Alltop

Results

  • No topics matched breaking-tweets
close

What's hot on Alltop

  • Most Topular Stories

  • The Psychology of Color and Branding (Infographic)

    Entrepreneur
    22 May 2013 | 9:30 am
    Why companies like McDonald's and Pizza Hut prefer red whereas Lowe's opts for blue.

  • Funky knit cozies for every beverage

    Holy Kaw!
    Kate Rinsema
    22 May 2013 | 5:50 pm
    Does watching your beverage sweat make you feel that much worse when the temperature rises? Put condensation in its place once and for all…in a funky knit cozy from Freaker! From the Funnies Freaker 2-pack to the Honey Boo Boo Freaker 4-pack, you’ll be the envy of every picnic, barbecue and block party you grace with your [...]

  • HP Thinks Giant Tablets Are a Good Idea

    Mashable
    Pete Pachal
    22 May 2013 | 9:04 pm
    Windows 8 has officially created a new category: the monster tablet. Last fall's Sony Tap 20 could have been dismissed as a one-off aberration, but others have since launched giant screens equipped with batteries, including HP, who just unveiled the Rove 20. Why Rove? Because it can do exactly that — the 20-inch display is fully portable with almost 4 hours of battery life. Although its mobility, along with the 10-finger multi-touch display, technically makes it a tablet, it's really better thought of as an all-in-one PC that you can move from room to room when you need to. Much like…

  • “Nashville” Creator Callie Khouri On The Art Of The Creative Crossover

    Fast Company
    Teressa Iezzi
    22 May 2013 | 3:01 pm
    Khouri, No. 80 on Fast Company’s Most Creative People In Business 2013 list, won an Oscar for Thelma & Louise. Now she’s getting a crash course in the TV business. Here, on the eve of the season finale of her first ever small-screen show, are some of the things she has learned. You could say Callie Khouri’s career has come full circle. But you’d only be kind of right. The native Texan waited tables for a time in Nashville in the '70s and '80s. Then she went on to write the Academy Award-winning screenplay Thelma & Louise, plus a host of other successful…

  • Samsung Galaxy S4 Shipments Hit 10 Million One Month After Release

    TechCrunch
    Catherine Shu
    22 May 2013 | 9:39 pm
    Samsung’s Galaxy S4 has hit 10 million channel sales one month after its release. The company announced its latest milestone today just eight days after confirming that it had shipped over 6 million units of the S4 since its international launch on April 26. According to Samsung, this is the fastest ever sell rate for any of its smartphones. The latest entry in the Galaxy series–meant as Samsung’s iPhone challenger–has sold much more quickly than its predecessors. The Galaxy S4′s milestone beats the record set by the Galaxy S3, which reached 10 million channel…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Holy Kaw!

  • Funky knit cozies for every beverage

    Kate Rinsema
    22 May 2013 | 5:50 pm
    Does watching your beverage sweat make you feel that much worse when the temperature rises? Put condensation in its place once and for all…in a funky knit cozy from Freaker! From the Funnies Freaker 2-pack to the Honey Boo Boo Freaker 4-pack, you’ll be the envy of every picnic, barbecue and block party you grace with your [...]

  • The science behind the brain freeze

    Kate Rinsema
    22 May 2013 | 5:12 pm
    Hot summer days mean there’s nothing better than enjoying a frosty beverage or treat…until the brain freeze strikes. While studying something as temporary as the sharp pain that makes the rest of an ice cream experience that much more enjoyable in comparison might appear to be a waste of time, according to neuroscientist Dwayne Godwin, Ph.D. [...]

  • The sorry state of state birds

    Kate Rinsema
    22 May 2013 | 4:56 pm
    What is it with cardinals and mockingbirds? It would seem the guys (most likely) doing the choosing were peeking at their neighbor’s paper because there’s a shocking lack of originality with so many better options to choose from. That’s where Slate’s Nicholas Lund comes in, offering up some much needed commentary on this sorry state [...]

  • Time lapse view of Earth from space

    Peg Fitzpatrick
    22 May 2013 | 3:03 pm

  • Living in the round: Acrobats take unique living space on the road [video]

    Kate Rinsema
    22 May 2013 | 1:01 pm
    Cohabitating in a small space takes a certain amount of coordination, but none so much as when the living’s being done by the Acrojou Circus Theater and space is The Wheel House. The amazing hand-built structure is the stage on and in which two acrobats delight audiences with their attempts to lead a “normal” life in [...]
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Mashable

  • HP Thinks Giant Tablets Are a Good Idea

    Pete Pachal
    22 May 2013 | 9:04 pm
    Windows 8 has officially created a new category: the monster tablet. Last fall's Sony Tap 20 could have been dismissed as a one-off aberration, but others have since launched giant screens equipped with batteries, including HP, who just unveiled the Rove 20. Why Rove? Because it can do exactly that — the 20-inch display is fully portable with almost 4 hours of battery life. Although its mobility, along with the 10-finger multi-touch display, technically makes it a tablet, it's really better thought of as an all-in-one PC that you can move from room to room when you need to. Much like…

