Understanding Digital Camera : Image File Types

There are only three file formats you have to be familiar with when processing images: JPEG, TIFF, and Raw.

JPEG -  Joint Photographic Expert Group

You’ve probably already heard of JPEGs because they’re used on the Internet and for e-mailing images. If you’ve downloaded digital photos from your camera to your computer and saved them, you’ve probably seen the file extension ".jpg". JPEGs have their pluses and minuses:

 Pros

• Good for sending images over the Web.
• Easily compressed; can be saved as small files onto your hard drive.

 Cons

• Degrade (lose image quality) each time they’re compressed and  transferred. Compression reduces the file size at the expense of discarding information about the image itself. 
• Not the best format for printing gallery-quality prints.

The higher-resolution JPEG format is fine for sending images to editors of newspapers for publication as long as the images haven’t been compressed (opened and saved in an image processing program) multiple times. If you must use the JPEG file format and you want to maintain the highest image quality possible, always use the maximum Quality setting on your camera and in your software.

TIFF

The file from which you produce your output is a TIFF file. TIFF means Tagged Image File Format, which is a format that can be read on both Macs and PCs.

• You produce a TIFF file in a graphics or photo editing program like Photoshop.
• TIFF files cannot be viewed in Web browsers or on the Internet, but the file format does an excellent job of preserving image quality.

RAW

On many midrange and high-end digital cameras, you can save photos in Raw format instead of the traditional JPEG. If you’ve noticed that your camera has this capability, use it. Here’s why: A Raw image is like a digital negative — the unprocessed image data that your camera sensor captures. Raw isn’t an acronym; it just means that the image file itself is unadulterated — that is, it’s in a raw state. This untouched (um, raw) state is optimal because you can do your own processing later on your computer.

Different camera manufacturers use different file formats for their own versions of Raw. For example, you might see such file extensions as .nef (Nikon), .crw and .cr2 (Canon), .mrw (Minolta), .raf (Fujifilm), .orf (Olympus), .srf (Sony), and the less-common .x3f (Sigma and Polaroid) and .mos (Leaf).

When you save a Raw file, the camera creates a header file containing all the camera settings, including (depending on the camera) date/time captured, the camera used, exposure, ISO, lens, aperture, flash (if any), sharpening level, contrast and saturation settings, color temperature/white balance, and so on — in total, the metadata. When you then tweak a copy of your original Raw file, and process copies, you always leave the original image intact. Very cool. To top that, many camera settings (such as white balance and color adjustments) captured in a Raw file can be undone via special software. 

The downside to Raw is that Raw formats differ between camera manufacturers and even between cameras from the same manufacturer. Thus, you have to use proprietary software from that company or an image editing program such as Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. And because Raw files inherently contain more data, they take longer to open and process than a JPEG or a TIFF file. The Adobe Web site (www.adobe.com) has the software plug-ins to open your camera’s Raw files in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements for editing and adjustment.

Still, the creative possibilities are very tempting. And, more and more thirdparty editing and software programs are becoming Raw-compatible with more and more camera models and brands.

• Digital cameras generate Raw files. These files are read by the software from the company that you bought your camera from or by an image editing program.
• Each camera processes Raw files differently. The software to read and convert Raw files to the standard high-resolution TIFF or PSD format is available from the camera manufacturer that produced the format; you need that software to download the files from your camera to your computer. Programs like iPhoto are able to read some models’ Raw format. There’s also third-party software (such as that available at www.iview-mutimedia.com) that can read most camera’s Raw formats.
• Raw files are generally the preferred file type for producing an art photograph with a digital camera. The reason for this is that they can be adjusted for color and tonality more efficiently and with better results than can JPEG or TIFF files.

Only some types of digital cameras have this setting (can capture Raw files) because it is very memory intensive. Look for file formats in the camera’s specifications and see whether Raw is listed. You’ll pay more for cameras that have this format, but prices are falling rapidly.

source : Digital Arts Photography for Dummies book


Related post :
Understanding Digital Camera : Basic of Digicam
Understanding Digital Camera : Type of Digicam
Digital vs Film Photography

Digital vs Film Photography

Digital versus Film
Characteristic	Digital	Film
Cost	No film costs, but high-end equipment is expensive.	Film and developing costs. Forcheaper costs, develop as negatives only and scan at home.
Ease of use	More controls in LCD panel in addition to filmlike creative and manual modes controlled by knob at top of camera on most models. Frequent change of batteries or battery removal and recharging required for camera to work.	Fewer controls and no LCD make camera less confusing.
Image quality	Clear and vivid. Some folks notice a “plastic” quality that digital images can have. Edges are crisp (too crisp, according to some).	More natural-looking images when light hits film, which creates observable chemical change that’s recorded on the film and that can be kept as a hard copy for decades.
Output tools	Gallery-quality prints can be made at home with new multiple ink cartridge printers.	Gallery-quality prints have to be sent out for processing unless you have complicated developing materials at home along with a darkroom.

source : Digital Arts Photography for Dummies book

Understanding Digital Camera : Basic of Digicam

IMAGE SENSOR

At the heart of every digital camera is a light-sensitive silicon chip called a sensor, to gather the image data, whereas a traditional camera exposes light to emulsion film. The sensor takes the place of film for recording images.

