Every once in a while, a video comes along that defies sensible commentary but we know must be shared for the good (humor) of humanity. Just think, even if you don’t get lucky tonight, you’ll goat lucky, and that’s not something you’ll ever wake up regretting. Full story at YouTube via Kottke. YouTube oddities.
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Gotta “Goat Lucky” [video]
Holy Kaw!18 May 2013 | 6:29 pm -
How Facebook Has Changed Since Going Public 1 Year Ago
Mashable18 May 2013 | 2:50 pm"Facebook was not originally created to be a company," CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in his SEC Registration letter a little more than three months before Facebook went public on May 18, 2012. "It was built to accomplish a social mission — to make the world more open and connected." In the year since the Facebook IPO, some things haven't changed: Zuckerberg still sports his trademark hoodies, employees still rate their company and their founder highly, and Facebook still talks about its grand mission to make the world more open and connected. But the era of Facebook operating or being… -
Tracking: Hulu's Next Act
Fast Company18 May 2013 | 7:14 amWill Hulu finally be sold? Things are certainly looking that way. Over the last few weeks everyone from Yahoo to TimeWarner has been kicking the tires of the TV and movie streaming service that’s owned by a trio of Hollywood studios--Disney, Fox, and NBCUniversal. And with increasing dissent among those studios as to what to do with Hulu, it seems like only a matter of time before a deal is worked out. Although a number of strategic options are being considered, one source told Fast Company that “Someone will buy them. The partners are motivated to be done with it.” That… -
Hell No, Tumblr Users Won't Go To Yahoo!
TechCrunch18 May 2013 | 4:14 pmWe’ve all by now heard about how Yahoo is trying to get some “cool” with a supposed $1 billion purchase of hip blogging platform Tumblr, but it may be a moot point if Tumblr’s users fail to stick around post-sale. Microsoft and Facebook may be trying to make a move ahead of Yahoo, Tumblr may be inching ever closer to running out of cash, and (despite that) may not be afraid to play a little hardball. But here’s something you’re not hearing much about: Tumblr’s users are almost universally unhappy with the news that the site might get sold to Yahoo. -
It's Thomas Midgley day
Seth's Blog18 May 2013 | 2:00 amToday would be his 124th birthday. A fine occasion to think about the effects of industrialization, and what happens when short-term profit-taking meets marketing. Midgley is responsible for millions of deaths. Not directly, of course, but by, "just doing his job," and then pushing hard to market ideas he knew weren't true—so he and his bosses could turn a profit. His first mistake began when he figured out that adding lead to gasoline appeared to make cars perform better. At the time, two things were widely known by chemists: 1. Adding grain alcohol to gasoline dramatically increases…
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Holy Kaw!
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Gotta “Goat Lucky” [video]
18 May 2013 | 6:29 pmEvery once in a while, a video comes along that defies sensible commentary but we know must be shared for the good (humor) of humanity. Just think, even if you don’t get lucky tonight, you’ll goat lucky, and that’s not something you’ll ever wake up regretting. Full story at YouTube via Kottke. YouTube oddities. -
Welcome to Canada! Bienvenu! New welcome ambassador
18 May 2013 | 5:21 pmCheckout Canada’s new welcome ambassador, a talking beaver: More stories about Canada. Photo credit: Klaatu42 -
12 tips to delight your social media connections
18 May 2013 | 5:10 pmPeople flock to delightful personalities and what works at the water cooler works on social media, too. As Pam Moore explains: According to Dictionary.com, the word delight is defined as “to please someone greatly.” Notice the key word of “greatly.” Delight does not equal status quo. It does not mean doing, writing, posting, tweeting, pinning, +1-ing the same exact thing every other business in your niche is doing. So, how can you stand out from the crowd while making people smile? Start by trying these twelve helpful tips and watch your following grow. 1. Be human. Humanize your… -
A step-by-step guide to starting a small business website
18 May 2013 | 4:49 pmSmall business owners wear many hats that, at a big company, could be laid on the minds of an extensive staff. While a website might seem like the straw that could very well break the camel’s back, when one considers the amazing long-term benefits an appealing web presence can have, it might be time to bump this task to the top of the to-do list. Fortunately, Samir Balwani at SiteFox has covered everything from spelling out the benefits to maintaining leads to get you started. Full story at SiteFox. An extra boost for small business. Photo credit: Fotolia -
Weekend dose of cute: Marmoset eating macaroni [video]
18 May 2013 | 8:40 amSorry, Yankee Doodle, but it’s time that macaroni got a brand update and we’ve got just the guy. The adorable pygmy marmoset is one of the smallest primates, and you may be interested to know that when there are too many males around, they’re also polyandrous. Full story at YouTube via Miss Cellania. Adorable animals.
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Mashable
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How Facebook Has Changed Since Going Public 1 Year Ago
18 May 2013 | 2:50 pm"Facebook was not originally created to be a company," CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in his SEC Registration letter a little more than three months before Facebook went public on May 18, 2012. "It was built to accomplish a social mission — to make the world more open and connected." In the year since the Facebook IPO, some things haven't changed: Zuckerberg still sports his trademark hoodies, employees still rate their company and their founder highly, and Facebook still talks about its grand mission to make the world more open and connected. But the era of Facebook operating or being… -
Giant Stop Sign Is Laser-Projected Onto a Sheet of Water
18 May 2013 | 2:37 pmImagine you're a truck driver. You're coming up to a tunnel that might be too low for your truck to fit under, but you're not sure. Suddenly, a gigantic red stop sign appears to obstruct the road in front of the tunnel entrance, giving you no doubt. Stop! You're not going to overlook that explicit warning What is this sorcery? See the video above to find out more about how this remarkable sign is created with a instantaneously produced sheet of water and — you guessed it — frickin' lasers SEE ALSO: Laser System Paints Information on the Road Ahead These pop-up stop signs made by… -
Top 10 Tech This Week
18 May 2013 | 2:27 pmIt was a big week in tech, the week of Google I/O. But apart from the annual Google geekfest that its developers conference is, there was much more. We were in San Francisco to cover Google I/O, but we also kept an eye on the rest of the world of tech for Top 10 Tech This Week The biggest story of the week — which in turn contained countless big stories — was Google I/O, the company's developers conference. Even though this time nobody parachuted onto the conference building wearing Google Glass, the conference was still full of juicy announcements: new Hangouts, new Google Maps,… -
AOL, Yahoo Were Better Investments This Year Than Facebook Stock
18 May 2013 | 2:07 pmAh, the benefit of hindsight. Those who rushed to buy Facebook stock at its initial public offering price of $38 per share on May 18, 2012, are likely a little disappointed with their investment one year later. Though the stock has recovered from its $17.55 September 4 low, the price of the stock today, at a little more than $26 per share, is still closer to its all-time low than its opening price. What if investors had put their money into other technology or Internet companies? Statistics database Statista looked at how a $1,000 investment made on the day of Facebook's IPO would have… -
6 Apps You Don't Want To Miss
18 May 2013 | 1:51 pmIt can be tough to keep up with all the new apps released every week. But you're in luck — Mashable takes care of that for you, creating a roundup each weekend of our favorite new and updated apps. This week Google launched its own streaming music service, and another music service got a new mode designed specifically to be used while driving. Airbnb's Android app was updated with some new tools for hosts, and Highlight got a little more personal. Check out the gallery above for a look at this week's highlights. Still looking for more? See last week's Apps You Don't Want to Miss for…
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Fast Company
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Tracking: Hulu's Next Act
18 May 2013 | 7:14 amWill Hulu finally be sold? Things are certainly looking that way. Over the last few weeks everyone from Yahoo to TimeWarner has been kicking the tires of the TV and movie streaming service that’s owned by a trio of Hollywood studios--Disney, Fox, and NBCUniversal. And with increasing dissent among those studios as to what to do with Hulu, it seems like only a matter of time before a deal is worked out. Although a number of strategic options are being considered, one source told Fast Company that “Someone will buy them. The partners are motivated to be done with it.” That… -
