One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Thursday, December 19, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-12
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-11
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
Monday, December 16, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-10
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-9
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
Friday, December 13, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-8
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
SARGA8
SARGA8
Thursday, December 12, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-7
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-6
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-5
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
SARGA4
SARGA4
Monday, December 9, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-4
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
SARGA4
SARGA4
Sunday, December 8, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-3
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
SARGA3
SARGA3
Saturday, December 7, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-2
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati.
Friday, December 6, 2013
KUMARA SAMBHAVAM-1
One of Kalidasa's greatest works is 'Kumarasambhava'. There are 18 sargas in this epic but critics maintain that Kalidasa wrote only the first eight chapters of the epic poem. The work describes the marriage of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess Parvati. It begins with a fine description of that giant among mountains, the Himalaya.
Are you a Sanskrith lover? A sanskrith student? A sanskrith teacher? Whatever you may be! Have you had the real essence of sanskrith? The sanskrith literature.
Here I'm giving the audio downloads of some of them.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
KANNADA FONT FOR ANDROID
Ever worried that you can't write Kannada in your android phone? if you can read this ನಾನೂ ಕನ್ನಡ ಓದಬಲ್ಲೆ then you can write in kannada. wondering how? <br>
just follow this. <br>
this is not a trick. no root permission no needed. just a small application will do everything. <br>
just install this app. <br>
<a href="http://paninikeypad.com/downloads/data/android/PaniniKeypadKannada_IME%202.1.11.apk">DOWNLOAD KANNADA FONT HERE</a> <br>
Don't forget to share this and comment your opinion
Monday, December 2, 2013
SOFTWARES YOU MUST HAVE
For safe computing experience, there are certain types of programs which must be there on any system. I will mention here some of the programs I have been using for keeping my system safe and healthy. There are many excellent programs other than those I mention here.
Anti-virus software
This is a most vital first layer of defense for any computer to avoid unpleasant crashes and corruption of its system and files. With dozens, or maybe hundreds, of computer viruses launched every day, a computer without a good anti-virus software is actively courting disaster. Sooner, rather than later, it will get infected resulting in grief to its owner.
If you can afford to spend some dough, go for NOD32 or KASPERSKY However, it is not necessary to spend money in order to have a good anti-virus software.
There are excellent free programs like AVG and AVAST. Whatever program you choose, make sure that they are updated over the internet regularly.
Firewall
A firewall prevents hackers from connecting to your computer and it also prevents trojans and other malware from "phoning home" to their creators. I have found the free version of ZoneAlarm< to be an excellent software and have been using it for years.
If you can spend money, go for the pro version which has many more features.
Anti-spyware
Spyware is another type of malware which cannot be detected properly by anti-virus programs for the simple reason that a spyware works differently than a computer virus. I recommend free AVG anti-spyware which was known as "ewido" in its earlier avatar. Microsoft also has released a very good and free anti-spyware program named "Windows Defender". "Webroot Spysweeper" is considered by many to be the best program in its category. It is a shareware though.
Cleaners (Useless files and Registry)
Over a period of time, Windows collects many useless files such as temporary files and back up files. Then there are many files cached in internet explorer. These files are not at all necessary for smooth running of a system and clutter up the hard disk. Same happens with Windows registry. Too many useless entries get accumulated in the registry and slow down the system. Many excellent programs are available for free for cleaning up your system. I regularly use two programs: Easy Cleaner and CCleaner. Both these programs clean unnecessary files as well as the registry. They are free too. I run them one after the another and enjoy the satisfaction of having a clean system.
Backup Software
Loss of important computer files for want of a proper backup, be it mail or documents or photographs, makes one feel real sad and stupid. Ask me, I have experienced it :-) and I plan never to experience it again if I can help.
There are two types of back up. Normally, the term "back up" is related to making copies of data files such as word documents, spreadsheets, pictures, music, videos, email files, installation files for programs and so on. These files are created as a result of user's actions (typing, downloading etc). These files should be backed up regularly using a back up program on external hard disk or over a network if you are on one. The idea is to insulate the backed up files and folders from the system. This way, if the system gets infected by some virus or if there is some device or system failure, your data files would be safe.
There are numerous programs for backing up data files; freeware as well as shareware. It is difficult to decide which are the best programs available. One can try this akg backup
we host no downloads. The LINKS redirect to application vendor websites.
Anti-virus software
This is a most vital first layer of defense for any computer to avoid unpleasant crashes and corruption of its system and files. With dozens, or maybe hundreds, of computer viruses launched every day, a computer without a good anti-virus software is actively courting disaster. Sooner, rather than later, it will get infected resulting in grief to its owner.
If you can afford to spend some dough, go for NOD32 or KASPERSKY However, it is not necessary to spend money in order to have a good anti-virus software.
There are excellent free programs like AVG and AVAST. Whatever program you choose, make sure that they are updated over the internet regularly.
Firewall
A firewall prevents hackers from connecting to your computer and it also prevents trojans and other malware from "phoning home" to their creators. I have found the free version of ZoneAlarm< to be an excellent software and have been using it for years.
If you can spend money, go for the pro version which has many more features.
Anti-spyware
Spyware is another type of malware which cannot be detected properly by anti-virus programs for the simple reason that a spyware works differently than a computer virus. I recommend free AVG anti-spyware which was known as "ewido" in its earlier avatar. Microsoft also has released a very good and free anti-spyware program named "Windows Defender". "Webroot Spysweeper" is considered by many to be the best program in its category. It is a shareware though.
Cleaners (Useless files and Registry)
Over a period of time, Windows collects many useless files such as temporary files and back up files. Then there are many files cached in internet explorer. These files are not at all necessary for smooth running of a system and clutter up the hard disk. Same happens with Windows registry. Too many useless entries get accumulated in the registry and slow down the system. Many excellent programs are available for free for cleaning up your system. I regularly use two programs: Easy Cleaner and CCleaner. Both these programs clean unnecessary files as well as the registry. They are free too. I run them one after the another and enjoy the satisfaction of having a clean system.
Backup Software
Loss of important computer files for want of a proper backup, be it mail or documents or photographs, makes one feel real sad and stupid. Ask me, I have experienced it :-) and I plan never to experience it again if I can help.
There are two types of back up. Normally, the term "back up" is related to making copies of data files such as word documents, spreadsheets, pictures, music, videos, email files, installation files for programs and so on. These files are created as a result of user's actions (typing, downloading etc). These files should be backed up regularly using a back up program on external hard disk or over a network if you are on one. The idea is to insulate the backed up files and folders from the system. This way, if the system gets infected by some virus or if there is some device or system failure, your data files would be safe.
There are numerous programs for backing up data files; freeware as well as shareware. It is difficult to decide which are the best programs available. One can try this akg backup
we host no downloads. The LINKS redirect to application vendor websites.
Saturday, November 30, 2013
REIKI
Reiki
is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one's "life force energy" is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."
A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well being.
Many have reported miraculous results.
Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.
An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not taught in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student during a Reiki class. This ability is passed on during an "attunement" given by a Reiki master and allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of "life force energy" to improve one's health and enhance the quality of life.
Its use is not dependent on one's intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone. It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds.
While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. In fact, Reiki is not dependent on belief at all and will work whether you believe in it or not.
Because Reiki comes from God, many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their religion rather than having only an intellectual concept of it.
During a meditation several years after developing Reiki, Mikao Usui decided to add the Reiki Ideals to the practice of Reiki. The Ideals came in part from the five prinicples of the Meiji emperor of Japan whom Mikao Usui admired. The Ideals were developed to add spiritual balance to Usui Reiki. Their purpose is to help people realize that healing the spirit by consciously deciding to improve oneself is a necessary part of the Reiki healing experience. In order for the Reiki healing energies to have lasting results, the client must accept responsibility for her or his healing and take an active part in it. Therefore, the Usui system of Reiki is more than the use of the Reiki energy. It must also include an active commitment to improve oneself in order for it to be a complete system. The ideals are both guidelines for living a gracious life and virtues worthy of practice for their inherent value.
The secret art of inviting happiness
The miraculous medicine of all diseases
- Just for today, do not anger
- Do not worry and be filled with gratitude
- Devote yourself to your work. Be kind to people.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
HOW FM WORKS?
The purpose for an FM transmitter is to allow you to listen to any external audio source played through a car stereo, or any radio with an FM band. An FM (Frequency Modulated)
Looking at how the FM transmitter works in a stage-by-stage description, the first stage is the converter that takes in the audio output from the external audio source and converts it into analog audio within the FM transmitter. In the second stage, the now convertered analog audio signal is converted again into an FM signal by modulating the audio using FM modulation. This FM modulated signal is then laid onto an RF transmitter signal from the FM transmitter on a specific frequency as an FM radio station signal in the final stage. You can then tune your car抯 radio to the specific FM station frequency that the FM transmitter is set to transmit on and listen to the audio in your car on the FM band as an FM station.
It doesn't matter if the FM transmitter is advertised as "new and Improved" or "brand new technology" or whatever. If it takes in external audio and you have to tune your car's FM radio to an FM radio station in order to listen to it, then its an FM transmitter and the operational description in the above paragraph is how it works.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
HOW DOES E-MAIL WORK?
You send and receive it everyday, it’s instantaneous, and it doesn’t cost a thing. It’s E-MAIL, one of the most important tools of today. Let’s take a look at how it works, under-the-hood and in normal language.
What Is Email?
Electronic mail (abbreviated as e-mail, email, E-Mail, etc.) is a very old form of computer-based communication.
A long time ago – in technological, not human, terms – computers were giant machines. People used dial-up terminals to access them, and each machine held storage for multiple users. As is the case with any community, people found useful and unique ways to communicate with one another, and a messaging system evolved. The caveat was that you could only send messages to other users on the same system, at least up until 1971. As the story goes, along came Ray Tomlinson who sent the first email by addressing a user on another system using the ‘@’ symbol. Obviously, both the underlying dynamics and far-reaching consequences weren’t so simple, but it was that notion that brings us to where we are today.
Email was, at that time, the equivalent of today’s text message. Over time, it changed and evolved like anything else; it has sender and receiver, a subject line, a message body, and attachments, but on the whole, emails are pretty simple documents. It’s not so easy to get it from point A to point B, however. Like anything else, there’s an intricate process involved that works behind the scenes to make it seem as seamless as possible. A lot of the ideas used in relaying email were important in formulating document transfer, which is at the core of things like bulletin board systems and the world wide web.
WHAT'S NEXT?
When someone, let’s say a seller, sends an email, it has to have an address in the form of "user@domain.ext". Our example has seller@gmail.com. The email gets sent by the client to an outgoing mail server via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol(SMTP). The SMTP server is like your local post office, which checks your postage and address and figures out where to send your mail. It doesn’t understand domains, though. They’re a sort of abstract thing, so the SMTP server contacts a Domain Name System(DNS) server. The DNS server is a sort of phone or address book for the internet; it translates domains like “gmail.com” to an IP address like “ 254.254.254.254.” Then, it finds out if that domain has any “MX” or mail exchange servers on it and makes a note of it. This is like your post office consulting maps of where your mail is supposed to go, calling their local post office, and checking to see if your friend has a mailbox or P.O. box to receive mail.
Now that the SMTP server has the proper info, the message gets sent from that server to the target domain’s mail exchange server. This server is referred to as an MTA, or Mail Transfer Agent It decides where exactly to put the mail, much like how your friend’s post office figures out how best to get it delivered. Then, your friend goes and fetches the mail, usually using a client that works via "Post Office Protocol" or
" Internet Message Access Protocol".
Unlike your physical mailbox, your outgoing and incoming mail are handled by two different types of servers. There’s really no discrimination towards receiving servers; any computer can be made an MTA pretty easily and handle things well. Sending mail is a different story. SMTP servers must have static IP addresses, and most ISPs block port 25 so that their users can’t send mail themselves. Why? Because of the massive amounts of spam gnawing away at our collective bandwidth, the very stuff your MTA should be configured to filter out. You can configure your clients to use your ISP’s SMTP server in lieu of running your own. The point is that you need both an MTA and an SMTP server to use email, as each is specialized for what it does.
What Is Email?
Electronic mail (abbreviated as e-mail, email, E-Mail, etc.) is a very old form of computer-based communication.
A long time ago – in technological, not human, terms – computers were giant machines. People used dial-up terminals to access them, and each machine held storage for multiple users. As is the case with any community, people found useful and unique ways to communicate with one another, and a messaging system evolved. The caveat was that you could only send messages to other users on the same system, at least up until 1971. As the story goes, along came Ray Tomlinson who sent the first email by addressing a user on another system using the ‘@’ symbol. Obviously, both the underlying dynamics and far-reaching consequences weren’t so simple, but it was that notion that brings us to where we are today.
Email was, at that time, the equivalent of today’s text message. Over time, it changed and evolved like anything else; it has sender and receiver, a subject line, a message body, and attachments, but on the whole, emails are pretty simple documents. It’s not so easy to get it from point A to point B, however. Like anything else, there’s an intricate process involved that works behind the scenes to make it seem as seamless as possible. A lot of the ideas used in relaying email were important in formulating document transfer, which is at the core of things like bulletin board systems and the world wide web.
WHAT'S NEXT?
When someone, let’s say a seller, sends an email, it has to have an address in the form of "user@domain.ext". Our example has seller@gmail.com. The email gets sent by the client to an outgoing mail server via Simple Mail Transfer Protocol(SMTP). The SMTP server is like your local post office, which checks your postage and address and figures out where to send your mail. It doesn’t understand domains, though. They’re a sort of abstract thing, so the SMTP server contacts a Domain Name System(DNS) server. The DNS server is a sort of phone or address book for the internet; it translates domains like “gmail.com” to an IP address like “ 254.254.254.254.” Then, it finds out if that domain has any “MX” or mail exchange servers on it and makes a note of it. This is like your post office consulting maps of where your mail is supposed to go, calling their local post office, and checking to see if your friend has a mailbox or P.O. box to receive mail.
Now that the SMTP server has the proper info, the message gets sent from that server to the target domain’s mail exchange server. This server is referred to as an MTA, or Mail Transfer Agent It decides where exactly to put the mail, much like how your friend’s post office figures out how best to get it delivered. Then, your friend goes and fetches the mail, usually using a client that works via "Post Office Protocol" or
" Internet Message Access Protocol".
Unlike your physical mailbox, your outgoing and incoming mail are handled by two different types of servers. There’s really no discrimination towards receiving servers; any computer can be made an MTA pretty easily and handle things well. Sending mail is a different story. SMTP servers must have static IP addresses, and most ISPs block port 25 so that their users can’t send mail themselves. Why? Because of the massive amounts of spam gnawing away at our collective bandwidth, the very stuff your MTA should be configured to filter out. You can configure your clients to use your ISP’s SMTP server in lieu of running your own. The point is that you need both an MTA and an SMTP server to use email, as each is specialized for what it does.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
FREE RECHARGE-SITE LIST
Now a days we can hardly find some people having no mobile phones. What if you get free recharge to your phone? It sounds crazy, isn't it?
Yes! I found some of those after a detailed analysis I'm posting this
There are some mobile recharge giving websites who give recharge without taking a single penny from you. Some of the such site give money by number of people you make join there, some other give you contests and they give money as you win. It is like gaining money. I'm going to list a few good website here.
1.AMULYAM
One of the most famous website giving money where you earn money there. They give contest and you win money from there itself.
2.LAAPTU
Laaptu allows you to send sms to any mobile free of cost. They also give money for playing games there.
3.ULTOO
ULtoo.com offers a unique and innovative platform to the users across India to send FREE SMS at lightning speed and rewards its users with FREE mobile recharge in return.
4.PICKZUP
Pickzup is an online portal that provides you an unique opportunity to find the finest picks. We combine value-added online activity into a unique application.
We bring you a host of benefits such as latest trends and product updates at your fingertips, instead of you searching for them. Also, we bring you an opportunity to earn.
5.MCENT
mCent is a fast and easy way to get free airtime on your prepaid mobile phone. Simply sign-up for free using your mobile number
All websites listed will ask your mobile number only. Do not enter your credit/debit card details on internet. Do not enter any such details and report the same in comments. Try at your own risk
Yes! I found some of those after a detailed analysis I'm posting this
There are some mobile recharge giving websites who give recharge without taking a single penny from you. Some of the such site give money by number of people you make join there, some other give you contests and they give money as you win. It is like gaining money. I'm going to list a few good website here.
1.AMULYAM
One of the most famous website giving money where you earn money there. They give contest and you win money from there itself.
2.LAAPTU
Laaptu allows you to send sms to any mobile free of cost. They also give money for playing games there.
3.ULTOO
ULtoo.com offers a unique and innovative platform to the users across India to send FREE SMS at lightning speed and rewards its users with FREE mobile recharge in return.
4.PICKZUP
Pickzup is an online portal that provides you an unique opportunity to find the finest picks. We combine value-added online activity into a unique application.
We bring you a host of benefits such as latest trends and product updates at your fingertips, instead of you searching for them. Also, we bring you an opportunity to earn.
5.MCENT
mCent is a fast and easy way to get free airtime on your prepaid mobile phone. Simply sign-up for free using your mobile number
All websites listed will ask your mobile number only. Do not enter your credit/debit card details on internet. Do not enter any such details and report the same in comments. Try at your own risk
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
CHARGE YOUR SMARTPHONE WITH SUNGLASSES
What can you do with your sunglasses when the Sun goes down?
You can use them to charge your smartphone! An Indian designer based in the US has turned a pair of sunglasses into a smartphone charging device by adding solar panels to them.
[FULL REPORT]
Washington: What can you do with your sunglasses when the Sun goes down?
You can use them to charge your smartphone! An Indian designer based in the US has turned a pair of sunglasses into a smartphone charging device by adding solar panels to them.
Sayalee Kaluskar's The Ray-Ban Shama Shades are part of a project at Miami Ad School - San Francisco, CNET reported. The shades have a small solar panel on each arm, and that's apparently enough to charge a smartphone when the Sun goes down.
According to PSFK.com, Kaluskar placed small solar panels on each side of the frame, allowing the sunglasses to harness solar energy during the day.
At night, the frames can be detached and used to charge a smartphone, the report said. Kaluskar worked with Ramiro Ramirez on the project as part of their student work.
Experts say people are keen on tapping solar energy on the go, provided they can harness enough of it to be useful.
[[PTI REPORT]]
You can use them to charge your smartphone! An Indian designer based in the US has turned a pair of sunglasses into a smartphone charging device by adding solar panels to them.
[FULL REPORT]
Washington: What can you do with your sunglasses when the Sun goes down?
You can use them to charge your smartphone! An Indian designer based in the US has turned a pair of sunglasses into a smartphone charging device by adding solar panels to them.
Sayalee Kaluskar's The Ray-Ban Shama Shades are part of a project at Miami Ad School - San Francisco, CNET reported. The shades have a small solar panel on each arm, and that's apparently enough to charge a smartphone when the Sun goes down.
According to PSFK.com, Kaluskar placed small solar panels on each side of the frame, allowing the sunglasses to harness solar energy during the day.
At night, the frames can be detached and used to charge a smartphone, the report said. Kaluskar worked with Ramiro Ramirez on the project as part of their student work.
Experts say people are keen on tapping solar energy on the go, provided they can harness enough of it to be useful.
[[PTI REPORT]]
Thursday, November 14, 2013
THINGS FOR GOOD SLEEP
Feeling crabby lately? Or simply worn out?Perhaps the solution is better sleep.
Think about all the factors that can interfere with a good night's sleep — from pressure at work and family responsibilities to unexpected challenges, such as layoffs, relationship issues or illnesses. It's no wonder that quality sleep is sometimes elusive.
Although you might not be able to control all of the factors that interfere with your sleep, you can adopt habits that encourage better sleep. Start with these simple sleep tips.
1. Stick to a sleep schedule:
Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body's sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. There's a caveat, though. If you don't fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you're tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink
Don't go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine -- which take hours to wear off — can wreak havoc with quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.
3. Create a bedtime ritual
Do the same things each night to tell your body it's time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed. Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness.
Be wary of using the TV or other electronic devices as part of your bedtime ritual. Some research suggests that screen time or other media use before bedtime interferes with sleep.
4. Get comfortable
Create a room that's ideal for sleeping. Often, this means cool, dark and quiet. Consider using room-darkening shades, earplugs, a fan or other devices to create an environment that suits your needs.
Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they sleep with you — or insist on separate sleeping quarters.
5. Limit daytime naps
Long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep — especially if you're struggling with insomnia or poor sleep quality at night.
If you choose to nap during the day, limit yourself to about 10 to 30 minutes and make it during the midafternoon.
If you work nights, you'll need to make an exception to the rules about daytime sleeping. In this case, keep your window coverings closed so that sunlight — which adjusts your internal clock — doesn't interrupt your daytime sleep.
6. Include physical activity in your daily routine
Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep.
Timing is important, though. If you exercise too close to bedtime, you might be too energized to fall asleep. If this seems to be an issue for you, exercise earlier in the day.
7. Manage stress
When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace to your life, consider healthy ways to manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities and delegating tasks. Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend. Before bed, jot down what's on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.
Know when to contact your doctor
Nearly everyone has an occasional sleepless night — but if you often have trouble sleeping, contact your doctor. Identifying and treating any underlying causes can help you get the better sleep you deserve...
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Anatomy of Search Engines
Search engines are the key to finding specific information on the vast expanse of the World Wide Web. Without sophisticated search engines, it would be virtually impossible to locate anything on the Web without knowing a specific URL.
But do you know how search engines work?
And do you know what makes some search engines more effective than others?
When people use the term search engine in relation to the Web, they are usually referring to the actual search forms that searches through databases of HTML documents, initially gathered by a robot.
There are basically three types of search engines:
Those that are powered by robots (called crawlers; ants or spiders) and those that are powered by human submissions; and those that are a hybrid of the two.
Crawler-based search engines are those that use automated software agents (called crawlers) that visit a Web site, read the information on the actual site, read the site's meta tags and also follow the links that the site connects to performing indexing on all linked Web sites as well. The crawler returns all that information back to a central depository, where the data is indexed. The crawler will periodically return to the sites to check for any information that has changed. The frequency with which this happens is determined by the administrators of the search engine.
Human-powered search engines rely on humans to submit information that is subsequently indexed and catalogued. Only information that is submitted is put into the index.
In both cases, when you query a search engine to locate information, you're actually searching through the index that the search engine has created —you are not actually searching the Web. These indices are giant databases of information that is collected and stored and subsequently searched. This explains why sometimes a search on a commercial search engine, such as Yahoo! or Google, will return results that are, in fact, dead links. Since the search results are based on the index, if the index hasn't been updated since a Web page became invalid the search engine treats the page as still an active link even though it no longer is. It will remain that way until the index is updated.
So why will the same search on different search engines produce different results? Part of the answer to that question is because not all indices are going to be exactly the same. It depends on what the spiders find or what the humans submitted.
But more important, not every search engine uses the same algorithm to search through the indices. The algorithm is what the search engines use to determine the relevance of the information in the index to what the user is searching for.
One of the elements that a search engine algorithm scans for is the frequency and location of keywords on a Web page. Those with higher frequency are typically considered more relevant. But search engine technology is becoming sophisticated in its attempt to discourage what is known as keyword stuffing, or spamdexing.
Another common element that algorithms analyze is the way that pages link to other pages in the Web. By analyzing how pages link to each other, an engine can both determine what a page is about (if the keywords of the linked pages are similar to the keywords on the original page) and whether that page is considered "important" and deserving of a boost in ranking. Just as the technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated to ignore keyword stuffing, it is also becoming more savvy to Web masters who build artificial links into their sites in order to build an artificial ranking.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Top Five Social Networks
"Social networking" has been around forever. It's the simple act of expanding the number of people you know by meeting your friends' friends, their friends' friends and so on. In fact, many of us today use Twitter and Facebook to promote our existing and upcoming business
After observing and running an analysis some of Social Networking sites I have listed down 5 most popular social networks across countries in detail.
1.Facebook
founder: Mark Zuckerberg
To access Facebook.com, you must create an account on the site which is free. Facebook's terms of use state that members must be at least 13 years old with valid email ID’s. After updating you're details, your Facebook profile is generated. Using Facebook.com you can:
- Browse and join networks, which are organized into four categories: regions, colleges, workplaces and high schools.
- Pull contacts from a Web-based e-mail account, into Facebook.com.
- Find friends in several ways, including search engine to look for a specific person and lot more.
- Facebook has recently crossed 500 million users and is the most popular Social Networking site of the world.
founder: Tom Anderson, Chris DeWolfe In MySpace, your social network starts growing from the first day. When you join MySpace, the first step is to create a profile. You then, invite friends to join there and search for your friends on already profiled on MySpace these friends become your initial Friend Space. Once the friendship is confirmed all the people in your friends' Friend Space become part of your network. In that sense, everyone on MySpace is in your Extended Network. As part of terms of MySpace, the user must be at least 14 years old to register. 3.Twitter Pinterest is a social networking site with a visually-pleasing “virtual pinboard” interface. Users collect photos and link to products they love, creating their own pinboards and following the pinboards of other people whom they find interesting.
Friday, November 8, 2013
FACEBOOK ACCOUNT SECURITY
If you are like millions out there, Facebook has become your no. 1 website on the Web. As you login to it every single day from many devices, be it from your mobile phone, computer, laptop and office workstation, there is a chance that you may leave your Facebook account on without logging out. If your account gets accessed by strangers, it’s going to open up a large can of worms, so you should seriously try to prevent unwanted access to your account.
In this article, we will go through some important options you can take to prevent others from accessing your personal Facebook account.
* Create Strong Password:
Chances are, you already have your password created for Facebook however it is advisable for you to make sure your Facebook password is one of a kind and different from your other online accounts e.g. email, blog, hosting etc.
The best passwords would have the combination of small and capital letters, numbers and symbols.
* Confirm your mobile number
Confirming your mobile number is one of many ways to enhance your account security on Facebook . This way, even when you lose or forget your password, Facebook will be able to send you a new one via SMS.
To add your mobile number, go toAccount Settings > Mobile and click on Add a Phone.
* Activate Secure browsing
Now
Among other things, to make sure your browsing activity within Facebook is safe, you can turn on the Secure browsing option. By doing this, you automatically limit all external applications that are integrated with Facebook from doing any harm or taking your personal information without your knowledge or approval.
