Articles & Reviews by Mike Swope

March 2008   |   Epinions.com

Lexmark thermal inkjet printers boast many attractive features that make it difficult to choose the best model. While these printers include USB and wireless connectivity, they can only be used as a USB printer or wireless printer, not both. You can't connect it by USB to a computer, and then have multiple computers print to it wirelessly. Connected by USB, the Lexmark X4550 works very well and provides reliable printing, scanning, and digital media support for that single computer. It is hard to ask for more from a USB printer, I think. But connected wirelessly, the X4550 falls far short of expectations. It is plagued by inadequate support, inexplicably unstable connectivity, limited support for scans, and snail-like digital media access. Mac users especially should be prepared to reference the Help utility frequently due to inadequate documentation. You should also follow the installation and setup instructions to the letter. Lexmark doesn't leave any room for error, and it isn't as simple or elegant as Mac users have long come to expect. Errors often mean restoring the printer to factory defaults and starting over with the setup and installation. One of the most useful features of the Lexmark X4550 is its color and black and white copy capability. This feature does not require any connectivity at all; just plug in the printer and press a button to begin copying. In the end, I can't honestly recommend the Lexmark X4550 except for those users who can't live without a wireless printer a moment longer and this unit is the only unit they can find. The USB connectivity works very well, but the wireless capabilities are unstable and unsatisfactory, especially for scanning and digital media. It might be worth nothing that we have returned to the printers we were using before we introduced the Lexmark X4550 into our home office. It is no longer worth the wireless headaches it gives us, and there isn't enough room on our desks currently to use it as a USB printer. Read my full review of the Lexmark X4550 Wireless Multi-Function Thermal Inkjet Printer >

(This review was first published at MacNN.com >)

February 2008   |   SFReader.com

A novel about a serial killer surely sounds like a book with a good deal of violence, terror, blood and ugliness, but Darkly Dreaming Dexter is not this kind of book. And that's what makes it a great read, and Dexter a great character. It is filled with ironies and insights which make the reader laugh nervously and consider the people around him. Dexter, a blood splatter expert for the Miami PD, is very good at reading blood splatters. Dexter, however, is not your average serial killer (aside from the fact that he works for the police). He preys only upon other serial killers. Through careful detective work he makes absolutely certain that his victims are guilty. He will not allow his "Dark Passenger" to harm the innocent, part of a code instilled in him by his adoptive father, Harry, a policeman who came to understand that he could only guide Dexter to choose how and when he succumbs to the darkness within. When Harry realized that Dexter would one day kill people -- realized that Dexter actually wanted to kill people -- he coached him carefully. "Some people need killing," Harry said. Dexter's adoptive sister, Debra, it so happens, is likewise a police officer with the Miami PD but suspects nothing about Dexter's "Dark Passenger," although she has grown up with him. To Debra, Dexter's just very, very smart. Darkly Dreaming Dexter is appropriately told in the first person. Dexter tells us that he is not human, that he does not feel emotions as we do. He also tells us that he cannot control himself, that his need flows and ebbs unpredictably (the irony in this, of course, is that Dexter DOES control himself until he finds an acceptable victim). Dexter has also learned how to appear to be normal, thanks to Harry. Dexter does all the things a normal man does, responds the way a normal man should under the appropriate circumstances. He wears the mask of normalcy very, very well. In Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Lindsay tends to paint serial killers as something of a secret fraternity. This is perhaps the most chilling aspect of this series and its main character. When the latest serial killer in Miami begins killing prostitutes, Dexter admires the killer's work and wishes to communicate with him. Like an artist might speak with another artist. As the novel continues, Dexter discovers that this new serial killer is also communicating with him, giving Dexter clues to his identity. Thankfully Darkly Dreaming Dexter is not a particularly bloody or violent book. For some readers, this only makes the book all the more terrifying. Gore and violence aren't frightening. The situations that spawn them are. Read my full review of Darkly Dreaming Dexter >

PS: If any readers knows where I can acquire an inexpensive hardback edition of the first edition of Darkly Dreaming Dexter contact me!

(This review is also published at epinions.com > )

February 2008   |   SFReader.com

For readers who savor details, Night Watchman is a feast. Few books capture details as clearly as James Viscosi in Night Watchman. Viscosi gets extensive extra credit for descriptive writing that makes most of the scenes in Night Watchman vivid and real, like some places we know, or at least some places we imagine that we might know. Nearly every descriptive word in Night Watchman hits the mark. Readers will certainly feel, as I have, that they recognize the places in Night Watchman, or the places are as they would be should readers happen upon them. Fortunately, Night Watchman doesn't rely on descriptions alone. Night Watchman tells the story of Nate Watson, a regular Island City cop who is ritualistically murdered by a small band of juvenile delinquents and resurrected as a zombie with retractable chains, trying to figure out why he has become the undead, what role the delinquents play in the story as it unfolds, and how to stop them since they have also become the undead. Getting into the heads of his characters is another thing that Viscosi does well in Night Watchman. Viscosi's best characters in Night Watchman have distinct and unique personalities, and he shows us this story in turn through their eyes. But the willing suspension of disbelief is not completely earned by Viscosi's Night Watchman. The story begins in a world very much like our own and ends in a world with unfamiliar supernatural laws with only the vaguest notion of how it is all possible. I also find Nicholas Fenton's motives problematic, especially since it is revealed only very late in the book, a cracker jack in the last pages, intended to wrap up the mystery in a paradox: Fenton, clearly evil, does it all for love. I also find Nate's character unsatisfying. For half the book, Nate wanders uncertainly through Island City trying to cope with what he has become and deciding what he should do about the teen zombies, and his own undead condition. For a policeman, he's uncharacteristically indecisive and impotent, even hides behind dumpsters. Despite Night Watchman's unsatisfying elements, the book is an engaging read. Viscosi's undead teenage zombies are interesting characters. The first half of the book is fun just trying to guess what they will do next, how they will do it, and to whom. But the most engrossing elements of Night Watchman are Viscosi's vivid, well-crafted details, which draw readers in to witness the story as it unfolds. Viscosi's descriptions demonstrate a surgically keen eye and imagination for the dark and the beautiful, wrinkles, pimples and all. For Night Watchman, the journey -- and what we see along the way -- is the tale. Read my full review of Night Watchman >

