How to Photograph Fireworks

Each year I get several questions about photographing fireworks around the 4th of July and again around New Year's. I always intend to post an article on shooting fireworks photos, but the holiday seems to conspire against me and I never get it done. This year, I've managed to pull it off. While I can't promise you'll be the Ansel Adams of fireworks after reading these tips, I'm confident you'll take better photos than you did last year.

Tom Bihn Bags - Made in Seattle

You can't have as many computers as I do and not care about how you transport them. I'm constantly on the look out for new bags I can use for various modes of transportation. I keep coming back to one company that's based here in Seattle, WA about a mile from my office. The quality is outstanding and the company is constantly innovating to make their bags just a little bit better with each cycle.

I first discovered Tom Bihn around the time of the first Mind Camp in Seattle and have been a huge fan ever since. They were a sponsor of my trip to DEMO China in 2006 and provided bags for one of the frequent giveaways I do for newsletter subscribers. But the real reason I'm a fan is because they make fabulous bags. Read on for more details and a video demo.

Top 10 Netbook Questions with Answers

Jason Dunn over at Digtal Home Thoughts sees frequent questions about netbooks. In response he created a short video that walks through his answers to the 10 most common questions. Watch the video and read answers if you're thinking about getting a netbook. I hear many of these questions too and having the answers all in one place is a great help.

Put Music on Xbox 360 with no PC Network Connection

"I am trying to get music from my PC to my Xbox 360. The problem is that my PC is an older model so it doesn't have an Ethernet port. Is there any way to do this?"

There are basically two ways to get music files from your PC to your Xbox 360. Option one is to use your home network. If your computer doesn't have an Ethernet port, this option is out unless you feel comfortable adding an Ethernet port. Option two is to use physically transport the files from your PC to your Xbox 360 using some kind of storage media.

Digital Camera Document Scanning

"I almost never need to scan documents, so I don't own a scanner. Today I need to scan in something I signed, can I just use my digital camera as a document scanner since a scan is a picture?"

There have been many occasions where someone needed me to sign a document and fax it back when I was no where near a fax machine or a scanner. In those cases, my solution has always been to take a picture, clean it up with photo editing software and upload it using an online fax service like MyFax. So the answer to your question is yes, but I'd also like to share something I found that makes it easier.

How to Fix the iTunes library.itl file is locked Error

"I have a problem in opening my iTunes. When i double click the icon, a box written with "The iTunes library.itl file is locked, on a locked disk, or you do not have write permission for this file" came out and it prevented me from running my iTunes. What should i do?"

Fortunately problems with opening iTunes don't happen very often, but when they do a feeling of panic can set in. What if you can't access your music. There are a number of potential causes for this error, which makes it hard to narrow down the exact cause. In most cases the solution is one of two things.

Sync Netbook files to Your Home PC

While I've seen a few people use a Netbook as their only computer, for the most part people are buying Netbooks as a second more portable companion to their primary PC. For me the HP Mini I own has become the computer that goes everywhere, while my full sized notebook is the one doing all the heavy lifting for video editing and entertainment.

When you use two computers regularly, you suddenly realize how vital it is to make sure all your files are properly synchronized. In the early stages of using multiple computers I was constantly using convoluted solutions to retrieve files I'd left behind.A bunch of different software companies are creating tools to address this very problem, but most of the Netbook makers haven't jumped on board to include this necessary file sync component. HP is bundling Syncables with their new Mini 110 line of Netbooks, which you can see demoed in this video.

Back-to-School Laptops Lineup from HP

One of my more recent projects has been work on creating a series of videos for HP, providing education about key product features. In the first of these videos, I walk through features of their back-to-school lineup of notebook computers, including the Pavilion dv6, Pavilion dv2 and Mini 110 line. I do not currently own any of these units, although I do have a dv2 on loan from HP and love it. I spent enough time with each of the three notebooks to feel confident in recommending all three for a number of use cases as back-to-school options for college students. I have previously purchased Pavilion dv5 and HP Mini 1000 line computers and use both almost every day. Watch the video for a quick rundown of notebook features.

Is Email a Viable Alternative to Faxing Documents?

"Instead of a fax machine, if a document is scanned and saved can it simply be attached to an email and sent rather than using an online fax service? Providing, of course, that you have the email address for the destination of the document."

