Add Tag with folder and file names

TagScanner

Go to tab "TAG Processor" and select "Generate TAG from filename" from the Action group (2nd icon) on the tool bar

e.g. \%album%\%disc% <%title%->\%track%-%title%

• You can use the file and folder names
• You can combine tag fields like I put %title% twice here, TagScanner will just concatenate them together
• You can add text to the field (<%tag filed%> like what I have done <%title-%> to add a "-" after the first part of the %title so that my title tag will be part of the folder name and a "-" and part of the file name
• You can preview the result before you generate the tags

---

Mp3tag

After select the folder(s) / file(s), select the file(s), right click and select Convert, Filename -Tag

but it is very slow...

Ubiquitous Language

A core principle of domain-driven design is to use a language based on the model.

Create a DDD Solution

Starting a New Solution

• Create a Blank Solution
• Add a Core Class Library Project
• Add an Infrastructure Class Library Project
• Add your UI project (Console, WinForms, WPF, ASP.NET MVC)
• Add references to Core from Infrastructure and UI 
• Add a reference to Infrastructure from UI

• Add a Controller, View
• Add an Interface <IMyInterface> (new folder "Interfaces" in Core) with a method
• Implement the Interface in Infrastructure (in a class <MyInterface>) with the method
• In the controller:
• Add the private field of the <IMyInterface>
• Add the constructor with <IMyInterface> as parameter
• Add the constrcutor without parameter to add the parameter
• In the control, call the method and show the result to the view

Onion Architecture Principles

All code depends on layers closer to center (Domain Model)
Inner layers define interfaces; outer layers implement these interfaces
Layered behavior around the Domain Model
Infrastructure and UI concerns pushed to edge

• Depend on Application Core, not vice versa

Dependency Inversion Principle (DIP)

High-level modules should not depend on low-level modules.  Both should depend on abstractions.
Abstractions should not depend on details.  Details should depend on abstractions.

Domain-Centric Design / Domain Driven Design

The problem-space of your application is its domain.  If you are going to write a banking software system, you need to have a good understanding of what banking is all about, you must understand the domain of banking.

A domain is something of this world and we need to create an abstraction (a blueprint) of the domain to transform the domain into software constructs.  The abstraction is a model, our internal representation of the target domain.

The model is the common ground, the place where the software meets the domain.

The objects you design to model the domain are domain objects (model objects / model).

• Encapsulate application business logic and rules
• Maintain any state required to do so
• Do not depend on external infrastructure concers

Page Inspector in ASP.NET MVC

Page Inspector in Visual Studio 2012 is a web development tool with an integrated browser and browser tools. Select any element in the integrated browser, and the Inspect feature instantly highlights the element's source and CSS. You can browse any MVC view, quickly find the sources of rendered markup, and use browser tools right within the Visual Studio environment.

It is something like the FireBug add-on in FireFox.

Installing SQL Server 2012 Express

Problem:
Cannot find the vc_red.msi file in <temp folder>\redist\visualstudioshell\VC10SP1

• The file is in the x86 folder insider VC10SP1.  But even I copied the content in x86 to VX10SP1, it is still not work.
• Try to manually uncompressed the package
• Run as administrator

Solution:

• Make sure to download the right version of the setup file.  Download 64-bit version for 64-bit OS.

C# "??" Operator

The "??" operator is called the null-coalescing operator and is used to define a default value for a null able value types as well as reference types. It returns the left-hand operand if it is not null; otherwise it returns the right operand.

objNullable = objNullable ?? new objMyObject();

Share Mouse and Keyboard with computers (software)

The following software are working with me between my Windows 7 and OS X:

• Synergy http://synergy-foss.org/
• ShareMouse http://www.share-mouse.com/

Crop / Rotate images in Batch using IrfanView

After scanning a book, I need to crop (all images, the same way) and rotate (half of the images) the images.

Open IrfanView with one of the image, try to crop it correctly, save it and get the width and height (and the X and Y offsets, if needed) of the final image.

In IrfanView

• File, Batch Conversion/Rename...
• Select "Batch conversion" or "Batch conversion - Rename result files" accordingly
• Check "Use advanced options (for bulk resize...)
• Click "Advanced" button
• A popup window (Set for all images:) appears

Cropping the images
It depends on how you scanned, you should crop all images first.  In my case, all the image can be cropped the same way, therefore, if I rotate the images first, I may need to crop the rotated images differently

• Uncheck any options that are not applicable
• Check "CROP"
• Enter the Width and Height (from the above)
• Enter the X-pos and Y-pos, if necessary
• Click "OK"

continue with "Common Steps"

Rotating the images

• Uncheck "CROP" and any other options that are not applicable
• Check "Fine rotation"
• Enter "180" (i.e. to rotate left/right twice)
• Click "OK"

continue with "Common Steps"

Common Steps

• Select the files from the top right windows, click the "Add" or "Add all" button.  Be careful if the order of the images is important (if you rename the file), the last selected file is always on the top.  You will need to change it in the "File name" text box or move it in the "Input files" window
• Change the "Name pattern" (if you want to rename the file and in a specific way)
• Enter the "Output directory for result files"
• Click "Start Batch"

Turn Off Ad Tracking on iOS 6 (iPhone, iPad)

Apple sets IFA / IDFA (identifier for advertisers) on by default:

• Go to Settings, General, About, Advertising, Limit Ad Tracking : ON

PayPal - Preferred Payment Method

There are times when you cannot change the account when making payment by PayPal.  Payments will be made with your default payment method unless you select a preferred payment method.

