Thursday 27 November 2014

The one photo effect you've been missing that will transform your pictures in one touch!

 

As a hobbyist photographer myself, I thought I already knew all of the filters, overlays and effects to make my photos tell my story better. With my smart phone in hand each day, I shoot a photo and then use the PhotoDirector app to enhance the color or adjust the mood before sharing on Instagram or Facebook. Today, the latest version of the app was released, and to my surprise I found a new photo editing effect that I had never heard of before.

Whether you are a true beginner or serious hobbyist, you've got to check out the new bokeh effect! Pronounced BOH-Kə or BOH-kay, the term comes from the Japanese word boke (ボケ), which means "blur" or "haze." This effect shows an element of the image that is intentionally blurred or resulting in a soft out-of-focus background. Using this bokeh effect gives a smooth, silky result to your photos.

Use PhotoDirector's blur tool and blur tool shapes to create the bokeh effect in one touch:

  
After opening PhotoDirector, select the blur tool icon. Then choose from the circle or rectangle shape of the blur. Once you've selected the shape of your blur, you can drag the center dot to move the focal point of the photo and drag the dotted line up or down to increase the gradient of blurring. The slider increases or decreases the blur.


 If you are looking for more personalization, try the blur tool shapes. Select the circle in a circle icon next to the slider to reveal options for your blur. In the images above, I selected the star-shaped blur to get a more glistening lighting reflection effect. The final image I created using the star blur shape is the photo in the header of this blog post.


What else is new in the latest version of PhotoDirector Android?

In addition to the new blur tool shapes, you can also add creative new text bubbles that let you tell even more stories through your photos! Now let your photos speak through image and words.

How to use the new text bubbles:

 

Download PhotoDirector for free and open the app. Click on the "Text Bubble" icon, and select your desired text bubble shape. You can also customize the font, choose a different color, and select the opacity using the slider in order to see through to your original photo.


The result is a sweet photo memory to share with all your friends!

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Wednesday 26 November 2014

Top 6 Tips to Make Your Holiday Videos Shine


Do you want to make epic Holiday Home Movies this year, but need some help getting into the Holiday spirit? It’s time to put down that bag of coal and pick up a cup of hot cocoa and your camera, camcorder, or camera phone. The team here at CyberLink just launched a campaign filled with so much seasonal cheer it will last you well into the new year!

As long as there have been cameras, Americans have been infatuated with documenting their lives, especially around the holiday season. We have delved into the history behind this trend and compiled a rich entertaining archive of videos exploring the evolution ofhome movies over the past 50 years. We’ve also created an Infographic showcasing tips and tricks to help YOU make the best holiday home movies
in 2014.

Our Tips For Creating the Best Holiday Videos:


Tip #1
Invest in a Mini Tripod for Your Smartphone: Mom and Dad’s home videos were always grainy and shaky while they circled the party, eggnog in one hand camera in the other, capturing every moment on film. Tripods and mini tripods for smartphones are an inexpensive and easy way to capture scenes like guests entering a party or kids unwrapping their gifts while giving time for a quick break and time to enjoy the holiday from the other side of the lens.

Tip #2
Create a Storyline: Be your own Steven Spielberg and make your holiday home movie award-worthy by telling an entertaining story. By creating a storyline in advance to set the framework for your video, you can select an overall theme, a beginning, middle and end to give your movie a Hollywood worthy plotline. To make your movie more unique, consider adding voiceovers, “staged” scenes or even editing your home holiday movie to a stylish video eCard or slideshow to share with your friends and family this year. Go wild and include a 30 second blooper reel!

Tip #3
Adequately Proportion People vs. Scene: Jumping from one shot to another is often jarring to watch in a home movie. Including a few scenic shots like the light of a Christmas tree, snow fall or a table setting can help transition from one scene to the next, so make sure you take a few shots of the surroundings as well. Experts say the general rule is a healthy three to five seconds of scenery juxtaposed with the holiday action in your movie when all is said and done.

Tip #4
Collect Video from Family and Friends: Chances are you aren’t the only one capturing the holiday action this year. Put the call out to friends and family for their smartphone videos and find editing software with a multi-camera feature. It will let you edit scenes of the same view captured from all angles. Cloud sharing programs can be a great tool in helping to bring everyone’s content together in one place for easy access and storage. Mom and Dad definitely never had that!