Emailing documents is definitely a viable option for replacing a fax, although there may be reasons why you would want to fax a document instead.

How to Save Audio from PC to Cassette Tape

"Is there a way to record music from my computer's hard drive to an cassette tape deck?"

Recording music from your computer to a tape deck requires a few very simple steps. Aside from needing a cable with stereo RCA connections on one end and a mini-plug on the other end, all the software you need is probably on your computer.

Find out who called at 800notes.com

800notes.com falls into the category of sites I wish I'd thought of. Like most people who live in the United States, I get a fair number of telemarketing calls. There's a particularly persistent time share company that calls because I made the mistake of talking to them once. While the do-not-call list is great in theory, it doesn't account for every annoying call you get because doing business with a company means they can call you unless you specifically take action to get them to stop. I prefer to simply investigate who called by way of a simple search. Input a telephone number on 800notes.com, see who called and all the feedback people have left regarding a specific number. If it looks like I'd want to take the call, I'll pick up when they call again, otherwise I can opt to take action or simply ignore the call and hope they eventually go away. Think of 800notes.com as a review service for phone numbers you can't easily find any other way.

How to Upload to a Public iDisk from Windows (or Mac)

"How does a Windows user upload to my public directory on iDisk?"

Uploading to an iDisk public directory is basically the same for both Windows and Mac users. For it to work properly you need to have the correct permissions set and there may be a password required from the iDisk account holder. Here's how to upload from Windows or Mac to a public directory on iDisk:

Camfrog - Free Video Chat Software

With popular IM clients like Google Talk, Windows Live Messenger, and Skype all supporting one-to-one video chat, it might seem like having a chat client just for video doesn't make sense. What if you want to communicate with several people at once? Most of the instant messenger tools fail miserably in this regard. Enter Camfrog, a video chat software solution with support for dozens of simultaneous video chat windows. While the software does have a pay version, the free version allows you to create your own private video chat room, allowing for a hosted video conference where all participants can see each other and join in the conversation. Text chat is supported in combination with video images. While Camfrog touts community features like meeting people through their chat service, I see the hosted video chat rooms as being something more useful for staying connected with family members who live far away or a way to gather a group of business associates so that everyone can have a virtual meetup in a video conference room. [Windows XP/Vista Mac OS X $0.00]

What is AVCHD Lite?

"What is the difference between AVCHD and AVCHD Lite?"

As if things weren't confusing enough in the video recording world, the AVCHD video codec used by hard drive recording high definition cameras got a little more confusing with the AVCHD Lite "standard" added to the mix by Panasonic.

HP dv2 Ultra-portable Windows Vista Media Center Notebook

I can remember my enthusiasm for early versions of Windows XP Media Center Edition and the promise of an integrated home theater experience built into Windows. One of the best things Microsoft did with Windows Vista was to include that Media Center experience as part of Vista, not just as a special version of the OS. The thing I didn't like about old versions of Media Center was the need for bulky desktop systems that took up tons of space and needed a permanent home in my home theater. What Microsoft did in making Windows Media Center available on most consumer systems was allow me to have a highly portable home theater experience from something like the 1.73 kilogram (3.81lbs) HP dv2.

HP sent me a dv2 to test out. I was initially interested only in the portability coupled with enough power to get work done. What I found instead was a machine that just might be the ultimate portable Windows Media Center system.

So what makes the dv2 the ultimate ultra-portable home theater PC?

Tribal Trouble 2 Walkthrough, Cheats and Tips for TribalTrouble2.com

Tribal Trouble 2 takes the Oddlabs viking crew online for a multiplayer experience a bit like World of Warcraft. Like many other free MMORPG titles, Tribal Trouble 2 provides gaming advantage to the players who purchase additional points. You build up viking hordes to conquer rivals and capture treasures, gaining points for upgraded facilities and a stronger fighting force, but the advantage goes to those who spend money on points. If you're not planning to spend money and want to play for free, you need all the help you can get.

How to Move a Window From Off-Screen

Every time I launch my browser the window is off-screen. I can't move it because I can't see it. How can I get my browser window back on my screen?"

Having a window open off of your screen can be infuriating if you don't know how to fix it. I once had my email program launching off-screen and thought it might drive me nuts. Fortunately, there's an easy solution to get your window back on screen with a couple of quick keyboard commands.

Can Windows Media Player import iTunes playlists?

