112114 REVIEWED: THE QUAD—INSIDE THE FASTEST MAC EVER! DECFEB 20052006 A BETTER MACHINE. A BETTER MA¬AZINE. ALL NEW FOR 2006! THE BEST S0FTWARE (you’ve never heard of) Our Experts Present THE BEST SHAREWARE AND FREEWARE for Your Mac INSIDER SECRETS! How to Unlock iTunes’ Speed Download 3 FIND THIS APP PLUS TONS MORE HIDDEN ON THIS MONTH’S POWERS! DISC! REVIEWED: HOW TO: W800i WALKMAN MEDIA PHONE C B Get Videos onto Your iPod B inMotion iM7 iPod speaker B Create a Custom Screen Saver B Myst V: End of Ages B Make Mice and Drives out of Toys ...and 14 more B Remotely Access Your Home Network 04 FEBRUARY2006 NO.114•VOLUME11•ISSUE2 a better machine. a better magazine. features 19 52 Must-Have Apps (That Won’t Break Your Bank) Good software doesn’t have to be expensive. Meet the bargain apps we voted Most Deserving of a Place in Your Dock. by Jake Widman 28 iTunes Master Class iTunes is easy to use, but a lot of power hides beneath its brushed- aluminum hood—learn some new tricks at iTunes University. by Brad Miser 34 Image Is Everything A little fuzzy on what Gaussian Blur is or what Unsharp Mask does? This guide to image-editing lingo will help you master your digital darkroom. by Johnathon Williams how to 56 Ask Us 62 Dig Into Quartz Composer We explain FireWire-free video chat, rediscover Become a Mac OS X developer by crafting some old-school gaming goodness, and show your own RSS-enabled screen saver. It’s you how not to use Apple’s Mail. easier than you might think. by Erick Tejkowski 58 Hack Your Toys Don’t send that unloved action fi gure or rubber rat to the Island 64 Get Videos of Misfi t Toys. Turn it into onto Your iPod freakish Mac hardware instead. Not satisfi ed with the by Niko Coucouvanis video selection in the iTunes Music Store? 60 Tap Into Your Home Here’s how to get your Network Remotely own movies to go. Remote Mac access can be by Niko Coucouvanis a pain to set up—here’s how to do it correctly. by Niko Coucouvanis 04 February 2006 CONTENTS 06 a better machine. a better magazine. 10 Editors’ Page Despite what your mom may have taught you, sometimes it’s good to say, “I told you so!” (“Neener, neener!” optional.) 12 Get Info What hath the iPod video wrought? Lots of potential—and lots of murky water. Also: What to do when Mac OS X updates go 38 awry; the next attempt at an iTunes phone; and what VT (the technology, not the state) has to do with your Intel Mac. 37 Reviews 50 Comic Life Deluxe Edition comic-construction software 51 Creatures: Village simulation game 44 DeBabelizer Pro 6 media-processing software 46 iMaginator image editor 49 inMotion iM7 iPod speaker stand 39 LaCie silverscreen media player 49 Mercury Elite-AL PRO 800 RAID RAID array 54 Myst V: End of Ages Limited Edition graphic-adventure game 45 Perfection 4490 Photo fl atbed photo scanner 47 Pixma iP6600D inkjet printer 38 Power Mac G5 Quad 2.5GHz G5 tower 52 52 PowerShot A410 point-and-shoot camera 49 48 Selphy CP510 photo printer 40 50 45 53 ScanSnap fi-5110EOXM document scanner 40 TX handheld PDA 42 W800i Walkman mobile phone 40 Z22 handheld PDA 55 The Hot List We’d spend our own hard-earned money on these products. 79 Contest Log Out 78 Dazzle us with your wit, and you 78 Letters could win yourself Wacom’s new This month’s bonus how-to: Graphire4 graphics tablet. Create Your Own Steve Wozniak Limited Edition PowerBook. 