how to

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A Tip on Mail

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        A tip on Mail comes from John Carter who informs us, "If you're using the Mail application to read and write email, and if your email protocol for the account is IMAP, you may have noticed that when you are creating a new message that quite a few copies of your unfinished (and finished) message shows up in the Trash. This is because you have an option set in Mail Preferences for you email account to store Draft messages on the server.

        "You can remedy this, and reduce the amount of Trash you get, by unsetting that option in Mail Preferences for that, and any, IMAP account.
        "The reason for the multiple copies of the incomplete messages is that Mail performs a save operation quite often (not a programmable feature). For any IMAP account, each save gets sent to the server, and the server then puts it in the Trash, and that Trash then gets sent back to Mail. So even if you just sit on a message before sending it, multiple copies of that draft will get sent to the server and then sent back to you as trash."  
        Thanks to John we know more than we did before!  (You did remember to click on the screen shot to enlarge it?  Good!) 
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New CPR Technique

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              "You may already be aware of this CPR technique. Even so, it's well worth watching again as a refresher." Jim Hamm passes on this video link.  http://medicine.arizona.edu/spotlight/learn-sarver-heart-centers-continuous-chest-compression-cpr   The forwarded email says, "This short video illustrates the best demonstration and gives the simplest explanation of exactly what to do if someone near you collapses and is presumably having a heart attack.  You could very well save the life of a friend of a loved one.  Someone you share this video with might save your life!" 

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Emergency Flash Update

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        Here's a warning to heed right now, according to Jim Hamm.  "I recommend you read this article and update the Adobe Flash Player in your browser for security reasons. An easy way is to click here. If you're using the Chrome browser it will update Flash automatically."

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Explore the Fonts Panel

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         Which fonts do you like to use?  This one,  this one, perhaps this one?    Well, there’s more to explore, according to Prez Art Gorski.  
        He informs us, “You've probably seen the Font Panel, which is found under the menus in most modern Mac applications.  Here's an article on how to take advantage of its features: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57565863-263/how-to-use-the-font-panel-in-os-x/?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=MacFixIt 

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What About Adobe?

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        Hearing several PMUG members talking about Adobe Reader we needed clarification. John Carter stepped up to the bat, writing, "I am very much in agreement that Adobe Reader is not essential for accessing PDF files. Preview does what I need it to do. However, I am keeping my copy of Adobe Reader around because it does have features that are not available in Preview that I sometimes use. That said, I have set the default app for PDF files to Preview. It comes up quicker and displays better. I have the preferences set as follows:  

and the view options." 

        A search on Google brought up this trusted site:    http://download.cnet.com/Adobe-Reader/3000-10743_4-10000060.html   Their editors in August 2012 rated it as “spectacular,"  while average user rating was 2 ½ out of 5 stars.  Version 11.0.01 was added 1-08-13, and it’s free. 
        Any other input from PMUG members? Let us know what works for you. . . 

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Answering iTunes Questions

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        John Carter sends some important info:  "Take Control of iTunes 11: The FAQ" now answers iTunes 11 questions.
        "Few upgrades of late have engendered as much press - and hand-wringing among users - as iTunes 11. It's not surprising - millions of people rely on Apple's media management tool for a wide variety of tasks, but the new version revamped the interface and moved controls for many long-standing features.
        "If you've upgraded to iTunes 11 and are having trouble navigating its new interface or figuring out how best to use the new Up Next feature or the changed Genius, Shuffle, Search, and MiniPlayer features, help is now available in Kirk McElhearn's freshly published Take Control of iTunes 11: The FAQ. Written in question-and-answer style with a strong focus on audio and video, this 192-page guide will help you take your iTunes know-how to 11 thanks to chapters such as Play, Rip, Buy, Tag, Organize, Search, and Sync that cover the basics and beyond. Start answering your iTunes 11 questions today! 
        "The book normally costs $15, but the 30% MUG discount drops that to $10.50. Learn more about the book via the coupon-loaded link here:  http://tid.bl.it/tco-itunes11-mug-discount "

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January is the Time to Get Organized