(This review is also published at epinions.com >)

January 2008 | Epinions.com

I was introduced to House of Nanking by my friend. We were attending MacWorld San Francisco this year (2008), and this is one of his favorite restaurants. To my surprise, House of Nanking is smaller than expected. All-in-all, it will only seat about 50 people, elbow to elbow. Literally. Fortunately, there was only a small line, and since there were only two of us, we were ushered in quickly, in under 5 minutes, by the owner himself. The owner himself also served us. Our food arrived in due time. The owner had selected two dishes and a soup for our meal. One dish featured shrimp, spinach leaves, red peppers. The other dish featured mushrooms, spinach leaves, and chicken, I believe. Both were covered in dark, though different sauces. But both dishes were to die for! They were delicious. The soup was likewise delicious, and I found myself wishing we had more of everything! I've never had better Chinese food than House of Nanking's. Chinese food here in the Midwest pales in comparison. Most are standard Chinese fare, bland, nearly tasteless. After my friend and I had cleared our plates of every scrap and emptied our soup dishes of every drop, and began working on our second glass of water, we noticed that the wonderful flavors we had just enjoyed continued to linger in our mouths and make them water. We dearly wanted more! My friend commented that the beer he had last time must have ruined the flavor of his dinner, because the flavor of that meal last time didn't linger like this. The taste lingered the rest of the evening, in fact. The experience was astounding! Our mouths watered for hours! Read my full review of House of Nanking >

November 2007  |  Epinions.com

A succubus, self-described as one of Hell's best, is on the run from the Devil himself, with several powerful demons hot on her heels, and she escapes to the human realm and, with the help of a witch, assumes an undetectable but desirable human form, and takes a job as a stripper. Dangerous! Sexy! Lots of opportunity! Unfortunately, I expected more from such an interesting setup. This book is clearly written for those readers who enjoy nothing more than the same old standard romance with a few thinly veiled supernatural pretenses thrown in. Nothing scary or threatening about the book at all. No scary dreams afterwards. No Hannibal Lecters. The cast of character types resembles the same found in any romance, only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Despite the familiar story line and paranormal trappings, Jesse is like every other female lead in every other romance novel. Her reactions are exactly those of the typical heroine in romances. These characteristics alone are likely to entice romance lovers to give this book a try. They won't be disappointed. With a setup such as we have with Hell's Belles, it would seem anything could happen. In fact, it is the potential in this book keeps readers turning pages, not for the story that is told, but for the story that MIGHT be told. Jezebel should have an insatiable appetite for sex. Who and how many will she seduce? Being from Hell, she must have some very powerful, frightening friends, and even scarier, blood-thirsty bounty hunters searching for her, too. When will they appear and what will happen then? Are all the strippers at the club succubi? What racy scene will we find? How will Jezebel survive the demons who stand between her and freedom? Who will get hurt? Will anyone die? Sex and horror, or the potential for them, clearly sells this book. And will also sell the next in the series, The Road to Hell. Unfortunately, there isn't enough sex or danger in this book to fulfill the promises of the title and the potential of the characters for some readers. On the other hand, there is enough romance to satisfy most romance aficionados. Read my full review of Hell's Belles >

(This review is also published at SFReader.com >)

October 2007  |  MacNN.com

The StreetParty Size 0 is aptly named. Measuring 22 cm (8.7 in) wide and 12.5 cm (4.9 in) tall, with a profile just 16 mm (.63 in), and weighing just 300 g (.66 lbs) sans batteries, the StreetParty Size 0 is about the size of a trade paperback book when closed and can be transported anywhere easily. A stand smartly unfolds to become both a stand and an adjustable dock which fits all iPods dating from the first Mini to today's iPod Touch -- except the Shuffle. Unfortunately, U.S. consumers will be initially confused by the StreetParty 0 because no U.S.-compatible AC adapter is included or available for the system from Gear4. Even powered by batteries, the system's paired tweeters and low-resonance drivers provide a fuller audio experience than a 700 MHz iBook, rivaling a 17" PowerBook G4, with greater volume than either. A surprising bonus to the StreetParty 0 is the particularly useful remote control. Despite its strengths, the StreetParty 0, unfortunately, misses the mark. Not only is the system comparatively expensive, the lack of a U.S.-compatible AC adapter is inexcusable (since the review unit was shipped to me here in the U.S.). Users also need to purchase additional cables to use the StreetParty 0 as a dock with a computer, or with an audio source other than a dockable iPod. The neoprene slipcase also lacks pockets or pouches to help keep the AC adapters or iPod together with the system for convenient mobility. (Surprisingly, this problem persists with many mobile iPod accessories. None of them include any means to keep the accessory with the iPod for regular use on the go. For those mobile accessories one wants to use every day, it soon becomes an inconvenience to haul everything around separately, and it becomes considerably less complicated to just leave the accessory behind. This seems contradictory to what the accessory manufacturers should intend!) Read my full review of Gear4's StreetParty Size 0 Super Slim Portable Speaker System for iPods >

