Last week I mentioned that Adobe Illustrator 5 got a NEW HTML 5 pack. This week you can see the video on how it works:
An App Written Just for Me, but you can use it too :)
Check out my review of Shawn Welch's NEW Presentation Clock App here. Read about how this App came to be with a little influence from yours truly.
You can get Presentation Clock here from the 
Be sure to follow Shawn on Twitter too.
Parallels 6 is Fast!
Parallels 6 above running Windows 7 64bit Ultimate Edition and Windows XP on a Mac Pro/Mac OS X 10.6.4 running Photoshop CS5 Extended – click the image to enlarge
Most of my day to day work is done in the Mac OS. However, there are times when I need to run Windows app/utility here and there. I can remember the days when I used to carry two laptops for work. I had a PowerBook for doing demos to Mac customers and an IBM (now Lenovo) Thinkpad for doing demos to Windows based customers. Once the the MacBook Pro hit the scene I was quick to jump on board because I could now use this one laptop to run both Mac and Windows Apps. Apple allows you to enable a feature called "Boot Camp" right in the Mac OS itself. With Boot Camp you setup a partition (size of your choosing) and natively install a copy of Windows (not included) on it. Then you can choose to boot up the computer in either OS and Windows running under Boot Camp is just as fast as running Windows on any other similarly spec'd PC. While you do get to run Windows as fast as your Mac hardware can, you have the disadvantage in that you can only run one OS at a time. In other words while you're booted in Windows in Boot Camp, you don't have access to your Mac apps. This is where virtualization Apps come in. The two top contenders are Parallels and VMWare's Fusion. I've had experience with both Apps in their latest versions and given the choice I'd go with Parallels.
When you have two apps that basically do the same thing, you have to look at "how" they do it?
Both Apps are great and both apps have very similar feature sets. Although I get to use VMWare's Fusion at NO COST TO ME because my company has a site license and offers it to any employee that needs it, I prefer to use Parallels (and buy it out of my own pocket). Both Parallels and Fusion allow you to use Windows on top of the Mac OS. This means that you are running both OSs at the same time and can launch apps in either. Both are going to run a bit slower than running natively in Boot Camp if for no other reason, they are sharing resources with the Mac OS running at the same time. However, being able to run the occasional Windows app without rebooting is worth the small performance hit. Both apps allow you to either run Windows from a "file' on any hard drive (including an external drive) or even use your Boot Camp Windows installation. So if they both seem to do the same thing, what makes one better? SPEED!!! Parallels with version 6 continues to have the advantage over the competition with SPEED! No other way to say it other than it just runs Windows FASTER. According to Parallels, version 6 is up to 80% faster than version 5. It's 64 bit and boots Windows more than two times faster than Fusion 3.1. Parallels 6 scores more than 2 times better on 3D graphics than Fusion 3.1.
It's running so fast as a matter of fact that I may never use Boot Camp again
iPhone’s One Button HDR: Another wakeup call to camera manufacturers
Yep, I'm back on my "point and shoot cameras are dying" rant again. You might remember this post where I talked about camera phones being the "new point and shoot cameras" and I gave my reasons as to why I felt this way then. As I stated in the earlier post, when it's important I shoot it with my DSLR. However, when it's just about capturing the moment and for fun I'm going to pull out my smartphone and take the shot. Before you argue with me, let me state the obvious: yes point and shoot cameras offer better optics and higher megapixels. They also offer a wider range of features for controlling the shot as well as the higher end models even offering RAW capabilities. Yep, I get it! They are technically better "cameras". No question. However, whenever there's an exciting moment unfolding at a public event I see 10 times more camera phones go up in the air than I do dedicated point and shoot cameras. The reasons for this are numerous. The most common ones are: people don't want to carry multiple devices and probably the biggest reason is that the camera phone shot is "good enough" for the average person. Beyond those reasons I think a bigger reason is that the camera phone and especially the smartphone offer instant sharing of those pics AND in device image editing!
