Here are some basic steps for cleaning a VCR or television, which is important in the maintenance of these two much-used machines. You can extend the life of home electronics by keeping them clean.
Instructions
1. Unplug the VCR and television before cleaning.
2. Dust television screens weekly with a Masslinn or electrostatic dust cloth.
3. Clean the dust-free screens with the same cleaners used on windows, eyeglasses and electronics. Spray the cleaner on the cloth, not on the TV directly.
4. Polish any wooden parts of the TV or VCR with furniture polish, spraying on the cloth first - not directly on the wood.
5. Wipe the knobs, buttons and exterior of the television or VCR with a cloth dampened in neutral cleaner or electronics spray cleaner.
6. Clean the tape heads of a VCR about once every two months, depending on how often you use the VCR. Check the manual for the manufacturer's instructions.
7. Consider investing in a tape-head-cleaning videocassette for your VCR. Know the difference between a wet-cleaning cassette and a dry-cleaning cassette. With the wet, you put drops of a special solution provided on the ribbon of the cleaning cassette. This is especially effective for dissolving gunk on the tape heads, capstan and pinch roller.
Understand basic terminology next time you go television shopping.
Electronics terminology is filled with jargon. Terms commonly used and understood by people in the industry are often unknown or misinterpreted by those outside it. Given the large and potentially confusing range of features and acronyms thrown around in literature and product packaging, it's important to arm yourself with understanding of a few key terms to hold a cogent discussion with a salesperson or to conduct research.
Refresh Rate
Refresh rate is expressed in numerical fashion, such as 120, 240, 480 and 600 hertz, and describes the ability of a television to process fast motion. Originally, projectors and digital televisions were limited to 60 hertz, sometimes causing things like soccer balls and speeding cars to leave trails behind them. Known as motion blur, these trails are potentially distracting. Televisions and projectors with high refresh rates process images differently, making that motion smoother and more realistic. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother the images appear.
Resolution
Numbers like 1080p, 720p, and 480p are shorthand for actual screen resolutions. All digital projectors and television images are comprised of individual picture elements, known as pixels. These small rectangular blocks are arrayed in a certain number horizontally and vertically. Televisions with 1080p resolution, for example, have a horizontal resolution of 1920 pixels by 1080 vertical pixels. These pixels are "drawn" at once, called progressive scanning. This is where the "p" comes in when discussing the resolution. The higher the resolution number, the smoother the image, allowing you to sit closer without seeing individual pixels.
Plasma TV
Plasmas use electrically excited Neon and Xenon gasses to illuminate the phosphors in each encapsulated pixel to generate vibrant images and deep blacks. LCD and its LED variant are virtually immune to image retention, or "burn-in" caused by static high contrast logos and graphics. Plasmas are still capable of this, although a variety of features in plasma sets work to mitigate the issue. Such technologies involve shifting the screen one or two pixels at a time, and never keeping the same place illuminated long enough to form a retained image.
LCD and LED
Televisions and projectors that use liquid crystal picture elements are called LCDs. These sets have liquid crystal elements that respond to electrical charge, twisting and untwisting to allow certain shades of color and light through. Many of these televisions use light emitting diodes as the light source. Cold Cathode Lighting, or CCFL, is a version of florescent lighting arrayed behind the screen. CCFL lighting is less energy efficient than LED, and offers a shorter overall lifespan. Color-tinted LEDs are able to individually dim, potentially offering richer blacks and color saturation. Most higher-end LCD televisions incorporate LED backlighting. LED LCDs are the same basic technology, using a different light source than before, while offering ever-thinning cabinet thicknesses and energy efficiency.
DLP
Sets and projectors employing Texas Instruments' Digital Light Processing technologies are referred to as DLP. These sets are lightweight tabletop-mounted models, ranging in size from 50 inches up to 80 inches. Televisions using this technology use a bright light source, such as a lamp or LED array to project images. This light is bounced off a Digital Micromirror Display chip that incorporates millions of small mirrors, each representing one pixel. After reflecting off of the DMD chip, the light passes through a prism for further color processing. DLP sets can be found in large screen sizes that are much less expensive proportionally than flat panel technologies. However, these sets are deeper, and cannot be wall mounted. DLP sets are immune to burn-in, do not have three tubes requiring alignment like bulkier cathode ray tube or CRT sets and are energy efficient. Since DLP bounces light off of mirrors as opposed to passing it through LCD panels, DLP projectors are typically brighter overall.
HDMI
Short for High Definition Multimedia Interface, this single-cable protocol transmits high definition video and uncompressed audio. This audio and video standard is also popular among content owners, whose material is encrypted digitally on the HDMI cable to prevent unauthorized copying. HDMI is reminiscent of a computer USB cable, and is a potentially inexpensive medium for connecting your home theater components. HDMI replaces individual audio and video cabling, reducing cable clutter behind an equipment or TV stand. For a high definition source, this means the red, blue and green component video cables and a separate digital audio cable are replaced by a single, thinner cable with more data-handling capability.
Tags: light source, audio video, energy efficient, liquid crystal, picture elements
Any microphone can be quickly configured for use in live performance situations.
Recent innovations in audio technology have enabled performing musicians to operate as their own audio engineers, acquiring and assembling their own performance equipment for studio recording and live shows. Although a wide variety of equipment is available for purchase, certain basic elements are common to all musicians' gear collection. In the majority of bands and recording studios, a microphone and output source are essential tools for music making. By following a few simple steps, you can quickly connect your microphone to a speaker unit.
Instructions
1. Connect your microphone to a mixing board using an XLR cable. If you are using a condenser microphone, ensure that your mixer is capable of providing phantom power to the device. Plug the XLR cable into a microphone port assigned to an audio channel on the mixing board. Each XLR port should be clearly labeled with its channel assignment.
2. Plug your speaker into your mixer using the stereo cables attached to the speaker unit. The red and white cables attached to the speaker should plug in to the left and right audio output ports on the mixing board.
3. Power on the mixer and speaker unit. If you have made the proper connections, sounds received by the microphone should be directly output to the speaker. Use the volume slider assigned to the microphone channel to raise and lower the volume of sounds sent to the speaker. The master volume slider on the mixer can be used to adjust the overall volume level of the speaker unit.
Tags: speaker unit, mixing board, attached speaker, cables attached, cables attached speaker, volume slider, your microphone
Film of any kind is fragile and deteriorates over time. Film will eventually shrink and lose its color saturation even under the best conditions. Our cherished, old home movies will eventually succumb to the years, so preserving them to a more permanent digital format is essential. One way to preserve 8mm home movies is to use a video camera that will record the film so that it can then be transferred to DVD. This process is moderately easy but requires some organization and care.
Instructions
1. Collect and identify your footage.
Prepare and organize. To make the process easier, all your home movies should be collected and viewed so that they can be identified and put in chronological order. This can be done using your 8mm film projector or a compact 8mm movie viewer that is sometimes combined with a film editing kit. The latter is a better option since you can scan the film quicker than if you were to project it.
2. Use larger reels for less breaks.
Edit your footage. Depending on the amount of film, it should be spliced together and placed on 400-.foot reels so that there are fewer breaks when you record to video. 8mm editing kits are relatively inexpensive and can be found on-line.
3. Place the projector on a solid surface no more than 4 feet away from the movie screen. The smaller the image size, the better the resolution and the sharper the image. Make sure the projector is perfectly centered and level with the screen. Using a tripod, place the camera and projector as close to each other as possible, making sure the camera lens and projector lens are on the same plane. Because 8mm film and video cameras run at different speeds, you need to adjust the speed dial on the projector to eliminate any flicker. You can do this by running the projector while looking through the video camera's viewfinder
4. Turn off the lights. Make sure you're in as dark a room as possible to avoid ambient light. Start recording with your camera before turning on the projector. This will give you a little head room before seeing the first image. Try not to move around or cause any vibration in the room as this can affect image quality.
