Enjoy the Library at MCC

Hello everyone and greetings from the Hodel Library at Mohave Community College-Lake Hsavasu City Campus..

I would like to invite anyone who is interested to visit the Library for a one-on-one demonstration of the online databases, so:

• If you are hunting down branches of your family tree, we can show you how to access Ancestry.com or Heritage Quest.
• If you are a quilter or collector, you might enjoy reading articles from the Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center.
• If you have a question about a medical issue, you can get up-to-date information (and sometimes videos) with Consumer Health Complete.
• If you need to use a computer - we have a complete computer lab with printers for your use (an no time limits)

Just ask for Wendi or Mary Jo at 928-453-5809 or 928-453-5809. Or, you can come on by and visit with us in person at Mohave Community College 1977 Acoma Blvd. West (we’re located toward the back of the campus, not far from the 500 Computer Class Building).

Check us out online: www.mohave.edu/library

Remember, the Hodel Library is open to everyone in Lake Havasu City!

Wendi Birkhead, MLS, Campus Librarian
Hodel Library - Lake Havasu City Campus
Mohave Community College
1977 W. Acoma Blvd
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403
wbirkhead@mohave.edu

Who is PayPal and why would you use them?

Wikipedia's description of PayPal: PayPal is an e-commerce business allowing payments and money transfers to be made through the Internet..

But to me: PayPal is simply an easy and safe way to pay for things that I buy online…

Many say that PayPal is:

• the fastest, safest easiest way to pay and get paid
• the most popular online payment source in the world today
• lets us send money to anyone with email
• free for consumers
• works very easily with our existing credit cards and checking accounts
• easy to join-it takes just a few minute to set-up your free online account

Personally, I like the fact that I can shop online and not share my financial information with the company I am buying from (credit or debit card or checking account information with anyone other than paypal). Everyone seems to agree that PayPal uses the newest and best anti-fraud technology to help protect us and our financial information… so that if a companies information is compromised my account information isn’t…

With PayPal it’s also easy to transfer money to anyone, anytime, anywhere in the world from whatever computer you may be at.

You can pay most retailers on the internet with PayPal and in some cases that is the only payment form they accept.

If it’s free than how does Pay Pal make it’s money. Easy, they charge the sellers for each transaction. So for “sellers” the rumblings are that PayPal’s fees are increasing much too high and much too quickly!!

Visit their website for more information: www.paypal.com

What are Internet Cookies?

Cookies are helpful, because they make it easier for us to “move around” when we revisit a website again in the future..

Cookies are pieces of information that actually create a very small “text file” which is placed in a folder on the hard drive of our computer - they are generated/created when we visit a website, by the server that the web page is on. Some people say it’s like “our id card” so that when we go back and revisit a website, it tells that website that we are back – not us really, but that the computer we are using is back visiting the website again!!!

We can delete or change the way in which cookies and/or temporary Internet files are saved by changing our Internet settings. The way we change our Internet settings varies depending on the Internet Browser and level of Browser that we use…Remember there are different browsers (all of which are free) and different members of a family might use different browsers..

Some of us might use Internet Explorer 7, 8 or even 9 (Microsoft products); some might use Chrome by Google; others might use FireFox by Mozilla, while others who have an Apple Mac might use Safari.. and the list goes on…

If you aren’t sure how to change your Internet settings, for your specific browser software and level, you might want to visit this website and save it in your favorites…

http://www.aboutcookies.org/

Excel 2010 - Create an "Auto Fill List" Office 2010

EXCEL 2010 - HOW TO CREATE/ADD YOUR OWN CUSTOMIZED “AUTO FILL LIST” (this has changed a little since earlier versions of Excel)

If you have a list/header row already typed on a spreadsheet – skip this step

“Type your list either in the first row or the first column” of an Excel spreadsheet

• Highlight this customized list that you want to add to the Auto Fill Master list
• Now, go to the File Tab & choose “Options”
• In the Options list – in the left column, Choose Advanced
• Bring the scroll bar on the right down almost to the bottom.. until you see the button “EDIT CUSTOM LIST” (to the right of “create lists for the use in sort 7 fill sequences”)
• That Opens the Edit Custom List Dialog Box – toward the bottom right, left click in the button Import
• Now you will see your list in the right column-“List Entries” and in the left list “Custom Lists” – Click OK

Notes:

• If you have a list in another program (word, word perfect, email, etc) – simply highlight and copy the list in that program, open the Edit Custom List Dialog Box, right click and choose paste – the list will not be in the “List Entries” and when you add it – it will be added with the commas after each word/phrase.
• To change this list in the future (add or remove titles), come back to this dialog box, left click on the custom list on the left side that you want to change – the list will appear in the “List Entries” on the right – make the change and then click on ADD, then click OK
• You can only change “custom lists” you’ve created, not ones that came with your software..

INTERNET – EVERYTHING IS SO SMALL..

When what you are looking at on the Internet is too small – simply change the size… not just the text size.. but by “zooming” you can enlarge or reduce everything you see on the monitor including the text, photos, icons etc…

There are several different ways you can do this quickly and easily, including keyboard shortcuts:

• TO ENLARGE: Hold the CTRL button (bottom left & right corner of your keyboard) and tap the plus “+” sign (far right of the keyboard row with the numbers)
• TO REDUCE: Hold the CTRL button (bottom left & right corner of your keyboard) and tap the minus “-“ sign (far right of the keyboard row with the numbers)

OR

• TO ENLARGE AND REDUCE: Hold the CTRL button (bottom left & right corner of your keyboard) and roll the wheel on your mouse up to enlarge and down to reduce

OR

For those who use Internet Explorer:

• Use your status bar – bottom right corner of your screen, is the zoom list – which allows you to choose or customize screen – OR
• On your I.E. command toolbar, choose Page, and when the drop down list of actions appear – choose Zoom – then choose or customize the size you want.

Who and What is spokeo.com

In the last few weeks, many facebook & myspace users have been posting the following information about the website spokeo.com in their status to make others aware of this website and their concerns…

Spokeo.com is an online USA phone book w/personal information: everything from pics you've posted on Facebook or other websites, your approximate credit score, home value, home address, income, age, marital status, names & ages of your children, etc.

You can remove yourself by first searching for yourself on their site to find the URL of your page, then going to the Privacy button on the bottom of their page to remove yourself – HOWEVER many people have commented that using this privacy button, is how spokeo and other similar companies are getting our email addresses, so be careful – Overwhelmingly the comments on the message boards and forums are indicating that the data they publish is more incorrect than accurate..

According to wikipedia.com – Spokeo.com’s headquarters are in Pasadena, CA founded by Harrison Tang and launched in Dec. 2006 and now becoming “popular”. They are a social network “aggregator” website (similar to zabasearch.com that was popular a few years ago doing the same thing). They accumulate information from a wide variety of information gathered online and offline from “public” resources (such as phone books, social networks like facebook, myspace and others, , marketing surveys, mailing lists, government censuses, education real estate listings, and business websites). This information might include demographics, education and career information, photos from on line photo albums, estimated property and personal assets, email addresses and other usernames for sites such as facebook, and much much more.. Recently they announced their ability to scan social networks, blogs, photo albums, dating sites, music networks, video sites, ecommerce stores, and other web services in real-time to help find online profiles with similar usernames..

Most information seen for free is very basic, but of course then you can sign up and pay for additional information, which again, many people report is totally inaccurate. Users report problems with removing their listings, and some independent reports verified that the removal process was "spotty."

For more information you can check them on www.breakthechain.org or www.snopes.com - Here is the direct link to snopes comments about them...
www.snopes.com/computer/internet/spokeo.asp

HOW TO GET PHOTOS FROM YOUR CELL PHONE TO YOUR COMPUTER..

You’ve taken photos or videos with your cell phone, but how can you get them to your computer so you can print or email them… There are several ways, depending on the type and model of your cell phone – use one of the following tips or check your cell phone manufacturer’s website for their tutorial instructions for your specific cell phone..

