tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60760380853443133542023-11-16T06:28:30.381-05:00Take a Tech TipGo ahead, say that five times fast.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-64079406208997857442012-01-29T13:28:00.002-05:002012-03-16T17:22:20.901-04:00Twitter: Tiling a Background ImageIf you're interested in changing your Twitter background appearance, read on!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Editing your Twitter profile page</b></span><br />
<i>Changing your display background</i><br />
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In Twitter, your display background will appear in the following 2 scenarios:<br />
[1] When you log into Twitter, this is the display background you will see<br />
[2] When other people visit your Twitter page, this is the image they will see in the background<br />
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For this little 'project,' I'm going to use a <a href="http://www.nerdist.com/podcast/you-made-it-weird/">You Made it Weird </a>logo image that I made; once you tile it, it's super purrrddddy.<br />
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I'm going to be using this image for the tutorial. If you're a 'weirdo' too (and I mean this in the best way possible) and want to use this image yourself, click <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzJsjVwfI8z1grxaiEHqlwloTvHCWWZzsDw0d-DQ7xqx0pGhACx4nQuNrPqRrrI0v8IpaX4CRCTkf5AmS_-OJwrwF7uxRYTY4z_XS-yP7qhM4eIeHbHmfxUZYvzM53l_auTQlbdIzWgo/s1600/ps4.png">here </a>to open the image in a new tab; right click and save it to your computer.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzJsjVwfI8z1grxaiEHqlwloTvHCWWZzsDw0d-DQ7xqx0pGhACx4nQuNrPqRrrI0v8IpaX4CRCTkf5AmS_-OJwrwF7uxRYTY4z_XS-yP7qhM4eIeHbHmfxUZYvzM53l_auTQlbdIzWgo/s1600/ps4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhzJsjVwfI8z1grxaiEHqlwloTvHCWWZzsDw0d-DQ7xqx0pGhACx4nQuNrPqRrrI0v8IpaX4CRCTkf5AmS_-OJwrwF7uxRYTY4z_XS-yP7qhM4eIeHbHmfxUZYvzM53l_auTQlbdIzWgo/s1600/ps4.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YMIW with Pete Holmes is my current faaaaavorite podcast.</td></tr>
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<i>Edit</i>-- I've also drawn a tile-able <a href="http://www.kylekinane.com/">Kyle Kinane</a> image for his fans! To save the image, click <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbj7J26mRkqwPGzTfYkGPLxWD3H2ZweGoODHpokVqmvMbqJGki9T3gtG6MseyfvsURqiqBdnTvvW9snHWp8eA4HnuRmEnzI9k01ChyphenhyphenPkCvBPZ2nF3bJTD6qV8r26c6CMDEpBlMs_U-_78/s1600/kinane_spaced_tile_350.png">here</a> to open a window with the image; right click and save, as usual. Follow the instructions below as you would for any tile-worthy image.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbj7J26mRkqwPGzTfYkGPLxWD3H2ZweGoODHpokVqmvMbqJGki9T3gtG6MseyfvsURqiqBdnTvvW9snHWp8eA4HnuRmEnzI9k01ChyphenhyphenPkCvBPZ2nF3bJTD6qV8r26c6CMDEpBlMs_U-_78/s1600/kinane_spaced_tile_350.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbj7J26mRkqwPGzTfYkGPLxWD3H2ZweGoODHpokVqmvMbqJGki9T3gtG6MseyfvsURqiqBdnTvvW9snHWp8eA4HnuRmEnzI9k01ChyphenhyphenPkCvBPZ2nF3bJTD6qV8r26c6CMDEpBlMs_U-_78/s320/kinane_spaced_tile_350.png" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyle Kinane's work is pretty hilarious. Check out his album <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Death-of-the-Party-Explicit/dp/B0034JTBSQ">here</a>. </td></tr>
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[1] Log into your twitter account on<a href="http://www.twitter.com/"> www.twitter.com</a><br />
