High Dynamic Range Photos the Easy Way
I'll bet you've done this. In fact, I think everyone has done this. You're walking in a park, by the ocean, or in some other visually attractive place. The scene is so beautiful that you have to take a picture of it. When you get home and look at the image, it doesn't look anything like what you remember. Much of the image is pure white. Other large areas are pure black. In between, there are bits of the scene that remind you of what you saw, but overall the image is disappointing.
It's not your fault. Because of the way our eyes work, we see more detail than we can see. We can focus on only one thing at a time, but our eyes keep moving. As they move, they adjust to the amount of light they're receiving. Cameras don't do that they see everything at once. If areas are too dark to be recorded properly, they're underexposed and the shadows are "clipped". If areas are too bright to be recorded properly, they're overexposed and the highlights are "clipped". When clipping occurs, there is no detail.
The solution involves creating a high-dynamic range image and then using tone mapping. If you've tried this on your own, there's a good chance that you've become frustrated. If you didn't use your camera's raw mode, you'll need at least 3 images. You'll need to find a way to align the images. If anything moved between one exposure and the next, you'll need to figure out how to deal with that.
So the first thing to do if you think you'll need HDR processing is to use your camera's raw mode. Then you'll probably be able to create the images you'll need from the single exposure. Everything will be in the same place and everything will be aligned.
Why 3 Images?
You'll need at least 3 images. Depending on the dynamic range of the light, one will need to be at what can be considered the normal exposure for the scene. The other two will need to be 1 or 2 stops underexposed and the other will need to be 1 or 2 stops overexposed. For extreme scenes, you may need 5 images or more. Using the camera's raw format should allow you to create at least a basic 3-image series.
Click any of the smaller images for a full-size view.
The "normal" exposure image is above. The underexposed image is at the left and the overexposed image is at the right.
The normal exposure gets the mid-tones right. The underexposure gets the sky right. And the overexposure gets the shadowed areas right.
What we need is a way to combine these images.
That's exactly what Photomatix Pro does and the result will be an image that looks much more like what you saw.
You'll want to start with your camera manufacturer's raw image processor or with Adobe Camera Raw. Adjust the exposure and save 3 TIFF images.
In this case, I chose to save a normal exposure, one with the exposure reduced by 2 stops, and one with the exposure increased by 2 stops.
I then opened Photomatix Pro, which functions as a Photoshop plug-in but is also a separate application, and dragged the 3 files to it.
Photomatix asked what I wanted to do. I selected Create an HDR image. We'll come back later to the other option, Fuse exposures.
Photomatix listed the images. This may seem redundant, but I also could have used this part of the interface to browse for the images. And, If I accidentally import an incorrect image, I can remove it here.
The images I gave Photomatix had no exposure information, so the application tried to determine which photo was normal, which was underexposed, and which was overexposed. As you can see, it got them right.
Now I had to make some decisions. Because all 3 of the images are, except for exposure, duplicates of each other, no alignment is needed. I left the choice selected anyway.
I told the program to reduce chromatic aberrations, reduce noise, and attempt to reduce ghosting artifacts. Because all 3 images are the same, no ghosting will have occurred. This happens only when something has moved between exposures.
Your first look at an HDR image will probably be disappointing. How is this any better, you will think. Photomatix explains that more processing is needed before you'll be able to see the results. HDR processing is done with images that have 16 bits of data per color channel. Your computer can handle only 8 bits per channel, so tone mapping is necessary.
This works because today's video subsystems can handle 16.7 million colors. What's needed is a process to map colors that are outside the computer's gamut to colors that are within the gamut. In other words, it's magic.
I clicked the Tone Mapping button and Photomatix returned an image that looked considerably better. The panel has 2 tabs. You'll want to experiment with both so that you can learn which images are processed more effectively by each of the 2 major options.
Numerous options exist on each of the tabs and you'll need to experiment with these controls to determine what they do and how. Documentation exists, but experimentation is the best option.
When everything looks the way you think it should, click Process.
Fusing Exposures
Earlier, you saw the option for fusing. This works better with some images and you should experiment with it as you learn how to use the program.
The fused image is on the left. The HDR image with tone mapping is on the right. For this image, I like the tone mapping better than the fusing.
As you work through exercises such as this, keep in mind that photography is part science, part technology, and part art. The art part is the most important of the 3. An image can get the technology and the science right, but be uninteresting. When the image looks right to you, the image is right. Photomatix Pro can help with the technology and the science. It's up to you to decide when the art is right.
Bottom Line: Photomatix Pro puts HDR images within your reach.
I have read so many articles about HDR processing and tried to follow them only to find that the explanation omitted some critical detail or I missed a step. Nothing ever looked quite the way I thought it should. Photomatix Pro changed all that in an instant. ($100 for Photomatix Pro; $120 for Photomatix Pro Plus, which adds plug-ins for Photoshop and, if you're a Mac user, Aperture. Photomatix Pro includes the standalone program and a plug-in for Lightroom.)
For more information, visit the Photomatix Pro website.
Google Voice: You Can Call WHERE for HOW MUCH?
I'm old enough to remember when even well-heeled news organizations didn't make a lot of calls to foreign countries. In some cases, the setup fee could be several hundred dollars, timing was tricky, and your call might cost several dollars per minute. It wasn't something you did on a whim. If you wanted to call someone in Europe, the call would need to be approved not just by the news director, but probably by the station's general manager. Today, you can call most countries for less than 10 cents per minute and the most expensive locations are North Korea (who knew you could even call there!) and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Any additional exploration of that topic would be considered political commentary, so I'll just shut up and let the numbers do the talking.
