Serif Affinity Photo - Recensiamo questo software di fotoritocco!

English version HERE

Con la sempre maggiore diffusione delle fotocamere digitali (tutti ormai ne abbiamo una sempre in tasca), è aumentata anche la necessità di utilizzare app e software di fotoritocco.
Oggi sempre più persone passano ore a ritoccare le proprie foto (un "privilegio" un tempo riservato solo ai fotografi professionisti e agli appassionati più entusiasti) tanto che tutti su questo pianeta hanno almeno sentito parlare di Adobe Photoshop, probabilmente il software più famoso di questo tipo. Così famoso che ne è nato un neologismo come "Photoshoppare", ormai diventato un sinonimo molto usato per "post-elaborazione di immagini".

Photoshop è decisamente il più noto, ma è anche costoso e persino troppo potente per l'utente medio (non professionista) che potrebbe addirittura rimanere intimidito dalla quantità di strumenti e opzioni offerti da questo programma. Ecco perché c'è molto spazio sul mercato per alternative più user-friendly, come Affinity Photo di Serif, che è ormai giunto alla v1.7 ed è disponibile per Windows, Mac e iPad.

Affinity Photo mira a rappresentare una nuova soluzione al fotoritocco per fotografi professionisti, foto editors e persino artisti concettuali.
L'obiettivo di Serif durante la progettazione di Affinity Photo era quello di creare un potente software in grado di offrire velocità e prestazioni insieme a un'interfaccia intuitiva.
Ci sono riusciti?

La prima cosa che si può notare dopo aver lanciato Affinity Photo è che l'interfaccia ha un aspetto piuttosto familiare. Questo perché il desktop scuro,  la barra degli strumenti verticale a sinistra e la colonna di pannelli a destra ricordano molto da vicino l'impatto visivo di Adobe Photoshop. Questa non è una critica, al contrario: uno spazio di lavoro riconoscibile rende più facile lavorare con un nuovo software, rende la transizione meno spaventosa e la familiarizzazione col nuovo ambiente richiede meno tempo.

L'aspetto molto familiare dell'interfaccia di Affinity Photo

Ciò che è veramente innovativo dell'interfaccia di Affinity Photo è ciò che Serif ha chiamato "Personas". Fondamentalmente, le Persone sono diversi set di strumenti che coprono differenti esigenze di utilizzo: ce ne sono 5 e si chiamano Foto, Fluidifica, Sviluppo, Mappatura Toni ed Esporta. Come probabilmente avrete già immaginato dai loro nomi, ogni Persona ha un obiettivo diverso, che è reso più facile da raggiungere grazie al comportamento di Affinity Photo: quando si passa a una Persona diversa, le barre degli strumenti cambiano e offrono solo i pulsanti, gli strumenti e le opzioni necessarie per il compito richiesto.
Questo rende l'interfaccia molto più facile da navigare e trovare lo strumento giusto diventa un lavoro più veloce.

La barra delle "Persona"

Ovviamente la Persona Foto è quella in cui trascorrerete la maggior parte del tuo tempo. Offre tutti i soliti set di strumenti per permettervi di modificare le vostre immagini come desiderate: strumenti di selezione, strumenti di ritaglio, pennelli, pennelli clone, strumenti di riempimento colore, strumenti di sfocatura / nitidezza / sbavatura, gomme da cancellare, pennelli correttivi con diverse opzioni che semplificano le cose. Non sono (ancora?) allo stesso livello degli strumenti correttivi basati sul contenuto forniti da Photoshop, ma fanno davvero un ottimo lavoro una volta che ti ci abitui, e ci sono sembrati molto più intuitivi da utilizzare rispetto ad altri programmi di fotoritocco.

La Persona "Sviluppo" è particolarmente potente in quanto è intesa come uno speciale "studio" dedicato all'elaborazione di file RAW, dove parametri come Esposizione, Nitidezza e Bilanciamento del bianco possono essere modificati direttamente sul file RAW (il che significa che non si verifica alcun degrado dell'immagine) e diversi strumenti come Correzioni lente, Aberrazioni cromatiche, Riduzione del rumore e altri possono essere applicati all'immagine originale.
Gli effetti sulle immagini vengono applicati immediatamente, in modo non distruttivo, in modo che sia sempre possibile mettere a punto tutti i valori modificati, o annullarne gli effetti senza perdita di qualità.

