The Canon S* IS series is my favorite line of high zoom digital cameras. Canon just came out with the S5 IS – an 8 megapixel version of the 12x, image stabilized camera that has become a best seller.
DPReview.com is the best site for in depth reviews of the most popular cameras to hit the market, they just posted their review of the S5 IS. If you are an S1, S2, or S3 IS user, you will want to check it out and see if it’s worth the upgrade.
I am throwing this into the newsletter this week. But I will post it here because I spent too much time writing it.
The Apple iPhone came out this Friday. We have taken the opportunity to write up the disclaimer that should appear on the device, but does not.
Here is what we will discuss at tonight's digital photo user group:
1. How to find information in the Manual
If your camera didn't come with a manual, it is likely on the disk that came with the camera. You may also download it from the manufacturer's website.
2. How to insert and remove the camera memory
3. How to set your camera on full auto mode – this is the setting that lets the camera do all of the thinking
It may be indicated by a green square, the letter "A" or the word AUTO.
I love my job as a computer guy. Especially tutoring and teaching average people (seniors, parents, non-geeks) how too use computers. Everyday I meet interesting people, see new challenges and play with new toys.
Today I was thinking about what could possibly make my job more fun and I had a great idea.
I would love to be a computer guy on a cruise ship. Not to maintain the ship's computers but to teach tourists and help them with their computer problems. Most cruises feature entertainers, exercise classes, theaters and all kinds of ways to stay busy.
Cruise ships also offer wireless Internet access. Tourists bring their laptops, digital cameras and other gadgets along with them. I can't help but think that some of these travelers would love to take a break from the buffet and take a computer or digital photography class.
A caller made us aware of a problem with most digital camera designs. She has a friend who is missing his right hand. Most digital cameras have the shutter release on the right side.
Is there a solution?
Yes. There are a small number of upright digital cameras on the market.
This is a picture of the new Canon TX1. While this camera is a little pricey, there are cameras with similar designs made by Panasonic, Sany and Aiptec.
Last night I was testing out my new camcorder by recording my office. At this point in time my office is a terrible mess.
I put this video up to comfort those people I see every day who feel ashamed and apologetic for the condition of their office space.
In this video, look for the following items…
I wrote a number of months ago about the need for a new web appliance. A web appliance is a device that only accesses the Internet. Web TV (now MSN TV) is the only device that sort of falls in this category. What I envision (and wish I had the knowledge to build) is a flat screen monitor with built-in speakers and a cordless bluetooth connection to talk to a mouse, keyboard, and a printer. It would also have a card reader to interact with a digital camera and a wireless and/or Ethernet port for high speed Internet access.
It would not have a hard drive or anyway to load applications. All programs and document storage would be online ala Google Docs and Gmail. The vast majority of clients I work with do only three or four things: Internet, email, games, and maybe some word processing and/or digital photography. All of this (and more) can be currently accomplished online thus circumventing the need for anything but an Internet connection. Also, this type of user would benefit greatly by not needing to worry about backup and where their documents are when they need them. It would take away the need for the user to learn and understand file management (which is sorely missing for most computer users).
In Part 1 of our Picasa Video tip , we discussed how to use many of the editing and organizing tools available in Picasa. In this tip, you will learn about:
Click the Read More option below to start the video if it has not already started, and be patient as the video loads.
We have a few program specific tips on our website about how to send email attachments. Each step is broken down step-by-step.
I am writing this more as a general guide for emailing attachments. I have seen a few mistakes lately that have caused problems for first-time attachment senders. Here are a few tips to help you avoid problems.
1. If you are emailing photos and you use Outlook, Outlook Express or gmail, download and install Picasa – selecting, resizing and sending photos is a one step process.
2. Don't ever scan a document as "text" when scanning. Sometimes this will open the scanner software's OCR feature which converts it to a text document rather than an image. This sounds good, but it will cost you a lot more time and it probably will just frustrate you.
Many new computers over the past few years come with a minimum of six USB ports (four in the back and two up front). With cameras, scanners, printers, MP3 players, external hard drives, mice, keyboards and more, what seemed like a lot of ports quickly dwindles. You could add an external USB hub that plugs into one of your ports then gives you four more, for a net gain of three. Hubs can be found for about $20-30. More often, however, I'm recommending people spend less than $10 and get a PCI USB expansion card that gives you a net gain of four or more USB ports.