Speaking of remembering, remember when it was difficult to obtain a G-mail account? You had to be invited. Well, Google Voice has some similarities, except that obtaining an invitation is harder. A lot harder. I managed to obtain one and no, I'm not going to tell you how. I'm not going to offer an invitation because I don't yet have the rights to offer one (but if you want to send me a request, I'll send you one as soon as I can.)
Let's get one thing out of the way now: Yes, you can make cheap calls to just about anywhere in the world. The table below shows (on the left) an alphabetical list of countries you can call with Google Voice and what you'll pay per minute. On the right is a list of countries in order by price.
That's just the beginning of what Google Voice provides and that's why cheapskates are so excited about it and why civil libertarians are so worried.
Portions Transcribed
When you receive a voice mail message, Google Voice can convert the speech to text and send the text message to you by e-mail or as a text message to your phone.
I called myself and said, "Hello. This is a test. Let's see how Google Voice does on this. Thank you very much and have a fun day."
When the text message arrived, it said, "Hello. This is a test. Let's see how global voice. Does on this. Thank you very much and have a sunday."
Overall, not bad.
How it Works
When you sign up, you get to pick your own phone number, starting with the area code. Should you decide later that you'd like a different number or a different area code, you'll pay a one-time $10 fee. Not all area codes are available now, but most are. Not too surprisingly, you can't get a 212 area code number; that's OK because not even people who live in Manhattan can get a 212 area code number these days.
You can define an area code and Google Voice will begin displaying available numbers in that area code. Pick the one you like or enter additional digits. I gave Google the last 4 digits of my cell phone number and it offered me a Worthington exchange number ending with those 4 digits. I selected that number.
Recommendation: Don't do that. I find that it's next to impossible for me to remember the number and, even when I remember it, I'm never quite sure. You're probably better off with a totally different number.
When someone calls your Google Voice number, one of several things can happen:
- Google Voice can ask callers to state their name and then announce the call to you.
- For people you know, you can tell Google Voice to forward the call to your home phone, your cell phone, some other phone, or voice mail.
- If the call goes to voice mail, you can listen to the message as the caller leaves it and choose to answer at any time.
One appealing feature for me is the ability to record calls. Currently, you can't record outbound calls, but only those calls that come to one of your phones via Google Voice. To record the call, you press 4. Google Voice automatically announces that the call is being recorded. When you press 4 again or hang up, the recording ends. If you press 4 during the call, Google Voice will announce that recording has been suspended. Recordings are saved online and you can access them just like you do with voicemail.
Text messages are easy because you use Google's Web interface and your computer's keyboard, not the tiny keypad on your cell phone.
US and Canadian Calls are Free; All Other Calls are Reasonable
To make international calls, dial your Google number, press 2, and you can call just about anywhere in the world. You can also make calls directly from the Google Voice website, which will establish the call and then connect to one of your enrolled phones. Google gives you 10 cents worth of credits when you sign up (enough for a 5-minute call to many countries). To talk more, you'll need to purchase credits through Google Checkout.
- To place an international call from the website, click the Call button at the top left of the page and then enter the country code and the phone number.
- To place an international call by phone, call your Google number from any phone, depending on how you've set up security for your account, you may need to enter a PIN. Then press 2 to make a call by entering the country code and then the number.
You can't forward calls made to your Google number to international numbers, but this is something Google is thinking about adding.
Alphabetical List |
List by Price |
|||
| Country | Price | Country | Price | |
| Afghanistan | $ 0.29 | Canada | $ - | |
