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Saturday, January 02, 2010

DIY: Inexpensive Wiimote-based Smart boards

My son's school has been lucky enough to be able to afford Smartboards for each of its classrooms so that teachers can use them in a number of amazing ways. Students can interact with web pages, flash games, and software using "electronic chalk". Material, both digital and physical, is easily presented to the entire class. The boards open up a wide range of activities never before possible in the classroom, limited only by the imagination.

That said, smartboards can be exceedingly expensive. Second only to the capabilities of smart boards themselves is the inventiveness of hackers, DIY'ers and Makers who set out to use the relatively inexpensive Wiimote game controller to create an less expensive, home brew version of the Smartboard. Even better, building the system can be made part of the educational process for everyone involved .

This article from MAKE: Blog ( Make your own Wii smartboard) details how to create and use this inexpensive system in your own school or group. The video below offers a quick view of the amazing things you can accomplish with such a system.

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Friday, October 26, 2007

Halloween: Print Your Own Halloween Mask [Friday Fun]

More Halloween fun courtesy of LifeHacker.com...

Print Your Own Halloween Mask [Friday Fun]

CreateMasks_img1.jpgForget a store-bought mask for Halloween: Put that photo printer to good use and make a custom mask of your dog, your boss or your favorite celebrity. Microsoft offers instructions on how to print out a handheld mask glued to a piece of balsa wood (or tied around your head with ribbon) with the right photograph. We shameless nerds can download some Star Wars character mask templates for free in the, ahem, kids section of the site. (Totally printing out Chewbacca this weekend and cutting out the eye holes.)




(Via Lifehacker.)


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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Podcasting for Writers at UCLA Extension

Today the UCLA Extension calendar for Summer 2007 was released to the public. Among the offerings is our new class, Podcasting for Writers -- a 10-week online course.

If you, or someone you know, would like to join us for this class, here is the complete information.

Rosanne and I are really looking forward to the class.



NEW COURSE
Podcasting for Writers (Online)
X 430.27 Film & Television 3 units $525

Podcasting has given writers direct access to a worldwide audience and freed them from absolute dependency on television networks, radio stations, and publishers to buy and market their work. To the audience, podcasting is "what you want, where you want it, when you want it," while to the podcast creator and producer, it is the ultimate creative freedom. This course covers the current state of this new medium; the basics of writing for it; and strategies for publicizing your podcast and expanding your readers, viewers, and listeners. Guest speakers available via audio and video podcast interviews, live interactive podcasts, and video conferences introduce you to the variety of ways you can use the medium. The course goal is to develop your own podcast based on individual professional or personal needs, interests, and goals. For technical requirements click here. Enrollment limited to 18 students. Additional technical requirements: Students need a recording device with microphone that is compatible with their computer; built-in microphones on laptops are acceptable. Students must have Apple iTunes software and access to audio recording software, such as Audacity or Apple GarageBand, to perform course exercises. High-speed Internet connection is required.

Course Open Reg# T3254U

No Textbook Required

Online Course
July 5 - September 6
$55 nonrefundable.

Rosanne Welch, writer/producer; WGA member whose credits include five seasons as staff writer, executive story editor, and producer on the CBS series Touched by an Angel. Ms. Welch also has written for Fox Broadcasting's Beverly Hills, 90210; Picket Fences for CBS and David E. Kelly Productions; and is the author of The Encyclopedia of Women in Aviation and Space.

Douglas E. Welch, writer and computer consultant, whose work has been published in Wired, MacWorld, and Los Angeles Times. Mr. Welch is a member of Friends in Tech, and produced his first show, Career Opportunities, in 2004. He has written and produced over 300 individual episodes and conducts podcasting seminars for schools and businesses.

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Monday, May 21, 2007

Real World Example: A 'Paper Mismatch' or 'Paper too Narrow' Error Occurs While Receiving a Fax

HP Officejet 6110xiHere is another Real World Example, this time from my own office printer.

After changing the print cartridge in my HP OfficeJet 6110xi All-in-One, the printer wanted to print its alignment page. This is to insure that all the print heads line up and produce a crsip image.

Instead, though, it started giving me an error that the paper loaded was not "plain paper". Well, said I, of course it is, I am looking right at it. After re-trying the print several times I went to HP.com to check on the support information for this printer.

Working through their troubleshooting checklist, I came up with this tech note. While it didn't directly address my problem, it did let me know that the error can be caused by a damaged or blocked sensor on the printer.