October 2007  |  Epinions.com

Other reviewers have written that you won't want to put down this book. To some degree, I must agree with them. Though I first thought this book was a biography about a serial killer I had never heard about (the review list wasn't clear about the genre, or it didn't matter because the book sounded interesting, take your pick), I quickly questioned the biography because it was too internalized, too detailed, bordering on too gruesome for most publishers. Despite its flaws, which are a matter of opinion anyway, Absolution: The Ted Roth Story is a violent, bloody but well-written read which borders on fun. It sucks readers in at the start, a twisted coming-of-age story gone murderously wrong, then takes them through Ted's evolution from a personal, selfish murderer into a murderer who can kill without the childish pain or rage necessary to precipitate his first three murders. It should be clear, however, that the ever convoluted and loosely knitted plot can, with a good measure of suspended disbelief, also be fun to witness. This is part of Absolution's charm. Readers don't exactly know what will happen next. Absolution's greatest strength, however, is its powerful writing. No book is any good without powerful writing. Some books are acclaimed for it alone. Despite the loose plot development and the unnecessary frame (the book pretends to be an audio recording made by Ted during his last hours of life, a heavy-handed technique which only serves to annoy readers as it interrupts the real story), Absolution is well written. Sprinkled with a few typos or missing words as one might expect from a digital publisher, Absolution nevertheless hits all the right notes at the right times for the right duration to make the individual scenes memorable and ring like a fine concerto. For the writing alone, readers should pick up a copy of Absolution: The Ted Roth Story, and discover an author worth watching. Read my full review of Absolution: The Ted Roth Story >

(This review is also published at SFReader.com)

October 2007  |  eHow.com

With increases in fuel prices over the last few years, consumers are naturally more concerned about fuel economy. Fortunately, there are a few simple things consumers can do to get more miles out of their tires and each gallon of gas. These tips include how to properly inflate your vehicle's tires to manufacturer specifications, how to check for problems with your tires, when to balance and rotate your tires, and when to have your vehicle aligned. All these factors affect rolling resistance and tire wear, and if overlooked end up costing you more money over the course of a single year.

October 2007  |  eHow.com

Most people do not know how or when to properly inflate their car or truck's tires because they have not been properly trained and certified. This can result in dangerous over- or under-inflation conditions which at best will damage your tires and at worst can cause a deadly accident. In this eHow to article, I show you how to locate your vehicle's correct cold tire pressure specifications and when and how to inflate and/or adjust your tire pressures to match these manufacturer specifications. Some things to remember are that you cannot gauge a tire's pressure properly by sight only, and tire pressures should never be set to the specifications while tires are warm or hot.

September 2007  |  Epinions.com

There are few poets who genuinely engage me as a reader, among them Robert Frost, Robert Lowell, W. S. Merwin, Philip Levine, William Stafford, W. D. Snodgrass, John Gilgun and now Roger Kirschbaum, to name a few. Though I know Roger and his work from the informal poets' circle at Missouri Western State College (now Missouri Western State University) in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and enjoy his first chapbook from that era very much, Hunter Ranch is like discovering a new poet. He has matured and fine-tuned his poetic voice and vision into a perfect symphony of sight, sound, color, place, and meaning. Roger revels in the mystical commonplace, writing surgically precise but simple details of every day objects, activities and experiences, and gives them meaning through simple, commonplace language. Like the best of poets, Roger plays no tricks on his readers. Divided into four seasons – Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter – Hunter Ranch takes readers to the heart of the Midwest where nature, love, loss, family and an honest day's work are examined and praised with quiet, religious fervor, striking a nearly perfect balance between compression and accessibility to communicate a mystical labyrinth of ideas, concepts and relationships that cannot be conscionably extricated, separated and dissected without destroying the poems. Some readers, no doubt, are quick to define or dismiss this book by date and region, by time and place, but we must not confuse any of these with simplicity, with being less important, less engaging, less accomplished, less accessible or less rewarding. Roger has skillfully and bravely wrestled with universal themes among the minutiae of the Midwest to publish a moving, timeless and masterful collection of poems. Roger's poetry is not simple. Every syllable, every word, every line, every poem in Hunter Ranch...not one word is wasted. For many poets, the powerful work collected in Hunter Ranch would be a pinnacle, a crowning achievement, their old man and the sea. Roger, however, is a young man, and his final master work, we hope, has yet to be written. Read my full review of Roger Kirschbaum's Hunter Ranch >

June 2007  |  MacNN.com

There's no doubt that the iPod Nano is beautiful. iPod Nanos cost more than most jewelry at big box retailers, so people are keen to both personalize and protect their Nanos. GizMac's Titan Clear Case for the 2nd generation Nano is the perfect choice for Nano owners who can hardly bear to take their Nanos out of its package. A complete accessory and protection package for the 2nd gen iPod Nano, the Titan Clear Case includes a polycarbonate case, armband with elastic velcro, carabiner clip, rotating belt clip, double weave lanyard, and thin film click wheel protector. The clear protective case resembles the finish of the Nano's retail packaging, and the four attachments make Nanos considerably more convenient to use. Whatever your activity, the Titan Clear Case provides everything you need to fully enjoy your 2nd generation Nano while displaying its beauty, as though it were still unopened. Read my full review of GizMac's Titan Clear Case for 2nd Generation iPod Nanos >

