[abcomputers] ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers, Vol 19: Holiday Issue
- From: "Linda F. Johnson" <linda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ABCfreelists <abcomputers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 13 Dec 2002 23:24:31 -0500
______________________________________________________
ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers. The ezine YOU subscribed to. If you want to change
your subscription options or unsubscribe, see the bottom of this email for full
instructions. Thank you.
Linda
http://www.personal-computer-tutor.com/ABC.htm
______________________________________________________
ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers
Volume 19; December, 2002 - mailed to 3314 subscribers
=== HO HO HO === HO HO HO === HO HO HO ===
HOLIDAY ISSUE
=== HO HO HO === HO HO HO === HO HO HO ===
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Please rate this Ezine at the Cumuli Ezine Finder
http://snurl.com/6si
ABC is also listed at FreeTechMail now. Please visit their
site and rate it there too:
http://snurl.com/6sj
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If you would prefer to read the online Web-azine, which
includes pictures and screenshots and is, basically, more
user-friendly, follow either of these links:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc
(frames)
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/vol19.htm
(no frames)
or, scroll down to the Contents where you can click on
over to any individual article
NOTE: Unsighted readers or anyone who uses a screen
reader shoud probably go online and read that version if
my separator lines are making too much "noise".
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For definitions of any terms you do not understand, visit
the GeekSpeak Translator:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/gs.htm
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You are receiving this newsletter because you (or
someone using your email address) subscribed to it
voluntarily. If you would like to remove yourself from
ABC, please see SUBSCRIPTION MANAGEMENT at the
bottom of this newsletter.
Using the "Reply" function will not unsubscribe you!
My subscriber list is NOT made available to other
companies or individuals. I value every subscriber and
respect your privacy.
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SPECIAL HOLIDAY OFFER FOR ALL:
Vic's Christmas Concentration Game...IT'S FREE
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/downloads.htm#concentration
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WATCH FOR LONG LINKS!
Most of these have been replaced with SnipURLs
http://www.snipurl.com
so you shouldn't have to copy/paste URLs anymore,
unless you have a reeeeaaallly tiny monitor ;-)
So...if the links are longer than a certain amount, I've
"snipped" them.
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To help prevent broken links, maximize your email
window to FULL screen.
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**************STATION BREAK*****************
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THIS MONTHS' FEATURED SPONSOR:
*********************************************
InfoPacket's FREE Windows Newsletter
" Can I Stop Hackers, Viruses, and PopUp ads
-- For FREE? "
You bet!
Answers to questions like these are found in our free
Windows newsletter, published 3x a week. Don't be left
out in the dark -- subscribe to our newsletter today and
receive a special report:
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*********************************************
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CONTENTS
(all links below these items take you to the non-frames
online versions)
(items with *** behind them include pictures and/or are
better if viewed online)
1. Important How-To Message for Reading This Ezine
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/vol19.htm#HowTo
2. Linda's Holiday Thought of the Month
(and animated GIF) ***
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/vol19.htm#thought
3. Linda's Soapbox ~ eMail Headers and What They Reveal ***
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/linda19.htm
4. What's New at Linda's Computer Stop ~
Holiday Graphics Galore! ***
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/newabc19.htm
5. Subscribers' Exclusive Tip ~
Adding a Dropdown List To a Cell in Excel
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/newabc19.htm#tip
6. GeekSpeak Translation from the Cap'n
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/gs.htm
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7. THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL HOLIDAY FEATURE ~
Kathy's Practical PowerPoint Tips
HOLIDAY AUTOSHAPES IN POWERPOINT ***
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/kathy19.htm
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8. James's Database ~
How to Automatically Create Adobe PDF Files
from Microsoft Access Reports ***
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/james19.htm
9. Tina's FrontPage News ~
All About the Insert Hyperlink Dialog Box in FP2002 ***
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/tina19.htm
10. Mike's Safety Belt ~
You Don't Always Get What You Thought!
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/mike19.htm
11. Special Audio Article from Vic ~
Integrating Your Home Stereo System With
Your Computer System ***
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/vic19.htm
12. Steve's Ravin' Reviews ~
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/steve19.htm
* JPEG Resizer - 4 geezers ***
* Unzip Them All - 5 geezers ***
* cam2pc - 6 geezers ***
* IEBooster - 5 geezers ***
* Sneak Preview - Spybot Search and Destroy
13. Making Greeting Cards with Adobe PhotoDeluxe ***
~~ by guest author, George Osborne
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/george19.htm
14. User Defined ... Defined (using Paint Shop Pro) ***
~ by guest author, Tawanna Battee-McDonald
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/taw19.htm
15. Keyboard Tips for Manipulating Text
~ by guest author, Rex Leslie Howard, Jr.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/rex19.htm
16. Subscription Management
17. Contact Information
*** means the article includes pictures in the online version
or is better viewed online
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(1.) IMPORTANT HOW-TO MESSAGE
If you decide to go to the Online "Web-azine" version,
go here first for navigation instructions:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/vol19.htm#HowTo
If you are reading this plain text issue, maximize your
email window for best viewing.
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**************STATION BREAK*****************
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ECLECTIC ACADEMY ~ A Better Choice in Distance Learning
DO YOU WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL WITHOUT LEAVING
THE HOUSE?
It's the latest rage and it's called Distance Learning.
Most colleges now offer Distance Learning classes
because they know some people work hard and just
can't fit a classroom into their busy lives. But,
sometimes you don't want to enroll in a full program;
you just want to take one class.
ECLECTIC ACADEMY IS YOUR ANSWER!
http://eclecticacademy.com/index.htm
Eclectic Academy offers a large range of classes to suit
many needs. Go there now and check out their
curriculum and roster. Classes are only $20 for 6 weeks.
HOW CAN YOU BEAT THAT?
Here's a sampling of what they offer:
*Art Courses, both digital and traditional
*Business Courses, including all of the MS Office
Programs (many taught by none other than Linda
Johnson herself)
*Graphics Courses - Flash, PhotoShop, Paint Shop Pro
& more
*Website Development Courses - FrontPage,
Dreamweaver, ASP, DHTML, Website Promotion, and
on and on and on
*Eclectic Classes - Computer Maintenance, Writing
Workshops, Feng Shui, Eating Safely - just about
anything you can think of
Go to Eclectic Academy now and sign up to be notified
when classes are added or ENROLL NOW in the class of
your choice. Go there now to enroll in the next set of
classes.
ONLY $20 FOR A SIX-WEEK CLASS!
http://eclecticacademy.com/index.htm
*********************************************
NEXT CLASSES START JANUARY 5, 2003
*********************************************
(2.) LINDA'S THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
Here's wishing a safe and happy holiday season for all of
ABC's subscribers. And if you are thinking of getting the
kids a puppy for Christmas, remember these words, from
my favorite radio djay:
"Dogs are not for Christmas.
Dogs are for life."
John DeBella, WMGK, Philadelphia
http://www.WMGK.com
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Visit my holiday page for
LOTS of FREE CHRISTMAS, HANUKKAH, AND
NEW YEARS GRAPHICS
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/xmas.htm
CLICK HERE FOR THIS MONTH'S
CHRISTMAS ANIMATED GIF:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/vol19.htm#thought
(just rightclick on the gif and choose "Save Picture As...")
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(3.) LINDA'S SOAPBOX
~~Linda F. Johnson, Editor/Publisher
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EMAIL HEADERS & WHAT THEY REVEAL
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EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes pictures and is
clearer if read online. You can see the online version here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/linda19.htm
**********************************************
This is a follow-up on my last editorial, "Hey! You Sent Me
a Virus".
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v18/linda18.htm
Recently, I have been accused again of sending a virus
when I didn't, once in a public email support group, and
once privately, I received an email from a "service" which
is supposed to alert people that they are sending viruses.
I replied to this "service" and asked them if they actually
read the header on the mail to be sure it came from me.
They replied that no, they hadn't done that, but when
they did go back and do that, they saw that the email did
NOT originate from me at all.....geesh, now I have to do
their work for them. *sigh* So, I thought it would be
good to share with you all, how to check the headers of
your email to see where the email actually came from.
In my MSO email support group, the bugbear virus was
distributed to many of the members and appeared to
come from me. Thankfully, member Greg Chapman knows
how to read these headers, so he explained to the group
where this really came from and I am going to share his
explanation here (reprinted with his permission):
+++++
Yep, you're right; it didn't come through here which
makes me wonder a little more about the mechanics of
bugbear. I wonder how many subscribers actually did
get a copy?
Anyway, proof is in the pudding. The infected message
originated in Canada 24.203.83.178 (Videotron in
Montreal). All freelists messages originate from a system
called 'turing' (after the mathematician) that resides in
Iquest's network based in Indianapolis, IN.
Here are the relevant headers from the infected message:
"Received: from gagne ([24.203.83.178]) by
VL-MS-MR001.sc1.videotron.ca (iPlanet Messaging Server
5.2 HotFix 0.9 (built Jul 29 2002))"
And, for comparison, here's a valid header stack for
freelists:
"Received: from turing.(none) (localhost [127.0.0.1])
by turing.freelists.org (FreeLists Mail Multiplex) with
ESMTP id 43E39949D1; Fri, 29 Nov 2002 00:21:54 -0500
(EST)"
"Received: with ECARTIS (v1.0.0; list mso); Fri, 29 Nov
2002 00:21:48 -0500 (EST)" "Delivered-To:
mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
"Received: from smtp.comcast.net (smtp.comcast.net
[24.153.64.2]) by turing.freelists.org (FreeLists Mail
Multiplex) with ESMTP id 3D76F945BD for
<mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; Fri, 29 Nov 2002 00:21:47 -500
(EST)"
"Received: from master (pcp01354806pcs.benslm01.pa.
comcast.net [68.80.111.40]) by mtaout01.icomcast.net
(iPlanet Messaging Server 5.2 HotFix 1.05 (built Nov 6
2002))"
In a valid freelists posting, the originator is always in
the headers and the demark for when it entered the
freelists system to be processed is indicated by the
"Delivered-To:" stamp.
If you're not used to reading mail headers, the method
for identifying the route a message traveled is to find the
bottom-most "Received:" entry, recognize it as the first
SMTP hop and then read each successive "Received:"
line, in order, above it. That should describe the complete
route. In the case of the infected message, it appears
the source system is still masked by the SMTP relay
server for that subscriber network.
Greg Chapman
http://www.mousetrax.com
"Counting in binary is as easy as 01, 10, 11!
With thinking this clear, is coding really a good idea?"
