Wacom Intuos5 PTH650

The Wacom Intuos5 ($349 direct) continues the company's tradition of delivering quality drawing tablets at reasonable prices. The Intuos5 is a modest step up from the successful Intuos4 (4 stars), refining the design and adding multitouch gestures. But the basic concept?and execution?remain the same. Whether you're a professional illustrator, photography enthusiast, or an amateur cartoonist, this is the midrange tablet to get and a clear Editors' Choice winner.

Design, Pen, and Setup
For this review, we tested the PTH650 (Medium) version, which retails for $349; Wacom also sells the smaller PTH450 ($229) and the larger PTH850 ($469). The PTH650 measures 9.9 by 15 by 0.5 inches (HWD), with a 8.8 by 5.5 inch (HWD) drawing area, and weighs 2.2 pounds. Like prior Intuos tablets, the Intuos5 is made of black plastic, but this one features a sleeker, slightly rubberized border instead of a hard plastic one. The usual nicely textured hard plastic drawing surface remains intact. Along the left are eight recessed, programmable ExpressKeys as before (albeit with a different labeling scheme?more on that later). There's also a circular control pad you can configure for auto-scrolling, rotation, cycling between layers in Photoshop or another compatible program, and changing the brush size.

The included pen offers just the right amount of weight and balance. Two earlier nits remain: The pen grip attracts a surprising amount of dust particles and lint, and it's too easy to accidentally press the front-mounted DuoSwitch while laying down virtual ink. On the plus side, you still get an eraser, unlike with two of Wacom's latest low-end Bamboo tablets, and the included weighty base is still an ideal place to park the pen when you're not using it.

Installing the included driver CD was painless; all it did was go out to the Web and download the latest drivers anyway. Then I chose the appropriate right-handed orientation and plugged in the included USB cable as directed. The tablet's status LED lit up, and the system finished installing the drivers. From there, the Intuos5 became active; I could control the Windows 7 mouse cursor using the tablet surface as well as my existing mouse.

Bundled Software, ExpressKeys, and Multitouch
Wacom also provides a good amount of bundled software with the Intuos5, though it requires a somewhat clunky login setup and download process on the company's website. Even so, it's worth the (minor) trouble: You get full versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 , Anime Studio Debut 8 , and Autodesk SketchBook Express, plus a copy of Nik Software Color Effects Pro 4 Select Edition and a 90-day trial of Corel Painter 12. All five programs work on both PCs and Macs.

The programmable ExpressKeys on the left are of a new capacitive design. Simply running your finger over them pops up a translucent heads-up display on screen showing what each one does, which is quite slick. When you're writing in Microsoft Word, the Intuos software pops up a small drawing pen icon near the on-screen cursor. Tap it, and it opens up a dialog box showing various handwriting recognition options.

Meanwhile, the new multitouch gestures work much the same way as they did on the lower-end Wacom Bamboo Capture CTH470?($99, 3.5 stars). I had little problem pinch-zooming the view on-screen in both directions, providing I did it fairly deliberately. Rotation gestures also worked well. That said, not all of my gestures registered on the first try; Wacom still has a way to go before it approaches the consistency of a good laptop trackpad, like you'll find on the Apple MacBook Pro.

Settings, Testing, and Advanced Features
A Wacom Tablet Properties icon in the Start menu lets you go deeper into the tablet's settings. Here, you can configure plenty of options for the surface, the grip pen, and for various applications. Of particular note are the Tip Feel and Tilt Sensitivity settings, which let you define with precision exactly how the pen draws, and the Eraser settings, which also have a configurable feel and can be programmed for other tasks instead of erasing. You can also program individual settings on a per-app basis, letting you choose different levels of tip firmness for painting versus photo editing.

Once everything is installed and underway, using the Intuos5 is an absolute pleasure. This is one accurate drawing surface, and by now, Wacom has long since nailed the pen feel and surface texture. The Intuos5 offers 2,048 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is the same as before. As with any drawing tablet, if you've never used one before, you'll need to adjust how you position your hand, wrist, and arm so that you don't trigger accidental movements or "ink," and you may want to fiddle with some of the preferences to tune the sensitivity. But once you get the hang of that, it's easy to apply exactly the right amount of pressure, and the tablet picks up even the absolute slightest movements.

