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2.GALLERY Vanda

Recipes Bread - there is nothing like home-baked bread. The benefits of home baking are renowned throughout the world, it is healthier, and you have control over what ingredients go into each batch. If you purchase bread from the store, there will be a long ingredient list, like: Potassium bromate. Partially hydrogenated oil: Azodicarbonamide. Store bread can also often have preservatives to extend its shelf life. Baking your own can make your bread healthier using nutritious ingredients, like: ​ Whole wheat. Honey. Wild Rice Bread. Sunflower Seeds. Tomatoes. Cheese. Herbs. Fruit. Sandwich Bread Loaf

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C++ C++ is a general-purpose, object-oriented programming language That is extremely like ‘C’. C++ is so well-matched with C that it will undoubtedly compile over 99% of C programs without changing source code. However, C++ is better structured and a safer language than ‘C’ as it is an object-oriented programming-based language. It is more of an extension of the ‘C’ programming language or ‘C’ with Classes. ​ Object-oriented programming is a programming model based on the concept of ‘objects’, that can contain data and code: data in the form of fields, known as attributes or properties, and code in the form of procedures referred to as methods. ​ While Pascal was conceived to teach accurate programming techniques and C++ is a general-purpose language that has been expanded significantly over time. It has almost always been applied as a compiled language, and many companies provide C++ compilers, such as Microsoft, Intel, and the Free Software Foundation.

Model Kit Photographs Photographs of some of my model kits. Some are complete, others, partway through the build.

Bracketing Shots Bracketing One of the most useful techniques in photography is called bracketing, in other words, taking multiple photos of the same subject with different camera settings. Normally, bracketing is about changing your exposure: one photo at the meter’s recommendation, plus one under and one over. But exposure is not the only variable at play here. ​ Why Bracket Photos? Bracketing means you capture a sequence of photos while changing your camera settings from shot to shot. This means you end up with two or more photos of the same scene, with only a couple of differences in each shot. ​ Exposure bracketing is the most common kind of bracketing in photography, will usually ending up with one photo that is too dark, one that is too bright, and one with a correct exposure. But bracketing the focus distance will resulting in one photo that is front-focused, another that is back-focused, and one that is accurate. Some people consider bracketing takes up memory and wastes time. Especially if one knows what settings needed for an image, so, why bracket shots? There are two important reasons why bracketing is beneficial in photography. ​ 1. Playing it Safe Firstly, no matter how experienced a photographer the camera settings may be wrong. The three planned exposures, an overexposed, an underexposed, and one correct exposure will not always materialise that way. In their place, one may be extremely underexposed, another significantly underexposed photo, and another that is correct. ​ It is difficult to perfectly judge exposure in the field, especially in high-contrast light or other problematic conditions. Bracketing is a way to reduce potential problems by taking safeguards against common errors people generally make. Particularly for important potential one-time shots, it is a low-risk, high-reward procedure. ​ 2. Merging Photos Sometimes, bracketing is the only way to capture the photo required. For example, if shooting an ultra-high-contrast scene, one photo may not achieve the required results. A single image at normal exposure will lead to highlights that are too bright, and resulting in dark, noisy shadows. Occasionally this sort of problem can be rectified using a graduated ND (neutral density) filter, but the more practical option is to do things digitally. Take an underexposed photo so the highlights look good, plus an overexposed photo so the shadows are right. Then, combine the best parts of each photo into an HDR or luminosity blend. ​ Of course, one can go beyond a two-photo blend, by using three photos. For my part, I do not like blending exposures with more than 2/3 stop of exposure between them because the transition areas can look grainy. How to Do Exposure Bracketing The actual process of exposure bracketing is easy. In any semi-automatic mode, change your exposure compensation from shot to shot. In manual mode, change any of the three settings manually: aperture, shutter speed, or ISO. ​ Most decent cameras today allow the setup of automatic bracketing within the menu. When enabled, the camera will automatically change settings from shot to shot rather than making manual modifications. Some cameras only allow exposure bracketing, while others have bracketing options for JPEG settings, white balance, and other camera settings. Although bracketing is found in the menu, most modern cameras frequently assign a custom button to access this option quicker, while others have a specific bracketing button. ​ Which Exposure Setting Should You Bracket? Earlier, I stated that it is important to choose your bracketing setting carefully. Even though you can bracket shutter speed, aperture, and ISO just as easily as one another. ​ Aperture - since aperture affects depth of field it can be the worst setting to bracket. Creating an HDR from f/4 - f/5.6 - f/8 will result in an odd image, with unnatural transitions having blurry to sharp regions looking odd. A five-image bracket can be worse. ​ ISO – neither is adjusting the ISO setting, since each shot at different ISO settings will have distinctive levels of image quality. Anyway, an HDR shot at ISO 400, 800, and 1600 will not be improved over a single ISO 400 image. ​ Shutter Speed - the exposure setting is the setting one considers adjusting first. Especially if shooting from a tripod, and the subject is not moving. However, in scenes with quickly moving subjects and the potential for motion blur, the flexibility of bracketing shutter speed is limited. In action shots, ISO is often the better choice. Focus Bracketing ​ Focus bracketing is easier than exposure bracketing since there is only one setting under consideration: focus distance. Here, the goal comprises of focus stacking the images in post-processing later, like a group photo where everyone needs to be sharp but is unsure where to focus for the best result. Focus bracketing works best when overlapping the depth of field from shot to shot. But, if the steps are too wide, you can end up with an odd: sharp, blurry, sharp, blurry, sharp, etc. ​ So, when bracketing focus manually, take photos with smaller focus increments, and if possible review each photo afterward to check that the transitions are smooth. However, previews on a camera’s rear LCD look different than full-size images on a high-resolution monitor. ​ These days, many cameras today have a built-in focus stack feature to simplify this process. Focus on your nearest subject, tell the camera how many photos to take, and select a step size. I still recommend selecting lower increments than one might expect. It is also a good idea to test these features beforehand so you know how to use them correctly. ​ In theory, bracketing can refer to pretty much any variable in photography. You can bracket white balance, JPEG settings, long exposure noise reduction, flash settings, focal length, and much more. ​ If unsure what depth of field required, it is worth bracketing the aperture. Or, for a Milky Way photograph, consider using different ISO and shutter speed settings to obtain the best combination of noise performance and minimal star trails.

