wonderful, helping

to dispel our preconceptions of what it would
be like to lose the experience of ipping pages
and poring over the ne detail in frames. In
that regard, Marvel has done a great job for
its publications. The bold colour illustrations
look fantastic on the iPads screen, and its a
superb app to show off the iPad.
site users, photographs and links to the top

billed cast. Scroll down and you can access
the wealth of other information thats stored
about movies, including quotes, reviews and
parental guidance about the content.
With so much movie trivia in your
hands, its far too easy to get carried away
exploring connections from lms and actors,
perhaps even more so than on your Mac.
Even if you get deep into the lm industrys
family tree, you can quickly get back to the
root of your exploration by tapping your way
back up the trail of breadcrumbs stored in
the back button.
We cant imagine checking IMDb in a web
browser anymore because it has done such
a sterling job with the app. Grab it now so
that next time youre sunk into a sofa trying

to decide what to download on Apple TV, you
can nd out more about your options through
an interface thats a joy to use.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
066
NPR
Price Free
URL bit.ly/nprforipad
National Public Radio, or NPR, is a syndication
network of radio stations across the US. The
news coverage available through its iPad app
wont be of much interest in the UK unless
you take a keen interest in North American
affairs, but its also a conduit for some great
cultural programming that covers the arts,
lifestyle and music.
The apps front page highlights some
of the latest content that might interest
you. Click Topics at the top-right and youll
nd all sorts of content under three major
headings: News, Arts & Life, and Music, with
a whole heap of more specic categories
inside each one to help you nd exactly the
content that appeals to you, whether its
written ction, pop culture, art and design,
photography or something else.
You can stack up programmes in a playlist.
Thats preserved between sessions, so you
can get up to date with listening later on.
Text articles can be downloaded, but audio
programmes can only be streamed, so youll
If your wi connection is a little

slow, check whether the bandwidth
setting is set too high. If it is, set it
to the less-demanding option and try
watching a programme again. Youll
also nd parental controls in the
settings page, which are worth a look
if your iPad is left where your kids
might get their hands on it.
BBC iPlayer
Sadly, theres no native version

of iPlayer on the App Store, but
the web version was ready in
time for iPad launch day. Of course, you cant
download programmes to your iPad to take
on holiday, and regional restrictions mean you
wont be able to catch up on programmes
when youre abroad. That doesnt make
iPlayer worthless, though. You can use it to
catch up on missed programmes while youre
on a wi-equipped train or caf, and other
places if youve got a 3G iPad, although be
careful about doing that, as you could quickly
exceed your tariffs data allowance.
need wi or 3G reception to listen to them.

NPR also has its nger on the pulse when it
comes to social networking, with buttons to
share links to interesting ndings via Twitter,
Facebook and email. Although theres a focus

on American culture, theres still masses of
worthwhile content in the NPR app to appeal
to music and lm fans and its free.
LogMeIn
Ignition
When you browse to bbc.co.uk/iplayer
in Safari, the toolbar will remain
visible even while youre watching
programmes. To get rid of it, go back
to the opening page, tap the +
button and add iPlayer to your iPads
Home Screen. When you launch
iPlayer from that shortcut, the toolbar
will be hidden so wont distract you
from gripping TV programmes.
Price 17.99
URL bit.ly/logmeinipad
We were impressed with LogMeIns iPhone
app, and it works even better on the iPad.
With more pixels, it has been updated
to make full use of the iPads screen, so
its even more comfortable for controlling
your Mac remotely, as long as the network
connection at both ends is up to scratch.
The app has a 17.99 price tag attached,
which isnt that bad when you consider the
benets of being able to interact with your
Mac at home or in the ofce from your iPad
useful if you were waiting for a task to nish
but didnt want to set a xed time for it to go
to sleep in the Energy Saver preferences. This
way, you can log in from your iPad and check
how the job is progressing then shut down
the Mac once its complete.
If youve bought the iPhone version
already, the latest update includes the iPad
version, so there isnt a penny more to pay.
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the editor reserves the right to award it to an alternative winner, in which case the
rst winner chosen will not be eligible for any share of the prize whatsoever. The
editors decision is nal, and it is a condition of entry to any competition that the
entrant agrees to be bound by these rules whether they be published or not, and that
the decisions of the editor and judges on any matter whatsoever arising out of or
connected with the competition are nal. No purchase of the magazine is necessary.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
070
method
OUR GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL CONCEPTS FOR EVERY DESIGNER
Using line graphs to

best represent your data
By making a few small adjustments to your line graph, you can ensure none
of the detail is lost and that it clearly shows all the relevant information.
Steve Caplin is a designer and

illustrator working for a range of national
newspapers. His best-selling How to
Cheat in Photoshop, now in its fourth
edition, is published by Focal Press.
ine graphs are the simplest type

of graph. Each data point is plotted
against the x and y axis, and straight
lines drawn between the points make up the
line that shows the trend of the data. There
are many ways of working with line graphs,
and the format can be customised to show
the data to its best advantage.
At school, were taught to set the bottomleft corner of the graph to zero on both the x
and y axes. And this does, certainly, produce
the most accurate way of displaying the
data. However, its not always an appropriate
system: if there are only small variations in
the extent of the data over the period of the
graph, this approach can make it difcult to
discern the changes.
Lets take this graph as an example [01]. It
shows the variation in exchange rate between
the dollar and the pound between April and
May 2010. Although the zero point is correct,
at the bottom-left corner, the variations are

so tiny that its hard to discern them clearly.
What were interested in is not so much the
absolute values, but the amount of change.
Modifying the axes so that they show
just the upper and lower bounds of the data
variation produces a much more dramatic
result [02]. Now you can clearly see not
only the overall trend a worsening of the
exchange rate from a British perspective
but you can also discern smaller peaks and
troughs on a day-to-day basis. Of course, you
have to read the legend to interpret the graph
correctly: the variation is spread over the
whole height of the graph, and weve zoomed
in on just the area of interest.
You can display multiple data sets on a
single graph if you wish [03]. Here, you can
see both the dollar/pound exchange rate (the
upper line) and the euro/pound exchange rate
(the lower line). In this graph, you can see not
01
02
03
04
071
only the variation with respect to the pound,

but the variation between the dollar and the
euro as well. By setting both graphs on the
same scale, weve had to adjust the legend
to a scope that will take in both data sets,
which means the peaks and troughs are less
pronounced. This makes it more difcult to
judge the variation in graph, though.
Another way of approaching the data is
to use two sets of axes one for the dollar,
and one for the euro [04]. We can make it
clear which is which by setting the colour of
the axis numbers to match the colour of the
graph: so, here, blue represents the dollar
and green represents the euro. However,
theres clearly a problem with this approach:
where the two graphs cross over each other,
one is hidden behind the other.
The simple solution is to use an overlay
style in this case, setting the colour ll of
the graphs to Multiply which allows us to
see one graph through the other [05]. Now
06
we have two sets of data that are easy to

read in the same visual space, even though
theyre based on different value axes. Drawing
the graph in this way shows how the peaks
and troughs align for the two currencies,
demonstrating the different speeds at which
As well as vividly depicting the

diminishing size of the army,
the graph shows the temperature
on the return journey
the two markets respond to events in the
UK. Note that when you overlay two sets of
data with different axis values, you can no
longer run the axis ticks all the way along the
width of the graph: even if you arranged the
values so that the ticks coincided, this would
produce a confusing and misleading result.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
05
Its possible to convey multiple sets of

data on a single graph, if enough care is
taken. One of the best examples is this
graph by Charles Joseph Minard, drawn up
in 1869 [06]. He was a French civil engineer
who devoted much of his time to developing
the new discipline of information graphics.
The graph shown here is perhaps his nest
invention, and is often ranked among the
most impressive graphs ever devised.
The graph shows Napoleons Russian
campaign 1812 and its based on a simplied
map of the terrain through which his army
progressed. The width of the brown line
shows the size of the army as it marched
towards Moscow, the black line showing
the size of the army on its ignoble retreat.
(When the army reached Moscow, it found
the Russians had evacuated the city and
destroyed all food stocks, leaving the invaders
with no option but to return home.)
As well as vividly depicting the diminishing
size of the army, the graph also shows the
temperature on the return journey this is
indicated by the line graph at the bottom.
Starting at 0C in Moscow, the temperature
dropped to -37.5C, resulting in many more
deaths (the data shown is in the Raumur
temperature scale: multiply by 1.25 to get
the Celsius equivalent).
This combination of geographical
location, army size, direction of travel
and temperature should have produced a
meaningless array of data and yet the
reverse is true: the graph is stunning in its
clarity, and devastating in the story it tells.
We can clearly see, for instance, how the
already reduced army halved in size when
crossing the Berezina river on its retreat:
history tells us that many soldiers fell through
the ice on the frozen river (the temperature
was around -20C) and froze or drowned.
Minard designed this graph as an anti-war
poster: it doesnt mention Napoleon once.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
072
DESIGN FOR PRINT:

Keep your projects on
the straight and narrow
Designers arent known for their project management skills, but theyre
vital if youre to finish a commission on time and on budget.
raphic design is about creative

problem solving. Thats a simple
statement, but its what sets
graphic design apart from ne art, and its
what makes it actually more of a craft than
art. Ironically, because its about solving
problems, the graphic design process itself
can be prone to problems.
Im about to make a huge generalisation,
but bear with me, as theres more than a grain
of truth in it. The average creative designer
isnt likely to be a great organiser, at least not
by nature. Theyre more likely to be the kind
of person who might take a new route on a
whim, to try new things to see what theyre
like, even if thats not the best, most efcient
or most streamlined approach. Thats how
many creatives (forgive the term, please)
keep their thinking fresh, how they keep their
work and thinking new and interesting.
Its also why designers can frustrate
project managers, account handlers,
accountants and senior management
in general. its also precisely the reason

why most designers need those project
managers, account handlers, accountants,
and, yes, sometimes senior management as
well; to deal with the things they okay, we
dont want to. But what if you dont have
this kind of setup around you? Theres just
one answer: step up and take it on yourself.
Which can be pretty daunting.
Keith Martin is MacUsers technical
The biggest mistake a fresh-faced
editor. He has been using Macs
designer will make is over-promising. Until
since the beginning, and has a
background in everything from graphic
theres some experience under your belt (and
design and print to multimedia.
even after that), its so easy to get red up
and start promising the moon, on a plate,
by next Tuesday. This is where the Project
Triangle comes in. Youve probably
heard this before, but its well
Until theres some experience under
worth repeating. The idea is that
your work can be (a) good, (b) fast,
your belt (and even after that), its so easy
(c) cheap... but only two of those
to get fired up and start promising the
things at once. Sometimes one of
moon, on a plate, by next Tuesday
those factors is eliminated for you
the deadline is short or, more
The Project Triangle is a handy graphic aid for designers.

Its used to determine the goal of a particular project.
Good
Cheap
Fast
073
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
likely, the budget may be restricted. (Mind

you, if youre asked to do something both fast
and cheap, forsaking good, perhaps you need
to nd new clients.)
Planning and following through are other
typical problem areas. We all have things
were good at, things that we can manage
to do acceptably but dont enjoy, and things
that, frankly, were rubbish at and probably
always put off as long as we can. We may
not even consciously realise were doing this,
but its a skill many of us perfect when were
students at college. It seems to be human
nature, although some people are better
than others at getting over this.
Every designer in fact, almost everyone
full stop could benet from a little more
discipline in how they handle projects. I know
Im a great example of this need I often nd
it hard to keep up momentum when the initial
excitement of a fresh challenge turns into just
the same old problems, and something starts
dragging on and on. I need to make regular
efforts to keep going. This is a factor of my
personality type, and although Im not a fan of
Jungian psychology, the old coot did come up
with some interesting ways of identifying how
people think and what makes them tick.
Knowing this about yourself can be an
eye-opening insight into how you handle
projects and people, so consider taking the
modern(ish) form of the Jung Typology Test,
introduced in the 1960s as the Myers-Briggs
quantitative personality test.
Dont put too much into it, but try it
out and see how the results seem to t.
Some online tests charge for the results,
but this can be done free at places such as
psitao.com (an academic research-based site)
and humanmetrics.com (which charges for
other tests). The results will be in the form
of four letters, one of 16 different types that
dene a set of general traits that you may or
may not recognise.
Im ENTP, also known as Extroverted

iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving. An odd name,
but ignore that. The descriptions of that
one are, well, interesting and maybe a
little telling. This type enjoys playing devils
advocate (yes, always), is fond of toys but
moves on to new ones regularly (okay, I do
want an iPad), likes problem solving but can
outsmart themselves, is likely to be a genial
optimist, but can be oblivious to the rest of
humanity. Ouch. Should I apologise now?
But the point of this isnt really to do
some Californian-style soul searching or
personal improvement, its more a way to
help you recognise how you tend to deal
with things and people. And perhaps how
project, juggling things as they come, then

try this: simply map out a set of dates
and dependencies what things need to
be sorted out before something else can
progress, that sort of thing. This will keep you
straighter and more narrow than ever before.
Here are some things you can do without
making changes that might rock the boat too
much. First, incorporate your brainstorming
into the whole project process and keep a
record to which you can refer at key stages.
Do you use piles of Post-It notes to group your
ideas? How about large sheets of paper and
markers? Take photos of these and le the
pictures away. Just being able to refer back to
all the ideas that bubbled up at the start can
help you stay on
top of things.
Next, get a dryGet a dry-marker wall chart and draw yourself a simple
marker wall chart
project timeline with key stages marked out. Keep this
and draw yourself
where you can see it and keep referring to it
a simple project
timeline with key
stages marked
to avoid getting stuck chasing problems in
out calendar-style or Gantt-style, whatever
your design and production projects.
works for you. Keep this where you can see
The trick with this lies in project
it and keep referring to it. Its amazing how
management. No, dont yawn. It isnt exciting,
much difference it can make just having those
it isnt sexy, but it will generally keep things
things in plain view rather than tucked away in
on the rails. In fact, project management is
some slightly daunting document.
the key to managing almost everything, from
Finally, use iCal and set advance alarms
design projects to shopping expeditions.
for those stages. This works even better if
(Okay, yes, it can also be over-used and kill
youre an iPhone user, as youll be prompted
the moment; project-managing a marriage
about impending milestones even when
proposal is probably a rather bad idea.)
youre not working on your Mac in the studio.
Most of us probably cant even spell
You may not like being auto-reminded of
Gannt whoops, Gantt but if done
deadlines when youre at the pub, but thats
properly and completely, project management
a whole lot better than being reminded after
means gantt charts, project owners, goals
the fact by an irate phone call or email.
and deliverables, the whole nine yards.
You know what? Its high time I practised
Fortunately, you dont need to go to those
what Im preaching. Visible and audible
jargon-lled extremes if you dont want to. If
deadlines would help me get this column
you normally just do a bit of brainstorming
written on time, for one thing. But maybe
at the start and then launch into the design
I need an iPad to keep me reminded
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Push your gear to the limits
and not your budget
With a little bit of imagination and ingenuity, its possible to take
pictures that are truly out of this world, without costing the earth.
ve always wanted to go into space.

The initial surge of adrenaline of achieving
a life-long dream, a period of mystied
wonder and amazement at the sheer scale
of everything, followed by the crushing
realisation that youll eventually have to return
to a troubled planet populated mostly by
stupid people.
Various things prevent me from going. Im
prone to travel sickness and the prospect of
clearing up tiny specks of vomit in zero gravity
sounds disgusting. I didnt much like my maths
teacher at school, either, with the result that
Im as numerate as the cast of Americas
Next Top Model. And, although Im tempted by
Richard Bransons latest wheeze of charging
just over a hundred and thirty grand to y
nearly in space, I would need to write literally
tens of MacUser columns to afford it.
But if you cant reach space, you can
always look at pictures of it. The trouble is,
if you want to take pictures of it, youre going
to need to prepare to spend some serious
cash. For instance, when Nasa was retting
its astronautical photography gear, it opted
for 11 top-of-the-line Nikon D3ss and seven
14-24mm f/2.8 lenses. Assuming it bought
them off the peg, it spent in the region of ftyy
grand. And that doesnt get us around the
problem of nding a seat on a shuttle.
Late last year, a pair of students
from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT) had a similar yearning to
photograph from altitude and, like me, wanted

to photograph the Earth without spending
well into six gures. Unlike me, though, they
had the time (to say nothing of the mental
horsepower) to do something about it.
The idea is so simple its been done
dozens of times. Take a camera and a
balloon. Attach the camera to the balloon, ll
the latter with helium, and let her rip. Whats
Dave Stevenson has been a camera
interesting about this is the price. They put
buff ever since the whirr-click of his
together a small point-and-shoot camera
rst auto-winding compact in 1993.
His best friends are now his camera,
(a Canon A470 worth about 50 in todays
a tripod and a copy of Lightroom.
money), a weather balloon and some helium.
To help them track where their balloon came
down, they included a cheap mobile phone
with a GPS chip. The total
cost of their project was a
shade under $150 (about
The idea is so simple. Take a camera and a
104), and after checking
balloon. Attach the camera to the balloon,
that their experiment
fill the latter with helium, and let her rip
wasnt going to clip an
airliner on the way up, they
launched. When the balloon
reached its elastic limit, it burst, and the
camera assembly and GPS tracker oated
back to Earth beneath a parachute.
The results were spectacular. Project
Icarus climbed 17-and-a-half miles
Images courtesy of robertharrison.org/icarus
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
074
A pair of MIT students attached

this box containing a point-and-shoot
camera to a helium lled balloon.
The balloon climbed 17-and-a-half miles

vertically and the results, as you can see from
this image, were truly spectacular.
075
Images courtesy of burrard-lucas.com
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
vertically. Thats 92,000 feet, or roughly

