Photo Restoration

Photo Restoration, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

 Yellowed Photos?

For some reason, many of the snapshot photos taken in my childhood have turned yellow like the one on the left. Isn't it awful?

I really would like to restore them to the correct color, so I have been working on learning some new techniques.

My mother who was a very creative person, had trouble organizing. This is a problem with those of us who are talented in one area so much so that doing tasks that ordinary people find easy is almost impossible and very painful.

She tried to take all out family photographs and group them together by events or dates. I bought her a cardboard box with dividers to help her out. I was sure it would help her and keep her busy after she was a widow.

She took the photos and, much to my horror, stapled them together. Since she changed her mind frequently, she ripped the photos trying to change one photo from one group to another. She could have used a staple puller but I couldn't find one anywhere in my parents house.

So, in addition to the color problem, I have the rip at the top of the photo. I have been working on using the clone tool in an online photo site that I am investigating.

For a long time, I have used Picnik.com to do adequate fix-ups of my photos. Unfortunately, they are closing and being merged into Google. The paid version of this online tool had this handy collage feature which made quick work of demonstrating photos side by side.

They are letting anyone use their site until April so I guess, I'd better get cracking to get some collages made.

The shadow in this photo is my Dad taking the photo. Miss you, Daddy.

Ready for Watching

Ready for Watching, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Today, I worked with my new wireless headset and my Sony laptop to be ready for the live streaming events from RootTech. I discovered that it took longer for my laptop to recognize and install the drivers for the USB based wireless adapter (yellow arrow). But, once that was installed everything went fine.

On the headset (green arrow) there is an on/off button. When pressed to turn it on, a nearby light turns blue. When pressed to turn off, the light turns red.

I tested the laptop my listening to one of my own videos at YouTube and it played fine. I had forgotten how slow this laptop (running XP) is so I lost my patience a bit.

But, after that, I turned off the headset and ejected the receiver and put them aside for tomorrow.

That's when I looked at the screen and discovered the links to the upcoming webinars. Look, there are handouts!

Wireless Headset

Plantronics .Audio 995 Box, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Items in red were added after a few days of testing.

This is a picture of the box that my new Plantronics .Audio 995 wireless headset came in. The first thing you do is plug in the headset with a special cable that charges the headset in the USB port and wait for it to charge.

After one hour of charging, I couldn't stand it anymore and I had to try it out. The first thing you do is plug-in the receiver into another USB port and it automatically pairs with the headset. Of course the wait for charging was torture, but it gave me a chance to read the small brochure that came with a headset. The headset can't be used while it is plugged in to charge.

I can see that remembering to turn it on by pressing the on off switch on the side will be something that I have to work on. For most people locating or keeping track of the small receiver in their bag or desk will be a problem. (After charging, when it is on, the blue light glows on the headset)

I have tested this headset with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. The text that you are reading was typed using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. (I went back to re-read this today and found more typos.)

I tested the headset with a webinar that I had saved to my hard drive. Then, I opened iTunes and played some music. That worked fine as long as I kept the iTunes window open. Both things worked as expected.

Wearing the headset for several hours didn't bother me at all. The range still seems short but I really don't need to go very far.

I will have to try this with Skype tomorrow. (But, there was nobody to Skype with!) This is Midge signing out!

iPad Bag and Cases

My techno-friend Kathy Schrock posted this about her collection of cases and bags. It is a must read.

Kathy Schrock my favorite bag lady.

Got a new iPad?

Got a new iPad?

Here's some good online articles to get you started:

New iPad User? Some Starter Tips, Tricks, and iPad App Recommendations

iPad Tips: Getting Started with the iPad

iPad Getting Started (TC Geeks)

Using the iPad (TC Geeks) 

 

Nikon CoolPix P7000 Back

Nikon CoolPix P7000 Back, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

The camera features a large screen and a viewfinder. I chose this camera because of the viewfinder. I can't take photos of gravestones without one.

In my opinion, the viewfinder is essential.

Camera Case and SD to USB reader

Camera Case and SD to USB reader, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

This is the soft case that I chose for the camera. It has a strap that can attach to a belt loop. The object in the front is a SD to USB card reader that came free with the case.

I like that it snaps shut. I always keep the camera in the case and either in another bag or in my pocketbook.

Nikon CoolPix P7000 Camera

Nikon CoolPix P7000 Camera, a photo by midgefrazel on Flickr.

Nikon CoolPix P7000 Camera

Step 1: Unboxing

After unboxing, this is what my new camera looks like. Pictured to the left is the soft case that was purchased separately. I also bought a 16 GB SD card. Largest one I own.

I didn't know there was a camera strap that goes around my neck. I am going to like that.