XYDO.COM: Photography

Someone Is Building the Batboat [Ships]

If Batman had to use a Batboat in the last part of the Dark Knight trilogy, this would be it. Heck, if you told me this was a stealth speedboat for the US Navy, I would believe you. More »

Stunning Image of US Navy Nuclear Supercarrier Skidding Like Crazy Over the Atlantic [Image Cache]

This photo of aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman is incredible—and it looks like a lot of fun too. I imagine the helmsman pushing the rudder and whispering "wowwheeeee!" More »

Here's the First Picture Ever Posted on the Internet [Past Perfect]

Though this photo may look like a prom picture on Facebook that's been blingee'd, it's actually the very first photo that was ever uploaded to the web. The history of the picture—in all its random glory and woeful photoshopping—is amazing. More »

The Secret Government Laser That Instantly Knows Everything About You [Privacy]

Within the next year or two, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will instantly know everything about your body, clothes, and luggage with a new laser-based molecular scanner fired from 50 meters away. From traces of drugs or gun powder on your clothes to what you had for breakfast to the adrenaline level in your body—agents will be able to get any information they want without even touching you. And without you knowing it. The technology is so incredibly effective that, in November 2011, its inventors were subcontracted by In-Q-Tel to work with the US Department of Homeland Security. In-Q-Tel is a company founded "in February 1999 by a group of private citizens at the request of the Director of the CIA and with the support of the U.S. Congress." According to In-Q-Tel, they are "tasked with building a bridge between the Agency and a new set of technology innovators." Their plan is to install this molecular-level scanning in airports and border crossings all across the United States. The official, stated goal of this arrangement is to be able to quickly identify explosives, dangerous chemicals, or bioweapons at a distance. The machine is ten million times faster—and one million times more sensitive—than any currently available system. That means that it can be used systematically on everyone passing through airport security, not just suspect or randomly sampled people. Analyzing everything in real time But the machine can sniff out a lot more than just explosives, chemicals and bioweapons. The company that invented it, Genia Photonics, says that its laser scanner technology is able to "penetrate clothing and many other organic materials and offers spectroscopic information, especially for materials that impact safety such as explosives and pharmacological substances." [PDF] Formed in Montreal in 2009 by PhDs with specialties in lasers and fiber optics, Genia Photonics has 30 patents on this technology, claiming incredible biomedical and industrial applications—from identifying individual cancer cells in a real-time scan of a patient, to detecting trace amounts of harmful chemicals in sensitive manufacturing processes. Above: The Genia Photonics' Picosecond Programmable Laser scanner is capable of detecting every tiny trace of any substance on your body, from specks of gunpowder to your adrenaline levels to a sugar-sized grain of cannabis to what you had for breakfast. Meanwhile, In-Q-Tel states that "an important benefit of Genia Photonics' implementation as compared to existing solutions is that the entire synchronized laser system is comprised in a single, robust and alignment-free unit that may be easily transported for use in many environments… This compact and robust laser has the ability to rapidly sweep wavelengths in any pattern and sequence." So not only can they scan everyone. They would be able to do it everywhere: the subway, a traffic light, sports events everywhere. How does it work? The machine is a mobile, rack-mountable system. It fires a laser to provide molecular-level feedback at distances of up to 50 meters in just picoseconds. For all intents and purposes, that means instantly. The small, inconspicuous machine is attached to a computer running a program that will show the information in real time, from trace amounts of cocaine on your dollar bills to gunpowder residue on your shoes. Forget trying to sneak a bottle of water past security—they will be able to tell what you had for breakfast in an instant while you're walking down the hallway. If Genia Photonics' claims pan out, this is will be an incredible leap forward in technology. And one with staggering implications. Observation without limits There has so far been no discussion about the personal rights and privacy issues involved. Which "molecular tags" will they be scanning for? Who determines them? What are the threshold levels of this scanning? If you unknowingly stepped on the butt of someone's joint and are carrying a sugar-sized grain of cannabis like that unfortunate traveler currently in jail in Dubai, will you be arrested? And, since it's extremely portable, will this technology extend beyone the airport or border crossings and into police cars, with officers looking for people on the street with increased levels of adrenaline in their system to detain in order to prevent potential violent outbursts? And will your car be scanned at stoplights for any trace amounts of suspicious substances? Would all this information be recorded anywhere? Above: A page from a Genia Photonics paper describing its ability to even penetrate through clothing. There are a lot of questions with no answer yet, but it's obvious that the potential level of personal invasion of this technology goes far beyond that of body scans, wiretaps, and GPS tracking. The end of privacy coming soon According to the undersecretary for science and technology of the Department of Homeland Security, this scanning technology will be ready within one to two years, which means you might start seeing them in airports as soon as 2013. In other words, these portable, incredibly precise molecular-level scanning devices will be cascading lasers across your body as you walk from the bathroom to the soda machine at the airport and instantly reporting and storing a detailed breakdown of your person, in search of certain "molecular tags". Going well beyond eavesdropping, it seems quite possible that U.S. government plans on recording molecular data on travelers without their consent, or even knowledge that it's possible—a scary thought. While the medical uses could revolutionize the way doctors diagnose illness, and any technology that could replace an aggressive pat-down is tempting, there's a potential dark side to this implementation, and we need to shine some light on it before it's implemented. The author of this story is currently completing his PhD in renewable energy solutions, focusing on converting waste to energy in the urban environment. Even while most of this information is publicly available, he wanted to remain anonymous. Image by oleandra/Shutterstock

The Secret Government Laser That Instantly Knows Everything About You [Privacy]

Google Faces FTC's Largest Ever Fine Over Safari Cookie Debacle

Five months on from the Wall Street Journal spotting that Google was circumventing cookie privacy settings in Safari, the big G is now close to settling the matter with the FTC. There's one bitter pill that still remains to be swallowed, though: the WSJ reports that Google is set to pony up $22.5 million, the FTC's largest ever fine. More »