System Recovery Mode Windows Recovery Mode - MS Windows 10/11 allows a recovery USB Drive to be generated. Manufacturers of pre-built desktops and laptops have their own recovery media embedded into the system, so pressing the F11 key may not work on all PCs as there is no one standard and many manufacturers use F9, F10, or F12 keys to enter recovery mode. ​ Press the Windows tab and type ‘Recovery Media’ then follow the instructions. Create a bootable USB drive using the Command Line (CMD). ​ When needed insert ‘Recovery USB drive’, and then restart your computer and press F11 before the MS Windows logo appears. ​ However, true recovery will put the computer back to its factory state and you will lose data and some programs. If you want to revert and completely clean the computer this option may be appropriate. I also use the ‘system Image’ option as this will back up the data and programs installed. ​ Various options for recovery. ​ Enter Recovery Mode using the Start Menu option: ​ The Start menu’s Restart option provides one of the most reliable methods for entering recovery mode. Click the Start button in Windows 10/11. Then click the Power button. Press and hold the Shift key. Then click Restart while holding the Shift key. After that, select Troubleshoot and Advanced options on the blue menu. ​ Enter Recovery Mode with a bootable USB drive: ​ Users can enter recovery mode with a bootable USB drive that they can install (or reinstall) Windows 10 with. First, users will need to set up the bootable USB drive with the Windows Recovery option or Image file. Users will also need to configure their PCs to boot from USB drives first by adjusting the BIOS or UEFI settings. Thereafter, insert a bootable USB drive into a PC’s USB slot. Turn the laptop or desktop on. Then a Windows Setup window will appear if the PC is configured to boot from USB drives. Click Next on the Windows setup window. Select the Repair your computer option. Then select Troubleshoot and click on Advanced Options to enter the Advanced Start-up Options menu. ​ Select the Restart now option: ​ Users can also get to Advanced Start-up Options by clicking the Restart now an option in Settings. Click the Type here to search button on Windows 10’s taskbar. Enter the keyword recover in the search box to find the Recovery option. Click Recovery to open the window shown directly below. Click the Restart now button under Advanced start-up. The PC will restart to the Choose an option menu from which users can select Troubleshoot and then Advanced options. ​ Enter Recovery Mode using Command Prompt. ​ The Command Prompt provides another way to access recovery mode. Type cmd in Windows Search and click on Run as an administrator to start Command Prompt. Input the following command and press Enter: shutdown /r /o Click Close on the You are about to be signed out a prompt that appears. Thereafter, select Troubleshoot and Advanced options after the restart. ​ So, there are few ways users can enter Windows 10’s recovery mode. When users enter the recovery mode, they can then utilise the System Restore, Command Prompt, System Image Recovery, and Start-up Repair utilities. Create a bootable USB flash drive using CMD. ​ Insert a USB flash drive into a running computer. Open a Command Prompt (CMD) window as an administrator. Type diskpart . In the new command line window that opens, to determine the USB flash drive number or drive letter, at the command prompt, type list disk , and then click ENTER . The list disk command displays all the disks on the computer. Note the drive number or drive letter of the USB flash drive. At the command prompt, type select disk , where X is the drive number or drive letter of the USB flash drive, and then click ENTER . Type clean , and click ENTER . This command deletes all data from the USB flash drive. To create a new primary partition on the USB flash drive, type create partition primary and then click ENTER . To select the partition that you just created, type select partition 1 , and then click ENTER. To format the partition, type f ormat fs=ntfs quick, and then click ENTER .