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         Getting organized is a chore, but it’s so logical that you feel like you’ve accomplished something good.  January brought the end of the month of December, the end of the fourth quarter of 2012 and the end of the year.  Lots of practical things to do.  No doubt, you’re well on your way to achieving that goal.  
Do you have all of the 2013 birthday and anniversary greetings figured out for your extended family?  I do, and I’ve ordered them up already for the whole year. I’d like to tell you a good website to check out.  
Last fall I discovered jacquielawson.com  and for a mere $12.00 I’m paid up for the year of unlimited e-cards from her collection.  They’re amusing, entertaining, musical, and even serious.  
You can choose, designate the dates and the emails for a year!  They notify you when an e-card is sent, and another notification when the person has opened that email.  Your Cards History lists the last 30 cards they’ve sent for you.  Under Cards Pending you can view a card again, edit, or cancel it. 
There is a real Jacquie Lawson, an English artist in Southern England who started this in 2000.  She and her friends have created a total of 235 e-cards, ready for your preview.  Birthday cards, Congratulations, Get Well, Christmas cards, Thank you cards, Invitations, Valentine, etc. You can choose such features as dogs, cats, birds, teddy bears, flowers and many other subjects.  
When you click to preview a card you view the animation, and hear the music. The listings tell you about the orchestration.  One I’m looking at here has “Golliwog’s Cakewalk” from “Children’s Corner” by Claude Debussy, orchestrated by Mike Hughes-Chamberlain. You can choose from 15 different headings for your greetings.
        “An Eloquent Arrangement” is a floral bouquet e-card, and you can rollover to show the meanings of the flowers.  Someone of any age would enjoy these clever cards. 
After going through my list of 62 nearest relatives now I’ve covered the whole year in advance.  I sign in with my password and can look at my account.  It lists the name of the e-cards I’ve chosen, the names and emails of the recipients, and the dates I want it sent.  How simple is that!
        But wait, you say, I want to add a personal greeting.  Yes!  You can choose a Write Your Own Message or a Note Card.  I’ve sent personalized poems this way, and signed it whichever way suits the occasion.  
More than 50 of the most popular e-cards have been made into screensavers for you to download from this site.  Directions tell you how for PC or for Mac. 
After looking through their site I had a few questions and emailed Help@jacquielawson.com  Gary’s reply: “As long as the sender does not delete the card you should be able to save it on your computer.  
“Note: We do not permit the commercial sending of our cards to large lists.  If it’s a small group of recipients that the sender knows it is permitted.  If you’d like to post on a forum that has thousands of members that you do not know personally, feel free to link to our site, using instructions found on http://www.jacquielawson.com/linkpage.asp  
“Please note that since our cards are animated and most of the time the entire message will not show up at the end of a card without having to scroll down, printing them usually doesn’t work out.  Unfortunately, there is no way around this. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.”
        Speaking of writing, a poem can convey a thoughtful message without all the bother of regular sentence structure and punctuation.  It doesn’t have to rhyme, it doesn’t need to follow any pattern at all.  
I just wrote a page-long birthday poem for Granddaughter Joy.  I wanted to mention some highlights of her life and compliment her on her travels, her volunteering, and her service now as an R.N.  Navy nurse. 
The first draft is just a quickie, then let the writing rest.  Go back the next day and start to add more and polish it up. What you write to that person will be treasured more than a simple card from the store with only your name on the card.  You can convey encouragement, appreciation, happy memories,  plans for the future, and other personal notions that come to mind. 

