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DIGITHI- m m ‑
Pll/lA Report:
What's new in the world
of digital photography

Cellular music slores:

Rogers, Bell and Telus
want to sell you tunes

~i

I I ,

w w w . h u b c a n a c l a . c o m
 And the award for the best
HDpicture quality goes to...

Bell.‘ Clearly n o t all HD is created equal.

ExpressVu‘ HD TV from Bell takes the greatest care to provide the best picture
quality by minimizing signal compression. This means you’re n o t just getting
high definition, you're getting the highest definition. So whether you are watching
sports, movies or your favourite shows, you get the clearest HD experience with Bell.

Available at Bell stores and the following retailers:

i-fAudingqu
Available to residential customers. where access and line 0! sight pennit. Other conditions apply “Based an consumer research conducted by an independent third fifty amongst national satellite TV servu
providers. 02007 Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved, H80‘ and The Sopranos“ are Service Marks of Home Box Oliice. Inc. Title, date and time rublect to c nge. 'The Movie Network a M logo ll
moistened l n A p m m ‐ l u n , A u u l n u n u u m . . - r m . . . I n : a n . A : i n . “ m a . r u m - r - “ A r m m - F n l n n x m m n n l I r v n 1 " a d - M a l l : A r n u m - F n l - r l z m m ‘ n r i n , n " n u m b . “ I h n m n l m m ,
y. m i - . . - M . .._
. . _ d .
 Take
' Actual Size
H: 2.32" x 3.35" x 0.74"

Personally.

Mro Dingalker “l H6lO

Personal GPS Navigator
and Digital Entertainment Player
- The Mic DingaIker‘“ H610 is a truly personal GPS navigator and media player - personal
' because it’s about the size of a cell phone; personal bemuse it has separate navigation
modes for walking, biking and driving; and personal because it lets you enjoy hundreds of
your movies, photos and tunes as it helps find your destination. So, pick up an H610 from a
retailer near you and Take It Personally, wherever you go.

M 5
It's where you‘re going. i - '-‘- ‑
H610 C31Os C710 P550

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End of the mechanical hard drive drives will better mechanical dnres in both apathy and
l find it ironic that we‘re price. And once that happens, the mechancal hard drive
relying on a technology will go the way of the floppy dri/e
developed in the mid There are a number of ad'nntages to so'Id state drfves.
19505 for what's most One is greater reliability. Sandisk estimates a man or».
Editorial
precious to us in these between failure of two million hours. 511 times better warm Dam: far-aka
Wu h a n ‐ a 9 -
digital times: our data. I'm than a mechanical drive. Other benefits include dead‑
talking about the venerable M E ‘ dam
m fl n a f r " g :
hard drive. actions to generate noise, cooler operation a'd loner
The hard drive is the ponerconswnption.
m e a n Sean laws-hers
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only major component in Lee flu-read
a computer that's still Va:- Sax-a‑
2'31Sacra
mechanical.It is also one of the two main points of failure i r e n’. 7 : 9
for notebook computers [the other is the motherboard].A drive, The net is that ycu won't pay a performanu
couple of years ago, I became an unhappy statistic by penalty to gosold state.
owning a notebook that suffered both failures. although Solid state dri/es aren't a new thing. For e x t r a “ :
not at the same time. The toasted motherboard meant I
was without my machine for 72 hours but when I got it
back. my computing environment was exactly as it
was before.
I was on vacaction when the hard drive crapped out. The characterizes its prcdu: asa 'drcc-Qn receacerert' for a
service depot ordered in a new drive, installed it and
re-installed the factory software image in48 hours. But of beingaimed.
course my beloved TPZ was never the same. in the drive‑ Both companies also make 1.5-incn SSEs an 7 : 5
ectomy,the patient survived but every bit of data died. smaller drive may have ‘crger egs because anazcer
[in various occasions. I've asked notebook makers why
someone couldn't make a solid state drive using flash smaller packaging. We're seergtras r memory :ar:s ‘:.‑
memory, and the answer has always been. 'they're cut
h o u -n d : . : : r .19- l e e
there but waaay too expensive formortals ‐ maybe some 5 mm v. 11 ;
time in the future.’ Well, the future has arrived. in capacity and camera "lasers are star-mg t: l h a s : up Mn item‑
5 7-1-0.)qu
ln mid-March Sandisk announced a 2.5-inch solid state incorporate SDslots in higher-end gear.
l1 - 5 1 . “ toe-a h r ; ‑
notebook drive. At this point. the Sandisk’s 550 is still too , ' ~ m w p
7W 37-3 Ila-lot,
expensive [bulk pricing is USS350 each] and too small around a 25-inch cr1.8-rncndrue,me smaller d r u g at ; ‘ We e - a s a p
[32 gigabytes] to pose an immediate threat to
mechanical drives for the mainstream. But around the
notebooks (and most other acmbie process; so zess

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 The magic of making small look big image capture, Macro lenses come in various focal lengths, and one of the
Most point and shoot digital cameras have a close-up setting [ almost benefits of getting a longer [telephoto] model is that it allows you to keep
universally indicated by the flower icon]. This lets you get up close and the camera further away from your subject. This gives you more latitude in
personal with your subject, revealing details that you normally don‘t see. placing your lighting.
And that's one of the appealing things about this type ofshooting. You can The ring flash is popularwith close-up photographers. This is a unit that has
create fresh and novel images from even the most ordinary objects. a circular flash tube that encircles the lens barrel. Since the light comes from
There are a few technical considerations you need to keep in mind when all directions. the tiny subject is bathed in light, with no harsh shadows.
you shoot close-ups. At high magnifications, depth of field is extremely However, flash rings tend to be quite expensive, and I find using a single
shallow. For example, if you focus into the head of a flower, you'll likely find flash on one side of the subject with a white or silver reflector on the
that you can either put the top part or the bottom part into sharp focus, but opposite side also does a nice job of balancing the lighting and reducing
not the entire blossom. The way to increase depth of field is to use a smaller hard shadows. The pop-up, on-camera flash might work in some situations,
aperture. Since small apertures let in less light, you‘ll need to compensate but anauxiliary flash mounted off the camera is much more versatile.
by either using a slower shutter speed or increasing the light.
An exposure can be several seconds long, which of course means you‘ll
need to use a tripod. Better tripods allow you to spread out the legs nearly
flat. so the tripod head is just inches from the ground ‐ useful if your subject
is a wildflower you want to rapture in its natural setting. Some tripods also
let you invert the post that holds the camera, or mount it horizontally, giving
you more options for positioning the camera close to your subject.
Having your camera on a tripod will help keep the camera rock solid during
a long exposure, but it won't help if a breeze comes along to move your
subject. And at high magnification,even the slightest subject movement will
bemagnified. That's why an electronic flash is sometimes a better option.
The duration of an electronic flash burst is very short; 1/1,DOU sec is
common and some will give a burst that’s 1/10,000 sec or less. This sudden
blast of very bright light is enough to
freeze all motion. For some subjects
like moving insects, a flash unit g
is essential. ‑

