Mace Griffin: Bounty Hunter Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I wasn't sure what to expect when I bought this game, I thought this game would have something to do with Star Wars (since there was a game called Star Wars: Bounty Hunter and I thought this was it), so I was a little disappointed to find out that this didn't have anything to do with Star Wars. Still, I tried it out, and much to my surprise, I warmed up to it and it turned out to be a lot of fun.

Pros:
* Levels are HUGE! The engine also deals with levels in one go, so you have minimal loading times when moving from place to place within the level.
* Graphics are actually pretty good. Models are done well and texture work is great.
* Like I said, it reminds me a lot of Halo, the HUD display is similar as is the font and color on the HUD, and like Halo, Mace is fitted with a shield that depletes and recharges, and if you're hit when the shield is down, that is when you actually lose health.
* The AI is actually pretty good.
* Weapons are plentiful, and they are powerful, especially the chaingun that you carry with you almost throughout the whole game.
* Saving the best for last, my favorite aspect of this game is the space sections. You've got a powerful ship and you have space dogfights in between missions, and you fly to your destination in each level, so you can dock and leave at your pleasure. What's more, the landing and taking off at locations is seamless, meaning there's no loading in between using the ship or playing on foot.

Cons:
* No multiplayer. After experiencing the weapon's sheer power and the space dogfights, I would have LOVED to have those dogfights with friends of mine. The lack of multiplayer is a big bummer, at least for me. Co-Op in this game would have been awesome.
* Levels, while huge, can become repetitive at times, in that you feel like you walk into a new room and feel like it's exactly the same room that you just left, although I will admit it's not as awfully repetitive as in Halo (anyone remember the Library level? It felt like FOREVER!).
* The story is pretty weak, and the voice acting is pretty weak too, especially from Mace Griffin, thoroughly unconvincing. It's funny, since they made a big deal on the cover about Henry Rollins providing Mace's voice, and while I'd never heard of the guy before, he didn't do a great job.

I feel like I've not done the game justice. Overall, it is a great game, and I would play it at least once more (finished it a couple weeks ago), and I'd recommend this game for the space dogfight sections alone. It's fun, don't get me wrong, just expect a lot of exploring and a lot of shooting. While that's never a bad thing, there must be a limit of how far you have to walk to accomplish your objectives... :)

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Product Description:
Featuring Henry Rollins as the voice of Mace GriffinProduct InformationFramed for the deaths of his comrades Mace Griffin is in search ofanswers....and revenge! As a gun-slinging bounty hunter track your preybetween space and land. Wield brute force advanced weaponry and covert tacticsto destroy space stations infiltrate organizations and protect crime lords -while unraveling the dangerous mystery of your frame-up.IncludesNo bounty hunter can do his job without serious firepower. If you want to bringin someone with a price on his head either dead or alive you're going to needsomething more persuasive than tough talk. Here are some of the weaponsfavored by the members of the Guild.Ground Weapons:Electro-CoshAutomatic HandgunQuad Barreled ShotgunHeavy Machine GunSniper RiflePlasma Machine GunSonic Shock CannonRocket LauncherAdhesive Remotely Detonated GrenadesExplosive Flash GrenadesShip Weapons:Gatling GunPlasma LaserPulse LaserStream LaserTridal Nova CannonNon-Locking MissilesLocking MissilesThere are plenty of ships in the Vagner system but only a few meet therequirements of the modern bounty hunter particularly those that pack a littleextra firepower and armor. Here are a couple you may have the opportunity to useon the job.The Pallbearer MK III (Ranger Ship)"Mustang" Combat DropshipAnd here are some ships you are likely to find yourself on the wrong side of.Human Fighter "Buzzsaw"Jaldari Fighter "Sledgehammer"Vallekan Fighter "Wraith"Enforcer FighterGeneric CarrierProduct FeaturesSeamless transition between first-person land combat and space-actionfighting.17 unique player and spaceship weapons such as pulse lasers and sonicshock cannons.Pilot 4 different ships from powerful alien fighters to massive cruiseliners.Immersive storyline with lifelike NPCs that react based on theirintelligence bra

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DeLorme Earthmate LT-40 GPS Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a difficult item to review simply....in part because it is threedifferent items (hardware, software, compatibility).I'll review them separately. I am an established Delorme customer, with a long history of their products (10-12 states of TopoQuads, a Xmap license, both 1.0 and 2.0 versions of 3D TopoQuad software).

The GPS unit itself is really a gem of a product in its own right and an update of the earlier Earthmate GPS units.I rate the LT-40 highly (5/5).It is small light and accurate/fast, from my experience.On a cross-country trip, it rarely was off the road centerline.My only gripe is very poor (well -- Non! ) support of this unit in earlier software products XMAP and 3DTopoQuads.This is not documented by Delorme, and in fact there is an Earthmate link and a USB option in the earlier software.Also, their web site suggests it should work, and there are instructions for installing a Serial-USB emulator that will allow it to work as an NMEA device (it didn't work!).I also obtained some support from Delorme trying to get it to operate.But their tech support had to eventually say "we don't guarantee backward compatibility..." for their own product to work with their own product.5/5 (but see compatibility below...)

The software is good to work with in 2-D mode and follows the tried-true Delorme right panel/bottom panel navigation model.The 3-D mode does have a nice "big number" mode that is useful on the road, although the 3-D view reminds one of a bad video game and is only useful for people who absolutely cannot read maps.The routes one chooses do have to be checked and if necessary "fine tuned" by adding "via" points, but that is surely true of all navigation software.I like the customizable preferences for speed/road type.Yes the Microsoft Mary and Mike voices are dreary, but one can't blame that on Delorme (I am waiting for Microsoft Obama.....with proceeds going to the Hillary campaign fund!!).But the voice interface has great potential for vehicle work, and I plan to experiment with a microphone for software control.Voice speed can also be tinkered with, and we found that slowing Mike down made him more understandable.My main complaint is that the top-line interface is non-intuitive, with no "File/Edit" bar and just a bunch of fairly non-customizable icons.4/5

Compatibibility: poor.No, completely lame.I think it is unconscionable how poor the support of the LT-40 is for earlier Delorme TopoQuad software, and, for that matter, why can't Street Atlas support earlier state 3-D topo quads.This is either bad design/engineering by Delorme, or extortion of users to have to re-purchase data products (I have $1500 or so invested now). This is complicated by the fact that the state TopoQuad series no longer exists and one now has to purchase the whole country in DVD (same maps...) to get new software that will work with this GPS.Come on guys -- patch your supported products to allow us to use the LT-40 with Topo Quads, or patch street atlas to work with topo quads.If the LT-40 is not supported by earlier Delorme products then you should at least have the courage (chutzpah?) to state this in black and white in marketing materials and on your web site.0/5

Average 3/5 for an excellent little GPS unit, from a very frustrated Delorme user.....

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Product Description:
Turn your laptop PC or UMPC into a powerful GPS navigator, with voice-guided navigation, automatic back-on-track, GPS Radar to locate travel services, and other top-end features. DeLorme-s newest USB-powered GPS receiver includes a new super-high-sensitivity chipset, support for ultra mobile personal computers, superior on-screen GPS displays, and updated Street Atlas USA 2009 DVD software included. New Sicroelectronics GPS chipset delivers faster satellite acquisition, and DeLorme ConstantLock technology means surefire signal retention even in challenging GPS environments. GPS tracking is easier than ever with NavMode, including optional 3-D perspective and larger, more accessible user controls. Locate over 4 million places of interest (hotels, restaurants, attractions, sports venues, and businesses of all types - most with phone numbers included). Create routes automatically with user controls to ensure you take the roads you want. Calculate fuel usage and costs, and GPS-navigate with total confidence anywhere in the U.S. or Canada, and on major roads in Mexico.

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The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome Review

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(More customer reviews)Buy Rome: Total War instead, because this game is not worth the money you pay for it. You line men up, and then watch them run at each other swinging their swords or shooting their arrows. Just not worth it!

