Monday, June 07, 2010

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing Tricks [Lifehacker Top 10]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5555512/top-10-photo-fixing-and-image-editing-tricks

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksYou probably know what Photoshop disasters look like, but your photos can benefit from more subtle and elegant touch-ups. With these tools and techniques, you can sharpen, texturize, re-contextualize, and remove tourists, among other problems, from your shots worth saving.

Photo by Jase The Bass.

10. Create Your Own Bokeh

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksBokeh is a cute name for something you've noticed before, but probably never really pinned down—the gauzy, creamy light points that appear behind the subject that's in drastic focus in a picture. Photo site DIY Photography explains how to harness and control bokeh effects, using a photo lens like a 50mm F/1.8 and creating a small lens cover with just the right kind of hole cut out. Lacking for the right kind of digital lens? The Photojojo blog details an analog-to-digital lens adaptation, perfect for garage sale and eBay finds. (Original posts: Bokeh, DSLR lenses).

9. Make Pop Art from Your Photos

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksSome shots have great subjects, angles, or scenes, but just can't be saved from bad lighting or other mistakes. When that's the case, your saving grace can be Photoshop guru Melissa Clifton's pop-art-style fixes. She's shown us how to Andy-Warhol-Up photos, as well as make zoomed-in-comic-style, Roy-Lichtenstein-inspired pop art from photos both good and bad. If you're not a Photoshop lover, or even owner, you can arrive at a similar bad-shot-as-art result by using Rollip to Polaroid-ize your photo, or use the Poladroid desktop software. (Original posts: Warhol, Lichtenstein, Rollip, Poladroid).

8. Convert to Black and White the Right Way

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksIt's easy to turn a color image into black and white on a computer, and sometimes that's enough to rescue high-grain, fuzzy shots, like concert photos. Before you hit the switch, though, take Helen Bradley's advice on black-and-white conversion, which can make your shot actually suit the specific strengths of grayscale coloring. Got a specific subject to highlight? Try adding a dash of color to give your shot unique appeal. (Original posts: concerts, conversions, color in b&w).

7. De-Pixelize Graphics and Small Photos

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksResizing images is grunt work enough—having to deal with pixelated results is just torture. Free webapp VectorMagic can make your graphic-style images into vector art that scales clean and smooth as it's sized up and down. It works better with clean line drawings and small, icon-like photos than full-size shots, but if you can tolerate some loss of detail, it's a lifesaver. (Original post).

6. Make Photos Look Like Miniatures with Tilt-Shift Tools

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksWith tilt-shift photography, you can put being 50 rows back from the action to your advantage. A professional lens can run upwards of $1,200 for a very single-use tool, so try some DIY solutions. MAKE shows us a DIY lens that looks like it's made from, of all things, a plunger. There are also two web-based software tilt-shift solutions: Tiltshift Maker and TiltShift—we prefer the latter for its options and control, but the mostly automated Tiltshift Maker also gets the job done in simple fashion. (Original posts: DIY lens, TiltShiftMaker, TiltShift)

5. Use Textures to Liven Up Flat Images

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksFor whatever reason, perfectly fine photos can lack definition. Sometimes it's tricks of light and lens, and sometimes it's because Cousin Jeff wore a sweater that just turns out like a blob. Try adding textures to a photo with layering techniques. A scanned sheet of white paper, for example, saved an otherwise washed-out photo in Digital Photography School's example. It's not a save-all, and definitely has potential for abuse, but it's a nice saving grace to have in your mental back pocket. (Original post).

4. Create Stunning and Realistic HDR Photos

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksHigh dynamic range photos are a world unto themselves, and difficult to pin down in a few sentences. A noble attempt: they make your brights brighter and darks darker, and give a more realistic look to photos. We've previously pointed to a few good guides to shooting and editing in HDR fashion: the Backing Winds' beginner's Photoshop tutorial, Gizmodo's guide to realistic HDR, and a Flickr set by Leviathor that shows how unrealistic HDR can look, if you're not careful with how you combine images. (Original posts: Photoshop, Gizmodo guide, surreal vs. real sets).

3. Sharpen Images the Smart Way

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksAs we learned the hard way, giving your images a crisper look requires more than just leaning on the "Unsharp Mask" crutch every time. It does have its uses, though, especially if done the right way. But there's also a more fine-tuned way to sharpen your images, as Cameron Moll explains in a blog post. (Original posts: Unsharp mask, Smart Sharpen).

