Regular reader Pat sent along this article from Small Business Pipeline:
Throw away your long-distance telephone bills and computer headsets. Well, almost. I’ve looked at computer telephony services in recent years, and the just-released update from upstart JAJAH is my personal choice. It’s incredibly easy to use: enter phone numbers for you and your destination, then click a button. Your phone rings. Pick it up and talk.
So it comes down to money, at which JAJAH excels. After your first five free minutes of test driving, you must register (no charge). Then, there are no or minimal charges for either POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) or mobile calls to more than 100 destinations.
I haven’t tried it, but it sounds interesting. To learn more, read the rest of the article or check out the JAJAH web site.
I received this email today from VMware:
Try out virtualization with VMware Server!
VMware Server is a free virtualization product for Windows and Linux servers with enterprise-class support. It enables companies to partition a physical server into multiple virtual machines and to start experiencing the benefits of virtualization. Also, by deploying VMware VirtualCenter, administrators gain centralized management to efficiently provision, monitor and manage their IT infrastructure.
You can learn more about VMware Server on the VMware web site.
More and more digital cameras are coming with very long zoom lenses. While 3x or 4x optical zooms used to be common, we are now seeing 6x, 8x, 10x and even some 12x zooms, equivalent to a 28mm - 336mm lens in 35mm film. While these super zooms are great at magnifying your subjects, they also magnify any camera shake you may experience.
I have talked many times about using a tripod and camera release in my photography. A tripod is an invaluable tool to the photographer for steadying the camera, composing and taking multiple shots of the same composition at different settings. However, even on a tripod, the small vibrations you produce when pressing the shutter button are magnified when using super zooms. That is where the use of a remote shutter release comes in. They come in various forms, from the traditional wire cable releases and bulb releases that were both mechanical in nature, to today’s electronic shutter releases and even infrared releases. The use of a remote shutter release can minimize or eliminate camera shake due to shutter press altogether.
Remote releases typically either screw or snap onto a socket on the camera or have an eye for viewing the infrared beam on a wireless release. Most wireless releases are directional and only work when the remote is pointed at the camera from the front. If this is the type you have then you may have to put your remote in front of the camera off to the side of the lens in order for it to work. Many simply trigger the shutter when the button on the remote is press, but some are configurable to immediately trigger the shutter or two wait a short period of time before firing. This is to allow the vibrations from the mirror flipping out of the way of the sensor on an SLR to dissipate. Others are even more advanced with options for time delays and timers to set extended exposure lengths. If you camera does not have an available remote release, another option is to use the self timer. The self timer will give the camera 10 seconds or so to stop vibrating after you to press the shutter button.
With very long focal lengths, their magnified views, and magnified camera shake, such as those in the 10x and 12x range, the use of a remote release can be the difference between a sharp photo and one that could have been sharp.
The digital photography tip of the week is written by the PCIN Assistant Editor, Chris Empey. Chris is a long time photographer and is currently the President of the Niagara Falls Camera Club. You can see more of his photography at his Photo of the Day website. If you have a tip to send Chris, or a question about digital photography he can address in the newsletter, send it to chris@pcin.net.
Recent Comments