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Product Description:
THE HISTORY CHANNELGreat Battles of Rome takes real-time strategy gaming and blends it with top quality program footage from The History Channel to create a truly immersive strategy experience. The game starts from the founding of the great city of Rome and continues through to the crowning of Augustus while letting players fight every great battle of the Roman Empire along the way! Your men travel with you on this historic journey, and the game treats each squad like a character, allowing the player to customize each unit's skills and appearance. A powerful gameplay engine faithfully recreates the strategies and tactics employed by Rome's greatest commanders, allowing players to pursue the ultimate goal of creating the most powerful empire the world has known.Game controls allow command of up to 20 squads simultaneouslyCustomizable troops and battle conditionsIncorporating special visual effects and advanced levels of detail including night battlesRealistic battlefield conditions and terrain affect the underlying complex battle engine

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Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach Review

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(More customer reviews)Long-time fans of fantasy-oriented MMORPGs will remember the glory days of Ultima Online. When that game was heavily distressed by the "next-generation" MMO, EverQuest, fans of both games found themselves at a disadvantage that would continue for nearly a decade. There were no good games. The heavy penalties for death in EverQuest alienated the casual players of the time, while at the same time the open PVP in UO alienated its fair share of folks, causing both games to suffer heavy population detriments. It didn't help when the MMO boom began, either. Dark Age of Camelot, City of Heroes, Asheron's Call, AC2, EverQuest 2, and many others followed in quick succession, each having their own flaws that left MMORPG fans with the plain and saddening belief that no good game would ever see the light of day again. Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach proves this notion wrong.

The biggest and most terrifying thought about this game is that it is based on the Dungeons and Dragons pen-and-paper RPG. Set in the DnD realm of Eberron, players must know the d20 system backwards and forwards if they expect to reach their full potential. This leaves two different groups of people with two different questions. Long-time DnD fanatics will want to know how closely this game sticks to the rules, while at the same time, World of Warcraft junkies will want to know how easy this game is to pick up. Both of them will want to know if it is fun.

First off, DnD. The city of Stormreach and the Eberron campaign operate under Dungeons and Dragons Revision 3.5 Ruleset by Wizards of the Coast. This ruleset features d20 (combat, skills, saves, etc.) and feats. Most of the general rules are followed very closely. Every time a d20 check is made, you see the actual dice roll on your screen. That's right: every swing of your sword, every disarming of a trap, every attempt to use a magical device: the dice are -always- rolling. The huge discrepancy this game has from PnP (pen-and-paper) is Action Points. You do not use Action Points to reroll your dice, as you would in PnP. Instead, four times per level, you achieve a new rank, at which point you gain Action Points to spend on enhancements. Low level enhancements are approximately equal to one additional feat. Higher level enhancements can equal nearly four feats combined (example: level 9 rogues get one that gives +7 to Disable Device and Open Lock simultaneously, passive). All players may have four different enhancements granted to their character at any time. While some may think that this may make your character terribly over-powered, this is not necessarily the case. The game is designed to overcome the problems a live action environment creates with the PnP game, and, as a result, your character will be expected to have the proper enhancements. These abilities are what make characters of varying levels significantly more or less powerful than each other in DDO. Each class and race has their own unique enhancements to choose from, but you must keep in mind as you develop your character that you are limited to having four at any given time. In addition, every time you level, you lose unspent Action Points, and the set of available enhancments will change every level also. The current level cap is 10, which Turbine has announced that it will raise in a few months. Prestige classes are also in the works. Other than Action Points, the game plays largely like PnP DnD, with a few very minor exceptions. Fans of the game will undoubtedly enjoy the MMO atmosphere of DDO.

Now for the gamers. So you're used to sitting in dungeon, blasting away at countless critters until you eventually gain a level? Maybe a few Catacombs raids will do you some good. Not in Stormreach. In this troubled city, you must use your brain more than your braun. Each class has a very specific purpose that you must play well to survive. If a fighter runs ahead of the rest of the party, for example, trying to blaze the way, he will undoubtedly be killed quite quickly by hidden dungeon traps that can only be disarmed by well-equipped rogues. Similarly, a rogue cannot hack and slash his way into a group of enemies without getting severely torn up. You have to use strategy, and you have to read up on your class. Know how the game works. It is very important. This game also features active combat. You click to swing your sword, fire your bow, raise your shield, or tumble away from an attack. DnD features both a targetting cursor and a targetting system, allowing you either to mouse-over the specific enemy you want to shoot at and fire or, if you happen to be trying to aim at a small critter that jumps around quickly, you may decide that you simply want to target it and auto-attack away. Both options are available (when using a weapon--spells can't be autocast). The game has no crafting system, which does not affect your ability to acquire items. The economy (at lower levels) is quite an easy one, with most players giving gear they do not need to other players in their party who do need it, free of charge. Mosts quests also offer very useful item rewards. You do not regenerate spell points or hit points unless you rest or are in a tavern (and resting is only possible at special shrines found in dungeons), although healers can heal you and even sometimes restore your spellpoints. This system makes strategy very important. The game is very easy to play and user-friendly, but difficult to master. You do not need any knowledge of DnD to get started, but, as your interest in the game grows, you will undoubtedly spend hours reading up on how things work and what people think works best. This is a huge boon to the players who take pride in their accomplishments. In addition, DnD features quest-based advancement. You do not get any experience for "grinding". In fact, you do not get any experience at all for killing individual monsters. Your experience comes from quests, which are all instanced. The quests are very well-developed, featuring a wide variety of stories, monsters, and objectives (everything from rescues to obtaining an item to defeating an enemy to solving a mystery and more). The graphics, controls, and musical scores are without a doubt some of the best I have ever seen. I have seen better graphics (namely in Asheron's Call II: breathtaking), but combined with the other artificial elements, this game is very pretty indeed. The avid gamer will not be disappointed. The main issues for some players will be the following: lack of player versus player combat, different gameplay style of Dnd, lack of crafting skills, and necessity to complete quests in order to advance (the good ones are long and involved). The pros of the game, though, heavily outway these potential cons: grouping is VERY heavily encouraged (meaning it is always possible to find a group), the storylines are extremely engaging (if you take the time to read them), combat is intense, and strategy is important. Most gamers will very much enjoy this game.

Overall, then, players will find that DnD Online (also known as DDO) is a great game. It fills a niche that many MMORPGers have sought for years. DDO isn't just your next hack-and-slash, ding, level up game. It is very involving, requires strong knowledge of your character, and features many things never before seen in MMORPGs. The game is fun at all levels; not just at maximum level. You will find the depth of character advancement to be absolutely astonishing. On the whole, Eberron is an amazing world and Stormreach an amazing city. With so many ways to customize your character and so many things to do with him (or her), many DDO players feel confident in calling the game flawless--the best ever made. After all, it is Dungeons and Dragons, which has remained a brilliant RPG for decades. And there you have it: Dungeons and Dragons Online: Stormreach is simply brilliant.

Other game notes: DDO features the races and classes of the DnD 3.5 ruleset, with the current exception of Monks and Druids (which are in development). These classes are Paladin, Ranger, Fighter, Cleric, Rogue, Barbarian, Sorcerer, Wizard, Paladin, and Bard. Each class has its own role in a group, except for the Bard (who is a sort of jack-of-all-trades). Each character may choose one class at character creation and either continue that class to the level cap or multiclass to a second class when they reach their next level (so if a level five Fighter just reached level six and wanted to multiclass to a Ranger, he would become all of the following: a level five Fighter, a level one Ranger, and a level six character, meaning that the sum of your class levels cannot exceed your current character level, which cannot be higher than the level cap). Each character is also of a particular race, and each race receives particular advantages or disadvantages that may allow it to excel at one or more particular class types. Available races in DDO include Humans, Elves, Half Elves, Dwarves, Halflings, and Warforged. You may only select one race. Information on feats, spells, enhancements, skills, racial abilities, and class abilities can be found at many DDO fansites, but documentation on the game can sometimes be hard to find because of so many inaccurate references. Check with reliable sources (open source works best, such as Wikis). The game also features a sort of tutorial area to help new players get started. It is optional.

If you are considering trying this game, do it. Period.

