Thank you to all Veteran's

Remember, Clock Change: 2AM Sunday Morning, November 3rd

Just a reminder - before you go to bed tonight, set your clocks back.. As you sleep tonight, on Sunday morning, November 3rd at 2am, Daylight Savings Time will end and most states in the US will revert back to Standard Time so be sure to set all clocks, watches and other time pieces BACK 1 HOUR. 

Most computers, cell phones and cable boxes will make this change automatically without our help..

This is always a great time to change the batteries in our smoke and carbon monoxide alarms

We will then move them ahead to begin Daylight Savings Time when we put the clocks ahead "1 hour" at 2am on the 2nd Sunday in March, March 9th, 2014  

Several states, including Arizona (except some Indian Reservations), Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa have chosen not to observe Daylight Saving Time so they do not change their clocks at anytime during the year.

And remember our new computer class series begins this week so we've saved your seat - if you need to make a change, talk to Denise and she can help you with that....

So enjoy your extra hour of sleep this weekend thanks to the annual shift back to standard time.

WINDOWS 8.1 IS AVAILABLE AS A FREE DOWNLOAD TODAY

If you haven't heard the announcement yet - Microsoft released the new Windows 8.1 update/upgrade today.

It is a free upload for any of you who are using Windows 8 on your computers, laptops or tablets...

Here is a link to the MSN website that made the announcement this morning and clearly outlines many of the issues addressed with this update/upgrade.....

http://money.msn.com/investing/news.aspx?feed=AP&date=20131017&id=17008390

This update is specifically designed to address many of the gripes people have had with Windows 8, the dramatically different operating system that attempts to bridge the divide between tablets and PCs.

So again, this Window 8.1 update is free for current owners of Windows 8; downloads started at 7 am this morning in New York, which corresponded to the start of Friday in New Zealand.

Simply go to the Windows Store app to find it.  Here is the link for their app store if you don't have it in your favorites...

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/apps#Cat=t1

As they noted in their MSN announcement  "it may take a few hours for updates to reach everyone. Computers with Windows 8.1 already installed will go on sale Friday local time. That's also when people will be able to buy stand-alone copies of Windows 8.1."

Windows 7 - Using Speech Recognition

Before you run out to buy Dragon Speech or a similar software program, use the Speech Recognition software that has been built into all Windows Operating Systems, since Windows XP.  Voice/Speech Recognition is becoming common today in so many devices including iPhone, iPad, iPods, Android tablets and smartphones, computers, automobiles and other devices... So the more comfortable you get with it, the more you will use it with all of your devices...

If you haven't played with "Speech Recognition" yet, and are now using Windows 7, give it a try.  The program in Windows 7 is quite powerful and allows you to tell your computer what to do and you can also use it to dictate text into a document. 

Speech Recognition uses a special voice profile to recognize your voice and spoken commands, so the more you use Speech Recognition, the more detailed your voice profile becomes, which will improve your PC (and other mobile devices) abilities to understand you

As with so many things we do with the computer, using the speech recognition to give commands is just another way, in addition to using the mouse and/or the keyboard and/or

keypad.. 

Before you set up your Speech Recognition, make sure you've plugged a microphone into your PC so these steps will work.. Personally I think using a headset microphone; which is less likely to pick up background noise, is best when I'm using any speech recognition program to give commands or dictate into documents, doing voice recordings for slide shows and movies and using other programs such as Skype..

In Windows 7, click the Start Button

• Type Speech in the search box of the start menu
• Choose Windows Speech Recognition from the menu
• Note-if this is the first time you've used it, the Set-Up Speech Recognition Wizard will open and walk you thru setting up the system & settings. 
•  When you are in settings, it gives you the option to "Train your computer to better understand you" that helps it to recognize your voice.. 
•  In the Set-up, Windows also offers a tutorial that will help familiarize you with how to give commands and use the software - Take the tutorial - it really helps... 
• As with any new program or piece of hardware you are learning, remember to also use www.yotube.com, to find additional tutorials that will help you master just about anything..

Be patient and practice - like so many other things, the more you do it, the easier it will become and the more comfortable you will be...

