CAN’T TYPE? Don’t let that stop you from writing long emails or that timeless Blog. Check out this easy-to-use program that all you do is talk and it types at the same speed you can get the words from your mouth. It is well worth the money if you own a Mac. If you don’t own a Mac, read on anyway and see what is out there in new technology for speech to type:
Monday next week I am giving training to a client on Apple’s “MacSpeech” recogition software. At first glance it certainly has potential.
This program types as you speak, and FAST. Listen this Apple representative as he explains the program in an interview with Geek Brief TV:
Also, here you can actually seen the program in real live action:
For some good tips and reviews please have a look at my final edition of SCUG Report magazine. I have resigned as Editor of the Sarnia Computer Group. I was spending too many hours each month whereas now I can use to explore new avenues in Cyberspace.
I am also working on a new murder/mystery novel and lovin it. To see the novel writing ideas and progress CLICK HERE for a Novel Idea.
This blog is updated now on a regular basis keeping the Computer and Internet Tips flowing freely.
So don’t forget to check back here at least weekly for NEW TIPS being added all the time. And check for the upcoming FREE Basic Computer and Internet seminars
A Strategy Guide
Author: Amy Shuen
Published: 2008 O’Reilly Media, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-596–52996-3
Pages: 236
US $24.99 CAN $24.99
We hear the question all the time: “How do they make money on the Internet?” The answer is: Web 2.0. But just what is this thing: Web 2.0, is the almighty question.
This book answers these questions and much more. In fact, if you are looking to start a new business this is a book that you cannot do without. It uses companies who have succeeded in the world of Web 2.0 to turn their business into amazing success stories.
Social networking, both online and offline is covered in great detail, demonstrating how corporations are now using this new medium to their advantage. Facebook, YouTube, Skype, MySpace and Flickr play a huge part in a “company’s business and financial valuation”, as it now depends on “the number of users and how quickly those users accept, adopt, and bring their positive network effects to a new online service” (page 77 – Web 2.0).
The challenge businesses face, from going from a Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, (static to dynamic websites) is high competition with the power of social networks. If a company today does not support social networking they will face “disastrous consequences”. This book shows, not only individual entrepreneurs, but major corporations such as Microsoft and Apple, how social networking and Web 2.0 can make the difference.
Businesses have changed their way of thinking and planning, by using the public’s help online.
This book shows how companies, such as Google, get advertisers to “pay for keywords”. Many small businesses are modeled as being a huge success as they take advantage of Web 2.0. Whether you are a corporate magnate, a Wall Street investor, a small business owner, or just a curious computer user, this book takes you on a fact filled adventure showing how Web 2.0 has changed the way we do business. This book also demonstrates the necessity of utilizing the public’s amazing network in the ever-growing Internet.
Blogs: What – Why – Whom?
by Gregory West
A Member of APCUG & SCUG
Blogs live in Cyberspace, but just what is a blog anyway?
Alright, let’s get this out-of-the-way right now…
DEFINE:blog ”Blog — (weB LOG) A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is “blogging” and someone who keeps a blog is a “blogger” (www.blogscanada.ca).
Enough tech talk…
Blogs are extremely popular. The newspaper business is smoldering in the aftershock of the Internet. Well let’s face reality here: Newspapers (as we know them) may edit themselves from newsprint to the Internet. However, time will tell for sure. What will be their replacements?
In fact, a recent article in the Globe and Mail newspaper shows us that “newspapers face the greatest crisis in the history of the business.” Globe reporter, David Ebner, goes on to say, “Every paper is hurting. Denver’s Rocky Mountain News, among others, is freshly dead. Once-unassailable titles such as the San Francisco Examiner teeter.” We are certainly in interesting times.
So, what’s next?
From the United States comes startling statistics (www.pewinternet.org) that “In total, 33% of internet users (the equivalent of 24% of all adults) say they read blogs, with 11% of internet users doing so on a typical day.” In anyone’s books, that is a lot of people who are reading blogs. And there’s more.
Canadians rank near the top when it comes to Internet usage. “Of Canadian internet users, a recent poll suggested that over 42% had read a blog in the previous three months” (wikipedia.org). Canadians love their blogs; surprisingly, we love our political blogs. This may strike a strange note, but former Prime Minister, Paul Martin “kept a widely read blog while he was in opposition” and all political parties maintain blogs. Interestingly enough, “the largest political blog group are the right leaning Blogging Tories with 300 blogs and 3,000 readers on average every day” (wikipedia.org).
Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries, while many blogs serve as a political platform. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. Many videos now include video to enhance the text. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Hyper-linking from one blog to another creates a massive spider web on the “information highway”. We can immediately see “the other side of the story”.
Popularity in blogging is growing and no wonder…Newspaper and magazine writers have their own blogs. Newspapers such as the London Free Press advertise their writer’s blogs on the LFP website (www.lfpress.ca/blogs). More often than not, this is where the real “meat” of a story is told. Editors cannot take their scissors to the text…You may even find the “Paul Harvey” version of the story, the “rest of the story” that did not get edited out.
Newspapers world-wide are now facing the question of whether to disband from using newsprint and going strictly online (Internet version) only. The jury is still out on whether this will enhance blogs, making them much more in demand and widely read.
“In March 2008, Universal McCann published a report that indicated 184 million blogs worldwide were created, with 346 million people reading blogs globally (Brian Solis on March 10, 2009).
Most news agency-writers have blogs. CNN, The Detroit Free Press, The New York Times and on and on and on the list goes. David Pogue, a famous Technology writer has a very popular blog that is read by millions (
http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com ) is called: POGUE’S POSTS. Pogue’s blog is connected directly to the NYT paper’s website as are most other writer’s blogs.
You can easily “google” content that may be found in a blog. For instance, bring up Google Search on your computer or cell phone, or whatever other flavour you choose to get onto the Internet.
Try a google search for a blog…
For instance, bring up your “Google Search”, and in the blank search box type in: barack obama blog. This will take you directly to the blog of the US President. Change out the phrase “barack obama” for anything you are interested, leaving the term: blog. You may never go back…
Welcome to the future; welcome to Cyberspace.
[bi-line]
Gregory West is the Editor for “SCUG Report”, a monthly for the Sarnia Computer Users’ Group (www.scug.ca). SCUG is a non-profit computer/technology help group that is open to the public for Newbies and Geeks. Gregory also provides, FREE to the public, Computer – Internet lessons at Central United Church each Wednesday. Gregory can be reached at gregorywest@sympatico.ca
Most of us would take play over work any day of the week. The reason is simple: Playing is fun.
Check out these FREE computer games
On the computer many people take time out from their daily grinds to take on the enemy, to match minds with the best of chess, and to challenge themselves to solitary games on the computer.
Here is an excellent site that will keep you pumped for hours…The best thing about this site is that the games are FREE.
Personally, I am NOT a game player as I love to work on software programs. I have tried out several games and found them to be fun, however my thing is learning new software programs…The challenge of “man against machine” LOL.
Just as we ALL have tucked away our digital cameras…Remember when everywhere you turned somebody was snapping a digital photo because it was new and the cost of taking pictures was and still is FREE?
After about eighteen months of this snapping and clicking, many cameras stayed, either at home, or were kept in pockets and purses and only pulled out for special occasions. Nothing new has popped up to bring back the rapid use of digital cameras; the novelty has well worn off and the paint is now dry.
Need Something New and Free?
Befunky. Yes, now you can have some fun with your ten million photos you have on your computer’s hard drive. Pick a picture, then turn it into a real work of art.
Why pay big bucks for these features, when you can befunky for FREE?
This photo editing enhancing program is amazing. The claim on their website is so true:
“BeFunky Photo Effects allow everyday people to easily create photographically rich and artistic results from their digital images without the need for any technical knowledge. These “one-click” photo effect options produce desired results effortlessly and each effect comes with the option to make simple adjustments.”
Give it a try and show off your new-found talents to all your friends.
This article is a “must read” to give you an overview of your spring cleaning task. Don’t worry if you do not understand the technical terms, just try and read what the certain tasks you should perform and to give you an idea of what is going on when you start your cleaning. Here is the very informative website:
http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/March/18/How-to-Spring-Clean-Your-Computer.htm
Steps for Spring Cleaning Your Computer - Inside & Out
1. How to Remove the Dust and Cookie Crumbs
Pay the money and buy an can of air to do this job properly.
On April 1 we saw a live demonstration on how to clean the inside of your computer tower. Make sure you ground yourself first – just touch a metal part of the case from time to time to make sure you’re nice and grounded.Then simply unscrew the side panel to remove it. Spray canned air (Walmart for about $10) all around the contacts and the fans to blow out the dust. Also, after you put the side back on the tower spray the air can on the keyboard to remove anything that might be trapped between the keys. Next use an electronics safe cleaner to wipe down the keyboard, screen and cables. It is wise to spray the cleaner on a soft towel and take care not to press too hard.
website link:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1611561/spring_clean_your_computer.html?cat=15
2. RUN A FULL ANTIVIRUS SCAN
RUN A FULL SPYWARE SCAN – delete all spyware and malware
3.RUN SCAN DISC
How To Run Scan Disk in Windows XP
Step 1. Select My Computer on the Desk Top and Press Enter.