SENSOR TYPE

Sensor is the electronic chip that records the image in a digital camera. They come in two main types : 

CCD (Charge-Coupled Device)

CCDs are used almost exclusively in compact cameras. This is a light sensitive chip used in your digital camera for image gathering. The CCD Pixels gather the colour from the light and pass it to the shift register for storage. CCD's are analogue sensors, the digitising occurs when the electrons are passed through the A to D converter. This "Analogue to Digital" converter converts the analogue signal to a digital file or signal.

CCD Sensor in compact digicam

CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) 

CMOSs are used in larger, and more expensive DSLRs. These produce lower amounts of power consumption, but are not as popular as the CCD sensors used in most digital SLR's. (To see the detail comparison of CCD vs CMOS click here)

 CMOS sensor in DSLR

There are other types, but not well used, JFET (Junction Field Effect Transistor) – developed by Nikon and used in a very small number of their cameras and X3– a new type of sensor developed by Foveon that used only in Sigma DSLRs and a couple of Polaroid compact cameras. 

SENSOR SIZE

Camera sensors come in a variety of sizes, the smallest are used in compact cameras. Bigger sensor is better.

There are some "size type" of sensor :

• Full frame 35mm (36mm x 24mm sensor size) used on Full Frame DSLR
• APS-H (Advanced Photo System type-H) with 29mm x 19mm sensor size, used by CANON
• APS-C (Advanced Photo System type-C), with +/- 22mm x 15mm sensor size used on most DSLR
• Four Thirds or 4/3 (17mm x 13mm) used on most mirrorless digicam
• Compact sensors : 1/2.5" (5.7mm x 4.3 mm), 1/1.8" (7.2mm x 5.3mm), 2/3" (11mm x 8.8mm) used in compact digicam, phone camera, web cam, etc.

Most digital SLRs use larger sensors than the average compact camera. A good rule of thumb is that the larger the size of the sensor, the bigger each light-collecting pixel can be and the more light it can record without the need to have the signal over amplified. The result of these bigger pixels is a lovely sharp, clean image that doesn't suffer from graininess when setting the camera at higher ISO or sensitivity levels. At top end of the market, digital SLRS have either APS-C (or DX-sized sensors) or full-frame chips, which are the same size as the image area on an old-school piece of 35mm film. These really large sensors have both a high resolution and large pixels, which means they can record high-quality images even at high ISO sensitivities. These sort of images can be reproduced at very large sizes while maintaining really high quality.

SENSOR RESOLUTION or MEGAPIXEL

The quality of any digital image, whether printed or displayed on a screen, depends on its resolution, or the number of pixels used to create the image. Megapixel (MP) relates to the number of pixels per unit length of image. Bigger megapixel is better in cropping work or large printing.

6 MP   : 12 x 18 inci
10 MP : 16 x 24 inci
16 MP : 20 x 30 inci
24 MP : 24 x 36 inci

CAMERA LENS

Apperture Value or f-number
The aperture range of a lens refers to the amount that the lens can open up or close down to let in more or less light, respectively. Apertures are listed in terms of f-numbers, which quantitatively describe relative light-gathering are.

An f-number of X may also be displayed as 1:X (instead of f/X), as shown below for the Canon 70-200 f/2.8 lens (whose box is also shown above and lists f/2.8).

 

Focal Length

The lens' focal length determines the magnification of the image projected onto the image plane. Focal lengths are usually specified in millimetres (mm), but older lenses might be marked in centimetres (cm) or inches.

Types of Lens

Prime Lens

The opposite of a zoom lens, prime lenses have one fixed focal length. They represent the best quality of lens available, but have the big drawback in that they cannot 'zoom in' to a subject.

Prime Lens of Canon DSLR and Pentax-Q 

Pancake Lens

A pancake lens is colloquial term for a flat, thin lens (short barrel), generally a normal or slightly wide prime lens for a camera. 

Pancake Lens and attached on DSLR

Aspherical Lens

A lens with edges flattened so that it is not a perfect sphere. These produce a much superior image.

 Aspherical Lens

Spherical/Conventional vs Aspherical Lens

Wide Angle Lens

The focal length that gives you the widest angle of view. I.e. 10mm, 16mm, 24mm etc.

Canon wide angle lens  (17 - 40mm)

Zoom Lens or Telephoto Lens

A variable focal length lens. The most common on digicams has a 3:1 ratio (i.e. 35-105mm). Detachable zoom lenses include for example, 24-70mm, 70-200mm and 100-400mm

Canon Telephoto Lenses

Macro Lens

These lenses are used for close up photography. The have similar properties to a normal lens, but they are able to focus a lot closer to the subject. Common focal lengths are 50/55mm or 90/100/105mm. The lenses with the longer focal lengths come in very handy for taking close ups of subjects that might otherwise be scared away. The optical quality of a macro lens is normally very high. 

 

 Macro Lens

 

  Fly Macro Lens Photo Shoot*

(*see others macro shoot at www.smashingmagazine.com)

Fisheye Lens

A Fisheye Lens looks surprisingly enough like a fisheye. Their angle of view is a full 180%. There is a trade off in that the pictures produced are distorted in that the centre of the picture almost comes out to meet you whereas the top, bottom and sides of the picture appear to be further away. You can buy both circular and full frame fisheye lenses with full frame being the most common. 

