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Sunday, January 31, 2010

GIMP 2.68: Free Alternative to Adobe Photoshop

If you are looking for a very good alternative to Adobe Photoshop, you can try GIMP. 


GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. What it is capable of doing is practically everything that Adobe Photoshop is capable of doing. The best thing about this computer program is it is FREE.

Most likely, a lot of us have been very accustomed to using Adobe Photoshop. If you know how to use Adobe Photoshop, surely, using GIMP should not pose any trouble. It basically operates in much the same way as Adobe Photoshop. All you have to do is explore a little and find out more about the functions... and stuff, which are not much different from those in Adobe Photoshop.

Here are some of the features and capabilities of GIMP as stated in the GIMP website:

  • Painting
    • Full suite of painting tools including Brush, Pencil, Airbrush, Clone, etc.
    • Sub-pixel sampling for all paint tools for high quality anti-aliasing
    • Extremely powerful gradient editor and blend tool
    • Supports custom brushes and patterns
  • System
    • Tile based memory management so image size is limited only by available disk space
    • Virtually unlimited number of images open at one time
  • Advanced Manipulation
    • Full alpha channel support
    • Layers and channels
    • Multiple Undo/Redo (limited only by diskspace)
    • Editable text layers
    • Transformation tools including rotate, scale, shear and flip
    • Selection tools including rectangle, rounded rectangle, ellipse, free, fuzzy
    • Foreground extraction tool
    • Advanced path tool doing bezier and polygonal selections.
    • Transformable paths, transformable selections.
    • Quickmask to paint a selection.
  • Extensible
    • A Procedural Database for calling internal GIMP functions from external programs as in Script-fu
    • Advanced scripting capabilities (Scheme, Python, Perl)
    • Plug-ins which allow for the easy addition of new file formats and new effect filters
    • Over 100 plug-ins already available
  • Animation
    • Load and save animations in a convenient frame-as-layer format
    • MNG support
    • Frame Navigator (in GAP, the GIMP Animation Package)
    • Onion Skin (in GAP, the GIMP Animation Package)
    • Bluebox (in GAP, the GIMP Animation Package)
  • File Handling
    • File formats supported include bmp, gif, jpeg, mng, pcx, pdf, png, ps, psd, svg, tiff, tga, xpm, and many others
    • Load, display, convert, save to many file formats
    • SVG path import/export
  • Much, much more!
___________________________________________________________

*Click the Download Gimp 2.68 link

Or you may Click here for the homepage of their website for more information on the software.
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Friday, January 29, 2010

How To Increase Your Farmville Level Fast and Easily


By Amir Fikri



The nation of Farmville-ers are increasing each day that would soon reach billions of players sooner or later!The 'farmers' out there are competing each other to get to the top rank in Farmville. The game gives a sense of ecstasy that activates every each player's addiction towards it and there are plenty of reasons why and how. Players can get out from their usual daily boring activities that gives stress to them. Farmville provides a natural and lively 'farm' environment to players to soothe the stress and depression that we go through daily. Relax your toes, plant some seeds, grow them and level up. If you do this in repetition, you'll advance in levels thus discovering more about the world of Farmville.


But sooner or later, you'll get the feeling of wanting to get more from the game-to advance your levels and achieve better rank in the Farmville ranking lists. You'll unlock new items, decorations and will be given bonuses each time you level up. This can be concluded that, in order to get those bonuses and items, you have to level up quickly and of course, strategically and not struggling each day playing Farmville figuring out how to do it.


The Basics


So how to do it? Experience points is vital in order to level up. The faster you gain your experience points, the faster you level up!As an example, each plot of land you plow gets you 1 experience point. When you start playing, you get plenty of experience points for each time you plow so that you could advance in a steady pace and motion. This will eventually will continue for some time until you realise something different because after the easy part is done, you'll be needing more and more experience to level up.


Focus on Experience


The secret way to gain experience points fast and easily is that, you have to supplement what you gain from your normal harvests with other activities. Renovate your farm like construct buildings to improve your farm's environment. This is because buildings yield the most experience points, but you can get experience from putting up just about any decoration or structure. Make a note to yourself to always watch over the experience points you get for every each action you take. Plan a research in doing so.


When planting crops, make sure you take the experience points you'd gain as consideration so that you know which is better to plant than just wasting your coins for no benefits. Crops that take less than a day to grow only yield 1 experience point, while crops that take longer yield 2. That doesn't mean you only want to plant crops that offer 2 experience points. However, there are ways to get more than just 2 experience points. Crops like strawberries give you advantage only IF you harvest them as soon as they are ready, it is like getting the right moment to harvest them when the fruits are still fresh and good.


