Take It or Take It

Instagram Posting to Blogger

2011-01-16T10:10:00.001-08:00

For you Instagram users out there, some of you may be frustrated that
you can't post to Blogger using the app. There is an easy workaround:
1. Setup your Mail2Blogger posting address in settings on blogger.com
2. Since Instagram saves a copy of the modified photo in you camera
roll, just hold your finger down on the photo you wish to post to
blogger and hit "copy"
3. Paste into an email to the posting email address you setup above

That's it. The subject of the email will be the title in blogger, and
the body will remain the body of the post.

Just Another F-15 Refueling...

2010-10-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

I love interestingly composed pictures and I love fighter jets... so this picture pretty much does it for me. I love how the the sunset (or sunrise) sunlight casts itself over the back of the plane, while the background is a deep navy blue. Although the F-15 may be docking to refuel mid-air (you have to agree this is one of the cooler things in life), it is remarkable how sharp this picture is. Then again, the photo was featured in Boston Globe's "The Big Picture," so the photographer is obviously talented.

Gorgeous Time-Lapse Photography

2010-09-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Most of these clips were made on or near Hwy395 in the California desert. Some in southern Arizona. I'll post some pics of rigs I used when I get a chance.

Intro music is by me and main track is by Dj Scott Stubbs. Some of these clips are long or hyper lapse which is catching on. Here's a clip of the railroad track dolly I used:

http://vimeo.com/14337541

Daneckertphotography.com

Ninja Moxie

2010-08-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

So our tabby cat named Moxie absolutely loves her blue string. We've spent probably a hundred dollars on cat toys, but no, she loves this string more than anything. She pulled it out of one of my blue sweatshirts and has been playing with it ever since. In this case, she burrowed herself under our doormat to hide from her enemy/best friend poised in attack position.

Hardly any processing was needed, but I did use Adobe Lightroom 3 to up the contrast and brighten the shadows. After using Lightroom for a couple weeks now, I'm starting to really like it!

Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Nikon 35mm AF-S DX
Focal Length: 35mm
F number: 4
Exposure: 1/60

The biggest problem with the iPhone nobody is talking about

2010-07-16T09:21:00.001-07:00

Everyone knows about how awful the newest iPhone's antenna is. Basically you hold the thing in your left hand and you'll see your signal plummet to the point where you can't actually make a call. Now, I haven't had as bad an experience as others - in fact I've found the reception is quite a bit better than the original iPhone (iPhone classic?), iPhone 3G, or even the iPhone 3GS. Apple hasn't really talked up the fact that the phone intelligently picks the best cell tower for your call, rather than prioritizing the cell tower with the strongest signal (techie and hard to market). But I digress, this is the problem nobody is talking about:

The antenna problem is a hardware problem. No software will "fix" the problem due to the fact that the metal antenna is located on the outside of the device. This has never been a problem because nobody has ever stuck the antenna on the OUTSIDE of the phone! Remember the Motorola Startac? It had a telescoping antenna that you could pull outside the device, and I bet if you cupped that thing in your hands, the same exact problem would occur. Still, I digress.

This is the biggest problem. When you hold the antenna directly, you immediately attenuate it's signal. That's a fact - the human body is a fantastic antenna attenuator, unfortunately. Now, when any phone does not have a good signal (think only one out of five bars), it sends more power to the antenna to boost the signal. Have you ever been stranded in the middle of nowhere and you're phone said "Emergency Calls Only" on the screen? What this means is if you need to call 911, the phone will power the antenna to the point where it is dangerous to have by your head, but able to connect to the police/fire department. Did you read that last part? Let me reiterate, it powers the antenna to the point where it is dangerous to hold by your head.

First lets see what Apple says in their iPhone User Guide:

The SAR limit applicable to iPhone set by the FCC is 1.6 watts per kilogram (W/kg). The SAR limit applicable to iPhone set by the Council of the European Union is 2.0 W/kg. Tests for SAR are conducted using standard operating positions (i.e., at the ear and worn on the body) specified by the FCC and the Council of the European Union, with iPhone transmitting at its highest certified power level in all tested frequency bands. Although SAR is determined at the highest certified power level, the actual SAR level of iPhone while in operation can be well below the maximum value because iPhone adjusts its cellular transmitting power based in part on proximity to the wireless network.

The iPhone 4 has poor signal, nobody can deny that. Now, if the iPhone operates in the same way as pretty much every other phone on the market, the lack of proper signal could actually be really dangerous to people. Yes, the FCC mandates that phones do not exceed a certain level of radiation (1.6W/kg) as it states above, and the iPhone 4 did pass this requirement in order to be available on the market. This maximum radiation level (SAR level) is not for continued use, rather, only for times when the device needs to power the antenna to its highest level for emergency calls. What worries me is that if the iPhone is constantly adding power to the antenna, the SAR level is closer to the maximum, which is not safe to have near your body over a long period of time. The barrage of tests that have occurred since the release of the iPhone 4 have only been testing signal strength with a focus on dropped calls, not SAR level. I'd like to see these test done and I think I'm going to use my bluetooth headset a lot more often (Go buy a Motorola one, please).