La Persona "Sviluppo"

La Persona "Mappatura Toni" offre tutti gli strumenti per unire diverse esposizioni in un'immagine HDR (anche i file RAW direttamente!), nonché la possibilità di estrarre più dettagli da uno scatto mappando i toni di una singola esposizione. Fornisce inoltre alcuni preset, che possono essere applicati come punto di partenza per ulteriori modifiche, rendendo il lavoro più semplice e veloce.
Il flusso di lavoro completamente a 32 bit end-to-end consente di lavorare su immagini HDR, rendering, textures o esportazioni da software 3D, il che, unito al supporto per monitor HDR / EDR, rende Affinity Photo un'ottima opzione per coloro che amano lavorare sui file HDR.

La Persona Mappatura Toni, con i preset a sinistra

A un livello più tecnico, Affinity Photo offre alcune funzionalità interessanti. Ad esempio, è ottimizzato per Direct3D e motori a 64 bit, sfruttando così le schede video di fascia alta. Ha anche la possibilità di creare / modificare documenti di dimensioni gigapixel, insieme al supporto per tablet (che offre multi-touch) e Surface Studio (sono supportati sia la Surface Pen che il Surface Dial).

La maggior parte dei plugin per Adobe Photoshop può essere utilizzata anche in Affinity Photo. Abbiamo provato alcuni dei più famosi (dalla Nik Collection di Google a NeatImage e PerfectlyClear) e tutti hanno funzionato alla perfezione. E la compatibilità con Photoshop non finisce qui: Affinity Photo può gestire sia i file PSD e PSB, sia i pennelli di Photshop.

Affinity Photo include anche uno strumento per la creazione di panorami mettendo insieme più scatti. Non abbiamo idea del perché non abbiano dedicato una "persona" a questo scopo, ma non è così importante. L'importante, invece, è che il risultato finale sia quasi perfetto: nei nostri tentativi i lavori di cucitura sono sempre stati impeccabili con gli oggetti / persone in movimento automaticamente rimossi dal panorama risultante.

Lo strumento per la creazione di panorami

Naturalmente sarebbe impossibile elencare e descrivere in dettaglio tutte le caratteristiche, le opzioni e gli strumenti che offre un software così completo, quindi dovrai fidarti di noi quando ti diciamo che Affinity Photo è un software di fotoritocco molto ben fatto, adatto per tutti: i principianti troveranno uno strumento molto buono, facile da usare e non spaventosamente complicatoo per iniziare la loro avventura nella post-elaborazione delle immagini; gli appassionati si troveranno a loro agio con un programma che offre tutto ciò di cui hanno bisogno e con un'interfaccia familiare che consente loro di trovare le cose di cui hanno bisogno senza sforzo; e i professionisti troveranno un software ricco di funzionalità che può sicuramente competere con i suoi rivali più acclamati.
Con una differenza enorme: non ci sono costi di abbonamento mensili coinvolti, come per Photoshop e altri "colleghi": per usare Affinity Photo basta acquistare una licenza a 54,99 EUR / 49,99 USD per le versioni Windows / Mac e 21,99 EUR / 19,99 USD per la versione iPad, ed è tuo. PER SEMPRE. Secondo noi, è un vero affare.

Puoi scaricare la tua copiadi Affinity Photo cliccando qui (sono disponibili versioni di prova gratuite)

[Si ringrazia Serif per averci fornito una licenza gratuita di Affinity Photo al fine di realizzare questa recensione]

Serif Affinity Photo Review - A Photo Editing tool for Windows, Mac and iPad

Versione italiana QUI

With the explosion of digital cameras and the ubiquitous presence of camera-equipped smartphones, the need for photo-retouching software has also increased.

Nowadays more and more people spend hours retouching their own pictures, a "privilege" once reserved only for professional photographers and the more enthusiast hobbyists.
Everyone on this planet has at least once heard about Adobe Photoshop, probably the most famous piece of software of this kind. So famous that "to photoshop" has become a very much used synonym for "to post-process pictures".

