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The Monthly Edition Of The k-Byte Newsletter |
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| V. 27, No. 9, September 2010 | Users Helping Users |
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The Monthly Edition Of The k-Byte Newsletter |
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| V. 27, No. 9, September 2010 | Users Helping Users |
Contents
Meeting Previews on Page 6
September: Digital Gadgets: From Blackberry to MP3 and More
October: How to Convert Your LPs and Tapes to Digital Files
Quote of the Month
Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another.
Anatole France [1881]
by Jon Jones, North Coast MAC Users Group, http://www.ncmug.org. Published in ncmugshots, the newsletter of the North Coast MAC Users Group. Reprinted with permission.
I recently received a new telephone book. Remember those? 
I stepped out onto the front walk the other morning to find that one had magically appeared there during the night. And while I felt that freely receiving this totable repository of personal information is both quaint and generous, the truth is that I honestly can't remember the last time I've even used a telephone book for anything other than a doorstop or booster seat.
I'm not trying to be dismissive of such longstanding symbolism of shared communal relevance. I know that a lot of people make their living from gathering, sorting and printing the phone book, as well as generating the advertising content necessary to produce these sacred yellow pages.
But let's face it. We're in the gosh darned future now! With broadband internet, Google, all-over networks, 3G connectivity, WiFi, netbooks, smartphones, iPods, iPads, and mobile apps for EVERYTHING, I'm pretty much connected all the time. My fingers just don't feel like walking very far anymore. If I needed to track down a phone number, or find the name and address of a specific business, I'm pretty confident that I can do so much more quickly and efficiently just by whipping out my iPhone and tapping a few times, as opposed to rummaging through the pages of the dead-tree version of my municipal "who's who".
But somewhere in the back of mind, my inner mountain hermit mildly nags at me that my overconfidence in information technologies will eventually be met with a corresponding dose of comeuppance. So much reliance on virtual connectivity feels a bit like a personally destabilizing quasi-Luddite catastrophe just waiting to happen.
And what, pray tell, could possibly bring about this supposed information paralysis?
In short...the cloud.
Cloud computing is not so much a mysterious new technology, but rather a conceptual description of the combination of pre-existing data storage and connectivity technologies.
Though the practical application of these combined technologies may be a fairly new concept for most people, we continue to see some of the most recognizable tech companies put stronger emphasis on the benefits of cloud computing. Google, Apple, Adobe, and many other companies have provided us with exciting tools that allow us to tap into the cloud in order to create, access, store, sync, and share our content. Such tools have enabled us to access our crucial content from virtually anywhere, and function within a computing environment that is platform agnostic.
But what happens in those instances in which your connection to the cloud is broken? Or even worse, your access to the cloud has been compromised? Conceptual adjustment: Just because my identity lives in the cloud, doesn't mean everything is heavenly.
Just as it is for us tech connected consumers, managing security in the cloud is a journey of discovery for our data hosting companies. In a sense, this journey is only just beginning, and we have a few revisions to go before cloud computing advances beyond the beta stage. Which is to say that for now, there will still be moments when the clouds are unexpectedly stormy. In those instances, I find it comforting to know that I still have a handy doorstop through which I can still "let my fingers do the walking".
Jon Jones is a board member of NCMUG, coordinator of the Video SIG and operates a shortrun digital media production facility specializing in community and family-based multimedia. Jon can be reached at jon(at)ncmug.org.
Published monthly, k-Byte is the official newsletter of the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group (FRPCUG): our mailing address is PMB 152, 305 W. Magnolia, Fort Collins, Colorado 80521.
Opinions expressed in k-Byte are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the group or its members. Publication of information in k-Byte constitutes no guarantee of accuracy. Use of any information found in this publication is at the sole risk of the user. Neither k-Byte, nor its officers, nor its editors or contributors assume any liability for damages resulting from use of information in this publication.
Submissions
Articles, letters and short items of interest on computer-related topics are welcome and encouraged. All items submitted for publication are subject to editing. Send your contribution to the editor via e-mail attachment. If you have questions about a submission, please contact the editor for information.
