If you’ve never heard that noise before, you’re bound to hear it someday: that amazing, dull crunch as your Mac slips out of your hands or off a desk and makes a date with the ground at 9.8 meters per second squared, gravity having played the role of a yenta-like matchmaker bringing together your computer and an admirably dense surface. The crunch registers in your brain, and you have a sudden mental image of the universe collapsing. julianbl/neowin.netA MacBook Pro that fell out of a motorcyclist's backpack. Here’s how to make the best of a terrible situation, get as much of your data…
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Most Topular Stories
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Advice from an Apple Tech: When your Mac takes a fall
Macworld21 May 2013 | 3:30 am -
IVF breakthrough could triple chances of success [video]
Holy Kaw!21 May 2013 | 6:13 pmThose who struggle with fertility issues are all too familiar with the emotional highs and lows that come with trying every trick in the book, yet an article recently published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online reports that a new technique using timelapse images of the developing embryos could help determine which were most likely to result in the [...] -
MLB Pitcher Quits Twitter After Ugly Messages From Fans
Mashable21 May 2013 | 5:40 pmCleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez was once among the team's most open and engaging players online. The closer would respond to fans, and became known for sharing a "song of the day" with followers But all that is no more. Perez shuttered his Twitter account after incurring the digital wrath of fans who were upset over his recent struggles on the mound. In a somewhat surprising move, the Indians even released a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying that Perez had, in fact, shut down his account Many Cleveland sports fans piled on Perez after he gave up back-to-back homers to blow a save… -
Experimental Lighting That Balances Like a See-Saw
Fast Company21 May 2013 | 2:30 pmFort Standard’s debut lighting series put some experiments with physics to good use. It’s either the most grown up hanging mobile, or the most secretly playful piece of high end design. The Counterweight Mobile light mixes polished white oak with brass, tone, and kiln-formed glass diffusers--all of which simply hang from a thread-like cord and sway in midair, once in place. Just think of a see-saw, Gregory Buntain, one half of the Fort Standard design duo, tells Co.Design. “If the hanging point--or ‘fulcrum’--was even half of an inch in either direction, the… -
Basho Co-Founder Raises $3M To Launch Orchestrate.io, A Twilio For Databases
TechCrunch21 May 2013 | 5:45 pmBasho Co-Founder Antony Falco has raised $3 million for Orchestrate.io, a database API similar to Twilio in its capability to ease the complexity of adding features to mobile and web applications. True Ventures led this initial round joined by Frontline Ventures and Resonant Venture Partners. Falco, who left Basho a few months ago, said Orchestrate.io solves the problems that developers face when building feature-rich applications. Often it means adding multiple databases for geo-spatial, time series or any number of other features. The database problem has been ongoing. It in part stems from…
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Holy Kaw!
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IVF breakthrough could triple chances of success [video]
21 May 2013 | 6:13 pmThose who struggle with fertility issues are all too familiar with the emotional highs and lows that come with trying every trick in the book, yet an article recently published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online reports that a new technique using timelapse images of the developing embryos could help determine which were most likely to result in the [...] -
A taste of the robotic bartender [video]
21 May 2013 | 6:01 pmWe always thought the bartender was half the bar experience, but it looks like they’d better watch their backs now that the Makr Shakr has made its debut. These three industrial robots are the brainchild of MIT SENSEable City Laboratory and Italian architecture studio Carlo Ratti Associati and allow patrons to order customized cocktails via app, yet we doubt [...] -
How much major internet companies care about your privacy [chart]
21 May 2013 | 1:43 pmNot a day seems to pass when online privacy issues make headlines, so the Electronic Frontier Foundation decided to read the fine print for you and evaluate the Internet’s heavy hitters on how seriously they take keeping your personal information private. Each company was evaluated on six criteria that are explained in more depth at [...] -
It’s wrong to steal other people’s content
21 May 2013 | 1:05 pmThis week was one of those week’s that people had a lot of content lifted. Erika Napoletano had two instances this week that were serious and she talks about one of them on this article If You’re Going to Rip Me Off, at Least Be Creative About it. The nutshell version is that Erika has [...] -
Hear a heartbeat in space with this stethoscope
21 May 2013 | 12:25 pmA new electronic stethoscope designed for NASA could deliver accurate heart and body sounds to medics assessing astronaut health in a noisy spacecraft. Space itself is silent; the lack of air prevents sound transmission. But inside the average spacecraft, with its whirring fans, humming computers, and buzzing instruments, it’s about as raucous as a party [...]
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Mashable
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MLB Pitcher Quits Twitter After Ugly Messages From Fans
21 May 2013 | 5:40 pmCleveland Indians pitcher Chris Perez was once among the team's most open and engaging players online. The closer would respond to fans, and became known for sharing a "song of the day" with followers But all that is no more. Perez shuttered his Twitter account after incurring the digital wrath of fans who were upset over his recent struggles on the mound. In a somewhat surprising move, the Indians even released a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying that Perez had, in fact, shut down his account Many Cleveland sports fans piled on Perez after he gave up back-to-back homers to blow a save… -
Why 'Dots' Is the Most Scarily Addictive Social Game Yet
21 May 2013 | 5:01 pmAbout 12 years ago, I happened to take my Palm Pilot (remember those?) to a friend's house. A friend of a friend asked if she could borrow it. Sure, I said. She proceeded to download a game called Bubblet, then curled up on the couch with it for the next hour My curiosity was piqued, and soon I, too, was a Bubblet junkie. It was a simple game — you got a screen full of bubbles and double-tapped to pop connected ones of the same color. Once those popped, the others fell down, Tetris-like, to create new strings of bubbles You could tap away like a maniac at small strings, but eventually… -
Nutella Sends Cease-and-Desist Letter to Its Biggest Fan
21 May 2013 | 4:28 pmNutella, the chocolate hazelnut spread brand, has soured many of its social media fans by cracking down on a superfan who has helped spread the word in social media for more than seven years. Ferrero SpA, the Italian owner of Nutella, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sara Rosso, the creator of the 7-year-old World Nutella Day. On Ferrero's orders, Rosso is pulling the plug on the holiday, which had been celebrated on Feb. 5. "The cease-and-desist letter was a bit of a surprise and a disappointment, as over the years I’ve had contact and positive experiences with several employees… -
New GPS-Powered Handlebars Send Texts to Your Bike
21 May 2013 | 3:52 pmFor cyclists looking to pimp their bikes with smartphone integration, look no further — new stylish technology from startup Helios makes your bike "smart." Helios Bars boast an integrated headlight and two rear LEDs, and riders can use the left and right lights as turn signals. But what sets the product apart is the ability to connect handlebars to a smartphone via Bluetooth 4.0. Using smartphone connectivity though Helios' iOS app, the rear lights on the handlebars take advantage of a GPS connection — so they can help you navigate via Google Maps' API. After inputting a… -
Did Microsoft Just Kick Apple Out of the Living Room?
