Notes to myself: How to add border to image

I picked up this tip from a photography magazine. It is just a simple task. To include one of the ready made borders, you simply add the border as another layer to the opened image in photoshop. Then select "Lighten" or "Screen" and the image will appear with the predefined border, as shown in the example here. It does add a bit of character to the image, doesn't it?

Bill paying before the computer age

I told myself that whenever I can't think of what to write, I'll write about the past. Perhaps someone in the future will find this so amusing, because it will be like looking at old photographs. So quaint, one might say.

When I started my working life after graduation in 1982 the service industry was run on pen and paper. In fact the personal computer was only in its infancy with the Apple IIe only starting to make its mark. In those days (in Malaysia) most people had only three household utility bills: water, electricity, and telephone. Nowadays in Malaysia many people subscribe to pay TV and broadband, in addition to the other three utilities.

At that time, each utility bill could only be paid at the utility company's outlet. We had to wait in a long queue to pay each bill before running off to the next place. It was a blessing that traffic and parking were not such a colossal problem as it is in Malaysia today. Nowadays people can choose to pay all their bills through the internet, or to pay different bills at just one location. It is funny isn't it, that even as computerization has made life easier and supposedly freed up time, we all still live terribly busy lives, don't we?

Internet power = people power

Three days ago I wrote about petrol pump irregularities. A friend of mine commented that I should report this to the authorities. Well, in a way I am doing my part by reporting this in my blog and encouraging friends to read about it. Would you do your part to get your friends to read about it too? If all my friends forward the link for "Watch where you pump your petrol" to their friends, in no time this will spread to an astronomical number of people and this apparent dishonesty will soon find a solution. I believe this country has regulators who are genuinely interested to do their job. If news like this gets to be so widespread that it becomes common knowledge, rogue bowsers will soon be brought in line.

I admit it; I am not cut out to be a fighter. A writer I might be. It takes a lot more effort than just reporting to the authorities. I would rather not start something that I can not see through to the end. If any of my readers feel motivated to do so, he is welcome to pick up on the case.

That is not to say we should resign to accept status quo. Ferdinand Marcos was toppled by people power, harnessing the SMS of their mobile phones to rally the nation. If we do likewise using the internet or email, we can amass unprecedented strength in number to fight any social injustice. "The pen is mightier than the sword" rings true once more. Or shall I say, Mighty Mouse to the rescue!

Economists and fortune tellers

At this time the Labour Government is quietly congratulating itself on the "success" of the economic stimulus package it launched last year to pull Australia out of the economic crisis. As far as economic modeling is concerned, one must not get carried away. There is simply no straightforward answer to how the economy works. Economic theories abound whenever there is a significant upswing or downswing of the economy. Economists like to parade their theories, which often make sense at the time. In a way they are like fortune tellers. When they are proven wrong, they are easily forgotten, but when they make a correct prediction they are given a lot of fanfare.

Back to the Australian economy... it is possible that even without the stimulus package, things might have not changed much. Australia has a huge dependence on migrants bringing money into the country. The recent real estate surge is led by mainland Chinese paying ridiculously high prices for homes they fancy (such as the recent $1.68mil sale of a house in Strathconian, which estate agents would have been delighted to sell at $1.2mil). This surge has increased the "feel good" factor that often translates into higher retail spending.

Of course, there is a myriad of other reasons and predictions about the economy. Economic modeling and fortune telling has been practised for ages. They seem to go hand in hand (tongue in cheek).

Developing an application

In the early days of the computer (circa 1970's), we all learned to write programs using Fortran. It was a time when every company believed in developing in-house applications. In time to come, the applications became standardized and a few big software developers dominated the scene. As applications got bigger and more complex, it required a big team of programmers many years to develop each application. Hence, it was no longer feasible for an small team of programmers to create in-house applcations other than for simple straighforward tasks.

Now it looks like the scales are tipped once more. With the advent of the iPhone and Android platform, budding programmers can once more write small applications that are marketable. It is an exciting change. Thousands upon thousands of "apps" can be purchased for a few dollars each to run on mobile platforms (i.e. mobile phones). I am excited by the prospect of a harmonized computing environment where applications can run interchangeably on a mobile phone, netbook, laptop, or desktop. These cute little apps can be used at home or carried around in the pocket. As for DIY programmers, they can once more publish, flourish, and get rich without the threat of Microsoft trampling all over them.

A moonlit picture

Everyone has taken a picture in the full sunlight. Have a good look at this one. It was taken in the full moonlight. My garden was very brightly lit under a full moon. I have always longed to take a picture under the full moon and this was the perfect opportunity. Braving the bitter cold (about 10 deg C?), I took my camera and tripod out to the deck and shot this picture.

I set the camera to Bulb and held the shutter down for about 90 sec. Have a good look. You don't often get to see a moonlit night like this!

New Panasonic DSLR: DMC GF1

What a busy week it has been! First, Sony introduced its high end DSLR, the affordable full frame A850. Four days later, Canon announced its EOS 7D, their highest end APS-C frame DLSR. One day later, today, Panasonic announces its most advanced Four-Thirds DLSR. It is an exciting product to watch. Here's the deal.

This is a camera that will seriously compete against the high end compact cameras. Professionals and amateurs alike buy the high end compacts (e.g. Canon G10) because they are small to carry everywhere and yet take pretty good pictures. Yes, even pro shooters sometimes opt for compacts when they go on holidays.

The Panasonic GF1 is about the same size as the Canon G10, but offers all the advantages of a DSLR: interchangeable lens, Four-Thirds sensor, SLR controls. Like a serious compact, it also offers Live View, HD movie with a dedicated record button, wind-cut for noise reduction, built-in flash as well as flash hot-shoe. Also, the fact that this innovative DLSR has done away with the mirror mechanism means that you can put the camera in silent mode. Great for use when you are shooting animals or birds. One nice touch is the option to record video in either AVCHD format or MJPEG. Both have pros and cons, so it is good to have the choice.

Help me; I feel like running out to buy this camera! This is an ideal camera to take on a holiday. The only thing that is holding me back is the lack of a fully articulated LCD, which allows one to hold the camera at any angle. Seriously!