.
Editor's Notes
Fred Showker,
Editor/Publisher, User Group Network News
_ * Here comes Illustrator 10, InDesign 2.0
; _ * How much to charge for Web or DTP Design?
; _ * New Platform Independent MPeg Viewers
; _ * Flash, Bash, Bam...
; _ * New Toast Burns Better...
; _ * Advanced Screen Utilities Pack for Windows
; _ * The best buddy for your files...
; _ * ICANN To Review Security of the Internet
; _ * Hackers, Not Terrorists, Major Concern
Here comes Illustrator 10, InDesign 2.0 - In their unquenchable thirst for more customers, and more revenue from topped-out products, Adobe is rolling out new versions of Illustrator and InDesign -- built for Mac OS X at last. Illustrator will ship shortly, but they're still saying InDesign 2.0 won't appear for OS X next year. If you understand Adobe's model, you'll understand that this media hype is to ramp people up at Seybold.
__New features for Illustrator include:
* Symbols to create repeating graphics and keep file size small
* Vector and raster-based slicing
* Slice-by-slice optimization
* Enhanced MacromediaĴ Flash (SWF) support
* Selective type anti-aliasing for easy-to-read small text
* Liquify tools, enveloping, and warping
* Symbolism tools to manipulate symbols interactively
* Four new drawing tools for lines, arcs, grids, and polar grids
* Flare tool for reflections and lens flare effects
* and a ton of other stuff that's already in Photoshop 6, or reworded features of Illustrator 9. Adobe has posted a 17-page PDF document outlining all of Illustrator's new features, available just click below. - Thanks to: for sending this in. File this one under: DTP: Publishing, printing, output For more info go to: http://imac.pointinspace.com/racknmonitor.html
.
How much to charge for Web or DTP Design? - Friend and colleague Bob Brenner wrote in to let everyone know he's just released his second edition of Hourly Rates for the state of New York. This book is over 30% larger than its predecessor. It has more prices (over 2500) from more cities (78), and it includes price distribution charts. A special section in the Appendix explains how to conduct market analysis using price lists. It shows you how to use the information in this book to make better pricing decisions. As you know, Bob's organization, The Brenner Information Group collects pricing and wage prices in the web design and desktop publishing industries to help you set your prices. - Thanks to: Bob Brenner for sending this in. File this one under: DTP: Publishing, printing, output, Web Design Business For more info go to: http://www.brennerbooks.com
.
New Platform Independent MPeg Viewers - 3 Mpeg-1 Video Viewers which can be viewed directly using a web browser and no plug-in is needed. This exclusive collection of Mpeg-1 Video Viewers are in the format of Java applets which are run from inside a world wide web browser and are platform independent. These applets are highly optimized for browser viewing. They are designed to let web page owners enhance their web site visual features without spending a fortune and to give web site visitors multimedia experience without having to download a plug-in. The collection ranges from a simple Mpeg-1 video viewer which plays Mpeg-1 video in loops to a streaming Mpeg-1 video viewer with configurable user interface which allows viewers to see the video without waiting for the video to load completely. - Thanks to: Gloria Riley for sending this in. File this one under: For more info go to: http://www.jgalaxy.com/java/download.html
.
Flash, Bash, Bam... - Gavin Wray sent us a copy of the "New Masters: Flash Annual 2002" and it's a home-run. The book is written top Flash designers and, in keeping with other books in the New Masters series, aims to give the book's readers a genuine insight into the techniques, ideas, and inspirations that enable these experts to create such stunning work. Including advanced level tutorials on how to create and emulate these experts Flash effects, this book also includes individual essays by the contributors on what inspires them in their creative thought processes. - Thanks to: Gavin Wray for sending this in. File this one under: Graphics: Flash, books, instruction, eye candy For more info go to: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1903450365/thedesignpublish
.
New Toast Burns Better... - In the wake of Apple's release of Mac OS 9.2.1, Roxio has provided updates to both the Deluxe and OEM versions of Toast Titanium 5.0, its flagship CD recording software. Toast 5.0.2 addresses a number of issues, many of which are directed at improving cohabitation with Apple's built-in Disc Burner software. Roxio notes the following revisions to Toast 5.02:
* Improved compatibility with Disc Burner and iTunes
* Buffer Underrun Prevention for DVD-R drives
* support for DVD-R media speed detection
* support for new CD and DVD recorders
* Disc-to-Disc copy improvements
Roxio notes that its Toast Titanium for OS X preview remains unchanged; the 5.02 updater modifies only the Classic version of Toast. Toast 5.02 is a free 3.7MB download - Thanks to: Roxio for sending this in. File this one under: OS: Enhancements (Macintosh) For more info go to: http://www.roxio.com/en/support/toast/toastupdates.html
.