of challenges, however. When you

are in close-up mode. you may find
the camera is very close to the
subject - some cameras will focus on
an object that's just a few
millimetres from the lens. With the
lens barrel almost touching the
subject, placing the flash so that it
effectively lights the subject without
creatinga shadow from the lens may
require some experimentation.
Likewise, with a flash being very
close to the subject, overexposwe or
hot spots and glare are other issues
to dealwith.
if you have a single lens reflex with
an interchangeable lens mount, you
can buy a special macro lens. The
standard ‘kit' lens that is often
included with SLRs these days is an
adequate performer, but a true
macro lens will deliver a
magnification of 1:1. or life-size
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 Canadians Connect with New Soundtrack Tools tracks that can beused in your personal or small scale productions as many
Novice producers often treat the audio track as an afterthought, times asyou wish [up to 5000 units].
but think about it for a minute: pictures without sound, once Anumber of licenced music and royalty-free track sources are now focltl‘sed
called silent movies, died a long time ago. Sound without on podcasts, interactive multimedia, videogames and online entertainment
as much as movies. videos and DVDs.
pictures. often called radio. is still alive and well.
For example. ring tones, SFX, multimedia FX, podcast soundtracks and
There's a reason it's called ‘audio sweetening' whenever additional audio Pmduaion music are available from another Canadian site. ww.sound‑
elements are added to a video production. I like to think it is because sound ideascom.With acomprehensive on-site search tool, this site offers royalty‑
in video is like spice in food. Needed. necessary. but potentially dangerous free and customized content.
to overuse! Your audio spice rack an include music. nanation, ambient Likewise,the U.S.-based www.uniquetracks.com website is set upto license
audio, special sound effects and other aural accents. music in a simple. fast and straightforward way, downloading either MP3 or
The best videos rely on a dynamic soundtrack to underscore and reinforce .wav files that can be legally used in podcasts and other media content.
visual and emotional impact. The downside is cost ‐ or the threat of legal Aimed at multimedia developers and Flash designers, the new Flash Music
action if you do not pay those costs. LWP C05 from www.beatsuite.com contain a massive array of flash
Copyright is a federal law that protects musicians by giving them exclusive music loops and flash sounds for the discerning digital media designer.
rights to their works. In short. it is illegal to use the work without the What's more, previews can be downloaded straight to your desktop
permission of the copyright owner. before purchase.
Buying a licence is one way to gain permission.Alicense gives you the legal Now, while not an actual source of music or soundtrack elements, a new
right to include someone else's work as a part of your own. Compensation to PUblfCation from another well-known Canadian musician should be of
the composer or the rights-holder [or an agent or company representing the interest to you if you are adding audio to any media production.
rights-holder] can take different forms including per-use royalties, complete Long a favourite of mine, Paul Hoffert is well-established on the Canadian
buy-outs, time-based subscription fees or one-time purchases. music scene for any number of reasons. As the co-founder and drummer for
A number of companies and independent musicians offer music under the award-winning band Lighthouse, he helped forge a new musical style
these various licensing terms. You can find a whack of freely-downloadable and bring international credibility to this country. And, as a new media
scores and effects online. They're handy. but not always top-notch ~ as is technologist, he's been at the forefront of any number of leading edge
often the case. the price can reflect the value. technology and social networking experiments [such asthe groundbreaking
There are also commercial retail products that contain music loops, broadband in Newmarket project initiated a few years back].
discrete elements and individual instruments that you can use to create With Music for New Media [Berklee Press, 2007] he is sharing his
your own soundtracks; the purchase price is often the cost of permission, as remarkable insight into composition and scoring for videogames, web
well. Loop music is created when repetitive parts of a piece of music are content and interactive media presentations.
made into single pieces that the editor/composer can elongate [repeat] for So, in this use, the print medium supports the aural content, which
as long or short a period as heor she needs. underscores the emotional impact of a visual medium. When diverse media _
in short, lots of tools and techniques are available to spice up your audio. elements work together like this, that's really sweet...
One example is Sonicfire Pro (SFP) 4, the latest music scoring product from By Lee Rickwood
SmartSound. More than simple music scoring, SFP4 uses something called
mood mapping, a kind of intelligent editing wizard that let's you control the
over-all impact and energy of the music samples and loops you have
selected. For example, it will remove or mute independent instrument tracks.
and allow you to remix the music as you see fit.
SmartSound's Ouicktracks for Adobe Premiere software is now a free
download for all users. The Mndows-only software includes 10royalty-free
music scores that can becustom-fit for any video project.
If your moods lean to the edgy and rock-influenced,there's a new collection
of drum and percussion loops created by drummerJoe Vitale for Sony Media.
Vital Drums is a two-disc, highly specialized collection with royalty-free
premium .wav file loops.
And, Music 2 Hues ‐ another leadingsupplier of production music and SFX‑
released a great new title, Adrenaline Crush, full of high-energy grooves and
aggressive, metallic sounds.
More edgy, rock-oriented soundtrack material comes from Canadian rock
guitarist Jon [Doe] Mlliams, and the company he's running with partner
Joel Manninger, another established Canadian musician and composer.
Copyfreetraiccom [www.copyfreetrax.com] sells a number ofa rayalty free

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Internet Phone
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Unlimited callingin Canada a. U.S.A. h
 Your cellphone carrier wants you to leave your iPod at home. gadgets. Also, downloading music while on the go has its appeal. Most
lnstead of lugging around both a cellphone and MP3 player, Canada's major carriers also offer anall-you-can-eat subscription model to fill your phone's
cellular carriers ‐ Bell Mobility, Telus and Rogers Wireless ‐ have a simpler memory with songs for amonthly fee.
solution. All three have launched digital music services so you can But there are still some limitations. Purchasing a song from your carrier
wirelessly download songs directly to the handset. All three carriers also might cost up to four times more than a song bought via other Canadian
give you the option to download a second version of a songto your PC. This online stores, such as iTunes or PureTracks. Also, while some phones accept
in addition to letting you transfer and play the favourites from your existing removable memory cards, none can match the storage capacity of the iPod
digital music library onto y0ur phone's memory card. [up to 20,000 songs]. In addition, the quality ofaudio on cell phones is also
But should you be buying into this convergence trend? Sure. it‘s convenient not yet on par with dedicated portable media devices.
to carry only one device instead of having to wear a “bat belt' for all your We set out to test-drive these mobile music services, and report on the
experience, price and song selection, to see which one - if any ‐ you should
invest in. Here's what we found.

Telus Mobile Music

The basics: Currently, only the LG 8100, LG 8500 [Chocolate],
Samsung a950 and Samsung a?20 phones support Mobile Music
[vi'ww.telusmobility.com/mobile music]. Download to your cellphone and PC
for $1.99, plus a 50-cent download fee, per track [or just to your PC for
$1.29]. Alternatively, you might opt for unlimited downloads for $20 a
month. Telus says more than 325,000 songs are available, from Sony BMG,
Universal, EMI Music, Warner Music Group, and a few independents. Top
sellers include Beyoncé's Irreplaceable, Justin Timberlake's My Love and
MusicStorc
Gwen Stefani's Wind lt Up.
For $169.95 [three-yearcontract]. you could opt forthe Sweet Jam bundle,
which includes a Samsung P20 phone, one-GB MicroSD memory card,
--~i
‘ « | . l l - Plantronics Bluetooth stereo headset with carry case, USB card reader and
a clear phone carry-case with swivel belt clip.
The experience: While it doesn't include a memory card [unless you pick up
the “Sweet Jam” bundle], we loved the sleek Samsung a720 clamshell
handset with dedicated music controls on its face. Browsing and buying
music is as easy aspressing the Music button near the LCD screen, which
launches the Telus Mobile Music application. Press one of the four main
buttons to listen, shep, download songs or change settings, such as the
options to shuffle tunes or select language preference.Onthe phone, songs
are saved in AAC+ format [U2 and Green Day's The Saints Are Coming
downloaded injust a few seconds via the high-speed EV-DO network], while
the PCversion lets you download encrypted WMA [Windows Media Audio]
files after logging into apassword-protected website. Free software, such as
Windows Media Player, can play these downloaded WMAs, but you can't
copy them to aphone's memory card or MP3 player.

