Digital Design Studio

ProTech Media Centre

If you want to continue to learn and build on your digital resume, another great gem in this city of ours is in the Kennedy and Eglinton area.  The ProTech Media Centre is steps away from the subway and it’s currently offering members of the public lessons and workshops on Photoshop, Website Design, Animation and Video Editing for free.

The ProTech Media Centre has been around since 2009.  It’s another great place that isn’t well known but a must to check out.  The centre has a combination of friendly staff, along with access to software and hardware that is expensive and hard to find.  Plenty of class time scheduled along with drop in hours for you to practice what you learned and apply it to your own personal projects.  And all of it is free of charge. 

Workshops that are customize to support customers with none or limited skills with operating a computer, the internet and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.  Moderate level lessons on social media sites and more advanced workshops on Adobe Photoshop, AfterEffects and Premiere (video editing). In addition to the computers and software, other tools available in the centre include cameras, scanners and a printer.

The centre currently has 13 computers available to the public and theirs hours vary depending on the time and day of the week.  Staff are available during these hours for support.  A few members of the Toronto Public Library staff paid them a visit just this week and we’re happy to report that in a short time, the centre is getting rolled out with some new equipment and software, so that’s even more of a reason to drop by. 

The centre itself is located in the Kennedy/Eglinton Branch, the centre is an amazing destination that provides youth with opportunities to develop their skills and interests, advance their education, and explore their creativity. Not a far walk from the Kennedy subway station.  It’s not run by the Toronto Public Library, but managed and operated by Tropicana Community Services.  A great organization that has been providing youth, newcomers, people of Black and Caribbean heritage and others in need with opportunities and alternatives that lead to success and positive life choices. 

For more information about the ProTech Media Centre, schedule and classes, click here.

Be sure to check it out.
Thanks,
Greg

Restoring Photos and Memories

Restoring images is truly an art form and it could be for the purpose of archiving old images and trying to repair images that have been damaged through time or as a result of a devastating disaster.  It’s amazing to think of the hardware and software now accessible to people to try and restore and keep their personal treasures of family, friends and their life stories alive.

For some inspiration, I have included in this recent blog post, a before and after image from a library customer that came to the library and learned an introductory level lesson on Photoshop and was able to get an old image that had some rips and tears in it completely fixed.

Images courtesy of Paul L.

Always remember, for best results ensure that the scan of the image is at a high resolution, allowing you access to more pixels for easier cleanup jobs.  Also, try more than one tool, a lot of guides and books will offer the clone tool, or even the healing brush tool as your restoration weapon, but try playing with filters; blur tools, and even the smudge tool.  And most importantly, the image itself might have had a degree of fading and colour change due to exposure of natural light and other environmental factors.  Play with the image levels, brightness/contrast and curves settings.

Another example that illustrates the amount of time and effort needed for some images is below in this stunning video that was sent me.  A collection of images shot by Jacques Lowe of the Kennedy family and was restored only using thumbnails.

And lastly, a group of people who provide restoration services for those who have gone through terrible disasters such as fire and storms.  BBC shot this news piece more recently after Hurricane Sandy and it shows how remarkable the feelings of helping people “get back their memories".

Thanks,
Greg

Apple's iTunes - 10 Year Anniversary

Apple is celebrating a new milestone, and this time it doesn’t involve a new phone or tablet.  Apple’s beloved iTunes store is celebrating its 10 year anniversary this week from when it was launched.  The store officially launched back on April 28, 2003.

Wow.  10 years.  That doesn’t seem so long now that I think about it, I feel like I have been using it for years.  Even before I had my first Apple product, it just seems like it’s been around much longer than that.  Just shows you a lot has changed in this past decade. 

It's been an amazing decade of music. From breaking new bands to revolutionary iPod and iPhone releases, iTunes has rocked the last 10 years. Browse an illustrated timeline and charts of top-selling albums and songs from each year. – Apple

In part of the celebration, Apple has created a feature in the store called "A Decade of iTunes."  Customers can go in and take a walk down memory lane and find out interesting facts about the store and see a brief history into the store’s history.  A nice retrospective piece displayed in a timeline storyboard.

Learn about who had the best selling albums, singles and movies of all time, or in a specific year.  Find out more about what songs were made available at first when iTunes was launched and how the store has gone through many visual reincarnations over the years. 

