When it comes to sound, Surround Sound setups are essential an immersive experience. Sound does quite literally surround us in everyday life, so mimicking this in movies and music adds a sense of reality to the experience. In today's mobile age though, many people watch their movies and listen to their music through headphones. No worries though, because Surround Sound has made its way to the headphone scene.
Is It Really Surround Sound?
Yes, and no. No in the sense that one wearing headphones will never actually be surrounded by sound; the proximity of the headphones prevents that. Yes, in the sense that surround sound in headphones mimics the sensation of surround sound. Normal headphone output gives the notion that sound is coming from within the listener's head, which is far from natural. Surround sound headphones move the sound to the front and sides of the head.
Taking Advantage of Surround Sound with Headphones
First the good: As long as the medium of entertainment supports Surround Sound, any set of headphones will work, even in ear headphones (although it won't sound as good as competing over-the-ear headphones). Now the bad news: Actually finding media that supports Surround Sound, much less a device that outputs it is a bit of a challenge. The most common form of this is found in Dolby Headphone, so if you are looking for surround sound, make sure the device you are using supports this, or something close to it.
Using the Right Pair of Headphones
Any set of headphones can be used, but that doesn't mean every headset garners the same results. For the best results, use headphones that completely enclose the ear, cancel outside noise, have built-in subwoofer drivers, and a decent decibel range. These aspects combined will make for a great personal listening experience.
Always remember to practice safety when playing music in close proximity to the ears.
Without an instruction manual, tuning a Hitachi television can be a confusing or frustrating process. A few simple programming instructions can be carried out with your remote control, and your Hitachi television will be programmed within minutes.
Instructions
1. Turn on your television and press and hold the "TV" button on your Hitachi remote until the red light flashes.
2. Press and hold the "Menu" button on your remote until the program index appears on your television.
3. Press the "Menu" button again to initialize the programming feature.
4. Scroll the different channels on your index using the left and right arrows on your controller, and press the arrow down button to program a channel once it is highlighted.
5. Press the arrow down button again to "Store" your selection, and finish by pressing the right arrow until the menu says "Stored" for your selected channel.
6. Repeat the process to tune other desired channels, and press the "Exit" button to leave the menu page once you have finished.
Tags: arrow down, arrow down button, button again, button your, down button, Hitachi television, Menu button
As of 2011, California and Arkansas are the only U.S. states that have operable stop sign cameras. California's stop sign cameras were not installed by the state after their legality was called into question. They also operate in conjunction with road sensors that activate the cameras should a driver approach a stop sign at 7 mph. Arkansas' stop sign cameras are fully legal and were installed onto school buses to capture drivers who do not stop for school bus stop signs.
In-state Locations
The Washington Post reported that traffic cameras in California were placed on stop signs in open-air areas where drivers would least expect them. Many state residents have complained to news crews that they believe the cameras are both a form of entrapment and greedy revenue generation. Each violation amounts to a $175 fee. As of October 2010, seven cameras were placed in several parks of the Santa Monica mountains, including the Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park, Hollywood Bowl Scenic Overlook, Top of Topanga Overlook, Temescal Gateway Park and Franklin Canyon Park.
California Jurisdiction Dispute
As of May 31, 2010, stop sign cameras in the Santa Monica mountains generated approximately $2 million dollars in revenue over an 18-month time frame. Traffic fees were collected by California's Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. On December 14, 2010, a Los Angeles superior court judge ruled that the authority may be in violation of the California Vehicle Code as it never received permission from the state to implement the cameras in 2007.
Justification
The California Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority justifies placing up stop sign cameras with the need to protect pedestrians. It claims that the cameras were installed in areas with high pedestrian traffic where drivers who don't obey stop signs can easily hit joggers, hikers and bikers in the park trails. Authority spokeswoman Dash Stolarz explains that while the parks are made up of 60,000 acres of land, the agency had 23 rangers as of October 2010. Violation funds are used to support park fire protection, ranger patrol and search and rescue efforts.
Child Protection
Arkansas' stop sign cameras were installed in 2010 by the state onto school buses in an interest of protecting children boarding and dismounting the buses. The cameras, funded by a $150,000 grant, were allocated to Gravette, Rogers, Fayettville and Bentonville school districts. Justification of the school bus cameras is based on a one-day study that revealed nearly 200 violations in three school districts. Further, the cameras were instituted to assist school bus drivers who have the primary responsibility of reporting violators.
Tags: stop sign cameras, cameras were, stop sign, were installed, cameras were installed, sign cameras
Keychain cameras have become increasingly popular over the past few years, due to their small size and portability. However, if your camera places a time stamp on each of its photos, there is no menu to turn this feature off within the camera itself. The stamp must be removed using a photo editing software, such as Photoshop. Read below remove this stamp to make it look like it was never in the picture.
Instructions
1. Open up the photograph in the photo-editing software of your choice. Be sure that this software has the clone-stamp tool, which allows you to cover up blemishes using other areas of the photograph.
2. Select the clone-stamp tool, and drag your cursor to an area close to the time stamp. While holding the "Ctrl" button, select this area.
3. Left-click on the mouse, and start swiping the clone-stamp cursor over the time stamp. The tool will take the area outside of the time stamp and cover the actual time stamp up with the image in this area.
4. Save the photograph, and exit out of the software. The time stamp is now removed.
Tags: time stamp, time stamp, clone-stamp tool, this area
Crimes against persons and property are increasing and people need security more than ever before. One way you can reduce losses is to use video surveillance. Even if you are away from home or workplace, you can monitor events using your computer, a closed circuit TV camera or a webcam, and an Internet connection. You can use your system to record events onto a hard drive continuously or you can send periodic still photos to your email address so that you can monitor the status of your home or workplace. You can take control of your home or workplace security with the help of a video surveillance system.
Instructions
Closed Circuit Television Cameras
1. Plug one end of the video cable into the camera. Plug the other end of the video cable into the video cable connector on the Video to VGA converter box.
2. Plug a VGA cable into the converter box and then into the VGA switch box.
3. Plug the CRT monitor's VGA cable into a VGA port on the VGA switch box. On an LCD monitor, plug the VGA cable into the monitor's VGA port and then into a VGA port on the switch box.
4. Move the resolution switch on the side of the converter box to the resolution that looks best on your monitor.
5. Connect power to the camera, the converter box, the switch box and the monitor.
Webcam Security Cameras
6. Plug an Ethernet cable into your computer and connect it to the wireless router.
7. Connect the security webcam to the wireless router with another Ethernet cable.
8. Run the setup software for the webcam. This will configure the webcam for wireless monitoring and allow the computer access to the webcam.
9. Disconnect the webcam from the router. It is now ready for remote operation.
10. Monitor the webcam on the computer using the webcam software.
Tags: cable into, home workplace, video cable, Cameras Plug, Ethernet cable, into port
Software packages add specific functions to your computer's operating system.
That computers have brought a revolution to our lives is not a fact in contention. Computers and the software packages included on them have brought about the rise of an era wherein some of the most basic tasks have become mechanized.
Types of Packages
One type of computer package, application software, performs a task for the end user---word processors, Web browsers and spreadsheets, for example. Systems software, the other type of package, manages and supports the operation of computer systems and networks---operation systems and language translators, for example.
Importance
Packages provide an avenue to perform duties electronically that would take much longer to complete manually. Computer users take advantage of packages for accurate calculation, drawing, grammar and spell checking, emailing, storing data and correcting mistakes easily.
Availability
You can buy computer packages in retail stores or download them from the Internet. Downloadable software is cheaper and benefits the environment by means of eliminating packaging; moreover, you can perform upgrades online.
Expenditure
Packages help you save money. Emailing is cheaper than using the post. Word processors can help you correct mistakes electronically, while typing mistakes can render a whole page useless, thus wasting paper.
The HTC Desire debuted at the CEBIT electronics show in early 2011.
