Photoshop - "Disco" effect

       Starting from image from the figure 1 we will create the "disco" effect which was very popular on the posters and the video clips of the 80's.

       For start we will delete the background behind the character. In order to do this we will use the Magnetic Lasso Tool and we will select the contour of the character. Don't worry if the selection is not perfect ! It can be corrected afterwards using the instrument Polygonal Lasso Tool and one of the selection method "Add to selection" or "Substract from selection", depending on what you need. An example of imperfection can be noticed on figure 2. It will be corrected using "Add to selection" because the initial mask did not covered the entire contour of the device from the kid's hand.




After completing the selection run the command Clear from the Edit menu to delete the silhouette.Press the X key to invert the background color and the main color (supposed that this have the black and white values as default). After that, run the command Inverse from the Select Menu to invert the selection, followed by the Clear command from the Edit menu again to delete the background. At this moment we can cancel the selection (De-select command from the Select menu). The result is shown on the figure 3.
Duplicate the Background layer (right click on Background in the Layers Panel, then choose Duplicate Layer from the menu). This new layer will be named "Effect", which will be duplicated again using the same procedure, and the new layer will be named "Silhouette". This will contain the silhouette of the dancer and will always be on top of all the other layers.



       We must add to this layer a mask in order for just the silhouette to be visible. Select layer "Silhouette" from the Layers panel. Click once inside the white silhouette of the dancer with the Magic Wand Tool instrument. From the Layer menu choose the Add Layer Mask command -> Reveal Selection. The background can then be erased, using the following steps. Select the Background Layer from the Layers panel, then choose the command All from the Select menu, then the Clear command from the Edit menu and Deselect command from the Select menu. You will then have to see what is shown in the figure 4.



       The Background and Silhouette layers will remain unmodified. Between them we will add effects layers. Select the Effect layer and apply one by one the next filters: Filter ->Stylize->Find Edges, then Filter->Stylize->Glowing Edges with the parameters Edge width =9, Edge Brightness=13, Smoothness=6. You will get what you see in figure 5.



       This contour can he colored using the Paint Bucket instrument.
In this case use the yellow color. From the Filter menu choose the Blur command->Radial Blur with the parameters Amount =47, Blur Method =Zoom, Quality = Draft, getting what you see in figure 6.



       For the final step, the Effect layer will be duplicated several times and moved/scaled using the command Edit -> Transform -> Scale. You can also change the color of each copy (using the command Image -> Adjustments -> Color balance) to create a rainbow effect. After copying for 5 times the original, the result should look like in figure 7.

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Learn about HTTP-only Cookies

       If you are a webmaster and you run any sort of website that uses cookies for your users to register you will want to read this. Read this and stay tuned for my next posts if you want to learn how to make your website as safe as possible.
       XSS vulnerabilities are often used by the hackers to steal the cookies of the legitimate users. A classic method is by accessing the variable "document.cookies" using some javascripts.
       Starting with Internet Explorer 6 sp1, Microsoft has implemented a method that prevents this kind of attack. This method uses the parameter "HttpOnly" to set a cookie in the headers just like this :

"Set-Cookie: NumeCookie:value; expires=Wednesday, 10-Oct-07 23:12:40 GMT; HttpOnly"

       The key work "HttpOnly" instructs the browser of the user to restrict the access of the cookie (document.cookie) with the client-side scripts.
I will show you a method with a script javascript that can access that hidden cookie by transmitting raw requests to the web page and reading the headers.
The following code is a PHP script that shows the difference between the 2 types of cookies and how can the HttpOnly cookies be read.

       =====================
<?php
// we set a normal cookie that can be found in "document.cookie"
header("Set-Cookie: CookieNormal=valueA; expires=Wednesday, 10-Oct-08 23:12:40 GMT");

// we set a hidden cookie
header("Set-Cookie: CookieHidden=valueB; expires=Wednesday, 10-Oct-08 23:12:40 GMT; HttpOnly");
?>

