HTPC facelift

HTPC Facelift

INTEGRATING AN HTPC WITH A HOME THEATRE SYSTEM IS A CINCH PROVIDED YOU HAVE THE CORRECT HARDWARE AND KNOW HOW TO CONNECT IT ALL. WE'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT JUST THAT.

BY DUSHYANT KHILNANI

 

What does it take to make a true HTPC?

HTPCs have been a source of entertainment for a while now, but the question is whether they truly offer a true HD experience. Ideally, the onus of delivering full-HD video playback and lossless surround sound lies on Blu-ray players. This is mainly because the latest Blu-ray players are capable of bitstreaming TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio via HDMI, something that is beyond the capacity of older players. So essentially, to avail this privilege, one has to shell out Rs 25,000 and buy a Blu-ray player, right? Well, not anymore. You can do that by spending merely Rs 5,000 on a good graphics card that can bitstream via HDMI. Today, even entry-level cards have this capability; an Nvidia GeForce GT 220 or an ATI Radeon HD 5450 should suffice. These cards cost anywhere between Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000, depending on their specifications.

Clearly, hardware upgrades are not a prerequisite, but if a PC upgrade is on the cards, consider a platform that is capable of doubling as a true HTPC. The Intel H55 and H57 chipsets are good picks and you might also want to select a good processor, such as an Intel Core i3 or i5. Since these processors have integrated graphics controllers, you can watch HD movies and even play games without the need of a graphics card. Now, this sort of an upgrade, including other hardware such as RAM, hard drive and such, would cost under Rs 30,000 - the approximate cost of BD player. But you get a fully-functional PC that does what a player can do.

Now, assuming that you already have a good sound system and HDTV, there’s one thing you will require to take full advantage of this new encoding technology - a mid-range A/V receiver that supports decoding audio bitstream. They offer the primary feature of separating the signals, processing the audio, and routing the video through a separate HDMI port to a TV. A good mid-range receiver, such as the Onkyo TXSR costs around Rs 25,000. If you also want a new TV and sound system, there’s some more spending to do.

Look out for these logos

Dolby TrueHD is intended for high-definition HT setups, which involve Blu-ray and HD-DVD players. TrueHD offers lossless audiophile quality audio. Another lossless codec from Digital Theater System is the DTS-MD Master Audio. These codecs are common to high-end audio equipment used by audiophiles and movie buffs. So if you see these logos on you’re A/V receiver, understand that you’re using high-end A/V equipment. So, it’s a good idea to make the most of what they offer by using a good HDTV or HD projector and a set of high-end surround sound speakers.

Raw audio bit-streaming

 

Commonly known as bitstream mode, this encoding technology is used in Blu-ray and DVD players to offer pristine audio quality. It is the highest, and uncompressed, form of Dolby Digital surround sound signals that these players transmit to A/V receivers. These audio signals are then decoded by the audio processors inside the receivers. While CyberLink PowerDVD (versions 9 and 10) and Corel WinDVD let you avail high-definition audio, you’ll have to enable the feature manually after making the hardware connections.

HDMI

While HDMI is common to even entry-level graphics cards, motherboards too, especially the latest ones, are equipped with it. Short for High Definition Multimedia Interface, HDMI is preferred over other standards such as S-video and component, because it transmits uncompressed digital data to a receiver. Also, it carries the purest form of digital audio and video signals in a single cable, which avoids cable clutter.

– dushyant.khilnani@chip.in

 Thanks to-

www.chip.in

Same Router, Extereme Power

Same Router,Extreme Power

You can use alternative firmware to increase the transmission power of your router and ensure a longer range. CHIP shows you how to use DD-WRT.

By FRANCIS D'SA

You’re constantly frustrated while surfing over a wireless network because your wi-fi range is simply too low. Signals are weak, and connections either constantly break off or can’t be established in the first place. You’ve tried tweaking all possible settings and changing the router’s position, but it just won’t satisfy your needs. What do you do? Get a new router with longer antennae, or add multiple access points, which would burn holes into your wallet?

