Tuesday, November 30, 2010 by admin.

We often travel with our children, now teenagers, and prefer more room than a single hotel room. Two hotel rooms can get expensive. We have found short-term rental apartments to be a wonderful option. These are often apartments owned by people who travel often and have purchased an apartment in one of their favorite cities. But they may only live in this apartment for a few weeks out of the year, leaving it available for others to rent.Trip Adviser recently added the category “Vacation Rentals” to their website. I found this very useful in finding a wonderful apartment for our family visiting Shanghai a couple months ago. Rental apartments are available from studio size to multiple bedrooms, and often cost considerably less than a similarly-sized hotel room. These apartments usually include a kitchen and living room, with varying (but often wonderful) amenities. Shirley’s Temple 88 in Shanghai, for example, included granola, fresh bread, eggs, bacon, milk, juices, tea, bottled water, and even a local cell phone for our stay. The location was fantastic, very quiet and restful, yet conveniently located near many wonderful shops and 5 minutes from the subway.Other rental apartments we’ve stayed in include Prague, Paris, and Beijing. It is now our first choice for accommodations when we travel, even if traveling as just 1 or 2. Try your own Google search for Rental Apartments or use http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentals

Posted in Travel | Print | No Comments »

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 by admin.

Audio is still a vital part of our daily lives, and high-quality recording is now an option to carry around in your pocket. The new Tascam DR100 Portable Digital Recorder looks exceptional for the serious amateur (church musician, college student, part-time videographer) to budding professional. I have an earlier Olympus model MA10, which I find very useful. But this new model is even easier and faster to use, has more features, and does almost everything I would ever want a portable device like this to do.

Features begin with not just two, but four built-in microphones. These can be configured for different applications. Or just start recording at up to 96KHz quality. Plus it has XLR microphone inputs (with phantom power) to use professional microphones when desired.

Posted in New Technology, Audio Production | Print | No Comments »

Thursday, January 21, 2010 by admin.

More than 600,000 laptops are stolen every year, and I don’t want mine to become part of that statistic (http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/605878.html). What do the thieves do with these laptops? Most probably end up for sale on eBay or brought in to a pawn shop for some quick cash. Besides being wise in not ever leaving it unsecured, making it obviously marked up can provide one of the best deterrents to a potential theft. 

I have seen equipment and tools sprayed with red or yellow spray paint. And we engrave equipment at work with a diamond-tip engraver. But I don’t care to do this to my laptop. My son told me about a wonderful alternative, which is a great option called a Skin. Now the skins he has used are clear, which is a nice option to protect his iPod from scratches and oily fingers. But Unique Skins provides a wonderful alternative, allowing users to create their own design, or choose from a variety of artistic designs and customize, to create a full-top-cover design. This “unique skin” is then easily applied to the cover of the laptop, making it one-of-a-kind, and helping to deter the potential thief. Of course it also allows making your own artistic or fashion statement, rather than carrying around just an ordinary off-the-shelf computer!

See the wide variety of options available at Unique Skins, including skins for all types of portable devices. Music players, cell phones, gaming consoles… if you spend $$$ on a Blackberry or iPhone, spend just a few more $$ to protect it from scratches and make it your own with a “unique skin.”

I’m working on my own custom design for my laptop, and one for my wife, too. I plan to include our name and contact information, not too big in the design, but big enough to be obvious to a potential thief or the person to whom they might try to sell it.

These skins are removable, by the way. They peel off without leaving any residue. But how many thieves would know that? Make your laptop or portable device unique with a Unique Skin, and let the thief skip over yours!

Posted in New Technology, Photography | Print | No Comments »

Thursday, January 21, 2010 by admin.

I ordered a new SD Memory Card that has a special capability that I’m very excited about… It has built-in Wi-Fi capability in the card that will upload my pictures directly to a wireless access point, uploading them directly from my SLR camera to my Apple MobileMe gallery or other online photo album!

I am excited to try this at our school concerts and athletic events. This means that even before the event is over, my photos can be uploaded and people can view them! See this item on Amazon at: Eye-Fi SD Card.