Being Obese Is Better Than Being Underweight [Science]

Modern society is obsessed with weight: everyone longs to be skinny, and obesity is demonized. But while being overweight does carry with it health risks, a new study suggests that being underweight is far more dangerous than being obese. In fact, the study, carried out at University of California Davis School of Medicine, shows that it is far more dangerous to be assessed as "underweight" than it is to be assessed even as "severely obese". Prof. Anthony Jerant, one of the researchers, explains: "There is currently a widespread belief that any degree of overweight or obesity increases the risk of death, however our findings suggest this may not be the case. In the six-year timeframe of our evaluation, we found that only severe obesity was associated with an increased risk of death." Jerant and his team surveyed almost 51,000 Americans of all ages over a period of six years to gather data for their research. Upon analysis, it transpired that those participants with BMI that determined them "underweight" showed a risk of death twice as high as the "normal" participants. Weirdly, it was considerably safer to be "severely obese" than underweight. Those with a BMI classifying them as such were just 1.26 times as likely to die as "normals". The result, published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, in part shows a problem with the BMI measurement. Developed by a Belgian sociologist without medical qualifications, the truth is that Body Mass Index struggles to cope with extremes of height or mass. Validity of the measurement aside, though, the fact remains that—while being obese carries its own risks—a BMI classification of "underweight" is still something you want to avoid. Pass the pizza! [Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine via The Register] Image by Olly/Shutterstock

Google Nexus Q Hacked to Run Android Launcher, Apps, Netflix [Video]

The Nexus Q is an odd little piece of hardware, filling a very small niche rather expensively. It could, however, turn out to be more useful than first thought, because a simple hack seems to bring it to life with the Android launcher, apps and as a result—you guessed it—Netflix. In the xda-developers forums kornyone has explained how he's been able to ulock the device and install a launcher—CyanogenMod's Trebuchet to be precise. From there, he's been able to use an external USB mouse and keyboard to navigate Android and launch apps. It seems to work really quite nicely, spitting out 1080p images on to the guy's TV. Perhaps most compelling is the resulting ability to use Netflix on the Q, a feature which seems to work really well if the video he posted is anything to go by. Elsewhere, he explains that Angry Birds, Google + and a bunch of other apps work perfectly from the off, and he was also able to get a browser up and running. Much of this is made possible by the inclusion of the USB port on the Q, and Google was enthusiastic to see what developers could do with the device when it was launched. It looks like the orb may yet turn out to be a rather neat little piece of kit. If you have one and are interested in modding it yourself, kornyone has posted instructions here. [XDA-Developers via Ubergizmo via Verge]

All-You-Can-Read Magazine App "Next Issue" Now Available for iOS [Apps]

Next Issue, the Netflix-for-magazines mobile app that launched for Android devices a little over three months ago, is finally available for iOS devices, starting today! More »

An Incomplete List of Discussion Topics from the Forums of Lady Gaga's New Social Network [Gaga Ooh La La]

Mother Monster Lady Gaga launched the beta version of her own social network, Littlemonsters.com, back in May. Now, the free-to-join social networking site is open to the public, allowing fans of the performer to connect and communicate in discussion forums, share news items, and post Gaga-related items in a Pinterest-like manner. More »

Scientists Say 'God Particle' May Be an Impostor

Last Wednesday everyone went crazy when CERN scientists announced proof of the existence of the Higgs boson, which theoretically gives us mass and holds the Universe together. Now, other physicists say that they may have found an impostor and not the popularly called God Particle. More »

As promised, here's the photo of $211,223 in cash we raised for charity

As promised, here's the photo of the money I raised for charity. View

London 2012 Results App: Follow Team USA at the Olympics

At the Olympics later this month, Michael Phelps could potentially win seven gold medals, at the very most. He won't top the record-smashing eight he earned in 2008, but that doesn't mean he won't be exciting to follow. And the London 2012 Results App will help you do that. More »

Do Drone Pilots Deserve Medals? [Chatroom]

Today, almost all combat medals are reserved for people in actual warzones. But increasingly, bad guys in those warzones are being killed by people far, far, far away. Should it matter where in the world a trigger finger sits? More »

9 Obsolete Gadgets You Can Still Buy Brand New For Some Reason

Today, we wirelessly sync our powerful, dual-core smartphones to our pencil-thin laptops, then go home and stream just about any album or movie conceivable to our TV. In HD. So why are people still selling dead tech from the past? More »

Scientists Find Molecule That Will Make Your Teeth Cavityproof [Science]

Scientists have discovered a new molecule that will make your teeth cavityproof and may change dental care forever. They have appropriately named it Keep 32—for your 32 teeth—and it can kill the bacteria that produces cavities in 60 seconds flat. José Córdoba—a researcher at Yale University—and Erich Astudillo—from the Universidad de Santiago, Chile—claim that this molecule can be added to any dental care product, from toothpaste to mouthwash. In fact, they say it can be added to anything, even candies and chewing gum. As long as the product stays in your mouth for 60 seconds, it will eliminate the dreadful Streptococcus Mutans, making your tooth cavity proof for a number of hours. They started the research in 2005 and now they are aiming to have this product in the market in 14 to 18 months. Once they go through human safety trials in the United States, they want to license the patent to dental care manufacturers like Colgate or Procter & Gamble, as well as companies like Hershey's or Cadbury. If the Evil League of Dentists don't kill them first, that is. [df.cl—In Spanish] Image by Kurhan/Shutterstock

