Family, Photography and other misc news
General computing with a bias towards Unix, OS X, Apple products, for use in Music and Photography
Just a quick note to let you know an update for WordPress for iOS has been released
Using it now to post this. Interface is improved and I look forward to trying it out in anger. The previous version did crash fairly often and once even lost me a post that I had previously posted.
When it comes to standards and companies not following them, I could have a good old rant about many top companies, computer and software companies being the worse.
The other day a photographer friend of mine was demonstrating his new photo editing software.
While key wording and adding other important metadata, we wondered where it was writing this data.
As I suspected, it was using a sidecar file to accompany the jpg’s and raw’s.
What really rilled me was instead of using an xmp sidecar file (an open standard developed by Adobe) which many other software programs can read, not just Adobe Lightroom or Camera Raw, it uses it’s own proprietary format.
Why! Lock in, thats why, but the worry is, will the companies own future software support their own proprietary formats, past history suggests not.
From Wikipedia:
XMP sidecar files. For file formats that have no internal support for XMP data, the data is stored in separate .xmp files with the same base file name. Many photo cataloging applications have support for this file format.
Just a quick note that you can make a donation via Google or Apple’s iTunes.
http://kevinrose.com/blogg/2011/3/14/apples-role-in-japan-during-the-tohoku-earthquake.html
During my recent research into studio flash equipment, I came across an announcement by Elinchrom. They are planning to release an app to control your Elinchrom Flash heads.
No real details yet but another posible reason for a photographer to have an iPad around.
Oh and don’t forget, iPad2 released today; at least in America. Oh well just have to wait. Still tempted.
Decisions, decisions:
iPad2 or GF1; We will just have to see.
Well as expected Apple announced their iPad update, the new iPad2. I am sure the Apple haters will trash it and the Apple lovers announce its the best update since sliced white bread.
For me these devices are more about what you can do with them and that means the applications.
As a Hassleblad medium format camera user, I received an email from them today, announcing there new iPad app which basically allows remote control and viewing of the taken image from your Hassleblad on the iPad.
With apps like this, a great 9.7 inch display, then not only does it make a great device for showing photos to clients but a productive and creative device too.
Looks good. Will I get one. Don’t know, there are still a couple of apps I would like to see, are you listening Adobe and Elinchrom!
Update: New iTunes available now to support the new features.
Installing Lightroom presets can be a little tricky but as Mat from Lightroom Killer Tips has recently found out, there is a far easy way; Just Drag and drop the preset file on to your Lightroom icon. Thanks Matt. Another great reason for having a Apple Mac, it just makes things so easy for you.
If you’re a Windows user then double click the preset file. It will most likely say it does not understand the file type. Associate the file type with Lightroom and then double click will install it.
Have not tried it in Windows, as I do not have a Windows machine handy to test it on, only Apple Mac’s, Linux, and Solaris at present. Must rebuild that Windows 7 test machine of mine.
If you new to WordPress and blogging then your possibly having fun playing with different themes, customising you blog to get the look and feel you want.
Playing with your live site and affecting your visitors is probably not the best idea. You need to be able test without impacting on your visitors.
A quick google round the internet soon found the answer, a plug-in that enables the admin user to test a different theme, then what the other users are seeing.
http://www.dnxpert.com/2010/05/26/how-to-test-a-new-wordpress-theme-without-affecting-live-site
Check it out you might find it useful.
More snow greeted us this morning, so we first spent a while clearing the car and driveway. This would be the second day in a row we would be commuting by car. Warm clothing, a flask of hot drink and a shovel in the boot and of course a camera and off we set.
It was not far before we got stuck in the deep snow, a bit of shovelling and we got going again. Eventually we made it to the main road, and from there, quickly made it into work.
With the weather so bad (well for the UK anyway), it was decided that anyone who had made it in by car should leave at 13:00 to guarantee they got home safe, so we headed home in the afternoon, only stopping for a few photographs in Lincoln.
Once home I dug out the laptop and proceeded to finish up some paperwork. Lets hope tomorrow is less interesting.
Maybe not exciting for Apple iPhone users but a big update for iPad users. I know a lot of photographers now using the iPad as their in the field back up device. A great way of backing up and reviewing your images, before getting back to the office or hotel room to process them on your laptop.
IOS 4.2 brings all the advances that the iPhone 4 has to the ipad. Available to download today.
Update: Mac Users, don’t feel left out, a Safari update was also released today.
How many times have your heard that you must backup, and how many of you actually do so.
For that matter, of those that do backup, where do you keep that backup, in the same bag as your laptop so both can be stolen. Up stairs at home, only the one backup? When did you last test it?
Don’t worry I am not about to tell you a heart rending story of lost data, even though I know of people who have.
Just a reminder, disks fail, and we all live digital lives these days with cherished memory’s sat on our hard disks.
Please backup to at least two independent disks, test them regularly and why not leave one at a friends house, or at you office. Just think, if you house was robbed or burnt down and everything was lost, how would you feel if your favourite digital memories were lost forever.
Oh and please remember it’s the BBC UK Children in Need Day today, join in, or help out at an event near you.