Google's Android smartphones are powerful computers that can fit in your pocket. Just like all computers, they use a file system to help organize information for faster storage. The Android Media Scanner scours the Secure Digital memory card on an Android phone every time it powers on. The SD Card is where all of the media files are stored, and where the Media Scanner looks to find those files. It won't find media files that aren't saved in the right folders, so the SD card needs to be organized properly.
Instructions
1. Connect your Android phone to your computer using the USB cable that is included with the phone. Drag down the notification area on your phone. Tap "USB Connected," then press "Mount." This enables your computer to access the SD card on your phone as an external drive.
2. Open the file browser on your computer and access the external drive section. Open the external drive that corresponds to your Android device.
3. Create folders for the different types of media that you want to save. Android recognizes media by folder type. The following folders are supported: Music, Podcasts, Ringtones, Alarms, Notifications, Pictures, Movies and Downloads. Create a new folder with each name. These folders can be either in the main directory or inside the "Media" directory on the SD card.
4. Copy files from your computer to your Android's SD card. Save MP3 audio files to the "Music," "Podcasts," "Ringtones," "Alarms" or "Notifications" folders. Save images to the "Pictures" folder. Save video files to the "Movies" folder. Copy any miscellaneous files to the "Downloads" folder.
5. Tap "USB Connected" in the notification area on your Android device. Press "Disconnect," then unplug the USB cable. The Media Scanner will run to detect the newly added media files.
Tags: your Android, your computer, external drive, media files, Media Scanner
Many people have DVD and CD players in their home theater setup, but some are not aware that many of these players can play MP3 discs as well. Choosing which format to use can be confusing, so what's the difference? Why do MP3 discs hold so many songs, and why do audiophiles prefer CDs even though they use technology that's over 25 years old? These are commonly asked questions and can be answered through a simple history lesson in CD and MP3 formats. Through a better understanding of how both formats work and how they're used, you can gain the benefit of both technologies.
About CDs
CD stands for "Compact Disc" and has not changed much since 1982. It's an optical disc made of plastic that stores digital information. The standard music CD format (also called "Red Book") contains up to 80 minutes of full, uncompressed songs. It is the highest-quality music source available besides the recently introduced Super Audio CD. CD technology was quickly adapted for computers, using CD-ROMs to store large amounts of data. Later, CD writing drives were introduced that allowed users to create their own music CDs.
About MP3
MP3 is short for "MPEG-3" and stands for a method of audio compression introduced to the computer world in 1994. As desktop computers became more common, a method of storing music was needed. Since ripping an entire music CD to a hard drive used over 600 megabytes of disc space (hard drives were much smaller and more expensive at that time), a compression method was needed. MPEG-3 was groundbreaking when it was introduced, as it achieved a compression of up to 90 percent of the source without sacrificing much quality. This allowed users to store large amounts of music on their computer without worrying about disc space. MP3s can be uncompressed and written to CDs, giving the user flexibility to gain the benefits of both formats.
Common Applications
CDs are played either on a computer CD-ROM or a in a home audio CD or DVD player. Home audio players usually offer higher-quality sound output as their DAC (digital-to-analog) converters are of higher quality than a computer's. High-end audio CD players can cost thousands of dollars and provide extremely smooth and accurate playback.
MP3s are commonly played in computer media players or in portable music devices. In many instances, headphones or computer speakers are used, and the highest-quality audio reproduction is not desired.
Benefits of Each Technology
CDs offer the most pure, direct version of the recorded source and are preferred by audiophiles when seeking to accurately reproduce the performance. MP3s are preferred when the user is storing or transporting a large amount of music, such as on an iPod or other digital music player. Since these songs are compressed, the audio quality is reduced, but most users listen through headphones so this is not as apparent. Listening to MP3s on an expensive stereo system, however, will reveal any artifacts or reduction in quality immediately.
Final Thoughts
The introduction of digital music has not diminished the use of the CD. They are still widely available and offer superior quality to MP3 and other forms of compressed audio. Audiophiles prefer CDs to MP3 for their compatibility and capability for extremely high-quality sound output. However, MP3s offer a huge advantage when archiving, traveling or sharing music files. Use CDs when seeking to impress with the best sound quality, and use MP3s when looking for the most flexibility.
Tags: allowed users, audio players, both formats, compressed audio, digital music
In 1946, a group of Soviet schoolchildren presented then U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union Averell Harriman with a wooden 2-foot replica of the Great Seal of the United States.The artifact hung inside the ambassador's office at the U.S. Embassy until in 1952, a security check revealed that a very ingenious listening device--a "bug"--had been inserted inside the replica. Any sound in the room caused a tiny spring to vibrate. Eavesdroppers outside the premises could then measure the vibrations and transform them into sound.
Types
The term "listening device" generally applies to two types of electronic appliances: assistive listening devices for the hearing impaired, and those that are intended for overhearing or recording conversations. For the hearing impaired, assistive listening devices improve hearing through the amplification of sound. Such gadgets include hearing aids and magnetic induction loops. Devices used covertly are often referred to as bugs. These consist of microphones and radio transmitters.
Hearing Aids
The first assistive listening devices were implemented by simply placing an open hand behind one's ear, thus potentially magnifying sound waves by up to 12 decibels. Throughout history various cultures made use of ear trumpets, which consisted of sea shells, animal horns or wooden and metallic objects that were wide on one end but narrowed toward the ear piece. Experimentation with electronic appliances began in the 1890s, but they remained somewhat impractical until the invention of the transistor made portable hearing aids convenient during the 1950s. The following decades saw even more technological advancement.
Covert Devices
Before the existence of electronics, covert-listening devices consisted of little more than ear-size tubes or cylinders that were simultaneously placed against a wall and the ear, thus producing some sound amplification due to the vibrations in the wall. The first known electronic-snooping device was invented in 1945 by Léon Theremin. This was the Great Seal bug that is described above. Since that time, covert-listening devices have become much more advanced, often incorporating laser or infrared technology and no longer needing to be on the premises. Police undercover operations often include wiring their operatives with hidden microphones, thus enabling a remote recording of evidence.
Phone Taps
Law enforcement agencies have long been able to perform wire taps--listening to land-based telephone conversations. These are usually performed at the telephone companies providing the service. Today, with the advancement of cellular technology, government and police agencies use highly sophisticated methods of listening to such communications. This is often accomplished through the use of interceptors and recording devices.
Magnifying the Undetectable
The bionic ear sound amplifier is a somewhat covert device that is available commercially, enjoys a moderate degree of popularity and employs newly acquired technology. Sometimes used by birdwatchers and other nature observers, this device consists of headphones, a microphone and a sound amplifier that looks somewhat like a satellite dish. It is capable of augmenting faint sounds by 40 decibels from up to 100 yards away.
Considerations
Since the mid-20th century, electronic technology has increased the usefulness and effectiveness of listening devices exponentially for the hearing impaired, law enforcement, covert government operations and nature lovers. Covert eavesdropping on private conversations, however, should only be performed by authorized police or government agents, as such activities are illegal for all others.
Tags: listening devices, assistive listening, assistive listening devices, hearing impaired, covert-listening devices, electronic appliances, Great Seal
In June 2008, Apple Inc. unveiled the iPhone 3G, a device that offered many of the same powerful, multipurpose capabilities of the original iPhone introduced a year earlier--such as the multi-touch screen user interface and access to thousands of third-party applications--but offering faster 3G wireless connection speeds and built-in global positioning system (GPS) services. It also included the iPhone 2.0 operating system, which included better email management capabilities and easier access to the App Store. It was also half the price of the original iPhone.
Connectivity
The first-generation iPhone was one of the most popular smartphone devices, but reviewers were vocal about its shortcomings, especially its data connection speeds. The fact that the second-generation iPhone 3G was compatible with the 3G network would make this device twice as fast for networking uses as the original iPhone, according to Apple's own testing. At the time, AT&T was still the exclusive carrier of the iPhone (Verizon would begin carrying the iPhone in Januarym 2011). iPhone 3G users would have access to the Internet and email over their own cellular network, with quad-band Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) and tri-band High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) for voice and data connectivity. The iPhone 3G could also switch between 3G and Wi-Fi capabilities according to which provided faster access.
