(NAPSA)—Can’t tell a megapixel from a matte finish? Don’t worry. A few tips from the experts can help you find the right digital camera—just in time for graduation and Father’s Day. Technological advances now make digital cameras easy, convenient and more affordable. There’s no film, the cameras are completely automatic, and you can review your results immediately, editing out the images you don’t want. Sharing digital photos with friends and family is a snap. You can send individual images via email, post photos on the Web or create an online photo album. With a photo-quality printer and photo paper, you can even create your own prints. How do you decide which digital camera to buy? According to Rick Mangrum, vice president of electronics for Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., shoppers should investigate these basic features before making a purchase: Image Resolution The image resolution of a digital camera determines what you can do with your photos. Digital image resolution is measured in pixels, and today’s standard range for digital cameras is from 1.0 to 3.0 megapixels, with several highend models that produce up to 5.0megapixel images. “If you’re only looking to e-mail your photos or post them on the Web, a 1.0 megapixel camera will get the job done,” said Mangrum. “But if you want to make prints for your family album, look for a camera between 1.3 and 2.1 Digital cameras let you make prints or share images electronically via e-mail or the Web. megapixels. If you plan to enlarge prints to 8x10, you’ll need at least 3.0 megapixels.” Lens Basic point-and-shoot digital cameras will have a fixed-focus lens, meaning you won’t be able to zoom in on your subject. Most other models have an optical zoom, a digital zoom or both. An optical zoom uses a telephoto lens to get close to the subject, and a digital zoom accomplishes the task via software that crops the edges of a photo and enlarges the rest. “Because you’re enlarging the original, a digital zoom sacrifices a little in clarity,” said Mangrum. Image Storage Digital images can be stored in the camera’s memory or on a removable memory card. With no memory card, once you’ve used up the camera’s memory you’ll need to download images onto your computer to create space for additional photos. “If you want to take a high number of print-quality photos, look into a camera with a memory card,” said Mangrum. Some of the more popular kinds of memory cards are CompactFlash, SmartMedia and Memory Stick. Your camera choice will determine the type of memory card you’ll need. Display Digital cameras will have an optical viewfinder, an LCD screen or both. Optical viewfinders are common in point-and-shoot cameras. An LCD screen lets you see the photos before or after you’ve taken them, so you can delete the ones you don’t want. Battery Some digital cameras use standard alkaline batteries, while others come with rechargeable batteries and an AC power cord for recharging. Price You can buy a point-and-shoot digital camera with a fixed-focus lens for as little as $99. Higherquality digital cameras with a variety of features range from $167 to $499. Manufacturers such as Nikon, Sony, Kodak, Canon and Olympus produce digital cameras at a wide range of prices. At your neighborhood Wal-Mart store, associates in the photo department will help guide you through the myriad products and features, which include making low-cost prints from your digital camera at WalMart’s One-Hour Photo Centers. You can also shop for digital cameras online at www.walmart. com. Check out the site’s Digital Camera Learning Center, and visit the online photo center to learn more about what you can do with your digital photos. Matching Job Seekers With Ag, Food, Science Companies (NAPSA)—As many companies cut back, professionals and upcoming graduates seeking jobs may feel that they are out in the cold. But jobs in the agriculture, food, life sciences and natural sciences industries are out there for those looking. This year has been challenging for job seekers, according to Mike Gaul, director of agriculture career services at Iowa State University. During the past few months, Gaul has recommended a variety of career location services to students, including Internet resources. Industry-specific Internet sites can be effective when searching for jobs, he said. “Narrowing down searches to be industry specific is beneficial to anyone seeking a job in agriculture, and that’s what jobhog.net does,” Gaul said. Until recently, no Internet sites catered to job seekers in agriculture. Jobhog.net, launched in 2001, boasts a large network of partnerships with companies that need professionals in the agriculture, food, life sciences and natural sciences industries. For employers, jobhog.net offers a service for posting open positions that’s more economical than alternatives with the benefit of a targeted applicant pool. For job seekers, the site provides a free job search agent, resume posting and, after registering, email alerts when job matches are found. Visitors to the site can search for jobs in more than 20 categories, ranging from agribusiness to genetics to engineering. People looking for jobs in agriculture and natural sciences now have a place to check online. “Even if your background is not ag based, your dream job may still be found at jobhog.net,” said Eric Spell, jobhog.net president. “Our client partners are searching for more than only scientists. They need communicators, computer specialists, educators, finance experts and all sorts of other professionals.” Carla Cain, Pioneer Hi-Bred International manager of employment services, is a loyal user of jobhog.net. Pioneer, the world’s leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics, has posted many job listings on the site since its inception. “The real benefit I see with the Internet and especially jobhog.net is the speed. By posting online, I can get in touch with qualified candidates faster, which saves