Alltop

What's hot on Alltop

  • Most Topular Stories

  • Mad Men meets Daft Punk [video]

    Holy Kaw!
    Kate Rinsema
    24 May 2013 | 5:36 pm
    If you enjoyed Ken Cosgrove busting a move on Mad Men, then you’ll love it even more when Daft Punk comes to call in the last century. We dare you to keep those happy feet still. Full story at YouTube via Kottke. Messing with TV.  

  • Alfonso Ribeiro, Will and Jaden Smith Do the Carlton Dance

    Mashable
    Sam Laird
    24 May 2013 | 5:41 pm
    Gather 'round nerds, '90s kids and fans of Carlton Banks Will Smith and son Jaden recently made an appearance on the BBC's Graham Norton Show. In the video above, they perform a father-son rap together, which is kind of cool. But the real fun starts at the 3:45 mark, when none other than Smith's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air castmate Alfonso Ribeiro — Carlton Banks himself, the coolest nerd in TV history — makes a surprise visit See also: Will Smith Proves He's Still Got Insane Rapping Skills Things then take an immediate turn for the awesome when Ribeiro and both Smiths go into the…

  • Take A Secret Look Inside The Cocoon As A Caterpillar Transforms To A Butterfly

    Fast Company
    Zak Stone
    24 May 2013 | 2:00 pm
    Using three dimensional x-ray imaging, we can now see the magical process of metamorphosis up close. Happy summer! The transformation of a lowly caterpillar into a graceful butterfly is the kind of shocking fact of nature that’s used to get children excited about science, so visible is the transformation, so tangible are the lessons. But what’s actually going on inside the cocoon? Typically, scientists have had to dissect them to find out, killing the organism inside as a result, a casualty of scientific inquiry. Another problem with cutting the cocoon to see what’s inside:…

  • Ask A VC: Index Ventures' Danny Rimer On The Future Of Ecommerce And More

    TechCrunch
    Leena Rao
    24 May 2013 | 2:50 pm
    On this week’s Ask A VC episode, Index Ventures partner Danny Rimer joined us in the studio. Rimer has been in the venture industry for over 11 years so he had plenty to share on how VC has changed, and the differences in the venture world in Europe and the U.S. Rimer, who has led the firm’s investments in Etsy, Nastygal and many others, also talked to us about the future of e-commerce and how the industry is changing for startups. Check out the video above for more!

  • Overcoming the impossibility of amazing

    Seth's Blog
    Seth Godin
    24 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    If you set your bar at "amazing," it's awfully difficult to start. Your first paragraph, sketch, formula, sample or concept isn't going to be amazing. Your tenth one might not be either. Confronted with the gap between your vision of perfect and the reality of what you've created, the easiest path is no path. Shrug. Admit defeat. Hit delete. One more reason to follow someone else and wait for instructions. Of course, the only path to amazing runs directly through not-yet-amazing. But not-yet-amazing is a great place to start, because that's where you are. For now. There's a big difference…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Holy Kaw!

  • Mad Men meets Daft Punk [video]

    Kate Rinsema
    24 May 2013 | 5:36 pm
    If you enjoyed Ken Cosgrove busting a move on Mad Men, then you’ll love it even more when Daft Punk comes to call in the last century. We dare you to keep those happy feet still. Full story at YouTube via Kottke. Messing with TV.  

  • One-upping Bond: Behold, the self-destructing hard drive [video]

    Kate Rinsema
    24 May 2013 | 5:18 pm
    Worried about someone making off with your hard drive and all those super, secret files the bad guys are dying to get their dirty hands on? Well, chances are they’ll just hack you and the damage will be done before you have a clue what happened, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the show [...]

  • What a week’s worth of groceries looks like around the world

    Kate Rinsema
    24 May 2013 | 5:07 pm
    Ever stop and look at your grocery cart as though it wasn’t yours? Would people say you were a healthy eater, a busy person, a late-night snacker? Photographer  Peter Menzel decided to use a wider lens and focus on what families from different countries consume in a typical week and, as you might guess, pizza figures prominently [...]

  • One thing a leader must to do succeed

    Peg Fitzpatrick
    24 May 2013 | 3:46 pm
    Sadly, 25% of businesses fail within their first year and an astonishing 70% of businesses fail within ten years. So, if you’re thinking about starting a business or you’ve recently made the leap, how can you optimize your chances of success? What is the single most important factor in determining your success? 1. Build a strong [...]

  • Wow! Couple’s close encounter with surfing killer whales in boat wake

    Peg Fitzpatrick
    24 May 2013 | 1:30 pm
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Mashable

  • Alfonso Ribeiro, Will and Jaden Smith Do the Carlton Dance

    Sam Laird
    24 May 2013 | 5:41 pm
    Gather 'round nerds, '90s kids and fans of Carlton Banks Will Smith and son Jaden recently made an appearance on the BBC's Graham Norton Show. In the video above, they perform a father-son rap together, which is kind of cool. But the real fun starts at the 3:45 mark, when none other than Smith's Fresh Prince of Bel-Air castmate Alfonso Ribeiro — Carlton Banks himself, the coolest nerd in TV history — makes a surprise visit See also: Will Smith Proves He's Still Got Insane Rapping Skills Things then take an immediate turn for the awesome when Ribeiro and both Smiths go into the…

  • UCLA Surgeons Live Vine Brain Surgery

    Vignesh Ramachandran
    24 May 2013 | 5:01 pm
    Doctors at UCLA Health in Southern California documented a brain surgery on Thursday by using Instagram and Vine, showing yet another ground-breaking use of social media in the hospital setting. We've already witnessed the world's first live-tweeted open-heart surgery from Houston, as well as a live-tweet of a brain surgery. But what was noteworthy about Thursday's live surgery from Los Angeles was the use of newbie social platform Vine, as the Los Angeles Times reported. Check out a sampling of the Vine video posts below. The UCLA Health System (@UCLAHealth) used the hashtag, #UCLAORLive, to…

  • First Apple Computer Could Fetch Half Million in Auction

    Lance Ulanoff
    24 May 2013 | 4:02 pm
    An Apple 1 computer, the low-powered PC that started it all for the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs, co-founder Steve Wozniak and the then very new Apple Computers, is up for grabs on May 25. All you need is somewhere north of a half a million dollars. The still-working computer goes to the highest bidder at the German auction house Auction Team Breker. According to a release, the system is part of a wide-ranging auction of "Firsts" that includes a MITS Altair 8800, a Nat Wadsworth’s 1973 Scelbi-8H (the first Intel 8-bit system) and a mechanical computer, the Pascaline. The virtually…

  • Hanson Beer Mmmhops to Make Its Debut

    Samantha Murphy
    24 May 2013 | 3:24 pm
    Nearly two years after pop band Hanson announced it would be introducing a beer line, Mmmhops is almost ready for its debut. That's right, dear readers — you'll be able to sip your way into '90s nostalgia. Called Mmmhops — a reference to the brothers' popular "MMMBop" song from 1997 — the pale ale makes a cameo in the film Hangover 3, which hits theaters this weekend. The beer is a product of Mustang Brewing in Oklahoma — the boys' home state — and is in the final stages of brewing, according to BeerPulse. Mmmhops has arrived @thehangover…