Which Internet Browser To Use??

TRY ALL OF THEM...

Today almost all public & work environment computers have all 4 of the major browsers installed on them.  This gives the individual users the choice of which browser they want to use...  Why?? Think of it as having multiple salad dressing choices in your fridge... No particular reason, they all do the same thing, it's just a matter of taste..

You will also find that certain websites you visit "work better" if and when you use the browser that they've built their platform on... so for example if you are visiting any website from Google - Gmail, blogger, YouTube, Google drive, Google maps etc. then you might consider opening your CHROME browser to access those websites.

Computers and other devices with Windows Operating Systems come with Internet Explorer pre-installed, those with Android Operating Systems have Google Chrome installed, and Apple Operating Systems have Safari pre-installed, but you can use any of these browsers on your devices - simply download them: 

• Google Chrome ~ go to www.google.com
• Firefox by Mozilla ~ go to www.mozilla.com
• Safari  by Apple ~ go to http://support.apple.com/downloads/#internet

What does a hashtag mean?

You hear and see the expression everywhere - follow me on # and then the company or individuals name (or you hear follow me on hashtag then the company or persons name -  - but what does that mean....
 

One of the most popular questions we are receiving in classes and via email is this one..  “What is a hashtag”.. Simply put, it is the “#” sign...

“Hashtags” are used by quite a few social media sites to indicate a name to whom you can then send/or follow for messages & updates...  Social media sites using “hashatgs” are those like Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, Tumblr, Tout, Google+, Facebook and others...

For example.. if I said to you what are each of these next two phrases in red.....

www.anycompany.com – you know it is a web address because the prefix is “www”

Susie@anycompany.com – you know it is an email address because of the @ sign

And if you hear.....

#anycompany,  it indicates that you can follow/connect to that person or company's group of common messages by entering their #hashtag id on the social media site you are registered with... Yes, you also have to be registered with that specific social media site with your own #hashtag name...

Your next Computer Class Series Begins the week of August 19th

On behalf of our entire team we hope you have enjoyed a healthy, fun filled summer break and are now ready to get back to playing with your computers and learning about all this changing technology.....

We have a wonderful new ten (10) week series planned based on topics you and fellow classmates have asked us to cover.  If you haven't registered to attend a class, be sure to contact Denise Moloney as soon as possible...

Our goal is to help everyone get comfortable with your computers and other portable devices – For some students, who are just getting comfortable with the computers and technology we will help you work with other students who are also just beginning in one of two levels....

• Beginners: We will help you understand computer basics, laptops, etc & begin using the Internet
• Intermediate 1: Spend the entire series playing with the Internet & email

For those students, who have been taking classes for a while and are comfortable with the basics, then our series is what you might be interested in.  Our goal for our afternoon students this series, is to help increase your understanding of the computer filing system using Windows Explorer, Flash Drives & Memory Cards and using Cloud Computing with SkyDrive, Google Drive, Syncing your emails, calendar and contact list to all your devices; We will spend lots of time on the ever changing world of the Internet – terminology, shopping safely, video websites and the last few weeks our goal is to get everyone comfortable with music on your computer and other devices...

WEEK 1 & 2...WINDOWS EXPLORER –ORGANIZE YOUR COMPUTER

Understanding your computers filing system

Copying & Pasting vs. click ‘n drag

Copying to & from flash drives & memory cards

Please bring a flash drive- we will:

Create folders, sub-folders & rename photos & documents & more

WEEK 3 & 4 CLOUD COMPUTING, SKYDRIVE, GOOGLEDRIVE & SYNCING

What is cloud computing all about & how it makes your life easier’

Learn to safely store photos & documents in the clouds

Using your cloud’s address book & calendar for easy access

Syncing between your PC & Phone, Tablet

How to use your calendar – new & repeat events (daily-weekly-yearly) & more

WEEKS 5, 6, 7 & 8 INTERNET – EVERYTHING YOU NEED/WANT TO KNOW...

How’s & why’s of using the popular browsers??

