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Based on official blog posts that were apparently posted early (and then pulled), developers will soon be able to access some key features of Google+ via the service’s API: photos and videos.

Google announced the news on both the Google+ platform blog and its Photos blog, only to take the posts down shortly thereafter — but not before they were copied by Google’s cache, syndicated to Twitter, and spotted by TC reporter Robin Wauters. You can find a cached version of the blog post here, and I’ve included an image below.

According to the pulled blog post, this initial API will only give developers read-access to users’ content — third-party apps will not be able to upload new photos and videos yet. But it’s still an important step — photos and video are crucial to any social network (Facebook is the world’s largest photo site by a huge margin, for example).

From the pulled blog post:

Google+ gives users full control of their information, and we’re starting with read-only access to public albums, photos, and videos. Google also supports Creative Commons licensing, which we expose so developers can easily respect copyrights.

Using the new API, developers can get a list of public albums from a Google+ user, and list the photos and videos within each album. Combined with our existing public data and search APIs, I’m hoping to see new services such as a family-focused ‘screen saver’, a new way to crowdsource great images, or a live photo wall for a party.

One of my favorite targets for my stories is my own father.  Heis the antithesis of an attorney.  He never listens to a single thingI say.  He will call me for legal advice. I will give him legal advicefor free. he will then tell me that I am absolutely wrong and hang upon me. he is also getting older and his eyes are getting worse. he hastrouble reading a menu and refuses to use glasses.Recently he gave me an envelope where there was a picture of himrunning a red light in a left-hand turn somewhere that I choose tokeep anonymous. Attached was a ticket for $158.00 unless he contestedthe ticket.now, I must brag a little bit: I have more than perfect vision: I seefrom 10 feet like most people see from 20 feet.  To me it was clearthe light was red, that he was in the middle of the intersection, andso I recommended that he simply pay the fine.  My father looked longand hard at the photo and said, “yea, Jeremy, you’re wrong.  I don’tsee the red” (recall eyesight issues above).so my father took the ticket to an officer in the county that remainsanonymous and the officer agreed. the ticket was dropped. But then myfather asked a great question: “Why can a camera make me pay?”My initial thought was that photographic evidence and video evidenceis far more reliable than witness testimony. But there is no onebehind the camera. it is automated.we know that radar guns are used to detect our speed, but we havesomeone behind the gun. we know those scary TSA machines that show allmy birthday secrets to some CIA or FBI agents (according to someconspiracy theorists) while I am in the airport are at leastaccompanied by an officer.so how do we contest these “red light cameras” when they arecompletely automated?the issue seems to be heating up in the State of Florida. as it standsnow, red light cameras are legal. in 2010, red-light camera operationswere approved by amending or creating at least 13 separate sections ofFlorida Statutes: Chapter 316, Chapter 318, Chapter 321, and Chapter322.However, in 2005 when the red-light camera issue was first gettingwarm, Attorney General Charlie Christ issued an opinion that red lighttraffic tickets could not be issued without an officer present.  (AGO2005-41 dated July 12, 2005). the Attorney General’s 2005 legalposition seems to have been taken seriously now as there are at leasttwo cases on Florida’s eastern coast that are challenging the redlight camera laws. One case that is easy to track is City of Aventurav. Masone, Case No. 3D10-1094 (Fla. 3d DCA).  According to myresearch, the Court has not yet made a determination on theconstitutionality of the red light camera laws. the other case appearsto still be at the trial level as a class action in Orlando.so, from my professional perspective, the Florida law that allows forred-light cameras is in full force and effect until further notice.One should not ignore the tickets. You can choose to pay the fine,contest the fine, or fight the law while contesting the fine. Myfather was successful by simply bringing the photograph to thesheriff’s office. of course the validity may change completelydepending on the court’s ruling in the coming months.Perhaps the easiest way to avoid the red-light camera situation is tostop at red lights.  There are sources to find the red-light cameralintersections if you are a “yellow light” enthusiast. for example,Pasco County Clerk of Court has published this online source.I found a local attorney based on my internet searches who postedthis:  helpgoodpeople.com/lawyer-attorney-1809274.htmlI found this information for Hillsborough County Red Light Cameras:hillsboroughcounty.org/redforreason/home.cfmOf course I always drive the speed limit, slow down at all yellowlights, and abide by all traffic laws, so I do not have any personalinformation regarding this subject (insert weird yellow smiley facethingy from my text messages here). hopefully, my father will get in abit of trouble next week for a new story.