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[2] Click on the little silhouette button the top right corner, and select <b>Settings</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-omDkEY8A9qpqSVhQInsC9wMt83VY0BpMmzMQ7sMQbwCcYvGUIAmTmK_DpCT1XLR6meQntYcVwK6w-Sfb-81rHU_eqcx_7-CcV5CjhZyIcmaDVJA-MQipcXHnYv2OcoXSQNy1KYp2oKU/s1600/taketech.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-omDkEY8A9qpqSVhQInsC9wMt83VY0BpMmzMQ7sMQbwCcYvGUIAmTmK_DpCT1XLR6meQntYcVwK6w-Sfb-81rHU_eqcx_7-CcV5CjhZyIcmaDVJA-MQipcXHnYv2OcoXSQNy1KYp2oKU/s640/taketech.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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[3] On the far left menu, click on <b>Design</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSvgpWaPzew36lTazJk-SRjjtFDXFanCS3OUIRLanh3_lqMcCkeFBgxrlCpLP1jSmIvJDRMfmQfbC9EDib9MqWra16EDCkPFil3rgUFhB6aS-z13M9YXcvdNvOn8FzZSIXb25Pkypx_Q/s1600/taketech2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMSvgpWaPzew36lTazJk-SRjjtFDXFanCS3OUIRLanh3_lqMcCkeFBgxrlCpLP1jSmIvJDRMfmQfbC9EDib9MqWra16EDCkPFil3rgUFhB6aS-z13M9YXcvdNvOn8FzZSIXb25Pkypx_Q/s640/taketech2.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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[4] Scroll down to the <b>Customize your own </b>section. Select <b>Choose file</b>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvTMaFmqiuSqnUrOGbiRNNuh4GF2D7q8aCaV77BCPFuZYqXmOBMqhSx2J82vSNHlCDnaRdosUtjHQEBSHETcORmayrXVAeQ7AHjDNQULrnE19tg4tWdRXjje_H1ESpDo6N0uUwJLr2kM/s1600/taketech3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvTMaFmqiuSqnUrOGbiRNNuh4GF2D7q8aCaV77BCPFuZYqXmOBMqhSx2J82vSNHlCDnaRdosUtjHQEBSHETcORmayrXVAeQ7AHjDNQULrnE19tg4tWdRXjje_H1ESpDo6N0uUwJLr2kM/s640/taketech3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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[5] Go through your directory until you find the file of choice. Select it and select <b>OK</b>.<br />
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[6] Make sure that the <b>Tile background </b>option is checked.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdNA1Z4HZA30j3515Pf_LRNxzxaag95kd6YI1-at11GgKY4efDWFQ9uI6TEsy1C0SLWOHZSexnbtyVOQHNH5sR7JnKMoyXpUxlgn-5_jbqOTm9ka1F7PyaTxz0gqJAQYN8f_kiN5laag/s1600/01292012_16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdNA1Z4HZA30j3515Pf_LRNxzxaag95kd6YI1-at11GgKY4efDWFQ9uI6TEsy1C0SLWOHZSexnbtyVOQHNH5sR7JnKMoyXpUxlgn-5_jbqOTm9ka1F7PyaTxz0gqJAQYN8f_kiN5laag/s640/01292012_16.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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[7] Click on <b>Save</b> <b>Changes</b> at the bottom of the page.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuScQK2FOHXF_3KWVXW9QIfRuFX3GBdVxtjYgU41a0rg8sA-kBTnhO0lWgN6vooknncSiRvVGLj86bjhClCA_F6vps3xjBY0DTt3pux8_FvHRInyYgX1nldPlM0a0q7jrP_0avN3lOKvg/s1600/01292012_17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuScQK2FOHXF_3KWVXW9QIfRuFX3GBdVxtjYgU41a0rg8sA-kBTnhO0lWgN6vooknncSiRvVGLj86bjhClCA_F6vps3xjBY0DTt3pux8_FvHRInyYgX1nldPlM0a0q7jrP_0avN3lOKvg/s640/01292012_17.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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[8] Done! If you used the YMIW image above, your background will have the following appearance:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH5qeL_WyuCM0nGUSns_MlCdGkGEqGQeGRp-b40Rd0EZW9IKGxZRf1XMpzTOBTNWm3oFTKrV6ANxl8Zh785o66aoeOrDJQcZOUaBN3DIPu9LcI8zT4vlZbzMi-EQSdZ9tOzxIeThp29U/s1600/01292012_15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH5qeL_WyuCM0nGUSns_MlCdGkGEqGQeGRp-b40Rd0EZW9IKGxZRf1XMpzTOBTNWm3oFTKrV6ANxl8Zh785o66aoeOrDJQcZOUaBN3DIPu9LcI8zT4vlZbzMi-EQSdZ9tOzxIeThp29U/s400/01292012_15.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Also, for funsies, you can tile the YMIW image for your desktop background to the same effect!<br />
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Peace out, 'weirdos.' :)<br />
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Edit--For those who used the Kyle Kinane image, it'll look like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkj_Y6JNI0HwO9lTriHSQjjX3yyYV_6s9XWmLKWbKEcSzjmiWRWG_D8tDSksnB4UWcqR0YK1jxPEfTQ-3hKw3itbRJn25WpyCrgf3bGNm8w3E9V30rHWRP7gr2yxdT6vTGTW1wf5WuNc/s1600/kinane_tiled.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijkj_Y6JNI0HwO9lTriHSQjjX3yyYV_6s9XWmLKWbKEcSzjmiWRWG_D8tDSksnB4UWcqR0YK1jxPEfTQ-3hKw3itbRJn25WpyCrgf3bGNm8w3E9V30rHWRP7gr2yxdT6vTGTW1wf5WuNc/s400/kinane_tiled.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-46376476453055677742011-10-24T19:06:00.000-04:002011-11-12T10:56:39.488-05:00iTunes 10: WiFi Sync Your iPad/iPhone<br />
