Accordance by OakTree Software is one of those massively powerful programs that causes me to think, “Where to begin?” Let’s start with introductions. Readers, Accordance 8 is a highly flexible and in-depth program for studying the Bible, commentaries, and related reference tools—including maps—with the ability to conduct extraordinarily complex searches. Its functions meet the needs of the layperson up through the scholar starting with simple translation comparisons all the way to delving into the original languages behind the English translations of the text. Those two sentences, however, do not do this program justice. As I have stated in the past, I am a fairly new Mac convert, joining the cult family in about May 2007 after nearly twenty years of Windows usage since Windows 3.1. Prior to my switch, my Biblical software of choice was the very popular Logos program—particularly the Scholar’s Library. Logos did the job, but I did not find it particularly intuitive—and no matter how useful a program may be once mastered, if mastery becomes a chore, I lose interest and motivation. This is why I remain a mediocre Photoshop user. Although there are a ton of resources and conventions and blah, blah, blah to learn the program, I do not care for any software that requires the time of maintaining a second husband to understand. This fact does, however, have to be balanced with the reality that complex programs do have a learning curve, but a good developer will minimize that curve as much as possible and thoroughly equip the user with tools to quickly navigate that painful period. I am very pleased to report that Accordance has done this with true faithfulness to continuity with the Macintosh GUI. While I had recently learned that Logos is being developed for the Macintosh platform, and my (expensive) license is transferable, unless something has greatly changed with their user interface, I do not anticipate ceasing use of Accordance as my primary Bible study program. Also, I have my doubts that a long-time Windows developer with its attached baggage of Windows butt-ugly navigation experience will be able to create a product with the look and function of a citizen of the Appleverse.

I have also used the free program MacSword as an alternative to the free PC software e-Sword and promptly gave up. It was confusing and aggravating in addition to being very limited in its available resources as compared to its PC counterpart. I have a well-stocked personal library of theological texts; if it is more efficient for me to grab books and conduct research the old-fashioned way, then a particular study program is not for me. Now despite this admittedly glowing introduction, I will now highlight the major features that I have been road-testing and give my frank assessment of each—good and bad. In the interest of full disclosure, the base software and any add-on modules reviewed were given to me gratis from the developer. I hope I have developed a relationship with my readers from my prior reviews to have earned the trust that this does not influence my opinion. In fact, in this case, I had already learned that my Windows Logos license for which I had paid well over $500 could be transferred to a Macintosh license prior to contacting the Accordance developer, so my motivation for requesting the review was not a burning need to try to obtain sophisticated Biblical study software for free.

Read more…

Thanks to everyone else who commented. If you didn’t win this time, be sure to check back often. We’ve got more great reviews with giveaways coming your way soon!

I like to consider myself a budding photographer, but if I’m honest with myself I know I’m just starting out. I went outside to grab some pictures to test with Photomatix Pro. Below are the three images I started with.

Under-exposed:

The image is just too dark overall, but there is a little bit of color that is very rich.

Mid-exposure:

Again, the bottom is very dark, which may be a nice effect but I really want the foreground to show.

Over-exposed:

The foreground has finally come out, but everything is way too bright.

So as you can see, none of these images quite captures the whole scene. However, when put through Photomatix Pro, the results are quite amazing. I really wanted to create a sort of surreal picture, yet keep the great colors from the sunset in the sky.

The Result:

The foreground now shows, almost in a surreal way, and the colors in the sky really stand out.

Bear in mind that this is the result of dropping 3 images in and spending maybe 30 seconds tinkering with a few sliders before processing. Given more time (and probably a better understanding of image editing than I have) you can create even more astounding results. My test simply shows that even in a matter of minutes with limited experience in photo editing, you can still create a good looking picture. For some examples that are more professional than I can offer at the moment, check out HDRsoft’s example pages here and here.

Before I wrap this up, let’s talk about the giveaway. As usual, constructive comments, suggestions, etc. about Photomatix Pro will earn you the chance to win your own copy of this great program. On October 23rd, I will randomly choose one commenter who will then be contacted with instructions on how to claim their free copy! In the meantime, head on over to HDRsoft and download a free trial today! Photomatix can also be purchased through the same website for $99. On to the breakdown!

The Breakdown:
Pros: Extremely easy to use, simple and uncluttered interface, easy enough for beginners to use and powerful enough for professionals to appreciate
Cons: Expensive (though not in comparison to tools such as Photoshop), somewhat limited feature set
The Verdict: If you’re a photographer, this is a handy tool to have. It is a bit more expensive and it does have a somewhat limited feature set, but it does what it’s designed to do with ease and produces good results. I’d recommend it for those who deal with photography and image editing regularly. For budding photographers like myself, I’d recommend holding off for now and focus on learning the basics first.

Miles, I will be emailing you with further instructions. Congratulations, and we do hope you make make World of Apple a regular stop for your Apple news and reviews.

With the new car smell

The newest version of Toast is here! Read all the way through the review for a chance to win a free retail box copy of Toast Titanium 9! I have been using Roxio’s Toast CD/DVD burning software ever since my conversion to the Mac platform when I was searching for a replacement for the PC-only Nero software. So, when an invitation came in to World of Apple from Roxio to review the newest version, Toast Titanium 9, I jumped at the chance and was given a copy of the program gratis from the developer.

When doing a first impression of a product, I look for attention in the small details that define the Macintosh edge, even in items that might not directly concern everyone, as I believe that a developer who shows care in one area is more likely to show care in others. For example, the “About Toast” selection is a mini-production itself. Also, the reviewer’s kit that was sent by Roxio is the most comprehensive that I have seen to date. They care that accurate information is being published and that any potential reviewers are well-equipped to give an educated opinion to their readers. While this will never be seen by the typical end-user, it is indicative of the developer’s thoroughness. Roxio’s Toast has been providing media burning software for the Mac platform since 1994 in the Jobsian exile dark days.

