Whether you are sending your phone in for repairs or finally selling it to upgrade to a new flagship, you are going to need to make sure all of your personal data is removed from your device.
There is a huge myth that most Americans believe, and it might be the marketing triumph of the 20th century. We pay an absurd markup (Zero Hedge says as much as 280,000% for "designer" water) on something we can get for free because most of us believe that bottled water is healthier than tap water. But is it? Here are 5 reasons why tap water is probably better than that bottled stuff you drink. 1. It's Not Cleaner (& Might Be Dirtier) Than Your Tap Water
Apple is set to unveil the iPhone 6 on September 9th, and shortly thereafter carriers like AT&T and Verizon Wireless will begin selling them online and in stores. So, if it's time in your contract for a device upgrade, it's time to start thinking about trading your current iPhone in for up to $400 in value.
A lot of people rely on the date on the packaging to tell them when food has gone bad, even with eggs, but the sell-by dates are often somewhat arbitrary and are not expiration dates. If you've been tossing your eggs based on the dates on your carton—you could be wasting perfectly good food.
A long time ago, we recommended the Hover Zoom extension for Chrome as an easy way to blow up small image thumbnails without actually have to "click" on the images themselves. Over the past year, there have been reports that Hover Zoom now collects and sells your browsing data to third-party advertisers without your consent.
When was the last time you bought a CD? Most of us listen to music through a number of digital channels—MP3s, Internet streaming services like Pandora and Spotify, and satellite radio, to name just a few.
Photoshop remains one of the coolest digital editing tools of all time, and if you're a user, you're likely discovering new tricks every day. One of the most helpful tricks is removing a shadow from an object, such as a face, a car, a cat, a dog or like this tutorial, a child. This excellent tutorial walks you through each and every step to show you how to use Adobe Photoshop to make those shadows vanish. Check it out and clean up your photos today!
If you're working with a capacitor and wondering whether it's working or not, this video will help you find out. You're going to need a multimeter, available at any good electronics store. This device is capable of testing many different electric devices, and capacitors are one you can test. Set the dial, hook it up and see if things are working! These multimeter devices are essential in the world of home electronics, so put one in your tool kit today!
This video will show you what you'll need to know to hack a digital electric meter. You'll need 2 magnets, one much bigger than the other, an AC adaptor that you'll cut into pieces, or some speaker wire, distilled water, electrical tape, a knife, some plastic wrap, and a plastic cup. Remember, this is illegal, and shown only for educational purposes.
FL Studio is one of the biggest names in digital music-making software, and Korg the biggest in physical gear. Unfortunately, FL Studio and the Korg nanoKontrol USB controller don't get along out of the box, and the transport buttons on the Korg won't work with FL Studio. That is, until you perform the steps in this video that will lead to a blessed union of software and hardware.
Nowadays digital and analog synthesizers can produce a nearly infinite number of sounds, and many of them sound terrible to most people. If you find yourself more in the Trent Reznor music camp though and love making dystopian, harsh sounds in your music, watch this video. It will teach you how to make a really harsh, dissonance filled lead synth track in Reason 4. Great for glitch, industrial, and other abrasive electronic styles.
Can't afford a high-speed camera? Fake it! In this clip, you'll learn how to achieve a slow-mo frame-blending effect with Adobe After Effects CS4 or CS5 and two digital photos of your choice. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, s...
In this two-part video tutorial, you'll learn how to use Magic Bullet Colorista to color grade and color correct your digital video when using Final Cut Pro Studio. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, w...
New to Microsoft Excel? Looking for a tip? How about a tip so mind-blowingly useful as to qualify as a magic trick? You're in luck. In this MS Excel tutorial from ExcelIsFun, the 693rd installment in their series of digital spreadsheet magic tricks, you'll learn how to calculate how long it will take to double your money using the NPER function and the rule of 72.
New to Microsoft Excel? Looking for a tip? How about a tip so mind-blowingly useful as to qualify as a magic trick? You're in luck. In this MS Excel tutorial from ExcelIsFun, the 694th installment in their series of digital spreadsheet magic tricks, you'll learn how the SUMIF function (and COUNTIF, etc.) cannot accept arrays. If you need to sum by year from transactional data the SUMIF and YEAR functions cannot be used together. Instead we can use the SUMPRODUCT function.
If you consider yourself a "laser" man, then you probably know all about front-surface mirrors. But do you know how to make an FS mirror? This video from AP Digital light will show you how to make cheap first surface mirrors.
If you haven't made your own PCB (printed circuit board) yet, perhaps you we're just missing the proper instructions. But now, watch and learn from AP Digital light! They show you a fast and easy prototyping technique using a laster printer, photo paper, and a regular household iron. It's the heat toner transfer method of making PCBs.
Everyone who has a digital camera, no matter how high-end, wishes that they had more megapixels and wider angles at their disposal. Do you want to increase your megapixel count without buying a really expensive camera or camera parts? This video will show you some tricks for taking pictures with more megapixels and wider angles without buying a nicer camera, which will make your photos look better and make your work more professional. You will need Photoshop, but if you're serious about photo...
Do you believe you can fly? Or at least, believe that you can take pictures where it looks like you or other people are flying? Or at least jumping really high? This video will show you how to take pictures of flying, floating, levitating, or high-jumping people using a digital camera, tripod, stool, and photo editing software like Photoshop or GIMP. Either way, the effect is surprisingly easy to create and can help you make some really amazing photos.
Not every photograph you take will come out perfect. The best digital cameras can't keep a photo from being too dark in certain areas, but that's why God invented Photoshop. Okay… "That's why 'Adobe' invented Photoshop".