| Afghanistan, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Canada, Yukon Territory | $ - | |
| Albania | $ 0.15 | United States | $ - | |
| Albania, Mobile | $ 0.25 | United States, Toll Free | $ - | |
| Algeria | $ 0.16 | Austria | $ 0.02 | |
| Algeria, Mobile | $ 0.25 | China | $ 0.02 | |
| American Samoa | $ 0.09 | Denmark | $ 0.02 | |
| Andorra | $ 0.05 | France | $ 0.02 | |
| Andorra, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Germany | $ 0.02 | |
| Angola | $ 0.17 | Greece | $ 0.02 | |
| Angola, Mobile | $ 0.23 | Guam | $ 0.02 | |
| Anguilla | $ 0.18 | Hong Kong | $ 0.02 | |
| Anguilla, Mobile | $ 0.20 | Hungary | $ 0.02 | |
| Antigua & Barbuda | $ 0.15 | Ireland | $ 0.02 | |
| Argentina | $ 0.03 | Italy | $ 0.02 | |
| Argentina, Mobile | $ 0.16 | Mexico, Guadalajara | $ 0.02 | |
| Armenia | $ 0.09 | Mexico, Mexico City | $ 0.02 | |
| Armenia, Mobile | $ 0.24 | Mexico, Monterrey | $ 0.02 | |
| Aruba | $ 0.12 | Netherlands | $ 0.02 | |
| Aruba, Mobile | $ 0.19 | New Zealand | $ 0.02 | |
| Ascension Island | $ 0.50 | Norway | $ 0.02 | |
| Australia | $ 0.03 | Poland | $ 0.02 | |
| Australia, Mobile | $ 0.17 | Portugal | $ 0.02 | |
| Austria | $ 0.02 | Puerto Rico | $ 0.02 | |
| Austria, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Singapore | $ 0.02 | |
| Azerbaijan | $ 0.15 | Spain | $ 0.02 | |
| Azerbaijan, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Sweden | $ 0.02 | |
| Bahamas | $ 0.04 | Switzerland | $ 0.02 | |
| Bahrain | $ 0.05 | Taiwan | $ 0.02 | |
| Bahrain, Mobile | $ 0.20 | United Kingdom | $ 0.02 | |
| Bangladesh | $ 0.12 | United States, HI | $ 0.02 | |
| Barbados | $ 0.13 | Argentina | $ 0.03 | |
| Barbados, Mobile | $ 0.20 | Australia | $ 0.03 | |
| Belarus | $ 0.25 | Belgium | $ 0.03 | |
| Belgium | $ 0.03 | Chile | $ 0.03 | |
| Belgium, Mobile | $ 0.24 | Czech Republic | $ 0.03 | |
| Belize | $ 0.22 | Estonia | $ 0.03 | |
| Benin | $ 0.22 | Iceland | $ 0.03 | |
| Bermuda | $ 0.09 | Israel | $ 0.03 | |
| Bhutan | $ 0.20 | Japan | $ 0.03 | |
| Bolivia | $ 0.09 | Korea, South | $ 0.03 | |
| Bolivia, Mobile | $ 0.15 | Luxembourg | $ 0.03 | |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | $ 0.15 | Malaysia | $ 0.03 | |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Monaco | $ 0.03 | |
| Botswana | $ 0.12 | Russia, Moscow | $ 0.03 | |
| Botswana, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Russia, St. Petersburg | $ 0.03 | |
| Brazil | $ 0.04 | Slovakia | $ 0.03 | |
| Brazil, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Thailand | $ 0.03 | |
| Brunei | $ 0.05 | Venezuela | $ 0.03 | |
| Bulgaria | $ 0.04 | Virgin Islands, U.S. | $ 0.03 | |
| Bulgaria, Mobile | $ 0.33 | Bahamas | $ 0.04 | |
| Burkina Faso | $ 0.19 | Brazil | $ 0.04 | |
| Burundi | $ 0.15 | Bulgaria | $ 0.04 | |
| Cambodia | $ 0.22 | Guadeloupe | $ 0.04 | |
| Cameroon | $ 0.18 | Malaysia, Mobile | $ 0.04 | |
| Cameroon | $ 0.25 | Northern Mariana Islands | $ 0.04 | |
| Canada | $ - | Slovenia | $ 0.04 | |
| Canada, Yukon Territory | $ - | United States, AK | $ 0.04 | |
| Cape Verde | $ 0.29 | Andorra | $ 0.05 | |
| Cayman Islands | $ 0.19 | Bahrain | $ 0.05 | |
| Cayman Islands, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Brunei | $ 0.05 | |
| Central African Republic | $ 0.39 | Colombia | $ 0.05 | |
| Chad | $ 0.29 | Cyprus | $ 0.05 | |
| Chile | $ 0.03 | Finland | $ 0.05 | |
| Chile, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Jordan | $ 0.05 | |
| China | $ 0.02 | Macao | $ 0.05 | |
| Colombia | $ 0.05 | Martinique | $ 0.05 | |
| Colombia, Mobile | $ 0.09 | Norway, Special Services | $ 0.05 | |
| Comoros & Mayotte | $ 0.44 | Panama | $ 0.05 | |
| Congo, Democratic Republic | $ 0.29 | Russia | $ 0.05 | |
| Congo, Republic of the | $ 0.19 | San Marino | $ 0.05 | |
| Costa Rica | $ 0.07 | Saudi Arabia, Riyadh | $ 0.05 | |
| Croatia | $ 0.06 | Turkey | $ 0.05 | |
| Croatia, Mobile | $ 0.23 | Croatia | $ 0.06 | |
| Cuba, Guantanamo Bay | $ 0.60 | Georgia | $ 0.06 | |
| Cyprus | $ 0.05 | Gibraltar | $ 0.06 | |
| Czech Republic | $ 0.03 | Korea, South, Mobile | $ 0.06 | |
| Czech Republic, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Latvia | $ 0.06 | |
| Denmark | $ 0.02 | Liechtenstein | $ 0.06 | |
| Denmark, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Lithuania | $ 0.06 | |
| Djibouti | $ 0.39 | Romania | $ 0.06 | |
| Dominica | $ 0.14 | South Africa | $ 0.06 | |
| Dominica, Mobile | $ 0.22 | Vatican City | $ 0.06 | |
| Dominican Republic | $ 0.09 | Costa Rica | $ 0.07 | |
| Dominican Republic, Mobile | $ 0.14 | India | $ 0.07 | |