Now after praising Roxio for their attention to detail, it appears that many users have had complaints that this version was quite not ready for prime-time in the Roxio Support Forums, yet I read very glowing reviews at some sites. I always check the thoughts of others after I form my own initial impressions to see if my thoughts are lining up with the experiences of other users. I was running into one particular audio problem (which will be detailed below), so I signed up at the Roxio Forum never noting in my post that I was writing a review. I point this out so that what I will say next will not be seen as Roxio simply wanting to receive good press. Soon after my post, I received an email from Roxio at my personal email address (i.e. not an @worldofapple.com address) sending me a new version of that particular component to test. My communications with Roxio both by email and by telephone thus far leave me confident that though I will be pointing out several problems I have experienced, Roxio is committed to fixing them. To my delight, when speaking to the developer’s representative on the phone (after the initial email, I disclosed that I was a reviewer), I mentioned one screen which had an interface that was very un-Mac-like, and he responded very positively that I had a very good point, and he would mention it to an engineer.

Note the Un-Mac-like lack of any controls to get rid of this window

This is a richly multi-featured product that would be impossible to review in each of its details in depth in my review, so I will focus on some of the newest features as well as the ones that will be of interest to the broadest base of users. In that regard I will detail certain features that worked very well for me and ones that had difficulties. Unfortunately there are a few new features that I cannot directly test as they are specialty functions for which I do not have the requisite equipment such as a Blu-Ray capable disc player or TiVo. I do, however, own an EyeTV Hybrid which is designed to integrate seamlessly with Toast and is especially useful with the new “Streamer” feature.

A Happy Family

Hot and Toasty

System Requirements

Toast version 9 Titanium requires OS X 10.4.x (Tiger) or 10.5.x (Leopard) as well as a PowerPC G4, PowerPC G5, or Intel Mac with QuickTime 7.1.3 or higher. The retail price point is $99.99 for first-time buyers and $79.99 for an upgrade (after a $20.00 rebate). The HD/DVD and Blu-Ray authoring functions require an additional add-on at a cost of $20.00.

General Interface

The program opens into a main workflow/content window and media browser which are simple and elegant with “drag and drop” functionality. The media browser, similar to the one found in GarageBand, opens in a separate floating pane which can be closed and re-opened easily with right-click contextual menus available for individual media files. The workplace is divided into category, project type/options, disc options, content, and recording areas. The type of projects supported are entitled “data,” “audio,” “video,” “copy,” and “convert.”

Media Browser

Main Window with new larger project size indicator

Basic disc creation involves selecting a category/project, setting disc options, dragging over content, and clicking record. Easy as apple pie. As I hope is obvious in my reviews, user-friendliness is one of my utmost concerns. I grow weary of wonderful programs that unnecessarily require a huge chunk of my limited time to learn or ones that have virtually nonexistent support materials. A hard copy user manual is provided with the retail box version of Toast and is provided as a .pdf document in the Help menu. While there is a video overview of the features, I would really like to see some video tutorials on the Roxio site. However, at each point of the workflow, most tools have an “i” icon which provide tool-tips with mouse-over. There is also Growl notification support which I have grown to rely upon. For former users of Toast, yes, right-clicking on a supported file and selecting “Toast It” will open Toast with the file in the content area under the appropriate project type. I note that when this was initially not functioning properly in the first release, a user reported it in the forums, and Roxio fixed it promptly.

Tool Tip

In testing Toast on two Macs (one MacBook and one Mac Pro tower), I ran into inconsistent stability issues. At times, when the help menu was accessed on the Mac Pro, Toast would freeze and require a force quit. After restarting the Mac Pro, the issue would clear up. This was never replicated on the MacBook and has since ceased happening. Since I started writing this review over the period of several months, it is difficult to determine whether this was something with Toast or a conflict with another process. At this point, with the Mac Pro, I am inclined to blame the issue on some issue other than Toast since it has not recurred, and I have an over-fondness for downloading various and sundry programs that bat their eyelashes at me. However, I experienced (and still do) a fairly frequent grey screen of death (kernel panic) on the MacBook when working with EyeTV files, and Roxio has acknowledged awareness of issues with EyeTV on the support forums. There have been several times though when my MacBook grey-screened when working with more typical media. Unlike my Mac Pro, I am not inclined to blame anything else installed on the machine as it is new, and I have kept it quite vanilla unlike my Mac Pro which is my download playground.

DVD/CD Creation

Video Content

DVD authoring is very simple and straightforward, and the informational mouse-overs will guide even inexperienced users in selecting the proper tool. For example, you have VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders - does Toast want both folders or just the video folder? Toast tells you. Do you have an .mp4 file and are unsure what selection to use for burning? Toast tells you. The same holds true when creating data and music files, including music DVDs. Cross-fades and creative mixes can also easily be created. I found the DVD menu options easy to navigate, but there were not enough stock templates in my opinion, though any image may be dragged in as a background for further customization.

The following video discs can be created: Video CDs; Super Video CDs; DVD-Video Discs; DVD-Video Discs from VIDEO_TS folders; DivX Discs; HD DVD Video Discs (including HDDVD_TS Folders); and Blu-Ray Video Discs (including BDMV Folders). The Blu-Ray and HD-DVD features require the purchase of an additional plug-in, and the Toast materials state that original HD material can be burned onto a traditional DVD disc which can then be played on a HD-DVD or Blu-ray player. This simply requires selecting the proper project type when burning the disc (i.e. Blu-ray Video or HD DVD Video). Again, as this is a fairly new media area, and I do not have the requisite hardware or media, those features were not tested. Supported video formats include DV, AVI, MOV, HDV, MPEG-4, iMovie HD Projects, MPEG-2, DivX, EyeTV, and TiVoToGo. I also tested it with an iMovie 08 “event,” and Toast was able to work with those files as well.

Menu style selection with new large preview

More Menu Style Creation

For lengthy video files, Toast supports “fit to DVD compression” and allows the deselection of sub-portions of files in order to reduce the file size such as “extras” or certain shows of a multi-episode DVD. There is instantaneous preview available so that the video quality settings can be assessed prior to burning, and helpfully, there is a built-in edit function (the same as in EyeTV – please see the EyeTV section of this review for a helpful hint on the editing portion) to remove unwanted portions of video such as commercials and allows the button image to be set when appropriate. This editing is non-destructive in nature so that your original media remains unmodified. I would love to see a commercial auto-detect feature such as is available in some PC software I used to use heavily such as Video ReDo. If another task is needed to be done while a project is burning, Toast allows projects to be paused and restarted to temporarily free up system resources. I tested this feature which worked precisely as it should.

