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Everything you have been looking for and more!!

Archive for the ‘Tools of the Trade’ Category

Free Online File Convertors

All2Convert – A fast way to convert videos from Youtube– a popular video sharing site.

Any Video Converter – Any Video converter provides support for conversion of almost all video file tyes like AVI, DivX, FLV, RM and more. Users are also provided with transfer options to devices like iPod and PSP.

Apple iPod Video Converter – Apple’s DVD2iPod allows users to convert DVD files to iPod, WMV, AVI and MPEG files.

AVS Video – A quality converter for DVD and VCD file formats.

Cellsea – Cellsea is an online video editor converting video files from desktop or online locations. It provides video conversion support for sites like Break.com, iFilm.com, Youtube.com, Metacafe.com, Google Video to name a few.

Convert Tube – Convert Tube is a quick online video converter for conversion to MP3, MP4, MOV and 3GP.

Easy Video Converter – A powerful utility for converting between video file formats like AVI, Realmedia, WMV/ASF, Quicktime, 3GP, MP4, FLV etc.

Flvix.com – An online free video converter for converting YouTube, Googlevideos into format compatible with PC, Mobile, iPod etc.

Hey Watch! – Hey Watch! Is an online video conversion utility for iPod like devices.

Koyote – Koyote can convert FLV,DIVX and other video formats into an iPod ready video format.

Media Convert – A cool media conversion utility which enables the users with various options for videos.

MediaConverter – A web-based video conversion utility including conversion from sites like YouTube.

SOSTV.de – A Weblog about German Cable and Pay TV, Films and addictive Series.

Movavi – Movavi allows users to convert video files to formats like AVI, Mpeg, iPod, PSP video, 3gp etc.

Reganam – 3GP Converter – A 3GP converter with support for conversion for various video files like MP3, QuickTime, AVI, Real Media and MPEG.

Tubefish – Tubefish video converter is a powerful video conversion service for converting videos to MPEG, AVI, MOV, 3GP and Divx.

Vconvert – Vconvert is an online converter for flv file format and YouTube videos. It converts videos to compatible formats for iPod/iPhone and mobile phone.

VIDEO4IPOD.ORG – A video and movie conversion utility for Apple’s Video iPod.

Video codezone – Simply enter the video URL which needs to be converted and choose the file format like iPod, 3GP, Quicktime, FLV, m4, AVI, mp3.

Vixy – A conversion utility allowing users to convert web-based Flash application to other video formats.

Xconv – Xconv offers free file conversion support for multiple file formats: word, wmv, PowerPoint, real audio, jpeg etc.

You convert it – A multi-purpose conversion utility with conversion support for images, audio, video and units.

Zune Online Audio-Video Converter – An online file converter with support for Zune compatible formats in audio and video.

Enjoy converting your videos online and drop us a line if one of the services listed above i not working anymore. Sometimes the servers are running out of traffic and the services are stopped until the end of the month. The Video converters are free of charge at the time we wrote this article. If a video conversion service changed to charging money for the video conversion please write a note in our comments. We do not remove the Video Converters but we want to mark them as commercial service.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Free Productivity Tools

Simpler Web viewing: Remember when the Web was add less and clutter-free? A browser add-on called Readability takes you back to those times by stripping any page down to its main article. No ads. Minimal navigation menus. Almost no clutter. It’s great for creating printer-friendly pages, and for distraction-free reading.

Isolation booth: For distraction-free writing in Windows, I love WriteMonkey. While you write, this minimalist writing app hides all of the formatting menus and just about everything else by expanding to full-screen mode and filling your screen with the soothing background color of your choice.

Intelligent notepad: At your PC or on your tablet or phone, Evernote lets you capture Web clippings, text notes, audio notes, and pictures. It then syncs them across all your devices, and indexes them so they’re easy to find later.

Mind mapper: When you want to capture complex ideas, few methods are as effective as a mind map for visualizing the many related parts of a project. Xmind gives you simple, powerful mind-mapping tools that rival those of the most expensive apps around.

Office alternative: Want a powerful productivity suite without the expense of Microsoft Office? Oracle’s free OpenOffice.org has a robust word processor, spreadsheets, databases, and presentations with support for Microsoft Office file formats.

Screen sharing: Whether you’re the unofficial tech support person for your company or the go-to techie for your family and friends, LogMe­In Free simplifies the process of sharing your screen with a remote user or of taking control of that person’s screen in real time.

Search simplifier: An alternative to the ubiquitous Google, newcomer Blekko takes a hand-curated approach, relying on slash tags that allow you to refine your searches and get more-relevant results. To see re­­sults for “Windows tips” sorted by date, for instance, type Windows tips /date.

List manager: To-do lists don’t have to be complicated. For simple, effective lists that you can share with friends and access from any mobile browser, try 37Signals’ Ta-da List.

Easy presentations: Need to whip up a snazzy presentation fast? Log on to SlideRocket via your Google account, and use its slick templates to embed images, Flash objects, videos, and audio. Then export your presentation as a PowerPoint slideshow or PDF.

E-mail postponer: When you get an e-mail message that you need to act on but don’t have to deal with quite yet, NudgeMail serves as a smart snooze button. Forward the message to, say, tomorrow@nudgemail.com or June2@nudgemail.com, and the e-mail will reappear in your inbox when you do need to see it.

File converter: Want to convert a MOV video file to WMV format, or a Word document into an ePub book for your e-reader? Online Convert transforms a wide selection of formats, and it doesn’t require you to download or install any new software.

Streamlined PDF viewer: Adobe’s Acrobat Reader has evolved dramatically over the years, and it has grown a little bloated along the way. For quicker PDF viewing that won’t hog your system’s resources, give the free Sumatra PDF a try.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Free Back Up Online Solutions

Here is an enormous list of websites that offer either free online storage or a free trial of their file hosting service .