2. Remove People from Otherwise Perfect Shots

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksStupid vacationers! Always standing and gawking at the same thing you're trying to capture just perfectly! There are ways around the herd's tendency to wander into your shots. For one, take a whole bunch of images from the same position, with the same settings, and use Photoshop's statistics and stacks tools to remove the people, almost entirely, from your shot. Online tool Tourist Remover does a similar task after you upload multiple photos. No luck with automated filtering? Try removing the background entirely and grabbing what you can from your perfect shot. (Original posts: people-free, Tourist Remover, backgrounds).

1. Craft Panoramas from Regular Shots

Top 10 Photo Fixing and Image Editing TricksThere's nothing wrong with your run-of-the-mill digicam, but when you want to capture the sweep and scope of a big scene, its small lens can't quite tackle the job. Don't give up, though—switch to manual settings, take a series of shots, and stitch together a panorama with free software. Our own guide relies on the very adaptable and customizable Hugin software, but we've previously pointed at a few good packages for different levels of automation and customization: AutoStitch for the click-and-go method, You Suck at Photoshop's PhotoMerge tutorial for the PS-loving set, and Microsoft's powerful Image Composite Editor for another alternative. (Original posts: AutoStitch, Photomerge, Composite Editor)


What image edits or Photoshop tricks are a regular part of your photo-fixing repertoire? What editing techniques would you like to see covered or explained in the future? We're all ears in the comments.

Read More...

PrivacyDefender Sets Facebook Privacy Settings in Two Clicks [Privacy]

Source: http://lifehacker.com/5556681/privacydefender-sets-facebook-privacy-settings-in-two-clicks

PrivacyDefender Sets Facebook Privacy Settings in Two ClicksYou may be sick of hearing about the Facebook Privacy debacle, but your friends and family may still be in the dark. PrivacyDefender is a Facebook application that shows privacy settings in easy-to-read chart form, and provides three predefined settings to use.

Click on the screenshot for a larger view.

PrivacyDefender uses a bookmarklet and Facebook application to put your privacy settings into a really easy to understand chart, so those that still find it too complicated to go and edit them may have a chance to easily restore their privacy. It also offers three different popular groups of settings for different levels of privacy. You can change your settings right from the chart with just two clicks and be done with it.

The app only works in some browsers, and even then it seems like sometimes it doesn't quite render the way it's supposed to (see the screenshot above, which is the best I could get this morning). As long as you run it in Firefox or IE on Windows (it doesn't seem to work on OS X), though, it will certainly be adequate for those that need a little help understanding the privacy settings. We wouldn't recommend it for more veteran users, since it doesn't allow a lot of customization, but if you know what you're doing you've probably been setting your settings yourself for years now—so we're not really worried about you. Hit the link to check out the app.

Read More...

iPhone OS Still Triples Android's Market Share [Data]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5556346/iphone-os-triples-androids-market-share-for-now

iPhone OS Still Triples Android's Market ShareNielsen's new "iPhone vs. Android" report offers up the latest numbers in the big mobile battle: Both platforms have loyal users, but Apple's still on top by a long shot.

They don't come as much of a surprise, but with all the talk of Android's surging popularity and explosive app growth, Nielsen's numbers do serve as a reminder that Apple still has a comfortable lead. Versus Android, that is—nationally, the iPhone's still in second place, with a 28% market share compared to RIM's 35% (Android has 9%; Windows Mobile has 19%).

But it will be interesting to see how things shake out over the course of the year. With the new iPhone dropping in a matter of weeks, prospective smart phone buyers (23% of U.S. mobile customers now have them) will be faced with the choice of hopping on the Apple wagon or exploring the multitude of Android options. As Matt noted in his Froyo review, Android is as polished as it's ever been and is likely to improve even more in coming months. And while it's hard to top the iPhone hype machine, reception to early versions of iPhone OS 4 hasn't exactly been rapturous.

iPhone OS Still Triples Android's Market Share

Another Nielsen graph shows that both platforms enjoy loyal users—80% of iPhone users want another iPhone; 70% of Android users want another Android phone—with Android's group slightly more curious about the iPhone than the other way around. But in my experience, it seems like things are trending to the opposite. With Android's app offerings increasingly matching up with the iPhone's, I'm seeing more and more people considering Android a viable option for themselves, as well as one they can recommend to others.

