Better on-line photos!

A little photo juju for folks who like to post pictures: Use your phone or computer's built-in photo-editing features before posting that picture! Fix it up for better results:

• Use the "Auto-enhance" feature for starters.
• Too dark? Use the "Light, Shadows" control to bring the subjects and background out from the shadows. Or use the "Light, Brightness" to increase the overall lighting.
• Dull look? Use the "Light, Contrast" control to increase the separation between lights and darks.
• More pop? Use the "Color, Intensity" to add more color and the "Color, Saturation" control to increase the wash.
• Zoom in on the subject or straighten the picture? Use the "Crop" or "Rotate" controls.
• When posting a picture on-line, it's usually better to brighten it up rather than posting it "as is". This is because most cameras expose for prints, not monitors.

With just a little attention, you'll see the difference - and so will your friends!

eTextbooks - Who's working on what

Interesting recap of eTextbook players and directions in the Sri Lankan Sunday Times. Much more going on in this area than meets the eye.

The Printed Media Revolution

Something's going on in the world of publishing and reading the written word. Maybe not nearly as big as the printing press at the beginning, but a revolution's brewing never less.

For example, check out the discussion about the Amazon Kindle on C|Net's site, and you'll come away with the feeling of a pending "change in the wind".

I believe the shift to digital publication and reading has the potential to turn the whole concept of printed media on its ear. But the jury's still out on how it will unfold, and the price tag is too high to make paper "yesterday".

What strikes me about the overall discussion are the novel ideas voiced by the end users. Being able to scan a UPC or ISBN from your own library for access on a digital reader, or checking out books from a library website for immediate download, or searching your entire on-board library, etc. Now those are really interesting ideas *:-)