May 2007  |  MacCompanion

As a freelance graphic and web designer, I create and massage images for print and the web. I was interested in reviewing Lineform as a possible replacement to the expensive upgrade to Adobe Illustrator CS2 or CS3 in the near future. Like many freelance graphic designers, my needs are relatively simple. I need to be able to create logos, import and edit logos and PDFs that have been emailed to me, create and edit simple logos and illustrations, and reliably prepare all final files for offset press or the Internet. Since Lineform is marketed as an application to create simple logos to complex designs and illustrations, similar to Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Freehand, CorelDraw and Canvas, I thought that Lineform might meet my modest needs and those of other freelance graphic and web designers. Lineform, however, is not ready to take the place of these more capable illustration packages, despite its strengths. Though Lineform’s features compare favorably to other modern illustration packages, it is not designed to be used as an import/edit/export tool, which is a requirement in the graphics world. Lineform’s user manual only lists the file formats it will export, not import: BMP, JPG, PDF, EPS, SVG, PNG, and TIFF. Nevertheless, importing and exporting is a common use for illustration software, so I tested Lineform’s import and export capabilities, and found that Lineform 1.3.1 falls short of my expectations. Though sample artwork included in the download is appealing and professional, Lineform isn't yet up to competing with the entrenched illustration packages used by graphics professionals today. Read my full review of Lineform 1.3.1 >

May 2007  |  Epinions.com

I have been a Spider-Man fan since I was 8 or 9 years old, possibly younger, when I began to collect Spider-Man comics. I have a small collection of comics today, more than half the collection are Spider-Man related. For Spider-Man 3, I had high expectations, especially with the appearance of Venom, arguably the most popular villain in the modern Spider-Man comics (the 1980s and 1990s anyway). Unfortunately, the third Spider-man installment falls short of my expectations. Despite this, it is a film well worth watching. For Spider-Man fans, though, who grew up reading the Spider-Man comics in the 1980s and 1990s like me, they likely won't bond with the film the same way they bonded with the comics. All the important actors and actresses return for Spider-Man 3. Spider-Man 3 also introduces new characters to the film franchise. In this installment, Captain Stacy, his daughter Gwen Stacy, her boyfriend Eddie Brock/Venom, and Flint Marko/Sandman enter the world of Peter Parker. For comic fans, the introduction of the Sandman, a classic Spider-Man villain from the 1960s, like Dr. Octopus, is a welcome addition. For younger comic fans, the introduction of Spider-Man's black costume, which eventually bonds with Eddie Brock to become Venom, is also a welcome addition. Both villains are certain to draw two generations of fans. As other reviewers have noted, this film is more mature than the first two films. Peter Parker, Mary Jane and Harry Osborn are no longer high school graduates or college freshmen; they are now adults trying to make their way between the youthful world they once knew and the adult world where rent is due and feelings are sometimes hurt by the cruelty of strangers but hurt most deeply by those closest to us. A strong, perhaps heavy-handed, theme in Spider-Man 3 is the power of choice. All the characters in this film, including the villains, have had to make choices. What some in the audience will also realize, especially in regard to the characters of Harry Osborn and Flint Marko, is that these characters, like Peter, have made choices, too. We find, though, that Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy and Eddie Brock also make choices throughout the film. When Spider-Man 3 ends, I have the certain feeling that this could well be the last film in the franchise for this generation. There are no concrete plot lines or tensions left open, as there were in the first two films. No hidden lairs discovered. The film ends with Peter entering the blues bar where Mary Jane still works, stepping to the stage, holding out his hand, and the two of them beginning to dance slowly. They do not speak. So, despite their pain, there is hope for them and their relationship. It depends on the choices they now make. And the choices that will be made in Hollywood. Read my full review of Spider-man 3 >

February 2007  |  MacNN.com

It is impossible to find convenient power while on the go, on vacation, at work, at the gym, in class, or wherever our busy lives take us. The Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger solves this problem with a small, elegant, convenient charger for our iPods and MP3 players, cell phones, PDAs, and other mobile devices (excluding the Microsoft Zune). The Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger is a little smaller than the latest video iPod (100 x 62 x 15mm or 3.9 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches), weighs about as much as a 2nd generation iPod Nano (120g or 4.2 oz), and resembles a white iPod. Any standard powered USB port on your computer can charge the Mobile Device Charger. The Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger comes bundled with a retractable cable and five connector heads to charge Sony-Ericsson and Nokia cell phones, mini-USB devices, and iPods. These five tips cover a large portion of the mobile device market. For mobile devices not compatible with one of the bundled tips, the appropriate tip may be purchased from the Proporta web site. Despite its shortcomings, the Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger is very useful for our increasingly mobile lives. Everyone has a cell phone and iPod or other MP3 player, and many play handheld games. If your mobile devices run down when they cannot be conveniently recharged, consider the Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger. It will keep you mobile longer. Read my full review of the Proporta USB Mobile Device Charger >

