In the past, James has been involved in training US Air Force combat pilots through live-fire missions and air-to-air combat. He has saved lives as a paramedic and been instrumental in medical research through blood center management. In addition, James has serviced ATMs and delivered Federal Reserve currency throughout the Midwest. James enjoys reading, Asian culture and martial arts, forensic science and Sherlock Holmes, Theology, exotic foods, golf, scuba diving, video games, and of course bicycle racing. He can be reached at jbooth@zatz.com or through his LizardWorks Magazine at http://www.lizardworksmagazine.com/.

Published articles
The following 72 articles by James Booth have been published in ZATZ magazines.

A better mouse trap
Here at ZATZ, we get all kinds of mail. Happy mail, sad mail, and mad mail. We get reader mail from all over the world, and this week Senior Editor James Booth got some mail from someone that isn't a reader; at least not a regular reader. Way back in November of 2004, we featured a review of the Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse, the industry's first laser mouse available to the retail consumer. Scott here apparently purchased a Logitech MX1000 Laser mouse and is rather displeased; he therefore has taken it upon himself to voice his displeasure to anyone that happens to like the mouse. Read on for Scott's feelings on the MX1000, and James' rather constructive reply. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, September 2006]

Correcting eyeglass glare without any fancy software or specialized equipment
In the July 2006 issue of Connected Photographer Magazine, Photoshop guru Jane Conner-ziser gave an excellent tutorial on how to remove eyeglass glare using Photoshop. But what if you don't have Photoshop? Or any way to get your images into Photoshop? In this helpful tip, Senior Editor James Booth shows you how to eliminate eyeglass glare when taking the picture. [Connected Photographer Magazine, September 2006]

Upgrade your camera with this line of quality straps
Lowepro has taken their well-known standards of quality and expertise and applied them to the camera strap market. Read on, as Senior Editor James Booth shares his thoughts on each. [Connected Photographer Magazine, September 2006]

How to buy a basic lighting package
When photographer Jackie Kamp sent in a letter about how to find basic portrait lighing gear, Senior Editor James Booth came to the rescue. If you'd like to know what to look for in a lighting package, you should read this article. [Connected Photographer Magazine, September 2006]

The XV6700, viva la Verizon
Senior Editor James Booth has turned to the Dark side. For years he's been searching for a device that would combine his Palm handheld and Verizon cell phone, but he hates the Treos. James is now hooked on Pocket PCs and Verizon's XV6700. Read on to find out what the XV6700 is and what's so great about it. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, March 2006]

Keep your kids safe through photography
In the interest of child safety, parents are advised to have their children photographed on a regular basis in order to have an up-to-date, recent image. But other information is essential as well. As a public service, ZATZ is offering a Child ID/Fingerprint Card to maintain all the important information in one place. [Connected Photographer Magazine, March 2006]

Move over Fabio, it's the Pavio
In this article, Senior Editor James Booth examines the Pavio from DateXX, a new entry into the portable digital theater/media player field. Find out what kind of features the Pavio brings to the table and what makes it stand out. No Fabio required. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, November 2005]

LifeDrive cases: Palm vs. Proporta
With the acquisition of any new gadget comes the search for accessories to go with that gadget. In his latest coverage, Senior Editor James Booth compares the Alu-Leather LifeDrive case from Proporta with Palm's branded case. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, November 2005]

NoiseBuster, who you gonna call?
Senior Editor James Booth has been curious about noise-canceling headphones for quite some time, but is too cheap to actually buy them. Imagine his elation when we were approached by Pro Tech Communications to cover their NoiseBuster noise-canceling headphones. Read on to find out how well the NoiseBusters work, and how they compare to the competition. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, November 2005]

DxO Optics Pro 3.0 is a must for RAW photographers
As many of you know, high-end digital cameras shoot in a format called RAW, but in order to make any use of them, you need a RAW converter. In this article, Senior Editor James Booth takes a look at DxO Optics Pro, a third party RAW converter image correction suite. Is it worth it to go Pro, or not? Read on to find out. [Connected Photographer Magazine, November 2005]

