College Gloss: Autumn Taylor

Showing posts with label Autumn Taylor. Show all posts

Why You Should Read Lifehacker

Have you ever wanted to know how to turn mason jars into working speakers, modify a chopstick to be used as a tablet stylus or just simply focus better? Well, even if you haven’t ever felt the compulsion to learn such things, prepare to have your inner calling awakened by the amazing website that is Lifehacker.

“Tips and downloads for getting things done” -- this is the motto that Lifehacker abides by. Then again, if you’re a Lifehacker newbie, it’s difficult to fully grasp the all-encompassing nature of this statement. Lifehacker literally has a solution to all of your life’s problems -- some of them you didn’t even know you had! While the site has a large section devoted to technology know-how, there’s a good mix of everything on the site. There’s tips for cleaning, cooking, increasing productivity, and even people skills.

Of course, Lifehacker doesn’t just have a website -- their YouTube page hosts tons of helpful videos, with topics ranging from simple fixes for annoying bugs/settings on phones or social media sites to jailbreaking and coding. The videos also touch on clothing “hacks” and other basic tricks for life (see: How to Get Out of an Awkward Situation!).

The site is still one of the best places to start if you’re searching for a solution to a problem, simply because there’s a little bit of everything! No matter what you’re looking to “hack,” Lifehacker will likely have you covered. Don’t like talking to people when you’re on the bus? Take a dive into the “Communication” section to find a little something to aid you in your peril. Intimidated by the idea of a follow-up interview? In “Jobs” you can learn all the tips and tricks from a seasoned bunch.

Just think of Lifehacker as your personal handbook for life. (If you’re looking for a literal handbook, there’s one available for purchase here on Amazon.) Whatever area you need help in, just flip to that chapter. In this case, you’ll be clicking on different sections within the site, but you get the picture. There’s tons of content on Lifehacker, and, quite honestly, it can be rather daunting at times. Luckily, there is a search feature available on the site that allows for easier shifting and exploring.

Are you still not sure where to begin with so many things to look at on the site? Well, taking a look at the App Directory is surely something simple enough to ward off the anxiety associated with the plea “so much content, so little time.” With apps for all of the most popular operating systems and smartphone platforms, there’s bound to be something in the directory that will tickle your fancy. After all, one can truly never have “too many” apps.

Well, Lifehacker’s other many inspirational tips await -- so what are you waiting for? With so much motivation and creativity lurking in every corner of the site, there’s bound to be a project you’re itching to try your hand at. Even if it’s something as simple as organizing your desk, a small adjustment can make a big difference in the scheme of things. Don’t be afraid to try new things out, “hacking” areas of your life one piece at a time!

By: Autumn Taylor | Images: Lifehacker

Has Social Media Taken Over Your Life?

These days, a romantic relationship isn’t considered “official” until it’s “Facebook official.” What were once just words on a screen now have a life of their own. Everywhere we go in our daily lives, we see posters and advertisements splattered with logos for social networking sites and hashtag slogans. Whether we want to admit it or not, sites like Twitter, Facebook and any of the other various social media platforms have become a very large part of our lives.

Is this a good thing or a bad thing, though? Something as simple as a text message can be of massive importance to the relationship between two people. A message sent to the wrong person holds the potential to make or break the connection individuals have with one another. Things like texting and social media have become far more than a tool of convenience -- they’re tools of necessity!

It all raises the question: Has social media become too large a part of our lives?

This is something that is subject to much debate. Some people get away with minimal interaction via Facebook, Twitter, etc., but our generation is stuck in something of a tight spot. Since we practically grew up with technology evolving so rapidly around us, it’s almost like we’re expected to be social media-savvy. Hailey, 17, put it very bluntly: “Social media is no longer a part of our lives -- it is our lives.”

Has this affected the way we treat each other in negative ways? Hailey also noted that “communication was much more sincere before social networking sites,” and this is probably true -- to some extent. Before, we didn’t have the option to be wired together so instantaneously like we do now with cell phones and an internet connection. We couldn’t act on random impulses and hit “send” like so many teens and young adults make the mistake of doing. Not a lot of thought is put into these digital interactions, and, as a result, interpersonal relationships have suffered accordingly.

