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July 26, 2010
Tags:
Email, Attachments, YouSendIt, Software reviews, PC World
Sending files--especially sizable art or photo files--to clients and editors can be problematic. Corporate firewalls simply don't like large e-mail attachments (or, in some cases, any attachments). And, yet, we're not about to spend the time or the expense to ship the files via a physical courier service. Our solution?...
Read the full review at PCWorld.com.
July 11, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, Adobe Lightroom, Photo editing, PC World
Many professional photographers and serious hobbyists have been using Adobe Lightroom 2 as an integral part of their editing workflow. With Adobe Lightroom 3 ($299 for first-time buyers, $99 as an upgrade; prices as of June 25, 2010), even more photographers are likely to adopt it as a one-stop photo-editing resource.
Lightroom's core purpose has always been to provide tools for sorting, organizing, developing, and publishing photos, but version 3 upgrades Lightroom's flexibility with its new noise reduction engine and improved RAW processing, as well as the streamlined workflow.... (more…)
June 10, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, PC World, Slideshow
Software abounds for creating slideshows and videos of your photographs. One of the easier programs to use bears the ungainly name of TMPGEnc Instant Show Presenter.....
Read the full review on PCWorld.com.
May 28, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, PC World, Image editing, Photo editing, Corel Painter, Corel Paint It
In photo imaging, one program reigns supreme for turning photographs into fine art resembling natural-media-like paintings and illustrations, and that program is Corel Painter. Painter gives the artist a remarkable range of brushes and textures for one of the most--if not the most--creative platforms on any computer. But Painter is also a professional's tool, which requires a high degree of skill and talent to use effectively. One step down, in both difficulty and versatility, is Corel Painter Essentials, though it also requires a certain level of skill to master. And then there's Corel's new, almost foolproof painting program, Paint It....
Read the full review on PCWorld.com.
April 29, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, B&W photos, Colorize photos, Photo editing, PC World, Akvis Coloriage
Colorizing black-and-white pictures has been a photographic technique ever since the invention of film. Of course, back then, each colored element was hand-painted onto the b&w print. Even with the digital revolution, most colorizing is done with painstaking and precise stylus painting, using programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Painter. Akvis Coloriage is an automated colorizing tool that you can use to create some great effects by simply squiggling lines and curves....
Read the full review online at PCWorld.
April 27, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, PC World, Screen capture, Video editing
Our review of Camtasia Studio is online at PC World.
“If you need to create a video of what happens on your computer screen, such as for a demonstration or tutorial,...”
Read the full review.
April 12, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, Adobe, Creative Suite 5, Review, Adobe Creative Suite 5, Adobe Photoshop, CS5, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, PC World
Twenty years ago, we were introduced to a newfangled piece of software, called Adobe Photoshop. It was an amazing glance into our own future. For Sally, in particular, it was the natural extension of all the hours she used to spend in her darkroom. That first week working in Photoshop, (more…)
April 7, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, Animation, PC World
Recently, we received rather funny animated card via e-mail, complete with 3D characters, telling a story customized to specifically fit us and our relationship with the sender. While it wasn't the most sophisticated animation, the characters smoothly lip-synced the customized dialog. We knew the person who sent it wasn't particularly savvy about computer graphics, so we were curious to know how she managed to create the animation....
Read our full review on PCWorld.com.
March 4, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, Photoshop plug-ins, PC World
Our review of Image Trends Fish-Eye Hemi plug-in filter is online at PC World.
“Ultra-wide lenses that can cover 180 degree views of a scene--called fisheye lenses--create wildly distorted images in order to do their magic. For some images, the effect of that distortion works marvellously. But some photos look better with straighter lines, more natural relationships of objects within your pictures, and undistorted figures. To get more conventional images from photos shot with a fisheye lens,....”
Read the full review.
February 2, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, Photo editing, PC World
Our review of Akvis Sketch is online at PC World:
“Digital imaging opens up a wide range of fun things to do with your photographs. For instance, with Akvis Sketch, , you don't need any drawing or painting skills to turn your photos into charcoal, watercolor, pastel, or pencil sketches....”
Read the full review.
January 28, 2010
Tags:
Virus scanner, Software reviews, PC World, Malware, Utility
Our review of TrendMicro’s HouseCall is online at PC World:
“Trend Micro--one of the most respected companies in security software--offers HouseCall, a free Web-based utility that scans for and cleans your computer of all currently documented viruses, Trojans and other malware. In addition, HouseCall seeks out...”