CABLE FROM CELL PHONE TO COMPUTER: Some phones, come with cables that have a connection for the phone and the other end has a USB port connection – if you phone has this, you will copy and paste the photo’s from your cell phone to your computer, the same as you would from a flash drive/memory card to your computer.. For example, if you have a Motorola phone you can use a tool called Motorola Phone Tools-It isn't free but comes with a USB cable you can directly connect to the computer

FOR CELL PHONES WITH TEXTING CAPABILITIES: Then you can simply “email the photo’s to yourself or anyone else with an email address” just like a text message; instead of a phone number you would send it to the “email address”

FOR CELL PHONES WITH MEMORY CARDS: Before you take pictures with your cell phone, be sure you have a memory card in the slot and that your camera setting is set to save all photos & videos that you take, and other information you’d like, to the memory card. Refer to your user manual to make sure you buy the right kind of memory card for your cell phone If your cell phone didn’t come with one. Common cell phone memory card formats include: TransFlash MicroSD, MiniSD, Sony MemoryStick but, the most popular is MicroSD (remember "MiniSD" and "MicroSD" are not the same kind of cards)..

Small memory cards require a larger adapter to insert in a computer memory card reader.
Once your small memory card is in the adapter, insert the memory card adapter into a memory card reader or into your laptop/computer/printer’s built in memory card reader..

Now it is ready to be “read” - Open Windows Explorer (Windows Flag Key & E), you will then see your memory card with an assigned drive letter – typically E or F. When you left click on that drive, look to the right side of the screen and you will see the photos and or all information on the memory card.

1. Highlight the photos you want to put on the computer
2. Choose COPY
3. Now go to or create a new folder for the picture
4. Once you are in the correct folder, choose PASTE

Your photos are now on your computer in the folder you have chosen or created…

Everyone is invited to visit the MCC Library

Hi All! My name is Wendi Birkhead and I am the campus librarian of the Hodel Library on the Lake Havasu Campus of Mohave Community College. I want to invite you to visit us and find out about all the wonderful books, DVDs, audiobooks, and electronic materials we have to offer.

Many people don’t realize that we are open to everyone – students and non-students, alike – and anyone can get a library card for free.

We carry bestsellers, fiction and nonfiction. Through the computers in our library or when you access our website:
www.Mohave.edu/library (listed on this blogs list of favorite websites), you have access to fantastic databases such as Ancestry.com, Heritage Quest, Consumer Health Complete, the Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center and more.

We have plenty of computers for your use and we don't have a time limit on how long you can use them. You also can use our databases to look at articles from journals such as Consumer Reports, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, PC World, U.S. News and World Reports, etc.

Please give us a call at 928-453-5809 to ask for more information. You can also come on by and visit with us in person at Mohave Community College 1977 Acoma Blvd. West. We are located toward the back of the MCC campus, just behind the 500 Building, where the Computer Classes are held.

Let us know how we can help and we look forward to meeting you.

What is Twitter & What are Tweets!!!

Twitter began in 2006 and is a website, owned and operated by Twitter Inc. and based in San Francisco, CA, but has several other locations in the US including San Antonio, TX and Boston, MA.

Twitter is another free social networking site (like facebook) where users can send and receive “tweets”.

A “tweet or tweeting” is a text message/post with up to 140 characters and all you need to use Twitter is an Internet connection or a mobile phone. You can follow many different tweets and followers can follow you..

You must join Twitter - which is free and you will be required to “sign up” and create a username and password as you do with all Internet accounts..

Twitter is used world-wide by individuals, celebrities, businesses from breaking world news to updates from friends …

Check it out for yourself at http://www.twitter.com/ - Twitter website makes it easy to join and offers lots of helpful tips for those of you who are learning to use their service. And again, it's free and simply another new way to "stay in touch"

Free Typing Websites

Ready to improve your typing skills – there are plenty of wonderful websites that offer you “free” tutorials to test and improve your typing skills..

The following are just a few online “free websites” that can help you with your speed and accuracy.

For those of you who are accomplished typists, take a typing test on any of these to see how your skills are..

Try several of them until you find one that you enjoy – and then use it often – even a few minutes a day can make a big difference… Enjoy

www.learn2type.com

www.typingweb.com

www.powertyping.com

www.freetypinggame.net

www.learntotype.org

BACKING UP YOUR COMPUTER AND INFO? Part 2 of 2

Our last blog posting stressed the importance of "backing up" our computer hard drive - losing a document or one photo can be upsetting - but if your computer crashes and you lose everything that can be overwhelming and costly... Believe me it's not pleasant - as much as I preach the importance of backing up, I know how busy we can all get and it's easy to forget, so the last time I lost information I decided it was time to do something where I don't even have to think about it... So for me - an outside company - was the best choice and I choose carbonite.com which offers unlimited storage...

HOW CARBONITE WORKS – IT’S EASY & GREAT ADVANTAGES..
Install Carbonite – then your Back-Up is done each time you are on your PC/Internet ; Relax it’s secure; Restore lost files easily & Remote Access

WHAT CARBONITE IS AND WHAT IT ISN'T...
Again, with Carbonite you get unlimited backup of the irreplaceable files on your computer. That said, your Carbonite subscription does NOT include some services often confused with backup.

• Online/offsite file storage. Carbonite is NOT a place to move files from your hard drive, to free up space on your hard drive. If you remove any file from your hard drive, Carbonite waits 30 days for you to recover it, and then we delete that file from our servers, too.
• Program or system backup. Carbonite backs up the irreplaceable files on your computer – user-generated content such as photos, documents, music, etc. Carbonite does not back up software programs, temporary files or system files
• External Hard Drive backup. Carbonite consumer products does not allow you to back up your external hard drive, unless you purchase their external hard drive support with as a small business
• Archiving. Carbonite does not keep every version of every file you’ve ever created. Carbonite's PC product offers versioning, which allows you to recover some versions of your files, going back up to 90 days

Check them out www.carbonite.com

BACKING UP YOUR COMPUTER AND INFO? Part 1 of 2

A great New Years Resolution when it comes to your computer – is to “back-up” your information on a regular basis so that no matter what happens – all your data is protected…

Whether you back-up using CD’s, a Large Flash Drive, Portable or External Hard Drive or use a company like I do “carbonite.com” or Mozy.com or use your internet provider (many offer back-up services) – Backing up on a regular basis is critical. This is especially important for those of us with older computers or if you have large document, photo, music or other media files…

If you use one of the services – remember to ask how much space is included and what the charges are for additional storage (personally that’s why I like carbonite.com-it offers unlimited storage)

If you decide to use an external hard drive – there are many on the market, so watch the sales flyers – this one was recently advertised and has more storage than most of us would ever use… so a great investment:

• Office Depot’s “Clickfree" HD1035 Backup External USB Hard Drive, 1000GB”, which Automatically backs up your computer without any confusing software to install
• Back up your computer in just 1 step-No software to install or set up and incremental backup lets you save only the files changed since the previous backup – About $135.00

Our next blog will talk about using a company, like I do… www.carbonite.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2011

On behalf of our entire staff at Mohave Community College and myself, we want to wish you and yours a healthy, happy New Year full of blessings and joy ~ May this year "2011" be the best year of your life! Cherie Houston

~ William Arthur Ward quotes (American dedicated scholar, author, editor, pastor and teacher)

ANOTHER NEW YEAR

“Another fresh new year is here . . .

Another year to live!

To banish worry, doubt, and fear,

To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me

To live each day with zest . . .

To daily grow and try to be

My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity once more

To right some wrongs,

To pray for peace,

To plant a tree,

And sing more joyful songs!”