Customize your browser with your Favorites/Bookmarks, tabs & lists

Meaning of: Virus, worms, Trojans, Spyware, malware, cookies & more

Shopping safely –Searching, how to pay safely

YouTube & HuLu – downloading & streaming??

Setting up accounts so you can save & upload video’s

WEEK 9 & 10 – WORKING WITH MUSIC ON YOUR DEVICES...

How to play & save CD’s on your computer

Using the “clouds for music”

Find & listen to your favorite radio station, Jango & Pandora

Understanding iTunes & others, purchasing & burning music to cd’s

Creating Slide Shows - PowerPoint & Picasa

Some basic Power Point Info...

WHAT IS POWER POINT:  Gives you the ability to create a slide show combining your photos, text, animation, sound and more… to make your information much more enjoyable.  Power Point presentations have been used in business for years, but today you see them being used at weddings, showers, birthday parties, reunions, memorial services and by groups & organizations.  Students as young as 3^rd grade are using power point presentations to enhance reports and projects.

POWER POINT APPLICATION SOFTWARE

Can be bought individually or it is included as part of the MICROSOFT OFFICE bundle.  The Power Point Application Software is always required for you to create and or modify a power point presentation.

POWER POINT VIEWER: This is a free software offered from Microsoft that allows you to watch power point presentations sent to you via email.  You can then save them on your computer to send to someone else, you cannot however change or modify them in anyway or create your own without the full Power Point Application Software Program.

ADD POWER POINT VIEWER TO YOUR COMPUTER: Go to www.Microsoft.com – on right hand column – choose Downloads & Trials, search for “Power Point Viewer” and when wizard opens up – choose DOWNLOAD NOW button – in a few minutes this free software will be on your computer – follow directions as it adds it…

CAN YOU MAKE SLIDE PRESENTATIONS WITHOUT POWER POINT?? Yes, use Picasa (a free photo editing software program from Google, if you don’t have it, go to www.picasa.com and download for free).  Picasa’s version 3, has both a slide show & movie making application to use and they are easy to work with.. For those with Windows XP or Vista, your windows software has a free program called Windows Movie Maker which works in much the same way as power point and the Picasa applications… and if you have Windows 7 or 8 you can always search for and download

In our next posting we will talk more about using PICASA to create slide shows.. 

Websites to help with rising gas prices

With gas prices climbing continually, it’s more important than ever to keep an eye on gas prices and for those who are planning a summer trip – you might want to more accurately calculate what your fuel costs will be.. Here are some websites that you might find helpful…

To calculate fuel expenses for a trip…

www.fuelcostcalculator.aaa.com

Cost of fuel …

www.gasbuddy.com

www.fuelgaugereport.aaa.com

For those of you with smartphones and/or tablets (such as Droid, iPhone, iPads, Goggle Nexus, BlackBerry, Kindles etc) consider adding these and other mobile apps - including AAA - to help find the least expensive gas and other services when you are traveling…

Remember to avoid getting gas when you are on or near major interstate highways and/or airports ~ as most of us know – prices are always higher at these locations… 

Happy Father’s Day Weekend to All the Dads, Grand Dads & Great Grand Dads..

Personally, I think there is a definite difference between a DAD and a FATHER (this doesn't apply to our heavenly father of course!!)

To some, using the phrase dad and/or father are one in the same, but to me they are very different.  I've heard it said that just about any man can become a father, but it takes a very special man to earn the title of dad, and I agree whole heartedly...  After all, we all have known FATHERS who earned that title from a biological standpoint only…but DADS – well that’s a very different story.  

To me, a dad, is a very special title given to someone who is there for their children (biological or not), who not only watch over their children but enjoy actively participating in their lives…  A dad’s arm are always ready to hold their children, they are ready to dry their tears, calm their fears and dad’s smile widely at each and every accomplishment..  Dads are cheerleaders, teachers, protectors and providers – but most of all they have hearts as big as all outdoors and are so proud that they've earned the most important title of their life, and that is being called “DAD”!!

So to all the wonderful dads, grand dads and great granddads out there – celebrate your title this weekend – special thanks and congratulations for being such special people and for opening your hearts to your families…...   .