To start securing your account, click on the drop down menu from the top right corner of your Facebook account and go to Account Settings.
Select Security from the left menu.
At the Secure Browsing section, click on the Edit link at the right.
The option panel will appear, ‘check’ the box Browse Facebook on a secure connection then click on the Save Changes button.
* Activate ‘Login Approvals'
Login approvals is an extended security feature offered by Facebook, and it will require you to enter a security code each time you try to access your Facebook account from unrecognized devices.
* Disconnect Previous Active Sessions
The good thing about Facebook is that it lets you know about your previous active sessions, where you login from, and what devices you used to access your Facebook account. Now to make sure your account is safe. Disconnect all previous active sessions
* Activate Private Browsing
Another way to prevent another person from accessing your account is by activating the ‘Private Browsing’ option from your browsers. All browsers have this private browsing option, and by activating this option, your activity will not be logged into the browsing history.
* Don’t ‘Keep Me Logged In’
The moment you want to login to your Facebook account, at the Log In page, there’s a small checkbox that says Keep me logged in. Make sure this box is unchecked. Then, log in as usual. With this on, you will be asked for your email and password every time you launch Facebook.
* Avoid Spam Link
Facebook is serious about spam and is always enhancing its features to make sure you are safe from being a victim to scams. The types of attacks include money scams through direct or indirect requests via Facebook messages, chat etc,phishing links that will redirect you to fake websites,malicious links that could retrieve your personal information or even harm your computer. There are also chances you may receive emails from ‘Facebook’ but it is actually from a phishing website, this modus operandi is part of a scam.
* Sign Out after use
Lastly which is the most important of all (and definitely worth repeating), never forget to log out from your Facebook account.
Facebook is a gone website to connect to your family and friends. Use it safely and Enjoy.
Put your valuable comments
Don't forget to SHARE it.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Mars Orbitor Mission
India is inching towards a milestone in space technology with preparatory work in full swing at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota to launch the country's first inter-planetary satellite to Mars.
"The countdown for the launch, which commenced yesterday has been progressing smoothly. Things are normal. We are busy with preparatory work," an ISRO spokesman told PTI over phone
The Launch Authorisation Board of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had on November 1 given its consent for launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission after a successful launch rehearsal the previous day.
The 44.4 metre tall rocket has been mounted on the pedestal of the First Launch Pad at the spaceport,covered by a 76 metre tall Mobile Service Tower, designed to withstand a wind speed of 230 km per hour, in case of a cyclone. It will be removed as the countdown comes closer to the launch.
PSLV C 25 is scheduled to lift off at 2.38 PM tomorrow from the spaceport, about 100 km from here.
Vehicle tracking stations at Port Blair, Bylalu near Bangalore and Brunei are on an alert mode, while sea-borne terminals on board Shipping Corporation of India's vessels SCI Nalanda and SCI Yamuna have taken their positions at South Pacific Ocean, ISRO sources said.
The sea-borne terminals on board SCI ships are to capture the crucial moment of the vehicle injecting the satellite on Earth's orbit somewhere above South America.
The rocket is expected to take over 40 minutes to inject the satellite on Earth's orbit after take off.
Once launched the satellite is expected to go around Earth for 20-25 days before embarking on a nine-month voyage to the red planet on December 1 and reach the orbit of Mars on September 24, 2014.
If the Rs 450 crore MOM mission turns out to be a success, ISRO would be the fourth space agency in the world to have sent a mission to Mars.
European Space Agency (ESA) of European consortium, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US and Roscosmos of Russia are the only three agencies which have so far sent their missions to the red planet.
Only 21 of the total of 51 missions sent to Mars by various countries have been successful.
DETAILS OF LAUNCH:
Mission:Mars Orbitor Mission
Operator:ISRO
Duration:300 Days
Manufacturer:ISAC
Launch Mass:1350kg(2980lb)
Payload Mass:15kg(33lb)
Launch Date: Nov 5,2013 09:08 UTC
Vehicle: PSLV-XL C25
"The countdown for the launch, which commenced yesterday has been progressing smoothly. Things are normal. We are busy with preparatory work," an ISRO spokesman told PTI over phone
The Launch Authorisation Board of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had on November 1 given its consent for launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission after a successful launch rehearsal the previous day.
The 44.4 metre tall rocket has been mounted on the pedestal of the First Launch Pad at the spaceport,covered by a 76 metre tall Mobile Service Tower, designed to withstand a wind speed of 230 km per hour, in case of a cyclone. It will be removed as the countdown comes closer to the launch.
PSLV C 25 is scheduled to lift off at 2.38 PM tomorrow from the spaceport, about 100 km from here.
Vehicle tracking stations at Port Blair, Bylalu near Bangalore and Brunei are on an alert mode, while sea-borne terminals on board Shipping Corporation of India's vessels SCI Nalanda and SCI Yamuna have taken their positions at South Pacific Ocean, ISRO sources said.
The sea-borne terminals on board SCI ships are to capture the crucial moment of the vehicle injecting the satellite on Earth's orbit somewhere above South America.
The rocket is expected to take over 40 minutes to inject the satellite on Earth's orbit after take off.
Once launched the satellite is expected to go around Earth for 20-25 days before embarking on a nine-month voyage to the red planet on December 1 and reach the orbit of Mars on September 24, 2014.
If the Rs 450 crore MOM mission turns out to be a success, ISRO would be the fourth space agency in the world to have sent a mission to Mars.
European Space Agency (ESA) of European consortium, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the US and Roscosmos of Russia are the only three agencies which have so far sent their missions to the red planet.
Only 21 of the total of 51 missions sent to Mars by various countries have been successful.
DETAILS OF LAUNCH:
Mission:Mars Orbitor Mission
Operator:ISRO
Duration:300 Days
Manufacturer:ISAC
Launch Mass:1350kg(2980lb)
Payload Mass:15kg(33lb)
Launch Date: Nov 5,2013 09:08 UTC
Vehicle: PSLV-XL C25
Saturday, November 2, 2013
DEEPAVALI FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest and the brightest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights (deep= light and avali= a row i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance, and dazzles all with its joy.
The Origin of Diwali
Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali or 'Deepawali.' Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day. In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss ofnirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas(oil lamps) and burst crackers.
These Four Days Each day of Diwali has its own tale, legend and myth to tell. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdashi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali —Kartika Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya(also called Bhai Dooj in north india) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.
The Significance of Lights & Firecrackers
All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains.
From Darkness to Light
...In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe.
Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.
If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.
The Origin of Diwali
Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important harvest festival. However, there are various legends pointing to the origin of Diwali or 'Deepawali.' Some believe it to be the celebration of the marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu. Whereas in Bengal the festival is dedicated to the worship of Mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom, is also worshiped in most Hindu homes on this day. In Jainism, Deepawali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss ofnirvana. Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas(oil lamps) and burst crackers.
These Four Days Each day of Diwali has its own tale, legend and myth to tell. The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdashi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali —Kartika Shudda Padyami that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya(also called Bhai Dooj in north india) and on this day sisters invite their brothers to their homes.
The Significance of Lights & Firecrackers
All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity. According to one belief, the sound of fire-crackers are an indication of the joy of the people living on earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects and mosquitoes, found in plenty after the rains.
...In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe.
Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.
If you are away from the sights and sounds of Diwali, light, sit quietly, shut your eyes, withdraw the senses, concentrate on this supreme light and illuminate the soul.
Once again Happy diwali to all.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
IRON MAN-SARDAR PATEL
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Born: 31 October 1875
Passed Away: 15 December 1950
Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the great social leaders of India. He played a crucial role during the freedom struggle of India and was instrumental in the integration of over 500 princely states into the Indian Union. Despite the choice of the people, on the request of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel stepped down from the candidacy of Congress president. The election on that occasion eventually meant for the election of the first Prime Minister of independent India.
Life
Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Gujarat to Zaverbhai and Ladbai. Vallabhbhai, His father had served in the army of the Queen of Jhansi while his mother was a very spiritual woman.
Starting his academic career in a Gujarati medium school Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and shifted to an English medium school. In 1897, Vallabhbhai passed his high school examination and started preparing for law examination.
In 1910, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel went to England to study law. He completed his law studies in 1913 and came back to India and started his law practice. For his Excellencies in Law, Vallabhbhai was offered many lucrative posts by the British Government but he rejected all. He was a staunch opponent of the British government and its laws and therefore decided not to work for the British.
He later started practicing at Ahmedabad. After a meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, at the Gujarat Club, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel got influenced by Gandhi's words. Later, inspired by Gandhi's work and philosophy Patel became a staunch follower of him.
Indian National Movement
In 1917, Sardar Vallabhbhai was elected as the Secretary of the Gujarat Sabha. The next year, when there was a flood in Kaira, the British insisted on collecting tax from the farmers. Sardar Vallabhbhai led a massive "No Tax campaign" that urged the farmers not to pay their land. The peaceful movement forced the British authority to return then land taken away from the farmers His effort to bring together the farmers of his area brought him the title of SARDAR to his name.
In 1928, the farmers of Bardoli faced a similar problem of "tax-hike". After prolonged summons, when the farmers refused to pay the extra tax, the government in retaliation seized their lands. Vallabhbhai Patel. The agitation took on for more than six months and after a deal struck between the government and farmer's representatives, the lands were returned.
In 1930 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was imprisoned for participating in the famous Salt Satyagraha called by Mahatma Gandhi. His inspiring speeches during the "Salt Movement"
Integration of princely states
At the time of independence, Indian territory was divided into three parts. First, the territories under the direct control of the British government, second were the territories over which the hereditary rulers had suzerainty. The regions, which had been colonized by France and Portugal, formed the last. India, without the integration of these different territories under one roof, could not be considered as a unified and total country. It was a stupendous task for the ruling party, to persuade the rulers of these states to join. According to British government, the province rulers had the liberty to choose how they wanted to be ruled. They were given two choices. They could join either of India and Pakistan or stay independently. The stance of the British government had made the task much difficult for India. At this point many leaders of the congress approached the rulers but they failed to convince. At last, they all made a request Vallabhbhai Patel to think some other options to bring the princely rulers under Indian control. Sardar Patel eventually dealt with the tough-situation and came out successfully. He had made secured their accession. Therefore, the state of India we see today was a result of the efforts put in by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Death
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's health declined in 1950. He, himself realized that he was not going to live much longer. On 2 November his health deteriorated further and was confined to bed. After suffering a massive heart attack, on 15 December 1950, the great soul left the world.
Born: 31 October 1875
Passed Away: 15 December 1950
Vallabhbhai Patel was one of the great social leaders of India. He played a crucial role during the freedom struggle of India and was instrumental in the integration of over 500 princely states into the Indian Union. Despite the choice of the people, on the request of Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel stepped down from the candidacy of Congress president. The election on that occasion eventually meant for the election of the first Prime Minister of independent India.
Life
Vallabhbhai Patel was born on October 31, 1875 in Gujarat to Zaverbhai and Ladbai. Vallabhbhai, His father had served in the army of the Queen of Jhansi while his mother was a very spiritual woman.
Starting his academic career in a Gujarati medium school Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and shifted to an English medium school. In 1897, Vallabhbhai passed his high school examination and started preparing for law examination.
In 1910, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel went to England to study law. He completed his law studies in 1913 and came back to India and started his law practice. For his Excellencies in Law, Vallabhbhai was offered many lucrative posts by the British Government but he rejected all. He was a staunch opponent of the British government and its laws and therefore decided not to work for the British.
He later started practicing at Ahmedabad. After a meeting with Mahatma Gandhi, at the Gujarat Club, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel got influenced by Gandhi's words. Later, inspired by Gandhi's work and philosophy Patel became a staunch follower of him.
Indian National Movement
In 1917, Sardar Vallabhbhai was elected as the Secretary of the Gujarat Sabha. The next year, when there was a flood in Kaira, the British insisted on collecting tax from the farmers. Sardar Vallabhbhai led a massive "No Tax campaign" that urged the farmers not to pay their land. The peaceful movement forced the British authority to return then land taken away from the farmers His effort to bring together the farmers of his area brought him the title of SARDAR to his name.
In 1928, the farmers of Bardoli faced a similar problem of "tax-hike". After prolonged summons, when the farmers refused to pay the extra tax, the government in retaliation seized their lands. Vallabhbhai Patel. The agitation took on for more than six months and after a deal struck between the government and farmer's representatives, the lands were returned.
In 1930 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was imprisoned for participating in the famous Salt Satyagraha called by Mahatma Gandhi. His inspiring speeches during the "Salt Movement"
Integration of princely states
At the time of independence, Indian territory was divided into three parts. First, the territories under the direct control of the British government, second were the territories over which the hereditary rulers had suzerainty. The regions, which had been colonized by France and Portugal, formed the last. India, without the integration of these different territories under one roof, could not be considered as a unified and total country. It was a stupendous task for the ruling party, to persuade the rulers of these states to join. According to British government, the province rulers had the liberty to choose how they wanted to be ruled. They were given two choices. They could join either of India and Pakistan or stay independently. The stance of the British government had made the task much difficult for India. At this point many leaders of the congress approached the rulers but they failed to convince. At last, they all made a request Vallabhbhai Patel to think some other options to bring the princely rulers under Indian control. Sardar Patel eventually dealt with the tough-situation and came out successfully. He had made secured their accession. Therefore, the state of India we see today was a result of the efforts put in by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Death
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's health declined in 1950. He, himself realized that he was not going to live much longer. On 2 November his health deteriorated further and was confined to bed. After suffering a massive heart attack, on 15 December 1950, the great soul left the world.
