Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Do You QR?

What the heck is this a picture of?  And why do I care?

As we move into the age of mobile computing, images like this will be more common than ever.  You'll find them on websites, in magazines, brochures and even on buildings and doors of businesses around the world.

So do you know?  Award yourself an extra hour of intenet surfing time if you know that this is a QR image.

A what?  A Quick Response code.  It's a barcode for coding information.

From Wikipedia:
QR code (short for Quick Response) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code), readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera phones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded can be text, URL or other data.
Armed with a smartphone, you can use an app to "read" the QR image you find in the real world that will save you from typing in the text into your mobile browser.   Perhaps it's a URL to an upcoming event.  Or a link to a restaurants online menu or online ordering system.

While there are a number of reader apps, I find that the Google Mobile apps for iPhone and Android do the job well.  Here's the link to Google's QR page where you find Google's app and others to download.

And if you want to create a QR code, an easy way is to use Google's URL shortener service at http://goo.gl/ 
Enter your URL and the site will create a shortened URL that you can use in Twitter and other services.  and if you are logged into Google, just look at the history for the shortened link and click details.  The QR code will be displayed.  You can then save that image to your PC for future use.

And now you know.


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Monday, May 9, 2011

Just Say It

Typing can be such a bother.  But up to now, speech to text has been a hit or miss.

With the latest version of Google's Chrome Browser, users can now translate spoken speech into a foreign language.

All it takes is Chrome 11 and a microphone and a visit to the Google Translate.

Note the small mic icon in the right-hand corner?  Click it and say your phrase in English.  Your spoken phrase will then be returned in the selected foreign language.  And some languages, like Spanish and German, you'll even have the option to hear the foreign translation.

So give your fingers a rest and try out the new capabilities of Google Chrome.

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Sunday, May 8, 2011

Flip Out on Flipboard for the iPad

Flipboard for the Apple iPad is the best app for the iPad.  Period.


Flipboard is how we should get all of our information on a tablet computer.  
It's what futurists have predicted for years:  personalized, interactive digital content that updates instantly in a magazine format.
The app the iPad allows users to include content from Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Flickr as well as content from a growing list of news sites.
After a few minutes of viewing your daily content as a digital magazine, you'll be hooked.
Maybe it's a stretch to say this is the only reason to buy an iPad.  But it's sure a great reason.

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Saturday, May 7, 2011

AOL's New Video Chat Site - AIM AV

AOL has launched a new Video Chat site at http://www.aim.com/av

While officially in BETA and supposedly for only AOL Internal use, the new site was reported in TechCrunch earlier this week.

Using the new site is rather simple.  There's no login or connecting to users.  The site uses Flash and a link to a new 10.3 beta is provided.  Apparently, the new beta provides better echo reduction.

Once you start using the site, you can copy a unique link for your chat and then send it to others to start chatting right away.

Up to 4 users can chat at the same time.

The video chat wars are heating up and this new site shows that AOL is ready to take on Skype and others in the video segment.

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Friday, May 23, 2008

How to Take a Screen Shot on an iPhone

Have you ever needed to save a screenshot of your iPhone?

If so, you're in luck.

Apple snuck this feature into version 2.0 of the iOS operating system some time ago.

But many iPhone users don't know about this or how to do it.

To take a screenshot with your iPhone or iPod Touch, just press the Home and Sleep buttons at the same time.  (The home button is the button on the front at the bottom and the Sleep button is the button on the top right-hand edge of the phone.)

The screen will flash white and you’ll hear the camera shutter sound,

Your screen will be captured and saved in the Camera Roll.

From there you can email it or send by SMS like other photos.

Alas, there's no function like this on Android phones.



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Sunday, April 20, 2008

Backing Up Avoids Crack Ups

Protect your treasured data! This Cool Tip provides essential tips on how to back up important files using methods like external drives, cloud storage, and auto-upload photo apps to prevent devastating data loss.

By Rodger Mansfield, Technology Editor
April 20, 2008


backup data early and often
UPDATES


2) This post has been one of the most popular here on OneCoolTip.  A few additional ways to backup your important data include copying files to cloud storage systems like DropBoxMicrosoft One Drive and Google Drive.  