You have to be on top of your harvesting and planting cycles in order to make progress this way though. Putting up buildings on your farm remains the best way to get big boosts in your experience quickly. Save up your cash for those, and you'll be well on your way to unlocking all of the available items in FarmVille.


There are more secrets that I would love to share you with-ways of speeding up your leveling goal other than just constructing buildings at your farm. These secrets are used by only smart players and believe me, you'll be shocked and amazed on how the process works! I, myself, could not believe my eyes when I found out about them. For more tips and information, email me at winter2autumn@yahoo.com


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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Apple Unveils its Tablet

Several rumors have been going around these past weeks about the new product that Apple is going to bring to the market this year. It is a tablet for sure but nobody knew how it would look like and what its specs and features would be. Some said that it would look like a big iPhone, while some said that it would look like a Macbook with just the screen on. Others speculated that it would be called the iSlate, iTablet... or whatever they could think of.

Finally, Apple unveiled its new product this January 27... and it is called the iPad. Honestly, I would have preferred the name iSlate.

Watch this video for more information about the iPad:



How is this product going to fare in the market? I guess we'll find out in the near future. Digg Technorati Delicious StumbleUpon Reddit BlinkList Furl Mixx Facebook Google Bookmark Yahoo
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Physiognomy Studio 1.2: Do Your Own Face Reading

Physiognomy is the art of reading faces and determining the characteristics and features of a person based on that reading. Well, it's one of those ancient arts - much like astrology and numerology - that still exist today.

Earlier, I found a free software called Physiognomy Studio 1.2 (download link at the end of this entry) which gives you the chance to do a face reading by yourself. All you need to do is open an existing photo (preferably a "face" photo) using the software then click Read Face.

Whether you believe it or not,  or whether it's true or not, it still is fun!

Here's the description of the software from the download site:

"Physiognomy Studio is the one and only face reading software program that can analyze your digital photo picture and give you immediate face reading session. You can learn the type of your face and personality traits of this type. You can also read other people faces and share the reading with friends."


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Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Lenovo Skylight: Not Quite a Netbook but Not Quite a Smartphone

If you have been waiting for a gadget that you can carry like a regular phone but has the ability to keep you online all day long (or almost) with a convenient screen and keyboard just like any netbook, then wait no more because Lenovo Skylight is here.

At first glance, it looks like a very sleek netbook and one with a very attractive design. It is very slim and those curves are something we have not yet seen on any netbook. But Lenovo Skylight is NOT exactly a netbook. It seems to be a gadget with a soul of a smartphone trapped in a netbook's body. It is a SMARTBOOK.

Currently, I do not have a lot of information yet about the product. All I know about is what I have learned from this video:



Based on the video, I think that I would rather have a real netbook which can also allow me to go online virtually the whole day, thanks to power-saving technologies we have at present that allow our netbooks to last longer.

I believe Lenovo Skylight caters mainly to web browsing and it won't allow you to do other stuff that you can do on a regular netbook or notebook with its limited hard drive. But as I mentioned, I do not have much information yet on the product. I might be wrong. I'll just give an update on this as soon as I learn more about it. It will come out this spring.
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Monday, January 25, 2010

Siftables: Computerized Blocks

We are very familiar with toy blocks - the ones with letters and numbers on them that kids play with... and learn with.

Well, imagine these toy blocks being small computers by themselves. Imagine them being able to do a lot of things other than show letters and numbers. Imagine them playing music, showing colors, computing equations, flashing images and videos... and most of all, interacting with one another in amazing ways.

This is what technology can bring us and Sifteo is taking advantage of this technology by harnessing its potentials. It has come up with what they call Siftables (the toy blocks that think... according to them, and I do agree).

Watch this video and see how amazing these Siftables are. I predict that we are going to see a lot of these in the field of education someday.


