How to Do More with Your iOS 7 Camera

How to Do More with Your iOS 7 Camera is a post by Craig Lloyd from Gotta Be Mobile.
Much like every other app in iOS 7, the Camera app received a big makeover in the latest update, coming with a ton of new features. Of course, you probably already have enough knowledge to take a decent photo with your iPhone or iPad, but you may not be using the camera to its full potential.
The features that come with the Camera app are fairly simple and straightforward, but many folks don’t use them to their advantage. With just a few tips and tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be able to take better photos on your iPhone or iPad, even to the point where you can think about getting rid of that point and shoot camera that’s collecting dust in your desk drawer.

Focus & Exposure

Before you can begin using all of the great feature available to you in the iOS 7 camera app, your photos first need to come out looking technically correct, meaning that the subject needs to be in focus and the lighting needs to be right.

The iPhone does a decent job at automatically focusing in on a subject, and it usually gets the exposure right so that you can clearly see what’s in the picture. However, if you want to put focus on a particular subject, all you have to do is simply tap on it on the screen to change the focus. This will also change the exposure to put emphasis on the subject, so if your subject appears dark in the photo, just tap on it to expose it properly.

Filters

Many people associate filters with Instagram, but now Apple has included them with the iOS 7 camera. Granted, there aren’t as many filter options to choose from compared to Instagram, but the basic ones are included. We see filters as a tool to save photos that didn’t turn out so well. For instance, if the white balance isn’t right or if the photo is under or overexposed, you can make it look slightly better by using a filter.

To activate a filter, tap on the venn diagram icon in the lower-right corner and then select the filter that you want to apply to any photos that you take. If you want to apply a filter to a photo after you’ve taken it, simply just go to your Camera Roll and tap on the photo, then tap on Edit in the upper-right corner. From there, tap on venn diagram icon at the bottom to pick and apply a filter.

Grid Lines

One rule of photography that even the most novice of photo takers should know is the Rule of Thirds. This is where the subject is off from the center of the photo and is placed two-thirds to the side of the photo to create a more pleasing image, composition-wise.

The camera in iOS has had the ability to add grid lines for a while now, but not many people know about it. We covered the process in the past on how to enable them, but it’s quite simple. Just open up the Settings app and tap on Photos & Camera. From there, tap on the toggle switch next to Grid to enable grid lines. These will allow you to better place subjects and allow you follow the Rule of Thirds without a problem.

HDR

If you’ve ever been in a situation where you’re trying to take a photo of a landscape, but the sun is so bright that the camera goes nuts and doesn’t show the darker areas very well, then HDR is your friend. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and that basically means that the camera will take multiple photos at different exposures and merge them together to have every area in the photo properly exposed, that way you can see everything.

iOS 7 has an HDR mode that makes it extremely easy to take such photos. At the top of the camera app, you’ll see a small HDR Off. Tapping on that will toggle HDR mode. When it’s enabled, it’ll say HDR On in yellow letters.
Once you take a photo, it’ll save two copies, one of which is the HDR photo and the other is the regular photo.

LED Flash

Your iPhone has a LED flash on it, but it’s actually best not to use it unless you really need to. It’ll wash out your subject and make your photos unattractive to look at overall. Granted, if you just need to take a casual photo of something that’s dimly lit, then by all means crank that LED flash, but if you’re at a party and are wanting to get some great photos of friends having fun, keep that flash off as much as possible.

If you have an iPhone 5s, the flash is better than past iPhone models, because it essentially comes with two different LEDs that are at different color temperatures in order to more-accurately light the subject based on the environment’s current color temperature, but you’ll still get washed out pics most of the time, so tread lightly.

Hidden iPhone Feature Makes Your Calls Sound 100 Times Better

Hidden iPhone Feature Makes Your Calls Sound 100 Times Better is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.
iPhone users with iOS 7 that want to dramatically improve their call quality can easily do so, just by using a feature that apparently remains out of focus for many iPhone owners on iOS 7.
Unsurprisingly, when my friends encounter a problem with their phone, tablet or laptop, they come to me for help. I’m their nerdy friend that writes about technology so naturally, I am usually the first person they call. I am also apparently the first person they call when the discover something that dramatically improves their experience.