Copyright and Trademark Information
k-Byte is copyrighted ©2010 by the Front Range Personal Computer Users Group. The k-Byte logo and the Front Range PC Users Group logo are Trademarked by the Front Range PC Users Group. Unless otherwise noted, other nonprofit users groups may reprint or quote from any articles appearing in k-Byte without prior permission, provided that: a) proper author and publication credits are given; b) that a copy of the publication in which the article appears is sent at no cost to k-Byte at the above mailing address, or emailed to contact(at)frpcug.org; and c) any additional instructions/restrictions contained in the article are followed. User groups wishing to exchange newsletters with FRPCUG are invited to send a copy of their newsletter together with an exchange request.
Disclaimer
IBM PC, OS/2, Compaq, HP, Dell, UNIX, Windows MAC, Apple Computer and other trademarks occasionally mentioned in k-Byte are registered trademarks of International Business Machines, Inc., Hewlett-Packard Corporation, Microsoft, Dell Inc., Apple Computer Inc., or their owners respectively. Neither FRPCUG nor its newsletter k-Byte are connected in any way with any manufacturer or seller. Acceptance by FRPCUG of donated products or services from suppliers, or inclusion of a supplier in the FRPCUG Partner list does not imply that any continuing financial support is received or expected by FRPCUG. Nor do such activities imply an endorsement of either the supplier or product or service. Such information is made available to members as a service. Use of any product or supplier found in this publication, or any FRPCUG publication, is at the sole risk of the user.
About FRPCUG
FRPCUG is an independent nonprofit computer society, so incorporated with the State of Colorado and open to anyone interested in personal computers using any operating system: Windows, Linux or MAC, and digital hardware (such as music/video players, smart phones, etc.). Its purpose is to provide an educational and scientific forum of mutual benefit for members of the community regardless of knowledge level. FRPCUG holds a monthly meeting and conducts various special interest groups (SIGs) and seminars. Members have voting privileges, subscription to the k-Byte newsletter, and access to SIGs and selected seminars. Annual dues are $25 for individual/family membership ($20 for students) and $50 for corporate/group membership.
Jerry Schneir, Los Angeles Computer Society, http://www.lacspc.org/. Printed in User Friendly, the newsletter of the Los Angeles Computer Society.
How often do we simply aim the camera at a scene and press the shutter button relying on the camera's sophisticated metering system to read multiple parts of the scene and calculate a proper exposure, whatever that is? For most of us, that is the "normal" picture taking routine. Yet, many of us invest in far more capable cameras but we, far too often, seek the easy way out, we set the camera on AUTO and shoot away. On even the least expensive cameras, the camera's meter may read a few or as many as 256 parts of the scene to obtain a "normal" exposure. And yet, even with all that sophistication, the "normal exposure" may not yield the best or proper exposure for that one scene.
Why? You might ask.
When you point your camera at a subject and press the shutter button halfway down, the camera does several things all at once:
The nice thing about digital cameras is that you can immediately see if you have a problem. You don't have to wait a day or a week to find out you have a problem; you can reshoot that picture now. However, that does require taking a look at your LCD and evaluating the image. And if you see that you have a problem, then now is the time to play with the exposure. So where to start and what to do? There are 2 main approaches to this exposure problem, learning how to better aim your camera is one and how to adjust exposure compensation is the other. Here we will mainly deal with just better aiming your camera.
Better Aiming Your Camera
Overexposed picture—Is the picture too light, details washed out, color faded? This is commonly due to overexposure and is often caused by a well illuminated subject surrounded by large dark areas. The camera sees the light subject and the large dark areas and attempts to average out the scene. The dark areas require more light and that causes more light for the subject resulting in the subject being overexposed, washed out, and missing details in the white or light colored areas.
The easiest way to correct this is to either zoom in on the subject so that the background occupies less space in the picture or to find an area at about the same distance from you but with a more even light on both the subject and background. Aim the camera at this new scene and half-press the shutter. This sets the distance and the exposure. Now, while still holding the shutter down, swing back to your original subject/scene, compose the picture and then finish pressing the shutter button. It is critical that you do not release the shutter button otherwise the camera will read the scene just as before and the exposure will again be off. The result should be a much better exposed subject.
Underexposed picture—If the subject in the picture is too dark, details obscured, then the problem is underexposing the subject. The problem is probably related to the subject being backlit, i.e., the subject is surrounded by bright light coming from behind or the subject is in the dark part of the scene while the major part of the scene is more brightly lit.. The camera sees all this light and decreases the amount of light entering the camera. This results in the subject being underexposed, the subject is dark and details are hard to see.