"If I have a playlist of songs in iTunes, can I import my iTunes playlist in Windows Media Player and have it work there too? Or do I have to recreate my iTunes playlist in Windows Media Player?"

There is not direct solution to export a playlist from iTunes and import the playlist into Windows Media Player. The two applications use a different structure for their playlist data and don't communicate. Fortunately, there's a workaround.

Does a CD get Deleted when you Rip the CD?

"When you rip a CD with Windows Media Player does the original file on the CD get deleted?"

The contents of most CD media is read-only, which means your computer or CD player can see the contents and play them back, but cannot change the CD contents or delete them. This means that short of scratching the CD or physically damaging it in some other way, you can't lose the contents of the CD. Ripping a CD with Windows Media Player (or iTunes or any other CD ripper) makes a copy of the contents of the CD in a different file format, without changing the contents of the CD.

What file format does Windows Media Center use for Recording?

"What type of file format does Windows Media Center use to record television?"

Windows Media Center uses the DVR-MS file format, which is an ASF container with MPEG-2 video and AC-3 audio packaged in a slightly non-standard way. ASF is the same container format used for Microsoft's WMV video files, with the difference being that WMV typically uses WMV video and WMA audio. The files aren't recognized by many other media players and video conversion software frequently fails to convert the files to new formats because it's unrecognized.

Where can you download RealPlayer for Free?

"Where can you download RealPlayer for free to a computer?

RealPlayer is available for free directly from Real.com, although it takes some digging around to find the version that isn't merely a free trial of the RealPlayer Plus. For a page that goes directly to free versions for most operating systems, including Mac, Windows and Linux, try this page of free RealPlayer downloads. Keep in mind this free version still requires you to register with Real in order to use it and it lacks a few features.

Can I play Blu-ray in my Computer DVD Player?

"Can I play a Blu-ray disc in my computer DVD player?

The short answer to your question is you can only play Blu-ray media in your computer DVD player if that DVD player is a Blu-ray drive. If standard DVD players supported Blu-ray playback our entertainment options would be far easier. Instead special hardware is required for Blu-ray. Think of the leap from DVD to Blu-ray as something similar to the leap from a standard CD player to DVD. A DVD player can typically also play CD media, but a CD player can't play a DVD. Blu-ray presents a similar problem. For playback on your computer, there are additional challenges beyond just having the right hardware.

How to Cancel an eFax Account

I don't normally delve into how to cancel services, but I wanted to cancel my eFax account and found the process frustrating.I'm hoping my experience will help you out too. If you recently upgraded to a new computer running Windows Vista 64-bit or Windows 7 (which is most new computers these days) you will find that the eFax software no longer works with your computer. I was okay with this because I could still send faxes using the eFax Web interface or via email, but after a couple of mangled faxes (the recipient informed me that the print was enlarged by several hundred percent), I decided it was time to try another solution. Ultimately I switched to a service called MyFax, but this still left me figuring out how to cancel my existing eFax account, so I wasn't left with two online fax accounts.

Save 50% on a Monthly Audiobook Subscription

Get more content for your iPod, Zune, BlackBerry or other portable media player. A Gold Member subscription includes 1 audiobook per month, with 30% discounts for additional purchases. Every Gold Member gets a free digital subscription to either the New York Times or Wall Street Journal. Additional member-only sales happen regularly. Become an AudibleListener Discount Gold Member now!

How do I get TextAloud to work on my iPod Touch?

"How do I get TextAloud to work on my iPod Touch?"

TextAloud is a great text-to-speech software solution for Windows, but it does not currently offer a version that runs directly on an iPod Touch. Any files created with TextAlound on your PC should play on your iPod Touch, but the software isn't designed to work on cell phones or MP3 player hardware. Think of TextAloud as more like a companion to your iPod instead. Convert text from your PC to audio files, then copy those audio files to your iPod Touch for playback.

