Computer and Web Articles

1. http://vimeo.com/2184555?ab- Tilt-shift video of a day in the Jackson Hole backcountry. Hauntingly beautiful. Incredible skiing and riding. A must-see, especially if you’ve never seen a tilt-shift video before.
2. www.TrueCrypt.com – Automatic, real-time encryption for your computer and storage devices.
3. http://tinyurl.com/4oa6ok4 - Tips on fixing 10 very-common Photoshop frustrations.
4. http://tinyurl.com/477w64g- Google recently announced a new service for non-profits which includes a grant for adwords, exclusive tools, and collaboration forums.
5. http://tinyurl.com/3nsv9sg - Not getting what you need from Google? Here are 10 additional ways to find answers online.

1. www.EpisodeCalendar.com – For all the hardcore TV junkies out there: EpisodeCalendar is a free TV episode tracking service that reminds you when all your favorite shows are on. Remember what comes next, check off episodes after you view them, and receive emails when your favorite shows air.
2. www.DropVox.com – Record and upload voice memos right to your DropBox account. $0.99 from the iTunes App store.
3. http://tinyurl.com/4yenymh - Who would have guessed? The usability and user experience of your website is actually related to your search engine rankings.
4. http://tinyurl.com/yl4ho4d - 101 ways to promote a new blog.
5. www.gopileus.com - This is COOL. Easy drag-and-drop sharing on the web. Create an account, drag files (large or small, photos or documents, you choose…) into the big box at the top of the screen. Easily share those files with friends and colleagues across the world. Repeat. (Drag and drop?! This is COOL.)

Built-in screenshot-capture functionality gives Mac OS X users one more reason to smile. No special software to buy, nothing to install. [Note: If you’re scratching your head wondering, “What’s a screenshot?”, here’s the quick definition: a picture of whatever is on your screen.]

To take a screenshot of your entire screen, just hold down Command + Shift + 3. If you have sound turned on, you’ll hear a click that sounds like a camera shutter.

Now have a look at your desktop; your screenshot will be sitting there, patiently waiting for you.

If you’d like to take a screenshot of a specific area of your screen, use Command + Shift + 4. As soon as you hold those keys down, your cursor transforms into a crosshair. Position this crosshair at the upper left hand corner of the area where you want to take your screenshot, then left-click your mouse and (while still holding your mouse button down) draaaaaaaag that cursor to the bottom right-hand corner of the area you want to capture. Release your mouse button.

Just like before, go have a look at your desktop and you’ll find your new partial-screen screenshot will be patiently waiting for you.

This is a fascinating example of technology being used in a creative way in an effort to reach a specific target audience.

Sony Music UK’s Creative Director, Phil Clandillon, knew that in addition to falling into a certain age bracket (middle age) and being male, a large percentage of AC/DC fans actually worked at large corporations – meaning they were less likely to have Flash enabled on their computers with which to view videos. So how to reach out and easily encourage the sharing of an AC/DC video amongst this group?

Excel. Yes, as in Microsoft Excel. Apparently (who would have guessed?) it’s animation-friendly, which allowed Clandillon to create a music video that AC/DC’s fan base would be able to view despite barriers like company firewalls or corporate office software limitations.

Check out the video (again, it’s in Excel!) here: http://tinyurl.com/co2eoq. The cool part kicks in around the 00:32 mark.

The odds you’ll forget your camera at the next outing are much higher than the odds you’ll forget to bring your phone. (And yes, I’m making those odds up myself, but I’d wager they’re pretty accurate.) And while being able to take photos with your phone is a fantastic convenience, the quality of these photos often falls short.

Though the photos camera phones snap are typically not as high quality as those taken by the majority of digital cameras, photography novices can take decent camera phone shots with just a small bit of extra effort.  If you often find yourself wishing your phone’s photos came out nicer, here are a few ways to get more out of your camera phone’s abilities:

Light
Camera phones often have a hard time taking clear photos when light levels are low. You can often improve the quality of your camera phone’s photos if you simply turn your back to the available light source and ensure as much light as possible hits your subject, whatever your subject may be (a friend, a tree, a beautiful old house, etc.).