three times higher than you can expect to
be on a transatlantic ight. It was a literally
stratospheric achievement, and the pictures
the students got back, taken at a rate of 12
per minute, were stunning.
This came to mind because the Brits
are getting in on the act as well. In March,
a Yorkshireman named Robert Harrison
launched a similar project from his back
garden, this time for 500. He got more
bang for his buck, though, with one of his
helium-powered efforts climbing to more
than 100,000 feet. He returned some
amazing images and plenty of cheap gags
at the expense of the newly minted, singleastronaut UK Space Agency.
If this doesnt put you in the mood for
a little remote-control photography, our
next contenders will. Matt and Will BurrardLucas, a pair of wildlife photographers,
got tired of shooting their subjects with
massive telephoto lenses. Some wideangle photographs were what they needed,
but how to get them? The solution was
BeetleCam, a frankly mental remote-control
contraption consisting of four off-road wheels,
a chassis and a battery. A Canon Eos 400D
and a pair of ash guns were mounted to the
top and the whole lot was promptly dragged
into the bushes and mauled by a lion.
But the rest of the pairs images speak
for themselves a series of shots of
elephants and water buffalo taken from
angles you simply wouldnt be able to get
if you were actually behind the camera.
Remote photography infrared traps and
Photographers Will and Matt Burrard-Lucas

built the BeetleCam to get close-up wildlife pictures.
the such has always seemed like a rather

clinical exercise to me, but throw in the
possibility of space exploration or a remotecontrol buggy getting pictures from the feet
of elephants and Im in.
Perhaps what I like best about these two
stories is that neither involves top-end gear.
Our intrepid space cowboys used out-ofdate compact cameras that no serious nerd
would be seen with, while the 400D used
by the Burrard-Lucas brothers is getting on
for four years old. Partly this embracing of
older camera technology is because progress
is slowing down somewhat: a four-year-old
camera doesnt present anything like the
restrictions a camera the same age would
have in 2005. Between 2001 and 2005,
we had the jump between essentially no
megapixels I quite clearly remember a time
when 3.2 megapixels was the bees knees
and having eight or more as a sensible
minimum. More than the technical aspect,
though, this issues heroes didnt need to use
the latest or meatiest equipment because

the amazing things they were photographing
space or elephants toenails transcended
relatively petty arguments about ISO
performance or frames per second. That and
the fact its easier to defend the loss of a
half-decade-old PowerShot into the Irish Sea
than it is a top-end DSLR.
All of this was going to culminate in me
urging you not to send your camera into
space or trundling it into the path of heavy
wildlife, and to simply focus on knowing
your cameras limitations and taking the
best pictures possible with what youve got.
Instead, I absolutely urge you to push your
gear to the edge of destruction. Take stock
of how much gear you have and how much
you can afford to lose, then sacrice the lot in
an effort to get the most spectacular picture
possible. A Mars bar to the rst person
who manages to get some decent shots by
attaching a camera to the outside of a deepsea robotic submarine. At any rate, that has
to be easier than getting into space.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
076
VIDEO:
Getting the best chroma
key from green screen work
Okay, youve shot your green-screen footage, but theres still a lot of work
to do in terms of de-interlacing and chroma keying for the best results.
n the last column (see MacUser, 4 June

2010, p80), we looked at shooting footage
against a plain green screen, which
can then be replaced on your Mac with a
completely different background. This sort of
technique used to be reserved for Hollywood
blockbuster-size budgets, but you can create
similar effects yourself with a reasonably
powerful Mac. The more you can do to ensure
youve got good footage to work with before
you start the keying process, the better your
results. Weve already covered how to shoot
material to make it easier once you get the
video onto your Mac.
If the footage youve recorded is interlaced
then de-interlacing it rst before you start
keying will increase your chances of getting
list, tick the box marked Deinterlace Video

and hit Make Movie.
When the video has nished transcoding,
youll now have a movie le you can drop
straight into Final Cut. There are basic chroma
key effects bundled with Final Cut that could
work for well-shot footage, but youll need a
custom plug-in for best results. One of the
best available is Keylight from The Foundry
Will Head is co-founder and director
(thefoundry.co.uk), which has been used in
of Fixation Video an online video
countless Hollywood productions. Keylight
production company that specialises
in making video content for the web.
is available as a plug-in for Final Cut, so you
can use it directly in the application. If youve
got After Effects CS4, then its bundled with
that as standard.
The process is similar whether youre
working in Final Cut or After Effects. Once
youve imported your greenscreen footage, apply the
When chroma keying, you only need to
Keylight effect. You wont see
any difference initially, as
worry about the pixels that directly surround
you need to tell Keylight what
your subject the aim is to get a good edge
colour you want to cut out. By
around your moving subject
using the eyedropper next to
the Screen Colour control in
the options, choose an area
a good result. This will obviously have
of the screen close to the subject. This on
implications later on, depending on where
its own does a decent job of removing the
the nal edit will end up, but if you can
background, but youll usually need to tweak
de-interlace your footage rst, then youll
a couple of settings to get a good result.
get a much cleaner cutout.
By default, youll see the nal result of the
There are many ways you can achieve
effect, but its useful to also look at the matte
this, but the free Mpeg Streamclip utility from
view when youre tweaking the settings, which
Squared 5 (www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeglets you see which areas of the image will be
streamclip-mac.html) is particularly handy if
transparent. Choose Screen Matte from the
Mpeg Streamclip can also transcode HDV
to QuickTime format and de-interlace clips.
youre working with HDV footage.
View option in the settings. Youll now see a
white area, which is the subject
Mpeg Streamclip will allow you to play
back M2T les directly, which are HDV les
you want to keep, and a black
created by a solid-state capture device
area, which is the screen that
such as the Sony HVR-MRC1 CompactFlash
will be removed. Youll also
memory recording unit discussed in previous
probably see grey areas, which
video columns. It can also transcode M2T
will be semi-transparent and
les into QuickTime les, which means you
which you need to adjust to
can use them in Final Cut.
either pure black or white to
Just open the clip you want to use in
get a good key.
Mpeg Streamclip and then select Export to
When chroma keying, you
QuickTime from the File menu. Its best to use
only need to worry about the
pixels that directly surround
a codec thats better quality than the one you
started with to save the QuickTime le if you
your subject the aim is to
have Final Cut Studio installed, then Apples
get a good edge around your
ProRes codec is a good choice. Either ProRes
moving subject. Areas at
(LT) or even ProRes (Proxy) will work if your
the edge of the frame where
source footage is HDV. Once youve chosen
the green screen isnt a
your codec from the Compression drop-down
consistent colour can easily
Mpeg Streamclip is a useful utility that lets you play back HDV M2T les.
077
Selecting the background colour in Keylight does

most of the work for you.
A garbage matte lets you discard elements around

your subject that dont need to be chroma keyed.
Keylights Screen Matte view lets you see if there

are any semi-transparent areas in your shot.
be removed with a garbage matte. In After

Effects, use the Pen tool to draw a mask
roughly around your subject. Keylight will
then only be applied to the area inside the
mask and anything outside will simply be
transparent. Once youve drawn your mask,
quickly scrub through the timeline and check
that any arm gestures or other movements
dont go outside the mask you just created.
The other advantage of using a garbage
matte is that it allows you to easily eliminate
includes the transparency information also

called alpha. Apples Animation codec allows
you to include an alpha channel, but its fairly
space intensive. A 30-second clip using the
ProRes (Proxy) codec will take up around
130MB of space. The same shot once youve
cut out the green screen and saved it with
transparency using Apples Animation codec
will take up nearly 1GB nearly seven times
as much space.
If youre not pushed for space then the
Animation codec is denitely the way to
go. However, if thats not the case, there is
another option. While only some codecs let
you export the alpha channel along with the
video, After Effects will let you export just the
alpha channel in any codec. You can then
combine the alpha channel and the original
video in your editor.
To do this in After Effects, when youre
happy with your Keylight settings, choose Add
to Render Queue from the Composition menu.
Select Best Settings for the Render Settings
and Alpha Only for the Output module. Click
on the Alpha Only link to manually adjust the
settings. Click the Format Options button
The other advantage of using a

garbage matte is that it allows
you to easily eliminate objects
you dont want in the nal shot
objects you dont want in the nal shot such
as lighting rigs or the edge of the screen.
Once youve isolated the area on which
you want to work, the rst settings to tweak
are Screen Gain and Screen Balance
although you dont want to adjust them too
drastically, otherwise you may affect the
subject. After youve changed a setting a little,
its worth switching from Screen Matte view
to Final Result to double-check that everything
still looks okay.
The next values you need to adjust are
in the Screen Matte section the Clip Black
and Clip White controls will help remove any
grey areas of the Screen Matte. Again, if you
adjust the values too drastically, this will be
noticeable in the end result, but if you adjust
them slowly until you can only see black and
white areas, then you should have a good
key. Again, its worth switching between matte
view and the nal result to check that your
subject still looks good.
If you then want to then edit your footage
and place it over a separate background,
youll need to export it in a format that
You can export just the alpha channel in any format

you want from After Effects.
The Travel Matte Composite option lets you apply

an alpha channel from one clip to another.
Once the Travel Matte is applied, you can place the sequence over another clip to replace the background.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
When you rst apply Keylight, you wont see any

effect, as you need to tell it what colour to cut out.
from the Output Module Settings screen and

then choose the codec that matches that of
your original le in this case, ProRes (Proxy).
Click Render to create the alpha le. The nal
result will be a fraction of even the original le
size around 30MB for a 30-second le.
Import your alpha le into Final Cut and
create a new sequence. Place the alpha le in
track one and then place your original green
screen footage le above it on track two, so
both clips start at exactly the same point.
Click on your source le on track two and then
from the Modify menu navigate to Composite
Type and choose Travel Matte Luma. If
everything is lined up correctly, when you
scrub through the timeline, you should see
only your subject against a black background.
The advantage of adding the two clips to
a single sequence rst is that you can then
treat that sequence as a normal clip with
transparency without having to worry about
the two individual video clips getting out of
sync. So you could add it to a sequence
youre already working in and if you place it
above a clip that video will now become the
background to your subject.
Now that you know the basics, the only
limitation is your imagination.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
078
AUDIO:
Has digitising music
actually devalued it?
Apples digital music ventures have had their upsides, but there
have also been a few downsides for musicians.
ve ruminated on Apples domination

anyone to contravene copyright, of course,
of the pro audio world before, and thats
but its a little ironic that a few years later the
something I dont see changing any time
major labels would be forced to admit that
soon. As Ive also observed before now,
Apple had the best system going for selling
Apple has found huge success in broadening
music legally online and jump on board. DRM
its customer base beyond professionals to
would be dropped from iTunes music several
regular people, generally through iPods and
years later in the face of competition primarily
iPhones, but also the MacBook, Apples bestfrom Amazon, although the protection
selling Mac ever, and the iMac. In other ways,
remains on movie les.
it has also changed the way we interact with
Apple didnt invent digital music sales, it
and think about music, and this is something
just found a way of doing it right, a bit like
thats particularly important for independent
it did with the iPhone. iTunes isnt perfect
producers and musicians.
neither is the iPhone but that hasnt
The technology
behind producing
Its great being able to get your music onto iTunes, but
music is easy to
access on any Mac.
so can everybody else, and so the playing eld is as
Everyone with a new
crowded than it was in the days when people used to
Mac gets a copy of
send mountains of cassettes to John Peel
GarageBand, while
the more adventurous
can pick up Logic
Express, Logic Studio or one of the other
stopped them from being wildly successful.
Digital Audio Workstations on the market.
And anything so successful becomes the
However, once the music is made, Apple still
place to be for hopefuls, so before long
wants to be involved. When the company
small labels and independent producers
introduced the iTunes Music Store (as it was
wanted in on the act as well. Approaching
then called) back in 2003 off the back of the
Apple directly about this was a non-starter
success of the iPod, it managed to do what
but, gradually, online services began to spring
other companies, unsure of how to proceed
up that could get your music onto iTunes as
in the face of Napster and other then-illegal
well as other online stores through having a
le sharing networks, had failed to do. It got
standing arrangement with Apple.
the major record labels to agree to at-pricing
If most people buy their digital music
structures, and also that no album would be
from iTunes, you want yours to be on there.
a single entity customers would be able to
There are loads of these websites around I
use Tunecore. Its not a great surprise that
pick and choose tracks.
Apple doesnt get directly involved in handling
This was unpopular among many big
bands, who tend to feel that their albums are
individual submissions from musicians,
a body of work best enjoyed in the track order
who arent always the most organised or
theyve decided. When asked about this,
coherent bunch. The systems seem to be
one high-up record company guy remarked
mostly automated anyway and judging by the
that the issue had gone all the way to Steve
distinctly MOR nature of the acts that tend
Jobs desk. The major concession that
to close Apple presentations these days and
Apple made to the labels was the inclusion
the slideshow music you get with iPhoto, they
in music les of digital rights management
might not get a lot of it anyway.
(DRM) technology. An attempt by the labels
The iTunes Store has been massively
to maintain some control over the content,
successful and, in line with Apples master
plan, continues to drive sales of iPods and
it was always doomed to fail, since it could
be circumvented by simply burning tracks to
phones. However, theres a school of thought
CD and then re-importing them, as clean as
which suggests that its success has had a
a whistle, into iTunes. In fact, Apple had form
detrimental effect on music and the way we
on this one its publicity campaign for early
perceive it. Not really from a piracy point of
iMacs back in 2001 encouraged us to rip,
view that would have happened anyway
mix and burn our music. Not that it meant
and is something nobody seems to be able
Hollin Jones is a full time musician,

music producer and writer. His
music has been used in TV and
lm. In a previous life he was a
Mac support specialist.
079
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Services such
as Tunecore can
submit your music
to multiple online
stores. In an
ideal world, Apple
could even offer a
hardware pressing
and manufacturing
service for music.
to stop rather, its about overload. Its great

being able to get your music onto iTunes, but
so can everybody else, and so the playing
eld is as crowded than it was in the days
when people used to send mountains of
cassettes to John Peel.
Trying to get ahead by setting up a
MySpace page and linking to iTunes has
been compared not altogether inaccurately
to screaming into the void. Everybody
does it, so in order to make any headway,
you need an approach thats far better
planned. Old-fashioned things such as radio
The digitisation of music that

began with the MP3 le has
devalued music
pluggers, press campaigns and even a
manager are really a necessity in tandem
with all the online stuff. That, and lots of
hard work. Dont believe the PR people who
tell you an act went from playing in their
bedroom, got a million fans on the web and
is suddenly touring with U2. It just doesnt
happen like that.
The other factor that Apple has
contributed, or at least made popular,
involves the capacity of its players. The iPod
classic currently has a capacity of 160GB,
which Apple estimates as 40,000 songs.
But could anyone actually listen to 40,000
songs? Is it not more likely that you would
listen to a maximum of about 500 and
barely even scratch the surface of the rest?
The digitisation of music that began with
the MP3 le has devalued music, whether
people realise it or not, and made it a more
throwaway commodity. Thats not Apples
fault, but it has helped it along. If Apple
hadnt done it, someone else would have

and, having seen competing MP3 players, Im
still glad it was Apple and not someone else.
It recently attempted to restore some of this
perceived value with the iTunes LP format,
incorporating bigger artwork, animated lyrics,
liner notes, videos and other bonus material.
Its okay, but its still digital, and that doesnt
have the hold in the hand, tangible quality
of a vinyl or even well-produced CD package.
The fact remains that ogging music is
as difcult as it ever was, despite the huge
technological changes pioneered mainly by
Apple over the past decade. Digital has to
be one branch of your strategy, but rarely
will it sufce on its own. Many bands survive
by doing limited-edition hardware pressings
and selling them to loyal fans. In fact, this is
something Id love to see Apple get into. You
can order a professionally printed album or

calendar through iPhoto, and they look great.
Logistics notwithstanding (youd probably pay
a bit of a premium), couldnt Apple manage
a CD pressing service directly from Logic,
GarageBand or Waveburner, or maybe even
vinyl pressing? I admit that vinyl probably
isnt very high up on Jobs list of priorities,
but you get the idea.
With a recent, detailed patent emerging
that shows Apple looking seriously into
a system of selling concert tickets (see
patentlyapple.com), it is clearly keen to
exploit the other avenue by which bands
are said to make money live performance.
For all the hype, theyll be aware that digital
isnt the be all and end all of music, and
that people like something real that they
can see and feel.
Anyone with a well-produced album can now get it on iTunes, but in the broader scheme of things, it has to be
part of a more focused, multimedia approach to selling music.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
080
MAC TO THE FUTURE:

Theres a cloud hanging
over the iPhone
The iPhone has driven mobile web and data use through the ceiling, but the
freedom the online world oers could threaten its dominance.
loud computing is a buzzword