After making the payment, login to PayPal, click on "Profile" (ignore the drop down menu), click "My money" on the left, click "update" in the "My preapproved payments" section.

You will see the transaction there and click on the "Merchant" link of the transaction, click "Change" of the "Backup Funding Source" in "Funding Source" to select your preferred payment method.

Shallow Copy and Deep Copy

Shallow copy versus deep copy is only meaningful with "reference types" and not with "value types".

Shallow Copy

Deep Copy

Eyes that chose to see the unseen

“I believe in the sun, even though it doesn’t shine.
I believe in love, even when it isn’t shown.
I believe in God, even when he doesn’t speak.”

Play back video in different speed on iPad - Touch The Video

The app is pretty good and it is on sales now for only US$ 0.99.

It has a lot of other features too...

DVD / CD Code 39 Error, Lost CD/DVD drive

If uninstalling and re-installing the driver don't fix the problem.  Try to delete the LowerFilters and / or UpperFilters registry values.

• Run "Regedit" and go to the following Registry Key
• go to the following HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318
• Delete all the LowerFilters and UpperFilters

Debug Javascript in FireFox with Firebug

• Go to the web page you would like to debug
• Open Firebug from Tools, Web Developer, Firebug, Open Firebug
• Click the "Script" tab
• Click the Reload link
• Set the breakpoints...

Headphones

Open Back headphones
They are designed to give you a more speaker-like experience, ideal for studio monitoring or for simply listening to tracks. They allow for some of the sound to leak and some ambient noise to seep in, creating an illusion of distance from the sound source.

Closed Back headphones
Closed Back headphones on the other hand have closed "cans" that operate quietly and block out ambient noise. They are ideal for recording because they prevent 'spill' from the headphones through microphones into the current track you're recording, but may not have as much soundscape as Open Back ones.

DJ headphones

DJ headphones are workhorse headphones that are tuned for bass and treble response as well as providing good isolation. They generally have features like swivel earpiece for one ear listening, and a convenient folding structure for portability.

Reading EAP (Enterprise Architect Project) files

Download the free Enterprise Architect Viewer (EALite.exe) from Sparx Systems.

HSL

Hue adjusts the actual colors of the image.  We can adjust how individual colors behave.  This is extremely useful in landscape work, where you can fine-tune the color of greens and blues, for instance, without affecting browns or oranges. This is great for altering foliage and sky, without adjusting sticks, dirt, etc. It also works well if you have a human subject in your landscape: you end up with nice bright foliage and a nice deep blue sky, but your subject can still have nice, normal, subtle and subdued skin tones.

Saturation slider is a huge help when you want to boost a certain colour over another: I often boost blues and greens on landscapes and sometimes bring yellows, oranges, or reds down in portraits to ease skin tones.

Luminosity is something a drastic.  It's minor, but it's there, and it's one of those little touches that will really seal the deal.

The big thing with the HSL Sliders is to try them and experiment: In many cases, you never know what will look good or not unless you just go ahead and try, and dont be afraid to get drastic.

Lens Flare

Lens Flare is caused by strong rays of light directly hitting your lens and causing a slight sun burst.

Changing Text Size in Browser

Suddenly the text on YouTube became very small in my FireFox borwser... press <Ctrl> and the "+" to change the size of the text.  It also works in Chrome and IE.

SkyDrive - Office Web Apps for iPad

• Install and open the Chrome browser for iOS
• Sign in to SkyDrive.com
• By default, Microsoft will show you the mobile version of SkyDrive and you can only view existing documents, you can't edit or create new ones
• Tap the Chrome menu icon (in the upper right corner), select "Request Desktop Site" and you will be redirected to the full version of the SkyDrive site

The Secret of Success

You last the long race by running the short ones.

Worry

“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.” - Corrie ten Boom

Worry

Worry ruins our health, robs us of joy, and change nothing!

Get over yourself!

• we’re important but not essential
• we are valuable but not indispensable
• we have a song to sing, but we’re not the featured act

Second Mile

Daily do a deed for which you cannot be repaid.  That’s the joy of the second mile!

Compressor / Expander / Limiter / Gate

Compressor – Boosts low-level signals, and “squashes” high-level signals. The result is a consistent level of audio output regardless of the intensity (of lack thereof) of the input. Very useful in broadcast - for instance, the DJ can whisper or scream into the mic and you, the listener, don’t have to constantly grab the volume control; the level you hear remains constant. Also useful in live audio for the same reason, especially for vocals as well as other highly dynamic instruments like drums.

For the end user (that’s us), compressors are the “enemy of good audio.” Compressors are the reason that music on FM radio sounds flat and lifeless compared to the same music on a CD. Compressors are over-used in recording studios, IMO, and the result is the same – the end product does not sound nearly as realistic and dynamic as it could. The effect is especially prevalent on vocals and acoustic instruments - piano, drums and cymbals, etc.

Expander – A.k.a. dynamic range expander, pushes down residual noise floor in the absence of a signal. For instance, audible background noise between songs on cassette tapes can be virtually eliminated.

Limiter – Similar to a compressor, but evens out only high-level signals while imposing no effect on low-level signals. Typically used to prevent signal levels from exceeding a pre-set limit, to keep a sound system or the inputs of a device from clipping.

