A Couple Of Blogs Of Interest

I have discovered a couple of new blogs of interest. I was guided to them via Net@Night with Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur. These blogs are LifeHacker.com and SmarterWare.org. Both have a great deal of interesting content. Check them out.

Microsoft Clipart, Photo’s and Sound’s

I have been telling users for a long time that if you were working with a licensed copy of a Microsoft product that Microsoft provides clipart for use with you documents or projects that you were working on. Clipart and pictures enhance and bring to life your document or project.

I have been saying that there were around 6,000 pieces of clipart and photos that you could choose from. Well today I have been enlightened – that number is more than 150,000 free images and sounds. Images including clipart and photo’s. That is an audacious number.

This information came to me via a Microsoft Office Insider Newsletter. These newsletters are good reading and have plenty of “How To Article’s” and “Tips” to make your presentations (and a Word document or Excel spreadsheet is a presentation) better.

Maybe you need a little more “attention getting” help, well it could be right here.

Windows 7 & New Install

After crashing on a regular basis (everyday) I reformatted the drive and did a complete install of Windows 7 from the ground up and it has worked now for a week without an issue.

I waited a few days after the install to add Office 2007 and that was followed in a few days by Google’s Chrome. So far everything is working very well. As said earlier it is fast. I will be adding OneNote as well as Mesh and Windows Live Workspace sometime this following week.

 

One interesting experience is installing then uploading Outlook. I have yet to figure out the best way to get everything on board without having two personal folders (PST). I know this was a real issue with Office 2003.

 

One warning is that I cannot find an easy way to make a backup of data in Windows 7 that I feel confident will be discovered by Windows Vista if I have to go back. I have downloaded the Norton 360 3.0 Beta for security and it wants to do a backup however not sure that version 2.0 would be able to read it. At present I am doing file by file copy. CMS Bounce Back does not appear to work with Windows 7 at least at this time.

Competition for Adobe?

Following a lead from TechCrunch this morning I found Aviary, a start up that, their own words you can; “Edit images, create mind-blowing effects, design logos, find colors, collaborate, and more. All you need is a web browser. Try it now for free!”. The link, http://aviary.com/home will take you there to see. If you would like to read the TechCrunch review it is here at http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/02/06/aviary-encroaches-on-adobe-illustrator-with-raven-the-first-vector-graphics-editor-for-the-web/.

If you have an interest Engadget has posted a link with pictures of the new Kindle 2 from Amazon. I have wanted a Kindle but have held off however this is beginning to look like it is time to get into the e-book reading devices. Check it out:  http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/06/amazon-kindle-2-launching-on-monday-well-be-there-live/

One additional link from Engadget is one to their Daily Roundup: here’s what you might have missed. It is interesting and worth a look if you have interest.

Backups

I have just had a another good lesson in making backups – what to do and what not to do. Over the years I have used BouncBack (CMS Products)software for doing personal backups and it has always been great so there was no reason for me to verify the backup – wrong. I will admit that I use the express version as this is my personal (albeit small business) system.

 

At the moment I am in this email conversation with Tech Support and they tell me that BB creates a key file for BB however it creates a file that can be accessed with Windows Explorer, in my case it did not and I lost a few years of data that I had archived via Outlook and some other data that was also included in that backup.

Well, I know myself and I know that I am known for going a bit overboard (having lost items in the past) and yesterday I found a file by file copy that I had made of the “Users” file prior to installing Windows 7 and everything that I am missing is in there. It was a normal thing that I do without thinking and I kept saying to myself “you know better than this so keep looking”. Perseverance paid off, I have everything including my 3 years tracking of gasoline purchases.

Build good habits and they will support you in the end.

Windows 7 Tips

Here is a bumper list of Windows 7 secrets from Tim Sneath at Microsoft. I just discovered this however it has been out for awhile. As I said recently I wanted my Quick Launch toolbar back and that is one of Tim’s secrets. This link courtesy of Paul Thurrott. You might also take a look at other things on Tim Sneath’s blog as it appears to have other Windows 7 information.

 

Now if it would just find my sound card.

Update Windows 7

OK all things are good. Even Will is enjoying Windows 7 in all it’s glory. If you attempt to add Windows 7 you best do it soon and do not do the “upgrade”. The trial Beta is going to close very shortly. It was extended but not forever. I am told that you can use VM Ware to install Windows 7 on a virtual machine however, as I discovered, you can not use Microsoft’s Virtual PC to do it. The only issue that I am having is that it will not find my sound card. Windows 7 doesn’t even recognize that I have one. This is the only disturbing thing.

 

Now a family update. We purchased a Wii and We love it. I just lost (2 out of 3) to my wife in bowling but I am learning and look out. This is fun and the Wii Fit looks good – at least for my wife. I may not be able to handle the Wii Fit as I have to watch my exertion, I am saving myself for the wine list.