Tips about "burning" CD's - DVD's

HOW DO I KNOW MY COMPUTER CAN BURN CD'S?
Fortunately, these days virtually all computers bought new include a drive that is able to both read and write (or burn) both CD and DVD media. If you’re not sure if your computer or laptop has a CD burner then there are two ways to check.

• Look thru your computer owner's guide to learn if you have a CD burner or not OR
• Go online to your computer manufacturer website - put in your model - and it will give you the specifics of whar is on your computer/laptop - or you can email them with the model # and serial #; they will e-mail you back an answer.

HOW DO I BURN FILES ON A CD?
Burning files on a CD is like saving files on a flash drive or portable hard drive. There are two ways to save files on a CD. Follow these steps:

• Highlight what it is you want to "burn/copy" onto the CD-DVD
• Once highlighted choose "copy" (anyone of 5 ways-from edit menu, icon, action key, CTRL+C, right click-choose copy)
• Put CD-R or CD-RW in your CD burner tray
• Go to the folder that has the file you want to save on the CD on it
• Right click - menu appears, choose drive your CD is on
• Now say Paste again one of he 5 ways
• You will have an extra step - whatever you have copied is being held in a temporar folder to be sure you have everything you want "burned/copied" onto the CD - once eveything is there and ready
• Now choose "Write these files to CD" - you can do it now or later - but you must choose this option

OR

If/when you are burning to a CD or DVD using a program such as Windows Media Player, Picasa, Movie Maker, Roxio or others, on the top menu bar it will have an action"BURN" choose thar option and it will walk you thru the steps noted above

You're done!!!!

TO MAKE SURE FILES ARE SAVED ON THE CD

• Go to the drive on My Computer that has your CD/DVD on it.
• Now double click on the drive with your CD and/or DVD in it - it will open and show you what is on the CD/DVD

Tips to help you care for your CD's & DVD's

Hope these tips will help you take great care of your CD's & DVD's..

· Handle only at the hub/outer edge. Don't touch the shiny surface with your fingers.

· Store in a protective case when not in use.

· Don't bend the disc when taking it out of the case

· Try not to scratch the disc when placing it in the case or in the player tray.

· Make certain the disc is properly seated in the player tray before you close it.

· Keep discs away from all heat and direct sunlight.

· DVD specs recommend discs be stored at a temps between 50 °-90 °F with less than 27 °F variation per hour, at relative humidity of 5 to 90 percent.

· Artificial light and indirect sunlight have no effect on replicated DVDs, BUT

· Magnetic fields don't effect DVDs, so they are ok on/near your speakers.

· Exposure to bright sunlight can affect recordable DVDs, specifically write-once DVDs (DVD-R and DVD+R) that use light-sensitive dyes.

Difference between CD's & DVD's

CD vs DVD is the amount of storage. Typically:

• A CD will hold about 700MB
• A DVD will hold 4.5GB (1000MB = 1GB)
• An HD-DVD will hold about 30GB
• A Blu-Ray Disc will store up to 50GB

R – means read only and indicates onetime permanent use

RW – means you can burn – erase and “rewrite” but don’t!!!

CD’s & DVD’s should be considered for one time use only – if you want to write & rewrite data use a flash drive/memory stick or portable hard drive

For music CD’s (or anything to archive) a CD-R is your best choice.

Bells on Christmas Day

When I considered what to write in our post on this special day, I wanted the post to be reminicscent of the holidays, but also wanted to be careful not to offend anyone.. So researched this favoite poem/song of mine, and learned how it had come to be written.. On behalf of our entire staff we want to wish you and yours our warmest wishes this holiday season...enjoy

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was filled with sorrow at the tragic death of his wife in a fire in 1861. The Civil War broke out the same year, and it seemed this was an additional punishment. Two years later, Longfellow was again saddened to learn that his own son had been seriously wounded in the Army of the Potomac. Sitting down to his desk, one Christmas Day, he heard the church bells ringing. It was in this setting that Longfellow wrote these lines:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep.
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep!
The wrong shall fail,
The right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men!"

Free Game Websites = Enjoy

With colder temps outside - many of us spend more time indoors - so if you enjoy playing games on your computer to pass away the time, check out these websites recommended by other fellow students..(not in any particular order)

www.bored.com - Bored.com is a great place to play Free Online Games. In addition to free games we also have fun and interesting websites that will cure your boredom

www.miniclip.com -MiniClip.com is the largest online games site where you can play a large range of free online games including sports games

www.shockwave.com - Shockwave.com is a very popular destination for free online games and lots of free downloadable ...

www.picartia.com - PicArtia helps you to create your photo mosaic online for free. It is popular for being fast, easy and free

www.chir.ag/stuff/sand/ - a falling sand game – just a website when you are looking to waste time..

www.freegamesonline.com - a popular site that offers action games, puzzles, mind games and much more

http://games.aarp.org - one of the most popular game websites among active adults - so enjoy

Why Windows Software Updates Are Important

It is very important to allow “updates” for your Windows Operating System, AntiVirus Software and other software and hardware being used on a regular basis.