 Macro Lens and Photo Shoot

AUTOFOCUS

All digicams and most modern SLR lenses have this function now. The only difference is that with an SLR you can normally select manual focus if necessary. The lens automatically focuses on the subject as quick as the eye. The lens on the camera focuses automatically when the shutter is half pressed. The viewfinder normally has focussing points shown to assist the user in knowing what will be in focus. 

Focus Assist

Cameras with this send out a light, either normal or infra red to light up the subject to assist with the autofocus in low light or darkness. 

Focus Lock

Focus lock means pre-focussing the subject and re-framing by moving the camera. This is done by half pressing the shutter to focus and fully pressing to expose. Done to ensure crisp, sharp eyes for example.

Multi-Point Focusing

The autofocus systems uses several different portions of the image to determine the correct focus.

Multi Zone Focusing

Many digital cameras now offer multi zone focusing. The camera will automatically determine which zone (centre, left, right, upper or lower) to use to perform the auto focusing. You no longer have to make sure that your subject is in the centre of the viewfinder in order to be correctly focused.

EXPOSURE

Exposure is amount of light that hits the image sensor of film controlled by the shutter speed and aperture.

AE - Auto Exposure
The camera sets the shutter speed and aperture for the correct exposure according to the light. When the camera is set to this mode, it will automatically set all the required modes for the light conditions. I.e. Shutter speed, aperture and white balance. The 3 types are:

1. Program Mode : The camera will choose the shutter speed and aperture automatically, effectively making your SLR a "point-and-shoot". It will normally assign a shutter speed of 60th of a second or higher if possible.
2. Aperture Priority : You choose the aperture setting and the camera will automatically choose the shutter speed according to the lighting conditions. Best setting for controlling the depth of field.
3. Shutter Priority : You choose the shutter speed and the camera will select the correct aperture as long as there is enough light. Good for sports or action photography where you need control over the shutter speeds.

AE Lock

This enables you to lock the current exposure reading and re-frame the shot using the same setting. A half-press of the shutter is normally required to activate this function, fully pressing only when you want to capture the image.

Exposure Bracketing

Camera will take 3 or 5 images and varies the exposure up or down for each photograph ensuring at least one will be well exposed. 

Exposure Compensation

You can lighten or darken the image by under or over exposing the image. (EV compensation).

Over-exposure

This is an image that appears much too bright. The highlights and colours are totally lost and usually unrecoverable even by top software. Either the shutter speed was too long or the aperture was too wide.

SHUTTER

Understanding Digital Camera : Type of Digicam

Point and Shoot / Compact / Pocket  Digicam

Term used for a simple, easy to use camera with a minimum of user controls. The camera does everything automatically so you literally just point and shoot. This type can do anything a simple film camera can do. Compact cameras are usually designed to be easy to use, sacrificing advanced features and picture quality for compactness and simplicity; images can usually only be stored using lossy compression (JPEG). Most have a built-in flash usually of low power, sufficient for nearby subjects. Live preview is almost always used to frame the photo. Most have limited motion picture capability. Compacts often have macro capability and zoom lenses but the zoom range is usually less than for prosumer/bridge and DSLR cameras. Generally a contrast-detect autofocus system, using the image data from the live preview feed of the main imager, focuses the lens. Typically, these cameras incorporate a nearly silent leaf shutter into their lenses.

For lower cost and smaller size, these cameras typically use image sensors with a diagonal of approximately 6 mm, corresponding to a crop factor around 6. This gives them weaker low-light performance, greater depth of field, generally closer focusing ability, and smaller components than cameras using larger sensors.

Starting in 2011, some compact digital cameras can take 3D still photos. These 3D compact stereo cameras can capture 3D panoramic photos for play back on a 3D TV. Some of these are rugged and waterproof, and some have GPS, compass, barometer and altimeter.

Pocket Digicam BRICA LS-1 Black

Prosumer / Bridge Digicam

Refers to more expensive semi-professional digicams aimed at a consumer market. Bridge are higher-end digital cameras that physically and ergonomically resemble DSLRs and share with them some advanced features, but share with compacts the use of a fixed lens and a small sensor. Like compacts, most use live preview to frame the image. Their autofocus uses the same contrast-detect mechanism, but many bridge cameras have a manual focus mode, in some cases using a separate focus ring, for greater control. They originally "bridged" the gap between affordable point-and-shoot cameras and the then unaffordable earlier digital SLRs.

Due to the combination of big physical size but a small sensor, many of these cameras have very highly specified lenses with large zoom range and fast aperture, partially compensating for the inability to change lenses. On some, the lens qualifies as superzoom. To compensate for the lesser sensitivity of their small sensors, these cameras almost always include an image stabilization system to enable longer handheld exposures.

These cameras are sometimes marketed as and confused with digital SLR cameras since the appearance is similar. Bridge cameras lack the reflex viewing system of DSLRs, are usually fitted with fixed (non-interchangeable) lenses (although some have a lens thread to attach accessory wide-angle or telephoto converters), and can usually take movies with sound. The scene is composed by viewing either the liquid crystal display or the electronic viewfinder (EVF). Most have a longer shutter lag than a true dSLR, but they are capable of good image quality (with sufficient light) while being more compact and lighter than DSLRs. High-end models of this type have comparable resolutions to low and mid-range DSLRs. Many of these cameras can store images in a Raw image format, or processed and JPEG compressed, or both. The majority have a built-in flash similar to those found in DSLRs.

