Diablo Blue

The Newsletter of the Diablo Valley PC Users Group

September 4, 2008 MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

The Nintendo Wii... Not Just for Kids!
Presenter: Alan Mildwurm and Mel Lundgren, DVPC

One of the most popular and popularly priced video game consoles, is no longer just for kids.

The Nintendo Wii game console isn’t something you’d think of as a popular item for adults. But it has become just that, and is especially popular among retirees. An article in the August 20 issue of the Contra Costa Times (www.contracostatimes.com/search/ci_10257117?IADID) highlights how the Wii is being used to provide non-impact aerobic exercise that could extend the lives of seniors.

What is it that’s making the Wii so popular? First, the Wii has an innovative motion-sensing remote and an easy to understand graphical interface, so it’s easier for seniors than typical game consoles like those that come with Microsoft’s Xbox and the Sony PlayStation that require a high level of dexterity and the use of complex multi-button controls. Second, the Wii has video games that are very simple and intuitive so parents and grandparents can play right along with their grandkids.

The Pleasanton library offers The Wii Experience, a very popular class for seniors. The Pleasanton Senior Center offers a hands-on Introduction to the Wii. This is actually a nationwide trend, with both libraries and senior centers actively offering exercise programs for seniors using the Wii. They are using teenage volunteers who give demonstrations and work with seniors as they learn the ropes of using, most for the first time in their lives, a video game console.

So what’s attracting seniors to become Wii’ers? Well, it’s the games of course. The most popular are bowling and tennis. And boxing. Boxing? Yes, boxing. It’s a great way to get a little aggression out of your system, and to get some exercise as well. Of course, there’s also the opportunity to play video games with their grandchildren. And maybe even beat them at what they thought was their own game. Take a look at this video showing how the Wii is being enjoyed by seniors at a retirement home in Vancouver, Canada: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=19282183

But what about adults who aren’t in their senior phase of life yet? How about playing golf with Tiger Woods? Or maybe a little pool? How about exercising with Wii Fit? Or Guitar Hero, one of the most popular game series for the Wii. And the Wii is a great way for parents to engage with their kids and teens. There isn’t a kid who doesn’t want to beat his mom or dad at a video game. And the games available for the Wii are family-friendly, too.

So, come to the DVPC meeting on Thursday, September 4 and learn all about the Wii. There will be interactive demos, too!

This month's meeting will be fun, interesting, and informative. We'll see you on Thursday, September 4, at Diablo Valley College.

NOTE: Diablo Valley College has replaced all of the old parking permit dispensers that required quarters with new models that take dollar bills as well as nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins, and will at some time in the future take credit cards. No longer do you have to have a collection of eight quarters to buy your parking permit! Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change.

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Where and When We Meet

DVPC monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Diablo Valley College In Pleasant Hill, California, on the Main Campus located at 321 Golf Club Road. We meet in room H109 in the Humanities Building. See the campus map on the About DVPC page for driving directions, parking information, and how to get to room H109. Remember: there's a $2.00 parking fee, payable at the ticket machines in each lot. These ticket machines take dollar bills and quarters, but do not give change so be sure to bring correct bills and/or quarters to buy your parking ticket. Place the ticket face up on the driver's side of your dashboard.

We have a Networking Table from 6:30 to 7:00; if you have something to sell or trade, need technical help, or just want to exchange views, visit the Networking Table. The regular monthly meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with Random Access where you can ask questions or report on technical problems, followed by a presentation by our guest speaker. Also, as usual, we'll have SIG news and some of our usual great door prizes.

Driving Directions:
680 Northbound:
Exit at Willow Pass Road
At the end of the exit ramp turn left onto Willow Pass Road
Continue on Willow Pass Road to the second signal and
turn right onto Contra Costa Blvd.

680 Southbound:
Exit at Concord Ave.
At the end of the exit ramp turn left on Contra Costa Blvd.

Direction into the Campus:
Continue on Contra Costa Blvd. to the signal at Golf Club Road and turn into Golf Club Road. At the second entrance into the campus turn left then immediately right to parking lot 7. Turn left into lot 7. Park (but don't use parking spaces that are reserved for faculty and staff only), then purchase a parking permit (see Parking Fees below) and put it on your dashboard. Click on this link (www.dvpc.org/about.html) to see:
> a detailed DVC map showing parking and our meeting room
> a map for driving to DVC
> an aerial view of the DVC campus

Parking fees:
On the Pleasant Hill campus parking permits are $2.00 per day for short-term parking. You can purchase permits at the parking permit machines marked with a red star on the maps above and below. Be sure to bring sufficient change! Parking permit machines take nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change. DVC parking permits are required Monday through Friday at all times that classes are in session. That includes the times that DVPC meetings are held! Do not park in metered or faculty/staff spaces.

