Gmail's Free Call Phone Program Continues in 2012
__________________________________________________________________________________________
May 16, 2012. – Jep Norwood covered a broad range of topics this morning in his
“Lots of phony emails are still out there,” said Jep. He said that they should not be opened since some of them contain programs that will hijack one’s computer. For more on hijackers, see: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/HIJACKERS/EXAMPLES/Examples.htm.
Jep also said everyone should be wary of phone calls from people who claim they represent Google or Microsoft—or some other well-known company—and then ask you to make adjustments on your computer. “All they want,” he said, “is to hijack your computer.” (See: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/topic453721.html.)
Another way of hijacking a computer, said Jep, is to have the user click on a message box that suddenly appears saying that one’s computer might be hijacked. “Take your hand off the mouse then turn off your computer by holding in the on/off button until the computer turns off,” said Jep. As soon as you click anywhere on these messages, he said, it’s too late and someone else has control of your computer. (For more see: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/PAGE_COMPUTER_LESSONS_INDEX.htm.)
Jep reminded everyone that Microsoft will stop updating its XP operating system April 8, 2014. “That may seem like a long time from now,” he said, “but maybe we should all be thinking of saving up for a new computer.” He does not think that much of Windows 8 and said it was configured mainly for tablets. He said there is a way—or shortly will be—to get rid of the Windows 8 desktop with its tiles and return to the Windows 7 look, which he likes.
New computers are coming with six or eight Gigs of RAM, said Jep and I5 processors. You can still get by with a computer with an I3 processor, he said, if the computer is used only for email and simple Internet browsing. Some programs, however, he noted (Computer Assisted Drawing, Photoshop), require more power. “A computer with an I3 processor may be a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than one with an I5,” he said but probably won’t be worth it in the long run.
If you bought a Windows 7 computer today, said Jep, the operating system will probably be around 10 or 11 years, about the same amount of time XP has been maintained by Microsoft. A new computer might well have USB3 slots, which, he said, increase loading speeds dramatically. (USB2 devices will still work in such a computer, he said.)
For those thinking of switching Internet service providers to Charter, he suggested making sure the cables under one’s place are in good working order. Get it in writing that Charter will provide 10 to 15 mps download speed before you sign up, he said.
Before wrapping up, Jep reminded everyone that all computers sold today are Wi-Fi enabled. He also suggested that everyone defrag their computers at least once a month.
________________________________________________
May 2, 2012. – “You can do a million things on it.” That was Brenda Norwood’s
The 7.5 x 4.7 inch display and its 14.6 ounce heft make it small enough to slip into a purse and light enough to hold with one hand. It comes with a built-in browser and, said Brenda, is handy for checking email. Tap on the bottom of the tablet and there’s a keyboard that can be used for email or text messaging.
You can download Netflix movies on the Kindle Fire, said Brenda. You can also download ebooks, either from Amazon (some are free) or from the Florence library. If you download an ebook from the local library, Brenda said, you have 21 days in which to read it. If the book you want to read is being used by someone else, she said, you can put your name on a waiting list and the library will notify you when it’s ready to be downloaded. Once you have downloaded the book, you don’t have to connect to the Internet to read it, she said.
_____________________________________________________________
Unplug Computer When Power Quits, Says Jep
Apr. 18, 2012 – Jep Norwood told computer class members this morning that they should unplug their
After April 2014 Microsoft will no longer offer support for windows XP and Office 2003. ( See Jep’s web site: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/XP%20END/XPCOUNTDOWN.htm .) Since there won’t be any more security updates after that time, said Jep, it’s probably a good idea to start thinking of getting a new operating system since hackers will take advantage of loosened security to concoct viruses that will make a mess of old computers. Jep still likes Windows 7 but said he is not impressed with Windows 8, which he said was configured mostly for tablets and touch screens.
If you’re concerned about being tracked, said Jep, you might want to download and try a new program called DNT+ (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/DoNotTrackPlus/DoNotTrackPlus.htm). Jep downloaded the program, put it in a folder on the desktop, then showed how it worked. “If you’re interested in which programs are tracking you, it’s sort of fun to look at,” he said. And if you don’t like the program, he said, you can always go to Control Panel/Add Remove Programs and remove it.
One club member said he received an email from a friend but when he clicked on the link in the email he realized he had been spammed. Spammers are always trying to hijack people’s email accounts, said Jep. His advice if it happens to someone: either try using a new password or get yourself a new email address then notify your friends of the new address. Oregonfast, he noted, was trying hard to stop email address thefts.
Jep said he is enjoying his Kindle Fire and always looking for sites where he can download books. Amazon sells the Kindle Fire for about $200, he said, which is less than the cost of making it but makes its money from downloads, mostly of ebooks.
If you decide to switch your ISP to Charter, said Jep, make sure you ask Charter how many megabytes of download speed you will get. The wiring in some of the places in Greentrees isn’t in great condition, he said. You can tell how good your cable connection is, he said, by looking at the reception you get on your TV. (Click on the following link for a speed test: http://www.oregonfast.net/internetservices/speedtest.php?m=199-88.)
______________________________________________________
Picasa--It's Free and Easy to Use. Or So Club Members Are Told
April 4, 2012. – (Parker Kendall, who edits this web site, again talked about Picasa in
Picasa, however, is not only free but an excellent program to use for organizing your
photos. Once organized (tagged and put into folders) the photos can be sharpened, straightened, cropped, darkened, lightened or otherwise edited to suit your fancy. I especially like the Borders and Museum Matte features to put frames around my pictures. Using Borders, I can make room at the bottom of a photo for a caption that will stay with the photo if it’s emailed to someone.
You can be sure you have the latest version of Picasa by clicking on Help in the menu then going down and clicking on Check for Updates. Picasa is constantly adding new features to the program. Most of the recent editing updates come from Picnik, which Google bought and incorporated into Picasa. As of the middle of April, however, Picnik will no longer be available in Picasa. Picnik users will, says Google, have to sign up for Google Plus to use it. Meanwhile, the people who created Picnik have a new program called PicMonkey. (See: http://www.picmonkey.com/) Whether this will become part of Picasa, only Google knows.
You can make a collage in Picasa or make a CD and mail it to someone. You can make a movie from the contents of a folder or you can select however many photos you want, add music and let Picasa make a movie for you. Whichever photo editing program you use, chances are that you’ll have to spend at least a little time getting to know it. I think that people who choose to learn the basic editing features of Picasa will, once they’ve used the program, decide they’ve made a wise choice.
___________________________
Storms Slow Internet Reception in Town-- Jep
March 21, 2012 – A dozen Greentrees computer club members braved rain and
Jep said that Charter ISP service is available in Florence but that after an introductory offer expires the monthly cost of Charter would be about 89 dollars. Fiber optic cable "would make all the difference in the world," said Jep but said he had not yet heard how soon it might be installed in Greentrees. In the meantime, he said, “you can run Netflix with a download speed of 15 mps.” Otherwise, he suggested get programs you want on disk.
Jep warned everyone away from an Internet connection using Century Link. “Do not do it,” he said. “Phone lines in Florence are worn out.” He also cautioned against believing the ads one sees on television that promise to correct one’s computer troubles.
If you’re buying a new computer, said Jep, the Windows 7 Starter edition is not the best choice but, he said, “you can live with it.” If you have an old program that worked on Windows XP but won’t work on Windows 7, said Jep, it’s probably a good idea to simply upgrade the program rather than buy the most advanced version of Windows 7. Changing back to the old XP mode, he said, is usually more trouble than it’s worth.
As for Windows 8, which is slated to come out later this year: “It’s a pain in the butt.” Version 8 is built around touch screens, said Jep. Except for the desktop covered with tiles, he said, the new Windows 8 is basically the same as Windows 7.
Jep explained how to download cell phone photos into one’s computer. All phones, he said, come with a cable. One end plugs into the phone, the other is a USB connection that plugs into the computer. Once connected, the phone automatically downloads photos into the computer into which it is plugged. Another way of getting cell phone photos into one’s computer, said Jep, is simply to email them. If your phone won’t let you download a photo someone has sent you, said Jep, just change the photo’s name. Brenda, he noted, is the cell phone expert in the family.
After explaining how to network a printer, desktop and laptop in one’s home, Jep reminded everyone that his Norwoods web site will soon be history. Computer lessons will still be available, however, on the Florence Elks web site at: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/PAGE_COMPUTER_LESSONS_INDEX.htm. No Internet connection was available for this morning’s class even though some club members reported they had no trouble getting connected earlier in the day.
_____________________________________
Latest Picasa Offers New Editing Features
March 7, 2012. – (The person who presided at today’s computer club class on Picasa is the same person who edits this web site—Parker Kendall, hence the personal tone of what follows.)