  • Teen's Invention Could Create 20-Second Phone Charge

    Vignesh Ramachandran
    22 May 2013 | 8:01 pm
    Tech manufacturers that boast how fast their devices can juice up might want to listen up: A California teen has developed a super-capacitor that could lead to a 20- to 30-second phone charge. Super-capacitors are energy-storage devices that have a long cycle life, and have the potential to store a lot of energy per unit volume. Sounds dandy, right? Not quite. The devices have limited use because they store less energy than batteries. But Eesha Khare, 18, of Saratoga, Calif. has made quite an advancement with this technology. "The super-capacitor I have developed uses a special nanostructure,…

  • 99.9% Of New Mobile Malware Targets Android Phones

    Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai
    22 May 2013 | 7:00 pm
    Android, the world's most popular smartphone operating system, has malware issuesWe knew that already. But a new report suggests these issues are only destined to worsen In fact, 99.9% of new mobile malware detected in the first quarter of 2013 is designed to hit Android phones, according to a new report released by online security firm Kaspersky Lab The vast majority of those are trojan viruses, a type of virus that, as Mashable reported, is used in many instances (to target Tibetan activists, for example.) SMS trojans, which steal money by sending unauthorized texts to premium rate numbers,…

  • Vertus Makes Any Speaker Bluetooth Friendly

    Samantha Murphy
    22 May 2013 | 5:57 pm
    Syncing audio to a Bluetooth speaker is a common practice these days, but sending it wirelessly to two old-school speakers at the same time is a thing of the future. A new Kickstarter project for the Vertus, which has already reached its $40,000 funding goal on the site, allows you to share music via Bluetooth to more than just one speaker. SEE ALSO: 9 Essential Steps for a Killer Kickstarter Campaign Here's how it works: If a friend comes over with, say, a Jawbone Jambox and starts playing music, you will be able to connect an older speaker so both devices play the same song. The speakers…

  • NFL Star Meets Quadriplegic Fan After Viral Facebook Campaign

    Sam Laird
    22 May 2013 | 5:29 pm
    In January, Eran Melnik wrote NFL superstar J.J. Watt a public message on Facebook Melnik explained that he's a nurse for a young man named Itzy Cagen. Cagen has been a quadriplegic since being struck by a hit-and-run driver as a toddler, but for the past couple years also been one of Watt's biggest fans "During the season, every morning I would wake him up and he would announce 'J. J. SWATT!!!' Just thought you would like to know that he is out there and would love to meet you if at all possible," Melnik wrote. "We understand that you are busy, but who knows?" Here's a screenshot of Melnik's…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Fast Company

  • “Nashville” Creator Callie Khouri On The Art Of The Creative Crossover

    Teressa Iezzi
    22 May 2013 | 3:01 pm
    Khouri, No. 80 on Fast Company’s Most Creative People In Business 2013 list, won an Oscar for Thelma & Louise. Now she’s getting a crash course in the TV business. Here, on the eve of the season finale of her first ever small-screen show, are some of the things she has learned. You could say Callie Khouri’s career has come full circle. But you’d only be kind of right. The native Texan waited tables for a time in Nashville in the '70s and '80s. Then she went on to write the Academy Award-winning screenplay Thelma & Louise, plus a host of other successful…

  • A Design Collective Creates Its Own Economy In El Salvador

    Margaret Rhodes
    22 May 2013 | 2:30 pm
    The Carrot Concept is bringing Salvadorian design to international markets. The short list of global design destinations includes obvious places, such as Sweden and Italy. Soon, thanks to the efforts of a grassroots movement, the tiny Central American country of El Salvador could make that list as well. The Carrot Concept launched this year, during New York Design Week, but the project actually began in 2007, when El Salvador ran its first furniture and design exhibition. The show, Contempo, went well. It garnered press and attention for local designers, but, problematically, it presented…

  • This Robot Will Be Your Perfectly Precise Bartender

    Zak Stone
    22 May 2013 | 2:00 pm
    The Makr Shakr can make any drink you want--and even cut a lemon. Put a tie and a vest on it, and you won’t even be able to tell the difference between it and your local mixologist. At the Milan Design Week, furniture usually take center stage. But lucky for booze-loving attendees this year, the fair’s definition of "design" is broad enough to include cocktails, made at, perhaps, the world’s most technologically advanced bar. Called the MakrShakr, the project is a collaboration between MIT Senseable City Lab and Carlo Ratti Associati, an Italian architecture firm.

  • 15 Artists Celebrate 150 Years Of The London Underground

    Jordan Kushins
    22 May 2013 | 1:15 pm
    Four key stations showcase the Tube-inspired posters of contemporary artists. When London’s Metropolitan Railway made its debut way back in 1863, the steam-powered trains offered a novel way of navigating the city. Now, over a billion locals and tourists depend on the Tube to efficiently (as possible) take them between the network’s 250 stations. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the subterranean system, and in an effort to celebrate and make commutes a bit more visually engaging, Art on the Underground has commissioned 15 contemporary creatives to contribute poster-sized…