Photoshop is also expensive, and even too powerful for the average (non-professional) user, who might easily be intimidated by the quantity of tools and options this program offers. That's why there is a lot room in the market for more user-friendly alternatives, like Serif's Affinity Photo, which has now reached v1.7 and is available for Windows, Mac and iPad.

Affinity Photo aims to represent a new solution to image editing for professional photographers, photo retouchers and even conceptual artists.
Serif's goal when designing Affinity Photo was to create a powerful software that could offer speed and performance alongside an intuitive interface.
Did they succeed?

The first thing that can be noticed after launching Affinity Photo is that the interface has a familiar look. This is because the vertical left toolbar, and the right column of panels strikes more than a resemblance to Adobe Photoshop. This is not a criticism, on the contrary: a familiar workspace makes it easier to work with a new software and makes transitioning less scary and time consuming.

The familiar look of Affinity Photo's interface

What's really innovative of Affinity Photo's interface is what Serif called "Personas". Basically, Personas are different tool sets that cover different design needs: they are called Photo, Liquify, Develop, HDR and Export. As you have probably already imagined by their names, every Persona has a different goal, which is made easier to achieve by Affinity Photo's behavior: when switching to a different Persona, the toolbars change and only offer the buttons, the tools and the options needed for this task.
This makes the interface much easier to navigate, and finding the right tool becomes a quick job.

The Personas toolbar

Obviuosly the Photo Persona is the one you are going to spend most of your time in. It offers all the usual set of tools to let you edit your pictures the way you want. Selection tools, cropping tools, paint brushes, clone brushes, color fill tools, blurring/sharpening/smudging tools, erasers, healing brushes with different options that makes things easier. They are not (yet?) at the same level of Photoshop's content aware healing tools, but they really do a great job once you get used to them.

The Develop Persona is particularly powerful as it's intended as a special "studio" dedicated to the processing of RAW files, where parameters like Exposure, Sharpening and White Balance can be edited directly on the RAW file (which means no degradation of the picture) and different tools like Lens Corrections, Chromatic Aberrations, Noise Reduction and others can be applied to the original picture.
The effects on the pictures are applied immediately, in a non-destructive way, so that it's always possible to fine-tune all the values changed.

The Develop "Persona"

The HDR Persona offers all the tools to merge different exposures into an HDR picture (even RAW files directly!), as well as the ability to extract more details from a shot by tone-mapping a single exposure. It also supplies a few presets, that can be applied as a starting point for additional editing, making the job easier and quicker.
The full end-to-end 32-bit workflow allow working on HDR images, renders, textures or exports from 3D software, which, coupled with its support for HDR/EDR monitors, makes Affinity Photo a great option for those that enjoy working on HDR files.

The HDR Persona with its presets on the left

On a more technical level, Affinity Photo offers a few interesting features. For example it's optimized for Direct3D and 64-bit engines, thus taking advantage of high-end video cards. It also has the ability to create/edit gigapixel-sized documents, along with the support for tablets (offering multi-touch) and Surface Studio (Surface Pen and Surface Dial are both supported).

Most plugins for Adobe Photoshop can be used in Affinity Photo, too. We have tried a few of the most popular ones (from Google's Nik Collection to NeatImage and PerfectlyClear) and they all worked flawlessly. And the compatibility with Photoshop does not end here: Affinity Photo can handle both PSD and PSB files, as well as Photshop Brushes

Affinity Photo includes also a tool for creating panoramas by stitching multiple shots together. We have no idea why they did not dedicate a "persona" to this, but it's not important. What's important is that the final result is almost perfect: in our tries the stitching jobs have always been impeccable with moving objects/people automatically removed from the resulting panorama.

The tools for stitching Panoramas

Of course it would be impossible to list and describe in detail all the features, options and tools that such a complete piece of software offers, so trust us on this one: Affinity Photo is a very well-done photo editing software, which is suitable for everyone: beginners will find a very good, easy to use and not overwhelmingly scary tool to start their adventure in image post-processing; enthusiasts will find themselves comfortable with a program that offers everything they need, with a familiar interface that allows them to find the things they need without effort; and professionals will find a feature-packed software that can definitely compete with its most acclaimed rivals.
With a HUGE difference: there are no subscription fees involved. Affinity Photo currently costs EUR 54,99/$49,99 for the Windows/Mac versions, and EUR 21.99/USD 19.99 for the iPad version, and it's yours to keep. FOREVER. In our opinion, it's a steal.

