Clean Up Your Messy Ubuntu Boot Menu [Linux Tip]

Clean Up Your Messy Ubuntu Boot Menu [Linux Tip]: "

Linux only: If you're diligent about applying patches to your Ubuntu PC, you'll soon notice an annoying problem—the boot menu keeps growing bigger every time a kernel patch is installed. Here's how to clean it up. More »

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Top 10 Privacy Tweaks You Should Know About [Lifehacker Top 10]

Top 10 Privacy Tweaks You Should Know About [Lifehacker Top 10]: "

With all the talk lately about Facebook's flawed privacy systems, it's a good time to consider what you're making available elsewhere on the web and on your system. These 10 settings tweaks and setups make your web life a little less public. More »







Facebook - Privacy - Security - Protocols - Social Network

How to use Your Tripod (it’s not as simple as you think!)

How to use Your Tripod (it’s not as simple as you think!): "

In this post, Steve Berardi from PhotoNaturalist talks about a few things to consider when setting up your tripod.

When you first got a tripod, you probably thought it was pretty simple: just extend the legs, put the camera on top, and voila! It’s ready to go!

I’ll admit that I definitely thought this way for awhile. But, then I read Ansel Adams’ great book The Camera, where he dedicates two whole pages to proper use of the tripod. He starts off by explaining that:

“Many photographers casually set up the tripod and use the various tilts and adjustments in a haphazard way. It is preferable, however, to be more methodical in setting up the tripod, if time and situation permit, to provide precise positioning of the camera and the greatest possible stability.” –Ansel Adams, The Camera

So, although the tripod seems like a simple piece of equipment, there are a few things to keep in mind when you’re setting it up to ensure you get the sharpest image possible:

1 – Find your composition first

Since it takes a good amount of time to setup a tripod, It’s a good idea to find your composition first, and then worry about the tripod. So, walk around and explore your subject from different angles. It may help to look through your viewfinder as you do this to help you see exactly what the composition will look like as a photo.

2 – Point one of the tripod legs towards your subject

Pointing one of the tripod legs towards your subject will give you room to stand between the other two legs (helping to prevent you from tripping over the tripod), and it can help stabilize the camera some more when It’s pointed towards the ground.

3 – Keep the center post vertical and perpendicular to the ground

To ensure the weight of your camera is evenly distributed to all three legs, make sure the center post is vertical and perpendicular to the ground. Using one of those bubble levels that attach to the center post can tremendously help you level the tripod like this and show you precisely when It’s good to go. These bubble levels, if they’re not already built-in on your tripod, are usually specific to each tripod model and available for less than $10.

4 – Avoid extending the center post

The center post is significantly less stable than the three legs spread out, so only use the center post as a last resort. This will often cause some frustration in setting up your tripod to that perfect height, but just remember that It’s helping you get the sharpest image possible.

5 – Use an L-bracket for short lenses

The “L” bracket is a special kind of plate that attaches your camera to the tripod head. It’s shaped like an “L” (heh) and allows you to mount your camera in portrait orientation, while still keeping the camera at the center of the three legs. Here’s a few photos that illustrate the difference between the L-bracket and a standard plate:

The L-bracket has two big advantages: it keeps the center of gravity where the tripod can best support it (at the center of the three legs), and it gives you a few more inches of height when you’re shooting in portrait orientation (these few extra inches can certainly make or break a photo!).

6 – Use a tripod collar for long lenses

Since big heavy lenses will often shift the center of gravity of your camera, It’s important to use a tripod collar that evenly balances the weight between your camera and lens. Without one, you’ll surely notice how your camera has a tendency to slowly shift down after you lock the head into place.

7 – Hang a camera bag or other heavy object from the center post for extra stability

If you find yourself in some super windy conditions, it might help to add some more weight to your tripod by hanging something (like a camera bag) from the center post. Many tripods already have a hook in place, but if yours doesn’t then check to see if you can just screw in a hook from a hardware store. Be careful with this method though: if your camera bag is shaking a lot in the wind and hitting the tripod legs, you might actually lose stability.

Why It’s important to carefully setup your tripod

Although setting up your tripod may seem like a slow and tedious process, It’s important to do it carefully to ensure you get the sharpest image possible. Ensuring that your tripod is in a stable position will also help prevent it from toppling over and damaging your camera and lens.

