One of the biggest cellular providers and manufacturers in the world, Motorola offers easy ringtone downloading access for most phones available on its networks. The Razr Commander is one of the standard flip phones available from Motorola and features full ringtone capacity and capabilities. Motorola, unlike many cellular providers, has offered a way to transfer songs to your Razr Commander easily, using Motorola Phone Tools.
Instructions
1. Connect your Razr to your computer using your Motorola USB cable. Wait for the Motorola Phone Tools application to launch on your desktop.
2. Click "Melody Editor" on the left-hand menu of the Motorola Phone Tools program. Browse your computer's library from the Melody Files window for your desired ringtone song and click on it. Select "Crop" in the lower Selection menu and move the cursors to select a clip of 30 seconds or less for your ringtone (the length allowed by Motorola as ringtones).
3. Select the green check mark in the Selection menu and click "Transfer to your Phone." Type a file name for your new ringtone and select "OK." Your clip will be transferred to your Razr Commander as a free ringtone.
Dual, a German electronics company, has been manufacturing turntables and record player technology since the late 1920s. The Dual 1229 turntable was manufactured from 1972 to 1974 and operates at three speeds: 45, 33 1/3 and 78 RPMs (rotations per minute). The most common repair among vintage turntables is belt drive replacement. A rubber belt inside the turntable wraps around a belt motor, allowing the turntable to spin. Replacing the belt means partially dismantling the turntable.
Instructions
1. Turn off the turntable and unplug the power cable from the nearest receptacle. Lift the turntable's protective, plastic cover so it is in the upright position.
2. Remove any records from the turntable and remove the rubber dust cover. This is the rubber mat that the record sits on.
3. Unscrew the spindle from the center alignment rod and remove the C-shaped clip from the turntable. Grasp the platter and lift it out of the turntable assembly. The platter is the disc-like piece revealed by the dust cover. Removing the platter reveals the inside of the turntable.
4. Remove the broken rubber belt and any excess debris from inside the turntable. Apply some isopropyl or rubbing alcohol to a clean cloth or rag. Wipe down the inside of the turntable around the belt motor. Allow a few minutes for the inside of the turntable to dry.
5. Place the new turntable belt around the belt motor inside the turntable. Align the belt with the small lip along the outside of the belt drive motor. Replace the platter, "C" clip and spindle. Place the rubber mat back on top of the platter.
Tags: inside turntable, around belt, around belt motor, belt motor, belt drive, dust cover
Ultra-thin digital cameras are small in size and full of options.
The days walking around with bulky camera cases have slowly faded away. Technology has made it possible to make quality digital cameras that will fit into your pocket. Ultra-thin digital cameras have taken the market by storm with many brands and options. Whether you are a beginner or experienced, there is sure to be a thin digital camera that will work for you.
Casio Exilim EX-Z750
The Casio Exilim EX-Z750 is one of the best digital cameras for those looking to take pictures without the camera taking up too much space. This camera was given a rating of 10 out of 10 by the website Digi Camera for its small size and its list of features. The Casio Exilim EX-Z750 is a thin camera with 7.2 megapixels and a 2.5-inch LCD screen that will help you take high-quality pictures. At .88 inches, this camera is wider than others, but it also has a longer battery life that allows it to take 325 pictures before the battery dies out.
Casio S880
The Casio S 880 digital camera is ultra thin and full of features that will benefit those who enjoy taking pictures. This small but useful camera is listed as one of the best in an article written by the website LA Splash. The Casio S880 has been given such high ratings because of its 8 megapixels and 2.8-inch TFT color screen with 3x optical zoom. Face detection technology, nine-point auto focus and red-eye reduction are just three of the most talked about features of this camera. Those who purchase this camera will enjoy a thin camera that is useful without taking up much space.
Fujifilm FinePix F300EXR
The Fujifilm FinePix F300EXR is designed to be ultra thin and provide those who like taking pictures with the best way to do so. This camera was listed as No. 1 in a review of the top 10 cameras completed by the website Digital Cameras Top Ten Reviews. The 15x zoom and wide-angle lens of this camera are two features that put this camera at the top of the digital camera market. The Fujifilm FinePix F300EXR has also been given high marks because of its ability to record 720 HD movies with the push of a button.
Canon PowerShot S95
The Canon PowerShot S95 is listed as one of the best thin cameras by the website Consumer Research. This camera is given such high reviews because of its 10 megapixels, 3.8x zoom and 3-inch LCD screen. When you purchase this camera, you will have the ability to shoot 720p HD movies with the push of a button. The settings and controls are easy to use since they are located on the control ring around the lens. The Canon PowerShot S95 also has optical lens stabilization to go along with face and motion detection that ensure good-quality pictures.
Tags: digital cameras, that will, Canon PowerShot, Casio Exilim, Casio Exilim EX-Z750, digital camera, Exilim EX-Z750
While many people are concerned with connect their amplifier to speakers and what ohms a specific amplifier can handle, installing the amplifier also requires connecting power from the battery. You need to make sure that you have a secure power supply or you will never receive the best performance from your amplifier. Even more than that, if you don't properly connect your amplifier you are creating a safety hazard. Any time you are dealing with electric current it is important to work carefully and to install correctly.
Instructions
1. Disconnect your car battery. Disconnect the negative terminal first to prevent surges and sparks.
2. Find a hole in the heat shield of your car. If you cannot find a pre-drilled hole that works for you, use a metal bit and drill a hole just large enough for your power wire to fit through.
3. Feed one end of your power wire through the hole in the heat shield. Place the heat shielding plastic coiling over the power wire under the hood.
4. Unscrew door trim inside the car. Feed the power wire under the carpet to the paneling on the side of the car. Route the wire under the paneling and guide it along under the door trim, continuing to feed it back until it reaches the back seat.
5. Feed the power wire under the back seat and into the trunk. You may need to lift up the back seat to find an opening from the inside of the car to the trunk.
6. Cut the power wire approximately 6 inches from the battery under the hood. Strip the plastic casing from the ends you just cut. Connect the fuse box by inserting the wire ends into the connectors on the box. Tighten the connections using a screwdriver or hex tool depending on the particular fuse box.
7. Strip the plastic casing from the end of the power wire at the battery. Connect a ring terminal to the end of the wire. Solder the connection after crimping for the most secure result.
8. Open the trunk. Strip the casing from both ends of your ground wire. Also strip the casing from the end of the power wire.
9. Pull up a corner of the carpet in the trunk. Solder one end of the ground wire to the trunk frame. Connect the other end to the ground terminal on the amplifier.
10. Connect the end of the power wire to the battery terminal on the amplifier.
11. Make sure the fuse is removed from the fuse box. Connect the ring terminal to the battery terminal. Unscrew the terminal nut and slip the ring over the bolt. Tighten the nut.
12. Reconnect the battery. Connect the positive connection first.
13. Insert the fuse into the fuse box. Tighten the door trim and shut the hood.
Tags: power wire, casing from, wire under, back seat, door trim
For the past 40 years or so there has been an escalating electronics war between the police on one side and motorists on the other who prefer to travel at speeds that are higher than those posted. The reason police use radar and other methods to detect speeding vehicles is primarily a safety issue--the faster you go the more likelihood there is of having an accident. That may or may not be true, but like everything else, there's more to it than meets the eye. Besides the safety issue, issuing speeding tickets has become a lucrative source of income for certain localities across the country. You'll find that small community police forces will pray on unsuspecting out-of-town traffic (mostly) by posting speed limits that are unrealistically low. Anyway, my personal feeling is that speed limits, especially on the Interstates, are routinely ignored by the vast majority of drivers. All you have to do is drive on some of the local Interstates. People drive at whatever speed they feel comfortable, legal or not. Here we'll take a look at radar, radar detectors and other electronic measures and countermeasures that are available today.