Bell Music Store

The basics: At www.bell,ca, customers can also download songs wirelessly
from Bell Mobility’s Full Track Music to their handset, so long as they are
using the Samsung a920, Samsung mSUO, the LG550 (Fusic), the Sanyo
7500 or Samsung 900. Pricing is a bit complicated ‐ and expensive ‐ but if
you Subscribe to the Unlimited Mobile Browser service (5 Pa month] then it
costs 53 per track to download a song. If you don't subscribe to this service,
thOugh, one attempted download warned ol anincredible $51.20 (cough!)
in “data transport charges." The Bell mu5ic store claims the highest number
of songs of all the services, however, totalling more than 700,000 and
cavering all major genres.
The experience: Similar to Telus, Bell Mobility allows users of the supported

MTB l-nJazug'talUvrig-MawSecnm - M 1 2 3 0 ? vwvwhtbcanadacom

phones to simply press the Music icon from the main menu to launch the desktop client [think iTunes] that lets you search, purchase and listen
store ‐ or, with the Samsung 3920 reviewed for this column, hold down the music, plus it lets you create playlists, transfer songs to an MP3 player
Play button on the outside of the flip phone. You can search for songs, burn C05. Eight handsets support direct-to-phone downloads, includingtl
preview [30 seconds] and shop to download to the handset, which takes Nokia 5300, Motorola V3 Razr and Sony Ericsson K790.
about 25 seconds when in an EV-DO coverage area. And while i could The experience: The llokia S300 "slider' phone may be chunky compared
download new music while travelling in the U5. viathe Telus and Rogers the Razr but we liked the rubberized music buttons on the side of the ur:
music stores, Bell Mobility did not allow it due to what a Bell spokespersonplus it ships with a 168 memory card to store about 1000 tunes [dependi=
called “a combination of digital rights issues and the high data costs an the quality]. Downloaded songs are saved in AACe format to the interr‑
associated with roaming in the U5." memory or removable memory [regrettabh . you must remove the ba
Songs are stored on removable TransFlash memory cards at about MB per cover of the cellphone, which is tricky, to access the memory card].
song, therefore you can fit about 30 tunes on the bundled 32MB card (read: On the PC, independent songs are saved in MP3 format or as encrypt
not enough memory] or you can purchase one with greater capacity. You WMA files for major label songs.
Rogers estimates it has a ‘few hundred thousand“ songs frcm four ma_
can also log into the Bell Mobility website to download and listen to Full Track
Music songs in WMA format on your PC. labels: Sony BMG. Universal, Warner and EH”. Downfsad speeds. mob
music software interface and qua'fty of the songs were all comparable
Rogers MusicStore Telus and Bell, but we liked the attract-fie and Emotive VustStore softwa
The basics: The Rogers MusicStore [www.rogers.com/musicstore] setup is a on the PC. Also, the many p'ans s'm‘ded for per-trees or subscript-i
bit different than Bell and Telus's. For one, customers can choose from one downloads may bea bi”. confcs’rg, but 31's a :e to have av u. .s. r a r i . n o .

of four plans to suit their needs and budget: unlimited mobile and PC
downloads for $20 a month; unlimited PCand mobile downloads for $15 a By Marc Saitzm
month plus a 50-cent fee for each mobile download; unlimited PCdownloads
for $10 a month [but you can transferto a phone and other MP3 player]; or
a pay-per-track option for $1.25 a song for mobile phones [plus 51
download fee] or $1.99 for the same song downloaded to both a mobile
phone and PC. plus $1 fee.
Another distinction: Rogers is the only one to offer a free. downloadable

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A primer on creating your own custom compilations CDs
When you drop a favourite to into your audio player. chances are that you
like most of the songs but not all of them. Ripping and then burning your
own custom CDs lets you create the CDs you want to hear with the songs
you like and without those you don't.
u m u h h n h n _ e n
For those of you that Spent the last decade on another planet. the terms “ a
noun‐une‑
“ a
I"
n
M - w a
ripping and burning describe the process of copying the tracks from an l ' l .
“ W N M «a
audio CDonto your computer (ripping). and then copying them back onto a m d w h
h u t ‑
new blank CD[homing]. There are plenty of tools you can use to rip and H i fi m m m
blue-I'd
n t h - n u n .
burn, and one of these is probably already on your Windows computer in the
form of Windows Media Player. The latest is version 11. if you‘re using
Windows XP. you can download it from this site:
www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/ 11/default.aspx.

Using Windows Media Player

To create your own CD. click the Rip button and place the first of your music
CDs in the drive. Mndows Media Player will automatically download the
track information from the lntemet and you will see details of the tracks on . l.-.'. lieu-a l l i y r l m i » u p tracks in): your can l i t u { m i n to ( r e n t ? l i m i t {l'i'.". t ll-v

the CDappear onthe screen. This saves you havingto type them in yourself.
The ripping process will start immediately but, if desired, you can click the
Stop Rip button to stop the ripping. When you do this. you can deselect any If desired, you can reorder the tracks in the burning list to arrange them
files you don't want to rip leaving selected only those you do w a n t Toselect into your desired playing order. When you're ready, click the Start Burn
the format to use for the ripped music. open the Rip, Format dialog and here buttonto burn the CD. if you'd like to play this same series of tracks on your
you can choose from WMA, MP3 or WAV. Click Start Rip to start the ripping computer at a later date, or if you want to burn it to another CD, save it as a
process again. Continue and rip all the tracks you want to burn to your playlist so you can use it again without having to recreate it.
own CD.
When you've ripped all the tracks, you're ready to burn your CD. To do this, Rip and burn in Nero Express
click the Sum button and place a blank recordable CDin your drive. Drag and One of the other popular programs for ripping tracks to burn to a CDis Nero
drop the tracks you have ripped from the Library onto the Bum list, which is Express from Nero.When you launch the program choose Music, Audio CDto
on the far right of the program window. You can add tracks from anywhere on launchthe MyAudio CDdialog. Take the first CDthat has tracks that you want
your computer. The indicatOr shows you how much room is left on your disk. to copy to a new CDand determine which track numbers you want to copy.
so if you add too many tracks, you can either choose to burn multiple disks Place that CDinto your CDdrive and click Add. Nero Express will read the CD
or remove some of the selected tracks until the overall size is within the limit and a select files and folders dialog will open. From here you can select the
of a single CD. tracks that you have identified that you want to add to the disk you will
beburning.
Click the Access lntemet Database button and Nero Express will connect to
tuna-co the lntemet to locate the track data for the CDso that it can identify the
g n w h p m n m v u m ‘ u fi l - l ‐ m m o - n - u name of the songs you've selected and the artist's name too. Once the track
. _ - . < . - - - . . - _ . . < , - . . . . . . _ . .
details appear in this dialog, click the Use Selected CDbutton and the details
M _ run-o that have been downloaded from the web will be used as the details to
can-mum
I " .
“Uh!!‑
identify these tracks onthe CDyou're about to create.
anus-wu‑ Wait as the tracks are ripped from the CD. Once the tracks have been added.
you can repeat the process to rip songs from another CD. Once the list is
filled with the tracks you plan to burn, insert a new blank CDinto your CD
drive and click the Next button. Type a title for your CDand add the anist
details. if desired. You can also select the writing speed for the disk from the
dropdown list and select it you want to create more than one disk. When you
are done. click the Burn button to burn the new disk. It’s sensible to avoid
using other programs while the burnlng process takes place and allow the
program all the computing resources it needs.