Top Ten New Years Resolutions

Trying to decide what your New Years Resolution should be for the upcoming 2011!! Maybe the list published on the USA.Gov website can help you to decide what would be best for you - Check it out at:

(www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/New_Years_Resolutions.shtml)

Technology is so helpful today... And when you visit the USA.Gov website (link is above) and each of the following resolutions is linked to the associated website for helpful information to help you reach your goal...

According to USA.Gov, these are the most popular New Year's resolutions year after year:

• Drink Less Alcohol
• Get a Better Education
• Get a Better Job
• Get Fit
• Lose Weight
• Manage Debt
• Manage Stress
• Quit Smoking Now
• Save Money
• Take a Trip
• Volunteer to Help Others

Computer Classes Begin January 5th

On Wednesday, January 5th my computer classes begin again at Mohave Community College…

We have some great classes lined up from January thru April to help you become more comfortable with your computer, digital camera, using social networks, such as facebook and blogging, using your printer and lots of different software so you can create letters, newsletters, greeting cards, spreadsheets, power point slide shows, even to create your own books with or without photos…and of course lots of tips for using your email or skyping family all over the world…

The following classes are being held in January prior to LHC’s Spring Frenzy.. To reserve your seat, Call Registration 928-855-7812 or 453-1139.. Consider signing up with a friend – coming to class with someone else gives you the motivation to practice and the more people in each class the more is learned from questions....

COMPUTERS FOR THE FUN OF IT LSC062-121: Jan 5 & 6: Wednesday & Thursday morning, 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…

DIGITAL CAMERA BASICS LSC100A-221: Jan 7 & 10: Friday & Monday afternoon, 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

INTERNET AND IT’S MANY USES LSC071-121: Jan 10 & 12: Monday & Wednesday morning, 8:30am-12:20pm, Two 4 Hour classes designed to help you get totally comfortable with the internet, tips & lingo, such as ISP, browser, blogger; when/why to use F5 & F11; website basics, hyperlinks, email basics, using “Google & Bing” to search web, images, news; translating to & from different languages; blogging

CREATE/PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK LSC100A-124: Jan 11 & 18 Tuesday mornings, 8:30am-12:20pm, - Two 4 hour classes learning to create & publish your own book, using free book publishing software from www.blurb.com known as personal book making & publishing-use 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-we will also work with walgreens.com to create a book & greeting cards using your photos Bring photos to class (on camera or flash drive)

HOW TO BUY & SELL ONLINE LSC101-121: Jan 11 & 13 Tuesday & Thursday afternoon, 1pm-4:50pm, 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

LIST AND DATA MANAGEMENT WITH EXCEL LSC069-121: Jan 12 & 14 Wednesday & Friday afternoon, 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

FIND & ORGANIZE WHAT’S ON YOUR PC LSC062-124: Jan 13 & 20, Thursday mornings, 8:30am-12:20pm, Two 4 hour classes-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..

PICASA PHOTO EDITING LSC100A-223: Jan 18 & 20 Tuesday & Thursday afternoon, 1pm-4:50pm, Two 4 hour classes learning to edit & print Digital Photos using Picasa (a free Google software) learn to upload photos from your camera and/or scanner to the PC and learn t order prints on line.. Bring photos to class (on camera or flash drive)

CREATE GREAT LOOKING DOCUMENTS LSC068-121: Jan 19 & 21 Wednesday & Friday mornings, 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

MOVIE MAKER LSC100A- Sec 226: Jan 19 & 21 Wednesday & Friday afternoons,, 1pm-4:50pm, Two 4 hour classes learn to create movies with your photos, music & other special effects: transitions, titles/credits, your favorite music, timeline narration, and much more. This software is free with Windows XP, Media, Vista and/or Windows 7 … Bring photos to class (on your camera or flash drive)

50 Best Websites 2010

Every year, TIME (Time magazine) publishes a list of what they feel are the top 50 websites – according to their promo, the list ranges from the helpful to the distracting, the big hitters to the unknowns..

So when you have some time to relax and explore, check out their website which makes it easy by sorting their list into ten (10) primary categories…

• Music & Video
• Sports
• News & Info
• Financial & Productivity
• Shopping & Travel
• Health & Fitness
• Social Media
• Games
• Education
• Family & Kids

Hope you enjoy… here's the link:

www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2012721,00.html

Merry Christmas Everyone

From our families to yours, may you have a peace and joy filled Christmas…

CHRISTMAS BELLS
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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!

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!’

Listen to Christmas Music Online

Thought you might enjoy listening to Christmas Music Online - check out these free sites and enjoy the musical magic of the holidays... Enjoy.....

www.Pandora.com/ChristmasMusic

www.christmasmusic247.com

www.xmasmelody.com

www.accuradio.com/more/accuholidays

How many photo images can be stored on a Memory Card?

The following information for photo images is a guideline, the number will vary based on several things, such as camera model, internal file size, compression settings, what you have chosen for resolution and compression mode settings and finally, JPEG or .JPG (is a compressed file) compression will result in different file sizes based upon picture complexity…
MP=Megapixels: MB=Megabytes, GB = Gigabytes

This approx. number of photo images can be used on these 2 different size SDHC Memory Cards on 4 different size cameras - 6MP, 8MP, 10MP and 12MP. The SDHC Memory Card is one of the most popular memory card styles used today by camera manufacturers..

4GB: 6MP=1905 images; 8MP 1270 images; 10MP 802 images or 12MP 677 images

8GB: 6MP=3812 images; 8MP 2540 images; 10MP 1604 images or 12MP 1354 images

Note: all memory cards have a DCIM folder (Digital Camera Image) which should never be removed..

Digital Camera Basics

If you are purchasing a camera for 4 x 6 snapshots a 3-4 Megapixel is fine, but you will find as you shop for this holiday season – December 2019 – that most cameras today come with 12 Megapixels or more, so that isn’t a problem. If you like a particular brand of camera, go with it. Some features to look for are:

Battery Type
Depending on your preference you may want regular AAA batteries because they are everywhere and easy to replace or a proprietary rechargeable battery that comes with your camera. It’s really just a matter of choice.

LCD size
Generally, the larger the LCD, the better. The larger your view, the better idea you have whether the picture is good, or if you should take another.

View Finder
Most new cameras don’t have an eyepiece to view your subject, you use the viewfinder instead. If an eyepiece viewer is important to you, make sure the camera you purchase has one. Only in very bright sun is the eyepiece viewer important.

Zoom
For me, Optical Zoom, is the most important feature. When you frame a picture, you usually want a part of the scene- maybe just the face or faces – maybe the whole body and the interactions between people- maybe the people as they relate to the vast scenery. The larger your zoom, the better chance you have of capturing what you’d like to see in a picture. The average zoom sold today is 4X. So ask about Optical Zoom (not Digital Zoom)

Image Stabilization
This helps make your picture more sharp and less fuzzy. Image stabilization is more important the longer your zoom and has become a standard feature in most cameras today .

Our next post will discuss memory and memory cards...

What to do when your computer says you have "low memory"

A "memory too low message" is an indication that the amount of random access memory (RAM) in your computer is inadequate for the program you are trying to run.

Older computers attempting to run newer software often run into this problem. If you only get the memory low message when you attempt to run a specific program, then you've identified the problem. You can either not use that particular program or you can install additional memory.

The best way to get rid of a memory low message is to add more memory. Another benefit of adding more memory is better overall system performance. How much more memory you will be able to add depends on your operating system (Windows 98, Windows XP, Vista or the newest Windows 7) and the hardware that you have within your computer....

Check your manufacturer’s website for your specific computer to determine what upgrades you can make - this will tell you how much more memory you can add. Or call a respected tech support person if you are unsure or uncomfortable trying to do this on your own...

Enjoy your Holidays-Classes Resume in 2011

Just a quick reminder that as of today, our computer classes are over now until after the holidays and MCC is on holiday break.

On behalf of all of us at MCC, we wish you and your families a wonderful holiday season and fabulous and healthy 2011 ahead... Still not quite sure where this year went...