Instructions
1. The most common method for police to detect vehicles over the speed limit is the use of a radar gun. Radar guns send out either a pulse or a continuous signal of radio waves and determine a vehicle's speed based on the reflected signal. Police radar use three bands, X, K, and Ka bands. The X band was used back in the 1970s when K radar was introduced. In the late 1980s, the Ka band was introduced. Today, you'll find that about half of all police radar guns use the K band and the rest are pretty much equally divided between X and Ka bands. Practically every radar detector today is designed to detect these three frequencies.
2. In recent years, police have started to use Laser guns or LIDAR. LIDAR is more difficult to detect, however, it has a much shorter range than radar, about 500 feet. So if the police get a good reading on your car, detecting a LIDAR beam before its too late is difficult at best. On the other hand, since the laser must reflect directly back to the laser gun off a flat surface, police have to be positioned right in front of your vehicle to get a good reading. Unless the laser is aimed specifically at your license plate or headlights, the signal can bounce off your car in a direction away from the police. In the latter case, a laser detector can be very useful.
3. Police also use VASCAR. VASCAR is a system that times your car as soon as it passes a specific landmark and stops further down the road. Typically, there will one or two chase cars to apprehend speeders. However, because there will be a lot more radio traffic on police frequencies in such cases, there are scanners that can detect these, too.
4. Photo radar is another system in use. The system measures the speed of a car and if it's over the speed limit, it will take a picture of the passing car's license plate as it goes by. A few weeks later, the offender gets a ticket in the mail. There are constitutional questions regarding this system, and as for countermeasures, there are sprays that can be used on the license plate and license plate covers that can over-expose the film or blacken the plate to the camera. Others recommend angling the license plate downwards a bit.
5. Because radar detector emit a weak radio signal, police can detect these signals by a device called VG-2. As you'd expect, some radar detector manufacturers have special models that emit no radio signals while others are designed to turn off if they detect VG-2 in the area. With the exception of Virginia and Washington DC, radar detectors are legal.
6. So what can you do against the increasingly well-equipped police departments? Because local roads limits are unrealistically marked low you really need to have a radar detector. There are some in the $60-100 range which will do just fine for local driving. These detectors are plentiful on the Internet, especially on the auction sites such as eBay. For those who have to have the best, $300-400 can easily be spent. These are usually advertised in car magazines, such as "Car and Driver." I don't advocate breaking the speed limit but on the other hand, I certainly feel better knowing if there is a trooper hiding behind those bushes up ahead. If the roads are marked unrealistically low, then the police are hoping you speed too. Driving is certainly a dangerous affair.
Tags: license plate, radar detector, detect these, speed limit, find that, good reading, other hand
upgrades often provide new features from Apple, such as access to enhanced capabilities of Google Maps and the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store, but if you have used hacker methods to jailbreak or SIM unlock your iPhone, these upgrades may actually cause it to become unusable. This is because Apple has designed its firmware to disable illegal hacks to its software. This problem has occurred for many iPhone owners who chose to jailbreak their phone in order to install unauthorized applications. The only way to restore the use of your iPhone's full functionality is usually to downgrade to the original version of iPhone firmware. This downgrade may seem like a hassle but it is worthwhile and relatively uncomplicated, though it is technically another form of hacking.
Instructions
1. Connect your iPhone to your computer. Allow iTunes to launch on its own. If iTunes does not start on its own, open it manually by clicking on the desktop icon on your computer.
2. Hold down the "Power" and the "Home," the round button with the square on it, buttons at the same time until the phone turns off. This should take about 20 seconds. Wait until the screen goes completely dark.
3. Release the "Power" button and continue to hold down the "Home" button. Within about 10 seconds, iTunes should notify you that your iPhone has been recognized by the system with your iPhone appearing in the list of devices in the side menu panel.
4. Hold down the "Shift" and "Alt" buttons on your keyboard at the same time and press the "Restore" button in iTunes. Open the original firmware file by clicking on it, instructing iTunes to downgrade to this version.
5. Wait for the downgrade process to finish. You may receive an error message due to the fact that you have not allowed iTunes to complete the upgrade process as planned, but you can ignore it by pressing "OK." You should see a message on the iPhone's screen though, reading "Connect to iTunes" with a small yellow triangle next to it, which means the downgrade has been successful.
6. Turn off your iPhone and restart it before using it. This will confirm that your iPhone is working properly and will also notify AT&T to restore your original service to the phone.
Tags: your iPhone, about seconds, Hold down, iPhone firmware, restore your
Nikon released the D60 DSLR camera in 2008. The camera was the third in Nikon's line of entry-level DSLRs, which are a big step up from point-and-shoot digitals but not quite as advanced as professional SLR cameras. This powerful DSLR is a useful one for beginners with interchangeable lens cameras.
Nikon Prosumer DSLRs
Nikon's low-end DSLRs don't begin with the D60 (released in 2008). The camera is preceded by the D40, D40x and the D50. "Low-end" refers to the price range, not its quality. Nikon entered the sub-$1000 range, also called the prosumer market, with these cameras, to try to make digital SLRs affordable and to broaden the market. To keep production and resale costs low, some components had to be left out of Nikon's more expensive cameras. The sensor on the D60 is smaller than that of some of the professional cameras and the camera is built without an autofocus drive motor (which is only half a problem). This means that lenses need to have their own autofocus motor to have full compatibility with the D60.
Specifications
The camera body features a 10.2 megapixel sensor at 23.6 by 15.8 mm. The sensor size is important with DSLR cameras, and the 10.2 megapixels are applied to a larger area than on a tiny compact digital camera, allowing for much larger prints and higher maximum resolutions. The shutter speed ranges from 1/4000 of a second to 30 seconds (plus a "bulb" setting for very long exposures) and the camera has continuous shooting up to three frames per second.
Lens Compatibility
The absence of a autofocus drive motor in the D60 is only a minor inconvenience. It means that the lenses you buy must have an autofocus motor to focus automatically. In all cases, a lens that will attach to the D60 will focus manually. All Nikkor lenses named "AF-I" or "AF-S" work on the D60 with full functionality, including autofocus. Some Nikkor type "D" and "G" lenses will work fully on the D60, and other will work will all functions except autofocus. This only means that you'll have to switch the focus button to "M" for manual and rotate the focus dial on the lens. Third-party lenses also work, but be sure to check for compatibility with the D60 before buying.
Kit Lens and Beyond
The D60, like most Nikon DSLRs, sold either as "body only" without lenses, or -- more commonly -- with a standard 18- to 55-mm lens. This lens will get you by for a while, but has very limited zoom features. It's a good idea to add a telephoto lens (70- to 200-mm), which will give you zoom capabilities. Most photographers have a portrait lens too, a wide-aperture fixed length (usually 35 or 50mm) for low-light photography.
Tags: means that, 2008 camera, autofocus drive, autofocus drive motor, autofocus motor, compatibility with
Camera latitude refers to how far you can be from your lens' proper F-stop setting and still produce an acceptable picture.
Film Type
Different types of film have different latitudes. Standard color film can generally be one F-stop underexposed or three over. Black and white film is less forgiving for over-exposures (two F-stops), while slide film only allows a half-stop either way.
