Blogcritics Author: T. Michael Testi

Software Review: Genuine Fractals 6.0 From onOne

T. Michael Testi — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 13:15:00 EST

If you need to dramatically increase image size while maintaining quality, then you need Genuine Fractals 6.
The problem begins with an image that's great, but because you shot it with your 3 megapixel camera, you can get a decent 4x6 inch print, but when you try to get an 8x10 or larger, it just doesn't look the same. Or you try to make an 8x10 from your digital camera file but it will only go to 8x12, or 7x10 because the sensor size on your...

Software Review: Kubota Pro Pak - Part 1 From Kubota Image Tools

T. Michael Testi — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 23:05:31 EST

The Kubota Pro Pak will pay for itself in time savings and customer satisfaction over and over again.
The Kubota Pro Pak is a bundled package of products that contains six of the most popular tools from Kevin Kubota's professional image enhancing tools for Adobe Photoshop. This package includes the four Artistic Series of actions, his Production Tools, as well as his Formula Book which contains 42 separate recipes to get just the look you want.Who...

Software Review: DiffDog 2008 from Altova

T. Michael Testi — Sat, 3 Jan 2009 21:49:11 EST

If you spend a lot of time trying to figure out what files have changed then DiffDog 2008 is a perfect solution.
DiffDog 2008 is a difference/merge tool for software and application development. It is a graphical differencing utility that will allow you to visually compare and merge text or source code and synchronize directories using a straightforward visual interface. It also provides advanced XML-aware differencing and editing capabilities. What this...

Software Review: Adobe Master Collection - Dreamweaver CS4 from Adobe Systems

T. Michael Testi — Thu, 1 Jan 2009 02:51:33 EST

The premier Web design program just keeps getting better.
This is the fourth of a series of reviews that will cover what is contained in the Adobe Creative Suite 4 (CS4) Master Collection. When Adobe released CS4 this fall, they not only released single version products, but also six separate suites of products. They are Design Premium, Design Standard, Web Premium, Web Standard, Production Premium, and...

Book Review: Real World Camera Raw with Adobe Photoshop CS4 By Bruce Frasier and Jeff Schewe

T. Michael Testi — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:12:58 EST

An absolutely, positively, must-own.
To be a serious digital photographer you need to learn some serious techniques and Real World Camera Raw is one of those books that help you get there. Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), the Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom plug-in, will give you the greatest possible control over your image. You gain precise control over qualities like white balance,...

Video Training Review: Dreamweaver CS4 Essential Training with James Williamson from Lynda.com

T. Michael Testi — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:03:55 EST

Dreamweaver CS4 Essential Training is another high quality training video that will allow you to get up to speed on the Dreamweaver CS4.
Dreamweaver is the Web development application from Adobe Systems and to get the most out of the program, it's important not only to master the application, but also to understand fundamental concepts of modern Web design. Dreamweaver CS4 Essential Training attempts to do just that. In this training series, James Williamson covers everything...

Product Review: i1 Product Line: Part 4 - i1 Beamer Module Upgrade Module From X-Rite

T. Michael Testi — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 04:39:52 EST

For the professional, or someone who to be professional, the i1 Beamer Upgrade makes sure that your projector displays your images in their best light.
My look at the i1 product line has taken course over several articles that began with the i1 Basic. In this installment I am going to look at the i1 Beamer Module Upgrade Module. The use of this module works much in the same way that the basic works to profile your monitor. This time though you have to work with a projector and so the...

Software Review: Adobe Photoshop Plug-In DxO FilmPack 2 from DxO Labs

T. Michael Testi — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:46:23 EST

If you need to match film-based images for a presentation or if you want to find some unique creative license, you need DxO FilmPack 2.
With the latest release of DxO FilmPack version 2 from DxO Labs you now can not only add the style and beauty of classic films to your images, but you can now add additional traditional film effects giving you more capabilities to replicate the look and feel to real film. DxO FilmPack is a plug-in that gives digital images both the look and the...

Video Training Review: Designing The Moment with Robert Hoekman

T. Michael Testi — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 01:27:51 EST

This is a short but very focused video, the goal of which is to show you how to get a user to sign up to your Web site.
When you see a popular site, do you ever wonder how they get so many people to sign up for their products and services? It all has to do with providing an experience to the user that makes them feel comfortable turning over personal information like their e-mail address to the site. It also has to do with providing an environment that makes it easy...

Music Review: Cheap Trick - BUDOKAN!: 30th Anniversary Edition (1 DVD/3 CDs)

T. Michael Testi — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 22:27:26 EST

Finally, you can see the concert that shook the world in 1978.
Cheap Trick, an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, officially formed in 1974 with Rick Nielson on guitar, Tom Petersson on Bass, Bun E. Carlos on Drums, and Robin Zander on Vocals. They spent the next few years primarily touring the Wisconsin and Northern Illinois/Chicago areas and recording a pair of well reviewed, but low selling albums....