Step 2. Arrow to the C drive, but don’t press Enter.
Step 3. Press the Applications or Context menu and up arrow to Properties and press
Enter. This may also be accomplished by holding down the Alt key while pressing
Enter.
Step 4. Shift Tab once, The heading will say General.
Step 5. Right arrow once to Tools.
Step 6. Tab once to Check Now and Press Enter. Note; Depending on your screen reader
it may not say exactly check now.
Step 7. Tab to the Check Box that says something like Automatically fix errors and press
the space bar to check it.
Step 8. Now shift tab back to start and press Enter. You will be told that scan disk can’t
run now and asked if you would like to schedule it for the next time the
computer reboots. Press Enter on Yes.
Step 9. Now Tab to Ok and press Enter.
Step 10. You are now finished, simply close out the window. Scan Disk will run the next
time the computer reboots. Allow a few extra minutes for the computer to boot
up the next time.
website:
http://www.accessible-devices.com/runscandisk.html
4. Defrag Your Computer
The defrag tool does its best to reorder your hard drive.
Follow this to defrag: (Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Disk Defragmenter)
Update Your Operating System (Windows) Windows Update can also scan your system and present a list of updatable items.
Follow this to Update your computer:
(Start > Control Panel > Windows Update)
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Any questions still bugging you, email me at prospector16@gmail.com greg
To show you neat tips & tricks about computer programs. We will also travel across the Internet discovering amazing websites that not only will enhance your computer skills; they will blow your mind…Each turn on this journey through the Web will evoke a “WOW”.
So, bookmark this site right now before you forget; as you view the pages in this NEW blog, please let me know what you think: Email me at: prospector16@gmail.com (prospector is the name and size of my canoe in case you’re wondering LOL)
You can visit my other blog that has been around for several years, with tons of archived pages of articles from “soup to nuts”, so to speak:
http:gregorywest.wordpress.com
So, enjoy this new blog and don’t forget to tell me what you like, dislike; and most important, please send me any new websites you discover that made you say:
Took Saturday off to teach 27 Scout and Venture Leaders a canoe course in London. Monday almost lost the afternoon due to a Doctor’s appointment for a completed blocked and infected ear.
I had several videos of us installing the sub floor…but lost them while trying to rename them.
Today we installed the upper cabinets – tomorrow we head over to the USA to pick up the new stove and the 2 counter tops.
Today was a slow day. We did not start until noon. Gary had to watch Coronation Street and I had to do some computer stuff. We did get the drywall installed and most of the wiring.
Today was a slow day. Wiring the recessed lighting. The lights had to go back as there were no brackets. End result today is that we got the wiring working. Tomorrow we finish installing drywall and with some luck we can get the sub floor in.
Here we take out the bulkheads and ready them for drywall. We also test the plywood flooring to see how tough it is to take up for the new sub flooring.
Michael Geno is the President for Michigan Council Of The Blind and Visually Impaired. Mike informs us that he has “been doing this for the past 6 years, and completed about 6 computers each year on my own. I was able to work on three computers yesterday, and finished one ready for placement with a blind person. I expect to place two adapted computers in the next two weeks.” Of course that statement was in May 2008, those numbers grow each month.
NOTE: Mike Geno is sitting and Gregory West is interviewing him.
Larry Mobbs, President of COMP explains how it all started:
“Some months ago our club met Mike Geno, working behind us here, he rebuilds computers for the blind. So we offered to do the hardware setup. Volunteers donated computers and their time and so since about February we have been rebuilding, donating computers approaching about 50 of them have gotten done. Work stations we have set up, about 6 places. People are at work building hardware and setting up windows 98. And Mike puts on special screen reading software called Jaws, which allows the sightless and limited vision users to drive the computer with the screen reader guiding them.
Michael Geno is the President for Michigan Council Of The Blind and Visually Impaired. Mike informs us that he has “been doing this for the past 6 years, and completed about 6 computers each year on my own. I was able to work on three computers yesterday, and finished one ready for placement with a blind person. I expect to place two adapted computers in the next two weeks.” Of course that statement was in May 2008, those numbers grow each month.
For more information on this project and how you can help out please go to:
