However, the quizzes located on the DVD are the book’s sole weak spot.  For example, the quizzes could be improved by referencing the page where the correct answer may be found.

Essential Techniques

In sixteen chapters, 54 video segments, and multiple lessons/projects for each chapter, Richard covers the essential techniques for both photographers and graphic artists.  The book starts with a chapter on Digital Imaging Fundamentals to make sure the basics are covered.

Other chapters include:

• Selection Tools
• Masking
• Compositing with Layers
• Color Correction and Enhancement
• Maximizing Filters

Appropriately, the last chapter covers Output – Printing, PDF, and Specialized Output.

Understanding Adobe Photoshop CS4 is an excellent book.  I look forward to reading and reviewing more books by this author.  If you are still using Photoshop CS4 or earlier, I  would recommend taking a look at this book.

Contact: Peachpit Press

Cost: $49.99 US, $54.99 CAN, £31.99

“Now in its 17th year, Autodesk University is your chance to meet face to face with the top experts in your industry and learn about the latest trends and technologies that will help you stay competitive.
Listen to high-quality presentations about real-world projects and future applications.
Experience hands-on labs that advance your knowledge of Autodesk tools and techniques.
Share the professional expertise of the world’s top instructors, Autodesk developers, and industry experts.
Cultivate important business and professional contacts that can benefit your company and your career.”

AU 2009, All-Inclusive Pass: Hotel, conference, classes and hands-on labs, meals, and social events – US$1,895
AU 2009, Conference-Only Pass: Same as all-inclusive, but does not include hotel – US$1,695

Register before Oct.9th 2009 and receive a $500 discount on registration.

Contact: AutoDesk University 2009

Let me introduce you to the LiveScribe Pulse Smart Pen. For $149.95, you get your money’s worth and then some with this innovative Smart Pen. It was easy to operate, recorded remarkably well, and yes, let me jump around various notes with ease checking my words to the audio. Worked great.

One Smart Pen
With the purchase of any Smart Pen, users receive:

• 1 GB Pulse Smart Pen and case
• 100 sheet dot paper spiral notebook
• USB charging cradle (pen dock)
• 3D recording headset
• Interactive demo card & Interactive stickers
• 3 replacement pen cartridges
• Getting Started Guide
• LiveScribe Desktop Software

Inside the pen is an infrared camera, recorder and computer. Notes are written on the specialized paper that has a “dot-positioning” system. Written notes and audio can be recorded in the pen, then downloaded from the pen dock onto a user’s LiveScribe web account. LiveScribe provides each account 250 MB of file memory.

Inside the spiral notebook, LiveScribe provides various menus offering a calculator, keyboard, time/date/battery/storage status, and settings. Each dot page also offers mini directions for operation.

Select Recording
In a lecture hall, discussions around your seat can muffle professors. And in conferences, there’s paper shuffling, across the table discussions, and scratching pens. The Smart Pen can be set on conference hall, lecture hall, or automatic to adjust for different surroundings. The pen kit contains a 3D stereo recording headset that can tune out “outside” sounds, and focus on main speakers.

Audio recordings can also be slowed down, or sped up for comfortable listening.

Clear Calculus Notes
My high school senior dashed off two pages of Calculus notes. She sat about 30-35 feet from her instructor (of course, back of the class). Students were asking questions, scraping chairs on the floor, shuffling papers and whispering answers. Even with all the background noise and distance, the teacher’s lecture was loud and clear. Volume can be controlled on individual computers, as well as from individual files on the LiveScribe account.

Next, we downloaded her written and audio notes on the LiveScribe.com website. When registering, each user can create their own account. As the audio played, her notes were highlighted. Users can choose three different functions to highlight notes while the audio is playing. Click on another section of notes, and the audio played the teacher’s discussion at that specific written moment. If there was a specific point she needed for the upcoming test, she could Text search through the LiveScribe Desktop function.

Notes can be made public or private using the online lock, or unlock function. Notes can be sent emailed, downloaded as a pdf, shared on Facebook, sent as a link, embedded in a website, forum or blog, and shared within the LiveScribe community site.

