Everyone loves sharing their photos online on Flickr, Picasa and other similar sites. The risk of it is that some people think all online images are public property, so they can simply take them and use them anywhere else. Unfortunately there’s little you can do to avoid this without getting too complicated, like disabling right click or preventing image hotlinking. But you can try to discourage people from taking your photos with watermarks.

Watermarks are text messages printed on top of images, usually with subtle transparency or engraving effects, that mark those photos as your property. These texts won’t prevent people from taking your photos if they want to, but they will at least identify your images online – and who knows, maybe work as a promotional campaign for your work!

Watermarks are generally easy to apply. Some programs - such as SnagIt - already feature watermarking tools, but you can also find dedicated watermark utilities like Siotra Watermak. This simple app helps you add watermarks to your photos in a couple of clicks!

Siotra Watermark features a tabbed interface. All you have to do is select the source and target folders in the program’s first tab, and configure the watermark in the second tab. You can set a custom text, choose the font, tweak the transparency level, select the watermark’s position and include some extra elements like the copyright sign or the file’s name. Once you’ve done customizing the watermark, don’t forget to press ‘Save’!

Siotra Watermark doesn’t offer a watermark preview, but it does let you modify watermarked images as many times as you need to – without changing the original photos. The program only works with folders, so it’s great for watermarking images in batches, but not so useful if you only want to edit one.

Windows: Do you need to convert any audio or video file? Oxelon Media Converter is the perfect tool for the task. This simple app can convert multiple media files simultaneously, and it works surprisingly fast! Oxelon Media Converter supports dozens of formats and is perfectly embedded with Windows Explorer, which enables you to convert files with one click.

iPhone: Halloween is upon us once again, but if you haven’t got the money or the inclination to go trick or treating this year then check out Spooky Photo Free. This app allows you to make scary scenes out of your photographs. For example, you could put a zombie into a wedding picture, make bats appear in the sky above your house, or add a menacing pumpkin head onto an image of your dog.

Mac: Keychain on Mac does a pretty good job of managing passwords but once you’ve tried 1Password you’ll probably never look back. If you’re tired of making up passwords to access sites or worried that your passwords are not secure enough, it really is invaluable. 1Password creates strong, unique passwords for you, then remembers and restores them all within your web browser.

Tom and Elena have already explained how to stream movies from your Mac to a PS3 and an XBox. To complete the series, I’m going to explain how to stream movies from Mac to your Wii. The good news is, it couldn’t be simpler using a nifty little app called Wii Transfer. Wii Transfer not only allows you to stream movies to your Wii, but also photos, music and it even allows you to backup your Wii profiles.

Here is how to in 3 easy steps.

1. Download the Wii internet channel

Fortunately, Nintendo have seen sense and stopped charging $10 for it. The browser is now available for free. Just go to Wii Shopping on the main menu to download it.

2. Convert your videos for streaming

In the main interface, click on the “Movie” tab in the left-hand menu and drag and drop your movie files into it. Wii Transfer will then convert your films into a format the Wii can read so you may have to wait a while for this.

3. Setup sharing

Go back to the “Sharing” tab. You’ll see an IP address like: 10.0.1.197:9000. Enter this into your Wii internet browser. Read the rest of this entry »

There are several ways to create a collage with your digital pictures: doing it yourself from scratch with Photoshop (which obviously requires a certain Photoshop knowledge), using an automated Photoshop action that does almost all the hard work for you or simply turning to easier, more specific collage-oriented tools like Shape Collage.

This awesome program lets you create completely customizable photo collages in just a few minutes, and without any artistic or technical skill required. As long as you know how to select photos from your hard drive, and tweak a few simple configuration settings, you’re good to go. Shape Collage is completely free for personal use, and works on Windows, Mac and Linux.

But if you’re the kind of person who prefers not to install software if there’s a web app that does the same job, we’ve got good news for you: Shape Collage has just launched an online version! Shape Collage Online is a stripped-down version of the desktop app, with less options and reduced functionality, but it works perfectly fine for the occasional photo collage. Just select the photos you want to use in your collage (they must be all online, either as standalone photos or photo galleries), pick a shape for your collage and hit ‘Create’. After a few seconds, your collage will be ready!