  • Take A Breathtaking Trip Around The World In 15 Minutes

    Zak Stone
    22 May 2013 | 12:30 pm
    This NASA video shows a satellite pass over a huge swath of land, from Russia to South Africa, in stunning detail. Cue up some soaring music and sit back and enjoy. NASA’s Landsat satellites have provided incomparable views of Earthen landscapes since the 1970s. In February, the newest satellite to join the family, called the Landsat Data Continuity Mission, took flight, and thanks to its new imaging technology, the Operational Land Imager, the images of land-masses are more detailed than ever. A recently released video of a fly-over of a swath of land 185 kilometers wide and 9,000…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TechCrunch

  • Samsung Galaxy S4 Shipments Hit 10 Million One Month After Release

    Catherine Shu
    22 May 2013 | 9:39 pm
    Samsung’s Galaxy S4 has hit 10 million channel sales one month after its release. The company announced its latest milestone today just eight days after confirming that it had shipped over 6 million units of the S4 since its international launch on April 26. According to Samsung, this is the fastest ever sell rate for any of its smartphones. The latest entry in the Galaxy series–meant as Samsung’s iPhone challenger–has sold much more quickly than its predecessors. The Galaxy S4′s milestone beats the record set by the Galaxy S3, which reached 10 million channel…

  • Why Does Hollywood Hate The Future?

    Mg Siegler
    22 May 2013 | 4:46 pm
    A few weeks ago, Chris Dixon tweeted something thought-provoking: What were the last Hollywood movies you saw about technology & the future that were optimistic? They seem to be systematically dystopian. I happened to be sitting in a movie theater waiting for Iron Man 3 to start, so I tried to come up with a good counter-example. It’s a lot harder than I thought it would be. Then the pre-movie trailers starting playing. The new Will Smith (and son) flick, After Earth: dystopia. The new Guillermo del Toro flick, Pacific Rim: dystopia. Even the new Superman flick, Man of Steel, could be…

  • Kim Dotcom Claims He Invented Two-Factor Authentication, Has A Patent To Prove It

    Greg Kumparak
    22 May 2013 | 4:19 pm
    Oh, Kim Dotcom. You just never stop surprising us. Just hours after Twitter finally rolled out its long-awaited Two-Factor authentication feature to protect accounts, the Megaupload founder is claiming to have invented the entire mechanism… and he’s got a patent to prove it. “But they won’t even verify my Twitter account?!”, he says. The patent in question can be viewed here. Filed for in 1998 and published two years later, it lists a Kim Schmitz — Dotcom’s name before he changed it in 2005 — as the sole assignee. For the unfamiliar, two-factor…

  • LinkedIn Has Definitely Acqui-Hired Maybe, Omar Hamoui's Polling Startup, Minus Hamoui Himself

    Ingrid Lunden
    22 May 2013 | 3:39 pm
    Fresh from closing its purchase of newsreading app Pulse, LinkedIn has made another acquisition to dive deeper into the mobile space. TechCrunch has found out, and confirmed, that the social network has aqui-hired Maybe, the social polling startup founded by Omar Hamoui — the man who set up, ran and then sold mobile ad company AdMob to Google for $750 million. All staff from Maybe, except for Hamoui himself, are now at LinkedIn and working in its mobile division. That includes four engineers and one designer, LinkedIn has told us. Meanwhile, Maybe itself has now shut down. Financial…

  • Encoding.com's Vid.ly Integrates With FreeWheel To Provide Monetization Of Universal, Cross-Platform Video URLs

    Ryan Lawler
    22 May 2013 | 2:00 pm
    Cloud encoding vendor Encoding.com launched Vid.ly a couple of years ago to provide video creators with a way to publish a single universal video URL and then have that content accessible on any device. Now it’s providing a way to monetize those videos, thanks to an integration with ad delivery platorm FreeWheel. The idea behind Vid.ly is that Encoding.com does all the hard work of encoding it into as many video formats and renditions as necessary, then serving up the appropriate copy of the video depending on which device was accessing it. In addition to transcoding, it also provided…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Seth's Blog

  • 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.

  • No Signal

    Seth Godin
    20 May 2013 | 2:00 am
    At a party the other day, I saw a dead TV monitor. On the screen it said something like, "No signal... check power, cable and source selection..." It doesn't matter at all how hard the DVD player was trying to put on a show. It is irrelevant how good the show on cable was. If it's not getting through, no one sees it. All of us own our own media companies now. We each have the ability to speak up, to tell our stories, and if we're good and if we're lucky, to be heard. Too often, though, there's no signal. You may be pumping noise through your social media outlets, but noise isn't signal. It's…

  • Learning by analogy

    Seth Godin
    19 May 2013 | 2:36 am
    The story of Hansel and Gretel is not actually about Hansel or Gretel. You are surrounded by examples and lessons and case studies that clearly aren't exactly about your project. There's never been a book written precisely about the situation you are facing right now, either. Perhaps one day they will publish, "Marketing Low-Cost Coaching Services to Small Businesses Specializing in .Graphic Design in the Upper Peninsula for Dummies" but don't hold your breath. Marketing, like all forms of art, requires us to learn to see. To see what's working and to transplant it, change it and amplify it.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    @ProBlogger

  • 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).

