sGFX

You had seen many Glossy buttons in many websites. Here is a simple way to make a round glossy button.

Step 1. Open a new photoshop document with size: 200*200 pixels and background transparent.

Step 2. Select the elliptical marquee. Draw a circle with required size.

Step 3. Fill the circle using required color. Here Blue is used.

Step 3. Create a new layer. Using the elliptical marqee tool, make an ellipse as shown.

Step 4. Take the gradient tool. Apply gradient from bottom to top with white color having transition from opacity 0% to 100%. Do this as shown.

Step 5. Deselect.

Step 6. Select the first layer. Add some layer styles: Drop shadow and inner shadow as shown.

Step 7. Your button is ready. Save as GIF or PNG for using it in your website.

You can add pictures or your logo inside the button.

A digital camera is a camera that captures still photographs digitally by recording images on a light-sensitive sensor.

Digital cameras include features that are not found in film cameras, such as displaying an image on the camera’s screen immediately after it is recorded, the capacity to take thousands of images on a single small memory device, the ability to record video with sound, the ability to edit images, and deletion of images allowing re-use of the storage device. Digital cameras are incorporated into many devices ranging from PDAs and mobile phones (called camera  hones) to vehicles. The term digital still camera (DSC) usually refers to a live-preview digital camera, with an  lectronic display, usually a rearmounted LCD as the principal means of framing and previewing, before taking the  hotograph and for viewing stored photographs. All use either charge-coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS image sensor to sense the light intensities across the focal plane. Images may be transferred to a computer, printer or other  device in a number of ways-the USB mass storage device class makes the camera appear to the computer as if it were a disk drive, the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) and its derivatives may be used,FireWire is sometimes supported, and the storage device may simply be removed from the camera and inserted into another device. The resolution of a digital camera is often limited by the camera sensor (typically a CCD or CMOS sensor chip) that turns light into discrete signals, replacing the film in traditional photography.The sensor is made up of millions of “buckets” that essentially count the number of photons that strike the sensor. This means that the brighter the image at that point, the larger the value that is read for that pixel. Depending on the physical structure of the

sensor a colour filter array may be used, which requires a demosaicing/interpolation algorithm. The number of resulting pixels in the image determines its “pixel count”. For example, a 640×480 image would have 307,200 pixels or approximately 307 kilopixels while a 3872 x 2592 image would have 10,036,224 pixels,or approximately 10 megapixels. The pixel count alone is commonly presumed to indicate the resolution of a camera, but this is a misconception. There are several other factors that impact a sensor’s resolution. Some of these factors include sensor size, lens quality, and the organisation of the pixels. Many digital cameras have preset modes for different applications. Within the constraints of correct exposure, various parameters can be changed, including exposure, aperture, focussing, light metering, white balance, and equivalent sensitivity. For example a portrait might use a wider aperture to render the background out of focus and would seek out and focus on a human face rather

than other image contents.Common formats for digital camera images are the JointPhotography Experts Group standard (JPEG) and Tagged Image FileFormat (TIFF).

MIGHTY MOUSE

Microsoft’s new Wireless Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000 exudes style along with great innovation Featuring navigation controls for slideshows and media players and a laser pointer, this mouse is the first-of-its-kind. While you can use it at home to contro your media player remotely, executives and professors can use it to control slideshows wirelessly.

Features

The Presenter Mouse 8000 uses 2.4 GHz Bluetooth 2.0 wireless platform that provides a range of 30 feet. The package includes a USB Bluetooth transceiver (dongle). To begin using the mouse, you have to plug in the transceiver into the USB port and switch it on. Having a switch is a good feature since you can switch off the device when not in use, to conserve battery life. Power is drawn from two AAA batteries

The mouse features laser tracking system having a resolution of 1000 dpi making it highly responsive to movements Apart from the left and right click buttons and the scroll wheel which acts as a center button, two more buttons are provided at the side. These side buttons can be programmed from the control pane

to perform a specific function; zoom-in/ out, magnify, close, double-click are a few from a list of over thirty functions

Laser pointer and navigation pad are unique features of the Presenter Mouse 8000. To use the navigation pad, you have to switch to “presenter/media mode” by pressing the mode button located below the scroll wheel. The navigation pad located under the mouse features buttons for navigating back and forth during slide shows and volume control. The button below the laser pointer button can be used to blank out the screen when you don’t want it to be displayed. It’s useful when you wish to draw the audience’s attention

towards you during the presentation. The navigation pad can also be used to contro play list in Windows Media Player and Winamp wirelessly. The laser pointer is located below the right-click button

Ergonomics

The mouse features an ambidextrous design so that it can even be used by left-handed people. Rubber pads are provided on the sides so that you get a firm grip Your fingers won’t slip even when they become sweaty after a long session. The mouse feels comfortable to hold with fingers relaxed and easily stretching over the left and right-click buttons. The button clicks are silent and require a soft touch The scroll wheel is not the usual type as seen in most mice. The one present in this mouse can even be used for horizontal scrolling

Verdict

Buying this mouse will burn a hole in your pocket as it comes for a heavy premium Go for it only if you seriously require the wireless controls FOR: Ambidextrous design, good ergonomics, innovative features, excellent wireless range

AGAINST: Expensive

Aimed at enthusiasts craving for extreme performance, the 975x Platinum is based on the Intel’s most powerful chipset, the 975X Express featuring the ICH7DH South Bridge. The chipset supports all Intel processors starting from Pentium 4 to the latest Core 2 Duo. For those planning to build a workstation, the maximum memory supported is 8 GB. The ICH7DH South Bridge featuring Intel VIIV technology offers four SATA 2 ports, eight USB ports (four via headers) and 8-channel high-definition audio support controlled by Realtek ALC882M audio codec. The rear panel features 3.5 mm jacks and coaxial S/PDIF output. However, it was quite surprising to find optical the S/PDIF output missing. In addition to the four SATA 2 ports, an extra port is provided by the JMicron RAID controller which also supports RAID 5 in addition to RAID 0/ 1/ 0+1. Although both PCIE lanes are 16x, they work at 8x speed in CrossFire mode.

2K Sports spews a new contender for realism based Basketball. They have been working up the sports sim ladder quite well for the past couple years and have already surpassed the EA franchise in the gameplay aspect. This season’s lineup includes Street Ballin’, The Association, Season Mode, Tournament, and Situation based play.

The game starts with the quick game menu, so that you can jump right into action on the court. The menu system has been revamped to enable the use of the right stick, which can be employed to get to the main menu by moving the stick in any direction.

You get to do the real deals in The Association where you have to manage your team and play the games with them. There is a superb new story mode called 24/7 Next, in which you get to go out on the streets of Miami and pit your skills against the best, in a grueling, aggressive free for all battle. You get a buddy who helps you chart your career as a street player, and gets you details of the best games in the scene. Your coach starts you out with a free throw match against Shaquile ‘0′ Neal himself, after which you get to setup a detailed visualization of your player’s appearance.

When you first look at it, it might look like part of an airplane or a prop from a sci-fi flick. But actually it’s used for navigation in certain applications. It second fiddle to the usual mouse or trackpad (meaning that it doesn’t direct the mouse pointer). And you do need to install the supplied software for it to work. The knob, which is the main control, is “used for panning, zooming, and rotating. The side keys are programmable using the supplied software. You can use the Space Navigator with Adobe Photoshop and 3D design software like 3D Studio Max, Maya, and AutoCAD. It really is a spectacular piece of design; not just because of the superb construction and materials, but because it responds to the tslightest touch and j can replace complicated mouse movements with simple, intuitive motions. It can save a lot of tire and effort. Fantastic for the designers if you have the budget.