6 Signs Your Gadget’s Screen Sucks [Guts]

The screen is as important as any other component on an electronic device when it comes to a good user experience. Yet, plenty of devices still have screens that are not so great compared to the best ones currently available. Do your gadgets have terrible screens? Laptop Magazine chief Mark Spoonauer knows exactly how to find out. As much as I'm a sucker for quad-core processors, slick interfaces and killer apps, none of that matters if the screen on a gadget I'm buying isn't up to snuff. Whether we're shopping for a laptop, smartphone or tablet, all of us should be spending less time pouring over the specs and more time looking at the display. Is it sharp enough? Do the colors wash out? Can you actually use that gadget outside? These are just some of the questions you need to ask yourself before you buy. Here are six surefire signs that display just won't cut it. 1. Pitifully low resolution It's truly sad to see $1,400 razor-thin Ultrabooks hit our labs with the same 1366 x 768 pixel count as $500 laptops. At least Vizio gets it. The company's new $899 14-inch Thin + Light offers a 1600 x 900 panel, which fits more information on the screen. In other words, less scrolling for you. ASUS gives you a full 1920 x 1080 pixels for its $1,149 Zenbook Prime. It's time for everyone else to step it up. For tablets, a minimum of 1280 x 800 pixels is the new standard for 7 inches, thanks to the $199 Nexus 7. (We gave the Kindle Fire‘s 1024 x 600 a pass at launch because of its low price.) For 10-inch tablets, the iPad‘s Retina Display (2048 x 1536 pixels) is the gold standard, and there are now two full HD Android slates in the $499 Asus Transformer Pad Infinity and Acer Iconia Tab A700. Yes, you can get the Lenovo IdeaPad S2 for $150 less, but that 1024 x 768 screen makes the device instantly obsolete. If you're in the market for a smartphone, shoot for a resolution of at least 960 x 540 (also called qHD), but 1280 x 720 pixels is better. Stay away from phones with resolutions of 480 x 320 pixels. You'll get fuzzy text and images and spend way too much of your time zooming in to see content. 2. Can't be seen in the sun (or way too dim) I was actually shocked to see that most reviewers of the Samsung Galaxy S III had nothing but praise for its Super AMOLED screen. I guess those folks didn't bother to take the phone outside. While the panel offers excellent contrast and popping colors, it's just too dim to comfortably see content in direct sunlight. Using our light meter, the S III registered only 210 lux, compared with 302 for the category average. Other AMOLED-equipped phones also disappointed, including the Samsung Focus 2 (203 lux) and Nokia Lumia 900 (262 lux). The HTC One X notched a sky-high 525 lux, and the iPhone 4S got 549, making them easy to see outdoors. We also measure the brightness for tablets and phones in our reviews, so you can easily compare results. 3. Poor viewing angles If you have to push back a laptop's screen 30 degrees to make out the image, don't buy it. What happens when you get on the plane and the person in front of you jams his seat all the way back? We're forgiving of narrow viewing angles on 15-inch budget laptops that likely won't leave the living room, but not on notebooks that are designed to be used in tight quarters. With smartphones and tablets, you'd think that limited viewing angles would be less of an issue because we tend to view the device head-on. Wrong. Yesterday I tested the Droid Incredible 4G LTE's GPS feature in the car, and I had trouble reading the directions from my seat to the dashboard. Narrow viewing angles can also spoil an otherwise good tablet; you want the person next to you to see that movie, too. 4. Whites aren't white I don't mean to keep picking on AMOLED screens (sorry, Galaxy S III) but I've noticed that many of them tend to have a blue cast when displaying a white background. Not having a white that's really white doesn't necessarily ruin the user experience, but it's just annoying. A good way to test this out is to open the browser and enter "about:blank" and compare devices side by side. 5. Glare, glare and more glare The industry calls them glossy screens, but I call them glare screens. If you're looking at a laptop display and you can see more stuff going on behind you than what's on that webpage, that's a problem. That's why it's important to pick a notebook that offers good contrast and black levels but doesn't go overboard with the glossy. The 13-inch MacBook Air is a great example. If you want to avoid glare altogether, look for notebooks with matte screens, such as the 15-inch Samsung Series 9. Business notebooks from Lenovo, HP and others also come with matte panels. All tablets and phones suffer from at least some glare. I simply haven't seen a viable color matte option for mobile devices. But a bright screen can help minimize distracting reflections. Still, if you want to a glare-free experience I recommend an E Ink e-reader like the Barnes & Noble Nook Touch with GlowLight. 6. You can see gridlines on the touch screen I was shocked to discover that Toshiba is charging $30 more than the iPad for its Excite 10 LE tablet. And that shock turned to horror when we got this device in the lab. What good is it to have the world's thinnest tablet when the display is marred by crisscrossing gridlines? This proved very distracting when watching video or reading. The same weakness plagued the $179 Archos 70b. Being cheaper is no excuse. We'd much rather pay $20 more for the Kindle Fire than suffer with this poorly made screen. Related Stories: Top 10 Smartphones Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review 10 Best Laptops now Laptopmag.com brings you in-depth reviews of the hottest mobile products, the latest tech news, helpful how-to advice, and expert analysis of the latest tech trends.

