Oceanic Time Warner Cable's Community WebsiteLast month I attended two technology events in San Diego: the first was the biennial Aging Summit 2010, sponsored by the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, Aging & Independence Services and AARP-CA with Focus on Technology that has the potential to improve the lives of older adults by increasing their safety, security, and independence in everyday life. The Summit highlighted options about how technology can contribute to healthy aging. Topics included: Don’t be Timid about Technology; Use Technology to Keep you Connected; Beneficial Technology for Healthcare and Caregivers; plus So Many Gadgets: Tips & Tricks. It was a great day with many helpful reminders about how much technology can benefit seniors. Hawaii has many similar programs which you can learn about by visiting http://www.aarp.org/states/hi/ The second was the 3-Day, 17th annual Southwest Computer Conference 2010. I have been able to attend a few of them and am always impressed with the excellent programs, including ones for MAC users, and the scheduled activities put together by a dedicated group of volunteers from user groups around the Southwest. My personal thanks to each of them for an extraordinary 3 days. There were more than a dozen workshops, many put on by user-group members as well as meal-time presentations by some of the excellent vendors who help sponsor the conference. I started to write this column with notes from the workshops I attended, but quickly realized how many other ones I obviously couldn’t attend that would be of interest to many of you…so, what I decided to do, was provide you with the complete list of the workshops for you to review. Once you have found ones you would like more information about, simply sign-in and ask me and I’ll be glad to get you that additional material. That’s it…following is the list:
3D TV – Walt Ordway, TUGNET
Communications – Helping you keep in touch - Terry Currier, President, WINNERS & Cheryl Wester, Program Chair, Temecula Valley CUG
There is more than just email to keep in touch with your friends. Yes, we will touch on some of the email choices out there; we will also show you some of the video chat options that are out there. Skype is not the only program for video chatting. How about connecting your computer to a friend’s who needs computer help, or demonstrating how to do something. We even discuss a couple of programs where you can take over their computer – remote access.
Dave Whittle Reveals What's Cool, What's Hot, and What's Not in Consumer Electronics
Want to find the BEST and AVOID the worst gadgets, software, and goodies? Dave, with help from friends John C. Dvorak (PC Magazine), Steve Bass (PC World), Robin Raskin (Last Gadget Standing), Cheryl Currid (ABC TV), Jim Louderback (Revision3), and Chris Pirillo (CNN.com), shares the scoop on their Best Loved, Most Wanted, and Worst Letdown consumer electronics products, sites, and services. Dave will also show you how you can get involved in the social revolution to easily help your friends and loved ones in sharing recommendations and product experience, so everyone involved can get the best and avoid the worst. This session will be interactive, lively, and is guaranteed to be enjoyable. Dave will do a show and tell, featuring muvee Reveal 8 - Windows software that takes your digital photos and/or video clips and magically transforms them into a DVD slideshow or music video. What's more, the CEO of muvee will be on hand to answer your questions - direct from Singapore! You'll also want to take advantage of the exclusive deals Dave has negotiated just for SW Conference and seminar attendees. Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the technologies that can change your life for the better!
Digital Scrapbooking – Elaine Bryskar, Member, Temecula Valley CUG, California
Digital Photography has changed how we exchange memories with loved ones. Get a giggle from family and friends by creating a Digital Scrapbook. It's simple and quick, using free software. Tell a story, save your fondest memories of vacation trips, first birthday, first child, and other special occasions. Email it, burn it to a CD. Come and have some fun.
Excel Basics for those who feel they are Spreadsheet Challenged – Wil Wakely, President, Senior Computer Group
For those who have Microsoft Office Excel and have not yet discovered the power and versatility of this great program, a basic introduction to it will be presented, as non-technical as possible. We will create a simple spreadsheet and also present some examples of other applications to demonstrate how you might use it. Excel 2003 will be used, however, the newer Excel 2007 will also be shown, time and interest permitting.
Free Programs – Rosemary Lloyd, President, Big BearComputer Club Power your computer with free programs
There are many free software applications available on the Internet & many are similar to costly retail applications and provide features that make your computer more useful. Free is always great and this session will introduce you to many applications that are free.
ID Theft: Electronic Intrusion & Scams to Get Your Money - Wayne Widener, President, Lake San Marcos Computer Club
Just like you can’t totally protect your home from burglars, you can’t totally protect your identity or your finances either. However, there are things you can do which reduce the likelihood that you will be a victim of ID theft, hackers or electronic scams. You will go home with information to help you be better protected against ID theft.