Recently, I had two of my good friends tell me about an iOS 7 feature called FaceTime Audio. FaceTime Audio, they said, improved their call quality. And then one of my friends asked something that at the time, seemed so ridiculous, that I had to laugh: “Why didn’t you tell me about this feature sooner?”
I laughed because this is a feature that was detailed on stage when Apple announced iOS 7. It’s a feature that my co-workers and I started using just hours after installing iOS 7 back in September. It’s also a feature that Gotta Be Mobile included in our 25 Hidden iOS 7 Features from last year.
Evidently, to my friends (and probably many other iPhone users around the world), it’s this big hidden secret that Apple and I were keeping from them.
My friends were right about one thing. FaceTime Audio is hidden away inside iOS. It doesn’t jump out at you and Apple doesn’t supply any signs that lead the way. So while I was initially surprised that my friends, who have been iPhone owners for years, just discovered FaceTime Audio, I quickly understood.
FaceTime Audio is a feature that TechCrunch called the “biggest little feature” inside iOS 7. And in my opinion, that declaration holds up, even now several months after the arrival of iOS 7.
The feature, at its most basic level, is VoIP calling that is built into Apple’s FaceTime service. In other words, it can help cut down on your monthly phone bill when used over Wi-Fi. It also provides free international calling.
What FaceTime Audio also delivers, and this is why my friends got excited, is a call experience that is immensely better than the sound delivered through a basic phone call. One of my friends literally described the experience of talking to me on FaceTime Audio as “surreal.” He could actually hear me and hear me clearly. It was a pretty magical experience when I used the service for the first time, back in September, too.

It’s night and day, black and white. When I can, I always choose to make FaceTime Audio calls over regular ones, especially when connected to Wi-Fi. It’s a much cleaner experience than when it’s used over a cellular network, even 4G LTE.
If this was a secret to my friends, who I think have a finger on the pulse of the tech world, it’s probably a secret to many other people and so I want to show you, very quickly, how to improve your call experience.
To place a FaceTime Audio call, you have two options.

• When in FaceTime, you can place a FaceTime audio call using your contacts list by tapping the phone icon.
• When in Contacts, simply tap the FaceTime phone icon to place a FaceTime audio call to the contact you are viewing.

It’s that simple and who knows, you might have the same “surreal” experience that one of my friends did a few weeks ago with FaceTime Audio, a feature that again, has been out since September.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella asked to bring cloud hosting to India

 

Large enterprise clients of Microsoft are delighted that an Indian is the new leader of the iconic company whose software products are ubiquitous across their organisations. 

At the same time, Chief Information Officers are also being realistic about what Satya Nadella's priorities might be, while hoping that the appointment will eventually bring some focus into the cloud computing needs of enterprises in India. 

"So far, Microsoft's cloud services are hosted overseas. If they host this India, it will be great news for Indian companies," said Anil Jaggia, CIO at HDFC Bank, India's second largest private sector bank. 

"Whether Nadella's coming will change things, it's too early to comment on that," Jaggia said. 

One expectation that's emerging, in common to the CIOs ET contacted, is that Nadella's two decades of experience focussed on corporate IT infrastructure and the related Microsoft software, will help them with their cloud computing initiatives. 

"I reckon Nadella would bring in greater focus into Microsoft's road-map on mobility and cloud computing. 

He could also play a role in Microsoft's journey in terms of restructuring and the Azure (cloud) platform," said Francis Rajan, information technology head at Bangalore International Airport.

At Mumbai-based conglomerate the Essar group, one of Microsoft's biggest Indian customers, chief technology officer Jayantha Prabhu said "while I expect him to focus on Microsoft customers worldwide being the CEO, I am sure he will have a greater focus on India which is one of two largest consumer-driven economies in the world." 

"With Microsoft being well entrenched in India due to its long history, I expect Satya to leverage the same and build on helping the Indian enterprise customers realize their potential," Prabhu added. 

Nadella, who was appointed on Tuesday, joined the ranks of other Indian-origin CEOs such as PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi and Ajaypal Singh Banga, chief executive of MasterCard. 

