Dr. Augustine Fou's Online Scrapbook

Saturday, December 05, 2009

How do you calculate ROI when the cost of advertising was zero? http://bit.ly/Lan2y

StylePix Image Editor Packs a Big Punch In a Little Package [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Ip5ZdXjZqFE/stylepix-image-editor-packs-a-big-punch-in-a-little-package

Windows: Labor-intensive image editing jobs need heavy-hitting applications to get the job done. If you're just looking for a lightweight tool to slap on a netbook or thumb drive for quick photo editing, StylePix might be just what you need.

StylePix image editor has plenty of bells and whistles to help you easily manage and edit your photos, no matter what your level of experience. It supports all major image formats, including .png, .tif, .gif, .bmp, and more. Zoom in and out, adjust colors and hues, batch process, and, transform your pictures in loads of different ways.

Use the included drawing tools to erase, spray, brush, and add shapes to your pictures, or use one of the image filters to morph, sharpen, or blur it. StylePix can lighten or darken your image, and even remove red-eye and dust.

StylePix a terrific little app that offers a lot of editing options but doesn't take a degree in computer science to work with. Weighing in at only 20 MB, its small footprint makes it an ideal portable tool to take with you on the go.

StylePix is a free app that works on Windows XP or higher. If you're looking for a similar tool, don't forget to check out one of our favorite Photoshop alternatives, Paint.NET.

StylePix

Google Does Its Own Dictionary Definitions [Search]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/8i8A4H6AoOw/google-does-its-own-dictionary-definitions

Google used to offer up an automatic definition from sources like Dictionary.com or Answers.com. Now there's a little blue "definition" link on the right side of any word or phrase search, offering Google's own homebrew definition answers.

You'll still see answers from Answers.com and other sources high up in the search results, of course, but Google's own definition link lays out a word's definition in traditional dictionary style, with usages, phonetic breakdowns, and multiple snippets from other web definitions. There's also a link for "Starred words," but I couldn't find a way to actually star the word you're currently looking at.

Is Google your good-enough dictionary these days, or do you find yourself liking the service of sites like Dictionary.com?

Google Replaces Answers.com with Google Dictionary [Google Operating System]

NatGeo Downloader Grabs National Geographic Wallpapers Without Command-Line Hassle [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/rzIgxEgHltc/natgeo-downloader-grabs-national-geographic-wallpapers-without-command+line-hassle

Windows: Earlier this week we highlighted how to download National Geographic's stunning desktop wallpapers in one fell swoop. That method required some command-line work and didn't grab 2007 images; NatGeo Wallpaper Downloader snags every 2007, 2008, and 2009 wallpaper with point-and-click ease.

Just download the app, point it toward the folder you want to download those wallpapers to, and let 'er rip. NatGeo Wallpaper Downloader is entirely portable, so you don't need to install anything to use it and you can easily pop it on your thumb drive to give the gift of awesome wallpapers everywhere you go this holiday season.

NatGeo Wallpaper Downloader is a free Windows download. If you're on Linux or OS X, the previously mentioned method should get you there (minus the 2007 images) with a little more legwork.

NatGeo Wallpaper Downloader (Download page) [via Life Rocks 2.0]

Keep Flash Videos in Full Screen on Dual Monitors [Annoyances]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/I9_0UfCz0QQ/keep-flash-videos-in-full-screen-on-dual-monitors

Flash videos, like those on Hulu or YouTube, don't stay full screen if you click outside the video—say, if you're doing work on a second monitor. Kind of annoying, right? A quick system file swap, however, fixes this problem easily.

Photo by Steve Lacey.

Many dual monitor enthusiasts love to watch movies or television shows on their second monitor, but if those are web-based videos, Flash has to rain on our parade. Sure you can make the Hulu video go full screen on your second monitor, but as soon as you try to work on your other monitor, Flash will lose its full-screen view. Thankfully, blogger/browser patcher d.i.z. has made a one byte change to the Flash plug-in that will keep videos running full screen, even if you click outside them—and he's made it available for download (sadly, this tweak only works on Windows machines).

All you need to do is grab d.i.z.'s modified npswf32.dll file and replace the one located in C:\Windows\system32\Macromed\Flash\ or C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Macromed\Flash\ folder on Windows 7 64-bit (though we recommend you backup the original file just in case). After a restart of your browser, all your Flash videos should exhibit the new behavior (i.e., you should be able to multi-task without losing full-screen playback). You can still exit full screen mode by hitting the escape key or using the Flash player's full screen button, of course.