Judge Rules Galaxy Tab "Not as Cool" as iPad, Legally Speaking [Apple]

Samsung mustn't know whether to celebrate or not. A UK judge has ruled that the Galaxy Tab doesn't infringe Apple's registered design, in large part because it's "not as cool" as the iPad. Ouch. More »

Photog Trades Dignity for Recognition With Awful Studio Portraits

<< Previous | Next >> Perm<< Previous | Next >>View all It’s difficult to get noticed in the world of photography. Meetings, handshakes, business cards, portfolio reviews, follow-up e-mails and thank-you cards create a fog of noise that’s almost impossible to cut through. That’s why photographer and adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth Univeristy (VCU) Gordon Stettinius developed his own idiosyncratic way of staying in the memory – by sending intentionally bad 8x10s of himself, in character, as follow-ups to industry professionals. “I sign portraits as though I am that somebody,” says Stettenius. For the past five years, Stettinius has sculpted beards, raided wardrobes and spray-tanned his way into over two dozen alter-egos. In collaboration with studio photographer Terry Brown, the Mangini Studio Series (actually photographed at the Dementi Studio in Richmond, Virginia) features a leather-clad punk, a clean-cut governor, a wrestler and ’80s diva among others. Described by Stettinius as “a prank run amok,” the Mangini Studio Series grew out of Brown and Stettinius’ shared nostalgia for the studio session. “We are content for the image quality to be more like that of a promotional glossy from a generic portrait studio than as a fine art print,” says Stettinius, “The cheesiness quotient is pretty high.” Stettenius self-confesses a “disquieting need to experiment with the proud but oft-maligned permanent-wave hairstyle.” From the perm, he has ventured into mullets, skullets, skinheads and cornrows. His country singer resembles the creepy Dr. Jacoby from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. But to be fair, all of Stettenius’ personalities are unnerving; just consider Comb-over. “I can only grow my hair so fast, so patience is a requisite,” says Stettinius, “Terry and I can only get together every couple of months.” On occasion, his unorthodox promotion backfires. “My looks change somewhat and thank-yous have sometimes been met with confusion,” says Stettinius. “One L.A. gallery asked me to never send anything to them again. Ever. I might send a follow-up.” The Mangini portraits are always accompanied by a letter, written in-character. The letter from Stettinius’ wrestler, named Gringo Starr, includes “useful tidbits about his favorite author (Margaret Atwood) or his hobbies (that he collect statues that are part women and part other things) or news about about his ongoing feuds with Johnny Tempest or Cinder Ellis. Influenced by Roger Ballen, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Emmett Gowin, Sally Mann and E.J. Bellocq, there is more going on under Stettinius’s perm than tickling audiences’ funny bones. The Mangini Studio Series is subversive in its irreverence and bending of an aesthetic most eyes have been trained to see as embarrassingly bad. Stettinius says the humor of the project is just one facet of his interest, and that he also enjoys political discourse, explorations of identity or “sub-cultural tribes” in photography. In an ironic twist, Stettinius has now branched into publishing and may soon be the victim of tactics similar to his own as he himself is courted by photographers. In 2010, Stettinius founded Candela Books and published work by the late Gina Lenz and by Appalachian photographer Shelby Lee Adams. Candela’s third book, Chris McCaw’s Sunburn, will be printed this summer. In the past 18 months, Stettinius has opened the Candela Gallery in Richmond, Virginia; hired an associate director; and established an annual invitational/juried exhibition to raise funds to purchase photography for the Candela Collection. The Mangini Studio series has shown in the Portrayal/Betrayal exhibition at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Virginia Museum of Art acquired a selection of the portraits this year. Brown and Stettinius are considering making a book of the series. If it happens, the book may be the final cap on the project. “There have been some pretty rough transitions between certain looks,” says Stettinius “So, while there are several more hairstyle archetypes in the works, I look forward to retiring from this particular series!” All images: Terry Brown/Gordon Stettinius

Nokia’s Crazy 808 PureView Phone Finally Available in the US [Smartphones]

Nokia's 808 PureView is a strange little phone with it's cooky 41MP camera. But if you love a little crazy, then good news: after much delay the PureView is now available on America's shores via Amazon. More »

HP's Ivy Bridge-Equipped Envy 23 Offers Premium Style With at a Smaller Price [PCs]

Following the release of HP's Omni 27 all-in-one PC last year, a solid, if not exactly jaw-dropping offering, the company is back with the Envy 23, which carries the same design DNA and much of the same functionality, only with Ivy Bridge processors and a smaller screen. More »

HP's Ivy Bridge-Equipped Envy 23 Offers Premium Style With at a Smaller Price [PCs]

Watch All the Space Shuttle Launches at Once [Video]

Today marks one year since Atlantis roared on Launch Pad 39A en route to the International Space Station. It was the last of the 135 launches in the history of the space shuttle program. Here is an amazing video that shows them all at the same time. More »

65 Years Ago a UFO Probably Maybe Possibly Crashed on Earth at Roswell [Techversary]

It's been 65 years since the crash of the UFO (or officially, a weather ballon) in Roswell, New Mexico. 65 years since Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) public information officer Walter Haut told the world that the military had recovered a flying saucer. 65 years since aliens have been on our planet or alternatively, 65 years of conspiracy theories. More »

Here’s the Most Stunning Photo of Mars the World Has Ever Seen

NASA has released a new panorama from its Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, showing the terrain where the robot spent the four-month Martian winter. The full-circle scene combines 817 images shot by the panoramic camera (Pancam). You can download the complete image and learn more about the expedition on NASA's website. More About: Mars, NASA, photography, space

Your Internet Might Shut Off Tomorrow Because of a Virus—Here's How to Fix It [Video]

Tonight at 12:01 AM EDT Monday July 9th, the Internet is going to become inaccessible for nearly half a million people around the world because of malware called DNS Changer. If your computer is infected with DNS Changer, it won't be able to get on the Internet anymore. Here's how to get rid of it and make sure the Internet still works for you. More »

This Analog Clock Has the Correct Time for 24 Different Time Zones Around the World [Design]

Over at Instructables, SelkeyMoonbeam has figured out a clever way to make one analog clock tell the time of 24 different time zones. All you have to do is turn the clock's base to the city (or time zone) you're in, and the clock will show the right time. More »

Why the Official Pictures of US Olympic Athletes Sucked So Much [Photography]

Olympic athletes are the closest thing we have to Greek Gods—they're beautiful, sculpted and highly dedicated, it's pretty hard to make them all look bad. Unfortunately for Joe Klamar, his official photographs of US Olympic Athletes did just that. They were awful. More »