Our classes will begin again the week of January 3rd and continue thr the end of April with more topics than you can imagine... We will be sending a list of our January classes and an update on Spring Frenzy which is held the first week in February during the the next few days so sign up early and remember if you have any questions - just email me...

cherie_houston@hotmail.com

Until then from our family to yours, have a safe, healthy and happy holiday...

Difference between Webcasts & Podcasts

Difference between webcasts & podcasts

Webcasts and Podcasts have a few things in common, but they are very different.

Both are different ways of getting information, via audio and or video "streaming" to a lot of people anywhere in the world using the Internet. The words themselves, like so many other new words being added every year to our vocabulary & dictionaries for computer lingo, are fairly new:

• Webcast became popular in the mid 1990’s
• Podcast became a popular term in 2001 because of the Apple iPod…

A basic difference is that Webcasts are sent in "real time," meaning that they are "live" (even though some Webcasts are saved and then viewed later) and they are watched on a computer... So many companies and organizations use webcasts today versus holding “in person” large conventions or seminars (often referred to as webinars-another great new word)

Podcasts end up being archived and can be viewed at a later date and they can be saved and played back on your iPod or many smartphones today, and if they are audio only then you can play them back on your portable music player, like your mp3 player.. Many Podcasts are “pre-recorded” and then published on their site as files you can open at your convenience – fast-forwarding, starting & stopping and rewinding – whatever you want.

Most of us find that Webcasts can't be copied and shared as easily as a Podcast can

DOWNLOADING PICASA 3

PICASA (a Google product) is a FREE award-winning software used for working with photos, on your PC, from emails, disk, CD-Rom and digital cameras.

**PICASA’S NEW VERSION 3, can only be used with Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7. If you are using an older “Operating System” such as Windows 98, 2000, ME, then you will continue to use Picasa Version 2

Downloading Picasa to your computer is quick and easy and again FREE - Just open your Internet and on the Internet address toolbar, type: http://www.picasa.com/

• Click on the button that says “DOWNLOAD PICASA”
• This brings you to a dialog box where you must choose whether to “RUN” or “Save” the file, Click “RUN”.
• Depending on your Internet service speed, this may take a few minutes
• Another dialog box will appear asking: Do you want to RUN the software? Click RUN
• The software should be installed on your computer. If you’re asked other questions, respond “yes” or “OK”. Picasa 3 will be installed on your PC
• Picasa then will search over your whole computer for pictures or merely look in the “MYPICTURES” directory. I prefer the MYPICTURES directory only, but you can choose whatever option you wish
• The Picasa Icon is now created and on your desktop (and you can add it to your Quick Launch)
• The Picasa Media Detector should be installed on the system tray in the taskbar toolbar. This is necessary so that Picasa 3 can add any new photos that are added to the MyPictures folder.

Picasa software allow you to:

• Create quick & easy photo Slide Shows- with or without music
• Easy to view Photo Library
• Numerous quick & easy photo editing tools including red eye reduction, cropping and changing photos form color to black & white or sepia
• Photos can be sorted by folder or timeline
• Great tools for printing - wallet, 4 x 6 or full page
• You can convert you photos to movies with sound & motion
• You can easily upload your photos to an online web album for easy sharing
• Or identify all "faces" in your photos for easy sorting-called tagging
• and much much more...

Once you have download the free software, like all Google products, there are great tutorials which will help you learn to use the software - or join us in class...

WHAT IS PODCASTING?

~ Kevin Bachelder

Podcasting is often referred to as online radio. It’s a way that allows anyone to share their thoughts, opinions and expertise with everyone else. It allows anyone to be a content creator regardless of their background. All you need to create your own podcast is a passion for a specific topic, a computer and a microphone..

Podcasts can be audio or video. If you’re looking to find other people who share a similar passion (knitting, photography, travel, SciFi movies, etc.) there’s probably already several podcasts out there on that topic.

Most podcasts are normally free to listen to and very easy to enjoy.

This video does an excellent job of describing podcasts:
www.commoncraft.com/podcasting

This is one of Kevin's podcasts:
http://www.tuningintoscifitv.com/

The following are just a few directories of "podcasts" you can explore to find just about any topic imaginable.. If you don't like one podcast, move on to another until you find the ones you enjoy..
www.podcastdirectory.com
www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts
www.podfeed.net

HOW TO KEEP YOUR MONITOR AND KEYBOARD CLEAN

First-turn the computer off before cleaning the monitor or keyboard…

Monitor ~ The new LCD flat screen monitors/TV should be cleaned with a micro-fiber cloth and water or solution designed for them-Most manufacturers recommend never using products that contain ANY alcohol, ammonia, or other strong solvents on LCD & Plasma screens.

Keyboard ~ First, turn the keyboard upside down and tap it gently to release any crumbs, dust, pet hair; Then versus paying for a can of compressed air, I use the cool setting on a hair dryer after I’ve tapped the keyboard ~ Be careful what you use to wipe it down. Electronic items usually come coated with a very fine film of glossy finish and this material can be damaged by harsh cleaners, especially ones that contain ammonia compounds or alcohol

Mouse & Phones ~ Especially this time of year (winter) I use alcohol wipes on my mouse and all phones at the office, at home and my cell phone; especially if and when the grandkids are around….

BACKING UP YOUR COMPUTER AND INFO

It's very important to back up your computer as well as your important files - documents, photos, music, videos and movies - often. Today more and more of what we do is on our computers and we want to be sure we don't "lose it all" if our computers crashed...

When you back up your files - you can use a CD, Large Flash Drive, Portable or External Hard Drive or a company such as Carbonite.com; Mozy.com or your Internet provider (many offer back-up services)

Backing up on a regular basis is critical – especially for those of us with older computers or if you have large document folders, photo, music or other media files… If you use one of the services – remember to ask how much space is included and what the charges are for additional storage (personally that’s why I like carbonite.com-it offers unlimited)

External Hard Drives-Such as Office Depots “Clickfree" HD1035 Backup External USB Hard Drive, 1000GB”, which Automatically backs up your computer without any confusing software to install - These allow you to back up your computer in just 1 step ~ No software to install or set up and incremental backup lets you save only the files changed since the previous backup – About $135.00

Or use a company, such as Carbonite.com,which is easy and has great advantages..
Once you install Carbonite, future back-ups are done each time you are on your PC/Internet, so you can relax and you can Restore lost files easily and you will have Remote Access to the data on your computer...

What Carbonite is – and what it isn’t: Carbonite offers unlimited backup of the irreplaceable files on your computer. That said, your Carbonite subscription does NOT include some services often confused with backup:

• Online/offsite file storage: Carbonite is NOT a place to move files from your hard drive, to free up space on your hard drive. If you remove any file from your hard drive, they wait 30 days for you to recover it, and then they delete that file from their servers also.
• Program or system backup: Carbonite backs up the irreplaceable files on your computer – user-generated content such as photos, documents, music, etc. They do not back up software programs, temporary files or system files.
• External Hard Drive backup: Carbonite consumer product does not allow you to back up your external hard drive, unless you purchase their external hard drive support with as a small business.
• Archiving: Carbonite does not keep every version of every file you’ve ever created. Their PC product offers versioning, which allows you to recover some versions of your files, going back up to 90 days
• Carbonite costs $54.95 per year-check them out at http://www.carbonite.com/

Suggestions for Online Greeting Card Companies

I get asked all the time which “online greeting card company” do I recommend…

Personally I use http://www.jacquielawson.com/ for all my special cards and I've used them for years; I like that their cards are different and interactive...it's $12 a year or $18 for a 2 year membership.

Although they don't have the hundreds of cards that companies like http://www.hallmark.com/ or http://www.bluemountain.com/ have, I like that Jacquie Lawson’s cards are so unique and interactive...

Almost all of the card companies, especially those that have a membership fee and even some that don’t, allow you so save your email addresses and dates and schedule cards out in advance, so check them out...