        Now you can see what a help Mac is.  Pages shows you words that may be misspelled,  you can view your writing larger on your screen if you want to (mine is set for 150% viewing on my 27” Thunderbolt Display), you save it as you go, and then you can save the finished writing in a folder with that person’s name in your family file.  
You may want to make a printed copy for posterity.  Pretty stationery paper is waiting for you at Staples and Office Max.  (You do know that postage goes up to 46 cents for the first ounce on January 27, but the second ounce stays the same at 20 cents.) 
        You could send a pretty email to the birthday person, or the person you want to treat to a nice card.  You know where to find the panel to bring up Stationery on Mail.  But you can also subscribe to other colorful backgrounds for an email.  
        Creative Thinkers: this is fun to do.  I’ve created some family “holidays” for my relatives.  Pick a day, make a nice name for it, send out clever emails or e-cards, or even print something up on certificate-looking paper.  Be sure your printer will print on metallic-decorated paper before using that kind.
Mac has some “official-looking” fonts that make your homemade certificates look really nice. 
                  Here’s a few celebrations I’ve established in the family.  
The Brain Award =  sent to any relative graduating from high school or college.  
The Admirable Brother Award (I only have one brother and he’s a really great guy).  
Happy HARDT-Day = to my sons, their wives, and our grandchildren.  
Darlings-in-law Day =  for my daughters-in-law.  
Happy Everyday = an all purpose, any day of the year greeting to my relatives.  
Happy Sons’ Day = a poem for our sons telling how proud of them we are  
A Certificate of Near Perfection = in recognition of some kind of superior achievement.                             
A more original document was the “Congratulations on Your Medical Achievements” which noted the new title of “Lambpa” for our son Peter who assisted his ewe at the birth of her lamb.
    “Winner of the A to Z Award” was personalized by listing alphabetical characteristics of my brother.  
    For our 52nd wedding anniversary back in 2006 I wrote a poem to Don, and I calculated we’d had 18,980 days, or 455,520 hours, or 27,331,200 minutes of marriage.
    For Don’s birthday one year I wrote, “Have yourself a duct tape birthday.  It’s flexible, useful, strong, practical, helpful: just like you.”
Another birthday, I described other characteristics that the letter “P” of Don’s middle name could stand for, instead of “Paul.” -- persistent, practical,  prudent, providing, pleasant, positive. 
        Of course, a PowerPoint slide show takes the cake.  Our son Peter used beautiful photos taken by his wife Carlene and put in nice words to wish Don a happy birthday one year.  
You can experiment with making slideshows with iPhoto, too.  Do a Google search for “Mac: how to make slideshow DVD” and then under Search Tools designate any date within the last year so that the results will match the latest OS you’re running on your Mac.  
         So start that list of “To Do” and be thankful Mac will be your helper.  Of course, check your Calendar, subscribe to PMUG listings for the meetings for 2013.  Then subscribe to be notified of new postings to www.pmug.us and www.pmugnews.blogspot.com/       
         Plan on having a great 2013, and congratulate yourself on keeping up with the latest and the best.   
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This was today's handout by Elaine Hardt at PMUG. 
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An Assortment of Top Tips

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        Here's a bunch of tips that you'll want to try!  Jim Hamm writes, "For your possible interest, here's the top tips in 2012 for OS X per the osXdaily newsletter." 
        Here's a few titles: Tips for maintenance,  Command line tricks  tips to free up disk space, How to speed up an older Mac,  Protect Mac from viruses, trojans and malware,  11 must-have free apps,  Keyboard shortcuts for iTuness,  How to navigate the Mac OS X Dock, and 43 gorgeous secret wallpapers in Mountain Lion.  

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iPhone App Shows the Prices

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        Going shopping?  Jim Hamm passes on helpful info.  "Here is an app for the iPhone or an Android phone that you might find handy: ShopSavvy. 
        "When in a store, say, looking at a product possibly to purchase, you can use this app to scan the bar code and it will show prices of local retailers as well as on the internet to compare to the price in the store you're shopping in. Best Buy, for example, was matching internet prices before Christmas, but I'm don't know if they plan to do this all the time. Wouldn't hurt to ask if you're shopping in Best Buy."

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Make iPhone Apps Easier to Read

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        "Here's a tip on the iPhone that might be helpful, if you're not already aware of it," Jim Hamm says.  "If, say, you're having trouble reading phone numbers on your iPhone Contacts list, here's how to get the numbers bigger and easier to read: go to Settings > General > Accessibility > turn on Zoom. Now, when you open Contacts simply use three fingers and double-tap the screen. Immediately the numbers become larger. Double tap again to reduce back to normal size. This even works on every screen on the iPhone -- at least every one I tried."  
        Jim continues,  "Along this same vein, while you're in the Accessibility mode on the iPhone, you can set the font size in Large Text to be much larger automatically in five apps:  Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Messages and Notes. You can pick the size of the font you want."

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10 Tips for the iPad

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       "Here's an article that lists 10 useful tips for your iPad," announced Jim Hamm.  He goes on to say, "Also, if you have an interest, you can subscribe to a daily email from this site which has tips on a variety of topics."  
        And you'll probably remember that our November 19 posting here there's a brief mention about Ben from Brooklyn and suggests you might like to subscribe to his email, "Here's the Thing."  

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More About Library Access to the Internet

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        John's found out more about accessing the Internet at the Prescott Public Library.  His complete report has now been posted to the PMUG website.  Take a look at the details he explains under Benefits > Tips 'N Tricks.  You'll also find there his slide presentation to the PMUG/PC meeting a few weeks ago.  A big thanks to John Carter!