Particles are very useful for digital artists who want to create liquids, gasses, or clouds of small solids that react naturally. This video tutorial will show you how to use the twisting particle field effect to create a very cool title shown at the beginning of the first video. This particular particle effect is especially great for making galaxies and other fantastic images.
In this four-part tutorial, you'll learn how to create a full human head with Blender's 3D modeling tools. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video software tutorial. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, and to get started modeling your own 3D heads in Blender, take a look!
This video guide presents detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to create a realistic 3D model of a planet within Blender. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video software tutorial. For more information, as well as to get started modeling your own planets, take a look!
Film burn was really annoying all those years ago when we used to have actual film and it used to actually burn. Now its acquired chic status, and people want it to add it to their digital films. This video will teach you how to create film burn effects using the Adobe Premiere Pro film editing software. This technique is very popular for Western and skateboarding films, so if you are into creating either of those types of videos this is a must-watch!
See how to create a natural shader to render ground/terrain surfaces. This clip takes a look at diffuse color properties, displacement and bump channels. Whether you're new to Luxology's popular 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video modo tutorial from the folks at CG Cookie. For more information, including step-by-step instructions, take a look!
Arguably the single most important aspect to modeling is topology. This overview tutorial takes a look at the topology of the human head, examining each of the main edgeloops, poles, etc. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video software tutorial from the folks at CG Cookie. For more information, including s...
Breast cancer is one of the most deadly and tragic diseases afflicting women today. If you are interested in spreading breast cancer awareness and also in 3D modeling, then this video is a must-watch. It will teach you how to create a 3D model of the pink ribbon synonymous with breast cancer awareness, which you can then use on your website or in any other digital locale you wish.
Tthis Blender 2.5 video tutorial goes through the steps needed to create custom keyboard shortcuts for changing mesh selection modes (vertex, edge, face). This allows you to very quickly switch between modes by simply pressing 1,2,3 on your keyboard. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video software tutorial...
Maya can count itself among the most powerful and also most challenging programs in all of computing. It's 3D modeling potential is nearly limitless if you can master its intricacies. This video features a professional digital art teacher teaching you how to model a 3D head using Maya. You can download the skull he uses as a reference here.
This Blender 2.5 Video tutorial presents an overview of using the particle hair system to create downey feathers, then using the duplifaces technique to add the longer feathers, as well as their texturing and a quick rig setup. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video software tutorial from the folks at CG C...
In this Blender 2.5 video tutorial, you'll see how to use driven shape-keys to dilate the pupil of an eye. The tutorial also demonstrates how to use custom bone shapes and limiting the transformation of a bone via constraints. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video software tutorial from the folks at CG Co...
With all the little gadgets people carry around these days, those little cigarette lighter outlets just don't cut it for in-car power sources anymore. Unfortunately, that's often the only option our cars and trucks come with.
This clip offers a trick for combining two rigs into one and demonstrates how to adjust the settings in the new rig to conform to the settings in the original rig. Whether you're new to the Blender Foundation's popular open-source 3D computer graphics application or are a seasoned digital artist merely on the lookout for new tips and tricks, you're sure to be well served by this free video software tutorial from the folks at CG Cookie. For more information, including step-by-step instructions...
Lady Gaga is known for her outrageous looks and everything she wears makes a statement. Perhaps her biggest statement of all is her video screen sunglasses. Gaga wears these glasses often and now you can make your own! Best of all, this look can be completed for about 20 bucks!
There are few features as difficult to touch up as eyes – and, what's worse, most people have two of them! Learn to retouch eyes with this Photoshop how-to. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular image editing software or simply looking to pick up a few new tips and tricks, you're sure to benefit from this free video tutorial from TutVids. For more information, including step-by-step instructions on how to enhance eyes in a digital photograph, watch this graphic designer's guide.
Are your digital photos missing something? Could it be fairy dust? In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create a custom brush to paint randomized sparkles to create a fantasy effect. Want to separate a foreground object from its background? Whether you're new to Adobe's popular image editing software or simply looking to pick up a few new tips and tricks, you're sure to benefit from this free video tutorial from TutVids. For more information, including step-by-step instructions on how to cre...
Do you admire the look of vintage photographs? How about the production of the old plastic cameras like the Diana and Holga? You can create that same photo effect with your digital photographs through the use of Adobe Photoshop! In this video, learn how to create a faux lomography effect also known as the "lomo effect". By using Blend Modes and Adjustments Layers you can achieve a pretty cool effect that can be used on any photo!
Scanners have been around for a while. They allow us scan photos and documents into digital versions that are a lot less susceptible to damage over time. But what if you want to digitize the memories of something that isn't 2D? With this hacker's how-to, you'll learn a method for making a 3D scanner. To follow along, you'll need a computer, a printer, a web cam, white foam board and a laser pointer.
New to Excel? Looking for a tip? How about a tip so mind-blowingly useful as to qualify as a magic trick? You're in luck. In this Excel tutorial from ExcelIsFun, the 261st installment in their series of digital spreadsheet magic tricks, you'll learn how to generate random numbers within a certain range and with certain supplementary criteria (e.g., values that are not divisible by three) via the use of large array formulas.
This is a Hobbies and Toys video tutorial where you will learn how to use a Micrometer. Micrometers are precision measuring tools and they can be calibrated in inches or in metric system. There are also digital micrometers available where the reading switches back and forth. Generally they are right handed. The micrometer shown in the video is calibrated in inch. Each division is one thousandth of an inch. A whole rotation of the knob is 25,000 and one division is seen on the bell. Two rotati...