5. DVD recorder.
Once you've finished recording all your 8mm footage, you have two options to transfer it to DVD depending on the DVD recording device. If you have a standard DVD recorder connected to a TV, you can use either a DV (digital video) cable or an audio/video cable that connects directly to a DVD recorder. It is recommended that you record onto rewritable DVDs, so if there is a problem with the transfer, you can go back and rerecord the footage.
6. Burn onto rewritable discs.
Make the transfer. If you don't have a standard DVD recorder, you can purchase a compact DVD burner made specifically to transfer video from a camcorder to DVD. They are made by several manufacturers and are fairly easy to use. The only disadvantage to this option is you're not able to view the footage as it is transferred to DVD. Again, use rewritable DVDs so that you can erase the disc and rerecord if there was a problem with the transfer.
7. Back up and protect. After you've transferred all your 8mm footage to DVD, make additional backup copies in case anything happens to the originals. To be safe, store the copies in a different place than the originals. At this point, you want to do everything to protect those cherished memories and make sure they will survive for future generations to view.
Tags: your footage, home movies, have standard, have standard recorder, Make sure, onto rewritable
Recover corrupted photos from a digital camera using recovery software.
Recovering corrupted photos from a digital camera is similar to recovering damaged files or data from a storage device, such as a hard disk, flash drive, CD or DVD. There are several software applications that are designed to recover corrupted photos, and unless the memory card is physically damaged or misplaced, the software can recover the photos and store them in an alternate location. Photos in a digital camera are typically stored in a memory card, which is a rewritable medium. This means the data on the memory card can be overwritten as new photos replace old ones. To make sure that the corrupted photos are not permanently erased from the card, do not write any new data on it until you have tried all recovery options.
Instructions
1. Download a free or trial version of a photo recovery software such as ZAR, DeleteFIX Photo or Flash Recovery. Install the software by confirming simple onscreen prompts. When you download a free or trial version, usage of the software will be limited by a trial period. If the software is able to recover corrupted photos successfully, you may buy a subscription to unlock it.
2. Insert the memory card into the digital camera and connect it to the computer. If the memory card can only be accessed when the camera is turned on, press the power button.
3. Launch the software. From the program's home interface, specify the memory card of the digital camera as the location of the corrupted images. This will instruct the software to look for corrupted data on the specified location. In some programs, you may also have to specify the make and model of the digital camera from a drop down box. Click "Next" to proceed to the next window.
4. Review the confirmation screen. Once you specify the memory card as the location, the software will display a screen, showing the card's drive letter and size. Check that you specified the correct location and click "Next" or "Start." This will initiate the recovery process.
5. Wait for the software to read the memory card. Depending on the program you downloaded, you may or may not see a status bar indicating progress. When the software finishes reading the card, it will display a list of identified corrupted images. Click on the file names you want to recover, or click "Select All" or "Check All" to recover all identified photos.
6. Determine where you want to store the recovered photos. To save the files on the computer's hard disk, click "Save" and specify the directory where you want to save the files. Alternatively, you can burn the photos to a CD or DVD, or upload to an FTP site.
BlackBerry mobile devices have call logging options that save the details of incoming and outgoing calls in a message list. When you need know the details of the calls you've made, received or missed, you can find them in the call logs of your BlackBerry.
Instructions
1. Press the Send key to open your phone. Your phone should light up the display and menu. Use the track wheel to view the menu and press in on the track wheel to select menu items.
2. Locate the Phone Options menu. Use the track wheel to highlight it and then click to view the options. Find the Call Logging option on the screen.
3. Click on Call Logging. Now, select Call Log Type and choose from the types of call logs you have designated. Log types are commonly organized into calls per day, with today's calls at the top of the list. Other log types track incoming, outgoing or missed calls.
4. Scroll up or down the list with the track wheel to select a call log type. Use the "Space" key to move to the top of the list or select the call log you want to view. You have the option of adding, editing or deleting the call log.
5. Use shortcuts to search call logs. After opening your phone, press the "Alt" key and period key to view the call logs for the outgoing calls. Use the "Alt" key and "3" key to view the call logs for the incoming calls.
Tags: call logs, track wheel, incoming outgoing, menu track, menu track wheel
The simplest form of teleconferencing delivers voice-only communications using telephones connected to a traditional telephone line. Conferences can be initiated in one of two ways: all participants can be required to dial a specified telephone number or a facilitator can dial each participant individually.
Telephones within a single office building are usually connected through a Public Branch Exchange (PBX), which aggregates the building's telephone signals and sends them to a conference bridge. A conference bridge typically is software on a dedicated computer located on the phone company's premises. According to voipbroadcaster.com, it is also possible to house your own conference bridge within your enterprise. The software on the conference bridge connects all the teleconference participants to the same virtual line and sends all telephone signals to all parties, enabling a multi-way call.
The conference bridge can provide additional features to your conference call, including password protection, call recording and special options for a designated facilitator.
Web Conferencing
Teleconferencing on the Internet has added depth to the process with the ability to share video, text and presentations in addition to voice communications. Web conferencing is facilitated by the use of such protocols as XML, ASP, Java and VoIP to transfer digital information from input devices at each participating location between computers over the Internet.
Web-conferencing software gathers information from each user's keyboard, camera and microphone, and displays or transmits the aggregated output to a single source (the user interface) to which each participant connects by navigating to a location on the Internet and entering login credentials. The software allows one participant to act as a facilitator with the ability to control the output on the screen (such as a slideshow presentation), while all other participants have the ability to chat via text and voice during the presentation.
Some web-conferencing software utilizes the traditional teleconferencing method mentioned above for the voice component, while others require participants to use PC microphones. Web-based teleconferencing software can be hosted by a third-party service provider, or it can be purchased and hosted by each participating organization.
The Future
Teleconferencing continues to evolve as communications technologies become more powerful and convenient. Video, voice and text soon may be shared over cellular networks in real time, allowing people around the world to communicate with a group of people from almost anywhere via satellite on their mobile devices.
Tags: conference bridge, each participant, each participating, information from, telephone signals, with ability, your conference
Transferring analog video to digital format is a great way to preserve family memories and valuable video resources. Analog video will degrade over time until the poor quality makes it unwatchable. Digital video will not degrade as long as the storage medium remains intact. It is also more versatile for use in video editing and web video.
Instructions Import media items. The video clip will show up as a filmstrip icon on your screen. Click and drag it to the timeline, which is at the bottom. You can use Movie Maker to cut, trim, add titles and music and further customize your movie.
5. Go to File and choose Publish movie. Choose the DVD option, which will open Windows DVD Maker. Choose the menu options you want from the right side of the screen. To preview your finished product, press the green button above the video file. When finished, put a blank DVD into your disc drive and click burn. The process may take more than an hour.
Tags: Transfer Video, Transfer Video Cassettes, Video Cassettes, video will, video will degrade
Filters applied to your camera lens serve two main functions. First and foremost, they provide a protective barrier between your lens and the rest of the world. If the camera is ever dropped, the filter will take the brunt of the fall, often saving your valuable lens. Filters are also used for creative purposes in photography. They can alter the look of an image, assist in exposure and even help you photograph small objects close up.
Instructions
Instructions:
1. Determine what size of filter you will need. Look at the barrel of the lens which will have the filter attached. Look for a circle symbol with a line through it. This is the symbol that represents filter size. After the symbol will be a number. For example, 52mm after the symbol means you need to purchase a size 52mm filter.
2. Shop for camera lens filters. Purchase filters at a local photography retailer, online or by mail order from photography magazine ads. Browse the variety of filters available, and determine which ones best suit your photography needs.
3. Select a polarizing filter when photographing reflective objects. Choose a polarizing filter to help darken sky and saturate the color in your photos. They also help reduce glare on the surface of water or on glass display cases.
4. Choose a sky or UV haze filter as a multipurpose filter. Choose this option to reduce haze viewed in long-distance photographs. If you are traveling and taking scenic photographs of landscape a long distance away, choose a sky or UV haze filter to help clarify the image. Select a sky or UV haze filter for general lens protection. It is best to always have a filter applied to your lens.
