Last February I wrote two columns about accessing the internet while traveling. As Eddie and I prepare to take our RV to Tucson, Arizona for a Life on Wheels Conference, I am once again thinking about how we are going to stay connected “on the road.”
Up to about five years ago, the majority of “seniors” used the internet primarily for email. It proved a convenient way to keep in touch with friends and family, and a dial-up modem connection was fast enough for most people. Then the family back home started sending digital photos of the grandkids, and the slow modems proved to be an obstacle. For many, it meant not even being able to download photographs. There had to be a better way.
Around the same time, broadband networks were becoming more and more common. Broadband provides high-speed data transmission at rates significantly faster than telephone lines. With broadband a photograph, that requires ten-minutes or more to download over a telephone connection, can be accomplished in less than a minute. Once you have a reliable broadband connection, it is possible to use the internet for much more than sending email and sharing photographs. With online banking, money can be transferred and bills paid with the click of a mouse. It is even possible to eliminate paper invoices entirely and arrange to receive statements directly online. Anyone who maintains a financial portfolio of stocks, bonds or mutual funds can personally manage accounts online. Want to read your hometown newspaper? Odds are there is an online version available. Then of course there are the “fun” reasons to use high-speed internet access: downloading music, TV shows, uTube videos, and even making long-distance telephone calls.
The more we use the internet for everyday transactions and interactions, the more important it becomes to have broadband access wherever we go. On a RV trip out west five years ago, Eddie and I used modem connections whenever one was available at a campground. Today, we need to have broadband. In fact, my new MacBook Pro computer does not even have an internal modem.
So what can we do to get broadband internet connection while traveling? One option, that only makes sense for RVers who travel most of the time, is to install a mobile satellite internet connection. A dish is installed on the top of the RV and connects to the internet, via satellite, when it is turned on. The upside is that the internet is available anytime and anywhere. The downside is the speed and the cost. Download speed is faster than dial-up, but slower than DSL, and is degraded when too many users are accessing the network. The systems are also expensive to install, costing on average over $5,000 for hardware and installation. Monthly subscriptions run in the $100 range including taxes and fees. Datastorm is the most popular satellite system for RVers, and the best place to find out more about the systems is at the Datastorm users’ website, www.datastormusers.com.
Another solution, and the one we tried last year, is to subscribe to a data connection plan from a wireless phone company. Using a data card that insert in a computer’s PC card slot, or connects via USB, connects to the internet wherever the selected carrier offers cell phone service. The three major companies, ATT&T, Versizon, and SPRINT, all offer data plans; and all cost approximately $60 a month before taxes and fees. While the $60 plans are only available from ATT&T and Verizon for their cell phone customers, SPRINT offers their plan to anyone. As with most cell phone service, data plans require a two-year contract and incur a still penalty for early termination.
While convenient, there are drawbacks to using a data card. First, true broadband (3G in the vernacular of cellular networks) is only available in the metropolitan areas surrounding big cities. We tried both ATT&T and SPRINT data plans at Travelers Rest, and in both cases we are just outside the 3G range, and the speed of the connection was only slightly faster than dial-up. The second drawback is the cost. Unless you use the data card as your year-round internet connection, maintaining a data card means paying for it when not in use. Cell phone providers do allow you to turn the card off for limited periods of time, during which the charge is reduced or eliminated, but the two-year contract period is extended. While we liked the convenience of being able to connect to the internet 24/7, the year-round cost was not worth it for the few months of the year we travel.
So what is the answer to finding reliable internet connections “on the road?” If you have a laptop computer with a WiFi card, the answer is connecting to WiFi networks when you can find them. In next week’s OnMouseClick I will tell you how to go about finding and using WiFi networks when you travel.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
A Traveling Music System…
For those of us who spend our winters living in confined spaces, we have to be discriminating when we decide what to bring south and what to leave behind. If you are a music lover with a large CD collection, you probably agonize over which albums to bring and where to store them. What if there was a way to bring your entire music collection with you?
Last week I wrote about listening to radio broadcasts on the computer or on an iPod. While an iPod is capable of playing audio, video and displaying still photos, when it was first introduced by Apple it was just a music player. The iPod is not the only pint-sized music player (know as MP3 players) on the market, but it is the most popular, with over 100,000,000 units sold world-wide since its inception in 2001.