Monday, October 21, 2013
INCREASE MEMORY POWER
A strong memory depends on the health and vitality of your brain. Whether you're a student studying for final exams, a working professional interested in doing all you can to stay mentally sharp, or a senior looking to preserve and enhance your grey matter as you age, there are lots of things you can do to improve your memory and mental performance.
Ways to Increase Memory Power
1. When you exercise the body, you exercise the brain.
2. Improve your memory by taking a good nap.
3. Happy relationships and fun with friends.
4. Laughter is good for your brain.
5. Reduce stress.
6. Feed your brain.
7. Make sure to have sufficient amount of Vitamin B
8. Eat more fruit and vegetables.
9. Reading is a good exercise to your brain.
Foods rich in flavanols such as grapes, apples, blue berries, green tea, broccoli, onions together with dark chocolate happen to be researched and outcomes reveal that individuals who include these types of foods within their diet regime have much better mental functions and skills.
They are some of the health advantages that individuals can gain when they consume flavanol-rich food on a regular basis. They’re also capable of improving mental functions too. Seniors could focus on improving the memory capabilities by including these food types in their diet plan. They could enjoy having dark chocolates however in the proper amounts. Something that is taken in excess might be harmful. Individuals particularly the elderly have to seek advice from the doctors and the expert in nutrition so they may have heard how much of it they could take each day.
Apart from assisting memory enhancement, flavanols also improve metabolic processes by giving adequate supply of antioxidants.
Protect Your Brain:
Antioxidants
As people get older, substances called free radicals, which are floating through the bloodstream, will break down the brain cells. If you don’t put up a fight, you’ll experience loss of memory as you age. However, there are a good deal of antioxidant food sources to choose from. Antioxidants will merge with these free radicals, turning them harmless. Make sure you eat foods that have this healthy food source. Several good sources of antioxidants include:
Regulate Your Fuel Supply:
Fiber Foods that contain a good dose of fiber include:
Dried fruits – apricots, dates, prunes, raisins
Vegetables – broccoli, green peas, spinach Peas and beans – black-eyed peas, kidney beans, lima beans
Nuts and seeds – almonds and flaxseed
Whole fruit – avocadoes, kiwi, oranges, pears and skin-on apples
Whole wheat grains – barley, brown rice, etc.
The greatest sources of food to boost your alertness, concentration, and energy are:
*Dairy products
*Eggs
*Seafood
*Soy
Hydrate Your Brain:
Water
You already know that your body is made mostly of water. And you also know how easy it is to not consume much water and become dehydrated. Even a mild case of dehydration can reduce your mental energy and capacity, causing your memory to become impaired. You should drink at least four liters of water each day, or six to eight glasses of water
Ways to Increase Memory Power
1. When you exercise the body, you exercise the brain.
2. Improve your memory by taking a good nap.
3. Happy relationships and fun with friends.
4. Laughter is good for your brain.
5. Reduce stress.
6. Feed your brain.
7. Make sure to have sufficient amount of Vitamin B
8. Eat more fruit and vegetables.
9. Reading is a good exercise to your brain.
Foods rich in flavanols such as grapes, apples, blue berries, green tea, broccoli, onions together with dark chocolate happen to be researched and outcomes reveal that individuals who include these types of foods within their diet regime have much better mental functions and skills.
They are some of the health advantages that individuals can gain when they consume flavanol-rich food on a regular basis. They’re also capable of improving mental functions too. Seniors could focus on improving the memory capabilities by including these food types in their diet plan. They could enjoy having dark chocolates however in the proper amounts. Something that is taken in excess might be harmful. Individuals particularly the elderly have to seek advice from the doctors and the expert in nutrition so they may have heard how much of it they could take each day.
Apart from assisting memory enhancement, flavanols also improve metabolic processes by giving adequate supply of antioxidants.
Protect Your Brain:
Antioxidants
As people get older, substances called free radicals, which are floating through the bloodstream, will break down the brain cells. If you don’t put up a fight, you’ll experience loss of memory as you age. However, there are a good deal of antioxidant food sources to choose from. Antioxidants will merge with these free radicals, turning them harmless. Make sure you eat foods that have this healthy food source. Several good sources of antioxidants include:
- Blueberries (other berries too)
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Red grapes
- Spinach
- Soy
- Tea
- Tomatoes
- Whole grains
Regulate Your Fuel Supply:
Fiber Foods that contain a good dose of fiber include:
Dried fruits – apricots, dates, prunes, raisins
Vegetables – broccoli, green peas, spinach Peas and beans – black-eyed peas, kidney beans, lima beans
Nuts and seeds – almonds and flaxseed
Whole fruit – avocadoes, kiwi, oranges, pears and skin-on apples
Whole wheat grains – barley, brown rice, etc.
The greatest sources of food to boost your alertness, concentration, and energy are:
*Dairy products
*Eggs
*Seafood
*Soy
Hydrate Your Brain:
Water
You already know that your body is made mostly of water. And you also know how easy it is to not consume much water and become dehydrated. Even a mild case of dehydration can reduce your mental energy and capacity, causing your memory to become impaired. You should drink at least four liters of water each day, or six to eight glasses of water
Thursday, October 3, 2013
SOME TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
Whether photography is a hobby or a profession, you'll get a whole lot more out of it if you understand how it works. With a firm grasp of aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity and focal length, the ratio of truly great to merely mediocre shots you download at the end of an expedition is all but guaranteed to climb.
Don't uncap your lens without reading these tips.
Aperture
1. Understand aperture
The most fundamental element any photographer should understand is aperture. The aperture is the physical opening within your lens that allows light through to the sensor (or film in an older camera). The wider the aperture opening, the more light can pass through, and vice versa.
The size of the opening, which is regulated by a series of fins encroaching from the edge of the lens barrel, is measured in so-called f-stops, written f/2.8, f/5.9 and so on, with smaller numbers denoting wider apertures. If you find this inverse relationship tricky to remember, imagine instead that it relates not to the size of the hole but the amount of each fin encroaching into the opening.
A narrow opening is regulated by a large amount of each fin encroaching into the barrel, and so has a high f-stop number, such as f/16, f/18 and so on. A wide opening is characterised by a small number, such as f/3.2, with only a small amount of each fin obscuring the light.
Whether photography is a hobby or a profession, you'll get a whole lot more out of it if you understand how it works. With a firm grasp of aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity and focal length, the ratio of truly great to merely mediocre shots you download at the end of an expedition is all but guaranteed to climb.
Here we present CNET UK's 50 essential shooters' tips. Don't uncap your lens without them.
Aperture
1. Understand aperture
The most fundamental element any photographer should understand is aperture. The aperture is the physical opening within your lens that allows light through to the sensor (or film in an older camera). The wider the aperture opening, the more light can pass through, and vice versa.
The size of the opening, which is regulated by a series of fins encroaching from the edge of the lens barrel, is measured in so-called f-stops, written f/2.8, f/5.9 and so on, with smaller numbers denoting wider apertures. If you find this inverse relationship tricky to remember, imagine instead that it relates not to the size of the hole but the amount of each fin encroaching into the opening.
A narrow opening is regulated by a large amount of each fin encroaching into the barrel, and so has a high f-stop number, such as f/16, f/18 and so on. A wide opening is characterised by a small number, such as f/3.2, with only a small amount of each fin obscuring the light.
Picture the size of the fins, visible here inside this lens, when trying to understand the concept of f-stops.
2. Aperture measurements
Lenses almost always have their maximum aperture setting engraved or stamped on one end of the barrel. On a zoom lens you'll see two measurements, often stated as f/3.5-f/5.9 or similar.
Rather than being opposite ends of a single scale these describe the maximum aperture at the wide angle and telephoto (maximum zoom) lens positions respectively. Always buy a lens with the smallest number you can afford in each position.
3. Avoid using aperture to compensate for poor lighting
Changing the aperture has a dramatic effect on the amount of light coming into the camera, as we have already said. You'll notice this is the case when shooting landscapes with a narrower aperture (higher numbered f-stop) as your camera will often want to take a longer exposure -- so much so that you may have to use a tripod to avoid motion blur.
4. Use a wide aperture for portraits
Anyone with a cat knows that when they're hunting or playing their irises contract to enlarge the size of their pupils. This has the same effect as widening the aperture in a camera lens: it makes the subject they are focusing on very sharp while causing everything behind and in front of it to blur. We call this a shallow depth of field. This is perfect for portrait photography, as it draws forward your model within the scene, making them the central focus while the background falls away. Choose f/1.8 or similar wherever possible.
5. Use a narrow aperture for landscapes
For landscapes, on the other hand, you want to have everything from close-at-hand foliage to a distant mountain in focus. This is achieved by selecting a narrow aperture. If possible stray towards f/22, or whatever the tightest setting your camera allows.
6. 'f/8 and be there'
Static models and immobile landscapes are easy to shoot as you can predict with a great deal of certainty which aperture setting you need to get the best out of either. Reportage and street photography, weddings, Christenings and so on are less predictable as your subjects will be moving in relation to the frame. In these circumstances, adopt the pro photographer's adage, "f/8 and be there".
Set your aperture to f/8 for a practical, manageable balance of fairly fast shutter speeds and broad depths of field, allowing you to spend more time thinking about composition within the frame than you do about optical algebra. When shooting indoors without a flash, and depending on the lighting conditions, you may need to increase your camera's sensitivity setting at this aperture, but be careful not to push it so high that you introduce grain into your images, unless you are chasing that specific effect.
7. What does the ø symbol on my lens mean?
After the focal and aperture ranges, the other measurement you'll see on most dSLR lenses is preceded by ø and describes the diameter of the screw mount on the front of lens barrel. Check this number each time you head out to buy a filter or hood as you can't guarantee that it will be the same for each lens in your collection, even if they are all designed to be used on the same camera.
8. If you only buy one filter...
...make it a circular polariser. This is the perfect beginner's filter, and one that will have the biggest effect on your day to day photography, giving holiday skies a vibrant blue tone and accentuating the contrast between the sky and passing clouds to afford your images greater texture. Although you can add blue to your images in Photoshop or a similar post-production editing tool, the effect is never as believable when done that way as it is when shot using a lens.
Invest in an inexpensive circular polariser to improve the blue of skies in your images.
9. Don't confine it to skies
Polarising filters also cut through glare and reflection. Use it to shoot through windows and water.
We used a polarising filter when shooting this frame to cut through reflections on the surface of the water.
10. Look for lenses where the zoom control doesn't change the filter orientation
Rotating a circular polarising filter changes the strength of the polarising effect, making skies deeper or lighter, and changing the amount of reflection they cancel out. If you plan on using such a filter then wherever possible buy lenses where turning the zoom control doesn't simultaneously rotate the end of the lens, and with it the filter, as this will change the effect. If you have no choice, set your zoom first and adjust the effect afterwards, being careful not to throw the lens out of focus in the process.
11. Don't forget about white balance
When using a filter set your the white balance on your camera to the appropriate conditions, rather than auto, to stop the camera compensating for the filter in front of the lens.
Make sure you set your white balance manually when using a filter.
12. Don't rush out to buy a skylight filter
Putting a clear filter on the front of your lens to protect its surface sounds like a great idea. After all, your lens was an expensive investment. The end of your lens is stronger than you might think, however, and easy to clean if you don't let the dirt build up. Dispensing with a skylight filter will not only save you money, but also avoid the chance of introducing light problems due to increased reflections or the slight reduction in the level of illumination reaching the sensor.
13. Cheat's macro mode (add-on filters)
Dedicated macro lenses are expensive, but you can quickly and easily improve your existing lens' macro credentials by using screw-on magnifiers. They're not a perfect solution as they decrease the level of light coming into the lens, but for occasional work they are very effective, easily sourced and cheap. We bought ours, below, first-hand from eBay, where you should expect to bid around £15 for a set of four screw-on filters.
If you can't afford a dedicated macro mode, you can achieve the same result using an inexpensive set of add-on magnifiers.
14. Avoid stacking up too many filters
It's tempting to add multiple filters to the end of each lens to achieve different results, but bear in mind that although they may look perfectly clear to you, each one reduces the amount of light passing through by a small amount. For the best results, use the smallest number of filters possible.
15. Choose a manual lens over a powered one
Some compact interchangeable lens cameras come with a choice of powered or manual zoom. The former is a great lazy option, allowing you to press a button to get the framing you're after, but the latter is often cheaper and almost always quicker to use as it moves at whatever speed you turn it, without being hobbled by the speed of an internal motor. You can also often make finer and more predictable changes when zooming manually than you can with a powered zoom rocker.
16. Shoot slowly, zoom quickly... At the same time
If you're shooting a static display, add some interest by turning the zoom control while shooting with a fairly slow shutter speed (you can only do this with a manual zoom, as a powered lens will be locked off when shooting). This works particularly well when shooting cars and other forms of transport as it gives them a sense of motion.