Tip #5
Find Your Classic Holiday Movie Moment: Imagine if Clark Griswold of National Lampoon fame had a smartphone during his Christmas vacation? There are a lot of ways to capture the quirky, candid holiday action that is bound to occur so don’t forget to get involved with your subjects. Share toys with the kids, get the family pet involved, and sneak up on grandma, essentially roll camera until you find whatever is going to keep everyone laughing for years to come!

Tip #6
Invest in Quality Video Editing Software: One of the biggest advantages of living in the 21st century is accessible video editing software that traditionally has been reserved for the pros. It has given us the power to create truly memorable and innovative home movies that will last a lifetime, or at least as long as YouTube.

These tips are only the beginning, and we will be releasing even more new tips and tricks for photo and video perfection every few days on our Facebook Page all season long. And to give you the proper tools to create aforementioned flawless photos and videos, we’re also hosting a contest. To enter “LIKE” our page today, and every time you see us post a #CyberLinkHoliday tip or trick share it with your friends and family. From now till December 31st we will be giving away 10 copies of our PhotoDirector or PowerDirector software each week to Facebook Fans that share our #CyberLinkHoliday tips.

Are you feeling inspired yet? We sure hope so, read through our tips, explore our home movie archive at the CyberLink Event Page, “LIKE” our Facebook page to get daily tips, and make sure to share the tips to win free software. Then go out into the world and start shooting and snapping to preserve your 2014 memories forever.

You can “LIKE” CyberLink on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/cyberlink
Explore our Evolution of the Holiday Home Movie campaign here: http://www.cyberlink.com/event/holidaytips

For PowerDirector technical support by email, contact louis_chen@cyberlink.com

Monday 24 November 2014

What does your eye color say about your personality?

Right now at this very moment, are you feeling happy, calm, upset, tense or something else? No matter your answer, it's your eyes that will reveal the truth of your emotional state. As one of the most beautiful and expressive parts of your body, your eyes can communicate so much with just the slightest glance. As we've all heard, your eyes are the windows into your soul.

The color of your eyes came from your parents' genes, just as your other physical features and some personality traits. While this guide is more fun than scientific, take a look and see if this eye color personality analysis really describes you!

Blue eyes- This is one of the most desirable colors of eyes around the world. Interestingly, many babies are born with dark blue irises that change color in about 2 weeks. Blue eyes are associated with youth and knowledge. If you have big blue eyes, some say you have an attractive, calm and peaceful personality. Blue eyed people are also said to have long-lasting relationships and the desire to make other people happy.

Brown eyes- One of the most common eye colors in the world, brown eyes are strong, rich and associated with the earth. Brown-eyed people are said to be very independent, self-confident, determined, and trustworthy. They are also the practical type who will go out of their way to make sure you are happy.

Green eyes- Green Eyes are more rate and mysterious. If you have green eyes, you are said to be curious about nature, passionate in relationships, and possess a positive outlook on life. A breath of fresh air, those with green eyes are also intelligent and have a zest for life. But beware, you green-eyes girls and guys can get jealous very soon!

Hazel eyes- This beautiful mixture of brown and green is elegant but mischievous. Hazel eyes are special because they seem to change color depending on your mood. Overall, if you have hazel eyes, you are spontaneous, fun-loving and always up for an adventure at point of time. Those with hazel eyes love to try new things! One point to be aware of is the potential bad temper of those with hazel eyes. But if you can handle this, then you are in for a joy-ride!

Grey- Those with grey eyes and born to be leaders. If you have grey eyes, you are wise, gentle, and put all your passion in everything you do. You take love and romance very seriously. Likewise, grey-eyed people are analytic and rational, which makes them suitable to lead in any situation. These are great people who will have a positive impact on all those around them.

Black eyes- One of the most interesting things is that true black eyes are very rare. What we call black eyes are actually just very dark brown eyes. If you have black eyes, you are known to be secretive, passionate and loyal (especially to your friends). At the same time, you are intuitive can tap into powerful energy. You are also hardworking and will always give your best shot at whatever you are doing. 


Try Out a Different Eye Color with YouCam Makeup's Latest Feature- A Step by Step Guide: 

1. Open YouCam Makeup and take a new photo or select one of the photos in your "Photo Albums."

2. Go to the "Eye" section and select the "Eye Color" button.

3. The irises of your eyes will be automatically selected. If the placement is not correct, touch the white points to adjust.

4. Select the style, then choose the color that suits your mood. Play with eye colors from classic and natural to striking and crazy. Change the intensity using the "Color" slider.