In addition, if you use Adobe Photoshop CS5 , Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 , or AutoDesk Maya , among other apps, the Intuos5 lets you take advantage of plenty of advanced features. For example, pen tilt and pressure can control brush opacity and exposure in Photoshop, as well as color and size. Photoshop Quick Masks and Layer Masks also work specifically with Wacom pens, and you can burn, blur, and sharpen as precisely as you need. You don't get the tilt support if you're not using a compatible app, but given the target market for the Intuos5 line, which is usually familiar with at least one of these professional packages, that's not a huge con.

Wireless Kit and Conclusions
Wacom also sent us a Wireless Accessory Kit ($39) to try out. Even if you buy one with the tablet, you still need to set the tablet up over USB first, because the battery isn't charged. Installing the battery underneath the tablet is simple, and it takes about six hours to fully charge. You also get a separate piece that adds a charging LED light and a power button to the Intuos5, in place of a dummy plastic cover that ships with the tablet. Finally, a tiny USB receiver plugs into a free port on your desktop or laptop. Overall, the wireless kit works fine; I'd just rather see all of the Intuos5 tablets be wireless by default, instead of requiring an optional kit that costs extra.

The Intuos5 continues to reign supreme as the ideal midrange drawing tablet for professionals and amateurs alike. Upgrading from an older Intuos model isn't necessary; there's not much here that improves over the prior Intuos4 line , for example, at least in terms of must-have features. But if you don't already have one, or if you're thinking of upgrading from one of Wacom's entry-level tablets like the Bamboo Capture CTH470 , it's a no-brainer. Short of buying one of Wacom's high-end touch screens, which let you draw directly on the screen surface, the Intuos5 strikes an ideal balance of features, accuracy, and price for professionals and amateur enthusiasts alike.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/5Ju_0Iqx5_I/0,2817,2401697,00.asp

goldman sachs brandon carr knicks coach encyclopedia britannica pi white lion mike d antoni resigns

Everything You Need To (Reluctantly) Turn Your Sickbed Into a Home Office [Toolkit]

Spending a day at home, sick in bed, sucks. But it's nowhere near as bad as when you're so busy you can't afford to just sleep away what ails you. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/uN3Q5g1GJn4/

jason russell norfolk state weather san diego st patrick s day parade duke invisible children garbage pail kids

'Kratom' leaf makes presence felt in US emergency rooms

Paula Bronstein / Getty Images file

A drug user in Thailand breaks up kratom leaf into a pan in the process of creating a popular cheap narcotic drink called 4x100. It is one way that the traditional herb kratom, which is now illegal in Thailand, is used recreationally.

By Kari Huus, msnbc.com

When a patient showed up in?a West Coast emergency room early this month suffering?withdrawal from something he called "kratom," the?psychiatrist on duty was forced to scramble?for information. But when the doctor looked it up, she found?that the opiate-like leaf from Southeast Asia is well known?in the worlds of alternative medicine and the drug culture.

What the doctor, who asked not to be named for patient confidentiality reasons,?found in an Internet search were Web pages set up by?dozens of companies selling?kratom leaf and touting it?as a way to combat fatigue, pain and depression ??even as an antidote to heroin addiction.

But in addition to its possible medicinal uses, kratom is?beginning to show up in?U.S. emergency rooms, with?doctors?saying they are dealing with people sick from taking it ? especially teens who try it to get high.

"Every month somebody is trying to get a new 'safe high'," said Frank LoVecchio, medical director of the Banner Good Samaritan Poison and Drug Information Center in Phoenix, Ariz. "(Kratom) is definitely not safe."

---

Estimating usage of the drug is impossible, but emergency events involving kratom appear to be increasing, he said. In 2005, only two incidents were reported by poison control centers nationwide. But Banner?s center dealt with six emergencies involving kratom in 2011, he said.

As with many herbal and chemical products on the market, science and law enforcement are playing catch-up. Little research has been done to determine the risks of taking kratom, so it remains legal and?unregulated in the United States.

