Technology Archives - Page 12 of 42

5 Photography Tips for Stunning Landscapes

As winter turns to spring, outdoor landscapes begin to bloom and blossom with stunning photo ops. If you’ve got your photography equipment ready to go, here are some helpful tips to ensure you capture your next outdoor masterpiece.

1. Near and Far, It’s All Relative

When photographing stunning natural landmarks such as mountains, try to capture not only the hero of the image but also its immediate surroundings. That way you can give the viewer a greater sense of scale.

As you’re framing your shot, have a look around you to see if there’s something closer than your hero subject that will help you tell a better story in your shot as a whole. A wide angle lens like Olympus’ 9-18mm ultra wide angle lens will increase the space differential, helping you to better tell that story.

In this shot, while it would have been easy to photograph just the water and lighthouse, taking a step back and including the rock formation in the foreground gives the shot a better sense of space.

If you’re having trouble finding foreground subjects, consider using people. The human element can drastically change the feel of the image too, because then the person becomes the image’s hero!

2. Shoot at the Best Times of the Day

Did you know there are better times of the day to photograph landscapes (apart from when there is good light and the sky is clear and blue). There are four specific times of the day that pros love to shoot — provided the weather is ideal. These are called the golden hour and the blue hour, and both of these phenomena happen twice a day — in the early morning and in the late afternoon.

Golden hour occurs just after sunrise and before sunset — when the light is softer and bathes everything in a soft yellow glow that is very pleasant to photograph. Most things (including people) look better when photographed in this light.

The blue hour occurs after the sun has dropped below the horizon and bathes everything in a soft blue light. This light creates a nice contrast to the warmth of golden light, and can make your image feel colder. The blue hour is a particularly good time for shooting urban landscapes and cityscapes, as it make landscapes look very dramatic and colour-rich.

3. Add Drama to Your Shot by Slowing Down Your Shutter Speed and Getting the Most Out of Your Filters

Because there is generally plenty of light during the day, using slow shutter speeds can be challenging. This is where your Neutral Density (ND) Filter will come in handy. Slowing down your shutter speed allows your camera to capture the flow and movement of things rather than the sharp features people would be most used to seeing. For example, waterfalls and streams can look stunning when slower shutter speeds are used. Just remember to pack your tripod!

A polarizing filter will allow you to remove the reflections off reflective surfaces such as water or glass. This is particularly useful when you’re trying to make your images look cleaner. Additionally, you can also stack filters so that you combine the effect of an ND and a polarizing filter!

In this shot of a waterfall, notice how it is difficult to see the detail in the waterfall. Because of the way it was shot, it looks like the water is flowing rather than stationary. This is because this shot was taken at a slower shutter speed. In this shot, the camera was set to a shutter speed of two seconds. This allows the camera to adequately blur the waterfall.

By slowing down your shutter speed, notice that rather than seeing the waves of the sea crashing on the beach, you instead see a serene flow? This was a 30-second exposure. Just remember that you will need a tripod to achieve this result as you will not be steady enough to handhold the camera.

This is the same shot, however a neutral density (ND) filter was used to allow for slower shutter speeds. This shot was taken at 30 seconds and allows for the water to be less distracting ensuring that the viewer concentrates on the heroes of this shot – the bridge and the mountains!

A polarizer will remove reflection from the surface of the water so that you can see the detail underneath. Notice how you can see detail of the rocks underneath the water?

4. Get Lower to Accentuate Your Perspective and Subjects

Sometimes when you take a landscape shot, it just lacks that extra pop? It could be that you are simply not getting down low enough. Vistas that stretch for miles on end can be exaggerated by the simple act of photographing from a lower perspective.

Mirrorless cameras with articulating screens, such as the one found in the Olympus E-M5 Mark II, will allow you to get lower without placing undue stress on your back or knees.

