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Technology -
Free Software and Linux
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Sunday, 01 April 2007 17:21 |
One of the most common, everyday tasks we have to do when working with photographs and images is to reduce its size or quality to send them by e-mail or post them on the web (on my blog or on the Web institutional center, for example). We must ensure that the images take up less space and have less weight before they can send or publish. But this requires prior knowledge of which aspects that influence both the space occupied by an image as their quality, thus significantly reducing its weight without significant loss of quality. - The formats in which the image is saved on your computer. There are many image storage formats, each with its own characteristics and possibilities of compression. BMP, JPG, GIF, TIFF, PNG, etc. refer to these different types of formats.
- The dimensions in height and width of the image, usually measured in pixels or cm. A photograph produced by a high-quality digital camera has a size too big if all you want is to see the image on the screen of a computer. It is recommended that, in horizontal format, we reduce the width of the image about 15 cm and the height to about 12-13 cm.
- The image resolution: every image is composed of a series of tiny colored dots called pixels. In a digital photography there are thousands and thousands of these small pixels, which, joined at the computer screen, make the image. A computer image can have greater or lesser concentration of these pixels thereby causing the image to have more or less clearly. This is called the resolution and is measured as the number of pixels per inch that has a picture (one inch, 2.54 centimeters). For example, if an image has a resolution of 300 ppi (Pixels Per Inch, pixels per inch), it means that one inch (2.54 cm) have 300 pixels or dots to represent the image information. Logically, if we decrease the resolution of the image, ie, fewer pixels per inch, it also reduces the "weight" of the image is lost but also in image quality. In general, the optimal resolution for images to be printed on paper is between 150 and 200 ppi (newsletters, brochures, images printed on personal printers), if it is needed for optimal picture quality the most recommended for printing is 300 ppi ( a book, magazine), but if we need an image to be viewed on a computer screen will be enough a resolution of 72 ppi. Some monitors achieve a resolution of 96 ppi, but 72 ppi is usually normal, therefore, why fill an image with more pixels, increasing its size, if the user will not be able to perceive?
These aspects implies that there are three different methods to reduce the size of image files: - Change the image size making it smaller by changing the values of width and height of the image
- Change the format of the image saved in another format
- Apply compression / optimization in the image if the format chosen allows
In this article we will focus on the first of these methods: resize an image by changing the values set in width and height of the image, so that once sent by e-mail or posted on the Web, to the extent provided allow most people to see the full image on the screen, without scroller. It is no use a picture that does not fit on one screen. If we consider that nowadays most of the latest monitors have resolutions of 1024 x 768 pixels or slightly higher, but there are still many with resolutions of 800 x 600 pixels, and also considering the space they occupy the edges of the applications use, which consume considerable size on the screen to display an image full on most monitors must not exceed 500 or 550 pixels on its longest side. Using The Gimp  Resizing an image by manipulating the values of width and height of it is very easy with the free image editor and open source software, The Gimp.
To make this practice firstly download the image that we offer below (right-click on image - save image as ...). This is a high quality image belonging to the IASB's Image Bank, Ministry of Education and Science. Her measurements are 2048 pixels wide x 1360 pixels high and resolution of 96 ppi, size 1.62 Mb 
Then open the image in Gimp. Note that opening a window called cudillero.jpg image in the top you will find a menu bar. It includes different actions to perform with the corresponding image, get used to using it regularly. To reduce the size of the image position yourself on the Image menu and click on the entry Scale Image. 
Notes pop-up window: 
You can modify the values for height and width of the image (keeping its proportionality, ie, if modified, the other value automatically takes the value proportional to the chains that are laced together, or modifying one of them, which may involve distortion in the image, if you spread clicking on them). As we wish to reduce their size without distortion make sure the chains are interlaced and then type or move the little arrows to get the desired size, pro example, 350 pixels wide. Note that clicking on the height value, it automatically has also reduced the value of it to 232 pixels, which keeps the image proportions. Make sure also that the resolution is appropriate in this case, it is an image to be published on the Web at 72 ppi is adequate, current value in the Scale Image window. If you make a mistake or want to change any of the values click on Restart (to recover the original values) or Cancel (to close the window). To confirm the action taken on the Scale button click. The image will be automatically reduced to the size chosen. 