Watch fullscreen flash while working on another screen [via MakeUseOf]

Your Next Google Search Is Going to Freak You Out [Google]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/rahgCvW6AXM/your-next-google-search-is-going-to-freak-you-out

The next time you Google something, if the search results seem a little too good, a little too personal, it's because they are.

While Google's always delivered customized search results to people logged into their Google account—that is, search results tailored to you, based on your web history (yes, even outside of Google, like Gizmodo), past searches and previous results you've clicked on—it's now going to be doing that for everybody. Even if you're not logged in, you're going to get personalized results and yes, more targeted ads, based on past searches, tracked by an anonymous cookie that stays on your computer for 180 days. (BTW, it's not like Google's just started keeping track of your searches, it's just now Google's using that info more directly, that's all.)

You can turn it off here, though I'm guessing that won't turn off the dirty feeling you've got right now.

[Google via Bits]

Friday, December 04, 2009

I'm so PassÃ© That I Don't Know 95% of These Social Networking Sites [Timeline]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/jmVqqQDG8t0/im-so-passe-that-i-dont-know-95-of-these-social-networking-sites

I met my first serious girlfriend after my first divorce—yes, there are more of both—through a proto-Facebook created at Google. It was 2004, and it's name was Orkut. But social networks go back to 1995.

Click to zoom in

It all started with Classmates.com, which apparently has 50,000,000 users now. On the top of the pyramid is Facebook and its 300 million users, followed by MySpace's 263 million. In the middle you have a huge constellation of sites, most of which I just can't recognize. Trombi? Vampirefreaks? Bigadda? Cafemom? Geni? Itsmy? Qzone? Xanga?

Please, stop saying words. [Focus—Thanks David Keyes]

Intel's High-End Larrabee Graphics Card Won't Be Released Anytime Soon [Intel]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/UgeMxEk0P4Y/intels-high+end-larrabee-graphics-card-wont-be-released-anytime-soon

Intel just told us that its first Larrabee graphics card isn't ever coming out "as standalone discrete product," because they're behind where they'd hoped to be in development, meaning you won't be shoving one inside of your PC anytime soon.

And you have to figure that's pretty far behind, since the Larrabee launch timeframe was 2009/2010. The only way you'll be able to touch Larrabee now is as a development platform for graphics engines or high-performance computing, in order to develop for future Intel products.

Intel says they're going to announce new plans for discrete cards some time in 2010—mayyybe CES, where we talked to former Intel Chairman Craig Barrett about Larrabee last year? But, more likely at the Intel Developer Forum later in the year. [Intel]

Android 2.1-equipped Motorola Sholes tablet spied in China as XT701?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/03/android-2-1-equiped-motorola-sholes-tablet-spied-in-china-as-xt7/

No sooner do we get brief corner glimpses of the supposed Motorola Sholes tablet do we get tipped off to this writeup from Androidin.net which has a number of pictures of an eerily similar keyboard-less handset with a 3.7-inch screen, Android 2.1, FM radio, and interestingly enough, only a 5 megapixel camera -- last we heard it was going to be 8. Also debatable is a HDMI port, since the image that would show it is a tad too blurry. Otherwise, it seems to be about in line with what we expected, and it also seems destined for China Unicom as the XT701 (analogous to China Mobile's Motorola Android device). Now how about a few dashes of hope we'll see this stateside, eh Moto? Two more shots after the break.

[Thanks, yee]

Continue reading Android 2.1-equipped Motorola Sholes tablet spied in China as XT701?

Android 2.1-equipped Motorola Sholes tablet spied in China as XT701? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Asus Eee Box EB1501 gets unBoxed

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/asus-eee-box-eb1501-gets-unboxed/

With that fancy disc drive, NVIDIA Ion under the hood, and considerable aesthetic improvements, the Eee Box EB1501 has seemingly little to do with the Asus Eee Box of yore. So, is it as stunning in person as it is on paper? The folks at Blogeee.net have unwrapped the thing and stood it on its fancy metal stand, and they seem to be digging it -- of course, their impressions are written in French, so we can never be entirely sure. Now if only Asus could work in an internal Blu-ray drive we'd be set! Hands-on video is after the break.

Continue reading Asus Eee Box EB1501 gets unBoxed

Asus Eee Box EB1501 gets unBoxed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Atom N450 netbook torrent undammed on January 11 next year?