By Helen Bradley
 d e p u i s

www.aei.ca 514-284-4452
info@aei.ca 1-877-305-4155
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Whether you're setting up for a garage band rehearsal. running a corporate also introduce unwanted ambient noise as it searches for a sound to boost
board meeting. or monitoring lectures and spoken-word presentations. new (such as during a pause in aspoken presentation or speech.)
devices for recording digital audio can help you "preserve the moment“ ‑ Asingle LED light displays record levels; good recordings should not let the
and distribute it worldwide asapodcast. Web stream or CD. indicator light up from sounds that are too loud.
Units like those from Wolverine (described in an earlier issue of HU8:DL]. Using the Microtrack 24/95 recorder (approx. $430] from M-Audio poses a
Edirol, M-Audio, Samson, Sony and others are well-suited for pro and semi‑ somewhat similar challenge. in terms of accurate monitoring of recording
pro applications; others are more suited for the broad consumer market levels. Also a portable unit (with internal rechargeable battery pack and
[which can include business or personal uses]. optional ACadapter], the Microtrack uses a backlit LCD display with an
Edirol, for example, is along-established company offering a wide range of unnumbered scale and cursor-type indicators. LEDs will light up at peak
professional media products, including a series of digital audio recorders. lts levels. but peaking in a digital recording is not a good idea ‐ it generally
newest model, the R09 (approx 5350]. is a smaller and more compact means the incoming sound has been clipped or flattened at the high end in
version of earlier R-1 and R4 models, but with just about as many features some way (unlike analog audio recording, in which peaks are acceptable,
and functions built in. and are not clipped digitally]. Headphone or headset monitoring is always
This battery‐powered portable recorder has a built-in stereo mic. and recommended.
records audio to SDcards in linear PCM, MP3. or uncompressed formats. it The Microtrack offers both analog (1/4-inch balanced'line inputs; 1/8-inch
features both mic and line inputs. and has gain and volume controls to mini-plug mic input] as well as S/PDIF digital connections. Storage is on
manage the incoming signals. A USB 2 connection allows transfer of CompactFlash or microdn've devices. Early Microtracks did have some
recorded files to a PC, for further manipulation, editing or distribution. Two AA glitches with the on-board software and menu navigation system, but
alkaline batteries will drive the unit for about four hours. updates are available online, and easily loaded via USB connection (the
The built-in stereo mics are handy for recording on the run, but can cause same ones used to get recorded audio onto a PCor Mac].
some problems in certain situations. The physical separation of the mils on Like most such units. the Samson Zoom H4 (approx. 5410] records 24~
the unit means that recording someone (speaking or singing] while their bit/95 kHz digital audio as well asin MP3 format with bitrates upto 320kbps.
head moves from side to side can cause sound levels to vary. Using the It, too, has two condenser microphones configured in an X/Y pattern for
automatic gain can boost lower sound levels for better recording, but it can stereo recording, and offers XLR-1/4-inch high impedance input jacks with

Tea“.fo'r q u a n t i t i e s
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 Distinct, too, from portable recording devices are new all-in-one, U:
connected and recorder-equipped microphones.
The SoundTech LightSnake is'a microphone-tooPC table with embedd
analog-to-digital converter. Just plug your mic into the cable, and the cal:
into your desktop or laptop, and you have a digital audio recording stuc
at hand.
sE Electronics is now shipping two such professional studio quality U
microphones with good quality (record path 15 bit 48K. output 24 bit 4B
capabilities, reliable ultra-low latency headphone monitoring. 10d8 pa
bass cut and other effects, as well as 48V phantom power.
Samson, in addition to its digital audio devices. offers microphones w
built-in analog-to-digital conversion and USB for direct input to a PC. its 0
iSa handheld dynamic mic the t o w is a simple studio condenser mic.
Microphones like Samson's ECU). and EGDES USE microphone (cal:
Fodcaster]. are designed forthat one particular application. More demand
uses, and wider recording capabilities, are found in other pro products.
Zaxcom, for example, has its new W 7 0 6 , a plug-on transmitter/recon
designed for broadcast news gathering and TV production it uses
removable miniSD card for up to 12 hours of time code-referenced au
[very handy for editing and post-product'cn].
There's a new stereo adaptor, as weii, pro-riding balanced stereo audio in!
phantom power. The H4 has more onboard studio effects [such as that eliminates ground loop process for prist’ne sanity and the or... -1
compression, limiting and mic modeling] than some comparable units, as record confidence
well asa unique built-in guitar amp modeler. Many users need more than simpfe conversion. connect-nay and cont
Like others, it has a 1/8-inch headphone jack for confidence monitoring. when evaluating a digital audio recording devfce. tn'nk about y:
The H4 records onSDmedia, and can capture upto 34 hours depending on requirements carefully.
selected modes. By Lee Rictw':
Portable recorders with WAV capability offer professional quality [24 bit/48
kHz. and/or 16 bit 44.1 kHz] sound recordings, but the downside is file size.
A five minute WAV file, at 24 hit 48 kHz will take up some 100 megabytes lsitlegal? .
[MB]. ‘lhe compressed MP3 format, on the other hand, offers good sound at I m m h a m M M m u - fi - fi
much smaller file sizes (five minutes of MP3, at 128 Kbps, 44.1 kHz uses g l i n t - a w a i t s “ .
just 5 MB. ” n a u g h t - n a u b m fl h q u h u v l m
i n o nm a n d i d was u n p u - 1.1! a n a , i . ‑
Distinct from the pro or semi-pro digital audio recorders just discussed are
literally hundreds of recording devices for less demanding applications.
m e u u w m i ‐ m
M u m m m m - d u - fi
such as dictation or surveillance. Usually‘capable, they are small [some as
h ‘ fl h h ‘ h fl d h w fi g i m u
tiny as two inches in length), but that limits record capacities [up to two ~ M a m a - a t o p ”
hours max with some units], and what's often standard with higher priced
units is usually optional [like a mic and a cable]. Quite often. the recording
format is a proprietary, or a scaled back version of a recognized format. so ”mama-{mtuw-‘i
that manipulation of recorded sounds can be a real challenge [thirdparty m a m b o ‐ “ fi t h fl m
conversion software, if available, is usually required].

LG Acer Lenovo
The traditional home stereo is far from dead, but consideringthat many of us
in our increasingly mobile culture are toting around an entire music
collection in our pockets, shouldn't webeable to play these tunes anywhere
- without having to wear headphones?
When was the last time you saw a receiver, loudspeakers and 500 CDs in a
bedroom? But if you add up how much time you spend here ‐ relaxing
before bed, getting ready for work, or with the case of university dorm
rooms, living in this tight space - it makes sense to toss a compact speaker
system designed forthe almighty iPod or another MP3 player.
There's no shortage oisuch devices these days, but the following are five of
my favourites -- and a bonus item for those looking for a portable laser
light show.

High-tech lullabies
Consider it a perfect bedside companion for iPod lovers. The TEAE SR~L200
Hi-Fi Table Radio ($129.99; t-rvnvteaocom] lets you dock your player in a
snug cradle on top ofthe unit that not only recharges your iPod's battery but iPod speaker system. Plug it into an electrical socket or pop in six AA
also lets you listen to music, podcasts and audio books through its crisp‑ batteries for up to 10 hours of audio, and then use the wireless remote to
sounding stereo speakers. Or you can set the alarm to piay your favourite crank it up to 80 watts oftotal power. Non-iPod MP3 players can also be used
song. Available in white or black, this clock radio ships with con-tenors to fit with the auxiliary input jack [though it won't recharge the device]. Have aTV
all iPod models and also featcres an AWFM tuner with station presets, nearby? Use the composite output option to watch your iPod's video - be it
snooze bar and backlit LCD screen. Also included is a small remote and camcorder footage, TVshows, movies, music videos or podcasts ‐ on a big
optional auxiliary input [and cab‘e) to connect a non-iPod based MP3 player. screen instead ofthe iPod's 25-inch display.

Conversation piece
Perfect for kitchen countertops, family room tables or even bedroom
dressers, the JBL Radial ($349.99; www.jbl.com] is aunique-looking circular

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 Bose SoundDock
This one‘s my pick. They might not be new, but they're still one of the
best-sounding docking station speakers you could buy for your beloved
iPod. Turn any room into a concert hall with Bose SoundDock Digital Music
System ($399.99; www.bose.com], which delivers powerful but clean,
full-frequency performance out of its shielded speakers. Aswith other Bose
products, it can be hard to pinpoint where the audio is actually coming from
as it offers a spatial surround sound effect. Slip in any iPod with a dock
connector on the bottom, press a button on the wireless remote and
manage your music as you go about your business, Available in black
or white.