One of the best things about the new iTunes 10 software is that it allows you to do <b>wireless syncing</b>. Finally, gone are the days where you scramble for your little white USB cable just to add a single song to your iPhone.<br />
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If you set the option appropriately, you can now sync your iOS device to your computer wirelessly when they're on the same WiFi network! The procedure's pretty simple:<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>How to set up WiFi Syncing For Your iOS Device</i></span></b><br />
[1] Plug in your iOS device to your computer.<br />
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[2] Open iTunes. Click on the device as it appears in the left hand panel. Now, you are presented with what I call the 'Device Management' screen.<br />
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[3] At the bottom of the page, you'll see a section called <b>Options</b>. Check the box called <b>Sync with this iPad over WiFi</b>. (You can replace the word iPad with iPhone depending on your device.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1RPKOz_e_L-A3gs2R_LVu4W50RviI2U_NE8p2HmPn4mgznINdM56-HYCUpWay2VrwIQOynKPvFmMmfRuVnB8vAbC0f3c4y5iaVHOj0U29JY-LWa9wS5Qlea7EXy2-FmduQ5OETySDwg/s1600/10242011_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu1RPKOz_e_L-A3gs2R_LVu4W50RviI2U_NE8p2HmPn4mgznINdM56-HYCUpWay2VrwIQOynKPvFmMmfRuVnB8vAbC0f3c4y5iaVHOj0U29JY-LWa9wS5Qlea7EXy2-FmduQ5OETySDwg/s640/10242011_3.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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[4] Now, make sure to <b>Apply t</b>hese new settings by clicking on the bottom right button. If you don't do this, iTunes won't save the changes you just made for your iOS devices. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjySStFEUbmtffI1E-i7vcVfQw78ANGb2wWE_6vz1gt3A1mVhm2WtshKpAappN6dLRsFfFGUoYXAK4kSG-GCDVE1AuOnxECYkvqmhCHAfgpv5E1WaXmjB5blZXKnjOUkfg3g7A5BqwAo/s1600/10242011_5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkjySStFEUbmtffI1E-i7vcVfQw78ANGb2wWE_6vz1gt3A1mVhm2WtshKpAappN6dLRsFfFGUoYXAK4kSG-GCDVE1AuOnxECYkvqmhCHAfgpv5E1WaXmjB5blZXKnjOUkfg3g7A5BqwAo/s640/10242011_5.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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[5] Now, unplug your device from iTunes. Congratulations! You have just configured the new settings. Now it's time to test it out! </div>
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[6] Next time you start up iTunes, you'll be able to manage your device without having to plug it in. </div>
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As long as the device is connected to the same Wi Fi network as your computer, the device will appear in your computer's iTunes. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-orp-16bKrztA27EUmuXENBE27lQB-bE3rTbG5-0SlNJKyfTpWdLabWvVud8EXUufAmh94O-uMHQ6xuvIdi85xdjdWDqahFAFDYIN96IfmIRKeJseGpIXj7X1VALgCEp01UqwrzxrGLM/s1600/10242011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-orp-16bKrztA27EUmuXENBE27lQB-bE3rTbG5-0SlNJKyfTpWdLabWvVud8EXUufAmh94O-uMHQ6xuvIdi85xdjdWDqahFAFDYIN96IfmIRKeJseGpIXj7X1VALgCEp01UqwrzxrGLM/s640/10242011.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Devices on the same wireless network appear in iTunes without being manually connected. </td></tr>
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Before, you would have had to plug in the iOS device to see them appear under the <b>Devices </b>section in iTunes. Now, they should appear in iTunes even without being physically connected to your computer. </div>
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[3] Make the changes you'd want in the Device Management screen. Or, if you just automatically sync your whole iTunes library, you don't have to do anything! The <b>only </b>thing you must <b>not </b>forget, is to click on <b>Sync</b>. If you don't click Sync, then it won't sync, and this will all have been for naught. This new iTunes 10 feature is magical, but it's not <i>that</i> magical. </div>
