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Shift-Tab Hides all Adobe Palettes Except Toolbox.
Most designers know that tapping the <strong>Tab</strong> key is the quick way to temporarily hide all open palettes in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign or Illustrator. Very handy when your design is obscured by too many windows. Even more handy: Press <strong>Shift+Tab</strong> and you can keep your Toolbox and Options bar, but hide the other palettes!
Browse maps in 3D with Google Earth.
Google Earth is a free utility that lets you search for nearly any location in the world, then shows you the location in 3D. For example, enjoy a virtual 3D tour of downtown Seattle starting at the Creativetechs office (although 3D New York is much more interesting).
Google Earth gives you driving directions, maps, and statistics about the area, and lets you zoom and swoop around the world in real time. It can also overlay an amazing amount of information, including roadways, political boundaries, points of interest, local amenities, and information from other Google Earth users. You can also add your own notes.
Available at earth.google.com.
What is a good microphone for podcasting?
Two months ago we ran an apparently popular tip on Creating Quick Voiceovers in GarageBand 3. We’ve received a lot of questions since then about the best microphone to use for a simple voiceover.
We can’t quite declare a “best microphone.” But if you are looking for an inexpensive way to record video tutorials, GarageBand voiceovers, or your own podcasts, here is our recommendation: Go with one of the Plantronics DSP headsets with a USB connection. These provide good voice recording, and are quite affordable. They plug right into your computer’s USB port. Easy.
Two models we’ve used in our QuickTIme video tutorials:
Plantronics DSP-400 USB Headset [$35].
Plantronics DSP-500 USB Headset [$45].
The DSP-400 folds down for easy portability while the DSP-500 is a bit more substantial (the DSP-500 is apparently the mic of choice for at least one large video tutorial company).
Want to hear for yourself? We’ve got sound samples on the blog version of this tip for 6 different microphone options.
Prototype Product Packaging in Photoshop CS2.
Are you working on a product packaging job? Here's a way to combine digital product photography and Adobe Photoshop CS2 to create quick virtual prototypes. The process is fairly easy once you understand the technique, and can be used for some pretty remarkable results.
An 80’s love song about web standards.
Who remember the 80's band, Breathe?
One of the original band members now owns a web development company, and has re-recorded their hit "Hands to Heaven" as a loving tribute to the perils of web development. If you are a web designer who was in school in the mid 80's, this MP3 might hit a few chords for you.