Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 2 i Photoshop Elements The Complete Manual

One-click Power Although this mode is designed to be quick and simple to use, it is still a powerful method to rapidly improve your photos with easy one-click presets that give you instant feedback on how your image will look with the new adjustments applied. There are many filters to choose from and many ways you can adjust your image to make it perfect, so you can share it with the world. 1 The File Menu Although a number of file menu option will not be accessible, the main ones that you need will be available. All the Enhance options are there as well as the Filter Gallery presets. 2 Mode Selector Here can you can exit the current mode and choose to enter the Guided or Expert modes. 3 The Open Button…

In the Raw Adobe Photoshop Elements 2018 comes with Adobe Camera Raw supplied. It is more usually referred to as ACR and lets you process Raw files from digital cameras as the first step of your digital photo processing workflow; but you don't have to stop there. You can process your Raw file and then continue to work with it in the Photo Editor in either the Quick or Expert editing modes. It is easy to get started. Let’s take a look at the ACR interface, see what it has to offer, and also how it can integrate with the Elements Photo Editor to help you get more out of your favourite photos. 1 Zoom Tool A standard zoom in and zoom out tool that lets you view your image…

Find it Use Elements Organiser to organise and share your photos and media files. You can view thumbnails of all your favourite images and media you’ve imported. You can view a large thumbnail of a single media file or smaller thumbnails of many media files. You can fix the most common problems in the media files by using the tools in the Instant Fix tab of the Task panel. 1 The File Menu The File menu options appear in the top left of the menu bar. These are the basic methods for interacting with the program, managing your catalogues and finding, tagging and viewing all of your media files. 2 The Import Button From the drop-down menu, you can choose to import photos from various files and folders on your…

1 Click on the People tab to open the workspace for tagging faces. Just like the main Media view, you can view the contents of selected folders or click the All People button for a view of every face that has been found in your entire catalogue of images; this includes those in the UnNamed category. 2 The view you are presented with is a thumbnail portrait of each individual face that has been identified. Below the thumbnail are the words Add Name followed by a number. The number represents how many pictures of that person have been found. 3 If you hover your cursor over any given thumbnail, it displays two options. One shows all the complete photos of that person and the other just shows a small thumbnail…

1 Open your photo by going to File > Open and navigating to where your primary photo is kept and either double-click the image or select it and press the Open button. 2 Go to Enhance > Open Closed Eyes and you will see the Open Closed Eyes dialog box. Here you can choose your Eye Source to open your subjects eyes with. 3 Just in case, there is a small selection that you can try straight away, with two female and two male sets of sample eyes, on your photo. 4 For best results, find a photo that roughly matches the lighting and colours of your original photo. You can select Choose from > Computer and locate a suitable image. 5 When you have found a likely candidate, double-click…

1 In the Guided workspace, you will find Photomerge Panorama under the Photomerge category. Place the sequence of panoramic photos you want in the Photo Bin. 2 Make sure all your photos are selected and choose the type of setting you want. In nearly all cases, the Auto Panorama settings is fine for standard photos. 3 Make sure the Blend Images Together and Vignette Removal boxes are ticked. If you want to fill transparent areas then choose Content Aware Fill Transparent Areas. 4 Now you can click the Create Panorama button and the stitching process will begin. Note that Expert mode is used to stitch your images. 5 Once Expert mode has stitched the images and filled any transparent areas, it returns you to the Guided page to save it or…

1 The B&W Color Pop edit is found in the Black & White section. Open a photo that you want to add the effect to and then click on the B&W Color Pop icon to proceed. 2 You can click on one of four presets or of you prefer, click on the Select Custom Color button and pick the most dominant colour you want to remain untouched in your photo. 3 Then, if you increase the Fuzziness value, more colours similar to the one chosen will become visible again while the rest remains in black and white. 4 You can then use the Refine Effect buttons to bring back more areas to colour using the Add tool, or remove them using the Subtract tool. 5 The Size and Opacity sliders dictate size of the…

Quick Mode 1 We start in the Quick mode workspace with a sunrise image of a pier that is in need of some work to make it look its best. The first thing to do is remove that large black spot in the top right corner: probably a bit of mud stuck to the lens, currently spoiling the shot. 2 To remove such a blemish, you can go to the toolbar and choose the Spot Healing Brush Tool (J). When you choose this tool, the Tool Option panel displays Spot Healing Brush options. You can choose Spot Healing Brush or Healing Brush to remove the spot. 3 The main difference between the two brushes is that the Spot Healing Brush lets you paint directly over the blemish and then works out what…

Rectangular Marquee 1 This tool lets you make selections of square or rectangular areas of your image. In addition to making the selection, you can add to it, subtract from it and intersect with it. You can make selections of a fixed size, fixed ratio or normal aspects. You can also feather and refine the edge. Elliptical Marquee 2 The Elliptical Marquee tool behaves in the same way as the Rectangular Marquee tool and has the same tool options available. You can make circular and elliptical selections of any size or proportion. If you hold the Alt key, you can centre your ellipse over the cursor position. Lasso 3 The Lasso tool can be used to make area selections from your image or active layer. The shapes you select with the Lasso tool…