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Product Description:
Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach takes you into a classic fantasy world, for incredible MMORPG gaming. Travel to Stormreach for exciting adventures, where you'll face impossible challenges and unbeatable monsters -- all for fortune and glory. Choose from nine classes and five races, including the Eberron Warforged race - then enter ancient dungeons and complete missions to find gold, magic and treasure. Beware: Each dungeon has multiple paths to success. While a fighter is best off slaying the enemies before him, a rogue with Hide and Move Silently skills might be best off avoiding their notice. Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach is the first massively multiplayer online role-playing game to feature voice chat Integrated into the service. Follows the D&D version 3.5 Core Rules. Limited Edition features a special DDO Red Dragon Poster, "Feats Chart", special packaging and a new in-game item: Boots of Running.Gather in taverns to meet fellow adventurers, find new allies and quests, and rest up between battlesIntegrated voice chat lets you coordinate your team efforts more effectively

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eFrontier Anime Studio Pro (Win/Mac) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When it comes to 2D animation software, your choices are 1) Anime Studio for Windows and Mac OS X, 2) Toon Boom, for Win & Mac, and 3) KToon for Linux.Both of the other two are cell based animation where you draw the same character over and over in a new cell moving body parts as you go. I personally find this tedious and redundant. Anime uses the bone concept found in 3D programs that bends the vector shaped
drawing with the bones as you move them. You only need to set key frames. So this means all the frames between the key frames you set are calulated by the computer and you do not have to re-draw them. It lets the computer work for you, not just be a painting tool. While cell animation seems to bring traditional paper/pen artwork concepts to ther computer, the computer is not working for you as much as it is with the bone concept.

If you buy from Amazon you get the MAC & WIN version on the same CDROM, if you download from the manufacturer you get only one version.

The hardest part of character animation is lip-sync'ing, Magie Pro alone is as much as this software, this comes with Papagayo which is open source. I had to find an old Papagayo for my older Mac OS X version 10.3.9. I also use the built in amplitude lip syncing because is 'good enough' with out worring too much about the exact sounds. Less mouth flapping is sometimes better.

This is a wonderful program, a bit ahead of its time, and very stable.

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Product Description:
Create professional animations from start to finish with Anime Studio Pro, the all-in-one solution for creating anime, cartoon and cut out animations.Anime Studio Pro's unique point-and-click rigging with bones quickly animates 2D imagery into dramatic life! Start from megabytes of included content, work in vector-based layers, choose from professional special effects and scripting to help create animations of any length, fine-tune your animations with timeline controls. Photoshop integration to import 2D art or use draw/coloring tools, import 3D imagery (OBJ), AVI and QuickTime, add WAV and AIFF soundtracks, export stills in 2D or layered PSD files, and animations as QuickTime, AVI or SWF.

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Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9 Mobile Review

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(More customer reviews)I paid more for this package on the belief that it would integrate nicely with the philips voicetracker, but it doesn't work easily. So far, I cannot get it to work at all, but think I will be able to find a work around. Also, it is somewhat challenging to make it work with the included microphone. The documentation is non existent and there is no other information available, so you are on your own. Undoubtably this is good software but sadly neglected by the provider, so I am very disappointed.

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Product Description:
Item #: K29520. Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred 9 gives small business users and PC enthusiasts the power to create documents, reports, e-mails and more - all by speaking! Fast, easy and amazingly accurate, it's over three times faster than typing. Just use your voice to dictate and edit in Microsoft Word and Excel, Corel WordPerfect, and virtually all Windows-based applications. You can even dictate into a handheld device when you're away from your PC, or use a Bluetooth microphone! It's never been easier to use - no script reading required, so you can get started right away! Product Description: Dragon NaturallySpeaking Preferred - ( v. 9 ) - complete package
Category: Office applications
Subcategory: Office applications - voice recognition
Version: 9
Bundled with: Voice Recorder
License Type: Complete package
License Qty: 1 user
License Pricing: Standard
Language(s): English
Localization: United States
Platform: Windows
Distribution Media: CD-ROM
Package Type: Retail
OS Required: Microsoft Windows XP Professional SP1 or later, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition SP1 or later, Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 or later, Microsoft Windows Vista
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L&H Voice Xpress Mobile Pro 5.0 Review

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(More customer reviews)All you need to know is, I am writing a novel and voice express is
verey good for that.
DJ

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Product Description:
With L&H Voice Xpress Mobile Professional 5.0, you can "say it your way"with patented Natural Language Technology. A voice-powered word processor letsyou use your own words as commands, such as "Center this" or "Bold this."Natural Language Technology will understand what you mean. Now, there's no needto memorize commands; just use your everyday speech.
Start dictating in as few as five minutes using L&H XpressStart technology. It'seasy to install and set up. You can dictate at a rate of up to 160 words perminute. This system not only enables you to dictate into virtually anyWindows-based program, but also to control Microsoft Office applications with your ownwords. And with Mobile Professional 5.0, you can work on the go with the OlympusDS-150 digital recording device, included in the package. Record your thoughts,e-mails, or documents while away from your computer, then upload the files lateras .wav files for transcription by L&H Voice Xpress.
Other features include the Sample Commands View, which lists the top commandsfor the application that you are currently using without interrupting yourproductivity; the list automatically updates each time you switch to or open anew application. Insert a paragraph of frequently used text or graphics, such asa letter closing, using the Dictation Shortcuts feature. Vastly improved speechmodels enable Voice Xpress users to achieve up to 98 percent accuracy. With a307,000-plus-word vocabulary, spelling mistakes are reduced and accuracy isimproved. Enter numbers, letters, dates, and dollar amounts in your naturalspeech; for example, if you say "three thousand and four dollars," L&H VoiceXpress Standard types "$3,004.00" on your screen. The program also includesdocument editing using the text-to-speech feature, where L&H Voice XpressStandard reads your documents back, making editing easier than ever.

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Via Voice Personal Millennium Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchsed this software to transcribe tapes, and it has really given me some much needed relief from heavy typing.I'm able to wear both the headphones for the transcriber and for via voice, and I just dictate what I'm hearing from the transcribed tape!The easiest way to dictate, I found, is directly through the pad, and just cut and paste into word.Also, regardless of how poor you think your oratory skills are, speaking in your natural tone of voice helps the software to "learn" your voice pattern much quicker.I have found that even when I stumble over words that I use all the time, if I just do the voice analyzer after every session, it becomes more and more accurate.For a girl with a southern twang and drawl, that saying a lot!

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Product Description:
ViaVoice for Windows Personal Edition is voice-recognition software designed to be easy to use for beginners. After the setup assistant trains ViaVoice to analyze your voice, you can start using the included headset microphone to speak to your computer instead of typing. ViaVoice starts with a 160,000-word vocabulary that you can build on by adding new words as you use them. You can dictate directly into Microsoft Word 97 and 2000,easily creating e-mail, letters, reports, and other documents.
Features include the ability to analyze your voice, leading to greater accuracy. SpeakPad, a speech-enabled word processor, is included with ViaVoice. Natural Commands make working with Word easier as you use everyday language rather than "computer speak" to command functions within this popular word processor. You can teach ViaVoice new words for greater accuracy when you use special words, terms, nicknames, acronyms, pet phrases, addresses, and idioms. And your voice will become the easiest way for you to quickly navigate basic Web commands within selected browsers.

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Charlotte's Web Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just picked this game up today, got it at a great price, so that I couldn't refuse.At first we were bummed because after installing it , it wouldn't play, but then all I had to do was minimize my Earthlink toolbar. Who'd have thought?Anyways, my 6 and 11 year olds took to the game like....well, they played it for a few hours and left me alone.I checked on them a few times, and tried some of the games, and they seemed clever andhad nice graphics.I rarely give things 5 stars, but would say this is a solid 4 star game.I don't think it would be that great for anyone over 11, my 6 year old will definitely get more time on it than anyone else, but it is a cute, well put together game.

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Product Description:
Based on the upcoming Nickelodeon Movies and Paramount Pictures feature film, players will have a blast adventuring through this classic tale which has sold over 45 million books.As Wilbur, the pig, or Templeton, the rat, players explore Zuckerman's Farm, the countryside, a junkyard, and the County Fair. Throughout the journey, unlockable arcade-style mini-games are just waiting to be discovered, and a variety of amusing and complex missions will trip up old Farmer Zuckerman and keep the animals safe and happy.

