Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days Review

Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days
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Kane & Lynch was a game with a lot of style and a good story but lacking gameplay... Kane & Lynch 2 delivers more polished gameplay with the same style, making for a more robust experience. While the cover mechanics and shooting in the original felt rough and old, they feel pretty much perfect in the sequel. There's an actual cover button now, which works great, and the shooting is more precise and fun. Cover does not make you invincible, which some professional reviewers disliked, but I like that... if your arm is sticking out, it makes sense they can shoot your arm.
The campaign uses the same gritty Michael Mann style to great effect. You'll fight your way through back alleys, apartment complexes, restaurants and other real-world locations while Kane and Lynch spout off some very well-written Resevoir Dogs-style dialogue. It's not for everyone, just like the first game wasn't, but if you're a fan of this style then you will like the way this game handles story and immersion. The graphics are surprisingly well done considering the original game lacked in this area. The environments all look detailed and real while the characters mostly look unique and move well. There is a grimy YouTube video style filter on the game to make it look even grittier, but on PC you can disable this if you like... go back and forth and see what you prefer. Also turn on the "steadycam" option if you have motion sickness issues.
The main problem with the campaign is it's only about 5 hours long and that's playing on hard mode. I tested normal mode and it was even faster-paced and more "run n' gun" so maybe it would take even less time to complete. To round out the package though there is multiplayer and "arcade mode" for singleplayer offline play of the same basic multiplayer game. The basic premise with both is you play a random criminal who works with a team to infiltrate a place, take some money or equipment, then get out to a getaway van. In arcade mode you do this with AI partners against AI cops, trying to get as much money as you can with three lives to get high on the leaderboards. In multiplayer the other crooks and cops are actual players, looking to help or stop you as the case may be. Other criminals in multiplayer can stab you in the back and take your money, which in the games I played ends up being annoying as every player feels the need to do this. In arcade mode the AI will not turn on you unless you repeatedly fail to get any money, making it a better experience overall for people who are not hardcore multiplayer competitors. Arcade mode is something I will likely play here and there over time, which adds some length to the game. The campaign mode is also rather replayable, which can boost the value.
Still, at the end of the day Kane & Lynch 2 feels like it should be cheaper than $50. I tetered on the edge of giving the game 3 or 4 stars, but I went with 4 based on how fun the campaign is and how unique the overall tone and style still is. However with a 4-5 hour campaign and an arcade mode that is fun but nothing amazing, along with multiplayer I found more annoying than fun and that is hardly populated, I'm not sure there is $50 worth of value here. Your mileage may vary and I personally plan to replay the campaign and set some high scores in arcade mode, but most people will play the campaign and quit and they should wait for a sale. If you really enjoyed the tone and style of the original game though and wished it was more solid in the gameplay area, Kane & Lynch 2 granted your wish. I urge you to grab the game when the price reaches what you find acceptable for what the game offers.
DRM Alert: Kane & Lynch 2 uses Steamworks DRM, meaning every copy is a Steam copy. This requires online activation for install and ties the game to an account preventing resale, but it also gives you achievements, DLC support and Steamworks multiplayer features. Make up your own mind on how this effects you, it is not used in scoring.

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Experience 48 hours of hell with two of gaming's most notorious criminals. In Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days, Kane and Lynch face the consequences when a simple job gone wrong sets off a desperate and frantic struggle to escape the entire Shanghai underworld. Experience intense action in Single Player, online and offline Co-op, Fragile Alliance multiplayer and Arcade modes. Ground-breaking art direction, relentless action gameplay, and innovative multiplayer re-define the action-shooter experience and position this product from IO Interactive as the stand-out shooter of 2010.

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Procypher Eraser Pro Review

Procypher Eraser Pro
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I purchased this to erase a hard drive with a Windows 98 operating system so I could recylcle the computer. The program did not load. Did not perform as promised. I'm returning the product. Given how hard it is to erase an older system, this is particularly disappointing.

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UPG PAPERPORT PRO 11.0 Review

UPG PAPERPORT PRO 11.0
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I've been using paperport for years and can't live without this software. I like the changes that were made. However, it seems that this version is alot slower that my previous version. It may have something to do with installing the indexer, which I subsequently uninstalled. But, it's still slow.
The best thing about the package is that you can setup the scan settings. This is much better than how the software previously worked.
I would still buy it again.

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Stop Motion Pro V6.5 Education Review

Stop Motion Pro V6.5 Education
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Stop Motion AnimationHow to Create and Animate a Clay PuppetFilming the Fantastic: A Guide to Visual Effects Cinematography
I am a 30 yr veteran visual effects artist and educator and I'm thrilled to give my overwhelming endorsement of this product. It is super simple to use and allows the animator to instantly get to the important business of creating without the constraints of cumbersome technology. I've adopted it for my educational DVDs and use it for all of my animation classes at UCLA Extension and NYFA.