Another thing to keep in mind about social networking sites is the position of vulnerability it places its users in if they’re not careful about privacy settings. Kevin, 20, gave some food for thought: “Putting something on Facebook can change not just the way future employers look at you, but also colleges.” One doesn’t need to search very far on the internet to encounter tales of social media gone sour. All it takes is one photo of an underage individual at a party with copious amounts of alcohol to land in trouble. However, there is an easy fix for this problem -- simply don’t take pictures, or keep an eye on who sees what when it comes to your pages.

“Everything is circumstantial,” Hailey said. “If I don’t want my business posted on Facebook, I know not to post about it ... social networking sites have given us the power to be as private or as public as we need to be.”

Of course, a great deal of good can come out of networking sites as well. Before our time, something like FaceTime or Skype would have seemed like an impossible feat of technology. Now, it’s so commonplace that we aren’t at all marveled by the idea of being able to talk to someone “face to face” even though you’re miles away!

Charles, 18, brought up a good point about the barrier our digital mediums put between us, and how this can sometimes be a good thing. “People are emboldened by non-face-to-face conversation,” he said. “They will say things they normally wouldn’t and this can actually be positive. For example, I have anxiety when talking to certain people in person, but texts and messages make it much more comfortable.”

Hailey sees social media in a positive light when it comes to keeping up with family members who she can’t see very often due to long distance. “I can see pictures of my little cousin that lives four hours away walking for the first time, when I wouldn’t have even been able to keep up with her age previously.” So, social media definitely has the potential to be very beneficial when there is distance between two people and there just isn’t enough time in the day to make room for a phone call. By updating statuses/uploading photos or tweeting about things, it allows everyone you’re connected with to keep up with your life, and vice versa.

Because there are so many nifty gadgets out there for phones/computers, social media can be utilized to accomplish small productivity tasks. Kevin said that “Facebook helps [him] schedule things, especially in college ... it helps me keep up with events because I check it frequently.” There are many small things that these sites are capable of that start off as comforts and quickly become requirements, primarily due to social media’s addictive nature.

No matter what you think of social media sites and networking in general, one thing is for sure: It has definitely become a part of our world now. Luckily, humans are very adaptable creatures and with the invention of the next biggest thing will come a new era that we will morph our lives to fit into. For better or for worse, for Twitter or for Facebook, we are living in a world more connected to each other than we have ever known.

By: Autumn Taylor | Image: 1, 2, 3

Back to School: How to Organize Your Laptop

We all know that keeping things organized during the school year is tough. This goes for every aspect of our lives. However, too often we will let our digital files get wildly out of control. With virtually everything in class these days happening on our computers, we don’t truly realize how easy it is to lose track of files until we’re scrambling at the very last moment to find them amongst a sea of documents.

So, what’s an unorganized college girl to do? It’s hard enough keeping things together in a dorm or on a desk, so the task may seem daunting at first. Luckily, there are tons of things to do to prevent technological disarray. Here’s how to fix digital organization problems -- and even prevent them from happening!

This is done most easily if you’ve bought a new computer for the new school year. That way, you can train yourself to organize while you create new documents, so the problem never occurs. If you’re already in a bind with file overload, no worries. Old dogs can, indeed, learn new tricks. But first thing’s first: make folders. It doesn’t matter how you remember things and keep them separate -- just make sure you do. The most common problem is having files from different categories mixed together. How can you expect to find your American Literature midterm in the middle of your iTunes shopping spree? Last time I checked, Justin Bieber and F. Scott Fitzgerald don’t have too much in common ... so just make folders for everything individually.

The next step is ... you guessed it! More folders. Now, you don’t have to have sub-sub-sub-folders for things, but if you have a lot of things, you’ll be needing to keep everything separate. Make a folder for your assignments for both the spring and fall semester, and separate those from your assignments the subsequent year. If you can, get rid of unnecessary files each time you have a new term, unless you have super important notes you can use in the future, or you just want to be able to refer back to some of your old essays. “Getting rid of” doesn’t have to mean deletion, either.