My photos are already stored online,
phrase, but its far from empty in
backed up using SugarSync and accessible
fact, over the next 18 months, its
via its iPhone app and website, and theres
going to start having a big inuence on
a fair few on Flickr and Facebook, too. I dont
the hardware we buy. Consider this. My
watch much video on the iPhone, but those
rst portable music player was a cassette
clips that I do watch stream from distant data
Walkman, followed swiftly by a portable CD
centers, thanks to YouTube, iPlayer and, at
player, followed at the end of the century
the time of writing, the NHLs app, as its playby several MiniDisc players, a generic MP3
off time in the US ice hockey season.
Alex Watson is the editor of
player, then, in 2004, a genuine iPod. It was
Why is this a problem for Apple, then?
Custom PC and bit-tech.net; he
a 20GB hard disk model that, thanks to its
Well, for this discussion, you need to bear in
can survive both the blue screen
of death and a kernel panic.
2in, 220 x 176 colour screen, was given
mind that Apple makes the vast bulk of its
the ludicrous name iPod photo. Next was
cash from hardware sales in its most recent
a 60GB 5th generation iPod
video. After that, a 16GB
My photos are already stored online, backed
iPhone. Plot the storage
capacity of these on a graph,
up using SugarSync and accessible via its
and youd see a steady rise,
iPhone app and website, and theres a fair few
and then a sharp fall.
on Flickr and Facebook, too
For technology, this is
strange to the point of being
heretical if I charted the
amount of memory in my computers, it would
earnings call (Q2 2010), 40% of revenue
climb from the 1MB of memory in my 386
came from the iPhone, 28% from the Mac and
to the 8GB in my current gaming PC. Its the
14% from the iPod, leaving iTunes, software
same with storage (from a 40MB hard disk to
and other miscellaneous services on 18%.
1.5TB), screen resolution, Internet connection
The iTunes Store isnt quite a loss leader,
speed, processor speed indeed, every key
but its not turning over the
measurement of the power and performance
kind of cash the iPhone is.
available to me has risen relentlessly over the
So, the cloud holds two
past 15 years.
worries for Apple: rst, if
When I bought my iPhone 3G, 16GB was
hardware requirements
the maximum available, as it uses pricier
decrease to the point that
ash memory as opposed to the hard disks
you just need to be able
in my previous iPods even now, you can
to connect, its harder to
only bump a 3GS up to 32GB (although the
sell new people kit, and
harder to sell the pricier
iPod touch and iPad are available with 64GB).
However, if I get a new iPhone, I wont be
versions of new kit. The
looking at a 32GB or 64GB version; 16GB is
step up in price between
ne, and if I can save myself some cash, I
16GB and 64GB iPad
might be tempted to go for the 8GB version.
isnt solely to do with the
I can thank Spotify Premium for this.
cost of the memory the
As you can probably tell from my extensive
high-end machine will be
history of music players, being able to carry
more protable. Apple has
around a relatively complete music library
worked hard to avoid the
every waking hour so I can choose what to
fate of PC manufacturers
play matters to me. The majority of space on
such as Dell who engaged
in a nearly ruinous race
my iPhone 11.04GB is taken up by music.
Two months into using Spotify Premium,
to the bottom, trying
which allows me to listen to a huge selection
to make machines as
of music for 10 per month, caching songs
cheaply as possible.
locally on the phone or streaming over both
That said, storing
wi and 3G, and Im beginning to think I can
media in the cloud mainly
With online storage being cheap and convenient, were likely to see
major changes to the cost and conguration of computing hardware.
get by with much less storage on my phone.
impacts storage; I might not
081
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
The iTunes App Store contains software unique to the iPhone, helping keep customers loyal, but its music distribution business would benet from going into the cloud.
need a 64GB iPhone 4G, but Apple can still

per year, MobileMe is something that could
iPhone. It works, too: on my iPhone, I prefer
attract me with faster 802.11n wi, a better
be a much bigger deal. Its made a start
the IMDB app to the IMDB site, for instance.
camera and a higher-resolution screen.
with music, purchasing Lala, an American
Its a good strategy, and one unlikely to
Current Internet connection speeds mean
streaming music rm, so an iTunes rival to
come under pressure for a while: Google
its rare that processing using a remote data
Spotify could be on the cards. The issue there
might allow apps on Android, but it has
center makes sense. Im a hardware nut,
is that Apple likes selling music its now the
fragmented its system by offering hardware
though plenty of less power-obsessed users
USs biggest music retailer and Spotifys
manufacturers freedom, so its hard for
will opt for a cheaper device if and when they
heavily ad-supported model isnt likely to
coders to target all Android phones. Plus,
can, and storage has a big impact on the
appeal. More likely is that well get a service
really, is its heart in apps?
cost of ash-based devices.
The web works for Google, as so much
Much more worryingly
web use involves a search on Google, and
Youll see that Im a customer who has very
for Apple is the fact that
therefore more data and more ads. Nope,
online services are much
Googles ploy isnt likely to be software, or
little tie to one hardware device over another,
more hardware-agnostic than
just software itll be hardware, too, and it
as long as they can go online
traditional software. Ive got
will attack on price and choice. Those of you
8223 audio les in iTunes
who are veterans of the 1980s will recognise
thats 54GB in all, around 22.5
these as the same tactics Microsoft
days of listening. Its taken me around six
where you can listen to all the music you own
employed back in the day. No surprises,
years to build up, and all of these les have
on your iPhone, sent over the air if you dont
then, that at the end of April, Google CEO
album art, genres, ratings and are sorted
have the les on the phone.
Eric Schmidt told a conference that Google
into hundreds of playlists. Lets say a new
That said, investing in online services
wanted Chrome OS Internet devices to be so
Android phone comes out as my contract
to rival Google is a fools errand: its not
cheap that theyre completely disposable.
runs out and its one I like the look of. Id
worth Apple trying to keep up.
have to really like the look of it to shift all
Google is bigger than you can
that music and metadata to some Android
believe; the lengths it will go
music management software. But if Im using
to in building more, faster data
Spotify, well, Id just have to get the Spotify
centers than anyone else is
app for Android and Im set: my data moves
frankly ludicrous. Nope, Apples
across because my data is really managed
new religion is apps.
remotely on Spotifys servers.
Ive probably spent around
Add in the fact that my email is already
50 on apps for my iPhone
run by Google, and my photos are online in
over the past year, and Id
ways the Android phone can easily access,
be loath to give all those up,
and youll see Im a customer who has very
which Id have to if I moved
little tie to one hardware device over another,
to Android or Windows Phone
as long as they can go online.
7. By not diluting the iPhone
Jon Stokes, a writer for ArsTechnica
platform (the iPad and iPod
(arstechnica.com), wrote a piece last month
touch both run iPhone OS) and
pronouncing Palms Pre dead in the water.
insisting iPhone apps arent
Perhaps slightly premature, but he blamed
made with cross-platform
the Pres demise on a variety of factors,
runtimes such as Adobes
one of which was the fact that its WebOS
Flash-to-iPhone compiler, Apple
was so tied into web services from third
is trying to create incentives
parties such as Google and Facebook that
for coders to create unique
switching away from the Pre was so easy.
iPhone apps. Not only does
And with a lack of apps and direction, thats
it get to sell these through
precisely what he did.
iTunes, collecting money in the
So whats Apple to do? Well, it needs to
process, but it pulls people
provide better online services. Sooner or later,
away from the open web and
Until I bought my iPhone, every personal audio device I owned had
more storage than the last.
its going to wake up and realise that, at 59
to experiences unique to the
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
082
iWORK:
Finding the Keynote
within the keynote
Apples keynote addresses ofen oer up clues to whats in store for its
presentation application, but deciphering them isnt always easy
uplicating Apple keynote effects
However, rashly working on the assumption
can be tough. As Apples star has
that somehow the effect could be replicated
moved into the ascendant over the
with existing tools, I began a day-long exercise
past few years, the minutiae of its keynotes
of trial, error and taking Schillers name in
have been analysed at frustrating length by
vain to reproduce the effect.
technology pundits worldwide.
I expect my initial complacency arose
However, within this group of analysts
because creating a chart so that its elements
lies a smaller and more extreme subset:
appear one by one is a fairly straightforward
those who study the software behind the
process. For example, if you have a slide
Tom Gorham has worked with Macs
presentation rather than the announcements.
with a 3D bar chart selected the process
since 1991. Although his background
The Keynote within the keynote, if you will.
is slightly different for other chart types you
is in print and web publishing,
hes a devotee of any software
Having noted that Apple CEO Steve Jobs
click the Build In tab in the Build inspector
that makes his life easier.
and other Apple presenters occasionally
and under the Delivery menu, choose By
tease us with effects and transitions not
Element in Series, and Grow as the effect.
present in any publicly
available version of Keynote,
Apple presenters occasionally tease us with
spotting these can provide
small clues about the future
effects not present in any publicly available
of iWorks presentation
version of Keynote, and spotting these can
application. A case in point:
provide clues about the future of Keynote
the announcement of the
3 billionth App Store download
during Jobs iPad presentation
in January was accompanied by a Keynote
Set the duration for each build and Jobs
dust cloud effect applied to an element
your uncle chart animation.
as it dropped to the bottom of the slide.
The critical part of ensuring smooth
Unreleased feature! cried the Keynote
animation is to adjust the Build From menu
junkies excitedly.
to ensure that elements that arent part of
It was only when a friend asked me
the chart for example, its background grid
whether it was possible to animate a Keynote
chart to show a chart rescaling as new data
was added to it that I temporarily joined this
gang of Keynote watchers. I remembered that
Id seen such a transition demonstrated by
Phil Schiller during last years WWDC 2009
keynote, and when I looked back at the
video of the event in iTunes, the stunning
effect is shown at around the three-minute
mark if youre interested. To display the
exponential growth of OS X active users,
Schiller displayed a chart showing steady
progress over a number of years, but to
compensate for the explosion in Mac OS
X use, the slide then adjusted its scale
before adding a further animation. Schillers
only and in my subsequent view utterly
unhelpful explanation of this effect was to
desultorily comment Keynote, Magic Move,
accompanied by a happy thumbs-up from him
and murmurs of appreciation by the audience.
I could swear there was a discernible if
understandable touch of smugness, too.
Many Keynote acionados have put
Phil Schiller demonstrating Keynote chart rescaling at the Worldwide Developers Conference in 2009.
this down as another unreleased feature.
083
arent included in the animation. You need

to know the order of elements here, and you
can see these in the Build Inspectors drawer.
In most cases, the background grid is the rst
element of the chart, so by selecting 2, you
can ensure it isnt included.
The default animation requires user
interaction to trigger each elements
animation. To automate this, in the Build
Order drawer you used to check on the
element order, select Series Elements and
choose Automatically after prior build from
the Start Build menu. Set a short delay
between each element.
However, the rescaling effect that Schiller
showed in his presentation was a little
different, and Im not sure he was being
entirely truthful when he put the chart effect
solely down to Magic Move. Magic Move
can automatically apply scaling or moving
transitions across slides, but while it works
with images and shapes, it simply doesnt
play well with charts.
My guess is that images were used to
create the effect rather than native charts,
as thats what I had to use when I tried to
replicate the rescaling effect.
I rst had to create two slides one
containing the chart before it was rescaled
and one after. On the second slide showing
the rescaled chart, I used the Graphic
Inspector to adjust its opacity so it would
gradually fade during the transition. I added a
second chart behind the rescaled chart with
x and y axes extended to take account of the
additional data Id add later. The tricky thing
here was to match up the axes of both these
charts so they aligned. It required a bit of
ddling in the Chart Inspector, adjusting the
axes values under the Chart tab.
Furthermore, I also had to create copies of
these two slides as images through Keynotes
File > Export menu. Under the Images
My guess is images were used

to create the effect rather than
native charts, as thats what I had
to use when replicating the effect
tab, select the slide number to export and
choose a suitable format PNG or Tiff to
export the slide.
To create the effect, the rst slide should
contain the original chart. I added the rst
image a copy of this chart to the second
slide and the image of the rescaled chart to a
third slide. I used Keynotes rulers and guides
to ensure that the chart origins and axes
were consistent across the slides.
An area chart doesnt let you animate individual elements, so here weve just chosen to animate by series.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Setting up animation for a basic 3D bar chart is fairly simple affair in Keynote.
The nal slide contained the rescaled

chart. On this I added new chart data through
the Chart Inspectors Edit data button and
added basic build effects to animate the
appearance of this information.
Fitting it together was a question of
adding the necessary transitions. You dont
need any transition between the rst and
second slides, so that between the chart
and the image, to borrow words from the
late Eric Morecambe, you cant see the join.
Its between the second and the third slides,
which both contain images, that you use
Magic Menu to perform the scaling effect.
With the second slide selected, open the
Slide Inspector and select Magic Menu
from the Effects menu.
The duration of the effect is a personal
choice, but Ive found that around two
seconds lets users see the scaling effect
most clearly. Make sure the Transition menu
is set to automatically so the transition
occurs without user interaction. When the
effect is applied, it should give the effect of
smooth scaling.
As with the rst and second slides, theres
no need for any transition effects between
the third and fourth slide. When I added the
additional data to this fourth slide, I wanted
to ensure I didnt redraw the same chart
elements that had already appeared in the
rst slide. To do this, I adjusted the number in
the slides Build Inspectors Build From menu
so that the chart elements already drawn
were ignored and only the one added in this
nal slide was animated.
The effect was achieved after a fashion,
although Im not convinced my labour was
worth it, as the results were nowhere near
as polished as the chart in Schillers Apple
presentation. However, the process resulted
in a new respect for Keynote watchers, and a
shared hope that Schillers feature makes it
into the next version of iWork.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
086
DIFFICULTY
RATING
create
GET MORE FROM YOUR MAC AND APPLICATIONS WITH OUR STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES
Use Photoshop CS5s Puppet

Warp tool to manipulate images
Photoshop CS5s new Puppet Warp tool enables you to distort and
manipulate cutout objects with unprecedented ease. Heres how
hotoshop has long offered users the

ability to make complex distortions,
from simple Free Transform to the
sophisticated envelope distortion offered in
Image Warp. In CS5, however, it takes both
power and ease of use a huge step further,
with the introduction of Puppet Warp.
First seen in Adobes animation
application, After Effects, Puppet Warp
enables you to make sophisticated,
organic distortions of cutout objects with
unprecedented ease. For the rst time,
you can bend, deform and manipulate your
cutouts of people, animals, body parts and
just about any imaginable object simply
BEFORE
by placing pins and dragging them to the

position you want.
The distortions well perform here are
possible with earlier versions of Photoshop,
to some extent. It would, however, involve
separating each object into its constituent
parts, transforming and rotating each part,
and then patching and tweaking to make all
the elements join up with each other.
Now, with Puppet Warp, all thats in the
past. Whether its a minor adjustment of a
models pose or a radical reshaping of the
form, Puppet Warp lets you work directly on
the image, without having to work within a
separate interface or learn new techniques.

illustrator working for a range of national
newspapers. His best-selling How to
Cheat in Photoshop, now in its fourth
edition, is published by Focal Press.
AFTER
Final image
It took less than two minutes to distort the original hand into one that could hold a tiny object, using Puppet Warp.
Kit required Photoshop CS5
087
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
1. Mesh your object
2. Pin down its anatomy
Our rst object is a prole of a dog, which has been cut out and is
on its own layer in Photoshop. When you choose Puppet Warp from
the Edit menu, a mesh of triangles appears automatically. You can
change the number of triangles using the Density pop-up on the
Options bar, but for most cases the default density is ne. Once
the mesh has appeared, you can start adding your pins.
Begin by clicking in place the rst pins on the cutout. They dont have
to be at the intersection of triangles and can be placed anywhere
on the cutout. Since we want to deform this dog according to
established rules of anatomy, it makes sense to position the pins
at logical bend points: the shoulder at the front and the rump at the
rear. The points you place will be stationary unless you move them,
allowing the gure to move around them.
3. Experiment with distortion
4. Fix limbs in place
If we add a third pin at the base of the skull, we can drag it down
to deform the shape the black dot inside the yellow point circle
indicates a currently selected pin. When we now drag down on this
pin, the two previously-placed pins remain in position, and the whole
dog deforms as we drag. This isnt what we want for this image, so we
need to Undo that last placed pin and place a couple more that will
make the whole dog more rigid.
Placing two further pins, on the legs, will prevent the dog from
deforming when we move a pin at the head. At any point, we can
choose to hide or show the underlying mesh using the button on
the Options bar. Since it performs no useful visual function, we
can hide it in order to see our object more clearly. Well leave the
mesh hidden for the remainder of this tutorial.
5. A more realistic manipulation
6. Pivot around a pin
Now, when we add a pin at the base of the skull and pull
down, the remaining pins stay in place. See how naturally the
head bends towards the ground: not only does the neck bend
convincingly, but the back also bends to follow the spine.
You can even bend a gure so far it overlaps itself. If you hold the Alt
key and hover over a placed pin, you can rotate the object around that
pin. That performed a useful rotation of the neck adding another pin
to the snout enables us to move the dogs nose exactly where we want
it. Note how the head sits seamlessly in front of the leg.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
088
7. Change the order of overlaps