Here is an explanation by an electrical engineer I worked with at Motorola:

The RF circuitry basically transmits at a power level based on the communication it has with the cell tower. The RF amplifier has a power table that is dynamic. So if the signal coming from the cell tower becomes weak, the amplifier emits more power so that it could obtain a signal. The radiation, like you said, is increased as the power is amplified. The iPhone 4G's issue is the degradation of the antenna due to poor human effect antenna design. That is why they are suggesting the bumpers so that there is a buffer that is non conductive and gives the RF energy an area to flow outside of the human body.

We'll see what Apple announces today. I'm betting it's free bumpers so that the antenna doesn't get attenuated by the human body. I hate cases - why destroy the gorgeous design with a stupid plastic case? Still, I'll choose the POS case over liquifying my brains.

Off the SD Card: Rainbowlt

2010-06-25T07:05:00.001-07:00

I know, I know. Last "Photo of the Day" was a shot of the city, but I just couldn't resist. We've had a couple monster storms come through Chicago over the past week, and the last one really provided some amazing scenes. As crazy as this photo is, you really had to be there. Imagine hearing a tornado siren (think off-tune nuclear siren - really spooky), watching a full double-rainbow appear, and seeing the sky light up with multiple lightening bolts - all at once!

*UPDATE: Insane HD video of this storm... must see!

Bonus picture and photo description after the break:

Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Tamron 11-16mm F/2.8
Focal Length: 11mm
F-stop: 3.5

This shot is actually comprised of three shots in bracketing mode and then combined using Photoshop CS5's HDR Pro tool. The outside lightening bolts are from the first of the three shots, and the middle bolt was from the last. After playing with the HDR settings, the photo was then re-edited in Photoshop and iPhoto.

Bonus Photo:

Off the SD Card: Night Clouds in Chicago

2010-05-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

Back in February, I snapped this photo from our balcony just before sunrise. The color in the sky was a gorgeous blue and the moon was crisply visible. I knew the cloud definition and colors would be enhanced if I took a multiple exposure shot and post-processed as an HDR, so I flipped my D90 to bracket mode and took three shots. Even though there was a fair amount of light, I decided to use my tripod to avoid any movement between the three pictures. Each one turned out great, but combining them into a singular HDR image really captured that moment well.

Date Taken: February 11th, 2010
Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: 18-200 VR
Focal Length: 18
F number: 3.5
Exposure: 1/10

Off the SD Card: Thunderbird

2010-05-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

Yikes - long time since the last post. Here's a photo I took from last year's Chicago Air and Water Show. This picture has been featured here before, but I retouched it using Photomatix HDR software. I think it adds depth to the clouds and makes the image more interesting. Here are the photo's stats:

Camera: Nikon D90

Lens: Nikkon VR 18-200mm f/5.6

Focal Length: 200

F Number: 5.6

Exposure: 1/1,250

Next Generation iPhone

2010-04-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Now that the next generation iPhone is out in the wild, what are we to make of it? First of all, I really like the new design. I never really liked the rounded-back that the iPhone 3G and 3GS had. Aside from the two-tone back, the original iPhone I think had the best design, and I think the latest ID really pays tribute to the original.

Personally, I think the model Gizmodo got their hands on is 100% real, but head over there to read more...

Off the SD Card: March Sunrise in Chicago

2010-03-25T13:10:00.000-07:00

The only thing that rivals the beauty of a brilliant sunset is a gorgeous sunrise. It must have been a pretty calm night in the Windy City for Lake Michigan to be as placid as it was. Paying the extra dough for a West-facing apartment is definitely worth it!

Not much was done to this photo - only slight boosts in saturation and sharpness. I'm thinking the photo could benefit from slight vignetting - what do you think?

Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Nikon 18-200mm VR
Focal Length: 18mm
F number: 9
Exposure: 1/13
Taken March 24th, 2010

The Future is Now: Photoshop Edition

2010-03-24T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ok, so maybe not right now, but still... this is incredible! Watch the video and be amazed. For those without flash, or those that don't have time for the video, basically what this shows you is the next generation of photo retouching. Up until now, removing objects from photos has been a painstaking task. In the next generation of Adobe Photoshop, deleting objects, lens flares, even shadows will be easier than ever.

What will come of this? For one, it is going to make my photo editing process a whole lot quicker. It's going to be so easy to create fake iPhone 6G leaks!

Off the SD Card: Boozer!

2010-03-22T14:00:00.000-07:00

So this is my cat Boozer. She's a half tortoise shell half tabby mix and she takes wonderful 35mm photos! No post-processing was applied to this photo - my D90 was set to my custom "Vivid" setting to boost the saturation. As mentioned, I used my Nikon 35mm f/1.8 lens with my S600 flash attachment. The funny thing is, Boozer and my other cat, Moxie, pretty much overdosed on catnip like 5 minutes before this photo, so she's totally in a haze in this picture.

