dIGITIZED - your digital lifestyle publication

digitized

June 2008

your digital lifestyle.

Exclusive:

中苹 i s s u e Illustration by: Victor Lau

digitized your digital lifestyle.

Why pay for it?

Mac Freeware!

The Art of Technology Beauty in pixels.

Ayo Technology Gadgets that sizzle.

editorial /

/ editorial

digitized ‘08 EDITORIAL SENIOR EDITOR | ARIEL LEE ASSISTANT EDITOR | LEANDER LEE ASSISTANT EDITOR | HUBERT CHEUNG SENIOR ART EDITOR | BRYAN LEE

MANAGEMENT PROJECT SUPERVISOR | AARON METZ PUBLISHING DIRECTOR | BENJAMIN KAN ART DIRECTOR | JENNIFER YEUNG COPYRIGHT COORDINATOR | ENOCH HUI PRODUCTION MANAGER | AARON CHAN

ADVERTISING SENIOR ADVERTISING MANAGER | MARCO LAM ASSIS. ADVERTISING MANAGER | KELLIE NG ASSIS. ADVERTISING MANAGER | MICHELLE LOK

CONTRIBUTIONS Christopher Bryan, Aaron Chan, Hubert Cheung, Enoch Hui, Marco Lam, Bryan Lee, Leander Lee Yvonne Ng, Marcus Wong, Aaron Yu, Leon Chan Lawrence Chan, Sheena Chong, Sunny Lam, Felic Ko, Amy Fookirkkiat, Benjamin Kan, Julian LawAriel Lee, Sharon Lee, Michelle Lok Stephanie Lui, Kellie Ng, Jessica Pang Jennifer Yeung, Samuel Chan, Laiyin Cheng Keith Cheung, Kelly Cho, Sally Ho, Faye Li Arthur Ling, Carlos Poon, Maxwell Putnam Cristal Sung, Margaret To, Shida Zhang Veronica Au Yeung, Fargo Balliett, Sarah Cheng Myra Cheung, Jerry Chung, Lucy Gamser Mimi Han, Gavin Ko, Kimberly Kwan, Mark Lo Patience Lee, Dominic Soong, Queenie Wong Vincent Wong, Wayne Wong, Jeffrey Yeung Christine Boyd, Jennifer Chow, Caroline Jing Adrian Lai, Brennan Leung, Rebecca Martyn Vivian Wan, Melanie Ho, Wilfred Cheng Jeffrey Lau, Jason Shum, Victor Lau, Hilky Chau

WELCOME When Digitized first started, it seemed too large of an idea to bring to life. But we’ve done it again, and even better this time. Although the deadlines were brutal, and pressure levels were high, everyone pulled together to create an extremely professional publication.

From simple ideas posted on our forums, to inchoate layout drafts, to meetings with the printers and advertisers, to the final thousand glossy copies, this magazine is more than just a school project. Digitized is not just a magazine for CDNIS; it’s a magazine for all students. It just goes to show that anything is acheivable if you really set your mind to it.

I’d like to extend a personal thank you to all the contributors, editors, and of course, our supervisor. Digitized also marks a fresh new beginning; a creative start to celebrate the opening of the Leo Lee Arts Center. Perhaps next year the magazine will have grown to include other international schools, and maybe when I return from college it will be sitting on the newsstands.

On behalf of the Digitized team, I hope our readers will enjoy this magazine as much as we enjoyed making it.

Ariel Lee, Senior Editor

SPECIAL THANKS Dave McMaster, Len Archer, Alex Pilton, Isabel Fan Chung Tang, Daniel Chan, Matt Ferguson, Linda Wu Bob Regan, Mongchee Chang, Rebecca Lee

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digitized june 2008 / 3

digitized

Table of Contents

your digital lifestyle.

12

12

42 articles 06 - Copyright is Copy Right?

08 - The Online Persona 10 - Killer Radiation 12 - Stop Motion Animation 14 - Responsible Disposal

Features 42 - Ayo Technologyv 46 - The Art of Technology 50 - Trapped in a Screen 52 - Is a Tablet Worth it?

54 - Are Wii Fit or Are We Fat? 58 - Macs for NooBs

Tutorials 64 - Flash: Basics 68 - Cinema 4D: Animated Flag 76 - After Effects: Sabers 80 - Flash: Pro Photo Gallery 52

14

72

Artwork 16 - Drool...

18 - Technology...is it Reliable?

20 - The New Faces of Technology 22 - Rhythm of Art 24 - The World at My Fingertips 26 - Got Tech?

28 - Film Photography 30 - The World of Lomography

EXCLUSIVE: CHINESE 32 - Online Morality 33 - Downloading Music Legally 34 - Four Freeware 36 - Be Good to Yourself...

37 - Speechless 38 - Tribal Wars 39 - Correct Information Collection 40 - Radiation vs. Sleep

99

72 reviews 93 - Freeware for Max OSX 94 - Medieval II: Total War 96 - Army of Two 97 - Mass Effect 98 - Pictures Anyone?

99 - Ricoh GR Digital II

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Copyright is Copy right?

A Protector of Creative Progression = An Obstacle to Creative Progression

“Copyright is just another name for the monopoly of creativity.”

WORDS BY KEITH CHEUNG

D

ay after day, we are asked to make up new ideas. The conventional saying is, “think outside the box”, but how much of your thoughts are actually your ideas?

In this article, we e ­ xplore the field of copyright and find out how much you know is actually yours and how much of it is what you think it is.

We are blissfully unaware of the horror that is copyright.

Copyright makes its duty to the world that it must confine every idea and work. They call this protection? I call it restriction. As you continue to read this a ­ rticle, you will soon realize that the basis of copyright was one meant for protection but in turn is creating a deterioration of creative progression.

The Internet is a mega matrix complex that embodies all information with easy access. The question now is: who owns any of this? In fact,

6 / digitized june 2008

I challenge every reader to think back and speak honestly that they have never taken a picture off the Internet without citing it in any shape, or form.

Naturally, this is something that is convenient and normal to us. Why? It is because all this information is offered to us right there.

However, the copyright law forbids this because any work upon its creation has all its right directed to the sole producer of the piece.

