All-you-can-read magazine iPad app

We're all very familiar with the concept of All You Can Eat, from the artery-clogging Vegas buffet to the less-literal digital equivalents such as Netflix for TV shows/movies, the various digital music subscription services, and evenAudiobooks.com for audio-books.

In April, Next Issue Media launched with a similar idea for magazines. Pay a monthly fee and get access to a bunch of digital magazines from Conde Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corp., and Time Inc. The problem? It was only available for some Android tablets. As of Tuesday, iPad users get to join in the fun with a catalog of nearly 40 magazines, and the promise of more to come. (See the complete list at the end of this story.)

As an avid reader of magazines on the iPad--I subscribe to several through Apple's Newsstand, with individual apps, and via Zinio--I was excited to get a chance to play with the iPad version of Next Issue prior to its release.

What you get

For $10 a month, you get an Unlimited Basic plan, which currently includes 34 magazines such as Bon AppA(c)A'A(c)t, Car and Driver, Cooking Light,Fortune, GQ, Sunset, and Wired--basically the monthly and bi-weekly magazines on offer. For $5 more ($15 a month) you're signed up for the Unlimited Premium plan, which adds the weekly magazines: right now,Entertainment Weekly, People, Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker, and Time.

That is not all - Read Computer World for details

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Nerds vs Athletes: An interesting Analysis

There are hobbyists who have the hobby of analyzing things and sometimes come up with fascinating and interesting analyses.

Micheal Jordan [Photo credit: Be Legendary ]

I today came across such an analysis at Run of the Web and I thought of sharing some of its details about Micheal Jordan - the Athlete!!

The analysis concludes that Micheal Jordan who is retired with $40 Million in endorsements, makes $178,100 a day, working or no working.

And here are some of the interesting parts of the analysis:

• If he goes to a movie, it will cost him $7, but he will make $18,550 while in the cinema.
• If he decides to boil an egg for five minutes, he will make $618 boiling it.
• If you were given a penny for every $10 he made, you'd be living comfortably at $ 65,000 a year.
• This year he will make more than twice as much as all U past presidents for all of their terms combined.
• And if he wants to buy a new Mercedes Maybach 57S (costing $356,000), it would take him a whole 2 days.

Amazing isn't it?

But what about the nerds? If Micheal Jordan saves 100% of his income for the next 450 years, he will still have less than ------ has today. Find out who the nerd is!! : Run of the Web

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Real-Time/Offline Translation App “Word Lens” Released For Android, Download Now [Google Play]

Word Lens which can translates text (scanned via Camera) to many languages has now been finally been released for Android as well – after enjoying tremendous success gained from iOS platform in two years.

Much similar to Google Goggles using OCR to detect what’s in the image and utilizing Google Translate engine to translate text, Word lens takes a huge step ahead as through this app you don’t even need an internet connection to perform text translation (of the captured text via smartphone’s camera) like Google. Everything happens in real-time, whereas it takes Google some seconds to process the request !.

This app is ideal for those who are traveling to other countries where fast data access solution (such as 3G) aren’t available. You must be wondering why would anyone need Google’s Goggle app now ?, Well the huge disadvantage of Word Lens is that it supports only three languages by default which are English-French/Spanish/Italian.

If you want other languages support pack as well then you will have to buy them. At the moment those packages are on sale for $4.99 until July 22nd. So if you want to use this app, download the language packs now as after the current sale, price might shoot to $9.99 (like in iOS).

Source

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Roller skating – Now is a good time to learn to skate!

By: Godwin Ives

Roller skating, which is also referred to as inline skating is an extremely fun and rewarding activity for virtually everybody. However, there are several misconceptions surrounding this sport. For instance, many people consider that they are passed the age when they can try and successfully attain the skills necessary to participate in roller skating activities. Alternatively, others think that roller skating requires being in top physical shape. These negative stereotypes are most likely fueled by skate videos portraying the typical roller skater as men or women in their twenties and with impressively sculpted muscles.

Roller Skating [ Photo credit: Sports Information ]

However, this guide is here to tell you that the only thing that could possibly prevent a person from learning how to skate is a major impairment or disability. Of course, an individual who has difficulties walking or keeping his balance is very unlikely to skate, if the condition is permanent. Otherwise, all the techniques necessary for skating as well as the physical aptitudes can be achieved, providing you have the necessary determination. Strength and stamina are among the primary attributes an aspiring skater needs to develop, in addition to balance and coordination. You cannot expect the skates to do everything for you and the effort in learning how to keep yourself up and the ability to withstand the prolonged effort are mandatory.

Moreover, just like in the case of taking the first steps in any new activity, roller skating will require determination. You cannot hope to perform like a professional from the first moments you put on the skates. Yes, you will fall, you will scrape your knees and elbows and the first few times you will probably find keeping your balance exhausting. But with sufficient determination, you will find the strength to get back up there and try again and again until skating feels as natural as walking to you. Once you have mastered the basics of inline skating, it’s your decision whether you want to take this sport further.

