Thank you to all Veteran's and their families

We don't change our clocks in Arizona this evening

Just a reminder - that in most of the United States, before everyone goes to bed they will be setting their clocks back for Sunday morning, November 3rd at 2am, Daylight Savings Time will end as they all revert back to Standard Time.

Several states, including those of us here in Arizona (except some Indian Reservations), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have chosen not to observe Daylight Saving Time so none of us change our clocks at anytime during the year.

In almost all cases, computers, cell phones and cable boxes will make this change automatically without our help..

Even though here in Arizona we don't change our clocks, this is always a great time to change the batteries in our smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

Those who observe daylight savings, will then move their clocks ahead to begin Daylight Savings Time "1 hour" at 2am on the 2nd Sunday in March, March 9th, 2014  

So remember if you cross the river to California or head up to Las Vegas, it will be an hour earlier!!

Reminder-Colorado River Computer Club Meeting-Tuesday, Nov. 5th 6pm

We want to remind all of you in Lake Havasu City and surrounding communities that the next meeting of the Colorado River Computer Club will be held next Tuesday evening, November 5th at 6pm.

Meetings begin at 6pm on the first Tuesday of every month in Community Room B of the Mohave County Library in Lake Havasu City, AZ.  The New Users Group meets at 6:00 pm and this month, Bill Young; will be discussing digital photography, so get your list of questions ready (remember, time is short so all questions & answers will be generic and not specific to any one model/manufacturer's camera).

At 7pm Dale Gibson, Benefits Counselor from WACOG (Western Area Council Of Governments) www.wacog.com will be present to discuss the many changes facing you in the coming cycle for you prescription drug plans. If you have question you may want to have a list or your current  prescriptions and the name of your insurance carrier.

This Computer Club is a non-profit organization established to aid members in achieving better results from their computers. It is not connected with any commercial or private business.  Each month there is a guest speaker and you will have an opportunity to ask questions...

For more information, visit their website:  www.crccaz.com , which we have listed on the left column of our blog under "Student Favorites" for future reference...

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday evening, December 3^rd 

WINDOWS 8.1 IS AVAILABLE AS A FREE DOWNLOAD TODAY

If you haven't heard the announcement yet - Microsoft released the new Windows 8.1 update/upgrade today.

It is a free upload for any of you who are using Windows 8 on your computers, laptops or tablets...

Here is a link to the MSN website that made the announcement this morning and clearly outlines many of the issues addressed with this update/upgrade.....

http://money.msn.com/investing/news.aspx?feed=AP&date=20131017&id=17008390

This update is specifically designed to address many of the gripes people have had with Windows 8, the dramatically different operating system that attempts to bridge the divide between tablets and PCs.

So again, this Window 8.1 update is free for current owners of Windows 8; downloads started at 7 am this morning in New York, which corresponded to the start of Friday in New Zealand.

Simply go to the Windows Store app to find it.  Here is the link for their app store if you don't have it in your favorites...

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/apps#Cat=t1

As they noted in their MSN announcement  "it may take a few hours for updates to reach everyone. Computers with Windows 8.1 already installed will go on sale Friday local time. That's also when people will be able to buy stand-alone copies of Windows 8.1."

October Computer related classes at MCC - Come join us

On behalf of all of us at MCC, I hope you all had a healthy and enjoyable summer and no matter where you traveled, that you did it safely..  I'm sure you'll agree that it's hard to believe that it's already fall and time for me to begin another new season of classes..   

As promised, we intend to repeat our entire cycle of classes from October into May 2014.  Based on  many requests we received, we modified several classes which are now 12 hrs. long/, including Internet Basics & Advanced and Email; Word including working with tables; Excel including doing Mail Merges for letters and mailing labels and of course our Picasa Photo Editing, Facebook, Twitter & other Social Media, and the very popular Creating books & other great gift ideas with your text & digital photos - All are Twelve (12) hours, so three "3" 4 hour sessions.  We also added a few new classes including one 4 hour workshop for "cloud computing" which is so popular with all of our RV'ers and brought back our popular 4 hour workshop in November to create those fun "Santa & Holiday Letters".  Cassuandra Pham will continue to teach a variety of Apple iPhone, iPad, iPod and Android Smartphone & Tablet workshops and classes..  

