There are many ways to learn to code, and everyone learns better by being taught different ways. If you are like me and learn by having someone show you and then doing it yourself then I would like to recommend CodeSchool.com. I have just started doing their jQurey First Flight course and I can say that I am learning at a very fast pace compared to reading a book or looking at online repositories.

With CodeSchool they have you watch a video where they explain in detail how to do something and then they have a test environment already setup where you actually do what they taught you to do. The other good thing is you can not advance in the course until you have successfully completed the examples after the video, allowing you to unlock the next chapters video.  

Although the courses they have right now are very limited and mostly geared for people trying to learn Rails, the content itself is very rich and actually entertaining. They have two kinds or pricing plans. You can either buy each course individually or pay for a monthly service allowing you to access each course. Every time you finish a course they give you $5 off your next course purchase or next monthly service fee.  Also if you are a veteran I found that they are more than willing to give you a great discount on their monthly service. For me, I think the best bet is to go with the monthly service,  because if you finish each course within a month you are saving a lot of money when compared to buying the course out right. 

Supposed to be introduced around June of this year is the new Lumix DMC-G2 by Panasonic. This camera really has a lot of cool features. Not only does it include a huge, movable 3-inch touch live view LCD screen, but it is the first digital interchangeable lens camera. Like professional cameras, but with the price tag of a lower end camera, you have the ability to change the lens to help you get that “long distance” shot not capable with other less-expensive cameras. It comes equipped with one 14-42 mm zoom range lens, but is compatible with all Micro Four Thirds system lenses. Sweet.

Yet, the coolest feature in my opinion is the screen. Just one touch starts the auto focus and the auto exposure, and of course can snap a photo. The auto focus itself has many nice “touches,” like selecting your focal point. When in playback mode, drag the photos left or right to look through them, like Cover Flow on your iPod’s. Changing your settings will be much easier with touch as well, but the old school control pad will still be there if preferred. Not only is the touch feature pretty nifty, but this screen rotates from side-to-side 180 degrees and up and down 270 degrees, providing almost 100% of your field of view. With all these exciting components, one might think the resolution wouldn’t be too great. Well actually, it is. With a 460,000-dot free-angle Intelligent LCD and 1,440,000-dot 1.4x Live View Finder, I must admit that’s a pretty nice looking screen. And yes, I WOULD touch it.

But enough about the screen, can it actually take good pictures and video? The Lumix G2 has a high-speed and high-performance Venus Engine HD II, which supports the new image processing technology called Intelligent Resolution. This allows you to take some great shots, both photo and HD video. The Intelligent Resolution automatically detects and enhances outlines, detailed areas, and soft points in the frame, giving a naturally clear image.

For all you beginner photographers out there who aren’t really looking for all the fancy things, there is the iA (Intelligent Auto) feature which automatically engages features and settings for the best image quality. It is available in still photo and video recording settings.

Other small features include a dust reduction system to reduce bothersome dirt and dust that clings to your image sensor when changing lenses, and included software which allows you to sort and organize your photos and even upload your videos directly to YouTube. Plus, pick your cameras color from black, red, or blue. There is no set price yet, but expect to see this cool looking camera up for grabs in a couple months.

Even though I love my Olympus E-410, I’m really considering this as my next camera buy. Thanks Panasonic: Something new for us to touch.

Article by: Sara (salvis213@gmail.com)