Picasa is a free image organizing and editing program that can be downloaded onto
Anyone who has several hundred photos knows the necessity of a good system of organization and that Picasa provides. Whenever you download a photo onto your computer, it goes by default into your My Pictures folder and then appears in Picasa in a folder with a date on it. Since it’s almost impossible to remember what photos are in the folder called 4-20-06, the first order of business when downloading photos into a folder in Picasa is to rename the folder. (Right click. Click on Edit Folder Description and rename the folder.)
Once renamed, the folders line up alphabetically. Half of the organizing is now done. Next comes tagging photos. A tag is just another name for—well, a name. Select a photo and go to the Show-Hide Tags Panel icon in the lower right of your screen. Click on the icon then put a Tag on your photo. Then press the plus sign. Then get out of the panel by clicking on the x to the right of the word TAGS. (Shortcut to panel: Ctrl+T)
Once you have put a tag on a photo you can easily find it. Go to the search box in the upper right (there’s a little magnifying glass icon), type in the tag and the photo will
Now that you’re organized you can have fun editing your photos. Once you double left click on a thumbnail you’ll open up an enlargement of the photo. In the upper left are five tabs. This is where you do your editing. Look in all of the tabs and try out a few. You’ll see the photo undergo changes—some of them drastic. But fear not. Picasa is a non-destructive editing program. Right click on the photo and you will see Undo all Edits. Click on this and voila!—you’re back to where you started before you began editing the photo.
What else can you do in Picasa? You can make sure you have the latest version of the program. (Go to the Help menu then click on Check for Updates.) You can email photos to friends and relatives. You can make a poster or collage, make a CD, make a slideshow, make a movie. You can go through your photos and star your best ones then play them back in a slideshow. You can make a movie and put it on YouTube.
You can make an album and publish it online. Show only pictures with faces. You can remove blemishes and wrinkles from people’s faces. You can edit a picture two different ways then choose the one you want to save. Put a frame around your sweetheart.
Remember: there’s always Help. And Picasa forums, where you can ask a question and probably get it answered. Unfortunately, some of the answers one gets in the Picasa Help pages aren’t always easy to fathom. Another way to get a question answered is to just put it into Google’s search box and see if that provides an answer.
________________________________________________________
Club Gets Look at New Computer Devices
Feb. 29, 2012 – Computer club vice president Gene Fisher this morning showed
Some of apps for the tablets are free while some cost anywhere from a dollar to several dollars, Gene said. One popular competitor to the iPad, he said, is the Kindle Fire, which costs $200. The iPad Gene used for his demonstration has front and back facing cameras. The resolution on iPad and iPod Touch is not what one would get with most digital cameras, he said but noted that the resolution on the tablets keeps getting better with every new version of the device.
Ten of the most popular mobile devices are pictured and described on: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/top-10-tablets-for-the-holidays/2011/11/07/gIQA0tYqRN_gallery.html#photo=1
“You can even subscribe to magazines,” said Gene, “then read them at your leisure on your tablet.” He showed the app that allowed him to download a subscription to Sunset Magazine. He also showed how to take a photo then save it or send it to someone via email. If your device doesn’t have as much storage as you’d like, he said, you can always buy more. Apple’s iCloud offers iPad and iPod Touch users some free storage.
With the right app, said Gene, iPad and iPod Touch users can use their tablets to call people who have Magic Jack or Skype phones. – He also showed club members his MiFi from Virgin Mobile http://goo.gl/hK0Ub , which costs about $100 but is sometimes on sale. MiFi is a portable hotspot packed into about the same size as an Apple iPod Touch and has five access points. One advantage of having the Virgin Mobile MiFi, said Gene, is that one doesn’t have to sign up for a year’s service. Going on a ten-day trip and want Wi-Fi connectivity? That costs ten dollars. For twenty dollars, Gene said, you’ll get 30 days of service.
Club president Pat Miller reminded everyone the Florence library offers free checkout of ebooks for Kindle devices. To take advantage of this service, said Pat, “you will need a library card and pin number plus an Amazon Kindle account.” She gave everyone a two-page handout with detailed instructions on how to get library books on a Kindle.
________________________________________________________
Stay Away from Dot Net Warns Jep Norwood
Feb. 15,2011. -- Jep Norwood warned computer club members in this morning’s class to beware of Dot Net-4 (.NET). “Dot Net never has worked and is just a way for Microsoft to make money,” said Jep. When you go to Windows Updates/Custom you
Windows 8 is on the way, said Jep, and the latest MS operating system is coming with “lots of apps.” You will pay for these apps through Dot Net, said Jep. If your network adapter is taking ages to load, Jep suggested looking at the link on his web site at http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/Networkadapterload/Networkadaptload.htm. Sometimes, he said, people download an update by mistake and correcting this can be a pain. He cautioned against using System Restore, which, he said, is like relying on a Hail Mary pass. Sometimes it works but more often does not. Don’t, he said, use System Restore to go back more than two weeks.
For those people who don’t have WinZip on their computers, Jep suggested downloading a free program called Peazip (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/GREENTREES/QUESTIONS2012.htm). – He answered questions about Clipboard and suggested those wanting a fuller explanation go to his web site (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/GREENTREES/QUESTIONS2012.htm). Collette Bailey said she had been using a free program called Yankee Clipper.
Jep explained that recent windstorms had moved antennas enough so that recent download (and upload) speeds have suffered. He said that Oregonfast.net has been busy restoring Internet service to homes affected by the winds, which, in Florence were clocked at close to 100 miles an hour. That, said Jep, coupled with the fact that Florence is "up a dirt road off the Information Highway" means that folks here in Florence will never have computer download speeds that people in big cities have.
Fiber optic cable is in the offing, said Jep, but there are several problems that must be resolved before it is installed, for example, in Greentrees. The Greentrees office, said club president Pat Miller, is currently looking into the legal ramifications of putting fiber optic in the park.
For those whose download speeds are painfully slow, Jep suggested running a speed test (http://www.oregonfast.net/internetservices/speedtest.php?m=199-88), then, using Lightscreen to take a picture of the speed shown on one’s monitor and then emailing it to Oregonfast.net at broadband@oregonfast.net. It’s okay to complain, he said. “Just remember, though. The windstorms messed up reception for almost everyone else using Oregonfast.net.”
_______________________________________________________
Members Continue Exploring Google's Gmail
Feb. 1, 2012. – Pat Miller, club president, this morning continued her presentation on Google’s Gmail. Using a seven-page handout as a guide, she led club members through an exploration of the free email program. After briefly reviewing last month’s class on Gmail basic features, she reminded everyone that the program’s Help menu is always there for detailed instructions.
Pat spelled out the steps one takes to add an attachment to an email message. It’s also possible, she said, to add multiple attachments. She then showed how to archive and delete messages by clicking on the appropriate icon. “And you can also move what’s in your spam folder into your inbox,” she said.
An important part of using Gmail is learning how to set up one’s contacts, she said. If you delete one of your contacts by mistake, she said, you have 30 days to restore it. To get to Contacts, click Mail at the top-left corner of your Gmail page, then choose Contacts. You can create a contact group, she said, which makes it easier to email a specific set of people. Deleted a contact by mistake? It can be restored, she said.
Want to liven up your email by using a font you especially like? Or want to change the font’s color? Maybe add an emoticon? It’s all possible in Gmail, said Pat, and pointed out how one goes about making these changes in Settings.
Pat suggested opening Labs and looking over some of the cutting edge features of Gmail. To open Labs, click on the gear symbol in the top right corner of the Gmail page then click on Mail Settings then again on Labs. She suggested playing around with the various applets people have made and sent to Google. One example: Message Sneak Peek, which lets you peek into a conversation without opening it by right-clicking on a message in your inbox.
She then delved into Labels, which some people think of as folders. You can control which labels appear in your list on the left hand side of the Gmail page, she said, and spelled out the steps one takes. Before running out of time, she touched briefly on Gmail’s Call Phone program, which lets anyone with a computer make a phone call to any person in the U.S. or Canada. The person called does not have to have a computer and the Call Phone program is free. Just like Google’s Gmail.
________________________________________________________
|
|
Backup Email Account a Must Members Told Dec. 4, 2012. -- President Pat Miller this morning showed fellow computer
To open a Gmail account, she said, you can go to your browser’s address bar and enter “mail.google.com/mail/signup.” An easier way, she suggested, is to go to the search feature in Google or whatever search engine you use and enter “open Gmail account.” You will need a user name of from six to 30 characters, said Pat, and a name that has not been used by any Gmail user. If your first choice gets rejected, she said, keep trying until you come up with a unique name, which, she said, does not distinguish between small and capital letters.