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Personally, I couldn't believe this WiFi syncing; it seemed too good to be true. But, of course, it totally works! On my computer, I designated a new playlist to sync, and after I pressed <b>Sync</b>, the playlist appeared on my iPhone! So awesome!!!!! </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXXMU1Z4YPdDWDdfv9KQCWr47Iuteeu0qyeRhHBbCbZUWWdWWnSCwp1qlXaWejicESgkYc8D62K9fEqm2mOqFvLR75Kv_5zDeJ_u0qicsRAJ1Almg3JLyYL1yQ50o0rcj8LuZBRR38I8/s1600/10242011_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaXXMU1Z4YPdDWDdfv9KQCWr47Iuteeu0qyeRhHBbCbZUWWdWWnSCwp1qlXaWejicESgkYc8D62K9fEqm2mOqFvLR75Kv_5zDeJ_u0qicsRAJ1Almg3JLyYL1yQ50o0rcj8LuZBRR38I8/s640/10242011_4.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Press <b>Sync</b> in iTunes to watch the magic happen!</td></tr>
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Enjoy these fruits of the wireless revolution!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-84962089167026115212011-10-15T20:33:00.000-04:002011-10-15T21:17:51.477-04:00iOS 5: Notifications Center<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.maclife.com/files/u307916/2011/12/ios5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://www.maclife.com/files/u307916/2011/12/ios5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Yesterday, I did a lot of trial-and-error-ing Mythbusters style trying to 'fix' my Notifications Center (Really? Apple's new iOS wasn't as annoyingly cumbersome and flawed as I initially thought? Huh. Who'da thunk it? ). All turned out well in the end. For the interested, read on! </i><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://mattsoncreative.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/mythbusters-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://mattsoncreative.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/mythbusters-02.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love Mythbusters (the people <i>and </i>the show). So. Much. (Image from<a href="http://mattsoncreative.com/blog/?s=mythbusters"> Mattson Creative)</a></td></tr>
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<i><br /></i><br />
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The notifications center was probably <i>the </i>biggest thing that the iOS 5 boasted. People ranted and raved about it in the months preceding the software update. Last night though, I mostly ranted to myself. For some reason (actually, quite a few reasons...all of which will be addressed below), my notifications center wasn't working!<br />
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Let me explain.<br />
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This is how it was supposed to look.<br />
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<a href="http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/10/14/NotificationCenter_full.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim/2011/10/14/NotificationCenter_full.png" width="267" /></a></div>
<br />
See that? Updates about your phone, calendar, messages, reminders. All that was missing from my notifications center, and I was so sad! But, a few hours later and after much testing, I figured out what needed to be done to get the notifications center working. I'll explain below.<br />
<br />
I'll address the following subjects as they pertain to the notifications center:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Mail</li>
<li>Calendar</li>
<li>Reminders</li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1049/1315133790_060b7b0c11_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://thenextweb.com/files/2010/04/iPhone-Mail-App-Logo.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Mail</i></span></b> </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Key finding</b>: The notification center only reflects mail for the mailbox linked to your iCloud account. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>My problem:</b> If you read my earlier post on how to create a separate Apple ID account for your iCloud information, you'll understand how I created a separate .me account just for my iCloud information. Obviously though, I didn't want notifications for this essentially unused .me email account--I wanted notifications for my personal email account! I explain how to do it below:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>How to change the primary email account associated with your Apple ID</i></span></b></div>