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/atom-n450-netbook-torrent-undammed-on-january-11-next-year/

Well, well, here's something to spice up that upcoming post-CES malaise. The second Monday of the first January of the 2010th year of the Gregorian calendar seems set to be the day Atom-powered netbook lovers have been waiting for. DigiTimes today reports that the long (much too long) awaited move to the Pine Trail platform is set to go off with a pretty major bang of vendor support come next month. Acer, ASUS, Lenovo, and MSI are all said to have lined up their N450 wares -- we know that for a fact with Lenovo -- and are now awaiting Lord Intel's predetermined date to start shipping. We're also hearing the even faster N470 chip will start making the rounds in March 2010, meaning that the first quarter of next year will see more netbook innovation than the last year and a half combined.

Atom N450 netbook torrent undammed on January 11 next year? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ASUS Eee PC 1201N Ion-based Seashell ready for $500 Amazon pre-order

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/asus-eee-pc-seashell-1201n-ion-based-ready-for-500-amazon-pre-o/

It's a bit later than the mid-December target heard previously, but ASUS' 12-inch Ion-packing Eee PC 1201N is up for pre-order with an anticipated January 15 release. A penny short of $500 takes home a dual-core N330 processor clocking 1.6GHz on the Atomic clock, 2GB of DDR2 memory with room to expand to 8GB, a 250GB 5,400 RPM hard disk, Bluetooth, 802.11n WiFi, webcam, and fancy new 32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium OS -- none of that Starter Edition netbook nonsense. Here's the rub: are you really going to pull the trigger for a legacy Diamondville-class Atom lappie now knowing that the big CES event in January will likely be flooded with Intel's latest Pineview-class machines sporting new N450 Atom processors, of which, at least a few will offer HD video acceleration? Pre-order now if you want but we'd wait until January 11th to see what might get announced.

[Thanks, Luke F.]

Update: We've been in touch with ASUS' UK team and can confirm that Blighty will be getting its chance at Ion-infused nirvana at a similar time, "mid-January" they say, and at the slightly higher price of £399 ($663).

ASUS Eee PC 1201N Ion-based Seashell ready for $500 Amazon pre-order originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus E-600 reviewed, lives up to its billing as a top-notch entry-level DSLR

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/olympus-e-600-reviewed-lives-up-to-its-billing-as-a-top-notch-e/

We were hoping for good things when the E-600 was announced back in August, and it looks like those expectations will be met. The camera is now shipping and has been put through its paces by Photography Blog, scoring very highly thanks to its great performance and a feature set only slightly cropped when compared to the already value-packing E-620, but at a price that makes it $100 more likely to fit in your budget. It's a lot of camera for an MSRP of $599, but surely you'll be finding it for a bit less than that soon enough.

Olympus E-600 reviewed, lives up to its billing as a top-notch entry-level DSLR originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SmartSynch intros GridRouter for smart meters and the electric companies that love them

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/smartsynch-intros-gridrouter-for-smart-meters-and-the-electric-c/

The last time we heard from SmartSynch it had inked a deal with AT&T to provide communications between its smart energy products and power companies. Now the company's back with a little something called the GridRouter, an IP-based device based that connects appliances, smart grids, and utilities -- no matter which communication protocol is used. The device is built on an open platform since the current grid is a mish-mash (or a hodge-podge, if you will) of proprietary hardware and software, and includes WiMax and Wi-Fi capabilities. Sounds like it just might be the thing for utilities struggling to catch up to the 21st century smarter energy revolution -- and those of you who are really, really into Google's PowerMeter beta. Want to give it a spin? Hit the source link to get in touch with the company. PR after the break.

Continue reading SmartSynch intros GridRouter for smart meters and the electric companies that love them

SmartSynch intros GridRouter for smart meters and the electric companies that love them originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia Booklet 3G review

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2009/12/04/nokia-booklet-3g-review/

You might think MikroMikko is the name of some Asian fusion restaurant, but it was actually Nokia's first computer line -- and in 1987, the MikroMikko 3 was a state-of-the-art MS-DOS machine with 1MB of RAM and 20MB drive. It's been about 25 years since Nokia's made a computer bigger than an N900, but it's back in the game with its first netbook, the Booklet 3G. Nokia's pitching the Booklet as a top-of-the-line machine with an all-aluminum chassis, integrated connectivity and GPS apps, and at $599 it's certainly priced that way -- although inside it's got a low-power Atom processor and 4,200rpm hard drive. The Booklet 3G is one of the best-looking netbooks out there, but is Nokia's entry back into the market a winner? Click on to find out what we think of the entire system in our full review.

Gallery: Nokia Booklet 3G Review