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Microsoft MapPoint 2006 Standard Edition Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was very pleased to discover all of the data packed into this program.Setting up the query parameters is easy & the amount of info concerning places of interest (services, banks, transportation) is substantial.About the only drawback I found was the quality of the help contents, which was not very user friendly.Most of the time I was unable to find solutions to my question/problem because the data was way too complicated (displaying data in technical equations) or was not listed at all.However, calls to technical support usually resolved the questions.Finally, I was disappointed that the program does not allow you to print written legends off to the side on your map (ie: a listing of addresses for your push pin locations).Other than that, the program is very handy, loaded with tons of great data & the quality of the maps is superior.

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Product Description:
MapPoint 2006 combines powerful data mapping, information analysis, and communication tools with the simplicity of the Microsoft Office System. Make smarter business decisions and spend more time with customers using MapPoint 2006 to analyze data and integrate rich location information into Outlook. This edition does NOT include a GPS device.

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Vocabulary Builder - Learn Arabic: for Children 4 & up Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a very simple and easy to use Arabic learning software with a lot of graphics and sounds. I would recommend for beginner students of Arabic. It would give you a basic vocabulary in no time.

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Product Description:
Primarily aimed to meet the requirements of children from 4-12, this package has proved popular with adults too! The beautiful illustrations will improve your whole family's language skills with various words and phrases. With its 3 main options; learn, games and record, Vocabulary Builder is intuitive enough for children to use and enjoy on their own. Help is available throughout from the friendly tiger who speaks over 49 different languages! This product is fun and innovative, and will keep the younger learners attention for hours. Undoubtedly more effective than traditional formats" - ComputerActive

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Sony Sound Forge Audio Studio 8 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'm not an audio expert by any means, but Sound Forge impressed me with its power and simplicity.I needed to clean up and edit a few audio tracks for use in Flash, and Sound Forge did the job no problem.I was able to cut and paste parts of my tracks, adjust output levels, and save them so that they were ready for my other application.There are plenty of other features that I didn't try out (e.g. special effects and various tools to improve the quality of your tracks).

I'm using the 30 day free trial version (which is full-featured but time-limited), but when I'm ready to buy, this will be the one.

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Product Description:
Sound Forge Audio Studio software is everything you need to produce professional-quality audio on your home computer. Record just about anything, edit and restore audio, burn your own CDs, create streaming media, and convert audio files - all using simple commands such as cut, copy, and paste. Apply studio-quality audio effects such as EQ, delay, chorus, reverb, and more. Liven up recordings with the included 1,001 Sound Effects. Import and edit your own music from CDs and MP3s. Eliminate clicks, pops, and other noise. Exclusive Show Me How tutorials provide interactive, step-by-step help while you work. Perfect for podcast creation!

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MacSpeech Scribe Education Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Purchased this software for use in helping me transcribe some interviews for my qualitative research class.The software arrived WITHOUT the necessary registration code.At first, I was enraged because I needed to use it right away for an assignment that was due in just a few days for my class.Luckily, you are allowed up to 4 days of use without registering it.In subsequent contact with Nuance customer service, I was eventually able to get the code I needed (it did take 3 phone calls because of a misunderstanding about what product I purchased, but I did get the code and they were very helpful and pleasant).I did learn however from the customer service rep that they have had other people call in with my situation.I suggested that it was because it was the "Education version", thinking maybe that I needed to provide proof of my student status.No.They noted that this has been happening with other versions when not ordered directly from them and when ordered from Amazon.Whose fault this is, I do not know.But the situation was resolved.

As for the quality of the software product, it's inconsistent at best.You first, of course, have to "train" the software to the voice.I expected there to be a fair amount of inaccuracies in transcribing the voice of my interview participant.But even in transcribing my voice, after the training, it was highly inaccurate.

In addition, I found the user interface to be lacking.Click here, click there, click back, choose this, choose that... there was a lot going on for just a little bit of text.

I learned at that least 2 other classmates of mine using Macs purchased this software and had similar difficulties with their own voice!Therefore, I question its usefulness despite rave reviews.

As for me, and because of not wanting to spend excessive time training the software when I had a fast appraoching deadline, I decided to just type it out while playing the interview at 50% speed with the software that came with my digital voice recorder.This ended up working best for me.

My professor recommended that we just purchase a pedal and play back our transcriptions at our own speed of typing and do it the old fashioned way.

I've not given up on this software and will try it again, just not when I have a deadline looming.

If I find it to be better at that point, I'll be sure to update my review.

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Product Description:
Welcome to MacSpeech Scribe, the world's most advanced personal transcription solution for the Macintosh. MacSpeech Scribe lets you forget about the painstaking task of typing, and instead create text documents directly from spoken-word audio files. Just imagine it ... no more irritating and frustrating stopping, rewinding, re-starting, and typing at a snail's pace. MacSpeech Scribe transcribes everything for you ... easily, quickly, and accurately. And it couldn't be simpler: just open your spoken-word audio file with MacSpeech Scribe, click the ‘Transcribe' button, and MacSpeech Scribe does the transcription work for you.


Personal transcription software for the Macintosh.

Accurate

Amazing Accuracy
MacSpeech Scribe provides an astounding accuracy rate of up to 99% ... near perfection. Of course, you can continue to increase accuracy as you use MacSpeech Scribe. Moreover, MacSpeech Scribe NEVER misspells a word. With MacSpeech Scribe, typos are a thing of the past.


Your Own Personal Transcriptionist
MacSpeech Scribe integrates seamlessly into your personal workflow and is extremely easy to use. Simply record a spoken-word audio file and save it. From there just open your audio file with MacSpeech Scribe, click the ‘Transcribe' button, and MacSpeech Scribe does the transcription work for you. Right before your eyes you'll see your file transcribed into text right on your screen. What's more, MacSpeech Scribe supports up to six speech profiles, ensuring maximum transcription accuracy for up to six different voices.

Powerful

Exceptional Recognition
MacSpeech Scribe boasts robust Phrase Training capabilities allowing it to learn as it goes based on your voice input. That means even greater accuracy that more fully integrates into your Macintosh experience. MacSpeech Scribe also recognizes 13 distinct English dialect variations, providing exceptionally strong recognition, and its Vocabulary Editor lets you train individual words and even add new ones such as proper nouns, giving even more control over how it recognizes your speech.


Punctuation is a Breeze
MacSpeech Scribe even takes care of punctuation ... just speak your punctuation as part of your spoken-word recording, and MacSpeech Scribe converts it to the appropriate punctuation marks. For example, Jay said comma open quote here are my suggested edits period closed quote ... will be transcribed as ... Jay said, "Here are my suggested edits."

Compatible

Super Versatile
MacSpeech Scribe is versatile; it easily allows transcription from spoken-word audio recordings made on Mac, iPhone, and digital recorders, and supports a variety of audio file formats, including .wav, .aif, .aiff, .m4v, .mp4, and .m4a. What's more, MacSpeech Scribe lets you create six individual speech profiles to ensure maximum transcription accuracy for up to six different voices.


Equipped with the world-renowned Dragon speech-recognition engine by Nuance.
Word Work = Easy Work
MacSpeech Scribe lets you easily add new words and acronyms, edit and navigate transcribed documents, and so much more. MacSpeech Scribe makes it easy to work with your transcribed document so you can create the perfect document for your needs.


Minimal Training Required
MacSpeech Scribe provides astounding accuracy and productivity. With just minutes of training, it'll be effortlessly transcribing your documents, no matter the document size.

Built for Mac

Built Especially for the Mac
Mac users expect only the best from the applications they use on their Macs. MacSpeech Scribe was built from the ground up to ensure the ultimate experience on Mac OS X.


Exceptional Online Help
For those times when you need a little assistance, MacSpeech Scribe boasts a complete online, searchable Help book. It's convenient to use, easy to understand, and all just a mouse click away.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Legend of Jack Sparrow Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In Pirates of the Caribbean: Legend of Jack Sparrow, you play as Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann and follow the path of pursuing the Black Pearl from the movie along with tangenting into other missions that were not in the movie.

