Four Free Apps for Editing Your Photos Online

I try to keep the amount of software on it to a minimum. That means, among other things, no photo editors that might slow the netbook down. But I often need to resize or crop a stock photo for an article, blog post, or presentation. In those cases, an online photo editor comes in handy.

Finally, your photo editing needs are probably modest. You just need some basic functions and effects, which a good online editor packs.

There have to be some drawbacks

Of course there are. The obvious one is that you need a reliable and fast Internet connection to use these editors. If your connection drops, you'll more than likely lose your work.

On top of that, the editor that you choose might not have the feature or function that you need. If it does, that feature or function may not be as easy to use or as powerful as you need it to be.

Sometimes those online editors can be slow, especially when uploading or downloading a photo. While researching this TechTip, I even had one or two hang my Web browser.

Four of the best

There are a large number of photo editors on the Web. Some are good – comparable to a decent desktop editor. Others aren't. Here are four of the best of the crop of Web-based photo editors. They're powerful, flexible, and free. And you don't necessarily have to set up an account to use them.

Note: Most of the editors that this TechTip discusses impose a limit on the size of files you can edit. Depending on the editor, that limit is between two and three megabytes.

Pixlr

Pixlr reminds me of an online version of the popular desktop photo editor calledPaint Shop Pro. Of the four editors that this TechTip discusses, Pixlr is the most like a desktop application in appearance.

There are two versions of Pixlr: Editor and Express. Editor is the fully-featured application, while Express it the lite version. Both allow you to upload a file from your computer or open a photo somewhere on the Web for editing.

Remember what I said about Paint Shop Pro? Well, that's Editor. You get the full range of functions that you'd expect from a desktop photo editor, all available from a set of menus.

It's more than just a photo editor, though. You can also create images with it using a set of drawing tools. And in addition to the basic functions for manipulating a photo, Editor packs an array of filters and of photo touch-up tools. You can blur, sharpen, and emboss a photo. You can also make your pic look like an old photo and even add scan lines (like and old TV).

One feature of Pixlr Editor that some photographers might find useful is the ability to add layers. Among other things, layers allow you to seamlessly superimpose one image over another.

Pixlr Express, on the other hand, does away with the menus. You access all of the functions from a sidebar. There aren't all that many functions available, but they're more than enough for basic image editing.

As with most other editors, Pixlr Express enables you to crop, rotate, and resize photos. You can also adjust brightness and color, and add some of the same effects that you can add with Pixlr Editor.

If you use the Firefox Web browser, there's an add-on available that opens images on the Web directly in Pixlr – no need to do that at the Pixlr site.

Change-Images

If you're looking for something that's simple, then Change-Images is the online photo editor to go with. It's bare bones, but if you only need the basics then it's a great choice.

Change-Images only supports five functions: resizing, cropping, converting, applying effects, and adding border (called frames) to photos. Each function has its own tab, and each tab has a simple set of controls.

You can only upload photos from your computer to Change-Images. It doesn't integrate with photo sharing sites, and you can't point it to an image on the Web. Still, for what it is, Change-Images does a solid job.

The resize feature has a set of pre-set sizes to which you can shrink a photo. You can choose sizes in pixels or as a percentage of the original file. You can also set a custom size in pixels.

The conversion feature can take photos (and other images) in a number offormats – including popular ones JPEG, TIFF, GIF, and BMP – and convert them to one of nine commonly-used formats. You can also choose the quality of the conversion, from highest to lowest.

There are also 18 image effects available, ranging from rotating a photo to embossing it. You can also change the brightness of a photo or convert it to grayscale.

Overall, Change-Images is quick and easy to use. It's not pretty, but it doesn't have to be.

Picnik

This is one of the two Flash-based editors mentioned in this TechTip. As such, you'll want to make sure that you have the latest Flash player installed to use it.

Picnik is a simple, but flexible tool. It enables you to upload a photo, or open one from a variety of photo sharing sites including Flickr, Picasa, Photobucket, Webshots, and even FaceBook and MySpace. You can't, however, point to an image on the Web and edit it.

Picnik packs two sets of functions. The first one, under the Edit tab, allows you to do basic editing. Things like cropping and rotating an image, sharpening it, adjusting the color and removing red eye. Things get interesting, though, when you click the Create tab.

The functions under the Create tab enable you to add a whack of nifty, funky, and downright strange effects. Like what? You can convert a color photo to black and white orsepia. You can soften it, and even turn it into something resembling a pencil sketch.