5. Select black and white or sepia-toned filters to alter the look of your pictures. Shooting through these types of filters will change your photos from color to black and white or to a sepia brown tone. Once they are shot with these types of filters, you cannot go back to a color photo.
6. Choose soft focus filters for a warm, diffused look. Soft focus filters are often used when photographing women, people with wrinkles or babies. Use a soft focus filter to also smooth out patchy skin tones and mild acne. These filters are also used in wedding portraits and senior portraits of females.
7. Select magnifying filters for macro photography. Using these filters will allow you to take close-up pictures of small items. You can stack these types of filters to enhance the magnification.
Tags: haze filter, these types, these types filters, types filters, also used
A DLP (Digital Light Projection) TV is a popular option in the high-definition TV market. Using technology created at Texas Instruments, the DLP uses reflective mirrors to project its video image. In the short time since its introduction into the market, it has become a serious competitor for LCD and plasma TVs.
Function
A DLP TV uses a digital micro-mirror device, also called a DLP chip, to produce its video picture. The DLP chip reflects light for the picture through the use of aluminum mirrors.
Significance
A DLP chip is small enough to be held in a human hand--but this single chip can contain a mosaic of more than 2 million microscopic mirrors that are arranged much like a photo mosaic.
Effects
As the TV's DLP board, with its processor, memory and DLP chip, receives the TV signal, the set's light source shines through lenses and a color filter before reflecting off the chip's mirrors and projecting the picture to the screen.
Size
The more mirrors contained in the DLP chip, the greater the resolution. The most common choices of a DLP TV's resolution are 1280 by 720 pixels or 1920 by 1080.
Benefits
DLP TVs can often offer an even greater resolution and clarity than LCD or plasma screens and at a lower price (for TVs larger than 40 inches). They also have no risk of burn-in on the screen.
Radio frequency identification, or RFID, technology has found use in many different applications. Stores use RFID tags to track inventory, and government offices use it to encode identification data in important documents. While RFID tags offer considerable advantages over other tracking systems, they also have weaknesses that third parties can exploit, and disadvantages that you should take into consideration before adopting this technology.
Ease of Use
Businesses that replace bar code scanners with RFID systems gain a significant advantage, because bar codes require the user to point the scanner directly at each code scanned, while RFID scanners can activate multiple tags at once and do not require line-of-sight to each tag. A user can scan an entire box of products without opening the package, or scan the contents of a shopping cart without having to remove each item and pass it over a scanner.
Range
While passive RFID tags only have a range of a few meters, active tags use an internal power source that can boost the range and allow them to transmit over a period of time and not just when scanned. This can allow users to set up fixed RFID receivers, and track the contents of an entire building, for example, at once. Paired with a more powerful transmitter, RFID technology can track items, people or even tagged animals over a large area.
Security
The fact that an RFID tag responds to a signal of the proper frequency means that anyone capable of generating that signal can read the information from the tag. This can allow third parties to easily access the information encoded in an RFID tag, and use that data for their own purposes. Furthermore, the long-range nature of RFID technology allows users to access data at a distance and covertly, so the target of the information theft might not even be aware it has happened. Encrypting data stored in RFID tags can help prevent this kind of attack.
Privacy
The covert nature of RFID scanning and the ability to embed tags in almost any product means that consumers may not know when companies are monitoring their shopping habits or even movements. Companies can aggregate RFID data to harvest data about people without their consent, and if cashiers do not disable tags at the point of purchase, they can continue tracking consumers long after they leave the store.
Tags: RFID tags, means that, nature RFID, RFID technology, third parties
The remote control dies and you are suddenly frantic, searching the house for a couple of batteries. You're opening cameras, old Walkmans, any piece of portable technology you can find just to get a couple of AA batteries... Here's make your batteries last longer.
Instructions
1. Turn off your electronics, completely. This is by far the best advice for extended life, as every battery is essentially good for a number of hours for use.
2. Change usage. The next thing that drains a battery are the bells and whistles a piece of equipment may have. For instance, cell phones will last much longer on a "ring" setting versus a vibrate setting. The vibrate setting takes significantly more battery power to accomplish. Extrapolate this same idea to things like flashes on your camera. Only use the flash when you must. On your video camera avoid additional uses like "playback" until you can get to an outlet and use the electricity from the wall.
3. Use rechargeable batteries. Use a nickel metal hydride battery if possible. These batteries have a larger capacity to store energy than single use batteries. Let them completely drain before recharging them to keep the integrity of their usage span. Batteries have an energetic memory. If you charge it when it is only half empty, it will start to feel as if that is the base or lowest amount of energy it can retain before stopping it's function.
4. Store batties next to the ice cream. An old wives' tale that works! Alkaline batteries will last 5 percent longer by placing them in the freezer. But they must be warmed up before use to room temperature. It may be more effective to freeze NiMH and Nicad batteries often used for things like electronics or cameras. These batteries only keep their charge for a few days when resting at room temperature. But if you store them in the freezer they will retain 90 percent of their power.
Tags: couple batteries, freezer they, room temperature, them freezer, them freezer they, These batteries, things like
OK, so you have taken a picture you are really proud of. Why not frame it and put in on the wall? It is easy and inexpensive for small photographic prints. An 8-by-10 inch photograph will fit in an 11-by-14 inch frame. They are perfect for decorating your house or office. (Just remember to show off your best work and hang the photographs along with other art so you don't seem like a complete show off.) I prefer to use metal sectional frames for photographs. They are easy to assemble and you can change the photographs in the frames frequently if you desire. They also use pressure spring clips to hold the photo tight to the glass reducing the amount of dirt and dust that can get inside the frame. This article will demonstrate frame a photograph using metal sectional frames. Whatever your frame choices--don't hesitate to display your photographs--it will make you feel good.
Instructions
1. Mount your photographic print to a mounting board. There are a variety of thicknesses of board and techniques for doing this. I prefer dry mounting which fuses the photograph directly to a mounting board. Dry mounting requires a mounting press and most frame shops will mount photographs to mounting boards for a minimal cost. There are also double-sided tapes, spray mounts and other techniques that you can use and find at your local frame, photographic or art supply store. After mounting the photograph, tape it with the masking tape to the back of the matte. The matte is typically 2 or 3 inches around the image. The matte should be the exact same size as the frame and have any opening that is the exact size of the photographic print.
2. Once you have a mounted photograph, assemble the top and two sides of the sectional frame together. Leave the bottom open and attach the hangers and wire to the frame sides. You can attach the wire after the frame is together, but it is easier to get the hangers in place if you do it prior to assembly.
3. Clean both sides of the float glass thoroughly with window cleaner and lint-free paper towel. You can also use non-glare glass, but it will slightly impact the contrast of the viewed image. Float glass has few artifacts and will not impact the contrast ratio of the image. Place the matted print on the glass and insert the glass, matte and print into the frame.
4. Insert the bottom part of the frame and tighten the screws on all the joiners at the four corners of the frame. Make sure that the corners line up before tightening the screws.
5. Insert the pressure clips. The longer sides will have three pressure clips and the sides will have two pressure clips. Make sure the pressure clips are completely under the frame lip. Give the front glass a final cleaning with glass cleaner. Unless you are an expert, you will get finger prints on the front of the glass during assembly. Hang the print on a wall and impress your friends!
Tags: pressure clips, frame together, front glass, impact contrast, Make sure, metal sectional, metal sectional frames
The Canon RC-1 is a wireless remote control that can be used to take full control of the camera shutter when pointed at the front of the camera. It operates at ranges of up to 5 meters and is compatible with a number of the Canon Eos digital SLR camera range.
Compatible Cameras
Compatible cameras with the RC-1 are all from the Canon EOS range and include the Digital Rebel T2i 550D; Digital Rebel T1i 500D; Digital Rebel XSi 450D; EOS Digital Rebel XTi 400D; EOS Digital Rebel XT 350D; EOS Digital Rebel 300D; EOS 7D and the EOS 5D Mark II.