+++++
Now. How do you view an email header?
Well, it's done differently in all email programs. But,
my email program is Outlook and they way you do it in
there is to right click on any mail in your inbox and choose
Options from the shortcut menu. In the options box, at
the bottom, you will see the header.
In Outlook Express, it's similar. Just right click a mail in
your inbox and choose Properties from the shortcut menu.
Click on the Details tab at the top of the Properties box
and you will see the header.
+++++
Also, one of ABC's subscribers, who is an AOL beta tester,
sent me this info about AOL 8.0 (reprinted with his
permission):
+++++
I was reading your information explaining how those
particular viruses work, and I was thinking you have (most
likely) quite a few AOL subscribers who may not know of
this tip. The newest version of AOL (8.0) has a new twist
to the "details" link when an e-mail is open. It not only
shows the path over the internet (as with prior versions)
that the mail traveled, but in the LAST line it will actually
say something like "Apparently from JoeDoe@xxxxxxxxxxxx",
if it is of the virus sent variety . I can usually tell when one
is suspect, but after having a friend try to track down why
his virus protection says he's clean, but he kept getting
mails saying he's sending a virus (sound familiar?), I
noticed this new option. So far it has been correct on all
that I have checked, and the "apparently from" address
is usually the REAL sending machine.
I don't really know if this option is retro to earlier
versions, but I will let you know if I find out anything. I
do AOL's beta testing, and this feature was not included
until the final "gold" or "GM" version.
Another note: After speaking with another beta tester,
he said that these viruses can also spoof the return
address in the "details" section. I have no confirmation
on this as of yet, but I will keep you updated on anything
I find.
Hope this helps some AOL users
Sincerely
GK Nevil
DOA Computers
Boise, Idaho
rasinhl@xxxxxxx
+++++
***In the online version of this article, there are
screenshots which show how the headers look in the
three above mentioned email programs.***
All email programs allow you to view the full headers.
I'm sure you can find the option in the program you are
using. Just be sure to do this BEFORE you accuse some
innocent person of sending you a virus.
Be kind to strangers....practice Safe Cyber!
Happy Computing! See you next year!
Linda
*********************************************
Linda Johnson is a college instructor of all of the
Microsoft Office Programs, as well as Adobe PhotoShop
and Windows. She also teaches online distance learning
classes in Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Publisher, and
Word at Eclectic Academy.
http://www.eclecticacademy.com/index.htm
She has worked helpdesk and teaches and lectures at
Many local businesses and tech schools in her area.
Support this newsletter by checking out Linda's website
http://www.personal-computer-tutor.com
and her ebook series, MS Word MAGIC!
Part I: Fonts, Fun & Formats
http://snurl.com/6sk
Part II: Table Wizardry
http://snurl.com/6sl
AND, How To Get Started As a Software Trainer:
http://snurl.com/6sd
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AND DON'T MISS LINDA'S NEWEST EBOOK SERIES:
If you have been interested in taking any of Linda's
Online Classes but don't want to wait six weeks to
complete all the lessons or don't have the desire to be
part of an online classroom, why not
SKIP THE CLASS & BUY THE BOOK INSTEAD?
Check out the eBook .exe versions of all of Linda's
classes here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/library.htm
Only $15 each!! Where else can you master a software
Program for that price?
Separate eBook tutorials on Access, Excel, Outlook,
PowerPoint, Publisher, and Word. Terrific value!!
OR BUY THEM ALL ON ONE CD Only $45.00!!
Order online or by regular mail
Details here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/cdtutorial.htm
Download the free Sample Version at CNET:
http://snurl.com/6sc
And PLEASE rate it there for me? Thanks!!
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**************STATION BREAK*****************
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Freelists to offer MailandFiles.com
http://www.mailandfiles.com/
Our amazing list host, FreeLists, has started a new email
and file storage service called MailandFiles.com: "For 5
bucks a month, you get access to 50MB of email and file
storage, a you@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx email address, access
to that email through web mail, POP3, and IMAP, plus
access to your files both through the web mail client and
FTP. (Software like WebDrive(tm) and Windows 2000+'s
"map a network drive" makes it easier on Windows users.)"
If their incredible service at FreeLists is any indication,
this is sure to be the best service of its kind on the Internet.
<snipped from MikesWhatsNews>>
To subscribe, send a blank email to
mikeswhatsnews-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=subscribe
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(4.) WHAT'S NEW at Linda's Computer Stop
http://personal-computer-tutor.com
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The first new announcement I have is a new Fleet
member. Please join me in welcoming Kathy Jacobs,
the owner of the very popular website,
PowerPointAnswers.com.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/kathryn_jacobs.htm
I'm sure you are as happy as I am to have her here.
Thank you, Kathy, for giving us your time. Don't miss
her feature article this month on Holiday AutoShapes
in PowerPoint.
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For any of you who are tired of all the pop up ads you
have to weed through when you go to ClipArt sites, I've
compiled a Holiday Graphics Page for you. I've included
graphics for Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Years.
Please feel free to grab any of these for use on your
holiday cards or websites. And don't forget to click on the
link for the "Contributors" to visit their sites for lots more.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/xmas.htm
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Next, I want to apologize if the reorganization of my
website has caused you to stumble upon broken links.
Because ABC is becoming so large, I had to separate it
out into subwebs, which changed some of the links, but
only if you come here from an old external link. I assure
you, once you are inside Linda's Computer Stop or ABC,
all of the internal links will work. If you have any problems
finding anything, please send me an email and tell me the
link that isn't working and I will give you the new one.
Also, if you have links to any of my pages on your own
website, please update those links to reflect my new format.
Along these same lines, I have made re-direct pages to
try to get you to some of the more popular pages that are
linked to from a lot of external sources. I also made a new
Search Page, just for ABC, so you can search just the ABC
articles, without searching my whole website. Check it out
and let me know how it's working for you:
http://www.personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/searchabc.htm
Of course, you can also search the rest of my site, if what
you are looking for isn't covered in ABC:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/search.htm
And I've also categorized my Site Map, so you can easily
find all of my tutorials. I hope all of this has made my site
easier for you to maneuver.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/TOC.htm
And don't forget ABC's Archives by Author, where you
can quickly find all of the articles by your favorite
Fleet member:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/authors.htm
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And, after one too many complaints from my viewers
that they couldn't see the arrows and box on my dark
blue on dark blue scrollbars, I changed the box and
arrows to pale blue. Of course, in this issue, I've chosen
appropriate red and green scrollbars for some holiday
festiveness. :o)
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I've also added an Awards and Recognitions page to
thank all of the people who gave my site an award or
allowed me to contribute to their sites. Please visit this
page and click on the graphics to visit these fine sites.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/awards.htm
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And, I wrote two new articles this month.
TechTrax Ezine
http://www.mousetrax.com/techtrax/index.html
Make an Out of Office AutoResponder, using Outlook
*Without* Exchange
copy on my site:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/autoresponder.htm
+++++
Neat Net Tricks Premium
http://www.neatnettricks.com/store/
Microsoft Word Formatting & Styles
copy on my site:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/wordformat.htm
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And, as usual, I have updated my favorite links page.
Here's my latest addition:
Defeat Telemarketers for FREE ..... This one's great.
Download a free wav file that you can record on your
answering machine before your message. It's the sound
telemarketer machines will hear and it tells them your
phone is disconnected so they will remove you from their
database. Pretty cool!!
http://home.attbi.com/~dakine/defeat.htm
for more of my favorite links, go here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/internet.htm
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Well...that's about it for this month. Please come back
to my site often to see what else I've added and drop
me a line if you have any suggestions.
Linda
linda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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**************ANNOUNCEMENT*****************
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My site has been added to the section on Women In
Business On the Web at Brainy Betty Net: Portal of Sites
for Women
http://www.brainybetty.com/bbnetwork.htm
Check out Brainy Betty. She's also got some great
holiday clipart here:
http://www.brainybetty.com/Christmas.htm
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(5.) Subscribers' Exclusive Tip of the Month:
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ADDING A DROPDOWN LIST TO A CELL IN EXCEL
"Is there a way I can add a dropdown list to a cell, so
people can choose one item from a list of items located
on another part of my spreadsheet or in a different
sheet entirely?"
This is a question I answer a lot, so I figured it warrants
a tip.
It's actually pretty simple. Let's say you want a
dropdown list in cell C2 that lets people choose from the
items that are listed in cells H10:H25. Here's the steps:
*Click in cell C2 and go to the Data menu and choose
Validation.
* Make sure you are on the Settings tab and click on the
dropdown that says "Allow" and choose "List".
* In the box that says "Source", either type in =H10:H25
or simply click in H10 and drag to select H10 through H25
and the box will be filled in for you. (Or, if you don't
want to use values from a range, you can just manually
type in the values you want to appear in the list,
separated by commas.)
* Make sure there is a check in the box that says
"In-cell dropdown"
* Click OK.
Now check out cell C2. There's your dropdown list all
set and ready to be used.
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**************STATION BREAK*****************
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Discover How To Create Stunning Letters, Presentations,
Greetings Cards, Promotional Materials, Memos, Reports
And More - Just Like The Professionals!
Imagine using the Famous Newbie Club Easy Learning
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No. 1 Favorite Word Processing Program. What do you get?
MS Word MAGIC! eBooklet Series
by Linda F. Johnson
Book I teaches all about the formatting of text, words,
and paragraphs.
Book II is all about Tables and how to use them to get
the most out of your Word documents.
And both ebooklets come with the famous Newbie Club
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unconditional means unconditional!"
So...what have you got to lose? Check out this series:
Book 1: Fonts, Formats and Fun
http://snurl.com/6sk
Book 2: Table Wizardry
http://snurl.com/6sl
Also, don't miss the latest goodie from the Newbie Club:
-------- "Still Struggling With Your PC?"
'PC & Internet Companion' is the latest Block Buster from
The Newbie Club, and is a Mega library of 43 Chapters and
over 800 Tips and Tutorials. And it's written in the Plain
English that has made The Newbie Club Famous all around
The World. Take a look at this staggering publication NOW
http://snurl.com/gln
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(6.) Cap'n Patt's
GEEKSPEAK TRANSLATOR
Visit the Cap'n's Official GeekSpeak Database at
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc/gs.htm
If the word you need defined is not there, or the
definition is not clear, too geeky, or just plain confusing
to you, email the Cap'n. He would love to hear from
you at CapnPatt@xxxxxxx
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**************STATION BREAK*****************
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Are you into Video Computing?