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Sunday, January 24, 2010

YouTube Turns To Movie Rental Business





By Maggie Shiels - Technology Reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley





Video-sharing site YouTube is taking its first steps into the online movie rental business.
The fledgling service will go live on 22 January. Initially only five films will be available to rent.
The movies will come from the 2009 and 2010 Sundance Film Festival and will only be available in the US.
The move for the Google owned company represents a major development for the site which has been looking for ways to boost its bottom line.
"This is a huge move for YouTube in the sense of them trying to monetise the site," Mike McGuire, principal analyst at Gartner Research told BBC News.
"This certainly opens the door for them with bigger movie studios."
Content providers will be able to set their own prices, with YouTube taking a cut of the revenue. All but one of the Sundance films is being offered for $3.99 (£2.50) each for users to watch over a 48-hour viewing period.
The site which is best known for its user-generated content, including dogs on skateboards and performing cats, said 20 hours of video is uploaded every minute.
Last August, Comscore reported that over 10 billion videos were streamed on YouTube.
Hollywood signs
Industry insiders say this first step into online rental is a curtain-raiser for more ambitious pay-per-view plans.
It is expected that in the near future the site will expand its rental catalogue with television shows and feature films from major studios.
"Content is king in this kind of business and Sundance is a good first step," said Mr McGuire.
"Negotiating with the major studios over distribution rights however is not for the faint hearted. Google has to perfect its delivery model and its billing system."
YouTube already offers full-length films from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's archives. It is expected similar deals like this will emerge in the coming weeks and months and extend to newer movies.
In its blog, YouTube hinted at that possibility.
"In the coming weeks we'll also invite a small group of partners across other industries, in addition to independent film, to participate in this new option."
Some industry watchers say YouTube has had a tough time in the past persuading the studios to part with their crown jewels such as newly released movies and Hollywood blockbusters.
"YouTube has had little luck over the last several years wooing major studios and networks to stream premium content on the site, which would make it easier to draw advertising," said Ben Fritz of the Los Angeles Times.
"Most studios have instead opted to put their content on Hulu, a joint venture of NBC Universal, News Corp and Walt Disney that has had more success luring marketers."
Analysts point out that the pay-per-view movie offering will put YouTube in direct competition with other services including Apple's iTunes store, Amazon.com and Microsoft's XBox Live.
The first five films for rent are "The Cove," "Bass Ackwards," "One Too Many Mornings," "Homewrecker" and "Children of Invention."
The Sundance film festival runs until 31 January.


SOURCE: BBC

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Friday, January 22, 2010

Green Tech at the CES (Consumer Electronics Show)

During the most recent Consumer Electronics Show, several new "green" technologies made their debut. It is nice to know that companies are taking the big step towards being "green". CNET TV's Green Show made a rundown of some of these products and they are:

1. Tenrehte PicoWatt Smart Plug - You can plug virtually all of your consumer electronics into this stuff to power them (watch video by clicking link below)

2. Chevy Volt Mobile App - This is an app for smart phones that allows you to basically check the charge status of your electronic car.

3. Regen Renew Solar Panel - This is a very sexy solar charger that is good for charging your gadgets with... very "green" and it looks good, too.

4. Horizon Fuel Cell Mini Pack - another charger and source of portable power... just watch the video.

Video Link to CNET TV's Green Show - Green Tech at the CES.
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Thursday, January 21, 2010

3 Reasons Why You Should Buy A Netbook

Since they have been introduced in the market, netbooks have had an unprecedented rise in the tech world. A lot of people welcomed them as new tools, toys, or whatever sort of use they bought them for. Currently, new models of netbooks are being released and more are projected to be released this year - each model sporting a slightly new feature differentiating it from the rest.

However, there are some sectors in our society that do not welcome this great gadget. They remain cynical about netbooks and their capabilities. Well, netbooks may not be for everyone but here are 3 reasons why you should buy a netbook:

1. It is affordable. You can buy a netbook at half the price of regular laptops today, or even less. Buying a netbook will not scrape out a big chunk of your budget while still allowing you to do some basic tasks that you can do on a regular laptop. If you do not intend to use power-and-processor-hungry programs on a computer, why spend more on a notebook when you can spend less for a netbook that is capable of giving you the same functionality?

2. It is portable. Carrying laptops can be a trouble to some. Yes, laptops are supposed to be portable but some of them are just too cumbersome to carry around, especially with all those accessories attached. Netbooks are obviously way lighter than a regular laptop. In fact, you can easily slip a netbook inside your bag. This ease of carrying a netbook around is one big reason why you should buy a netbook.

3. It is perfect for going online and doing your office tasks with. Netbooks, as the name suggests, are originally intended to be used for browsing the web. But, of course, it can do more than that. Most netbooks today can do a lot of things that a regular laptop can. You can do your office tasks on your netbook. You can also do simple movie and image editing, among other things. If you need a computer for these purposes, a netbook should be a perfect choice.