  • 4shared – your Free Virtual Drive with 500Mb online storage space. 4shared offers you the easy and fast way to store your files, access them from anywhere at anytime and share them with your friends and people all over the world
  • Allmydata – harnesses the power of grid storage technology to securely store your email, photos, music, movies and more
  • anywhere – a unique personal file storage and sharing service that allows you to save, retrieve and share files and folders with your own network of contacts. 5 gigs, 10 gigs and 20 gigs accounts. Free 15 days trial accounts come with 50 megs
  • BestSharing.com – Free and easy-to-use file hosting. Allows uploading of virtually any type of files. Unlimited upload, unlimited download. You don’t need to registration and pay any fees. Max file size is 125 MB. Simply file manager allowed via email, file protect allowed too
  • Bigupload – free file hosting provider. You don’t need to registration and pay any fees. You don’t need to install any special software. A file can be up to 2GB(and counting!). Host your file forever for free, until it is unused for 30 days. If nobody downloads your file for 30 days, it is automatically deleted. Try BigUpload right now and you will see why 100,000 people use it every day
  • Bigvault – Provides “unlimited”, “secure”, “private” and “confidential” storage space on the Internet, that can be accessed at anytime from anywhere without the need to pre-download any software
  • Biscu.com – Now individuals and small businesses can get affordable on-line, high-speed web file storage and information sharing services. There are no complicated contracts or long term commitments. Our simple, pay-as-you go service lets you use as little or as much storage as you need. You’re never charged for space you don’t use, and there are no hidden surcharges should you ever require more space. We’re the most budget friendly storage service on the Internet
  • Boltfolio – unlimited storage. Allows uploading of virtually any media file – photos, video and audio
  • Box.net – about to relaunch with free accounts, private beta ongoing now, more at http://live.box.net
  • Streamload MediaMax -
  • Netizen – Like FedEx for digital parcels. This Mozilla based Desktop app allows users to send huge files (over 4GB!) securely and quickly without bogging down email. Uses intelligent relaying to ensure reliable delivery of data. With an intelligent p2p architecture it doesn’t require massive hosting costs as other apps and sites do.
  • MyOtherDrive.com – MyOtherDrive provides Internet users the ability to store online and share videos, music, photos – any file. The site provides each user with 5GB of storage space that can be selectively shared. Unlike other online storage sites, MyOtherDrive allows you to upload files in bulk (not one by one like so many sites do). The uploaded files can be any size (up to 2GB). The site allows the user to create groups and share their folders selectively to these groups (friends, family, coworkers, etc.) . You can define as many groups as necessary and friends can be placed in more than one group. Coming soon – content tagging and search capabilities.
  • Pando – A cross between YouSendIt, BitTorrent, and AIM.
  • Uploading – File Size Limit: 500MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • 4 Shared Free File Sharing – 500MB Virtual Drive
  • LOADMAN – First german online storage hoster with a fine selection of services and relly low prices.
  • Strongspace – Secure File Storage and Sharing
  • DF Deposit Files – (Max. 250 MB)
  • MediaFire – MediaFire is the first 100% free and unlimited file host. Unlimited uploads, unlimited downloads, unlimited bandwidth, multiple simultaneous downloads and no sign up required. You can also easily access your files from anywhere with a free account and your own “My Files” page.
  • FileFront – File Size Limit: 1GB – Download Limit: Unlimited – File Life: unknown. Only for GAME related files. Any file format allowed.
  • Imageshack – The ultimate image storage website. Allows images up to 1.5MB in size and allows hotlinking. Your images are available forever, and the site allows 100MB of transfer per hour. You can upload an unlimited amount of images with or without registering. Accepted file types are JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIF, TIFF, and SWF.
  • EchoSign – For easily archiving your documents. E-mail in all your documents; EchoSign stores them; images them; turns them into PDFs; and makes them searchable for you – for free.
  • filedropr – drop files for download.
  • HugeUploads – Free file storage and image hosting, with unlimited bandwidth and 500MB per file. You get unlimited downloads and uploads and protect your files with a password. We keep your files on our server for ever if you download the files within 30 days! No registration required.
  • ElephantDrive – ElephantDrive provides simple, secure, and automated online storage services to individuals and businesses. By combining the power of grid computing infrastructures such as Amazon Web Services’ S3, proprietary storage optimization technology, and simple, clean design, ElephantDrive’s service allows all users to enjoy the same availability and performance as enterprise solutions, at a fraction of the cost. While the company currently focuses on data protection, it is rapidly expanding its service to push all data into the cloud, where any web enabled device can store, retrieve, manage, and share any digital asset, from anywhere, at anytime.
  • DropBoks – No bells, no whistles, just an easy and quick way to store your files online. 1 GB Free.
  • File Storage Sites & Tools – Places to store your viral videos to your home photography.
  • Nelsok.com Video/Media Upload – This service is free. Allows users to upload videos. Also allows for creating movies/slide shows from video clips, sound files, and pictures. Users can put advertisements on their video viewing pages using googles adsense.
  • filicio.us – Free $0.15 using Amazon S3
  • DivShare – Upload Anything – * 100% FREE * Upload unlimited files * Serve unlimited downloads * Files stay online forever! * No pop-up ads or spam * Incredibly fast, reliable servers
  • MiHD – Max file size: 2048MB Resumable downloads: Yes! Download limits: None whatsoever! File lifetime: 3 Months
  • UploadOK! Free File Hosting, Free Web Hosting and Cheap Dedicated Servers – Max 1,000 MB
  • Blackbeard File Hosting .::. share your music, documents – 180 MB maximum file size.Files under the size of 50 MB will expire after 3 months of no download, larger files only 1 month.
  • DotSpirit – Online file storage powered by phpNavigator featuring: 10GB disk space, multi-users, drag & drop multiple files/folders. Available in English and French. Free trial available.
  • SnapDrive.net – Free File Hosting No File Deletion
  • Fies-Upload.com – Up to 1Gb files. Upload by HTTP or FTP. No limited space, file life time: 45 days
  • JungleDisk – Backup service using Amazon’s S3 service. Fast and cheap.
  • ShareUA – Ukrainian file storage. UA-IX. 60 mb space. For Ukrainian users!
  • mooload – File Size Limit: 500MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • YoUpload – Up to 500 megabytes per file Unlimited amount of uploads Unlimited amount of downloads Download managers accepted No download restrictions No “loading” times Fastest servers available
  • SexUploader – (500MB) For 90 Days
  • Diino – Diino is a personal, on-line environment, where it’s easy to share large files, back up important data, create an instant network, organize digital photos, play music and securely access important information
