Useful Free Software Sites

I have always been a fan of free software. I recently have come across two excellent sites for free or almost free software. The first site is Shareware On Sale This site offers a new piece of free software almost everyday. A good many of the titles are of interest to photographers. I have downloaded resizers, pdf editors, image editors, and other interesting software. Usually, you have to download and complete the installation in the 24 hrs that the software is available. You get a valid license. Most does not come with support or upgrades. You can pay a little more to get that if you want. All that is required is that you create an account.


The second site is Bits du Jour. Again, there are many free giveaways, almost everyday. This site seems to have a broader range of titles of interest to a bigger audience. However, there are still many titles available of interest to the photographer. All that is required is that you create an account and like Bits du Jour and the software maker on Facebook. You can always change that later.


I frequently get useful software from both of these sites without issues.

MyBookDroid Database

I have been using mybookdroid for awhile to register books that I own and books I would like to have. This is particularly useful whilst viewing books at B&N. If I find a book I might want later, I snap a shot of the barcode and load it into the mybookdroid database.

What I have found is that the database for mybookdroid is a sqlite database. You can easily load the database and view contents from most sqlite managers or browsers, including the Firefox sqlite addon. I first made a backup using mybookdroid. I named it Books6Nov2013. mybookdroid as the .backup as an extension. I changed this extension to.sqlite and loaded it up in SQLite Expert Personal. Why would you want to do this? Because you can of-course. Maybe you want to use open office to generate a nice report of your books. Maybe you want to create different views of the data. You could add entries, but it is easier in mybookdroid. Anyway - have some fun with it.

How I built my PC/Android Accessible Database for Butterflies and Moths

I am interested Butterflies and Moths. I like to learn about them. I like to photograph them. I wanted to keep a list of the butterflies and moths I have seen. I wanted to have access to this list on my computers and portable android devices. I began looking around for solutions. I began with Memento - for Android. While this works fine on Android, there is no PC interface. So my search continued. I looked at SailForms as well. It doesn't have a PC interface either. Finally, I settled on creating my own SQLite database and syncing across all my devices using FolderSync. The only downside is that there is no nice and pretty form based interface. But this is not a problem for me. Here's how I developed my database.

1) Create the butterfly/moth database.
    a.There are numerous websites available which will give you lists of butterflies and moths in a particular area. I started with my county. I downloaded the list as a .csv file. Now I am ready to build the database.
    b. I was already familiar with the excellent SQLite manager SQLite Expert Personal. This is my app of choice for SQLite table creation/data entry.
    c. Unfortunately SQLite Expert Personal (free version) doesn't have an import from .cvs function.
    d. I opened the downloaded .cvs file and added extra columns for the things I wanted like location, date sighted, notes, etc. See example below.

        Common Name,Scientific Name,Family,Date Sighted,Location,Notes,Sighted
        Silver-spotted Skipper,Epargyreus clarus,Hesperiidae Skippers,8/25/2013,"170 Ebenzer Rd., Greer, SC 29651",Butterfly Bush. Lots  of them.,TRUE

2) Load the .csv file into the database.
    a. I used SQLite Manager (Another free tool) to create the database. I named the databased "GreenvilleSCButterfliesMoths.sqlite".
    b. Then using SQLite Manager, I created a table ButterfliesMoths and added the columns: Common Name,Scientific Name,Family,Date        

    Sighted,Location,Notes,Sighted. Next I imported the .csv file into the database. Now my db has data!

3) Sync the database using Google Drive and FolderSync.
    a. I created a "Database" folder in my Google Drive folder and put the "GreenvilleSCButterfliesMoths.sqlite file into this folder.
    b. Whenever I view\edit the db on a PC it will be from the Google Drive\Database folder.
    c. For my phone and nexus, I loaded FolderSync from Google Play. FolderSync will sync files from Google Drive to particular files on your Android device. It's fairly straight forward to set up.
    d. Lets say I create a folder named GoogleDriveDatabase on my phone for FolderSync to sync with Google Drive\Database. GoogleDriveDatabase on my phone will now have the latest version of "GreenvilleSCButterfliesMoths.sqlite" FolderSync is bi-directional,  so when I make changes to the database on my phone, the changes will be uploaded to Google Drive. This is fantastic.

4) View/Edit the database on Android devices.
    a. Unfortunately, SQLite Expert is not available as an Android app. The best tool I have found for viewing and editing SQLite db's in  Android is aSQLiteManager.
    b. Using aSQLiteManager I can view and edit my db.

In the end, I have a cloud based db that can be viewed and edited on any PC or Android device. So whether I in the office, at home, or in the field I can make additions to my GreenvilleSCButterfliesMoths database. I like that.

