Harry Potter: Spells & Spells Free
iPhone, iPod Touch App
Warner Bros. Digital Distribution
Price: $2.99; Free

Even with the book series concluded and the two-part final film adaptation on the horizon, the Harry Potter multimedia franchise shows no signs of slowing down as evident with the new Spells and Spells Free apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Spells definitely focuses on giving those who download it a full Harry Potter experience, by signing your admissions letter to Hogwarts, choosing the correct wand, and having the Sorting Hat tell you which house you’re assigned. Only after completing all of this can you actually start exploring the menu.

Predictably, the app allows fans to learn 17 different spells taught to wizards of Hogwarts, including Serpensortia, Stupefy, Incendio, and the Unforgivable Curse Avada Kedavra. The advantage of getting the paid app is that it comes with the first four spell packs ($0.99-each, total of $4), so you’re essentially getting a deal. After finishing the 7-year curriculum, users can then challenge the CPU to a duel or face real-life opponents online or right next to you.

By Mitch Barracuda

Comic Book Creator 2.0
Featuring Marvel Heroes Comic Book Pack
Platforms: Windows 2000 / XP / Vista
Planetwide Media
Price: $49.99 & $29.99; Available now

So you want to make a comic book? So do I. Some writers find the comic book process rather painful, as the idea becomes four or five more jobs and a bankroll stealing from mama’s purse seem useless. On top of that, you have to search every message board out there for an artist, inker, colorist, letterer, logo maker, and therapist. (The last one is optional, but the independent creator might need one if not prepared for the madness that will ensue afterwards.) So what’s a writer to do? Well, either pony up the dough from your life savings and take a chance, or fork over just $49.99 on Planetwide Media’s Comic Book Creator 2. Just be prepared to give something back. Time, and plenty of it.

In setting out to review this software, it first needs to be said that while it will run with a variety of hardware devices: Miglia, Plextor — both of which I own — and, of course, all Elgato devices, I feel that it’s important to research the devices and find the merits of each piece of hardware before making your purchase.

The Plextor ConvertX PVR, and the Miglia TECH Evolution TV, and the more pricey Elgato devices, do all of the encoding/compressing/formatting externally before it reaches your Mac thanks to the hardware’s built-in video compression. The less expensive “stick” types let your Mac do all of this “heavy lifting”, thus your computer takes a rather large hit when it comes to performance. This is really no big deal if you have a faster, newer Mac, but if you are like many folks you may not, and the performance hit will be very noticeable.

So, keeping that in mind, onto the review!