Saturday, June 15, 2013

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

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

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, ShareStartDevices & 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

Friday, May 31, 2013

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.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

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 3rd (No meetings will be held in July or August)

Monday, May 27, 2013

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


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:


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:


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…


Wednesday, May 22, 2013

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

Thursday, May 16, 2013

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.

 

 

Sunday, May 12, 2013

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.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

GMAIL – How to share your Gmail calendar with someone else

For many of us (whether you work, are semi-retired or retired) we often find ourselves busier than ever… Personally, I know it helps when both my husband Dan and I know what each other time commitments are before making other plans and with Gmail and our smartphones it is easier than ever to do this. 

For those of us with android smartphones, Gmail is commonly used – not just the email portion, but the contacts and my favorite –the calendar. 
and yes you can also use this between windows based & apple portable devices as well..

As soon as either of us make a commitment and enters it into our Gmail calendar (whether it’s to babysit for one of the grandkids, doctors or other appts, importing repeating dates such as birthdays & anniversaries or our busy work schedules) it appears on all devices that have the Gmail calendar on them (remember – the calendar is actually in the clouds and not on your device).   

We each have our own Gmail account, but we “share” my Gmail calendar and it’s wonderful-it has helped to eliminate any conflicts…. 

To share your Gmail calendar with specific people, just follow these easy steps when you are in your Gmail account on computer (so you have more viewing area): 

1.   Open you Gmail calendar and in the calendar list on the left side of the page, click the down-arrow button next to a calendar, then select Share this calendar

2.   Enter the email address of the person you want to share your calendar with.

3.   From the drop-down menu on the right side, select a level of permission, then click Add Person.

4.   Click Save 

Once you click Save, the person you selected to share the calendar with will receive an email invitation to view your calendar. The person will need to click on the link contained in the email to add the calendar to his/her Other calendars list, the calendar will not be automatically added to the user’s Calendar account

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Colorado River Computer Club Meeting-Tuesday, May 7th-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, May 7th 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 May 7th meeting, at 7pm, there will be a presentation by:
Jim McReynolds
about the History of the Colorado River

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 June 4th, which is the last meeting of the season.  No meetings will be held in July or August;  the new season will begin on Tuesday evening, September 3rd. 

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

How to "unhide" someone in your Facebook?


Unhide stories from a person, Page, group, event or app
We've all "hidden" someone, or a page, or a group, or an event or an app - from what we see on our home/wall page both intentionally and unintentionally...

When you want to "unhide" someone, it's easy to remedy:  
  • On your home/wall page, hover over news feed in the left sidebar menu.
  • Click the penciicon (which means edit) that appears to the left in that section.
  • A list of people, apps, Pages, and groups you’ve hidden or unsubscribed from will appear in a pop-up box.
  • Click the X next to each one you'd like to remove from this list.
  • Click Save

Friday, April 19, 2013

How much space/room is left on any drive or folder?


Check your Computer Properties (determine how much space is used/ open) To determine how much space is used – unused on a computer (C Drive), or on a flash drive, portable hard drive or memory card, or in a specific folder –such a My Documents or My Pictures?
  •  Open Windows Explorer – (Quick Access: Windows Flag Key + E) which is a 2 sided screen – whatever is highlighted on the left is what you are looking at on the right..…
  • Hover your mouse over the Drive or specific folder you want to check
  • When you do this, Right Click on the Drive or folder
  • When the action list appears – find PROPERTIES at the bottom of the list
  • Now Left Click on Properties

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Please keep those impacted by the tragic events in Boston in your prayers...

As soon as I heard the news yesterday about yesterdays events in Boston, which is the area where my husband Dan and I are from - and our children, grandchildren, extended family and many friends still live, our hearts sank - how tragic and unimaginable... Because we are still here in Arizona, we immediately began to check in with family and friends, and thankfully all are safe..

I have no doubt that you will all join me in keeping those impacted by this senseless act in your thoughts and prayers...

For so many of you who emailed me since the tragedy in Boston, you'll never know how much I was touched by your concern and well wishes - I feel so blessed to have become part of your lives and know how truly grateful I am for the way in which you reached out... 

We just never know what's ahead each morning when we wake, and despite the trivial issues that may arise throughout the day, it's so important that we learn not to "sweat the small stuff" and tell those who are important to us, just how much we love them...    Love to all and be safe ... Cherie Houston

Monday, April 15, 2013

Greetings from MCC Hodel Library


Greetings from the Hodel Library on the Lake Havasu Campus of Mohave Community College!  The weather is beginning to turn warm and lovely, so it’s a perfect time to take your reading outside. 

Come to the Library and check out a Danielle Steel or a Jonathan Kellerman to read on the patio.  If you are getting ready to head north, remember that you can still use the Library’s online databases from wherever you are. 