February 2007  |  Epinions.com

I bought Strange Candy for a strange reason: its short single paragraph intros to each story as commentary. The stories themselves are indeed Strange Candy. They're short, sweet, and eclectic. Like a small bowl of hard candy. In here are two stories featuring Anita Blake, and another set in her world without the familiar characters. Here are also several stories set in the world of Nightseer, the world of Laurell's first novel. One of Laurell's strengths is a habit "of taking the fantastic and dropping it into the middle of the real," as she confesses. Her best fiction, including the stories in this book, are evidence of this habit. Unfortunately, this collection also features probably Laurell's weakest story, structured like a trite plot from any similarly-themed movie. The theme of dropping the fantastic into the middle of the real world is better expressed in other stories in this collection. "A Clean Sweep," though the shortest story in the book, is a clever, entertaining gem with a sinister end. It reminds me of some of the stories of my friend, C. Dennis Moore. Six stories in this collection are heroic fantasy (including the stories set in the world of Nightseer). They feature wizards, devils, dragons, swords, magic and the like. Though I'm no fan of stories of the fantasy genre, these stories yet engaged me once I had begun to read them. Laurell's best stories are about interesting characters in interesting circumstances in interesting worlds, and have complex relationships and surprises throughout. These elements alone keep most readers engaged. Even those with disposition to not like or enjoy them. Together, these fourteen stories span Laurell's first sale to her most recent. If you're an aspiring writer, you'll find this book perhaps even sweeter and more satisfying than the average reader. Read my full review of Laurell K. Hamilton's Strange Candy >

February 2007  |  Epinions.com

Global warming to many just means that the earth is getting warmer due to trapped greenhouse gases and a shrinking ozone layer in our atmosphere. Big deal, right? Nobody likes too much cold anyway! Well, global warming is a very big deal. So big in fact that the United Nations has recently released its report on global warming. Long before the UN's report, however, this authors looked at global warming and published this book, which helps explain global warming's causes, impact, and one frightening but convincingly possible scenario: A New Ice Age!The best-selling book The Coming Global Superstorm defines a superstorm, describes the conditions under which a superstorm will occur, and considers the lasting effects of such a storm. Bell and Strieber look into our historical past and theorize that superstorms have occurred in our ancient history, and conclude that nearly each superstorm coincided with global extinctions on the scale of 70% of the world's species alive at the time of the superstorm. Superstorms, they believe, also triggered past ice ages. The cause and effect possibilities and implications are powerfully convincing. Along the way, Bell and Strieber look at ancient cultures, consider earth's greatest ancient structures, and compare common traits of worldwide religions to support their theories. In the end, Bell and Strieber call readers and mankind to make our greatest efforts to control our species' role in global warming, and if possible stall it. Bell and Strieber indicate that there is no way to know when this global superstorm will occur, but conditions are ripening for just such a storm to occur. The superstorm such as Bell and Strieber describe is brought to entertaining life in the film The Day After Tomorrow. While the film tells a good story and makes use of very effective special effects, most viewers don't realize that this film is a dramatization of the events described in The Coming Global Superstorm. Unfortunately, this dramatization does not provide enough factual information to understand what happens in the film. The filmmakers could have included some exposition to explain and foreshadow the chain of events as depicted in the film. Though this film is entertaining, and IMHO very good, when compared to the inspiration for it, the book is far better -- and frightening -- than the movie. Incidentally, the UN's report on global warming confirms much if not all the global warming facts and theories found in The Coming Global Superstorm. Read my full review of The Coming Global Superstorm >

November 2006  |  Epinions.com

Harold Crick must die. Having written some poems and stories, experienced some small success, and viewed the world through the eyes of an author, it is clear that Harold Crick must die! It's that simple. The power of Stranger than FIction is that it brings to consciousness the facts of our very lives. It is a minimalist story, a la Ernest Hemingway and Raymond Carver. The story is a simple but powerful interwoven tapestry of a small handful of lives, including Harold Crick, a senior IRS agent; Karen Eiffel, a novelist whose new book is not yet finished but with the publisher's deadline looming; Ana Pascal, anarchist and owner of a small bakery who knowingly shortchanged the IRS 22% from her last income tax; Professor Jules Hilbert, a professor of literature; a bus driver; a reckless young boy on a bicycle. And an apple. But in this tapestry is a magical event: Karen the novelist narrates Harold's life for a few weeks, and Harold hears her narrative voice (of course, no one else can hear her voice as she narrates about Harold). Shortly, Harold's very modern wristwatch plays a significant part in his very certain imminent death (according Karen-as-narrator). Naturally, this leads Harold to try to find an answer and solution to his predicaments: some unknown voice is narrating his life in his head and has revealed that "unknown to him" he will soon die. So the plot begins. In the end, Harold seeks out Karen Eiffel and meets this woman who is about to kill him in her book about his life. Professor Hilbert defines her as a tragidist. Both Professor Hilbert and Harold read her completed manuscript, but its last few pages, Harold's death, are not yet committed to typewritten copy. Prof. Hilbert tells Harold that he must die; the novel is Karen's masterpiece. Harold, after reading the manuscript, agrees, and calmly accepts his fate, telling Karen that he loves the book and that she must finish it. This perfect, masterful ending she has written in her own hand on a yellow legal pad unfolds in the next scene. And the movie fades to white. Walk out at the fade to white in this film. Leave the theater. The ending you'll savor will be so much more painful. Meaningful. And sweet. Read my full review of Stranger than Fiction >