iOS 4.1 Brings One Button HDR (high dynamic range) shooting to the iPhone 4
When I saw this feature come out in the latest update to the iPhone's operating system (iOS 4.1), I had an immediate "Duh" moment! Apple once again took something that is so obvious and added a "one button" interface to it. Professional Photographers have been shooting HDR images for years now. It has actually become a "creative" effect in photography. However, pros have to do this in a multiple step fashion that involves setting their camera up a certain way (bracketed exposures) and combining the multiple shots in post using software like Photoshop CS5 (Merge to HDR Pro). in its simplest form HDR is ability to combine multiple exposures into one high dynamic range image that achieves the best exposure for highlights, shadows and midtones. This is where the amateur photographer often fails. The shots that come from these low end cameras and camera phones often over expose one area or under expose another. Since there aren't very many if any manual controls on these devices you're usually stuck with what the device thinks you should have. So Apple took HDR and brought it to the masses in a seamless way. Just turn it on before you take the shot! With an iPhone 4 running iOS 4.1 you have the option to turn on HDR. Once it's on you aim at your subject and press the onscreen shutter button. The iPhone 4 then captures 3 images in rapid succession instantly with no lag, one under exposed, one over exposed and one in the middle and combines them together AUTOMATICALLY as an HDR shot. There is no user interaction required. Of course pros will want control. They'll want to tweak things an get the image just right and I applaud you for that. However, this feature isn't aimed at pros! This is aimed at everyone else so that right out the camera they can get better exposures.
For example…
The iOS 4.1 update gives you the option of keeping both shots. So here's the original shot BEFORE HDR.
Here's the HDR version (again, all automatic and with no adjustments on my part)
Is it perfect? No! I'd still like to see a little more light in the shadows of the barn. Is it better than what we were getting from these low end cameras? ABSOLUTELY!
Get HDR on the iPhone 3GS too
If your iPhone model doesn't support the iOS 4.1 HDR feature, you can still have HDR because there's an App for that. Before iPhone 4 and iOS 4.1 supported this feature natively, I was using the Pro HDR App to do the same thing. Of course it takes more steps, but it get's the job done. You can get Pro HDR for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 for $1.99 here from the
Camera Manufacturers: Step Your Game Up!
There is absolutely NO REASON that this kind of feature shouldn't be on every point and shoot camera sold today. Yes, I applaud Canon for adding an HDR mode to the NEW G12 – way to go!
The lack of it (one button HDR), built-in wifi, built-in GPS/geotagging, etc. on the vast majority of P&S cameras continues to further my argument that point and shoot cameras are dead! Hell I'd like to see some of these features make it on to DSLRs too. Now I know I'm dreaming….
Great News For Developers: iOS iPhone
In April 2010 Adobe released Creative Suite 5. Among all of the amazing features of this release was one feature that allows Flash Developers to export their Flash developed Apps as native iOS (.IPA) Apps from Flash Professional CS5. However, due to a change in Apple's developer agreement the future of this technology was unclear as Apple basically changed their agreement in ways that would potentially block Apps that were not created with Apple's tools. Well yesterday Apple changed this policy and I couldn't be happier for the developer community! This is great news for developers and we’re hearing from our developer community that Packager apps are already being approved for the App Store. I should point out that Apple’s restriction on Flash content running in the browser on iOS devices remains in place.
Adobe will continue to work with key industry partners, including Google, RIM, Nokia, Motorola and Palm/HP to enable their device users to browse the full web through Flash Player 10.1 and run standalone applications on AIR. We are excited about the great progress our partners are making as they deliver the first smartphones to market with full Flash support.
The Video I Never Got To Show
You might remember my popular series "My Top 5 Favorite Features of CS5" that I ran on YouTube and my Creative Suite Video Podcast. I recorded those videos right before the official release of CS5. However, I chose to re-record my Flash/Dreamweaver video because I felt there was no need to talk about the iOS App Packager in Flash CS5 since Apps created with this technology could have been potentially blocked from the App Store. Well now I finally get to show you the video that I intended to show from the beginning. Here's my "original" Top 5 Favorite Features of Dreamweaver and Flash CS5. I think you'll like the last feature 🙂 :
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgVmH8GMvnw
By the way, don't forget to check out Adobe's iOS Apps here.
The iPhone Book 4th Edition Is Now Shipping!
The iPhone Book 4th Edition by Scott Kelby and yours truly, Terry White is now available! I got my first glimpse of it at the Photoshop World book store this week in Vegas. I checked stock at Amazon.com and it's available there too. This 4th edition is loaded with all kinds of iPhone 4 and iOS 4 tips and tricks. So don't walk, but run over to Amazon.com and order yours today!
Thanks!
