Place Holder for first review
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I decided to install and play with Buddypress this weekend. The first thing I wanted to do was move the admin-bar to the bottom of the page. Buddypress is still very young and I expect this to be a feature you can add with a simple click.

To make things easy you might want a code editing program. This will add numbers for each line. It will make it super easy to find the right code to change. I recommend Notepad++ on the PC and Espresso on the Mac

First things first. If you havent already renamed your custom.css and site-wide.css file, we need to do that first.

You can find the files in Themes > bphome > CSS

Rename custom-sample.css to custom.css and site-wide-sample.css to site-wide.css

This will activate a custom css for us to use without modding core files.

Using a code editing program (listed above) add this code to  site-wide.css:

/* Relocate Admin-Bar */
body { padding-top: 0px !important; }
#wp-admin-bar {
bottom: 0 !important;
position: fixed !important;
top: auto !important;
}
#wp-admin-bar ul {
bottom: 27px;
}
#wp-admin-bar ul li:hover ul ul, #wp-admin-bar li.sfhover ul li ul{
bottom: auto;
position: relative;
}

/* END Relocate Admin-bar */

You should have a fully functioning admin-bar at the bottom of the page.

This will not break when you update!

Like most people with a first generation Ipod touch, I was feeling a little left out with the cool features in Version 3.0. Not to mention it costs us a cool $10 but its free for everyone else. Heres a simple way to upgrade your Ipod touch without paying Apple a cent.

How to Upgrade or Update iPod Touch to OS 3.0 Firmware For Free

1. Download and install iTunes 8.2 or higher version.
2. Download iPod Touch 2G OS firmware 3.0 Apple Device Software Update IPSW file, First gen Ipods HERE and Second gen HERE
3. Plug in and connect the iPod Touch to computer.
4. Run iTunes 8.2 or higher.
5. Select the iPod Touch from Devices list.
6. Optional but recommended, take a backup of the iPod in case of accidental file lost.

7. Now there are two ways to update iPod Touch. For user who want to clean and fresh upgrade the iPod Touch, without retaining any existing songs, musics, videos, movies, apps and other media or data files on iPod Touch (mean you will be losing all files stored on iPod Touch), follows these steps:

1. In Windows environment, press and hold Shift key and left click Restore.

In Mac OS X system, press and hold Option key and left click Restore.

For user who want to retain and save everything that has been uploaded and stored on iPod Touch or ensure that the media is untouched (not losing any files), follow these steps instead:

1. On the iTunes main screen, there should be 2 options: “Check for update” and “Restore”. Click on Check for update.
2. A web page showing the iPod Touch OS firmware 3.0 features and offering option to buy for $9.99 will be loaded and shown. Click on Cancel.
3. iTunes will return to the previous iPod Touch main page. However, the “Check for update” option has now been change to “Update.
4. In Windows environment, press and hold Shift key and left click Update.

In Mac OS X system, press and hold Option key and left click Update.

8. Locate and select iPod Touch OS 3.0 Apple Device Software Update IPSW file downloaded in step above.
9. The update process will start. iPod may reboot a few times. Do not disconnect iPod Touch until iTunes has completed updating iPod Touch.
10. Once upgrading is done, the iPod Touch will be on OS firmware 3.0, for free without any cent been paid.
11. Optionally, if you have choose to restore iPod Tunes to firmware OS software 3.0 at factory default, iTunes will offer option to either create a new iPod or restore it from backup. For user already created a backup of iPod, just restore the date files to upgraded iPod Touch.

Note: If there is an error when iTunes attempts to recognize iPod Touch, just unplug and plug the iPod back in again.

Originally found on mydigitallife.info

If your photography needs a little pick-me-up, consider panoramic.

Panoramic views are eye-catching and breathtaking, but they aren’t for every
situation. However, there are many situations that cry out for a panoramic view.
Stadiums, skylines, stages, group portraits, architecture, and nature scenes tend
to be the most popular subjects.

You don’t have to run out and buy more equipment. The camera you have will
work just fine. Instead you can use photo stitching in Photoshop CS3. Its
surprisingly simple and extremely powerful.

Step 1: Taking the pictures
Configure your camera to capture all photos identically, and take the photos in a
sequence. You want to take the photos scanning from side to side staying with
the horizon. Be sure to over lap your images by at least 20 percent.  Avoid
scenes with moving objects.

Step 2: Import
Open Photoshop, click file > Automate > Photomerge. On the left change your
layout to Cylindrical. On the right chose Browse and navigate to your images.
Once you have your images selected click OK and go grab a coffee, order pizza
or whatever you want while you let your computer do all the hard work.

Step 3: Edit
All the hard work is done! You should be looking at a rough panoramic. Most, if
not all of the time you are going to have to crop your image. All that is left to do is
edit.

Now that you have seen how easy it is to create a panoramic I hope you go out
and play with panoramic yourself!