Preview Thumbnail

Basic Editing

When creating a DVD from a VIDEO_TS file which contains multiple episodes and extras, I note that menus are only available if the entire contents are burned – if any of the content, such as the extras are excluded, menus are not available. VIDEO_TS files can be lined up for batch recording and compilations which also worked precisely as they should. The VIDEO_TS recording offers a “custom” setting which provides the greatest options for languages and subtitles and allows menus as long as the entire disk contents with extras are selected. While I note complaints in the Roxio User Forums about failed recordings which resulted in wasted discs, I found write failures to occur less than 5% in my testing, and some of those could be easily be due to defects in the original material as some were “ripped” from DRM-cracked commercial DVDs using Mac the Ripper and Hand Brake, which I and World of Apple absolutely do not condone, but I tested this material as I was being realistic as to what the average user will be doing with their owned DVD collections that they wish to back-up unto discs in order to preserve the originals. I also used various brands of media. I did not have any burning issues with material that was initially non-protected, with the exception of the EyeTV problems that will be mentioned below and the occasional grey-screening I experienced on my MacBook mentioned above.

Batch recording

_TS Compilation

There are several ways to assess video quality prior to committing to burn to disc. First, for most projects there is a quick preview window, or alternatively disc images can also be created to assess video quality prior to burning to DVD. The video from the disc image may be previewed through the Mac’s built-in DVD player and then, if acceptable, may be burned to DVD from within Toast.

Quality Preview

Data and Photo Content

Data DVDs and CDs can be spanned across multiple discs, and Toast does allow some customization on where it will choose to split the files. This too was tested without any problems noted. One niggling problem I have noticed is that there are situations in which Toast does not prompt the user for a disc name such as when making multiple discs (but different projects) from within the same program function area (i.e. never leaving the DVD creation area for example). Additionally when producing data discs, Toast assumes that the user wants to title the disc with the name of the first folder dragged into the content pane. In short, even though there is a user preference setting to always ask for “missing” disc names, it doesn’t prompt for names in situations where the disk name is simply “assumed” by Toast, and I don’t think that the program should assume that a copied folder name will be the disc name, or that the disc name of a previous project in the same pane will be the same – especially when the content is different, but it does. It is not difficult to change an assumed name, just click and change like any Mac file (or utilize the “more” panel in the workspace), but it is something that is very easy to forget – especially when you hit forty, like me. In speaking with the Roxio representative, he appreciated the possible difficulty and stated that it might be considered in future revisions.

Data discs can be created in Mac-only formats or Mac/PC formats, both of which I tested with perfect success. The encryption feature was also without fault and rated the strength of the password selected and gave the option to remember the password in the keychain. Using compression, 693mb of data was brought down to around 600mb. However, spanning is not an option if either encryption or compression is selected. Leaving a session “open” so that further data can be added at a later time creates two actual volumes that the Finder treats as two separate discs which is typical OSX behaviour as I understand.

Photo discs are created with automatic slide show functionality as well as a helpful “add to iPhoto” Applescript option when mounted. The slide show program is actually quite nice, and I spent some pleasant time viewing collections of Biblical art images.

Audio Content

Audio discs can be created using any non-protected files in at least the following formats: AIFF, MP3, WAV, AAC, AC3, OGG, FLAC, and even MOV. Audio unit effects, trimming, pauses and various cross-fading options can be applied individually to each track. Each track can also be previewed from within the content area workspace. Music CDs and DVDs can be created with multiple playing options including shuffle, continuous play, and smart playlists which can be combined with data, video, and photo content. Album artwork and music DVD buttons are customizable. As with the video templates, I found the stock selection to be limited – but again, custom backgrounds can be dragged over.

Quick Look Support

While in the media browser in any of the authoring panes, highlighting a file and pressing the space bar or eye-shaped icon brings up full Quick Look functionality so that nearly any media can be previewed from within Toast directly. Roxio notes that the following files are accessing with the integrated Quick Look:

• Most music, pictures, and video files
• Text, PDF, and Word documents
• Keynote and PowerPoint presentations
• Excel spreadsheets
• Mail attachments

I personally tried some unlisted applications such as Pages and Numbers which also opened fine via Quick Look.

Quick Look

Custom Icons and Backgrounds

I had quite a bit of fun with this feature. Instead of settling for the boring disc icon to show up in the Finder, a custom icon can be easily dragged into the “more” options as well as custom background colours or images for when the disc items are accessed (the custom backgrounds only appear when viewed on a Mac).

Disc Artwork

Toast 9 supports LightScribe and LabelFlash; however, I do not have any such enabled drives and could not test these features. I have used LightScribe technology in the past on PCs and though the “burned” disc labelling isn’t anywhere near professional level, it is a pretty neat technology – and as I have seen it integrate very well with PC programs, I am confident that it works very well with Toast. I have no experience with LabelFlash and can thus offer no comment in that regard. There is also an added function to create disc inserts and covers to be printed. I played around with various designs and found it to be competitive with similar programs; however, I did not print out any of the designs as I am currently not on speaking terms with my HP printer (on a side rant, I will never buy an HP product for a Mac again). Google searches for missing artwork can be initiated from directly within the program.

Disc Cover creation

Discover through Google

File Copy

This function in the workspace allows discs and disc images to be copied/burned as well as supporting the merging of disc image files - for instance when one disc will contain a Mac version of an item as well as a Windows version for distribution.

File Conversion

A new “convert” category has been added which also allows automatic import into iTunes after conversion of audio and video files into different formats. I have found this handy, and it has worked without problems. Of course, Toast will not copy or import discs or files with DRM encryption.

Batch Convert

Choose Convert Format

Plug & Burn

This feature allows the importation of video from a DV camcorder through a firewire connection. I used a Sony HandyCam TRV480. To go on a bit of a tangent, while this camera certainly is not a high video quality camcorder, it offers backward compatibility with older 8mm tapes which, if you have a great many, is much cheaper than paying a service to convert them for you. Once the camera is turned on and put into play mode, a camera icon appears in the content area with basic video controls. At this point, the footage may be forwarded or reversed to choose the starting point for the video disc to be created. However, unlike the editing options for a DVD video, the ending point cannot be chosen in this manner – only a certain set number of minutes past the selected starting point which might not be at a convenient or appropriate point. I do see this as a deficiency that seems to be easy for Roxio to change, so I am unsure why they chose this route.