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Namo WebEditor Professional Review

Namo WebEditor Professional
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I was kinda flipping the coin when i came across this, and I thought i'd just give it a shot until i return it cuz they give you 30 day money back gaurantee. Turned out this is a little giant that pretty much gives you everything you need. I never heard of Namo, but it looks like they've been around for quite a while. It's sometimes a little complicated to figure out here and there, but most of the features are really powerful and user friendly. It's not perfect and we still need something in the middle of FrontPage and those crappy software out there, but for now I'll totally settle with Namo. Good stuff.

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With Namo Web Editor Professional, you'll easily create and manage personal & professional use. This award-winning app has all the tools you need to build your website in a single package. The advanced design and script templates help you create an attractive site, and the site resource management tools make running your own site simple. Includes resource management integration, editable themes and vector graphic elements, image touch-up and manipulation tools, and image slicer and photo album creation tools. FreeMotion's Action Script Editor includes automatic code completion, parameter information, member registration and more.

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Pc Tools Internet Security 2011 - 1 User/3 Pc Review

Pc Tools Internet Security 2011 - 1 User/3 Pc
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As soon as I installed PC Tools it just hijacked my computer. I could not get anything done. The CPU would spike as PC Tools took over. It would spin its wheels so much it would lock my computer up. In a way it is a virus. I had to shut it down several times just to get it back. The worst thing is it would pop up windows every time it finds an application using the internet. It is so annoying. It should know what is legit or not but it makes the user to make the decision over and over again. I could not get anything done. What a waste of money. I uninstalled it and installed Kaspersky and I have not been slowed down yet.

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PC Tools Internet Security delivers powerful protection against online threats, incorporating antispyware, antivirus, antispam and firewall components into a flexible and easy-to-use security solution. It minimizes performance impact and reduces interruptions by detecting how you use your PC and making adjustments to its behavior. Integrates ThreatFire Behavioral Intelligence to block new threats faster than traditional signature methods and Browser Defender to protect against web-based attacks including phishing attempts, rogueware scare tactics and silent drive-by downloads. PC Tools Internet Security even displays threats in your search results using reactive blacklists and proactive dynamic content analysis. Includes 24/7 phone, web and email support during your subscription period.
Powerful protection against online threats, incorporating antispyware, antivirus, antispam and firewall components into a flexible and easy-to-use security solution.

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The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure Review

The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure
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The Immortals of Terra is a point in click adventure. It brings both the best and the worst to the genre. First of all the game is titled A Perry Rhoden Adventure, The Immortals of Terra. Which implies it's some kind of on-going saga. True that . . . if you come from Germany. In a certain sense this is Germany's version of Great Britain's Dr. Who. In a quick nut shell, Perry is an American astronaut who on a mission to the moon gets wrapped up in alien intrigue and eventually he and his crew mates for all intents become immortal. The series has been going on in some form or fashion since the 1960s. In this game, the time is 3000 years in the future.
Until this game I had never heard of Perry Rhoden. But a Google search will reveal tons on history on the Hero. While at it base it seems to be pulp mag sci fi action thriller stuff, I'm really sorry we on this end of the globe mostly missed out on all the fun.
This game centers on the kidnapping of Perry's girlfriend (Google revealed it was also his former wife) and some sort of alien conspiracy involving a race that has been dead for thousands of years. The story, graphics, voice acting and music are all top notch. Unfortunately the game play is just horrible. This point and click in this game is old school as in Sierra On Line when they were their own masters. The bulk of the "game" is spent moving your cursor all over the screen. Or flashing an inventory item on a on screen character/devise to get some type of reaction Or manipulating your inventory to form a new inventory item. And since the game is on a rail, whoa be to thee who tries to join an object before its time or read a piece of info on a structure before the story has advanced for that piece of information.
Still, with a walk through in hand I have to recommend this game. True nuff, the game play is horrible but just about every other element of the game is great. And the loving detail that went into the visuals impressed me: True alien worlds that I could believe in. A marvelous story that starts out small and gets bigger as you delve deeper into events. And surprising professionalism from the voice actors from this small game developer. And while frustration reigned supreme during the playing of this "game", I kept playing anyway, just to see where it was going to take me next.
I would place this sci fi adventure game in the same league as Mission Critical (top of the heap) and Moment of Silence. At the time Moment of Silence was the most clumsy adventure game I had ever played but it was still a worthwhile journey. Immortals of Terra is even more clumsy but still worth the journey.
Perhaps some might argue that if a game fails at it basic functionality ( gameplay) how could it be considered a worthwhile journey? Honestly, I can't say. Every poor game puzzle I had to resort to the walk through made me curse the developers. And yet one look at another jaw dropping visual or inspired story event and all was forgiven. The game succeeded in making me interested in a sci fi story line I had never heard of before and now I want more.