Give static subjects added dynamism and excitement by changing the zoom while using a slow shutter speed.
17. Try a prime lens for more creativity
Shooting with a fixed focal length -- a prime lens -- will make you think more carefully about how you want to frame a subject to tell a particular story. It will often also get you a cleaner, sharper result.
18. What do the measurements on my lens mean?
Lenses are measured in terms of their focal length, which broadly describes the effect they have on incoming light and the way it is focused on the sensor. A short focal length, such as 24mm, doesn't have a very high level of magnification, so will focus a broad vista on the sensor. A long focal length, such as 240mm, has a high level of magnification, like a telescope, and so will fill the sensor with just the central part of the view.
This lens has a fairly long telephoto with the zoom topping out at 300mm.
19. Understand your lens' true dimensions
Unless you've paid for a high-end dSLR, or a professional camera such as the Leica M9, your pocket snapper's sensor will almost certainly be smaller than a frame of 35mm film, the standard point of reference against which all focal lengths are measured.
The 35mm in a frame's name actually relates to the space between the top and the bottom of the film strip, which as well as the frame itself also contains some border areas and the sprocket holes used to move the film through the camera. A 35mm frame is positioned lengthwise on this strip, with its shortest dimension -- top to bottom -- perpendicular to the film's direction of motion. As such, neither the height nor the width of the frame measures 35mm, but instead 24x36mm.
To understand how the stated focal length on any lens will affect the shot captured by your camera, you need to factor in the multiplier effect, which converts the size of your sensor to the size of that 35mm piece of film. The multiplier is often between 1.5 and 1.7 but varies between manufacturers and models.
So, if you're buying a lens for the Canon EOS 600D with its 22.3x14.9mm sensor you'd need to multiply the stated focal length of the lens by 1.6. This would make a 50mm lens, commonly used in portrait photography, act like an 80mm lens, thus increasing the effective zoom and narrowing the amount of the scene seen in each frame. On a Nikon D5100, which has a slightly larger sensor (23.6x15.6mm) you'd need to multiply the lens' measurements by 1.5, in which case an equivalent 50mm lens would act as though it were a 75mm unit.
20. Save money by opting for a smaller sensor
This means you can, technically, save money by opting for a smaller sensor, as you'll be able to buy less powerful lenses to achieve the kind of results you would otherwise only get with a longer, more expensive zoom.
21. Use zone focusing
Related to point 6 -- f/8 and be there -- if you have a lens with both f-stop and focal measurements on the barrel, understanding how they relate to each other can help you take great spontaneous photos with a high degree of confidence.
In the image below we've set our aperture to f/5.6, as indicated by the red line pointing to the 5.6 reading on the lower gauge. We've then set the range on the yellow gauge to around 1.2 metres by positioning this at the top of the same line. We can now use the green scale to understand how far away from the camera our subjects need to be if they are to be accurately focused.
By following the lines running from the two green entries for 5.6 on either side to their measurements on the yellow scale, we can see that so long as we're more than 1m away from our subjects they will be in focus (the green 5.6 on the left is linked to around 1m on the yellow scale, while the green 5.6 on the right is linked to the infinity symbol, which is like a number 8 on its side). Anything closer than that will be blurred.
This gives us a great deal of freedom to snap whatever we want without making any further adjustments, so long as it's no closer to us than 100cm. To create a more intimate effect, adjusting the distance ring so that 0.4 sat at the top of the red marker would mean that only those objects between around 36cm and 50cm would be kept in focus.
Use zone focusing to understand which parts of your image will be in focus at any particular aperture setting.
Lighting
22. Invest in a cheap pair of lights
If you're doing any kind of indoor photography, invest in a cheap pair of lights. Buy at least a pair, complete with tripod stands and reflectors to direct the light. Opt for continuous light rather than flash units, as they're cheaper, easy to use and great for beginners, as you don't have to take test shots to see how the shadows fall during setup.
23. Understand colour temperature
Different colours and levels of light are measured using the Kelvin scale. For the best results, look for studio lights with a temperature of around 5,500K-6,000K to emulate bright daylight. Lights with a lower colour temperature often render a colour caste in your images that will have to be corrected in Photoshop or an alternative image editor.
This professional studio bulb maintains a constant colour temperature of 5500K, as specified on the furthest end.
24. Buy a light box -- but don't spend more than £20
Minimise shadows in your studio-lit work by investing in an inexpensive light box. Effectively a five-sided cube with gauze sides and top, you position your lights so that they shine through the sides of the box, diffusing the light and softening the shadows. Light boxes usually ship with a felted back cloth that can be attached using Velcro to create an infinite field of view by obscuring the seams of the box.
An inexpensive light box makes it easy to shoot with artificial light without casting strong shadows.
25. Make best use of available light with a sheet of paper
If you can't afford studio lights, even out harsh contrasts when shooting with natural light by positioning a large sheet of paper or card to reflect the incoming light onto the unlit side of your subject. If shooting people, ask them to hold the card themselves outside of the framed shot. Alternatively, invest in a set of reflectors. You can pick up a new, multi-part set with white, silver and gold reflective surfaces for around £12 on eBay.
This shot would have benefitted from a reflective surface positioned to the left of the frame to illuminate the right-hand side of our subject's face.
26. Don't be dictated by the sun
Using automatic settings to shoot into the sun will throw your subject into silhouette as the camera dials down the exposure to compensate for the bright background. Shooting people with the sun in front of them, meanwhile, solves the silhouette problem but introduces another one: squinting. Solve this by keeping their back to the sun and forcing the flash to fire (switch from it 'auto' to 'on' or 'forced') to correct the exposure on your subjects' faces without leaving them squinting.
27. Observe the rule of thirds
The most aesthetically pleasing images are those in which the subjects are aligned with the one-third power points in every frame. Position horizons one third up or down the height of the image, and people one third in from the left or right. Likewise, if you're snapping a frame-filling head shot, position the eyes so they're one third down from the top of the frame.
Some cameras give you the option of displaying an overlaid grid on the rear LCD to help you line up your subjects along these lines. If yours does, go one step further and put key elements on the points where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect.
Here we've added short red ticks to the top and the bottom of this frame to show how the man warming his drum is positioned one third of the way in from the right of the frame, and the flames of the fire are one third of the way in from the left.
28. Exposure and focus come first, framing second
Half-pressing the shutter release fixes the focus and exposure settings for the shot you're about to take. Pressing it all the way captures the frame.
Use this to your advantage by metering for particular conditions by putting your subject on one of your camera's focus positions and half pressing the shutter to lock its settings then, without releasing the button, recompose the framing to align your subjects on the one-third power positions. This way you'll get perfect exposures every time, whatever the composition.
29. Use your free light meter
If you don't have a light meter, use your camera's auto mode to gauge the optimum settings, even if you don't want an immaculately exposed result. Examine the shot's settings and then switch to manual mode and replicate them before pushing individual elements -- shutter speed, sensitivity, aperture and so on -- to achieve the moody result you're after.
Let your camera do the hard work: take a picture in auto mode and use its self-selected settings as the basis for your manually dialled variables next time around.
30. Get up early, stay out late
Photography is all about painting with light. Light is what gives your pictures contrast, shape and texture, and often the best light it that which appears at either end of the day when the sun is lower in the sky. At these times of day it casts longer, more extreme shadows, which in turn pick out small details, bumps and texture.
By shooting early in the morning and late in the afternoon, you'll achieve far more interesting results than you would at high noon when you'll spend more time controlling the light coming into your lens than you will manipulating your subjects to best exploit the shadows.
It's a cliche, but this shot of Whitby Abbey wouldn't be nearly as atmospheric if it weren't taken at sundown.
31. Embrace the grey day
Don't let an overcast day put you off heading out with your camera. The softer light you get on an overcast day is perfect for shooting plants, flowers and foliage as it dampens the contrasts we were championing in our previous step. This allows the camera to achieve a more balanced exposure and really bring out the colours in petals.
Overcast days present the perfect conditions for shooting flowers and foliage.
Cheat's tips
32. Travel without a tripod: tip 1
Packing a tripod when you head off on holiday is a great way to extend the shooting day, allowing you to take some stunning night-time shots with streaking lights and illuminated landmarks. If you're pushed for space, though, check out this trick. Balance your camera somewhere sturdy and safe, disable the flash and set a slow shutter speed or two seconds or more.
Now set your self timer, fire the shutter release and let go of your camera so that you won't cause it to wobble. By the time the self timer countdown expires, any residual movement caused by your hand letting go should have evened out, so your camera will sit still and steady throughout the exposure for a crisp, sharp result.
We took this using the self timer and a long exposure. Avoid the temptation to squat in Rome's rush hour traffic.
33. Travel without a tripod: tip 2
It's not always possible to find a flat surface on which to perform the previous trick. Try and find a flat surface on some castle battlements and you'll see what we mean. Combat this by packing a small beanbag in your camera bag.
Check out school sports and games categories on eBay to find 100g beanbags (a pack of four costs less than £5), which can be pressed into shape on uneven surfaces, with your camera snugly settled on top. It's more stable and less likely to either fall over or wobble during the exposure.
Paris this time, and we're once again employing the delayed shutter trick.
34. Travel without a tripod: tip 3
Professional tripods use quarter-inch screws to fix your camera in place. You can easily source a screw of the same size from a normal hardware store. To avoid travelling with a bulky tripod, drill a hole in a standard bottle top (the type you'd find capping a 500ml drinks bottle) and thread the screw through it, fixing it in place using strong glue.
Keep this in your camera bag as you travel, but don't bother carrying the rest of the bottle, as these are easily sourced wherever you happen to end up. Fill an empty bottle with grit to give it some weight and screw your cap to the top. Instant tripod.
35. Banish long-arm self portraits
Self portraits are great for capturing holiday memories, but if you can't find somewhere suitable to balance your camera while also framing the scene behind you, the only way you can take them is to hold your camera at arm's length and press the shutter release. The results are rarely flattering.
Invest in a cheap monopod (search eBay for handheld monopod) and use this to hold your camera away from you while keeping your hands in a more natural position and the great scenery you want to stand in front of behind you. Use your camera's self-timer to fire the shutter 2 or 10 seconds later.
Your author in Greece, without the aid of a monopod, where the arm and watch strap somewhat distract from the Acropolis.
36. Look at the eyes, not around the eyes, look at the eyes
Ever wondered why so many magazines have faces on the cover? It's because we identify with such pictures, which in turn helps us identify with the magazine. Art editors know that our inclination is to connect with the eyes staring out of the cover, and the same is true of your portraits.
When shooting a person, if only one part of your image is in focus, make it the eyes. That's the first place your audience will look. So long as they're in focus, they'll consider the whole image to be accurately shot, no matter how shallow your depth of field and how blurred the rest of the frame.
The eyes are in focus in this shot, so we read it as being accurately focused overall.
37. Use burst mode when shooting pets
Pets are unpredictable, so don't wait for them to pose before shooting. The chances are you'll miss the crucial moment.
Don't wait until you've attracted their attention -- start shooting while you're trying to do it, as they don't understand the concept of cameras and will move at the worst possible moment. Switch your camera to burst mode and start shooting while you're trying to attract their attention towards the lens for a better chance of capturing something close to the picture you wanted.
Use burst mode when shooting animals and pets to increase your chances of capturing the shot you're after.
38. Make use of scene modes
Your camera knows better than you do how to use its own settings to create special effects. Don't be afraid to use its in-built scene modes for punchy monochrome or high-key effects. If possible, set your camera to save raw and JPEG images side by side so you also have a copy of the original unadulterated scene should you later change your mind.
39. How to shoot fireworks
Frequently the most impressive spectacle, fireworks are nonetheless tricky to shoot. For your best chance of capturing a display, set your sensitivity to ISO 100 and compensation to 0EV so that you don't unnecessarily lighten the sky, which you want to keep as black as possible.
Mount your camera on a tripod and set your shutter speed to at least 8 seconds. Zoom out so that the fireworks just fill the frame, preferably without being cropped by the borders and be careful not to wobble the camera during the exposure or you'll end up with blurred results. All being well, the result should be pin-sharp streaks of light falling to the ground.
We shot these fireworks using an 8-second exposure with the help of a tripod and timed shutter release.
40. How to shoot moving water
Short shutter speeds do a good job of capturing a waterfall and its surroundings, but you'll achieve a far more attactive result by slowing things down. To do this without overexposing your image, start by switching out of auto and reducing your camera's sensitivity to its lowest setting (usually around ISO 100 or ISO 80), then either use a neutral density (ND) filter or, if you don't have one or can't fit one to your camera, dial down the exposure compensation to its lowest level (usually -2EV, -3EV or -5EV).
Mount your camera on a tripod, half press the shutter release to fix the focus point and exposure and then press it all the way to take the picture, being careful not to shake the camera while it's taking the shot. It'll take some experimentation to get this right, so don't be put off if you don't get the perfect results first time around.
By taking this picture with a slower shutter we've softened the water both in the waterfall and passing in front of the lens.
41. Focus on the details
When a scene is simply too big to fit in your picture without it getting uncomfortably close to the edge of the frame, focus instead on one of the details that makes it unique. An abstract crop can often have greater impact and give a more original view of a tired, over-used view we've all seen before.
Zoomed and cropped: an unusual night-time view of the Louvre Pyramid, reflected in the pools that surround it.