Gate – Effectively shuts off a signal when it falls below a pre-set threshold. Typically used on mics when the presence of a signal is absent. For instance, a speaker using a lapel mic: the mic is very sensitive and will pick up ambient room noise when the speaker pauses between phrases. The gate can be set for a low threshold to shut off when he is not speaking. Set the threshold too high and it will cut him off when he speaks softly. Another common use is for micing drums. In this case the threshold is set high, to pass the signal only when the drum is struck, but immediately close so as not to “bleed” - pick up the other drums as they are struck.

Peak Limiter – See “Limiter” above.

As you can see, only an expander would be useful in normal home audio. For amateur singers in karaoke, a compressor or limiter would be a big “plus” especially if they are going to be recorded. There is really no use for a gate outside professional applications.

Spiritual DNA

What direction has God taken you?
What needs has He revealed to you?
What abilities has He given you?

None of us is called to carry the sin of the world.  But all of us can carry a burden for the world!

Rogers Cisco DPC3825 Router - DNS Server for Static IP

Be careful, don't use the Router's IP address as the DSN Server.

You can either get the DNS IP from the Status/Gateway tab of the Router Web page or from the setting of the computer using the DHCP server.

Responsive Web Design

Responsive design is a style of web design that responds to the user as they arrive at the web page. The design will display the content most effectively with different devices.

Web pages must be flexible and adapt, they must look different depending upon what is displaying them.

Don't crate separate websites for each device, it is only a quick and dirty approach.

Responsive design treats mobile and desktop the same. But the pages that are created may look vastly different, while containing the same content.

CSS media queries were introduced as part of CSS3 and they improved on the idea of media types by looking at the actual physical specifications being sent from the browser to the computer.


 For example, to send a specific style sheet only to iPhones, you would write:

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="screen and (max-device-width: 480px)" href="480-styles.css"> 

This can handle any device that has a width less than 480px.

Small Screen Need the Important Things First

Google Drive - Moving the local folder location

Discount the account and login again to change the local folder location.

VLC - Display video on a specific monitor, fullscreen

On Windows 7:

Method 1

• Tools, Preferences
• Video, uncheck "Show media title on video"
• Video, check "Fullscreen"
• Interface, uncheck "Show controls in full screen mode" - you can control the play back on the main screen of the VLS icon (can pause, forward and backward but cannot jump to a position)
• Output, select Default
• Drag the VLC to the monitor you would like to display
• Close VLC

Issues:

• You will see an image of the of the default size of VLC before (and then full screen showing the video) and after the video (a little bit better way is close the player right before the end of the video from the task bar)

Method 2

• Tools, Preferences
• Show settings, All
• Video, uncheck "Embeeded video"
• Output modules, select "DirectX (DirectDraw) video output
• Output modules, DirectX, Name of desired display device, select "\\.\DISPLAY2" for the second monitor
• Make sure the play list, the interface is previously closed on the other monitor

Issues:

• The color scheme may change (to Windows 7 basic) when open and close VLC

In case you have opened the video in the wrong monitor, you can send the windows to another screen by pressing <Windows><Shift><left arrow/right arrow> keys in Vista / Windows 7.


On Mac:


VLC, Preferences, Video

• check Fullscreen
• Fullscreen video device, select the display

QR Code

QR codes are squares of black and white patterns that encode the URLs of Web sites in a format that can be scanned and deciphered by smartphones equipped with the right apps.

To Let Go

...


To Let Go....


Is not to enable,
but to allow learning from natural consequences.


Is not to care for,
but to care about.


Is not to fix,
but to be supportive.


Is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcome,
but to allow others to effect their own outcomes.


...

Pharyngeal Resonance

The pharyngeal (throat) resonator is the area in your throat, back of your mouth and behind your nose.
It is an area at the back of the throat that connects the mouth to the nasal cavity in the head, where your head resonance takes place. So it functions a little bit like a conduit or go-between, between the two areas.

You can feel the pharyngeal resonator by saying "ng", like in "sing". It's not like any other resonator, it's more like an application to your chest, mix or head, therefore using the pharyngeal will aid you when you go from chest to head because the resonator is used in both.

To clear up, the pharyngeal is a resonator that is used in combination with your other resonators, it's not stand-alone like chest and head.

You can't really have pharyngeal resonance on its own. You will usually have head/pharyngeal, or mouth/pharyngeal, or head/mouth/pharyngeal. Obviously, a dose of pharyngeal resonance is a healthy component of any type of Mix, although depending on the sound you are after, you can have more or less of it.

SQL Server 2012 - Sequence Object

The Release of SQL Server 2012 introduces the sequence object to the world of SQL Server. A sequence is a user defined, schema bound object that will generate a sequence of numeric values (in ascending or descending order) according to specification. Unlike identity columns, a sequence is created independent of any table.

A few interesting differences between the two are:

• A Sequence object is independent of any table, whereas the Identity column property is table specific
• Unlike Identity, you can generate a new sequence value before using it in a SQL Statement
• You can define both the minimum & maximum values, as well as cycling & cache size options for a sequence
• Unlike Identity, a SQL object will increment its value only when it is explicitly called

A detailed list of differences between Identity and Sequence objects can be found here.

CREATE SEQUENCE dbo.demo_2012_sequence AS INT
START WITH 1
INCREMENT BY 1
MINVALUE 1
MAXVALUE 10000
CACHE 20 CYCLE;

-- get one value out of the sequence object at one time
SELECT NEXT VALUE FOR dbo.demo_2012_sequence AS seq_no;
GO
SELECT NEXT VALUE FOR dbo.demo_2012_sequence AS next_seq_no;
GO

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know

four common portrait lighting patterns:

• Split lighting
• Loop lighting
• Rembrandt lighting
• Butterfly lighting

Style of lighting:

• Broad lighting
• Short lighting

Redownload Mac OS X Lion

Open the Mac App Store

Hold the Option key and click on “Purchases”

Click the Download button

The installer will be downloaded into the Application folder

The User Defined Server Roles in SQL 2012

The new user defined server role is a secure and new feature added in SQL Server 2012. In versions before SQL Server 2012, we only had fixed server roles in SQL Server.

