Computer Info – March 3, 2004

 

This Week’s Meeting

            I think we will look at using your web mail while visiting or traveling.  Also ACD FotoSlate 3 – downloading music from Wal-Mart – and our usual questions and answer session.  

            The next meeting will be March 17th.

 

Fish Aquarium Screen Saver

            You can find the fish aquarium with clock that John demonstrated at the last meeting at this web address.  It is a free download but you will have to enter the default user name everytime you start the program but you will get to see what it is like and determine if you would like to purchase it.  It has many settings – which style clock, which fish, etc.

            http://www.serenescreen.com

 

Norton’s Online Virus and Security Check

            Norton offers an online security scan of your computer and a virus scan of your computer at their website.  Visit

                        http://www.norton.com

click on SECURITY RESPONSE – under Virus Definitions, click on ONLINE VIRUS AND SECURITY CHECK.  Here you have your choice of the Security Scan or the Virus Scan of your computer.

 

DVD

Compare Prices

            One good place to compare prices on many items is PriceGrabber.  It will show you the price on a certain item and the store that is offering it.

            http://www.pricegrabber.com

DVD Burners

            There are two types of DVD burners – an internal or external one for the computer and a standalone one that connects to your television.

Regions

            DVD burners come with a certain region set – this would be region one (1) for use in the United States.  DVD’s that are region one will play in it but DVD’s that are region two will not.  Most DVD players and recorders are starting to be multi-region (where it can read and play a DVD from any region).

+ or

            Always check whether the DVD recorder is a + or – recorder.  You must buy the correct blank DVD’s to play on it.  Again, this is where the newer models are starting to be able to record on both the + and the – disks.

 

DVD Shrink

            Here is a great little program that is free that will allow you to copy a DVD.  You can read about it at

http://www.dvdshrink.org

and it will work automatically with Nero 6.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACD FotoSlate 3.0

 

http://www.acdsystems.com/English/Products/FotoSlate/index?LAN=englishX30

 

            This is a great program for easily placing pictures on a sheet of paper for printing.  It has an icon for Adding Images (your images will then be viewed on the left side of the screen).  It also has an icon for Adding Pages (your pages – which are your layout guides – will be viewed on the right side of the screen).  Once you have your Page Layout open – you can easily drag a picture into one of the frames – and it will automatically be sized to fit.  If you don’t like the way that the program has centered and cropped your image – you can use the Image Editor to do your own cropping – changing the picture to Sepia – change the brightness and contrast – rotate or flip the picture, etc.

            The program has Page Layouts for a calendar, greeting card, CD boxes, many size photo pages, etc.  You can even change their rectangular box (photo holder) to a oval one.

            The program costs $39.99

            PC Magazine had a review of this program – you can read it at

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1477349,00.asp

 

Music From Wal-Mart

http://musicdownloads.walmart.com/catalog/servlet/MainServlet

 

            You can search their database of songs by artist, title, album or type of music.  They have a 30 second music clip that you can listen to.  Every song cost 88 cents and you do not have to subscribe or pay a monthly fee. 

            Any song you download from Walmart.com is legally licensed for your use. What's more, you'll enjoy the same usage rights for ALL the music you purchase.

  • Download music to 1 computer and back up to up to two additional computers
  • Make 10 burns to a CD
  • Make unlimited transfers to portable players

The music you download is virus-free and safe for your computer.