Enjoy The Moving Picture Show

Considering the target market for digital picture frames, they should be about as painless to set up as a new toaster. Except for a few slightly awkward experiences with the onscreen menu, setting up and using the Portable USA PU-10WE 10.4-inch wireless digital picture frame was almost as easy as toasting bread. Of course, we got much more lasting enjoyment from the never-ending slide show of our favorite photos displayed on the PU-10WE’s bright, sharp display than we ever could have from a slice of toasted rye. Transferring images from our MacBook Pro to the frame’s 1GB onboard memory via Bluetooth was quick and easy. You can also insert almost any type of flash memory card or connect the frame to your Mac with the included USB cable and transfer photos that way.

Catch This Shooting Star

Within the weatherproof body of the new, 10.2-megapixel Pentax K200D beats the transplanted heart of the K10D—a sophisticated, semipro camera that garnered a Mac|Life Editor’s Choice last year (5 out of 5 stars, Jul/07). Almost every feature (and more) that made the K10D stand out is now integrated into the K200D—and for less money.

While no one would dispute that we live in the era of digital photography, the fact is that there’s an entire history of film that simply refuses to ride off into the sunset. If you grew up in a darkroom—like this reviewer—you’ll remember the smell of the chemicals, the intricacies of the different brands of film, the subtleties of Tri-X film, the tricky process of “pushing” film beyond its ASA rating, and all the art that surrounded those smelly strips of celluloid. Alien Skin, in its quest to cook up unique Photoshop plug-ins, has essentially condensed the history of film into Exposure 2, a wonderfully capable and sublime tool for emulating a vast range of film stocks and looks.