<div>
[1] Go to <a href="http://appleid.apple.com/">http://appleid.apple.com</a></div>
<div>
[2] Go to <b>Manage your account</b>. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd6XGzYmnM_z6PfFRvNkCOyEttBTPLm_vvYHsKpjNF_nyTH1WKNz2yqqi-oIYDeFpdX2RU8obrwo9DL1PXapkfcLQP9kMvOEPKDpig0ENKuzTtqNU-3gpfoF81z0hIHHxMf2aYPV2GQA/s1600/10152011_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd6XGzYmnM_z6PfFRvNkCOyEttBTPLm_vvYHsKpjNF_nyTH1WKNz2yqqi-oIYDeFpdX2RU8obrwo9DL1PXapkfcLQP9kMvOEPKDpig0ENKuzTtqNU-3gpfoF81z0hIHHxMf2aYPV2GQA/s640/10152011_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[3] Log in with the <b>Apple ID</b> that you used to register <b>iCloud</b>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[4] Underneath <b>Primary Email Address</b>, you will see that the Apple ID email and the primary email address are identical. For some, this may be perfect; if that's the case, I don't think you need to read on. However, for others, this may be the root of your sad & empty notification screen problems. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6WBfKD_0H8Dkvv8KX5GN1NPcf4LrbdlZkRLxukJDTy9LeTUl5d79TcysKkq5zO_V10ivzo3LQ260PhLWqFxzW2Lr_7USpNepYcuTiUeaUB4LhJhdXbi2mzhfULXPM1BUzfJJd6Aq12s/s1600/10152011_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6WBfKD_0H8Dkvv8KX5GN1NPcf4LrbdlZkRLxukJDTy9LeTUl5d79TcysKkq5zO_V10ivzo3LQ260PhLWqFxzW2Lr_7USpNepYcuTiUeaUB4LhJhdXbi2mzhfULXPM1BUzfJJd6Aq12s/s400/10152011_4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you created a new @me.com account for iCloud,<br />
you probably don't want email notifications for the almost zero emails you may get there. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
[5] To remedy this, simply choose <b>Edit</b> in the <b>Primary Email Address </b>section, and then type in the email address for which you <b>do </b>want notifications. Then click <b>Save</b>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0ggp42YXpH1XddQ1RjFwnKjOSgcbdtQVwK6JtnsqVCzEtnouzv5tTsKmCWHA9VTEYEVMQdshw0mZq1GZkmr8Zu2u0znhUs29sVnzTXR1OjYrqiCQiDx-wEccigStmDTbNtc5JHj1pvk/s1600/10152011_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib0ggp42YXpH1XddQ1RjFwnKjOSgcbdtQVwK6JtnsqVCzEtnouzv5tTsKmCWHA9VTEYEVMQdshw0mZq1GZkmr8Zu2u0znhUs29sVnzTXR1OjYrqiCQiDx-wEccigStmDTbNtc5JHj1pvk/s400/10152011_5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmSbVZiqMVMmQgWj-W5ghRq1o7eYiJ75skyyReecrLlDjMOmNSzA-EIr8n2lT6P4NODHhNWZdSAHu3SuoJML3FO7op_3vFZaCJfa5Wz4V8TP28m2xD8Rl7II2zNxXaf30hPLFipMUcPs/s1600/10152011_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGmSbVZiqMVMmQgWj-W5ghRq1o7eYiJ75skyyReecrLlDjMOmNSzA-EIr8n2lT6P4NODHhNWZdSAHu3SuoJML3FO7op_3vFZaCJfa5Wz4V8TP28m2xD8Rl7II2zNxXaf30hPLFipMUcPs/s640/10152011_6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
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<div>
[6] You should now see the new personal email listed. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuyLHPO3s-MHmvjYfZ69ByQwYV6rTkzTIfVRRJu-vVHsDg4BQ_MjoDgQ7m6QZGVdt1ZWM8CXlQQWaJBsjaOhriEwHAdIcY35vYqQl8jTPPmep8B46RO9G54_-ib_jzVyGkzf8WOHMAj8/s1600/10152011_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuyLHPO3s-MHmvjYfZ69ByQwYV6rTkzTIfVRRJu-vVHsDg4BQ_MjoDgQ7m6QZGVdt1ZWM8CXlQQWaJBsjaOhriEwHAdIcY35vYqQl8jTPPmep8B46RO9G54_-ib_jzVyGkzf8WOHMAj8/s400/10152011_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
[7] Choose <b>Save Changes</b>. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