Camera: Nikon D90
Lens: Nikon 35mm f/1.8
Focal Length: 35mm
F number: 3.5
Exposure: 1/60

More pictures of my cats' drug binge after the break…

Wallpaper of the Day: Theaterplatz Dresden

2010-03-13T10:44:00.000-08:00

To me, the best part about HDR photography is usually the clouds. I've explained the basics of HDR before, but this photo uses an entirely different technique. First of all, it doesn't even look like a photo! Sure, the architecture of the Dresden Theater is enough to make the picture beautiful, but the way the artist blended the images together really make it surreal.

According to the Photographer (dhfotos):

A high dynamic range (HDR) panorama of the Dresdner Hofkirche, the Residenzschloss and the Zwinger. It's a part of a 360-panorama that took me twelve hours to create.

Canon EOS 50D, EF-S 17-85, Stitch (Hugin), HDR (Qtpfsgui), Finish (Adobe Lightroom).

51.053678, 13.736063

12 hours of work really paid off! Head over to interfacelift.com to download other resolutions.

Bringing Aero-Snap to Mac

2010-03-11T07:40:00.001-08:00

Ever since that crazy Wells-inspired Superbowl commercial for the first Apple Macintosh in 1984, the cultural divide between Mac and PC has been epic. To most, the argument is black and white, but for me, I use both on a daily basis and enjoy using each platform for certain tasks. Apple has stolen from Microsoft probably as much as Microsoft has stolen from Apple. Whatever the case may be, I like to find useful third-party software that brings better functionality from one platform to the other. In this post, I'll show you how to adopt one of Windows 7's best features, Aero-Snap, into OS X.

One of my favorite features in Windows 7 is Aero-Snap. Basically, you can drag a window's titlebar to the left side of the screen to resize that window to the left half of the screen. You can do the same for the right side, or you can drag to the top to maximize the window to fullscreen. I find this feature incredibly useful for comparing documents and websites or for simple tasks like dragging a file from one window (snapped to left side) to another window (snapped to the right side). It's one of Windows 7's greatest and most useful features, and it beat anything on the Mac - until I found a little program called BetterTouchTool.

BetterTouchTool is actually a fantastic piece of freeware (meaning free software) that adds more magic to your Magic Mouse. If you use a Magic Mouse with your Mac, I highly recommend downloading BTT here. I use BTT to add two gestures: TipTap left for Expose and TipTap right for Show Desktop. But I digress - although this tool is mainly for tweaking your Magic Mouse, it also comes built-in with a simplified version of Aero-Snap!

Once you have BTT open (you can access it from your menubar or in System Preferences), click the "Predefined Actions" tab at the top. You'll notice there's a section for "Window Snapping" - window snapping should be a default, but if it isn't, just check the boxes for left, right, and top snapping. Although it's not as flashy as Windows (you don't hear that very often when describing anything Apple related), it works just as well. Oh, did I mention it was free?

One more thing: you don't need a Magic Mouse to use BTT. You can use BTT simply for the Window Snapping feature, or for adding new gestures for your trackpad. If you do use a mouse with your Mac, I STRONGLY suggest you plunk down $50 for a Magic Mouse - I can't imagine ever going back to a regular scroll-wheel mouse.

Make Use of QR-Codes

2010-03-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows what a standard bar code can do, but not everybody knows about the latest in scanning technology: the QR-Code. Basically, the code is square and allows for cameras to easily scan and interpret the code. Using a simple app like ShopSavvy for the iPhone or Barcode Scanner for Android, you can scan a QR-Code simply using your phone's camera. On my Droid, I was able to scan the QR-Code to the left in about a second.

So how do we make use of these things? Using this QR-Code Generator, you can easily create your own URL links, phone numbers, or even an sms message! The QR-Code to the left sends you right here, to TakeItOrTakeIt.com.

For most scenarios, having a simple hyperlink will do the trick, but if you're trying to link to something thats only available on the phone, using a QR-Code is MUCH faster than having the user type it in manually. Try it out - the code to the right links you to the Barcode Scanner app in the Android Market. How am I going to use it? I'm going to print this QR code on the back of my business card, making it easier for people to find my website.

Do you use barcode scanners? Have any suggestions on how best to use QR-Codes? Say so in the comments!

My New Browser Homepage: Fav4.org

2010-03-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

Opera, Chrome, and Safari may have their own "speed dial" homepage variations, but for those that use Internet Explorer or Firefox: start using fav4! Its extremely easy to setup, and provides a very elegant and simple homepage or new tab page:

Point your browser to fav4.org
Pick your top 4 most visited websites by dragging them into the drawer on the right
Select any additional options (like adding a search bar at the bottom)
Set your browser's homepage to fav4.org

That's it! If you'd like to have it show up everytime you open a new tab in Firefox, download the "New Tab Homepage" addon here.

