Expand your skills. Chat with the experts. Join our community of kindred spirits on this exotic journey.

Our Speakers on MacMania 7 are:
Janet Hill, David Pogue, Randal Schwartz, Jason Snell,
Sal Soghoian, Derrick Story, & Robin Williams

MacMania 7 Seminars

Inside Mac OS X "Leopard" (half day)
Speaker: David Pogue

Join this highly entertaining session as NY Times columnist David Pogue makes Apple's newest Mac OS X operating system — Leopard version 10.5 — sing, dance, and walk on its head. Witness a parade of undocumented shortcuts, decipher the unfamiliar Mac OS X folder structure, and discover the power of the Unix system that powers the whole thing. Based on his book Mac OS X: The Missing Manual, Leopard Edition, this session is, in particular, a life preserver tossed to anyone who's interested in finding out which of the 150 new Tiger features are worth learning, and which old features wound up in new places.

iPhone: The Missing Manual (90 minutes)
Speaker: David Pogue

The iPhone took three years to develop, is covered by over 200 patents, and is called "revolutionary" by Apple. It's an iPod, a cellphone, and a wireless touchscreen Internet terminal.

David Pogue, New York Times tech columnist and author of "iPhone: The Missing Manual," will take you through the very latest developments concerning the iPhone, its features, its hidden powers, and its backdoors.

Introduction to Lightroom (half day)
Speaker: Derrick Story

Adobe Lightroom is a comprehensive photo management tool that enables photographers to organize, edit, and output their work in a single integrated environment.

This class will introduce you to all of Lightroom's modules, show you how the tools work, and provide you with time-tested workflows to help you manage your images as efficiently as possible.

Introduction to Aperture (half day)
Speaker: Derrick Story

Apple's Aperture is their professional level photo application that streamlines the Raw workflow. You can rate and sort you images using the innovative Stack feature, plus keyword, process, and output your pictures.

This introduction covers all of Aperture's main features and shows you best practices for applying them to your work. Demo versions of Aperture will be available for new users.

Maximizing iPhoto (half day)
Speaker: Derrick Story

Even though iPhoto is considered Apple's "consumer" photo application, it has evolved into a powerful image management tool. Many people just don't know how to tap its more advanced features.

During this course, you will learn how to organize, rate, keyword, and image edit in iPhoto. Then you'll see how to take advantage of its amazing output tools to create stunning prints, coffee table books, calendars, greeting cards, slideshows, and more. Plus, you'll discover how to set up multiple iPhoto libraries and switch between them.

Photoshop for Photographers (90 minutes)
Speaker: Derrick Story

Many of Photoshop's features are for graphic artists, preproduction professionals, and web producers. But this venerable image applications also has amazing tools specifically for photographers.

This course will introduce you to the features that can help you take your photography to the next level. You'll learn how Photoshop can help you create stunning High Dynamic Range photos, glorious panorama prints, plus see the five basic tools that every photographer should know how to use.

Seminars (continued)

Integrating Photoshop with Aperture, Lightroom, or iPhoto (90 minutes)
Speaker: Derrick Story

The photo management apps — Aperture, Lightroom, and iPhoto — have good image editing tools that will do the job for about 80 percent of your photography. But what about the other 20 percent of the time when you need more advanced tools for exposure and color correction?

These are the instances when Photoshop really shines. In this course you'll learn how to "roundtrip" from your photo management app to Photoshop. Plus you'll learn tips for color and exposure correction in Photoshop.

Which Is Best for You — Aperture, Lightroom, or iPhoto? (90 minutes)
Speaker: Derrick Story

Each of these photo management applications presents its own set of strengths and shortcomings. So how do you determine which program is best for you?

In this course we'll match up the capabilities of these three great tools with different types of photography styles and requirements so you can choose the right application for you.

The Ground Floor Guide to the Macintosh (half day)
Speaker: Janet Hill

Your Mac is amazing! If you are a novice computer user, this session is designed especially for you.