After a bit of poking around, using the diagram as a guide, the printer finally recognized the paper type correctly and I was able to print the document that started the entire process.

Lesson: When checking online support databases, don't ignore problem descriptions that are close to the one you are experiencing. You might just find a solution.

HP Officejet 6100 and PSC 2200 Series All-in-Ones - A 'Paper Mismatch' or 'Paper too Narrow' Error Occurs While Receiving a Fax

HP Officejet 6100 and PSC 2200 Series All-in-Ones - A 'Paper Mismatch' or 'Paper too Narrow' Error Occurs While Receiving a Fax


** Previously on Real World Example



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Saturday, May 05, 2007

Cool Tool: Open Clip Art Library

Open Clip Art LibraryKreg over at Valid Syntax, a podcast reviewing open source projects and software shared this link in his latest show -- the Open Clip Art Libary.

From their web site...

Drawing Together: This project aims to create an archive of user contributed clip art that can be freely used. All graphics submitted to the project should be placed into the Public Domain according to the statement by the Creative Commons. If you'd like to help out, please join the mailing list, and review the archives.


So head on over, sign up, see what's available and maybe even share some of your own work.

Link: Open Clip Art Library

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Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Computing for the Everyman 5 - Preferences

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Transcript: If you remember the theme of this blog and podcast, it has always been to "Control your technology, don't let it control you!" In light of that, today's article is on how to make your computer and your programs act the way you want them to act, not the other way around.

First, every computer, every piece of software and every online service you use will have some preferences that can be altered by you. Sure, there will be default settings that work for the basics, but there can be anywhere from 1 to 100 different options that you can turn off and on, depending on how you want the program or service to operate.

The main reason I am writing on this topic is that nearly everyone I meet, whether friend or client, has some complaint about how their computer or software operates. Microsoft Word is the usual focus of their attacks. It has many features that try to be "friendly" and useful, but usually end up annoying most folks. So, I often find myself telling folks how to turn off this or that feature. The thanks I receive are amazingly heartfelt. After years of suffering under the tyranny of their software, they are free at last.

Now, you might not have such strong feelings about your software, but you can also learn a few things about your computer by checking out the preferences (or Options, as Windows insists on calling them) on your computer.

Let's start with the computer itself. On a computer running Microsoft Windows, the basic settings for Windows are held in the Control Panel. You should see Control Panel listed in your Start Menu, or it might be under Start Menu, Settings, Control Panel. There you will find items that let you change the size and resolution of your screen, network settings, uninstall programs and more. Look around there, and check out each individual Control Panel item. Don't worry, if you think you may have changed something by mistake, press the Cancel button to leave the Control Panel and the settings will remain unchanged.

On an Apple Macintosh computer, your basic preferences are found in the System Preferences application. This is always available from under the blue Apple menu, and it might also be available in your Dock. Just like with Windows, these System Preferences allow you to change the basic settings of your Mac.

Now, each program you use also contains its own preferences that are specific to the tasks that the program performs. Let's take Microsoft Word for example. On a Windows computer, you would select Tools Menu, Options... to see all the settings for the program.

I will admit, the Options page for a program like Word can look intimidating. Not only do you have one page showing 10-30 options, if you look at the top of the Options window, you will see tabs indicating another 10-12 pages of options, divided by category. Clicking on a tab brings that set of options to the front. Clicking OK saves any options you might have changed. Even though you won't have a need to change many of these options, take a moment to familiarize yourself with the options that are available. Then, repeat this for each program you use regularly.

On an Apple Macintosh, you can access preferences for each program by selecting Preferences under the Application menu (This is the menu, next to the blue Apple menu, that is the name of the program you are using. For example, if you are using Microsoft Word, the menu will read "Word".)

The next time your computer or software isn't working the way you wish, try checking out the Preferences and see if there is a way to change its behavior. You can find out more information about each preference by selecting the Help menu in most programs and searching for a particular Preference or operation.

Until next time, "Control your technology, don't let it control you!"

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Thursday, April 26, 2007

Live from the Library - All things blogging...and more!

TechnologyIQ LogoAll Things Blogging and More

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Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Cool Tools: Free Flash-based presentation tool

Spresent Screen ShotCool web services just keep coming and coming. Here is a service that provides MS PowerPoint-style presentations using only your web browser. This is sure to be highlighted in an upcoming Live from the Library Internet Seminar.