<script language="Javascript" type="text/javascript">


// function that extracts the hidden cookie from headers
function unHideCookie()
{
var xhr=new XMLHttpRequest(); // creating the object
xhr.open("HEAD",document.location,true); // we set a HEAD request to the same page
xhr.send(null); //transmiting the request
xhr.onreadystatechange=function()
{
if(xhr.readyState==4)
{
if(xhr.status==200) // if we get the correct answer
{
var hidden="";
var headers=xhr.getAllResponseHeaders().split(" "); // we read all the headers and save them on each element of the i variable
for(i=0;i0) // when we find a hidden cookie
{
var cookie=headers[i].substring(headers[i].indexOf(" ")+1,headers[i].indexOf(";")+1); // extracting "name=value;"
hidden=hidden+cookie+" "; // adding the extracted cookie
}
}
//using the saved cookies in the hidden variable
alert("Hidden Cookie: "+hidden);
}
}
}
}

alert("document.cookie: "+document.cookie); // displaying visible cookies
unHideCookie(); // displaying Hidden cookies

</script>

       =====================

       The Http-only method used to hide the cookies from the client-side scripts is used for the moment just by Internet Explorer and Mozilla but it will be implemented on other browsers as well in the near future.

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Configuring the system without the annoying warning messages for Windows Vista and changing the size of the symbols on the desktop

       Configuring the system without the annoying warning messages

       After the installation, you want to make some modifications to the system. You are being annoyed by the fact that you get warning messages constantly and every action you make must be confirmed twice. You can temporarily close User Account Control in order to configure the system without the annoying warning messages. Reactivate the control in the same way you will deactivate it, following these steps. There are 2 options to close it: first is to double click on "User Accounts" and then on "Switch on or switch off user account control" in the Control Panel. Confirm the process by clicking on "Next". Then deactivate "Use user account control to contribute to the protection of the computer" and confirm that with "OK". All you need to do afterwards is to reboot your computer, procedure that can be initiated directly from the dialog window. You can also activate and deactivate that function within "msconfig". In order to do that, type "msconfig" in the search field from the start menu and press "Enter". Click on "Tools" tab. Select "Disable user account control" and click "Start". Restart your computer.

Quick Note: User Account Control increases the security of the system and prevents unauthorized installation of different software and any changes in the system. If you shut down this function, not even safe mode from Internet Explorer will not work.

       Changing the size of the fonts on the desktop

       Vista displays very large symbols on the desktop. Users that are used to have a crowded desktop full of icons of programs that they are working with rather enjoys small icons. The size of the icons can be easily changed. In order to do that, click on desktop. Hold down CTRL button and move the wheel of the mouse in any direction. Vista will change the displayed symbols dynamically.

Note: The process works even within Windows Explorer.



       5 applications that will make your Windows XP look like Vista

       For all those who cannot afford to install Vista on their computers or just want to wait or just can't drop on the old friend Windows XP, i have thought to offer you a few applications to "dress up" your XP to look like Vista:



1. Copernic Desktop Search
The search options of Windows Vista are fast and far more complex same as those offered by this application. The categories of files search: e-mails, files, music, images, contacts, Internet Favorites and History will allow you to find anything as fast as possible. Creating and saving of the searches is now very easy to make, and the function "while you type" is also extremely useful. Copernic Desktop Search examines Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF files and also other kind of files like e-mail messages, video clip files and also image files. It can search specific types of documents or even words included in this documents. The application uses an index of the files from the computer in order to return almost instantaneously results, updating automatically when the system is not busy with other tasks. The last version of this application is installed automatically into the taskbar as a separate toolbar. For any inadequate options you have installed, right click on an empty portion from the taskbar, select Toolbars and choose Copernic Desktop Search.


2. Desktop Sidebar Vista
This application offers a sidebar that provides a calendar, a calculator, a quick link to the media player and also RSS feeds. Desktop Sidebar is built from different components and each of them can be separately configured. It offers similar options that can be improved with a files browser, a weather forecast, a news program and with an e-mail checker. It also integrates controls for Windows Media Player, the QuickLaunch taskbar and many others. You can also configure its layout and its design. It can also be displayed all the time or to be hidden when it is not utilised.







3. Vista Start Menu SE
This application represents an alternative for the standard Windows Start Menu offering a different layout, made to help us access more effectively our applications without having to access more menus. You can open a program or access a document without lifting your fingers from the keyboard. The zooming options helps a lot those who own large screens or just use high resolutions. It also supports navigating in the tabs.



4. Visual Task Tips
Folders, applications, web pages, all this windows from taskbar will now be displayed in thumbnail style when the mouse is positioned above them. This is an easy option and also a lot useful especially for those who use the mouse pretty often.



5. Folder Maker
This program is a batch tool that will allow you to create a large number of folders and files very easily. It has an option to count all this as well as prefix and suffix options that will allow you to personalize the names in order to categorize them more effectively.

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