Dimensions and Display
The iPhone 3G came in two plastic-built models: 8 GB and 16 GB. It was 2.4 inches wide, 4.6 inches in height and weighed 4.7 ounces. The 3.5-inch screen, which was a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD), offered a resolution of 320-by-480 pixels and color depth of 16.7 million colors.
Battery Life and Camera
According to Apple's specifications, the iPhone 3G's lithium-ion battery offered talk time of up to 300 minutes. In its review, PC Magazine was able to reach five hours and 43 minutes of talk time, more than 37 hours for music and seven hours and 53 minutes for video. The magazine was also able to continuously stream data for four hours and 45 minutes before depleting the battery. The device also included a 2-megapixel camera that could take still pictures but not record video.
Messaging and Email
The iPhone 3G allowed users to multitask with simultaneous voice and data applications, which meant that they could check email or browse the Web while on a call. The device also supported Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync to provide push email and syncing of contacts and calendar. In its review, Wired magazine noted that the iPhone 3G did not sync notes and to-do lists. The iPhone 3G also included Cisco IPsec to access corporate networks via virtual private networking.
Applications
One of the major advantages of the iPhone 3G was its access to many applications. Its built-in applications included the iTunes Store, Safari browser, YouTube, Contacts, Calendar, text messaging, Notes, and GPS among others. It also had access to the App Store, which offered applications--at the time numbering more than 50,000 (now numbering more than 350,000)--some made by Apple and many more made by third-party developers.
Tags: also included, hours minutes, more than, original iPhone, access Store
The primary purpose of the Hitachi CPX400 projector is to display video in a large capacity on a screen or wall by way of projection. After several uses, you may begin to experience trouble with your device's operation. Following a few simple steps and performing some basic maintenance yourself will save you time, money and frustration.
Input Problems
If you're receiving a message on your projector display that reads "No Input Is Detected," this could be a sign that there's no signal from your input device, such as a computer or DVD player. Check your source for errors. For example, if your source is a DVD player, confirm that the player is turned on. If it's turned on, confirm that there is a DVD in the player and the play button has been pushed. Examine the connection cord between the DVD player and your projector. Confirm that the receptor is firmly seated within your projector's "Input" terminal. Unplug it and reseat it to reset the connection. Check the connection to your DVD player, and confirm that it is snug and secure.
Display Incompatibility
If you're projector displays a message of "Sync Is Out of Range," your video source could be an unsupported size vertically or horizontally. If the projector's display specifications aren't compatible with the video source that is playing, the video won't be projected. As a remedy, access your projector menu and adjust the display specifications.
Cleaning the Filter
If you're receiving a message about checking the filter, it's a safety measure concerning cleaning the filter. Turn off the power and change or clean the filter immediately. Unscrew the filter cover knobs on the side of the projector and pull the knobs toward you. The filter will come away with them. Use a vacuum cleaner to clear the filter of debris and dust. Replace the filter back on the unit. Once the filter has been changed or cleaned, reset the filter timer.
Filter Blockage
A message reading "Check the Air Flow" indicates a rising temperature within the projector. Turn off the power immediately to halt heat generation. The projector should sit for about 20 minutes, allowing it to cool down. While the device cools, inspect the air passage aperture for blockage, such as dust or an object backed up against it. Dust off of the air aperture by vacuuming it. Examine the air filter for excessive dirt. If you see that the air filter is dirty, remove it from the projector and clean it. Power on the device. If none of the remedies worked and the device continues to overheat, access "Service" under the "Option" menu and raise the "Fan Speed" to "High."
Tags: your projector, confirm that, projector display, display specifications, player confirm
Pneumatic transportation uses air to move solid objects from one location to another. Pneumatic tubes pull objects through their pipes using the principle of suction. The weight of the object then pushes open the discharge door, allowing the object to fall out.
Description
Cylinder-shaped containers are pulled through tubes by a vacuum or compressed air.
History
In 1810, Englishman George Medhurst invented the pneumatic dispatch tube and the pneumatic railway for the transportation of heavy objects.
Development
George Medhurst's ideas were then developed and used mainly for delivering documents for businesses and government agencies.
Significance
Although it was popular in the past, pneumatic transportation is rarely used today. In America, pneumatic tubes are sometimes used by bank tellers and hospital staffs.
Fun Fact
Pneumatic transportation was developed in the late 19th century, but the basics of pneumatics can be traced back to 100 B.C. or earlier.
Consumers shopping for a digital camera are frequently advised to look for high megapixel ratings, but the more expensive prices of high-megapixel cameras can be a deterrent to some shoppers. Instead, some frugal consumers choose to purchase a lower megapixel camera and enlarge the resulting photos to meet their needs. Due to technological limitations, however, this process requires a number of important considerations.
About Megapixels
When a digital camera captures a scene, it creates the digital image using a number of small, almost microscopic dots known as picture elements (commonly abbreviated as "pixels"). Each pixel carries a tiny component of the larger image and, alone, is almost invisible to an unaided viewer, but a number of colored pixels arranged in proximity to one another can digitally recreate the captured image with very high accuracy. As newer cameras produce larger and larger photos, the number of pixel elements needed to recreate images grows. A number of other factors affect the quality of the image, including the quality of the camera itself and the resolution of the digital image.
About Resolution
When a digital image is captured (and, specifically, when it is printed), a pre-defined number of pixels are packed into each inch of viewable area. The number of pixels in any given section of the image is commonly referred to as the number of "dots per inch," or DPI. Photo-quality images, or those not readily distinguished from a film camera image, typically have at least 300 pixels per inch, or 300 DPI. Under most conditions, the higher the number of pixels per inch in an image, the clearer and sharper the image appears to a viewer; the measurement of an image's DPI is generally referred to as its "resolution."
Photo Enlargement
The photo enlarging process generates a bigger photo by manipulating the space between the pixels used to recreate the image. Rather than simply magnifying the image, however, most photo enlargement processes work by increasing the space between pixels, ultimately increasing the overall size of the image. Depending on the number of pixels in the original image, some photos can be enlarged to as much as several hundred times its original size.
Effects
As a photo is enlarged and the space between the component pixels is increased, the number of dots per inch, or the photo's resolution, is decreased. Because the resolution is a measurement of how sharp and clear a photo appears, lowering the image's resolution causes it to appear increasingly blurry, grainy and, in digital terms, pixilated. According to photo experts at B&H Photo and Video, a one-megapixel image can only be enlarged to approximately four inches by six inches (4x6) before its resolution becomes too low to be considered "photo quality."
Comparison
For many home users and small print jobs, basic photo enlargement can still create photo-quality images; a five-megapixel photo, for example, can be enlarged to eight inches by ten inches (8x10) before it loses photo-quality resolution. As the megapixel count increases, so does the size of high-quality images; an eight-megapixel camera produces images that can be enlarged to 16 by 20 inches (16x20) at photo quality, and photos from a 10-megapixel model can be enlarged to 20 inches by 30 inches (20x30) with no noticeable loss of quality. Users who wish to create larger images, however, should consider using a camera with a higher megapixel count, a configuration that allows for considerable enlargement of the image while still maintaining a photo-quality resolution.
Tags: number pixels, digital image, inches inches, space between, between pixels, digital camera
Attach additional lenses to your SLR camera with the help of a T-Mount.
A T-mount is a device that attaches to an SLR camera, allowing you to hook up different makes and models of lens to your device. When using a T-mount on your current SLR camera you may attach an Opteka based lens onto the T-mount. This is extremely helpful if you already have Optecka lenses and don't want to purchase different brand equipment to use with the current camera, as new camera lenses are incredibly expensive.
