Digital Cameras: How Many Pixels Do I Need?
December 31, 2007
With the bewildering number of digital cameras on the market, it’s increasing difficult to know where to start for your first purchase. One of the major determining factors of the price of a digital camera is the number of pixels. Nowadays, even 5.0 megapixel cameras are affordable, even for casual snapshots.
But is bigger always better?
Higher megapixel cameras do have some drawback. The first, and most obvious, is price. A basic 5.0 megapixel camera currently runs between $200 and $300. A 1.2 megapixel camera can be had for less than $50. Storage for those large pictures will also cost you more. A 32 MByte memory card will hold around a hundred 1.2 megapixel pictures. This drops right down to around 60 pictures for 2.0 megapixels and to around 40 pictures for a 3.0 megapixel model. One other consideration, not often mentioned, is that a higher megapixel camera has to do more work to compress and store images, leading to longer waits between picture shots and viewing.
Before you rush off and spend $300 for a camera, consider what you will be doing with the pictures. Are you viewing them just on your computer? Sending them as email attachments? Printing them on an existing inkjet printer? Having them professionally printed?
Guidance on Cellular Phone Rental
December 31, 2007
Guidance on Cellular Phone Rental
by: Richard Keir
Cell phones are selling like beer at a baseball game. As of August 2005, there were more than two billion cellular phone users around the world. This number is expected to keep growing and growing, setting one record after another. While cell phones may be old hat in industrialized countries, the astonishing fact is that even deep in the inland agricultural regions of developing countries you can see field workers with cellular phones. This is a revolution. Just as the internet is joining every country, the cell phone revolution links people from the hectic streets of New York and Tokyo to the tranquil islands of the Caribbean and the heartland of Brazil.
And it isn’t just the cellular phone companies alone in this success. Cellular phone rental outfits are also capitalizing on this awesome little gadget that has changed the communications landscape radically. Cellular phone giants like Nokia, Seimens, Motorola, and Samsung may be reaping huge rewards from this technology, but cellular phone rental firms are also earning big chunks of money. The cellular phone rental companies could wll hit the big time with consumers who prefer to use this technology everyday but are still conscious of the price they have to pay on every call. Since international roaming charges can cost you big money, cellular phone rental can be the best option whenever you need cheaper phone rates, while not exhausting your own cellphone plan. This can be especially important during out of town and international trips.
15 Good Programming Habits
December 30, 2007
1. Before sitting down for coding, you must have formal or a paper-napkin design of the solution to be coded. Never start coding without any design unless the code is trivial one.
2. Good code documentation is as important as good knowledge of a programming language. Write brief logic for each major block of your code as comments in source code file itself. Its good to mention creation and modification dates of your program along-with why modification was required.
3. Maintaining versions of your program is another important task. Some present-day programming tools already have a built-in version management. Whenever you make any change to your program, they save its copy as .bak file.
My approach is to maintain 3 versions of a program. Say, I have a file program.c which is used by other project team members also. I copy this file as program.c.old as backup and make another copy as program.c.wrk where I do modifications. When modifications are successfully compiled, replace program.c with .wrk file.
You can also append a date or some explanation phrase to your program versions like program260505.c or programReadFnWrking.c .
Why You Must Choose Direct TV Programming Instead Of Anything Else?
December 29, 2007
Why You Must Choose Direct TV Programming Instead Of Anything Else?
by: Chris Jack
DirecTV is the nation’s leading digital multi-channel television service provider. DirecTV offer access to hundreds of channels of quality programming in the places people live - individual family homes, condominiums and flat buildings. DirecTV also provides television entertainment to hundreds to thousands of commercial locations, including airports, hotels, restaurants, bars, hospitals and office buildings. Award-winning customer service and DirecTV’s committed employees who make it completely operate back all of this.
JD Power Associates Ranked DirecTV as number one in customer satisfaction among Digital Satellite TV and Cable TV providers.
Direct TV offers satellite TV dish systems, High Definition TV systems and DVR systems with TiVo. Direct TV Digital Video Recorder allows you to record live shows up to 35 hours and an upgrade to 100 hours option is also available. In addition to Direct TV low price guarantee, it offers free satellite dish installation. Direct TV offers excellent customer support online and through phone. DirecTV offers crystal clear, 100% digital quality picture and sound.
The highlights of the current direct TV promotional offer are here:
10 Easy Steps to Speed Up Your Computer - Without Upgrading
December 28, 2007
1. Empty the Temp directory regularly. To do this, make sure NO programs are open, and?
a. In Windows 95, 98 or Me, go to C:WindowsTemp and delete everything inside the Temp folder.
b. In Windows 2000 or XP, make sure that you can see hidden folders. Go to C:Documents and SettingsAdministratorLocal SettingsTemp folder. Delete everything here.
2. Empty the Temporary Internet Files regularly. Go to your Control Panel and double-click the Internet Options icon. Choose to Delete Cookies, and to Delete Files
3. Check your hard disks for problems.
a. For Windows 95, 98, or Me, double-click My Computer. Right-click the C-drive and click on Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose to check the computer for problems.
b. For Windows 2000 and XP, double-click My Computer. Right-click the C-drive and click Properties. Click on the Tools tab and choose to check the computer for problems. Click on Check Now.
