Would You Like to be a Dictator?

       Here's a program for everyone who'd like to be a Dictator!  John Carter tells about a nifty program that puts Mac to work by listening and writing what you say.  Typing may be on its way out?  Anyway. . . the program is Dragon Dictate, version 2.5.  John notes, "The new version works quite well on Lion."
        Watch 8 short video demonstrations, starting with the first.  One feature on their site is "Ask the Dictator" which gives tips, advice, and answers your questions.  They have dictation programs for legal, medical, and even French language.
        John wanted to install Dragon Dictate on both his iMac and his MacBook Pro.  "After installing on the iMac, it wouldn’t let me use the validation key a 2nd time to install on the MacBook Pro. So I simply copied the two plist files from the iMac to the MacBook Pro and it was automatically validated. In my mind, I should be able to install any app on 2 computers: a desktop and a laptop. And that’s what I did."

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Managing Multiple iPhoto Libraries

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        "Here’s a dream come true for some people who have probably thousands of photos they want to keep in iPhoto!" exclaims John Carter.  (You can download a FREE trial; that got your attention?)
        "The problem with having a lot of photos in one iPhoto library is two-fold. One, it takes a long time to save it to a backup drive (like Time Machine), and two, it is much slower to access.
        "If you can break up your photos into smaller chunks and still keep them all under the management of iPhoto, that would be a plus.
        "There is a way. It’s called iPhoto Library Manager. There are way too many features of that application to explain here, but I’ll list them by name:
1. Multiple libraries
2. Info at a glance
3. Share and share alike
4. In sync
5. Automate it
6. Quick switch
7. Making copies
8. Doing the splits
9. Photo first aid
        John concludes with this, "There's one version, 3.6.8, and it works for all versions of OS X from 10.4 and up and all versions of iPhoto from 4.0.3 and up. The price is $19.95."

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Bogus Flash Installer & Other Warnings

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     The eagle eyes of Jim Hamm have found some valuable info on how to avoid malware.  He sends this MacWorld article which describes the problem of a bogus Flash installer and gives a solution, along with a list of similar articles.  One point is to make Safari safer by going to Safari > Preferences > General and unchecking where it says "Open 'Safe' files after downloading."  This second article tells about safe downloading.

How to Make Your Own Holiday Special

Food is a topic close to our stomachs!  We probably think about it three times a day.  And food brings up memories.  Think how much fun it would be to share those memories with your family.  Mac can help you create a unique holiday gift. (Yes, it’s time to plan for the holidays!)  
Go through those old cookbooks or recipe boxes and find what’s uniquely yours.  You might choose to do a collection of a dozen special desserts, for example.  You could retype some of them, or scan.  Maybe you can find some old photos to illustrate your pages.
Don’s Ma made German Christmas bread every year. When I asked her for the recipe she brought out her German newspaper clipping and translated it for me.  Oh, it was work!  Peel all those potatoes, chop them and mix the huge amount of batter.  I saw how easily I could simplify that part by using instant mashed potatoes. I started making it every year.  
This summer I got the bright idea to share the booklet-making info with my Writers’ Networking group.  I did a Google search and found  http://www.live-like-a-german.com/german_recipes   The writer was asking for favorite recipes, so I emailed Ma’s recipe to her.  She likes it and asks for a photo of Ma.  Digging through old photos I found one from 1954 of Ma in her kitchen by the stove with the big old tea kettle.  What fun!  It might be published on the Internet soon. 
You could make a specialized little booklet of favorites from family potlucks.  ClickBook is a program that sizes your pages for booklets.  It’s about $49 from www.bluesquirrel.com  
In Pages click Command + P and on the left side  is PDF. Scroll down and click Open PDF with ClickBook.  (Click to enlarge this little screen shot.) 

You’ll see all the choices of page formats.  I use the  Side-by-Side (folded) for booklets that are regular sized paper folded in half.  This fits nicely into the greeting card envelopes size 5 ¾ x 8 ¾”.
There are more than 60 choices of format in ClickBook.
You will want to make some samples to view how your choice of fonts will look.  Since ClickBook sizes your whole page on Mac into a half-size printed you’ll want perhaps a 13 or 14 point type.  