Your password, she said, must have a minimum of eight characters and can be all letters, all numbers, all symbols or—probably the most secure-a combination of all three. Once you have chosen your user name, Gmail will let you know if it’s weak or strong. “Write down your user name and password,” said Pat, “and keep it in a secure place.”
Gmail now has a new format, Pat pointed out, so it may take a while for those new to the latest Gmail format to get accustomed to new interface. Most of the icons are obvious and there’s always the Help feature should anyone get stuck, she said. She then opened the gear icon (Settings) and went over how a client could configure his or her Gmail.
After covering the basics and answering questions, Pat suggested continuing the discussion of Gmail in the first Wednesday of February class, a suggestion everyone agreed to. At that time Gmail’s Call Phone feature will be examined. This allows anyone with a Gmail account—and a microphone plugged into one’s computer—to make free phone calls anywhere in the U.S. or Canada. ________________________ Club Looks Forward to Another Busy Year Dec 14, 2011. – President Pat Miller this morning presided over a business meeting of the Greentrees Village computer club and thanked everyone for making 2011 one 
After the reading and approval of the last business meeting’s minutes, Pat reviewed some of the items the club has been involved in. The club authorized Greentrees general manager Louis Deshofy to buy a new monitor for one of the computers in the clubhouse’s Coffee Room. The club also voted to give Greentrees $400 toward the purchase of a new television set for the Exercise Room.
In Treasurer Connie Goddard’s absence, Pat reported that the club’s treasury had a balance of $2132.08 as of Nov. 30, 2011. She passed around a sheet showing projected income and expenditures for 2012, figures that were approved unanimously by those present.
The club then voted for officers for the coming year. Pat Miller, Gene Fisher and 
In other business, the club thanked Connie DeGray for her service as secretary and also gave a thank you to Barbara Prisbe-Sutton for planning this year’s club party. Pat said she was still working on a list of places that will accept discarded electronic devices and, when it is ready, will publicize the information so that everyone in Greentrees will know how to safely discard their broken-down electronics. One member suggested the Humane Society Thrift Store in Old Town might accept such items. Pat also pointed out that Florence Ink has a bin for used ink cartridges. She also thanked On The Coast Printing, which does the park’s newsletter, for their assistance in printing the newsletter advertising.
NOTE: Google announced on Dec. 13, 2011 that Google's Gmail Call Phone will continue allowing free phone calls in the U.S. and Canada in 2012. See: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/12/free-calling-within-us-and-canada.html#!/2011/12/free-calling-within-us-and-canada.html
_____________________________________________________ Jep Norwood Covers Broad Range of Topics Dec. 7, 2011 – Jep Norwood reminded computer club members this morning that they should be downloading updates to Java, Adobe Reader and Windows. He also 
Jep still dislikes Facebook and predicts that it will one day crash. He did admit, however, that when a friend or relative sends pictures via Facebook that it’s hard to resist not going to Facebook to view them. – Before getting into a long discussion about Internet connections, he said that when using the speed test on his web site click only on Begin Test. (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/SPEEDTEST/SPEEDTEST.htm).
Several club members reported that their computers have slowed down over the past several months with about 1.5 mps being the average here in Greentrees. If you have a download speed of 15 mps, that should be good enough for almost anything you want to do on the Internet, said Jep. For those using Oregonfast.net as their Internet Service Provider and rarely getting speeds over 1.5 mps, Jep suggested getting in touch via email or by phone with Oregonfast.net and complaining.
If you decide you want to change your ISP and go with Charter, said Jep, call Charter first and tell them you want only a connection to the Internet, not the bundle that they offer. He cited one woman client of his that had done this and insisted on the Internet connection only. What speeds this person is getting, Jep wasn’t sure but will ask her and let everyone know in next month’s class.
“Whatever you do, said Jep, “do not sign up for Century Link. It doesn’t work.” Nor should you sign up for any company’s bundle, he said; otherwise you’ll be paying twice for TV. – If your Internet connection isn’t working, said Jep, unplug your router, wait a bit, then plug it back in. This, he said, fixes many a problem, especially if it’s done after a thunderstorm.
One class member said that he sometimes sees an X inside a box when he is trying to view pictures in a forum. The X, said Jep, generally means that the person sending the message forgot to insert the picture,. – To those worried about porn sites, Jep said the best solution was just to close the offending site. He suggesting not putting an app on one’s computer that tries to filter Internet sites. They don’t, he said, always work.
Jep showed how to put on one’s desktop an icon to click on to open his Computer Lessons site: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/PAGE_COMPUTER_LESSONS_INDEX.htm. Once the site is open, said Jep, simple right click on any white space and select Create Shortcut. -- If your computer is sleeping or hibernating, he said, it does not download anything. Jep doesn’t believe in using hibernate or sleep, . He said now and then a computer will hibernate and never wake up again. (See: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/HIBERNATE/HIBERNATE.htm). -- It’s a good idea to turn your computers off at night, he said. "Turning them off clears the RAM." ___________________________________________________ Use Light Screen for Screenshots--JepNov. 16, 2011. -- Jep Norwood told computer class members this morning that if 
Jep suggested that people with speeds far below 3,000 mps take a screen shot of their current speed and send it to Oregonfast. The speed test on his site is at: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/SPEEDTEST/SPEEDTEST.htm. To take a picture of the speed, he recommended using Light Screen, which is a free download (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/LIGHTSCREEN/LIGHTSCREEN.htm) from his web site. By default, Screen Shot will put images in a Screenshots folder, he said but added that the user can make a new folder and direct the program to put screenshots in it.
At the bottom of one’s computer monitor is the toolbar and Jep suggested removing from it any program that is not often used. To put a program onto the 
If people send you pictures that require you to scroll in order to view, Jep suggested sending them a free program called Shrink Pic (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/ShrinkPic/ShrinkPic.htm ). For those who prefer not to use Picasa to send pictures via email, Jep said Shrink Pic is easy to use. To edit photographs, Jep said he uses Photoscape.
He said that an ipad is a handy device to have but that since he is a PC person rather than an Apple person that he prefers a droid tablet. – He again reminded everyone not to update Office updates in Windows Updates. “You don’t need them,” he said. – As for Jep’s favorite web sites, he said he liked CNET and also found Bleeping Computer informative (http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/) . He lists more of his favorite sites on his web site at http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/MYFAVORITES/MYFAVORITES.htm. ________________________________________ Club Members Learn All About Printers Nov. 2, 2011 – Computer club members learned all about printers this morning from  Bernie Cunningham, owner of The Copier Doctor which, along with Florence Ink, run by his wife Stephanie, has been in business at 1790 Highway 101 here in Florence for the past three years. Mr. Cunningham began working on printers and copiers back in 1986, most of the early years on copiers, he said, since the inkjet printer was not yet popular.
Most printers made today, he said, are very durable. “If there’s a quality problem when you go to print something,” he said, “it’s usually the printer’s fault. But if the printer just won’t print, then the fault is usually with the computer.” He reminded everyone that every printer must have a driver, a small computer program that permits the computer and printer to communicate with each other. Unfortunately, he said, drivers sometimes get corrupted.
If you’re having trouble printing, he suggested first turning the computer and printer off then, after checking to make sure that the cable connecting the two devices is not damaged, turning them on. Every time you turn on your computer, he said, it looks for drivers, whether for printers or other devices. As for operating systems, he said he likes Windows XP because it’s the simplest system to hook something (e.g., a printer) to. Windows 7, he said, can at times be a bit difficult.
Given a choice between simple printer and a scanner/printer, Mr. Cunningham recommended buying the latter. Depending upon what make and model you buy, he  said, don’t always expect the machine to tell you when you are running low on ink or have run out of paper. If your printer isn’t working, make sure all of your connections are tight, he said and cautioned about turning down the sound on your computer all the way since you will probably detect whether you have your printer and computer properly connected by the beeps that can usually be heard.
If your printer acts up he suggested deleting the print queue and then trying to print a test page. Firmware upgrades don’t help much, he said. “Don’t update your printer it it’s working.” He showed where on ink cartridges he brought with him the expiration date is printed. Offering new drivers, he said, is the manufacturer’s way of selling new ink.
When buying ink cartridges, he said, always buy an XL (extra large), A non-XL prints about 200 pages, he said whereas an XL will give you 600 pages. Even though XL cartridges cost more, they are more economical, he said. Printing pictures, he warned, “sucks up ink,” so don’t expect more than a limited number of prints if you use your printer mainly for pictures.