The dogs head appeared in front of the leg
because the pins in the head were added
after those in the body, so theyre higher
up the stacking order. But what if we want
the head to be positioned behind the leg?
Simple: we just click one of the two Pin
Depth icons on the Options bar, each of
which moves the currently selected pins
either up or down the stack, taking the
underlying gure with them.
Heres the result of that operation: the
dogs head is now tucked in behind the
legs. And were not just limited to moving or
changing the stacking order of a single pin,
since holding the Shift key as we click on
pins allows additional points to be added
or removed from the current selection.
8. Add other pins for different poses
9. Removing pins also helps
By placing additional pins within the body, were able to transform

the dog into a variety of lifelike shapes. We can add multiple
pins close to each other, as has been done with the front paws,
in order to make them sit perfectly on the ground. With only the
barest knowledge of canine anatomy, were able to pose the dog
exactly as we want it.
You can select multiple pins by holding the Shift key to move them all
together, and you can remove pins altogether by holding the Alt key
and clicking on it. This follows the standard Photoshop approach to
multiple selections: use Shift to add to a selection, and Alt to remove
from it. When making a radical change such as this, it can help to
remove pins in order to manipulate the whole object more easily.
10. Let your imagination go wild
11. Choose when to use Distort and Normal modes
As well as distorting objects organically, you can also choose Distort

mode from the pop-up menu on the Options bar. Now, the object
will deform between pins: as you drag them further apart, the area
between the pins will enlarge, and will contract when you drag two pins
closer together. This lets you create fantasy creatures, adding and
subtracting pins as you need in order to ne-tune the results.
Although the Distort mode of deforming objects is fun to use, you

cant apply it to only a couple of pins: its an all-or-nothing option.
With the dog, we could, of course, scale body parts individually by
adding multiple pins in Normal mode and dragging the body part to
the position we want it.
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12. Another practical application
13. Add a mesh and place the pins
As well as producing wacky distortions, you can use Puppet Warp

to adjust individual body parts. In this second example, we have
a photograph of an open hand. The mission: to try to bend the
thumb and forenger together, so the hand is able to hold a tiny
object. Without Puppet Warp, this would be a long and tedious
exercise if not one thats downright impossible.
We begin by calling up Puppet Warp from the Edit menu, and the
familiar mesh of triangles appears on the layers surface. Since we
want the palm to remain largely untouched, we can start the process
by placing four pins on the hand at the key anchor points. Whatever
we do to the rest of the hand, the area between those four pins will
remain stationary.
14. Bend the finger
15. then the thumb
Once again, its easier to hide the mesh so that we can see the
hand more clearly. By placing the rst pin at the lower knuckle of the
forenger, were able to pull it forward as much as we like; a second
pin, placed within the top joint of the nger, allows us to bend that
section towards the thumb.
It only takes a single pin, placed at the top of the thumb, to bend
it towards the forenger. But theres a problem here: although the
whole thumb has indeed moved into position, the top is starting to
curl back in an unnatural fashion. Fortunately, our stock of pins is
unlimited, so we can remedy this situation by adding an additional
pin and rotating the existing one.
16. Deal with unnatural deformations
17. Think about how real objects interact
If we hold the Alt key and move the cursor over the existing pin at
the top of the thumb, we enter Rotate mode and a tiny circle
appears around the pin to indicate this. Now, when we move the
cursor just outside the pin, we can drag to rotate the element
around that point.
When bending the ngers, we must bear in mind that theyre all
connected: we cant bend a single nger without the others being
affected. So for a more natural appearance, we can place a few
additional pins on the remaining group of ngers, dragging them towards
the bent forenger. And because these pins were added afterwards, the
ngers appear in front of the forenger, rather than behind it.
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090
DIFFICULTY
RATING
Working smarter with text

in InDesign CS5
InDesign CS5 introduced new and exciting ways of formatting text,
such as the Span Columns dialog. Here, we explore these features.
n the past, creating text that spanned

multiple columns meant drawing a
separate text box. Its been that way all
the way through the evolution of InDesign,
and of QuarkXPress before it, and of
PageMaker before that. Drawing new text
boxes for headlines was just one of those
things we had to do and never really
questioned the matter.
Now InDesign CS5 breaks that rule, with
the ability to create text that spans multiple
columns. In order to do this, the team at
Adobe has had to solve all kinds of issues
that arise: what happens to text before and
after the multi-span headline? How do you
FINAL RESULT
control the spacing either side? How are the

columns of regular text split to accommodate
the headline?
All these issues are resolved with the
new Span Columns dialog, as well as using
basic controls on the Options bar. In addition,
you can use the Split Columns section of
the dialog to control how text behaves when
multiple sub-columns appear within a single
regular column of text.
There are also changes to the way InDesign
handles adding extra width to a text box, as
well as a new method for balancing text in
multi-column boxes. Well look at those new
technologies rst.
All this type is created with just a single text box in InDesign CS5, using the new Split and Span options.

illustrator working for a range of
national newspapers. His best-selling
How to Cheat in Photoshop, now in
its fourth edition, is published by
Focal Press.
Kit required InDesign CS5
091
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18 June 2010
1. Text frames before CS5

Weve long had the ability to split a text box
into multiple columns, set by a small controller
on the Options bar. When you make the whole
text box wider, the two columns widen to ll the
full width of the space. When youre designing
to a grid layout, though, you need to maintain
the column width. In the past, this involved
making the text box wider and then changing
the number of columns.
Columns before widening text box
2. Snap frames to xed column widths

A new item in the Text Frame Options dialog
lets you set a Fixed Column Width. Now, when
you make the text box wider, it snaps to the
next multiple of the column width youve
already used. This means you can change
from a two-column box to a three-column box
with a single action by dragging out the width.
Columns after widening text box
3. Balance words across columns

You can also check the new Balance Columns
box in the Text Frame Options dialog to make
InDesign automatically reow the text so it
nishes ush at the bottom of the words. This
will override the actual text box height: note
how theres space beneath all the text in this
box, but it isnt used.
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092
4. Justication on the last column

When you choose Vertical Justication as the
text tting method, the default behaviour is to
t the rst two columns of type according to
the leading value youve set and then space
out the nal column. With the Balance
Columns option checked, however, all the
type is spaced out evenly, right across all
the columns in the text box.
Justied last columns
Balanced columns
5. Dierent treatments for headlines
and body copy
A new feature in InDesign is the ability to
spread text across multiple columns using
the simple pop-up menu on the Options bar.
Curiously, this appears for the Character
section of the Options bar, and not for the
Paragraph section. Here, weve set the
headline to span the full width of the box, but
because we havent yet formatted the type,
the change is barely visible.
6. Words get in the way

When we set the type in our headline font, we
can see that problems start to appear. It
spans the full width, as expected, but the
descenders are interfering with the body copy
below: no self-respecting designer would ever
set a headline so close to the text that follows.
093
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7. Deal with disruptive descenders

The dialog to control this behaviour is in a
submenu named Span Columns, found in
the pop-up menu at the top of the Paragraph
panel. When the Span Columns option is
chosen, you can set the number of columns
to span, as well as the space before and after
the selected paragraph. Increasing this gure
produces a much cleaner result.
8. Intermediate spans
As well as setting a paragraph to span the full
width of the text box, you can also choose to
span just a limited number of columns. So
while your headline runs right across the page,
you can set your standrst to occupy just the
width of the rst two columns.
9. More spacing options

Once again, you can use the Span Columns
dialog to set the behaviour in more detail. If
you dont have a baseline grid set for your body
text style, you can adjust the spacing within
this dialog to provide a line break between
the standrst and the text that follows.
10. Clean breaks between paragraphs

When you add an additional headline, setting it
to span multiple columns, InDesign ows the
preceding text above it. When you set a new
paragraph to span the full width of the box, the
preceding text is placed above it and the text
that follows the new headline appears below.
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094
11
11. Get smart with intermediate
spans and alignment
With the headline set to span just two of the
three columns, InDesign really starts to get
clever. Now, the rst column of the main text
runs right to the bottom of the text box, while
the next two columns stop above the new
headline, with all the following text appearing
in two columns beneath the new headline.
12. Nest columns inside each other

You can set text to occupy multiple subcolumns within a single regular column as
well. In this example, we have a list of eight
countries in alphabetical order, each one typed
on a new line. If we want to split these within
the column, we rst have to select all the text
we want to split.
13. to improve presentation of lists

Choosing Split 2 from the pop-up menu on the
Options bar (again, in the Character section)
will divide the selected text into two columns
within the main column grid. There is no
option to control the order of placement,
however: as this example shows, the text
always runs down the left sub-column and
then down the right one.
14. Tweak the surrounding space

and the gutter
When you choose the Span Columns dialog
from the pop-up menu in the Paragraph panel,
you get a whole new set of options. You can
set the number of columns to split, as well as
the space before and after. You can also set
the inside gutter and the outside gutter (the
overall inset value of the new sub-columns).
DIFFICULTY
RATING
If you want to add rich content to your blog but dont know anything
about web programming, dont worry, iWebs widgets have the answer.
ince we showed you how to publish a

blog with iWeb (see MacUser, 21 May,
p98), weve populated ours with a
small collection of gig reviews so that our site
has some real substance. Now were going
to enhance our blog with widgets. In iWeb,
widgets are a way to include rich content on
your site without having to know anything
about programming for the web.
While the blog is a major section of our
site, its only part of it. We want visitors to
see an opening page that better describes
the content of the site. Every theme thats
provided with iWeb includes a Welcome
Widgets can really

bring your website to
life. iWeb comes with
nine widgets including
HTML Snippet, which
lets you pull in content
from other websites.
page template, but theyre rather dull. First,

were going to spice up that page with a list
of recent blog posts so that visitors can
jump straight to your latest thoughts and
conversations with other people who come
to your website.
iWeb only has a small selection of widgets,
but one of them the HTML Snippet is
incredibly versatile. Some sites provide HTML
code that lets you republish selected bits of
information on other sites, such as MySpace
or your own blog, and its this widget that
is key to using that code in a site built with
iWeb. Well show you how to do that, too.
Alan Stonebridge spends his working

life in front of Macs and theyve
taken over his free time, too.
Kit required iWeb, TextWrangler
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Enhance your iWeb

blog with widgets
095
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096
1. Before you start
2. Add a Welcome page
Youll need to add a few blog entries to your site, ideally a minimum
of three. We covered how to do this last time, but if you dont have
that tutorial to hand, quickly add a blog page to your site (File > New
Page), click its index page in the left pane then add a handful of new
ones for the time being. They neednt contain real content, but youll
need these dummy entries for testing purposes.
The blog is just part of our website. You can see above that weve
added other sections to it. With that in mind, we want visitors to arrive
on a Welcome page rather than the blog index. Choose File > New
Page and pick the Welcome page for your chosen theme. If this new
page isnt the top item (beneath your sites name) in the left pane,
drag it up to the top of the list to set it as your sites rst page.
3. About widgets
1
This is just a page template, so you can

adapt it. We want to display recent blog
entries beneath the picture on the left
by using a widget. iWebs widgets are
found in the Media Browser. If thats not
visible on the right-hand side of iWebs
window, choose View > Show Media
Browser, then click the Widgets tab.
5
6
The widgets that come with iWeb

1. MobileMe Gallery
If you subscribe to MobileMe, you can
publish photo galleries online with just
a few clicks. This widget displays these
galleries within the structure and design
youve picked for your website.
2. YouTube
You can publish videos direct to YouTube
from iMovie and QuickTime. Add this widget
to display your own creations or others that
you nd interesting. Remember that some
YouTube videos cant be played inside other
sites, so dont forget to test the widget
once youve made it live on your site.
3. Google Maps
Enter an address into this widget and itll
display the location using Google Maps.
You can pick whether the zoom control,
search bar and address bubble are visible,
and visitors can switch between map,
satellite and hybrid views. However, Apples

widget doesnt let them switch to Street View,
though, but theres a workaround, which well
show you in a moment.
4. Google AdSense
AdSense looks at content on a web page and
inserts ads that it thinks are relevant. Youll
need an AdSense account, but dont worry if
you dont have one as iWeb provides a link
to more detailed information about AdSense
and helps you create an account to use it.
5. iSight Photo and iSight Movie

These widgets capture still photos and
movies from the iSight camera built into most
Macs without having to do it with a separate
application. Instead, theyre placed directly
onto the page. Its not a substitute for a
properly edited video but its ne for quick
pieces to camera, and you can tweak colours
in still photos using the Adjust palette.
6. Countdown
When youre looking forward to a big event,
you can display a timer that counts down
to a specic date and time, and you can
choose whether its counted down in
anything from seconds to years.
7. RSS Feed
RSS is a summary of a websites contents
that tells readers when something new has
been published. Apple Mail has a built-in
RSS reader that works a lot like a mailbox,
and alternative applications are available
for the Mac and iPhone OS. Were going to
use an RSS feed to show the latest blog
entries on the front page of our site.
8. HTML Snippet
This is a general-purpose widget that pulls
in content from other websites. Well cover
a few of the many things it can be used for
later on in this tutorial.
097
The blog is a major section of our website, so we want to prominently

highlight recent entries on the Welcome page. Click the picture to
select it and small handles will appear around its edges. Drag the
middle one on the bottom edge
upwards. Notice that iWeb defaults to
Your picture
resizing images in proportion, but we
may no
want to change the boxs dimensions.
longer ll the frame.
Undo this with Cmd-Z before.
In the oating palette
Open the Inspector (View > Show
beneath the picture
Inspector) and select the Metrics tab
frame, drag the slider
(third from the right). Untick the box
to resize the image in a
labelled Constrain proportions and
picture box. Click Edit
drag the boxs bottom handle again.
Mask and reposition the
Now it distorts. If youve already
image in the frame by
placed your own image in it, press
clicking and dragging it.
Cmd-C to copy it and Cmd-V to paste
Click Edit Mask to nish.
it back in to x the distortion.
TIP
iWeb creates the RSS

le for you. Removing
the Subscribe button
from a page doesnt
remove the RSS feed,
and visitors will see its
available from a button
in the address bar of
their web browser.
5. Think about whats behind the widget
6. Work
W k out th
addr
of your RSS ffeed
d
the address
Our Welcome pages design includes a scrap of notepaper that

contains some text (and another piece of text that says keep out
which weve removed). Double-click the text on the paper and type
Latest blog entries to explain where the links go. Weve resized
and repositioned the paper to form a background for the widget.
Before you can use the widget, youll need the address of your blogs
RSS feed. The easiest way to get it is to visit your live blog (File > Visit
Published Site). Click to your blog, then right-click the Subscribe button
shown on the page and choose Copy Link. Keep this address on the
Clipboard or paste it into a text le for now. It should end with rss.xml.
7. Add the RSS widget
8. Customise the content
Drag the RSS Feed widget from the Media Browser into the space
beneath the picture on the Welcome page. Click the widget on the
page and paste the RSS feeds address into the Subscription URL
eld in the oating palette, then click Apply. Right now it looks a mess.
Well x that, but its best to show some real content in the box before
you adjust its size and position to ensure text isnt wrapping to the
point that it becomes hard to read.
We only want to display entry titles.

Click the widget and untick the box
in the oating palette to turn off
dates. Also drag the slider for article
length to the left to turn them off.
Weve reduced the number of
entries to three. If there are too
many to t in the box, iWeb adds
a stylised scroll bar that is ddly
to operate on iPhone OS.
TIP
Resize the
widget to t on
top of the paper, leaving a
comfortable margin around
it so that text doesnt
touch the backgrounds
edge or spill outside of it.
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18 June 2010
4. Prepare a spot for your widget
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098
9. Publish and test your widget
Dont forget to change the pages title. Finally, choose File > Publish
Site Changes so you can see the widget in action. Click a link and it
will open in a new window. Well change this so that visitors dont
get annoyed by the extra window. Download and install
Te
TextWrangler (barebones.com/products/textwrangler).
iWeb should
Go to your iDisk and browse to Web/Sites/<your_site_
leave the
nam
name>/Scripts/Widgets/RSS Feed.
modied le alone, but
Copy the RSSFeed.js le to your Mac and open it in
software updates may
TextWrangler.
Dont be scared by this code. All you need
Te
update iWebs widgets
to do here is press Cmd-F, then search for _blank and
and change that
rep
replace every instance in the le with _self. That tells a
situation, so test
web browser to open links from the RSS widget in the
that this behaviour is
sam
same window. This will also affect RSS widgets on your
retained if you update
sit
site that link to external sites. Save the modied le and
or upgrade iWeb.
cop
copy it back to the server.
TIP
10. Use Googles Street View on your site

iWebs HTML Snippet widget is the most versatile as it
allows you to pull all sorts of other content into your
site. Click your blogs Entries page in the left pane
and create a new one. The example shown here talks
about an upcoming concert, so we want to show the
venue using Street View.
Visit maps.google.co.uk and search for a location
you want to show. Drag the orange gure onto the
adjacent street to switch to Street View. Find the right
spot and viewing angle on the street, then click the
word Link at the top-right. Copy the contents of the
second box to the Clipboard.
Go back to iWeb, click the HTML Snippet widget
on the page and paste the Clipboards contents into
the oating palette that appears. Press Apply, then
publish the changes to the site to test it. Weve
cheated a little by changing the height and width
values at the start of the code so that it ts better
in the space at the top of the blog entry.
Theres a range of visual

styles to choose from.
Other users might have
created one that ts
your site design.
11. Automatically show

your favourite music
Try the same widget with last.fm,
which lets you publish details of
what youve been listening to.
Youll need a free account and
the Scrobbler application
Pick which chart you
(look under Do More at
want to display. Weve
the bottom of the site),
chosen My Recent
which tells last.fm
Tracks and left it at the
default of 10 tracks.
what youve played in
iTunes and on your iPod.
Spotify has this feature built in.
Once youre set up, log into
last.fm and look for Chart
Images under Do More.
CHART IN ACTION
Select the code in this

box, copy it to the
Clipboard, paste it into
another HTML Snippet
widget, then apply and
republish to see the
widget live on your site.
099
DONT MISS OUT: SUBSCRIBE BY CALLING 0844 844 0063
iPhone 4
The fourth-generation
iPhone is the best
yet, with smart new
features, a lovely
high-resolution display
and, finally, a frontfacing camera for video
conferencing. In the
next issue of MacUser,
well be examining
its most important
features in detail, so
you can decide whether
its time to upgrade or
buy your first model.
SAFARI 5
Five is the version at which Safari
comes of age, with a new reader
feature and hooks for developers who
want to create their own add-ons for
Apples native browser. What does it
mean for you, and is it good enough
to see off increasing competition from
Google and Mozilla?
All this, PLUS the latest reviews,
breaking news and more in the
next issue of MacUser, ON SALE 2
JULY 2010 at all good newsagents.
Reserve your copy today.
* Contents subject to change.
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100
Cheat Sheet
Printing on the Mac
Working with printers is easier in Snow Leopard than in earlier versions
of Mac OS X. Even if you dont own a printer, you can still print PDFs.
Words Alan Stonebridge
he Macs printing capabilities

are far friendlier than computers
from bygone ages. In fact, Snow
Leopard makes the whole business even
easier than in previous versions of Mac OS
X, as the latest version of Software Update
delivers updates to printer software from
many major manufacturers: HP, Canon,
Epson, Brother, Lexmark, Samsung, Xerox,
Fuji Xerox and Ricoh.
This means trawling through support
pages on a manufacturers website for
the latest drivers is no longer necessary.
Instead, open Software Update from the
Apple menu and look for a manufacturerspecic bundle of new drivers, typically for
several printer models. The update is then
delivered and installed on your Mac in exactly
the same way as updates for Apples own
software and automatically, if you havent
altered your settings.
Snow Leopard downloads new printer

software for you. Look in Software
Updates preferences to see which version
is installed in case youve accidentally
told Mac OS X to ignore an update.
TIP
Although drivers come from Software

