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2012-01-31T07:42:00.001-08:00

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In Depth: Best free editing software: 15 on test

2012-01-30T08:30:00.001-08:00

In Depth: Best free editing software: 15 on test

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Best free graphics editing software

It's very easy to build up a custom collection of media files; take a few digital photos, shoot a movie or two on your mobile phone, download a little music, and your PC will be packed with files in no time at all.

Processing these files afterwards, though, is a little more challenging. What if some of your photos need work, your videos could benefit from a little trimming, maybe your audio files need an edit or two?

You could opt for a commercial solution, of course. But this could be expensive - the best image and video editors in particular come with a sizeable price tag - and may also be overkill for what you need.

A simpler solution might be to opt for a free media editor. There are a wide range available, from straightforward beginner-friendly tools which can handle the basics, to advanced, high-end applications which are up for almost any challenge. So which are the best? We pitched fifteen top names against each other - 5 graphics, 5 audio and video editors - in an effort to find out.

Just keep in mind that, while all our tools are free, it's increasingly common for programs to come bundled with browser toolbars and other potentially unwanted extras.

You don't have to install these, but sometimes you'll have to do a little work to avoid it, so make sure you don't simply keep clicking "Next" through an installation: read each dialog, choose the Custom installation option where it's offered, and refuse any bundled toolbars if you'd rather do without them.

Graphics editors

1. Paint.NET

Just as you'd expect from a project which (it was hoped) would one day replace the regular Windows Paint, Paint.NET focuses primarily on ease of use. And in general it succeeds very well.

The toolbar buttons are sensibly chosen, for instance, with helpful tooltips available to explain how everything works. The menus are well designed: even if you've never used the program before, you won't be searching long for a particular function. And overall it's easy to open an image, carry out some basic edit, repair or retouching task, and save it in the format you need.

Still, demanding graphics users may be left wanting more.

The program's file format support is mostly essentials-only, for instance (although it can read and write DirectDraw Surface/ DDS files, too).

Vector drawing and paint tools are a little on the basic side.

The selection of effects (and their configurability) is limited by comparison with some of the competition.

And although Paint.NET has a very lengthy list of plugins available to extend its abilities, the program uses a standard of its own: you can't simply drop in your own Photoshop plugins and expect them to work.

Of course if you only need a basic feature set then none of this matters (if anything, not having too much extra junk cluttering the menus and toolbars makes the program easier to use). So while Paint.NET may not be the ideal editing choice for experienced users, if you're a beginner - or just in a hurry - then the program will get most basic jobs done with the minimum of hassle or fuss.

We liked

Ease of use, clean interface, lots of plugins available, busy online community ready to help if you need advice

We disliked

Drawing tools are very basic, no Photoshop plugin support, limited number of effects, short on configurability, no local help

2. PixBuilder Studio

At first glance, PixBuilder Studio seems to be a fairly basic editor, along the lines of Paint.NET. There's a similar toolbar, up-front layer and history panels, the same sort of natural interface for basic operations: it's all very easy to use. But take a closer look and you'll soon spot more advanced features, dotted around the package.

There's support for importing more file types, for instance, including icons (ICO) and Photoshop PSD formats (although the program can't write either).

PixBuilder is strong on selection options, too. You can choose areas of your image by rectangles, polygons, magnetic polygons, single rows and columns, a colour range and more.

The program has more features than you'd expect in a number of areas. So when painting, for example, you don't just get to choose from a selection of prebuilt brushes, but you can also edit these in some fairly subtle ways (diameter, hardness, angle, roundness, spacing).

And if you'd like to use PixBuilder Studio on an underpowered system then you'll appreciate the memory manager, which enables you to restrict how much RAM the program will consume.

You only get a very few effects built in as standard, though. There's no red-eye remover here, no noise removal, no distortion effects and so on. But by way of compensation, you do get support for Photoshop 8BF filters, so if you're willing to invest the time and effort to get set up then you'll be able to install just as many effects as you need.

The fact that you need to carry out this preparation means PixBuilder Studio won't be for everyone. If you just want to fix up a few party photos to remove a little red-eye, say, it'll be easier to install Paint.NET and get the job done right away.

But if you're looking for a tool which goes just a little beyond the basics, with good layer and selection tools, PDF import and 8BF support, then PixBuilder Studio could be the ideal choice.

We liked

Straightforward interface, PSD and ICO import, good layer and selection controls, memory manager, Photoshop 8BF filter support

We disliked

Short of built-in effects, can't write PSD/ ICO files, requires some preparation before you can use 8BF filters

3. PhotoScape 3.6

PhotoScape takes an unusual approach to the editing interface, with a thumbnail browser, an area for a picture preview, and a compact tabbed pane containing surprisingly few buttons. Your first impressions will be that there's no way it can compete with the competition, then - but start clicking a few of those buttons and you might just be surprised.

You may only see one of the program's photo frames up front, for instance, but there's actually around 170 available for use.

It's easy to add lines, polygons, ellipses, squares, stars, and many other objects - including speech bubbles, complete with captions - to a photo.

And while seeing a single listbox with the word "filter" probably won't leave you expecting very much, give it a click and it actually turns out to be packed with functions. And not just obvious choices, like Blur, Emboss or Noise. You also multiple film effects, some powerful vignetting tools, and an attractive lens flare. As well as multiple distortion tools, smart tools to correct red-eye, remove moles and more, and eleven ways to turn your image into a piece of art ("Oil Painting", "Pastel", "Pen", "Pencil", "Cartoon" and more).

The unusual form of presentation may mean some will never take to PhotoScape. And it's no doubt there are some crucial omissions to the program. There's no layer support, for instance, and you can't select areas of a photo to work on in the usual way. (Although the program does partly address this by providing tools, like Red Eye Correction or Mole Removal, where you must first select the relevant part of the photo before they'll work.)

Still, there is plenty of more basic image editing power here. And PhotoScape extends this even further with a host of associated programs, including a screen capture tool, a module to convert RAW files to JPG, batch rename and editing tools, printing utilities, even an option to create animated GIFs from multiple photos. So its interface may be quirky, but if you can live without layers then there's a lot to like here.

We liked

Plenty of effects, a good selection of photo frames, lots of bonus features,

We disliked

Quirky interface, no layers, limited selection options, some effects deliver below average results, no local help, very little brush control

4. GIMP 2.6.1.1

It started life as a student project way back in 1995, but GIMP - The GNU Image Manipulation Program - is now a powerful image editor which is available on Linux, Windows and the Mac.

Old age hasn't lead to a more finely-tuned interface, though, unfortunately, and the program's images, dialogs and toolbars all open in separate panes. Which can be a little confusing. It seems the complaints have finally hit home, though, and the interface will be unified into a single window in an upcoming release.

Fortunately there are plenty of compensations for any interface confusion, though, and the first appears as soon as you hit File > Open. As well as the common image formats, GIMP can read a host of others, including Photoshop PSDs, Windows icons (ICO), PS and EPS files, even PDFs and AutoDesk FLIC animations.

Once your image is available, then it can be processed by stacks of essential features. And these show huge attention to detail. So you don't get just one "blur" filter, for instance, but rather 6, and each of these is further configurable in a host of valuable ways. There are some excellent distortion filters, too, and a top-quality "oil painting" option.

The Colours menu is another strong point, with its ability to tweak hue, lightness and saturation, brightness, contrast, levels, and more. Again, you get a rich set of tools to do whatever you want, without any of it being particularly difficult. That is, if you don't want to tweak your image manually then a click or two and GIMP will handle everything on your behalf.

And elsewhere there are a host of painting options, a good range of selection tools, plenty of layer control, and just far more power than you any right to expect from a free tool.

If you only need something very basic, just to resize a few clips or apply simple image corrections, then it's probably not worth the effort of installing GIMP. The program isn't particularly complicated, but it does have a lot of features, and you're likely to spend quite some time learning how everything works.

If you're looking for real image editing power, though, and you're willing to spend time getting over the initial learning curve, then the GIMP just might be all you'll ever need.

We liked

Wide file format support, lots of powerful filters and editing options, highly configurable, customisable keyboard shortcuts,

We disliked

Quirky interface, some filters don't have preview options, local help not installed by default

5. Photo Pos Pro

Photo Pos Pro got off to a bad start by attempting to install a browser toolbar during setup. That's acceptable if it's done up-front, but the program makes it less than obvious - you must choose the "custom installation" option to clearly see what's happening.

With that done, though, Photo Pos Pro launches to reveal a fairly clear and conventional interface. The toolbar buttons are a little small and there's a vast array of menu options to explore, but most users should still feel at home right away.

You get all the usual basic manipulations, for instance: flips, rotations, resizes and more. You can tweak image colours, brightness and contrast manually, or get the program to do the hard work for you. There's a good set of effects, and plenty of selection tools and layer options for when you need to get a little more advanced (although this can get a little complicated at times).

The program also includes some relatively unusual features. So there's a very capable thumbnail browser, for instance. The HTML Export wizard allows you to save a tweaked image as a customised web page. And Photo Pos Pro doesn't just have a few canned batch processing options to, say, rename images or convert between formats: you get a full script editor which supports applying any sequence of 29 commands to the images of your choice: resize, rotations, brightness and contrast tweaks, colour changes, whatever you want.

And these more surprising aspects of the program keep popping up, everywhere you look. Like an HTML Image Map creator, for instance. The ability to open some animations and movies to grab a particular frame, at least in theory (it didn't always work for us). And the library of objects which Photo Pos Pro can use to customise an image: the buttons and banners, the decorative clipart, the frames, picture boxes, the text with special effects applied, and more.

You don't get quite the painting, selection or layer control which you'll see with GIMP, however, and so if you're looking for the powerful basics then that remains our favourite. Photo Pos Pro has plenty to like about it, though - the script editor alone could save you hours of work - and so if you'll make use of its wider feature range then it could be the ideal choice for all your photo work.

We liked

Thumbnail browser, web features, batch processing/ script editor, loads of features, local help file

We disliked

Tries to store browser toolbar during installation

What is the best free graphics editing software?

If you're mostly interested in carrying out simple operations - resize this, crop that, add a text caption maybe - then Paint.NET could be ideal. It's clean, easy to use, handles the basics well, and supports layers for more advanced work if you ever need that.

If you need a little more power then there's something to like about each of our test tools. So PixBuilder Studio may be useful if you need PSD import, and 8BF filter support; Photo Pos Pro is a good choice for batch processing, carrying out the same operations on a set of photos; and PhotoScape comes packed with extra functions and annotation options, including a raft of photo frames.

For all-round editing power, though, the winner has to be GIMP. The multi-windowed interface can be confusing, but you'll get over that in time, and then details like the program's file format support, its lengthy feature list and configurability all help to ensure you'll get the best possible image editing results.

Best free audio editing software

1. Audacity 1.3.14

Audacity began life long ago as a personal project of Dominic Mazzoni, in his student days. Mazzoni has long since graduated and now works at Google, but Audacity lives on, only now it's so popular that he gets development assistance from all around the world.

The program scores highly on the editing basics. It can import a wide range of file formats, for instance (once extended with external tools like LAME and FFmpeg, anyway). Unwanted areas and be selected with the mouse, then trimmed in a click or two, and if that's all you need then the results can be exported as MP3, FLAC, WMA, AAC, AIFF and many other formats (again, with a little help from FFmpeg and others).

If you need something more complex, though, you'll appreciate the 37 built-in effects: there are options to change pitch and speed, fade audio in and out, clean up a recording, improve the bass, and much more. (You'll need to be familiar with audio jargon to understand all your potential options, though - there is a manual, but don't expect its explanations to help very much.)

Audacity is also useful for recording audio from a microphone, line in or any of your other soundcard sources, though. And if you've the hardware, then it can even manage the recording of 16 channels at once.

The program is unusually extensible, too, in that if it doesn't provide the features you need, then you may be able to add them via LADSPA or VST plugins.

And while the interface doesn't make any concessions to audio beginners, it's not particularly difficult to use. If you've ever used another Windows-based audio editor then you'll be opening, playing and carrying out basic editing operations within a few minutes of trying it out. And although mastering the more advanced tools may take considerably longer, the program makes it easy to progress at your own pace, making it an interesting choice for both experts and beginners who'd like to learn more.

We liked

Straightforward interface, good file format support, lots of effects, strong recording abilities, can be extended via LADSPA/ VST plugins

We disliked

Many features require extra components to be installed, program manual isn't too beginner-friendly

2. Expstudio Audio Editor Free 4.31

Expstudio Audio Editor Free is actually the free version of a commercial product, and as such it does have a restriction: it can only save files in WAV or MP2 formats. Which means you'll need a converter to hand (or, perhaps, one of the free editors here) before you can use it.

Is it worth the hassle? The program does support opening an excellent range of formats: MP2/ MP3, CDA, WAV, VOX, RAW, OGG, WMA, G.72x, AIFF, even the soundtracks from MPG or AVI videos. And this just works, no need to integrate with other products as with Audacity.