One club member noted that on an Internet printing forum he often looks at several people have complained that Epson printer heads often clog. Mr. Cunningham agreed and advised against buying an Epson. On Epson printers, he said, print heads are built in and—unlike in most other printers—can’t be replaced every couple of years when they start to fail. If you want to clean your own print head, he said you should use Windex. Fold a paper towel several times and gently blot the print head onto the Windex-covered towel. Don’t move the print head side to side, he said, else the inks will get smeared. Remanufactured cartridges are generally safe to use these days, he said and recommended using German-made ink. Sales of refills outnumber OEM cartridges ten to one these days, he said.
If you print only in black ink, he said, get a laser printer. “They work forever.” Mr. Cunningham usually charges $35 to $65 an hour to repair a copier or printer. People with a sick copier or printer may drop it off at his store on Highway 101 or he will make a house call. His email address: thecopydoctorx@yahoo.com. __________________________________________ _______________________ Get Rid of MS Office Updates, Suggests Jep Oct. 26, 2011. -- Jep Norwood told club members at this morning’s computer class  to make sure none of the Windows Updates that appear on one’s computer are for Microsoft Office. Unless you’re a big company, said Jep, you don’t need these
updates. “If you’re still getting automatic updates,” he said, “go to Windows Updates then click on Change Settings.” If a gray box appears, said Jep, put a check mark in it so your computer won’t automatically install all updates for MS Office.
Jep’s news for those waiting for the next version of the Windows operating system was not encouraging. “It’s a disaster,” he said after reading reviews of Internet computer gurus he trusts. Microsoft, he said, is going into the applications selling business and the new desktop image for Windows 8 is a series of boxes, most of them trying to sell Microsoft products. Speaking of Microsoft, Jep said that if you see a box on your computer come up and say your copy of MS Office is illegal you should call him and he will fix it provided he was the one who set up the computer.
Asked about CCleaner, a free utility program used to remove potentially unwanted files and invalid Windows Registry entries from a computer, Jep said that he had never seen a computer fail that used the program. A good place to download CCleaner, he said, is FileHippo, which has the latest versions of applications. (See http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner.) He suggested members run CCleaner about once a month.
More from Jep. All cookies are not bad, e.g. passwords to favorite Internet sites. – As for Spybot, he said he stopped using it years go. -- He said that veteran club members should do their own computer maintenance. -- One way to clear the RAM, he said, is to turn one’s computer off at night. – Don’t update your drivers if they’re working, said Jep and stay away from web sites that promise to update drivers.
He reminded those using Outlook Express that if it fails one would need a complete Windows reload to get it again. Windows Live replaced Outlook Express, he said and noted that there are six programs available in Windows Live Essentials.
You can if you wish, said Jep, turn off the confirm delete box that appears in the Recycle Bin when you delete something from your computer. – As for IMAP, Jep considers it worthless and explains why on his web site. (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/GREENTREES/1-19-11.htm).
Jep reminded everyone how to use a thumb drive. When you first get it, he said, format it. “Then, if there is still stuff on it that you don’t want or need, format it again.” –Finally, he cautioned about playing too much Angry Birds, a free download from Google Chrome. “It’s a good way to get carpal tunnel syndrome,"said Jep. ___________________________________________ Members Learn How to Make Greeting Cards Oct. 5, 2011. – Collette Bailey showed fellow computer club members this morning how to make holiday greeting cards using Microsoft Publisher. Publisher is an entry level desktop publishing application with the emphasis on page layout and design  rather than text composition and is included in higher-end editions of Microsoft Office. The latest version of the program can be purchased from Microsoft for $139.99.
Collette used Barbara Prisbe-Sutton’s Christmas 2010 card created with Publisher to show off several of Publisher’s features. She showed how to select from a variety of templates, or, if one so desires, how to create a card from scratch. There are in the program, said Collette, a choice of fonts and font colors and sizes available, and emphasized that text is easy to manipulate once it put into a text box.
You can, if you wish, said Collette, add clip art or one’s own photos to a card or brochure. Fancy text can be added using Word Art, she noted and showed how to change shapes, font size and color of text. You can also, she said, add texture to the background of whatever it is you are making and can even change the background of your text boxes.
She passed around samples of cards and brochures she and others have made using Publisher, including one advertising her web site creation business. (Collette is in the process of revising the Greentrees Village web site.) She showed how to use Publisher to create return address labels. “You can, if you wish,” she said, “add a picture or clip art to the label.”
Club president Pat Miller reminded everyone that Jep Norwood’s monthly class, scheduled for Oct. 19, may have to be postponed because of extensive electrical work that will take place on or near that date. Members will be told of any schedule changes via email, she said. No class, she added, is scheduled for next Wednesday, Oct. 12. __________________________ Club Members Get Together at Workshop Sept. 28, 2011. -- Club members came together this morning at a workshop designed to encourage everyone to get the best out of their computers. Vice president Gene Fisher showed how to download and use Microsoft Security
Essentials, Super Antispyware, and Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware. “You should be running these programs once a week,” said Gene.
He noted that few club members were backing up their computers and encouraged them to use the club’s USB Disk drive, which is kept in the computer lab. He again reminded everyone that the computers and the printer in the lab can be used by signing out the lab key in the Greentrees office then returning it when they are through using the lab. __________________________
Jep Explains Reason for Pesky Adobe Updates Sept. 21, 2011. – Jep Norwood told computer club members this morning that they 
While on the subject of updates, Jep showed everyone how to click on Windows Updates then go to Change Settings and scroll down to see if there is a gray box. If it’s there, he said, put a check mark to indicate that you don’t want Microsoft installing updates automatically. It’s necessary to do this about once a month, said Jep.
Now and then, he said, it’s a good idea to check for updates to hardware. “But,” he said, “if you see an update for video and there’s nothing wrong with your video, then don’t download it.” Certain updates should always be downloaded and installed, he said, especially those for Java, Windows and Adobe. Most of these updates are to fix security issues, he said.
Jep is not a fan of .NET (For explanation, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_Framework.) In fact, he said, “I hate it with all my heart” and said that he does not put .NET on any computer he sets up. What Microsoft is trying to do with the program, he said, is to prepare us for the day when all MS programs are leased rather than bought.
Every now and then, said Jep, he’ll come across a computer that will take a relative long time to load the Network icon. If the user, while waiting, clicks on his email program, for example, the computer will then lock up, he said. This happens perhaps one out of fifty computers he’s called upon to fix. After a search that has lasted a few years, he said, he finally discovered the reason for the slow loading of the Network icon—a HP printer that was looking for things to print.
Netflix is “killing us here in Florence,” said Jep. That’s why, he said, whenever we try to view a video from YouTube we get buffering, To test the download speed on one’s computer, said Jep, go to his web site (http://www.thenorwoods.com/), open Computer Lessons then, at the bottom, click on Speed Test. Anything over 3 Mb/s should handle almost anything , he said, though more speed is always desirable.
Jep said he recently talked to Bernie Cunningham, “the smartest guy I ever met” at Florence Ink, a relatively new business that sells and repairs printers. (The address is 1790 Highway 101 in Florence.) According to Jep, Cunningham will repair any printer for free as long as it is not an Epson or Kodak. Club president Pat Miller said that she would try to get Cunningham to talk to the computer club in a future class.
Jep left club members with a sober reminder of what might happen if someone took photos with a phone and, unknowingly, had them geotagged. The video clip is on his web site at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2vARzvWxwY. ____________________________________________________________________ Club Members Learn Basics of Navigation Sept. 14, 2011. -- Dale DeRemer gave computer club members a basic class in 
GPS devices have today become so inexpensive and accurate, said Dale, that old-fashioned methods of finding one’s way around such as celestial navigation have become a lost art. Having a GPS device aboard is no guarantee of safe passage, however, Dale warned and cited instances where pilots while still on the ground have had their eyes on their GPS devices rather than on the runway and other planes nearby still on the ground.
The earth, he noted, is not a true sphere but an oblate spheroid, which means it has a bulge in the middle—something many a middle-aged person can easily relate to. On the blackboard (actually it’s white), Dale drew parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude (also called great circles) then showed how a navigator used a GPS device to plot a position.
He pointed out the difference between maps and charts. Maps, he said, are constructed so that the emphasis is on points a user would be interested in whereas charts emphasize latitude and longitude and are concerned that measurements be exact. Two different projections used in maps and chart making, he said, are the Mercator and the Lambert conformal projection with the latter being more accurate.
He talked briefly about celestial navigation and said that latitude was relatively easy to determine since all that one needed was a sextant to measure the angle of the sun above the horizon at its highest point the day the sight was taken. Measuring longitude, he said, depends upon the navigator having an accurate time piece.