Milky Way Time Laps

2010-03-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

The White Mountain from charles on Vimeo.

Who doesn't love time lapse videos? And who doesn't love space? This video is just awe-inspiring, but what's really amazing is that the entire sequence was shot with a Canon 5D Mk2!

Here's the information that the photographer, Charles, provided:

Location: Mauna Kea, Hawai'i
Camera: 5D MK2
Lenses: Tokina ATX-116
Sigma 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye
EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L
EF 24-105mm f/4L
EF 17-40mm f/4L
Music: "That Is Why I Am On This Porch" from the movie
"The Village" composed by James Newton Howard

All night scenes were shot with ISO6400, 30 sec exposure, 15 sec interval and on f2.8 lenses (except from 0:34 to 0:43, which was shot with a f4 lens)

Head over to Vimeo to check it out in HD (you really should).

Wallpaper of the Day: Porto Moniz

2009-10-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Not only are the colors awesome, the clarity in this photo is outstanding. One of the most arresting aspects stems from the difference in the color of the sky reflected in the water; the sky radiates a nice, warm glow, whereas the water emits a cooler, teal-to-blue gradient. If you enjoy this type of photography you should definitely check out the artist's collection here.

For Photos, Ditch Facebook for Flickr

2009-10-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

Facebook is great for easily sharing pictures from last night's debauchery, but it really falls short on quality. If you've ever tried to print out one of your Facebook photos (or someone else's for that matter) you'll immediately notice what I'm talking about. Do you archive your photos on your computer? Do you delete them immediately after uploading to Facebook? If you've ever taken a picture that you may want to print someday, I would recommend using Flickr for the following reasons:

Facebook takes your photos and compresses the hell out of them. So, that really nice 8 megapixel camera you just bought might as well be a cell phone camera (in terms of resolution). Facebook drops the resolution to 604 by 401 pixels - that prints to a MAXIMUM of about 5.5 inches by 8.5 inches. So, if you're ever going to print out that awesome shot of Venice, don't expect it to look nice in anything larger than a 5" x 7" frame. A free Flickr account, on the other hand, doubles your resolution to 1024 by 680 pixels. For $25 bucks a year, you can upload your full resolution files (for my camera, thats 4288 by 2848 pixels) and have access to an unlimited amount of storage.

Flickr also just released their official iPhone app - it allows you to easily access your entire photostream from your iPhone. The app is noticeably more solid than the other flickr apps out there in terms of navigation and stability.

There's also a couple options for displaying your flickr photos on Facebook. You can have Flickr update your Facebook News Feed and Mini-Feed every time you upload a photo by linking your accounts from your Flickr account management page. If you just want to show some of your photos, there is a Facebook application called "My Flickr." All you have to do is link My Flickr to your Flickr account and you'll be able to have a box within your profile that shows up to 15 thumbnails of your Flickr photos. Since I'm recommending you move away from Facebook for photography, I think having Flickr update your feed is the best option.

If you do take a lot of photos, or just want to backup your old pictures to the cloud, I would definitely recommend at least trying out Flickr with a free account. Once you start to like it, like I have, you'll want to pony up the 25 bucks for the pro account. Any of you out there already use Flickr? Anyone think Facebook is still better? Say so in the comments...

Vote!

2009-09-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

So the photo I took of the Tribune Tower is in "The Loupe" on interfacelift.com - please go vote for it here!

Off the SD Card: Michigan Ave

2009-09-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

I was downtown yesterday for an event and took some architectural shots of the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower. I took all of them with my Tokina 11-16mm - a great super wide angle lens that really captures straight lines well. The picture above, of Tribune tower, was edited in Photoshop. Here is a simple 5-step process to get this type of photo:

1. Open your original image in Photoshop

2. Duplicate the layer so you have two of the same image on top of one another

3. Make sure you select the top-most layer, and press ctrl (or command) + "u" to pull up the hue/saturation/contrast sliders

4. Drag the "saturation" slider all the way to the left - this will make that layer black and white

5. Now all you have to do is click on the eraser tool and erase the elements in the picture that you want in color!

Here are a couple more images from downtown:

Wallpaper of the Day: I'm Home

2009-09-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Look familiar? This photo reminded me a lot of the photos I took down at Lake Gaston, NC. The photographer, macindows, captures the setting sun over the silhouetted treeline perfectly - much sharper than my images. He may have had better light, or maybe he didn't take this on a rocking boat like I did, but either way, its a fantastic shot! Head over to interfacelift.com for more.

Off the SD Card - Lake Gaston

2009-09-21T11:22:00.000-07:00

This past Labor Day weekend, my family and I went to Lake Gaston. On our last day (Labor Day Monday), the sunset was spectacular. The weather was perfect all weekend, but being on the water during a sunset is hard to replicate. A little boost in contrast and saturation is all this photo needed!