Photos will be automatically sized, so you experiment.  An unstretched photo makes the person look very, very thin.  I go to Inspector > Graphic Inspector to add a shadow or reflection and to set opacity.  Under Metrics go to where you uncheck Constrain Proportions.  Now you can drag the photo sideways to fatten it up.  
As you work on this project make one document, then do Command + D to duplicate it and fiddle around with that first copy.  Do this for each “improvement” you think you’re making.  If you change your mind you can easily go back to one of the earlier versions without pulling out your hair.  Put all the versions in one folder on the desktop. 
About a 32 page booklet is fat enough for my stapler.  Each sheet of paper yields 4 pages for the booklet, so that’s 8 sheets of paper.  
It’s fun to try out various fonts. When I’m using Helvetica the question mark and the exclamation marks are too close to the last letter of the word when it shrinks down.  On the document in Pages I highlight the last letter of the word and the exclamation mark next to it.  
Going to Inspector and the large T, choose the slider on Character to enlarge the space there.  
Also in Pages > Inspector choose the first icon on the drop down menu so you can set the margins and header spacing.  
Here are some interesting websites that may give your creative mind some fresh ideas. 
http://cakewrecks.squarespace.com/contact/    Photos of fancy decorated cakes. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_culinary_fruits  list of fruits by region where they grow.  
List of inedible fruits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_inedible_fruits  some are poisonous, some only unpalatable for human consumption. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_culinary_vegetables   listed by variety.  Each one is a link to its own page with illustration, culinary & medicinal uses, top countries where produced, etc. 
http://cookit.e2bn.org/historycookbook/   What a list:  recipes from Prehistoric times through Medieval, Victorians, to Postwar/Modern.  Includes picture galleries of these times and places.
How about a child’s recipe book?  Ask the youngsters in the family for their favorite recipes and art  work.  
Consider starting a family blog.  www.blogspot.com  Post writing and photographs. You can set who can enter the blog, so you don’t have to let the whole world view your efforts unless you want to do so.   (See what I mean?  You can be more creative with your Mac! ) 

(This was today's handout at the PMUG Annual Picnic.) 

Apple's Store-Opening Spree

It's fun to read about what Apple is doing!  The 9to5Mac article announced that Apple is on a store-opening spree, opening one new store every 50 hours for the last two months.  Then this Macitynet article from Italy says they have the second largest Genius Bar now open in the Apple Store in Bologna, Italy.  Want to read it in English and see a 7 minute video of the grand opening?  Go to Google Translate and enter this URL http://www.macitynet.it/macity/articolo/Apple-Store-Bologna-tutta-linaugurazione-nel-video-riassuntivo-di-Macitynet   in the box on the left side.  Up comes the URL in the right side box.  Click and up it comes.

Free Photography Workshop

        A free 4-day intensive workshop on Photoshop CS5 is coming Tuesday, September 20 through Friday, September 23.  John Carter sends this link to CreativeLIVE.com with the notation that details are here.
        Here's more:  It’s only free if you attend the online presentation which runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on those days, with probably a break for lunch. You should register to attend (also free) to get the notification by email.  There will be a nightly rewatch (probably available only to those who register) that is also free.
        Synopsis:  In this special workshop, you'll dig into Photoshop CS5 with Lesa Snider, author of Photoshop CS5: The Missing Manual.
        "There is so much to cover in Photoshop CS5 that we need almost a week to cover everything. In this special 4-day workshop (Tuesday - Friday, from 9:00-4:00, Pacific Time), you'll dig into Photoshop CS5 with Lesa Snider, internationally acclaimed instructor and author. Lesa is informative, yet entertaining with a unique way of explaining difficult concepts so you understand the 'why' behind the 'how.' Get ready to spend a fun, high-energy week digging into the power of Photoshop."
        Thanks, John, for this valuable info.  That word "free" always catches our attention!
        Oh, one more thing!  John adds, "Any lesson on any Adobe application applies to both Mac and PC. The only difference is between using the Command key or using the Control key (Cmd-C for Mac or Ctrl-C for PC to perform a copy, etc.) All other aspects of an Adobe application are identical between the two operating systems."