Here are her Calculus notes embedded in this post.

Math 6/09
brought to you by Livescribe
“>Math Notes 6/09

Future Ideas
Play around with the Menu function. Future ideas are to provide games, audio textile graphics, iPhone apps, maybe even a scientific talking calculator that will be accessible under Menu. The Smart Pen will also offer Language interpretation apps for purchase (Spanish, Mandarin, Swedish, and more).

The Smart Pen, and specialized dot paper binders are currently available at various college bookstores, as well as Target stores, Target.com, Amazon.com , and Livescribe.com.

Overall, I was very pleased with the pen. For my senior, her last recorded comment “I’m totally getting one of these for college!” says it all. Just think how useful the Smart Pen would be in business conferences and meetings?

System Requirements: Mac OS X 10.5.5 with Intel; Windows XP 32-bit SP; 600 MHz, 300 MB free disk space
Contact: Livescribe.com
Cost: $149.95 for 1 GB SmartPen; $199 for 2GB SmartPen; 4-Pack Notebook $19.95, 2-pack Black Lined Journal $24.95

Reading Outloud
Stuck in traffic, on a plane, or waiting for a meeting and you’re behind reviewing work, or keeping up on favorite blogs? Are you a visually  or reading impaired  individual? Want to take along that document, but not all 20 pages? Consider using iSpeech to download text, and read with your ears.

How iSpeech Works
Since 2007, iSpeech went through some rigorous testing, and was recently launched in 2009. No software installation, or technical expertise is required. The initial service is free, and additional content conversion services are provided with monthly fees (see Cost at article end). Simply sign up, then cut and paste text into the application’s text box, or upload any supported document, website, blog, etc. The program then converts the content into speech.

Audio files are stored in My Library. Files can be public, or locked for privacy.

iSpeech reports their program can support file types and websites that include: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Rich Text File, Blogs, RSS news feeds, hypertext markup language (DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS, XLSX, PDF, RTF, HTML).

iPods, Blogs and More
iSpeech indicates material can be podcasted, listened to on iPods, MP3s, or burned onto CDs. Users can embed a file on any website, including MySpace, Blogger, or eBay. iSpeech also supports Terapad and Typepad.

For bloggers using WordPress.org, iSpeech provides a plugin. The computer voice is understandable, plus has cadence so you’re not listening to a flat monotone. Users, however, can upload an advanced voice quality.

At present, WordPress.com does not support iSpeech, however iSpeech reports to bloggers that the “current alternative is to place [audio MP3-URL] tags into your post with the MP3-URL pointing to your converted post. For more details on how to accomplish this, please refer to wordpress.com audio support“.

Lots of Languages
In a couple months, iSpeech will provide text in 23 different languages. French material will, well sound “French”, and not with a mono-dialogue translating words incorrectly.

Expand Into Different Markets
Educators, commercial enterprises, online publishers, and government agencies can offer audio versions of text content. For online publishers, iSpeech clients only pay for content that sells.

iSpeech offers a free 30-day trial, however free trials will require a charge either by PayPal, or credit card. However, iSpeech will refund all monies if the user decides to cancel their service.

Worked For Me
I cut and pasted text into the content box, and it worked just fine. Then I uploaded a file. Your uploads are saved as files in MyLibrary. Next I’ll play around with the URL. When this application provides text-to-speech service in different languages, it will be a very powerful tool.

Other Articles:
Reuters post this article: iSpeech.org Makes Box.net Talk Aloud
PR Web posts additional information at: iSpeech.org Makes Box.net Talk Aloud.

Try it out and see for yourself. iSpeech is the next step to being free from pounds of paper.

Made By: iSpeech.org
System Requirements: Web based browser, Requires Flash Player (free download at Flash Player)
Price: Free for 250 words/mo.; $7.85/mo. for 10,000 words; $14.85/mo. for 25,000 words; $22.85/mo. for 50,000 words. All plans have limited monthly conversions. Check online to purchase iSpeech credits.
Pros: Initial service free; easy to use and understand, multi-language, reported to work on many different servers
Con: Limited amount of words available for free service