  • How To Use Auto Responder Emails to Boost Your Blogging Efforts

    Guest Blogger
    17 May 2013 | 8:22 am
    This 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…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Lifehacker

  • Airline Upgrades, PowerAMP Crackling, and Opening Envelopes

    Whitson Gordon
    22 May 2013 | 5:00 pm
    Readers offer their best tips for putting your laptop to sleep, keeping your gadgets in one place, and making your keyboard's number pad better.Read more...    

  • Clear, the popular to-do list app for iOS and Mac, received an update today with a top-requested fea

    Adam Dachis
    22 May 2013 | 5:00 pm
    Clear, the popular to-do list app for iOS and Mac, received an update today with a top-requested feature from its users. Now you can send lists via email and easily import lists you receive. Grab the update now in the iTunes App Store or Mac App Store, depending on the update you need.Read more...    

  • Make a DSLR LCD Hood Out of Old Hotel Key Cards

    Adam Dachis
    22 May 2013 | 4:00 pm
    The DSLR LCD screen once served as little more than a means to viewing photos you'd already taken in the comfort of indoor lighting. Now you can use it as a live monitor and capture photos and video. It still doesn't work too well outside. With some old hotel key cards, however, you can fix that problem on the cheap.Read more...    

  • Google Voice Users Can Now Answer Phone Calls in Hangouts

    Whitson Gordon
    22 May 2013 | 3:19 pm
    Gmail users got a taste of Google's new Hangouts feature this week, but it was missing the VOIP calling feature Voice users had come to love. Starting today, it's back...sort of!Read more...    

  • Are ROMs and emulators illegal? Why?

    Walter Glenn
    22 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...    
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors

  • Apple's Smart Watch May Not Launch Until Late 2014, Use Biometrics and iPod Nano Technology

    Eric Slivka
    22 May 2013 | 3:24 pm
    KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has on a number of occasions offered accurate information about Apple's product plans, issued a new research report this week outlining his expectations for Apple's rumored smart watch device, informally dubbed "iWatch". Despite some expectations that the device could launch later this year, Kuo believes that both hardware and software issues will result in the iWatch making its debut in the second half of 2014.Apple may not have adequate resources to develop an iWatch version of iOS because it may require big changes to iPhone and iPad iOS this year.

  • Corning Pits Gorilla Glass 3 Against Sapphire, Plans Reflection Reduction and Antimicrobial Technology

    Eric Slivka
    22 May 2013 | 1:59 pm
    Following Apple's adoption of sapphire crystal as a strong and durable covering for the rear cameras on the iPhone 5 and fifth-generation iPod touch late last year, rumors of expanded uses for the material have gained some traction. Back in March, we covered a report suggesting that sapphire could see wider adoption as coverings for displays on mobile devices, and just last week a sketchy rumor claimed that Apple is planning to use a sapphire-covered capacitive home button with integrated fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 5S. Amid these discussions of the potential of sapphire, Corning has…

  • Apple Details Five Patents Violated by Samsung Galaxy S4 and Google Now

    Juli Clover
    22 May 2013 | 10:29 am
    Last week Apple told the U.S. District Court in California that it planned to add the Samsung Galaxy S4 to its patent lawsuit already underway against Samsung. As promised, Apple today filed a motion (via Foss Patents) that details five different patents that the S4 allegedly infringes on. The filing includes two Siri-related patents violated by Google Now, Google's robust voice activated search assistant. Patents '604 and '959 cover a "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system." The other three patents in the filing cover a "graphical user interface using…

  • Apple Updates Look of Online Store With More Feature Images, Fewer Text Links

    Eric Slivka
    22 May 2013 | 6:24 am
    Apple today rolled out some updates to its online store, not only posting new features advertising Father's Day gift purchases but also introducing a new, cleaner look for the store. While the main page of the online store had previously consisted of a main center column with product promotions flanked by sidebars with additional links, the new look brings an all-feature design focusing more on product images. Previously, the left sidebar had offered quick access to accessory categories for Apple's various product lines, as well as links to the company's refurbished and clearance stores.

  • Excerpts of Apple Executives' Senate Committee Testimony on Tax Policy

    Jordan Golson
    21 May 2013 | 12:29 pm
    Three Apple executives, CEO Tim Cook, CFO Peter Oppenheimer, and head of tax operations Phillip A. Bullock, appeared in front of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation earlier today, testifying about Apple's tax policies. MacRumors has a rough transcript of the hearing, while the full event is viewable on C-SPAN. The full hearing was quite long, but here are some selected excerpts from our transcript. At the beginning of the hearing, Senators are allowed to make whatever opening statements they wish. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) gave a spirited defense of Apple, saying he was…
 
  • 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

  • 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

  • 5 Writing and Productivity Links You Can Use

    Robert Bruce
    18 May 2013 | 5:00 am
    This 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

    Brian Clark
    17 May 2013 | 9:00 am
    You 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…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Macworld

  • Remains of the Day: Holey wholesale holograms!

    22 May 2013 | 4:30 pm
    A longtime industry watcher moves to Cupertino, Steve Jobs’s email to James Murdoch is marked as read, and Tim Cook dodges an inane “rumor.” The remainders for Wednesday, May 22, 2013 are live, in the flesh. Longtime Tech Industry Analyst Michael Gartenberg Joins Apple (Forbes) Occasional Macworld contributor Michael Gartenberg—who has served as an analyst at Gartner, Jupiter Research, Altimeter Group, and Interpret, in addition to a brief stint at Microsoft—has joined Apple in a role that reports to Apple senior vice president of marketing Phil Schiller. Let the iBagel rumors…

  • The Week in iOS Accessories: Cha-ching!

