"The printing press is either the greatest blessing or the greatest curse of modern times, sometimes one forgets which it is." E. F. Schumacher

I taught Microsoft Publisher the other day and a student, who uses a Mac at home, asked if there was a version out there he could use. It also had to be free he said. I guess I should take a second and mention what Publisher is for. It is a program that allows you to design and printout all sorts of paper goods like business cards, flyers, signs, brochure, etc. I did a lot of research on this topic and I did find one replacement called Scribus. But there are issues. First it seems slower than dirt. Second it is missing a lot of the templates that I go to Publisher for. It does have a few but mainly you are on your own. But what about the intricate brochures you designed in publisher a while back? Sorry, from what I read even Publisher has issues opening older documents made in an older version of Publisher. Also I read a lot of printer companies complaining about people who use Publisher because it has problems when trying to print professionally. So what are your choices? Unfortunately it looks like you will have to buy something like Adobe Indesign or QuarkXPress. But before you run out the door to buy you should know they are not cheap, upwards of $200 to $600. I had no luck with my usual places, Amazon and eBay. The only thing I can say is if you really need them you will have to pay a hefty price or have print shop take care of the project. I wish I had better news, sorry.

"Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education." Mark Twain

I have many students that come to my classes that use Macs. They ask about classes on Apple products and I tell them realistically there is very little chance I could ever do it. The reason is simple. Apple is a minority in the computer world and Windows is the majority and to this we offer both computers and classes on windows machines. It does make sense. But what about the Apple people then? First off if a student is taking a class about something on the web or even some Microsoft products then it frankly doesn’t matter because they are basically the same. OK fine but what about learning the system and its applications? Well I have an answer but it is not free but still good nonetheless. Apple features a service called OnetoOne training. It is a $99 bucks for a year’s worth of training. What you get for you money is a once a week session with an Apple rep* for 52 weeks. You just make a reservation online and you walk in. They teach you pretty much anything you might have an interest in. They do have a curriculum if you want to follow it but it seems fine to go off topic at anytime. I have recommended this to both friends and family and it has really reduced the phone calls I get. The one joking question I get after a class is “Do you make house calls?” Training is so very necessary especially with programs becoming more and more powerful. People try earnestly to learn this stuff but when they go home they often feel they have been left on a raft to drift in the sea of computer problems. This is the reason why I have a “Ask a question feature on the site. I recommend this OnetoOne service because I believe the price is right for a solo tutorial when you want it. I should also mention they have free classes as well that have multiple students in them. So if you have a Mac and you don’t see the class you want for free then give this a try.

"Ziggy figures it’s just an … unscheduled stop." Al from Quantum Leap

The iPhone. Frankly what more can I add after countless magazines, papers, and blogs have reviewed it. I decided I could only review this product if I gave you a bit more about my thinking . I have always wanted to know stuff first. I don’t mean just the news I mean everything. As a kid I would bring a watch with a radio embedded in to so that on field trips I would be the first to know about problems with weather, traffic, plague…This never once helped and yes I was that geeky but I always believed that Luck does favor the prepared. Now that I am older I desire a device more like the Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy or Ziggy from Quantum Leap. I know these are fake but a geek reads it in a book and says someday or he makes it himself. Now you know what I wanted from a device you should understand the review. When I got the iPhone I was on a new gadget high. You know the type of thing were all you do is going around saying how great it is and you haven’t even turned it on yet. I then was hit with the buyers remorse of I can’t believe I paid so much for a device (199 plus contract). This did not last long because once I started playing with the options and the features I started to be truly excited. Now let me say that they are on their second generation of the phone and second version of the software and they finally did it. When I say they I of course mean Apple. They truly came out with a superb product. The phone and iPod functions all work and are fairly standard but my true happiness with the device stems from the APP store. At any time I can add another function to the phone. I have to bring in another movie reference here. It is truly Matrix style. When in DC I wanted to know what was around me at any given moment. It took just minute or so to find a free application on the app store and download it. Once installed on the machine I can use the GPS to look through all Wikipedia files to see what is truly around my EXACT location. That is how I found I was close to the steps used in the Exorcist. It doesn’t have to be all monuments to history you know. The app store has tons and tons of software you can add to your phone for free or pay. Also I can add them without ever touching my computer at home. The ability to add new stuff to the iPhone is it’s true major capability for me anyway. Also the sleek design, gorgeous screen, and easy to use system helps as well. Now would I recommend this to everyone? The Answer is NO. If you are looking for a simple machine to do email and make phone calls or a more business specific machine I might say blackberry or the new set of Google’s phones instead. There are missing features that many people do need. To give you a small list of missing stuff. Cut, copy, paste, distribution lists, flash and few others are still in the works. So far I am willing to work around these shortcomings but I do recommend to anyone to read what it can do and decide by that instead of getting sucked into the Apple mystique. Buy a gadget because it suits your needs and not because it is a fashion accessory. I ask anyone to add any of their experiences they have had or have seen about the iPhone.