Resolution
Most phones that feature cameras have a setting that allows you adjust the resolution of your photos. This feature is often set to the lowest resolution by default (lower-quality photos save to your phone more quickly). Switch this setting to high resolution and your photos will be larger with more detail. (Note: High resolution photos will take up *much* more space on your phone and take longer to email and download than low resolution photos.)

Exposure
Increasing your camera’s exposure setting allows more light into your camera phone’s lens, making up for the low light that often accounts for poor photos. If your camera phone’s photos are recurrently coming out darker than you’d like, set the exposure higher for a brighter photo.

For more tips on taking better photos with your camera phone, check out the complete LifeHacker article here: http://tinyurl.com/4235s7h.

1. http://tinyurl.com/6kuqpyx - Is it worth paying for cable every month? Have you considered any of the (many) free and/or more comprehensive options now available to you?
2. http://tinyurl.com/5vamtsf - The days are warmer, the sun is staying out later: spring is here. I think it’s time to replace your stale desktop wallpaper, don’t you? I knew you’d agree. Here we have a “Dreams of Spring” collection of fresh spring wallpapers, just for you.
3. http://tinyurl.com/ykgcwno - Twenty ways to drive leads through social media. Many of these might not be right for you, but if you’re on the hunt for new marketing ideas, this list might contain the spark you’ve been looking for.
4. http://bing.com/toolbox/webmasters - Improve your site’s SEO and learn what Bing thinks of your site with Bing’s Webmaster tools.
5. www.PreyProject.com – Track your phone or laptop at all times (and increase the likelihood you’ll your phone or laptop if either gets lost or stolen). Free version and paid Pro version available.

1. http://tinyurl.com/48xq6tj - A nifty app that allows you to create a blacklist for your Android phone. Block calls and texts for specific numbers, prevent unknown callers or texters from getting through, import multiple contacts into your blacklist, etc.
2. http://tinyurl.com/yc6ahuv - An exceptionally well-animated short (8 minutes) from “The Story of Stuff” project called The Story of Bottle Water. Watch this beautifully-done animation and learn about the tactics used by the bottled water industry to manufacture demand and encourage Americans to continue buying over half a billion bottles of water…every week.
3. http://picresize.com – Crop and/or resize images quickly. No downloads, no signups, no cost. Just upload your file, crop or resize, then save your new file.
4. http://tinyurl.com/6zrh987 - If you have a friend with a tendency to go (horrendously) overboard when IM’ing or texting, try sending him one of these clever/cool/snarky callout cards. (You can find some additional callout card options for “textual harassment” here: http://tinyurl.com/67v3bld)
5. http://foxfly.com – A group messaging service that “makes it easy to keep in touch with the groups that are most important to you.” Share whatever you’d like with private groups and “leave the rest, and your other ‘friends’ on Facebook.” Three things you should know: 1) The service is free. 2) You can create as many groups as you’d like, but groups have a max of 15 people each. 3) The FoxFly App is currently only available for iPhones, but the company is working on versions for Android, Blackberry, and Nokia.

Ever touch your computer and find it’s much, much hotter than you’d expect? It’s easy to shrug overheating off, especially if you don’t notice a change in your computer’s performance. A too-hot computer can cause some serious problems over time, though - like frying your central processing unit (CPU). You don’t want to end up losing data, do you?

Fortunately, the fix is often really simple: your computer needs a quick dusting.

Just like the space between the bottom of your couch and the floor accumulates dust bunnies if you don’t sweep under there regularly, your computer gets dust bunnies inside its inner workings. Those dust bunnies clog your computer’s cooling vents, which keeps them from doing what they’re supposed to do: allow airflow and stop your computer from overheating.

Some computer shops are willing to do a quick dust-out for you, but you’ll wind up paying for the privilege of having someone else do your dirty work. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to do the job yourself.

This article from LifeHacker gives simple step-by-step instructions on effectively dusting out the inside of your computer. All you’ll need is a Phillips head screwdriver, mechanical oil, and a can of compressed air.