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Touch the far reaches of space and time'Blast off into uncharted alien territory on the trail of a deadly secret, threatening peace on Terra. As immortal Perry Rhodan, you will embark on an intergalactic quest for the truth. Discover amazing extraterrestrials in new frontiers as he tracks down the diabolical mastermind with plans of apocalyptic proportion. Enter into a battle of the wits and unravel the tangled web of intrigue as Perryfaces his greatest enemy yet! The Fate of the Universe lies in your hands!

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LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 Review

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4
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I loved this game so much. But buying it as a mac port was a really bad choice. There are so many bugs and it runs slow and crashes easily. The game is great but save yourself some frustration and just get it on a console. I played the xbox 360 version on my boyfriend's xbox and it is a much more enjoyable experience but has still crashed on two-player mode. But that is another product review. Anyways, beware this product is buggy.
* Slow moving characters
* Color distortions: blue water looks black, Hermione's pink lips look blue, the invisibility cloak is not invisible in cut scenes but just looks like Harry is wearing an opaque black cloak.
There are probably more color distortions that weren't so obvious that I missed.
* Crashes. Just stops in the middle of the level and due to the fact that it is an auto-save game, you lose everything that you've done since the last auto-save.

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Blaze Media Pro All-in-one Converter, Ripper, Burner, Audio and Video Editing Software Review

Blaze Media Pro All-in-one Converter, Ripper, Burner, Audio and Video Editing Software
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I have a background in computers and technology this software is garbage, a waste of money.
Their customer support is non-existent.
Money down the drain

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Fleet Command Review

Fleet Command
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I did have to make contact with the shipper to clarify a point on the game itself. The question was answered quickly and to my full satisfaction. I am very please with the shipper and the customer service attitude which was very helpful and did the right thing for the customer. I will order again from this shipper when I am ready to purchase more games.
thank you

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Monopoly - The Original Review

Monopoly - The Original
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What can be said about one of the greatest board game that hasn't been said before? it is fun, and it will take a long time, if you are good at it, to play a whole game. there is a save feature on the game so you can walk away and come back later.
there are several different "house rules", options you can choose like the price of getting out of jail, the number of houses to set before hotel, free parking rules, taxes, and my favorite, you can set GO for $400 a pass and 2x for landing on it.
some things i don't care for: you don't have complete controle of the game. you press a button that the computer sets to "roll the dice", the computer moves your piece for you, and then you press a button for your turn to be over.
the ONLY real con i can see is that you do not see the computer's roll of the dice. The computer does seem to land on the cheap properties. Like on game i played i Had ALL of the expensisve properties and all four railroads and he seemed to land on the railroad or community chest instead of Boardwalk or Parkplace once those hotels went up
I run windows XP SP 3 and so far it works fine on my computer with no crashes or bugs to report.
The game is a lot of fun if you have nothing else to dy and you have a LOT of free time on your hand. I don't recomend this for your work computer if you want to stay employed. now it's going to be even harder to get me away from my computer for dinner

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Arcsoft 26093 Panorama Maker 4 Pro Review

Arcsoft 26093 Panorama Maker 4 Pro
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I had read about this software in one of my photo magazines. In the past I have used PhotoStitch, which works ok but it is hard to get the seems seamless. I also have used Photoshop, which works great but is quite a bit of work. I was really amazed at how well this product merges the photos seamlessly. Be aware that it does not work on Raw files so you need to convert to jpeg or another compressed file. (It took me a bit to realize that that is why the first few I tried did not work) I have only done a few, but they all came out beautifully.