A Furniture Collection Made Entirely By Wind Power
17 May 2013 | 2:30 pmMerel Karhof has a knack for harnessing breezes and turning them into fun, sustainable goods we can use. Merel Karhof has been using the breeze as muse for years, finding new ways to spin airflow into creative gold. Most notable, perhaps, is the London-based designer’s Wind Knitting Machine, which united a metal mill and loom to make one-of-a-kind scarves. Her ongoing Energy Harvesters series (I, II, III, and IV) underscores her continued fascination with the invisible force. And her latest project, a furniture collection, is not only ingenious but it’s the most ambitious yet. -
Watch: Rich Brilliant Willing Talk About Their Hands-On Design Process
17 May 2013 | 1:15 pmThe trio behind the Brooklyn-based design-and-manufacturing studio talk shop and share their approach to making. Rich Brilliant Willing was formed in 2007 with the goal of uniting the oft disparate worlds of design and manufacturing from a fully equipped, Brooklyn-based studio and workshop. In the following six years, RBW’s founding trio of RISD grads--Charles Brill, Theo Richardson, and Alex Williams--have produced thoughtful lighting and furniture that have established their reputation as a design force. “A design is a concept,” Brill explains in the first of our Making It… -
It’s Time To Start Preparing For The Masses Of Climate Change Refugees
17 May 2013 | 12:00 pmIt’s going to take some time for the consequences of the warming climate to catch up with us. But when they do, it could get ugly fast. On May 10, researchers at the Mauna Loa Observatory, an atmospheric monitoring facility, sounded the alarm that carbon dioxide levels in the air had now passed 400 parts per million, an arbitrary marker, but signifying the rapidly growing share of the atmosphere that carbon dioxide is claiming--and getting climate change back into the public debate. In light of that ignominious achievement, commentators are revisiting what exactly that means for a… -
Infographic: A Beautiful Cheat Sheet For Two Dozen Espresso-Based Drinks
17 May 2013 | 12:00 pmYou’re telling me you don’t already know the difference between a Galão and a Lungo? Ugh. Just when you kinda sorta started to get a handle on the wide world of wine, along comes another new liquid metric for how cosmopolitan you really are (or aren’t): coffee. The variety is daunting. The differences are minute. This graphic should at least help with one subsection of the catalog. Exceptional Expressions of Espresso, the latest from Pop Chart Lab, is a lovely visual guide to 23 espresso drinks, or, in their words, "a world tour of the purest form of coffee." Feel…
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TechCrunch
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Hell No, Tumblr Users Won't Go To Yahoo!
18 May 2013 | 4:14 pmWe’ve all by now heard about how Yahoo is trying to get some “cool” with a supposed $1 billion purchase of hip blogging platform Tumblr, but it may be a moot point if Tumblr’s users fail to stick around post-sale. Microsoft and Facebook may be trying to make a move ahead of Yahoo, Tumblr may be inching ever closer to running out of cash, and (despite that) may not be afraid to play a little hardball. But here’s something you’re not hearing much about: Tumblr’s users are almost universally unhappy with the news that the site might get sold to Yahoo. -
What Games Are: Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Xbox?
18 May 2013 | 2:00 pmEditor’s note: Tadhg Kelly is a veteran game designer, creator of leading game design blog What Games Are and creative director of Jawfish Games. You can follow him on Twitter here. One of the memories that sticks with me most about the launch of the Xbox 360 was a silly analogy about inhaling. I can’t remember who said it, but the general idea was that it had a concave body to convey breathing in, perhaps a precursor to exclaiming joy. It was as daft as it sounds, but for a while there the 360 was indeed a breath of fresh air. Xbox 360 had a lot going for it, from online… -
The Evolution Of Hacker News
18 May 2013 | 1:02 pmThe idea of a VC having its own news aggregator was a bit outlandish in 2007. But Y Combinator was in an unusual position in those days anyway. Startup incubators had been a highly visible part of the dot-com crash, and Silicon Valley was still skeptical of the concept nearly a decade later. So YC set out to be something different — a community of hackers building companies on their own terms. Hacker News was initially built by YC co-founder Paul Graham as a demonstration of Arc, a new programming language he’d been working on. He quickly realized that it could help bring together… -
CrunchWeek: Google I/O Madness And Square's New iPad Hardware For Merchants
18 May 2013 | 1:00 pmIt’s that time of the week for CrunchWeek, the show where a few of us writers chat up the most interesting stories from the past seven days. Ryan Lawler, Drew Olanoff (clad in his Google Glass), and I discussed all things Google I/O, including Larry Page’s keynote, Google+’s new photo features, and the latest Google Glass apps and more. We also chatted about Square’s new hardware, Stand, which is a $299 card swiper and stand for iPad registers. Tune in above for more! -
I/Overload?
18 May 2013 | 12:05 pmDid Google’s conference succeed? It launched dozens of products and services in its 205-minute keynote, but did the world understand them? I saw some of the smartest journalists in technology struggling to handle the information density. But what’s the alternative? Break it up across multiple days, or even multiple conferences? Google’s breadth presents it with a challenge unique among the tech giants. Apple? Its launches center around a discrete set of devices. That’s why WWDC works. There might be one radically new product, but then just a set of iterations on what…
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Seth's Blog
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It's Thomas Midgley day
18 May 2013 | 2:00 amToday would be his 124th birthday. A fine occasion to think about the effects of industrialization, and what happens when short-term profit-taking meets marketing. Midgley is responsible for millions of deaths. Not directly, of course, but by, "just doing his job," and then pushing hard to market ideas he knew weren't true—so he and his bosses could turn a profit. His first mistake began when he figured out that adding lead to gasoline appeared to make cars perform better. At the time, two things were widely known by chemists: 1. Adding grain alcohol to gasoline dramatically increases… -
Every day is an investment
17 May 2013 | 2:07 amYou're not lucky to have this job, they're lucky to have you. Every day, you invest a little bit of yourself into your work, and one of the biggest choices available to you is where you'll be making that investment. That project that you're working on, or that boss you report to... worth it? Investing in the wrong place for a week or a month won't kill you. But spending ten years contributing to something that you don't care about, or working with someone who doesn't care about you... you can do better. -
The river guide and the rapids
16 May 2013 | 2:11 amIt's probably not an accident that rapid (as in rapid change) shares a root with rapids (as in Lava Falls in the Grand Canyon). The river guide, piloting his wooden dory, has but one strategy. Get the boat to the end of the river, safely. And he has countless tactics, an understanding of how water and rocks work, and, if you're lucky, experience on this particular river. The thing is, the captain changes his tactics constantly. He never whines. He doesn't stop the boat and say, "wait, no fair, yesterday this rock wasn't like this!" No, the practice of being great at shooting the rapids is a… -
Applications open for a short summer internship
15 May 2013 | 10:53 amI'm offering a short-term paid internship this summer. You'll be in my office, working with me and a tightly knit group to develop a brand new idea. Here are some details, the links to apply are at the end. Please feel free to forward to those that might be interested. The first intern project happened more than eight years ago, and we built changethis.com, which, in the capable hands of 800ceoread, just published its 100th issue. This project has lauched and amplified dozens of bestsellers and even more important, truly valuable ideas to millions of people. Team members included Amit Gupta… -
Appropriate cheating in the nine-dot problem
15 May 2013 | 2:34 amAll geeks, nerds and puzzle folks are aware of the nine-dot problem, along with the lesson it is frequently used to present. Here's a pencil. Here's a piece of copy paper with nine dots on it. Without lifting the pencil or folding the paper, connect the nine dots using four straight lines. The narrator smiles as you try as hard as you can, unable to do it. Then he ends your frustration and points out you've been tricked by your own limits, because, of course, there's nothing in the rules that says you can't have the lines go beyond the edges of the nine dots. The thing is, this isn't the end.