Expstudio Audio Editor Free includes easy-to-use zoom controls which make it straightforward to zoom in on your audio waveform, too. And editing works much the same as in most other tools: choose the area you need with the mouse, then cut or delete it, or apply one of the other menu options.

The core effects selection is capable, if not quite up to the standards of Audacity, but Expstudio Audio Editor Free does provide an additional "Special FX" menu with a couple of useful options: Cassette Noise Reduce and Voice Breath Reduce. And a few novelties, if you're interested, such as converting male voices to female and vice versa, as well as giving recordings the voice of a chipmunk.

And while the interface inevitably includes plenty of audio jargon, the program does at least provide a searchable local Help file which makes some small effort to explain what's going on. It's often not enough, but the document is still better than you'll get with some of the competition, and so could be useful if you're an audio beginner.

Is any of this good enough to put up with the WAV/ MP2 export restriction? Maybe, just about, if you need to work with an unusual format or will make use of the noise restriction special effects. Otherwise Expstudio Audio Editor Free isn't significantly different from the rest of the competition here, and you'll be better off choosing one of those.

We liked

Supports opening a wide range of file formats, easy zoom and editing controls, useful noise reduction special effects, documentation is occasionally helpful

We disliked

Free version only saves WAV/ MP2 files, some of the competition have more effects

3. Music Editor Free 2012

Music Editor Free 2012 is one of those programs which stands out from the crowd just as soon as it's launched.

The authors don't assume that everyone understands audio editing, for instance - beginner-level tutorials take the time to explain the basics.

The attractive ribbon-based interface proved a pleasant change after we'd spent so long dealing with programs which hadn't seen a significant facelift in years.

Navigating around a wavefile is easy, thanks to an easy-to-use bookmarking system. And the program just feels more straightforward to use, that it works more or less as we'd expect. So you can select a part of the waveform, right-click and carry out some useful operation right away.

This simplicity doesn't mean Music Editor Free 2012 is short on features, though. It comes with all the usual effects, sensibly categorised so they're relatively easy to find. And multiple noise reduction tools are on offer to help clean up a recording (Noise Reduction, Cassette Noise Reduction, Voice Breath Noise Reduction).

The program also provides a capable set of recording functions.

And, surprisingly, it's even able to rip and burn audio CDs.

Music Editor Free 2012 may not appeal to everyone. The program can't be expanded through plug-ins, for instance, so advanced users may still prefer something like Audacity. But if you're an audio editing beginner then this is an ideal tool to learn the basics, and it has more than enough power to handle just about any task you'll give it.

We liked

Attractive interface, straightforward waveform navigation, beginner-friendly help file & tutorials, lots of effects, rips/ burns CDs

We disliked

No plugin support

4. WavePad Free

WavePad Free is the giveaway version of a commercial product, and so missing a few features - but there's still plenty here to help the program stand out.

If you need to import some oddball file formats, for instance, there's a good chance WavePad Free can help. The program can handle MP2/ MP3/ MPGA, WAV, OGG, WMA, RA/ RM, GSM, VOC, VOX, RAW, MID, DCT, AMR, MPC, APE, SPX and WV formats, amongst others, as well as being able to extract the soundtrack from many common video formats.

A convenient bookmarking system and a good range of zoom controls makes it easy to navigate around your audio waveform.

Editing works more or less as you'd expect. A reasonable selection of effects are well-organised to help you quickly track down what you need (the Clean section includes multiple noise and pop-reduction tools, automatic gain, the high-pass filter and more), and some of these are particularly configurable: there are some great equaliser tools, for instance.

Authors NCH Software have made more effort than usual to explain the basics, too, with a marginally above average help file and a few video tutorials.

And there are also occasional features which you won't find anywhere else. In particular, clicking Sound Library gives easy access to hundreds of sounds and music samples, which can be freely downloaded in a click or two and then used to enhance your recording.

When you factor in the program's support for VST plugins, too, then this really is one powerful editing setup, with plenty to offer everyone from the novice to the expert user.

We liked

Opens lots of file formats, easy navigation, decent selection of effects, VST plugin support, free library of downloadable sound samples

We disliked

Cut-down version so some functions don't work unless you upgrade

5. Wavosaur

Some of the audio editors here are complex creations, requiring many different files and components to be installed before they'll work correctly. Wavosaur? That's a little different. This tiny program consists of a single 560KB executable, and as it's portable you can launch it from a USB flash drive on any convenient PC, running Windows 98 or later.

It's no surprise that the Wavosaur interface is a little basic when compared to some of the competition, then, with lots of tiny icons scattered around its toolbars. Still, the basic editing procedures are more or less the same as they are elsewhere (select a part of the waveform with the mouse, then carry out some operation on it), and the program has far more power than you might expect for something of its compact size.

You get all the usual commands to zoom in and out, zoom to a selection, and so on, for example. And a convenient Marker toolbar works much like the bookmarks in other programs, so you can set markers at key points, and jump from one to the other with a click.

There are a surprising number of ways to view your source audio: a 2D and 3D spectrum analysis, a sonogram, even input and output oscilloscopes for tracking live sound. (These are always displayed in a separate window, though - the editing window uses a conventional waveform only.)

The effects on offer are relatively basic: you can fade samples in or out, tweak their volume, apply a few filters, and so on. More advanced effects are restricted to a single example, the vocal remover, which can sometimes deliver good results but for the most part really doesn't. However, if this is an issue then Wavosaur's VST support will allow you to add further plugins, at least in theory (it can be a complicated process).

Wavosaur is a little too much like hard work to use it for advanced editing tasks, then. But if you're looking for a compact tool which you can run almost anywhere then it could be a sensible choice, and it's certainly powerful enough to sort out the usual audio editing basics for you.

We liked

Tiny, portable, provides lots of views on your audio source, easy waveform navigation, VST support

We disliked

Relatively limited file format support, slightly cluttered interface, vocal remover works only occasionally, few effects, VST setup can be cumbersome

What is the best free audio editing software?

If you're new to the world of audio editing, not quite sure how the technology works, then you'll probably benefit from starting with a program like WavePad Free or (particularly) Music Editor Free 2012. Both programs are very capable of handling the editing basics, while clear interfaces and helpful tutorials will quickly get you to up-to-speed with more complex tasks, too.

You're already familiar with most editing tasks? Then, if you simply want to carry out some basic job, Wavosaur may be enough. It's tiny, doesn't even require installation - just unzip it, and go - yet still somehow manages to cram in more features and functionality than many competitors.

Our pick of the editors for experienced users, though, has to be Audacity. It's not flashy, and doesn't fall over itself to appeal to the editing novice. But the program's not that difficult to use, includes an excellent feature set, and can easily be expanded via plugins to add even more capabilities, if you need them: it's a powerful and reliable tool.

Best free video editing software

1. VirtualDub 1.9.11

Just like Audacity and GIMP, VirtualDub started life long ago as a student project. It's a relatively simple editor and remains that way today, but its straightforward, no-nonsense interface gained the program a lot of fans and if your needs are fairly basic then it may still provide everything you need.

Your first issue may be file format, though; VirtualDub is optimised for editing AVI files, though it can handle MPEG-1 streams and a few other oddities (including animated GIFs). If you're working with MOV or MP4 files then you'll need to look elsewhere.

Once you have your movie open, however, a host of keyboard shortcuts makes it very easy to navigate around. You can step backwards and forwards by a frame, 50 frames, a keyframe, a drop frame, a scene and more. And it's easy to trim off footage which you don't need.

Need more power? The program provides around 60 video and audio filters to handle all kinds of tasks, anything from sharpening or resizing a movie, to resampling its soundtrack or even giving a video your own custom watermarked logo. The presentation is lacking - there's none of the animations you might see in a high-end commercial editor, everything here all looks very plain - but the core features are surprisingly powerful.

What's more, as VirtualDub's been around for such a long time it's now also built up a useful collection of add-ons, including filters to add pans and rotations, tweak colour and white balance, remove noise, smooth, crop and just generally get more out of your movies.

And while, again, the presentation is basic, VirtualDub's core is well engineered and generally delivers top-quality results: just be prepared to spend some time learning the fundamentals before you feel at home (this isn't a program for total beginners).

We liked

Simple interface, keyboard shortcuts speed up navigation, some useful effects, filters deliver high quality results

We disliked

Limited file format support, very basic presentation, not particularly beginner-friendly

2. Free Video Dub 2.0.3

If you're looking for a really simple video editor, then they don't get much simpler than this. Free Video Dub has no effects, no filters, no transitions, no complexities at all, because it concentrates on just one task: trimming unwanted footage from your movie.

The program does benefit from a lengthy list of supported file formats, though. Not only does it open all the basics - AVI, MPEG, WMV, MP4 - but it can also handle videos that other tools often miss: WebM, MKV, MOV, FLV, RealVideo files, and a host of HD formats (TS, MTS, M2T, M2TS, MOD, TOD, VRO).

Once your movie is open then you can navigate it manually, or use the built-in scene detection feature to work your way through its contents.

Trimming is a simple matter of finding the left or right edge of the section you'd like to remove. This only takes a click with the mouse, but if you prefer keyboard shortcuts then they're on offer, too.

And when you've finished, a click on the Save button will save your modified video. It won't be re-encoded, either, so there's no loss in quality and the entire process is completed at very high speed.

Free Video Dub is distinctly short on features, then. But still, it does perform one very useful editing function, and it does it very well, so if you're looking for an easy way to just trim a video clip or two down to size then this could be the perfect choice.

We liked

Supports loads of file formats, built-in scene detection, edits without reencoding your source video, fast, very easy to use

We disliked

Interface is a little plain, trims footage only - can't do anything else at all

3. Avidemux

Avidemux is an interesting video editor which immediately stands out from the crowd, thanks to its above-average interface. All the core settings you need are immediately obvious, useful keyboard shortcuts help you to navigate around your clip, and there are plenty of configuration options to ensure the program works just the way you'd like.

Basic trimming is easy, then, but the program also benefits from a good selection of filters. There are tools to resize, crop or rotate a clip, adjust colours, reduce noise, sharpen or smooth your footage, handle various deinterlacing tasks, and even embed a range of subtitles (VobSub, DVB-T, ASS/SSA, srt/ sub). They're sensibly categorised, so it's relatively easy to find the options you need, and speedy previews attempt to give you an idea of their effect (although in our experience this doesn't always work well).

And Avidemux also tries to simplify the process of defining your required output format, by providing a few presets: iPhone, iPod 5.5g, DVD, Zune, Sony PlayStation Portable, and so on. So if you've opened a movie which you'd like to prepare for the iPhone, say, then choosing that preset will automatically select the appropriate codec and bitrate, as well as adding any necessary filters (sharpen, resize, "Add black borders" and similar).

The program isn't just about ease of use, though. Tap the Video "Configure" button, for instance, and you'll have access to all kinds of advanced settings (if you feel it's important to select the appropriate B-frame Bias, I-Frame Threshold or GOP Size for your project then this is just the tool to let you do it). And Avidemux has many powerful scripting and automation options.

If there are issues here, it's with reliability, just occasionally: the program doesn't always behave as you might expect. When things go well, though, Avidemux is both powerful and easy to use, and if you need to go beyond the basics then it's definitely worth a closer look.

We liked

Appealing interface, plenty of well-organised filters, decent subtitling support, useful presets for common output tasks, generally easy to use, some very advanced configuration options

We disliked

Occasionally buggy, doesn't always behave as you might expect

4. Windows Live Movie Maker

It would have been easy for Microsoft to produce a very basic movie editor for their Live Essentials collection, something which could carry out a few basic tasks, but very little else. Fortunately they resisted that temptation, and the free Windows Live Movie Maker turned out to be one of the more capable and accessible free video editors around.

The program provides support for a huge range of import formats, for instance: all the usual desktop choices, HD formats, mobile standards like 3GP, images, music and more.

There are stacks of animations and effects: wipes, sweeps, curls, shatters, pans, zooms and more. A straightforward interface means they're easy to browse, and you can apply the option of your choice with a click.

Still too much like hard work? Simply move your mouse over an AutoMovie Theme and Movie Maker will automatically add captions, transition and other effects to the current movie, then preview the results. You really can achieve a great deal here in seconds.

But there's also plenty of manual options, for those who need them. You can trim your footage, of course, or manually customise a subtitle in a host of different ways (font, font size, styling, alignment, the time the text is on screen, the effect to use, and more).

And once you've finished, there are presets to save your video in various common formats, as well as the option to upload it directly to Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and more.

Okay, it's true, Movie Maker doesn't offer some of the advanced features you'll get elsewhere, such as VirtualDub's more powerful filters, or Avidemux's fine control over the video creation process. And so those programs may still come in handy occasionally. For most people, though, Movie Maker offers all the trimming options, filters and format conversions they're ever likely to need: if you plan to download only one video editor, make sure it's this one.

We liked

Wide file format support, lots of animations and effects, clean interface, easy to use, AutoMovie Themes add captions and transitions automatically, lots of useful export options

We disliked

Doesn't offer quite the same fine control over its output as some of the competition

5. SolveigMM AVI Trimmer + MKV

As you'll guess from its name, SolveigMM AVI Trimmer + MKV is a fairly basic tool: it trims AVI and MKV files only, but delivers fast and lossless video editing, so if you're looking to remove a few frames from a compatible format then it could be ideal.