[8] We're now done with this step. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And with that, my friends, you should now be receiving notifications for the email you put under <b>Primary Email Address</b>. Simple solution! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, what's the lesson here? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow; font-size: large;">You only receive email notifications for the <b>Primary email address </b>associated with your Apple ID. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/1315133208_a2a29ba65c_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1145/1315133208_a2a29ba65c_m.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Calendar</span></i></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>How it works: </b>The Notifications Center only shows events on your iCloud calendar. I didn't have a problem with this part of the Notifications Center. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To learn how to move Google Calendars into iCloud, read my post on how to do it <a href="http://take-a-tech-tip.blogspot.com/2011/10/icloud-moving-google-calendars-to.html">here</a>. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
The lesson about calendars? </div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow; font-size: large;">Only events in your <b>iCloud</b> calendar will appear on your Notifications Screen. </span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.apple.com/ios/images/reminders_icon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://images.apple.com/ios/images/reminders_icon.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sad, blurry image.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Reminders</span></i></b></div>
<div>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
<div>
<b>Key finding:</b> Only reminders with <b>Alerts</b> set for <b>tomorrow or later</b> will appear on today's Notification Screen. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>My problem</b>: I like streamlined, centralized systems. Which means I wanted my daily events calendar and reminders (in addition to my unread email and messages) to appear on my Notifications screen. At first, when I made new reminders, they wouldn't appear on the Notifications screen. <i>Quelle horreur! </i>After much fiddling with reminders, I found a solution. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First, you should realize there are multiple ways of making reminders--on your Mac in iCal, on your iPad in the Reminders app, and on your iPhone in the Reminders app. I will talk mainly about making reminders in iCal. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How to make reminders in iCal that will show up on your notifications screen</span></i></b></div>
<div>
[1] Open iCal. If you haven't done so already, you'll want to <b>View > Reminders</b>. Now, there should be a column on the far right of your iCal window labelled <b>Reminders</b>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[2] Add a new reminder by either going to <b>File > New Reminder, </b>or if you prefer keyboard shortcuts <b>Command + K. </b>If you want to be really fly, after you press <b>Command + K</b>, type in <b>Command + E</b> so you can edit it easily (like adding an alert!) without doing that annoying right click move. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
[3] Give it the title you would like, and if you are less concerned with the reminders appearing in the notifications center because you plan on opening the Reminders app to check on your To-do lists, then that's all you have to worry about. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
However, if you want your reminders to appear on the Notifications Screen, you'll need to go a bit further. Basically, you need to add an <b>Alert</b>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But then the question becomes, when do I set my alert to allow this reminder to appear on today's notification screen? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Say that today I wanted to Buy Cinnamon, Flour, and Sugar, and I wanted that reminder to stay on my screen all of <b>today</b>. I would actually have to set the alert for <b>tomorrow </b>if I wanted to have it on my notifications screen.