Writing a good blog post can be difficult. Not only do we have to come up with good material consistently, but it also takes some tedious effort to create images appropriate for it. Although some may question the essentialness of images in blog posts, I say that they’re key for tutorials and guides of all sorts, and can spice up blog posts of other sorts. If the extra work of taking screenshots is getting you down, let me introduce you to a process that can make things a lot easier.

Windows users, I’d suggest using Windows Live Writer. You can paste screenshots and resize them right in there. If you’re using a Mac, I’ve got just the technique for you – it involves a program called Automator.

Start automator, and create an Application.

You should see a screen like this. The library is on the left, the blank slate on the right is where you can drag items from the library to your application.

1. Ask for Finder Items

You want the location to be Desktop, because screenshots on Macs automatically save to the Desktop. This way, you can easily find your screenshot right when you start the application.

2. Copy Finder Items

Select a location where you want the item to be copied. I save it to a folder on my desktop with my blog’s name on it – this makes it easy to drag into a folder for the respective blog post.

3. Scale Images

Enter a number that you want your width to be. For example, if your blog style has a width of 600px, you’ll probably want to set it to 600px or 595px.

4. Save your Application

You’ll want to save your application to desktop, this allows for easy access. If you don’t mind the aesthetics, you might even want to put a shortcut on your dock. (I think the robot icon looks pretty cool.)

Try your new application. When this dialog box pops up, select your screenshot, and then click Choose. Navigate to your folder where you wanted your item to be copied, and you will find it there! Enjoy faster, more automated screenshots.

Holy smokes, this made me do a double-take. I’ve never seen World of Warcraft played on an HTC Desire before! Have you?

WoW on HTC Desire

I’m not 100% sure about Windows Phone 7. I’ve heard little buzz about it — to be fair, I have been out of the tech loop lately. Still, RIM’s Blackberry and the Apple iPhone seem to be prevalent in the smartphone industry, with Google’s Android following closely behind. Here are some recent numbers, courtesy of Mashable:

Microsoft Windows isn’t doing too badly, currently at fourth. It’s definitely much better than starting at zero, but I’m sort of digressing. This ain’t a marketing blog, it’s about technology. So let’s have a look at two pieces of hardware running Windows Phone 7: the LG Quantum and the HTC Surround.

The LG Quantum

The Quantum doesn’t seem to have a screen that’s comparable to the iPhone 4 (according to this PC World article). I find it a shame — after all, the iPhone 4′s crisp screen is really what sets it apart from every other phone. In order to at least remain on par with the iPhone 4, which sort of sets the standard nowadays, I figured it’d be good to have a screen of at least same quality. Don’t get me wrong though — at 480 x 800 pixels, the screen is more than usable. And probably nicer than the old HTC Touch.

Source: Gadgetvenue

The camera and video capabilities are comparable to the iPhones though, in terms of megapixels and size — definitely a plus.

I’m really digging the Windows 7 GUI, which sort of resembles the Zune GUI. Even though the iPhone’s UI has been critically praised, I think that the Windows Phone 7′s GUI is different enough to appeal to an entirely different kind of person (hopefully for them, an entire market…hey, I like it).

I’m not really sure about the form-factor though, seems a bit too last-year (seriously). The button sticks out too much, and sort of contributes to a look that doesn’t match the elegance of the iPhone 4 (or the other two Windows Phone 7 handsets).

More Info:

• http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/212003/confessions_of_an_iphone_user_why_i_dont_like_windows_phone_7.html
• http://reviews.cnet.com/smartphones/lg-quantum-at-t/4505-6452_7-34195353.html
• http://www.phonearena.com/phones/LG-Quantum_id4854
• http://www.phonearena.com/reviews/HTC-Surround-vs-Apple-iPhone-4_id2554

Guest Post by Britney Baker of PrepaidCellPhones.net. If you’re interested in submitting a guest post, contact me.

If you are considering purchasing a Microsoft Kinect device to use with your Xbox 360, before you go out and spend the $150+ dollars for the system, there are a few things you should take into consideration.

photo credit: Jon Åslund

1. The Kinect does not need a controller.

When watching demos or viewing commercials for the Kinect, many people ask where the controller is located. The answer is your body. With its sophisticated motion sensing technology and voice recognition, there is no need for a separate manual controller. You can control your Xbox 360 by addressing it with the prefix ‘Xbox’, or you can use your hands to navigate the menus. The hands free approach is what makes the Kinect one of the most appealing devices on today’s market.

For example, say you are watching a movie on your 360 and the phone rings. Instead of hunting around for the controller to pause the movie before you answer the phone, you can simply say “Xbox pause”, and Kinect will recognize your command and pause itself accordingly, allowing you to answer the phone. Once you are finished, you can say, “Xbox resume” and pick up your movie as you were.

2. The Kinect needs at least 8 feet of space.

Because it is a motion sensing device, you will need plenty of space in order for the camera to detect you. The cameras within the device need to see your entire body, so standing back around six feet is necessary. This means you need at least eight feet of space in front of the device in order to operate properly.