21 May 2013 | 3:23 pmIf you want to see what the Apple TV will look like, I hope you were tuned to Spike at about 1 p.m. Eastern today, because we got a pretty solid picture of the rumored device: a powerful all-in-one entertainment hub with a hands-free interface that smartly integrates live TV with a wealth of streaming and downloadable media. I'm speaking, of course, of the Xbox One, Microsoft's freshly unveiled new game console. Except it's so much more than a game console. The Xbox One is intended to be the command center for any and all media you experience through a TV screen. Sure, the Xbox 360 already…
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Fast Company
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Experimental Lighting That Balances Like a See-Saw
21 May 2013 | 2:30 pmFort Standard’s debut lighting series put some experiments with physics to good use. It’s either the most grown up hanging mobile, or the most secretly playful piece of high end design. The Counterweight Mobile light mixes polished white oak with brass, tone, and kiln-formed glass diffusers--all of which simply hang from a thread-like cord and sway in midair, once in place. Just think of a see-saw, Gregory Buntain, one half of the Fort Standard design duo, tells Co.Design. “If the hanging point--or ‘fulcrum’--was even half of an inch in either direction, the… -
We May All Be Driving Electric Cars In The Future, But That Future Is Really Far Away
21 May 2013 | 2:00 pmTesla’s success might be in the news, but it’s just a drop in the bucket of EV adoption. There is a long way to go, and many hurdles, before EVs are the preferred method of getting around. Electrified transport is key to a lower carbon future. According to the International Energy Agency, three-quarters of new cars need to be EVs by 2050, if we’re to stay within "safe" global warming limits (generally said to be 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels). To give you an idea of how many sedans that is--it’s a lot. The IEA’s goal is 5.9 million new EVs a year… -
Prepare Yourself For A Revolution In Cured Meats
21 May 2013 | 12:00 pmThe U.S. government is loosening restrictions that have kept various Italian delectables out of our country for decades. How long will it take for them to reach our shores? While the rest of Washington has been brought to a standstill by scandals and partisan gridlock, there’s one issue our nations leaders are making real progress on: cured meats. NPR reports that at the end of May, the USDA will lift its 40-year ban on the import of Italian salumi from areas that were once restricted due to the presence of swine vesicular disease, including some of the country’s most famous… -
A Photog Unearths The Differences Among Like Objects
21 May 2013 | 12:00 pmOrdinary objects take on a new language in Diana Zlatanovski’s Typology series of photographs. You may have collected coins, stamps, or baseball cards as a kid. If you’re Jay Leno, you’re fortunate enough to collect cars. If you’re Angelina Jolie, you hanker after Renaissance knives (at least during the Billy Bob era). Part of the thrill of tracking down trinkets are the stories behind them. Those stories are the focus of anthropologist and photographer Diana Zlatanovski’s body of work. “Objects are wrapped in stories and meaning,” she tells… -
This Pouch Ensures You Pay Attention To Your Date, Not Your Phone
21 May 2013 | 12:00 pmBlokket blocks cell signals and keeps your phone screen hidden from view. Forget body language--the most effective, ultra-modern way to show someone that you’re into them, you respect them, or you genuinely enjoy their company is to keep your darn hands off your darn phone when you’re hanging out. Period. There’s always a little sinking feeling when you’re sitting across from someone who, mid-sentence, feels the need to fidget: To fact-check how tall Channing Tatum is in real life (Google sez 6’1”); to see if your buddy wants to get ice cream and a beer…
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TechCrunch
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Basho Co-Founder Raises $3M To Launch Orchestrate.io, A Twilio For Databases
21 May 2013 | 5:45 pmBasho Co-Founder Antony Falco has raised $3 million for Orchestrate.io, a database API similar to Twilio in its capability to ease the complexity of adding features to mobile and web applications. True Ventures led this initial round joined by Frontline Ventures and Resonant Venture Partners. Falco, who left Basho a few months ago, said Orchestrate.io solves the problems that developers face when building feature-rich applications. Often it means adding multiple databases for geo-spatial, time series or any number of other features. The database problem has been ongoing. It in part stems from… -
The Former Flickr Employee Guide To Tumblr Yahoo Survival
21 May 2013 | 5:27 pmEditor’s note: Kakul Srivastava is CEO and co-founder of Tomfoolery, Inc. She was General Manager for Flickr from 2004 – 2009 and helped the product grow from 37,000 users to over 60 million. Simon Batistoni is VP of Platform and co-founder of Tomfoolery, Inc. He joined Flickr in 2006 as the engineering lead for internationalization. People can’t help but look at the Tumblr acquisition through a lens colored by the many examples of large, public (and often screwed-up) tech acquisitions by Yahoo and others — Marissa even refers to it in her blog post announcing the… -
OK Go's Damian Kulash Explains Why His Band Built Its Own Mobile Game
21 May 2013 | 4:42 pmOK Go (the band behind hit music videos like “This Too Shall Pass” and “Here It Goes Again”) launched its very own game for iOS and Android earlier this month. You can play the game, titled Say The Same Thing, with one of your friends or with a randomly chosen player. (If you sign up now, you can also participate in a temporary promotion where people are randomly selected to play with a band member.) Each player types in a word, then you see what the other player said, and you use that as prompt for another word. As the game’s title implies, you win when each of… -
Producteev's Social Task Manager Now Free And Enterprise-Ready As It Preps For Full Jive Integration Later This Year
21 May 2013 | 3:28 pmIn November, Jive Software acquired Bay Area cloud-based, collaborative task manager, Producteev, to boost its social business platform. Going forward, as Alex wrote at the time, Salesforce.com and Jive will increasingly butt heads as they compete for mindshare in the enterprise. With Producteev’s multi-platform task-management system, which allows users to create tasks from emails and collaborate around projects in teams, Jive acquired a service that was already beginning to compete with Asana and Salesforce.com’s Do.com. Producteev has been quiet since the acquisition, but that… -
New Xbox Fails To Excite Investors As Microsoft, AMD Stocks Stays Flat While Sony Shoots Up 9%
21 May 2013 | 3:15 pmWall Street apparently wanted something more revolutionary out of the Xbox One that launched today, as Microsoft’s stock is down 0.66 percent. In turn, investors on news of a potential spin off, pushed Sony shares up 9 percent, coincidentally just after Microsoft announced its answer to the Sony Playstation. Microsoft’s debut of the Xbox One today touted features including live TV, Skype group video chat, split-screen multi-tasking, voice command, social recommendations, a more sensitive Kinect, and stronger hardware for next-generation graphics. A deep partnership with…
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Seth's Blog
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Levels of marketing magic, the placebo effects of desire
21 May 2013 | 2:45 amANTICIPATION: 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
20 May 2013 | 8:33 amMitch 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
20 May 2013 | 2:00 amAt 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
19 May 2013 | 2:36 amThe 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. -
It's Thomas Midgley day
18 May 2013 | 2:00 amToday would be his 124th birthday. A fine occasion to think about the effects of industrialization, and what happens when short-term profit-taking meets marketing. Midgley is responsible for millions of deaths. Not directly, of course, but by, "just doing his job," and then pushing hard to market ideas he knew weren't true—so he and his bosses could turn a profit. His first mistake began when he figured out that adding lead to gasoline appeared to make cars perform better. At the time, two things were widely known by chemists: 1. Adding grain alcohol to gasoline dramatically increases…
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NYT > Home Page
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Manchester City and Yankees to Own M.L.S. Club in New York
21 May 2013 | 5:46 pmManchester City and the Yankees teamed up to buy the New York City Football Club, a new Major League Soccer team that is expected to begin competing in 2015, but it has no home to move into. -
Iran Bars Mashaei and Rafsanjani as Candidates
21 May 2013 | 5:32 pmA vetting panel rejected Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, an ally of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. -
Panel in Senate Sends Immigration Bill to the Floor
21 May 2013 | 5:26 pmIn a bipartisan vote of 13 to 5, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a broad overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, setting up a fight expected to last through June. -
DealBook: Dimon Prevails in Key JPMorgan Vote, Retaining 2 Top Jobs
21 May 2013 | 5:18 pmJamie Dimon held on to his title of chairman after JPMorgan’s shareholders defeated a proposal to split the chairman and chief executive roles. -
San Francisco and Houston Win Super Bowl Bids
21 May 2013 | 5:08 pmSan Francisco/Santa Clara and Houston will host the 50th and 51st Super Bowls, beating Miami, an indication the N.F.L. is dissatisfied with the state of the Dolphins’ stadium.