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 Laserpod - And now for something completely different...
The ‘605 gave us the lava lamp, but it's all about laser light and LEDs in the
‘009. Case in point - the Laserpod [US $89.95; www.firebox.com] is a
patented invention by UKlight artist Chris Levine, whose work has lit up the
band Massive Attack and high-profile fashion shows ‐ though he might be
best known for a celebrated
hologram portrait of the
Queen of England. The
Laserpod uses three
electronic lasers and three
blue and purple LEDs [light
emitting diodes], all
projected through a crystal
to create a dazzling light
show throughout a room
Add some boom to your room [best used in complete
Music enthusiasts who spend time on the road may opt for this smart [and " darkness]. Turn on the
smart-looking] audio system from Altec Lansing. Similar to its stationary Laserpod when you've got
M602 product, the portable iM3 ($179.95;www.alteclansing.com] looks like Pink Floyd cranked on a
a teeny boom box and lets users insert their iPod. iPod nano or other MP3 MP3 player docking station
player between two speakers [each housing 1-inch neodymium micro ' and yw'vegotyourself one
drivers] to fill the space with balanced sound. For iPod products, a wireless kiiler kaleidoscopic laser
remote controls song navigation, power and volume, while the universal plug light show.
set offers adapters for various electrical outlets. NoNC plug in sight? No
problem, the iM3 can run for roughly 24 hours on battery power. - By MartSaltzman

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m m - “ m m - m a m a M715
First came the ability to carry around thousands of songs in your pocket. A Microsoft Zone
few years later and we're also toting around photos, videos and games on Expected to be available sometime in 2002 the Microsoft Zune
the same device. The third major step in the evolution of portable media [tthazunenet] is Redmond‘s answer to the almighty iPod, but with an
players. however, is wireless communication, both as a means to acquire emphasis on the “community" side of music enjoyment. That is, this 3068
new content, as well as a way to share it with friends. hard-drive based media player has built-in wireless technology that lets you
The following is a brief look at four such devices, available now or just beam songs to other Zune users in the area, which they can then listento up
around the comer. to three times over three days; afterthat, they'll have the option to purchase
it from the Zune Marketplace store. It’s no wonder that the Zune ads
Sansa Connect announce ”Welcome to the Social." Shipping in white with clear finish, black
SanDisk‘s Sansa Connect [$295; with blue finish or brown with green finish, the Zune also offers a 3.0-inch
www.sandisk.com] lets mobile screen to view photos, videos and album artwork, viewable in portrait or
music lovers in a wireless hotspot landscape modes, and includes a built-in FM tuner. No price or Canadian
access an online buddy list to hear launch date has been set.
what friends are listening t o , with
no song limit or time restrictions. Arches 704 Wi-Fi
and then tag songs to purchase Similar to its "604" predecessor, the Archos P04 Wi-Fi ($649.99;
and download to listen to when wwwarchoscom] is a wireless 8058 portable media player that ‐ as you
offline, such as in a subway. Along can guess by its name -- includes built-in Wi-Fi to wirelessly download MP3
with MP3 and photo playback. the files, stream radio stations from the Web or access all your PC-based media
Sansa Connect also lets you wherever you may be in your wireless network. The real kicker, however, is a
stream lntemet radio stations via humongous P-inch [diagonal] touch-screen display, so when you walk
'.'i-fi ‐ and even view album around your house enjoying your music, photos or videos, you're almost
artwork on its 22-inch screen in carrying around a media tablet instead of a teeny MP3 player ‐ and of
real time. This «458 Flash player, course you can connect it to your HDTV for a big-screen experience. This
which includes an option to expand high-end device also offers support for multiple media types, and with an
the memory via MicroSD cards. also optional DVR accessory [$100], you can also record directly from your TV.
has a built-in speaker so you can
listen to tunes without earbuds. lt's By Marc Saltzman
gutsy going up against the almighty iPod, especially in the wake of the
iPhone this summer, but at least this gadget
is ultra-portable and doesn't require a
commitment to a cell carrier.

Apple i i c n e
Poised to be one of the hottest gadgets of
2007, the Apple iPhone [wwwjpodca] ‑
expected to be carried by Rogers Wireless
sometime this summer - is basically three
products in one: a widescreen iPod with a
35-inch touch‐screen display; a quad~band
GSM smartphone; and a WiFi-enabled
device capable of text-messaging, VolP
calls, email, Web browsing and interactive
Google maps. The iPhone also offers
Bluetooth connectivity for wireless
headsets, a Z-Megapixel camera and a new
music navigation feature called Album Flow
that lets users browse their music library by
flipping album artwork with their finger. It
won't be cheap, however: in the US.
[thrOugh Cingular] the iPhone will be US
5499 [4GB] or US$599 (868), plus a two‑
year carrier commitment.

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Coolsat 8000HD, ViewSat Extreme 2000, Ultra,

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l‘l’i'nlt-‘I'fifiri-l'fffl l J l nll 1 “ l- tl (311511ll3'k~intii(T(_:7l h ‘ i ?ian \ l’Jf-fil(7a; , \ - ‘ l “A f“ 0 " "
 Sometime‐in the not so distant future, as you'll see‐we'll all have some i‘rulgc; zivwlrtrnnrm
variation of a'smart' home. Somewhere in our bungalows and split‘Ievels we‘ll Probably the least expensive way to 'stream' media files direct from your PC
have all the data and electronics we need to control the temperature, switch on is a product like the Sirocco Audio Bridge. Designed by BC's own Sondig'o, the
the security system and the indoor/outdoor lighting, detect noxioUS gases. Sirocco interfaces with the PCeither wirelessly or via an Ethernet treble, and
keep track of food expiration dates, automate kitchen appliances, manage acts essentially like an external sound card. The primary advantage of this
most every device in a home theatre/home audio system, and likely handle a 'sound card" system over some of its similarly priced competition is that it
bunch of stuff that hasn't even been conceived yet. more easily handles DRM-protected files‐not a small thing for those who
How we operate a smart house is open to speculation. We may have frequent today's biggest online media file vendors. The bad news is that
touch/display screens or use voice commands or handheld controllers with users can't control their music remotely‐they must return to the computer
high-resolution LCD screens. However. one thing is clear‐very few of us will to make any adjustments to their playlist.
have enough spare change to purchase and install all the smart home Stepping up to the two hundred mark gets you into remote-controllable
ingredients for quite some time to come. streaming. D-Link, for one, has been in the streaming game for some time
But that doesn't mean we don't get a taste of the technology today. Indeed, now, with wireless devices such as the MediaLounge DSM-320 and DSM‑
if you're nuts about your music. you‘ve picked a hobby on the very forefront 520. Both are low-slung and sleek, just like modern audio-video
of the computer integration revolution. The goal? To move all that great components, and both can be operated from the comfort of your La-Z-Boy.
digital music you've ripped from discs or downloaded from the Web out of But neither offer a built-in display [you need to switch on yourTV for that],
your office and its crummy computer audio setup and into your glorious and there have been reports of uneven performance.
living room entertainment system. Apotentially better bet at the same price point is the near-ubiquitous Roku
Aswith any developing concepts, there are a number of ways to realize this SoundBridge. The tube-shaped SoundBridge offers a built-in display, a
goal. If you want to keep it cheap and wait for the technology to sort itself simple setup, lntemet Radio suppon. and easy operation. But plunk down a
out, the most affordable idea is to simply burn a bunch of your tunes to a few more bucks and you're into Squeezebox territory. The third iteration of
recordable CDand play them onan MP3-compatible disc player. But that’s so the original model, Slim Devices' Squeezebox 3 is super stylish, Internet
old school. Burning is a hassle and discs hold only so many tunes. A better radio-capable, and fitted with a big, legible display. lt's laden with features
idea for many might be a flash drive. An inexpensive ZGB flash drive, for and lauded for its smooth streaming and open-source software that permits
example, can store hundreds of high bitrate MP3s Copying files to and user customizations.
removing files from a flash drive is easy. and as a bonus, you can also use Upping the digital media player ante is the soon-to-be-released Netgear
the very same flash drive in one of the many USS-equipped car decks EVABOD. Physically, it resembles the D-Link devices above, but its feature
currently on the market. list is far more comprehensive. The unit supports a ton of codecs, streams
Ofcourse. you'll need something in your living room that'll read the drive. some DRM content, handles high-definition playback of Windows Media
Tight-budget options include the Philips DVPSQGD, an upconverting DVD Wdeo 9 or MPEG-4 file formats upto today's 1080p ceiling, and features two
player with a simple, built-in USB reader on its front panel. indeed, m a y USB ports for portable storage devices and iPods. Expect to pay nearly $400
major Canadian electronics retailers have at least one or two DVD players when it hits the market this spring.
with basic. on-board flash drive readers. If online shopping is more your
style. check out Oppo Digitals' DV-QPGHD, an upconverting USE-equipped 5:3 buck solutions
DVD player that's getting rave reviews. But beware‐not all drives are Those who require whole-house solutions may want to look at fully
compatible with all devices. expandable systems such as the latest from Sonos. Getting rave user
But what if you don't need DVD capabilities or you want direct access to all reviews, the Sonos ZonePIayer ZPBD handles most every type of file aside
the media files on your FC-not just the ones you can fit ona thumb drive? from certain DRM-encrypted content and does Internet radio too. it sets up
Now, that's where things get interesting. its own proprietary network that avoids interference from external devices,
thus allowing you to confidently plunk ZonePIayers all over the house. But
the biggest lure may be its handheld remote, featuring a full colour, high‑
resolution, scrollable LCD screen that lets you see everything‐including
album a r t ‐ u p close and personal. Acouple of ZonePIayers will set you back
a cool grand.
If you're going to spend that kind of money, and in particular if you need to
upgrade your ancient AVreceiver too, you may want to investigate a shiny
new streaming-capable receiver. Respected manufacturers such as Denon,
Yamaha, and Pioneer all offer r e c e i v e r s capable o f pulling radio from the
Internet and music from your hard drive. The Pioneer VSX-84TXSi, for
instance, has a USB port that allows you to connect your PCdirectly to the
receiver and bypass the saund card entirely. Doyour research beforehand
though. because some models are already a little long in the tooth and won‘t
work well into the future. One streamingecapable receiver that seems to

