| FREE Computer Question-and-Answer
Sessions
As noted below in its own section, as of this
Thursday, June 2nd, I am re-starting my FREE computer question-and-answer
sessions at the Sherman Oaks Branch of the LA Public Library.
Each night I present 1 or 2 interesting items,
then open the floor for questions from the group. Whatever your needs,
bring along your questions and try to stump me!
If you have friends who have thought about
hiring me, they can come and enjoy a free "taste" of how I work
and see if my methods mesh with their learning style.
Complete information on the library class,
with contact info and a link to Google Maps is listed below.
Replace that floppy with a "keychain"
drive
This week I had a client whose floppy drive
had failed. They didn't really use it that much, so it wasn't a great
inconvenience and probably not worth repairing. That said, we all have
the need to move files from one computer to another sometime.
The floppy drive was made useless many years
ago, as file sizes continued to grow. Today, anyone can make a file that
is too big to fit on a floppy, almost without trying. Rather than trying
to use your floppy drive to move files or make a quick backup, I recommend
a cheap alternative, portable USB Flash Drive. These are sometimes called
"keychain" drives, since they are usually small enough to attach
to your car keys and always carry it with you.
These devices are computer memory attached
to a standard USB connector. When inserted in any USB port -- on your
home computer, a friends computer or a laptop -- they operate just like
a floppy drive. You can copy files to and from the drive just as if it
were a floppy disk, except these drives can store the same amount of data
as 120 or more floppies, depending on the drives capacity. Portable USB
Flash Drives run between $30-$100, but I am regularly seeing specials
costing less than $20 at local electronics stories.
Here is one example from Amazon.com:
Here is a link to many different drives:
Portable
USB Flash Drives at Amazon.com
Its time to forget about the floppy and move
up to a new, and inexpensive, technology that puts the old disks to shame.
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In association with Amazon.com
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Buy
your copy today! |
| In
the news... |
| Security
Update 2005-005 for Mac OS X 10.3.9
Apple has released Security Update 2005-005 to address
several online security issues with Mac OS X 10.3.9 and Mac OS X Server
10.3.9. Users can download the patch via Software Update or from Apple's
Web site (about 6 MB, depending on version).[TidBITS]
Apple
Releases iTunes 4.8
Apple today released iTunes 4.8, a free download with
minimal documentation. According to the ReadMe file, "iTunes 4.8
includes new Music Store features and support for transferring contacts
and calendars from your computer to your iPod," noting that the
latter feature requires Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. Poking around a bit reveals
that Apple is incorporating video into iTunes; you can drag a QuickTime
movie to the Library, where it appears with a small gray videocamera
icon. Playing the movie displays it in the little Now Playing box (where
album covers appear); clicking the movie opens it in a separate window,
and clicking a new Show Video Full Screen button presents the movie
full screen (although the full-screen option doesn't work for videos
or movie trailers downloaded from the iTunes Music Store.) A new preference
also controls the default window setting for video playback. As of this
writing, the update was available only as a stand-alone download, but
I'm guessing it will appear via Software Update soon. The iTunes 4.8
installer is an 11 MB download. [JLC] [TidBITS]
Google's
New Personalized Homepage
jgaynor writes "Citing user requests to coalesce it's
disparate services, Google today released its new personalized homepage
service. It allows you to arrange your Gmail, Google News, Google Maps
driving directions, weather and a few select news services (including
Slashdot) on a single page. Future plans include Universal RSS support.
Clearly a shot at existing services like My Yahoo." [Slashdot]
Library
to Require Fingerprint to Use PCs
FearUncertaintyDoubt writes "Three libraries in Naperville,
IL, soon will start requiring patrons who use the library's PCs to provide
a fingerprint scan. The article says, ' Library officials say the added
security is necessary to ensure people who are using the computers are
who they say they are. Officials promise to protect the confidentiality
of the fingerprint records.'" [Slashdot]
Power
Strip Liberator
On a regular basis I profess the definition of design
to be an exercise in problem solving. The Power
Strip Liberator is a perfect example of what I consider great design.