You need to purchase a parking permit and place it face up on your dashboard so it is clearly visible through the windshield. If you attend classes at DVC and have a campus parking permit, you can use it when you attend DVPC meetings.

Some members park (for free) in the College Park High School lot across Viking Drive from the DVC campus. Do so at your own risk!

Parking violations:
Be sure to purchase a parking permit! Fines range from $35 for parking in a regular space without a permit, to over $275 for illegally parking in a space reserved for the handicapped.

Parking alternatives:
Some members carpool and share the parking fee; they park at Sun Valley Mall, have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the mall, then take one car to the meeting. Some members park in the lots in front of College Park High School, which is across Viking Drive from DVC. Remember: if you decide to use any of these parking alternatives, you do so at your own risk!

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Diablo Blue Password Access
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

You need the monthly password to access the current issue of the newsletter. If you are a paid-up member of DVPC you'll receive an email message, usually on the weekend prior to the meeting, with the password.

As each month's issue is uploaded, it's placed in a password protected folder on dvpc.org. When you click on the link to go to the newsletter, a dialog box will be displayed asking for the password from the email message. The password is case-sensitive; either copy it from the email message or make sure you type it correctly.

As we add the current month's newsletter, the password on the prior month's newsletter will be removed so anyone coming to the DVPC website can access older issues of Diablo Blue.

If you have any problems accessing a password protected newsletter, please email webbie@dvpc.org.

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Watch for Updates!
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

With our new method of producing and publishing the monthly Diablo Blue newsletter, we can easily add updates to each month's issue. For example, we added an update to the October issue, a news article about Barry Brown demonstrating the new version 6 of Photoshop Elements at the PE SIG meeting.

When we add a new article "mid-month" it will be shown in red in and will be at the bottom of the Table of Contents.

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DVPC Board of Directors Meeting Minutes
by Tom Krauss, DVPC

With the July Board meeting cancelled and our August meeting delayed a week, we were ready for work. And pizza. Well, mostly for pizza.

We sat down promptly at 7:00. Alan led off by asking for suggestions for the September meeting. Before we even got to our third digression the pizza arrived, and it was a while before we got back on track.

Again Alan asked for suggestions. At the last meeting the membership was asked for suggestions for meeting agendas. I was not there, but apparently no significant suggestions were forthcoming, as none of the Board members who were there could remember them. Finally someone recalled “something about video editing”. There was a confusing bit of silence and digression as we all tried to appear to want to be helpful while at the same time tried to avoid volunteering. Ron suggested that Alan persuade Ruth to do a presentation about educational software in use in the schools. The look on Alan’s face was one familiar to all husbands: a silent, petrified smile while your mind races to think of a way out of trying to persuade your wife to do something she has neither the time nor the interest to do. Alan clearly felt he would have more success persuading Barack Obama to pick John McCain as his running mate.

Ron and Alan have certainly done way more than their fair share to provide informative and entertaining presentations at many past meetings and deserve a break this time. Charlie is leaving on vacation the following morning and will not have time to prepare and present. Barry is already committed to the following meeting. Nick just did the last meeting. And Mel and I don’t know anything worth repeating about computer technology. The last software I bought was Acronis True Image over a year ago. It took me four months to get around to loading it, and I still can’t get it to back up my C: drive automatically each week. I don’t even want to contemplate what will happen should I need to restore something.

The meeting drifted to troubleshooting Rebecca’s internet and TV problems at her college residence, then to Amazon’s Kindle, then the latest way California schools attempt to protect our children form knowing that they’re illiterate, and so on. Every few minutes Alan would say “Now, what about the September meeting?” and we would either stare blankly at him or just pretend we didn’t hear him. Barry reported the status of his efforts to illegally copy all of his Walt Disney movie collection from VHS tape to DVD.

