I have taken some Images in the last couple of weeks – please tell me if you think they are good:

Photography is not only a profession many enjoy; it is fast becoming an extremely popular hobby since the introduction of digital cameras. So if you have a budding photographer in your family or circle of friends here are the top ten gift ideas for a beginner photographer, taking into consideration they already have a camera.

1. Photography book
Whether your beginner photographer is aspiring to become a competent amateur or sought after professional there are some basics of photography that they will need to learn. Today there are some excellent photography books on the market and one or more of these are an excellent gift idea for a beginner photographer. Books that beginners would appreciate include those cover composition and image editing. One of the best books on exposure is called Understanding Exposure Revised Edition by Bryan Peterson and it a must for any photographer. It has stunning photo examples and techniques are explained in simple to understand terms.

2. Camera Care Kit
Whether your beginner photographer is using a relatively simple point and shoot camera or learning to use their first digital SLR properly, looking after their camera will be important. Pay a visit to a local camera shop an put together a camera care kit that includes a camera cloth, lens cleaner and book on how to care for your camera.

3. Filter
One piece of equipment that photographers use is a filter. There are a large variety of filters that serve different purposes. One of the best filters to give a beginner photographer is a polarizing filter. A polarizing filter helps to remove atmospheric haze and greatly improves the colour quality of a photograph. It is one of the first filters a photographer should have, making it a top gift idea for a beginner photographer. When choosing a filter it will be important to know the exact camera model the beginner photographer has to ensure it will fit properly. Sometimes it is required to purchase a special attachment piece.

4. Spare Battery and Charger
Digital cameras use a lot of battery power and it is always best to have one or two spare while out shooting, just in case the power runs out. Digital cameras take different kinds of batteries. If possible get rechargeable ones and purchase the correct charger to include with the gift. You will need to know the camera model for this gift as not all cameras take the same batteries.

5. Camera Bag
A snazzy, roomy camera bag is a great gift idea for a beginner photographer. Look for a durable bag that has waterproofing, sufficient padding and plenty of places for extra lenses, batteries and memory cards. Low Pro is a common camera bag maker and makes some of the best camera bags.

6. Memory Cards
If your beginner photographer is using a digital camera then the gift of memory cards will be happily received. There is nothing worse than being on a trip or out shooting than seeing a great shot and not having any more room on the memory card. So any photographer will want to have a few spare to ensure nothing gets missed.

7. Photo Printer
With the popularity of digital cameras came home photo printers. There are a large amount of photo printers available that allow photographers to print their own photos at home. Due to the popularity the price of these printers is reasonable and you are certain to please any beginner photographer with this gift.

8. Photo Paper
One thing your beginner photographer will want to do is print off their photos to share, so one of the top ten gift ideas for a beginner photographer is photo paper. Photo paper comes in a variety of sizes. You may want to get an assortment of sizes or a specific size that fits the photo printer of your beginner photographer.

9. Photo Album
A gift of a photo album will be welcome with smiles of thanks by your beginner photographer. Photo albums come in all shapes and sizes with a variety of plain and themed covers. Use your knowledge of the recipient to pick an album that would suit their tastes. One thing you will want to ensure it that the album contains acid free paper, this will ensure that the photographs are better preserved.

10. Notebook and Pen
When a beginner photographer is learning it is a good idea for them to take note of the photographs they are taking such as the weather, exposures used and photo numbers. This will allow them to correctly analyse their work to see where they went wrong and what they did right. Try to pick a good quality notebook maybe leather bound and a good quality pen that they can keep in their camera bag.

Guest Passes let you share your photos that aren't public. Anyone can see your public photos anytime, whether they're a Flickr member or not. But! If you want to share photos marked as friends, family or private, use a Guest Pass. If you're sharing photos from a set, you can create a Guest Pass that includes any of your photos marked as friends, family, or private. If you're sharing your entire photostream, you can create a Guest Pass that includes photos marked as friends or family (but not your private photos). Learn more about Guest Passes!