And, finally, the more time and care you take in setting up your tripod, the more you’ll be forced to concentrate on your composition. Knowing that It’s going to take you a long time to set up that tripod, you’ll be more careful about what composition you choose.

About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, and computer scientist.

You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California. Read more of his articles on nature photography at the PhotoNaturalist and follow him on Twitter.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to use Your Tripod (it’s not as simple as you think!)

Our Firefox Add-on

Our Firefox Add-on: "

The Ebuyer Toolbar for Firefox

We’ve got a brand new and exclusive Mozilla Firefox Add-on – “the Ebuyer toolbar”!

If Firefox is your browser of choice and you want to make browsing Ebuyer even easier, simply follow the link below which will take you to the installation page on Mozilla Add-ons.

Download the Ebuyer Toolbar from Mozilla Addons here

Key features of the Ebuyer Toolbar include:

• Direct Search box


• Links to our most popular categories


• Direct link to your Account page


• Links to the Ebuyer HQ Blog and Forum


• Latest tweets from the @Ebuyerdotcom twitter feed

We would really appreciate your feedback on this so that we can improve the service where needed.

Retro chic – Canon AE-1 (1976)

Retro chic – Canon AE-1 (1976): "

What’s the story?
The Canon AE-1 caused something of an “iPod moment” in the world of SLRs. In tech terms it was no groundbreaker – it still used film and had interchangeable lenses – but the AE-1 made a few subtle changes to the SLR blueprint that meant it sold like cheddar cocktails during happy hour at a mouse disco. It was aimed at amateur snappers looking for a little more power, and by using fewer parts and injection-moulded plastic rather than metal, Canon created an auto-SLR for the masses, not the massively rich.

Why should I want one?
Rather than big clunky mechanical elements, the AE-1 used a built-in CPU to control all its actions. Darkroom-dwelling purists bemoaned the over-automation of the picture-taking process, but features such as auto-exposure helped to entice amateur snappers even more. Over five million were sold, which makes finding second-hand ones simple.

What to look for
eBay is flooded with pre-owned AE-1s. Most show wear and tear, but aside from a dead battery here or a dirty viewfinder there they tend to be in decent working order. Even if you do end up with a duff one, spare parts are easy to come by. There’s even a decent selection of cases, accessories and extra lenses up for grabs too.

Price on eBay
You can pick up an AE-1 from around £35.

More like this:
- Gadget flashback – Canon IXUS
- Gadget flashback – Sony Walkman

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LEGO Universe Mode in LDD

LEGO Universe Mode in LDD: "

On the eurobricks forum, I detected a useful tip on how to make use of a new feature in the LEGO® Digital Designer 3, called LEGO Universe Mode.
It's a new theme that allows you access to all the 1400+ bricks in the LDD database.

Read about the details here.

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Add-in Update: WHS Outlook Version 2.5.7.7 Now Supports Outlook 2010!

Add-in Update: WHS Outlook Version 2.5.7.7 Now Supports Outlook 2010!: "

The Office Maven released a brand new version of WHS Outlook with full support for Microsoft’s new Outlook 2010. WHS Outlook is a Windows Home Server add-in that integrates the Microsoft Outlook software with the Windows Home Server Console application – but wait, there’s a lot more to it.

WHS Outlook allows a single installation of Microsoft Outlook to be shared by up to 10 different client PC’s via the Windows Home Server Console. Using the Remote Access features of Windows Home Server, you can even gain full access to all of your Microsoft Outlook e-mail, contacts, calendar, etc. from anywhere in the world.

Features & Changes:

• Added Outlook 2010 support


• Added Internet Calendar via WebDAV support


• Added SharePoint site integration and SharePoint list support


• Added “Sounds” command to the settings menu


• Improved: “Send Attachment (to client)” feature


• Improved: WHS Outlook Graphical User Interface re-sizes to fill entire console


• Improved: WHS Outlook Connector now gives tray notification messages for reminders


• Improved: WHS Outlook initialization and architecture


• Fixed: “Switch Profile” functionality


• Fixed: Problem with opening URLS on the client that contained a pipe “|” character