  • I(2) Drive Online Storage – I(2) Drive provides secure online storage and file server access through WebDAV servers for Business and Personal use. Other features include inbound servers, podcasting and RSS Feed, photo albums, direct links, and more…
  • MyTempDir – Maximum file size – 51,200 Kb (50 Mb)
  • QuickSharing – Unlimited downloads, even if the file have 100000 downloads, it doesn’t matter. Free to use, there is absolutely no money involved, you can use this service for free. 500MB limit per file, upload and share as many as you want. We only delete if the file is not accessed within the past 30 days.
  • EvilShare – Upload limit: 128 MB per file, unlimited number of files Download limit: none Files deleted after 30 days of inactivity. I like this site a lot because it’s simple, there are no download limits and no annoying waiting before download as on other sites. And it’s pretty fast, too. I highly recommend it.
  • zalil – 50 mb
  • File Planet – Know of a file that we should have but don’t? Let us know! Use the submission form below and get an instant link to your file. Be sure to be as descriptive as possible. Remember, while you get an instant link back – this does not place you officially on FilePlanet. That process may take a while, so be patient. Thank you and enjoy this service! Hi limit.
  • webcargo.net – Send any file, no matter the size, to anyone with an e-mail address. Price per month $0 Sends per month 5 included, $5 per send after that Max users 1 Max individual file size 100 MB Max data transfer Unlimited File storage duration 14 days Secure 128-bit encryption Yes Dedicated Account Rep — Other options available. http://www4.webcargo.net/webcargo/plan_pricing.php
  • Eggdisk 6GB File Storage – All accounts get an amazing 6GB of free file storage and file sharing with registration. Free image sharing without registration. The anonymous service allows up to 20MB files, but with the registered service you can have up to 100MB filesizes.
  • Boostfile – Upload files up to 150 MB, Download Stats for every file, Share, discuss, and rate files.
  • BackupRight – Super easy to use and automatic, what else could you ask for? They also have a free trial with no credit card and support Mac OS and Linux (Windows too of course).
  • TheOnlineDiary – Share uploaded files with your group. Upload any files, protect them from download, version managemnet included
  • Filecows – 20MB
  • Lumunon Media – FileSharing – FileShare gives you 10MB file limit and unlimited download limit. Time duration is about a year, but this will be eliminated either. So, other than the size limit, everything is unlimited.
  • OxyShare Your Data Route – Oxyshare Rapidshare Megaupload Size of file 700mb 100mb 250mb Download speed 3 mb/s 1,5 mb/s 1,5 mb/s Download limit no limit 1 file/hour no limit FTP upload yes no no Resume downloading yes no yes Block by IP no yes yes FTP speed 500kb/s no FTP no FTP
  • Picture9 Online Photo Albums – Free image hosting for blogs, eBay auctions & MySpace. Photo gallery, stock portfolio & image slideshow for personal photos.
  • fileXoom – Bandwidth: Unlimited; Max file size: 100 MB; Storage space: 2 GB; All file types allowed; Free
  • Data File Host – Max. file size 10MB, unlimited uploads, download limit is 2.5GB/month for each file and for files smaller than 1MB there is no limit. File kept until no downloads for 30 days.
  • Flat File Host – maximum filesize: 250 MB
  • TransferBigFiles – File Size Limit: 1GB Download Limit: 20 Downloads File Life: 5 Days
  • mailbigfile – File Size Limit: 1GB Download Limit: 3 Downloads File Life: 7 Days
  • Easy File Host – File Size Limit: 1GB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: Unlimited
  • Up-FILE – File Size Limit: 1GB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: Unlimited
  • Fupload – File Size Limit: 500MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 25 Days
  • UploadReady – File Size Limit: 500MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • zSHARE – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 10 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 10 days)
  • Bigupload – File Size Limit: 300MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • Speedy Share – (Maximum: 33MB) Download Limit: Unlimited (Limit of 5GB per file per day) File Life: 7 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 7 days)
  • Easy-Sharing – File Size Limit: 75MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days
  • JustUpit – File Size Limit: 120MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • Turbo Upload – File Size Limit: 70MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: Unknown
  • Content-Type – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 7 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 7 days)
  • Upload-File – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: 50 Downloads File Life: 30 Days
  • StreamUpload 2.0 – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days
  • JumboFile – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • Remote File CabiNET – Remote File CabiNET is an easy-to-use service that eliminates the security risks and productivity problems associated with email. Just insert and manage files online using a Windows Explorer-like interface.
  • GetFile – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 14 Days
  • Web-Upload.com – easy to use and for free !
  • YourFile – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • BigFilez – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 14 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 14 days)
  • rar host – free file hosting for .rar files! – Upload limit: 200 Mb. Files last 30 days
  • Your File Link – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • orb-z – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: 200 Downloads File Life: 15 Days
  • Gimehost – Free upload of upto 250 MB!
  • Send File – File Size Limit: 40MB Download Limit: 10 Downloads File Life: 10 Days
  • MyLivePage – Free 1GB File Storage For All English And Russian Language Support
  • FileBuffer – File Size Limit: 40MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 7 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 7 days)
  • UltraShare – File Size Limit: 30MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • UploadTemple – File Size Limit: 30MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 21 Days
  • SendMeFile – File Size Limit: 30MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 14 Days
  • Upload2 – File Size Limit: 25MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 1 Year
  • Rogepost (AKA) Filegone.com – File Size Limit: 25MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 100 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 100 days)
  • UploadTown – File Size Limit: 20MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • Filegone – File Size Limit: 25MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 100 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 100 days)
  • 11MBIT.in – File Size Limit: 20MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • Refrozen – File Size Limit: 20MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • Crazefiles – File Size Limit: 20MB Download Limit: 50 Downloads File Life: 14 Days
  • hackz.nu – File Size Limit: 20MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: Unknown
  • Zhube – File Size Limit: 20MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 15 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 15 days)
  • Free-Transfer – File Size Limit: 10MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 7 Days
