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Image Search Engines
Finding great quality images on the internet can be time consuming and laborious. However, this concise and well researched list of the best image search engines should help cut down the time and energy you spend searching. It will also help you search more efficiently for professional standard images.
Google Images Search
Google Image Search is the most used image search engine in the world. Type in what you want to search for and it will produce literally thousands of image results -although it may need some serious filtering applied to get decent results. Limits on the engine are that you get the full page source and need to click each individual thumbnail to open every image.
Imagery
Imagery has a great and easy to use customised tabbed interface. With flexible sort functions, you can view between 20 and 100 images in one go and modify your search to specify details such as JPEG or GIF, black and white or color and the size and quality of the picture you want. It is a fantastic website from which to compile an organised and smart database of images.
Pixsy
Pixsy is fantastic because it sources from databases such as Webshots, Photobucket, Sevenload, SuperiorPics and ViewImages when the option of 'images' is specified in the original search. Its option to save to 'My Pixsy' or email the image is a very useful tool.
MSN Live Image Search
MSN Live Image Search is the top of the top for finding perfect wallpapers for desktops. Its handy option of "Showing only images of your desktop size" is ideal for this purpose. It also allows you to create albums by dragging favorite images from the search to a 'scratchpad' where they will be collated and stored.
Yahoo! Image Search
Yahoo Image Search (http://images.search.yahoo.com) finds images that appear as a framed interface on a source page and it has a range of options which can be applied to searches. Email to a friend, black and white, or a selection of sizes which can be expanded into a desktop wallpaper. Definitely a handy yet simple engine.
Ask Images
Ask Images Search is a clever little engine that makes neat suggestions on how to broaden or narrow your image search depending on the results you get. This goes a long way in improving the quality of image search results. 'Buddy icons' is an extra bonus which suggest similar YouTube links, Wikipedia articles and news stories which in turn lead on to related material.
Netvue
Netvue is a bit slower to browse through but perhaps more orderly as it produces its search results in a slideshow format. It does, however, allow you to browse the thumbnails manually, which makes this a good and funky way of image searching.
Picsearch
PicSearch produces all its images as thumbnails which link you to the original web source. With a range of two billion images in its database, it is a vast collection. Particularly good for animation searches, it has a range of options to modify and narrow searches. It is also a 'family friendly' search engine, so it's good for kids to use, too.
AltaVista Image Search
AltaVista Image Search is similar in its search capacity and is also good for wallpapers, but it also has graphics and banner options that broaden your search in a more techno way. The 'more info' tab is great for linking to similar sources.
Flickr
Flickr Images is the most used and subscribed to image sharing data base on the web. Powered through Yahoo, it acts as a community space for storing photos and images. You can find a range of unique but often copyrighted photos. It has search options such as 'most relevant' and 'most recent' which makes searching easier.
Photobucket
Photobucket is a free and vast online hosting web service for images, graphics and photos. With large capacities, it is able to store huge files which saves the users, a lot of bandwidth. The copyright mandates on this website can be vague, so check before use.
Webshots
Webshots is a community website similar to Flickr. Users upload selected photos and they can then be shared and searched for by other community members. However, many of these albums will also contain copyright restrictions.
Getty Images
Getty Images Search are world renowned for their media headline stealing pictures. Newspapers, blogs and magazines have all used this website, so it is without a doubt, reputable. It will contain images you will find nowhere else. It has a useful 'Editorial' option to get unique media images. Registration is necessary to get quotes for usage.
Corbis
Corbis is similar in its provision of stock media images. With options to search for royalty-free images, it is perhaps more accessible to the non-commercial user than Getty's. It also has an option to search pure photography as well as illustrations.
And finally...
Remember that despite 'finding' images online, many of these may be copyrighted, even if it doesn't say so in bold clear writing. Check the rights before using or editing these images and including them in catalogues, albums or selections you claim as your own work.
Restoring Previously Opened Folders
Are there folders you open up habitually every time you start up your computer? If so, did you know that you can set up your computer to open those folders automatically each time you boot up? Windows 7 and Vista users need only apply for this one!
Here's what you need to do to make it happen:
1.) First, open Windows Explorer or browse to any folder.
2.) Next, select "Organize" from the toolbar at the top of the window.
3.) Click on Folder and Search Options and the following window will open up on your screen:
4.) Now, click on the View tab.
5.) Check the option that says "Restore previous folder windows on log on."
6.) Click Apply and then OK.
Now, when you log off, restart or shut down, it will automatically open the previously opened folders on the next boot. This is a great way to get a head start on what you were working on when you last left your system! Go forth and give it a shot!
Q:
I've been hearing a lot about InPrivate browsing. What is it?
A:
InPrivate browsing is when you go shopping online and hit websites like ihopesomeonedoesntseeme.com. It can also be something as simple as shopping in a grocery store with a fedora stuck on your head. Whatever, it's cool; I am not here to judge. Besides, that's not what I am talking about, anyway.
I am (surprise!) talking about browsing the internet without leaving a trail. Nobody who gets on your computer can see what pages you have been to or what websites you have visited while on the internet.
Private browsing was first introduced by Google Chrome and is called Incognito Mode. Internet Explorer (version 8) is the browser that labels its private browsing feature InPrivate Browsing. Most browsers now have private browsing available, and there are software programs out there that can do the same thing. The features vary, but the principal is the same: You can surf the internet and nobody will be able to tell what you have been doing after you close the window. Let's talk a little about how this works.