  • Officials: Stopping 3D-Printed Guns Could Be Impossible

    Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
    24 May 2013 | 2:47 pm
    As the world's first 3D-printed handgun starts to be replicated, authorities are scrambling to react to a technological advancement that only a few weeks ago sounded more like science fiction than fact.. But according to a leaked bulletin by the Department of Homeland Security, any effort to stop the printing of these guns might be in vain. A May 21 DHS bulletin distributed to several law enforcement agencies across the country, and obtained by Fox News, basically states that there might be nothing that can be done to stop people from downloading and printing plastic guns "Limiting access may…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Fast Company

  • Take A Secret Look Inside The Cocoon As A Caterpillar Transforms To A Butterfly

    Zak Stone
    24 May 2013 | 2:00 pm
    Using three dimensional x-ray imaging, we can now see the magical process of metamorphosis up close. Happy summer! The transformation of a lowly caterpillar into a graceful butterfly is the kind of shocking fact of nature that’s used to get children excited about science, so visible is the transformation, so tangible are the lessons. But what’s actually going on inside the cocoon? Typically, scientists have had to dissect them to find out, killing the organism inside as a result, a casualty of scientific inquiry. Another problem with cutting the cocoon to see what’s inside:…

  • Students Design 22 Playful Wooden Toys For Kids

    Jordan Kushins
    24 May 2013 | 1:15 pm
    Twenty-two seniors in the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Metaproject03 created products that would fit in with Areaware’s fun-loving collection. Though it seems counterintuitive, limitations can be the best thing to happen to the creative process. Narrowing down parameters--think form, function, color, size--often brings focus to an otherwise overwhelming chaos of opportunities around what to do and where to begin. The Rochester Institute of Technology established the Metaproject Initiative to give students a chance to get to know the properties of a particular material, in…

  • Dear Abbys: A New Esquire Column Sources Life Advice From 100,000 People

    Christina Chaey
    24 May 2013 | 12:06 pm
    "Dear Abby" comes into the Internet age with a new Esquire column chock-full of advice from 100,000 of the author's closest friends. Who do you turn to for life advice? In "My Huddled Masses," a new weekly Esquire column, editor-at-large A.J. Jacobs is turning to 100,000 of his closest Facebook friends. The experiment in life advice for the masses puts Jacobs at the helm of an open-sourced pool to which anyone can contribute. Jacobs describes his role as a kind of Nate Silver of columnists, "curating and collating and commenting on the mass’s responses." Each week, he'll print the best…

  • A New Model To Pay For Infrastructure in Chicago

    Stan Alcorn
    24 May 2013 | 12:00 pm
    The Chicago Infrastructure Trust creates a new way to pay for things like improvements to bridges and roads that won’t destroy the city’s already stretched budget. The next big thing is funding urban infrastructure is now coming online in Chicago, and Tim Logan has done a deep dive on what that means at Next American City. The core idea is simple: Governments across Europe, Canada and Australia have long turned to the private sector to help finance public assets, and even in the U.S., more places are dabbling in it. But it’s still rare for cities to take the lead. And no…

  • Steven Holl’s Sports Complex For Columbia Looks Like A Transformer

    Sammy Medina
    24 May 2013 | 12:00 pm
    Steven Holl’s first building in New York is packed with the architect’s signature, whimsical flourishes. After designing buildings all over the world, from Helsinki to Beijing, the New York-based architect Steven Holl has finally completed his first freestanding structure in the city. Unfortunately, it’s on a neglected corner lot at Manhattan’s northernmost point--a less than prominent location for Holl’s belated New York debut. In New York, his adopted city of 35+ years (Holl was born and trained in Seattle), Holl has only done a few small galleries and interior…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TechCrunch

  • Ask A VC: Index Ventures' Danny Rimer On The Future Of Ecommerce And More

    Leena Rao
    24 May 2013 | 2:50 pm
    On this week’s Ask A VC episode, Index Ventures partner Danny Rimer joined us in the studio. Rimer has been in the venture industry for over 11 years so he had plenty to share on how VC has changed, and the differences in the venture world in Europe and the U.S. Rimer, who has led the firm’s investments in Etsy, Nastygal and many others, also talked to us about the future of e-commerce and how the industry is changing for startups. Check out the video above for more!

  • Microsoft And Google Bury The Hatchet To Work On A Windows Phone YouTube App With Ads

    Chris Velazco
    24 May 2013 | 1:31 pm
    Once a upon a time, Microsoft saw fit to put together a YouTube app for Windows Phone and it was actually pretty great — it let users download videos straight from the app and there was nary an ad to be found. To absolutely no one’s surprise, Google wasn’t too pleased: after all, the features that made the app so appealing didn’t exactly jibe with YouTube’s terms of service, and the search giant demanded the offending app be removed. Well, after a bit of back and forth (and a conciliatory update), it seems the two companies have finally come to an agreement.

  • Gillmor Gang Live 05.24.13 (TCTV)

    Steve Gillmor
    24 May 2013 | 1:07 pm
    Gillmor Gang – Robert Scoble, Kevin Marks, John Taschek, Keith Teare, and Steve Gillmor. Recording for today has concluded.

  • Laptop Week Review: Samsung 700T Fly Or Die

    John Biggs
    24 May 2013 | 12:57 pm
    In lieu of a formal review, Matt Burns and I sat down to take a look at the Samsung 700T AKA ATIV Smart PC Pro 700T, a convertible tablet that has a small button on the keyboard that pops out the Windows 8 tablet that forms the brains of the machine. The device is a bit chintzy – more pressed metal and injected plastic than I like to see on a laptop – but at about $1,000 retail it’s an acceptable compromise for Win8 users who are looking for a nicer tablet. I gave this device a Fly simply because I like the idea – a laptop that turns into a tablet with much fuss…

  • Google Needs To Bring Emerging Markets Online To Grow Its Business Opportunities In The Next 10 years

    Drew Olanoff
    24 May 2013 | 12:21 pm
    The WSJ has reported that Google is participating in discussions with emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and Africa about setting up wireless network infrastructure in cities and towns. A source told the WSJ that: “The wireless networks would be available to dwellers outside of major cities where wired Internet connections aren’t available and could be used to improve Internet speeds in urban centers.” This aligns with Google’s goals of surrounding the world with technology that fits into our daily lives. That’s a “don’t be evil,”…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Seth's Blog

  • Overcoming the impossibility of amazing

    Seth Godin
    24 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    If you set your bar at "amazing," it's awfully difficult to start. Your first paragraph, sketch, formula, sample or concept isn't going to be amazing. Your tenth one might not be either. Confronted with the gap between your vision of perfect and the reality of what you've created, the easiest path is no path. Shrug. Admit defeat. Hit delete. One more reason to follow someone else and wait for instructions. Of course, the only path to amazing runs directly through not-yet-amazing. But not-yet-amazing is a great place to start, because that's where you are. For now. There's a big difference…

  • Thoughts on education and the burgeoning trophy shortage

    Seth Godin
    23 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    It's graduation season, so a few relevant links about school, students and our future: Here's the audio of an interview I did with PlayBuffet My TEDx talk about education And a reminder about Stop Stealing Dreams, a free manifesto that asks, "what is school for?" I hope we can ask this question more and more often... Feel free to share with your favorite graduate. Or her parents. Bonus: 20 video minutes at Creative Mornings.