Netbooks may have their drawbacks like the smaller size of the screen and of the keyboard. But its practicality and functionality almost always, if not always, offset the drawbacks.
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

3D Desktop: T3Desk 2010 10.01 (free download)


Working on a 3D desktop can make tasks a little easier. Why don't you see it for yourself? Here is a free software called T3Desk 2010, which can allow you to create a 3D environment on your desktop where you can easily switch through different windows.


Here is the description provided by the publisher:
_______________________________________________
T3Desk lets you manage your applications more easily in a 3D desktop adding the third dimension to your Windows screen. "3Dmized" windows will appear in three dimensions and transparent on your screen and have the ability to be flipped, zoomed, moved, swiveled in almost anyway you want. T3Desk is lightweight on your resources, unlike most applications of its kind.

With T3Desk you can set the options regarding display, zooming, hot keys and sounds. You can configure your 3D window animation, transparency effect, the 3D initial angle and distance, the transition effects and more. T3Desk is a FREE product.

T3Desk require DirectX for dialog effects and also GDI+ andVisual C++ 2008 runtime components to be installed.


What's New in version 10.01:
  • Customizable Hotkeys
  • Start minimized into the system tray
  • Copy 3D Window image to Clipboard
  • Multiple monitor support
  • One more "3Dmize" option
  • Few bugs fixed
_______________________________________________

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Samsung W9600: More than just a Phone

We have seen phones with excellent cameras. We have also seen phones that are great multimedia players - you can listen to music from their very good speakers, watch movies from and browse through photos on their bright screens, and go online using their Wi-fi connection. But if you think you have seen it all, think again.


Here is Samsung W9600. Guess what it has that we don't normally see in phones today. A projector. Yes, a PROJECTOR!


Now, you can share your photos and movies by projecting the images on the wall, well, preferably a white wall, without actually wasting time sending your friends the files.

Here is a video I found on YouTube featuring Samsung W9600 (that's not me on the video, I just embedded the video here):



Aside from that, the phone has 5 MP camera, AMOLED touchscreen (high-resolution screen), and stylish design, among other features.
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Monday, January 18, 2010

Support the Haiti Disaster Relief Effort

Last January 12, Haiti was rocked by a magnitude 7 earthquake. This earthquake brought about a lot of damage not only to property but also to lives. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people died in the earthquake. In addition to this figure, millions more have lost so much that it would take a lot of courage, hope, and assistance to get them back on their feet.


The Internet has not only been a great source of information but, more importantly, it has become a great way for us to reach out to others. Let us put this into good use. Support the Haiti disaster relief effort.


Donate to the American Red Cross. Click here or on the American Red Cross banner in the sidebar. Tell your friends about it. E-mail them.


Thank you.


Let us all pray that the Haitians recover from this tragedy as soon as possible before other problems crop up (like lawlessness and violence.)
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Sunday, January 17, 2010

Device Stage in Windows 7


By Jose Perez

Windows 7 offers a new way to communicate with your printer, camera, phone, or portable video/audio player directly from the desktop. It is a new graphical user interface that makes it easier to do everything with your devices in a Windows 7 environment. You could consider Device Stage as a multi-function version of Autoplay, where you can get all the information, services, and functionality. They also works for devices connected to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, other than USB. Mostly, software installation isn't needed while the latest drivers that could be needed are automatically downloaded from Windows Update. Since Device Stage is intended to extend the Windows 7 it also integrates support for Jump Lists.

If a device is supported, it is shown as a small icon on the notification area. To immediately access all that is available you need to right-click on the small icon to show all the options. You will notice that the Jump List shows everything by simply moving the mouse over your device on the notification area also gives you quick information on storage capacity and battery life. Windows 7 comes with high-resolution pictures of a number of popular gadgets, and if allowed connect to the web to download pictures of hardware it does not recognize.

If you have a mobile phone, Windows 7 device stage can offer options for bidirectional synchronization, configuring ringtones, copying videos and pictures, managing the media files in your mobile phone with Windows Media Player 12, and easily navigate through your device using Windows Explorer. These device functionalities are defined through XML files that are immediately downloaded when your device is first plugged in to the computer, or are supplied by the device manufacturer on an installation CD.

If you want to find out all new features of Windows 7 Please Visit Our Site at Windows Device Stages and for tips and tricks visit Windows 7 Features
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Saturday, January 16, 2010

Nokia N97 and N97 mini

Recently, Nokia released its N97. But even more recently, it released another version of N97 calling it N97 Mini. My first thought was "What was Nokia thinking?".