| Ecuador | $ 0.12 | Laos | $ 0.07 | |
| Ecuador, Mobile | $ 0.24 | Saudi Arabia, Jeddah | $ 0.07 | |
| Egypt | $ 0.17 | Trinidad & Tobago | $ 0.07 | |
| El Salvador | $ 0.20 | Uruguay | $ 0.07 | |
| Equatorial Guinea | $ 0.25 | Zambia | $ 0.07 | |
| Eritrea | $ 0.29 | Malta | $ 0.08 | |
| Estonia | $ 0.03 | Mexico | $ 0.08 | |
| Estonia, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Russia, Mobile | $ 0.08 | |
| Ethiopia | $ 0.29 | Zimbabwe | $ 0.08 | |
| Faroe Islands | $ 0.20 | American Samoa | $ 0.09 | |
| Fiji | $ 0.27 | Armenia | $ 0.09 | |
| Finland | $ 0.05 | Bermuda | $ 0.09 | |
| Finland, Mobile | $ 0.15 | Bolivia | $ 0.09 | |
| France | $ 0.02 | Colombia, Mobile | $ 0.09 | |
| France, Mobile | $ 0.15 | Dominican Republic | $ 0.09 | |
| French Guiana | $ 0.09 | French Guiana | $ 0.09 | |
| French Guiana, Mobile | $ 0.35 | Ghana | $ 0.09 | |
| French Polynesia | $ 0.24 | Honduras | $ 0.09 | |
| Gabon | $ 0.18 | Indonesia | $ 0.09 | |
| Gambia | $ 0.33 | Iraq | $ 0.09 | |
| Georgia | $ 0.06 | Pakistan | $ 0.09 | |
| Georgia, Mobile | $ 0.15 | Paraguay | $ 0.09 | |
| Germany | $ 0.02 | Taiwan, Mobile | $ 0.09 | |
| Germany, Mobile | $ 0.18 | Turkey, North Cyprus | $ 0.09 | |
| Ghana | $ 0.09 | Uzbekistan | $ 0.09 | |
| Ghana, Mobile | $ 0.18 | Vietnam | $ 0.09 | |
| Gibraltar | $ 0.06 | Jamaica | $ 0.10 | |
| Gibraltar, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Kazakhstan | $ 0.10 | |
| Greece | $ 0.02 | Seychelles | $ 0.10 | |
| Greece, Mobile | $ 0.22 | Ukraine | $ 0.10 | |
| Greenland | $ 0.50 | Iran | $ 0.11 | |
| Grenada | $ 0.16 | Iran, Mobile | $ 0.11 | |
| Grenada, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Kyrgyzstan | $ 0.11 | |
| Guadeloupe | $ 0.04 | Lebanon | $ 0.11 | |
| Guadeloupe, Mobile | $ 0.33 | Namibia | $ 0.11 | |
| Guam | $ 0.02 | Philippines | $ 0.11 | |
| Guatemala | $ 0.14 | Saudi Arabia | $ 0.11 | |
| Guinea | $ 0.19 | Serbia & Montenegro | $ 0.11 | |
| Guinea-Bissau | $ 0.44 | Swaziland | $ 0.11 | |
| Guyana | $ 0.30 | Aruba | $ 0.12 | |
| Haiti | $ 0.19 | Bangladesh | $ 0.12 | |
| Haiti, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Botswana | $ 0.12 | |
| Honduras | $ 0.09 | Ecuador | $ 0.12 | |
| Honduras, Mobile | $ 0.16 | Jordan, Mobile | $ 0.12 | |
| Hong Kong | $ 0.02 | Kuwait | $ 0.12 | |
| Hungary | $ 0.02 | Panama, Mobile | $ 0.12 | |
| Hungary, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Sri Lanka | $ 0.12 | |
| Iceland | $ 0.03 | Tajikistan | $ 0.12 | |
| Iceland, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Trinidad & Tobago, Mobile | $ 0.12 | |
| India | $ 0.07 | Barbados | $ 0.13 | |
| Indonesia | $ 0.09 | Macedonia | $ 0.13 | |
| Indonesia, Mobile | $ 0.14 | Dominica | $ 0.14 | |
| Iran | $ 0.11 | Dominican Republic, Mobile | $ 0.14 | |
| Iran, Mobile | $ 0.11 | Guatemala | $ 0.14 | |
| Iraq | $ 0.09 | Indonesia, Mobile | $ 0.14 | |
| Iraq, Mobile | $ 0.16 | Japan, Mobile | $ 0.14 | |
| Ireland | $ 0.02 | Moldova | $ 0.14 | |
| Ireland, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Netherlands Antilles | $ 0.14 | |
| Israel | $ 0.03 | Uganda | $ 0.14 | |
| Israel, Mobile | $ 0.15 | Albania | $ 0.15 | |
| Israel, Palestine | $ 0.25 | Antigua & Barbuda | $ 0.15 | |
| Israel, Palestine, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Azerbaijan | $ 0.15 | |
| Italy | $ 0.02 | Bolivia, Mobile | $ 0.15 | |
| Italy, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Bosnia & Herzegovina | $ 0.15 | |
| Ivory Coast | $ 0.20 | Burundi | $ 0.15 | |
| Jamaica | $ 0.10 | Finland, Mobile | $ 0.15 | |
| Jamaica, Mobile | $ 0.25 | France, Mobile | $ 0.15 | |
| Japan | $ 0.03 | Georgia, Mobile | $ 0.15 | |
| Japan, Mobile | $ 0.14 | Israel, Mobile | $ 0.15 | |
| Jordan | $ 0.05 | Kazakhstan, Mobile | $ 0.15 | |
| Jordan, Mobile | $ 0.12 | Kenya | $ 0.15 | |
| Kazakhstan | $ 0.10 | Malawi | $ 0.15 | |
| Kazakhstan, Mobile | $ 0.15 | Mongolia | $ 0.15 | |
| Kenya | $ 0.15 | Paraguay, Mobile | $ 0.15 | |
| Kenya, Mobile | $ 0.20 | Peru | $ 0.15 | |
| Korea, North | $ 0.60 | Tanzania | $ 0.15 | |
| Korea, South | $ 0.03 | Tanzania, Mobile | $ 0.15 | |
| Korea, South, Mobile | $ 0.06 | Turkmenistan | $ 0.15 | |
| Kuwait | $ 0.12 | Virgin Islands, British | $ 0.15 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | $ 0.11 | Algeria | $ 0.16 | |
| Laos | $ 0.07 | Argentina, Mobile | $ 0.16 | |
| Latvia | $ 0.06 | Grenada | $ 0.16 | |
| Latvia, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Honduras, Mobile | $ 0.16 | |
| Lebanon | $ 0.11 | Iraq, Mobile | $ 0.16 | |
| Lebanon, Mobile | $ 0.22 | Mauritius | $ 0.16 | |