As the idea is not a monopoly to one distinct piece, that is to say, one’s work equals one idea, does that mean there is no monopoly on the idea itself? Actually, there isn’t.

For example, Shakespeare wrote about Julius Caesar in his plays; he also talked about other historical characters such as King John, King Lear, Macbeth etc. This does not mean other people cannot talk about them in their writing.

Citation is a way to applaud the people who spent hours and even years to compile the information for you. This concept sounds good but has unfortunately failed, or at least created a phenomenon that has dictated this justification.

Copyright believes that it must protect the work of the author(s) without interfering the general topic of discussion. Therefore, we could make a piece of work but it’s just another work in these vast possibilities of ideas.

That brings me to the next point: the work is protected but not the concept. The form of the work; the idea, is the essence that we inject into the creative piece.

That being said, copyright is only in existence because it goes to defending work but not the idea. With this pretext, we are led to believe that copyright not only allows us to

write, but also lets us to write freely as long as we do not violate another author’s piece.

A piece of work is what it is only because copyright forbids it to be copied or reproduced in any way without giving full credit. However, what has copyright done to the works? It has but made rich corporations even richer than ever before.

Every day, books, music, and artwork are sold to powerhouses like Decca, Scholastic, Warner Bros, and Disney. Tycoon corporations like Disney bought out young and creative enterprises like Pixar simply because they could. Copyright is just another name for the monopoly of creativity. Were you aware that Decca owns

all the classical music ever created (Beethoven, Verdi, Puccini, Mozart)? If work can only exist under this equation then that means copyright needs modification.

Copyright, remember, cannot hold over idea. It can only protect work. Ideas can only be free to all if work is not governed by copyright. The two preceding arguments are right, therefore this is also right. Copyright is a downright sham. We give in to this invisible hand because everyone demands it. Why doesn’t anyone speak against it? Protecting the right of the work but not its ideas. Sham in bold.

There is now a growing urge by people on the net to create files that are “un-copyrighted.”

In other words, anyone can come take it and use it without feeling restricted.

Wouldn’t that be great?

To be able to emulate freely means no restrictions on creativity. For the record, this article is no way anticopyright. The struggle against copyright should not be so in the first place if copyright sufficed its purpose from the very start. The role of a guardian has become the role of a dictator. Our creative intellect and want is repressed by these restrictions.

This article is only expressing that copyright has taken a wrong image now and would like to urge all learners to keep your rights right.

“Ideas can only be free to all if work is not governed by copyright.” digitized june 2008 / 7

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The Online persona a n d y o u

These are some typical comments you’d find while on the web (taken from YouTube).

LOL! WTH? OMG! WAI?

Chat with friends anytime!

That was epic.

lol wut?

I D K?

Words by Lucy Gamser

“OMG HAXX” “What do you mean by OMGWTHBBQ?” “And I was all ‘STFU n00b’” “I lol’d” “epic lulz” “I did it for the lulz, I did it for the lulz, I did it for the lulz”

T

hese are some phrases you might read on an average day on the Internet where acronyms, bizarre sentence structure, and l33t run rampant.

The short words and shorter sentences are made when people strive to type faster and faster in live chat forums or write more in an “epic” discussion thread.

These shortened forms, now increasingly

8 / digitized june 2008

being used by many Internet-goers, are becoming their own unique language.

Now, is the Internet related just to computers? No. The Internet is a multifaceted communication network that can be accessed on not only the computer, but also on phones, PDAs and more.

The Internet and its resulting computer cultures are becoming increasingly prominent in our daily lives.

“How you

accounts would actually speak in “L337” or “Chat-Speak” in a face-to-face confrontation with their parents. The way that you act on the Internet can reveal a lot about yourself, even if you use a fake identity. Online Personas are the ways you perceive and present yourself - from the way you speak to the avatars you can create.

perceive yourself and what you say is all in your hands, no one has to know the truth.”

When you venture online, whether it be on chat sites, community forums, or other places in which you voice your opinions, the chances are that you are going to act differently “ in real life” (IRL) self. For instance, I doubt that most teenagers who frequently use MSN Messenger

Sites such as Facebook, Myspace, GaiaOnline, Youtube and Crunchyroll are very popular sites where members can create their online personas.

Sites such as Gaia actually allow the creation of avatars, or “avis”, that show a pixelated image of the character you create. Massive amounts of information are exchanged daily and people can

assume alternate identities. “There are no limitations or rules you have to follow when navigating through different Internet web sites. How you perceive yourself and what you say is all in your hands, no one has to know the truth,” says Christine Boyd, CDNIS student.

The word “Google”, a verb derived from the browser “Google”, has even been put in the dictionary. It is literally defined as follows: “Google; verb; To search for a specific person through the use of the Google search engine.”

On Google, you can look up anybody’s name and immediately be given links to numerous sites in which said person has frequented. On GaiaOnline, you can create a mini version of yourself made from pixels. Frequenting the site and earning Gaian gold allows the user to buy clothes for their person and

create their own image. Though the site is only for 13-year-old teens and up, many younger kids lie about their ages when they log on to Gaia. Gaia is one of the largest Internet chat/role-play communities having over 1,000,000 members as of January this year. I myself have many friends who have joined Gaia and who speak to me about all the people they have met.

“When I was playing Slots (one of the games available), I met this funny Australian guy. We chatted about how much of an idiot Anonymous is. Then he asked me where I live.” People who are too friendly can often be forced into revealing personal information.

One of my friends (a boy) made a female avatar and dressed her in very girly clothes. Other people on the site

mistook him for a girl and made flirtatious advances on him within his first month on the site. Such mistakes are very common on most chat sites where you can’t really tell who you’re speaking to.

These types of sites where people can create alternate identities and meet people from all over the world have dangers that you wouldn’t even think to expect.

You must always be wary and make sure that you understand how much the web differs from real life.

~Welcome to the Internet. We hope you enjoy your ­­ stay.~ digitized june 2008 / 9

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What You Can Do

A FRYING ISSUE

Killer Radiation T

he destruction caused by radiation emitted from mobile phones has been ­ignored, and it is now disrupting many people’s lives…or is it? ­Experiments done by scientists around the world have proved many theories- some even claiming that cell phones and cancer have no connection, but who is right and who is wrong?