HuazDigicalLNhg-Mom-nealSecoor-t - A p r i E O D ?
have all the bases covered is the Onkyo TX-NRlOOO‐though crazily necessarily have to.
pricey, it handles everything but the proverbial kitchen sink and features Both the Linksys PLKZOO PowerLine AV Ethernet Adapter Kit and the
upgradeable [and sometimes replaceable] modules. Netgear Powerline H0 Ethernet Adapter operate on the principle that
But if you're going to gothat extent, why not simply put aPCin yourliving Ethernet is passé. Instead, they use your existing electrical system as a
room? You'll likely want to skip older 'media center" PCs because they network, plugging into your ACoutlets and piggybacking along with the
look like PCs [i.e. clunky], they're controlled like PCs (i.e. clumsily], and Current, so to speak. The downside is that you'll still need to run a table
they feature middle-of-the-road sound cards and electronics that just from each networked device to each powerline adaptor. The upside is that
won't dojustice to your audio. that's the only wiring you'll need to do.
Sony's just-released VAlO XL3 Digital Living System is one of the better Though powerline networkingis nothing new, this new batch of powerline
options. The XL3 looks like atraditional high-end AN component, but with gear is faster and more reliable than previous iterations and thus a good
all the futuristic capabilities of a PC. It features a built-in Blu-ray player, alternative for those who need betterthroughput than a wireless network
memory card slot. dual USB ports, and, of course, integrated audio-video can provide. It's costly though, at SZOU-plus for a set oftwo adapters. and
streaming. If Sony's managed to eliminate the vibrations and other it’s not as fast as good old Ethernet.
electronic interference that typically hamper PCaudio, and if the internal By Gard Gable
sound card is up to snuff [those are big ifs], the XL3 could beawinner.
Sound purists might do better with the new 0nkyo MOE 1.0, a product
Onkyo says is a true "HD audio PC." Onkyo has refrained from juicing the
HDC 1.0 with an internal power supply‐thusly exorcising one of the main
reasons behind inferior PCaudio‐but that means you'll need to powerthe
unit with external power such as anyo's matching digital amp. The
SE-QOPCI sound card residing inside is a good one. but the non-Windows
proprietary software may cause headaches. Moreover, you'll need to
dump in the neighbourhood of $2500 for both the PCand its amp.
Regardless of price, neither of these home entertainment PCs deals with
the inherent problems of internally mounted sound converters. Audio
engineers have long believed, and rightly so, that internal cards and their
analog-to-digital conveners are subject to the interference and noise put
forth by other PCcomponents such as hard drives, fans, network cards,
11 3 0 Begin R o a d , M o n t r e a l ' O u ‑
and the like. Engineers deal with it by using sound cards with “breakout Te l : { 5 1 4 1 3 3 2 - 2 8 0 7 F a t - ‑
boxes,‘ such as M-Audio's Delta series and Echo Audio’s Layla and Gina w w w. k e n e d a c o m c o m
models. Consumers, especially those who are sticklers about their sound
or regularly record/capture audio to add to their music orvideos, would be
wise to explore this option.

l'll be your server today

Meanwhile, software giant Microsoft is finalizing work on a ‘whole home‘
-passworded CD. water 8. fire damped overwritten. inacwss’:ale
project that‘s sure to impact fans of sound and video. With its just‑
devices: hard drive. raid zip DVD. Remoxaa'e. optical flash
announced Windows Home Server, Microsoft wants you to buy into the memory. tape, audio digital image fries"
idea that networkingis essential and easier than ever. -Forusie service Windows M a c !I n k / H a r m
Rather than the typical peer-to-peer network that's found in most '15 h a s or auarrry Sen/rm Dara w i t'~ as me as 24 hrs
multiple-PC households today. Windows Home Server works hand-in-hand
with hardware such as HP's just announced MediaSmart Server
[essentially a sophiSticated. central data storage bin with expandable
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hard drive space] to deliver a true server-client network Benefits include tstDataReoot._ am
automated, touchless backups of all the data in all the connected devices.
worldwide access to the Windows Home Server via a personalized
Windows Live lntemet account, and quicker. ‘always-on‘ availability of
files and information. Windows Home Server is not due until fall this year,
but it may eventually alter the way we all do our computing and become a
real boon to those who want to access their media from anywhere within
their home.
Of course. Windows Home Server wrll need some way to communicate
with all those devices. Though a wireless network involves the least
amount of invasiveness, it certainly isn't the fastest way to move data,
and it's subject to external interference But do you really want to goto all
the trouble of running a web of Ethernet cable thrOUghout every nook and
cranny? Networking veterans Linksys and Netgear say you don't