iolo technologies - Abbas Mehdi,
Get that new PC feeling with System Mechanic! If you use a PC, you have no doubt noticed that it slows down with time. But did you know the slowdown could be reversed and your computer could work like new again? iolo technologies, the PC tune-up software experts since 1998, will talk about PC tune-up and demonstrate the recently launched new version 9.5 of their flagship product, System Mechanic. If you are not familiar with the concept of computer maintenance and #1 best-selling PC tune-up product in the US, Canada, UK, France and Benelux countries, this session will be a perfect introduction – explaining the need for and benefits of PC tune-up and demonstrating System Mechanic’s rich feature set, one-click repair capabilities and automatic settings. If you are already familiar with PC maintenance or have used System Mechanic before, the session will show you some tips and tricks on how to get the most of this in-depth program and get under the hood to fix even the most hidden causes of PC slowdowns and crashes, bringing your machine back to its like-new, optimal condition. It will also highlight some of the brand-new and compelling features of the Windows 7-compatible System Mechanic 9.5. Join us for this informative session, bring any questions and prepare to enjoy that new PC feeling again!
iWork ‘09 with Kate Gertz, Member, Sunland Village East Computer Club
This is a feature-rich suite of programs by Apple that includes PAGES, NUMBERS and KEYNOTE. Pages is an easy-to-use word processing and desktop publisher prograthat can create beautiful, professional documents, brochures, or many other types of documents. The sophisticated features are right at your fingertips for the novice or experienced writer. Numbers is a spreadsheet program where formulas are easy to create. You can create stunning charts and graphs with one click. Keynote, the presentation program within iWork, offers fantastic animation and effect capabilities to keep your audience mesmerized with your presentations.
Microsoft Tech Session – David Lynn & Woody Pewitt
+ Tech Support staff from the San Diego Microsoft Store
Open Source Software
Firefox, OpenOffice, and Linux continue to grow in popularity. Linux, in particular, continues to expand into areas beyond desktops and laptops.
Orv Beach will discuss those fields and products where Open Source software is increasingly being used. Can you say 'Android?'
Organize Your Life with Evernote – Jim Perry, Internet SIG Chair, Prescott Computer Society
Are you disorganized? Is your file cabinet overflowing, or are your documents just not filed? Do you wish you had your information available anywhere there is a computing device? Evernote is a free product that makes it easy to remember things from your life using your computer, phone, and the web. Type notes, clip web pages, snap photos, grab screen shots, and scan documents. Everything you capture is automatically indexed and put into notebooks of your choice. Search for notes by keywords, titles, and tags. Get rid of your paper files, and sync your Evernote information to all of your computers - PC and Mac, and to your smart phone. Access your information from any web browser .
Perfecting Your Photos Using Windows Live Photo Gallery Bill James, Vice President / Editor / Webmaster, Computer Club of Oklahoma City
Nothing spoils a photo like red eyes, poor exposure or a stranger who wanders into the edge of your shot at the last second. Fortunately, it is a snap to repair these and other common photo frights. All you need is Window Live Photo Gallery. This free program for Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 lets you organize, share, and fix your photos. The presentation will show you how easily you can make poor photos really stunning with a few clicks. One of the great things about digital photos is how easy it is to make a good photo great. Bill will show how easily you can fix your photos, create a panoramic shot and send your photos. You don’t need fancy (expensive) editing software. With Windows and Windows Live, you’re just a couple of clicks away from fixing the most common problems. And once you’ve got the red eyes out and the image nice and bright, e-mailing your photos is also quick and easy.
Creative Photo Slideshows Using Windows Live Movie Maker
What home movies used to be, except you turn digital photos and videos into polished movies in minutes. Auto Movie adds a title, credits, transitions, and effects and fits it all together for you. Customize your movies with simple easy-to-use editing tools. Trim your video clips to show only the parts you want adding effects like panning and zooming. You don’t need video to make a movie. Make great-looking slide shows using your photos making your photos come to life. Publish your movie to YouTube right from Movie Maker. Or share your movie with family and friends in a variety of other ways – including DVD. Download this program for free from Microsoft and Bill will show you how.
Personal Time Management: Getting 60 Minutes Out of Every Hour - By Bruce Carl Aronson, Free Lance Trainer
Distilling down to its essence countless, expensive personal time management seminars and books, Bruce takes us on a fun tour of how to get control over our time and our lives. This is not another "how to jam more things into less time" presentation. This is about how to do what has to be done efficiently so there is a lot more time to enjoy the best things in life! Folks who attended last time still remember and use his techniques to get more done in less time and have more time for the good stuff!
Picking the Best Backup Approach for your Computer - Gene Barlow, President of User Group Relations
Backing up your hard drive is the most important thing every user should do on their computer. Today, users are catching on to this need, but unfortunately, there are lots of different ways to do backups. Deciding which one if best and what ones to avoid is not easy if you listen to how these many products are promoted. They all make you think that their product offers you the best backup approach available. Unfortunately, many of these are only partial backup approaches and will leave you hanging if your hard drive crashes and you are not better protected. This session will explore the various ways to do backups and which ways are good and which ones will only partially protect you. By attending this session, you will be able to make informed decisions as to how to best backup your personal computer. Don't miss this session. Gene has worked with computers for over 50 years and is one of the most informed individual in the nation on backup systems. He has worked with PC user groups for nearly 30 years and is sometimes called the Father of PC User Groups for his long term involvement helping user groups get started. He presents to over a hundred audiences each year on backup approaches and published a popular technical newsletter on doing backups. He is not only a very knowledgeable individual, but an interesting speaker. He has thousands of fans in the user group community. You will want to attend his sessions to learn all about backup systems.