Read the full review.
January 18, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, PC World, Utility
Our review of USB BootMaker is online at PCWorld.
“Netbooks, laptops, office, and home computers...often we don't know which one we'll be working on from one day to the next. Sometimes, it isn't even our own PC, but one at a hotel business center or a client's office. That's one of the many scenarios in which it can be useful to have a bootable USB, containing a key application or an operating system...”
Read the full review
January 16, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, PC World
Our review of Wondershare Flash Gallery Factory is online at PCWorld.
“Want a dynamic, interactive slideshow of your pictures to use on the Web or in presentations? Flash slideshows can be lively, compelling, and very attractive. A remarkably easy program for creating a Flash show...”
Read the full review
January 13, 2010
Tags:
Screen capture, Software reviews, PC World
Our review of Ashampoo Snap 3 is online at PCWorld:
“Screen captures--pictures of what's shown on your computer monitor--are extremely useful. You can use them to help you explain to your associates, clients, IT, or tech support what you are seeing, or how to interact with a particular program. They're great for presentations, or to insert into larger documents. And, for us as reviewers, it makes it possible for us to illustrate our articles, so that you can see what we're writing about. But, with the right screen capture utility, you can do so much more...”
Read the full review of Ashampool Snap
January 2, 2010
Tags:
Software reviews, Website design, PC World
Our Review of SiteSpinner Standard is Posted on PC World.
“A very reasonably priced Web design program, SiteSpinner Standard does have a bit of a learning curve, with only a few customizable templates....”
Read the full review of SiteSpinner Standard or our previous review of SiteSpinner Pro.
December 4, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, DxO, Camera optics, Pro photography, Noise reduction, Raw processing, Imaging software
I often tell my audiences and readers that the biggest difference between an amateur and a professional photographer is that an amateur “snaps” a picture, while a pro “takes” a picture.
In other words, (more…)
December 4, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, MacWorld, OnOne software, Camera Remote, iPhone, Nikon, Remote control
“Professional photographers with Cadillac-style equipment have long enjoyed the ability to operate a camera by remote control. Such pro-quality remote capabilities allow you to set up a camera on a tripod in one locale and wirelessly operate it from another—sometimes scant feet away, other times a continent’s distance. Remotely controlled cameras can be indispensable for nature photography, sports, fashion, as well as many other extreme or unusual angles or shooting situations.
“But if you’re on a Chevy budget and can’t afford a pricey wireless transmitter or an expensive WiFi-equipped digital SLR camera, onOne’s $20 DSLR Camera Remote app gives you remote capabilities for some Canon and Nikon DSLR models via your iPhone or iPod touch.... Read the full review.
November 27, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, PC World, SureThing, label software
“Do you burn CDs or DVDs of your photos, your presentation, or your playlists? If so, and if you want your disc, its case and insert to have a slick, professional look, take a look at SureThing CD Labeler Deluxe. SureThing CD Labeler is an intuitive....” Read the full review.
November 18, 2009
Tags:
Microsoft Office 2010, Software reviews, Computer Shopper
“Microsoft’s newest version of its cornerstone suite of applications, Office 2010, will be released sometime during the first half of next year. In the meantime, we’ve had a chance to test-drive and spend some time in an early beta version....” Read the full review. ,
November 16, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, Photo editing, PC World
“Ashampoo Photo Optimizer 3 is a simple, inexpensive photo editing program that does a decent, but not stellar, job correcting and enhancing pictures. Although its results will satisfy some home users, its tools are...” Read the full review.
October 29, 2009
Tags:
PC World, Software reviews, Photodex, Slideshow software
When Sally needs to create a DVD of slideshow of her photographs (for clients, grant applications, exhibit proposals, and such), she often uses Photodex Presenter. Photodex’s software focuses on making high-quality presentation composed primarily of still images. You can see our review of Presenter’s less expensive, less full-featured sister program by clicking on its name, here: Photodex ProShow Gold .
Recently, our review of a plug-in of additional animation effects and template for both Photodex programs was posted online at PCWorld.com:
October 29, 2009
Tags:
PC World, Software reviews, Palm software, Utility, Screen Capture
For those of us who have been involved in digital photography since the early days (when it used to be called “filmless photography,” because not all the cameras were actually digital), the name QuickTake is quite familiar. It was Apple Computer’s very early, very low resoution (640x480) digital camera, which was the same as the Kodak D50. (Both cameras were made by Chinon.)