Adobe Photoshop is a legend of a program. Unfortunately, it is also legendarily complicated and expensive, which makes things difficult for the average user. Even if you get past the intimidating price tag, Photoshop’s maze of layers, masks and magic tools can make even the bravest prospective user doubt their ability. Surely there’s an easier alternative?!

Luckily for us, there is. Most people don’t actually need a photo editing program of such epic proportions, which is why developers have created a raft of alternatives that area easier on your wallet AND your blood pressure.

Photoscape - Photoscape has to be number one on any list of free and easy alternatives. Full of features, simple to use and, best of all, completely free, this program is pretty much freeware’s image editing poster child. Come on, with over three MILLION downloads in the last two years on Softonic alone, it has to be doing something right!

GIMP - In second place comes GIMP. Somewhat of a giant, despite the odd name (it’s actually an acronym of GNU Image Manipulation Program), GIMP scores slightly below Photoscape because its installation process can be a little scary. Since we’re looking for stress-free alternatives, this means it loses a few points, but once you get GIMP safely installed on your computer, you’ll find it’s full of features and has an impressive range of cool plug-ins that are almost sure to meet your editing needs.

Photofiltre - Photofiltre scores high in terms of price - it’s free - but a little lower on ease of use. Like Photoshop, its interface is a bit overwhelming at first glace, but the learning curve isn’t half as steep and it is an ideal starting point for budding graphic designers who might well move on to Photoshop in years to come.

PhotoImpression - ArcSoft PhotoImpression come in at number 4 because its major pro is counterbalanced by a major con. This Photoshop-like program is full of features, but way, way easier to use than the original. It’ll give you good practice for the ‘real thing’, helping you to learn the basic concepts of more advanced image editing. The major con? Well, it’s not actually free, but you can try it out and get used to the basics. When you have them down, you can move onto the more complicated tools.

Before looking at the last program in our run-down, ask yourself a question. Do you really need a tool like Photoshop? Although you might want to crop a few photos, tweak color balance or create a fancy slideshow, you probably don’t need to go as far as seamlessly adding an image of Bigfoot into the pictures of your family’s last camping trip in the woods. Photoshop is for professional level photo editing, and most people really don’t need such power.

Picasa - If you need a simple and effective photo editor, but not exactly an alternative to Photoshop, give Picasa a try. The newest version of the Google tool is better than ever, and provides some really slick features for ordinary photo editing. It has none of the headache-inducing options of the more advanced editors, but will still give you fantastic results.

Windows 7 is a fast, stable operating system that already includes high quality software by default. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to enjoy the advantages of  third-party apps.

Common tasks such as downloading files, chatting with your friends, creating documents or editing photos require tools that you won’t find built into Windows 7. Also, some of the tools you used before may not be compatible with Microsoft’s new operating system. This is why we’ve put together this list of 20 top free apps that work with Windows 7, with which you’ll be able to take full advantage of your brand new system.

Security comes first. There are many antivirus apps that work with Windows 7, but Microsoft Security Essentials is the one that best integrates with the system. Plus it also protects you from spyware!

Stability is another key issue. While we wait for the new Windows 7 compatible version of TuneUp Utilities, CCleaner can also do a great job cleaning, tweaking and optimizing your system.

Don’t be ashamed: we all have deleted files by mistake at some point in our lives. Fortunately we can count on this great tool called Recuva to get them back - and it works like a breeze on Windows 7 as well.

Need a password manager to deal with all your usernames, passwords, secret numbers and personal codes? Keepass is a great choice, and is also perfectly embedded in Microsoft’s new operating system.

Browsing the Web is the main activity for most computer users. Windows 7 already features the new Internet Explorer 8, but I’m sure most of you will only use it to download Firefox. Another excellent alternative is Opera. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: If you need to edit several photos in a row, either you spend a long time with the PC working on each one of them, or you use Modi. This program lets you apply basic changes (rotate, resize, adjust levels, add frames, insert watermark and more) to multiple photos simultaneously, saving you time and work. There are 12 different filters to choose from, and you can even customize some of them.