Put Your Life in a Comic – Lyn Morse, President, Let’s Compute
Lyn will show you how Comic Life’s easy-to-use interface integrates seamlessly with your photo collection. Drag in your pictures, captions, lettering text ('ka-blam!') and speech balloons and your work is done! There’s zero learning curve – so easy, you and your dog will be making comics in minutes. Comic Life gives you fun and professional templates for instant, impressive, photo layouts. Tweak your creations to your heart’s desire! If you want to do fun things with your photos, this is the workshop for you. Comic Life supports both the Mac and Windows platforms.
Smart Computing – Smart Computing Team: Greg Suhr, Lindsey Albers, Chelsea Stallings
Are you frustrated with computer problems? Attend Smart Computing’s tech session to get solutions from one of their very own SmartPeople tech support reps. They will take your questions and provide answers in plain-English! In addition, they’ll show you solutions to some of the SmartPeople team’s most common tech support questions.
Social Networking – Cheryl Wester, Program Chair, Temecula Valley Computer UG
Facebook? Twitter? Are these terms you have heard of but are not really sure how to use or if you want to. If so, this is the workshop for you. Come learn about social networking and have some fun. We'll even setup an account for you. See you on Facebook! It's fun.
The DEL GATO Method: Learning the Tricks Executives Use to Make Fabulous PowerPoint Slide Shows - Bruce Carl Aronson,
Free Lance Trainer Get in on the tricks Six Figure Executives use to create fast and fabulous slide shows that will have your audiences paying attention and talking about you afterward. The DEL GATO Method is a series of seven easy steps that makes sure you get the job done quickly, thoroughly, and professionally, without "drowning in the details" of PowerPoint options. Folks who attended last time say that Bruce's presentation changed everything for them and made their PowerPoints far better and far faster to create.
The i’s – Katie Gertz, Member, Sunland Village East Computer Club
We’ll explore some of the many features of Apple’s i’s: iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iTouch and the recently released iPad! We’ll also discuss all the cool things you can do with your i’s. This is one workshop you won’t want to miss to get you up-to-date on the "i" products.
What’s in the Box – Jay Cunnington, Jay’s Computer Shop
Not exactly sure what makes your computer work? All those parts seem too complicated to understand? You don't really NEED to understand the parts of the computer to use it. Just as you do not need to be an auto mechanic to drive a car. But understanding what the parts of the computer are and how they work, might make some of the software more understandable. Besides it is sometimes useful to understand what is happening inside your computer when something goes wrong.
What’s New with Ink Products - Don Baker, Klassic Specialties Klassic Specialties, established in 1988, is based in Artesia, CA.
Klassic was established based upon the premise of providing the BEST Customer Service and Highest Quality Imaging products available at affordable pricing. To this end, they have attained a position as one of the primary suppliers for such events as: The Academy Awards, Miss Universe and Miss USA contests and many other significant activities. Klassic Specialties, represented by Don Baker, will be providing a presentation entitled “Latest Printing Developments.” The Klassic Specialties presentation will address areas of significance, as related to Inkjet printing and today’s marketplace. The topics to be addressed will include: An update of the current development trends and marketing scenarios of various printer manufacturers, and the related impact on consumers. An overview of the various digital printing techniques and technologies, including; Laser Printers Thermal Bubble-Jet Inkjets Piezo-Electric Inkjets Various ink alternatives including Continuous Ink Systems Selecting media - what to look for in photo papers, and how they differ, also a sampling of various media and the resulting impacts.
Sing2Learn - Anthony Chang & Danica Morsin Sing2Learn’s mission is twofold:
to equip every individual with unique skills so that they can accomplish meaningful things in their lives, and to help the whole world unite under one language system. Imagine how much easier life would be without language barriers! To share this fun, effective way of learning with you, our Sing2Learn team has created songs that will help you learn a new language gradually, using a step-by-step process. We have also compiled and recorded an extensive list of over 1800 essential vocabulary words, phrases, and sentences that you can listen to and practice with! Word 2010 with Debbie Jones, Anything Is Possible We will take an active tour throughout Word 2010 and learn what is new as well as see how the new gadgets work. We will also see what has changed. This workshop will be full of information and shortcuts, giving you a better understanding of Office 2010 and how you will benefit (or not) from it! This will not be presented through PowerPoint but we will actively be in Word 2010, so bring your questions. If Debbie doesn’t know the answer she’ll find it. And be ready to take notes, lot’s of notes. Fun and informative, that is what this workshop will deliver.
And that is it for now, please let me know if you would like more info on any of these presentations...if you haven’t already registered, go back to the top right...it’s easy and lets you comment on any of the many excellent features here in Around Hawaii. Until next time, have fun, but be careful out there.
Aloha, Lou