The program provides a straightforward interface. Open a video, and it appears in a window; choose the start and ending points for a clip, click the Plus sign, and your selection is added to the list of fragments. Repeat the process as many times as you like, then click Save to export the results as an AVI file.

There are also one or two extra features. AVI Trimmer + MKV includes a scene detection tool which works with DV-AVI files, and MKV videos with chapters, for instance. And, usefully, it's able to invert your fragments, so if you want to throw away your fragments then choosing the Invert option will enable you to save everything else, instead.

But, of course, there's nothing else. No filters, no effects, no options to convert your video format - no other editing extras at all.

If you only need to trim compatible videos then this need not be a problem. AVI Trimmer + MKV is a likeable tool, easy to use, ideal for quick, lossless editing operations.

Free Video Dub can work with a far wider range of formats, though, and has some useful additional features, so that would be our preferred trimming tool for most situations.

We liked

Straightforward interface, easy to use, lossless video editing, fast

We disliked

Only supports AVI/ MKV movies, scene detection only works with specific formats

What is the best free video editing software?

If you're just looking to trim some unwanted footage from a video then there's no need to install a full-scale editor; a tool like Free Video Dub provides a quick and easy way to remove your chosen frames without the hassle of encoding everything else.

And if you're an experienced editor then there's still a place for VirtualDub first, perhaps Avidemux second; both offer some excellent filters, and provide fine manual control over your finished movie, so helping to ensure you get precisely the results you require.

For most people, though, the winner here is extremely obvious: it's Windows Live Movie Maker. The program may not have the extensibility and configurability offered by VirtualDub's filters, but it's still packed with powerful features, yet supremely easy to use, and even editing novices will be using it to produce quality work within minutes.

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Tutorial: The beginners guide to iMessage in iOS 5

2012-01-29T06:44:00.001-08:00

Tutorial: The beginners guide to iMessage in iOS 5

TechRadar: All latest feeds

One of the big new features in iOS 5 – the latest update to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad's operating system – is iMessage, which lets you send free messages to any other iOS 5 device, provided you have a Wi-Fi or 3G connection.

Better still, if you have more than one device, your messages (largely) get synchronised between them.

On the iPhone, iMessage works seamlessly alongside regular SMS and MMS messages.

If you've got a data connection and your recipient has iMessage too, your message will be sent this way, and appears in blue on the screen. If you don't have a data connection, or your friend has a non-Apple phone, your message will be sent as a regular SMS or MMS, appearing in green.

You can receive iMessages using your phone number (if you have an iPhone) or any email addresses that you link to your iMessage account. iMessages use data networks and only work on iOS devices, and SMS messages use the phone networks.

Wi-Fi-only iPads and iPod touches can text iPhones with iMessage-linked phone numbers, but the phone needs a data connection to receive them.

If you're abroad with Data Roaming switched off when not on a Wi-Fi network, you won't receive the message, even though it was directed to your phone number. Furthermore, only iMessages sync between devices: SMS texts remain on your iPhone only, as do any iMessages sent to your phone number.

With this in mind, it's best to tell people to use your iMessage email address instead, which gives you the most flexibility.

Set up your email addresses for iMessage

1. Enable iMessage

If you haven't already, tap Settings > Messages to switch on iMessage. You have to sign in with your Apple ID, but you can later remove this address if, say, you want to set your children up with iMessage on your Apple ID.

2. Add more addresses

Tap Receive At > Add Another Email and tap in the email address you'd like to receive iMessages at. Add as many as you want, so long as they're not already tied to an Apple ID. When you press Return, 'Verifying' will appear.

3. Check your email

Now check your email inbox. You'll receive an email with a link in it to prove you own that address. Click Verify Now, then enter your Apple ID and password on the web page, and you're all set to receive iMessages.

Start sending free messages

1. Change your Caller ID

In Settings > Messages > Receive At is a Caller ID option. It's best to use an email address rather than your phone number, to enable syncing between iPhones and other iOS devices. Use the same Caller ID on all devices.

2. Toggle Read Receipts

In Settings > Messages is a Send Read Receipts toggle. If you set this to On, anyone who sends you an iMessage will see when you've read it. It's marked as read when you tap into the Messages app and view it there.

3. Add your recipient

To send someone an iMessage, you need to know the address they use. The easiest way to send them is to add the recipient to your Contacts app. Tap it, then tap +, and type in the person's details. Tap Done when you're ready.

4. Compose your message

Tap Home, then Messages. Tap the compose message icon to write a message, then start typing the person's name. Their full name and address should appear. Tap it, then tap in the text field below to write your message. Tap Send when ready.

5. iMessage or SMS?

If you sent the message as an iMessage, it appears in blue. If you sent it from an iPhone and it's gone as an SMS, it'll be green – but your iPhone may try to deliver as an iMessage first, then retry as an SMS if it's unsuccessful.

6. Has it got there?

If your message went as an iMessage, you'll be able to see if it's been delivered. Look for confirmation in small writing just below the message bubble. If someone's enabled Read Receipts, you'll see when they read it.

Send MMS messages for free, too!

1. Send a picture

Tap the Camera button next to the text field to add an image to a message. Take a new photo or send one from your Camera Roll. Tap the image, then tap Choose to add it to your message. A thumbnail appears with the text.

2. How it appears

Images take longer to send because of their size, and appear in a separate speech bubble on your and the recipient's devices. They're free to send as iMessages, provided you don't exceed your data allowance.

3. Disable MMS

If iMessage isn't available, your iPhone could attempt to send your picture message as an SMS or costlier MMS. To prevent this, tap Home, then tap Settings > Messages and toggle 'Send As SMS' and/or 'MMS Messaging' to Off.

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10 things IT pros do that lead to burnout

2012-01-28T10:42:00.001-08:00

10 things IT pros do that lead to burnout

10 Things

Stress, exhaustion, health problems, poor job performance, apathy -- all these can be yours if you commit a few career sins and get burned out.

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Comodo Cleaning Essentials

2012-01-27T17:32:00.001-08:00

Comodo Cleaning Essentials

PC Magazine: New Product Reviews

If malware actively prevents installation of your full-blown antivirus, the free Comodo Cleaning Essentials can help. It works hard to wipe out all active malware traces and doesn't sweat the non-executable junk.

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Tutorial: How to reinstall Windows

2012-01-26T11:48:00.001-08:00

Tutorial: How to reinstall Windows

TechRadar: All latest feeds

Reinstall Windows: Introduction

The process of reinstalling Windows on your computer is simpler than you might think.

The very idea can often induce a mild sense of panic, but the benefits of reinstalling Windows far outweigh any perceived risks, particularly as you can eliminate those dangers simply by making sure you back things up as you go.

Reinstalling Windows offers a number of benefits. It can revive a sluggish system by clearing out all the clutter and letting you start from scratch.

You'll be amazed at how quick your PC suddenly feels, and it'll be more stable too, with corrupt files and problematic programs removed from the equation. In many circumstances it can also clean your computer of malware, although it's important to note that this isn't guaranteed.

There are three different levels of reinstalling you can perform depending on how far you want to go, and in this feature we'll cover them all – from a quick over-the-top reinstall to try and fix minor problems to a full-blown reorganisation of your hard drive, complete with formatting and fresh installation.

Whatever ails your computer, there's a reinstall solution to help fix it.

If you're reinstalling Windows because you think your system needs a quick refresh, then a repair installation is worth considering. The whole process takes less than an hour, and basically installs a fresh copy of Windows over the top of your existing, jaded copy, so that programs, settings and data remain intact.

There are two ways to perform a repair install: if your copy of Windows was pre-loaded by your manufacturer, follow its instructions for a system recovery, choosing 'non-destructive' when prompted. This may involve recovery discs, but in most cases can be done by rebooting and before Windows loads, pressing the key to access recovery options.

Not all manufacturers provide a non-destructive option – if the only options you can see involve partitioning, formatting or wiping your existing installation, you'll have to jump to the next section and perform a full-blown reinstall instead.

If you installed Windows from an installation disc, then the process is a little more complicated. If you've installed any Service Packs since Windows was first installed, then these will need to be removed as the installation disc will detect a 'newer' version of Windows and refuse to install over the top of it. If you're unable to remove the Service Pack or you're unable to boot into Windows at all, then you'll need to perform a full reinstall instead.

NOTE: Commenter badvok66 rightly points out that if you have apps that require authorisation or authentication (such as iTunes, some anti-virus programs or Adobe Creative Suite) then you ought to deactivate these before reinstalling your system to prevent any problems when reactivating.

Perform the installation

The step-by-step guide below reveals how to perform a repair installation in Windows 7 and Windows Vista. Windows XP users do things differently: start by rebooting with the Windows XP CD inserted.

Press any key when prompted – if you get a message about Windows not being able to recognise your drive, you'll need SATA drivers on a floppy disk (check the manufacturer's site for a make-disk utility). Then restart the process, pressing F2 when prompted to load the drivers.

When the Welcome screen appears, don't press R – instead, press Return to set up Windows as directed. Press F8 and Windows will scan for your existing installation. Make sure it's selected and then press R to repair it.

Windows XP will now delete all system files and copy replacements from the installation disc. Setup will then initialise and save your configuration, then reboot. Ignore any request to boot from CD.

When prompted for your language settings click Customize – set both options to English (United Kingdom), then switch to the Advanced tab and do the same. Click OK > Details. If it's present, select English (United Kingdom) – United Kingdom from the menu or click Add to pick it from the list.

Once done, pick the US entry and click Remove followed by Apply, then click OK twice. Click Next, then enter your product key – you should find this with your installation disc. Then click Next.

Once complete, Windows XP will restart – click Next at the first screen, opt whether or not to register and click Next again followed by Finish.

Post repair steps

Once the repair process is complete, you should find yourself back at your desktop. Your programs, files and user settings should be intact, although some things, such as System Restore points, will be lost. Some programs may also stop working – try installing the program over the top of itself to resolve these lingering problems.

All that's left to do is to bring your PC back up to date. Open Windows Update to check for and install updates – you may have to repeat the process a few times, rebooting Windows when prompted, before it finally tells you everything is current. A repair install can resolve many niggling stability issues, but if the problems continue it's time to perform a complete reinstallation.

Repair installation: Get a new PC in 30 minutes! (Win Vista/7)

1. Remove service packs

If you've installed a Service Pack after Windows was first installed or loaded on to your computer, you'll need to remove it first. Open the Programs and Features Control Panel and select View installed updates. Scroll down, select Service Pack for Windows and click Uninstall to remove it.

2. Start repair process

The repair installation process must be run from Windows itself – boot into Safe mode if necessary to start it. Pop your Windows disc into the drive and if the Autoplay dialogue box appears, click Run setup.exe. If it doesn't appear, click Start > Computer and double-click the DVD drive icon.

3. Get updates

Click Yes followed by Install Now to start the process. When prompted, click Go online to get the latest updates for installation (recommended) and wait for them to be downloaded. Once done, the process will automatically restart.

4. Choose upgrade installation

Read the licence, then tick I accept the license terms before clicking Next. Windows Vista will ask for your product key (Windows 7 will skip this step), then at the next screen choose Upgrade. Now wait while the compatibility check is performed.

5. Make a cup of tea

Once complete, Windows will install over the top of itself, following a similar – but not identical – process to a fresh install. It will restart several times during the process, but can be safely left to its own devices. Expect this to take half an hour or so.

6. Complete repair process

When prompted, enter your product key and click Next. Choose Use Recommended Settings, then work your way through the rest of the set-up wizard verifying your time zone and network settings – click Skip to ignore any irrelevant parts.

Reinstall Windows: A fresh reinstall

A repair installation can fix some problems, but it won't clean up your PC or do much to speed it up.

If all the clean-up tutorials in the world have no effect on your PC's performance, if its reliability is at an all-time low, or you can't even boot into Windows, a complete format and reinstall is – in most cases – the solution.

Formatting your hard drive will erase everything on that drive, so it's important you back up all your data – documents, photos, email, settings and so on – before you begin. Open your backup tool and perform a manual backup to ensure the latest versions of your files are secure.

If you're unable to boot into Windows, or want the security of knowing every possible file on your computer is protected, you will need to take a complete backup – known as a 'drive image' – of your hard drive. If anything goes wrong, simply restore this backup and start again.

Again, the procedure for reinstalling Windows differs depending on whether your computer came with a recovery disc or partition, or a Windows installation disc. As with the repair installation procedure, if you're using built-in recovery options, set this procedure in motion when starting your PC – either boot from the disc or press the key when prompted to access them.

The key difference between this and a repair restore is that you want to perform a 'destructive' recovery – one which wipes all existing data from the Windows partition and returns your computer to the exact state it was in when you first switched it on.

A full reinstall

Reinstalling from the Windows installation disc is reasonably straightforward – unplug any non-essential USB devices such as printers, then pop in your Windows installation disc and restart your computer.