Some stored procedures used in fixed server role are not valid anymore and will be removed and replaced to support this new feature in the future.

Sample code:

USE [master]
GO
CREATE SERVER ROLE [customServerRole] AUTHORIZATION [sa]

ALTER SERVER ROLE [customServerRole] ADD MEMBER [<user name>]


ALTER SERVER ROLE [customServerRole] DROP MEMBER [<user name>]


ALTER SERVER ROLE [setupadmin] ADD MEMBER [customServerRole]

Contained databases

The main idea is to remove the independency between the Database Engine and the database. The contained databases are independent databases that do not require a login.

SaaS

Software as a service...

CSS Vendor (browser) Prefixes

CSS vendor prefixes or CSS browser prefixes are a way for browser makers to add support for new CSS features in a sort of testing and experimentation period. Browser prefixes are used to add new features that may not be part of a formal specification and to implement features in a specification that hasn’t been finalized.  It is temporary.

The CSS browser prefixes are:

• Android: -webkit- 
• Chrome: -webkit- 
• Firefox: -moz- 
• Internet Explorer: -ms- 
• iOS: -webkit- 
• Opera: -o- 
• Safari: -webkit-

Example:
Setting a rounded corner on a box:

• -moz-border-radius: 10px 5px;
• -webkit-border-top-left-radius: 10px;
• -webkit-border-top-right-radius: 5px;
• -webkit-border-bottom-right-radius: 10px;
• -webkit-border-bottom-left-radius: 5px;
• border-radius: 10px 5px;

Surround with... - SQL Server 2012

The surround with let us generate BEGIN END clauses, WHILE Loops and IF conditions easily.

 To activate this option, right click in the SQL Server Management Studio Script pane and select "Surround With..."

Insert snippet - SQL Server 2012

The insert snippet let us create code easily.

To start the Insert Snippet, right click in the SQL Server Management Studio Script pane and select Insert Snippet.

You can easily generate code to create functions, indexes, logins, roles, schemas, stored procedures, synonyms, tables and triggers.

For stored procedure, it generates code for 3 scenarios:

• the basic procedure, 
• a procedure with cursors and 
• a procedure with output parameters

How to Rap?

Rap is all about what you’re saying and how you’re saying it!


Structure
stress and unstressed syllables

Iambic rhythm (more info...)

• combination of stress and unstressed syllables
• rhythm that the words establish in that line
• rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables
• when the rhythmic flow of two lines is identical, it maks them mesh together very well

example:


Its FAIR - to SAY - I’m GRIND – in and PAV – in the WAY
DUH  – da DUH  - da DUH -  da  DUH   - da da DUH – da da DUH


and– the THINGS – you TAKE – for GRANT – ed I’m CLAIM – in  to DAY
DUH  -  da  DUH     -  da  DUH  -  da  DUH   -  da da  DUH   -  da da DUH

Double Timing

• used a lot in southern hip hop music (slower tempos used, 72bpm)
• If the tempo of the instrumental you’re rapping over is 65bpm then you rap at a rate of 130bpm – you double time it
• squeeze double the amount of stressed syllables you normally would in one line

Half Timing

• more popular in genres like Dubstep, Dance and upbeat Pop music
• If the beat has a tempo of 140bpm then you rap at a tempo of 70bpm
• This requires you to squeeze half the amount of stressed syllables you normally would into one line – in effect you half-time the beat

Cadence and Rhythm...

Filler lines are basically generic rhymes that are either used to keep the momentum going or to setup punch-lines.  But they typically don’t have the “Wow” factor of a hard hitting punch-line. 
Punch-lines are those prized lyrics that really grab your attention.  They hit you dead in the chest and leave a lasting impression.



Compression

One of the most misunderstood and most valuable tools for producing great rap vox is compression.  The function of a compressor is to reduce the peaks in an audio signal so that the overall dynamic range of a vocal performance is reduced.  Understanding and utilizing compression correctly can make your hip-hop vocals punchier, more intelligible, and most importantly, it will give them that professional feel.  Properly applied compression is extremely important for rap vocals because the rapper is normally saying a lot in a short amount of time. You want to keep a listener’s attention, and every word needs to be understandable to your audience.

In terms of compressor settings, I like to run some very mild compression on the input signal to tame some of the audio peaks and then tighten that up with some moderate compression on the output signal.  For hip-hop vocals, I like to start with a ratio range of 2:1 to 4:1 and an attack of 7 to 10ms.  If you are one of those “speed rappers” you might  want an even quicker attack time of 3 to 5ms and a higher ratio of 8:1.  In regards to the release time, a quicker setting will give you a tamer vocal while a slower setting will give you a punchier rap vocal. 

EQ

EQ-ing is a lot less difficult to understand than compression and can be a great tool for getting your rap vocals to cut through your mix.  Again, this is important because your hip-hop vocalist is typically saying a lot in a short amount of time, and every word must be understandable.  As a rule of thumb, if you have to do major EQ-ing to achieve the desired tone you might want to go back and experiment with your mic placement and vocalist orientation (to the mic).