November 2006  |  MacCompanion

Drupal, phpBB and WordPress are popular open-source web applications for building online communities. Drupal is a CMS, or content management system. phpBB is a forum (bulletin board) application. WordPress is a blog application. But Drupal, phpBB and WordPress are not necessarily user-friendly applications for the average, every day webmaster. Installing, configuring and editing the behavior and appearance of Drupal, phpBB and WordPress involves creating a database, installing modifications and extensive source code editing. Not for the faint of heart! The average webmaster must turn to some resource for help, such as the book Building Online Communities with Drupal, phpBB and WordPress. Like most computer instruction books, each section is ordered from system requirements and installation to configuration, modification and maintenance. But readers must expect to spend considerable time not only reading the book but experimenting with their installations, since these applications are mature and feature-rich. Despite its depth, Building Online Communities with Drupal, phpBB and WordPress could use more illustrations, diagrams, charts, tables and screenshots. The book is written by coders for coders, so visuals are scarce, but they would come in very handy to illustrate points and relationships. In general, readers will be hard pressed to find any better, more complete printed reference for Drupal, phpBB or WordPress. Read my review of Building Online Communities with Drupal, phpBB and WordPress >

September 2006  |  MacNN

There are all kinds of iPod accessories, but the iPod/MP3 Shower Radio is the first we've seen for use in a bath environment, and features MP3 hookup, AM/FM radio, stereo speakers, fog free mirror, and LED lighting. It measures 7.8" wide x 9.8" tall x 2" deep and requires four AA batteries. The Shower Radio is easy to setup, use, and maintain. Just install the batteries, plug in the iPod and insert it into the water-resistant compartment, and listen to your music or local radio. The standard controls for volume, lights, radio stations, and switching between radio and MP3 player are placed well. The MP3 shower radio is also useful at the pool, beside the hot tub, or any other damp locations. Unfortunately, the iPod/MP3 Shower Radio meets only the most basic needs. Read my review of the iPod MP3 Shower Radio with Fog Free Mirror >

July 2006  |  Epinions.com

Everyone's bound to cheer Superman Returns. Several of the special effects sequences are so breathtaking that all discussion is deserved. The mid-air plane/shuttle disaster, the bullets bouncing off Superman's chest (and even his eye!), and hundreds such spectacular scenes will truly make the world believe again that a man can fly! There are dozens of scenes that make the audience feel as if they are really there in the scene with the characters, and if they were any closer, they themselves would be in danger. Just as Superman Returns takes risks with its incredible special effects, the film also grasps opportunities just as zealously. Superman Returns explores emotional issues for its hero, and does so surprisingly well. No longer is Superman invincible, indestructible, the proverbial Man of Steel. He is now more "one of us" after his 5-year absence than ever before. This creates more depth of character than the franchise has ever known. Superman Returns also takes risks and grabs opportunity with the character of Lex Luthor, who IMHO has never been much of a threat to Superman or the world. In the Reeves' films, Lex Luthor is a putz, surrounding himself with mindless, brainless, bumbling, uneducated idiots who do his bidding. While just a touch of this remains with this modern Lex Luthor, that is all that remains. Lex Luthor is a very dangerous man. Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor is explosive, and does not distance himself from his crimes. He is as likely to kill you himself as to have one of his few henchmen do it for him. Duality has long been a feature of the most powerful tales of world literature. The most powerful tales use paired characters, events, and circumstances to generate and fuel their plots. Superman Returns employs dualities from start to finish between Superman/Clark Kent, Superman/Lex Luthor, Jor-L and Kal-El and Lex Luthor, fathers and sons, etc. These dualities make Superman Returns a rich feast for the mind and those old enough to remember the first Reeves-helmed Superman film. Read my full review of Superman Returns >

July 2006  |  MacCompanion

If you've built even one web site, you've had questions. If you're like me, then you don't have too many friends with more experience to call on for gudance at a moment's notice. The Doug Addison's Web Site Cookbook is the next best thing, filled with hundreds of practical and worldly tips and tricks. The Web Site Cookbook will also prove useful for website owners and help them understand and appreciate the complexity and special skills required to build and maintain an effective web site. Though I expected the Web Site Cookbook to use a trite cookbook theme, it's all business, but Doug does not intend for the Web Site Cookbook to be read linearly, from beginning to end. He understands that his readers will have varied experiences with web site development. So he presents his information in a unique problem-solution-discussion format. He has anticipated common questions readers will bring to his Cookbook and answers them.Though the Web Site Cookbook is a superb web site design and development general reference, it sidesteps some of today's noteworthy web development technologies and trends. Specifically, cascading style sheets, blogs and open source applications. Despite these shortcomings, Doug Addison's wisdom is dead-on with practical, real-world experience. Read my review of Doug Addison's Web Site Cookbook >

June 2006  |  MacCompanion

For budget-minded graphic designers, web designers and digital photographers, the PANTONE® huey™ monitor calibration system is something of a miracle. Tired of off-color images, we struggle to get the best color reproduction from our images in our work. The PANTONE huey changes all that. Before huey monitor calibration system, we used Apple's OS X built-in calibration software, which was not exactly scientific, but the best thing available to us within our budget. Now with huey, our monitors are calibrated and adjusted for room lighting automatically every ten minutes. The huey monitor calibration system not only fits our budget, but it is easy to install, too. Simply open the box, clean your screen with supplied materials, plug the huey colorimeter into an available USB port, insert the CD, drag the huey icon to your Applications folder, launch the huey application, and follow the five onscreen steps. The entire process takes less than 10 minutes the first time through. Once installed, the huey colorimeter continues to monitor your room's lighting and adjusts your monitor accordingly, so that you are able to constantly see the details in your images on your monitor. The PANTONE huey is the first step in your budget to better color in your images. Read my review of the PANTONE huey monitor calibration system >