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Wired Top Stories
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Congress Smashes Pentagon's New Den of Spies
21 May 2013 | 4:29 pmIf the Pentagon's not careful, it's going to find its new network of spies rolled up by Congress. -
Pump Up the Jams With NuForce's Mobile Music Pump
21 May 2013 | 2:17 pmIf you're looking to maximize the volume of the tunes streaming from your mobile device, regular earbuds or over-ear headphones just won't cut it. What you need is a headphone amplifier like, say, NuForce's new Mobile Music Pump. -
After Apple's Tax Grilling, It's Time for Tech to Shape Up
21 May 2013 | 2:10 pmApple's senate testimony on tax avoidance shows that tech companies are being held to a higher standard. They have only themselves to blame. -
Steven Spielberg Working on Live-Action Halo Series for Xbox
21 May 2013 | 2:02 pmDuring today's unveiling of the new Xbox One, Microsoft announced that legendary director Steven Spielberg would be working on a new live-action Halo show. -
Why Star Trek Made San Francisco the Center of Its Futuristic Utopia
21 May 2013 | 1:57 pmSan Francisco serves, in Star Trek?s fictional universe, as the site of Starfleet Command ? the headquarters of the good guys ? and despite all the time they spend boldly going where no one has gone before, the Enterprise and its sister ships make it back home surprisingly often.
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@ProBlogger
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7 Steps to Proofreading Like a Pro
21 May 2013 | 9:37 amThis 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?
20 May 2013 | 8:21 amLast 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
19 May 2013 | 7:56 pmNext 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
17 May 2013 | 8:22 amThis is a guest contribution by Asher Elran of Dynamic Search. I thought emails were a waste of time and that they are ignored, but then I learned how to do it right and watched the numbers flip. After you published a great post and pushed it through your social network, the third step is to leverage your email list too. This is where the auto-responders can help you gain new subscribers while you’re busy writing your next blog post. The majority of email marketing services are the same. I prefer Constant Contact or Mobilizemail’s new email feature. Following the steps below… -
How Much Content Should I Have Ready to Go When I Launch a Blog?
16 May 2013 | 8:23 amI recently had the opportunity to sit with a small group of Pre-Bloggers – people about to start their first blogs. One of the questions I was about how much content should be written before launching a new blog. My answer came in two parts: The Ideal Scenario What I actually have done The reality is that what I ‘preach’ isn’t always what I ‘do’ – so let me tell you about both! Note: we give a lot of teaching and some great exercises on this topic in ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging. The Ideal Scenario OK – here’s…
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Entrepreneur
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SBA Secures Pledge from Banks to Lend More to Veteran Entrepreneurs
21 May 2013 | 12:27 pmThe government's small-business agency announces a pledge to support approximately 2,000 additional businesses. -
3 Leadership Lessons From Tumblr's David Karp
21 May 2013 | 12:25 pmLearn how the 26-year-old founder navigated the challenges of growing the business in the early days. -
The Key to Building a Strong Online Reputation (Infographic)
21 May 2013 | 11:00 amManaging your company's digital brand is an important part of your success. Here is a detailed look at the right -- and wrong -- way to do it. -
Why 'You' May Be Standing in the Way of Your Company's Success
21 May 2013 | 10:00 amIn business, as in life, your preconceived notions can wreck your future potential. To stamp them out, consider an attitude adjustment. -
5 Reasons a Young Entrepreneur Should Raise Outside Funding
21 May 2013 | 9:30 amInvestor Peter S. Cohan gives us the lowdown about scenarios when a young entrepreneur should turn to investors for funds.
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Lifehacker
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The Basics of Music Production, Lesson 2: Recording Audio
21 May 2013 | 5:00 pmYou can have a lot of fun making music, but getting a good recording and arrangement of your song requires some work and knowledge. Last week we set up a home recording studio. This week we're going to start recording.Read more... -
CustoMac May Buyer's Guide Saves Money on Hackintosh-Compatible Builds
21 May 2013 | 4:00 pmWe love hackintoshes—the OS X-compatible computers you build yourself—but finding a compatible build requires some effort. Hackintosh master tonymacx86 offers up the latest working builds so you know the machine you'll build will work.Read more... -
Do you find the Windows Library feature terrible or useful?
21 May 2013 | 3:00 pmGreat 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... -
Know How Best Buy and Target's Online Price Match Works Before You Buy
21 May 2013 | 2:30 pmBack in March, Best Buy and Target upped their game and decided to start matching the prices from online retailers such as Amazon. That's a pretty sweet deal overall, you should know about the caveats before you rush to your local store in hopes of a deal.Read more... -
Gawker Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Faggot: Inside Marine Corps Boot Camp | Lifehacker How Can I Set Up My
21 May 2013 | 2:16 pmGawker Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Faggot: Inside Marine Corps Boot Camp | Lifehacker How Can I Set Up My Parents' Computer To Avoid Future Problems? | Gizmodo Xbox One: Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft's New Console | io9 A Close-up Look at the Star Trek Easter Egg You Might Have MissedRead more...