Great fact I found interesting was that U2’s "Stuck in a Moment, You Can’t Get Out Of", was the number one selling single on the day the store was launched back in 2003.  For me personally, I bought into iTunes and Apple back in 2004.  That was the same time Apple launched an iPod along side the band U2.  Included with the release of this limited edition iPod was also the release of the very first digital box set through the iTunes store, which included material from previous albums and never before heard live material and demos. 

 

What won me over completely was the unforgettable commercial that went along side this endeavour. Here is the commercial that changed my world forever.

Check out the retrospective piece Apple put together by downloading iTunes for free!!
Greg

Epson Perfection v700

The Digital Design Studio is pleased to announce the latest addition to the studio and to its library customers.  If you need to scan photographs and need some simple retouching in the process, then look no further.  The studio just added the Epson Perfection v700.  The scanner has both flatbed and film capabilities with high resolution and great tools to help in getting your old photographs scanned properly.

Get truly great professional quality files from any photographic format, either print or film.  If you’re scanning original photos from print, or from a multitude of film formats then this scanner is for you. 

Type of transparency/film that in can do:
35mm negatives
35mm slides
2 ¼ film
4x5 film

The Epson Perfection v700 can also do a series of up to 12 slides at one given time, saving the user time of loading the scanner with one image after another. 

All images are/can be scanned with an amazing 6400 dpi resolution.  The scanner captures breathtaking colour and provides exceptional detail that include shadow detail and more.

Awesome features at your fingertips:

Complete Photo Restoration Solution
Use one-touch colour restoration and Digital ICE for Film to bring back faded and scratched film. For scanners that support Digital ICE for Prints, combine this technology with one-touch colour restoration to restore creased, torn and faded prints. Easy Photo Fix and Digital ICE options can be selected in the Home and Professional modes of the Epson Scan driver.

Digital Ice® Technologies
Digital ICE for Film uses an infrared sensor to detect dust and scratches on the surface of the film. In a multi-pass process, the dust/scratch is mapped out and carefully removed from the scanned image, leaving the composition and quality intact.

Digital ICE for Prints uses two lamps at different angles to map defects using differences in shadows to detect tears, folds and creases on prints and correct the scanned image accordingly.

Easy Photo Fix® Technology
Dig out that shoebox full of old, faded photos and restore the colour with one touch. Just lay your faded photo on the scanner bed and, with a simple mouse click, you can bring those faded photos back to life. You'll be amazed at how quick and easy it is.

Optical Density Evaluation of Scanners
In a study performed by NSTL of a range of scanner models from four vendors, the four Epson models consistently yielded higher maximum optical density values. Higher optical density means better shadow detail and more mid-range tones.

Scanner Resolution
Image quality is more than a number. The resolution of a scanner gives an idea of its enlargement power, but the image quality of a scanner also depends greatly on the sensor and lenses used within the scanner's optical system and how well they reproduce colour, tonality and gradations with little to no mechanical noise. These qualities are measured by the specification called Optical Density.

Some specs for the scanner include:
Scanner Type: Flatbed colour image scanner
Optical Sensor: Colour Epson MatrixCCD™ line sensor
Optical Resolution:
Epson Dual Lens System
4800 dpi and 6400 dpi
Hardware Resolution:
4800 x 9600 dpi
6400 x 9600 dpi with Micro Step Drive™ technology
Maximum Scan Area: 8.5" x 11.7"
Light Source: White cold cathode flourescent lamp
Scanning Speed:
High-speed mode: 4800 dpi
Colour 12.3 msec / line
Monochrome 12.3 msec / line

Come in and check it out.

Thanks,
Greg

 

Creative Nerds - Tutorials & Templates

If you’re looking for a website that has high quality design freebies, amazing design templates and informative tutorials to help you conquer programs such as Photoshop, InDesign and more.  One website that has all of these things and then some is Creative Nerds.  The site was referred to me by another customer and is used by myself for fresh ideas and new alternatives to help me get inspired. 

The website is full of great ideas and examples to definitely help you feel inspire and possibly think of designing a business card, website a bit differently.  The main premise of the site appears to educate and make people think outside of the box. 

Some of the more popular posts on the Creative Nerds site are:

70 Tutorials Using Photoshop To Design A Website

70 Of The Best Photoshop Actions For Enhancing Photos

70 Free Photoshop Patterns The ultimate Collection

Some of my favourite posts on the Creative Nerds site are:

Free Rising Smoke Photoshop Brush Set Vol2

How To Create A Vintage Photo Effect Using Photoshop

The site's tutorials offer users a visual step by step instruction for easy following, the more advanced steps can seem easy to the most novice Photoshop user.  Included in some posts are videos similar to the one below.  Simple and yet so informative. 