  • Let's start with "sorry"

    Seth Godin
    22 May 2013 | 2:43 am
    By the time the phone rings, there's already trouble. When that manager is called or this department is reached, it's because someone is disappointed, angry or stuck. Illness, broken promises or a real urgency have led to this new conversation even taking place. So don't start with, "[Name of company] mumble mumble" as if there's a blank slate just waiting to be written on. There's already a lot of writing on that slate. Don't demand to know the record number or begin with doubt and an edge of dismissal. Be on our team. "It sounds like we've got a situation on our hands..." is a fine way to…

  • Levels of marketing magic, the placebo effects of desire

    Seth Godin
    21 May 2013 | 2:45 am
    ANTICIPATION: Before the product is released, the true fans are buzzing and speculating and waiting in line. The anticipation is self-reinforcing, a placebo effect of desire. UTILITY: The album is good, the software is useful, the book changes things. It works better than we hoped. Exceeding expectations pays significant dividends. REMARK: It's purple. Remarkable. Worth talking about. The word spreads. Ten people tell ten people and suddenly, it's abuzz. Not because of PR or hype, but because the remarkability is built right into the product or service itself. And more people enjoy things…

  • You should buy the book

    Seth Godin
    20 May 2013 | 8:33 am
    Mitch Joel is a generous and perceptive blogger. Well worth the daily read. He has a new book. You should buy it. David Meerman Scott writes an essential blog, daily. His book is a classic. You should buy it. Tom Asacker writes a very thoughtful blog about marketing. Worth the read. He has a new book. You should buy it, too. Every day, Mark Frauenfelder and Corey Doctorow blog tons of goodness at Boingboing. They each have books. You should buy them and share them. Bernadette Jiwa's blog keeps getting better and better and you are probably already reading it. She has a new book on the way.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    @ProBlogger

  • How to Create a Blog Purpose Statement in 3 Simple Steps

    Darren Rowse
    23 May 2013 | 8:54 am
    Yesterday, I shared a series of questions to help those bloggers seeking a little clarity when it comes to what their blog could be about. Today, I wanted to share 3 more questions – these are not so much focused upon YOU as a blogger but upon your readers. Hopefully they’ll also help you achieve a little clarity. Who are your readers? What do they need? How will they change as a result of reading your blog? Answer these 3 questions and you will actually have a pretty good purpose statement for your blog. You could certainly go into some real depth on each question but even doing…

  • 7 Questions to Ask Yourself to Bring Clarity to Your Blogging

    Darren Rowse
    22 May 2013 | 8:28 am
    Do you feel like you’ve lost clarity around what it is that you’re trying to do with your blog? I’ve recently bumped into a few bloggers grappling with this idea. Some were new,  even ‘Pre’ Bloggers, while a couple had been blogging for a while but had lost some direction. Out of these conversations, I put together a set of questions to help them think it through. The questions revolve around asking: What are YOU About? While I won’t guarantee you instant clarity on answering these questions I hope that putting a little time aside to work through them…

  • 7 Steps to Proofreading Like a Pro

    Guest Blogger
    21 May 2013 | 9:37 am
    This is a guest contribution by Charles Cuninghame, website copywriter and owner of Text-Centric. I’m sure we can all agree that proofreading is the least fun part of blogging. But while it may be tedious, it’s well worth the effort. Typos are not only embarrassing, they can also cost you money. In a widely reported study in 2011, British entrepreneur Charles Duncombe found a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half! If you don’t have a product, then you could be missing out a blog subscriber or repeat visitor! Here’s a tried and tested proofreading process that I’ve…

  • Are You Balancing Emerging Technology with Effective Strategy?

    Darren Rowse
    20 May 2013 | 8:21 am
    Last week I was asked at a conference to reflect upon the future of digital and among other things I made a reflection that seemed to resonate with those gathered. It was: Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. As online publishers we see a steady stream of articles being written about new and future technologies, companies and trends in the online publishing space. It is certainly an exciting time to be doing what we’re doing with such amazing development happening all around us and some amazing projections being made about what is ahead of us – however in the midst…

  • How to Blog Like a Pro: Workshop on the Gold Coast Australia – Next Week

    Darren Rowse
    19 May 2013 | 7:56 pm
    Next week (29th May) I’m running a special workshop at the Internet Conference on the Gold Coast here in Australia. The workshop is titled – How to Blog Like a Pro – and you’ll get 4 solid hours of teaching in it – all delivered by me in a workshop limited to 40 people only. The workshop has only previously been available to those signing up to the full 3 day conferences as an add-on but there are a few tickets still available and so I asked the organisers if we could sell them as a stand-alone ticket (i.e. you don’t have to come to the full 3 day event).
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Lifehacker

  • Have any tips for parents dealing with temper tantrums?

    Walter Glenn
    24 May 2013 | 3:00 pm
    Great discussions are par for the course here on Lifehacker. Each day, we highlight a discussion that is particularly helpful or insightful, along with other great discussions and reader questions you may have missed. Check out these discussions and add your own thoughts to make them even more wonderful!Read more...    

  • Make Something Great with PVC Pipe This Weekend

    Adam Dachis
    24 May 2013 | 1:00 pm
    Although not one of the DIY All Star materials, people use PVC pipe to create all sorts of awesome things because it's cheap, sturdy, and versatile. This weekend, grab some at your local hardware store and tackle one of these fun projects.Read more...    

  • Make a MacBook Dock with Sugru and a Few Cables

    Adam Dachis
    24 May 2013 | 12:00 pm
    Laptop docks generally don't come cheap—especially when you have a Mac. DIYer Johan Frick put together a simple docking solution with the necessary cables and a little bit of Sugru, saving a ton of money in the process.Read more...    

  • This Week's Most Popular Posts: May 17th to 24th

    Whitson Gordon
    24 May 2013 | 11:30 am
    This week we looked at the best Android phones around, got some career advice, and got some nice airline and hotel upgrades. Here's a look back.Read more...    

  • Cork or Twist: What's the Best Way to Stop Up a Wine Bottle?