In bright sun, the quality difference between a good compact camera and a digital SLR is minimal but bridgecams are more portable, cost less and have a similar zoom ability to dSLR. Thus a Bridge camera may better suit outdoor daytime activities, except when seeking professional-quality photos.

In low light conditions and/or at ISO equivalents above 800, most bridge cameras (or megazooms) lack in image quality when compared to even entry level DSLRs. However, they do have one major advantage: their much larger depth of field due to the small sensor as compared to a DSLR, allowing larger apertures with shorter exposure times.

Prosumer Digicam CANON PowerShot SX-40 Black

DSLR Camera

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) is digital camera with interchangeable lens. DSLR is digital cameras based on film single-lens reflex cameras (SLR). It take its name from their unique viewing system, in which a mirror reflects light from the lens through a separate optical viewfinder. At the moment of exposure the mirror flips out of the way, making a distinctive "clack" sound and allowing light to fall on the imager.

Since no light reaches the imager during framing, autofocus is accomplished using specialized sensors in the mirror box itself. Most 21st century DSLRs also have a "live view" mode that emulates the live preview system of compact cameras, when selected.

These cameras have much larger sensors than the other types, typically 18 mm to 36 mm on the diagonal (crop factor 2, 1.6, or 1). This gives them superior low-light performance, less depth of field at a given aperture, and a larger size.

They make use of interchangeable lenses; each major DSLR manufacturer also sells a line of lenses specifically intended to be used on their cameras. This allows the user to select a lens designed for the application at hand: wide-angle, telephoto, low-light, etc. So each lens does not require its own shutter, DSLRs use a focal-plane shutter in front of the imager, behind the mirror.

DSLR CANON EOS-600D / KISS X5 / REBEL T3i with standard lens EFS 18-55mm

Mirrorless Interchangeable-Lens Camera

MILCs' initial purpose was to provide DSLR-like quality imaging in a small body. To obtain this, they kept a DSLR-like sensor, but replaced the TTL viewfinder with an electronic one. Recently, though, small-sensor MILCs (i.e. MILCs adopting small, compact-camera like sensors) have been introduced on the market. Current MILCs are therefore characterised just by having interchangeable lenses (like DSLRs) in the absence of a TTL view-finder. Versatility will therefore be DSLR-like, whilst image quality will either be compact-like (small sensor) or DSLR-like (large sensor).

An alternative design, hybrid between DSLRs and MILCs, is the Sony SLT camera, which features a semi-transparent, fixed mirror. The latter is used for continuous phase-contrast auto-focusing, both when taking pictures and when filming videos. SLTs have no optical viewfinder, nor a flipping mirror, so they are intermediate in mechanical complexity and bulk between DSLRs and MIL

MILC OLYMPUS Pen EPL-3

source :

en.wikipedia.org

www.shortcourses.com

www.dummies.com
www.dpreview.com

Related posts :
Understanding Digital Camera : Basic of Digicam
Understanding Digital Camera : Image File Types

TOMCAT Beetle Bites

Tomcat beetle is a type of beetle which has the Latin name Paederus riparius. He lives in moist areas and will generally follow the light from the lamp. This insects usually works to repel and eat animals such as beetle infestation and pests of rice. But if to attack human then this has become a plague and this Tomcat insects often appear when it's dusk and people started turning on the light illumination. Tomcat will excrete toxins from the body or in contact with human skin. These toxins will cause itching and also cause thermal injury to the skin.



This Insects are found in the garden or fields and usually only cause a reaction in the skin. In contrast to other insects like centipedes, the poison can cause paralysis and nerve poison. If someone exposed to the poison of these insects then promptly cleaned and given anti allergy drugs such as hydrocortisone ointment or betametasone so that the reaction is not excessive. The reaction in the body caused by tomcat is different every person, for which no allergies may only cause a little red. But if the person has an allergic reaction or excessive high sensitivity to allergens, it is necessary immediately care.

The health way to prevent it is by spraying insecticides to kill insects and to avoid direct contact with the insects. These pesticides are the vegetable which usually contain Alpinia galangal or (in Indonesia called Laos), Neem leaves and Lemongrass that aims to kill tomcat insects that have been disturbing residents. Besides other things can be done as a form of prevention is through people's behavior for example by closing doors and windows before turning on the lights, because tomcat is insect that following light.

 

Tomcat is a beetle that has a size of less than 1 cm. Its body is dark yellow at the top, bottom of abdomen and dark head. The middle of a dark green abdomen and has a pair of wings. Usually, these beetles appear by crawling and hiding wings and look more like ants. If disturbed it will raise the abdomen look like scorpion.

These beetles do not sting or bite. Hemolimf fluid that contained in the body (except the wings) this animal have the dangerous poison. The toxin was identified as 'aederin' : (C24 H43 N O9) named in 1953. This fluid was allegedly 12x more lethal than cobra venom.

Tomcat will automatically release fluid if event of a collision with a touch of human skin or in person. It could also touch indirectly through towels, clothes or other equipment that is contaminated by toxic tomcat. That is why, if it is exposed to an automatic dermatitis like bedspreads, towels and equipment that was allegedly exposed to toxic tomcat needs to be cleaned.

