Manila Freelancer

Do you want to start your own Vlog ( Video Log )? Who knows maybe you are the next Christine Gambito of HappySlip.com, a popular Pinay YouTube Celebrity. If you’ve always had an interesting subject to film and want the whole world to know about it through YouTube, why spend too much on a video camera?

There are plenty of good ones out there that you can use and you don’t have to skimp on the nice features, either. Here are a few of the cheap yet very functional video cameras you might want to pick up next time you’re in a gadget store:

Casio EX-S880
Want YouTube superstardom? This camera understands you more than you know. After all, it was created with a Casio’s exclusive YouTube capture mode, called BEST SHOT. This feature lets you shoot video footage and then save it as a movie using the best and highest quality size and setting designed for YouTube use. You can do that using 8.1 megapixels and an H.264 compression feature. And the price isn’t too bad either. This camera retails for about $230.

Flip Video
The flip function in this cheap video camera comes from its USB connection that’s built into the unit. Just flip it out and you can send your photos to your computer in seconds. That function lets you edit, store and share your photos and video, especially on YouTube. The camera is pretty cheap, starting at just $119.

Canon ZR800
The video quality on this camera is excellent, especially for its price range (about $130 to $360). It has a 35x zoom lens, great color reproduction and joystick control. Just make sure to shoot with enough lighting, though, since this camera doesn’t work too well in dim or low-light conditions.

Generally, working at home means you’ll have to commit much more time and effort. Many of the tasks that you took for granted when you were working in an office are now all yours to handle.

You have no receptionist to answer the phone, no clerk to photocopy documents and no secretary to manage your schedule. Should your home life suffer just because you have to handle everything? Not if you can help it. Here are simple ways you can strike a work-life balance when working at home:

Talk to your family before starting your work-at-home business.
Tell your spouse and kids what your home business will entail and what you want to achieve. Set the house rules from day 1. It’s easier to implement restrictions when your family understands what they are for. Come to an agreement about what your family members can and cannot do when you’re working at home.

Ask for your family’s support.
Working at home can get tough and if you don’t have the support of your family, it can be tougher. Ask them for emotional and if necessary, physical support. It’s essential to your home-based business success.

Have your own facilities.
It’s better if you don’t share facilities such as phone and internet lines, computers, printers and photocopiers with other family members. Have your own installed or use equipment exclusively for your home office. You’ll be more efficient that way.

Manage your time well.
It all boils down to having excellent management skills. Maintain a good schedule and be flexible for emergencies or errors. Remember that your family needs you, too. Striking a work-life balance doesn’t mean ignoring your home or family. It’s being able to manage both.

Photoblogging is a great way to express yourself. Using your trusty camera, you can capture images of your travels that will allow your readers and blog viewers to see the world through your eyes.

Through images, you can even make a living: some photobloggers sell their images to magazines or photography enthusiasts and thus make money off something that they enjoy.

Do you want to start photoblogging? Heres some tips that will help you decide what camera to buy:

What are the Best Cameras for a Freelance Photoblogger?

If you are interested in photoblogging, then you will need a good camera to carry around as you capture your images. Here are the three best ones for you.

The EOS Rebel XTi Black SLR digital camera shoots at around 10 megapixels, and features zoom lenses that can allow you to take even better pictures. Manufactured by Canon, this camera costs upward of about five hundred dollars, keeping it within mid-range of professional cameras. If you are a photoblogger with hardly anything in your wallet, this may be an investment that you might want to save up for.

Nikon cameras have long been known for their excellence, but they can be expensive, so be prepared to shell out at least seven hundred dollars for a very good model. This investment, however, is worth it: Nikon cameras deliver very good color and resolution, so if you intend to sell your pictures to collectors, then this camera brand may be for you. In particular, look for the Nikon D80 SLR Digital Camera, which is mid-range for Nikon but which can take good pictures.

For the beginning photoblogger, the Canon PowerShot SD1000 is a great bargain at a little under two hundred dollars. Canon’s cameras shoot well and the functions are easy to learn. Moreover, for photobloggers who like playing around with pictures by changing from colored to black and white or sepia, this model might be good enough for you.

Search for the Best

Cameras can be difficult to maintain so if you are looking for one, make sure that you have the budget to keep your camera functioning well for a long time. This way, you can really make the most of your photoblogging experience.

