Just Mobile has a reputation for producing well-made, stylish accessories for your iPhone and iPad – their Horizon wall mount is no exception. This solid slab of aluminium has been milled to perfection and the result is something you can trust to hold your iPad up on the wall.

There’s a little bit of DIY involved when it comes to getting the unit up and running, and although screws and raw plugs are included, you’ll need a power drill and screwdriver to ensure a perfect installation.

The Horizon comes in two parts, one of which slides onto the plate you’ve just screwed into your wall, hiding all of the mountings, which creates a minimalist design creatives will love. Also included are two rubber inserts – one for the original iPad and one for the iPad 2, to ensure your device has a snug fit whichever generation you’re in posession of.

As you’d expect from Just Mobile, there’s a huge focus on aesthetics and they’ve definitely got it right. The aluminium perfectly complements the iPad and the mount itself has a slim profile, so it doesn’t look hugely out of place once it’s all installed.

To top it off, Just Mobile have ensured there’s full access to the dock connector for charging and syncing, and have included a small push button on the front of the mount that presses the home screen button. Whether you’re looking to save some space, use as a mounted playlist, or show off art or photos in a makeshift digital frame, mounting your iPad on the wall has never been easier or sexier.

iClone is a quick and easy to use visualisation tool enabling you to create complicated character animation without all the usual messing about with key frames and 3D modelling software.

Its rendering acts in real-time, so images are realised at around the visual level of most videogames, but its streamlined interface means it leaves out many tools professional animators will find indispensable. That said, by treating animation and character modelling a bit like Lego, it can very quickly build up and edit full scenes.

Version 5 includes a raft of new features. Users can now add rigid and soft-body dynamics to any objects in your scene. You can give objects weight, friction and elasticity that behave just as they would in real life – falling to the ground, bouncing and falling over when hit. If you define the objects as soft bodies, they’ll deform and bend as though made of rubber or cloth.

iClone’s physics simulation is easy to set up and works reasonably well. It’s the fastest way to give objects in your scene realistic motion, but you’ll need to play around with the settings to get exact results.

Character animation has been made even simpler with Body Puppeting options, offering the ability to quickly lay down animation tracks for any body part, just by moving the mouse around.

There’s also a new Mixmoves system providing animations for everyday movements like standing up, sitting down and moving around. These can be blended seamlessly together to create more complex sequences.

iClone’s new rendering tools enable you to give your scenes a hand-drawn, cartoon look. You can edit the colouration of your objects and the black lines around these in this view, giving a basic level of control over the whole effect.

However, you can also add colour tints, blurs and lighting effects – all of which can be combined in Photoshop-style layers, helping to understand and build quite complex looks from the ground up – getting away from the severe videogame appearances of previous iClone animations.

If you spend an extra £79 ($99) you can add motion capture to the iClone5 feature list with the Mocap plug-in. You need to own a Kinect for Xbox you can use its camera (mounted on top of your computer) to record animation by capturing their own movements and applying them to characters.

These movements can be saved to a library for later use and the results, considering the present limitations of Kinect motion capture, are fairly impressive.

In short, iClone5 is a very fast way to get storytelling animations done, but those animations are limited in their quality. You can only export them as video or still images, not as animated 3D assets, so you can’t currently integrate the package into more professional pipelines – although an update to 3DXchange due early this year looks likely to change this.

Cinema 4D Studio version 13 (V13) is the biggest seller in Maxon’s competitive product line-up. This software interface is well laid out, with common task icons, toolbar and scene control panel instantly recognisable for those with 3D software aptitude.

This version of Cinema 4D also includes a control animation timeline, similar to that in Photoshop Extended software. It’s as easy to learn as a package of this complexity can be.

Its tools for creating 3D objects are powerful, but not as intuitive as some other programs. However, it does allow you to create and manage more complex scenes containing thousands of objects; simulated hair, realistic lighting and automated particles, and of course every element of your scene can be animated.