Microsoft’s Streets and Trips program, which Dale talked about in last week’s class, shows latitude and longitude and can also measure distances from one place to another. Google Earth, which is a free download, also shows latitude and longitude, he said, as well as actual aerial photographs of most places on earth. He cautioned that the copyright dates on Google Earth’s images are not always accurate.
Dale recommends Garmin GPS products to anyone thinking about buying a stand-alone GPS device. He uses a GlobalSat BU-353 Waterproof USB GPS Receiver that sells on Amazon.com for $35 and connects to his laptop or netbook via USB. (http://www.amazon.com/GlobalSat-BU-353-Waterproof-USB-Receiver/dp/B000PKX2KA) He said that many GPS receivers and devices were WAAS enabled (wide area augmentation system), which makes them accurate within a few feet. _________________________________________________________________ Club Explores Streets&Trips with Dale DeRemer Sept. 7, 2011 – Dale DeRemer told computer club members that there’s no reason they should ever again get lost. At least not if they have on hand a computer with  Dale, a Professor Emeritus of Aviation at the University of North Dakota College of Aerospace Sciences, taught aviation subjects at the university level for over 20 years and is the author of several books on aviation and navigation.
Microsoft’s Streets & Trips is, said Dale, “one of very few good map programs.” Not only is it user-friendly, but it is—unlike most Internet accessible map programs—totally contained on one’s computer, he said, and pointed out that there is no need to be online to use the program. It costs $24.95 to download and an additional $14.95 if one wants the program also on a disk. ( The MS web site: http://www.microsoft.com/streets/en-us/STLanding.aspx?refcd=go001745s_microsoft_streets_and_trips.) It can be downloaded on a free trial basis for 60 days.
Dale likes the program because of the wealth of information it contains. It can, he said, show you the location and phone numbers along the way of motels, gas stations, restaurants, points of interest and much more, both in the U.S. and Canada. Many places in Mexico are also shown and the program’s latest version shows the names of streets and most towns in Mexico, he said. If you wish, said Dale, you can sit at your computer and take a trip around the world.
Once you have a GPS receiver set up and hooked to your computer, he said, you’ll know at all times your latitude and longitude, your altitude, the exact time and the speed at which you are traveling. An adequate GPS receiver, said Dale, costs from forty to eighty dollars. Stand-alone GPS devices can cost several hundred dollars. He will talk more about using GPS receivers and devices in next week’s class, which will explore how navigators navigate. _______________________________ Members Learn How to Scan Their Photos Using Picasa Aug. 31, 2011. – More than a dozen computer club members came together this morning at a workshop devoted to scanning. Club vice president Gene Fisher handed out a printout on scanning photos using Picasa then demonstrated on the new 60-inch TV screen how to scan a photograph. The printout is available on the web at: http://picasatutorials.com/2009/01/picasa-tip-scanning-old-photos/. If you look at Import in Picasa and nothing is there, said Gene, you will have to download your scanner or printer-scanner’s driver. He said that after you’ve scanned a few photos or documents you’ll have little trouble getting the results you want.
Computer club president Pat Miller showed everyone a hand-held scanner—good for photos and documents—she bought recently from Pan Digital for about thirty dollars. She also showed everybody the portable color slide scanner that the club owns and said that any member can check it out and use at home.
Gene said that the Greentrees Village web site is in the process of being revised and that Collette Bailey has agreed to do this. He asked that suggestions as to what should be on the Greentrees site be sent to Collette at cbailey66@oregonfast.net.
Following are a few photos from this morning’s workshop.
   ______________________________
Gene Fisher Shows Off Apple iPods and iPads 
Gene also showed everyone his pocket-sized iPod, which is a smaller, less expensive version of the iPad, which costs about $500 for a 32 GB model. Both devices can connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, he said, and both have cameras. The iPod sells for $229 to $399, depending on how many GB it will hold. Battery life is about 10 hours for the iPad and about 7 hours for the iPod. Using only the audio, the iPod will go for 40 hours without recharging.
Gene prefers the iPod for several reason, he said. It can easily be slipped into a pocket, he said, whereas the iPad needs to be carried by hand or in a container of some kind. He also likes the iPod for viewing pictures. He showed everyone a Facebook video he had recently received. Facebook, he said, is a good place to put pictures, whether stills or videos.
Gene mentioned several places around Florence that have Wi-Fi hot spots. McDonald’s is, he said, a favorite of his. One member said that the Senior Center also has Wi-Fi. Anyone can carry a laptop into the Florence library and, for no charge, connect to the Internet there. In addition, the library has several computers that non-owners can use to go surfing.
Before concluding, Gene predicted that sooner or later, everyone’s computer will crash, necessitating a reload, which means, he said, that everyone should be backing up the data on one’s computer. Preferably, he said, to some place where the data can be retrieved should one’s computing devices become lost, stolen, or destroyed. _________________________________________________________
Jep Norwood-- Computer Club's Answer Man 
Jep’s first question today came from a member who said that he sometimes got the following message while surfing the Web: “An error has occurred in the script on this page. Do you want to continue running scripts on this page?” Jep’s suggestion: check the Yes box and if that doesn’t correct the problem, go back and check the No box. The reason for the message, said Jep, was because an error has occurred in the script on the page.
Which led to his caution: “Don’t expect things to work.” When something doesn’t work as advertised, said Jep, it’s especially hard for seniors to understand. Young people, who were brought up with computers, don’t expect things to work all the time, he said. The day is coming, he predicted, when computers will work as they ought to. He reminded everyone of the time—not that many years ago—when there was a TV repair shop on every street corner. Today, he said, they have disappeared.
He reminded everyone of the difference between Save and Save As and suggested turning one’s computer off then going to a filing cabinet. Look inside and see how things are arranged, he said. What often causes confusion, he said, is folders inside folders. He told everyone when they are saving something, for example, a photograph of Aunt Alice, to use Save As, label it properly, then put it into an appropriate My Pictures folder, not let it be cataloged by the computer under something esoteric—and hard to find—such as Image 34879076.
Jep touched briefly on two free photo editing programs. He reminded everyone that Picasa is a non-destructive editor. Remove Picasa from your computer, he said, and your pictures will still be there—in My Pictures. He also seconded Brenda’s infatuation with PhotoScape, which she explored in two previous classes.
For those who want to better understand Stand By and Hibernate, Jep referred them to an explanation on his web site: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/HIBERNATE/HIBERNATE.htm. He said that he turns Stand By and Hibernate off when he sets up a computer because every now and then they malfunction and necessitate a reload. Their only purpose, he said, is to save a little energy. Jep finds screensavers a waste of time. “They used to be necessary," he said, "so monitor screens wouldn’t get burned." Nowadays, he said, they usually do no harm but every now and then a screensaver will get locked up and then the computer will need reloading.
Jep said that he turns his computer off every night to clear the RAM and reminded everyone that ninety percent of computer problems can be fixed by turning one’s computer off and waiting a bit before again turning it on.
Jarte, a free word processor, is, said Jep, “the coolist program ever.” It can be downloaded from his web site at: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/PAGE_COMPUTER_LESSONS_INDEX.htm. -- Speaking of free programs, Jep said that he makes use of Google docs Invoice template when making out bills for his services. After reminding everyone that Florence is “18 miles up a dirt road at the end of the Information Highway,” he said that downloading and uploading here was extremely slow compared to computing in big cities. Asked about backing up online, he suggested uploading fifty photographs 
Microsoft’s .NET (dot net), said Jep, “is the stupidest thing in the history of the planet.” It’s been making trouble for computer users since 1998, he said. Even if you take it off your computer, he said, it will probably come back as an update. If, however, you look at your updates before installing them, he said, you will be able to see .NET and can then decline to download it. Unfortunately, he added, some programs won’t work without it.
Jep talked briefly about CCCP (The Combined Community Codec Pack), which facilitates the playing of videos and DVDs. It can be downloaded from his web site at: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/CCCP/CCCP.htm. It might be necessary to have Active X on your computer in order to make use of CCCP, said Jep and promised to talk more about viewing videos and DVDs next month. If you choose to download CCCP, said Jep, make sure you go slow and don’t end up with a screen full of toolbars that you don’t want or need.
Finally, he suggested that people download their own updates rather than have the computer do it automatically. This way, he said, you can make sure your computer doesn’t get bogged down with hundreds—possibly thousands—of unnecessary updates to MS Office. ___________________________________________________
Club Looks At PhotoScape with Brenda Norwood 
After a brief overview of the program, Brenda clicked on Editor, which, she said, usually opens up a person’s My Pictures folder, then showed how PhotoScape’s Crop, White Balance and Backlighting edits could be used to improve a dark photo.