A couple more below:

Quick Six Review: Motorola CLIQ

2009-09-17T10:30:00.000-07:00

It’s been quite a while since Motorola had a phone worth buying, but the CLIQ may be the end to their drought. When it comes to consumer phones nowadays, there are three types of people: dumbphone people, iPhone people, and other-smartphone people. I think it’s safe to assume most of you don’t really care about dumbphones. That being said, if you like the iPhone, go get an iPhone, but if you don’t really want an iPhone, consider the Motorola CLIQ for these reasons…

1. Android: With more and more phones coming out with Google’s mobile OS, consumers have more and more options. In my opinion, Android offers just as nice a mobile experience as the iPhone (save Apple’s app store), but people didn’t really latch on quickly because the first phone, the T-Mobile G1, was ass-ugly. One thing Android doesn't have yet is Microsoft Exchange support, so you suits may need to look elsewhere if getting your work email on your phone is important.

2. Social Networking: Along with the announcement of the CLIQ, Motorola announced their own "skin" to Android called Moto Blur. Basically, all this is doing is throwing some Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. widgets on your homescreen. Its a cool feature, and something I kinda wish the iPhone did rather than just a static image with "Slide to Unlock" at the bottom. Then again, some people's tweets or FB updates are suspect, and could be bad for business displaying them out in the open all the time.

3. Full QWERTY keyboard: Fat thumbs? iPhone keyboard driving you crazy? The keyboard on the CLIQ is actually pretty nice. I'm not sure why the phone's called the CLIQ since its mainly a touchscreenphone, but the keys are easy to press and separated properly. The D-pad to the left of the keyboard will be awesome for games when decent games actually come out. The back-lighting is also pretty solid, and easy to see at night.

4. OLED Screen: The screen is really what makes the CLIQ nicer than the iPhone. It may be about the same size, but the clarity is noticeably better than the iPhone. This may not really mean anything to you, but just know it's sweet, ok?

5. T-Mobile: The thing I hate most about my iPhone is AT&T. The service SUCKS - I constantly get dropped calls in my apartment, which is pretty unacceptable seeing as I live in the 3rd largest city in the country. T-mobile is a lot cheaper than AT&T and the service is probably just as shitty.

6. Replaceable Battery: I remember when my RAZR would last 4 or 5 days on a charge, but these smartphones really only get a day's worth. If you run out of battery on the iPhone, you're SOL, but if you get a secondary battery for the CLIQ, you can actually swap it with your dead battery easily.

So, if you're in the market for a new non-iPhone smartphone, the CLIQ may be of interest. Motorola has been in the toilet, so this phone really is their last attempt at regaining market share - which means this phone has been heavily developed and, from the company's point of view, can't fail. The price hasn't been locked down yet, but I would assume it should be around $199 with a new contract (maybe less, depending on T-Mobile) and will be available this holiday season. For a cool product walkthrough, check out Motorola's dedicated page here.

Amazing Photography - Golden Gate Storm

2009-09-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

I found this photo on Digg, and man did it blow me away. Head over to the photographer's gallery site to see more of his work here.

Wallpaper of the Day: 3 Culvert Sunset

2009-09-09T08:59:00.001-07:00

The colors in this image are outstanding, and I love the reflection on the water. The juxtaposition of the industrial-looking drainage pipes with the vibrant colors of nature is just outstanding. I would imagine this shot was taken with a wide-angle lens and a tripod, but according to the photographer, the most difficult part of getting this shot was avoiding the mosquitos!

Click here to head over to interfacelift.com to download other resolutions.

Mac Tips: iPhoto '09 Fix for Snow Leopard

2009-09-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

After installing Snow Leopard on my Macbook Pro, I immediately noticed problems with iPhoto '09. What I normally do when backing up my computer is copy the iPhoto package file over to my external hard drive. Once I've reinstalled the OS, I simply drag the iPhoto package file back onto my Macbook Pro. In the past, this worked great, but with Snow Leopard, I definitely had issues. If you encountered this problem, this information will be useful to you…

If you backup your Mac the same way, you first want to drag the iPhoto 09' package file from your external hard drive into your "Pictures" folder on your computer. Once you've done this, DONT open iPhoto - instead, navigate to your "Pictures" folder where you just put the new file and right click on it. Select "Open Package Contents" and find the file "iPhotoMain.db."

Now, move the "iPhotoMain.db" file onto your desktop (instead of deleting it, so you can revert back just in case). Now all you have to do is click on iPhoto from your dock while holding down Command and Option at the same time. It should pull up iPhoto with the following message: "Rebuild the iPhoto Library database." Check all the rebuilding options and click to rebuild. This will take time depending on how extensive your iPhoto library is, but this should work for you. If not, let me know in the comments!

Off the SD Card: Wrigley Field

2009-09-02T13:18:00.000-07:00

You have to love Wrigley Field, especially the old style billboard. Not only was it a beautiful day, the Cubs actually won yesterday! Here are a couple more pics from the game with my Tokina 11-16mm lens:

Like the Sepia effect in the last photo? It's really easy to do this in iPhoto (if you don't own a mac, go get one). First, open one of your photos and click the "Edit" button at the bottom. Once you're in edit mode, you'll see "Effects" on the bottom - click that and you'll see a 3x3 grid of different photo effects. Click on Sepia (or any of the other effects for that matter) and watch as your photo transforms into something even more interesting!