Instructions
1. Push down the release button, found next to the lens on the camera. While pushing down the button turn the lens left until it unlocks. Slide the lens out and place it in a safe location.
2. Slide the T-mount into the lens's old location and twist to the right. This locks the T-mount into place.
3. Place the Opteka lens into the opening of the T-mount, then twist to the right. This threads the lens into the opening like a screw. Continue to hand tighten the lens until it no longer turns easily.
4. Hold the lens while taking a picture. Because the lens extends further off of the camera now it adds additional weight to the T-mount, making it more likely to break. Applying support to the lens with your hand helps prevent this from occurring.
Tags: current camera, into opening, lens into, lens into opening, right This, T-mount into
The local rodeo is a great place to practice taking action shots and pick up a little extra money by selling pictures to the contestants.
Instructions
1. Watch a rodeo on television or video and study how the animal comes out of the gate or how the horse goes around the barrel. This will help prepare you for the best setup locations when you get to your local rodeo.
2. Get as close to the action as you can - but stay out of the arena.
3. Use a SLR camera with the longest lens you have. A 70mm to 200mm lens works well for most events.
4. Use a flash when taking pictures, unless it is daytime. When shooting through a fence, make sure the pipe or fencing material does not block the flash.
5. Choose a faster film such as ASA or ISO 800. There are faster films that work well in very low light such as 1000 and even 3200, but remember, your picture will be grainier when enlarged.
6. Load an extra camera with black-and-white film, and watch for a unique picture such as the farrier shoeing horses in the back of the arena or an old wagon from the parade. These make great black-and-white shots for an old-time feel.
7. Use a polarizer if you are shooting a rodeo in the daytime to help with the harsh glare of the sun. Sunlight can cause your photos to have a washed-out appearance.
8. Place your camera on a monopod. A monopod helps keep your arms from getting tired and is easy to move to follow the action.
Dust specks and other dirt on a laser lens are a major cause of CD tracking and noise problems. You can prevent and solve these nuisances with routine maintenance.
Instructions
Cleaning Inside the Player(Optional and Risky)
1. Inspect belts (usually thick black rubber bands) for wear.
2. Spray canned air on transport components.
3. Lubricate gears with 3-in-1 oil.
Cleaning the Lens and Chassis
4. Buy a CD lens cleaner with a small brush attached to it.
5. Consider a lens cleaner that also demagnetizes.
6. Insert lens cleaner disc in drawer or well of CD player with brush facing the lens (usually down). Follow audio instructions on disc.
7. Check owner's manual before cleaning the chassis. If the manufacturer has provided specific instructions, follow them.
8. Clean chassis with an anti-static rag, shop towel or other soft cloth rag. Use Endust for Electronics or plastic cleaning fluid (if chassis is plastic).
9. If using Endust for Electronics or another aerosol product, follow instructions on can. Otherwise, spray a small amount of fluid onto rag.
10. Wipe chassis, making sure no fluid gets inside.
11. Immediately dry with a dry portion of rag or a second rag.
Telephoto lenses magnify the image and bring it closer.
Focal length, in millimeters, defines the magnification of a telephoto lens. As focal length increases, the field of view narrows and the view appears magnified. This is due to the way in which lenses focus light.
Focal Length
Camera lenses contain multiple circular lenses and create circular images. The camera film, or sensor in a digital camera, is rectangular. To cover the entire rectangle, the image from the lens has a diameter equaling the diagonal length of the sensor. The focal length of the lens is the distance behind the lens where a circle of this diameter is in sharp focus. An 80 mm lens focuses 80 mm behind the lens and a 500 mm lens focuses 500 mm behind the lens.
Telephoto Optics
Telephoto lenses contain two sets of elements to focus and re-focus light. Light gathering elements at the front of the lens focus the light at a point farther down the lens barrel where it hits a second diverging lens that refocuses the light onto the film or sensor. Varying the distance between the front and second lens elements alters the degree of magnification.
The Overall Effect
As focal length and magnification increase, the angle of view narrows, projecting an image of a smaller area onto the sensor. As smaller areas cover the same size sensor, the image appears magnified in a way directly related to the focal length of the lens.
Palm devices, like the Palm Treo, have been compatible with Macs since the days of Mac OS 8 thanks to the Palm Desktop. Now, as long as you have a Mac running OS X 10.4 or 10.5, you can connect your Palm Treo to your Mac with the Palm Desktop and iSync, built-in syncing software that comes with every Mac. However, iSync for Mac OS X 10.6 is not compatible with Palm devices.
Instructions
1. Download Palm Desktop for your Mac from the Palm website. Open the "PalmDesktopMac421Revd.dmg" file that mounts on your Mac's desktop file. Click on the "palmOneSoftware.pkg" icon to start the install. Click "Continue," agree to the terms of service and input your administrator password. Click "Install." Restart your Mac at the prompt.
2. Plug your Palm Treo into your Mac using a USB cable. Click "Home" and select "HotSync."
3. Open iSync in your Mac's Application folder. Select "Enable Palm OS Syncing" from iSync's File menu and click "Continue."
4. Check the "Contacts" and "Calendars" boxes to sync the Palm Treo with your Address Book and iCal on your Mac. Click "Sync Devices."
Webcams can be used for both recording and live streaming.
Webcams, which are cameras designed specifically for computer use, are available in two varieties: internal and external. An internal webcam is embedded into your laptop's or monitor's bevel, while an external webcam is a standalone device that connects to the computer via either a wireless connection or a USB cable. You can record yourself with a webcam and save the video directly to your computer, which can then be uploaded to a video sharing or social networking website.
Instructions
1. Open the webcam software that came with your webcam. The computer is likely already installed with webcam software if it has an integrated webcam; click "Start," then type "Webcam" into the search field to pull up any webcam-related software. Install the program that came with your webcam if your computer doesn't include webcam software; it is on a CD or DVD included with the product. If neither option is applicable, download a webcam recording utility, such as YawCam (yawcam.com), ManyCam (manycam.com) or Eyespyfx (eyespyfx.com).
2. Connect the webcam to your computer. A wireless webcam that uses Bluetooth should connect to your computer automatically when turned on, while a non-Bluetooth wireless camera connects after you plug its receiver into your computer's USB port. If you're using a wired webcam, plug it directly into your computer's USB port. If you're using a Bluetooth webcam, simply turn on the camera and wait for your computer to find it. You may be prompted to enter a passkey, which is like a PIN number; enter the passkey included with the webcam's paperwork, or enter "0000" if no passkey is listed.
3. Launch the webcam software. Wait for it to find your webcam and load the video. Tweak the webcam's position until you're completely in the picture. Click "Record" when ready. Do whatever it is you want to record, then click "Stop" when finished.
4. Click "Save" if not automatically prompted. Choose a location on your computer to save the video, such as the Videos folder, then click the "Save" button to save the webcam recording.
Tags: your computer, webcam software, into your, with webcam, your webcam, came with
If you are a professional photographer assigned to take photos of an indoor basketball game, getting the right shot can be tricky. The right moment to snap the picture can come and go in the blink of an eye, but getting the right mix of action and emotion can land your photo on the front page of the sports section. The key to great photos is one that complements the story that accompanies it.
Instructions
1. Find a location close to the baseline, but not on the court. Action shots are taken from close to the game that show the players well.
2. Aim for the players. Take a picture that shows at least half of a player's body.
3. Ensure your target is unobstructed by other players and objects. Take the photo.
4. Review the picture. Keep taking pictures until you have several different shots.
5. Move around the baseline of the court for different angles and take more photos. Take pictures from both behind the backboard as well as the sidelines.
Unlock your Boost mobile and use it with any other network.
When you try to put another SIM card in your Boost mobile, it automatically locks so as to prevent usage of another network carrier on the phone. To use the cell phone with a any other network, such as Nextel, you have to unlock the phone using special software, which you have to purchase. Until then, your phone is locked and cannot be used for sending or receiving calls or performing other functions.