It's a one foot long extension cord that bridges your power strip to
the bulky plug so that none of the outlets are blocked. Of course solving
this problem creates yet another one-- a bigger mess under the desk,
but until we have wireless power that may be a worthwhile tradeoff.
via I4U
Posted in: Devices
[Josh Rubin: Cool Hunting]
New
Viruses For AOL & Yahoo! IMs For The Long Weekend
Just in time to make Memorial Day weekend really memorable,
both AOL and Yahoo! instant messengers are being targeted - the former
by an Internet worm, the latter by a phishing scam….[Lockergnome
Windows Fanatics]
Apple Computer's new Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger" operating
is less than a month old, but already the co... [ AppleInsider]
MacDevCenter.com:
Outboard Brains for Mac OS X
Outboard Brains for Mac OS X (part1) [del.icio.us/tag/osx]
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Remember
to update operating systems, anti-spyware and anti-virus programs
Operating
System Updates
For Windows
(98, 2000, XP), there should be an icon labeled Windows Update in
your Start Menu, or visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
For Macintosh OS 9 systems, check Apple Menu, Control Panels, Software
Update
For Macintosh OS X systems, check System Preferences, Software Update
Anti-Virus
The beginning
of each month is the perfect time to ensure that your operating system
(Windows/Macintosh OS) and anti-virus software are up-to-date. Your
anti-virus software cannot protect your computer from the latest viruses
without these updates. Updates are released at least once a month,
unless a new virus is dangerous enough to justify an immediate update.
Spyware
Download, install and update a Spyware prevention program
such as Spybot
or Ad-Aware.
These Trojan
Horse programs can slow down your computer dramatically and eventually
make it unusable.
Most systems can be set to automatically check for updates directly
from the Internet, as well. If you want to learn how to set up automatic
updates for these programs, drop me an email or give me a call.
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WelchWrite
@ Amazon.com
If
you are shopping through Amazon.com,
you can use the WelchWrite Bookstore.
Simply
click on the link below to start your shopping and WelchWrite receives
a small portion of each sale.
|
Free Library Question and
Answer returns June 2, 2005
If your friends
or co-workers would like an example of how I teach and coach computer
users through large and small issues, I recommend they stop by some evening.
This is probably the best way to get to know me and my methods.
Each class starts
with a a short presentation on some interesting technology, web site or
software, but then quickly becomes an energetic question and answer session,
where I answer the questions that are most pressing in the minds of the
attendees.
Schedule:
June 2
June 16
June 30
The Sherman Oaks
Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library is located at:
14245 Moorpark
Street
Sherman Oaks, CA
818-205-9716
[Map]
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Software Downloads
and Updates
Macintosh
About
the security content of the Mac OS X 10.3.9 Update
Release date: Fri, 15 Apr 2005 18:18:16 -0500 [Apple
Support - Most Recent Articles]
If
you loved our Comic Art Effect tutorial, check out Comic Life
Last year we brought you the Comic
Art Effect tutorial and inspired a new breed of photo-comic artists.
New on the scene is Plasq's
Comic Life application which will aid you in turning your comic
themed pictures into comic book pages--complete with dialog balloons,
"sound" effects and captions. Very cool--very impressed. [MacMerc]
300
Free Truetype Fonts
Looking for more fonts? Here's a great selection of
300 free truetype fonts to
add to your collection. Enjoy!