Updates are needed to “fix” patch new security flaws and / or fix bugs, viruses etc. in your system. If you have a Windows computer connected to the Internet, you desperately need to keep your security as up to date as possible

For current updates to your Microsoft Operating System – check the following link which will look at your operating system to be sure you are current. If you are not, it will recommend (list) which updates you should download.

Note that many updates will require you to “reboot” (restart) your computer…and remember you can schedule these tasks using your System Maintenance Task Scheduler

Your Windows Operating System Updates can be downloaded from www.windowsupdate.com or by enabling Automatic Updates.

Windows Vista users can click the Start button, click All Programs, and then select Windows Update.

What's an MP3 vs iPod, iPod Shuffle etc?

It's obvious the holidays are fast approaching. I've received quite a few emails asking about iPods and MP3 Players so thought it was a topic to address immediately... I hope this helps explain the differences - and once again let your budget be your guide..

MP3 Player ~ Is a small electronic device that allows users to carry video, pictures or even thousands of songs in your pocket - can cost as little as $15 and supplied by numerous manufacturers

iPod ~ was introduced in 2001 by Apple was originally a simple pocket-sized device used to play music files butt continues to evolve and there are various types to meet various needs and budgets from $50 for the iPod Shuffle to $399 for the 64GB iPod Touch

iPod Shuffle ~ Apples least expensive and they claim worlds smallest music player. It comes in colors, it talks to your telling you the song title & artist and more Available in 2GB or 4GB ($55+)

iPod Nano ~ Apples Step-up from the iPod Shuffle, is a portable media player with a video camera and FM tuner Available in 8GB or 16GB ($150+)

iPod Classic ~ Apples top of the line iPod With 160GB of storage, iPod classic is the take-everything-everywhere iPod, with space for up to 40000 songs, 200 hours of video, or 25000 photos and 2.5 in viewing screen (about $250)

iPod Touch ~ Apples new touch screen model for music, watch movies, play games, and more in the palm of your hand. Available in 8GB, 32GB, and 64GB($199-399)

Defragging?? How & Why

Defragging (defragmentation) your computer will speed it up and improve the computers performance. What defragging does is it reorganizes and optimizes the way that all the data is stored on your computers hard disk.. For Windows Vista users, the operating system is configured by default to automatically initiate the defragmentation program once a week

How to Defrag a Computer
For those of you with Windows XP, here are the two ways you can “defrag” your computer..

Defrag #1
The most common way to defrag is to:

• Click on 'Start' at the bottom left of your computer screen
• Go to Programs, then go to 'Accessories', then choose 'System Tools' folder
• When you open this you will see 'Disk Defragmenter' on the list of programs in the 'System Tools' .
• You can select a specific drive, such as “C” for your hard drive –then click on “Analyze” and it will tell you if that drive needs to be defragged.. Click on “Defragment” and it will start – time can range from a few minutes to a few hours – let it work and it’s better not to be running other programs while it is doing this…so, it was…
  
  Start ~ Programs ~ Accessories ~ System Tools ~ Disk Defragmenter
  
  In this application windows, select a drive (for example C:\) and then click on 'Analyze' to find out whether that drive requires defragmentation or not. The graphical report that is displayed will give you an idea about the amount of existing fragmentation on that drive. Clicking on 'Defragment' will start the defragmentation process. This process can take a considerable amount of time (ranging from a few minutes to a couple of hours). For efficacy purposes, it is strongly recommended that you do not simultaneously execute any other applications or programs in the background, during the time that the drive is being defragmented.

Defrag #2
Another way I use quite often is much shorter…

• Click on Start, then click on Run.
• Type the words "cmd" and hit Enter. This opens a command prompt window.
• Now type the words 'defrag', followed by a space, and the name of the drive that you wish to defragment, followed by a colon. For example, if you want to defragment drive C:\, you will have to type defrag c: and hit Enter and it will automatically begin the defragmentation process

Santa Jigsaw Puzzle

Just a little someting to pass the time and when you finish putting the puzzle together, watch what happens.

Click below:

www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=ER13610552

this is from my favorite greeting card website:
www.jacquielawson.com

Facebook - Privacy Settimgs

For those of you using facebook - be sure to make this change to your settings today to protect your privacy.. Are you aware that as of today – December 15, 2009 - Facebook will automatically index all your info on Google, which allows everyone to view it.

To change this option, go to:

• Settings -->
• Privacy Settings -->
• Search -->
• then UN-CLICK the box that says 'Allow indexing'

Be sure to Copy and paste onto your status for all your friends ASAP so that we all protect our privacy..

CHANGE YOUR SCREEN DISPLAY SETTINGS

You can access your Display Settings by right-clicking anywhere on the Desktop and then choosing Properties (Windows Vista – choose Personalize) or you can change these settings by going to your control panel (on your start menu) and then going to Appearance – Themes and the Display icons.