Happy Father's Day

(Author Unknown)

A Dad is a person who is loving and kind,

And often he knows, what you have on your mind.

He's someone who listens, suggests, and defends

A dad can be one of your very best friends!

He's proud of your triumphs, but when things go wrong

A dad can be patient and helpful and strong.

In all that you do, a dad's love plays a part

There's always a place for him, deep in your heart.

And each year that passes, You're even more glad,

More grateful and proud, just to call him your dad!

Thank you, Dad.

for listening and caring, for giving and sharing

and especially, for just being you!

Happy Father's Day

Windows 8 - How to set a printer as your “default” printer..

In earlier versions of the Windows Operating Systems (XP-Vista-7) we simply went to start – control panel – devices and printers and then right clicked on the printer we wanted as our default printer.  Setting a printer as a default printer, means each time we give the print command, our “default” printer is the one that the computer will choose…

In Windows 8 it is a little different and I must admit it took me awhile to figure it out, but it is basically the same as earlier versions…(minus the start menu of course)

• Press the Windows Key to go to the Start Screen (With all the windows 8 tiles)
• Now, move your mouse to the far lower right until a list of “5” icons appear
• Move the mouse up this lit (which Microsoft calls the Windows 8 Charm Bar – the icons from top to bottom are Search, Share, Start, Devices & Settings – and these names will appear as your mouse hovers over each icon)
• Now Click Search
• When the action list appears (right side of your screen) Type Control Panel in the search box at the top
• When you do Control Panel will appear on the left side of your monitor, click on it
• Then click Devices & Printers (same list you saw in earlier versions of Windows appears)
• When you see the printer you want as your default printer, hover your mouse over it, right click and choose “Set as Default Printer” from the action list

How to Change the Size of Print on the Screen

On your home computers, Go to Start Menu, then choose "Control Panel," then "Appearance and Personalization" and finally, select "Display."… which allows you to change sizes based on the DPI*

Select a screen text size that works best for you:

• "Smaller -- 100% (default)" text size
• "Medium -- 125%." is therefore 125% larger than the default size.
• "Larger -- 150%" is therefore 150% larger than the default size for items on your screen
• “Select Custom Text Size (DPI*)" in the left hand pane of the window (the last selection) to customize the size you want.

*Remember, DPI stands for "dots per inch." If you select more "dots per inch," the text on your screen will be larger and if you select less “dots per inch” he text will be smaller.

Click on the down arrow in the box next to "Scale to This Percentage of Normal Size." A drop-down menu appears, displaying more options.  Choose a size you like and if the sizes still aren’t what you’d like, position your mouse pointer on the ruler visible below the text "Scale to This Percentage of Normal Size." The mouse pointer will turn into a hand symbol. Left-click on your mouse or mouse pad and drag the mouse pointer to the right to increase the size until it suits you. When you release the mouse button, the actual print size will display below the ruler, giving you an instant preview of the size you have selected.

Remember, if you are only changing the size temporarily when you are on the internet or in many other software application programs, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, use the size scroll bar on the bottom right corner of the status bar or use the CTRL +/- KEYS  to magnify or de-magnify what you are seeing on the monitor.

Enjoy Memorial Day

No classes today as we all enjoy the Memorial Holiday and remember those who have served - if that's you, or members of your family - thank you.

We also thought you'd enjoy checking out a favorite Memorial Day website with lots of helpful information about the holiday and the way it is celebrated.. enjoy

www.usmemorialday.org

When I want to know which websites are “Hot” – we can always check out

www.allmyfaves.com – which we refer to in classes quite often..

Another favorite website to visit that lists their opinion of the top “100 websites” is:

www.100bestwebsites.org

Want to travel from the comfort of home, then check out web cams all over the world, including spring tulip farms in Holland, cape cod or local beaches, the Eiffel Tower and many many more:

www.earthcam.com

or closer to home, check out this webcam to look at Nantasket Beach in Hull..

http://northeastsurfing.com/nantasket-beach-hull-cam

So check them out, and if you have a favorite website you'd like us to share with everyone - just send it to me and remember to save websites you visit to your favorite or bookmark list so they are easy to visit again in the future..