And suddenly we had our topic for September. And then October. And November, December, January and February quickly fell into place in under a minute. (Well, no January meeting because it would fall on January 1, 2009). It all happened so fast that I did not get them written down. Okay, I didn’t get them written down because I forgot to write them down. I guess I’ll just have to go to the meetings to find out....

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NVision 2008 Trade Show
by Nicholas Chase, DVPC

I attended the NVIDIA-sponsored NVision 2008 show at the San Jose Convention Center on August 25, 2008. There were several gaming challenges going on, including a Guinness World record attempt.

Every overclocked, GPU-enhanced, and Liquid-nitrogen-cooled geeks you could ever want were in attendance. And the computers were pretty cool as well!

I saw the keynote speech with Mr. Jensen of NVIDIA, and a number of distinguished guests, showing off their new wares. One gentleman from Korea showed a Social-networking suite that was like the Sims, only the graphics he showed were amazing. You can buy furniture, teach your avatar to break dance, and star in your own films!

I have some photos of several thousand high-performance PC's on tables with drooling and whimpering participants as their MMOG (Massive-Multiplayer-Online-Game) cooked their goose's!

Got to meet Buzz Aldrin, US Astronaut, and the recent Commander-Pilot-Colonel lady who flew the Space Shuttle.

Won a copy of Premiere Elements 6 and Photoshop Elements 6 too!

Saw an incredible demo from the graphics engineer who created the Apple iPhone screen interface. It was a multi-touch, 170-inch LCD display, with no start button or Toolbars. Instead he invoked a circular menu that would pop-up wherever he was, in front of the screen. Multiple applications were manipulated with his fingers instead of a mouse.

Microsoft was demonstrating Photosynth, a free download that takes your photos into the stratosphere... very cool technology. Check it out at www.microsoft.com/photosynth

Everybody had cheap motion detection software for games, graphics, and video editing applications. There was a Maserati, and an Audi A6 with a virtual instrument cluster. Where the glove box should have been, was a high resolution LCD display with the next generation GPS navigation system! The instrument cluster would swing away to reveal a smaller navigation screen as you approached your destination.

Met the VP for Adobe Premiere products, and spent about one-half hour asking him pointed questions about the next generation of Premiere CS3 (CS4?).

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Concepts and Tools
by Elizabeth B. Wright, Computer Club of Oklahoma City

One day in the near future there will be no computer “beginners” at the adult level. The children born into the world as it is today are exposed to computers from conception. After they are born, many have very sophisticated hands on use of the machines from the minute they can reach out from their parent’s lap and touch the keyboard. There is no mystery to them.

But while there are still older adults who want computer knowledge, someone has to be available to instruct them. And adults do not learn the same way that babies and children learn. Sometimes, when leading a group or teaching a class, it is difficult to explain to students why they need to to understand the difference between how a computer or a program works and how to make it actually do something. In my opinion, concepts are far more useful in the long run than specific techniques, especially when dealing with someone using a computer for the first time or who has gone just beyond the basics. But how do you teach a concept?

First, accept the fact that it will take more time in the beginning to teach concepts, but it will save time later on. The real trick is to make the process interesting and easy to understand

The simple fact that a computer is basically thousands of off and on switches, the same as a light switch, seems to be information that many people find irrelevant. But once a student gets some idea of the actual simplicity of the machine, much of the mystery is removed from the learning process.

Second, CONCEPTS, once understood, are usually far easier to remember than techniques. Anyone who “gets the idea” of a computer fundamental can usually find the tools later to accomplish the end result, even if the specific steps are not used often enough to remember them in sequence.

Many first session lesson plans skip computer functionality and plunge straight into using software. As an example, the concept of organizing files on a hard drive seems to be much harder for new users to comprehend than teaching them to open the file manager, aka Windows Explore or some similar program. So many teachers go through the cumbersome task of showing people how to open the file system, only to become bogged down in the steps needed to find a particular file, then later to continually have people complain they have lost a file and firmly believe it has disappeared from their machine. Most new users find it difficult to make the connection between finding a file on the computer and why understanding how to find it is important. It is the instructors job to help them make the connection. The CONCEPT of hard drive storage is not easy to absorb, so the instructor must make it easy. Also many new users find it difficult to transfer keystrokes learned on a classroom computer to their own computers at home. The reason for this is that no two computers are exactly alike, so the steps learned on one machine may or may not work on another one. But if the student comprehends the idea behind digital file storage, the actual keystrokes will begin to make sense, regardless of what computer they are using. In my opinion, rote learning is not the best way to become even moderately proficient on a computer. Real understanding of basic computing processes is vital.