She reminded club members that PhotoScape has a wide variety of frames that can be put around images. The program, she said, can take red eye out of people, draw stars, boxes, circles, and balloons and can put text onto images. PhotoScape also has a batch editor, she said, which can save time by editing several images at one time. After reviewing PhotoScape’s features, Brenda and Sally Daugherty, who uses the program to make greeting cards and edit photographs, helped show individual club members how to make full use of the program.____________________________________________________
Before exploring PhotoScape, she briefly showed how to download and use another free program, ShrinkPic, which, she said, comes in handy when downsizing photographs one wishes to send via email. (Download ShrinkPic at: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/ShrinkPic/ShrinkPic.htm.) When downloading programs, said Brenda, it’s always best to save them in a folder then install them once they are on one’s computer. Once installed, she said, the installer can be deleted.
She suggested starting in PhotoScape with the Editor feature. Here, she said, you can either double click on one of the pictures that appears on the left hand side of the screen or the picture can be dragged into the editing area on the right. Click on the Home tab, she said, and you can frame your image, resize and sharpen it, or adjust the brightness, hue and saturation.
Don’t like what you’ve done? Just delete it, she said. Rather have your image in black and white or sepia rather than in color? No problem, said Brenda. Once you’re satisfied with your editing, she said, save your image and noted that it will be saved in a folder with your original image.
PhotoScape can also make animated GIF images, she said, and these can be put into an email message. Text can be added to your images, she said, and you can choose the font you prefer and the color of the type. -- If there is a drawback to PhotoScape, she said, it’s that all of the tutorials are in video form with a musical background.
She will be back next Wednesday to go over some of the features that—in an attempt to cover most of what PhotoScape offers—today only got glossed over. In the meantime, she encouraged everyone to download the program, go exploring, and bring to class next week questions about the program which, she said, is “a ton of fun.” _________________________________________________
July 29, 2011. – It was party time today for the Greentrees Village Computer Club as more than two dozen members came together in the park’s Fireplace Room for an elaborate buffet prepared by club member Barbara Prisbe-Sutton. (Ed. Note. The following photos were edited in Picasa and Picnik.) 
       
_______________________________________________________ Jep Suggests Cleaning Up One's Email Program  July 20, 2011. – Jep Norwood told computer club members this morning that they might want to start thinking of saving some of the pictures in their email to another folder on their computer. That way, he said, if something happened to your email program, you’d still have the pictures in a different place. A good place to put the pictures, he said, would be in the My Pictures folder in My Documents. Jep reminded everyone of the usefulness of Lightscreen, which can be downloaded from his web site at http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/LIGHTSCREEN/LIGHTSCREEN.htm. You can, he said, tell Lightscreen where to save the images you capture and if you choose not to save them in My Pictures or some other folder, Lightscreen will make its own folder in the my Documents folder. You can make it easier to use Lightscreen, said Jep, by dragging it down onto the toolbar at the bottom of your screen. Another program that can come in handy, said Jep, is Check Disk, which can sometimes be useful in repairing a bad sector on one’s computer. The only drawback, he said, is that once you start the program (You must turn off then restart your computer before running Check Disk) it takes at least four hours to do a complete check of one’s computer. More on the program is at Jep’s web site: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/Check%20Disk/Using%20Check%20Disk.htm. Check Disk is good to use when your computer is “really sick,” said Jep. He again reminded anyone buying a new computer to make sure that the operating system disk comes with it. Many computer makers today, he said, do not include a disk, which makes reloading a damaged computer impossible. – He reminded everyone how to back up their documents and pictures. “If what you want backed up on a DVD takes more than 4.7 GB," he said, "you’ll need an additional DVD." The best solution, he said, is to get an external hard drive. The Send To command is the “handiest, dandiest thing in Windows,” said Jep. It is, he said, a shorthand method of copying a file or group of files to another location on your computer. For more on Send To, see Jep's web site. -- To those interested in Sumatra PDF, Jep referred them to his site at: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/PROGRAMS/SumatraPDF/SumatraPDF.htm. He said he prefers Adobe Reader to Sumatra. Yahoo, said Jep, is beginning to zip up much of its content—especially on Flickr, its free picture program—to save space on its servers. He recommended WinZip for zipping and unzipping files and said that on computers that he had serviced he had put a free version of WinZip on them. The latest version of the program, however, is not free, he said. If Jep put WinZip on one’s computer, he suggested not checking for updates to that version. WinZip is a complicated program, he said, and “you can spend the rest of your life learning it.” For those who want the latest version, he suggested being careful which web site one uses to download the program. Google, said Jep, no longer rates the popularity of a web site by the number of hits it gets but rather by how many other sites have links to it. If you have a web site and want it to appear high in the rankings when searching, said Jep, get people you know to link to your site. You can, in turn, link to their site, he said. For people wanting to get in touch with Jep or Brenda via email, he suggested using either jep@oregonfast.net or brendakay@oregonfast.net. _____________________________________ Spreadsheets Can Do Almost Anything--Dale DeRemer
July 13, 2011. -- Dale DeRemer told fellow computer club members this morning of his love affair 
He showed how to go to Open Office (www.openoffice.org) where one can click on “I want to download Open Office.” It is a free download. The spreadsheet program is under CALC. Dale noted that a person doesn’t have to register to use Open Office and suggested that the latest version of Open Office be downloaded.
In the program’s Help feature, said Dale, look at Tutorials for OpenOffic.org. On the page explaining spreadsheets, he said, go to CALC and, to get an overall view of what you can do with a spreadsheet, read the Chapters 1 and 2 introductory tutorials.
Dale showed everyone the other programs in OpenOffice.org: Text Document (similar to MS Word), Presentation (similar to MS Powerpoint), Drawing, Database, Formula and Templates. The Open program opens files on one’s computer, he noted. When saving his spreadsheets Dale chooses to save them with the .xls extension that Excel uses so that the files can be easily sent via email. On the same page is an icon for Information to get help, but, said Dale, most of time people needing help will go to the Help menu in the CALC program itself.
Cells are, he said, designated by a letter and a number, e.g. F17. You can change a cell’s font, alignment, border and background, he said, and can also widen columns and rows.
“Last time we talked about spreadsheets,” said Dale, “I said that their use is limited only by our imagination. That about sums it up. If you understand the basics of a spreadsheet, then your mind can use one to accomplish a myriad of tasks.” ________________________________________ Members Learn How to Make Free Web Site Using Google Sites July 6, 2011. (Editor’s Note: Since I find it awkward writing about myself in the third person, I am using the first person in much of what follows. – Parker Kendall, Site Editor.)  Today’s class is about making one’s own web site and, as I write in a little article designed to help people make their own site http://sites.google.com/site/brownbushes/creating-web-sites-1), you can, if you wish, spend the next few years of your life reading about the making of web sites. Google is not the only organization that offers to let someone use its servers to host a web site. Whether it is the best one or the easiest one to use I don’t know. Creating a site using Google Sites is not difficult. The fun begins once you have made the site and are trying to put information—text and images—into the site. If you expect everything to go smoothly, you might be disappointed. I have had text mysteriously change font size and color without any encouragement on my part.
The site you make belongs to you. There are, however, conditions. Most people don’t read the Terms of Service agreement they consent to before making their sites and I am one of them. I realize that if I put libelous material on my site that I can be sued. And Google will cut me off if I depict nudity or promote violence or put in content that is “otherwise inappropriate.”  And, speaking of money, you can buy more storage space and more features at Google Sites if you so desire. The free version, which I use, offers 10 GB of space. There is a limit of 20 MB to one-time uploads on one’s site. (E.g., if you want a photograph of 25MB on your site you’ll first have to reduce its size. Picasa’s Export feature is handy for this.) A few suggestions. Check your spelling as well as your facts. I read over what I have written several times before publishing it on my web site but still make mistakes and appreciate corrections. Make frequent paragraphs unless your hero is William Faulkner. An image or two breaks up the text and makes for easier reading. Don’t like the web site you made? You can delete it. (Then, within the next 30 days, undelete it if you so wish.) You can restrict who can view your web site or you can publish it for all the people in the world with Internet access to see—all two billion of them. __________________________________________
Printing Workshop Looks at Three Free Print Programs
June 9, 2011. – Computer club members this morning looked at three programs, all of them free, that will help them with their printing. Gene Fisher showed everyone how to download and use Lightscreen, FinePrint and Cute PDF while Pat Miller handed out printed copies showing everyone 
Lightscreen can be downloaded at http://lightscreen.sourceforge.net/download. FinePrint download is at http://fineprint.com/. Cute PDF is at http://www.cutepdf.com/. Gene has all three of the programs on a thumb drive and disks and will help anyone wanting to download one or all of the programs on his or her computer. The programs work, said Gene, on all printers, whether they be new or old.
