Flash photography isn't just for dark scenes; sometimes you need to battle the sun with 'fill flash.' Watch this photography tutorial video to learn how to use flash in bright light. Once you've mastered the tips on fill flash in this how-to video, you'll take much better pict ...more
In this episode of Digital Photography 1-on-1, host Mark Wallace goes in depth on the subject of light metering and flash balancing. Making use of a Sekonic light meter, Mark shows how to read the light levels in a room, and explains how to interpret those readings in order to ...more
This video instructs the watcher on how to use the flash of a Vivitar to add light to photos taken outside if a little extra light is needed. Turn the camera on AV mode, choose an ISO setting like 100 or 200, then take a reading, either off the sky or an object. Then use the V ...more
You need a flash to add light to dark photography settings, but a flash might make your picture look blown out or overexposed. Here are some good tips, like adjusting your aperture or manual ISO to maximize your available light. A tripod will also help you by allowing a longer ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to gel your flash to blend it with ambient light. First, you will need to be indoors with lights on and grab your camera. Make sure you have a separate flash on the camera, then take an amber colored film strip and place it over the flash. Next h ...more
You can throw your own rave right in MineCraft! No one has figured out how to make E yet, and you'll have to bring your own music. But when it comes to the flashing strobe lights, this is how you build them in MineCraft.
In this video segment learn the differences between flash and continuous lighting. Also learn about strobe lighting and the modeling bulb.
Want to replicate that cool effect when you can watch Christmas lights flash in time to music? It's easy! You'll need a set of speakers, an outlet adapter, excess power cord, a solid state relay and, of course, Christmas lights! Once you've gotten all your project pieces assem ...more
Kipkay demonstrates how to extract the laser from a DVD burner and mount it in a small flashlight to create a handheld laser burner that can light matches and burst balloons, all in this how-to video. All you need is a 16x DVD burner, a laser housing, and a flashlight. Watch t ...more
I've taken a few photography classes back in the day, so I'm pretty confident in my abilities with a DSLR, but my iPhone is a completely different story. Lighting makes all the difference, so unless you're outdoors in the sun, it's hard to take a good snapshot with a mobile. ...more
If you've ever been on your way to a party and felt that your outfit just wasn't flashy enough, engineering student 'Rambo' has got just the thing for you. His homemade LED suit lights up and dances to the beat of the music, and can even be controlled via Bluetooth. Video: . T ...more
Using my Nexus 7 tablet as a flashlight to light my path on the way to my room late at night is difficult, and honestly, useless. It doesn't have an LED flash for pictures, so using it as a flashlight is essentially just me brightening the display as high as it can go. If you ...more
Check out this low cost project. This video will show you how to transfer sound over light! Yes, this is possible. You'll transfer a sound with a distance of 5 meters, but you may experiment on greater distances if you'd like. You'll need a laser (or an LED) for this audio pro ...more
Make your own simple laser light show using a laser pointer and a sub woofer.
A laser light show is possible to replicate with the diffraction grating effect. Different laser effects can be created using a variety of materials: small motors and diffraction grating pieces, and mirrors. It's possible to create searchlights, crystal balls, spring patterns, ...more
Looking to transmit some super-secret audio communications to your other spy buddies? A laser is the perfect tool for getting your sounds heard from a small distance—without anyone intercepting them— even if it's just a cover of your favorite pop song. A laser audio transmitte ...more
Looking for an (explosively) fun Thanksgiving project this week? Something that involves fire and lasers? Check it out. YouTube creator StyroPyro lights ten matches in 9 seconds with a modded laser. One word: Awesome. Luckily both StyroPyro and Kipkay provide HowTo's. First, H ...more
Apple has implemented a new sensor on the rear camera of its fourth-generation iPad Pro, and it's pretty exciting. It's called the LiDAR Scanner, a scanning "light-detection and ranging" sensor, and you may very well be acquainted with it if you follow any driverless car news. ...more
National Ignition Facility What is the NIF? Located in California, the NIF is a large facility housing two humongous lasers. The facility is part of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Basically, NIF's main purpose is to focus lasers on a small, compressed amount of h ...more
In my second article of the laser weapon series (see the first part here on CO2 lasers), I'll be expanding on the potential of pulsed lasers. I'm sure most everyone has seen those green and red laser pulses on Star Wars. Theoretically, those lasers could be built using a conc ...more
In this jam-packed October, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro has flown under the radar in the US. Due to Huawei's lack of presence in the States, many are unfamiliar with the second largest OEM in the world. Huawei has continuously put out amazing mobile devices, and this year they rele ...more