You can choose to replace the router’s firmware (its operating system and configuration options) with a third-party, unsupported version. One open source option is called dd-wrt. It’s free and you can use it to increase transmission power and thus, the range of certain wi-fi routers over and above their default available values. Dd-wrt can help increase your router’s capabilities and revive an old failing router by infiusing it with additional uses.

Apart from the option of boosting the transmission power, the extendable dd-wrt linux firmware system offers a host of cool functions, such as running servers and clients for various functions, control via ssh commands, file transfer protocols (ftp) and smb hosting, and also the option of switching on your home pc using its wake-on-lan feature (wol) from the internet and then accessing files on it from wherever you are. Moreover, you have a server and client for openvpn on board, which you can use to configure a virtual, encrypted link between multiple computers on the internet.

In this workshop, the router we'll be using is a linksys wrt54gl with hardware revision 1.1. The wrt54gl is an 802.11 b/g router and cannot match up to the high range of modern routers, which use the new n standard. The radio network barely manages a 30-meter range when used indoors. Its default signal strength amounts to roughly -74 dbm. At times, the wi-fi signal is still detectable at 40 meters with -80 dbm, but surfing becomes impossible. Although the embedded (original) firmware from linksys offers numerous setting options, the transmission power cannot be increased.

Important note: if you download an inappropriate firmware version or make a mistake during the installation, the router may quickly and irreparably be damaged. It is very important that you look precisely for your router’s model number on the ‘www.dd-wrt.com’ website in the ‘router database’ section, inclusive of the correct hardware revision. There are precise installation instructions for every supported model on the ‘www.dd-wrt.com/wiki’ website, which you'll need to follow without errors. Even if the firmware upgrade works, the increase in transmission power will increase operating temperatures, which can affect the life of the router. Added tweaking of the router might be required to help cool it. Also note that the firmware replacement procedure is irreversible and will certainly void any warranty. Do this at your own risk.

Step 1: the firmware

Go to the website ‘www.dd-wrt.com’, click on the ‘router database’ and look for ‘wrt54gl’ (in your case, look for the model number of your router). Download the file ‘dd-wrt.v24_mini_generic.bin’ and save it on the desktop.

Step 2: disconnecting

Before installing the new firmware, detach all lan cables from the router, except for the lan cable of the pc that has the firmware file that you have just downloaded. Also disconnect any devices connected via wi-fi.

Step 3: hard reset

You will now need to hard-reset the router using the physical reset button located on its rear panel. You might require a pin as the reset switch is usually hidden inside the chassis and only a tiny hole is provided to reach it. Check your instruction manual if you cannot locate the reset button. You will need to keep the reset button pressed for at least 90 seconds for the complete hard-reset. Now carefully read these instructions before actually starting the procedure: pull out the power connector after the first 30 seconds, wait for another 30 seconds and re-connect the power again. After another 30 seconds, release the reset button. If you have made any mistakes during this procedure, repeat the whole step.

 

Step 4: flashing

Now that you have completely reset the router, it is time to start configuring the router. To do this, you will need to open your web browser and enter the address ‘http://192.168.1.1’ and press [enter].

Note: certain routers have a different default ip address. Make sure you have your user manual at your disposal.

Once inside, go to the firmware section and select ‘upgrade’. Browse and select the downloaded firmware file from your desktop (in our case it is the ‘dd-wrt.v24_mini_generic.bin’ file). Click on the upgrade button. Once the process completes, restart the router.

Step 5: configuring

You are almost there. Before you start the dd-wrt configuration, you will need to repeat the hard-reset procedure described in step 4. Once completely done, enter the configuration page of the router using the above ip address in the web browser. Firstly, assign a username and a strong secure password for the router before you proceed into any other configuration steps. Then safeguard your network with a wpa2 key under ‘wireless’ so nobody can intrude into your router at this time as your network is presently in an open state and can be easily hacked.