Originally, just as with movies, all film for still photography was black-and-white or sepia. it wasn’t until the mid-20th century that color photography became feasible for the masses. obviously color photography is now open to anyone, and given that we see the world in color, why would we want to deliberately remove color from our photographs?

This is not an idle question, because in answering it we identify when to try taking a photograph in black-and-white – or more likely, to try taking the color out of a photograph after the fact using an image-editing program such as Photoshop.

The answer to the above question is that we would want to remove color from a photograph in order to simplify it; to get rid of distracting information so that we can concentrate better on something else. in this it’s no different from blurring the background of a portrait or from framing a photo in such a way that distracting elements are out of the frame.

So now we know the why, which has led us to the when, of black-and-white photography, let’s look at the three main situations where we might desaturate (i.e. remove color from) a photo:

In color, a close-up picture of a person reveals all kinds of distracting details of their face – blemishes, a red nose, uneven skin tones, and so on. Black-and-white photography strips out these details, and this makes it easier for the viewer to concentrate on what the photo reveals about the person’s life or personality, which is what portraiture is all about.

In abstract fine art photography

Color is very noticeable in a photo, and it generally trumps things like patterns or shapes. so another use for black-and-white is when a photographer wants to take a photo that is ‘about’ a pattern or shapes. This type of photograph comes up most often in what we might call ‘abstract fine art photography’, where there really isn’t a clear or recognizable subject for the photo.

Note that black-and-white photographs are generally more ‘tolerant’ of contrast, so fine art photographers will often strip out color from their photographs and then ramp up the contrast (again, using an image editing program).

Whenever the photo is more or less monochromatic anyway

This final category is something of a catchall. while the main use of black-and-white is to remove something distracting from a photo, it’s also a good idea to try converting a photo to black-and-white when the photo really has few bright colors anyway. another way of looking this is to say that just as color is distracting, a washed-out lack of color is also somewhat distracting.

Digital photography involves the use of electric technology when capturing an image, which is then stored in a digital format and it can as well be manipulated digitally and this means that there will be no ancient chemical processes to be used. the major difference between digital photography and film photography is that in this case a sensor takes over the place of film. the light that enters the digital camera through the lens is first projected through the digital sensor before being recorded and stored in the camera memory or even a removable device.

One of the major benefits of digital photography is the fact that it cuts on the use of film and therefore the development stage as well. Instant results are acquired also through this method, besides it’s allowing the photographer to take loads of photo’s which ensure a good flow of action in any shoot. Note that since the process has incorporated the use of modern technology as a means of storage, there is usually the advantage of hundreds of photos being stored.

On the other hand, the traditional method of photography is still said to be better off, considering that film is known to have a dynamic range which is greater and it can therefore capture light and color better than a camera sensor. this therefore means that the quality of photos being produced is higher when the traditional method of photography is employed. again, bearing in mind that the digital way of photography involves the use of computers and some other form of advanced software for post processing, it could end up being more expensive than intended.

But it is also good to note that the advance in technology has allowed the production of lighter and more efficient digital photography cameras, which means that the process can now be undertaken within minutes.

You own a Golden Retriever; you adore it; you want it in front of your eyes every moment. Well, that’s the story of every person who owns a Golden Retriever. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could have your golden companion tell you what day and date it is, every single day of the week, month after month? No, you don’t need a talking Golden for that All you need to have is buy a Golden Retriever calendar. this way, you can be sure that each of your mornings will be good to begin with a happy Golden face or a playful Golden moment. These Golden Retriever calendars also make an ideal gift for a Golden lover.