    22 May 2013 | 11:45 am
    This week's roundup of iOS accessories features not one, but two ways to elegantly convert your iPad into a cash register. But the iPad and iPhone aren't all business, as there's fun to be had, too!

  • OmniPresence, the Omni Group's new cloud sync service, hits all the right buttons

    22 May 2013 | 9:00 am
    Syncing is a hot topic these days, with plenty of alternatives and lots of angst over their perceived limitations and shortcomings. If you happen to be a user of the Omni Group’s apps, like OmniGraffle and OmniFocus, you’ll be happy to know that the company is releasing its own sync solution—aptly dubbed OmniPresence—on Wednesday, bringing yet one more option into the fray. Easy and powerful From the user’s point of view, OmniPresence is designed to be simple while still offering a powerful feature set. The core of that is compatibility across both OS X and iOS apps, allowing you to…

  • Hands on: Minbox merges email and the cloud for frictionless file sharing

    22 May 2013 | 7:30 am
    In most of the world, the asymmetric nature of your average Internet connection means that, unless you are lucky enough to be on a corporate network or fiber reaches your house, sending large files to your friends and colleagues is often an exercise that requires a lot of patience. Most of it is spent waiting for files to upload and dealing with complex workflows that tend to take up more time than they're worth. This is where the recently-launched Minbox comes into play. Its developers have set their sights on turning file sharing into as frictionless a workflow as possible, while keeping…

  • Google I/O from an iOS perspective

    22 May 2013 | 7:00 am
    Popular as Apple’s iOS mobile platform is, it doesn’t exist in a vacuum. There’s also Google’s Android—a widely used mobile OS in its own right. Last week, Google held its I/O developers conference in San Francisco. And more than a few announcements coming out of that event should be of interest to iOS device owners—for how it may or may not influence what Apple does with its own mobile platform, if nothing else. I’m joined by senior editor Dan Moren and senior writer Lex Friedman to talk Google I/O. Specifically, we look at where Android is playing catch-up to iOS and where…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    ReadWrite

  • LinkedIn's Facelift Continues With New Navigation Bar

    22 May 2013 | 3:20 pm
    Aligning itself aesthetically more along the lines of social networks like Facebook and Google+, LinkedIn has introduced a new navigation bar to its website. The aim is in line with the company's simplification efforts, which so far have included redesigns of the homepage and profile pages and as an overhaul of its mobile apps and the discovery news page LinkedIn Today.  (Read more: With Pulse, LinkedIn Is Becoming The Newspaper Of The Future) The company released this video that details how users can best use the new navigation addition: 

  • Don't Look Now, But We Might Be In A Developer Drought

    22 May 2013 | 1:53 pm
    Hey, developers! Do you feel like you're in demand? Apparently you should. HubSpot, a Cambridge-based marketing software-as-a-service venture, has started a new initiative to handsomely compensate anyone who can refer a developer friend. “If you do, and we end up hiring them, we’ll thank you with a big, fat check for $30,000,” its Refer A Dev program promises.  HubSpot’s solution may seem like an extreme one, but not if you’ve been looking at the numbers. In 2010, there were 913,000 U.S. jobs for software developers, and that number is expected to grow by 30% from…

  • Twitter Finally Gets Two-Factor Authentication

    22 May 2013 | 12:54 pm
    In a pure case of closing the barn doors after the horses have come home (and so many corporate Twitter accounts have been hacked), Twitter has announced today the option to implement two-factor authentication. If users opt-in, any sign-on from a new computer will require a code texted to their phone.  The feature hasn't been made universally available yet, so keep checking your settings if you want this added security feature. (See Two-Factor Authorization Is Awesome - Until You Lose the Damn Token.)

  • Let's Talk About Why Yahoo Really Bought Tumblr: Native Advertising

    22 May 2013 | 10:01 am
    If we needed an event to wake people up to the power of native advertising, it's surely Yahoo's $1.1-billion purchase of Tumblr. We'll be talking about this a lot at AdNatively, a one-day conference I'm emceeing in New York on Thursday, May 23. So what is native advertising? A quick, simple definition: It's an ad whose form and delivery is identical to the content environment in which it is served. The opposite, in other words, of interruptive advertising: billboards, takeovers, and big banners that take up space on the page but don't otherwise relate. Tumblr's Real Value So why did Yahoo buy…

  • If Google+ Is Good, Why Does Google Force It On Us?