Secrets for getting great action shots
Great action and sports photography comes from being in the right place at the right time, and knowing what looks good. Senior Editor James Booth recently took the opportunity to attend a local bike race. While meeting some members of the local bicycle racing team, he also got some excellent action shots. Read on to find out the secrets to great action photography. [Connected Photographer Magazine, October 2005]

Wormhole physics and the Lowepro CompuRover AW
Senior Editor James Booth has never had much confidence in the ability of backpacks to protect his gear. All that has changed with the Lowepro CompuRover AW. Not only has Lowepro won James over when it comes to backpacks, they also seemed to have perfected wormhole physics with the amount of gear the CompuRover is able to hold. Read on for a full review of Lowepro's newest backpack. [Connected Photographer Magazine, September 2005]

Speed up your game play with the Nostromo SpeedPad
Senior Editor James Booth is a big fan of shooter games, but he finds the keyboard and mouse system of control a bit trying at times. The Nostromo SpeedPad n52 from Belkin has replaced the keyboard portion of the mouse-and-keyboard control combination, allowing you to program they key controls to convenient, in-your-hand device. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, June 2005]

Fire the Canons, the Canon EOS 20D, that is
For years, Senior Editor James Booth has been adamant in his belief that in no way could digital compete with film, but his recent purchase of a Canon EOS 20D has changed all that. High-end digital cameras are clearly superior to film, and in his coverage of the Canon EOS 20D, he'll attempt to show you how and why. [Connected Photographer Magazine, May 2005]

Is email dead?
Email is dead; it just doesn't know it yet. According to Senior Editor James Booth, email is in its death throws. Can we save this boon to the business world, or has it gone the way of the telegraph? [OutlookPower Magazine, May 2005]

Regarding the death of email
Senior Editor James Booth a big response to last week's editorial regarding whether or not email is dead. This week he's sharing some of those response with you, and his thoughts on each. [OutlookPower Magazine, May 2005]

Just in case: protecting your investment
You've spent hundreds, maybe thousands on your camera gear, but what are you doing to keep that gear safe? In this photography basics article, Senior Editor James Booth covers some of the different styles of camera cases, outlining which opnes he thinks are best for protecting your equipment. [Connected Photographer Magazine, April 2005]

Retro gaming redux: to boldly go...
In a previous We Got Game column, Senior Editor James Booth profiled a couple of older games that at one time were leading edge, but are now considered outdated. He feels these older games are perfect for taking your gaming on the road with your laptop. Now he's back with a retro gaming redux, covering a couple of games that didn't make the previous article due to length. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, March 2005]

The Planon DocuPen, not your plain old pen
Document portability is one of the foundations of mobile computing, but who wants to carry around five pounds of paper in addition to a laptop? That's where the DocuPen R700 from Planon comes in. The DocuPen is a portable handheld scanner specifically designed to scan a full-width sheet of paper, yet remain portable enough to fit in your pocket. Read on to see what Senior Editor James Booth thinks of this pocket-sized page scanner. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, March 2005]

Be prepared! For your photo shoot
Murphy's Law affects pretty much every aspect of our lives, and photo shoots seem to invite Murphy to come out and play. With a little foresight and preparation, you'll get the best images possible from every photo shoot, whether you're just taking snapshots, or playing the roll of a paid professional photographer. So take a page from the Boy Scout book, along with this advice from Senior Editor James Booth, and "Be prepared!" [Connected Photographer Magazine, March 2005]

Is Doom 3 really doomed?
With the possible exception of Half-Life 2, no other game title has been more eagerly anticipated over the last couple of years than Doom 3. Doom 3, the third installment in the Doom series, was expected to be the game to justify building or buying a new computer system. Find out what Senior Editor James Booth thought of Doom 3. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, February 2005]

Retro gaming to go
When it comes to games, laptops don't really come to mind do they? So I guess you're at a loss when taking your gaming on the road. Or are you? Senior Editor James Booth thinks there are a lot of really great older games that can be played on laptops, so read on for a dose of retro gaming to go. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, February 2005]