| Lesotho | $ 0.26 | Nicaragua | $ 0.16 | |
| Lesotho, Mobile | $ 0.26 | Niger | $ 0.16 | |
| Liberia | $ 0.25 | Rwanda | $ 0.16 | |
| Libya | $ 0.25 | Sudan | $ 0.16 | |
| Libya, Mobile | $ 0.27 | Ukraine, Mobile | $ 0.16 | |
| Liechtenstein | $ 0.06 | Venezuela, Mobile | $ 0.16 | |
| Liechtenstein, Mobile | $ 0.49 | Yemen | $ 0.16 | |
| Lithuania | $ 0.06 | Yemen, Mobile | $ 0.16 | |
| Lithuania, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Angola | $ 0.17 | |
| Luxembourg | $ 0.03 | Australia, Mobile | $ 0.17 | |
| Luxembourg, Mobile | $ 0.21 | Egypt | $ 0.17 | |
| Macao | $ 0.05 | Nigeria | $ 0.17 | |
| Macedonia | $ 0.13 | Philippines, Mobile | $ 0.17 | |
| Macedonia, Mobile | $ 0.33 | St. Kitts & Nevis | $ 0.17 | |
| Madagascar | $ 0.29 | Zambia, Mobile | $ 0.17 | |
| Malawi | $ 0.15 | Anguilla | $ 0.18 | |
| Malaysia | $ 0.03 | Cameroon | $ 0.18 | |
| Malaysia, Mobile | $ 0.04 | Gabon | $ 0.18 | |
| Maldives | $ 0.29 | Germany, Mobile | $ 0.18 | |
| Mali | $ 0.25 | Ghana, Mobile | $ 0.18 | |
| Malta | $ 0.08 | Morocco | $ 0.18 | |
| Malta, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Reunion | $ 0.18 | |
| Marshall Islands | $ 0.31 | South Africa, Mobile | $ 0.18 | |
| Martinique | $ 0.05 | Sweden, Mobile | $ 0.18 | |
| Martinique, Mobile | $ 0.37 | Turkey, Mobile | $ 0.18 | |
| Mauritius | $ 0.16 | Aruba, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Mexico | $ 0.08 | Austria, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Mexico, Guadalajara | $ 0.02 | Azerbaijan, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Mexico, Mexico City | $ 0.02 | Botswana, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Mexico, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Brazil, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Mexico, Monterrey | $ 0.02 | Burkina Faso | $ 0.19 | |
| Micronesia | $ 0.25 | Cayman Islands | $ 0.19 | |
| Moldova | $ 0.14 | Cayman Islands, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Moldova, Mobile | $ 0.21 | Chile, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Monaco | $ 0.03 | Congo, Republic of the | $ 0.19 | |
| Monaco, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Czech Republic, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Mongolia | $ 0.15 | Denmark, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Montserrat | $ 0.25 | Guinea | $ 0.19 | |
| Morocco | $ 0.18 | Haiti | $ 0.19 | |
| Morocco, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Hungary, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Mozambique | $ 0.24 | Ireland, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Myanmar | $ 0.35 | Lithuania, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Namibia | $ 0.11 | Mexico, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Namibia, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Nepal | $ 0.19 | |
| Nepal | $ 0.19 | Norway, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Netherlands | $ 0.02 | Oman | $ 0.19 | |
| Netherlands, Mobile | $ 0.23 | Romania, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Netherlands Antilles | $ 0.14 | Saudi Arabia, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| New Caledonia | $ 0.26 | Senegal | $ 0.19 | |
| New Zealand | $ 0.02 | Spain, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| New Zealand, Mobile | $ 0.26 | Tunisia | $ 0.19 | |
| Nicaragua | $ 0.16 | United Kingdom, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Nicaragua, Mobile | $ 0.26 | Virgin Islands, British, Mobile | $ 0.19 | |
| Niger | $ 0.16 | Anguilla, Mobile | $ 0.20 | |
| Nigeria | $ 0.17 | Bahrain, Mobile | $ 0.20 | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | $ 0.04 | Barbados, Mobile | $ 0.20 | |
| Norway | $ 0.02 | Bhutan | $ 0.20 | |
| Norway, Mobile | $ 0.19 | El Salvador | $ 0.20 | |
| Norway, Special Services | $ 0.05 | Faroe Islands | $ 0.20 | |
| Oman | $ 0.19 | Ivory Coast | $ 0.20 | |
| Pakistan | $ 0.09 | Kenya, Mobile | $ 0.20 | |
| Palau | $ 0.37 | St. Lucia | $ 0.20 | |
| Palestine | $ 0.24 | Swaziland, Mobile | $ 0.20 | |
| Panama | $ 0.05 | Luxembourg, Mobile | $ 0.21 | |
| Panama, Mobile | $ 0.12 | Moldova, Mobile | $ 0.21 | |
| Paraguay | $ 0.09 | Uruguay, Mobile | $ 0.21 | |
| Paraguay, Mobile | $ 0.15 | Belize | $ 0.22 | |
| Peru | $ 0.15 | Benin | $ 0.22 | |
| Peru, Mobile | $ 0.24 | Cambodia | $ 0.22 | |
| Philippines | $ 0.11 | Dominica, Mobile | $ 0.22 | |
| Philippines, Mobile | $ 0.17 | Greece, Mobile | $ 0.22 | |
| Poland | $ 0.02 | Lebanon, Mobile | $ 0.22 | |