The leaf, which is indigenous to Southeast Asia, has been around for thousands of years, and proponents argue that it is safe and effective for many maladies, while having fewer side effects and being less addictive than pharmaceutical alternatives, such as oxycodone. In small doses, they say, kratom?provides an energy boost ? the plant is in the coffee family ? and in larger doses it creates a mellow, sedating effect, acting on the opioid receptors.

"Kratom makes people feel pain free, strong, active and optimistic," according to the Website Kratom.com. It has multiple functions, said the site, which sells kratom leaves, powder and extracts from Thailand ? "as a strong and reliable herbal painkiller, to relieve depression and as a social and professional enhancer to intensify communicational skills and induce higher motivation."

Just as its safety has not been well studied, the drug has no scientifically established medical uses ? though it has many enthusiastic adherents who swear by it. Testimonials in support of its?ability to relieve?chronic pain, depression, diabetes and other maladies?surface in droves whenever kratom makes the news, as witnessed in the comments following this blog published in the Phoenix New Times in August 2011.

But even promoters warn that daily use of kratom can lead to dependence and nasty side effects.

?Long-term daily high dose kratom consumption is also reported to induce nervousness, sleeplessness, loss of libido, constipation and the darkening of skin complexion,? Kratom.com says in its "dangerous effects" section.

Although there have been no fatalities from kratom, "The known risks and dangers of Kratom overdoses include hallucinations, delusions, listlessness, tremors, aggression, constipation and nausea," the site said.

The emergency room psychiatrist said the patient who recently came in reported using kratom several times a day, every day, "because he discovered that if he stopped it he started getting withdrawal." The doctor said the man's symptoms appeared "identical to heroin withdrawal."

Upon arrival, the patient?was suffering "severe depression and anxiety and emerging opiate withdrawal symptoms," including chills, aching muscles and gooseflesh, the psychiatrist said. The patient was treated to ease withdrawal symptoms and then hospitalized, according to the doctor.?

Like "bath salts" and "spice" ? drugs that are now illegal but were legal and trendy until law enforcers and medical researchers gathered data?on their dangers ??kratom is under scrutiny, having been added to?a Drug Enforcement Administration's list of "drugs and chemicals of concern."

If the DEA concludes that kratom poses a public health risk, the agency can request that the Department of Health and Human Services place it on?a schedule of banned and controlled substances.

The?discovery and review process?is accelerating in the Internet age, said Barbara Carreno, public information officer for the DEA.

"Things used to get around by word of mouth and it took a long time," said Carreno. "Now anyone can find out about anything within a matter of minutes ? so there?s a lot of experimenting with exotic things that no one had ever heard of."

Kratom is illegal in a number of countries in Europe and Asia ? most notably Thailand, where much of it is produced. It is now the third most commonly used illegal drug in Thailand, according to the DEA. In that country?s drug culture, the leaf is sometimes combined with cough syrup and Coke, tranquilizers and marijuana to produce a narcotic drink called "4x100."

LoVecchio, of the Phoenix poison control center,?said his encounters with kratom are skewed, by definition, because he sees only people who have suffered ill effects, not people who say they are benefiting from it. The ones he treats?are typically teens too young to buy alcohol who instead turn to?kratom to get high, he said.

"When we see people who take this, they sometimes get respiratory depression," said LoVecchio, similar to the effect of opiates like heroin. "What?s odd is that some of them get really, really agitated, a little combative, (with) nausea and vomiting. They usually get medication for nausea and Valium to ease the paranoia," before being sent home.

He said other users, such as recovered heroin addicts, report that the symptoms are less pronounced, probably because they have built up a tolerance to opiates.

"I would say ban it until a study proves to me that there is a benefit, for anything,"?LoVecchio said?of kratom. "Or restrict it to certain areas, make sure you can control it, make sure people aren?t driving" while using.

For now, kratom is being vigorously marketed in the United States. Some sellers label it as "incense,"?claiming it is not sold for human consumption?while also requiring that?buyers be at least 18 years old. One variety being touted for its powerful punch is Maeng Da, which translates to ?pimp grade kratom.?

As new?vendors get into the market, some of established sellers are trying to encourage self-policing in the industry to avert a ban on kratom.

