Archive for Hardware
05.24.08
Posted in Software, Hardware, Computer Crafting at 10:18 pm by webmaster
I recently purchased a digital camera for my grandkids to use. Called “Kids Cam Digital Camera”, it’s advertised for ages six and up, but my three-year-old grandson was using it and had no problems at all. The camera supposedly takes 152 pictures , but that must be if you purchase a memory card or something. I’m one of those ‘hate to read instructions’ people, so I’ve only been able to take 20 photos at a time and then you have to download them to your computer so you can take more. Downloading the pictures was quite easy and the camera comes with software that allows you to edit and print your pictures using templates provided. There are also activities provided in the software package: a story maker, an edit center, a game center
and a slideshow maker. There is also a Web camera program.
The photo activity software is quite good and the camera itself takes good pictures when used outside. There is no flash, so indoor pictures tend to be very dark. Since this kids’ digital camera only cost me $19, I can’t expect too much.
The main thing that I don’t really like about the camera is the fact that you can’t preview the pictures. There is no lens view or anything like that, so the pictures have to be uploaded to your computer before you can see them.
For a young child, it’s the perfect little camera. The one I have is gray with dark red trim. There were a few different colors, and the case is plastic, so it’s a fairly sturdy little unit for child.
According to the information on the package, the edit center allows you to add effects, distort the pictures and tweak them with 18 different editing tools. You can also add captions and use the painting tools that are included. The slideshow maker allows you to produce, direct and star in your own megahit. Now, I haven’t tried either one of those programs yet, although I imagine they’re fairly easy.
The camera and the software were quite simple to install. Although not useful for any serious photo taking, the Kids Cam is an inexpensive introduction to an exciting hobby.
Technorati Tags: digital camera, kids camera, photo editing
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03.20.08
Posted in Hardware, Home Computing Tips at 2:45 pm by webmaster
I have an older laser printer, but it still works well and lasts for a long time before I have to change the ink cartridge. It’s a Brother printer, in case you’re interested and even though it’s over five years old, I was able to download a driver so that it would work with Vista.
I got into the bad habit of leaving the laser printer on the whole time my computer was on, often hours at a time. After a while, I started getting an annoying cough and could see smoky air in the hallway outside my study. Since I still had my old computer at that point, I thought the fumes might be from it, since it was probably full of dust that I couldn’t get at.
Then I read an article on healthy computing and it mentioned the fumes that laser printers emit and the fact that many people get sick from the fumes. So my problem wasn’t the old computer after all, it was the constantly running laser printer.
Once I realized that and started leaving my laser printer turned off until I needed to print, my cough got better and the smoky air disappeared.
Technorati Tags: laser printer, fumes, computer
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02.29.08
Posted in Software, Hardware at 9:36 pm by webmaster
I mentioned the other day that I finally broke down and bought a new desktop computer with a Windows Vista operating system. I have the basic version of Vista and a fair bit of memory on the computer, so I don’t find it too slow.
But I do find it amusing that it works just like those Mac/PC commercials if you’ve seen them. Every time I do anything, including deleting a file, a message pops up asking if I authorize the action. I say yes, and another message pops up asking me if I’m sure. I suppose it is possible that someone else could have authorized the deletion and a second later I managed to take control of my computer and stopped the action. Possible, but not likely.
Like I said, so far I find it amusing. As the day goes on and it has happened more times than I can count, my amusement is fading. And I would hate to smash a brand new computer!
Technorati Tags: Windows, Vista, computer
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02.27.08
Posted in Software, Hardware at 5:45 pm by webmaster
I finally broke down and bought a new desktop with Vista, thinking I was never going to find a new one with XP. Then, two days later, didn’t I get an email from Dell saying they were selling their computers with XP loaded until the end of this month (Feb.) Talk about annoyed, I was more than.
But I had already spent hours transferring my data and my email stuff, so I had no choice but to stick with my Vista machine. Too be fair, it hasn’t been as bad as I thought, so far.
Technorati Tags: desktop, Vista, Windows XP, Dell, computers
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01.26.08
Posted in Hardware, Home Computing Tips at 9:13 pm by webmaster
As a lover of shiny, new gadgets, I now have an external hard drive. Not your everyday, takes-up-a-lot-of-room-on-the-desk hard drive either.
Since I have this almost ancient desktop that I bought at a great price because mine was on it’s deathbed, I lacked hard drive space. This one has about 10 gig (I think that’s the techie term). But I had a much loved laptop that died the week before (there’s something in the electricity here) and it had an 80 gig hard drive, full of my most valuable digital possessions.
So, clever old gal that I am, I bought an external hard drive case (about $25) and put my laptop hard drive into it. The case is a sleek silver beauty about the size of a cigarette case and has cables that plug into my desktop computer’s USB port.
Voila, I now have an extra hard drive on this old machine and since I am saving my work onto the external, when ye old computer dies, my stuff will not go with it. Perfect!
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