LD Experts: Bust a Move with Xbox One

LD Expert Damion Gilzean explains how to get up off the couch while still enjoying the fun of video games.

For technology lovers, it can get difficult to pull yourself off the couch and get active – especially during the winter months. Luckily, the new XBox One technology allows you to dance it off, right in your living room. LD Expert Damion Gilzean visited CTV News Edmonton to discuss the gaming technology, which was featured at the Alberta Cancer Foundation’s annual Bust A Move fundraiser. The technology has evolved so much over the past few years, he says, that no controller is necessary to play. This means even the least experienced gamer can play – including CTV host Cory Edel!

Products featured:

Xbox One

Just Dance 2015

Watch the full interview here.

LD Experts: How to Digitally Back Up Your Print Photos & Film Negatives

Back Up Your Film Photography and Negatives Digitally with London Drugs

LD Expert David Levett on how to digitally store your film photography.

We all know how important it is to back up photos from your smartphone, tablet, digital camera, and computer. You can use an external hard drive or the cloud to make sure you’ll never lose those memories. But what about your old filmstrips and photo prints – how can you make sure those photos are safe? LD Expert David Levett visited CTV News Regina to discuss the options.

There are two options for backing up your film photography – do it yourself at home with a scanner, or get the expert to do it, by dropping the negatives or photos at your local London Drugs Photolab.

It’s ideal if you have the film negatives from your already-developed photos – that’s where you’ll get the most detail in the digital version of the photo. However, if you only have the prints, that’s okay too. Scanners today are so good, that even scanned copies of your photography will turn out well. Once digitized, you can save the files where you store all of your digital files. They’ll be easy to share, accessible from anywhere, and you’ll never have to worry about losing those memories.

Plus, you can order beautiful reprints, canvases, and other collectibles from your Photolab location.

Watch the full interview here.

LD Picks: How Your Slow Cooker Can Change Your Life

Did you know that you have a secret weapon in your kitchen? One thing that will help you make delicious dinners, tasty breakfasts, feasts for game day and impressive treats for your in-laws? You do – it’s called a slow cooker. Here’s our guide to getting that humble appliance out on the counter and making delicious meals for you and your family.

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Photo: jamieoliver.com

If said slow cooker is still in the box that your mother-in-law dropped it off in, you might need a primer. Slow cookers are super-easy to use, but there are a few things to remember. First of all, slow cooking is…slow. Yes, you can turn the heat up to high and cut the cooking time to four hours or so, but that’s often not the best strategy. Plan ahead! Remember also that if you’re cooking with kidney beans or other dry beans that contain high levels of phytohaemagglutinin, a toxin that can cause powerful stomach cramps and nausea, that you need to prepare the beans properly by boiling. A slow cooker will not get hot enough to neutralize the toxin.

Almost everything that will come out of a well-planned slow cooker will be delicious, but there are some basic rules to follow. Brown meat prior to adding to the pot to get a lovely caramelized crust. Don’t peek once things are underway – you’ll only lengthen the cooking time. Don’t add too much liquid. The slow cooker lid will prevent evaporation, so you only need a touch. Also, skip the prime rib and head straight for the chuck; the prime rib won’t stand up well to the long, slow heat.

One last tip – coat the inside of the slow cooker with a small amount of vegetable oil before putting food in there. It makes clean-up a snap.

[More at Jamie Oliver]

It’s Time To Build a New Photobook

The holiday season has past. For me at least, it feels like forever ago. New Years, Family Day, Valentine’s Day, all gone. In fact the entire ‘15-16 winter season will have passed before you know it. No question, we’re in a bit of a lull around this time of year.

Which makes it the ideal time for a new photobook.

Makes perfect sense if you think about it: Before long Spring Break will be upon us, then Easter…leading into the May long weekend and then BAM! Summer is here. This little reprieve at winter’s end is one of the few opportunities we have to reflect and look back through the reams of photos we’ve shot and uploaded, and single out the gems that will be even more amazing once turned into a beautiful photobook and shared.

As I describe in a previous post, creating a personalized photobook is easier than ever since the Photolab launched its all-new website and in-store kiosks. If you haven’t checked it out yet, let me say again—this is the perfect time to make a new photobook.

It seems we’ve looked at the new Photolab site on a laptop, a smartphone, and via the new Photolab kiosks; so far, the only device we haven’t covered is a tablet…until now. So, finally, here is what creating a photobook looks like using an iPad:

photobook-1

As you can see, the site design adjusts to any screen size—meaning you can chill out on the couch and create your photobook.

Upcoming Video Games for March

Spring is around the corner, you know what that means! Spring rain is coming giving us plenty of time to play the 8 video games coming out in March!

March 1st

Return to Popolocrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale

Our first title was held over from last month. Return to Popolocrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale features two popular 3DS franchises crossing over: The fairy tale world of Popolocrois and the farming simulation of Story of Seasons! Price Pietro of Popolocrois is stranded in a strange land where nothing will grow and is forced to live as a farmer, returning life to the corrupt soil in order to make your way home! Yes, you basically farm your way out of trouble. Sounds strange, but also like a boat load of fun! We’ll finally find out on March 1st on Nintendo 3DS.

Order Return to Popolocrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale

New Easter Templates for Cards and Mugs

It goes something like this: you finish ringing in the New Year, blink your eyes twice and bam! Easter arrives. I believe Einstein theorized that it has something to do with the space/time continuum…or maybe we’re just getting old. Well, the Easter Bunny may be able to quietly ambush you and I, but he can’t sneak past the London Drugs Photolab—whose new website is already spring-loaded (horrible pun, sorry, couldn’t be helped) with a veritable Easter basket full of brand new templates for cards and photo mugs.

Here on the ol’ Photoblog we’ve already covered how simple it is to create stunning and completely original personalized greeting cards using the in-store kiosks as well as the new website, yet they also allow you to make a mug into a masterpiece. And the process is just as simple & convenient, if not more so. Let’s take a look, shall we?

easter-tmp-1

6 Canadian Instagrammers You Need to Follow

O, Canada! These 6 Instagram accounts are full of photos doing you proud. Take a look! Make sure to follow us @londondrugs and we’ll #followback. Please do tip us off to your favourite Canadian Instagram accounts while you’re at it.

@GreatNorthCo

Don’t go chasing waterfalls. Just wait till they’re frozen. // photo by @davidguenther #greatnorthcollective
A photo posted by Great North Collective (@greatnorthco) on Jan 27, 2016 at 11:52am PST

Not only does @GreatNorthCo provide quality photographs of spectacular Canadian scenery, it also has the cleverest captions of any travel account. Don’t mind if we do.

LD Experts: Bust a Move with Xbox One

LD Experts: How to Digitally Back Up Your Print Photos & Film Negatives

LD Picks: How Your Slow Cooker Can Change Your Life

Get Started

It’s Time To Build a New Photobook

Upcoming Video Games for March

March 1st

Return to Popolocrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale

New Easter Templates for Cards and Mugs

6 Canadian Instagrammers You Need to Follow

@GreatNorthCo

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Return to Popolocrois: A Story of Seasons Fairytale

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