Some tweaks were made on the features of N97 and - voila! - we have N97 Mini! But this is actually not pure nonsense. This is not Nokia saying that they are running out of ideas and so they decided to just change some specs of an older (but actually new) model. On the contrary, by doing this, Nokia has done a smart move by giving the buyers an option - buyers can now decide whether to buy the N97 which is more business-like in appeal, or the more stylish N97 Mini, without much difference in the software from that in N97.

However, being different phones, they have differences. The obvious one is the size. The Mini is a tad smaller and slimmer, nay, sexier than its bigger brother. The size of the screen of N97 Mini (3.2 in.) is also smaller than that of N97 (3.5 in.). There are also apparent differences on how the keys on the keypad are arranged. Moreover, the battery of N97 has a slightly higher capacity than the battery that comes with N97 Mini.

One big difference though between the two is the memory built into the units. While N97 Mini only has 8 Gigabytes (which is, to current standards, perfectly fine), N97 has 32 Gigs - 4 times than that found in the Mini. Both memories are expandable. But with the 32 Gigs, I don't think you would need any memory card to add to the memory of your phone. This is perfect for those who intend to save a lot of files and use a lot of apps on their phone.

Watch this video I found on YouTube which shows in detail the differences between N97 and N97 Mini:

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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Automatic Cameras: Are they Right for You?

By: R. Dodge Woodson

Modern cameras are made to do everything on their own. With a self-timer, a camera can decide when it's the right moment to freeze time capturing an image. Seriously, today's cameras are incredibly smart. There has never been a time when getting into photography was so easy, that is assuming you can figure out what all the buttons, knobs, and levers on a new auto-everything camera do.

In some ways, older cameras were less frustrating to work with. New automatic cameras can be a challenge for anyone to figure out. It's kind of like setting the clock on your DVD player. If you ever take time to learn the steps involved with the process, it's not difficult. Automatic cameras can be intimidating at first, but they are a joy to use once you have mastered the controls.

The amount of automation found in a pocket camera varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. Price is also a factor in the amount of automatic functions a camera performs. I think automatic cameras are like computers; they're fantastic when they work properly and a pain in the neck when they don't.

I browsed through a sales flyer from a major discount chain store just a few minutes ago. For less than $100 you can buy a 35-mm point-and-shoot camera from a name-brand manufacturer. The camera has a built-in flash and it sets shutter speed automatically. For about the same price, you can get a different brand of 35-mm camera that offers a pop-up flash (to reduce the red-eye effect in portraits).

In fact, it is hard to find a point-and-shoot (PsS) without a built-in flash. The model I looked at has a medium-power, zoom, telephoto lens. There are even less expensive cameras available.

If you move up the purchase-price ladder, you can find cameras with built-in zoom lenses with ranges in the neighborhood of 38mm to 140mm. Some models will imprint your photos with a date and time stamp. Not many professional photographers use pocket cameras as their primary tools, but I know many who use them for quick shots that would evade typical professional equipment. Don't be fooled by the Do-Little cameras, they can actually do quite a lot. For most people, any camera with a megapixel rating of at least 5 is fine for routine use.

What Could Go Wrong With Idiot-Proof Cameras?

If you think that nothing can go wrong with auto-everything cameras, you're wrong. A lot can go wrong with any automatic camera. While most pocket cameras are simple to operate, they can produce some annoying problems for the people who use them. Let me explain.

Imagine that you are on your dream vacation. Part of your fantasy is to amass photographs that will help your memories live forever. You begin your journey, snapping pictures of once-in-a-lifetime scenes as you go. All of a sudden, you battery goes dead. You left your battery charger at home. Well, there goes the great photography outing.

Many photographers using direct-vision cameras obstruct their lenses accidently without knowing it until they check their photos. Since the viewfinder on this type of camera is offset from the lens, you can't see if your camera strap or finger is in part of your picture.

Spare Battery

One of the most frequent problems with an automatic camera is not the camera's fault. It is a dead of dying battery. Get a spare battery for your camera and like the credit card company says, "Never leave home without it!" Low battery power can cause a number of difficulties with an automatic camera. A dead battery can put the camera completely out of commission. Rotate batteries frequently when using or storing your camera in cold temperatures.