When you access the Display Properties Dialog Box – there are five tab choices: Themes, Desktop, Screen Saver, Appearance and Settings.

Themes
This allows you to choose a theme which will apply to all your Windows screen,the icons, sounds and colors – such as jungle, underwater & many more.

Desktop
This will allow you to choose different desktop background images, from samples which are inlcuded or you can use the BROWSE button to find a photo you have saved in you’re My Picture Folder… Remember – if you find a photo in an email or on the internet that you want for your background, when your cursor is on the image, right click on the image and choose Set as Desktop Background.

Screen Saver
Screen Savers are the “motion” choices we use when our computer is idle – many different ones are built in, or you can use the photos in you’re my Picture Folder or when you are on vacation you can purchase “screen savers” to remind you of your trip… This is also where we can change our Power settings for the monitor, noting how long it should stay on when we leave our computer alone..

Appearance
This choice allows us to change the style and colors and size of fonts for our Windows and buttons. Just click on the drop-down arrow buttons to choose different settings; the font size option is great if text is too small – just change it to large fonts or extra large fonts.. The advanced tab allows us to change size & colors for all our screen items including borders, icons and the menus.

Settings
This choice allows us to change screen resolution and color quality – remember the resolution determines the number of pixels used to make up the display. The higher the setting, the more detailed your display and the higher resolution gives you a larger screen area to work with, but if you find text and icons are now too small you may need to increase font size and use larger icons to compensate.
You can only go up to the highest resolution that your monitor can support. Experiment to find a resolution you are comfortable with – many opt for the highest setting.

When you set a high resolution, increasing the DPI (dots per inch) setting – it makes all screen items including text appear larger.

Happy Holidays - Websites to Enjoy

With the holidays fast approaching we thought you might enjoy links to some of my favorite holiday websites - You can visit Santa at the North Pole, track him on his infamous flight on Christmas Eve, find a recipe that fits just right with your celebration, find the words to your favorite hymn or carol and much more...

So as the magic of the holidays begins and we continue to count our blessings and be thankful for all that we have - we hope that you will enjoy these website links - which are in alphabetical order - save them in your favorites for next year... Enjoy

www.allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/christmas/main.aspx

www.allthingschristmas.com

www.christmas-carols.net

www.claus.com

www.holidays.kaboose.com/christmas/index.html

www.holidays.net/christmas

www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com

www.merry-christmas.com

www.noradsanta.org

www.northpole.com

www.northpole.org

www.oldjoeblack.0nyx.com/winter.htm

www.santaclaus.com

www.santaclaus.net

www.xmasfun.com

Finding & Using Zip Codes

What do the 9 digits of the zip codes mean...

In 1963 Zip Codes were introduced in the U.S. to improve mail delivery. Initially the zip code consisted of 5 numbers:

• the first three identify the state and portion of the state
• the last two a specific post office or zone

In 1983 (yes almost 27 years ago), a nine-digit code was introduced adding a hyphen to the original 5 numbers and 4 more numbers, to further speed delivery with the more sophisticated sorting equipment. The new 4 numbers indicate:

• the first two added digits specify a particular "sector,"
• the last two an even smaller "segment" (e.g., one side of a city block, or a single floor or portion of a floor in a large building).

Using the proper 9 digits will speed your mail delivery. To find the correct zip code, go to the post office website usps.com or simply click in the link below and save it to your favorites…

www.zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

Microsoft Help And How To Links

Not sure how to use your windows operating system to it’s full potential, how to do system maintenance & when, to better your computers performance, and other great tips, then take some time and visit Microsoft’s Help and How To for your specific Operating System – just click on the link for your operating system & begin learning…

Windows XP www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/help/windows-xp

Windows Vista www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/help

Windows 7 www.windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/help

Using Keyboard Shortcuts ~ List 3 of 3

Keyboard shortcuts are the use of keys or a combination of keys, that then perform special functions. By pressing or holding certain keyboard buttons together you can open new windows, create shortcuts, and quickly copy and paste files and more. These 3 posts will provide you with some of the commonly used keyboard shortcuts..
• TAB - move forwards through control items or links in current window
• ENTER - click selected control item or link
• BACKSPACE - move up one folder level
• HOME - go to start of current line or web page
• END - go to end of current line or web page
• CTRL + END - go to end of current document
• PAGE UP - move up through current document or web page
• PAGE DOWN - move down through current document or web page
• PRINT SCREEN - take snapshot image of current screen (must then paste it into a word document or email to print it)
• ALT + PRINT SCREEN - take snapshot image of current screen (must then paste it into a word document or email to print it)
• F2 - rename selected item
• F5 - refresh current window or web page
• F6 - move through window panes
• F11 – Full Screen view