4. Download a good 3rd Party Disk Check and Optimization Utility HERE… http://www.lapeertechgroup.com/downloads.asp
Why I’ve Gone Digital - And Still Keep My Old Camera
December 27, 2007
Why I’ve Gone Digital - And Still Keep My Old Camera
by: Tom Juuls
There has always been a debate about what is better. Traditional cameras using film, or the so called new technology, storing pictures in digital form on memory cards, in computers or on CD-Rom.
As being a photographer for more than half of my life, I stuck with traditional film for very long. About 7 years ago I started to supplement my work with photos taken the digital way. A point and shoot camera with just 640×480 pixel resolution was the most attractive gadget I had these days. Its lens was even capable of doing close-up work, using a macro switch.
That Fujifilm DX-7 was upgraded with a bigger Memory-Card and the camera served me well for several years.
Anyway, over time, I was still more satisfied with the possibilities my collection of Pentax SLR cameras gave me. It started with using the best lenses for each picture or just using a Zoom (which offers a range from wide angle to telephoto), changing the shutter speed to either stop or blur the motion of objects in the picture, use external flashlights, change the aperture openings to adjust the range of sharpness and lots more. Not forgetting the better picture quality I could get from a 35mm negative or slide. I was happy to use my heavy, solid metal camera.
Will Directv HDTV Be Revolutionary?
December 26, 2007
Will Directv HDTV Be Revolutionary?
by: James Croydon
When we speak of transmission of pure digital television, we mainly talk about its reception and display of the signals. These signals come to us through the broadcasting over air or by transmission through the satellite system or cable system in our houses. There is a class of Direct TV that is getting a lot of name at present which is called DirecTV HDTV. When we combine a digital TV of high resolution with a Dolby surround sound (AC-3), we get a DirecTV HDTV. To have a stunning image, this combination has been made.
A new production and transmission equipment at the DirecTV HDTV station and even a new equipment for reception for DirecTV HDTV is required by the consumer. The strongest selling point for DirecTV HDTV is the higher resolution picture. After media’s perfect show up about DirecTV HDTV, the DirecTV HDTV has reached to all the electronic stores. The higher resolution which produces crystal clarity, as never seen before through picture tube, gives us a life like picture and digital sound. A usual TV gives us an effective picture resolution of about 210,000 pixels whereas in the highest resolution DirecTV HDTV format, each picture contains 2 million pixels. This nearly gives us ten times more detailed picture. The basic aim behind DirecTV HDTV is not to increase the definition per unit area but it is rather that the visual field percentage contained by the image should be increased. The proposal about all DirecTV HDTV was first submitted by General Instrument Corporation on May 31, 1990
Basic Computer Maintenance
December 26, 2007
One of the most common questions computer users ask is, "How do I maintain my computer and keep it running great?" A computer is a lot like a car?it costs more than you think it should, it starts going down in value as soon as you bring it home and it requires regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. Here are a few basic guidelines required to help keep your PC out of the shop:
?Always use a surge protector! Power surges, spikes, lightning and brown-outs are all things that can literally burn up your computer & its peripherals. Save yourself lots of money in repairs by buying a decent surge protector (AKA power strip) for your computer and use it. A UPS (uninterruptible power supply), though slightly more expensive, is even better. Also, realize that these power strips can only take so much?once they get hit with a large spike of voltage, they can lose their protective capabilities. If yours is over 3 years old, consider a replacement.
What is PocketDISH?
December 25, 2007
What is PocketDISH?
by: Mitchell Medford
PocketDish by Dish Network is an ingenious video, music, game and photo device that’s compact enough to fit into a pocket or purse. You can store TV programs, music, your favorite games and photos on PocketDish.
PocketDish was created by Dish Network, the fastest-growing U.S. satellite-television service, and the first pay-TV service provider to enter the market of portable video players. Using cutting-edge digital technology, the designers of Dish Network’s PocketDish have created a miniature, multi-purpose entertainment system that’s perfect for people on the go, offering super-fast downloads and crystal-clear images.
This portable media player is available in three versions: two compact, handheld media recorders, and one portable media player. The video recorder has a 7-inch liquid crystal display and a 40GB hard drive, The two media players have 2.2 and 4-inch displays and hard drives of 20 or 30GB. Each of the three PocketDish models come equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that gives you four hours of video and 12 hours of audio.
What Has A Portable MP3 Player Have To Do With Your Business
December 24, 2007
Plenty! When we made the decision to be our own bosses, we gave up the luxury of having our employers sending us to us seminars, workshops or conferences that help improve our skills and gain knowledge related to our work. All this became our initiative. We have to look for and invest in our own education. But as busy entreprenuers, taking time off to learn can be quite a feat.
On the other hand, it need not be that way especially if you have a portable MP3 player. The Internet has opened up a whole new learning avenue we can take advantage of, right from the comfort of our own home offices. A majority of courses online are in MP3 format or can be extracted to MP3. With the popularity of podcasts, teleseminars and web conferences, you will find no shortage of audio learning material. In fact the opposite is true - you may find yourself not having the opportunity to listen to all these great information. What an ironic twist of fate huh?
But this is where the portable MP3 player can become the entreprenuer’s best friend. You can download MP3 files directly into your portable player and begin to listen and learn while you do other tasks away from the computer.