| Poland, Mobile | $ 0.24 | Slovakia, Mobile | $ 0.22 | |
| Portugal | $ 0.02 | Suriname | $ 0.22 | |
| Portugal, Mobile | $ 0.24 | Angola, Mobile | $ 0.23 | |
| Puerto Rico | $ 0.02 | Croatia, Mobile | $ 0.23 | |
| Qatar | $ 0.27 | Netherlands, Mobile | $ 0.23 | |
| Reunion | $ 0.18 | United Arab Emirates | $ 0.23 | |
| Reunion, Mobile | $ 0.31 | Armenia, Mobile | $ 0.24 | |
| Romania | $ 0.06 | Belgium, Mobile | $ 0.24 | |
| Romania, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Ecuador, Mobile | $ 0.24 | |
| Russia | $ 0.05 | French Polynesia | $ 0.24 | |
| Russia, Moscow | $ 0.03 | Mozambique | $ 0.24 | |
| Russia, Mobile | $ 0.08 | Palestine | $ 0.24 | |
| Russia, St. Petersburg | $ 0.03 | Peru, Mobile | $ 0.24 | |
| Rwanda | $ 0.16 | Poland, Mobile | $ 0.24 | |
| Samoa | $ 0.49 | Portugal, Mobile | $ 0.24 | |
| San Marino | $ 0.05 | Syria | $ 0.24 | |
| Saudi Arabia | $ 0.11 | Albania, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Saudi Arabia, Jeddah | $ 0.07 | Algeria, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Saudi Arabia, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Andorra, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Saudi Arabia, Riyadh | $ 0.05 | Belarus | $ 0.25 | |
| Senegal | $ 0.19 | Cameroon | $ 0.25 | |
| Serbia & Montenegro | $ 0.11 | Equatorial Guinea | $ 0.25 | |
| Serbia & Montenegro, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Grenada, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Seychelles | $ 0.10 | Haiti, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Sierra Leone | $ 0.32 | Iceland, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Singapore | $ 0.02 | Israel, Palestine | $ 0.25 | |
| Slovakia | $ 0.03 | Israel, Palestine, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Slovakia, Mobile | $ 0.22 | Italy, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Slovenia | $ 0.04 | Jamaica, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Slovenia, Mobile | $ 0.37 | Liberia | $ 0.25 | |
| Somalia | $ 0.53 | Libya | $ 0.25 | |
| South Africa | $ 0.06 | Mali | $ 0.25 | |
| South Africa, Mobile | $ 0.18 | Malta, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| Spain | $ 0.02 | Micronesia | $ 0.25 | |
| Spain, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Montserrat | $ 0.25 | |
| Sri Lanka | $ 0.12 | Namibia, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| St. Kitts & Nevis | $ 0.17 | St. Kitts & Nevis, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| St. Kitts & Nevis, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Turks & Caicos Islands | $ 0.25 | |
| St. Lucia | $ 0.20 | Turks & Caicos Islands, Mobile | $ 0.25 | |
| St. Pierre & Miquelon | $ 0.26 | Lesotho | $ 0.26 | |
| St. Vincent & The Grenadines | $ 0.27 | Lesotho, Mobile | $ 0.26 | |
| Sudan | $ 0.16 | New Caledonia | $ 0.26 | |
| Sudan, Mobile | $ 0.29 | New Zealand, Mobile | $ 0.26 | |
| Suriname | $ 0.22 | Nicaragua, Mobile | $ 0.26 | |
| Swaziland | $ 0.11 | St. Pierre & Miquelon | $ 0.26 | |
| Swaziland, Mobile | $ 0.20 | Fiji | $ 0.27 | |
| Sweden | $ 0.02 | Libya, Mobile | $ 0.27 | |
| Sweden, Mobile | $ 0.18 | Qatar | $ 0.27 | |
| Switzerland | $ 0.02 | St. Vincent & The Grenadines | $ 0.27 | |
| Switzerland, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Afghanistan | $ 0.29 | |
| Syria | $ 0.24 | Afghanistan, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Taiwan | $ 0.02 | Bosnia & Herzegovina, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Taiwan, Mobile | $ 0.09 | Cape Verde | $ 0.29 | |
| Tajikistan | $ 0.12 | Chad | $ 0.29 | |
| Tanzania | $ 0.15 | Congo, Democratic Republic | $ 0.29 | |
| Tanzania, Mobile | $ 0.15 | Eritrea | $ 0.29 | |
| Thailand | $ 0.03 | Estonia, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Togo | $ 0.30 | Ethiopia | $ 0.29 | |
| Tonga | $ 0.40 | Gibraltar, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Trinidad & Tobago | $ 0.07 | Latvia, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Trinidad & Tobago, Mobile | $ 0.12 | Madagascar | $ 0.29 | |
| Tunisia | $ 0.19 | Maldives | $ 0.29 | |
| Tunisia, Mobile | $ 0.29 | Monaco, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Turkey | $ 0.05 | Morocco, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Turkey, Mobile | $ 0.18 | Serbia & Montenegro, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Turkey, North Cyprus | $ 0.09 | Sudan, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Turkmenistan | $ 0.15 | Switzerland, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | $ 0.25 | Tunisia, Mobile | $ 0.29 | |