Remote Switch
The infrared remote sensor on the camera is located just below the shutter button on the front face.
Benefits
This remote is a useful tool for users who want include themselves in the photograph and do not want to have to return to the camera time and time again to retake the picture, before a rushed return to the pose. It can also be used to take photographs without pressing the shutter button, which can cause vibration and affect image quality when the shutter is open for longer periods as during situations like night photography.
Tags: Digital Rebel, Cameras Compatible, shutter button, used take
Burst mode, or continuous shooting mode, is not a new feature of the digital camera revolution. In the old days, professional photographers would use motor drive attachments to shoot multiple images quickly. Motor drives were very heavy, and sports photographers would load them with 50 feet of 35mm film to get the best shots at sporting events. Motor drives were also a favorite of wildlife photographers. Today, all DSLR and some pocket digital cameras have a burst mode function. Read on to learn how and when to use the continuous shooting mode.
Instructions
1. Most DSLR cameras have a burst mode function. Check your user manual to learn engage and disengage burst mode. Nikon cameras have a toggle button to turn burst mode on and off. When it is engaged you will see the burst mode indicator in your status window. When burst mode is on it will take multiple shots instead of a single shot, as long as you depress and hold the shutter button. The speed can vary from 3 frames per second to 7 frames per second on higher end DSLR cameras.
2. This shooting mode is great for wildlife photography and will help you get that perfect shot. In this burst you can see four pictures of the bear taken in a span of 2 seconds. Yes, he was moving fast hearing the insane barking of my border collie. Bears do not like dogs.
3. This is the best shot from the bear series. It is the second one from the series, and I would have missed it entirely if I had not engaged continuous shooting mode. Some photographers always use this mode, but I think it is not useful for shooting scenic views and portraits. It is very useful for any sort of action photography, on the other hand, including studio work with models and street photography.
4. GIMP has a useful feature that allows you to merge several photos into a filmstrip image. I find this tool useful for analyzing the results from the shooting in burst mode. It allows you to essentially create an old-fashioned "contact sheet" to evaluate your images and decide which one is best. To find out more about this feature, see Resources below.
5. Burst mode doesn't always help you to make a decision on which photograph is best. In this burst of images, they are all very different and they are all needed to tell the story of this dog on the beach. However, you could merge all these photographs into one image to tell the story. That, however, is the subject of another article.
When film gets stuck in cameras, photographers may sometimes be required to remove it manually in 100% darkness.
Before the digital cameras of today, and even before the automatic film cameras that would automatically feed film onto a take-up spool and then rewind it back into the canister after the last frame was taken, photographers had to manually load film into their Pentax cameras and rewind the film at the end of the roll. At times the film would malfunction and not rewind into the canister properly, or wouldn't rewind at all.
Instructions
1. Hold your Pentax camera upside down in one hand and look on the base plate for a small button enclosed in a recessed compartment. This is the film rewind button.
2. Press the button into the camera to unlock the rewind function. This should allow you to rewind your film.
3. Lift the rewind crank out of the rewind knob located on the top left of the camera.
4. Gently turn the crank in the direction indicated on the handle. If the crank will not turn, do not force it. This means your film is stuck and you will have to remove manually.
5. Place the camera and the black plastic protective case the film came in into a film changing bag. This bag is specially designed for loading film onto developing reels. It is 100% light proof and therefore safe to open your camera in. If you do not have a changing bag, wait until evening when the sun has set, find an internal bathroom or closet in your house. Bring the camera and canister into the room.
6. Turn off the lights and wait for a minute or two for your eyes to adjust. Hold your hand in front of your face; if you cannot see your hand it is dark enough to open the camera. If you can see you hand, place the camera and canister in a dark green garbage bag and, with the lights off, open the camera back and carefully remove the film.
7. Place the film into the plastic canister, secure the lid in place and take the film to a photo lab for processing.
Tags: camera canister, film into, film onto, Hold your, into canister
There are many terms used in digital imaging, but the term "megapixels" is probably the most misunderstood of any of them. Maybe it's because megapixel is so misused in advertising campaigns, or maybe its because the word is the combination of two words, mega and pixel. Defining the term will help the reader to understand the basics of megapixels.
History Of The Pixel
In order to understand the word megapixel, knowing its etymology and where it originated from is useful. Megapixel is two words put together, mega and pixel. Pixel, or picture element, originates in the image processing and video coding field. The German word Bildpunkte, coined in the 1880's, translates into "picture points" and appears to be where the concept of picture elements came from. The term, picture element, was first used in an article in Wireless World magazine in 1927. The term pixel, a combining of pix (short for pictures) and el (short for elements), was first used in 1965.
Technical Function Of The Pixel
The picture elements or picture points being referred to are the smallest elements of information in a picture. The elements are placed within a 2-dimensional grid to recreate the original image. The more pixels contained in an image, the more closely the image represents the original. Often they are represented by dots, but they can also be represented as squares or rectangles and other shapes. The variation of shape depends on the device the image is viewed on.
Megapixel Size
Megapixel (mp) translates to 1 million pixels, or 1 million picture elements or points -- 1 million image sensor elements. Counting pixels is expressed in several ways, by a single digit or a pair of digits. So a 3.1mp camera is also shown as 2048 x 1536, and an 8mp is 3264 x 2448. Figuring mp's is just like figuring square footage, as long as the room being measured is rectangular in shape.
Important Information About Megapixels
Context is important when using the term megapixel. When acquiring an image on one device and displaying the image on a different type of device, or converting images from one format to another, understanding the changes taking place, and the differences between the use of pixel, and megapixel, between the devices is important in retaining the original image and viewing quality. Pixels can be arranged differently from one device to another, meaning they are not referenced on a two-dimensional grid but referenced in some other pattern. If this is so, the image will be re-sampled and thereby resized, which can stretch or distort the image.
Misconceptions About Megapixels
The megapixel (mp) is a term that is often misused, especially in advertising digital cameras. Although typically it refers to the ability to print in large scale (think 12 x16 or 16 x 20) --- the larger the number of mp's the sharper the print size capability --- not everyone agrees about this. It is also thought that the size of the digital sensor area (where the pixels are stored) is part of the equation for sharp pictures in digital cameras.
Tags: picture elements, About Megapixels, digital cameras, first used, image more, mega pixel
Changing a cellphone's battery won't erase its internal or expanded memory. Once data and files are placed onto a cellphone's memory, they remain there until you delete them or the device experiences an uncommon extreme condition, such as water exposure or an electrical surge.
Memory
Most mobile phones come with a limited amount of pre-installed memory, which makes it necessary to add memory if you intend to add a lot of content, such as music and pictures, to the devices. Mobile phones provide this option through internal card slots that typically support microSD or microSDHC memory cards for up to 32GB of expanded memory. Each of these types of memory is designed to retain its contents, even during periods when no power is available, such as during a battery change.
Battery
As of November 2011, most mobile phones use standard lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries, which are designed to provide mobile devices with extended battery life. Usually, these batteries are located inside the phone's back cover, in front of the device's subscriber identification module card, better known as the SIM card, and expanded memory card slot. Over time, these batteries lose their ability to retain power, providing your phone with shorter amounts of time before needing to be recharged. Eventually, you'll need to change the battery, which can be done in less than a minute and poses no threat to losing the phone's memory during this short period of time.
Options
If you're worried about losing your cellphone's memory contents while changing a battery, you can transfer all of the device's internal memory contents to its microSD or microSDHC card for backup purposes. These cards are designed specifically to retain and transfer data for long periods of time without power. Using the phone's USB feature to connect to a personal computer will enable you to synchronize and transfer files between the machines, enabling the PC to act as a backup should any of the phone's memory be lost during a battery change.
