Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Replace Windows Calculator

Windows calendar replacement Replace Windows Calculator

When I use a calculator I like to see the tape – that way I can see what I have done so I can check that the result is based on correctly input data and operators.

Frustratingly the Windows calculator does not include a tape function – seriously it’s not like it would be wasting trees to include one!

My solution is to use Moffsoft FreeCalc which you can find here: http://www.moffsoft.com/downloads.htm. This is a simple calculator you can enter values into using the buttons or the keyboard and it includes a tape that lets you check your entries.

Unbeatable value and a smart replacement for the Windows Calculator app.

Monday, March 1st, 2010

How to install fonts in Windows 7

 How to install fonts in Windows 7

Ok. It should be dead easy to install fonts into Windows if you have been doing it since Windows 3.1. Until Windows 7 you went to the Control Panel, chose Fonts then installed them using the handy dandy dialog. Ok. Not so simple but it worked and it has done so for years.

Fast forward to Windows 7. No Font dialog as I remember it and no font install option. Ok, step backward, think, investigate, light bulb moment encountered.

In Windows 7 there are multiple ways to install fonts but seriously only one I’d bother using. Open the folder containing the font file, unzip it to see the TTF file if it is zipped then double click the font’s ttf file name. A dialog opens showing you what the font looks like and, at the top, you will find an Install button. Click it and seconds later the font is installed. Really? It’s how it always should have been done.

You can drag and drop the .ttf file into the fonts list via the Control Panel but seriously – why bother going to the effort. You can also right click on a font’s .ttf file and choose Install from the menu too but I like to check the font before installing so it is method #1 for me.

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

Multiple Outlook 2007 windows

windows 786880 Multiple Outlook 2007 windowsOften it is easier to work with multiple windows in Outlook 2007 rather than having to switch between modules to show just one at a time.

You can open each different Outlook tool in its own window if you right click the icon (eg. Calendar) in Folder view and choose Open in New Window.

Each window will display on the task bar as its appropriate icon so it’s easy to switch between tools.

To ensure that each tool always opens in separate windows leave them open when you select File > Exit to close Outlook 2007. When you open the program again, all the windows will open automatically.

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Better Travel Photography #2 – Glass and puddles are your friend

romereflection 736241 Better Travel Photography #2   Glass and puddles are your friendDo your travel photographs look just like everyone else’s?

If you wonder why you bothered lugging your digital SLR half way around the world and didn’t just settle for buying postcards, it’s time to revisit the way you photograph your travels. Here is part 2 in my new series of Better Travel Photography – a guide to getting great travel photos that don’t look like everyone else’s..

Today’s tip: Glass is your friend (not the lens type of glass either!)

If what you are photographing is in a busy location you can capture unusual detail by turning your back on it and find ways to capture it reflected in surrounding windows.

While the object’s details might be less well defined when reflected and while you’ll get a combination of the window detail and the object itself, the collage effect can make for a unique image.

If it rains as you travel, celebrate the opportunities available in shooting reflections in puddles. Capturing a popular tourist destination reflected in water is a way of seeing things that are there all the time but which few people ever really “see”.

colloso 736302 Better Travel Photography #2   Glass and puddles are your friendWhen you shoot reflections, in windows or in puddles take care to make sure your camera is focusing on what it is that you want it to focus on.

You’ll want the detail in the reflection to be visible and in sharp focus with the surrounding area out of focus.

If you’re used to using a polarizing lens on your camera – which you should when shooting in sunlight conditions – remove it when you’re shooting reflections.

One of the roles of a polarizing filter is to cut out a lot of reflected light from entering your camera and, when you’re shooting reflections that’s exactly what you want to capture.

Sunday, November 2nd, 2008

Falling in love with Rome

rome16 724343 Falling in love with Rome

I have been surprised at how easy Rome is to walk. On the map it looks so much bigger than it really is. You need to walk it too or you miss so much of the tiny details that, together, go to make the city.

As you look at these photos, insert backing sounds of church bells ringing, traffic and the sirens of the local carbineri and politzia as they whizz around this wonderful city.

Here are some images from the themes I’ve been shooting. One is roof tops and the wonderful chimney pots and layers in the roofs of the city:

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Close ups from statues, churches and fountains is another of my themes. The first is detail from the Trevi fountain and the second is from one of the three fountains in the Piazza Navona:

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OMG, there’s a pigeon on my nose!

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From a church in Orvieto:

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Same church, here are the colours of Italy in the door detail:

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Another theme is windows, here is one through which you can see to the building behind. It is from the Forum area in Rome:

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This window harbours a reflection of a nearby building:

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Mirror, Mirror on the wall…

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I find that domes are much more interesting in the context of their surrounds, like this one:

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Another of my themes this trip is light fittings. I have a huge collection of wonderful street lights and shop lights. This is a set from near the Colosseo in Rome:

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As luck would have it, United Colors of Beneton is right opposite the Trevi Fountain. So, with your back to the fountain you can see it reflected in the shop window. Here’s the result:

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Another morning, I found a map and paper shop with a street light in front. This photo is more reminiscent of a multi shot taken using film and has a collage feel to it – gotta love reflections:

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Everywhere throughout Italy you can find religious icons above houses and at nearly every street corner. I have a grab bag of photos of them, this is one of the more elaborate I’ve found:

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Finally, who can resist a market such as the one at the Campo de Fiori, and the wonderful variety of fruit on display:

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Or this streetside tie display:

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And what is a day without some wonderful graffiti?

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Sunday, February 11th, 2007

Create an Outlook sticky note

I love sticky notes but not stuck all over my computer monitor. My computer desktop, that’s another thing – Sticky notes there look so cute and they’re so useful because they’re right there where I can see them.

Outlook has a great sticky note feature. Simply type a quick reminder using an Outlook Note and you can ‘stick’ it on your desktop. Click the Notes icon in Outlook or choose File, New, Note and type the text for your note. Make the first line explanatory of the note’s contents as this becomes its name so it’s the first thing you see. When you’re done, click the Note’s Close button to finish.

Now drag and drop the Note onto your desktop – it will stay there and remain accessible even when Outlook isn’t open. To view the Note’s contents, simply double click it.