Since many new users have little idea of what hardware is on their own computers, talking about C:\ drives and other drives in relation to specific files means little to them. But a well developed discussion of what basic hardware CAN be on a computer and how it works is not a waste of time, answering questions along the way. Many new users won’t see the value in a technical discussion, so it is important to present hardware demonstrations using common sense terms rather than obscure technical language. It is never necessary to impress new students with what you know, but rather to make the information as easy for them to understand as possible. With practice, a teacher or presenter can develop the dialog necessary to convey essential information and still keep the listeners engaged. Students appreciate being encouraged in the idea that they may not know much to begin with, but they will leave each session armed with useful information and techniques that will build a good basic foundation for them. Biblically we were taught not to build our houses on sand. Why are the pyramids in Egypt still standing? Because underneath all that sand there are foundations built on bedrock. Good computer skills begin the same way.

Nearly all programs are far too comprehensive to be taught in detail to beginners. But if the most basic use of the program (the program’s CONCEPT) can be presented in a way that is useful to students, they will get their feet wet. From there they can then be encouraged to not only attend study groups and advanced classes, but to explore their favorite programs on their own. Again, the difference is between teaching new users the fundamental use of the program itself as opposed to teaching them to use specific program “tools”. Obviously some techniques need to be taught in early sessions, but teaching the use of most tools is best done in intermediate and advanced classes. My experience has been that only when people have a need for or enjoy using any computer software will they continue to explore and expand their knowledge of the program.

How long did it take you to figure out that the “d” in d:\ stands for any non-specific “drive” when dealing with program instructions (often installation procedures) and not specifically for the “d” drive on your personal computer? Admit it, there was a time when you didn’t know that. Just think how confusing the term is to new users. There is a concept here if you can find it.

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (wright599new(at)sbcglobal.net).

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Tidbits from Here and There
collected by Ron Ogg, DVPC

The iPod Review Blog by Nicholas Chase
I have created an iPod Review Blog at http://theipodreviewblog.blogspot.com/. Check it out!

Sometime It's Faster to Go Backwards by Ron Ogg
If you want to copy a large block of material (text, pictures, etc.) from a web page, here's a little trick that will speed up the selecting if you're using Internet Explorer. Go to the bottom of what you want to copy, and select upwards. I don't know why it's faster, but it is.

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Face Time in the 21st Century
Lou's Views by Lou Vitale, Macon County Users Group, North Carolina

Person to person communication was pretty simple last century. There was the letter, or as we call it today, “snail mail” and the telephone. Our address book contained the physical address of our friends and their phone numbers. It is amazing to me how much we actually got done, we won wars and went to the moon and created the greatest county on earth, and all without a single bit of digitized information.

To someone who grew up in the last 20 or so years that must seem quaint. They probably can't imagine life without a cell phone, email, IM and a dozen other ways of communicating with their fellow human beings. I am beginning to wonder myself. Someone asked me the other day if I “Twittered”, I thought it was a neurological disorder. No, it was a form of micro-blogging, another way to stay in touch in the 21st century.

So just how many ways can you keep up to the minute with your “friends” today, let me count the ways. And this is by no means a complete list.

Email has been around since the beginning of the internet. By the late 80s' everyone with a computer had an email account. Now we could send a message to anyone with a computer and they could reply. This was a momentous social change. It significantly accelerated the communication between people. Plus we could “attach” stuff, like pictures of the grandkids, or an excel spread sheet to our email.

In it simplest form, a blog (web log) is an online diary or journal. Prior to the mid 90's online forums and BBS (bulletin board systems) allowed people to have running conversations on a web site with a moderator to keep order. Then some high profile personalities started to keep online diaries which allowed comments from anyone to be posted, and the blog was born.

Today bogging is a serious force to be reckoned with. Anyone can start a blog and thousands do every day. Currently there are an estimated 12 million blogs and about 57 million blog readers. These numbers are deceiving, since it appears that only about 20% of blogs are active and 60% to 80% of blogs are abandoned after one month. As one commentator put it “the average blog has the life span of a fruit fly”.

