Technically Easy

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  • Using a Gray Card

    I have been using a digital camera since 2002, and have since owned two different cameras. My first camera was a Canon G2, while my current camera is a Canon S3 IS. I enjoyed using the G2, and am currently enjoying the S3. One of the biggest differences between the two cameras was the picture file format. With the G2, I used to store the pictures in a RAW format, while with the S3 I can only store the pictures as JPEG.

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  • Securing a Wireless Network

    Securing a Wireless Network

    I use both a wired and wireless network at home. I am fortunate enough to have an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that provides up to three IP addresses. I connected a switch to my modem, and two routers (one wired, and the other wireless) to the switch. Each router has a separate IP address from my ISP. My desktop is connected to the wired router, while two laptops connect to the wireless one. I can connect either laptop to the wired router with a network cable if I choose to as well.

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  • Creating Secure Passwords

    In a recent post I described how to connect a network at home to your broadband Internet connection. In that post I mentioned how you should create a password that is "easy to remember, but not easy to guess." I will elaborate more on how to create passwords that are hard to guess, easy to remember, and very secure.

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  • Windows Explorer Won’t Load – Fixed

    The following post describes how I solved my windows explorer problem. If the following fix does not work for you, please feel free to e-mail me at admin AT technicallyeasy.net and I’ll try to help you out.

    For the past few months Windows explorer has been giving me grief. When I logged into Windows XP, the Windows explorer would attempt to load, but encounter a problem and close. This left me with a blank desktop–no icons, start menu or taskbar.

    To get around this problem, I installed a free Windows XP shell temporarily until I was able to solve the disappearing explorer problem. I had been trying once and a while to determine what the problem was, but nothing really seriously. Until today.

    I decided that it was about time to find a solution. I didn’t want to format, and reinstall Windows, so I needed to troubleshoot what the problem was, and fix it. Here is what I did:

    1. I ran both FileMon and RegMon at the same time, capturing only the explorer.exe process. I then attempted to run explorer, and as usual, it encountered a problem and closed.
    2. As I looked over the filemon results, I noticed a failure:

      Windows Explorer Filemon Results

    3. I then looked up the "yycdd" name in Google, and came across a forum post of someone having difficulties remove a virus or trojan. After reading the post, I saw similar files in the individual’s log files, but at the end of the post he mentioned how the problem was solved.
    4. I read the post again, and noticed that the one providing technical assistance gave these instructions:
      1. Download ComboFix to your desktop.
      2. Doubleclick combofix.exe.
      3. Follow the prompts.
      4. Don’t click on the window while the fix is running, because that will cause your system to hang.
    5. I followed the same instructions, and performed the mandatory reboot.
    6. Once I logged back into Windows, explorer loaded up with no problems and my system was back to normal.

    After viewing the ComboFix log, I noticed that several files have been quarantined on my desktop, with "yycdd" in some of the file names. From what I have read quickly is that these files are associated with the Vundo trojan. If someone can confirm this, then please let me know.

    In the meantime, my explorer problem has been fixed without needing to reinstall Windows XP. If someone is having explorer problems similar to mine, I hope this post will help.

    I have written an advanced solution that may help determine your problem with Windows Explorer.

  • Making Money Online

    Making money on the Internet is a hot topic, and something many of us would like to do. It’s a nice thought to stay at home and make money 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without actually working those hours. One of the most common means of making money is through advertising on your Web site, where a visitor will click on an advertising banner, and you get a percentage of the cost of that click.

    Last year I was looking into ways to make money off the Internet. I didn’t have a Web site at the time, so the advertising idea was not applicable. Another solution would be the more time consuming method: open an ecommerce site. I have done Web programming before, but have never created an ecommerce site. After looking into what is required, such as a Web host, merchant account, inventory management, shipping, to name few, I decided to look for an easier way.

    This easier way presented itself in the form of Shopster. I decided to take the chance and signed up with them to see what they had to offer.

    Here is what they have to offer:

    1. World-class storefront solution.
    2. Choice from over 700,000 wholesale products to add to your store.
    3. Easy management of their store. (You’ll be able to make changes and customize literally anything).

