Keep Your Location Private on Facebook, Use Picasa's Photo Screen Saver

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Oh, Facebook. Always with the weird, unwanted, hard-to-undo changes. Like a couple weeks ago, I noticed that all of a sudden, every status update I posted included my location!

I’m quite sure I didn’t request or enable that feature.

Previously, each update would note the time it was posted: “8 minutes ago,” “2 hours ago,” “yesterday,” and so on. Now, Facebook tacks on information about where I was when I posted: “near Wolverine Lake,” for example.

Unlike!

If you’ve noticed this as well, you’ve probably pored through Facebook’s settings in search of a way to turn it off. Amazingly, there is no such setting—not that I could find, anyway. But there is a way to disable this unwanted location awareness, and it’s hiding in plain sight.

When you click in the Update Status box, you’ll see your closest city listed in the gray bar along the bottom. I probably looked at this a hundred times without actually realizing what it was or why it was there—it just kind of snuck under the radar.

Mouse over that city and click the little ‘x’ to the right of it. Presto! No more location information tacked onto your status updates. If you want to restore it, just mouse over the now-blank area where the city used to appear, then click Add current city.

I’m glad this is such an easy change to undo, but annoyed that Facebook keeps slipping in stuff like this without notifying users or providing a straightforward opt-out option.

If you're not using Google Picasa to manage your photos, I think you're missing out. It's one of the fastest and most versatile photo managers/image editors currently available, and you can't beat the price. (It's free.)

If you are already using it, you might be missing out on one of its best--and most often overlooked--features. I'm talking about the Picasa screensaver, which was formerly a standalone product. The screensaver cycles through the photos of your choice (more on that in a minute) using any of nine impressive visual effects: pan and zoom, cross-fade, checkerboard, and so on. Here's how to set it up:

Start Picasa.Click Tools, Configure Screensaver.Windows' standard screensaver window should appear, with Google Photos Screensaver already selected. Click Settings.Now it's time to choose one or more sources for your screensaver: Picasa, your Picasa Web Albums, one or more folders on your PC (which, admittedly, are probably already represented within Picasa, so this may not be necessary), and/or public sites. This last can be any RSS photo feed, like from Flickr and other sites. Just enable the sources that you want, then click Configure if you want to fine-tune the settings (which you'll need to do for PC folders and public sites).Next, choose a visual effect from the pull-down menu. You can also use the slider to adjust the time between photos. When you're done, click OK.Back at the main Screen Saver Settings menu, click Preview if you want to see the setup in action. You may also want to adjust the time before the screensaver kicks in. (10 minutes is the default, but I prefer something a little longer.) Click OK when you're done.

I think you'll love the Picasa screensaver, which effectively turns your PC into a killer photo frame (when it's idle, of course). And here's a bonus: If you have multiple monitors connected to your PC, the screensaver will take full advantage of them, showing a different photo on each one. Sweet!

If you've got a hassle that needs solving, send it my way. I can't promise a response, but I'll definitely read every e-mail I get--and do my best to address at least some of them in the PCWorld Hassle-Free PC blog. My 411: hasslefree@pcworld.com. You can also sign up to have the Hassle-Free PC newsletter e-mailed to you each week.

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One More Screen

The mLearnCon conference is over for 2011. I’m sitting in my electronic bubble at SFO, headphones playing Josh Radin, almost succeeding in drowning out a group of elementary school cricket players running wild on the other side of the gate.

This year’s mLearnCon conference, hosted by the eLearning Guild, and attended and delivered by both new and venerable elearning professionals, has left me in a buzzing yet reflective state. As after every eLearning conference I’ve attended, my cerebral factory is in fifth gear, cranking out widgets.

I attended the conference to both impart and collect information. The collecting part always wins; if that ever stops being the case then I’ve stopped learning or listening, both of which are key to staying relevant in the software world, so I’ll continue to do my best at both. My outcome from this year’s mLearnCon was a mix: what I thought I knew was reinforced, and best of all, new perspectives were born.