Step 6: tweaking

Now you can connect all the lan cables again. Configure your router as per your requirements. You can increase the specified value in the ‘tx power’ field under ‘wireless | advanced settings’ from around 71 mw to a higher value in small steps. Up to 100 mw is allowed by default, even though you can boost it to more than 200 mw with further tweaking. But be careful; increasing this value will force your router’s components to run at higher power levels, thus producing more heat, which could damage them permanently. Hence, increase these values gradually and stop when they are just about enough to serve your needs. If you increase the power more than you need, you also run the risk of boosting the wi-fi range enough for others in the vicinity to hook on to it. Trust us; you don’t want that to happen.

Now that you have successfully upgraded your router with the dd-wrt firmware, you have opened up a treasure chest of settings and features that were previously hidden. Browse through the features and enable any that you might want. 

– francis.dsa@chip.in

-Thanks to 

www.chip.com

Shades of Grey

Shades of Grey

Have you ever wanted to create stunning black and white images? We show you how.

By SANDEEP BALACHANDRAN

Converting pictures into black and white is as easy as clicking “Convert to Greyscale” in an image editor. But will these images even draw a second look? Probably not. We show you the difference between traditional conversion and using a simple plug-in like B/W Styler. While this plug-in will set you back Rs 2,300, it has many options that would otherwise cost a lot more, and it can be used with IrfanView. Before we proceed, here are a few tips to consider when taking pictures.

Choose your subjects: Pictures might appear appealing in color, but may look dull  in greyscale, so it's best to keep it simple. Objects and portraits look better if they contain one solid color rather than multiple colors. Include fewer elements in your photographs for better results.

Light and Shadow: Since the picture is devoid of color, use of light and accounting for shadows is vital. Try not to use a flash as it eliminates the effect of shadows. Eliminating shadows in a black and white image will make them look rather flat.

Once you've downloaded and installed the plug-in, run IrfanView. Navigate to 'Image | Effects | Adobe 8BF Filters'. Click on 'Add 8BF filters' and navigate to the folder where it was installed. Select the filter and click 'Start selected filter'. Required filters can be selected from the drop down menu.

Step 1: B/W Filters

Most photographers use colored glass filters to give B/W pictures a different effect. For example, orange filters highlight skin tones, red filters make the sky dark, while yellow filters are ideal outdoors. The Contrast filter allows you to make fine adjustments based on color differences. But too much or too little may cause the image to artifact. When using the Brightness filer, the level of brightness depends on the aspect of the image that you want to highlight.

Step 2: ND Filters

The main effect of a polarizer is to eliminate reflection from various surfaces. Moreover, they also help enhance the overall color of the sky. Depending on the image, you can choose between three types of filters – ND Filters (used to darken the image), ND Grad Filters (gradually darken one half of the image) and Polarizers (used to darken blue areas and brighten yellow areas). So if the sky is what you want to highlight, then the ND Grad filter should do the trick.

Step 3: Diffusion Filters

Diffusion filters are used specifically when the need is to give the picture a very soft and dreamy effect without affecting the overall sharpness and contrast of the image.

It is important to note here that the higher the diffuser value, the darker your picture will be. So make sure you apply the required diffuser depending on the overall contrast of the image.

Step 4: Development Mode

This represents effects that are applied when processing RAW films. The Brighten slider allows you to increase/decrease the overall Exposure Value. For most images, you will only need to make adjustments between -1 and +1. The S-Contrast and H-Contrast sliders allow you to adjust contrast in dark and bright areas. They help to highlight certain aspects of the picture. The Amplify slider can be used with the contrast sliders to make fine adjustments to images.

Step 5: Paper Grade

This basically refers to photographic paper that has a range of contrast levels. Here, different levels provide effects ranging from low contrast (0) to high contrast (5). Since we couldn’t achieve the required effect with the preset values, we chose to change the “Multigrade” value to -1 along with a “Paper density” of 15. What we achieved was a rather dreamy effect that best suits the overall image.