42. You can't shoot speed head-on
You can't properly capture speeding subjects as they come towards or move away from you. If you're shooting track events, position yourself side-on to the action so that it passes across your field of view rather than coming towards it. Shooting into a chicane works well on TV where we delight in seeing the cars snake around it in sequence, but fares poorly in static frames.
43. Focus on the action
If you really want to convey an impression of speed in your images, pan your lens in line with speeding cars, horses and runners and shoot with a fairly slow shutter speed -- 1/125 second or below -- to blur the background. Keeping the subject sharp in the frame while blurring the background gives a more effective impression of speed than static backgrounds and blurred subjects.
44. Reflect on things
Do rainy days and Sundays get you down? Don't let them: embrace the photo opportunities afforded by the puddles. The rain is as much a part of the story of your holiday as the food you ate and the sights you saw. Use reflections wherever possible for a different take on otherwise well-known scenes.
Even ugly urban decay can sparkle with the help of a reflective puddle.
Smart shopping
45. Don't believe the megapixel myth
We're glad to see manufacturers are starting to see sense here, with many high-end cameras now sporting comparatively modest pixel counts. At the lower end, however, some manufacturers continue to cram 16 megapixels and more on tiny sensors that can't cope with high levels of incoming light. Pay for quality, not quantity, remembering that as few as 10 megapixels is plenty for printing at A3 using online photo-printing services.
This squirrel was shot using the 10.1-megapixel Nikon 1 J1. Despite the conservative resolution, the quality is great and we'd be happy to print this as a poster to pin on the wall.
46. Flickr: your shopping assistant
Baffled by numbers and stats? If you can't get your hands on a camera to try before you buy, at least have a look at the shots it produces. Flickr uses the metadata attached to every photo shot by a digital camera to catalogue them by manufacturer and model, allowing you to click through a representative sample of output in its enormous online archive. Find it at flickr.com/cameras.
47. Don't be a memory cheapskate
Buy the fastest memory cards you can afford to minimise the time it takes for your camera to write each shot to the media, and how long you'll have to wait before you can take the next shot. Wait too long and you'll miss something.
Cards are ranked using a simple class system, where the class number is simply the number of megabytes the card can store per second. So, your camera will be able to write to a Class 4 card at up to 4MBps, and a Class 10 card at up to 10MBps. Faster cards are more expensive, so if you're having trouble justifying to yourself the extra expense, compare them to the speed boost you get from upgrading the memory in your PC or Mac.
This Class 10 card is the fastest you can get, minimising the time you'll have to wait between taking multiple sequential shots.
48. Size really is everything
Think carefully about how you want to balance the convenience of carrying fewer large cards with the security of travelling with a larger number of lower capacity ones. On the one hand you'll spend less time swapping 16GB cards than 2GB media, but if you lose a single 16GB card, or it corrupts, you could lose all of the shots from your trip.
Splitting them across several cards, and locking full cards in your hotel safe so you're only carrying around empty cards plus the one on your camera means you'll be taking fewer risks with your digital memories.
Travelling with several smaller cards than one large card means you can lock your photos in a room safe while out and about.
49. Replace your cards every couple of years
Memory cards might not have any moving parts, but that doesn't mean they don't wear out. On the contrary they each have a finite life, and every time you write to, delete from or read the card you're bringing it another step closer to the end of that life. If you don't want to risk corrupting your pictures far from home, replace heavily used cards every couple of years.
And finally...
50. Break all the rules
Be truly original. Ignore the rule of thirds. Shoot at high noon. Shoots sports photos at slow shutter speeds for blurred results. Whatever you do, make your pictures stand out from the crowd and relish the results.
Don't uncap your lens without reading these tips.
Aperture
1. Understand aperture
The most fundamental element any photographer should understand is aperture. The aperture is the physical opening within your lens that allows light through to the sensor (or film in an older camera). The wider the aperture opening, the more light can pass through, and vice versa.
The size of the opening, which is regulated by a series of fins encroaching from the edge of the lens barrel, is measured in so-called f-stops, written f/2.8, f/5.9 and so on, with smaller numbers denoting wider apertures. If you find this inverse relationship tricky to remember, imagine instead that it relates not to the size of the hole but the amount of each fin encroaching into the opening.
A narrow opening is regulated by a large amount of each fin encroaching into the barrel, and so has a high f-stop number, such as f/16, f/18 and so on. A wide opening is characterised by a small number, such as f/3.2, with only a small amount of each fin obscuring the light.
Whether photography is a hobby or a profession, you'll get a whole lot more out of it if you understand how it works. With a firm grasp of aperture, shutter speed, sensitivity and focal length, the ratio of truly great to merely mediocre shots you download at the end of an expedition is all but guaranteed to climb.
Here we present CNET UK's 50 essential shooters' tips. Don't uncap your lens without them.
Aperture
1. Understand aperture
The most fundamental element any photographer should understand is aperture. The aperture is the physical opening within your lens that allows light through to the sensor (or film in an older camera). The wider the aperture opening, the more light can pass through, and vice versa.
The size of the opening, which is regulated by a series of fins encroaching from the edge of the lens barrel, is measured in so-called f-stops, written f/2.8, f/5.9 and so on, with smaller numbers denoting wider apertures. If you find this inverse relationship tricky to remember, imagine instead that it relates not to the size of the hole but the amount of each fin encroaching into the opening.
A narrow opening is regulated by a large amount of each fin encroaching into the barrel, and so has a high f-stop number, such as f/16, f/18 and so on. A wide opening is characterised by a small number, such as f/3.2, with only a small amount of each fin obscuring the light.
Picture the size of the fins, visible here inside this lens, when trying to understand the concept of f-stops.
2. Aperture measurements
Lenses almost always have their maximum aperture setting engraved or stamped on one end of the barrel. On a zoom lens you'll see two measurements, often stated as f/3.5-f/5.9 or similar.
Rather than being opposite ends of a single scale these describe the maximum aperture at the wide angle and telephoto (maximum zoom) lens positions respectively. Always buy a lens with the smallest number you can afford in each position.
3. Avoid using aperture to compensate for poor lighting
Changing the aperture has a dramatic effect on the amount of light coming into the camera, as we have already said. You'll notice this is the case when shooting landscapes with a narrower aperture (higher numbered f-stop) as your camera will often want to take a longer exposure -- so much so that you may have to use a tripod to avoid motion blur.
4. Use a wide aperture for portraits
Anyone with a cat knows that when they're hunting or playing their irises contract to enlarge the size of their pupils. This has the same effect as widening the aperture in a camera lens: it makes the subject they are focusing on very sharp while causing everything behind and in front of it to blur. We call this a shallow depth of field. This is perfect for portrait photography, as it draws forward your model within the scene, making them the central focus while the background falls away. Choose f/1.8 or similar wherever possible.
5. Use a narrow aperture for landscapes
For landscapes, on the other hand, you want to have everything from close-at-hand foliage to a distant mountain in focus. This is achieved by selecting a narrow aperture. If possible stray towards f/22, or whatever the tightest setting your camera allows.
6. 'f/8 and be there'
Static models and immobile landscapes are easy to shoot as you can predict with a great deal of certainty which aperture setting you need to get the best out of either. Reportage and street photography, weddings, Christenings and so on are less predictable as your subjects will be moving in relation to the frame. In these circumstances, adopt the pro photographer's adage, "f/8 and be there".
Set your aperture to f/8 for a practical, manageable balance of fairly fast shutter speeds and broad depths of field, allowing you to spend more time thinking about composition within the frame than you do about optical algebra. When shooting indoors without a flash, and depending on the lighting conditions, you may need to increase your camera's sensitivity setting at this aperture, but be careful not to push it so high that you introduce grain into your images, unless you are chasing that specific effect.
7. What does the ø symbol on my lens mean?
After the focal and aperture ranges, the other measurement you'll see on most dSLR lenses is preceded by ø and describes the diameter of the screw mount on the front of lens barrel. Check this number each time you head out to buy a filter or hood as you can't guarantee that it will be the same for each lens in your collection, even if they are all designed to be used on the same camera.
8. If you only buy one filter...
...make it a circular polariser. This is the perfect beginner's filter, and one that will have the biggest effect on your day to day photography, giving holiday skies a vibrant blue tone and accentuating the contrast between the sky and passing clouds to afford your images greater texture. Although you can add blue to your images in Photoshop or a similar post-production editing tool, the effect is never as believable when done that way as it is when shot using a lens.
Invest in an inexpensive circular polariser to improve the blue of skies in your images.
9. Don't confine it to skies
Polarising filters also cut through glare and reflection. Use it to shoot through windows and water.
We used a polarising filter when shooting this frame to cut through reflections on the surface of the water.
10. Look for lenses where the zoom control doesn't change the filter orientation
Rotating a circular polarising filter changes the strength of the polarising effect, making skies deeper or lighter, and changing the amount of reflection they cancel out. If you plan on using such a filter then wherever possible buy lenses where turning the zoom control doesn't simultaneously rotate the end of the lens, and with it the filter, as this will change the effect. If you have no choice, set your zoom first and adjust the effect afterwards, being careful not to throw the lens out of focus in the process.
11. Don't forget about white balance
When using a filter set your the white balance on your camera to the appropriate conditions, rather than auto, to stop the camera compensating for the filter in front of the lens.
Make sure you set your white balance manually when using a filter.
12. Don't rush out to buy a skylight filter
Putting a clear filter on the front of your lens to protect its surface sounds like a great idea. After all, your lens was an expensive investment. The end of your lens is stronger than you might think, however, and easy to clean if you don't let the dirt build up. Dispensing with a skylight filter will not only save you money, but also avoid the chance of introducing light problems due to increased reflections or the slight reduction in the level of illumination reaching the sensor.
13. Cheat's macro mode (add-on filters)
Dedicated macro lenses are expensive, but you can quickly and easily improve your existing lens' macro credentials by using screw-on magnifiers. They're not a perfect solution as they decrease the level of light coming into the lens, but for occasional work they are very effective, easily sourced and cheap. We bought ours, below, first-hand from eBay, where you should expect to bid around £15 for a set of four screw-on filters.
If you can't afford a dedicated macro mode, you can achieve the same result using an inexpensive set of add-on magnifiers.
14. Avoid stacking up too many filters
It's tempting to add multiple filters to the end of each lens to achieve different results, but bear in mind that although they may look perfectly clear to you, each one reduces the amount of light passing through by a small amount. For the best results, use the smallest number of filters possible.
15. Choose a manual lens over a powered one
Some compact interchangeable lens cameras come with a choice of powered or manual zoom. The former is a great lazy option, allowing you to press a button to get the framing you're after, but the latter is often cheaper and almost always quicker to use as it moves at whatever speed you turn it, without being hobbled by the speed of an internal motor. You can also often make finer and more predictable changes when zooming manually than you can with a powered zoom rocker.
16. Shoot slowly, zoom quickly... At the same time
If you're shooting a static display, add some interest by turning the zoom control while shooting with a fairly slow shutter speed (you can only do this with a manual zoom, as a powered lens will be locked off when shooting). This works particularly well when shooting cars and other forms of transport as it gives them a sense of motion.
Give static subjects added dynamism and excitement by changing the zoom while using a slow shutter speed.
17. Try a prime lens for more creativity
Shooting with a fixed focal length -- a prime lens -- will make you think more carefully about how you want to frame a subject to tell a particular story. It will often also get you a cleaner, sharper result.
18. What do the measurements on my lens mean?
Lenses are measured in terms of their focal length, which broadly describes the effect they have on incoming light and the way it is focused on the sensor. A short focal length, such as 24mm, doesn't have a very high level of magnification, so will focus a broad vista on the sensor. A long focal length, such as 240mm, has a high level of magnification, like a telescope, and so will fill the sensor with just the central part of the view.
This lens has a fairly long telephoto with the zoom topping out at 300mm.
19. Understand your lens' true dimensions
Unless you've paid for a high-end dSLR, or a professional camera such as the Leica M9, your pocket snapper's sensor will almost certainly be smaller than a frame of 35mm film, the standard point of reference against which all focal lengths are measured.
The 35mm in a frame's name actually relates to the space between the top and the bottom of the film strip, which as well as the frame itself also contains some border areas and the sprocket holes used to move the film through the camera. A 35mm frame is positioned lengthwise on this strip, with its shortest dimension -- top to bottom -- perpendicular to the film's direction of motion. As such, neither the height nor the width of the frame measures 35mm, but instead 24x36mm.
To understand how the stated focal length on any lens will affect the shot captured by your camera, you need to factor in the multiplier effect, which converts the size of your sensor to the size of that 35mm piece of film. The multiplier is often between 1.5 and 1.7 but varies between manufacturers and models.
So, if you're buying a lens for the Canon EOS 600D with its 22.3x14.9mm sensor you'd need to multiply the stated focal length of the lens by 1.6. This would make a 50mm lens, commonly used in portrait photography, act like an 80mm lens, thus increasing the effective zoom and narrowing the amount of the scene seen in each frame. On a Nikon D5100, which has a slightly larger sensor (23.6x15.6mm) you'd need to multiply the lens' measurements by 1.5, in which case an equivalent 50mm lens would act as though it were a 75mm unit.