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NYT > Home Page
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Shinseki Faces Mounting Criticism Over Backlog of Benefit Claims
18 May 2013 | 6:21 pmThe secretary, Eric Shinseki, is being held accountable for his overwhelmed agency’s problems dealing with claims for disability compensation. -
Dozens Injured as Car Plows Into Parade in Virginia
18 May 2013 | 6:03 pmA driver described as an elderly man struck hikers marching in a parade in Damascus, a small Virginia mountain town, with more than a dozen suffering serious injuries. -
Car Drives Into Virginia Parade
18 May 2013 | 5:56 pmAbout 50 to 60 people were injured when a driver drove into a group of hikers marching in a parade in a small mountain town. -
Oxbow, With Jockey Gary Stevens, Wins Preakness Stakes and Spoils Orb’s Run for Triple Crown
18 May 2013 | 5:54 pmOxbow cruised to an easy victory at the Preakness Stakes, giving the trainer D. Wayne Lukas his 14th Triple Crown race victory and jockey Gary Stevens his third Preakness win. The heavily favored Orb finished fourth. -
Suspect in Hofstra Home Invasion Had Extensive Criminal Record
18 May 2013 | 5:38 pmA 21-year-old student who was killed in a home invasion on Friday was mistakenly shot in the head by an officer firing at an armed suspect holding her hostage, the police said.
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Wired Top Stories
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Autodesk Purchases, Revives 3-D Design App Tinkercad
18 May 2013 | 1:00 pmOn Saturday, Autodesk announced it is purchasing Tinkercad and reinstating the service. The move comes in time to prevent the previously announced shutdown of any accounts or services, and users can start creating new accounts immediately. -
Dropping Jaws (And Slowpokes) on Cervelo's $10,000 Racing Bike
18 May 2013 | 3:30 amAs one of just a few hundred limited-edition bikes produced by Cerv?lo's Project California division, the RCA is a neatly packaged compendium of its creator's two-decades-deep body of engineering knowledge. -
Wired Space Photo of the Day: Galactic Wheels
18 May 2013 | 3:30 amHow many rings do you see in this new image of the galaxy Messier 94, also known as NGC 4736? While at first glance one might see a number of them, astronomers believe there is just one. This image was captured in infrared light by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. -
The Schticky Is the Dark Knight Rises of Infomercials
18 May 2013 | 3:30 amWhen you?re an insomniac freelance writer who works from home, you end up seeing a lot of infomercials, and eventually, those things will wear you down. No matter how skeptical you might start off, you will eventually get to a point where you?ll start to wonder if there actually is somebody out there with a better way to fry eggs, chop tomatoes and make milkshakes in the comfort of your own home. I mean, television?s never lied to us before, has it? That?s why I wanted to actually check out a few of these things to see if they really were the life-changing innovations they purported to be. -
Penguin Bets Big That The 5th Wave Will Be the Next Hunger Games
18 May 2013 | 3:30 amIn the latest Geek's Guide to the Galaxy podcast author Rick Yancey talks about his new young adult survival novel The 5th Wave.
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@ProBlogger
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How To Use Auto Responder Emails to Boost Your Blogging Efforts
17 May 2013 | 8:22 amThis is a guest contribution by Asher Elran of Dynamic Search. I thought emails were a waste of time and that they are ignored, but then I learned how to do it right and watched the numbers flip. After you published a great post and pushed it through your social network, the third step is to leverage your email list too. This is where the auto-responders can help you gain new subscribers while you’re busy writing your next blog post. The majority of email marketing services are the same. I prefer Constant Contact or Mobilizemail’s new email feature. Following the steps below… -
How Much Content Should I Have Ready to Go When I Launch a Blog?
16 May 2013 | 8:23 amI recently had the opportunity to sit with a small group of Pre-Bloggers – people about to start their first blogs. One of the questions I was about how much content should be written before launching a new blog. My answer came in two parts: The Ideal Scenario What I actually have done The reality is that what I ‘preach’ isn’t always what I ‘do’ – so let me tell you about both! Note: we give a lot of teaching and some great exercises on this topic in ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging. The Ideal Scenario OK – here’s… -
Blog This! Sometimes Going Back to Basics Leads to the Best Posts
15 May 2013 | 8:47 amToday, I’m preparing some slides for a keynote I’m doing tomorrow. I included this diagram – something that Chris Garrett came up with years ago as a way to show new bloggers what they should blog about. The idea – obviously – is to find the connecting point between what YOU know (lessons you’ve learned, problems you’ve overcome, experiences that you’ve had etc) and what your readers (or potential readers) want (or need) to know. The intersecting point is GOLD! The problem with this diagram is when I show it to people they sometimes respond… -
Why Interlinking Your Blogs Posts is a Must (and Not Just For SEO)
14 May 2013 | 8:15 amThis is a guest contribution by Daniel Vassiliou of Endurance SEO. Everybody loves (LOVES) to talk about link building and find the latest and greatest technique for building backlinks to your blog. While this gets you more traffic and better rankings in the search engines, it can draw away from an equally important aspect of your blog – internal (or onsite) SEO. Not only does a good internal SEO practice help boost your rankings by making it easier for Google’s crawlers to access your pages, but it also allows real people (yeah, they’re still on the internet) to navigate your site… -
How Many Posts Should a Blogger Post? [Pros and Cons of Daily Posting]
13 May 2013 | 8:46 amAlmost every time I do a Q&A at a conference I’m asked this question – How many posts should I post? The frequency of blog posts is something that gets talked about a lot and there is no perfect answer for all blogs – but here are a few thoughts on the topic. The Pros of Daily Posting I’ve heard many people answer the ‘how many posts’ question with the suggestion that you should aim for a daily post. While I will name some reasons why this may not be ideal below there are certainly some benefits of posting on a daily level including: Daily Posts Can…
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Entrepreneur
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Tips for Overcoming Early HR Hurdles
18 May 2013 | 11:00 amOf all the struggles you'll face as an entrepreneur, hiring, training and managing employees is one of the biggest. Here are some tips for clearing your startup's way of HR obstacles. -
10 Unique iPhone Accessories
18 May 2013 | 9:00 amThese tools can enhance your mobile experience and make your iPhone more useful. -
Google CEO Larry Page's Vocal Condition and Breaking the Silence About Illness
18 May 2013 | 8:00 amHow business owners can keep a company moving forward, even when the boss is sick. -
Behind the Scenes: What It's Really Like to Pitch for a Spot on 'Shark Tank'
17 May 2013 | 3:25 pmMeet the entrepreneurs who lined up to pitch to casting directors of the ABC reality TV show. -
Spreading the Love of Silicon Valley (Infographic)
17 May 2013 | 12:31 pmLet's face it, Silicon Valley is still the mecca for startups, and every other city is playing catch up.