When prompted to press any key to boot from CD or DVD, do so, and the installation process will begin proper.

This process differs depending on whether you're reinstalling Windows XP or Windows Vista/Windows 7. For a complete guide on reinstalling Windows XP you can check out this page which should have all bases covered. Win 7 and Vista users can read on.

After Windows has loaded the basic set-up files you'll be asked to set your language: click the Time and Currency format menu to select English (United Kingdom), which is above the default setting of English (United States). Click Next followed by Install Now to continue.

Windows Vista users will be prompted to enter their product key here – do so before clicking Next. After reading the licence agreement, tick I accept the license terms and click Next again.

When prompted for the installation type, choose Custom (Advanced). A list of your hard drives and partitions will appear – select the one with your current installation and click Drive Options for more options. Click Format, read the warning – this is the point of no return – and click Yes to format the hard drive.

Sit back and wait

Once formatted, click Next and the installation proper will begin. This will take 30 minutes or so depending on the speed of your hard drive.

Once done, Windows will reboot – ignore the prompt to boot from CD or DVD this time – and you're ready to configure your new installation.

Configuration is straightforward: supply a username, a name for your computer (to identify it on your network) and a password for your account. Windows 7 users will then be prompted to enter their product key. Once done, click Use recommended settings to ensure Windows stays up to date, then verify your time zone.

The final stage involves connecting to your network: if Windows installed wireless and/or Ethernet drivers, you'll be prompted to connect to any wireless network. Once done, Windows will complete the set-up process and you'll have a fresh, uncluttered installation to work with.

Restore backups

Once you're back at your desktop, follow the instructions in the post-restore box to bring your computer back to working order.

Once done, the final step is to restore your data and settings using your backup tool. Whether you're using the built-in Backup and Restore tool in Windows, or using your own backup tool, you'll need to manually select your backup – in the case of the Windows Backup tool, after clicking Restore you'll be told the backup can't be found.

Don't panic: choose Select another backup (Windows 7) or Advanced restore > Files from a backup made on a different computer (Windows Vista) to locate it yourself. When you come to restore the backup, the default setting should be to restore the files to their original location, which should be the correct option in most cases.

Once your files have been restored, launch your backup tool again and create a new backup plan to ensure your files are protected in the future.

Before you reinstall: Don't start installing without this checklist

1. Get backed up

Make sure all your important files and settings are backed up – use the Windows Backup tool, or try Comodo Backup 3. Also you can take a fail-safe drive image of your entire hard drive using backup software such as Redo. You can also back up your programs and settings with our handy guide.

2. Source drivers

Make sure you can reconnect to the internet after you've reinstalled Windows: if you're reinstalling from an installation disc, you'll need to download the modem (USB connection), Ethernet (network cable) or wireless drivers from your manufacturer.

3. Verify programs

Make sure you've got any program installation discs and relevant product keys safely written down or backed up. Try Belarc Advisor if you can't find those keys, or be prepared to pay $25 for Recover Keys.

Three reasons to reinstall: Check out the benefits of taking the plunge

1. Speed up

Over time Windows gets bogged down with clutter: too many programs, leftover traces of old programs, redundant files and so on. Reinstalling Windows from scratch clears out all of this rubbish, speeding up your computer as a result.

2. Fix problems

A fresh reinstall fixes most non-hardware related problems. If your PC has reliability issues or crashes regularly, and you've ruled out hardware causes like a faulty power supply or failing hard drive, a reinstall should make it much more stable.

3. Take full control

A clean slate lets you craft Windows to your tastes and needs. Take a drive image once your 'perfect' set-up is in place, and you'll never have to reinstall again – instead, just restore the drive image and bring it up to date.

Reinstall Windows: The ultimate reinstall

One of the biggest hassles when it comes to reinstalling Windows is having to back up and restore data and certain settings each time, because there's always a danger you'll be caught short and miss something, which will never be seen again.

Our recommended – but most complicated – procedure for reinstalling Windows therefore involves splitting off your documents, photographs and other files from Windows by storing them on a separate partition or hard drive.

An increasing number of computers come with the hard drive already split into two partitions, but if you only have a single hard drive visible in Windows you'll need to divide it in two by a process called partitioning.

Partitioning simply consists of a virtual marker being placed somewhere on the drive – on one side it's treated like one virtual disk, on the other, it's another disk.

Keep things separate

Storing your files on the second 'data' partition rather than on the same partition as the operating system insulates them from problems with Windows. Then if Windows goes belly up, you can format your Windows partition and reinstall without worrying about your data, which is kept safe on the data partition.

Note that partitioning your drive isn't a substitute for backing up – you still need to protect your data by storing a separate copy elsewhere, either on a backup drive or online.

Once your hard drive is partitioned, you need to move all your files to your newly created data drive – and although many manufacturers provide a second partition, they often continue to store your data on the same partition as Windows by default, so even if your drive came ready-partitioned, if there's no trace of your data on the D drive, read on.

Transferring your files to your newly created data partition is a pretty simple process. Start by creating a suitably named folder, such as your name or 'My Files' on the new drive. Next, click Start and select your username to open your personal user folder.

Assuming all your key files and settings are stored in these folders, just drag each one across to the folder you've just created on your data drive, where they'll be duplicated. It's possible to store other files and settings here on your new data partition too, including your all-important email messages. If you're running Outlook Express (Windows XP), Windows Mail (Windows Vista) or Windows Live Mail, the process is practically identical.

People running Outlook Express and Windows Mail should choose the Tools > Options > Maintenance tab; Windows Live Mail users should click on the menu button and choose the Options > Mail > Advanced tab, and then click Maintenance.

Next, select Store Folder, click on Change and then browse to and select a suitable folder – such as Email – inside the folder you created earlier. Follow the prompts to move your email messages across, and verify that the messages have moved after you restarted your email program by checking the contents of the Email folder on your data partition, which should no longer be empty.

You should also be able to move your email folders in other email applications too – just check the program's website for details on how to go about moving its data folders to a new location.

Reinstall Windows

Once your data and key settings have been moved to the data partition (usually the D drive), we'd still recommend taking a fail-safe drive image of your Windows partition to ensure no files are lost. You can then reinstall Windows proper following the guide outlined above.

After reinstalling Windows, your drivers and any outstanding updates, the next step is to reinstall your email program if necessary, set it up and repeat the procedure you followed earlier to point it towards the Email folder on your data partition, at which point you should have access to all your email messages again.

Next, open your User folder. People running Windows XP should now right-click on My Documents and select Properties; Windows Vista and Windows 7 users should right-click on Documents and select Properties > Location tab. Click the Move button and browse to your newly created partition or data drive. When prompted, click Yes to transfer your data to this new drive.

Now click OK and double-click on the Documents folder – you should see all the files that you've transferred to the data partition appear, indicating the process has been successful. Windows 7 and Windows Vista users should now repeat the process for other folders, including Pictures, Music and Videos.

With these changes in place, take a drive image of your finished set-up – when you next want to reinstall Windows from scratch, simply restore this drive image instead. It'll speed up the reinstallation process considerably – once that's done, all you have to do is download any Windows and driver updates released since the drive image was taken – plus it will ensure you never have to worry about taking a fresh backup of your data or key settings prior to reinstalling Windows again.

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In Depth: Best browser 2012: which should you be using?

2012-01-26T08:34:00.001-08:00

In Depth: Best browser 2012: which should you be using?

TechRadar: All latest feeds

Best browser 2012: which should you choose?

Competition among browsers is more fierce than ever.

Google's knocking out new versions of Chrome at an alarming rate, Mozilla's been pulling nightshifts to improve Firefox, and Microsoft's rejuvenated IE team is doing great things with its browser.

There are great browsers from Opera and Apple too, not to mention mobile browsers for smartphones and tablets.

So which browser should you be using?

Let's find out which ones offer the best blend of power, expandability and all-round awesomeness.

The best browser for speed

We tested the latest official releases of the big browsers: IE9, Safari 5.1, Firefox 9, Chrome 16 and Opera 11.6 to see how they performed on the desktop. All of the big browsers deliver speedy browsing, but there are still differences when it comes to things such as JavaScript performance, which affects the speed at which web apps and complex websites work.

In the Sunspider JavaScript benchmarks Firefox left its rivals in the dust, storming through the tests in a hugely impressive 189.4ms. Safari was next with 219.6ms, followed by IE9 (247.9ms), Opera (254.3ms) and Chrome (291.0ms). We saw similar results in Windows Vista, with Firefox narrowly pipping its rivals to take first place.

These figures are based on brand new installations without any plugins, extensions or similar: once you start loading your browser up with goodies, performance is likely to take a nose-dive.

WOW: Firefox is the speed king on Windows and on OS X, but there isn't much in it: all the browsers are swift

The best browser for add-ons

You can get add-ons for all the main browsers, but Firefox has the edge here: its huge number of add-ons and Greasemonkey scripts mean that its reputation as the Swiss Army Knife of web browsers is well deserved. It's far and away the most expandable web browser, and it's got the best browser sync features too. Bear in mind, though, that all of the main browsers are expandable, and while some - such as Safari - don't have enormous libraries of add-ons, you can still get the essential ones such as ad blockers, Twitter utilities and Gmail notifiers.

Opera deserves a special mention here because it's more than just a browser. It has integrated email, newsgroups and IRC chat, the Opera Unite file server, Opera Turbo to improve performance on crappy mobile connections, and Sidebar-style widgets for games, web applications and utilities.

The best browser for Windows 7

Safari's the first to fall here: it just looks odd on Windows, and doesn't offer anything over its rivals. IE9 and Opera are both very nice to use on Windows 7 and make good use of taskbar pinning and jump lists, but Firefox has the edge in both speed and expandability and it's our pick here.

UNEXPECTED?: Opera's a joy to use and worth considering if you like the idea of widgets, integrated email and file sharing

The best browser for Windows Vista

IE9 flies on Vista - it hammered through Sunspider in 193.7ms - but Firefox is faster still, scoring 192.2ms in the same benchmarks. Safari ran through the benchmarks in 224.4ms, Chrome 246.6ms, and Opera in 251.2ms. Firefox isn't just the speediest browser on Vista, but the most expandable too.

The best browser for Windows XP

Internet Explorer takes an early bath here, because Microsoft doesn't make IE9 for its ageing OS. That leaves Safari 5.1, Firefox 9, Chrome 16 and Opera 11.6; of the four, Chrome demands the least RAM and hard disk space, making it the best bet for older XP systems. That means Chrome's the best browser for netbooks too: its more modest hardware requirements are a boon on relatively low-spec machines.

The best browser for OS X

Firefox was massively in the lead on OS X Lion, rocketing through Sunspider in 153.8ms compared to Safari's 209.2ms, Opera's 214.7ms and Chrome's 225.3. However, it's worth noting that while Safari's figures look good on paper, they don't reflect the way it chugged through the benchmarks as if it were wading through treacle.

Firefox's speed is countered by what we think is a faintly horrible interface. If that isn't your top priority then Firefox is the best browser for Mac users; if it annoys you, then Opera or Chrome is a better bet. While Safari is a perfectly decent browser, its rivals performed better in our tests.

The best browser for privacy

All of the browsers we tested had excellent privacy protection including private browsing and warnings of suspicious web pages, but IE9 is marginally ahead of the pack here: its tracking protection enables you to subscribe to lists that tell specific kinds of websites not to track you, which is potentially more useful than a global "do not track" option.

The best browser for HTML5

All of the main browsers support the important bits of HTML5, but when it comes to full standards support Chrome and Firefox are in the lead by a significant margin. According to the excellent Caniuse.com, Firefox and Chrome score 89% for HTML5 standards support, with Safari at 78%, Opera 74% and IE9 52%. If you add CSS support into the equation the scores are 87% for Firefox and Chrome, 83% for Safari, 75% for Opera and 59% for IE.

LAGGING BEHIND: All the browsers support key HTML5 features, but IE9 lags behind when it comes to full standards support

The best browser for Android

The stock Android browser is pretty good, but we think Opera Mobile has the edge for smartphones: it's got a lovely interface, goes like the clappers - we've previously described it as "comically fast" on decent kit - and synchronises well with its desktop cousin. On tablets, the standard browser is still our preferred option: while Dolphin for Pad and Firefox are looking pretty nifty, they're both still in beta.

CACHE KING: Opera Mobile for Android is particularly good on mobile phones. It's "comically fast" on decent kit

The best browser for iPad

The lack of tabs in Apple's Safari drove us daft on the original iPad, but now it's got tabbed browsing and iCloud syncing we think it's the best browser on the platform, especially on the iPad 2: in our experience it's faster and more reliable than iCab Mobile, considerably nicer to look at than Atomic Browser, and less likely to dump you back to the home screen for no good reason than non-Apple browsers.

NATIVE THE BEST: Tabbed browsing and iCloud synchronisation make Apple's own Safari the best bet for iPad owners

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How to backup your Mac App Store apps

2012-01-23T13:44:00.001-08:00

How to backup your Mac App Store apps

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

The excellent ReadNow application, which allows you to easily read articles from your Instapaper and Read It Later articles on your Mac, has been pulled from the Mac App Store "...because of an infringement letter." Developer Michael Schneider added "[i]n my current situation I'm not allowed to provide any further information."