Step 6: Frame

A picture such as this is never complete without composing it in a frame. Framing gives your image added perspective and depth that makes it stand out in the process. Your best bet would be the 'Rect-Black Simple' or the 'Rect-Black Line' frame. The choice of frame is totally up to you.

Once you're satisfied with the overall image quality, click 'OK' to apply the settings. Exit the filter menu and save the image. 

 

– sandeep.balachandran@chip.in

 -thanks to 

www.chip.in

Rev the clocks

Rev the clocks!

There are different approaches to overclocking your CPU and graphics card. Do it the way enthusiasts do it or simply hit the magic button!

By ANAND TULIANI

Overclocking is one thing people keep away from because it’s perceived as complicated and risky. Yes, it can get complicated if you do it via the BIOS or registry. Hence, motherboard and graphics card manufacturers now provide easy means for overclocking, such as an OC button on the motherboard and bundled OC utilities. These tools are extremely user-friendly and allow you to overclock your hardware from Windows without requiring you to know the fundamentals of overclocking. One of the biggest advantages of these tools is that they aren’t risky to use because the values suggested by them are optimal.

Since the current-generation hardware are made using a small manufacturing process (45 nm and 32 nm) they run cool and have a good amount of headroom for overclocking. For example, the new Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs can run 1 GHz faster than the stock speed.

A word of caution before you try overclocking your hardware—make sure your cabinet has good cooling, because overclocking causes hardware to heat up more than usual. 

– anand.tuliani@chip.in

The BIOS

Go to the overclocking/frequency settings section in the BIOS and look out for BCLK (base clock frequency). Increasing this value will step up the speed of the CPU and memory. Make sure that the memory runs at its rated speed by adjusting the memory ratio. To find out the effective speed of the CPU, multiply the BCLK value with the CPU multiplier. The latest CPUs can easily run 800 MHz to 1 GHz faster than their stock speed.

 

Bundled CPU overclocking utility

Certain motherboard manufacturers such as Gigabyte and MSI bundle overclocking software with which you can overclock your CPU and graphics card from Windows. In the Easy mode, you simply have to choose one of the listed presets, restart your PC, and you’re done. Here, the software increases the base clock (FSB) and accordingly adjusts the RAM speed in the BIOS. In Advanced mode, you have the freedom to set the FSB, memory speed and voltages manually. Such tools will appeal to both beginners and advanced users.

Automatic overclocking

Some motherboards have the automatic overclocking feature in the BIOS in addition to the manual mode to simplify things for beginners. All you have to do is select the target CPU speed from the listed preset values, save the BIOS settings, and restart your PC. For example, when you install an AMD Phenom II X4 945, the preset list will show Phenom II X4 955 and 965, which means you can run the Phenom II X4 945 at the speed of X4 955 or X4 965. The preset ensures the memory runs at optimal speed so as to maintain system stability. This technique allows overclocking the CPU by 200 MHz to 800 MHz.

Onboard overclocking switch

This technique is a no-brainer. It’s as simple as opening your cabinet, pressing the OC button on the motherboard and switching on the PC. The OC processor on the motherboard takes around half a minute to calculate the optimal CPU speed, memory speed and voltages, and applies them in the BIOS. Voila! You have overclocked your processor.

Bundled GPU overclocking utility

Overclocking graphics cards involves increasing the core speed, shader speed and memory speed. Graphics card manufacturers such as EVGA, Asus and MSI bundle an overclocking utility with certain models that allow users to overclock their card. The utility might or might not be specific to the card, meaning that it might work with other cards as well, for example, the EVGA Precision Tool.

Overclocking ATI Radeon graphics cards

The ATI Catalyst Control Center has a section called ATI overdrive from where you can overclock any ATI Radeon graphics card. You have to click on the unlock button to be able to adjust the GPU clock, memory clock and fan speed. We suggest increasing the GPU and memory speeds in small increments (25 MHz) until you reach the maximum stable limit.