Now you just have to save the new image with the name you want and in the venue of your computer, such as selecting Save a copy of the window's File menu cudillero.jpg image. |
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Technology -
Free Software and Linux
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Friday, 30 March 2007 22:32 |
Your computer is protected? Do not spend a euro or in shielding against viruses, Trojans, dialers or other malware programs. Free software also has various utilities and tools for these tasks. ClamWin  ClamWin, the only free antivirus for Windows, under GNU GPL. Simple open source antivirus, very intuitive. It is characterized by its high percentage of virus and spyware detection, scheduled scans, check temporalized, automatic updates to its database via the Internet, integration with the context menus of Microsoft Windows Explorer, virus detection in compressed files zip or rar, but for now, can not do 7z files, etc.. In return can not analyze in real time, which forces them to be released manually to detect viruses.
It has a portable version you can add to a CD or a USB drive, so your flash will also be free from viruses. Links: Winpooch  New utility security against local or external attacks, available for Windows operating system, open source and free. It is an anti-spyware and anti-trojan resident in our system, associated with ClamWin, the antivirus open source platform mentioned in the preceding paragraph, provides full protection for your computer to increase the effectiveness of antivirus saving the inconvenience of analysis in real time. We recommend therefore that you install both applications: first installed the antivirus.
Available for Windows 2000/XP/NT is done in C and available in Spanish, English, French, Italian and Polish. Among its features, allows, for example, prevent a certain program can do write operations to the register or in a sensible directory of the system. Once installed, Winpooch monitor all processes and will notify you if you see something suspicious, in which case prompted the action you want to run. Links: By the way, forget about so many headaches for the security of your system, why do not you come, instead, to a secure system? Use GNU / Linux, please stop to Ubuntu. |
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Technology -
Free Software and Linux
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Wednesday, 28 March 2007 22:40 |
 The revolution of Web 2.0 is based on the appearance and development of new Internet services that run on-line office as a "web" to work and access your files, you are where you are. It allows you to dispense with the applications you have installed on your computer to perform many tasks normally performed on the equipment. You can write a letter, create a simple spreadsheet, a presentation, post a video, manage projects, edit images, view your schedule, schedule your calendar, edit your home movies video, save your files on hard drives online, share , music ... all without having the necessary software on your computer, only using your Internet connection and access to certain web sites specific to the tasks you want done. This frees you from dependence on a particular computer or a specific program and facilitates what is beginning to call the "mobile computing".
Does this mean you can stop buying traditional software for your PC? A certain section of users will reply that there is no online application that provides the same functionality as Microsoft Word or Adobe Photoshop, surely those same critics also alleged that we use office suite that they say is poor quality as OpenOffice. From this website you insist that alternatives to these programs are possible alternatives free quality free and valid for an average user and powerful enough for most common tasks we do with software. These online applications are another alternative. You indicate those we think most useful, I will mention their potential and show you how to use, subtraction, on your part, consider whether your use is sufficient for your needs and do not need to have a program that performs these functions in your computer. Several questions to consider: - Web 2.0 implies the connection requirement. Such applications have been developed under the generalization of the so-called broadband connection. Course work on-line and probably handle volumes of data. It is therefore essential that you have a fast Internet connection: ADSL, cable ...
- Web 2.0 means optimum navigation. You will have a minimum of knowledge on the Internet. Navigation skills, knowledge on how to download files, ability to create accounts and obtain user names and passwords, ability to browse the folders on your hard disk and locate files and documents in different directories, basic handling email, etc. .
- Web 2.0 needs a newer web browser. Use Firefox or Opera, Internet Explorer does not always work.
- Web 2.0 speak English. There is a lot of these applications translated into Spanish but in the vast majority will need to have basic knowledge of English to use them. We will try to help in this regard but do not think the computer on his back with a built-English-Spanish dictionary, we will try to overcome this difficulty, it is.
- Web 2.0 enjoys the benefits of the Internet but also suffers from drawbacks. On the Internet everything is changing, what works today, may do so later or tomorrow may not be. The evolution and changes can be radical: you can not satisfy a given service today but weeks later the service improvement and fulfills your expectations, we can offer you help with screen shots or videotutoriales and when accessing the page has changed its aesthetics. This is the Network of Networks!
- Web 2.0 is usually free but need not be free. Read the license agreements and conditions of use of the applications to know their limitations. And we're not always sure that they work on computers with different operating systems installed or even functioning at all times: the service can be interrupted and may even stop working. It is therefore very cautious and prudent when using these services: keep copies of local files on your computer, do not rely solely on these applications, in case something fails, though, it is fair to admit that many of them will gaining stability from day to day.