*This was done in Photoshop CS3, it might be different in any other version or
software.

Please post any questions in the comments section and ill do my best to answer them.

43% of people lose irreplaceable files every year.

The price of hard drives have hit rock bottom. The amount of storage you can get on one hard drive is unreal. 5 years ago people couldn’t have imagined the size of hard drives now, not to mention the amazing prices.  With that being said, lets take a look at a few options to help you back up your data.

The 3 main groups of data backup are;

• Online
• Redundant
• External drives

Taking a closer look at each, we will determine the differences and try to find the right fit for each situation.

Online

Online backup uses the Internet to move your data from your computer to an off-site location. Most companies will provide this service and include a small program to automatically backup your data. This is a nice option in case of your computer being lost, damaged or destroyed. Lets say your computer burns up in a house fire. Your data would have been moved to a separate location for you to retrieve later.

Carbonite – $54.95 a year

• Free Trial
• Unlimited backup space
• Small program on your computer for automatic backup
• Secure
• File recovery is only a few clicks.
• Mac and Windows

Carbonite is easy to setup. When installing. it has visual and voice instructions. Once installed you basically forget it. It will run when your computer is idle to keep from slowing your computer down. Carbonite is a great option if you want dead simple data backup.

Mozy

• 2 gb online backup free
• unlimited backup 4.95 a month
• Mac and Windows
• Secure
• Small program for automatic backup

Mozy doesn’t offer a free trial like Carbonite. Instead they offer 2gb of free backup. This is enough for most home users.

Dropbox

• 2gb free, 3gb with referral program more space can be purchased
• Sync files between multiple computers in real time
• web based access

Dropbox is a different kind of backup. Dropbox basically sets up a folder on your computer that syncs online. You can also sync the folders between multiple accounts. Easy to use, fast and secure drop box is one of my favorite tools.

Redundant backup

Just like it sounds, your data gets backed up in multiple places. This is the best way to make sure you don’t lose any data. The only problem is a fire could take out all your data because its all in one place.

Raid

Im not going to get into raid options or talk much about it. Raid is highly used for redundant backup. However, its not the easiest to setup keeping a firm footing in the geek realm. Read more about RAID HERE

DROBO starting at $499

• Total backup
• Redundant across multiple drives
• Easy to manage
• Software included
• Automatic
• Use your own drives

A DROBO is sorta like raid. It saves data across multiple hard drives. Unlike raid you don’t need to set anything up. You can use any hard drive size, make and model you want. If a drive goes bad, the light turns red. Pull out the old drive and replace with a new one, the DROBO will do the rest.

External Drives

• Cheap
• Fast
• Easy

External Hardrives have been around for many years. They are a great option and available all over. You can get HUGE externals for almost nothing. They typically don’t have a software option for automatic backup. However, I like toysync from Microsoft. It will automate the process.

Please post any questions in the comments section and ill do my best to answer them.

If you have read part 1 and part 2 but didn’t find what your looking for, then your in the right place! Welcome to the exciting and costly world of Digital SLRs! This is by far my favorite camera category.

Two main players in this category have set themselves apart from the rest; Canon and Nikon! When purchasing a DSLR you have to keep in mind one thing…Your not buying a camera, your buying a camera system. I say this because DSLRs don’t have fixed lenses. That means you can swap out a certain lens for another, example; a close range 50mm for inside pictures swapped out with a 80-300mm zoom lens for wildlife pictures. Each manufacturer uses its own mounting system. A Nikon lens would not work on a Canon camera. When you buy a camera and then buy a bunch of lenses, you want to make use of those lenses if you upgrade to a newer camera.

What does SLR mean? Short version: uses a mechanical mirror system and pentaprism to direct light from the lens to an optical viewfinder on the back of the camera. Read more HERE

When it comes to DSLRs the lens is more important than the Camera body. You can get great photos with a good lens and a lesser body. The versus; a bad lens and a great body will not produce great image quality. Most DSLRs come with a 17-50mm lens. Most of the time the lens that comes with the camera is not worth much. Exception is the new canon 17-50mm IS lens, its not horrible.

We are gonna start with the entry level cameras for both Nikon and Canon.

Canon Rebel XTI (the XSI replaces the XTI and is also a great camera) - The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi offers an unbeatable combination of performance, ease-of-use and value. It has a newly designed 10.1 MP Canon CMOS sensor plus a host of new features including a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, the exclusive EOS Integrated Cleaning System featuring a Self Cleaning Sensor and Canon’s Picture Style technology, all in a lightweight, ergonomic body. The Digital Rebel XTi is proof positive that Canon continues to lead the way with their phenomenal digital SLRs.

• 2.5 inch LCD
• 10.1 mega pixels
• A whole slew of picture settings
• RAW support
  

Nikon D80 – For passionate photographers a D-SLR with a 10.2-MP DX-Format CCD, Nikon’s high-resolution Image Processing Engine and 3 fps continuous firing. Typically Nikon has better low light performance. I personally use Canon so I cant say either way.