Using Keyboard Shortcuts ~ List 2 of 3

Keyboard shortcuts are the use of keys or a combination of keys, that then perform special functions. By pressing or holding certain keyboard buttons together you can open new windows, create shortcuts, and quickly copy and paste files and more. These 3 posts will provide you with some of the commonly used keyboard shortcuts..
• CTRL + ESC - open Start menu
• CTRL + C - Copy
• CTRL + X - Cut
• CTRL + V - Paste
• CTRL + A - Select All
• CTRL + Z – Undo last action
• CTRL + B - Bold highlighted text
• CTRL + U - Underline highlighted text
• CTRL + I - Italicise highlighted text
• CTRL + Plus key - increase browser text size
• CTRL + Minus key - decrease browser text size
• CTRL + ALT + DELETE - open Task Manager
• ALT + underlined letters in menus - open menu item
• ALT + ENTER - show Properties of selected object
• ALT + F4 - close current window or program
• ALT + TAB - switch between open windows or programs
• SHIFT + TAB - move backwards through control items or links

Using Keyboard Shortcuts ~ List 1 of 3

Keyboard shortcuts are the use of keys or a combination of keys, that then perform special functions. By pressing or holding certain keyboard buttons together you can open new windows, create shortcuts, and quickly copy and paste files and more. These 3 posts will provide you with some of the commonly used keyboard shortcuts..
• Windows key - access Start menu
• Windows key + Pause - open System Properties
• Windows key + D - minimize/restore windows
• Windows key + F - open Search window
• Windows key + F1 - open Help and Support Center
• Windows key + E - open Windows Explorer window
• Windows key + M - minimize all windows
• Windows key + TAB - move through open windows on Taskbar
• Windows key + SHIFT + M - restore all windows

What’s the difference between a QWERTY & DVORAK keyboard

It’s all a matter of personal choice

QWERTY keyboard (designed/patented in 1896 by typewriter inventor C.Sholes) is the most common keyboard used today for computers as well as cell phones & other handheld devices. The name QWERTY comes from the first 6 keys on the top left row of keys – On the first typewriters, keys were placed in alphabetical order, but that caused lots of jams on the moving parts of old typewriters; so Sholes rearranged the frequently used keys to spread them out and reduced jams significantly. This design and his patent became known as QWERTY and the US standard 101 keyboard still used today.

DVORAK keyboard became an alternative in 1982. It’s usually referred to as the Simplified Keyboard. Users say it’s easier to type letters because the right hand does more typing of common letters (and most people are right handed) so these keys are on the home row, the least common letters are on the harder to reach bottom row are done by the left hand. Downside: Dvorak keyboards are expensive, but computers today come with free Dvorak software installed and all you need to do is to switch in Control Panel to Dvorak keyboard if you want to try ti….

We know how to use the QWERTY keyboard so why switch - I wouldn't.. But thought is why should the next generation have to use obsolete typing methods because once up on a time there was a typewriter with moving arms in it?

The QWERTY keyboard layout (since 1873):


The Dvorak keyboard layout (since 1932).

Shopping On-line Ad Resource

Do you like to shop on line - especially this time of year when waiting in line to get both in and out of stores is the norm.. Well you might want to check out this website "Black Friday 2009" mentioned on many of the talk shows this week, designed to help you find who is offering the best sale prices for the largest shopping day of the year, now known as BLACK FRIDAY... so check it out...

www.bfads.net

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

On behalf of the entire staff at Mohave Community College and myself, we want to extend our best wishes to you and your families for a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday...

We all have so much to be thankful for, so count your blessings and enjoy your day..

Looking for some "trivia" to discuss during Thanksgiving dinner - here are a few interesting "Thanksgiving" websites....

www.wilstar.com/holidays/thankstr.htm

www.thanksgivingnovember.com/thanksgiving-facts.html

www.brownielocks.com/thanksgivingtrivia.html

WHAT IS WI-FI??

WI-FI is a wireless network which uses radio waves, just like our cell phones, televisions and radios do. In fact, communication across a wireless network is a lot like two-way radio communication.

WI-FI networks can either be "OPEN OR UNSECURED", so that anyone can use them (most public libraries, book stores, BurgerKing, McDonalds and other such sites offer free services) OR "CLOSED OR SECURE", in which case a password is needed. An area blanketed in wireless access is often called a wireless hotspot. There are efforts underway to turn entire cities, such as San Francisco, Portland, and Philadelphia, into big wireless hotspots. Many of these plans will offer free, ad-supported service or ad-free service for a small fee. San Francisco recently chose Google to supply it with a wireless network...

To go wireless inside your home you need to have a high-speed connection, Cable or DSL, and of course as we said, you can use wireless internet access at various locations: McDonalds; Burger King; most public libraries throughout the US, most hotels, truck stops and almost all airports offer WiFi..