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors
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Excerpts of Apple Executives' Senate Committee Testimony on Tax Policy
21 May 2013 | 12:29 pmThree 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… -
Apple to Expand Social Network Integration in iOS 7 with Support for Flickr and Vimeo
21 May 2013 | 11:53 amApple has been making efforts to offer deep social network integration in its mobile operating system, first offering Twitter integration in iOS 5 and then Facebook integration in iOS 6. According to 9to5Mac, Apple will expand its social network integration even further with iOS 7, including support for both photo sharing site Flickr and video sharing site Vimeo. As with Facebook and Twitter integration, Vimeo and Flickr integration will allow users to be able to sign in to the social networks in the Settings menu. Those one-time sign-in credentials will be usable across iOS, providing… -
Microsoft Unveils Xbox One, an All-In-One Entertainment System with Revamped Kinect and Fully Integrated SmartGlass
21 May 2013 | 11:11 amMicrosoft today released details on its next generation console at an event hosted at its Redmond campus in Washington. Called the Xbox One, the new console is designed to be the ultimate all-in-one home entertainment system with a heavy focus on both gaming and interactive television watching. The Xbox One recognizes individual users and presents a customized home screen filled with content like TV and movies, games, and music, along with a new Trending section that displays friend activity and a live TV system. Xbox One utilizes voice commands, motion control via the Kinect, and a new… -
Apple Still Tops in Cellphone Customer Satisfaction, but Losing Ground to Samsung and Others
21 May 2013 | 9:42 amThe American Customer Satisfaction Index (ASCI) has today released its annual rankings of customer satisfaction for mobile phones in the United States. While Apple had the highest customer satisfaction index score for the second year in a row, its score has fallen slightly while competitors like Motorola Mobility, Nokia, and Samsung have all gained in score. Apple is still at the top of the list when it comes to smartphone satisfaction, but this year's ranking of 81 (out of 100) is two percent below its 2012 ranking of 83. Motorola phones came in second after Apple, hitting a ranking of 77… -
Photos of Likely 802.11ac 'Gigabit Wi-Fi' Card From Next-Generation iMac Surface
21 May 2013 | 8:10 amTonymacx86 points (via 9to5Mac) to recently discovered photos of a Broadcom BCM94360CD Wi-Fi/Bluetooth card that supports the 802.11ac "Gigabit Wi-Fi" standard rumored to be coming to Apple's Mac lineup later this year. While the photos were posted to Chinese site VR-Zone in early March, they are only just now being noticed by those following Apple rumors. While the reports suggest that the new card is intended for the next-generation MacBook Pro or MacBook Air models rumored for launch at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), a commenter on the Tonymacx86 discussion thread…
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chrisbrogan.com
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Be Open to Inspiration
10 May 2013 | 8:41 amI’ve been in a bit of a fog the last week or so. Nothing worth talking about, really. Depression stuff. But then it lifted. What’s interesting to me is how I found my footing and how I got back on track, and so there are two items I want to share with you from this: the actual learning, and more importantly, the realization of what got me there. Be Open to Inspiration Humans have this way they deal with too much information. They discard tons of inputs and keep what they feel is important. This is necessary, by the way. Can you imagine how busy your brain would be if you thought… -
Do Local Businesses Deserve Your Money?
7 May 2013 | 1:38 pmI sat at the counter at my local restaurant the other day and waited for over 7 minutes without anyone bothering to acknowledge that I was there. And then I walked out. And so did my money. For good. In fact, I drove to McDonalds, got some scrambled eggs and an iced coffee, and was in and out of the system within the same 7 minutes. (You can save your comments with disdain for McDonalds. If you’re a parent, you go there, unless you don’t. Either way. It’s not the point.) Now, before you try to defend this other place, no, it wasn’t busy. Yes, at least two employees had seen me, and… -
Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools?
30 Apr 2013 | 4:21 pmWhy should you bother using tools like Vine and Instagram, and the like? That question was asked to me by Pam Vitaz, and she asked it somewhat in this context (my words not hers): Vine’s interesting, but you basically just shot a funny video. Why do that? Here’s the video she meant: Can’t see the video? Click Here. Can’t hear sound? Hover over it and click the little sound thingy. On the surface, it’s the kind of question you can answer with “why not?” But that’s not good enough. Why Use These Outlier Social Media Tools? First, it’s your… -
Can You Work at Being Fearless?
29 Apr 2013 | 7:03 amFear is at the heart of most of our worst choices. I read this facebook post by James Altucher and it really punched me in the stomach. But that’s just one punch in a series, because every time I question how I ended up somewhere, the real answer (underneath all the bull answers) is fear. It’s why most stupid things happen, why all bad things happen (when humans are involved), and is even worse than you think. I’m afraid of a weird collection of things. I’m afraid of sharks (ever since seeing Jaws at a very young age – because I pestered my parents tirelessly til… -
Sponsored Post – Mobile Productivity and the Future
24 Apr 2013 | 4:53 amCan you be productive while on the road? I say yes. In fact, I’m writing this from a hotel room before heading off to a meeting with a client. The following is sponsored by Cloud Powered Work, which is a project with IDG, LinkedIn, and Microsoft’s Office365. Everything in this post is mine, and my opinions are my own. I just produced an episode of my radio show from my hotel room, because I realized that an episode was due and I hadn’t done the work before I took off for the day. Last night, while I waited for my slightly delayed airplane, I cracked open SkyDrive pulled down…
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Copyblogger
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5 Things Every Copywriter Needs to Know About Their Prospects
21 May 2013 | 4:00 amWhat 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
20 May 2013 | 5:00 amCan’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
18 May 2013 | 5:00 amThis week on The Lede … How A Copywriter Evaluates A Great Website The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination The Daily Rituals of the World’s Most Creative People 4 Things That Lead to Success (or Failure) with Email Signup Forms How to Do More By Planning Less: The Power of the Anti-Plan Want to grab even more useful links (beyond those that make The Lede)? Follow @copyblogger on Twitter. // The Unexpected Antidote to Procrastination Procrastination: that merciless thief of our time, creative output, and potential reward. Mr. Bergman delivers a unique — but convincing… -
How to Become a Content Marketing Expert
17 May 2013 | 9:00 amYou hear everyone talking about online content marketing, because with today’s Internet-empowered prospect, content marketing is what works. And yet, you may be struggling with creating content that works for your business or your clients. Or maybe you’re just trying to take your game to the next level. There’s a lot to learn, and even then you’re left asking potentially expensive and time-consuming questions: How do I apply this particular strategy for my business? Is this a solid idea, and how should I execute it? Has anyone taken this approach before, and what were the… -
Why We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared
17 May 2013 | 8:00 amWriting is scary. Sometimes when we publish something, it makes us feel like our insides are hanging out, for all the world to see. We feel vulnerable. We feel naked. We feel … terrified. But here’s the thing — we have to keep writing, in spite of the fear. If we let fear stop us, our content will have no spark, no life. And everything we write will be completely unremarkable. Right now, I’m working on a blog post (on a different topic) that scares the living heck out of me. I am afraid of the strong opinions and passion that are rising from some long-buried place inside me.