VIDEOMAKER is the world's most popular monthly
consumer video production publication and covers the
use of digital video editing, camcorders, cameras, and
desktop video and audio production for novice and
expert enthusiasts alike. Its articles teach production
techniques, survey and review the latest equipment,
and explain the newest technological advances.
Published monthly, and is available on select newsstands
and to subscribers. In addition, you receive a password
giving you full access to Club VId, Videomaker's vast
online resource of information about making video.
And the best part is, it's CHEAP! Only $14.97 for 13 issues!
http://snurl.com/6t1
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
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*****THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL HOLIDAY FEATURE*****
^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(7.) KATHY'S PRACTICAL POWERPOINT TIPS
~~Kathryn Jacobs, PowerPointAnswers
HOLIDAY AUTOSHAPES IN POWERPOINT
**********************************************
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes pictures and is
clearer if read online. You can see the online version here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/kathy19.htm
NOTE: You can also click here to download a zipped copy
of the "shell" for creating this presentation.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/hs.zip
**********************************************
Are you one of those people who can't draw worth a
darn, but wants to create a personalized, interesting,
interactive holiday mailing? Join the club! I can't draw a
straight line, even using a ruler. However, using the
AutoShape tools and some basic imagination, even I can
create this unique holiday greeting to share with family
and friends...
The Basic Idea
PowerPoint's AutoShapes allow you to use pre-built
shapes to create new and interesting pictures. The
AutoShape toolbar is found on the Drawing toolbar. The
Drawing toolbar is located at the bottom of your screen
when you are in Normal view. (If you don't see it, go to
your View menu and choose Toolbars>Drawing.) This
toolbar allows you to create, rotate, color, and format
lines, shapes, WordArt, pictures and clipart. For our
holiday card, we are going to concentrate on the
AutoShapes. (We will make a short side trip into WordArt
at the end, so that you can create a nice Happy Holidays
header for your greeting.)
Greeting Components
The front page of our greeting contains a graphic of a
simple Christmas tree with presents, three linked buttons,
and our heading. All of the elements of the front page
are made out of AutoShapes, with the exception of the
heading which is a WordArt element.
The remainder of the presentation shell is three other
slides, placeholders for the following:
Our Year in Text
Our Year in Pictures
Our Wishes for You
Make these placeholder slides right away, as you will
need to reference them when you create the active
buttons in the next to last step of preparing your holiday
greeting.
The Tree
The tree is made up of four types of AutoShapes:
The main part of the tree is three isosceles triangles
The trunk is an upside down parallelogram
The ornaments are circles
The star is a sun
To make the main section of the tree, I created a small
isosceles triangle and copied it two times. The first triangle
was placed so that it was the top of the tree. The next
triangle was made slightly bigger by using the corners to
lengthen and widen the triangle. It was then placed so
that its top point was centered in the first triangle. The
process was repeated with the third triangle, centering it
in the middle triangle. Next, I arranged and colored the
three triangles so that they looked like a tree. I selected
the middle triangle, right clicked, and using the "order"
option, sent it to back. This is repeated with the third
triangle, so that it goes clear to the back. Finally, using
the "Format AutoShape" option on the right click menu,
I colored the three triangles as follows:
Fill for each triangle is a vertical, two color gradient with
two different greens
Line for each is set to no line
The trunk of the tree is a small parallelogram, flipped
upside down. Color on this is set to a plain brown, with
no line. Once it is flipped and colored, it was moved to the
bottom of the tree and sent to back.
Next up were the ornaments. First, I created a small circle
and colored it. The color used for these is the preset
gradation called "Gold II" with no line. Once the circle
was colored, I copied and pasted it to make about 20
ornaments. I placed these at random locations on the
tree.
The final step of creating the tree was the star on top. For
it, I use the sun AutoShape. This creates a small sun.
However, that sun doesn't look much like a treetop star.
To correct this, I clicked on the sun. A small yellow
diamond appears on the bottom of the shape. Clicking
and dragging this diamond changes the appearance of
the AutoShape. In our case, we want to drag it towards
the center of the sun so that it turns into a star. Fill color
for this shape is set to the preset gradation "Silver" with
no line. Drag the star to the top of the tree.
Now that the tree is created, you will want to make sure
that the pieces don't move around as you create the rest
of the greeting. To do this, you need to group all of the
parts together. Using the select tool (the default arrow),
draw a large rectangle which encompasses the entire
tree shape. All of the handles for the various shapes will
appear, indicating they are selected. Right click on one
of the shapes, select the "Grouping" option and slide
over to "Group". Now the entire tree is one shape, and
you can move it to the center of the page.
The Presents
Now that you are becoming comfortable with basic
AutoShapes, it is time to make the presents. First, you
make the basic present box with the rectangle AutoShape
tool. Fill color on the boxes is the "White Marble" texture,
with no line.
Unlike the tree which gets its body feel from the
ornaments and coloring, the 3D effect on the presents is
applied using the 3D button on the draw toolbar. (The 3D
button is the far right one on the tool bar.) To use this
tool, select the box you just made and click on the 3D
toolbar. Slide up to the 3D 2 shape. With the shape still
selected, use the "3D options" button to adjust the
lighting and angle to the way you want the boxes to look.
The final step on the packages is to add the ribbons.
These are short lines running from one side to the other
of the box, crossing in the middle. Once the present is
created, move it under the tree.
Now, I don't know about you, but my tree looks pretty
bare with only one present. So, copy and paste the
present as many times as you need. Spread them around
under the tree until it looks the way you want.
I recommend repeating the grouping step you did above,
so that the presents are connected to the tree and the
whole graphic moves as one.
The Buttons
Each button is created using the bevel AutoShape, which
is found in the middle of the "Basic Shapes" list. The fill on
the buttons is the gradient "Mahogany", but with a
transparency twist. After you set the fill color, adjust the
transparency bar to a setting of 60%.
To add the text, right click on the shape and choose "Add
Text". Once the text is added, color it with the default
color (white or green works best). Copy, paste, and edit
the text for a total of three buttons. Place them to either
side of the tree and below the tree.
The final step in creating the buttons is to link them to the
appropriate slide. With the button selected, go to the
"Slide Show" menu and select "Action Settings". On the
window that appears, select the radio button for
"Hyperlink to". From the drop down, select "Slide". On
the pop up, select the slide with the same title as the
text in the box. Repeat this process with each of the
other two buttons and slides.
The Header
The header on this slide is the only element on the slide
that is not an AutoAhape. Instead, it is created using the
WordArt tool. WordArt elements are created using the
button that looks like a slanted capitol letter "A". When
you click the button, you will get a window with a wide
variety of WordArt designs. Selection of one brings up a
screen where you can type in the text you wish used
("Happy Holidays" in our case). From there, adjustment
of the color, style, and angle of the text is done just as
you did with the AutoShapes.
Conclusion
I hope that you enjoyed this holiday tour of the
AutoShape tool. It is a powerful tool, especially for those
of us who don't freehand draw very well. I hope this little
lesson helps your holiday go a little easier!
**********************************************
Kathryn Jacobs, BrainBench MVP, MS PowerPoint
Get PowerPoint answers at
http://www.powerpointanswers.com
Cook anything outdoors with
http://www.outdoorcook.com
Hardware, software, and history:
http://www.oldcpu.com
Kathy is a trainer, writer, Girl Scout, parent, and whatever
else there is time for.
I believe life is meant to be lived. But, if we live without
making a difference, it makes no difference that we lived.
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(8.) JAMES'S DATABASE
~~James La Borde
HOW TO AUTOMATICALLY CREATE ADOBE PDF FILES
FROM MICROSOFT ACCESS REPORTS
**********************************************
EDITOR'S NOTE: The code in this article may have line
breaks caused by email formatting and is clearer if read
online. You can see the online version here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/james19.htm
**********************************************
Hello All. I recently had the opportunity to install Adobe
Acrobat on my work computer and try to get all of my
reports to print automatically in the pdf format. Let me
tell you this was no easy venture. I found a number of
examples but they all seemed to be for Win 98 SE or for
Access 97. I am running Access 2000 on Windows 2000
Professional, so all of these examples erred out
somewhere along the way. Even after that I was left
with the problem of writing the code to loop through and
produce a number of reports.
Since this was quite the ordeal, I decided I would share
this information and hopefully it will save someone from
hours of frustration.
The first step is to visit Dev Ashish's MVP site. He has a
great example if you are running Access 97. It also has
some of the tools you will need in Windows/Access 2000.
http://www.mvps.org/access/reports/rpt0011.htm
You will also need to download the defaultprt.zip file
mentioned in the article.
ftp://ftp.mcwtech.com/defaultprt.zip
I can take no credit for the above code as it belongs to
Ken Getz.
Copy the code from the first three pale blue boxes into a
module. It is much easier in the long run to copy each box
separately and make sure you have some space between
the codes as you paste them. Next open the defaultprt
mdb and copy the modules into your database.
You now have the basics for changing the default printer
to and from the PDFWriter.
Next, with the help of a gentleman named Al Marshall, I
was able to use Adobe Acrobat 5.0's feature of being
able to print a default path/name from the registry.