20. Save money by opting for a smaller sensor
This means you can, technically, save money by opting for a smaller sensor, as you'll be able to buy less powerful lenses to achieve the kind of results you would otherwise only get with a longer, more expensive zoom.
21. Use zone focusing
Related to point 6 -- f/8 and be there -- if you have a lens with both f-stop and focal measurements on the barrel, understanding how they relate to each other can help you take great spontaneous photos with a high degree of confidence.
In the image below we've set our aperture to f/5.6, as indicated by the red line pointing to the 5.6 reading on the lower gauge. We've then set the range on the yellow gauge to around 1.2 metres by positioning this at the top of the same line. We can now use the green scale to understand how far away from the camera our subjects need to be if they are to be accurately focused.
By following the lines running from the two green entries for 5.6 on either side to their measurements on the yellow scale, we can see that so long as we're more than 1m away from our subjects they will be in focus (the green 5.6 on the left is linked to around 1m on the yellow scale, while the green 5.6 on the right is linked to the infinity symbol, which is like a number 8 on its side). Anything closer than that will be blurred.
This gives us a great deal of freedom to snap whatever we want without making any further adjustments, so long as it's no closer to us than 100cm. To create a more intimate effect, adjusting the distance ring so that 0.4 sat at the top of the red marker would mean that only those objects between around 36cm and 50cm would be kept in focus.
Use zone focusing to understand which parts of your image will be in focus at any particular aperture setting.
Lighting
22. Invest in a cheap pair of lights
If you're doing any kind of indoor photography, invest in a cheap pair of lights. Buy at least a pair, complete with tripod stands and reflectors to direct the light. Opt for continuous light rather than flash units, as they're cheaper, easy to use and great for beginners, as you don't have to take test shots to see how the shadows fall during setup.
23. Understand colour temperature
Different colours and levels of light are measured using the Kelvin scale. For the best results, look for studio lights with a temperature of around 5,500K-6,000K to emulate bright daylight. Lights with a lower colour temperature often render a colour caste in your images that will have to be corrected in Photoshop or an alternative image editor.
This professional studio bulb maintains a constant colour temperature of 5500K, as specified on the furthest end.
24. Buy a light box -- but don't spend more than £20
Minimise shadows in your studio-lit work by investing in an inexpensive light box. Effectively a five-sided cube with gauze sides and top, you position your lights so that they shine through the sides of the box, diffusing the light and softening the shadows. Light boxes usually ship with a felted back cloth that can be attached using Velcro to create an infinite field of view by obscuring the seams of the box.
An inexpensive light box makes it easy to shoot with artificial light without casting strong shadows.
25. Make best use of available light with a sheet of paper
If you can't afford studio lights, even out harsh contrasts when shooting with natural light by positioning a large sheet of paper or card to reflect the incoming light onto the unlit side of your subject. If shooting people, ask them to hold the card themselves outside of the framed shot. Alternatively, invest in a set of reflectors. You can pick up a new, multi-part set with white, silver and gold reflective surfaces for around £12 on eBay.
This shot would have benefitted from a reflective surface positioned to the left of the frame to illuminate the right-hand side of our subject's face.
26. Don't be dictated by the sun
Using automatic settings to shoot into the sun will throw your subject into silhouette as the camera dials down the exposure to compensate for the bright background. Shooting people with the sun in front of them, meanwhile, solves the silhouette problem but introduces another one: squinting. Solve this by keeping their back to the sun and forcing the flash to fire (switch from it 'auto' to 'on' or 'forced') to correct the exposure on your subjects' faces without leaving them squinting.
27. Observe the rule of thirds
The most aesthetically pleasing images are those in which the subjects are aligned with the one-third power points in every frame. Position horizons one third up or down the height of the image, and people one third in from the left or right. Likewise, if you're snapping a frame-filling head shot, position the eyes so they're one third down from the top of the frame.
Some cameras give you the option of displaying an overlaid grid on the rear LCD to help you line up your subjects along these lines. If yours does, go one step further and put key elements on the points where the horizontal and vertical lines intersect.
Here we've added short red ticks to the top and the bottom of this frame to show how the man warming his drum is positioned one third of the way in from the right of the frame, and the flames of the fire are one third of the way in from the left.
28. Exposure and focus come first, framing second
Half-pressing the shutter release fixes the focus and exposure settings for the shot you're about to take. Pressing it all the way captures the frame.
Use this to your advantage by metering for particular conditions by putting your subject on one of your camera's focus positions and half pressing the shutter to lock its settings then, without releasing the button, recompose the framing to align your subjects on the one-third power positions. This way you'll get perfect exposures every time, whatever the composition.
29. Use your free light meter
If you don't have a light meter, use your camera's auto mode to gauge the optimum settings, even if you don't want an immaculately exposed result. Examine the shot's settings and then switch to manual mode and replicate them before pushing individual elements -- shutter speed, sensitivity, aperture and so on -- to achieve the moody result you're after.
Let your camera do the hard work: take a picture in auto mode and use its self-selected settings as the basis for your manually dialled variables next time around.
30. Get up early, stay out late
Photography is all about painting with light. Light is what gives your pictures contrast, shape and texture, and often the best light it that which appears at either end of the day when the sun is lower in the sky. At these times of day it casts longer, more extreme shadows, which in turn pick out small details, bumps and texture.
By shooting early in the morning and late in the afternoon, you'll achieve far more interesting results than you would at high noon when you'll spend more time controlling the light coming into your lens than you will manipulating your subjects to best exploit the shadows.
It's a cliche, but this shot of Whitby Abbey wouldn't be nearly as atmospheric if it weren't taken at sundown.
31. Embrace the grey day
Don't let an overcast day put you off heading out with your camera. The softer light you get on an overcast day is perfect for shooting plants, flowers and foliage as it dampens the contrasts we were championing in our previous step. This allows the camera to achieve a more balanced exposure and really bring out the colours in petals.
Overcast days present the perfect conditions for shooting flowers and foliage.
Cheat's tips
32. Travel without a tripod: tip 1
Packing a tripod when you head off on holiday is a great way to extend the shooting day, allowing you to take some stunning night-time shots with streaking lights and illuminated landmarks. If you're pushed for space, though, check out this trick. Balance your camera somewhere sturdy and safe, disable the flash and set a slow shutter speed or two seconds or more.
Now set your self timer, fire the shutter release and let go of your camera so that you won't cause it to wobble. By the time the self timer countdown expires, any residual movement caused by your hand letting go should have evened out, so your camera will sit still and steady throughout the exposure for a crisp, sharp result.
We took this using the self timer and a long exposure. Avoid the temptation to squat in Rome's rush hour traffic.
33. Travel without a tripod: tip 2
It's not always possible to find a flat surface on which to perform the previous trick. Try and find a flat surface on some castle battlements and you'll see what we mean. Combat this by packing a small beanbag in your camera bag.
Check out school sports and games categories on eBay to find 100g beanbags (a pack of four costs less than £5), which can be pressed into shape on uneven surfaces, with your camera snugly settled on top. It's more stable and less likely to either fall over or wobble during the exposure.
Paris this time, and we're once again employing the delayed shutter trick.
34. Travel without a tripod: tip 3
Professional tripods use quarter-inch screws to fix your camera in place. You can easily source a screw of the same size from a normal hardware store. To avoid travelling with a bulky tripod, drill a hole in a standard bottle top (the type you'd find capping a 500ml drinks bottle) and thread the screw through it, fixing it in place using strong glue.
Keep this in your camera bag as you travel, but don't bother carrying the rest of the bottle, as these are easily sourced wherever you happen to end up. Fill an empty bottle with grit to give it some weight and screw your cap to the top. Instant tripod.
35. Banish long-arm self portraits
Self portraits are great for capturing holiday memories, but if you can't find somewhere suitable to balance your camera while also framing the scene behind you, the only way you can take them is to hold your camera at arm's length and press the shutter release. The results are rarely flattering.
Invest in a cheap monopod (search eBay for handheld monopod) and use this to hold your camera away from you while keeping your hands in a more natural position and the great scenery you want to stand in front of behind you. Use your camera's self-timer to fire the shutter 2 or 10 seconds later.
Your author in Greece, without the aid of a monopod, where the arm and watch strap somewhat distract from the Acropolis.
36. Look at the eyes, not around the eyes, look at the eyes
Ever wondered why so many magazines have faces on the cover? It's because we identify with such pictures, which in turn helps us identify with the magazine. Art editors know that our inclination is to connect with the eyes staring out of the cover, and the same is true of your portraits.
When shooting a person, if only one part of your image is in focus, make it the eyes. That's the first place your audience will look. So long as they're in focus, they'll consider the whole image to be accurately shot, no matter how shallow your depth of field and how blurred the rest of the frame.
The eyes are in focus in this shot, so we read it as being accurately focused overall.
37. Use burst mode when shooting pets
Pets are unpredictable, so don't wait for them to pose before shooting. The chances are you'll miss the crucial moment.
Don't wait until you've attracted their attention -- start shooting while you're trying to do it, as they don't understand the concept of cameras and will move at the worst possible moment. Switch your camera to burst mode and start shooting while you're trying to attract their attention towards the lens for a better chance of capturing something close to the picture you wanted.
Use burst mode when shooting animals and pets to increase your chances of capturing the shot you're after.
38. Make use of scene modes
Your camera knows better than you do how to use its own settings to create special effects. Don't be afraid to use its in-built scene modes for punchy monochrome or high-key effects. If possible, set your camera to save raw and JPEG images side by side so you also have a copy of the original unadulterated scene should you later change your mind.
39. How to shoot fireworks
Frequently the most impressive spectacle, fireworks are nonetheless tricky to shoot. For your best chance of capturing a display, set your sensitivity to ISO 100 and compensation to 0EV so that you don't unnecessarily lighten the sky, which you want to keep as black as possible.
Mount your camera on a tripod and set your shutter speed to at least 8 seconds. Zoom out so that the fireworks just fill the frame, preferably without being cropped by the borders and be careful not to wobble the camera during the exposure or you'll end up with blurred results. All being well, the result should be pin-sharp streaks of light falling to the ground.
We shot these fireworks using an 8-second exposure with the help of a tripod and timed shutter release.
40. How to shoot moving water
Short shutter speeds do a good job of capturing a waterfall and its surroundings, but you'll achieve a far more attactive result by slowing things down. To do this without overexposing your image, start by switching out of auto and reducing your camera's sensitivity to its lowest setting (usually around ISO 100 or ISO 80), then either use a neutral density (ND) filter or, if you don't have one or can't fit one to your camera, dial down the exposure compensation to its lowest level (usually -2EV, -3EV or -5EV).
Mount your camera on a tripod, half press the shutter release to fix the focus point and exposure and then press it all the way to take the picture, being careful not to shake the camera while it's taking the shot. It'll take some experimentation to get this right, so don't be put off if you don't get the perfect results first time around.
By taking this picture with a slower shutter we've softened the water both in the waterfall and passing in front of the lens.
41. Focus on the details
When a scene is simply too big to fit in your picture without it getting uncomfortably close to the edge of the frame, focus instead on one of the details that makes it unique. An abstract crop can often have greater impact and give a more original view of a tired, over-used view we've all seen before.
Zoomed and cropped: an unusual night-time view of the Louvre Pyramid, reflected in the pools that surround it.
42. You can't shoot speed head-on
You can't properly capture speeding subjects as they come towards or move away from you. If you're shooting track events, position yourself side-on to the action so that it passes across your field of view rather than coming towards it. Shooting into a chicane works well on TV where we delight in seeing the cars snake around it in sequence, but fares poorly in static frames.
43. Focus on the action
If you really want to convey an impression of speed in your images, pan your lens in line with speeding cars, horses and runners and shoot with a fairly slow shutter speed -- 1/125 second or below -- to blur the background. Keeping the subject sharp in the frame while blurring the background gives a more effective impression of speed than static backgrounds and blurred subjects.
44. Reflect on things
Do rainy days and Sundays get you down? Don't let them: embrace the photo opportunities afforded by the puddles. The rain is as much a part of the story of your holiday as the food you ate and the sights you saw. Use reflections wherever possible for a different take on otherwise well-known scenes.
Even ugly urban decay can sparkle with the help of a reflective puddle.
Smart shopping
45. Don't believe the megapixel myth
We're glad to see manufacturers are starting to see sense here, with many high-end cameras now sporting comparatively modest pixel counts. At the lower end, however, some manufacturers continue to cram 16 megapixels and more on tiny sensors that can't cope with high levels of incoming light. Pay for quality, not quantity, remembering that as few as 10 megapixels is plenty for printing at A3 using online photo-printing services.
This squirrel was shot using the 10.1-megapixel Nikon 1 J1. Despite the conservative resolution, the quality is great and we'd be happy to print this as a poster to pin on the wall.
46. Flickr: your shopping assistant
Baffled by numbers and stats? If you can't get your hands on a camera to try before you buy, at least have a look at the shots it produces. Flickr uses the metadata attached to every photo shot by a digital camera to catalogue them by manufacturer and model, allowing you to click through a representative sample of output in its enormous online archive. Find it at flickr.com/cameras.
47. Don't be a memory cheapskate
Buy the fastest memory cards you can afford to minimise the time it takes for your camera to write each shot to the media, and how long you'll have to wait before you can take the next shot. Wait too long and you'll miss something.