The OnePlus 7 Pro is definitely a beast on paper. With a specs page that ticks virtually every box and a price point that undercuts the competition by hundreds of dollars, it's hard to overlook this phone. But before you get too excited, know that OnePlus has repeatedly shown ...more
The Moto G7 Power is a phone that screams battery life. From its display resolution to the massive battery, it was designed for those who hate to recharge each night. But unlike other battery-focused smartphones, it comes at a price almost anyone can afford. Lenovo, Motorola' ...more
The newly-announced Moto G7 Play offers some of the same upgrades as its sibling, the Moto G7, but at a much lower price. The upgrades are pretty significant when compared to last year's Moto G6 Play, taking this phone from the "only if you're on a strict budget" category into ...more
After months of back and forth, ZTE is finally making their return to the United States. The last phone the Chinese company released here was the Axon 7 Pro, a low priced flagship phone that competed well against the OnePlus 3 and 3T at the time. Its successor is the Axon 10 P ...more
After months of waiting, it looks like HMD has finally answered the call. Nokia's parent company is finally releasing a true flagship phone — one that isn't just an enhanced version of a previous phone and actually brings something new to the table. That phone is the Nokia 9 P ...more
Similar to last year, LG is mixing up its releases. Instead of the G series in the first half of the year and the V series in the second half, LG is releasing both heavy hitters together. However, unlike last year, this is a true upgrade from its predecessor, the LG V50 ThinQ ...more
With the best selling phone on Amazon in 2018, Lenovo had big shoes to fill when making the successor of the Moto G6. Fortunately, Lenovo was up to the task. The Moto G7 continues to provide a high performance-to-price ratio, offering a worthwhile upgrade for G6 users while re ...more
The Galaxy S10 has finally been revealed to the masses, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. As the flagship to herald the tenth anniversary of the venerable Galaxy S line, the S10 has kept popular and familiar design elements like the immersive Infinity Display while employin ...more
In the battle for best stock Android flagships, there are really only two choices: Google Pixel phones and OnePlus phones. Although the latter isn't true stock Android, it is impressively close and usually paired with more impressive hardware than the Pixel lineup. The latest ...more
OnePlus, whose phones always challenge for the title of best spec-to-price ratio, releases two main devices every year. There's the primary flagship in late spring, then an iterative update with the "T" suffix in fall. Typically, there's not much difference between the two, bu ...more
Motorola is a shell of its former self. In 2010, it had just released the Motorola Droid, a phone so popular it led to all Android phones being called "Droids" by non-techies. But there have been some rough years between then and now, and Motorola's latest "flagship" doesn't l ...more
The hugely successful S10 series of flagships may be a tough act to follow, but Samsung has proven that it's up to the task with the Galaxy Note 10. The latest phablet bearing the Note name is the first of its line to come with an even larger variant, and boasts an eye-pleasin ...more
After years of rumors and waiting, Samsung's first foldable smartphone is finally a reality. The phone itself is a bit wild, but with Samsung going so far out of their comfort zone with this one, there were some bumps in the road that caused a delayed release. The launch has b ...more
The technology driving the automated vehicle revolution relies on the car's ability to see and understand the world around it. Sensors act as the eyes and ears of the vehicle and collect the necessary information. There are several different ways in which different companies ...more
It's always a big deal when the company that makes Android releases a new phone. Google's Pixel series has made a name for itself in three short years behind its camera prowess, but now it's time to start competing with the major players. That said, Google should like how thei ...more
After lots of anticipation and leaks, the LG G3 has been unveiled. Sporting a gorgeous 5.5" Quad HD display, the first of its class for smartphones, this flagship device is ready to put some scare into Samsung and HTC. It's currently available for purchase from AT&T and Sprint ...more
One major component of Level 4 and Level 5 driverless cars is in very short supply. Venture capitalists and engineers from around the world are racing to fill the LiDAR production, price, and performance void. Production of LiDAR sensors is seeing months-long production bottl ...more
At one point in the '90s, about fifty percent of the CDs produced worldwide had an AOL logo. About fifty percent of the CDs in my home still have that AOL promise of 500 free hours on them. Though they never got me to join their internet service, I did get a lifetime supply of ...more
In 2019, Sony is mixing up its design, attempting to stand out among the sea of familiarity. Instead of emulating Samsung with punch hole cameras, they decided to target a rare section of the market, content consumers. There's the Xperia 1 for those who want the best, and the ...more