Creative Nerds is a website that has provided to their users easy access to Photoshop filters, effects and more.  It’s a great resource if you’re looking for fonts, templates, icons and buttons that can help shape an ordinary site into something a little more extraordinary.  For anyone who wants to get their hands dirty by designing a logo, business card and/or website, I highly recommending checking out this site before you get started.

 
Great Fonts                                           Effective Icons

Have fun!!
Greg

HackLab

This blog post is dedicated to one of the greatest and best kept secrets in Toronto.  For those who don’t know, right in the middle of Kensington Market there is a physical space where people can go to converse, socialize and collaborate together on computers, technology, science, digital art and electronic art.

Toronto Public Library Staff getting a tour of Hacklab.

That space is known as HackLab.  Hacklab is a community space with a diverse membership, including artists, computer programmers, web designers, and hardware hackers.  The lab is open 24/7 for members who pay their $50 a month, which gets them the workspace, tools, diagnostic electronics, Internet access, and the expertise of knowledgeable peers. The space is highlighted of course by some nice equipment that really sets the space apart from any other.  Access to a laser, a 3D printer, professional soldering tools to name a few make the space that creative hub you might be looking for.

3D Printer at work.

Completed projects/art by HackLab members

Hacklab, also referred to as a hackerspace, makerspace, and hackspace to name a few can be seen as a  open community labs incorporating elements of machine shops, workshops and/or studios where hackers can come together to share resources and knowledge to build and make things.

Eric Boyd, President of HackLab showing how the 3D printer works to TPL Staff.

The Toronto Public Library was able to send a few staff there recently for a tour of the space, and immediately we were blown away by the creativity and openness that is part of the space.  Being a member has its benefits and full members have access to a great deal of tools and technology that can help with any project.  We were able to catch a glimpse on how a 3D Printer works in the process and see some member working on projects of their own.

Completed project/art by a HackLab member

Here are a few tools that are in the space.

Electronic Tools:
Edsyn LONER 951SX soldering station
Circuit Specialists CSI9000 Hot Air SMT Rework station
Pyramid 5A 12V Power Supply
Tektronix TDS2012B Digital Storage Oscilliscope
PICKit3 PIC Development Kit
Large supply of common electronics components, including common resistors and capacitors
and more.

Craft Tools:
ULS 25-Watt Laser Cutter controlled by EMC2 Software
MakerBot Industries CupCake CNC with Heated Build Platform and MakerGear Extruder
Singer 128-13 Sewing Machine
X-Acto Knives, Cutting Mat, Rotary Paper Cutter
Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
Large selection of Hand Tools
and more.

Multimedia Tools:
Canon compact digital camera
3-LCD video projector and projector screen
Sound system with excellent amp and speakers

Feel free to drop in and have a look yourself, visitors are welcome every Tuesday night at “Unpatched Tuesdays”, where they open their doors to the public.  From 6pm until late, you can get a chance to take a look at all the tech, the toys, and meet members and have a peek at some of the projects they are working on.   Be warned, it can get quite busy, but it’s awesome opportunity to get a front row seat at some of the latest and newest technology and meet some of the coolest people in Toronto.

HackLab is located at 170a Baldwin Street.

View Larger Map

Have fun!!
Greg

Google Glasses

I don’t usually get overly excited over a new pair of glasses.  But that’s before I’ve seen what Google has been up to these days.  Google’s latest project sometimes referred to as Project Glass or Google Glasses has been getting a great deal of buzz in the past week or two.  I can’t be any more excited about this new product.

For those who don’t know, Google has been working on a set of glasses that will reshape how you communicate; receive information and record things in your everyday life, the future of computing, sharing and eyewear all rolled into one.

Yes they may look strange and a bit nerdy, but who cares.  At the moment, what we have seen are just the prototypes and the future of this product is still growing.  Google’s promised the obvious upgrades to the software and hardware where it’s needed and certainly new designs, and more creative uses for the pair of specs.

A promo video was posted online by Google to give you a sense of what it will feel like wearing them.

Another video was shot at Google I/O 2012, the Project Glass team took the product and did a live demo.  They worked with some of the world's top athletes, combined skydiving and mountain biking, and shared the experience -- through their eyes -- with the world.