• Fixed: Many other fixes, enhancements, and miscellaneous code improvements

Screenshots

WHS Outlook - WHS Console access	WHS Outlook - Single-Sign-On	WHS Outlook - remote access home page
WHS Outlook - Web Site access - Settings	WHS Outlook - Web Site access - Open Items	WHS Outlook Settings - Advanced Settings
WHS Outlook Settings - Remote Desktop Connectivity	WHS Outlook Settings

Share Calendars

WHS Outlook can automatically setup your Windows Home Server as a WebDAV server allowing you to publish and consume Outlook calendars as Internet Calendars directly on your very own Windows Home Server. Second, WHS Outlook now supports SharePoint site integration allowing you to use SharePoint's "Connect to Outlook" feature from within WHS Outlook so that you can access all of your SharePoint Lists (i.e. shared calendars, contacts, tasks, etc.) from within Outlook. WHS Outlook takes care of all the dirty details for you behind-the-scenes allowing you to focus on getting your work done instead of having to spend time configuring your home server.

For more information: Calendar Sharing in WHS Outlook - Part 1: WebDAV Publishing & Internet Calendars

"Send Attachment (to client)"

This feature of WHS Outlook has been completely rewritten to provide better integration with Outlook 2007 and 2010 (it works with Outlook 2002 and 2003 as well). When accessing the "Send Attachment (to client)" command from any e-mail message that contains attachments, you are now presented with a dialog box that lists out all of the e-mail message's attachments allowing you to select which of the attachments you would like to send over to your client computer:

"Sounds"

The "Sounds" command brings up the standard "Sounds and Audio Device Properties" Control Panel applet (opened up to its Sounds tab) allowing you to add, remove, or change the sounds being used by WHS Outlook.

Improved Console Exerience

When running WHS Outlook via the WHS Console it now re-sizes to fill the entire size of the Condole window giving you even more room to work in Outlook within the limited confines of the Console.

A Quantum Leap Forward

To date, most Windows Home Server add-ins fit into the administrative and media-centric user-interaction space. WHS Outlook differs that it actively provides a productivity platform. WHS Outlook offers a wealth of new and improved functionality but the first thing you’ll notice about WHS Outlook (when used with Microsoft’s new Outlook 2010 software) is the new and much smoother user interface and overall seamless integration.

The new version of WHS Outlook works with Outlook 2010, 2007, 2003, and 2002. However, the new calendar sharing features will only work with the newer Outlook 2010 and 2007 versions.

Add-In: WHS Outlook 2.5.7.7

Add-In: WHS Outlook 2.5.7.7: "

WHS Outlook has been updated to version 2.5.7.7, with the biggest change being support for Outlook 2010.

One of the other changes in this new version is that calendar sharing is now supported if you are using either Outlook 2007 or 2010:

First, WHS Outlook can automatically setup your Windows Home Server as a WebDAV server allowing you to publish and consume Outlook calendars as Internet Calendars directly on your very own Windows Home Server. Second, WHS Outlook now supports SharePoint site integration allowing you to use SharePoint’s "Connect to Outlook" feature from within WHS Outlook so that you can access all of your SharePoint Lists (i.e. shared calendars, contacts, tasks, etc.) from within Outlook. WHS Outlook takes care of all the dirty details for you behind-the-scenes allowing you to focus on getting your work done instead of having to spend time configuring your home server.

Other changes include:

• Reworked "Send Attachment (to client)" feature


• Added a new "Sounds" command to the Settings menu


• When running WHS Outlook via the WHS Console it now re-sizes to fill the entire size of the Condole


• WHS Outlook Connector now gives tray notifications for reminders in WHS Outlook


• Initialization of WHS Outlook now takes place whenever you click on the "Configure" button in WHS Outlook Settings


• Fixed the "Switch Profile" functionality (that became broken somewhere down the line during a past update)


• Fixed problem with opening URLs on the client computer that contained a pipe ("|") character


• Many other fixes, enhancements, and miscellaneous code improvements


• Fully translated into German and French languages

The good news is that this huge update is completely FREE to all existing WHS Outlook V2 licensees.

More details on this release are available from here.