He showed how to isolate pictures on the Web then print them. Cute PDF, he said, is handy for selecting then saving receipts for things you buy on the Web. Copies of receipts can be either printed out, he said, or put into a folder on one’s computer.
When using Lightscreen, said Gene, you can highlight that part of a Web page that you want to save and perhaps print. He noted that this comes in handy if one suddenly gets an error message on one’s computer and wants it available to refer to when asking for assistance. Both Pat and Gene 
Gene asked people who are throwing away their old computers to bring them to the computer lab so that he can perhaps salvage parts. Finally, he and Pat thanked Jack Branson, Leo Goddard and the Greentrees maintenance crew for their help in installing the new 60-inch Sharp TV with Internet connectivity, used today for the first time in a computer club class. The computer club has donated the TV to Greentrees Village. __________________________________________________ Jep Warns About Downloading Windows Updates for MS Office
June 15, 2011. – Jep Norwood this morning told computer club members to be careful when using Windows Updates and to refrain from downloading updates for Microsoft Office. These updates, said Jep, are security fixes for big companies that want to protect their corporate secrets and need not concern most computer users. On his web site he has more information about suggestions on how to handle updates: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/WINDOWS%20UPDATES/DONTDOTHIS.htm.
If you’re not careful, said Jep, your computer could end up downloaded hundreds if not thousands of unnecessary updates. Although most of his warning pertained to Windows XP, he noted that the new Windows 7 operating system is only a year old and already has over a hundred updates Some updates, said Jep, can take quite a while—up to half hour. This, he said, is mainly 
When one club member complained that her computer ran of scan with Microsoft Security Essentials at 2 a.m. on Sunday mornings, Jep suggested turning off automatic scanning and running a scan whenever one wants to. Sometimes, he said, a box will appear asking if the user wants to participate in a Microsoft survey. Say no, said Jep.
He suggested emptying Outlook Express Sent and other boxes so that when one gets a message saying that Outlook Express is compacting messages, there will be little left to compact. If Outlook Express for some reason goes missing from one’s computer, said Jep, it is gone for good and can no longer be downloaded. He then showed how to download Microsoft’s new email program—Windows Live Mail. There are several components to the program, said Jep but suggested downloading only the Mail and Photo Gallery features.
Jep is a fan of CC Cleaner. “The program doesn’t try to do too much,” he said and is especially good at removing “stuff” from the registry after one has uninstalled a program from one’s computer. A link to CC Cleaner and other tools on Jep’s web site: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/TOOLS/TOOLS.htm.
He reminded everyone that Internet Explorer 9 browser can’t be put on Windows XP computers. XP machines should have IE 8, he said while Windows 7 computers should have IE 9. Now and then, he said, users will get a message telling them to update their browsers. If you know you have the correct browser on your computer, said Jep, just ignore the message. To see which version of Internet Explorer one has on one’s computer, he said, go to Help in the menu bar and click on the bottommost item.
Qwest, said Jep, will no longer give you MSN as part of your package. If you want to continue using MSN, he said, “you don’t want the $59 version. Get the $10 a year version.” Jep said that he is still not a fan of either Qwest or MSN.
____________________________________________________________________
Computer Club Votes to Buy New TV, Scanner
June 8, 2011. – President Pat Miller this morning presided over the quarterly business meeting of the Greentrees Village Computer Club. First order of business was the reading—and subsequent approval—of the minutes of the last meeting by Connie DeGray. Connie Goddard, treasurer, reported that a balance of $2586 at the end of 2010. As of May 31 of this year, the balance was $4574, said Connie.
Pat Miller asked club members what they would like to see Brenda Norwood cover when Brenda 
Pat asked for help in assisting advertising manager Jack Branson and herself in soliciting, layout and billing of ads for the park’s newsletter. She also called upon club members to let her know of places where discarded electronic devices might be disposed of so that she could compile a list of such places and make it known to all residents of Greentrees. – Pat thanked Barbara Prisbe-Sutton for volunteering to coordinate plans for the club’s annual party.
The computer club has bought a new scanner to replace one in the computer lab that doesn’t work. The new scanner, said Pat, is an Epson V500 Flatbed Photo Scanner, which will not only scan 
The club voted to buy a new TV set with HD and WiFi capability. The new set, said Pat, would be permanently mounted in the all-purpose room and made available to any group in Greentrees that wished to use it. The set, according to wording in the resolution to buy, would have screen of at least 55 inches and would cost no more than $3000. One thousand dollars of this, said Pat, had been set aside in the previous business meeting.
Connie DeGray expressed a desire to step aside as the club’s secretary, a position she has held for the past five years. Anyone willing to take on the job was asked to get in touch with Pat. ________________________________________________________________________________
Digital Technology Expands at Florence Library
June 1, 2011 – Linda Weight, librarian and technology specialist at the Florence library ((http://www.siuslawlibrary.org/home0.aspx), this morning told computer club members that the local library has much more to offer than books.
She took Greentrees folks on a virtual tour of library technology, demonstrating the resources available both in the library and online. She passed around a variety of digital devices and invited those with questions to email her at lweight@siuslaw.lib.or.us. 
Linda, who has been at the library since 1982, not only acts as the network administrator at the library but coordinates the volunteers who work there through the Friends of the Library organization.
The library now has ten new Dell Optiplex computers with 24-inch monitors in the one-hour public Internet area. In addition, there are also three computers for 15 minutes use. All of the computers, she said, have a warning when one’s time is almost up. To use any of the computers, said Linda, one need only log in with one’s library card or get a guest pass at the desk. Users can bring their own devices to connect to the library’s computers, e.g. thumb drives or digital camera cards.
The library also has a dedicated download station for audio books and other downloads, she said. Audio books can be downloaded in the library or online. If one’s computer at home isn’t working because it lacks a driver, she said, drivers can be loaded onto flash drives from one of the library’s computers and taken home. Music can also be downloaded onto an MP3 player, she said.
The library has career and education computers that can be used for job searches, resumes, and proctored exams. Many low-income people who cannot afford computers go to the library to take a proctored exam for food handler, she said. Another test that can be taken online is for those persons 14 and under who want to ride dune buggies. Other distance learning courses sometimes demand proctored exams, she said and these tests can be done on the library’s computers.
For those with special needs, said Linda, the library has accessibility workstations. One desk can be raised or lowered with the push of a button. Special software is also available for those with limited vision.
The library has computers for teens in a separate area. There are also two computers set up with 
Because the library has two wireless access points, said Linda, anyone can walk in with a laptop, sit anywhere, and connect to the Internet, no password required. – A separate room in the library is set up with Wii for teens. There is also a Wii in the children’s room. “When school’s out, the Wii is in use much of the time by kids,” she said. Anyone, however, can use the Wii facilities.
Other resources at the library: Gale databases, obsco databases, heritage quest, net library, Library2Go, LearningExpress. Library users can go online and take practice tests, e.g. for entry into the Armed Forces. Even toys can be check out, said Linda.
The library has almost 5,000 DVDs and Video cassettes, she said. In addition, there are available over 2750 recorded books on CD and audiotape and a CD music collection.
After passing around a variety of digital devices, Linda said that the day is coming when checking out books and material will be through a touch-screen.
Finally, she reminded everyone that two meeting rooms are available to the public. Each has a TV, DVD player and a projection screen. – To view certain sites on the library’s web page, she said, users must have both a library card and a PIN number. PIN numbers are available at the library, she said. The library’s website also has several software programs that can be downloaded onto one’s personal computer. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Jep Covers Several Topics in Today's Class
May 18, 2011. -- Jep Norwood this morning showed everyone how to make sure that one’s home page opens up full-screen when the computer is turned on. Since the instructions involve several steps, he said he would put directions on his website (http://www.thenorwoods.com/).
Jep continues to like Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system but reassured those with
Microsoft now has a monthly newsletter, said Jep, and may be downloaded from his website at http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/PAGE_COMPUTER_LESSONS_INDEX.htm. Anyone can subscribe to the newsletter here: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/MICROSOFTSECURITYESSENTIALS/MicrosoftSecurityBulletin.htm. The site also has a security scan, he said (http://www.microsoft.com/security/scanner/en-us/default.aspx).
Every PC user needs three things, said Jep—a virus remover, a malware remover, and spyware remover. Spyware, he noted, slows down one’s Internet connection. SUPERantiSpyware can be downloaded at http://www.superantispyware.com/superantispywarefreevspro.html and, said Jep, should be run about once a month.
