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Alien Skin Exposure 2

David Biedny — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:36:18 -0500

The simple interface lets you emulate hundreds of film types, and the before-and-after preview is incredibly handy.

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.

Installation is effortless, and the plug-in works within recent versions of Photoshop or Elements (but at this price, we also want Exposure 2 to work inside After Effects and Final Cut Pro), on even the most modest of systems. If you have Photoshop CS3, you’ll be pleased to know that the plug-in works just fine as a nondestructive Smart Filter, expanding its overall usefulness.

Exposure 2 has two main modes—Color and Black-and-White—which involve loading two different versions of the plug-in. We’d prefer to see these as two modes inside of a single plug-in interface, but this is a relatively minor complaint. The control panel defaults to the Settings menu, which contains over 200 options, covering the gamut of black-and-white or color film stocks, grouped by type of overall effects (such as print film, slide film, color processing, and so on) and subgrouped by manufacturer. We found it a tad difficult to find a specific film type quickly. We went right for the Kodak Tri-X, for example, and found multiple variations of it under the general black-and-white category in seconds. But given that there are a couple hundred settings to sort through, a Find command would have saved time.

The range of emulation offerings is extensive, and while many of the custom controls for tweaking color and tonal effects are easily replicated in Photoshop with the right know-how, the Grain panel is a special case, offering noise and grain types that go significantly beyond what you can create directly inside Photoshop. Any of the presets can be edited and turned into a new user preset, and the interface displays a real-time preview of your selected effect. In typical Alien Skin style, the app has a number of ways to split the screen for before-and-after comparisons, but we’d love to see a custom rectangular selection option for speeding up previews. You can also instantly switch between the original and processed version of your image by clicking anywhere in the preview area, which is a nice touch.

RF Remote for Front Row

Roman Loyola — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:26:07 -0500

If the Apple Remote frustrates you, try Keyspan's RF Remote.

The Apple Remote is truly a simple, elegant device, but its use of infrared can be frustrating, since infrared requires a line of sight between the remote and the receiver. The RF Remote for Front Row uses radio frequency (RF) instead of infrared, so not only do you not need a line of sight, but you also get a wider range than the Apple Remote - we got about 55 feet, 25 feet more than the Apple Remote. The RF Remote uses a USB RF receiver, and we didn't notice any interference with our wireless phones or Wi-Fi network.

The bottom line. Apple plans to release Front Row with Mac OS 10.5, so if you have a Mac that doesn't have infrared for an Apple Remote, the RF Remote is an excellent choice. The RF Remote also a great replacement for the Apple Remote, given that device's infrared limitations.

COMPANY: Keyspan
CONTACT: www.keyspan.com
PRICE: $39
REQUIREMENTS: USB, Front Row software
Wider range than Apple Remote. Line of sight not necessary.
Slightly bigger than the Apple Remote.

Concealed and Compact Surge Protectors

Michelle Victoria — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 17:57:56 -0500

Even surge protectors can flaunt a little bit of style.

Behind your Mac is a not-so-hidden secret: a tangled mess of power cables for your display, Mac, printer, external hard drives, and other peripherals. Belkin's Concealed Surge Protector and Compact Surge Protector can help keep your power cables a manageable mess instead of an unwieldy one.

The Concealed Surge Protector is ideal for families with curious kids or pets who love to meddle with - or gnaw on - cables. The 11-outlet unit has a cover that not only protects the outlets, but also hides them from sight. The clamping voltage (when excess power is diverted to a ground line) is rated at 330 volts, a good level for home use. It has a $300,000 connected equipment warranty. The only drawback to the surge protector is that it's larger than average; it measures 17.25 by 3.94 by 4.75 inches and takes up more wall space than you might like.

At 10.81 by 3.63 by 4 inches, the Compact Surge Protector is, well, more compact. We like how the four power-adapter outlets are placed along the side while four standard outlets sit on top. This design makes it easy to tuck the cables behind the surge protector. It also has a 330-volt clamping voltage, and its connected warranty is for $200,000. Too bad it lacks Ethernet ports.

The bottom line. Both Belkin surge protectors perform as expected. But despite the Concealed Surge Protector's size, we prefer it for its ability to conceal and protect.

Concealed Surge Protector

COMPANY: Belkin
CONTACT: www.belkin.com
PRICE: $49.99
REQUIREMENTS: Three-prong power outlet
Covered power outlets.
Takes up a lot of wall space.

Compact Surge Protector

COMPANY: Belkin
CONTACT: www.belkin.com
PRICE: $39.99
REQUIREMENTS: Three-prong power outlet
Nice design.
No Ethernet protection.

Clamp-On Surge Protector

Roman Loyola — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 14:51:42 -0600

Put power at your fingertips.

There's nothing more embarrassing than being caught with your rear end sticking out from under your desk-not to mention the head-bumping hazards involved. But it happens all the time when you have to juggle the plugs on a surge protector, which is usually nestled among the rest of the cords and wires in the dark recesses below your workstation. Belkin's Clamp-On Surge Protector lets you skip the potential pain and embarrassment by attaching to the edge of your desk using a fastener that can accommodate a width of up to 1.5 inches. Now instead of venturing down under, all you have to do is reach around to switch out one power cord for another.

The surge protector is great for a Mac setup with just a couple of peripherals. It has six outlets, two of which have extra space to accommodate power adapters. Belkin says that the Clamp-On Surge Protector can absorb up to 885 Joules before it fails, and it diverts power to an internal ground wire if it senses a surge over 330 volts. You also get a $15,000 connected-equipment warranty. It doesn't include a port to plug in a phone jack, though, which is bad news if it's the only surge protector you use.

The bottom line. No more sore knees-at least, not from climbing under your desk to change out power plugs.

COMPANY: Belkin
CONTACT: www.belkin.com
PRICE: $34.99
REQUIREMENTS: Desk edge no more than 1.5 inches thick
Clamps to desk. No more crawling under your desk to plug in.
Lacks phone protection.

gorillapod

Roman Loyola — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 15:51:47 -0600

Give your camera legs.

Your typical mini tripod is limited to holding your camera on level, flat surfaces. And as you can see, the gorillapod isn't your typical mini tripod. Not only does it have a unique design, but it can be used in ways you may not have thought of

The three legs are composed of a series of joints, making each leg bendable. You can wrap the legs around a pole, a tree branch, or your arm, or you can adjust them for uneven surfaces. The legs are stiff enough to stay in place, and the rubber feet have good grip. At its full height, the gorillapod is almost 6.5 inches tall

The bottom line. If you have a compact point-and-shoot camera, the gorillapod is well worth its affordable price. If you have a SLR camera, you can get a SLR-compatible gorillapod for $49.95.

COMPANY: Joby
CONTACT: 888-569-5629, www.joby.com
PRICE: $21.95
REQUIREMENTS: Camera with tripod mount
Portable. Sturdy. Unique design.
You'll need to shell out a few extra bucks for a SLR-sturdy gorillapod.