Calendars are available in different styles. you can get a wall or a table calendar. also, they come in various sizes – mini or big. Some have different photos for each month of the year and some have a single theme or photo running through the year. Some have the photos of golden puppies, whereas some have the photos of grown up dogs and there are calendars that feature both pups and dogs on them. Some calendars also have space for marking important dates and days like birthdays, appointments, etc. you can choose as per your style, convenience and requirement.

There are many stores that sell pet calendars as well as much more fun merchandise. you can pick your calendar from one of such stores. many of the dog rescue and shelter organizations print Golden calendars. These are sold at a reasonable price for fund raising purposes. By buying from such sources, you can also contribute towards the welfare of the desolate and ailing Goldens. Some organizations also place advertisements on their calendars. These ads help them get sponsorship for their various welfare activities. this also offers an opportunity to Golden lover entrepreneurs to lend a helping hand to the needy Goldens, even while doing business. Some such organizations’ websites are: gr-rescue.org, ygrr.org, homewardboundgoldens.org.

Some of these calendars also have great tips about taking care of Goldens, information about their health problems, guidelines about how to deal with your Golden, etc. Such calendars prove really useful for golden owners as these guidelines come from the people who are deeply involved with Goldens, dedicated to their cause and know Goldens thoroughly. and they get you two things for the price of one – a calendar and a dog care guide; and above all, the pictures of your favourite Golden beauties.

If you want your beloved, loyal Golden to feature on a calendar, you can take part in calendar contests. you can submit the photographs of your Golden with a nominal fees and register for the contest. if your photographs are selected, your buddy will be up there, marking months of the year.

You can even get customized golden retriever calendars made, especially for you with the photos of your own Golden. there are many artists who provide this service.

A good news – you can have the Golden faces in your cell phone calendars as well. many types of cell phone calendars with the Golden Retriever theme or photos are available online. All you need to do is download one into your cell and carry your Golden in your pocket. you can get such calendars from sites like itunes.apple.com, software.techrepublic.com.

