ALG

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Good Evening and Welcome to
Technology Users Group Meeting March 20, 2003
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Welcome

• Thank you for coming!
• Please get comfortable.
• Feel free to ask questions contribute.
• Want you to get real value from these meetings.

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Introductions

• Meet ALG staff your hosts tonight
• Part of the value you will get from this meeting
  comes from networking with each other. We
  encourage you to do that during breaks and after
  the meeting

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Tonights Amenities

• Fresh-popped popcorn.
• Hot coffee tea, plus wide assortment of soft
  drinks in the refrigerator.
• Please make yourself at home!

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Agenda

• Technology News
• This evenings topics
• Selecting a Digital Camera!
• Understanding Cookies!
• Work at the Office from Home!
• Break around 730pm
• User questions discussion
• Door prize drawing
• Summary conclusion adjourn by 8pm

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Technology News Gateway in Trouble
Gateway, the third largest U.S. personal computer
maker, said on Monday it would cut 1,900
positions, or 17 percent of its work force, as
well as close 80 of its stores by the end of the
month.
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Technology News Yahoo! launches premium
multimedia service

• Yahoo! Inc. launched a subscription service
  Monday that features video and audio for 9.95
  per month. It includes
• Live coverage of all 56 games in the first and
  second rounds as well as the regional semifinals
  of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball
  Championship.
• Footage from CBS' "Survivor The Amazon" series,
  including scenes from the camp, conversations and
  disputes that are not in the regular broadcasts.
• Behind-the-scenes video from Fox's "American
  Idol," including rehearsal video.
• Access to live NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch
  series events, including in-car audio.
• News from ABC and CBS MarketWatch, as well as
  daily video forecasts from The Weather Channel.

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Topic 1
Selecting a Digital Camera!
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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• The best camera for you doesnt have to be the
  most expensive or most popular. It is the camera
  that does what you want it to.
• First answer two questions
• Understanding key features
• Most popular digital cameras
• How to price shop and compare

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• First Answer Two Questions
• What do you want your camera to do?
• Most cameras have more features than you would
  ever use.
• There are a select few that have the features
  most important to you.
• What do you want to do with the photos?
• Do you want to print out every photo and store
  them in an album, just like you did with a film
  camera?
• Do you want to store photos on your computer,
  printing just a few of them for framing?
• Will you use the camera for work and never take
  the images off your computer?

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Understanding Key Features Megapixels
• From 1.3 to 6.1 megapixels, bigger is often
  better in the megapixel race.
• The key is knowing what you need from your
  photos.
• For high quality prints sized 8x10 or larger, a
  camera with at least 3 megapixels is a necessity.
• If you only need photos for a Web site or smaller
  prints (such as 3x5 or 4x6), you find great
  results and lower prices in the 1 to 2 megapixel
  class.
• It doesnt hurt to have more megapixels than you
  need, as it leaves room to grow.
• If price is an issue, a lower-megapixel camera
  does a fine job. Just shoot at a higher
  resolution.

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Understanding Key Features Zoom
• Getting in close to your subject is one of the
  secrets to taking better photos.
• Optical vs. Digital zoom. There is a big
  difference between the two.
• Optical zoom is magnification within the lens
  itself when you zoom in or zoom out on the
  subject. The lens adjusts forward and backward
  just like with a film camera.
• Optical zoom does not diminish the quality of the
  digital photo. If you like to zoom, make sure the
  camera has a powerful optical zoom capability.

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Understanding Key Features Zoom
• Digital zoom doesnt change focal length.
• Instead, as you zoom in closer, a smaller and
  smaller portion of the digital sensor is used to
  record the digital photo.
• This has the effect of lowering the number of
  pixels in the photo. Zoom in too much and when
  you make a print from the photo it lacks clarity
  and sharpness.

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Understanding Key Features Batteries
• Digital cameras eat batteries like theyre candy.
• At a minimum, make sure the camera you select
  accepts rechargeable batteries (most do).
• Battery life is usually covered in camera
  reviews, so make note of the findings.
• A good camera takes roughly 100 photos with a
  single charge. Many factors that can affect
  this.
• Often a charger is included, which is a great
  bargain.
• Consider the cost of additional batteries and
  chargers as well as their availability from the
  manufacturer. These are extras you should
  definitely purchase, whether included with the
  camera or not.

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Understanding Key Features Memory Cards
• If you want your camera for traveling, a
  higher-capacity memory card is very handy for
  storing photos until you can download them to a
  computer.
• CompactFlash memory cards are currently the most
  popular type of memory card on the market because
  of their durability and the wide range of storage
  they offer (from 16 megabytes to 1 gigabyte).
• There are more cameras on the market today that
  accept CompactFlash memory cards than any other
  type of memory, which means that youve got more
  choices in cameras, memory cards and card readers.

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Understanding Key Features LCD Screen
• All digital cameras include a built-in screen.
• It lets you review pictures or change camera
  settings.
• Some are big and bright and offer crisp
  renditions of photos.
• Others accept specially-made hoods that make LCDs
  easier to see on bright days.
• Consider how you use a camera before making a
  decision. If you need to shoot around corners or
  edges, say for construction or renovation work, a
  movable LCD is a good idea.
• Take the time to look at the LCD and be sure it
  doesnt strain your eyes.