  • carbonite – How come www.carbonite.com is not on the list?
  • eSnips – 1GB free storage space.
  • MailBigFile – Send big files quickly and easily, without clogging up your email. No software to download, if you can see the web, you can use Mail Big File. 3 simple steps and your file is on it’s way.No cost, no registration – just start sending files. With the option to secure your file with 128-bit encyption, Mail Big File is more secure than standard email. All files are virus scanned. Send files up to 1GB in size. Features a progress meter.
  • MegaShares – File Size Limit: 1.5GB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 25 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 25 days)
  • SendOver – File Size Limit: 2GB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 7 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 7 days)
  • Free 1000MB file storage – FREE 1000MB file storage and unlimited size files uploads with Hercules software from your desktop
  • bbDRIVE – Amazing! A windows app simply maps FTP storage into an network disk, could be use with any win support application. Max 10GB storage & no single file size limitation.
  • Upload 2 – Free file hosting service. Up to 250 MB.
  • Boltfolio -
  • BigUpload – 2000MB upload limit. File stays on the server forever as long as it’s updated once every 30 days.
  • zUpload – File Size Limit: 500MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • Spread-It – File Size Limit: 500MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 14 Days
  • CyberUpload – File Size Limit: 500MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 7 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 7 days)
  • Snaggys – File Size Limit: 500MB Download Limit: 999 Downloads File Life: 15 Days
  • ShareBigFile – File Size Limit: 300MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 21 Days
  • UpDownloadServer – File Size Limit: 250MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: Unlimited
  • XtraFile – File Size Limit: 250MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 15 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 15 days)
  • Dropload – Send Files upto 100MB for 7 days.
  • bonpoo – File Size Limit: 250MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 10 Days
  • FileCache – File Size Limit: 250MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 31 Days
  • Supload – File Size Limit: 200MB Download Limit: 30 Downloads File Life: 7 Days
  • ovodocs – Web based online document storage that looks just like windows explorer. Is absed around creating users/customer accounts so you can share and manage files between. Costing is based around user base. Complete security with users and groups. Alos file usage audit.
  • myShareBox – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • TheUpload – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days
  • Upload.Sc – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: Unknown
  • Hemen Paylas – File Size Limit: 250MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • Store and Serve – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • upload2.com – File Size Limit: 250MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • BIGfileupload – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: Unlimited
  • AxiFile – File Size Limit: 150MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days
  • QuickDump – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: download bandwidth limit of 500MB per hour File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • Fastmail – Great subscription email service with file storage; plans ranging from free (1MB limit, 10MB quota) to $40/yr (250 MB storange, 750 MB quota).
  • FileHD – File Size Limit: 60MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • UploadSend – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • UploadFront – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • FreeUploader – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • Momoshare – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 15 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 15 days)
  • FriendlyShare – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • UploadHut – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days
  • SupaShare – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 14 Days
  • FileHost – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • ushareit – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • SceneWorld – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: 1000 Downloads File Life: 50 Days
  • WebFileHost – File Size Limit: 10MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days
  • Hyperupload – File Size Limit: 10MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: Unlimited
  • KeepMyFile – File Size Limit: 15MB Download Limit: Unknown File Life: Unknown
  • MoFile.com – Temporary Upload Limit:1G, 3days Permanent Upload Lmit:30M
  • Mozy -
  • MyBloop -
  • Badongo – Upload files up to 1GB.
  • Mp3Tunes -
  • SendSpace – 1200MB upload space.
  • TrasferBigFiles – 1GB. Five days or 20 downloads.
  • Woomp -
  • FileFactory – File Size Limit: 1.5GB Download Limit: 25 Downloads File Life: 7 Days
  • RapidUpload – File Size Limit: 300MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • iStorage -
  • RapidSharing – File Size Limit: 50MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 60 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 60 days)
  • Openomy -
  • RapidShare – File Size Limit: 100MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 30 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 30 days)
  • Megaupload – Temporary upload, fast and easy, and free.
  • OurMedia -
  • Omnidrive -
  • DropSend -
  • Inbox.com – free 2GB webmail that includes Storage, Calendar & Tasks, and Notes.
  • SaveFile – File Size Limit: 60MB Download Limit: Unlimited File Life: 14 Days (Deleted only if there is no download activity in 14 days)
  • Allmydata.com – Unlimited storage on a p2p grid network – free if you share space on your own drive
  • My File Hut – How much space and bandwidth do i get with myFileHut.com? All users will receive 250MB of Storage space free at cost. Users are also restricted to 10GB/month after staying with myFileHut.com after two weeks, the first two week as a new member you are restricted to 1GB/Week for the first two weeks. Am I allowed to Hotlink and Stream? Yes!, you are allowed to hotlink any type of media off the myFileHut.com Network that does not breech the TOS. Streaming is also allowed, but it is suggested that you watch your bandwidth usage when streaming as this tends to eat up most of the users bandwidth
  • Freepository -
  • EggDisk – All new accounts up to September 1st will get an amazing 4GB free storage. Sign up today and tell your friends. Free File Storage and File Sharing without registration. Just upload and go! You can backup all your files, images and work. The anonymous service allows up to 20MB files, but with the registered service you can have up to 100MB filesizes.
  • Grouper.com – Free storing/sharing of photos and videos
  • A Website Design Checklist – Website design is a significant function of the website. It is the basis of the website development and publication. The web designer must be a creative person who can design a web site that is aesthetically pleasing to look at and plan a site that is functional and easy for your viewers to use.
  • uploadyourfiles – Upload limit: 200Mb. Files last 30 days
  • Uploadsever – Upload limit: 250 Mb
  • YouSendIt – File Size Limit: 1GB Download Limit: 25 Downloads File Life: 7 Days