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you're interested in seeing how I figured that out, it involved a lot of methodical changes to my reminders using my computer, and seeing which ones appeared on my iPhone. When I first approached it, I for some reason took two factors into consideration instead of just one--due date and alert. So I made as many combinations as I felt were possible, and then I went to my iPhone Notification screen. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTgWXlQ320aYm8ge4vPafrA4oTZC0cBbJnDup6iqX0nebOFqJeJfFEbd0jjyNUrrTwXaZHxxVzX_IgCzNC7wSHMu9MZNnulpRzI-heADdOOtCsMZMFr_znbpnfDMnxXTkPl0s5lCdSHg/s1600/10152011_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSTgWXlQ320aYm8ge4vPafrA4oTZC0cBbJnDup6iqX0nebOFqJeJfFEbd0jjyNUrrTwXaZHxxVzX_IgCzNC7wSHMu9MZNnulpRzI-heADdOOtCsMZMFr_znbpnfDMnxXTkPl0s5lCdSHg/s640/10152011_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are all the due date/alert permutations I thought possible. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I then went to my iPhone to make sure the Reminders from iCal synced to my Reminders app on my iPhone. Yup, they did! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhrVBAVIz6m0wAotyiXoAxETMPzGA_uiQvN1W6k04VFz946wUiH2LnXQo5UnZSxkkprlJsW1RlLSu9Hqni2magrl5l7DIKpHo79enQ1plTE55jxRtmSqnmN5_7bzdzFvd18zhcCSKd8I/s1600/10152011_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhrVBAVIz6m0wAotyiXoAxETMPzGA_uiQvN1W6k04VFz946wUiH2LnXQo5UnZSxkkprlJsW1RlLSu9Hqni2magrl5l7DIKpHo79enQ1plTE55jxRtmSqnmN5_7bzdzFvd18zhcCSKd8I/s640/10152011_12.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reminders successfully appeared on the iPhone. Hooray for iCloud!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
Then came the moment of truth. I pulled down my notification screen to see which reminders made the cut. As you'll see, the only one that survived had an <b>alert </b>for<b> tomorrow</b>. The ones with no alert didn't show, and the ones with an alert for today also didn't show up. Also, a notification appears on the day <b>before </b>the alert only. So, for example, if today were Monday, and I set an alert for Friday, it would not appear on my notification screen until Thursday. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACMxT6MXty_Aq0ChiXCIa18ytmW9XRsaxV4MAInUP50FYHx7Oze6Do8JxOIkRiDyw8yZwgXXuD5okn2Q2BDHYJfgOrCJ_M-LlPX-xYJCah_Is66SUsReqNAGXUPfA3uqhtAcgI3vz7lg/s1600/10152011_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgACMxT6MXty_Aq0ChiXCIa18ytmW9XRsaxV4MAInUP50FYHx7Oze6Do8JxOIkRiDyw8yZwgXXuD5okn2Q2BDHYJfgOrCJ_M-LlPX-xYJCah_Is66SUsReqNAGXUPfA3uqhtAcgI3vz7lg/s640/10152011_14.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
But then, I just realized, that I was doing bad science. In my frantic attempt to rid myself of an 'uncooperative' Notifications / Reminders system, I was working with two factors instead of one. So, just to make sure that it was the <b>alerts</b> setting and not the due date setting that was responsible for my success, I added one more task on my iCal. I added, a reminder with no due date but an alert for tomorrow. And as you can see below, that one flies nicely onto the Notifications screen to. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjYFHrOQ5a5ZRtcJRBDgDy-aFL2ftI03P9-KSRbt_ra90L4k1xwm1TqTue6FMmKzKCfXtjKfOuyueU9R1ax0_RE2zBlDhyphenhyphen_tp3VUlJ4Km8UMaxFbz2YO0iodEwmS4VtgrjUH_jHQad7o/s1600/10152011_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDjYFHrOQ5a5ZRtcJRBDgDy-aFL2ftI03P9-KSRbt_ra90L4k1xwm1TqTue6FMmKzKCfXtjKfOuyueU9R1ax0_RE2zBlDhyphenhyphen_tp3VUlJ4Km8UMaxFbz2YO0iodEwmS4VtgrjUH_jHQad7o/s640/10152011_18.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<div>
So after all this madness, what's the conclusion? </div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow; font-size: large;">To get a reminder to appear on <i>today's</i> Notifications Screen, the reminder must have an <b>alert</b> set for<b> tomorrow. </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow; font-size: large;">Notifications appear on the day <b>before </b>the alert is set to appear.</span></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
This it the part where a sign saying BUSTED or CONFIRMED would clang to the ground in slow motion if this were a Mythbusters episode. Unfortunately, I'm not a real Mythbuster (only one in heart!), and I didn't really have a myth to bust. </div>