1 The Spot Healing Brush is great at removing dust spots from photos and is also great for removing spots from humans too. If you have a portrait and the subject has some unwanted blemishes, you can use the Spot Healing Brush to click on the spot and it will use nearby pixels to fill the area. 2 You can choose between Proximity match, Create Texture and Content Aware. For most of your subjects, you may find that you are switching between Proximity Match and Content Aware. You can adjust the brush size for smaller spots. With care, most blemishes and wrinkles can be removed easily. 3 The Healing Brush is an older version of the Spot Healing Brush. It requires you to specify a sample point of a similar clean texture which…

1 The Blur Tool (R) is a fairly self-explanatory tool for adding blur to specific areas of a photo. You can choose a brush type and alter its Size and Strength values for a subtle or intense blurring of your subject. 2 The Sharpen Tool (R) uses a brush tool to apply sharpening to your image. Like the Blur Tool, it is a more targeted method of adding sharpness to a photo. Choose your brush type and alter the Size and Strength values to get the desired effect. 3 Approach sharpening with caution since it is very easy to overdo it and ruin an image with over sharpening. Make sure the Protect Detail button is ticked and begin to apply the sharpening effect. 4 The Smudge Tool (R) can be used to smear the…

1 Much like its real world counterpart, the Eraser Tool (E) removes pixels from your image. Whatever colour you have chosen as the background will be used to erase pixel data from the photo as if it were a solid coloured brush. You can also set the Size and Opacity of the eraser. 2 If the photo is on a layer, then erasing pixels will reveal transparent areas instead. Again, if you alter the Size and Opacity of the Eraser Tool, those transparent areas can either be fully transparent or partially transparent, depending on brush opacity settings. 3 The Background Eraser Tool (E) is a useful one for targeted removal of certain parts of an image. It behaves a little like the Colour Replacement Tool but in this case, any pixel colour beneath…

1 Choose from a number of predefined shapes and add them as vector shapes on a new layer. Choose their colour and Layer Style from the Style picker. You can also choose whether they are of fixed size or unconstrained and if you add to a shape or subtract from it. 2 Once you have chosen your settings, you can draw out the shape on your photo. You can click and drag from the corner outwards or choose From Centre to draw the shape out from the cursor position. The shape will fill with your chosen colour when you let the mouse button go.…

1 The Recompose Tool (W) uses content aware scaling technology to let you scale images to a different proportion, but only scale areas with no detail. You can also select areas to remain untouched by the scaling process for a much better final result. 2 Here is an example of a rally car with a lot of empty space to the right. It could be cropped but this image provides a good excuse to try the Recompose Tool. The options panel displays a number of tools to help you with the scaling process. 3 You can use the Mark For Protection brush to highlight areas that you want kept intact and untouched during the scaling process. Similarly, you can also make areas that you want removed. You can adjust brush Size and Threshold…

Welcome to the launch issue of Tech Shopper Magazine. In this new publication from Papercut Ltd, our team of technology experts combine their many, MANY years of experience to craft the ultimate buyers guide that covers all major formats. In this first issue, we take an in-depth look at all sorts of gadgets and gismos for your Apple gear. If it’s a head turner, for good or bad reasons and is compatible with a Windows, Android, Samsung, iPhone, iPad or Mac, we’ve covered it inside. In fact, this magazine is 100% reviews and previews as we devote the whole magazine to covering the latest software, add-ons and more. And we haven’t neglected software either. We cover a wide range of apps and games for all your tech gear. In the…

This wireless charger powers three of your Apple devices at once. The vertical stand on the left holds – and charges – your Apple Watch. The charger is built-in. You don’t have to use the one that came with your watch like you do with some charging stands, so you can keep that for travel. In front of it is a recessed area where you place your AirPods (2nd gen or Pro). On the right of the unit is a regular wireless charger for your smartphone, as long as it’s wireless-charging compatible. Three chargers in one. Unfortunately, there’s no USB port around the back for cabled charging. The charger is available in both black and white. The black model has a premium Ultrasuede fabric finish, while the white one boasts…

You can’t fault the price. For less than 60 notes, the Kami Indoor 360 Smart-Home Camera offers 340° rotation and 90° tilt, dual band wi-fi, two-way audio, night vision and 1080p high definition recording. It’s not at the expense of quality either. It’s robust and stylish, with an understated profile that sits discreetly wherever you wish to position it; and its recordings are sharp and smooth. It has to be used indoors, of course. The camera is not weatherproof or waterproof, so it cannot be set up outside. It has to be reasonably close to a plug socket too. A long USB lead is supplied so you can power it from the mains plug provided or a computer’s USB port but there’s no battery option. The Kami Indoor 360 Smart-Home…