Deep Dive: Calendar Sharing in WHS Outlook

Deep Dive: Calendar Sharing in WHS Outlook: "

Fresh on the heels of his recent add-in update, Mike Craven takes us on a deep dive into the new Calendar Sharing feature found in WHS Outlook. The big news is that WHS Outlook Version 2.5.7.7+ now supports Microsoft’s Outlook 2010 software. Coupled with the new and improved feature-sets found in WHS Outlook, it looks to be the ultimate “magic wand” you can wave to enable people to easily share Outlook data via the Windows Home Server.

Part 1 WebDAV Publishing & Internet Calendars

For those of you that don't already know, the World Wide Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning (WebDAV) protocol is an extension of the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) used for publishing and managing content on web servers. With just a few easy steps, you can enable WebDAV publishing on your Windows Home Server and use it to publish and share your calendars with others. Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010 include built-in support for publishing calendars to, and consuming Internet Calendars from, WebDAV servers. WHS Outlook helps you out by automatically performing all the steps required to enable WebDAV publishing on your Windows Home Server.

Read: Calendar Sharing in WHS Outlook - Part 1: WebDAV Publishing & Internet Calendars

Part 2 SharePoint Lists

I'll walk you through the creation of SharePoint Lists which can be used for two-directional calendar sharing in WHS Outlook. In addition, you can also use SharePoint Lists for the two-directional sharing of contacts and tasks in WHS Outlook as well. For those of you that don't already know, Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) is a set of collaboration tools used by organizations and businesses for improved team productivity.

Read: Calendar Sharing in WHS Outlook - Part 2: SharePoint Lists

How to: Backup Your Apple Mac to Windows Home Server With Time Machine

How to: Backup Your Apple Mac to Windows Home Server With Time Machine: "Want to back up your Mac to any Windows Home Server with Time Machine? There's an app for that. (Sorry, I guess I had to say it)

Sky Player Launches on FetchTV’s Freeview+ Box

Sky Player Launches on FetchTV’s Freeview+ Box: "

FetchTV’s Freeview+ box in the UK gets the Sky Player.

So what is the FetchTV box then?

The FetchTV SmartBox is one of a kind. It allows you to receive and record all free-to-air digital terrestrial channels, provides access to thousands of hours of Movies and TV on demand, as well as access to Catch Up TV services like BBC iPlayer directly on your TV.

There’s no contract, no subscription, no fuss.

• Download hundreds of movies and TV shows on demand


• Watch a range of web video services including BBC iPlayer


• Enjoy up to 50* channels of free-to-air digital terrestrial channels


• Pause, rewind and record live television


• Record two channels simultaneously


• Share photos, music and video from your PC to your TV


• On board WiFi connection

Obviously this is a UK specific device, and it retails at around £180. You can learn more by clicking here: http://www.fetchtv.co.uk/shop.html

Here is the full press release:

Sky’s online pay television content is today, for the first time, available to homes in the UK via a Freeview+ set-top box. Sky Player, Sky’s online TV service, can now be watched on household TVs connected to IP Vision’s FetchTV Freeview+ box. The box can be connected to any broadband service to allow specific web content to be watched on the TV.

Sky Player currently allows viewers to watch a number of live channels, as well as access to a comprehensive range of on-demand shows spanning movies, arts, sports, documentaries and entertainment, via their computer or XBox 360.

From today, Sky Player will also be accessible to FetchTV’s registered users through the FetchTV SmartBox, offering programmes from over 20 leading channels including Sky Sports, Sky1, Sky Arts, G.O.L.D., History, National Geographic, MTV and Disney. Live and on-demand content from Sky Movies will be added to the service shortly, offering access to up to 500 titles at any one time.

As with access to Sky Player via PC, Mac and Xbox, existing Sky TV customers will be able to access a range of content for no extra cost, depending on their core Sky subscriptions, whilst non-Sky customers will be able to sign up to a choice of TV packages via a monthly subscription.

All of this content is accessed via a broadband connection, giving current Sky customers more choice over how they access their content, whilst for prospective customers, particularly those who cannot receive Sky via satellite, or who may prefer not to, it’s a new access point to Sky content.

Eddie Abrams CEO of FetchTV said:

“This deal is a landmark in the pay TV world. Freeview customers who have one of our FetchTV SmartBoxes can now access and watch Sky’s pay TV content on their TV over the open internet. This launch gives consumers a real choice of how they can access fantastic sports, movies and entertainment content on their TV screen.”