Through our website, Mohave.edu/library , you have access to fantastic databases such as Heritage Quest, Consumer Health Complete, the Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center and more.  You can also 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. 

The best part – it’s all FREE!  Please give us a call at 928-505-3311 to ask for more information or you can email me at wbirkhead@mohave.edu
Thanks,

Wendi Birkhead, Campus Librarian
Hodel Library
Mohave Community College
1977 Acoma Blvd. West
Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Common Digital Photo Image Types: jpeg, raw etc..


JPEG - RAW-GIFT-BMP -etc - what's the difference??

They are all "Digital Photo Image Files" the sizes for which are based on the number of pixels in an image and the color depth, or bits per pixel, of that image and images can be compressed in various ways, which are determined by their "image type"

JPEG
JPEG or JPG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) is the most common Digital Photo Image type that we use.  It's the most common type accepted by 3rd party software programs like Walgreens, Shutterfly, MovieMaker and when uploading to the "clouds"...This is because JPEG's are much smaller than other image files types and ideal for storing images.. Because they are known for accurate color representation they are an ideal format for photographs - but each time a JPEG is saved, the quality becomes degraded
RAW
RAW is a raw image format that some of the better more sophisticated digital cameras use.  RAW format typically requires special software for editing.  RAW image format is used primarily for editing because it gives users complete access to the data the camera sees before any effects are applied.
GIF
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is used for animations and for storing images with low colors because it's limited to using 256 colors but can be saved repeatedly with no loss, which is why it works well for cartoon-based images.
BMP
BMP's are Windows bitmap image files and also work with limited colors, and is an image file format originally used in Windows-based applications.
TIFF
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) is used most often for sending logos and other images to a printer for reproduction, so widely used by photographers and we often see this format when we are using scanner for photos
PNG
PNG (Portable Network Graphics) is the newer version of "GIF" with many of the same features, except PNG supports 16 million colors vs. only the 256 colors of GIF

JPEG or RAW... Which should you choose

Basically, Raw is the unprocessed information straight off the camera's sensor without any processing for sharpness, white balance, color or contrast.

But when cameras take a jpeg image, it takes the info from the camera's sensor and processes it inside your camera with specialized chips to make a final jpeg file.

When you take a "raw photo" you will have to convert it yourself, essentially substituting your own computer and photo conversion software for the specialized chips built into the camera, which will give you more control over how the image ends up--sharper, softer, more contrast, less contrast, white balance, etc.  But the drawbacks to Raw are that you will have to  take the time to convert your digital photo images and the most important drawback is that you can't share raw files as easily as jpeg files, because not everyone has a converter for the raw format

Now that you understand them a little more, for those of you using Picasa Free Photo Editing Software you can modify which types of Photo Image Types your Picasa will Scan/See - When you are in Picasa go to Tools (on Picasa Menu Bar) and choose "Configure Photo Viewer" and when the list appears - Check off which types of digital photos you want Picasa to Scan/See..

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Which Folders And/Or Sub-Folders Will Your Picasa Scan/See…


It is your choice and you can change your mind whenever you'd like as to which folder and or sub-folder it will scan...  

Maybe when you began using Picasa you thought you had to have Picasa Scan/See all your photos - Now you only want Picasa to Scan/see specific folders or sub-folders you want to work on - Then simply change those folders in Picasa's Folder Manager..

Each time Picasa is opened, Picasa will scan the computer to find the folders or sub-folders you have chosen (and photos with the compatible photo file types you choose) and display only the photos in those specific folders or sub-folders.

Photos never move to Picasa, the original photos stay in their original folder locations.

To modify which folders or sub-folders Picasa is Scanning/Seeing from your hard drive or Portable Hard Drives/memory Card or Flash Drives - use these steps once you are in Picasa:

1.    Click the Tools menu in Picasa.
2.    Select Folder Manager.
3.    Select a folder from the folder list on the left that you want to add or remove from Picasa's watch list.
4.    Select one of the following monitoring options on the right:
·       “Scan Always”: Picasa views all compatible image types in these folders, and it automatically adds new photos. Picasa actively scans this folder for changes.
·       “Scan Once”: Picasa accesses all compatible image types in these folders only once. It doesn't detect new photos added to folders with this setting.
·       “Remove from Picasa': Picasa doesn't look in folders that are marked with this status.
5.    Click the OK button to save your changes.

The folders that you've set Picasa to continuously scan are listed in the 'Watched Folders' section.

You can also set a folder to 'Remove from Picasa' by right-clicking (Windows) or Control-clicking (Mac) the folder in Picasa and selecting “Remove from Picasa.”

Remember-you can always change your mind tomorrow on what you've set this setting to by simply repeating the steps and changing your choices...