You will need to paste this code into a new module:
_________________________________________
Option Compare Database
Option Compare Database
Option Explicit
Public Const REG_SZ As Long = 1
Public Const REG_DWORD As Long = 4
Public Const HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT = &H80000000
Public Const HKEY_CURRENT_USER = &H80000001
Public Const HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE = &H80000002
Public Const HKEY_USERS = &H80000003
Public Const ERROR_NONE = 0
Public Const ERROR_BADDB = 1
Public Const ERROR_BADKEY = 2
Public Const ERROR_CANTOPEN = 3
Public Const ERROR_CANTREAD = 4
Public Const ERROR_CANTWRITE = 5
Public Const ERROR_OUTOFMEMORY = 6
Public Const ERROR_ARENA_TRASHED = 7
Public Const ERROR_ACCESS_DENIED = 8
Public Const ERROR_INVALID_PARAMETERS = 87
Public Const ERROR_NO_MORE_ITEMS = 259
Public Const KEY_QUERY_VALUE = &H1
Public Const KEY_SET_VALUE = &H2
Public Const KEY_ALL_ACCESS = &H3F
Public Const REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE = 0
Declare Function RegCloseKey Lib "advapi32.dll" _
(ByVal hKey As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegCreateKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
"RegCreateKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, _
ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal lpClass As String, ByVal dwOptions _
As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, ByVal lpSecurityAttributes _
As Long, phkResult As Long, lpdwDisposition As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegOpenKeyEx Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
"RegOpenKeyExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpSubKey As String, _
ByVal ulOptions As Long, ByVal samDesired As Long, phkResult As _
Long) As Long
Declare Function RegQueryValueExString Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
"RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As _
String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, ByVal lpData _
As String, lpcbData As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegQueryValueExLong Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
"RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As _
String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, lpData As _
Long, lpcbData As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegQueryValueExNULL Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
"RegQueryValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As _
String, ByVal lpReserved As Long, lpType As Long, ByVal lpData _
As Long, lpcbData As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegSetValueExString Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
"RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, _
ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, ByVal lpValue As _
String, ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Declare Function RegSetValueExLong Lib "advapi32.dll" Alias _
"RegSetValueExA" (ByVal hKey As Long, ByVal lpValueName As String, _
ByVal Reserved As Long, ByVal dwType As Long, lpValue As Long, _
ByVal cbData As Long) As Long
Public Function SetValueEx(ByVal hKey As Long, sValueName As String, _
lType As Long, vValue As Variant) As Long
Dim lValue As Long
Dim sValue As String
Select Case lType
Case REG_SZ
sValue = vValue & Chr$(0)
SetValueEx = RegSetValueExString(hKey, sValueName, 0&, _
lType, sValue, Len(sValue))
Case REG_DWORD
lValue = vValue
SetValueEx = RegSetValueExLong(hKey, sValueName, 0&, _
lType, lValue, 4)
End Select
End Function
Function QueryValueEx(ByVal lhKey As Long, ByVal szValueName As _
String, vValue As Variant) As Long
Dim cch As Long
Dim lrc As Long
Dim lType As Long
Dim lValue As Long
Dim sValue As String
On Error GoTo QueryValueExError
' Determine the size and type of data to be read
lrc = RegQueryValueExNULL(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, lType, 0&, cch)
If lrc <> ERROR_NONE Then Error 5
Select Case lType
' For strings
Case REG_SZ:
sValue = String(cch, 0)
lrc = RegQueryValueExString(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, lType, _
sValue, cch)
If lrc = ERROR_NONE Then
vValue = Left$(sValue, cch - 1)
Else
vValue = Empty
End If
' For DWORDS
Case REG_DWORD:
lrc = RegQueryValueExLong(lhKey, szValueName, 0&, lType, _
lValue, cch)
If lrc = ERROR_NONE Then vValue = lValue
Case Else
'all other data types not supported
lrc = -1
End Select
QueryValueExExit:
QueryValueEx = lrc
Exit Function
QueryValueExError:
Resume QueryValueExExit
End Function
Public Sub CreateNewKey(sNewKeyName As String, lPredefinedKey As Long)
Dim hNewKey As Long 'handle to the new key
Dim lRetVal As Long 'result of the RegCreateKeyEx function
lRetVal = RegCreateKeyEx(lPredefinedKey, sNewKeyName, 0&, _
vbNullString, REG_OPTION_NON_VOLATILE, KEY_ALL_ACCESS, _
0&, hNewKey, lRetVal)
RegCloseKey (hNewKey)
End Sub
Public Sub SetKeyValue(sKeyName As String, sValueName As String, _
vValueSetting As Variant, lValueType As Long)
Dim lRetVal As Long 'result of the SetValueEx function
Dim hKey As Long 'handle of open key
'open the specified key
lRetVal = RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sKeyName, 0, _
KEY_SET_VALUE, hKey)
lRetVal = SetValueEx(hKey, sValueName, lValueType, vValueSetting)
RegCloseKey (hKey)
End Sub
Public Sub QueryValue(sKeyName As String, sValueName As String)
Dim lRetVal As Long 'result of the API functions
Dim hKey As Long 'handle of opened key
Dim vValue As Variant 'setting of queried value
lRetVal = RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, sKeyName, 0, _
KEY_QUERY_VALUE, hKey)
lRetVal = QueryValueEx(hKey, sValueName, vValue)
MsgBox vValue
RegCloseKey (hKey)
End Sub
_________________________________________
This will enable you to write to the registry in the
appropriate location. next I wrote my own code to send
the data to the appropriate key. Here is that code. This
is best placed in the same module as the first item from
Ken Getz.
_________________________________________
Function ReporttoPDF(strPath As String, strReport As String)
On Error GoTo ReporttoPDF_Error
SetKeyValue "Software\Adobe\Acrobat PDFWriter", "PDFFilename", strPath,
REG_SZ
DoCmd.OpenReport strReport
Call ResetDefaultPrinter
ReporttoPDF_Error:
Resume Next
End If
End Function
_________________________________________
When you write your own code to loop through
whatever report listing you have or from a form, simply
call the change to ChangetoAcrobat function, then the
ReporttoPDF function with the appropriate variables
included. This function also uses the sub function from
Ken Getz to change your default printer back to the
original default printer.
For all of those who stayed with me through this, I hope
this helped you in getting this resolved. Next month I will
post the code I use to loop through my report listing and
run all the reports requested.
**********************************************
James La Borde works in the computer department at a
Credit Union, where he uses Access, SQL Server, VBA,
and ODBC daily. He also teaches online Access classes
at Eclectic Academy.
http://eclecticacademy.com/curriculum.htm
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
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**************STATION BREAK*****************
^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-
Do you want to know the latest on FrontPage? Do you
want Tips, news, articles, links and ebooks on
FrontPage? Well the AnyFrontPage Bytes Ezine is the
best place for your FrontPage and web crafting needs,
join up at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnyFrontPageBytes
Are you looking for resources for FrontPage? Want to
know where all the best FP links are? The hosts, the lists,
the forums?
Use AccessFP - FrontPage Resources Centre as the
start site for your FrontPage Information facts.
http://accessfp.net
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(9.) TINA'S FRONTPAGE NEWS
~~Tina Clarke, AccessFP - FrontPage Resource Centre
EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE
'INSERT HYPERLINK' DIALOG BOX IN FP2002
BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
**********************************************
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes pictures and is
clearer if read online. You can see the online version here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/tina19.htm
**********************************************
The Internet would not work without hyperlinks, but
hyperlinks come in several varieties and FrontPage makes
it easy to create all of them.
Basic knowledge of hyperlinks firstly consists of
understanding the difference between Absolute and
Relative and Internal and External links.
Absolute/External Hyperlink
This link consists of a full hyperlink address, e.g.
http://accessfp.net/msbulletinarchives\index.html
This is what you use when linking to external sites and it's
also best to make the link open in a new window. Then,
when that window is closed, there is your site in the
window beneath it. (See #8)
Relative/Internal Hyperlink
This type link consists of just a file name and the folder
it's stored in, e.g.: msbulletinarchives\index.html
This kind of link is used within the confines of your own
site. The only problem you can encounter here is
inadvertently linking to another folder on your own hard
drive which is outside the web you're working on, and
that would break the link and you might end up with a link
on the web site looking like this in the html.
file:///C:/My%20Documents/My%20Webs/web/folder/page.htm
Insert Hyperlink Options
1. Choose the type of Hyperlink to create
A. 'Existing File or Web Page'
Click this icon to link to a file on your hard drive/local
network/Internet. Use this in conjunction with 'Look in'
and it's buttons and icons to navigate to the file you wish
to use. (See #2)
B. 'Place in This Document'
Click this icon to link to a bookmark that exists already in
the page you're working on. In the 'Select Place in
Document' box, click the bookmark you want to use as
the destination, and then click OK.
C. 'Create New Document'
Click this icon to create a link to a page on your website
that has not been created yet. The 'New' Dialog box will
open. Type the name of the new document. If you want
to change the path of the new document, click Change.
Under 'When to edit', specify whether you want to edit
the new document now or later.
TIP: If you want to create the new page straight away
click the 'Change' button and FrontPage will open the
'Create New Document' dialog box.
D. 'E-Mail Address'
Click the icon to link your selected text or image to an
email address. Either type the e-mail address you want
in the 'E-mail address' box, or select an e-mail address
in the 'Recently used e-mail addresses' box. However,
don't type in 'mailto:', since this will be inserted
automatically. In the 'Subject box', type the subject of
the e-mail message.
NOTE: Some Web browsers and e-mail programs may
not recognize the subject line.
TIP: When you use the Recently used e-mail addresses
list, it will fill out the other fields for you, including the
Subject line (providing you filled them in last time).
2. Look for Target File in 'Look in'
Use the three buttons below 'Look in' ('Current folder',
'Browsed Pages' and 'Recent Files') along with the two
navigation icons ('Browse the web' and 'Browse for File')
to select a target file for the hyperlink. The Current
Folder button will be selected by Default and its contents
displayed in the Current file list. Clicking 'Browsed Pages'
will display the URLs for web pages you have browsed in
IE (Internet Explorer). The amount listed reflects your
history cache. Clicking 'Recent Files' will list all the files
recently opened within FrontPage (whatever website
they are stored in).
3. Text to Display.
The text you selected will be displayed by default, but
you can still change this and it will replace the original
linked text after you click OK.
4. Browse the Web
Click the icon to launch your web browser and navigate
to the external page on the web. Once you have made
your selection Press Alt + Tab to bring up FrontPage and
the address will be pasted automatically into the Address
window.
5. Browse for File
Click the icon to navigate to any file on your hard drive or
local network. The file location will automatically be
pasted into the Address window.
6. ScreenTip
This feature is based on the Windows screen tip feature
and the button will let you create a small text message
that appears when you mouse over a link. (Only works in
IE4 or later). You can type directly into the box or, using
the keyboard shortcut control + V, paste your text.
NOTE: You might find Tip 5 at
http://accesfp.net/scripttips.htm of further interest
regarding Screen Tips.
7. Bookmark
By selecting a file in the Current file list, you can use the
Bookmark Button to link to a bookmark in a file other
than the current page. (To use a bookmark in the current
page, click the 'Place in This Document' button [see #1B]
instead). Bookmarks are useful for allowing visitors to skip
over material or find the information wanted straight away.
NOTE: If you did not select any text before using the
Bookmark Icon, after you close the Bookmark window,
you will see a flag icon in your text that represents the
bookmark, this is not visible when your website is viewed
in the browser.
8. Target Frame
This button is utilized for sites that are using frames,
however you can make the link you are making open in a
new window by selecting the 'New Window' option in the
dialog box that pops up.
TIP: You only want to use this feature with External links,
not Internal. (For that reason don't click the 'Set as page
default' box). A link that opens a new browser window
is useful for keeping visitors on your site while they
simultaneously explore another site.
9. Current File List
The list will show the Current websites files by default,
but this will change if you select the 'Browsed Pages' or
'Recent Files' buttons. This window has a scroll bar to
enable you to see all the files listed in your site. (If files do
not show you may need to configure Hidden files).