| Turks & Caicos Islands, Mobile | $ 0.25 | Guyana | $ 0.30 | |
| Tuvalu | $ 0.55 | Togo | $ 0.30 | |
| Uganda | $ 0.14 | Marshall Islands | $ 0.31 | |
| Ukraine | $ 0.10 | Reunion, Mobile | $ 0.31 | |
| Ukraine, Mobile | $ 0.16 | Sierra Leone | $ 0.32 | |
| United Arab Emirates | $ 0.23 | Bulgaria, Mobile | $ 0.33 | |
| United Kingdom | $ 0.02 | Gambia | $ 0.33 | |
| United Kingdom, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Guadeloupe, Mobile | $ 0.33 | |
| United States | $ - | Macedonia, Mobile | $ 0.33 | |
| United States, AK | $ 0.04 | French Guiana, Mobile | $ 0.35 | |
| United States, HI | $ 0.02 | Myanmar | $ 0.35 | |
| United States, Toll Free | $ - | Martinique, Mobile | $ 0.37 | |
| Uruguay | $ 0.07 | Palau | $ 0.37 | |
| Uruguay, Mobile | $ 0.21 | Slovenia, Mobile | $ 0.37 | |
| Uzbekistan | $ 0.09 | Zimbabwe, Mobile | $ 0.38 | |
| Vanuatu | $ 0.56 | Central African Republic | $ 0.39 | |
| Vatican City | $ 0.06 | Djibouti | $ 0.39 | |
| Venezuela | $ 0.03 | Tonga | $ 0.40 | |
| Venezuela, Mobile | $ 0.16 | Comoros & Mayotte | $ 0.44 | |
| Vietnam | $ 0.09 | Guinea-Bissau | $ 0.44 | |
| Virgin Islands, British | $ 0.15 | Liechtenstein, Mobile | $ 0.49 | |
| Virgin Islands, British, Mobile | $ 0.19 | Samoa | $ 0.49 | |
| Virgin Islands, U.S. | $ 0.03 | Ascension Island | $ 0.50 | |
| Yemen | $ 0.16 | Greenland | $ 0.50 | |
| Yemen, Mobile | $ 0.16 | Somalia | $ 0.53 | |
| Zambia | $ 0.07 | Tuvalu | $ 0.55 | |
| Zambia, Mobile | $ 0.17 | Vanuatu | $ 0.56 | |
| Zimbabwe | $ 0.08 | Cuba, Guantanamo Bay | $ 0.60 | |
| Zimbabwe, Mobile | $ 0.38 | Korea, North | $ 0.60 | |
Bottom Line: Depending on your privacy concerns, Google Voice is a great service.
This is the technology the East German Stasi wanted. Imagine sending all telephone calls through a system that knows who you are, knows who you're calling, and can record or transcribe the conversation. Those with severe privacy concerns will be alarmed, and rightly so. But for most of us, I suspect that the conveniences provided by the service will more than offset the security concerns.
For more information, visit the Google Voice website. You may have to wait several weeks or months for an invitation.
Windows 7 from Walt Mossberg's Perspective
When I used to subscribe to the Wall Street Journal, Walt Mossberg's column on technology was one that I never missed. He leans toward Macs (as does David Pogue at the crosstown rival New York Times), but I always found his comments worthwhile. What Mossberg has to say about Windows 7 is shocking.
From Walt Mossberg:
After using pre-release versions of Windows 7 for nine months, and intensively testing the final version for the past month on many different machines, I believe it is the best version of Windows Microsoft has produced. It's a boost to productivity and a pleasure to use. Despite a few drawbacks, I can heartily recommend Windows 7 to mainstream consumers.
In recent years, I, like many other reviewers, have argued that Apple's Mac OS X operating system is much better than Windows. That's no longer true. I still give the Mac OS a slight edge because it has a much easier and cheaper upgrade path; more built-in software programs; and far less vulnerability to viruses and other malicious software, which are overwhelmingly built to run on Windows.
Now, however, it's much more of a toss-up between the two rivals. Windows 7 beats the Mac OS in some areas, such as better previews and navigation right from the taskbar, easier organization of open windows on the desktop and touch-screen capabilities. So Apple will have to scramble now that the gift of a flawed Vista has been replaced with a reliable, elegant version of Windows.
So if you don't believe what I've been saying about Windows 7, there's the word from Walt.
I wasn't a Mac user in the early days, but I concede that the early versions of Windows were poor. Starting with Windows 95, though, Microsoft pulled ahead of Apple technologically. With the Advent of OS X (10.1), Apple took the lead.
I can't use the latest version of Apple's operating system because it runs only on Intel-based processors, but I've heard that Snow Leopard is a minor upgrade, consisting mainly of performance tweaks and security measures. Windows 7 is clearly priced too high, but I have a feeling that many Vista users would be willing to pay almost anything to rid themselves of that operating system.
October 22nd: That's when you can join Walt Mossberg, lots of Microsoft TechNet subscribers, and me in the wonderful world of Windows 7.