What was reinforced is that the eLearning Guild community is rich with people who are working hard to meet their training mandates, entice and engage a sometimes challenging or reluctant learning audience, and keep up with technology. As always, we need to do all this with diminishing budgets, small teams, and executives who don’t always ‘get’ the symbiotic relationship between learning and technology. eLearning professionals continue to be a passionate group, challenging old paradigms and pushing for what’s new to also be purposeful and relevant to our learners.

The new perspective I gained was that more than any medium shift since electronic learning began, learning on mobile devices changes the game. This new, personal, everywhere delivery medium is challenging long-held metaphors of learning and information delivery.

Things have changed even since last year’s first annual mLearnCon conference. A year ago questions of relevance pervaded. Will mobile learning catch on? Does mobile learning really apply to my organization? Should I choose just one or two devices and limit delivery to those alone? This year the questions are different. How do I meet the permeating demand for learning content on mobile devices? How will I ever keep up with this demand, and deliver content to the wealth of devices and mobile operating systems in the hands of my learners?

The great news is this: mobile learners are voracious. They love having information in their pocket, and they are begging for more. The challenge: they expect mobile offerings to be available in their hands right now.

At mLearn I was impressed to see that some companies are already meeting the demand. They’ve jumped into the fray, run limited pilots on limited device sets, developed content with custom tools, and they have been successful. They need a better way, though, because the pilot projects are over and the demand is even higher. While these trailblazers were making one or two small groups of users happy on their BlackBerry smartphones, thousands of others bought a new XOOM, an iPad, a Droid X, or a PlayBook (to name only a few), and those learners want in on the game.

My mLearnCon take-away as a product manager at Adobe is that the direction we are heading with eLearning is going to simplify some of these challenges, and accelerate the delivery of quality content to multiple screens. One of the biggest problems and outstanding questions continues to be delivering content to devices: content that will work, will look good, and will run across devices; content that will communicate with a secure server, as an extension of current learning management systems, and provide the data needed to track the mobile audience as well as keep track of desktop learners today. That content needs to be engaging and memorable, and it needs to work in the context of the learner. We are bringing learning to people who are on the go, on the move, in need of an update now, or who want to fill formerly ‘wasted’ moments with a purposeful activity. If I can spend my 5 minutes in line at Peet’s Coffee learning something I didn’t know about a topic relevant to me, I will keep coming back for more.

This is the work we have ahead of us as an eLearning community, and as a product group here at Adobe. Our research and development is heading in this direction, and I hope to see my cerebral widgets come to life in a tappable, swipe-able app one day soon. The Adobe eLearning development teams understand the pain that this exciting new learning modality brings to the creation and delivery of training and knowledge transfer, and we are working to make it simple to add mobile learning to your portfolio. When we do, the next Android, iOS, BlackBerry, or other device and OS update will not cause a challenge, or dictate an expensive new development project, but will be checked off as just one more screen in the ecosystem of your training programs.

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Dump physical memory error - how to resolve blue screen for good

Physical memory dump error is a problem that is caused by Windows being is unable to read the files and settings that allow to treat your software & settings. We found there are two possible causes of this error, which can only be solved if you know what they are, and how to address them. This tutorial will prove to be the best way to resolve the physical memory dump error in resolving all the potries toial issues will be involved in the first place.

This error is caused by a problem that involves the "memory" of your PC. The best way to describe it is that it is not as typical errors that you will get Windows - it is the result of another problem. The "Dump physical memory" means that Windows will be really take your settings and then save (dump) files on your hard disk - is a problem that is caused only when your system crashes. The error is not really an error at all - it is a mechanism that protects Windows to lose your stored settings & information; and, as a result, you have the issues that will be involved.

There are 2 causes leading physical memory dump error to show, are that your PC has hardware incompatibility, or software errors. To resolve these problems, follow the steps below:

(Step 1) remove any recently added hardware

If any new material just added to your system, you can delete immediately, because it is likely to conflict with other devices that will be your system. This accounts for all USB form led to a new memory module. If do you and find that the accidents are still occurring, then move to step 2.

(Relocation of step 2) errors causing programs

The next thing to do is reinstall all software which causes errors. If you find people like Photoshop & a number of other programs important is restart your PC, they will have some sort of problem with their options or settings. To resolve this problem, you can reinstall the program by clicking on "start", select "Add / Remove Programs" and then remove the software at fault.