    4. Use of any domain name for your store.
    5. Full Hosting of your store.
    6. Coupon creation functionality.
    7. Automatic cross-sells.
    8. Automatic bestsellers.
    9. Optimization of their store for the search engines.
    10. Logo creation software.
    11. Unlimited categories, custom pages, and feature pages.
    12. Complete order history of their customers. Plus your customer’s contact details for cross-selling/up-selling.
    13. Free Updates.
    14. Complete search statistics of their store. (You’ll be able to see what your customers are searching for).
    15. Choice of up to 1000 products. (You can add more at any time for only $9.95 a month per 1000 additional products).
    16. Customer Reviews on your products.
    17. Full customer service on all of your customer’s orders.
    18. Product delivery on all your orders.
    19. Dispute resolution included.
    20. Payment System included.
    21. Monthly payouts on your sales.
    22. Secure checkout/SSL included.
    23. Branded emails to send to your consumers included.
    24. Fraud detection on all orders included.
    25. Access to Shopster’s excellent community forums.
    26. Free marketing guide and assistance.
    27. $50 in free keyword marketing with Yahoo! Search.
    28. Store hosted on best servers available in the world – fast, secure, 99.8% server uptime.

    I can honestly say that everything listed, is what they offer. You basically create a Web page template for your store (they also provide several templates if you HTML isn’t too good), select your products, organize them into various categories, and then sell the products. All order processing, shipping and handling is managed by Shopster. Once you make a sale, you will get a check in the mail the following month for the profit that you made. The best thing of all is you control your profit margins, meaning you set your own prices for what you sell.

    Another bonus to Shopster is that you can also sell most of the items on E-Bay – they allow you to do that. In the end, Shopster is a partnership – when you make money they make money.

    If you have any questions about designing, marketing you store, or selling items, they also have forums where the Shopster folks are more than happy to provide advice and answer any questions you may have. There are also fellow Shopster members who are also more than willing to help.

    To join, simply click on the banner below, and open up your ecommerce store today.

  • Setting Up a Home Network

    With the increase in high-speed or broadband usage, it is more common to see more homes connecting multiple computers to the Internet. Setting up a home network to allow multiple computers to connect to the Internet is easy to do.

    Use the following steps to get your network running.

    1. Necessary Equipment

      Before creating a network, ensure that you have the necessary equipment. You will need the following:

      1. A broadband internet connection. This includes cable and DSL, but not dial-up.
      2. A router, preferably one that includes a firewall.
      3. A desktop or laptop with a network card. If you currently use broadband, then the card the modem is plugged into is your network card.

      Once all the equipment is unpacked and ready to go, it is time to connect it all up.

    2. Connecting the Router

      At this point you may want to print the instructions first before continuing. The next few steps will require your Internet connection to be disconnected temporarily while all the equipment is connected together.

      To connect the router, use the following steps:

      1. Disconnect your computer from the modem by removing the network cable from the modem. This will now prevent you from connecting to the Internet since you are no longer connected to the modem.
      2. At the back of the router, there are several ports. They look like large telephone jacks. Connect the network cable from your computer into one of these ports.

        Note: Some routers have a port that can be used to connect a computer or your modem into. These ports are usually labeled Internet or Uplink. Don’t plug your computer into this port.

      3. Connect the power cable into the router and ensure that it is on. There should be lights on that indicate which port your computer is connected to. If you are unsure of where to look, please read the documentation that came with the router.
      4. If the computer is off, turn it on and log in. Once the computer has finished loading, click Start->Run and then type cmd.exe in the Run window.
      5. A DOS command prompt should be displayed on the screen. At the prompt type ipconfig. If your computer is connected to the router correctly, you should see some important information:
        • IP Address This is the address assigned to your computer from the router. Usually it would be in the form 192.168.1.nnn, where nnn is a number between 1 and 255.
        • Subnet Mask This is also assigned by the router, and usually is 255.255.255.0.
        • Default Gateway This is the internal IP address of your router. This information is important because using a browser a connecting to that IP address will open up the router setup.

        Save the default gateway address, since we will be using that next.

      6. Open a Web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape) and type in the following address: http://Default Gateway IP Address where Default Gateway IP Address is the address from the previous step.
      7. When prompted for a user ID and password, use the one supplied by the router. You can find this information in the documentation that came with your router. Router makers have different user IDs and passwords.
      8. The first step to securing the router is to change the administrative password, and if possible, the administrative ID. One of the options in the setup will allow you to change the password. Make it easy to remember, but not easy to guess.
      9. Don’t close your Web browser just yet before we connect the modem. If you do, simply reopen the Web browser and navigate back to your router setup.
    3. Reconnecting to the Internet

      Once the router has been connected to your computer, it is now time to restore your Internet connection.