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3D Album Picture Pro Review

3D Album Picture Pro
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I bought this new version because I love the photo show made by the version 2.03, hoping there is a great enhancement in the new version. The product lives up to my expectation - show styles in the new version have improved a lot! Though not all styles favor my taste, it is my choice, and there are plenty of styles to choose from. Moreover, the Picture Pro edition let me change themes easily, for example, I can paint my own book covers and design pages for the 3D flipping book, and change the room and table settings.
One new feature I like particularly is the "My Albums" list. Now, I can keep a track of my built albums (I've built a lot!) and make any change of any album whenever I want to. I don't understand why there is a need to save, as one reviewer wrote. The album I built is the copy that saved from the preview. I can make the change of the copy using the same GUI controls I use during preview. There is no need to dig into the album files. Perhaps the reviewer is commenting on the version 2.03, which cannot be applied to this version.
I am an amateur photographer, and occasionally use Jasc Paint Shop to do some preliminary photo editing works. I didn't expect that 3D-Album Picture Pro come with a great photo editor, and did not even give it a try until the last weekend when I decide to create my own book cover. Holly cow, I can't believe that an album software come with such a powerful photo editor that is even better than my dedicated editing software. Jasc's tube brush is always my favorite but making my own tube is rather difficult. In Picture Pro, I simply create an image group and then drag and drop image into the group. I am very impressed by the Picture Pro's 3D layer styles and vector illustration tools.
I clicked the book cover image in the Photo Show page, choose the edit menu, and the software brings the book cover directly into the editor where I can put my own design. I can switch back and forth between the Photo Show page and the edit page until I get a happy result.
I bought the version 2.03 about one and half years ago. I remember there was a problem with my old HP laptop (not with my desktop) with S3 video card. The software will crash after running about 5 minutes. The support told me that the crash is due to the bug in the S3 video driver and upgrading the driver will solve this problem. But S3 video card was quite old and the support from HP was discontinued. I eventually got my new Dell Inspiron with GeForce FX. Both the old and new version now run smoothly without any problem. So, before buying the software, you should have a check of your computer. A decent 3D video card such as nVidia's GeForce or ATI's Radoen is the key, no matter how fast your CPU or how much memory your have.

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Complete digital photo solution combines animated presentation templates with innovative tools for organization, editing, design, layout and printing. 40 animated templates for all occasions and moods, with 40 more available for download. Distribute output via email, web page, CD, VCD, SVCD, DVD, or printed page. Powerful, all-in-one, presentation, organization, editing, and printing software Creative animated presentation themes for all occasions; Easily add video, music, voiceover and text to presentations; Precision control over timing, animation and music; Combine multiple themes into one presentation; Render presentations into .avi, .mpeg, .wma and DVD ready files. Distribute output via email, web page, CD, VCD, SVCD, DVD, or printed page; Editing tools from basic touch-up to special effects; Efficient batch processing; Design templates for catalogs, calendars, cards and more; Automatic detection of digital camera for fast organization.

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Office 2007 Professional - Full Retail Suite Review

Office 2007 Professional - Full Retail Suite
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Was more that I expected. I thought it would only be a 1 licence product but it had 3!

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Tonka: On The Job Review

Tonka: On The Job
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This game is challenging and fun! It requires the player to think a little to complete puzzles in the form of "Jobs" by utilizing the right trucks (each one is better at different things), finding shortcuts, and thinking of clever solutions. This is a great game for a kid who likes to have fun while solving interesting puzzles!

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade Review

Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade
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Turns out I'm late to this party. This upgrade will not work with a Creative Suite Serial Number even though your Suite contains a "Complete" and "numbered" version of Photoshop CSx. It says that deep in the fine print, but why would you continue reading after you see EXACTLY your version is upgradable. Complaints abound, even on Adobe site. 5-Stars to Amazon for prompt refund.

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Adobe Photoshop CS5 delivers breakthrough capabilities to help you create images with impact. Refine your images with reengineered photography tools for removing noise, adding grain, and creating high dynamic range (HDR) images. Get precise results when making complex selections. Remove any image element and see the space fill in almost magically. Paint with naturally textured brushstrokes and realistic color blends. Also work fast with cross-platform 64-bit support and dozens of other time-savers.

Upgrade to Adobe Photoshop CS5 To install an upgrade version of Photoshop CS5 software, you must have an eligible earlier version of Adobe software:
Photoshop CS2, CS3, & CS4
Photoshop CS3 & CS4 Extended