Imagine using a computer designed by people who hate to waste time as much as you do. Where all the hardware and software just works, and works well together. You'll see how the most innovative Mac OS in history changes the way your Mac works for you. You'll learn how your Mac allows you to accomplish more. No matter what you use a computer for — photo or movie projects, Internet and email, financial management, you name it — you'll find that the Mac makes the job go much faster and more enjoyable. This session is designed to help you get the most from your Mac. At the end of this session you will feel like a Pro. Bring your questions or projects and Janet will help you — either after class or in the Ingenious Bar.

Extreme Googling (90 minutes)
Speaker: David Pogue

So you thought Google was just a Web search page? You ain't seen nothin' yet. David Pogue, who won an Emmy for his CBS News profile of Google, will unveil the Google you never knew. It's a white pages, yellow pages, calculator, aircraft database, driving map, package tracker, auto database, barcode translator, stock ticker, and much more. He'll explain all — and also take you on a tour of what's cooking in Google Labs.

Seminars (continued)

Amazingly Cool Utilities (90 minutes)
Speaker: Randal Schwartz

This session will show you a ten-pack of useful OS X add-ons, all of which are either freeware, donationware, or shareware. You'll learn how to give your PowerBook's trackpad new capabilities, capture screenshots and screen movies, control OS X's application menus via a hotkey or mouse button, keep an eye on system performance, automate an incredible number of everyday tasks, and much more.

Leopard Power User Tips (90 minutes)
Speaker: Jason Snell

You've gotten settled in with Leopard. But are you truly taking advantage of it? This session, from Macworld Editorial Director Jason Snell, will give you the skinny on dozens of cool tricks, tips, and secret features within Leopard, as well as numerous other ways to extend Leopard!

Apple's Latest and Greatest (90 minutes)
Speaker: Jason Snell

Who can say what products Apple will release between now and early November 2007? But whatever they are, you'll be able to get the in-depth details about how they work and what they do from Jason Snell, editorial director at Macworld.

The topic of this session is up to Apple — but whatever it is, you're sure to get an insider's perspective on the coolest new products in the Mac world.

Personal Podcasting Primer (90 minutes)
Speaker: Randal Schwartz

Are you a podcast listener? How would you like to be a podcast creator? It's easy. If you have a Mac you already have most of what you need to join this fast growing medium. GeekCruises' podcaster, Randal Schwartz, will show you the ins and outs of podcast recording, editing, and distribution. Learn how to make a professional sounding show without spending a penny, the tricks to finding an audience, using iTunes to do your marketing, and a whole lot more. Bring your ideas for your own personal podcast and you'll have one ready to upload before the cruise ends.

Introduction to iLife (half day)
Speaker: Janet Hill

If you are new to iLife, come see what happens when you take five best of breed multimedia applications — iTunes for managing music, iPhoto for digital photography, iMovie HD for editing digital video, GarageBand for creating your own music, and iDVD for creating your own DVDs — and integrate them so they work seamlessly. Suddenly it all connects!

Let your imagination soar: The iLife 07 software applications let you do fun, creative things with your pictures, music, and movies in ways that PC users can only dream about — then you share your joy with family and friends every which way from email and the internet to print and DVD. An you can do all these things and more, quite nicely, without thumbing through a manual.

Pushing iLife to the Limit (half day)
Speaker: Janet Hill

So you already know the basics of iLife — come to a session which will push iLife to the limit. Learn all the high end tricks of effectively producing and publishing your finest work.

With iLife, you can express yourself with images, movies, music, and text. iLife offers a flexible set of learning tools that can help you create content, rather than just consume content.

With the iLife suite, Apple provides all the tools that you need to create and share compelling digital media projects. You can create poetry photo books, scientific documentaries, original music, art portfolios, and more. With iLife, there's no limit to what you can create. Let me show you how!

We will also have a sharing session during this seminar so you can share high end tips and tricks you have learned so we can all learn more. Bring one of your own iLife tips or tricks to this session.

iDVD and iMovie (90 minutes)
Speaker: Jason Snell

Everyone wants to edit their home videos, but who's got the time? Macworld's Jason Snell gives you a crash course in editing — fast! — in iMovie and generating cool DVDs. Plus: tips on converting VHS to DVD, and a selection of great iMovie add-ons.