Personal Technology Tips in Plain English
Archive for May, 2007
How To Create PDF Documents On The Fly
May 23rd
I am a big fan of PDF documents especially for those that will be widely distributed like lists, brochures, event flyers, etc. The reason why I like PDF files is that they retain formatting and protect the document from being presented in unintended ways. It ensures the professional look of documents that you invested time and energy into creating.
There are various online PDF conversion services and you can even shell out the big bucks for Adobe Acrobat software (the actual application, not the free reader). But in reality, that’s really not necessary. For a very low price (comes out to $15 or less / year) you can have a PDF generator right on your desktop to convert files on the fly.
These stand-alone applications like MyPDF Creator basically take any existing document that you have, Microsoft Excel, Powerpoint, Word, even photos – jpeg files, etc. and convert them into a PDF file format.
The process is really easy — as easy as right-clicking on any file in Windows, and then entering a file name for the new pdf converted file. Viola! It’s now in PDF format.
It’s all up to your personal preferences. Some people really like online services, others like integrated plug-ins and applications that are embeded within the functionality of the application — some PDF generators basically act as a printer driver, so that any time you want to output a PDF file, you just go to “print” that file and then choose the PDF printer driver.
And lastly there are stand-alone applications like MY PDF Creator which is running the in the background at all times so that you can simply right-click files and convert on the fly at anytime. Worth checking out and trying to convert sample files with their trial.
CNN.com Review Agrees the Samsung Blackjack is a “Sexy Smartphone”
May 21st
Yet another review that came that details some of the practical reasons for getting the Samsung Blackjack on AT&T Wireless. Seems like everyone is jumping on this bandwagon.
If it’s on CNN, it’s gotta be true, no? 
Here’s some tidbits from the review for you to decide for yourself:
- “BlackJack definitely delivers on its 3G capabilities”
- “our initial impressions are more positive than negative”
- “comfortable to hold, and thanks to its slimmer body, feels more like a cell phone”
- “controls make it easy to use the device with one hand”
- “full QWERTY keyboard is fairly easy to use”
- “HSPDA has the potential to transmit data at up to 14.4mbps”
- “Using Cingular Video, we watched clips of The Daily Show, Access Hollywood, ESPN sports highlights, and a few other videos”
- “Downloads were speedy with barely any delay for video buffering”
- “we were able to listen to XM satellite radio and enjoyed smooth streaming audio”
- “The BlackJack also supports instant messaging (AOL, MSN, and Yahoo) as well as text and multimedia messages”
- “also a quad-band world phone that can be used in more than 180 countries
- ”call quality was excellent”
- “no problems pairing the device to the Logitech Mobile Traveller Bluetooth headset”
- “Web browsing and multimedia experience on the BlackJack was awesome”
- “Video looked spectacular on the BlackJack’s gorgeous screen”
- “BlackJack is rated for 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 11 days of standby time. In our tests, the phone just met the rated talk time”
Seems like a great summary of the best features of the Blackjack. What do you think?
How to Do a Reverse-Lookup of Cellphone Numbers in the US
May 21st
There’s so much data out there these days. So much that we sometimes pay extra for so-called privacy. Many people get and use their cell phones so that records are not tied back to their personal home addresses.
Yet little do people know that up to 70% of all cell phone numbers can be tied to specific people and other personal records. 95% of all “unlisted” numbers with Verizon and other local carriers are actually able to be looked-up with ease through various databases. Read the rest of this entry »
How to Send an Outbound Fax If You Have Vonage (Free)
May 21st
Most of us have access to a fax machine with we really need to send a fax — either a work or home or perhaps the local Staples store. But it’s usually not the most convenient thing to do when we really need to send a document via fax.
If you’re a Vonage customer, there’s a new way to send almost any document via Fax through Vonage’s website. You can fax Microsoft Office files like Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and even PDF files. The new “alpha” V-Fax service is available to all Vonage customers free of charge. Here’s how . . .
How to send a fax via Vonage online:
- Log into your Vonage account at the V-Fax page: https://v-fax.vonage.com/
- Enter the destination fax number
- Click “BROWSE” and find the document you want to send (any Word, Powerpoint Excel or PDF file)
- Click “PREVIEW” to submit the file to fax and see what the recipient will see on their fax machine
- If you like what you see, simply click on “FAX FILE” and Vonage will send the fax on your behalf
- You’ll receive a confirmation email with a copy of the faxed document that was sent
This service combined with any of the free e-fax inbound services like j2.com, k7.net, etc basically solves most of your faxing needs! You now have a free out-bound fax service from your PC and also free inbound fax services. What else do you need?
14 Foot Tall Samsung Blackjack
May 21st
It seems like the Blackjack is really picking up speed in taking up mindshare. I see or hear mentions of it more and more wherever I go these days.
I saw this 14 foot tall Samsung Blackjack while driving into the Lincoln Tunnel in New York City the other day and of course it caught my eye — however disappointed I was when I got closer . . . Read the rest of this entry »
How to Insert Slides from One Powerpoint Presentation File into Another
May 19th
There are many times when you are preparing a Powerpoint presentation in collaboration with others. While you may be the main author or presenter, you need to integrate various sub-sections of the prestentation created by others on your team. While it would be ideal if everyone worked off the same template, fonts, formatting, etc. it’s not realistic to assume this would happen all the time.
If you work with others on Powerpoint presentations, you’ll need to learn how to insert their slides into the master presentation file. Much of the time a simple Copy/Paste of the slides with both Powerpoint presentations open will do the trick. BUT beware that many times you loose the original formatting, font assignments, text shadows, etc. Instead of grumbling under your breath while you go through each slide and touch up text and other elements to make it look nice and pretty, here’s a way to insert slides without loosing any of the formatting. . . Read the rest of this entry »
How To Share Your Home Movies With Anyone That Has A Tivo (Peer-to-Peer Video Sharing)
May 18th
It’s the Napster of Home Movies using Tivo! Tivo has partnered with OneTrueMedia for a new service where users can transform video and photos into polished video montages that can be shared with friends and family that have a Tivo.
At OneTrueMedia’s website, users go through a simple two-step process: just upload photos & home video and hit ‘submit’ to create a stylish video, complete with soundtrack.
Those wanting greater creative control and customization can further with their own editing decisions such as adding title slides and captions, building in special effects, selecting music, adding stock photos and video and more. The finished product is a video clip that looks professionally produced with neat transitions, audio, etc.
OneTrueMedia allows you to share your video creation online through YouTube, and some other video sharing sites online. But one of the really neat features is being able to view it via your Tivo box. Each user is given a unique “CHANNEL CODE” in the format ####-####-####-####. Any Tivo user worldwide can simply enter the channel code and view videos uploaded or created online. You can even get a “Season Pass” to that “video channel” and new videos will show up in your “NOW PLAYING” list.
How to View Home Movies On Tivo:
- On any TiVo box, go to Music, Photos, Products, & More, and then Home Movies by One True Media
- To view your channel, a viewer simply enters your Channel Code (provided in the email that you send them). Once the channel is set up, a code doesn’t need to ever be re-entered.
- Viewers can get a Season Pass or download one video at a time like any other show TiVo records
- When they’re ready to watch, viewers just go to the Now Playing list and open Home Movies by One True Media
The best way is to just play around and create a test video with random video or photos you have available. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to create one. And once you’re hooked, you’ll be motivated to figure out the Tivo channel feature (which is REALLY easy actually). It’s one case where you can say, “Try it, you’ll like it!”
I love tech, gadgets and the web. Hope you pick-up a useful tip or two here today that helps you use technology to your advantage! Better yet, why not share your own expertise in a comment on a post today to help the other readers that land here for answers!