Everyone in our community is welcome to take advantage of our wonderful Hodel Library on campus.. Stop by and get a library card, feel free to use our computers and bring your own paper and print what you need.  Pam Galovich and her library staff are wonderful and will answer your questions so stop by and visit them.... and remember, MCC offers many other great classes in a wide variety of fun & interesting subjects - from genealogy, health, dance, painting, genealogy, sculpting and many more all year long...Visit the Mohave Community College website: www.mohave.edu; visit our campus at 1971 Acoma Blvd in Lake Havasu.. So check them out or Call Registration 928-855-7812

As always, if you are thinking about taking any class at MCC, be sure to register ASAP.. We don't want you to show up for a class, thinking you'll register after the class, only to learn class was postponed due to low enrollment.. So try to register, and if something comes up and you can't attend we can move your class or refund your money...  And remember you are always welcome to bring your laptop to any of my classes... 

The Colorado River Computer Club meetings have resumed for the new season.  They are open to the public and held the first Tuesday of each month at the Mohave County Library - 1770 McCulloch Blvd, Room B (K-Mart parking lot area)... Next meeting is Tuesday evening, November 5th - New Users Group with the Groups Vice President, Larry LaRue, meets at 6pm and the Guest Speaker begin at 7pm..  These meetings are open to the public and very worthwhile... Visit their website: www.crccaz.com

The following is our schedule for October ~ so be sure to stop by the campus OR check the mohave.edu website OR call MCC OR email me and we will gladly help you find what you need... 

Computers FOR THE FUN OF IT  ~ LSC 062-121, 8:30am-12:20pm, Tues& Wed, Oct 8 & 9 - 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…  

DIGITAL CAMERA BASICS ~ LSC 100A-121, 1pm-4:50pm, Tues & Wed, Oct 8 & 9 - 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  

LAPTOP, TABLET & eReADER BASICS ~ LSC 102-121, 8:30-12:20pm, Thurs & Fri, Oct 10 & 11 – Two 4 Hour classes We will help you learn to to use your eReaders, Tablet, Laptops, Notebooks, Netbooks and understand differences; also how to use "apps", how to download books & other media from libraries & stores, what accessories are needed, how to get around the internet & WiFi Basics, shortcuts, security & more. – Bring your laptop, tablet, eReaders if you have one 

SOCIAL NETWORKs: fACEBOOK, tWITTER& bLOGGING ~ LSC 080-121, 1pm-4:50pm, Thurs, Friday & Tuesday, Oct 10, 11 & 15 - Three “3” 4 hr classes introducing & discussing Social Networking, Including Facebook, Facebook’s Timeline; Privacy Settings;  Add/Change/Remove Photos-Posts-Friends, etc; Basics of Twitter & Smartphones; Basics of Blogging, posting, commenting; You’ll Create Your Own Blog; Templates; Add Ons: Links, Photos, Slide Shows, Blog Tools & more   

WORD-CREATe GREAT LOOKING DOCUMENTS ~ LSC 068B-121, 8:30am-12:20pm, Saturday mornings, Oct 12, 19 & 26 - Three "3" 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, invitations, how to work with tables to create schedules, resumes, questionnaires & flyers & lots of printing tips  

FIND/ORGANIZE WHAT’S ON YOUR PC ~ LSC 068C-121, 8:30am-12:20pm, Tues& Wed, Oct 15 & 16 - Two 4 hour classes Using Windows Explorer to find what you’ve saved on your PC; organize your work, files & photo’s to find them quickly& easily.  Learn to back up your pc, photo & documents with portable flash & hard drives, memory cards and memory card readers.. Bring your laptop, camera and/or flash drives to class 

HOW TO SKYPE OR GOOGLE VOICE  ~ LSC 103-121, 1pm-4:50pm, Wednesday, Oct 16 - One 4 hour workshop learning how to use Skype and/or Google voice to make free phone calls & web calls worldwide from any pc or smartphone.. lots of tips 

PICASA PHOTO EDITING ~ LSC 081-121: 8:30am-12:20pm, Thurs, Fri & Tues, Oct 17, 18 & 22 – Three “3”- 4 hr classes to learn to edit & print digital photo’s using Picasa (this is free Google software); learn to upload photo’s from your camera and/or scanner to the PC& learn to order prints online; how to create a quick movie with music or a wonderful collage; use Picasa online web albums; use face& geo tagging& learn to update your edited photos to a variety of vendors for printing and/or creating great gifts - Bring your digital camera to class  

WINDOWS 7 & 8 OPERATING SYSTEM ~ LSC 100-124, 1-4:50pm, Wednesday, Nov. 7 – One 4 hour workshop helping you get more comfortable with Windows 7 & 8 and the many Features & Improvements (vs XP-Vista), such as Desktop customizing; Use Libraries to manage files; Jump Lists vs Task Bar or put taskbar back; Run apps; Shuffle wallpaper & screen savers; System Tray; Media Player; Alerts vs action centers & more  - You are always welcome to bring your laptop, but this is especially true if you are using Windows 8. 