It is at this point that I found the interface potentially confusing. After choosing import, there are multiple options which include a “start from beginning of tape” that over-rides the earlier designated starting point – something that can easily be done unawares as I did. Perhaps a tool-tip at that point would be useful to remind the user that this will reset the starting point to the beginning of the tape, or maybe I am just being a bit dense. I can see that this may be of use to people who want to simply import entire videos to disc (or certain timed segments) without much concern for bad shots, ackward silences, and the other demons which plaque home video. In fact, after playing with it a bit, I think that is precisely what I am going to do. However, I think that most users who want watchable home movie footage (i.e. interesting and not tortuously boring) would opt to import into a video editing program such as iMovie ‘08, iMovie HD, or Final Cut Express to do at least some minor editing before recording, and at least some of the usual video editing programs offer a burning option, and Final Cut Express includes a sophisticated DVD menu creation feature. So in short, this feature worked though the interface is at some points confusing, and there is very little control on the precise footage imported unless the file is imported in full. I am planning on using this feature to do a down and dirty all out conversion of my Sony HandyCam 8mm and Hi8 tapes into a digital format for possible later manipulation if desired. Quite frankly, most of the family footage will simply remain as originally shot in perpetuity.

I did work with the Roxio representative regarding these concerns, and a good workaround is to import the full video onto the computer outside of Toast and treating that file as any other that can be edited with more precision.

Camcorder recognition

DV Footage Screen

Streamer

The feature I was most looking forward to worked perfectly for me - Streamer. With Streamer, the user imports video files into a designated Streamer folder, registers at the Roxio Streamer site, and is given a unique URL from which their videos can be viewed from the Internet anywhere. One snag I experienced, and this is unrelated to Roxio, but instead to AT&T’s terrible DSL customer service (especially when you tell them you are on a Mac), but the designated URL may not work within your own home network, and in that case you simply need to directly access the host computer’s IP and identify the port number assigned to Streamer. The on-screen instructions are very clear as to what settings must be enabled on the network router for Streamer to work properly. Also, despite the very firm assertion by the AT&T technician, you can have Streamer running on multiple computers by simply assigning it to a different port number. So on my system, the default port of 10080 was assigned to my MacPro and 10081 was assigned to my MacBook. Streamer videos can be viewed from any Mac, PC (as if), iPod touch (when connected to WiFi), and iPhone.

Client Side Screen

iPhone View

Another iPhone View

Welcome to Streamer

CD Spin Doctor

This feature allows the user to hijack sounds from their computer such as Internet streaming radio. I tested this extensively with Pandora. However, this is where I started running into glitches which prompted the Roxio technician to contact me. The audio recorded, but unfortunately there were intermittent bursts of distortion in the recording that will have to be corrected before this feature will be at all useable. An additional issue persisted only with the MacBook – that being that the CD Spin Capture support which is required in order to hijack audio simply refused to “stick.” It went through the installation process normally, but refused to appear where it should. I trashed and reinstalled this program as part of a trouble-shooting process, but the capture support still failed to take. Lastly, on my Mac Pro, there were intermittent issues with switching between headphones and line-out, but I have a suspicion that this might be a Mac Pro-only issue since its audio settings do not behave like the rest of the Mac line. Additionally, I have SoundSource installed on both machines which I informed Roxio in the possible case that there were possible conflicts there.

On a more practical note, I do not understand why Spin Capture support is a separate process that the user must install after CD Spin Doctor is installed rather than having it install automatically.

With any segment of hijacked audio, CD Spin Doctor can auto-detect the separate tracks, and the integrated Grace Note technology can automatically identify the song which then can all be imported into iTunes. I have used various auto-identification music programs in the past, and this one so far is the most accurate, and I was pleased with the results.

Starting in Wizard Mode

Track Identification and Editing

This program also features resources to convert analog tapes and actual albums into digital form directly from a turntable or cassette player as well as hiss and noise removal. I no longer have any of this type of media and was not able to test these features. CD Spin Doctor supports importing and editing MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless and AIFF formats.

Connecting Audio Source Screen

EyeTV/Tivo Integration

I do not have Tivo, so I have no comment on that portion. However, I do have EyeTV which does send the recorded files directly into Toast with the click of a button or by navigation through the media browser. I regularly experienced problems burning the EyeTV files into DVDs (the disc could not record because of a Mac OS Error Result code = - 39). On the Roxio User Forums, it was suggested to convert the EyeTV files into a disc image and then burn the image unto a DVD as a temporary work-around until the problem is addressed which has been acknowledged by Roxio as an issue needing to be addressed. That workaround apparently worked for some users, but I received the same error mentioned above when I attempted it. Oddly, there were EyeTV files that burned successfully every time, some that never burned successfully, and some that burned when they felt like it. This is another area in which I have been in active contact with Roxio’s representative who has provided beta versions for me to try in order to fix this known issue. Obviously, Toast does support the necessary Turbo.264 video encoder. As mentioned above, these files can be edited directly from within Toast or EyeTV. That being said, having worked with multiple pro-sumer level video programs, the editing interface is not intuitive or maybe I am just too spoiled by the wonderful tool-tips in other parts of this product. I would strongly suggest watching this video from ScreenCasts Online on EyeTV as he covers a lot of basics, including editing, which I found very helpful (though please note that this is a UK screencast, and there are some differences in the EyeTV hardware and software between the UK and the US versions). Also, from what I understand, a World of Apple review of EyeTV is planned for the future.

Dragging EyeTV Media into Toast

Toast Option from Within EyeTV

EyeTV Edit Screen

ToastAnywhere Recorder Sharing

I was able to test this across my home network sharing my DVD recorder on each of my machines with each other, and it worked flawlessly. This will be very appealing to those with a MacBook Air of whose number I wish I was. I note that this feature boasts the ability to share recorders over the Internet as well, but at this point in time, that function is not working and is acknowledged as a known problem by Roxio.

Get Back-Up RE

I perused and tested some of the basic functionality of this back-up utility. It would be useful for planned back-ups of particular files such as an iTunes library, but for my own purposes, will not be a feature that I will use as I have a three-tier full back-up strategy (Time Machine, Mozy, and Carbon Copy Cloner). Yes, I am paranoid about losing data.