Here the trick is to aim the camera at a dark subject surrounded by a dark area that is about the same distance from you. Press the shutter button halfway and while still holding down the button, swing back and recompose the original picture. Same solution as before but here we selected a darker area. When you aim the camera at a darker part of the scene and then hold the shutter button down, the camera determines more light is required. Thus more light is allowed to enter the camera and a previously underexposed subject is now better exposed. In both cases you MUST first aim the camera at a lighter or darker area, press the shutter button halfway down and while continuing the pressure on the shutter button, recompose then shoot the picture.
There is another way, some say a harder way, but that involves using exposure compensation. Here you command the camera to over or under expose the picture. A dark subject surrounded by a bright area requires some degree of overexposure in order to get the subject properly exposed. A light subject surround by a dark background results in the camera wanting to increase the amount of light reaching the sensor. Here you need to tell the camera to decrease the exposure, to underexpose the scene so that the subject is properly exposed. In both cases you tell the camera to ignore the background and expose for the subject.
Adjusting Exposure Compensation (EC)
Adjusting Exposure Compensation (EC) is via a control available on many cameras, even those designed for rank amateurs. To use this feature requires you to find or figure out how and where to access EC and then to increase or decrease the exposure. It is beyond the scope of this article to further explore EC because of the many different ways EC is handled by the various camera manufacturers. I should also warn you about one problem with EC, that of the camera remembering what you did. If you adjusted EC to take a picture and then turned off the camera and a few minutes, weeks, or months later turned your camera back on, that EC setting will most likely still be active, will be telling your camera to either over or underexpose the picture. You need to remember to reset that setting back to zero before you turn off the camera or before you take another picture under different lighting conditions.
Regardless of which approach you take to correct the exposure, the results should be close, a better exposed picture in which you can tell your Aunt from your Uncle. Another result is the increased satisfaction that you as a photographer get from knowing how and when to make minor adjustments in order to obtain better exposed shots.
by Vinny La Bash, Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc., http://www.spcug.org, labash(at)spcug.org. Published in the Sarasota PC Monitor, the newsletter of the Sarasota Personal Computer Users Group, Inc.
A wireless network works on the same principle as any other communications network. It is a collection of various devices connected to each other in a way that allows data to flow unimpeded, and unchanged from one device to another. The main difference is that in a wireless network, there is no physical connection between or among the different devices. The main advantage of a wireless network is portability within the range of the network. The main drawback is that the quality of the communications signal can vary greatly within the range of the network sometimes resulting in disruption of communications services.
Some Basics: For simplicity, our discussion will be restricted to internet based home wireless networks. There is no need to delve into the complications of corporate, military or other kinds of complex communications networks. The basic equipment required to set up a home network is:
There are several standards for wireless networks developed by the group that regulates the industry's standards, The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Amongst these standards are those that set criteria for data transmission speeds.
Don't buy, or accept from your ISP, a wireless router before determining how fast it transmits data. Manufacturers are required to display the standard in their product specifications. Either get the information from your ISP or look for these specifications on the box.
Regardless of your experience level with wireless networks, don't consider anything less than standard 802.11g. Most "g" devices are not only inexpensive, but far superior to the older 802.11 "a" or "b" wireless routers. Besides being competitively priced, "g" routers have far superior network security. 802.11b routers offer only Wired Equivalent Privacy security (WEP). 802.11g routers have Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA), which overcomes the weaknesses of WEP.
How large are the files you upload and download from the internet? If you normally do not move large files in either direction standard 802.11g will do fine, and it has the additional advantage of being cheap. If you are moving large files, then go for a Faster, Super G router.
The most common problem with home wireless networks is either loss of signal or a signal that is too weak to allow reliable connections. One way to solve this is by boosting the signal. If you're willing to spend a few bucks you can plug a Hawking HAI15SC Hi-Gain Wireless Corner Antenna into your router and enhance signal strength from the standard 2dBi to up to 15dBi. Before you run out and buy this enhancement be sure that your router has a removable antenna. Check your router's manual or contact the manufacturer for information.