Sony eBook Library Software - eBook reader for your PC

If you like the idea of ebooks, but find the idea of separate hardware for reading ebooks cumbersome, Sony eBook Library Software may be right up your alley. The software looks similar to iTunes, with location filters for folders and the online store in a left side navigation, with most of the interaction in a center pane. Like iTunes, you can browse a store from the interface, locating the books you want to download. One of the key features making this free ebook software appealing is the collection of 500,000 titles from Google Books specially formatted for reading both in the eBook Library Software and on the Sony Reader hardware. Literary classics are among the available titles, as are many historic works of non-fiction. You can find a number of out-of-print books in the Google collection which are unavailable in most other places. If you have a Netbook, like my HP Mini 1000, this is a great companion software solution for adding useful functionality to an already highly portable tool. Dowload eBook Library Software free from Sony. ebook prices vary by title. [Windows XP/Vista $0.00]

View Unread Messages in Gmail

"I recently switched from Outlook Express to Gmail. Is there any way to sort my Gmail so that I can view unread messages only? It's confusing to see a mix a read and unread messages in my Gmail inbox."

Gmail offers many mail sorting options you can't get with a traditional email client, but sometimes that comes at the expense of things we are used to. You can filter by unread messages in your inbox, but it takes a little advanced search technique.

Combine Videos from Two or More DVDs into One DVD

"I am a choreographer. I have videos of different dances I've made on two different DVDs. I want to make one DVD from these two. I also need the DVD to be able to be read by Mac, PC, and tabletop DVD player. I just bought a Dell Studio Laptop that came with Windows Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker. Can you recommend a program that can extract the DVD files for me and then help me burn cross-platform DVDs?"

Windows DVD Maker can burn a DVD that will play on Mac, PC and set top DVD players. Unfortunately, Windows Movie Maker isn't a very good solution for combining videos from multiple DVDs with any kind of ease. I typically recommend using Roxio Creator to rip video clips from each of the DVDs and then recombine them. Here's how to do it:

Trade your HD-DVDs for Blu-ray

If you bought into the HD-DVD technology as I did when it first launched, you may be stuck with a bunch of titles for hardware that's no longer supported. The movies and the hardware still work for now, but you won't see any new movies released on HD-DVD because the format is dead. In attempt to make good on all the purchases made during the early days of the Blu-ray and HD-DVD format war, Warner Brothers is offering the chance to swap 120 titles for their Blu-ray copies. How exactly does it work?

How to Record and Send a Webcam Email

"How can I record and send a Webcam email?"

There are several different ways you can send Webcam videos via email. If you have software like YouCam, you can record the video in the software, then send the video as an attachment to your email message. While sending a video attachment works, I don't recommend that method because video attachments in email are frequently rejected by the email service provider of the person you are sending the email to. A better alternative is to sign up for a free video email service designed to store the video for you and then email a link to the message recipient. More specifically, I recommend the free version of Eyejot.

AstoundStereo Sound Expanding Software

I consider the whole category of sound enhancement software with a fairly suspect eye. Most of the time apps claiming to enhance sound simply don't. When I first heard about AstoundStereo, I was suspicious that it would be yet another over-promising under-delivering application. I was wrong. Created for system-wide sound enhancement for Mac users and Windows Media Player enhancement on Windows, AstoundStereo does a surprisingly good job of expanding sounds in stereo sound environments. While I don't find this useful for every music playback opportunity, using AstoundStereo does improve the sound of many songs and greatly enhances video game sound quality for Mac users. I'm sure some audio purists may have differing opinions on this, but at the very least I challenge you to try out AstoundStereo and take a listen. An updated Windows version is promised for May 1, which should work system-wide just like the Mac version. The company is currently running a special pricing that includes a free upgrade to the next version when it ships on May 1. Download AstoundStereo for Windows or AstoundStereo for Mac depending on your preference. [Windows XP/Vista Mac OS X $19.95]

RoboForm2Go Portable Password Manager

As I mentioned previously, I currently think Roboform is the best password manager available for Windows Vista (or any version of Windows). Since January, I've switched from using the single install version of RoboForm to using RoboForm2Go. My primary motivation for this is that I use my Verizon EVDO service with more than one computer, which means needing to keep my passwords synchronized across multiple computers. The Verizon card I use for access has a MicroSD card slot, which allows me to store RoboForm2Go in the EVDO card. Since having the Verizon access is more important to me than the specific computer I use to connect, I know I'm never without the EVDO card, which also means I'm never without the most up-to-date version of my passwords list. If you switch computers frequently, you may want to consider a similar arrangement, making sure you never lose access to your passwords. Since my passwords are encrypted, I don't need to worry about losing the MicroSD card and exposing my passwords if the EVDO card were to get stolen. Like the regular version of RoboForm, the portable version is free for the first 10 passwords. Download RoboForm2Go and try it free. [Windows 2k/XP/Vista $39.90]

Redirect emails from Outlook to Gmail or Hotmail

"Is it possible to redirect emails from Outlook 2003 to be received in Gmail or Hotmail?"