Radiation Affecting Sleep A recent research study conducted by the Massachusetts institute of Technology - ironically funded by the Mobile Manufacturers Forum (which included market leaders such as Nokia and Motorola) - indicated that mobile phone radiation causes delays in the time needed to fall asleep and therefore reduces the time in which we are in the state of deep sleep. Deep sleep is the time when the body recovers and 10 / digitized june 2008

r­ efreshes from daily damage. During this state, blood is directly flowing into the muscles, restoring our physical energy. Also, hormones are released while the body repairs our wounds, bones and skins.

“ Radiation causes delays in the time needed to fall asleep...”

According to the Vice Professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Leung Shai Wing, cells are made up of atoms, so when an atom receives external energy, it would naturally start to move rapidly.

Therefore, when the brain is affected by mobile phone radiation (which is a kind of energy), the brain cells become excited or agitated and

By: Faye Li & Sally Ho

become very awake. This in turn keeps us in a state where we are alert and focused, making it hard for us to relax, wind down and fall sleep. Except for insomnia, which refers to habitual sleeplessness and the inability to sleep, mobile phones can also cause headaches and confusion.

For students, the effects of mobile phone radiation are even more intense. We are in the age group that needs the most sleep, and what this study has shown affects us the most.

In another recent study conducted in Belgium, 1,656 Belgian teenagers recorded their daily phone usage and their sleeping quality. The data showed that most brought their mobile phones to bed and talked before sleeping. Results showed that teenagers who did this more often were more tired.

Till now you may have thought, “Well whatever, it’s just one or two hours tops,” but let me tell you this: These two hours are vital and can lead to lack of concentration or a fall in academic performance.

So is it worth it?

A few minutes on the phone with you friend or boyfriend; a few laughs maybe (which you could have during the day) in exchange for your grades? If you just HAVE to, just use your landline!

Sickness and Disease Many people believe that radiation from cell phones causes cancer and many other illnesses, such as Alzheimers and psychosis. An article from The BBC states that “mobile radiation boosts cancer cells”. The experiment that showed this involved exposing leukemia cells to mobile phone radiation. It was found that the cells multiplied significantly.

Now, the question you are probably asking is, why didn’t they test it with healthy human cells?

The answer is because it is unethical, since they would have to expose a live and healthy person to a large amount of radiation and record the results. Their immune system would be seriously damaged.

So what could happen to a healthy person using a cell phone for a couple of hours every day? A researcher from cancer-health.org states that DNA splits and breaks in the brain if continuous radiation is produced, which can lead to the damage of DNA. It also proves

“...mobile radiation boosts cancers cells...” that radiation changed brain cell membranes in rats, “and the effects were so severe it could affect humans too”.

Conversely, there are many scientists who tell us that there is no clear connection between cell phones and cancer. Televisions, radios, and computers also have the same radiation as mobile phones, but why are we placing all the blame our phones, instead of say…our iPods?

According to an article written by Tamar Nordenberg, the phone does emit radiation, but not enough to cause health hazards. In comparison to tools such as X-Rays, which can emit large doses of radiation if used too much, cell phone radiation comes in small amounts. This scientist stated that harmful effects from mobile phones are “somewhere between impossible and implausible.”

So what do you believe?

Research from other scientists also prove that prolonged mobile phone use caused hot spots in the brain, which can also lead to brain tumors.

But wait...don’t be too scared. digitized june 2008 / 11

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STOP! MOTION Animation By: Jessica Pang

Want to learn how to make your own stop motion?

When you write a book or design a web site, you need to plan out your main theme, elements and the details in order to make it happen. Stop motion is no different. Planning and research is important. Beginners must thoroughly research stop motion, especially if you want to make a film. You must decide what style you want it, whether be it realistic or stylized claymation.

Lastly, you wisely choose your equipment and software ­because you will get frustrated if you use a software not compatible with your equipment.

Once you get this step down, you can begin the process; 1. Capture frames. 2. Edit footage. 3. Add music and titles.

4. Compress video. 5. Upload onto YouTube to share!

CAMCORDER Advantages

Disadvantages

• Simple USB connection • Instant feedback and easy to work with frame grabber programs

• Cost • Cannot shoot frameby-frame

Instructions: • Use in conjunction with computer, run frame grabber ­program to ‘capture’ images • If you use old DV cams, you need an analog/digital video convertor • Don’t record with tape on the camcorder, images are captured through the frame grabber program WEBCAM

Stop motion has history as old as film-making. It is an ­illusionary filming technique that manipulates object movements using a frame-by-frame technique, just like flipping through a book. It is seen in clay animation such as Wallce & Grommit and Tim Horton's films.

1920s

1910

Then larger corporations like Walt Disney expanded their puppet object animation with stop motion in association with Tim Burton. They began their short film Vincent, using Mickey Mouse, and producing the show The Black Hole (director Mike Jittlov). Though stop motion animates inanimate objects, it is seldom shot in stereoscopic 3D.

The first stop motion pioneer was Ladislaw Starewicz. He was the first to put stop-action animation and puppets to tell a story and used hidden wires to manipulate their actions, like his famous puppet animation The Beautiful Lukanida.

1914

Another stop motion pioneer is Willis O'Brien from America.

O'Brien created animation by covering his objects with clay.

He further perfected his animation by using balls and socks sculptured as frames covered with foams, animal hair, and fur.

His method expanded to combine live actors with stop motion characters.

Even comedian and cartoonist Charles Bowers incorporated stop motion into his films such as making a straw hat grow on a man's head.

1982

Advantages • •

Good resolution Use the burst sequence

Disadvantages • No live video feed so cannot be used with frame grabber programs • Light flicker issues

Instructionsners are not recommended to use still camera.

• Setup security cam beside camera that looks through the view finder, used as a video feed, run through framegrabber so you can check the animation.

Note: It is recommended to use devices that have manual image control in terms of gain, exposure, white balance.

Color adjustments can be controlled and manipulated through programs like Photoshop, Quicktime Pro or After Effects.

