Have you ever wondered who creates the computer programs and other software you use on a daily basis? I mean, especially if it's a program you really enjoy using, don't you wish you knew who made such a great piece of software? Well, I can't give out any names, but I can tell you that those people are called computer programmers. Here's a little information about them!
Programmers, also referred to as software developers, are the ones who write all of the computer software that comes out on the market each and every day. They are the masterminds who write the code for many different kinds of software. Computer programmers go to their daily jobs and they design computer software. They are all professionals and specialists in what they do.
Along with programmers, there are other people who take care of other aspects of creating software. For example, there's a programmer analyst, software engineer, computer scientist and software analyst. The first programmer known in history is Ada Lovelace. She was the first to bring up the thought of an algorithm in 1842. Pretty cool, huh?
Now that you know more about ISO files, I'll get to the point! How do you turn an ISO file into a CD? That's one question that came across my desk today. And luckily, I have found a free download that makes turning an ISO file into a CD very quick and easy. The program is called Active ISO Burner. Simply download and install the program and the next time you come across an ISO file, just open Active ISO Burner and drag the ISO file you downloaded into the window that appears. After that, just insert a blank disk into your computer and click Burn. It really is that easy!
You can download Active ISO Burner for yourself right here. Enjoy!
Do you chat? You know, do you sit and talk to your friends and family over the computer through an instant messenger, such as Yahoo! or AOL? If you do, you may be familiar with the chat lingo that has become so popular these days. If you don't chat very often, you may use the chat lingo in your e-mails instead.
Either way, you may be interested in knowing about some of the slang terms that are used, so here's a small list of some of the more common ones:
LOL = Laugh Out Loud
BRB = Be Right Back
TTYL = Talk To You Later
GTG = Got To Go
AFK = Away From Keyboard
JK = Just Kidding
THX = Thanks
TY = Thank You
YW = You're Welcome
ROFL = Rolling on the Floor Laughing
L8R = Later
So, the next time you're chatting away, use some of these terms and impress all of your chat buddies!
A lot of emphasis is put on sunset photography. But, if you stop and think about it, it’s difficult to get a different, yet engaging shot from a sunset. Therefore, how about thinking lateral? You know, taking pictures long after the sun has gone down. And that's exactly where twilight photography comes into play. The best thing to do is wait 15 to 20 minutes after the sun has dropped below the horizon before actually snapping a picture. Your results may vary and it could take as long as 40 minutes after the sunset for any magic to really happen. So, before you go out into the night, here are a few tips that will keep you from unnecessary hassles. Let's take a look!
Get All the Tools
By this, I mean a rock steady tripod, a fully charged battery (with at least a couple spare batteries just in case it runs out of juice) and a good amount of patience.
Arrive Before Sundown
Twilight photography is mostly about landscapes with people, trees, etc. acting as silhouettes to contrast the setting and infuse more life into those images. Therefore, it’s important to study the natural landscape where you're shooting. And that's why it’s best to go before sundown to study your location's highs and lows. You should also keep the time of the season in mind before you venture off. Days could be warmer, but nights can get cold. That is particularly true if you're shooting at high altitudes where the temperature drop after sundown is fast and dramatic.
Now that you're all set up, look around and see if there is a lake nearby, a giant rock that resembles a human, bird, animal, etc. that might make for some interesting shots. It could even be the unique pattern a tree’s branches create. Anything interesting is worth capturing, so take note of everything.
Take Some Test Shots
What your mind perceives may not really turn out to be what you think. Therefore, it’s best to test out your subjects using different settings and different focal length options, such as telephoto to wide angle. Set your camera on a tripod and compose your image. After you set your camera into the full manual mode, set the aperture, shutter speed, ASA and white balance. You'll want to set your ASA as low as it will go, which is not less than ASA 100. You should also set your f-stop somewhere between f8 and f13. Next, lock your focus on the portion of the image you think is the key element. Check your focus and then check it again. After that comes the most important thing: turning off the autofocus so that you have more room to focus on what you want to see and nothing else. That's where your shots become unique and stand out from the usual sundown photos.
You should test shoot for only ten minutes after sundown and not before. Of course, the pictures won’t be as good as you'd expect, but remember, they are only test shots to get your camera ready and to check on your composition and settings.
Get Your White Balance Going
Since most of you probably use the JPEG mode to shoot pictures, white balance is key to a good landscape photograph (it's not necessary if you're shooting in RAW). Use your camera’s LCD screen to judge colors and contrast. At this point, some photographers drop their white balance to 2,800 degrees K, even if only to increase the saturation of blue tones. Then again, that is largely subjective. You need to do what suits you best, but the white balance will significantly change the way you take your pictures. You should then take a few more test shots to see if you’ve picked an appropriate white balance and exposure. Keep taking pictures until you've found your sweet spot!