How to Record Rap Vocals

Night Photography

The essentials:

• tripod,
• remote and
• gloves

Techniques:
Zooming

• changing the focal length while the shutter is open
• position your hand on the zoom ring prior to beginning the exposure, you will avoid the camera shake when coming in contact for zooming and ensure a smooth zoom

Light Painting
Timing and patterns

• shot events that are not supposed to appear together (e.g. three colors of a traffic light)

Tip:
Lock the mirror

Lightroom Catelog

Lightroom catalogs do slow as the catalog sizes increase.  It isn't noticable until you reach around 15,000 + images within a single catalog.

It is recommended to do the following for big catalog from time to time to optimize the catalog efficiency:

File –> Optimize Catalog...

Lightroom Previews

Render 1:1 Previews for all of the images: it will save enormous amounts of time during developing since Lightroom will no longer have to pause to render a preview when moving from image to image, or when zooming into an image.

Library –> Previews –> Render 1:1 Previews –> Build All

Hell

Take everything bad that has ever happened in your life, roll it all into one experience, and make it permanent. All the pain, all the disappointment, all the failure...all the hatred, all the bitterness, all the fear, all the anxiety...and experience that to the full, and then add this: there's no hope. It cannot, it will not ever get better.


If this is hell, are you going to do something to avoid it?

Lightening Backgrounds in Lightroom

Lightroom can do a quick job but won't be as good as Photoshop (and a good extraction tool such as Vertus Fluid Mask would be the best combination to use).

• Develop module
• Click Adjustment Brush
• Size Brush A so it is big enough to paint over the background
• Add a small feather : 15
• Enable Auto Mask
• Density : 100
• Click to paint over the background with the brush (when you lift the brush, you will see the Adjustment Pin.  Make sure the cross hair in the middle of the brush stays on the background and then the Auto Mask feature will ensure that the brush doesn't paint over anything but the background)

• To see the painted area, press the O key and a red overlay will appear

• For fine area, it's more "efficient" (i.e. quicker) to size the brush very large so the center can be positioned over an area of the background and the rest of it extends over the wispy fine (e.g. hair) area.  It might help to significantly decrease the density to around 30 so that you only partially select the background in the fine area.

• Return to 100% density and continue to work in the other background and making sure to avoid the fine area.

• Adjust the settings for the Adjustment Brush.  Increase the exposure and brightness until the background is white

Make sure the foreground color should be different from the background color to have the best result.

Happiness and Sadness

"The big difference between human happiness and sadness? Thirty-seven freakin' vibrations."
- Michael Tilson Thomas

(the difference between the major and minor chords)

Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack

Install this compatibility pack if you would like to open, edit, and save documents, workbooks, and presentations that were created in the newer versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Scroll down to see instructions and system requirements.

Download Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats

GarageBand for IPad - BlueTooth headset

If you are using a BlueTooth header, you need to go to Settings and turn on "AirPlay - Bluetooth" which will send sound from GarageBand to AirPlay and Bluetooth devices.

Beauty Retouching

Lines and Wrinkles:
Using Photoshop® to eliminate lines, wrinkles, and skin blemishes with the Patch Tool and the Spot Healing Brush Tool.

• Duplicate the original photo (layer) to a new layer for the Patch tool
• Use the Spot Healing tool on a new (empty) layer

Eyes:

• Duplicate the original photo (layer) to a new layer for the Patch tool
• Use the Spot Healing tool on a new (empty) layer
• Clone Stamp Tool

Three-Point Lighting for Portrait Photography

An overview of a classic three-point lighting setup used in portrait photography.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzvHEBm6VZs&feature=fvwrel

The back light as hair light:

The back light as aim light:

Flash Unit on Light Stand Setup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2y5JuNO1Uo&feature=channel&list=UL

the adjustment handle of the adapter will be on the right facing the umbrella.

Using a Reflector for Fill Light

Portrait Photography. Using a reflector to create fill lighting and reduce contrast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td-AvvX3xTA&feature=channel&list=UL

One Light Portrait Setup

Portrait photography: Using One Light to Create a Classic Portrait.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQxF80lpIV8&feature=related

• Camera & Flash on manual Mode (starts with 1/8 power)
• ISO: 100
• Aperture: f/4.0
• Shutter Speed: 1/250
• the flash is 45 degree to one side of the subject, pointed down at 45 degree as well
• the flash is 3ft away from the subject head
• with only one light source, increase the distance between the light source and the background will make the background darker
• take test shots and looks for hot spot (which is the over-exposed area that will be difficult to repair)
• 4.0    100    1/8 (starting point)
• 4.0    100    1/16 (too bright)
• increase the distance of the light and the subject (too bright)
• 2.8    100    1/8 (too dim)
• 4.0    200    1/8 (too dim)
• 4.0    100    1/4 (too dim)

DNS Cache

Your computer stores a list of IP addresses connected to various domain names. This list is generated as your browser requests DNS (Domain Name System) records from your ISP’s preferred DNS host.

Typing the following command in the Command Prompt that will save the result in a text file (dnshistory.txt) on C drive.

ipconfig /displaydns > c:\dnshistory.txt

Open the file on the C drive using Notepad (or any Text Editor). This file will contain a list of domain names accessed by the computer. Flushing the DNS now and then is also a great way to get over certain sites that may appear to be more sluggish than usual.

You can flush the DNS cache by typing the following command in the Command Prompt.

ipconfig /flushdns

iPad Camera Connection Kit

You can connect USB mic, USB keyboard, USB thumb drive to the USB port.