The feature that makes the iPod so attractive is its ability to store many hours of music in a small, easy to use, attractive device. With the capability of storing thousands of songs, the iPod makes traveling with a large music library possible, and is an excellent choice for anyone who spends their winter months in confined spaces.
iPods come in four different physical sizes. The smallest, the iPod Shuffle, is the size of a matchbook and holds up to 240 songs. The iPod Nano is the size of a credit card and comes in two models—one with 4GB of memory which can store up to 1,000 songs, and a 8GB model which can store up to 2,000 songs. The two larger iPod models, the iPod Classic and iPod Touch are approximately the size of a pack of playing cards. The Classic comes in with 80GB of memory, which can store up to 20,000 songs, and 160GB of memory that can store up to 40,000 songs. The iPod Touch, which is also a Wifi device capable of connecting to the internet, comes with 8GB (1,750 songs), 16GB (3,500 songs), or 32GB (7,000 songs) of memory. The street price of iPods range from approximately $60 for an iPod Shuffle to $330 for a 160GB iPod Classic. Because of its internet capability, the iPod Touch is more expensive with a top price of about $500. For more information on all the iPod models, visit www.apple.com/itunes/whichipod.
Once an iPod has been selected and purchased, the process of adding music is accomplished with a computer (PC or Mac) running iTunes software. All Macintosh computers come with iTunes installed, and a version for Windows XP and Vista can be downloaded for free from the Apple website.
The first step is uploading the music from your CDs to the computer. Once the songs are uploaded the iPod is connected to the computer with a USB cable and the music is transferred via iTunes. In addition, if you have access to a broadband internet connection, iTunes can download music from the iTunes Store. The store has an almost limitless selection of songs which can be purchased for only $.99. Two clicks of the mouse and you can be listening to old blue eyes sing “New York, New York.”
The initial setup of an iPod can be time consuming, but once completed you have access to an entire library of music whenever you want. Excellent tutorials are available at Apple's The New Users Guide to iPod web page and About.com: iPod.
While designed for listening to music through earphones, a number of third-party companies market dedicated iPod speaker systems with prices ranging from $100 to $200. With one of these speaker systems, a tiny iPod can be transformed into a state-of-the-art stereo system that fills the rooms of your home away from home with music. For reviews of select speaker systems visit Cnet Reviews.
At next Monday’s Computer Club I will be making a presentation on using Powerpoint. If you are interesting in learning how to creating a computer slide show with Powerpoint, you might find the presentation interesting. And if you get a chance, visit my Photo Blog at lsqlensviews.blogspot.com.
Last week I wrote about listening to radio broadcasts on the computer or on an iPod. While an iPod is capable of playing audio, video and displaying still photos, when it was first introduced by Apple it was just a music player. The iPod is not the only pint-sized music player (know as MP3 players) on the market, but it is the most popular, with over 100,000,000 units sold world-wide since its inception in 2001.
The feature that makes the iPod so attractive is its ability to store many hours of music in a small, easy to use, attractive device. With the capability of storing thousands of songs, the iPod makes traveling with a large music library possible, and is an excellent choice for anyone who spends their winter months in confined spaces.
iPods come in four different physical sizes. The smallest, the iPod Shuffle, is the size of a matchbook and holds up to 240 songs. The iPod Nano is the size of a credit card and comes in two models—one with 4GB of memory which can store up to 1,000 songs, and a 8GB model which can store up to 2,000 songs. The two larger iPod models, the iPod Classic and iPod Touch are approximately the size of a pack of playing cards. The Classic comes in with 80GB of memory, which can store up to 20,000 songs, and 160GB of memory that can store up to 40,000 songs. The iPod Touch, which is also a Wifi device capable of connecting to the internet, comes with 8GB (1,750 songs), 16GB (3,500 songs), or 32GB (7,000 songs) of memory. The street price of iPods range from approximately $60 for an iPod Shuffle to $330 for a 160GB iPod Classic. Because of its internet capability, the iPod Touch is more expensive with a top price of about $500. For more information on all the iPod models, visit www.apple.com/itunes/whichipod.
Once an iPod has been selected and purchased, the process of adding music is accomplished with a computer (PC or Mac) running iTunes software. All Macintosh computers come with iTunes installed, and a version for Windows XP and Vista can be downloaded for free from the Apple website.
The first step is uploading the music from your CDs to the computer. Once the songs are uploaded the iPod is connected to the computer with a USB cable and the music is transferred via iTunes. In addition, if you have access to a broadband internet connection, iTunes can download music from the iTunes Store. The store has an almost limitless selection of songs which can be purchased for only $.99. Two clicks of the mouse and you can be listening to old blue eyes sing “New York, New York.”
The initial setup of an iPod can be time consuming, but once completed you have access to an entire library of music whenever you want. Excellent tutorials are available at Apple's The New Users Guide to iPod web page and About.com: iPod.