CPUs with unlocked multiplier

AMD Black Edition and Intel Extreme Edition CPUs are special because they have an unlocked multiplier. With this feature, you can increase the multiplier beyond the rated value to overclock the CPU unlike in the case of regular CPUs. For example, the AMD Athlon 64 X4 955 BE which is clocked at 3.20 GHz (200x16) can be easily overclocked to 3.80 GHz by bumping the multiplier to x19. The advantage is that the memory speed doesn’t get affected by increasing the multiplier. These processors are an enthusiast's favorite toy.

-Thanks to

www.chip.in

Build your own file Server

Build Your Own File Server

Build yourself a secure file server using any old computer with a couple of hard drives and store all your data centrally.

By FRANCIS D'SA

 

Every office that generates large amounts of data needs a file server so that users can access it all from a central location. The sole purpose of a file server is to provide the users on the network with files. Additionally, file servers can also provide data to other users over the internet via a website or FTP service. A file server is nothing but a simple computer with ample storage space, running a server operating system and configured with data backup or synchronizing software. The hardware is usually designed using special purpose processors, RAM, motherboards, hard drives, power supply units and cabinets so the server is able to be powered on 24x7. So they have to be rugged and efficiently cooled too.

The main component of a server is the storage space, but using a single spacious hard drive will not serve the purpose. The drives should also be highly efficient in terms of speed, should have a large volume, and last but not the least, they should be secure enough to keep your data safe. Hence, they are usually configured in RAID, where multiple hard drives are deployed to ensure speed and safety during data transfers. Hard drives can be configured in RAID using different modes— RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 or 01. While RAID 0 is considered the fastest as it uses the data striping feature, RAID 1 is the safest as it uses data mirroring. but both have their advantages and disadvantages. RAID 5, 10 and 01 are combinations, which uses both striping and mirroring to form fast and safe storage. We will show you how to configure a simple file server which uses RAID 0 or RAID 1 using two SATA hard drives and an old computer. You can also use multiple hard drives to form a RAID 5, 10 or 01 volume.

Note: To create a RAID volume, the hard drives must be of the same type, speed and capacity, otherwise the one with the lesser of these features will bring down the efficiency of the entire group.

A file server is usually untouched, except for maintenance such as application installation, user configuration or fixing breakdowns. You can build your own server and leave it behind a desk, in a loft or hidden inside a cabinet, but the place it's set up in should be spacious, well ventilated and easily accessible for maintenance. The monitor, keyboard and mouse can be disconnected until required. 

Requirements

Any old desktop computer. A Pentium 4 or higher is preferable.

Two or more similar SATA hard drives.

2 GB RAM should be enough, unless you have more to spare.

A PCI SATA RAID card, unless your motherboard features built-in RAID.

An operating system. A server edition is highly recommended if there are many users accessing it.

Let’s begin. Open and clean the old computer thoroughly and ensure a dust-free interior for efficient cooling. Install a PCI SATA RAID card into a vacant PCI expansion slot and screw it in place, unless your motherboard features an onboard RAID controller. Install the two (or more) hard drives in the respective bays and connect the necessary cables (data and power). Confirm that all cables are neatly tied and tucked away from the cooling fans and ducts to ensure proper air circulation. Once done, your hardware is ready to become a server.

Now is the time to install the operating system, but before this, you will need to configure the hard drives in RAID. If your motherboard features RAID, then simply go to the BIOS setup and configure the two hard drives in RAID 0 or 1 and exit.

If you are using a PCI RAID card, then you will have to press the necessary keys displayed on the screen while the system is starting up to enter the card’s BIOS. Here again, configure the hard drives in RAID and save the settings. You’re finally done configuring the hardware. If you want a secure storage system, use the RAID 1 configuration, and if speed is the requirement, go for RAID 0.

Note: Hard drives in RAID 0 will allow the total combined capacity to be used while RAID 1 offers half the combined storage space. For Example:

RAID 0: 80 GB + 80 GB = 160 GB and RAID 1: 80 GB + 80 GB = 80 GB. 