Guest Passes let you share your photos that aren't public. Anyone can see your public photos anytime, whether they're a Flickr member or not. But! If you want to share photos marked as friends, family or private, use a Guest Pass. If you're sharing photos from a set, you can create a Guest Pass that includes any of your photos marked as friends, family, or private. If you're sharing your entire photostream, you can create a Guest Pass that includes photos marked as friends or family (but not your private photos). Learn more about Guest Passes!

Guest Passes let you share your photos that aren't public. Anyone can see your public photos anytime, whether they're a Flickr member or not. But! If you want to share photos marked as friends, family or private, use a Guest Pass. If you're sharing photos from a set, you can create a Guest Pass that includes any of your photos marked as friends, family, or private. If you're sharing your entire photostream, you can create a Guest Pass that includes photos marked as friends or family (but not your private photos). Learn more about Guest Passes!

from: Mattigans Blog
Hayleighs Blog
Caspers Site

Viewsonic TFT Monitor billig

The HP Pavilion HDX9010NR 20″ Entertainment Laptop is a laptop like none other. In reality it is really a compact desktop replacement. I'm going to go through this notebook with a fine tooth comb and let you know where it excels and where it might be a disappointment. I'm going to let you know if this notebook with a premium price is worth it or not and who would get the most out of this HP Pavilion laptop. Let's get started with the basics.

Hardware:

Screen Size: 20.1″ LCD

Storage: (2) 120GB hard drives (for a total of 240GB)

RAM: 2GB of RAM (this is expandable to 4)

Optical Drives: HD DVD drive (with an integrated burner CD R/RW and Dual layer DVD +/- R)

Tuner: HDTV TV tuner integrated

Graphics card: Mobility Radeon HD2600 XT (with 256MB of dedicated VRAM)

Size: 18.7″ x 13.4″ x 2.3″

Weight: 15.5lbs

Additional Components: Remote Control, Earphones

At first glance the screen is amazing. I mean it is one of the nicer displays I've seen. It rivals the nicest Sony Vaio or the top of the line Apple. The dedicated graphics card produces a native 720p resolution on the LCD panel pumping out a resolution of 1680×1050. Next the unique feature that really gets my attention is the hinged back. This is a great feature especially for a notebook that can and should be acting as a desktop replacement. This allows for the LCD to be adjusted in order to find the perfect viewing angle for everyone.

In my opinion this hefty notebook should be used as a desktop replacement. It is better than products like the iMac in my opinion because it can be folded up and put away giving you a clear desk to work on. The iMac desktop can't do that. Plus it can act as a television with the built in NTSC analog and ATSC digital tuner. It really is multipurpose and not only could it be the backbone of any entertainment system it literally could be the entertainment system (remote control included!).

It's also really much too large to transport around. It weighs a bulky 15.5lbs, so unless you're looking for a workout, this notebook isn't coming to class with you every day.

The dual hard drive configuration is a bit confusing however weight obviously wasn't an issue that went into the design of this notebook. The HP Pavilion HDX9010NR has plenty of hard drive space at 240 GB. The RAM at 2 GB is adequate, and if you find you need more it is expandable. Well now let me get to the connections.

Connectivity:

4 2.0 USB ports (You can use these to connect your iPod or printer or whatever)

1 FireWire port (This can be used to transfer digital video files at high speeds, like off of your digital camcorder)

Audio input

SVideo Input

2 Audio out jacks / 1 Mic jack

1 VGA output (for your typical monitor)

1 HDMI port (use this to connect to your HDTV)

1 S-Video (Use this to connect to a projector)

1 ExpressCard 54 slot

5 in 1 card reader (you can use this for the solid state memory you use with your digital camera or mobil phone / PDA whatever.

Well, I see everything I expect to and more. I don't know why you would need to VGA output because I doubt you have a monitor larger than the 20.1″ LCD included on here, but its there. The 4 USB ports is 1 more than average. The HDMI output is great, if you want to use this to stream to your HD TV. Not connection is missing. The HP Pavilion HDX9010NR notebook is truly setup.

I foresee the absolute best function of this laptop being in the dorm room. It is not only a fully functional gaming machine, video machine, homework machine, it is also the TV complete with remote. All of which weighs about 16lbs (much less than your standard 20″ LCD I might add) which can be easily removed from the desk to return your writing surface. It won't disappoint if you have the money to pick this notebook up. In fact it's recently been on sale below $1000 off of retail. I would seriously consider this notebook in the $2000-2500 range. It originally retailed at $3500!

from: Suliss Weblog
Kiarads Blog

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New AMD Notebook from HP

June 9th, 2010

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HP notebook reviews. Recently, well known notebook manufacture HP announces the 9 notebook business series release for middle class businessman. All these notebooks offered  various options for processor , both AMD and Intel.

From this release, HP also releases AMD based processor notebooks. Like the series of HP ProBook 6455b/6555b, ProBook 6450b/6550b, ProBook 4325s/4425s/4525s, and reasonable new HP series  such as HP 425 and Hp 625.

HP ProBook 6455b and 6555b cored the processor of AMD Phenom II, Turion II, Athlon II, and V-Series processor as brain performance. HP pressed its product in performance, and claims that this model 69 % faster than previous AMD based HP generation. The model to offer has 14-inch screen ( 6455b) and 15,6 inch ( 6555b) with spill-resistant keyboard, with dual device and installed Central Management HP PrtectTools remote management capability. This model will be released in June 2010, with the price started from $779.

HP 6450b and ProBook 6550b configured with several Intel processor – including Core i7, i5 and lineup 13 – whether with Intel GMA HD or special graphic of ATI Mobility Radeon HD 540v. Included 14 inch model ( 6450b) or 15,6 inch (6550b) with eSATA combo port for external RAID, hard drive, or optic drive. For this model, the price is not determined, and this model is scheduled next June.

New HP model of ProBook 4325s, 4425s, 4525s will be offered with aluminum casing whether the types or color configuration of Caviar ( black ) or Bordeaux ( dark red ). For the size of 4325s is 13,3 inch, 4425s is 14 inch and 4525s is 15,6 inch for suitable of business. This model is implanted with the processor of Phenom II, Turion II, Athlon II, and V-series processor with graphic options whether ATI HD 4250 or HD 530v. this model will be available in this May 2010 with the price started from $619.

HP also offers lineup notebook business HP including small business oriented notebook, HP 425 and HP 625 with the price started from $549. This model will offer AMD processor and will be available with 14 inch and 15,6 inch. HP also offers spill resistant keyboard with different  wireless technology as a choice. Both HP 425 and HP 625 will be available in this May 2010.

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Hp Pavilion Dv9233eu Laptop Reviews

Hp pavilion dv9233eu laptop reviews now features windows vista home premium, 1GB RAM, AMD Turion dual core processor, 120GB hard drive, 17″ widescreen display, and DVDRW.

This laptop notebook’s enlarge image Zoom has a processor speed of 1.6 GHz, the hard drive storage is 17″ RAM of 120 GB, an operating system of 1024 MB, with windows vista home premium.

Accessories specification details

Brand: hewlett packard. This laptop notebook has a processor of AMD turion 64 x2 Dual Core, with a processor speed of 1.6 GHz. This laptop notebook also has a processor bus of 1600 MHz, and processor cache of 1 MB.

The laptop notebook has a 1024 MB memory. It also a hard drive storage capacity of 120 GB. This laptop pc has a SATA storage facility. This laptop pc has a large screen of size 17″, with a bright widescreen type, but this laptop pc does not have a rotating screen feature. The hp pavilion dv9233eu laptop reviews also features a built-in wireless network, with also a wired network. This laptop pc also features a Gigabit local area connection network. Its optical drive also plays and records CDs and DVDs. A feature of Lightscribe technology is also included in this laptop pc. This laptop pc doesn’t feature a Blu-ray compatible, HD compatible, application software. Shared graphics and dynamic graphics are also facilities not that are not featured in this laptop pc.

This laptop pc model uses Windows vista home premium as its operating system which is good enough.