Go Places & See Things

We love Mac for helping us go places and see things!  Jim Hamm broadens our horizons with an article on "10 Things You can Do for Fun & Learning on the Library of Congress Online" and a link to the Library of Congress.  Some of the features are Ask a Librarian, a link to Copyright.gov and maps at Places in the News.  Other links take you to Remembering 9/11, Peace Corps, Comic Art, September Film Series on the American West, and more and more!

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No Signal, Dead iPad

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        A question about wifi antenna and software for an iPad was raised by Harry Morel.  Jim Hamm got right on it, and he passes along the information to us.
        "I use the Wi-Fire antenna occasionally on my Mac when I'm traveling and the wifi signal is weak. It helps to boost or capture more of the signal so your Mac can access the internet. And yes, your Mac will have a built-in wifi card to pick up the signal.
        "You can do a Google search on how to turn on internet sharing on a Mac. Here's one link to look at. Here's another one. As I understand it the Mac must be connected to the internet by ethernet, then it can share its connection via wifi to another device, such as another Mac or the iPad.
        "I've not used this internet sharing concept, so I won't be covering it in my iPad presentation. Perhaps someone else on this email distribution list might have some suggestions on internet sharing on a Mac.
        "Here's another option to consider if you're traveling: if your iPad has 3G capability, and you're in a 3G area (not Prescott), and you don't have wifi available, and you're willing to spend $25, you can buy 3G from your carrier for a month. Then you can turn it off at the end of the month so you won't be billed another $25. The minimum time period is one month. Not the most desirable option, but if you need to have an internet connection while you're away from home, this is available.
        "If you're talking about wifi in your house and your iPad won't connect to the signal, perhaps the signal is weak. You can check the signal strength by holding the option key on your Mac and clicking the wifi icon to see what the RSSI is. Down below is a meter to help you understand the results. If your signal is very weak, then you need to boost it.
          "Here is another diagnostic tool to check both the wifi signal strength and noise level. If your wifi signal is good in your house and the noise level low, and your iPad won't connect to it, then perhaps there is something wrong with the iPad. It is covered by a one-year warranty from Apple, so a visit to an Apple store might be in order," and as always, Jim signs off with a grin.  (Click to enlarge the screen shot.)

"Permanent" May Not Be Permanent

        What is permanent?  John Carter found this important information about DVDs.  He begins, "You might feel like you’re making a 'permanent' backup of your files when you copy them onto a DVD or backup to a computer hard-drive, but the truth is these devices suffer from natural decay and degradation.
        "Current DVD technology uses organic dyes and low laser power to make marks on the data layer of a standard recordable DVD. Over time, these marks become unreadable because organic dyes degrade when exposed to minimal levels of light, heat, and humidity. This means all the data you thought was safely stored could be lost because the discs you used have an average lifespan of only about 3 to 5 years! Why would you risk your data based on an average; hundreds of discs taken into account in that average were corrupt and unreadable after only a few months."  Read the rest of the story here. 

