Think back to the last time you browsed through your photo collection. You probably didn’t get very far before you thought to yourself, “This picture would have been great if only. . . .” If only the exposure had been better. I only that big plant, sign, or other distracting object wasn’t cluttering up background. If only the print hadn’t been sitting for 30 years in the basement being attacked by mildew, dirt, and paper-munching bugs. In years past, you either had to live with the damaged photos or pay big bucks to have them professionally repaired. Today, thanks to the development of consumer-friendly photo-editing software, you can use your computer to do the job yourself. Whether you want to fix a 100-year-old family photo or a business shot you took yesterday, Photo Retouching & Restoration For Dummies shows you how. You’ll discover how to: Scan and prep photos for editing Work with photo-editing software Fix the five most common photo flaws Get creative with collages and backgrounds Print photos or share them on the Internet Here are just some of the things you can do by following the simple, easy-to-understand instructions provided by the book: Bring new life to old, faded photographs Adjust colors throughout the picture or in a certain object Improve exposure and contrast Sharpen focus Cover up flaws such as negative scratches, scanner dust, and dirt Remove unwanted elements from the scene Get rid of red-eye, soften wrinkles, and do other facial retouching Replace a busy background with one that compliments the subject The techniques in the book use screen shots from Photoshop Elements as illustrations, but you can get the same results using Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoImpact, or most other intermediate or professional-level photo-editing software. To help you get started, the book comes with a CD-ROM featuring tryout versions of all the programs mentioned above, as well as other useful photography software. And to help you get the hang of color correction and other photo restoration techniques, the book includes 16 pages of full-color before-and-after examples. In short, you get just what you need to jump right in and start turning your flawed photos into frame-worthy masterworks!

Beginning Photo Retouching & Restoration Using GIMP teaches the reader how to achieve professional results using this high end image editor. You'll learn how to do everything from making dull images "pop" to resurrecting badly damaged photographs deemed beyond any hope of rescue. There's no need to shell out good money month after month for the "big name" software package. GIMP 2.8 is a world-class image editor that wields almost as much power, and is completely free! Learning the art of photo retouching and restoration is fun and rewarding. Reclaim those treasured images from the ravages of time and neglect, and pass them on to future generations. Beginning Photo Retouching & Restoration Using GIMP will provide you with a wide array of editing exercises to help you develop a high degree of proficiency. Whether you are the designated "family archivist" wanting to preserve your family history, or a professional photographer with a desire to add an extra revenue generating service, this book will be an invaluable aid. • Shows how to acquire the best scans and digitize large photographs. • Teaches you how to digitally repair damaged prints, correct color shifts, reclaim lost detail-even colorize black and white images. • Offers great tips on how to maintain and preserve your newly printed restored photographs, and how to properly store originals.

If I had a hammer: The fun and easy way for do-it-yourselfers to repair home appliances and furniture For anyone who's ever been frustrated by a repair shop rip-off or just wanted to join thousands of others in the DIY craze, How to Fix Everything For Dummies is a no-nonsense guide showing you how to troubleshoot and fix a wide range of furniture (with wobbly legs, for example) and household appliances — vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, garbage disposals, toasters, blenders, radios, televisions, and even computers and printers. Packed with step-by-step illustrations and easy-to-follow instructions, it's a must-have money-saver for the half of all homeowners who undertake Do-It-Yourself (DIY) home projects. This hands-on, DIY manual shows you not only how to fix faulty appliances but also tend to all those irritating repairs that cost more to have someone else fix than the item is worth. How to Fix Everything For Dummies is for you if you Are a homeowner or an apartment dweller Want to fix things around the house but aren’t sure where to start Have some experience but need guidance on tackling more and larger repairs May be frustrated about throwing things away because you don’t know where to go to repair them Don’t want to pay for service calls when the problem is minor Featuring clear, concise directions, How to Fix Everything For Dummies also covers the proper tools and materials to get the job done correctly without breaking the bank and important safety measures to take so you don’t hurt yourself. You’ll learn how to Fix creaky stairs Patch basement floors Restore damaged carpets Correct drywall and repair plaster walls Fix door and cabinet hardware problems Rewire fixtures Get doorbells to work Fix garage door openers Unclog drains and fix leaky pipes Mend wooden fences and decks Repair minor cracks in the concrete driveway or pool And a whole lot more Additionally, this friendly guide is written in plain English and includes a list of home repairs you should not take on yourself but should leave for the professionals and tips on how to hire one. Grab your copy of How to Fix Everything For Dummies, grab your screwdriver and wrench, and get to work!

Snort is the world's most widely deployed open source intrusion-detection system, with more than 500,000 downloads-a package that can perform protocol analysis, handle content searching and matching, and detect a variety of attacks and probes Drawing on years of security experience and multiple Snort implementations, the authors guide readers through installation, configuration, and management of Snort in a busy operations environment No experience with intrusion detection systems (IDS) required Shows network administrators how to plan an IDS implementation, identify how Snort fits into a security management environment, deploy Snort on Linux and Windows systems, understand and create Snort detection rules, generate reports with ACID and other tools, and discover the nature and source of attacks in real time CD-ROM includes Snort, ACID, and a variety of management tools