Free Flash-based presentation tool

In a field where we're constantly creating tutorials for our users, a lot of them in a web-accessible format, free tools that helps us do this are very valuable.  If you're looking for a free option for creating a Flash-based web presentation, check out Spresent. Think of it as a way to replace PowerPoint, or to do what PowerPoint does in a slightly different (and more streamlined) way.  From their self-description:

(Continues)

(Via LibrarianInBlack.)


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Thursday, April 05, 2007

Make your own maps at Google

Today, Google has released a new feature, MyMaps, that allows you to annotate any Google Map using icons, text, shapes and links. This screen shot shows a sample I made about the Internte Seminars at the Library.

Google MyMaps Screen Shot

Click to be taken to Google Maps for the real map


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Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Computing for the Everyman 3 - The File Menu

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Transcript:

If you learn a few computer fundamentals, you can use almost any computer or any program, even if you know nothing else about it. Computing for the Everyman - this time in TechnologyIQ

People can be very intimidated by computers, especially if they don’t have much experience with them. They can find the complexity daunting, even if they don’t have a use for most of the functions of a computer or its software. People want to know everything about their computer before starting to use it, but it is only in using , and playing with, your computer, that you can truly learn about it.

That said, there are some basic computer fundamentals that can give you the confidence to approach any computer or any piece of software and start using it immediately.

Last time in Computing for the Everyman, I talked about “The least you need to know” about your computer. Today, I will start to flesh out those ideas by presenting the File menu. You see it on every computer you use, but did you notice that it always contains an important set of commands and functions whether you are using MS Windows or Apple Macintosh.

While there are some exceptions, every computer program will have a File menu containing, at least, these standard commands.

New, Open…, Close, Save…, Save As…, Page Setup…, Print…, Exit/Quit

You may see others, specific to the function of the program you are using, but these options will always be there and ready for your use. Let's take a look at each of them in turn.

New...

This option creates a new blank document. If you are using a word processing program, this will look like a blank sheet of paper. A spreadsheet program will present you with a new spreadsheet showing rows and columns.

In some cases, you may be asked to select from a list of pre-defined templates. Among those choices, though, should be an option for a simple Blank page.

Open...

The Open command allows you to select a previously created file and add to or edit it. When you select open, the computer should automatically direct you to the standard repository for documents on the computer. Under MS Windows, this is the My Documents folder. On Macintosh, it is the Documents folder. Once there, you may need to double-click additional folders to open them and see the files inside.

Close

Close simply closes the current document. You can also close a document by clicking the red X in the upper right-hand corner under Windows or the red circle in the upper left-hand corner under Mac OS X. If you haven't saved some changes to the document, you will be prompted to Save these changes or Ignore them. Choose carefully.

Save...

Selecting Save... writes the current file to the hard disk over-writing the previous version of the file. If you have no unsaved changes, this option may be dimmed and unavailable.

Save As...

Save As... allows you to save the existing document with a new name, save it to a new location, or both. In fact, the first time you select Save... when you are creating a new document you are actually doing a Save As.... This is because in order to save the file for the first time, your computer needs to know its name and where you want to save it on the hard drive.

Page Setup...

Page Setup... allows you to change various settings which determine how your document will print. The most often used option in Page Setup... is Portrait or Landscape printing. This dictates whether your document will print down the long direction of the page, or across the wide direction. You can remember the difference between these two options by raclling that portraits are usually painted in a tall and narrow format and landscape paintings are usually painted wide and short. Neat, huh?

Print...

The Print... command send the current document to the printer. There will also be a number of options you can change under this command, including the number of copies to print, which pages to print, (for example, print only pages 3 and 4) and which printer should print the document, if you have more than one connected to your computer.

Quit/Exit

Under Microsoft Windows, the Exit command closes all open documents, prompting you to save any unsaved changes, and then quits the entire program. On a Mac, this command is labeled Quit and does exactly the same thing. If you aren't going to be using the program for a while, it is always a good idea to Quit it. Closing all the open documents does not quit the program and it continues to consume memory and processing time on the computer.

Again, all these commands should be available in the File menu of any computer. There may be additional commands, but these are the most important and part of "the least you need to know" about your computer.

Next time in Computing for the Everyman, the Edit menu, cut, copy, paste and, most importantly, Undo!

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Thursday, March 08, 2007

Live from the Library - March 8, 2007

TechnologyIQ LogoWe talk about Mind Mapping, some online mind mapping applications and more.