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Gmail Labs is a testing ground for experimental features that aren’t quite ready for primetime. They may change,break or disappear at any time.

If (when) a Labs feature breaks, and you’re having trouble loading your inbox, there’s an escape hatch. Use http://mail.google.com/mail/?labs=0.

1
Offline
by the Offline teamMake Gmail go where the Internet doesn’t. Access your inbox through your browser and use Gmail’s familiar features when you’re offline. To get started, enable this lab and then click on the “Offline” link in the upper-right of your inbox.
2
YouTube previews in mail
by Stanley C and Braden KShows a video preview whenever you receive a YouTube link in an email. You can watch the video right inline!
3
Picasa previews in mail
by Dan, Stanley, Mark & UmeshShows photos previews whenever you receive a Picasa link in an email.
4
Flickr previews in mail
by Dan PShows photos previews whenever you receive a Flickr link in an email.
5
Yelp previews in mail
by Dong C, Braden K, and Raylene YShows previews of Yelp listings (rating, location, phone number, etc.) whenever you receive a Yelp link in an email.
6
Google Voice player in mail
by Robert DLets you play voicemails left on your Google Voice account right from the email notification.
7
Google Docs previews in mail
by Steven S, Jim M, Bob B, and Ted CShows previews of documents, spreadsheets and presentations directly in the email when you receive any link to a Google Doc. Also gives an option to open directly in Google Docs.

Message translation
by DarrenUses Google Translate to translate messages you receive in other languages.

Back to Beta
by DarrenSoothes the soul by putting the familiar beta sticker back on the Gmail logo.

Quick Links
by Dan PAdds a box to the left column that gives you 1-click access to any bookmarkable URL in Gmail. You can use it for saving frequent searches, important individual messages, and more.
Superstars
by Kai H & Julie WAdds additional star icons. After enabling this feature:
(1) Go to the “General” Settings page to choose which superstars you wish to use.
(2) Use either the keyboard shortcut (’s’) or click to rotate through your selected superstars.
(3) Use the search operator “has:” to find all messages with your superstar (e.g. “has:red-bang”, “has:blue-star”). Learn the name of a superstar by hovering over its image in the “General” Settings page.

Pictures in chat
by Dave CSee your friends’ profile pictures when you chat with them.

Fixed width font
by Keith CAdds an option to the reply dropdown menu that lets you view a message in fixed width font.

Custom keyboard shortcuts
by Alan SLets you customize keyboard shortcut mappings. Adds a new Settings tab from which you can remap keys to various actions.

Mouse gestures
by Erik AUse your mouse to navigate with gestures. Hold right-click and move the mouse left to go to a previous conversation, move it right to go to the next conversation, and move up to go back to the inbox view. Works best on Windows.

Signature tweaks
by Keith C and Dave CPlaces your signature before the quoted text in a reply, and removes the “–” line that appears before signatures.

Random Signature
by Chad PRotates among random quotations for your email signature.

Sender Time Zone
by Marcin BShould I reply to this mail or just call the guy? Ooops… it’s 1 am. Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb…

Custom date formats
by Emil EAdds options to the general settings page allowing the date and time format to be changed independent of language. For example, you can use a 24-hour clock (14:57) or show dates with the day first (31/12/07).

Muzzle
by Chad PConserves screen real estate by hiding your friends’ status messages.

Old Snakey
by Dave CKick it old school with Old Snakey! Enable keyboard shortcuts and hit ‘&’ from the main page to play a game of snake.

Email Addict
by Michael DLets you take a break from email and chat by blocking the screen for fifteen minutes and making you invisible in chat.

Right-side chat
by Emily CMove the chat box to the right side of the inbox.

Hide Unread Counts
by Matt MHides the unread counts for inbox, labels, etc.

Advanced IMAP Controls
by Jamie NChoose which labels show up in IMAP, turn off message auto-expunging, or trash messages when they’re deleted from IMAP.

Canned Responses
by Chad PEmail for the truly lazy. Save and then send your common messages using a button next to the compose form. Also automatically send emails using filters.

Default ‘Reply to all’
by Mark KMake ‘Reply to all’ your default option for responding to emails.

Quote selected text
Ryan AQuote the text you have selected when you reply to a message. (Now works with the mouse, too!)

Navbar drag and drop
by Anatol PAllows you to reorder the items in your navbar using drag and drop.

Mail Goggles
by Jon PGoogle strives to make the world’s information useful. Mail you send late night on the weekends may be useful but you may regret it the next morning. Solve some simple math problems and you’re good to go. Otherwise, get a good night’s sleep and try again in the morning. After enabling this feature, you can adjust the schedule in the “General” settings page.

Forgotten Attachment Detector
by Jonathan KPrevents you from accidentally sending messages without the relevant attachments. Prompts you if you mention attaching a file, but forgot to do so.

Vacation Time!
by DarickLets you specify starting and ending dates for the vacation autoresponder.

Custom Label Colors
by Mark KLets you create your own combination of colors for labels. Instead of choosing one of the standard colors from the label dropdown menu, click on Add custom colors. Pick your combination of colors, hit Apply, and enjoy.

Mark as Read Button
by Mark KTired of spending all that effort to click on the more actions menu every time you want to mark messages as read without reading them? Now just enable this lab and that is just a button click away!

Go to label
by Bruce Dkeyboard shortcuts and hit ‘g’ then ‘l’ to display a popup for selecting a label to go to. Also works with Quick Links.
Inbox preview
by Peter BShow a simple, static preview of the inbox while loading.

Multiple Inboxes
by ViviAdd extra lists of emails in your inbox to see even more important email at once. The new lists of threads can be labels, your starred messages, drafts or any search you want, configurable under Settings.

Google Search
by Adam and DrewDisplays Google search results inside your mail window, letting you quickly find things and use them when you’re writing an email.

Create a Document
by Jeremie LE & David KAllows you to create a Google Document from an email conversation or a new blank document if your keyboard shortcuts are enabled by hitting ‘g’ then ‘w’.

Filter import/export
by Luke B, Slava C, and the Data Liberation teamExport your mail filters as a file: back them up, share them, or save them before deleting so you can restore them later. Import one of these files to quickly add or restore filters. These options become available under Settings/Filters when you enable this Lab.

Text Messaging (SMS) in Chat
by The SMS TeamAllows you to send and receive text messages (SMS) in Chat. US phones only for now.

Authentication icon for verified senders
by E RDisplays a key icon next to authenticated messages from certain senders that spammers attempt to fake. Currently works for mail from PayPal and eBay only.

Send & Archive
by Pal TAdds a button to the compose form that lets you send a reply message and archive the email conversation in a single action.

Undo Send
by Yuzo FOops, hit “Send” too soon? Stop messages from being sent for a few seconds after hitting the send button.

Location in Signature
by Marco BAppends your location to your signature. You must have your signature enabled. Please enable gears for higher accuracy.