A Website for the Kratom Association, which claims more than 100 members,?has launched a campaign to counter what it describes as harmful and irresponsible representation of the herb ? censuring or reporting sellers and head shops that market it as a "legal high," target teenagers or sell kratom adulterated with illegal drugs or other harmful substances.

They are pressing for more research to establish medicinal effects even as they fight efforts?to ban kratom.

In one instance, nearly 600 people signed a petition addressed to a Louisiana lawmaker who recently proposed a ban on kratom in his state. Ultimately, Sen. A.G. Crowe of Pearl River?withdrew the proposal, but indicated he would?call for rules preventing people under 18 from obtaining it.

"Kratom has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties. Kratom, when consumed, can treat depression, chronic pain, anxiety, opiate dependence, fatigue, stress and many other ailments," according letter petitioning Crowe. "Besides this it is used by many former addicts of alcohol and opiates. ? Comparatively speaking, it is less addictive than coffee."

More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:

Follow US News on msnbc.com on Twitter and Facebook

Follow Kari Huus on Facebook

Source: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/19/10760892-asian-leaf-kratom-making-presence-felt-in-us-emergency-rooms

raiders news raiders news ice cream sandwich android ice cream sandwich android harry belafonte harry belafonte batman arkham city

ARTICLES MANIAC ? The Finest Online Nursing School

[unable to retrieve full-text content]19.03.2012 | Author: Bettie Rochon | Posted in Reference & Education. Online Nursing Schools and ... You can also come across with some online nursing school programs that can provide many experimental educational practices. Clinical work ... And, as extended because the air tubes complete the job reasonably well- moving awesome air while using home within the summer season season and distributing heat with the winter months?home entrepreneurs frequently ignore them.

Source: http://articles-maniac.tk/the-finest-online-nursing-school/reference-education/

kourtney kardashian kourtney kardashian lipitor lipitor kourtney kardashian pregnant again kourtney kardashian pregnant again apple juice

CarissaRaman.com ? Christian Online Dating reviews

Christian Online Dating is an online Christian dating service for marriage minded Christian singles. Our Christian dating website was established in 1997. For over fifteen years we have successfully proven to be the best site for online dating. We have consistently earned high marks in lists of the top online dating sites because of our exceptional customer support and service we provide our members. We utilize the best dating sites technology including Christian chat and other fun ways to connect with Christian singles dating online.

We are passionate about helping Christian DatingChristian Online Dating Review create successful, long-lasting relationships and building a community of Christians bonding together in friendship and Christ. That is why we put so much effort into our matching system and personal customer service. If you want to be a part of our free Christian Online Dating service and our vision, we hope that you will join us and help spread the word!

Christian Online Dating ? Find your partner! is online dating service designed exclusively for Christian singles. We have now teamed up with the Christian Singles Network.

Search thousands of Christian singles
Meet new and exciting people
Enjoy uplifting Christian relationships

Christian Online Dating reviews is an ideal destination for Christian men and women to find friends, dates, and even soul mates, all within the faith. In just minutes, you can create a profile and be ready to mingle with other members in your area. Our vast membership base and user-friendly interface make a source of Christian romance around the world. When creating your profile, consider what you want to get out of this online dating and chatting experience. Share your goals as well as interests, favorite Bible passages, and explore other profiles to see what you have in common with other Christian singles. Enjoy chatting or instant messaging about current events, movies, music, dating experiences, how you came to find Christ, and other

When reviewing a christian dating service, we consider a few components including functionality, outreach and adherence to Christian beliefs. We look for sites owned and operated by Christian owners and organizations and sites that offer a large network of single Christians for you to choose from. If you care enough about your faith to pursue a partner of the same faith, obviously you don?t want to be brought together by a deceitful company. We hope our website can help you to choose the Christian dating service that helps you find that perfect someone you?ve always dreamed about!

Christian Online Dating is now the way to find a partner who shares your faith and is interested in marriage. With our increasingly busy lives it?s sometimes difficult to find the time to socialize in the ?right? places to find a partner.