The game interface is a lot like Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, where you follow a path and fight hordes of enemies on the way. You can even play alongside with a buddy in co-op, probably one of the few good features in the game along with Johnny Depp casting his voice as Jack Sparrow.

Now for criticizing the game.

The game opens looking very promising. You see Jack and Will going through a jungle and after a cinematic, you play as either of them. But the enemies and characters you encounter are cheesy and cartoonish, especially the bosses. The cartoonish enemies make it feel like a children's game at many points.

The graphics are okay if you have a high enough video card. But it still looks like a three year old game. The fps can get very choppy at certain points of the game too.

The music: pppptttt! If you are expecting the majestic score from the Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl film, prepare to be disappointed. The game music was originally composed for this game, and it sounds very cheesy and juvenile. It is nowhere near like Hans Zimmer's scores.

The fighting interface is actually pretty neat. You can lock swords on enemies and use certain combos to finish them off. Probably the coolest element of the fighting is Jack's flame cutlass, where he dips his sword in flammable grog and strikes it on the ground to set it ablaze.

The absolute fallacy of this game is the plot. Jack finds himself standing accused at the gallows, and he tells a long fictitious story that you play the role in, and that becomes the game.

Anyway, it's a poorly made game.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Pirates of the Caribbean: Legend of Jack Sparrow

Product Description:
Piracy. Smuggling. Buried Treasure.Product InformationWhat's not to love about Captain Jack Sparrow? Play as Jack SparrowWill Turner and Elizabeth Swann as you hack and slash your way through fullyinteractive environments including burning buildings wrecked ships and mistymoonlight caves. One minute you are fighting hordes of enemies and thenext you are evading capture by the Royal Navy. Pirates of the Caribbean:The Legend of Jack Sparrow features the voice of Johnny Depp.Product FeaturesJoin Captain Jack Sparrow as he recounts his most thrilling adventuresDid he really sack Nassau Port without firing a shot or ride away from adeserted isle on the backs of sea turtles! Now you will find out firsthand!Co-Op MultiplayerTake on the challenge with a friend and play side-by-side as Jack SparrowWill Turner or Elizabeth Swann.Secret TreasuresHidden passages special coins and other secrets await! Discover goldand treasure to purchase upgrades for advanced moves and special abilities.Unlockable Weapons and CombosThroughout your adventure you will be rewarded with new swords that allowmore advanced combos to defeat a wide range of deadly foes.Minimum RequirementsWindows 2000 XP or VistaPentium III 800 MHz or Athlon 800 MHz or higher processor256 MB of RAM3500 MB of uncompressed Hard Disk space (plus 400 MB for the Windows swap file)100 percent DirectX 9.0c compliant versions of the following (including drivers)4X DVD-ROM Drive32 MB Video Card16-bit Sound CardMouseKeyboard

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iLife '09 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I think the purpose for a review is to get a sense for the product being reviewd.Unfortunately user submitted online reviews can and do end up becoming bully pulpits where people who feel slighted launch invective towards a product. Let me say that this will not be that type of review.

I own a Mac mini 1.66Ghz Core Duo with 2GB of RAM that shipped with iLife 06 (I skipped the 08 upgrade) .Even by the standards of 2007 it wasn't a barn burner.I have become aquainted with iLife 09 (hereafter IL9) and here are my thoughts.

iMovie 09 (IM9) - This is the second version of what has become a hot button issue for many users.My computer shipped with iMovie 06aka iMovie HD and I have tried to edit some video in it. The anger comes from the fact that Apple scrapped iMovie HD for new application called iMovie 08. The problem was that iMovie 08 was such a radical departure from iMovie HD and it had much less features.The uproar was so loud Apple capitulated and allowed iMovie HD to be downloaded separately. Now we have the second generation of this new movie editing application and the iMovie HD fans are back with a vengeance but are they justified again?I do not believe so and here's why.

Apple switched to a whole new video app for reasons that we can only guess but I'd surmise that they felt that iMovie HD had grown too complex with plugins and time lines and audio editing features that are truly best served in a higher end application like Final Cut Express. They decided to go back to the roots.iMovie 08 would be a video app for people that only need to edit every now an then or total newbies.

They have succeeded.iMovie '09 rectify's most of the issues i've seen that actually hampered the ability to edit video easily. It supports chapter markers for easy DVD creation in iDVD.The audio editing is improved (you can keep just the audio from a clip or just the video easily). The speed of this app is superb.Where as you had to render some effects and whatnot in iMovie HD in IM9 almost everything happens in realtime. I found this kept me in a creative mode where I could try out different titles or transitions very quickly and find something I liked. Here's a feature that you're going to love and use. Apple has taken a feature from their pro video software that analyzes your video and then takes a majority of the camera shake out. It really works provided your were shaking the camera like a tambourine. This feature alone will save those shots that you thought you lost because your hand was unsteady.It does require some hefty processingso it's one of the features that isn't "instant" and you can control how much shake gets removed. You can now edit with precision and you have many more editing choices.Wantpicture in picture? It's easy.Editing in iMovie 09 is basically dragging clips around and choosing the ideal text and transition. The new templates are very nice and of course integration with your iTunes music, and your iPhoto pictures is a sidebar away. I'd like to see Apple re-implement plugins because 3rd party developers can do amazing things and I want them to but for now iMovie 09 is likely going to be a nice app for tossing together something appealing.

iPhoto -Is certainly not as much of a hot button issue.The new iPhoto makes a big deal out of Faces and Places.With Faces you are supposed to be able to tag your friends and family and the software looks for facial features and groups them together. In practice I've found this to be rather iffy.It works well if you've framed someone's face in a good straight on shot but it can get lost with more obscure photos. Surprisingly it does work on somepets.I imagine that it will improve over time but honestly even a human sometimes can err in doing the same task.Places is a godsend for those who travel.It allows you to pinpoint where you were during a photo via your longitude and latitude co-ordinates. Now there are cameras that will put this information right into the metadata of the photo you take but they are still pretty rare. I expect that in a couple of years all but the most inexpensive cameras will do Geo tagging. Fear not! You can manually tag your photos in bunches. That Greece trip you took last summer is easy to tag.Once you've accumulated your geo tagging data you can view a Google Earth map right from within iPhoto and there are pinpoint detailing everywhere you've taken photos.At any time you can double click a pinpoint and the photos assigned to that location are displayed. This is yet another way to look at your photos!Here's another feature ...if you use Facebook you can upload photos right from within iPhoto. Facebook fans are always adding tag info to their friends photos.If you upload say a photo of you and other people to Facebook and someone tags their their photo, iPhoto will sync that tag information back to your library.There's more to iPhoto but these are some of the salient features.My wish is that the Flickr export options grow to have more controls and I'd love to see iPhoto find a way to edit image files without creating a copy.

iWeb -You know you want to make your own website or blog.iWeb is Apple's easy web page application.It's first two versions only allowed you to use it with .Mac (now MobileMe)that's changed now. iWeb supports FTP which means you can use it to create a web page for just about any web service provider.It comes with some handly drag n drop widgets that allow you to add an RSS feed or countdown or html snippet. IMO it's worthy of usage by people who don't have MobileMe accounts. Also they've modified it so that you don't have to publish the whole page for just a few changes which saves time by not sending a bunch of superfluous data.It's not an earth shaking update but we're on the right road here now.

GarageBand- this is a very misunderstood app.Many people feel it's an app for musicians and if they are not musically inclined they don't use it.Garage Band is a multifaceted tool. Not only can you play music into it via a midi keyboard or guitar (through an interface)but it comes with a huge collection of Apple Loops.These loops are smart.You can drag these audio building blocks to create tracks that always follow the same musical key and timing "automagically".I have no piano or guitar but i'm able to use GarageBand to provide music or sound effects for my video and if I had a microphone I'd be able to create audio or video podcasts. The new features in GB are built in training.If you want to learn piano or guitar there are 8 free lessons that you can download.These include video tutorials that allow you to play along and even record yourself. You get to see fingerings and slow the music down to grasp the licks. If these can spur even one hundred people to pick up an instrument it will have been well worth it.You can even download Artist series videos for $5.You want Norah Jones to teach you a little piano?Not a problem.If you're a guitar player then GB has you grinning from ear to ear.Apple has reworked the guitar simulations and GB can turn your electric guitar into whatever you want via multiple amp simulation and stomp box simulations. I've heard from professional musicians that these effects and simulations are superior to Apples Pro music apps. I'm eyeballing an acoustic/electric for some fun. Even if you don't plan on learning an instrument GB can be an asset to you if you get curious.

iDVD- Sadly iDVD has not had any changes. Apple is no longer investing in what they feel is a format in the autumn of its existence as a distribution format for computers.