Get Backup Screen

Disc Catalog Maker

As this was a feature for which I had limited interest, I gave it a very brief glance over. It automatically catalogs data discs made so that disc backups could be easily identified and cataloged. As I am not a fan of backing up to disc, this would be of limited usefulness to me. However, I see how it could be very useful to those who find it productive to use discs as part of their back-up plans.

Catalogue of Data Disks Created

Conclusion

This review, while lengthy, still only touched upon wide swathes of the program’s nuances and should not be taken as an exhaustive analysis, though I did strive for thoroughness in the areas in which I focused. I almost feel compelled to post an image of the dog-eared and marked-up Reviewer’s Guide and User Manual that I have been pouring over in order to put the program through its paces.

• Pros: The developer has a basic video presentation on the product. There are more features than ever before, including streaming video which I found to be a real treat and seamless. The interface is inuitive with plenty of helpful information boxes along the way. The excellent authoring functionality that Toast is known for remains and is expanded for greater customization. I now use it exclusively and have it set as default for burning on both of my machines, no longer using the built-in burning functionality of Leopard. Additionally, I have found Roxio to be very responsive to its users and their suggestions and definitely committed to the Mac platform and community.
• Cons: The support site does not have thorough step by step tutorials which are becoming something that is expected among consumers and would be especially helpful for switchers who are already a bit lost with a new OS. The HD/DVD Blu Ray functionality is a plug-in at an extra cost rather than being included with a program of this price point. There are still consistency problems with some of the new features such as CD Spin Doctor, sharing recorders over the internet, and EyeTV file DVD authoring which have caused many users to consider this more of a beta release rather than a final release.
• Verdict: I have a mixed verdict. If you have Toast 8, it may be worthwhile to wait for bug fixes unless some of the new features are things that are very compelling to you. For more assistance in this decision, read Roxio’s feature comparison of the two versions. Personally, Streamer, Quick Look, on-the-fly preview/editing, and CD Spin Doctor (once fixed) would be compelling to me. If you don’t need or want any of the new features, you will want to stick with Toast 8 until all of the bugs are worked out. So Toast 9 Titanium gets a split review – 4 1/2 stars on the typical authoring features that most users will use with the added functions for editing, preview, Quick Look, and Streamer. Three stars for the EyeTV support and integration due to its inconsistency, and 1 star for CD Spin Doctor until the audio quality issues are resolved.

Roxio is working on resolving the problems noted within this review, and I will post an updated review when these items are addressed.

GIVEAWAY: Post in the comments and you will be entered into a random drawing to win a retail box copy of Toast 9 Titanium PLUS the added HD DVD and Blu-Ray plug-in. You will only be entered once, so multiple comments will not provide more chances. The winner will be announced on August 4. The software is the retail box version, so the winner will need to provide their address to me, and I will forward it to the Roxio representative. If you are uncomfortable giving your address if you win, but still wish to comment, just note in the comments that you do not wish to enter the giveaway drawing.

I also wanted to note that I spoke with each of the 3 developers and they all have plans to release native iPhone versions of their applications. For those of you with iPhones and one of these apps, be sure to keep an eye on the App Store!

Now, without further ado, our winners:
For Cha-Ching: Congrats to Rebecca. You commented curious to know about the stability of these programs and we’d like to give you the chance to see first-hand with your own copy of Cha-Ching! And with version 2.0 coming soon as a free upgrade, we’re sure you’ll find numerous enhancements.
For iBank: Congrats to Danny Greg. We hope you find your new iBank license helpful in meeting your need for a more powerful banking app.
For MoneyWell: Congrats to Cameron Williams. We’re glad that MoneyWell reflects how you work and happy to be able to provide you with a license you weren’t otherwise able to afford right now!

For our 3 winners, I have sent your information to the respective developers and they should be e-mailing you soon! For everyone, thank you for the great comments and be sure to come back often for Apple news and even more reviews and giveaways (much like one coming soon that will have the photographers out there interested!).

Be sure to check out the review to find out what my top pick is and be sure to comment with a suggestion for your favorite application and you’ll be entered to win a license for that application! Hurry though, the giveaway is on June 27th!

In this special 3-in-1 review, I will look at the pros and cons of each (while focusing on the unique factors between them, as all 3 programs have similar, basic functions that you’d expect from a piece of banking software) and decide a winner. Note that in the end, my choice will reflect the software that I feel meets my needs best and I’d encourage you to try all 3 to see what works best for you. Hopefully my review will help guide you in your decision. As with my past reviews, the developers of these three programs have generously offered to give away 1 license to a lucky reader. That means we will have 3 total winners this time. Since this is a special review, I’m asking for some special comments. I’d like you, the reader, to try out these programs and come back to comment stating which of these 3 programs is your favorite, why it is your favorite, and at least one thing you’d like to see improved. 3 lucky readers will receive a license for the program they stated as their favorite! So without further ado, my review!

Cha-Ching:

Cha-Ching

Cha-Ching also offers a unique way to view your online banking information with a built in browser of sorts. It’s not a browser you’d use to replace Safari by any means, but it’s a great way to quickly and easily access your online bank account to verify or download your latest transactions. With the integration of smart folders, a scheduler, budgets, and accounts, Cha-Ching allows you to take your banking information and organize how you prefer. It even allows you to attach pictures or files to your transactions. Here’s a quick example of how this could work for you: You snap a photo of the new iMac you just bought (lucky you!) and scan the receipt for your purchase. You attach a PDF version of your receipt to the transaction and drop the photo in. Now, when you are looking through your transactions, you can see photos of exactly what you bought, as well as check the receipt. Cha-Ching also supports tagging, which makes finding past transactions even easier. If you stay current and diligent putting your financial information in, Cha-Ching makes it extremely easy to keep track of your financial history.

iBank:

iBank

iBank also allows for managing portfolios - a great tool for investors, adding charts - which provides a great way to view a breakdown of your spending habits, budgets, smart import rules (in conjunction with the capacity to download your transactions) - great for making future imports easy, and more. Overall, iBank is a fairly powerful tool for managing finances and it allows you to tweak just how you want to view your finances. On the downside, however, all these options also make iBank feel more cluttered than the other 2 programs.