Mac: PDFs are the best way to distribute documents on the Net, particularly if you’ve scanned one. It’s much better than sending a generic JPEG scan. PDF Studio is easy to use, yet powerful enough to allow you a whole host of editing options that enable you to annotate and edit documents. You can use it with existing PDF documents or directly using the tailor made scan-to-PDF feature

iPhone: iPhone users can relax - finally they don’t have to access the site through Safari any more, and can stay photo-connected with this official Flickr application. You can view your photostream, add comments, search for users and view your contacts. There’s a tab that gives you your recent activity and uploads on Flickr too. The app’s user interface is smooth, fast and intuitive.

Windows: Even though it is usually considered the fast browser, Firefox can sometimes get a little lethargic. This program doesn’t really explain how it works, but it definitely helps speed things up again. SpeedyFox doesn’t need to be installed and the controls couldn’t be simpler, but you will have to close Firefox before giving it a try.

Mac: Sometimes you just want a no-thrills, lightweight image browser to go through your photo collection. If uploading and image editing is not your thing then try Phoenix Slides is a lightweight, fast full-screen image browser allowing you to display lossless JPEG transformations and accompanying EXIF data.  The beauty of it lies in its simplicity - browse images with a tree viewer fast and easy.

iPhone: Ever had the urge to just get a huge slingshot and fire penguins from it? Then try Crazy Penguin Catapult 2, where you must help the blundering birds rescue their friends from the evil polar bears. Before the start of each level you need to select your army, which you do by firing a catapult up a mountain. You’ll need to time each launch perfectly so that each penguin makes it to the top without hitting his head or flying backwards.

iPhone: In my experience, if there’s anything worth than an invasion of aliens, it’s an invasion of paper aliens. And that’s exactly what happens in Inkvaders, an original and fun side-scrolling, Martian-blasting adventure game. The object of Inkvaders is to rid the World of aliens by blasting them with your gun. In order to help you, you also have a jet pack which lets you fly over the Martians.

Mac: If you’ve got more than one Gmail account and can’t keep up with each one individually, then Notify is a handy menu bar extension. Notify allows you to keep track of several accounts at once within an elegant tabbed user interface. It allows easy access of your mail accounts - in a single click of the account you will be taken straight to your inbox and you’ll receive a Growl alert for newly received mail.

Windows: Massive graphic suites are not always the best option. Lighter, smaller image editors are the most adequate tool for quick image optimization and retouch. One of them is Paint.NET, a free photo editor with support for layers and a bunch of special filters and effects that includes all the key features you’ll need for quick image editing.

There’s something special about Polaroid photos that make them still attractive these days – even after having been discontinued for more than a year now. Maybe this is why there are a few websites and software tools that let you create Polaroids from your digital photos, and keep that endearing look from last century alive. It may not be the same as the real thing, but it’s a quick, simple effect that can make any standard photo more attractive.

• Instantizer - Fill in a simple form with a photo from your hard drive, a custom message and an optional rotation degree, and you’ll get an instant Polaroid with a link that’s valid for 24 hours. Simple, yet effective.
• Photo Notes -  Select a photo from your PC or a website and transform it into a Polaroid with a few extra options: custom text message, image position, rotation, text font, etc. You can also share it by email or publish it on a web gallery.
• Rollip - A popular website that lets you create Polaroids with color effects, decorations and a custom message in three easy steps. The image is immediately available for download or sharing online in an email, IM or blog.
• Poladroid - If you prefer using software, this is the tool you need. Drag and drop any image on Poladroid’s interface and the program will transform it into a Polaroid right away. You can even shake the file to make it appear faster, like the real Polaroids!

Last but not least, here are a couple of Photoshop tutorials I wrote a while ago that also let you apply the beauty of Polaroids to your photos: one tutorial to create a nice Polaroid collage with different images, and another one to transform a single photo into a bunch of Polaroids scattered all over the screen.

Because any excuse is good enough for a celebration, today we’re celebrating that according to our calendars, today’s the 9th day of the 9th month of 2009. To mark the day, we’re giving away 999 licenses for the brand new program FILEminimizer Pictures.

FILEminimizer Pictures is a handy utility which lets you compress images, significantly reducing filesize without losing much in the way of quality.

How do I get my license?

To get a license for FILEminimizer Pictures all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post, making sure that you include a valid email address.

UPDATE: there was a great response to this giveaway, and as of Wednesday afternoon, we’ve now run out of licenses. You can buy the full version from Softonic here.