Enjoy the Internet - where we can learn & explore anytime - anywhere…

And the winners are….

When the new computers were installed at both Union Tower facilities several weeks ago, Union Tower decided to raffle off the seven “7” computers to residents as a fund raiser, selling chances for $5 each…and this week drawings we held and we have our winners…I’m sure I speak for all residents when I thank Arthur Ross, Denise Moloney and everyone else involved in this generous decision…

Congratulations to everyone who won - we hope you will enjoy your computer and of course we hope you'll join us in computer classes so you can use your new equipment to it's fullest capacity...

UT II – 14 chances were sold and the three “3” winners for the “3” computers were:

Rose Hatfield

Elaine Mullen

Ed Fallon

UT I – 21 chances were sold and the four “4” winners for the “4” computers were

Jim Morgan

Barbara McDermott

Florence Parnell and

Betty Sullivan who won the 4^th computer but asked that we draw another name – and the lucky winner was Paul Main who in turn gave it to Angela DiVirgilio

I also want to personally thank Bob Donovan who donated countless hours getting these "7" computers ready for the raffle.  Not only did Bob have to remove these computers from both facilities and all their peripheral hardware (towers, monitors, keyboards & mice) - but he then cleaned and updated them and then brought them all back Monday & Wednesday this week and set them up for the drawings – a monumental task and all in his “spare time” which I know is very limited…  As always, Bob went above & beyond and I know I speak for everyone when I say “thank you, thank you, thank you" …Cherie Houston

How to enlarge the size of your toolbars in Chrome & Firefox

According to www.ehow.com, you can edit the sizes of your toolbars in both Google chrome& Mozilla Firefox..Firefox versions prior to Firefox 4.0 have a menu bar at the top of the application that allows you to access the "File," "Edit," "Tools" and other menus. If you find your menu bar in Firefox smaller than you prefer it, you can edit the size of the bar with the userChrome.css file, a Firefox configuration file that allows you to change any aspect of the browser using CSS code. Accessing and editing your Firefox configuration file gives you complete control over how large you want the menu bar to appear

1.   Click on "Start" and select "Computer."

2.   Go to the following location on your computer: "C:\Users\{Windows Profile Name}\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\{Firefox Profile Name}\Chrome."

3.   Locate the "userChrome-example.css" file. Right-click the file and select the "Rename" option. Rename the file "userChrome.css."

4.   Right-click the file and click "Open With." A new window will appear. Select "Notepad" and click "OK" to open the file in Notepad.

5.   Add the following code to the bottom of the file: /* Large Menus */ menubar, menubutton, menulist, menu, menuitem {font-size: 4mm !important;}

6.   Replace "4" with the font size in mm that you want to change the menu bar to.

7.   Click "File" and select "Save." Launch Firefox to view the changes to the menu bar.

For more information on this topic, go to this link at... www.ehow.com:.

How to Edit the Menu Bar Size on Firefox or Chrome | eHow http://www.ehow.com/how_8626717_edit-bar-size-firefox-chrome.html#ixzz2U1lYWuMe

Apple-Putting your devices to sleep, shutting down & waking them up..

When you put your apple product to sleep, your session can quickly be resumed and you can also bypass the startup process.  This feature is excellent if you will only be away from your device for a short time. If you will be away from it for an extended period of time, it is best to shut it down.

MacBook

To put your MacBook to sleep, you may do any one of the following:

·        Shut the display.

·        Choose the Apple and then select Sleep from the menu bar.

·        Press the power button and click sleep in the dialog box that will appear.

·        Choose Apple, then select System Preferences, click Energy Saver, and then set a sleep timer.

To shut down your MacBook, you may do one of the following:

·        Choose Apple and then select Shut Down from the menu bar.

·        Press the power button and click Shut Down from the dialog box that appears.

iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

When you are no longer using your device, you can lock the display to save battery. When your device is locked, nothing happens if you touch the screen. If you are playing music, you can still listen to it while the device is locked and you can also adjust the volume by using the buttons on the side of the device.

