Daily notes: Photography and graphics

How to manually set the correct white balance

Place a white piece of paper or card board in the middle of the scene.

• Zoom in on the paper, filling up the frame.
• Select "Manual" from the white balance menu and take a picture of the white paper.

==> This process tells the camera what white should look like under the current lighting.

Colors "seen" by the camera are affected by different light sources, so digital cameras use white balance to make a picture look genuine. Don’t ask me any further though. One of the most common setting where the white balance goes off is fluorescent-lit area.

The picture has a visible dark-green cast as seen here. 

Resolution – Photo sizes

1.3 MP – 3.5×5 to 4×6
2MP – 4×6 to 5×7
3MP – 5×7 to 8×10
4MP – 8×10 to 8.5×11
5MP – 8.5×11 to 9×12
6MP – 9×12 to 11×14
8MP – 14×17 to 16×20

Focus (simple notes)

• Auto focus: the center area of  the frame
• Spot auto-focus: a tiny spot, can be anywhere, smaller than the center area.
• Flex (zone) auto-focus: focus on areas which does not need to be the center area.
• Continuous (tracking) auto-focus: lenses refocused continuously, good for tracking moving objects.
• Predictive auto-focus: too complicated, I don’t 

PNG Transparency in IE

IE does not correctly display PNG with great color depth than 256-color-palette  To render it correctly, Microsoft use AlphaImageLoader. Osola even goes as far as writing a Javascript to loop through each images on a website and apply AlphaImageLoader code to them.

[PC magazine, issue Oct 5, 2004]

QuickLink: Flock, the coolest thing

When I discovered Firefox in 2004, I thought I found one of the coolest web browsers compared to IE, Netscape, built-in browswer inside AOL. I digged the tab feature and completely switch to Firefox or a two years until I found another coolest web browser, Opera. Opera has Firefox’s tab feature, built-in mail and rss feed reader, cool widgets among other things. I’m happy with Opera, and using it for the past month now.

Until yesterday, I discovered Flock, a browser built based on Firefox. Oh my gosh, this blue baby is the darnest thing: great baby blue GUI, integrated with flickr, youtube, gmail, blog editor in addition to gazzillions darnest extensions.

From now on, I will use FLOCK and FLOCK alone.

QuickLink: Daily surf

• Free dictionaries for Windows: Available in many languages which share a common user interface. I download a single dictionary file (.exe) once and four word list (for each language). I’m currently using Spanish, Czech, Croatian, and Vietnamese.)  With Vietnamese, I have to install the extra font. I really like these dictionaries: free, light-weight, easy-to-use, easy-switching from XLanguage<->English, XLanguge and English word appear at the same time I’m typing eliminating typos, typo tolerant, and I can add words and phrase to the word list. 

  

• Sync Google Calendar to MS Outlook: This post gives a detailed tutorials on how to sync your online Google’s Calendar with Outlook (I use MS Outlook 2003). It took a little bit of time downloading and installing, but I finally got it to work.  However, this is only one way sync as I don’t think Google’s Calendar can retrieve info from Outlook.

Powered by Qumana

QuickLink:Daily surf

• Tips and tricks using blogger (old and beta version): I tried out beta blogger and so far really excited. Finally after 2 years since I first started blogging with blogger, I can categorize my posts. If blogger has implemented this feature sooner, I would not have switched to WordPress. However, I’m glad I use WordPress. This free blogging software is totall awesome. I think its design and all of those features provided by WordPress play a crucial role in my deicsion to make my Saraj site better and keep updating it for a while until I run out of ideas.
• If you’re sick of the default templates provided by blogger, you can try these designs. They look good, but remember that you can’t edit the CSS since it’s not inline. Such eh?
• I tried Google’s online spreadsheet yesterday. It’s pretty neat. This way I can have an updated spreadsheet version for my time card. I can update it from either computer: work and home without having to email the file back and forth.
• I signed up for a Writely account to use its online word processor. This will be convenient as J. and I are planning to co-write our travel trip. This way, we know we always have the update version and see the other’s edits.
• Free language course (FSI) offers free lessons: text and audio in a few languages: Cantonese, French, German, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Vietnamese are one of them. I just examined the Spanish lessons and thought that the courses are taught in a very slow pace. It’s worth a try though.

Finishing this post, I realize 4/6 items I mentioned are Google’s products or those from companies it bought. Pretty impressive this Google.

-cd

Daily notes

Finally, I finished making and uploading my website.

Created bookmarks at del.icio.us, del.icio.us.

Check myspace to see what the buzz about it is all about. So far, it has not gotten my attention. Skim through digg to read some technology news.

Have not been able to install blogjet.