If your router doesn't have a removable antenna there is an alternate, but higher priced method to increase signal strength. A Wireless-G Range Expander also does the job. It has a great advantage that it does not have to be physically connected to any part of your network. All that's necessary is that it be in range of the router. The device works similar to a "repeater" in cellular networks. It performs well in multi-story homes, back yards, lanais, and other outdoor venues.
The Expander is compatible with the Linksys WAP54G Access Point, and both the WRT54G and WRT54GS Wireless Routers. It also works with Wireless-G and Wireless-B clients.
Everyone who uses or who is contemplating using a wireless network is rightly concerned with performance. But don't let performance issues blind you to proper security. The fastest wireless network on the planet won't do you much good if a hacker is robbing you at the speed of light.
Wireless networks have become very common for individuals and organizations. A new PC is very likely to have wireless access pre-installed. Hackers have become adept at breaking into wireless networks, and you should not overlook this danger while enhancing performance.
At a minimum you should change any default passwords and select a method that will securely encrypt your data should your protection methods be compromised. Your local PC user group is a great resource for giving you this kind of assistance. Don't overlook this abundant source of expertise.
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September General Forum Meeting
We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on: |
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Day
Tuesday |
Date
September 7th |
Time
7:00 PM |
| Meeting Agenda | |
| Time | Topic |
| 7:00 to 7:15 | Announcments and raffle |
| 7:15 to 7:45 | Open Forum |
| 7:45 to 7:55 | Break |
| 7:55 to 9:00 | Digital Gadgets |
To check on FRPCUG events in 2010 using a familiar graphical calendar format, connect to the 2010 Graphical Events Calendar
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October General Forum Meeting
We will meet at the Fort Collins Senior Center on: |
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Day
Tuesday |
Date
October 5th |
Time
7:00 PM |
| Meeting Agenda | |
| Time | Topic |
| 7:00 to 7:15 | Announcements and raffle |
| 7:15 to 7:45 | Open Forum |
| 7:45 to 7:55 | Break |
| 7:55 to 9:00 |
How to Convert Your LPs and Tapes to Digital Files |
See you at the meetings!
Get full membership benefits. If you are not a current member, download and complete a Membership Application. Mail the completed application and your payment to the address listed, or better yet, bring the application to the next meeting.
In today's world, there is an astonishing and perhaps even overwhelming array of digital gadgets available to spend money on: Blackberry, Droid, iPad, iPhone, MP3 and so on. Be sure you spend some time at the September General Forum meeting before you spend your money. You will learn at least a little about some of those devices.
Don't throw away (or give away) your old vinyl records (LPs) or cassette tapes. Come to the October General Forum meeting and learn how to convert those LPs and tapes to digital files.
Digital Imaging SIG
The Digital Imaging SIG is a forum for discussion of digital imaging hardware and software. The meetings are held every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Senior Center Lobby. The meeting format is informal, using the Shop Talk sessions as a basis. For more information, contact Mike Morris at twriterext(at)gmail.com.
New Technology SIG
The New Technology SIG provides advance support for all PC related operating system and telecommunication issues. The meetings are held at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month at Bluebird Manufacturing Inc., 1421 Webster Avenue, in Fort Collins. For more information, contact Chuck McJilton at 970-493-2987.
Shop Talk
One-on-one assistance. Drop in to the Senior Center lobby on any Saturday (holidays excepted) from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Board Meeting
FRPCUG's executive board meets on Wednesday of the week following the General Forum meeting. All members are welcome and are encouraged to attend. These meetings are held at 7:00 PM in the Staff Board Room of the Fort Collins Senior Center.
For a view of all FRPCUG activities in 2010, in a traditional graphical calendar format, connect to the Graphical Events Calendar
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Calendars created with HTML Calendar Maker Pro
from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora_radio
"Pandora Radio (http://www.pandora.com/) is an automated music recommendation service and custodian of the Music Genome Project (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_Genome_Project). Users enter a song or artist that they enjoy, and the service responds by playing selections that are musically similar. Users provide feedback on approval or disapproval of individual songs, which Pandora takes into account for future selections."
"While listening, users are offered the ability to buy the songs or albums at various online retailers. Over 400 different musical attributes are considered when selecting the next song. These 400 attributes are combined into larger groups called focus traits. There are 2,000 focus traits. Examples of these are rhythm syncopation, key tonality, vocal harmonies, and displayed instrumental proficiency."