For more information on eligibility, visit www.adobe.com/go/upgradeinfo.
Top reasons to upgrade to Adobe Photoshop CS5
Complex selections made easy Get precise results in fewer clicks when selecting intricate image elements, such as hair, and eliminate background color around selection edges. Automatically vary selection edges and perfect masks using new refinement tools.
Content-Aware Fill Remove any image detail or object and watch as Content-Aware Fill magically fills in the space left behind. This breakthrough technology matches lighting, tone, and noise so it looks as if the removed content never existed.
Superior HDR imaging Create photorealistic or surreal high dynamic range (HDR) images with unprecedented speed, control, and accuracy. Get better-than-ever results thanks to automatic ghost removal and greater control with tone mapping and adjustments, and even give single-exposure photos the look of HDR.
State-of-the-art raw image processing Use the Adobe Photoshop Camera Raw 6 plug-in to nondestructively remove image noise while preserving color and detail; add grain to make digital photos look more organic; enjoy more control as you perform post-crop vignetting; and more.
Extraordinary painting effects Achieve natural and realistic painting effects with the Mixer Brush, which offers on-canvas color blending, and Bristle Tips, which let you create lifelike, textured brushstrokes.
Puppet Warp Precisely reposition or warp any image element. Swing a raised arm to a person's side in a photo, stretch text to create new effects, and more.
Automatic lens correction Save time with automatic correction of lens distortions, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. Photoshop CS5 uses an image file's EXIF data to make precise adjustments based on the type of camera and lens you used.
Efficient workflow Enjoy productivity and creativity boosts thanks to dozens of features and enhancements requested by Photoshop users. Straighten images automatically, pick colors from an onscreen color picker, adjust the opacity of many layers at once, and more.
Better media management Easily manage media with more flexible batch renaming, and access your assets in the context of what you're working on by using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel in Photoshop.
Faster performance across platforms Speed up day-to-day imaging tasks and process very large images up to 10 times faster by taking advantage of cross-platform 64-bit support. (Requires a 64-bit-capable computer with a 64-bit version of Mac OS, Microsoft Windows 7, or Windows Vista. Actual performance varies depending on amount of RAM, driver types, and other factors.)
Streamlined creative reviews through integration with CS Live services Use Adobe CS Review, part of new CS Live online services, to initiate a more secure review without leaving Photoshop. Reviewers can add comments to your images from their browsers, and you see those comments appear automatically on your screen. Adobe CS Live online services are complimentary for a limited time. Visit www.adobe.com/go/cslive for details.
New GPU-accelerated features Take advantage of GPU-enabled enhancements to everyday tools. Crop with the Rule of Thirds grid; zoom with click-and-scrub functionality; and sample colors with better visualization and an onscreen color picker.
Easier user interface management Use the collapsible Workspace Switcher to quickly navigate and choose among favorite user interface configurations. Live workspaces automatically record your user interface changes so panels will remain in place even if you switch away for a while.
Superior black-and-white conversion Explore an endless variety of black-and-white looks. Use the integrated Lab B&W Action to interactively convert color images; create gorgeous HDR black-and-whites with greater ease and speed; and experiment with new presets.
Create powerful images with the professional standard
Easy access to core editing power Get just the tools you need--exactly when you need them--as you perform common editing activities. Adjustments and Masks panels guide you in making precise adjustments and masks.
Extraordinary creative tools Achieve realistic painting effects with the ability to mix colors on canvas and create natural brushstrokes. Merge multiple exposures into stunning high dynamic range (HDR) images. Move, remove, warp, or stretch any image element.
State-of-the-art photography Easily merge multiple exposures to extend the dynamic range with more power, precision, and fidelity than ever before. Convert to black-and-white in new ways. And use Dodge, Burn, and Sponge tools that intelligently preserve color and tone details.
Industry-leading raw image processing Enjoy superior results when you convert raw images with the Camera Raw 6 plug-in, which offers support for over 275 camera models plus nondestructive editing so you can experiment without harming your original photo.
Automated compositing tools Easily create a single image from a series of shots that have different focal points, smoothly blending color and shading and extending your depth of field. And take advantage of accurate, automatic layer alignment.
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom integration Enjoy tight integration with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software (sold separately), easily moving files from Lightroom to Photoshop CS5 to create HDR images, panoramas, and multilayered Photoshop documents. Roundtrip your files back to Lightroom.
Efficient media management Manage your media visually with Adobe Bridge CS5 software. Enjoy more flexible batch renaming plus the ability to access files in the context of your work using the customizable Adobe Mini Bridge panel.
Powerful printing options Get outstanding prints in less time with automation, scripting, and a print dialog box that's easier to navigate.
Broad file format support Import and export hundreds of image file formats, including PSD, AI, PDF, NEF, CRW, TIFF, BMP, Cineon, JPEG, JPEG2000, FXG, OpenEXR, PNG, and Targa, and video formats including 3G, FLC, MOV, AVI, DV Stream, Image Sequence, MPEG-4, and FLV.
