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The Digital Photography Book, Part 4
by Scott Kelby
Publication Date: March 10, 2012

Buy new: $24.99 $14.49

(Visit the Hot New Releases in Photography list for authoritative information on this product’s current rank.) Details

Product Description
Scott Kelby, author of The Digital Photography Book, Volume 1 (the world’s best-selling digital photography book of all time), is back with yet another follow-up with an entirely new book that picks up right where he left off with Volume 3. It’s even more of that “Ah ha, so that’ s how they do it,” straight-to-the-point, skip-the-techno-jargon stuff people can really use today to make their shots even better.

This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: “If you and I were out on a shoot and you asked me, ‘Hey Scott, I want the light for this portrait to look really soft and flattering. How far back should I put this softbox?’ I wouldn’t give you a lecture about lighting ratios, or flash modifiers. In real life, I’d just turn to you and say, ‘Move it in as close to your subject as you possibly can, without it actually showing up in the shot.’ Well, that’s what this book is all about: you and I out shooting where I answer questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I’ve learned, just like I would with a friend–without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak.”

The Digital Photography Book, Volume 4 follows in the footsteps of the wildly successful previous volumes, giving photographers nearly two hundred more closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade” to get them shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos with their digital camera every time they press the shutter button.

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ASUS A53E-EH91 15.6-Inch Versatile Entertainment Laptop (Black)
by Asus
(5)
Date first available at Amazon.com: October 1, 2011

Buy new: $449.99 $399.99
21 used & new from $384.98

(Visit the Hot New Releases in Notebooks list for authoritative information on this product’s current rank.) Details

Technical Details
- 2.1 GHz Intel Pentium B950
- 4 GB DIMM
- 320 GB 5400 rpm Hard Drive
- 15.6-Inch Screen, Intel GMA HD
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

Product Description
Not Just another Pretty Face
Smart, Reliable & Efficient

Powered by an Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core B950 Processor with Intel GMA HD Graphics, the ASUS A53E-EH91 delivers responsive multi-tasking and rich, built-in visuals on its brilliant 15.6″ LED-backlit HD display. HDMI ready, supersize your high-definition media to an HDTV for up to 1080p visuals and 8 channel surround sound support. Experience faster data transfer with SuperSpeed USB 3.0. ASUS Infusion Technology gives this notebook a scratch-resistant coat with eye-catching style. ASUS IceCool technology with hairline brushed aluminum helps maintain a low temperature on the keyboard and palm rest area for comfortable computing even after the longest sessions. Key Features

• Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core B950 Processor with Intel GMA HD Graphics for better multi-tasking and rich, smooth, built-in visuals (Learn more)
• ASUS Power4Gear optimizes system performance for increased performance and longer mobility (Learn more)
• IceCool Technology makes use of superior component engineering combined with the aluminum surface to keep the palm rest and typing surfaces cool (Learn more)
• ASUS Palm-Proof Technology prevents accidental input by intelligently distinguishing between palm and finger contact (Learn more)
• SuperSpeed USB 3.0 for quicker device charging and up to 10x faster transfers than USB 2.01 (Learn more)
• Altec Lansing speakers enhanced with SRS Premium Sound produce crisp, clear audio reproduction

Learn More Reliable Multitasking Performance

View larger Powered by an Intel® Pentium® Dual-Core B950 Processor with Intel GMA HD Graphics, A53E-EH91 delivers seamless and responsive multi-tasking along with smooth and rich built-in visuals. With the built-in visual capability, users can forgo the costs and power consumption of discrete graphics cards. Equipped with ASUS Power4Gear, select from an assortment of power profiles via the Power4Gear hotkey above the keyboard that optimizes the system for your task at hand—giving the most performance or maximizing battery life. Enjoy the convenience of faster data transfer with the notebook’s SuperSpeed USB 3.0. Comfort and Control Included

View larger The A53E-EH91 has an array of built-in features that are specialized for ease of use. It features a Wave keyboard with numeric keypad and multi-touch trackpad to effortlessly type documents or navigate through your mobile world. The A53E-EH91 also has a spacious palm rest with ASUS Palm-Proof Technology where the trackpad intelligently distinguishes between your palm and finger to prevent errors for a worry-free typing experience. Using an exclusive dual-sided motherboard design, ASUS Ice Cool Technology places heat-producing components away from users to keep the palm rest and typing surface cool for utmost user comfort.