Procedure

Begin installing the operating system. You can use a Microsoft Windows Server Edition OS (recommended) or a Linux OS. We have used Windows XP as the OS as an old computer would already have a licensed operating system. During the installation, you might be prompted to install the drivers for the RAID hardware so that the OS can recognize the storage/volume type. Insert the driver CD that came with the motherboard or the PCI RAID card. The setup will then detect the storage space and you can continue installing the operating system as usual.

Your file server is now finally ready to be configured. Once the OS is installed, make sure you have installed all the drivers and created all the users and their profiles as per the requirement of your network. Copy your data to the storage drives and share the respective folders with appropriate user rights. That’s it! Your file server is ready to be deployed. Just connect the server to the network after configuring the network card and then disconnect the monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Now that your server is on duty, there are some things that you should also consider. Use a UPS to avoid data loss during power failures, install an exhaust fan in case you are keeping it in an enclosed area, install an antivirus software for additional security, install and keep running a password protected virtual networking software so that you can access the server from another computer on the network instead of connecting a monitor and input device and operating the server. Additionally, we also recommend a few changes to your server hardware. Since you are using an older computer, replacing the power supply unit would be a good idea as this component might fail when used 24x7. Additionally, to lower the noise of multiple hard drives spinning inside the cabinet, design some foam or rubber sleeves for the hard drives to dampen the vibrations. Finally, use the power saving and/or WOL feature of the motherboard to power down the hard drives or system when the server is not being used. This will not only save power, but will also prolong the life of the server’s hardware. Your file server is finally ready for action.

Let it serve you better

Now that your file server is ready and serving its purpose on the network, why not use the entire efficiency of the server for other purposes to enhance your business productivity or home convenience. As we mentioned earlier, file servers are nothing but simple computers, and you can use them for multiple purposes apart from simply sharing a folder or drive. Some other applications that can be installed on the server to juice-out some additional functionality.

Media server: Install a media server application and store your complete collection of audio and video files on the server and stream them to all the computers or handheld gadgets from a centrally located location. Examples: iTunes, IceCast, Unreal.

HTTP server: Host your own website from home or office using an HTTP server. All you need is a live IP address from your internet service provider. You don’t need to worry about web space because your server’s storage space is the limit. Website down time is zeroed as your server would be online all the time in your own premises. Finally, hosting charges are nil as you own the server. Examples: Apache HTTP server, Xerver.

FTP server: Allow your friends and clients to access your data files or upload their data to your server using the FTP service. Here too you would require a live IP address from your ISP. Examples: Xerver, FileZilla, Xlight, WinFTP.

Printer server: Install printer(s) on the file server and share them across the network. You don’t need to worry about the printers connected to client machines on the network being shut down. All your printers can be in one location at home or office.

Database servers: Centrally feed in all your data and share it w ith a database management software to make information available to all users on the network. Examples: SQL, Oracle, Microsoft Access, FileMaker.

Accounting server: Similar to a database server, multi-user accounting server applications can be installed to provide multi-user access to accountants on the network. Examples: Tally, Busy.

Proxy server: Proxy servers help internet usage on the local network work much faster because of their caching feature. You can create user profiles to induce profiles to authenticate users or even block particular websites. Examples: FreeProxy, AnalogX, CCProxy.

Download server: Employ the server to be a single point for downloading files and torrents from the Internet. This is beneficial as the server can be used for managing all your data downloads by taking the benefits of its 24-hour uptime. Examples: DAP, FlashGet, uTorrent, BitComet.

Backup server: Install backup or synchronizing software on the server and configure it in such a way that it can automatically backup crucial data from all the machines on the local network at specific intervals. This would ensure that, apart from client machines, a copy of all your data exists on the server. Example: Fbackup, AceBackup.

Mail server: Mail servers can be very beneficial on a local network. Users can send and receive mails to the file server, which will do the job of sending emails outside or collecting emails and distributing emails from an online POP server to local users. Also send emails internally without the need of using Internet bandwidth. Example: hMailServer, netMailshar, Winmail, CMailServer.