HOW TO BUY & SELL ONLINE ~ LSC 101-121, 1pm-4:50pm, Tues & Wed, Oct 22 & 23 - Two 4 hour classes-Buy and Sell on Line, find what you want; searching, making travel arrangements, shopping tips, intro to online sales with sites such as eBay; eBid; craigslist & others: shortcuts & security tips 

internet and it’s many uses ~ LSC 071-122, 8:30am-12:20pm, Wed, Thurs & Fri, Oct 23, 24 & 25 – Three “3”- 4 hr classes covering a variety of internet tips & lingo, such as ISP, browser, blogger, hashtags; when/why to use F5 & F11; website basics, hyperlinks, email basics & advanced including how to send and save attachments, copy hyperlinks, reply to, forward and file emails, using “Google& Bing” to search web, images, news; translating to & from different languages; blogging and much more 

USE DIGITAL PHOTOS & TEXT TO CREATE & PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK & OTHER GREAT GIFT IDEAS ~ LSC 100K-121, 1-4:50pm Thurs & Fri, Oct 24, 25 & 31 – Three “3”  4 hr classes to Learn to create & publish your own book, using free book publishing software from Walgreens & CVS as well as blurb.com (for a book that’s copyrighted) using your WP skills& digital photos and learn in quantities as small as just one.  You decide: soft or hard cover, various sizes, all text, all photos or a combination of photos & text, story book or recipe book Bring photos to class (on camera or flash drive) 

HOW TO USE CLOUD COMPUTING  ~ LSC 045-122 ~ 1pm-4:50pm, Saturday, Oct. 26 - One 4 Hour Workshop to review and help you better understand "Cloud Computing" including Google Drive; SkyDrive; Apple Cloud & Dropbox-understand which are free & which charge; learn to "store/upload" your important documents, photos, music & videos in the "clouds" to access anywhere, anytime with any device..

Apples & Android Class Schedule... 

INTRO TO iPHONE (& iPods) LSC 040-123 ~ 8:30-12:20pm Tuesday, Oct. 22, One 4 Hour Workshop reviewing the basics & differences of an Apple phone vs a Smartphone/Android etc...  As with all Apple Devices, we will discuss customizing, adding APPS, syncing your information on all "i" devices, organizing your contacts, calendar, music, data-using your Apple ID and the Apple Cloud and many other features (This class is also beneficial for iPod users - Bring your "iPhone" or "iPod" with you 

INTRO TO iPAD'S ~ LSC 040-124 ~ 8:30am-12:20pm, Wednesday, Oct 23  - One 4 Hour Workshop to review the basics & differences of Apple vs. PC and review many of the basics features of your iPad - including the desktop, using APPS, maneuvering around, syncing your "i" devices with your Apple ID and or the Apple Cloud; organize your desktop and many other features  - Bring your "iPad" with you 

ANDroiD SMARTPHONE BASICS ~ LSC 043-122 ~ 1pm-4:50pm, Tuesday, Oct 22nd - One 4 Hour Workshop to review the basics of using an Android smartphone, including "swiping"; Wi-Fi and other settings; syncing with your email, calendar, contacts, "clouds accounts, organizing it all, accessories and many other features  - Bring your "Android Smartphone" with you 

ANDROID TABLET BASICS ~LSC044-122 ~ 1pm-4:50pm, Wednesday, Oct 23 - One 4 Hour Workshop to review the basics of using an Android System - whether it is a Smartphone or Tablet; including "swiping"; Wi-Fi and other settings; syncing with your email, calendar, contacts, "clouds accounts, organizing it all, accessories and many other features  - Bring your "Android Tablet " with you

ANDroiD TABLET ADVANCED ~ LSC045-122 ~ 1pm-4:50pm, Thursday & Friday, Oct. 24& 25 - Two 4 Hour Classes to review the more advanced uses of your Android Tablet - filing, syncing, downloading of apps, books and other daily services - managing photos and other aspects of your "cloud", organizing it all, accessories and many other features  - Bring your "Android Tablet" with you 

As always, if there is a specific class or topic that you would like us to consider, let us know..  These classes are designed to help you take advantage of all the new technology, so we are always anxious to hear your suggestions and comments...