Thin Wallets - Get that monster wallet off your butt

I have been using Big Skinny thin wallets for years now. I must say that I still like them a lot. I first choose them with the advice of my physical therapist. She highly suggested I get rid of the wallet in my back pocket as it contributed to my aches and pains. I search the internet for a front wallet solution and found Big Skinny wallets. They have many styles and colors. I use what is essentially a card holder with a plastic window for your ID. It's small enough to fit in my front pocket without any problems. I also carry some cash in it as well as debit and credit cards. Works great.

Photoshop CS6 Shortcuts

Photoshop CS6 Cheat Sheet By ZeroLag Hosting

Moths in South Carolina

I have been taking plenty of butterfly photos this summer. It's time to add some moths. I read a little about moth traps and I may go that route eventually. I also read about making a sugary syrup to attract moths. I have got the ingredients and will try that soon.

We have a yellow fig tree on the property. I noticed that the fruit is fermenting and generating quite a lot of interest for bees, flies, and butterflies during the day. I wondered if maybe the fermenting fruit would attract moths at night. Last night I went out to have a look and sure enough, there were moths. I took a few photos with my point and shoot. They are shown below. I don't know the species or names of them yet. Also, the tiny flie like critters with orange eyes are interesting.Tonight, I will have better light and a better camera.

LED Flashlights w/Laser Pointer are helpful for troubleshooting.

How many times have you been under a car or in an electrical panel with a flashlight trying to point something out to another person? Today we have LED flashlights that also come with a LED Laser that you can use to point out specific areas of interest. I find this particularly useful when working in electrical panels or on machinery out on the floor. The one I have is a cheap one, the laser isn't aligned with the center of the flashlight, and you can't have the light and laser on at the same time. I still find it useful. Below are some links to different models I found doing a quick search. I have not used any of these but it's a good place to start to get an idea of what is out there.

Model 1

Model 2

Model 3

Model 4

Modify mp3 Exif/Tag Data for Free

I used mp3Tag editor to modify tag data for some of my mp3's. I was having trouble with Sync on my Ford recognizing some of the songs and it was because I was missing some tag data. mp3Tag is free and very easy to use. I was able to load >6000 mp3's and view tag data. This was handy as I could scroll through the data to see what was missing. It did take awhile to load that many songs as you might expect.

I even found out by looking at the data that I had some .wma files mixed in with my mp3's so I deleted them. They can be deleted from the program.

I found mp3Tag very useful and easy to use.

Bamboo Trellis for Passion Flower (Maypop)

If you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to have or have access to a bamboo grove and can harvest a few trees, then you can easily make a trellis for plants. I have some maypop plants which need some support, so I got a few sticks of bamboo and made a trellis. I constructed mine in place. I stuck three pieces in the ground about one foot apart. I hammered them in so that they were secure. Next I wove in shorter cross pieces. The green bamboo was easy to work. The cross pieces were made of 1/2" diameter pieces and smaller. Although there was good tension due to the weave, I tied each joint with green plant string. The finished product had a sort of oriental look which I like.

Plastic for making square tubing

I found the Plastruct company which has material for making square tubing. Here is a clip from their catalog. This could be a good way to make plastic grids.

Creating an EBook? Find Help Here

The following link:

http://www.digitalbookworld.com/resources-going-from-indesign-to-ebook/

will take you to a page with numerous ebook resources. If you are interested in creating ebooks, this site is well worth a look.

Taking care of your skin tags

I don't normally write of such personal stuff, but if you have skin tags and you want to remove them yourself, you can do it.

I had tags under my arms which I successfully removed by snipping them off. I have tried various removal potions with no success. So I did the usual google search and saw where many had successfully clipped their own tags - so I decided to give it a try.

Requirements:

1) Small stainless steel manicure type scissors
2) Alcohol
3) Cotton balls
4) Bandages

Clean the area around the tag with alcohol using a cotton ball.
Soak the scissor in alcohol to disinfect.
Wash your hands thoroughly.
Grab the tag with your fingers and gently pull.
With the other hand, use the scissors to cut the tag.
After cutting - soak the scissors in alcohol before cutting another tag.

There is a slight twinge of pain when the cut is made, but it is not bad and lasts only briefly.

The tag area may bleed some. Apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Cover with a Bandage. You may want to add a little antibiotic to the area as well. Within a day or two, the area will be healed and the majority of the tag will be gone.

Of-course, you are accepting responsibility for doing this procedure. In my case, If things went badly I planned to suck it up and go to the doctor. Just remember - Cleanliness is of utmost importance.