With its sunken-hinge screen design, you will be able to enjoy wider and more ergonomic viewing angles, enabling greater clarity and comfort. Plus, the ASUS Power4Gear utility controls the fans noise level so you can relax with a virtually silent computing experience anywhere you go. Head-turning Style and Convenient Portability

View larger Compact and light, the A53E-EH91 shows off a new streamlined design with ASUS Infusion Technology to give this notebook a scratch-resistant coat with eye-catching style. Opening this mobile wonder, you will notice a new streamlined design and texture made with ASUS Infusion Technology to retain the A53E-EH91 looks and quality even during extensive, prolonged use. The power button also has a built in light indicator so whether you’re in light or dark areas you always know where to find it. Relax, ASUS Has You Covered Ranked as the #1 most reliable Windows-based PC brand in survey after survey2, readers and editors alike choose ASUS as their trusted notebook and netbook. ASUS tirelessly strives to exceed expectations of quality to ensure you an unmatched peace of mind every time you start your PC.

Pin web sites with Internet Explorer 9 (view larger). Windows 7 Home Premium The Best Entertainment Experience On Your PC

Windows 7 Home Premium makes it easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music. You can even watch, pause, and rewind TV or record it to watch whenever and wherever you want. For the best entertainment experience, choose a PC with Windows 7.

* Additional hardware may be required. Not available in all countries. (See windows.microsoft.com/products/windows-7/system-requirements/ for more information.)
** Requires a compatible microphone, speakers or headset, webcam, and broadband connection.

© 2011 ASUS Computer International. All Rights Reserved. ASUS is a registered trademark of ASUSTeK Computer. All specifications and terms are subject to change without notice. Please check with your supplier for exact offers on selected models. Products may not be available in all markets. Product may not be exactly as shown in photos.

1All figures are theoretical values compared to USB 2.0 benchmarks for reference purposes. Actual speed depends on the device and system status.
2http://commercial.asus.com/promos/ASUSReliability/
3ASUS reserves the right to exclude certain SKUs; check with your retailer to confirm coverage of specific models. Valid for notebooks purchased in the US and Canada only. Certain retailers do not participate in ADP coverage. For complete details, please visit: http://completewarranty.asus.com/.

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Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis
by David Wills
(2)
Release Date: November 8, 2011

Buy new: $40.00 $24.56
22 used & new from $21.17

(Visit the Hot New Releases in Photography list for authoritative information on this product’s current rank.) More info

Product Description

There have been many Marilyn Monroe photo books—but nothing like this.

Curator and photographic preservationist David Wills has amassed one of the world’s largest independent archives of original Marilyn Monroe photographs. Now, in Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis, he has gathered spectacular, museum-quality work from Marilyn’s key photographers—Richard Avedon, George Barris, Cecil Beaton, Bernard of Hollywood, Andre de Dienes, Elliott Erwitt, Milton Greene, Philippe Halsman, Tom Kelley, Douglas Kirkland, Willy Rizzo, Sam Shaw, and many others—to create this dazzling portfolio of images from every period of Marilyn Monroe’s adult life, from her wedding day in 1942 till just weeks before her death two decades later. Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis pays homage to her continually evolving style and extraordinary beauty.

