Weight Issues Among Tripods

A team of Japanese researchers have discovered that using a tripod under 3.3 pounds can actually make photographs blurrier than expected. The tripod has been one of photographers’ best friends for years in providing stablility for clear shots. Using a lightweight tripod can actually make a camera more susceptible to vibrations and shakiness that can cause an image to become more blurry.

[Tech On! via Crave via Gizmodo]

[Image via mikelietz]

Reduce Debt with the Snowflake Method

Today I learned about a new method to reducing one’s debt: the Snowflake Method. Many people who are aware of financial tools and methodologies to cut down on debt most likely know about the Snowball method. As each debt is paid off, the amount that would have gone towards paying off that debt would go onto the next one that needs to be paid off. As more debts are paid off, the remaining ones will be paid off faster.

The snowflake method can be used in conjunction with the snowball one. As you receive random amounts of income either from selling old goods on eBay or receiving a tax return, some or all of this income can go towards paying the debt with the highest priority.

I think this is a helpful method to a) obviously reduce your debt faster and b) potentially cut out any impulsive expenditures that would have been made with this money.

Snowflaking – A Primer [Via Lifehacker]

Image via Quinn Dombrowski (quinn.anya)

Get Tested Today for Conficker

Now that we’re done working on the book for Ad Lab/NSAC, I’m trying to get back into the swing of things with the PA+D Blog. Today I would like to share with everyone a very simple, yet important test that will help determine if your computer is infected with the Conficker worm that is spreading around.

For those who are unfamiliar with Conficker, it is a worm that has been going around for some time now, and it was reported that something bad would happen on April 1st. Well, nothing detrimental happened except for the fact that infected machines had the worm automatically update itself. What will result of this? No one know.

The creators of Conficker Working Group has a great explanation of the whole Conficker worm. I recommend that ALL PC users take a quick minute to visit their Conficker Eye Chart. This is a simple test to determine if your computer is likely infected. It’s so simple that a caveman can do it.

Conficker Eye Chart [via Lifehacker]

Learning How to Incorporate a CMS

My apologies for the lack of posts. It’s been a rather hectic semester, and I was away last week on a cruise for spring break. Anyway, I’ve found some free time to post some articles, so here’s the first of a few that have been in my drafts queue.

Several weeks ago I learned that in addition to WordPress.com where anyone can set up a WordPress blog, there is also a WordPress.ORG. So what’s the difference? WordPress.org allows more advanced users to host WordPress on their own server or web host service. I use HostMonster as a web host service for my online portfolio, PASCOAD.com. I discovered that from the cPanel area, I can easily install WordPress, Joomla! or other content mangement systems (CMS) for my site.

This was a major discovery for me since I’ve been shopping around for ways to integrate a CMS into my domain to make it a lot easier to update and manage. I’m still playing around with both WordPress.org and Joomla! whenever I can find some free time. I’m hoping to launch a revamped or at least a re-architectured site some time this summer.

Financial Managment as a College Student is Hard

Today I learned…. that trying to manage my finances as a college student is harder than I thought. Okay so this is more of a realization than a learned fact, but it’s true. For the past several months, I’ve been following two financial management blogs: Get Rich Slowly and I Will Teach You to Be Rich. Mind you that I’m in no way trying to be “rich.” These blogs have been very helpful in providing advice for managing personal finances and achieving financial indpendence. These are the actual keys to being “rich.”

Anyway, one of the useful tools that both blogs have advised using is Mint, a free web-based application that agreggates all of your bank and investment accounts to keep track of expenditures and income. I’ve been using Mint for about two months now, and it’s certainly been helpful in keeping track of spending habits. I was going through my stats today and noticed that my trouble spots seem to be dining out and going to bars, and even after setting budgets, I seem to still exceed my preferred expenditures.

I’m not sure where I was going with this, but I suppose the moral of the story here is that financial independence or at least successful financial management does not happen over time. It’s an ongoing learning process where you pick up new things as you go. I suppose it’s a good thing that I’m noticing these habits now, and the next step is to figure out how to change them so that they don’t become huge problems down the line.

[Image via Time Out]

One of the Oldest Companies on Earth is a Confectioner

While reading a chapter of my Corporate Communication textbook by Paul Argenti, I came across this interesting fact: a Japanese confectioner name Toraya is one of the oldest companies on earth. According to the book, “It can trace its roots back to the ninth century, and the same family has been in control of the firm for 17 generations.”

I think it’s incredible that one family has remain in control of the company for so many centuries. On top of that, the company has also served the imperial family since it’s inception.

[Image via Toraya]

A Sweet Tool for Web Developers

Today I learned about this Firefox plug-in called “Web Developer.” It’s a pretty neat tool that helps web developers troubleshoot web sites that are in development. This plug-in is also good for breaking down sites that look nice and figuring how to recreate it similarly.

Download available at Firefox Add-ons.

This May Take a Bit to Get Kickstarted

So this whole “Today I learned…” segment may take a while to get going.

Something I learned yesterday was that mashing-up ads, images and music for the sake of twisting the original message is called “jamming.” I’m not sure how else to describe it, but the New York Subway “Poster Boy” is an example of an artist who has done print jams.

[Image via New York Magazine]

People Have Different Showering Habits

So I’m going to try out this new thing where I’ll post one thing I learn each day. This was inspired by a woman named Ale (prounounced as “Ally”) who if I recall correctly is a senior creative director at McCann Erickson in New York. Ale had a project where she recorded one thing she learned each day over the course of a year or two. Also, my friend Beth often says, “Learn something new today,” on my way to class or while I’m heading out of our house.

So I’m going to give this a shot. I know it has nothing to do with marketing on the internet, but I hope in the long run, people will learn the things I have learned and gather insight from it.

Today I learned that people have different showering habits. I don’t remember how this conversation began, but among the few friends I was talking to, I learned that they shower differently in terms of soaping oneself. It sounds a bit random, but when you get a group of people together talking about the way they shower, it’s a bit interesting and is insight that marketers can use. One only soaps his top half saying it takes too much effort to bend down to soap his legs. One doesn’t use soap at all but mainly due to sensitive skin. One soaps using a “rag” or washcloth while another uses a loofah. Personally, I just use my hands.