A Wi-Fi-FreeSpot is a location that offers Free Wi-Fi high speed wireless internet access to their customers and guests and/or the general public. For locations check out:

www.wififreespot.com

JOIN US FOR ONE LAST CLASS.. WORD & VISTA

I am teaching 2 more classes at Mohave Community College, before I head back to New England for the Christmas Holidays - there are seats open and I hope you will join us - just call Registration 928-855-7812..
If you want to learn more about using Word Clip Art, Word Art & Photos, consider the 4 hr. Word Workshop - it's great fun.. And for those of you who have Windows Vista and are considering upgrading to Windows 7 - join us for the Vista 4 hr. workshop - we'll discuss the Vista & 7 differences and also show you how to save $$$$$ on the upgrade to Windows 7 - don't miss out... As always - if you have any questions just email me

WORD IRON-ON TRANSFER & SANTA LETTERS LSC100—122, Monday November 30th, 8:30am-12N (Classroom 506)
Fun 4 hour workshop using Word for creative projects using text, graphics, photos, word art and more) to create fun iron-on transfer for t-shirts, quilts & other fabric projects OR create letters from Santa Bring photos to class (on camera or flash drive)

WINDOWS VISTA LSC100-221: Tuesday, December 1st, 8:30am-12N (Classroom 507)
Quick 4 hour workshop for those of you using Vista, get to know the basic differences of Windows Vista (vs XP or 98 Operating Systems) Personalize desktop; use new sidebar & gadgets, search & organizing tools to find files & photo’s, system tools for backups, updates and terminology and we will discuss the hows & whys to upgrade to the new Windows 7 Operating System...

Have a great holiday and if we don't see you before the holidays - have a great holiday season and we look forward to working with you again in the new year - 2010!! imagine - we have lots of wonderful classes scheduled January thru April, so see you then..

USING PUBLIC COMPUTERS - Traveling during the holidays?

You can check your email from any computer in the world, hotel, motel, cruise ship, highway stops, airports, Internet café, libraries, copy and/or coffee shops and of course at homes of friends or family.. But because you are not at home, be more careful when you use a computer that isn't yours, especially when you are typing or working with private information like credit cards, banking, medical and other sensitive information you may not want anyone else to see... A FEW SAFETY TIPS....

DON'T SAVE YOUR LOGIN INFORMATION - Always logout of Web sites by pressing logout on the site (Many programs-especially instant messenger programs and free email, such as hotmail, gmail & others include automatic login features that will save your username and password – so be sure not to check this off to have the computer remember your user name & password, so no one accidentally (or on purpose) logs in as you.

DON'T LEAVE THE COMPUTER UNATTENDED WITH SENSITIVE INFORMATION ON THE SCREEN - If you have to leave the public computer for any amount of time, logout of all programs and close all windows that may include sensitive information.

ERASE YOUR TRACKS - When you're done using a public computer you should delete all the temporary files and your Internet history: Here Is How To Delete Your Temporary Internet Files And Your History:
1. In Internet Explorer, go to Menu Bar, Left Click Tools for Menu List, Then Left Click Internet Options.
2. On the General tab, under Temporary Internet files Left click Delete Files and then click Delete Cookies.
3. Under History, left click Clear History.

WATCH FOR OVER-THE-SHOULDER SNOOPS-Because there's so much news about how hackers digitally sneak into our personal files, we sometimes forget about the old fashioned version of snooping. When you use a public computer, watch for anyone looking over your shoulder or watching as you enter sensitive passwords. If you really want to be safe, avoid typing your credit card numbers, bank account information, or any other financial or otherwise sensitive information into any public computer.

Enjoy your holidays and be safe...

THINKING OF BUYING A DIGITAL CAMERA??

Thinking of getting a DIGITAL CAMERA for yourself or someone else…

Personally, I always recommend buying the least expensive camera that suits our needs, because this technology is changing too rapidly to invest a lot of money - unless you are buying it for WORK...

For those of us over 40, there may be some basic things to look for...

• the larger the LED display panel in the back the better
• you may want to be sure it has a view finder (many don't); those of us who are older are used to using one
• most digital cameras offer digital stabilization, but be sure it does - great feature
• at this point, it should have a minimum of 7 megapixels (7MP or higher)
• zoom - the higher the better and I'm talking about OPTICAL zoom
(don't pay attention to the digital zoom, that's hype-and not relevant)...
• many of us who travel, want the flexibility of using standard batteries, such as AA, in a pinch versus having to recharge built in or non-standard batteries if ours run low

I hope this helps -when you buy your memory card - get at least a 2gb or 4gb and be sure to purchase a memory card reader which will allow you to read your memory card from any computer without downloading the camera software...

November Computer Classes at MCC

We hope you'll join us for a class in November, before we take our break for the holidays... as always if you have questions about a particular class just email me..