If a rash occurs after contact with this beetle :

• If you affected into contact with this beetle, immediately wash the affected area with soap and water.
• Those who experience a severe skin reaction better to get medical care.
• For patients who experience a rash propagation, make sure the insect is no longer in bed and close all windows when the evening.
• Ingredients such as antiseptic solution of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) may be used for washing.
• Antiseptic mixed with low-strength steroid cream can reduce the injuries.
• Finally, do not let the wound that is still wet in the sun, because it can cause black scars are difficult to remove.

For treatment, use Acyclovir Ointment 5% which can be found in the Drug Stores / Pharmacies nearby.


Related posts :

First Aid For Animal, Human, or Insect Bites

First Aid For Allergic Reactions

NOKIA SECRET CODE

Type codes below on the screen :

*#06# : for checking the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).

*#7780# : reset to factory settings.

*#67705646# : this will clear the LCD display (operator logo).

*#0000# : to view software version.

*#2820# : bluetooth device address.

*#746025625# : sim clock allowed status.

#pw+1234567890+1# : shows if sim have restrictions.

*#92702689# : takes you to a secret menu where you may find some of the information below:
1. Displays Serial Number.
2. Displays the Month and Year of Manufacture
3. Displays (if there) the date where the phone was purchased (MMYY)
4. Displays the date of the last repair - if found (0000)
5. Shows life timer of phone (time passes since last start)

*#3370# : Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) activation. Increase signal strength, better signal reception. It also help if you want to use GPRS and the service is not responding or too slow. But, your phone battery will drain faster though.
*#3370* : (EFR) deactivation. Phone will automatically restart. Increase battery life by 30% because phone receives less signal from network.

*#4720# : Half Rate Codec activation.
*#4720* : Half Rate Codec deactivation. The phone will automatically restart.

*#7370925538# : If you forgot wallet code for Nokia S60 phone
Note : your data in the wallet will be erased. Phone will ask you the lock code. Default lock code is: 12345
*#3925538# : delete the contents and code of wallet.

To UNLOCK service provider : Insert sim, turn phone on and press vol up (arrow keys) for 3 seconds, should say pin code. Press C, then press * message should flash, press * again and 04*pin*pin*pin#

*#7328748263373738# resets security code.
Note : Default security code is 12345

Change closed caller group (settings >security settings>user groups) to 00000 and your phone will sound the message tone when you are near a radar speed trap. Setting it to 500 will cause your phone to set off security alarms at shop exits, great for practical jokes!
(works with some of the Nokia phones.)

Press and hold "0" on the main screen to open wap browser.


Nokia Universal Codes Code Description
These Nokia codes will work on most Nokia Mobile Phones

*3370# Activate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) - Your phone uses the best sound quality but talktime is reduced my approx. 5%

#3370# Deactivate Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) OR *3370#

*#4720# Activate Half Rate Codec - Your phone uses a lower quality sound but you should gain approx 30% more Talk Time.

*#4720# Deactivate Half Rate Codec.

*#0000# Displays your phones software version, 1st Line : Software Version, 2nd Line : Software Release Date, 3rd Line : Compression Type.

*#9999# Phones software version if *#0000# does not work.

*#06# For checking the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI Number).

#pw+1234567890+1# Provider Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

#pw+1234567890+2# Network Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

#pw+1234567890+3# Country Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

#pw+1234567890+4# SIM Card Lock Status. (use the "*" button to obtain the "p,w"
and "+" symbols).

*#147# (vodafone) this lets you know who called you last.

*#1471# Last call (Only vodofone).

*#21# Allows you to check the number that "All Calls" are diverted to.

*#2640# Displays security code in use.

*#30# Lets you see the private number.

*#43# Allows you to check the "Call Waiting" status of your phone.

*#61# Allows you to check the number that "On No Reply" calls are diverted to.

*#62# Allows you to check the number that "Divert If Unreachable (no service)" calls
are diverted to.

*#67# Allows you to check the number that "On Busy Calls" are diverted to.

*#67705646# Removes operator logo on 3310 & 3330.

*#73# Reset phone timers and game scores.

*#746025625# Displays the SIM Clock status, if your phone supports this power saving feature "SIM Clock Stop Allowed", it means you will get the best standby time possible.

*#7760# Manufactures code.

*#7780# Restore factory settings.

*#8110# Software version for the nokia 8110.

*#92702689# Displays - 1.Serial Number, 2.Date Made, 3.Purchase Date, 4.Date of last repair (0000 for no repairs), 5.Transfer User Data. To exit this mode you need to switch your phone off then on again.

*#94870345123456789# Deactivate the PWM-Mem.