(Step 3) clean up the registry

This is the most important step, because it allows problems to be inside. We found that the registry is one of the main causes of the physical memory dump error, and therefore it is recommended that you set the most effective way. The registry is essentially a database that stores important information and settings that allow your computer read all important options and that he needs to work. We recommend that you use a program called Frontline Registry Cleaner to resolve the various problems that may have a database of the registry.

You can correct errors in physical memory dump using the tutorial and tools on our Web site. You can click here to correct the error of physical memory dump on your PC.

Adding Multiple Click-based Animations on a Screen with Adobe Captivate 5

May 24, 2011

You are creating a simulation-based course and you need to demonstrate a couple of related workflows which include just about six to eight steps each. You are not convinced to create separate screens for such small demonstrations. So, what should you do?

Looks like you need a screen where you can include all these simulations which play on-demand, one at a time. Let’s learn how to create such a screen.

Here’s an example for you… There is one common animation area and five different buttons that trigger the animation. Notice that the animation plays from the starting frame every time you click the related button.

And here’s how you can create such a screen:

Let me know if you found this post useful or have any questions by leaving a comment on this post.

Happy Captivating!

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Tutorial Photoshop - separation of colors for screen printing

If you are new to screen printing, can you do not know where to begin when it comes to getting ready artwork for printing. Separate the color images is an important step. Fortunately Photoshop is easy enough. I will show you how in a few easy steps.

Open the image in Photoshop. Now, select the magic wand tool in the tools Panel. Use this tool to select all of color in the image. If you need to select more of a field, hold the SHIFT key pressed, you click on the image. You will see "dancing ants" around the selected areas. If you click the wrong box, simply press Ctrl + Z to undo the last move, or click right and select subtract from the selection. Once you have made your selection, click right and select Layer via copy. This will create a new layer with just the color of an inside.

If you look at the layers Panel now you will see two layers. Disable the icon of the eye next to layer 1 to hide the layer. You should be able to see just the color that you selected on the left in the image. I will change the name of this layer of colour it by double clicking on the name and the replacement text.

If everything looks good, click the space where the eye icon was to reappear as layer 1. Follow the steps in the selection of a color and the overlay via copy again until all the colours are represented in their own layers. Whenever you select a new color of overlay, you will need to make sure that layer 1 is active. You can tell because this layer will be highlighted in blue in the layers panel. Layer 1 should be active because it is where all the colours originally reside. If a different layer is then active when you try to use the magic wand tool to select a color, it does not work correctly because the color you select is not present in the active layer.

The colors have the finer details are a little more complicated than the other layers. It is a good idea to zoom in when you select small areas to make sure that you don't miss anything. Also, if I use the magic wand to select small characters like the TM next to the logo it will probably not consider crisp when screen printing. Instead of selecting this area with the magic wand, create a new layer and use the text tool to rewrite TM. Write TM black and move the TM to the correct location on the image. Use a different color that the TM was written in, so it is easy to see if the police is the right size, etc.

Now hide all layers in the layers Panel except the TM layer and the layer that contains the same color that you want to Mt to be printed in. Click the right button in the layers panel, and then select Merge Visible. The two layers are now together in a single layer.

You will need to create registration marks now so the layers are easy to align when printing. Use a thin font such as Arial and write the + sign in black in three corners of the image. Use a font size that is easy to see, but not too thick or it will be difficult to align. The registration of marks must be far the image that they do not interfere with printing, but near the image always enough. When you print a few logos, you will get a feeling to learn how to create and place these marks.

Now select one of the layers. On the file menu, click Image > adjustments > levels. The levels options window will appear. Under output levels: there is a black and white bar with two arrows below. Click the white arrow and drag it to the left end of the bar. This will transform the black layer.

This with each layer so that each layer is black. You are now ready to print. You want to print each layer separately colored in black with the registration of marks on each impression. Printing good luck!

Lisa Robbins is one of the founders of WebsiteTemplateDatabase.com, a resource for free Web site templates and Tutorials Photoshop.