When I learned that I'd be part of the Macworld Video production team, I was both excited and more than a bit apprehensive. I was excited because I enjoy working in video, though it never seems I have enough time to do so, and nervous because Apple had recently (with the introduction of iLife '08) basically killed off my video production tool of choice: iMovie HD. iLife '08 includes a program named iMovie '08, but it's related to its predecessor in name only—iMovie '08 is a completely new program.

While iMovie '08 added a number of interesting features beyond those offered in iMovie HD, it also removed quite a few, and more importantly to me, created a completely new paradigm for video editing. In a typical video-editing app, such as iMovie HD, you have a spot to store your video clips, and a timeline on which to place them.

Sundance: Stars, snow, and social cyborgs

Back in the early days of the Sundance Film Festival, when video was considered an emerging technology, there were independent filmmakers, and there were technologists. The two didn't typically go hand in hand.

Fast forward to this year's festival, which starts Thursday and will for the first time feature a 3D film, and indies and techies are one and the same. These days, it's near impossible to be the former without being the latter, what with the conveniences and opportunities that come with the likes of high-definition cameras, advanced editing software, and the Internet as a distribution tool.

So it's no surprise that the 2008 festival--an increasingly star-studded 10-day indie-film showcase in snowy Park City, Utah--has stepped up its technology-related programming.

Gateway Plugs Phenom Into Two New Media-Friendly Desktops

With a Phenom 9600 processor, the GM5664 is oriented toward users interested in extreme gaming, digital photo and video editing, watching TV or movies and storing a massive media library. In addition to the hybrid optical drive, the machine features an integrated analog/digital TV tuner with remote control that lets consumers watch, pause and record their favorite live programming.

Installing Cinelerra on Ubuntu Studio

Cinelerra, one of the only serious video editing and compositing tools available for Linux, can cause frustration for users trying to install it on Ubuntu Studio. Fortunately, after several attempts, I found a way to install it easily.
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Google readies Summer of Code 2008
Google is preparing its fourth Summer of Code programme in which students spend the summer working on development projects with various open source groups.
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Paylocity saves money developing on Linux
Paylocity provides payroll and human resources outsourcing services for companies that don't want the burden of performing those functions in house. Launched in 1997, is is the brainchild of founder Steve Sarowitz, who was previously a salesperson for other payroll companies.

'Young Reporters Media Camp' set on Maui

Akaku: Maui Community Television will hold a "Young Reporters Media Camp" for middle and high school students over spring break.

Unstrung TV’s broadcast-quality broadband video service provides

Unstrung is in a unique position to offer this entirely new concept in technology publishing. In May 2005, our parent company, Light Reading, launched LRTV, establishing a loyal following among visitors, who have viewed more than 175,000 documentaries and interviews (an average of 9,200 per week).

While most online video programming today is produced in the style of corporate video, Unstrung has invested in world-class staff, equipment, network infrastructure, and editing resources to make Unstrung TV the highest-quality broadband video service available. Everything on Unstrung TV from the camera operators to the graphics and editing is as required to meet the stringent quality standards of broadcast television.

Soundtrack 1.0

Apple's Soundtrack made its debut last June, as part of the massive video-editing bundle Final Cut Pro 4. But now the same Soundtrack software is available as a stand-alone product. This puts Soundtrack within reach of video editors, Web designers, and content providers who don't need the rest of the Final Cut Pro 4 package.

It requires at least a 500MHz Power Mac, Mac OS X 10.2.5, and 5GB of available hard-drive space. Apple's official specs say that you can install the program with a CD and that the sound loops, called Apple Loops, on the included DVD are optional, but this isn't really the case. Soundtrack's entire appeal lies in the fact that it lets you mix and match the 4GB of material it provides.