Wired Network System Wired LANs (Local Area Networks) use Ethernet cables and network adapters. ​ There are two ways to set up a LAN system: ​ Broadband routers often provide DSL Internet connections and because they normally have additional facilities that allow direct connections for a shared printer or server. ​ Two computers can be directly wired to each other using an Ethernet crossover cable. ​ Using a central device or devices like a router, hubs, switches to connect more than two computers, servers, or printers. ​ Installation Ethernet cables must run from the router to each computer, printer, or server. It can be costly, laborious, and messy to run cables through a house, either under the floor or through walls, especially if you have an old Victorian house like mine. Even in newer houses chasing out the walls for cables or taking up the floorboards can take some time and be very messy. Luckily for some people, newer homes are often being pre-wired with CAT5 cables and RJ-45 sockets. These are wired sockets ready to accept your cables. If you are willing to put in the time and mess, it is a simple matter to fit CAT5 cables and RJ-45 sockets. We will explore what is needed and how to achieve this later. Once the hardware has been installed the configuration of the wired or wireless LANs are similar. Both rely on standard Internet Protocol (IP) and network operating system configuration options. These will be discussed later. ​ Cost In this age of financial constraints, the cost is the biggest denominator when deciding whether to opt for a wired or wireless network. If your computer, router, and printer are in proximity a wired system will cost little more than a wireless option. Most Internet providers supply a free router, Ethernet cable and with ADSL a filter with your package. Because of this you only need to buy an additional CAT5 cable to connect your printer. Of course, you can bypass this requirement by connecting your printer via a USB cable. If you only require a cable, CAT 5 Cable – prices vary depending on the length, but you can expect to pay between £2.50 and £6.00 for a 5-metre length. For installing a fitted wired system, the cost will be higher as you will need for each outlet: RJ45 RJ11 Cat5 Network Tool Kit Cable Tester Crimp Lan - £18.50 Cat 5 Single Socket RJ45 Ethernet Network Face Plate - £2.00 Wall box for faceplate - £2.00 RJ45 Connector Network Cable CAT5 Crimp Ends Plugs x 10 - £1.00. Ethernet CCA Cable Roll Network LAN Solid UTP CAT5e-CCA Grey 100m - £10.00 ​ These prices do not usually very much. I buy my stuff from Amazon and a local electrical outlet. ​ Reliability Ethernet cables, routers, and switches are exceptionally reliable, mostly due to the manufacturer’s commitment to improving Ethernet technology. Ethernet technology is an ever-expanding structure and companies are continuously funding research into improving the communications systems. A great deal of advancements has occurred during the past few years in the wireless arena, and this has been directed because of the need to strengthen security and improve wireless systems. With cabled systems, if you take time to fasten cables and making sure the wires in the RJ-45 boxes are wired correctly and secure will help eliminate problems with wired networks. I have had several Broadband routers fail, so reliability is still an on-going concern. If this occurs contact your Broadband provider and they should replace it for you, or you can buy a better model. Wired networks are more reliable, faster, and secure than their wireless counterparts. Performance ​ Despite the improvements of wireless routers over the past few years wired LANs still provide better performance and reliability over wireless systems. In the past, wired Ethernet connections have increased from 10 Mbps bandwidth to 100 Mbps and now 1000Mbps is now commonplace. Wired LANs using a hub might sustain performance slowdown if several computers, servers, or printers are heavily using the network at the same time. To help prevent this use Ethernet switches. Security ​ Routers come with Firewall software installed. Because of this when wired networks (LANs) are connected to the Internet the Firewall will provide an element of security. However, wired Ethernet hubs and switches do not have firewalls. ​ To help protect your computer from Intrusion, Trojans, and Viruses you will need antivirus and firewall software installed on your computer. I use ESET and Malwarebytes, there are free alternatives, but I find the free options significantly less secure and reliable. Nearly all the infected computers I worked on in the industry had free versions and the removal of the risk and preventing data loss always cost more than purchasing the paid anti-virus and malware software combined. ​ Although Broadband routers have firewalls installed, these are not reliable so do not rely on this alone to protect your computers. ​ KEEP the antivirus and malware software updated on a regular basis, as new threats come onto the web daily.