While designed for listening to music through earphones, a number of third-party companies market dedicated iPod speaker systems with prices ranging from $100 to $200. With one of these speaker systems, a tiny iPod can be transformed into a state-of-the-art stereo system that fills the rooms of your home away from home with music. For reviews of select speaker systems visit Cnet Reviews.
At next Monday’s Computer Club I will be making a presentation on using Powerpoint. If you are interesting in learning how to creating a computer slide show with Powerpoint, you might find the presentation interesting. And if you get a chance, visit my Photo Blog at lsqlensviews.blogspot.com.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Broadcasts From Home…
Spending the winter months in Florida, Eddie and I have missed our New York radio stations. At home we have a choice of three different NPR stations and several Sports Radio offering. At Travelers Rest we get two NPR stations, but they both play music all day. The radio in our RV does not receive a strong enough AM signal to pick up Sports Radio from Tampa. All that changed in December when we signed up for EMBARQ DSL service which gave us a reliable, broadband internet connection.
Now when we want to listen to hometown radio, we turn on the computer. The day after Super Bowl XLII Eddie was reveling in the spectacular win of our home team, the New York Giants, and he wanted to listen to a post-game day recap on the radio. He sat down at his computer and after a few keystrokes he was listening to WFAN, a New York based sports radio station, give play-by-play analysis of the game. Later the same morning I listened to WNYC, a New York City based NPR station, and the Diane Rehms Show, also on NPR, but this time on WAMU broadcasting from Washington, DC.
How do we listen to the radio on our computers? We use Apple iTunes—software designed to transfer, store and play all types of digital media (music, television programs, feature films, and radio broadcasts) on Macintosh and PC computers. iTunes (spelled with a lowercase i) is bundled with all Macintosh computers, and a Windows XP and Vista compatible version is available for free download from www.apple.com/itunes. iTunes can be thought of as a “master control program” for digital media. With it you can download media from the internet, arrange it in categories (called playlists), store it for future use, play it in realtime, or transfer it to a portable device. As I said previously, you need a reliable, broadband internet connection to download radio through iTunes. It will not work with a dial-up connection or an intermittent broadband connection, like TR residents often experience with the park WiFi service.
iTunes downloads radio programs in two formats. Click on RADIO in the sidebar menu and you get a “streaming audio” list that includes many different music genres, including public radio, sports, talk radio, religious programming and comedy, Make a selection and you can choose from a list of available stations. For example, click on SPORTS and you can choose between WFAN in New York, WIP in Philadelphia, WJFK in Baltimore, WXYT in Detroit and seven other sports radio stations. When you listen to these stations you hear a live stream in real-time. Whatever program is playing on the station at the time is played through your computer speakers. If your internet connection is interrupted, the streaming stops.
The other option is to download something called a Podcast. A podcast is individual radio broadcast, or part of a broadcast, designed specifically as an internet download. Podcasts are not “streaming”, and must be completely downloaded before they are played on the computer. You can find podcasts on almost any subject and are often very targeted. ESPN offers podcasts of interviews taken from live broadcasts, but while the live broadcast will include commercials and listener phone calls, the podcast features only the interview and is relatively commercial free.
Because of the nature of podcasts, they are perfect for transferring to a portable digital player like the Apple iPod. If you are not familiar with the iPods, think of a 21st century Walkman. If you remember, the Walkman was a small radio about the size of a pack of playing cards that you listened to through headphones. iPods have been around since 2001 and come in several sizes: the size of a matchbook (iPod Shuffle), a credit card (iPod Nano) and a pack of playing cards (iPod Classic and iPod Touch). If you have seen people walking, running, or riding a bicycle with white wires hanging from their ears, you have probably seen someone using and iPod.
My husband, Eddie, is one of those people. Most days he goes for long training rides on his bicycle, and he listens to podcast on his iPod to help pass the time. He has programmed iTunes to “subscribe” to selected podcasts, downloading new shows to his computer as they become available. Each evening he transfers the newest podcasts to his iPod by connecting it to his computer.
Most podcast can be downloaded from the internet for free, and iTunes is not the only way to find podcast. Visit the website of any radio station, television show, or major newspaper, and you will find links for downloading podcasts. You can also find pages and pages of podcast directories by doing a GOOGLE search.
Now when we want to listen to hometown radio, we turn on the computer. The day after Super Bowl XLII Eddie was reveling in the spectacular win of our home team, the New York Giants, and he wanted to listen to a post-game day recap on the radio. He sat down at his computer and after a few keystrokes he was listening to WFAN, a New York based sports radio station, give play-by-play analysis of the game. Later the same morning I listened to WNYC, a New York City based NPR station, and the Diane Rehms Show, also on NPR, but this time on WAMU broadcasting from Washington, DC.