MoneyWell:

MoneyWell

All that said, it’s easier said than done. MoneyWell has a bit more of a learning curve to it and I found that it took me longer to set up everything as I wanted it in MoneyWell than it did in the other 2 programs. Still, once set up I found MoneyWell to be the easiest way to view my finances. What it lacks in power (i.e. no portfolio accounts, customizable charts, or alternate views) and in design (not as cluttered as iBank, but still more cluttered than Cha-Ching) it makes up for in its straightforward nature, that is once it’s set up.

The Breakdown:
So what does this all mean? I skipped all that stuff up above, just give me the pros and cons of each! When it comes down to it, which one is best? After playing around with the programs for a few weeks and without further ado…

Cha-Ching:
Pros: Clean interface, feels very “Mac-like,” easy to learn and use, it has many features, but contains them all well within its one window.
Cons: Clipart is more of a chore than it should be, lacks any real charts for viewing a breakdown of spending, no way to manage investments/stocks.
The Verdict: Out of the three programs, I’d have to say Cha-Ching is my favorite and the one I’d use. It’s clean, straightforward, and doesn’t have more features than I need. It’s easy to learn, easy to use, and feels very much like a native Mac app. In the end, I’d like to see some more features for breaking down my spending (i.e. Please give me charts!), but with 2.0 on the horizon I’m sure we’ll see some improvements!
Cha-Ching is available from MidnightApps for $40. If you buy Cha-Ching today, you’re eligable for a free upgrade to Cha-Ching 2.0 - coming soon.

iBank:
Pros: Powerful, a variety of views, professional account management (stocks/investments), built in clipart library, easy import functions.
Cons: Cluttered interface, alternate views are cool but can be impractical, feels too much like Quicken (which may be a good thing for you, but was more of a con for me)
The Verdict: I’d have to rank iBank as my least likely choice of the three. It’s a great program, it’s just not for me. I’d still encourage you to try it as I really believe that for many out there, this can be the perfect banking solution.
iBank is available from IGG Software for $59.99 (uprades to iBank 3 from previous versions are $29.99)

MoneyWell:
Pros: Unique approach to money management, fairly straightforward once set up, fairly clean interface
Cons: Much more of a learning curve, lacks strong charts, set up takes a while and can be confusing to some.
The Verdict: Personally, I like MoneyWell. I even wanted it to be my first choice. I just couldn’t justify ranking it above Cha-Ching, however. The level of work it took me to get MoneyWell up and running was just too much more than Cha-Ching. Still, it’s a close 2nd for me and I’ll be keeping my eye on its development.
MoneyWell is available from No Thirst Software for a special price of $39.99, but only for a limited time. The price will then be set at $49.99

So in the end, Cha-Ching works best for me, and it just happens to be the least expensive as well. But we’re all different in how we manage our finances and I’d encourage you to visit each website, to play around with all 3 of these great programs, and see what works best for you. Do that now and comment back here about your favorite and you’ll be entered to win a copy of that respective license! Winners will be announced on June 27th. Happy banking!

As many of you may know, we try to reward our loyal readers by giving away a free license of the reviewed product to one lucky reader who comments. This time around that winner is Vik! Congrats!

We’ll be in contact with you shortly regarding how to get your free license, so watch your inbox. For the rest of you, we hope you enjoyed the review and don’t forget to check back often for more reviews and chances to win!

MemoryMiner is a photo management tool that allows you to categorize your photos in two specific ways: by people and by places. Adding photos is as easy as choosing to have your iPhoto library imported, adding selected photos from the media browser, or dragging and dropping from the desktop or a folder.

Organizing your photos by people is achieved by a method similar to “tagging” people in Facebook photos. You simply select the person with a resizable box and then tag them apporiately. This is great for photos of family and friends as it allows you to keep track of who is in what picture. Then, you can choose through the list of people you’ve input and see all the photos that they appear in. What’s more, you can categorize people by family, friends, and more and even tag them across stages of their life! Looking for that photo of grandma when she was your age? It’s as easy as choosing grandma from your “People” list and checking it out.

Getting the people into MemoryMiner is another story. It takes a bit of time up front to popularize the list with all the people you’d like to include. Adding the initial name/photo is easy if you’ve got everyone in your Address Book - just drag them from Address Book over (though some form of importing within the program would have been nice). Once there, add some additional details if you please and you’re ready to go.

Organizing your photos by place is just as easy. Create the location by entering the specific address or general area and MemoryMiner’s integration with Google Maps instantly finds the place and you’re ready to tag. Drag the place onto the photo(s) you want and there you have it. Now, you are able to filter you photos by people, location, or both. The integration between the two is nice. For example, I can click on my friend Ben who I’ve labeled in several pictures across my collection. A quick click later and I’m presented with a map showing flags of all the locations that Ben is tagged in. Pretty cool.

So there you have it. Your photos can now be organized by people, place, and time in a more intuitive fashion than possible with iPhoto. It’s difficult to describe everything MemoryMiner does in just words. I could use pictures and videos of my own, but there is a great collection of videos over at MemoryMiner’s video gallery. I strongly recommend checking those out to get a bigger grasp on what MemoryMiner can do for you. Overall, MemoryMiner can be quite useful. It’s a very powerful application and I cannot give justice to all of its features in this brief review. To explore all it has to offer, I strongly suggest watching the videos and downloading it and giving it a try. You can try it out for 15 days to see what it can do for you. All in all, I like MemoryMiner. I like what it does and I like the idea that it strives to fulfill. I do, however, think it falls short in being easily used. I’m not quite sure what it is about it, but I think I’d like to see an updated interface that comes closer to that of iPhoto. It’s a great tool with powerful sorting options, but I found in using it that I wish it had a cleaner overall look to it. At this point I’m indecisive at best on whether or not I’d find MemoryMiner more useful than iPhoto at this point. A more streamlined interface could do a lot for me though.

MemoryMiner can be purchased for $45 from http://www.memoryminer.com/. And, of course, the gracious folks over at MemoryMiner have donated a license to give away to one lucky reader who comments on this post with some feedback, positive or negative, on MemoryMiner. Winners will be announced on May 16. [Winner announced]

The Breakdown:

Pro’s: Great management software for pictures. Allows for easy categorization of pictures by people, places, and times. Allows you to create a story surrounding your pictures and gives them more meaning and context

Con’s: Interface isn’t as clean and intuitive as it could be. I feel that an updated interface is needed.