Daily notes

Career/Education: I thought about going to take some classes, get a certificate, or attend graduate school for a busies-related subjects. However, I was discouraged with academic training without or wit little practical experiences. So I will apply for companies which offer good training programs, preferably multi-faceted and international companies. J., he has a technical degree and now works for Ernst & Young where he gets his 2 month training in auditing among other things. Columbia river: I arrived in Astoria after a 750+ mile drive from the Bay Area and stopped by Safeway to buy some food. I could smell and feel the coolness from the nocturnal water, and instantly forgot that I had driven for 14 hours. Craigslist.org: This community/classified website is great. I got so much done through it: getting a job, renting rooms, buying, selling, and recently got a traveling partner through rideshare category. Cheaptickets: I found the cheapest airfare ever from Dusseldorf to JFK for less than $200 one-way. However, "cheap is not always good" turned out to be right in this case as my credit card was multiply charged, the ticket was not confirmed by the airline, their reluctance to let me cancel my UNCONFIRMED ticket, the lack of sync-knowledge among their travel agents. I lived in Bosnia at the time and had to talked to them almost every other days to resolve the issue. Imagine I have to report information between the American and German agents giving the time difference. Every single time I talked to the cheaptickets’ agents, I had to repeat the information. Each call lasted more than an hour. Thanks god for Skype, I would not dare imagining using the traditional phone service. Tom Peter, a management guru, mentioned that businesses seldom own up to their mistakes, instead they point the fingers. It’s advisable just to have the courage and say: "We’re sorry we made blunder, how can we fix it for you?" I finally got a confirmed that I would get my money back for the ticket plus other multiple charges. The last agent I talked to was really nice, but eventually, she said: "It’s LTU. We have no trouble with other airlines. Something must be wrong with their systems. They kept refusing booking from us." But the thing is, I booked the same flight directly through LTU’s website. It went through. When I double booked, they canceled my other booking right away. I talked to four agents. Three of them were professional and helpful. I doubt I will ever deal with cheaptickets again. Too much hassles. Too much negativity. Ideal place: The other day, I thought of my ideal place to live. It should be near downtown to have easy access to culture events and people. Preferably near the water.Quiet. House with upstairs bedrooms. Organizer: I’ve used many organizers: electronic, computer, programs, online-services, paper and pens. Recently, I’m using MS Outlook 2003 integrated with Franklin Covey Plus. Plus, I have a small Todo-list pad which I carry around. So far so good. Too bad, don’t have the Palm Pilot. . Skype: A miracle. Not surprisingly, it was the brainchild of two idealists. Saves me a fortune in telephone bill. Especially now I don’t have a phone line and have to use my cell with only 300 free minutes. Skype is best used with a fast connection and good microphone/earpieces/headset. Walmart: I bought a lens cleanser botle at Walmart and got unlimited refill. Yes, I’m not joking. Free refill for life. Wallmart is insanely smart you know. Who would not want to buy something for less than 2 dollars and get refill for life? I wouldn’t. These refilling cost is nothing compared to Walmart’s huge pocket, but they will have people who come in for refilling, then cruise around, and buy other items. Later, they tell other people as I am doing right now. Shopping at Walmart is not simply going to the store, getting needed items, and driving away. No, it is more of an American pastime of the lower-class and perhaps frugal middle-class who would not care at all about those left-wing conspiracies against Walmart: exploiting Chinese workers, ruining small towns’ culture by driving away mom-and-pop stores. People, nowadays, go to Walmart during the weekend, eat at the in-store restaurants, look, and then shop. I was there last weekend and saw they just added a nail shop. Wifi: Wifi is everywhere now, good for me. JetBlue at JFK airport offers free wifi in the areas surrounding their terminals. In the mean time, I can sit comfortable in my own home and enjoy the free Wifi from outside, without their knowing, of course. Writing: More and more I realize that writing is a form of meditation. It builds focus and clarity. Read/Reading UPS vs. FedEx Which shipping company is right about the economy? http://www.slate.com/id/2146636/?GT1=8482 (logistic, culture, shipping, business, economy)

Today notes

Make wide angle lense from door viewer

http://www.instructables.com/ex/i/1D59459A4AC71029AC23001143E7E506/?ALLSTEPS

Ooh, this is too good to be true. I’ve been searching for lenses to take closeup picture for my Canon Powershot camera. They are quite expensive and might not even produce the best quality prints. Worst yet, I will have to order online since shops do not carry them since my camera is not one of those top of the line built for accessories.

I will have a day in the city. Not sure where I can fine this thing and where.

I will update if I succeed.

Brief notes about DHL

• Investor of the year. Relocate European quarter from UK to Prague. Invest 180M euros. (source)
• 1/3 operating cost compared to that in Western countries.
• Need a major haul over with the support staffs. Some have no IT background and English. (my personal opinion)
• Purchase 100 per cent of the shares in Prague based PPL CZ
• World’s biggest inter. air express network
• Services offered:
  • DOX – Duty-free to countries outside the EU
  • WPX – Dutiable goods outside the EU,
  • ECX – All shipments within EU,Domestic Express, Express Document, Same Day Express, Import Express, World Mail, Worldwide Express Logistics, Track and Trace.