An exposure to exposure meters
In another installation on the basics of photography, Senior Technical Editor James Booth provides an introduction to the exposure meter. Find out why this little gadget in an indispensable tool for any photographer. [Connected Photographer Magazine, February 2005]

Keeping your camera clean
By cleaning and testing your camera before each use, you'll catch problems before they become an issue and ensure your photo shoots go smoothly. In this continuation of our photography basics series, Senior Editor James Booth takes you through the finer points of cleaning your camera. [Connected Photographer Magazine, February 2005]

Six months later with the Tapwave Zodiac
Everybody runs reviews of the latest and greatest product to hit the market, but rarely does anyone ever do a follow-up on how the product continues to perform. Because we believe in providing full-service reviews at Computing Unplugged Magazine, Senior Editor James Booth brings you his "six months later" report on the Tapwave Zodiac. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, January 2005]

Men of Valor
Our on again, off again gaming column is back with a report on the military shooter Men of Valor. Breaking the emotional and political taboo surrounding the Vietnam War, Men of Valor attempts to bring the look and feel of what it was like to be a Marine deployed in Vietnam. Read on to see what Senior Editor James Booth thought of his tour of duty. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, January 2005]

What's old is new again
Senior Editor confesses that other than his wife's Minolta Maxxum, he's never bought a brand new camera. Bu purchasing last year's used model, the budget-conscious photographer can make their photo dollar go further. If you just bought it, it's new to you! [Connected Photographer Magazine, January 2005]

Save bad photos by converting them to black and white
Not everyone has the eye for black and white photography. A recent visit to his sister's house showed Senior Editor James Booth that ordinary color images can be converted to black and white, with the result being stunning artistic pictures. In this week's photo tip, James shows you how to convert your color images to black and white to create those works of art. [Connected Photographer Magazine, January 2005]

Creating hand-colored images
Digital image manipulation has dramatically changed the face of photography by moving the darkroom into the computer, allowing virtually anyone to create stunning, special effects with very little effort. In this piece, Senior Editor James Booth gives you the techniques to create your own hand-colored images in the tradition of Kim Anderson. [Connected Photographer Magazine, January 2005]

The basics of winter photography
Winter photography presents a whole new basket of challenges when it comes to getting the correct exposure. The unique environmental variables presented by snow can challenge the most advanced photographers and equipment. With the recent glut of snow that's been dumped on the U.S. this past week, Senior Editor James Booth felt a little information on how to deal with this cold, white, nuisance was in order. [Connected Photographer Magazine, January 2005]

Moving personal folders, again
In the December 2004 issue of OutlookPower Magazine, Francine and the OutlookPower Answer Team addressed a reader's question on how to move personal folders from one system to another, see http://www.outlookpower.com/issues/issue200412/00001460001.html. This month, in a Letter to the Editor, reader Andrew Konstantaras has a follow-up response to the Answer Team's solution. [OutlookPower Magazine, January 2005]

The Confidential Casebook of Sherlock Holmes
Senior Editor James Booth hates print books. He has no use for them, unless it's a software manual. James took his pleasure reading digital over three years ago. This month, he gives us a brief overview of the e-book scene, and review of The Confidential Casebook of Sherlock Holmes e-book. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, December 2004]

Wedding photography mishaps
In this letter to the editor, a reader asks a follow-up question to Senior Technical Editor James Booth's earlier series on wedding photography. What if you hire a professional photographer and some of the images are lost or unusable? Is compensation in order? Read on to find out. [Connected Photographer Magazine, December 2004]

Keeping your pictures on the straight and narrow
In our September 2004 issue, Editor in Chief David Gewirtz gave us one of those cheesy little tips he's so proud of, this time on how to make sure your picture frames are straight when hanging them. Senior Editor James Booth isn't a big fan of the cheese, but realizes it has its place. Here, he offers his own blend of dairy, showing how you can keep those pictures straight once you have them aligned. [Connected Photographer Magazine, December 2004]

Backup Battle Royale
Whether you're responsible for a multi-national corporate enterprise, or just a home handheld user, the security of your data depends on reliable backups. In this Battle Royale of the Backups, Senior Technical Editor James Booth examines three backup utilities for Palm OS handheld devices, comparing features, price, reliability, and ease of use. Which one will be the ultimate champion? Read on to find out. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, November 2004]