There are some caveats here.If you have a PowerPC processor there are going to be features that you don't have full access to.There will be slow downs. iLife 09 really wants an Intel processor and dual cores at that.If you have these requirements and hopefully more than 1GB of RAM I'd say you can get a lot of value out of iLife . Remember it is a consumer oriented package yet you will hear complaints about missing features that are best reserved for higher end packages. Rest assured in knowing that GarageBand files upgrade to Logic and iPhoto information upgrades to Aperture.Apple generally builds bridges to the next step up application.

Don't let anyone tell you what's important to you or what's worth buying.I'm still learning new things about iLife every day. It is far from mediocre in my opinion.

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Product Description:
iLife '09 makes it easier than ever to get the most out of the photos, movies, and music on your Mac. Organize and search your photos by faces and places in iPhoto. Make a great-looking movie in minutes and edit with precision in iMovie. Learn to play piano and guitar, or compose and record your own songs with the new guitar amps and stompboxes in GarageBand.


iLife '09 makes it easier than ever to get the most out of the photos, movies, and music on your Mac.Click to enlarge.
iPhoto '09. Major photo opportunity.
iPhoto makes managing your photos as easy as taking them. It helps you organize your photos so you can find them fast. Edit them so they look their best. And share them with your friends and family.
Organize by who, where, and when.
It's so easy to take digital photos that before you know it, you have thousands. iPhoto gives you more ways to keep track of your photos by organizing them according to who's in your pictures, where you took them, and when you took them.
Faces to see.
iPhoto '09 introduces Faces: a new feature that automatically detects and even recognizes faces in your photos. iPhoto uses face detection to identify faces of people in your photos and face recognition to match faces that look like the same person. That makes it easy for you to add names to your photos. And it helps you find the people you're looking for. Clicking the Faces view shows you a corkboard featuring a snapshot for each person you've named. iPhoto suggests a set of possible matches you can confirm with a click.
Organize your photos based on who's in them using Faces. Click to enlarge.
Organize and explore your photos by location using Places. Click to enlarge.
Use the new and improved editing tools to perfect your photos.Click to enlarge.
Illustrate your journey with photo books including new travel maps.Click to enlarge.
Places to go.
Places allows you to search and sort photos by location, using data from any GPS-enabled camera or iPhone. Don't have a GPS-enabled camera or iPhone? You can still use Places by adding your own location information: Just start typing and iPhoto instantly gives you a list of locations to choose from. Want to add places to lots of photos? Select an Event, an album, or a group of photos shot in the same place, and iPhoto can add your location information to all of them at once.
When you feel like exploring, click Places to navigate your photos by location. Find photos on a map, or use the column browser to click through location names from country to state to city--right down to points of interest like the Empire State Building or the Grand Canyon--to see all the photos taken there.
Events to remember.
iPhoto helps eliminate clutter in your photo library by automatically organizing your photos by Event. When you import photos taken on a single day, iPhoto groups them together as an Event. You can label each Event with a meaningful name like "Karen's wedding" or "Nathan's graduation," so you can find everything easily.
The search field in iPhoto lets you search your entire photo library fast. Type a word or part of a word to search by person, location, title, album, event, or keyword, and see your results in an instant.
Make some improvements.

Turn so-so snapshots into great photos.
iPhoto gives you everything you need to fix your photos. Remove red-eye with a click. Adjust exposure, brightness, and contrast. Crop to frame your subject. If you don't know where to begin, click the Enhance tool and watch iPhoto automatically fix bright or dull photos. Then try a few new tricks.
If you want to make the colors in your photos pop without affecting skin tones, use the Saturation slider and click "Avoid saturating skin tones." To improve clarity and enhance detail, experiment with the Definition slider. Or retouch over solid edges with the Retouch brush. Its new Detect Edges setting prevents blurring of detail as you paint out spots and blemishes.
Experiment with effects.
iPhoto also features fun, one-click photo effects. Open the Effects pane and click a thumbnail image to convert color photos to black and white, give them a classic sepia tone, add a vignette border, and more. Experiment without fear: A click of the center thumbnail removes effects and returns your photo to its original state. In fact, any edit you make in iPhoto is reversible, so you don't have to worry about losing your originals.
Enjoy a few choice memories.
Looking for a fun way to share and enjoy your photos? Try creating a slideshow using new slideshow themes. Each theme includes professionally designed layouts, titles, and transitions that make a perfect backdrop for your photos. Click a theme to play a full-screen slideshow--accompanied by any song from your iTunes library. Fast-forward or rewind your slideshow using the new filmstrip. If you like, customize your slideshow even further by saving it as a project. Then you can reorder photos, set the length of time individual photos remain onscreen, or, with some themes, choose different transitions. And when you're happy with your slideshow, send it to iTunes and sync it to your iPhone or iPod to enjoy anywhere.
Click to share.
The easiest way to share your photos is to share them online. And the easiest way to share online is with iPhoto.
Have a MobileMe Gallery showing.
MobileMe--the Apple subscription service that keeps all your devices up to date, wherever you are--lets you create an online Gallery to share photos from your iPhoto library.* Simply select the photos you want to share and click the MobileMe button. That's all it takes to publish to your MobileMe Gallery. Keep your Gallery private, make it public, or share it with select people. Visitors can download and print photos, subscribe to your Gallery via RSS, even contribute their own photos.
Send and share.
Prefer to share your photos via email? Click the Mail button and choose a size to send: small, medium, large, or actual size. iPhoto also shares seamlessly with iMovie, iWeb, iDVD, the applications in iWork, and other Mac OS X applications.
Take some photos to go.
Want to keep your photos with you? Use iTunes to sync them to your iPod or iPhone to enjoy and share on the go. Or view your photos in your living room: Sync them to Apple TV and they appear on your widescreen TV in full HD quality.
Get face time on Facebook.
To publish photos to your Facebook account, just select the photos you want to share and click the Facebook button. iPhoto even converts names you added using Faces to Facebook name tags. Flickr icon.
Flickr with a click.
Sharing on Flickr is just as easy: Click the Flickr button. When you share your photos on Flickr, the locations you added using Places appear on Flickr photo maps.
Make it, print it, share it, give it.
It's one thing to see your photos online. It's entirely different to see them on your wall or in a beautiful book. iPhoto makes it drag-and-drop easy to design your own softcover book, wire-bound book, or hardcover book--complete with a photo-wrapped cover and matching dust jacket. Make your travel books even more special with custom maps that use location data from your photos to illustrate your journey. Create a personalized photo calendar to hang on your wall. Send photo greeting cards and postcards featuring your friends and family. Or order professional prints in a variety of sizes and have them shipped directly to your door.
Create a movie in minutes or edit your masterpiece. Click to enlarge.
iMovie '09. Movies that aren't a production.

Organize video like photos.

To organize, just import.
Plug in virtually any digital camcorder and iMovie starts importing your video. Then iMovie helps you organize your video just as you organize photos: by putting everything in one central location and grouping video clips according the date they were taken. So it's easy to find the clips you're looking for--whether to watch or to edit. Don't have a camcorder? You can still use iMovie: It displays video you captured on your still camera and imported into iPhoto.
Rate it. Tag it. Filter it.
As your video library grows, you'll need a fast way to find your favorite clips (and hide the ones you're not thrilled with). With iMovie, you can label clips--or parts of clips--as "favorite" or "rejected," tag video with preset or custom keywords, then filter your entire library by rating and/or keyword.
Edit fast. Edit precisely.