See in this image how the camera was positioned close to the surface of the sand so that you see the footsteps leading toward the shipwreck? Shooting lower allows you to accentuate your perspective as well as provide the viewer with something interesting to follow in the shot – in this case, the footsteps.

5. Converging Lines Will Always Help Frame Your Shot

Ever noticed when you look at some pictures how your eye is lead to look toward a certain direction? This is often because of a phenomenon called converging lines. Due to perspective, if edges run parallel into the distance, those edges will seem to appear to get closer and closer as the distance increases. A great example of that is when you look at train tracks into the distance. Identifying converging lines in your shot is an essential skill for landscape photography that will take your game to the next level!

In this photo, the lines made by the buildings guide your eyes toward the right side of the image. This is a great way to use landscape features to lead the viewer’s gaze.

London Drugs carries a wide range of equipment for all your photography needs. Come talk to one of our experts in store, or check out our camera equipment online.

4 Quick Tips to Spring Clean Your Phone

With spring just around the corner, and spring cleaning and decluttering well underway, it’s time to turn our attention to one item that probably needs the most cleaning but often gets overlooked: our trusty smartphones. A study by researchers at the University of Arizona showed that cellphones carry 10 times more bacteria than the average toilet! And an accumulation of digital clutter means they may be working less than efficiently, too. Here are four quick tips to effectively clean and declutter your smartphone.

Wipe it Down

Before you deal with the digital clutter on your device, get rid of germs by giving it a good wipe down. In order to avoid damaging your phone, clean your screen with a micro-fibre cloth and a non-drip gel. Give the phone a quick spritz with the gel and rub it gently to avoid scratching the screen. Don’t forget to also wipe the camera lens.

This may also be a good time to freshen up your phone case.

Back it Up

Before embarking on any kind of digital cleaning mission, it’s best to back up your device first. If you have an iPhone, select your Settings. Click on your Name and then iCloud. Select iCloud Backup and click Back up Now. To back up an Android phone on the Google cloud, follow these instructions.

Purge Old Apps

Take a look through your apps. You may find you actually only use a few of them regularly. If you have an iPhone you can easily check how much you’re using your apps. Click on Settings, General, and iPhone Storage. There you’ll see a list of your apps and exactly how much storage they’re taking up and when they were last used. This is a pretty quick and easy way to offload old, unused apps. The apps you use daily should be on the first page of your phone. Everything else can be put into folders. So, for example, all your hotel and airline apps would go into a folder marked Travel and your Candy Crush and Words with Friends apps can be put into a Games folder.

Delete Old Music, Photos, Contacts, and Texts

It’s really tempting to never delete anything from your phone because, hey, you never know when you may need it! The reality, though, is that music and photos take up a lot of space on your device. And after you’ve played Lady Gaga’s Shallow on repeat for two straight weeks, you might just be done with it for awhile.

After you’ve backed up your phone, consider deleting older music, any blurry photos you’re needlessly saving, and while you’re at it, take a look through your contacts and texts. You don’t need those outdated message threads cluttering up your phone any more than you need those old texts from your ex. Delete, delete, delete.

We know it’s hard to let go of things, and just as you agonize over letting go of old books, clothes, or appliances, it’s just as nerve-wracking to delete digital clutter from your phone. But you’ll feel lighter for it, and so will your trusty phone.

If you have any questions about optimizing your technology, our in-store technology experts are always happy to help.

8 Free Apps You Need Now

If you’ve got a smartphone then you’ve likely already got a variety of pre-loaded apps you use regularly for communication, navigation, and checking the weather.

But beyond those basics, there are thousands of free apps that can make your life easier — and your phone a lot more powerful — from photo editing apps to games, to apps that can help you change your daily habits. Here are 8 apps we think you’ll love adding to your phone.