A very wise investment for college would be a portable hard drive. These are especially helpful for backing up all of your files in general, as well. You never know when surfing on an unsecure network at the local coffee shop could end up giving your computer a nasty virus that requires you to restore your entire system to factory settings. Back up as often as you can so you won’t lose precious documents. Having a portable hard drive makes this extremely easy and also allows you to delete old, useless files and free up space all while keeping them on the side.

Try not to throw too many junk files in with your important ones. You may end up with the same situation you started with if you do this. If you absolutely have to save every list you saw on a random site or a document full of Chanel quotes, make yet another folder specifically for your random antics. Just always know exactly where everything belongs, and group together things by their similarities so it makes finding them easier.

Last but not least is the importance of naming your files as specifically as possible. Sure, “theater hw” may be an acceptable name to you the first week of school, but after stacks and stacks of “theater hw1” and “theater hw2” you may grow weary of the vagueness you allot to your files. Make sure there will be no doubt in your mind about what’s inside of each file or document. Give it a definitive title, a tag, and even a date, if possible. That way, you’ll never be confused about what you’re clicking on. While it may seem a drag to type out so much for a simple name, you’ll be thanking yourself later. After all, your computer is your friend!

Tackling an organization task like managing your digital files may seem scary at first, but the thing to keep in mind is yourself. What works for you? What can you do to make things easiest for you? With these questions in mind and the advice above about taking on the job, you should be well on your way to having complete and total control over the organization of all of your digital data.

By: Autumn Taylor | Images: Weheartit

Five Reasons College Girls Should Love Adobe Photoshop

The term ‘photoshopped’ is as common as ‘googling’ these days, but the most powerful photo editing software sometimes gets a bad rap for its presence in media manipulation. Of course, Photoshop isn’t all about slimming down the love handles on celebrities gracing magazine covers -- it can do virtually anything you could ever want to do with a digital image!

Some of the more powerful features of Photoshop can only be utilized after much trial and error or through web tutorials -- but there also are plenty of tools that even the newest Photoshop user can master! The first thing you should do is get the latest version of Photoshop and download it for a 30-day trial. That way you don’t have to spend hundreds of bucks to try out the great features of Photoshop. You also can decide whether or not you want to start saving your money to buy the program once you see all of the cool things you can do! Here are just a few things that even the most technologically-impaired college girl can pull off with Photoshop.

1. Color Splash

The Color Splash effect is one of the most popular in photography, and it’s made super simple with Photoshop. There are a ton of different ways to achieve this effect, but this is just an easy way to get that pop of color in a black and white photo. The first thing you’re going to do is make a duplicate layer of the image you want to edit. That duplicate layer is the one we’re going to be playing around with. All you have to do to turn the image into black and white is go to Image > Adjustments > Black & White and hit OK. After that, you’ll see the image in black and white. What we’re going to do is simply erase the areas on the duplicate that we want in color. So, using the Eraser tool (E) with a soft, round brush, erase the areas you want to show up in color. With that, you should have pops of color amidst your black and white photo -- making for a lovely eye-catching effect!

2. Clone Stamp Tool

With the Clone Stamp Tool (S), you can get rid of anything unwanted with the texture you already have on screen! This can be used to soften blemishes or as demonstrated in my photo, clean up backgrounds. Here I’ve gotten rid of some railings in the background and replaced them with the tree textures. When using the clone stamp, you alt+click on an area and then click at the angle and distance you want the stamp to apply to the area. You can then brush away entire areas to match the background! This is really easy to do with trees, in my opinion, because their leaves create so many patterns and textures that it’s easy to imitate and not look repetitive. There are many other creative ways to use the clone stamp, though -- as with every tool in Photoshop.

3. Filters

Filters in Photoshop are super fun and super easy to use! All you have to do is go to the Filter Gallery under Filter > Filter Gallery, and you’re presented with a bunch of great, creative filters to apply to your photo. You can make your picture look like it was drawn in charcoal or painted in watercolor -- even make it look like stained glass! The filters have lots of great effects and a ton to bring to your images.