Among the highlights:

• Previously unseen Kodachrome, dye transfer, and Carbro prints of Norma Jeane from her modeling career.
• Classic portraits and pinups in luscious full color, digitally restored from the original transparencies.
• Never-before-seen photos from the sets of The Seven Year Itch, Some Like It Hot, The Misfits, and Something’s Got to Give.
• Rare candids of Marilyn with Marlon Brando, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, Joe DiMaggio, Arthur Miller, and others.
• Previously unpublished photos by Richard Avedon, George Barris, Cecil Beaton, David Conover, Elliott Erwitt, John Florea, Tom Kelley, Richard C. Miller, Frank Powolny, Willy Rizzo, Zinn Arthur, and many others.

Pairing more than two hundred first-generation photos with reflections on Marilyn from her friends, work associates, and admirers—and including her last interview, in which she reflects on her life and fame—Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis is an unforgettable showcase of the actress’s transformation from an unknown factory worker to one of the most recognized faces in history.

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LADY GAGA x TERRY RICHARDSON
by Lady Gaga, Terry Richardson
Release Date: November 22, 2011

Buy new: $50.00 $28.52

(Visit the Hot New Releases in Photography list for authoritative information on this product’s current rank.) Details

Product Description
In this book of original, behind-the-scenes photographs, acclaimed photographer Terry Richardson follows superstar Lady Gaga during one year of her life, from Lollapalooza through the final show of her Monster Ball tour. During the time period he followed Gaga, Richardson took over 100,000 images and attended more than 30 Monster Ball dates around the world. From the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards to the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal rally in Portland, Maine, to the Thierry Mugler show at Maxime, Paris, Richardson captures Lady Gaga as you’ve never seen her before. A year-long global odyssey- -all access, nothing off limits–this is the book Lady Gaga fans have been waiting for.

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Amazon is the current tech-media darling after the smashing successful unveiling of its Kindle Fire, complete with its Silk browser and cloud services. Now, some speculate that Amazon will buy what remains of Palm from Hewlett-Packard.

According to media reports, Amazon is in deep negotiations with HP to buy Palm, creator of the webOS operating system that runs on HP’s failed TouchPad. HP paid $1.2 billion for Palm and has decided to kill webOS hardware projects after failing to execute on its strategic plan for the assets.

“Amazon has one device that’s based on Kindle OS and one that’s based on Android. They need to focus on getting all their devices on the same OS so they can have some fun and games with applications,” said Michael Disabato, vice president of network and telecom at Gartner. “It’s possible that Amazon is looking at webOS because Google is taking Android out of the public domain.”

Amazon-Palm Connections

The rumors around Amazon buying webOS aren’t completely far-fetched. Palm CEO Jon Rubenstein sits on Amazon’s board of directors. And Rubenstein has publicly stated that Amazon would make a great partner in expanding the webOS ecosystem. And that’s just the problem: the lack of a robust webOS ecosystem.

“WebOS still doesn’t have as much of an ecosystem as Android or iOS. So without any apps why would anyone want it? People are buying the iPads because they look sleek and they are fancy, but when you come down to it they don’t care about what’s inside it,” Disabato said. “It’s all about the applications.”

In fact, Disabato reasoned that a lack of apps is one of the reasons HP decided to shutter its tablet business. From his point of view, the only reason the HP TouchPad flew off the shelf at $99 was because many consumers believe they can find… Details

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With the iPhone 5 about be unveiled, the rumor mill is working overtime. In fact, even the invitation for the Oct. 4 event, which reads “Let’s talk iPhone,” has sprouted rumors that the new model will offer new voice-recognition features that could transform the way smartphone interaction works.

Previous Apple invitations have included hints about the coming product. If the “let’s talk” invitation is a hint, the voice-recognition features could represent a fully integrated voice-control interface that accompanies, and in some cases replaces, the touch interaction.

iPhone, Come Here

This new voice control could include the ability for a voice-based virtual assistant to access data stored in calendar, contacts, music files and other locations, and use them in conversations between the device and the user. The possibility of new voice features is supported by the fact that Apple bought voice-recognition application provider Siri in 2010. The company has previously released some voice-to-text features.

