The Art of Communication

An interesting exchange between two geniuses and both are right!

Einstein to Chaplin: "What I most admire about your art ... is that you don't say a word, and the rest of the world understand you ...!"

Chaplin: "your glory is even greater. The whole world admires you, even though they don't understand a word of what you say!!!"

Basic Digital Photography with Photo Editing

Course Title: As above.
Course Description: This course will cover some photography basics including the aspects on composition and photo editing.
Date: 21st October 2015 (Wednesday)
Time: 2.30PM to 5.30PM
Venue: Woodlands Regional Library
Charge: NLB to confirm.
Maximum number of participants: ten (this is a hands-on course)
Registration is on First-Come-First Served basis. Through any library outlets or online through NLB’s GoLibrary web site.

NB: For the Photo Editing part, the free AutoDesk Pixlr software will be used.

Streaming Players

What is the difference between (1) DVD Player and (2) Streaming Player

DVD Player

Equipment required: DVD player, amplifier and speakers and the media (e.g. DVD discs on songs or movies).

Streaming (media) Player

Equipment required: Streaming Player, TV set (with HDMI input), broadband Internet with Wireless (Wi-Fi) and minimum of 4 Mbps broadband speed.

Different Companies or Brands of Streaming Players have different business models. For example, the Singnet (Mio) and the SCV streaming players are controlled items and cannot be purchased outside in the open market. Their business model is – a monthly minimum charge for a selected number of channels. You can add on more special channels at additional monthly cost or select VOD (video on demand); like what you used to go to the video shop to rent. The disadvantage for the fixed channels is because it is a scheduled program, once you miss; you have to wait for the repeat – not like VOD where you can see it any time or day as you like. So, you can say there are only two official players in this TV/media market, besides the conventional cinemas where you can view other movies or play your own DVD movies.

In some other countries, like in the US, they also have companies like SingNet providing “cabled” modems and streaming services. In additional, they also have satellite TV services and more dedicated Streaming Service Providers. The choices of channels are more. We normally associate their business by the Brand name of their respective streaming (media) player, e.g. Hulu, Roku, Apple (iTunes), Amazon, etc.

There are also other ways to see movies/documentary besides the above by using your own computer. In order for movies to work on your computer, you must first download the (player’s) software provided by the respective companies. The download for the standard player is normally free. More advance player will be provided to you if you sign on to see their “paid” movies or documentaries.

A Note of Caution    

In Singapore context, you can go online to view the movies/documentaries, from approved companies (like Realplayer, iTunes, Amazon) or hooked onto SingTel & StarHub boxes, at a prescribed fee. The rest of the streaming (media) players you get from IT Expo events, with assorted brand names are not properly regulated. You pay a price for the box and that’s it. You do not know where your movies are coming from - desirable or undesirable, good or bad, how good is their Servers providing the multi-channels downloading, etc. Most of the owners of these off-the-self streaming players, when streaming FREE movies, are always not satisfied with the long and repeated buffering time required. For PAID rental movies or documentary, this problem does not exists as the system setup is different. Sometimes you can tell where the movie/film is coming from as they are watermarked.

Singapore River Walk

Click picture to view video

Photography Field Trip - Singapore River Walk (17-03-2012)

Some Photo Tips:

Try to take candid pictures without Flash.

Try not to take pictures with the camera facing the sun.

You will not get good pictures. But if you have to, in particular taking a portrait, then turn on the flash for the face.

Place your main subject with the one-third rule.

For those having trouble holding the camera steady or if you want a sharper image,
try setting the digital camera program to "Sport" mode.

Set the image quality to high. That is, the image should have an image size of near to or more than 1MB (resolution). As a guide, if you want to reproduce any picture to paper print (post card size), it should at least have an image size of 300K bytes.

Pictures tell a thousand words. So, how do the professionals do it? View their works and learn from them. Pictures form a very important part in communication with us. Every one of us sees and interprets a picture differently. A picture/photo is like the music and the art. It has depth, space and evokes our feelings besides bringing the facts in front of our eyes.