Go get your copy here (free trial versions available)

[Many thanks to Serif for providing a free license key of Affinity Photo for us to review]

QNAP NAS - Error FW003 when trying to update firmware

Have you received error FW003 when trying to update the firmware of your QNAP Network Attached Storage (NAS)?
You have found the right page!
 
If you encounter error FW003 when trying to update the firmware of your QNAP NAS, it means that the system disk partition (which is used by the NAS to actually work and is separated from the actual storage space) does not have enough free space to perform the update operations. For example, if the size of the new version of the firmware is 185 MB and the available space is only 180 MB, you will get this error.
 
The only way to solve is to free enough disk space to perform the update. To do this you will have to connect to the NAS via SSH (using PuTTY on Windows, or a terminal on Linux/MacOS), and start looking for files that can be sacrificed to make room for the update.
 
To achieve this, once connected to the NAS via SSH, you will have to perform the following operations:
 

1. Confirm you have not enough free space on the system disk by issuing this command:
   
   [~] # df
   
   You'll get an output like the following:
   
   
   
   
   You have to check the column "Mounted on" and find "/mnt/HDA_ROOT". Check if available space is effectively smaller than the firmware update package. If so, go on. If not, contact QNAP support.
   
   
2. Confirm no /mnt/update file or folder and no /tmp/update_process file exist: if they exist, you need to delete them using:
   
   [~] # rm -rf /mnt/update
   [~] # rm -f /tmp/update_process
    
   
3. Repeat step 1. If available space on /mnt/HDA_ROOT is now larger than needed, proceed with the firmware update. If available space on /mnt/HDA_ROOT is still smaller than needed, proceed to Step 4.
    
   
4. Now you will have to look for the files that are occupying too much space on your /mnt/HDA_ROOT partition. This is different for every system, so there is not a unique solution. It's basically trial-and-error. Start with:
   
   [~] # ls -als /mnt/HDA_ROOT/
   
   To get the list of directories on this partition. Now check every directory using the following command:
   
   [~] # ls -als /mnt/HDA_ROOT/directoryname
   
   where directoryname stands for each directory (and their subdirectories) on the partition. My suggestion: start with the .logs and lost+found directories. For example:
   
   [~] # ls -als /mnt/HDA_ROOT/.logs
   
   You might get something like this:
   

   -rw-r--r-- 1 admin administ 184.7M Jan 21 2020 conn.log
   -rw-r--r-- 1 admin administ 345.3M Jan 18 2020 event.log

   As you can see those files have become huge, so you can safely delete them (they are log files, so not needed by the system) using the command:
   
   [~] # rm -f /mnt/HDA_ROOT/.logs/conn.log
   [~] # rm -f /mnt/HDA_ROOT/.logs/event.log
   
   As specified above, this is just an example. You will have to find the files that actually occupy too much space ON YOUR SYSTEM.
    
   
5. Once deleted these files, and freed up enough space, proceed with the firmware update as usual.

Let's keep an eye on our blood pressure - easy and cheap!

Homiee was kind enough to send me the new model of their blood pressure monitor.

The package is a simple cardboard box, and contains the pressure monitor, the arm cuff and the instruction manual. Very essential.

The device looks like a small box about 10 by 10 by 6.5 centimeters, with an inclined upper surface that allows a good view of the large 3.4" display. A nice light blue border that matches the blue light of the display contours the upper border of the monitor.

Below the display there are three buttons: one to consult the measurements stored in memory, one to start the measurement and one to set the time, date and to select the user who is using the device. The buttons are impermeable to liquids and dust, an important factor that could prolong the life of the appliance.

The cuff is suitable for limbs with a diameter between 22 and 36 centimeters: this means that you may have some problems using it on small children or bodybuilders with massive biceps. For everyone else it's okay (even for me, who certainly don't have a thin arm).

The device works with 4 AAA batteries (not included in the package) or with an external power supply (optional) and can be used by two different people. It is in fact possible to select user 1 or user 2 before performing the measurement, in order to keep a per-user log of the measurements using the internal memory of the device, which stores 90 measurements for each user.