Update, check what else is on the
disc that comes bundled with new printers. There
may be some useful applications on it.
Just about to upgrade to Snow Leopard?
Check the date on Apples list of Snow Leopard-compatible printers. It could be several weeks out of date.
Snow Leopard has been around for a while

now and many applications have been
updated to run on it. If youve brought your
applications up to date and are looking to
upgrade to the latest version of Mac OS X,
you should also check compatibility of your
peripherals. Youll nd a list of compatible
printers and scanners at Apples website
(support.apple.com/kb/ht3669), but dont
panic if your printer is absent from the list.
Apple regularly updates it, although it can
be several weeks out of date at times.
In that situation, its worth checking
the manufacturers site. If nothing else,
it may conrm that there are no plans to
offer updated drivers that work with Snow
Leopard, or it may list a date when new
software is expected to become available.
If that still fails to turn up any concrete
information, theres another option to try
out before abandoning plans to upgrade
or buying a new printer.
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Get older printers working with Gutenprint

Gutenprint is an open-source project that
provides software for a wide range of printers,
including many older models that arent
directly compatible with Snow Leopard. Youll
nd a list of supported models at gutenprint.
sourceforge.net/p_Supported_Printers.
php. The Mac version is found at gimp-print.
sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php.
Unlike drivers provided by printer
manufacturers, new versions of Gutenprint
arent delivered through Software Update, so
youll have to go to the site if you run into any
difculties. As well as checking what issues
the latest version xes, visit the Help forum
(sourceforge.net/projects/gimp-print/forums)
to see if other users have encountered the
same problem. You can always start your own
topic to ask experienced users to help you
get to the root of the issue.
Dont throw out your old printer just yet. It may still work with Snow Leopard once youve installed Gutenprint.
Save money and the environment

One of the most useful features
in Mac OS X is the ability to
print many kinds of documents
and web pages to PDF les.
This enables you to keep
copies of pages, so you can read them on
your iPhone or iPad in an appropriate app, or
keep them for archival purposes.
Creating a PDF is as simple as pressing
Cmd-P. You dont need to install any printer
software, as its built into the system and
is available right away from the rst time
you turn on any Mac. It will also help you
reduce the amount of wasted paper and
ink, which is good for both your pocket and
the environment.
01
After calling up the print dialog (Cmd-P),

look to its bottom-left corner for a button
labelled PDF. Click it to reveal a list of tasks
that includes saving to a le, emailing the
PDF, and even saving order conrmations
to a folder called Web Receipts in your
Documents folder great if you make a lot
of online purchases, as it staves off the
temptation to save to the Desktop and le
it by hand at a later date.
Some applications, such as Evernote,

may add their own plug-ins to the list.
That allows you to send content right to them
without having to use more tedious methods.
You can create your own plug-ins to

suit your way of working, perhaps to
le different types of documents without
having to move them around with the
Finder. Thats done by creating a Print Plugin workow in Automator, which contains
a sequence of actions that tell your Mac
what to do with the le. The plug-in is then
accessible from this list.
03
02
04
Choose this item to customise the

list. Items cant be reordered unless
you remove and add them back into the
list one at a time. Youll nd the standard
plug-ins that come with Mac OS in /Library/
PDF Services (start browsing from the top of
your hard drive).
To share your customised Print Plug-ins

with colleagues, browse to ~/Library/
PDF Services (~ means start at your user
folder). They can add them to the PDF pop-up
menu by clicking Edit Menu at the bottom of
the list, and then clicking the + button and
pointing at the workow le.
05
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102
Beginners Guide to...

Dashboard
Mac OS Xs Dashboard is where you store and
run Widgets. Heres a taste of how it works.
he Dashboard is a hidden layer

of Mac OS X. It sits behind the
main interface and lets you run tiny
applications, called Widgets, and call on
them when you need them. But isnt this the
way all applications run sitting dormant in
your Applications folder until you give them
a double-click? Well, not quite. Each Widget
is like a tiny web page, built using HTML, style
sheets and JavaScript, which is the part that
makes it intelligent.
The Dashboard is called up from your
keyboard, but precisely what key you need to
use depends on the age and make of your
keyboard. If you have a modern aluminium

Apple keyboard either wireless or wired
youll see that your F4 key has a symbol like a
speed gauge. This is your Dashboard button.
On an older keyboard or a third-party device,
tap F12 to achieve the same end result.
Your applications and interface will be
knocked back as the Dashboard fades
in, complete with your active Widgets. To
return to your regular Mac OS X environment,
press the Dashboard button again or click
anywhere between your Widgets where
you can see the Desktop or applications
showing through.
MANAGE WIDGETS
Click on the Manage Widgets button
above the Springboard to call up the
dialog through which you can activate and
deactivate the Widgets that appear there.
Widgets shown in this interface are split
into two types. Those that come as part
of Mac OS X cant be uninstalled entirely,
and so all you can do is hide them by
unchecking the box to the left of their
names in the dialog.
However, third-party Widgets that

youve installed subsequently can be
deleted from your system entirely by
clicking the red delete button to the
right of each one.
Click the More Widgets button at
the bottom of this interface to visit
the Widgets download page on Apples
website to download a wide choice of
extra Widgets.
103
DASHBOARD
Each of the small windows on this layer

is a Widget. They can be rearranged
however you like by clicking on any
inactive area and dragging them. As
you hover over a Widget, youll see a
small i appear in a bottom corner.
Click it to ip over the Widget and
change its settings.
The dimmed area that covers your

screen is the Dashboard layer. This
helps to separate the Widgets from
the rest of your operating system.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
WIDGET
CLOSE BUTTON
RIPPLE EFFECT
This isnt distortion in our grab: the
ripple effect is caused by dropping
a Widget onto your Dashboard. Its a
quirky touch that will only work if you
have a suitably powerful graphics card,
and it quickly subsides as the Widget
fully loads.
SPRINGBOARD
Your Widgets are organised on the Springboard. Clicking
on one drops it onto the Dashboard area. If you have too
many Widgets to t on one screen it will ow onto further
Springboards that run off the edge of the screen. Move
to either end and click the arrow to move to the next
or previous run of Widgets.
Each Widget has its own close

button. Click this and the Widget
will disappear as though its being
sucked down a plug hole. You
should close Widgets that you
arent using before leaving the
Dashboard, as they each take
resources from your Mac, even
when you cant see them.
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104
Switching to the Mac:

Instant messaging with iChat
Apples instant messaging application looks fab and is packed with
features, but you may want to install some alternatives alongside it.
n your old PC, you probably used

Windows Live Messenger (previously
called MSN Messenger) to chat to
friends and family online. You wont nd it
in your Macs Applications folder, though,
because Apple provides a different instant
messaging program called iChat for sending
short text messages. Most Macs have an
iSight camera and a microphone built into
them, and they can be used in iChat, too,
so you can see who youre talking to.
iChat also lets you share your screen with

other people, so you can work collaboratively
on a project or, if your computer is playing up,
hand over control of the pointer and keyboard
to a friend whos more knowledgeable about
the Mac and able to lend you a helping hand.
However, iChat presents you with a
dilemma: it cant connect to Microsofts
chat network, so it cuts you off from your
old friends. MSN Messenger is available
for the Mac, but before you skip straight to
downloading it, take a look at some of the

great features in iChat. Its still good for
chatting to friends who use Macs or have
AOL Instant Messenger (Aim) accounts, and
its packed with customisable features.
Youre not limited to one chat application,
of course. Theres nothing stopping you from
installing Microsofts application and running
it alongside iChat, and there are some
other excellent alternatives that are worth
downloading, too.
When you rst run iChat, it will prompt

you for some account details. You can
use iChat
iChat with
with Aim accounts
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accounts.
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If you nd it hard
to tell two people
apart, right-click one of them
and choose Show Info. In
the window that opens, go
to the Address Card tab.
Here, you can override your
friends chosen picture and
ll out their full name.
Once youre online, the Aim

Buddy List window should
appear. Add friends to the list
by clicking the + button. You
can organise them into groups,
to keep your family, friends and
work contacts separate.
Groups are shown as grey,

horizontal bars. When theyre
collapsed, they show the number
of people in that group and how
many of them are online.
While youre in a
conversation, or with a
contact selected in the buddy
list, these buttons let you start a
voice call or video chat, or share
your screen with that person.
105
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18 June 2010
Customise iChat
Turn on the menu bar icon
iChat is packed with preferences (Cmd-,) that tailor it to behave

better and not get in your way. Under the General tab, turn on the
status icon in the menu bar, so you can ip between Available and
Busy in a couple of clicks as you work in another application.
Peronalise iChats appearance
You can change the appearance of iChat in the Messages tab. If

you dislike a friends colour and font choices, you can change them to
something more to your taste. This tab also stops your Desktop from
becoming cluttered with windows and lets you save chat transcripts.
Tweak iChats behaviour
The Alerts tab lets you specify how iChat

responds to certain events. You can pick from
a long list of sounds or choose your own to
help identify that its iChat alerting you to a
notication. If thats too intrusive, you can set
the applications icon to bounce in the Dock,
which it will do even if youve hidden the Dock
to free up a bit of space. The icon will still
bounce into view until you attend to it.
iChat can also use Mac OS Xs speech
engine to speak out loud, which may be
helpful to family members who arent
accustomed to using computers.
Alternatives to iChat
Messenger for Mac
Microsoft recently
released Messenger 8,
which is the rst Mac
version of the software
to let you speak to and
see any friends who use Windows, although
its also still a beta version. Still, if all your
friends use Microsofts chat network, this
is all you need to keep in touch with them.
Get it from microsoft.com/mac.
Skype
Skype also supports
audio and video chats
from one computer to
another. Its also a good
choice if you want to
speak to family who are a long distance away.
Its not limited to talking over computers,
though. Pay for some call credit and youll be
able to phone their landline or mobile from
your Mac. Grab it from skype.com.
Adium
Adium is a popular choice
because it supports so
many different messaging
networks. Its also more
customisable than any
of the other applications
here. You can even strip away all the
window borders and display your friends
in a minimalist strip down the side of your
screen. Download it from adium.im.
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18 June 2010
106
THE MAC RANGE

Apple has a variety of Macs to suit different
needs and pockets. Find out which ones for you.
pples Mac range can be split into

six families: three desktop and three
laptop. Of these, two the Mac Pro
and MacBook Pro are aimed at professional
users. Of the others, the iMac will suit anyone
but the most power-hungry user; the Mac mini

is a budget option for those who already have
a keyboard, mouse and display; the MacBook
is the budget laptop; and the MacBook Air is
for anyone who values portability.
MAC PRO
The Mac Pro hasnt been updated in over
a year and, with the imminent launch of
Intels six-core Gulftown processors, a
new model is likely to appear soon. The
new chips, which will be marketed as
Xeon 5600, will run at up to 3.33GHz
and have 12MB of Level 3 cache. Theyll
almost certainly be used in dual-processor
congurations the Mac Pro, giving a total
of 12 cores.
The current Mac Pro range comprises
two models, one with a 2.66GHz quad-core
processor and the other with two 2.26GHz
quad-core processors. Both have 8MB of
shared Level 3 cache and an option to
upgrade to 2.93GHz, and an integrated
memory controller with three channels
that delivers up to 2.4 times the memory
bandwidth of the previous model, while
cutting memory latency by up to 40%.
iMAC
The current family of iMacs features 21.5in and 27in
16:9 widescreen displays. The enclosure is aluminium and
the glass screen covers the full width of the computer.
The iMacs have Core 2 Duo processors starting at
3.06GHz, which can be upgraded to 3.33GHz. Theres also
a 27in model with a 2.66GHz Core i5 quad-core processor,
which can be upgraded to Core i7.
All four iMacs come with 4GB of Ram, which can be
upgraded to 8GB on the 21.5in models and 16GB on the
27in iMacs. One of the 3.06GHz, 21.5in models has a
500GB hard drive, while the others all ship with 1TB disks.
Those drives can be upgraded to 2TB, but the 500GB
disk cant be changed. For graphics, the least expensive
model has an Nvidia GeForce 9400M, the next two have
ATI Radeon HD 4670 chips with 256MB of Ram, while
the Core i5 model has an ATI Radeon HD 4850 with
512MB of Ram. The Core 2 Duo 27in model can have
its graphics upgraded to the Radeon HD 4850.
All iMacs have a built-in iSight video camera, AirPort
Extreme 802.11n wi networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR,
Gigabit Ethernet, a total of four USB 2 ports, one
FireWire 800 port and a built-in SD card slot.
The quad-core model costs 1940 and

has 3GB of 1066MHz DDR3 ECC SDRam,
which can be upgraded to 8GB. The eightcore Mac Pro costs 2553 and boasts
6GB of the same high-spec memory, which
can be upgraded to 32GB.
Both have 640GB Serial ATA, 7200rpm
hard drives, although storage can be
expanded up to 4TB via four 1TB serial
drives in the Macs four drive bays. Theres
also an 18x double-layer SuperDrive for
reading and writing DVDs and CDs.
The Mac Pros Nvidia GeForce GT 120
graphics card with 512MB of GDDR3
memory provides both Mini DisplayPort
and dual-link DVI video output, providing
almost three times the previous
performance. For even more graphics
power, the ATI Radeon HD 4870 card
is also available.
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18 June 2010
MACBOOK
MACBOOK AIR
MACBOOK PRO
Theres only one MacBook currently

available a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo
model in a white polycarbonate
unibody enclosure, costing 849.
It has 2GB of DDR3 SDRam, a 250GB
hard drive, an Nvidia GeForce 320M
graphics processor and an 8x doublelayer SuperDrive. Theres a Gigabit
Ethernet connection, two USB 2 ports,
and digital/analogue audio input
and output. Battery life is quoted
at 10 hours.
The two MacBook Air models have Core 2 Duo

processors running at 1.86GHz and 2.13GHz,
and cost 1174 and 1378 respectively.
Both have 2GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRam
and Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics. The
1.86GHz model has a 120GB hard drive,
while the 2.13GHz MacBook Air has a 128GB
solid-state drive. Neither has a SuperDrive
nor an SD card slot. Both have a single USB
socket and audio output jack. Battery life is
quoted at ve hours. The MacBook Air and
all the MacBook Pros have Mini DisplayPort
connectors to attach external displays. These
can be used to connect to DVI and VGA
displays by using adaptors, which are sold
separately. All have built-in iSight cameras,
802.11n wi and Bluetooth.
The 13in MacBook Pro now has

the Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics
processor, which has 48 processing
cores, three times more than the
9400M processor in its predecessor.
A 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with a
250GB hard drive costs 999 and a
2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 320GB
hard drive costs 1249. Both models
have 4GB of Ram and a quoted battery
life of 10 hours.
The 15in and 17in models get Intel
Core i5 and i7 processors, and a new
graphics-switching technology that
toggles between more powerful Nvidia
GeForce GT 330M and energy-efcient
Intel HD Graphics processors. The
Core i5 and i7 processors include an
integrated memory controller, hyperthreading, and Turbo Boost.
The 15in MacBook Pro is available
in three congurations: one with a
2.4GHz Intel Core i5 and 320GB hard
drive priced at 1499; one with a
2.53GHz Intel Core i5 and 500GB
hard drive at 1649; and one with a
drive at 1799. The 17in model has a
drive for 1899. All the above MacBook
Pros have 4GB of Ram.
All models have LED-backlit wideangle displays at up to 1920 x 1200
pixels on the 17in, while the 15in
model is available with an optional
high-resolution 1680 x 1050 display.
Apple also offers 128GB, 256GB
and 512GB solid-state drives (SSDs) as
an option on all models, together with
other build-to-order options that include
bigger and/or faster 7200rpm hard
drives and the option to double the
amount of memory to 8GB of Ram.
MAC MINI
The Mac mini ships in three
congurations. Two have a
SuperDrive and Snow Leopard
installed, while the other
one has two hard drives, no
SuperDrive and ships with
Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server
installed on one drive.
The Server model has a 2.53GHz Core
2 Duo processor, dual 500GB hard drives,
4GB of 1066MHz DDR3 SDRam and
Nvidias GeForce 9400M graphics chip.
The hard drive, memory and graphics card
cant be upgraded.
Of the other two models, one has a
2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of
Ram and an 160GB hard drive. The other
has a 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo processor,
4GB of Ram and a 320GB hard drive. The
2.26GHz model can have its processor

upgraded to 2.53GHz, its Ram boosted
to 4GB, and the hard drive expanded to
320GB or 500GB. The other model can
have a processor upgrade to 2.66GHz and
a 500GB hard drive.
Both of the latter models have the
Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chip and
an 8x SuperDrive.
MAC BASICS
Every Mac desktop has Gigabit Ethernet,
Bluetooth and 802.11n wi as standard,
with the exception of the Mac Pro, on
which the wi card is optional. The Mac
mini and Mac Pro have ve USB 2 ports,
while the iMac has four. The Mac Pro and

iMac also have FireWire 800 connections:
four on the Mac Pro and one on the iMac.
All laptops have 802.11n wi and
Bluetooth. The MacBook and MacBook
Pro also have Gigabit Ethernet, while

the MacBook Air needs a USB-toEthernet adaptor. All models have an
iSight camera, microphone and at least
one speaker.
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18 June 2010
108
iPOD/iPHONE/iPAD RANGE
Want one of these small objects of desire? Check
their specs to find the one with your name on it.
iPOD SHUFFLE
iPOD NANO
iPOD CLASSIC
The iPod shufe comes in two capacities