10. Address
FrontPage will automatically fill in the address for your
targeted hyperlink based on your choices in the 'Link to'
and 'Look in' columns. You can also type in the window
and paste using the keyboard shortcut Control + V.
11. Style
You can use the Style button and configure all manner of
css inline styles for your links. However, the one that
might be of most interest to you is the 'No Text
Decoration'. You can implement this by pressing the
Style button, then the Format Button, select Font and
tick the 'No text decoration' box under Effects.
MORE TIPS:
1) Follow a hyperlink while editing a page
In 'Page view', right-click the hyperlink, and then click
'Follow Hyperlink' on the popup box.
2) Remove a hyperlink
In Page view, select the hyperlink and do one of the
following:
* Delete the hyperlink completely, including the hyperlink
text by pressing DELETE.
* Preserve the hyperlink text but delete the hyperlink
associated with it, by clicking on 'Insert Hyperlink'; in the
'Edit Hyperlink' dialog box click 'Remove Link'.
********************************************
Tina Clarke is the Webmaster of AccessFP - FrontPage
Resource Centre at http://accessfp.net and an editor of
"AnyFrontPage Bytes Ezine". Subscribe to the FrontPage
ezine and get FREE FrontPage E-Books upon joining.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnyFrontPageBytes
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
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**************STATION BREAK*****************
^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-
Computer Help Central Presents...
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He'll Answer Every Single Computer Question You'll Ever
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ASK HIM!)
Download Mad Mick's 200 Computer Questions & Answers
in pdf format
**includes 30 days of FREE email support**
http://hop.clickbank.net/?buntah/likeapro
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(10.) MIKE'S SAFETY BELT
~~ Mike Baynes, MikesWhatsNews
YOU DON'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU THOUGHT!
Recently I was sent an article from Jerry at
Camtech 2000:
+++++
"A New Spyware Tactic?
"I don't usually publish a Newsletter unless I have a new
program to release but in this case I think it's more than
warranted. Thanks goes out to JoeComputer for alerting
me about this one.
"A program called Spyware Nuker was recently released
boasting it can remove Spyware and Adware from your
PC that others may leave behind. After testing this I was
very surprised by what I found. Am I calling this Spyware?
Read on for the results of my tests and you can decide."
++ There is more on the web site.
http://snurl.com/gmb
+++++
There was recently a 'Greeting Card' Virus/Trojan
going around which used an End-User License
Agreement ("EULA")
http://news.com.com/2100-1001-965570.html
+++++
These articles serve to remind us to be sure you read the
EULA before you click on [I agree]. You may be opening
yourself up to a lot more than you expect.
Here is an address to bookmark. It is for the FTC
(Federal Trade Commission) Here's their
File-a-complaint URL.
http://snurl.com/gmc
There is at least one documented 'good guy' out there.
I, along with many others on the different help groups I
subscribe to, use and recommend AdAware 5.83
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/
Ad-aware is a free multi spyware removal utility that
scans your memory, registry and hard drives for known
spyware and scumware components and lets you remove
them safely. It is updated frequently.
++ There is more on the web site.
**********************************************
Mike Baynes is the editor of MikesWhatsNews.
To subscribe, send a blank email to
mikeswhatsnews-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=subscribe.
See Mike's Anti-Virus pages ~ http://virusinfo.hackfix.org
To subscribe, send a blank email to:
virusinfo-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=subscribe
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-
**************STATION BREAK*****************
^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-
LOCK&HIDE
from Vic Ferri
High level desktop folder security for
Windows 95/98/Me
Keep your personal and most valuable files locked
and hidden from prying eyes, viruses, and other users
of your computer. Easy to use and extremely secure.
Lock&Hide is an extremely easy to use program that
allows you to lock and hide any folder on your desktop.
Folders secured with Lock&Hide cannot be seen, found,
or accessed. Your folders remain totally invisible and
highly secured, yet can be accessed quckly and easily
at any time!
More Info here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/lh/lockhide.htm
Screenshots and instructions here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/lh/scrnshots.htm
Or download the free demo here
(the demo does not include the "Restore All" feature
or the password protection utility.)
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/lh/demoinf.htm
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(11.) SPECIAL AUDIO ARTICLE FROM VIC
~~ Vic Ferri, WinTips&Tricks
INTEGRATING YOUR HOME STEREO SYSTEM
WITH YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM
**********************************************
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes pictures and is
clearer if read online. You can see the online version here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/vic19.htm
**********************************************
NOTE: This article assumes you have a TYPICAL soundcard
- If you are not sure, go to the online version of this article
to see a picture of what one looks like - and a typical
component type stereo system (though I will cover briefly
how to connect other type stereo devices, as well). This
article does not deal with digital devices or recording
methods (subjects that can be full articles in themselves
and which I may cover in the future)
An Introduction for Newbies
If you own a typical component style stereo system, you
have the potential to easily integrate it with your computer
system so that you can record to AND from your computer
with convenience and ease. In effect, your computer can
become your stereo base or like another component
attached to your stereo system. You will be able to record
any music or sounds you can play on your stereo, such as
tapes, CDs, vinyl LPs, and radio shows, to your hard drive
and save them as mp3s, wavs or other sound formats.
You can then use these to create your own CDs, send to
online friends, or just add to your collection or favorite
player's playlist. Conversely, you will be able to hear any
sound coming out of your computer, such as mp3s, wav
files, midis, CDs, dvd movies, voice, and internet radio
through your stereo's speakers and have the ability to
record any of that sound to your stereo (i.e.: to your
tape deck for creating custom cassette tapes).
Stereo integration like this also means that you will be able
to record to both your computer and stereo at the same
time. For example, while an Internet radio station is
playing on your computer, you can hit the record button
on both your tape deck and favorite software recorder
to create a cassette tape and mp3s on your hard drive
at the same time.
If this type of setup appeals to you, it would be a good
idea to move your stereo system close to your computer.
This will eliminate the need for long cables which can
degrade the sound quality and perhaps and, more
importantly, make access to your system much more
convenient. Personally, I have my receiver, tape deck,
CD player, and turntable stacked right next to my
monitor and always within arms reach when I'm sitting
at the computer.
Because this article is being written with the newbie in
mind, we will begin with some basic audio definitions.
JACK - also called a socket, is a female connector, a hole
which you plug something into.
PLUG - is a male connector, which you insert into a jack.
AMPLIFIER - or Amp, for short, is the main component in
any sound system. It takes the weak electrical signals
generated by your devices and amplifies them to a level
strong enough to drive your speakers. An amplifier alone
is not recommended for connecting to your sound card
since it hardly has any controls (a pre-amp is needed for
that).
PREAMPLIFIER - or preamp for short, is a component
you add to an amplifier, to be able to control it. The
preamp is the section that has all the various controls
such as volume, bass, treble, balance, input selector,
etc.
INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER - this is an amp with a preamp
built in (and thus the two are "integrated")
RECEIVER - the receiver is an integrated amp with a
radio tuner built into it (and thus the name "receiver"
because it can also receive radio signals).
COMPONENT SYSTEM - a system made up of a separate
components, such as a turntable, tape deck and CD
player, which all connect to the back of a receiver or amp
with standard RCA phono plug cables.
The receiver/amp is the foundation of such a system.
Everything connects to it and unlike a one-piece system,
the components you connect to it are detachable and
replaceable. The advantages of a component system are
customization and flexibility. You can pick the individual
components you want and each component can be from
a different manufacturer specializing in that component.
For example. one system I had consisted of a Pioneer
receiver, Dual turntable, Shure cartridge, Teac tape deck,
and Wharferdale speakers. This gives you the potential
to build a very high end custom stereo system based on
your own preferences and priorities. For example, if
accurate sound recording is more important to you then
tuning into FM radio stations, you would spend more on
a high end tape deck than a tuner. Or, if radio is not an
interest to you at all, then you could skip buying a receiver
altogether and opt for an integrated amp instead. A true
audiophile or those with huge power needs would even
skip the integrated amp and go for separate amp,
preamp, and tuner. No other type of home stereo system
offers the same flexibility, adaptability, and potential for
achieving ultimate sound quality.
INPUT AND OUTPUT
Input - a jack that receives a signal from another source.
Output - a jack that sends a signal to another source.
For example, when you play an mp3 on your computer,
the signal goes from the LINE OUT on your soundcard
and INTO your computer speakers or into a LINE IN on
your stereo and then to the stereo speakers when that
input is selected. Or when you record from your tape
deck or turntable to your computer, it's the opposite
action. The signal goes OUT from the LINE OUT jack at
the back of your receiver INTO your soundcard's LINE
IN jack, which receives the signal allowing you to record
it with your favorite sound editing software. A
fundamental rule to remember is that IN connects to
OUT and vice versa. Never connect IN to IN or OUT to
OUT.
THE HOOKUP
With a component stereo system.
What you will need:
TWO sets of shielded Y-connectors, each with a 3.5mm
(1/8") STEREO mini plug on one end and two standard
RCA phono plugs on the other end.
Note I placed the word STEREO in caps - you do not want
a MONO 3.5 mm plug. Mono and stereo plugs are both
available and may look similar if you don't know what to
look for. An easy way to tell the difference is to look at
the mini plug - a stereo plug has 2 rings (insulators)
around the pin and a mono plug doesn't.
If you still don't feel sure and there is no labeling or
packaging with the cables, make sure to ask before you
buy. If you end up with MONO, only the left channel
(which is the mono side) will be split when you record
and thus you will end up with mono sound on both
channels. None of the right side signal will be recorded.
You can purchase these cables from most computer and
electronics stores, but not all cables are of the same
quality. I got mine from Radio Shack and they are of
much better quality than a set I purchased from a big
computer store. By better quality, I mean they have
heavy duty shielding and gold plated connectors to help
reduce signal loss.
If you would like the same type and can't find them in
your area, the product numbers are:
42-2551 in the US.
42-2481 in Canada.
They can be ordered on line.
www.radioshack.com for US
www.radioshack.ca for Canada.
These cables are 6 feet long so they are meant for a
stereo and computer close to one another. As was
mentioned earlier, this really is best, but if you really must
use longer cables, make sure they are well shielded and
avoid running them along electrical cords which can
introduce hum - a very common problem - which occurs
when the 60hz voltage field of electrical wiring mixes with
the audio signal.