Your brand-new smartphone might well be the pinnacle of mobile phone gaming but is your controller up to speed? Do you even have a controller? If not, this amazing, pocket-sized add-on could be just what you’re looking for. The Kishi folds down when not in use for easy storage and portability. When opened up it stretches out to accommodate smartphones of all sizes. A Lightning connector plugs into your phone and a through-port lets you plug in your Lightning cable and charge while you play. There’s no need to cut your gaming short because your smartphone’s battery is almost drained. There’s a free app too but this is just for firmware updates and information; there’s no heavy setting up to do. Its comprehensive control set will prove familiar to anyone…

If you remember the review we did of the devolo Magic 2 Wi-Fi Starter Kit back in Issue 2, you know that powerline adapters are a great way of extending the reach of your cabled and wireless network using your house’s electrical wiring. A powerline setup consists of at least two plugs, which fit in your household mains sockets. By connecting one of them to your router using a supplied Ethernet cable and plugging the other into any mains socket in the house, you create a cabled connection between your router and the second adapter. This unit can offer a wireless access point for your network, Ethernet ports for cabled connectivity, or both. devolo’s Magic 2 LAN Triple powerline adapter starter set doesn’t offer Wi-Fi access, but it does have…

Back in the day, you could gather your snaps in the Photos app, design a calendar, a book, greetings cards and more; and order them in print directly from Apple. You can’t do this any more but several third-party services have stepped in to fill the gap. Motif is one such service. Using the free Motif app for your Mac, iPhone or tablet, you can use your photos to create exciting books and calendars directly from your Apple device. On a Mac you can also create and order greetings cards but this feature has yet to make it to the mobile apps. Your pictures are curated automatically so your favourite memories and pictures are easily to hand; and it’s easy to make impressive, professional-looking designs. There are ready-made templates and…

Now here’s a useful app to have on your phone. It can translate typed text into and out of 103 languages, as long as you've got an Internet connection. If you're offline, it can still translate 59 languages. If your typing finger is getting tired, you can simply point your smartphone’s camera at a piece of text and translate it between 90 languages, or 50 languages at a higher quality if you use a photo. It can handle 95 languages using handwriting recognition and translate conversations in 43 languages. You can save translated words and phrases for future reference too. Naturally, it caters for all widely spoken European languages. It’s a real boon for travellers. Not only can it make communication easier, if you're confused by signage or instructions, just…

If you've played the original Life is Strange, you'll be instantly at home with this sequel. The game mechanic hasn't changed; it’s still a narrative-driven graphic adventure with the story interrupted – and guided – by regular multiple-choice options. These choices define the path the storyline takes and directly affect how it plays out. Like the first game, it’s episodic, with the story split into five, self-contained chapters. However, this Mac version bundles all five together; we don't have to keep waiting for the next one to be released, as did console and PC gamers when it came out on those formats. It features a protagonist with a supernatural ability too. But for all its similarities, there’s plenty that’s new here too. The title no longer centres on college girl…

This is more than just a racing game. It’s an entire online community. Three years in the making, the multiplayer-focused Street Kart Racing lets you race with other kart drivers from 60 different countries and keep up with the latest goings-on in a very well populated Facebook group dedicated to the game. Just the thing if you’re a competitive racer who likes going up against human beings rather than AI drivers. That’s not to say you can’t race computer-controlled opponents, though. You build your career by racing them in Cadet Karts. It’s not for the faint-hearted. Street Kart Racing is a serious simulation game designed with the help of professional kart racers to be as realistic as possible. Don’t expect to drop bananas on the track or fling turtle shells…

Adobe Photoshop Elements is a great option for those who want an extensive toolset that can take on most of their image editing needs, without the requirement of highly advanced features such as you would find in Photoshop CC. It is also a great choice for those who only need one-click solutions to their image editing needs, or perhaps want to start to learn how to take on the more involved techniques and tools that Elements has to offer. Another big plus point in its favour is that it is one of the very few remaining Adobe products that can be purchased outright, without the need for subscription. A Worthy Alternative There was a time when, in certain quarters, Elements was considered a dumbed-down version of Photoshop with a limited…

1 Category Selector Here can you can select which effect you want to apply to your image. There are six categories of effects to choose from. 2 Basics Contains the Basic effects Brightness and Contrast, Correct Skin Tone, Crop Photo, Levels, Lighten and Darken, Resize Your Photo, Rotate and Straighten, Sharpen and Vignette Effect. 3 Colour This category contains Enhance Colour, Lomo Camera Effect, Remove Colour Cast and Saturated Film Effect. 4 Black & White This section has a number of effects centred around monochrome. Black and White, B&W Colour Pop, B&W Selection, High Key, Line Drawing and Low Key. 5 Fun Edits You can find a lot more creative edits under this category. You have some diverse effects to try out such as Double Exposure, Effects Collage, Meme Maker, Multi-photo Text, Old Fashioned Photo,…

Adobe Photoshop Elements has many oneclick solutions to make your photos look their best but over time you may find the need to dig deeper into the more advanced options that are on offer with the Photo Editor. Many options are presented in the taskbar at the bottom and the panel bar on the right. If you need them however, the File Menu is where you can find all the vital tools. Adobe Photoshop Elements From this menu you can see the About screen and manage any Plug-ins as well as update your Preferences and quit Photoshop Elements. You can also view any legal notices or hide the workspace. File One of the key menus you access at the start and end of a session. You can create new documents,…