Consideration
Although your cellphone's memory won't be lost while its battery is changed, it's best to get into the habit of backing up the device's memory in the event of extreme occurrences, such as excessive phone damage. In addition to backup memory cards and synching with a PC, you can transfer your device's memory contents from one device to another through Bluetooth technology, which wirelessly transmits data to any device that's equipped with the same technology.
Replacing the infrared filter on your digital camera can make for attractive photos.
All digital cameras have a built-in infrared lens-blocking filter. This filter prevents infrared light from entering the sensor of your camera. Removing the infrared lens filter will enable your camera to see only the infrared spectrum of light. This makes for interesting and artistic photos.
Instructions
1. Disassemble the web cam or digital camera using a Phillips screwdriver. Some cameras may have to be opened by prying them with a prying tool like a flat tip screwdriver.
2. Find the CCD (charged couple device) for the camera. This is the sensor that is behind the lens and is the part responsible for sensing the light on your camera. The infrared filter will be attached to the CCD.
3. Detach the infrared lens-blocking filter. It is a piece of glass that has a red tint to it. Some IR lens filters are square in shape while others are round. They can be removed using your fingernails or with the use of a flat head screwdriver. Remove the filter gently so as not to damage the camera assembly.
4. Attach the infrared band pass filter (the film negative) to the place where the infrared lens-blocking filter used to be. Secure the attachment using non-toxic craft glue or its equivalent. Make sure the glue does not go onto the lens or on any part through which light passes. Wait for the glue to dry.
5. Reassemble the camera.
Tags: infrared lens-blocking, infrared lens-blocking filter, lens-blocking filter, your camera, cameras have, digital camera, filter will
The FGX10's 3/8-inch thread mount works with most modern digital cameras.
The Davis & Sanford company, a division of the Tiffen Manufacturing Corporation, has been manufacturing super-rigid, lightweight tripods since 1930. These tripods lend themselves to applications as diverse as portraiture, fashion, astronomical, photojournalism and industrial photography, as well as videography. Davis & Sanford introduced the FGX10, a pan and tilt tripod head, in 2006 as part of the company's first line of carbon fiber tripods.
Basics
The Davis & Sanford FGX10 tripod head features fluid three-way pan and vertical tilt action. This 2.2-lb. tripod head supports cameras that weight up to 9 lbs. The FGX10, Davis & Sanford item model number B0010CFVU6, has a calibrated base for pinpoint positioning. This device supports cameras -- including single-lens reflex cameras -- camcorders and scopes. The FGX10 tripod head measures 4 inches tall and has a tripod mount thread size of 3/8 of an inch.
Features
The FGX10 comes with Davis & Sanford's Stroboframe quick release system for attaching to and detaching from compatible tripods. This tripod head has a bubble level for simple leveling procedures. The thick handles of the FGX10 feature textured rubber grip and control surfaces. Users can join these handles together to save space for storage.
Considerations
Davis & Sanford introduced the FGX10 head alongside the the Carbon LiteX10 tripod, a carbon fiber and magnesium tripod compatible with the FGX10 head. This 62-inch, 5.2-lb., aluminum-coated tripod features quick release for tripod heads. The FGX10 attaches to directly to any Davis & Sanford tripods that feature the company's proprietary Stroboframe brackets, including the CourierXTT, MagnumXT and MagnumX3T. Every new Davis & Sanford tripod and tripod head comes backed by a 10-year warranty.
Availability and Pricing
At the time of publication, the Davis & Sanford company no longer offers the FGX10 tripod head. However, some brick-and-mortar and online photography retailers still sell new units for about $70. At the time of its introduction, the list price of the Carbon LiteX10 tripod, which includes the FGX10, was around $300, and now can be found for roughly $100.
If you choose not to subscribe to cable or satellite TV, you can still enjoy great antenna-based TV programming. In major metropolitan areas, you can receive full high-definition Dolby Digital 5.1 content over the air via a digital TV antenna. In fact, as of June 2009 TV stations are doing away with analog signals. Over-the-air content via a digital TV antenna may be your only option if you live in a rural area and do not subscribe to satellite or cable.
Instructions
Hook Up A TV Antenna
1. Inspect the antenna for any signs of damage. Identify and examine the power adapter cord and the coaxial antenna cable for any rips tears or other defects.
2. Plug the adapter into the antenna's power adapter socket. It will be labeled "12V DC/Adapter". If you are using an antenna that does not require power, such as rabbit ears, you may skip this step.
3. Next connect the antenna cable to the television using the TV's "Antenna In/75 Ohm" input jack. Make sure the antenna connector is twisted tightly into place. Place the antenna on a sturdy surface such as the top of an entertainment center. If you have an older analog TV that is a non high definition ready/capable display and are using a digital to analog converter box, generally, the antenna will plug into the input of the converter and the output of the converter will plug into the antenna input of your TV. Consult your owners manual for details.
4. Plug the antenna's power supply into a 120V AC wall outlet. This will turn the antenna on. If you are using the "rabbit ears" style antenna, make sure that the each section of the antenna is fully extended. This will give you the best reception.
5. Turn on the TV and check for digital reception. You will know that you are receiving digital signals because the picture will be clear and free of any analog "snow" or other artifacts. Digital TV channels have DVD quality picture and sound.
Tags: antenna cable, antenna power, digital antenna, Hook Antenna, into antenna, plug into
The HP Photosmart C5280 is an all-in-one printer from Hewlett-Packard that can make copies, scan, and print documents and photos. It has a raised LCD screen that helps you choose options for printing. It also comes with a CD containing software for your computer that has all the information you need to make the most of your printer. HP also maintains a copy of the software and drivers, as well as the owner's manual, on the website.
Instructions
Cancel Printing From Your Computer
1. Click "Print" from a document or photo on your computer, and select your HP Photosmart C5280 as the printer for the job. A window will pop up displaying the printer and its current jobs.
2. Select the current print job in the pop-up printer window by clicking on it. It is now highlighted.
3. Click the "Cancel selected job" button in the upper right-hand corner. If you have multiple print jobs you want to cancel, don't select anything and instead click "Cancel all jobs" on the top right.
Cancel Printing Directly from Your Printer
4. Look at your printer's LCD screen and read the message. If it says "Queueing print job" press the red Cancel button. It may not work until it switches to "Printing," so keep pressing the button every few seconds until the screen says "Canceling."
5. Remove the paper from the paper tray if step 1 isn't working. The paper tray is in the front middle at the very bottom of the printer. Pull it open and pull out all the paper. Now the LCD screen will say "Out of paper--refill paper." Push the "Cancel print" button.
6. Unplug the printer if for some reasons steps 1 and 2 fail to work. This could include if it's halfway through printing a page and you need it to stop immediately.
Tags: Cancel Printing, paper tray, Photosmart C5280, printer window, your computer, your printer
High-definition (HD) cameras are steadily becoming available from different manufacturers. HD camcorders offer a wider range of colors, higher resolutions and better compression, allowing even amateur users to shoot beautiful movies. It takes more than sharp images to make a good movie, though. Learn what you can do to make a good movie with an HD camera that will match the content of your movie to the quality of your HD camera.
Instructions
1. Choose your HD camera. They aren't cheap just yet, but if you want to shoot in high definition, many HD camcorders are on the market. Decide whether you want a standard hard-drive memory or a flash-drive memory. A hard-drive memory can give you up to 120 gigabytes of space, which equals up to 7 hours of footage per 30 gigabytes. HD camcorders with flash-based memory currently go up to only 32 gigabytes, giving you between 8 and 20 hours of footage. The benefit of a flash-based memory camera is the smaller size required for storage, which means a lighter, smaller camcorder and the quicker speed flash-based memory allows for media retrieval.
2. Plan your movies, whether personal home movies or a film assignment for school, as you would if you were shooting a feature for a film company. Shoot your movie using angles and taking advantage of the array of special effects features built into your HD camcorder. Add extra memory to your camcorder and capture scenes you may not normally consider if you were concerned about space.