Frame Grabber Programs

Equipment

History

DIGITAL STILL CAMERA

Advantages

Disadvantages

• Simple USB connection • Works well with frame grabber program • Cheap and fast to upload

• Lens quality • No manual focus

Instructions: • In order to achieve full screen resolution, use web cams that are 640x480 full broadcast resolution.

CAMERA Advantages

Disadvantages

• Great film • Many quality options (timed exposure, double exposure, matte effects, etc.)

• Expensive • Time-consuming to develop film

Instructions: • 3 formats: super-8 (quite old and rarely used now), 16mm, 35mm

You’ve probably seen the word “frame grabber” several times in this article. Before these programs were developed, 2-D animators used to use light boxes beneath paper to see what they previously drew – exactly what those programs let you do (onion skin/overlay of previous frames).

Frame grabbing software are sometimes referred as “frame capturing”. These programs accept live image feed from camcorder through firewire or USB, frame by frame on the monitor. You can judge and compare the movements. Some features can playback all frames, do multiple onion skinning, add sounds, and chroma-keying.

Stop Motion Pro • One of the first software creators • For PC-Window Users • Compatible with DV Camcorder (firewire), USB webcam, analog camcorder, control digital still camera • Good online support and video tutorial • Special feature: audio lip syncing feature Stop MotionMaker • PC-Windows user • Very user-friendly • Strong features – onion skin, rotoscoping, loop last frame, instant review, time lapse, chroma keying/compositing, flicker reduction • Good for users at all levels Animator DV • PC-Window users • Professional • Control some canon Digital Still cameras, compatible with USB webcam, analog camcorder , camcorder • Intricate user interface • Not recommended for beginners Dragon Stop Motion • PC-Window users • Professional • Control some canon Digital Still cameras, compatible with USB webcam, analog camcorder , camcorder • Intricate user interface • Not recommended for beginners

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Think twice before you throw away your old nokia phone - dispose of it properly.

Words by Marco Lam

Graphics by Yvonne Ng

T

he old computer that you haven’t used for two years that is still sitting in a corner may one day come back for revenge. Computer “waste” is actually toxic, containing a mixture of deadly substances such as lead, mercury and arsenic. So leaving old computers lying around in your house is not a good idea.

But just how exactly do you throw away a computer? For you and I, we call our computer dealer and have them deliver a new one and collect the old one at the same time. In fact, it is estimated that in 2010, around 300 million computers will be thrown away worldwide. For the planet, most of these old computers, along with other electronics are dumped illegally into the developing world. Okay, problem solved, right? For now, maybe.

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“But just how exactly do you throw away a computer?”

But don’t forget, the poison that seeps into the environment eventually comes back at us in our already tarnished world. A study in 2005 conducted

by Greenpeace showed that 47% of computer waste found in 18 European Seaports was exported illegally. Currently, there aren’t many laws or financial restrictions for computer manufacturers to dispose of old computers properly. What we can do to help is to carefully consider before purchasing a new computer. “Do I really need it? Is three years really that old?” Or, we can see that our computers are properly disposed of by contacting companies that specialize in such businesses. Just like recycling anything else, it takes effort and time, but in the end, it’s worth it.

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Drool...

Photography and Words by: Benjamin Kan

Pacific Oyster Platter Shutter: 1/200 Aperture: f/4.5

ISO:200

Grilled Wagyu Steak Shutter:1/100 Aperture: f/5.5

ISO: 100

Japanese Style Tempura King Prawns Shutter:1/30 Aperture: f/2.0 ISO: 400

Y

ou go to a restaurant, get your table and sit down. The waiter hands you a menu ... what do you notice first?

The photographs of food! Have you ever wondered how photographers take such scrumptious pictures of food?

You may have heard about franchises that hire someone to spend hours to meticulously Photoshop out flaws and add water droplets to a hamburger, but you might not know that you can also take great food images without much post-editing.

just made, here’s a little tip: microwave a wet cotton ball and put it behind the bowl or plate to create some steam.

In terms of equipment, a lens with a larger aperture or a macro lens is preferable. A big aperture can create a shallow depth of field, which makes the main subject stand out. A macro lens will show the fine details of the dish so that diners can see exactly what they’re going to put in their mouths! Also, shooting from a low angle is a good idea, to show the composition of the dish.

It is extremely important that adequate lighting be used when taking photographs of food. This will enhance the colours of the subject and show fine texture in the dish to make it more appealing. If you don’t have access to studio lights, it’s a good idea to use natural light instead.

The chef also plays a key role in producing the final image.

Styling and composition of a dish is very important. Plus, objects such as cooking utensils and ingredients can be used to complement the main subject to make the photograph more appealing.

What makes you think a dish is fresh? Time is essential in food photography as dishes will not look delicious if they’re kept on the table for a long period of time. Fried food becomes soggy, desserts melt, and fruits rust. If you want to make the food look

Lastly, always bring your camera when you dine out!

Remember, practice makes perfect.

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Bon appetite!

Strawberry Mille-Feuille Shutter: 1/15 Aperture: f/1.8

ISO:400

digitized june 2008 / 17

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Technology... is it Reliable?

02 THIS IMAGE IS CALLED “TO GRASP”.

THIS SHOWS THAT WE HUMANS CAN’T LET GO OF OUR TECHNOLOGY, EVEN IF WE ARE BEING RESTRAINED FROM IT.

Technology is great but there is more than meets the eye...

02

03 THIS ONE IS CALLED “MIND BLOWING”. THE MAN IS RECEIVING MANY INFORMATION, JUST LIKE HOW A COMPUTER WOULD RECEIVE. HE IS WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE, AND LOST IN THIS TROUBLED WORLD.

01

01 THIS IMAGE IS CALLED “2 SIDES OF TECHNOLOGY”. IT SHOWS THAT TECHNOLOGY CAN BE GOOD BUT THERE IS A LITTLE BAD SIDE TO IT. THE RAINBOW LINES SHOWS THE POSITIVE SIDE AND THE DARK GRAY AND SPLATTER SHOWS THE NEGATIVE SIDE.