9 Full Screen Mode Clicking this button lets you toggle the full screen mode. When you do, no file menus will be visible until you toggle full screen off again. 10 Shadow Clipping Shadow Clipping is there to warn you if any of the darkest tones in your photo become solid black. A blue highlight will appear to warn you which parts of the photo are clipped. 11 The Histogram This is a graphical representation of the distribution of colour and tonal values throughout the image. The amount of tones in any given part of the tonal range are shown as peaks along the length of the histogram. 12 Highlight Clipping This works in the same way as the Shadow Clipping warning. If any of the brightest highlights in the…

1 When you open Elements, you are presented with the Home Screen. Down in the lower right are the programs available to use or to try a free trial. Click on Organiser to activate it and follow any on-screen prompts. 2 There is usually a default catalogue created but you have the option to use the Catalogue Manager to create a custom location for your catalogues. Click the Custom Location and then Browse to the location where you would like to create your custom catalogue. 3 If you are creating a new folder, you can give it a bespoke name and then hit the Create button to make the folder into which your catalogue will be placed. Once you have done that, you can then give a name to your…

1 Click on the Places tab to view the Places workspace. For the moment, you will need to be in the UnPinned category and view all the photos that have yet to have any location data added to them. If you click Group By Time, then they will be displayed in chronological order. 2 If you are using this view, then you can alter the Number Of Groups value displayed in the left hand panel. Moving the slider left and right, increases the numbers of groups on view for more detailed scrutiny or reduces the number for a broader view of all the photos you are viewing. 3 We have opted to tag a specific group of shots taken at a location called Hound Tor. These shots are kept in…

1 Open the Elements Photo Editor, go to File > Open and choose a favourite photo; then go to the Guided workspace. The Partial Sketch effect is under Fun Edits. 2 You have four pencil sketch effects to choose from. Click one to activate the sketch brush. Select Add and use the slider to control its size. 3 Paint across your image to reveal areas you want to be converted to a sketch effect. You can always use the Subtract brush, to remove any sketch areas you don't want. 4 If you want to, you can use the Detail Brush to more precisely paint the sketch effect on or off your photo, controlling the brush size and opacity. 5 An optional effect is to soften any hard edges or flip…

1 In the Guided workspace, the Meme Maker is under the Fun Edits category. Make sure you have a suitably worthy image open and ready to go. 2 We have a funny picture of a monkey sticking his tongue out. The first thing to do is to click the Create Meme Template button to add the basic frame and text. 3 You can type new text using the Type Tool and choose any font from the Tool Options panel in the lower left of the screen. 4 Then you can zoom your photo if required and flip it horizontally or vertically. Then you can choose to add a new border from the options available. 5 You can also add more effects to the resulting image. You can choose from a…

1 The Zoom Burst Effect edit is found in the Fun Edits section. Open a photo that you want to add the effect to and then click on the Zoom Burst image to proceed. 2 The first step is to crop your image so the main subject is in the centre of the shot. The zoom effect will start from the centre so it makes sense to position the image centrally too. 3 Use the crop tool to drag a crop box around your main subject. Our example is of a motorcycle to which we want to add some motion to create a bit more drama. 4 You can then click the Add Zoom Burst button and the effect will be added to the shot. It mimics a photographic effect…

1 Guided Mode is an alternative if you are happy to have less advanced adjustment options available but with more step-by-step guidance to help you on your way to creating the final image. Make sure you have an image open in the Photo Bin ready to work on. 2 The great thing with Guided edits is that you don't have to apply just one edit. We are going to apply several to get the end result we are after. Start with Levels to get the overall brightness of the image dialled in first. Levels can be found in the Basic category. 3 You will be asked to create a Levels adjustment and a dialog panel will appear. Click OK. Since the image has a lot of underexposed dark areas in the foreground, sliding…

Eye Tool 1 Red-eye is caused by light from the flash of a camera reflecting off the blood vessels at the back of the eye when the pupil is wide open. If you happen to find a favourite photo where your subject has red-eye, then it is a simple process to remove it. 2 Click the Eye Tool (Y) and simply click your cursor over the offending redness in the eyes of your subject. The tool will remove the redness and you can alter Pupil Radius and Darken values to make sure the red has been completely removed. It can also be set for Pet Eye as well.…

1 The Smart Brush uses edge-detection to allow you to brush areas of your photo and apply different effects to those areas. When you select the Smart Brush Tool (F) the options panel has an effects picker to let you choose which effect you want to apply to your photo. 2 Choose an effect such as a pencil sketch effect and begin to drag your brush over the image, where you want the effect to be seen. You can change brush size and settings such as hardness and roundness and subtract from the current selection. Choose the Detail Smart Brush for more refined selections.…