One last thing. If you already have a phone that you like or are hooked into a long contract but you still want the same experience pick up the iPod touch. It is cheaper and had has most of the capabilities of it’s big brother. It is just another option out there.

“If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the Up button.” Sam Levenson

Suddenly in a flash my buttons are gone. Everything is touch screen. Whether I am at an ATM or using my phone I am using buttons that are not truly there. There are different types of touch screens. Some are pressure sensitive meaning it knows where I pushed because the screen has a barely noticeable give. Most of the screens in a store are this way. Sometimes they require you to use a stylus to make the connection. Others use your magnetic field to tell the machine where you are touching. The iPhone works this way and it works well….for the most part. If you live in New England you know that gloves are an essential part of your standard going outside gear. I realized the other day I could not answer the phone with out taking them off. For those readers in the southern climes this seems dumb. Just take the gloves off you might say but it has been damn cold. The future is apparently a buttonless world and gloveless one too. Thankfully necessity is the mother of invention and Dots gloves were invented. They are those stretchy gloves that everyone seems to wear but with a slight change. Two dots have been added to the thumb and index finger. The dots are a combination of nickel and brass that allow for the connection to be made. They are rounded so they will not scratch. Seems just right for my cold issues. More and more items will be invented that will be touch screens from restaurants to your next cars. So if we are heading into a buttonless world you might as well be warm when you get there.

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” Winnie

Everywhere I go I see people with MP3 players. People are listening to more through their headphones than ever before and it is not just music. The listening public are listening to news, talk shows, radio programs, concerts, etc. Some are even having their RSS feeds and emails read to them. (Subject for another post) At this point the most popular player is the iPod. I get many questions about the Apple player. I usually refer students to the Apple store where they can ask questions with their iPod in hand and that seems to work out well. However what happens if you do not have a store near you or they cannot seem to answer your questions? Then it is time to head to iLounge. iLounge has been around for quite a while now and offers everything iPod. They have all the news you could want about the iPod. They also sell items related to the player but the real reason I send you here is the forums and help section. Every time I have a strange question about how to do something with my iPod I head to those sections and do a search. They have recommendations to find free legit music and video plus concerts and music blogs as well. I know I am mainly focused on music when it comes to iLounge but it is a music player after all. The site is very user friendly and helpful. Give it a try.

“Get your feet off my desk, get out of here, you [Steve Jobs] stink, and we're not going to buy your product [the Apple Computer].” Joe Keenan

Being a Mac user has always been a two edged sword. The positives usually outweigh the negatives by a large margin. I have been a Mac user since 92 and since then the question has always been should I buy a new model now. Historically the moment you purchase a new Mac a new cheaper one with extra stuff will be released and so you wait. The problem is that if you get into this mindset you will never purchase a new model ever for fear of making a poor choice. Generally there are a couple of rules that I live by for general sanity when it comes to the company that is Apple. One is never ever purchase anything the first year out from Apple no matter how cool it is. The early adopters will over pay and will find all the glitches. Once that period is done they will come out with a way better one. This goes for operating systems as well. The second rule is to understand that just because something is new does not mean I need to purchase it. A Mac has a long shelf life. This is why even an older one still fetches high prices while similarly aged products drop like a stone in price. Recently I came across a great site that helps to make Apple purchasing decisions a bit easier. Mactactic takes into account Apple’s replacement schedule plus anything going on in the Mac world and gives you advice on whether you should purchase. As an example the Mac Mini has not been replaced and is overdue for a new model so this is a good time to wait on that one while a new iMac is a recommended purchase. They do have a blog as well but it is not updated much because of the space between new official product info. If you are considering switching to a Mac definitely give this one a try.

“A fishing pole is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool on the other” Samuel Johnson

Alert! For those using iTunes the online music store, beware you are being targeted for phishing attacks. I have written here about phishing attacks and how they try to trick an individual into clicking a link and giving away important valued information about themselves and their account. You may get an email saying that you need to update your account info. Instead of clicking the link the best thing to do is go directly to the iTunes store through the application. If there is a problem they will let you know. Also I should mention this is not a Mac only issue. ITunes is the largest online seller of music so this covers a lot of people including those who use Windows. To read more is about the details click the link to head to Mac.Blorge blog.