Posted in New Technology, Photography | Print | No Comments »

Thursday, June 25, 2009 by admin.

Ever lost your cell phone charger, or forget to take it along on vacation, when you need it most? Usually, a quick trip to the nearby discount store will remedy the situation, assuming the store keeps sufficient variety of over a dozen different connectors to plug into whatever brand and model of phone you have. It used to be that each company standardized to one connector design: my first Motorola StarTac phone had a flat connector that worked really well. But the connector wouldn’t fit on most of today’s phones, it was just too big! So I understand a need for smaller connectors. But the electronics manufacturers are not just making smaller connectors to accommodate smaller designs, it seems that they are inventing new connectors to accommodate company profits with new proprietary designs for data connections and for AC/battery charger connections.

In the AudioVisual department where I work, we have four Kodak digital cameras, four JVC mini-DV video cameras, and four Canon mini-DV video cameras. These are used by students and staff for various purposes throughout campus, being checked in and out many times weekly. In this process, cables and power adapters get misplaced, broken and lost. What becomes extremely frustrating is the move away from standardized parts towards very specialized connectors, not just for each brand but with many different connector types within a brand (referred to as proprietary connectors or proprietary parts). Why do they do this?

Contrary to cost trends in some other consumer products, many electronic products have not increased in cost at the rate of inflation. In fact, many items have significantly dropped in price, partly due to fierce competition between manufacturers. Consumers want lower prices, and the big name brands in consumer electronics have delivered! The technology in a cell phone, GPS, mp3 player, still or video camera is quite an exceptional value for the price paid. Then in order to recover some of the profits lost to the competitive environment, I suggest that manufacturers have expanded on an idea that which I often accredit to Sony of selling proprietary accessories for products, forcing patrons to purchase genuine replacement parts and cables simply because no one else makes the cable or power adapter!

Ironically, many of these cables could be identical, saving consumers from needing to purchase a new car charger every time they purchase a new cell phone. The voltages are the same, and power capacity is nearly identical. But dealers like being able to sell a new charger for a new phone (which might be free from the cellular provider). So the “free” new phone brings a sales opportunity to the dealer…even though the customer’s accessories are fully functional, most of them will not transfer to a new phone (or to a new cellular carrier, for that matter). Logic has been thrown out the window, creating needless waste and expense for the consumer. And not just the old chargers and batteries get thrown away, so does a lot of (usually plastic clamshell) packaging adds to the load on our landfills.

I can remember the “old days” when manufacturers used common sense with round DC power connectors. Hmm, maybe this idea came from the Industrial Revolution, which I learned about in elementary school, with the wonderful idea of standardized parts. Laptop computers often used one size of these, and in those times the 12-volt power supply from one laptop would work with most others. Many now have adapted to proprietary power connectors, forcing the consumer to be careful in selecting the correct Power Supply or it won’t fit the connector on their model. But standardized parts do not have the profit potential for the manufacturers that proprietary parts do! And manufacturers have convinced stores and dealers that selling new accessories with new electronic gadgets helps them make money, too, despite having to dedicate walls full of countless charges, cables, and other accessories.

Posted in New Technology, Photography | Print | No Comments »

Thursday, November 20, 2008 by admin.

Harnessing the wind is one of the best ways to provide energy, especially with this new idea, presented by Popular Science magazine. I am not able to embed this video, but it is worth clicking on this link to see this great idea for a non-turbine wind generator.

http://video.popularmechanics.com/services/link/bcpid1214137061/bctid1233395616

Posted in New Technology | Print | No Comments »

Monday, November 17, 2008 by admin.

Northwestern College set aside a day for introspection, challenging each person in our community to “mind their place.” Discussion included: What is your place and what is mine? What does it mean to mind your place?Keith Fynardt introduces the concept for the day in this promotional video that I recorded and edited.

Posted in Video Editing | Print | No Comments »

Thursday, June 5, 2008 by admin.

I’ll admit it — I love Photoshop, and like to pride myself in being one of the most well-versed in town on the software and its features. One of the best ways I’ve found to master Photoshop (though “mastering” it isn’t really possible for a human being) is to visit some of the countless websites with wonderful tutorials!