PS: Robert Pritchett, MacCompanion Editor, discusses the June issue of MacCompanion on MacReviewCast #58. My review is mentioned during the interview. Listen to Robert talking about MacCompanion on Review Cast #58 (MP3) >

May 2006  |  MacCompanion

Apple's iPod has become today's walkman, but better because people can now take ALL their music with them on their iPods. Apple's Hi-Fi System introduced earlier this year is another useful accessory for the iPod, replacing what were once home stereo systems. You remember those, don't you? My brothers and sisters all had home stereo systems (my brother's was orange and made up of three globs -- two were speakers, one was the 8-track player/radio). Now comes the accessories for the accessory for the iPod, in this case, a high-priced protective case to make Apple's iPod Hi-Fi System a mobile stereo system. Unfortunately, this case features arguably inadequate protection and a bloated, nearly explosive price tag. With less padding than a conventional laptop bag, the iPod Hi-Fi Case is little better than a padded backpack. Most of the case's padding is less than 1/4" thick and in the double-flap, bottom and sides. The back has some padding, but not nearly the padding as the other four sides. The double-flap also features an impact resistant slice of plastic to protect the speaker grill of the iPod Hi-Fi System while in transport. Though the bag is described as play-through, this does not mean that the Hi-Fi System will play through the bag when it is closed. It plays through only when the bag is opened and the speakers are exposed through the oval opening in the front. Read my review of Waterfield Design's iPod Hi-Fi Stereo System Case >

April 2006  |  MacNN

Good design is hard to teach. Fortunately, Bryan Peterson makes a better than average attempt to teach good design and recognizes that a solid understanding of basic design principles is at the heart of good design. Though short, the book is a dense, real-world study of these fundamentals. A real plus that informs the book from cover to cover is Peterson's professional work experience. Throughout the book, he takes into account real-world considerations, such as quantity of information, print quality and production, mailing costs, and final destination. Also sprinkled throughout are 200 color illustrations, most of which represent finished products from noteworthy designers. The most important things that Peterson offers in this book are questions that every designer should ask of their designs to assess how well their designs succeed and exercises to help student designers better understand and apply the principles discussed. These exercises are open-ended, so they require time and effort to perform. If readers choose to ignore these exercises, then reading Design Basics for Creative Results is essentially a waste of their time. There is much more to becoming a design professional than reading any book, even Peterson's, but Peterson's book is a very good place to start. Read my review of Design Basics for Creative Results, 2nd Edition >

April 2006  |  MacCompanion

There's a whole subculture out there that most of us don't know about. Bob Parks shows this subculture to us, after trying to explain it and the forces that have created and nurture it. Makers are renaissance people, with experience and interests across a variety of technologies. They are unsatisfied being just consumers and are interested in improving existing products and experimenting with technology, an archetypal blend of toolmaking and science. Makers also like to share. Besides operating their own web sites, Makers also share code and parts openly on the Internet. As with most subcultures, Makers meet to discuss and show off their projects. Makers have a competitive spirit, and these groups thrive on friendly, personal competition, challenging each other. On a larger scale, Makers also compete in formal competitions such as Dorkbot Nights and the Burning Man festival. In February 2005, O'Reilly successfully launched Make magazine, the first magazine devoted to do-it-yourself technology projects. Clearly any book about Makers is first a book for Makers, and second a book for those of us curious in such things. These such things are sometimes interesting, sometimes inspiring, sometimes highly unusual, and often fun. Projects profiled in this book utilize LEDs, all kinds of sensors, jet engines, servo-motors, wood, metal, plastic, fabric, plumbing, automobile engines, car bodies, industrial equipment, paper cups, balloons, discarded electronics, electronic motors, switches, buttons, wiring, paper, digital cameras, lenses, inkjet cartridges, mirrors... anything that suits the needs of the project. Many of these used and discarded elements are acquired through "dumpster diving." Radio Shack and eBay figure prominently throughout the book for those hard-to-find-in-the-trash parts, and several web sites are mentioned as well. Despite the disparate sources, these Makers have made some incredible (and useful!) contraptions: Cap Holter's board-busting machine. Sathya Jeganathan's improvised baby warmers for needy hospitals. Kerry McLean's gasoline-powered monowheel. Peter Madsen and Claus Norregaard's 6.6 ton hand-built submarine. Bathsheba Grossman's 3D digitally printed metal sculptures. Tom Chudleigh's spherical wooden treehouses. Koichi Hirata's robotic fish. Matty Sallin's pig-shaped alarm clock that cooks bacon. Louis Giersch's 1000-degree solar concentrator used to burn up anything he wants to burn up. Richard Flanagan's jet-powered go-kart. Dennis Havlena's working PVC bagpipes. Andy Gustafson's semi-automatic pneumatic potato cannon. These and 90-odd more amazing and unexpected projects are profiled in this book. Read my review of Makers: All Kinds of People Making Amazing Things in Garages, Basements and Back Yards at MacCompanion >

March 2006  |  Epinions.com

After just two visits to Steak & Shake restaurants, Steak & Shake is now our favorite vacation hamburgers-as-fast-food restaurant. Partly because Steak & Shakes are only available in about 1/3 of the lower 48 states and there aren't any in Wichita, but mostly because they're a great franchise. In fact, for our spring break vacation in March 2005, we went to St. Louis, and a Steak & Shake restaurant was the bright spot (besides Magic House) in an otherwise miserable vacation in that city. Read about our nightmare vacation in St. Louis, and how Steak & Shake was the turning point in that vacation >