80 Shut Down Heading to the Mac Expo? Here’s the essential gear you’ll need to QUICK TIPS survive the madness. FROM THIS MONTH’S ISSUE TRICKSY MAIL WALKMAN BLUES NO NEED TO GO PRO BRAIIINNNNS! If you want to make an email If your new W800i Walkman If you have iLife ’05 and If you have an army of the app other than Apple’s Mail phone causes your Mac to regular QuickTime, you don’t undead at your command, your default reader, change a freeze, try the donationware need to buy QuickTime Pro to send it headfi rst into a gang of preference within Mail fi rst. app K750iGrabber. Use convert videos for your iPod. gun-toting humans while you From Ask Us, p56. FinderCleaner if music fi les From “Get Videos onto eat their brains from the side. won’t play. Your iPod,” p64. From Get Info, p12. From Reviews, p42. 06 February 2006 CONTENTS ������������ ���� ����� ���� a better machine. a better magazine. ��� ���� 08 ��� ��� �� � ��� ��� ��� �� � ��� ��� � �� �� �� �� ��� ��� �� � �� � �� ��� � � � � � �� �� � � � � � �� �� �� � � � EDITORIAL � � � � � � � EDITOR IN CHIEF Rik Myslewski� �� � � � �� ��������MANAGING EDITOR Sean Molloy� � � � � � � � FEATURES EDITOR Jake Widman� � � the disc � � � � HOW-TO EDITOR Niko Coucouvanis� � � � � � ������������������� � Take a quick gander at the looong list � REVIEWS EDITOR Roman Loyola� � � � � � � WEB MONKEY Nick Muerdter � � � below—it’s packed with 107 apps, demos, � EPONYMEDITOR Max � � � � � � � CONTRIBUTING EDITORS David Biedny,� Joseph O. Holmes, � trials, and more. Enhance your creativity. � � � � � Helmut Kobler, Cathy Lu, Steven Parke,� Ian Sammis, Deborah � � � � Work more productively. Have some fun. � � Shadovitz, Andrew Tokuda, Michelle Victoria, Buz Zoller � � � � � � � � � This month’s Disc has you covered. ART � � � � � � � � � � � ART DIRECTOR Mark Rosenthal � � � �������� � � � � � � ���� AS SISTANT ART DIRECTOR Peter � Marshutz � � � � � � � � PHOTOGRAPHER Mark Madeo � � � � � � � � � � � CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER� Samantha Berg � Peak LE 5 trial Comic Life trial iList Studio � � � � � � � � � � � � � � BUSINESS � � � � � demo This baby brother to Liven up photos, create� � PUBLISHER Bernie Lanigan, 646-723-5405� � � � � � � ������������������������������������� � � SOUTHWESTERN ADVERTISING� DIRECTOR � � � � � BIAS’s Peak Pro offers a comic for your kids,� or Databases needn’t be � � � � Dave Lynn, 949-360-4443 � � ������������������������ � � � � � � � � high-quality even create diffi cult to build and EASTERN ADVERTISING DIRECTOR� � � � � � � � � � Anthony Danzi, 646-723-5453� � � � � ��������� � audio-editing a MacAddict- � use—and iList � � � � � � NORTHWESTERN ADVERTISING DIRECTOR � � � � � � � ������������������������ � � � � � � Stacey Levy, 925-964-1205� � features. style how-to. � � Studio is proof. � � � � � � � � � EASTERN ACCOUNT� EXECUTIVE � ������������������� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Larry Presser, 646-723-5459 � � � ������������������� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � NATIONAL SALES MANAGER, ENTERTAINMENT � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Isaac Ugay,� 562-983-8018 � � � � � � � � � � � AUDIO & MUSIC INTERFACE � � � � � � � � � � � � MARKETING DIRECTOR Cassandra Magzamen � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Album Cover Finder 3.3.5 trial A Better Finder Rename 7.0 trial Phonebook 3.7.4 shareware � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � Tara Wong � � � � MARKETING COORDINATOR Apple Loops 1.0 freeware Default Folder X 2.0.4 demo