Type of Article: MacTech Reviews

By Steve Baczewski

Nik Software (http://www.niksoftware.com) recently released Silver Efex Pro 2 (US$199.95), updating their powerful black-and-white conversion software with impressive new features and special algorithms for finer tonal control and faster processing.

They’ve added new presets with image thumbnail previews, and now there’s a well-designed History Browser to let you compare your current image with previous states and possibly pick up from an earlier point. Emulation of classic film types has been expanded with more controls for increased accuracy.

By David Creamer

Packaging InDesign files takes up valuable time and computer resources — simply put, Package Central (US$499.95) from Zevrix (http://www.zevrix.com) offloads the actual collection of the graphic files to another system. It was recently updated to version 1.2, adding support for Adobe InDesign CS 5.5.

When Coloud (http://www.coloud.com) sent me a pair of Boston Bruins headphones, I was happy to test them — just not in public since I live in Nashville, home to the Predators.

One of Coloud’s NHL series, it has good sound for an inexpensive (you can get ’em for about US$30), no-frills (and I do mean NO frills) set. It’s a one-size-fits all headphone with a snug (perhaps too snug for some), comfortable fit and cushioned earpads for noise reduction.

Want more storage for your iPad? I thought Seagate (http://www.seagate.com) had the answer with its GoFlex Satellite mobile wireless storage. I was wrong, and I generally love Seagate’s products.

The Satellite is a battery-powered, 500GB, US$199.99 external hard drive that wirelessly extends the storage capacity of any Wi-Fi enabled mobile device using 802.11 b/g/n and a rechargeable battery. With it you can stream to almost any Wi-Fi enabled device using a web browser or the free app that’s optimized for the iPad. At least that’s the theory.

Palo Alto Audio Design’s (http://www.paloaltoaudio.com) CUBIK digital audio speaker is a computer speaker system that designed with the audiophile in mind. Though US$199.95 seems a bit pricey for a speaker system with no subwoofer, the sound is as good for a subwoofer-less speaker system as I’ve heard.