March 2006  |  Epinions.com

Lambert's Cafe on Hwy 65 between Springfield and Branson, Missouri, has become as much as family tradition as Silver Dollar City, White Water, Table Rock Lake or any of the shows on the Branson strip. Though serving delicious home-style meals, including beef, pork, chicken and vegetables, with never-ending portions and free all-you-can-possibly-eat passarounds such as fried potatoes, macaroni and tomatoes (like ghoulash), sourghum molasses and fried okra, Lambert's Cafe's real claim to fame is that it is the original home of throwed rolls. That's right, Lambert's staff throw hot, fresh, tasty white rolls to you from across the table and across the room. All you gotta do is raise your hands, prepared to catch them. Kids and adults alike enjoy Lambert's easy, family-friendly atmosphere. So much so that we now have to stop at Lambert's every chance we get, usually on our way to Branson and on our way home from Branson, too. Read my review of Lambert's Cafe >

March 2006  |  MacNN

Usually, any kind of bundled pack (software or magazines for example) means bundling one good item and two much lesser items together and charging a bit more for all three, to create the illusion of value. Feral Interactive's Family Fun Pack 2 is nothing like this practice. Instead, it is a collection of three great 3D games that entertain the entire family through atmosphere, strategy, and problem solving, and a throw-in Children's Encyclopedia Britannica. Rayman 3 is appropriate for ages 5+, Worms 3D for 8+, and Ghost Master for 13+, IMHO. All three are challenging, and for adults with the time, suitable for adults, too. Rayman 3 is a cartoony adventure with mild violence, something like Mario Brothers, where the only things shed are coins, treasure and stars, and game play is relatively simple to grasp. Worms 3D is a more challenging, due to the physics involved in and around the playing fields and the weaponry, and a tad bit more violent, but not much. Ghost Master is not violent, but it is at times risque -- the training haunt is called Haunting 101 and features a girl’s college dorm with hree floors of college coeds in bathrobes, towels, and pajamas -- but nothing more than the standard SIMS family of games (Ghost Master plays like the SIMS). My children and I enjoyed all three games to varying degree, according to our age and experience. The graphics in all three titles are bright, game play satisfying, and puzzles challenging. Problem solving is an important skill to develop in our children, and these games encourage players to consider multiple paths and strategies to complete missions and solve puzzles to reach their goals. Worms 3D, Rayman 3, and Ghost Master pack enough atmosphere and quirky charm to keep your family entertained for months. Of course, the Children's Encyclopedia Britannica will also help children with their homework. Read my review of Family Fun Pack 2 >

March 2006  |  MacCompanion

I'm no novice to CSS or stylesheets. I'm a prosumer, a freelance web/graphic designer who builds several web sites a year while maintaining existing web sites (I also worked in a corporate environment doing same for nearly 9 years). CSS is the holy grail for web development in many ways, but looking at a page of CSS code can get...well...dull. The built-in tools in Macromedia Dreamweaver and Adobe GoLive just aren't as good or as current as they need to be to keep up with developments in CSS styling. MacRabbit Software's CSSEdit 1.7 relieves this dullness and writes CSS code in a near-WYSIWYG environment while still allowing access to raw code. Though Dreamweaver and GoLive feature built-in CSS editors, CSSEdit is better than both. Even if you use a WYSIWYG HTML editor like Dreamweaver, GoLive or FrontPage, you'll find CSSEdit more than useful. MacRabbit developers have studied how CSS coders develop stylesheets and designed CSSEdit to seamlessly slip into their workflow. CSSEdit is easy to use and has many powerful features: 1) Comment-based grouping to simplify locating and arranging styles; 2) Font family and style tag favorites that help simplify stylesheet editing; 3) Real-time previews in the application itself, an external browser, and click-and-drag preview window; and 4) Displays both raw code and interface controls. CSSEdit 1.7 offers professional reliability and results. All it needs is a CSS stylesheet to get to work. I have used CSSEdit to edit the stylesheets on ColaCollectables.com, Kansas Learning Center for Health's redesigned web site and PHP calendar, U-Save Tire's e-commerce site, and RapidWeaver web sites. I have CSSEdit loaded in my dock, along with the other applications in my web design arsenal. Read my review of CSSEdit 1.7.2 >

February 2006  |  MacCompanion

RapidWeaver 3.2 is superb and inexpensive web design software. It is based on Apple Computer's iApps motif, and publishes websites that incorporate media from Apple's iApps, as well as other content. Blogs, photo galleries, file sharing pages, contact forms, movie galleries and custom pages can all be created quickly and easily with RapidWeaver 3.2. RapidWeaver 3.2 is based on a template system and comes pre-packaged without 25 templates. Other templates are available for free or a small fee across the Internet. RapidWeaver takes the user's content and inserts it into a pre-determined design (like this site). These templates can be altered, and custom templates created from revising existing templates or from scratch (I recommend revision!). Content is king on the web. RapidWeaver lets users get that content onto the Internet quickly. Best suited for personal web sites, or small business web sites, RapidWeaver suitsthe needs of all users but high-end professional web designers building sites that cost tens of thousands of dollars. For most freelance web designers, RapidWeaver can be used to create and then pass off maintenance to most small business clients. This new Swope Design web site was built with RapidWeaver 3.2. Read my review of RapidWeaver 3.2 >

December 2005  |  MacCompanion

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December 2003  |  Ecphorizer.com

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August 2000  |  Download PDF  |  Presented to Wichita Chapter AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Artists)

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