How a Man Lived Off Craigslist [Video]

Joseph Garner, a 29-year-old man, decided to see if he could remove himself from his normal life and just live completely off Craigslist. So he cut himself off from everyone he knew and everything he owned to see if the community Craigslist could take care of him. More »

iPhone Photography Apps and Photo Editing Apps

Art fears business fears art

The artist says, "that sounds like business, and I want nothing to do with it. It will corrupt me and make me think small." The businessperson says, "art is frightening, unpredictable and won't pay." Because the artist fears business, she hesitates to think as big as she could, to imagine the impact she might be able to make, to envision the leverage that's available to her. And because the businessperson fears art, she holds back, looks for a map, follows the existing path and works hard to fit in, never understanding just how vivid her new ideas might be and how powerful her art could make her. There's often a route, a way to combine the original, human and connected work you want to do with a market-based solution that will enable it to scale. Once you see it, it's easier to call your bluff and make what you're capable of.

Dropbox - You're invited to join Dropbox! - Simplify your life

Please paste or type the improper translation We could not find that string on this page.

Freelancers: 5 Ways To Lose Your Clients

Happy Writer’s Day! In conjunction with the day we celebrate the wordsmiths for giving us a reason to debate on whether the tablet will actually phase out paper, we’re publishing this brief checklist of the things you do that are making you lose your clients. Clients are a feared group of people who freelancers depend greatly upon to ensure that they still have a career in freelancing. Some clients are incredibly easy to work with; they say what they mean and mean what they say, and they never pay late. Others make you wonder what it was that convinced you to give up your day job to go freelancing in the first place. But if you think that only clients are hard to work with, then you probably have not been in the business long enough. (Source) Freelancers have their share of idiosyncracies that drive clients up the wall. If you are serious about making a career in freelancing, it’s important to know if what you are doing is actually helping you in your career, or helping you lose clients. For clarity purposes, this is written with freelance writers in mind but the points given can be adapted to fit the context of any other freelance specializations, even technical writers (designers and developers who write about their trade). Let’s take a look at the ways clients lose faith in your services. Recommended Reading: Freelancers: How To Deal With Insecurities 1. Going against the readers What makes a great piece of writing? Hmm… now, that’s a tough one, and an extremely subjective way to view writing. How can you tell what is good and what is not? The short answer to that is, if the client likes it, then it’s good. But what happens when you have more than one client to appease? What happens when you write for a blog like hongkiat.com who has readers from all walks of life, designers, developers, writers and readers, young talents, seasoned experts? It will probably help to get some context into the purpose of your writing, particularly the difference between a blogger and a writer. A blogger usually maintains a blog with ramblings, thoughts, opinions and their interests, and if the readers are lucky, what is written is what they want to read. Now, when you look at this from the other side of the mirror, you’ll see that a much visited blog or website publishes with the readers’ best interest in mind. There is no clear, single answer on what readers like to read because every blog has its own cluster of readers who by themselves are already fickle-minded enough to love and hate what you write at the same time. Despite that, don’t make the assumption that what you are interested in is automatically what the readers want as well. Observe your readers and write to excite them. Give them a reason for wanting to read what you write. With luck, you may one day uncover the secret formula that makes your writing appealing. 2. Submitting substandard work My two cents worth about writing is that it’s an art form; mostly because it’s definitely not science. The only way two students can submit the exact same essay, bearing the same points or choices of words during a test would be because one of them had no imagination and had to resort to copying to pass. More on plagiarism later. As it is with any art form, like sculpting, painting, sketching or even doodling, it takes a drop of talent and a lot of practice to become good at writing. Come to think of it, there is one other small detail that can help a writer deliver a good article. Pure hard work. In-depth research, cross-referenced materials, multiple rewrites are just some of the characteristics of a piece that once is published, will leave readers in no doubt that the writer has really done his fair share of homework. Let’s face it: if your readers can uncover more than you can, then it’s not really fair to expect them to think highly of your work now, is it? I bet that puts a lot of pressure for writers to push your writing to the extreme. In fact, some of you may resort to… 3. Submitting plagiarized work First of all, if you are going to make writing a source of income, you should have pride in what you write. Secondly, if you cannot be bothered to paraphrase or cite your sources (or write something original) I think that it’s better for everyone else in the industry that you ‘retire’ gracefully. You can tell that I don’t think highly of writers who plagiarize their work, but I’m definitely not alone in this sense. A thin line separates flattery and forgery except when Reuben Katz has something to say about it but if you can’t prevent it, at least be the person whose work was plagiarized, don’t be the one accused of this heinous act. (Source) But ideas get stolen all the time – I hear you say – what’s the big deal? All right, the Internet is a huge place, coincidences happen, or sometimes deliberate idea theft may happen, protected thinly by a different language (translate one English article to Mandarin and no one can be the wiser) but all it takes is for one plagiarized article to smear a client’s respect or opinion of your work. Sometimes the damage goes further than one realizes and it could get your client in trouble as well. When that happens, everyone’s going to look over your future articles with a magnifying glass from then on, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Don’t write if you think the only way you can go far is on borrowed talent. 4. Giving away secrets of the trade Never tell how much work you’ve put in before your clients have looked at the end result. When it comes to writing, the piece itself will reveal the amount of effort (or experience) the writer has put in. So when what ‘the piece’ is telling your client and what you told your client don’t add up, something has got to give. Given the fact that what constitutes as ‘hard work’ to you does not necessarily mean the client views it the same way, suggests that sometimes it’s better to just not share your trade secrets so willingly. An example is at hand: Freelancer: "I’ve worked 5 long hours on this project." Possible (but silent) rebuttals: The perfectionist client: Seriously? This is the best you can come up with? The calculative client: What? I’m only paying for 5 hours of work? / This took 5 hours? The pedantic client: An hour is an hour, there’s no long hours or short hours. The non-existent client: Good job! Too much information may be detrimental to your client’s impression of your work, which in turn may compromise their view of your performance and your final results. It’s better to just focus on perfecting your craft and letting your craft do the talking. 5. Shortchanging your client (and yourself) Of course many freelancers know that Content is King, but you shouldn’t in any case hold it for a king’s ransom. Many writers are confused into thinking that they should write an article based on how much they are paid for it. If they are paid less, they write below their standards, and if they are paid more – well that never happens. Fact is, however, that you are not going to get rich with that one article, and if you apply this "write as you are paid" rule in your writing, you are never going to break out of that vicious cycle of submitting only substandard work. What you should be doing with your materials is to build your client’s confidence in your work. This doubles as an investment in your portfolio for future work. Put in 100% (there is no such thing as 110%) into every aspect of your writing and make the readers crave for more. Clients love formulas that work and they always want to keep the people who can make things happen continue working for them. Nothing beats the feeling of having several clients fighting over whose project gets your attention first. Conclusion There are no shortcuts to good-quality work. That’s why good-quality work is a rarity – otherwise there’d be no editor roles in publishing. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that creative people who produce top-qualty work need not work hard to deliver great results. Fact is creative people are the most hardworking people, because they are always pushing their boundaries even when no one is watching. Lastly, if you really want to impress your clients, never settle for good enough (this has always been one of my golden rules, and it has yet to fail me). True, there will always be room for improvement, and when you are working within a timeframe, sometimes there isn’t enough time to make your writing perfect. But there are two ways to overcome this: one, make time, and two, just keep practicing and be open to honest feedback (the honest kind is pretty rare these days). The world can never be too crowded for writers. Happy Writer’s Day. Related posts:Freelancers: 3 Ways to Motivate Yourself When You’re Running Low Freelancers: How to Deal With Insecurities 6 Essential (But Boring) Tasks Freelancers Hate Doing 10 Tips to Invoice Your Freelance Clients Professionally