4. Fixing Blemishes

It’s super easy to make a quick fix for blemishes with Photoshop. The only tools you’re going to need are the Zoom Tool (Z), Eyedropper (I) and Paint Brush (B). After you’ve brought up your image in Photoshop, you’ll need to make a new layer on top of the image. In the layer widget, it will be a button on the bottom that says ‘Create a new layer.’ Once you’ve done that, bring the opacity of the layer down to about 70 or 60 percent with the slider at the top of the layer widget. Go ahead and set your brush tool’s opacity down to 40 percent while you’re at it. Then, all you have to do is use the eyedropper to pick up your desired shade of digital concealer, and use the soft round brush to even out your skin! It’s almost like using makeup, but it’s all on the computer. If the intensity of the layer is too much, just bring the opacity down a notch and you should be good to go!

5. Using Photoshop Actions

Because you probably haven’t gotten the hang of editing photos just yet, it’s great to start out with Photoshop Actions. You can view the actions bar when you go to Window > Actions (or alt+F9) and check out some of the most basic actions Photoshop gives you. Quite a few actions are available on the internet for free; for example, DeviantArt hosts some really great actions for download. Most artists like their work to be credited, so always make sure when you post your edited photo on the internet that you give credit to the person who made the action! (The action I used in the example is Photoshop Action 15 by ~miss-etikate on DeviantArt.) After you’ve opened up the action window, all you do is click the little play button and there you have it!

Keep in mind that these nifty ideas are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all that Photoshop has to offer. However, these are a great start for the casual photo editor just looking to play around with their 30-day Photoshop trial. They’re basic but powerful how-to’s that will take your photos a long way from the plain and boring! If you find yourself loving all of the things Photoshop can do for you, it might be wise to invest in the full version. It’s pricey, but you can often get great student discounts -- and if you’re in a field that calls for it, or even just an avid photo hobbyist, it’s one of the best purchases you’ll ever make!

By: Autumn Taylor | Weheartit, Autumn Taylor

Back to School: How to Spice Up Your Desktop

These days, our computers are our best friends -- there’s no doubt about that. It’s likely that we’ll spend hours browsing the web or typing away at an essay for class every day. However, with so much time being spent on our computers, looking at the same thing over and over again can start to get really boring. This is why it’s so much fun to do tons of different things to spice up the look of our desktop -- all just by switching our wallpaper!

Our desktop wallpaper can emit a soothing mood to relax us while we prepare for hours of study; it can reflect our style and serve as a visual inspiration booster in times of need. Of course, there are tons of wallpapers available on the internet -- some of them lacking in quality. Here, you’ll find some of the most trustworthy sites out there, all with the best quality wallpapers you can find. The images are crisp and clean and most of all, diverse enough for every taste!

HDWallpapers.net provides, as the domain name suggests, high-quality HD wallpapers in some different categories. While the categories are diverse, there isn’t a huge number of wallpapers to choose from. However, within the categories that the site does provide, the photos are outstanding. Every one of the images is very crisp and a real treat to the eye. My favorite categories to browse through are Animals, Nature & Landscapes and Travel sections. Of course, the Cars section has some top-notch images -- if automobiles are your thing, this site is the place to be!

InterfaceLIFT is an absolute must for those looking for a spectacular nature/landscape wallpaper for their desktop. The site has some very useful tools for filtering through different screen dimensions, and even provides some mobile options (iPad and iPhone). The images are breathtaking on this site, and they feature some of the most beautiful scenery in the whole world. The high-quality images also allow their beauty to be appreciated on any sized screen.

Whatever you’re looking for, Wallbase is bound to have it. There are a few images that aren’t as high-quality as others, but for the most part, the wallpapers are phenomenal. There are quite a few anime and game wallpapers available, as well as plenty of other options. Not much more can be said about Wallbase -- it’s got pretty much everything out there all while looking great.