Instructions
1. Download Boost mobile unlock software (see Resources). You will have to purchase the software as it is not available for free.
2. Connect your Boost mobile phone to your PC using a USB data cable. Plug one end of the cable into the phone's adapter port and the other end into the computer's USB port. Close the 'AutoPlay' window that pops up and open the unlock software for Boost mobile that you downloaded. When the software opens, your cell phone's model number and manufacturer name will show.
3. Click on the 'Phone Settings' on the right side of the unlock application's window. Select 'IDEN' option from the menu.
4. Validate your cell phone's settings by entering your login and password. When you buy the boost mobile unlock software, you will receive the username and password in your email. This username and password is supposed to be used in the data forms provided.
5. Click "Unlock IDEN." This will connect your cell phone to the server of Boost Mobile. Your phone will be unlocked and will be ready for use on the Nextel network.
Tags: Boost mobile, cell phone, unlock software, your Boost, your Boost mobile
Pencils are the most accurate tool to use when tracing with a projection box.
Tracing images is an easy way to create clean lines and clear drawings. Novice and experienced artists both can benefit from the use of a projection box. The projection box lights your image from below through a glass drawing surface, allowing you to effortlessly trace any picture.
Instructions
1. Pull the cord from the light socket through a hole in the bottom of the milk crate so that the light is in the bottom of the crate. Use the twist ties to fasten the cord to the bottom of the crate.
2. Cover the inside surfaces of the milk crate with cardboard to keep light from escaping the box. Tape the wax paper to cover the top of the crate.
3. Take out the back of the frame and any filler paper that may be in the frame. Leave the glass in the frame to use as a drawing surface and glue the photo frame to the top of the crate's rim.
4. Tape the image you are tracing onto the glass. Tape your tracing paper over the image.
Wolverine Data's versatile ESP line of multimedia players allows users to play audio, video and photo albums from the players' internal memory. Their thumb-joysticks make menu navigation easy, even through long lists of data. But if the language is accidentally switched from "English," you may find it nearly impossible to operate your ESP. You have to know where to look to restore your ESP's language back to English.
Instructions
1. Power on your ESP by pressing and holding the device's power button until its screen comes on. The device's main menu appears on the screen.
2. Use the ESP's thumb-joystick to move to the second page of the device's main menu. Highlight the "Options" button, the wrench icon, and then press the joystick's center button to select "Options."
3. Move the joystick over to select the left tab, at the top of the menu. The left tab is the "System" tab. Move down to the first heading under the tab, which is the "Language" heading.
4. Move your joystick to the left or right, until "English" appears. Press the joystick's center button to select the "English" option.
5. Press the ESP's "ESC" button to exit the System menu.
Tags: button select, center button, center button select, device main, device main menu, joystick center, joystick center button
Subwoofers are the largest speakers on most sound systems. These speakers reproduce very low bass frequencies in the range of 20 to 125 hertz. A good subwoofer generates responsive bass without noticeable distortion. While it's possible to hook up two Bose subwoofers, to optimize the sound quality you must ensure the proper connection of the entire speaker system.
In Phase
When you hook up two Bose subwoofers to a sound system, you must ensure the sound waves reach your ears in phase. An in-phase system means the two subwoofers move in and out of sync with one another. If subwoofers aren't in phase, the speakers can cancel each other out, creating the effect of less bass than a single subwoofer would provide. An out-of-phase system results in less bass no matter how many subwoofers you attach to the system. You can phase subwoofers using a phase switch that lets you adjust the subwoofer settings manually. You will find a phase switch on most newer, higher-end subwoofers, usually located in the back of the subwoofer.
Connections
An often overlooked component of any stereo system is the cable used to connect the speaker to the system. The right cable can make or break the quality of the sound produced, especially in power-hungry speakers such as subwoofers. In addition to using a good-quality cable, make sure you connect the subwoofers to a subwoofer jack on your stereo system. Additionally, before purchasing subwoofers, make sure your receiver can supply the power needed to drive the speakers. As a rule of thumb, always make sure your amplifier or receiver has 10 percent more power than the system's speakers require.
Speaker Position
Obtaining the optimum acoustics in any room is challenging. If the subwoofers aren't properly placed in the room, the stereo system can produce a weak bass response. Speaker placement is not, however, an exact science. Therefore, when setting up a stereo system, always experiment with the speaker placement. The size of the room, furniture, ceiling height and other factors affect the sound reproduced by your system's subwoofers.
Requirements
Some receivers feature multiple sub outputs. On these receivers, you can use RCA cables to directly connect both subwoofers to the receiver. If your receiver only has a single sub output, you'll need to use a male-to-female y-splitter. Use RCA cables to connect the subwoofers to the y-splitter, then use another RCA cable to connect the y-splitter to the receiver. If the subwoofers have multiple inputs, use the left input. After connecting the subwoofers to the receiver, calibrate the subwoofers using available crossover controls on the receiver. According to the website Audioholics, in most cases you must use an 80 hertz crossover point and set other speakers attached to the system as "small." Using multiple subwoofers won't damage the subwoofers, speakers or any other part of the stereo system.
The iPhone universe is growing by leaps and bounds, and developers are rushing to the platform to create all sorts of applications. If you're interested in developing your own iPhone apps, become a certified Apple Developer for $99 a year. Developing for the iPhone does require some programming knowledge, however. You'll need to learn with the Objective-C and Cocoa Touch languages.
Instructions
1. Open your Web browser and visit Apple's iPhone Dev Center.
2. Register as an Apple Developer and pay the $99 yearly fee. Paying the fee allows you to sell your applications in the App Store.
3. Download the official iPhone software developers kit (SDK) from the iPhone Dev Center. This package includes Xcode, the application you'll write code in, and the iPhone Simulator, which lets you run your iPhone application on your computer.
4. Read a few tutorials on Objective-C and Cocoa Touch. Taragana' Simple Thoughts blog has a great collection of tutorials and Stanford University freely offers materials from its CS 193P iPhone development class online.
Tags: Apple Developer, Cocoa Touch, iPhone Center, Objective-C Cocoa, Objective-C Cocoa Touch
In the age of digital photography, photographs can easily be edited and printed even without a computer. The Epson PictureMate Personal Photo Lab gives you the opportunity to print photos your own way in your home. The Epson Photo Lab reduces the hassle of connecting both the camera and a printer to a computer. Photos can be viewed and edited right on the Epson Photo Lab straight from your camera's memory card. You can also choose the size of photos to be printed, from 4-by-6 inches to wallet size.
Instructions
1. Connect your camera to a computer using a USB cable to back up your photos before printing, as recommended in the PictureMate user guide. You most likely already own this cable since it comes in the box with a newly purchased digital camera. You can also use a card reader. Move photos from the camera to a folder on the computer and disconnect the camera from the cable. Review the photos on your camera before printing them. Delete the photos you don't intend on keeping or printing.
2. Place the printer on a flat surface and plug the power cord into a power outlet. Move the handle to the back and then down. Keep the handle in this position while printing. Pull up the top part of the paper support in the back gently until you hear a click. Open the output tray in the front. Load the paper that comes with the PictureMate glossy-side up against the right edge as indicated on the paper support's edge guide. Hold the paper in place by sliding the left edge guide against the paper, but not too tightly.
3. Press the PictureMate's "On" button. Open the memory card door located in the front. The top slot is for SmartMedia and xD Picture Cards; the middle is for Sony Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick PRO Duo, Magicgate Memory Stick, MagicGate Memory Stick Duo, SD card, miniSD card and MultiMediaCards. The bottom slot is for Microdrive and CompactFlash cards. Insert your camera's memory card into the correct slot by gently pushing the card in until it stops. It won't go all the way in, but when it's in correctly, the card light turns on. Insert only one card at a time. Close the memory card door when done. A message pops up on the PictureMate asking you about the next steps you want to take.