2GB (46) and 4GB (60) and a choice of
silver, black, pink, blue and green. The latest
model has a new feature called VoiceOver,
which announces the name of the artist and
track thats currently playing. The supplied
earphones have an inline remote control and
theres a clip on the rear of the shufe to
allow you to attach it to clothing.
The nano is available in nine colours,

including silver, black and (Product)
Red. Theres an 8GB version, which
costs 118, and a 16GB model, which
will set you back 138. The nano now
has a built-in FM radio with a buffer, so
you can pause live radio. It also has a
built-in video camera.
The iPod classic is the most capacious of

all Apples music players. It comes in either
black or silver. Both have a capacity of 160GB
and cost 193. The classic plays video, like
its nano and touch siblings, and you can ip
through album covers using the click wheel,
thanks to Cover Flow.
iPOD TOUCH
The touch is best thought of as an iPhone
without the phone features or a 3G data
connection. It comes in three capacities: 8GB
for 152, 32GB for 234 and 64GB for 306.
It features a 3.5in, 480 x 320-pixel display, and
comes with several built-in apps such as Safari,
Mail and Address Book. The touch supports
any iPhone app that doesnt require a 3G
connection or GPS, or the iPhones camera.
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18 June 2010
iPAD
The iPad, Apples new tablet
computer, has a 9.7in
screen with a resolution
of 1024 x 768 pixels. It
comes in 16GB, 32GB and
64GB versions, and you
can choose a model that
uses only wi to connect
to the Internet or that has
a 3G chip to allow you to
connect from anywhere.
Like the iPhone and iPod
touch, it also has support
for Bluetooth. It uses the
same Dock connection
as the iPod and iPhone
for syncing and charging,
and also has a microphone,
built-in speaker and
headphone jack.
iPHONE 3G
As youll know if you read our iPhone buyers
guide (see MacUser, 12 March 2010, p44),
deciding which iPhone to buy is a mineeld.
However, choosing the hardware is less
complicated than selecting a pricing plan.
There are two very different models available.
The iPhone 3G comes with 8GB of storage
and costs approximately 349 on a pay-asyou-go tariff. It has a slower processor than
the 3GS though, and lacks that models builtin compass and upgraded camera.
iPHONE 3GS
There iPhone 3GS is available in two
capacities: 16GB (449 on pay as you
go) and 32GB (549 on pay as you go).
Both are available in black or white. The
3GS can record and edit video as well as
still images, has a 3-megapixel sensor,
and has a lens that can auto focus or
allow you to focus manually. The other
differentiating feature between it and
the 3G is Voice Control a feature that
enables you to control some features of
the iPhone by speaking into the mic.
110
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18 June 2010
APPLE PERIPHERALS RANGE

Whether you want to stream music and video to your
TV or set up a wireless network, Apples got it covered.
Images Courtesy of Apple
APPLE TV
Apple TV is the companys Trojan Horse
for the living room. Rather than produce
a fully-edged media centre as many PCs
manufacturers did a few years ago, Apple
came up with a box that connects to a TV
using HDMI or component video cables and
has very little inside it, save for a CPU, a
160GB hard drive and a wi chip.
The idea of Apple TV is that you connect

it over a wireless network to a Mac or PC
running iTunes, and stream music, photos
and video. You can also download media
directly from the iTunes Store and stream
clips from YouTube. Apple describes it as a
hobby, but it may take it more seriously now
that Google has announced Google TV.
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18 June 2010
AIRPORT EXTREME
AIRPORT EXPRESS
Airport Express is designed as a way to
stream music from iTunes on your Mac to a
hi in another room. You plug it into a power
socket, connect the hi to its minijack and
add it to your wireless network. You can then
select it in iTunes and send music to the hi.
AirPort Express can do more than that,
though. Connect its Gigabit Ethernet port to
your ADSL or cable modem, and you have a
wireless access point. Connect a USB printer
to its USB port, and it becomes a means of
sharing a printer wirelessly. And if you plug
it into a power socket on the outer limits of
your current wireless network, its a bridge,
extending that network.
Apples wireless router is a Time Capsule

without the hard drive, or more accurately, the
Time Capsule is AirPort Extreme with a hard
drive. Like the Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme
can connect to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11n
bands at the same time, and it allows you to
set up a guest network with limited access.
It has an NAT rewall with support for MAC
address ltering and Radius authentication,
and you can limit access from specic
computers to certain times of the day.
TIME CAPSULE.
When Apple introduced Time Machine
with Mac OS X Leopard, it decided that
it needed new hardware to make the
most of it. Time Capsule is a combined
router and network hard drive. It can
be used like any other network storage
device, but is designed to function as a
backup destination for Time Machine.
It comes in two versions; one with a
1TB hard drive, the other with double that
storage capacity. Both have four Gigabit
Ethernet ports, one to connect to an ADSL
or cable modem, the other three for local
network devices. Theres also a USB port
to allow you to connect an additional hard
drive or share a USB printer.
113
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18 June 2010
FOR MORE DEALS GO TO WWW.MACUSER.CO.UK/CLASSIFIEDS
Macshopper contents
114 COOL KIT
119 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
122 LOCAL DEALER GUIDE
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
114
cool kit
FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO WWW.MACUSER.CO.UK/REVIEWS
The whos who of top products

Dont shell out for a product until youve checked out our top-fives, from
video editing and DTP sofware to printers, monitors and digital cameras.
Top 5 displays
APPLE LED
CINEMA DISPLAY
The rst LED-based Cinema
Display is designed for
MacBooks with a Mini
DisplayPort, and it can be
used to charge them, too.
Reviewed 16/01/09
URL apple.com/uk
LG Flatron M2294 Wide LCD TV Monitor

Rating 4 Reviewed 07/11/08 URL lge.com/uk
Samsung SyncMaster F2380
Rating 4 Reviewed 26/02/10 URL samsung.com/uk
Eizo CG301W
Rating 4 Reviewed 01/02/08 URL eizo.co.uk
Samsung SyncMaster XL2370
Rating 4 Reviewed 06/11/09 URL samsung.com/uk
Top 5 external hard drives

SEAGATE
FREEAGENT
DESK FOR MAC
An inexpensive 1TB external
hard disk that delivers good
performance. It has one USB 2
and two FireWire 800 ports.
Reviewed 02/01/09
URL seagate.com
Western Digital My Book Studio II 4TB

Rating 5 Reviewed 03/07/09 URL wdc.com
G-Tech G-Drive 2TB
Rating 4 Reviewed 26/02/10 URL g-technology.com
Freecom Hard Drive Pro 1TB
Rating 4 Reviewed 02/01/09 URL freecom.com/uk
LaCie 5big Network 5TB
Rating 4 Reviewed 21/11/08 URL lacie.com
115
Top 5 DSLR cameras

www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
NIKON D300S
A 12.3-megapixel sensor,
eight frames per second
shooting, HD video and dual
memory card slots all packed
into a sturdy metal body
make the D300S a winner.
Reviewed 11/09/09
URL nikon.co.uk
Nikon D5000
Rating 5 Reviewed 03/07/09
Nikon D3s
Olympus E-30
Canon Eos 500D
URL nikon.co.uk
URL nikon.co.uk
URL olympus.co.uk
URL canon.co.uk
Top 5 super-zoom cameras

NIKON
COOLPIX S570
The Coolpix S570 has a
12-megapixel sensor, 5x zoom
lens and slips easily into a
pocket. It also takes great pics
and offer good value for money.
Reviewed 12/02/10
URL nikon.co.uk
Olympus Pen E-P2

Fujilm FinePix S200EXR
Ricoh GR Digital III
Canon PowerShot SX1 IS
URL olympus.co.uk
URL fujilm.co.uk
URL ricoh.co.uk
URL canon.co.uk
Top 5 video applications

CAMTASIA
FOR MAC 1.1
Camtasia can record video
and audio from your Macs
iSight and mic, add transitions,
effects, and share the nished
video easily on YouTube.
Reviewed 08/05/10
URL techsmith.com
ScreenFlow 2
Final Cut Studio 2009
DV Kitchen
Afer Effects CS4
URL telestream.net
URL apple.com/uk
URL dvcreators.net
URL adobe.com/uk
116
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18 June 2010
Top 5 office applications

MERLIN 2.5
Merlin is a top-notch project
management application. Its
powerful, easy to get to grips
with thanks to its manual and
templates, and works well with
Mail, Address Book and iCal.
Reviewed 01/02/08
projec
pro
URL projectwizards.net
Daylite 3.7.3
Nisus Writer Pro 1.3
Kerio Connect 7
Studiometry 6
URL marketcircle.com
URL nisus.com
URL kerio.co.uk
URL oranged.net
Top 5 audio products

LOGIC STUDIO
Its headline grabbing new
features for guitarists, Amp
Designer and Pedalboard
are certainly the highlight,
however, theres plenty
here for all musicians.
Reviewed 28/08/09
app
URL apple.com/uk
Guitar Rig 3 Kontrol

Logic Express 9
Reason 4 Premium
Hear
URL native-instruments.com
URL apple.com/uk
URL propellerheads.se
URL joesoft.com
Top 5 web publishing tools

DREAMWEAVER
CS4
For years, Dreamweaver has
been the de facto standard for
professional web development.
Its now fully integrated with
Adobes Creative Suite.
Reviewed 26/09/08
/u
URL adobe.com/uk
BBEdit 9
Coda
Flash CS4
Flux 2
URL barebones.com
URL panic.com
URL adobe.com/uk
URL theescapers.com
117
Top 5 laser printers

www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
XEROX
PHASER 3435
A good choice for workgroups
that need mono printing.
The high purchase price is
offset by low running costs
and speed output.
Reviewed 09/04/09
URL xerox.co.uk
Samsung ML-1915
Kyocera Mita FS-1300D
Canon i-Sensys LBP5100
Oki C710n
URL samsung.com/uk
URL kyoceramita.co.uk
URL canon.co.uk
URL oki.co.uk
Top 5 multi-function devices

CANON PIXMA
MP990
The MP990 does duplex
printing, labels discs, captures
35mm slides and negatives,
and it has six ink tanks:
including grey for mono prints.
Reviewed 04/12/09
URL canon.co.uk
Samsung SCX-4600
Canon Pixma MP540
HP Photosmart C6380
Epson Stylus Photo PX710W
URL samsung.com/uk
URL canon.co.uk
URL hp.com/uk
URL epson.co.uk
Top 5 inkjet printers

HP
PHOTOSMART
A636
Photo printer with slots for
common camera media cards.
Includes 120mm touchscreen
LCD and 20-sheet input feed.
Reviewed 10/10/08
/u
URL hp.
hp.com/uk
Epson Stylus Pro 3880

HP Photosmart Plus
Epson Stylus Photo R2880
Canon Pixma Pro9000 MkII
URL epson.co.uk
URL hp.com/uk
URL epson.co.uk
URL canon.co.uk
118
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18 June 2010
Top 5 publishing tools

INDESIGN CS4
Adobes latest page-layout
environment delivers various
improvements including tighter
integration with Flash, precise
alignment tools and numerous
other important tweaks.
Reviewed 26/09/08
URL adobe.com/uk
QuarkXPress 8
Fusion 2
Universal Type Server
Acrobat 9 Pro
URL quark.com
URL extensis.com
URL extensis.com
URL adobe.com/uk
Top 5 photo editing tools

PHOTOSHOP
CS4
One of the most important
applications on the Mac, the
CS4 edition helps it retain its
crown as the king of all photo
editing and montage tools.
Reviewed 26/09/08
/u
URL adobe.com/uk
NeatImage Pro 6.2

Aperture 3
Portrait Professional 9
Eye Candy 6
URL neatimage.com
URL apple.com/uk
URL portraitprofessional.com
URL alienskin.com
Top 5 illustration/3D tools

ILLUSTRATOR
CS4
The CS4 edition of Illustrator
builds on the rich toolset of
CS3, adding more intelligent
features and some fantastic
new tools.
Reviewed 26/09/08
/u
URL adobe.com/uk
Phantasm CS Studio
Cheetah 3D 5
Cinema 4D Release 11
Live Interior 3D Pro
URL phantasmcs.com
URL cheetah3d.com
URL maxon.net
URL belightsoft.com
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18 June 2010
122
Apple dealers are thriving all over the

UK, ready to answer your Mac queries
local dealers
LOCATION
FINDER
Scotland
North
Wales
Midlands
South-west
South-east
London
Nationwide
TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT CRAIG_CHAMBERS@DENNIS.CO.UK OR CALL 020 7907 6652
Albion Computers
London, Hampshire, Kent, Surrey
Call 020 7212 9090 Email info@albion.co.uk
URL albion.co.uk
22 years experience with Apple for Business and Education
Apple Premium Reseller Apple Authorised Service provider
Apple Solutions Expert for Education New iStore in Crawley
SupportPlan
Park Place, Lawn Lane, Vauxhall, London
Call 0800 027 2292 Email info@supportplan.com
URL supportplan.com
Supporting Mac and Windows in creative environments
for 20 years Apple Service Provider Solutions Expert for
Print, Publishing and Web
PowerPlay Services
East Sussex

S
Call 08448 157167

URL powerplayservices.co.uk
Apple Authorised Service Provider PowerPlay offers a
local drop-in service or a nationwide courier service for
all Apple repairs and upgrades
Cancom
Brighton Cambridge Edinburgh Guildford
Kensington High Street
Call 0845 6863500 URL cancomuk.com
Part of a 420 million company Apple Solutions Expert
in Education Authorised Apple Service Provider
Congure your Mac on our advanced website
Whellams Computer Services

Central London
iCentre:
The Meadows Shopping Centre, Chelmsford
Call 020 71831969 Email sales@wcscomputer.co.uk

URL wcscomputer.co.uk
Professional Mac support and solutions company,
specialising in the print and publishing industries Flexible
support contracts Support for Xserve, backup and networks
Call 01787 477664 Email lee@icentre-headofce.com

URL icentre-chelmsford.com
iCentre is the perfect environment for test-driving the latest
Apple iPods, Macs and software, while also offering 1-2-1
demonstrations, advice and a full range of accessories
MR Systems
Central London
Robert Harding Computers Ltd

Sussex; South Coast
Call 020 7697 2200 Email sales@mrsystems.co.uk

URLwww.mrsystems.co.uk
Call 01273 728827 Email info@rh-computers.com

URL rh-computers.com
Experienced Apple Authorised Service Provider

Remote support and helpdesk
Competitive prices
Authorised Service Provider since 1979 Privately owned

company, giving personal & professional service always
Student Discounts also available
Trams Ltd
Central London and Christchurch, Dorset
Encompass
Home Counties
Call Trams Sales: 020 7820 7111; Rapid Sales: 01202 703040
Email sales@trams.co.uk URLs trams.co.uk and rapidgroup.net
One of the UKs premier Apple resellers and Authorised
Service Providers. With 20,000 items available online, we
provide a comprehensive range of products and services
Call 01462 790773 Email sales@encompassuk.com

URL encompassuk.com
Authorised Service Provider Mac OS X server specialist
Mac OS X Leopard roll-out Digital colour specialist
Consultancy (network design) Cross platform
MicroMend Ltd
3 Tottenham Street, London, W1
(Near Goodge Street Tube station)
Visual Information Services Ltd

Reading; International Services
Call 020 7636 6667 Email help@micromend.co.uk

Walk-in computer repair centre Fast turnaround
Apple Authorised technicians Data Recovery Service
iPod repairs
Call 0118 9886633 Email parts@applemacparts.com

URL visparts.com
Independent Apple parts supplier. We also repair and upgrade
all Apple computers at our workshop. Our engineers have over
20 years experience and knowledge of all things Apple.
Square Group Ltd

Central London High Wycombe Derby
MacKing.co.uk
Harrem House, Ogilvie Road, High Wycombe
URL squaregroup.co.uk Email sales@squaregroup.co.uk

Call 0800 08 27753
Apple Premium Reseller Video, Print & Publishing &
Education Apple Solution Experts Apple Authorised Service
Provider Training Centre
Call 01494 355333

URL macking.co.uk
Core Technical Solutions

London, Surrey and surrounding areas
Apple Tree Graphics LTD

Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
Call 0800 756 9905 Email support@coretechnicalsolutions.co.uk

URL coretechnicalsolutions.co.uk
Call 01527 570535 Fax 01527 570355

URL atg-it.co.uk
Apple Centre Retail and business showroom
Training for major software packages Pre-sales
and consultancy Network design and installation
On-site and workshop repair services Helpdesk and

remote support Apple Certied technicians Sales
and installations Businesses and Home users
We sell refurbished and used Macs. We also do repairs and

with a parts library spanning almost every Mac for the past
10 years, why look anywhere else for the part you need
123
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Meet your local dealer

We catch up with your local dealer to nd out
what they oer Mac users. This issue, we talk
to Liverpool-based The Bookyard, which
specialises in Mac repairs and recycling.
pple parts and repair specialists

The Bookyard combines computer
recycling with a comprehensive
online parts store to deliver expert, viable
options for Mac repairs. However, Apple has
a network of authorised repair centres so
what unique service does it offer?
Repair costs through Apple authorised
service providers (AASPs) for damaged or
out-of-warranty Macs are often uneconomical
or simply not offered for older machines,
says Nick Gillard, director of The Bookyard.
He adds: We arent bound by the
restrictions Apple imposes on AASPs. We
can sell service parts directly rather than
having to charge to t them, recycle Macs
and offer the used, tested parts as an
alternative to new parts. We can supply parts
long after Apple has discontinued spares for
that range, and offer the smallest of parts
individually rather than Apples modular
approach: a single keycap rather than a
whole top case, a laptop hinge rather than a
whole display. This is great for the customer
and great for the environment, as it ensures
maximum re-use of materials.
The family-run business based in

Liverpool started up four years ago and
now supplies Apple service spares to repair
centres and consumers across the globe.
We ask Gillard whats been going on lately
down at The Bookyard.
Weve been working hard on making
this inherently complex eld accessible to
consumers and your local computer repair
shops by a combination of online information
and good old expert support, he says.
Weve just launched a radically enhanced
online store with many new features based
on customer feedback.
Gillard cites one example as The
Bookyards Serial Decoder, which he says
takes much of the confusion out of buying
the right parts. You can now type your Macs
serial number on our online store and view
only the parts specic or compatible with your
exact model. Apple hardware support has
been a highly closed eld, but we believe that
freedom of information is a good thing.
The Bookyard offers its Serial Decoder
free of charge for embedding on any Macrelated website.
The Bookyard Ltd

Liverpool, Nationwide Service
Call 0151 291 6240
Email info@thebookyard.com
URL thebookyard.com
Online store offering new and used Apple
spare parts with next-day delivery Old or faulty
Apple hardware purchased and recycled Expert
diagnosis and repairs with nationwide collection
SL Electrotech (Instrumentation) Ltd

Loomer Industrial Estate, Staordshire
GBM Digital Technologies LTD

Manchester
Call 01782 563999 Email sales@slelectrotech.co.uk

URL slelectrotech.co.uk
Apple Authorised Service Provider & Reseller Fast
turnaround On-site and workshop repairs Helpdesk and
remote support Apple Business Solutions and Consultancy
Call 0161 605 3838 Email sales@gbmdt.co.uk

URL gbmdt.co.uk
Retail and business sales specialists with a technical
support team to provide maintenance, installation and
support services for business and education
MCC Group
Warrington Chester Liverpool Stoke-on-Trent
Evo Data UK Ltd

North West
Call 0870 444 4990 Fax 0870 444 1373

URL mccdigital.com
Apple Premium Reseller Apple Solutions Experts
for Education/Creative Apple Authorised Service Providers
Training Installation Maintenance
Call 01539 898232 Email support@evodata.co.uk

URL evodata.co.uk
Troubleshooting Hardware/software Repairs Full Mac
Server network installations Re-designs Support contract
Guaranteed response times Mac products and equipment
The Bookyard Ltd.