The Logitech MX 1000 Laser mouse proves that optical is obsolete
Optical is obsolete. At least according to Logitech it is. That's the tagline for their new MX 1000 Laser cordless mouse. Laser? That's right boys and girls. The Logitech MX 1000 is the first laser-powered mouse. The Logitech MX 1000 Laser mouse is 20 times more accurate than a standard LED optical mouse. Senior Technical Editor James Booth puts the Logitech MX 1000 Laser Cordless Mouse to test. To find out how it performed, you'll have to read on. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, November 2004]

Image composition for beginners
Composition is the art of arranging the setting of the images you photograph. Any monkey can point a camera and click a shutter, but that doesn't mean the image will be pleasing to the eye, or that anyone will want to look at it. Senior Technical Editor James Booth is by no means a master photographer, but like the other articles in his Photography Basics series, he's learned a few things over the years that might help you produce better photos. In this piece he examines the principles of image composition. [Connected Photographer Magazine, November 2004]

The Logitech MX 1000 Laser mouse proves that optical is obsolete
Optical is obsolete. At least according to Logitech it is. That's the tagline for their new MX 1000 Laser cordless mouse. Laser? That's right boys and girls. The Logitech MX 1000 is the first laser-powered mouse. The Logitech MX 1000 Laser mouse is 20 times more accurate than a standard LED optical mouse. Senior Technical Editor James Booth puts the Logitech MX 1000 Laser Cordless Mouse to test. To find out how it performed, you'll have to read on. [Connected Photographer Magazine, November 2004]

Beiks English-Japanese Talking Phrasebook
What can you say about an English-Japanese talking phrasebook. Either it works, or it doesn't. Read this article and find out what we thought. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, October 2004]

Global Source Zodiac Case
With Senior Technical Editor James Booth's recent acquisition of a Tapwave Zodiac, a lot of his focus of late has been finding accessories for it. For a product that's been on the market for almost a year, there are suspiciously few accessories. But we found one and James gives it his stamp of approval. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, October 2004]

Set sail with the tradewinds at your back
Aaah, the salty spray of the sea air. The deck rolling under your feet. The sound of the sails snapping in the wind. This is the life of a merchant trader. This can be your life too, with Tradewinds for Palm and Pocket PC from Astraware. Is this game worthy of a berth on your handheld? The only way you'll know is to read this article by Senior Technical Editor (and, now, ship's captain) James Booth. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, October 2004]

Far Cry, a graphically stunning first-person shooter
This is a game with stunning graphics. The tropical setting is a nice change from the typical dank dungeon and industrial settings of most shooters. Carrying twice as many missions as most FPS games, Far Cry will give you many hours of enjoyment. Normally, we don't cover strictly desktop applications in Computing Unplugged, but News and Contributing Editor James Booth just begged and begged, so we had to let him run with this review. You'll be glad we did. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, September 2004]

Hellfire: Apache vs. Hind
It's time to blow things up, rescuse some prisoners, and then do it all over again. For the in-depth details on this Hellfire: Apache vs. Hind, read this article. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, September 2004]

Try your hand at the Computing Unplugged Tapwave Hype-a-palooza
Welcome to Hype-a-palooza. This, our first ever Hype-a-palooza, is designed to promote awareness of the underappreciated Tapwave Zodiac (and get you a ton of cool prizes). Why hype the Zodiac? The reason is pretty simple: we think it's a great product, a real innovation in the handheld market. In the future, we will likely hype-a-palooza other products that we feel are deserving of added attention. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, September 2004]

Resco Photo Viewer, a full-featured handheld photo application
With the inclusion of digital cameras in more and more handhelds of late, a full-function portable image application is practically mandatory. Resco has answered the call with their Photo Viewer for Palm, Pocket PC, MS Smartphone, and Symbian. What did Senior Technical Editor James Booth think of this application. Well, you're just gonna have to read the review to find out. [Connected Photographer Magazine, September 2004]

