Photoshop made cool the Hip-Hop way

For photographers and designers, they probably dabble with Adobe Photoshop everyday. But that doesn't mean they can remember all the shortcuts and hot keys--I had a designer friend who once asked me if the Esc key was to undo an action. I played a cruel prank by agreeing and, needless to say, she ignored me for a few weeks; in case you are wondering, it's Ctrl+Z to undo).

Photoshop guru Deke McClelland happens to be a video editor as well, and adding these two formulas together gets you a rap song by him on all the keys on Photoshop, what to use and which to avoid. If you're the educational type, he also runs through 101 tips in 5 minutes. Sounds like edutainment to me.

What's more, McClelland is certainly not shy about his expertise. In the song's chorus, he proclaims to be "I'm a know-it-all, I'm Photoshop…", which is kind of egoistic. Then again, if you don't toot your own horn, who would?

Now I wonder if there is an MP3 version somewhere so I can listen to it on the way home later.

Step aside face detection--now there is emotion shutter

It's kind of scary how some cameras today can determine whether or not to fire off the shutter based on external factors like a smile or a blink of the eye. More and more, control is being left to the device, and now, designer Akbiyik Volkan has conceptualized a shooter that seems to be able to function on its own and takes pictures depending on your mood and emotion.

From the pictures, the Camoria looks like it's meant to be slipped on the ear (like a hearing aid). A tiny lens facing the direction you're looking at, snaps the shot. While Volkan did not mention how he intended to make the gadget recognize emotions, we think the small bumps inside the gizmo will detect heat and maybe heart rate: Seeing your crush may make you blush; getting angry makes your heart palpitate faster.

This means the snapper will capture the moment everytime you feel an emotion. If the Camoria doesn't have a memory expansion slot, Volkan should look to implement one for those with mood swings, or at least a shock-resistant model for the Hulk.

Source and picture credit: Dvice

Ricoh's wider-angle GX200

Ricoh continues inching its way back into the market, this time with an update to its Caplio GX100 point-and-shoot camera, the GX200. The real distinguishing characteristic of the GX models is the 24-72mm-equivalent 3x zoom lens; 24mm is a fairly wide-angle view for a snapshot model.

The GX200 isn't a huge upgrade over the GX100; basically, it's got a higher-resolution 12-megapixel sensor compared with the GX100's 10-megapixel CCD, and it sports a slightly larger, higher-resolution 2.7-inch LCD, versus 2.5 inches for the GX100. Ricoh claims its updated image-processing engine, Smooth Imaging Engine III, provides "dramatic" noise reduction. That's essential for the higher-resolution sensor.

Ricoh told CNET Asia that the GX200 will be available in Asia Pacific from mid-July, but the pricing has yet to be confirmed. However, Adorama camera (one of the few US retailers to carry Ricoh models) is taking preorders, and at least on its site the GX200 is slated to ship for US$599, so that's a good gauge on how much it'll cost when it's on the shelves.

Picture credit: Ricoh | Via CNET Crave

New Sony Alpha flash with a twist

Sony today announced an addition to its line of accessories for the Alpha digital cameras, the HVL-F58AM flash unit. A followup to the HVL-F56AM, the flash features its new Quick Shift Bounce system, an innovative design where the flash head can pivot 90 degrees left or right on a horizontal axis.

This lets the flash stay in the same orientation as the camera, even when the shooter is held sideways for vertical shots such as portraits. You will now be able to make full use of the built-in bounce card even when the camera is rotated for vertical shots, a very useful benefit. This is in addition to the traditional pivoting up and down.

Besides having a guide number of 58 at 105mm and ISO 100, the HVL-F58AM also recycles in as few as 5 seconds. There is a large LCD screen that is 13 percent larger than its predecessor, a modeling flash for previewing flash effects, and high-speed synchronization at speeds up to 1/4,000 of a second. There is also auto wireless flash control to control several wireless flashes. The HVL-F58AM will be available in Asia Pacific from September and will cost about US$500.

Via CNET Crave

Stories behind the winning shots

Every year, the World Press Photo organization hands out awards to photojournalists whose pictures have made an impact on society. With global conflicts getting more media attention, it is no wonder the winning shots are often of war, and sometimes, peace.

But behind each of these snaps are stories that will either warm your heart or force you to think seriously about that situation. The World Press Photo Web site now features video interviews with the winning photographers to let them tell their tale on how the picture came to be taken.

Winner of the 2008 World Press Photo of the Year Tim Hetherington took a shot of a young soldier resting in his bunker that "he dug with his own hands", and how the military man "may not see his family again" due to the increasing number of bombings in the area they were in. Entrenched in the US army, Hetherington also talked about moments where he had to share food and bunk with the soldiers while laughing off bomb incidents to calm their nerves.

Interviews with the previous year's winners are also online.

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