EMAIL HOW TO’S – ADVANCED LSC071- 222: Thursdays, Nov 12 & 19 1pm-4:50pm,
Two 4 hour classes to enhance your basic email skills – work extensively with attachments of all types – documents, photos, videos, power point – learn to open & save, find & attach. Also learn to work with hyperlinks; learn to copy & paste to & from emails, Internet and word

BLOGGING BASICS LSC080- 121 & 122, Monday & Wednesday, Nov 16 & 18, 8:30am-12N
Two 4 hour classes What is “blogging” & “social networking” “Facebook” “Twittering” etc.. How, why & when to post – comments; Set Up Your Own Blog; Templates; Add Ons: Links, Photos, Slide Shows, Blog Tools & more

DIGITAL PHOTO EDITING W/PICASA LSC100A-123, Monday & Tuesday, Nov 16 & 17, 1pm-4:50pm
Two 4 hour classes where we learn to edit & print photo’s using Picasa (a free Google software); learn to upload photo’s from your camera and/or scanner to the PC & learn to order prints online - Bring photos to class (on camera or flash drive)

CREATE GREAT LOOKING DOCUMENTS LSC068-122 Tuesday & Thursday, Nov 17 & 19, 8:30am-12:20pm
Two 4 hour classes-reviewing the basics to open, create, save documents; highlight; cut-copy-paste, set & change margins; create letters, envelopes, labels & use clip art, word art to enhance documents, create flyers & invitations & lots of printing tips –

WORD IRON-ON TRANSFER & SANTA LETTERS LSC100—122, Monday November 30th, 8:30am-12N
Fun 4 hour workshop using Word for creative projects using text, graphics, photos, word art and more) to create fun iron-on transfer for t-shirts, quilts & other fabric projects OR create letters from Santa Bring photos to class (on camera or flash drive)

POWER POINT SLIDE SHOW TIPS

Many of us receive power point slide shows attached to our emails today.
If you don’t have full Power Point Application Software then you need Power Point Viewer to view these slide shows – a free software on most new computers. If your computer doesn’t have the Power Point Viewer, you can download it FREE from Microsoft – here is the link

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=048DC840-14E1-467D-8DCA-19D2A8FD7485&displaylang=en

Power Point Viewer allows you to view the slide show, save it for future viewings and to be able to email it to someone – but you can’t edit or modify the slide show in anyway or create your own.
If you want to create a Power Point Presentation or change power point presentations you've received and saved, then you must have Power Point Application Software (which quite often is part of the Office bundle)

What do the extensions mean when you receive a power point attachment or see them in a file (such as fantasticslide.show.ppt or fantaticslideshow.pps??)

• PPT is the default file extension for saving presentations in PowerPoint 2003 and earlier versions.
• PPTX is the default file extension for saving presentations in PowerPoint 2007 and later versions.
• PPS is the the show mode extension in PowerPoint 2003 and earlier -- these files run in "play-presentation" mode when double-clicked.
• PPSX does the same thing in PowerPoint 2007 and later -- it runs in "play-presentation" mode when double-clicked.

If friends, family or co-workers send you a Power Point Slide Show and you can't open it - look at the extension - if it reads .pptx or .ppsx at the end - they created it in Power Point 2007 - ask them to re-save it on their computer as a 97-2003 power point, so that older versions of the software can read it and resend it to you...

Remember all computers at Southern Artery classroom have a wonderful file on them (PP Slide Shows or PP Presentations) with many great power point slide shows - so open them up and watch them.. or you can add them to an email when you are in the classroom - when your email is open - send yourself an email and simply add the power point slide show you like as a file attachment...

Upcoming Classes - Early November

COMPUTERS FOR THE FUN OF IT LSC062-124 Wed & Thurs Nov 3 & 4 8:30am-12:20pm
Two 4 Hour classes reviewing computer hardware, software, printing tips, keyboard shortcut tips, customizing desktop-changing backgrounds, create shortcuts, using quick launch bar, Start Menu, Task Bar, control panel & much more… Bring your questions..

DIGITAL CAMERA BASICS LSC100A-122 Tues & Wed Nov 3 & 4 1pm-4:50pm
Two 4 hour classes-Intro to digital cameras; pixels, camera lingo, basic how to’s, move photo’s to your PC with memory card & memory card reader, organize photos on your PC using Windows Explorer; save photos to portable drives - Bring your digital camera to class

FIND/ORGANIZE WHAT’S ON YOUR PC LSC 062-125 Mon & Tues Nov 9 & 10 8:30am-12:20pm
Two 4 Hours Classes helping you find what you’ve saved on your PC; organize your work, files & photo’s to always find them quickly & easily. Learn to back up your pc, photo & documents with portable flash & hard drives, memory cards and memory card readers..

