Archives for March 2015

The Drone Revolution is Happening Now

March 30, 2015 by Deceth Leave a Comment

Engineers,

A technological revolution is happening right at this very moment. In the same way that smartphones completely changed the world in just a few short years, drones are about to completely revolutionize the future.

I’m not talking about military drones.

I’m talking about commercial unmanned air vehicles (UAV’s) like quadcopters that anybody can purchase. You can visit websites like DroneGuru to read all about the latest in drone technology, it’s actually quite mind boggling how quickly this space is growing, and it’s all because the applications are endless. With the prices of drones dropping incredibly fast, a whole new industry is about to open up.

Why are Drones so Popular?

Remote controlled planes and helicopters have been around forever, but they’ve never exploded in popularity because they were seen as toys or fun projects for hobbyists.

Drone technology is exploding in popularity because of a convergence of multiple technologies. It’s not just the drones, but also the advances in digital cameras, high-definition recording, smartphones, and wireless tech. For example, GoPro cameras have become a popular commodity in the sporting world because they are extremely durable devices that can be attached to athletes or stunt artists to capture action scenes that were never before possible. Now imagine strapping one of these cameras to a drone, and have the drone wirelessly beam photos to your smartphone as it flies above your house to look for any damage after a big storm.

You can use a drone for search and rescue, home security, mapping, photography, etc…

In less than 5 years, drones will deliver pizza to your door. Amazon is already experimenting with using drones for delivering your online orders. The world as we know it is going to change, and it’s going to happen fast.

You can Own a Drone

You can be part of the revolution and get your first drone for less than $100.

You might not realize how advanced quadcopter technology has become because five years ago it was impossible to purchase anything reliable. Today, the technology is so sophisticated you can fly into the Niagra Falls or Grand Canyon to take incredible photography.

To get started, check out new drone reviews at DroneGuru for details of many different models.

How to Convert PDF to JPG or JPG to PDF

March 12, 2015 by Deceth 1 Comment

Engineers,

Have you ever been in a situation where you’re using an office or library computer to browse the Internet, and when you try to open a PDF file it doesn’t work because you don’t have Acrobat or any other PDF reader installed?

You could install a PDF reader, but that’s not always possible or convenient.

For example, if you don’t have administrator privileges on the computer you are using, you won’t be able to install any missing tools to help you open the file. This is a very common issue on corporate machines where permissions are limited.

So, what can you do when you find yourself unable to open a PDF file?

A free online service is a great option because you can quickly upload the PDF file and convert it to another format. Converting PDF to JPG is a great idea because JPG is the most common image format and will open on most operating systems without the need to install any additional tools. Even office applications and web browsers can display JPG images so you won’t have any trouble opening and viewing the file once it has been converted.

Another advantage to converting PDF to JPG (or any other image format) is that images will have a smaller file size and load faster. This might be ideal if you are sharing the file with a large audience.

Convert-my-image.com is one of my favorite online conversion tools because it lets you easily turn any pdf to the set of images. Even better, the tool also lets you do the opposite and convert JPG images into a PDF file. This is a great feature because normally creating PDF files requires purchasing Adobe Acrobat Pro. Now you can turn images into PDF files for free in just a few seconds.

Exploring the World with Track Kit

March 11, 2015 by Deceth Leave a Comment

Engineers,

Today I would like to showcase a creative travel app that includes some unique and powerful features. When you design your own products, you need to consider how to set yourself apart from the competition. The Track Kit App for iOS does just that!

There are plenty of apps that let you use your phones GPS to draw your path onto a map as you walk or drive around. Track Kit does this, but then takes the idea to a whole other level by including many additional features.

To get started, you record a track. Recording a track means the app will use your GPS to draw your position onto the map. While your track is recording, you can then take pictures and the image will be saved with your exact coordinates. Track Kit calls these “waypoints”. You can also write labels and save them onto the map as waypoints.

If you’re on vacation, hiking, or doing anything interesting, this is a great way to keep a visual log as you explore. Most people will be taking photos anyways, so having these pictures saved by geolocation is a great idea because you can then “replay” your tracks to reminisce! Playing your tracks is cool because as you see your icon move along the map, you will get to see the waypoints you saved along the way. Best of all is the social aspect, as you can send your tracks to friends or take a look at theirs to see where they went, and pictures of what’s along the way.

As an added bonus, you can use the Track-Kit.net web site to upload, organize, and compare your tracks. This is a good way to store, watch or share your adventures. More importantly, it’s a place where you can browse other peoples tracks and discover interesting places to visit in the future.

The app also includes a speedometer and compass, but where things get really interesting are with all the different multipoint distance measurement and overlay tools. These features give you a powerful augmented reality experience, allowing you to measure the distance and height of objects in any pictures you take.

Track Kit is available on iOS for your iPhone and iPad. Try it out, and keep it in mind when you get back to designing your own apps. A simple intuitive interface, with many powerful features is key to success in a crowded app store.

The Forest – Open World Survival Game

March 2, 2015 by Deceth Leave a Comment

Engineers, it’s time for another study break! This week, we’re taking a closer look at “The Forest”.

The survival game genre has started growing in popularity with games like Rust and DayZ, but since then numerous other interesting survival concepts have appeared on the market. With the help of The Forest, the open world survival game takes its first steps into the horror genre.

The main idea in The Forest is quite simple, you are the only survivor of a plane crash and you have to explore the forested island in the best way you can in order to find the necessary tools to survive.

Unlike other survival games that have missions or quests, in The Forest you don’t have either one. Instead, the main focus is placed on exploring the game world and, at the same time, you need to take your own decisions as you try to survive.

The Forest places a lot of emphasis on things such as crafting for example, as you are responsible for creating your own weapons, tools and shelters that will allow you to survive. The only downside in this game surely comes from the fact that the island isn’t uninhabited, instead here you can find a multitude of woodland creatures and mutants. These creatures aren’t hostile towards the player, but there are a multitude of situations in which you will actually get killed unless you manage to avoid them. The developers didn’t want to answer to the question whether these creatures are your friends or enemies, but according to the players, they do attack you most of the time, although there are situations in which these are just looking at you.

Since there’s no way to know if these creatures are friends or enemies, it’s important to use tactical decisions in order to make sure that you don’t attack them, as this will just bring a lot of harm and problems in the end.

Alongside that, The Forest does a great job when it comes to creating an immersive, large island that allows you to truly test your survival abilities. You will have to create traps and a shelter, collect supplies and hunt animals at any given time. In addition to that, you need to defend your base in the best possible way as well.

The Forest manages to provide a great set of graphics that seamlessly combine with the game premise in order to form a cohesive, exciting and massive game world that you will surely appreciate. The sounds in this game are very good, and many times you will actually rely on them in order to stay alive.

All in all, The Forest is a very interesting survival game with an interesting premise. While some will argue about the inclusion of its monsters, this is a great game with a wonderful, action packed experience. It’s recommend to check it out right away, as this surely is one of those survival games you do not want to miss!

Archives for March 2015

Why are Drones so Popular?

You can Own a Drone

Check It Out:

Tags

This Website Hosted By: