ISSN 1488-3163; PC Improvements © 2006
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Welcome to the 413th issue of the PC Improvement News. PCIN consists mainly of news and tips. There is something for everyone, and if this is your first issue, I'm sure there will be something for you. If you give me two or three issues, I know that you will come back for more!
You can reach me at editor@pcin.net with any suggestions or comments.
Support PCIN at http://PCIN.net/donate.php
Andrew's surgery (tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy) went very well. It is amazing how resilient kids can be. He's hardly complained about any pain, and is anxious to eat regular foods and go out and play. Lisa's having a hard time keeping him inside. She's a great mom... she can do it!
I was "this close" (can you see how close my fingers are together?) to buying a laptop, but I just can't get myself to do it. I look around the house and see the huge list of improvements we need, and I just can't get myself to spend the money. Lisa has said to go for it, but I just can't. Maybe in the Spring...
Graham editor@pcin.net and Chris chris@pcin.net
Are fake videos next?
Dartmouth Professor Hany Farid already devised software tools to detect when someone has tampered with digital photos. His next challenge: determining whether video or audio files have been retouched.
"I thought, "This is going to be so much easier,' but it turns out to be much harder," Farid said. "In a minute (of) video, you are talking about thousands of images. Just the sheer mass of data that you have to contend with is challenging. You have memory and run-time issues that you don't have with (still) images."
The Dartmouth Image Science Group is also releasing a series of tools that will enable law enforcement officials, scientists and media outlets to detect photo fraud more easily, he said.
Can Jobs marry the computer and TV?
Has Apple Computer's chief executive, Steve Jobs, found a way to connect the PC to the TV?
With an enticing invitation proclaiming "It's Showtime," Jobs last week touched off speculation about how far Apple will go as it takes its next big step into digital video.
On Tuesday, Apple will hold another of Jobs' marketing events in San Francisco to introduce what trade publications and analysts indicate will be his next campaign: an effort to transform the distribution of Hollywood movies as thoroughly as he has revolutionized the recording industry with the iTunes Music Store.
Study: Promising future for power-line broadband
The demand for using traditional electrical lines as a medium for broadband technology in the residential sector is rising worldwide and will continue to grow, according to a study by market research firm In-Stat.
Broadband service over power lines (BPL), which allows an Internet connection to be established through a standard electrical outlet, is seen as a potential rival to coaxial (coax) and twisted-pair wiring, the fixed-line technologies most commonly used for cable and telephone service, respectively. Incorporating BPL into a residence or business requires no additional wire installation.
Focus Lock - Digital Photography Tip of the Week
I wrote last week about furthering your photographic abilities by joining a local camera club or taking a course at a community college. As I said last week, I found them to be helpful in my own photography.
This week I offer a tip to aid in focus and composition. I had previously wrote about using the rule of thirds as a guideline to your composition. One inherent problem in doing that though is that your subject ends up being off center, where your camera likes to focus. If you have selectable focus points, this is not an issue, however, if your camera only focused on the center area, then you need to use a different method for focus.
Of course you can manually focus, but with smaller viewfinders in today's cameras or no manual focus ability on many digital point and shoot cameras, you have to utilize the focus lock feature of your digital camera. With this feature you can point your camera at your subject, press the shutter button down half way until it is in focus, and then while holding the button down, recompose your shot to place the subject where you want it in the frame. Shooting this way will ensure your main subject is in sharp focus, while retaining the ability of better composed photographs.
One word of caution though, some cameras also lock exposure at the same time they lock focus, and concentrate their exposure algorithms at the center of the frame, which could affect you overall exposure. Your camera may allow you to turn this feature off, so check your manual. Otherwise, you may have to provide some exposure compensation to attain a good exposure. Good thing for the instant feedback of digital!
Until next week, happy shooting.
Leave a comment about this week's Digital Photography Tip of the Week.
The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the President of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website.
If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.
Check out these new or updated pages on the PCIN.net site:
Update PCIN.net home page with "Top 10 Most Popular..." features
http://PCIN.net/Microsoft Digital Image Suite Plus Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/msdimagesuiteplus.phpOmega One Software Battery Pack Pro 2.1 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/bpp2.phpMakayama Interactive DVD to Pocket PC 3.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/dvd2ppc3.phpAdobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 Software Review
http://PCIN.net/help/software/elements40.php
How to find confidential reports with Google
Chris pointed out this Boing Boing posting...
If you search Google for the Confidential "do not distribute" you will find all sorts of things that maybe shouldn't be on the Internet.
Fast Disk Defragmenters
The Google Operating System blog had a posting recently about a freeware disk defragmenting utility I'd never heard of before:
Auslogics Disk Defrag is a freeware for Windows 2000/ XP/ Vista with a simple interface, that runs much faster than the built-in defragmenter. You can't defragment more than one partiton at a time or set advanced options, but that also means it's easy to use. The program doesn't use too many resources, so you can continue your work.
I haven't used it yet, but I wanted to pass the information along. To learn more, visit the Auslogics web site.
Adobe releases Photoshop Elements 5 and Premiere Elements 3
I received the following press release from Adobe today. I will post a full review on the product once I receive a review copy.
Adobe Takes Home Videos and Photos to New Level with Landmark Release of Photoshop Elements Plus Premiere Elements Software Bundle
Integrated Photo and Video Functionality Offers More Ways to Make and Share Creations Just in Time for the HolidaysSAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 12, 2006 - Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced two milestone upgrades to its digital photo and video products for consumers, Adobe® Photoshop® Elements 5.0 for Windows® and Adobe Premiere® Elements 3.0 for Windows. The unique integrated functionality of the products allows users to do more with their photos and videos, whether adding impact to photo slideshows with video effects and transitions, providing dramatic pauses to videos with freeze frame effects or creating professional-looking printed CD/DVD labels and covers.
Both of us have other sites other than PCIN.net. These are all sites that we are actively involved in (they aren't client sites). Don't forget to check them out from time to time for updates:
PCIN is brought to you by Graham Wing. The opinions expressed are those of the Editor, Graham Wing and the Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Graham Wing and Chris Empey accept no responsibility for the results obtained from trying the tips in this newsletter.
Graham Wing can be reached at editor@pcin.net
Chris Empey can be reached at chris@pcin.net
Copyright 1998-2006, Graham Wing. All rights reserved.
This publication may be reproduced in whole, or in part, as long as the author is notified and the newsletter is presented as is.
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