Though still on top, Blackberry's loyalty is only 47%, and as current Bold owner, I'm definitely of the 53% that's planning on jumping ship when it comes time to buy my next phone. I'm just not sure what ship I want to jump into. [Nielsen via CNET]

Read More...

November Delay Could Doom Notion Ink Adam Tablet [Notion Ink Adam]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5556551/november-delay-could-doom-notion-ink-adam-tablet

November Delay Could Doom Notion Ink Adam TabletAs the tablet market gets even more crowded and competitive (read: Did you see Computex this year?), any delay could effectively end a company's chance at making that all-important first impression. Notion Ink Adam was just delayed until November. Updated.

It's really too bad. The Notion Ink Adam looked impressive in demos and hands-on experiences, the specs weren't too shabby, nor was the Pixel Qi reflexive screen. The back-mounted trackpad was a cool touch as well, rounding out what could have easily been a strong contender in the segment.

Unfortunately, fate's a fickle thing, and a number of outside issues, including Tegra 2 hardware issues, Flash compatibility snafus, and "shareholder meddling" have derailed the planned July launch, reports CrunchGear this weekend.

Worse still, a November launch means the Notion Ink Adam will arrive alongside all these other tablets, the iPhone 4G (presumably already out and going strong) and Chrome OS. Oops. Again, fate, man. So fickle.

Update: New information at Slashgear would seem to indicate the delay is only for "select countries." Specifics on what that meant were dubiously not given, although the picture may not be as dire for the tablet as it was earlier this morning. [Best Tablet Review via CrunchGear]

Read More...

Motorola Milestone XT720 Has 8MP Camera With Xenon Flash [Android]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/5556952/motorola-milestone-xt720-has-8mp-camera-with-xenon-flash

Motorola Milestone XT720 Has 8MP Camera With Xenon FlashInitially announced for South Korea, Motorola's XT720 has been announced for Europe under the Milestone brand—which follows the rebadged Droid which launched last year. It's got an 8MP camera, and is the first Android with a Xenon flash.

It'll be running Android 2.1 without MOTOBLUR, and will go on sale in Europe this quarter, and if the demand is there it'll launch in the US later. You may've clocked by the photos here that it's that phone that leaked earlier in the year with the massive tumor on the right-side.

Specs include a 1390 mAh battery, that 8MP camera with Xenon flash, 10x digital zoom, auto focus and smile and face detection. It shoots video in 720p, and has Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS. There's also a mini HDMI port for connecting to TVs.

The screen is a 3.7-inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen with 480 X 854 resolution, and there's just 512MB ROM though it comes with an 8GB microSD card. It weighs 160 grams, and measures 60.9 x 115.95 x 10.9mm.

All in all, it's not a bad Android device, with a pretty decent-sounding camera. Perhaps most notable is that it'll ship without MOTOBLUR, with Motorola's Marketing Director Tom Satchwell commenting that "we chose to focus on power-users" when asked about the lack of MOTOBLUR. [Motorola]

Read More...

ASUS Eee PC 1015T strolls into Computex with AMD V105... we think

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/06/asus-eee-pc-1015t-strolls-into-computex-with-amd-v105-we-thin/

So, here's the thing -- there's no denying that the Eee PC 1015T, based on model name alone, is brand new and heretofore unknown. But what's really under the hood? As the story goes, this here machine was spotted lurking in the rear of ASUS' Computex booth, complete with a placard that informed us of its 10.1-inch glossy display (1,024 x 600), AMD V105 processor, an ATI Radeon HD 4200 series GPU, room for 4GB of DDR3 memory, 250/320/500GB hard drive, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, optional Bluetooth 3.0, a 6-cell battery and a few color options. But strangely enough, it seems as if the hard drive had been completely wiped, with only a brief boot-up screen informing us that this machine was an engineering release meant not for public use, and that NVIDIA parts were within. Hmm. In all honesty, we're guessing that ASUS simply had to rush this particular unit out to make it before the show's start, but we wouldn't go placing bets either way -- for all we know, the final version will get outfitted with a Core i5, Ion 2, inbuilt WiMAX and a Vmedia drive. Yeah, a Vmedia drive.

