Edit Your Photos & Movies - Windows Virus Alert - iPhone Competitors
Hey all!
It's a wonderful New Year and there's lots to be thankful for! It's a wonderful time to reflect and be truly thankful. I'd love to know what you're thankful for. In this issue we look at the super cool new updates to Picasa, the free, easy to use movie and photo editor made by Google (competes head to head with the Adobe Suite Photoshop Elements) and we then turn our attention to the 4th of 4 cools phones we've reviewed this year (first,the 3 G iphone, next the Gphone (Google Phone), the Blackberry Storm, and the Nokia 97. It's the first touch screen Blackberry. It has all the features of the iphone plus the missing ones you always wanted.
Wow - the excellent Photo Organizing/Edit program made by Google, Picasa 3, has had a MAJOR face lift. It's an incredible change, as I loved the program before the changes. I'll detail below all the changes that were made. My favorite changes are the ability to make movies (a la Adobe Premiere Elements - $99 and Windows Movie Maker (included free with Windows)), the automatic Red-Eye suggestions, the automatic syncing to Web albums and the easy upload to YouTube button (after you've made your movies). Picasa now embodies a great alternative to the Adobe Photoshop/Premier Elements Package which retails for $149. I feel Picasa is more intuitive than Adobe products and it's free!
This movie maker is quite powerful. It has transition effects, the ability to put in photos and music, and edit videos you've taken.
Late Breaking News: Picasa, mentioned in this month's ezine now works for both Linux and the Mac.
The new Features are Amazing:
Create Movies (Edit movies, Transitions, Music, Add Photos)
Re-touch (cloning) to rub out blemishes
Cropping - smarter
Preview of all edits
100% Un-do
Picasa Web Album Syncing
Share photos online private or public
Automatic Red-eye (which you can still adjust)
Write on Photos
Easy Upload (up to 1 G) of movies to YouTube
Non-destructive Updates
Remember, we here at In the Moment Computer Relieve Your Digital Photo/Movie Stress! Call today at 408.732.8500 or visit us online at www.ITMComputing.com
Windows Worm Stealing People's Identities
There is a horrible Windows Bug/Virus/Worm out there named Conficker or Downadup. It is a malicious little program spreading quite rapidly through the Internet, infecting millions of computers as you read this. Unfortunately, there's no "single" solution as of yet. The worst part about this program is that it's stealing people's identities and will possibly, in the next day or two, steal lots of identities the same day and/or crash people's computers.
How can you fix things, right now?
The way we've been recommending for 11+ years.
Do your Windows Updates: (Open up Internet Explorer, Go to Tools, Windows Update).
Install Anti-virus and Anti-spyware Software (we like AVG and Spybot)
Enable Personal Firewall (Windows and Mac have these built-in)
Get a Router that has built-in Firewall.
Microsoft did a preliminary patch in October, but unfortunately many people haven't done their Windows Updates. Do them. Now.
After much anticipation, rumors and innuendo, the Blackberry Storm has been released by Blackberry and Verizon Wireless (exclusive vendor). It's the first touch screenBlackberry. It's beyond cool. It has everything the iPhone has and so much more! If you're considering purchasing an iPhone, there is FINALLY an alternative. As with all amazingly cool products, it doesn't hurt to wait 2-3 weeks before purchasing one, though. There are always little bugs to be worked out, as we've seen with the iPhone 1.0 and the iPhone 2.0.
Amazing Features
3.2 mp Camera
Flick'r and Facebook App
GPS Navigation
4 radio frequency bands (195 countries)
Send video to friends with 5 Instant Messaging programs
Swappable SD cards for storing movies/photos
Speaker with noise canceling features
Full HTML browser for browsing the web
Turn phone and images and keyboard turn with you
Visual Voicemail
Bluetooth Stereo
Word, Excel and Powerpoint
Keyboard - 2 type Qwerty & Double Letter/Key
Phone keyboard, turn, then you have Qwerty
Each icon is highlighted as you click
Amazing screen for video
Changeable Batteries
Engadget's Review is full of very honest feedback plus photos. They feel the Storm comes up short in learning curve and in the way the keypad works.
Price: $199 w/2 year, $249 w/1 year
As I recommend for all phone purchases, go to the store and take a test drive. You won't know how much you like a phone until you actually try it.
1/14/2009 update:
The Blackberry Storm is getting primarily negative review since its release. I'm no longer recommending it. If you try it and you like it, awesome! I still recommend that people go to store and try it. It's had one firmware upgrade which makes it a bit more stable. I think Blackberry might have stumbled upon this one a bit.
P. S. Don't forget, at ITM Computing, we offer training on iPhones, iPods, and Blackberries. Just call 408.732.8500 to set up appointment today! Mention you read this review and get $25 off your next appointment for any phone or music device.
Green and Red Check Marks by my files - Why?
The excellent and only program we recommend for backup, Mozy, has been upgraded recently for the Mac and Windows. For most of you, the update will take place on its own. If you haven't updated in a while, it's time to update. Go to Mozy, log in, and choose "Download Mozy" from the left column. Choose either the Windows or Mac version, download and install it.
With this new update, you'll know exactly which files that are being backed up (they'll have green dots/check marks by them) and which ones , those that are in selected folders scheduled for backup, but aren't being backed up (they'll have red dots/check marks).
If you're not using our off-site backup system, why not? It's less than $5/month and and will save all your company documents, children's photos and all the music (iTunes, Amazon Music) you downloaded! It can't be easier. Remember having a backup drive sitting next to your computer is only good for one thing: hard drive failure. It doesn't help you with theft & fire. Online backup solutions do. Plus online backup solutions "just work," where on-site backup solutions, unless checked often, eventually stop working (not 100% of the time - just in almost every client we see).
I'm completely blown away by Nokia's N97 Phone. This is Nokia's answer to the gPhone and iPhone. I'm sure it will be referred to as the nPhone. If not, I said it here first! It addresses my biggest 2 disappointments with iPhone - it has 5 mp camera w/video and 2 flashes and has a REAL keyboard. I'm just not into virtual keyboards.
1. It shoots 16:9 video. The iPhone doesn’t even do video. So, how can you go to a Daft Punk concert and record it to taunt your friends?
2. It has a 5 megapixel camera. The iPhone only has 2, and the quality isn’t even close. The camera also has a dual LED flash, so you can take pictures in the dark where the iPhone can’t.
3. You can type three Facebook status messages on the N97’s nice QWERTY keyboard in the time that you can type two on the iPhone.
Great Video Demo of Nokia N97
4. It does copy and paste, so you can copy URLs to send to your friends. The iPhone can’t do that.
5. It has replaceable batteries so you can charge up three batteries and Facebook for days, while the iPhone needs to be hooked back up to the wall for recharging after a few hours.
6. The GPS device does turn-by-turn and has a built in compass, so you’ll get to your parties faster than with the iPhone, which doesn’t have a compass and doesn’t do turn-by-turn.
How much will this thing cost? Approx $350 with 2 year contract. Unlocked (meaning you can use any provider with a SIM card - $799-$999).
P. S. Don't forget, at ITM Computing, we offer training on iPhones, iPods, and Blackberries. Just call 408.732.8500 to set up appointment today! Mention you read this review and get $25 off your next appointment for any phone or music device.
Be In The Moment - it's the only moment of the moment.
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