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Safari's WebProcess

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The following discussion about Flash is pretty much moot in light of the fact that Adobe Flash SHOULD NOT BE INSTALLED on your Mac. if you need to access a site that requires Flash, use Google Chrome instead of Safari because Chrome includes a version of Flash that is secure. (Editor, 8/26, 2015) Continuing with yesterday's post on Safari below we learn more from both Jim Hamm and Prez Art Gorski. Jim starts today's conversation with, "I just installed ClicktoFlash to see what effect, if any, they might have in at least slowing down the increase in RAM usage of WebProcess. Here is another article on controlling Flash. "I had read about ClicktoPlugin here, but since it prevents Safari from launching plug-ins automatically I wasn't sure about using it. I'll wait a bit to see the effect of the two apps I did install before trying ClicktoPlugin." Jim summarizes, "As a general philosophy I try to avoid, or at least minimize, the use of third-party apps because that's often where trouble starts when one has a problem with the OS. In this case, though, I'll give the two apps a try—and may try the third one as well."  Prez Art Gorski offers some observations now, "ClicktoPlugin is the replacement for ClicktoFlash and is exactly the same except that it works on many other things besides Flash. If you install ClicktoPlugin, you must remove ClicktoFlash. "ClicktoPlugin is configurable so you can determine how it behaves. For example, there are 2 websites where I allow Flash to load automatically while I block it everywhere else. It's made my web surfing MUCH faster and more enjoyable. "I also use Ghostery to tell me what advertising and data collection spying plugins each website is using. Except for Google Analytics, which I have no problem with, I tell Ghostery to automatically block everything else. Again, a boost to my surfing speed and protection for my privacy." Art clarifies, "These are not 3rd party applications, they are web browser extensions, which are much less likely to cause problems. But in general I agree with you and avoid 3rd party apps that will prevent me from updating my OS. That's why I don't use 1Password, an otherwise excellent utility, as there is a constant stream of updates you have to keep up with, (I use Wallet instead). Is the problem solved?  Jim Hamm responds to the latest info above:   "Thanks, Art. After reading your clarification of ClicktoPlugin, watching the video that Elaine found, and reading the FAQ about ClicktoPlugin here, I think I'll give it a try. I'll uninstall ClicktoFlash first. Based on a very preliminary use of ClicktoFlash it has seemed to slow the increase of RAM usage in WebProcess. This is a short-time test only, and I think the ClicktoPlugin will help even further. Jim signs off (for now) with, "I like the concept and additional security of 'sandboxing' using WebProcess in Safari in Lion, and this plug-in will, hopefully, let me enjoy this security without a huge RAM penalty."

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Lion: The Bad News & the Good News

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         Bright and early, this comes from Jim Hamm.  "In Lion OS, first the bad news. Occasionally, for me anyway, the Mail App will quit unexpectedly, for no apparent reason. If, say, this happens after writing an email, perhaps with links and an image (ie., some work involved on my part), and before I can send it,  it suddenly disappears as the app quits. Darn, what to do—start over?
        "Now the good news. Apple, perhaps (hopefully) in the design engineers' wisdom, has included an auto-save feature in Lion. If I look in the Drafts Folder, there is my email, ready to be sent. And I hadn't even thought to save it as I typed the email. This auto-save is a nice, new feature in Lion.
        Jim concludes, "A notice is automatically sent to Apple on the Mail failure so this bug can be corrected in a future OS update."

MacBook Air -- Where?!!

"The middle of the Amazon Rainforest is probably the last place you’d expect to see a brand new MacBook Air, but that’s exactly what Chief Almir of the Surui people is using in his fight to protect the Amazon. The internet, a partnership with Google, and Apple’s flagship ultraportable MacBook Air, have enabled the chief to track the tribes territory and report illegal logging of their homelands . . . "  so exclaims an August 31 article by OS X Daily.  Thanks to Jim Hamm for finding this fascinating info and photos. Speaks well of the MacBook Air, doesn't it!

Problems Noted with Lion Server

        David Passell noted this link with info on problems being experienced with the Lion Server,  It "may not be of interest to us clients, but someone might take notice."
        John Carter has found some solutions!  He writes, "It should be noted that David’s note about bugs with Lion is specific to Lion Server, not the standard release of Lion.
        "I am having only one problem with Lion. When running Mail in full window, it is quite difficult to push my mouse to the edge to unhide the Dock. It is easier to switch to Finder and then unhide the Dock.
        "Okay, another problem with running Mail using the new look is that if I am starting a new message, like this one, and want to check out some other message I either have to cancel the current message, save it, open the other message, read it, then grab the saved message in the Drafts to continue where I left off. Or, I can open a new viewer window which then complicates things if I forget which one I’ve been working in. There doesn’t seem to be a way to switch between the different viewer windows using just the keyboard, so the mouse is necessary for that operation.
        "A little practice can make things perfect - it’s all a matter of getting used to the new features and not caring about how complicated they have made your life."