• 10.2 megapixel
• Instant 0.18 sec. start-up with fast 80ms shutter response
• 2.5 inch LCD
• 11 Auto focus points

Both of these cameras are designed to be your 1st DSLR. All Canon and Nikon DSLRs take GREAT pictures. In the future ill talk about camera lenses and what you should be looking for.

To compare more cameras a great site to visit is DPreview.

A Great place to rent expensive lenses is lensrental.com

Please post any questions in the comments section and ill do my best to answer them.

In my last post we reviewed the sub compact class cameras. Now we will take a look into the SLR Like class. SLR Like cameras more resemble a Digital SLR camera. Larger bodies, Lenses, Screens are all things you typically see on these cameras. They normally don’t fit into your pocket which means you might want to invest in a nice neck strap and carrying case. This class is a little more difficult to put your thumb on due to the class being over saturated with cameras.

Canon PowerShot S5 IS – This is canons Flagship camera in this category released in 2007, its still a great camera in today’s standards. They have released a newer version but I haven’t had my hands on it. We will take a closer look at the S5 IS. Like most cameras in this class the Zoom is a big feature. With the longer zoom you will be able to get tighter shoots from a distance.

• 8 mega pixel resolution
• Digic III processor (S3 IS was Digic II)
• 2.5 inch LCD
• Hot shoe flash connector
• 36 – 432 mm Zoom – This comes in handy out in the wild when you want to stay out of sight!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 – Though far from perfect, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 shapes up to be the best of the cameras promising 18x-zoom.

• HUGE 18x optical zoom – 28-504mm
• 8.3 megapixel
• Face Detection

Sony DSC-H9 – The H-series cameras incorporate selectable in-camera editing functions so you can spend more time on the field and less time behind a computer. Equipped with Sony’s Dynamic Range Optimizer, originally developed for the Alpha digital SLR system, the camera can analyze captured image data and instantly determine the best exposure and tonality of each picture before JPEG compression.

• 31-465mm Zoom Lens
• IS – Image Stabilization – Super Steady Shot
• 9 point Auto focus
• ISO 3200 – This will help when taking pictures in low light

The Three of these are class leaders. They were released between 2007-2008 and may have a newer version available.

Stay tuned for — Part 3 – SLRs

Please post any questions in the comments section and ill do my best to answer them.

I get a lot of questions about which camera to choose. With so many options its a good question. The problem is nobody can give you a good answer. When choosing a camera lots of variables much be researched. Lenses, shooting style, body size, video, screen size and the list goes on. Instead of telling you to go out and buy X camera, I’m going to give you a few good options and tell you a little about them.

Lets start with the Sub Compact class. The sub compact camera is one that will fit conveniently into your pocket. Normally they don’t have a lot of range but they are small and most have a decent size screen. When it comes to good quality sub compacts the price is normally a little higher due to fitting in all the good stuff in that small body.

Two GREAT options in this class;

Canon G-9 – This camera has been called a “game changer.” With a slew of options in a small body, it makes a great universal camera to carry in your pocket. It also has the ability to record video. The G-9 was replaced with the G-10, still a good camera but not as good as the G-9. All this means is you will have to do a little search to find the G-9. Amazon, Google, Craigslist ect… More info on the camera HERE

• 3 inch screen – The G-9 Sports a good size screen.
• 12.1 Mega pixels with RAW support – Against popular belief its not all about the mega pixels. However 12.1 mega pixels will give you a good sized image. This is important when it comes to making prints.
• 35-210mm Zoom – This is a great zoom range for a sub compact. This makes the camera very versatile for any occasion.

Panasonic Lumix LX-3 – Designed for easy, creative shooting, the new LX3 comes two years after its predecessor, the LX2, which earned an enthusiastic following among both professional photographers and serious amateurs for its exquisite image rendering, superior operating ease, and unique triple-wide system comprising wide-angle lens, 16:9 CCD and LCD. Panasonic has gone a big step further in the new LX3, upgrading every component to achieve a camera whose performance surpasses that of any compact camera that has come before. Simply put, the LX3 smashes all previous perceptions about the limitations of a digital compact camera, setting a lofty new standard in performance, quality and creative capabilities. – From DPreview.com

• Also sports a 3 inch LCD
• 10.1 mega pixels – Not as many mega pixels as the canon. 10.1 mega pixels are more than enough to keep up with the big boys. You will still see stunning prints.
• 24-60mm Zoom – might be a deal breaker for most. The zoom is good for up close photography but the zoom just wont reach any ind of distance.
• If you like to use a standard viewfinder you have to purchase it extra.

Ive only reviewed two in the sub compact class. These two seem to be the “Gold Standard” for the class.

In part 2 we will take a look at the SLR Like Class. Part 3 is SLRs.

Please post any questions in the comments section and ill do my best to answer them.