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Lifehacker
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This Week's Top Downloads
18 May 2013 | 5:00 pmEvery week, we share a number of downloads for all platforms to help you get things done. Here were the top downloads from this week. Read more... -
Why It's Always Worth Asking for a Hotel Upgrade
18 May 2013 | 4:00 pmA lot of people are uncomfortable with haggling, but just one quick question at a hotel's front desk has a great chance of earning you a better room on your next vacation or work trip.Read more... -
Twipster Strips Twitter's Cluttered Interface Down to the Essentials
18 May 2013 | 3:00 pmSafari/Chrome: If Twitter's web interface is a little too busy for your liking, Twipster converts it into a minimal and responsive list of Tweets, with none of the clutter.Read more... -
Garden Without The Back Strain with this DIY Seed Gun
18 May 2013 | 2:00 pmEveryone loves a good backyard garden, but hunching over a pile of dirt to plant all of your seeds isn't much fun. If you want to take some of the back bending out of the equation, this PVC seed gun should do the trick.Read more... -
Cut Lemons Lengthwise to Get More Juice
18 May 2013 | 1:00 pmWhen you need lemon juice for a recipe, nothing beats fresh-squeezed, but it's always a struggle to coax a lot of juice out of the fruit. As it turns out, the secret is to cut the lemon lengthwise.Read more...
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors
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Apple and Sony 'iRadio' Negotiations Stalling Over Skipped Songs
17 May 2013 | 1:58 pmEarlier today a report suggested that the launch of Apple's upcoming streaming music service deemed "iRadio" may be delayed due to difficult negotiations with Sony Music and Warner Music Group. CNET is offering some additional information on Apple's trouble with Sony Music, explaining that the fees to be paid for skipped songs have become a point of contention between the companies.Apple and Sony Music, the world's second largest music label, are still trying to hammer out details over how much Apple would pay for songs that people listen to a fraction of and then skip, according to people… -
Tightening MacBook Air Supplies at Resellers Hint at Upcoming Refresh
17 May 2013 | 10:31 amAs noted by AppleInsider, MacBook Air supplies are beginning to dry up as Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference approaches. Currently, the 13.3-inch 256GB 1.8Ghz MacBook Air is out of stock at Amazon.com, with a listed one to two month waiting period. While the low end 13.3-inch MacBook Air is in stock, the 11.6-inch MacBook Air is in short supply. Amazon lists an inventory of just ten 1.7Ghz 128GB 11.6-inch MacBook Airs and just one lower end 64GB 11.6-inch MacBook Air available through a third party. Several other authorized Apple resellers, such as MacConnection, MacMall, and… -
Difficult Negotiations May Prevent 'iRadio' Launch at WWDC
17 May 2013 | 9:05 amLast week, we noted that Apple was still struggling to convince the major music labels to sign on to its planned streaming service, informally dubbed "iRadio", with Sony and Warner reportedly holding out even after market leader Universal had agreed to Apple's revised terms. In a new article highlighting how Google was able to announce its own music service ahead of Apple, The Verge notes that Apple's desire to provide a hybrid listener experience has meant more work at the negotiating table.For starters, Google chose to offer a standard subscription music service very similar to those built… -
U.S. Department of Defense Approves iOS 6 Devices for Military Networks
17 May 2013 | 7:56 amFollowing a report from earlier this month indicating that the U.S. Department of Defense was preparing to approve Apple devices running iOS 6 for use on military networks, Bloomberg now reports that the department has officially issued the authorization, opening the door for greater use of Apple's products.The Defense Department said in a statement today that it has approved the use of Cupertino, California-based Apple’s products running a version of the iOS 6 mobile platform. The decision eventually may spur a three-way fight for a market long dominated by Waterloo, Ontario-based… -
Corning Announces 'Lotus XT' Substrate Glass for Brighter, Cheaper Mobile Displays
17 May 2013 | 7:18 amCorning yesterday announced (via Engadget) the launch of its latest glass substrate for LCD and OLED displays, Lotus XT Glass. While Corning is famous for its Gorilla Glass used by Apple and other device manufacturers to provide durable covers for their displays, substrate glass like Lotus Glass is used within the displays themselves to support the transistors and other components necessary for the displays to function. The Corning Lotus Glass platform enables organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays and liquid crystal displays (LCD) that use either low-temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) or…
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chrisbrogan.com
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Be Open to Inspiration
10 May 2013 | 8:41 amI’ve been in a bit of a fog the last week or so. Nothing worth talking about, really. Depression stuff. But then it lifted. What’s interesting to me is how I found my footing and how I got back on track, and so there are two items I want to share with you from this: the actual learning, and more importantly, the realization of what got me there. Be Open to Inspiration Humans have this way they deal with too much information. They discard tons of inputs and keep what they feel is important. This is necessary, by the way. Can you imagine how busy your brain would be if you thought… -
Do Local Businesses Deserve Your Money?
7 May 2013 | 1:38 pmI sat at the counter at my local restaurant the other day and waited for over 7 minutes without anyone bothering to acknowledge that I was there. And then I walked out. And so did my money. For good. In fact, I drove to McDonalds, got some scrambled eggs and an iced coffee, and was in and out of the system within the same 7 minutes. (You can save your comments with disdain for McDonalds. If you’re a parent, you go there, unless you don’t. Either way. It’s not the point.) Now, before you try to defend this other place, no, it wasn’t busy. Yes, at least two employees had seen me, and… -
Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools?
30 Apr 2013 | 4:21 pmWhy should you bother using tools like Vine and Instagram, and the like? That question was asked to me by Pam Vitaz, and she asked it somewhat in this context (my words not hers): Vine’s interesting, but you basically just shot a funny video. Why do that? Here’s the video she meant: Can’t see the video? Click Here. Can’t hear sound? Hover over it and click the little sound thingy. On the surface, it’s the kind of question you can answer with “why not?” But that’s not good enough. Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools? First, it’s your… -
Can You Work at Being Fearless?
29 Apr 2013 | 7:03 amFear is at the heart of most of our worst choices. I read this facebook post by James Altucher and it really punched me in the stomach. But that’s just one punch in a series, because every time I question how I ended up somewhere, the real answer (underneath all the bull answers) is fear. It’s why most stupid things happen, why all bad things happen (when humans are involved), and is even worse than you think. I’m afraid of a weird collection of things. I’m afraid of sharks (ever since seeing Jaws at a very young age – because I pestered my parents tirelessly til… -
Sponsored Post – Mobile Productivity and the Future
24 Apr 2013 | 4:53 amCan you be productive while on the road? I say yes. In fact, I’m writing this from a hotel room before heading off to a meeting with a client. The following is sponsored by Cloud Powered Work, which is a project with IDG, LinkedIn, and Microsoft’s Office365. Everything in this post is mine, and my opinions are my own. I just produced an episode of my radio show from my hotel room, because I realized that an episode was due and I hadn’t done the work before I took off for the day. Last night, while I waited for my slightly delayed airplane, I cracked open SkyDrive pulled down…
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Copyblogger
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5 Writing and Productivity Links You Can Use
18 May 2013 | 5:00 amThis week on The Lede … How A Copywriter Evaluates A Great Website The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination The Daily Rituals of the World’s Most Creative People 4 Things That Lead to Success (or Failure) with Email Signup Forms How to Do More By Planning Less: The Power of the Anti-Plan Want to grab even more useful links (beyond those that make The Lede)? Follow @copyblogger on Twitter. // The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination Procrastination: that merciless thief of our time, creative output, and potential reward. Mr. Bergman delivers a unique — but convincing… -
How to Become a Content Marketing Expert
17 May 2013 | 9:00 amYou hear everyone talking about online content marketing, because with today’s Internet-empowered prospect, content marketing is what works. And yet, you may be struggling with creating content that works for your business or your clients. Or maybe you’re just trying to take your game to the next level. There’s a lot to learn, and even then you’re left asking potentially expensive and time-consuming questions: How do I apply this particular strategy for my business? Is this a solid idea, and how should I execute it? Has anyone taken this approach before, and what were the… -
Why We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared
17 May 2013 | 8:00 amWriting is scary. Sometimes when we publish something, it makes us feel like our insides are hanging out, for all the world to see. We feel vulnerable. We feel naked. We feel … terrified. But here’s the thing — we have to keep writing, in spite of the fear. If we let fear stop us, our content will have no spark, no life. And everything we write will be completely unremarkable. Right now, I’m working on a blog post (on a different topic) that scares the living heck out of me. I am afraid of the strong opinions and passion that are rising from some long-buried place inside me. -
5 Ways to Bond with Your Blog’s Audience
16 May 2013 | 5:00 amYou’re smart. You know you need to be helpful on your blog in order to grow your audience. You share useful tips. You give away free tutorials. But somehow you’re not connecting with your readers. Your blog seems a little quiet. Sure, you’re getting some traffic. But a certain spark is missing. It’s not the enjoyable party you’d imagined it to be. Is it getting you down? Today I’m sharing five tips to engage with your readers, make them feel at home, and to turn your blog into a nice and warm get-together. Sound good? 1. Write conversationally Nobody… -
Could Mobile Responsive Website Design Hurt Your SEO?