• Ignore the warning saying the device is not supported
• USB MIDI keyboard is working fine with Garageband
• USB Mic is working fine with Garageband but it seems the quality is not that great compare with using the same mic with my MacbookPro.  I am going to try to convert an XLR mic to USB and see if I can get a better quality
• USB keyboard is working fine but you cannot input Chinese characters
• USB wireless keyboard is working fine (I tried the wireless combo and the mouse, of course, is not working.  I also tried the mouse with TeamViewer connecting to a Windows computer and the mouse is not working with the cursor.)

You can also import photos on SD, micro SD card with the card reader

• you need to import the photos / videos before you can view them, therefore, won't able to treat the card as external drive
• the files should be in the "DCIM" folder
• Jailbreaking iPad will allow you to view the photos and videos directly on the SD card

IrfanView - Nikon Raw Viewer / Conventor

You can use IrfanView to view and convert the Nikon RAW format to other format.
You can download it from here: http://www.irfanview.com

Viewing the files:

• IrfanView has a Thumbnails option: "C:\Program Files (x86)\IrfanView\i_view32.exe" /thumbs 
• It works as an image browser and the Windows Explorer
• You can preview all the RAW files in thumbnail instead of open them one by one. 

Converting the files:

• You can open an image and select "Save as..." from the File menu
• For Batch conversion, press "B" in either the image view or thumbnails view to open the Batch conversion window.  The following image will give you an idea how to do it 

Clear Browser History in Chrome

While in Chrome, press CTRL+SHIFT+DEL.
Choose "the beginning of time" in "Obliterate the following items from", and select just the browser history:

Android Cantonese Voice Input

Enable the Voice Input:

• Home
• Settings
• Voice input and output
• Voice recognition settings
• Language
• Chinese, Yue (Hong Kong, Traditional)

Whenever you see the mic icon, tab on it and you can use the voice input.  This is not as good as Dragon Dictation on iPad and the Hong Kong special characters are not available.

If you are not using the Android keyboard, the mic may not be available on the keyboard.

Enable the Android Keyboard:

• Home
• Settings
• Locale and text
• Select input method
• select the Android keyboard

Head to Head Camera comparison

A good website to compare camera: http://snapsort.com/compare

Importing Loops into Garageband for iPad

We can import AIFF, WAV, CAF, ACC, MP3 and Apple Loops into Garageband for iPad:

• open iTunes, go to your Devices, select your iPad and go to Apps
• Scroll down and click on Garageband in your Apps list and then hit the 'Add' button to select the files
• Launch Garageband on iPad and tap on the Loop icon, and select Audio Files tab, tab and drap the file to the track

Only Apple Loop will adjust the tempo and key.

Free Apple Loops

Create / convert the audio file to Apple Loops using the Apple Loops Utility (comes with Logic Pro, Soundtrack Pro or Final Cut Pro).

more info...

Sin

We are not only talking about what we have done but also who we are...

Headset Mic

Wired:
Audio-Technica ATM75 Artist Series Microphone

Wireless:
Shure PGX14/PG30 UHF Wireless Headset System

Android Player remembers last postition

Try these audio book players:

• Smart AudioBook
• AudioBook Player (won't able to quit)

Adding a table in GMail

Create the table in Word, apply all the styles, copy and paste into the GMail message.

Even though you can do it in Excel, the borders, the alignment and font styles, etc are gone when paste into the message.

Color Meanings by Culture

Color Symbolism

cultural, age, class, gender...

By culture

Red

• China: Good luck, celebration, summoning
• Cherokees: Success, triumph
• India: Purity
• South Africa: Color of mourning
• Russia: Bolsheviks and Communism
• Eastern: Worn by brides
• Western: Excitement, danger, love, passion, stop, Christmas (with green)

Orange

• Ireland: Religious (Protestants)
• Western: Halloween (with black), creativity, autumn

Yellow

• China: Nourishing
• Egypt: Color of mourning
• Japan: Courage
• India: Merchants
• Western: Hope, hazards, coward

Green

• China: Green hats indicate a man's wife is cheating on him, exorcism
• India: Islam
• Ireland: Symbol of the entire country
• Western: Spring, new birth, go, Saint Patrick's Day, Christmas (with red)

Blue

• Cherokees: Defeat, trouble
• Iran: Color of heaven and spirituality
• Western: Depression, sadness, conservative, corporate, "something blue" bridal tradition

Purple

• Thailand: Color of mourning (widows)
• Western: Royalty

White

• Japan: White carnation symbolizes death
• Eastern: Funerals
• Western: Brides, angels, good guys, hospitals, doctors, peace (white dove)

Black

• China: Color for young boys
• Western: Funerals, death, Halloween (with orange), bad guys, rebellion

Color Meanings by Culture

Sharing iPhone / iPad Apps

Manually:

• Drap and Drop the App from iTune on to the Desktop (an *.ipa file will be created)
• Send / Copy this file to the other computer
• Drap and drop this file into iTune (or just double click it)
• Go the the toolbar, Store, Authorize Computer and type in your Apple ID and password

Use Home Sharing:

Understanding Home Sharing

About authorization and deauthorization

Rooting - Android phones

Rooting means giving yourself root permissions on your android phone (jailbreaking on Apple devices).