Liverpool, Nationwide Service
RGB Solutions Ltd

Edinburgh, Scotland
Call 0151 291 6240 Email info@thebookyard.com

URL thebookyard.com
Call 0131 554 8888 Email info@rgbsolutions.co.uk

URL rgbsolutions.co.uk
Apple Sales Service & Support Server & Network
Installation Creative Industry Specialists RGB Solutions
provides Apple Macintosh Sales, Service and Support
Online store offering new and used Apple spare parts with
next-day delivery Old or faulty Apple hardware purchased and
recycled Expert diagnosis & repairs with nationwide collection
Jennings Computer Services Ltd

Scarborough and York
Call 01723 374196 Call 01904 796580
Buy Online jcsltd.co.uk
Authorised Apple Reseller & Service Centre Apple warranty
repair Out-of-warranty repair Mac, iPod, accessories,
upgrades Cross-platform support Online store
iPhone Repairs & Spares LTD

Dedicated Specialists for the Apple iPhone
Call 0871 789 0379 Email service@iphonerepairsltd.co.uk
URL iphonerepairsltd.co.uk URL pda-spares.co.uk
All iPhone models repaired 12-month warranty on all repairs
Parts available for DIY repairs Three-working-day turnaround
On-the-spot, ve-minute iPhone 3G/3GS screen repairs
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
124
WE CAN HELP YOU
THEY CAN HELP YOU
If you need technical advice,

write to us explaining the
problem in full. Please include
all the details of hardware and
software you use.
Theres a wealth of information

and help available online. Here
are some useful sites that may
be worth turning to along with
the MacUser site.
Email help@macuser.co.uk
Post Help, MacUser,
30 Cleveland Street,
London, W1T 4JD
Apples pages provide helpful

information; try the search
options to nd specic help.
URL info.apple.com
EMAIL YOUR PROBLEM TO HELP@MACUSER.CO.UK
Keep abreast of software

releases and xes, and track
down new utilities and tools.
URL versiontracker.com
Shaping the future

Apple has decided to constrain iPhone/iPad developers to its own
developer tools, but theres more to this than a simple Flash snub
he howls of protest following

Apples decision to constrain iPad
and iPhone OS 4 developers to its
own development tools were understandable:
telling professionals they must use
Objective-C or C++ is pretty insulting.
However, this decision needs to be peeled
away like an onion, one layer at a time,
starting with the claim that this was a snub to
Adobes Flash. Judging from the more extreme
reactions from Flash evangelists and others,
it certainly succeeded in that.
However, Flash isnt the whole onion.
The next layer, spotted by some brighter
bloggers, was that Apple intended to switch
processor architectures in future products
and didnt want the ugly debacle that ensued
when it moved Macs to Intel. Although our
user experience may have been relatively
seamless, it would have been a different story
had Apple not bought in Transitives Rosetta.
With some major third-party applications
migrating with the alacrity of a tortoise, what
should have been a quick, clean break is
even now, four years later, incomplete. Funnily
enough, you may recall that Adobes Creative
Suite was one of the latecomers. iPhone and
iPad futures mustnt be constrained by the
speed at which developers can change their
in-house tools and source code.
Below this comes a logical extension
of the Flash story, that Apple wants all
iPhone/iPad applications to be consistent,
and compliant with its guidelines in every
respect. Popular and important Adobes
Mac OS X applications may be, but theyre
hardly models of consistency with Mac OS
X. Increasingly, their reliance on Flash and
related technologies such as Air throws
up idiosyncratic progress bars and other
interface devices.
The clear intent of Flash and other thirdparty development environments is to allow
developers to maintain a single code base

thats readily packaged into iPhone/iPad,
Android and other executables.
As Adobe doesnt own a hardware
platform, if its to prot from this new
wave of consumer devices, it has to own
a software platform such as Flash. Apple
could be blocking this to be rid of these
alien mid-platform results. Theres a problem
here in that many maybe most games
use engines such as Lua interpreters;
Apple needs full-bore support from games
developers, so could try to do deals to avoid
cutting them off.
Beneath this layer are yet more. Despite
many of its features being common
knowledge long before the rst iPad shipped,
Apple has stolen a headlong lead from the
whole of the rest of the industry. Buoyed by
the success of early iPad sales, it has the
condence to ght for control of this new
market. The last thing that it could then
afford was dominating developers (particularly
those who own development environments)
writing applications to the lowest common
denominator among Apple and latecoming
competitors. That would void Apples lead,
effectively transferring its success to the
likes of Adobe.
As we approach the innermost onion,
there are layers steeped in Apples corporate
history, formed by the long, bitter struggle it
has had to achieve due recognition for Macs.
A few of the most senior staff, including Steve
Jobs himself, may still bear the scars and
scores to be settled for the way that PCs and
MS-Dos, then Windows supplanted the early
runaway success of the Apple II.
Its exciting that Apple now aspires to
complete control of its own destiny. Perhaps
in peeling those layers away, the only tears
we should shed are for the disappointments
of the past.
Howard Oakley has used Macs in science

and medicine for 20 years, and developed
commercial software.
125
Aperture 3.0.3 xes many bugs in

applying adjustments, creating and using
Raw Fine Tuning presets, switching target
printers and paper sizes when printing,
duplicating Smart Albums, repairing and
rebuilding Aperture libraries, and more.
Its at support.apple.com/kb/DL1040.
iMovie 09 may unexpectedly quit when
scrolling through the Media Browsers
Titles pane on some 2007 iMac, mini
and MacBook models running Mac OS X
10.6.3. Apple advises reverting to 10.6.2,
or avoiding revealing the Far Far Away title
when scrolling. A x is awaited.
Digital Camera Raw Compatibility
Update 3.2 xes Raw processing
problems for Canon Eos 30D, Pentax
K-x and K-7 models, and adds support
for Canon, Leica S2, Olympus, and Sony

Alpha models. Its available from support.
apple.com/kb/DL1035.
Final Cut Server 1.5.2 updates the Java
signing certicate to avoid authentication
issues, and xes blockage of the
use of transcode settings for Matrox
CompressHD H.264 encoding cards.
Visit support.apple.com/kb/DL1034.
iTunes 9.1.1 xes unexpected quitting
when using VoiceOver in several situations,
bugs when converting songs to 128Kbits/
sec AAC while syncing, and more. Its
at support.apple.com/kb/DL1036.
Mac OS X Server 10.4 and later cannot
authenticate users connected from clients
not bound to Active Director, to SMB
shares hosted on a server bound to Active

Directory containing Windows Server 2008
domain controllers. Apple advises that
enabling crypto algorithms compatible with
Windows NT 4.0 on the domain controller
should x this, as will binding the clients
to Active Directory. Details are at support.
apple.com/kb/TS2967.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.7
xes various bugs introduced in previous
releases, and supports new cameras
including Canon Eos 550D, Mamiya
DM40, Leaf Aptus-II 8 and 10R. Its
available from bit.ly/9s07NV.
Adobe Fireworks CS4 10.0.4 xes
many bugs, including several causing
crashes, and crashing on quitting under
Snow Leopard. Visit bit.ly/9s8Y0i.
made the copy bootable, Disk Utility probably

wont be able to repair permissions. At least
the previously incessant reports about SUID
services seem to have stopped now.
Time Capsule kaput

From Stanley Salmons
Q Im afraid to say that Ive just joined
the burgeoning ranks of those whose
Time Capsule has failed, with its mains
light off and no sign of life. I bought it in
February 2008 from the Apple Store. I hear
rumours that in North America at least,
Apple is replacing some Time Capsules
in some serial number ranges. Does this
apply to the UK as well?
Following the update to Mac OS X 10.6.3, the profuse list of incorrect errors reported when repairing
permission settings has been reduced to one persistent entry, about /usr/share/derby.
From David Ward

Q Running a health check on my hard
disk, there were hundreds of permissions
that needed repair, all except two or three
relating to AirPort. The remainder included
one, for usr/share/derby, which now recurs
every time I repair permissions. Why is this,
and do I need to repair permissions on the
cloned copy to which I back up daily?
A The pattern of errors reported when you
repair permissions differs from Mac to Mac,
and varies according to which software has
been recently installed or updated. Updating
iTunes to version 9.1, for example, commonly
resulted in hundreds of incorrect permissions
settings, which are those youve just seen.
Once repaired, they shouldnt need further
attention. Even if theyre left unrepaired, they
dont seem to have caused any problems.
In Mac OS X 10.6.3, and possibly some
other releases, the hidden folder at /usr/
share/derby, containing les for the Derby

Java database, needs repairing on almost
every occasion, which suggests something
is later altering its permissions back to
incorrect ones. So you can safely ignore that
each time it appears.
Depending on which software youre
using to maintain your cloned backup, les
and folders whose permissions are changed
should be reected in the clone copy, so you
shouldnt need to run Disk Utility over the
backup disk. In any case, unless you
Permission slip
Some batches of Time

Capsules may be prone to
early failure. If you bought
AppleCare cover for
a Mac, you could
nd that it also
covers your
Time Capsule.
A Its worth ringing Apple to report such

failures. If you have a Mac that was
purchased before or at the same time as
you bought your Time Capsule, and your Mac
has an AppleCare extended warranty, you
may nd this covers your Time Capsule, too.
Furthermore, Apple sometimes recties early
hardware failures without publicising a formal
extension to their standard free warranty.
Support staff have access to internal
lists of products and serial number ranges
that have been recognised as having issues.
Dig out your AppleCare support details and
the original receipts, and give AppleCare
a ring to see what they say: you could be
pleasantly surprised.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Bug buster
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
126
iMovie on a server
From Michael Wilks
Q Users with networked homes on our
Mac OS X Server 10.5.8 nd that they
cant import video into iMovie 09, seeing
the error message: Cant create event.
The import was cancelled. You may not
have permission to write to /iMovie
Events.localized. However, users with
local homes have no such problem. How
can we x this issue?
A iMovie 09 uses this top-level folder for
scratch les, and each user needs read/
write access to it for this application to
run. Thankfully, its contents are regularly
cleaned out, so it shouldnt pose a
signicant security risk. You could force a
purge using a login or logout hook if you
prefer. The best solution to this is to create
If you have a pro Adobe or Apple movie editor such

as Final Cut Pro, Red Giants Magic Bullet Instant HD
plug-in is capable of high-quality format conversions.
Need a magic bullet

From David Hardy
Q Just before the problems with volcanic
dust, I visited Iceland with an old friend
and we shot some video. I recorded in
1080p to AVCHD format, he in standarddenition widescreen in Mpeg-4. Ive
converted my clips using Voltaic, and his
clips into QuickTime DV PAL. However,
trying to edit them together in iMovie HD
is a total disaster: it just swallows all the
free disk space available and takes forever.
How can I use my friends clips with mine?
iMovie 09 and earlier offer no conguration option to locate their scratch les at a different path, which
means that they need access to the top-level folder called iMovie Events.localized.
a folder named iMovie Events.localized at

the root level of each client Macs startup
volume, and then assign it permissions, so
that the user(s) of that Mac can read and
write to that folder. The owner should be
root, and group admin. You can accomplish
this with the Terminal commands:
of iMovie, but you should be able to get

it working in any case if you convert the
different clips to a more compatible common
format. If needs be, you might have to
upconvert the SD video to 1080 resolution
and encode it to the same settings as you
have Voltaic congured for exporting.
However, you may nd a simpler
combination of formats works as well. If
you have QuickTime Pro on Leopard or
earlier, you may be able to perform this
conversion in Movie Player. Otherwise, take
a look at third-party conversion tools such
as MovieConverter (from movieconverterstudio.com/home_en.htm). Ultimately,
Red Giants Magic Bullet Instant HD
(from redgiantsoftware.com/products/all/
magic-bullet-instant-hd) is a powerful jackof-all-trades that can perform SD to HD
upconversion, too.
Time Machine for server?

From Martin Inchley
Q Were investigating options for performing
daily backups of networked home folders for
some 40 users of our Intel Xserve. We run
Retrospect 6 to a FireWire Tandberg VXA
Storage Loader, but this is prone to crashes
and worrying error messages. Could we
use Time Machine and, if so, how? Is there
anything else that you would suggest?
A The old version of iMovie that youre using

seems to be making
Latest releases of the free TimeMachineEditor are able to run Time Machine at
a meal of transcoding
xed times each day, but this still doesnt make it ideal for backing up servers.
and matching the two
disparate types of
movie. It may be trying
to convert them into
Apple Intermediate
format for editing
a format known for
its ability to swallow
incredible amounts
of disk space. This
may work better in a
more recent version
mkdir "/iMovie Events.localized"

chown root:admin "/iMovie Events.localized"
chmod 1777 "/iMovie Events.localized"
You can propagate this across the
Macs on your network using Apple Remote
Desktops Send Unix feature.
Did you know

Many wireless base stations, such
as Apples AirPort models, can
operate in bridging mode, between
your local network and a modem/
router. When bridging, you can enable
their built-in rewall to improve network
security, ideally in combination with
the modem/routers rewall.
A The current version of Retrospect is 8.1,

although the jury is out on whether it would
be much of an improvement. On the other
hand, Time Machine isnt as attractive an
option in Mac OS X Server as it is for client
users of Snow Leopard. Its denitely not a
good way to back up a server completely:
several system administrators have mooted
this idea, but there are many problems,
particularly dealing with running services.
It has been claimed to be more useful
for networked homes but, again, it has
signicant design and implementation issues.
For making a daily backup after hours, the
default hourly backup setting would be quite
unsuitable, and you would need to use a thirdparty tool such as TimeMachineEditor (free
from timesoftware.free.fr/timemachineeditor)
to change that to daily.
The best use of Time Machine in serverbased networks is to back up local home
folders over a fast network to capacious
server storage. To back up part of your server,
such as its store of home folders, you would
be better off using a backup tool such as Tolis
BRU (from tolisgroup.com/products). However,
even this has attracted a controversial
following, with some users claiming many
serious issues with it. You might be better off
scripting your own backup routine, possibly
using the incremental features of Carbon
Copy Cloner or SuperDuper.
127
Did you know

Before you start converting or editing
ng
video, work out a common format and
encoding, chosen so as to minimise
the number of times that each is
converted from one encoding to
another. Transcoding invariably brings
some loss of quality, particularly when
used with compact, lossy formats.
Old iPod, new iTunes

From Russell Caplan
Q I tried to import songs from a newly
purchased CD into iTunes 7, which I run on
an iMac G4 for compatibility with my old
iPod. To my surprise, I saw an error alert
saying An error occurred while trying to
import the le All I Really Want To Do.
The current encoder settings for bit rate
and sample rate arent valid for this le.
I havent changed my conversion settings,
but it works ne on my Intel Mac running
iTunes 9. Could this be an incompatibility
with QuickTime 7.6?
A iTunes is fairly closely linked to QuickTime,
so updating this may break some features,
particularly conversions such as importing
audio CDs. However, youre rightly suspicious
that using a very old iPod with the current
release of iTunes could be even more of
a disaster, even though Apple claims that
version 9.1 is compatible with all models.
It might be worth testing this out by
performing a full sync on your old iMac, and
then trying it with your Intel model. If anything
does go wrong, you could then initialise and
restore it from the G4 system. If you decide
that you want to keep iTunes 7 running for
any reason, youre probably better freezing
that Mac at the version of QuickTime that
was released with iTunes 7.
A The rst thing to check is the network