The Actual Connection
First the connection to get sound OUT from your
COMPUTER and INTO your STEREO system (i.e.: so you
can play a CD in your computer's CDRom, an mp3 on your
hard drive, or an internet radio station and have the
sound come blasting from your home stereo speakers
instead of from your mini computer speakers and also
be able to record any of that sound to your tape deck)
1. Connect the mini plug of the Y-Connector to your
soundcard's LINE OUT which if color coded will be the
GREEN one.
NOTE: some older soundcards may have both a LINE OUT
and a SPEAKER OUT. If this is the case with your
soundcard, connect the mini plug to the SPEAKER OUT,
not the LINE OUT which in these cases is usually meant
for headphones and may not be able to drive your more
powerful 8 ohm speakers. If you already have mini
speakers attached to your sound card, then you know
which jack to use - the same one the mini speakers are
attached to. You definitely have an older sound card if it
has a volume control on it.
The reason many typical sound cards today have only a
Line-Out, and not a separate Speaker Out, is that almost
all computer speakers are now powered (amplified) so
the Line Out can be used for both speakers and headphones.
Most typical soundcard jacks are color coded as follows:
Microphone input is pink or red.
Line Output is green
Line Input is light blue
Digital Output is orange
Line Out 2 (for rear speakers - analog) is black
The color code is known as the PC99 standard but not
followed by all.
If your soundcard isn't color coded, the purpose of each
jack should be stated in text or displayed by symbols on
the sound card (i.e.: an etching of a microphone for the
mike jack). If you're not sure, check your manual or
contact the sound card manufacturer.
2. After the sound card Line Out connection is made,
connect the two RCA plugs at the other end of the
Y-Adapter to a right and left LINE INPUT at the back of
your receiver/amp. This could be a CD/AUX, TUNER, or
TAPE IN jack. Plug the red connector into the right
channel input and the white or black connector into the
left channel input. If your cable has black and white plugs,
use the black for RIGHT and the white for LEFT.
Your first connection is now complete. To test it, turn on
your computer and your stereo - have the volume on
your receiver set to low and the input you chose to
connect to (i.e.: AUX) selected. Play a sound file on your
computer and gradually turn up the volume control on
your receiver. If all went well, you should hear the sound
coming out of your stereo's speakers. Any sound coming
out of your computer will now be heard from your stereo
system when you select Aux. If you have a tape deck
attached to your stereo system, you can now easily
record any sound coming out of your computer the same
way you would record from any other component on
your stereo.
Next, the connection to be able to record sound from
your stereo system to your computer (i.e. : so you can
record your tapes and records to wav or mp3 files on
your hard drive)
3. Connect the two RCA plugs of your second Y-Adapter
to a right and left LINE OUTPUT at the back of your
receiver or integrated amp.
Again, red to right and white or black to left. A good
integrated amp or good older receiver is more likely to
have a separate line level output, but chances are that
the only OUT you will have is a TAPE OUT, so use that.
If your receiver can accept two tape decks and one set
of jacks is unused, you can use the unused Tape Out
without having to lose your normal record function on
your main tape deck. TAPE OUT may also go by the name
of RECORD or REC OUT depending on your system.
4. Next, connect the mini plug end of the cable to the
LINE IN at the back of your sound card.
Make sure you do not make the mistake of connecting
the mini plug to the Microphone input . If your sound
card jacks are color coded, it will be easy to distinguish -
the microphone jack is PINK or RED and the LINE IN is
BLUE. Without color coding, you should see an etched
microphone symbol next to the mike jack or it may be
plainly stated. Just be sure NOT to choose it.
Your hookup of a component stereo system is now
complete.
To test this last connection, turn on your computer and
stereo. On your stereo, choose the line out you chose.
For example, if you connected to the tape 2 line-out on
your receiver, use the same setting you would use to
listen to a tape deck attached to tape 2) The idea is that
we want to test and monitor only the sound going into
your computer. On your computer, go to your Windows
Volume Control Properties (double click the sound icon on
your taskbar or go to Multimedia in your Control Panel
and under the Audio tab, click the Playback icon). You
can also get to your Volume Controls in Accessories in
Program Files (usually under Entertainment or
Multimedia)
Adjust the Line-In level with the slide adjuster so that it's
at the same level as the Wav control (WAV is the input
that plays your music files). Now, MUTE all the volume
controls EXCEPT for the Line-In and Mute All controls.
Then play a sound on your stereo, starting with the
volume on low. If all went well, you will hear the sound
entering your computer as you turn up the volume. This
also means that you will now be able to record any sound
using your favorite software recorder.
TIP: If you have a receiver that has both tape
monitoring AND line-out controls to allow 2 way dubbing
(1>2 and 2>1)
then you may want to choose to connect your sound card
to the TAPE IN and TAPE OUT of the Tape 2 jacks at the
back of your receiver (assuming they are free to use, and
you have a tape deck on Tape 1) This would make your
computer like another tape deck attached to your stereo
in the conventional way and allow convenient
bidirectional recording between your computer and
stereo with the benefit of being able to monitor the
sound going in or coming out, and at the same time allow
you to listen to a different source while the recording is
going on. For example, say you are recording a cassette
to your hard drive from your main, tape 1, tape deck.
You would set your receiver's Out control - more
commonly labeled Tape Copy, Tape Dub or Duplicate -
to copy from 1 to 2 ( 2 would be the line out going into
your sound cards line in). In other words you would be
directing the signal from 1 (your tape deck) to 2 (your
computer). You can then monitor this sound going into
your computer by setting your Tape Monitor control to
Tape 2 or you can listen to the original source of the
sound by setting it to Tape 1 , allowing you to compare
the source and output sound. As well, while you are
recording this way, you will have the option to listen to a
different source at the same time as the recording is
going on. In other words, while a cassette tape is being
transferred to your hard drive, you can be listening to
your receiver's tuner or a record or CD. This would just
be a simple matter of bypassing both Tape 1 and 2
monitoring and setting the control to Source but the Out
selector would still be set to dub 1>2 (copying the playing
tape 1 to your computer - tape 2)
Unfortunately, the chances of having the out controls
above are slim if you own a newer average receiver
and even some of the more expensive receivers made
today do not have both two way tape dubbing and
monitoring functions (though they do have more inputs
for video, surround sound, digital, etc, they skimp on out
controls). Your chances are better if you have an older
receiver - especially one of the monsters from the 70's
(the "power war" years) - when audio equipment was
very competitive and when some of the best receivers
and amps were manufactured. As an aside, newer tape
decks have also lost a feature present in most older tape
decks, and that is stereo microphone jacks. Some new
ones still have them but they just aren't as common as
they used to be.
If your stereo is not a separate component type system,
but one of those all in one console units, a "boom box",
portable player, or the like, then your stereo integration
will be limited and depend on having the required outputs
and inputs - an output to make recording from the stereo
to your computer possible and an input to make recording
from the computer to the stereo possible. Here are the
connection methods for some other common stereo
devices.
With an all-in-one console system
With an all-in-one system, you probably won't have any
Line Outs or Line Ins. In this case, your only hope is that
it has a headphone jack and almost all do so you should
be ok. The headphone jack serves as an OUT just like
your soundcard's Line-Out does. More than likely, the
headphone jack takes a standard 1/4" plug, in which
case you will need:
1: a 3.5mm(1/8") mini plug adaptor which is a 1/4" plug
on one end a 3.5mm jack on the other. You plug this into
your stereo's headphone jack.
2: a cable with a single 3.5mm stereo mini plug at each
end. One end goes into the adapter headphone jack and
the other end into the sound cards Line-In. This
connection will at least allow you to record whatever you
can play on your stereo to your hard drive.
In the event that your system also has a line in, then just
follow the same guideline as for the component system
setup.
With a portable
If all you have is a portable stereo like a boom box or
similar, it may or may not have a Line Out connector. CD
players may have one but most cassette systems don't,
in which case you would connect from the headphone
jack which in these systems are usually 3.5mm in size, not
1/4" as in the all-in-one systems. Therefore, you will only
need a cable with a 3.5mm mini plug at each end.
Connect one end to the headphone jack and the other
end to the Line In on your sound card. As with the
all-in-one setup, this will be just for recording to your
computer.
A component stereo system is really the only method
here that allows you to fully integrate your stereo with
your computer.
Connecting Single Function Components
You can also connect any component - aside from a
turntable - directly to your sound card for recording from.
For example, you can connect just a tape deck - without
a receiver. The connection is the same - line out on the
tape deck to line in on the sound card. The sound will be
heard from your computers speakers.
TURNTABLE
To connect a component type (unamplified) turntable
WITHOUT A RECEIVER to your sound card, you will
need a separate phone preamp . There are two reasons
for this:
1. Low output - Phono cartridges put out a much weaker
signal - 6 milivolts or so - than the other standard
components of a stereo system do, which typically put out
300 to 500 milivolts or more. A sound card line-in is simply
not matched for the low output of phono cartridges. That
is why you have special phono only inputs on your receiver.
2. Equalization - this is the process of weakening
(compressing) the low frequencies and strengthing
(stretching) the higher frequencies. This is how vinyl
records are recorded and what makes it possible to
squeeze the wide range of sound within the narrow
grooves of a record. If that signal were to be played
back directly, you would have a totally unnatural sound
- screechy highs and no bass. To be played back
correctly, the sound has to be restored to it's normal
state during playback - the reverse of equalization has
to occur - and that is the purpose of a phono pre-amp
which fixes the problem by boosting the weak signal
and "flattening" the frequency response.
You can buy a simple phono preamp for under 20
dollars. www.mcmelectronics.com has one for
only $13.50US (Part Number 40-630)
It boosts the phono signal to 500 milivolts. Once your
turntable is connected to the preamp's input jacks, you
can connect it to your sound card from the OUT jacks like
you would another unamplified component, such as a
tape deck (using the Y-adapter cable with rca plugs on
one end and a stereo mini plug on the other). You can
also use it on an amp that doesn't have phono inputs.
Adding Input-Outputs to your Receiver
If you have a receiver with only one set of tape jacks and
would like to keep your present tape deck on it, you can
add extra inputs and outputs to your receiver/amp by
using an adaptor such as this Realistic Tape Control
Center which allows you to add up to 3 tape decks to it
or 3 other components such as CD player or tuner - but
not phono. It also allows you to dub to and from any
source connected to it. For example, you can copy from
tape 1 to 2 or tape 3 to 2, etc.
If audio and video are of interest to you, you may want to
check out my magazines:
Smart TV & Sound
http://www.angelfire.com/on3/vxdoin2/tvaudio.htm
and Computer VideoMaker
http://www.angelfire.com/rnb/vxdoin/VideoMaker.html
Both these magazines are excellent ways to keep on the
top of the latest happenings in audio and video, and to
learn more about them. They gear to both beginners
and more advanced alike.