The Always Up-To-Date Guide to Rooting the Most Popular Android Phones
The 10 Best Android Apps that Make Rooting Your Phone Worth the Hassle

Unhide Apps in iPad

• Launch the App Store
• Tap either the Featured or Top Charts button
• Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and tap the Apple ID button
• In the window that appears tap View Apple ID
• Enter your password and tap OK button
• tap Hidden Purchases (under "iTunes in the Cloud")
• Tap the Unhide button next to those apps you want to unhide

Intel Motherboard Audio

Determine your board's audio solution

• Realtek 
• IDT (formerly Sigmatel)
• ADI (SoundMAX)

Audio standards

• AC'97
• HD Audio

more info...


SPDIF (S/PDIF) Song/Phillips digital Interface

An interface to transmit digital audio - the audio signal is transmitted encoded in a series of 0s and 1s instead of being transmitted in analog format. This makes audio have higher fidelity, because no noise will be added to the audio signal

ASIO vs WDM/KS drivers

ASIO (Audio Stream Input/Output) is a computer sound card driver protocol for digital audio specified by Steinberg, providing a low-latency and high fidelity interface between a software application and a computer's sound card. Whereas Microsoft’s DirectSound is commonly used as an intermediary signal path for non-professional users, ASIO allows musicians and sound engineers to access external hardware directly.

WDM/KS (Windows Driver Model/Kernel Streaming) drivers bypass Microsoft's kernel mixer (which is normally used to mix the outputs from multiple audio applications into one stereo stream), this option can provide very low latency.  WDM is Windows native and even an on-board soundchip should support KS well enough.

In principle, WDM/KS is just as good as ASIO, but it has to be a WDM driver to work properly. Many interfaces have WDM drivers with ASIO, the WDM driver spec allows other program interface standards to be added on without limitations. "ASIO4ALL", a free program that adds ASIO to a WDM only driver, uses KS to get in. Using ASIO4ALL is therefore just the same as using WDM/KS.

Here's some Pros for WDM/KS...

• The host can adjust the latency - you don't have to go into the driver control panel.
• Different WDM drivers from different makes of interfaces can be used to get more channels. With ASIO, only one driver can be used at a time.
• Low latency is available even with cheap sound hardware that has no ASIO driver.

And the Cons...

• WDM/KS cannot work if something else is already using the WDM driver - Some Mediaplayers and Codecs keep the driver in use even when they are not open!
• Once Kernal Streaming is in use, nothing else can use the WDM driver. Sonar has an option to release the driver when it's not running so you can temporarily use some other audio program that needs the audio hardware without first closing Sonar.

Sample Poses

21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Men
21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Female Subjects
Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to get you Started with Photographing Children
Posing Guide: 21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Couples
21 Sample Poses to Get You Started with Photographing Groups of People

Light Seeker

constantly aware of the types of light around...

• a room lit by a single lamp, a plaza in full sun or a candle in a restaurant window 

aware of the quality and behavior of light

• its color or temperature
• how it reflects off different surfaces
• the shadows it creates
• the way it shines through glass
• the ways light affects the mood of a scene

Sidejacking

Sidejacking (session hijacking) is a technique that lets one user literally steal the current Web session of another.

Your password has not been stolen but another user, by "borrowing" your identity, can "be you" for that session (before you logout).

That means, for example, that you could be surfing your Facebook page when, suddenly, someone else is changing your status, posting messages on your friends' pages, and simply impersonating you right under your nose! The same goes for Twitter, other social media sites, and even web-based email.

With SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), all info will be encrypted and you are safe from sidejacking.  GMail was the first major email provider to enable SSL on all users' sessions.

Advanced Dust Correction in Lightroom 4

This process is for an image that you will want to be absolutely perfect for enlargement or just that image you want to look flawless. After the image is color corrected and has been edited with your basic adjustments, we will open up our Tone Curves Panel in the Develop Module...

Advanced Dust Correction in Lightroom

Hotmail Arrangment

You can change how you view your Hotmail messages by clicking the drop down menu "Arrange" at the right side

Selecting "Conversation" will put all the related messages into one message.  The other options will sort the messages by either Date, From, Subject or the Size of the messages.

The change will be global, i.e. it will affect the way you see the messages in ALL folders.

Rag, Widows, and Orphans

Rag is the uneven edge of text that is aligned on only one side.
Widows are short lines of text that are left alone at the top of a column or page of text
Orphans are single words that are left alone at the end of a paragraph

An anonymous type (vb.net)

Objects can be initialized as an anonymous type without even creating or naming a class.

Dim myObject = New With { .id = 1, .type="dog", .name="hello" }

The compile will create and initialize a type for you.

With the "Key" keyword, it will allow you to select exactly which variables in an anonymous type should be used in either the calculation of a hashcode (using GetHashCode) or an equality comparison.


Dim myObject = New With {Key .id = 1, Key .type="dog", Key .name="hello" }

Dim myObject2 = New With {Key .id = 1, Key .type="dog", Key .name="hello" }

Console.WriteLine(myObject.GetHashCode)

Console.WriteLine(myObject .Equals(myObject2 ))

Create a folder on iPad

• touch and hold an icon until the Home screen icons begin to jiggle
• drag the icon onto another icon
• iPad creates a new folder that includes the two icons, and shows the folder’s name
• tap the name field to enter a different name

Quit Multitask apps on iPad

• double click the "Home" button to bring up the task manager (in the bottom of the screen)
• Tap and hold your finger on the app icons until you see something like this...