My graduate class in Creative Approaches to Digital Media from Regent University is currently sharing tips of the best FREE Photoshop tutorial sites they have found. I will list these, beginning with my own favorites, and then sharing my classmates’ suggestions.

BEST PHOTOSHOP TIPS AND TUTORIALS:

• TutVid Video Training Excellent Flash Website, with free tutorials on most of the Adobe CS3 family. Very practical tutorials, including 27 on Photoshop.
• Russell Brown’s Adobe Photoshop Tips & Techniques Dr. Brown has a dry sense of humor and fame that helps make boring tasks fun, and fun tasks hysterical. Scroll down not only for enlightening and practical Quick Time movie tutorials, but also accompanying files. CS3 Scripts and Extended Scripts are powerful time savers, implementing Java programming to add powerful items to the Photoshop Menu. These are definitely POWER tips and tricks. These range from simple to very advanced professional techniques. Highly recommended for intermediate to advanced users! Plus there is a link to Dr. Brown’s Podcast — this guy is one of the Photoshop Masters, making me realize I know nothing!
• Julieanne Kost, Adobe “Digital Imaging Evangelist” We sometimes miss the great information available directly from the source. Adobe provides excellent resources, and Julieanne Kost is one of their best. A few video tutorials are provided (and links to Adobe TV, which has Terrabytes of free tutorials, news, and related product reviews)
• Adobe Exchange The Adobe user community shares many resources with one another, many free of cost (like Photoshop Actions) and others shareware or professional full-price add-ons. Explore the Photoshop Section for great resources.

Suggested by Michael Zimmerman:

• http://www.celoxdesign.net/free-photoshop-tutorials - Celoxdesign covers a wide range of tutorials categories such as Photoshop, Cinema4D, xHTML and CSS.
• http://www.pslover.com/ - Huge directory of free Adobe Photoshop tutorials, tips and Tricks - from photoshop experts.
• http://www.tutorialman.com - Find The Best Free Adobe Photoshop Tutorials.

Suggested by Kimberly Carr:

• www.photoshop101.com - clear, concise, good info.
• www.photoshopsupport.com - there’s lots of text on the page but chock full of good info.
• www.photoshopstar.com - not my favorite of the three but easy to navigate with good info.

Suggested by Tara Hasbrouck:

• http://www.tutorialized.com/ Search for Photoshop
• http://www.photoshopguides.com/
• http://www.photoshopcafe.com/tutorials.htm

Suggested by Leah Martin:

• http://www.photoshopstar.com/
• http://www.photoshop101.com/
• http://www.adobephotoshoptutorials.com/

Suggested by Eduardo Gil:

• www.photoshopsupport.com/photoshop-cs3/pen-tool-tutorial/index.html
• www.photoshopstar.com/tutorials-page
• www.graphicssoft.about.com/od/photoshop/ig/The-Photoshop-CS2-Workspace

Suggested by Roxanne Griner:

• http://www.photoshopsupport.com/index.html
• http://pstutorialsblog.com/free-video-tutorials-from-watch-and-learn-photoshop/
• http://www.videotutorialzone.com/ (More than just Photoshop)

Suggested by Daniel Desrosiers:

• http://www.3dtotal.com/ps100/pstut100.html This site has 100 cool tutorials for creating interesting art pieces - not just retouching, but crazy, fantasy-style designs
• http://www.photoshopusertv.com One of my favorite resources to use as a teacher is a show/video podcast called Photoshop User TV. Hosted by the president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, Photoshop User TV offers great tutorials and advice with a humorous twist. They also share Photoshop news and host conferences nationwide
• http://psdtuts.com/ Another resource for good tutorials

Suggested by Cynthia Hallam:

• http://www.photoshopstar.com
• http://www.tutorialized.com/tutorials/Photoshop/1
• http://www.photoshopsupport.com/tutorials.html

Other readers, please add a reply below with your favorite Photoshop tutorials and resource links!