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Saturday, February 17, 2007

Computing for the Everyman - Part 2 - The Least You Should Know

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We live in a high-tech world these days, whether we like it or not. That said, you don't need to know "everything" about your technology, but you should know "something." Below I have listed some information and a series of skills that you should know in order to allow yourself to be productive with your computer. If you find that you are missing one or two of these items, let's get together to complete your technology education so you can start doing even greater things with your computer.

System
Speed of Computer
Amount of Memory
Amount of Hard Disk Space
Version of Windows or Mac OS X
Important user names and passwords

Applications
Know how to create a new, blank document
Open an existing document
Save a document
Save as... (and why you might want to do that)
Know WHERE you saved the document
Print a document
Create a PDF of a document

How to properly restart and shutdown (and know why)

Delete a document (safely)

Access a web site
Navigate a website i.e. follow links, go back, etc.

Download a file/program
Install a program
Remove a program

Access email (that has been pre-configured with email account settings)
Send email
How/when to use CC
How/when to use BCC (very important)
Reply (and when to use)
Forward (and when to use)
Delete
File email into folders
Why to organize files into folders

File Management
Create new folders
Move/save files into folders
Why to organize files into folders
Copy/Save As... a document to floppy, CD, network drive, etc.
Burn documents to CD for sharing or backup

There are probably a few more items I could include here, but I consider these the basics. If you are familiar with this information and these operations, you are well on your way to computer mastery. Over the next few weeks, I will start to breakdown this list and give you specific examples on how to acquaint yourself with each and every one.

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Saturday, February 10, 2007

Computing for the Everyman - Part 1 - Introduction

TechnologyIQ logoby Douglas E. Welch, techiq@welchwrite.com
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Whenever I am talking to the average, non-geeky, computer user I often hear complaints about how complex, how confusing and how aggravating computers can be. Along with that, people are scared...scared of losing their data, scared of damaging their computer and scared of pulling their hair out. (SMILE)

It doesn't have to be this way nor should it. One of the first things I try to do with anyone I work with is to put them at ease. I assure them that, short of attacking their computer with a baseball bat (which I have known a writer to do after one too many crashes), there is little they can do to hurt their computer. I encourage them to play with their computer, trying out its functions on small, non-critical projects, like a letter to a friend or typing up some notes. All of this is meant to encourage them to familiarize themselves with the computer in a non-threatening environment. Just like becoming familiar with a new car or a new toaster, comfort is one of the most important aspects of starting to use your computer.

Next, I will ask each client or attendee to my Internet Seminars at my local library, to make a list of what they want to do with their computer. These lists should be in the form of tasks they want to accomplish with the computer, instead of vague references to printing, using the software, managing their files. Rather, I want to see items like:

• Instant Message with my grandchildren
• Print envelopes from my printer
• Research my family genealogy
• Make free phone calls over the Internet

Once we have this list, I can really begin to teach these people something useful. First, we attack one of the tasks from the list, say writing a letter. Then I show them how to open a program, add their text to the document and how to save it. Throughout that lesson, I am constantly throwing in the fundamentals of each of these steps. For example, to start a program I will have them click on their Start Menu (for Windows user), then click All Programs, then the program itself.

Then, I quickly explain to them that all programs on their computer can be opened in this same fashion. If they are looking for a specific program, they can follow these steps and then look through the menu until they find it. I might go even deeper in explaining how menus work the same in every program, regardless of its purpose. I might show them the Edit menu and explain how Undo, Cut, Copy, Paste will ALWAYS be found in this menu, regardless of the program they are using. In this way, by the time we are done with our lesson, individuals have learned not only a specific step-by-step operation, but also much of the underlying fundamentals that make it easier to use ANY program on their computer. Even despite the Windows versus Mac battles of the past, these operating systems are more alike than ever before.

The fact is, learning these fundamentals that apply to any computer or technology, allows you to address almost any technology questions you might have. Much like elementary and high schools are focusing on "learning how to learn", as well as absorbing raw facts, technology users need to be learning the underlying principles of all technology, so that, even when they encounter an unknown device or computer, they can still begin using it almost immediately. I have much that same experience when I am visiting my wife's relatives and I am forced to speak Italian for 99% of my day. For the first few days it is very tiring, but around the 3rd day there is a change, a "click" that occurs and I find myself thinking in Italian instead of trying to translate everything to and from English. This same "click" occurs with technology, and much more quickly than you might think.

This is my goal in this on-going series of posts on TechnologyIQ. I want to help you get to the "click" that allows you to understand any technology, as if it were your native tongue. I can guarantee you, when it occurs, your friends and family will be amazed and wonder aloud how you became some a technology expert.

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