Project Glass / Glasses display information in a Smartphone-like format that is completely hands-free, and can interact with the Internet using voice prompts similar to Apple's Siri.   The eyewear itself is small and minimalist in its appearance.  Some specs include:
Super small screen
720p High Definition Video Camera
Digital Camera with flash
Motion Sensors
Built in GPS
3G/4G data connections
Android Operating System.

Developers were given an opportunity in 2012 to help test the latest project and as of now more reviews are in favour of the sleek design and interactive voice commands.  In November 2012, Google Project Glass received recognition by Time Magazine as one of the "Best Inventions of the Year 2012".

The cost of that initial unit was $1,500.  A more consumer friendly version will be available by the end of 2013 for roughly under $1,500.  Original estimates have the glasses retailing for about $700 but that number has not been confirmed as of yet, just an assumption based on comments by Google that the glasses will retail for about the same as a Smartphone.  2013 also expects to be a great year for Google, as they appear ready to open the all – new Google store, certainly a great place to showcase the eyewear and give customers an opportunity to buy the glasses directly. 

Take care and keep your eyes peeled.
Greg

Tax Season Once Again

It's that wonderful time of the year where we have to go through the endless amount of statements and receipts from the previous year with the end goal of filing your 2012 tax return.  This year the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) have been releasing letters along with your Notice of Assessment requesting that you put together this year’s return electronically. 

If you have in the past been preparing and submitting your returns the good old fashion paper method, there is a little relief.  The CRA has posted NETFILE-certified software applications to assist you.  There are multiple options to download that can be chosen based on your operating system, mobile devices, and even online submissions.  However some restrictions are in place on a few of the programs based on household income.  So choose the one that works for you.

One of the options posted on the CRA website is StudioTax.  A download that isn’t restricted to income and can be used by anyone regardless.  Unfortunately it’s not available for Apple/Mac computers but for those running a PC, it’s an amazing option.  StudioTax is formed from a small group of software development professionals working in various areas of the high tech industry in the Ottawa area.

StudioTax was an initiative, originally formed with the idea of creating new personal income tax preparation software.  Their goal is to one day be Canada's number one tax preparation software.  Developed and designed over the course of 10 years with efforts from colleagues and friends in different fields of expertise including technical, financial and tax.

StudioTax 2012 FREE regardless of income and available for personal returns.  NO questions asked, NO registration, NO key, and NO activation.  You can file up to as many as 20 returns using the software, a restriction that has been applied by the CRA and not StudioTax.  It is windows based and has support for even the latest Windows 8. 

Every year hundreds of thousands of Canadians use StudioTax because it is safe and secure.  They also have previous versions of the software available for download in case you’re a little behind.  StudioTax is only available as far back as 2004.  To download it directly off their page, click here.

The software offers help and assistance within with a useful help section in case you get lost.  You can also go directly to CRA's website for any answers to frequently asked questions.

Have fun!!
Greg

Introducing the New Blackberry 10

I have dedicated space in this blog in the past for Windows, Apple and Android products, so it wouldn't be fair if I excluded BlackBerry and their new creation the BlackBerry 10.

From first appearances and demos I have seen online, the latest smart phone from RIM looks great but more importantly works even better.  The phones themselves are okay, but the Operating System Software on the phones is fantastic. 

BlackBerry advertises their latest creation as a "completely new way to use your smartphone. A new experience where features and apps work together seamlessly and share your train of thought to help you complete tasks faster and with ease." 

To see more of the Interface, click here to see a demo video showcasing the new Flow, Gesture and Touch Screen Platform technology that has been developed.

So what have they offered in the latest platform:

BlackBerry Hub: Stay close to what's important and keep everything that matters to you in one place. Simply peek into the BlackBerry® Hub from any app with just a swipe, and flow effortlessly in and out of your messages and conversations.

BlackBerry Keyboard: The new touchscreen keyboard provides an effortless typing experience with a bit of intelligence wrapped into it. It will learn your writing style and how you type so if tend to mistype certain letters, the keyboard will remember and subtly adjust to make sure you hit the right key.

BBM Video: BBM™ Video¹ conversation and talk face-to-face with those that matter to you most. New features include a way where you can share your photos, browser or any document Use the new Screen Share feature to show photos, your browser, or review a business document together. You can even share the view from your camera. It’s an amazing new BBM experience for BlackBerry® 10 smartphones.

Camera with Time Shift Mode: Probably my favourite tool to read about.  Have someone in a photo blink or stop smiling.  Then try this tool on for size.  Time Shift Mode can adjust elements of your picture to get the photo you want, by capturing milliseconds before and after your photo—so you can scroll back and adjust any image making in the perfect picture.