Security monitor: Using a video security monitoring software, your file server can also act as a surveillance unit by recording video feeds from webcams and IP cameras. Example: WebcamXP, SmarterGuard Basic.

Safety first

Data on a file server is important and should be kept safe and secure at all times. Backing up the server frequently is a must as you would need to keep your data safe in extreme cases such as virus attacks, hard drive errors, bad sectors, accidental wipeouts, etc. Keeping your data safe means you should replicate your data from the server onto another machine or external storage medium from time to time.

In case of a server crash or hardware failure, your data on the file server can be lost. The only form of backing up your server is mirroring or synchronizing your data completely to another external storage or machine. Numerous applications such as GoodSync, ViceVersa and such are available online which can help synchronize your data to have a secure backup system. We will use SyncBackSE as an example for synchronizing/mirroring software.

You can download a 30-day trial from ‘www.2brightsparks.com’ and if you would like to buy it, the utility is available for $30 (approx Rs 1,500) onwards. SyncBackSE is a powerful utility that helps automatically copy files and folders from a defined location to another, be it on the local drives, NAS, external storage drives, or even FTP servers.

Install and start the application and click on ‘Profiles | New’. Enter a name to differentiate between profiles if you are creating multiple profiles, and click ‘Next’. In the following screen, click on the type of synchronization from ‘Backup’, ‘Synchronize’, ‘Mirror’, or Group’.

Mirroring is useful as file servers need to be replicated to save space and create an exact folder structure as the original ones in case of a system crash. You can opt for synchronize or backup if you wish to keep copies of older deleted data too, but the destination disk space might fall short over time.

In the next screen, you can choose to backup/sync from or to an FTP server. If you don’t have any, skip this screen. Now enter a description name for the source files and select the source folder and click ‘Next’. Do the same for the destination folder at the next screen. Now define your preferred method and period of the mirroring of data. Click on ‘When’ from the left panel and then on ‘Edit Schedule’ and the utility will ask you to enter your current user password for security. Enter the details and adjust the date and time along with the period of recurrence according to your choice of mirroring. Ideally, a recurring period of one hour, daily, should be ideal in case your server’s data is updated at regular intervals.

If you are sure that your server data changes after longer periods, you can change the profile to run every two or seven days. Now that the profile is completely ready, you can activate it and it will run automatically in the background at the specified time intervals. Similarly, you can create multiple profiles to have a safer backup by defining different folders or data specific folders to different backup locations.

Mirroring the data from your file server automatically is essential via an automated backup or synchronizing utility so that you do not have to waste time performing these essential chores manually each day or every week. 