********************************************
Vic Ferri owns the very popular WinTips and Tricks
email group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WinTips-Tricks
He is also in charge of the Printing Tips page at
Linda's Computer Stop.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/printing.htm
ans also the Registry Tips page.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc1/v4/vic4.htm
Vic has also created a program which allows you to
Lock & Hide desktop folders in Windows 9X/ME.
Read more and get the free demo here.
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/lh/lockhide.htm
And, he now offers a service to convert PowerPoint
presentations to .exe files which can be viewed on
computers which do not have PowerPoint installed.
http://www.angelfire.com/va3/vic3/index.html
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(12.) STEVE'S RAVIN' REVIEWS
~~Steve Mills
Fearless leader asked that we try to try to produce
articles for the holiday season. I just couldn't come up
with much in the software arena. I am only reviewing
free programs this month (either Freeware or Adware),
so it should help the budget and we have reviewed a
couple of terrific programs to use with the new digital
camera.
Author Accolade - To the guys at Foo Dog Software for
going WAY above and beyond in solving a problem.
Their Shooting Star Software is my absolute favorite
for auction management. I feel sorry for them having
to contend with eBay, which I think is a company with
even less customer interest than Billy's.
Your suggestions are welcome and encouraged.
Take Care...Steve
steve@xxxxxxxx
***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>
THIS MONTH'S REVIEWS
<> JPEG Resizer - 4 geezers
<> Unzip Them All - 5 geezers
<> cam2pc - 6 geezers
<> IEBooster - 5 geezers
<> Sneak Preview - Spybot Search and Destroy
<see screen captures of the software online>
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/steve19.htm
***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>
JPEG Resizer
Version: 1.0
Author: Virtualzone
Web Site: http://www.virtualzone.de
Freeware
Rating: 4 Geezers
This is just the thing to prepare all of those Christmas
pictures for emailing. JPEG Resizer is a powerful tool
for resizing lots of JPEGs with just a few clicks. It lets you
define a list of Images you want to resize, choose one of
three different resizing methods (Smart Resizing,
Resizing by calculating the size of one side, User-Defined
Resizing), and set various file output properties.
If you shot photos with a digital camera at a resolution
that is too high for presenting your photos on the internet,
you need to resize them. JPEG Resizer makes this job
quite easy as you don't need to resize each single image
for itself.
***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>
UnzipThemAll
Version: 1.0.2
Author: Herve Thouzand
Web Site: http://www.herve-thouzard.com
Freeware
Rating: 5 Geezers
This program falls in the fire hose category - something
you don't need very often, but it's REALLY handy when
you do.
If you ever had to unzip a bunch of compressed zip files
and struggled with a graphical interface or tried to
interpret arcane command line programs then you will
appreciate UnzipThemAll.
<> Select all your archive files and in one click, the
program will decompress them in the current folder or in
a selected folder or in a new folder who's name is equal
to archive's name or in a folder who's name is made
with a counter.
<> The program does not require any installed archive
program such as Winzip or Winrar. It is fully independent.
<> The program can sit in the Windows's tray so that you
can call it on demand.
<> You can use the program to change files attributes.
<> The program can also copy files names to the
clipboard and create folders with names.
<> If you have password protected archives, you can
type the password to extract files.
<> You can save 20 favorites folders.
<> You can set a startup directory or restore the last
working directory.
<> The program can hide itself while decompressing
files, it can, too, beep at the end of the operation and/or
display a message when the process is finished.
<> Possibility to see an history of all the decompressions
the program made during the session.
<> You can call the program from the Windows Explorer.
<> The program is available in French and in English.
<> Print font overview.
***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>
cam2pc
Version: 3.0
Author: Nabocorp
Web Site: http://www.nabocorp.com
Freeware
Rating: 6 Geezers
This is one of my most used programs. I pull the memory
card from my camera, put it in the reader and let cam2pc
do its stuff. cam2pc is a complete solution to ease your
everyday work with your digital camera and your
pictures. Its primary feature is to automate the transfer
of pictures from the camera to the PC. By being able to
automatically detect your camera, create the destination
directory and transfer your images, the whole process is
now done in a single click! For this particular feature,
cam2pc is compatible with the following cameras:
<> Digital cameras (and card readers) that appear as
removable devices in Windows and are assigned a drive
letter
<> Digital cameras based on the Sierra Imaging chipset
(that includes Nikon Coolpix and many more)
<> Canon digital cameras
Once your images are transferred, cam2pc includes a
fully featured image browser and viewer. You can quickly
review your images, losslessly rotate them, rename
them, resize them and, of course, view them in
full-screen. There are an incredible amount of options
you can see on the web site. If you have a digital
camera, you need this software.
***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>
IEBooster
Version: 1.6
Author: Paessler Software Solutions
Web Site: http://www.paessler.com
Freeware
Rating: 5 Geezers
I find myself using this more and more. I do some SEO
work and it's an easy way to look at the server response
and examine the source. Always available with a right
click while in Internet Explorer. IE Booster is a freeware
collection of tools that extend the context menu of the
web browser MS Internet Explorer (version 5 and up)
for Windows.
The only drawback I've seen is that it refuses to play
nice with NetCaptor, my tabbed browser of choice.
***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>***<>
Final Thought:
A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost.
He reduces height and spots a man down below. He
lowers the balloon further and shouts:
"Excuse me, can you tell me where I am?"
The man below says: "Yes you're in a hot air balloon,
hovering 30 feet above this field."
"You must work in Information Technology." says the
balloonist.
"I do." replies the man. "How did you know?"
"Well", says the balloonist, "everything you have told
me is technically correct, but it's no use to anyone."
The man below says, "You must work in business as a
manager."
"I do", replies the balloonist, "but how did you know?"
"Well", says the man, "you don't know where you are
or where you are going but you expect me to be able to
help. You're in the same position you were before we
met but now it's my fault."
**********************************************
Steve Mills has been reviewing software in different
capacities for many years. He has recently left his job
with a search engine consulting firm and is looking for
a new adventure.
Contact him at steve@xxxxxxxx for more info.
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(13.) MAKING GREETING CARDS
WITH ADOBE PHOTODELUXE
~ by George Osborne
**********************************************
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes pictures and is
clearer if read online. You can see the online version here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/george19.htm
**********************************************
This article will try to take you step by step through some
of the uses of a graphic editor. If you do anything with
pictures you must learn to use a graphic editor. I have
chosen PhotoDeluxe for two reasons:
1. The program generally comes free with scanners,
printers, cameras and maybe even bundled with other
software
2. The program is designed to be easy to use but will also
do more advanced projects. You may have it on a CD and
not even know it
Since the holidays are coming up, I will start with greeting
cards but along the way you will learn how to get pictures
from your camera, scanner, or file directly into
PhotoDeluxe. You will also learn how to fix pictures that
are not perfect in color or sharpness or too light or dark,
remove redeye, rotate, apply special effects, etc.
If PhotoDeluxe is not installed, install it from a CD.
Launch PhotoDeluxe.
Keep the CD in your CD drive.
The following instructions will be for PC but, since the Mac
version is very similar, the instructions should work for
Mac too. The first window you see will have on the left
side "Get and Fix Photo", "Cards & More" and
"Connectables".. Click "Cards & More"
From the dropdown menu click "Greeting Cards".
Now click "1.Layout" then "Double Fold Side-fold".
Next click "2. Style" Then click "Choose Style".
Card templates will appear.
Choose the one you want and drag it out of the gallery.
Wait for the file to open. You will now see the front page
of your card with view buttons on the right side so you
can move to the back and center of the card.
On each part of the card there will be text that can be
edited. The tip says to double click each line to change
the text. You can do it that way but I always select each
line of text and delete it until there is none left. Then click
on the letter T at the top of the window and a box will
appear to write whatever you want to. Here you can
choose the font, size, color, etc. When you click OK the
text will appear on your card. Now you can move by
click/drag or change the size or shape by clicking the
little handles and dragging in whatever direction you
want.
This is a good time to mention that this also works the
same with a picture but on a picture you usually will want
to maintain the proportions so you must only drag from
the corners.
In the picture you can see in the online version of this
article, I have moved to the center of the card by clicking
the "center" button. I have also clicked "add" to add a
picture or text to this page of the greeting card. As you
will see you can add any picture to the little square
provided. The program will size the picture automatically,
but you must use a picture that is the same shape as the
rectangular space provided. At this point, if you want to
edit the picture first, you must click on the minimize square
and the card will go into a holding area at the left of the
screen. In this picture, it is under the popout tip tab. You
can get rid of the tip tab by clicking the little green
triangle at the end of the tab. Now you must click "Done".
Then click "Get & Fix Photo". Here you should be able to
navigate to your camera, scanner (your scanner software
window will appear), or file to get the picture you want
to use and then it is self explanatory how to change your
picture to suit your needs. It is optional for you to prepare
all of your pictures first and when you click the minimize
square above the picture the picture will go into the
holding area on the left to be dragged onto the greeting
card and used there. When you add a picture to your
card you don't have to crop it. The area provided for the
picture will do that. You can drag on the corner handles
to make it bigger if necessary and then drag the portion
of the picture you want to use to center it in the frame.
None of the picture will show on the outside of the frame.
You can also edit the picture after it's in its frame by
clicking "Done", click "Get & Fix Photo" and then click once
on the photo to select it. The above paragraph should also
tell you how to handle a picture when you are not building
a greeting card.
These steps are for converting the picture to a jpg format
to be used as an email attachment or to print seem a little
complicated but if you follow them step by step, they are
easy to follow.:
1. Click "Get & Fix Photo'
2. Click "Save & Send near top,
3. Click "Export " from the drop down window,
4. Click "1.Export" from the top,
5.Click "Other Export" from the far right, A box will
appear to choose destination at the top to the right of
"Save in" by clicking the little black triangle (Desktop is
recommended , you can always move it later)
6. Go down to" Save as" Click the little black triangle to
the right and choose JPG, JPEG from the drop down
window.
7. Type in any name but be sure it ends with .JPG
(that is JPG with a dot in front of it)
Now that you have saved the card in a jpg format there
is one more thing to do to it, to make it print properly.
This should have been built into this program but it
wasn't.
1. Click open under file and the card will be displayed.
2. Click Front.
3. Go up to "select", down to "selection tool" and out
to "rectangle". Your curser will now look like a + sign.
4. Trace carefully around the edges of the front page
image. This selects it.