    22 May 2013 | 7:02 am
    Google really, really wants us to like Google+. Google is embedding Google+ into each of its products, making it increasingly difficult to use its services without embracing the Google+ borg, whether you want to or not. Judging by Google+'s still stagnant market share, you generally do not want to use the social service, or whatever it is. When prodded by complaints that Google is forcing Google+ into its disparate products, despite not necesssarily fitting very well, Vic Gundotra, Google's senior vice president over Google+, rejected the criticism at Google I/O: I'm not sure that…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Smashing Magazine Feed

  • 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…

  • A Beginner's Guide: Migrating A Website To WordPress Is Easier Than You Think

    Jonathan Wold
    15 May 2013 | 1:33 am
       Now 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

    Luca Passani
    14 May 2013 | 5:53 am
       Now 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…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    CNN.com - Top Stories

  • When politics gives a second chance

    22 May 2013 | 7:44 pm
    Politics is full of second chances.

  • Source: Man killed by FBI implicates Tamerlan Tsarnaev

    22 May 2013 | 7:35 pm
    Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev took part in a triple homicide outside Boston, a federal law enforcement official told CNN. The source said Chechen Ibragim Todashev also confessed his own role before being killed today in Orlando by the FBI. FULL STORY

  • 'You just want to break down and cry'

    22 May 2013 | 7:33 pm
    The mayor of tornado-ravaged Moore, Oklahoma, will push for a law requiring storm shelters or safe rooms in new homes, he told CNN today. FULL STORY

  • 5 things to know about immigration bill

    22 May 2013 | 7:26 pm
    Advocates for comprehensive immigration reform won their first major legislative victory this week when the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 to approve the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" plan.

  • Man arrested in ricin-letters probe

    22 May 2013 | 7:24 pm
    A 37-year-old man was arrested Wednesday afternoon in Washington state as part of a federal probe into ricin-laced letters found last week in that state, the FBI said.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider

  • 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…

  • Please join me in welcoming our new Photoshop User TV co-host, the awesome Jessica Maldonado (AKA “Photoshop Girl”)

    Scott Kelby
    16 May 2013 | 9:01 pm
    This 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!

    Brad Moore
    15 May 2013 | 9:01 pm
    Free 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…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Digital Photography School

  • 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…

  • Discover the Secrets to These 11 Special Effects Images: New eBook

    Darren Rowse
    22 May 2013 | 9:33 am
    Today we’re launching a new dPS eBook that I suspect is going to give a lot of our readers hours of fun while playing with their digital cameras. It’s called Photo Magic: Special Effects Photography Made Easy – an eBook by Neil Creek. As an Early Bird special you can grab it today at 25% off (just $15 USD). Over the years we’ve published thousands of tutorials here on dPS – many of which are on topics like Portraiture, Landscapes, Macro and Street Photography. However some of our most popular tutorials over the last few years have been when our authors have…

  • Canadian Travelogue – Newfoundland – Cape St. Mary’s

    Dale Wilson
    21 May 2013 | 12:57 pm
    Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve is about a one hour drive south on Highway 100 from the Marine Atlantic ferry terminus of Argentia. The drive to the reserve itself is fascinating and provides many opportunities for images of the rugged maritime coastline, particularly around Ship Cove and Gooseberry Cove. Should your departure point be the international airport at St. John’s, the drive will take about three hours as you travel inland via Salmonier Line, and south across the Avalon Peninsula to St. Bride’s.  Should you want the most scenic drive from St. John’s, take the 350Km…

  • How to Create a Reflection in Photoshop in 6 Easy Steps

    Darlene Hildebrandt
    21 May 2013 | 9:13 am
    Creating a reflection using Photoshop is one of those things that at first glance looks really hard, but really isn’t, once you break down the steps (just light Light Painting which I covered in another two part series). In this article I’m going to demystify creating a reflection, a technique that works particularly well on images with open pavement, and HDR processed images which tend to make the pavement look wet already. We’re going to learn how to go from this . . . To this! In less than 10 minutes! I recently showed one my HDR classes how to do this, and they all…

  • DISCUSS: When you Photograph People in Black and White, you Photograph their Souls

    Darren Rowse
    20 May 2013 | 9:06 am
    Canadian photojournalist – Ted Grant – is quoted as saying: “When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes. But when you photograph people in Black and white, you photograph their souls!” This quote often comes to mind when talking about portraiture and I thought it might make an interesting discussion starter. Do Ted’s words resonate with you? Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips. Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips. DISCUSS: When you Photograph People…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

  • Engadget takes Unikey's iPhone assisted keyless entry for a spin

    John-Michael Bond
    22 May 2013 | 6:00 pm
    We're still a few years away from the self-opening home front door of the Jetsons. But that's okay -- we're making progress. A few weeks ago we told you about Unikey and Kwikset's Kevo, a keyless entry system for your own front door. Now the fine folks at Engadget have had a chance to work with the system hands on, and they seem to be impressed. The system uses the iPhone's Bluetooth LE to connect with the smartlock. Simply walk up to your front door with your phone in your pocket, tap the lock, and turn the knob. Users and security are handled via iPhone and desktop apps that allow you to…

  • Zite update is aimed at Google Reader orphans

    Mel Martin
    22 May 2013 | 5:00 pm
    With Google Reader fading into the sunset in July, more and more users are looking to replace its functionality. Zite for iOS (free) has some solutions that should please many news hounds. The app was originally born out of a desire to replace Google Reader with something that learned your interests and had a more compelling display. In a new release, available today, Zite is trying to go further to embrace what's good in Google Reader and add some bells and whistles. First, Zite has increased the prominence of sources. Those sources now appear in a topic drawer after you mark an article that…