Digital Camera
Digital recording technology provides significantly wider latitude than film, capturing the extra highlight and shadow details that photo editing software can restore later.
Film Speed
Generally, the slower the film's ASA number, the less camera latitude you have. Very high-speed films can add several F-stops of leeway in setting your lens. In high-action settings, employing fast film can mean the difference between usable and unusable shots.
Latitude and Flash
Having film or a digital camera with wider latitude can reduce flash "fall off" by helping resolve subjects and background detail farther from the flash.
Photoshopping
Photo software can improve the latitude of your photographs after the fact. Digital originals lend themselves to exposure correction better than film negatives. Film exposure can only be adjusted during processing by under or overdeveloping the film. Film can successfully employ some software processing, but less so than digitally recorded images.
The Installer app for the iPhone will enable your device to have access to a whole slew of different apps that are not available through the Apple App Store. The best thing about Installer is that the majority of the apps for the iPhone 3G are free, and if you are wondering about the legality of the process, rest assured that it is completely legal.
Instructions
1. Download the program from the Resources section below. It is available in both PC and Mac format. Plug your iPhone into your computer and exit iTunes if it automatically appears.
2. Open the program that you just downloaded by double-clicking the downloaded file. You will be presented with the program's home menu, which has a large button on it that is named Make it Ra1n. Push this button with your iPhone plugged into the computer.
3. Wait as your iPhone is updated with the latest Installer program. Your iPhone will reboot once during this process, but do not unplug it from your computer as it will harm it. When the process is completed you will see your iPhone's home screen.
4. Search the iPhone home screen for the Installer icon, which is blue. Select it and go ahead installing all your favorite third-party apps.
Tags: your iPhone, home screen, iPhone home, iPhone home screen, iPhone will, your computer
Studio flashes are a great addition to any photographer's studio equipment. Studio photo shoots require more lighting than outdoor or location shoots and studio flashes serve to replicate the natural light that's missing in a studio environment.
Instructions
1. Look around the studio for any natural light that might lend some assistance in the photo shoot. Natural light gives a more natural effect than studio flashes can.
2. Paint the studio for a photo shoot. Lighter colors reflect more light whereas darker colors can produce photos with odd colorcasts on the subject. White walls are always acceptable. Check your camera's white balance when using white walls.
3. Set the studio flash in front of the subject and slightly to the side to avoid harsh shadows. Move the flash head up or down for the best fill light.
4. Manipulate the studio flashes controls for the best exposure values. Many units incorporate control dials or digital arrays to enter flash values.
5. Move the flash so that it bounces the light onto the walls or ceiling. This method effectively cuts the value of the studio flash by half.
6. Keep the subject away from the backdrop or wall to prevent harsh shadows. Move the subject at least six feet from anything that reflects large amounts of light.
7. Use a studio flash rail system to better move lights into position. Rail systems are a common studio installation that offer a great deal of ease and variety of lighting possibilities.
A fisheye lens with its extreme wide angle can capture a 180-degree horizon, resulting in a photo with a unique view. There are two types of fisheye lenses--circular and full-frame.
Circular Fisheye
Circular-fisheye photo
A photo shot with a circular fisheye lens results in a complete picture circle surrounded by black on all sides. Editing software can be used to crop the image into a more traditional format.
Full-frame Fisheye
Full-frame fisheye photo
Full-frame fisheyes capture an image that is larger than the camera's sensor. Photos shot with this type of fisheye lens have the more-conventional rectangular appearance.
Depth of Field
Extreme depth of field
Fisheye lenses have a very short focal length. Combined use with a small f-stop (f22, for example) will yield incredible depth of field, so everything in the photo will be in sharp focus.
Distortion
Maximum distortion
The closer you place your camera to the horizon, the less distortion will occur. If distortion is your goal, then hold your camera above your head or shoot from a very low position looking up.
Use Sparingly
Not for everyday use
According to photographer and author Scott Kelby, a fisheye is a "special-effects lens that you will want to use sparingly, because the fisheye look can get old fast if you use it too much."
Have Fun
A distinctive photo
A fisheye lens will allow you to shoot distinctive photos. Let your imagination run wild.
Secure digital (SD) cards and secure digital high capacity (SDHC) cards are flash memory cards used for portable data storage. The two types of cards are exactly the same size. However, the card types are not necessarily compatible with the same devices.
Capacity
SD cards can hold from 8 MB up to 2 GB of data. SDHC cards can store 4 GB to 32 GB.
Speed
SD cards have a clock speed of up to 25 MHz per second. SDHC clock speeds can be as high as 50 MHz per second.
Data Transfer Rate
SDHC cards can read data at up to 95 MB per second and write data at up to 80 MB per second. SD cards can read data at up to 20 MB per second and write data up to 6 MB per second.
Compatibility
Devices designed to read SD cards will not be able to read SDHC cards. SD cards use a filing system known as FAT (File Allocation Table) 16. FAT16 allows up to 16 characters in file names. SDHC uses a FAT32 filing system. Since the file names are far longer than those allowed by FAT16, devices formatted for FAT16 cannot read the longer file names. Therefore, SD card readers are incompatible with SDHC technology. However, SDHC card readers are backwards compatible and will read SD cards.
Tags: SDHC cards, data second, file names, write data second, card readers, cards flash, cards flash memory
The IntelliFAX 1270e is a basic fax machine designed for use in a small office or home office. Office electronics manufacturer Brother makes the IntelliFAX. The machine has a handset and can also be used as a telephone to make and receive calls, if it is set up to do so.
Initial setup
When first setting up the fax machine, or if you have experienced a lengthy power failure, you will need to set the date and time and enter your name and fax number. This information will be displayed for the recipient on the faxes that you send. You can access these settings by pressing the "Menu/Set" button and following the prompts.
Typing text
You will have to type some text during setup. To type text, hit the number key one, two or three times to display the letters listed on the dialing pad buttons. For example, the 2 key is used for letters A, B and C. Hit the 2 key once for A, twice for B and three times for C. You can use the right arrow key to type a space and the left arrow key to make a correction.
Receiving a fax
The IntelliFAX has four different modes for receiving faxes -- "Fax Only," "Fax/Tel.," "TAD" and "Manual." To select or change the mode you want to use, press the button labeled "Receive Mode" until your desired mode shows up in the display window. If you have a dedicated fax line, you should use the "Fax Only" setting. If you are using an answering machine or voice mail on the same line, you can only use "TAD" mode. "In Fax/Tel." mode the machine answers every call and, if it detects fax tones, will print the fax. If it is a voice call, the phone will ring. In manual mode, you must answer all of the calls yourself and, if you hear fax tones, press the "Fax Start" button and hang up the receiver.
Sending a fax
First, place the original document face down in the document feeder slot with the top edge entering the feeder first. The feeder can handle up to 20 pages at a time. Then, enter the fax number you are sending the document to by typing it in or using the one-touch or speed-dial buttons and press the button labeled "Fax Start."
Making a phone call
Similar to using a regular phone, you lift the receiver and either dial the desired phone number or use one that is saved under speed dial or one-touch dialing. To receive voice calls the fax machine cannot be in "Fax Only" mode, as explained above.