Various Apple-watching sites are describing the voice-recognition features as a dramatic change, not only allowing the user to schedule an appointment or find a retailer, but offering a revolutionary voice-based interface that once again changes the expectation for smartphones. The aptly named Assistant, according to some reports, will also be able to ask the user questions if, for instance, it’s not clear which phone number to use.

Hopes that the newest iPhone could support 4G transmission technology are not high, given reports that the company is waiting for smaller and less power-hungry 4G chips that won’t be available until 2012. There have been reports in past months that the company was testing iPhones with 4G Long-Term Evolution support, but the consensus is that, for Apple, elegant style will triumph over speed, at least until the new LTE chips are available.

A research vice president from China Unicom was quoted this week… More info

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In a move to beef up Oracle’s hardware line, CEO Larry Ellison has introduced the concept of the all-in-one data center. Ellison offered his take on the new products at Oracle OpenWorld on Sunday that combine the server, storage and network in a single, highly integrated box.

In his talk to 40,000 conference-goers, Ellison spelled out the advantages of parallel computing and demonstrated the latest and greatest Sparc Solaris computer. He also took the lid off Oracle’s new Exalytics Business Intelligence Machine.

“How do we make this thing to go 10 times faster? Parallel everything,” Ellison said. “Lots and lots of parallel network connections moving enormous amounts of data in parallel. That’s how you make this thing go faster.”

Parallel Computing Power

Oracle is positioning Exalytics as the first engineered system featuring in-memory software and hardware and an optimized Business Intelligence platform with advanced visualization. Internal tests comparing Oracle Exalytics with standard BI software and off-the-shelf hardware show relational online analytical processing (ROLAP) reporting and dashboard performance improvements of up to 20 times, and multidimensional OLAP (MOLAP) modeling performance gains of up to 79 times.

“Oracle has been doing a lot of work in parallel computing, which has improved performance, particularly in the T4 Sparc systems that were announced last week,” said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. “With the Exalytics solution, Oracle has a product it can put up against the IBM Smart Analytics System that has been out for two years now.”

As King sees it, IBM, as well as other vendors, have demonstrated that improving data throughput and database performance is a viable business model. With Exalytics, Oracle is working to carve out a bigger piece of the market. But King isn’t sure Ellison is taking the right approach with his OracleWorld presentation.

Ellison’s Engineering Rhetoric

“What’s interesting about it is that the rhetoric coming… Read more

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Kindle Fire, Full Color 7″ Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi
by Amazon

Buy new: $199.00
2 used & new from $199.00

(Visit the Hot New Releases in Electronics list for authoritative information on this product’s current rank.) Read more

Product Description
Movies, apps, games, music, reading and more, plus Amazon’s revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser – 18 million movies, TV shows, songs, magazines and books – Amazon Appstore – thousands of popular apps and games – Ultra-fast web browsing – Amazon Silk – Free cloud storage for all your Amazon content – Vibrant color touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle – Fast, powerful dual-core processor – Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, instant streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows

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Chicks with Guns
by Lindsay McCrum
Publication Date: October 1, 2011

Buy new: $45.00 $29.70
6 used & new from $26.99

(Visit the Hot New Releases in Photography list for authoritative information on this product’s current rank.) Read more

Product Description

In Chicks with Guns, Lindsay McCrum has created a cultural portrait of women gun owners in America through photographs that are both beautiful and in a sense unexpected. The book examines issues of self-image and gender through the visual conventions of portraiture and fashion, but the guns are presented here not as superimposed props but as the very personal lifestyle accessories of the subjects portrayed. And it defies stereotypes often associated with aspects of the popular culture of both guns and women. Like the 15-20 million women gun owners in this country, the women we meet in Chicks with Guns ( their portraits are accompanied by their own words), reside in all regions of the country, come from all levels of society, and participate seriously in diverse shooting activities. The women here are sportswomen, hunters, and competition shooters. Some use guns on their jobs and some for self-defense. They may not all be classically beautiful, but in these photographs they all look beautiful, exuding honesty, confidence, poise, power and pride. They are real women with real guns that play a part in their lives. By focusing her camera respectfully on this particular aspect of the American scene, gun-wielding women and girls, Lindsay McCrum sheds new light on who we are in America today. 