Ted Nugent with Derek St. Holmes Photo by James & Maryln Brown

Notes from the music beat …Ted Nugent makes no apologies for being “a huge, unstoppable fan” of his own music.Heck, Nugent doesn’t apologize for much of anything, does he?but it’s that love for the songs, Nugent says, that has brought Derek St. Holmes, the singer on his first three studio albums, back into the fold for the current I still Believe Tour.“Derek is in a great place in life,” says the 62-year-old Motor City Madman, who these days resides near Crawford, Texas. “His vocals are the best they’ve ever been. His spirit is the best it’s ever been. When you get him singing ‘Stranglehold’ and ‘Hey Baby,’ all of a sudden it has that original identity of the first (Nugent) record. They’re my lyrics, my baby, but I wrote them inspired by Derek being in the band at the time.“so that’s been the deciding factor. instead of having him come up and jam like he does every year at a few shows, he’s with us full-time now. It really kicks it in the ass a notch.”The tour, meanwhile, draws its name from “I still Believe,” Nugent’s first new release since 2007’s “love Grenade” album. He says the song, which is available for download at Nugent’s web site, was inspired by the charity work he does with children and injured military personnel — “people who are stronger than me,” he notes.a new album, meanwhile, is also in the offing, with a batch of song written that include “Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead” and “Never Stop Dreamin’.”“It’s monster stuff,” promises Nugent, who’s also working on a “tell-all” memoir to be called “Stranglehold” and continues to host his popular Outdoor Channel show “Ted Nugent Spirit of the Wild.” “The challenge is to find that one hour’s worth of 10, 12 songs that are the baddest … of all. We’re so on fire with this band that we keep coming up with another, then another, then another. …“At some point you gotta say, ‘Stop with the new ones! Let’s stick with what we’ve got here.’ but there’s such a growing fury in my music that it’s hard to stop, so I’ll keep going till they make me.”Ted Nugent with Derek St. Holmes, Brent James & the Contraband and Lisa Bouchelle perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at the DTE Energy Music Theatre, Sashabaw Road east of I-75, Independence Township. Tickets are $20-$55 pavilion and $10 lawn. Call 248-377-0200 or visit palacenet.com.big & RichWhen big & Rich went on hiatus in 2008, after three albums and four Top 20 country hits, there were rumblings that the split would be for good. but John Rich says that was never the country duo’s intent.“It was a break from big & Rich, not an ending of big & Rich,” explains Rich, 37. “I think a lot of people spun it into, ‘Oh no, big & Rich is over.’We didn’t say that. there wasn’t, like, a Brooks & Dunn farewell tour. there never was a concern about whether we would want to come back and do it; our concern was whether the fans would still be there. And sure enough they are.”Both Rich and big Kenny Alphin were busy during the interim. Rich released a solo album (which included the hit “Shutting Detroit Down”) and a pair of EPs and won “Celebrity Apprentice.” big Kenny, meanwhile, also released a solo album, and both men appeared on TV talent reality shows.big & Rich have been back together in may, and their first new recording in nearly three years is “fake I.D.,” which also features Gretchen Wilson and will be used in this fall’s remake of “Footloose.” Rich says the duo recorded the song, which is already climbing the country charts, “about the same time” as the “Footloose” team was looking for material, and the timing was fortuitous.“We had recorded this song but hadn’t decided to put it out yet,” Rich recalls. “The ‘Footloose’ people heard it and said, ‘We want this song in the movie. We want to play the whole song in the movie,” and it really is used that way, in this really cool bar scene.“so we said, ‘What the hell. Let’s put it out,’ and now we kick off our shows with ‘fake I.D.’ “Big & Rich headline the Xtreme Muzik Tour with Gretchen Wilson, Dwight Yoakam, Bradley Gaskin, Tommy Steele, Josh Thompson and Cowboy Troy at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, at the Pontiac Silverdome, 1200 Featherstone Road at Opdyke. Tickets are $25-$55. Call 248-338-2500 or visit silverdometickets.com. Bret MichaelsWhen he comes to the Detroit area, Bret Michaels apparently has nothing but a good time — which is why he keeps coming back.Michaels has already been through town twice this year with his band, Poison, opening for Motley Crue and then headlining a Seats for Soldiers benefit a few weeks later, both at the DTE Energy Music Theatre. His headlining slot at Arts, Beats & Eats, then, completes a summer triple-play.“It was so awesome to be there not only with Poison and Motley, but then three weeks later where we could come back and (headline),” says Michaels, 48 (nee Sychak). And for them both to not only be fun but successful, it was great.