15 May 2013 | 4:00 amAllow your jaw to become unhinged at this statistic: There are over 1 million more mobile devices activated every day across the world than there are babies born. Yeah, mind = blown. Indeed, designing with a mobile-first mindset becomes more important — quite literally — by the day. As does answering burning questions related to mobile design best practices. For example: Is mobile responsive web design good for SEO or not? This has become a hotly debated topic, even right here in the Copyblogger comment sections, with reasonable minds making reasonable arguments on both sides.
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Macworld
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The Macalope Weekly: Missed connections
18 May 2013 | 7:00 amYou can almost see the “missed connection” personal ads these pundits would write: “You: gullible reader, looking for more information about the technology industry. Me: technology pundit willfully ignoring implicit costs, pushing really bad ideas, and misrepresenting survey results to generate page views.” Will they get together?! Read on! No such thing as a free lunch Writing for The Motley Fool, Steve Heller has some fun with language! “Apple Has a Siri-ous Problem.” Ahhhh, the Macalope sees what you did there! To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click… -
The Week in iPad Cases: Just keep swimming
18 May 2013 | 6:00 amIf you enjoyed this week's roundup of iPhone cases, check out last week’s edition, Opposites Attract. -
Remains of the Day: Shape up, ship out
17 May 2013 | 4:30 pmiOS devices are in the army now, Intel’s former CEO recounts his Apple misstep, and Apple’s got its work cut out for its WWDC keynote. The remainders for Friday, May 17, 2013 lead the way. Apple Mobile Devices Approved for Use on U.S. Military Networks (Bloomberg) The Pentagon has given thumbs up to iOS 6 devices on military networks, though the Defense Department is still waiting for Apple’s much anticipated “Find My Enemies” app. Paul Otellini’s Intel: Can the Company That Built the Future Survive It? (The Atlantic) To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please… -
Review: HardShell Case coats Retina MacBook Pro in a candy-colored shell
17 May 2013 | 11:21 amAs sturdy as Apple’s MacBooks are, it’s a little depressing to pull your laptop out of your bag and discover a ding or scratch on the aluminum case. If you want some extra protection for your laptop, Handy Candy Cases’ $60 HardShell Case might be the answer. Hard Candy makes the HardShell Case for the Retina MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. (I tested a version for the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.) The case consists of four pieces of translucent, rigid plastic. The plastic doesn’t feel brittle or cheap, and it’s available in blue, black, lime, or red. Snapping the HardShell Case onto… -
The Week in iOS Apps: Ode to joy!
17 May 2013 | 10:45 amThis week's roundup of new and updated iOS apps includes cool new offerings for music and movies, as well as a new storytelling form designed just for your phone or tablet.
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ReadWrite
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Google's Flirtation With Being A Hardware Company Is Over
17 May 2013 | 2:03 pmA year ago, I left Google's annual I/O developers conference convinced it was making a major strategic shift into being a hardware company. As this year's I/O wraps up, I'm left questioning that conclusion. The message Google is putting forward in 2013 is very different: It's all about what developers can do with the software tools it provides, whether that means broad digital platforms like the Chrome Web browser and the Android mobile operating system, or fungible, ubiquitous services like Google+, YouTube and Google Maps. A Retreat From Hardware In 2012, the keynote offered a drumbeat of… -
App Not Working? It Might Be Time To Check The 'Weather'
17 May 2013 | 1:04 pmIf you've ever used the Internet — and you know who you are — you've undoubtedly had apps or various services stop working unexpectedly. For ordinary users, this usually just means no access to Twitter or Gmail for a while. But for developers, whose apps and services rely increasingly heavily on hooks into popular Web services, the problem can be far more complicated. That's because modern Web services (and the apps that facilitate them) can fail for a variety of reasons. One of the most common problems arises when some other service has gone down — more specifically, when the… -
Google: Please Fix The Crippling Problem Plaguing Google+
17 May 2013 | 11:10 amGoogle+ has never looked and felt as it good as it does right now. Alas, looks aren't everything. A massive overhaul of the service, announced Wednesday during a keynote at Google's I/O conference for developers, has brought it in line with the most modern and functionally powerful Web design principles. It now has a multi-column layout, scrolling menu bars, and enormous images. Google also rolled out an umbrella messaging service called Hangouts, a standalone app for Web and mobile that neatens up the sloppy mess that was Voice, Talk, and Google+ messaging. All of this is great news… -
Yahoo Reportedly Looking To Buy Tumblr For That Magic $1B
17 May 2013 | 10:30 amYahoo is in talks to acquire the fast-growing blogging site Tumblr for as much as $1 billion, AllThingsD reports. This could be the "big deal" Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer has reportedly been looking for. -
New 'Social' Businesses Want To Know All About You. No Thanks!
17 May 2013 | 8:09 amMarc Benioff, Salesforce.com's hyperbolic CEO, has been telling anyone who will listen that the "sudden convergence of cloud, social and mobile spheres" is forcing - and allowing - companies to connect with customers in new ways, and to listen with an intensity never before possible. I'm sure the benefits of social business are dramatic and undeniable, but am I alone in being totally creeped out at what seems to be an obvious invastion of privacy? I don't know about you, but I'm just not ready for companies - even companies I choose to do business with - to closely follow everything I do and…
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Smashing Magazine Feed
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Case Study: Typographic Design Patterns And Current Practices (2013 Edition)
16 May 2013 | 7:25 pmGood typography has always been a defining aspect of effective Web design, and this holds true especially for websites in which the emphasis is on presenting a large amount of content — specifically, articles, news and stories. Whether for a magazine or international newspaper, the designer of any website that distributes a lot of content has always had to consider typographic details as seriously and thoroughly as a print designer would. In 2009, we conducted a survey of then current typographic practices. Since then, responsive design techniques have clearly gained… -
A Beginner's Guide: Migrating A Website To WordPress Is Easier Than You Think
15 May 2013 | 1:33 amNow powering over 17% of the Web, WordPress is increasingly becoming the content management system (CMS) of choice for the average user. But what about websites built with an outdated CMS or without a CMS at all? Does moving to WordPress mean starting over and losing all the time, energy and money put into the current website? Nope! Migrating a website (including the design) over to WordPress is actually easier than you might think. In this guide, we’ll outline the migration process and work through the steps with a sample project. We’ll also cover some of the challenges you… -
A Client- And Server-Side Approach: Providing The Best Mobile User Experience Possible
14 May 2013 | 5:53 amNow and again, I hit the swimming pool. It’s a good way to exercise, but also to relax after a long day in front of my PC. I can do quite a few laps in my front crawl, but only because I don’t use my legs much. I kick steadily to ensure that my legs stay lifted and don’t slow me down. I don’t use my legs much for forward propulsion. An instructor once explained to me that legs can definitely help with propulsion in the front crawl, but only at the cost of much higher energy consumption. He also explained that champions use their legs a lot. Their hearts are powerful, and… -
Fables, Myths And Narratives: Converting Our Stories Into Multi-Screen Experiences
13 May 2013 | 5:24 amStorytelling takes many forms. In the past, stories were told orally, with people telling and retelling myths, fables and even histories. As writing technology became more prevalent, we began to record our stories, and we told them in the pages of books. Now, our society is awash in different devices and technologies, and those traditions of spoken stories and printed stories are blurring. Multi-screen narratives are being told across all kinds of platforms, pages and devices, making for truly immersive experiences. We are watching them, tapping them and learning from them. They… -
Keeping The Big Small: How To Avoid Duplicate Downloads In Responsive Images
10 May 2013 | 6:52 amThe <picture> element is a new addition to HTML5 that’s being championed by the W3C’s Responsive Images Community Group (RICG). It is intended to provide a declarative, markup-based solution to enable responsive images without the need of JavaScript libraries or complicated server-side detection. The <picture> element supports a number of different types of fallback content, but the current implementation of these fallbacks is problematic. In this article, we’ll explore how the fallbacks work, how they fail and what can be done about it. The <picture>…
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CNN.com - Top Stories
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Did 'fractured rail' cause derailment?