One-touch dialing
The fax machine features one-touch dialing for up to 12 fax or phone numbers. This allows you to pull up a number by pressing one of the six buttons on the left side of the machine. To access numbers 7 through 12, press the shift key and then the appropriate button. To store numbers, press the "Menu/Set" button and follow the prompts to get to one-touch dialing setup. Press the button where you want to store the number, then enter the fax or phone number, including area code if needed. To insert a 3.5-second pause in dialing, press the "Redial/Pause" button at the desired point. You can also add a name for the number and will be prompted to select the type of phone number -- voice, fax or both.
Speed dialing
You can also store up to 100 speed dial numbers. Speed dial numbers are accessed by typing a two-digit number on the dialing pad, between 00 and 99. Speed dial setup is similar to one-touch dialing setup, except you press the desired two-digit speed dial slot instead of the one-touch dialing button.
Tags: one-touch dialing, phone number, button labeled, dial numbers, dialing setup, Menu button, name number
The difference between high- and low-Z microphone cables with XLR connectors can be confusing to the beginner, but it is easily determined. Most new microphones use female XLR connectors on the microphone connection end, but must be used with the proper cable and mixer-end connector.
Microphone Impedance
Microphone and audio equipment impedance, also called "Z", is either high or low. Simply put, impedance is the resistance of AC voltage going through the system. All professional audio components are low impedance, as it offers increased resistance to outside radio frequency (RF) interference. High impedance is sometimes called "unbalanced" and low impedance is "balanced."
Cable Types
The real difference between high- and low-Z microphone cable types is the number of wires inside the cable. High-Z cables use two-conductor cables (positive and ground), and low-Z cables use three-conductor cables (positive, neutral and ground).
Connector Types
Standard low-Z microphone cables use XLR connectors on both ends, with a female XLR at the microphone end and a male XLR at the mixer end. Standard high-Z microphone cables use a female XLR on the microphone end with a standard quarter-inch phone plug at the mixer end.
Exceptions
While standard high- and low-z microphone cables can be identified by the connectors, there are exceptions. Before XLR connectors became the industry standard, some manufacturers used different connectors for the microphone end but still used the standard quarter-inch plugs for high-Z and XLR male plugs for low-Z cables on the mixer end.
Practical Use
In practical use, low-Z microphones are the professional industry standard not only for their resistance from outside frequency interference, but for the ability to run very long cables without frequency loss. High-Z microphones have limited useful cable lengths and are made primarily for home users and beginners. As high-Z cable length increases, frequency loss and the likelihood of outside interference is increased.
Mixed Use
Although XLR connectors on the microphone cable will fit both high- and low-Z microphones, impedance is set by the microphone, not the cable. While no damage to equipment will occur, a loss of volume will be noticed. For best results, low-Z microphones must be matched with low-Z cables and equipment and high-Z equipment must also match in mic, cable and equipment type. Most modern equipment accepts both low- and high-Z microphones and cables.
A hidden camera can be mounted discretely above a garage door.
If a vandal has ever intentionally damaged your car, you know how frustrating the feeling can be. Equally frustrating is not knowing who did the damage, and thus not being able to have any pertinent information to give to the authorities. If your car is a frequent target of vandalism, there are better ways to catch the culprit than peeking through your curtains for hours at a time. By installing a camera aimed at your vehicle, you'll have a digital eye keeping watch.
Instructions
1. Purchase a video camera that is used for surveillance activities. These cameras are often called spy cameras or nanny cameras and are available online, at electronics stores and even parenting stores. Some cameras record in color, while others record in black and white. If you believe the vandalism is taking place at night, a night-vision spy camera might be an option for you. Depending on your budget, decide which camera is best for you.
2. Park your car in an area that is accessible to a hidden camera. You probably can't do much to protect yourself against vandalism when parked in public areas, but if you park in a driveway, you can set up a camera to catch anything that happens.
3. Install the camera in an inconspicuous area that will ensure your entire car as well as the surrounding area will be caught on film. Common areas to hide the camera include under the eaves of your roof, behind exterior lights and even in trees. The goal is to make the camera as inconspicuous as possible, but it may be a deterrent to vandals to know it's there, too. With so many different cameras on the market, mounting instructions vary. Typically, these cameras are small, and are simply mounted with two or three bolts. Some cameras are wireless, while others will need to be connected via cable.
4. Turn on the camera, and let it run. If the camera has a monitor, place the monitor in a common area of the home so that you can frequently keep an eye on it. Some spy cameras record to a secure web address to enable you to monitor the area wherever you happen to be.
5. Check your car daily to determine if it has been vandalized. If so, locate the part of the video that shows the culprit, back up the file, then take the evidence to the police.
Tags: Some cameras, area that, camera inconspicuous, cameras record, hidden camera
Create a photo backdrop for your own photo portraits using a few simple items you may already have at home. Professional photographers use extra-large sheets of paper or drape fabric for their backdrops. You can do the same at home without any elaborate stands to hold the backdrop in place. Select a room with good natural light from large windows or one with plenty of artificial light to create your at home studio.
Instructions
Indoors
1. Select a clean, flat bedsheet for your backdrop. King-sized sheets work best, but queen sheets will work as well. Select a color that will contrast with your subject: white sheets for dark clothes, dark-colored sheets for light-colored clothes. Solid-colored sheets will re-create the look of a professional backdrop, but feel free to experiment with colors and patterns.
2. Tape the sheet to a wall using masking tape. Don't use tape that will damage your wall surface. Don't stretch the sheet tight, allow it to have some drape and wrinkles to look most like a real photographer's backdrop. Place it high on the wall to fill the frame completely with backdrop.
3. If you are shooting a full body portrait, take a second sheet and drape it on the floor. Make sure the sheets fully overlap to cover the floor and walls.
Outdoors
4. Take advantage of natural light by taking your backdrop outside. Tie a clothesline between two trees or similar objects a few feet over the height of your subject. For example, a 3-foot-tall child would only need the backdrop hung at a height of 5 feet, but a tall adult may need the line tied at 8 feet.
5. Attached the king- or queen-sized sheet to the line with clothpins. Make it secure enough to withstand breezes or the subject bumping into the sheet. Allow it to bunch up a little to provide interesting wrinkles and texture.
6. Use a second sheet to cover the ground if shooting a full body portrait.
Tags: body portrait, Create Your, Create Your Photo, full body, full body portrait, natural light, second sheet
You can block a GPS signal with a small handheld device.
Most smart phones made after 2008 are E911 capable. This means that when you make an emergency 911 call, a GPS chip in your phone is automatically activated so that emergency responders will immediately know your location. However, this also creates the potential for abuse since it is easy to install spy software into a phone without the owner's knowledge. This can allow someone to track your every movement and follow you wherever you go. If you want to prevent others from knowing your whereabouts, you can use a device that will block cell phone tracking.
Instructions
1. Purchase a GPS jamming device. These are small electronic devices that usually plug into your car's lighter. They send out a signal on the same frequencies used by most GPS devices that interferes with their data transmission. This makes you invisible to any GPS device within 30 to 300 feet, depending on the type of jammer that you purchase. You can find jammers at many spy and gadget stores. As of 2010, these gadgets cost between $75 and $300.
2. Plug the device into your car lighter using the adapter. This will keep the GPS jammer charged at all times. When you unplug it, the lithium-ion battery will allow it to run for up to two hours.
3. Switch the GPS jammer on. When it is turned on and functioning properly, there will be a green light on the device. It will begin transmitting an inaudible signal that will block the frequencies of most GPS devices. This effectively renders you invisible.