1 The Sponge Tool (O) has two Mode settings of Saturate and Desaturate. You can control the Size settings as well as the Flow of the effect you are adding to your image. You can also set the type of brush you want to use to apply the effect. 2 It’s a simple tool for adding targeted saturation or desaturation to the photo. It is recommended to set the Flow of these brushes to about 10%. Then gradually build up the application of colour saturation, the removal of colour entirely or just lessen the vibrance of areas in the photo. 3 Click and drag the Sponge Tool over the areas you selectively wish to Saturate or Desaturate. Continue to brush the areas to increase the amount of the effect you are applying. In…

1 The Paint Bucket Tool (K) allows you to fill areas with solid colours. You can set Opacity, Tolerance and Blend Mode. High or low Tolerance settings mean it will use edge detection to decide which areas can be filled or ignored. 2 You can fill and entire layer, or it can be used to fill specific areas based on what edges it encounters. Our example has a cartoon character on a white background. His outline is quite well-defined so clicking with the paint bucket means the background can easily be filled with a colour. 3 You will notice there is an option for Contiguous fill. If it is ticked, only the nearest neighbouring colours will be filled. If the Contiguous button is unchecked, then all matching colours in the image will be…

3 The Horizontal Type Tool (T) gives you a multitude of text options. Choose your font, its colour and size. You can then type on your document and a new text layer will be added above your photo. The text can be manipulated and bent into a curve or other shapes for creative effects. 4 You also have vertical text options, text for masking and the ability to fit typed text to a shape or path. Our example shows a butterfly’s outline with sample text following the outline of that shape.…

1 the Content Aware Move Tool (Q) uses similar technology to the Recompose Tool but in this case it lets you move an object in your photo and place it elsewhere in the shot and blends it back in and fills the original gap left by the subject. 2 The options panel gives you some simple tool parameters. You will need to draw a selection around the object in the photo you wish to move. You can add or subtract from the selection you've made by using the New, Add, Subtract and Intersect options provided. 3 With the tool active, you can draw around the subject that is going to be moved. Be aware that areas with complex content can be a challenge and the area you move your subject to needs to…

groov-e SportBuds groov-e, www.groov-e.co.uk Price: £39.99/$49.99/43,99 € Do you like to watch videos or listen to music on your tablet while using your cross trainer, exercise bike or other such workout equipment? These sporting true wireless earbuds from groov-e feature an ear hook design to keep them in place while you work out and are rated IPX4 sweat resistant. Their carry case is a 1800 mAh Power Bank which lets you charge other mobile equipment as well as your earbuds. They’re a great price too. Kanex MultiSync Aluminum Keyboard Kanex, www.kanex.com Price: £59.95/$59.95/59.95 € Like Apple’s own desktop keyboards, this one’s made of aluminium but unlike Apple keyboards, it can sync with up to three Bluetooth devices and switch between them at the touch of a button. Just the thing…

Unlike most of AVM’s range of wireless routers, the FRITZ!Box 4060 lacks a built-in modem. This means regardless of how your network interacts with the Internet, you can use the 4060 by connecting it to your existing modem, which was probably supplied by your ISP. Whatever your type of Internet connection (be it ADSL, fibre, cable or mobile data), even if your Internet Service Provider forces you to use their own modem hardware, you can switch off the router section of your ISP-supplied device and connect the FRITZ!Box 4060 instead. But what advantages does this bring? As you’d expect, the router’s wireless capabilities include compatibility with the new Wi-Fi 6 protocol, which gives faster speeds, and is much better at dealing with multiple, simultaneous connections. If you’re working on your…

Twelve South has a reputation for making excellent Apple peripherals that are both useful and decorative. Unfortunately, TimePorter is not such a device. An accessory travel case and charging stand for your Apple Watch, TimePorter is the same size and shape as a spectacle case but with a hole on the top for you to fit your watch’s charging cable. You have to supply your own – there’s no Apple Watch cable in the box. So what you’re left with is a metal case with space for your spare watch bands and a rubber interior frame for wrapping your charger. Is this enough to justify the price? Not really. You could just as easily keep your cable and watch straps in a real spectacle case (who doesn’t have a spare?)…

If you’re lucky enough to have a FRITZ! Box router with DECT compatibility, you can connect up to six wireless phones and position them anywhere in the house. They connect to the phone line through your router, so they don’t need to be plugged into a telephone socket. FRITZ!Fon C6 is such a phone and it’s had an impressive makeover. The body of the phone is pleasingly ergonomic and although it’s pretty minimalist in design, a clever interface makes it easy to access its unique features such as Internet radio, answer machine, email, podcasts, RSS feeds and even a baby monitor. If you have more than one FRITZ!Fon in the house, you can make internal calls between them. The new C6 model has an excellent hi-res colour screen and you…

Alert Indoor Security Camera is an affordable way to keep an eye on your home, but it doesn't lack in smart features. After connecting the camera to your Wi-Fi network and pairing it with the SWANN Security app on your smartphone or tablet, you can view and capture high-quality video in 1080p full HD. It has a passive infrared sensor that can detect movement at up to 32 feet, and it can also detect loud noises and heat too. The camera then sends a push notification to your phone and starts video recording. You get free cloud storage, which saves clips for seven days, and they're also stored locally for two days. A full 110-degree viewing angle decreases blind spots, and there’s a mic and speaker built-in for two-way talk…