  • OtterBox acquires LifeProof

    Steven Sande
    22 May 2013 | 4:45 pm
    OtterBox, a pioneer in smartphone case technology based in Ft. Collins, Colo., today got a little bit larger. The company acquired LifeProof, a company that builds a line of waterproof cases that provide superior protection without adding a lot of bulk or weight to devices. OtterBox will begin incorporating the LifeProof line into its own line of cases over the next month, and it appears that both companies will retain existing employees for the time being. OtterBox has about 650 employees worldwide, while LifeProof has about 250 in its San Diego office. It will be interesting to watch this…

  • Apple: Google Now violates Siri patents

    John-Michael Bond
    22 May 2013 | 4:30 pm
    We recently asked if Apple's ongoing legal battles with Samsung were worth the effort for the computer giant. As if to answer our question, this week Apple amended their infringement claims with a new motion filed in the second California patent case targeting five patents that the Galaxy S 4 infringes on. But the motion contained a new component; the targeting of Google Now's search app. Foss Patents has a thorough run down of Apple's claims, including the specific five patents Apple says Samsung is in violation of. The main point of contention that the Android Quick Search Box and Google…

  • E-books not growing much in Canada, slightly better in the US

    Mike Schramm
    22 May 2013 | 3:30 pm
    A new study from BookNet Canada notes that the e-book market may be in trouble. Paperback books, says BookNet, made up 58 percent of all purchases last year, with hardcover taking 24 percent. But e-books were only 15 percent of total sales last year, a figure that's down overall from 2012's first quarter, where they made up 17.6 percent. In other words, e-books are selling, but they're hardly taking over the market. Now, those numbers reflect sales in Canada. In the US, e-books make up 22 percent of the market, so the numbers are higher here. But still, given how ubiquitous e-books now are,…
 
  • 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)

  • DxOMark Mobile Report: Samsung Galaxy S4

    22 May 2013 | 3:19 pm
    We just published the DxOMark Mobile Report for Samsung's new flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4 on connect.dpreview.com. DxO's imaging experts have analyzed 14 aspects of mobile imaging including detailed image quality assessment, flash performance, autofocus reliability and more to calculate a final score. This report will be integrated into our full review once it is finished but for now click through to find out how the Samsung Galaxy S4's camera performed in the DxOMark lab tests.

  • Studio scene comparison pages added to Pentax MX-1 preview

    22 May 2013 | 3:14 pm
    We've just added three studio comparison pages to our previously-published preview of the Pentax MX-1. The MX-1 is Pentax's flagship compact camera, and something of a departure for the manufacturer, offering a fast F1.8-2.5 zoom lens, full manual control and a high-class, metal body, to compete with more established peers like Panasonic's LX7. Click through to go to the new pages in our preview, and see for yourself how the MX-1 compares to its rivals.  

  • Flickr: Yahoo CEO sorry for 'no such thing as pro photographers' comment, Pro accounts live on

    22 May 2013 | 12:46 pm
    Much of the fallout surrounding Flickr's massive updates this Monday continues to center around the legacy 'Pro' accounts and a contentious statement from Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer: 'There’s no such thing as Flickr Pro today because [...] there’s really no such thing as professional photographers anymore.' She apologized today for her 'misstatement', and it appears that existing Flickr Pro account holders will still be able to take advantage of unlimited storage. Read all about it at connect.dpreview.com.

  • Gifty concept camera produces instant flipbooks

    22 May 2013 | 11:41 am
    Animated flipbooks have been around for nearly 145 years. With just a little thumb action, these books allowed you to view a few seconds worth of animation. Now, a new concept camera known as the Gifty allows you to record video and print a flipbook instantly. The only problem: you can't buy one yet. 

  • GIF creator receives honor, still chafes at mispronunciation

    22 May 2013 | 10:56 am
    If you've ever wondered who to thank (or blame) for those 8-bit animated graphics that remain prelevant even on today's high-bandwidth Internet, Steve Wilhite is your man. He was honored for that achievement at this year's Webby Awards and took the opportunity to once again remind us how 'GIF' should be pronounced. (via New York Times)
  • 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

  • Microsoft Releases Windows 8 Tablet Ad Highlighting iPad's Flaws, High Price

    Juli Clover
    22 May 2013 | 5:42 pm
    As noted by The Verge, Microsoft has released a new Windows 8 tablet ad that uses Siri to highlight a few of the iPad's shortcomings, depicting the ASUS VivoTab Smart tablet as a robust productivity machine while implying that the iPad is more suited to entertainment. In the ad, which is entitled "Less Talking, More Doing," an iPad is depicted next to the aforementioned VivoTab Smart, showing off the system’s multitasking capabilities and its built-in office apps. A Siri voiceover notes that the iPad does not support multiple windows at once and does not offer Microsoft Office apps. "I'm…

  • Clear Updated with List Emailing Functionality, iPad Version Coming Soon

    Juli Clover
    22 May 2013 | 3:21 pm
    Realmac's gesture-based list making iPhone app Clear has been updated to version 1.2.2, adding a feature that allows users to email their lists to other people. When viewing a list, Clear users can shake their phones to bring up the new emailing option. Emails sent from Clear contain the app's lists plus a link that provides the option to open the sent lists within the app. The Clear update also provides additional secret themes and comes with an announcement that an iPad version of the app is currently in the works.One of the biggest feature requests we've had has been the ability email…