Apple Announces the Mac Pro Update I’ve Been Waiting For
My current "work horse" Mac is my NEW MacBook Pro core i7. Don't get me wrong, I have a Mac Pro in my home office. However, my current Mac Pro is the original Mac Pro introduced back in 2006. That's ancient in computer years. Before that purchase I was usually upgrading my tower with every other release (about every 2-3 years). Over the years I wasn't seeing significant enough performance gains to spend the money. Then they introduced an update in March of 2009 that made me think it's time to upgrade, but I just kept putting it off. Now that my favorite Adobe Creative Suite Apps are 64bit enabled with the CS5 release I knew it was time for some new hardware. The problem is I just didn't want last year's models. So once the new MacBook Pro core i7 came out, I ordered it (from work) day one! When I got it, I ran a speed test against my Mac Pro and was wowed by the fact that it BEAT IT! Granted that really shows just how fast the new MacBook Pros have become, but what it really showed me was just how slow my old Mac Pro was. So I waited and today Apple Announced the Mac Pro update I've been waiting for. Although there was no new case design, that doesn't bother me. It does seem odd though that Apple (a company focused on design) would continue use virtually the same design they introduced with the Power Mac G5 back in 2003!
There are 3 new configurations, Dual Core, Quad Core (8 cores) and Dual 6 Core (12 cores)
My only debate is do I spend the $5 grand on the 12 cores or settle for the 8 cores ($3,500). My gut tells me to go 12 core simply because I don't upgrade my tower as often as I used to and the faster the machine I get the longer it will last me. I have a little bit of time to think about it because Apple is not even taking orders yet. They're saying "August" for availability. I'll likely bite the bullet and go 12 cores to have the fastest Mac rendering speeds I can get. As far as video cards go I'll replace the stock ATi card for an Nvidia card to take advantage of Adobe Premiere Pro CS5's accelerated Mercury Playback Engine. <-this was a sneak peek video before CS5 was announced.
Continue reading “Apple Announces the Mac Pro Update I’ve Been Waiting For”
Adobe: Creating Digital Magazines
Continuing on the success of the Wired Magazine App for iPad released in May, Adobe plans to make the tools used to create that publication/App available to the general public later this summer. Check out more details here and here.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sokJfTv6BCU&
G Design updates their iPhone tripod holder for the iPhone 4
The good folks over at G Design have modified their popular iPhone Tripod Holder (original review here) to accommodate the slimmer iPhone 4 handset. Now that the iPhone 4 is sporting a 5MB camera and HD video, more and more budding photographers and videographers are taking it more seriously.
Addition of rubber grips
This is basically the same holder that they made for the iPhone 3G/3GS, they merely added rubber grips (bumpers) on both sides to fill the gap and hold the iPhone 4 in place.
Yes, it holds it tight enough even upside down
Just like the previous model there is very little danger of the iPhone 4 sliding out and falling to the ground. As you can see here I've got it completely upside down. Although I can't think of too many times that I would need to mount it this way (sideways/landscape is fine), it's good to know that it holds it in place if I do.
Not only would this work well for your next photo/product shoot or video project, but it would also be handy for those extended FaceTime sessions.
You can get the NEW iPhone 4 Tripod Holder here from their site. You can get the GorillaPod featured above here.
SIM to MicroSIM back to SIM
With the introduction of the iPad WiFi+3G and now the iPhone 4, one thing as a gadget guy that has become more challenging is moving my SIM cards around between devices. As I test various devices whether they be 3G MiFi devices, 3G USB data cards, iPhones or Androids, I want to be able to simply use the same wireless accounts and go back and forth as I please. After all that is the advantage of GSM devices over CDMA. However, the iPad and iPhone kinda screw that up because they use MicroSIMs and all my other devices use full size SIM cards. The good news is that technically there is no difference between the SIM and the MicroSIM other than the physical plastic around it. The pin layout and contacts are the same.
Cut My SIM to the rescue
Since a MicroSIM is nothing more than a regular SIM card with the excess plastic cut away, I ordered a Cut My SIM MicroSIM cutter. The device resembles a hole punch and you just insert full size SIM in, press down and out pops a microSIM from the bottom. They even provide two SIM converters to use in case you ever wanted to put your MicroSIM back into a device that uses full size SIM cards. Since I didn't want to risk screwing up a working SIM card, I first tried it on that had been deactivated. I cut it, popped it back in the converter and put it back in the phone and although it wasn't an active number, the phone did recognize it as a SIM card again. Next I tried it with the SIM card from my iPhone 3GS and put the newly cut down MicroSIM in my iPhone 4. No problem! It works! Later this summer when I test the Android phones (and maybe the tablets) it will be great just using the same SIM/MicroSIM card to go back and forth between the two devices.
You can get Cut My SIM here from their site. ($25) Due to the heavy demand, there will likely be a delay before yours ships.
If you're starting out with a MicroSIM and just want to go to a regular SIM size using the converter trays, you can get those here.