Hyderabad-born, Manipal University-educated Nadella will be Microsoft's third CEO after Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer, ending a search that began in August last year. 

While India is not a large market for Microsoft, the Redmond, Washington based company has the largest centre of Microsoft IT engineering divisions in the country, with over 5,800 employees. 

While the CIOs wish Nadella well, some are sceptical that having an Indian-origin executive as CEO will make much difference to them. 

"It's great to have a CEO of Indian origin at Microsoft, but he's not going to change anything," said Parakh Dave, chief information officer and chief technology officer at Future Group. 

"There are several other Indian origin CEOs at other firms, so this just underlines the fact that there are many quality people from India out there.

Is Moto G better than Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini?

With new Moto G, the device giant Moto Mobility has debuted into the Indian market with exclusive partnership with e-store Flipkart. Priced at Rs 12,499 (8GB) and Rs 13,999 (16GB), the new device is all set to take on competition.

The device is powered with Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 1.2GHz Quadcore chipset and features HD display. With Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean), Moto G comes with dual SIM capability and FM radio.

The mobile device major said that the new Moto G is better placed than Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini. "The new device is 1.2 seconds faster than rival in answering a call; 1.1 second faster than making a call; and 0.5 second quicker than launching browser," the company claimed.

Moto Mobility GM EMEA and Asia Pac Magnus Ahlaqvi believed that Indian market was important to them, and they see growth. "We are focusing on pure Android devices and are dedicated to give exceptional consumer experience that includes rich display and long battery life," he said.

The idea to make this device affordable arrives from the fact that more than 500 million people are looking at buying affordable smartphones globally in 2014, the company said. It expects to sell huge numbers, and it went out of stock within few hours of launch on Flipkart.

Moto G key specifications:

4.5-inch display with a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, 329 ppi pixel density

1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor

1GB RAM

8GB/ 16GB internal storage

5MP rear camera with LED flash, 1.3MP front-facing camera

3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0,GPS

2070mAh battery

Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)

Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean) upgradable to Android 4.4 (KitKat)

Stability not exciting: Young professionals chucking jobs at big companies to join startups

 

More and more young professionals, even those with a fair bit of experience, are willing to pass up the job security of a large, established company in favour of the thrill of innovation, sense of ownership, meaty roles and flat structures young startups have on offer.

This explains why Bangalore-based startup Wooqer, with a turnover of only Rs 20 crore, already has a bunch of senior corporate executives, some with Ivy League backgrounds, on its payrolls. Its business head (financial services) Harmendra Gandhi (45) was earlier a V-P at Nomura Securities. Sarika Pandey (38), director (customer advocacy), was an assistant V-P with Kotak Wealth Management. Business head (retail) Nishant Malhotra (35), a graduate from University of Pennsylvania-The Wharton School, has been an investment banker. And Karthik Kumar (35), the sales head, who is from Duke University-The Fuqua School of Business, was earlier the head of India client solutions at Corporate Executive Board.

"Each one of them was at a stage in their careers where they wanted to do something more exciting, aligned with their goals of making a difference in the way we live and work," says Vishal Purohit, the 40-year-old CEO of Wooqer.

Startups say experienced professionals aged 30-40 are prime poaching targets since they are willing to take risks and have not become too used to the perks of an established employer.

EXCITEMENT AROUND STARTUPS

Thirty-one-year-old Prashant Parmar took a 25% pay cut and became the first employee of online training and professional certification courses provider Simplilearn. The IIM-Kozhikode graduate had worked with HP before his MBA, and L&T after passing out. Parmar wanted to be a part of the decision-making process and knew that as a marketing manager he could not take any such calls.

"I got ESOPs and knew that they will get me more income than salary from the larger firms. Also, the IIM tag helped because I knew that if I failed after one year, getting a job would not be that difficult," says Parmar.

How to control job hopping and retain employees?

By Apeksha Kaushik

According to a TimesJobs.com poll, over 70 per cent of the workforce is planning for a job change in the next three months. Let's find out why this has become a trend. 

Why the change? 

With burgeoning competition and limited talent pool, organisations are employing varied innovative ways to attract talent. This subsequently leads to workforce getting attracted to a new job offer. 