5. For a dramatic effect, shrink or enlarge the size of your iris with the "Size" slider.


6. When you've achieved the desired result for your eyes, you can continue to apply other skin or makeup enhancements. When finished, touch the check in the top right corner to save.


How Can I Start Using YouCam Makeup?
Changing your eye color is just one of the many features of YouCam Makeup, the virtual cosmetic kit in your pocket. Using our virtual makeover technology, you will discover the smart way to create your own makeup styles to match your lifestyle. The smart facial detection senses facial features and shapes with greater accuracy than any other app, making cosmetic style overlays look true-to-life. 

Download YouCam Makeup for free on the ITunes App Store for iOS and on the Google play Store for Android.

Top 5 Thanksgiving Nightmares and How to Avoid Them


Thanksgiving is the time when families all over America come together to share a wonderful meal and reflect on what they are most thankful for. But the meal of delicious turkey, stuffing, veggies, and dessert can also lead to some less-than-pleasant situations. 

While the older members of your family are in the kitchen recounting stories from long ago, Aunt Sally might be in the dining room with you asking if that's your boyfriend she saw you with on Facebook and wonders when you will get married.

During this season, too much family time can cause you some headaches. But don’t worry because we've got some tips to keep you sane in order to make the most of this family time! Presenting U Messenger, the revolutionary new chat app that you can use to avoid some of these modern life digital pitfalls this Thanksgiving day!

Top 5 Thanksgiving Nightmares (and solutions to prevent them):

1. Everyone in your family asks to be your Facebook friend.

You haven’t seen your family in a while, but as soon as you see Uncle Joe and Great Aunt Phyllis they seem to know everything about you because of Facebook. You don’t have to share all of your details on Facebook or your other social networks with certain annoying family members. You can share all of your photos from the Thanksgiving festivities with exactly who you choose. Create a group album and group chat rooms to share what you want with just the family members you want.

Solution: Family ONLY group photo album for sharing

  • Form group chats for your different circles of friends and family. Easily invite and connect with them via SMS, email, U user ID or QR code. 
  • Create group photo albums in which group members can upload photos they take to a common album accessible to all. Group members can comment on any photos in the album providing an interactive and memorable archive of events.

2. Far-away family members miss out on family bonding.

Your cousin Mary is studying abroad and your Uncle Matthew couldn't make it in from out of town. It just isn't the same without all of your family together during the holidays. But for family members who are away during the holidays, it’s now even easier to virtually participate in the holidays even in different time zones!

SolutionCreate Photo Chats to enjoy and comments on the best photo moments

  • In addition to the group albums, U's Photo Chats let you and your family or friends near and far can share text and voice comments directly on your photos. All comments stay with the photos forever for you to revisit just as if it were yesterday.

3. You send out embarrassing photos or messages.

Drink too much wine during Thanksgiving dinner? After everyone has finished eating the big meal, it’s easy to slip into the turkey coma or alcohol-induced daze. Don’t worry about sending your friends embarrassing photos of yourself stuffing your face or inappropriate messages that you may regret later. Now you no longer have to fear what your fingers type—you can recall any message, photo and sticker from their device!

SolutionRecall messages or send Self-Destruct messages

  • Recall messages, photos and stickers that you’ve sent and remove them from the recipient’s device even after they’ve been read. 
  • Self-Destruct messages that are private or sensitive. Set the timer for messages, photos, or stickers to disappear in as little as 3 seconds or as long as 7 days.


4. You feel too full of turkey to type messages.

Had a little bit too much food at dinner? Got that uncomfortable feeling that begs you to loosen your belt a couple of notches or change into a comfy pair of stretchy sweatpants? The predictable sleepiness that occurs a little bit after the Thanksgiving Day turkey feast can make you feel too lazy to respond to all of the holiday wishes you've received.

SolutionUse voice messages and voice comments on photos instead of typing!

  • Voice messaging lets you instantly communicate with individual family, friends or groups by sending a voice recording. 
  • No need to type your feelings or holiday wishes. Audio Photos bring your images to life with your own voice. Comment on photos instantly by telling a short story, a joke, or singing a song.

5. You forget to wish your best friends Happy Thanksgiving.

When you are preparing for that big Thanksgiving feast the days and weeks before, you may feel stressed about your long to-do list. Make it easier on yourself by scheduling those important messages so that you aren't embarrassed because you forgot to wish happy holidays someone who matters most to you.

Solution: Create delay send messages days or weeks before.

 

  • Delay Send lets you schedule messages, photos and stickers to be sent at your specified time and date. Never forget to wish the important people in your life Happy Thanksgiving or good wishes for other important moments with your personal messaging assistant.
What is U Messenger?