Praise for Chicks with Guns:

“Don’t be deceived by the frisky title: Lindsay McCrum’s Chicks with Guns is a deadly (sorry) serious work of cultural iconography. It’s also visually stunning, alternately sexy, arresting, haunting and mesmerizing. In so many words, this book hits every bull’s-eye—a real stunner.” — Christopher Buckley, author of Thank You for Smoking and Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir

“A work of art in photography, Chicks with Guns is an instant classic. Any who read the text and reflect on the stunning portraits will come away with a new appreciation of the not unusual or surprising love affair between women and their firearms.” —R. L. Wilson, firearms expert, author of Silk and Steel: Women at Arms

“McCrum’s portrait project is full of contradictions and complexity, of ironies and sublime beauty. . . .The pairing of these stories with McCrum’s photography makes this book absolutely seductive.”–Publishers Weekly

“I opened this sizeable hardcover to one of the 80 photographic plates, and started going through the glossy pages, at first only noticing the striking beauty of the full-page photographs and the women who were the subjects. I found myself wondering if they were just models holding guns as props, until I began to read the personal statements on each adjacent page. Written in the women’s own words, it seemed to me that their stories read like something from the pages of Field & Stream, and I wanted to know more.”–Field & Stream

“Chicks with Guns, a gorgeous new book by Lindsay McCrum, is a lot more cerebral than it sounds. Fine art photographer McCrum shot doens of portraits of women with their firearms, accompanied by personal statements from each woman.” —Houston Chronicle

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Daniel Radcliffe (Actor), Rupert Grint (Actor), David Yates (Director) | Format: DVD
(80)
Release Date: November 11, 2011

Buy new: $28.98 $17.99

(Visit the Hot New Releases in list for authoritative information on this product’s current rank.) Details

Product Description
The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the film all Harry Potter fans have waited 10 years to see, and the good news is that it’s worth the hype–visually stunning, action packed, faithful to the book, and mature not just in its themes and emotion but in the acting by its cast, some of whom had spent half their lives making Harry Potter movies. Part 2 cuts right to the chase: Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) has stolen the Elder Wand, one of the three objects required to give someone power over death (a.k.a. the Deathly Hallows), with the intent to hunt and kill Harry. Meanwhile, Harry’s quest to destroy the rest of the Horcruxes (each containing a bit of Voldemort’s soul) leads him first to a thrilling (and hilarious–love that Polyjuice Potion!) trip to Gringotts Bank, then back to Hogwarts, where a spectacular battle pitting the young students and professors (a showcase of the British thesps who have stolen every scene of the series: Maggie Smith’s McGonagall, Jim Broadbent’s Slughorn, David Thewlis’s Lupin) against a dark army of Dementors, ogres, and Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter, with far less crazy eyes to make this round). As predicted all throughout the saga, Harry also has his final showdown with Voldemort–neither can live while the other survives–though the physics of that predicament might need a set of crib notes to explain. But while each installment has become progressively grimmer, this finale is the most balanced between light and dark (the dark is quite dark–several familiar characters die, with one significant death particularly grisly); the humor is sprinkled in at the most welcome times, thanks to the deft adaptation by Steve Kloves (who scribed all but one of the films from J.K. Rowling’s books) and direction by four-time Potter director David Yates. The climactic kiss between Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), capping off a decade of romantic tension, is perfectly tuned to their idiosyncratic relationship, and Daniel Radcliffe has, over the last decade, certainly proven he was the right kid for the job all along. As Prof. Snape, the most perfect of casting choices in the best-cast franchise of all time, Alan Rickman breaks your heart. Only the epilogue (and the lack of chemistry between Harry and love Ginny Weasley, barely present here) stand a little shaky, but no matter: the most lucrative franchise in movie history to date has just reached its conclusion, and it’s done so without losing its soul. –Ellen A. Kim

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