Posted in Photoshop, Web Design, Photography | Print | No Comments »

Saturday, March 29, 2008 by admin.

The first Television broadcast was tested in the U.S. in 1928, with CBS beginning regular broadcasts in 1931, with Kate Smith and George Gershwin. When did the first High Definition broadcast take place? In 1936, California station W6XAO demonstrated what they called “high definition television,” improving the original 60-line image to 343 lines, and later to 441 lines. Eventually, the National Technical Standards Committee (NTSC) called for 525 lines of horizontal resolution, displayed at 30 frames per second.

Now the definition of High Definition means a lot more than 343 or 525 lines! High definition television (HDTV) includes a number of variations, including 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. Waiting for future technology to support it, HDTV includes a 2160p format, but it will be likely many years before hardware supports this resolution, other than perhaps cinema (movie theater) applications.

The “p” in these numbers refers to progressive scan, which means that the entire picture is sent from the source (DVD player, digital cable, DTV/ATSC tuner) 30 times per second. The “i” stands for interlaced, which is the way existing analog television is broadcast. Because NTSC standards were developed before many of our modern technological advancements, the television signal could not be transmitted fast enough to send the information rapidly enough. So a compromise was made, sending only half the information in each frame transmission. But rather than sending only the top half of the picture and then the bottom half for the next frame, the concept of interlacing was developed to send first the odd-numbered lines, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, up to 525, during the first frame, and then sending the even-numbered lines, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, up to 525, during the second frame. This alternating continues continuously, odd/even, odd/even, displayed rapidly enough that the viewer perceives the illusion of motion.

As manufacturers develop larger and larger displays for televisions, monitors, and projectors, the flickering of an interlaced signal became more objectionable. Technology improved, making higher/faster data rates possible, and computer monitors developed without the need for interlacing. These were called NI, non-interlacing monitors, or de-interlaced monitors. Because this seems like a double negative, the term progressive scan took its place.

Interlacing graphic from Wikipedia 

Digital Television (DTV) refers to the new method of broadcasting television signals, sending digital data using radio frequencies, rather than analog signals. DTV will require a new television tuner, which is included in nearly all TV’s sold today. Older TV’s can be utilized with DTV signals, with the use of an external digital ATSC tuner box. Older TV’s will not be able to display HDTV unless they were HDTV-compatible, and not all digital signals are wide-screen or HDTV. But the signal quality is improved (both video and audio).

DTV is currently in operation, as most broadcast television stations have added the new equipment required to send out digital signals. In fact, the FCC has mandated that the existing VHF and UHF television frequencies must cease operation on February 17, 2009. The new digital television frequencies are UHF frequencies that were unused by the old UHF channels. But the old channels (which have specific Megahertz, such as 187 MHz for channel 9, or 549.25 MHz for channel 27) must be vacated in 2009, and will be re-sold and reassigned by the FCC for other uses.

Cable television reception, satellite television receivers, and DVD players are not effected by the DTV change, in that they will still function. But the older television tuners (and the older tuners in VCR’s) will not tune in the new frequencies and digital signals without the ATSC converter boxes. From revenue generated by the sale of the use of the new digital frequencies, the U.S. government is offering one or two $40 coupons to use towards purchase of an off-air DTV tuner, allowing an older TV to display broadcast television signals after February, 2009. See the website, http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otiahome/dtv/, for more information and to request a coupon to be mailed to you.

Posted in New Technology, Video Cameras | Print | No Comments »

Monday, March 24, 2008 by admin.

Besides taking photos and working with Photoshop, I enjoy seeing the creativity of others expressed with their unique vision. Please feel welcome to e-mail a photo or design work to share with others here at my blog! I would be happy to share a link to more of your images, too, if you have a website, blog, or online photo album.

Here is a “right place, right time” image that just appeared in my viewfinder, while visiting the Eiffel Tower in 2004. The sun was beginning it’s descent, and the shadows were getting so long. Do you have any fun shadow photos, anyone?

Here is one of our kids on a late summer day, having fun:

Posted in Portfolio - Mine and Yours | Print | 2 Comments »