Sleek yet fully functional, PhotoDesk lets you interact with Instagram when you are off your phone and on your Mac.
If you need Instagram access while your phone is charging or when you are otherwise separated from your phone, PhotoDesk brings your favorite photo-sharing service to your Mac. And at the time of this writing, the app is discounted for $2 Tuesday.
With one large exception, PhotoDesk lets you do everything you can on the proper Instagram app, and even some things you can't. What you can't do with PhotoDesk is post photos, but Instagram restricts its API so that no third-party app can be used to upload photos.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
After installing the app and logging into your Instagram account, you'll encounter a two-pane layout with menu buttons along the top and bottom edges. In the narrow left pane, you can choose to view your feed, popular photos, tags, news, places, and any pending requests. The wider right pane shows you photos of whichever feed you are viewing. From the bottom you can select two different sizes of thumbnails, or a layout that shows more information, including the comment of the photo's originator. There is also a map view. Next to the map button is a button to filter your feed to show only photos or only videos, only those with geo information, or those that meet a minimum threshold of likes or comments.
Hit the "+" button in the lower-left corner to create an album. Albums show up in the left pane and you can then drag photos from the right to an album to easily populate it. You can also collect your favorite tags for easy perusing, but when I tweaked the list, the two default tags -- "colorful" and "apple" -- remained in the left pane, even after restarting the app.
Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET
Double-click on a thumbnail to expand the photo and see more information including likes, comments, and the location. You can then cycle through expanded shots by clicking on the arrows or using your Mac's arrow keys. Thankfully, no matter which type of thumbnail grid you choose, you can like a photo without needing to open it; just hover over the photo and click the heart button. You can also preview a photo by highlighting its thumbnail and pressing the Q key.
No tripod in sight? Never fear, here are some tips to help get stable handheld footage from your dSLR.
Sometimes you just don't have access to a tripod, monopod or something sturdy to help stabilize your camera.
Here are some tips to help you get stable footage, instead of a video that looks like a deleted scene from "The Blair Witch Project".
Proper handheld technique
Use your right hand to grip the camera, while the palm of your left hand is cradling the base and lens. The weight of the camera should be distributed evenly between both hands.
Don't be tempted to carry all the weight in your right hand and use your left to hold the lens from the top. This might work for stills, but it's not good for stable dSLR video.
Dave Cheng/CNET
Does your lens have image stabilization? Sounds obvious, but you will want to turn this on by flicking the switch.
Some dSLRs and ILCs from brands like Olympus, Sony and Pentax have in-body stabilization. Find this option in the menus and turn it on, making sure that it is applied to both stills and video recording.
Increase your points of contact
Simply bringing in your elbows close to your body, resting at the top of your hips or on your waistline where it's comfortable, can make all the difference.
If you need to be as steady as possible, you can hold your breath for a short period of time to minimise any extra movement.
Use the strap
Your camera strap is a really useful tool to help keep video stable. Put the strap over your head and keep it taut around the back of your neck. Extend the camera out as far as the strap will allow with proper handheld technique and you'll be able to achieve a smooth result for panning or shooting moving subjects.
Choose your focal length wisely
Shooting with a zoom lens? Using the telephoto end can exacerbate any hand shake. Instead of shooting up close, film at a wider end of your lens like at 35mm or 50mm.
Invest in accessories
If you really don't want to invest in a tripod, there are other accessories you can buy to help get more stable handheld dSLR video.
A viewfinder or loupe is a great add-on for any dSLR. It fits over the screen and generally comes with an eyecup that rests against your face, providing yet another contact point to keep the camera stable.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
Keep it stable in software
Many editing programs such as Final Cut X and Adobe Premiere CC come with built-in options to stabilize video footage. Depending on the severity of the shake, these options can be hit or miss, but it is another option if you still have shaky footage.
In Adobe Premiere, select the appropriate clip and head to the Effects panel > Distort > Warp Stabilizer.
In Final Cut X, the stabilization feature pops up in the video inspector sidebar whenever you click on a clip in your timeline.
Learn how to use a feature on your dSLR to make creative double exposures, from silhouettes to clone portraits.
A double exposure is a creative photographic technique where two different images are combined in one frame.
Also known as multiple exposures (depending on the final number of images superimposed on one another) you can make these photos in-camera -- no Photoshop skills required. Here's a guide on how to get started with this technique using a dSLR with a multiple exposure mode. We've gone through the steps with the Canon 5D Mark III and Nikon D800.
Making silhouettes
You may have seen photos where a silhouette appears to have a pattern inside it. This is just one example of a double or multiple exposure.
You will need:
a DSLR with multiple exposure mode
a silhouette as your base image
a fill for the silhouette
The base silhouette.Lexy Savvides/CNET
For this example I'll show you how to do this using the Canon.