Here are a few others that offer free cards and I've used these also - so enjoy...

http://www.myfuncards.com/
http://www.americangreetings.com/
http://www.123greetings.com/
http://www.egreetings.com/
http://www.rattlebox.com/
http://www.e-cards.com/

Great gift idea websites..

These are 2 of fastest growing & most popular websites today for “special deals” – I use both quite often, because they offer great deals and help save money. And as most of you know shopping in malls is one of my least favorite things to do.
So shopping online, especially for the holidays, is my way to shop and I’ve been very pleased with both of these companies… Cherie Houston

www.restaurant.com
A great websites where you purchase discounted gift cards either directly from the one of more than 15,000 restaurants nationwide or buy a "restaurant.com gift card" at their discounted price and then it is redeemable at any of their affiliated restaurants nationwide. As with anything we buy on line – read the specific guidelines of each restaurant when you buy their card or if you aren’t sure – call them. When you put in a zip code, you can then choose the mile radius that you want to check from that point for participating restaurants and you will see the specific restaurants address, tele # and webpage if they have one…

www.groupon.com
Groupon is based in Chicago but has offices all over the US – you’ve seen them in the news lately because they were just purchased by “Google”… I really like this website and use it often for gift ideas here in New England and in Arizona… They offer unbeatable deals every day on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in cities through-put the US and now that Google has bought them I have no doubt they will continue to grow in leaps & bounds… Because Group promises the participating businesses a minimum number of customers, those of us who buy from them get discounts we can’t any other way – it’s called "collective buying power!" And your credit card is very safe-they never save our CC info on their servers..

Holiday Websites to enjoy

December 1st already - the holidays are coming and one website you might enjoy is from Betty Crocker, where you can sign up to receive a new recipe each and every day by email… check it out…

www.bettycrocker.com/products/cookie-mix?WT.mc_id=paid_search_300104_636117&WT.srch=1&esrc=11165

Remember that “www.allmyfaves.com” has added their annual “Happy Holiday” tab with lots of wonderful websites to help you with all aspects of the holidays…And,

these are just a few favorite holiday & cookie recipe websites fellow students have recommended… enjoy… and if you have a favorite website you’d like to share – send it along…

www.christmas-cookies.com

www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/recipes/

www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/index.html

www.mrfood.com/Cookie-Recipes/Hanukkah-Butter-Cookies#

www.howcast.com/videos/410753-How-to-Make-Hanukkah-Chocolate-Coin-Cookies

SHOP SAFELY ONLINE

Top Ten Cyber Monday Tips for Staying Safe When Shopping Online
From Better Business Bureau

Before you begin your cyber Monday holiday shopping spree – take a few moments to check out the Better Business Bureau’s tip to be safe – Shopping on line is the usually the only way that I shop, but you have to be proactive and be careful…

Hopefully you’ll find the tips on the BBB website very helpful…

www.bbb.org/us/article/top-ten-cyber-monday-tips-for-staying-safe-when-shopping-online-23416

TOP 12 CYBER SCAMS OF CHRISTMAS

If you missed this article we don't want you to miss it - it helps to be careful and remember, most times if it sounds to good to be true it probably is…

TOP 12 CYBER SCAMS THIS CHRISTMAS (Top on this year's list: Offers of free iPads)
Nov 16, 2010 published on MSNBC & MSN

Shoppers looking for holiday bargains are already scouring the Web as well as incoming e-mails and text messages for deals — and cyber criminals are quite busy, too, hoping to lure you in with a deal that seems too good to be true. "We’re all looking for a great deal online, but some sites offer electronics or luxury goods at prices that are too good to be true," said Alison Southwick of the Better Business Bureau.

"Every holiday season BBB hears from holiday shoppers who paid for a supposedly great deal online, but received nothing in return." (For more tips on shopping safely online, check out the BBB's link for this list...

www.bbb.org/us/article/top-ten-cyber-monday-tips-for-staying-safe-when-shopping-online-23416

Security software company McAfee recently released its "12 Scams of Christmas" list, and offers of "free" iPads — among this year's most coveted tech gadgets — comes in at No. 1.
"With Apple products topping most shopping lists this holiday season, scammers are busy distributing bogus offers for free iPads" via e-mail spam, McAfee said. In the e-mail, "consumers are asked to purchase other products and provide their credit card number to get the free iPad. Of course, victims never receive the iPad or the other items, just the headache of reporting a stolen credit card number."

Meanwhile, in the Facebook, Twitter or other social media version of the ruse, users are asked to "take a quiz to win a free iPad and must supply their cell phone number to receive the results. In actuality they are signed up for a cell phone scam that costs $10 a week," McAfee said.

Here's the rest of the company's "12 Scams of Christmas" list:

2. "Help! I’ve Been Robbed" — "This travel scam sends phony distress messages to family and friends requesting that money be wired or transferred so that they can get home." We and other news organizations have written about this before, especially as an issue on Facebook, where people feel like they trust information that's posted. With so many people traveling during the holiday season, though, it's easy to fall prey to this one.

3. Fake gift cards — Social media (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace as examples) are used by no-goodniks to "promote fake gift card offers with the goal of stealing consumers’ information and money, which is then sold to marketers or used for ID theft," says McAfee. "One recent Facebook scam offered a 'free $1,000 Best Buy gift card" to the first 20,000 people who signed up for a Best Buy fan page, which was a lookalike. To apply for the gift card they had to provide personal information and take a series of quizzes."

4. Holiday job offers — Maybe for some, the recession is over, but not for many of us still. Which is why "as people seek extra cash for gifts this holiday season, Twitter scams offer dangerous links to high-paying, work-at-home jobs that ask for your personal information, such as your e-mail address, home address and Social Security number to apply for the fake job."

5. "Smishing" — You've heard of phishing? "Smishing" is when a phishing SMS, or text messages, arrives on your cell phone, wanting you to bite. "These texts appear to come from your bank or an online retailer saying that there is something wrong with an account and you have to call a number to verify your account information. In reality, these efforts are merely a ruse to extract valuable personal information from the targets," McAfee says. "Cyber crooks know that people are more vulnerable to this scam during the holiday season when consumers are doing more online shopping and checking bank balances frequently."

6. Suspicious holiday rentals — Many of us are looking to save on that Christmas-y cabin in the mountains or chic vacation apartment in the city of our dreams. "During peak travel times when consumers often look online for affordable holiday rentals, cyber crooks post fake holiday rental sites that ask for down payments on properties by credit card or wire transfer."

7. Recession scams continue — "Scammers target vulnerable consumers with recession related scams such as pay-in-advance credit schemes. McAfee Labs has seen a significant number of spam e-mails advertising pre-qualified, low-interest loans and credit cards if" — that emphasis is mine —"the recipient pays a processing fee, which goes directly into the scammer’s pocket."

8. Grinch-like greetings, involving e-cards — Electronic cards can save paper and postage, but "cyber criminals load fake versions with links to computer viruses and other malware instead of cheer ... Computers may start displaying obscene images, pop-up ads, or even start sending cards to contacts that appear to come from you."

9. Low price traps — Discussed above, as the "too good to be true" deals, which are promoted on some auction sites and fake websites. The aim, McAfee says: "the goal of stealing your money and information."

10. Charity scams — "Common ploys include phone calls and spam e-mails asking you to donate to veterans’ charities, children's causes and relief funds for the latest catastrophe."

11. Dangerous holiday downloads — "Holiday-themed screensavers, jingles and animations are an easy way for scammers to spread viruses and other computer threats especially when links come from an e-mail or IM that appears to be from a friend."

12. Hotel and airport Wi-Fi vulnerabilities — This is an anytime risk with thieves who are savvy enough to hack into public networks being used by hurried travelers. Hacker-thieves can steal credit card numbers, bank accounts and other forms of personal identity; try not to access bank accounts, for example, or give your credit card number online while using public Wi-Fi. It's a good rule for every day — not just for the holidays.

© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

From our families to yours, we all wish you and yours a blessed, safe and thankful Thanksgiving Holiday...

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

~~Author Unknown.~~

Websites for driving directions, weather reports & more

If you don't have a GPS or TomTom to give you step by step driving directions ~ No Problem.. Check out these popular map services. They all have great driving direction sections to give you step by step instructions on how to get where you are going, calculating distances and much more..

• www.maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
• http://www.maps.com/
• http://www.randmcnally.com/
• http://www.mapquest.com/
• http://www.ezdrivingdirections.com/
• www.usatourist.com/english/traveltips/travel-map.html

And if you are interested in what the weather might be here at home or wherever you are traveling to, check out one of these popular weather websites…

• http://www.weather.com/
• http://www.accuweather.com/
• http://www.noaa.gov/
• http://www.intellicast.com/
• http://www.wunderground.com/

Or just visit our overall favorite website, where you can find just about anything you are looking for to help you with your holiday travels, weather, cooking, shopping and much more...

• http://www.allmyfaves.com/

Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday from our home to yours.....

Thanksgiving Trivia & Turkey websites

Thanksgiving is just a few days away – did you know…

1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States
2. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada
3. The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate the Thanksgiving
4. The pilgrims arrived in North America in December 1620
5. The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America
6. The pilgrims sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of 'Mayflower'
7. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in the fall of 1621
8. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts
9. The drink that the Puritans brought with them in the Mayflower was the beer
10. The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.

This previous trivia was copied from the following website - check it out for more interesting facts…

http://www.thanksgivingnovember.com/thanksgiving-facts.html

For more trivia go to http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/trivia.htm

Here are a few websites that can help you prepare Thanksgiving dinner...

www.butterball.com

www.eatturkey.com/consumer/thanks.html

www.allrecipes.com/info/holidays-events-and-occasions/thanksgiving/main.aspx

www.whatscookingamerica.net/Poultry/thanksgivingtips.htm

www.divinedinnerparty.com/thanksgiving-dinner-recipes.html

If you have a favorite Thanksgiving Holiday website - send it along so we can share it next year with your fellow students...

Change the style, size & color of your Cursor/Pointer

Quite often I hear “I can’t find the cursor” – So for those of us who may from time to time “lose the cursor” on our desktop and other screens when we are moving the mouse around – the best thing to do is to make the cursor larger or change the color from white to black – there are numerous choices…you decide.

To change the cursor/pointer appearance & other “hardware” settings follow these simple steps by going to the various settings available in your "control panel"

• Left Click on your Start Button
• Left Click on Control Panel
• Left Click on "Hardware & Sound"
• Now choose & Left Click on "Mouse", then "Change Pointer Appearance"
• You will see is a drop down list of choices under "Schemes"
• Once you decide which you would like, highlight it and click "Apply"
• A good choice is: Window Standard (extra large) system scheme

If you aren't happy with your choice, No Problem - Just repeat the process until you find a style, color & size that you are happy with

These steps may vary slightly based on the level of your operating system (Windows 98, XP, Vista or 7) but remember, they are basically the same for all..

HOW TO PLAY MUSIC CDS ON THE COMPUTER

Why not listen to your favorite music while you work - it's easy once your computer is on and when you have speakers:

• Put your favorite music CD, label side up, in the CD-ROM drive and close the drive
• When auto play is enabled (which is pretty standard) the CD will start playing the first track (using your default media player, such as Windows or VLC Media Player )
• If the CD doesn’t start playing automatically, open the Start menu. Choose Programs, then Accessories, then Entertainment and Click CD Player. Click the Play button on the CD Player window (a single right-pointing arrow in the top row)
• You can use the Pause, Stop, Skip to Next Track and Go Back to Last Track buttons to control what you listen to.
• Choose Edit Playlist from the Disc menu to program a particular sequence of tracks
• Minimize the CD Player window if you plan to listen to the entire CD while working and you can bring it up anytime from your taskbar

In the system tray (right side of the monitor) you can quickly control the music volume with the speaker icon - just left click on it to slide volume up & down, and by checking the speaker icon or box - you can toggle between MUTE to turn music off for that phone call and then again to turn it back on...

Why not save/rip the entire CD to your computer so next time you simply access your “music list” just as you do with a word document.. it’s there ready for you to listen to

When I download music from the Internet (such as iTunes) or from my CD’s, I always download (save/rip) it in mp3 format so that I can use it on my mp3 player and just as importantly, so that I can use the music in projects that I might create, such as in Power Point Slide shows, Picasa & Windows Movie Maker projects)

New Wi-Fi Memory Cards for Digital Cameras

Have you heard of the new “wi-fi” memory cards for use in your digital cameras and camcorders… Check out this website:

www.eye.fi

The Eye-Fi memory cards look, stores media, and fit into cameras just like a regular SDHC memory card. On top of that, the Eye-Fi card has built-in Wi-Fi that uses your wireless network to effortlessly transfer photos and videos

The Eye-Fi card uses your home or office Wi-Fi network-Upon setup, specify which networks the Eye-Fi card uses to transfer your media. You can add up to 32 networks for your card to use. The next time your camera is on and within range of a specified network, your photos and videos will fly to your computer and to your favorite sharing site.

The Eye-Fi cards (4GB – 8GB for $40-$150 each) are the first wireless memory cards.

Features (from their website)

• 
  
  4GB memory. Store up to 2,000 photos or 90mn of video with top-notch Class 6 speed. Works just like with your regular SDHC memory card. Perfect for your compact camera


• 
  
  Wireless. Upload .JPEG or .JPG photos & videos fast through your home Wi-Fi network thanks to built-in 802.11n speed


• 
  
  Endless. Get the only card that can free-up space for you after pictures are safely delivered. Never worry about running out of space again


• 
  
  Automatic back-up. Wirelessly upload JPEG photos and videos to folders of your choice on your computer, or even directly into iPhoto for Macs


• 
  
  Organized. Photos and videos can automatically land in date-based folders, so memories are organized effortlessly


• 
  
  Compatible. No need to buy a new camera – visit their website to confirm that your camera can be turned into a wireless uploading machine


• 
  
  Effortless sharing. Wirelessly send your JPEG photos and videos to a popular website. Visit their website to see a complete list that you can choose from, which includes Flickr, Facebook, Picasa, MobileMe, and YouTube


• 
  
  Pick your pics. You can select which photos and videos are uploaded


• 
  
  Get notified. Get email, Facebook or Twitter alerts when your photos are uploading online


• 
  
  Quick and sweet. Set up takes just minutes

Postal Tips - Overseas Military and 9 Digit Zip Codes

For those of you shipping to family in the military, visit this postal hyperlink – this postal website has all the addressing info & deadlines needed to ensure your packages arrive safely..

http://www.usps.com/supportingourtroops/addressingtips.htm

The holidays are coming when we all tend to send more “postal mail” for holiday cards and packages… To help ensure that our mail arrives quickly, it helps to use the full 9 digit zip code for everything we mail… If you don’t know the zip code, go to the following “hyperlink” on the United States Postal Service website, put in the address and you will have the current 9 digit zip code:

http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

The original 5 digit zip code was introduced in 1963, but the additional 4 numbers were introduced in the 1980’s.. so they’ve been around for quite some time… Using the complete 9 digit zip code improves mail delivery…

Did you know that the first # of every zip code (0-9) indicates the general area of the country ~ state. Lowest numbers in the east and they increase as you move west…

