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Comment Cheap, easy, been around (Score 1) 545

by solune (#36432716) Attached to: Ask Slashdot: Web Site Editing Software For the Long Haul?
SJNamo makes a program called "Web Editor". Admittedly not the best, most polished, but no slouch either. they just updated to version 9, and it's still pretty cheap compared to professional ones. There's a working demo available, so you might find it's more flexible and useful than me....I'm pretty much an amateur at website building. Hope it helps.
Businesses

Golden Gate Bridge To Eliminate Tollbooths 349

Posted by timothy from the your-check-is-in-the-email dept.
Hugh Pickens writes writes "The San Francisco Chronicle reports that tollbooths and toll collectors, a fixture at the Golden Gate Bridge since it opened in 1937, will be eliminated starting in 2012 as the bridge moves to an all-electronic system, cutting 34 jobs and saving $19.2 million over the first eight years. The bridge will move to a toll collection strategy that combines the existing FasTrak system with one that photographs the license plates of cars going through the toll plaza and mails a bill to the registered owners. Other structures and bridges have successfully gone to all-electronic tolls, including the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia and the Leeville Bridge in Louisiana, but not everyone is happy with the change. 'This is a world-famous bridge, and you need a human face,' says Philip Hynes. 'You need people in those toll booths to greet people.'"

Comment removing sticker residue (Score 1) 597

by solune (#33456294) Attached to: AMD Hates Laptop Stickers As Much As You Do

Here's a great "susie homemaker" idea for removing sticker residues: peanut butter. Between the oil and soft abrasion of the peanuts, it works great!

As for that "big apple" problem, I cover my undesirable deco-plates with...wait for it....

Stickers!

Usually bigger, automotive (bumper) stickers. I have a nice "Steal your face" VW over my eee logo, and on my bigger laptop used one I got from a HOPE convention.

Security

Submission + - Recipe for disaster-no security, no e-mail

Submitted by
solune
solune writes: "Hello, slashdotters,

Perhaps you can help me with this issue I'm having with my image hosting company.

I've been struggling with starting my own photography company, when my partner — my brother — decided we should go with ImageQuix, a hosting company ostensibly for professional photographers.

One of the nice things about this site (the ONLY nice thing, in my estimation) is the ability to design a "custom" site using their tools. Like many of the hosting sites that have their own tools there are limitations, which I've run up against, and, for the most part, have managed to work around.

The first was the lack of support for PNG images. This, to me, is patently absurd. My original design would have utilized the transparent layer of an entirely different image than the one I'm currently using, to integrate with the provided template. After many lost hours, I finally got the answer I was looking for: PNG not supported.

So, in the interest of getting it set up, with an eye to turning a profit, I redesigned around that limitation. (Here is where I should have gotten the clue they didn't research their market AT ALL — let alone, security.)

Next — and here is my first question — came e-mail. Originally, I was to send SMTP, WITHOUT A PASSWORD/LOGIN pair. They've since "fixed" it so I do need that pair, but they insist I send through port 25, the very port that is blocked by Verizon, who is currently hosting my production machine. Normally, I run on and RCN network, and they gave me the info to sent via their network, but since I'm house-sitting for my friend, i'm tethered to FIOS.

Okay, no problem there — I can get online, and access my gmail accounts just fine (as it should be). Even my other e-mail addresses, through another host, can be used, with an SSL connection to send, from any network, even free wifi. Great, when i'm in the field...except....

I can't send e-mail from my photography business account! This is quite embarrassing, as I have clients waiting to hear from me, with a return address that indicates I am who they think I am. Now, I know I can change my reply to fields, etc, but the point is I don't feel I should have to play those games to use the properties the way I intended.

There is also the concern that my prospective client might have to whitelist my specific e-mail address, so the routing information might put me out.

So my first question is for a temporary fix: until I can switch hosts, is there a way around the port 25 block wherein I can use their mail servers to send my mail, but maintain my presence? A proxy, perhaps? SOMETHING?

It should be noted, It's very difficult to contact my friend right now as she's touring China(!) for her user information for FIOS, otherwise I would have just set myself up that way.

The next problem I encountered is much more serious: They want me to run their image uploading software in administrator mode! To ad insult to injury, they insist I turn OFF protected mode in Internet explorer, which tells me their software is tethered to that browser I abhor so much. (To put my perspective in context, I dropped a fair amount of money in supporting Firefox 1.0, with the NYTimes ad buy (and poster), t-shirt, and mug!)