Cards are ranked using a simple class system, where the class number is simply the number of megabytes the card can store per second. So, your camera will be able to write to a Class 4 card at up to 4MBps, and a Class 10 card at up to 10MBps. Faster cards are more expensive, so if you're having trouble justifying to yourself the extra expense, compare them to the speed boost you get from upgrading the memory in your PC or Mac.
This Class 10 card is the fastest you can get, minimising the time you'll have to wait between taking multiple sequential shots.
48. Size really is everything
Think carefully about how you want to balance the convenience of carrying fewer large cards with the security of travelling with a larger number of lower capacity ones. On the one hand you'll spend less time swapping 16GB cards than 2GB media, but if you lose a single 16GB card, or it corrupts, you could lose all of the shots from your trip.
Splitting them across several cards, and locking full cards in your hotel safe so you're only carrying around empty cards plus the one on your camera means you'll be taking fewer risks with your digital memories.
Travelling with several smaller cards than one large card means you can lock your photos in a room safe while out and about.
49. Replace your cards every couple of years
Memory cards might not have any moving parts, but that doesn't mean they don't wear out. On the contrary they each have a finite life, and every time you write to, delete from or read the card you're bringing it another step closer to the end of that life. If you don't want to risk corrupting your pictures far from home, replace heavily used cards every couple of years.
And finally...
50. Break all the rules
Be truly original. Ignore the rule of thirds. Shoot at high noon. Shoots sports photos at slow shutter speeds for blurred results. Whatever you do, make your pictures stand out from the crowd and relish the results.
Monday, September 16, 2013
INTERNET SOME IDEAS
Now a days, most of the people in the society depend upon Internet. They may not have the knowledge of basic ideas of terms, just have a look here to know 7 basic concepts of INTERNET
1. The Web vs. the Internet:
The Internet is a vast 'inter-connection of computer networks' that spans the globe. It is comprised of millions of computing devices that trade volumes of information. Desktop computers, mainframes, GPS units, cell phones, car alarms, video game consoles, and even soda pop machines are connected to the Net.
The Internet started in the late 1960's as an American military project, and has since evolved into a massive public spiderweb. No single organization owns or controls the Internet. The Net has grown into a spectacular mishmash of non-profit, private sector, government, and entrepreneurial broadcasters.
The Internet houses many layers of information, with each layer dedicated to a different kind of documentation. These different layers are called ' protocols'. The most popular protocols are the World Wide Web, FTP, Telnet, Gopherspace, instant messaging, and email.
The World Wide Web, or 'Web' for short, is the most popular portion of the Internet. The Web is viewed through web browser software.
Grammar and spelling note:
Use capitalized 'Internet' and 'Web' when using either word as a noun. Use lowercase 'internet' or 'web' when using either word as an adjective. e.g. 'We were browsing the Internet last night.' e.g. 'We found a really good web page about global warming.'
2. http and https:
http is a technical acronym that means 'hypertext transfer protocol', the language of web pages. When a web page has this prefix, then your links, text, and pictures should work in your web browser.
https is 'hypertext transfer protocol SECURED'. This means that the web page has a special layer of encryption added to hide your personal information and passwords. Whenever you log into your online bank or your web email account, you should see https at the front of the page address.
:// is the strange expression for ' this is a computer protocol'. We add these 3 characters in a Web address to denote which set of computer lanaguage rules affect the document you are viewing.
3. Browser:
A browser is a free software package that lets you view web pages, graphics, and most online content. Browser software is specifically designed to convert HTML and XML into readable documents.
4. HTML and XML:
Hypertext Markup Language is the programmatic language that web pages are based on. HTML commands your web browser to display text and graphics in orderly fashion. HTML uses commands called 'HTML tags' that look like the following:
*.
*.SANATHANA
XML is eXtensible Markup Language, a cousin to HTML. XML focuses on cataloging and databasing the text content of a web page. XML commands look like the following:
*.
*.*.
XHTML is a combination of HTML and XML.
5. URL:
URL's, or 'uniform resource locators', are the web browser addresses of internet pages and files. A URL works together with IP addresses to help us name, locate, and bookmark specific pages and files for our web browsers.
URL's commonly use three parts to address a page or file: the protocol (which is the portion ending in '//:'); the host computer (which sometimes ends in .com); and the filename/pagename itself. For example:
www.facebook.com
6. IP Address:
Your computer's 'internet protocol' address is a four-part or eight-part electronic serial number. An IP address can look something like ' 202.3.104.55' or like '21DA:D3:0:2F3B:2AA:FF:FE28:9C5A', complete with dot or colon separators. Every computer, cell phone, and device that accesses the Internet is assigned at least one IP address for tracking purposes. Wherever you browse, whenever you send an email or instant message, and whenever you download a file, your IP address acts like a type of automobile licence plate to enforce accountability and traceability.
7. ISP:
ISP is Internet Service Provider. That is the private company or government organization that plugs you into the vast Internet around the world. Your ISP will offer varying services for varying prices: web page access, email, hosting your own web page, hosting your own blog, and so on. ISP's will also offer various Internet connection speeds for a monthly fee. (e.g. ultra high speed Internet vs economy Internet).
Today, you will also hear about WISP's, which are Wireless Internet Service Providers. They cater to laptop users who travel regularly.
1. The Web vs. the Internet:
The Internet is a vast 'inter-connection of computer networks' that spans the globe. It is comprised of millions of computing devices that trade volumes of information. Desktop computers, mainframes, GPS units, cell phones, car alarms, video game consoles, and even soda pop machines are connected to the Net.
The Internet started in the late 1960's as an American military project, and has since evolved into a massive public spiderweb. No single organization owns or controls the Internet. The Net has grown into a spectacular mishmash of non-profit, private sector, government, and entrepreneurial broadcasters.
The Internet houses many layers of information, with each layer dedicated to a different kind of documentation. These different layers are called ' protocols'. The most popular protocols are the World Wide Web, FTP, Telnet, Gopherspace, instant messaging, and email.
The World Wide Web, or 'Web' for short, is the most popular portion of the Internet. The Web is viewed through web browser software.
Grammar and spelling note:
Use capitalized 'Internet' and 'Web' when using either word as a noun. Use lowercase 'internet' or 'web' when using either word as an adjective. e.g. 'We were browsing the Internet last night.' e.g. 'We found a really good web page about global warming.'
2. http and https:
http is a technical acronym that means 'hypertext transfer protocol', the language of web pages. When a web page has this prefix, then your links, text, and pictures should work in your web browser.
https is 'hypertext transfer protocol SECURED'. This means that the web page has a special layer of encryption added to hide your personal information and passwords. Whenever you log into your online bank or your web email account, you should see https at the front of the page address.
:// is the strange expression for ' this is a computer protocol'. We add these 3 characters in a Web address to denote which set of computer lanaguage rules affect the document you are viewing.
3. Browser:
A browser is a free software package that lets you view web pages, graphics, and most online content. Browser software is specifically designed to convert HTML and XML into readable documents.
4. HTML and XML:
Hypertext Markup Language is the programmatic language that web pages are based on. HTML commands your web browser to display text and graphics in orderly fashion. HTML uses commands called 'HTML tags' that look like the following:
*.
*.SANATHANA
XML is eXtensible Markup Language, a cousin to HTML. XML focuses on cataloging and databasing the text content of a web page. XML commands look like the following:
*.
*.*.
XHTML is a combination of HTML and XML.
5. URL:
URL's, or 'uniform resource locators', are the web browser addresses of internet pages and files. A URL works together with IP addresses to help us name, locate, and bookmark specific pages and files for our web browsers.
URL's commonly use three parts to address a page or file: the protocol (which is the portion ending in '//:'); the host computer (which sometimes ends in .com); and the filename/pagename itself. For example:
www.facebook.com
6. IP Address:
Your computer's 'internet protocol' address is a four-part or eight-part electronic serial number. An IP address can look something like ' 202.3.104.55' or like '21DA:D3:0:2F3B:2AA:FF:FE28:9C5A', complete with dot or colon separators. Every computer, cell phone, and device that accesses the Internet is assigned at least one IP address for tracking purposes. Wherever you browse, whenever you send an email or instant message, and whenever you download a file, your IP address acts like a type of automobile licence plate to enforce accountability and traceability.
7. ISP:
ISP is Internet Service Provider. That is the private company or government organization that plugs you into the vast Internet around the world. Your ISP will offer varying services for varying prices: web page access, email, hosting your own web page, hosting your own blog, and so on. ISP's will also offer various Internet connection speeds for a monthly fee. (e.g. ultra high speed Internet vs economy Internet).
Today, you will also hear about WISP's, which are Wireless Internet Service Providers. They cater to laptop users who travel regularly.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
HOW DOES A DC MOTOR WORKS??
Most of us are familiar with DC motors. Do you know how a DC motor works?
A DC motor works by converting electric power into mechanical work. This is accomplished by forcing current through a coil and producing a magnetic field that spins the motor. The simplest DC motor is a single coil apparatus, used here to discuss the DC motor theory.
The voltage source forces voltage through the coil via sliding contacts or brushes that are connected to the DC source. These brushes are found on the end of the coil wires and make a temporary electrical connection with the voltage source. In this motor, the brushes will make a connection every 180 degrees and current will then flow through the coil wires. In the 0 degrees, the brushes are in contact with the voltage source and current is flowing. The current that flows through wire segment C-D interacts with the magnetic field that is present and the result is an upward force on the segment. The current that flows through segment A-B has the same interaction, but the force is in the downward direction. Both forces are of equal magnitude, but in opposing directions since the direction of current flow in the segments is reversed with respect to the magnetic field. In the 180 degrees, the same phenomenon occurs,but segment A-B is forced up and C-D is forced down. In the 90 and 270-degree, the brushes are not in contact with the voltage source and no force is produced. In these two positions, the rotational kinetic energy of the motor keeps it spinning until the brushes regain contact.
A DC motor works by converting electric power into mechanical work. This is accomplished by forcing current through a coil and producing a magnetic field that spins the motor. The simplest DC motor is a single coil apparatus, used here to discuss the DC motor theory.
The voltage source forces voltage through the coil via sliding contacts or brushes that are connected to the DC source. These brushes are found on the end of the coil wires and make a temporary electrical connection with the voltage source. In this motor, the brushes will make a connection every 180 degrees and current will then flow through the coil wires. In the 0 degrees, the brushes are in contact with the voltage source and current is flowing. The current that flows through wire segment C-D interacts with the magnetic field that is present and the result is an upward force on the segment. The current that flows through segment A-B has the same interaction, but the force is in the downward direction. Both forces are of equal magnitude, but in opposing directions since the direction of current flow in the segments is reversed with respect to the magnetic field. In the 180 degrees, the same phenomenon occurs,but segment A-B is forced up and C-D is forced down. In the 90 and 270-degree, the brushes are not in contact with the voltage source and no force is produced. In these two positions, the rotational kinetic energy of the motor keeps it spinning until the brushes regain contact.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Indian Culture
Culture is a symbolic, continuous, cumulative and progressive process. In the words of Green, culture means "the socially transmitted system of idealized ways of knowledge, practice and beliefs along with the artifacts that knowledge and practices produce and maintain as they change times."
Culture is the short-hand version of the rules that guide the way of life of people. It is the common learned way of life shared by members of a society. In a word, culture is the expression of finer aspects of the life style of a group. As Johann Von Herder says, "the culture of a people is the blood of its being."
In the famous words of Arnold J.Toynbee, "civilization is a movement - not a condition, a voyage and not a harbour." This is true especially in the context of India. Though one of the oldest of ancient civilizations, India is the only example of a continuous process of the growth and evolution of its ancient civilization. In a word, Indian civilization is a continuum and, therefore, unique. As such, the culture of India has always been integral in its approach. '
It has never been one-sided. One of the greatest scholars on the culture of India, Basham has this to say on the subject,".... in no other part of the ancient world were the relations of man and man, and of man and the state, so fair and humane. In no other early civilization were slaves so few in number, and in no other ancient lawbook are their rights so well protected as in the Arthasastra. India was a cheerful land, whose people, each finding a niche in a complex and slowly evolving social system, reached a higher level of kindliness and gentleness in their mut
ual relationships than any other nation of antiquity."
Culture is the short-hand version of the rules that guide the way of life of people. It is the common learned way of life shared by members of a society. In a word, culture is the expression of finer aspects of the life style of a group. As Johann Von Herder says, "the culture of a people is the blood of its being."
In the famous words of Arnold J.Toynbee, "civilization is a movement - not a condition, a voyage and not a harbour." This is true especially in the context of India. Though one of the oldest of ancient civilizations, India is the only example of a continuous process of the growth and evolution of its ancient civilization. In a word, Indian civilization is a continuum and, therefore, unique. As such, the culture of India has always been integral in its approach. '
It has never been one-sided. One of the greatest scholars on the culture of India, Basham has this to say on the subject,".... in no other part of the ancient world were the relations of man and man, and of man and the state, so fair and humane. In no other early civilization were slaves so few in number, and in no other ancient lawbook are their rights so well protected as in the Arthasastra. India was a cheerful land, whose people, each finding a niche in a complex and slowly evolving social system, reached a higher level of kindliness and gentleness in their mut
ual relationships than any other nation of antiquity."
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