Missed Hopes and Opportunities – My Broken Friend Final Cut Pro X

The fallout from the high-end post production community for Apple’s Final Cut Pro X release no doubt has their engineers and marketers looking for safe haven. Final Cut Pro X reminds me of a dear friend who has taken a wrong turn. As positive as I have tried to be with this update, I wince at the circus freak show this release has been. [read]

Disposable Camera Captures Its Own Trip Across the United States

Five years ago, web designer Matthew McVickar decided to give one lucky disposable camera a free vacation, sending it through the mail from Cape Cod, Massachusetts to Honolulu, Hawaii with the instructions “Take a photo before you pass it on!”. When he got the camera back, there were seven photographs taken by various workers in the United States Postal Service that show the cameras journey (and the inner workings of the USPS!). [read]

Ultimate Ears (UE) In-Ear Reference Monitors

I’m incredibly impressed with these IEMs. With them, I feel there is an aural quality resembling a virtual acoustic space between my ears and a set of studio monitors, much like when I sit in front of my own reference speakers in my own audio workspace. Something like “real air,” the feeling is closer to monitoring in an environment, rather than the less-than-three dimensional feeling I’ve nearly universally had when using either headphones or other IEMs during attempted critical listening applications. [read]

Fruity Loops hits the iPhone, iPad

Fruity Loops, a popular music creation software for Windows PCs, has made an iOS debut. The FL Studio Mobile app lets you create soundtracks on the go, featuring 133 instruments, drum kits and sliced-loop beats. You can also import your mobile projects into the FL Studio Desktop PC version (all instruments map seamlessly), just like GarageBand (but not vice versa). The 166MB download has been launched at special introductory price of $15 in both and  versions. Screenies and a list of rich features right below. [read]

Somali Pirates Go High Tech

Somali pirates are turning to increasingly sophisticated methods such as satellite phones, custom-made GPS systems, and even monitoring the Internet to hunt down targets.

Somali pirates aren’t content just floating around in their fishing boats, looking for victims. These days, pirates off the Horn of Africa are turning to a sophisticated mix of weaponry, jerry-rigged GPS devices, and ingenious hacks of shipping-industry databases to hunt down prey. The resulting technology isn’t just fascinating–it also has a real impact on foreign millitaries who are fighting piracy. [read]

The 100 greatest non-fiction books

After keen debate at the Guardian’s books desk, this is our list of the very best factual writing, organised by category, and then by date.

Looking for great book recommendations? Our critics and experts pick the best books, and give the definitive subject lists. [read]

Lytro: The ‘mind-blowing’ camera that could revolutionize photography

A Stanford doctoral student has created a digital camera that lets users shift the focus after taking the shot — and he’s secured $50 million in venture capital to bring it to market. [read]

Does Your Name Affect Your Career?

Does your name play a role in determining what career you choose or how successful you are within your chosen profession? Seems like a pretty ridiculous concept, I know, but it’s actually not so far-fetched.

The Wall Street Journal has a fascinating story on the relation between names and careers and, believe it or not, there are bona fide researchers that study this stuff. [read]

Set your DVRs, One hour Steve Jobs special airs on CNBC tomorrow night

ABOUT THE SHOW

“Irrepressible, irascible, and iconic, Steve Jobs has reigned as the undisputed king of Silicon Valley for the better part of three decades. From his parents’ California garage he launched the personal computer revolution and built Apple into the most envied, and valuable, technology company in the world. From the Macintosh and the iPod, to iTunes and the iPhone, Jobs has personally presided over the creation of dozens of transformational devices, battling hostile corporate boards, cutthroat competitors, and serious illness while securing his legacy as one of the few who dared to “Think Different.” [read]

Vibrant Colour Photography Tips

Taking photos in colour is easy, but taking colour photographs with a wow-factor requires a little thought. It is vital to be aware just how powerful colour can be in an image and how you can use this to your advantage. Too many different bold colours in an image will invariably produce a confusing and unsatisfying image. It is important to ensure that the hues you are including in your photograph do not compete with each other for attention, but contribute to a well balanced composition. [read]

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3 Penguins Photography