Jim Heid's Mac iLife 08 Site

Panorama How-to: Sky Stitches

2008-07-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Use Photoshop to create amazing panoramas with great skies in just a few easy steps. From Popular Photography.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

GarageBand? Um, Kind Of

2008-07-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

David Bryne's latest project, Playing the Building, connects a keyboard to, well, a huge building. Now that's a jam pack.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Where Vinyl Records Are Born

2008-07-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

A cool photo-essay through one of only three record-pressing plants operating in the United States.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

The Photographer's Guide to the Eye

2008-07-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

Learning how we see can help you take better photos: a fascinating article from Popular Photography.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

New iPhone Apps for Flickr, iTunes, Apple TV

2008-07-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

There's a world of new hand-held applications to explore now that Apple has opened its App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. Right now, only the new, 3G iPhone can run these apps, but a software update is coming that will enable the original iPhone and the iPod touch to run them, too. As a slobbering Flickr addict, I can't wait to try...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

GarageBand Tips from Macworld

2008-07-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

I don't post nearly enough about GarageBand, which is one of this amateur musician's favorite programs of all time. My book is packed with GarageBand tips, but if you're craving more, Macworld.com has just published a nice set of GarageBand tips and tricks from Jeff Tolbert.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Have a Digital SLR? You Need a "Nifty 50"

2008-07-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

For a whole bunch of reasons, one of the best lenses you can have for your digital SLR is a 50mm prime (that is, non-zoom) lens. Here's why.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Nikon D700 Hands-On Preview

2008-07-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Digital Photography Review has a hands-on preview of the Nikon D700, which ships this month for $2999 (body only). 12 megapixels, full-frame sensor, and many other swoon-worthy features.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Tip: Put Leopard's "Help" Windows in the Background

2008-06-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

This tip from my Macworld colleague Rob Griffiths has nothing to do with iLife, but it's so useful I'm posting it. It's from earlier in the month, but I just stumbled on it now. (Hey, things get hectic when the county where you live is battling hundreds of lightning-caused wildfires.) One of the Leopard features I like the least is that its...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

How to Make Stop-Motion Video Shorts with Your Digital Camera

2008-06-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Another great little tutorial from our friends at Photojojo.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Steady Now: How to Reduce Camera Shake

2008-06-26T13:07:00.000-07:00

As I say in my book, I like to shoot photos with my camera's flash turned off. But that usually means longer shutter speeds, and that introduces the risk of blur due to camera movement. Here is a nice set of tips for reducing camera shake.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

A Sweet Photo Gift: Photo M&Ms

2008-06-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

From the ever-fun Photojojo comes news that'll melt in your mouth, not in your hand: you can now get M&M candies with your photos printed on them. Sweet!

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

How to Add 1940s Vintage Style Borders

2008-06-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

What's old is new again: a tutorial on how to add "vintage-style" borders to your photos. Includes free border downloads.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Timing is Everything

2008-06-19T10:44:00.001-07:00

When you're reading from a teleprompter, timing is everything, as this video clip from a San Francisco Bay Area newscast proves.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Let's Get Together on May 17

2008-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

Attention, iLife lovers! On Saturday, May 17, I'm delivering a full-day workshop on iLife '08 in partnership with the Diablo Valley Macintosh Users Group. I'll be focusing primarily on iPhoto and iMovie, but we'll also spend time on iWeb and iDVD, and even dip into GarageBand a bit. The workshop takes place at Bancroft School in Walnut Creek,...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Now In Progress: Polaroid Week 2008

2008-04-21T08:34:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by jimheid Over on Flickr, 'Roid Week 2008 has begun. It's a five-day celebration of Polaroid instant photography -- and, for those of us who have become addicted, a sad mourning for the format's apparent demise. (Polaroid has announced that it will stop making instant films over the next next year.)Becoming smitten by...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Flickr Does Video (and iLife '08 Helps)

2008-04-09T08:45:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by jimheidLast night, Flickr unveiled its long-rumored video-sharing features. The caption to the adjacent video has more details.What I'll add here is the iLife angle: after shooting this clip (with an aged Canon S50 point-and-shoot digital camera), I imported it into iPhoto.Next, I switched to iMovie '08 and started a new...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Made You Look: Adobe Photoshop Express

2008-03-26T22:13:00.000-07:00

Adobe has launched a public beta of Photoshop Express, an impressive on-line photo-editing and sharing site. I just spent a few minutes tinkering, and it looks cool. From an editing standpoint, there's nothing here that iPhoto '08 can't do and that the new Photoshop Elements 6 can't do even better. But for the social networker -- the Facebook...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Search by Rating in iTunes 7.6

2008-03-13T10:19:00.001-07:00

Nice tip from Rob Griffiths: If you make extensive use of iTunes' ability to rate songs, then you'll appreciate this little but useful tidbit regarding iTunes 7.6. New in this release -- to the best of my knowledge -- is the ability to search for star ratings using the built-in search box. Using it is about as simple as can be: click into the...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Attention Flickr Addicts: New Version of FlickrExport Plugin for iPhoto

2008-03-05T08:44:00.000-08:00

Fraser Spears has made available a pre-release version of FlickrExport 3, the latest version of the iPhoto plug-in that I use to upload my photos to Flickr. One significant enhancement in the new version is the ability to submit a photo to multiple Flickr groups in one fell swoop -- a huge timesaver. (But remember, Flickr friends, submitting to...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Apple Extends iPhoto Discounts Until March 7

2008-03-03T08:59:00.000-08:00

As Macworld reports, Apple has extended its 20 percent discount on iPhoto books and calendars until March 7. I can vouch for the "issues" with the online ordering system. Mr. Procrastinator tried to order a calendar on February 29, only to receive error message after error message. Finally, he omitted the coupon code and had success -- and ended...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

My Review of Microsoft Office 2008

2008-02-26T11:37:00.001-08:00

Microsoft Office 2008 is the closest thing to a malicious virus yet to hit the Macintosh platform. The end.

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Praise for Apple TV's AirTunes Support

2008-02-21T11:38:00.000-08:00

In my previous post, I criticized the Flickr support in the Apple TV "Take Two" update. Now it's time for some Apple TV praise. One of the new additions to Apple TV is support for AirTunes, the Apple technology that enables you to wirelessly beam music from iTunes. AirTunes has been around for a while, having debuted in Apple's AirPort Express...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Apple TV "Take Two" Flickrs Dimly

2008-02-19T10:31:00.000-08:00

I've been a happy Apple TV owner since last year, when I bought one so that I could cover it in the new edition of my book. I love Apple TV's ability to store my iTunes library and tap into the libraries of other computers on my network. Music, videos, movies, playlists, all accessible through my TV and stereo system? Yay. But as an obsessed...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)

Watch My Macworld Expo Sessions

2008-02-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

Well! It's been a while since I've posted anything here. I had intended to begin posting frequently immediately after the Macworld Expo last month, but life intervened: my 88-year-old mother took a fall and fractured her hip. I went to Pennsylvania to help out, then came home to a mountain of work. (The good news is that her fracture was fairly...

(This is a summary of a longer posting; to read the full posting, click the heading above or visit macilife.com.)