Erica Sadun

Biography

Erica Sadun holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She has written, co-written, and contributed to almost two dozen books about technology, particularly in the areas of programming, digital video, and digital photography. An unrepentant geek, Sadun has never met a gadget she didn't need. Her checkered past includes run-ins with NeXT, Newton, and a vast myriad of both successful and unsuccessful technologies. When not writing, she and her geek husband parent three adorable geeks-in-training, who regard their parents with restrained bemusement.

Books

Eight Great Ways to Get the Most from Your Zune
by Erica Sadun
June 2009
Print: $7.99
Ebook: $7.99

Modding Mac OS X
by Erica Sadun
September 2004
Print: $24.95

Articles

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Four Ways to Compress to H.264 with Elgato's Turbo.264
Publish Date: Jul. 3, 2007Erica Sadun examines Elgato's new Turbo.264 graphics co-processor in a USB dongle. In this article, you'll discover whether the Turbo.264 is right for you and, if so, how to use it for your video compression needs using four handy compression methods. Building Custom iQuiz Data
Publish Date: Apr. 30, 2007iQuiz is a brand new, flashy iPod game from Apple that allows users to create custom games and run them using the iQuiz interface. In this tutorial, Erica Sadun shows how to create custom iQuiz files and provides sample code and files. Apple TV: State of the Hacks
Publish Date: Apr. 2, 2007Erica Sadun has been hacking away on the new Apple TV and presents this "State of the Hacks" roundup of what people are doing with their Apple TV boxes. Discover what kinds of mods are out there and whether they're the right fit for your needs and abilities. Six Slick Tricks for the Creative Xmod Audio Enhancer
Publish Date: Mar. 1, 2007Smaller than a computer mouse, the Creative Xmod packs some surprising sonic powers inside its sleek white shell. Erica Sadun reveals how to use it to pump up your MP3s, enjoy nine-speaker surround sound, and even upgrade your car stereo. Stream Live HDTV from Your Mac
Publish Date: Feb. 20, 2007Erica Sadun shows how to stream HD EyeTV video from a Mac using VLC in five easy steps, even as it records. Learn how to build this remote video streaming solution by accessing EyeTV's raw MPEG transport streams and using VLC to stream that MPEG and watch the video on another computer. Modding Apple Sample Code
Publish Date: Jan. 23, 2007Erica Sadun dives into Apple's sample code archive and shows how to modify MovieVideoChart to create a comic-book-like video layout tool. Learn a structured approach to taking advantage of the wealth of sample code that Apple provides for developers. iPod Notes: Above and Beyond
Publish Date: Dec. 12, 2006In this follow-up article to "Building Interactive iPod Experiences," Erica Sadun shows how to use iPod Notes to create a "notes-only" museum mode, reuse already existing HTML source material, create custom menu presentations, control navigation, and more. Building Interactive iPod Experiences
Publish Date: Nov. 28, 2006The interactive multimedia presentation is one of the least-trumpeted features of the iPod. In this article, Erica Sadun introduces the basics of interactive iPod design by showing how to use the iPod Notes feature to create presentations that include text, links, images, music, and videos. Five Zune Secrets You Need to Know
Publish Date: Nov. 16, 2006Learn how to hack your Zune's video output (and save a hundred bucks), avoid the WMA plague, install your own movies, and more in this fast, easy tutorial. What's The Big Deal About Making Music Players Social? Microsoft Zune and the Big Idea
Publish Date: Oct. 17, 2006Why does Microsoft insist that a social music player, its upcoming Zune, is the wave of the future? Zune social networking manifests itself through its Wi-Fi-based music sharing and its PC-based (and presumably MySpace-inspired) Zune Marketplace. Microsoft gambles that these two spheres are sufficient to define a new and unique Zune space. Erica Sadun takes a good hard look at the Zune and tries to figure out if it is the wave of the future--or just a pipe dream. Burn Your New iTunes Movies to DVD (and Protect Your Other iTunes Purchases)
Publish Date: Sep. 19, 2006How much money have you spent at the iTunes store? And what do you have to show for it? An iPod full of music? TV shows? Those new games and movies? Too many people forget how much cash they've put into their digital media. And when bad things happen--house fires, computer theft, iPod loss--they're not always prepared to be able to recover those digital assets. Erica Sadun shows you archiving techniques to preserve your (hefty) iTunes investment. Grabbing iTMS Preview Tracks the Geek Way
Publish Date: May. 9, 2006Ever tried to copy a preview track from the iTMS onto your iPod? Hint: you can't. iTunes won't add those 30-second free previews. Why would you want to? Some great audio and video are waiting for you to enjoy. Plus, there's the sheer thrill of geek accomplishment--the "oh, so that's how to do it" satisfaction. Getting Started with Quartz Composer
Publish Date: Mar. 23, 2006Apple's free developer tool collection contains many overlooked gems. These aren't limited to programming-specific utilities. Take Quartz Composer, for example. It's a free utility that can bring new life and interest to your iMovie projects. In this article, you'll learn how to use your own pictures to create a simple but flashy animation. Putting Google Video onto Your iPod
Publish Date: Jan. 24, 2006There's some pretty interesting stuff on Google Video. In this article, Erica Sadun shows you how to download videos, convert them to an iPod-friendly format, and load them onto your new 5G video iPod. Shop Different: Accessorizing Your iPod ... for Cheap!
Publish Date: Jan. 11, 2006Even though there are aisle after aisle of iPod add-ons on display at Macworld, Erica Sadun went a different direction to accessorize her player. She made a visit to the Dollar Store. Here's what she found.

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