Frankly, I won't do it, and it's jammed me up incredibly. I really don't like the idea of putting my machine at risk because they can't write software that takes advantage of the improved security of Vista (stop groaning, it's been working fine for me!). I'm ready to cut them loose.

Anyway, that leads me to my next question, directed to any professional photographers who might have an answer for me: Who do you recommend for image hosting your pages? What I need to do is:

1) Design most of the pages myself. My current page isn't as beautiful as I'd like, but it works. It's got some flash (not my choice), a simple calender for clients, galleries, and a method to upload to a site for online proofing and ordering. The backround image templates are actually quite nice, and works well with what I've got. Less time designing, more time with the pictures and clients.

Also, at this point in time, I can't afford a web developer to design a page for me.

2) Secure access to e-mail: I should be able to send and receive from ANYWHERE I decide to do business. I DON'T want to have to use gmail or some such, as I think it diminishes my brand name. "solunephoto@gmail.com", while serviceable, doesn't make me feel like i'm running a strong company. I think it comes off as a geocities type of gambit.

Also, I shouldn't have to get specific information for any random network I may be attached to in order to send e-mail.

3) A driveby gallery separate from a proofing gallery. Some clients may not want their wedding for public perusal, yet I'll need a separate gallery for prospective clients to see my work.

4) Security: I WILL NOT use software that requires me to run it in Administrator mode. I don't need admin privileges to upload to FLICKR, I shouldn't need it for my professional stuff either. Ideally, I don't want to have to use Explorer either.

5) be usable in Vista. I'm not ready to shell out for Win7, and vista has worked well for me — why rock that boat?

6) finally: work with Lightroom 3. Don't tell me to use other software, it's not happening. Money is tight, but productivity is tighter. It doesn't HAVE to work with LR3, as long as I can upload jpegs OR tiffs from my computer without having to get into admin mode.

Thanks for your help!"
Power

Traffic-Flow Algorithm Can Reduce Fuel Consumption 328

Posted by timothy from the what-could-possibly-go-wrong dept.
thecarchik writes "New projects from German automakers Audi and BMW promise to ease congestion simply by looking at traffic signals and driving style, in an effort to smooth the flow of traffic. Through a test course in Munich, vehicles were able to post phenomenal fuel efficiency gains simply by adjusting the timing of traffic lights depending on traffic volume — to whatever speed provides a so-called 'green wave' of four or more synchronized signals."
Space

Supermassive Black Hole Is Thrown Out of Galaxy 167

Posted by samzenpus from the moving-to-better-quarters dept.
DarkKnightRadick writes "An undergrad student at the University of Utrecht, Marianne Heida, has found evidence of a supermassive black hole being tossed out of its galaxy. According to the article, the black hole — which has a mass equivalent to one billion suns — is possibly the culmination of two galaxies merging (or colliding, depending on how you like to look at it) and their black holes merging, creating one supermassive beast. The black hole was found using the Chandra Source Catalog (from the Chandra X-Ray Observatory). The direction of the expulsion is also possibly indicative of the direction of rotation of the two black holes as they circled each other before merging."
Biotech

Researchers Create Logic Circuits From DNA 94

Posted by samzenpus from the growing-a-faster-computer dept.
separsons writes "Researchers at Duke University recently used DNA to craft tiny chips used in computers and electronic circuits. By mixing DNA snippets with other molecules and exposing them to light, researchers created self-assembling, DNA-based logic circuits. Once perfected the tech could serve as an endlessly abundant, cheap alternative to silicon semiconductors. Chris Dwyer, lead researcher on the project, says that one grad student using DNA to make self-assembling circuits could produce more logic circuits in one day than the global silicon chip industry can create in an entire month!"

Comment Oh, is THAT what they mean by PHB! (Score 1) 1019

by solune (#30414466) Attached to: Music While Programming?

I think it's pretty obvious: your boss has never worked a solid day in his life.

I'm not a programmer, I do ceramic tile during the day, photography in my off hours. Since I shoot raw, many evenings are filled with post-processing. I'll tell ya, I'd DIE, without any music while working.

These two things, I think, are very similar to what you do: a little bit creative, a little bit technical, coming together to make a unique whole. Music probably gives your thoughts rhythm and a creative spark to solve problems that absolute silence, or distracting background banter in the office would quench.

Without music, you probably feel more...autonomoton than productive employee.

In fact, in every job site I've worked, with few exceptions, others on the site need something to listen to. Without it, work is drudgery.

I think your boss is just jealous because you're productive, and he (she?) doesn't know what they're supposed to do. :)

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