Extensibility Personalize Photoshop and extend its capabilities with custom panels that developers create to accomplish specific tasks, the Adobe Photoshop Marketplace for third-party plug-ins and resources, and Adobe Community Help for tips and tricks.
Top new features of Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended
Intelligent selection technology Photoshop CS5 takes the time and frustration out of making precise image selections and masks, providing you a faster way to extract subjects from their backgrounds and create realistic composites. New intelligent selection technology offers better edge detection and faster, more accurate masking results of complex subjects, like hair. Automatic color decontamination helps you eliminate background color around the edges of a selection, resulting in more seamless compositions when placing extracted subjects on new backgrounds.
Experienced Photoshop users know that the best selections are created by constantly adapting the selection technique for differences in the subject's edges--one method for hair and another for the edge of a building. With Photoshop CS5, you can produce highly accurate masks and selections faster and more simply than before with a set of new adaptive selection-edge modification controls. Smart Radius automatically matches the best selection approach with the subject's changing edge characteristics, and the extra view modes assist you in previewing the quality of your selections. The Refine Radius and Erase Refinements tools customize your masks and selections as you make them. These tools, in combination with the color decontamination settings, help eliminate any residual background color from around the edges of your selections.
Content‐Aware Fill One of the most exciting new features in Photoshop CS5 is the remarkable ability to remove an image element and magically replace it with details that match the lighting, tone, and noise of the surrounding area so that it looks like the content never existed. Now, you can make substantial changes to photo composition quickly and easily, as even large complex subjects can be seamlessly erased.
You can use Content-Aware Fill with the Spot Healing Brush or as an option of the Fill feature to replace content in an active selection. Selecting the Content-Aware setting with the Spot Healing brush changes the way the tool fills in the areas you paint. This retouching approach is designed to account more fully for the structure and detail of the image elements that surround the painted area, providing a near-invisible result when removing unwanted objects. Alternatively, you can select the object to be removed, and then replace the area with synthesized details from the area surrounding the selection, simply by using the Content-Aware option in the Fill dialog box.
HDR Pro for creativity and precision with the next generation of high dynamic range imaging With just a few clicks, you can go beyond the capture capabilities of your camera by combining multiple exposures into a single high dynamic range (HDR) photo that preserves the full tonal range of a scene with high contrast. Photoshop CS5 introduces HDR Pro for more control over the HDR merging process and greater adjustment power over the mapping of tones and the styling of HDR output, resulting in images that range from photorealistic to highly surreal.
HDR Pro offers extended controls, an enhanced dialog box, and improved image processing. New algorithms enable more accurate alignment of source files and automatically deghost any problem areas that occur when trying to merge source photos where subjects have moved during capture. You can even select a source file to be used as the sole reference for any ghosted areas or allow the feature to do this automatically for you.
New tone-mapping tools and adjustment controls give you the power to implement your own HDR vision, producing photos that range in style from fully textured images of high-contrast scenes to wildly hyper-realistic creations. Save your favorite styles as presets and apply them to multiple groups of source files to provide a common look and feel to your HDR photos. And for times when you don't have multiple source files, create the look of an HDR-processed image from a single photo with the new HDR Toning feature that allows you to mimic the tone-mapping results traditionally achieved in high dynamic range photos.
Together with the existing Photomerge feature (which allows for image stitching), the exposure-merging capabilities of HDR Pro can add up to high-bit-depth, 360-degree panoramas ideal for composite photography, video, and beyond.
The Auto Stack Panorama/HDR files option in Adobe Bridge CS5 and the new panelized Mini Bridge groups source files together into stacks for quicker creation of HDR images in Photoshop CS5. You can even start the creation of an HDR file by choosing Tools > Merge To HDR from the Mini Bridge panel inside Photoshop.
State-of-the-art raw-image processing The Adobe Camera Raw 6 plug-in, which ships with Photoshop CS5, now supports more than 275 camera models as it continues to provide you with the industry-leading conversion of raw files. In addition, the utility provides advanced, nondestructive image editing and enhancement for raw files, as well as for other standard formats, including JPEG and TIFF. Now you can remove noise, achieve better quality sharpening, and creatively apply new styles of vignettes and film-like grain.
You can now shoot at higher ISO settings with confidence, because the updated controls in the Adobe Camera Raw 6 plug-in remove the noise common in such high-ISO images (as well as in photos captured with long exposures and pictures from consumer cameras) while still preserving excellent color and detail.
New controls for adding grain and additional post-crop vignetting settings join many creative options already available in this utility, such as the Adjustment Brush and the Graduated Filter. For the first time, you can add grain-like texture to photos as part of your nondestructive editing workflow. Adjust amount, size, and roughness of grain to easily give composites a more natural, seamless appearance by matching levels of grain across all source images--or simply use the feature to make a digital photo look more organic or film-like.