Memory (RAM) Memory (RAM) – RAM is short for ‘Random Access Memory’ and while it may sound enigmatic, RAM is one of the most important elements of computing. It is the super-fast and temporary data storage space that a computer needs to access right now or in the next few moments. DDR vs SDRAM ​ DDR (DDR1), DDR2, DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 are newer variations of the older SDRAM. SDRAM and DDR RAM are memory-integrated circuits used in computers. SDRAM is a generic name for many types of DRAM that synchronizes with the microprocessor’s (CPU) clock speed. ​ DRAM had an asynchronous interface; it responds as quickly as possible to changes in control inputs. Both SDRAM and DDR RAM have a synchronous interface, so it waits for a clock signal before responding to control inputs and is therefore synchronized with the computer’s system bus. ​ This allows the memory chip to have a more complex pattern of operation than an asynchronous DRAM. This is also why the speed of SDRAM and DDR RAM is rated in MHz rather than in nanoseconds (ns). ​ SDRAM usually refers to the first generation of synchronous DRAM, so is slower than succeeding generations of DDR because only one word of data is transmitted per clock cycle (single data rate). The second generation of synchronous DRAM memory chips was DDR (or DDR1). ​ DDR is short for Double Data Rate. It is a memory that uses both the rising and falling edge of the system clock that has the potential of doubling the speed of the memory. So, the chip reads or writes two words of data per clock cycle. The DDR interface achieves this by reading and writing data on both the rising and falling edges of the clock signal.

Diodes Οι δίοδοι είναι συστατικά ημιαγωγών που λειτουργούν ως μονόδρομος διακόπτης για ρεύμα. Οι δίοδοι επιτρέπουν στο ρεύμα να ρέει εύκολα προς μία κατεύθυνση αλλά εμποδίζει σοβαρά το ρεύμα από τη ροή στην αντίθετη κατεύθυνση. Οι δίοδοι έχουν πολικότητα, καθοριζόμενες από μια άνοδο (θετικό μόλυβδο) και την κάθοδο (αρνητικό μόλυβδο). Πολλές δίοδοι επιτρέπουν τη ροή ρεύματος μόνο όταν εφαρμόζεται θετική τάση στην άνοδο. Είναι επίσης γνωστοί ως ανορθωτές επειδή αλλάζουν εναλλασσόμενο ρεύμα (AC) σε παλλόμενο συνεχές ρεύμα (DC). Οι δίοδοι βαθμολογούνται σύμφωνα με τον τύπο, την τάση και την τρέχουσα χωρητικότητά τους. Οι δίοδοι διατίθενται σε πολλές διαμορφώσεις, όπως: Μεταλλική θήκη Βάση στήριξης Πλαστική θήκη με ταινία Πλαστική θήκη με λοξοτομή Γυάλινη θήκη Οι δίοδοι είναι προκατειλημμένες όταν επιτρέπουν ροή ρεύματος, όταν αντιστρέφονται με αντίστροφο τρόπο, δεν επιτρέπει τη ροή ρεύματος και ενεργεί ως μονωτής. Ένα βέλος συμβόλου διαγράμματος κυκλώματος διόδων δείχνει προς την κατεύθυνση της ροής ηλεκτρονίων. Η τάση που εφαρμόζεται στην άνοδο είναι θετική σε σχέση με την κάθοδο. Επίσης, η τάση στη δίοδο είναι υψηλότερη από την τάση κατωφλίου, έτσι λειτουργεί ως βραχυκύκλωμα και επιτρέπει τη ροή ρεύματος. Εάν η κάθοδος γίνει θετική σε σχέση με την άνοδο, η δίοδος είναι αντίστροφης. Στη συνέχεια θα λειτουργήσει ως ανοικτό κύκλωμα. Επομένως, δεν θα ρέει ρεύμα. Σε τι χρησιμοποιούνται οι δίοδοι; Αντίστροφη προστασία ρεύματος Οι δίοδοι αποκλεισμού χρησιμοποιούνται σε ορισμένα ηλεκτρονικά κυκλώματα για προστασία, όπως ένα τυχαίο πρόβλημα αντίστροφης σύνδεσης: Σύνδεση τροφοδοσίας DC με λάθος τρόπο Αντιστροφή πολικότητες Καθώς η ροή ρεύματος σε λάθος κατεύθυνση μπορεί να προκαλέσει ζημιά σε άλλα εξαρτήματα κυκλώματος. Απλός ρυθμιστής τάσης Οι ρυθμιστές τάσης χρησιμοποιούνται για να μειώσουν την τάση εισόδου στο απαιτούμενο επίπεδο και θα τη διατηρήσουν σταθερή παρά τις διακυμάνσεις στην παροχή. Μπορούν επίσης να ρυθμίσουν τις τάσεις εξόδου, οι δίοδοι Zener χρησιμοποιούνται συνήθως ως ρυθμιστές τάσης επειδή έχει σχεδιαστεί για να λειτουργεί στην κατάσταση αντίστροφης μεροληψίας, αλλά συμπεριφέρεται επίσης ως κανονικές διόδους σήματος όταν βρίσκεται σε μεροληψία προς τα εμπρός.