3. Keep the sharpness level down on your camcorder. HD shoots sharper images to begin with, so you don't want to oversharpen the images. Try to shoot in softer light when possible to bring out the best in HD quality.
4. Reduce your depth of field by shooting longer focal fields. Slow down on pan and angle shots to take advantage of the enhanced detail of HD-quality video. Use caution when shooting different ratios such as 16:9. The increased width makes shaking more noticeable. You might want to find a way to steady the camera as much as possible when shooting in this mode. With some attention to details and some thoughtful planning, you can make an extremely good movie with your new HD camera.
Tags: flash-based memory, your camcorder, your camera, good movie, hard-drive memory, hours footage, make good movie
A Pioneer VSX receiver is a tuner through which you can route all your audio components. Any problems you have with the receiver are fairly simple to troubleshoot, for example, a unit that needs to be reset or excessive noise in the radio broadcasts. There are a few steps to follow before taking your receiver in for service.
Instructions
1. Check that there are no loose strands of speaker wire touching the rear of the unit. This can cause the receiver to shut off automatically.
2. Ensure that the speakers are set at the correct distance from the receiver for optimum sound depth. This way the receiver can add the proper delay needed for effective surround sound. Select "SP DISTN" from the "SP Set Up" menu. Use the up/down arrows on the remote to choose the speaker you want. Use the left/right arrows to adjust the distance (in 0.1-foot increments) of each speaker from the receiver.
3. Route any loose cables away from the antenna terminals and wires if there is excessive noise in the radio broadcasts. Turn off other appliances that may be causing interference, such as hair dryers and neon lamps. Fully extend the FM wire antenna. If there is noise during playback from the cassette deck, move the receiver farther away from the deck until the noise diminishes.
4. Press "DIMMER" repeatedly on the remote control if the receiver's display is dark or off.
5. Reset the main unit if the receiver is generally not operating correctly. Switch the receiver into standby mode. Hold down the "BAND" button while pressing the "STANDYBY/ON" button for about two seconds. When "Reset?" appears in the display window, press the "AUTO SURROUND/ STREAM DIRECT" button. "OK?" appears in the display window. Press "STEREO/A.L.C." to confirm. "OK" appears in the window. The system has been reset.
6. Ensure that the subwoofer is turned on and the volume dial is turned up if there is no sound from the subwoofer.
7. Check that the positive/negative speaker terminals on the receiver are matched with the corresponding terminals on the speakers, if everything is set up correctly, but the playback sound is odd.
Taking apart a stereo speaker is a fairly simple process.
Stereo speakers are fairly simple mechanisms for turning electronic impulses into sound. If you have a speaker and you want to disassemble it, then all you're going to really need is a clean work space, a utility knife, a screwdriver, a wire cutter and maybe some wrenches, depending on if the speaker is held together with screws or bolts. If you have those tools, and maybe half an hour or so, you can disassemble a speaker.
Instructions
1. Remove the screws or bolts that are holding the case together. Once these are pulled away, you should be able to open up the case to see inside the speaker. You may need to remove the front mesh, which you can do by carefully cutting it away with the utility knife where it's bonded to the case.
2. Remove the screws that are holding the cone in place and then remove the cone assembly. If all you need is the cone then you can cut the wires, but if you want to keep the wires in one piece then gently pry them up, breaking the solder holding them in place.
3. Remove the remaining pieces of the speaker until they've all separately been set aside with their proper hardware. There should be a few circuit boards, as well as a unit on top of the speaker that's called the EHT unit. On the bottom of the speaker there will be another piece of electronic equipment called the audio transformer. All of these pieces of equipment should be held in place with screws or bolts which can be easily removed and the pieces taken out of the speaker frame.
Tags: screws bolts, fairly simple, Remove screws, that holding, utility knife, with screws, with screws bolts
Smart Media cards have declined in popularity with the rise of Compact Flash and Secure Digital memory, but many older digital cameras use them and some people still prefer them over other memory types. One primary advantage is their size. While they are wider and longer than Secure Digital cards, they are thinner. And, all of their dimensions are smaller than Compact Flash.
Instructions
1. Find the Smart Media slot on your digital camera. It is probably located behind a door on the side of the camera or by the battery compartment. Remove the Smart Media card by pressing on it gently. It releases, allowing you to easily pull it out of the camera.
2. Place the Smart Media card back into the camera by positioning the metal connectors at the bottom and sliding it into the slot. Gently press to click it into place. If it will not click into place, try turning the card around 180 degrees.
3. Get a digital card reader to use the Smart Media card in your computer. In order to get pictures or any other data off of the Smart Media card, you'll need a card reader. This can be an internal reader which reads many types of media including Smart Media or a USB device which has a USB connector on one end and a Smart Media connector on the other.
4. Go to "My Computer" and look for the "Smart Media" card. It shows up as a drive, just like a hard drive. Open the drive to see your data.
5. Access the data by copying or cutting it and pasting it to your hard drive. You can open data directly from the card, but this will be slow. If you want to use a lot of pictures or documents from a Smart Media card it will be faster to first transfer them to your hard drive.
Tags: Smart Media, Media card, Smart Media card, hard drive, your hard drive, card reader, click into
Magnifying lenses enhance an image's size, not its resolution.
Resolution and magnification are two concepts in the field of optics. Magnification is the enlargement of an image, while resolution is the ability of an optical device to provide detail of an image.
Magnification
Magnification is achieved by bending light in order to change the size of an object's image. Telescopes, magnifying glasses and microscopes are instruments that magnify images. These devices can only magnify up until a certain point after which further magnification will not be distinguishable to the naked eye; further magnification is called empty magnification.
Resolution
Many optical instruments refer to a level of resolution, with higher levels being better. A common misconception is that resolution is measured in megapixels; this is only an order of magnitude measurement. Camera images also have pixels that are unusable or indistinguishable from one another. Any two points in an image closer to each other than the radius of the Airy disk (the circular pattern of light focused on a point) are indistinguishable fromeach other.
Misconceptions
Many believe that a lens that can produce a 4 megapixel image is twice as powerful as a 2 megapixel lens. However, megapixels are products; this means that doubling the length and width of the image actually quadruples the image's area.
Tags: each other, further magnification, indistinguishable from
With technology advancing quickly, it has become increasingly easy to have a state-of-the-art home stereo system for people of all budgets. The components of a home stereo rack system can be customized to the individual, but generally consist of four main accessories.
Amplifier
The amplifier is the main component of a home stereo system. All other components run through the amplifier. It's the amplifier's job to optimize the quality of all other components.
Tuner
Often, the tuner will be combined with the amplifier. The tuner is used to select the mode for which you want to use your stereo system, which can play radio, CD or video.
CD Player
CD players come in different styles. You can choose a CD player that holds anywhere from one disc to hundreds of discs. If you choose to use your home stereo system as part of a home theater system, you can substitute a DVD player or Blu Ray player for the CD player, as they are both capable of playing CDs.
Speakers
The speakers are what bring your music to life. The many manufacturers and specifications make your speaker options countless. In addition to regular speakers, you can add sub-woofers and surround speakers for the ultimate listening experience. Sub-woofers transmit low-pitched frequencies, and will increase the bass output. Surround speakers are smaller, more discreet speakers ideally placed around the listener in a 360-degree plane, "surrounding" the listener with sound.
Tags: home stereo, stereo system, home stereo system, four main, other components, player player
If you want to add new speakers into your vehicle, you'll enjoy better sound, with improved frequency response and detail in your music. However, not all vehicles have space for better speakers. If you've got a vehicle that can't accommodate new speakers, you're not out of luck. You can build your own speaker boxes from simple materials and mount speakers into them with a few simple tools and materials.
Instructions
1. Cut four pieces of MDF, each piece measuring 6" x 6". Then cut four more pieces of MDF, each piece measuring 10" x 6". MDF (medium density fiberboard) is used in lieu of cheaper materials like plywood or particle board because it is more durable and resistant to vibrations. Your boxes will last longer, and your speakers will sound better as a result.