Today, QuickTake refers to a screen capture utility for Palm devices, which we use whenever we do a review of Palm software.
Here’s a link to our review of the QuickTake screen capture utility, which is online at PCWorld.com:
October 23, 2009
Tags:
Adobe Lightroom, Reviewers Workshop, Journalism, PC World, Software reviews
As journalists, we receive a number of invitations to events from various companies. When the invitation will provide us with information that may be useful, we will sometimes attend. If it is a Reviewers Workshop related to a program we cover, we usually make every effort to fit it into our schedule.
A Reviewers Workshop is typically (more…)
October 23, 2009
Tags:
CalorieKing, Diet diary, Diabetes log, PC World, Software reviews
Our reviews of two more CalorieKing products are online at PCWorld.com:
This is in addition to the previous reviews of a couple of Diabetes programs for the Palm:
October 5, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, PC World, Image editing, Akvis, Photoshop plug-ins
Our review of Akvis ArtSuite is posted on PCWorld.com:
"Simple photo effects program Akvis ArtSuite offers a generally attractive selection of frames and effects that can be used to decorate your pictures.
“ArtSuite's tools are divided into Frames and Effects. Frames has a library of hundreds of edge effects, including...."
To read the full review, please click on: Akvis ArtSuite review
September 30, 2009
Tags:
Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Adobe Premiere Elements, PC World, Software reviews
Another year, another series of Adobe products interations. It all started for us back in the early 1990s, with Photoshop 1.0. In fact, for Sally’s first one-woman all digital exhibit, at the old Apple Center in Manhattan, Photoshop didn’t even have layers. So, every time she made even a small edit to an image, it created a permanent change in the file, which meant that she saved numerous versions of each picture. And that was in the time when hard drives were much smaller and much, much more expensive.
We’ve come a long way since then. Working in Photoshop CS4 (more…)
September 20, 2009
Tags:
Blue Screen, USB ports, troubleshooting, Software reviews, Sally's entries, PC World, System Mechanic, VueScan, Legacy Scanner, HP xw4600 workstation, Sally's photography
It was a reviewer’s nightmare.
All our test computers were busy with various projects, and we had a PC World software review due. My imaging workstation was volunteered.
It’s a basic common sense rule to not use a personal system to test any software or hardware. Who knows what problems you might introduce, messing up the works? That’s why DigitalBenchmarks Lab has several designated test computers, which we can clean after every project, and not be overly concerned if, in worse case scenarios, (more…)
September 14, 2009
Tags:
DigitalBenchmarks Lab, Printer reviews, Software reviews, Printer testing, Test script, Competitive Analysis, PC World, Computer Shopper, American Hands project, Sally's photography
When we started this Lab Notes Blog, we wrote that there’d be times when posts might be few and far between, because of time constraints. We’ve just been through one of those times. We’ve simply been too busy here in DigitalBenchmarks Lab.
To give you a sense of what we’ve been doing, here’s a sampling (with links) of some of the projects we’ve recently completed: (more…)
July 1, 2009
Tags:
Topaz software, Software reviews, Sally's entries, PC World, Photoshop plug-ins, xrite, ColorMunki
With so many Photoshop plug-ins available, it is easy to overlook good ones. I suppose that's why we never really looked at the Topaz Software plug-ins. But when x-rite sent Joe Brady to our DigitalBenchmarks Lab to demonstrate their ColorMunki calibration workflow (which I'm now using to great effect for my exhibit prints), Joe mentioned the great high dyanmic range photos he was getting with Topaz Adjust. (more…)
June 26, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, PC World, Photo editing, Arcsoft, Image editing, Digital Asset Management, DAM
Our review of Arcsoft Darkroom 2 is published in "PC World" magazine:
"Every year, people take billions of photographs with digital cameras; and when you're looking for one particular picture--say, the one of a beautiful flower you saw at the beach during your vacation two years ago--it can feel as though you're sifting through all of them. That's why you need a digital asset management program, a visual database that helps you catalog, organize, and sort and find your pictures more easily. The new version of Darkroom, Arcsoft's photo-centric image editor, now includes a browser that tries to do the job for you...."
To read the full review, please click on: Arcsoft Darkroom 2 review
June 26, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, Arcsoft, PC World, Photo editing, Image editing
Our review of Arcsoft PhotoStudio 6 is published in "PC World" magazine:
"Arcsoft PhotoStudio has long been recognized as a cost-effective alternative for correcting, manipulating and using your photos in a variety of creative ways. With the introduction of PhotoStudio 6, Arcsoft upholds that reputation while adding...."