Updated post-crop vignetting options offer more creative control over the corner darkening and lightening process, and your favorite vignette effects can be saved as presets for quick application across multiple files.
Upgraded sharpening options produce clearer photos with fewer artifacts while providing better control over key details, especially when working with high-resolution pictures produced by multi-megapixel cameras.
Extraordinary painting effects With a new Mixer Brush, a Bristle Tips feature, and a new mechanism for blending colors, Photoshop CS5 redefines the way you paint. You can take advantage of more natural and realistic painting effects, making it easy to take your imagery and designs in new artistic directions.
The Mixer Brush lets you define multiple colors on a single tip, and then mix and blend them with the underlying hues on your canvas, achieving creative results that rival traditional painting media. When starting with a photo original, you can use a dry, empty brush to blend the existing colors while at the same time adding a painterly effect to the image. Mixer Brush settings provide extensive control over the wetness of the canvas colors, the load rate that determines amount of paint loaded on the brush, the mixing rate between brush and canvas colors, and whether the brush is refilled, cleaned, or both after each painting stroke.
In conjunction with these new mixing features, Photoshop CS5 incorporates unprecedented control over stroke characteristics of its painting tools with Bristle Tips. Bristle Qualities define key bristle properties such as shape, length, stiffness, thickness, angle, and spacing, which affect how the color is laid on the image as you paint.
The Bristle Brush Preview feature provides a visual representation of these changes, and you can save your tip configurations for future use, allowing you to build a customized collection of Bristle Tips to experiment with when using Photoshop brush tools.
Puppet Warp Puppet Warp gives you more freedom when pushing and pulling elements within an image. The feature lets you recompose an image to make it more appealing, or to fit a specific layout, by allowing the precise repositioning of any element within a Photoshop document, or selection, by simply clicking and dragging. After you reposition an object, Photoshop adjusts the rest of the image to account for the shifted pixels.
After choosing Edit > Puppet Warp, click on your image to drop pins establishing anchor points where you want image parts not to move, and handles that you can use for warping. Then drag any of the pins to reposition the picture elements. Use Puppet Warp to swing a raised arm to a person's side, warp and stretch text to create new effects, or reposition intrusive objects in a photo to create a more pleasing composition.
Automated lens correction The Lens Correction features in Photoshop CS5 create better quality captures by removing or correcting the three most common lens-based errors: geometric distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. This means you can use a wider range of lenses with the confidence of producing images of the highest quality. With the aid of the Adobe Lens Profile Creator (available separately as a free download from labs.adobe.com) you can produce custom profiles characterizing the optical aberrations of your camera lenses. When installed and selected in the Lens Correction filter in Photoshop CS5, the profile automatically removes or corrects the three types of distortion.
The Lens Correction filter in Photoshop CS5 is redesigned to include manual adjustment controls under the Custom tab, and settings for locating and applying custom Lens Correction Profiles (LCP files) under a new Auto Correction tab. Installed profiles that match your camera and lens combination are used to apply precise distortion corrections to your photos. Suitable profiles can be located easily based on the EXIF data automatically recorded with the image, and if a suitable profile is not present in the Lens Correction filter, then with a single click within the dialog box, you can search online for the correct profile to meet your needs.
Individual error types can be selected in the filter's settings, as can options for handling any transparent areas that surround the corrected image.
User-inspired productivity enhancements Photoshop CS5 helps boost productivity and creativity throughout the editing workflow with dozens of enhancements inspired by Photoshop users. Some of these include:
A neutral-density preset for the Gradient tool
The ability to save 16-bit Photoshop documents in 8-bit JPEG format in a single step
An option for reversing the clone source using the flip buttons in the Clone Source panel
A Don't Show This Message Again option when saving files with maximum compatibility
Default value for Shadows/Highlights changed from 50% to 35%
The ability to move a selection while the active layer is hidden
An on/off option for trackpad gesture support on Mac and in Microsoft Windows 7
A new layer command for deleting all empty layers via scripts
A Straighten button on the Ruler tool options bar
A Close All Open Images Without Saving option
A Save As option for always defaulting to the folder to which you last saved an image
The ability to drag and drop a file onto an open Photoshop document to create a new layer
Multiple improvements in Lens Correction filter options, including:
Grid Display is off by default
Show Grid, Grid Size, and Grid Color settings are now sticky
Default grid size is increased from 16 to 64 pixels
Decimal point adjustments are allowed as values for the Chromatic Aberration sliders
A third Chromatic Aberration slider enables the correction of green/magenta fringing
The Background Color Edge setting is replaced with the Black Color entry
A White Color option is available in the Edge menu
Reset options are changed so that only the calibration settings are reset, not the Grid options