    Tessa Miller
    24 May 2013 | 11:00 am
    Cork, synthetic cork, or screw cap? Each medium has its perks, it seems. But which one keeps wine aging the right way? The experts at Stack Exchange attempt to put the controversy to rest.Read more...    
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors

  • Apple Removes Download Options From Quicktime Trailers Website

    Juli Clover
    24 May 2013 | 4:09 pm
    It appears that Apple has begun quietly phasing out its trailer download options from the trailers.apple.com website, effectively eliminating 1080p trailer availability. Previously, the site gave users the ability to stream trailers in 480p or 720p, along with providing download options for 480p, 720p, and 1080p. Trailers uploaded to the site after an approximate date of May 22 no longer have any download options and can only be streamed in-browser at 480p or 720p. Trailer options before 5/22 Trailer options after 5/22 While trailers uploaded before May 22 can still be downloaded, Apple…

  • iPhone Urinalysis App Draws U.S. Government Scrutiny

    Jordan Golson
    24 May 2013 | 11:33 am
    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has sent a letter to BioSense Technologies over its iPhone uChek urinalysis system, asking why its medical app hasn't been cleared by the agency. The app is one of the first that turns the iPhone into a medical device, designed to read urinalysis test strips that are normally examined by users and compared to a color-coded chart. With the uChek system, patients can take a picture of the strip with the iPhone's camera and then receive an automated readout of parameters like glucose, urobilinogen, pH, ketone and more. The app also stores results which then…

  • Apple Slashes Prices on Refurbished iPad Mini and iPad 4 Models

    Eric Slivka
    24 May 2013 | 8:14 am
    Apple today significantly reduced prices on refurbished models of the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad, with all models now carrying approximately 15% discounts relative to brand-new units. iPad mini - 16 GB Wi-Fi: $279, down from $299 previously and $329 brand-new - 32 GB Wi-Fi: $359, down from $389 previously and $429 brand-new - 64 GB Wi-Fi: $439, down from $489 previously and $529 brand-new - 16 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $389, down from $429 previously and $459 brand-new - 32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $469, down from $519 previously and…

  • More Details on Jony Ive's Flat iOS 7 Design: Heavier on Black and White

    Eric Slivka
    24 May 2013 | 6:30 am
    9to5Mac shares more details on Jony Ive's redesign for iOS 7, noting that not only will it bring a flatter look to the operating system but also more emphasis on black and white design elements.Sources have described iOS 7 as “black, white, and flat all over.” This refers to the dropping of heavy textures and the addition of several new black and white user interface elements. [...] For the upcoming operating system, which Apple says will be unveiled at its June Worldwide Developers Conference, Ive has not simply picked areas of the software design to tweak. He has essentially made his…

  • AT&T's GoPhone Prepaid Brand to Gain iPhone and LTE/HSPA+ Support Tomorrow

    Eric Slivka
    23 May 2013 | 7:33 pm
    MacRumors has learned that AT&T's GoPhone prepaid wireless brand will be undertaking a significant expansion of its services starting tomorrow, offering support for AT&T's fastest LTE and HSPA+ data networks for the first time and also adding official support for the iPhone. Until now, GoPhone has allowed iPhone users to sign up for service, but without cellular data access. With the changes coming tomorrow, the iPhone will have access to the full range of AT&T services through GoPhone, including LTE data and Visual Voicemail. GoPhone will support three service plans for the iPhone, including…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    chrisbrogan.com

  • Be Open to Inspiration

    ceb
    10 May 2013 | 8:41 am
    I’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?

    ceb
    7 May 2013 | 1:38 pm
    I 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?

    ceb
    30 Apr 2013 | 4:21 pm
    Why 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?

    ceb
    29 Apr 2013 | 7:03 am
    Fear 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

    ceb
    24 Apr 2013 | 4:53 am
    Can 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…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Copyblogger

  • Here’s How Austin Kleon Writes

    Kelton Reid
    24 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    Steve Jobs famously misquoted Picasso when he said, “Good artists copy; great artists steal.” What Picasso really said was, “Art is theft.” T.S. Eliot said something far closer, “Immature poets imitate; mature poets steal.” I learned all of this from Austin Kleon, bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist, a guide I recommend to all writers seeking insights for tapping into your endless reserves of creativity and innovation. As a noted speaker, and prolific blogger, Mr. Kleon offers timeless wisdom on the secrets of borrowing inspiration from your heroes…

  • 30 Quick Editing Tips Every Content Creator Needs to Know

    Stefanie Flaxman
    23 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    Inbox 0: in a bad way. Has your brilliant content still not scored you that dream writing position, lucrative business partnership, or sweet recognition among your peers and target audience? If you think your articles are top-notch, but there’s a lonely tumbleweed blowing through your barren website, it may be because you’re just a writer. You heard me, Gloria. If everybody wants you, why isn’t anybody calling? Once you create a blog or email newsletter, you need to also actively take part in its evolution. While keeping diligent focus on your content production, you must also review…

  • How to Nail the Opening of Your Blog Post

    Demian Farnworth
    22 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    The opening four notes to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony are the most popular notes in Western music. Dun dun dun dum … They are stormy. Heroic. Disorienting. Short enough to be remembered. Portentous enough to be memorable. Today you’ll find those notes everywhere. In movies, commercials, and songs when the dramatic and foreboding are needed … And we hardly bat an eye. We recognize them, we know them, and we love those first four notes. Not so for Beethoven’s opening night at Vienna’s Theater an der Wien in 1808. One contemporary composer of Beethoven —…

  • 5 Things Every Copywriter Needs to Know About Their Prospects

    Amy Harrison
    21 May 2013 | 4:00 am
    What do you really know about your prospect? Their age range perhaps? Where they live? What they do for a living? Useful definitely, but not enough to create copy that rouses emotion and compels action. For that we need to take a journey much deeper into the dark recesses of our customers’ minds … Want to join me? Today’s article is inspired by someone who understood that in writing, how well you knew your ‘characters’ made the difference between captivating an audience, or boring them. In 1946 The Art of Dramatic Writing, (now regarded as one of the best works…

  • 14 Free Ebooks and an Updated 20-Part Internet Marketing Course

    Brian Clark
    20 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    Can’t see the video? Click here. Free Registration About the Author: Brian Clark is founder of Copyblogger and CEO of Copyblogger Media. Get more from Brian on Google+. Related StoriesWhy We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared5 Ways to Bond with Your Blog’s Audience11 Compound Word Errors that Might Make You Look like a Numbskull
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Macworld

  • The Week in iOS Apps: Music all around you!

    24 May 2013 | 9:30 am
    Like music? Like making it? Discovering new artists? Figuring out who the heck is singing that song on the TV commercial? We’ve got you covered in this week’s roundup of new and updated iOS apps. The Doors Father! Yes son? I want to buy the $5 The Doors app for iPad, which features more than 700 images and over 100 music and sound clips featuring Oliver Stone’s favorite band. There are also a half-dozen short films—we call them videos now—featuring some of the band’s most beloved songs. C’mon baby, take a chance with us. Guitar! by Smule To read this article in full or to leave…

  • Horace Dediu's four questions for Tim Cook

    24 May 2013 | 7:38 am
    The ever sharp tech analyst has four incisive questions for the Apple CEO ahead of Cook's appearance at next week's D11 conference. (asymco.com)

  • Bugs & Fixes: iTunes 11.0.3 update improves app updating

    24 May 2013 | 6:00 am
    Along with the usual bug fixes and performance improvements, the recently updated iTunes 11.0.3 introduces several interface tweaks. For my money, the most welcome addition is one that Apple doesn’t even mention on its “About iTunes 11.0.3” page: a redesigned interface for checking on and downloading updated iOS apps. On the downside, if you’re among the unlucky minority, the new iTunes version may crash on a regular basis. Updating apps gets a welcome makeover Back in 2010, I detailed several problems with how the app update process worked in iTunes — and how it could be improved.