• 0: Connecticut (CT), Massachusetts (MA), Maine (ME), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), Puerto Rico (PR), Rhode Island (RI), Vermont (VT), Virgin Islands (VI)
• 1: Delaware (DE), New York (NY), Pennsylvania (PA)
• 2: District of Columbia (DC), Maryland (MD), North Carolina (NC), South Carolina (SC), Virginia (VA), West Virginia (WV)
• 3: Alabama (AL), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Mississippi (MS), Tennessee (TN)
• 4: Indiana (IN), Kentucky (KY), Michigan (MI), Ohio (OH)
• 5: Iowa (IA), Minnesota (MN), Montana (MT), North Dakota (ND), South Dakota (SD), Wisconsin (WI)
• 6: Illinois (IL), Kansas (KS), Missouri (MO), Nebraska (NE)
• 7: Arkansas (AR), Louisiana (LA), Oklahoma (OK), Texas (TX)
• 8: Arizona (AZ), Colorado (CO), Idaho (ID), New Mexico (NM), Nevada (NV), Utah (UT), Wyoming (WY)
• 9: Alaska (AK), American Samoa (AS), California (CA), Guam (GU), Hawaii (HI), Oregon (OR), Washington (WA)

MAC Users Group in LHC

In answer to a questions we often receive: "Where can I go for help on my Apple MAC???" Thanks to one of our Students W.E. Coleman, also a MAC user, he has suggested visiting the Lake Havasu City's Apple Mac User's Group webiste (which is now listed on our Blog for Mac Users-under students favorite website) and is also listed below...

http://havamac.com

Or consider attending one of their bi-monthly meetings to learn more about your MAC from other MAC users... They meet:

2nd Tuesday of every month 2-4PM at
Lake Havasu Baptist Church
Fellowship Hall
2101 N. Palo Verde Blvd.
Lake Havasu City, AZ

Visitors Always Welcomed!
PC users Come see what the Mac world has to offer.........

Today is Veteran's Day - Thank You

Take a moment to say a special Thank You to all who continue to serve and protect us today and to those who served before them - we can't thank you enough for your sacrifice..

They Did Their Share
By Joanna Fuchs

On Veteran’s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.

Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it’s been many years.

In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.

Some came back; some didn’t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.

No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.

Let every veteran be honored;
Don’t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can’t repay.

We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let’s say "thank you" to every wearer.

Did you know these 10 interesting facts???
From website: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2340240/10_interesting_veterans_day_facts.html

• Veterans Day was once called Armistice Day. Armistice Day was created to honor veterans of World War I.
• November 11, 1919 was the first day Armistice Day was celebrated. Germany signed the armistice slowing the hostilities of WW1 in the 11th month, on the 11th day, during the 11th hour
• November 11 is both a federal and state holiday
• June 1, 1954 was when the United States changed the name to Veterans Day, honoring all military veterans
• Between 1971 and 1977 Veterans Day was celebrated on the fourth Monday of October
• Arlington National Cemetery has a ceremony every year on Veterans Day honoring those who died during war
• There are roughly 24 million living veterans
• During World War II Disney made films for each branch of the United States government 90% of Disney employees worked making propaganda and training videos during WWII
• 400,000 of the United States Armed Forces died during WWII.

Other Websites to check out for Veteran's Day trivia..

http://surf.atlantic.net/features/veteransday.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/veterans-day/tomb-of-unknown-soldier.html

Printer "Driver" Problems

If the printer works but spews strange characters or it appears as if the PC and printer creates errors, it may be a printer driver problem. When a printer acts up and there is no hardware problem (such as a paper jam) the solution is usually driver-related.

The driver is the “software” that allows the computer and printer to "talk" to each other and work together... Often if a printer has worked previously, but won't work with a newly installed program, it’s a driver problem. To remedy this:

• Re-Download the driver from the printer maker's Web site. Drivers can be found under or with the "support" or “driver download” area of the manufacturer's website. To be honest - consider doing this twice a year to stay current...
• If you have an inkjet printer and you get smudged or blurry images, you might want to look up the utility on the printer that cleans and or aligns the printer heads. Most inkjet printers either have software that can start this process or have a setting on the printer itself that can kick start it.
• If all of these solutions fail, you might want to search the manufacturer's support area for printer issues. Often there will be bulletins issued on how to fix newly discovered bugs.
• If you have a scanner and printer and experience printing problems take heart, this is easily solvable. Detach both devices and remove the software and drivers for both devices. Then reinstall the printer first and then add the scanner second.

Still not working - go to http://www.google.com/ or http://www.ask.com/ and search for the “printer” + “problem” you’ll be amazed at the solutions that will be offered, which will usually correct the problem…

If none of this works-Visit the printer manufacturer’s website or Call the printer manufacturer’s 1-800 number (on their website).

Be sure you have the make, model and serial # of your printer, your computer, know your operating system (Windows 98, XP, Vista, Windows 7 - 32 bit or 64 bit) and any warranty information & make the call from the desk where the printer is installed so you can work with them.

Using the Quick Launch Bar

QUICK LAUNCH BAR (located on the Task Bar) Makes It Easier To Access & Open Your Favorite Applications Without Having To Return To Your Desktop…

You can add many of your frequently used programs on the Quick Launch Bar.. Once on the quick launch you can delete them from your desktop. Remember this in no way affects the software – you are only deleting the icon shortcut...

TO DISPLAY THE QUICK LAUNCH BAR

• Right click on the taskbar – You must click on an empty spot on the taskbar or you get a different menu-so don’t click on an icon already on the taskbar
• Be sure that you have “unlocked” your toolbars so that you can work with the Task Bar
• Left Click TOOLBARS
• Left Click QUICK LAUNCH from the pop-up menu

TO ADD NEW ICONS TO THE QUICK LAUNCH BAR

• Simply Click and drag the icon to the Quick Launch Bar OR
• Right Click on the Icon and Choose “Add to Quick Launch Bar”
• The computer makes a copy of the icon when you do this
• Once the Icon is on the Quick Launch, you can delete it from your Desktop

Add as many of your frequently used programs as you'd like on the Quick Launch Bar.. When you shorten the area (show only 3) all additional icons will appear in a cascaded list accessed by the arrows...

Once the icons are on the quick launch you can delete them from your desktop. Remember this in no way affects the software – you are only deleting the icon shortcut...

November Comptuer Classes

NOVEMBER already – elections are over and it’s time to think about the holidays – we have some great classes for using your digital photos for gifts and greeting cards and creating holiday invitations with WORD and much more…

The following classes are being held before Thanksgiving … To reserve your seat, Call Registration 928-855-7812 or 453-1139.. Consider signing up with a friend – coming to class with someone else gives you the motivation to practice and the more people in each class the more is learned from questions....

I’ve been inundated with questions about how to make & order Christmas cards with photos, so I’m preparing a special handout for this and will distribute the handout and cover the steps for creating & ordering greeting cards online (at Walgreens, CVS,Wal-Mart, etc) in 3 of our November classes in time for this holiday season: our Picasa; Create a Book and Word Processing Classes…

I’m heading back to new England for the holidays but will be back when the New Year begins and our classes will begin again on Wednesday morning, January 5th and continue thru April – so for those of you coming to Havasu after the holidays, these and many more classes will be held – Have a wonderful holidays and we will look forward to seeing you

PICASA PHOTO EDITING LSC100A-123 NOV 8 & 10, Monday & Wednesday mornings 8:30am-12:20pm Two 4 hr classes learning to edit & print Digital Photos using Picasa (a free Google software) learn to upload photos from your camera and/or scanner to the PC and learn t order prints on line.. We will also show you upload photos & create holiday cards online... Bring photos to class (on camera or flash drive)

SOCIAL NETWORKING & BLOG BASICS LSC080-121 Nov. 9 & 16, Tuesday mornings 8:30am-12:20pm 1pm-4:50pm Two 4 hour classes learning all about social networking & blogging, including “Facebook” “Twittering” etc.. Create a family or organization blog – learn how, why & when to post – comments; Set Up Your Own Blog; Templates; Add Ons: Links, Photos, Slide Shows, Blog Tools & more - it’s fun free & easy

CREATE/PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK LSC100A-124 Nov. 9 & 16, Tuesday afternoons 1pm-4:50pm - Two 4 hour classes learning to create & publish your own book, using free book publishing software from www.blurb.com known as personal book making & publishing-use 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-we will also work with walgreens.com to create a book & greeting cards using your photos Bring photos to class We will also show you upload photos & create holiday cards online... (on camera or flash drive)

EMAIL HOW TO’S LSC071-123 NOV 15 & 17 Monday & Wednesday mornings, 8:30am-12:20pm, Two 4 hr 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 and from emails, Internet and word.