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Macworld
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Remains of the Day: Death and taxes
21 May 2013 | 4:30 pmApple’s executives speak before congress, Ireland doesn’t think it has a taxation problem, and iOS 7 looks to share and share alike. The remainders for Tuesday, May 21, 2013 are certain. Tim Cook’s Opening Statement Before The Permanent Subcommittee On Investigations (Apple) In case you missed Tuesday’s riveting Senate subcommittee action, you can now read the opening remarks from CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer on Apple’s site. But that does mean you’ll miss out on the full effect of the Tim Cook appearing before the body in a purple velour track suit. Ireland says not to… -
Apple defends offshore decisions that result in low taxes
21 May 2013 | 2:48 pmApple pays a fair share of the taxes it owes the U.S. and other nations, its CEO said Tuesday, despite criticism from U.S. senators that the company is ducking taxes by shifting profits to subsidiaries that the company does not consider tax residents of any nation. Apple CEO Tim Cook defended the company Tuesday before a Senate subcommittee, saying that Apple uses no “tax gimmicks” in assigning about two-thirds of its worldwide profits to three subsidiaries in Ireland, where the company has negotiated a corporate income tax rate of less than 2 percent. In reality, Apple has paid a far… -
Advice from an Apple Tech: When your Mac takes a fall
21 May 2013 | 3:30 amIf you’ve never heard that noise before, you’re bound to hear it someday: that amazing, dull crunch as your Mac slips out of your hands or off a desk and makes a date with the ground at 9.8 meters per second squared, gravity having played the role of a yenta-like matchmaker bringing together your computer and an admirably dense surface. The crunch registers in your brain, and you have a sudden mental image of the universe collapsing. julianbl/neowin.netA MacBook Pro that fell out of a motorcyclist's backpack. Here’s how to make the best of a terrible situation, get as much of your data… -
The Macalope: Loose talk
21 May 2013 | 12:00 amIf you were wondering if ReadWrite had cleaned up its act since Dan Lyons left, fret not: Its Apple coverage is still as vapidly negative as it’s ever been. Derek Brown muses: “The Epic Battle Between Apple & Google Is All But Over—Who Won?” (No link is provided, but tip o’ the antlers again to the Jony Ive parody account on Twitter.) Turns out, it’s not Apple. Surprise! Oh, you Apple zealots may respond with any number of “facts” pointing out that Apple’s doing quite well, thank you very much. But Brown has a retort that will leave you withering in the iron grip of his… -
Remains of the Day: Face the music
20 May 2013 | 4:30 pmSony and Apple are at loggerheads over streaming music, AT&T gets ready to open the floodgates on video chat over its network, and the head of Turkey drops in on Silicon Valley. The remainders for Monday, May 20, 2013 are up a stream without a paddle. One issue holding up Apple iRadio: The economics of skipping songs (CNet) If you were expecting Apple’s rumored music streaming service to roll out at next month’s WWDC, you might be disappointed. CNet reports that Sony Music is at odds with Cupertino over what Apple will pay for songs that users skip or rate poorly. Here’s a tip,…
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ReadWrite
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Xbox One Photo Gallery: A Close-Up Look At Microsoft's Shiny, Shiny Future Of Gaming
21 May 2013 | 4:53 pmToday in Redmond, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, its vision for the future of home entertainment. The Xbox One will expand Microsoft's Xbox agenda well beyond gaming, blurring the boundaries of gaming and interactive TV further than ever. Let's take a look. The Xbox One isn't much of a departure when it comes to design — but the tech under the hood is on steroids and then some. With integrated Blu-Ray, Kinect and a whole new batch of hyper-responsive voice and gesture controls, Microsoft is angling for casual gamers and the hardcore set alike. Microsoft's "futureproof"… -
Xbox One: Microsoft's Big Bid To Pwn The Living Room
21 May 2013 | 12:11 pmIt's not every day one of the big three gaming powerhouses announces a new console. In fact, we've been waiting a solid eight years. In an event on its Redmond, Washington home turf today, Microsoft announced the Xbox One, its next generation Xbox gaming console — and more. In fact, the Xbox One is pretty much an audacious land grab by Microsoft, an attempt to stake out your living room as its undisputed turf. Here's how. The new console packs 8GB of RAM, a base 500GB hard drive, USB 3.0, wi-fi direct, and built-in Blu-Ray. The One runs on a custom eight-core AMD chip and will come… -
Sorry, Internet: Tumblr Founder David Karp Is Not A Billionaire
21 May 2013 | 10:54 amOn Monday, Yahoo announced it was buying Tumblr, the blog network, for $1.1 billion. And then the tweets started, with people declaring that Tumblr founder David Karp was now a billionaire. The conflation of Tumblr's purchase price with Karp's net worth assumed that Karp got nearly all of the Yahoo payday. And that's simply not how it works for venture-backed startups. Investors like Union Square Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz will share in the take, with Karp getting an estimated $275 million. (See also: Tumblr's Perverse Lesson: To Get Rich, Don't Make Money) That's a lot of money,… -
Who's Got Big Brands? Tech's Got The Biggest Brands Of Them All
21 May 2013 | 9:59 amAccording to the 2013 BrandZ Top 100 report, tech companies hold the top three slots in this year's list of top global brands — Apple, Google and IBM leading the pack in that order. Microsoft rolls in at number 7 on the list. There's big money in them thar brands, too. The ClickZ report pegs Apple's brand as worth $185.1 billion, up 1% from last year. Google rose more from last year, up 5% to a brand worth of $113.7 billion. IBM's brand shrank 3% to $112.5 billion and Microsoft shrank even more: 9% down to $69.8 billion. These valuations are based on proprietary valuation methods, so… -
New Opera For Android Makes Switch From Presto To WebKit
21 May 2013 | 7:30 amBrowser maker Opera just released a new version for Android with a slew of new features, an upgraded design and better performance. And, for the first time for Opera, it is not running on its own Presto rendering engine. Opera for Android is running WebKit. In February, Opera said that it was ditching Presto in favor of WebKit, the open source browser engine that powers the likes of Apple's Safari browser and Google Chrome. The release of the new Opera for Android is the first "final" (gold version, not in a beta stage) release of Opera running WebKit, according to Falguni Bhuta from the…
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Smashing Magazine Feed
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Mobile UX Research: Exploring Ten Fundamental Aspects Of M-Commerce Usability
21 May 2013 | 6:30 amEveryone 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)
16 May 2013 | 7:25 pmGood typography has always been a defining aspect of effective Web design, and this holds true especially for websites in which the emphasis is on presenting a large amount of content — specifically, articles, news and stories. Whether for a magazine or international newspaper, the designer of any website that distributes a lot of content has always had to consider typographic details as seriously and thoroughly as a print designer would. In 2009, we conducted a survey of then current typographic practices. Since then, responsive design techniques have clearly gained… -
A Beginner's Guide: Migrating A Website To WordPress Is Easier Than You Think