·        To put your device to sleep simply press the Sleep/Wake button.

·        To power your device down, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button. A slider bar will appear at the top of the screen. Release the Sleep/Wake button and drag the slider to the right power the device down.

These devices are set to automatically sleep after a minute or two of inactivity. To change the Auto-Lock setting, go to Settings> General> Auto-Lock. 

Waking up Apple devices from Sleep

MacBook

·        If your display is shut, open it to wake your MacBook

·       If your display is already open, press the power button or any key on the keyboard.

iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch

·        If your device is locked, press the Sleep/Wake button or the Home button, and then drag the slider to the right.

·        If your device is powered off, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the Apple appears and then release the Sleep/Wake button.

Internet-How to have multiple tabs open as your home page

CHANGING HOME PAGE "TABS":
Your home page is the first page/website that comes up as soon as you have "activated/opened" your Browser for internet access. 

Today, Browsers use a TAB to indicate the websites you have opened, including your Home Page..And most browsers allow you to have "Multiple Home Page Tabs" open when you initially open your Browser...
 

TO CHANGE HOME PAGE TABS IN (I.E.) INTERNET EXPLORER:

 

·        Open I.E., now open the websites you want to open each time you open I.E.
·        Once they are all open, go to the Menu Bar, Tools, Internet Options
·        You will see your current home page listed in the "display box"
·        Click on the USE CURRENT button
·        Now click APPLY and OK
·        Close your browser and when you reopen it, all tabs will open

 

TO CHANGE HOME PAGE TABS IN GOOGLE CHROME:

 

·        Open Chrome, now open the websites you want to open when you open Chrome
·        Click the wrench icon in the upper right corner and select Options
·        Under the Basics tab on the left, in the On startup box, click the radio button beside Open the following pages
·        Then click the Use current pages button.
·        The list that appears will reflect your new home page(s)

 

TO CHANGE HOME PAGE TABS IN FIREFOX

·        Open Firefox, now open the websites you want to open when you open Firefox

·        Once they are all open, go the Menu Bar, Options (Preferences on a MAC)
·        Under the General Panel - choose "Use Current Pages"
·        Close your browser and when you reopen it, all tabs will open

 TO CHANGE HOME PAGE TABS IN SAFARI

·        First, create a Bookmarks folder

·        Add a bookmark to the folder for every page you want to have open as a tab
·        Now in your general preferences in Safari, go "New windows open with > Choose tabs folder".
·        Browse/Find the bookmarks folder you set up and select it
·        New windows should now open with a tab for each page you've got a bookmark for in that chosen folder.

GMAIL – How to share your Gmail calendar with someone else

For many of us (whether you work, are semi-retired or retired) we often find ourselves busier than ever… Personally, I know it helps when both my husband Dan and I know what each other time commitments are before making other plans and with Gmail and our smartphones it is easier than ever to do this.  

For those of us with android smartphones, Gmail is commonly used – not just the email portion, but the contacts and my favorite –the calendar.  

and yes you can also use this between windows based & apple portable devices as well.. 

As soon as either of us make a commitment and enters it into our Gmail calendar (whether it’s to babysit for one of the grandkids, doctors or other appts, importing repeating dates such as birthdays & anniversaries or our busy work schedules) it appears on all devices that have the Gmail calendar on them (remember – the calendar is actually in the clouds and not on your device).

We each have our own Gmail account, but we “share” my Gmail calendar and it’s wonderful-it has helped to eliminate any conflicts….  

To share your Gmail calendar with specific people, just follow these easy steps when you are in your Gmail account on computer (so you have more viewing area):

1. Open you Gmail calendar and in the calendar list on the left side of the page, click the down-arrow button next to a calendar, then select Share this calendar.

2. Enter the email address of the person you want to share your calendar with.

3. From the drop-down menu on the right side, select a level of permission, then click Add Person.

4. Click Save.

Once you click Save, the person you selected to share the calendar with will receive an email invitation to view your calendar. The person will need to click on the link contained in the email to add the calendar to his/her Other calendars list, the calendar will not be automatically added to the user’s Calendar account