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Understanding Key Features Scene Modes
• Scene modes help you and your camera take better
  pictures together.
• When you choose a scene, such as portrait or
  landscape, the camera automatically adjusts
  itself to settings best suited for the scene.
• If you dont want to think too much about whats
  behind photography and still want great results,
  consider a camera with a wide variety of scene
  modes.

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Understanding Key Features Flash/Red Eye
• Red-eye reduction is a standard feature on most
  cameras.
• It is just a reduction, not removal.
• If you absolutely hate red-eye, or you shoot a
  lot of portraits, consider a camera that has a
  hot-shoe or other connection for an external
  flash.
• Keeping the flash away from the lens reduces
  instances of red-eye and often produces more
  attractive portraits.
• If you want maximum flash control, look for a
  camera that allows you to manually adjust its
  output too.

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Most Popular Digital Cameras

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Most Popular Digital Cameras

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• How to price shop and compare
• Online, of course!
• www.CDW.com for specs and comparisons
• www.mySimon.com for pricing

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Topic 1Selecting a Digital Camera

• Questions

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Topic 2Understanding Cookies

• Cookies are a way to let web sites remember your
  preferences when you return.
• Cookies are pieces of information generated by a
  Web server and stored in the user's computer,
  ready for future access.
• They are created and used by programs that are
  written in languages like Perl, ASP, and VBscript
  instead of in standard HTML web pages.

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Topic 2Understanding Cookies
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Topic 2Understanding Cookies

• Lets look at an example.
• Created a few web pages for the Right Clique
  meeting to demonstrate cookies
• Will go to ALG.cc/scripts/SetCookies.asp to enter
  information that will be saved as a cookie on our
  local computer here.
• Can then go to ALG.cc/scripts/UseCookies.asp any
  time after that to see the stored cookie data.

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Topic 2Understanding Cookies
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Topic 2Understanding Cookies

• Cookies have been accused of
• Malevolent invasions of privacy
• Virus mongering
• And security breaches
• They are mostly innocent, if only because they
  arent capable of most of what their accusers
  have charged

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Lets Take a Break!
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Topic 3Work at the Office from Home!
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Topic 3Work at the Office from Home!

• Remote Control Software
• Connects you to a remote computer that you
  control via mouse and keyboard as if you were
  sitting in front of it.
• Do whatever you like on the computer you've
  accessed. It displays a remote computer's screen
  on your own PC IN REAL TIME and allows you to
  administer the remote computer with your mouse
  and keyboard.
• It means that you can work on or administer a
  remote PC on your own PC as if you were sitting
  in front of the remote one!
• You transfer files to and from a remote PC. You
  can also shut down, reboot, and log off the
  remote computer.

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Topic 3Work at the Office from Home!

• What You Need
• Software on the host or computer you want to take
  over
• Software on the client or computer you are
  actually sitting at
• Connection via internet, phone, or even network
• The faster the connection, the better. Dial-up
  (phone) is sluggish, but works. DSL, cable, T-1
  or network connections work very well.

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Topic 3Work at the Office from Home!

• Remote Control Software
• Microsoft Terminal Serviceshttp//www.microsoft.c
  om/windows2000/technologies/terminal/default.asp
  
• pcAnywherehttp//www.symantec.com/pcanywhere/
• PC Remote Control Softwarehttp//www.remote-contr
  ol-software.com/
• Remote Desktop Connection Windows XP
  Professional

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Topic 3Work at the Office from Home!

• Lets Use One Now

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Any Other Questions or Discussion?
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Next Months Topics
April 17, 2003 (3rd Thursday of Month)

• Research plan your next vacation online!
• The open source movement get high quality
  software for free!
• Tips to book your own airline reservations for
  maximum convenience, flexibility and low fares!

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Conclusion

• Thank you for being our guests at ALG this
  evening!
• If you got value from tonights meeting, please
  tell others about these meeting and about ALG.
  Even bring a guest to the next one.
• When you need any kind of computer help or
  training please give us a call.

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Conclusion

• Meetings are the 3rd Thursday of each month
• If you didnt receive an email invitation, leave
  us a business card or register online at ALG.cc
• Remember to take your handouts
• Feel free to stay awhile and network
• And now lets go to to the door prizes!

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Door prizes!

• Must be present to win.
• HP photosmart 320xi digital camera!
• Full-day computer workshop valued at 189!
• Borders Book Store gift certificate!
• Panera Bread gift certificate!
• ALG deluxe mouse pad with built-in calculator!
• Yours Truly Restaurant gift certificate! (Donated
  by Yours Truly - Thanks!)

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Door prize 1

• ALG mouse pad calculator!

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Door prize 2

• Panera
• gift certificate!

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Door prize 3

• Yours Truly Restaurant
• gift certificate!

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Door prize 4

• Borders gift certificate

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Door prize 5

• 189 computer workshop of your choice!
• Select from 24-page catalog at front desk

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Door prize 6

• Epson Stylus C82 - New model color printer!

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Good Night!

• Thank you for coming and please drive safely!