Universal Purchases are awesome. Rolled out earlier this year, the feature lets developers bundle iOS, tabletOS and macOS versions of an app into a single purchase. Instead of having to pay once on the Mac App Store and again on the Mobile App Store, a single payment unlocks the software on all your Apple devices. GoodLinks is a read-later app that syncs your links across all your Apple gear and being a Universal Purchase isn’t the only thing it gets right. Using GoodLinks is very straightforward. When surfing the web in Safari or a third-party browser, you might come across an article you’d like to save for later perusal. Sure, you can bookmark it or add it to Safari’s Read Later list but GoodLinks gives a more comprehensive and flexible…

Ever come across a video on YouTube and wished you could download it for offline viewing, or cut it to DVD and watch it on your living-room TV? Of course you have. Everybody has. With Airy, you can do just that. It’s easy to use. Simply navigate to the YouTube video you want to download, then copy and paste the URL into the field in the Airy app, choose a resolution and click Download. You can download videos as MP4, FLV, and 3GP, with HD, 4K and 8K Ultra HD resolutions supported, or go for MP3 to download only the audio. Airy can also be integrated into most popular web browsers, such as Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Explorer too, to download directly from your bookmarks bar. If you've a…

Spam emails are the bane of everyone’s life. You know the sort of thing. Get rich quick schemes, we-know-your-password blackmail threats and some we won’t even describe. If you use email, you get spam. It’s as simple as that. Cleanfox is a free tool that helps you clean up your inbox and unsubscribe from mailing lists you no longer wish to receive. Pick out a rogue email, and with one click, you can get rid of it and all those like it. You no longer have to trawl through your mailboxes and delete the messages one at a time. It’s easy to use. Just swipe an email right to keep it, up to delete it and left to delete and unsubscribe. It covers all the popular web-based email services such…

The First Tree had an unusual inspiration. Its developer, David Wehle, used it as a ‘creative outlet’ to deal with his becoming a father for the first time; and also losing his own dad. So naturally, family ties play a large part in this third-party exploration game. It centres around two parallel stories; a fox (the playable character) trying to find her missing family, and through narration, a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska. Along the way, you uncover artefacts and stories from the son’s life as he becomes intertwined in the fox’s journey towards The First Tree. Graphics are simple but enchanting, giving a real sense of being there when combined with the melancholy music. As you run through the snowkissed plains of Alaska, a beautiful fern…

Welcome Home When you open Adobe Photoshop Elements 2019, you are presented with a Home screen. This simple screen is your gateway to the Photo Editor program or the Organiser. The third option available is to activate the Adobe Premiere Elements Video Editor, if you have purchased that as well. If not, it will ask if you want to download a trial version. You also have the option at the top of the Home screen to search for help on things you want to achieve in the programs or to click on any of the featured Try This guides and What’s New items and Inspiration articles ranged across the screen. On the extreme top right of the page are buttons for Facebook and Twitter and a Help button that takes…

1 The File Menu Most of the File menu options will be made available to you in this particular workspace, since all the tools and effects parameters are there to be used manually with little or no guidance from the program. 2 The Open Button Common to each workspace, click on the Open button to view any recently active images you have been working on or to create a new blank file ready to be worked on. 3 The Tools Panel This panel contains all the essential tools you are going to need for powerful and flexible image editing. It is broken down into View, Enhance, Draw, Modify and Colour sections. 4 Document Tab Each image that is open will be marked by a document tab to identify each image.…

1 To begin, you'll need to open Photoshop Elements 2019 and from the home page click on the Photo Editor icon, this will activate the Photo Editor program. The default is to open in Expert mode. You can access Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) from either the Quick, Guided or Expert mode workspaces. 2 Go to File > Open in Camera Raw (Alt + Cmd + O) to open your file browser and navigate to the folder that contains the Raw file you wish to process. Once you have located it, double-click the file or highlight it and press Open at the bottom right of the browser window. 3 The Raw file, in this case a seascape shot in Cornwall, will open in the ACR workspace, as ACR runs in a…

1 From the Home screen, click on the Elements Organiser icon to open the Organiser workspace. We worked in Folder view with the Media tab clicked and all media currently on display. We had some example images of Dartmoor in Devon that we wanted to tag for future reference. 2 We made a folder called 'Places' that contained a number of images but only a few of them were relevant to our particular requirement of moorland photos. The first thing we did was to press the Cmd key and left-click each of the required moorland photos. There were five shots in total. 3 Now that the images are selected, you can begin to tag them. The first and foremost requirement is to add a place tag. In the taskbar, click…

1 We have an example folder full of various types of events such as weddings, parties and sporting events. When viewed in the Events workspace, they are listed by date order to help you find what you are looking for. They are listed with most recent dates and times first. 2 Much like the People and Places workspaces, the Events workspace has a Suggested category for untagged events yet to be identified and a Named category where any that are tagged as an event will finally be displayed. 3 Click the Number Of Groups slider and push it to the far right Max setting. The media browser will display more time and date options for you to focus in on. We are looking for a particular sporting event, Autocross, which…

