Posts Tagged: holiday

Riding Shotgun with Rick — 1 Comment
28
Dec 06

One month away from Windows Vista

Microsoft plans on rolling out Windows Vista en masse on January 30, 2007. After nearly three years of delays, the much anticipated new operating system will be available. Unfortunately, the only reason it is getting released now versus later is because Microsoft stripped away many of the features it was supposed to have in order to deliver the product at all. This doesn't bode well for Microsoft or we computer users. I showed my brother Windows Vista and Microsoft Office 2007 while he was here for the holidays. His response: "It's sexier."

I will admit that it has a certain visual appeal, but nothing earth shattering. What it doesn't have is an intuitive look and feel that users will feel comfortable with out of the box because the visual aesthetics are so different. With one month to go, I am anxious to see the reception that it gets from consumers. So far, the volume business clients that have had access since November have been very unimpressed and sales are lackluster.

Riding Shotgun with Adam — 1 Comment
8
Sep 06

Time doesn’t stop in roaming areas

I went to Moab today with some folks from church. I love the beautiful drive and there are some nice places to eat there.

In addition to the scenery, I also enjoy the drive because only about half of it has cell coverage. Typically, I don't like travelling through areas without coverage, but when I am travelling with friends I don't worry so much about emergencies.

Once in a while I would think, "I wonder if anyone is trying to call me," then I would stop thinking that and enjoy the drive. After a while, I stopped wondering about my cell phone at all.

It wasn't until I was about 10 minutes from home on the way back that I decided to check my messages. I was only gone for about 6 hours. "You have 18 messages."

What? How could I have 18 messages? I was in a no coverage area! Well, as it turns out, even when you leave town and you go out of cell coverage, time continues to move forward and people really do call you.

My friends also explained that turning your phone off won't stop time either. It seems that only Christmas and Thanksgiving are time-stopping holidays. Time occasionally slows down after 5p.m. but it doesn't really stop.

Unfortunately this means that computers continue to break down and digital emergencies occur, even when I can't answer my phone. For this, I apologize to the 18 people who tried to call me. I will return your messages tomorrow.

Photography — No Comments
25
Jul 06

Better Holiday Photos

Better Holiday Photos

Here are some of the basics we discussed at the Meeting 

 

Use the Zoom: Try to catch the splendor of the season with lots of close up pictures instead of a few wide angle shots of the entire room or setting. This will result in photos that will be treasured rather than tossed in the drawer of old pictures. Don't be afraid to zoom in close to the subjects face to catch their surprise or excitement. Simply the photo by removing everything that doesn't matter to the moment you are trying to capture.

 

Spot Meter for Strange Lighting or Clothes: Most cameras look at the overall situation. Often the part of the photo that we think is most important is not the same as the one the camera thinks is the most important. This situation calls for spot metering. Most $500+ cameras have a spot metering function. This setting allows the camera to adjust its exposure (shutter speed, aperture or both) to the area that is within the cross hairs in the viewfinder.  You set your spot metering by aiming at the area that you want the camera to meter to, hold the shutter button half way down, let the camera focus and meter, then fire your shot.

 

ENHANCING YOUR PHOTOS DIGITALLY:

 

Lighten The Background

1. Click on Enhance – Fill Flash

2. Slide the triangle to the left or right

 

Enhancing or Removing Color

1. Click Enhance – Color – Hue/Saturation

2. To enhance color slide the Saturation bar to the right to dull, or eliminate it, slide bar to the left.

Follow to learn how to

Remove Red Eye in Photoshop Elements

Riding Shotgun with Adam — 1 Comment
5
Jun 06

The computer glitch fairy is back on duty

I mentioned in one of my articles last week that my calls had slowed way down. Whether is was due to JUCO (Junior College World Series) or the holiday or just a lack of computer problems, I don’t know.

Whatever the reason was, it seems like people’s computers are going nutz in full force. The number of calls today from people needing me to come by their home and fix their computers was in the double digits.

I am writing this just to let everyone know that the computer glitch fairy is out there and she is placing her wand on systems wherever she goes.

She can be thwarted though. I have found that she avoids computers that are running antivirus and antispyware programs. She also avoids systems that are keep cool with plenty of air circulation. She seems to fear computers that are using Mozilla Firefox but she loves computers with Norton Antivirus and AOL.

