PC gift idea: software with a smile
Article Abstract:
Fox Interactive's The Simpsons Virtual Springfield, Scholastic's I Spy and Harmonix Music Systems' The Axe are three humorous software products. Virtual Springfield emphasizes iconic spots such as the Kwik-E-Mart and the nuclear power plant where Homer Simpson works, rather than obvious goals. Character and neighborhood quirks, as well as to detail, make this the funniest software of 1997. I Spy is the best 1997 software for younger children. The game's main object consists of solving verbal riddles by locating hidden objects among densely populated pictures. Children can develop and print their own puzzles, but the software limits resolution to 640 by 480 pixels and 256 colors. The Axe effectively enables users to develop musical interests. Users can use one or two mouses to select from among eight synthesized lead instruments that accompany supplied songs. Virtual Springfield and I Spy cost around $30, while The Axe costs about $35.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1997
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Fix the photos, make them lie
Article Abstract:
Photo editors are computer programs available for about $50 that will alter pictures to make images, brighter, dimmer or even disappear and they are becoming nearly as common place as word processors. The programs require a large hard drive and are extremely slow. Kai's Photo Soap by Metatools is a product that focuses on digital photos and has its own unique interface. Photo Soap's functions are presented as rooms with smoothing tools in the detail room and brightness an contrast controls in the tone room. Live Picture's Livepix allows users to undo all the changes made to the photo until the photo is saved. Livepix uses a format called Flashpix to store the images, which makes storing large files much quicker. Microsoft's Picture-It also uses the Flashpix format, although its instructions are frequently confusing.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1997
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Lights! Cameras! Music! Insects!
Article Abstract:
Maxis's $25 Simtunes is a multimedia computer program that allows a user to create on-screen mosaics and play music as animated insects stroll across the created picture. Users that are most likely to enjoy this software program are those with both musical and and visual skills, as well as a keen sense of logic. The techniques used to create the musical pictures are similar to those used to create traditional graphic programs, however the colors on Simtunes have musical meanings. The note produced by each tile is dependent upon what kind of bug walks across it. There are 48 bugs, called bugz, a dozen in red, blue, green and yellow. Simtunes is based on a 1992 exhibit at the San Francisco Exploratorium call 'Music Insects.' The program is available for Windows 95 and 3.1.
Publication Name: The New York Times
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0362-4331
Year: 1997
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Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
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