Specialized graphics is Nvidia GF7600 256MB. Some special features like built-in fingerprint detector, firewall, PC card slots are not featured in its review. This laptop notebook has a 4 USB 2.0 ports, with a media card slot (express card54 port). Its speakers have a built-in Altec lansing. Some special tools such as bluetooth, webcam are all built-in. Other features that are included are remote control feature, dial up modem, C portability rating, and C power rating.

Although this laptop pc doesn’t have a watch and record live TV feature, it still feature among the best laptop computers. The maximum life of the battery is about 2.25 hours. But the weight of this laptop is 3.55kg which make it a heavy laptop to be carried around that easily.

{Volkstümliche Blusen

I continue my series of reviews on Apple's mobile computers the “MacBook” with this entry which covers their professional series 15.4″ MB133LL/A. I discuss what it has to offer, what it may be missing, as well as who will get the most out of using one of these high powered notebooks. First I'm going to start with the basics.

Hardware:

Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

RAM: 2GB (DDR2 SDRAM

Storage: 200GB Hard Drive (Serial ATA)

Optical Drive: Apple's “superdrive” CD R/RW with integrated DVD +/- R RW

Dimensions: 14.1″ x 9.6″ x 1″

Weight: 5.4 lbs

The screen on this MacBook is excellent as you can always expect from the Pro series. It runs at a native resolution of 1440×900 which is better than your average laptop display. It is a resolution slightly better than you can expect from a 720p television. This particular notebook has its display backlit by LED's which is a nice power saver.

This MacBook Pro is also made of a nice aluminum shell which gives the impression of more durability as well as additional cooling, as the case is heat resistant. The keyboard is also backlit which is nice if you're outside at night or otherwise in a dim area. It took a while for me to get used to the keyboard, but it is alright, not a great typing board in my opinion.

This notebook is relatively strong for a notebook, it has no problems running Photoshop CS3 while multitasking with other imaging programs. This can be attributed to the adequate RAM as well as the stand alone graphics accelerator which has its own memory and doesn't drain shared system resources. It plays games like a beauty. Don't expect to crank everything to maximum but most games will be fine.

Connectivity:

2 2.0 USB (use these to connect your notebook to things like printers, iPods, digital cameras, or whatever else you might have lying around)

2 Firewire (400, and 800, you can use these to transfer video from your digital camcorder or to transfer data between two computers)

ExpressCard (use this to add periphrials to your laptop)

1 DVI port

1 VGA (using DVI to VGA adapter, this is so you can connect your MacBook to a standard monitor)

1 audio out / mic in (optical)

WiFi

1 Ethernet jack

The connectivity is great, although I would like to see a standard card reader as well as a standard VGA slot. I'm not a fan of how Apple uses their DVI to VGA adapters. That is just a matter of personal preference. Ultimately just as the name implies I would recommend this MacBook to the more professional oriented user. I believe they will be able to get the most out of this notebook. While it will be fine for everyone, unless you're a gamer or graphics editor of some sort you could probably get away with a cheaper model. At $1800 you're paying a premium and you want to make sure that you're using your whole investment.

from: Jarions Weblog

The Panasonic Toughbook F9 has claming the world’s lightest laptop because it’ has measures at only 9.9-inch x 12.8-inch x 1.0-inch/1.9-inch(LWH) front/rear. The company has announce the released date of the Toughbook F9 that its will be available in the U.S.A market in July 1, 2010 with price for about $2,899.

The Panasonic Toughbook Rugged Notebook boast a 14.1-inch WXGA Widescreen LCD display with LED backlighting, which helps you be green while saving on your electric bill, the 14.1-inch provides 1440 x 900 pixels resolution, powered by an Intel Core i5-520M vPro CPU (2.4 GHz), up to 2GB installed DDR3 RAM and allow users to expandable it to 6GB MAX, and 320GB of hard drive. While graphics are taken care of by

The Toughbook F9 also offers up to 7 hour of battery life, WiFi support, built-in Bluetooth, and also comes with a choice of WiMax or 3G. This 14.1-inch Rugged Notebook come pre-loaded with Genuine Windows 7 OS.