Title Tweaks
by Fedor KChanges order of elements in the browser title bar from “Gmail – Inbox (20) – jaysonconner@gmail.com” to “Inbox (20) – jaysonconner@gmail.com – Gmail”. This way you are able (most of the time) to see if a new mail has arrived even if Gmail window is minimized.

Don’t forget Bob
by Ari L, Naty L & Ron MOnce you pick some email recipients, Gmail suggests more people you might want to include based on the groups of people you email most often.

Got the wrong Bob?
By Assaf B.D. & Naty LDoh, have you ever addressed an email too quickly, and included Bob (your boss) instead of Bob (your friend) by accident? If you’re emailing more than two people at once, Gmail will check if you meant to include Bob Smith rather than Bob Jones based on the groups of people you email most often.

Green Robot!
by Chad YChat buddies show up as robot icons if they are currently using Android. Helpful to determine if you are chatting with someone on a computer or someone on an Android device.

Search Autocomplete
by Ibrahim B, Chris P, and Andrew CProvides search suggestions for contacts and operators as you type in the search box.

Hide read labels.
by Damian G & David de KThe visible labels in the navigation bar will be hidden under the ‘more’ menu when they don’t contain any unread conversations.

Inserting images
by Kent TAllows you to insert images into a message body. You can upload and insert image files in your computer, or insert images by URLs. This lab will not work if you have offline enabled.

Extra Emoji
by Yuzo FCompose messages with a richer set of emoji characters.

Hide Labels from Subjects
by Christopher SWorking on a netbook with a small screen? Labels next to mail in your inbox take up valuable space. Hide them, and you’ll be able to see the subjects of your emails themselves.

Google Calendar gadget
by Ben K and Garry BAdds a box in the left column which shows your Google Calendar. See upcoming events, locations, and details.

Google Docs gadget
by Claudia C and Ted CAdds a box in the left column which displays your Google Docs. Shows recent docs, starred docs, and has fast search.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Lossless jpeg applications

Here is a list of applications which provide the JPEG lossless rotation feature based on the IJG code:

  1. Jpegcrop [Guido Vollbeding] (Windows) – Sample application
  2. cPicture [Jürgen Eidt] (Windows) – Includes lossless cropping, Exif patch and automatic Exif orientation correction!
  3. PIE [PicMeta Software] (Windows) – Picture Information Extractor, includes Exif patch
  4. EXIF Image Viewer [Michal Kowalski] (Windows) – Digital camera photo viewer, includes Exif patch
  5. IrfanView [Irfan Skiljan] (Windows) – Freeware graphic viewer, includes Exif patch (version 3.85 or later [PlugIn!])
  6. DigiAlbum [Bernhard Baier] (Windows) – Digital photo album, includes Exif patch
  7. Cam4you [Hans-David Alkenius] (Windows) – Canon digital camera utilities, includes Exif patch
  8. BreezeBrowser [Breeze Systems Limited] (Windows) – Canon digital camera utility, includes Exif patch
  9. IxPictures [Reimar Grasbon] (Windows) – Transfer photos from your Canon-DigiCam to your computer, includes Exif patch
  10. GetCanon! [David Vidmar] (Windows) – Image downloader for Canon digital cameras, includes Exif patch
  11. Exifer [Friedemann Schmidt] (Windows) – Free JPEG Exif management software, includes Exif patch
  12. Rota [TsuruZoh Tachibanaya] (Windows) – Lossless rotation utility, includes Exif patch
  13. Jasc After Shot [Jasc Software Inc.] (Windows) – Digital imaging application, includes Exif patch
  14. PixVue [PixVue] (Windows) – Digital camera image management tool, includes Exif patch
  15. Thumber [TawbaWare] (Windows) – Digital camera image management software, supports Exif patch
  16. PhotoThumb [Jarle Aasland] (Windows) – Digital image manager, includes Exif patch
  17. ABC-View Manager [ABC-View Software] (Windows) – Flexible file manager and fast image viewer, includes Exif patch and automatic Exif orientation correction!
  18. PMView Pro [Peter Nielsen] (Windows, OS/2) – A Versatile and Fast Image Viewer and Converter, includes Exif patch and automatic Exif orientation correction!
  19. cam2pc [nabocorp softwares] (Windows) – An Image Downloader and more, includes Exif patch
  20. FixFoto [Joachim Koopmann] (Windows) – Image editing for digital photography, includes Exif patch
  21. FotoView [Martin Pola] (Windows) – jpegtran Frontend for comfortable lossless cropping and rotation, supports Exif patch
  22. JPEGCrops [Toke Eskildsen] (Windows) – jpegtran Frontend for comfortable lossless cropping and rotation, supports Exif patch
  23. Dreher [Martin Schulze] (Windows) – jpegtran Frontend for comfortable lossless rotation, supports Exif patch
  24. ljcrop [Marshall Perrin] (Unix) – jpegtran Frontend for comfortable lossless cropping, supports Exif patch
  25. imgSeek [Ricardo Niederberger Cabral] (GNU/Linux, Windows) – Photo collection manager and viewer, supports Exif patch
  26. PhotoLine 32 [Computerinsel] (Windows, Macintosh) – Image editing software, includes Exif patch
  27. Photo Studio [John Hawkins] (Windows) – Multi-purpose image management tool, includes Exif patch
  28. IMatch [photools.com] (Windows) – Digital image management application, includes Exif patch
  29. exifiron [Marko Mäkelä] (Windows, Macintosh, C/POSIX) – Orientation correction and optimization of EXIF JPEG images, includes Exif patch
  30. DW:Rotate [Photographer Solutions] (Windows) – Fast and easy lossless rotation of JPEG images, includes automatic Exif orientation correction!
  31. JPegger [Vallen-Systeme GmbH] (Windows) – Digital image viewer, includes Exif patch
  32. BetterJPEG [BetterJPEG Team] (Windows) – Lossless rotation, crop, and editing tool, includes Exif patch
  33. FastStone Image Viewer [FastStone Soft] (Windows) – An image browser, converter and editor, includes Exif patch and automatic Exif orientation correction!
  34. Lossless JPEG Toolbox [Michael Lee] (Windows) – Lossless JPEG Toolbox, supports Exif patch
  35. JPEG Lossless Rotator [Anry] (Windows) – Comfortable lossless rotation utility, includes Exif patch and automatic Exif orientation correction!
  36. Picasa [Google, Inc.] (Windows) – Photo organizer, includes Exif patch
  37. imageN [Pawel Szczerbina] (Windows) – Digital imaging software
  38. Cameraid [Juri Munkki] (Macintosh) – Digital photography utility package
  39. jpeg explorer [Jurij Mirtov] (Windows) – Digital camera JPEG file explorer
  40. GraphicConverter [Lemke Software] (Macintosh) – Shareware graphic converter
  41. ACDSee [ACD Systems] (Windows, Macintosh) – Picture viewer and digital imaging software
  42. Ulead Photo Explorer [Ulead Systems] (Windows) – Digital photography software
  43. ThumbsPlus [Cerious Software] (Windows) – Graphic management software
  44. PolyView [Polybytes Software] (Windows) – Image viewer, conversion, and printing utility
  45. Qimage [Digital Domain Inc.] (Windows) – Image viewing and printing software
  46. EyeBatch [Atalasoft] (Windows) – Batch image processing software
  47. Diji Album [Xequte Software] (Windows) – Digital photo album software
  48. CompuPic [Photodex Corporation] (Windows) – Digital content manager
  49. Photo Viewer [PhotoParade] (Windows, Macintosh) – Digital photo viewing and managing
  50. FotoAlbum [FotoTime] (Windows) – Organizing and sharing digital pictures
  51. MyAlbum [Pierre Meindre] (Windows) – Image cataloger and slideshow
  52. NikonView [NikonTechUSA] (Windows) – Nikon digital camera accessory software (dubious!)
  53. Image Preview [Microsoft Corporation] (Windows ME, XP, GDI+) – Embedded image component
  54. Photo Studio for Canon [Scott Murray] (Windows) – Scott Professional Photo Studio for Canon cameras
  55. iView MediaPro [iView Multimedia Ltd.] (Macintosh) – Multimedia management software
  56. OfotoNow [Ofoto Inc.] (Windows, Macintosh) – Online photo album uploader software
  57. jpegtranGUI [Robert Williams] (Amiga) – jpegtran Graphical User Interface
  58. Prince Digital [Erithacus Software] (Windows) – Digital image printing utility
  59. PhotoTip [DurSoft Development] (Atari) – Digital photo graphics program
  60. MediaChest [Dmitriy Rogatkin] (Java) – Media file organizer
  61. FishEye [Willem van Schaik] (Windows) – Digital image viewer
  62. Firegraphic XP [Firegraphic.com] (Windows) – Image management software
  63. PhotoPhilia [Pholix Software] (Windows) – Image management software
  64. MaPiVi [Martin Herrmann] (Linux, Unix/X11, Mac OS X, Windows, Perl/Tk) – Martin’s Picture Viewer and Organizer
  65. Easy Thumbnails [Fookes Software] (Windows) – Freeware utility for creating thumbnail images
  66. XnView [Pierre-e Gougelet] (Windows, Linux, Unix/X11) – Multimedia viewer, browser, and converter
  67. CodedColor [1STEIN GmbH] (Windows) – Photo viewer, image editing and archiving software
  68. ImageBuddy [KepMad Systems] (Macintosh) – Digital image printing software
  69. Image Resizer [SEM] (Windows) – JPEG and EXIF viewing and editing software
  70. GTK Photo Gallery [Jens Wilke] (Unix) – Manage photograph collections and order prints online
  71. My Photo Gallery [fuzzymonkey.org] (CGI/Perl) – Online album
  72. PhotoMan [Keith Sheppard] (Windows) – Digital photo organizing application
  73. Gwenview [Aurelien Gateau] (Linux/KDE) – Fast and easy to use image viewer for KDE
  74. gThumb [Paolo Bacchilega] (Linux/GNOME) – Image viewer and browser for the GNOME Desktop
  75. StudioLine Photo [H&M Software] (Windows) – Digital image editing and archival software
  76. pixafe [pixafe GbR] (Windows) – Relational database with lots of imaging functions
  77. Eye of Gnome (eog) [The GNOME Project] (Linux/GNOME) – Standard picture viewer in the GNOME Desktop
  78. RealWorld Photos [RealWorld Graphics] (Windows) – Image editor; retouch a .jpg image without losing quality

Check these programs out and let me know you feedback.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Photoshop Tutorials Galore!

Article is from Dominickgatto. Posted on June 12, 2007.