Basic Photography

Depth of Field:
Depth of field is the distance between the nearest and the farthest objects in an image judged to be in acceptable focus.  The focal length and the aperture of the lens you’re using and your focused distance governs your depth of field. Long focal length (e.g. telephoto zoom lens) has lesser depth of field. Short focal length (e.g. wide-angled lens) has greater depth of field. With other things being equal, using smaller aperture can achieve greater depth of field.

F-stops:

F-stops are the measure of the size of the opening or aperture in the lens. Remember, the larger the f-stop number, the smaller the aperture. The smaller the f-stop, the larger the aperture and the more light the lens will let through to the image sensor. Aperture Priority (fixed f-stop) is good for low-light conditions.

Dealing with Insults ... Lord Buddha

Beautiful Quotes ...

If you are right then there is no need to get angry
And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.

Patience with family is love,
Patience with others is respect,
Patience with self is confidence and
Patience with God is faith.

Never Think Hard about PAST,
It brings Tears ...
Don't Think more about FUTURE,
It brings Fears ...
Live this Moment with a Smile,
It brings Cheers!

Every test in our life makes us bitter or better,
Every problem comes to make us or break us,
Choice is ours whether we become victim or victorious!

Search a beautiful heart not a beautiful face.
Beautiful things are not always good,
but good things are always beautiful.

Remember me like a pressed flower in your Notebook.
It may not be having any fragrance,
but will remind you of my existence forever in your life.

Do you know why God created gaps between fingers?
So that someone who is special to you,
comes and fills those gaps by holding your hands forever.

Internet Radio & TV

What is Internet Radio or TV? Our conventional radio or TV receive the programs through electro-magnetic waves (or radio waves) or like StarHub through underground cables. Internet radio/TV receive the program through the Internet network and the programs are transmitted to the radio/TV through a house Wi-Fi wireless. 


The difference between the old and the new concept is that, the new has no program schedules. The programs are always there available 24/7. You can select your programs and watch/hear (anything you wanted to watch/hear) and where/when you wanted it. It will also has the search feature to allow you to find anything you wanted to watch/hear. Being digital, the sound and picture quality are better. This is better than the current option where the programs are scheduled and you have to record anyting you wanted to watch/hear later.

If you have trouble setting up your new Internet device, try to check up your model, how to reboot your device. Some just need to press and hold the Power (OFF) button until the unit turn off; then touch the power button to restore power.

After the settings are done and your device don't seem to be working, you can try to turn off (completely power off) your provider's modem, wait for a few seconds and then power the modem on again. It is good to have your Internet device in the OFF possition when the modem is rebooting itself.

Beware of Phishing Emails

First let us understand the meaning of "Phishing" or "Phish".
Phishing means stealing passwords and personal information on the Internet.
"To Phish" is to set up a phony URL (Web Site) or to imitate or to impersonate one original site which people sign in to by giving their passwords or credit card details.

Phishing emails are fake emails, presumably from your friends, indicating a financial problem and requires help or giving you instructions as to how to pass the money (or send the money) over.

To give you one possible example, let's say your computer and/or your friends' computers are infected with "malware". They have "fish" out your "contact list" or address book and even know some of the email passwords. Now what the scammer will do is first to "create" one NEW email account, very similar or close to your best friends (whom they think are most likely have financial trouble).  Don't forget this scammer can read and monitor all your networking emails.

What the scammer has done is setting up an email account, very similar to one of your friends, say, your friend's email address is "geokcheng396", the scammer will create one as "geokcheing396" and with the same service provider. If not careful, when you respond, you will fall into his trap, as like all of us, we usually click "REPLY" to reply the email of our friends without even checking who we are talking to.

How to reduce the risk of getting into trouble when using the Internet to network?