In order to learn the more complex moves, skate videos and guides are your best bet. Pay special attention to how the professional skaters perform the more difficult moves in their skate videos, read their commentaries and try to reproduce them. It is unadvisable to skip directly to mind-blowing techniques. Rather than that, take the step by step approach and increase the difficulty of your moves gradually. Remember, even the pro skaters did not suddenly wake up one morning and performed a difficult trick successfully the first time.

It is exemplary to note that many individuals do not practice performance inline skating and this sport is equally rewarding for them. For example, they do it as a recreational activity, for socialization purposes, as an alternative form of green transportation around town or simply to stay in shape. You will agree that competitive inline skating is not for everyone and a senior citizen will probably have difficulties performing the same stunts as a teenager. That does not mean that he should avoid the sport altogether if he is perfectly content to skate for fun.

Author Resource:->  Youtube is oftentimes a good source of skate videos and do you know that there are also videos showing you different kinds of roller skating games that you can play?

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Head-mounted iPhone - a challenge to Google Glasses?

Although Google Glasses have yet to reach common users - but already Apple is reported to be working on a wearable, head-mounted version of its his iPhone.

Google Glasses [Photo: Business Insider ]

Patents uncovered this week show that the technology giant has been investigating a head-mounted display with transparent glass. 

Google showed off early versions of its own 'computer glasses' - Project Glass - earlier this week. Companies such as Epson have already rushed to make their own versions. 

Apple's patents, filed in 2006, suggest that the company has been interested in the technology for a considerable time.

Read more: Daily Mail

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Tips for responsible pet care

By: Lee Malcolm

A dog is a big responsibility. They aren't like other pets. They require so much more care and attention from their owners, but on the flip side they give so much back. They are such rewarding animals to own. They are full of love and mischief and there's always a reason to get out for a walk when there's a dog in the house.

Take care of your pet, responsibly [Photo: A2Z Pets Info]

Good pet care revolves around these essential elements. First up exercise. Bigger dogs especially need to walk miles everyday. They aren't meant to be kept indoors all day. They are active animals and need to get out for several walks each day. Next up they need love and attention. They can left alone for hours everyday. They are pack animals. Social creatures who love company. Finally they need a good diet. Their dog food needs to contain all the nutrients they need to grow up strong and stay healthy.

Different breeds have very different dietary requirements. There's no such thing as a one size fits all approach to this aspect of pet care. Novice owners should take a trip to a pet store to get advice on what their new dog needs to eat in order to get a balanced diet.

When it comes to dog food each animal is going to need a mix of meat and dry food. It's this combination that gives them the right balance. It's important to watch how much they eat and not to indulge them with excessive treats or foods that are bad for them. It's cruelty rather than kindness.

By seeking out advice and not spoiling their pet, a new owner can construct a balanced diet for their dog that will keep them happy, healthy and full of life. And that's at the heart of being a responsible owner.

Author Resource: The Article is written by www.hillspet.de providing Hills Pets and www.hillspet.de. Visit http://www.hillspet.de for more information on www.hillspet.de Products and Services - Copyright information This article is free for reproduction but must be reproduced in its entirety, including live links and this copyright statement must be included. Visit www.hillspet.de for more services!

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Top 10 Beginners' Photography Techniques For Better Pictures

I recently found an informative and useful post at Funzug for the beginners in the hobby of photography - which certainly is exciting, creative and innovative: PROVIDED one knows the basics of composing a shoot. And I am sharing it here as I myself an amateur photographer did not know many of the tips given herein under. 

Making beautiful photographs involves nothing more than a bit of thought. While it often helps to have decent equipment, all you really need is to take a moment before each shot to think clearly about what you are attempting to capture or create.

The following guidelines are intended to help novice, non-artistic, and/or non-technical picture-takers immediately improve their photography.

Tip #1:
Move in Closer

Each time you spot a subject, snap a shot and then move in closer for a better shot. Having your subject almost fill the frame helps your viewer understand and appreciate your photo. Also, details are often more interesting than an overall view.
Keep moving in closer until you are sure the photo will successfully represent your subject.Tip #2:
Be QuickIf it is at all possible that your subject may move, bolt, fly away, stop smiling, or just get tired of waiting for you to take the picture, shoot once right away.

Practice getting quicker and quicker to the draw.

Do not worry about taking too many pictures and do not wait until you're absolutely certain all the knobs and buttons are in their correct position.

As the motto of one of BetterPhoto old t-shirts states, "Shoot First, Ask Questions Later."Tip #3:
Compose Your Picture with Care
Even if you don't plan on selling your photo to the Smithsonian, make every effort to keep it balanced and beautiful. On one level or another, everyone responds better to a picture that has all elements in balance.

Strive to lead the eye along an interesting path through the photo, with the use of strong lines or patterns.