me time and money,” Cain said. That’s exactly what jobhog.net aims to do, Spell said. “We are committed to listening to our clients so we know what types of employees they need. Then we tailor our efforts to help them find those specific people.” Other companies that utilize jobhog.net to find professionals include Hormel Foods Company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Land O’Lakes and Seaboard Farms Inc. Essentials For Equipping A Home Office (NAPSA)—Today many workers have the luxury of working from a home office part or all of the time—whether they are small business owners or connecting with their company remotely. As telecommuting becomes the norm, many people are looking for ways to incorporate the latest, most cost-effective technology to create a suitable work environment at home. Many times, space and money are at a premium and workers need to utilize their resources in the most efficient way possible. However, care should be taken to ensure that the most important devices in an office, such as a printer, remain a top priority. The following tips, tools and advice will help make the small office/home office (SOHO) arrangement as productive as possible. Look Like The Big Guys— The way you present your work is the way you present yourself. While prices of inkjets have dropped in recent years, the quality, speeds and features have drastically improved. You can now purchase a color inkjet that offers excellent resolution—4800 x 1200—to produce crisp text and eye-popping color for professional presentation for under $200. Ensure the printer offers print speeds that match your printing needs and ease of use features to ensure hassle-free printing. Expendability—Your office equipment needs may change with time, so ensure that your equipment will grow with you. Your computer may initially support your needs with 64MB of memory but this may soon be insufficient. Another example is Houston: An Exciting City For Sports Fans the Lexmark Z65 Color Jetprinter, which can be upgraded to have network capabilities—allowing more than one user to print to the unit. Instead of purchasing a new computer or printer, a user can upgrade for a nominal charge— which saves both time and money. High Speed Internet—If you plan on working from home, one of the last things you want to do is wait for a slow Internet connection. During peak hours, a slow Internet connection can make work tedious. Therefore, it is a good idea to invest in a cable modem or DSL line which allows for faster service and keeps the phone line open for calls. Service Support—The quality of your work can sometimes depend on the computer system. Purchase from a reputable dealer and ensure that you have technical support. Even if you are able to utilize the help of your company’s IT help desk, it is still a good idea to have added support for off-peak hours. For more information on setting up a home office and for all your printing needs, visit www.lexmark.com. (NAPSA)—According to the experts at Nestl USA, a Spring Fruit Tart can be a delicious way to showcase fresh, colorful fruit. The tart is made with only five ingredients. For this and other delicious fruit recipes, including Chocolate Dipped Fruit, visit www.VeryBest Baking.com. From learning about individual companies to researching entire business fields, using the Web can help people find a job fast, and often without a lot of work. For example, The American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) offers an online job bank with a variety of features that can guide job hunters towards a great job. For more information, visit www.astd.org. 7 (NAPSA)—Travelers who have a love of the game may want to give the city of Houston a sporting chance. That’s because there’s plenty of sporting action—both professional and participatory—in SpaceCity. For example, the Houston Astros—one of Major League Baseball’s winningest teams over the past nine years, with four division titles—play their home games at Astros Field, a retractable-roof stadium that opened in 2000. This 42,000-seat downtown ballpark incorporates historic Union Station, a former train depot, into the design. It will also be the site of the 2004 All-Star Game. Football fans can look forward to the August debut of the Houston Texans, the 32nd NFL team. The team, which kicks off its season against the Miami Dolphins, will play in Reliant Stadium, a new 69,000-seat, retractable-roof football facility. The stadium will play host to both Super Bowl XXXVIII (in 2004) and the 2002 Big XII Championship. In 2003, a downtown basketball arena will open its doors, giving a new home to the four-time WNBA champion Houston Comets and the two-time NBA champion Houston Rockets, as well as the Houston Aeros, champions of the International Hockey League. For racing fans, the Sam Houston Race Park showcases thoroughbred and quarterhorse racing year-round. Gulf Greyhound Park, the world’s largest pari-mutuel Spor ts fans can get in the game—or just watch—when they take a trip to Houston. greyhound racing complex, offers fast-paced action in nearby La Marque. In addition, Houston is a place where golfers don’t have to put their game on ice during the winter. Mild temperatures—averaging between 42 and 65 degrees— mean that the fairways aren’t covered with snow; duffers can tee off on more than 100 courses, at any time of year. The city’s 334 municipal parks provide a world of fitness activities, including jogging, cycling, in-line skating, canoeing, tennis, golf, basketball and disc golf. Trivia buffs will recall that Houston is home to the Astrodome, the nation’s first domed stadium, and is the birthplace of Astroturf. It’s also one of the few cities to have experienced an increase in tourism both prior to and since September 11. To discover the possibilities a Houston vacation has to offer, call the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau at 1-800-4HOUSTON or visit the Web site at www.houston-guide.com.
