Developer: Adobe Systems Inc.
Release Date: October 27, 2008
Retail Price: Adobe Flash CS4 Upgrade – $199, Adobe Flash CS4 - $699, Adobe Master Collection Upgrade – $899 Adobe Master Collection – $2499
Available for Purchase on: Amazon for $693.99 – The Adobe Website for $699

In the past few years I’ve become a competent designer. Well…at least in my own mind. I’m a self-taught web designer. I started out in PSP (of all programs) though I hate to admit I ever used such a substandard program. It wasn’t long before I started using Photoshop. This was way back in 2002. I was new to Photoshop and while I was told that all of the “pros” were using the program, I found it to be much harder to learn than the previous programs I’d used.

Still, I was persistent. I wanted to use what the pros were using. In time and with a lot of help from tutorials (as well as other designers) I became quite proficient in Photoshop. From there, the next logical step was to learn Flash. I was absolutely fascinated with Flash. I started trying to learn Flash back in late 2002. I was obviously quite dependent on tutorials and assistance from other designers in these early days. Flash was in one of its earliest editions, but it was offering a revolutionary new approach to design and illustration. I definitely wanted in on the Flash bandwagon.

Sometime in 2003, I found an excellent Flash tutorial website, Cartoon Smart. The site was (and still is) run by a man named Justin Dike. For a fair price, I was able to receive easy to follow and in depth lessons in how to do many of the things I wanted to learn to do in Flash. Since 2003, I’ve been a loyal fan and customer of Justin’s. I highly recommend all of his tutorials, no matter your level of proficiency in Flash. While I know quite a bit more, and have become quite competent with Flash on my own, I still find Justin’s lessons invaluable. I often buy new lessons and modify what he teaches to suit my own designs and illustrations. Without him, I don’t feel I’d know Flash nearly as well as I do today.

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I’ve been using Flash for years. In fact, it’s one of my favorite programs to use for anything from web design to playing with graphics. I have no formal training when it comes to design. I just try to use my creativity and intuitive nature to figure out what I’m doing. Back in the day, you had to know a little bit about how Flash worked in order to use it. I struggled for some time, trying to figure out simple design concepts.

Like many other, struggling, self-taught designers, I scoured the web for tutorials, affordable courses, and anything else I could find. This brought me to the Cartoon Smart website. I’ve had a personal work relationship with Justin, the founder of Cartoon Smart for years, only he didn’t know about it until recently. You see, it’s Justin who has taught me everything I’ve needed to know about using Flash. Justin has taught me everything from animation techniques to Actionscript. Every step of the way, as I’ve learned Flash, Justin has been there.

Justin has been creating Flash Tutorial/Training lessons since before 2003. I know this because I have payments for lessons dating as far back as that year. I took some of his earliest courses and feel I’m all the better for it. Justin’s courses are unique because they make it easy for people of nearly any learning style to learn how to use Flash.

Those who are visual learners can watch the video and then copy what Justin does in their own projects. Auditory learners can listen to the instructions Justin gives on his videos. They are casual, informal and downright entertaining. Hands on learners have the opportunity to jump right in and get to using Flash as Justin is explaining how to do it. These tutorials are just so comprehensive, nearly anyone can and will be able to learn how to use Flash, thanks to Justin.

On the Left: Dominick - mid-tutorial on Part One On the Right: Justin's Completed Part One Tutorial Images

*Click on the Image above to see it in a bigger, easy to view form.

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I’d been waiting for that blue and white box to come in the mail, with a sense of anticipation. I knew that I would be getting Sonik Synth 2 to review, so when it finally came, I was absolutely ecstatic. You see, for the greater part of the past 20 years, music has been my life. Due to limitations (mainly being in a wheelchair) I had to find other activities to partake in as a child, while all my friends were out playing sports. What I discovered was a love for the arts, and in particular…a love for music.

For years, I filled my days with music in any way I could. I took vocal lessons for over 14 years with professional voice teachers. I taught myself how to play the piano. I played in my school’s band. I was involved in Opera Camp and musical stage productions. Anything I could do to get involved in music, whether it was singing, playing, or composing on the piano, I was doing it.

When everything became computer oriented, it only seemed natural for music to do so as well. I am what I would call, computer competent. So, when I found this entire community of individuals who were as creatively driven as I was, it seemed natural to want to know what they were using.