  • Review: Battle with comic legends in Injustice: Gods Among Us for iOS

    24 May 2013 | 5:30 am
    Comic book characters have so far struggled to score a smash hit on a mobile platform, with few titles proving worthy of the Marvel and DC Comics' names. But Injustice: Gods Among Us for iOS hopes to change all that with a huge cast of iconic characters, a savvy trading card game mechanic, and an enticing price of free. While Injustice still feels like a cheapened version of the console game it's based off of, Warner Brothers has at least produced an addictive and fun title that will appeal to its younger fan base. The game is billed as a collectable card game first and a fighting game…

  • Mac Gems: Eye-Friendly is a handy resolution switcher for Retina MacBooks

    24 May 2013 | 4:05 am
    Jörg Jacobsen’s $5 Eye-Friendly (Mac App Store link) is the third resolution-switching utility for the Retina MacBook Pro that I’ve looked at, after Pupil () and QuickRes (). In my quest to find the ideal resolution-switching app for my Retina MacBook Pro, is the third app the charm? Eye-Friendly’s menu on a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro Like the other two apps, Eye-Friendly appears only in the menu bar. When you want to change your display’s resolution, you click the Eye-Friendly icon and mouse over your display (the menu lists your laptop’s built-in display, as well as any external…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    ReadWrite

  • Marissa Mayer Has Already Made One Big Mistake With Tumblr

    24 May 2013 | 2:30 pm
    Yahoo's $1.1 billion acquisition of Tumblr is already being hailed as a brilliant move, securing a younger Internet demographic and a fertile field for native advertising, an innovative business model where content from brands lives side by side with users' contributions. In buying Tumblr, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer made a nod to the company's past missteps in promising to "not screw it up." But in one crucial way, she already has. That $1.1 billion is a lot of shareholder cash. And so Yahoo is promising investors that Tumblr will contribute to the bottom line next year. An understandable…

  • Google Planning Wireless Networks To Connect The Next 1B People - WSJ

    24 May 2013 | 1:25 pm
    If Google had its way, everyone in the world would be on the Internet, using Google services. To bring that goal to fruition, Google is reportedly working to build cellular networks in Africa and Southeast Asia to help bring hundreds of millions of people online for the first time. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google is in talks with countries like Kenya and South Africa to fund and deploy cellular networks in those countries, using wireless spectrum reserved for television broadcasts.  Bone deep in Google’s business strategy is that the more people that use the Web, the more…

  • Microsoft And Google Declare A Truce In Their YouTube Fight

    24 May 2013 | 1:03 pm
    Google and Microsoft are finally shaking hands and agreeing to work together over Microsoft's controversial YouTube app for Windows Phone devices. "Microsoft and YouTube are working together to update the new YouTube for Windows Phone app to enable compliance with YouTube’s API terms of service, including enabling ads, in the coming weeks. Microsoft will replace the existing YouTube app in Windows Phone Store with the previous version during this time," Microsoft and YouTube said in a joint statement sent to ReadWrite.  Microsoft will take down the current YouTube app from the Windows…

  • iOS 7 Rumor Watch: 'Black, White and Flat All Over'

    24 May 2013 | 12:11 pm
    It's widely rumored that Apple's new iOS 7, to be unveiled at WWDC next month, will ditch the company's ill-fated love affair with "heavy textures," also known as skeuomorphic design, for a more flattened take on the user interface. A new report from 9to5mac on Friday suggests that this new flat design will also incorporate lots of black and white, though it's unclear just how far this simplified color scheme will permeate the new OS. (See also: iOS Users Beg Apple: Set Our iPhones & iPads Free!) Other updates will reportedly include changes to the longstanding lock screen, new…

  • Google Has A Trojan Horse To Disrupt TV: Really, Really Big Data

    24 May 2013 | 10:08 am
    It's a huge year for TV's future. Yet for all the excitement about Web-first soap operas, data-driven programming and the disruption of broadcast, the Internet TV "inflection point" that 2013 has become is just the beginning. A Trojan horse is slowly rolling into town, and it's bursting at the seams with data. Wheeling it along is none other than Google.  Indeed, if the data-fueled success of Netflix's House of Cards is as crucial to TV's future as many believe, what Google is most likely planning will make the transformation we've witnessed so far look like early innings in a very long…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Smashing Magazine Feed

  • Beyond The Button: Embracing The Gesture-Driven Interface

    Thomas Joos
    24 May 2013 | 2:09 am
       As a mobile UI or UX designer, you probably remember the launch of Apple’s first iPhone as if it was yesterday. Among other things, it introduced a completely touchscreen-centered interaction to a individual’s most private and personal device. It was a game-changer. Today, kids grow up with touchscreen experiences like it’s the most natural thing. Parents are amazed by how fast their children understand how a tablet or smartphone works. This shows that touch and gesture interactions have a lot of potential to make mobile experiences easier and more fun to use. Challenging…

  • Building The New Financial Times Web App (A Case Study)

    Wilson Page
    23 May 2013 | 2:52 am
       When the mockups for the new Financial Times application hit our desks in mid-2012, we knew we had a real challenge on our hands. Many of us on the team (including me) swore that parts of interface would not be possible in HTML5. Given the product team’s passion for the new UI, we rolled up our sleeves and gave it our best shot. We were tasked with implementing a far more challenging product, without compromising the reliable, performant experience that made the first app so successful. We didn’t just want to build a product that fulfilled its current requirements; we…

  • Designing CSS Layouts With Flexbox Is As Easy As Pie

    David Storey
    22 May 2013 | 5:31 am
       Flexible box layout (or flexbox) is a new box model optimized for UI layout. As one of the first CSS modules designed for actual layout (floats were really meant mostly for things such as wrapping text around images), it makes a lot of tasks much easier, or even possible at all. Flexbox’s repertoire includes the simple centering of elements (both horizontally and vertically), the expansion and contraction of elements to fill available space, and source-code independent layout, among others abilities. Flexbox has lived a storied existence. It started as a feature of Mozilla’s…

  • Mobile UX Research: Exploring Ten Fundamental Aspects Of M-Commerce Usability

    Christian Holst
    21 May 2013 | 6:30 am
       Everyone is talking about mobile. Some e-commerce websites are venturing into it. Mobile commerce (also known as “m-commerce”) has immense potential, exhibiting a 86% growth rate and hitting $25 billion in 2012 (set to reach $86 billion by 2016, according to eMarketer). It’s also a whole new platform, with new interaction methods and usage contexts that introduce a host of limitations and pitfalls to watch out for when designing and running an m-commerce website. With few best practices yet established, m-commerce is, to a large degree, unchartered territory when it…

  • Case Study: Typographic Design Patterns And Current Practices (2013 Edition)

    Jan Constantin
    16 May 2013 | 7:25 pm
       Good 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…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    CNN.com - Top Stories

  • Mayor finally speaks on crack report

    24 May 2013 | 5:44 pm
    "I do not use crack cocaine, nor am I an addict of crack cocaine." Those words aren't what you might expect from the mayor of Canada's biggest city. But little is normal nowadays for Rob Ford, who spoke out Friday at length for the first time since reports came out suggesting he'd been filmed smoking crack.

