# Software Review: Pzizz (Just Released)



## ScottW (Feb 27, 2005)

Pzizz (pronounced "puh-zizz").

This interesting new software is really just a front end to a customized relaxation audio, helping you get the necessary rest you need , helping you feel recharged and refreshed throughout the entire day.

I never take naps, never have. I must have a 102 degree temp with strep throat to be in bed napping. I also avoid anything that appears to be new age 
like, yoga enhanced, or inner-self driven. But, for the ultimate review of this new Mac software, I was forced to take a nap.

The demonstration software I used had a pre-defined 20 minute "Energizer Nap" already configured. I exported the audio which created an 18 meg audio file I could then listen to on my iPod shuffle. Putting the new audio at the top of the list (so I could find it easily) I headed downstairs to my bed for a power nap. Good thing, I was kind of tired anyhow.

After laying down and getting comfortable, I started the audio track. A guy comes on and starts talking to me and I jump to conclusions, "Oh, great... here goes the new age stuff." So much for relaxing. However, my assumptions where not correct at all. At no time during the entire 20 minute program did I feel that my old age views where violated. I just did what the voice said, relaxed myself, and eventually he stopped and various sounds and jingles, oceans sounds, birds and what not all played through my ears. In fact, I was so relaxed during this time that I started seeing what I was thinking about. I was starting to doze off, it was working. I became alert and opened my eyes to hear birds chirping in my ear. It felt like a nice summer morning. I must have been at the end, as it was trying to wake me up. The voice returned, encouraging me to stretch and wake up and at the very end, the alarm buzzer rings just to make sure you really are up!

I honestly felt great following my 20 minute nap. I have heard sleeping CD's and sound generators before, but the audio in this program was superb. The birds where real, the ocean sounded real, none of those synthesized sounds. If they where, they fooled me.

The purpose of the computer application is it creates new randomly generated audio programs. At $39.95 it is a low-cost and effective alternative to the real device which sells for $249.

The exported file is MP4 so you can play it on your iPod, burn it to CD (probably not a good idea to power nap while driving), or just play it on your computer. Nap lengths can range from 10 to 60 minutes, audio and music volumes can be customized separately, along with whether or not you want the voice even to be heard. The "Aurora" stereo effect is very interesting; it almost made me dizzy listening to it, so you can turn that off if it makes you uneasy.

I give this application 5 out of 5 stars for creativity and usefulness. Not as an enhancement to your Mac, but as an enhancement to your life.

Visit the Website


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## ThePrepmaster (Feb 28, 2005)

"I also avoid anything that appears to be new age 
like, yoga enhanced, or inner-self driven."

I'm sorry, but that's the most disheartening statement I've read in a very long time.  I understand you're speaking for yourself, but knowing that about you completely turns me off to contributing anything to this website. There isn't much about any practice of Yoga that I know of that's considered "new age".  I really had to laugh at that one, being highly practiced in the art of yoga (and dating an instructor).  Not to mention the alarming reference to avoiding any inner-self driven activity.  Tell me, what's at the center of all those layers of tissues then? This website is the one of the first incarnations of a very cool concept that i've come across in a while, but having regular reviewers with no sense of spirit or no ability to grasp anything beyond the physical realm is just plain boring. 

FYI I'm typing this from my admin's chair.  I keep about 30 macs corralled for a Florida university and have dealt with just about every hardware and software problem that OS8 - X.3 can throw at me. I'd be more than happy to share my experience with the members of this website if some attitudes could be adjusted.

So other than this isolated review, things look good....


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## adambyte (Feb 28, 2005)

Heh. True, there's nothing "new age" about Yoga, considering how it's at least a couple thousand of years old, but it's kinda funny to hear about this program from a skeptic's point of view, eh?

Thank Scott. A bit pricey though.


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Feb 28, 2005)

You won't contribute to a site you enjoy (and, consequently, has nothing to do with Yoga or new-age) simply because the owner has a differing opinion on Yoga and "new-age" practices than you?  Wow -- I'd hate to see what would happen if, for example, you learned Scott drank whole milk instead of that soy crap.