Drag, drop, and thank the academy.
Know how to drag files to your desktop? Then you know how to edit a movie in iMovie. Drag your favorite clips into the project area and arrange them as you wish. Drag in titles and transitions. Drag in photos. Drag in a song from iTunes to create your soundtrack. That's drag-and-drop moviemaking, and iMovie makes it fast and easy.
Fine-tune your movies with the new Precision Editor. Click to enlarge.
Enhance your movie in minutes with new dynamic themes. Click to enlarge.
Enhance video travelogues with eye-catching, animated travel maps. Click to enlarge.
Smooth shaky clips with automatic video stabilization.
iMovie gives you more ways to add clips to your project: Now you can replace or insert clips using a single pop-up menu. Or edit just your audio. As you work, you can drag and drop markers to help you remember specific points in your project or to have your clips snap to the beats of a song.
Fine-tune every edit.
When you have all your clips where you want them, fine-tune even the trickiest cuts and transitions with the Precision Editor. A magnified filmstrip view shows you exactly where one clip ends and the next begins, so you can skim each clip up close and identify precisely how much to keep and where to cut. Adjust the duration of transitions. Edit audio and video independently, so you can use the sound from one clip with the video from another. Reposition titles and effects.
Edit audio, too.
In addition to its video editing features, iMovie gives you audio editing tools. Easily adjust audio levels for each clip to give your movie a consistent, comfortable volume. Use multiple audio tracks for music, sound effects--even a voiceover track you can record right in iMovie. Built-in noise reduction cuts down background noise and voice enhancement simulates a studio microphone to make your voice sound like professional announcer's.
Enjoy a flick. (Or all of them.)

Easy to use and fun to explore.
You don't have to edit a movie to enjoy your video. iMovie puts all your video in one place and gives you a quick, fun way to watch it. That's handy whether you're looking for a particular scene to edit or just want to peruse your favorite clips.
Go full screen.
Sometimes you want to enjoy your video without any onscreen distractions. With full-screen browsing, you can flip through your entire video library using Cover Flow--the same way you flip through albums in iTunes. Toggle between Events and projects or browse individual clips from your library and play them full screen. Even the clip-skimming feature works in full-screen mode. When you roll over a filmstrip, you see the related clip full screen.
Add titles, transitions, oohs, and ahhs.

Add and edit real-time titles.
iMovie makes it easy to add all the elements of a great movie, starting with the opening credits. Preview 20 new titles (for a total of 32) in the Title Browser. Find one you like and drag it onto any video clip. Or, for a neat trick, drag a title where there isn't any video. That opens a Preview Palette with animated backgrounds. Choose one and your title appears over it. Type over the placeholder text and you're done. If you change your mind about a title style, drag in another. iMovie applies the new style instantly.
Choose cinema-quality transitions.
To keep your cuts interesting, choose from 20 transitions by skimming over them in the Preview Palette. One click picks the perfect transition and applies it instantly.
Apply some effects.
Maybe you want a particular clip to feel like a dream sequence. Or perhaps you'd prefer to give your movie a vintage look. Whatever your inspiration, iMovie has you covered with 19 video effects. Take a look at all the effects in the Preview Palette, then apply them to a single clip, multiple clips, or an entire project.
In addition to video effects displayed in the Preview Palette, iMovie includes picture-in-picture and green-screen effects you can apply using the Advanced Tools pop-up menu.
Enhance your movie Hollywood-style.

Steady shaky clips.
Don't leave those perfect--if slightly wobbly--moments on the cutting-room floor. New video stabilization in iMovie analyzes how much your camera was moving, then automatically reduces shake. Stabilize on a clip-by-clip basis or analyze all your video (the latter may take a while, but it's worth it). iMovie even identifies moments when the camera was excessively shaky and marks that footage with a squiggly red line, so you can hide it.
Pick a theme, any theme.
To make your movies look even more professional, add a dynamic theme. Choose a theme such as Bulletin Board, Filmstrip, or Comic Book and apply it to your project instantly. iMovie does the rest, adding animated titles and sophisticated transitions automatically. Your themed project plays right away. You don't have to wait to see the results.
Animate your travels.
Enhance your video travelogues with eye-catching, animated travel maps. Choose from four different 3D globe or flat map styles, select your location (or locations), and iMovie builds an animated map. If you want to change its look, drag another map on top of your current one to change the style without affecting your locations.
When it's time to make final adjustments, iMovie puts color and audio controls in floating windows you can place anywhere on your screen. Use sliders to adjust exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation, and white point. Adjust audio levels for each clip to give your movie a consistent, comfortable volume. All your changes occur in real time, so you can be sure you've got everything just right.
Share your movie with a click.

Premiere your movie on MobileMe.
Once you've finished your masterpiece, it's time to share it. MobileMe--the Apple subscription service that keeps all your devices up to date, wherever you are--features an online Gallery.* With a few clicks, you can publish your movie to a MobileMe Gallery page where friends and family can view it, make comments, and download it. It's easy to publish your movie in a variety of sizes. Even better than DVD quality, the big 960-by-540 format looks great online.
Be a YouTube sensation.
If you have a YouTube following, you can share your movies there. Just select YouTube from the Share menu.
Share your movie anywhere.
To watch your movie on the go, send it to iTunes and sync it with your iPod or iPhone. Or send your movie to Apple TV, then sit back and watch it on your widescreen TV.
Burning to share?
Of course, you can also burn your movie to a DVD. Choose iDVD from the Share menu and create a fully featured DVD--complete with customized menus and buttons--in iDVD. If you've added chapter markers to your movie in iMovie, they show up in iDVD, too.
Learn to play. Start a jam session. Record and mix your own song. Click to enlarge.
GarageBand '09. Musicians wanted: No experience necessary.
Welcome to the school of rock. A Mac-sized practice space. Your own recording studio. If you want to learn to play an instrument, write music, or record a song, GarageBand can help--whether you're a rookie or a rock star.
Learn to Play: Basic Lessons.
Now the application that helped millions make music can help you learn to play an instrument. Basic Lessons in GarageBand teach you piano and guitar right on your Mac. Follow along with nine interactive video lessons that teach you the fundamentals and get you ready to play a whole song. See finger placement and basic chords on animated onscreen instruments. Basic Lessons give you complete control over how you learn. And when you're more comfortable, you can practice your new skills with a complete backing band.
Learn to Play: Artist Lessons.*
It doesn't get any more authentic than learning to play a song from the artist who made it famous.
Have Sting teach you how to play "Roxanne," Colbie Caillat teach you how to play "Bubbly," Fall Out Boy teach you how to play "I Don't Care," and many more. Browse, preview, and purchase Artist Lessons from the Lesson Store inside GarageBand. Then get step-by-step instructions for chords, finger positions, and techniques from the people who know your favorite songs best. Even play along with their bands.
When you've finally mastered that hit tune (or before you start learning it), listen to the story of how it was written and the inspiration behind it--straight from the artist.
*Artist Lessons are sold separately through the GarageBand application and only available in select countries.
Learn to play piano and guitar at your own pace with Basic Lessons. Click to enlarge.
Re-create the sound of legendary guitar rigs with new amps and stompbox effects. Click to enlarge.
Plug and play.

Turn your Mac into a musical instrument.
With GarageBand, the proof is in the playing. Plug a USB music keyboard into your Mac and you get instant access to over 100 realistic software instruments--pianos, strings, drums, guitars, horns--everything from bass to woodwinds. Just create a new track, choose your instrument, and play.
Don't have a keyboard? Try the one onscreen, which is resizable and can display up to ten octaves at once. Or turn on Musical Typing and use the keys on your computer keyboard to play.
As you record software instruments, GarageBand can display your notes on a piano roll or as notation, complete with notes, rests, and other musical events. Edit individual notes right on the staff, then print the notation.
Play guitar like a legend.
You don't need a studio full of big, expensive amps to play like your heroes. Just plug an electric guitar into your Mac and play through amps modeled after the most revered in the world. Add virtual stompbox effects that reproduce classic foot pedals, in whatever order you want. Then get a 3D view of your rig--complete with amp, speaker cabinet, and stompboxes.
Jam with a full-screen band.
The roadies have set up. The band is ready to jam on a full-screen stage. Now pick your instrument and step into the spotlight. Playing or singing along with Magic GarageBand Jam is the perfect way to practice and have fun. Assign instruments and styles to your guitarist, bassist, drummer, and keyboard player. Or shuffle instruments randomly to instantly hear a new sound from your backing band. When you're happy with rehearsals, record right into Magic GarageBand.
Record and mix like a pro.