Windows 7 - Using Speech Recognition

Before you run out to buy Dragon Speech or a similar software program, use the Speech Recognition software that has been built into all Windows Operating Systems, since Windows XP.  Voice/Speech Recognition is becoming common today in so many devices including iPhone, iPad, iPods, Android tablets and smartphones, computers, automobiles and other devices... So the more comfortable you get with it, the more you will use it with all of your devices...

If you haven't played with "Speech Recognition" yet, and are now using Windows 7, give it a try.  The program in Windows 7 is quite powerful and allows you to tell your computer what to do and you can also use it to dictate text into a document. 

Speech Recognition uses a special voice profile to recognize your voice and spoken commands, so the more you use Speech Recognition, the more detailed your voice profile becomes, which will improve your PC (and other mobile devices) abilities to understand you

As with so many things we do with the computer, using the speech recognition to give commands is just another way, in addition to using the mouse and/or the keyboard and/or

keypad.. 

Before you set up your Speech Recognition, make sure you've plugged a microphone into your PC so these steps will work.. Personally I think using a headset microphone; which is less likely to pick up background noise, is best when I'm using any speech recognition program to give commands or dictate into documents, doing voice recordings for slide shows and movies and using other programs such as Skype..

In Windows 7, click the Start Button

• Type Speech in the search box of the start menu
• Choose Windows Speech Recognition from the menu
• Note-if this is the first time you've used it, the Set-Up Speech Recognition Wizard will open and walk you thru setting up the system & settings. 
•  When you are in settings, it gives you the option to "Train your computer to better understand you" that helps it to recognize your voice.. 
•  In the Set-up, Windows also offers a tutorial that will help familiarize you with how to give commands and use the software - Take the tutorial - it really helps... 
• As with any new program or piece of hardware you are learning, remember to also use www.yotube.com, to find additional tutorials that will help you master just about anything..

Be patient and practice - like so many other things, the more you do it, the easier it will become and the more comfortable you will be...

Which Internet Browser To Use

TRY ALL OF THEM...

Today almost all public & work environment computers have all 4 of the major browsers installed on them.  This gives the individual users the choice of which browser they want to use...  Why?? Think of it as having multiple salad dressing choices in your fridge... No particular reason, they all do the same thing, it's just a matter of taste..

You will also find that certain websites you visit "work better" if and when you use the browser that they've built their platform on... so for example if you are visiting any website from Google - Gmail, blogger, YouTube, Google drive, Google maps etc. then you might consider opening your CHROME browser to access those websites.

Computers and other devices with Windows Operating Systems come with Internet Explorer pre-installed, those with Android Operating Systems have Google Chrome installed, and Apple Operating Systems have Safari pre-installed, but you can use any of these browsers on your devices - simply download them: 

• Google Chrome ~ go to www.google.com
• Firefox by Mozilla ~ go to www.mozilla.com
• Safari  by Apple ~ go to http://support.apple.com/downloads/#internet

What does hashtag mean?

You hear and see the expression everywhere - follow me on # and then the company or individuals name (or you hear follow me on hashtag then the company or persons name -  - but what does that mean....
 

One of the most popular questions we are receiving in classes and via email is this one..  “What is a hashtag”.. Simply put, it is the “#” sign...

“Hashtags” are used by quite a few social media sites to indicate a name to whom you can then send/or follow for messages & updates...  Social media sites using “hashatgs” are those like Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, Tumblr, Tout, Google+, Facebook and others...

For example.. if I said to you what are each of these next two phrases in red.....

www.anycompany.com – you know it is a web address because the prefix is “www”

Susie@anycompany.com – you know it is an email address because of the @ sign

And if you hear.....

#anycompany,  it indicates that you can follow/connect to that person or company's group of common messages by entering their #hashtag id on the social media site you are registered with... Yes, you also have to be registered with that specific social media site with your own #hashtag name...

Creating Slide Shows - Power Point & Picasa

Some basic Power Point Info...

WHAT IS POWER POINT:  Gives you the ability to create a slide show combining your photos, text, animation, sound and more… to make your information much more enjoyable.  Power Point presentations have been used in business for years, but today you see them being used at weddings, showers, birthday parties, reunions, memorial services and by groups & organizations.  Students as young as 3^rd grade are using power point presentations to enhance reports and projects.