For 2019, Sony is trying to shake its failures of the past and start fresh. Following the unsuccessful Xperia XZ series, Sony is changing the name of their flagship to a single number: Xperia 1. With the name change comes a few upgrades, one of which is its new look. Secondly, ...more
Once again, LG is mixing up its launch. Instead of the announcing the latest entry in G series later in the year, the LG G8 ThinQ was announced at Mobile World Congress 2019, shortly after Samsung's Galaxy S10 event. And instead of trying to match what other OEMs are doing, LG ...more
With Apple releasing the iPhone XR, it appears Samsung is looking to challenge this "budget flagship" option head-on. They brought their usual two phone releases this year, but also threw in another three for a total of five phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S10e. And for m ...more
If you had a phone in 2004, there's a pretty good chance it was a Motorola RAZR. The iconic phone is the tenth highest-selling of all time, and it marked the height of the flip phone era. Now that the technology has caught up, Lenovo (Motorola's parent company) is bringing it ...more
After poor sales of the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Google needs to reinvigorate its Pixel lineup, devices it's been pushing heavily over the last couple years. On May 7, Google had the eyes and ears of the technology industry at its Google I/O keynote, making it the perfect time ...more
The iPhone 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have one huge thing that sets them apart from their iPhone 12 and 12 mini siblings: a lidar scanner. Thanks to this new technology, Measure, an Apple app that's just over two years old, has gotten even better. For ARKit-capable iPhone models, ...more
New Year's Eve. It will be one hell of a chaotic night. Trust me. The overcrowded streets. Long lines for the urinal. Maxing out your credit card on that shot of Cuervo. You'll be lucky to make it out alive. If you do manage to stave off alcohol poisoning and survive the asc ...more
The Nintendo DS Lite is the best portable gaming system ever, and you want to make sure yours works forever. If you find that your unit won't charge or turn on and plugging it in makes the charge light flash, watch this video for a guide to taking the DS Lite apart and jumping ...more
A laser vortex is a basically a tool and allows you to make a circle of red laser light quickly and easily for creating lightshows, especially useful when combined with a fog machine. This video will teach you how to make one for cheap out of parts your can find at any hardwar ...more
Nikon's D700 digital camera provides FX-format performance combined with superior mobility and functional versatility. Check out this extremely helpful Flash video tutorial on how to operate your Nikon D700 digital camera to its maximum potential. You will learn all about taki ...more
If you've got a brick house and are looking to install a door in the brick, this how to will get you there. Be prepared, it's a big job and you'll need to be comfortable wielding several power tools. Are you ready to take the challenge? Here are the tools you'll need: a 4ft l ...more
In this tutorial, we learn how to program the HomeLink setup in a 2010 Prius. This can be programmed to operate any HomeLink compatible device. Up to three devices can be operated from the vehicle. To program a garage door opener, simply press both the remote and home link but ...more
Halloween has become one of the most popular holidays of the the year in the United States. Retailers even lease out empty retail spaces to put in Halloween stores. People hang Halloween lights on their houses, decorate the front yard and of course there are hundreds of haunt ...more
Taking great photos doesn’t mean you have to invest in an expensive camera. By learning a little bit about photography and the camera you have, you can use a simple point-and-shoot to capture amazing pictures. Try out these tips to begin! 1. Take the time to learn your camera ...more
You can’t change the size of your pores, but you can make them look a lot smaller. You Will Need * A facial cleanser containing salicylic acid * An oil-free moisturizer with retinol * SPF 30 Sunscreen * A facial primer containing silicone * Matte makeup * A gentle exfoliant ...more
Laser Tag is using lasers and projectors to tag buildings with light! This is a joint project between Graffiti Research Lab and Make Magazine's Bre Pettis. Tag with lights. It's reversible and non-destructive.
The mouse is the primary tool most people use for accessing their computer and the vast stores of information on the Internet. Wouldn't it be funny if instead of allowing you to click icons on the computer screen, your mouse just lit up and made noises when you pressed it butt ...more
In this video tutorial, Creative Cow Contributing Editor Eran Stern will show you how to create a fiery iris animation which has laser beams shooting from a girls eyes. Creative Cow is a support community for digital video, video editing, and media production professionals in ...more
If you consider yourself a "laser" man, then you probably know all about front-surface mirrors. But do you know how to make an FS mirror? This video from AP Digital light will show you how to make cheap first surface mirrors. You'll need an acrylic mirror sheet, safety glass, ...more
If you or someone you know has light eyes, then you are no stranger to red eye sneaking into your photos. Red eye is an annoying addition to most photos taken with a flash camera. Luckily, if you have Photoshop, this is easy to fix. With this tutorial, learn how to use the Cha ...more