If your work involves working in not-so-friendly conditions then ask your boss to get you a Toughbook F9 business-rugged laptop. Interesting thing about this rugged notebook is that it provides nice features while still maintaining tag of a thin-and-light laptop. The Toughbook F9 boasts an Intel Core i5 processor, an integrated handle, Gobi mobile broadband, up to seven hours of battery life, a high resolution widescreen display with LED backlighting and a DVD multi-drive. All this and more in a 3.6 pounds, 14″ machine. What more can you ask for?

Specification:

• Genuine Windows 7
• Intel Core i5-520M vPro Processor (2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.93 GHz)
• 320GB shock-mounted, flex-connect, removable HDD
• 2GB RAM (DDR3-1066MHz), expandable to 6GB
• 14.1” widescreen (1440 x 900) WXGA+ LCD with LED backlighting
• DVD Super MULTI Drive with Dual Layer Support
• Up to 7 hour battery life
• Spill-resistant keyboard (protects against 7 ounces spills)
• Optional integrated WWAN / Gobi2000 mobile broadband
• Optional WiMAX
• Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6200 802.11a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR (class 1)
• Fingerprint reader
• SmartCard reader

The Panasonic Toughbook F9 will be available in the United States beginning July 1, 2010 starting at $2,899.

Other Specifications include a 320GB hard drive, DVD Super Multi Driben, terintegrasi 802.11 a.b.g.n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and optional WiMax and optional integrated WWANB.

Panasonic Toughbook F9 will be released in the United States July 1, 2010 for $ 2.899 you can see all details and specifications contained in the press release below.

Panasonic Toughbook F9: Select Features and Specifications

* Genuine Windows 7® (with XP downgrade option)
* Intel® Core™ i5-520M vPro™ Processor (2.4 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 2.93 GHz)
* 320GB shock-mounted, flex-connect, removable HDD
* 2GB RAM (DDR3-1066MHz), expandable to 6GB
* 14.1” widescreen (1440 x 900) WXGA+ LCD with LED backlighting
* Anti-glare screen treatment
* DVD Super MULTI Drive with Dual Layer Support
* Up to 7 hour battery life
* 3.6lbs
* Business-rugged
o 30” operating drop (to base only)
o 26 sides 12” drop (non-operating)
o 220 lb pressurized vibration
o Magnesium alloy case
o Spill-resistant keyboard (protects against 7 ounces spills)
* Embedded Connectivity
o Optional integrated WWAN / Gobi2000™ mobile broadband
o Optional WiMAX
o Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200 802.11a/b/g/n
o Bluetooth® v2.1 + EDR (class 1)
* Optional Integrated Security Features:
o Fingerprint reader
o SmartCard reader
* 9.9″(L) x 12.8″(W) x 1.0″/1.9″(H) front/rear

Panasonic has introduced a slimmest and lightest Business rugged laptop called Toughbook F9 to its product line at Secaucus today. The overall weight of this rugged laptop is only 3.6 pounds or about 1.63kg.

The Toughbook F9 feature a 14.1-inch(?) 1440 x 900 WXGA+ widescreen display with LED backlighting, 2.40GHz Intel Core i5-520 vPro processor with Turbo Boost Technology, 320GB Hard Disk Drive, an optional Qualcomm Gobi2000 mobile broadband and a DVD Super multi-drive with Dual Layer support.

The F9 Rugged laptop also features 2GB of RAM and can be expandable to 6 GB, anti-glare screen treatment, up to 7 hours battery life, this rugged laptop can survived from up to 30-inch drop and 220lb pressurized vibration. This rugged laptop also has a spill resistant keyboard, a Bluetooth v2.1 +EDR(class 1), fingerprint reader and smartCard reader.

The Toughbook F9 Rugged Laptop will be available in the US starting July 01st, 2010 with estimate street price at $2,899.

[ Via gadgetreview ]

It seems like only yesterday that the most expensive back to school purchases were school books and certain types of art supplies. Today, those simple items are replaced with high tech gadgets and tools; a reflection of the ever growing age of technology.

Let's examine some of the hot electronic items for back to school, 2007.

The Calculators of yesteryear was a number two pencil and the human brain. However, today kids do their math with an electronic calculator in hand. One of the best on the market is Texas Instrument's TI-84 Graphing Handheld Calculator, a good choice for around $120. It does simple math, calculates fractions and square roots, graphs, and more; virtually any kind of math problem a student might encounter.