Yet this kind of personal communication has again changed the social landscape. Anyone can comment on anything from personal hygiene to politics and anyone can respond with their take on the subject. Some bloggers have aspired to become journalists and others are just looking for some virtual recognition, either way we are more in touch.

Personal communication has taken another leap with the creation of social networking sites like Face Book and My Space. These sites and many others like them allow virtual conversation to take place between friends on an almost instant basis. I will confess, I don't know much about them which only proves my age. But without a doubt, and from now on a person's identity will forever be linked to their Face Book page and their list of friends.

Will someone please explain to me why someone would attempt to communicate by text using a device no bigger than a deck of cards and with a “Key Board” consisting of 12 keys? At a minimum IM (Instant Messaging) requires tiny fingers, superb eye hand coordination and a new language consisting of thousands of newly created letter combinations to represent real words. And another thing since this device is a Phone, why not just TALK to the person? LOL

The ultimate “Personal” communication for the 21st century must be in Second Life. In this enormous virtual world millions of people interact with millions of other people, one on one. The whole range of human activity can now take place in a virtual environment. You can be anyone you want and “talk” to a dragon or a real priest, free of the most basic limitation of our human form. In a sense this is probably personal communication on a level never seen before.

Twitter is the newest “form” of communication. It answers the pressing question, “What are you doing NOW?” As you go through your day, you constantly update your “Twitter” page with mini blog entries no more than 140 characters long. Now anyone who is logged o to your page can tell what you are doing, what you are feeling, who you are with and any moment in the day. Why didn't I think of that? It's obvious that I would want to know all the mundane details of all my friends' daily lives.

Face time means actual face to face talk. The words, the eyes, the body language, the context, all convey meaning. Let me know when we can do that online. Until then, don't look for my Twitter page.

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (mug(at)maconusersgroup.org).

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SyncToy version 2.0
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

SyncToy 2.0 for Windows is available as a free download from the Microsoft Download Center. The easy to use, customizable application helps you copy, move, rename, and delete files between folders and computers.

There are files from all kinds of sources that we want to store and manage. Files are created by our digital cameras, e-mail, cell phones, portable media players, camcorders, PDAs, and laptops. Increasingly, computer users are using different folders, drives, and even different computers (such as a laptop and a desktop) to store, manage, retrieve and view files. Yet managing hundreds or thousands of files is still largely a manual operation. In some cases it is necessary to regularly get copies of files from another location to add to primary location; in other cases there is a need to keep two storage locations exactly in sync. Some users manage files manually, dragging and dropping from one place to another and keeping track of whether the locations are synchronized in their heads. Other users may use two or more applications to provide this functionality.

Now there is an easier way. SyncToy, a free PowerToy for Microsoft Windows, is an easy to use, highly customizable program that helps users to do the heavy lifting involved with the copying, moving, and synchronization of different directories. Most common operations can be performed with just a few clicks of the mouse, and additional customization is available without additional complexity. SyncToy can manage multiple sets of folders at the same time; it can combine files from two folders in one case, and mimic renames and deletes in another case. Unlike other applications, SyncToy actually keeps track of renames to files and will make sure those changes get carried over to the synchronized folder.

System Requirements:
Supported Operating Systems: Windows Vista; Windows XP
Microsoft .NET Framework v2.0
1GHz Intel P3 processor or equivalent
256MB RAM, 512MB RAM recommended
20MB free disk space

You can download SyncToy here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=C26EFA36-98E0-4EE9-A7C5-98D0592D8C52&displaylang=en

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O'Reilly News for User Group Members
By Marsee Henon, O'Reilly

New Releases: Books, Short Cuts, and Rough Cuts

Get 35% off from O'Reilly, No Starch, Paraglyph, PC Publishing, Pragmatic Bookshelf, Rocky Nook, SitePoint, or YoungJin books you purchase directly from O'Reilly. Just use code "DSUG" when ordering online or by phone 800-998-9938.

Free ground shipping on orders of $29.95 or more. See details.

Did you know you can request a free book or PDF to review for your group? Ask your group leader for more information.