"I've collected 300 of my favorite truetype fonts that can be used
for design works. Here they are free to download in .ttf format (works
on both MacOSX and Windows machines)."[MacMerc]
Palm
Music
Bundle Pro - 1.2 - 4 essential applications for music education
[VersionTracker: PalmOS]
NekoCat
- 4.2 - Digital Pet [VersionTracker:
PalmOS]
Solitaires
Unlimited - 1.03 - Collection of solitaire games [VersionTracker:
PalmOS]
Lineman
- 1.0 0 - Six calculators for engineers, installers, contractors
[VersionTracker: PalmOS]
Windows
NoteBook
- 5.4 - Store notes and to-do list for easy reference [VersionTracker:
Windows]
Software Updates of all sorts
VersionTracker.com
Download.com |
|  Interesting
Web Sites
How-To:
Build A Cheap Media Player In 20 Minutes
Like it or not, being a gadget geek implies
certain responsibilities. Removing
adware from your relatives’ PCs, hooking your friends up
with wireless
access, creating
robot life — you never seem to get a break. So when
a buddy calls and invites you over for an impromptu bar-b-q, the thought
of a Saturday afternoon doing nothing but eating free food and discussing
the intricacies of the nice weather cannot be dismissed.
“Oh, I forgot to ask,” your friend says. You begin
to register that, yes, tasty burger happiness is going to come at
a cost. “Is there a way we can watch the new Doctor Who over
here?” You are compelled to respond, “sure thing,
I’ll figure something out,” because deep down you know
that yesterday you leeched the first two episodes off of your friend
Jake, the file trading addict, torrent-master, hell’s angel,
network administrator. The fact that he is a dirty biker does
not diminish your ‘pay-it-forward’ debt.
Huddling around a 15-inch laptop screen is definitely going to be
a bummer, so you need to get these AVIs to display on a TV. What
you need is a media player, and fast. You’ve got 20 minutes,
an empty wallet, and nothing in your stomach. What do you do?
[engadget.com]
Free
sound
The Free Sound Project is a huge, collaborative database
of sound clips licensed for free sampling and remixing.
Search for sounds or browse the tag list, which includes
"water," "tick," "toilet," "children," "screaming," "kitchen," "subway"
and "sweep" - all sounds released under a Creative Commons license.
Great resource for musicians or filmmakers needing non-copyrighted
audio to spice up their multimedia creations.
The
Free Sound Project [via del.icio.us]
[Lifehacker]
Making
Oatmeal Box Pinhole Cameras [del.icio.us/makemagazine]
Build-It-Yourself
toys, robots, puppets, contraptions.... [del.icio.us/makemagazine]
MAKE:
Blog: DIY Dirkon Paper Camera [del.icio.us/tag/photography]
Where
To Find Great Free Photographs And...
Where
To Find Great Free Photographs And Visuals For Your Own Online Articles
- Robin Good's Latest News [del.icio.us/tag/photography]
Make
a Photo Lab For $49.38
Here's
a secret: you can develop black & white film cheaply and cleanly
in your very own bathroom. The site has a list of all the things
you'll need, where to get them and a good step by step (with black
and white photos) on developing your own film. The comments are a
great too for some additional tips too Link.
[MAKE: Blog]
LocalHikes
- Search for day hikes and...
LocalHikes
- Search for day hikes and hiking trails near U.S. Metropolitan Areas
[del.icio.us/tag/la]
Save
Yourself: Build Your Own Robot [del.icio.us/tag/robot]
More web sites of all sorts
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| WelchWrite
Merchandise
Photos by Douglas E. Welch, Products
from Cafepress
You can browse and order by visiting my CafePress
Shop
Additional products are also available at:
http://cafeshops.com/mossyrock/
http://cafeshops.com/welchphoto
http://cafeshops.com/welchsun/
http://cafeshops.com/malibusunset/
|
Career-Op,
now in its 9th year, is my weekly column on high-tech careers. In Career-Op,
I address some of the particular issues of working in high-tech and
also general issues that we all face in our careers. You can find the
latest column, and a complete archive of past columns complete
archive of past columns.
Latest Column
Career-Op:
Reflection
Too often, we speed through our work, never noticing
the small things we leave behind. Often, in the heat of a meeting
or consulting call, we promise many things, but do we remember to
deliver? Did you promise to research the procedure for importing data
for mail merge? How about that request to update some router firmware?