Flickr is always a wonderful resource for great photos. If you know where to look, it can provide some really great desktop wallpapers, too! All you need to do is find a wallpaper group where members pool together their own images to contribute to the whole. Here and here are some of the largest wallpaper groups on Flickr to find whatever might suit your fancy. The greatest thing about it is the fact that the photos are shot by individuals using the site, so a lot of the images are super unique, and there might not be another one like it out there!

Last but not least is DeviantArt. It isn’t just a mecca for amazing artists. Well -- it is, but that only makes for some really special wallpapers. Whether it’s traditional, digital, photography or any other method you can imagine, there’s a style for everyone. DeviantArt has a section for user-made wallpapers, and all of them are the best of the best in their respective categories. Perhaps it’s because I’m very fond of the Science Fiction category, but DeviantArt is undoubtedly one of the best places to check out when looking for the perfect wallpaper.

The internet is full of fantastic images, and new content is being created every day. These are only some of the best sites to start your wallpaper collection. No matter what you’re trying to accomplish with your desktop background, there is an image to help you do it. Don’t be bored with your computer any longer -- grab some cool, new wallpapers, and bring some excitement back into your digital life!

By: Autumn Taylor | Images: Weheartit, listed sites

How to Make Your Computer's Desktop Clutter-Free

A cluttered desktop is an eyesore ... that’s all there is to it. Tons of different icons clumped to the left side of the screen, widgets that may or may not work ... all of this makes dealing with our desktops pretty miserable. Luckily, there is an elegant desktop customization tool that can help you optimize its usage all while looking pretty! Enter: Rainmeter. It hardly takes up any disk space while it runs, so it won’t hog up your memory. You download “skins,” which change the look of your desktop as well as provide some nifty tools for you to take advantage of! Here’s a brief look at some of the program’s potential and all of the things that will really give your desktop that “wow” factor.

First off, for those who aren’t as computer-savvy, all of the options that Rainmeter brings to the table may seem a tad overwhelming. This shouldn’t be a cause for worry, though -- most Rainmeter skins you download will come with a “read me” document that explains how to use it. The Rainmeter site also provides some support, along with one of the most useful inventions ever: the forums. If you need any pointers, the forums will likely have an answer to any questions you may have. With that in mind, let’s check out some of the neat things you can do with Rainmeter!

Here’s an example of a desktop loaded with some skins. There’s the ever-so-useful Circular theme that has some great icons for the most commonly used programs, among others. It all depends on what you want out of your desktop and what the tools from Rainmeter can provide for you. There are minimalist-themed skins for those who want a simple and elegant look, and there are skins with every type of gauge and monitor known to man -- again, it all depends on what you want!

There are tons of places on the Internet to get your hands on some great skins, but my personal favorites are customize.org and from DeviantArt’s Rainmeter community. Always be careful of downloading files from sites you don’t know! The curated group on DeviantArt is good about only having safe files, and the more popular skins on customize.org are pretty safe grounds -- always be sure to read the comments, though! If there are ever any comments disabled on a page with a download, exit out of the page immediately and go somewhere else! (This is Internet 101, Rainmeter skins aside.)

This is a closer look at some gadgets that you can utilize with Rainmeter skins -- here, CPU monitors are shown. Skins will very often have some type of gauge or something similar to show CPU activity. This is useful to help you pay attention to just how hard your computer is working and how much free memory you have to open more programs and run them efficiently! This will, of course, vary from computer to computer, as they all have different specs that make them act differently. Either way, some nice-looking CPU monitors are a nice skin to have!

I can never tell how much battery life my computer has just from looking at the little picture in the corner of my screen, and sometimes it seems like a hassle to hover over the icon to tell. For that very reason, a battery display is a super useful thing to have in a skin. With Rainmeter, it’s all a matter of convenience (if that’s what you want). There also are some more decorative aspects of skins that you may or may not enjoy. The glowing Skyrim dragon writing isn’t really all that functional, but it sure looks good. Keep in mind that you can find skins that suit both your practical and aesthetic needs -- for example, the lovely music player at the top of the screen! You can find some really great music players that you can access straight from your desktop, without ever opening iTunes or Windows Media Player.