Continue reading ASUS Eee PC 1015T strolls into Computex with AMD V105... we think

ASUS Eee PC 1015T strolls into Computex with AMD V105... we think originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 08:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNetbook News  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

HTC HD Mini review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/06/htc-hd-mini-review/

We had to exercise our neglected patience muscle with this one, but at long last we've gotten ahold of a real live HD Mini and put it through its paces. Equipped with the same processor, screen size and resolution as HTC's Legend, but running the HD2's Windows Mobile 6.5.3 under a WinMo-specific Sense skin, the Mini is in many ways an amalgamation of its two better known cousins. You'll no doubt be aware that we weren't too displeased by either of those handsets, so what you must be wondering now is whether or not splicing them into one eminently pocketable package delivers an equally compelling device. Read on to find out.

Continue reading HTC HD Mini review< /p>

HTC HD Mini review originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 14:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Yep, the iPhone runs Android 2.2, too

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/06/yep-the-iphone-runs-android-2-2-too/

Sure, we might be seeing some big changes to the iPhone tomorrow, but what if you could see some big changes on your very own iPhone, today? Well, you can if you're brave enough to try installing Android on your iPhone, which we've seen done before, but not with Android 2.2 (otherwise more deliciously known as Froyo). Still not convinced that such a thing is possible? Then head on past the break for the video evidence, and hit up the link below for the complete, not-for-the-faint-of-heart instructions for performing the feat yourself.

P.S. Of course, "runs" isn't exactly the same as "runs well." The iPhone in the video apparently got noticeably hot after five minutes of use, and there's some issues with Android not recognizing little things like WiFi or the phone's GPU.

Continue reading Yep, the iPhone runs Android 2.2, too

Yep, the iPhone runs Android 2.2, too originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGadgets DNA  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Palm Pixi Plus now available on AT&T

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/06/palm-pixi-plus-now-available-on-atandt/

We knew it was coming, and here it is: you can now grab up a Palm Pixi Plus on AT&T. The tiny QWERTY webOS device will run you $49.99 with a new two year contract after rebates. Overall, it's pretty much the same beast as the classic Pixi, but check out our hands-on of the Plus, and our full review of the little dear if you need a refresher.

Palm Pixi Plus now available on AT&T originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mobile Burn  |  sourceAT&T  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Sharp's 30-screen display features world's thinnest bezel separation (video)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/sharps-30-screen-display-features-worlds-thinnest-bezel-separa/

We've all been impressed by multsicreen setups before. Thing is, the bezel dividing the displays is always a distraction to the overall effect. Sharp's new LED backlit PN-V601 60-inch LCD monitor hopes to resolve this a bit with a 2.4-mm bezel width on the right-side and bottom and 4.1-mm bezel along the left-side and top. The result is a meager 6.5mm display separation when inserted into a 5x6 matrix of 30 adjoining LCDs as demonstrated above at the product launch. Check the impressive results in the video after the break, it's a little like watching the opening scene of The Dark Knight through razor-thin chickenwire. Ok, not really, but it's worth a look anyway.

Continue reading Sharp's 30-screen display features world's thinnest bezel separation (video)

Sharp's 30-screen display features world's thinnest bezel separation (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 02:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Akihabara News  |  sourceSharp  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Samsung Galaxy Tab comes in three sizes, ships this fall?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/samsung-galaxy-tab-comes-in-three-sizes-ships-this-fall/

In the left corner, the 4-inch Samsung Galaxy S smartphone. In the right, the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab. Not pictured: the tablets that will dwarf both. According to a South Korean newspaper, the Galaxy Tab is only one of three touchscreen tablet devices Sammy's got planned: while the 7-inch model is slated for August, 8-inch and 10-inch varieties are rumored to appear in November and December respectively. Though the "high-ranking industry official" who informed the publication sadly failed to mention a price, he or she did add that the devices will launch with SK Telecom -- the second time we've heard that -- meaning if any of this is true, they've almost certainly got cellular modems inside. All we need now is some official confirmation, and perhaps a nice, binding promise of OTA Froyo.

Samsung Galaxy Tab comes in three sizes, ships this fall? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 02:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Arena  |  sourceKorea Herald  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Pandigital Novel goes on sale, hopes you'll take a look

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/pandigital-novel-goes-on-sale-hopes-youll-take-a-look/

It may not be the color e-reader that turns Amazon's Kindle and the B&N Nook into relics, but Pandigital's Novel is actually one of the more interesting me-toos to surface. Boasting a 7-inch LCD, 1GB of storage space (not to mention an SD / MMC card slot), integrated WiFi and access to the Barnes & Noble eBookstore, the Novel is now on sale in at least a couple of places. If we were you, though, we'd probably opt for that Kohl's link -- you know, unless you just enjoy paying $50 over the $199.99 MSRP.