Notes for myself

• Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton taught him that if you take care of the customer, you win.
• Finance the next project from the profit of the current one.
• Bernstein’s tips for entrepreneurs
  • Try to have fun in everything you do.
  • Hire smart and invest in people.
  • Pay follows success for employees trying to impress employers and companies trying to impress clients. First show you can get the job done, then talk pay.
  • Take business courses if you are just starting out.

Keywords for the day:

Advertising, turn-around, do better,

Good links found today

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14872497.htm (Bob Bernstein)

Learning web 2.0

I'm intrigued by Ajax, the technology behind Gmail, flikr, kayak, and gosh know what else. Ajax is the new technology of the era Web 2.0.  I've been setting sometimes now to learn about Web 2.0, so far not much progress. 

http://www.techsoup.org/toolkits/web2/ 

Today marks my real attempt to learn Web 2.0

Boompa car site

Wisdom from the entrepreneurs who built the online community car site boompa.com. I do not necessarily starting a business, but some of the advices are helpful for starting any technical projects.

Research

Everything starts with an Idea

Build a site that makes sense in the current market

The best way to find out if your site has revenue potential

Picking your Partners and Assigning Roles

Who's the better shot? Give them the gun.

Be Selective

Make sure any technology built is owned by the company, not the individuals

How to split up the company shares

The minimum skills you'll need to get the job done

1. Photoshop designer
2. CSS/SMARTY Developer
3. Data Entry / Database Populator Dude (scrapes are lame!)
4. PHP/JSP/Ruby Developer
5. JavaScript/AJAX developer
6. SysAdmin / DBA
7. QA/Product Management

There are also the following non-technical roles

1. Guy who talks on the phone
2. Guy who keeps the books and writes the checks
3. Guy who cleans the toilet

Office Space

You really do need office space

Back to College?

Things to watch for in your lease

Money

Find out how much you need first

Why we didn't try to find VC money

If it's that good of an idea, don't be afraid to put your own money on the table

How to set up your loans

What type of business entity to set up

Insurance

Preview of Part 2: Technology, Design, and our Build Schedule.

Tehnology Used

PHP 5: We used PHP as mentioned because we had used it before on other large sites and had seen it scale to hundreds of thousands of users. We also knew it really well.

SMARTY: SMARTY is a templating engine that you can use to seperate your frontend documents cleanly from your main PHP. For the most part we don't understand why it isn't more used and to us is a MUST HAVE on any web build.

MySQL 5: This was our first time using MySQL 5 and didn't have any real problems with it.

Fedora 4: We went with Fedora as our Linux build because it's free and it's very stable and supported.

CSS: Used to style our pages, I don't believe boompa.com has any tables outside of a couple we have to use with Dojo.

Dojo AJAX Toolkit: Pretty much our home run king. We would not have been able to work AJAX into the site without dojo. You see it everywhere from our fades on the front door, to our WYSIWYG editor in the boards.

Pear: We used a lot of pear scripts and functions for things like pagination and sorting.

Memcached: We use memcached to speed the site up and prevent hits to the database where we can. Along with SMARTY caching, it keeps the site running relatively speedy.

Shake, shake, shake your hard drive baby!

My portable USB hard drive, DISKGO Edge suddenly misbehaved; the computers could not recognize it. This drive is a backup of my laptop which recently crashed. My two other USBs broke. My MP3 player also stopped working. So all my life work are in a single medium, that portable hard disk.

I was worried sick and could not help beating myself up for not backingup the backup. Yes, I admit that I am really weak in the backing up department. I lost a lot of important files, however I was able to recover some of them. But this time is different. That portable contains personal and a lot of other significant data. I tried to search online for hard drive recovery service, and found out that it would cost a huge chum of money. I thought that maybe I had to send the drive to the manufacturer because it was still under warranty. But this approach would definitely take a long time since the manufacture is in USA, and they might just send me a new hard drive, suggested my boyfriend, by the way a master graduate from computer science.

Well, out of desperation and frustration, I picked up the hard drive, stared lovingly at the LED green light on this motionless creature, and started shaking the poor thing. I did like this:

Shake, shake, shake it baby!

Can you believe it? A popup appeared on the screen asking me showing options I can do with the device (when you hook up a USB device to the computer, this window appears).

Terribly horrifyingly hysterical beyond belief, I immediately copied files from the USB to the hard drive and mocked the so-called technical competent boyfriend of mine.

It is now in progress.

So what do I learn from this blissful disaster?

1. That it helps big time to be a semi-aggressive woman. Why? Since I am aggressive, I shook the damn thing crazily. But because I am a woman, I did not throw the bastard away. Some men might.
2. Oh let the Lord be my witness? I will back up, back up, and back up from this day forward. At least 2 copies in 2 different medium.