Does a client need a recommendation on a memory upgrade? How many
small items have “slipped through the cracks” and disappeared. Even
more importantly, how many opportunities to help your clients, and
your career, have been lost? If you want to build your high-tech career,
you need to become better at capturing these opportunities and using
them to improve your relationship with your clients.
|
My weblog,
My Word with Douglas E. Welch, is a daily gathering spot for
all the information I come across in my travels. There I announce new
software updates, post photos, highlight interesting news stories, book
recommendations and LA Events. You can check it out at: http://www.welchwrite.com
/blog/
A Recent
Entry:
 Living
in Los Angeles, there are almost too many hiking opportunities. Trying
to decide between one or other can be difficult task. "Am I in the
mood for mountains or coast line? Waterfall or desert? Urban or rural?
LocalHikes.com
comes to the rescue with hundreds of hikes for many metropolitan areas,
not just Los Angeles. The added benefit here are the reviews posted
by other hikers detailing trail conditions, closures and more. As
fire season gets underway here in California you can often go out
for a day of fun only to find your favorite trail has been closed
due to "red flag" alert. Checking with LocalHikes.com
before you go won't solve all your problems, but it might save you
some time and gas money.
LocalHikes
- Search for day hikes and... LocalHikes - Search for day hikes
and hiking trails near U.S. Metropolitan Areas
(Via del.icio.us/tag/la.)
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| 
A Gardener's
Notebook is a daily
weblog of the trials and tribulations of a part-time gardener. It includes
notes on what is blooming, what I am planting and what is struggling.
It also contains links to new (or newly found) gardening books and more.
Spend some time in my garden! http://welchwrite.com/agn/blog/
A
Recent Entry:
Gardening and the Long Weekend
There is something about a long holiday weekend that
makes you want to get out into the garden. Of course, now I am a bit
sore after tackling one of our big annual jobs, the trimming of the
geometric azalea beds in the front garden.
This is certainly not my favorite job. My arms usually end up feeling
like jelly by the time I am done, but it only takes a couple of hours
at the very most and then I don't have to worry about it again until
next year.
Luckily, the weather cooperated perfectly this weekend,
with temperatures barely breaking into the 70's. In years past, I have
had to sweat it out in 90 degree temps, grumbling the entire time. Rosanne
and Joe were also out visiting Nonna so it seemed like a great time
to get it done. I put my iPod on and listened to podcasts the entire
time I worked. That also made the time pass quickly. Nothing like getting
a little knowledge while you do physical labor.
As I was finishing up the raking my neighbor stopped
by to ask if he might take some limbs off a cedar tree that border our
properties. It seems it was leaking sap badly and ruining the finish
on his car. I really like these neighbors, they have helped us out many
times in the past, so I had no problem with this. In fact, since the
tree was crowding out some others and really didn't look that good,
I thought we might just remove the entire tree. This is part of the
on-going "editing" that has to be done here, thanks to the previous
owner's dramatic over-planting.
After looking at the tree for a while, though, we realized
it was too big of a job for us. We didn't have big enough ladders to
reach the top and might end up injuring ourselves. So, it is time to
pull out the checkbook and bring in the tree company, again. This is
one expense I don't really begrudge as most of our trees are well beyond
my ability to trim or remove. Still, it does get expensive.
Now that the azaleas are trimmed, I can see where the
weeds have taken over the various paths, so now it is time to do a little
digging and mulching to neaten that area and start the prep for our
Italian guests (arriving in mid-July) and our big summer party. |
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Contact
Information
I am available for assistance via telephone,
cell phone, e-mail and instant messaging.
The fee for assistance via these methods is my basic hourly rate, pro-rated
by the minute.
Contact Numbers:
Office 818-781-6955
Cell 818-601-0051
Email douglas@welchwrite.com
AOL Instant Messenger WelchWrite
Skype ID: DouglasWelch
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