How do we listen to the radio on our computers? We use Apple iTunes—software designed to transfer, store and play all types of digital media (music, television programs, feature films, and radio broadcasts) on Macintosh and PC computers. iTunes (spelled with a lowercase i) is bundled with all Macintosh computers, and a Windows XP and Vista compatible version is available for free download from www.apple.com/itunes. iTunes can be thought of as a “master control program” for digital media. With it you can download media from the internet, arrange it in categories (called playlists), store it for future use, play it in realtime, or transfer it to a portable device. As I said previously, you need a reliable, broadband internet connection to download radio through iTunes. It will not work with a dial-up connection or an intermittent broadband connection, like TR residents often experience with the park WiFi service.
iTunes downloads radio programs in two formats. Click on RADIO in the sidebar menu and you get a “streaming audio” list that includes many different music genres, including public radio, sports, talk radio, religious programming and comedy, Make a selection and you can choose from a list of available stations. For example, click on SPORTS and you can choose between WFAN in New York, WIP in Philadelphia, WJFK in Baltimore, WXYT in Detroit and seven other sports radio stations. When you listen to these stations you hear a live stream in real-time. Whatever program is playing on the station at the time is played through your computer speakers. If your internet connection is interrupted, the streaming stops.
The other option is to download something called a Podcast. A podcast is individual radio broadcast, or part of a broadcast, designed specifically as an internet download. Podcasts are not “streaming”, and must be completely downloaded before they are played on the computer. You can find podcasts on almost any subject and are often very targeted. ESPN offers podcasts of interviews taken from live broadcasts, but while the live broadcast will include commercials and listener phone calls, the podcast features only the interview and is relatively commercial free.
Because of the nature of podcasts, they are perfect for transferring to a portable digital player like the Apple iPod. If you are not familiar with the iPods, think of a 21st century Walkman. If you remember, the Walkman was a small radio about the size of a pack of playing cards that you listened to through headphones. iPods have been around since 2001 and come in several sizes: the size of a matchbook (iPod Shuffle), a credit card (iPod Nano) and a pack of playing cards (iPod Classic and iPod Touch). If you have seen people walking, running, or riding a bicycle with white wires hanging from their ears, you have probably seen someone using and iPod.
My husband, Eddie, is one of those people. Most days he goes for long training rides on his bicycle, and he listens to podcast on his iPod to help pass the time. He has programmed iTunes to “subscribe” to selected podcasts, downloading new shows to his computer as they become available. Each evening he transfers the newest podcasts to his iPod by connecting it to his computer.
Most podcast can be downloaded from the internet for free, and iTunes is not the only way to find podcast. Visit the website of any radio station, television show, or major newspaper, and you will find links for downloading podcasts. You can also find pages and pages of podcast directories by doing a GOOGLE search.
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Opps!
The PDF file from my January 21 presentation at the TR Computer Club was corrupt. A new file has been upload and does work — if you have a broadband connection. And it does take a while, so be patient. Sorry for any inconvenience.
The PDF version of the presentation of the FLICKR presentation is available for download from www.digitalquinn.com/pages/trpdf.htm
The PDF version of the presentation of the FLICKR presentation is available for download from www.digitalquinn.com/pages/trpdf.htm
Backup Now…
When was the last time you made a backup of the important information on your computer? For most computer users, their computer’s internal hard drive is analogous to a combination filing cabinet, safe deposit box, photo album, video cabinet and music archives. If the hard drive were to fail as a result of a mechanical or software malfunction, countless precious files would be lost forever—unless those files were backed-up to another location. If is often said that computer users need to make backups for “when” not “if” their hard drive fails.
The last time I wrote about the necessity of making backups was just after a serious hard drive crash I experienced over two years ago. If you took my advice to heart, you have been making regular backups of your data, and you are in good shape. If you haven’t been backing up your data, take heart—it is less complicated than you might think. In fact, both Windows XP, Vista, and Mac OS X come with backup software built-in.
The first step in backing up your data is to decide exactly what files need to be backed up. Many of the files on your computer do not change on a regular basis, and need to backed up once. Other files, or folders, change often and need to be backed up on a regular basis. For most Windows users the files that need to be updated regularly are the files in the MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER . Macintosh users will want to back up their USERS folder.