wwhbcarudeuxm
 Helen Bradley explains how to make video telephone calls phone calls across the intemet. Calls to Other Skype users are free
with your computer regardless of where they are in the world. Calls from your computer to
Reliable and useable video a landline or mobile phone cost a few cents per minute ‐ typically less
telephone calls from the than making a regular phone call. You can download the latest version
comfort of your own home of Skype (version 3.0 at the time of writing] from www.skype.com.
are now a reality. All you need There are versions available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating
is a computer. broadband systems as well as for mobile devices.
connection. microphone and Once you have downloaded Skype. register for the service and get
webcam -- and a piece of your Skype name which is the name that people use to call you. Check
software called Skype. Skype is that your microphone is working with Skype by choosing Tools, Options
an intemet phone that connects and click the Sound Devices group. Click the Make a test call to Skype
you to other Skype users via the answering machine and you‘ll hear the test call message. When the
‐‐‐- . . . . _ ..._ _ _ - . _ . _ _ . ‐ ‐ .
intemet, but it can also connect
you to almost any landline or
beep sounds. speak a short message and wait as the message is
played back to you. If you hear the message you left, then you can be
mobile phone in the world using reassured that your microphone works with Skype. You can also call
a combination of internet and this service anytime by dialling Ech0123.
regular phone service. Video is an optional component of Skype. To make video calls, you
When you install Skype on your must have a webcam installed on your computer. Inside Skype. choose
computer. you are able to make Tools, Options, Wdeo and check the Enable Skype video checkbox.
Select your webcam from the list and click the Test Webcam button to
test if your webcam is working with Skype.
If required, click the Webcam Settings button to configure the
webcam. The options here will be specific to your particular webcam.
Back in the Wdeo section of the Skype Options dialog, configure
whether Skype video should start automatically when you are in a call
or not. You can also select who you're prepared to receive video calls
from. Once you have awebcam set up to work with Skype, anyone who
calls you will see your webcam's feed on their Skype screen.
Before you can call someone. you'll need to add them to your contact
list. Provided they are a Skype user, choose Contacts, Add a Contact
and, in the Add a Skype Contact area, type either that person's Skype
name, their full name or their email address and click Find. Skype will
locate them in its records for you. Once someone is added to your
Skype Contacts list, you can see when they are logged in and available
to take calls. If you buy Skype out minutes [which you can doonline],
you an call people with landline and mobile phones but, of course,
they won‘t be able to see your video. You can also create a conference
call in Skype by inviting other people into the conversation. This feature
works best with just three or four participants and you cannot share a
W y n n - 1 1 9 " Sea-em video stream at the same time.
momma-n ( M a s h 512m 1 9 ‑ Toa l l acontact. check they are online and click their name. Press the
”stau- u“ 160149“ to» 32- 160 u ’ “
green call button to start the call and the red button to hang up when
m a m - u m 269 54“ 260 3 4 ” ‘
51280 9“ l b ” 460 1 1 0 - 460 9 9 “ you are done, if you've purchased Skype credits, you will see your
-'~__.__._.._..._..._
“ h m h m J M M - m m current available balance on the screen.
Skype automatially loads itself into your taskbar whenever you start
~‐MAC!
¢Boost your up your computer. The green Skype indicator on the taskbar shows you
“ ‐ - acBooltaiMacbook ' it is running and others will see that you are online sothey can call you.
512m 7 2 - recur" For this reason, leave your computer's speaker turned on so you will
PowerMACGSom hear the call signal if someone rings. The Skype phone rings like any
r e n o w n - mason-t regulartelephone and you can configure the ring tone using the Tools.
Options, Sounds settings. If you frequently use Skype, consider buying
M u n - KlttGo 2 9 0 " thZGo a set of headphones with a noise cancelling microphone built in so that
the sound quality is good.
CODE TO GET YOUR FREE DELIVERY 1 888 233 $864

N l Ta D H fi z g g ‘ D H U v ‘ l g - M m s m t - ”12037
Helen Bradley explains what to expect on your first day with the H for the Home tab and then 1 for Bold. Your old Control shortc
new Office 200? continue to work - so bold can be applied using Control 4»8.
New features in the suite include more colourful charts and Sn
which helps you c r a t e vividly coloured and very interesting l:

your mouse overa Style, for example, andthe selected text in the dc
changessoyoucanpreviewhowthatstylewilllookifappliedtoth
is not, however, actually applied unless you select it.
Microsoft Outlook is ranangedwitha new m i n screen that has yc
List,asmal| calendar and today’sapptintments,and your email
Welcome Thisputsalltheinforrnationyouneedintheoneplaoeandsavesyo
toswitchtotl'teCalendarortheToOoListtoseewl'iatyouhavetoc
Alltheapplicationsthathavethenewirrterfaceaisohavedetai
‘Wfllr i l l ‘ l l fl ' m a r ? J f fl I t " . i n f o m n fi m m a s s i s t y o u m l e a m y w r w a y m a u r b d i n '
systemofWord,ExcelandPowerPointisalinktoanmlineappiica
showstheoid2003versionappfit=tianintmlsethistofind
waytoperfonnataskwhenywan’tfindithdtene-hnms“
onacommandonthemockupoflfiaosoftlflordZOOBJorenmple
helpfeatureshowsyouwheretofindthecomnnndintheml‑
WordZOOPinterhceoritexplainsiftfisfeatueismlmguanH
findsomefeaturessudtasPowerPoint’sbroadastamiprm
taking options, are no longer available.
l f y o u ' m m r k i n g w i m m u m fl m d t m h fi a o s c
documentfonnatsarenotbackwardlyoompatible-ithearfia
Whileyoucanreadandwritefilesmatrflvebemaeaedhouu
oflforexampleWMExcelandPonerPoimtsersofWOrdm'
The first thing that you will notice when you open any of the major abletoopenandreadfilscreatedinliaosoftWordZWtifiare
applications in Microsoft Office 200? is how big a change there is to the Word’snew'doorXMLdocumentfor-matlfyw‘rework'rg'ithpei
program interface. Microsoft Word. Excel,PowerPoint,Access and, to a lesser tseoldervasiorsoFWoMeithasaveyowdocmner-tshtheolde
extent, Outlook have a completely new look that does away with all the o r e n m u r a g e d t m m d o w m o a d m e fi e e w m fi e e w
menus and toolbars you're familiar with and replaces them with a brand new for Word. Excel and PowerPoint 2007 Pie F i r m
set of tools. ’ hug/[firtyurtcmdySamwridt-iletmemopenmene-iorm
Across the top of the screen is the new Ribbon where most of your work
will be done. The Ribbon has a series of tabs such as Excel's Home.
Insert, Page Layout. Formulas. Data, Review and Wew tabs. Click a tab and an
entire collection of toolbar buttons [filled program commands] appear
arranged in groups of like tools. in Microsoft Word. for example. the Home tab
includes groups called fonts, paragraph. styles. editing and clipboard: None
of the tabs matches any of the old menus and the only trace of the on
applications is in the buttons and the dialogs that appear when you click a
dialog launcher. ‘
There is no File menu, and to open or save a file you clickthe Mice humn
_ acolourful button in the top left comer of the screen. Adi-cent tothis is a
Quick Access Toolbar. which is the only toolbar you can ctrstornize. By
default. it contains a small handful of program commantb. but you can add
anything else you like to it, so it‘s just the place to put the commands you
use every day and that you want to have accessible.
Gone too are the old Alt key commands So. although Alt + F.5 still saves a
file. It isn't the new series of keystrokes that you would use. lnstead.the new
Alt key commands require you to tap the Alt key (not hold it down] and.
when you do. each selectable option on the interface displays a key letter or
number. Pressthat and more options appear. if necessary. until gm actual
command ls performed. So. to bold type some text you press Alt. then press