The program is priced at €24.95 (€17.22 from Softonic) but, thanks to the developer (and OnSoftware!) you can get the full version for free. Hurry up, and don’t forget to tell your friends. The offer is open until September 30th, or when the licenses run out.

A couple of days ago I checked my niece’s website and was surprised to see a really funny photo in which she appeared twice, as if she had a secret twin sister I didn’t know about. Later on she told me that it was a Photoshop effect thanks to which you can clone yourself in a picture. She explained me how to do it, and it’s actually much easier than it seems! Simply follow these steps and you’ll see:

1. First of all, you need to take a few pictures of yourself. A couple of things to take into account in this photo session: first, they should all be taken in exactly the same place, without moving the camera a single inch; and second, they should all have the same light values, so configure your camera settings accordingly. Take as many photos as clones you want to create, posing in a different position each time.

2. Open all the images in Photoshop. Select one of them with Ctrl+A and paste it on top of another, so that it’s added as a new layer. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows: Creating a media presentation with your favorite videos and photos is easier than you think with Microsoft’s Live Movie Maker. This simple yet awesome video editing tool lets you create a video in no time, including background music, transitions, animations and visual effects to spice up your images. No tech skills required!

iPhone: If you’re a fan of the Discovery Channel then be sure to install this app on your iPhone. The Discovery Channel application allows you to enjoy lots of content from the popular science and nature channel for free. The video clips are organized into categories, available by clicking the icons at the bottom of the interface.

Mac: The venerable Quake may be getting old, but ID have polished up the old engine and released it as an in-browser free online first person shooter. Quake Live is a beta version, and although extremely popular, there are always plenty of games to join. You have to register with a valid email address, but it’s pretty painless and once you’re in, a tutorial sets you up with all you need to know.

Google Maps is incredibly useful, but it’s also got some fantastic aerial images of our planet. With a little effort you can grab these images and make great, high quality wallpapers or even print them. Here’s how to do that! You can do it in Windows or OSX, and you’ll need Firefox with the Screengrab! extension installed.

First, go to Google Maps and find the image you want. It’s best if you find it manually, and once you have, click Satellite, and turn of the labels, so your map is clean. Then click Link and copy the HTML code as below.

Now, open your text editor, like Notepad, and paste in the HTML. All you have to do is change the width and height values in the code - something much bigger than your screen, like 3000 x 3000 pixels - and then save it as “filename.html” .

Now, find this saved HTML file and drag it into Firefox. You should see the map open now! To save the entire image, click the Screengrab! icon, choose save and the ‘complete page/frame’ option. Make sure to save the file somewhere you’ll remember. I chose suck a big size as the image is saved with navigation arrows in the top right corner, and saving a larger area than you need means you can edit this out.

Now you’ll have a huge high quality image, that you can trim using any image editor and set as your wallpaper.

[Via: OnSoftware DE]

I love traveling abroad and I usually take my camera with me. That means that I have thousands of photos and videos at home, but I wasn’t not sure what the best way to share those pictures would be. After doing a bit of research, I came to the conclusion that creating a multimedia presentation is probably the best option, and Live Movie Maker the best tool to work with.

Live Movie Maker is part of the Microsoft Live family: a basic and functional video editor with a visually appealing interface that doesn’t require any technical skills to use. Unlike other more professional video editing tools, Live Movie Maker doesn’t feature a timeline or complicated menus. Its interface is divided into two main areas (a built-in player to preview your video, and a library to drag and drop images and videos) and has adopted the characteristic ribbon interface from the latest Microsoft apps, with separate tabs for the program’s main areas: Home, Animations, Visual effects, View and Edit.

Creating a video with your photos in Live Movie Maker couldn’t be easier: after launching the program, double click the library pane or drag and dr0p media files onto it, and they’ll be automatically added to the movie. Click the ‘Add music‘ button if you want to have some nice background music, which you can later on adjust to the video length with the ‘Fit to music’ option. Other tools you can find in this Home tab let you insert titles, add credits at the end of the movie and insert text captions for each photo. A special feature that is also worth noting is ‘AutoMovie‘: it creates the complete movie automatically for you, with title, credits and crossfade transitions. Read the rest of this entry »