First, find a subject. This could be a person or any another sort of object. The most important part is to have a defined outline.
As with any silhouette, try and position the subject in a shot so there's lots of negative space in the background to really make it pop. This can be the sky, or even a white wall -- overcast days are your friend for this!
I like to use the dSLR's spot meter to help meter off the subject and blow out the background. Silhouettes for this project turn out best if there's a strong light source coming from behind your subject.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
Once you are satisfied with the silhouette you have taken, enter into multiple exposure mode. At the back of the 5D Mark III, press the paintbrush icon and scroll over to the multiple exposure option.
Switch "Disable" to "On: Func/Ctrl". Leave the other settings as they are by default: Additive with two exposures. You can also choose to save all the images individually if you need to repeat the process with a different exposure later on.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
Scroll down to "Select image for multi. expo." and choose the silhouette you previously shot using the Set button. Confirming this selection will bounce you back to the multiple exposure menu.
The easiest way to compose your finished photo is to use live view. Switch it on and you should see the silhouette shot overlaid on the display.
The fill for my silhouette. Note how I've positioned the shot so the sky is blown out to match its positioning in the silhouette.Lexy Savvides/CNET
Now comes the fun part. Hunt around for a pattern, some trees or flowers, or anything else you want to place in the silhouette. The only limit is your imagination.
Usually, you'll need to slightly underexpose this second image from what the meter tells you (or use exposure compensation if you are in Program mode). This is because we've chosen "Additive" as our blend mode which combines the exposure of both images.
Take the second image, give the camera some time to process and voila -- your silhouette multiple exposure is done.
The finished result with a slight crop to improve composition.Lexy Savvides/CNET
As with all photographic techniques, it requires some time to master and get the results you desire. You may want to experiment with positioning the fill within the silhouette. If you have blown out the background of the first image, the fill image should theoretically only appear within the silhouette.
Hat tip to two photographers who have pioneered the technique - Dan Mountford and Sara Byrne for their inspiring silhouette photos. Definitely check them out for more amazing images.
Multiplicity: clone yourself
Another way to experiment with in-camera multiple exposure is to clone your subject (or yourself).
You will need:
a DSLR with multiple exposure mode
tripod
subject to photograph. Alternatively, use yourself as a subject but you will need a remote control
First, grab a tripod and frame up your shot. Focus and expose the shot to your liking. For consistency's sake it is easier to fix the exposure using manual mode.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
Using the Nikon, turn on multiple exposure. Press the menu button and then find multiple exposure under the shooting menu. Turn it on, and select single photo. Choose the number of shots you want in the final frame. If you want three clones, choose three photos.
Turn on auto gain so your exposures are evened out in the final shot rather than added together.
Get your subject in the first position and take the photo. You can put yourself in the frame, but you will either need to grab a friend to take the shots, or use a remote to trigger the camera. Rinse and repeat for the next frames, and then the camera will automatically merge them into a finished shot.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
Depending on your exposure and the background, you may find that the subject appears ghost-like. Without using an editing program like Photoshop, it can be difficult to get a result where the subjects look solid, but there are a few things you can do to help improve the results in-camera.
If you are using a Nikon dSLR, turn off Active D-lighting. Choose a darker background rather than shoot outdoors. Black produces the best results. You can also increase the amount of light on your subjects by using a flash. Otherwise adjust your exposure to gather more light by opening up the aperture or boosting the ISO.
Remember, you can apply these techniques to any dSLR that has a multiple exposure mode. The method may be a little different from model to model, but the general principle is the same. Go out, experiment and have fun with your photography.
How to use the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 with one hand
Afraid the Galaxy Note 4 is too big for one-handed use? It's actually easier than you think.
CNET
By default, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4is too big for one-handed use for most people. Thankfully you can customize it to allow your thumb to reach across the entire screen.
In Settings, tap Display and wallpaper under Quick Settings, and select One-handed operation.
Screenshot by Andy Baryer
Tap Reduce screen size andenable the Reduce screen size switch to activate it. A demonstration screen illustrates how to switch to the one-handed operation mode.
Screenshot by Andy Baryer
In either hand, quickly drag your thumb from the edge of the screen to the center and back again. The screen shrinks down for one handed use. Adjust the screen size bytapping the upper left corner and adjusting the size to fit your thumb reach. You'll now have easy access to options like volume control, back, home, and recent apps.
Screenshot by Andy Baryer
If you just want one-handed use for the dialing keypad, in-call buttons and other input panels, you can set this within Settings> Display and wallpaper >Quick Settings> One-handed operation. From here,enable the One-handed input switch. Then, move the input panel left or right by tapping the arrow until you're satisfied with the panel's placement.