Adobe Photoshop Express
Let’s face it, we live in an age where snapping pics is akin to breathing. We religiously document everything from our latest tropical vacation to that scrumptious meal we had at the local sushi bar. But sometimes those pics just don’t quite pop. The Adobe Photoshop Express app is an all-round photo editing tool that’s easy to use on a touchscreen device. Once you’ve uploaded your pic, you can crop it, adjust the red-eye, borders, or brightness, or simply add one of the smart filters, which fixes most common photo problems like the colour or exposure. Sharing that oh-so-cute photo of your pooch, grandchild, or latest culinary masterpiece has never been easier.

Words with Friends 2
Looking for a fun distraction when you’ve got a few minutes to kill? If you’re a fan of Scrabble, you’re going to love Words with Friends 2. The original game was released in 2009 and since then, Zynga — the game’s creator — has consistently updated it with new words and new challenges. Words with Friends 2 was released in September 2017 and is still one of the most popular mobile games.

WhatsApp
Do you have friends and family spread across the globe? WhatsApp is a free, instant messaging app that lets you communicate with them frequently without running up your phone bill. As long as you have internet access you can text, audio call, or video chat with your loved ones, near and far at no cost.

Coach.Me
Coach.Me is a habit tracker app designed to help you set goals to improve your mental and physical well-being. From meditation to exercise to personal growth goals, you can customize your tracker to suit your own unique needs. With step-by-step plans, a Q&A feature as well as motivational virtual high-fives, you’ll soon be on the road to self-fulfillment.

Shazam
Does it drive you nuts when you hear a song but can’t remember the name or the artist? Or, you hear a new song you LOVE and you want to buy it but you don’t know what it is? You need Shazam, a music recognition app that helps you instantly identify music just by holding up your mobile device to your radio or speaker. Within a few seconds, not only will Shazam identify the song, but with the click of a button you can add that song to your Spotify lists or buy it.

Google Trips
Love to travel? Google Trips lets you organize all your trips details in one place, gathering dates, confirmation numbers, and addresses together for you from your e-mail. It also gives you ideas for what to do at your destination, and facilitates day planning. The app is also available offline for those times when there’s no wi-fi nearby.

London Drugs App and London Drugs PhotoLab App
Of course we couldn’t leave our own free apps off this list! London Drugs App and London Drugs PhotoLab App put everything you love about London Drugs onto your phone. You can submit prescription refills, access your LDExtras offers and rewards, upload photos for processing, and more.

For more tech tips, visit any of our London Drugs locations and speak to one of our in-store technology experts.

Upcoming Gaming Events 2019

March 16 Harris Green Village London Drugs – In Store Gaming Event
March 22-24 Capital City Comic Con Victoria – Victoria Conference Centre
April 25-28 Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo – Calgary Stampede Park
May 3-5 FANCON 5 Prince George – CN Centre
May 4-5 Sask Expo Regina – Evraz Place
Sept. 14-15 Sask Expo Saskatoon – Prairieland Park
Sept. 20-22 Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo – Edmonton Expo Centre
Oct. 25-27 Central Canada Comic Con Winnipeg – RBC Convention Centre

Waka Waka: Classic Video Games and Consoles Are Back!

Classic video games and retro consoles are all the rage once again — think Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, and Super Mario Brothers. So what’s the appeal?

Gen-Xers were the first generation of kids to grow up with video games in their homes. What used to be a special trip to the arcade or pizza joint became a fun, daily habit. Now that these kids are middle aged, video games are no longer seen as just kids’ stuff; they’re just another fun way to relax, like watching Netflix or doing puzzles. (Cut to 30 years from now, and we’ll likely see game consoles in seniors’ homes!)

These ’70s kids are now running big electronic and tech companies, and they are reliving their childhoods by reviving their favourite old video games and consoles, and designing retro-style games for modern systems.

Why Classic Video Games Have Made a Comeback

1. They’re Akin to Art

You read To Kill a Mockingbird in school, right? Your parents probably did, too. Over time, quality art and media endure and are enjoyed by generation after generation. So why not video games? Many people now see a well-designed video game as a legitimate piece of art. Think of Pac-Man as the video game equivalent of The Great Gatsby.