The good news is that if you have already purchased the app, you can still download it from the "Purchases" tab in the App Store.app even though the iTunes page for ReadNow now leads to the message, "Your request could not be completed."

However, as I waited for the Mac App Store to load on my iMac this morning, I found myself wondering "What would I do if I couldn't re-download it from the Mac App Store?"

Fortunately I have the app on my MacBook Air, so I could go to /Applications/ReadNow.app and then select File » Compress "Read Now" (or control+click the app and choose "Compress" from the menu).

Terminal option

If you wanted to make a copy of ReadNow (or any app) on the command line, I believe that your best option is using ditto like this:

sudo ditto -v --keepParent -kc ReadNow.app ReadNow.zip

(I don't claim to be a ditto expert, but I can tell you that worked for me. The -k option tells ditto to make zip archives. The --rsrc --extattr and --qtn options are all the default, so they don't need to be explicitly specified.)

I then copied the 'ReadNow.zip' file to my Dropbox so I would have it, just in case Apple removes the option to download it.

This should work for all Mac App Store apps (Xcode and "Install Lion" excepted), but may not work for other apps which use an installer and may install other files besides the ones in /Applications/.

Show me all of my Mac App Store apps

Speaking of the command line, if you want to see a list of all the Mac App Store apps that you have installed on your computer, you can run this command in Terminal.app:

find /Applications \
-path '*Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt' \
-maxdepth 4 -print |\
sed 's#.app/Contents/_MASReceipt/receipt#.app#g; s#/Applications/##'

Note: this won't show you Xcode, because Xcode is an unusual case. It is an installer which installs Xcode and then the installer is removed.

An ounce of prevention

There has been no indication that Apple will remove ReadNow from your list of Purchased apps, I just wanted to have a backup 'just in case.' Hopefully the "infringement letter" issue will be settled soon and it will be available again. However, if the iOS App Store is any indication, eventually jettisoned apps will become unavailable for re-download. Also, the upcoming sandboxing requirements may lead to some existing applications being removed.

As always, it's good to have your own backups rather than relying on being able to re-download anything from "the cloud." I wrote a small shell script which will look in /Applications/ for any applications which have the Mac App Store receipt, and create a .zip file for each of them. (While I have tested it myself and it works for me, YMMV, use only at your own risk, etc.)

To use it, download the script to your Desktop (or wherever) and then run:

chmod 755 ~/Desktop/backupmas.sh

And then run it via

~/Desktop/backupmas.sh

(Obviously if you saved it somewhere else, use that path instead of ~/Desktop/.)

It may ask for your administrator password. If so, that's the one you use to log in to your computer, not your Mac App Store password.

How to backup your Mac App Store apps originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 23 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Week's Reading - 20120123

2012-01-23T07:20:00.001-08:00

Five apps for crapware cleanup | TechRepublic

Five tools for getting rid of duplicate files | TechRepublic

DIY: Two-step process for blocking spam in WordPress | TechRepublic

5 Ways to Encourage Responsible, Productive Behavior in Your Kids | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement

Daily Mac App: AirBeam

http://www.wimp.com/mountaintop/ - Crazy mountain top motorcycle ride!

10 problems with outsourcing IT | TechRepublic

Article: Windows Server 2008 R2: Optimize the Branch Office Experience | TechNet Magazine

2012-01-20T12:55:00.001-08:00

Windows Server 2008 R2: Optimize the Branch Office Experience | TechNet Magazine
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/hh750393.aspx

Windows Server 2008 R2: Optimize the Branch Office Experience

Using BranchCache and read-only domain controllers can help you ensure a smooth experience for your branch office users.

Brien M. Posey

Branch offices always present a special set of challenges. Without an on-site IT staff, branch offices tend to be more difficult to manage and secure. Employees at branch offices often experience slow response times when they try to access resources stored on servers located at the main office. There are several features in Windows Server 2008 R2 that directly address the unique performance and security needs of branch office environments.

BranchCache

BranchCache helps alleviate some of the WAN congestion that occurs when users try to access data from the corporate network over a WAN connection. BranchCache does this by locally caching frequently used data so it doesn't need to retrieve it across the WAN every time it's requested.

To use BranchCache, all of the workstations in the branch office must be running Windows 7. All file servers and Web servers in the main office must be running Windows Server 2008 R2.

There are two different modes available when using BranchCache. The mode you should use depends largely on the size of your branch office. If your branch office has fewer than 50 users, you won't need a BranchCache server. Instead, you can run BranchCache and Distributed Cache Mode. In this mode, each Windows 7 workstation is able to cache network contents and provide access to the cache to the branch office users.

The primary limitation to using Distributed Cache Mode is that it only supports a single subnet at the branch office. If your branch office uses multiple subnets, then each Windows 7 workstation will only be able to provide caching data to other workstations within the same subnet.

The other BranchCache mode is better suited for larger branch offices; it's called Hosted Cache Mode. In this mode, BranchCache resides on a designated Windows Server 2008 R2 machine. Each Windows 7 workstation has a fully qualified domain name of the server to which it should look for the cached content.

BranchCache is disabled by default in Windows Server 2008 R2. To enable BranchCache, open Server Manager on your BranchCache server, click on the Features container, and then click on the Add Features link. Choose the BranchCache option from the list of available features (see Figure 1), click Next, followed by Install and Close.

Figure 1 You have to enable and configure BranchCache as a feature.

Configuring the BranchCache Server

The exact method of BranchCache configuration you'll need to do will vary depending on the types of content you want to cache. BranchCache can cache file server data, Intranet Server data or BITS application server data. Because caching file server data is the most common use for BranchCache, I'll cover the file server configuration process.

The first step in configuring BranchCache to cache file server data is to enable the BranchCache for Network Files role service on your file servers. Do this on any Windows Server 2008 R2 file server containing data you need to cache. Do this by adding the BranchCache for Network Files role service to the File Server role (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 You'll need to add the BranchCache for Network Files role service to your file servers.

The next step in the process is to use Group Policy to configure the BranchCache server. Assuming you have a single BranchCache server, you can do this in the BranchCache server's local security policy.

Open the Group Policy Editor and navigate through the console tree to Computer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | Network | Lanman Server. Double-click on Hash Publication for BranchCache setting and click Enabled. You'll have to choose either Allow Hash Publications for All File Shares or the Allow Hash Publication for File Shares Tagged with Windows BranchCache Support option (see Figure 3). After making your selection, click OK.

Figure 3 You must allow hash publication for file shares.

While you're at the BranchCache Server, you should also configure the amount of hard disk space available for cached content. By default, BranchCache uses up to five percent of available hard disk space. You may want to increase this amount, especially if you have a dedicated server. Setting the disk space limits involves registry editing, so make a full system backup prior to editing the registry. Making a mistake while editing the registry can destroy Windows.

Open the Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters. Double-click on the HashStorageLimitPercent value. Specify how much of the server's hard disk space you want to use for cached data (see Figure 4). Enter the value as a percentage. You'll need to create a HashStorageLimitPercent value if one doesn't already exist.

Figure 4 You can use the system registry to regulate the amount of disk space that's used by BranchCache.

The last server-side configuration task is to set the BranchCache support tag on your file shares. To do so, right-click on a file share and select the Properties command from the shortcut menu. When the properties sheet for the file share is displayed, select the Sharing tab and click the Advanced Sharing button, followed by the Caching button. Select the Only the Files and Programs that Users Specify Are Available Offline option, as well as the Enable BranchCache option (see Figure 5), then click OK.

Figure 5 You must enable BranchCache on each individual file share for which you want to allow caching.

Configuring BranchCache Clients

Once you've enabled BranchCache on your server, you'll have to configure the clients in the branch office. The best way to do this is to modify the Group Policy for the computers in the branch office.

Use the Group Policy Editor to open the group policy that controls the security settings for your branch office. Navigate through the policy tree to Computer Configuration | Policies | Administrative Templates | Network | BranchCache. You'll see several group policy settings related to BranchCache. Double click on the Turn on BranchCache setting, click Enabled, then OK. Next, double-click on Turn on BranchCache – Hosted Cache Mode and click Enabled, then OK.

You'll also have to enable the BranchCache for Network Files setting. When you enable this setting, you have the option of specifying a latency value (in milliseconds) above which files should be cached. In other words, you have the option of only caching files that take a while to access. This is handy if you have a file server in the branch office and only want to cache content being pulled from a remote file server, or if you only want to cache very large files.

Depending on how your network is configured, you might also have to create a firewall rule to facilitate using BranchCache. In hosted cache mode, you must configure clients to accept HTTP traffic from the BranchCache server.

Read-Only Domain Controllers

Read-only domain controllers (RODCs) can also help optimize the end-user experience in branch offices. Every version of Windows Server since Windows 2000 Server has used a multi-master domain model. This means you can write changes to the Active Directory of any DC and the DC will replicate the changes to the other DCs within the domain.

However, you can't directly update the copy of the Active Directory database stored on an RODC. You're only allowed to write updates to writable DCs. Those updates are then replicated to all other DCs in the domain, including RODCs.

There are two main reasons why RODCs are beneficial for branch office support. The first reason has to do with availability. DCs authenticate user logon requests. If a branch office doesn't have a local DC, then those users are forced to authenticate against a DC in the main office. Not only is this slow, but if the WAN link fails, then users in the branch office won't be able to access a DC.

Placing a DC in the branch office can help avoid this situation. If a WAN link fails, users can still authenticate onto the network. The problem with setting up a DC in a branch office is the lack of adequate physical security. Often times, the DC is simply set up in a closet with no real physical security and no on-site support.

RODCs are ideal for use in these types of situations. They're hardened in a way that helps make up for the lack of physical security. The most obvious security feature RODCs offer is the read-only copy of the Active Directory database.

Because the database copy is read-only, you won't have to worry about someone gaining physical access to the DC, manipulating the Active Directory, and replicating unauthorized modifications across the network. The only changes to the database occur when authorized DCs replicate updates to the RODC.

Another way RODCs improve branch office security is by storing an incomplete copy of the Active Directory database. The Active Directory database normally contains the credentials for all of the domain's user and computer accounts. However, RODCs don't store any user or computer credentials by default. When a user authenticates, a password replication policy determines whether to cache the user's password on the RODC.

Caching passwords ensures the RODC is able to process user logons. It prevents the DC from having a full set of cached credentials for that domain. Only branch office users where the RODC resides should have their credentials cached.

While you can improve the security of the RODC by leaving credential caching disabled, doing so may defeat the purpose of deploying an RODC. All authentication requests would then have to be processed by a writable DC.

Deploying an RODC

Before you can deploy an RODC, make sure the forest functional level of the Active Directory is set to Windows Server 2003 or later. You'll also need to use ADPREP to prepare the Active Directory forest (ADPREP/ForestPrep) and the domain that will contain the RODC (ADPREP/DomainPrep /gpprep).

If the domain is presently running on Windows Server 2003 DCs, then you'll also need to run ADPREP with the /rodcprep switch. Incidentally, you'll also need to deploy at least one writable Windows Server 2008 or 2008 R2 DC prior to deploying your first RODC.

Otherwise, the actual deployment process for RODCs is simple. When you run Dcpromo to promote the server to a DC, the wizard contains a check box you can use to make the server an RODC (see Figure 6).

Figure 6 Select the option to make the domain controller read-only.

The Password Replication Policy will control whether user credentials are stored on the RODC. This policy is essentially a list that controls the users and groups that are allowed to have their credentials replicated. As you build the list, you can either allow or deny the ability to replicate a user or group's password.

You should avoid replicating administrative passwords. You should also create an Active Directory security group for users whose passwords you want to replicate. Then you can allow replication for that group instead of dealing with each user individually. Keep in mind that denials take precedence over approvals in the event of policy setting contradictions.

You can access the Password Replication Policy by opening the Active Directory Users and Computers console. Expand the DCs container, right-click on your RODC and choose the Properties command from the shortcut menu. Then you'll see the properties sheet for the RODC. You can manage the Password Replication Policy through the Password Replication Policy tab (see Figure 7).

Figure 7 You have the option of authorizing the replication of user credentials.

WAN bandwidth congestion can be a major issue for branch offices. Using BranchCache and locally deployed RODCs can significantly reduce WAN bandwidth usage, while also improving security. Both of those factors can help you improve the branch office experience for your users.

Brien M. Posey is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional and freelance technical writer with thousands of articles and dozens of books to his credit. You can visit his Web site at brienposey.com.

Another LinkedIn Question-Answer

2012-01-18T12:15:00.001-08:00

The following question was posted on LinkedIn in the Apple Professionals group:

Microsoft Exchange Online in a Mac-centric Environment?

Hi all,

My consulting firm has traditionally recommended Google Apps for clients that want to use a hosted email/calendar/contact solution instead of running their own servers. However, the current inability to delete Google calendar events in iCal is driving some clients crazy, and the weirdness that is Google contact syncing in Address Book has been an ongoing pain.

