Free Training: C# for Kids

 

C# for Sharp Kids – Part 1 – Getting Started

C# for Sharp Kids – Part 2 – Learning to Communicate

C# for Sharp Kids – Part 3 – The C# Language

C# for Sharp Kids – Part 4 – Programming with the .NET Framework

C# for Sharp Kids – Part 5 – Beyond This Book

WebGuide – Streaming TV, Remote Scheduling and Media Sharing for Windows Vista and Media Center now "acquired" by Microsoft

 

WebGuide allows you to remotely view live and recorded TV programs and to remotely schedule and manage your recorded television programs, music, pictures and videos on your Media Center or Windows Vista PC. Install WebGuide on your Media Center PC and access it from any machine that has a web browser, including your cell phone or mobile device.

Convenient

Live streaming TV can be viewed on any web browser.

Recordings can be scheduled from any web browser

“Place-shifting” for your personal media library, including TV, music, pictures, videos and DVD’s

PocketPC and Smartphone enabled Windows Vista ready

Fast

Live scheduling without delays.

Search by show, date or time.

Quick access to recent and upcoming recordings

 

Via WebGuide – Streaming TV, Remote Scheduling and Media Sharing for Windows Vista and Media Center

Free Classical Music Downloads

 

free legal classical music MP3 downloads. After finding mostly sites with just a few selections to download I finally stumbled upon the mother-load of classical MP3 downloads.

Classic Cat offers a huge and well organized list of links to sites with free classical music downloads. You can view the list sorted by composer or performer, or just search the whole site.

The files are not hosted on the Classic Cat site so you will be presented with links to sites of the individual performers.

If you enjoy classical music then the Classic Cat may become one of your favorite sites.

Free Classical Music Downloads

How to Read a Painting – 4 Easy Steps

• What is the subject of the painting?

• Are there any symbolic meanings?

 

• Does the artist’s style convey any meanings?

 

• Examine your emotions in the presence of the painting!

   

Via How to Read a Painting – lifehack.org

Windows Media Center Internet TV beta for Windows Vista Media Center

 

Windows Media Center Internet TV will allow you to stream free ad-supported video content from MSN video on Media Center PCs or on Media Center Extender devices.  Types of content that will be available include the following:

• Full episodes of some TV shows
• Full-length music concerts
• Movie trailers
• News and sports clips

Via Windows Media Center Internet TV beta for Windows Vista Media Center

Build my own Silent Organic PC – using a Milk Box

 

In the last couple of weeks, I have spent time to build my own PC.

Requirements

1. Silent or Near-Silent

I plan to use this PC as my entertainment center connected to my TV and use it as DVR which means it will be sitting in my living room and probably like <10 feet from my couch….SO IT HAS TO BE AS SILENT AS POSSIBLE!

2. Low Power Consumption

Running it as DVR also mean it will be running 24×7 (unless I have a way to put it to sleep in the middle of the nite :>). So low power consumption is important to me. <$5/month will be acceptable :>

3. Small Footprint

Who doesn’t want a powerful server hide inside a computer as small as an gadget? I want something smaller than Micro-ATX.

4. Pretty on the outside

I don’t know about you. But I just hate those Computer Case Mods in the market. I still don’t understand why people will like to put a glass over the case and show people how messy the inside of their computer is.  And even worse they will put LEDs inside to force people to see it even when the lights turn off!  :<

Here is my Shopping List

• AMD Athlon X2 BE-2350 Brisbane 2.1GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor
• BIOSTAR TF7025-M2 AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 7025 Micro ATX AMD Motherboard
• Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
• G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
• Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
• picoPSU-120, 120w output, 12v input DC-DC Power Supply with Power Kit
• NOCTUA NF-S12-800 120mm Silent Fan
• NEXUS REAL SILENT CASE FAN DF1209SL-3 – 92mm Fan
• Zalman FAN MATE 2 – Fan Speed Controller
• WinTV-PVR-150 MCE  TV Tuner
• Remote Control & Receiver for Media Center PC
• Remote Keyboard for Media Center PC
• Windows Vista Media Center
• Costco’s Kirkland Organic Milk  :>
• Local Art & Craft store for paper, foam board, magnets etc…

Parts

CPU	AMD Dual-Core 64-bits BE-2350 45W!!!This CPU is not good for Overclock however.
MotherBoard	BioStar with on- board Nvidia 7025
Memory	G.Skill DDR2 800 (2×1GB)
Hard Drive	WD3200AAKS 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3Gb/S
PSU	Fanless 120Watt Power Supply
Fan 120mm	Silent FanOne of the Best
Fan 92mm	Silent FanOne of the Best
Fan Filter
Fan Speed Controller	To further lower the noise!
Case	Milk Box
Remote Control	Media Center Remote & Receiver
Remote Keyboard	Media Center Keyboard
TV Tuner	The Best
OS	Vista Ultimate & Vista Media Center

Finished Product

Outside	Fashion Show :>
Inside	The 45W AMD CPU is JUST 5-15F above room temperature
Performance	Memory & Hard Disk almost max out. CPU is close to 5. Adding a Video Card will make the score much better. However, it won’t fit into the milk box :<
Power Consumption	Idle at 32Watt Wow!

HDR – High dynamic range imaging

 

Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hdr

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/hdr/

Tips:

Shoot RAW, the more exposure data per image, the higher the dynamic range. Raw has much more luminosity data than Jpeg.

Shoot as many exposures as you think might be required to capture the brightest highlight and darkest shadow in your scene

(photoshop) use “local adaptation” / Curves for developing your shot and getting what you’re after (it takes practice, but it’s worth it)

Try photomatix. www.hdrsoft.com – many here prefer it to photoshop.

Try FDRToolswww.fdrtools.com – their intro page has a good demonstration of pics from different exposures.

del.icio.us Tags: Hobbies

MCE TV Toolbox beta

 

Ever wanted to edit and convert your recording right from your couch? Now you can! TV Toolbox is the youngest member in our gang. It allows you to edit recordings, convert recordings and define rules to automatically convert just recorded TV shows to a specific format.

Editing

You know what you want! When editing a recording you’re defining those segments of you recording you want to be included in you resulting file. Use your remote control or the Media Center transport controls (Play, Pause, etc.) to navigate – like you do when watching a show. Select “Done” if you have all necessary parts of your recording in the storyboard on the bottom.

MCEDev.com

 

del.icio.us Tags: Hobbies