4. Press the "Print" button on the PictureMate if you want to print a proof sheet using the PictureMate Print Wizard. Each proof sheet contains 20 photos, and each photo is labeled with a number, which is helpful later on when selecting the images to print. All photos on the camera are included on the proof sheet using this option. Press the "Cancel" button if you want to select the photos you want on the proof sheet or do not want to print a proof sheet. To choose the photos to put on your proof sheet, simply choose "Proof Sheet" as your layout setting in the main menu and select the photos.
5. Press "Print" to print all photos as borderless 4-by-6 prints after printing the proof sheet. If you have more than 20 photos, reload the printer with paper. Press the "OK" button to print some photos. Use the up and down arrow buttons to highlight the number of the photo you want to print as indicated on the proof sheet and press "OK." Press "OK" again to deselect it if desired. Using the up and down arrows, choose the number of copies for that photo and press "OK." Repeat these steps for each photo you want to print. Press "Print" to start printing. Confirm your choices and press "Print" again. Press "Cancel" anytime to cancel printing.
6. Press "Cancel" instead of "Print" or "OK" if you do not want to print all the photos or if you want to print some but want to choose the layouts and photos. Press "OK" while highlighting "All Photos" to print all, "One Photo" to print just one, "Several" to print more than one or "Range" to print a sequence, such as photos 10 through 15.
7. Follow the steps after each selection to choose the photos you want to print and the number of copies using the up and down arrow buttons. When done, highlight "Layout" on the main menu using the up and down arrow buttons and press "OK." Using the arrows, choose the setting you want as either borderless, with a border, proof sheet with 20 photos per sheet or wallet with two per sheet. Press "Print" to confirm your selections and start printing.
8. Press "Cancel" to return to the main menu and then select one photo by highlighting it and pressing "OK." Then highlight "More Options" on the main menu right under "Layout" and press "OK." Use the up and down arrows to highlight either "Color Effects," "Print Crop Template," "Crop," "Auto Correct," "Date Stamp" or "Time Stamp." Follow the instructions on the screen for each selection and press "Print" when ready to confirm and print.
9. Open the memory card door to remove your memory card when done printing. Look at the light by the card slots. If it's flashing, don't remove the card or you could lose photos. Then, pull the card straight out of the slot. Turn off the PictureMate and unplug it.
If you do not own a cable box or a set-top box to receive digital television signals but still want to be able to watch high-definition programming, then you will need a TV with a built-in HD tuner. After setting up the television, you can begin using its built-in HD antenna to receive free high-definition frequencies over the air without an external tuner.
Instructions
1. Plug your television into a standard electrical outlet and use the remote control to turn it on.
2. Use the remote to access the TV's main menu, and look for a setting called "Channel Setup."
3. Choose the "Air and Cable" option and then have the TV begin searching for available channels. The television will now scan the airwaves with its built-in high definition tuner for local HD over-the-air channels.
4. Press the "Source" button on your remote control until you reach the "Cable" source.
5. Press the "Antenna" button on the remote control to switch from the cable feed to the antenna mode. The television will now use its built-in HD tuner to receive over-the-air signals.
6. Use the up and down channel buttons on your remote control to scan the available high-definition frequencies that your television has picked up.
Tags: remote control, built-in tuner, high-definition frequencies, television will, with built-in, your remote
Kenwood manufactures several models of after-market car CD players and radios that you can install to upgrade your current radio system. Among the many features in the Kenwood receivers are programmable preset radio station memory buttons. If you listen to certain radio stations regularly, you can cut out trying to search for them with the tuner by programming the preset memory buttons.
Instructions
1. Tune the receiver to the radio station you want to program using the "|<>|" buttons.
2. Press and hold one of the preset memory buttons for 2 seconds to save the radio station. The audio will mute for a second when the station is memorized. The preset memory buttons are labeled 1 to 6.
3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to program each of the remaining preset memory buttons.
4. Use the auto memory function to automatically program six radio stations that the radio receives with good receptions. Press and hold the "FM+" button for two seconds to automatically program those radio stations.
5. Tune the radio to one of the memorized stations by pressing the corresponding preset memory button.
Tags: memory buttons, preset memory, preset memory buttons, radio station, automatically program
Many audio enthusiasts like having a graphic equalizer as part of their stereo system. A graphic equalizer lets you boost or attenuate specific frequency ranges within your audio system, allowing you to fine-tune your audio output to match your taste or the exact acoustics of your room. Audiosource sells a range of graphic equalizers for the home audio consumer. They all are installed using the same basic method.
Instructions
1. Make sure your receiver will support an AudioSource graphic equalizer. To use an AudioSource graphic equalizer, your receiver must have a tape monitor function. Look for a button marked "Tape Monitor" on the front of the receiver and for two sets of RCA inputs on the rear of the receiver, one set marked "Tape In" and the other marked "Tape Out."
2. Connect the first set of patch cables to the "Tape In" connections on the back of your receiver, then the other end to the "Audio Out" RCA connections on the back of the AudioSource graphic equalizer. Always connect the red cable to the "R," or right, input on both devices.
3. Connect the second set of patch cables to the "Tape Out" connections on the back of your receiver, then the other end to the "Audio In" RCA connections on the back of the AudioSource graphic equalizer. Always connect the red cable to the "R" input on both devices.
4. Plug your AudioSource graphic equalizer into a 120-volt power outlet and turn it on.
5. Turn on your receiver and make sure the "Tape Monitor" switch is set to "On." Adjust the graphic equalizer to your listening taste.
Format your Kodak's memory card inside of your camera or by using your computer.
CompactFlash Memory Cards, also known as CF Memory Cards, are used by a variety of digital cameras, cellular phones and pocket computers as storage devices. The cards are even used in Kodak digital cameras, including the EasyShare series of cameras. The CompactFlash Memory Card included with your Kodak camera comes preformatted. But when problems develop with your camera's memory card, you need to format the card to remove any bad sectors and other file structure issues.
Instructions
With the Kodak Format Utility
1. Set your camera's Mode dial to "Camera Setup." Turn on your camera.
2. Use the down arrow button on the side of your camera's display to scroll through the settings until you reach the Kodak memory card option. The option will have a picture of a memory card and a trash can.
3. Press the "Do It" button on the side of your camera's display (the button between the two arrow keys). The "Format Memory Card" screen will appear.
4. Use the down arrow button to scroll through the settings until you reach the "Continue Format" option.
5. Press the "Do It" button to format your camera's CompactFlash Memory Card.
With a CompactFlash Memory Card Reader
6. Plug a CompactFlash Memory Card reader into any available USB port on your computer. Your computer will recognize the card reader and assign it a drive letter.
7. Open the memory card door on the side or bottom of your Kodak camera. Remove the CompactFlash memory card from your camera. Insert the memory card into the card reader.
8. Click your desktop's "Start" menu and click "Computer." You will see the memory card reader's icon and the drive letter assigned to it underneath the icon.
If using a Mac, you will see the memory card reader's icon.
9. Right-click on the memory card reader's icon. Select "Format."
If using a Mac, click on your Mac's "Hard Drive" icon. Select "Applications." Open "Disk Utility."
10. Select "Full Format." Click "Start" to begin the formatting process.
If using a Mac, select the CompactFlash memory card icon under the Drives heading in the Disk Utility. Select "Erase" on the toolbar of the utility. Click on "Mac OS Extended." Click "Erase" to begin the formatting process.
The Land Rover Range Rover comes with a preinstalled, factory-issue radio incorporating a CD player and AM/FM receiver. A wide range of aftermarket stereos are available with up-to-date features included, such as MP3 players, DVD players and navigation aids. Range Rover owners who wish to update their stereo system by installing an aftermarket head unit must first remove the factory-issue radio and adapt the radio wiring to enable the new radio to work.