**21*number# Turn on "All Calls" diverting to the phone number entered.

**61*number# Turn on "No Reply" diverting to the phone number entered.

**67*number# Turn on "On Busy" diverting to the phone number entered.
Note : 12345 This is the default security code.


The following codes are specific to older series 40 phones
Note : Entering the following codes will restart the phone

*4720# --> secret words *hra0# : Activats or deactivate Half Rate, Half Rate is 5.6kbit/s and uses half the bandwidth at the cost of call quality. Network operators often activate half rate on overloaded towers during peak times to save costs.
*3370# --> secret words (*efr0#) : Activate or Deactivate Enhanced Full Rate, EFT attempts to match wire quality. The calls are 12.2kbit/s and are not supported by all operators. It is compatibale with the hightest AMR mode.
*#746085685# --> secret words *#sim0clock# : Display the SIM clock status

The following codes are phone specific or phase related;
*#7220# --> secret words *#pca0# : activate the GPRS PCCCH support (Packet Common Control Channel)

*#7230# --> secret words *#pcd0# : deactivate the GPRS PCCCH support

*#7760# --> secret words *#ssn0# :display the manufacturing serial number

Note : This only works on the 3310 and 3330

*#67705646# --> secret words *#opr0logo# : Clear the operator logo, the logo will be reset to the default network operator logo.
Note : This only works on the 3310 and 3330


*#2820# --> secret words *#bta0# : Display the Bluetooth MAC address (Phone must have a
built in bluetooth adapter)
Note : The following codes work on newer series 40 & series 60/80 phones;

*#7370925538# --> secret words *#res0wallet# : Reset the mobile wallet (Phone must have the mobile wallet feature)

*#7370# --> secret words *#res0# : Soft format the memory (Symbian)

*#7780# --> secret words *#rst0# : hard format or reset to factory defaults.
Note : all phone contents will be wiped clean including contacts and sms if they are stored on the phone

The Fastest Cars 2012

#1. Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

267 mph, 0-60 in 2.4 secs. Aluminum, Narrow Angle 8 Liter W16 Engine with 1200 hp, base price is $2,400,000. Although the Bugatti Veyron lost the title to SSC Ultimate Aero on March 2007, Bugatti challenge the record in Germany on July 10, 2010 with the new 2010 Super Sport Version and the Veyron once again claims the title of the fastest car in the world at 267 mph. The original Bugatti Veyron has a top speed of 253 mph, priced at $1,700,000 and equipped with 1001 hp.

#2. Hennessey Venom GT

260 mph, 0-60 in 2.5 seconds, has a 6.2-liter LS9 Turbocharged V8 Twin Turbo V8 Engine producing 1200 hp, has a price tag of $950,000. The Venom GT has yet to be tested and proven, but could possibly hit a top speed of 275 mph. This might just be the Veyron Super Sport's closest competitor!

Look up the other cars here http://amayaku.blogspot.com/2008/08/fastest-sport-cars.html

Dieters’ best intentions hijacked by their brains

Not apples or carrots. The scientist who once led the government's attack on addictive cigarettes can't wander through part of San Francisco without craving a local shop's chocolate-covered pretzels. Stop at one cookie? Rarely.

It's not an addiction but it's similar, and he's far from alone. Kessler's research suggests millions share what he calls "conditioned hypereating" — a willpower-sapping drive to eat high-fat, high-sugar foods even when they're not hungry.

In a book being published next week, the former Food and Drug Administration chief brings to consumers the disturbing conclusion of numerous brain studies: Some people really do have a harder time resisting bad foods. It's a new way of looking at the obesity epidemic that could help spur fledgling movements to reveal calories on restaurant menus or rein in portion sizes.

"The food industry has figured out what works. They know what drives people to keep on eating," Kessler tells The Associated Press. "It's the next great public health campaign, of changing how we view food, and the food industry has to be part of it."

He calls the culprits foods "layered and loaded" with combinations of fat, sugar and salt — and often so processed that you don't even have to chew much.

Overeaters must take responsibility, too, and basically retrain their brains to resist the lure, he cautions.

"I have suits in every size," Kessler writes in "The End of Overeating." But, "once you know what's driving your behavior, you can put steps into place" to change it.

Jonesing for junk food

At issue is how the brain becomes primed by different stimuli. Neuroscientists increasingly report that fat-and-sugar combinations in particular light up the brain's dopamine pathway — its pleasure-sensing spot — the same pathway that conditions people to alcohol or drugs.

Where did you experience the yum factor? That's the cue, sparking the brain to say, "I want that again!" as you drive by a restaurant or plop before the TV.

"You're not even aware you've learned this," says Dr. Nora Volkow, chief of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and a dopamine authority who has long studied similarities between drug addiction and obesity.

Volkow is a confessed chocoholic who salivates just walking past her laboratory's vending machine. "You have to fight it and fight it," she said.

Conditioning isn't always to blame. Numerous factors, including physical activity, metabolism and hormones, play a role in obesity.

And the food industry points out that increasingly stores and restaurants are giving consumers healthier choices, from allowing substitutions of fruit for french fries to selling packaged foods with less fat and salt.

Why is it so hard to say no?

But Kessler, now at the University of California, San Francisco, gathered colleagues to help build on that science and learn why some people have such a hard time choosing healthier:

First, the team found that even well-fed rats will work increasingly hard for sips of a vanilla milkshake with the right fat-sugar combo but that adding sugar steadily increases consumption. Many low-fat foods substitute sugar for the removed fat, doing nothing to help dieters eat less, Kessler and University of Washington researchers concluded.

Then Kessler culled data from a major study on food habits and health. Conditioned hypereaters reported feeling loss of control over food, a lack of satiety, and were preoccupied by food. Some 42 percent of them were obese compared to 18 percent without those behaviors, says Kessler, who estimates that up to 70 million people have some degree of conditioned hypereating.
Finally, Yale University neuroscientist Dana Small had hypereaters smell chocolate and taste a chocolate milkshake inside a brain-scanning MRI machine. Rather than getting used to the aroma, as is normal, hypereaters found the smell more tantalizing with time. And drinking the milkshake didn't satisfy. The reward-anticipating region of their brains stayed switched on, so that another brain area couldn't say, "Enough!"