You can redirect email from any version of Outlook to Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo Mail or any other online service. In most cases, you can also respond with the from address you normally use in Outlook, making it appear as though you were responding from your desk. To make the redirect from Outlook to your favorite email service provider, you need to make a few configuration changes for it to work smoothly.

m2ts Plays Video but no Audio

"When I try to play m2ts files they cannot open and I have to right-click, browse for a program, and select Windows Media Player. When I do this the m2ts file plays only the video portion but not the audio portion. I have two questions:

Q2) What causes m2ts file to play only the video and not the audio?"

Civony Tips Help and Video Walkthrough

Civony is another of the increasingly popular massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG) available for free. The game looks a great deal like Age of Empires II with a little live-action Settlers of Catan thrown in for good measure. The object of Civony is to build up the civilization in your town so that you can invade other towns and grow your empire. One of the most compelling reasons to play Civony is the price - the game is promised to be "free forever", although I suspect that the option to buy additional coins with your real world funds will be more popular if the game gets traction with a large audience of players.

How to Send Pictures to Facebook from a Cell Phone

"I want to send pictures to Facebook from my cell phone. I've tried sending a MMS message to mobile@facebook.com but my photos never show up in my Facebook account. What am I doing wrong?"

You are right that you need to either send photos to Facebook in an email or MMS to mobile@facebook.com in order to get your pictures in your Facebook account. In order to be able to upload your pics to Facebook, the first thing you need to do is activate your account.

How to Send a Fax with a Cell Phone

"I have an stand alone Fax machine that I use for out-going faxes. I would like to use my Cell as the phone line to hook up to this machine, thus being able to disconnect my home phone."

Back when most cellular phone service providers still used older analog voice signals, transmitting a fax over cellular was an easier matter. Older analog cell phone service supported the transmission of the DTMF tones used by fax to transmit messages. Newer digital cellular service no longer supports passing data via the required DTMF tones making fax via a standard cell phone connection virtually impossible without a third party solution. There are a couple of ways you can get around the limitation of digital cellular service by using a combination of a fax service and some of the features built into many phones.

Turn Off YouTube Embed Related Videos

"I just started uploading videos to my You Tube Channel. Then I copied the embed code and loaded the video to my Wordpress Blog. All works great except a ton of other videos are listed as thumbnails beneath mine and can be played on my blog. I do not want these videos on my site. How do I get them off and why are they attaching when I copy my embed code?"

Part of YouTube hosting your videos for free is recommending videos from other YouTube users in the files embedded on other sites. YouTube does have a feature for turning off these extra video clips, but they hide it because they really want people to watch as many YouTube videos as possible.

Automatic Stop for MySpace Music Player

"Is there a way to make the Myspace music player stop playing (other than pressing the pause button) when you press play on a YouTube video on a Myspace profile page? Specifically looking for an autostop command of some sort."

It would be wonderful if Myspace and every other site online with more than one player on a page would automatically stop one player when a second one is starting. Nothing is more frustrating than having several players playing simultaneously. Unfortunately there is no real solution for this problem at the moment. Myspace doesn't detect another player being activated on the page, so both players will keep playing. The only solution to this problem for now is to not put more than one player on the same page.

Free Loops for Windows

"Where can I get free loops and samples for making music in Windows?"

In general, loops tend to work on any operating system. The companies that make audio editing software have standardized the file formats for looping. Just like you can play an MP3 in almost any media player, on almost any operating system, you can use audio loops in almost any music editor. One key thing to watch out for is the terms of use. Many times you can use loops for free as long as you aren't using them commercially, but the rules change if you want to make money. With this in mind, here are a few great sources of free loops and other music creation resources:

Fax Application or Service for Mac OS X

"Can you recommend a good fax app or online fax service for my MacBook with OSX?"

If you only need to send a fax with your Mac, my recommended solution would be to visit free fax site FaxZero. It allows you to enter the recipient of your fax and upload a file to send as a fax. If you want to receive a fax on your Mac, you will need a different solution because FaxZero is only designed for sending faxes.