“I worked with a wild leopard, who bit me. But I kept on working with him, because I have a wild side." Bai Ling

Recently a new operating system came out for Macintosh computers and it is entitled Leopard. I have heard great things about the new features like spaces and time machine and how long it takes to install However I will say what I said when Vista came out. WAIT! Give it several months to a year to let someone with multiple computers work out the bugs. No matter who puts out a new OS there are always glitches that need to be addressed right away. I know the desire is there for a whole new OS because it has new features and abilities but it is not worth losing your data because someone forgot to correct a small bug. This is one I have to say give it a try…um….eventually.

“You really can't beat that. Having some good friends and going out to eat some good barbecue.” Andrew Ray

So I am home and I am with a bunch of friends trying to decide where to eat. Nobody can remember all the places and we are just waiting for someone to make a decision. Enter Dine-o-Matic, my favorite widget. Widgets are small programs devoted to one specific action. Unfortunately they are only for the Mac operating system. Windows has something similar in the Vista OS. Dine-O-Matic is my personal favorite widget. You type in all the restaurants that you frequent and then choose the type of cuisine it is like Italian or Chinese. Once setup it is just a matter of clicking and it will randomly choose a place to go and show you with an accompanying picture specific to the cuisine. It is a beautiful design and simple and best of all it works. So if you have a hunger, indecision, and a Mac give it a try.

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” J.K. Rowling

Yesterday I wrote about the Mac software you can buy but what about those who just need a word processor and like the feel of Microsoft Word? NeoOffice is a great alternative choice. Firstly it is easy if you come from Word and second it is free. Most replacement programs, including this one, are very compatible. So if you create a resume in NeoOffice and you send it out anyone with a word processing package should be able to open it. If you would like to give it a try download it here.

“Happiness and love are just a choice away.”

As of this week there are some new choices for Mac users who need to do get some work done. Apple has updated and added their office software. Now the question is why do I need another software for office work when you have Microsoft Office for the Mac. In my personal opinion Microsoft made a mistake when they tried to Macify their standard office software. For a user like myself it becomes a pain to get work done because, even though I am using the same software, everything is moved around. So this being said I find it easier to use totally different software then the same that is strangely configured. Now Mac has had their own package of software called iWork. They have reworked much of the word processor, known as Pages, and the same goes for their presentation software, known as Keynote. Keynote became popularized for its use in the movie An Inconvenient Truth. They finally added the missing piece, a spreadsheet program. They call it Numbers. The reason this is exciting is the use of templates that Mac loves to use. It does make it easier and very impressive. The price is also very very competitive. It only cost $79.00 for the package compared to $400 for office. Pay attention PC users I will not be surprised if it ever came to PCs. If you use a Mac you may want to give this a try.

“In the circle in which I travel, a dumb man is more dangerous than a hundred rats.” Joe Valachi

Sometimes I am looking for a discussion on particular tech subject. Now I am not looking for dry details but a fairly lively discussion with real opinions. I sometimes turn to Lab Rats. They are two guys who sit down and record episodes on certain specific subjects. They go from the basics to an advanced level and they bring you along with them. When you go to their site you need to pick a show and then pick a format. I find the flash versions are the easiest. I recently watched an interesting discussion of all the different platforms and which one is best. They talked about Windows, Linux, and Macintosh and I must say they were very careful in this episode not too throw their biases too much around. The only let down is the advertisements but they are quick and go to support the shows. Also I really like the little pop up add-ins that show up on the screen with a "pop".If you are confused on a subject give it a try.

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. Douglas Adams

Instead of posting in Monday I thought I would talk about something rather pressing. This weekend is the new updated daylight savings time. Unfortunately the computer industry has been a bit slow to react. They created patches and updates but some are causing problems. At the time of this posting the Microsoft call in help centers have been crushed under the weight of calls. Instead Microsoft has created an online chat that is taking on the job. Try their page or chat for help on this problem. Now if you are on a Mac using 10.4 or 10.3 just download the update but if you have an earlier version follow the instructions here. However I don't think it is going to be a huge headache for the average person but I would definitely call ahead for people I am meeting with or it might be a nice excuse not to go.

“It is no use to keep private information which you can't show off” Mark Twain

To continue from yesterday is a list of a few more good podcasts.

• Mugglecast is the podcast if you want to hear about all things Harry Potter from books to movies.
  
• President's Weekly Radio Address
  
• Mac OS KEN for all your Mac news. I listen everyday to this one.
  
• Craft Magazine is a great podcast for those that like hobbies
• ChinesePod for those wanting to learn to speak Mandarin. There are tons of podcasts devoted to languages.
• Wired Magazine has some nice chosen bits from it's magazine.

I have only listed a few of the thousands that are out there. Listen to a bunch and subscribe to your favorites. I like this better that then radio, no static. Give it a try.