– francis.dsa@chip.in

-Thanks to

www.chip.in

Your 3D virtual store display

Your 3D virtual store display Increase online sales with enhanced product listings using 360-degree angles. Here’s how you can do it yourself at home. By Francis D'Sa   While shopping websites such as eBay.in, Indiatimes.com, and Rediff.com provide a platform to take your business online, you may want to do a little bit extra to make your product stand out from the crowd. Print ads are one-dimensional and fairly expensive, while TV ads, where you can showcase your product more effectively, are completely out of reach. But can you showcase your product in a comprehensive manner and still avoid the high costs associated with advertising? On the internet, you can show off your product in various angles and levels of detail, but having too many images to browse through might prove tiresome for prospective buyers. Some shopping websites display their goods in the form of a video or via Flash files, where the product is seen rotating automatically (360-degrees). This is usually done with the help of animated GIF files, where a product is shot from multiple angles and then animated using a GIF animation utility. At the browser end, the viewer cannot control the speed or stop and view a particular angle for a better view. But what if you could? If using your mouse, you could rotate the product in any direction or even zoom into a particular portion to get a better look, it would add more value to your product and allow the viewer to get a better idea about the product, and therefore make an informed buying decision. This can be done in a few simple steps. All you need is a digital camera to shoot the product from different angles, good lighting for product illumination, a tripod for a steady shot, consistent distance and angle, a photo editing software to cut out the product from the background, and a utility to stitch the multiple images into a single interactive animated video. We will show you how it is done in a few basic steps. This tutorial shows how you can get started and later on you can move into advanced modes for a professional touch. Product shots from different angles   Step 1: For this, you will need to set up a table with an appropriate white or black background depending on the product. Set up the tripod at a distance to fill the product in the entire frame. The product to be shot needs to be kept still and well balanced because it has to be rotated. To rotate the product, you can make a rotating turntable using two wooden discs with a nail in the center. Make sure the top disc can rotate smoothly. Alternatively, you can make one using a motorized disc or your own contraption. Step 2: Click a test shot of the product and verify that the settings are good enough with an adequate exposurelevel. Once this is done, you will need to start taking the final product shots. Accordingly, set the lighting, angles, camera exposures, etc to make sure you get the best result. Step 3: Place the product with its front facing the camera. Click a photo. Rotate the product left or right by around 10 or 15 degrees. Then click another photo. Repeatedly take shots by rotating the product by 10 or 15 degrees. Note: The smaller the angles, the smoother the final 3D object Flash video will be. Also keep in mind that greater resolutions and a larger number of shots will also tend to increase the size of the final 3D object flash video. You might need to experiment a few times. Image editing and processing Step 4: Once the shoot is done, transfer the images to your computer. These images must now be processed individually. Each image must be cut out and the required layers must be saved as new files after being color corrected. To do this, you can use Adobe Photoshop or any other image editing software that you are accustomed with. Store the final images in a separate folder. Do not discard the original images as they might come in handy later. Creating the 360-degree product view: Step 5: Creating the final 3D object flash video requires two applications to be downloaded and installed on the computer. Modelweaver trial can be downloaded from www.easypano.com, and Apple QuickTime can be obtained freely from www.apple.com. Modelweaver is very easy to use and it can be purchased for around Rs 7,500. The trial version can be used for testing and it will leave a watermark on the video. Step 6: Start Modelweaver. Click on ‘File | Open images’ and point to the folder that stores the final processed images. The left window will display all the images present in the folder. Add all the images to the right window and click ‘OK’. Step 7: A new window will pop up displaying the product, where you must define the zone of the images. Using the mouse pointer, decrease the area around the product till the window is filled with the product only and the white space (background) is eliminated. Then rotate the image using the mouse itself and ensure that no part of the product is being chopped or left out. Once you are satisfied, click ‘OK’. Step 8:  The next step is a crucial one. Here you have the option of choosing the images you want to keep and the ones you want to discard or move up or down in order before you finally make the 3D object movie. On the right window, you will find two buttons - ‘Point alignment’ and ‘Move alignment’. The ‘Point alignment’ button enables you to align each individual image to form a smooth overlap when the final image is rotating. In cases where there might be a mismatch in the alignment between two images, this can be corrected at this stage. The ‘Move alignment’ button allows you to choose the product image which can be posted as a link on your website. Step 9: Customizing the final viewing window can be done using the ‘Customize Viewer’ button. Using the settings here, you can tweak the play, forward and zoom buttons, loading and button images, and speed of playback of the final file. Either use the default images or create and add your personalized ones. Step 10: Once you have adjusted all these settings, it is time to create the 3D object flash video. Click on the ‘Export Object Movie’ button and you will be prompted for inputs such as file name and destination. You will also be given a choice of file formats - Flash, Java applet or QuickTime. Once done, hit the ‘Publish’ button and wait till your files are generated. Once the processing is done, the application will automatically open the folder where the files have been generated. You can finally view and upload the files to your website. The folder contains additional information of codes, HTML files and a thumbnail that can be implanted into your website for easy access.   Modelweaver is very easy-to-use tool. It also has the ability of extracting images from a video file of the product shot from 360 degrees. Apart from this, if you have a webcam, you can also take product shots using the application directly, but the image quality will not be as good.  – francis.dsa@chip.in Thanks to- www.chip.in