One of the new Cinema 4D Studio V13’s great strengths is its built-in texturing tool, Bodypaint. This operates much like Photoshop, with similar layers, blending modes, brushes and painting tools. Users can paint onto a flat texture or a 3D object, along side Photoshop, to create and refine textures for your 3D objects  – as well as bump maps, transparency maps and other material attributes.

Cinema 4D Studio V13 justifies its popularity by tying in assets from all other versions; Prime the basic package, Visualise with architectural visualisation tools, and Broadcast that is orientated towards motion graphics artists.

The inclusive Prime functions – such as importing PSD files as textures, or rendering out a multipass image as a PSD file, which splits your image up into different layers within the PSD file i.e. layers for reflections, highlights and shadows, suit Photoshop artists best.

Prime does however, lack the new physical rendering engine designed to mimic a real-world camera. This may persuade you to invest in this larger yet more expensive suite – especially when looking to expand upon your existing 3D skill sets.

Color Efex Pro from Nik Software has always been the preference for those looking to apply noticeable photo effects to projects. Photo editors and commercial retouchers look to the all-inclusive presets to maximise the aesthetics of their snaps. Now in its fourth edition, this premium software shows no signs of slowing down, including integral tweaks and innovative additions to further your creative cause.

The Color Efex Pro 4 interface is still comprehensible after a slight upgrade to its design. For those of you unfamiliar with the special effects plug-in, to the left of the interface you’ll find all the Filters presets. These are categorised into themes, such as Landscape, Wedding, Nature, Portrait, Architecture and Travel. You can group your most cherished in the Favourites folder by activating the star icon. Arranging your preferences couldn’t be more straightforward.

Applying filter parameters has also been made more inviting for new users through the Visual presets. Clicking on the stacked window icon to the right of your filter opens single-click starting points, making it possible to explore creative options quickly. Effect sliders and Control Points settings update automatically, so you can begin to comprehend viable values for expert results.

Filters can still be applied in multiples, letting you stack effects to create what the software describes as Recipes. These can be saved into the associated folder, letting you master your own presets to apply to later projects or even share with peers. Simply adjust the opacity and make selective tweaks to get the desired look. Latest Nik examples already exist for your entertainment.

64–bit functionality doesn’t go unnoticed, optimising operations you might take for granted. The program’s interactive zoom operates through a simple tap of the Spacebar key, just one of many complementary shortcut keys to feature. Users can then navigate the image in real-time through the Navigator panel – holding the Spacebar and moving your mouse operates likewise, through a recognisable Move tool.

Another nice touch is the ability to see consecutive drop option effects (activated through the Filters setting panel) update in real-time when scrubbed over with your mouse cursor. Coupling such functionality with the Side-by-Side or Split View screen modes makes comparison and scrutiny of feasible effects far more logical and rapid than previous versions.

If we were to have any qualms then it would be that the new Filters presets added are few in number and, apart from Detail Extractor, seem slightly trivial in a production sense.

However, old favourites such as High Key, Low Key, Tonal Contrast and so on have seen significant improvements, in both imaging algorithms and new controls systems, and are looking more pristine than ever before. Throw in the latest History Browser, which lets you compare previous edits and different looks intuitively, and the upgrades seem highly beneficial for the intended user groups.

Traditionally, the printed folio would supply prospective clients or interviewers with samples of work, but with the increase in digital tablets, is a more interactive folio the way forward?

Whatever your views on this, if you are planning on using your iPad for showcasing your work,  it pays to get a proper folio case to present it in, giving you an air of professionalism. There are plenty of options out there now, including the products available from Plastic Sandwich.

The company creates custom embossed print folios and now iPad folios as well. There are versions for both the iPad 1 and the iPad 2, both using the same setup. A leather folio holds the iPad using the Apple case, which slots into the right-hand side.

There is a stand too, so that the iPad can be propped up inside the folio when presenting work. The left-hand side can be used to hold printed samples or business cards.