INTERNET AND IT'S MANY USES LSC 071-221: Mon & Tues Nov 9 & 10 1pm-4:50pm
Two 4 Hour classes with lots of Internet tips & lingo, such as ISP, browser, blogger and more; when & why to use F5 & F11; understanding websites & hyperlinks, basics of email, using “Google & Bing” to search web, images, news; translating to & from different languages; blogging

LAPTOP BASICS LSC100-121: Thursday, Nov. 12, 8:30-12:20pm,
A 4 hr. workshop to learn the Desktop & laptop differences, basic features of using a laptop, accessories needed, maneuvering around, Internet & WiFi Basics, shortcuts, security & more

EMAIL HOW TO’S – ADVANCED LSC071- 222: Thursdays, Nov 12 & 19 1pm-4:50pm,
Two 4 hour classes to enhance your basic email skills – work extensively with attachments of all types – documents, photos, videos, power point – learn to open & save, find & attach. Also learn to work with hyperlinks; learn to copy & paste to & from emails, Internet and word

Get-Away Lodging Alternatives

Thinking about getting away and considering alternatives to a hotel.. Fellow students tells us they've had great luck renting homes - for a week or tow or even months at a time...
These are some websites referred to us by your fellow students that they have personally had good luck with..

www.vrbo.com #1 site I hear talked about in LHC, AZ-Vacation Rentals by Owners

the other three that I’ve heard that were used with good results..
www.homeaway.com
www.vacationhomerentals.com
www.vacationrentals.com

As always if you have favorite websites - tell us what they are and why we should refer them..

Upcoming classes for the next few weeks with available seats - so join us & bring a friend...

TO BUY & SELL ONLINE LSC101-121 Tues & Wed Oct 27 & 28 8:30am-12:20pm
Two 4 hour classes-Buy and Sell on Line, find what you want; searching, making travel arrangements, general shopping tips, intro to online sales with sites such as eBay; eBid; craigslist & others: shortcuts, security

MAIL MERGE w/WORD & EXCEL LSC068-221 Tues & Wed Oct 27& 28 1pm-4:50pm
Two 4 hr classes create a data list (BRING YOUR ADDRESS BOOK) using both Excel and or Word software - Learn to enter & sort data various ways; to merge data for multiple “personalized” documents such as mailing labels, other labels, envelopes or form letters..

COMPUTERS FOR THE FUN OF IT LSC062-124 Tues & Wed Nov 3 & 4 8:30am-12:20pm
Two 4 Hour classes reviewing computer hardware, software, printing tips, keyboard shortcut tips, customizing desktop-changing backgrounds, create shortcuts, using quick launch bar, Start Menu, Task Bar, control panel & much more… Bring your questions..

DIGITAL CAMERA BASICS LSC100A-122 Tues & Wed Nov 3 & 4 1pm-4:50pm
Two 4 hour classes-Intro to digital cameras; pixels, camera lingo, basic how to’s, move photo’s to your PC with memory card & memory card reader, organize photos on your PC using Windows Explorer; save photos to portable drives - Bring your digital camera to class

Websites to find the "least expensive" services

If you have a favorite website - share it with us and tell us why...

Cell phone plans – http://www.rateplan.com/ or http://www.billshrink.com/

Car insurance – http://www.carinsuranceratea.com/ or http://www.carinsurance.org/

Bank fees – www.mybanktracker-com/banks OR http://www.findabetterbank.com/

Airline tickets – http://www.skyscanner.net/ or http://www.efares.com/

Travelling by car – you might want to know where the speed traps are (this is for real) go to http://www.speedtrap.org/

One of our favorites for just about everything we need.. http://www.allmyfaves.com/

Upcoming Classes

Every few weeks we'll post reminders on the blog for upcoming classes. You can always email me with questions about specific classes if you aren't sure which are right for you... There are still seats open in the following classes so join us...

CREATE GREAT LOOKING DOCUMENTS
LSC068-121 Wed & Thurs Oct 14 & 15 8:30am-12:20pm
Two 4 hour classes-reviewing the basics to open, create, save documents; highlight; cut-copy-paste, set & change margins; create letters, envelopes, labels & use clip art, word art to enhance documents, create flyers & invitations & lots of printing tips

LIST AND DATA MANAGEMENT WITH EXCEL
LSC069-121 Wed & Thurs Oct 14 & 15 1pm-4:50pm
Two 4 hour classes-Learn to work with numbers & text (budget, contact lists for mail merges) Workbook vs. worksheet; cells, columns, rows, auto-formats; margins, grid lines, sorting numbers & data & print basics - Bring an address book or contact list to class

INTERNET AND IT'S MANY USES
LSC071-121 Tues & Wed Oct 20 & 21 8:30am-12:20pm
Two 4 Hour classes with lots of internet tips & lingo, such as ISP, browser, blogger and more; when & why to use F5 & F11; understanding websites & hyperlinks, basics of email, using “Google & Bing” to search web, images, news; translating to & from different languages; blogging

POWER POINT
LSC069D-221 Tues & Wed Oct 20 & 21 1pm-4:50pm
Two 4 hour classes to create basic Slide Show presentation and enhance your presentation with text, photos & clip art, animation, transition & timing features

HOW TO BUY & SELL ONLINE
LSC101-121 Tues & Wed Oct 27 & 28 8:30am-12:20pm
Two 4 hour classes-Buy and Sell on Line, find what you want; searching, making travel arrangements, general shopping tips, intro to online sales with sites such as eBay; eBid; craigslist & others: shortcuts, security

MAIL MERGE USING WORD & EXCEL
LSC068-221 Tues & Wed Oct 27& 28 1pm-4:50pm
Two 4 hr classes create a data list (BRING YOUR ADDRESS BOOK) using both Excel and Word software Learn to enter & sort data various ways; to merge data for multiple “personalized” documents such as mailing labels, other labels, envelopes or form letters..