For book review writing tips and suggestions, go to: http://ug.oreilly.com/bookreviews.html

New Releases


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iPhone for Boomers
by Sandy Berger, CompuKISS

According to the data from the International Communications Union, the world now has more than 2 billion cell phone or mobile phone subscribers. While some business and high tech users are using their phones for email and the Internet, I venture to say that most of those 2 billion users are only using their cell phones to make calls and to text message. In fact, I am sure that many users don't know how to do much more than that, even though their phones are capable of much more.

The reason is that up until now, cell phones with their tiny buttons and complex menu systems have frustrated many average users. The recent introduction of a fast, stable, and more affordable iPhone is poised to change all of that.

While the twenty- and thirty-something's are flocking to the iPhone as the latest status symbol, the forty- , fifty-, and sixty-something's are acquiring iPhones because there are no tiny buttons and no complex menu systems. In fact, the large bright touch screen, big icons, and the on-screen keyboard make the iPhone extremely easy to use.

One button brings up the Home screen of icons. The screen is clear and uncluttered. The icons are all easily identifiable by their picture, so the iPhone experience is very visual. The four most used icons are placed on the bottom of the screen. By default, they are Phone, Mail, Safari (the Internet browser), and iPod. You can put whatever you use the most on the bottom row. You can also rearrange all the icons to suit your taste.

The way you rearrange the icons is indicative of the ease of use of the entire gadget. To rearrange the icons on the Home screen, you simply press any icon and hold your finger down until all the icons start to wiggle. Then you drag the icons from place to place. To put an icon on the second page of the Home screen, you simply drag it off the screen to the right. The second page will appear with the icon on it. To return to the first screen of the Home page, just drag your finger across the screen in a leftward motion. To stop the wiggling and confirm that you are done moving the icons around, you simply touch the Home button You can't miss it because while other cell phones seem to have a million buttons, the Home button is the only button on the surface of the iPhone.

As you can tell by this explanation, the iPhone is also very tactile. You can move things around the screen with your finger. To make a web page larger, you simply flick your two fingers apart on the screen. Bring your fingers together and the webpage gets smaller. Double-tap the screen and the page fits the screen. To take a picture, you press the camera icon, aim the camera on the back of the iPhone and press the icon on the bottom of the screen. It is so intuitive that it is actually fun!

On top of that Apple has added an Apps store to its iTunes Online Store. They have over 500 applications that you can add to your iPhone. Many are free. Others cost $1. Most of those which you have to pay for are under $10. Some of these applications are just for fun, some are for productivity. For instance, if you download an application called Recorder, you can turn your iPhone into an voice recorder. But you can also choose an application that turns it into an a light saber or one that lets you pop bubbles on the screen.

At $199 for the 8GB model, the iPhone has a lot to like. To use it you must subscribe to AT&T for two years. That is not unusual for a cell phone service contract. You also have to have an additional data plan that costs $30 a month. While this might seem costly, you get a lot for your money.

Not only is the iPhone intuitive, visual, and tactile, but it has access to the Internet and lets you send and receive email. It is like having a mini-computer in your hand. For many it will replace the laptop they drag along when traveling.

The iPhone is also a full-blown iPod that plays both music and video. Since it has its own speaker, you don't even need earbuds or headphones as you do with most other music players. Oh, and did I mention, it has the best audio quality of any cell phone I've ever used.

Am I hooked? You bet I am.... And the same thing will happen to many others who try the iPhone. It is poised to change the way we use cell phones.

This article has been provided to APCUG by the author solely for publication by APCUG member groups. All other uses require the permission of the author (sandy(at)compukiss.com).

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The Ultimate Steal
by Paul Mitchell and Ron Ogg, DVPC

Microsoft’s College Student Software Promotion

Everyone who is attending, or has relatives or friends who are attending, a college or university should check into Microsoft’s Ultimate Steal promotion. When the student verifies that they are enrolled they can purchase Microsoft Office Ultimate 2007 for $59.95, Visio Professional 2007 for $55.95, Office Language Pack 2007 for $9.95, and/or the Vista Ultimate Upgrade for $64.95. All of these products include perpetual licenses; there’s no time limit on use.

