This is not my first time of seeing this feature of having a visual preview of a link  once the mouse pointer is hovered over it.  I've seen it implemented in a lot of websites.  But after seeing it at work in a BlogEngine.NET-powered blog that I visited recently, I can't help but be curious. How can I have it in my own blog?

     Luckily for me 'though, the installation of this tool is easy. It is somewhat similar to the way I installed the AddThis button a few month ago.

     Here's the step-by-step procedure of installing Snap Shots to your BlogEngine.NET-powered blog:

Step 1. Visit http://www.snap.com/snapshots.php#overview then click the 'Get Started' button.

Step 2. Follow the instructions provided.

Step3. Once you reach the installation portion, copy the code.

Step 4. Open the PostView.ascx file of your current theme using your favorite web development application (Microsoft Visual Web Developer Express for my case).

Step 5. Paste the code previously copied before <div class="footer">.

Step 6. Save the changes then open your blog in your local computer.

Step 7. If you like it and if everything is working correctly, upload the PostView.ascx file to the remote server.

      Here's a  description of Snap Shots taken from the Snap.com website. It also includes an instruction on how to disable this tool, should you wish to do so.

     For the Nikon D5000/D90 users out there who are looking for an upgrade option, good news! The Nikon D7000 is coming to town. This new camera, which Nikon describes as a  "mid-class, high-spec Nikon DX-format camera" was announced last September 15,2010 and is expected to be available by mid-October for around 1,200 USD body only and around 1,500 USD with the 18-105mm kit lens.

Key Features (sources: Nikon, dpreview, imaging resource) :

•  Newly developed CMOS sensor (16.2 MP)
• A new image-processing engine (EXPEED 2)
• ISO 100-6400 (plus H1 and H2 equivalent to ISO 12,800/25,600)
• Weather sealed, magnesium alloy body
• A new 2,016-pixel RGB metering sensor ( which offers twice the metering pixels as Nikon's previous high-end metering sensor)
• 39-point autofocus system with nine cross-type points at the center of the frame
• 1080p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone
• Twin SD card slots
• Scene Recognition System (see 2016 pixel sensor, above) aids metering + focus accuracy
• 3.0 inch 921k dot LCD screen
• New Live View/movie shooting switch
• Full-time AF in Live View/movie modes
• Up to 6fps continuous shooting
• Lockable shooting mode dial
• Built-in intervalometer
• Electronic virtual horizon
• Shutter tested to 150K actuations

   Feature-wise, the Nikon D7000 is said to be in-between the Nikon D90 and the Nikon D300S.  As to how it compares to these two models, refer to the table below taken from dpreview.

     If you want to experience 3D gaming the cheap way, then just don't throw away yet those 3D glasses that you happened to use if you watched the June 20, 2010 episode of Party Pilipinas or those cardboard type red-cyan glasses that come free with some magazines (like the August 2010 issue of FHM).

     In anaglyph mode, it's all that you'll ever need. There's no more need for active shutter glasses + 120Hz monitors or for 3D ready displays + passive polarized glasses. Just your current setup.

     To give this a try, I downloaded the latest IZ3D driver then installed it--not the full installation, but just the anaglyph option (which is free).

     If you have your red-cyan glasses right now, put them on then see some anaglyph screenshots of Bethesda's Oblivion shown below. As you can see, there is a noticeable depth perception using the convergence and separation settings that I used. But there is however a problem with the colors. They're a bit off.

     Will this problem with color accuracy make up for the 3D gaming experience this anaglyph technology brings? Hmmm. Let's see