At any rate, I tried Pzizz, and I like it!  VERY relaxing.  I own a couple of those "night soother" machines that make various river, water, bird and wind sounds -- they work good at producing white-noise-style sounds, but nothing near the relaxation that Pzizz gave me.  I didn't have to keep thinking about trying to relax more and more a) because the guy kept reminding me in a very soothing voice and b) because the quality of the sounds was above anything else I've experienced.

I usually throw a few choice Pink Floyd or comparable tracks on the stereo/iPod at a low volume to sooth me to sleep, but I think I've found my new favorite nighttime/naptime soother.  Plus, the QuickTime-style interface is simple, effective, and easy to understand.

At first I balked at the $25 registration fee, but after trying it out, I feel it's pretty well worth it.  Count me in as a registered user come next paycheck.


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## Giaguara (Feb 28, 2005)

Hi Prepaster,

I think Scott's original point was "this software is great, I haven't really tried this kind of stuff before" - just as if somebody who would have found a new text editor would come out excited "this software is really nice, I am not used to editing stuff without graphic user interface", or "this photo editing software is really cool, I want my photo editing stuff be easy, fast and intuitive" the text editor NOT meaning that vim or pine would be anything worse, or Photoshop being bad - people's needs and starting points are just different, both for software and life. 

A change can start simply, maybe if someone tries something that makes them feel good, maybe they try something else that might feel them good after a while, if it comes natural. People come from different backgrounds, so on the other side waiting everybody to always have tried or even openly accept concepts totally different than theirs isn't always realistic. Let[s say someone tries to be afew weeks without eating meat and feels great, then tells :"I'm not really into vegetarianism or any animal activism, but I feel great without eating meat". So that could be heard on 2 ways: "I feel great" .. and the little hard core animal rights fighting vegan asking "what does he have against us"? But the poor guy who is trying his meat-free time would probably never go and want to know more about stuff like animal rights or anything even vaguely related to veganism or vegetarianism if what he got back as an echo to his "I feel great" would be "oh you #@$@%, what do you have against animal rights and what I have been working for all my life?"

So let's try maybe reading the orignal statement as "This software helps me feel great". Maybe it's the first step, maybe he'll later try something that might him feel even greater. 

And .. I'm pretty sure Scottw isn't as hard headed as my mum. My mum will just never ever understand and accept a few things in the life, and there is no way I'd win a fight against that. So let her keep her hardcore Christian mind, eat all the meat she wants, tell me as often as she wants about how and how many babies this and that cousin of mine has - things like being a vegetarian, not eating meat, and not wanting to have any kids at all would go far above her brain. Even yoga would, even considering that I saw a yoga book at my grandmas house ... she must have "forgot" it from a hospital library, since it still had all the stamps from the library too...


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## legacyb4 (Feb 28, 2005)

Why are you all reading into Scott's post that yoga is new-age?

What I see is that he avoids three things:

- new age like
- yoga-enhanced
- inner-self driven

I also don't see what that has to do with anyone else feeling like they should/shouldn't contribute...



			
				ScottW said:
			
		

> I also avoid anything that appears to be new age
> like, yoga enhanced, or inner-self driven.


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## JetwingX (Feb 28, 2005)

and might i quote from the rules...

Types of Posters We'd Like To Discourage 

Drama Queen: Like all message boards, there is always a constant turnover in the number of people that frequent the macosx.com board. Most people, after having decided they no longer wish to visit the board, make no announcement about their departure. Some individuals have a penchant for making long boisterous departures from the message board that is clearly worthy of an Emmy award - "Goodbye cruel message board" is the classic remark. Because most of them seek to harm the morale of the board, Drama Queens are regarded as a nuisance. What also makes them an even greater pain is their tendency to repeatedly coming back for a series encore performances. "I came back to see if you people changed your ways, but I see things are the same as always - so once again, farewell cruel message board."


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