Be careful and take the precautions we have laid out in our various spyware and security tips on our site.

I also saw that there is a new series of Ronald Reagan stamps coming out on June 14th! Bless the Gipper.

Riding Shotgun with Adam — No Comments
30
May 06

How about a joke

Memorial Day week is always slow for business. Partially due to the holiday and partially due to the Junior College World Series (JUCO) that comes to town.

Since I don’t have much to relate about technology today, I will share a bad joke that I heard last night from some friends.

Ghandi was very old and frail but that never stopped him from walking without shoes whever he went. Even on the hot sand he walked barefoot, the calluses had built up over his life so that he could feel nothing on the bottoms of his feet.

Perhaps it was the life of service to others or his spiritual beliefs, but many of his followers claimed that Ghandi had special unexplained powers. He also was a strict vegetarian who attributed his long life to a daily dosage of garlic. However, this steady habit also gave him extremely bad breath.

Are you ready for the punch line?

So, to summarize the life of Ghandi – he was a

Super callused fragile mystic hexed by halitosis!

Tips & Tricks — No Comments
24
Jan 06

Holiday Greeting Cards

Holiday Greeting Cards

Using the techniques discussed this month you can create a stand-alone post card style greeting card, or make the photos on the front or inside of your greeting cards much more personalized.

Although the card above does not look that much like one you would send out for the Holidays, it uses several important effects and techniques that are only limited by your creativity.

In class I sold a supplemental CD-ROM that uses video to demonstrate these various techniques. If you would like me to send you one of these videos, please email me and I will send you ordering information. The cost is $3 + shipping.

To brush up on the techniques used make sure you read the notes from our March meeting called "Solving the Mystery of Layers."

STEP 1: Create new image by going to FILE –> NEW. This will open up a window asking what dimensions you want the card to be. Make sure you design it at around 200-300 dpi (ppi). This will create a better print later on.

STEP 2: Create a background or graphic. With most image editing tools this is simply done by selecting the fill tool and filling the blank area in with the desired color (red in the photo above). Don’t forget about gradients, they can also give a nice effect.

STEP 3: Place in the picture. This is best done by opening the picture that you want to use, then (with that picture selected) go to SELECT –> ALL, then EDIT –> COPY. Then select the card image (colored background at this point) and go to EDIT –> PASTE. This will paste the picture into the background.

STEP 4: You may need to resize the image. Do this by going into IMAGE –> TRANSFORM –> FREE TRANSFORM. By holding down shift and dragging your left mouse button over one of the corner handlebars you can keep the image proportions while resizing.

STEP 5: Insert Text. Select your text tool from your main menu bar. Click the cursor where you want the type to be. Type.

STEP 6: Special effects. Use your Layers, Layer Styles, and Effects pallets to alter each layer with special effects such as drop shadow, glow, or beveled edges.

Once you are done make sure you save the original file in the program’s proprietary format (PSD or PPS for Elements). This will preserve the layers. BUT, if you want to email it, save it as a jpg file with a different name.

TIP: You can also save these files in JPG format and then insert them into your greeting card creation program.

Hardware Tips — No Comments
30
Dec 05

Unique Digital Photo Holiday Gifts

You’ve take a bazillion digital photos so far this year or have a shoe box of great old photos. This holiday season, put those photos to fun use by creating unique gifts with them.

Using tools you already have, you can create photo t-shirts, aprons, and carry bags. All you need is the perfect photo, an ink jet printer, an iron, and special iron-on paper. Ink jet iron on paper can be found at any office supply or large retail store. All the major ink jet printer makers make their own brand of iron paper, and I suggest matching the paper with your printer.

Use any photo editing or publishing program to come up with a fun design, then print it directly on the iron-on paper. You do have to remember to print the ‘mirror or reverse’ image of the design so that it transfers properly to your project. To find the mirror or reverse option, click to the properties or settings section of your printer before you hit the print button.

Using online sites like Shutterfly,Club Photo, or orSnap Fish, you can find some incredible projects to use with your digital photos. You will find everything from photo mouse pads, coffee mugs, and Christmas ornaments to edible gifts like cookies, lollipops and cookies.