1) When you receive a Phishing Email involving one of your friends, pick up your phone and contact her. Is it true you sent out this email.
2) For sensitive emails relating to confidential information or financial matters, do check who you are "replying" or talking to. Do not just click the "Reply" button. Also, do check carefully the email address. It may not be your friend's.
3) When transmitting money, don't just believe what is said in the email instructions - even though they may be from the right person. Pick up the phone to "re-confirm" the instructions given.
4) Evaluate the minimum risk involved in transmitting money through the bank. You have the bank TT and the Bank Draft. Doing it yourself through your own computer, online, may not be the best option available.
5) For you and/or your friends, try not to use those free and public email accounts to discuss and give instructions on confidential and financial matters. Use PacNet, SingNet, StarHub and the like for better traceability in event of a problem.

Photography Field Trip - Chinatown

Houses built around the 40's are normally walk-up units
(Click picture to view movie)

Some Photo Tips:

·        Try to take candid pictures without Flash.

·        Try not to take pictures with the camera facing the sun. You will not get good pictures. But if you have to, in particular taking a portrait, then turn on the flash for the face.

·        Place your main subject with the one-third rule.

·        For those having trouble holding the camera steady or if you want a sharper image, try setting the digital camera program to “Sport” mode.

·        Set the image quality to high. That is, the image should have an image size of near to or more than 1MB (resolution). As a guide, if you want to reproduce any picture to paper print (post card size), it should at least have an image size of 300K bytes.

·       Pictures tell a thousand words.  So, how do the professionals do it? View their works and learn from them. Pictures form a very important part in communicating with us. Every one of us sees and interprets a picture differently.  A picture/photo is like the music and the art. It has depth, space and evokes our feelings besides bringing the facts in front of our eyes.

Making a few colour prints from your digital camera

Nowadays, making a 3R (89x127) mm or 4R (102x152) mm colour paper prints can be done instantly and automatically by most computer printers in Photo Shops. For larger sizes, e.g. 5R and above, because is not in demand, is normally done manually by photo shop’s assistant.

Irrespective of the number of prints required, photo shops in HDB highlands or shopping complex only charges $0.50 per copy for 3R/4R instantly printed photos. No other ancillary charges are involved. However, some shops do require a minimum of 4 copies for the $0.50 rate. If less than 4 copies, a higher rate at $0.70 per copy may be applicable. Likewise, for more prints, a better rate (<$0.50 per print) can be negotiated.

But if you go to any photo shops in tourist areas, e.g. Orchard Road, these shops may set additional conditions to charge you more. For example, they may charge you additional $3.00 for less than 30 copies printed (they called this the “Base Price”) or $0.60 a copy if you request for “instant” service. Anyway, any picture on 3R/4R is printed automatically and instantly by the computer printer, provided by the photo paper supplier. So what is the justification to charge 10 cents more if you request it to be done instantly.

So, it is still best to get your service done in HDB highlands or shopping complex and avoid those photo shops in tourist areas.

Sharing Files Between Computers

You have more than one computer in the house. To share files between computers, you need to connect all the computers to the same (Wi-Fi) network and configure your computers as follows:

1) Give a WorkGroup name. Default is WorkGroup.
2) To change WorkGroup name, via, control panel - system - change settings.
3) Under system properties (computer name) - click change - change WorkGroup name to preferred name, then click OK and restart computer.
4) Click computer - right click mouse on "Disk" to allow sharing and select Properties.
5) Click sharing - advanced sharing and check box on "Shared this folder". Provide a share name, e.g. E-Fred.
6) Reduce limit the number of simultaneous users to "1", then click apply - OK - and close.
7) Repeat the above procedures to your other computer(s).
8) Ensure password protected sharing is turned ON.
9) Note: You can only access to your other computers, if and only if, you also do have an user account with password control to all your other computers.
10) To use the sharing features, it is recommended that you partition your program and data files in different disk partitions. This is easily done during the initial installation of the Windows operating system.

Configuring Windows 7 System to Write Chinese

) First go to control panel, Region and Language Option.

2) Click Keyboard and Language and Change Keyboard.

3) Then click Add

6) and select “Chinese PRC” for Input Language

7) Further select “Chinese Simplified – QuanPin – Version 6″
Click apply and OK – OK

9) Use Hanyu Pinyin to input Chinese (Using Microsoft Words)

Note: EN:CH change-over = shift + alt.
+/- to change “sets” of words

The Banana Test

Ready to check your skill on this simple test ...click link below and scroll down slowly ...

http://ho-emily.com/pages/banana.html

enjoy ...

