Type of Article: MacTech Reviews

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.

The software is easy to set up and use: install the Package Central server and then install the User Components on the designers’ systems. The server software requires some minor set up for designating hot folders and the workflow options, but that only takes minutes.

Slip your iPad or iPad into the Summit from iSkin (http://www.iskin.com) and it looks as if it’s ready to go mountain climbing — or perhaps double as an extra in “Cliffhanger 2.” That, I guess, is the inspiration of the name.

I love the Smart Case that Apple released along with the iPad 2. However, it only protects the screen of the tablet. The Summit is designed to hold an iPad with a Smart Cover attached and protect ALL of the device. Or you can use it with similar-sized notebooks and tablets (the Summit measures 8.24 x 11 x 3 inches).

MacUpdate rolled out its Spring 2011 software bundle, featuring a collection of 10 Mac apps, including Parallels Desktop 6, for just US$49.99. The limited-time bundle represents a savings of 87% includes:

° Parallels Desktop 6 ($79.95) — The newest version of the #1 Mac virtualization software, Parallels Desktop allows you to run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems at the same time as Mac OS X. MacTech found Parallels Desktop 6 outperforms the competition in 84% of benchmarks.

By ‘Doctor Dave’ Greebaum

The US$59.99 Technocel PowerPak XT (http://technocel.com/) is a combination USB charger and external battery pack that I highly recommend as a great combination for anyone who travels and needs a little extra power boost now and then.

Because it has a USB port and a AC power plug, you can charge your iPhone (or iPad in “slow-charge “mode) and charge the device’s own battery at the same time.

By ‘Doctor Dave’ Greenbaum

When Google suffered a major outage recently and temporarily lost customer files, I, like others, saw the signs of a storm coming.

Cloud Pull helps you weather the storm and keep your cloud-based information backed up.  It is a simple program that is simply indispensable.