18 May 2013 | 6:48 pmThe rush-hour collision Friday of two trains in Connecticut sent 70 people to hospitals and mangled the track along the busy New York-to-New Haven corridor. FULL STORY -
Dr. Gupta gets mashed up by Ellen
18 May 2013 | 6:35 pmEllen DeGeneres pokes fun at Dr. Sanjay Gupta after he was ranked ahead of her in a Reader's Digest poll. -
Plane makes belly landing in N.J.
18 May 2013 | 6:28 pmA U.S. Airways plane touched down without landing gear at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey early Saturday morning. -
Police gunfire blamed for student death
18 May 2013 | 6:24 pmA 30-year-old man wanted for jumping parole was the alleged home invader killed in a New York shootout with police that also left a college student dead, police said Saturday. -
Why you keep playing the lottery
18 May 2013 | 6:21 pmSix numbers have the power to change your life.
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Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider
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Please join me in welcoming our new Photoshop User TV co-host, the awesome Jessica Maldonado (AKA “Photoshop Girl”)
16 May 2013 | 9:01 pmThis week we kicked off the new season of Photoshop User TV (the weekly Photoshop show) and I got the honor of introducing our viewers to our new co-host of Photoshop User TV, and the latest addition to “The Photoshop Guys”, it’s Jessica Maldonado, our own “Photoshop Girl.” (wild cheers ensue!).I know what you’re thinking. About #$&% time! (I totally agree) I also know what some of you are thinking, and just so you know, Jessica chose the nickname “Photoshop Girl” herself (though some suggested “Photoshop Gal” cause they… -
It’s Free Stuff Thursday!
15 May 2013 | 9:01 pmFree 24-Hour Trial for National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)! Want to know what you’re missing out on by not being a NAPP member? Try it out for FREE for 24 hours right here! Check out the full-length classes and quick tutorials from the top Photoshop instructors in the world for a full 24 hours. Whether you’re a photographer looking for Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Photoshop tips or a designer looking for new techniques and getting in-depth with layers, blend modes, and type, you can find it at NAPP.Straight From My Camera with Zack Arias The newest addition to The… -
It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Donna Dotan!
14 May 2013 | 9:01 pmHow to Create an Architectural Photo: Manhattan StyleI’d first like to thank Scott and Brad for inviting me to be a guest blogger! When I was asked to write a post, I was very excited and immediately began thinking about what to share. I love when photographers show how they created one of their favorite images from start to finish, so that’s what I’m going to do for you.Although architecture is a relatively small niche of photography, there are many architectural photographers out there; each with their own style of shooting and retouching. Some do very minimal retouching, if… -
Behind-The-Scenes Video of my Audi R8 Shoot Using the New Priolite Strobes
13 May 2013 | 10:08 pmWhen I recently got the chance to shoot the Audi R8, I only had an hour from start to finish, so I figured I’d give the new Priolites a try because of their “run and gun” wireless capabilities for on-location shooting, and they worked amazingly well. Check out the video to see ‘em in action (and to see one amazing car)! -
The Most Useful Button in Lightroom?
12 May 2013 | 9:01 pmGreat video clip from my buddy Matt Kloskowski on what he thinks may well be the most useful button in Lightroom (he originally ran this over on LightroomKillerTips.com last week). I can’t say I disagree, because I use it literally every single day dozens of times (if not more). If it’s not “the” most useful button, it’s surely is among the very top!Hope you all have a great Monday. :)
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Digital Photography School
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How to Create a “Standard Import” Preset in Lightroom 4
18 May 2013 | 12:59 pmIntroduction The following is an excerpt from the SLR Lounge Lightroom Workflow System Workshop on DVD, a system designed to increase your post production speed by 5 to 10 times! Click here to learn more. In this article, we are going to talk about creating a develop preset that you would like to apply to all of your images when they are first imported into Lightroom. Although Adobe’s RAW image processing is extremely powerful, one common complaint is that your images may look flat and colorless at first. Often photographers will lament how beautiful their colors looked on the back… -
My First Concert: Lighting Craziness
18 May 2013 | 9:46 amI had noticed this lighting scheme earlier in the song and missed it, focusing elsewhere. But when guitarist Brendt Allman went into his solo, I waited to see if it would happen again. Sure enough, it did. EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II. ISO 3200, 1/200 f/2.8. A few years ago, I managed to start working with one of my favorite groups of musicians, a progressive heavy metal band from Pennsylvania called Shadow Gallery. This has led to me collaborating with them in a number of ways. I did some publicity photos for them, shot a music video (in another first for me) that ended up… -
Curves: Weekly Photography Challenge
17 May 2013 | 12:37 pmThis week – as a follow up to our article Composing with Curves – your challenge is to take and share an image on the theme of ‘Curves’. Read Composing with Curves, choose one of the types of curves mentioned (‘C Curves’, ‘Arches’, ‘S Curves’, ‘Circles’ or ‘Implied Curves’) and go out and try to capture some of them. Once you’ve taken your ‘Curves’ Photos – choose your best 1-2, upload them to your favourite photo sharing site either share a link to them even better – embed them… -
So You Want to Be a Stock Photographer, Part II
17 May 2013 | 9:39 amPreface: There will be no images included in this entry. The point is to have the reader start reviewing the work of great stock shooters. Stock photography is work and part of that work is research. In this entry I have dropped names and agencies. Now the research begins. Check out Part I of this series here. -DW Stock photography has been going through an evolutionary process since the beginnings of photography as a popular hobby, and continues to be an industry in search of itself. The foundation is well established, but the end means is being continually in a state of flux by… -
Using Water to Lighten Landscape Photos
16 May 2013 | 12:45 pmPhoto by peter bowers Most Pro landscape photographers recommend shooting either at (or around) dawn or dusk in order to capture their scene in the ‘golden hours’ when the light is at it’s best (in fact some will rarely shoot at any other time of day). However, one of the problems associated with shooting at this time of day is that while the sky will often have enough light in it the foreground of your images can sometimes end up being a little underexposed and featureless. One way to get around underexposed foregrounds is to include water in that area of your shot and to…
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TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog
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Share between devices painlessly with Instashare
18 May 2013 | 3:00 pmThere will come a time when you would like to simply transfer a file from one iOS device to another or to a Mac; it's inevitable. When the time arises, you will discover as most of us already have that the process is not as straightforward as one would think, considering how powerful these devices are. The most common methods used up to this point have been emailing oneself, cloud services like iCloud or Dropbox, file sync with the USB cable and iTunes or pleading with the always capricious Camera Connection Kit. Thankfully the developers at TwoManShow have developed a wonderful app to take… -
Caturday: Mac mini is Biru's pillow
18 May 2013 | 1:00 pmWhat can be more comfortable to a cat than a pillow that blows warm air out of an optical media slot and vibrates ever so gently? That appears to be why Biru (Indonesian for Blue) loves to rest on a Mac mini owned by reader Peter Stagg and his wife. Peter says, "Biru is my wife's British Short-haired and constant companion, especially when she is working in her study or on her laptop. He has claimed the lives of two laptops so far and is working on the Mac mini, very slowly. When he's not enjoying the warm air expelled from the optical media slot he lies across the front of the keyboard and… -
DevJuice: Spark Inspector offers real time iOS interface inpection
18 May 2013 | 8:00 amSpark Inspector (US$39.99 single-license) offers an exciting new development tool. Targeting devs looking to refine their user interfaces, it enables you to interactively tweak view properties like frames and layers. The app centers around an Interface Builder-like experience, with familiar-looking attribute and size inspectors. If you're comfortable in Xcode 4, you'll easily find your way around this tool. In addition, it provides a custom layer inspector -- one that could (and, honestly should) inspire Apple. It enables you to update layer attributes like shadows and transforms, while… -
Weekend Poll: What apps did you discover via the 50 billionth download contest?