1 In the Guided workspace, you will find the Replace Background edit under the Special Edits category. Put the photo you want to work on in the Photo Bin. 2 Choose from the available tools to select your subject. The Quick Selection tool should work well on our subject. Drag inside the edge of subject to select them. 3 Use the tool options to subtract areas that stray outside what is required. Then you can use the Refine tool to improve the quality of the selection. 4 Now you can import a photo that will be the new background. It will be placed behind your main subject. Both subject and background can be moved if required. 5 Now you can make further refinements to the outline of your subject if…

The use of layers has become the very core of image editing since its introduction in the early '90s. As you might imagine, layers are exactly what they sound like. You can have a number of separate elements, each on its own layer, that are stacked one on top of the other. When all viewed together, they create the final image. The advantage of using layers is clear. It means you can change an element on one layer only and not have an impact on the rest of the image. It also means that you can take an image and duplicate it on another layer and perform any edits you want on that one in the knowledge that the base image will remain untouched in case it doesn't turn out…

1 We have opened another image that needs some fixing. It is a sunrise on the moors that is a little underexposed and needs some work to bring out the foreground, while keeping the sky relatively untouched, since that is quite well exposed. This is where the use of layers and masks will help us out. 2 First, the colour balance needs to be adjusted. The image is a little too magenta and warm, particularly if you look at the colour of the grass. This can be altered by using a really simple trick that can be really effective and requires the use of layers to do it. 3 Press Cmd + J to copy the Background layer. Name the new layer 'remove cast'. Then go to Filter > Blur…

1 Another great function available in the options panel is the function to open closed eyes. Click the Open Closed Eyes button to activate the dialog. The image will scan for closed eyes and circle possible candidates. Choose the one you want. You can then choose a set of open eyes to merge into the shot. 2 Eyes that closely resemble your subject will work best or if you have another image where the eyes are open, you can load that and the program will automatically apply those open eyes to your current image.…

1 After the Healing Brush Tool, the Clone Stamp Tool (S) will seem quite familiar. It copies pixels from one area onto another to remove things from your photos. Despite recent advances with the Content Aware and Spot Healing Tools, it remains one of the best ways to remove things from a photo. 2 Select the Clone Stamp Tool (S). In the options panel, you will have a number of paramaters to choose from such as Size, Opacity and Blend Mode. The Aligned button, when ticked, links to and moves your source point as you move your cursor. Unticked, it uses the same source point each time. 3 Here is a wildlife photo from which we want to remove the distracting blades of grass that are sticking up to the right of the…

Brush Tool 1 The Brush Tool (B) is one of the most often used tools in the photo editor’s arsenal. Whether you are painting directly over a photo, or adding brush strokes to a layer, the Brush Tool is designed to behave like its real world counterpart but with more powerful features built in. 2 When you click on the Brush Tool, the options available are quite varied. You can control brushes with your mouse or if you use a tablet, you can control it as if it were an airbrush with pressure sensitive effects for more artistic flair. 3 You can choose any number of brush types from the brush picker and alter the Size and Opacity values. You can also load new brushes that can be purchased and downloaded from a…

1 The Gradient Tool (G) lets you fill areas of your image or entire layers with colours that fade from one to another or can fade from one colour to transparent. The Gradient Tool does not use edge detection. If you need a filled shape, it needs to be defined by a selection. 2 You can pick the kind of gradient you want to use by clicking on the Gradient Picker and choosing a preset from the list. They range from Foreground to Transparent to multiple colour gradients all at the click of a button. 3 If you want to make your own gradient, you can click on the Gradient Editor and add what are known as Colour Stops to a basic gradient, change their colour and define if they are solid or…

Crop Tool 1 The Crop Tool (C) is the most common method of cutting areas of your photo off in order to change the composition and proportions. When you click the tool, the options panel will display some suggestions for you as to how it thinks the image can be cropped. You can use those or make your own crop. 2 You can use set proportions to crop or you can go it alone with no restrictions and make your own crop. Simply click and drag your mouse across the area of the scene that you want to be cropped and a gridded box will show you the current crop. You can click the green commit arrow to proceed. 3 Within the crop tool options you also have the Cookie Cutter Tool (C),…

1 The Straighten Tool (P) will easily take care of wonky landscape photos and get them level again. You have a number of options as to how the image is handled once straightened. The canvas can grow as required when rotated, stay the same size or be cropped to remove the background. 2 Simply click and draw along a slanted horizon line that needs to be level. When you let go of the button the horizon will be levelled. There is an option to Autofill Edges. When the image is rotated, any blank areas will be filled with nearby similar textures.…