With the very strong Exchange support in iOS and OS X Lion (and to a slightly lesser extent Snow Leopard), we're considering recommending hosted Exchange solutions instead. I was wondering if anyone here has experience with Microsoft's hosted Exchange offering (Exchange Online), good, bad, or ugly. Tales of joy and/or woe are all accepted!

I recently setup a small office with about 10 users on Office365 (Microsoft's own hosted Exchange/SharePoint platform) and it's been stellar. The users are mostly Windows desktops/laptops and all iPhones/iPads and it's as good or better than running your own Exchange server. Mail quota is 25GB per user and it's priced at $6/per user per month, which is quite reasonable and competitive with the commercial version of Google Apps. I've connected Apple Mail, iPhones, Outlook for Windows (2007 & 2010) & Mac (2011) to it with no issues and the web mail interface is very robust including the ability for users to remotely wipe lost phones.

If you or your users are used to having Exchange-level functionality, it makes a strong case. The others are fine products but the pricing Microsoft introduced with Office365 makes it extremely competitive and not to sound like a Microsoft pundit but it's the real thing.

Based on my experience, which includes administering Exchange versions through the current, it gives you the full functionality you'd expect of running Exchange yourself with much lower maintenance and cost.

Recent LinkedIn Question About a small office server

2012-01-18T10:47:00.001-08:00

On Linked in in the Apple Professionals group the following question appeared and I posted my suggestions:

I am looking to set up a small mac/cloud network for my office with about 5 staff members using iphones for diary/tasks/email/storage should i invest a server or just run it from a iMac?

Personally, for an office your size, I'd do a combination of hosted and local. For e-mail and collaborating with external users (clients or vendors), it's hard to beat hosted Google Apps (still free if you have 10 or fewer users and the basic feature-set is sufficient). I also setup a client with Office365 which works great and gives you native Outlook (Mac & Windows) connectivity and functionality.

You will still likely also need some local server functionality, at least file services and for that I also vote for the Mac Mini Server. I have one of the current models but replaced one of the two internal hard drives with an OWC SSD drive for the operating system (much faster and theoretically more reliable) and house the user/web/shares on the other internal drive. For more storage, you can add a Drobo or better yet, if budget allows it, the Promise Pegasus Thunderbolt array. Don't forget to back it up and if you're using Open Directory, Time Machine isn't sufficient, you'll need to use something like SuperDuper or Carbon Copy.

Windows 7 Clients and Latency-Slowness Saving to and Accessing Network Files

2012-01-18T10:23:00.001-08:00

We recently had an issue with a client site after deploying several Apple iMacs running Bootcamp with Windows 7 x64. The environment includes two file servers, one housing the mapped shared drive and redirected Desktop and My Documents and the other housing flat files for a company specific application with a fat client installed locally and the clients access the files on the second file server. The shared drive and redirected homes is a Windows Server 2008 x64 (original release) patched to SP2 with all updates and the application specific file server is Windows Server 2003 x64.

Usually after 15 - 60 minutes of operation the clients would experience significant latency in opening network files or saving to the network locations. We tried lots of things short of turning off redirected folders, including disabling offline folder syncing.

I eventually stumbled across this thread on the Technet site and toward the bottom is a post by camelCasus that mentions this:

Clients are a mix of WinXP and Win 7 and Office 2003/2007/2010 in all possible combinations (except 2010 on WinXP) and experienced serious delays in opening and often also closing of Word and Excel files not matching the expected speed of the setup with GBit ethernet all over.
For the Win 7 clients with Office 2007/2010 solution was this (turning on the Web Client) in combination with switching off indexing of off-line files as suggested by James Nelson.
For the Win 7 clients with Office 2003 and WinXP clients, this didn't change much (for WinXP the Web Client was already set to Automatic). However, turning off OFV (Office File Validation) made the trick. This is explained here next to the bottom:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg985445%28office.12%29.aspx
<quote>
To prevent Office File Validation from validating files you must create the following registry key and assign it a value of “0” for the specified application in Office 2003 or Office 2007:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Office\<11.0 or 12.0>\<application>\Security\FileValidation, where <11.0 or 12.0> represents the version of Office and where <application> represents the specific Office application for which Office File Validation is installed, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
All necessary parameters for configuring the registry key are listed as follows:
Value: EnableOnLoad
Type: REG_DWORD
Default: 2
Description: Disable Office File Validation
0 = Don’t validate
1 = Validate
2 = Validate unless called via object model

</quote>
For Office 2010 replace the key above (11.0 or 12.0) with 14.0
Thanks for all the contributions to this thread! I can't imagine how I otherwise should have come across the Web Client and indexing of off-line files.
/gustav

I then enabled Automatic start up of the Web Client service on the affected computers and created a GPO covering the parent OU of the relevant computers to disable offline folder indexing.

The initial reports are good from the users.

Interestingly, we support several environments with Windows 7 (32 & 64 bit clients) and varying servers from 2003 to 2008R2 and in only one have we encountered this.

Understanding FSMO Roles in Server 2008 Active Directory

2012-01-17T22:35:00.001-08:00

Understanding FSMO Roles in Server 2008 Active Directory

Petri IT Knowledgebase

Overview

FSMO stands for Flexible Single Master Operations, and FSMO roles (also known as operations master roles) help you prevent conflicts in your Active Directory.

In this article we'll examine the difference between the single and multi-master models in Windows Server 2000, 2003 and 2008 and we'll go through what you need to know about the different FSMO roles. We'll also take a look at FSMO reliability and availability and what's new with FSMO in Windows Server 2008.

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Windows 2000/2003/2008 Multi-Master Model

For most Active Directory objects, the task of updating can be performed by any Domain Controller except those Domain Controllers that are read-only. Updates such as computer object properties, renamed organizational units, and user account password resets can be handled by any writable domain controller.

Also see » Test drive Mailscape: Exchange tool named "Best Messaging Product of the Year"

After an object is changed on one domain controller, those changes are propagated to the other domain controllers through replication. During replication all of the Domain Controllers share their updates. So a user that has their password reset in one part of the domain may have to wait until those changes are replicated to the Domain Controller that they are signing in from.

This model works very well for most objects. In the case of any conflicts, such as a user's password being reset by both the central helpdesk as well as an administrator working at the user's site, then conflicts are resolved by whichever made the last change. However, there are some changes that are too important, and are not well suited to this model.

Windows 2000/2003/2008 Single-Master Model

There are 5 specific types of updates to Active Directory that are very specific, and conflicts should be avoided. To help alleviate any potential conflicts, those updates are all performed on a single Domain Controller. And though each type of update must be performed on a single Domain Controller, they do not all have to be handled by the same Domain Controller.

These types of updates are handled by Domain Controllers Flexible Single Master Operations roles, or FSMO roles. Each of the five roles is assigned to only one domain controller.

There are five of these FSMO roles in every forest. They are:

Schema Master
Domain Naming Master
Infrastructure Master
Relative ID (RID) Master
Primary Domain Controller (PDC) Emulator

Additionally, three of those FSMO roles are needed once in every domain in the forest:

Infrastructure Master
Relative ID (RID) Master
Primary Domain Controller (PDC) Emulator

Here is what you need to know about the different FSMO roles.

• All Schema Changes and Updates to Active Directory are Processed by the DC with the Schema Master Role

Whenever the schema is modified at all, those updates are always completed by the domain controller with the schema master role. Schema is updated during the normal replication, and the schema updates are replicated throughout all the domains in the forest. Since the schema master role is only needed once in the forest, it is kept in the forest root domain. It's advisable to place the schema master role on the same domain controller (DC) as the primary domain controller (PDC) emulator.

• Changes to Which Domains are Part of the Forest are Processed by the DC with the Domain Naming Master Role

As domains join or leave the forest, the domain naming master makes the updates into active directory. Only this DC actually commits those changes into the directory. The domain naming master also commits the changes to application partitions. Like the schema master role, this role is a forest level FSMO, and it is only needed once across all domains in a forest. Also like the schema master, it is suggested to let this role be handled by the same domain controller – the PDC emulator in the forest root.

• Each Domain in a Forest Translates Names for Other Domains Through Their Infrastructure Master

The infrastructure master is a translator, between globally unique identifiers (GUIDs), security identifiers (SIDs), and distinguished names (DNs) for foreign domain objects. If you've ever looked at group memberships of a domain local group which has members from other domains, you can sometimes see those users and groups from the other domain listed only by their SID. The infrastructure master of the domain of which those accounts are in is responsible for translating those from a SID into their name.

Each domain has their own infrastructure master, including the forest root and every child domain. Usually, you do not put the infrastructure master role on a domain that holds the global catalog. However, if you're in a single domain forest, the infrastructure master has no work to do, since there is no translation of foreign principals. In that case it's acceptable to place the infrastructure master it on any domain controller (DC), even if it has the global catalog. For a forest with multiple domains, if there's even one domain controller that doesn't have the global catalog on it, then you need to put the infrastructure master role on a domain controller that does not have the global catalog.

• The Unique Part of a Security Identifier is Assigned from the Relative ID (RID) Master

One of the first things understood about a security identifier (SID) is that they are unique. There are two parts of a SID: the domain identifier (domain ID), and the relative ID (RID). The domain identifier part of the SID is uniform among all security principals in the domain. When looking at a list of SIDs in a domain, it's easy to identify the domain SIDs – they all look the same. On the contrary, the relative ID part of the SID is the unique part. The two parts together make up what we commonly identify as a SID.

It is conceivable, then, that if two or more domain controllers were responsible for determining the relative IDs for the SIDs that two domain controllers may come up with the same relative ID for two different objects before they've replicated with each other.

That is impossible when only one DC in a domain is responsible for the creation of the relative IDs for SIDs. The relative ID master, or RID master, hands out batches of relative IDs to individual domain controllers, then each domain controller can use their allotment to create new users, groups, and computers. When domain controllers need more relative IDs in reserve, they request them from, and are assigned by, the domain controller with the RID master FSMO role.

Every domain in a forest must have a domain controller with the RID master FSMO role assigned to it. It is recommended that the RID master FSMO role be assigned to whichever domain controller has the PDC emulator FSMO role.

• The Domain Controller (DC) That is the Primary Domain Controller (PDC) Emulator is the Authoritative DC in a Domain

The domain controller that has the PDC emulator FSMO role assigned to it has many duties and responsibilities in the domain. For example, the DC with the PDC emulator role is the DC that updates passwords for users and computers. When a user attempts to login, and enters a bad password, it's the DC with the PDC emulator FSMO role that is consulted to determine if the password has been changed without the replica DC's knowledge. The PDC emulator is also the default domain controller for many administrative tools, and is likewise the default DC used when Group Policies are updated.

Additionally, it's the PDC emulator which maintains the accurate time that the domain is regulated by. It's the time on the PDC emulator which identifies when the last write time for an object was (to resolve conflicts, for example.) If it's a forest with multiple domains, then the forest root PDC is the authoritative time source for all domains in the forest.

Each domain in the forest needs its own PDC emulator.

FSMO Reliability and Availability

Due to the importance of the FSMO roles, the domain controllers need to be online at the time the services are needed. For some of the FSMO roles, such as schema master, this is not very much. It only needs to be online when the schema is updated. For other roles, such as the PDC emulator, it needs to be online and accessible all the time.

Ideally, you put the PDC emulator on the domain controller with the best hardware available, and ensure that it's in a reliable hub site. It should have other domain controllers in the same active directory domain and site to replicate with. Then, to reduce administration and complexity, you also assign at least some of the other FSMO roles to the same DC – the RID master to the PDC of each domain, and the schema master and domain naming master the PDC of the forest root.

In the event that a DC with one of the FSMO roles is unavailable, especially the PDC emulator, it is critical for the domain to get that FSMO role back. If, for example, you know that the PDC emulator is going to have to be turned off for scheduled maintenance, you should transfer the FSMO role to a different domain controller. In the unfortunate event that the PDC emulator has crashed and is now down with an unplanned outage, you will have domain errors until the PDC emulator is bought back online. If you cannot get the PDC emulator back online, you may have to seize the FSMO role to another domain controller. It is always better to transfer ahead of time then have to seize the role after a crash. Seizing a role should be done only as a last resort. In the event of a seizure, you cannot ever bring the DC that previously held the role back online.

New with Windows Server 2008 Active Directory is the ability to designate ahead of time a standby operations master. This domain controller is connected directly to the primary operations master role holders through replication to

Summary

When updating a part of Active Directory is too critical of an operation to risk a conflict, Windows Active Directory Domains utilize a single-server model to provide updates to those services. The right to update or perform certain duties in Active Directory is granted to domain controllers through the assignment of one of the Flexible Single-Master roles, or FSMO roles.

There are five FSMO roles. Two of them, schema master and domain naming master, are only assigned once in the forest, in the domain at the forest root. The other three FSMO roles: RID master, PCD emulator, and the infrastructure master, are assigned in each domain, typically all to the same domain controller.