Before you consider how to make your backups, you have to decide where you are going to keep the backup files. The best choice is an external hard drive. External hard drives connect to your computer through the USB or FIREWIRE ports, and prices have dropped significantly in recent years, making them extremely affordable. When deciding on the amount of storage space you need to purchase, it is good practice to have four to five times the amount of space you plan to back up (ie: four or five times the size of your MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER or USERS folder).
At this point, you might be saying to yourself that you really don’t have that many files that need to backing up, and you can easily make manual back ups by copying the files from your internal hard drive to an external drive. You may be correct, but will you do it? Unless you make a practice of backing up every time you work on your computer, you really should consider using the backup software that was included with your operating system.
If you are using the newest version of the Macintosh operating system, Leopard (OS 10.5), you are ready to backup your files at the click of a button. A program appropriately named TIME MACHINE is part of OS X. To activate TIME MACHINE select it in SYSTEM PREFERENCES, make sure it is set to ON, and plug in an external drive. As soon as you plug in the external drive for the first time you will be asked if you want to use the drive for backups. Say yes, and backups will be made every hour, as long as the drive is plugged into your computer. (If you use an older version of OS X, you must rely on third-party software for backups. Check TRMUG.blogspot.com for more information.)
For Windows VISTA users, all versions except the Starter version come with AUTOMATIC FILE BACKUP. This backup utility can be used manually, or you can configure it to makes automatic backups on a scheduled of your choosing (you cannot schedule automatic backups in VISTA HOME BASIC edition). For more information and step_by_step instructions on the VISTA backup utility, go to www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/backup.mspx.
If you are still using Window XP, you have access to BACKUP UTILITY. With XP HOME EDITION, BACKUP is included on the CD that came with your computer, but it is not installed. Go to support.microsoft.com/kb/320820 for complete directions in installing and using the backup software. (note: If you have another version of XP, the backup software may already be installed. Go to the pervious link and follow the steps for HOW TO BACK UP FILES AND FOLDERS.
Remember, regular backups will protect you from loosing your important files.
The last time I wrote about the necessity of making backups was just after a serious hard drive crash I experienced over two years ago. If you took my advice to heart, you have been making regular backups of your data, and you are in good shape. If you haven’t been backing up your data, take heart—it is less complicated than you might think. In fact, both Windows XP, Vista, and Mac OS X come with backup software built-in.
The first step in backing up your data is to decide exactly what files need to be backed up. Many of the files on your computer do not change on a regular basis, and need to backed up once. Other files, or folders, change often and need to be backed up on a regular basis. For most Windows users the files that need to be updated regularly are the files in the MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER . Macintosh users will want to back up their USERS folder.
Before you consider how to make your backups, you have to decide where you are going to keep the backup files. The best choice is an external hard drive. External hard drives connect to your computer through the USB or FIREWIRE ports, and prices have dropped significantly in recent years, making them extremely affordable. When deciding on the amount of storage space you need to purchase, it is good practice to have four to five times the amount of space you plan to back up (ie: four or five times the size of your MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER or USERS folder).
At this point, you might be saying to yourself that you really don’t have that many files that need to backing up, and you can easily make manual back ups by copying the files from your internal hard drive to an external drive. You may be correct, but will you do it? Unless you make a practice of backing up every time you work on your computer, you really should consider using the backup software that was included with your operating system.
If you are using the newest version of the Macintosh operating system, Leopard (OS 10.5), you are ready to backup your files at the click of a button. A program appropriately named TIME MACHINE is part of OS X. To activate TIME MACHINE select it in SYSTEM PREFERENCES, make sure it is set to ON, and plug in an external drive. As soon as you plug in the external drive for the first time you will be asked if you want to use the drive for backups. Say yes, and backups will be made every hour, as long as the drive is plugged into your computer. (If you use an older version of OS X, you must rely on third-party software for backups. Check TRMUG.blogspot.com for more information.)
For Windows VISTA users, all versions except the Starter version come with AUTOMATIC FILE BACKUP. This backup utility can be used manually, or you can configure it to makes automatic backups on a scheduled of your choosing (you cannot schedule automatic backups in VISTA HOME BASIC edition). For more information and step_by_step instructions on the VISTA backup utility, go to www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/features/details/backup.mspx.
If you are still using Window XP, you have access to BACKUP UTILITY. With XP HOME EDITION, BACKUP is included on the CD that came with your computer, but it is not installed. Go to support.microsoft.com/kb/320820 for complete directions in installing and using the backup software. (note: If you have another version of XP, the backup software may already be installed. Go to the pervious link and follow the steps for HOW TO BACK UP FILES AND FOLDERS.
Remember, regular backups will protect you from loosing your important files.
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