What Did You Learn At The Computer Help Session?

Each Tuesday at 2:00, a Computer Help Session is held at the clubhouse. Come to share, help, learn, and possibly even have problems solved. Bring your laptop if you wish.

Here are some of the results of this week's class:

• Buddy unpacked his brand new jump drive and learned how to use it.
  

• Betty learned how to send photos via email.
  
  
• Dianne got her Skype program fixed, thanks to a suggestion by JW.
  
  
• Roger got his new (to him) computer connected to the internet as an "after school" activity.
  
  
• As a result of Dianne bringing up the subject of Skype, Keith got interested in the program and installed it. His second Skype conversation was with a gentleman in China!
  
  
• Another gentlman may or may not have gotten enough info so that he could disable the built-in mousepad on his laptop.

As you can see, there were a variety of problems solved. In addition, a fair amount of information was shared so, hopefully, everyone learned something new.

In case you're interested, Skype is a program which allows you to "make telephone calls without a telephone." (My words, not theirs.) All it takes is a microphone and the free downloaded program. Then you can contact and talk to any other person similarly equipped anywhere in the world at no cost! For a modest fee (a few bucks/month) you can talk to anyone in the US/Canada form your computer to their telephone.

You can also make video calls if you are camera equipped.

If you have kids, grandkids, or friends scattered around the country or the world, this would seem to be a great way to communicate. If you have an internet connection, you have "phone service!"

Check it out here: http://skype.com

See you next Tuesday at 2:00!

Neat Pictures

Creatures provide great subjects for photographs. Here are a couple of good ones provided by DeVere.

The close-up of the pelican was taken on or near Goose Island, just across the bridge north of 35RV and a couple of miles east.











Click on either picture to see great close-ups of these neat creatures!

Thanks for sharing your hobby with us, DeVere.

Links

During the Computer Help Session today, links to several different sites were mentioned. They, plus some more, are listed below. You might find the products offered of interest.

1. Anti-Spyware
   AVG Anti-Spyware will help you discover and get rid of spyware and adware. It's available in two versions: trial, and licensed. When you download and install it, you are provided the full (licensed) version. After 30 days, it reverts to the trial version. While the licensed version has several features which you might find very useful, the trial (free) version does continue to function as a spyware detector. Many find this version sufficient. http://www4.grisoft.com/doc/downloads-products/us/crp/2?prd=triasw
   
   
2. Replacement for Office
   The most common word processor, by far, is Word, which is usually provided as part of the Office suite of applications. There is an Open Source alternative which some feel is superior in many ways, plus it is available at no cost! You can find it here: OpenOffice.org
   
   
3. 3-D Drawing Program
   Here's a fun program, especially if you or the grandkids like to sketch, draw, make CAD-type drawings, etc. It takes a little getting used to, but it makes some great 3-D drawings! It's another one of the great programs offered at no charge by Google. It's called SketchUp and can be found here: http://sketchup.google.com/
   
   

You can comment on any of these programs or ask questions about them (or anything else computer-related) by clicking on the word Comment below.

Or you can email me by clicking here: mailto: kaw@syntheticsaves.com

Computer Help Session

Computer Help Sessions will begin Tuesday, Jan 8, at 2:00 PM at the Clubhouse. Plans are that they will be held weekly until further notice.

The goal of these sessions is to help computer users or wannabe users to do what they want to do on a computer more efficiently or with fewer problems. For some, that may include expanding their knowledge into new areas, such as creating a blog or website. For others, it may be sending an email to their grandkids.

Last year, we went around the group with each person mentioning what they'd like to learn or like help with. Some of those were answered more-or-less immediately, either by the moderator or another attendee.

Usually, one or more of the subjects provided the basis for a longer discussion of general interest to most present. We'll try the same format this year and modify it if appropriate.

While I will moderate the sessions, that does not mean that I have all the answers or even that I will try to answer all questions. There may be some real experts who attend; hopefully they'll be willing to share their knowledge with the rest of us.

If you have questions, please let me know ahead of time.

Keith Williams, #80 kaw@syntheticsaves.com

Happy New Year!

We arrived back at 35RV on December 20, just in time to spend Christmas with old and new friends.

Now that Christmas and New Year's celebrations are over, it's time to settle into the Winter routine and get some things accomplished.

Three have inquired about continuing the computer help sessions we held last year. Are you interested? If so, please let me know, either by leaving a comment to this article, in person, or via email at kaw@syntheticsaves.com. Also, let me know what you'd like help with. That can help determine the agenda for one of more sessions.

Do you think we should have left a bit earlier?

Cedar Rapids was right on the northern edge of the huge ice storm of today. And we are still here!

We hope to leave Saturday, or the first nice day after that.

Our goal is to arrive at 35 RV in time to spend Christmas with our Texas friends.

Keith & Pat Williams

A White April 11th

"I sure could use one of Dick's back rubs!" Pat said yesterday morning, so you see that we've not forgotten Dick or the rest of you.

Yesterday was Zach Johnson Day here in Cedar Rapids. You may have seen him; he wears a green jacket. He's a local boy who "done good" on the golfer's Pro tour and Sunday won the Masters Tournament. By beating Tiger Woods by two strokes!

Today, it is snowing and already white outside, as I suspect it is for a lot of you. Oh well, it can't last long.

We had a great trip home:

• Lunched with friends in San Anonio
• Spent a couple of nights in Del Rio
• Visited Big Bend National Park (some pictures later)
• Visited McDonald Observatory
• Visited friends in Pecos
• Dodged all the storms in the Midwest

But we haven't forgotten that I still have party pictures to put up for you to enjoy.

First things first, though. So today I will continue working on my income tax.

Remember, you can click on the word "comments" just below here and to the right and leave your comments!

Keith