Using online services provides you with an opportunity to ?meet? and chat with people from a wide geographical area or in your county or state, without the formality of a date, but within a safe environment ? i.e. at your home, on the internet !

As a Devout Christian It can be hard to find a good place look for that special someone thats where Christian Online Dating reviews Comes in and can help you find that soul mate!

Source: http://carissaraman.com/?p=7386

mike mcqueary joe paterno fired joe paterno fired matt nathanson matt nathanson rick perry oops rick perry oops

Explosion strikes near Syrian security building in Aleppo, regime troops restrict marches

BEIRUT - An explosion struck near a Syrian government security building in the northern city of Aleppo Sunday, while a harsh security crackdown prevented opposition rallies marking one year since the first nationwide protests of the uprising against President Bashar Assad.

The Syrian state news agency called the Aleppo explosion a "terrorist bombing" and said one policeman and one female civilian were killed, while 30 were injured. It was the second attack in two days on regime strongholds.

Three suicide bombings in the capital Damascus on Saturday killed 27 people. Two of them also targeted government security buildings and the regime the opposition, which it claims is made up of "terrorist" groups carrying out a foreign conspiracy.

Aleppo and Damascus, Syria's two largest cities, have been struck by a number of suicide bombings since December. Both are critical centres of support for Assad and have remained relatively insulated from the unrest shaking much of the country for the past year.

No one has claimed responsibility for any of the weekend attacks.

Mohammed Saeed, an Aleppo resident, said a car bomb exploded early afternoon about 200 yards (meters) from the Political Security Directorate. Security forces started shooting in the air and cordoned off the area to prevent people from approaching.

"It was a strong explosion. It shook parts of the city," Saeed said, citing nearby residents. "White smoke was billowing from the area."

The explosion did not seriously damage the security building, he said. At that time of day the city's central Suleimaniyeh neighbourhood is usually crowded with people, especially on Sunday, the first day of Syria's workweek.

The neighbourhood has a large Christian population, Saeed said.

The string of large-scale bombings near government security buildings in Damascus and Aleppo that have added a mysterious element to the anti-government revolt. After other similar attacks, U.S. officials suggested al-Qaida militants may be joining the fray.

A previously unknown Islamist group calling itself Al-Nusra Front to Protect the Levant claimed responsibility for previous attacks in a video posted online, saying it carried them out "to avenge the people of Homs." Homs is an opposition stronghold in central Syria that has been hard hit in the government crackdown.

Al-Qaida's involvement could further fuel the sectarian tensions that the uprising has already stoked. Al-Qaida's supporters are largely Sunni Muslim extremists. Syria's military and political leadership is stacked heavily with members of the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam to which Assad and the ruling elite belong. The Alawite leaders of Syria are closely allied with Shiite Iran.

Sunnis are the majority in the country of 22 million and make up the backbone of the opposition.

The last major suicide bombing in Aleppo was on Feb. 10, when twin blasts struck security compounds, killing 28 people. Damascus has seen a half dozen suicide bombings since December, most hitting intelligence and security buildings.

Many activists consider March 18, 2011, the start of the anti-Assad uprising. Thousands took to the streets in cities across Syria on that day, and security forces killed marchers in the southern city of Daraa.

Since then, Assad's security forces have sought to crush all signs of dissent, and protest and international condemnation have spread. Many in the opposition have taken up arms to defend themselves and attack government forces as the increasingly militarized conflict has become one of the bloodiest of the Arab Spring.

The U.N. says more than 8,000 people have been killed.

Jordanian Information Minister Rakan Majali said Sunday that attempts by arms dealers to smuggle weapons into Syria have gone up since the start of the year, but that Jordanian authorities foil them. He said Jordan's northern border with Syria is being "carefully watched" by Jordanian security.

Also Sunday, activists posted videos online of an overpass on a main north-south highway they said was destroyed by opposition fighters near the village of Khirbet Ghazaleh. The videos said the attack sought to block the army from bringing more tanks and military reinforcements into the area.

The Syrian state news agency said an "armed terrorist group" blew up the bridge and estimated the damage at more than $5 million.

Activists also reported clashes between Syrian troops and army defectors in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, where at least three people were killed. The area is close to the border with Iraq and witnessed clashes in the past.