  • Watch Washington bridge collapse

    24 May 2013 | 5:30 pm
    CNN's Erin Burnett shows surveillance video of the Washington bridge collapsing and other crumbled bridges.

  • Arias juror: Decision 'gut-wrenching'

    24 May 2013 | 5:29 pm
    A day after a jury deadlocked on whether Jodi Arias should be sentenced to death for the murder of her ex-boyfriend, the jury foreman described the decision process as tense and emotional.

  • Hedge fund guy: Moms lose focus

    24 May 2013 | 5:28 pm
    Billionaire Paul Tudor Jones makes disparaging comments about women in the financial industry at a university symposium.

  • Richard III's uncomfortable resting place

    24 May 2013 | 5:22 pm
    Richard III's burial was hardly fit for a king.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider

  • Today Triple Scoop Music is launching my Signature Music Collection for Landscape & Travel

    Scott Kelby
    23 May 2013 | 9:01 pm
    I’ve been a fan of Triple Scoop Music even since I heard some of the instructors at Photoshop World using their royalty-free music tracks in their photo slideshow presentations. As a musician myself, I am just so impressed with the quality of their  tracks — their stuff is “the real deal.” That’s why I was so psyched when they asked me to put together a Signature Collection of  their music tracks that I thought would be perfect for landscape and travel photography slideshows and videos.The “Scott Kelby Signature Series Vol 1 – Landscape and Travel…

  • It’s Free Stuff Thursday!

    Brad Moore
    22 May 2013 | 10:13 pm
    The Digital Photography Book Part 1 – Second Edition Okay, Scott already announced the release of the new version of his best-selling book, The Digital Photography Book Part 1 – Second Edition. But since today is Free Stuff Thursday, I figured we would give away FIVE FREE copies to some lucky commenters! Whether you already have the first edition and just want the latest version, or if you want to give a copy to a friend, or if you just don’t have any version of this book and want it, leave a comment for your chance to win! Or, you can head over to KelbyTraining.com, Amazon,…

  • It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Vincent Versace!

    Brad Moore
    21 May 2013 | 9:01 pm
    Photo by Douglas DublerA Tale of Two PhotosOnce a year, on the anniversary of Guest Blog Wednesday, Scott affords me the opportunity to share some thoughts. All I can say is that it is a good thing that he gives me a year between these guest blog posts. Once again, thank you, Scott, for your gracious generosity.Tale 1Of all of the images I have or will take in my life, I suspect “Paris in Snow” will be by far my most iconic. It is the cover of my book From Oz to Kansas, and Epson uses it as the image on their worldwide packaging of Cold Press Natural paper. So the image has received some…

  • Motorcycle Shoot (behind-the-scenes)

    Scott Kelby
    21 May 2013 | 4:22 am
    (Above) Here’s a behind-the-scene shot from Friday’s shoot.  This is a three-light shoot: Two 4-foot strip banks above (with Elinchrom strobes), and there’s one additional softbox in front (you can see the light-stand right behind my laptop) that’s putting some extra light on the engine — it was a little dark in there with just the two strobe directly above the bike.I asked my Creative Director Felix Nelson if I could shoot his Harley, but he was doing some serious tinkering with it at home and it wouldn’t be ready for days, so he suggested calling our…

  • The 2nd Edition “Refresh” of my “Digital Photography Book, Part One” is here

    Scott Kelby
    19 May 2013 | 9:01 pm
    OK, if you already have the first edition of the book, DON’T BUY THIS ONE!!!! That’s because it’s a “refresh” and not a “rewrite.”The original book was published back in 2006, so I brought the book up-to-date with a pretty significant refresh using today’s latest cameras, updates and changes in gear; plus I added a short chapter with some advice I’ve learned since then; I went through and updated all the photos  (man, it’s excruciating to look back at the images you were taking seven years ago), and techniques where needed…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Digital Photography School

  • Spirit: Weekly Photography Challenge

    Darren Rowse
    24 May 2013 | 12:31 pm
    Yesterday we published a post from Hailey Bartholomew with Tips for Taking Portraits that Reflect the Character and Spirit of Your Subject that gave me the theme of this weeks challenge. Your challenge is to take and share an image on the theme of ‘Spirit’. Feel free to approach the theme in any way that you wish – you might want to take a portrait that shows someones true spirit or you could photograph something that is ‘Spiritual’ or even photograph something that represents your spirit. Be as creative as you’d like! Once you’ve taken your…

  • Home Is Where The Heart Is: How To Take Portraits In It

    Guest Contributor
    24 May 2013 | 8:52 am
    by Lynsey Peterson. I hate nature. There. I said it. It’s like glitter—it seems like such a fun idea but no matter how careful you are, it gets all over you and 7 showers later you still find it in your hair. This is further complicated by the fact that I live in what is known around the planet as one of the most beautiful places in the world. As a photographer, it’s dreamy situation; I could photograph a family in a parking lot (and I have) and the surroundings are more beautiful than many conventional parks in the world. So most of the time I have to suck it up and schedule an…

  • The Sony RX100 at Dublin Zoo [USER REVIEW]

    Guest Contributor
    23 May 2013 | 1:16 pm
    by Sarah Hipwell It’s been about four years since my last visit to the zoo. Last week my two girls had a break from school so I decided to take them along with my Mum for a day out to visit the animals at Dublin Zoo. I brought my trusty new Sony RX100 and as a backup I brought my Nikon D300 DSLR. In the end the D300 camera didn’t come out of my bag! I really wanted to test out the RX100 and see how well this compact camera performed in the wild! Actually, I had been interested in purchasing a compact camera for a while now. My husband has taken some great shots with his Retina iPhone. But…

  • 3 Tips for Taking Portraits that Reflect the Character and Spirit of your Subject

    Guest Contributor
    23 May 2013 | 7:57 am
    A Guest contribution by Hailey Bartholomew from You Can’t Be Serious. 1. Do Something Who are you photographing? If you don’t know them well, find out what they love to do and where they relax the most. Maybe they love to row boats or take picnics at their favourite park every Sunday. Maybe you are photographing your grandmother who loves to be out in her garden. Go and do that with them. Whatever they love to do to relax, tag along with your camera. But don’t sit back on the sidelines hoping to catch a moment from far away – get down and into whatever they are doing.