A Google-a-Day Puzzle for July 8

Our good friends at Google run a daily puzzle challenge and asked us to help get them out to the geeky masses. Each day’s puzzle will task your googling skills a little more, leading you to Google mastery. Each morning at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time you’ll see a new puzzle, and the previous day’s answer (in invisitext) posted here. .answer {color:#fff;} .answer:hover {color:#333;} SPOILER WARNING: We leave the comments on so people can work together to find the answer. As such, if you want to figure it out all by yourself, DON’T READ THE COMMENTS! Also, with the knowledge that because others may publish their answers before you do, if you want to be able to search for information without accidentally seeing the answer somewhere, you can use the Google-a-Day site’s search tool, which will automatically filter out published answers, to give you a spoiler-free experience. And now, without further ado, we give you… TODAY’S PUZZLE: According to the most widely used character set encoding system, what would you have if you built a U+2603? YESTERDAY’S ANSWER (mouseover to see): Search [motorcade] and find nothing helpful. Search [brunch] to find nothing specific but note that it is a portmanteau, a blend of the two words “breakfast” and “lunch.” Search [motel] and find that it is also a portmanteau. Search [motorcade] again. Find that it was intended to blend motorcar and cavalcade. All three words are portmanteaus.

Dubai III timelapse

This Dubai timelapse represents over 20,000 still images taken over 3 weeks at night during May 2012. I wanted to bring things full circle with this 3rd in my 'trilogy' of Dubai. The music was composed especially for this timelapse by Athar Saeed.…

Exposed: Book Review

I first took photography classes at The Institute in Photographic Studies – a fabulous workshop based photography school. Some of the greatest learning times we had was when our instructors would take us through their photographic adventures. We students would watch wide eyed as our instructors told the scene and setting of each photo. Our minds would be stretched as we heard them explain the settings, and how they were able to capture what they did. I think it goes beyond the fact that we all like stories. I think that one of the most invaluable things in life is to have someone walk side by side and offer their experiences to us as we learn and grow. While a book could never replace a person, Exposed comes very close to providing that artistic mentor that each of us needs. With clients from Adventure Magazine, and Travel Magazine, and Mens’ Fitness, what Clark offers is certainly unconventional experience. Clark has created a portfolio mentor that accounts for 25 different stories from climbing to adventure expeditions, athletic shoots and even a photo campaign for Search and Rescue. Every image featured in Clark’s book reveals a detailed backstory, beyond what is usual for photography books. The reader hears about where Clark was in his life and career at the time, even how he came by the assignment. Each and every photograph includes a story of the time and scene, and of course the challenges Clark encountered along the way as worked toward his goal. Clark is a skillful writer, drawing the reader into each scene as if we were right there with him. Also included is a list of equipment used for each photoshoot. Clark includes another treat for his readers: He starts his postproduction section by explaining his intent for the image, how that intent influenced his adjustments. In a clear and concise manner, he gives a step by step visual of each step taken in the postproduction in Lightroom. Not simply an artistic book, Clark also includes advice on marketing, client relations, setting goals, and moving forward in your journey as a photographer. Filled with quotes and inspiration, Clark’s words give both courage and perspective to career photographers at any level: “Embrace risk. That is the key to improving at anything. Without the willingness to go down the uncharted path, you will not learn, you will not improve, you will not grow.” Get a price on Exposed at Amazon (currently 37% off recommended retail price). Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips. Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips. Exposed: Book Review

Transforming Lamp Morphs Into a Table For Emergency Cocktail Parties [Wish You Were Here]

How many times have you been embarrassingly caught off guard when a cocktail party suddenly appears in your living room and there's no place for guests to put their drinks? It's a horrifying thought, but thankfully there are industrial design students like Christina Sicoli who are creating solutions to the problem. More »