DESIGNED & WRITTEN BY DOMINIC SOONG RECOMMENDATIONS: ART FORUM_ www.deviantart.com TUTORIALS_ www.tutorialized.com http://psdtuts.com/ MAGAZINES_ Computer Arts, Digital Arts, Advanced Photoshop

18 / digitized june 2008

T

he theme for these pieces is: dependence on technology. Many people place technology as an immense part of their lives.

Some depend on so much on technological inventions that without them, they are helpless. From the people who suffer panic attacks due to malfunctioning cell phones, or the gamers who have died from playing World of Warcraft for too many hours, our alarming reliance on technology is eminent.

Telephones used to be a simple device that connected one talker to one listener.

Now they can take photos, videos, go on Internet, send messages, etc… With so many functions, many people put their whole lives into a tiny cellphone.

Many workers are being replaced by technology; robots are taking the jobs of men, and it feels like technology will soon be our masters.

Our socializing skills are decreasing. Some might argue that they are not, because we things such as msn, “second life”, MMORPG games to interact with our peers. This is interacting in the cyber world but not in the real world. This will lead to people only staying at home, not venturing outside of the little box reality they have created.

Is the world forecasted by the Matrix in our distant future?

CREDITS: DEVIANT ART FOR THE BRUSHES, INSPIRATIONS AND TUTORIALS. KATANAZ-STOCK FOR THE IMAGE OF THE MAN HTTP://KATANAZSTOCK.DEVIANTART. COM

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Enter A New Generation of Technology The new faces of the technological era.

Gavin Ko

I

have a particular interest in cars and technology.

Through these several years, I have found out that technology in cars has advanced greatly - from the simple anatomy of an engine to the complicated structure inside the car. In the past, a car could only support a maximum of two people and there was just one standard, universal choice for engines. Today, engines can even take hundreds of people on vehicles such as airplanes.

There are special engines invented for racing cars or

Specs Car : - Dodge Dart GTS convertible

Car : - Audi R8

Also called : - Dodge Demon

Manufacturer : - quattro GmbH (a subsidiary of Audi)

Production : - 1970-1976

Parent company : - Volkswagen Group

Body style(s) : - 4-door sedan - 2-door hardtop - 2-door coupé -2-door convertible

Production : - 2007–present - 4,289 built

Platform : - A-body even a common family car. After researching different car engines, I discovered that drawing a car engine was a challenging task for me, so I wanted to pursue this challenge. After picturing what I will draw, I will vector and complete it in Illustrator.

The purpose of my artwork is to compare the past technology of an engine to the most recent one.

Engine(s) : - 198 in³ (3.2 L) Slant-6 - 225 in³ (3.7 L) Slant-6 - 318 in³ (5.2 L) V8 - 340 in³ (5.6 L) V8 - 360 in³ (5.9 L) V8 Transmission(s) : - 4-speed - manual - 3-speed manual - 3-speed Torqueflite automatic

Class : - Sports car Body style(s) : - 2-door coupé Layout : - Mid-engine, all-wheel drive Engine(s) : - 4.2 L V8 FSI - 6.0L V12 Transmission(s) : - 6-speed manual - 6-speed single-clutch - semi-automatic

Which car do you prefer?

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Rhythm of Art

‘Jessica Lau

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ARTIST: JESSICA LAU MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas TOOLS: Photoshop

From a young age, I already had a passion for arts & crafts. As kids around me were flipping through fairy tales, I was curiously flipping through books of art and design. It’s I’ve always found it fascinating to see the different colors, textures and moods an artwork can convey. Art is a way for me to express my emotions. These are several original oil paintings that I produced from August-December 2007. In January this year, I was also given an offer from the University of Arts London (Central Saint Martins) for a program in Arts and Design, which will give me the opportunity to continue my passion in future years.

4. Sweet Garden

2. Tainted Memories

1. Release 3. Gaze

22 / digitized june 2008

5. Warm Reflection

6. Neon Glow

digitized june 2008 / 23

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THE WORLD AT MY FINGERTIPS DESIGNER: KELLY CHO

Since the recent sixty years or so, humans have ventured into an era like no other. The development of technology has led society to explode with new information. At times, it is dauntingly scary to realize just how much we have discovered, to fathom the intricacy and power of all that we have created. But forget about the downside of technology for a moment (everyone seems to be talking about that nowadays), take the moment to think of how far we have come. Thanks to technology, we have achieved what people once thought were impossible. We traveled to space and walked on the moon. We can fly to the other side of the globe in less than a day. We can interact with people all around the world through wireless Internet. No longer do we have to wonder what is outside our world, travel for months before reaching a destination or suffer the drawn-out wait of a letter arriving by ship ...or wagon. This artwork celebrates our mind-boggling achievements.

The digital revolution has truly taken flight.

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got tech?

DESIGNED BY: Margaret To LOCATION: Hong Kong SOFTWARE: Photoshop and Illustrator We are living in a world filled with new technology. Can you imagine living without a cell phone, a laptop, or an iPod? These electronic gadgets really spice up our lives, and we are using them every single moment of our lives. Without them, our days would not be as colorful, rich, or exciting.

The message that I would like to convey in my artwork is how technology is spreading out everywhere to benefit all kinds of people. As you can see, the zipper is opening and exposing the technology that we have today. Technology such as the Internet allows us to connect and communicate with people around the globe.

This benefits businessmen, researchers, scientists, artists, students - basically everyone.

Got tech? ;)

got tech?

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Film Photography

Slide Film is

OL

2.Flowers (Fujichrome Provia 400X Slide Film) Sharon Lee http://sharon-originality.com * 400X features higher saturation with more vivid color and offers a new level of fine grain 3. Asleep (Fujichrome 100F Slide Film- Cross Processed) Quist Tsang http://www.quistography.com/ * Processing positive color reversal film in C-41 chemicals, resulting in a negative image on a colorless base * Unnatural colors and high contrast

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4.Undertree (Fujichrome 100F Slide FilmCross Processed) Nic Tse http://www.nostalgic.org * 100F reacts well to long exposures and provides ultra-fine grain (RMS 8) with midrange color saturation and contrast. * Positive color reversal film is processed in C-41 chemicals

5. Ferris wheel (Fujichrome RTP T64) Feheart Kin http://www.Feheart.com * Ultra-fine Grain, smooth, natural gradation from highlights through shadows * T6s also has improved Push/Pull characteristics for improved results in challenging lighting conditions

!