The Verdict: If you’ve got a lot of pictures and need more/easier organization than iPhoto allows then MemoryMiner is for you. The price is worth it for those who like to keep their pictures organized, but it may be a bit expensive for the casual user.

The lucky winner of 3 BusySync licences is “Davinian”, well done to you. A member of the World of Apple team will be in touch shortly via email.

Thanks to everyone else for taking the time to enter and be sure to keep watching World of Apple as we have some great giveaways lined up for the future!

If you didn’t win this time, please keep checking back as there are more giveaways to come. Right now, you can possibly win three licenses of BusySync for the multi-Mac household.

Let's Hook Up

I tested this using my Google account as well as separate iCal accounts on my two home Mac computers over the local network which synced within moments. The same result was achieved when my laptop calendar was edited off-site and then brought back into the network. The calendars are maintained as distinct identities in the sidebar so that if there are two separate persons coordinating events, their calendars do not simply get mushed into each other. For example, on my MacPro, I am subscribed to a published calendar called “Dizzle Laptop,” and on my laptop I am subscribed to all of the published calendars from my MacPro. If I try to add or rename a calendar on either machine to one that already exists on the published network, the command is refused so that there is no naming confusion. If calendars with identical names are attempted to be published, a conflict resolution screen will appear. BusySync also has options to reset sync history (if for some reason the synchronization stopped), reset BusySync (which will delete the BusySync database and subscriptions leaving all information in owned calendars intact), and restore iCal from backup (BusySync keeps ten backups of the host iCal database.) All of these features worked without a hitch for me under multiple contrived test scenarios.

In short, this is a very simple-to-use program that fills a specific niche need and does so flawlessly.

There is a video tutorial on the developer’s site which thoroughly walks through the installation and operation process as well as a detailed online user’s guide. A fully functional 30-day trial is offered. The price point is $19.95 until May 1, 2008. The regular price is $25 per license with discounts offered for 5 or more licenses. Each Macintosh on the network needs to have its own license and installation in order for it to participate in the synchronization cloud.

Pros: Simplicity and elegance of use. In the product testing, there were no errors or glitches encountered. This product would work well for all users from the unsophisticated to the advanced. Adds wonderful integration and functionality for scheduling amongst multiple locations and users.

Cons: Cost. $25 per computer can easily get expensive in an Apple-loving household.

Giveaway: 3 Free licenses for one person running two to three Macintosh computers. (Giveaway now over, winner is Davinian!)

Please note that the two licenses I used for review purposes were given to me gratis from the developer.

Preference Pane

Publish!

Don't Be Evil

Thanks to everyone who commented and don’t forget to keep coming back for more news, reviews and giveaways (like this one!)

Dear Leader in the Well

The program launches into a compact “well.” Images can be dragged from nearly any application into the well for fast and easy resizing and transmission to an idisk or server. In fact, any file can be dropped into the sender to be transmitted to the web. I read a review of this product where it was called “the blogger’s friend” and that certainly has been my experience. Oftentimes on my blog, I will have a large image of, say, Steve Jobs and need to resize it quickly. ImageWell is perfect for that task. Yes, there are other programs that can perform this function, but I have found that ImageWell is quick, light, and unobtrusive with a lot of functions packed into the compact well. There are many options to perform some quick and dirty edits such as resize/offset, rename, and send to folder/web.

Other features:

Locations: Save folders (such as the desktop) and ftp locations can be configured for use with the “send” function on the well window. ImageWell also supports file transfer to Flickr, SmugMug, or ImageShack accounts as well as batch transfers. Once a file is transferred to the web, the url is copied to the clipboard for easy pasting into a browser. This option is configurable with alternative options to copy formatted image/bulletin board tags ([img] or [image]) or html image tags to the clipboard. The history of links or tags created is retrievable and can be changed to other options via a pull-down menu.

Live Preview: The live preview window is accessed by clicking on the well, and a larger canvas will appear showing how the image will appear on a website.

Some Edit Options

Editing: While obviously this application is not going to replace a heavy-duty image editor such as PhotoShop, I have found that its editor is capable of handling my needs 90% of the time. Its features include non-destructive cropping, shapes, overlay with transparency, draw objects, caption balloons, borders, drop shadows, and opacity.

Watermarking: Images can be very easily watermarked with text or another image with ample editing controls.

Templates: Multiple customized templates can be created for repetitive workflow actions.

Batch Mode: A group of images can be batch-processed to apply resizing, shapes, and watermarks at one time which can then be sent to a folder or the web at one time.

Screen Grabs: Under the “more” option in the main well window, there are options to take screen grabs of the whole screen, selected portions of the screen, or a specific application window which is then sent to the well and can be manipulated like any other image.

In the interest of Disclosure, I have been an ImageWell user for nearly one year when the basic features were free. The shareware version was given to me gratis from the vendor upon my request for a review copy. However, I would have purchased and reviewed this product in any event as it has been one of my favourites since switching from the PC. It will have special appeal to former XP users who were frequent users of the image resizer powertoy.

Pros: Good online how-to manual with video tutorials (the vendor is working on making videos for each feature with about 50% done thus far, and there is a good off-site tutorial as well); compact and intuitive; perfect for bloggers and bulletin board participants; eliminates the need to fire up a heavyweight editor for the majority of typical user image editing tasks.

Cons: Price (I believe a $14.95 price point would make this irresistible; however, it is well worth the $19.95 price point); accidental overwrites are too easy (no warning screen pops up if the original is about to be overwritten); no print function.

Giveaway: One person commenting to this review will be randomly chosen to receive a free license to ImageWell. I thank the developer for offering this to World of Apple readers. The Mac development community rocks! (Winner will be announced 28th May 2008)

Update: The giveaway winner has been announced - - congratulations to Jamie McFarlane! You will be hearing from us soon regarding your free license.

Paperclip, in my opinion, is designed to be what Stickies should have been. What Paperclip allows you to do is to create a classic Stickies style note and “stick” it to a certain window. In my testing, I found that it stuck to any window in any application I tried it on. Now, to be fair, I didn’t go through each of my applications one by one, but I tested a sample of my most used applications and Paperclip “stuck” to each one effectively.