Digital Voice Recorders like the Olympus VN 4100PC holds hours of high-quality audio inside a compact, ergonomically designed body. Its multiple recording modes, large LCD screen and functional design make this recorder ideal for just about any class. Its PC Link allows transfer of audio files to almost any PC through a standard USB cable with speed and ease. The cost is just under $50.

Digital Cameras like the Olympus Stylus 770 SW are durable enough for even the roughest teen. But this camera offers more than durability. It also has a Hypercrystal LCD that allows perfect viewing even in the harshest direct light. Additionally, its digital image stabilization makes certain you get sharp pictures every single time. It retails for around $300.

Camcorders like Canon's DC 210 lets your student access the latest in DVD technology. For less than $300, this camcorder offers a lot of the same features found on the more expensive models, as well as the brilliance and power of a Genuine Canon 35x Optical Zoom.

The Firefly Cell Phone is popular among youth that pretty much like anything that sparkles. Parents like it as well because they can control incoming and outgoing calls. It activates easily and quickly and has nationwide wireless service. Kids also like that it comes in various colors with animations and customized ring tones. The cost is around $60.

Although certainly not a necessity, many are saying that the Digi Makeover Interactive Makeup Kit . This plug and play software displays a variety of wonderful makeup ideas and effects as well as cool suggestions for hair, clothing, and accessories. The cost is under $60.

The Apple iPod Shuffle is the smallest and arguably the most stylish MP3 player on the market today. It easily holds up to 240 songs or 12 hours of uninterrupted playback. You can also use the unit as a portable flash storage drive, making it unnecessary to purchase a separate one. It's not too expensive either, at just over $50. This one recharges quickly in just four hours.

Laptop Computers are important in some high schools and at most universities these days. HP Pavilion's dv9500t Laptop is an excellent choice for the serious student. This notebook comes with an ample memory but can be easily upgraded at any time. While it isn't one of the speediest performers available today, its sleek design, beautiful screen, and wealth of component options make it popular at around $1200.

To go with the laptop, consider the HP LaserJet 3050 All-In-One Printer and fax machine. For under $250, this handy piece of equipment has a laser printer than produces 19 pages a minute and faxes just as quickly.

The LeapFrog Leapster Learning System is a handheld computerized learning system with various skill levels that allow a child to learn the way that that they play. The interactive system has tutorial software in a variety of subjects, making it a bargain at under $60.

The Lingo Voyager 12 Language Talking Translator will display and pronounce more than 240,000 words and 27,000 typical phrases in 12 different languages, including English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic. It also features a comprehensive dictionary; phonebook; calculator; calendar; metric and currency converters as well as an international clothing/shoe size converter. It also translates the time in 200 different locations throughout the world. The cost is just under $200.

Webcamslike the Microsoft LifeCam VX-3000 deliver exceptional video quality. It features a built-in noise-canceling microphone to ensure clear, vibrant sound every single time. It integrates with the Microsoft Windows Live Messenger and the universal attachment base allows easy and secure attachment to any monitor. The cost is around $36.

High schoolers and up will definitely be seeking the Palm Zire 21 Personal Digital Assistant. It was one of last year's most requested electronic items. This handy-dandy gadget will help your student keep track of his or her busy schedule as well as their important information. For around $100, this tool must just solve a myriad of academic needs.

USB Flash Drives have quickly taken the place of old fashioned floppy disks, allowing students to take their files with them wherever they go. They come in handy for bringing homework home from school computers or storing data researched at the library. It doesn't hurt that the prices on flash drives have nose-dived this year, making them more affordable than ever before. Some, like the Relay 512, even include data-security software. And they're small enough to fit on a key chain that can be looped on a belt or attached to a backpack. The average cost for one of these is around $50.

The V-Tech Nitro Notebook is perfect for the student who loves to read. It has tutorials to help with language skills as well as social studies, math, and art studies. That makes it a real bargain at around $49.99.