Tags: devices that, into your, into your lighter, most devices, that will, that will block
Canon Speedlite camera flash units provide high-powered lighting for professional and amateur photographs. The unit is detachable, making do-it-yourself repairs more simple than fixing flashes that are contained within the camera. Disassembling your Speedlite flash unit is fairly simple. However, if you take the unit apart, you run the risk of injury from the flash's capacitor and you may void any warranty Canon provides for the flash.
Instructions
1. Open the battery compartment and remove the batteries. Let the flash unit sit undisturbed for 10 minutes to ensure the electrical charge dissipates from the capacitor. Failing to do this can result in serious electrical shock.
2. Remove the two screws securing the bottom of the flash unit and pull the bottom section of the case off the flash.
3. Pry off the rubber disk on the side of the hinge with a flathead screwdriver. Remove the four Phillips-head screws underneath.
4. Pry the rubber ring from around the hinge lock button with a flathead screwdriver. Remove the four Phillips-head screws underneath.
5. Pull the two parts of the Speedlite casing apart carefully to completely disassemble the flash unit.
Tags: flash unit, flathead screwdriver, flathead screwdriver Remove, four Phillips-head, four Phillips-head screws, Phillips-head screws
Topcon makes a number of electronic total station devices. Total station access combines a telescope with recording devices to calculate measurements. All of these devices work to collect data and offer real time 3-D views. The telescope works within different distances depending on the model. How the data is recorded varies by model, as well. Scientists can track things more accurately as well as track moving options in the sky with more consistency than hand logging. The station can work calculations to predict where stationary and moving objects will be in relation to the change in the Earth's position.
GPT-7000 Series
The Pulse Total Station GPT-7000 series is an all-in-one non-prism total station. This device mounts with a Windows based data collection function. It features a large color display with a touch panel. You can access real-time 3D view. The machine can interface through a C card, USB or RS-232C. The machine requires Internet to send and receive data including email. The total length of the telescope is 150mm and the magnification is 30 times. The minimum focus distance is 4.29 feet. The battery life when distant measurement is being used is 5 hours and up to 10 hours with angle measurement only. These specs apply to all the GPT-7000 series, which as of 2010 runs from 7001 to 7005. The main difference between the models within the 7000 series is the accuracy, the 7001 being the most accurate, within one inch and the 7005 within 5 inches. The 7005 is the only one that has a one-sided display unit.
GPT-3000 Series
The Total Station GPT-3000 series is laser beam based with a non-prism platform. It comes with a stable pulsed laser. The telescope size is 150mm with 30 times magnification. The minimum focus distance is 4.29 feet. In low light conditions the range is from 5 to 820 feet. In prism mode it can go up to 9,900 feet. This series does not come with a processor, so it does not send data via the Internet. It can last up to 4.2 hours with distant measurements and 45 hours when measuring angles only. These specs run for the range of GPT 3002-3007.
Again, accuracy is the biggest difference, ranging from 2 inches to 7 inches. The ending number of the model matches the inches of accuracy. The 3002 is accurate within 2 inches and the 3007 within 7 inches. The detecting system also varies in this model. The 3002 measures with two sides on both the H and V axis. The 3003 has two-sided detection on the H axis and one side on the V. The 3007 has only one side on each axis.
GTS-820 Series
The GTS-820A series offers a CCD tracking system and works with at least one prism. The equipment features nine total prisms and you can use 1, 3 and 9. The total length of the telescope is 166mm and it magnifies up to 30 times. The minimum focus distance is 1.3 meters. This unit does not run on the Windows platform but rather an MS-DOS operating system.
Tags: focus distance, minimum focus, minimum focus distance, within inches, accurate within, distance feet, focus distance feet
Degraded film camera light seals can let light leak through the camera film door or viewfinder and ruin your pictures. Because light seals are made from foam rubber, they can become gooey and sticky over time. They can stain the mirror bumper, film door and film rails. The foam can also crumble and get on your film, ruining your photographs. The stickier or more crumbly the seal gets, the harder it is to clean. Luckily, replacing a camera light seal is not difficult.
Instructions
1. Open the film door. Dip the cotton swab in window cleaner, and clean the film door until it's not sticky.
2. Scrap off the foam by the door hinge with a toothpick.
3. Scrap off the foam at the other end of the door with a toothpick.
4. Use a dental pick to remove the tape that held the foam in place.
5. Clean the spots where you removed the foam with window cleaner using a cotton swab to remove any residue.
6. Use a small flat-head screwdriver, such as a jeweler's screwdriver, to clean out the film door mating groove. Make sure none of the debris gets into the camera. Hold the camera over a paper towel to collect the debris. If you don't have a small enough screwdriver to get into the groove, use a toothpick. Put cleaning solvent on a cotton swab, and dab it on the rubber seal to loosen.
7. Measure and cut (if necessary) the replacement foam for the film door and hinges. Using tweezers, put the foam into the groove. Make sure the foam stays straight and does not rotate. Put a dab of glue on the ends, with a toothpick if necessary, to keep the seal in place.
8. Close the camera to make sure it closes properly.
9. Open the camera, and allow the glue completely dry.
Tags: film door, cotton swab, with toothpick, camera light, clean film, clean film door, groove Make
If your 8mm camcorder has developed a snowy-looking picture, your video heads might be dirty. Video heads get dirty or clogged when you do a lot of outdoor shooting, when you've used several different 8mm tapes or when you put an older tape into the camcorder. Dust particles can gather on the video head or stick to the tape and then transfer to the camcorder head. If you don't own an 8mm cleaning cassette, you can do the job with chamois cleaning swabs and the proper head-cleaning fluid.
Instructions
Manually Cleaning 8mm Video Heads
1. Open your Video8, Hi8 or Digital 8 camcorder using the eject button. Using the flashlight, locate the video heads, tape guides, pins and rubber rollers on either side of the video head.
2. Put enough alcohol on your swab to get it completely wet but not dripping. Carefully move the swab to the video head and wipe it side to side, not up and down. Try to gently spin the video head to reach all sides. Remove the swab; if you see dark streaks on the swab, your video head had a clog.
3. Use another swab and carefully wipe it over all sides of the tape guides, pins, and rollers. These parts are fragile, so be gentle.
4. Immediately use a dry swab over the video head (side to side) and the other parts you cleaned. Wait a few minutes to make sure the alcohol has dried before loading your videotape.
5. Load your tape and press play to see if the picture is clear. If it's better but still has a grainy look or horizontal bars, follow the steps again until your video head is completely cleaned.
Tags: video head, your video, guides pins, side side, tape guides
The HTC Touch Pro smartphone allows users the ability to open and edit PDF documents, send and receive email, listen to music and send text messages directly from their device. Similar to other Android-powered smartphones, it comes with a built-in five-row QWERTY keyboard in addition to its onscreen keyboard. Although the onscreen keyboard is accurate, it can become aggravating if you have large fingers or prefer pressing keys. Therefore, you may opt to disable the onscreen keyboard and use only the QWERTY keyboard.
Instructions
1. Tap the "Messaging" tab on the home screen of your HTC phone.
2. Touch the "New Message" icon located at the top of the messaging application.
3. Locate the "Input Panel" icon on the menu bar of the messaging screen.
4. Tap the "Input Selector" arrow located next to the input panel.
5. Select the "Compact QWERTY" option from the list of input methods.
6. Tap the "Back" button to return to the main screen. The onscreen keyboard is now disabled in landscape mode allowing you to use only the QWERTY keyboard for all your inputting needs. To enable the onscreen keyboard, follow steps 1 through 4, and then select "Full QWERTY."