When you start InPrivate browsing, a new window pops up. This begins your new session of browsing, and that's the part of your browser that is private. When you are InPrivate browsing you can have as many tabs open as you want – in the InPrivate browsing window. If you happen to have another window open at the same time, the websites, etc. that you access will not be InPrivate unless you enable it in that window, too. In other words, you can only be protected with InPrivate browsing when it is started with your session.
While you are surfing, temporary internet files and cookies are stored so that you can re-access sites without having to log in again and again and to make sure that all of the websites work properly. However, when you are done with your InPrivate browsing session, simply close the browser window and everything is deleted.
Here is some information about InPrivate browsing does:
Cookies: These are kept in memory for the reasons I explained above, and are cleared when you close the browser.
Temporary Internet Files: Again, these are stored so that web pages will work correctly, but they are deleted when you close the InPrivate browser window.
Webpage history: This information isn't stored.
Form data and passwords: These are not stored.
The Address bar and search AutoComplete: This information isn't stored.
There are some things that InPrivate browsing doesn't do, however:
Networks: If you are on a network, InPrivate browsing does not keep other people – like your administrator – from seeing where you've been.
Visited websites: InPrivate browsing does not provide you anonymity when you're surfing. The websites you visit can still store your information or identify you when you are on their website.
Changed browser settings: If you change your security settings or even your home page, those changes will not be discarded when you close out your InPrivate browser window.
Okay, so this is all great and wonderful, but how do you do it? Here's how to do it in WinXP:
First, open your browser. Go up to the very top (the menu bar) where you see
File – Edit – View – Favorites – Tools – Help. Click on Tools and point to InPrivate Browsing.
Click on InPrivate Browsing and a whole new window pops up and looks like this:
You're all set. I typed in Worldstart in my InPrivate window. Notice that the address bar has InPrivate before Worldstart's web address in the address bar.
That's all there is to it! If you want to go traveling around the internet and you don't want to leave a trail, then try InPrivate browsing.
More From Defrag
Windows 7's defrag utility has a lot more going for it than previous versions, but you have to know where to look to find the good stuff. To access some of the more interesting options like parallel defragging (defrag two separate hard drives at once) and progress reports, you need to use the command line version.
Don't be scared, just click Start, and in the search box type cmd. In the list that appears above, right-click the cmd icon and select "Run as administrator". The command window should open up.
From here, type defrag and press Enter. This will bring up a list of switches you can use along with the defrag command. Simply type the command with a / and the letter of the switch you'd like to use.
For example, if I want to defrag all volumes I'd type defrag /c.
Multiple switches can be used, too, so if you want to defrag all volumes at normal priority I'd type:
defrag /c /h
Experiment a bit and see if you can come up with a combination you like!
LinkedIn Tutorial 2
LinkedIn is a website designed for professional networking. In the previous tutorial, we talked about how to get your profile started, edit your contact settings, and how to receive, send and request recommendations. As you are well on your way to creating your own personal and professional network, let's learn more about how to use LinkedIn and its many features!
Once you are signed in and on your homepage, you will see a toolbar with multiple tabs across the top of the page. Let's explore "Profile" first. You can edit and view your profile. If you wish to edit your profile, you can edit your display name, education or workplace, area or industry, current and past positions, and you can add websites or your Twitter profile. You can take it to the next level by scrolling down on the page and adding past job experiences if you are searching for a job, for example. Or you can provide additional information about the education you have received. You may also add personal information such as phone number and address if you wish to be contacted that way.
The third tab is "Contacts." The options under this tab are: My Connections, Imported Contacts, Profile Organizer, Network Statistics, and Add Connections. When you click on "My Connections," it will most likely say that you currently have no connections (unless you have already added some!). You can click on Add connections to invite colleagues, classmates, and other people you may know to be one of your connections on LinkedIn.
"Imported Contacts" simply mean other contacts that you have that are not yet connected on LinkedIn with you. You can invite them to connect with you through this option. When you click on "Profile Organizer," this brings you to a page that is part of the LinkedIn Premium Account. If you wish to upgrade your LinkedIn, you could have the Profile Organizer that helps you keep track of noteworthy profiles and organize them into individual folders. The fourth option, "Network Statistics," again encourages you to invite all of your friends and colleagues to join your network because it is these connections that can help you be on your way to success!
The fourth tab is "Groups." Under this tab, there are My Groups, Following, Groups Directory, or Create a Group options. Once you become a member of different groups on LinkedIn, they will be displayed under "My Groups." There are professional groups, alumni organizations, work groups and more available on LinkedIn, all designed to make new business contacts and connections. Under "Following," the people you are following, your followers, and discussions you are following are listed here for you to manage. Followers are people who are following you and keeping track of what you are doing.
We will learn more about how to manage Groups, Jobs, your Inbox, and more in the next tutorial!
Set the Time Zone
Windows 7 users can change their time zone easily by clicking on their clock, hitting Change date and time settings... and clicking Change time zone..., but did you know there's an alternate way?
It's called tzutil. Here's how it works:
Click Start, and in the Search Box, type cmd. In the list the appears above, Right-Click on the cmd icon and select Run as administrator. This will bring up the command prompt.
From here, you can use tzutil to change your PC's time zone. For example, say you want to switch over to Pacific Standard time. You'd type:
tzutil /s "Pacific Standard Time"
A full list of time zones can be viewed by entering: tzutil /l (there's a lot of 'em!)
You can also see details on what the tzutil command does by entering: tzutil /?
Experiment a bit and see what you come up with!