The pressure measurement is quite rapid and takes less than a minute: as soon as it is finished the result will appear on the blue backlighted display, together with the heart rate count and the pressure value classification according to WHO standards.

The measurement is always very precise, and even when repeating them at a short interval the device maintains a certain consistency of values. Compared to the other monitors I have (an Omron and a Beurer) this Homiee is the one that gives me the most constant values ​​(with less oscillation).
Homiee states that the precision range of this device is ±3mmHg which is pretty high.

The possibility of switching off the appliance by pressing the central button is excellent (other models switch off by themselves after a certain period of inactivity, which is a waste of battery juice).

The only flaw I could find is the lack of a carrying case to transport and/or store the pressure monitor, but considering its price you can turn a blind eye, especially in virtue of the very precise and reliable measurements.

You can buy this device at Amazon:

 

The perfect tripod has finally seen the light!

The world’s most portable, packable, easy-to-setup professional travel tripod has finally been released by Peak Design and a campaign to fund its production has been launched on Kickstarter!

The Travel Tripod is the most portable, packable, and easy-to-setup professional tripod in the world. For years, traditional tripods have suffered a critical flaw: needless bulk and wasted space, the result of a spatially inefficient design. By redesigning the tripod from the ground up, Peak Design created the world’s most portable travel tripod—one that packs to the diameter of a water bottle—without sacrificing height, stability, or load capacity. But they didn’t stop there. Travel Tripod is radically faster to setup/takedown than traditional tripods and features more ergonomic adjustment points, built-in mobile compatibility, and thoughtful usability details at every corner. Plus, it’s built for life on the road: durable, fully serviceable, and backed by the Peak Design lifetime guarantee.

For a limited time you can pledge and pre-order your own Travel Tripod at a discount by following this link: https://traveltripod.kckb.st/14e62a15

Pro performance. Half the size.

• Groundbreaking architecture eliminates dead volume
• Packs down to half the size of traditional travel tripods—to the size of a water bottle
• No protruding knobs

Lightning-fast setup and pack-down.

• Quick-locking cams allow you to unlock legs in 3 swift motions
• Legs deploy without flipping over for significantly faster setup than traditional tripod designs
• Unique quick-release allows instant, secure camera attachment
  
  
  

Intuitive, ergonomic ball head interface.

• Single, ultra-smooth omnidirectional ball head adjustment ring with no bulky/confusing knobs
• Simple locking ring for total security and stiffness
• Compatible with all PD plates and most Arca-type plates
• Removable pins for use with most Arca-type L-brackets
• Omnidirectional bubble level
  

  

Professional stability and features for demanding environments.

• 20lb weight capacity, optimized for use with full-frame DSLR + telephoto lens
• Stability and vibration dampening comparable to much larger tripods in it’s class
• Nonslip, shock absorbing rubber feet
• Built-in load hanging hook
• Low and inverted configuration modes allow camera to sit just inches off ground
• Anchor attachment points for carrying with Peak Design straps

Brilliantly integrated mobile phone mount.

• Built-in mobile mount magnetically stowes in center column
• Mount sets up securely and holds any phone/case

Durable, fully serviceable, and guaranteed for life

• All components are weather and impact resistant
• Slim, protective carry sleeve
• All parts are fully serviceable, cleanable, and replaceable

Weight:

Alloy: 1.56 kg (3.44 lbs)

Carbon: 1.27 kg (2.81 lbs)

Weight Capacity: 9.1 kg (20 lbs) meaning it's suitable for pro setups, up to full-frame DSLR + telephoto lens

Collapsed Dimensions:

Length: 39.4 cm (15.5”)

Max Diameter: 8.3 cm (3.25”)

Deployed Dimensions:

Max height (center column raised): 152.4 cm (60")

Max height (center column down): 130.2 cm (51.25")

Min height (low mode): 14 cm (5.5”)

What are you waiting for?

Pledge and pre-order your own Travel Tripod at a discount by following this link: https://traveltripod.kckb.st/14e62a15

How to install Xerox Phaser 6130 on Windows 10

I've recently upgraded my desktop PC to Windows 10 Professional, only to find out that my color laser printer, a Xerox Phaser 6130N is not supported in Windows 10!!