http://user.fundy.net/morris/photoshop.shtml
http://ss.hostrocket.com/tutorials.html
http://www.wastedyouth.org/tutorials/
http://www.computerarts.co.uk/tutorials/
http://www.phong.com/tutorials/
http://www.spyroteknik.com/
http://www.spoono.com/photoshop/tutorials/
http://www.eyewire.com/tips/photoshop/
http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/
http://www.dubtastic.com/
http://www.designsbymark.com/
http://www.bluesfear.com/tutorials.htm
http://www.eyesondesign.net/
http://www.teamphotoshop.com/
http://www.xanthic.net/tutorials.html
http://www.planetphotoshop.com/
http://www.eyeball-design.com/index3.htm
http://www.dreaminfinity.com/tutorials.php
http://www.jereme.com/
http://www.effectlab.com/index2.html
http://www.absolutecross.com/tutorials/photoshop/
http://www.absolutecross.com/tutorials/photoshop/
http://www.photoshopcafe.com/
http://www.extremephotoshop.com/index.aspx
http://www.stewartstudio.com/tips/phototip.htm
http://www.aqa-d.se/autumn2002/index.htm
http://www.magicpixel.com.au/magicp…ml/workwel.html
http://www.rtideas.com/ticks/
http://www.screaming-art.com/tutorials.php
http://www.arraich.com/ps_intro.htm
http://www.digitaltropic.com/tutorials.htm
http://www.perfectpixels.com/index.cfm?method=photoshop
http://www.webteknique.com/
http://www.distortion.co.uk/freebies/tutorial.html
http://www.eyeland.com/tutorials.php
http://nebulus.org/index.html?pg=tutorials.asp
http://www.somethingleet.com/forum/articles.php
http://www.tutorialforums.com/
http://www.shadowness.com/
http://www.deviantart.com
http://www.russellbrown.com/tips/photoshop.html
http://www.onusart.org/Version10/
http://www.retouchpro.com/tutorials/
http://www.newtutorials.com/
http://www.noxcel.com/root/tutorials.htm
http://www.webdesignstudien.de/tutorials.html
http://www.heathrowe.com/tutorials.asp
http://www.prometheus-design.org/
http://www.b-man.dk/tutorials.asp
http://www.good-tutorials.com/
http://www.thewebmachine.com/
http://www.voidix.com/
http://www.biorust.com/
http://www.praank.co.uk/t00ts/
http://www.yaxay.com/
http://www.web-con.nl/site/tutorials.php?region=9
http://www.joylee.net/
http://www.strangefate.com/Tutorials/index.html
http://www.vrumchev.com/
http://www.arch-nemesis.net/
http://www.shiver7.com/
http://gallery.artofgregmartin.com/tutorials.html
http://www.esoul.org/tutorials/
http://www.cardesignnews.com/studio/tutorials/index.php
http://www.drawthrough.com/tutorials/indoorbike.html
http://www.gfx4ever.com/
http://www.pensnpixels.com/tutorials.shtml
http://www.philoader.net/s/tut.php
http://www.xenefx.com/
http://www.handson.nu/
http://www.ozones.com/
http://www.alteredconcept.com/photoshoptuts.php
http://www.steeldolphin.com/tutorials_photoshop.php
http://www.tutorialman.com/
http://www.tutorialized.com/
http://www.graphics-central.com/
http://www.davrodigital.co.uk/tutorials/howtoo.htm
http://psworkshop.net/psworkshop/
http://www.graficalicus.com/
www.worth1000.com
www.designtutorials.info

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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CS3 and Black & White

Photoshop CS3 was released with a few new and powerful tools. On of which is the Black & White Adjustments Tool. But what is the difference between the previous conversion to black & white by way of the channel mixer and the new tool? Lets weigh out the steps and option for each and have you decide.

First, let’s start with a nice, colorful image to convert.

<a href=”http://designcreatology.com/b/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/tulip.jpg” title=”Pink Tulips”Pink Tulips

Image->Mode->Grayscale

Grayscale

This is the most common method of conversion, and yields the result below. While the image looks O.K- it can look much better than it does.

Image->Adjustments->Channel Mixer

The channel mixer should be familiar to you if you spend any time doing color critical work. This is a good way to selectively adjust your colors- giving you a bit more control than some of the other tools. The key to this method is the ‘monochrome’ checkbox on the bottom of the palette.Once you click on the “Monochrome” checkbox, you will see the image convert to black and white in the background. Now you can use the Red, Green and Blue sliders to selectively control the contrast of your image. The example below, I adjusted the image for “pleasing-ness” in the Channel Mixer palette.

Channel Mixer

There is just one problem with the method- the image does not convert to the grayscale color space when you are done with your adjustments, and hit OK. So just remember, when using this method- CONVERT TO GRAYSCALE WHEN YOU ARE DONE! Otherwise, you printer might get a little annoyed that all of your ‘1-color’ images are actually RGB.

Channel Mixer

The New Tool: Image->Adjustments->Black and White

This is the newest tool in this bag of tricks, introduced in Photoshop CS3. The control palette looks similar to the channel mixer palette, but has many more sliders- which means more control over your adjustments.

Black & White Tool

The best part of this tool, is that visually, it is very simple to understand. In the case, the large pile of red lumber on the right hand side of the image can be darkened or lightened by adjusting the Red slider.

Black & White Tool

I can’t imagine ever converting to grayscale again without it. And if you are tinting photos, you not only get to apply the color cast you want, but you can still control the colors to create the contrast necessary, as well. This is far more useful than the Hue/Saturation techniques to create a CMYK duotone effect. How many of you used to create a true duotone, then convert back to RGB or CMYK? And, of course, there is the Color Overlay of Photoshop’s Layer Effects, but this beats ‘em all.Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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PhotoSchemer

For many different reasons Color Schemer Studio is a favorite of mine as you might already know if you have read previous entries on this blog. I want to give you a closer look at one of the tools that it has to offer and it is called PhotoSchemer. Use the PhotoSchemer to help create a color scheme based off of the colors in any picture or image.

To find PhotoSchemer go to the Tools menu and select it from the drop down menu choices or press Control+H. Now open any GIF, JPEG, or bitmap image, and the PhotoSchemer will automatically generate a random color scheme taken from your image. The palette that opens in the top-left holds the color swatches taken from your image, and the white circles scattered around the image show the point that each color is taken from. (see below)

PhotoSchemer

Here are some tips for using the PhotoSchemer:

Drag the white circles around the image to fine-tune your photo scheme. You can even drag the transparent palette around if it is covering a portion of your image.
Use the Randomize! toolbar button to generate new scheme ideas, or drag the white circles around the image to change the reference point of the individual color swatches.
If you find that your image is too “busy” to pick out individual colors, press the “Mosiac Mode” toolbar button to switch the PhotoSchemer into Mosaic Mode. This mode converts your image into large blocks of color, making it easy to pick out your favorites.

Once you are set on your photo scheme, you can drag each individual swatch over to your Favorite Colors, or add the entire palette to your Favorite Colors with the “Add to Favs” toolbar button.

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Free Symbols for Illustrator IV

As promised here are more free symbols to be used with Illustrator.

3D Buildings
3D Buildings

Flowers and Fruit
Flowers and Fruit

Hobby Holiday Symbols
Hobby Holiday Symbols

Human Figures
humanfigures2.png

Random Symbols
Random Symbols

Here is another Blogtology subscribers Illustrator art submission:

 

Mothers Day
Titled: “Mothers Day”

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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Free Symbols for Illustrator III

As promised here are more free symbols to be used with Illustrator.

[download#13#nohits]
Jordan Almonds

 

[download#14#nohits]
Martini

 

[download#15#nohits]
Penquin Parts

 

[download#16#nohits]
Shipping Boxes

 

[download#17#nohits]
Simple Folk

Any suggestions, ideas? Feel free to comment on this article!

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