Red Eye

Even if you have never taken a single photograph, you've probably seen the handiwork of the red-eye monster in photos you have seen. This evil creature lives in the flash unit of many cameras. When an on-camera flash is used to take a portrait, it often taints the photography by turning the subject's eyes bright red. Some pocket cameras offer a red-eye reduction system. Others incorporate a pop-up flash that can help to keep the monster caged. However, unless you move up to component systems where the flash you work with is offset to one side of the lens, you might meet the monster eye to eye, so to speak.

What is red eye? It is when the eyes of a subject are red in a photograph. The problem is caused by having a flash that is too close to your lens. It is a common problem with point-and-shoot cameras.

Auto Focus and Auto Flash

There is a difference between point-and-shoot cameras and auto-focus cameras. Point-and-shoot cameras have a set range in which objects appear to be in focus. Auto-focus lenses adjust their focus based on the location of a subject. As good as auto-focus lenses are, they can be fooled. As an example, if you were to take a family portrait, using a self-timer, you might find that part of your family was soft in terms of focus.

If you were all standing side by side, the auto-focus should work well. But, if some of the family is in front of the rest of the family, the auto-focus is likely to lock in on only some of the subjects. This results in a picture with some distortion in it.

Automatic, built-in flashes sound good on paper and in advertisements, but they can limit your creativity. They can also fail to meet their minimum requirements. The sensors that trigger an automatic flash can be fooled by light patterns. Let me give you an example.

Let's say that your children have just been chosen to star in a school play. You want to capture the moment with your camera. Hastily, before the mood changes, you position your children in front of a window. There are no blinds or curtains, and natural light is flooding into the room, behind the kids. Quickly, you point and shoot on auto pilot. The flash doesn't fire. You assume this means flash was not needed. After all, it's supposed to fire when light levels are low. The natural light behind your children has just fooled the camera. When you review the picture taken, you will find that you have a nice, dark, silhouette of your kids. Their cheerful faces will be hidden in the dark exposure. Creative options for built-in auto-flashes are limited.

Sun Flare

Sun flare can be a nasty problem when using a pocket camera. You can overcome this by shielding the lens of your camera from the sun with your hand. But if you're not careful, your hand will wind up in the picture. Since lens shades won't work on flat-faced cameras, you have to protect the lens by some other means. The human hand is usually the most effective. If you don't prevent stray light from shining on your lens, you will see bright spots that resemble stars or doughnuts on your finished prints.

The more automated your camera is, the higher the risk is that something will malfunction. This should not scare you away from the versatile, easy-to-use pocket cameras. If you stick with a major brand of camera, you should not experience many problems that are not associated with the operator of the tool. Keep fresh batteries in your camera. Use common sense on exposures, and choose your camera settings carefully. If you follow these simple instructions, your little black box should give you good pictures. 


About The Author
R. Dodge Woodson is the founder and publisher of World Photographers Organization, a group of photographers from point-and-shoot snapshooters to pros who spend close to $10,000 for a single lens. Photography has been his passion for close to 40 years. Woodson is an internationally-known, best-selling author and photographer with more than 100 books published by major publishers. Presently much of his writing in both E-books known as Book Busters and Ready Reports is available through Creative Consulting, Inc. at http://www.ccionlinesales.com/, including his most recent book: Maine Unseen: A Photographic Experience That Few Witness.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Foxit Reader: the Best PDF Viewer

Anyone who have had experience with Adobe Reader can say that opening the program takes a while. If you are tired of this, why not download Foxit Reader? It is an even better PDF viewer in my honest opinion. Aside from the speed at which it loads, it also provides a way for the users to annotate PDF files  like highlighting texts, making notes and drawing lines and stuff.

The latest version of Foxit Reader also has the following features:



The following is a list of exciting new features in Foxit Reader 3.1.
  • Internet Search
    Foxit Reader 3.1 supports internet keyword search. You can select the text and click the pop-up search icon or press and drag the mouse directly to search for the related information in internet.
  • Favorite Toolbar
    Foxit PDF Reader 3.1 supports to customize the useful tools to appear in the Favorite Toolbar area, so that users can choose the tools that are used most often easily and quickly.
  • Comments Panel 
    Lists all comments in the PDF document, and provides a number of common options that helps users check their comments better, such as expanding or collapsing all comments, as well as sorting comments in different ways.
  • Summarize Comments
    Allows users to generate a new PDF document with comments summary and set the document properties, such as paper setting, page range choosing, and so on. It is a convenient way to get a synopsis of all the comments associated with a PDF.
  • Document Restrictions
    Now users can view document restrictions by clicking the Security tab in the properties dialog box. The document’s Security Method restricts what can be done to the document, and the Document Restrictions Summary displays a list of tasks that users can perform.
  • Supports MSAA
    Part of user interface elements supports Microsoft Active Accessibility (MSAA), that is, to deliver the UI information to the MSAA client-side.
  • Streamlined UI
    A completely redesigned UI with a new look and feel that makes Foxit Reader more intuitive than ever before, such as updated icons and the reclassified menu bar.

