Photoshop Basics: The Tools of the Trade

As the 100th post in my blog,  I will be starting a new trend of Photoshop tutorials. Photoshop was first introduced to me by no other than my curiosity. I knew there were photo editors out there for the PC but I never knew about Photoshop until I met this picture while I was browsing for PC software installers to buy.

This picture made me curious about what Photoshop is capable of so that day, I bought myself a Photoshop installer. The actual CD is still with me and I've been using Photoshop since that day. I've made my first edits on my photos and got me into the business of photo editing real quick.

Although I have not used other photo-editing softwares, Photoshop has already satisfied my thirst for making impossible shots, possible. At first it was difficult but constant use and practice with a lot of video tutorials made me love using it. It will be more difficult especially if you don't have the passion for it. I think I had a great time learning Photoshop because of my passion for photography and photo editing.

I will make tutorials based on what I've learned throughout the years. There are a lot of tutorials out there and mine could be similar to them but mine will be according to the level of beginners. Some of the tutorials I read were complicated and I had a hard time understanding them. In my tutorials, I'll make sure you'll understand them in one reading.

First tutorial will be the tools used in Photoshop - what are they for and how to use them in a picture.

Copyright 2011 Notes on Hobbies | Photoshop Basics: The Tools of the Trade

E-BLUE SCORPION Full Auto PRO Gaming Mouse

I just bought my first gaming mouse a few days ago and already felt the difference after using it for almost 3 days. I usually buy my mouse from CD-R King where it is cheap but the difference between cheap and regular priced mouse is very noticeable especially when I do my photo editing. Although the mouse I bought was released back in August of 2009, it is still packed for gaming.

The mouse I bought is from E-BLUE called SCORPION, a Full Auto PRO Gaming Mouse. It's a big mouse at 126x63x40 mm, I am having a hard time adjusting as the previous mouse I've been using is smaller in every angle. The mouse is actually symmetrical which is advantageous for left-handed users.

APPEARANCE

The mouse has 7 buttons, 3 common and 4 with special functions. On the left of the mouse are two buttons useful for surfing the web. It is for back and forward browsing on web pages. On the right are two more buttons. One is for DPI switching which you can use depending on the game you're playing. The button below it is the Auto Fire button which in most cases is also called the 2x click, very useful in First-person/Shooter games. Then you have the traditional 3 buttons (left, right, and middle mouse buttons).

The mouse is in black, glossy finish with rubber handle on the sides for grip. There mouse has a 1.8 meter long cord. I find it quite short or maybe it's just me. The design looks a bit like Razer's gaming mouses but it still looks in fashion, the name itself (SCORPION) is stylish.

SPECIFICATIONS

SCORPION Game Mouse
Dimensions of mouse:	126x63x40mm
Length of cable:	1.8m
Weight:	1000g
Amount of keys:	7keys
Working mode:	optical
Resolution:	3200DPI
Travel distance:	250km
Button life:	5,000,000times
Rated voltage:	3V

I've used the mouse on my games and they are quite responsive and goes where I want it to. The 3200 dpi is very smooth and my editing of photos in Photoshop has improved especially in the use of the Lasso Tool.

Overall, the mouse is much better than your average and very cheap compare to other gaming mouse with same features. I bought this mouse at Octagon, SM City Iloilo for Php 750.00.

P.S.

I also found out that Concept Computers, Iloilo is now selling Razer Gaming Mouse. They have about 4 varieties - the Orochi, DeathAdder, and Goliathus with the latter as the cheapest at 1,700, the rest are above Php 2500.00 up to Php 4000.00 for the Orochi.

Copyright 2011 Notes on Hobbies | E-BLUE "SCORPION" Full Auto PRO Gaming Mouse

Medieval Castle Defense - Android Game of the Week

 I've recently been on the hunt for tower defense games for the Android and found 1 game that really challenged my strategy. It's easy at first so you can get the hang of the game and give your confidence a boost. As the stages go farther, the challenge becomes harder and harder. This is not just any mindless tower game where you can just put towers anywhere and win the game, this is about strategy and timing.

This game on Android is called Medieval Castle Defense. It is not just your usual tower defense game, it's a strategy game that can give your mind a bend. It's a game developed by KANAK, a Korean company. The game is fun and exciting up until the very end. You will first encounter a very easy stage and then as the stages move forward so does the difficulty. It will make your brains think as to what combination, placement, and timing of upgrades for your towers are necessary to complete the stage.

If you've finished the game, see what you can do more by doing the challenges in each world and finishing each stage perfectly. At times you may get stuck at a certain stage but never give-up, just adjust what towers you build and upgrade first and try different positions for them. It may take some time but trust me, when you finish the stage it will all be worth it.

See some screenshots below courtesy of the Android Market.

Download the game and challenge your self to a game of strategy and defense. It's for free and in complete edition already.

Copyright 2011 Notes on Hobbies | Medieval Castle Defense - Android Game of the Week

ALPHAS and SUITS - A New TV Series

 I have always been a fan of US TV shows but the first TV series that got me hooked into TV series marathons was when I got introduced to Naruto. I've watched all episodes up until Naruto grew up to be a teenager. The episode took long before it aired so I lost interest. Now, there are a lot of new TV series out there and they can really be addictive. I'm also planning to put a page for all the movies I've watched including TV series.

 Right now, I'm currently hooked to a new TV series from Syfy and USA Network namely Alphas and Suits - funny how both of them are in plural form. Both these shows I've found out only when I was searching for the top 100 TV shows on thepiratebay.org. I was looking for series that are only in their first season so I can easily catch up with the story. It turns out, these two are pretty good and entertaining.