The folio can be personalised with your name printed into the leather, and it comes in a wide range of colours. This is accompanied by a choice of a bag or slipcase at different price points, which come in black and are also personalised. Leather samples for the colours can be sent out in advance of your order so that you can see exactly how it will look.

We had the black folio and slipcase for our sample, and the quality is truly amazing. It isn’t the cheapest folio on the market, but it is the most bespoke and professional-looking one that we have come across.

It is certainly not a day-to-day iPad case, but as it requires an Apple case anyway, which you can use this for your iPad when not in meetings or interviews.

As all orders are custom made, you do need to allow for manufacture and delivery times, and factor in the cost of delivery, which in the UK is £15. Fedex to Europe and worldwide is also available, but this costs from £35-£75 depending on your location.

The Kingston Wi-Drive is one of the most convenient portable media devices on the market – discreet and measuring in at just over 12cm. Once files have been uploaded to it, up to three users can connect wirelessly.

The Wi-Drive’s special trick is in using Kingston’s very own app, which is free to download. This connects straight to device content. Each user requires an Apple device such as the iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone, each having the Wi-Drive app installed.

From there on, through a Wi-Fi connection, all users can view images, stream video, and listen to music simultaneously from one Wi-Drive.

The Wi-Drive comes with two memory capacities: a 16GB or 32GB hard drive. The process begins by simply dragging and dropping files from your computer onto its memory via USB, just as you would with any other portable hard drive. The Wi-Drive will last for up to four hours of continuous usage.

But the device is still in its early stages and as a side effect comes with limitations. Supported files include JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PDF and most text files, but excludes compatibility with Photoshop’s own PSD format.

Also there’s the limitation of the version 1.0 being a read-only device. Basically, you can open from the drive to your portable iOS machine, but that action isn’t backwards compatible – possibly something to look forward to in future updates of the app.

This pocket-sized hard drive with its multiple-user appeal is a big step forward for sharing digital files and can only improve.

The Liberty Tab from Packard Bell is an extremely competent machine and acts as a great alternative to the iPad – that is if you would rather not follow blindly into tablet ownership. It has a 10.1-inch screen, which is more than ample and offers HD resolution – making it more advantageous than a number of other tablet-based competitors on the market. It feels slim and sleek, but unfortunately still doesn’t come close to the feel of the iPad 2. The rest of its specs make up for this in spades; it’s a pleasure to use.

Perhaps the biggest boon, depending on preference, is the operating system. While Android doesn’t have an undivided environment experience that you expect with iOS for iPad, it does has a considerably more open attitude toward the customisation of your desktop and interface.

Also the micro SD card and standard HDMI out port provide the opportunity for expansion; you needn’t live or die by a built-in 16GB that is standard with similar competitor tablet models. In terms of performance the Liberty Tab certainly feels responsive, agile and very quick. That’s largely down to the NVIDIA Tegra 2 Dual Core chip that runs the show. There are, of course, limitations like with any other portable computer device.

With lots of open apps and graphics processing going on, you’ll notice that your application times will begin to slow – be a bit more careful as to what you use and when you use it, and you’ll not run into any major problems. Android on this tablet does have Adobe Flash 10.2 support but those sites relying on it heavily will affect your machine, as it starts to lag and will also have a telling effect on battery life; more so than normal sites, so be wary when surfing.

The same goes for watching movies. While they look stunning on the HD screen, they hammer the lithium-ion battery and will reduce the useable run-time of the device. In a studio environment the Liberty Tab is more suitable as a presentation or portfolio device, and with the right apps could even help you do editing on the fly, help you take notes, even plan your time and keep you connected when you’re out of the office.

All in all this is a capable tablet and a great deal of fun. If you love Android, like a little freedom in your computing, and feel the need for a tablet format, then this is a really good purchase. It’s not the cheapest on the market but it does have a lot going for it.

Artwork that combines vector illustration with Photoshop’s image-editing capabilities is increasingly popular. For artists and designers who’ve invested in Photoshop, however, the price of a vector illustration package, not to mention the learning curve required to begin creating in it can be off putting.