2. They’re Easy to Play

While most popular modern games have a steep learning curve with their complicated controls and multi-layered plots, older video games are tailor-made for bite-size gaming sessions.

In modern games, you spend a lot of time just learning which button does what, scrolling through multiple functions and views, managing a huge weapons arsenal, or stopping to search through a massive inventory. In a retro game, all you really need to learn is how to go up, down, forward, backward, and jump. Maybe throw in an A or a B button if you want to get really fancy.

3. They Bring Higher Stakes

Modern gaming systems have loads of memory, so there is room for saving game checkpoints. If your character dies, you can just go back to a checkpoint and keep playing pretty much where you left off.

Retro games didn’t have that capacity for saving, so players only had a few chances to complete the game. Blow those chances and you’re forced to go back to the beginning. With higher stakes, bragging rights about levelling up are about skill and endurance, which appeals to many gamers’ competitive sides.

4. They’re Oh-So Nostalgic

Nostalgia is another strong appeal for retro video games. Sure, getting the newest, hottest game on the market is fun, but there’s nothing like re-living that feeling of being in your pyjamas on the carpet in front of the TV, eating cereal while battling a barrel-tossing gorilla. Feeling like a kid again can be worth a hundred Fortnite victory dances.

If you’re interested in picking up where you left off 30 years ago, or introducing your kids to your favourite video games, London Drugs has some great gaming options to fuel your nostalgia.

Should You Go on a Social Media Diet?

Social media is now a part of nearly everyone’s lives (Facebook alone has 2.27 billion monthly active users), and it’s easy to see why. It’s a great way to pass the time when you’re bored, you can stay up-to-date on the latest headlines, and staying in touch with friends is easy when life keeps you busy.

Despite its popularity, experts now agree that excessive social media use can have profound impacts on your health and well-being. With this in mind, many people resolve to reduce social media time. Whether it’s a full “detox” month or just a long-term reduction, how do you know if you need to go on a social media diet? Here are some signs that you might need to slash your app time.

You Wish You Had More Time in the Day

If you have a lingering to-do list of things that you never seem to be able to get to, reducing your social media use might help. The average North American spends almost 2 hours a day checking social media accounts. (Pssst…that adds up to five years over a lifetime.)

Imagine what you could do with your life if you had an extra hour or two a day to do whatever you wanted? You could hit the gym, clean out your fridge, take a friend out for coffee – the possibilities are endless.

You Don’t Like Your Body

Sure, following celebrities and fashion brands on social media can be a fun escape from our humdrum 9-5 lives, but studies have shown that there is a direct connection between body dissatisfaction and social media usage, especially in young women.

Comparing our bodies to the ones we see we see on social media is harmful for many reasons. Celebrities and models have unlimited access to physical trainers, nutritionists, dermatologists, hairstylists, and makeup artists, not to mention the rampant photo retouching. Comparing ourselves to the people in these photos is like comparing apples to porcupines, and we will never live up to their standards no matter how hard we try.

You Aren’t Sleeping Enough

Has this ever happened to you? You decide to have one last quick look at the Twitter headlines before turning out the light, then cut to two hours later and you’re watching old movie trailers on YouTube.

Social media is designed to keep you coming back for more, so it’s not entirely your fault, but if you’re checking your accounts right before bed, you’re likely eating into that healthy 7-8 hours of sleep that you need.

You Feel Like You Don’t See Friends or Family as Much as You’d Like

Many people’s new year’s resolution is to connect with friends and family more. Social media has a weird way of making us feel like we’re connecting with the people in our lives by liking their photos or wishing them a happy birthday on Facebook.

In reality, those digital gestures are essentially empty because they don’t have the real connection like a like a shared story, a supportive hug, or just a friendly chat about the weather can have. And ironically, the time used for checking social media (remember that 2 hours per day?) takes away time that could be spent actually seeing friends and family in person.