  • Learn How to Use the Sharpening Tools in Lightroom

    Guest Contributor
    22 May 2013 | 12:23 pm
    There’s no question that Lightroom is a powerful piece of photo processing software, but due to that power sometimes it’s not as easy to wrap our heads around everything it has to offer, that’s in part why I started my Let’s Edit YouTube series a weekly segment in which I share my own editing workflow for viewers to learn from. After starting this series one of the most commonly asked questions was to go into more detail on how the sharpening tools in Lightroom work. Sharpening in Lightroom is broken down into four different sliders – Amount, Radius, Detail and…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

  • PureShot is a full featured iOS camera app

    Mel Martin
    24 May 2013 | 5:00 pm
    PureShot, a US$1.99 universal app, takes a very shooting-oriented approach to photography on iOS. You don't process your images here, or add filters. Instead, you just use the tools provided to take the very best picture you can, then process it on your iOS device, or get it onto your Mac or PC and use a dedicated image editor. I like that approach, because most do-it-all apps aren't strong in every feature. PureShot is dedicated to taking good pictures, and I think it succeeds at that goal. The app features 2 quality levels for JPEG images, and even something called dRAW TIFF output, which…

  • Daily iPhone App: Combo Crew does beat-em-up on a touchscreen

    Mike Schramm
    24 May 2013 | 4:30 pm
    Combo Crew is an interesting experiment that just showed up this week on iOS. Beat-em-ups and fighting games are great on consoles, where you've got plenty of buttons and d-pads to pull off various moves with. But while they've appeared on iOS a few times (Capcom's Street Fighter IV has done fairly well on the App Store), usually these games on a touchscreen tend to just fall back on virtual buttons, which are generally way more clunky and less precise than physical moving parts. Combo Crew, however, is an attempt to make a beat-em-up redesigned from scratch for the iOS touchscreen. It's a…

  • Memorial Day brings lots of great sales on iOS games

    Mike Schramm
    24 May 2013 | 4:00 pm
    Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Here in the US, most of us are celebrating a three-day weekend that also serves as the start of summer, which means BBQs, poolside hangouts and lots and lots of time in the sun. Oh, and it means one more thing these days: iOS game sales (all prices USD)! Card game maker Playdek has an awesome sale on, including Ascension (and its IAP), Nightfall (and its IAP), Penny Arcade: The Card Game and Fluxx all for just 99 cents each. You should definitely pick up one or all of those -- Nightfall is complicated, but it's probably my favorite. Puzzlejuice is on sale for 99…

  • Daily Update for May 24, 2013

    Steven Sande
    24 May 2013 | 3:50 pm
    It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSSDaily Update for May 24, 2013 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 24 May 2013 17:50:00 EST. Please see our…

  • Propellerhead to stop selling ReBirth for iPhone

    John-Michael Bond
    24 May 2013 | 3:30 pm
    Act quickly mobile music producers. Propellerhead, makers of the recording software Reason, have announced that they will stop selling and supporting the iPhone app ReBirth on June 1. ReBirth is an iOS version of the company's Techno Micro Composer that started as a Mac program. The app emulates a Roland TB-303 bass synth and TR-808 and 909 drum machines. Using FX and sequencers, the app allows users to create whole songs. The more expensive iPad version of ReBirth isn't going anywhere, so home producers will still have that option. Ultimately, the iPad version of the program is the strongest…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Strobist

  • Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters is Now Available on DVD, and Netflix Streaming

    22 May 2013 | 9:00 pm
    ©Gregory Crewdson Netflix have acquired the rights to stream Ben Shapiro's excellent 77-minute documentary, Gregory Crewdson: Brief Encounters. You can also buy it outright on DVD for $24. Sadly, the Netflix access this is US-only (maybe Canada? nope!) and only for Netflix streaming subscribers. But this is still far and away the biggest audience to have had access to the film. There's no telling how long it will be up to stream. Netflix is notorious for having, then not having, the rights to a movie. So just in case, don't wait too long. You can stream it here. (Many thanks to reader Tim…

  • On Assignment: Back to the Well

    21 May 2013 | 9:00 pm
    Tian Lu (left) and Yuri Shadrin are both accomplished pianists in their own right. But when they play as a duet (on the same piano) they produce an intuitive mix of music and banter that could only come from the married couple that they are. He is Russian, she is Chinese. Which made them the perfect choice to perform in China later this month in commemoration of an upcoming regional trade partnership between China and Russia. So I shot their publicity portraits in one of my favorite little environmental portrait nooks in Howard County—under the fountain downtown at the lakefront. I have…

  • Q&A: Photek Softlighter II or Paul Buff PLM?

    17 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    Sydney, 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 am
    Dontcha 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 am
    I 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-
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

  • What The Duck #1390

    24 May 2013 | 5:56 pm
    We'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 it's published here every week, as well as being included in our weekly newsletter. Barbed, topical and always amusing, we hope you enjoy WTD as much as we do. Click through for this week's strip.

  • Accessory Review: Phottix BG-5D III Battery Grip for Canon 5D Mark III

    24 May 2013 | 5:16 pm
    The Phottix BG-5DIII battery grip is a budget-friendly alternative to Canon's BG-E11 battery grip for the EOS 5D Mark III, allowing you to double the battery life and enhance handling when shooting vertical format images. Can it do the same job for less cash, or should you save up for the Canon-branded accessory? Find out in our review. 

  • Sign up for the DPReview newsletter today!

    24 May 2013 | 1:08 pm
    Just a reminder - you can get a weekly update of all that's new in the digital photography world by subscribing to the Digital Photography Review Newsletter! As well as updates on what we've published, we'll also be sharing sneak peeks at what we've got in the pipeline, as well as a weekly cartoon strip, and occasionally also readers' polls, (bad) jokes, suggestions for photo projects and more. Click through for more details. 

  • Vine enthusiast Jethro Ames explains the art of 6-second storytelling

    24 May 2013 | 11:54 am
    Video sharing service Vine has generated a lot of buzz in recent months. Vine allows you to share videos of up to six seconds in length as either a single continuous take or as a 'collage' of short duration clips. Art Director Jethro Ames saw Vine as a challenge and decided to push his limits to see what he could do with the app. The result is a series of imaginative timelapse videos that are perfectly executed down to the last detail. Click through to see his work, and our interview on connect.dpreview.com.

  • Sigma announces availability of 35mm F1.4 DG HSM for Sony and Pentax

    24 May 2013 | 3:00 am
    In a brief note on its Japanese website, Sigma has announced that the Sony and Pentax mount versions of its highly-regarded 35mm F1.4 DG HSM 'Art' lens will go on sale on 31st May. It's also announced that the Nikon-mount version of its 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM 'Sports' telephoto zoom will be available at the same time. We gave the 35mm F1.4 our Gold Award when we reviewed it back in December, for its combination of exceptionally good optics and solid build at a price rather lower than the camera manufacturers' equivalents.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Lightroom Killer Tips

  • Should You Create Multiple Catalogs In Lightroom?

    jgilbert@photoshopuser.com (Matt Kloskowski)
    20 May 2013 | 11:01 pm
    For years, catalog questions tend to be the most popular questions I get at my Lightroom seminars. One of those questions is whether or not to create multiple catalogs in Lightroom. See, back in Lightroom 1, it became fairly common knowledge that when your catalog grew to a certain size in photos (say 20,000) that it would slow down and you should create a new catalog so Lightroom would keep running quickly. But that’s not the case anymore. Lightroom doesn’t have a photo limit that anyone has hit. Adobe doesn’t even recommend creating multiple catalogs anymore. So the first…