CAN YOU SEND CELL PHONE TEXT MESSAGE FROM YOUR COMPUTER?

Absolutely – many of us don’t have “text” ability on our cell phones or if we do, we don’t know how to text..

But you can send a text message to anyone who uses “texting” as long as you have their cell phone number. There are several websites – all are free – that offer us the ability to send family and friends text messages to their phones.
Here is how they work...

• You type in the persons cell phone number
• Now type in your email address
• Now type in your message (actually it is a tweet because it has a 140 character limit and counts down as you type so you know what you have left) or they have lots of “quick messages to choose from so you don’t have to type”
• You're done, so now click on the SEND button..

The message appears as a text on their cell phone and if and when they respond, their message will come back to your email account…
Again these services are free – like email it’s their advertising that allows them to stay free. Most of these services also offer you the ability to set-up a free account, which will then confidentially save the cell phone numbers you send to and save your email address so you don’t have to type them in every time - very much like your address book in email..
So give it a try and start texting/tweeting – it’s all free!!!
www.textem.net
www.txt2day.com
www.text4free.net
www.onlinetextmessage.com

INTERNET UPDATES

Just a few reminders to help you enjoy using the internet...

When you visit a website you enjoy, be sure to save it to your favorites, so you can access it again easily... How????When the website is on your monitor:

• Go to the Menu bar, choose Favorites
• Top of the list that appears choose "add to favorites"
• Now "choose your folder" or create and name a new folder
• Now "be sure you are happy with the name" or type your own for the website
• Now click ADD and it's added to your favorite list

Next time you're on the Internet, go to Favorites, find your folder and websites you've saved will be there without having to remember the web address - just left click on it and another connection to the Internet will open and connect you to the website....

A few other reminders....

• Use the F5 function key to REFRESH any page on your monitor
• Use the F11 function key to get a FULL SCREEN (and eliminate all the toolbars) to get them back, just tap the F11 key again...

Some fun & interesting websites

Looking for an interesting website – we have something for everyone –
enjoy puzzles, check out jigzone!!
great site to find just about anything is allmyfaves;
want to watch what’s happening all over the world then check out camcentral!
for those wanting to relax and see some beautiful photos-check out calsgallery...

Hope you’ll enjoy these websites…. If you have a favorite website – share it with us so we can share it with everyone……

www.jigzone.com
www.allmyfaves.com
www.camcentral.com
www.calsgallery.com

And of course - computer classes begin next week at Mohave Community College, so be sure to check out all the classes I'll be teaching as well as a myriad of other wonderful subjects - remember learning something new everyday is a great way to keep going and thriving... see you soon...

www.mohave.edu

As always - we hope you enjoy your classes and never hesitate to ask questions -that's how we all learn...

HELP YOUR PC LAST LONGER

In response to the question we are asked most often - how to speed up your computer and extend your computer life... these are our tips...

1.) Install spyware and antivirus programs and be sure to keep them updatedWhether you use Norton, McAfee or AVG they are only successful if and when you keep them updated. And be sure you also have a program to eliminate spyware, such as Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware or Microsoft’s Windows Defender that detect & remove spyware from your pc...

2.) Run diagnostics. Most PCs have maintenance tools built into your system and on a schedule. To find them in Windows PCs, go to Start, Accessories and you'll find them in “System Tools”. Its recommended that at least once a month (or better yet once a week) we should:
a. back up
b. run disk defrag, and
c. run the disk cleanup tool
If your diagnostics are scheduled to run during the night and your computer is off, the diagnostics cannot be done, so you must do it the next time you turn your computer on, when it will remind you....

3.) Increase RAM. The quickest way to increase the performance of our computers is to add more memory - RAM (Random-access memory). All of us should have at least 2GB or worse case at least 1GB. This is especially important for those of us running software made in the last year or two.. you can get 1 GB for less than $50; 2 GB for under $100 - a very worthwhile investment..

Welcome to Your Blog

Welcome to "Your" Blog - A place where we will be sharing ideas about this ever changing technology that we are all attempting to keep up with...

We will share your questions and the answers we find for you, as well as information about the computer classes being offered at the Mohave Community College, which I teach...

So join in the fun - save this BLOG to your favorites and check in often or become a follower so that you will receive notices whenever a new POST is written.. We look forward to sharing this with all of you and the more questions you ask the more information we can all share and learn..

We will be adding various links that we hope you will find helpful about Lake Havasu City, Mohave Community College so that registration for returning students will be easier, and others that are helpful to full time residents and returning or new winter visitors...