Wallpaper of the Day - Sacramento Tower Bridge Passing

2009-08-31T18:18:00.001-07:00

I love pictures of steel bridges and I love long exposure night-shots - this photo has both. According to the photographer, this was taken with a Canon 40D & Tamron 17-50mm at f/32 over a 70 second exposure. To get a crisp night-shot like this, you first need a good tripod. Once you have that setup properly, set your shooting mode to timer to avoid any movement in the camera as the shutter opens and closes.

Quick-6 Review: Best Netbook

2009-08-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

I’ve been taking advantage of Best Buy for years, but their 30-day return policy is great for picking out the computer that’s right for you. I first bought the HP 1035NR, which I used for two weeks before exchanging it for the newly released Gateway LT3103U. After having problems with the Gateway, I finally landed on the Asus 1005HA – which I absolutely love.

1. Price: The HP mini takes the cake here at $329, but the added tech in the Gateway ($399) was worth the $70. I arrived at the Asus ($399) not by price, but because of the reasons below.

2. Portability: I would say this is a toss up between the HP and the Asus – the HP is a bit smaller than the Asus, but both can easily be thrown in any bag. The Gateway, having an 11.6” screen compared to the 10.1” on the other two, made the netbook more like a notebook (the 6-cell battery also sticks out the back, adding size and weight).

3. Battery Life: This was the main reason for going through two netbooks before deciding on the Asus – it has a remarkable 10.5 hour 6-cell battery. Although I’ve never achieved that much on a charge, I have used the netbook past 7 hours (dim screen, Bluetooth off, and power settings set to max battery life). The other two netbooks would get between 2 and 3 hours, which just wasn’t enough for this type of device.

4. Windows 7 compatibility: I’m sure everyone here has heard about the next generation of Windows, but basically its Vista the way it should have been, and optimized for netbooks specifically. Win 7 runs pretty much seamlessly on the HP and Asus, but was a pain getting it working with the Gateway (another big reason for making another drive to Best Buy to return it).

5. Aesthetics: Totally subjective, but I think the Asus is curvier and nicer looking than the HP. The Gateway is just ugly. One thing, though, the piano black finish on these things attracts hair and dust like nothing else, which is kind of annoying.

6. Overall hardware: The Asus and HP are basically the same internally, whereas the Gateway is quite a bit beefier inside (graphics card, bigger screen, 64-bit processor). The Asus may have been a downgrade on paper, but it delivers a much better netbook experience.

Conclusion: If you’re playing with the idea of buying one of these mini-laptops, I would recommend the Asus 1005HAP, hands down (be sure you get the HAP, not HAB or HAV). Don’t expect to be playing games or doing any video editing on these things, but I can tell you first hand they can play HULU and Youtube in standard-def perfectly well. Here are the HP and Asus netbooks on Amazon:

Spotify Got Approved!

2009-08-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Spotify, the cloud-based music service, just had their iPhone app approved by Apple. Considered to be an "iTunes killer," its pretty amazing it got through the approval process. Keep in mind its not in the US yet, but hopefully it will soon. You can read more here.

The Future is Now: Yelp Edition

2009-08-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

For you iPhone 3GS users out there: go immediately to the App store and download the Yelp app. If you already have the Yelp app, delete it and go to the App store to re-download. Once you launch the app, shake your phone 3 times - no joke. It took me a couple tries (just throttle the shit out of it) and an Indiana Jones-like message will appear saying "the Monocle has been activated." Now you'll see an icon at the top called "Monocle" - tap it to start the augmented reality feature.

The 3GS is required - older 3G models wont work (you need the internal compass). If you don't have a 3GS, or an iPhone for that matter, go give Apple your money.

Free Texting on Your iPhone

2009-08-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

Texting is probably the most important feature on a phone these days, so having a good alternative to the built-in texting app on the iPhone is worth a try - especially if it saves money. When I first started my iPhone plan back on June 29th, 2007, I added the $15/month texting plan. I rarely went over my allotment, and often considered downgrading my texting plan to the $5/month 200-texts plan. Not until I came across two free texting apps in the app store did I make this change a reality.

I tested out two free-texting apps: Textfree Unlimited and textPlus. When I bought it, textFree was $4.99 and textPlus was/is free. Both apps have landscape typing (a big deal for me), and both have push notification. Thanks to iPhone 3.0 software, applications can send their own notifications - this means when you get a text from textFree or textPlus, you'll get a popup that looks identical to what you're used to when you see a regular text. Basically, with push notification, these two apps work identically to the native text messaging app that comes with the iPhone.