Some of Picnik's other features include adding text and borders to photos, and stitching a bunch of photos together to create a collage.

A number of the effects are labeled Premium in the interface. If you want to use them, you need to pay a $24.95 annual fee. Unless you need those effects, or if you want to support Picnik's development, the free features are more than  good enough

FotoFlexer

FotoFlexer bills itself as the most advanced online image editor. I don't know if I'd go that far, but FotoFlexer is easy to use and it does pack a lot of useful features.

FotoFlexer allows you to upload a photo, grab one off the Web, or get a photo from your account on popular photo sharing sites like Flickr and Picasa, or from your MySpace or FaceBook account.

FotoFlexer combines some of the best elements of the other Web-based photo editors  that this TechTip discusses. There are no menus. Instead, functions are grouped under a set of tabs. There are a wide range of these functions – from basic cropping and resizing and rotating to sharpening and removing red eye, to removing blemishes from a photo.

As with Pixlr, you can add layers to a photo that you're editing in FotoFlexer. You can also insert another image (without a layer), add text, and apply over a dozen effects to a photo. If you're so inclined, you can also distort a photo in a number of ways and add animated shapes to your photo. The latter isn't my thing, but obviously there's a market for it …

What I found interesting were the functions under the Geek tab. Among these is one that interfaces with a webcam to capture images. Two other functions that I found interesting are Smart Scissors and Smart Cutout. Both of these enable you to select selections of a photo and pull them out, jagged edges and all – sort of like cutting out portions of a printed photo with scissors. While Smart Scissors and Smart Cutout are more fun than anything else, they can be useful for putting together a digital collage.

Like Picnik, FotoFlexer is Flash based. And, like Picnik, you'll want the latest Flash player installed on your computer before you use the editor.

A final word

If your photo editing needs are simple, or if you just don't want to clutter your hard drive with more software then a Web-based photo editing application is a good way to go. There are a number of them out there, and they're fast and easy to use. Chances are you'll find one with just the features that you need.

Create Your Own Cloud with Opera Unite

Cloud computing. It's one of the big buzzwords in the tech world. And whether you're excited by it or turned off by it, cloud computing has the potential to change the way we use our desktop computers, laptop computers, and netbooks.

The idea behind cloud computing is to move applications off your desktop and on to the Web. That opens a very large digital can of worms, though. While you get access to your favorite applications no matter where you are, your information is in someone else's hands. You don't get much control.

Why not create your own cloud? Under normal circumstances, this is difficult even if you have experience programming Web applications. You can do the deed on your desktop computer orlaptop computer for free using the Opera Web browser and a feature of that browser called Opera Unite.

What is Opera Unite?

A feature of Opera version 10 or later, Opera Unite is a file and application server. Whereas a traditional server can be difficult to set up, you can get up and running with Opera Unite with just a few mouse clicks. More on this in a moment.

Using Opera Unite, you can share files and collaborate with anyone. And, for the most part, they don't need to be using Opera. The files and applications that you're serving can be accessed with any Web browser.

With Opera Unite, you get a a unique URL that gives you and your collaborators access to your Opera Unite server. With Opera Unite, you can:

• Share files and photos
• Run a basic Web server
• Have instant messenger chats
• Play music files on your computer
• Share notes
• Back up files
• Use Twitter

And more.

Note: If you have more questions about Opera Unite, you might want to check out the very detailed FAQ.

How does it work?

Opera Unite is built into the Opera Web browser. You need to enable and configure it. That's a surprisingly simple process that only takes a few clicks.

To get going, download and install Opera. Start the browser and then select Tools > Opera Unite Server > Enable Opera Unite. This will start a wizard that will walk you through the process. Two things you'll have to do are sign up for a My Opera account and create a name for your computer.

Your Opera user name and computer name identify your PC to the DNS server run by the folks at Opera Software. The DNS server directs all traffic  to your Opera Unite server using a specific URL. When you or your friends want to access the Opera Unite server that you're running, you'll type http://yourcomputer.yourname.operaunite.com – for example, http://zen.scottnesbitt.operaunite.com.

If you want to stop Opera Unite, click the Unite icon in the bottom left corner of the browser window and select Stop.

It's all about the applications

You've got Opera Unite running. Now what? The best place to start is with the built-in applications. You can access these applications by clicking the panel button in the top left corner of the Opera window, and then clicking the Opera Unite icon (the third one from the top).