7 Ways to Beat Stress and Fight Fat

Introduction
For most of us, stress is a fact of life. Unfortunately, recent research reveals that it's also a fact of fat. "Even if you usually eat healthfully and exercise, chronic high stress can prevent you from losing weight — or even add pounds," says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, a Prevention adviser and the author of "Body for Life for Women."

Here's what happens: Your body responds to all stress — physical or psychological — in exactly the same way. So every time you have a stressful day, your brain acts as though you're in physical danger and instructs your cells to release potent hormones. You get a burst of adrenaline, which taps stored energy so you can fight or flee. At the same time, you get a surge of cortisol, which tells your body to replenish that energy even though you haven't used very many calories in your stressed-out state. This can make you hungry ... very hungry. And your body keeps on pumping out that cortisol as long as the stress continues.

Sadly, few of us reach for carrot sticks in these situations. "Instead, we crave sweet, salty, and high-fat foods because they stimulate the brain to release pleasure chemicals that actually do reduce tension," explains Elissa Epel, PhD, a researcher on stress eating at the University of California, San Francisco. This soothing effect becomes addicting, so every time you're anxious, you reach for fattening foods.

In addition, with your adrenal glands pumping out cortisol, production of the muscle-building hormone testosterone slows down. "Over time, this drop causes a decrease in your muscle mass, so you burn fewer calories," explains Shawn Talbott, PhD, author of "The Cortisol Connection." "This occurs naturally as you age, but high cortisol levels accelerate the process."

Cortisol also encourages your body to store fat — especially visceral fat, which is particularly dangerous because it surrounds vital organs and releases fatty acids into your blood, raising cholesterol and insulin levels and paving the way for heart disease and diabetes.

Obviously, getting rid of all anxiety isn't an option. But by taking these seven steps to beat stress, you can get your cortisol levels and your weight under control, and improve your overall health at the same time.

Drop and do 10
That's right, power out some push-ups. "Moving your muscles is an effective, instant stress reliever. It actually fools your body into thinking you're escaping the source of your stress," says Talbott. "Exercise makes your blood circulate more quickly, transporting the cortisol to your kidneys and flushing it out of your system." But if push-ups aren't practical, just flexing your hands or calf muscles will help move cortisol along, he says. Even taking a stroll on your lunch break is beneficial. In one study, Talbott found that 18 minutes of walking 3 times per week can quickly lower the hormone's levels by 15 percent.

Go slowly at meals
Under stress, we tend to scarf down even healthy food, and research has linked this behavior to bigger portions and more belly fat. But Epel hypothesizes that slowing down, savoring each bite, and paying attention to feelings of fullness may lower cortisol levels along with decreasing the amount of food you eat, thereby shifting the distribution of fat away from the belly.
Stop strict dieting

It's ironic, but research shows that constant dieting can make cortisol levels rise as much as 18 percent.

In addition, when your cortisol levels spike, your blood sugar goes haywire, first rising, then plummeting. This makes you cranky and (you guessed it) ravenous. When your brain is deprived of sugar — its main fuel — self-control takes a nosedive, and your willpower doesn't stand a chance. "The only way around this is to stop rigid dieting," advises Peeke. She suggests eating three healthful meals and two snacks spaced evenly throughout the day so that your blood sugar stays level: "You won't be hungry, you won't be stressed about being hungry, and you'll still drop the extra pounds."
Give in to cravings

When stress drives you toward something sweet or salty, it's okay to yield a little. "It's much better to indulge in a small way and cut off your cortisol response before it gets out of control," says Epel. "Have a piece of chocolate. You will feel better. Just stop at one." If you have trouble restraining yourself, take precautions so you won't binge. Buy a single cookie when you're out instead of keeping a box at home; or keep them in the freezer so you have to wait for one to defrost.

Curtail caffeine
Next time you're under duress, choose decaf.

When you combine stress with caffeine, it raises cortisol levels more than stress alone. In one study by the University of Oklahoma, consuming the equivalent of 2 1/2 to 3 cups of coffee while under mild stress boosted cortisol by about 25 percent — and kept it up for 3 hours. When subjects took 600 mg of caffeine (the equivalent of 6 cups of java) throughout the day, the hormone went up by 30% and stayed high all day long. You'll experience these effects even if your body is accustomed to a lot of lattes. And because high cortisol levels can contribute to stress eating, you might want to consider quitting caffeine altogether

De-stress breakfast
Deficiencies in B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, and magnesium are stressful to your body, leading to increased cortisol levels and food cravings, says Talbott. But you can fight back by eating a breakfast that's high in these nutrients. He suggests some OJ, a grapefruit, or a large handful of strawberries to supply vitamin C; 6 to 8 ounces of low-fat yogurt, which contains calcium and magnesium; and a whole grain bagel or toast with peanut butter. Whole grains are bursting with B vitamins, while peanut butter contains fatty acids that can decrease the production of stress hormones.