IP address being used by your Mac in its
Network pane. This must be on the same
subnet as the printer, differing only in the
last of its four numbers. The IP address
given in the error message implies that your
network is running DHCP, in which a server
on the network hands out IP addresses. This
can cause problems that can be extremely
difcult to solve, and you may nd it easier
to switch to xed IP addresses, as detailed in
previous Help sections.
You also need to check that your Mac
has printer drivers to support those models:
the list of supported models is at support.
apple.com/kb/HT3669#xerox, and you have
the option of those supplied on the Xerox
site, or free from Gutenprint, at gimp-print.
sourceforge.net/MacOSX.php.
Who is sharing
my media files?
From Richard Ellis McCallum
Q I use a Thecus ComboNas, running a
pair of disks under Raid 0, to store all my
music, video and photos. Its connected
to a Time Capsule using Ethernet and
then through my modem/router to the
Internet. I allow all the wireless Macs
in the house to access shared folders
on the Nas, and have its built-in iTunes
server running. Even with everything
else shut down, the Thecus seems to
show a lot of hard disk activity. Am I
sharing all my media les with intruders,
who are connecting to my Nas?
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
Sometimes you can work around error messages

resulting from running old iTunes on new
QuickTime, but its better to keep both in kilter.
A Networked storage systems like

this can busy themselves performing
housekeeping tasks even when there
are no users connected. These might
include chugging through the les stored
WebKit bug ignores fonts
Fix your IP addresses
From Richard Hallas

Q My website (orchestralconcertcds.com)
suffers from a couple of bugs in Safari and
other applications that use the current
WebKit. Despite writing it in plain XHTML
and CSS, when it calls for use of the fonts
Adobe Warnock Pro and Hypatia Sans,
Safari under Mac OS X 10.6 fails to use
them even though theyre available, but
theyre used properly in version 10.5.8.
The layering of QuickTime controls is
also incorrect, oating them over the
header bar. Is it just me?
From Gordon Deacon

Q Im struggling to get my Mac to
work with my network in the same way
that Windows does. I have networked
monochrome and Xerox colour printers, but
cant seem to nd any way to access them
from the Mac. Each time I try, I see an error
reporting that Network host 10.0.0.19 is
busy; will retry in 15 seconds. Is there a
way to get this to work?
A Youre correct in your observations: these

are bugs that appear to be in the current
release of WebKit, the support built into
Mac OS X on which Safari is based. Use a
browser thats independent of these parts of
WebKit, such as Firefox, and you wont see
these issues. Hopefully, Apple will release
xes for these in the next update to Mac OS
X 10.6 and Safari.
Testing network connectivity is easier if youve set

devices to use xed IP addresses. You can then
ping each from another to verify their connection.
As of Safari 4.0.5 on Mac OS X 10.6.3, sites

calling for fonts available on that Mac may not
result in them being properly rendered by WebKit.
The rst and most fundamental line of defence against intrusion

is your networks rewall. Closing access on all ports, as shown
here, is the safest option with a media server.
on them to see which have been updated

and re-indexing them, for instance. You
need to check carefully through the layers
of security that should be protecting your
network and media server.
Most critical to security are the
rewall between your network and the
Internet, ideally situated in your modem/
router, and your wireless networking
security. Your main rewall should be
congured to block all incoming trafc on
all ports, and you must keep a watchful
eye on its logs. If someone is breaking
into your network, theyll leave traces
there, even if the tracks of an expert can
be tricky to decipher.
Your wireless security settings must
be strong too, using WPA2 to computers
with specic MAC addresses only, as
detailed in Mac Business in this issue
(see p128). This should effectively block
any other systems from being able to
connect, and again you should inspect
your wireless routers logs to ensure
no-one is breaking in. The other logs
that are worth watching are those of
your Nas, which should reveal who is
connecting to its shares.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
128
macbusiness
FACING A BUSINESS DILEMMA? EMAIL HELP@MACUSER.CO.UK TODAY
Wireless security
Throw in a few iPads and unwired laptops into a wireless network and you
could easily end up with unwelcome visitors, so how do you minimise risk?
nly a couple of years ago, most
commercial and institutional
computer networks could make
a good case against supporting any form of
wireless connection. With a steady stream
of security breaches, and frequent press
reports of wi hacks and vulnerabilities, the
simplest answer was no wireless access.
Now, with the popularity of the iPhone, iPad
and other devices that make good business
use of wi, such a Luddite defence has
become untenable. If your network is going
to move with the times, it needs to support
wireless clients.
Breaking into a wired network without
having physical access to the premises is
an old and well-understood crime. There
are really only two classes of approach:
penetrating the rewall or getting a user to
run malware, either as a downloaded Trojan
or by connecting to a malicious website.
The moment you turn on your rst wi base
station, its advertising the presence of an

invisible and ill-dened area within which
potential intruders could hack their way
into your systems and act as if they were
physically connected. Not only that, but
Google, Skyhook Wireless and others who
wardrive around compiling lists of wireless
networks will sooner or later add your access
points to their databases hardly a help to
their security.
Wi-enabled devices have also become
immensely popular. In addition to many
mobile phones and computers, you can
readily purchase cheap devices that can
detect, and even probe and analyse wi
networks. Would-be intruders no longer
need to be technically knowledgeable or
well equipped to take on your security
measures. However, the specialist criminal
can now break almost all wireless security,
even many congurations that use the more
secure WPA/WPA2 protocols.
The strength of radio waves is that they

normally disseminate quite widely; without
this, radio and TV couldnt have worked.
However, its also a great weakness if you
want only certain individuals to be able to use
a radio signal. Military communicators have
tried all sorts of ingenious tricks to lock out
the enemy, encrypting signal content, dancing
very quickly between different frequencies,
and so on, but none has proved invulnerable.
The bottom line is that any networking
performed using radio transmissions is
inherently vulnerable to intrusion.
When you need wireless networking, only
use it where necessary and site your base
stations to minimise signal leakage outside
your premises. Dont ood your whole street
with a full-strength signal blasted out from
high-gain aerials. Remember that wireless
networking relies on low microwave radio
frequencies, which are essentially line-ofsight and attenuate rapidly when passing
WEP, WPA/WPA2 and AirPort

WEP is a worthless deterrent, leaving WPA/
WPA2 as the only serious option. These are
available in home and enterprise variants.
The former requires a single passphrase that
can be used from any connecting computer
or device, the pre-shared key referred to as
WPA2-PSK. This offers simplicity, but inevitably
makes it much easier to penetrate. If you
must use it, you should also impose timed
access control according to the MAC address
of the client. This will limit the periods in
which your network will be vulnerable to
techniques such as MAC spoong.
WPA/WPA2 Enterprise is much
more sophisticated than simply limiting
connections by the clients MAC address,
but requires access to a Radius
authentication service, either through a local
server or online. Recent systems should be
compliant with IEEE 802.1X, the standard for
port-based network access control. All good

modern access points, including AirPort base
stations, should meet this requirement, thus
be controlled from your Radius server. Macs
have enjoyed support since Mac OS X 10.3,
and the iPhone/iPod touch since iPhone OS
2. However, recent improvements to the
specication have been made to address
vulnerabilities: look now for compliance with
802.1X-2010 or its earlier working title of
802.1af. The most signicant changes in
these are the use of MACSec or 802.1AE
data encryption, and 802.1AR Secure Device
Identity or DevID authenticated devices.
If those standards and acronyms arent
sufciently confusing, there are many more
in the clutch of protocols that come with
Enterprise wireless security, such as EAP, the
Extensible Authentication Protocol on which
802.1X depends, and which is the basis for
For secure wireless access for more than a dozen

computers, the best option is for WPA2 enterprise,
but this needs access to a Radius server.
MACSec and DevID. Access points may wrap

all these up in 802.11i compliance.
If this sounds a little over the top,
consider the consequences of the theft
of all and any data transmitted over your
wireless network personal information that
you are obliged to safeguard under the Data
Protection Act, customer details that could
be sold to a competitor or for identity theft,
access keys that would compromise other
databases and servers, and more.
129
Radius and IEEE 802.1X access control

If you already run Mac OS X Server or
have Windows server(s), the simplest way
to implement WPA/WPA2 Enterprise is to
enable and congure the Radius servers
provided as standard in those. However,
there are times when you may prefer to
make your access control server a different
computer from your main servers; if your
network relies on wireless to connect
wired segments, you should operate a
separate Radius server within each wired
network rather than relying on the wireless
connection to a single server. A standalone
Radius server may also be required where
shared services are distributed peer-to-peer
rather than concentrated in a server.
FOSS products include OpenRadius
(xs4all.nl/~evbergen/openradius and
openradius.darwinports.com) and
FreeRadius (freeradius.org and freeradius.
darwinports.com), requiring administration
through the command line and conguration
les. The commercial Radiator, costing
700 (about 598) upwards from open.
com.au/radiator/index.html, comes with
source code, but for most Mac networks the
best option is Periodik Labs Elektron, priced
from $750 (about 525). Visit periodiklabs.
com/elektron for more details.
All these third-party servers will install
equally well on Mac OS X client as on the
Server edition. Elektron supports Mac and
If your network is of any size more

than a dozen systems, for example or
handles sensitive information, you need to
install a Radius server thats capable of IEEE
802.1X-2010 access control. Educational
organisations that wish to support the
eduroam international roaming service have
to authenticate guests using the 802.1X
standard; the 2010 specication addresses
known vulnerabilities by encrypting data
between logical ports using MACSec.
Construct unguessable passwords of
at least 10 characters in length, using
digits and letters of both cases, for access
to your wireless network and to alter the
conguration of each access point. For a
mere $35 (about 25), anyone can use the
WPA Cracker service at wpacracker.com to
crack weak passwords within 20 minutes or
less. Youll still need to check wireless access
logs (dont even consider buying an access
point that doesnt support detailed logging),
and periodically that users arent cheating
your security by working illicit point-to-point
connections or private access points, for
example. When no-one requires wireless
access, out of working hours, cut back the
transmit power or shut down your wireless
access points altogether. Unfortunately,
although Apples AirPort Utility is scriptable,
it doesnt appear possible to script power
changes at present.
Windows hosts, and all WPA Enterprise

mode access points, including Apple AirPort
Extreme and Express, and models from
major vendors such as Linksys, D-Link,
HP, Cisco and Buffalo. It requires a digital
security certicate hierarchy that can
either be imported from VeriSign and other
certicate providers, or created by Elektron.
A new and innovative option is
the AuthenticateMyWiFi service at
nowiressecurity.com/service.htm. Provided
that your network has a reliable Internet
connection, this will deliver a Radius service
with IEEE 802.1X/PEAP authentication on
a volume subscription basis. This could be
ideal for smaller networks that cant run
their own local Radius server and networks
distributed across several different sites.
Limit by MAC, the time periods and days during which
computers and other devices can access your wi network.
This locks out intruders attempting MAC spoong.
In summary
! Few networks can operate the only
completely robust security policy of
not offering wireless connections.
! Unless properly secured, wireless
networks are very easy to break into,
allowing intruders access to your most
sensitive data.
! Design, situate and congure access
points to minimise spillover into areas
that the public has access. If potential
intruders cant nd a signal, they cant
hack into your network.
! Disable SSID Broadcast so that
network details arent broadcast to
the public. This will also keep details
out of databases compiled by Google,
Skyhook and others.
! Ignore WEP, using only WPA/WPA2
security on all access points.
! If possible, set up a Radius server
and use WPA2 Enterprise to control
access rigorously.
! If you cant run a local Radius
server, consider an online service or
at least limiting access by day, time
and MAC address.
! Ensure all wireless passwords are
10 characters or longer, with mixed
digits and letters of both cases.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
through substantial structures such as metal,

brick and stone. Put a base station near an
external window though, and its signals will
spill out until blocked by the next solid wall.
AirPort Extreme base stations and others
now have transmit power controls, so you
can ne-tune their coverage and spillover.
Using a signal sniffer or a laptop, walk
round the internal areas that need to be
reached, checking that signal strengths are
adequate. Then repeat outside, adjusting the
conguration and position of base stations
to make external reception difcult at best.
Repeat this when you replace or upgrade
wireless access points. Potential intruders will
be most attracted by the biggest signal on
the block: make it harder for those in public
areas to nd your signal and youre much less
likely to attract attention.
There are four aspects of wireless
networking that you need to control if youre
to have a reasonable chance of remaining
unhacked: equipment vulnerabilities,
publication of your networks existence,
individual access control and protection of the
content of network trafc.
All devices that form part of your network
particularly wireless access points or base
stations and all devices that will connect to
it must be kept fully up to date with rmware
and software security patches. Failure to
do this could allow intrusion through a
well-documented hack. Unlike some server
updates, you cant afford to leave wireless
security patches until youve tested them on
a non-production system; once released, they
must be applied as soon as possible. A good
example of this was the bug in Apples AirPort
Extreme rmware that allowed incoming
access over IPv6, a serious vulnerability until
patched by the 5.1 update.
Although it may seem obvious, you dont
want a private wireless network to advertise
its existence and name to all and sundry.
Check that SSID Broadcast is disabled,
forcing new joiners to enter the name of
the closed network manually before they
try to connect. Although this wont stop the
determined intruder, it will slow them down,
possibly sufciently to encourage them to go
and trouble someone else.
When youre choosing access control,
ignore WEP completely. Because its now
so quick to hack, retailers who charge
credit cards over wireless networks are
now forbidden to use WEP. As an absolute
minimum, use WPA or WPA2, appropriately
enhanced by limiting the systems that can
connect, either using MAC controls or a
full-blown wireless security server.
Not all WPA2 implementations are equal,
though. While WPA2 home isnt generally as
resilient as WPA2 enterprise, the latter can
use relatively weak extensions such as LEAP
and EAP-FAST, so you need an eye for detail
when selecting options. Choosing WPA2 also
assures a high standard for encryption of
network trafc, the nal aspect of wireless
networking that you need to control.
www.macuser.co.uk
18 June 2010
130
LAST WORD:
Apples TV times
With the iPads launch out of the way and Google announcing Google TV,
now is the perfect time for Apple to concentrate on its favourite hobby.
ts ofcial: the iPad is every bit as

The next version, however, will have to
successful as even the most bullish
do more than just run YouTube videos and
commentators had predicted. Two million
content from the iTunes Store and locally
sales in just 60 days for a device thats not
connected computers if its to compete with
only a brand-new product, but creates a
Google TV. It will need to be able to function
whole new market is, by anybodys standards,
as a means of browsing and searching the
pretty remarkable.
web for video content and allowing it to
To put those gures in context, the
be played back on a television. Googles
original iPhone took 74 days to sell one
vision, based on its experience in web
million units. And Apple currently sells just
search, is that Google TV will be a means
shy of one million Macs per month. Analyst
of navigating video content on the web, a
predictions of 1.5 million sales by the end
kind of on-demand, always-on video player
that can source and play almost any video
of June now look very conservative.
clip, movie or programme you can think
According to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, the
company has been working on the iPad for
of. Imagine Virgin, Sky or BTs on-demand
several years, so now that its shipping, what
video services, but with every piece of
next for the Cupertino company?
moving footage youve ever seen or wanted
Apple occupies a very healthy, if small,
to see available immediately. Thats the
share of the desktop and laptop computer
kind of scale on which Apple, if it wanted
market, a growing
to compete, would
chunk of the
need to operate.
smartphone space,
Even if it
Imagine Virgin, Sky or BTs
and has created
persuades web
on-demand video services, but
a completely new
developers and
sector with the iPad.
content owners to
with every piece of moving
switch to HTML5
Is there anything left
footage youve ever seen or wanted for delivering video,
for it to conquer?
to see available immediately
Well, yes, actually,
and thus overcomes
there is. And to nd
the problem of not
out what, we need
supporting Flash,
look no further than the companys favourite
Apple would have other obstacles to navigate
hobby, Apple TV. That little silver box has
in order to take on Google. Most signicant
been shipping in modest numbers for three
would be the business model.
years and has had precious little attention
Currently, Apple makes a healthy prot
from either customers or its manufacturer.
on the hardware, and sells downloads and
That could be about to change, though.
rentals through the iTunes Store. In order
Now that Google has thrown down the
to grow the platform, however, it would
need to cut the cost of hardware and broaden
gauntlet with Google TV an Android-based
the range of content.
platform that will run on set-top boxes
or televisions, and enable you to watch
That may mean, for example, striking a
streaming video from the web in your living
deal with the BBC to provide a version of the
room Apple may feel inclined to respond.
iPlayer that allows you to view programmes
And with the iPad launch out of the way, its
online and download them to Apple TV. But if
in a great position to make its move.
it really planned on standing toe-to-toe with
All the pieces are already in place:
Google, that wouldnt be enough. It would
the iTunes Store, super-efcient H.264
need to build an interface and a back end
encoding, and the Apple TV hardware and
capable of indexing video content all over
branding. While Google TV, like the Android
the web and presenting it to viewers in a
smartphones, is an open system that will run
coherent, easy-to-navigate fashion. Until
now, it has relied on a combination of iTunes
on hardware from multiple manufacturers,
and YouTube, both excellent at organising
and supports both Flash and HTML5 video,
Apple TV will follow the same closed model
and presenting content, to do that job.
as the rest of the companys products. Both
None of that sounds like the company
the hardware and the software are made
into which Apple has evolved. That company
by Apple, and you can bet, barring some
is about controlling the user experience.
quantum leap in Flashs performance, it wont
Its about creating a walled garden where
run Flash video any time soon.
nothing it considers undesirable can enter.
And so, while Apple TV may well evolve into

some form of IP TV, it will continue to rely on
iTunes and the iTunes Store as the primary
delivery mechanism, and on Apple products,
such as the Time Capsule to provide storage.
It will be criticised for being closed, where
Google TV is open, and for being expensive
and having limited content. But Apple is well
used to dealing with those sort of criticisms
and the iPad shows that they dont matter a
jot when it comes to sales.
Kenny Hemphill has been at MacUser since

the week Apple bought NeXT and Steve Jobs
returned to the company, and the Internet was
something that ran on one Mac in a cupboard
in the corner of the MacUser ofce.

MacUser - June 18th 2010

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