Rolls of film are designed for specific scenarios. There are indoor and outdoor films with different light sensitivity.

Digital vs Film Although film cameras are becoming increasingly rare, there are still photographers who prefer to use film over its digital counterparts. There is no real answer to the question: “Which is better?” Because they both have unique sets of advantages and disadvantages.

1.Child (Fujicolor Pro 400H Negative Film developed in B&W) Sharon Lee http://sharon-originality.com * A professional portrait film with exceedingly accurate color

CO

6. On My Wide (Fuji Pro 400H Negative Film- Cross Processed) Tommy Chan http://www.qtface.com * Processing negative color print film in E-6 chemicals results in a positive image with an orange color base

Tips Film (135-36) Fujichrome Provia 400X Fujichrome Provia 100F Fujicolor Pro 400H Tungsten T64

Price (HK$) 58 45 42 56

*In approximate price; prices may vary *Developing slide film or cross processing with E chmicals will result in higher costs than processing in C chemicals

Store your slide film in a refrigerator at around 59°F (15°C) before you take it out on a shoot. After the shoot put it back in because slide film is sensitive to heat.

With slide film, what you shoot is what you get. When you blow a shot with slide film, little can be done in the development process to adjust for miscalculations in exposure or contrast.

Once you’ve fired the shutter, there’s no turning back!

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INTRODUCTION Back in 1991, a group of Viennese students discovered the LC-A when in Prague. Finding potential in the mesmerizing vignettes and bursting colour contrasts of the dirt-cheap camera, they began to raise awareness through word of mouth and experimental exhibitions. They shot photos with techniques that defied the rules of photography and a buzz began to grow louder and louder. Eventually, lomographers came together to become the sole distributors of the camera outside the Soviet Union. Alas, the lomographic Society has become a haven for 230,000 lomographers (and counting) with wild and independent styles of their own. Bringing lomography into to future, they are the ones who thirst for excitement, originality, and enjoyment is this compelling hobby.

10 GOLDEN RULES OF LOMOGRAPHY Think outside the box and steer away from the constrictions of photography! Shoot from the most impossible positions at the most impossible times!

Interpret the rules in your own ways (or even make up your own) to completely emerge yourself in the world of lomography!

01. Take your LOMO with you EVERYWHERE you go 02. Use it all the time, every time DAY AND NIGHT 03. LOMO does not interfere with YOUR LIFE, it’s part of it 04. Get as CLOSE as possible to the objects of your Lomographic desire 05. Don’t think 06. Be quick 07. You don’t have to know what you’re shooting 08. You don’t have to recognize what you’ve shot 09. Shoot from the hip and over your head 10. Don’t worry about rules

pho

E H T D L R O W

e

n Le

haro

yS tos b

OF

LOMOGRAPHY

Words by: Jennifer Yeung

FOR MORE INFO

Lomographic Society HK Address: G/F, 2 Po Yan Street, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. http://www.lomographyasia.com

photos by Sharon lee

RETAIL STORES

GOD, Page One, Azona A02, LOG-ON URLS http://www.flickr.com/groups/lomo http://www.flickr.com/groups/ishootfilm http://www.flickr.com/groups/toycamerasv

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網絡道德

Victor Lau

合法下載音樂 Hilky Chau

你有沒有想過當你一按”download music”的時候，你 可能已經不知不覺地犯了法!有機會要背負法律責任。說實 話，我本人也試過在網上下載音樂，因為確實很方便而且 能省錢。但是根據香港保護知識產權的法例，在未經版權 持有人同意，複製或”分享”涉及版權的材料即屬違法。 你可能以為最高的刑罰只是罰款而已，其實除了每件侵權 品罰款五萬元之外，還可能要監禁四年!保護知識產權條例 是為了確保人們能盡情發揮創意，也同時保障投資者可以 在一個公平環境下營商。在執法方面，香港海關會24小時 監察網站或對侵權人採取法律行動。如果你還是不相信非 法下載的嚴重性，讓我說一個例子吧。在2007年5月18日 香港終審法院成功把一名利用BitTorrent (BT)將電影上載 至互聯網的人判處入獄3個月。

網絡在現今社會扮演的角色甚為重要。這個虛擬世界能把 全世界不同角落的人連繫在一起，它不僅可以當作一個商 業的交易平台，還能把天底下的最新消息發放出去。網絡 世界不但令我們節省很多時間，也象徵著人類在二十一世 紀的科技進步。雖然如此，很多人卻乘機利用這寶貴的網 絡世界做出害人不利己或不道德的行為。網絡世界固然帶 給大家許多便利，但我們更應該正視網絡道德的規範。 在這短短幾年裏，我們經常看到或聽到一些不良的資訊被 發放或轉送到互聯網。 例如：前一陣子互聯網上就爆發了 令香港蒙羞的事件：藝人陳冠希和多位女藝人的「雅」 照片被發放到互聯網上，許多網民不僅下載觀看，甚至將

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這些不雅的照片轉發給他人。這事件發生後不但令與事件 有關的藝人演藝生涯大受打擊，也令社會開始關注到網絡 的用途。 此事件反映出網絡道德水平有待提升。在這件事情裏，當 事人都是你情我願時私下所拍攝的，然而第三者未經訽問 過就盜取圖片並發放到互聯網上。我們難道不應該對這種 網絡上的不道德行為作出抨擊和規管嗎？ 本事件不但是一個深切的教訓和反面教材，更是一面鏡 子，網絡上的道德自律或規範應該受到深層的反思。

有很多中學生喜歡用一些好像 Limewire， Kazaa， Morpheus， WinMX的音樂下載軟件。其實這些都是合法的註 冊網站。但是在上載或下載的過程中就要小心，因為不清 楚音樂的來源所以有機會侵犯知識產權條例。 資料顯示只有35%的電腦用者使用合法的音樂下載網站。 其實合法的下載網站有什麼好處呢?首先，你下載的音樂一 定是高質素的，不會有雜音或者跳音的問題。還有，不合 法的網業會有很多無聊的廣告。這些廣告不但會延誤你下 載的速度，更可能帶有病毒。合法的網站就不會出現著些 情況。最重要的是，你不用擔心法律的問題；可以安心享 受高質素的音樂。以下有一些被人們選為最好的合法音樂 下載網站。這些下載軟件通常都會有免費的試用期，所以 你可以選擇合心意的之後才購買。