If you want to go deeper into the Web 2.0 concept, access the following pages to collect information: |
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Technology -
Free Software and Linux
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Tuesday, 27 March 2007 00:50 |
This article is especially dedicated to the coordinators of New Technologies in schools that have undertaken the task of maintaining its own institutional web of the center, all persons responsible for updating their Web sites, especially when it comes to Web sites educational and, ultimately, we extend this commitment to all those interested in the creation and development of dynamic web sites and interactive. Are you interested in the look and layout of the Web, or values, above all, the content you offer on your site? Both aspects are not exclusive but rather complementary, but for those who have some responsibility in maintaining an educational Web know that most of the time we spend on this task is going to update the content on the Web get our schools provide lively, living permanently. If we look back to remember how we climbed to our web content will see that a long and tedious journey we had to go: at first the web directly programmed in HTML, with their labels, tags and code more or less memorized, then we WYSIWIG applications such as FrontPage or Dreamweaver, we design more facilitated but were very restricted to those users with much knowledge (which meant dedicásemos hours of learning, trial and error to get a website visually acceptable.) But in recent months, have developed systems for the Web publishing "new" (not so if we consider that are based on PHP and MYSQL, I remember the days of phpnuke, postnuke or the Mambo, the origin the content manager that you recommend below) in which the user does not have to have great technical knowledge to use and only has to worry about the content published. These are called CMS (Content Management System) systems aimed at facilitating the management of content quickly and simply: we've already mentioned that no need for too many skills once the system is in operation. Can create a site or portal in a short time and keep it updated content in a dynamic and intuitive for the user to save a large part of that time devoted to that very often does not count. What are the content managers: Blogestores article  If you do not know what a CMS and how there is an excellent Web site that will offer, installed, several examples of these dynamic portal. OpenSource CMS These managers have a public area and one management. The first is what visitors see, the second is intended for system administrator and working in registered users. Access to this page, select a CMS that you offer and "travels" through them, visualize them as if a user of your pages or start trying to make your first forays as a system administrator. This located in the navigation menu entry and select CMS Demo CMS portal you want. 
For example, the entry for Joomla (our recommended) or e107 (one of the latest best value) and notes the contents of the new page that opens. In addition to brief information about the selected CMS, comments from users who use or have tried it, a ranking of valuation, the latest version available and the URL of the official project website. But most of all look at the values Front Page (home page, which will be from the internet to access it) and Admin login (login page manager module CMS). Data username and password are the username and password which you will enter into the administration page to access the CMS as if you were the administrator. 
A comprehensive list that provides OpenSource CMS but ... of them all which to choose for an institutional site of the center?. Our recommendation, JOOMLA, one of the content management systems most widely used in the free software world. Joomla, CMS and open source under the GNU / GPL, highly customizable and completely free, is a very powerful content management system easy to use, frequently updated, with extensive information in Spanish and also has an incredible community users and developers active on the Internet that will offer help and support when needed and they create new extensions and features interesting day. There are many educational websites based on this CMS and institutional initiatives already exist to implant mass. For example, the Ministry of Education of Extremadura, a pioneer in the use and dissemination of free software in education, available to public schools in the region a customizable Web portal, with a template and predefined to be presented in two versions, one for primary education and one for high school, to provide more quality and quantity of resources and capabilities to the websites of schools from Extremadura. Another initiative in this regard is promoted by the Ministry of Education and Science of Castilla-La Mancha facilitating installation and management and website Joomla schools. With support website dedicated to this task in the URL http://edu.jccm.es/joomla, he'll find all necessary information for installing, configuring and managing the content manager for the Web aimed at Community schools. Why Joomla, do we offer?  If you install Joomla on a server will create a portal that will include static information (like any other Website designed with FrontPage or Dreamweaver) but also dynamic, in blog format articles, calendars of events, content syndication, useful links, forums, file downloads , personalized contacts, internal messaging, image galleries, FAQ, bulletin boards, wikis, surveys, mailing list, web pages for students and teachers, creation of profiles and user groups, customizing the information and presentation, blogs personal, and many more services. The main feature of Joomla is that it follows a modular architecture, as it consists of modules responsible for different functions, which are managed from a centralized interface. You can remove or add the modules you want to the needs of the Website or the services you want to implement. Joomla is elegant and aesthetically customizable, because another of the strengths of this CMS is the handling of templates that you customize the look with the content shown, something like the skins or hides a music player. And you will find hundreds of templates online, free and open source, which will allow the website that you are developing displays with the look you want.
Joomla is ideal for an educational website where you want to publish general information about the center, but also information from departments, secretariat and other external entities. But while you can create the most dynamic sections of communication between the various members of the community, from contacts through email, discussion forums and exchange of information and communication including chats. Need still more?, As a Joomla pídeselo sure that you provide. Examples of educational websites that use Joomla Asturian or some other CMS: Other websites of schools: Institutional education portals: Collective Websites: Pages educational departments and teaching areas: Webs Professional Teachers: |
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