So let's start with the first one that caught my interest - ALPHAS. When I first saw the trailer on Youtube - Alphas Trailer by Syfy - I was thinking Heroes but in a more subtle way of superhuman powers. It's still science fiction but it is well worth believing their powers are results of certain boost in some of their body functions. It's like a combination of Heroes with CSI.

The show is about a group of people with superhuman abilities who are called Alphas. Alphas are human beings with superior capabilities compared to other human beings. They are not alien in nature but humans who have genes that have mutated and given them a boost in their regular bodily functions. There is one psychiatrist who heads the 5 Alphas and helps them to control their powers and discipline them to prevent abuse of their superhuman abilities. Their mission - to find other Alphas, help the Department of Defense in solving cases involving other Alphas.

The series has some bumps but all in all you will like it. The effects are great, the story is well thought of, and the history of the characters being unfolded will make you want to watch for more.

The next series which I thought was bad at first is called Suits. Suits is a legal drama from USA Network about the life of a college dropout. It features the story of one very intelligent guy with eidetic memory. Eidetic meaning he can recall what he has seen, heard, or read with extreme precision. His dream was to become a great lawyer but due to a cheating incident he was caught in, he was dropped out of school and his dreams evaporated.

One day, fate drove him to a lawyer's hiring interview and right there and then, his eidetic memory served him well. His new boss who will also act as his older brother got impressed and hired him. The thing I like most about their relationship is the way one gives advice to the other. They are like brothers even if they are not related in any case.

Suits also features a lot of humor, wit, and moral issues regarding law. I love to watch it because of it's life lessons, comedy, legality, and drama. A show full of interesting things to watch out for.

I'll be looking out for new episodes to these new shows because they can really entertain you and not leave you bored and learn nothing from it.

Copyright 2011 Notes on Hobbies | ALPHAS and SUITS - A New TV Series

Preview Messages in Your Gmail Inbox

Ever compared Gmail and Yahoomail? You'll notice that there are a lot of differences and similarities but one thing that really bothers me is that I can't preview a message in Gmail before I open it completely. Unlike in the new Yahoomail, you can click a message and it will open in a new tab and you can continue in opening other messages you wish to read. Here's a simple but useful tool in Gmail.

Everything you need is right in Gmail and all you have to do is follow these steps below:

1. First of all you need to log-in to your account. After logging in, go the options menu by clicking a small circle at the upper rightmost part of your screen.

2. After clicking the button, a drop-down menu will appear. Here, select Mail settings.

3. At the Mail settings window, click on Labs.

4. In here, search for Preview Pane on the search tab and click on enable.

5. Now all you have to do now is go back to your inbox, click on the small button to the left and select the view you want (vertical or horizontal split).

6. And that's it, you can now preview your inbox and see other messages quickly.

Copyright 2011 Notes on Hobbies | Preview Messages in Your Gmail Inbox

Won My 2nd Giveaway Contest

I've recently added some of the top blogs out there to the Blogs I'm Following. About 4-5 of them hosts giveaway contests regularly. Following these blogs really pay off because not only do you get to read a lot new information out there, they also give back to their readers. Here's the blog that I'm following which gave me license for a new video converter.

The blog I've been following is called The Heat Web. As quoted from their website:

The Heat Web "tech news that's hotter than the heat wave" is a Philippines-based technology blog that reviews the hottest websites and software on the web! It also includes computer tips, Firefox plugins, Adobe AIR apps, and just recently, we added reviews for Android applications. You can also participate on our weekly premium software giveaways!

It is owned by Christian Paul Casino, culinary student from De La Salle University – Dasmarinas. He blogs about the web and software related posts. He is very generous in his giveaways and his posts don't only pursue Search Engine Optimization but minds what the readers need. Too bad I didn't follow his blog earlier, I could have gotten a lot more giveaways.

Here's the video converter that I was talking about which I won from the Giveaway contest of The Heat Web.

I really find this video converter as a useful tool because of the many file formats out there and the number of gadgets in which you can view your videos. It has many features and an advanced option for professionals.

Try following other blogs out there and find your self a lot of free stuffs. They can be from a simple software to a computer.

Copyright 2011 Notes on Hobbies | Won My 2nd Giveaway Contest

Wifi Gallery - Android Application of the Week

I recently found something over the Android Market today which lets you share your photos over a Wifi network without the uploading any pictures. This means you only need to open your Android phone, open Wifi Gallery and start showing off your photos to your friends on a big screen.

Always have your Facebook Chat on the Sidebar in Firefox 5

 Have you ever tried the new Firefox 5? Sure, the last versions of Firefox were slow but this time it's as fast as Google Chrome but little less bugs and crashes. And if you are also always on Facebook chat, you can use Firefox to enable to chat interface to pop-out at the side bar even if you are not on your Facebook page. Like for example you are searching in Google, you can still see the Facebook chat at the side so you will know who is online. Here's a simple guide on how to do it.

I Never Knew I was Allergic to This!

I had a stiff neck a week ago and it was already more than three days and it's still bothering me, although the thought that I did not drink any medicine was not good enough. I had to drink something 3 days after to relieve the pain and so I did, not knowing I was allergic to it. So here's the chronological story of what happened.

How to Download Videos by Batch in Youtube

Are you subscribed to a certain user in Youtube? Do you want to download all their videos without going through the hassle of downloading them one by one using KEEPVID? Here's a simple yet effective program you can download for free.