After using both apps for about a month, I immediately downgraded my AT&T texting plan to 200-texts at $5/month. This way, when I need to text someone I haven't texted before, I'll use 1 of my 200 texts. When I get a response, I'll pull up textFree or textPlus to send them back a message (and ask for them to respond to my second text, coming from the free-texting app). Using one of these free-texting apps saves me $10/month - thats $120 a year in savings!

There really is only one drawback to using one of these apps - the number that the person you're texting sees is not your cell phone number. The number is actually a unique number that's associated to your cell phone number. Once your friends get used to this number, and hopefully associate it with your contact info on their cell phones, it isn't much of an issue. Due to this drawback, I haven't stopped paying for texts completely - I still have my 200/month reserve.

So you ask which app is better? The answer is they're both great and each have their own advantages. If I had to choose, I'd go with textPlus for these reasons:

1. textPlus is free to buy, whereas textFree is $4.99 to buy. There is a free trial-version of textFree, and I suggest you download that to compare the two yourself.

2. textPlus has the ability to text groups of people, not just individuals. It also makes it easy to add people to existing text conversations.

3. Not that big a deal, but textPlus just looks nicer than textFree. I like the grey background and the brighter colors, but to each his own (see image above).

The Death of XM and Sirius

2009-08-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

XM was a great idea when it first came out; take the cable TV model and apply it to radio. It was great - the content was fantastic, the selection was much better than anything on FM, and the quality was first-rate. To me, audio quality is very important, and I enjoyed listening to CD-quality tracks on XM much more than even the strongest FM signal. I loved it while I had it, but hated paying 12 bucks a month for the service.

About a year ago, I canceled my service with XM because I found other ways of getting the music I wanted and the quality I desired. I had been using Pandora for years, but not until the Pandora App arrived on the iPhone did I consider dropping XM entirely.

With AT&T's 3G coverage constantly increasing, the need for a satellite connection has become obsolete. One of the main features of XM and Sirius is the fact that you can receive a strong signal basically anywhere in the country. On my daily commute to work outside of Chicago, I get plenty of bars to get consistent playback on Pandora. Another feature that XM and Sirius claimed to have was the lack of commercials (I found this was not true, they just had fewer commercials). Pandora, on the other hand, only has a small banner ad at the bottom of the screen, and NO commercials in between tracks. Sure, XM and Sirius have hundreds of channels, but with Pandora, I can create and manage several of my own customizable stations. All of these reasons make Pandora a better option, audio-wise, but when you throw "its free" into the mix, its a no-brainer.

More and more internet radio stations are showing up in the iPhone app store and on other platforms (Android, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, etc), and they're all free. XM even has its own app on the iPhone, but why would you pay for the XM service when you can get a better app with free service? As Pandora, Slacker, NPR, Y! Music, AOL Radio, and more, become more and more popular, the need for a service like XM and Sirius will diminish.

There are plenty of arguments against the death of XM and Sirius. The company's stock has been going gangbusters in the market - up 40% in the last week (See Tech Trader Daily report here). The main reason for this is a product called SkyDock. Basically, this accessory plugs into your iPhone or iPod Touch and acts as a satellite receiver for XM and Sirius. Currently, the XM and Sirius apps use 3G for connectivity, and the audio isn't as clear as satellite. SkyDock will undoubtedly be sold separately and definitely wont come complimentary with XM or Sirius service. So, to put this in basic terms, I have two options:

1. I can buy SkyDock for $30 or $50 and attach it to my iPhone (which is a pain because now I have to carry this thing around). On top of the SkyDock expense, I also have to continue paying XM or Sirius for their service. At $12 a month, I would be paying close to $200 for the year.

2. I could settle for a hit in audio quality and use one of the many free internet radio apps. I don't have to listen to any long commercials and I don't have to pay for the service. I can customize my own stations and rate the songs I want to hear and the songs I don't ever want to hear. Aside from paying my standard AT&T service bill, this option is $0 for the year.

I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that love satellite radio and don't mind paying under $20 a month for the service. For the Howard Stern listeners out there, Sirius is really the only way of hearing the show, so you don't have much choice there. I have used and loved satellite radio before, but now that I've switched to internet radio, I'm never looking back.

Dynamic-Photo HDR

2009-08-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

High Dynamic Range photography, or HDR photography, is something I've always been interested in. Basically, an HDR photo combines a number of photos into one image. The human eye can capture a much larger range of light than any camera sensor, so using several photos can help make up for the loss in range. This is where the Dynamic-Photo HDR software comes in - this program is extremely intuitive and easy to use. The image above was created by shooting 3 images using the bracketing mode on my camera. One image was taken at regular exposure, one was underexposed, and the third was overexposed. These three photos make up the HDR image - this allows the sky to look deep and defined, while the city's details aren't lost.

Here is another shot I took the same day. If you like this look, and want to acheive similar results in your photography, I highly recommend Dynamic-Photo HDR.