CREATE GREAT LOOKING DOCUMENTS LSC068-122 Nov 15 & 17 Mon & Wed afternoons, 1pm-4:50pm 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 and We will also show you upload photos & create holiday cards online...

CLOCKS CHANGE - 2AM SUNDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 7TH

Before you call family elsewhere in the country this Sunday November 7th, remember the time difference between them and those of us here in Arizona is probably different than it was on Saturday...

This weekend on Sunday morning, November 7TH at 2am, Daylight Savings Time will end and most states in the US will revert back to Standard Time - so before they go to bed Saturday evening, they will set their clocks, watches and other time pieces BACK 1 HOUR.

They will then move them ahead to begin Daylight Savings Time "1 hour" at 2am on the second Sunday in March, March 13th 2011.. Most computers and cable boxes will make this change automatically without our help..

Several states, including most 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 they do not change their clocks at anytime during the year.

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Ads & Info

Now that the political ad campaigns have stopped, the holidays are fast approaching and the onslaught of holiday ads will begin!!

And no doubt so will the discussions about what the retailers and media refer to as the largest shopping days of the year:

Black Friday (Friday after Thanksgiving-November 26th for brick & mortar stores)

And

Cyber Monday (Monday after Thanksgiving-November 29th for online/internet shopping)..

So, thought you might want to check out these 3 popular websites to stay informed of what and where the best deals are… you can also sign up for daily email alerts if you’d like… Enjoy & happy shopping

http://www.blackfriday.info/

http://www.bfads.net/

http://www.cybermondaycentral.com/

Who & What is "Wikipedia"

Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia, managed by a not-for-profit parent organization, The Wikimedia Foundation, which also manages Wikipedia's sister projects, including Wiktionary (a wiki dictionary), Wikibooks (textbooks), & others own their domain website names.

*WHO ADDS AND OR UPDATES THE INFORMATION?
You and I do… imagine that!!! So that in actuality the website is totally a collaborative effort. Millions of people have contributed information to different parts of this project, and anyone can, including each of us. All we need is to know how to edit a page, and have some encyclopedic knowledge you want to share. The encyclopedia provides users with a certain amount of freedom. We can learn who is responsible for the most recent versions of any given page by clicking on the "View history" link

*HOW DO WE KNOW THE INFORMATION IS CORRECT?
Because anyone can edit any article, it is, of course, possible for biased, out-of-date, or incorrect information to be posted. However, because there are so many other people reading the articles and monitoring contributions using the Recent Changes page, incorrect information is usually corrected quickly. Thus, the overall accuracy of the encyclopedia is improving all the time. We are all encouraged to help by correcting articles, validating content, and providing useful references

*All Wikipedia information taken directly from Wikipedia:FAQ/Overview

Visit www.wikipedia.com

CARING FOR YOUR CD’S & DVDS..

So much information comes to us today on CD's & DVD's - so it's important to take care of them properly...

• Handle only at the hub or 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
• Be careful 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 radiators, heaters, hot equipment surfaces, direct sunlight (near a window or in a car during hot weather) and other destructive forces
• 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
• Exposure to bright sunlight may affect recordable DVDs, specifically write-once DVDs (DVD-R and DVD+R) that use light-sensitive dyes
• Magnetic fields have no effect on DVDs, so it's OK to leave them sitting on your speakers

WHAT IS A MEDIA PLAYER?

Basically it is “application software” that we use to play and manage all of our music and video files. By manage, it means that we can format music & video files to various formats; rip and burn our music & video files (so that you can transfer them to & from CD and or DVD) and many offer “visual effects” so when we listen to the music there are various patterns that will flash on our monitors (similar to screen savers).

Microsoft Operating Systems include a media player “Windows Media Player” and many people use iTunes Media Player so that they can synchronize their various iPod devices…

But personally – my favorite is VLC Media Player – which is also free… VLC works on most Operating systems including Windows 98 thru to Windows 7); and it can be installed and run from a flash drive and portable hard drive. I also think it’s one of the easiest media players to use to convert music and video formats and you can take screenshots of video’s you are watching which is a feature many people like… to download go to:

www.vlcmediaplayer.org or www.videolan.org

There are many others and it helps to check out these out at some of the “freeware” websites, such as:

www.download.cnet.com
www.freewarefiles.com
www.freeware-guide.com
www.gofree.com

Enjoy this music video

I hope you will enjoy this ~ One of your fellow students shared this “hyperlink” with me and I thought you might enjoy it…. It is amazing what technology can do today and with the Internet we all get to enjoy so many interesting things…

This “hyperlink” is a video of street singers from around the world being recorded, overlayed and mixed with one another while singing the song "Stand By Me".

It is a marvel to listen to and watch. They all deserve to be heard.

The finished product is tremendous! So click below where it instructs you to "click" and enjoy what some think is an incredible piece of sound engineering
,
So enjoy - turn up your speaker volume and [Click Here]

When it opens the website - you can begin by left clicking on the "play arrow" on the bottom left corner of the screen - and remember to use your F11 key to get the "full screen" impact

Keyboard Shortcuts for Outlook

Some great shortcuts when you are using Microsoft Outlook. Microsoft Outlook is one of the Office programs, which allows us to easily control contacts, calendars, email accounts, tasks, a journal and other daily functions that we maintain on the computer. It is a very popular program used by companies and individuals alike.

If you use keyboard shortcuts a lot like I do, you might want to use these keyboard shortcuts when you are working in your Microsoft Outlook Program, to easily switch from one Outlook pane (subject) to another…. So, if you were in any segment of your calendar, and you wanted to quickly go to your contacts, you would use CTRL+3..

Keyboard Shortcuts when using Outlook to change between Navigation Panes:

• CTRL+1 Mail Navigation
• CTRL+2 Calendar Navigation
• CTRL+3 Contacts Navigation
• CTRL+4 Tasks Navigation
• CTRL+5 Notes Navigation
• CTRL+6 Folder List Navigation
• CTRL+7 Shortcuts Navigation
• CTRL+8 Journal Navigation

What is Picasa Movie Maker?

Picasa is a free “Google” digital photo editing software for anyone who has a PC or MAC. For anyone using Picasa Version 3+, there is a wonderful feature “movie maker” that allows us to quickly and easily convert any photo folder on Picasa into a slideshow/movie..

Picasa software is easy to use, but a few tips on using Movie Maker..

Once the Picasa folder is highlighted, simply choose the “CREATE MOVIE” icon which is:

• located above every Picasa album and also located in the action bar at the bottom of the Picasa screen

Once this icon is selected the movie is created and you can now make other enhancements to personalize your movie...

You can enhance your movie by uploading a song - an audio MP3.
When you add music, you will have several options as to how the music will work with your photos - If you choose ‘fit photos into audio’, Picasa will space your photos to fill the length of the song you have chosen

You can choose various transitions, how your slides will appear on the screen, such as “PAN & ZOOM” seems to be the most popular

You can also rearrange your photos, you can add captions, you can add slides that contain just text AND throughout the process, you can “view” your movie to see how it looks and sounds…

When you are finished you can save it to the computer, send via email, share with Skype, save to your Picasa web albums for easy sharing, or export/upload directly to YouTube or other social networking sites…

Your finished movie is saved and will then be uploaded as a.mov file.

And you can re-edit the movie later if we want to change –remove or add photos..

Try it today – go to www.picasa.com