Sing, play, and loop.
GarageBand turns your Mac into a full-featured recording studio. Build a beat with the included loops, then plug in a guitar, bass, or microphone. You can even play (or sing) into the mic on your Mac. GarageBand captures the audio and turns it into digital files you can manipulate using a host of recording and mixing tools. It also includes the expertise of a built-in recording engineer, so you always sound your best.
Record your best take.
Record a part as many times as you like. GarageBand keeps track of every take and saves it to a multi-take region. Play your song back while switching between different takes to choose the one that sounds best. Keep the takes you love, delete the ones you don't. And when you're ready for backup, invite your friends over for some multitrack recording. Record more than 100 tracks and up to eight real instruments simultaneously: GarageBand supports any Mac OS X-compatible audio I/O device.
Make some arrangements.
As you record, GarageBand helps you add structure to your song. Most songs are arranged in distinct sections: introduction, verse, and chorus. With the sections clearly defined, you can rearrange your song at any time. Want to repeat a verse? Copy and paste. Move the chorus? Click and drag. All the tracks that belong to a section go along with it.
Master your mix.
Once you've laid down a few tracks, it's time to mix. Just like a professional recording engineer, GarageBand helps you create a sound all your own. Bring out the best in your performance by enhancing timing and tuning. Add some basic effects such as compression, reverb, or EQ. Make your song sound truly unique by adding fun effects such as Track Echo, Chorus, and Automatic Filter. Then tweak your mix by adjusting the volume of each track or panning between speakers.
Design, publish, and update your own websites just the way you want them. Click to enlarge.
iWeb '09. Web design for the rest of us.
Designing a website may seem difficult, but with iWeb, it's easily within your reach. Create your site using themes. Customize it with photos, movies, text, and widgets. Then publish to MobileMe or any other hosting service. iWeb even notifies Facebook when your site changes and adds a link to your profile so your friends stay up to date.
Design the website you've always wanted.
A Mac and iWeb '09.* That's all you need to design and publish your own personal website. Start by picking an Apple-designed theme. Each theme comes with coordinated fonts, backgrounds, and colors to give your site a consistent look throughout.
Next choose a page template. iWeb features ready-made templates for welcome, about me, photo album, movie, blog, and podcast pages. Create as many pages as you like.
Then it's time to customize your layout with easy-to-use iWeb tools. Drag in photos or movies or type text into placeholders. Resize and rotate photos. Create overlays. There's no coding required. No complicated design programs to buy. No obstacles between you and a great-looking website.
Create a site quickly using Apple-designed themes and page templates. Click to enlarge.
Create a site that's fun to visit by adding a few interactive widgets. Click to enlarge.
Add your photos, movies, and more.
You keep photos in iPhoto. You edit movies in iMovie. You create songs in GarageBand. iWeb '09 gives you great ways to share those photos, movies, and songs on your own website.
Just click the Media button to open the iLife Media Browser: a list of all the audio, photos, and video on your Mac. Find what you want to share and drag it right into your web page, photo album, blog, or podcast.
If you share lots of photos and movies on your website, iWeb also includes My Albums pages that collect all your media albums on a single page--so they're easy to share and to browse.
Give your website some widgets.
Create a site that's fun to visit by adding a few interactive widgets. iWeb '09 makes it drag-and-drop easy to add RSS feeds, iSight photos and videos, a countdown timer, YouTube videos, HTML snippets, and other dynamic features. The iWeb Widget Browser puts every widget within reach. All you do is drop the widget you want anywhere on your page.
Manage and publish your way.
Publish your website the way you want, wherever you want, directly from your Mac. iWeb '09 makes it easy. It takes just a few clicks to publish your site to MobileMe or any other hosting service via FTP.
iWeb uses your MobileMe account information from System Preferences to publish the site. Rather use File Transfer Protocol (FTP) to publish to a different hosting service? With the built-in FTP support in iWeb, you can do that, too.
Manage multiple websites in iWeb with ease. Use the iWeb site organizer to reorganize, rename, or delete individual pages or entire websites. iWeb creates navigation menus for each site. And you can publish one site at a time--either to MobileMe or to another hosting service via FTP.
Keep Facebook friends in the loop.
iWeb '09 uploads only your changes when you publish, so you'll enjoy quick site updates. iWeb will even notify your Facebook friends when you update your site. Simply link any iWeb site to your Facebook account. Following an update, iWeb adds the changes to your profile, alerting your friends and providing them with a handy link.
Turn your home movies and photos into gorgeous Hollywood-style DVDs. Click to enlarge.
iDVD. DVDs made easy.
Create your own DVD in less time than it takes to watch one. With iDVD, you can premiere your movies and photo slideshows on a professional-quality DVD with animated menus, buttons, scene selection, and more. All customizable to suit whatever you're sharing.
Create a DVD in minutes.
When you're eager to share your movies and photo slideshows, you don't want to spend hours and hours creating a DVD. With iDVD, you don't have to.
Work some DVD magic.
Take Magic iDVD, for example. Open iDVD and choose Magic iDVD. Then pick a theme and select the movies and photos you want to feature from the iLife Media Browser. Magic iDVD automatically creates a complete project--including main menu, buttons, scene selection menus, and slideshow menus--from start to finish. All you do is burn your DVD.
The theme's the thing.
iDVD also lets you customize your DVDs by starting with themes. Choose from more than 150 Apple-designed themes in widescreen and standard format, each providing a family of coordinated screens including main menu, chapters menu, and extras menu for content like slideshows. Many themes feature attractive animations, and every theme offers drop zones that make it easy to personalize your menus by dragging in photos and movie clips from the iLife Media Browser.
Go from camera to DVD in OneStep.
Have footage in your video camera that you can't wait to see or share? Create your own "digital dailies" with OneStep DVD. Plug in your camcorder and iDVD opens, offering you the option of creating a OneStep DVD. Click the OneStep button, and iDVD takes all the footage on your camcorder and burns it to DVD. As you burn your disc, iDVD informs you of its progress, providing stage-by-stage indicators with detailed progress bars--even live video thumbnails.
Choose from more than 150 Apple-designed themes in widescreen and standard format, each providing a family of coordinated screens including main menu, chapters menu, and extras menu for content like slideshows. Click to enlarge.
Customize your DVD.
If you're more the hands-on type, iDVD gives you lots of options for further customizing your DVD.
Make a scene.
Choose an iMovie project as your next iDVD project and you can add a scene selection menu. iDVD automatically imports iMovie chapter markers and uses them to create your scene selections. For each chapter marker on the timeline, iMovie adds a thumbnail of the scene and an editable chapter title (such as "Blowing out the Candles" or "You May Kiss the Bride").
Edit the chapter title in iMovie and you'll have less work to do later, as iDVD picks up the chapter titles for its scene selection buttons.
Show off slideshows.
You can also use iDVD to show off your photos. Choose an iDVD theme and add photos one at a time or select albums, custom iPhoto books, slideshows--maybe even a video clip or two--from the iLife Media Browser. Then use the iDVD slideshow editor to rearrange photos, delete slides, or add more images from iPhoto. The slideshow editor includes tools for setting the slide duration, assigning transitions, and adding a soundtrack using songs from your iTunes library.
Add finishing touches.
Once you have all your content in place, iDVD lets you customize your menu screens. Customize drop zones with photos or video clips, choose from a library of buttons, and use built-in alignment guides to make your DVD perfect.
Burn to share. Once you finish your DVD masterpiece, only one step remains: burning it. With iDVD, you can burn to single- or double-layer DVDs. And the people you share your DVDs with can watch them anywhere they want: on a standard TV, a widescreen TV, a Mac, or a PC.
With support for a wide variety of DVD media formats--including DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R DL, and DVD+R DL--iDVD works with an Apple SuperDrive or any compatible third-party DVD burner to offer you plenty of burning options. The advanced pro encoding technology in iDVD ensures that your DVD is the highest possible quality. Just like a Hollywood DVD, only better (because it's yours).

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