Instructions
1. Disconnect the cable from the negative car battery terminal with the adjustable wrench.
2. Unclip the cover panel of the radio. Pull it away from the radio body. Remove the two Phillips screws on either side of the radio. Pull the radio unit out of the dashboard housing. Disconnect the wire harness by pushing the tabs on the side and pulling the connection apart. Pull out the radio antenna cable. Place the old radio to one side.
3. Slide the new stereo into the radio installation sleeve. Plug in the radio antenna cable to the radio antenna port on the rear of the new stereo. Connect one end of the wire harness adapter to the wire harness. Push the connections together until they click into place. Connect the other end of the wire harness adapter to the wire harness of the new stereo using the same method.
4. Slide the new radio into the dashboard housing. Push in the radio as far as it will go, taking care not to trap any of the wiring. Reconnect the negative terminal of the car battery. Test the installation by turning on the new stereo.
Tags: wire harness, radio antenna, Range Rover, adapter wire, adapter wire harness, antenna cable
This silver-white metal is both strong and durable, as well as malleable and elastic. On one hand, when combined with other metals, tungsten can be fabricated into tough, high-speed cutting tools (i.e., table-saw blades), or sturdy drill bit tips. On the other hand, it can be molded into light bulb filaments that look quite fragile, yet are so durable they can withstand extreme heat and modest jarring without fracturing.
Geography
Tungsten cannot be found as a free metal. It only occurs in the Earth's crust as a compound metal, such as calcium tungstate or lead tungstate. Worse, it is present in small amounts, about 1.5 grams for every ton (1,016,000 grams) of rocks. Fortunately, it is recyclable. In fact 30 percent of the supply for tungsten comes from recycled material, which helps keep the cost down.
Identification
Tungsten (atomic number 74; atomic weight 183.84; elemental symbol "W") is a silvery-white metal that resists oxidation and reactions to acids and alkalis. It has a high melting point (3,410 degrees Centigrade), and at temperatures greater than 1,650 degrees Centigrade, tungsten offers the greatest tensile strength---or elasticity---of any element. This means that tungsten is not only sturdy, it can stand up to the heat that a light bulb puts out.
Significance
Both halogen and incandescent light bulbs use heat---up to 3,000 degrees Centigrade (5,720 degrees Fahrenheit)---to produce light. Roughly 90 percent of the energy given off by these bulbs is heat. As a result, tungsten's high melting point is ideal for high-temperature materials, like electronic elements and lamp filaments.
Features
Some pieces of equipment and appliances require the use of metals that are thermally compatible---glass-to-metal seals, for instance. In the case of light bulbs, the glass has a boiling point that is very close to tungsten. Furthermore, heat expansion rates for both tungsten and glass are the same, which contributes greatly to their glass-metal seals.
Potential Problems
Because they are so durable and heat resistant, tungsten filaments will not break easily or burn out quickly, increasing the cost effectiveness of light bulb production. A few things, however, can shorten a bulb's lifespan, such as vibration (e.g., from garage door openers), voltage fluctuations along power lines, or appliances that put out more voltage than the light bulb can handle. Try changing to a light bulb with stronger filaments or higher voltage ratings. If problems persist, have an electrician check power coming into and running through the building.
Tags: light bulb, degrees Centigrade, high melting, high melting point, light bulbs, melting point
Your phone's USB cable initiates the synchronization process.
Your Cricket phone comes with photo frames preinstalled on it. Whenever you edit your photos, you have the option to add frames to them. However, if you do not like the default frames, you can download other styles on your own. Many websites offer free frames that you can use with your cell phone, as long as it is compatible. With your phone's synchronization software and USB cable, you can complete the transfer in no time.
Instructions
1. Open a Web browser on your computer. Navigate to Cellular, Informer or Mobile Photo Frame. (See Resources.)
2. Click your cell phone from the list of compatible phones. Browse through the selection of frames. Click the frame you want to download to your phone.
3. Download the file to your computer's desktop. Attach the USB cable to your cell phone. Plug the other end into your computer's USB port.
4. Wait for your phone's sync software to launch. If you do not have synchronization software, contact your wireless carrier. Click the frame from your computer's files and programs.
5. Hold and drag the frame to the synchronization panel. Alternatively, your software may allow you to place a check next to it. Press the "Sync" button when satisfied. Wait for synchronization to complete.
Tags: your computer, cell phone, your cell, your cell phone, Click frame, synchronization software
Simple homemade tools can outfit your photography studio to achieve a professional finish.
Whether photography is your side-line passion or your source of income, creating a shooting space for portraits will enhance your range of subjects. Achieving the appropriate lighting can be quite costly when you consider the expense of purchasing backdrops, diffusers and reflectors, not to mention your actual light sources. With ingenuity and creativity, you can set up your lighting with little cost and high effectiveness.
The most basic lighting for a small portrait studio consists of a single light source, a reflector and a modifier. Use these simple homemade tools to create cheap studio solutions.
Instructions
Reflector
1. Using a box cutter, trim the foam board to the size desired. If you want more focus and control, make a small reflector. For larger area photography -- not head/bust shots -- a larger reflector will be more appropriate.
2. Measure the width of your hand in the middle of one edge of the board. One inch from that edge, cut a rectangular hole the width of your hand and one inch wide. Allow for a wider hole as your hand's girth requires.
3. Smooth foil can create a harsh light on your subject.
Cut an aluminum foil sheet to cover entire board up to the handle. If you need to use more than one piece, overlap your sheets by at least one inch, to prevent any spaces in coverage.
4. Rumple the foil sheet(s), and then gently smooth out with your hands. The crumples in the foil will slightly diffuse the reflection.
5. Use double-stick adhesive to fix the rumpled foil sheet(s) onto the foam board. Voila! You have a cheap hand-held reflector.
Modifier
6. Glue the 4- and 7-foot boards together into a 4-by 7-foot rectangular frame. Allow glue to dry thoroughly.
7. Ripstop nylon is a durable fabric that is used to make tents and sleeping bags.
Place the 2 by 4-inch at the corners of the 4-foot end of the wooden frame. Place the board so 2 feet are on either side of the frame, creating legs for your diffuser. Glue the narrow edge of the board to the 4-foot side of frame. Allow to dry thoroughly.
8. Using a sewing machine, hem the edges of your ripstop nylon, if you wish.
9. Clamp the nylon onto the diffuser frame, distributing the clamps equally around the edges.
If you want your custom-mix tapes to sound their best, you have to start by choosing good tapes. Match the tape you choose to both your tape deck and what you're recording.
Instructions
1. Check your tape deck's manual for the manufacturer's recommendations.
2. Buy "normal bias" Type I tapes for use with mini-recorders.
3. If you're playing tapes on a boom box, personal stereo or low-end car deck, buy Type I tapes unless the playback unit has a switch for "high bias" Type II tapes.
4. Choose "metal bias" Type IV tapes if playing tapes on a high-end cassette deck.
5. Check the Maximum Output Level (MOL) specification to compare tapes and brands within a type. Higher numbers are better.
6. Buy Type I tapes for recording speech.
7. Choose Type I tapes or lower-grade Type II tapes for dubbing from one cassette to another.
8. Buy Type II or Type IV tapes if recording live music on a deck.
9. Select higher-grade Type II or Type IV tapes for recording from LP or CD.
Tags: Type tapes, bias Type, bias Type tapes, tapes recording, Type tapes recording, your tape deck
XM Satellite Radio can bring you your daily dose of music, talk and information. But like so many multi-media operations today, the selections on this station are so varied, you can spend a lot of time searching for your favorite channels. Setting the presets on your XM Satellite Radio receiver will make your search easier.
Instructions
1. Familiarize yourself with the XM Satellite Radio station options. Scroll through and listen to various selections to discover your favorites.
2. Learn about the first directory, which is called "direct." If you enjoy music from the various eras (60s, 70s, etc), you can leave this directory as it is. Pressing "6" will bring the sixties station up, pressing "8" will summon the eighties station and so on. "1" will give you the preview channel and "0" is your XM identification number.