To read the full review, please click on: Arcsoft PhotoStudio 6
June 24, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, Photoshop plug-ins, Photo editing, Image editing, PC World, Nik Software, Viveza
Our review of Nik Software's Viveza is posted on PCWorld.com:
"If you've ever tried to alter the color and light values of specific areas of a picture, you know it can be a time-consuming, frustrating, skill-intensive task. First, you have to carefully and expertly select the area with a mask. After you make your adjustments to the selected area, you then have to try (often vainly) to make the new edit look like it belongs with the rest of the picture...."
To read the full review, please click on: Viveza review
June 24, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, Fluid Mask, PC World, Photoshop plug-ins
Our review of Vertus Fluid Mask is live on PCWorld.com:
"One of the skills that sets pro imagers apart from the average photography buff is quick, precision masking-cutting the subject out from the background so it can be pasted into a new background and look as though it belongs there. Masking requires great hand/eye coordination, an intuitive understanding of the software (which is usually Photoshop), and, often, a great deal of patience. But even the top pros have difficulty with certain types of subjects, such a person with flyaway hair. How do they mask out the background without cutting away the wispy strands of hair?" ...
To read the full review, please click on: Vertus Fluid Mask review.
June 11, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, Genuine Fractals, Image interpolation, PC World, Photoshop plug-ins
Our review of Genuine Fractals is on line at PCWorld.com...
"A number of years ago, we were in New York City's Times Square, when we looked up and saw an enormous billboard with a photograph that was taken with a 3.2 megapixel camera. The picture was quite impressive--not just for its size, but for the quality--at least when viewed from more than a dozen stories below. The software used to enlarge that small 3.2 megapixel image to a Times Square billboard was Genuine Fractals.
"Contrary to popular misconceptions, a digital camera's number of megapixels is not a measure of the image quality..."
To read the full review, click on: Genuine Fractals review
May 21, 2009
Tags:
Software reviews, Play with Pictures, Vertus, Fluid Mask, Masking software, PC World
Our review of Vertus Play with Pictures is on line at PCWorld.com...
“Vertus Play With Pictures is appropriately named. This standalone program gives you comparatively easy-to use-tools for cutting out portions of your photographs to put into a new background. For instance, you can take a self-portrait at work, and put yourself on the beach in Hawaii. Then, you can add a tall fruit drink into your hands, slap on some text, and put in a speech bubble to taunt your friends when you e-mail it out.
“Play With Pictures is based on the same masking engine as....”
To read the full review, click on: Play with Pictures review.
May 18, 2009
Tags:
PC World, Alien Skin Snap Art, Photoshop plug-ins, Software reviews
Our review of the Snap Art 2 plug-in is on line at PCWorld.com.
“Want to make your photos look like fine art paintings, illustrations, or even comic strips? Usually, you have a choice between two kinds of programs: push-button cookie-cutter filters that tend to be mechanically repetitive, or Corel Painter, the queen of fine art emulation software, which requires a certain level of drawing skill and imaging expertise. And then there's Alien Skin's Snap Art....”
To read the full review, click: Snap Art review.
May 13, 2009
Tags:
Photoshop plug-ins, Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop, Software reviews, Sally's entries, Nik Software, Silver Efex Pro, Color Efex Pro, PC World
I wouldn’t even venture to guess how many hundreds of Photoshop plug-ins there are, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, the freebies to astronomically priced (with the two spectrums of price and usability/value not necessarily related). I do know that Daniel and I have tested and reviewed many scores of them over the years. But only a handful make it from our test systems to my personal imaging workstation.
Two that I have installed on my system and which I use with some frequency are: (more…)
May 1, 2009
Tags:
Sally's photography, Sally's entries, Adobe Photoshop, PC World, Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Creative Suite 4, American Hands project, Software reviews, AsukaBook Maker, BuyThisImage, LicenseStream, ImageTrends Pearly Whites, Tintii, HP xw4600 workstation, Lenovo w700ds
Although I was away from our studio for the past several weeks (family business), I still had several software reviews due. On top of that, I needed to process hundreds of images from my recent shoot of traditional tile makers at the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works (Bucks County, PA) for my first American Hands exhibit, which opens in June at Muhlenburg College in Allentown, PA.
Unfortunately, my old standby laptop (more…)
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