1) Rhapsody -被評論為100%沒有風險的軟件。而且它沒 有下載數量的限制，所以很好用。 2) eMusic –它很受歡迎，有超過兩百萬的MP3歌曲。還 有，eMusic的試用軟件有25首免費的歌曲讓你下載。 3) Napster –下載音樂的價錢便宜，而且把音樂放進MP3 player或者iPod 的速度很快，很方便。

當然，合法的音樂下載網站也有它不好之處。第一，合法 網站的音樂數量會比起不合法的選擇少，而且沒有那麼充 足。第二，有些好像iTunes的program會比較貴，但怎麼 說也一定比買一張原裝CD便宜。 然而，我的看法是:互聯 網就好像一個大洞，裡面包含著很多條路。而每一條路都 有一塊寬闊的田地。當田的閘門打開了，綿羊和狼都會一 同進入。正好像有人會利用互連網增進知識，但有一些人 就會選擇用互連網做不合法的事。雖然在成千上萬的人之 中，被抓的機非常小，但也不代表我們每一個人都要明知 故犯。我們也要花點時間想一想那些唱歌，作曲，填詞， 和為了音樂界嘔心瀝血的人。

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四個免費的 Jason Shum

“寶藏”

網上有很多可以幫我們節省和管理時間的“寶藏”還未被 人發現。以下文章所介紹的就是四個這類免付費的寶藏。

2． 聰明又快速的軟件啟動器 www.launchy.net 安裝了Launchy後，只要按下Alt鍵和Space鍵，程式就會 自動啟動。然後，你可以在軟件視窗上的空格打上你想開 啟的軟件頭幾個英文名字母，再按Enter 鍵，該軟件就會 快速被啟動。此外，這個軟件還可以幫你迅速連接到慣常 瀏覽的網址。簡而言之，此軟件方便非常，是幫我們節省 啟動程式和開啟文件所需時間的好幫手。 3． 偵查你工作的偵探 www.rescuetime.com 當我們被父母指責花太多時閒玩電腦時，我們往往會找藉 口辯護，但此時心裡也會掙扎自己是否真的花太多時閒跟 朋友在網上聊天。而我介紹的這個軟件開動後，就會記錄 你使用了哪些程式，並統計所用的時間。方便的是，每半 個小時，軟件會自動在網頁上更新。因此當父母責備你浪 費時間時，你就可以用這些“證據”幫自己辯護。

1． 多功能備忘錄 www.rememberthemilk.com 你曾經忘記做該做的事或不記得赴會嗎？你討厭自己善忘 的壞習慣嗎？你用了這個備忘錄後就再也不會錯過重要的 約會。只需上網登記，無論何時何地你都可以到網站上更 新設定事項。但這還不是網站最大的優點，更便利的是你 只要輸入自己的MSN帳戶，網站就會按時自動發送網上短 訊給你，提醒你待辦事項。

我以上所介紹的軟件只是千千萬萬的其中四個，但已經足 以顯示現代科技的發達，以及它們為我們帶來的便利。雖 然這些軟件能夠幫你節省時間，提高工作效率，但我並不 建議你花太多時間在下載和嘗試各式各樣的軟件上，以免 事倍功半，浪費更多的時間。

4． 翻查字典電和能翻譯的筆 hk.mini.yahoo.com 對於很多學習英文的人來說，字典是必要的工具。但是查 字典既麻煩又費時。有了這支聰明筆之後，你就不再需要 翻查厚厚的字典。安裝這個翻譯軟件之後，視窗上會出現 一支紅色的小筆。只要把這支小筆拉在你想查的文字或句 子底下，就會出現字語解釋。你甚至可以選擇發音功能， 更可以把檔案儲存起來。有了這支“筆”，就不必再怕被 人取笑英文差了。

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盡在不言中 Jeffrey Lau

為人為己 在銅鑼灣和旺角的街道上，邊匆 忙地走著，邊聽著MP3的行人擠 滿每一個角落。他們對周遭的環 境都走馬看花，對身旁的事物都 視而不見，就好像他們身處在 自己的世界，靈魂也離開了這繁 忙的都市，到了音樂王國渡假。 可是，他們的身軀畢竟還是在 混亂的街道上盪來盪去。一不 小心，他們「自動導航」的身 體便有機會跌倒或撞到其他的 行人，以致受無謂的皮外傷。

最近很流行「自拍」。無論是在留言板、論壇、或交友 網，都不難發現人們各式各樣的自拍。有的帶着高傲的眼 神，一副不屑與世俗為伍的神態﹔有的做着奇怪的表情， 想表達自己平時不為人知的一面；更多的是女孩子露出甜 蜜的笑容，一副狀似非常平易近人的樣子。說穿了，雖然 大家的表達方法五花八門，目的還是一致的 － 為了吸引 別人的注意。

陸善揚

再者，在橫過香港車量繁多 的馬路時，加上香港行人不 按交通燈過馬路的習慣，這 些「空虛的軀殼」就有很大的 機會被車撞倒。最近這幾年， 不斷有行人因聽MP3而被車撞 倒的新聞報導。正所謂，「身 體髮膚，受諸父母」，為了一 時的快感而要面對終身殘廢 的可能，令身邊關心你、疼 惜你的親朋戚友帶來不必要 的傷感和心靈創傷，值得嗎?

