Monthly Archive for April, 2008

Recuva - Windows freeware file recovery

Published
by
Graham
on April 9, 2008
in Software Tips
. 0 Comments

recuva_logo.gif

I heard about Recuva a couple of months ago on the Kim Komando show. I bookmarked it, and finally got around to checking it out. It is a file recover utility.

Recuva (pronounced “recover”) is a freeware Windows utility to restore files that have been accidentally deleted from your computer. This includes files emptied from the Recycle bin as well as images and other files that have been deleted by user error from digital camera memory cards or MP3 players. It will even bring back files that have been deleted by bugs, crashes and viruses!

I’ve tried it out and it is very easy to use. It scans the drive that you specify and then shows you a list of files that have been previously deleted. It also tells you how likely it is that file could be recovered. You select the files you want to recover, choose where to recover them to (a different drive is recommended) and then the software tries to recover the file. The program itself is very small (less than 1 MB) and you can download an installable version (a setup file) or a zip file that you can extract and save to a portable disk. That’s what I’ve done, and I will definitely recommend it to others.

101 Fantastic Freebies 2008

Published
by
Graham
on April 9, 2008
in Internet Tips, Recommended Web Sites and Software Tips
. 0 Comments

In what has become a yearly tradition (see 2006 and 2007 here), PC World has compiled a list of 101 Fantastic Freebies:

Free. It’s the magic word for an ever-expanding wealth of downloadable software and online services. Free doesn’t necessarily mean good, however, and hunting for freebies can mean sifting through a lot of junk.

That’s where we come in. We surfed, clicked, and installed to find sparkling free gems capable of planning your time, keeping you in touch, and tuning and securing your PC, not to mention glitzing up your desktop, helping you stay productive, and entertaining you with music, videos, photos, and games. We paid special attention to programs and services you may not have heard of before.

We also singled out two free offerings–one download and one online service–as the best of the bunch.

Coming Soon, to Any Flat Surface Near You

Published
by
Graham
on April 5, 2008
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From the New York Times:

Tired of hearing other people’s cellphone conversations? It may become worse. Soon you may have to watch their favorite television shows and YouTube videos, too, as they project them onto nearby walls or commuter-train seatbacks.

Pint-size digital projectors are in the works. These devices, when plugged into cellphones and portable media players, will let consumers beam video content from their hand-held devices to the closest smooth surface — entertaining themselves, annoying their neighbors and possibly contributing to a new warning sign: No Projectors in This Area. The microprojectors, still in prototype, use light-emitting diodes, lasers or a combination of the two to cast a display of up to 50 or 60 inches, or perhaps even wider, in darkened spaces and 7 to 20 inches or so when there is ambient light.

91 Utilities to Supercharge Windows

Published
by
Graham
on April 5, 2008
in Software Tips
. 0 Comments

PC Magazine has an article with a list of useful utilities:

We’re going back to the basics: Our 2008 collection of utility software is all about tweaking, manipulating, and totally dominating the looks and functionality of Windows XP and Vista. These 91 tools provide all the help you need to control Windows. All the products work with XP and Vista unless indicated.

Computers to merge with humans

Published
by
Graham
on April 5, 2008
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From BBC News:

By 2020 the terms “interface” and “user” will be obsolete as computers merge ever closer with humans.

It is one prediction in a Microsoft-backed report drawn from the discussions of 45 academics from the fields of computing, science, sociology and psychology.

It predicts fundamental changes in the field of so-called Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

By 2020 humans will increasingly interrogate machines, the report said.

Apple claims title of top song seller

Published
by
Graham
on April 4, 2008
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From the Globe and Mail:

The biggest record store in the U.S. isn’t a record store at all, it’s Apple Inc.’s iTunes.

Thursday, the computer giant announced that after just five years in the market, its online music store has blown past Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to become the largest retailer of music in the U.S.

As Apple’s dominion over the industry grows and CD sales continue to plummet, it becomes increasingly apparent that consumers are gravitating toward digital music and that the former heavyweight champions of the retail game – big-box stores such as Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target – will not be the next challengers to contend for the title.

Navajo Nation likely to lose Internet service

Published
by
Graham
on April 4, 2008
in Computer News
. 0 Comments

From AP (via CNN):

The thousands of Navajo Nation residents who rely on the Internet to work, study and communicate across their 27,000-square-mile reservation will be out of luck Monday, if their service provider shuts access as planned.

“It’s going to be a sad day,” said Ernest Franklin, director of the tribe’s Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.

Optimal Lens Aperture for Sharp Photos - Digital Photography Tip of the Week

Published
by
Chris
on April 2, 2008
in Digital Photography Tips & Info
. 2 Comments

Lenses have many apertures available for use.  Aperture is used to modify the amount of light entering the camera body and can have the effect of increasing or decreasing shutter speeds and depth of field. It also has an effect on the sharpness of your image.

Stopping down a lens (using a smaller f-stop / a larger f number) has the effect of perceived increases in sharpness.  Because of diffraction though, a lenses optimal sharpness occurs a few stops before minimum aperture, which for most lenses is between f8-11 and possible as high as f16.

Until next time, happy shooting.

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.