I compiled a list of all the innovative programs that were allowing people a whole new level of music composition and creation from their home. Names like Cubase, Reason, and SampleTank became a normal part of my vocabulary, and then I heard those two magical words…Sonik Synth. I knew I had found one program I wanted to use no matter what software I was using with it to compose my music. I just had to wait until that medium-sized blue and white box arrived at my door before I was off into my own little world…a world where music creation and composition reign supreme.

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The industry-standard sample workstation just got more powerful!

September 2007, Modena, Italy -­ IK Multimedia is pleased to announce that SampleTank 2.5, a powerful update for the top-class sample workstation plug-in SampleTank 2, is now available. It includes many new features such as an enhanced built-in multi-effects system with send and master effects, the addition of a high-quality studio reverb, the ability to read all Powered by SampleTank instruments and more.

New effects section with SEND and MASTER effects. IK Multimedia has added an expanded FX system that now includes 5 new Master insert effects and 5 Send pre/post effects, in addition to the previous 5 effects per part. All are selectable among the expanded list of high quality effects (including DSP taken from IK¹s award-winning AmpliTube and T-RackS). This means you have an effects powerhouse for your sounds with up to 15 effects per part (and up to 90 per instance). SampleTank 2.5 enables you to produce more creatively and efficiently with one of the most sophisticated effects routing systems and high-quality effects around.

Includes a high quality reverb from the award-winning Classik Studio Reverb. The addition of a high-quality reverb derived from our popular Classik Studio Reverb brings the overall list of available DSP effects in SampleTank 2.5 to a staggering number of 33 effects (more than any other sample-based instrument on the market). This astonishing reverb, which emulates the sound of high-end classic studio reverbs, will give your sound a spaciousness and character that simply cannot be achieved with other instruments.

Extended feature set. The addition of several convenient features like the new Global Volume/Pan, Master Loop sync or the new selectable Portamento curves, extend the feature set of what has become the industry standard in sample-based virtual instrument workstations.

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I am a visual person. In fact, the most visually stimulating games attract me the most. That is why I was entranced when I was given the chance to play the new game out by Playfirst, “Dream Chronicles”. While I must admit, I’m also much more of an action fan when it comes to gaming, it is nice to slow down and play a casual game from time to time. Sometimes I will find a game I enjoy. Other times, I will find a game I’ll want to avoid. With that in mind, I set out on a quest to discover if “Dream Chronicles” was a game I would enjoy…or not.

The Enchanted Plot

In this game, whether you are female or not in real life, you play the role of a young woman named Faye. When the game begins, you have just discovered that an evil woman who has magical powers, Lilith, has cast a sleep spell on your entire kingdom! You also discover that your beloved husband, Fidget, is missing! You deduce that he must have been kidnapped by Lilith. In the meantime, you are the only one who is awake to solve the mystery. Even your daughter, a young and beautiful little girl named Lyra, is entrapped within Lilith’s sleep spell and you are her (and everyone else’s) only hope.

In the meantime, you must find out what secret Fidget has hidden from you, why Lilith has cast the sleep spell and kidnapped Fidget, and several other questions about your past life, to reveal secrets you never knew. You discover these secrets through Fidget’s diary, which he has written, to accompany you on your journey and provide clues to both the present and the past.

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10 days of Hendrix tributes and giveaways of over $8,000 in prizes

July 4th, 2007, Modena, Italy ­ IK Multimedia is proud to announce the Star Spangled Days Web Event ­ 10 days of Hendrix tributes and online prize giveaways from July 4th to July 14th, 2007. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix¹s famous 1969 Star Spangled Banner performance at Woodstock, IK¹s Star Spangled Days will give people the opportunity to have their own Hendrix experience through different online features including interpretations of the Star Spangled Banner recorded by various artists using the AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix software, the premiere of the AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix Video Trailer, and an iconic Hendrix photo gallery with historical commentary.

The Star Spangled Days Event will also feature a ³Download AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix and Win² giveaway with over $8,000 of prizes up for grabs including IK Multimedia products such as the Total Studio Bundle, Total Effects Bundle and the StealthPlug, two Hagstrom Super Swede guitars, KRK Systems studio monitors, CAD microphones, Ultrasone headphones, Dean Markley Hendrix Strings, plus an assortment of Jimi Hendrix DVD¹s and CD¹s courtesy of the Universal Music Group.

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In Games and Alawar Games bring you “Turtix”, a lively side-scrolling game featuring bigheaded turtles as its occupants. By now, if you’ve read up on Alawar Games, you know it’s downloads come fast and installation is even faster. In less than five minutes I was up and running, listening to jungle themed music as I entered my name to begin play in my own new profile. Easy to navigate and easy to read, the main menu has several options.