(Side note: since mine is the network model it has the final 'N' but a non-network version exists and is known as 6130 or 6130V)

The Xerox website clearly states that there are no drivers for Windows 10 and that it is not supported at all.

Well, I had no intentions of buying a new printer, so I tried installing the latest Windows 8 drivers and -SURPRISE!- they work!

So if you have the same printer, just go to the Xerox website and download the available drivers for Windows 8, install them on your computer and simply follow the instructions to add the printer manually.
All that's needed is to select the printer port the printer is attached to or punch in the IP address of the printer, if you have the network version.

Aren't you happy you saved a lot of money Xerox wanted you to spend on a new printer?
Enjoy!

Lifetime hosting with Dragify / Ahead Hosting: a lifelong nightmare!

In October 2017 Greedeals.com published a deal from a company called Dragify: they offered lifetime web hosting for up to 4 websites at $39.99.
It looked like a good deal, so I signed up to test the service for a few days.

After I signed up I discovered that Dragify would no provide this service directly. The webhosting they were selling would actually be provided by another company called Ahead Hosting, apparently from Spain.

Well, who cares? What's important is that it works... So I tested the service for a few days (not enough, I would discover lately) and it looked okay, so before the special offer ended, I signed up for a second account, this time paying for the "triple up" addon, which allowed up to 12 websites to be hosted on that account for $39.99 (as before) + $39.99 (for the "triple up" addon).

Since this is important, let's call them ACCOUNT A (4 websites) and ACCOUNT B (12 websites)

I then proceeded to move all my websites from my old hosting provider to these two new accounts... and that's when the nightmare started.
Downtime is the major issue here: the websites would be unreachable or show "Error 502 Bad Gateway" for long periods of time. I would write to Ahead Hosting's customer service but my emails would mostly go unanswered. On a few rare occasions I have received a reply to my emails, and they all consisted mainly on monosillables.

On December 20, while checking stats on my ACCOUNT B's cPanel, I discovered that some unknown third-party was sending spam using the SMTP of one of my domains hosted on this account. I immediately sent an email to the customer service to warn them that the server was misconfigured, since it allowed third parties to send spam, even though everything was set to avoid this. Of course, I have never received any reply.

In early January 2018, everything came crushing down: all the websites were unreachable, the cpanel would not allow me to login to any of my accounts ("user does not exist"). Of course, I immediately contacted the customer service and guess what? I have never received any reply.
Almost three full days later, the websites were up again and the cpanel would allow me to login again. Have I ever receive an explanation for this incident? Of course not.

Then, a few days later, without any forewarning nor any communications, my ACCOUNT A got suspended. The websites would show "This account has been suspended" and the cPanel would not allow me to login saying "this account has been suspended".
Of course I immediately contacted the customer service again, and this time (a few hours later) I received a reply that simply said that the account had been "suspended for spam".
Remember the problem with the SMTP server I tried warning them about? Well, it looks like they didn't give a damn about my warning, but they used it weeks later to suspend my ACCOUNT A, without any logical reason, considering that the domain which was used to send spam was hosted on ACCOUNT B!
In fact, my ACCOUNT B was still up and running and spammers were still using it to send spam!!

And it does not end here: while suspending my ACCOUNT A, they also decided to suspend my "triple up" plugin on ACCOUNT B. Why??? There was no logical reason at all, just utter incompetence! If the account causing problems was ACCOUNT B, why did they suspend ACCOUNT A? And then why did they suspend the "triple up" plugin on ACCOUNT B? Again, pure and simple incompetence.
At least, after contacting Dragify about this, they have canceled the suspension on the tripling up, and I have got my webspace and bandwidth allowance for 12 websites back.

Not that I intend to use this "lifetime" nightmare anymore. Immediately after the suspension I started moving all my websites to a different hosting provider, which hopefully will prove more professional than Ahead Hosting.

By the way, it looks like behind this so-called company Ahead Hosting lies a single person, who owns (or rents?) a single server: when my websites were down/unreachable, the "company's" website would be down/unreachable too. How professional is that?

In conclusion: as the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. If you want reliable hosting, stay away from these "lifetime" offers.
And most of all, stay away from Ahead Hosting.