Reading the News Makes You Feel Sad or Stressed

It’s the best time in history to be a human, but we sure wouldn’t know it by reading our news feeds. We are inundated with shocking and upsetting news headlines because they get lots of clicks, and the more something gets clicked on, the more often it will appear in your feed. The sheer volume of this kind of content can make us feel overwhelmed, and it’s not because there is more bad news out there.

You Feel Like Your Friends Are Having More Fun and Success than You Are

Everyone has that friend who seems to have the perfect life. All we see is endless photos of angelic children, dreamy beach vacations, and perfect dinner parties. Makes your life seem pretty messy, right? Well, people rarely show the messy bits of their lives on Instagram. You’re not going to see the 17 previous photos of screaming kids and arguing parents that it took to get that immaculate family photo.

Since you only see these people on social media and hardly ever in real life, your brain fools you into thinking that this is what their lives are like all the time. Believe us, they’re not. They’re complaining about poopy diapers and bad hair days just as much as you are.

You’re Dealing with Anxiety or Depression

If you have been diagnosed with a mental illness like anxiety or depression, social media use can exacerbate your symptoms because of the skewed version of reality that it presents. Researchers have proven that the more time someone spends on social media, the more unhappy they become.

Photo by Victoria Heath on Unsplash

So, What Should You Do About It?

First, Check Your Usage

Before you decide if you need to go on a diet, check your usage. Your phone likely already tracks this in your battery settings with a break down of how much juice you use for each individual app. Also, most iOS devices have a screen time tracker built in, and there are many apps on the market to help track your habits. If you’re well above the average, or even if you’re not but you feel like you could use a change, read on for some tips on how to curb the social habit.

Set Scheduled Time Limits

To get started, it’s best to set limits on screen time before bed. Get an old-fashioned alarm clock, shut your phone off at least an hour before lights out, and leave it in another room. Do something else for that hour instead: some gentle yoga, read a great book, chat with your partner, or pack your lunch for the next day. You’ll be surprised how much better you sleep and how good you feel in the morning.

If you want to go further, decide what a reasonable amount of time is for your life. If you think you have the willpower for the full detox, you can stay off social media completely for a short period of time – try a week or 30 days.

If you think that’s unrealistic or you need to use social media for work, you can set different limits, like No Social Sundays, or stay off social media after dinner. The apps mentioned above have functions that can help you set time limits for specific apps or screen time altogether, and will remind you when your time for the day is up.

Fill Your Phone with Enriching Apps

A great tip to cut down on social media time is to delete the apps from your phone completely and only use them occasionally on a computer. If that’s not possible, at least clear them off your home screen and throw them in an obscure folder on the third page of your apps. That way they’re not staring you in the face as soon as you look at your phone.

Instead, fill your home page with useful and enriching activities:

Read a Newspaper

If you like to stay on top of current events, take a cue from your grandparents and read the paper. Newspapers are designed to give you a broader picture of the news, not just to get as many clicks as possible. With sections like Business, Arts & Life, Sports, Politics, Travel, etc., you can see what’s happening in your city, country, and all over the world in all different areas of interest.

If you only get the news from your Facebook feed, you’re only getting part of the picture. First, your algorithm for Facebook is designed to show you content based on things you’ve already interacted with, so you won’t find new things to learn about by passively scrolling through your feed. Second, your feed has no distinction between reliable and unreliable news sources, so it’s difficult to figure out the quality of the news you’re getting. Most popular and established Canadian newspapers have high standards for research and reporting, so the content you get from your local paper is likely far more informative than a random click on Facebook.

Keep Your Phone Away from Arm’s Length

Yes, smartphones conveniently show the time, but if you are trying to free yourself from the tethers of phone addiction, get simple wristwatch. (No, an Apple Watch doesn’t count!) A watch will keep you from pulling out your phone whenever you need to know the time and then “just quickly check” an app while you’re there. Besides, a nice watch is a great way to show your style.