  • Lightroom And WPPI Coming Your Way (Chicago, Atlantic City, Vegas and LA)

    jgilbert@photoshopuser.com (Matt Kloskowski)
    15 May 2013 | 9:00 am
    If 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

    jgilbert@photoshopuser.com (Matt Kloskowski)
    9 May 2013 | 11:01 pm
    Hey 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?

    jgilbert@photoshopuser.com (Matt Kloskowski)
    6 May 2013 | 11:01 pm
    There’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

    jgilbert@photoshopuser.com (Matt Kloskowski)
    2 May 2013 | 11:01 pm
    Did 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.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - iOS Blog

  • Automatic Connected Car System Delayed Until August

    Juli Clover
    24 May 2013 | 2:52 pm
    Automatic introduced its Automatic Link connected car system in March of this year, promising to ship out the app and the Bluetooth adapter beginning in May. The system includes a plug-in adapter that is designed to read data from a car's onboard diagnostics, turning nearly any car manufactured after 1996 into a connected car. The adapter utilizes an accompanying iPhone app to provide detailed information on driving habits and car health. Unfortunately, Automatic has experienced some problems with the aforementioned iPhone app and as a result, it has decided to delay (via Engadget) the final…

  • Best Buy to Discount iPhone by $50 Beginning Sunday

    Juli Clover
    24 May 2013 | 9:47 am
    Best Buy is launching a new four week promotion that will drop the price of new iPhone purchases by $50. According to AllThingsD, the sale will apply to the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S, and the iPhone 5, when purchased with a two-year contract from Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint. An iPhone with two-year contract typically costs $200 for the 16GB entry level phone, so with the sale, the price will drop to $150. The discount applies to all phone models. Best Buy has offered similar sales in the past, most recently discounting the iPhone 5 by $50 during the holiday season. Other retailers…

  • Skycore Creates Platform for Passbook Delivery Via MMS

    Jordan Golson
    24 May 2013 | 9:03 am
    Skycore, a marketing and developer support firm, has introduced a new feature to its services platform to allow developers to send Passbook passes to users via MMS. The feature should allow more companies to use Passbook because they won't need users to download a dedicated iOS app. Passbook was a new feature in iOS 6 that allows users to store frequently used items like gift cards or frequent shopper cards, as well as single use items like movie and airline tickets. Developers can have those cards appear right on the lock screen, targeted by time or location. "As with SMS, the recipient of…

  • Letter to Brazilian Apple Repair Centers Suggests June 2013 Policy Changes?

    Jordan Golson
    23 May 2013 | 4:18 pm
    AppleInsider has obtained a letter supposedly sent to Brazilian Apple Authorized Service Providers suggesting that new policies regarding iPhone and iPad repairs will begin soon. Though the letter is taken out of context and has been roughly translated via Google Translate, it suggests that AASP's in Brazil will soon begin repairing broken iPad glass panels and performing more in-depth repairs on iPhones with details of that plan being sent in June 2013. 2. iPad Repair - We will soon begin to repair iPad glass. Further details will be sent next week. 3. iPhone Repair - The Changing Patterns…

  • Angry Birds Space Named App of the Week, Available for Free

    Juli Clover
    23 May 2013 | 10:03 am
    Rovio's Angry Birds Space has been named Apple's App of the Week, and as a result, both the full iPhone and the iPad version of the game can be downloaded for free for the first time ever. Angry Birds Space features the same bird flinging gameplay found in other Rovio titles, but it incorporates new zero gravity game mechanics and space-themed level design.Angry Birds Space features over 160 interstellar levels on planets and in zero gravity, resulting in spectacular gameplay ranging from slow-motion puzzles to lightspeed destruction. With regular free updates, new in-app purchases, brand new…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    CNN Travel

  • Ultimate guide to Chinese dumplings

    24 May 2013 | 9:30 am
    Need a bite? Try this roundup of the tasty, fun-sized "firecrackers" that fuel 1.3 billion (and counting) stomachsRice is nice, noodles are great, but if an online poll were to solicit votes for China's most rational national food, dumplings would come out way ahead. Dumplings great and small enjoy unique names, traditions and areas where they're scarfed by the bucket-load. Here's a thoughtfully chosen buffet of the most iconic dumplings China has to offer. Chinese dumplings, pure and simple. Shui jiao (水饺) Shui jiao, or boiled dumpling, is a staple food, especially in northern…

  • The cat that saved a Japanese train station

    hiufu
    23 May 2013 | 7:00 pm
    Meet Tama, Japan's cutest stationmaster, and her adorable cat-shaped station homeSome 30 minutes from central Wakayama City in southeast Japan is the quiet, rural neighborhood of Kinokawa. Despite the area's un-remarkableness, its train station attracts no shortage of visitors, most under the age of 12. Tama, the hero of Kishi Station. These tourists may not know what there is to see or do in wider Kinokawa, nor do they seem particularly interested -- all they want to do is visit Kishi train station, which serves Kinokawa. They come seeking time, and hopefully a photo, with Kishi's…

  • Healthy Beijing: A wellness guide to the city

    karlac1
    23 May 2013 | 3:00 pm
    Despite legendary pollution, Beijing offers access to nature, healthy restaurants and eco-friendly retreatsBeijing has historic attractions, a vibrant culture and, of course, delicious Chinese food. But with its notorious pollution and regular food scandals, it's not a city one equates with health and wellness. But maintaining a healthy lifestyle while visiting Beijing isn't as challenging as you might think. Here's an insider list of nature-friendly spots, wholesome restaurants, organic stores and green escapes in and around Beijing.  iReport assignment: What are your favorite spots in…

  • Barcelona officials: 'Space hotel' a concept far, far away

    francescha
    23 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    We’ll believe it when we see it, but we kind of want to see itGiant ray gun or futuristic hotel? In terms of new architecture, some cities embrace the shiny, the bold, the outrageous. Dubai, for instance, or Shanghai, or even Seoul these days. One city, however, is turning up its nose at one in-your-face building. Plans for a massive man-made island off the coast of Barcelona featuring a 2,000-suite “space hotel,” a covered marina, “zero-gravity” spa and 24-hour mall have been met with something less than enthusiasm from city officials.  More on CNN: Insider Guide: What to do in…

  • Opinion: Why I hate the beverage cart

    francescha
    22 May 2013 | 7:51 pm
    Responsible for more crushed knees than MMA, it’s time to protect ourselves from the airline drinks trolley Unless they’ve signed up for a gym membership, people don’t typically pay for experiences that come with a high probability of physical trauma. That’s why it’s odd to me that when you book an aisle seat on an airplane, there’s no disclaimer mentioning there’s about a 30% chance that you’re going to get hit with a moving filing cabinet. Because, basically, that’s an accurate description of an airplane’s beverage cart (galley cart, drinks trolley, mobile foot smasher,…
Log in