Mac Edition Radio

Mac Edition Radio produces reviews and news stories about the latest technologies, digital imaging, music, & photography.

Review – The Gaiam BalanceBall Chair can transform your time at your desk into an ergonomic core workout

An orderly, sedate office environment has always been praised for enhancing one's ability to focus at work, but it may be time to think outside the cubicle. The BalanceBall Chair from Gaiam can transform the time spent seated in front of a computer into an ergonomic experience that can help you sit up straight, strengthen your core muscles, and doesn't leave you hobbling out the door at quittin' time.

Nancy Burlan, Posted 10/1/2010

Review – The OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray player

A couple of years ago we reviewed a universal CD/DVD player, the OPPO 980H. At that time, we wrote that: ‚ÄúNaturally, the secret desire of most audiophiles is that bargain system that sounds as good as those outrageously priced ones. While it's a bit of an impossible dream, when an affordable product emerges that deserves serious consideration, then an underground whispering campaign begins. We spent several months putting OPPO's new Blu-ray player to the test. We threw every possible disc, content, and format at the OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray player to discover how it stacks up. Do they still offer great sound at a budget price? Read the full article to find out!

Harris Fogel, posted 9/12/2010

The Compleat Writer: Backing It Up, Part 1

A widely published writer who has never comprehensively and systematically backed up his data thanks his lucky stars, acknowledges the errors of his ways, changes his behavior patterns and, as a way of making amends, encourages his colleagues to do the same. Using the ioSafe Solo USB hard drive, and the Maxell GENpro portable hard drive, he contemplates the best practices a professional writer or creative professional should take to protect their work.

A.D. Coleman, Posted 9/10/2010

Review – X-Rite ColorChecker Passport

When I first saw X-Rite's ColorChecker Passport under NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) last fall, I honestly wasn't quite sure what made it that different from other similar tools. After all, X-Rite already had an arsenal of respected color test targets that had recently been optimized for the demands of digital photography. The ColorChecker Passport itself is very handy design - a small set of three test areas in a small, easily pocketed black plastic case, slightly larger than a deck of cards, but much thinner, containing three interior panels. But, the magic wasn't in the plastic, but in the software's interaction with those targets. It runs on Mac OSX and Windows, with full integration with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. If you are serious about color in digital photography, then this extended review is for you!

Harris Fogel, Posted 7/8/2010, updated 9/10/2010

Review – Lexmark Platinum Pro905 and Prestige Pro805 Inkjet Printers

Earlier this year at the Consumer Electronics Show Lexmark introduced a new printer product line that promised something other companies didn’t dare. Did it have wireless printing? Did it have the ability to connect to the Internet? Was it programmable? Was there a color touch screen on the front panel? Was it able to print on a variety of media? Was it able to sheet feed, make copies, PDFs, and send faxes? The answer to all of the above is “Yes”! So what is so daring? A guaranteed low cost for ink! Read more for our full review.

Harris Fogel, Posted 11/10/2010

Olympus' Micro Four Thirds Camera Line Grows by a Third with Sally Smith Clemens – Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas 2010

Olympus introduced the E-3 Digital SLR camera in late 2007 as a successor to their flagship E-1 camera introduced several years earlier in 2003, and in 2008 came the introduction of E-30 with it's unique Art Filters, and in 2009 came the introduction of the Micro Four Thirds format and cameras. In this interview with Sally Smith Clemens of Olympus we learn what the priorities were in the design of the new camera format, and new technologies that it introduced. In late 2009 came the first Pen E-P1, 2010 introduced the Pen E-P2, and finally at CES Olympus unveiled the E-PL1 a consumer friendly, affordable entry into the new format. Is there a Micro Four Thirds camera in your future? Olympus is betting there is! Recorded at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in January 2010 by Harris Fogel. (12.49)

Harris Fogel, Posted 7/14/2010

Noel Lee, Monster Cable’s Head Monster on the challenges posed by High Def – CES Conference 2010

Thirty years ago, a small company started selling extra thick, see-through, coated, shiny copper speaker cable that promised to make your system sound better. Most audiophiles already had their special formula for speaker cables and interconnects, but Noel Lee's introduction of his cable product to the general consumer market turned the accessory world upside down overnight. Soon, Monster Cable became synonymous with improved quality speaker cable and now the company features more than 3,000 products. But, in the digital age of HDMI, does the quality of a cable really matter? Listen to this story to hear Noel's view of the controversy. Recorded during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, in January 2010 by Harris Fogel. (15:23)

Harris Fogel, Posted 7/6/2010

Review – Windows 7 – Redmond Strikes Back! Take That Mac Guy!

Have you ever been curious about what it would be like to join the dark side? Is it still the dark side? Or, in simpler terms, to become a Windows user after a lifetime of being a Mac user? Well, using an HP Pavilion Dv6 Artist Edition 2 laptop, we started with a preloaded version of Windows Vista Home Premium and crossed over to Windows 7 Ultimate. We kept track of our experience and this is our comprehensive review of Windows 7 from a Mac user's point of view. Read on to find out if a Mac Gal and Mac Guy could be happy as a PC Guy!

Thomas Fogel with additional reporting by Nancy Burlan, Posted 7/4/2010

AppleCare, the Apple Store, ioSafe Solo, and Time Machine Have My Back – by A. D. Coleman

In late December of 2009 I hurt my back seriously enough that I needed to take to my bed for ten days. As if to test me, Job-like, no sooner did I become ambulatory again and start to catch up on heaps of postponed work than my trusty 15" Apple MacBook Pro began presenting me with psychedelic screen displays and inexplicable system crashes. When it rains, it pours. Read on to find out what happens next!

A.D. Coleman, posted 7/2/2010

Review – Can a Blue Mikey, a Joby Gorilla, and Heather Save the Day in Scotland?

Mikey, Gorilla and Heather went with me to Scotland this spring. My accomplices were two gizmos and a mouthpiece, the last with a sweet Scottish Highlands brogue. They kept me company while waiting for the skies to reopen under the volcanic ash cloud. Can they save the day? Can two small pieces of hardware, that fit in your hand take the place of a set of much heavier, expensive, and complicated gear? Can a Mikey, Gorilla, and iPhone become your next on-the-road video and audio studio? Read more to find out!

Andy Alm, Posted 7/1/2010

Mac Edition Radio

Pages

OUR SPONSORS