Video or it didn't happen: Why screenshot when you could screen record!

Have you ever wanted to make your own how to do videos ? Especially when related to how to do videos on a computer? One day in order to show an audience how to access a site visually without being there in person and posting it on a site so easily accessible to others I decided to look up ways I could do this. Therefore I searched for screen recording software for my computer. I tried a couple free trial ones,  ones that required more work than I would of liked. Fortunately,searching under the “freeware” category lead me toCamStudio - Free Streaming Video Desktop Recording Software.Once installed you may select a specific area of the screen to be recorded in case you only want one a specific portion to be viewed.My recommendation is to learn the short cut keys to record and stop while recording the entire screen. You want to maximize the area (and resolution) for the best quality video.The video files may be saved as either SWF (which are good for websites streaming) or.AVI (ideal for uploading to youtube).Unfortunately,there are limits to this free software:

  • No annotations
  • No post video editing
  • No support for other video formats (MPG, DIVX, FLV, MOV, MP4).

Overall, the software is great to share some how to do on your computer videos or some demos of software. For example, a visual of the steps to  remove Ping from Itunes or where some steps are better supplemented with visual steps aside from  screen shots. If you are in need of more advanced features similar to those mentioned under limitations of this software expect a monetary solution.

Computer, Graphical Interfaces, technology, WindowsJuan ZepedaComment
Where's My Cell Phone?

Ever lost your phone and spent hours looking for it, well here's a solution to it. This website  called fonefindr calls your cell phone and helps make your life easier in searching it. Don't wait for someone to call your phone, just go online and go to the website and enter your cell phone number and they will call you. You can either choose the option of them calling you in 30 seconds, a minute, or right now. So give it a try when you ever need help finding your lost cell phone.

Cell PhonesJuan ZepedaComment
Turn off Ping in itunes

If you have received itunes recent update, 10.0.1 , you know about ping or have seen it. So you know what I am talking about. From the first day I disliked it. It was very intrusive and I did not have a use for it.  I used other tools for sharing music that I like. Here is how to get rid of ping itunes.

  1. Click on ping on the left hand side

2. Go and click on your email in the upper right hand corner of itunes.

3. You should get a prompt to enter your password. Do that.

4. Go and click "Turn Off" it will disable most of the features of ping.

If you followed these steps correctly. Ping should not clutter your itunes and it will only visible on left hand side under "Store".

AppleJuan ZepedaApple, itunes, library, ping, Social network, windowsComment
Turn Your PC into a TV

Do you have a nice monitor with your desktop or perhaps you are a college student on budget and can't afford a television set? The answer is to purchase a TV tuner. Most TV tuners are USB powered  and support both Windows and Mac OSX, so connectivity should not be an issue. While the set-up varies for each individual device and brand, they are all essentially the same! I found it easiest and most efficient using Windows Media Center (MCE) under Windows 7. I own a Pinnacle PCTV HD 800E. I had given up on it about two years ago as the device only worked with the packaged software from Pinnacle and not MCE. It just happened that one day, I was so amazed by Windows 7, that I gave it a shot and it worked like a charm! The TV tuner at that time was about 80$ on sale, nowadays one can find a decent one for 60$. If you are interested in purchasing one, you should first do the following:

  • Look up reviews for your tuner of interest
  • Possible connections (coaxial,RCA, etc)
  • HD capabilities (most are, future-proof)
  • Does your system meet the recommended requirements?

Mac, TV, WindowsJuan Zepedaturn your pc into a tv Comment
Wordpress and Windows Work as a Team

Word press will now be easier accessed by Windows Users. They linked up everything like Windows Messenger with Word press. Now you will be able to upload posts from your own personal Windows Live Messenger Account.  Windows was about to make a blogging service online, but they just decided to link themselves up with the most know blogging platform in the world. Wordpress powers 8.5% of the world and is seen by over 250 million people a month.

Web, WindowsJuan ZepedaComment
PS3 is 3D Capable

Sony has recently released system update 3.5  for the Playstation 3. The most notable feature is now the capability for the PS3 to play Blu-ray movies in 3D! Of course, for there to be 3D enjoyment, the TV needs to be 3D capable.  Just goes to show, early adopters of the PS3 can now benefit without having to purchase a new Blu-ray player. I went ahead and installed the update. The system worked fine with no hiccups, but I have yet to try out the 3D capabilities as I lack the 3D TV.If you need help with updating, or finding out more details, check it out at the Playstation site.