• Click the red icon in the left corner of the app you would like to close

Import/Export GarageBand project (iPad)

You need:

• iTunes
• DiskAid

Here are the steps:

• Connect your iPad
• Start DiskAid
• Go to menu DiskAid, Preferences, Advanced tab, check "Show root path for Apps" (this step will need to do only once)

• Go to Apps, GarageBand
• Open the folder path GarageBand, Library, Application Support, Documents

Importing song:

• Drap and drop the project folder (<name>.band) to the right panel
• You will need to restart GarageBand to see the new song.

Exporting song:

• Drap and drop the song folder in the right panel to you computer.

Import GargageBand project into iPad

I assume you have the GarageBand <name>.band folder on your computer.

You need the following software:

• iTunes
• DiskAid

Connect your iPad to your computer

• Start DiskAid
• On the left side, Click on the Apps\GarageBand
• Drop and drop the <name>.band folder into the right panel

Open this project in GarageBand for iPad:

• Start Garageband
• Go to My Songs page
• Click the "+" sing to add a new song
• Click "iTunes" (under Copy from") and select the song you just copied

You should delete the folder in DiskAid to save some space.

Free comics book reader

ARCreader for iPad

ARCreader is a free utility to let you read PDF, CBR, CBZ, ZIP and RAR archives on your iPad! Perfect for reading PDFs or any of your personal comic books or ebooks in those supported formats.

Nokia 808 PureView

Nokia's 808 PureView smart phone, with a 41-Mp sensor, produces 5-Mb images

• the innovation and news is not the number of pixels but rather how those pixels are used (as 3x zoom and great low light performance)
• use a sensor with somewhat higher resolution than needed at the time but output a lower resolution image than the sensor input resolution, possibly adding some upscaling/interpolation to provide a meaningful enough zoom range

LMMS

LMMS is a free cross-platform alternative to commercial programs like FL Studio®, which allow you to produce music with your computer. This includes the creation of melodies and beats, the synthesis and mixing of sounds, and arranging of samples. You can have fun with your MIDI-keyboard and much more; all in a user-friendly and modern interface.

download here...

Features

• Song-Editor for composing songs
• A Beat+Bassline-Editor for creating beats and basslines
• An easy-to-use Piano-Roll for editing patterns and melodies
• An FX mixer with 64 FX channels and arbitrary number of effects allow unlimited mixing possibilities
• Many powerful instrument and effect-plugins out of the box
• Full user-defined track-based automation and computer-controlled automation sources
• Compatible with many standards such as SoundFont2, VST(i), LADSPA, GUS Patches, and MIDI
• Import of MIDI and FLP (Fruityloops® Project) files

Image Mask and Paint Stroke in Motion

Create an Image mask and Convert the Animated Brush Stroke to a Mask:

• Right click the object you'd like masked (in the Layers tab)
• Select "Add Image Mask" from the contextual menu
• Drag the animated stroke (e.g. Liquid, Ink Bleed 01 Heavy) onto the Image Mask layer (in the Layers tab)

Painting with Motion

Select Paint Stroke Tool
Open the HUD to review the paint stroke options

• the "Write On" option will add animation to the static stroke
• Change the Width to 50 pixels

Open the Shape tab in the Inspector window

• Select a new shape style: some styles are static (show the whole stroke at once) and some are animated (e.g. Ink Bleed 01 Heavy, Ink Bleed 02 Taper, Ink Bleed 03 Drops, Ink Dilate 01, 02, 03, 06, Light Streak, Light Tail, Ants, Chocolate, Smoke 01, Splatter 01, Wood Shavings 01, 02, )
• Change the brush color
• Change the brush opacity to show more dimensional

Lightroom partially B/W

Use Adjustment Brush to paint the part that you would like to be B/W with Saturation = -100, set Auto Mask on (to help paint at the edges)

Lightroom Adjustment Brush

The Adjustment Brush is an awesome tool that you can use to make local edits (vs global changes) to photo qualities including exposure, brightness, saturation, contrast, and others, like Soften Skin and Teeth Whitening.

• Press "K" to turn on or off the Adjustment Brush
• Reset all the settings first (the last setting will be shown)
• There are two circles with the brush, the inner circle will be fully affected (the size) and the outer circle is the feather.
• Check "Auto Mask"... Auto masking attempts to sense the edges of whatever it is in your photo that you’re painting in order to help you paint only inside your intended area.  You can turn on and off the Auto Mask, just hold the <Control> key as you paint
• Use the [ and ] key to decrease and increase the Size of the brush tip
• In the Brush area you will see two brushes, A and B. You can switch between the two by clicking on the A or B indicator. Each brush has its own Size, Feather, Flow and Density settings, and AutoMask can be enabled for either or both of the brushes. Having two brushes lets you configure each differently and switch easily between the two.
• Each brush (A or B) can be switched into the third brush mode – Erase mode (to erase the brush strokes) by holding the Alt key (Option on the Mac) as you paint with either brush.
• Press "O" to reveal / hide an overlay that shows where the brush strokes have been applied.  <Shift> to change to another color to show the overlay (it helps when the overlay color conflicts with the image)
• Flow is the percentage applied for each brush
• Press "H" to show / hide a pin (where you have initiated brushes).  The active pin is denoted by a black center.  Move the mouse over the pin will show the overlay of the brush.  If there are more than one pin, select on the pin to select it as the active one.
• Press "Reset" to clear all the brushes
• Press "Delete" to clear the active brush
• In the Effect area is a Color option which allows you to paint over an image with a color of your choice. To do this, select the color to use and then paint over the area to apply it to. You can use this to colorize a black and white image or, paint over a dark blue area with yellow to make it dark green.