17 May 2013 | 6:00 pmOn Wednesday, Apple sold its 50 billionth iOS app. TUAW was there keeping track of the excitement and monitoring the iTunes store. Many of our colleagues and readers used this contest as an opportunity to stock up on numerous free apps, to test and explore. Were you one of them? What apps did you download and which ones do you love? Here at TUAW, most of our choices were word of mouth -- Megan downloaded Moves while I gave the Target app a try. I managed to convince Steve Sande to pick up Enigma. Sadly, none of us won. What about you? Did you discover a really great app while trying to win… -
Kenu Airframe: An ingenious car mount for your iPhone
17 May 2013 | 5:00 pmOne thing that seems to be a common attribute of hard-core Apple fans is that they are connoisseurs of great design. It doesn't matter if it's the sleek curves of a new iMac or the minimalist slab of the iPhone 5, we love how the devices are designed with pleasing dimensions and an enjoyable tactile sensation. That's why I was instantly attracted to the Kenu Airframe (US$24.95), a simple and lightweight smartphone car mount that's perfect for present and future iPhones. Design Some of the car mounts I've received for review over the years have been expensive overkill. They often use a suction…
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Strobist
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Q&A: Photek Softlighter II or Paul Buff PLM?
17 May 2013 | 3:00 amSydney, Australia-based photo assistant Diego asks: You seem to use the Photek Softlighter a lot. How would this compare to the Paul Buff PML Soft-Silver with the White Diffuser? While they are similar (both sub-$100 Octa killers) they are pretty different under the skin, So which model you'll prefer depends on how you'll use it… Read more » -
Readers Shoot Back: Vivian Chung
13 May 2013 | 8:11 amDontcha hate it when your bride-and-groom portrait gets photo-bombed? Okay, maybe not if it's by a Beluga whale. And for Vancouver wedding photographer (and Strobist reader) Vivian Chung, this well-planned cameo was no accident. Complicating things, she only had a little time—and a key technical restriction—to make this shot. Read more » -
Lighting In Layers on Lynda.com
13 May 2013 | 8:00 amI am happy to announce that Strobist's video series, Lighting in Layers, has by special arrangement been adapted for the video tutorial site Lynda.com. Those of you who are Lynda subscribers can now view the videos there. (This includes Lynda's many corporate subs, so check with your company.) Last week saw the launch of the first segments, which are primarily aimed at beginners. Additional sessions will be released each week. So even if you are not a newb, stick around. It'll get more complex soon enough… -30- -
HCAC: Soprano Rebecca Hargrove
8 May 2013 | 12:00 amIt's May. Which always means two things for me: dealing with heavy allergies and beginning my next batch of portraits for the Howard County Arts Council. The drudgery of allergies is offset by the pure pleasure that is getting to work with a group of insanely talented young people. Doing the portraiture for the Rising Stars program is one of my favorite projects of the year. One of the first this year was soprano Rebecca Hargrove, who we photographed in the venerable Garaj Mahal Studios… Read more » -
What Really Happens When a Fuji X100s "Syncs" at 1/4000th of a Sec
5 May 2013 | 7:35 pmFor leaf-shutter flash geeks only: high-speed Phantom v1610 video of a Fuji X100s shutter not-quite-really syncing at 1/4000th of a sec. Sorry, I know many of you will be bored to tears by this. But the full technical article photographer Kevin Housen developed around this video (and others, at different shutter speeds) will really peel the onion for you if you want to know about the demonstrable quirkiness of this camera and ultra-high speed sync. -30-
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News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Introducing... What The Duck on dpreview.com
17 May 2013 | 4:29 pmWe've been fans of Aaron Johnson's comic strip 'What the Duck' for years. 'WTD' is one of the best satirical comic strips in the world, and we're pleased to announce that we'll be publishing it weekly on dpreview.com, starting today. Click through for the first in what we hope will be a long series! -
10 Photo Editing Programs (that aren't Photoshop)
17 May 2013 | 2:30 pmAdobe Photoshop has become ubiquitous since its introduction more than 20 years ago, but it isn't the only game in town. In this article, we've selected 10 photo editing programs that aren't all as well-known as Photoshop, but which are well worth investigating if you're looking for other options. Click through for a link to the full article. -
In-depth look at Google+ Photo Update with the Team that Designed it
17 May 2013 | 2:20 pmAt its I/O developers conference a couple of days ago Google introduced various updates to its Google+ social networking platform, many of which will be of interest to photographers. As well as changes to layout, images can be 'auto-enhanced', made into panoramas and animations, and the system can also select the best facial expressions in group shots. Click through for more details on connect.dpreview.com. -
XiStera smartphone tool offers 8 functions in one device
16 May 2013 | 2:55 pmThe XiStera smartphone tool is one of the more interesting Kickstarter projects we've seen lately. It is an all-in-one device that promises to do just about everything the mobile photographer on the go might require. XiStera serves as a lens adapter, phone stand, tripod mount, headphone wrap and stylus for your iPhone 5. It also works as a bottle opener and key chain, and can attach an optional LED light to your phone. Click through to Connect for more details. -
Just posted: Nikon D5200 in-depth review
16 May 2013 | 1:56 pmWe've just posted our 20-page review of the Nikon D5200. Nikon's 'advanced beginner' APS-C DSLR offers several features that should also appeal to enthusiasts, such as a 24MP CMOS sensor, a 39-point AF system inherited from the D7000 and an Auto ISO system linked to the focal length of the lens. Add an articulated rear LCD and the ability to output uncompressed video and you've got the makings of a very promising camera. Does the D5200 live up to its potential in real-world use? Click through to read our in-depth review.
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Lightroom Killer Tips
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Lightroom And WPPI Coming Your Way (Chicago, Atlantic City, Vegas and LA)
15 May 2013 | 9:00 amIf you live in Chicago, Atlantic City, LA or Las Vegas then you’ve got a WPPI “On the Road” stop coming your way. NAPP and WPPI are teaming up to provide you with some killer Photoshop and Lightroom training at each event. RC Concepcion, Pete Collins and I will be teaching along side plenty of other great instructors in each city. Here’s the link to WPPI’s website if you want to find out more and below is the list of cities and dates. Hope to see you there! • Chicago: May 21-22 • Atlantic City: June 3-4 • Los Angeles: July 15-16 • Las Vegas: August… -
A Super Quick Way To Convert Your Photo To Black And White
9 May 2013 | 11:01 pmHey everyone. Here’s a great little tip for you if you want to see quickly see what your photo looks like as a black and white, without going to a different panel and messing with sliders. Ready… just go to the Develop module and press the V key. Yup… that’s it. It does the default black and white conversion, and gives you a good idea of whether you’d want to process the photo any further as a B&W. If you like it, then head down to the B&W panel and make some more adjustments. If not, just press the V key again and it’ll take you back to the color… -
What Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud) Means For Lightroom Users?