Higgs Boson, Secret Islands, RIM-Colored Lenses, Apple iGlass, Dark Matter [The Best Stories Of The Week]

Just because the Fourth of July fell in the middle of the week doesn't mean there wasn't any news. And there was some big news. Whether it was the discovery of the Higgs boson, secret military islands, hidden magnetic portals, and the first look at dark matter, a lot happened this week. Read about it all! More »

Talking Comic Books Take All Of the Imagination Out Of It [Video]

We're not ones to hold back the march of technology, even when it comes to our beloved comic books. Having them electronically delivered to our beautiful retina display devices is a dream come true. But we can't help but raise an eyebrow at Valiant Entertainment's new talking comic book cover. More »

Library in abandoned house

I'm very taken with James Charlick's photo, "The Grand Library," shot in an abandoned house during an urban exploration expedition. The Grand Library

July 9th: Internet Doomsday – How to Prevent and Save Your System

You probably have not heard of DNSchanger malware. If this is true, you have probably less than 48 hours to know what it’s about and how it could affect you. Come to think of it, we know what it could do to you: it could keep you off the Internet from the 9th of July onwards. You will experience firsthand what the death of the Internet feels like. We hope we got your attention already because time is of the essence. Let’s cover the basics real quick. about DNSChanger Malware DNSchanger is a malware discovered in 2007 which went on to infect millions of computer systems worldwide. It was released by cybercriminals to take control of your web server. The Malware intercepts websites visited by your web browser and redirect you to other sites they had prepared, so you will then use the server under their control. Once you are infected, you are set to use only their server every time you go online. This DNS server will alter every user searches, giving fake and malicious answers as well as promoting fake and dangerous products. It is showing users the altered version of the Internet. The main idea of this server is so they can easily push web ads to you, earning themselves millions of dollars. You can still surf the Internet like normal if the server keeps running. Why You Should Remove DNSChanger Malware When the FBI and the Estonian Police seized these controlled servers some time in 2011, they have cleaned up all the crime operations, however the servers were kept running to serve all infected systems. If they had shut the server down, the web activities of these infected systems will be disrupted. This means that if your system is one of the infected ones, you can no longer go online. Since the seige, a special group called DNSChanger Working Group (DCWG) was assigned to maintain the servers, but as it was a costly operation to maintain, a final decision was made to turn these DNS servers off. This will happen on July 9th 2012. Earlier this year, it is said that there were about 450,000 computer systems that were still infected, but it has now been reduced to about 277,000. With the inoperation on these servers, if your system is among the 277,000 infected, you will not be able to go online after 9th July – unless you remember every IP address of the websites you want to visit. How to find out if your system is infected Firstly, you must find out if your system is among the still affected 277,000 systems. Since May 2012, Google has taken the initiative to inform you if they found the DNSChanger Malware in your system, by giving you an alert on their website. When you see the alert, click on the link ‘Learn how to remove this software’ and Google will guide you on the steps to remove the malware. If you don’t see the warning on Google’s site, you can also visit DCWG’s official website to find out if your system is one of the victim, and if it is, follow the guide to removing it. Alternatively, you can also visit to these ‘Are you infected’ sites to quickly find out if your systems are infected (English websites). www.dns-ok.us www.dns-ok.lu dns-ok.gov.au There are also many other ‘Are you infected’ sites available in many languages; you can check here. How to remove DNSChanger Malware If your have been affected by the DNSChanger Malware, you need to fix your computer system. The only way researchers would suggest to fix your computer is to reformat your hard drive and reinstall the Operating System from scratch. Reverting your OS to a prior backup is not enough since the malware will be able to reclaim your system. As suggested by DCWG, there are few steps to follow if you are infected: Backup all your important files. Follow the self-help guide as provided by the ‘free tools’ in the list below. Once your computer is clean, follow instructions to ensure your DNS settings are correct. After fixing your computer, make sure your router (if you are using) use the DNS settings provided by the ISP. Changing DNS is only one of the functions of the malware kit. The malware could have captured some of your important information so it is a good idea to check your bank statements and credit reports as well as to take precaution by changing your passwords on any online accounts. There are a number of free tools with self-help guides available to help you remove the DNSChanger and related threats; Hitman Pro (32bit and 64 bit versions) Kaspersky Labs TDSSKiller Microsoft Windows Defender Offline Microsoft Safety Scanner Norton Power Eraser Trend Micro Housecall MacScan Avira How to protect yourself To learn how to protect yourself from malware infections check out the following web references which guide you in protecting yourself from DNSChanger and many other Malware. APWG CMU-CyLab Anti-Phishing Education Landing Page Program FBI’s How To Protect Your Computer Microsoft’s Understanding Security And Safer Computing CERT Coordination Center Home Network Security Conclusion If you are part of the group who cannot live without the Internet, you should act now, or prepare to say goodbye to the Internet. Again, to find out if you are infected, start here. Related posts:How to Prevent Yourself From Turning Up on Facebook Recommendation Ads 10 Tools to Protect Computer from Infected USB Flash Drives Hottest Web Applications of the Month – July Online Shoppers: Why Online Reviews Can Save Your Day

30 Tremendous Examples of Tilt-Shift Photography

Portraits: Texas Ranchers Remember An Epic Drought

Their faces have weathered decades of hardship.» E-Mail This » Add to Del.icio.us

Lomography Launch Colour 110 Film

Lomography has launched a new colour 110 film called the Color Tiger 110.

Giraffes and Gazelles, Namibia

This Month in Photo of the Day: Animal Pictures Giraffes and gazelles near Okondeka waterhole, Namibia (This photo and caption were submitted to My Shot.) Take a visual tour of Namibia » See pictures of wildlife around the world »

This Weekend’s Hashtag Project: #inthewindow

Weekend Hashtag Project: #inthewindow The goal this weekend is to capture photographs of objects, people, or animals in windows. PROJECT RULES: Please only add the hashtag to photos taken over this weekend and only submit your own photographs to the project. Any image taken then tagged over the weekend is eligible to be featured here on Monday morning!