5. Go up to "orientation" and click "Free Rotate". Little
rotate handles will appear.
6. Click and hold on one of those and rotate the picture
180 degrees (upside down). When you are sure it's
right, click anywhere. Move to the Back of the card and
repeat the above steps. Then print and fold card.
A word about email attached pictures or, in this case,
greeting card. Usually pictures printed from an email
program do not turn out satisfactorily. The attachment
should be opened with a graphic editor program and
then printed from there. You launch your graphic editor
(PhotoDeluxe or there are many more). Click "open"
under file, navigate to the picture, click "open". When
the picture is displayed click "Print".
If you have any questions contact me at:
GOsborn5785@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
**********************************************
Please take time to visit George's website and read
about the Lucky Fairy Cross. They are not man-made
but are found on a mountaintop in Virginia.
http://www.webspawner.com/users/fairycross/
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(14.) USER DEFINED ... DEFINED
(USING PAINT SHOP PRO)
~ by Tawanna Battee-McDonald
**********************************************
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article includes pictures and is
clearer if read online. You can see the online version here:
http://personal-computer-tutor.com/abc2/v19/taw19.htm
**********************************************
Well, after searching and experimenting with the under
defined effect I've came to 2 conclusions. You could either
get tired and frustrated of the trial and error, or you can
forget about it all together.
This mathematical based tool can be frustrating,
confusing and maybe intimidating. So, here is a tutorial
that may clear the dust off this tool. However, I must say
the hard truth I found about this tool is that you probably
wont make any effects more spectacular than the ones
Paint Shop Pro already provides.
So, here we go ...
Lets start out with a little explanation first. The user
defined tool is used to create a filter based on a
mathematical formula. You select the basic formula,
apply a division factor and add the bias. Well what's all
that mean? Ok..well a Filter alters each pixel's color based
on it's current color and the color other pixels around it.
When using the User defined matrix (that thing with the
squares) your creating your formula and altering the
pixels according to the numbers you enter in the fields.
In the filter matrix each pixel color's value is multiplied
by the number in the matrix center. Any pixels in the
matrix center are multiplied by the corresponding
numbers. The Division factor is what is says. It divides
each number by the amount entered in its field before
applying it to a pixel. The bias is added after the division
factor. The bias changes the value of each pixel by a
fixed amount. Bias are useful in creating emboss effects.
The sum of the numbers become the pixels new value,
thus creating the effect. Now lets do one together and
see how it works.
First Open an image you want to add a filter to.
File >> Open>> Choose your image.
Go to Effects>> User Defined.
Click New, and you should get the Define New Filter
Dialog box. This is where you will enter in your numbers
to alter pixels.
Now we will enter in our numbers to make another blur
filter. Enter the number 1 as it shows in the image in the
online version of this article. Your division factor is 16 and
Bias 0. Notice your Matrix Center is left at zero, this
doesn't always have to be changed. Name your Filter
under Filter name at the top. Then Click ok.
If you don't like the filter you can Ctrl + Z and undo it.
You can also go back to user defined and choose edit
and change the numbers you can also delete a filter.
Go to the online version of this article for more examples
of creating effects with the User Defined option
**********************************************
Tawanna Battee-McDonald is the author of
http://tsmiles.com
and an instructor at http://eclecticacademy.com
where she teaches Paint Shop Pro, Levels 1 and 2 -
Learn Paint Shop Pro at your pace; Advertising Design -
Learn the ins and outs of ad layouts, design principles,
color and more; and Photoshop Tricks and Tips -
Learn some tricks that will be useful in design
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
(15.) KEYBOARD TIPS FOR MANIPULATING TEXT
~ by Rex Leslie Howard, Jr.
As an advocate for victims of judicial and police
misconduct, corruption and/or abuse, I do a lot of work
with various documents. To make effective presentations,
I must take excerpts from various court documents and
place them within motions and briefs. The other day, I
was doing this kind of work as an individual for whom I
was providing assistance, and he was looking over my
shoulder and asked me how I was copying text from one
place and moving it to another in just a matter of a few
seconds.
I've had other people ask me this same question, and
when I shared my techniques with them, they said that
it made their work much easier than it had been through
the use of the Mouse (what I call the Rat).
I wanted to share these techniques with you, in hopes
that it might help you complete work faster and with
greater ease; however, I caution you that it does involve
letting go of the mouse and going to the keyboard.
First, I want to introduce you to some universally
accepted keyboard commands that are used throughout
all applications.
-- Left arrow moves to the prior letter.
-- Right arrow moves to the next letter.
-- Ctrl + left arrow moves to the previous word.
-- Ctrl + right arrow moves to the next word to the right.
-- Home moves to the beginning of the current line.
-- End moves to the end of the current line.
-- Ctrl + down arrow moves down one paragraph.
-- Ctrl + up arrow moves up one paragraph.
-- Page down moves down one page.
-- Page up moves one page up.
-- Shift + right arrow selects the letter to the right.
-- Shift + left arrow selects the letter to the left.
-- Ctrl + shift + right arrow selects the word to the right
-- Ctrl + shift + left arrow selects the word to the left.
-- Shift + down arrow selects the entire line on which the
cursor is positioned. If you continue to hold down the shift
key and repeatedly press the down arrow, you will select
multiple lines in descending order.
-- Shift + up arrow selects the line above the one on which
the cursor is positioned and if you hold down the shift key
as you continue to press the up arrow, you will select
multiple lines in ascending order.
-- Shift + page down selects the contents of the entire
page beginning with the area following the point of the
cursor (noticeable when you have multiple pages of
documents which are numbered as in Word.)
-- Shift + page up selects the page text beginning with
the area immediately to the left of the cursor.
-- Ctrl + shift + end selects all the text from the point of
the cursor to the end of the document.
-- Ctrl + shift + home selects all the text to the left of the
cursor to the beginning of the document.
-- If you want to select one particular line and remove it
completely, use shift + down arrow to select, and then
simply press the delete key.
Having selected the text with which you wish to work,
use the following commands to place the text in the clipboard.
Ctrl + c is copy
Ctrl + x is cut
Ctrl + a is select all.
Ctrl + v is paste
Ctrl + z is undo
Now, let's apply these techniques to some actual examples:
Example 1:
Let us assume that you've just received a message that
has these darned > signs or some other marking within
the boundaries of the email message. You want to
forward this on, but you'll be darned if you want to
contribute to more of these "special characters."
-- First, go to the body of the message and press ctrl + a
to select the entire message text.
-- Then press ctrl + c to copy it to the clipboard.
-- Press Windows key + m to bring up your desktop, and
choose one of the word processors that you have there
(if you don't have one there, you might consider creating
a shortcut for one and having it put on the desktop. I have
shortcuts to all my word processors on my desktop, and
very little else.) The reason for pressing Windows
key + m is to minimize the message window (don't worry,
you can get back to it easily.)
-- Next, press ctrl + v to paste the text into the word
processing document.
-- Now, press ctrl + h to bring up the "find and replace"
menus. Type the offending character in the find box, and
then just press alt + a to "find and replace all." Select OK,
by pressing enter, and then press the escape key to get
back into your text.
-- Press ctrl + a to select all, then ctrl + c to copy.
-- Press alt + f4 to close the window, press alt + n for no.
-- Next, hold down the alt key, and while holding it down,
tap your tab key until you cycle around to the window
containing the message you have been working with.
-- If you're using a Microsoft email program, press
ctrl + f to forward the message.
-- Put the name of the individual to whom you wish to
forward the message in the To box (duh) then tab over
to the main body of the message, press ctrl + a to select
all, then just simply press the delete key.
-- Now, press ctrl + v to paste your edited message into
the message body.
-- If you want to edit the subject line, say remove the
FW for instance, shift + tab back to the subject line, use
your right arrow until your cursor is positioned on the
first letter of the subject you want to keep, and then
press shift + home, and then press the delete key.
-- Finally, press alt +s to send and you're done!
Example 2:
If you are working in Word, for instance, and you need to
select text for centering or other manipulation, you can
use these same techniques. Here is a very brief example:
Let's say that you have a line at the top of your document
that you want to use as the heading. Use one of the
various techniques for selecting words or multiple words,
and then press ctrl + e and you will immediately see that
the text is centered.
There are many other keyboard commands that can be
used for various applications, and if it becomes evident
that people are interested in learning these techniques,
and on the indulgence of the amazing Linda Johnson, I
will contribute more information on "doing away with
the rat."
*********************************************
Rex Howard (hbk@xxxxxxxxxxxx) is a victims' advocate,
scholar in law, amateur website developer, and legal
researcher. He has been blind all of his 36 years and
lives in Southern Oklahoma. He is currently working to
have city codes and charters established in accessible
format on every state's home page, and is about to
start a national effort to ask individuals to contact their
representatives and other elected officials to assist in
this project. He serves to help those who choose to
represent themselves in judicial matters, to aid them in
becoming competent in their efforts, and to assist them
with legal research and the filing of court documents.
He is also a lobbyist en corresponde to Congress and
other agencies. He is a professional musician with the
group Gypsy Haven.
http://www.gypsyhaven.com
*********************************************
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>=====<>
Well, gang.....that's about it for this edition of
ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers. I sure hope you enjoyed it!
If any of it was over your head and you need some
clarification from one of the Fleet, just send me an
email to linda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx and I will
pass it on to them. Remember that they do this in their
spare time on a voluntary basis, so you might have to
wait for an answer. To make all things work more
quickly, include as many details as you can in your
email and make your questions as specific as possible.
Also, feel free to write to me and let us know what you
want the Fleet to teach you. This is YOUR newsletter!
Happy computing, my friends!
Linda Johnson
http://personal-computer-tutor.com
*********************************************
READ THIS CAREFULLY!
*********************************************
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out every advertisement and link, I cannot assume
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availability of links. You use the information provided at
your own risk, it is always wise to back up your data
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All advice given in this newsletter/ezine or at Linda's
Computer Stop is given with the best of intentions and
should only be taken as a suggestion and not a definite
fix to a problem.
ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers and Linda's Computer Stop
are the property of Linda F. Johnson. The views
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the right to deny inclusion of any contributions if she
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However, just because she allows it to be included,
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ALL READERS ARE RESPONSIBLE
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Thank you for reading "ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers".
(Copyright) 2001, 2002 - ABC ~ All 'Bout Computers,
Linda F. Johnson, MA.
ABC may only be redistributed in its unedited form.
Written permission from the editor must be obtained to
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Linda Johnson
http://personal-computer-tutor.com
linda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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