A new Cache Tile Size control in the Performance section of the Preferences dialog box
Zoom in and out with the new scrubby zoom tool
Presets for setting Cache Tile Size and Cache Levels simultaneously
The ability to use keystrokes to set values in the Adjustments panel text fields
Performance increases of up to 50% when importing OBJ files
Sample colors faster using the new on screen color ring built into the eyedropper tool
Customizable default values for Layer styles
New creative resources, including actions, tools, presets, brushes, swatches, shapes, gradients, styles, and tool presets
Window and Door shapes added to list of meshes that can be created from a layer
An option for changing the opacity of multiple selected layers
The ability to create a mask from the transparent areas of a layer
Pick colors faster using the new on-screen color HUD
Print settings saved with the image file, allowing one-button printing with user-selected values
Selecting a printer automatically lists the profiles installed for that printer at the top of the profile list
Printer-specific profiles are selected automatically when choosing a printer
Customized print settings can be recorded as part of a Photoshop Action
An overlay grid can be displayed when using the Crop tool
Layer groups can be nested more than five levels deep
New Paste Outside and Paste Inside commands, along with the previously existing Paste In Place option, are included in a new Edit > Paste Special menu

Streamlined creative reviews through integration with Adobe CS ReviewCollaborate with colleagues and seek client comment quickly and easily with Adobe CS Review, a new CS Live online service* designed to simplify and accelerate the design review process.
With CS Review, you can avoid the hassles of large email attachments, logon problems with FTP servers, and time-consuming next-day air deliveries usually associated with client reviews by instead initiating a secure, shared review. Comments are displayed in near-real time and in context, providing convenient feedback on your images and designs. You can access the CS Review service from within Photoshop CS5.
Faster performance with cross-platform native 64-bit support Tight deadlines and large file sizes make performance a high priority for many Photoshop users. Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended deliver cross-platform 64-bit support, allowing you to perform day-to-day imaging tasks up to 10 times faster. Video and photo professionals, especially, benefit from the extra performance, as gains are even greater if you regularly work with very large files, where processing can be up to ten times faster when you take advantage of higher addressable RAM amounts--limited only by what your hardware accommodates.
To help you tweak the performance of your setup, Photoshop CS5 lets you adjust history, tile, and cache controls in combination.
Greater access to key resources via flexible custom panels Photoshop CS5 offers easy ways to integrate and extend your workspace with customized panels. With the aid of the Configurator 2.0 panel utility (available separately as a download from labs.adobe.com) you can produce your own panels, bringing together your most used tools and menu selections and incorporating your favorite web feeds or video tutorials.
Stay connected to the greater Photoshop community and all facets of your digital life directly from within Photoshop CS5 by using panels you create or those produced and distributed by other users. You can access anything that lives on the web--favorite blogs, video content, even your email--with these integrated panels. You can even expand content beyond a panel's standard viewing area when you need a magnified view.
Easier interface management with Live Workspaces and Workspace Switcher Creating dedicated, task-specific workspaces that mimic your individual workflow increases productivity and efficiency by hiding the features you don't use and exposing the ones you do. New Live Workspaces auto-save any changes you make to a task-specific workspace, so that if you switch to a different workspace and then back again during an editing session, your panels remain exactly where you left them. The number of entries displayed in the collapsible Workspace Switcher can be altered, and the position of each workspace can be rearranged. This provides quicker navigation between frequently used setups.
Superior black-and-white conversion Photoshop CS5 continues to support the tradition of producing finely crafted monochrome photos with the inclusion of new ways to explore an endless variety of black-and-white looks. You can use the integrated Lab Black & White Technique action, located in the Default Actions group of the Actions panel, for an easy and interactive way to convert color images. Create gorgeous HDR black-and-whites with greater ease and speed by taking advantage of the new and updated features in HDR Pro. Take your monochrome creations in new directions with conversion presets in the Black & White panel.

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Knowledge Adventure Books by You Win/Mac Review

Knowledge Adventure Books by You Win/Mac
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In reading the description, I was expecting that it would guide a child in writing their own book. NOT SO. It just has a story written out, and blanks for the child to fill in. It is NOT their own book. My daughter, who is 9 years old, is very much into writing and has written many chapters of her own imagination. I thought this product was going to help her fine-tune it and guide her along proper techniques and examples of how to perfect her writing into a book that she can be ready to publish. So, beware. This program is already a story written, just fill in the blanks.

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Knowledge Adventure Books by You is a make-your-own-book software experience that ignites children's imaginations as they create and publish their own books. Award-winning actor and author John Lithgow guides the way as children choose a story line, then twist and transform it with their own ideas. Kids can add pictures, design a cover and dedicate the book to someone special. They can then publish a chapter book that they will love to read and share with friends, family and fans!

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