3. Group your favorites into three categories. The other three directories are A, B and C. Everyday favorites might go in directory A, while news stations could go in directory B and your least listened stations go to directory C.
4. To set the preset, press the "dir" button and scroll to the station you want to set. Push in the scroll button to choose that station. Then press and hold the number on the front of the receiver to set.
5. Follow this setup example. Go to dir A, scroll to 151 (Laugh USA), press in the scroll button to select, then press and hold "1" on front of the receiver. Whenever you want to listen to Laugh USA, just press "dir" to bring you to the A directory and press "1."
Tags: Satellite Radio, front receiver, Presets Radio, press hold, scroll button, your favorites
When you initially power on the Dell Axim Pocket PC for the first time, you may see a "Backup Battery Very Low" error on the display. Just follow the simple steps below to charge your Dell Axim battery for the first time.
Instructions
1. Read the instruction manual enclosed with your pocket PC.
2. Familiarize yourself with all the components of your Dell Axim.
3. Find the battery, AC adapter and charging plug included in the box.
4. Follow the manual's instructions. Place the battery in the appropriate slot in back of the handheld and firmly push down until you hear a click. That sound indicates that you've correctly installed the battery .
5. Fit the charging plug onto the tip of the AC adapter.
6. Connect the charging plug into the slot located at the bottom of your handheld.
7. Plug the AC adapter into an electrical outlet.
8. Wait approximately 8 hours for your battery to fully charge.
9. Disconnect your Dell Axim from the AC adapter. It is now fully charged for use.
10. Press the power button. Instructions for setting up your pocket PC will appear on the screen.
Tags: Dell Axim, charging plug, your Dell, your Dell Axim, first time
As VCRs continue to fall into disuse, there's been an increasing need to transfer decades worth of VHS tapes into a digital format. If you need to transfer video from a VHS to an easily-used digital format, it's never been easier than today. With a few pieces of equipment, some software and a bit of time, you can preserve your video treasures.
Equipment and Setup
You'll need to gather together a few pieces of hardware and software in order to transfer your video. While it's possible to purchase a dual decked VHS/DVD recorder, it's not flexible enough to give you the best transfers possible. For that, you'll need the aid of a computer equipped with a DVD burner, a digital TV tuner adapter and video editing software. The digital tuner is necessary to convert the analog video from the VCR into a digital signal your computer is capable of reading. For editing software, you'll want to choose something capable of capturing directly from the tuner signal, as well as editing the captured video. Most modern editing software will be capable of doing everything you need, from capture to conversion to authoring a DVD using the converted video.
Hooking your VCR to the digital TV tuner adapter is easy. Just connect it as you would to any other display device, choosing the best quality connection; in order from lowest-quality to best: composite connection, s-video and then component. The better the connection used, the better the initial quality when you capture the video. Once you connect the adapter to your computer and start up the editing software, you're ready to begin the converting process.
The Conversion Process
Most quality video editing software will follow the same basic process for capturing and converting video. You'll have to choose the capture video option in your software package and follow the instructions. The software takes the playing VHS video and converts it directly into a digital format ready for editing. There's no quick way to do this as you'll have to play the video in real-time so the editor can capture every frame. Most editing programs are able to remove the most common video distortions during the capture process. Once it's been converted into a digital format you'll be able to edit the video further, altering it as you would any other video clips.
Finishing the Video
Once the video has been captured, you may wish to edit it further. Here you'll have a great deal of choice in the editing process, from cutting scenes and altering the general look of the video to adding effects; you'll only be limited by your creativity and the various capabilities of the editing software. When you finish editing and have a final product, you can save the video in the format of your choice for replay. You can also burn the video to DVD. Most video editing software allows you to author and burn the video directly from the program, but for those that don't, you'll need a separate DVD burning program that will both create the file types necessary for burning to DVD and create the DVD itself. Once burned to DVD, you'll have a transfer of your VHS video that's playable in any DVD player, often with a cleaner picture than you had at the beginning of the process.
Tags: editing software, digital format, into digital, digital tuner, into digital format, video editing, video editing software
Flash memory devices like USB drives and SD cards make storing and transferring media easy and convenient. Most computers today come with SD card slots; however, if your computer does not have one, you will need an SD card reader to read and write files to and from the device. Flash memory cards and USBs offer various storage capacities, which makes them perfect for storing music.
Instructions
From PC to USB or SD Card
1. Connect the storage device to your PC. Plug your USB drive into an available USB port on your computer, or insert your SD card into the PC's SD card slot. Alternatively, if your PC doesn't have an SD card slot, attach an SD card reader and insert the SD card into the reader.
2. Open your storage device. Click the "Start" button and select "My Computer." Locate your device under Devices With Removable Storage and double-click its icon to open the folder. A new window will appear, displaying the contents of your storage device. Leave this window open while you complete the next steps.
3. Open the folder containing the music files you want to transfer.
4. Drag and drop the music files into the USB or SD card folder window. This action will transfer the music tracks to the storage device. Exit out of all windows when you are finished.
From USB or SD Card to PC
5. Connect the storage device to your PC. Plug your USB drive into an available USB port on your computer, or insert your SD card into the PC's SD card slot. Alternatively, if your PC doesn't have an SD card slot, attach an SD card reader and insert the SD card into the reader.
6. Open your storage device. Click the "Start" button and select "My Computer." Locate your device under Devices With Removable Storage and double-click its icon to open the folder. A new window will appear, displaying the contents of your storage device.
7. Drag and drop the music files from your storage device to the desktop of your PC. Exit out of all windows when you are finished.
Tags: storage device, your storage device, your storage, card into, card slot
A coaxial cable is more sturdy and flexible than conventional telephone wiring. You can wire a landline telephone using coaxial cable, providing that you have the proper tools. These tools can be acquired from a hardware store or garden and home supply. The procedure is straightforward and does not rely on having any previous experience in wiring telephones.
Instructions
1. Measure the distance between the telephone wall plate and the landline telephone's base station with a tape measure. Cut a length of coaxial cable that is 4 inches longer than the length needed with a coax cutter blade.
2. Slit 2 inches in on the outer insulation from each end of the coaxial cable with a utility knife. Peel the insulation back from both ends. Cut off the insulation with the utility knife.
3. Peel back the inner sheath surrounding the plastic-covered center wire from both ends with your fingers. Twist the inner sheath at both ends between your fingers to form a thin rod.
4. Slit an inch in on the plastic-covered center wire from each end of the coaxial cable with the utility knife. Peel back the plastic covering. Cut off the plastic covering with the utility knife.
5. Loosen the screws from the telephone wall plate with a Phillips screwdriver. Remove the wall plate. Loosen the two top screws on the connector block inside the wall.
6. Wrap the end of the center wire at one end of the coaxial cable around the top-left screw. Wrap the inner sheath rod at the same end as the center wire that was attached around the top-right screw. Screw in both screws with the Phillips screwdriver.
7. Cut a notch in the lower left of the wall plate with the utility knife. Place the wall plate back onto the wall, pulling the coaxial cable through the notch.
8. Run the coaxial cable over to the landline telephone. With scissors, cut off the end of the telephone cord connected to the telephone's base station.
9. Slit 4 inches in on the outer insulation from the end of the telephone cord with the utility knife. Peel the outer insulation back and cut it off with the scissors. Separate the wires inside of the cord. Cut all but the red and green wires off with the scissors.
10. Twist the bare end of the red wire and the bare end of the coaxial cable's center wire around each other. Wrap a strip of electrical tape around the two wires to secure them together.
11. Twist the bare end of the green wire and the end of the rod on the end of the coaxial cable around each other. Wrap a strip of electrical tape around the two wires to secure them together. Wrap a strip of electrical tape around the end of the telephone cord and the end of the coaxial cable to secure them together.
Tags: coaxial cable, utility knife, with utility, with utility knife, center wire