Screenshot by Andy Baryer
Activate the Side key panel for one-handed access to hardkeys and other functions. You can adjust the transparency level of the side panel and enable Quick minimize. Go to Settings>Display and wallpaper>Quick Settings> One-handed operation >Side key panel and tap the Side key panel activationswitch to enable it. From here tap Manage keys to customize which buttons appear on your side key panel.
Screenshot by Andy Baryer
To move the side panel, tap and hold the top arrow cross iconand move it to the desired area on the screen.
How to fix Text Message Forwarding issues on iOS 8.1
Trying to set up SMS sharing from your iPhone to an iPad or Mac and running into issues? Give this fix a try.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
We already covered how to set up Text Message Forwarding from your iPhone to another iOS device or Mac, but there was a key troubleshooting element we unknowingly left out of the guide.
As mentioned in the original story, you need to have iMessage enabled on your iPhone in order to enable text message forwarding. More importantly, however, you need to have an email address enabled in iMessage settings during the setup process, as discovered by MacRumors. If not, you're likely to run into an issue where the activation code never appears on your iPad or Mac.
If you attempt to enable text message forwarding but the activation code never shows up, here's what you need to do:
Launch the Settings app on your iPhone.
Scroll down to the Messages option and tap on it.
Tap on Send & Receive.
Enable an email address by tapping on it. A check mark will be placed next to it once it's active.
Now, back out of the Send & Receive section and request another activation code be sent to one of your devices. Easy, right?
The MacRumors report goes on to say you can go back and disable the email address after all of your devices are set up and everything will remain working.
Can a phone replace your wallet? I went shopping to find out.
CNET editor Sharon Profis takes Apple Pay, Google Wallet and PayPal for a test drive and compares the options.
It's undeniable -- Apple Pay will be the thing that finally makes mobile payments go mainstream. But it's not the only option. Google and PayPal are also major players, but if their real-world success rates to date are any indication of Apple Pay's reception, it's best we keep a tight grip on those leather wallets.
To better understand the mobile payments landscape, I did something most smartphone owners have yet to do: buy things at brick-and-mortar stores using a phone.
It turns out that while we might be cozying up to the idea of replacing our wallets with phones, the retailers are not. Google Wallet, PayPal, and Apple Pay are all mobile payment leaders with substantial clout, but even they struggle to get merchants to invest in the tech that enables tap-to-pay transactions.
There's also SoftCard, a mobile payments solution from AT&T Mobility, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Softcard never quite penetrated, however, and dealt with a name change after its original name, ISIS, ended up being the focus of something entirely different.
Still, it's a battle worth fighting. Mobile payments offer layers of security unmatched by mag stripe cards, seriously reducing the instance of the sort of credit card fraud that now seems to be a weekly occurrence (see Target, Home Depot, Michaels, -- just in past few months alone).
Apple Pay
Just an hour after installing iOS 8.1 (which enables Apple Pay) I hit New York's pavement ready to meet the cashier who will have no idea why I'm pumped to be spending my money. That excitement quickly dies down, however, when I realize that across the street is a mom-and-pop bagel shop (they're everywhere in New York) and a flower store.
I finally take a cab to Whole Foods, an Apple Pay launch partner that assured me they'd support Apple Pay the moment it launched. They were right. And the transaction went off without a hitch.
Once my purchase was totaled, I tapped my iPhone to the credit card terminal, and the screen lit up. At that point, I selected the credit card I wanted to use, scanned my fingerprint, and -- beep -- the transaction was complete.
Where Apple Pay wins
If the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus do one thing exquisitely well, it's pay for stuff. Transactions take seconds to complete. For those who habitually dig their wallet out of a bag, the process will feel especially brief.
Apple Pay's greatest asset is security. When you register a card with Apple Pay, its 16-digit number is not stored in the device. Instead, your iPhone pings a company like First Data to trade the card's real number for an alias -- called a "token." That token, a devalued 16-digit number, is stored in an iPhone chip called the Secure Element.
Then, whenever you make a purchase, your phone sends the merchant the token instead of your actual 16-digit number. The *only* way to access that token is by scanning your fingerprint. The result? Three layers of security that greatly reduce the instance of fraud.
It's also worth noting that Apple promises never to keep track of your payment activity. However, that doesn't stop retailers from tracking you on their own, either through their Point of Sale system or loyalty program.
Where it lacks
220,000 merchants. That's the number of retail stores that currently sport Apple Pay-ready Point of Sale systems. It sounds like a lot, but in reality, that's just a small percentage of retail and food establishments in the United States.
And there's no way around it: you'll need an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus to use Apple Pay for in-store purchases. Eventually, iPhone 5S, 5C, and 5 users will be able to use the Apple Watch to enable Apple Pay.