When you’re establishing, expanding, or re-energizing a business, the best place to start is writing your business plan. Not only does writing out your idea force you to think more clearly about what you want to do, it will also give the people you work with a defined road map as well. Business Plan Kit For Dummies, Second Edition is the perfect guide to lead you through the ins and outs of constructing a great business plan. This one-stop resource offers a painless, fun-and-easy way to create a winning plan that will help you lead your business to success. This updated guide has all the tools you’ll need to: Generate a great business idea Understand what your business will be up against Map out your strategic direction Craft a stellar marketing plan Tailor your plan to fit your business’s needs Put your plan and hard work into action Start an one-person business, small business, or nonprofit Create a plan for an already established business Cash in on the Internet with planning an e-business Featured in this hands-on guide is valuable advice for evaluating a new business idea, funding your business plan, and ways to determine if your plan may need to be reworked. You also get a bonus CD that includes income and overhead worksheets, operation surveys, customer profiles, business plan components, and more. Don’t delay your business’s prosperity. Business Plan Kit For Dummies, Second Edition will allow you to create a blueprint for success! Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Covering everything from basic Java development concepts to the latest tools and techniques used in Java, this book will put would-be programmers on their way to Java mastery Explores what goes into creating a program, how to put the pieces together, dealing with standard programming challenges, debugging, and making it work Updated for the release of the Java SDK 2.0, with all examples revised to reflect the changes in the technology

In this instant-communication world, buzz means business! And one of the greatest ways to get customers and potential customers buzzing about your business is with a Web log, commonly called a blog. Blogs can help you: Introduce the people behind your business Discuss relevant issues Provide a clearinghouse for information and expertise Show your business as a good corporate citizen Support an exchange of ideas Get honest feedback from your customers Affect public opinion If you’re new to blogging, or if you know the mechanics of a blog but want some help refining and targeting yours, Buzz Marketing With Blogs For Dummies will get you going right away. An expert blogger shows you the ins and outs of putting together a professional-looking blog, walks you through the jargon, helps you decide what your blog should do, and even explains various software solutions. You’ll find out how to: Set up and maintain a blog, write in blogging style, and observe blogging etiquette Define your audience and target your blog to reach them Involve your customers, earn their trust, educate the public, and build community Avoid possible legal pitfalls while keeping your blog interesting Encourage contributions and links to your blog Use images and design an eye-catching format Optimize your blog for top search engine ratings, track your results, and measure your success Written by Susannah Gardner, who has taught online journalism, directed multimedia efforts, and provided custom Web solutions to clients, Buzz Marketing With Blogs For Dummies even shares tips from the experts who establish and maintain some of the top-rated business blogs. You’ll discover the secrets of success, how to spot and solve problems, what software can enhance your blogging life, and a whole lot more. It like having a staff of experts on call!

Nearly seven million individuals in the U.S. currently maintain their own Web sites, and family sites are becoming an increasingly popular way to share family photos, news, and history. Includes step-by-step instructions and templates for a variety of family site projects, including sites focused on new babies, weddings, family reunions and other get-togethers, kids' hobbies and activities, and genealogical history. The CD-ROM is loaded with pre-designed Web site templates and trial versions of popular software programs, including Photoshop elements, Dreamweaver, Paint Shop Pro, and Family Tree Maker.

Everything new and experienced parents need to know about their baby's first 12 months to give them the best start in life Each year, more than 4 million babies are born in the United States-and the first year of a baby's life is a joyous, challenging, and sometimes overwhelming time. Your Baby's First Year For Dummies serves as a complete guide for baby's first twelve months, from what to do when arriving home from the hospital to handling feeding, bathing, and sleeping routines to providing the right stimuli for optimal progress. This comprehensive yet no-nonsense guide can help new or even seasoned moms and dads looking for tips and advice to help with every aspect of their baby's development. During Baby's first year, at times things will go well: Baby's sleeping and eating well, she's hitting milestones on time, and you're balancing childcare with work or with housekeeping. Then again, there are times when things aren't great. This jargon-free book takes a realistic look at what Baby's first year might be like, month by month. You'll find it helpful if you're pregnant and wondering what Baby's first year will be like; you have given birth and want to know what the months ahead hold; you have given birth and need advice from a book that doesn't talk down to you or make you feel as though there's something wrong with you (because there's not) if you're having a hard time making the adjustment to parenthood. Packed with tips on every aspect of baby's physical, emotional, and social development, Your Baby's First Year For Dummies gives you advice on topics like the following: Bonding with Baby Breastfeeding vs. bottle-feeding Baby's first checkup Baby's checkups at two months, four months, six months, nine months, and twelve months Sleeping habits Teething Baby toy safety and preventing injuries Food preparation and food allergies Traveling with your baby Signs of common illnesses Planning Baby's 1-year party And much more Additionally, Your Baby's First Year For Dummies provides tips for surviving the first few weeks, Daddy survival tips, and advice on when to call your pediatrician (and when not to). If Baby has arrived or you expect her soon, get your copy to make every moment count.

The days of buying and holding stocks and mutual funds for years are gone; nowadays, futures and option markets offer some of the best opportunities to make money trading in volatile times. But like all investments, high risk is involved, and in order to become a successful trader you must be prepared to work as a geopolitical analyst, a money manager, and an expert in all types of commodity markets. Futures & Options For Dummies will show you how trading is done and how to survive and succeed in these ever-changing markets. Filled with nuts-and-bolts advice, you’ll soon discover how to manage the risks involved and reap the rewards of futures and options trading. This straightforward guide gives you the tools you need to understand: Ins and outs of trading futures and options How to analyze the markets and develop strategies Interest-rate futures and speculating with currencies How to stock up on indexes The direction of commodity futures Organizing your financial data and calculating your worth Developing strategies now to avoid pain later The execution of successful trades Trading takes an iron-cast stomach and nerves of steel to perform, and this book features ways to keep yourself sane and secure. It also lists resourceful Web sites, commodity exchanges, books, newsletters, and magazines to assist in your trading endeavors. From technical analysis to finding a broker, Futures & Options For Dummies has all the information you need to capitalize on these markets!