Griff Parry, Sky’s Director of On-Demand, said:

“We’re delighted to have launched Sky Player on FetchTV. In giving our customers as much choice as possible on how they access the content they love, Sky continues to build on its commitment to embrace a wide variety of new platforms and devices.”

The FetchTV SmartBox is Freeview+ accredited and is an ‘over-the-counter’ plug and play solution with no need for an engineer installation visit. The FetchTV VOD services, that also include access to BBC iPlayer, work with any broadband supplier – unlike other VOD-enabled TV services available in the UK. Customers who don’t have broadband can shop around for the best broadband deal to suit them.

The box is equipped with a 160Gb hard drive allowing the user to record, pause and rewind live digital terrestrial TV. The box also acts as a media centre allowing users to stream content like digital pictures and movies stored on other devices in the house such as PC’s external hard drives on to the TV screen.

FetchTV’s Smart Box has two USB ports that allow any programmes recorded from Freeview channels to be exported on to a USB stick or drive, meaning the box’s hard drive need never get full.

FetchTV boxes are currently available at John Lewis, Carphone Warehouse and Currys online. RRP is £219.

Sky Player will be made available to current FetchTV box owners today via a firmware update.

Exclusive First Look at the HomeServerSync Add-In from Tranquil PC

Exclusive First Look at the HomeServerSync Add-In from Tranquil PC: "

Here we have an exclusive look at the forthcoming HomeServerSync add-in from Tranquil PC.

Last week we mentioned a new forthcoming add-in from Tranquil that we couldn’t really share much about as we had been sworn to secrecy: HomeServerSync Add In for Windows Home Server from Tranquil PC

Well today we are able to share an exclusive first look at this new add-in, which I think you will agree already sounds like a “must have” add-in.

This is the little information we could share then:

Coming in July 2010, the HomeServerSync Add In for Windows Home Server

This unique service will enable a number of valuable extensions to all Windows Home Server owners. Think of :

• Off-site Home Server backup


• Remote Home Server Console access


• Document / Folder Sync (multiple) anywhere


• Personal cloud storage services

So HomeServerSync is an add-in that provides a personal cloud storage service.

Sync your PCs to WHS and WHS to PCs : (local or remote)

Sync your WHS to secure off site backup (100GB included) : (affordable upgrades optional)

It is simple – it synchronises a specific folder on the client PC (probably a mobile PC) to a ‘specific’ folder on the Home Server. As WHS does not limit ‘shared folders’ the number of syncs that can be set up means that the HomeServerSync service can provide a very flexible and functional solution to Home / SOHO users alike.

All ‘local’ or ‘mobile’ connected PCs have secure (AES128) access to the Home Server via a secure HomeServerSync tunnel, there is no need to change any firewall settings etc or use the WHS ‘https:’ service, which some WHS users struggle with (i.e. WHS IP address changes / firewalls etc)

In addition to HomeServerSync providing a simple service whereby ‘media files’ etc can be automatically copied to the Home Server Media folders (media watcher), the 2 way function can be neat way to have some fun, and make sure everyone has what they need, wherever they are all of the time !

So here are some exclusive screenshots and explanations (please note that these are not the final screens as the add-in is still in beta):

This is the main WHS TAB screen – the ‘folder watches’ setup in the SI area (lower part of screen) have been erased on the picture. This is where folders are selected to for sync to the off site backup service

Setup your Backup Schedule to the offsite service

Always – real time

After – do it after hours

Every – schedule

MiDASS credentials – your HomeServerSync account details

Storage settings – these will be set to default and are likely to be removed as ‘options’

Item list for online backup

Add or remove ‘watched folders’ for offsite backup

Here is where you to restores from.

Screen from the ‘client appn / service’ showing which folders are sync’ed i.e. C:\David is in sync with WHS \MyFolder – comment – history

Here you can add / remove / sync now your PC folders to WHS

This is where the ‘client’ can set up what he/she wants the service to do for them, when and how.

It should speak for itself – the bottom line is that it should provide a safe and simple solution, including ‘auto versioning’.

So that’s about all I can share for now, keep checking out UWHS for more information, including pricing (sorry, I can’t reveal the pricing just yet, but let’s just say it is a VERY good deal!).