6 May 2013 | 11:01 pmThere’s obviously lots of feedback, buzz, interest, and excitement, from Adobe’s announcement yesterday. If you missed it, in a nutshell, Photoshop as we know it is going totally subscription based. So basically, you can’t buy a stand alone boxed or download copy of it anymore. You have to subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud to get Photoshop CC (CC means Creative Cloud). However, for now you’ll still be able to buy Lightroom standalone without subscribing (even though it’s also included in the CC). By the way, if you hadn’t noticed Photoshop CS is no… -
Lightroom Tip: Hiding Panels
2 May 2013 | 11:01 pmDid you know that you can hide specific panels in Lightroom? You probably knew that you can collapse a panel just by clicking the tiny arrow next to the name of the panel. But you can also hide them so they simply don’t show up. For example, personally I don’t use the Split Toning panel, so why even have it show up there anymore? To hide it (or any other panel) right click under the Histogram in the dark gray empty area in the Develop module (just to the left of the word Basic in the Basic panel). The panels that are visible will be checked. To hide one or more just click on it. -
The Secret To Getting Photoshop Elements To Work With Lightroom
30 Apr 2013 | 11:00 pmI hear more and more that photographers who use Lightroom are now using Elements as well (as opposed to Element’s big brother, the full version of Photoshop). With Elements at an insanely cheap price ($59 at Amazon for example), I honestly can’t blame ‘em. Elements is a hugely powerful program and I think for a lot of photographers out there, that just want basic cloning/healing/layers/selections/retouching, it’ll take care of most of your needs. There is a trick, however, if you’re setting up Elements as an external editor with Lightroom (on the Mac that is).
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - iOS Blog
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Gameloft's 'N.O.V.A. 3' and 'Gangstar Rio: City of Saints' Are Free for the Weekend
17 May 2013 | 11:09 amGameloft is offering up two of its most popular games for free this weekend. Both N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance and Gangstar Rio: City of Saints can be downloaded at no cost for the first time ever. Originally released last year, N.O.V.A. 3 is a first person shooter with impressive graphics and a science fiction theme. Like many of Gameloft’s games, it includes a multiplayer mode that supports 12-player battles and voice chat to communicate with friends in real time. Our sister site TouchArcade has a review of both the single player portion of the game and the multiplayer… -
'Haunting Melissa' App Brings Episodic Movie Exclusively to iPhone and iPad
16 May 2013 | 5:16 pmHaunting Melissa, from Hooked Media Digital and "The Ring" producer Neil Edelstein, is an app that aims to deliver movies on mobile devices in an entirely new way. Much like a TV show on iTunes, the film is broken up into segments that can be unlocked by sharing a user's viewing experience on Facebook, purchasing each episode within the app for $1.99 or paying $6.99 to $14.99 for the entire film. In an interview with Bloomberg, Edelstein declined to comment on how many episodes would be available. Edelstein also said that Hooked Media Digital wanted to find a way to present movies… -
FTC Begins Sending COPPA Letters to App Developers Ahead of July Rule Change
16 May 2013 | 4:27 pmThe U.S. Federal Trade Commission has begun sending educational letters to app developers to make them aware of upcoming changes to the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) that was updated back in December. The two letters [PDF, PDF] inform developers that the restricted collection of personal information of kids 13-and-under has been expanded to include photographs and video and audio with a child's image, among other things. Previously, only identifying information such as the child's name, address, and telephone number was restricted. Please note that we have not yet evaluated… -
eBay for iOS Updated with Multiple Item Checkout, Driver's License Scanning
16 May 2013 | 11:43 ameBay today released updates to its iPhone and iPad apps, offering a redesigned user interface that includes multiple search views, an improved bidding process for ending auctions, and new shopping cart functionality. With the new shopping cart, users can add multiple items to the cart and purchase them at the same time with a single payment. The app also features larger photos and better search results, with the iPad version of the app sporting new photo editing tools. The iPhone app has also gained an interesting new function, allowing users to scan in their drivers licenses with the… -
Google Play Books for iOS Updated with Support for Uploaded Files
15 May 2013 | 4:40 pmGoogle has updated its Google Play Books iOS app following its keynote address at Google I/O this morning, adding support for user uploaded PDF and ePub files. Google Play, the world's largest eBook collection, just got bigger. Now, you can upload your own files to Google Play Books to access on Android, iOS, and the web. Whether you're a student with a backpack full of PDF printouts or an avid reader with hundreds of pages held captive on your computer, relieve your back and start adding files today! After uploading your files, you can enjoy reading them with all the nice features available:…
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CNN Travel
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Rising from the revolution: Life in Benghazi
17 May 2013 | 3:00 amThere may be a little too much gunfire to make Benghazi a top 10 holiday destination, but this hopeful Libyan city makes for one fascinating tourCurrently, few visitors to Benghazi arrive on leisure trips. The murder of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three colleagues profoundly shook confidence in “Free Libya.” The United States advises against all travel to the city while hearings continue over the American response to last September's attack. The backlash against Islamist militias, however, has seen their presence and influence much reduced. Although the prevalence of private… -
Crazy addictive travel game of the week
16 May 2013 | 7:00 pmDamnit we have work to do … but not before we have another go on this annoyingly difficult web-based gameYou see a picture, and have to guess where it was taken. A simple premise for a surprisingly difficult-but-not-impossible game, that threatens to destroy productivity levels in the CNN Travel office for the next week. GeoGuessr.com throws up five random images from Google Street View and asks you to pinpoint them on a map. You get scored depending on how far away you are -- the closer your guess, the more points you rack up. It’s a bit like “Man Vs Wild” for mouse clickers. You get… -
Hong Kong art explosion: What to see this month
16 May 2013 | 3:00 pmIt's that time of year again -- the world's art greats have invaded the city for Art Basel, Hong Kong Eye and more‘Tis the season for art in Hong Kong. Increasingly each year, the month of May ushers in a flood of modern and contemporary art events, anchored by Art Basel in Hong Kong, the region’s largest contemporary art fair (formerly known as ART HK). In the past few years, Hong Kong has cemented its place on the international art calendar, with the steady expansion of ART HK, the entrance of several blue-chip Western galleries and the city's growth -- it's now the world’s… -
Glamorous photos of '60s Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong
15 May 2013 | 7:00 pmIt was once the tallest building in Hong Kong, had a prime position by the harbor and was the only hotel in Asia with a bath in every guest room. Half a century later, the 27-story Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong can no longer claim those titles, but it’s still one of the region's best hotels as well as a staple of the Hong Kong skyline since 1963. To mark its 50th anniversary, the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong is filling the year with celebrations of its chic 1960s style, including a photo exhibition featuring the hotel as it was in 1963. The exhibition (select images in the gallery above) was… -
Bangkok nightlife: 9 best new bars
14 May 2013 | 3:00 pmLooking for a new watering hole? These Bangkok bars, clubs and live music venues will keep you out from afternoon to the small hoursThough fans of Bangkok nightlife have favorite pubs and clubs that have stood the test of time, the city's drinking scene continues to evolve. Seemingly every month a quality Bangkok bar opens, promising world-class mixologists, top chefs and innovative spaces. All serving to remind us why it's worth braving Bangkok's evening traffic to get out and have a drink. To help ease the pains of keeping up with the latest and greatest Bangkok bars, here's a look at…