Prahlad Rao, director, Thomas Assessments stated that while the basic reason for change remains 'better opportunity', what deserves understanding is what constitutes better opportunities in today's time. "Work-life balance, adequate challenges, learning opportunities and a collaborative working environment are the key reasons that seem to encourage people to stay longer or leave," he adds. 

While some reasons are concrete, others are vague, such as a job/brand which enhances social status. Preetesh, HR Manager, BCIL Zed Homes explains, "The environment for a sales professional is such that he avails social and peer recognition by the incentives he makes and for a successful top level associate it could be a matter of social status." So, many times it's nothing vital, but an individual's aspirations that determine the change. 

Holding them back 

Holding back talent is always a challenge for companies as the outside world is lucrative. Organisations should offer an appropriate blend of learning and career development to retain talent in the long run. Experts suggests following ways to hold back talent basis the job position: 

At junior level: Be aware of their cultural demands; empowers them appropriately by giving them time for trial and error and most importantly recognise their effort in public as today's youth are very sensitive about their social image at the workplace. 

At mid-level: Holding back talent at the mid-level could be through regular initiatives such as prompt salary payments, company image, level of organisational benefits offered, working conditions, empowerment and recognition, career opportunities and diversity at the workplace. 

At top level: Senior positions would stick on when two things go right - firstly, the business plan of the company should look productive to them and they are confident to convert it into the mission of the company with required support. Secondly, the company should be in a position to offer them the required bandwidth in terms of opportunity to perform and deliver in future. 

Losing human resource is a big setback for any company. If the resource has been trained and then leaves before that training translates into performance, then undoubtedly the company which invested in the training loses out. "Typically investments in training pay off if any employee has contributed at least 3-4 years in the organisation," clarifies Rao. 

And, it's not always a win-win situation for job hoppers, also. They also end-up in a bad workplace/profile, many times. Preetesh advises that patience is the key to adaptability. Pre-conceived notions or comparison of a former workplace culture usually deters a new joinee to stick on for long in a new company.

5 ways to ensure you hire the right talent

 

Make sure you take the right hiring decisions by following the checklist shared below.

Hiring decisions are the most painful part of an HR professional's job and they are equally taxing for the business, at large. A study published by the Society for Human Resource Management found that a poor hiring decision, which ended in termination, actually costs the company concerned around 38 per cent of an employee's salary. With so much at stake, how can one ensure that right person is hired for the right job? Ravi S Singh, founder, Insiders, shares a checklist which can help avoid horror hires...

Talent mapping

The success of hiring lies in talent mapping; if you have the right people on your mapping list, your job is almost done. The problem with most of the recruiters, even consultants, is that their search process ends as they find a suitable candidate, to get a closure. An extensive talent mapping gives you a holistic preview of the available talent and make sure that you are hiring the most suitable and best fit.

Strong pre-screening 

A right hire is not determined by the number of people interviewed but by meeting the right people. Hence, a strong and in-depth pre-screening of CV is highly recommended, so that you meet only the right people and when you are making a final decision you know you are choosing among the best. In today's social media-driven world, reviewing the online profile can be a very strong pre-screening criterion.

Non negotiable traits/behavior 

The technical aspect and achievements (IQ) are almost defined in the CV and while interviewing, it's all about cross checking them. But the major aspect which needs to be checked is behaviors, traits, and attitude; in short the EQ aspect. Hence, define your NNT (Non Negotiable Traits) this will definitely assure the stability of hire in your organisation.

Know your questions 

Have a checklist of interview questionnaire. Also, it's not only about preparing the right question but knowing them as well; i.e., what is the objective? What will it basically determine or how well can it give a prospective of the candidate?

Background and reference check

Effective reference check is one of the most important steps in the hiring process. Make sure and verify that all the credentials, experience and skills shared, are possessed by the candidate.

Besides, there are number of behavioural and personality assessment tests available, today, to evaluate the suitability and credibility of a candidate for the available job profile/position. "A little extra effort at the preliminary stages of hiring process can help in culling the good from bad. It is best to give an in-depth testing on the candidate's competencies rather than glide along on first impressions," advised Kevin Tan, principal consultant, Omni View Consultancy.