POWER POINT APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Can be bought individually or it is included as part of the MICROSOFT OFFICE bundle.  The Power Point Application Software is always required for you to create and or modify a power point presentation.

POWER POINT VIEWER: This is a free software offered from Microsoft that allows you to watch power point presentations sent to you via email.  You can then save them on your computer to send to someone else, you cannot however change or modify them in anyway or create your own without the full Power Point Application Software Program.

ADD POWER POINT VIEWER TO YOUR COMPUTER: Go to www.Microsoft.com – on right hand column – choose Downloads & Trials, search for “Power Point Viewer” and when wizard opens up – choose DOWNLOAD NOW button – in a few minutes this free software will be on your computer – follow directions as it adds it…

CAN YOU MAKE SLIDE PRESENTATIONS WITHOUT POWER POINT?? Yes, use Picasa (a free photo editing software program from Google, if you don’t have it, go to www.picasa.com and download for free).  Picasa’s version 3, has both a slide show & movie making application to use and they are easy to work with.. For those with Windows XP or Vista, your windows software has a free program called Windows Movie Maker which works in much the same way as power point and the Picasa applications… and if you have Windows 7 or 8 you can always search for and download

In our next posting we will talk more about using PICASA to create slide shows.. 

Websites to help with rising gas prices

With gas prices climbing continually, it’s more important than ever to keep an eye on gas prices and for those who are planning a summer trip – you might want to more accurately calculate what your fuel costs will be.. Here are some websites that you might find helpful…

To calculate fuel expenses for a trip…

www.fuelcostcalculator.aaa.com

Cost of fuel …

www.gasbuddy.com

www.fuelgaugereport.aaa.com

For those of you with smartphones and/or tablets (such as Droid, iPhone, iPads, Goggle Nexus, BlackBerry, Kindles etc) consider adding these and other mobile apps - including AAA - to help find the least expensive gas and other services when you are traveling…

Remember to avoid getting gas when you are on or near major interstate highways and/or airports ~ as most of us know – prices are always higher at these locations… 

Happy Father's Day Weekend to All the Dads, Grand Dads & Great Grand Dads..

Personally, I think there is a definite difference between a DAD and a FATHER (this doesn't apply to our heavenly father of course!!)

To some, using the phrase dad and/or father are one in the same, but to me they are very different.  I've heard it said that just about any man can become a father, but it takes a very special man to earn the title of dad, and I agree whole heartedly...  After all, we all have known FATHERS who earned that title from a biological standpoint only…but DADS – well that’s a very different story.  

To me, a dad, is a very special title given to someone who is there for their children (biological or not), who not only watch over their children but enjoy actively participating in their lives…  A dad’s arms are always ready to hold their children, they are ready to dry their tears, calm their fears and dad’s smile widely at each and every accomplishment..  Dads are cheerleaders, teachers, protectors and providers – but most of all they have hearts as big as all outdoors and are so proud that they've earned the most important title of their life, and that is being called “DAD”!!

So to all the wonderful dads, grand dads and great granddads out there – celebrate your title this weekend – special thanks and congratulations for being such special people and for opening your hearts to your families…...   .

Happy Father's Day

(Author Unknown)

A Dad is a person who is loving and kind,

And often he knows, what you have on your mind.

He's someone who listens, suggests, and defends

A dad can be one of your very best friends!

He's proud of your triumphs, but when things go wrong

A dad can be patient and helpful and strong.

In all that you do, a dad's love plays a part

There's always a place for him, deep in your heart.

And each year that passes, You're even more glad,

More grateful and proud, just to call him your dad!

Thank you, Dad.

for listening and caring, for giving and sharing

and especially, for just being you!

Happy Father's Day

Windows 8 - How to set a printer as your “default” printer..