In addition, with so many photos stored on a phone, it's best to ensure there is an auto-upload photo program like Google's new Google Photo app to ensure that if the device is lost or stolen, you still have your precious photos.

----
One of the worse things that can happen to a computer user is to lose one's data.

It's there one day. And then it's gone. Never to come back again.

Treasured family photos. Financial records. A doctoral dissertation.

Gone. Forever.

But it doesn't have to happen. Like most things in life, a little prevention is the best medicine.

Data can be backed up easily in a variety of ways, USB Flash Drives, CD and DVD Writers, External Hard Drives, or online storage. Each can be useful.

If you are paranoid, use them all. The point is it's never to early to back up your data and store it in a safe place.

One caveat is to always keep financial information secure.  And that probably means keeping it to a physical medium like a disk drive or CD that is stored at a different location.


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Rodger Mansfield, a seasoned tech expert, is the mastermind behind OneCoolTip.com, where he serves as both writer and editor. With a keen eye for simplifying complex tech, Rodger delivers practical advice that empowers readers to navigate the digital world with confidence. Dive into OneCoolTip.com for a treasure trove of savvy tips and tricks that keep you one step ahead in tech.



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Friday, April 18, 2008

Photoshop for Free

Photoshop ExpressNeed to "photoshop" a photo but don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on the software?

Well Adobe would still like you to use their software rather than using Paint.net or one of the web-based services like Flickr, Picasa or Facebook.

So last month Adobe released a new online service called Photoshop Express. It's a Web-based, still in beta, service for storing, sharing and editing photos.

Photoshop Express is available at http://www.photoshop.com/express/

The new Photoshop Express has many of the same features as other online services. But Photoshop has long been known for its extensive editing features and the free service shines. And Photoshop Express has the best set of features that are easy-to-use.

Like other services, you can share your photos in albums or download them to your PC. Larger files will of course take longer time to upload than using local software.

But when you need to do some editing, Photoshop Express is a good tool.

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Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Sky's the Limit

Google SkyNeed a map of the constellations in a hurry? Want to see Hubble's beautiful photographs of distant galaxies?

Traveling to the stars has never been easier. Check out Google Sky at http://sky.google.com

UniverseSimilar to Google Maps, you can scroll around the galaxy. Popular locations have text blocks of information making your sky journal educational as well.

In addition, you can view the sky with these views:
  • Infrared - An infrared view of the sky from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). Change the transparency of this layer by moving the slide bar to blend the optical and infrared.
  • Microwave - A view of the microwave sky from NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), which shows the universe as it was 380,000 years after the big bang.
  • Historical - The sky as drawn by Giovanni Maria Cassini (printed in 1792) showing the constellations in their classical form from the collections of David Rumsey


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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Saving Files Saves Time

Internet Explorer Save Target AsUsers often complain that reading some documents on the web can be a slow and painful process. Especially on dial-up or slower-speed connections.

But there's a simple work around.

Rather than clicking a link to open a PDF, Word, PowerPoint or similar document within the browser, use the "Save Target As" feature of Internet Explorer to save the file to your local hard drive first. Then open this file directly from your PC.

To do this, hover over any html-link to a file, right mouse-click the link and select the option "Save Target As..." In Firefox, the command is named, "Save Link As".

Be sure to save the file in a location where you can remember it. Then, minimize Internet Explorer and use the "My Computer" option in Windows to locate the file, double-click and view the file. You can also open the application first and use "Open" to find and open the file.

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Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Paint with the Pros

Paint.net paint graphicsWhen creating complex graphics, professionals use PhotoShop. But this is a high-end package that costs hundreds of dollars.

But there is another choice that meets many of the same requirements and costs nothing. And that is Paint.net

Paint.net offers a simple, intuitive, and innovative user interface along with advanced tools and special effects.

The program is a open-source and updated on a regular basis. So before you go out and pay hundreds of dollars for a graphics package, check out Paint.net.

To Get Paint.net, visit: http://www.getpaint.net/

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