Certainly, schools or universities do not require most of these items. Most are just helpful tools to make a student's life easier. Pick and choose carefully those that best suit your student and your family budget.

from: Meikas Weblog
Valentinos Site

Asus seems to be churning out many notebooks nowadays, and now details on the upcoming Asus UL20FT have surfaced. The notebook itself will be available in a couple of processor configurations and offer Turbo33 technology that allows overclocking by 33 percent. While pricing and availability information weren't mentioned, specifications of the notebook are available, which include:

• 12.1” 1366 x 768 pixel display
• ASUS Turbo33 technology (enhance performance by 33%)
• Intel Core i3-330UM (1.2GHz, Turbo Boost)
• Intel Celeron U3400 (1.02GHz, Turbo Boost)
• Intel HM55 chipset
• Intel GMA HD graphics
• up to 4GB DDR RAM
• up to 250GB / 320GB / 500GB 2.5” 5400RPM SATA
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi
• 10/100 LAN
• 0.3MP webcam
• Altec Lansing / SRS Premium Sound
• 1.56 kg (6-cell battery)
• Windows 7 Ultimate / Home Premium / Professional
• 8 hour battery life (6-cell)

Source: Link | Add Comment | Tags: asus, asus notebook, asus ul20ft, notebook, ul20ft,

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Well it was the cheapest and had the largest screen and decent processor power for the bucks and also has all the fat wire connections on the right side, I’m left handed and use a mouse so this was good for me. those are the things I like. The things I don’t like.. This has a built in video camera but it has a terrible latency problem.. 1/2 second delay, that’s annoying. Audio wise there’s white noise in the left speaker. It has no flash card slot and the CD / DVD recorder is slow at best. The cheapest they could put in this unit to keep costs down which also keeps me down. Another big problem is the lettering on the keys is so dim you need a bright light to see anything. The picture quality is okay but and tweaking it is minimal at best so if you’re an artist, this isn’t the unit for you. I’m an artist.:( All and all. For $549.00 at Worst Buy… I mean Best Buy. You could do worse… While I’m at it. Windows 7 is not compatible with windows explorer so you’ll need to install FireFox. That browser works just fine. Windows should be ashamed on many levels. I have to change my printer out as it’s not compatible with windows 7 and was with Vista which was and still is the worst OS they put out to date!!!
Rating: 3 / 5

I was photographing in the last months – please tell me what you think:

Claudia Schiffer has been attacked for offending black people after posing on a magazine cover made up as a black woman. The 39-year-old German supermodel wore black foundation and an afro-style wig in the photograph taken by fashion designer and photographer Karl Lagerfeld.

Lagerfeld had Schiffer made up as a black women in one of six photographs he took while putting together an advertising campaign for the vintage champagne Dom Perignon. The photos were published by German fashion magazine Stern Fotografie when it celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Accusations against Schiffer and Lagerfeld followed from Shevelle Rhule, the fashion editor of a London black lifestyle magazine, Pride. Ms Rhule said:

“It shows poor taste and it's offensive. There are not enough women of colour featured in mainstream magazines. This just suggests you can counteract the problem by using white models. I don't believe they deliberately set out to offend. They obviously see it as being arty and feel that they are pushing boundaries. But clearly no thought has been given to the history behind what they have done and the comparisons it draws with minstrel shows.”

To which I would reply: 'Shevelle, lighten up'. Her comment is the kind that perpetuates raw nerves about race and creates a path of spikey eggshells for people, black and white, to walk on. Society doesn't need race relations zealots, quangocrats or Pride fashion editors lecturing designers (or filmmakers or writers or rap singers…) on what they can or can't do. It's small-minded. Already an online magazine has responded to the photos with conformist knee-jerk political correctness by saying one of the other photos, of Schiffer as an Asian, is “just wrong”, scolding that Lagerfeld should have used more than one model in the interests of racial diversity.

Fashion, like fiction and film and other creative industries, should be free to play with any images it chooses. Did Ms Rhule also take offence at white French actor Gerard Depardieu recently playing mixed-race Alexander Dumas (using black make-up)? Or Eddie Murphy impersonating a white (jewish) person? Or black British actor Adrian Lester who played the white Danish prince, Hamlet? Or the black actor, David Oyelowo, who played white English king Henry VI?

