Category Archives: How To

Where I show you how to (or how not to) do stuff.

How To

Getting back to Archimedes

In 1906, a German scholar discovered some of Archimedes’ long lost works in a medieval prayer book. A 10th century scribe had transcribed them from an even earlier manuscript, but in 1229, the pages were erased and used to make a prayer book. Normally, I haven’t got anything against prayer, but I think a priceless piece of history is worth more than a medieval prayer any time, period.

At any rate, science can now rectify this reckless destruction of knowledge. Using a synchrotron, which accelerates electrons to nearly the speed of light to produce x-rays, and has only a 50-micron wide beam, Stanford physicists can read under the misbegotten prayers to get at the hidden knowledge of the Greek mathematician. Gives a new meaning to reading between the lines!

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How To

How to install Apple Front Row on your Mac even if it didn't ship with it

I wanted to highlight a great guide and some wonderful free (no catch, really) software from a fellow named Andrew Escobar. He’s put together a Mac app that will enable your computer to install Front Row even if it didn’t come pre-installed.

As you know, Apple’s Front Row software is now available for download right from Apple’s website. However, if you try to install it on your computer, and it didn’t come with an Apple Remote Control, the installation will not go through. I think it’s high time for Apple to make Front Row available to everyone. Why they continue to snub users of older Macs when this app will run just fine on their computers is a mystery to me. Front Row is a wonderful app, it’s simple to use, and lots of people would enjoy its functionality. Apple, if you’re listening, please make this app play nice with all Macs.

At any rate, until Apple gets on the ball, Andrew’s written an application which he calls Enabler, that will modify system settings to allow you to install Front Row and manipulate it just like one of the folks with newer Macs. The nice thing about his application is that it will automatically adjust system settings, without the need for you to go messing around stuff you’d rather not touch.

The whole process is very simple. You download Front Row, then Enabler. First you run Enabler, reboot, then run Front Row, then reboot. Then you run Enabler again, and do a final reboot. After that, you’re free to use Front Row to your heart’s content. You’ll be able to modify its settings through System Preferences, etc. It’s a thing of beauty, and you’ll really like it.

So, if you’ve been wondering how to hack Front Row to use it on your Mac, wonder no more. Andrew’s made it really simple.

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How To

50 ways to promote your website

Just stumbled onto this. Merle from WebsiteTrafficPlan wrote a nice guide that lists 50 Ways to Promote Your Website. It’s in PDF format and you’re welcome to download it by clicking on its link. Among the methods she recommends:

  • URL plates/stickers for your cars
  • Business cards
  • How to guides that list your URL
  • Classified ads
  • Press Releases
  • Ezines
  • PPC Advertising
  • and more

Although I know from personal experience that some of these methods don’t really deliver the results you’d expect, as a whole, it’s a good idea to diversity your advertising methods, in order to ensure the widest coverage. Besides, if you manage to get your name everywhere, it can’t hurt your business either. Just be aware of the cost of the methods, and track the conversions if at all possible, so you know if the money’s well spent.

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How To

World Electric Power Guide

Just stumbled onto a great site, which will help you make sense of the various electric power and receptable requirements in countries of the world. It’s called World Electric Power Guide. For example, do you know what countries use this plug/receptacle combination?

electrI.jpg

According to the site, it’s used in American Samoa, Argentina, Australia, China, El Salvador, Fiji, Guatemala, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Okinawa, Panama, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent, Tajikistan, Tonga, Uruguay.

You can easily see how useful this becomes as you’re planning your trips to various countries.

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How To

How to choose a camcorder

If you’re interested in purchasing a camcorder, this guide will help you decide what to get when you look at the dizzying array of products out there.

At the moment, the industry is “in the 80’s”, caught between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios, and standard and high-definition video. The HDV, 16:9 camcorders are still expensive, while the standard 4:3 camcorders are months to years behind the technology curve. There are some mongrel/hybrid models out there, that offer a mix of standard to high-def recording, on both 4:3 and 16:9 aspects.

To make things more complicated, there are multiple high-def formats: 480p, 780p, 1080p. There are also multiple media: Hi8, DV, miniDV, DVD, miniDVD, and hard drive. Each kind of media has its pros and cons. Finally, there are multiple connections: Firewire, mini-DVI, S-video, RCA, etc. There are caveats with each connection, and the quality of the video output varies with each, even on the same model camcorder.

So, how do you make sense of all this nonsense? Well, my recommendations are:

  • 16:9 aspect ratio (the extra width to the picture truly makes a difference, and allows you to compose your shots a lot better)
  • HDV (780 or 1080p, preferably the latter)
  • Firewire or mini-DVI connector
  • MiniDV or hard drive media

I should mention that some people like the convenience of storing directly on DVD – just realize that if you do that, it’s harder to edit the video. You have to import it to the computer from the DVD or the camcorder, then edit it, which is a slower process overall, plus most DVD media isn’t reusable, etc. Also, if your camcorder will record to mini-DVDs, realize that some DVD players won’t be able to play them, in particular the slot-loading ones that you find on Apple computers or some in-car entertainment systems.

You should also look for a good optical zoom, low-light capabilities, and optical image stabilization. Good, intuitive controls should also be present, and it’d be nice to have good battery life as well.

If you’re more than an amateur/home videographer, then you should look at the capability to use different lenses, and the presence of relevant physical controls directly on the camcorder’s exterior. You probably also want to look at the ability to switch between different frame rates.
Before you go out there and try to find a camera with all these features, realize the market’s in disarray, and you’ll be disappointed if you look for a camera that has it all. A camera that has my list of desired features will cost over $1,000 at the moment, and that’s out of reach for many people.

CNET’s put together a camcorder guide which will help you narrow down your choices, and my advice is to look through that as well. On their site, they also have reviews of many camcorders. Just realize that the editors are people, and the reviews are subjective, in particular the video reviews. I remember viewing one where the editor referred to the LCD panel as very small, literally “the same size as the viewfinder”, when it was clearly 4-5 times larger in terms of surface area.

The best thing to do is to come up with your own wishlist of features for your dream camcorder, using this guide and other guides like the CNET guide, then go to the stores, and see which model most closely fits your wishlist. You’ll have to compromise or give up on some features, but you’ll come out with a great buy in the end, because you’ll have done your homework.

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