There are six applications bundled with Unite:

• File Sharing – exchange any type of file with your friends and colleagues
• Web Server – host a Web site
• Messenger – exchange text messages with other people in the My Opera community
• Fridge – A collaborative sticky note system
• Media Player – Play the music files on your computer, anywhere you are
• Photo Sharing – Displays a directory of your photos as a gallery

By default, the applications aren't running. You can start them by double-clicking the application in the panel.

Remember that you can make the applications visible to everyone, or just give selected people access. For the latter, Opera Unite assigns the application a password. You might want to change that password – the default is four or five characters. Not the most secure passwords around.

I usually use the File Sharing and Media Player applications the most. But to create your own cloud with Opera Unite, you can install any of the available ones from the Opera Unite Web site. There were only 42 applications out there at the time this TechTip was written, but there probably will be more coming down the pike in the near future.

Applications: interesting and useful

Not every application will be of use to everyone. Here are a few of my favorites.

My business partner and I have different schedules and work in different parts of the city. A lot of our collaboration and brainstorming takes place online. When we brainstorming ideas, theWhiteboard application comes in handy. It lets us sketch out ideas and add corrections or comments. All without getting marker on our hands or shirts.

While the File Sharing application is good, it's download only. I often work away from my home office using a netbook. Running Opera Unite on my main computer with the Document Sync andDocument Courier applications, I can exchange files between the computers and synchronize any changes. Sort of like the online file sharing services that were covered in a previous TechTip.

Like everyone else, I have a lot to do. Keeping up with all of those tasks requires a lot of work on my part. The Task Managerapplication makes that a lot easier. I use it as a simple online to-do list, and often share it with my wife so we both know what we're up to and can fit things into our schedules.

Finally, as someone who co-owns a small business I often have meetings with multiple people: my business partner, people I'm collaborating  with, clients and prospective clients. It's tough to nail down a date and time where we can all meet. That's why I find Meet so useful. It's a meeting calendar, but one which allows invitees to vote on the date and time of a meeting. It sure beats juggling a bunch of emails and phone calls .

If you want to install an application, find it at the Opera Unite Web site, (in Opera, of course) and click the Install Applicationbutton.

Final thoughts

Opera Unite is definitely useful. In the short term, it might not replace your favorite desktop or Web applications. The lack of applications available for it could be a turn off. But remember that Opera Unite hasn't been around for all that long. Its application ecosystem is small but it is growing.

In fact, it might be the start of the next step in using the Web: giving the average computer user a quick and simple way to create their own little clouds.

ZAMZAR.COM - Free Online File Conversion

Every now and then you have a file you'd like to convert to another format but don't want to spend a lot of money on software to make that happen.Look no further than Zamzar. Zamzar is a one-stop free online conversion tool. Simply upload your file or the URL (up to 100MB), then choose the format you want, submit your email address and they'll send you the converted file. Can't get much easier than that.

Convert aac to wma or wav,mov to iphone or mp4. You can create PDFs, MP3s, PNGs, PowerPoints, Flash files, csv, gif, doc and so much more. Click here to see the entire list of formats available.

Zamzar also converts TXT files to MP3 format, providing a high quality, online text-to-speech service. You can convert videos directly from sites such as YouTube, Google Video, Myspace and more. They've recently added the ability to convert eBook files as well. Zamzar offers a handy browser tool that lets you convert files with a click of a button from your browser's Bookmarks Toolbar.  To learn more about ZAMZAR watch this video.

Online office suite.

            Microsoft Corp.'s radical overhaul of Office 2007, already available to businesses and due for consumer release at the end of January, has left many users wondering about the alternatives. If we have to learn a new interface, why not try a whole different product? While we're at it, why not investigate some of the new online-only office suites that everybody's talking about? It's no wonder online suites are appealing: They offer the ability to have documents stored online and available anywhere you can access the Internet, no matter what operating system you're using. There's no software to download and install, no upgrading hassles when new features are added or bugs eliminated, and no upfront or ongoing expenses. The ability to share a document with several users without your own server is equally tempting, as is the price tag for many of these services: absolutely free.
We tested four popular online office suites -- Ajax13, Google Docs & Spreadsheets, ThinkFree Online and Zoho Office Suite -- focusing on the word processor and spreadsheet functionality of each suite. (A fifth candidate, gOffice, was disqualified. Though promoted as a free suite, it requires a 99-cent-per-month payment, which we didn't learn about until we opened the registration page.)
We were looking for a good mix of features, speedy response and compatibility with Microsoft Office. All the suites in our roundup except Ajax13 let you publish your document on a public server, and most let you invite others to collaborate on the same document.
Online applications can be a mixed blessing, however, as these four suites show. If any server is stressed, you can't necessarily access the application when you need it. This happened with both Ajax13 and Google Docs & Spreadsheets. Google was able to create a new document, but responded with, "The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request. Please try again in 30 seconds" when we tried to create a new spreadsheet. It was finally available 15 minutes later. That's 15 minutes too long for most of us.
None of the suites in our roundup offers all the applications and features of Microsoft Office. But if you're looking to use the core office applications in an access-anywhere format, at least two of the suites in our roundup are surprisingly sophisticated. From the pitiful to the powerful, here are the four suites we tested, presented in alphabetical order.