SANA reported later in the day that "armed terrorists" shot dead 13 people, including women and children, in the village of Hassiba in the central province of Homs.

A Syrian opposition figure told The Associated Press that the people killed in Hassiba were 14 Shiites shot dead for sectarian reasons. The opposition member spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said pro-government thugs known as "shabiha" quickly broke up a protest in Damascus by hundreds of people.

"They had just started protesting, but then some started chanting 'The people want to topple the regime' and the shabiha started beating them," said Rami Abdul-Rahman, the group's head.

Prominent opposition writer Mohammed Sayid Rasas was arrested, as were other protest leaders, he said.

The Observatory said at least 16 people were killed throughout Syria Sunday, while the Local Coordination Committees, another activist group, said 29 were killed. The count did not include those killed in Hassiba.

The Syrian government has barred most media from operating in the country, and activist claims could not be independently verified.

___

Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus and Jamal Halaby in Amman, Jordan, contributed reporting.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/explosion-strikes-near-syrian-security-building-aleppo-regime-165014952.html

los angeles clippers charlize theron telenav telenav wade phillips wade phillips time person of the year

Egypt Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda dies

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III, the patriarch of most of Egypt's estimated 12 million Christians, died on Saturday from old age, his political adviser told Reuters.

Bells tolled in Cairo's Abbasiya district, site of Egypt's main Coptic cathedral, as the news spread.

Shenouda, 88, became the 117th Pope of Alexandria in November 1971, and was popular among Egypt's Christians and Muslims alike during his four decades in power.

His successor will play a central role in forging the church's position in the country after the overthrow of president Hosni Mubarak last year. Islamist parties have since swept parliamentary elections and will dominate the debate over drawing up the country's new constitution.

"He died from complications in health and from old age," adviser Hany Aziz said. Shenouda had recently returned from abroad where he had been seeking medical treatment.

Shenouda's criticism of the government's handling of an Islamic insurgency in the 1970s, in which Christians were targets, and his rejection of Egypt's 1979 peace treaty with Israel landed him in trouble with then-president Anwar Sadat.

Sadat banished him to the Wadi el Natrun monastery north west of Cairo and stripped him of his temporal powers.

Under more than a quarter century of President Mubarak's rule, relations between the government and the Coptic church were generally smooth, with the Pope portrayed in state media as a symbol of religious harmony, despite occasional outbreaks of sectarian violence.

CONDOLENCES OFFERED

On Saturday, condolences poured in from Egypt's Muslim leaders and from politicians.

"Egypt has lost one of its rare men at a sensitive moment when it most needs the wisest of its wise - their expertise and their purity of minds," said Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayib, grand imam of Egypt's highest Islamic authority, al-Azhar.

"He held the question of Jerusalem and the Palestinian problem in his conscious," the state Middle East news agency quoted him as saying.

Mohamed Mursi, chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), said Pope Shenouda had a long journey of service during the nation's history.

"The Freedom and Justice Party sends its deepest condolences to the Egyptian people and our Christian brothers over the death of Pope Shenouda III," he said in statement on the website of the FJP, which took almost half the seats in Egypt's new parliament.

Father Anglos Ishaq, head of the church on Egypt's north coast, said a temporary replacement would be chosen until a new pope was elected.

"It is too early to know what will happen next, but what is known is that the oldest bishop in the Holy See will be chosen as charge d'affaires until a new pope gets chosen by elections from different church councils in the different provinces."

He said the pope's body was expected to remain in a coffin for three days, provided doctors gave their approval.

"All details about the burial and how long his body will remain for people to come and receive blessings will be decided by doctors," Father Anglos said. "But surely people will get some time to see the body and receive blessings."

A Vatican spokesman said Pope Benedict was immediately informed of Shenouda's death and offered prayers for him. "The Catholic Church joins Christians in their pain and prayer over the death ... of their spiritual leader," he said.

(Reporting by Yasmine Saleh and Dina Zayed; Writing by Patrick Werr; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-coptic-christian-pope-shenouda-dies-adviser-220930544.html

trailblazers lakers syracuse dwight howard michael beasley jermaine jones hbo luck