Pandigital Novel goes on sale, hopes you'll take a look originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceKohl's, JCPenny  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Toshiba Dynabook TX/98MBL is first to play Blu-ray 3D content

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/toshiba-dynabook-tx-98mbl-is-first-to-play-blu-ray-3d-content/

Ah industry firsts, a chance to grab the spotlight before the world grabs hold of your coattails. Toshiba's Dynabook TX/98MBL claims to be the industry's first laptop to play back 3D content in Blu-ray format when it ships at the end of July in Japan. The 15.6-inch laptop with LED backlit 120Hz panel (60Hz to each eye when viewed through active shutter glasses) pushing 1,366 x 768 pixels utilizes WinDVD BD to playback the Blu-ray 3D format with some help from NVIDIA's 3D Vision software and GeForce GTS 350M hardware with 1GB of dedicate video RAM. Inside you'll find a Core i7-740QM processor, 640GB of hard disk, up to 4GB of memory, a Blu-ray disc drive of course, and harman/kardon stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio to help make the most out of 3D gaming. Price is not listed but it's expected to list for about ¥250,000 (about $2,700). What, you do want 3D on your 15-inch laptops don't you?

Toshiba Dynabook TX/98MBL is first to play Blu-ray 3D content originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 03:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Impress  |  sourceToshiba  | Email this | Comments

Read More...

Motorola Milestone XT720 announced: 8 megapixel cam, 720p video, and Droid heritage

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/motorola-milestone-xt720-announced-8-megapixel-cam-720p-video/

Motorola has just outed a Europe-bound Milestrone XT720, a handset intended to grab the attention of camera lovers with an 8 megapixel sensor, 720p / 24fps video and -- a first for Android handsets -- a xenon flash. Speaking of Android, this will come loaded up with version 2.1 when it launches later this month. Plans for 2.2 upgrades are, as usual, not yet formalized and not under discussion. Other specs include a 3.7-inch, 480 x 854 screen, a 550MHz ARM Cortex A8 CPU, and a promised 9 hours of talk time and 320 hours of standby time. It looks very much like Moto's selection of Droid-esque handsets that have been prowling the Chinese market, and it seems the company has enjoyed success with the keyboard-less form factor and is pushing it out to Europe. US release plans are also not being discussed -- it might happen and it might not, seems to us like it'll depend on the Euros' reaction. We're just getting to grips with the handset right now, and will furnish you with video of it as soon as we can.

P.S. We're told this handset is closer to the Motoroi than anything else, Motorola describes them as sister devices. We also spotted a network update from Orange on the demo handset, implicating a possible carrier for the XT720 in the UK.

Update: We've now got Motorola's full press release plus a promo video after the break, as well as a comparison gallery between this new handset and the original Milestone in the second gallery below.

Continue reading Motorola Milestone XT720 announced: 8 megapixel cam, 720p video, and Droid heritage

Motorola Milestone XT720 announced: 8 megapixel cam, 720p video, and Droid heritage originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Read More...

HP teams with Google to give connected printers their own email address

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/07/hp-teams-with-google-to-give-connected-printers-their-own-email/

We get the feeling that there will be lots more details on this whole announcement during Hewlett-Packard's forthcoming press event, but for now, all we know is that HP's next generation of web connected printers will have something that no other consumer printer has had before: an email address to call their own. As the need for printing declines with the broadening availability of cloud access, HP is having to rethink its strategy in the business. According to a report over at the New York Times, the answer lies in giving each new connected printer a dedicated email addy, which would enable users to fire off an image snapped on their smartphone and have it waiting for them when they get back home. We're also told that printing from Google Documents and Spreadsheets will be easy enough, and we wouldn't be shocked to see Picasa integration as well. We're guessing that the new devices will have a robust security suite that'll filter who can and can't dictate the print function via email (but then again, HP does enjoy moving ink), and considering that they'll be priced from $99 to $400, just about everyone will be able to buy in. Conveniently missing from the story? Any mention whatsoever of webOS. Bollocks.

HP! teams w ith Google to give connected printers their own email address originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jun 2010 05:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNew York Times  | Email this | Comments

Read More...