Tags: onscreen keyboard, QWERTY keyboard, only QWERTY, only QWERTY keyboard
An unfocused scene can look as if the image is blurry or soft.
The introduction of the Charged Coupled Device (CCD) digital camera revolutionized the film, television and commercial industry. Without the expensive burden of film stock and film cameras, the art of production was expanded to a wider audience of filmmakers. Though the CCD camera is a digital device, it still requires the eye and knowledge of photographer to maintain focus. If you do not trust the viewfinder of your camera, or you plan to perform complicated moving shots, you can measure the focus distance to verify that the lens focus is set correctly.
Instructions
1. Position the CCD camera on the spot in which you want it to sit for the scene you are filming. If the camera is on a tripod, you may want to place sandbags or weights on the tripods legs so the camera does not move. Tighten the tripod head and legs so the equipment does not shift in place. In the hustle and bustle of shooting, even the most professional camera person may accidentally nudge a CCD camera; you do not want a simple accident to put your scene out of focus.
2. Ask your actor to stand in the necessary place to perform the scene. This may be a spot where she is standing next to a car or sitting in a chair during a dinner scene. Whatever the scene, you should have the primary position planned. Once the actor is in position, place a piece of tape at the toes of both feet. This tape will ensure that the actor goes back to this exact spot if she needs to leave the set for any reason.
3. Measure the distance between the CCD camera and the actor's face. You must start at the point in which the lens touches the camera's body, and extend the tape measure to the eyes of your subject. You do not want to measure the distance starting from the front of the camera lens, because the subject is not focused at this point. The final image is read at the CCD sensor, which sits directly behind the lens. Write the distance down on your paper.
4. Dial in the focus length on the barrel of your CCD camera's lens. The lens will display two different numbers: one in standard units, and one in metric measurements. You must dial the lens to the correct unit in which you took the initial measurement.
5. Look into the viewfinder and LCD screen of your CCD camera to double-check that the measurement you took has created an image that is in focus. A high-definition monitor connected to the camera can provide an accurate picture of what your focus situation happens to be.
Flat screen televisions take advantage of modern technology to reduce the overall space they take up. While the fronts are often as wide or wider than the old tube screen televisions, they are usually just a few inches thick, allowing them to fit in narrower areas or even be mounted on walls.
Plasma Televisions
Plasma televisions constitute a large percentage of flat screen televisions. Their screens contain plasma-filled cells of xenon-neon gas, which is lit by electricity to provide a picture.
LCD Televisions
The other kind of flat screen televisions are LCDs, which stands for "liquid crystal display." They don't use plasma like other flat screens, but rather liquid crystal sandwiched between two sheets of clear material and lit from behind to make a picture.
Resolution
Most flat screen televisions are digital, and many offer high definition (HD) resolution, providing the sharpest image possible. Check the precise resolution before buying a flat screen television.
Black Bars
Most flat screen televisions have a ratio of 16:9. That means that black bars will appear on either side of the screen for some shows broadcast in older 4:3 ratio.
Connections
Most flat screen televisions offer multiple types of cable jacks to hook up DVRs, DVD players and similar devices. Compare yours to any flat screen set you intend to buy to make sure they are compatible.
Tags: screen televisions, flat screen, flat screen televisions, Most flat, Most flat screen
Alltel Ringbacks are an alternative to the standard ringing of a phone when placing a call. While your caller is waiting for you to answer your phone, you can customize what they hear. Sometimes, however, it's more appropriate for the callers to hear the traditional ring, especially if you are expecting an important call. Learning disable ringbacks will prevent an important person from hearing your favorite rap song.
Instructions
1. Register for an account on Alltel's "Personalize" page (see Resources below). This will allow you access to ringbacks. Log into your account once it has been activated. Here you can preview, purchase and delete ringbacks in your account.
2. Access your "My Ringback Profile." Choose the "Hibernation" mode to temporarily disable your ringbacks. Note that you will still be charged the $0.99 per month fee for the ringback service.
3. Avoid paying for the ringback service during the time you wish to have it disabled by calling *611 on your cell phone. Ask the representative to remove the entire ringback service, so you will not be charged. Note that this will delete all previously purchased ringbacks, so you will have to buy them again once you resume the service.
Tags: ringback service, Note that, ringbacks will, your account
Subwoofer boxes come in a variety of styles, including sealed, ported and bandpass. The sealed enclosure is probably the most widely used and the easiest to construct. It is commonly a rectangular or square box with all of its seams sealed with silicone. (The box must be sealed so no air leaks out of it.)
Instructions
Preparing for Installation
1. Consult with the manufacturer or retailer of the subwoofer speakers you have purchased to determine the proper dimensions of the enclosure. Make sure you account for the thickness of the particle board (3/4")
Constructing the Enclosure
2. Use a pencil and tape measure to trace out the patterns of the enclosure on the particle board. You will be tracing out the patterns for the six sides of the box, plus a center divider for inside the box to separate the two speakers.
3. Using the jigsaw, cut out the patterns.
4. Using the grille cover for the subwoofer speaker and a pencil, trace the outer and inner portions onto the location of the board where you intend to place the speakers.
5. Take the router with a 3/4-inch bit and set it for a cutting depth of 3/8-inch. Route out the area between the inner and outer circle that you just drew. This is where the frame of the speaker will rest flush on the finished box. If you don't have a router, drill with a large drill bit to make a hole. This will serve as the starting location for your jigsaw. Jigsaw and cut out the hole of the inner circle. In this case, the frame of the speaker will rest on top of the board.
6. Drill a hole with a large drill bit. This will serve as the starting location for your jigsaw. Using the jigsaw, cut the holes for the speakers.
7. Use a file to smooth the edges of the hole and sandpaper to smooth out the router area.
8. Cut a 2-inch round hole in each of the side panels. Connectors for the speaker wires will fill these holes on the finished box.
9. Assemble the box using screws, and seal the joints with silicone to ensure that air will not leak out. Leave the front panel - the side that will hold the speakers - off the box.
10. Spray glue on to the outer portion of the box and the back of the carpet, and wrap the carpet tightly onto the box.
11. Apply carpet to the top panel (the one that will house the speakers).
12. Using the razor blade or scalpel, cut vertical, horizontal and angled lines in a star pattern into the carpet that covers the holes for the speakers. Cut out the carpet that covers the connector holes.
13. Place the connectors through the holes, so that the two prong terminals are inside the box.
14. Screw down the connectors and seal around them with silicone.
15. Solder the speaker wire to each speaker and connector. Solder the positive wire to the positive lead of the speaker, and the negative wire to the negative lead of the speaker.
16. Put the front panel on the box with screws and seal with silicone.
17.Push each speaker into the star pattern cut out on the carpet that covers the speaker holes on the front panel.
18. Install the box in your car.
Tags: with silicone, carpet that, carpet that covers, front panel, that covers, that will
FM reception depends on an antenna picking up radio signals transmitted from a broadcast tower. You can improve the reception by adding copper wire to the antenna. You will need a few supplies from a hardware or hobby shop and a couple of items probably laying around your house. No special electrical skills are necessary. Because a soldering iron must be used, adult supervision is required if you are underage or have no soldering experience.
Instructions
1. Place a sheet of newspaper on a table. Separate the two wires at one end of the copper wire with your fingers. Strip a half inch of insulation off the end of each of the two wires with the wire strippers.
2. Unscrew the back off the 2.5 mm male phone plug. Run the two stripped wires through the hole in the phone plug's back.