Wallpaper of the Day - The Summit Museum

2009-08-19T06:22:00.000-07:00

I love the shadow from the mountain in this picture - it almost stretches to the horizon. Not only is it a great photo, but it works well as a background for your computer; just stick your desktop icons in the top left! Head over to interfacelift.com to download other resolutions.

Off the SD Card: Chicago Airshow

2009-08-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

The annual Chicago Air and Water show was this last weekend here in Chicago, and I wanted to give a few pointers on capturing jets.

1. If you have a DSLR, rotate your dial to "S" and set the shutter speed anywhere from 2000 to 4000. This will allow you to stop down for clarity and still get crisp images of most planes, even jets.

2. Bump up your ISO to 800 if you have good light - if not, set it to 250 or 300. Remember, when you set your ISO too high, your pictures will turn out noisy - adjust to fit your light!

3. Set your advance mode to Continuous High. This way, when you hold down the shutter button, your camera will take picture after picture - very useful for fast planes.

Wallpaper of the Day - The Sleeping Harbour

2009-08-14T09:31:00.001-07:00

The lighting in this photo is perfect, and it's a simple enough image to use as a nice sunset wallpaper. Click the image above for the hi-res version, or head over to interfacelift.com to download other resolutions.

The Future: HTML5 Edition

2009-08-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

Some things on the internet are just cool, and this is definitely a good example. The latest version of Firefox and Google Chrome supports HTML5, so if you're using one of those browsers, you should be able to see and interact with the colorful dots. Sure, you may think this isn't that different from some artsy websites that are already out there, but those sites were probably all done in flash. HTML5 adds a whole new level of interactivity that currently is only possible in flash. Head over to 9elements.com to see what I'm talking about.

Quick-6 Review: 32GB iPhone 3GS

2009-08-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

So this is the first of many (hopefully) quick six reviews. Basically, I'll give you the top 6 reasons to buy the product as well as the bottom line. If you decide to buy the product, be sure to click on the Amazon links here on TakeItOrTakeIt! Here goes:

1. The "S" is for speed, and its for good reason. Its much faster than the 3G in so many ways - to the point where it makes sense to shell out more money to get the better processor. It makes doing everyday things much smoother and less frustrating, like the keyboard no longer has any lag when you first start typing.

2. The camera is actually good enough to use as a replacement for your point-and-shoot. To focus, you simply tap on the screen where you want to focus/set exposure and the camera quickly makes the appropriate readings. Also, video recording is much better than you'd think - 30 frames per second looks smooth and the auto-focus helps the clarity.

3. The compass is awesome - when you launch Google maps and hit the "Find Me" button twice, it orients the map to where you're pointing. This is especially useful when you're in a new place trying to figure out which way to start walking to find a cab.

4. The latest firmware (3.0) is really optimized for the 3GS, so it runs flawlessly on the new hardware. When using the new spotlight feature, search results are displayed almost instantly. This may be shameless self-promotion, but the wireless headphones I developed as a product manager for Motorola work amazingly well with the new 3.0 firmware: Motorla S305.

5. Open GL 2.0 support may not be so apparent right now, but when new games start coming out that utilize it, you'll appreciate the feature. The easiest way to think of it is 3G:3GS::PS:PS2. I already see a huge improvement in Tiger Woods PGA Tour, and it doesn't even utilize Open GL 2.0.

6. Voice Control - finally you can make calls without having to go to the phone, then contacts, then dial... all you have to do is hold down the home button and wait for the prompt. It works pretty well for me, but asking the iPhone to play a certain artist wasn't so hot.

The bottom line: I'm happy I paid the extra $299 to get the latest iPhone, so if you have $199 to $299 to blow on another iPhone, I would definitely suggest upgrading. Oh, and for you runners out there, the Nike+ support is pretty awesome, so that may be another reason to upgrade. If you do decide to get the latest iPhone, I've found this screen protector to work great:

Wallpaper of the Day - Line

2009-08-12T07:39:00.001-07:00

I'm a fan of dark wallpapers, and this wallpaper is a fantastic background - simple and crisp with a touch of color. When I don't make my own wallpapers, I get them from interfacelift.com. Click the link to get other resolutions of this wallpaper and check out many more wallpapers at interfacelift.com.

A Growing Problem

2009-08-11T10:07:00.001-07:00

Super Size Me is a fantastic film and here is a snippet from the movie. We all know that smoking is addicting, but it's interesting to think that eating could be just as addicting. I edited this clip for SnagFilms.com (with Morgan Spurlock's approval) using Adobe Premier CS3. In the future, I'll post a tutorial on how to create a snippet like this one.

If you're interested in the film, head over to snagfilms.com to watch the full movie, as well as 3 more "Super Size Me Selects."

Hello World

2009-08-11T06:59:00.000-07:00

With the phrase "take it or leave it" in mind, I hope this blog helps you learn one useful thing everyday. Topics will primarily be tech-related - think of it as a combination of gizmodo/engadget and lifehacker. There will be product demonstrations and reviews as well as tutorials and tips. I hope you enjoy the blog, and take everything I have to say.