All of these services are free to join and then you upload your photos from your computer to the service. Once the photos are uploaded, you can pick and choose to add them to any project you can imagine. These services also offer great calendar printing and one of my favorites; photo books.

These gifts are all reasonably priced and, if you start planning now, can be shipped in plenty of time for the holidays.

Hardware Tips — No Comments
30
Dec 05

Recycling Your Old Computer

If you received or bought yourself a new computer during the holidays (or any time), many options are available for the use of your old computer. In addition to passing on a still useful machine, remember that in many cities throwing out old computers or monitors is illegal.

First and foremost BEFORE giving away your computer, make sure you purge it of any of your personal information. If your computer came with restore CD’s, use them to restore the computer back to its original state. If you don’t have restore CD’s , you will have to uninstall programs manually and delete your email, financial data, etc on your own.

Probably the first option to consider for your old computer lies in your own circle of family and friends. Chances are pretty good that someone you know either doesn’t have a computer at all or has an older one that you do. This makes a great use for your computer and makes you a family favorite at the same time.

Next, consider contacting a local church or charity who often have lists of families or individuals who could use a computer. Salvation Army, hospice organizations and similar entities make good choices.

Technical schools make good options also. Many high school and post-grad technical schools will either use the machines or take them apart for teaching purposes. Note that most public and private schools will not accept older computer technology for their use, but these technical schools will.

Some larger corporations will also take back your old computer (sometimes for a fee) and recycle your computer through commercial means. Dell, eBay, Office Depot, and others offer incentives or programs to do just this. Ask or check their web sites for more details.

Your old computer doesn’t have to hit the land fill or collect dust in your garage. Take a moment to explore some of these options (or explore your own) and keep that machine churning. Many computers can function for more than 10 years and although not capable of performing tasks that new computers can, they make great word processors, spreadsheet crunchers and even basic game machines for someone who does not have a computer.

Hardware Tips — No Comments
30
Dec 05

Holiday Digital Photography

Nearly one out of every four homes in the United States own at least one digital camera. Chances are you are one of those households. And if you are one of those digital camera owners, you will probably be taking a few pictures this month.

Following are some tips on how to take some interesting and fun photos during the holidays.

* Keep your batteries charged or have extras available. “Kodak moments” don’t wait for battery changes.

* If you are headed out of town, make sure that you have enough memory cards to take at least 100 photos. I usually travel with three memory cards allowing me to shoot nearly 500 pictures.

* Become familiar with your camera’s features. In particular, make sure you know how to use the red-eye reduction mode, the timer mode to capture everyone under the tree or at the dinner table, and of course your zoom lens.

* Keep in mind that using the digital portion of your zoom lens will decrease the quality of your pictures, so stick with the optical zoom only.

* Bring along the video cable that came with your camera so that you can hook your camera up to a TV and review your photos or do an impromptu slide show.

* Have your camera ready for those after dinner naps by Grandpa or Uncle Ed. People sleeping make for some fun shots.

* Your subject doesn’t always have to be looking straight into your lens. In fact, candid shots where you subject is not ‘posing’ make for more interesting viewing. Plus you will have less red eye to deal with later.

* For your posed shots, fill as much of the frame of your camera as possible. Too much wall, sky, floor, or other picture filler will detract from your shot.

Remember that you are using a ‘digital’ camera and don’t be shy about snapping shot after shot. Many professional photographers feel that they need to take at least six to ten shots in order to produce one great shot.

Application Tips — No Comments
30
Dec 05

Mailing Labels

Since you are likely to be sending out some sort of Christmas/holiday cards soon, I thought you might appreciate some advice on creating mailing labels.

First, if you have a copy of Microsoft Works or almost any card publishing program, you have the ability to create an ‘electronic address book’ and produce labels. Check out the help sections of these programs to learn how.

I like the Microsoft Works approach real well. In Microsoft Works, use the Task Wizard to build an address book, then use the Task Wizard again to print your mailing labels.

If you would like some stand alone solutions, here are the top address book / mailing label downloads. All are free to download and try, but cost between $20-50 to keep.

My Mail List

Easy to Use Address Book

Brown Bear Address Book

All Pro Address Label Software

One last tip, use Avery labels or labels that have an “Avery” number on them…it will make printing and setting up labels easier.

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