Here’s the link to the Microsoft Ultimate Steal web page:
 www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx#

Student status verification is required. There are several ways this can be done:

  1. The student has a university email address (like: someone@berkeley.edu), or
  2. If the student does not have a valid .edu email address, they:
    1. Must attend a college or university on a list linked from the Microsoft Ultimate Steal web page, or that can be verified (see below), and
    2. Must fill out the validation page linked from the Microsoft Ultimate Steal web page, and
    3. Must have a live.com, msn.com, or hotmail.com email address (it’s easy to sign up for a hotmail email address; go to www.hotmail.com), and
    4. Must upload a scan of one of the following:
      1. Their student ID card, or
      2. Their class list, or
      3. Proof of course payment

    5. If a school is not on the list, it can still be verified by submitting the school’s name and email address to Microsoft as part of the verification process.

This is a great way for students to save up to 91% off the list price of Microsoft software. The offer is good through December 31, 2010, so it will be good for students who will be entering college during the next two years. The list of eligible colleges (that don’t provide students with a .edu email address) includes Diablo Valley College.

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Electronic Waste — Where to Dispose of It
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

Here's a list of ewaste donation sites in Central Contra County County. If you know or learn of others, please let me know with the location, hours, and website URL. Be sure to check the websites to determine what they will accept. We've included sites where you can recycle single-use and rechargeable batteries

Computers and Electronics

Hauling Pros Recycling Center
www.dumpmytv.com
73A South Buchanan Circle
(on the left behind S&S Roofing)
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-682-8987
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rapid Recycle
www.rapidrecycle.net
110 Second Ave., South B-1
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-671-8008
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

E-Waste Events
www.co.contra-costa.ca.us/depart/cd/recycle/options/e-waste.htm
See website for dates, times, and locations of events

Recycle for Breast Cancer
www.recycleforbreastcancer.org/dropoffanytime.htm
31 Beta Court, Suite C
San Ramon, CA 94583
800-315-9580
7 days a week excluding holidays 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A completed donation form is requested at the time of donation; this form can be downloaded from their website

e-Recycle OnUs
www.erecycleonus.com
1271 Boulevard Way
(at back left corner past East Bay Art and CTA)
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
925-934-1515
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Electronic Waste Management
www.noewaste.com
E-Waste recycling events at Diablo Valley College
321 Golf Club Road
(in DVC overflow parking lot across from north side of main campus)
Pleasant Hill, CA
866-335-3373
First Saturday of every month (except holidays)
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where to recycle Batteries

Single-Use Household Batteries
Longs Drugs
www.longs.com
Alamo, Blackhawk, Danville, Lafayette,
Moraga, Orinda, Walnut Creek, San Ramon
Right Aid Drugstore
www.rightaid.com
Orinda, Walnut Creek
Radio Shack
www.radioshack.com
Danville, Walnut Creek
Check websites for store hours

Rechargeable Batteries
Right Aid Drugstore
www.rightaid.com
1997 Tice Valley Boulevard
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
925-932-0568
7 days a week
Check website for store hours


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Photoshop Elements SIG Meeting Program
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

The Adobe Photoshop Elements SIG meeting will be held on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 7 p.m. at the home of Peggy Johnson in Concord, CA.

If Barry has received the new Adobe Elements 7 and Adobe Premier Elements 7 in time for the meeting, he will offer us previews. This is a good time to bring your problem photos and questions. If any of us have any particular problems with the use of Camera Raw in version 5 for adjusting photos, this is the time for an open discussion. Barry is working on a new tutorial “Understanding resolution when resizing images,” and he is hoping to have it ready for us by the time of our next meeting. This meeting is one not to miss.

As usual, check the Elements SIG pages at www.bkbrown.net for all the latest news, information and tutorials. Barry has replaced the hexadecimal code paper on the web tutorials page with an better one. This one is more for web design (it is for “web safe” colors) but I think it gives a better explanation of what the code is and how it is used.

The Photoshop Elements SIG usually meets on the third Thursday of each month; please check the current Diablo Blue newsletter for updates because the meeting day is subject to change!

Please email Peggy for further information and/or directions.

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Windows SIG Meeting Program
by Walt Parsons, DVPC

There was no Windows SIG meeting on September 1, 2008 because of the Labor Day holiday. The next Windows SIG meeting will be on Monday, October 6, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. Check the October newsletter for meeting information.

The Windows SIG meetings are held in the Community Room at the Concord Police Station. See the detailed directions on the DVPC SIG News page.

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Today's Dilbert Cartoon
by Scott Adams

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