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The Right way to Share Files

May 5, 2011 By admin

With the advent of the Internet, access to content is vast and largely uninhibited. While you can upload a number of images, videos and music online, there is an equal amount that you can download as well. Downloading content from the net is simple if you know how to go about it.

When you are downloading content from the net, there are certain safety protocols you need to put in place for the safety of your own private information. Using any form of peer-to-peer sharing applications leaves the content on your computer open to attack and even use. Ideally, do not use anything like it. If you are working on a networked system, it would be best to disable file sharing in your settings unless you are completely sure of the trustworthiness of the people you are sharing with. This has to be completely removed. This is especially so when you have content that is copyrighted on your computer that should not be accessed by others.

Passwords are a very important aspect of any computer or downloading account. Make sure that hackers cannot figure out your passwords easily. Alphanumeric passwords are best. There are also several ways in which you can test the strength of your passwords online.

There are legitimate sites you can use when you need good quality downloads. No matter how tempted you are, it is best to stick to such sites to ensure the safety of your computer as well as your content. Unauthorized sites are the simplest ways for hackers to enter your domain and ruin everything for you.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Filesharing, Peer-to-peer, Uploading and downloading

How to Take Good Digital Pictures

March 28, 2011 By admin

Have you been looking at your pictures lately and wondering why they just don’t look right? Often photographers will blame the camera for bad pictures, but it important to keep in mind that it is the person behind the camera that takes a good picture, not the camera.

To get started taking good pictures you need to first get to know your camera. Find out everything you can about it including the different settings, how to control the exposure, and learn about the flash. The flash, or control of the flash is one of the most important things you can learn about when you are learning to take good pictures. The more you control the flash instead of depending on the automatic setting, the better your pictures will come out.

Make sure you have a steady hand. A steady hand and a level camera will make a huge difference in your pictures. Use the horizontal lines on the display window as your guide. If your hand is not steady, you can use a tripod. This will help you to take pictures when the light is low or when you are trying to take a picture of something that is moving quickly.

The ISO speed will also make a big difference in your pictures. If you are taking a still picture, use a low setting. If you are trying to capture moving targets, use a higher setting.

If you use theses tips the next time you take digital pictures you will see a difference. Remember, it is the person behind the camera that takes good pictures, and not necessarily the camera.

Filed Under: Photo Software Tagged With: Camera, Film speed, Flash (photography)

Tips to Keep You Safe When File Sharing

March 12, 2011 By admin

File sharing is becoming more and more popular for internet users. People are always looking for a way to download music and movies, and peer to peer file sharing seems to be it. There is no way to guarantee the safety of file sharing unless you are using a known music site, but there are some steps you can take to help make sure you don’t walk right into something you can’t get out of.

The first thing you need to do is to learn the whole process. You need to do this before you use any file sharing website. Look at sites with a critical eye and get details about how the site operates. Look to make sure that the network does not have any adware or trojans. You should also check to see if there is any support offered.
Make sure your computer is protected. There is a high risk of picking up a virus when you use a peer to peer file sharing sight. Always make sure that you have up to day antivirus protection on your computer along with any other protection available. You should also look at all file extensions before you download anything. Look out for vbs extensions, and any other extensions that you do not recognize.
Learn about copywright laws. There is an ongoing debate about what file sharing is doing to the music industry and the sale of music. Some believe that it is helping while others believe that file sharing denies the artists from getting the compensation they deserve.

Filed Under: Internet Tagged With: Filesharing, Peer-to-peer, pirate bay

How to Create a Digital Copy of Your Paper Photos

March 5, 2011 By admin

Most of us have made the switch to digital photography. Even though this is a great way to keep our pictures organized, and makes them easy to share, it doesn’t mean we need to forget about all of our old paper pictures. If you have a digital slide show and would like to add some of your older photographs, you can easily do this in just a few steps.

One way you can convert your paper photos into digital form is to scan them. You can do this at home if you have a scanner, or you can send them to a professional service. If you want to pay for a service, the quality may come out better. If you have a scanner at home, and you want to do it yourself you just need to keep a few things in mind.

First is the resolution. A scanner can usually be set to scan at a certain resolution. The higher the resolution, the bigger the picture. For most paper photos you will get a good picture with a setting between 300 and 600.

You will also need to take into consideration the speed of your scanner. If you only have a few pictures you are scanning this may not be important, but if you have a lot, you want to stay on the lower end of the resolution so the process will go faster.

If you have negatives or slides at home that you want to scan you might be better off to use a service since the process is more difficult. You would also need to buy a special scanner that can be used for this.

Filed Under: Photo Software Tagged With: Image, Image resolution, Image scanner

Video Editing Software

February 23, 2011 By admin

With You Tube and other video sharing websites available, amateur videographers are popping up all over the place. If you have spend any time behind the camera making videos you probably want to be able to edit them as well. Here will will give some idea of the video editing software available and which ones are worth the money.

One of the best rated products is CyberLink Powerdirector 9. This software will give every imaginable effect you can think of. It is also extremely fast. It divides your project up into three different sections so you can preview in one section, have a content browser in another, and then a time line in another section. The only downside to this software is that it does not allow you to tag your videos. You can however, fix your lighting, the color, and even stabilize your videos easily.

Another good product is Windows Live Movie Maker 2011. This software is good for amateurs because it makes the process of editing your videos easy. It is very user friendly and also makes uploading your videos to the web once you are finished a one step process. Even though the process is easy, you still get all the things you want to see in this type of software including the special effects, intros, and transitions. What you won’t see are the extra fancy things like picture in picture. For a free video editor though you really can’t go wrong, considering the other free editing tools out there have not been updated in several years. With the advancements in technology, you will be better off using this version.