You also can decorate your desktop with pretty clocks and great-looking icons that make everything look more put-together and streamlined. For more advanced users, you can even go in and edit the skins yourself -- whether it be changing the path an icon or button takes you to or making a new icon altogether. Most of these skins will have text within the code that will tell you what to mess with and what to leave alone so you won’t be at risk of messing up the skin altogether. The options really are endless.

Don’t worry if hands-on customization like editing code isn’t your thing -- Rainmeter and the vast majority of skins are set up to be extremely user-friendly. Also, remember that there is bound to be a skin with anything you’re looking for. There are skins that can load your Facebook status, search Google right from your desktop, display an RSS feed, manage your social media ... the list could go on forever! The best way to do it is to just jump in headfirst and have fun playing around. If things don’t go well, it doesn’t take but a minute to load your old icons from the recycle bin and turn off Rainmeter -- changing things right back to the way they were. However, after you’ve seen all of the possibilities with Rainmeter, you’re never going to want to go back.

By: Autumn Taylor

Tumblr's Best Blogs: CG's Top 6 Picks

There are a billion different ways to kill time on the internet. With so many varied social media outlets literally right at our fingertips, there’s always something new and interesting to find on the web. Tumblr is one of the hottest blogging sites right now, and the tumblelogs found there come in every shape and style to suit everyone’s interests. Here are some of the hottest Tumblr accounts to follow and enjoy!

Inspiration: “For Now Just Carry On”

This beautiful Tumblr is full of inspirational photos and quotes to put a spring back in your step and brighten your day. It’s also a place where people can talk to someone if needed. The owner is a suicide survivor and an advocate for those who feel like they have no one to turn to and need someone safe and encouraging to talk to give them a little inspiration. Just reading some of the responses to people’s questions and thoughts is an inspiration in itself!

Fashion: “Eva Chen”

If you’re really into fashion, there’s no way you haven’t heard of Eva Chen. She’s the Beauty Director of Teen Vogue and has a style that is to die for. Her Tumblr features some of her own personal photos to document her rad style as well as photos from editorials and fashion shows, among others. Scrolling through her blog is like watching The Devil Wears Prada -- it’s getting a glimpse into the inside of the fashion world, and believe me, Eva makes it look fabulous.

Geek: “iHeartGeek”

It’s geek galore on this “adorkable” Tumblr page dedicated to anything and everything geeky. From Pokemon to Star Wars and cosplay to zombies, this is the place to find pictures of geeky things, as well as pictures of people doing geeky things. There are links to geek-tastic products and humorous images perfect for reblogging -- there really can never be enough geek to go around, in my opinion.

Photography: “Sabino”

Be forewarned, because of the artistic nature of this Tumblr, some of the photos are NSFW -- but every single one of them will leave you absolutely breathless. Each one of the photos posted on this Tumblr work together so coherently to create this delicate air that permeates the mood of every photo. It’s a gorgeous blog with ethereal photography that will have you hitting the reblog button every time you scroll down.

Humor: “#whatshouldwecallme”

Simply one of the best on the internet, period. #whatshouldwecallme is a collection of hilarious .gif images accompanied by entirely relatable captions. We can’t help but laugh at every one of them ... otherwise, we might cry. The only warning that comes with this Tumblr is the fact that you are guaranteed to spend way too much time scrolling through the hilarious images. If you want to know more about #whatshouldwecallme, you should check out our “On the Web” post featuring it!

Extra Dose of Cuteness: “Daily Bunny”

Of course, no trip to Tumblr would be complete without a little bit of cuteness to have you going “awww” for the rest of the day. As the title suggests, The Daily Bunny posts a cute photo of a bunny every day. Not much more needs to be said about the preciousness that is The Daily Bunny. Go ahead, giggle away at photos of adorable bunnies.

These fantastic Tumblr accounts are only a few of the tumblelogs you can follow with amazing content. Just think of Tumblr as a convergence of everything great there is to find on the internet, all in one place. If you thought Twitter and Facebook already had all of your time consumed sitting in front of your laptop or smart phone, think again. Tumblr will be sure to consume some space in your schedule.

By: Autumn Taylor | Images: Weheartit, listed Tumblr sites

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