Sleep it off
The most effective stress-reduction strategy of all: Get enough shut-eye. "Your body perceives sleep deprivation as a major stressor," says Talbott. A University of Chicago study found that getting an average of six 1/2 hours each night can increase cortisol, appetite, and weight gain. The National Sleep Foundation recommends seven to nine hours. As if that weren't enough, other research shows that lack of sleep also raises levels of ghrelin, a hunger-boosting hormone. In one study, appetite — particularly for sweet and salty foods — increased by 23 percent in people who lacked sleep. The good news: A few nights of solid sleep can bring all this back into balance, and getting enough regularly helps keep it there. Says Talbott, "You'll eat less, and you'll feel better, too."

What is DIET

Diet, in relation to food, might mean:

• Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group.
• Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake.
• Diet food, foods that aid in dieting
• Cuisine, the diet of a particular culture

Diet may also mean:

• Diet (assembly), formal deliberative assembly.
• The Imperial Diet: (German: Reichstag) the imperial assembly of the princes of the Holy Roman Empire until 1806.
• The Diet of the Empire: (German: Reichstag) legislative assembly of the German Empire 1871–1917.
• The Federal Diet: (literally for German: Deutscher Bundestag) federal parliament of Germany.
• State Diet: (literally for German: Landtag) state parliament of most of the German federated states.
• Diet of Finland: the legislative assembly of the Grand Duchy of Finland from 1809 to 1906.
• Diet of Japan: Japan's legislature.
• Diet (Aqua Teen Hunger Force episode): an episode of the animated series Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
• Dietsch: distinguishes the southern dialects in the Middle Dutch language.

New sweetener not so sweet for your diet

Is stevia, an extract 300 times more potent than sugar, the no-fat, no-calorie "natural" sweetener that soda and juice lovers have been thirsting for?

Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of rebaudioside A (Reb A) as a general purpose sweetener in December, major beverage marketers have been rushing new stevia-infused drinks into stores. Coca-Cola is using the stevia-derived sweetener Truvia in two of its Odwalla juice drinks and in the new Sprite Green. PepsiCo added its version of stevia to Sobe Lifewater drinks and has launched a new Tropicana orange juice, Trop50, containing 50 percent less sugar and calories.

The sweetener, which manufacturers claim is natural because it’s derived from the leaf of a South American shrub, has been used for years as a commercial sweetener in Japan and other Asian countries. It’s too soon to know whether American consumers will lap up its slightly licorice-y flavor, but nutritionists are already weighing in with their own verdict: Stevia is no risk-free holy grail for dieters.

A recent study by researchers at Louisiana State University's School of Public Health found that liquid calories are a bigger problem than food when it comes to weight gain, and that sugar-sweetened beverages are the main culprit. What's worse, Americans consume an average of 20 teaspoons of added sugars a day, about twice as much as recommended, according to government reports.

But so far, there’s nothing to distinguish stevia from other sugar substitutes on the market, despite its boast about being natural, nutrition experts say. Stevia may have no calories, but you shouldn't make it a regular dietary staple, says New York City-based nutritionist Keri Gans, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.

“Given our nation’s problem with obesity, stevia and other artificial sweeteners have a place for people who consume more calories than they should from sweets,” says Gans. “But artificial sweeteners should not take over your diet because that means you’re eating way too many processed foods.”

Back to nature?

Marketers counter that that stevia is as natural as sugar, despite a “purification” process that modifies the plant extract.

“Truvia is still all natural,” says Coca-Cola spokesman Ray Crockett. “It’s the same process cane sugar goes through.”

The new stevia extract is the only widely marketed sugar substitute derived from a shrub. Other commonly used sweeteners aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) and saccharin were developed artificially in labs. Sucralose (Splenda) is derived from sugar but is processed with chlorinated chemicals.

Just as cancer concerns have dogged the artificial sweeteners aspartame and saccharin, some researchers worry about stevia. In fact, the FDA rejected stevia petitions in the 1990s after research linked the plant with infertility in rats and cancer in the lab. The agency says the currently marketed reformulation, Reb A, is “generally recognized as safe.”

Chemistry researcher John Pezzuto isn’t convinced. He cites a study he conducted that suggests a certain strain of stevia can mutate DNA, a possible cancer risk.

“Given that there’s the potential for a mutagenic response, why take the risk with stevia?” asks Pezzuto, dean of the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Pharmacy. “I will not be consuming any myself.”

However, another researcher, genetic toxicologist David Brusick dismisses Pezzuto’s findings.

“That was an in vitro test, done out of the mainstream of tests,” says Brusick, an independent consultant formerly with biopharmaceutical drug development company Covance Laboratories in Vienna, Va. “Studies in animals and people have found no such mutagenic effects.”

Brusick reached his conclusions after reviewing studies for the FDA’s stevia approval. Stevia-associated companies had hired him to conduct the evaluation.

Sticky problem with sweeteners

While nothing's been proved as far as cancer risks, there's a more immediate catch when it comes to stevia. Critics wonder whether it may also stoke hunger, just like other artificial sweeteners.

Studies indicate that consuming something with a sweet taste primes the body for a calorie delivery that doesn’t happen. As a result eaters seek more sweets to satisfy the body's cravings. Recent research also found that sucralose may alter people’s gut bugs in ways that promote weight gain.

None of these metabolic questions have yet been explored with stevia, according to experts.

While rats only develop such problems after ingesting large quantities of these sweeteners, it's not unexpected that at least some people would overindulge with with stevia-sweetened products, notes Orlando-based nutritionist Tara Gidus, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.