15 May 2013 | 1:33 amNow powering over 17% of the Web, WordPress is increasingly becoming the content management system (CMS) of choice for the average user. But what about websites built with an outdated CMS or without a CMS at all? Does moving to WordPress mean starting over and losing all the time, energy and money put into the current website? Nope! Migrating a website (including the design) over to WordPress is actually easier than you might think. In this guide, we’ll outline the migration process and work through the steps with a sample project. We’ll also cover some of the challenges you… -
A Client- And Server-Side Approach: Providing The Best Mobile User Experience Possible
14 May 2013 | 5:53 amNow and again, I hit the swimming pool. It’s a good way to exercise, but also to relax after a long day in front of my PC. I can do quite a few laps in my front crawl, but only because I don’t use my legs much. I kick steadily to ensure that my legs stay lifted and don’t slow me down. I don’t use my legs much for forward propulsion. An instructor once explained to me that legs can definitely help with propulsion in the front crawl, but only at the cost of much higher energy consumption. He also explained that champions use their legs a lot. Their hearts are powerful, and… -
Fables, Myths And Narratives: Converting Our Stories Into Multi-Screen Experiences
13 May 2013 | 5:24 amStorytelling takes many forms. In the past, stories were told orally, with people telling and retelling myths, fables and even histories. As writing technology became more prevalent, we began to record our stories, and we told them in the pages of books. Now, our society is awash in different devices and technologies, and those traditions of spoken stories and printed stories are blurring. Multi-screen narratives are being told across all kinds of platforms, pages and devices, making for truly immersive experiences. We are watching them, tapping them and learning from them. They…
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CNN.com - Top Stories
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'It's just our job,' educator says
21 May 2013 | 5:59 pmThe twister turned Briarwood Elementary School to rubble, but no one was killed. "His teacher saved his life," a student's grateful mom said. FULL STORY -
7 mobile tools for surviving tornadoes
21 May 2013 | 5:53 pmA series of deadly storms that pummeled Arkansas, Missouri and other states this week reminds us that tornado season is upon us once again. -
5 minutes from warning to touch down
21 May 2013 | 5:32 pmSixteen minutes elapsed between the time the National Weather Service issued a tornado warning and the time a tornado touched down near Newcastle, Oklahoma, on Monday afternoon. It would be another 19 minutes before the twister would devastate the nearby city of Moore. -
Immigration bill clears Senate hurdle
21 May 2013 | 5:27 pmThe Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" immigration reform bill on Tuesday, sending the measure to the Senate floor for further consideration and giving the bill's backers their first major legislative victory. -
Updates: Child victim identified
21 May 2013 | 5:12 pmAt least 24 people -- including nine children -- were killed when a massive tornado struck an area outside Oklahoma City on Monday afternoon, officials said.
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Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider
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Motorcycle Shoot (behind-the-scenes)
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
19 May 2013 | 9:01 pmOK, 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”)
16 May 2013 | 9:01 pmThis week we kicked off the new season of Photoshop User TV (the weekly Photoshop show) and I got the honor of introducing our viewers to our new co-host of Photoshop User TV, and the latest addition to “The Photoshop Guys”, it’s Jessica Maldonado, our own “Photoshop Girl.” (wild cheers ensue!).I know what you’re thinking. About #$&% time! (I totally agree) I also know what some of you are thinking, and just so you know, Jessica chose the nickname “Photoshop Girl” herself (though some suggested “Photoshop Gal” cause they… -
It’s Free Stuff Thursday!
15 May 2013 | 9:01 pmFree 24-Hour Trial for National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)! Want to know what you’re missing out on by not being a NAPP member? Try it out for FREE for 24 hours right here! Check out the full-length classes and quick tutorials from the top Photoshop instructors in the world for a full 24 hours. Whether you’re a photographer looking for Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Photoshop tips or a designer looking for new techniques and getting in-depth with layers, blend modes, and type, you can find it at NAPP.Straight From My Camera with Zack Arias The newest addition to The… -
It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring Donna Dotan!
14 May 2013 | 9:01 pmHow to Create an Architectural Photo: Manhattan StyleI’d first like to thank Scott and Brad for inviting me to be a guest blogger! When I was asked to write a post, I was very excited and immediately began thinking about what to share. I love when photographers show how they created one of their favorite images from start to finish, so that’s what I’m going to do for you.Although architecture is a relatively small niche of photography, there are many architectural photographers out there; each with their own style of shooting and retouching. Some do very minimal retouching, if…
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Digital Photography School
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Canadian Travelogue – Newfoundland – Cape St. Mary’s
21 May 2013 | 12:57 pmCape 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
21 May 2013 | 9:13 amCreating 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
20 May 2013 | 9:06 amCanadian 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… -
Props Are Evil: How To Use Them For Good
20 May 2013 | 9:04 amA Guest Post by Lynsey Peterson. Nothing freaks me out like props. Every time I see a picture of flower girls holding an empty frame that is outlining a bride and groom kissing in the distance, I die a little inside. Whenever I am subjected to a photo that attempts to bring in a letter jacket and a football and a casual I’m-just-hanging-out-here-in-my-letter-jacket-holding-my-football expression, I try to remember that I am terrible at making coffee and therefore cannot give-up photography immediately and go get an application at Starbucks. We have come to a place where portrait… -
6 Winning Ways to Work Wide
19 May 2013 | 12:01 pmToday Joe Decker shares some tips on wide angle photography. One of the first lens purchases aspiring landscape photographers typically made is a wide or super-wide lens, anything (in full-frame 35mm terms) from 24mm on down, and with good reason, wides offer photographers the ability to capture the sweeping vistas of the natural landscape. But they can also be a challenge to use effectively, it’s all to easy to end up with a wide-angle shot that lacks the power and grandeur we felt when we were shooting. In this article, I’ll explain why that’s so often the case, and…
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TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog
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Olloclip Quick-Flip Case and Pro-Photo Adapter add protection, tripod mount
21 May 2013 | 6:00 pmThe team at Olloclip has taken the wraps off of their newest product, a case for the iPhone 4/4S and iPhone 5 called the Quick-Flip Case (US$49.99) that works with the Olloclip 3-in-one lenses to produce a lightweight solution for all-purpose iPhoneography. Let's take a look! Design At first glance, this doesn't look like much of a case. It's made out of a smoked translucent black or opaque white polyurethane material and looks like any of a thousand other slip-on hard cases for iPhone. But then the little features start to appear and you realize how the Quick-Flip case can be used to assist… -