Keep Clicking
Now, your test shots are over and you're ready for the real thing. Here again, you need to keep taking pictures, because you never know what you might end up with. You should start between 20 and 25 minutes after sundown. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but in most cases, a half hour window is all you need to get your twilight pictures singing and dancing! You should continuously tweak your exposure time and keep clicking away to capture the fleeting moment in which you could treasure for life. My advice is to keep shooting even when things appear to be dull and monotonous. Why, you ask? Well, the cycle can be quite unpredictable. Something that's dull one minute could turn into the most spectacular image, so you have to keep clicking!
Patience is Key
At the end of the day, twilight photography requires a lot of patience, because you're shooting nature, which is something you can’t control. The best way to cope with that is to keep clicking, keep changing settings and continue shooting until at least one hour has passed after sundown. Once you decide there’s nothing more to it and you don’t have the energy to carry on, you should pack up your bags and call it a day.
And Finally...
After you transfer all of your pictures to your computer, you shouldn't delete the images that appear dull at first sight. If you give it some time, you may find that some of the images have a certain quality that makes them unique. That’s the magic of twilight photography!
With Windows Vista's popularity still on the low side, Microsoft is trying anything they can think of to boost their new operating system's sales. Unfortunately, they have found one method that most of us will have a hard time accepting. On June 31, 2008, Microsoft will basically "kill off" their famous operating system of Windows XP, taking it off the market all together.
This fate was expected, since XP was originally released in 2001, but with the push of Vista, the loss will be even harder on Windows users. Windows XP users can still continue to run the operating system for as long as they want, but product support from Microsoft will end on April 14, 2009. That's also when it will become even harder to buy the XP operating system.
So, why would Microsoft remove Windows XP from the market? Well, like most software corporations, Microsoft is out to make a profit, while also providing the newest and most up to date software to their customers. Since Vista is their latest version of Windows, they are trying to make it the most popular operating system on the market. Therefore, they are removing the older versions of Windows from the market to make more room for Vista.
Also, larger enterprises have been slow in transitioning their computer systems from Windows XP to Windows Vista. Microsoft hopes that by removing Windows XP, those larger organizations will finally make the move over to Vista.
For those of you who are looking at buying a new computer and want Windows XP installed on it, you'll want to grab a copy before June 2008. Just giving you a heads up!
Judging by today's question, it's safe to say that you don't consistently monitor your CPU usage. Am I right? If you don't, it's not the end of the world, but it is a good idea to keep an eye on it every once in awhile. What do I mean by CPU usage? Well, it's basically the percentage of your computer system (programs, other applications, etc.) that's being used at any given time. Let's check it out!
If you use several programs on your computer at once, your usage may be a little higher than when you're not doing anything. Either way though, there is usually some part of your system that is filled up. Even when you're not using any programs, there will still be a small percentage gone due to the antivirus, firewall, spyware, etc. programs you have running in the background. It's nothing to worry about, but it's good to keep all of that in mind just in case.
To see how much of your CPU is being used at any given time, you just need to open the Task Manager. The easiest way to do that is to hit Ctrl + Alt + Del (all at the same time). It will then pop right up on your screen. Now, the percentage number is under the Processes tab and it's located toward the bottom, labeled CPU Usage. You can watch it fluctuate back and forth between the percentages if you want as well. That way, you know exactly how much is being used at all times.
While you're in the Task Manager, you can also look at some performance and networking numbers if you're interested in that. Again, it's always a good idea to keep your eye on these things, so go to it!
As you can see from this tip's title, I have even more exciting new release information for you today! Yesterday, I told you about the new Firefox 2.0.0.13 and along with that, there's a brand new SeaMonkey version as well. That's right, on March 25, 2008, SeaMonkey 1.1.9 was released and it is now available for download. The updated version fixes all kinds of security issues, so if you haven't gotten it for yourself yet, I would recommend you do so soon. Keep reading for all the important details!
SeaMonkey 1.1.9 closes out several security vulnerabilities and a few other small problems that were found in previous versions. You can see a complete list of the changes on this Web site. After you go through the list, you may recognize that a lot of the issues are very similar to what was updated in Firefox last week as well. The Mozilla company and SeaMonkey are "siblings," so they try to stay on the same security level with each other. So, basically, if you use both Firefox and SeaMonkey, you're good to go!
Like I said before, the new version of the all-in-one Internet suite can be downloaded at any time, but I urge you to get it as soon as possible. Otherwise, you're putting yourself and your computer in harm's way. You can download SeaMonkey 1.1.9 right here. Once you get there, simply click on the operating system you use and then follow the directions. It's a quick download, so you'll be up and running in no time. Enjoy it!