2. Assemble the 6" x 6" and 6" x 10" pieces into two rectangular assemblies, as seen in the diagram. Use wood screws to hold the pieces together -- the wood screws will hold the pieces together more securely than nails.
3. Cut four more pieces of MDF, each measuring 6" x 11 1/2". In two of these pieces, cut openings for your speakers, using the speakers as a template for how large the hole should be. In the other two pieces of MDF, cut openings for the terminal cups, using the cups as templates for how large the cutouts should be.
4. Add the terminal cups to the two back pieces of MDF, securing them in place with screws. Attach a short length of speaker wire (10" should be fine) to the inside tabs of the terminal cups. Now put the back pieces onto your boxes, using wood screws.
5. Attach the front pieces to the boxes with wood screws. Attach the speaker wire to the wire tabs of the speakers, and then mount the speakers into the cutouts, using screws on the mounting tabs.
Tags: wood screws, pieces each, screws Attach, speakers into, terminal cups, back pieces, cups back
Creating a panoramic picture used to only be a possibility for professional photographers with expensive cameras and high-tech software. However, now that programs like Photoshop are used by professionals and amateurs and now that essentially everybody uses digital cameras, an amateur photographer can create a panoramic picture just as easily as a professional.
Panoramic photos are effective at showing landscapes. They are often used by everyone from art show competitors to land developers.
Instructions
1. Hold the camera steady and move it slowly from left to right when taking the photos that will be used in the panorama. Overlap the images by about 25 percent. This can be done by choosing an item on the right side of the first image. When the second image is taken, the item should be on the left side of the view finder.
2. Open the photos that will be used in the panorama. About three images is a good amount to start with. The images can be opened by navigating to "File" and "Open." Browse and find the files you want to use.
3. Go back to the "File" menu and click it. When the menu opens, select "New." Then choose the "Photomerge Panorama" option. After this is done, the Photomerge window will open. A column on the left side of the page will be titled "Layout." It includes "Auto," "Perspective," "Cylindrical," Reposition Only" and "Interactive Layout" options.
4. Select the "Auto" layout in the Photomerge window. This is the first choice in the "Layout" column. Then click on the "Add Open Files" button. This will add the files you opened in Step 2 to the panoramic photo. Click "OK." Photoshop automatically lines up the photos, creates a panoramic image and blends the layers.
5. Crop the photo of any ragged edges by using the crop tool from the toolbar on the left-hand side of the page. Then press "Ctrl+Shift+Alt+E" to merge all of the layers into one single file. Press "Ctrl+S" to save and the panoramic picture has been created.
Tags: left side, panoramic picture, Photomerge window, photos that, photos that will, side page, that will
Compact discs (CDs) are the storing medium that came along and replace the traditional LP. The technology behind compact discs began in early 1979, however the first commercially available album released on CD wasn't until Billy Joel's 52nd Street in 1982. Compact discs are optical discs that are 120 mm in diameter. A standard disc can old 80 minutes of audio or 700 MB of data. Since its conception, the CD has spawned an entire generation of adapted technology. From the basic setup of the CD came the CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD-RW and mini-discs. Manufacturing CDs requires seven very defined steps: glass mastering, electroplating, stamping, molding, metallization, lacquering, printing and packaging.
Glass Mastering
The first process that is completed to manufacture a CD is glass mastering. The CD is molded and smashed in the premastering step. Then, in an enclosed clean environment, glass in used to keep the CD master image while it is created in a glass substrate. The glass substrates are cleaned thoroughly to remove any traces of any pollutants that can hinder the process. It is then spun on a spin coater to rinse it with a solvent and dye-polymer solution. During the entire process, the spin increases in speed for better resistance. It starts off at 1x and increases until it reaches 8x in speed.
Electroplating
The CDs master blank side needs to have pits and lands in order to be able to be read and written to. In the electroplating phrase, it is sprayed with photoresist to prepare it for forming the pits and lands. Over the photoresist, a layer of metal is melted onto the CD. There is an accuracy check that the CD must go through after the step, and then another layer of metal is evaporated over the last one.
Stamping
During the stamping step, the electroplating steps are completed three separate times. The pits and lands on the CDs are separated into three types: sons, mothers and fathers. The "fathers" are created by making three to six metal impressions. The "mothers" manipulates the "fathers" into an additional create three to six metal impressions on top of that. These two impressions together are called ""sons, or stampers.
Molding
The CD's impressions must now be molded. This is done by injecting liquid polycarbonate into the CD. It is then replicated multiple times. While the polycarbonate is being injected into the CD, it is held in place for 6 seconds to hold its shape. This is why this is called the molding phase.
Metallization
After molding, the CDs are coated with a micro-thin layer of aluminum. This is where the reflective mirroring on the CDs comes from. This aluminum surfaces helps the laser light in CD players read the information imprinted on the CD.
Laquering
The CD information must be protected from any type of harm during the following phases of manufacturing and during playback. The lacquering phase protects the CD by coating it with a thin layer of plastic having 1 to 30 microns. The printing process will destroy the CD if this step isn't completed correctly.
Printing & Packaging
Any type of artwork, text or design that the manufacturer decides to place on the CD is done in the printing phase. Using the offset or silk screen process, the printing is done and polished to leave the CD with a visually appealing and clean appearance.
The last thing to be done is the packaging. The CDs are assembled with any accompanying materials such as booklets and inlay cards. Depending on the manufacturer and the packaged item, the CDs will be packaged in jewel cases individually or in bunk on a spindle. It is then wrapped with plastic wrap.
The best way to go from your guitar to your computer is through your amp.
If you want to plug your guitar into your computer's mike jack, you could buy a plug adapter for your amp cable and plug it in. The problem is the sound transmitted to the computer will be at a very low volume. The better approach is to plug your guitar into your amp and your amp into your computer; that way, you'll have much better volume and a whole range of additional effects. Using this approach requires one more cable and, of course, a jack adapter.
Instructions
1. Plug your guitar's amplifier cable into the amplifier.
2. Plug one end of the male-to-male patch cord into the headphone jack on the amplifier.
3. Plug the other end of the patch cord into the female end of the plug adapter; plug the other end of the plug adapter into the microphone jack on the computer.
4. Set the guitar and the amp to their lowest volumes. Turn on the amp.
5. Start your recording software. Set the recording source to the microphone. Turn the microphone volume down to a low setting.
6. Put on the headphones. Start the software recording by clicking the red "Record" button.
7. Raise the recording level in the recording software to about the middle of the range. Then turn up your guitar volume knob to 5.
8. Slowly increase the volume level on the amp until you can hear a clear sound through the headphones. Adjust the guitar, amp and software recording level until you get a signal that's close to the top of the green zone on the software's monitor bars.
Tags: your guitar, into your, plug adapter, software recording, your computer, amplifier Plug
Coconut oil---also known as coconut butter---has been gaining worldwide popularity due to its many health benefits. Although it is manufactured mostly from the Philippines, South Asia has been trading it for hundreds of years in the South seas. Coconut oil is made up of approximately 90 percent saturated fat, but is considered a processed tropical oil and is not classified as a hydrogenated oil---like most saturated fats are---making it a healthy choice as a home remedy.
Cadiovascular Health
Coconut oil is beneficial to the heart and cardiovascular system. It contains lauric acid, which helps to stabilize blood pressure and balance cholesterol levels. Use coconut oil---preferably virgin---instead of your usual cooking oil when preparing meals, or drizzle it on salad.
Skin Problems
Coconut oil is also known to improve many skin conditions--such as acne, wrinkles, cellulite, stretch marks, eczema and psoriasis. The lauric acid is what makes it a great anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-protozoal agent. It penetrates the many layers of skin and keeps tissues firm and resilient so that the skin does not wrinkle, sag or dry out. The recommended way to use coconut oil for treating skin problems is to apply it to the affected areas two to three times per day.