Sarah Tew
Google Wallet
I'm at the cash register at Benefit Cosmetics in Bloomingdale's, a Google Wallet launch partner. The make-up artist is briefing me on their new cheerleader-themed blush, because he has no idea I'm on a mission to buy the cheapest thing they've got using Google Wallet. I excitedly tell him I'm paying with my phone, and in an unsurprising twist, he says, "How?"
It actually doesn't matter so much that the Benefit employee wasn't aware of Google Wallet or Apple Pay -- the credit card terminal functions without any employee intervention. The blatant lack of awareness, however, reaffirmed my hunch that Google did a pretty lackluster job marketing their product. Plus, it's likely merchants don't bother training their employees on mobile payment methods.
Despite the lack of awareness, Google Wallet works, and it's awesome. I unlock the phone, tap it to the terminal, enter my Wallet PIN, and complete the transaction as usual.
Where Google Wallet wins
It took three years of breaking and rebuilding, but Google's mobile payment method is finally a thing many Android owners can actually use. And although it may not have Apple Pay's new-car smell, it's just as functional.
Like Apple Pay, Google Wallet leverages tokenization -- your real 16-digit card number is never exposed to merchants. But instead of securing the token in a chip, Google uses something called Host Card Emulation (HCE), which functions a lot like a Secure Element chip, except it lives virtually in the cloud.
With this cloud-based approach, Wallet can be compatible with any NFC-equipped Android phone. The app also lets you store club cards and gift cards, earning the "wallet" name more than any other mobile payment option.
Wallet needs more work
Despite Google's influence, the company never succeeded in significantly increasing the number of merchants that support NFC payments, even three years after launching Wallet. Though I was always ready to pay using my Android phone, I was surprised to find that so few merchants actually support the technology. (It's worth noting that, generally, Google Wallet works wherever Apple Pay works.)
Wallet falls the hardest is with device compatibility. In order to use Wallet in stores, you'll need an NFC-capable phone running Android 4.4 KitKat or later. Even a year after launch, KitKat is only on 25 percent of Android phones.
Though Wallet utilizes tokenization, HCE complicates things. For starters, you'll need cell service to use Google Wallet, since the phone needs to retrieve tokens from the cloud. Plus, anything that operates in the cloud -- instead of locally -- is automatically more vulnerable to security attacks.
PayPal
In San Francisco, where even the most unsuspecting family businesses are tech-savvy, PayPal is accepted in a number of downtown cafes and food trucks. Most of them are equipped with an iPad, that displays my face when I check in using PayPal. Darn Good Cafe is one of these places. When it's my turn at the register, I choose an ahi tuna salad. The cafe employee says, "Sharon?" I nod. He taps a finger on the screen, says "Thanks!" and I'm on my way to satiety.
Despite having to "check in" first, the process was streamlined. It didn't bother me terribly, but I could see how having your face appear on the POS might weird some people out. It was unnerving to find that as long as my phone was unlocked, the default app setting allowed me to make purchases without a second authentication (like a PIN or fingerprint).
Where PayPal wins
PayPal spent the last 15 years facilitating transactions, and it's pretty darn good at it. Like all of its online transactions, in-store purchases you make using PayPal are tokenized and encrypted. Plus, if your phone has a fingerprint scanner (like the Samsung Galaxy S5), you can use that to authorize transactions.
A PayPal spokesperson explained that merchants who accept PayPal never see their customer's complete identity, personal information, or financial data.
For people who use PayPal to make purchases online or send money to friends, using it in stores is a no-brainer. PayPal also allows its customers to make purchases at credit card terminals using their phone number and a PIN code, or the PayPal card.
Great app, poor infrastructure
Because PayPal doesn't plug into the existing POS ecosystem the way Apple Pay and Google Wallet does, the company seems to have struggled getting merchants to sign on to its app-based solution. PayPal indicates you can shop at "thousands" of stores nationwide. The best way to find out where PayPal is accepted near you is to launch the app and view nearby locations.
For those concerned with privacy, PayPal states it doesn't look at individual customer transactions, but instead reviews aggregate data to find trends. Merchants who use PayPal can tap into high-level insights about customer purchases.
And, like Google Wallet, you need cell service in order to use PayPal.
Where Apple Pay succeeds, everyone else benefits
Mobile payments aren't new, and Apple isn't the first to think of replacing the wallet with the phone. But it will be the first to make paying with our phones something we actually do. And it's all thanks to perfect timing.
By October 1, 2015, most Americans will carry EMV credit and debit cards. These cards look a lot like the magnetic stripe variety, except they have a chip that can dramatically reduce instances of fraud. To accommodate the new cards, merchants will have to upgrade their credit card terminals. And if they don't, they could be held financially liable.
The transition will be a major burden for merchants and retailers, but mobile payment companies are rejoicing. The new credit card terminals will all be NFC-ready, inadvertently completing the infrastructure necessary for services like Apple Pay and Google Wallet to operate
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