You may also want to visit my photoblog here

also read >> 3 Simple Ways You Can Make Money Online From Your Photos

How about you? What camera are you using? Care to share some tips?

If you are tech savvy or you just love trying newly released smart phones then you may want to look forward for Xperia X1; Sony Ericsson’s newest smart phone. Xperia X1 series was first displayed in the Mobile World Congress, which was held in Barcelona, Spain last February 10, 2008 and it will be out in the market on the 3rd quarter of this year.

According to some tech reviews, there’s a huge chance that it will far exceed the performance of iPhone when it comes to sales once it was formally introduced in the market. This Windows Mobile Professional device will include up to 400 MB of internal storage, and a Memory Stick Micro card slot for additional storage. It will be 4.3 inches wide, 2.1 inches tall, and 0.66 inches thick (110 mm x 53 mm x 16.7 mm). It will weigh 5.1 oz. (145 g).

The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is the company’s new flagship convergence phone. This smart phone sports a great-looking design and packs in Wi-Fi, assisted GPS, A2DP stereo Bluetooth and an auto focus 3.2 megapixel camera with a photo light and video recording.

This smartphone will include a 3-inch WVGA (800 by 480 pixel) touchs creen that can slide aside to reveal a QWERTY keyboard. Other navigation options will be a four-way key and an optical joystick. X1 will be a quad-band GSM phone with support for the 3G frequencies used around the world.

Here are the detailed features :

• XPERIA panel interface
  Enjoy access to different experiences – Web, multimedia, applications – from your desktop. Navigate with the tip of your finger. Configure and have your XPERIA panels just the way you want them.
• Arc slider design
  The arc design gives XPERIA X1 a distinctive and unique feel. Slide the screen upwards to reveal the wide-pitch QWERTY keyboard.
• Video call
  See who’s talking with your 3G phone. During a video call, you see a live video stream of the person you’re talking to and they can see you.
• Integrated camera
  Built-in digital camera with screen viewfinder, dedicated menus and direct interaction with in-phone imaging and messaging features.
• RSS feeds
  Use your phone to view up-to-the-minute news and other content from selected Web sites and blogs. Just subscribe to the feed and let it come to you.
• Web wherever
  Truly mobile internet lets you enjoy browsing the Web and effectively manage your email from the convenience of your phone, wherever you are.
• Links you like
  Forget cables – wireless is the way forward. Connect to other devices with Bluetooth to sync, share and send.

Sony Ericsson is not yet willing to disclose how much this new smart phone model will cost.

Do you want to make this year your lucky year? Feng shui is not really a complicated process and contrary to what some people believe, there’s no need to spend for an expert or equipment just to use its principles.  Learn how feng shui can change your aspect and probably, just probably, your luck in business.

Feng shui ; pronounced “fung shwee” or “fung shway”) is an ancient Chinese practice believed to utilize the Laws of both Heaven, (astronomy), and Earth, (geography), to help one improve life by receiving positive Qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu (traditional Chinese: pinyin: kānyú; literally: heaven and earth.

The words ‘feng shui’ literally translates as “wind-water”in English, which is a cultural shorthand taken from the following passage of the Zhangshu (Book of Burial) by Guo Pu of the Jin Dynasty: Qi rides the wind and scatters, but is retained when encountering water.

Feng shui is about harnessing ‘chi’.
There is no clear translation for chi but the safest is probably ‘energy flow’.  Keep this in mind.  When furnishing your home office, remember that the key to good feng shui is ensuring the unencumbered flow of chi – no obstructions, no sharp objects, just smooth flow. [More]

Bloggers versus Journalists ?

Journalists complain that bloggers can take away beats from them or can even beat them to a beat – and sometimes, with bad consequences. In most US publications, a number of journalists admitted that some of their widely read articles are inspired by a blog post. Such consequences can include raising panic over something that might be relatively low risk, or write on a topic without rechecking sources.

On the other hand, bloggers complain that journalists can sometimes put dramatic spins on topics, when all that people want is an unbiased view and opinion of events as they occur. Some bloggers also felt disrespected because they aren’t treated as a real member of the media well in fact a website or a blog is considered a new media which is sometimes a lot more powerful than a traditional newspaper because of its free access and wider reach.

Should bloggers and journalists face off? [More]