  • Casemaker OtterBox Acquiring LifeProof

    Jordan Golson
    22 May 2013 | 2:24 pm
    In an event today at the CTIA conference, case maker OtterBox announced it was acquiring waterproof case maker LifeProof. OtterBox will keep LifeProof's San Diego location and employees will remain in their current locations. OtterBox global headquarters remain in Fort Collins, Colorado. The companies are not disclosing any terms for the transaction. Much like OtterBox, LifeProof is a rapidly growing, multi-million dollar business with a strong global brand, comprehensive product offering, impressive intellectual property and thriving company culture. Over the next 30 days, OtterBox will…

  • Voice Search Coming Soon to Chrome for iOS

    Juli Clover
    22 May 2013 | 12:59 pm
    Google has announced plans to roll out an update to the iOS version of Chrome that will enable voice searching. The feature will function similarly to Siri on the iPhone, requiring a tap on the microphone to bring up the interactive search interface. Touch the microphone, say your search query aloud and see your results (in some cases spoken back to you), all without typing a single letter. Try these queries with the update (coming soon to the App Store): - "How many miles from San Antonio to Dallas?" - "What's the weather in Rome?" - "Who stars in The Internship?"Google currently includes…

  • FiftyThree Gives Behind-The-Scenes Look at Developing Paper's Zoom Feature

    Jordan Golson
    22 May 2013 | 11:01 am
    FiftyThree, the developer behind the popular sketching app Paper, has posted a lengthy article examining the new Zoom feature that was added to Paper earlier this month. Zoom is one of those UI controls, like the color picker, that has grown so familiar as to become almost invisible. Designers drag and drop it out of a mental library of stock functionality, and the most pressing consideration is whether to use a magnifying glass or a +/- button for the icon. "Pinch to zoom" reinvented zoom for touch devices, and Apple made the gesture ubiquitous by including it in iOS. "Pinch to zoom" is now…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    CNN Travel

  • Beijing hotels: 9 fantastic new places to crash

    karlac1
    22 May 2013 | 3:00 pm
    Five years after the 2008 Olympics construction boom, new Beijing hotels keep right on comingLeading up to the 2008 Olympics, Beijing went on a hotel building frenzy. Unlike in other Olympic cities, however, long after the medal winners moved on the tourists kept coming. The newest hotels to hit China's capital are seen as ambassadors of the new Beijing. The nine properties listed below have each launched in the last 18 months. Rates are based on a stay in August -- the fifth anniversary of the Olympics' opening ceremony -- and are the lowest offered by the each hotel, based on double…

  • The man bringing cheese to Beijing

    karlac1
    21 May 2013 | 7:00 pm
    Proving you don't have to be in France for great artisanal cheese, Liu Yang is teaching the Chinese to appreciate dairyMany locals experience a shock the first time they visit Liu Yang’s shop: they’ve never seen something quite like this before. Some just pass by, merely peeking in the windows of his tiny, two room workshop.  “I think some people before they come by prepare themselves psychologically,” says Yang. “Maybe they’ll come back, maybe they won’t. We won’t get disappointed because of this. Most Chinese people are not used to cheese culture.” "Most Chinese…

  • Beijing shopping: The city's top 12 boutiques

    karlac1
    20 May 2013 | 3:00 pm
    The rise of China's homegrown design talent has spawned some of the coolest little shops in Asia Gone are the days when Beijing shopping meant traditional qipao garb and Louis Vuitton knockoffs. China's capital is now home to some of the most in-demand shops in the world, from European fast-fashion behemoths to Japanese couture houses. But the real draw is the sudden emergence of homegrown talents, whose designs reflect a burgeoning aesthetic unique to China. For the Beijing visitor operating with limited shopping time, here are the city’s must-see boutiques. iReport assignment: What…

  • Think your flip-flops have been through hell? Try a pair of Gandys

    Guessy1
    19 May 2013 | 11:00 pm
    Created by orphans of the 2004 Asian tsunami, Gandys flip-flops aim to do more than sit around on the beachIf there’s a single iconic travel fashion accessory, it’s flip-flops. The universal footwear is worn the world over by backpackers, package tourists, beach bums and wealthy vacationers alike. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry. For British brothers Rob and Paul Forkan, flip-flops also represent a memory, a legacy, a way of life and the avenue toward a dream of establishing a successful business, as well as a network of orphanages. In 2012, the entrepreneurial pair launched…

  • 10 Tumblr sites that make travel more interesting

    jdurston01
    19 May 2013 | 7:45 pm
    Tumblr isn't as big as Twitter, but some are using it to make some great travel blogsReports this weekend from AllThingsD point to Tumblr being acquired by Yahoo for nearly $1.1 billion. Although popular, Tumblr has yet to become a necessary part of any brand’s content strategy, the way way Pinterest or Twitter have. But that doesn’t mean people aren’t doing interesting things on the platform. We looked at sites that are adding something new to the Web or, if they’re curating something else they found, at least adding their own distinctive twist. It’s often used by bloggers…
Log in