      1. Connect a network cable into the modem, in the same port as last time.
      2. With that same cable, connect it into the port labeled Uplink or Internet on your router. A good indication that a connection has been made is a new light may be lit on your router.
      3. Open up a new Web browser and try to connect to the Internet. If you get a Web page then your Internet connection is up and running. If you don’t see a Web page, then continue to the next step.
      4. Return to the router setup Web browser. There should be a page that indicates your IP address assigned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Once again, please check the documentation for the location of this page. This will usually contain a refresh button. Click that button to update the router information with that provided by your ISP. If an IP address is populated in that page, then you have now re-established your connection to the Internet.
      5. Open up a new Web browser and try to connect to the Internet. If you get a Web page then your Internet connection is up and running. If you don’t see a Web page, then continue to the next step.
    4. Troubleshooting

      If you are having trouble accessing the Internet after connecting the modem, use the following steps to solve the problem:

      1. Disconnect the power from your modem and router.
      2. Wait a few seconds, then connect the power to the modem.
      3. Once the modem has finished loading, connect the power to the router.
      4. Wait for the router to finish starting, then attempt to connect to the Internet.
      5. If you still can’t connect, click Start->Run and then type cmd.exe.
      6. At the DOS prompt, type ipconfig /release to release all your network connections.
      7. Once you get the prompt again, type ipconfig /renew to refresh all the network connections.

    Notes

    If you would like to disconnect the router and connect directly to the modem, which I don’t recommend, use the following steps:

    1. Power of the router.
    2. Remove the cable from the computer that is connected to the router.
    3. Remove the cable from the router that is connected to the modem.
    4. Connect the cable from the modem to the network card in the computer.

  • JPEG Or RAW Format

    As anyone with a digital camera knows, pictures are saved as files on a memory card. They can then be downloaded and printed. Some of the higher end digital cameras, however, have an option of saving the pictures in two different file formats: JPEG or RAW.

    Both formats are completely different. One can easily be used by many different systems and applications, while the other is proprietary and needs to be converted first. One is compressed, while the other isn’t (although some say it can be). One is result of processing performed by the camera, while no processing is performed to get the other. As you can see the two formats are completely different, and yet there is a great debate on which format to use.

    This purpose of this article is to discuss the differences to help you make a decision on which one fits better with our needs.

    JPEG

    The famous JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file format is beyond a doubt the most common digital camera file format. This format is used by all digital cameras, and can easily be downloaded and printed. It has the ability to compress images with 24 bits of colour data (8 bits each for red, green, and blue), or 16.7 million colours. This is more than enough colours to produce photo-quality images.

    A JPEG file is also compressed, and uses a lossy compression. A lossy compression discards some data when in compresses an image. Usually applications, or in this case a digital camera, have a method of controlling the amount of compression applied to the image. The less compression applied to the picture, the better it looks, but the larger the size. If the compression is set too high, JPEG compression artifacts may appear in the picture. These can be seen as irregularities in the picture.

    The JPEG format is very popular for posting images to the World Wide Web, or to send in an e-mail.

    RAW

    This format can be found in higher end digital cameras, such as DSLRs. Unlike the JPEG this format can’t just be downloaded and printed without first processing and saving the picture into another format. A RAW file is a proprietary format which is unique to each camera maker. This causes problems as vendor applications that provide the ability to edit RAW files must update their application to accept any new camera RAW formats. Usually, however, a camera will also include software that can edit the RAW format.

    The RAW file is unprocessed data from the camera, meaning it is exactly what the camera’s CCD sees. No in-camera sharpening, contrast, or white balance settings are applied to the file before being saved to the memory card. This provides the flexibility of being able to set these settings manually after downloading the file to a computer.

    While a JPEG file is 24 bits total, a RAW file stores up to 48 bits (16 bits each for red, green, blue). This provides more room for correcting the colour when processing the image on a computer.

    It is important to note that many of the DSLR cameras also have the option of saving both a JPEG and RAW file of the same image. The downside to this is that it will use up more memory since you will be saving two images instead of one.

    Comparison

    Item JPEG RAW
    File Size Small. Depends on the compression. Large.
    Compatible Can be used by any photo editor and Web browser. Limited to specific photo editors that support the format for the camera.
    Compression Lossy None, but if used the compression is non-lossy.
    Printing Can be printed right from the camera. Needs to be edited and saved to another format first before printing.
    Colour Bits 24bit (8 bits red, green, blue). Up to 48 bits (16 bits red, green, blue).
    Editing Ability Can be edited but not too much or banding may occur. Should not be saved too many times or artifacts will become worse. Can be edited many times before banding occurs. Should save to a standard non-compressed format such as TIFF when editing.
    Processing Time None. Can be printed from camera. Much. Must be edited (sharpened, colour balanced) and saved to another format first before printing. Could use automation and bulk-editing to reduce the time.

    Summary

    Determining which format to use depends on your photo editing skills. If you enjoy editing photos, and have a powerful computer then you may want to choose the RAW format. If you don’t feel like sitting in front of a computer and edit a photo, or can’t wait to print your photographs, then choose JPEG. In the end, it’s really a personal preference.