U Messenger offers a completely new way to connect through photos, text and stickers, turning spontaneous moments into instant social connections. U gives users full control over their content, letting them recall messages and photos long after they’ve sent them. U is also fully integrated into CyberLink’s multimedia ecosystem, the world’s most complete set of consumer digital media solutions.

Download U now for FREE for iOS and Android mobile phones.


Thursday 13 November 2014

Get More Right Swipes: Creating the Perfect Tinder Profile in 4 Simple Steps


A dating app that boasts 1 billion matches and 10 million app downloads but has no questionnaires to fill out, no long personal biography, and only a few photos of yourself. This is the hottest dating site for millennials right now. What is it? Yes, we are talking about Tinder.

What makes Tinder different from other dating sites is that it's all about your PHOTOS."What someone wears, along with other visual clues given off in photographs, can tell a thousand different things about them," says the New York Times.

Using Tinder is incredibly simple. You create a profile using your Facebook login info, then the app shows you men/women in your area. After looking at one or more of their photos, you show you are interested by swiping right if you like that person or left if you don't. If the two of you both swipe right, then you have a match. Now you can message each other and (maybe) the sparks will fly.

Knowing your photos are key to your Tinder success, we've got some tips using our free YouCam Perfect photo app to help you get more matches. A researcher from UCLA recently discovered that its those subtle visual clues in photos such as your clothing style, the pout of your lips and even posture that reflects deeper personality traits such as who is in your circle of friends, your confidence level, and whether you like to party or not. So whether you use Tinder for meeting new friends or finding “the one,” it truly matters how you represent yourself in your photos.


4 Steps to Selecting the Right Pictures to Get More Matches

It's no wonder that selecting the right photos will get you more Tinder matches. But when you create your account, Tinder automatically chooses your most recent Facebook profile images as your default Tinder pictures. The photos you chose for your friends to see on Facebook are probably not the right ones for your potential soul mate. And remember, your main Tinder profile picture will have an extremely high impact on whether or not you will find matches because for most users, that ONE picture is all they will see of you before swiping!


1. First Impressions Matter- You've got one chance to make a lasting impression on your future love. Your first photo should show you up close, smiling and confident with warm body language. Avoid crossed arms or serious faces even if you mean for it to come across as cool. While you can add many photos on Tinder, only the main photos really matter to catch that special someone’s eye.


To get the perfect main photo, try YouCam Perfect's shine removal, blemish removal, and even teeth whitener to show off your best side. These tools can be used on new photos or existing ones.


2. Order of Importance- For your next few photos, it should be presented in such a way that it shows what's most important to you. If your boxing hobby is the most unique aspect about you, then your next photo should have you boxing (or bike riding, playing music with your band, swimming, etc.). This favorite pastime can be a great Tinder icebreaker, too. Both of you love photography? Great! Don't save your favorite hobby for the last photo!




To highlight your hobby, try YouCam Perfect's removal tool to get rid of the background and focus just on you. It can remove background items in just seconds so YOU are the one who shines in your photos!


3. Fashion & Fit First- Make sure whatever clothes and accessories you show off to your potential matches truly represent you in a positive light. Don't wear silly boots or a goofy hat even if you are trying to be funny, and instead stick to classic looks. And keep in mind that it is best to select clothing items that flatter your assets (or hide your less awesome areas)!


If you've got an otherwise great photo, but your clothes are making you look a little drab (we have a whole blog post on "Top 3 Unflattering Fashion Mistakes in Photos") try YouCam Perfect's Taller feature to make you look leaner in your clothing.


4. Ask an Outsider- Once your profile is complete, consult a friend or two to take a look at your profile. Especially if you are looking to match someone of the opposite sex, we advise asking a friend of the opposite sex friend for their insight. Be open to their constructive criticism to make your Tinder profile as great as it possibly can be.


Overall, Tinder sets itself apart from traditional dating sites by being easy to use and aiming to bring online dating closer to the real life dating experience. When you walk into a bar, you don’t fill out a form and have some algorithm match you up with people said Sean Rad co-founder and chief executive of Tinder, referring to the questionnaires on most dating sites. Unlike your parents’ dating sites such as OkCupid, eHarmony or Matchhat find matches based on profile compatibility, Tinder is completely photo-based and YouCam Perfect can help maximize your photo love matching success!


Download YouCam Perfect for free on the ITunes App Store for iOS and on the Google play Store for Android.