PocketMac for BlackBerry 3.5 ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Jose Urrutia, 415-656-8313 AudioFinder 3.9.1 donationware Default Folder X 1.8 demo demo AudioFinder 3.3.9 donationware FinderCleaner 1.6 freeware SessionTimer Pro 4.4 freeware PRODUCTION Guitar Rig 2.0.0.005 demo MyControls 1.0.0 shareware Shoebox 1.2 shareware PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Richard Lesovoy iSweep 1.3 shareware WindowShade X 4.0.2 shareware TapDex 1.2.5 freeware PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Ryan Meith iTunes Dupes Barrier 1.1.2 TaskTime3 3.6 trial CIRCULATION shareware INTERNET & COMMUNICATION Textpander 1.2 freeware CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Peter Kelly 1-Click Answers 1.0 freeware Mac Audio Toolbox (OS X) 1.8 The Omni Group Software NEWSSTAND MARKETING MANAGER Bill Shewey shareware 1-Click Answers 1.0 widget Bundle demo BILLING AND RENEWAL MANAGER Betsy Wong Advanced Link Manager 1.1 trial Peak LE 5 trial TimeNet Pro 3.2.8 shareware NEWSSTAND COORDINATOR Alex Guzman Chat Transcript Manager 1.0 SoundSource 1.0.5 freeware Tinderbox 3.0 demo FULFILLMENT MANAGER Peggy Mores freeware WireTap Pro 1.1.3 shareware TopXNotes (OS X) 1.0.4 trial DIRECT-MAIL MANAGER Stephanie Blake Cyberduck 2.5.2 freeware TopXNotes (Classic) 1.0.4 trial DIRECT MARKETING SPECIALIST Janet Amistoso DEVELOPMENT FileChute 1.9.2 shareware VelaTerra 1.1 demo REALbasic 2005 R4 demo GarageSale 1.9.4 shareware FUTURE US, INC. iChatUSBCam 2.0.6 trial UTILITIES 4000 Shoreline Court, Suite 400, South San Francisco, CA 94080 FUN & GAMES IOXWebcam X 1.1 trial BurnX 1.5 freeware www.futureus-inc.com Arithmetris (Classic) 1.0 iTuneMyWalkman 0.8 Data Rescue II 1.0 demo PRESIDENT Jonathan Simpson-Bint shareware beta freeware Defaults Manager 1.0 beta VICE PRESIDENT/CFO Tom Valentino Arithmetris (OS X) 1.0 shareware Little Snitch 1.2.1 shareware shareware VICE PRESIDENT/CIRCULATION Holly Klingel Big Kahuna Reef 1.0 demo MailSteward 3.8.2 demo DiskTracker (Classic) 2.3.2 GENERAL COUNSEL Charles Schug Bloxter 1.2.2 trial PC-Mac-Net FileShare X Lite shareware PUBLISHING DIRECTOR/GAMES Simon Whitcombe BusyBee 3.5 freeware 5.1.2 freeware DiskTracker (OS X) 2.3.2 shareware PUBLISHING DIRECTOR/MUSIC & TECH Steve Aaron ComicBookViewer 0.7 beta Speed Download 3.0.14 shareware Filegazer 1.1 trial PUBLISHING DIRECTOR/BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Dave Barrow Gambit 1.0 shareware Watcher’84 1.4 shareware Font Tools (OS 10.4.x) 4.1 demo EDITORIAL DIRECTOR/TECHNOLOGY Jon Phillips GeoParty 1.0.1 freeware Yummy FTP 1.1.5 shareware Font Tools (OS 2.x or 10.3.x) 4.1 EDITORIAL DIRECTOR/MUSIC Brad Tolinski Germs 1.0 shareware demo DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL SERVICES Nancy Durlester iDice 3D 1.1 shareware PRODUCTIVITY FontThing 1.4.5 demo PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Richie Lesovoy Magic Dice 1.0.1 demo Atomic Mac 6.3.1 shareware Google Maps Plugin for Address Petal Palace 1.0.1 shareware AuctionSieve 1.6 freeware Book 1.0 donationware Future US, Inc. is part of Poker Academy Pro 2.0 demo Budget 4.6.2 shareware Mac Pilot (OS 10.2.x or 10.3.x) 2.0 Future PLC Ricochet Lost Worlds 1.0 demo Chirp 2.1.0 trial demo Future produces carefully targeted Diet Sleuth 4.3.1 shareware Mac Pilot (OS 10.4.x) 2.0 demo special-interest magazines for people GRAPHICS & MULTIMEDIA Digital Alarm Clock 2.5 trial macam 0.8.3 beta freeware who share a passion.