“so now I’m just really excited to come back solo and play new Bret Michaels stuff and obviously Poison stuff and really make a party out of it. It says a lot about the relationship I have with” Detroit.if all goes according to plan, folks all over will be seeing much more of Michaels in the coming year. He’s working on a new solo album called “Get Your Rock On,” which he hopes will feature guest performances by Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott and Phil Collen, Stevie Nicks, possibly members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and younger groups such as Pop Evil and My Darkest Days. Poison will also hit the road again next summer, he says, possibly with Def Leppard.The star of VH1’s “Rock of Love” series and past winner of “Celebrity Apprentice” has a pair of new reality shows in development, one for network TV and another for cable. And he promises that his long-awaited autobiography “Roses and Thorns: The Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy to My Reality” will finally be published in summer 2012.“It’s going to be about the roses and thorns of situations in my life — what was happening, the good, the bad, the ugly and the solution,” Michaels explains. “It won’t be one of those books that, ‘I was born here, I moved here, this happened here … ’ I wanted to give the book more of an identity.“And it’s been tough, because every time I think I’m finished, something new happens. Simon & Schuster finally said, ‘You can’t keep writing this book. It’s 16 books long!’ but now it’s closer to how I always wanted it to be, so it’s going to get out there.”Bret Michaels performs at 10:15 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 3, on the Michigan Lottery Main Stage at Arts, Beats & Eats in downtown Royal Oak. Admission is $3. Visit artsbeatseats.com. Vince GillFor country veteran Vince Gill, there’s no place like home — especially for his new album, “Guitar Slinger.”Gill recorded the set, his first new release in five years, at the studio he built in the Nashville home he shares with his wife, fellow artist Amy Grant, and their children. but, Gill says, home and studio became interchangeable terms during the sessions.“It was just a great environment,” says Gill, 54, who also guests on Alice Cooper’s upcoming “welcome 2 My Nightmare.”“When things come from home, they just feel different. I’m in there barefoot most of the time, maybe in a pair of gym shorts. I don’t have to doll up and leave town, so to speak. You walk down the hall and there’s the kitchen and Amy’s in there knockin’ up some brownie or making some cookies or whatever the heck. …“The musicians who played on this record loved the vibe that went on in the process of recording these songs and spending time in the house. It doesn’t feel like work, in a really neat kind of way. there were times where I didn’t know if we were really working or just screwing off.”“Guitar Slinger” isn’t due out until Oct. 24, and Gill is well aware of the time that’s passed since 2006’s four-CD set “These Days.” He’s already released the first single, “Threaten Me with Heaven,” whose co-writers included Grant and Will Owsley — who tragically committed suicide in April of 2010.“(The song) has a totally different impact on me now that he’s gone,” Gill acknowledges. “I’ve never confronted something quite like that in my life, write a song with somebody and have them do that before it came to fruition and all that. so it’s already had a profound impact on me.“as bad as Will struggled in his personal life, I didn’t think he would ever do that. in my heart, I just wish he could’ve hung on and seen this (song) have an opportunity to have an impact on people’s lives. maybe it would’ve changed things for him.”Vince Gill performs at 10:15 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4, on the Michigan Lottery Main Stage at Arts, Beats & Eats in downtown Royal Oak. Admission is $3. Visit artsbeatseats.com. Charlie WilsonMuch of the music world knows Charlie Wilson as Snoop Dogg’s uncle. Or at least they think that’s the case.The truth is that the former Gap Band singer is actually a close friend of the rapper’s, although he was certainly happy to play along with idea of being a blood relative.“It wasn’t that odd because I was always with Snoop and in his family business or whatever was happening in his home,” says the Oklahoma-born Wilson, 58, who’s still touring to promote 2010’s “Just Charlie,” his fifth solo album. “My wife and I have played a very big role in his life, just trying to keep him steered in the right direction as a married man and a father.“And he was telling everybody, ‘That’s my Uncle Charlie. That’s my mama’s brother. He kept going on about it, but then everybody kept asking, ‘well, how are you related to Snoop?’ We finally said, ‘Not by blood but by love.’ We had to finally start letting people know, because it was really getting too complicated to try to explain all that.”Wilson says he carries credibility with Snoop and other younger artists because of his own life experiences, which included being homeless and addicted to drugs for a time after he left the Gap Band in 1992.“He’s seen me in the streets and at the low point of my life — sleeping in some really weird places and roaming the streets at night and all of that,” Wilson recalls. “It was a crazy situation. but I just hung in there because I believed that I had something else to do other than just be a guy that was doing drugs and alcohol and had nowhere else to go. I knew there was something else after the Gap Band.