The latest issue of Windows Secrets newsletter has a nice tip about a free virtual CD-ROM drive:
I recently rediscovered a nifty free tool from Microsoft. You may find it useful, too.
It’s the Microsoft Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel…
It lets you mount an ISO file of a CD in one step, without having to burn it to an actual, physical CD first. You then have access to the full contents of the CD and can get at any or all of the data.
The Virtual CD-ROM Control Panel also lets you mount several images at once, each with its own drive letter. I don’t know what the upper limit is, but I’ve had as many as four ISOs mounted at once, in addition to the two real CD drives in my system. And, of course, because the ISO files actually reside on your hard drive, you can access them at normal hard-drive speeds, which are usually much, much faster than CD drives.
Visit the Windows Secret site for more details and to find the link to download the utility.
If you are looking for a free classified service in your area, try Kijiji:
Kijiji means “village” in Swahili. Kijiji helps you connect with your community. It’s free and easy to use. You can find everything you need from housing to furniture, from jobs to new friends and more.
You can charge for things, or offer them free.
David Kennedy has a tip on his blog about Spring cleaning for photographers:
Spring cleaning applies to photographers too. Every year, it is good to look at your equipment and see if you need everything on your shelf. Are you really going to use that old film camera again? Are you going to re-read that software guide? You will be surprised, however, at how many people will be interested in your used equipment, software and books.
The April 2007 TechNet Magazine highlights a tool called AutoRuns for Windows.
This utility, which has the most comprehensive knowledge of auto-starting locations of any startup monitor, shows you what programs are configured to run during system bootup or login, and shows you the entries in the order Windows processes them. These programs include ones in your startup folder, Run, RunOnce, and other Registry keys. You can configure Autoruns to show other locations, including Explorer shell extensions, toolbars, browser helper objects, Winlogon notifications, auto-start services, and much more. Autoruns goes way beyond the MSConfig utility bundled with Windows Me and XP.
The utility was written by Bryce Cogswell and Mark Russinovich of Sysinternals fame.
I am just finishing up my review of Adobe Lightroom. So far I am very impressed with Adobe’s new offering with only a few issues. This week’s tip is for Lightroom users.
I have talked in the past about how important proper white balance is in your photographs. If your camera has the ability to shoot RAW you have the ability to control white balance after you take the image. With Lightroom, you can now adjust your colour balance whether you shoot JPG or RAW in a non-destructive way.
In the Develop module of Lightroom, click on the White Balance Selector. As you move the eye dropper around your image, the image in the Navigator provides a live preview of the changes that will occur in your image with a new white balance selection.
If you regularly hide panes when working on an image, you may be missing out on some great features that Lightroom offers.
Until next time, happy shooting.
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