  • About Digital Cameras

    I have been using digital cameras for about five years now. Over the course of those five years, I have learned a lot about what to look for with regards to buying a new camera. This article will outline what to look for when buying a digital camera.

    Megapixels

    Whenever I ask anyone about their new digital camera, they are always quick to point out the number of megapixels. When shopping for a new digital camera, I don’t usually put too much thought in how many megapixels a camera has. Why? Because digital cameras today have more than enough megapixels than I would need.

    The digital cameras of today have more than 5 megapixels. This is more than enough to printout a good quality 8×10. Most people usually only print a 4×6, meaning a 3-megapixel camera would do the job fine.

    Most high-quality pictures are printed at 300ppi (pixels per inch). For a 4×6 the number of pixels in both dimensions is 1200 (4×300) and 1800 (6×300). Multiply the number of pixels together to get the total number of pixels (2,160,000) in the picture. The total number of pixels for a 4×6 is less than 3-megapixels.

    Digital Zoom

    Digital zoom is well advertised by the camera companies for both digital and video cameras. In reality, this really isn’t a zoom at all, and unless you want a blurry picture, you should turn this off. All digital zoom does is enlarge a portion of the picture by cropping out the edges. The space that is filled by the cropped pixels is filled using a process known a interpolation. Interpolation uses the surrounding pixel tonal values to determine what the missing pixels should be. This results in an image that is not as sharp as the original.

    The better option to the digital zoom, is to use a photo editing program. A photo editing program will allow you to crop a portion of the image and enlarge that portion to any size you want, essentially perform the same task as the digital zoom.

    When comparing the zoom capability of cameras, pay attention to the optical zoom, and not the digital zoom.

    Batteries

    The first digital camera that I owned was a Canon G2. I liked this camera, mainly because of the battery. The camera used a rechargeable Lithium-ion that could be charged right in the camera. I never once ran out of battery power with the camera.

    My new camera is the Canon S3 IS, which uses four AA batteries. Depending on how many pictures I take with the camera, I sometimes run out of battery power. To avoid being unable to take pictures, I always carry a spare set of fully charged batteries with me. Once one set runs out of power, I simply insert the spare set. If I’m at a place that has electricity, I can charge the first set, which would then become my fully charged space set.

    This brings me to my point about AA batteries: always have at least two sets of rechargeable batteries, and a charge with you at all times. They do come in handy at times.

    Storage Medium

    Digital cameras store the pictures in files on a memory card, or in some cases a small hard drive. Some cameras allow for two types of memory cards to be used. The most common are SD (Secure Digital), CompactFlash and the Memory stick. There are other types of memory, but if you have one of the ones just mentioned, you won’t have trouble finding memory for your digital camera.

    There is some debate on whether you should buy two memory cards or one. What I mean is, should you buy two 1GB cards or one 2GB cards. Some professional photographers like two because when they fill up one card, they can download the pictures, while still taking pictures with the second. I only have one card because I rarely take enough pictures at one time to fill up the card. Pricing could also affect your decision. If you happen to find a 2GB card that costs more than two 1GB cards, then pick up the 2GB card.

    Make and Model

    In my opinion, choosing a make of camera is a personal preference. Many people who own cameras are usually comfortable with a particular make. If you prefer one camera-maker over another, then stay with them. Chances are if you have a film SLR from one maker, and upgrade to a DSLR, many of your lens and flashes will work with the DSLR as well.

    As for the model, you may want to research the various cameras to find one that suits your needs. At this point you should list what you are looking for in a digital camera, and then read reviews of specific models that meet your needs. A good place to start for reviews is Digital Photography Review. They have a lot of information about practically every digital camera ever made.

    Summary

    • Megapixels: Don’t worry too much about this. Any digital camera that has more than 3-megapixels can print out a high quality 4×6. The higher megapixels are useful for large photos.
    • Digital Zoom: This isn’t really a zoom – it simply enlarges a portion of your picture. If you want more zoom, look for a camera with a higher optical zoom.
    • Batteries: If the camera you want takes AA batteries, ensure that you buy at least two sets of rechargeable batteries, and keep them both fully charged. Just charge both sets the day before you plan to use your camera.
    • Storage Medium: The most common memory types are SD, CompactFlash and the Memory stick. If you purchase a camera with either of these types of memory, you won’t have trouble finding memory for you camera.
    • Make and Model: Camera-maker is a personal preference-stay with who you are comfortable with. The model would require some research. Determine what you are looking for, and compare cameras that have those features.