GamingJuan ZepedaPS3 3D Comments
How to unsubscribe from any mailing list with Unsubscribe.com

In the past, I had written a post on (How to unsubscribe from a newsletter). I showed you how to do manually. I found a service that does it for you. Its very easy to use. If you head over to Unsubscribe.com you can get started right away by creating an account. There are two options, you can have a free account which allows you to have 5 uses in one month or a paid account which gives you unlimited uses. The best thing, it supports all email clients. Here is how it works.  Let's say you get a newsletter and want to unsubscribe from it. Just forward the email to [email protected] and they will do the rest. Now get rid of those monthly newsletters.

WebJuan ZepedaComment
How to change your Home Page in your browser

Sometimes our homepage have been changed just randomly. Usually it happens when you have installed some software or click on spam.  I will show you how to change your homepage in Internet Explorer and Firefox. FireFox

  1. Go and click 'Tools'
  2. Go down the menu and select ' Options...'
  3. You will get the following window
  4. Insert the URL of the your desired home page where is says 'Home Page'
  5. Click 'OK' when you done.

Internet Explorer

  1. Go and click 'Tools'
  2. Go down the menu and select ' Internet Options'
  3. You will get the following window
  4. Insert the URL of the your desired home page where is says 'Home page'
  5. Click 'OK' when you done.

WebJuan ZepedaFirefox, Homepage, Internet Explorer Comment
Avoid System Failure with Speedfan

As the name implies it, Speedfan is a program used to control the speed of  some or even all of your computer's fans. Because I run the program on a laptop, there is only one fan in it! What fans are actually controlled depends on the hardware's capabilities. Moving on, Speedfan is more useful for monitoring system temperature and the hard disks' health.

Why is this important? Manufacturers try to save money by minimizing the system's physical size, cramming as much as possible inside lowering airflow.  Of course, you have control over airflow if you custom-built a desktop PC, but for laptops and store bought computers like Dell and HP, the user has no direct say in the arrangement of the PC components.  Over time, dust can build up and heat issues will begin to appear. There is a direct correlation between over heating the system and premature system failure! The cooler the system runs, the higher chance for long-term use. In my perspective, anything above 50C is uncomfortably hot while working on my laptop.

The blue bars at the bottom are an averaged out indicator of the currently selected hard disk from the drop down menu. Determining when a hard drive is near failure is difficult, but from experience, if the fitness drops three or more bars, the chances are high.  System failure is inevitable, but we can definitely avoid being caught by surprise! Comments and questions are always welcomed!

System Maintenance, WindowsJuan Zepedamonitor temperature, Speedfan, system failureComment
Create A New User in Windows 7

To make a new account in Windows 7, first you have to be logged in as an administrator. This is a simple process that can be done by anyone. First, locate the control panel on your Start Up Menu and click on it. Then hover over the pop up and find the icon with the name User Accounts and click on it. Then find the sub-link that says Create A New Account. Just follow the steps of making a user name and typing in a password. You have finished making your new account.

Difficulty Level: Easy

WindowsJuan ZepedaComment
Showing File Extensions

First of all, file extensions are letters that allow u to know what type of a file it is. It could be either a document, plain text, music, and etc. There are so many out there, that it is really hard to count them all out. The way to show your file extensions on your Windows 7 computer is, first select Organize on a folder, then click on Folder and Search Options. Then click on the View tab on the pop up. Finally, deselect the box with hide extensions for file known types. Picture from: www.webdevelopersnotes.com

Difficulty Level: Easy

WindowsJuan ZepedaFile Extensions Comment
Upgrade Your System with CPU-Z

The only time some us ever look at our computer specs is at the time of purchase. Well what about if it occurred that it is time to upgrade? I would like to introduce this resource friendly program called CPU-Z.

The common upgrades in increasing difficulty order include:

  • RAM
  • Video Card
  • Operating System
  • CPU
  • Overclocking

The program's strength resides in providing all the crucial information required to perform the desired upgrade. For example, it is not uncommon for a computer user to purchase the correct RAM only to realize there are power differences!

It's impossible to cover all the upgrade topics for the sake of keeping the post sweet and simple, but I encourage you to check the program out and make informed purchase decisions when you feel it's time to upgrade! If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask!

technology, WindowsJuan ZepedaCPU-Z, find system information easily, RAM upgrade, upgrade systemComment
Copy text without the format

Have you been on Sparknotes and tried to copy over to Microsoft Word just text and it did not copy over just right? Over with it came some ads, some indention's, and tables. You really didn't want that. You just want the text without the format. I have been in that position so many times. Here is the solution, Instead of copying (CTRL + C) directly from the web to Word try copying from the web to Notepad. then paste (CTRL + V) to Word. You will be format free and just have the text and you may do the formatting.

WebJuan ZepedaCopy, Note pad, Paste, word Comments
The New Internet Explorer 9

Be one of the first to test the new Internet Explorer 9  beta now! This beta offers better Performance, HTML5 Demos, Graphic Demos, and Browser Demos. The Performance that has gotten better, is that now you can Network Monitor, Speed Read, Browser Hunt, and many more. These features that the New Internet Explorer 9 beta has to offer are really useful to everyone in some way. So download it and try it out now here.

WebJuan ZepedaComment
Launch An Executive Email Carpet Bomb

Have you ever bought an electronic or any product and it turned out to be a lemon? Have you had to deal with the company and they would not comply? Sadly, it has happen. How do we (the consumers) fight back. On a radio show, The Tech Guy, a caller called in and expressed her frustrating story. She had a laptop and tried getting it fixed and even getting it replaced. The company did not comply. The host, Leo Laporte, suggested a site called Consumerist.com. This site gives you a directory of whom to call, email, or send a letter when it is the last straw. Here is a more detailed article on how to format and write your response to the president of the company. Usually, it works and you talk to a high employee instead of oversees employees.

WebJuan ZepedaComment
Print More for Less

Being the "tech guy" within my circle of friends, I often find myself fixing common printer problems! Usually a simple power cycle does the trick, but what alarms me instead is how often people don't look at their printer settings. Usually, under Windows and maybe Mac/Linux OSes, printers by default are set to print at normal quality. There are actually more options to print using less ink! The actual way to do this slightly varies for each OS aforementioned, but to keep it simple, I will cover it for Windows 7.

  • Go to Control Panel
  • Search for print
  • Under Hardware and Sound click on Devices and Printers
  • Find your printer and right-click to printer preferences
  • Change to desired settings
  • Start saving money!

You might be hesitant to lower the quality but the difference is minimal (my college professors can't tell, don't know or actually care about the environment). As a side bonus, using less ink, allows for faster printing (I like being on time to class)! Skipping the complicated math calculation, I do find getting a longer-lasting printer cartridge and saving money (for food) in the long run! Try it for yourself, feel free to post questions and see if you like it!

Computer, Printers, technology, WindowsJuan Zepedahow to lower ink usage, how to save ink, print more for less, print quality, printer ink settings, save ink Comments
Do you make Handcrafts? and want money?

Etsey.com, which I personally did not know about till recently, is well a website. How do I put it?  Instead, I like how they put on their website,

"Etsy is the online marketplace for buying and selling all things handmade."

That simple.  You can create a free account and design your online presence or online shop. You may

  • customize your shop banner
  • fill out profile
  • set polices
  • and its clean and simple.

What does Etesy get? That's important. They will get 20 cents for everything you sell. Also, when you sell the item, they will get 3.5% of the Total price. So, these are small factors to pay but all your customers (the community) are waiting for you. Here for more details.

Here are some other helpful things:

Check it out today. You might get some pocket change.

WebJuan Zepedabuy, handcrafts, sell Comment
Net Neutrality Plan

These two companies Verizon and Google have been competing for a long time and they have been thinking that no one will ever win, so they have decided to do something together. This plan that was brought up by two of the biggest companies in the world is called Net Neutrality Plan. I believe you should be aware of what exactly is Net Neutrality. Here is a video where it shows you what kind of situation we are dealing with What Is Net Neutrality?

This is crucial for our growth in the technology sector and innovation. It also could mean restricted communication. The internet needs to be open free like it has always been. Get behind this issue.

Save the internet

Cell PhonesJuan Zepeda Comment
Switch that Windows Interface

Do you ever find your Windows UI (user interface) inefficient or has gotten boring over time? Most Linux distributions and the latest Mac OS X can provide you a more refreshing interface. Find a Linux OS too difficult to use? Or maybe a Mac OSX equipped computer is outside your budget? I would like to introduce Switcher by Bao Nguyen. Switcher makes window switching seamless, switch windows using search, and supports multiple monitors!

The program is easy to customize to your enjoyment. It supports both keyboard presses, mouse gestures and screen edge activation. I tinkered with it and got the most satisfaction by minimizing window labels and activating the program by pointing my mouse at the top of the screen.

The program is free (for now)  but does require Windows 7/Vista with Aero enabled. Definitely check it out if you are looking for a change in your interface.

Computer, Graphical Interfaces, WindowsJuan Zepedaapplication switching, Switcher, window switching, windows 7Comment