聽音樂是一件隨時都能夠做的 事情，大可以坐巴士、坐地 鐵、在家裡聽，為什麼偏偏要 在人來人往、水洩不通的街 道上聽呢? 為了自己，為了別 人，切忌在上街時戴上耳筒聽 音樂，否則當你的靈魂在異地 起舞的同時，你的身體會突然 倒仰在地上，而你那對滲透了 血的耳筒只能躺在你耳朵旁的 地上播放著你心愛的歌曲。

其實自拍的學問非同小可！ 角度、光線和焦點等的講究 當然都不在話下，但最重要的還是如何拍出自己最好的一 面。現今科技發達，照相變得越來越普遍 － 大部份手提 電話都有這種功能。自拍者可樂了。無論何時何地，靈感 一來，就可以馬上拍下來。常常在街上看到「潮男潮女」 即興自拍，手法純熟得不得了！外行人如我可能永遠也學 不來，也無法體會其中的樂趣。 雖然我還末能領悟自拍有趣之處，但看別人的自拍相也同 樣充滿娛樂性。自拍照得好有不少人，但拍得差的有更 多。常聽到同學評論別人的自拍相，真的令人噴飯！被 嘲笑的人通常都有一個共通點 － 努力嘗試學其他人的姿 勢、表情，卻又末完全學到家，不三不四，不倫不類，仿 似東施效顰！最可憐的是被嘲者卻依然自我陶醉，受到別 人的嘲笑還懵然不知。 一切盡在不言中，相信讀到這裏， 不少讀者也會會心微笑。 最後，小弟只能勸告各位，做事不要盲目跟從潮流，否則 一不小心就弄巧反拙，淪為別人的笑柄！

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部落戰爭 Wilfred Cheng

正 確

這幾個月，在校園裡我們常看到同學玩一種叫「部落戰爭」的網絡新遊戲。每個人似乎都很著迷，只要坐在電 腦前，就迫不及待地上www.tribalwars.net去玩兒這個遊戲。不明所以的人，靠近熒光屏，看到的只是些數字和村莊 的名字，看起來好像沒有「魔獸世界」或其他網上遊戲那麼有趣。可是事實正好相反，就讓我在這篇文章裡介紹介紹這 個表面簡單，實際上卻暗藏乾坤的網上遊戲。

部落戰爭裡有十九個不同的世界。每一個世界都有幾十萬個村莊，每一個村莊都有一位玩家控制村莊裡的居 民。一開始，每一位玩家只有一個村莊，而村莊裡只有一個村莊總部和農場。接著，你就要使各個建築升級，以建造新 的建築。建造了軍營和馬槽之後，就可以攻打其他人的村莊，搶奪他們的資源。如果你想奪取其他人的村莊，就需要建 立一所學校，因為這樣可以為你創造一位貴族。攻打他人村莊時，如果你有貴族的陪同，就可能減低目標村莊的村民對 其主人的忠誠度。當村莊的忠誠度減低到零或以下，該村莊就是你的囊中物了。

在這個遊戲中，想稱霸天下並不能單靠自已的實力就達成目標，所以每一位玩家都必須加入一個部落。每一個 世界都有一百多個部落，而每一個部落則有幾十位玩家。部落就像世界上的國家，會互相攻擊，當然也會互相幫助，這 就是部落戰爭裡的政治。每名玩家就是一個小國的元首，他們要不斷攻城掠奪，以外交、權謀、諜戰、結盟、分工等 等，帶領人民走向勝利。所以部落戰爭裡，只懂戰爭是不夠的，有些政治家甚至可以不發動一位士兵就摧毀其他部落。 這個網站還提供討論區給玩家談論遊戲裡發生的事件，莫怪乎大家在這兒玩得不亦樂乎！

所以，我推薦部落戰爭給各位玩家。如果各位想知道更多資訊，不妨上 www.tribalwars.net去查詢吧！說不 定，你也可能和我一樣，每一次坐在熒光屏前就忍不住玩起這容易上癮的遊戲呢！

地資料 搜集 現今的通訊發達，再加上電腦 很普遍所以在互聯網上搜集資 料是再容易不過的事。只要在 網上輸入幾個相關連的字，就 在幾秒內能找到無數的資料。 我們每天工作或學習都會採用 到一些網站上提供的資料，可 是大家有沒有懷疑過這些資料 的準確性呢？ 互聯網上有很多資料都沒有經 過審查，作者不詳，所以不能 肯定資料的來源和準確性。有 些資料也可能過期了而沒有被 更新，因此資料有機會出錯。 還有不少受歡迎的網站例如 Wikipedia，是可以容許任何人 更改資料的。

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Melanie Ho

我們在互聯網上搜集資料時應 該找一些政府、大機構、或信 譽良好的網站。還有，在網上 找到資料後，也必須和書本對 證。這樣就可以避免用上一些 錯誤的資料。 以前，書本是最傳統搜查資料 的方法。但是因為時代的改 變，人們都選擇最方便快捷的 方法而沒有對得來的資料再進 一步對證。如果我們想得到最 準確和全面的資料，就應該找 一些書本和大機構的網站，也 應該花一些時間做資料對證， 千萬不要為了方便和快捷而忽 略重要步驟。

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手提電話輻射 你和睡眠的

三角關係 Sally Ho 時下的年青人總喜歡在臨睡前跟朋友們聊聊天才 會安心睡覺，有些會用手提電話裡的鬧鐘裝置以 免早上賴床。大眾都清楚長期接受手提電話輻射 對健康有害，你可知它對你日常生活也有很多的 影響嗎？ 根據美國麻省理工大學所做的一項調查指出，手 提電話所發出的輻射會延長入睡所需的時間，隨 而減少處於熟睡階段的時間。這可不是小的問 題，所引致的後果非同小可。最明顯的是經常性 的頭痛和輕微的精神錯亂。單單這兩項影響已足 以令人在日常生活和工作上受到很大的困擾。更 嚴重的是，由於你睡眠時間減少，你的身體就會 失去修補日常生活時身體所受到的傷害。這對小 童及青年人的影響尤其深遠，因為他們正是最需 要睡眠的一群。對他們而言，影響再不僅是頭痛 那麼簡單了。因睡眠不足，嚴重者可導致情緒低 落，甚至性格上的轉變。有些個別的例子，小童 更會發展成過度活躍症。在學校裡，學生會發現 他們上課時難以集中精神，最後導致學業表現欠 佳和成績下滑。 很可怕吧？這可全是真的。其實要解開這三角關 係並不難，只要你睡前一小時避免使用手提電話 就可以了！

40 / digitized june 2008