For those with iPads or iPods, said Jep, if you get a virus on your device you’ll have to got to the Apple store in Eugene to get it reloaded. He finds iTunes “irritating,” and said that people are asking for trouble if they put any apple product on their PC.
Jep again cautioned everyone to slow down while surfing the Internet, especially when one comes across a suspect site. “If you think you’re about to get hijacked,” said Jep, “take your hand
Jep reminded everyone about how to use the Search feature when looking for a file or folder. -- When using Windows Updates, he said, always go to Custom and pick those updates that you need. Some updates are not only unnecessary but can add up to 60 or 90 seconds to one’s boot-up time.
He recommended everyone to go to his website and download Lightscreen—“the coolest program in the world.” (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/PROGRAMS/PROGRAMS.htm) It’s great, Jep said, for copying anything you can bring up on your screen.
He talked about buffering while viewing videos. The reason for buffering, he said, was because bandwidth can be limited by people downloading movies using Netflix. He showed everyone how to use the speed test from his website (http://www.oregonfast.net/internetservices/speedtest.php?m=199-88). If your speed drops below about 1500 kbps, he said, send an email to Oregonfast at broadband@oregonfast.net and let them know. Just remember, he said: “Florence may be on the the Information Highway but it’s at the end of the pavement then 18 miles up a dirt road.” Oregonfast.net is still best IPS here in Florence, said Jep.
He announced that because of Rhododendron Days activities around town this weekend that there will be no computer class this Friday at the Elks. ___________________________________________________________________________
Club Members Learn about Digital Photography
May 4, 2011. -- Professional photographer and Greentrees resident Rob Welles this morning explained the basics of digital photography to members of the computer club. Rob, who teaches digital photography at the local community college, offered to answer questions club members might later have via email (patch.work@mac.com).
Today’s point-and-shoot cameras, said Rob, are computers and once a photo is on a computer  it is a file just like any other file. He noted that cameras sold today usually use either SD or CF cards to record their images and that one card can hold thousands of images. After transferring pictures from one’s camera to a computer, he said, it’s always a good idea to reformat the card. And this, he said, is best done on the camera, not on the computer.
Rob illustrated his talk with a Lumix camera made by Panasonic and suggested that would-be photographers get familiar with their cameras by reading the manual. In most instances, he said, the manual can be downloaded after a Google search.
He went on to explain f-stops, time and ISO and noted that many point-and-shoot cameras today have both optical and digital zooms. CMOS sensors generally offer better quality, he said but with point-and-shoot cameras, he said the type of sensor doesn’t make that much difference in image quality.
Speaking from his experience as a photography teacher, he said that the most important control on a camera is the On-Off switch. He suggested that batteries used today are often rechargeable but cautioned that as the battery ages that the length of the battery’s charge diminishes. The second most important control, he said, is the shutter button.
"When taking a photo, how your frame your image is important." said Rob. He also emphasized the importance of the mode you choose to set your camera on. If you’re not sure of the best mode for the occasion, he said, pick the Automatic mode, which, he noted, can come in handy when the subject of your picture may not be around for long.
 Most cameras have additional modes, he said. The Landscape or Scenic mode is for static scenes where everything you see would look best in focus, he said. When you use the Portrait mode, he said, the camera focuses on something—usually a person—that is closest to the camera, while the Action of Sports mode is best used for fast-breaking action. Depending on the camera, other modes are often available, e.g. Sunset, which, he noted, produces warmer images.
When taking pictures, have the sun behind you, said Rob. If you’re trying to isolate an object or person, he said, use a larger aperture (lower-numbered f-stop). There are, he said, two basic areas in most shots: one is the subject, the second is the background. The subject that you’re trying to emphasize, he said, should take up as much of the frame as possible. But after taking that initial shot, he said, don’t stop there but continue taking more shots, zooming in and out, even changing the perspective by getting lower or higher.
Be mindful of extraneous things in the background, he said, because they can detract from the subject. Also important is The Rule of Thirds, he said and suggested placing whatever one wants to emphasize off center. Don’t have the horizon cut across the middle of the frame, he said. As for the best time to take pictures, he suggested early morning or early evening, when the light isn’t as harsh as it is around noon. -________________________________________________________________________________________
Downloading SPs May Risk Computer's Health --Jep
April 20, 2011. -- Jep Norwood told Greentrees Computer Club members this morning that downloading service packs may be dangerous to the health of their computers. “They can crash your computer,” said Jep, “because they contain so much information.” He suggested backing up one’s computer before downloading any service pack.
Things don’t always work right, said Jep, but added that Windows 7 is “a big step in the right direction.” As for uninstalling the Internet Explorer 9 browser and installing IE 8 again because you don’t like IE 9, “don’t do it,” said Jep. It can be done, he said, but “it’s a big pain and besides, more and more websites want the user to have IE9 on their Windows 7 computer." 
Jep suggested checking for Windows updates at least once a month but cautioned that you should first go to Change Settings on the update site and, if a gray box appears, put a check in the box. This, he said, will prevent you from downloading updates for all Microsoft products.
Microsoft now has something called Office 365, which costs $6.95 a month, said Jep, and suggested that the time has come to consider downloading and using Open Office, which is a free download from Jep’s website: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/PROGRAMS/PROGRAMS.htm. Jep repeated his warnings about phishing and malware. “There’s no way to stop malware from getting onto your computer,” he said. His website contains several examples of scams aimed at getting either information or money from unsuspecting users. (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/SCAMS/SCAMS.htm) Questions sent by Greentrees folks to Jep by email are answered on his website, he said. (http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/GREENTREES/GTCC.htm) RSS feeds aren’t something he uses, he said, but suggested people interested look at the video on his website. His site also posts a video describing Windows Live Essentials 2011, which is a free download and, he said, Microsoft’s version of Picasa. He still dislikes Messenger but now, he said, people at least have the option of not downloading it. Looking for a good free website host? Jep said he has no recommendations but noted that Oregonfast.com will host a website with limited bandwidth to subscribers. As for website creators, Jep said that he still uses FrontPage, a discontinued product that doesn’t work right all the time. He’s still looking for a good website creator, he said. -- He told everyone that he will soon post on his website a program that will snatch videos out of YouTube. If your computer seems to be slowing down lately, said Jep, it’s probably because so many people in Florence are subscribing to Netflix, where, for $9.99 a month, users can download and view an almost unlimited number of movies. New wireless DVD players, he said, cost about $150.
What, in Jep’s opinion, is the best Internet Service Provider in Florence? Oregonfast.net, he said. Objections to other ISPs can be found here: http://www.florenceelks.com/COMPUTER%20LESSONS/MSN/MSN.htm.
____________________________________________________
Club Members Look At Hand-Held Devices
Apr. 6, 2011 – Computer club vice president Gene Fisher this morning told fellow club members all about hand-held computers—“What They Do and What They Don’t Do.” He brought along his own iPod, which, he said, was similar to the larger iPad. Many people who aren’t comfortable using computers can learn to use and enjoy the hand-held devices, he said. His iPod, he noted, comes with a camera that takes both stills and video.
The iPod, said Gene, “is the best viewing device out there” and small enough to carry in one’s shirt pocket. You can put several applications on it, he said, and these cost from one to five dollars. Once you are close to a Wi-Fi connection, he said, you can send and receive email or surf the Internet. You can also, he said, make phone calls using Skype or Gmail. You can also read books or play games using the device, he added. There are downsides to using one of these hand-held devices, said Gene. Unless you are a teenager accustomed to texting, he said, typing on an iPod can be trying. Nor is there input/output for USB devices, he said, and they can’t be used with external monitors. In addition, he said, the latest versions cost as much as a real computer. And if they are used extensively, they must be recharged almost daily, he said. Club president Pat Miller showed everyone her Kindle, a reading tablet that she said she uses almost exclusively while traveling. If you buy your Kindle ($139) from Amazon.com and have an Amazon account, she said, your Kindle will come already registered and you also get free shipping. With a Wi-Fi connection, she said, you can download books directly to your Kindle. These cost anywhere from nothing to $12.99, she said. If you prefer, she said, you can download books into your PC and then transfer them to your Kindle using the USB connection that comes with the device. You do not need a Wi-Fi connection to use the Kindle, she said. Club member Richard Schultz brought to class his Android, a multimedia tablet and reader, which, he said, he bought recently at Fred Meyer for $109 and added that the regular price was $179. He also showed everyone his portable Mi-Fi, from Verizon, which, he said, he uses when he and his wife are traveling. The cost, he said, is about $50 a month. ____________________________________________________
|