•Keep the horizon level;
•Crop out extra elements that you are not interested in (more on this is the next tip);
•Consciously place your subject where you think it most belongs rather than just accepting it wherever it happens to land in the photo;
•Play with perspective so that all lines show a pattern or lead the eye to your main subject;

Tip #4:
Be SelectiveDiscern what you are really interested in and center your efforts on getting the best photo of this subject, whether it a still life, your funny cat, your doggy, a friend, a family matter, a mood, a place or culture.

Then be sure to keep anything that would distract out of the picture. Go as far as Ansel Adams did to remove unwanted elements.

The easiest way to do this is to watch your borders - the edges of the view you see through the camera's viewfinder. Then recompose if anything - such as an unattractive telephone wire, an old soda can, a distracting sign, your finger, or your camera strap - hangs into your picture.

It can become more difficult if you want to, say, shoot a San Francisco cable car without a single distracting telephone line. But even in such a difficult case, you have many options.

You can:
•Focus in on a close-up that tells the whole story;
•Move around until you arrange the telephone lines into a neat pattern that leads to the subject; or
•Take a panning shot that makes the cable car remain in focus while the background goes blurry.
Tip #5:
Focus on Your SubjectPractice shooting with different apertures and monitor the results afterwards to learn how depth-of-field affects your photo.

You will find that a smaller depth-of-field (and smaller f-stop #) focuses all the attention upon your subject. This is great for taking a picture of your child, your dog, or your husband - subjects stand out against a blurry background.

Likewise, you will find that a greater depth-of-field (bigger f-stop number) will make everything from here to eternity appear in focus. This will help make those landscapes fascinating and lovely.
You will also want to become familiar with the way your camera focuses. If it is a simple point and shoot camera, you will likely indicate which part of the picture to focus on by following these steps: 1.Aim so the object you want in sharp focus is in the center of the viewfinder.
2.Press the shutter button down half-way and hold it.
3.Move your camera until you have the composition you like best (see tip #3).
4.Press the button down the rest of the way to take the picture.Tip #6:
Experiment with Shutter Speed
One of the most basic, overlooked, and fun aspects of photography is that you have the power to slow time down or catch a split second.
One image happens so slowly that we could never see it and the other happens so quickly in real time that we would never notice it. Play with shutter speed!

Use a slow shutter speed and a tripod to make a pretty picture of any creek or stream. On the other hand, you can use a fast shutter speed (1/500 and up) to capture an object in motion.

Combining a fast shutter speed with a long lens, you sports buffs can get a trophy of your own when you are able to catch the expression on your favorite runningback's face as he slips past the final defense toward a winning touchdown. Remember, catching the moment in fast-paced action photography may take a little more practice so hang in there.Tip #7:
Look at the Light
By this, I don't mean look into the sun - no, that won't do at all. But it is good to see what kind of light you are working with. Which way are the shadows falling? Unless you want a silhouette effect, where your subject is black against an interesting background, it's generally best to shoot with the sun behind you.

How is the light affecting your subject? Is the subject squinting?

Is the light blazing directly and brightly upon your whole subject? This works well if you are in love with the bold colors of your subject.

Side lighting, on the other hand, can add drama but can also cause extreme, hard-to-print contrasts.

Lastly, indirect light can be used to make your subject glow soft and pretty.Tip #8:
Watch the Weather, Too
Look outside and decide whether or not you are going to want to have the sky in your picture.
If it's overcast, simply keep the sky out of your pictures as much as possible. This is usually the best way to avoid both muted tones in your subject and washed-out skies in your background. You might also find black and white pictures of an overcast day more pleasing than color.

When the day is beautiful, go ahead and make the most of it.

If your camera allows for the use of filters, purchase a polarizer. This will help you render deep blue skies against bright white clouds, richly contrasting colors, and other wonderful effects with a simple twist of the wrist.Tip #9:
Keep Your Camera Settings Simple
While you may wish to have "all the bells and whistles" available just in case, you will probably get the best results if you do not try to use them all the time and instead learn a simple set up that works best for you in most situations.
This doesn't necessarily mean keeping your camera set on "Program" - while this mode may be perfect in its simplicity, it may be frustrating in its tyrannical control.

Instead of relying on a fully automatic program, pick a simple, semi-automatic program such as aperture-priority and master shooting in that mode. Then, you'll be able to control certain basics without letting the other basics control you, and thus keep that 150 page manual where it belongs - in your camera bag.

Tip: if you want one accessory, bring a tripod. This one item can solve camera shake issues and help you get beautiful evening shots.Tip #10:
Be Bold
Don't allow yourself to be paralyzed by fears of using the wrong settings, or an non-politically-correct social policy.

If you are afraid of upsetting someone by taking their picture, just go up and ask if it's okay. Ask them to sign a release and offer a print in return.

With wildlife, adopt a low-impact method when you go places where few photographers have gone before. For the above photos, I put my camera and telephoto in a waterproof bag and kayaked out into Monterey Bay. (Lawyer-talk: This can be dangerous - so be careful.)

Be wise... but be bold.

There you have it - basic but helpful, I hope. Now go out there, make some great shots, learn from the failures, and have fun.
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