“so because (Snoop) saw me like that and saw me come through it and out of it, I can talk to him about anything, which makes our relationship really special.”Charlie Wilson and Loose Ends perform at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 4 at the Chene Park Amphitheatre, 2600 Atwater St. at Chene, Detroit. Tickets are $75 and $55 pavilion, $32 lawn. Call 313-393-7128 or visit cheneparkdetroit.com. Tom Tom ClubWhen Chris Frantz and his wife, Tina Weymouth, formed Tom Tom Club 30 years ago as an adjunct to their “day job” with Talking Heads, they never would have guessed that it would still be going three decades later.nor, Frantz adds, “that 30 years later Tom Tom Club would still be going and Talking Heads is not.”“It’s been a good run,” the drummer says of Tom Tom Club’s five albums and defining 1981 hits “Wordy Rappinghood” and “Genius of love.”“We still have very fond feelings and … fantastic memories about our humble beginnings and how much fun we had making those records. And we continue.”Frantz and Weymouth, both 60, are, in fact, working on new music for Tom Tom Club — including a remake of “love Tape” by the Spanish electronica group the Pinker Tones, which was recorded for a tribute album — which they expect to have out in late fall. but Frantz says a few tracks for an EP are more likely rather than a full album.“We’re not really thinking in terms of albums anymore,” he explains. “We’re thinking in terms of singles and EPs, and if we have enough EPs that sound good, then we’ll put them together for an album. It seems like most people are just interested in hearing a good song these days.”And, he adds, there are other songs that might surface under another name that he and Weymouth, “haven’t rally figured out, exactly, although we’re thinking of calling it Chris Und Tina. Not everything we do is appropriate for Tom Tom Club. When people think of Tom Tom Club, they expect something dancey and bright, and some of our stuff is darker than that.”Tom Tom Club performs at 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4, on the Michigan Lottery Main Stage at Arts, Beats & Eats in downtown Royal Oak. Admission is $3. Visit artsbeatseats.com. Peter GabrielPeter Gabriel isn’t releasing his “new Blood Live in London” DVD until Oct. 23, but fans can check it out — in 3-D — on Tuesday, Sept. 6, and on Sept. 12 at 125 theaters across the U.S.The film documents the former Genesis frontman’s performance at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo earlier this year, where he and an orchestra delivered specialized arrangements of Gabriel favorites such as “Solsbury Hill,” “in Your Eyes,” “Don’t give up,” “Mercy Street,” “San Jacinto” and more, as well as covers from his 2010 album “Scratch My Black.” Information on theaters and showtimes can be found at fathomevents.com.in addition to the home video — which will be available on DVD, Blu-ray and in home 3-D — Gabriel’s next album, “new Blood,” drops on Oct. 11, featuring fresh, orchestral versions of his songs with guests such as his daughter, Melanie Gabriel, and Ane Brun.Grace PotterGrace Potter and her band, the Nocturnals, haven’t had a platinum album or a big hit yet. but as far as the Vermont singer-songwriter is considered, her career since 2004 has been “perfect.”“Everything has happened exactly as it should,” explains Potter, who’s promoting the Nocturnals’ third album, a self-titled set that came out last year and debuted at No. 19 on the Billboard 200 chart. “I’m glad the record didn’t pop straight to the top of the charts for a bunch of weeks. Things just climbed and gradually stuck in a really beautiful place.“so it wasn’t an uncomfortable sort of jolt of attention, and that’s the way we’ve been doing it for all this time we’ve been a band. It’s just continually gradual, and it’s good to see the record grow and evolve.”The album has taken Potter and company to the Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza festivals, as well as holding its own Grand Point North Festival last month in Vermont. The group will also play at new York’s Central Park later this month.And it’s not just the rock world that’s catching on to Potter. Country fans have become converts, too, thanks to “You and Tequila,” a duet with Kenny Chesney for his most recent album, which was a Top 10 country hit and even reached No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.“It’s a real good fit, dude; you wouldn’t believe how comfortable I am out in front of the country crowd,” says Potter, who guested on a few shows with Chesney this summer. “that song I did with him is perfection, for me, in songwriting. And Kenny, he’s great. I’m not sure what it takes to bring that kind of light to the stage; he just makes so many people happy, and that’s all you can hope to do in life.“so for me that’s the joy of the job. And if the music somehow can align itself, it’s a beautiful fit, and that’s what happened with that song.”Grace Potter & the Nocturnals perform Thursday, Sept. 8, at Saint Andrews Hall, 431 E. Congress St., Detroit. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 313-961-8137 or visit livenation.com. Gary Graff writes about music for the Oakland Press. His work can also be found at goanddomichigan.com, twitter.com/GraffonMusic and in the Facebook group Gary Graff on Music, while his Classic Rock Insider reports appear at wcsx.com. Graff appears Sunday, Sept. 4, on “Ann Delisi’s Essential Music” on WDET-FM (101.9); the show begins at 11 a.m.

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