The availability requirements of the domain controller with an FSMO role are dependent on the role. For example, the schema master may be offline without causing any concern until an update to the schema is attempted. FSMO roles can be transferred to another domain controller to improve performance or to allow for continued access during a scheduled outage. In the event of an unscheduled outage, FSMO roles may be seized as a last resort.

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This Week's Reading - 20120116

2012-01-17T21:49:00.001-08:00

How to cope with HTML5's dueling standards bodies - ComputerWorld

12 effective habits of indispensible IT pros - ComputerWorld

The top 10 tech priorities of CIOs - Computerworld

News Analysis: Why Americans Think the Tax Rate is High, and Why They’re Wrong - NY Times, really interesting read

Akai MPC Fly turns iPads into beat machines - TechRadar

Gary Marshall: Dear Apple: hands off our books! - TechRadar

10 best iOS apps for keeping in touch | News | TechRadar

Security+ Social Engineering – Video Lesson

2012-01-16T12:04:00.001-08:00

Security+ Social Engineering – Video Lesson

Petri IT Knowledgebase

Overview

In this lesson, you will get to know the basics of social engineering, be familiar with the most commonly used techniques, and learn how you can best safeguard your organization from these types of attacks.

(Instructional video below provides a walkthrough of the steps contained in this article.)

Social Engineering

Because social engineers largely build on the gullibility, enthusiasm, and in general, the desire of most individuals to please, it's very hard to defend against a social engineering attack. In most cases, the victims, i.e. company employees and even executives, don't even realize that they've been duped.

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Those who utilize social engineering in attacking a company have similar objectives as that of any other type of fraudster: to gain access to the company's money, sensitive information, and/or IT resources. Or, they may simply be motivated by curiosity or the desire to sabotage.

Also see » A Case Study of Outback Steakhouse

A social engineer may therefore be anyone who has something to gain from getting hold of important data - counterfeiters, hackers, competitors,or even an ex-employee who has an axe to grind against the company. For these people, social engineering strategies may yet provide the perfect recipe for them to wreak havoc.

It is thus imperative for company employees to be aware of the various social engineering techniques employed by fraudulent individuals and how they should react accordingly when faced with these types of scenarios.

So let's get on with the all-important question - just what is social engineering?

Social Engineering: An Overview

Social engineering is defined as the art of manipulating people into divulging confidential information or performing certain actions that could lead to the disclosure of or access to the sensitive information. Rather than using conventional hacking techniques to break into a system, a social engineer makes use of psychological trickery on legitimate users to obtain the data he needs to gain access to the system.

Social engineering is basically a con game where the attacker resorts to all kinds of strategies to get the person - an authorized employee, for instance - to trust him. Once this person's defenses are lowered, it's easy enough for the fraudster to get the information he wants. In doing this, he can use both technical or non-technical methods.

Companies spend huge sums on technical controls such as authentication systems and intrusion prevention systems but the truth is, all this would be for naught if users will bypass these controls and hand over the crucial information to attackers.

If you therefore think about it, security all boils down to trust. Organizations rely on their protection and authenticity systems to keep intruders away, but they often fail to take into account a person's tendency to easily trust. This is why the human willingness to accept another person at his word is considered by experts as the weakest link in the security chain.

There are many reasons why social engineering works.

On top of the list is fear - fear of authority, of doing something wrong, or of making someone angry. Some give in out of plain laziness or complacency. Then there are those who are motivated by the desire to obtain rewards or money that attackers may promise. Others simply want to be of help especially when being helpful is the nature of their job as with receptionists or help desk employees, and some just easily fall for flattery and distraction.

But the one crucial factor that really makes social engineering work, encompassing all of the other reasons given, is the lack of awareness.

This is why the need for awareness and education can never be overemphasized. An uninformed employee is the most vulnerable to a social engineering attack. Not only do you need to teach about social engineering, you also have to teach them to be less nice.

A company's awareness and education program should therefore include clear policies and procedures on social engineering. For instance, employees should be aware of the steps that are to be taken in determining whether visitors in the company premises are indeed authorized. Social engineering mitigation need to be written into job descriptions and included in the company's quarterly goals and objectives.

In addition, companies are also advised to have mandatory training on social engineering and a routine for continued training and reminders. After all, the social engineering strategies currently being utilized may be tweaked from time to time, thus, awareness programs have to be kept fresh and up-to-date.

Social engineering awareness programs should also be part of new hire training, and prominently featured in monthly newsletters and on posters and fliers in the office.

One last tip: make it safe for employees to report if they have been duped. You'd want to know of a social engineering attack sooner rather than later.

Now let's proceed with the different types of social engineering.

Impersonation

Impersonation can only be pulled off successfully by an attacker with some pretexting. This means creating an invented scenario that carries a sense of urgency to pressure the victim into doing something he will not do or revealing information he will not divulge under normal circumstances.

Impersonation can be done over the phone where the attacker can pretend to be:

A fellow employee or boss needing immediate information;
An authority figure (like a fire marshal or building inspector) requesting for entry into the building;
A survey taker asking about the operating systems or computer software the company is using, and even
A potential customer purportedly getting to know the company first before doing business with them.

With any of these impersonators, the tone used could either be extremely nice and polite, or very urgent and in desperate need of information.

To counter against these methods, employee training should include a clear definition of what type of information should never be told over the phone. Equally important, a help desk personnel should also require proper identification before accommodating a request for password reset.

Impersonation can also be done in person where the attacker poses as an employee, a maintenance person, or a delivery guy. Employees should be trained to verify if any of these outsiders have in fact been requested for by authorized personnel and are allowed to enter. And even if their identities are properly verified, non-employees should still be escorted when inside the building.

One last note on impersonation: whether on the phone or in person, one of the most successful social engineering techniques is impersonating a technical expert. This is something that both staff members and executives should be warned about.

Tailgating

Tailgating is when a person passes through a security checkpoint without using his own credentials. The attacker enters a restricted area by simply walking behind a person with legitimate access.

You've probably seen this happen in apartment buildings where a tenant uses his key or swipe card to gain entry, while someone else considerately holds the door open and follows inside. More often than not, the tenant would be too polite to ask whether that person is a resident too or has a legitimate reason for being there. The two can even exchange smiles or pleasantries, but the truth is, that stranger could be somebody who intends to harm.

The same thing is only too common in the workplace as well. No matter how sophisticated or state-of-the-art your security system is, it is completely useless if someone can just tailgate his way through it.

Now the term piggybacking is one that's closely related to tailgating, though not used as often. Piggybacking is commonly used to denote entry 'with consent' as in the illustration given earlier where the interaction between the resident and stranger is marked with smiles, pleasantries, and/or door-holding. By not saying no outright, the authorized person is giving his implied consent.

In comparison, tailgating in that context would mean a 'without consent' scenario such as when the intruder sneaks in with a group of people unnoticed.

For purposes of this discussion however, we would be using the term 'tailgating' to refer to a situation where an attacker goes past a card reader or any security checkpoint along with an authorized user, with or without consent.

We've already mentioned common tailgating methods like when the attacker confidently follows a person who has just legitimately swiped his way in, and blending in with a large crowd. Other concrete examples of tailgating include:

Having hands full so that an authorized user will graciously hold the door open earning him (the attacker) a free pass;
Convincing an authorized user that he is an authorized person as well but forgot or lost his ID.

The risks of tailgating can be mitigated when the company puts in place an ironclad policy to have each and every employee authenticate, i.e. swipe their card, at all times. If someone forgets his card, specific procedures should be followed like reporting to the security office and getting a temporary card for the day.

Conspicuous signs and posters on the door or entrance of the building would serve as constant reminders for employees, keeping them on their toes against potential tailgaters.

Dumpster Diving

Dumpster diving is the act of going through the trash or recycling bin by an unauthorized individual to gain information. Dumpster divers are on the lookout for improperly discarded papers, data, or devices.

Dumpster diving is often used as a precursor to impersonation and other social engineering techniques. This means the data that the attacker gleans from this activity would come in handy on sizing up his would-be victims or creating a scenario that can get people to divulge information.

For example, to impersonate an employee, an attacker would need to know more about the company's lingo, department structure, phone numbers, and any other useful bits of information. By knowing these details, the attacker would know who to impersonate, use the right words, and ask the right questions. In other words, having the right information would make him sound like an 'insider'.

Security leaks in the trash may also include: organizational charts, memos, corporate policy manuals, calendars of meetings, important company affairs, and staff vacations, software manuals, hard copies of login names and passwords, discarded hard disks, company letterhead and envelopes, and unused hardware.

To prevent against dumpster diving, organizations should have a proper disposal policy for paper, data, and devices. There are third-party disposal companies available who can readily dispose or recycle trash in a secure manner.

As a side note, be aware that dumpster divers on private property are subject to trespassing laws, although there are no clear cut laws for individuals going through other people's trash. Still, if an employee does manage to catch a dumspter diver red-handed, it would be best to call the police even if no formal charges can be filed.

To reiterate, social engineering attacks via dumpster diving can be avoided if employees are alert and mindful of people loitering around or digging through trash bins. More importantly, employees should be trained to follow established policies on paper shredding and media/equipment disposal.

Shoulder Surfing

Shoulder surfing is gathering unauthorized information by means of direct observation methods. The attacker, often a real or impersonated delivery, cleaning, or maintenance person, observes over the employee's shoulder when he (employee) is typing in passwords or working with confidential information.

What could even be more potentially dangerous for the company is when the one who engineers the attack is a malicious insider. For this shoulder surfing employee, getting valuable information is easier because he can loiter around and observe as much as he wants. Other employees will likely think nothing of his presence (even when he's in an area where he isn't supposed to be) because of the level of trust they have by virtue of his being a co-worker.

Using shoulder surfing, an attacker can obtain the following information: passwords, PIN, credit card numbers, or any other important data.

For a shoulder surfing technique to work, the attacker must have physical access to the targeted employee or area, and ideally for them, unaccompanied physical access.

There are two other related strategies that fall under shoulder surfing - eavesdropping and snooping.

Eavesdropping is listening in on a conversation to get information; it's pretty much like shoulder surfing with one's ears. On the other hand, snooping is rifling through files and papers to gain information. In searching for tidbits of information, a snooper would likely check under your keyboard first or look through other places where users normally "hide" their passwords.

The chances of an attacker shoulder surfing and eavesdropping can be significantly reduced if employees are trained to be aware of their surroundings at all times. And to prevent snooping, employees should be required to have a clean desk at all times. Further, guests should always be accompanied when inside company property.

Phishing

The term phishing is generally used to describe a method of acquiring personal information by posing as a trustworthy person like an IT administrator, or a trustworthy company such as online payment processor, credit card company, or online banking institution.

The phishing technique is usually done using a generic email sent out to thousands of email addresses. If you happen to be one of the recipients, a phishing email will require you to respond by performing any of the following actions:

Directly replying to the sender with your personal information;
Clicking on a link that will take you to a fake website where you are supposed to enter your personal information; or
Calling the "customer service" representative on the phone to whom you will give your personal information.

Fraudsters are able to pull off a phishing attack if they can convince the email recipients/users that they are indeed a legitimate entity. In practically all cases, the fake website where the user is taken to, looks and feels like the real thing. Using logos and color schemes that come as close as possible to the real site, the attackers not only make it appear like the emails come from the company, they also manage to take advantage of the trust that consumers have of these reputable companies.

True, you may be wary of receiving some random email asking for your Social Security Number from a company that you don't do business with. However, you will be more likely to respond if the communication were to come from your bank informing you of an important concern regarding your account.

Like most other social engineering tactics, a phishing attack creates a scenario of urgency and fear to trick victims into divulging information. Phishers even take it a step further by actually talking about security risks to add even more pressure to the user to act immediately.

Spam filters will come in handy for warding off phishing schemes. But a user's best practice is still to refrain from giving any personal information such as Social Security Number, Driver's License, account numbers, and other pertinent data to just any email sender.

At the very least, users should first verify if the email isn't a scam before following any instructions. Users should also be trained to not click on links given in any unverified email. The bottom line really is, no personal information should be asked or given through email.

When in doubt, doing a Google search helps. Most phishing scams are likely to have been around for some time already and some victims would have reported of these attacks.

There are also sub-types to the phishing strategy. These are Vishing, Spear Phishing, and Whaling.

Vishing is actually phishing using VoIP (Voice over IP) This method takes advantage of the public's trust in the telephone service. VoIP hackers manipuate the caller ID system to make it appear that the call comes from somewhere it actually didn't. This makes it very difficult to trace a vishing call.

A common vishing tactic used by fraudsters is leaving a recorded message purportedly from a credit card company, informing the user of a problem with his card. The message often ends with the urgent request that the user call a given "customer service" number immediately to have the issue settled. When the user makes the return call, he is then asked of his credit card number. Of course, this means that the user has just given his card number not to a bank representative, but to a clever social engineer and most likely, an identity thief.

Users should be trained to always call the number printed on the credit card should a problem arise, instead of calling the number provided in a recorded message. In doing this, they would be able to verify from legitimate help desk personnel whether the problem is real or the call was simply a scam.