Making a Movie using Windows Movie Maker (WMM)

WMM comes together with your Windows Operating System. You went for a vacation, took many pictures. Now how do you show your friends and love ones your experience and observations. The most practical way is to make a "movie" out of it and later can even burn to CD and distribute to your love ones.

The way to go about making a movie using WMM ...

1) Select all the images required for the movie.
2) Select a background music or song for the movie, in "wma" format.
3) Put all of the above in one new file folder.
4) Sequence all your images accordingly.
5) Open the windows movie maker (WMM) program.
6) Save as a new project via: File - save project as -
7) Import all the prepared images and song file to the WMM.
8) Drag and place the song file to the "audio/music" timeline.
9) Highlight all the image files and drag the "lot" onto the "video" timeline.
10) Save your project file frequently.
11) Check whether the total images timeline is shorter or longer than the song file.
12) If the images < song, you can either add more images or "extend the time for some of the images.
13) If the images > song, you can either add another song or remove some images.
14) After the images=song timeline, do a check with playback.
15) What you have done so far is only the "basic" movie.
16) It will be more interesting if you continue to fine tune the movie with the following:
a) Effects - fade in/out, ease in/out, etc.
b) Transitions - how the images present itself.
c) Titles and credits.

17) After everything is in order, go to "publish" the song in "wmv" format.
18) One movie with about 2+ minutes duration requires about 9MB of memory.

View Sample No:1 - Butchart & Japanese Gardens

View Sample No:2 - Flowers

How to make a Karaoke Song using Windows Movie Maker

In one of my earlier posts, I described how to make a karaoke song using Microsoft PowerPoint.
You can also use Windows Movie Maker (which comes together with the Windows Operating System software). Here is how you go about it ...

1) Prepare one or sufficient quantity of images to fill up the complete song.
2) Embed song lyrics to each image by using PowerPoint program.
3) Find one song file in "wav" format.
4) Put all these raw files in one new file folder.
5) Open the windows movie maker (WMM) program.
6) Save as a new project via: File - save project as -
7) Import all the prepared images and song file to the WMM.
8) Drag and place the song file to the "audio/music" timeline.
9) If you have a title slide, put this one first onto the "video" timeline.
10) Check the time required before the song "starts".
11)Drag and place the first song slide after the "title" slide.
12) Check the time required for all the words sung and adjust the timeline accordingly.
13) Repeat process with the second and the third song slides and so on until the complete song is sung.
14) Check completed song on timing and fine tune when necessary.
15) After everything is in order, go to "publish" the song in "avi" format.
16) One song with about 3+ minutes duration requires about 1GB of memory.

View sample: click link Whispering Hope

Beware of Fake Anti-Virus Softwares

Beware of Fake Anti-virus (AV) software either given free or download with a fee. These fake AV normally frighten visitors with pop-up messages warning that the free scans have found dangerous malicious software on your machine.

Such transactions can also leave credit card information in the hands of cyber crooks. Surprisingly, many users fall victim to these attacks and pay to register the Fake AV.

To add insult to injury, Fake AVs often are bundled with other malware, whcih remains on a victim’s computer regardless of whether a payment is made. Source – AFP/il.

Using Excel - Sorting

If you are working on an Excel sheet and you have a column with many categories (i.e. every row has a different category or type or value). You can add a “sorting” or filtering to the column. Ensure the row directly on top of the first category entry is the Title of the column. Next place the cursor on the title of the column you wish to have this filtering feature. Go to Data on the menu bar and click “Filter”. That’s it. If you wish to remove this feature, just place the cursor on the title of the column and press the “Filter” one more time. By the way, I am using Excel 2007 to explain this. The following exercise is good for the teachers. You are entering the marks of every student and their performance in every subject. You can, by sorting, find out which student is all-rounder the strong/weak or some students are good in a few subjects and particularily weak in certain subjects.

For those using XP operating system and Excel 2003, the only step different is from “Go to Data” – click “Filter” then one more step – click “Autofilter”. Happy computing!