Photographer explains controversial Team USA Olympic Portraits

AFP photographer Joe Klamar’s portraits of US Olympic athletes have caused a firestorm of controversy in the past week, with people calling the images “insulting” due to their lighting, angles, and concepts. Klamar has responded to the controversy over on AFP. Rather than being intentionally “bad” for the purpose of making a point, they were simply the result of being unprepared: “I was under the impression that I was going to be photographing athletes on a stage or during press conference where I would take their headshots for our archives,” [Klamar] explained. “I really had no idea that there would be a possibility for setting up a studio.” It was the first time AFP had been invited to participate in the U.S. Olympic Committee’s Media Summit, which was held this year, in May, at a Hilton Hotel in Dallas. Joe had come armed with two cameras and three lenses (17-35, 70-200 and 300), plus one flash and a 12-inch laptop. To his horror, he saw upon arriving that his colleagues from other news agencies and media organizations had set up studio booths with professional lights, backdrops and prop assistants. “It was very embarrassing to find out that I wouldn’t be able to take advantage of a studio,” Joe told us by email. Pixels and piety: Photographing Olympic icons (via A Photo Editor) Image credits: Photographs by Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

RIM's secret weapon is actually pretty cool

RIM's CEO wants to assure you the BlackBerry 10 won't be firing blanks. (Credit: Jacqueline Seng / CNET Asia) It's become fashionable of late to bash Research In Motion and the decline of all things BlackBerry. With the constant delays of BlackBerry 10, the flop that was the PlayBook, odd behavior by executives, sinking valuation and thousands of layoffs, the trash talk isn't without justification. But as CEO Thorsten Heins recently implored the Canadian press, the one-time northern king of the smartphone realm shouldn't be counted out of the mobile game of thrones just yet. RIM has a secret weapon -- more overlooked than secret, actually -- and truth be told, it's got the potential to be pretty cool, if properly executed. In an editorial published Tuesday in Canada's Globe and Mail, Heins stuck up for BlackBerry 10, which he says he's "co [Read more]Related Links:RIM CEO: No, really, we're not in a 'death spiral'Did RIM just meet its Waterloo? (No, not Waterloo, Ontario)RIM shares plummet as investors worry about the futureRIM reportedly considering splitting company in twoRIM bets on quality, not speed, as it fends off death spiral

Rokinon 8mm Fisheye Cine-Lens Lightning Review: Extreme Wide Angle on a Budget [Video]

The fisheye lens is a staple of anyone photographing skateboarding and BMX. Rokinon's latest lens—the 8mm T3.8 Cine Lens—should please DSLR videographers looking to get in on the action footage. What Is It? A $400 DSLR prime lens with a short focal length that produces an ultra-wide, exaggerated perspective. Who's It For? Photographers and videographers on a budget who plan to shoot a lot of close-up action. Design The lens looks plenty nice. The red ring would make people think you are a pro who only uses Canon "L" glass. The exterior is plastic, but it feels solid and sturdy. Using It Fisheye lenses are just plain fun. The Rokinon's 180-degree field-of-view is a joy just to point at various things—it is almost impossible to miss the action in front you. The Best Part The manual aperture ring has a great feel—its smooth adjustments while shooting video make a difference compared to the abrupt clicks of most apertures. Tragic Flaw The lens doesn't communicate at all with your camera. Precise focusing is difficult with this lens, so access to auto-focus would really come in handy, especially when shooting photos. But sadly, you are limited to full manual. This Is Weird Occasionally, a Canon 7D didn't recognize the lens. The LCD said to make sure a lens is attached. It doesn't hinder shooting, but it is an alarming message. Test Notes • The Rokinon Fisheye was tested on a Canon 7D. • The lens cap is a bit finicky. It has to be positioned vertically or it won't stay on. You might think you're losing your mind for about 10 minutes before figuring this out. • You cannot mount threaded filters to this lens due to the protruding front element. • The focus-depth is looong, and when you are shooting stopped all the way down, there is virtually no difference from one end of the focus ring to the other. • If you are only shooting photos, and you don't care about the smooth aperture adjustment feature, or the focus ring teeth, Rokinon makes a similar lens for over $100 cheaper. Should You Buy It? Yeah, if you shoot this kind of distorted footage on a regular basis. It is a great option for the price. Think about it, a comparable fisheye made by Canon is over $1300, while Sigma's 8mm fisheye is $900. Face it: You aren't buying this to shoot magazine spreads or feature films. It is a budget lens, and within that context, the image quality is just fine. gawkerGallery(5923687,6,''); Rokinon 8mm t/3.8 Fisheye Cine Lens • Price: $399• Max Aperture T/3.8• Mount: Canon or Nikon versions available• Field of View: 180 degrees• Gizrank: 3.5

How to Make Your iPhone Charge Wirelessly (Without an Ugly Case) [Video]

Wirelessly charging your iPhone would be pretty great, but not with the dumb cases that inductive charging requires. That's why this mod from Tanveer is so great. A regular iPhone that charges when you set it down. The future! Here's what you'll need, according to Tanveer, in addition to some serious soldering skills: patience a steady hand soldering tools a spare charger port assembly very thing gauge wire a spare back cover a wireless charger circuit (probably homemade from parts) It's a pretty involved hack that will obviously void your warranty. You not only have to solder tiny wire to tiny pins, but you've got to add 1mm of give to an iPhone back panel. It takes some serious work, but for a 1mm-thicker iPhone that you don't have to plug in to charge? Kind of worth it. [tanv28 via Cult of Mac]