Computing Unplugged reviews the Tapwave Zodiac
Although Tapwave likes to think of the Zodiac as a mobile entertainment system, we think that's selling it short. It's so much more. Not only is the Zodiac a portable game machine, a portable video and MP3 player, it's also a powerful Palm-based handheld computer. With the appropriate exposure and marketing, the Zodiac could really make a name for itself. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, August 2004]

Get in the Olympic spirit with Crazy Athletics II
Back in the April issue, Senior Technical Editor James Booth reviewed v1.5 of Crazy Olympics from Crazysoft. Since that time, the program has been renamed Crazy Athletics, and v2.0 has been released to coincide with the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. We take a look to see if it wins the gold. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, August 2004]

Create easy digital collages with Photomix
Photomix is a photo layout and composition program that includes backgrounds, masks, and templates for layering and collaging your digital photos. You can also create your own templates, backgrounds, and masks, and then add them to the library for later use. To learn what Senior Technical Editor James Booth thinks of this program, you'll have to read this interesting article. [Connected Photographer Magazine, August 2004]

Playing DVDs on your PDA
Wouldn't it be great to be able to take your movies, TV shows, and home movies on the road? Well sure, you could get a portable DVD player. Wouldn't it be better if you could take them on your handheld? With the two pieces of software News and Contributing Editor James Booth introduces you to, you can do just that. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, July 2004]

Basic portrait lighting
Portrait lighting can be one of the more difficult things to learn in photography, particularly if you're doing it by trial and error. This article, by our own James Booth, finally makes this critical skill understandable. [Connected Photographer Magazine, July 2004]

Customer disservice
News Editor James Booth is pissed off, and he's not afraid to tell you about it. Have you had crappy customer service? Then you'll definitely understand this article. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, June 2004]

Take out your Aggression on your Palm
Are you the leader of an evil organization with aspirations of world domination? Do inept henchmen and allegedly British super spies continually thwart your plans? BLiT Games is here to help, with Aggression for the Palm. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, May 2004]

The Targus Universal wireless keyboard
James Booth recently bought a Targus Universal wireless keyboard. It sucked. Customer service was poor. To learn why this is a device you should definitely not buy, read his article. And take heed. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, May 2004]

Inno Pocket Metal Deluxe case
What do you do with your handheld if you don't carry a briefcase? Well, it goes into a pocket, backpack, or purse, putting it at risk for damage. The Metal Deluxe Case manufactured by Inno Pocket and distributed by StylusCentral can protect your device on the go and give you piece of mind. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, May 2004]

What's medium format?
Last week, we ran an article by Contributing and News Editor James Booth entitled "What's an SLR?" This week, we continue our series of photography basics article by explaining a term some folks have heard of, but not everyone's familiar with: medium format. [Connected Photographer Magazine, May 2004]

An in-depth guide to depth of field
What is depth of field? I often wondered this myself. Early in my photo "career," I was often told that I needed to work on my depth of field. I didn't even know what it was. I was learning all this photography stuff pretty much on my own. Finally, I figured out what the term means. Put simply, depth of field is the range of sharpness from the nearest object to the farthest. [Connected Photographer Magazine, May 2004]

A guide to guide numbers (and how knowing about guide numbers will make your flash photography more successful)
What the heck is a guide number and why is it important? In essence, a guide number, or flash factor, is a measurement of light output for a given flash at a given film speed. In this article, Contributing Editor James Booth is your guide to the guide number system. [Connected Photographer Magazine, May 2004]

Crazy Olympics 1.5
Contributing Editor James Booth is back with another game review. Crazy Olympics is a Palm version of the old arcade Olympics game from the 80s. It has five different events, each with an easy and a hard setting, and a sixth Crazy Olympics event, in which you compete in all five events in a series. Could this thing possibly be any fun? Read James' review to find out. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, April 2004]

Budget backdrops
Do you think you need to spend hundreds of dollars on seamless muslin backgrounds to have studio-quality portraits? Well you don't. In this helpful article, Contributing Editor James Booth shows you a few methods that work well for him and yield rather nice results for very little money. [Connected Photographer Magazine, April 2004]