After years of delays, Blackberry has finally reinvented themselves and it's brought a nice refreshed look that can easily compete with Apple and Android phones.  Nice large 4.2 inch screen with 1280 x 768-resolution display and a ultra thin body makes it very compact and slick to carry.  Other comments online are making note of the speed which is a direct result from the new dual core processor and the 2 GB's of RAM.  In addition the 10 is the first BlackBerry to take advantage of LTE, making it the fastest product RIM has introduced. 

Sure, gone is the physical keyboard and the Trackball that has been with Blackberry since day one, but a lot of people are saying that the new keyboard, the touch screen display with the additional technology is making old BlackBerry users forget easily.

You can pre-order the new BlackBerry and most carries are promising that on Feb 5th, you can pick up the new phone.

Have fun!!
Greg

Free Feedback Form Wizard for your Website

It’s always good business practice to provide as much content about yourself or business as possible.  That’s never been more true with the contact information.  Providing your website users/customers with multiple opportunities to get in touch with you is key.  The customer might want to get in touch with you by email, phone number and/or fax.

Another option is providing a feedback form, a method that has many advantages to both the customer and the website owner.  Feedback forms provide a simple and user friendly method of receiving data from your visitors.   It’s a nice service that can lead to inquiries, service requests, bookings and in the end, revenue for your website.

To add a feedback form and enhance the quality of your website, you’ll need two things for it to successfully work the right way.  The first item is the HTML form itself.  It can be simple to design and can be developed in various ways depending on your needs.  The second is the CSS/PHP script, more important in getting the info in the right inbox. 

To start creating your own form, thesitewizard.com has offered a Free Customized Feedback Form Wizard that creates a FREE feedback form for your website. This allows you to put a Feedback Form or Contact Form on your site so that visitors can send you messages / email or make comments. 

• Plug and Play: All the necessary code for the feedback form is generated for you. Just plug and play.
• Customizable: You can customize your form to suit your site decor if you like.
• Easy to Create: Easy two-step procedure to get your Feedback Form.
• Complete Package: All the code (scripts and HTML code for the form itself) necessary for the PHP and Perl versions to work are generated by this Wizard.
• The messages sent by your visitors are delivered to an email address of your choice.
• Compatibility: The messages sent are decoded from the form and sent as an ordinary email which you can read and reply to using your favourite email software or web email.
• PHP and Perl versions available: You can choose to generate either the PHP version (recommended) or the Perl CGI script version, depending on what your web host allows you to run.
• Free: What else can I say? It's free.
• No Advertisements: on the PHP and Perl versions of the feedback form script.
• And more.

Have a look at the demo online by clicking here.

PHP and HTML code can seem a little confusing and scary at first, but what is really nice is that Thesitewizard.com has provided all the necessary information in getting the form created, all you’ll have to do is follow the steps below. 

Step #1:


Step #2:


Step #3:

After you complete the two steps, your left with two types of source code:

Source Code #1 PHP (Feedback Form Script)

Copy and Paste the Scripts (Note: The website will generate more than one script for you, remember to follow the instructions for both as they are both necessary for the form to work properly.

Cut and paste everything in the box below into an ASCII text editor and save it as "feedback.php". Examples of ASCII text editors include Notepad on Windows. Do not use a wordprocessor. That is, do not use programs like Wordpad, Microsoft Word or Office.

Then upload it to the same directory of your website as your feedback form. Remember to upload it using ASCII mode and not "Binary" or "Auto-detect".

Source Code #2 HTML Code

Cut and paste the code below into the portion of your web page where you want the feedback form to appear. Save that page at the URL http://www.greg.ca/contact.html. Remember also to create your error page at http://www.greg.ca/error.html and your Thank You page at http://www.greg.ca/thanks.html. Examples of what to say on the Error and Thank You pages can be found on the Feedback Form Demo Site.

Note that you are free to customize the HTML code below to suit your website's design. For example, you may want to change the sizes of the various boxes, or you may want to change the typeface (font) of the words, the background colour, etc. Changing the appearance of the form will not affect the operation of the script (but be sure you test everything just in case you accidentally modify something that causes problems). Do not however, modify things like name="fullname", name="email" and name="comments". These are expected by the feedback form script.

To get started on your own, click here.

Thanks to the Thesitewizard.com again for providing this amazing tool.

Have fun!!
Greg