Dry and Damaged Hair
Coconut oil is also known as being one of the best natural conditioners that you can use for hair. The fats and proteins in the oil help keep the scalp free of dandruff and also repair damaged or dry hair. Recommended usage for coconut oil in remedying hair problems is to massage the oil into your hair and scalp a half an hour before getting into the shower or washing it.
Athlete's Foot or Plantar Warts
The anti-protozoal and anti-parasitic activities in coconut oil help treat skin infections, such as athlete's foot and plantar warts. To help get rid of these irritations, massage the oil onto the affected area of skin twice a day. For best results, rub the coconut oil onto your feet right before going to bed at night and wear a thin pair of cotton socks to help lock the oil in.
Tags: also known, Coconut also, Coconut also known, health benefits, lauric acid
Coaxial cables, usually identified by "RG" and a number, carry a wide variety of electronic signals for thousands of applications. The signal travels over a center conductor surrounded by an insulating material, a shield made of foil or woven copper and an outer protective jacket. RG60 and RG59 are close in their number designations but not in characteristics.
Impedance
The impedance of a coaxial cable tells how much opposition it presents to a signal source. RG59 has an impedance of 75 ohms and RG60, 50 ohms. Most lower power circuits operate at 75 ohms and higher power circuits at 50 ohms. Although there is no exact power trade-off point, 50-ohm cable more frequently carries transmit signals and 75-ohm carries received signals. RG59 is used extensively for lower power signals in home entertainment and industrial telecommunications systems. RG60 is not commonly used and is difficult to find. People could easily confuse RG60 with RG6, an entirely different cable.
Impedance Mismatch
Mismatching impedance by using a 50-ohm cable on a 75-ohm circuit or vice versa can cause signals to reflect between the source and the destination, causing standing waves and excessive power loss at different frequencies. A television signal reflected in a cable can cause ghosting. Although most home entertainment system components don't readily show impedance statistics, they are usually 75 ohms. Sometimes manufacturers recommend certain types of coaxial cables, including RG59 and RG6, but not RG60. You should not use a cable known to have 50 ohms of impedance in your TV system.
Physical Characteristics
RG60 is thicker than RG59 and almost five times heavier, weighing 15 lbs. for a 100-foot piece. The same amount of RG59 only weighs 3.2 lbs. RG60 has an outside diameter of 0.46 inches and RG59 is 0.24 inches. Both have a braided copper shield. RG60 has an insulation thickness of 0.25 inches and a 0.05-inch center conductor. RG59 has 0.15 inches of insulation and a 0.03-inch center conductor. RG60 has a rubber outer jacket and RG59 one of PVC. Both can withstand temperatures between -40 and 176 degrees Fahrenheit.
Military Spec Equivalent
Under military specifications category MIL-C-17, the Department of Defense defines technical requirements that coaxial cables must meet for military use, classifying RG59 as M17/29. Cable manufacturers strive to meet these specifications for all types of coaxial cables. One hundred feet of RG59 should have no more than 9 decibels of loss at 400 MHz, and no more than 16 dB at 1,000 MHz. RG60 has no military specification equivalent and its exact technical characteristics are not clearly defined. Specifications for RG6 (M17/2) however, show a 75-ohm cable with lower loss than RG59 that would work well for TV and satellite antennas.
Tags: center conductor, 50-ohm cable, coaxial cables, home entertainment, lower power, more than, power circuits
A number of websites on the Internet let you reduce the pixel size of images stored on your computer. Upload the image to the website and use the provided software. This software is installed on the Web server of the site and does not require you to install anything on your computer. Once the image size reduction process is complete, download the resized image to your computer.
Instructions
1. Navigate to a website on the Internet that provides image pixel reduction service (see References and Resources).
2. Click the "Choose File" button on the page that opens, navigate to the location on your computer where the image whose Pixel size you want to reduce is stored and double-click it to select it.
3. Choose a new pixel size for the image. Options might range from 760 pixels to 100 pixels. Alternately, specify a custom pixel size by selecting a "Custom" radio button and typing the new pixel size (such as 800) in the adjacent box. To specify pixel reduction in percentage, choose a percentage option, such as 75 percent, 50 percent or 25 percent.
4. Select the "Apply an Image Special Effect" check box and choose an option, such as grayscale or sepia, if you want to apply special effects to your picture.
5. Choose a radio button to set the resized image quality. Available options may include good, better and best.
6. Click the "Resize" button.
7. Click on the image download link to download the resized image back to your computer. Navigate to the location on your computer where you want to save the resized image (for example, C:\My Pictures) using the dialog box that opens and click "Save."
Using a TelePrompTer during a speech helps decrease errors.
Corporate executives, heads of states and even students in class can all benefit by using a TelePrompTer when giving a speech. A TelePrompTer slowly displays the words of a speech on a television or computer screen so the individual giving the speech can read along. TelePrompTers work perfectly for individuals who fear they may forget parts of the speech, or who don't have the time or inclination to memorize the speech prior to reciting it in front of their audience. Transforming your television into a TelePrompTer requires the use of a computer equipped with the necessary software.
Instructions
1. Download or purchase a TelePrompTer program from the Internet or local software store. You can find several free TelePrompTer programs on such websites as cueprompter.com and easyprompter.com, or you can purchase a program such as Tele-Prompt if you want more than just a basic program. Install the program onto your computer's hard drive.
2. Insert you speech into the computer software. Write your speech in a word processing program such as Word or AppleScript, then copy and paste the speech into the dialogue box of your TelePrompTer program. Run the prompt program on your computer so you can adjust the size of the font and the speed of the text to your liking.
3. Examine your computer and television to determine what type of video outputs both pieces of equipment support. Newer computers will generally have HDMI or DVI outputs, while older computers will at least have a VGA or S-Video output. HDTVs will have a HDMI or DVI outlets you can plug directly into, while you may need to get a converter cable to connect your computer to an older cathode ray tube TV.
4. Connect your computer to your television. For HDTVs, connect your computer into the HDMI or DVI outlets on the back of the TV, and plug your computer into the "Video In" outlet located on the back of a CRT TV. Turn your TV to the channel or input source that displays the incoming video feed from your computer.
5. Start the program from your computer to run the TelePrompTer. Place the TV at a distance and angle that allows you to easily read the monitor, but doesn't obscure you from the audience.
Tags: your computer, computer into, computers will, connect your computer, from your
The gain of a transistor can be determined using the Alpha and Beta parameters of the transistor.
In order to calculate the gain of a transistor, it must be used as an amplifier in a circuit. The gain of a transistor is determined by its configuration. The Common Base Configuration results in a voltage gain but no current gain. The Common Collector configuration has a current gain but no voltage gain. The Common Emitter configuration has both a current gain and the voltage gain. When determining the voltage or the current gain of a transistor, the voltage across the Base and Emitter (VBE) of the transistor as well as the voltage across the Collector and the Emitter (VCE) are used.
Instructions
1. Determine the ratio of the Collector current (Ic) to the Base current (Ib) using the formula below:
Ic / Ib
This ratio is designated using the Beta sign ( β). The Base and Collector currents can be determined by use of the base resistor (Rb) and the load resistors (RL) respectively, and the Ohm's Law below:
V = I / R
Ib = Vb / Rb
Ic = Vcc / RL
Where:
Vb = Voltage supplied across the Base Emitter junction
Vcc = Supply voltage across the load resistor and the Emitter terminal
2. Determine the current gain of the transistor using the Collector current (Ic) and the Emitter current (Ie) using the formula below:
Ic / Ie
This ratio is designated with the Alpha symbol (α) and is usually a function of the transistor itself. The large collector current and the small base current usually results in a value of the alpha α being very close to unity and will generally lie close to 0.99.
3. Combine the α and the β parameters to determine the current flow and gain of the transistor as shown below:
Alpha α = β / β + 1 β = α / α + 1
If α = 0.99 then β = 0.99 / 0.01 = 99
Tags: gain transistor, current gain, voltage across, voltage gain, across Base, across Base Emitter