Xara has created a product that aims to address those problems, and its latest version of Designer boasts some impressive features.

Offering the ability to create vector drawings, web animations and web pages, graphic design and more, it’s compatible with a wide range of file formats including native PSD. This makes it ideal for integration into a your Photoshop workflow.

Performance-wise it’s reasonably fast and efficient on the average PC that runs Windows 7. It comes with a range of tutorials and templates to help vector newbies get started too.

This is where it falls down a bit – the quality of the tuition is great; the templates, less so. Xara Designer’s seventh iteration comes in two flavours, the home-user friendly Graphic Design and Photo, and Designer Pro.

The immense galleries of templates seem geared more to users of the former, tarnishing the professional posturing of Designer Pro slightly.

The interface is pretty intuitive once you get the hang of it, although it will take a bit of rummaging for those used to Adobe tools and palettes. Don’t be put off by these minor quibbles however, as it’s a powerful piece of software that’s mainly easy to pick up – making it ideal for those who are seriously looking to combine vectors with their Photoshop artwork, or just dipping a toe into graphic design.

One of the great things about the digital format is that it levels out the creative playing field. In the real world of paper, pens and paints, it becomes blatantly obvious if you can’t draw. In the digital world, however, it is possible to use photos and software as the basis for artistic endeavours. This is the ethos at the core of PostworkShop Pro.

At its most basic level, PostworkShop Pro acts as a big style depository, which you can then apply to images. There are over 400 built-in styles, but even with this amount you would eventually run out of options. The software, however, enables you to tweak these styles as much as you like, using layers to get precision effects. This can all be saved for future use.

Using the software is as simple or as intricate as you decide. The simple option is to load an image, head to the Styles area and pick a type of style. Once in here you can view sample thumbnails of the different effects and apply the one you like with a quick double-click. Now click the Properties + Preview tab to see what the effect looks like and use the sliders to adjust to suit.

In practice, PostworkShop Pro is a nifty piece of software. We’ll admit that it feels very alien the first time you open it, but it can work as a plug-in with Photoshop if you don’t want to let go of all familiarity. There are also some excellent video tutorials on the website if you are completely lost.

The range of styles is exceptional. You have everything from very simple ink sketches through to abstract forms and traditional paint effects. We used the 64-bit version of the software and did experience lag on occasion – but nothing too terrible. It is a lot of fun layering up the different styles and then using familiar blend modes to merge them together.

If you want to create your own styles, it’s a case of wrestling with a node-based editor. If you decide to do this, please look at the online video tutorials first otherwise it will make your eyes bleed! You can quite happily ignore this aspect of the software altogether, but it’s nice to have advanced options to grow into.

We like the PostworkShop Pro software. It really feels like a complete digital art studio, offering a lot more than Photoshop’s filters. If it were just the styles alone we would recommend it, but the ability to tweak and enhance means that you have limitless possibilities for creating a digital masterpiece.

www.postworkshop.net

Verdict:

This is a great piece of software for budding digital artists who are after more options than Photoshop filters

Anyone who works with portraits will know that despite the bad press that airbrushing often gets, there are rarely any occasions where a portrait comes out of the camera and goes straight to press. For those involved in retouching, this set of ten actions from Digital Heavens will be of particular interest.

They’re non-destructive Photoshop actions that you can apply to skin tones to help with smoothing. These are best used once you’ve tidied up the image in terms of blemishes and other flaws.

As these tools are actions rather than a plug-in, they operate on a layer-by-layer basis, which lets you dial in the Opacity to get the best balance of skin smoothing for the people you’re editing.

The ten different actions have subtle variations to suit different skin tones, skin types and lighting conditions. They’re so simple to use that you can just apply and remove as and when you want.

Digital Heavens has done an incredible job of explaining the system on its site, so if streamlining your skin-smoothing workflow sounds like something that would save you time and effort, then you owe it to yourself to take a look at the tutorials on their site.

We’re sure that they will easily convince you to part with the modest asking price. Smooth Skins is a must have for the portrait professional.