“My father hated radio and could not wait for television to be invented so he could hate that too.” Peter De Vries

I have already mentioned the software iTunes before but today I want to focus on getting new podcasts. First off the software is free and is available for Mac and Windows machines. Once the program is installed in your computer you can open it up and click on the right hand side where it says podcasts. If it is your first time opening this than it will ask you if you would like to go to the podcasts directory. You can click yes or at the bottom right you can click the link for podcast directory as well. At this point you will have many options like the top 100 podcasts or some categorized choices as well like sports or foreign language. Click on any of these and if you find something interesting give it another click. You should then see a description of the show and a list of past episodes. If you would like to test drive one of the episodes double click it and give a listen. If you like it you can get just the episode you are listening to by scrolling to the right and clicking on get episode. However if you decide you want to receive this regularly, near the top it should say subscribe, click that button. From now on you will get these in your podcast section of iTunes. If at any time you decide you don't want it anymore click on the podcast and hit the backspace button to delete it. I like iTunes for its ease of use. Think of this program like the ultimate jukebox of audio. Give it a try.

“If I look confused it's because I'm thinking” Samuel Goldwyn

As the last post of the Mac week I leave you with an easy one. Understanding computers does not always take years or countless manuals. Many times it is what questions you ask and where you ask them. In the latest version of the Macintosh operating system, Tiger, there is an easy way to get your answers. Click on the system preferences on the dock and then click at the top right in the oval search box. Now ask it any question you like. As an example, I want to know what button to click on to change the brightness setting. Type in something like brightness, as you do it will immediately start to gray out buttons that have nothing to do with your question. A list will pull down that will be more specific to the question. Choose from the list and it will show you which button to choose in the future. It will also bring you to the settings that you want. Read more and worry less. Give it a try.

“When the music changes, so does the dance”

This one is not just for Macs. Even though I find iTunes a good piece of software I do find some features missing. If need more for your music try Beatunes. It is an application for both PC and Mac that gives you features like library inspection, or knowing each song's tempo. If you want to analyze your music, then this is for you. You can download a trial for a week and then they want you to pay for it, around $20 bucks. The second part of this post is about problems with an iPod. Sometimes you will need to replace a battery or fix a screen. I have done a little of this from text instructions but I would have liked a video to watch first to know what to expect before cracking the case. These video are neat and clean and easy to understand. Before throwing an expensive gadget away check the site and maybe it can be saved. Give it a try.

People who like this sort of thing will find this the sort of thing they like. Abraham Lincoln

Many people leave their computer just the way they received it. I always need to fiddle with everything. As I go through different windows on the Mac I realize each folder has its own needs. What am I talking about you ask? Well if a folder has pictures in it I would like to see a preview of the picture to save me time or if I have trouble reading things, they should be printed in a larger text size. This is easy to do. Click on view and then view options. You can increase the icon size so they are easily distinguishable or increase the text size. If you are a neat freak try snap to grid to force your icons into position. Item info is nice if you like to see how large a file is or what dimensions a picture is all the time. If you have a lot of pictures outside of iPhoto then choose icon preview to see icon sized pictures. Lastly you can quickly organize your icons by having them sorted by name, size or whatever you feel like. One mistake I made when changing this stuff is that I forget about the choice at the top that says all windows or this window. Make sure you choose the one you want. If you want to change all at once choose "all windows". Give it a try.

“Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done.” Andy Rooney

More Mac today! Lets look at the system preferences by clicking the button on the dock at the bottom of the screen. Click on the Dashboard & Expose button to see your options. Many people don't use this but it is a favorite of mine. You will notice around the small screen a bunch of minus symbols. Click on any of these and a list will pull down, then choose all windows. Now what the heck does this do? Well, if you bring your mouse to the same corner that we changed it, it will shrink your current window and show all the other windows that are open at the same time. You can now click on any of the windows to see it in actual size. This is a great way of juggling many open applications and windows like jumping from Safari to iPhoto or whatever. The other choice is desktop. I usually put this one in the bottom right on my computer but put it wherever it is convenient. This is a quick way to get to your desktop when you have a bunch of stuff you are working on. Give it a try.

“Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.” Fields

Safari is the Mac Internet browser. It works well and has lots of good features but it can be made to be a little better. To begin, open Safari and the click on the Safari menu at the top left. There you can set it to block pop ads. This does a decent job although not 100%. Click on preferences to adjust more stuff. Here you can change your homepage and other basics but there is an essential option to change as well. Unfortunately there is a potential danger because of the "open safe files" after downloading setting. Turn this one off to stop any potential malicious junk from activating by itself. I also go to the tabbed browsing setting and enable it. This allows different web pages to be displayed in a single window but under different tabs. It is an easier and faster way to surf the Internet than having more than Safari window open at a time. Give these a try.