Vudu adds ability to download movies for offline viewing to iOS apps
21 May 2013 | 5:30 pmWal-Mart-owned video-on-demand service Vudu has updated its iOS apps to allow movie downloads for offline viewing. The Android phone version of the app has had this feature for awhile, but Android tablets are still unable to download and view their Vudu/Ultraviolet collection on their tablets. Other additions to the update include a reworked player to make the app easier to use, as well as support for closed captions on the iPhone. It's worth noting that the Flixter iOS app already allowed for Ultraviolet downloads. Ultraviolet is a digital rights authentication service that allows DVD and… -
Google to bring Chrome app launcher to OS X
21 May 2013 | 5:00 pmThose of us who use Google's Chrome browser for OS X are familiar with how Chrome web apps can be installed and launched from within the browser. Now it appears that Google is working on a way to bring those Chrome apps even closer to the heart of your Mac by creating a Chrome apps launcher for OS X. Google engineer François Beaufort detailed the plans in a Google+ post, noting that OS X users can actually try out a beta of the Chrome OS app launcher right now. To do so, you need to install the most recent build of Chromium, then set the --show-app-list switch through the CLI. After… -
Microsoft announces Xbox One, with more SmartGlass and TV integration
21 May 2013 | 4:30 pmMicrosoft has announced a brand-new game console today, though the company would probably be disappointed to hear that I called it that. The Xbox One is really more of an entertainment center all-in-one -- it's designed to connect your games, your streaming media and cable television all together in one set-top box. In some ways, it's a competitor to Apple TV. The Xbox One will also include a new Kinect camera, which will boast Siri-like voice control over all of its functions, and allow users to switch back and forth between live games, live TV or any of the console's various apps. -
Apple still most valuable global brand
21 May 2013 | 4:00 pmEvery year, Millward Brown Optimor produces the BrandZ list, a listing of the 100 most valuable brands. As with last year, Apple is at the top of the list with a 2013 brand value of just over US$185 billion. Apple's brand value rose only 1 percent this year, but that number is still well over No. 2 Google at $113.7 billion. How much of a gap lies in the brand value between Apple and Google? How about almost the value of the venerable Coca-Cola brand at $78.4 billion (the soft drink company is at No. 5 on the list). Another tech brand rounded out the top three, with IBM coming in just behind…
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Strobist
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Q&A: Photek Softlighter II or Paul Buff PLM?
17 May 2013 | 3:00 amSydney, Australia-based photo assistant Diego asks: You seem to use the Photek Softlighter a lot. How would this compare to the Paul Buff PML Soft-Silver with the White Diffuser? While they are similar (both sub-$100 Octa killers) they are pretty different under the skin, So which model you'll prefer depends on how you'll use it… Read more » -
Readers Shoot Back: Vivian Chung
13 May 2013 | 8:11 amDontcha hate it when your bride-and-groom portrait gets photo-bombed? Okay, maybe not if it's by a Beluga whale. And for Vancouver wedding photographer (and Strobist reader) Vivian Chung, this well-planned cameo was no accident. Complicating things, she only had a little time—and a key technical restriction—to make this shot. Read more » -
Lighting In Layers on Lynda.com
13 May 2013 | 8:00 amI am happy to announce that Strobist's video series, Lighting in Layers, has by special arrangement been adapted for the video tutorial site Lynda.com. Those of you who are Lynda subscribers can now view the videos there. (This includes Lynda's many corporate subs, so check with your company.) Last week saw the launch of the first segments, which are primarily aimed at beginners. Additional sessions will be released each week. So even if you are not a newb, stick around. It'll get more complex soon enough… -30- -
HCAC: Soprano Rebecca Hargrove
8 May 2013 | 12:00 amIt's May. Which always means two things for me: dealing with heavy allergies and beginning my next batch of portraits for the Howard County Arts Council. The drudgery of allergies is offset by the pure pleasure that is getting to work with a group of insanely talented young people. Doing the portraiture for the Rising Stars program is one of my favorite projects of the year. One of the first this year was soprano Rebecca Hargrove, who we photographed in the venerable Garaj Mahal Studios… Read more » -
What Really Happens When a Fuji X100s "Syncs" at 1/4000th of a Sec
5 May 2013 | 7:35 pmFor leaf-shutter flash geeks only: high-speed Phantom v1610 video of a Fuji X100s shutter not-quite-really syncing at 1/4000th of a sec. Sorry, I know many of you will be bored to tears by this. But the full technical article photographer Kevin Housen developed around this video (and others, at different shutter speeds) will really peel the onion for you if you want to know about the demonstrable quirkiness of this camera and ultra-high speed sync. -30-
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News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Just Posted: Olympus E-PM2 Review
21 May 2013 | 3:29 pmWe've just posted our review of the The Olympus PEN Mini E-PM2. The E-PM2 is an entry-level Micro Four Thirds system camera, with a 16MP CMOS sensor and full 1080 HD video. It's one of the smallest mirrorless cameras on the market and boasts 8 frames per second continuous shooting. This second generation 'Mini' is effectively the image quality 'guts' of the OM-D in a compact, lightweight, novice-friendly form. Click through to find out what we think of it. -
When disaster strikes, photo editors can help save memories
21 May 2013 | 12:35 pmWhen homes are damaged, often the most important items cannot be replaced. For victims of fire, floods and other natural disasters, family photos are among the worst things to lose. Operation Photo Rescue brings together victims with professional photo editors to turn damaged images back into clear memories. Learn more on connect.dpreview.com. -
All-new Flickr comes with free terabyte - and ads
20 May 2013 | 4:21 pmFlickr fans may find the lure of a free terabyte attractive, but they might be put off by the accompanying advertisements that support Flickr's new free account model. A major update to the photo sharing service has completely revamped the look of accounts and restructured the way users may pay for Flickr in the future. We take a look at the changes on connect.dpreview.com. -
New York Times details photo editing policy for fashion magazine
20 May 2013 | 3:40 pmA cover image in the latest issue of the New York Times' monthly style magazine, T, has led to an interesting discussion about the newspaper's policy on photo retouching. While editors forbid any image manipulation beyond, 'minor color-toning and brightness' in news stories, retouches and removal of blemishes are allowed in the style magazine's fashion photography. Does a newspaper risk credibility by allowing retouching on editorially-branded content? Click to read more and share your thoughts. -
Google releases more photocentric Google+ app for Android
20 May 2013 | 2:16 pmAt last week's I/O developer conference Google announced a number of upgrades to the photo section of its Google+ social network, including features such as 'Auto-Highlight', 'Auto-Enhance' and 'Auto'-Awesome'. To make the same experience available on its mobile platform the search giant has released an upgraded Google+ app for Android. Click through to Connect to find out more.