3. Heat up the soldering iron for five minutes. Solder one wire to the center contact in the front assembly of the male phone plug. Let the solder cool for a minute.
4. Solder the other wire to the lug attached to the side of the center contact. Let the solder cool for a minute. Cover the ends of the two wires with strips of electrical tape. Unplug the soldering iron.
5. Screw the back of the male phone plug onto the front assembly.
6. Loosen the two screws on the back of the FM receiver where the FM antenna is attached. Attach the two leads from the 2.5 mm female phone plug to the two screws. Tighten the screws.
7. Plug the male phone plug into the female phone plug. Drape the copper wire away from the FM receiver.
Tags: phone plug, male phone, male phone plug, copper wire, soldering iron
Avoid blurry pictures with proper focusing techniques.
Reviewing your pictures is one of the most gratifying aspects of photography. However, when most of the shots appear blurry or inaccurately focused, it's hard to take pride in your work. Though modern camera outfits provide sharp focus under average circumstances, tricky lighting or a fast-moving subject may cause your lens to falter. By familiarizing yourself with your equipment and adopting helpful habits, you'll find your time behind the lens more productive and artistically satisfying.
Instructions
1. Avoid low-light shooting situations. The lack of well-defined edges and contrasty areas will render your camera's autofocus sensor useless. Use flash or an external light source to brighten the scene or subject.
2. Use a smaller aperture (lens opening). Depth of field, or range of effective focus, at f/11 is far deeper than it is at f/2.8. This puts your subject, as well as much of the area behind or in front of it, in crisp focus. A deep depth of field also helps mask any accidental focusing errors.
3. Switch to a faster shutter speed to reduce the effects of camera shake. Shutter speeds of 1/125th of a second or faster allow you to handhold your camera without worry of motion blur.
4. Follow moving subjects with your camera. By panning your lens along with a racing cyclist or fast car, you'll keep the subject in sharp focus while blurring the surroundings.
5. Focus manually when using a a shallow depth of field (or wide aperture, such as f/1.7 to f/4). Because the range of effective focus is so short, your camera's autofocus function may provide blurry results. Switch to manual mode and move your lens's focusing ring until you achieve precision.
Tags: your camera, your lens, camera autofocus, depth field, effective focus, range effective
Film processing has changed a great deal in the past 15 years. Most people take digital photographs, and most camera companies have adapted to meet that market. So, if you don't have a darkroom, what does that mean for your old Panoramic film that you never had developed? You used to be able to send your film to Kodak to be developed. Kodak no longer offers that service, but there are other options.
Instructions
Develop Your Kodak Panoramic Prints
1. Find out where the closest photo lab is located. Most cities have a photo laboratory that can develop your film, often in as little as one hour. Check the Yellow Pages or search online. The most common labs are found in pharmacies and discount stores, including Walmart, CVS and Walgreens.
2. Take your film to a photo lab. The lab technician will have you fill out a form with your contact information and any specifics you would like. You can opt for a border, different photo finishings or double prints.
3. Pick up your printed photos and enjoy them. You can put them in an album or frame, or scan them into your computer to add to Facebook or email them to friends.
Tags: your film, Kodak Panoramic, Kodak Panoramic Prints, Panoramic Prints
Filters are a key element of professional photography. Filters are available in many types, from specifically sized filters that screw into the end of the lens to mulit-hued elements that slide into a plastic holder mounted to the outside of the lens. The UV filter is one of the most common filters in photography.
Protection
A UV filter is often referred to as a lens-protective filter, since it helps to prevent the lens glass from getting damaged by scratches and dust. UV filters are designed to be left on the lens at all times.
Neutral
A true UV filter is a neutral grade filter, meaning it is untinted. UV filters block UV-B and UV-C bands of light. Blocking these bands leads to less haze in a photograph.
Other UV Filters
Skylight filters are a slight variant on UV filters. They are slightly tinted, usually with a delicate pink cast, and block some of the blue radiation, useful for getting a clearer shot on bright days and at altitude. Skylight filters are also called 1A filters.
Scattered Light and Fringing
Scattered UV light, particularly UV-A, can make objects in a photography look somewhat cloudy. Using a UV filter can help to compensate for this scattering of light. UV filters can also help compensate for an illusion called "purple fringing," where bright purple bands can seem to surround the edges of dark objects in bright light.
Sizes
Most people prefer to get the screw-on UV filters, so for multiple lenses with different diameters for filters, you will need to buy multiple UV filters, one for each lens. In practice, this is a good idea anyway, since the most common use of the UV filter is to protect the lens.
Tags: filters also, help compensate, most common, Skylight filters
Record labels use promotional CDs to promote new artists or new music from established artists. The CDs are distributed free of charge and are not counted as part of an artist's calculation of sales or royalties, which means they are an expense to the label and are not distributed to just anyone who asks. Make it worth a record label's while to send you promotional CDs.
Instructions
1. Consider who is in a position to help a record label promote a new artist or release. Typically music retailers, radio stations, online media and print media are the established means of advertising for record labels.
2. Claim an association with any of the above sources of advertising, if you can honestly do so, to demonstrate to the label that you can use their promotional CDs to promote the artist and music.
3. Start a music, entertainment or current events website, an online newsletter or a blog where you can post audio tracks from promotional CDs and turn yourself into a viable means of advertising for new music. Select the target audience for your online effort carefully so the content on the promotional CDs you want to receive fits realistically into the online presence you establish.
4. Write to the record label whose promotional CDs you want to receive. Explain your association with a music retailer, radio station, media outlet or your own online effort. Ask the label to send you any promotional CDs they have.
5. Commit to using the promotional CDs they send you to help them promote their new music. This also makes it more likely that the record label will keep sending you promotional CDs.
Tags: record label, association with, means advertising, online effort, promote artist
Photoshop is fun and productive software that allows one to alter images to his liking. One fun tool in Photoshop is the lensbaby effect. This tool allows a user to transform an ordinary image to a striking work of digital art that would normally require expensive photo equipment.
Instructions
1. Open the photo to be altered in Photoshop. Once open, select "layer" from the main menu and from the layer menu choose "duplicate layer".
2. Increase the canvas size. When the canvas size dialogue box appears, change the percent of the height and width of the canvas to 140 percent using the dropdown menu.
3. Distort the image. Choose "filter" from the main menu. Click on "distort" in the filter menu. Select polar coordinates from the distort menu. Choose the "polar to rectangle" option. Next click "ok."
4. Blur the image in Photoshop. From the main menu select "filter". Click on "blur" from the filter menu options. Choose "motion blur" from the blur menu. This step can take some experimentation to get the preferred appearance. Also -90 needs to be the angle setting for this step.
5. Reshape the image in Photoshop. Click on "filter" from the main menu. Choose the "blur" option from the filter menu. Select the "polar coordinates" option. Set the polar coordinates to "rectangle to polar". Do not worry if the image has empty space to each side and looks strange.
6. Add layer mask to the image. Click on the "layer" option on the main menu. From the layer menu select "layer mask" and choose apply from that menu.
7. Select the elliptical marquee tool. Choose the elliptical marquee tool from the left menu panel. Highlight the area with the marquee tool that is the focal point of the image. Once highlighted, press the backspace key. The highlighted area should come back into focus.
8. Crop the image in Photoshop. Select the crop tool from the left pane menu. Choose the area of the image that is to be kept. After the area is highlighted hit "enter" on the keyboard.