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Monday, January 11, 2010

Netbooks and What to Use them For


By Daisy Wilson


Looking to get a netbook, but you are unsure of where to look, or what exactly you can use them for, look no further. You can get all the information you need regarding what exactly you need one for, and how to go about getting one. This allows you to get the information you need from experts who know all about the product you are trying to get information on, you are also able to call or email them with your questions instead of reading all of the information of the site. This may be able to clear some more information up.


Writing


These compact computers are often used by avid writers who enjoy writing, or are book writers. They can carry them around without having to worry about the weight, or the largeness of a regular laptop. They have a keyboard that is easy to type on, and is not extremely small, so you are still able to hit the keys correctly while using it. The screen is small, but it does not take away from the site of it, this allows you to see what you are typing, but also does not contort the word processing software. You can also check out the various hard drive sizes to make sure you get the most space that you need in order to save the documents you are writing. They also offer external hard drives if you need more space then what they are giving you in the compact computer.


Surf the Net and Stay Connected


You are able to surf the web, and stay connected through social networks on this compact computer. They have built in wireless cards, so you are able to pick up internet wherever it is available. This can be reassuring to know that you do not have to buy extra components in order to have your computer work on the internet explorer. Connect through instant messengers with family and friends. Hook up a mouse and webcam if you wish through the provided usb ports. This allows you to connect with more function then before.


Open Software


You can add software and applications to your netbooks as well. Depending on the specifications that your portable computer came with, you can add certain software to your computer that you may use on a daily basis. You can find the computers with a fast processing speed which allows you to open your software faster than ever, and allows you to run multiple programs at the same time without slowing down the speed of the overall computer, and performance that it puts out. This is one of the largest things to look for, as well as memory size depending on what you would like to save on your mini computer as well.




You are able to find more information on netbooks and Canon imageCLASS Printers, and their prices by visiting pcrush.com. They will help you find the one that fits your specific needs, and can accomplish the tasks you want to undertake by email, or phone.


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Sunday, January 10, 2010

Plastic Logic's Que proReader: the next E-Reader King?

We have seen the rise of e-book readers last year. Perhaps the most famous of them all is the Kindle. Several versions of the Kindle have been released last year.

But this year, we are about to see another e-book reader that will be launched. It is QUE proReader from Plastic Logic. Is this going to be the one to put an end to the reign of Kindle? Maybe not. But the Que proReader is something worth looking at with its features.


QUE proReader is primarily aimed for businessmen. As a matter of fact, it looks more business-like than any other e-book reader in the market today. It is not like some teenager would be carrying it around and use it for leisurely reading novels. 


It is the size of a pad paper (8.5 in. X 11 in.) but only a third of an inch thick (or thin). It has a 10.7 in touch screen. It also has the ability to connect through Wi-fi and 3G networks, in addition to its Bluetooth which increases its connectivity.


With its large screen, it is definetely going to be very easy to browse through e-books and other documents, like Word, Excel and Powerpoint (these are supported).


The price is... well, it is something fit for a businessman. Currently, its 4GB version is priced at $649 (with Wi-fi and bluetooth connectivity + USB, but without 3G), and its 8GB version (this one has 3G connectivity) is priced at $799!


The question is: With the Que proReader being primarily aimed for businessmen, are businessmen really going for it when they can simply purchase a decent laptop computer at the price of the 8GB version of the Que proReader? We all have to keep an eye on how this gadget does in the market this year. It is scheduled to be released this coming April.
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Saturday, January 9, 2010

Kill That Javascript Error

Kill That Javascript Error
By John E. Blake

A JavaScript error can make it painful to browse the Web. You need to defend your browser from each JavaScript error, as JavaScript errors love to ruin your fun. It's actually very easy to repair the majority of JavaScript problems. Here, we'll do a rundown of some of the best ways to fix JavaScript errors.


Delete your Temporary Internet Files


Call it unorthodox, but it's proven over and over that too many Temporary Internet Files can cause JavaScript problems. That's why you NEED to delete your Temporary Internet Files on a regular basis. Besides, all sorts of nasty stuff can sneak into your system through cookies and Temporary Internet Files. 