Filed Under: Video Tagged With: PowerDirector, Video editing, YouTube

Learn How to Enhance Music Through Photography

February 14, 2011 By admin

NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT - JUNE 14: Danny O'Don...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Throughout history, people have been making music in some form or another – singing, instruments, etc. They have also been dancing along to the music and choreographing entire shows. Music today, however, is much different than the past because it can be made perfect through digital enhancements. There can be improvements in the sound quality as well as the music videos that accompany the songs.

Technology can goes as far as making someone who is tone deaf sound good, and technology also provides the ability to change the appearance of the artist digitally so they are flawless. Most music artists today use technology to enhance their music and they include a wide range of instruments in conjunction with their singing for a total package of perfection.

In the more recent decades, photography has been enhancing music. This is because it enables album covers, posters, memorabilia, and other products to be created that immortalize a music artist. For instance, Elvis Presley memorabilia and photographs have been in constant supply since the King started singing. Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix have seen similar results.

Photography also plays on a person’s sense of sight, which enhances the experience of music significantly. A song that has a music video or other visual appeal, such as pictures, is often times more interesting than listening to the song alone. This makes photography almost as important as the song itself.

If you want to learn how to capture the soul of a person or immortalize someone through photography, there are degree programs online that can help you accomplish this. An online photography degree can be attained in less time that it would take at a traditional on-campus education. This offers many benefits, especially for someone that has an already busy schedule. You can find out more online and start learning a new skill in no time.

Filed Under: Tips & Tricks Tagged With: Jimi Hendrix, musicvideo, Photography

Convert Old Home Movies to DVD

February 12, 2011 By admin

Home movies have come a long way in the past 20 years. Gone are the days of 8 mm movies where you needed to set up a film projector to play them. The problem with this is that your family may have some of these old treasures that you can no longer see because fild projectors are now few and far between. There are not many homes that have them any more. So how can you see these old movies now?

There are a couple of ways you can go about transferring your old home 8 mm moves to DVD. The first way is to do it yourself if you can get your hands on a film projector. You set up the projector and then take your camcorder and point it at the screen to capture the movies as they play. When you set up your camcorder you should make sure that you minimize the angle so the angle when you play them back is minimized. You should also make sure that you adjust the lens so the the whole image that is being projected fills up the viewfinder.

This is probably the cheapest and easiest way to convert your home movies. Once you have them on your camera you can then upload them to your computer and edit them if you have video editing software. If you are willing to pay the price, you can also bring your old movies to a professional. There are several companies that offer this service. You can ship your movies to them and they will convert them for your and then send you the DVD. Although it will cost more it will give you a better quality conversion.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: DVD, Movie projector, Video editing

Advertise Your Event With a Great Flier

February 7, 2011 By admin

Anyone throwing an event or party needs to advertise. Without catchy and eye grabbing flyers, no one will know or care about your event. By keeping a few key ideas in mind, it is possible to create something memorable and professional in a short amount of time.

The first piece of advice is to always have a light colored background. This seems obvious but many people get swept away by all the different colors available and end up picking something way too dark for their purposes. People like things that pop off the page and dark print pops off a light page much better than the vice versa.

The next thing to keep in mind is the event you are advertising. Is it something edgy or classy? Is this event a rock show, garage sale or lecture? The different audiences for all these different events will dictate the final look of the flyer. Something more upscale should be designed on a computer with appropriate fonts and borders. A slightly more low key event can have a more rugged, cut and pasted look. Know your audience and tailor the flyer to them. If you do that, it is almost guaranteed to catch their eye.

When putting words on the page, think about how it will read from a distance. Keep the information to a minimum; only put the basics of where, when and what. Small print is harder to read to make the important points bold and eye catching. Use clean fonts in various sizes. The heading should be large with punchy and interesting words that will grab the eye. Make the next lines, the ones with information as to time and place, smaller yet still legible from a distance.

The final piece of advice is to think about where you are going to hang your flyer. Advertise poetry readings at cafes and rocks shows at local bars. Keeping all of this in mind will make your event, and flyer, a success.

Filed Under: Technology Tagged With: Advertising, Business, Font

The Best Editing Software for Digital Photos

February 5, 2011 By admin

Whether you are a professional photographer or taking pictures is just a hobby, you want to be able to edit your pictures with ease. There are several companies that offer software for editing your digital pictures, but before you pay the prices for a product, take a look at what people are saying.

The best product according to several different sources is Adobe Photoshop Elements. This program organized and easy enough to use for most general home users. It has a level that is designed specifically for beginners, along with a tool so you can create special effects. The only problem with this software is that it is expensive for those who only need something simple and fun.

Next on the list is Corel Paintshop Photo Pro. This software has a lot of tools for adjusting and enhancing your pictures. It also has a one step photo fixer. If you are just looking for something to fix your pictures and not necessarily play with them, then this is a good choice. It has a lower price tag as well for those who don’t want to shell out the higher price tag for the more advances software packages.

Google Picasa. This is one of the best online photo editing and storage sites. It is perfect for those who are new to editing their pictures with a very intuitive and easy to use format. It has a great search feature where you can search for pictures by their tags, their caption, or the date. It has a one button photo fixing feature that will fix your pictures for you and a good red eye reduction tool. It also has some fun special effects features that are right up there with other highly rated photo editing products.

Filed Under: Photo Software Tagged With: Adobe Photoshop Elements, Graphics, Image editing