In earlier versions of the Windows Operating Systems (XP-Vista-7) we simply went to start – control panel – devices and printers and then right clicked on the printer we wanted as our default printer.  Setting a printer as a default printer, means each time we give the print command, our “default” printer is the one that the computer will choose…

In Windows 8 it is a little different and I must admit it took me awhile to figure it out, but it is basically the same as earlier versions…(minus the start menu of course)

• Press the Windows Key to go to the Start Screen (With all the windows 8 tiles)
• Now, move your mouse to the far lower right until a list of “5” icons appear
• Move the mouse up this lit (which Microsoft calls the Windows 8 Charm Bar – the icons from top to bottom are Search, Share, Start, Devices & Settings – and these names will appear as your mouse hovers over each icon)
• Now Click Search
• When the action list appears (right side of your screen) Type Control Panel in the search box at the top
• When you do Control Panel will appear on the left side of your monitor, click on it
• Then click Devices & Printers (same list you saw in earlier versions of Windows appears)
• When you see the printer you want as your default printer, hover your mouse over it, right click and choose “Set as Default Printer” from the action list

How to Change the Size of Print on the Screen

On your home computers, Go to Start Menu, then choose "Control Panel," then "Appearance and Personalization" and finally, select "Display."… which allows you to change sizes based on the DPI*

Select a screen text size that works best for you:

·         "Smaller -- 100% (default)" text size

·         "Medium -- 125%." is therefore 125% larger than the default size.

·         "Larger -- 150%" is therefore 150% larger than the default size for items on your screen

·         “Select Custom Text Size (DPI*)" in the left hand pane of the window (the last selection) to customize the size you want.

*Remember, DPI stands for "dots per inch." If you select more "dots per inch," the text on your screen will be larger and if you select less “dots per inch” he text will be smaller.

Click on the down arrow in the box next to "Scale to This Percentage of Normal Size." A drop-down menu appears, displaying more options.  Choose a size you like and if the sizes still aren’t what you’d like, position your mouse pointer on the ruler visible below the text "Scale to This Percentage of Normal Size." The mouse pointer will turn into a hand symbol. Left-click on your mouse or mouse pad and drag the mouse pointer to the right to increase the size until it suits you. When you release the mouse button, the actual print size will display below the ruler, giving you an instant preview of the size you have selected.

Remember, if you are only changing the size temporarily when you are on the internet or in many other software application programs, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, use the size scroll bar on the bottom right of the status bar or try he CTRL +/- KEYS  to magnify or de-magnify what is you are seeing on the monitor.

Colorado River Computer Club Meeting next Tuesday, June 4th

We want to remind all of you in Lake Havasu City and surrounding communities that the next meeting of the Colorado River Computer Club will be held next Tuesday evening, June 4th at 6pm.

Meetings begin at 6pm on the first Tuesday of every month in Community Room B of the Mohave County Library in Lake Havasu City, AZ.  The New Users Group meets at 6:00 pm and during the June 4th meeting, at 7pm, there will be a presentation by:

David Coutts from Suddenlink

This Computer Club is a non-profit organization established to aid members in achieving better results from their computers. It is not connected with any commercial or private business.  Each month there is a guest speaker and you will have an opportunity to ask questions...

For more information, visit their website:  www.crccaz.com , which we have listed on the left column of our blog under "Student Favorites" for future reference...

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday evening, September 3^rd (No meetings will be held in July or August)

Enjoy Memorial Day

On behalf of all of us at MCC (Mohave Community College) we hope you will join us and take a moment today to remember all those who serve or have served our country - if that's you, or members of your family, a very special thank you.

We also thought you'd enjoy checking out a favorite Memorial Day website with lots of helpful information about the holiday and the way it is celebrated.. enjoy

www.usmemorialday.org

When I want to know which websites are “Hot” – we can always check out

www.allmyfaves.com – which we refer to in classes quite often..

Another favorite website to visit that lists their opinion of the top “100 websites” is:

www.100bestwebsites.org

Want to travel from the comfort of home, then check out web cams all over the world, including spring tulip farms in Holland, beaches all over the country or world, the Eiffel Tower and many many more:

www.earthcam.com

So check them out, and if you have a favorite website you'd like us to share with everyone - just send it to me and remember to save websites you visit to your favorite or bookmark list so they are easy to visit again in the future..

Enjoy the Internet - where we can learn & explore anytime - anywhere…

How to enlarge the size of your toolbars in Chrome & Firefox

According to www.ehow.com, you can edit the sizes of your toolbars in both Google chrome& Mozilla Firefox..Firefox versions prior to Firefox 4.0 have a menu bar at the top of the application that allows you to access the "File," "Edit," "Tools" and other menus. 

If you find your menu bar in Firefox smaller than you prefer it, you can edit the size of the bar with the userChrome.css file, a Firefox configuration file that allows you to change any aspect of the browser using CSS code. Accessing and editing your Firefox configuration file gives you complete control over how large you want the menu bar to appear

1.   Click on "Start" and select "Computer."

2.   Go to the following location on your computer: "C:\Users\{Windows Profile Name}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Firefox Profile Name}\Chrome."