Care of Paint Brushes Paint Brush Care Always dampen brushes BEFORE use unless they are specified dry brushes. If you load a dry brush with wet colour, the colour begins to dry in the centre of the bristles down close to the ferrule. Dampening the bristles reduces paintability to dry in the centre. But do not just dip the brush into the water and then go into the colour, the moisture needs to be worked into the hair/bristles of the brush. Working the brush on the palm of your hand and forcing the moisture into the bristles helps, it also transfers some of the oil from your hand and helps to condition the brush. Following that, dab the brush on a towel to remove excess moisture before dipping into the colour. ​ Never place brushes loaded with paint aside and allow them to dry in the hair/bristles. It is better to wash the brush immediately when done using them, even if the brush is only going to be inactive for a few minutes. When rinsing brushes, it is not advisable to scrape the brush around the bottom of the cleaning jar/container. Firstly, paint pigment drops to the bottom of the container, secondly, doing this can damage the hair/bristles. Some cleaning containers have drainage sieves or coils at the bottom so that any brush washed is kept away from the pigment sediment at the bottom, but rigorous cleaning on these can still damage hair/bristles. Gently swish the brush back and forth in the bowl and allow it to brush against the sides or bottom. Brush basins with rounded, textured bottoms are perfect for aiding the process. It is good practice to change the water on a regular basis and to have separate containers to wash different paint types. Being mostly involved in model kit builds, and do a great amount of airbrushing, I only use De-Ionised water. I have washpot/rinse pots for: ​ Acrylic paints an initial wash in between paint colour changes. Acrylic paints second rinse, following finishing with a particular colour, before proper cleaning and conditioning of paintbrush before putting away. Metallics. Decal brush, Washes, or Glazes. ​ Do not leave any brush in water for extended periods because with wooden brushes the wetness can cause the handle to swell, resulting in cracking paint and unstable ends. Synthetic brush hair is glued into position, and prolonged standing in water can break down the glue making the hair loose. ​ After rinsing, brushes do not allow them to dry with the bristles/hair face upward or flat on a rack or table, as this can damage the ferrule and can possibly soften the glue them as mentioned above. Drip drying racks are plentiful, these allow users to place brushes with their bristles/hair face facing downward, allowing the moisture to drain away. After washing the brush, check to see if any colour remains in the hair by brushing across a paper towel, do not push forward, as this will damage the bristles/hair. If the colour appears on the towel, rinse again. Cleaning materials advised are: ​ Brush Paint Cleaner or Purger Brush Conditioning Soap Brush Conditioner Gel ​ When storing natural haired brushes for long periods use a brush conditioner soap to thoroughly clean them. Brush Conditioning Soap or Gel can also be used to reshape the bristles/hair and stored in this way. ​ With Brush Conditioning Soap, moisten the dip the bristles/hair and gently work the bristles/hair into the soap, rinse and when no further paint pigment is visible in the Conditioning Soap, either twist into its original shape or use a Conditioning gel to do the same. ​ When storing brushes do not store them in confined containers where the hairs can get pushed out of shape or break.

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