3. The Kinect is compatible with the older Xbox 360.

If you have an original Xbox 360, you will still be able to use the Kinect. However, you will need to purchase an adapter to plug the device into the back of the machine, as it uses a proprietary connection instead of a USB connection.

4. The Kinect can detect multiple people using the device.

Many people ask whether the sensor can handle more than one person on the screen. In fact, the Kinect features jump in/jump out technology, which means a person who wants to join in can merely jump into the view of the sensor in order to start playing. Once they are finished, they can jump out without the need for the original player to stop or restart the game.

5. The Kinect can detect people who are sitting down.

When the device was first debuted as Project Natal, many reporters and media types reported having trouble with the device detecting sitting people. This is because of the way the wire frame algorithm for the Kinect was rigged, placing the hip point below the leg point when people are sitting. This has now been changed with the release of the Kinect, so it does not have problems detecting individuals.

Britney Baker reviews prepaid cellphones for PrepaidCellphones.net. Her latest review looked at Tracfone.

Amazon, y’all already had me at $39 free shipping.

photo credit: Brian Forbes

I’m not going to hide it, I’m something of a self-improvement junkie. For the worse, I decided. I’ve become so into self-improvement that it’s getting in the way of…well…my self-improvement. I find these books enticing because they offer hope, a solution to do things so much faster or happier. But either way, I’ve read a bunch of self-improvement books — a lot from my library, and the rest I ordered from Amazon.

If you haven’t ordered from Amazon before, it’s really something you need to try; prices are much cheaper than a retail store like Chapters would be (although Chapters’ website tries to match Amazon’s prices…weird how that price doesn’t translate to a similar one in store).

photo credit: xmacex

I’ll never look back though; sure, I still drop into Chapters and pick up magazines on occasion — and browse through new kinds of books. (I really like exploring new genres on bookshelves, call me old-fashioned.) However, the convenience of ordering the same book for cheaper and having your package shipped free to your door is just too alluring! The free shipping does take probably around two weeks to get to your door, but I personally think that the savings are still worth it.

(Plus Amazon has a wider collection overall because it sells second-hand, but that’s opening an entire different can of worms because those don’t come with free shipping…I already feel the confusion brewing so I’ll stop there; I do realize I didn’t explain myself too clearly — perhaps another day.)

I’ve been reading (yes, I do that on occasion) a lot about the BlackBerry PlayBook. Initially, I figured that the PlayBook was an obligational follow-in to the market share that the iPad has gained. I, along with the rest of the world, was thinking that the BlackBerry Playbook was far too late.

photo credit: joren.degroof

However, I’ve been re-thinking. I’ve been reading (alright, so I’m a book worm) Positioning, by Al Ries and Jack Trout, and I noticed something: although the iPad was the first tablet to break into the masses (relatively — I hear the term iPad more often than I hear tablet on campus), I think that it’s not too late for the Playbook to position itself as “the first Professional Tablet.”

Interestingly, RIM and QNX boasted of the PlayBook’s multimedia and gaming functions, but Mike Lazaridis also described the tablet as “an amplified view of what’s already on your BlackBerry.” [Emphasis added]

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/27/rim-introduces-playbook-the-blackberry-tablet/

Now I’m trusting Engadget pretty carefully here, but I see a fracture in their strategy — do professionals care about gaming? Can you really see that?

Your boss (we’ll call him Larry): “Tell me a bit about this PlayBook. Mm, fascinating…it has 1080p output and it can connect to my BlackBerry…but scratch all that, can it play Tetris? Oh, it doesn’t have 3D acceleration? I need to pay for games? Well that’s a dealbreaker, no go.”

photo credit: ???? ???????

Neither can I. But I’ll tell you what does matter — the PlayBook has Flash capabilities to view certain previews of advertisements (featuring your company), or how the PlayBook has 3G connectivity (and if it doesn’t, it really should — 4G if anything). These specs are getting more important to the business company, especially to all sorts of professionals where every second counts.

It’s got a good name (PlayBook is much more reasonable than the iPad), and a good potential position. All RIM has to do now is put their resources into marketing it properly and enhancing the technology to better serve their Professional customers. Don’t boast about gaming, don’t talk about movies, don’t talk about music. Address slideshows, instant communication, reliability, service, and all sorts of other things a Professional would want. If I could figure that minor piece of it out, I have no doubt the folks over at RIM can as well.

Everyone likes spicing up their gadgets a little bit — whether with skins, covers, or unique headsets. These accessories serve as more than just functional add-ons, but double to set your gadget apart from everyone else’s. Often times, people will end up going to great lengths to find that very special accessory — travelling to faraway malls and the such. Consider your world much more accessible once you start using SF Planet.

SF Planet sells a huge variety of wireless accessories for iPhones, iPods, PDAs, iPads, and the like. One very appealing feature is the deal of the week, which at the time of writing is an iPod car mount for a mere $2.49! Another very interesting addition is the free shipping on orders over $25 — get some friends to buy some accessories for their phones and none of you have to pay shipping!