Would she criticise images of Bob Dylan or the Rolling Stones dressed up as women? How about pantomime dames, women actors dressed as men, Eddie Izzard in frock and lipstick, comedians pretending to be children…?

As soon as you get into determining whether blacks can play whites and women can play men but not the other way round, you're proscribing the creative process and engaging in censorship. Clamping down on the arts in that way (even commercial arts like advertising) is as restricting as squashing free speech.

As for Rhule's comment that Lagerfeld and Schiffer were suggesting the photograph of a 'black' Schiffer would substitute for using black models in mainstream magazines – that's just plain foolish. Rhule then seems to have chucked minstrels into the discussion just for shock value.

In fact the photo was one of a series of six in which Lagerfeld was playing with Schiffer's image. Another showed her as a secretary, a third as an Asian woman. In a fourth she was dressed and made up as eighteenth century French queen, Marie Antoinette and in a fifth she was androgynous. The fashion shoot theme was fantasy and imagination. Lagerfeld wanted to play with Schiffer's face and Shiffer's image. He didn't want to use other models. He wasn't trying to portraying racial diversity – he was portraying imaginary Claudia Schiffers. And has every right to.

A spokesman for Lagerfeld responded to Rhule's criticism, saying she was taking them out of context: “The images were designed to reflect different men's fantasies. The pictures were not intended to offend, they were done very creatively and are some of Karl Lagerfeld's favourite images of Claudia. People should not jump to conclusions.”

Yet there are many people with vested interests in Britain and other liberal democracies who make a good living from jumping to conclusions and playing the race card in cases which can only trivialise genuine instances of racism. Political correctness about race and ethnicity has battened onto society like a barnacle on a boat. It would be a democratic step forward if those who have a professional interest in taking offence at 'racism' and other -isms would pick their battles more wisely.

It would also be good if the race relations industry ditched the term “people of colour”. What is it supposed to indicate?! What colour? Black? Dark brown? Sienna? All those and more? Does it imply that white people – with their variously pink, peachy, creamy, olive-toned, ugly red, bluey-white, brown or orangey skin – have no colour? Why aren't whites called “people of non-colour” then? Or “people of no-colour”?

Black and white are just words. They're quick and easy terms to use for those who want or need to indicate skin colour and they're neutral. People (like Ms Rhule perhaps) who want to take offence at one (and not the other) always will. But they're misguided. Countering racism is always worth doing. But cranking up and maintaining raw nerves unnecessarily does no-one any good. It just increases division between black and white and injects a zealous, scolding tone into debate which would benefit from more freedom, less 'sensitivity' and – in a case like the Schiffer/Lagerfeld photos – a bit of playfulness.

Bulkr Downloads Flickr Photos to Your Desktop

Windows/Mac/Linux (Adobe AIR): Free Adobe AIR application Bulkr downloads all the photos from a user's Flickr stream, a search result, or even backs up your own Flickr photos using the highest quality version available.

Once you've installed the application, you can hook it into your own Flickr account to backup your own photos, or you can use it to search for photos by keyword, tag, user, group, or license and then download them in bulk. You can choose between small, medium and large quality when you download the photos, though the free version of Bulkr only allows downloading 50 at a time. It's a very useful application that's well worth a look if you use Flickr photos on a regular basis.

As the saying goes,  “you go where the waves are.”   Apparently that also means taking it to sub zero temperatures.  I mean most of know that the life of a surfer certainly comes with risk.  Clearly it comes with a bit of inconsistency.   But alas it also comes with icebergs as well.

Norway is home to some big, beautiful waves, but there’s a catch: They’re above the Arctic Circle. To test the chilly waters, Outside sent a crack expedition team whose members came back with ice-cream headaches, cod on their breath, and incredible tales of adventure on surfing’s coolest frontier.

That was an excerpt taken from Outside Online.  I happen to have photos of this nutty adventure after the jump.

from: Chrishas Site
Eryns Weblog
Lisabets Blog