Thursday, March 3, 2011

How to Change Mobile OS

Now that most mobile phones use operating systems in a similar way to desktop computers, you are more likely to want to change your OS. Typically you can change your mobile OS to a newer version of that OS, but some phone users have had experience changing the operating system entirely, rather than just the version. Note, however, that changing to an unofficial OS will likely void your warranty.

Instructions

  1. 1
    Upgrade the BB OS if you use a BlackBerry smart phone. BlackBerry's do not accept any other type of operating system, but Research in Motion (RIM) does upgrade the OS quite significantly with each release. OS 6 is the latest version (as of February 2011) and you can download it from the main BlackBerry website.
  2. 2
    Experiment if you have an iPhone. iPhones are typically the most closed-source mobile phones, but if you jailbreak your iPhone then you have many more possibilities. You can hack an iPhone to run Linux or early versions of Windows. This will be a complex process and will not be easy for a beginner.
  3. 3
    Upgrade your other OS using the relevant websites. Android releases new versions of their operating system as does Windows Phone (previously Windows Mobile). Windows Phone completely redesigns the user interface from earlier versions.

How to Make a Vignette in Photoshop

Vignette (pronounced vin-’yet) is a sort of framing element that you’ll sometimes see in photos (particularly older photos or Lomo shots), in which the image fades out toward the corners. It’s most commonly seen as a fade out to black, but white is also used sometimes. The vignette can be a powerful element of the photo because it has a natural tendency to draw the eye toward the center of the photo.

Vignette can be produced naturally if you’re using a lens intended for a smaller medium (like using a dSLR lens on a film SLR), because parts of the lens actually block out some of the light from hitting the sensor or film. There are a few other methods of getting the vignette effect, but the simplest of them is with Photoshop. Also, using Photoshop will allow you a wider range of control since it can be adjusted many times without destroying pixels.
The following Photoshop techniques are non-destructive (destroying pixels is a bad thing, and it’s downright mean) and easy to adjust. Now listen closely, and do as I do:
  1. DO THIS AS YOUR LAST STEP IN PHOTOSHOP!!!
  2. Create a new empty layer on top of the stack. Ctrl + Alt + Shift + N
  3. Fill the layer with pure white. Shift + Backspace
  4. Set the blend mode to “Multiply”. Alt + Shift + M
  5. Apply the vignette filter to the new layer.
    Filter >> Distort >> Lens Correction…
  6. Mess with the “Amount” and “Midpoint” sliders in the “Vignette” section.
  7. Press “OK”, and now you have art!
You’ve officially added vignette to the photo in a non-destructive manner using Photoshop. If you decide to come back to the photo at a later time and you want to change the vignette, just refill the top layer with white and repeat lens correction. This isn’t the only way to do this (and I apologize to those who don’t use Photoshop), but its the easiest and safest way that I know of.

How to Make a Transparent PNG With Photoshop

Intro:

This photoshop tutorial will teach you how to create transparent images using PNG, these images can be used on every background color.
Step 1:

Open up this image of the earth. When you use another image make sure you delete the background around the image which we're going to do next with the earth image.

Since the background is black it's very easy to delete the background from the earth, the earth doesn't have any black edges, when there were black edges in the earth we couldn't have deleted the background with the Magic wand tool. So with this image we're going to use the magic wand tool, take out the magic wand tool PNG transparent images and click once on the black background. Make sure the image is unlocked in the layers palette, unlock it by double clicking the layer. Then it's time to hit delete on your keyboard to delete the background. If we didn't unlock the layer it wouldn't delete the background but left us with a white background, try it out for yourself if you want.

You should now have an image like this.











Step 2:
Now it's time to save this image as a PNG and make it's background transparent. Go to File > Save for web. And take the preset "PNG-24", make sure transparency is checked! This is the preset I use mostly for my transparent images which I think gives the best result. You could use the PNG-8 preset and change it's values a bit to your likings but the PNG-24 prest does the job better, but the image size will be higher then with the PNG-8 setting. Below are both presets.

PNG-24 preset:









PNG-8 preset (with default settings):


Hope you enjoyed this short free photoshop tutorial on making transparent images in photoshop! For example this image setting is very handy if you have an image with round edges needed on different background colors. I use a PNG image on my free downloads pages, I use a gradient rollover on my divs so using a flat color JPEG won't work there since it would look jagged when you rollover the div. Go to the Download free templates page to see the example.

How to Add a Border to a Picture in Photoshop

Border Around Photos
1. Open up you photo- crop to size you will be working with, make sure the dpi set at 200.
Make sure image has only one layer (flatten image if not).
Choose black for your background color in the color picker. 
2. In order to add a border you will resize the canvas, to do this follow these steps:
Image>resize>canvas>size
  1. Determine the border dimensions you want around your picture; this can be in inches or pixels.  Use the same number for both width and height.  Hit OK, and you have a black border around your picture. 




  1. For a double border- do this two more times.  In my example I have used another white thicker border 0.15inches notice how now I have switched the background color to white.   




  1. And then added another thin black border of 0.10 inch.

Now we will add a border around the entire layout
  1. First click on your background layer, drag it into a new layer (the little square on the bottom of the layers pallet that looks like a turning page) to make a copy.



     
  2. Then delete the original background layer (drag it into the trash can on the bottom). You can now manipulate the copied layer.
  3. Select it and then click on the little "F" in the circle in the layers pallet, select stroke, select the size of the border you want (use the little slider), then change the position to inside and change to the color you want. This will put the border on your background only.

You are finished- time to print or upload in the DSP gallery


How to Set Up a Mobile Office

With more and more people working outside of the office, setting up an effective mobile office is becoming increasingly important. Although it is not difficult, many items are often overlooked in the process. Take some time setting up your office in order to accomplish a more effective work flow when you are working remotely. Consider where you will be using your mobile office set-up first. Think about what you will need when out of the office to work most effectively, and plan accordingly.

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Laptop computer
  • Wireless network card
  • Portable media storage device
  • Briefcase/computer case
  • Smart phone
  1. 1
    Evaluate your mobile work habits. Think about what you need to accomplish while working remotely. Make a list of everything you will need in order to accomplish your job from a mobile office.
  2. 2
    Research and purchase a laptop computer that is small enough to carry around with ease. A small notebook computer would be ideal. If the computer does not have a built-in wireless card, you will want to purchase a wireless card. This will allow you to connect at wireless hotspots.
  3. 3
    Purchase a USB storage device such as a flash drive. These storage devices are capable of storing a large amount of files, depending on the type you purchase. Use the storage device to store files that you will need while out of the office.
  4. 4
    Select a computer case that has the features of a briefcase. This will allow you to carry important files as well as your computer in one bag. There are many options to accommodate different needs. Refer to your list of needs to be sure that it can house and organize them effectively.
  5. 5
    Select a smart phone with a data plan to allow you to communicate as if you were in your office. There are many options available. Work with a mobile phone dealer to arrange the most effective package based on your needs.
  6. 6
    Look through your list and determine if there are other supplies you will need such as notebooks, file folders, and pens. Stock your briefcase/computer bag with these items.
  7. 7
    Organize your mobile office items in your briefcase/computer bag so that you can work efficiently.