Here's how to delete your Temporary Internet Files in Windows 7:

1. Click Start. 
2. Select Control Panel. 
3. Click Network and Internet. 
4. Select Internet Options. 
5. Click the Safety icon. 
6. See the "Delete Browsing History" button? Click that. 
7. Check all of the files you wish to delete. 
8. Click Delete.


Your system will probably run a bit faster and smoother once you delete these files. Temporary internet files accumulate rather rapidly, so it's best to delete these often.


Check DirectX and Disable Interfering Features

You should also make sure that you are running the most updated version of DirectX. Sometimes DirectX errors can get mixed up with JavaScript, and then you have to pay the price. If you're having trouble with DirectX, you can use the handy DirectX Diagnostic Tool to troubleshoot these problems.

Sometimes firewalls or other security mechanisms can cause JavaScript problems. You need to check the settings of firewalls and anti-virus programs. If these programs are currently running, they will often play havoc with JavaScript. You'll need to experiment with your anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-malware programs. Often, if you disable a setting such as "Ad-Blocker" or "Pop-up Blocker," then JavaScript will miraculously start working again.


Registry Cleaners to the Rescue

It's wise to get a registry cleaner so that you can fight JavaScript errors head on. A registry cleaner is the best way to find out where that little bugger is hiding and blast him out of his hole.

Since the registry stores all information on your system, all errors will be logged within the registry. As such, registry cleaners are the most effective and powerful means of resolving errors. Some registry cleaners are well known for their ability to prevent errors from ever appearing. Use a good registry cleaner to detect and destroy JavaScript errors. You'll be glad you did. Learn more about how to repair your JavaScript error so you have keep having fun and working hard online.

Optimize-Your-PC, with its Advanced Registry Cleaning Technology, will fix that JavaScript error and Speed Up Your PC, all in under 2 Minutes.

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Friday, January 8, 2010

How to Dispose of Old but still Working Mobile Phones

The mobile phone industry is probably one of the most prolific industries on the planet today. You will be amazed at how many new models are released each quarter and how many more units are produced within a given month not only of the new models but also of the not-so-new models that are still doing pretty well in the market.

If you are the type of person who always does not want to be left behind, most likely you would be purchasing new models of mobile phones as soon as they hit the market even though you still have an old but still working mobile phone. And before you know it, you have a bunch of used mobile phones piling up somewhere inside your room (inside your drawer, perhaps).

So, what do you do with your old phone or phones? Throwing them away is definitely not an option because not only would you be harming the environment by including your phone in your trash, you would also be wasting an item that might still prove useful to others, if not anymore to you.

Here are some ways of disposing of your old phones:

1. Sell your old phones. If they are still in good working condition, chances are some people might still be interested in buying them. It does not matter whether they were released last month or last year. What is important is that they are still working. These days, people are willing to get bargains. Offer your phones at a very low and reasonable price. Post an ad on your blog or on your website. Inform your officemates and friends that you want to get rid of your old phones and that you are selling them at a very low price. They might know someone who wants to buy a phone at a tight budget or one of them might actually be willing to buy a second-hand phone. You can do all sorts of advertising. Remember to always inform them that you are selling them because you have a new one and you won't be using them anymore. Most importantly, inform them that they are still in good condition if they are (be honest though if your phone has a defect, no matter how slight it is). Selling your old phones is good because you will be able to get a return of the fraction of the amount of money you paid for those phones.

2. Give them away. If you are not the sort of person who is into selling second-hand stuff, then just give your phones away. Give it to a friend or a relative who is planning to buy a secondary phone. If you have a younger brother or sister who is yet to have his or her first phone, then give your old phone as a gift. This is, in fact, a very thoughtful gesture.

3. Contact the phone manufacturer. If options 1 and 2 above are not for you, just do this: contact the manufacturer of the old phones you want to get rid of. Some manufacturers are willing to take in old phones for recycling. A number of manufacturers now are taking the lead in protecting the environment by recycling their old products. Find out how you can send your old phones back to the manufacturers by contacting them or by visiting their website. You might actually even receive incentives from them for doing so.

4. Contact charitable institutions who are conducting income-generating projects to support their cause. There are several charitable institutions who put up bazaars once in a while where members and supporters sell second-hand goods and where the proceeds are used to fund a special project. Contact them and donate your old phones so that they can sell them.

The ways mentioned above are not only practical but they are also green in the sense that your old phones are not likely to end up in the trash adding to the tons and tons of garbage in the world today.
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