Another way to keep your phone out of reach is to take it out of your pocket and put it in your bag. Unless you’re an emergency heart surgeon or your partner is about to go into labour, you don’t need your phone at your fingertips all times. If you carry a bag, keep your phone in there until you need it. That way, you’re less likely to look at it every time you put your hands in your pockets or pull it out to sit down.

Unfollow People and Accounts that Make You Feel Bad

You may think the accounts or people you follow are just for fun, but if scrolling Instagram sometimes leaves you feeling empty or sad, it’s time to trim your Following list. If that perfect friend with the perfect life makes you feel like your life is a dumpster fire in comparison, unfollow them. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean you’re not friends anymore; it just means you’re taking care of yourself.

If you still want to stay connected, give her a call or a text instead to see how she’s doing. You might be surprised to get the real, behind-the-scenes story and not the curated, art-directed story. And celebrities’ accounts? We promise you won’t even miss them. (If your feed is feeling empty after the cleanse, fill it with these ‘good vibes only’ accounts.)

Turn off All Notifications

Social media apps are designed to keep pulling you back in, and having those beeps and buzzes turned on doubles up on the fake sense of urgency to check the accounts. Go ahead and kill those little red dots – you can turn off all notifications in your phone’s settings.

If your FOMO (fear of missing out) is getting too much without them, you can set a reminder notification to check your accounts once a day for an allotted period of time, then put your phone away when the time is up.

We know social media can be fun and informative, and it certainly won’t hurt you in moderation. But if you feel like it’s getting in the way of enjoying your life, we hope these tips can help you go on a diet that actually might stick.

5 Tiny Tech Toys You’ll Love

Sometimes products come along that are so amazing and so useful, you just can’t live without them. These tiny tech toys won’t take up a lot of space but they will add a whole lot of functionality — and fun — to your life. Check out our tiny tech must-haves for 2019.

DJI OSMO Pocket Camera

This candy-bar sized hand-held camera will help you capture all of life’s big moments whether you want video or still photos. This is the smallest handheld camera DJI has ever designed and while it’s tiny in size, it delivers quality video and detailed images. The OSMO Pocket Camera shoots 4K/60fps video at 100 Mbps and photos at 12 MP.

Ring Video Doorbell Security Camera

The Ring Video Doorbell Security Camera allows you to connect your doorbell to a video system, which you can monitor from your PC, smartphone, or tablet. With mobile alerts and two-way talk you can answer the door and speak to your visitors from anywhere. The system also includes motion sensors, infrared night vision, and live, view on-demand video and audio.

Furo Music Headband/Mask

Here’s a fun gift for the little ones in your life. The Furo Music Headband is a set of comfy headphones, worn the same way you would wear a headband. It comes in fun colours with animal motifs and is soft to the touch. The headbands also feature a high-quality speaker and a built-in microphone so your mini tycoon can take calls on the go.

Hewlett Packard Sprocket Portable ZINK Photo Printer

Next time you take that perfectly shareable pic, you can print off copies to share with your friends and family. HP’s Portable ZINK Photo Printer weighs just 6 ounces and is the size of a smartphone! This fun, sleek printer instantly prints 2 x 3 inch photos from your smartphone or tablet with the HP Sprockett App and Bluetooth technology.

Google Home Mini Voice Assistant Speaker

Google’s Home Mini Voice Assistant Speaker is the assistant you never knew you needed. Ask it questions, like “Google, will I need an umbrella today?” or “Google, what does my day look like on Saturday?” Your Google Assistant will have all the answers and will become an invaluable member of your home. And this assistant doesn’t ever ask for a raise.

Whether you’re equipping yourself for fun, safety, or your everyday needs, London Drugs has all the tiny tech you’ll wonder how you ever lived without.