Home Networking

You have more than one computer at home and would like to share the files between or among them. This is how you can go about it. Here, I am describing it using Vista and Windows 7 O.S. For the two or more computers, configure each one as follows:

1)First set a common Network Name. Go to Control Panel – System – change settings – then change the “Workgroup” to any other unique name, e.g. “joy123″.
2) Next, in each computer, click the bottom left hand corner Windows icon – Computer -then right click the drive or drives you allow to share the files. Click Properties – Sharing – then click “Advanced Sharing”.
3) Check “Share this folder”.
4) Next Set the Share name. Normally, the Drive letter will come out. You can add a few more letters to the Drive letter, e.g. ”c-120gb”
5) Limit the number of simultaneous users to 1.
6) Click Apply then OK.
7) Repeat Steps 2 to 6 if you have another Drive in the same computer for sharing.
Repeat Steps 1 to 7 if you have another computer to configure.

Now after the above is done, you have to log on to each computer to allow networking to work.

1) Click the bottom left hand corner Windows icon – All programs – Accessories – Windows Explorer.
2) Then click Network and choose the computer & Drive you would like to share with your computer you are now working on.
3) When you click the Drive of another computer, a User name and password will pop up.
4) Key in the Computer User Name (without the -PC) and password.
5) Then you can access all the files in this computer.
6) You can repeat the above for another computer.
7) That’s all folks.

Happy Networking !

Laughing is Healthy

IF YOU CAN’T LAUGH
YOU CAN’T LIVE

Laughing is healthy.

You need to laugh.

Humor is healty.

Do you think enough about this aspect of your health?

If all your anxieties give you wrinkles in your heart, you will soon have wrinkles on your face.

Laughing frees you.

Humor relaxes you.

A laugh can free you from needless intensity.

A laugh is the best cosmetic for your outside and the best medicine for your insides.

If your laugh-muscles work regularly your digestions will improve, your appetite will be stimulated and your blood pressure will stay down.

Humor gives you a sense of proportion.

Laughter and fun don’t only influence your metabolism, but also your surroundings.

They lessen the tensions and the tears.

Laughter and fun free you from that deadly earnestness about leaden problems, free you from that miserable daily drag.

Laughter and fun are the best remedies for the drugging of your heart and mind.

Laughter and fun open out new spaces for the still known joys of life.

A day when you don’t laugh, is a lost day.

Speakers Have No Sound

Under Vista OS, sometimes the speakers suddenly have no sound.
One possibility is ….. follow the steps to verify:

1) Open the windows media player
2) Click “Now Playing” and click “devices”
3) Select “speakers” and click “Properties”
4) Click “advance”
5) Ensure the check (tick) is on “Speakers” and not on the “Digital output”
6) Click “OK” this normally will solve the problem

Burning a DVD Using Vista OS

The latest Mircrosoft Operating System (OS), Vista, comes with many features and sub-programs. One is the Movie Making – a program which you can collate all your tour pictures and present it as a Slide Show – just like using Mircosoft PowerPoint in Microsoft Office. The other useful feature I found out is burning data or pictures onto a blank DVD -R disc. Here is how you go about it:

1) First, organize all your data or pictures into a “Folder”, preferably in My Document Folder.
2) Next, ensure you have a DVD Re-writerable CD-Rom.
3) Put a blank DVD -R disc into the CD-Rom drive.
4) After a short while, a menu will pop up, called AutoPlay.
5) Select “Burn files to Disc – using Windows”
6) Next, “Burn a Disc” menu will come out – change Disc Title as required and click Next.
7) Computer will then automatically “format” the blank disc and when completed will bring you directly to the File Directory.
8) Go to the Folder where you have stored the data or pictures and click on the Folder.
9) All the files in this Folder will be transferred to the Right Hand Side of the page.
10) If what you wanted to burn (all the data and pictures) is all included, you then can click the word “burn” on the top of the menu bar.
11) Once completed, you can eject the Disc and re-insert into the CD-Rom drive to check that the Disc is burnt correctly.