It’s amazing how far display prices have fallen, while their quality continues to rise. Take this one, for example. It’s a specialist, quad hi-definition (QHD) gaming monitor with a giant 31.5-inch screen. It runs at 165Hz, has a 1ms response time and a 300 nits rating, yet it costs well south of 400 notes. The AOC CQ32G2SE Gaming Monitor features a tool-free setup. You can get it up and running out of the box in five minutes flat, without having to root around for the right spanner or screwdriver. Just snap the display onto the stand and fit the foot using a finger-turned screw. It’s no hassle at all. Around the back of the display are two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort. There’s no Thunderbolt connectivity (though you can use…

If you’re serious about your gaming, you have to get a decent controller. A joypad that feels comfortable in the hands, with all its buttons and inputs within easy reach. Something with a full range of controls, including four face buttons, a D-pad, two analogue sticks and twin shoulder buttons; a now-standard setup as used by recent Xbox and PlayStation consoles. A joypad like the GameSir G4 Pro. You can connect your G4 Pro to a Windows PC using a dongle that fits in the back of the joypad when not in use or via the USB-C charging cable supplied. Unfortunately, it’s not Mac-compatible and nor can it be used with an Apple TV set-top box. You can use it with your smartphone or tablet over Bluetooth and even with…

WaterField Designs makes deluxe bags for connoisseurs. They’re not cheap, but the quality is outstanding. You could use a WaterField bag every day of your working life, then give it to your grandchild and it would still be in good condition. This particular WaterField Designs product, the Zoom Crossbody Laptop Bag, is available in two sizes. The Compact version fits devices up to 11 x 8 inches, and is ideal for your tablet Pro and a Magic Keyboard. The Tall version can handle notebooks up to 12.75 x 8.75 inches such as Apple’s 13-inch range, including the new M1-powered MacBook Pros. It’s available in a range of colours, and sports a comfortable shoulder strap that holds your Apple gear in a portrait position. The main body of the bag is…

Risers for your computer or monitor aren’t exactly thin on the ground but as you’d expect, this model from Twelve South goes that extra yard with careful planning and design. As well as raising your iMac or external display to a more comfortable height, it features a handy space underneath for all your bits and pieces. The shelf, which is perforated for airflow, is the perfect size and shape for a Mac mini too. If you use Apple’s small form factor Mac with a monitor, Curve Riser is the ideal way to keep them tidy on your desk; saving space. Alternatively, use it for a USB optical drive, Thunderbolt hub, audio interface or just about anything else you can think of. The space underneath the riser is a good fit…

This home security camera is a different beast from the SWANN model covered elsewhere on the page. It lacks heat and noise detection, but it can detect motion at up to 16 feet. When it does so, it records 30 seconds of footage and uploads them to the cloud or your Dropbox account. It has a 130-degree angle-view and a fixed focus from between just under two feet to infinity. You can watch live too, of course, and, unusually for a security monitor, there’s a privacy shutter you can activate when you don't want the camera to record you. Video quality is excellent and it works well both night and day. It’s designed to stand on a flat surface. If you want to wall-mount it, you have to buy a…

Multiple award-winning Things is widely regarded as the best task management app for Apple devices. Those with power-user needs might prefer OmniFocus but for the vast majority of us, ease of use and a clear, Apple-like interface make Things the ‘getting things done’ (GTD) app of choice. But what makes it so good? Things is designed to help you organise every aspect of your life, from daily routines to long-term goals. When you first launch Things, there’s a tutorial project you can keep or delete. If you’re new to the app, it’s best to work your way through it; in ten minutes, you’ll have a decent understanding of how it all works and how to get the most from the app. You can then delete it when you’re done and…

JustStream is an excellent alternative to AirPlay. It can stream video from your Mac to any AirPlay or Chrome cast compatible device, as well as smart TVs from Samsung and LG, Roku boxes, Apple TV and Sony devices. It’s great for viewing slideshows of photos with the family, for example, and as it can mirror your Mac’s screen to the television, it’s good for presentations and demos too, as well as playing movies and videos. You can queue videos and play them in sequence, no need to keep running to your computer room to load the next five-minute holiday movie. Subtitles are supported, and the entire app runs from a menu bar icon and is never in the way while you're streaming. It’s very straightforward to use. Click on the…

It’s always nice to come across an app that does something a little bit differently, or takes an existing idea and puts its own unique spin on it. Especially considering that everyone is talking about Netflix’s new undead action romp, Army of the Dead. Zombies, Run! does exactly that, and it helps you to get fit as well. It’s part adventure game, part fitness app and part interactive story. The concept might sound a little strange at first but it makes perfect sense when you start using it, so you just have to trust us that it works. Zombies, Run! is an app designed to help people who want to run, but lack the motivation to actually get out there and do it. The incentive in this case is to…

What a lousy start to the day. You wake up in a strange apartment, stark naked and covered in blood with a wound to your ribs and a dead body in the bathtub. You have no idea where you are or how you got there. What are you to do? Unmemory, the first game from a small team in Barcelona, offers a great new take on the text and graphic adventure. There’s a lot of reading to do but don’t let that put you off. The story is well written and engaging; and really draws you into the strange world of the protagonist. Every few paragraphs, the text is interrupted by a graphic of something nearby. You can frequently interact with these graphics, sometimes immediately, sometimes later in the story…