Box cameras in the digital age
Do you have one of those old box cameras sitting on your shelf? Maybe you found it in the basement, garage, attic, or thrift shop. It makes a nice little knick-knack doesn't it? But surely it isn't worth anything in this day and age? It doesn't even work, does it? Well, that may not necessarily be so. Wouldn't you like to find out? [Connected Photographer Magazine, April 2004]

Reach for the skylight
How much do you have invested in your camera lens? Depending on how many you have and what focal length they are, several hundred at the very least, right? You protect the lens with a cap when you're not using it, don't you? Sure you do. But what about when you're using it? What can you do then? You can reach for the sky. Skylight filter, that is. [Connected Photographer Magazine, April 2004]

What's an SLR?
You may have heard the term "SLR" tossed about, or seen it in an article and wondered what it meant. Well, sit back while Contributing Editor James Booth explains what an SLR camera is and why he think an SLR camera is far superior to point-and-shoot models -- whether digital or film. [Connected Photographer Magazine, April 2004]

Don't let time pass you by with TimeCopy 1.4
How often do you have to adjust the time on your Palm device? Do you mess with it constantly, knowing the time is off and is drifting more and more? Contributing Editor James Booth never has to adjust the time on his handheld and it's always dead on. Know why? He uses TimeCopy, and you will, too. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, March 2004]

Warfare Incorporated
Warfare Incorporated from Handmark , a real-time strategy game in the flavor of Command & Conquer, is probably the best game Contributing Editor James Booth has ever played on the Palm platform. Also available for the Pocket PC, Warfare Incorporated has amazing graphics and sound, an extended storyline, and challenging game play in an amazingly small file. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, March 2004]

Midway Arcade Classics
Do you remember the arcade classics Midway Arcade Classics contains Defender II, Joust, Root Beer Tapper, Sinistar, and Spy Hunter? They're back! Read our review to find out if they're all you remember. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, March 2004]

DigiFix can fix your digitizer drift
Unfortunately, not all of us have been able to dash out and pick up the latest and greatest Palm device. Some of us are still making do with one of the older models. One of the afflictions the older models of Palm devices are prone to is digitizer drift, meaning you tap the screen in one place, but it registers that tap in another. Devices with this problem generally requires frequent calibration of the digitizer to correct. DigiFix is a software resolution that can help resolve the problem. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, February 2004]

The art of amateur wedding photography, part I
Not everyone has the budget to hire a professional photographer and must rely on a friend or family member that owns a good camera to document their wedding. Just because a couple can't afford a professional photographer doesn't mean they shouldn't have nice wedding pictures. These are the photographers this excellent article series is aimed at. [Connected Photographer Magazine, February 2004]

The art of amateur wedding photography, part II
In part one of this series, Contributing Editor James Booth covered preparing your equipment and scouting out the location. In this part of the series he shows you what types of pictures you should take before the ceremony. [Connected Photographer Magazine, February 2004]

The art of amateur wedding photography, part III
In the first two parts of this series, Contributing Editor James Booth covered how to prep your equipment and the shots to take before the actual ceremony begins. In this final part, he covers the ceremony itself, the reception and that special time after the wedding. [Connected Photographer Magazine, February 2004]

It's 2004. Where are all the robots?
Considering the technological level of these robots twenty years ago, and Moore's Law governing computer technology advancement, shouldn't we have artificially intelligent synthetic humanoids by now? It's 2004, people. Where are all the robots? [Computing Unplugged Magazine, January 2004]

VideoNow, a $40 personal video player for kids
In this interesting product review, James Booth reviews a $40 dollar personal video player for kids. Can this thing possibly work? You'll have to read the article to find out. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, December 2003]

Housekeeping on the handheld
Some of you may or may not know that many Palm applications create extra files and snippets as part of their ordinary operation. Sometimes, these little pieces are left over, cluttering up the memory when the application that created them is long gone. With this in mind, James Booth shows you a couple of applications that can help you clear out all this garbage, and keep it out, freeing up that vital memory space. [Computing Unplugged Magazine, November 2003]