I like the prices at SF Planet; I saw screen protectors at the infamous Pacific Mall selling for $10, whereas SF Planet sells similar protectors for $4.95. This accessory is absolutely essential for users of all phones these days, particularly for iPhones and touch screen phones. SF Planet also sells HDMI male-to-male connectors for $4.98, a very affordable and appealing price level considering the cheapest found at retailers such as Best Buy and Future Shop are within the $20 range.

The UI on the website is very simplistic, and features a ton of graphics for all sorts of products — a feature greatly enabling a better idea of what consumers like us will get.

SF Planet also has a clearance section, the cherry on the ice cream. This section features prices of less than $1; seems like a steal for phone cases!

SF Planet sells accessories for digital cameras, GPS systems, cell phones, MP3 players, and PDAs. Swing by and check it out right now! What are you waiting for?

Web Based Church Management Software From Congregation Builder Lets You Sample The Goods!

Have you ever purchased new software applications or uploaded a new program only to find that it wasn’t at all what you expected? Congregation Builder, a developer of web based church management software, understands this dilemma and believes you should know what you are getting before you purchase the product. Congregation Builder provides sample pages for all of its software applications, which include web based church management software, web based event registration software, and web based room reservation software.

Web Based Church Management Software

By providing sample pages of its web based church management software application, Congregation Builder allows you to:

? get a feel for the church management software members’ list;
? view how Congregation Builder’s web based church management software printable directory would look;
? simulate the ease of creating small group lists; and,
? see how easy it is to send an email to the congregation or smaller internal groups.

Web Based Event Registration Software

With Congregation Builder’s sample pages you can:

? see the procedure for creating an online sign-up form for your event, using Congregation Builder’s web based event registration software;
? peruse where you would view your previously created sign-up forms and edit them for another similar event;
? view attendee and waiting lists;
? for your pay-to-attend events: see how easy it is for your members to use PayPal for payments;
? and see how easy it is for you to email members an invoice and keep track of payments.

Web Based Room Reservation Software

If you are interested in web based room reservation software that can organize and detail all of your room reservation needs, then you should view the sample pages of Congregation Builder’s church management software to see:

? how useful the administrative calendar would be for your staff;
? the ease with which you would be able to add, view, and edit entries;
? options for printing your administrative and public calendars; and,
? a page which outlines your church’s room schedules and related information.

It all comes down to this…if you want to simplify your church’s important and necessary tasks, Congregation Builder‘s church management software, which includes web based church management software, web based event registration software, and web based room reservation software, then go to Congregation Builder’s website at www.congregationbuilder.com and check out the sample pages for each application available. You’ll be glad you did!

The robber stealthily creeps up to the porch, and looks around the door. He intends to break it right off its hinges, break in, and steal everything he can. Unarmed, but noticing that the lights are off, he is about to kick the door in when he realizes that there is a camera mounted right on your porch ceiling.

Security cameras and CCTVs can serve to detain criminals at best, or record them in the act at worst. They can be used to keep an eye on entrances, different rooms, so on.

I’m profiling CCTVimports.com today, a website that sells systems to capture, amongst other things, robbers in the act. These systems will serve to help keep peace of mind and track unwanted activities at home or at the office.

If you are in need of security cameras CCTV, CCTVimports.com is definitely a place to browse. They are assuring a lifetime warranty on their home page, and similar to Future Shop and Best Buy, offer price matching and an additional 10% off between the difference.

CCTVimports.com looks like an all-stop-shop for systems, as they sell monitors, DVR security cameras, digital recorders, network recorders, and even more advanced spy cameras and other peripherals. They also offer services for installation, marked by different packages (their gold bundle looks like a good middle ground between the two packages).

They also offer live support, which I have really grown to appreciate — my low cost web hosting offers live support, and I have often had to contact them when things went wrong. Although many companies offer telephone support, chatting is much more convenient and also a lot faster…and recordable (no more “Can you say that again?”).

Can you be too safe? With cameras and an eye in the sky keeping watch over your things, robbers are deterred and can be caught on camera. Preventative action is often the best method of action in this case.

Check out CCTVimports.com!

You might have just bought (or are looking into buying) those swirly Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs. (Shame on you if you haven’t already! Just kidding, of course.) They are supposed to last around ten times longer than an ordinary incandescent lightbulb, and because they don’t use heat to produce light, they are all the more efficient.

photo credit: Velo Steve

This is good for the environment. This is good for your wallet. And it means you don’t have to go through the work of throwing out as many bulbs! But, you may notice them dying, or having some bizarre quirks. Here are some tips to make them as normal as possible.

After you first install your CFL bulb, make sure you keep it on for at least twenty minutes. I would explain it, but I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be technically correct, and I hate geeks pointing these trivial things out: leaving it on for twenty minutes allows the ions in the gas to charge fully. This means that subsequently, you won’t have to wait to have the lightbulb charge to full power.

Secondly, on-off cycles kill CFL bulbs — so leave them on for at least fifteen minutes! This might seem counter-intuitive, but they’re super-efficient anyway — keeping them on for another extra ten minutes won’t cost you as much as replacing the bulb! (These bulbs are quite heavy on the wallet initially, but they do pay themselves off — if you can make them last.)

So make them last! Enjoy your CFL bulbs.