Social networks

Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will. Although social networking is possible in person, especially in the workplace, universities, and high schools, it is most popular online. This is because unlike most high schools, colleges, or workplaces, the internet is filled with millions of individuals who are looking to meet other people, to gather and share first-hand information and experiences about cooking, golfing, gardening,  developing friendships or professional alliances, finding employment, business-to-business marketing and even groups sharing information about the end of the Mayan calendar and the Great Shift to arrive December 21-2012. The topics and interests are as varied and rich as the story of our world.

When it comes to online social networking, websites are commonly used. These websites are known as social sites. Social networking websites function like an online community of internet users. Depending on the website in question, many of these online community members share common interests in hobbies, religion, or politics. Once you are granted access to a social networking website you can begin to socialize. This socialization may include reading the profile pages of other members and possibly even contacting them. 

The friends that you can make are just one of the many benefits to social networking online. Another one of those benefits includes diversity because the internet gives individuals from all around the world access to social networking sites. This means that although you are in the United States, you could develop an online friendship with someone in Denmark or India. Not only will you make new friends, but you just might learn a thing or two about new cultures or new languages and learning is always a good thing.

As mentioned, social networking often involves grouping specific individuals or organizations together. While there are a number of social networking websites that focus on particular interests, there are others that do not. The websites without a main focus are often referred to as "traditional" social networking websites and usually have open memberships. This means that anyone can become a member, no matter what their hobbies, beliefs, or views are. However, once you are inside this online community, you can begin to create your own network of friends and eliminate members that do not share common interests or goals.

As I'm sure you're aware, there are dangers associated with social networking including data theft and viruses, which are on the rise. The most prevalent danger though often involves online predators or individuals who claim to be someone that they are not. Although danger does exist with networking online, it also exists in the real world, too. Just like you're advised when meeting strangers at clubs and bars, school, or work -- you are also advised to proceed with caution online.

By being aware of your cyber-surroundings and who you are talking to, you should be able to safely enjoy social networking online. It will take many phone conversations to get to know someone, but you really won't be able to make a clear judgment until you can meet each other in person.  Just use common sense and listen to your inner voice; it will tell you when something doesn't feel right about the online conversations taking place.

Once you are well informed and comfortable with your findings, you can begin your search from hundreds of networking communities to join. This can easily be done by performing a standard internet search. Your search will likely return a number of results, including My Space, Friend Wise, Friend Finder, Yahoo! 360, Face-book, Orkut, and Classmates.

FREE online photo edit

           Edit or adapt your Photo or Image Online in your browser for free. Upload your picture or photo or use an URL of an image on the Internet.

After uploading, you can resize your photo, sharpen it and/or rotate your photo. Several filters and effects are available to enhance your photo: Red Eye Removal, Sepia, Enhance, Sharpen and Polaroid Effect. You can also add Text and Glitter text to your photos and images.

After using our online photo editor, you can print your photo, download it or save it online.

Do you want to pimp a photo with glitters? Go to GlitterPhoto.net.

Do you want to make a Photo Collage out of multieple photos? Go to PhotoCollage.net.

KIDS SITE

KIDS SITE

HAI....Kids,

Welcome to 2daysapps,

Here we see a fun and joyful website for you.This site will take a tour of Holiday vacation.Kid-sites is being completely redesign and updated regularly,So parents allow the children’s to surf this website happily.......

Some contents of this website is as follows

*EDUCATIONAL
In this topic we will see Math,Science,Art,Music,etc....

*FUN STUFF.
In this topic we will see Activities,Coloring,Comics,Stories,Games,Online games,Sports,etc......

*GROWNUPS.
Here Parents And teachers will see How to Watch your children activities and How to develop your chid in this running world.

Website link: http://www.kidsites.com/