Paperclip In Action

Creating a new note will attach that note to the side of the window you’re currently in. For example, if I am working on this review in TextEdit and I want to remind myself to talk about a few things, I can attach a note right to this window. Now, whenever I am in this TextEdit window I will see my note. When I click out of the window and on to the desktop, the note disappears. Simple, yet effective. I also discovered that when attaching a note to Safari, Paperclip actually associates the note with that specific website. I can add a note to WorldOfApple.com and when I leave that page, the note disappears. Once I return to that page, however, my note will pop right back up - cool!

Paperclip's Note Viewer

The third aspect of Paperclip is the Note Viewer. With notes attached across many documents, you may not remember exactly where all your electronic stickies are. The Note Viewer shows you all your notes in one easy to use window. You can search through notes manually by dragging them around on the corkboard background or you can use the built in search bar to find what you’re looking for.

Basically, there’s not much more to say about what the program does. Its simplicity is one of its strengths. In my testing, I had no major issues but I did find a number of aesthetic “flaws.” For one, the corkboard of the Note Viewer is blurry. I know it’s a small complaint, but it would look 10x better if it were a clear image. Also, when I drag a window, the note doesn’t immediately follow but rather hovers in its original location until I drop the window where I want it. The note then snaps back to the window’s new location. Finally, on several occasions, I noticed that when I clicked off of a window that had a note on it, I’d see the very edge of a note on the side of my screen. I guess my complaints all boil down to some fairly simple aesthetic issues or bug fixes which says something for this little program. So go ahead and download Paperclip and take it for a spin. Let us know what you think in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Paperclip! (Winner announced.)

Paperclip is available for $14.95 from From Concentrate Software.

The Breakdown:
Pro’s: Makes sticky notes relevant! A lightweight app that does exactly what it needs to and nothing more.
Con’s: Could use some graphical improvement in a few areas. I came across a few minor bugs, but nothing that can’t be easily fixed in a future update.
The Verdict: In the end, I’d say the price is just a little steep for the convenience provided. However, if you find yourself always jotting notes down about specific documents (which I feel a lot of us do) then you’ll likely find it’s worth the investment!

Knapsack’s interface feels fairly “Finder-esque” if I may make up a word. It fits in nicely with the look and feel of Mac OS X Leopard. To me, that’s important. I prefer it when applications behave and feel like what I’m already used to. Knapsack’s main window features a toolbar on top, a sidebar that organizes your trips on the left, a list of your trips on the bottom, and (the biggest panel of them all) a map that plots all your travels.

Knapsack's Map View

Creating a new trip is as easy as clicking the “Add Trip” button on the toolbar. Then, the planning begins. You can name your trip, specify the dates of your trip, and specify the locations your travels will take you. You can then add in activities to each of the days, being as general or specific as you want. For example, if your going to New York and want to see a Broadway show but don’t know which one or when, just add it to the list of activities you want to do on your trip. On the other hand, if you planned ahead and made dinner reservations for a fancy restaurant you can enter the exact date and time that you’ll be doing that and even add a note to the activity if there’s some important information, like an address or even directions, that you want to include. Your trip can be loosely planned or planned out to the minute - it’s completely up to you! And all your activities can be rearranged with drag and drop ease. Of course, to continue your travel planning, you can create a checklist of things to pack, things to do before you go, even things to do while you’re there (this is of course similar to the activities mentioned above, but would be more useful for things you need to do rather than activities you have planned).

Knapsack's Printed Itinerary

Here’s a quick outline of how I used Knapsack for my recent trip to Las Vegas. I created a new trip, named it, put in the dates, and added the location. I then went through and put all my flights and hotel information into my itinerary. I now had my departure times, flight numbers, hotel information, and confirmation numbers all in one place. I’d never been to Vegas before and I know there is a lot to do there, so I wanted to be able to make the best use of my time there. I went online and found shows, restaurants, and sights that I wanted to see. I entered a tentative schedule for each day laying out what I hoped to see and do that day. Some of my activities, like my Cirque Du Soleil show, I had planned to the minute. Others were simply things I hoped to get done that day. I then created a checklist of things to pack and things I needed to do before I went (print tickets, pay bills, etc). I now had everything in one convenient place and my trip was planned. There was just one problem - I wasn’t bringing my computer. This was easily solved, however, as Knapsack has a handy “Print” button that prints out everything I just entered into a handy travel guide for me to take with me and check off as I go. Check out the screenshot below to see an overview of what this planning process looks like.

Knapsack's Planning Window

Well, the trip was great. So great, in fact, that upon my return, I rated the trip as 5 stars using Knapsack’s iTunes-esque (another made up word…) rating system. I then dropped it into a folder I created on Knapsack’s sidebar entitled “Favorite Trips.” Now, I can go to that folder anytime to see what I did, even plan a similar trip.

I’ve really had nothing but praise for Knapsack at this point, and that’s because I think it is a great and useful product for anyone that likes to be organized when they travel (like me!). However, Knapsack is a 1.0 product and I think there are a number of things to improve on as well. The biggest thing I think that Knapsack lacks is a decent map. Right now, the map is somewhat ugly and gets very pixelated when you zoom in and offers no detail what-so-ever. I’d love to see some sort of Google Maps integration allowing hybrid views, better zooming, and even turn by turn directions. I also think it’d be great if it integrated with iCal (putting your trips into your calendars) and even iPhoto (having some way to associate photos in iPhoto to specific trips/locations). I could continue talking about the program and the features I like and those I think it needs, but both myself and the developers of Knapsack would love to hear what you think. That’s why they’ve graciously offered a license for us to give away to one lucky reader who comments on this post with a suggestion for the program! So go download the free 30 day trial right now, try it out, and comment back here for your chance to win!

Knapsack is available for $39.95 from TinyPlanet Software.

The Breakdown:
Pro’s: Great management software for trips, useful itinerary window, checklist for packing, ease of use
Con’s: Lacks a decent map, feels like it should have more features and integration with programs like iCal and even iPhoto
The Verdict: Definitely worth the price for those who travel at least semi-regularly and like to stay organized. As the developers add features and continue to improve upon this program, it will only get more and more useful!

Update: The winner of the giveaway has been announced. Congratulations to Jacqui Pittenger! Look for an email from us to claim your free copy of Knapsack.