9. Save the Image to the hard drive. Save the image, now that the lensbaby effect is correctly applied to the image.
Tags: main menu, filter menu, from main, from main menu, image Photoshop, marquee tool
Apple's iPhone has a 5 megapixel camera capable of taking still photos with decent quality. Once you have taken pictures, a variety of programs available through the App Store let you perform a range of dramatic graphic effects on them. In addition to standard editing tasks such as changing contrast and brightness, the programs can sharpen and blur images or give them the appearance of hand-drawn pictures.
Artistic Effects
Some of the more interesting transformations in the iPhone's software arsenal include the ability to convert a photo into a pencil sketch, line drawing or painting, with artistic styles including Impressionism, Expressionism and Abstract. Other effects include the ability to change the picture to black-and-white while preserving color for a few selected objects. You can give a photo antique effects such as sepia tone, or create a distressed look with scratches or water spots.
Distortions
Photo-editing programs for the iPhone can create distortions in selected areas of pictures, such as a pixelated block effect, blurs and swirls. You use these to preserve privacy by obscuring details such as tattoos, a face or background items. Company logos and other trademarks also frequently receive this treatment for images used for commercial purposes. You can also use these effects for a "fun-house mirror" treatment, humorously stretching and exaggerating a person's expression and features.
Everyday Edits
Frequently you may need to crop unwanted material from the top or sides of a picture, make it larger or smaller, sharpen it or increase contrast between dark and light areas. Photo editing apps for the iPhone commonly includes these features, fixing small problems with pictures. As with traditional image-editing software, these programs let you cut parts from one picture and superimpose them in another. You can take pictures and make changes right in the phone, without needing a desktop computer to do the editing.
Panoramas
Image-processing software for the iPhone lets you take several pictures of a scene and "stitch" them together into a single panorama. The software automatically detects the edges of objects in one photo and merges images from another, as long as they have overlapping scenery. You can even take a pictures in a 360-degree series and connect them into a continuous scene that appears to surround you.
A good sci-fi film can gain commercial and critical success.
Making an independent sci-fi movie is similar to making any other movie. The big difference is the budget is going to be considerably less than if it were a studio film. When most people think of sci-fi films, genre trademarks such as aliens, spaceships, otherworldly landscapes and special effects come to mind. But independent filmmaking is not about how much you spend, but how you spend it. A movie such as "District 9" was a high-budget independent sci-fi film that used effects creatively. Other award-winning smaller-scale independent sci-fi films, such as "Pumzi" and "Hunter Prey" prove it can be done.
Instructions
1. Write the script. Be inventive. Since it's not a big-budget Hollywood feature, find ways to make it look like one. Decide where to set it. Decide who the characters are. Most important, figure out what the story is and why anyone would watch it.
2. Attract a producer. Search the Hollywood Creative Directory or the Internet for producers specializing in independent film. If they will accept unsolicited material, send them your script. Also, attend pitch conferences and film markets where producers actively seek material. Once you interest a producer, they will assess your project's viability and budget the script so that you know exactly how much money is needed to make it.
3. Raise the financing. Show the script to as many investors as can help raise money for the project. Funding comes slowly, so patience is required at this stage.
4. Hire a crew. Once enough money is raised to start production, a crew needs to be organized. A line producer will plan and schedule the film. A director of photography will help the director develop the look of the film. A production designer is also important to a sci-fi film, along with an editor. If the budget allows, it would be good to hire a visual effects supervisor.
5. Hire a cast. The actors are the most visible part of the film. Since the project isn't relying entirely on special effects, unique casting is key.
6. Prep the movie. This is where every aspect of the production is planned out. An independent sci-fi movie will most likely be shot on HD video. Factor the amount of shots that will be needed per day, and if those shots are going to be supplemented with visual effects. Tailor the script to the shooting schedule.
7. Shoot the movie. The best rule of independent filmmaking is to stick to the script and stay within budget. If everything was done properly in preproduction, the shoot should be the easiest part of the process.
8. Post the movie. The editing is just one aspect of postproduction. The sound engineering is also very important in post. But the most crucial aspect when doing postproduction of a sci-fi film is the handling of the visual effects. Even on a small-budget sci-fi film, there will some effects that will need attention.
The Flip Ultra is a digital video camera that saves content directly onto an inserted memory card. The video camera fits into the palm of your hand and gives you access to a movie recorder, regardless of where you are. If you are curious about the inner workings of the Flip Ultra and want to know how it works, it is possible to take the Flip Ultra apart.
Instructions
1. Remove the cover to the battery compartment and take out the batteries currently in the Flip Ultra camera.
2. Pry the top piece of the video camera off with your flat-head screwdriver. This reveals six different screws on the front of the camera. Remove these six screws with your Phillips screwdriver.
3. Look at the bottom of the camera. There are two openings. Insert the flat-head screwdriver and pull the plastic compartment off. This separates the cover from the inner circuit board on the camera.
4. Remove the Phillips screws holding the circuit board down onto the camera. This completes the disassembling process.
Tags: Flip Ultra, video camera, camera Remove, circuit board, flat-head screwdriver
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 is a popular presentation software program that is commonly used in education and business as a teaching tool and visual aid. Composing presentations requires PowerPoint 2007, but if you do not have the program you can still view PowerPoint presentations using a freeware tool called Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2007. Microsoft provides free downloads of PowerPoint Viewer 2007. Even if you have PowerPoint 2007 installed, you can use the viewer as a way to quickly open and display presentations.
Instructions
1. Download and install Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2007 (see Resources section).
2. Run Microsoft PowerPoint Viewer 2007 by clicking "Start," "All Programs" and "Microsoft Office PowerPoint Viewer 2007." A computer explorer prompt will open.
3. Open the PowerPoint file you want to view.
4. Click on the screen to move from one slide to the next and click on the black screen that says "End of slide show, click to exit" to exit the program.
Tags: Viewer 2007, PowerPoint Viewer, Microsoft PowerPoint, PowerPoint 2007, PowerPoint Viewer 2007, PowerPoint Viewer 2007, 2007 Microsoft
Kicker is a well-respected name in car audio, and they're probably best known for their subwoofers. If you've got a 10" Kicker subwoofer, you'll need to connect it to an amplifier to make it work. Follow some simple steps and you'll have it connected in no time.
Instructions
1. Measure the distance from your amplifier to your Kicker 10" subwoofer. Take into account how you'll need to route the speaker wire that will be going from the amplifier to the subwoofer. Cut a length of speaker wire the length you've measured, plus 6 to 8 inches extra, just in case.
2. Strip the insulation from the ends of the speaker wire so that 3/8 to 1/2 an inch of bare wire is visible. Twist the bare wire if it is stranded, so that the ends are tight and compact.
3. Loosen the screw terminals on the speaker outputs of the amplifier. These will be marked "positive" and "negative": "+" and "-". Slide the end of the positive lead of the speaker wire underneath the screw terminal and tighten down until the wire is securely in place. Slide the end of the negative lead of the speaker wire underneath the screw terminal and tighten down until the wire is securely in place.
4. Run your speaker wire along the route you've chosen from the amp to your 10" Kicker subwoofer. Loosen the speaker wire input terminals of the subwoofer, and insert the wires. Be sure to insert the positive lead of the speaker wires into the positive terminal of the subwoofer, and the negative lead of the speaker wire into the negative terminal of the subwoofer.
5. Tighten the terminals until the wire is secure. Now you've hooked up your amp to a Kicker subwoofer.
Tags: speaker wire, Kicker subwoofer, lead speaker, lead speaker wire, until wire