René O'Deay gBlog

UPDATE: Warning! If you go the PhotoshopExpress site, it will tell you you need FLashPlayer 9. Don't download it from Photoshop Express! All your flashplayers will disappear. You will not be able to view any flash on websites, etc.
And to top that off, the Adobe site where you get the downloads/upgrades, won't let you get the earlier versions!
You can successfully get the new flashplayer by following instructions for uninstall and install from the Adobe site, remeber to run Repair Permissions between each operation.

By AMANDA FEHD, Associated Press Writer Thu Mar 27, 9:45 AM ET
SAN FRANCISCO - The maker of the popular photo-editing software Photoshop on Thursday launched a basic version available for free online.
San Jose, Calif.-based Adobe Systems Inc. says it hopes to boost its name recognition among a new generation of consumers who edit, store and share photos online.
While Photoshop is designed for trained professionals, Adobe says Photoshop Express, which it launched in a "beta" test version, is easier to learn. User comments will be taken into account for future upgrades.

Source: news.yahoo.com via René

Tags: beta | San Francisco | San Jose | Adobe | easier | express | LAUNCHES | online | photoshop | professionals | Tech & Biz | Technology | thursday | user | version | Web

Here's an offer to win a free LapTop without filling out endless surveys. All you have to do is blog about it. Like this example provided:

Big Giveaway, Real Prize: RuffBook Water Resistant Laptop! ~ The Thinking Blog ~ Knowledge Grows When Shared: "The Thinking Blog is holding a free laptop giveaway and to participate, you just have to write about it! Sponsored by Ruff PC, it is a brand new, rugged, water resistant laptop called RuffBook Tech with magnesium alloy casing built to survive under harsh conditions where ordinary laptops fail. So, this is my entry - now give me the laptop! "

But Ilker has me just wondering if he will update the RuffTop prize with all the microsoft substitutes he lists on his list of great Microsoft Substitutes

The rest of his requirements are posted on the links provided.

More joy. He's got some great sites.

René

Query Tracker - Free Literary Agent Query Tracking Tool:

Welcome to the grand opening of Query Tracker
A Free service which allows authors to find agents and track the status of their query submissions.

Patrick McDonald has just introduced a fabulous new online tool for authors in search of an agent! And it's free!

I just found it last night, joined, and started a search for agents to query about my novel, Sun Child, Prince of Egypt. I am so impressed with its versatility that I had to stop and share it with all my friends and visitors.

If you are an author in search of an agent, this is "Business at the Speed of Thought!"

Besides helping you find an agent who deals in your genre, there are links to their websites, tracking of your queries, more.

And as Patrick himself says in his intro:

Then the real power of this website hit me. With all this information, and with enough users on the site and contributing, we could take a lot of the guess work out of query writing. What if you could see samples of the last ten queries which a given agent had read and liked? What if every user posted his or her query letters, then linked them to the agent where they were sent and indicated what response, if any, the letter received? With this information it would be possible to see the types of queries the agent liked, and either modify your letter accordingly, or move on to a different agent who has shown interest in work like yours. Now, I felt I was on to something. I hadn’t been this excited since the first time I wrote, “The End.”

So, the more users the better for everyone. Information shared can help skyrocket the success of authors' queries.
Personally I'm thrilled. I was not looking forward to searching for an agent, but this tool will take much of the pain out of the effort.

Check it out, boys and girls, I think you will be as thrilled as I am.

René