Advanced Screen Utilities Pack for Windows - Greatis Software releases Screen Beagle: Advanced Screen Utilities Pack! Greatis Screen Beagle is an unusually refined, advanced Screen Utilities System, containing four integrated, powerful sub-utilities:
* Magnifier A sophisticated screen-viewing window which is sizable from 50 to 300 pixels, and which can zoom from x2 to x10.
* Screenshot An advanced screenshot utility which can copy either the screen, or a selected part of the screen to either the clipboard, or to a BMP-file (or both.)
* Measurer This unique utility can measure distances and angles between any two points on the screen.
* Dropper This useful utility can acquire the color of any pixel on the screen, transform it into text formats (RGB, REG Hex, and HTML), and display these text representations or copy them to the clipboard.
Screen Beagle costs US$ 19.95 for a single-user license. Fully functional version of Screen Beagle is available for a 30-day evaluation from http://www.greatis.com/sbsetup.exe - Thanks to: Dmitry Vasiliev for sending this in. File this one under: OS: Enhancements (Windows) For more info go to: http://www.greatis.com/sb.htm
.
The best buddy for your files... - Everyone calls this the Swiss army knife for Mac users -- FileBuddy now works with OS X, is faster under all OS, can batch alter file types and creators, make files visible or invisible, and find files modified or created in the last hour or in the last year. Type or file changes are extremely useful when working with files downloaded from a PC which may have lost their resource forks, the vital pieces of information which tell a Mac what kind of file it is.
__File Buddy also allows you to compare the contents of two disks, for example to ensure backups are exactly the same. Other useful features include 'cleaning' the Preferences folder: a search of the folder reveals all the preferences of applications no longer on your Mac and asks whether you want to discard them or keep them. It even runs on PowerPCs using systems as old as 7.6. For 68K users, File Buddy is still available for download. - Thanks to: UGNN news service for sending this in. File this one under: OS: Enhancements (Macintosh) For more info go to: http://www.skytag.com/filebuddy/download.html
.
ICANN To Review Security of the Internet - Thank goodness. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, ICANN, the organization that manages the naming system for the Internet, said Thursday it will evaluate the security of the Internet's technical functions at its meeting in November. - Thanks to: Mary Mosquera for InternetWeek for sending this in. File this one under: Editorial For more info go to: http://update.internetweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEdy0BdxAn0V30Sku0AM
.
Hackers, Not Terrorists, Major Concern - Although the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have led executives to review their IT recovery plans, they remain focused on the more probable threats posed by hackers and viruses.
__Some managers said they'll tweak their plans, but many companies--particularly those outside the financial services industry--will have a hard time justifying real-time backup programs. While such programs are among the most comprehensive approaches to disaster recovery, they can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.
__"There has to be a clear benefit to spending that kind of money," said Ken Walters, director of enterprise platforms at the Public Broadcasting System. "If you're a stock market, an exchange or in banking, you can justify those costs. But I think most companies would say a few hours of downtime is an acceptable loss." - Thanks to: Margie Semilof for InternetWeek for sending this in. File this one under: Editorial For more info go to: http://update.internetweek.com/cgi-bin4/flo?y=eEdx0BdxAn0V30SiC0AT
.
Fred Showker
Editor in Chief: The User Group Network News Service
As usual we invite YOUR input, comments, suggestions and participation in the original
User Group Network, the longest running commercial-free, independent, multi platform
user group support organization in the world.
... http://www.user-groups.net/contact.html
From Fred Showker, Editor/Publisher,
User Group Network News: December 15 User Group Network News Service at http://www.user-groups.net/news/index.html.
NOTICE TO EDITORS: ______________________
User Group Editors may
reprint this article so long as they include the credit line above, and the link
to the User Group Network. Copyright 2000, All Rights Reserved.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The UGNN cannot guarantee accuracy or timeliness of articles. Many have been forwarded
to us by field correspondents, or press release services. All care is taken to assure
the accuracy of URLs and email addresses. Some items may be 30 to 60 days old. All
commercial names herein, including publication, product, and company names are assumed
to be the registered trademarks of their respective owner companies. User Group Network,
UGN, UGNN, UGNet News, are all trademarks for The User Group Network, copyright 1994
- 2001 all rights reserved ------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
. 
. 
. 