My recommendation is to begin in story mode, though you also have the option of arcade mode. Story mode allows you to learn more about the game and the (duh) story behind it. That, or you can keep reading here. First things first, you’ve typed in your name and now you have an extra information panel on the main menu. This panel tells you which profile is loaded, what level that profile is on, and what difficulty the profile is set to.

Clicking on story mode brings up the “new game” screen, wherein you’re able to set the difficulty rating. Easy is for beginners who haven’t played much of the arcade style games. Medium is the setting most of us who’ve played Super Mario Brothers even once will likely enjoy, and Expert is the setting for die-hard fans of side-scrolling fun. Once you’ve chosen your difficulty setting, you’re taken to the story panels. You learn that Turtix, the title character of the game, was the star pupil of an old shaman and together they ran the school of magic.

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Developed by Toybox Games and Alawar Games, “Nanny Mania” is a game I’ve been itching to play. Having been a nanny for three years myself, I wondered just how true to life this game would wind up being. It is a medium sized download, but on my high-speed connection it only took a couple minutes from the beginning of the download to the installation being complete.

You begin the game greeted by lively music, clear graphics, and easy to navigate menu screens. Beginning play with all the audio and video options set to their defaults, cheery background music brings you to the opening screen, which explains the background of the game’s story. You’ve been hired as the nanny for the newly elected mayor, his wife, and their darling baby.

Your tasks begin on day one, week one. Lucky you, because you have two days off per week. Each day has goals based on time; a perfect time is set and a crucial time, as well. To obtain a perfect score, complete all tasks presented to you before the first time goal is shown. If you’re not fast enough to get a “perfect” score, don’t worry because the “crucial” time is ample time to complete any tasks you’ve not finished yet.

The mayor, as you will see through the weeks, is a golf fan, his wife enjoys long baths and playing with the baby, and the baby loves it’s bottles. Your tasks for each day include picking up the mail, answering emails, straightening bookshelves, laundry and bed making. You’re also expected to feed the baby and prepare a meal, wash dishes and when the mayor comes home from his golf games, he’s tracked in muddy footprints so make sure you clean those, too. Lastly in these early stages, you’ll be expected to clean fish tanks and straighten the couch cushions.

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Recently I received a copy of a rather uninteresting game, and while I’m hesitant to give negative reports of any product I receive I have to say this game had me yawning. The game in question is “Gutterball 2″ by ArcadeTown.

While the install was simple, and the game was ready within minutes of download, the first thing I encountered upon starting the game was fuzzy graphics and cheesy introductory music. As with many other ArcadeTown games, the first thing you do once you’ve reached the main menu is to add your name to your profile. Upon doing so, you are given the option of playing on one of five alleys. Two of these alleys must be unlocked by scoring high enough in a particular alley.

The options are varied and are highly customizable for audio, special effects, and video. Leaving everything set to the default settings gives you two commentators who are as amusing as Ben Stein, the gentleman who does the Visine commercials. Their “witty commentary” consists of about a half a dozen phrases, which they may or may not rotate through during the course of your play.

Each alley has it’s own particular theme, and playing through to unlock Iceberg and Wacky alleys was simple. All in all the entire game was simple. From what I played before turning the game off in disgust, there isn’t much difference in each of the levels unless you’re playing against a smart opponent.

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Join Jane as she unlocks the path to a hidden Aztec city in “The Treasures of Montezuma”, which was developed by Alawar Games.

Story - Regretfully it seems the developers didn’t put much thought into the story for this title. You assume the role of Jane who works in a museum in the 1930’s. While working she uncovers a magical game with brightly colored gems that when moved in a certain order the gems suddenly disappear and new ones appear. Sounds a bit like “Jewel Quest” to me. Even the same old tired storyline of lost cities & hidden treasure. While the storyline might not be up to par this title isn’t without merit.

Audio - The sound effects were average at best, the typical clink of the gems as you score a row of three or more all the while an African style of music thumps away in the background. The only break in these otherwise overly-used sound effects are the sounds of one of the many power-ups you can purchase throughout the game. These sounds still only give this catagory an average rating but they do help. Laser blasts, bomb blasts, even a male voice yelling “score frenzy!” do help to break up the routine sounds but not enough to make the game standout.

Combat - There is no combat in this title, which is a shame I would’ve loved to have seen a “Jewel Quest”-esque title with some combat in it.

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