3.   Locate the "userChrome-example.css" file. Right-click the file and select the "Rename" option. Rename the file "userChrome.css."

4.   Right-click the file and click "Open With." A new window will appear. Select "Notepad" and click "OK" to open the file in Notepad.

5.   Add the following code to the bottom of the file: /* Large Menus */ menubar, menubutton, menulist, menu, menuitem {font-size: 4mm !important;}

6.   Replace "4" with the font size in mm that you want to change the menu bar to.

7.   Click "File" and select "Save." Launch Firefox to view the changes to the menu bar.

For more information on this topic, go to this link at... www.ehow.com:.

How to Edit the Menu Bar Size on Firefox or Chrome | eHow http://www.ehow.com/how_8626717_edit-bar-size-firefox-chrome.html#ixzz2U1lYWuMe

Apple-Putting your devices to sleep, shutting down & waking them up..

When you put your apple product to sleep, your session can quickly be resumed and you can also bypass the startup process.  This feature is excellent if you will only be away from your device for a short time. If you will be away from it for an extended period of time, it is best to shut it down.

MacBook

To put your MacBook to sleep, you may do any one of the following:

·        Shut the display.

·        Choose the Apple and then select Sleep from the menu bar.

·        Press the power button and click sleep in the dialog box that will appear.

·        Choose Apple, then select System Preferences, click Energy Saver, and then set a sleep timer.

To shut down your MacBook, you may do one of the following:

·        Choose Apple and then select Shut Down from the menu bar.

·        Press the power button and click Shut Down from the dialog box that appears.

iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

When you are no longer using your device, you can lock the display to save battery. When your device is locked, nothing happens if you touch the screen. If you are playing music, you can still listen to it while the device is locked and you can also adjust the volume by using the buttons on the side of the device.

·        To put your device to sleep simply press the Sleep/Wake button.

·        To power your device down, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button. A slider bar will appear at the top of the screen. Release the Sleep/Wake button and drag the slider to the right power the device down.

These devices are set to automatically sleep after a minute or two of inactivity. To change the Auto-Lock setting, go to Settings> General> Auto-Lock.   

Waking up Apple devices from Sleep

MacBook

·        If your display is shut, open it to wake your MacBook

·       If your display is already open, press the power button or any key on the keyboard.

iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

·        If your device is locked, press the Sleep/Wake button or the Home button, and then drag the slider to the right.

·        If your device is powered off, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the Apple appears and then release the Sleep/Wake button.

 

 

Internet-How to have multiple tabs open as your home page

CHANGING HOME PAGE "TABS":

Your home page is the first page/website that comes up as soon as you have "activated/opened" your Browser for internet access.

Today, Browsers use a TAB to indicate the websites you have opened, including your Home Page..And most browsers allow you to have "Multiple Home Page Tabs" open when you initially open your Browser... 

TO CHANGE HOME PAGE TABS IN (I.E.) INTERNET EXPLORER: 

· Open I.E., now open the websites you want to open each time you open I.E.

· Once they are all open, go to the Menu Bar, Tools, Internet Options

· You will see your current home page listed in the "display box"

· Click on the USE CURRENT button

· Now click APPLY and OK

· Close your browser and when you reopen it, all tabs will open

 

TO CHANGE HOME PAGE TABS IN GOOGLE CHROME: 

· Open Chrome, now open the websites you want to open when you open Chrome

· Click the wrench icon in the upper right corner and select Options

· Under the Basics tab on the left, in the On startup box, click the radio button beside Open the following pages

· Then click the Use current pages button.

· The list that appears will reflect your new home page(s)

 

TO CHANGE HOME PAGE TABS IN FIREFOX

· Open Firefox, now open the websites you want to open when you open Firefox

· Once they are all open, go the Menu Bar, Options (Preferences on a MAC)

· Under the General Panel - choose "Use Current Pages"

· Close your browser and when you reopen it, all tabs will open 

TO CHANGE HOME PAGE TABS IN SAFARI

· First, create a Bookmarks folder

· Add a bookmark to the folder for every page you want to have open as a tab

· Now in your general preferences in Safari, go "New windows open with > Choose tabs folder".

· Browse/Find the bookmarks folder you set up and select it

· New windows should now open with a tab for each page you've got a bookmark for in that chosen folder.