Great Online Photo Editor
While looking for new software to include in my Free Alternatives to Expensive Software Class, I stumbled upon Pixlr Editor. This site application allows users to edit images completely online by using Adobe Flash. The user interface is clean and resembles an older version of Adobe Photoshop Elements. You can save edited images locally or to a selection of online sites including imm.io, Pixlr library, Facebook, Flickr and Picasa. In case you are wondering about privacy, Pixlr states “From Flash 10 and later, images are opened direct and local in your browser (i.e we don’t see them in any way and they don’t leave your computer). Files that are posted to us via the API or our add-ons are automatically deleted from our servers after 5 minutes”.
-Steve
Tags: free, photographs, software
Antiphishing Standards
Wikipedia defines phishing as “a way of attempting to acquire information such as usernames, passwords, and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication”. Many individuals fall for phishing schemes. I’ve seen some good phishing schemes and at first glance, they appear to be legit. Realizing the impact of phishing schemes on individuals and businesses, some “major” companies have joined forces to help combat phishing by forming DMARC.org. According to the DMARC website, “DMARC, which stands for “Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance”, is a technical specification created by a group of organizations that want to help reduce the potential for email-based abuse”. It helps “email senders and receivers work together to better secure emails, protecting users and brands from painfully costly abuse”. The list of companies involved in this project is impressive. It is not too often we see “major” competitors like Microsoft, Google, Yahoo! and facebook working together to solve a common problem. I hope their standards will be implemented quickly so email abuse can be diminished.
-Steve
Tags: DMARC, phishing, Security
Facebook and the Federal Trade Commission
Facebook just settled their case with the Federal Trade Commission. You can and should read the Federal Trade Commission’s news release, “Facebook Settles FTC Charges That It Deceived Consumers By Failing To Keep Privacy Promises“. Hopefully after this settlement, individuals will be more careful about what they post online and businesses will be held more accountable for maintaining privacy standards.
-Steve
Shopping Advice
I’ve been asked several times from individuals for advice about what to buy for Christmas. This year I am getting a lot of questions about e-readers. No matter what the individual is shopping for, I usually ask them:
- What are your needs?
- What is your budget?
- Have you read any reviews?
You should think about your answers to those three questions before purchasing different technologies. As smartphones, e-readers, tables and pcs become more similar in capabilities, it gets more complicated deciding on what type of device to purchase. Reading reviews will provide good advice and help you with your shopping so do not forget to check PC World, ZDNet, and Consumer Reports.
-Steve
Tags: online shopping, reviews
Facebook’s Timeline
If you are a Facebook user, hopefully you are informed about a major change Facebook is making called Timeline. If you are not familiar with the changes, you may want to visit one of the websites listed below to educate yourself on the changes and what you can do to help protect your privacy.
- Time Techland’s “Are You Ready For Facebook Timeline?“
- PC World’s “Facebook Timeline: Privacy Settings You’ll Want to Set”
- Facebook’s “Introducing Timeline”
- Cnet’s “Is the world ready for Facebook Timeline”
-Steve
Tags: Facebook, privacy, Security
Stay Safe Online
I recently stumbled upon Google’s new site, Good to Know, aimed at helping users stay safe online. This user friendly site is divided into four categories, Stay safe online, Your data on the web, Your data on Google, and Manage your data. Each category contains many subcategories. While looking at the site, it was interesting to see the way Google uses data and enables the user to manage their data. I was surprised to learn about Google Dashboard. Google Dashboard “shows you the information stored in your Google Account and enables you to change your privacy settings for many products from one central location” (http://www.google.com/goodtoknow/manage-data/dashboard/). I really like the feature, Me on the Web. Me on the Web, “makes it easier to monitor your identity online. It helps you set up Google Alerts, so you receive notifications when you are mentioned on websites or in news stories, and it automatically suggests some search terms you may want to keep an eye on” (http://www.google.com/goodtoknow/manage-data/me-on-the-web). Too many times we sacrifice our privacy and it is nice to see Google offering to help with their Me on the Web and Google Alerts.
-Steve
Lytro Update
This past June, I wrote in this blog about Lytro‘s new camera technology. In case you did not read the previous post, Lytro allows their camera user to refocus any part of a photo. You can see the technology in action at Lytro’s Picture Gallery (click on the area you want to refocus). This technology is now available for purchase. Even if you are not in the market for a new camera, explore this innovative technology.
-Steve
Tags: digital cameras, photographs
Picasa
A little over a year ago, I blogged about Picasa and its face recognition capabilities. Since that time, I used Picasa’s help and was able to successfully use the face recognition capabilities.
Recently I downloaded and experimented with Picasa again for my Free Alternatives to Expensive Software class and would like to share my impressions. First of all, Picasa is very easy to use. The built-in fixes will help most users accomplish basic tasks automatically such as cropping and redeye removal. To fix lighting and color issues with one click, Picasa includes an I’m Feeling Lucky button. Beginners should find these features helpful, while advanced users might find them a little too automatic. I especially like the ability to edit my image using the free features of Picnik via Picasa. If you want the ability to make something out of your photos such as a collage or movie, Picasa can help you do that. All in all, Picasa is good software that most users should consider downloading and using.
-Steve
Tags: face recognition, free software, photographs, Picasa
What to Do with an Old Smartphone
If you’re like me, you may be upgrading from a first-generation smart phone to a new one. The “smart” part of the old phone still works, but what do you do with it if you don’t want to discard it?
An article in the August 2011 issue of PC World entitled, “8 Uses for an Old (but Unbroken) Smartphone” was just the solution I needed. (www.pcworld.com/article/226837/8_uses_for_an_old_smartphone.html)
In it, it explains how to turn it into an emergency phone, use it as a Wi-Fi phone for Skype, use it as an MP3 player/iPod, game machine, or extra portable storage device. You can still download apps for the unit and use it for an alarm clock or web browser.
Of course, with the library’s new eBooks and downloadable audiobooks, you can also use it as an e-Reader.
There are lots of options available to help you recycle your old equipment and keep it out of the landfills.
-Karen
Tags: MP3, recycling, smart phones, Wi-Fi
Ancestry.com
Rodman Public Library subscribes to Ancestry Library Edition and patrons can use the database at either of our two locations. From August 29 to September 5, Ancestry.com is currently offering home users free access to their immigration and travel records. Take advantage of their offer and find out more about your ancestors.
-Steve
Tags: databases, free, geneaology