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December 1, 2005
• Vol.2 Issue 11 Page(s) 40-42 in print issue | |
Fun Software You’ll Be Glad To Give—And Receive—These Programs | |
 Sometimes the poll numbers don’t add up. No, we’re not talking about shocking political victories that leave pollsters wondering why their numbers told a different story. Instead, we’re pondering a survey Imation (www.imation.com) conducted this year that shows that the majority of Americans (54%) take digital photos and almost half (47%) find it easy to edit those photos. Even more people (62%) find it easy to create digital photo albums, scrapbooks, slideshows, and movies. Yet, according to the survey, less than one-third of Americans actually perform the digital tasks they say are so easy. The survey didn’t probe why that’s the case, but we offer this possible cause: Maybe people with digital cameras just don’t have the right software to help them create all those easy albums, scrapbooks, and movies to their level of satisfaction. With the holidays knocking on your front door, consider giving a gift of software—a program that will help your friend or loved one finally get around to that special project she’s always been meaning to do.  Dig These Digital Apps The PhotoPlus 10 Studio Pack from Serif ($79.99; www.serif.com) contains both the powerful editing features in PhotoPlus, as well as the organizing and presentation tools of AlbumPlus 4. In addition, you get a DVD full of extras, such as project ideas, samples, and 500 royalty-free photos. You’ll flip over the patented 3D page-flipping interface that is the backbone of E-Book Systems’ (www.ebooksys.com) FlipAlbum programs. With these apps, you can create digital photo albums with pages that you can set to turn manually or automatically. You also can personalize albums with text, design themes, and background music. The FlipAlbum line has three programs: FlipAlbum 6 Standard ($39.95), Suite ($69.95), and Pro ($159.95).  Some programs go beyond just photo editing. Roxio is one of the biggest names in the digital media software field, and its Easy Media Creator is a good choice for anyone who wants to edit photos and burn CDs and DVDs. The new Easy Media Creator 8 ($99.95; www.roxio.com) builds on its predecessors with a redesigned interface; new tools, such as Task Assistants, to make projects easier to complete; and added features. Use LiveShare to let your friends view your photos via peer-to-peer technology, for instance, or create an audio CD from a DVD video. You also can create high-definition slideshows and videos. Nero is another top name in digital media programs. It just released Nero 7 Ultra Edition ($99.99; www.nero.com), which features 18 new or updated applications plus an improved StartSmart screen. You can edit videos you shot using your camcorder, create customized DVDs, burn audio CDs, edit photos, create slideshows with soundtracks, and back up and compress data—to name but a few functions. We won’t promise it will turn you into the next Steven Spielberg, but CyberLink’s PowerDirector 4 ($69.95; www.gocyberlink.com) puts some heavy-duty movie-making tools into your hands. You can enhance colors, filter out noise, add soundtracks and special effects, and use the auto-condensing feature to turn any long home video into a clip your friends really will want to see. Oh, and PowerDirector will work on your digital images, too. Hobbies & Crafts  Scrapbookers and craft lovers will like the titles from Nova Development. Scrapbook Factory Deluxe 3.0 ($39.95; www.novadevelopment.com) contains everything you need to preserve your favorite memories, from templates to photo embellishments. The company also offers Art Explosion ($29.95 and up), a series of programs with hundreds of thousands of clip art images. Or choose T-Shirt Factory 3.0 ($29.95), which can help you make unique gifts or provide your kids’ clubs or teams with uniforms. Save money and express your creativity with a card-creating program, such as Broderbund’s venerable Print Shop, now in its 21st edition ($29.99; www .broderbund.com). In addition to greeting cards, you can create calendars, crafts, and just about anything into which you want to incorporate your photos. Print Shop comes with thousands of project ideas, photos, graphics, and art to use. A practical gift for any friend who loves to travel is Street Atlas USA 2006, from DeLorme ($49.95; www.delorme.com). The updated maps and noted places of interest will help anyone prepare for a trip. Load Street Atlas into your laptop, connect DeLorme’s Earthmate GPS LT-20 ($99.95, which includes Street Atlas USA 2006) to it, and you’ve created a Global Positioning System tracking device to take with you. Though you can categorize it as a digital photo editor, corefx Three Level ($54.95; www.core-learning.com) will appeal to art lovers of all ages. It offers basic tools such as crayons and paints for drawing, as well as more advanced features for editing and enhancing images and creating art work and animations for Web sites or desktop publishing projects. Visit the Core Learning Web site to take a program tour or download a free demo. Try Before You Buy We wish all companies offered free demos of their software, as Core Learning does. Before ordering any program, be sure to visit the software maker’s Web site to get more information. Even if there’s no trial version available, you can at least double-check to make sure the destination PC meets all the system requirements for the program and see if the company is offering online-exclusive deals.  by Rachel Derowitsch
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