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Lightroom Killer Tips
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Should You Create Multiple Catalogs In Lightroom?
20 May 2013 | 11:01 pmFor 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)
15 May 2013 | 9:00 amIf you live in Chicago, Atlantic City, LA or Las Vegas then you’ve got a WPPI “On the Road” stop coming your way. NAPP and WPPI are teaming up to provide you with some killer Photoshop and Lightroom training at each event. RC Concepcion, Pete Collins and I will be teaching along side plenty of other great instructors in each city. Here’s the link to WPPI’s website if you want to find out more and below is the list of cities and dates. Hope to see you there! • Chicago: May 21-22 • Atlantic City: June 3-4 • Los Angeles: July 15-16 • Las Vegas: August… -
A Super Quick Way To Convert Your Photo To Black And White
9 May 2013 | 11:01 pmHey everyone. Here’s a great little tip for you if you want to see quickly see what your photo looks like as a black and white, without going to a different panel and messing with sliders. Ready… just go to the Develop module and press the V key. Yup… that’s it. It does the default black and white conversion, and gives you a good idea of whether you’d want to process the photo any further as a B&W. If you like it, then head down to the B&W panel and make some more adjustments. If not, just press the V key again and it’ll take you back to the color… -
What Photoshop CC (Creative Cloud) Means For Lightroom Users?
6 May 2013 | 11:01 pmThere’s obviously lots of feedback, buzz, interest, and excitement, from Adobe’s announcement yesterday. If you missed it, in a nutshell, Photoshop as we know it is going totally subscription based. So basically, you can’t buy a stand alone boxed or download copy of it anymore. You have to subscribe to the Adobe Creative Cloud to get Photoshop CC (CC means Creative Cloud). However, for now you’ll still be able to buy Lightroom standalone without subscribing (even though it’s also included in the CC). By the way, if you hadn’t noticed Photoshop CS is no… -
Lightroom Tip: Hiding Panels
2 May 2013 | 11:01 pmDid you know that you can hide specific panels in Lightroom? You probably knew that you can collapse a panel just by clicking the tiny arrow next to the name of the panel. But you can also hide them so they simply don’t show up. For example, personally I don’t use the Split Toning panel, so why even have it show up there anymore? To hide it (or any other panel) right click under the Histogram in the dark gray empty area in the Develop module (just to the left of the word Basic in the Basic panel). The panels that are visible will be checked. To hide one or more just click on it.
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MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors - iOS Blog
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'Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic' Might Come to the iPad
21 May 2013 | 5:17 pmBioware and LucasArts’ Star Wars role-playing game Knights of the Old Republic may be coming to the iPad in the near future, reports IGN, after obtaining a revealing email newsletter that Aspyr Media accidentally sent out to fans. A header in the email, which was meant to advertise a sale on Call of Duty games, leaked the news: "The critically-acclaimed Star Wars RPG is now available on iPad…" As noted by our sister site TouchArcade, the text likely refers to a Knights of the Old Republic game. Aspyr previously released the Mac port of the original KotOR game and has a presence in the… -
Vudu Player for iOS Gets Updated With Ability to Download Movies
20 May 2013 | 6:35 pmVUDU, the third most popular internet video-on-demand provider behind Apple's iTunes and Amazon's Instant Video, today updated its app with a feature that allows users to download movies for offline viewing, a redesigned video player, and more. Previously, VUDU users using the VUDU Player app had to stream their content from within the app and could not view their movies and TV shows offline. With the new update, users can download their content at various qualities for use when an internet connection isn't available. Other changes include a redesigned video player that's easier to use,… -
Apple to Open New Adelaide Retail Store in Australia on May 25
20 May 2013 | 5:21 pmFollowing the opening of a new retail location in Melbourne last month, Apple is set to open another Australian Apple Store on May 25, this time in Adelaide. The Adelaide Apple Store will be Apple’s 20th retail location in Australia, and it is located at Rundle Place, a four-story shopping center that houses more than 70 stores. Adelaide is Australia's 5th largest city and the new Apple Store will be the first in the state of South Australia. At store openings, Apple typically hands out commemorative T-shirts to the first 1,000 customers to visit. The store is set to open at 10 a.m. this… -
Burj Al Arab in Dubai Introduces Gold-Plated iPads for Guest Use
20 May 2013 | 3:10 pmThe Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai is perhaps the world's most luxurious hotel, and the latest addition continues that tradition. The seven-star hotel is now giving 24-carat gold-plated iPads from Gold & Co to guests for use during their stay. The iPads will act as a 'virtual concierge', offering information on restaurants in the hotel, as well as spa treatments and butler services. They carry the Burj Al Arab's logo on the back and they are available for purchase in the hotel's boutique. -
Tumblr Acquired by Yahoo, iOS App Gets Redesigned User Interface
20 May 2013 | 11:16 amJust as Yahoo has announced its acquisition of Tumblr, the Tumblr team has released an update for its iOS app bringing a redesigned user interface that offers up a brand new post type chooser, displaying post options that fan out vertically from the app's redesigned compose button to allow for speedier posting. The redesigned menu is similar to the radial posting options used by social networking app Path, which displays buttons unobtrusively in the corner of the app. Previously, hitting Tumblr's compose button opened a new window with square-shaped posting icons, which was more obtrusive…
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CNN Travel
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Beijing shopping: The city's top 12 boutiques
20 May 2013 | 3:00 pmThe 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
19 May 2013 | 11:00 pmCreated 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
19 May 2013 | 7:45 pmTumblr 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… -
Beijing travel: 72 hours in the Chinese capital
19 May 2013 | 3:00 pmSome travelers can now visit the city visa-free for up to 72 hours. Here's how to cram the best of Beijing into three daysTravelers looking to visit Beijing without the hassle of obtaining a visa are in luck: at the beginning of 2013, the Chinese government lifted visa requirements for tourists laying over in Beijing or Shanghai for up to 72 hours. Are three days enough to take in the best of Beijing? It's a tight squeeze, but here’s how to make the most of a 72-hour trip to one of the world’s most vibrant cities. More on CNN: Visas waived for Beijing transit travelers Day 1 Lama… -
Rising from the revolution: Life in Benghazi
17 May 2013 | 3:00 amThere may be a little too much gunfire to make Benghazi a top 10 holiday destination, but this hopeful Libyan city makes for one fascinating tourCurrently, few visitors to Benghazi arrive on leisure trips. The murder of U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three colleagues profoundly shook confidence in “Free Libya.” The United States advises against all travel to the city while hearings continue over the American response to last September's attack. The backlash against Islamist militias, however, has seen their presence and influence much reduced. Although the prevalence of private…