In 2008 "...Pandora launched a mobile version of their software for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch through the iTunes App Store. Pandora is also available for Android phones (such as the Motorola Droid), BlackBerry platforms, WebOS (used on the Palm Pre), and Windows Mobile devices...."
"The service has two subscription plans: a free subscription supported by advertisements, and a fee-based subscription without ads. A free account user may reach the streaming limit of 40 hours per month, and continue unlimited streaming by paying $0.99...."
Photo Gallery
This month's featured photographer:
Bert Broekstra using a Nikon E8700 camera.
River and Canyon in Zion National Park
Camera Settings:
Mode = Auto, F Number = 5.60, Exposure time = 1/173.3 seconds, Focal Length = 8.90 mm.,
ISO = 50, White Balance = Sunny, Scene Capture Type = Standard.
Copyright © 2010 by Bert Broekstra. All rights reserved. Send requests for copies/reprint permissions to kbyte(at)frpcug.org
Pamela Tabak receives numerous computer-related questions via e-mail and during classroom presentations. She selects those she feels are of common interest to most members and forwards them to us for publication.
Pamela invites members to ask their questions at http://tinyurl.com/ask-pamela. More often than not you will receive and answer within 24 hours.
QUESTION: I am working on a newsletter and would like to know if I can have more than three columns in a Word document and if so how do I access them?
ANSWER: Using Word 2007 you can set up to 45 columns and select various widths:
Position the insertion point or curser at the beginning of the blank page or the written material you want to appear in columns.
QUESTION: Is there a way to make a copy of one worksheet from an Excel workbook that contains numerous worksheets, without using the copy and paste method?
ANSWER: Yes, there is a quick and easy way to duplicate your worksheet and save it as a separate workbook. Just follow the steps below:
You will see the single worksheet in a new workbook which you can save, make into a PDF or email leaving your original workbook intact.
QUESTION: After I have created a spreadsheet and calculated a total I would like to "fix" the total so that if my entries change in other cells the total would remain the same. Is there a way to do this?
ANSWER: An easy solution is to remove the formula from the cell which contains the total:
Your total will now be fixed without a formula and will not change when other cells are edited.
QUESTION: Why am I getting ###### marks in my Excel cells instead of values?
ANSWER: When you enter a number larger than the cell width can handle it will display as series of # signs. If this happens, just make the column wider by placing your mouse between the column headings until it becomes a cross with a double headed arrow on the horizontal line. While holding down your left mouse "pull" the column to the right or just double click and the column will become as wide as the largest number or text in that column.
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FRPCUG CONTACTS
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Telephone Area Code 970
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| Title | Name | Work Phone | Home Phone | |
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FRPCUG Officers |
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| President | Mike Morris | 461-2002 | twriterext(at)gmail.com | |
| Vice President | Mike Loughlin | 416-5824 | mlough(at)frii.com | |
| Treasurer | Chris Ingham | 226-9055 | chris.ingham(at)hotmail.com | |
| Secretary | Chuck McJilton | 493-2987 | cdmcjs(at)gmail.com | |
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k-Byte Staff |
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| Editor-in-Chief | Mike Morris | 461-2002 | twriterext(at)gmail.com | |
| Features Editor | Mike Morris | 461-2002 | twriterext(at)gmail.com | |
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Other Contacts |
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| Membership Coordinator | Jack Linder | 663-2151 | jack(at)frpcug.org | |
| Technology SIG Leader | Chuck McJilton | 491-1011 | 493-2987 | cdmcjs(at)gmail.com |
| Digital Imaging SIG Leader | Mike Morris | 461-2002 | twriterext(at)gmail.com | |
| Publicity | Mike Morris | 461-2002 | twriterext(at)gmail.com | |
| FRPCUG Fax Line | 493-1408 | |||
| FRPCUG Home Page w/ E-Mail | http://www.frpcug.org | |||
| FRPCUG Officer E-Mail | board(at)frpcug.org | |||
| Library Request E-Mail | library(at)frpcug.org | |||
The Fort Collins Senior Center is located at 1200 Raintree Drive. This site is situated at the northwest corner of the Shields and Raintree Drive intersection, on the north side of the Raintree Shopping Center, and just west of the bank building on the corner of Shields and Raintree (see map at right).
Check the marquee at the main entrance for directions to the specific meeting room.