wwhbcenadaoom
 t - ‘ . - ' !
if you are into photography, you‘ve probably heard of PMA. Those three i - ‘ r v li t
. ' \ . ‘ .
m u , l ‘ l ‘ -. ‘
letters stand for the Photo Marketing Association, but just as often it's the A lot of manufacturers have introduced compaCt modelsin their SLR lineup,
shorthand reference to the annual convention and trade show that the including Nikon and its 040, a six megapixel model introducedrnNovember.
association hosts. Joining it this year is the 040x with an impressive 10.2 megapixel sensor.
Switching every two years between the host cities of Las Vegas, Nev. (this Nikon says this model has a startup time of 0.18 seconds and works with
year’s venue] and Orlando. Fla.. PMA attracts ‘em all. Professional most of its flash units and lenses. Aimed at first-time SLR users, the 040X
photographers gather here to meet and compare notes. Specialized groups has several automated scene modes, but also includes the usual advanced
have conferences within the main conference. There are always exhibits of exposure modes such as aperture-priority, shutter-priority and full manual.
work from some of the world's best photographers. And, of course, big and It will be sold with 3 0X Nikkor 18~55mm zoom lens for a suggested retail
small manufacturers alike showcase their latest products at the trade show. price of $999.95
Followingis asmall sample of the many products showcased at the show.
.-.: . oer"..'1lli:‘.t: bears GElabel
.:t:
" c z- ‘ .?. l ‘. _.
3:-. _"_;_'3 : : If your company name is unknown, one way to gain instant visibility is to
Canonrs celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the EDS SLR brand this year latch onto a brand with huge recognition ‐ one like General Electric. That's
and to mark that milestone it announced what it claimsrs “the fastest, most precisely what Torrance, CaIiE-based General Imaging has done, licensing
powerful digital SLR in the world.‘ Nosmall claim, but the 205-10 Mark lll can the famous GEbrand for use on its line of eight digital cameras.
churn out images at an impressive 10 frames per second to a maximum of The GEbranded cameras will cover a broad range of niches, from the
110 jpeg shots in a single burst. budget-pricedA series to the advanced X1, an eight megapixel model with 12
The Mark III uses a 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, which is about the same x zoom lens, image stabilization and a few other advanced features. In
size as an APS-H film frame and creates a focal length conversion factor of between are the compact G line and the E series. The E850 includes a 5x
approximately 1.3 (100 mm lens gives the same angle of view asa 130 mm zoom and 28 mm wide angle performance. The company also announced
on a full-frame 35mm camera]. the P1snapshot printer.
The camera uses a Canon-developed sensor cleaning system, and also
incorporates a LCD live view mode [and has a generous three-inch LCD fie. syr; firm from HP
screen], a feature seen previously only on Olympus and Panasonic SLRs. Hewlett-Packard says pets are the second most frequently photographed
The camera also uses dual image processors. Canon says it has made the subject. Toalleviate the glowing eyes syndrome threateningto ruin all those
Mark lll body lighter but more rugged and weather resistant. Price is pet photos, its 7.2 megapixel HPPhotosmart R83? digital camera has a built‑
approximately $5,500. in pet eye fix feature. The camera also has several in-camera editing
features such red-eye reduction, blemish and wrinkle smoothing and
panorama stitching.
Olympus announced three new digital SLR cameras - or was itjust two? The The R83? will be available this month and has a suggested retail price
company focused on its E410 and E510 cameras although also included a of $249.99
teaser [with nodetails] about the Pro model coming later in the year.
The two new E's are separate designs although they share some core 5' ,;,,,»,,r- £ 5 . 0 0u p i r l inljct
technologies, such as Olympus's pioneering sensor dust removal system For photographic printmaking aficionados Epson's line of pigment-based
and an image-processing engine it calls TruPic lll. Another feature“ shared by inkjet printers has had the right stuff for several years. Now. Epson has
the two cameras is the 10 megapixel image
sensor with Live-Mew, which is the ability to
see a real-time image display on the LCD
screen. Why Live View is a big deal is because
the basic design of the SLR puts a mirror
assembly in front of the sensor, which prevents
live viewing unless you implement some clever
engineering‐ and Olympus has done that
One of the notable features that distinguishes
the E-510 from the entry-level E-410 is the
inclusion of a gyroscopic image stabilization
system built into the sensor assembly. This
means users can get the benefits of
mechanical image stabilization even with non
stabilized lenses. The E410 will be available in
May; the £510 is set to hit shelves in June.
introduced the Stylus Photo 1400 [replacing the 1200}, which uses take it to a participating retailer where your file is turned into your Own
dye-based Inks, not pigments. custom product.
The printer will accept media up to 13 inches wide, making it a natural for The company also introduced a couple of digital cameras. The EasyShare
Super B (13 x 19 inch] printmaking. One of the advantages of pigments is Z?12 Is is a ?.1 megapixel camera with a 12x optical zoom lens and optical
their 100+ year permanence and fade resistance. However, dye image stabilization. The 1885 is an 8.1 megapixel camera with a 5Xmm
formulations have improved and the 1400's Claria inks are rated at upto 98 lens. A noteworthy feature of this model is its high-lSO performance of upto
years under glass or 200 years stored in an album. lSO 8000.
The six-colour printer also includes a C0carrier, which allows you to print By David Tanaka
information directly on the C0- no need for stick on
labels. Suggested retail price is $499.

. i. ll ;‘.'.tw ' ‘ i i

The next version of Adobe Photoshop will have two

' variations. Photoshop C53 has a stable mate called CS3
Extended. CS3E includes the full C53 feature set, but
adds a few new tools for 3-0 and motion graphics, says
Adobe. The products should be out later this spring.
Earlier this year in a somewhat unusual move, Adobe
made a beta version of CS3 available to anyone that had
a C52 license.

:\l't"i.21’... . . ., .. . ,

Kodak's Easyshare Custom Creations Software is a

design package you can use on your home computer to
create books, calendars, photo specialty items, etc.
Once finished you burn your creations onto a C0,

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Publisher: 2K Developer: BioWare likely recognize many of the fighting styles. BioWare‘s
' team modeled the
ESRB: Mature Rating: 4/5 game's combat choreography alter their favourite kung fu film heroes. from
Platform: Windows PC(Running onaWindows XPbox with a 3.0 Gllz Intel Jackie than to Bruce Lee, and gave the techniques fitting. semi-familiar
Dual [one processor. 268 of DUal Channel DDR RAM running at 800MHz, names, like Thousand Cuts, Legendary Strike and Leaping Tlg8r [a pair of
and a 512MB All Radeon X1900 XTgraphics card; dismayed at 1920x1200 new techniques, Viper and Iron Palm, have been added to the Pl: version].
on a Dell 240?FPW 24-inch LCD] Regardless ofthe Styles you choose to master, the fighting ISSimple to learn
BioWare co~founder Greg Zeschuk once told me that, sometime circa 1995. and spectacular to watch. Just lock onto an enemy and click the mouse
he walked up to partner Ray Muzyka and said, quite out of the blue: “Let's buttons to perform weak and strong attacks. There's ’a little more to it than
make a kungfu role-playing game.“ that‐you can carry out harmonic combos by combining styles and you can
It was clearly a terrific idea, but it would take more than a decade for the use something called Focus to slow down time‐but the learning CUTVE is
Edmonton-based game studio to see it through. it took seven years to get to nonetheless impressively shallow. it's a refreshingly aCCESSIble play,
work on it [during which time they were crafting games like Neverwinter especially for arole-playing game. . . .
Nights, Baldur's Gate, and StarWars: Knights of the Old Republic],three more As Jade Empire progresses, there are two overarching philosophies that
to develop and ship it forthe original Xbox. and then two on top of that for it your character can follow: The Way of the Open Palm and The Way of the
to meander on overto the PC. But the wait has been worth it. Closed Fist.The former is practiced byaltruists. the latter by less scrupulous
Assuming you have at least a passing interest in martial arts movies. you'll characters. The game tracks which path your character is following by
monitoring the responses you make during conversations, and the game
has the potential to play out differently based on the decisions you make.
Jade Empire's sole weak link is character growrh. Unlike traditional role‑
playing games, players aren't provided any real inventory to Speak of or
items to collect. Nor is there much to do when your character levels up. We
occasionally get to swap old weapons for better ones, and we can distribute
a few points to basic skills as the game moves forward, but that’s about it.
That means it's left to the narrative to deliver a sense of progress to the
game. And it does, thanks to hours of Hollywood-quality voice acting, Clever
dialogue and a compelling plot concerning a corrupt regime that includes
tragedy, humour and even a bit of believable romance. Indeed, if all games
turned in scripts and performances even half as polished as what we‘ve
been given in Jade Empire, the perception of games as inartistic time
wasters devoid of storytelling merit might soon fade.
When it comes down to it, the only real reason for action game lovers and
RPG fans not to give Jade Empire: Special Edition a go is if they’ve already
played it onan Xbox. There are a couple of new fighting styles and characters
exclusive to the PC version, and the graphics have been spruced up
considerably, but those improvements alone don‘t make it worth shelling
out another $60. if, on the other hand, you've been patiently waiting for the
PCversion, you're in for a treat.
By Chad Sapieha

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