Short Circuits
Apple and the Chamber of Commerce
Warning: Some will consider this to be a political commentary. It is not. The US Chamber of Commerce has characterized global warming as "junk science" despite the fact that an overwhelming number of scientists agree that the threat is real. The organization uses members' dues to fight against measures aimed at mitigating the effects of global warming. Apple Computer is a member of the US Chamber of Commerce. Correction: Apple Computer was a member of the US Chamber of Commerce. There's a story behind that.
Apple's official statement: "We strongly object to the chamber's recent comments opposing the E.P.A.'s effort to limit greenhouse gases. We would prefer that the chamber take a more progressive stance on this critical issue and play a constructive role in addressing the climate crisis."
Although other companies (Nike, nuclear power provider Exelon, and Pacific Gas and Electric, for example) have also resigned from the US C of C citing the organization's opposition to climate change legislation, Apple is possibly the most visible high-tech company to do so.
According to the New York Times, Apple's resignation is effective immediately. Apple's vice president of worldwide government affairs, Catherine Novelli, characterized the chamber's stance on climate change issues "frustrating". In a letter to the Chamber of Commerce, Novelli wrote that Apple "strongly object[s] to the chamber's recent comments opposing the E.P.A.'s effort to limit greenhouse gases."
Chamber of Commerce head Thomas Donohue says that Apple has mis-stated the chamber's position on climate policy. He went on to suggest a conspiracy: Companies are dropping their memberships, he said, as part of an orchestrated campaign.
Those who want to put a "political" spin on this should note that I have reported comments by both sides and that I have given the US Chamber of Commerce the final word, which is the most powerful position.
What Else You'll Need for Windows 7
Eweek magazine (or eWeek, as they like to style the name) had an article titled "10 Must-Have Applications on Windows 7 Launch Day". Ten X You Must Y is a common theme to hang an article on, but I wondered if the writers had come up with 10 really essential apps for Windows 7.
And then I thought I'd try a little stream-of-consciousness writing. After all, who's afraid of Virginia Woolf? So here's what Eweek suggested and my comments:
- Itunes: Yeah, maybe. But you probably already have this. Depending on what you want to do and how you use digital media, Winamp with or without the VLC Media Player might be a better choice.
- Microsoft Security Essentials: Well, yeah. Microsoft's free security package is going to be there. It does an OK job of detecting malware. Thanks, but I'll continue to use AVG.
- Office 2007: Hello? This is a "must-have" application. Most people could make do with Open Office. It's true that Office 2007 plays very well with Windows 7, but it's hardly a "must-have" application. We're only 3 deep into the list and already I'm questioning the choices.
- Photoshop Elements 8: Good choice, but I'd push for Adobe Lightroom if you're into digital photography. This is more important, in my estimation, than even Photoshop.
- Adobe Premiere Elements: Oh, wow, does this ever make a lot of assumptions. Adobe Premiere (CS4 or Elements) is a great program. But if you're not at all interested in video, you don't need it or want it. "Must-have"? Hardly.
- AVG Antivirus: This is halfway down the list? Why? Yes, you need an antivirus program with Windows 7 and this is a good one. It is, in fact, the one I use.
- Tweak-7: Never heard of it. The author says "Windows 7 owners will be able to optimize Windows 7 by increasing efficiency and cutting down on wasteful programs." It's a $40 program. So far I haven't needed it, but it appears to offer some useful features.
- Google Chrome: This is Google's browser. Yes, it plays well with Windows 7, but Firefox is still the browser to beat, at least in my estimation.
- Google Desktop: Hmmm. Maybe. The Windows 7 search works well enough for me, and that's saying something because I refused to allow previous versions of Microsoft Search to run. Still, Google Desktop is pretty well regarded.
- TrueCrypt: We use this at the office to encrypt data on all workstations. One of our clients insists that all data must be encrypted "on the wire" and "at rest". TrueCrypt covers the "at rest" part. My only question is whether you need to encrypt everything on your hard drive (or drives) and whether you're willing to put up with the risks posed by such an application. "Must-have"? Not in my book.
What Would I Recommend?
This won't be a list of 10. Instead it'll be the first several "must-have" applications that occur to me. But the simple fact is this: What's important to me might not be important to you. As with so many other things in life, there is no easy list that fits everyone's needs. But here's what I wouldn't want to be without.
- UltraEdit: I cannot imagine working without the text editor UltraEdit. Most of what I write for TechByter Worldwide begins in UltraEdit because I can write without being concerned about formatting. But it's also the tool I choose when I need to write Javascript.
- SnagIt and ThumbsPlus: These are essential to me. SnagIt allows me to grab screen shots. Windows 7 has a built-in function, but I still prefer SnagIt. Then, when it's time to prepare images for use on the website, there's no better tool than ThumbsPlus.
- FileZilla: I need to upload files to the TechByter Worldwide website and also to the websites of various clients. This is the applications that makes it all possible.
- Adobe CS4 Suite: From Photoshop to InDesign, from Dreamweaver to Bridge, from Illustrator to Fireworks, this is the suite that contains everything.
- The Bat: My longtime favorite e-mail program. This is very much a personal choice, but it's the e-mail program I've been using since about 1999.
- Firefox: Firefox is fine on its own, but the thousands of add-ons make everything that much better. I use Firefox, Chrome, and (occasionally) Internet Explorer and Opera. But Firefox is the one I use most often because of its ability to accept add-ons.
My point is this: Nobody can tell you what the most important applications are. It's important for you, before you upgrade your computer to Windows 7, to confirm that the applications you feel are essential will work.
The author's image: It's that photo over at the right. This explains why TechByter Worldwide was never on television, doesn't it?