Spear fishing is a phishing attack that uses specific information about the targeted victim - the victim's name, the people he knows, the bank he maintains an account with, and so on. While the attacker would have to expend more time and effort before he can put this plan into action, these are also the types of schemes that are most successful. The information used for spear phishing could have been obtained from dumpster diving or shoulder surfing.

Whaling is the type of phishing method that targets senior executives of an organization, high-profile victims, or people with access to especially sensitive information. After all, isn't it better to get hold of the system admin's or CIO's passwords than those of the staff in the office cubicles? Fact is, both small and big fish are found in the cyber crime sea.

Hoaxes

Hoaxes are chain mails or posts on social media sites that are intended to misinform the public. Users need to keep in mind that companies - even the biggest and most established ones at that - are not going to give out gift certificates or checks for forwarding emails.

Hoaxes are notable for their implausible threats such as illness and death if the email is not forwarded, or far-fetched promises such as saving sick children, if it is. Ironically, most email hoaxes use big, bright-red font that say "This is not a joke," but they clearly are.

While hoaxes are generally harmless, they are more than a simple annoyance. Hoax emails can prove to be a complete waste of time and resources if users and employees fall for them. Think of the loss in productivity when you forward the email to all your other contacts, the space it can take up in your email database and backup systems, and the paper used when you have these printed out.

As soon as users receive hoax emails about computer viruses or read about these on Facebook and other social media platforms, they are bound to get concerned and report this to the IT staff. If they feel it necessary, users can notify IT department over and over again.

To prevent such a scenario, employees should be kept abreast of current hoaxes so that they don't have to spend valuable time and energy forwarding emails and calling up IT. Using spam filters can also help in keeping hoaxes out. Or better yet, employees should be instructed to never forward any non work-related email to other users.

If spam emails do manage to get through however, it's important that users know how to check if an email is a hoax. They can visit the Snopes website, or avail of the services of various malware vendors to get updates on the latest hoaxes in circulation. In fact, companies should make it a point to have links to hoax checkers right on their corporate internet.

Reverse Social Engineering

Reverse social engineering is called such because this time, it is the victim that actually approaches the attacker and offers some personal information.

Of course, this usually doesn't happen without some well-planned scheming from the attacker. The set-up may start with the attacker making himself interesting or available to the potential victim. By sending an email, participating in forums, or giving out business cards, the attacker establishes himself as an expert in a certain field, and therefore, in a position to help the victim at some point in the future.

For example, the hacker can pose as a network administrator or IT expert. If something goes wrong with the network - a situation that the attacker may have engineered himself, guess who the victim is likely to call? The person he thinks is 'best' for the job of course. Eager to get on with his work, the victim/user/employee will willingly go ahead and give the hacker a.k.a. 'expert' the pertinent information that may be needed to fix the problem: login ID, password, user name, SSN, employee ID, and so on.

In effect therefore, reverse social engineering is almost like an impersonation scheme, only in this case, the hacker simply sets up the scenario that makes the victim approach or call for him and give the much sought-after information without any prodding. Most reverse attacks are started with the use of other social engineering methods.

A reverse social engineering attack is usually done by an insider or a person pretending to be one, so organizations should see to it that users are trained to verify the identity of people who offer help, especially when the expertise is in the tech- or IT-related field. For all they know, it could be a reverse social engineering hacker in action.

Conclusion

As a final reminder, allow me reiterate that employee awareness and education are the keys to mitigating the risks of social engineering. Whether it's the receptionist, the system administrator, or the company CEO, everyone needs to be alert and be aware that personal and confidential information should be kept just that at all times.

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Tutorial: How to fix exposure online

2012-01-15T08:19:00.001-08:00

Tutorial: How to fix exposure online:

How to fix exposure online
Getting exposure wrong in-camera is one of the easiest mistakes to make when taking pictures, but fixing it can be rather hit and miss.
Exposure is a complicated blend of brightness, luminance and contrast, so simply changing one of those factors won't result in a well-balanced image.
Moreover, an image that's badly exposed is starting on shaky ground – it doesn't matter how good the rest of your image is in terms of its subject, composition or sharpness – if it's too bright or too dark, people's eyes will simply skip over it and move on.
Fixing exposure can be the work of mere minutes once you know what you're looking for. The tool you need can be found in any photo editor worth its salt, from totally free software like Picasa to high-end software costing hundreds of pounds like the full edition of Photoshop.
We'll also be demonstrating how you can edit your photos effectively without using any software at all, and how to make the most accurate adjustments, whatever monitor and camera you're using.
The right photo
Choosing your shot for this one should be simple, right? Simply find an image that's too bright or too dark and go from there. Not quite.
It's true that modern photos, even JPEGs, contain a huge amount of data beyond what you see in the final image, and that finding and using that data is the secret to successful photo editing.
For instance, just because your image appears far too dark doesn't mean there aren't significant areas of detail lurking within the shadows, which can be brought to light by a judicious tweak of the exposure slider.
As always, this kind of photo editing isn't infallible. Large areas of shadow in your image might contain as much unwanted noise as they do desirable detail, so attempting to salvage a big under-exposure might produce as many problems as it solves. Likewise, badly over-exposed images might appear muddy grey once you've attempted to tone down the white highlights.
That means you should choose the image you want to work on carefully – it's not enough to see a very dark or very bright image and try to correct it, because the worse the problem is, the less likely you are to produce a successful result – even if you're using high-end software.
Choose an image that is successful in every other important way, and is only slightly too dark or too light. Consign everything else to the recycle bin, and resolve to do better next time you're behind a camera!
What you'll need
With this tutorial, we're attempting something different. Standalone desktop software is phenomenally powerful these days, and attempting to persuade a professional photographer to abandon Photoshop in favour of an online product might result in actual violence.
For everyone else though, there's some fantastic software available online. You don't need to pay for it, you don't need to download it to your computer, and because it's on the internet, you don't need to worry about upgrading it. In this case, we'll use Google-owned Picnik.
Google bought Picnik last year, and it's the default editor you see if you choose 'Edit' from photo-sharing site Flickr. It's a sensationally useful resource; simply upload a photo to it and all the normal tools are there. If you want higher-end tools, you can pay for a Picnik Premium subscription, although the tools we're using this month are available in the free version.
Another of Picnik's benefits is that you don't need to worry about uploading a high-resolution image, which can take quite some time on a standard internet connection. If your image is already uploaded to one of the many supported photo sharing or social networking sites, you can supply your details and choose from your existing online albums.
For example, if you've got a lot of photo albums on Facebook, you can access your shots directly from Picnik. Clever stuff.
Getting going
Using an online photo editor keeps life pretty simple – go to www.picnik.com and you're ready to begin.
Picnik's home page is fairly busy, but if you click on the 'Library' tab at the top of the page you'll be able to choose your shots. 'Get from computer' is what you want if your images are on your hard disk, or you can choose from one of the other options along the top row if you want to edit a shot that's already been posted online. You can enter the URL of any image on the internet – just make sure it's not protected by copyright first.
Once you've chosen your image, you'll be taken to the editing screen. This is bursting with features, although it defaults to the basic edits screen, which is what we want for fixing exposure.
There's plenty to explore, particularly under the 'Effects' tab. Here you'll find tools for adding high-quality effects for your images in single click.
How it works
Exposure refers to the way an image is created – that is, the result of light hitting the sensor in your camera. Any exposure is the result of your camera's sensor being exposed to light for a certain amount of time; the longer the sensor is exposed, the brighter the resulting image will be. Logically, the less time the sensor is exposed, the darker your shot will be.
The problem is that, even with a decent camera making all the decisions for you, getting exposure right can be difficult. Cameras are easily fooled, and snowy scenes or pictures of very dark coloured things will fool a camera into thinking it's looking at a very bright or very dark scene, producing the wrong exposure time and a dodgy image.
Correcting exposure isn't just about adjusting the brightness of an image – it's a cocktail of contrast and luminance values, and is easy to get wrong. Even photo editors with dedicated exposure correction tools will struggle, so while exposure correction can be a very useful tool, take a look at 'In-camera editing' for more on getting things right first time.
In-camera editing
Getting your exposures right when you take your photos is important for two reasons. The first is that every time you make a post-production change to the exposure level in your image, you're removing a bit of detail. Most of the time this detail loss is controlled and unnoticeable in the final image, but sometimes this loss will result in a less sharp image.
The second reason is a simple question of time: if you come back from a holiday with hundreds of shots, the last thing you want to do is spend a day fixing them all because they're under-exposed. Even if it only takes 30 seconds to fix each shot, that's a decent amount of time wasted if you've filled a memory card.
Getting your shots right in-camera means learning how to use the light meter. All DSLRs, some high-end compact and some super-zoom cameras have one. The light meter is a scale in your viewfinder that tells you whether the camera thinks it's about to take a good exposure. A scale ranges from under-exposed to over-exposed, and a pointer moves up and down to tell you what would happen if you pushed the shutter button at that moment.
It's most useful when you're using a manual mode like aperture or shutter priority, but getting to grips with your camera's exposure compensation function will also help you nail more shots in camera, and spend less time editing later.
How to fix minor exposure mistakes online using Google Picnik
1. Connect to Facebook
In this tutorial, we'll import a shot into Picnik from Facebook. Getting started is simple – go to the 'Library' tab at www.picnik.com, and choose Facebook.
You need to authenticate your account, which means logging into Facebook, and you may prefer to click the cross next to the box that allows Picnik to post on your wall if you want to avoid potentially annoying your friends.
2. Access albums
Once you're logged in, you can choose from your albums, or the public photos of any of your friends. The default view is pictures of you; click the box marked 'Album' to see all of these, organised by album.
They may take a while to load, depending on the speed of your internet connection, but once they're loaded you can start rifling through them to see the ones that need a bit of help.
3. Pick your shot
Double-clicking any thumbnail will load Picnik's editor. Here, the main subject is a dark colour, there are bright highlights from the headlamps and there's an overcast sky in the background.
These could all contribute to a camera getting things wrong if it's in Automatic mode. Crucially, the exposure isn't too far off, meaning that most basic editors will be able to correct it without losing stacks of detail.
4. Adjust brightness
Picnik's exposure tool is found under 'Basic edits'. Click 'Exposure' to access the main tool, plus options for adjusting highlights, shadows and contrast.
For now, adjust the main slider in small increments – left will make your shot darker, right will make it brighter. The numbers on the slider don't correspond to stops, but if you move the slider beyond 50 either way, you run the risk of losing detail
5. Apply changes
The rest of the exposure tools are fairly blunt instruments, and you need to take care to avoid creating rough gradients. Once you're happy, click 'Apply'.
This doesn't save your image just yet – it simply applies the effect you've chosen and lets you start experimenting with Picnik's other tools. These range from the realistic to the weird and wacky. Picnik is non-destructive, so don't be afraid to experiment.
6. Save and share
The 'Save and share' tab is your next stop. The default action is saving it back to Facebook, but there are lots of other options, including downloading the finished file to your PC as either a JPEG or a PNG, and sending the image to your Flickr account. There's also an email client built-in to Picnik, or you can opt to print straight from your web browser. Not bad for a free application.

(Via TechRadar: All latest feeds)

Hidden secret apps of CoreServices

2012-01-13T19:25:00.001-08:00

Hidden secret apps of CoreServices

The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Nestled within the bosom of your Mac's system folder lie many powerful and curious applications. Not intended for direct access, the denizens of the CoreServices directory work as clients for other OS apps such as System Preferences or Safari. There are several CoreServices apps we use often at TUAW. Here are some of our favorites.

When Safari cannot connect to the Internet, you may be prompted to run Network Diagnostics.app to find the problem. The app lets you choose a network port you wish to work with (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or an external modem), and test it. It is one of many apps found inside your /System/Library/CoreServices folder. It's also one that you may want to stick into your dock for a bit when you're messing around with a new router or have upgraded your cable modem.

Screen Sharing.app gives you remote access to any enabled computer on your local network using the VNC protocol. Some of us prefer using Chicken of the VNC, but Screen Sharing.app is a simple alternative already built into your system.

You enable this feature in System Preferences > Sharing > Screen Sharing (hint, click Computer Settings and add a password). When launched, just enter the host name or address of a sharable computer (e.g. Banana.local or 192.168.0.15) and start controlling that system remotely.

Use the Wi-Fi Diagnostics.app to capture network events and enable debugging logs. It provides a way to collect traffic for analysis.

Anyone who regularly works with Apple development may be pleased to realize they can access the Certificate Assistant.app directly instead of always having to launch the Keychain utility. The assistant allows you to create certificate signing requests, which are used in the dev process to request authenticated items like certificates for development provisions.

The VoiceOver.app utility enables spoken descriptions of your OS X screen. It provides an audio interface for your computer. Once enabled, you can quickly switch out of VoiceOver mode with Command-F5. (You can turn on VoiceOver via System Preferences/Accessibility, as well.

You're probably used to using the Archive Utility.app through the Finder's contextual pop-up, but if you drag it into your dock, you can use it as a drag and drop compression utility. Very handy!

Got other favorite secret apps? Tell us about them in the comments!

Hidden secret apps of CoreServices originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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