</div>
<div>
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<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.plowsunlimited.com/archive/generateditems/images/mythbusters/bustedplacard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="http://www.plowsunlimited.com/archive/generateditems/images/mythbusters/bustedplacard.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
I hope this post helps others who found themselves similarly banging their heads against the table after thinking the Notifications Center on iOS 5 doesn't work. It does work, it just has a couple of specifications that aren't too obvious at first. Once you do realize what requirements have to be met, then it becomes a piece of cake! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i>Hearts, stars, and horseshoes,</i></div>
<div>
<i>Take-a-tech-tip</i></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-88803287351419750162011-10-14T20:01:00.000-04:002011-10-14T20:09:17.899-04:00iCloud: Moving Google Calendars to iCloudWell, I guess when I mentioned 'near future' in the <a href="http://take-a-tech-tip.blogspot.com/2011/10/iphone-ios5-and-icloud.html">previous post</a> that 'near future' really meant near near!<br />
<br />
Let's return to our familiar format of Q&A.<br />
<br />
<i>Q: Can I move calendars from Google to iCloud? </i><br />
<br />
A: Yes! Yes you can!<br />
<br />
<i>Q: Is it easy? </i><br />
<br />
A: Yes! Yes it is! In fact, it's a million times easier than I expected. It's actually way easier than syncing contacts and revising all of them, and definitely easier and faster than the actual iOS 5 update process!<br />
<br />
<i>Q: Okay, what do I need to know? </i><br />
<br />
A: There're a couple things. Here we go, numbered points style. Hopefully the pics will help you out.<br />
<br />
[1] Export all your calendars from Google calendar. Open your Google calendars in your nearest web browser. On the top right corner, click on the <b>Gear symbol</b>. Select <b>Calendar Settings</b>. Click on the <b>Calendars </b>tab.<br />
<br />
You will see the following screen. At the bottom of the page, click on <b>Export calendars</b>. What this does is it will make a <b>.zip </b>file containing all of the calendars.<br />
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[2] Open <b>iCal</b>. Go to <b>File > New Calendar > iCloud</b>. Give it the name of your choice. <b> </b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvprz9Zop1FzVuew5TUnxZ-u9X5e0c-BuOXyWKvRVHcGAP2g-qa3pXY5M09VFfgyphi_4R01Mycj061JP1TkxOSiTLJMBMx_r3DsJTwNEM0a2pN2LxklA7Ce7BGPf9VNhX-r2vgiAwRc/s1600/10142011_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvprz9Zop1FzVuew5TUnxZ-u9X5e0c-BuOXyWKvRVHcGAP2g-qa3pXY5M09VFfgyphi_4R01Mycj061JP1TkxOSiTLJMBMx_r3DsJTwNEM0a2pN2LxklA7Ce7BGPf9VNhX-r2vgiAwRc/s400/10142011_12.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The calendar will now appear in your Calendars list. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgf7SmxJBVZuuxkmFBOTvQ3AVYC0x_4xav6yCJTGGO0D1jhM3HKoxDzs1kzbAJ3diNiHMTrXBOZkjm2BVHJ5STV1qlNF34o7DLApjhH9jhAn7lmiqitRYrtAU2JfgWIqeWaJkENJG4JuE/s1600/10142012_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgf7SmxJBVZuuxkmFBOTvQ3AVYC0x_4xav6yCJTGGO0D1jhM3HKoxDzs1kzbAJ3diNiHMTrXBOZkjm2BVHJ5STV1qlNF34o7DLApjhH9jhAn7lmiqitRYrtAU2JfgWIqeWaJkENJG4JuE/s400/10142012_13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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[3] Open your <b>Finder </b>window. Double click on the <b>.zip</b> file. Doing so will put an uncompressed copy of the folder in the same location. Open this uncompressed folder, and double click on the calendar file (ends with <b>.ics)</b> of your choosing. Even though the name will be long, the calendar name should be there at the beginning of the file name. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygEcSNi4PdmO4vRwbqMFTulLtPFoQTdxMx9RbRl0ZvDLXBgeF6dXYAPeYf80e9ngqy8gOFEnp-ifBidv8MGl8TTbNc78y9hDXoeBOzmN61Anl4vBiYyxa6eXA6iA08diM-UxkMbPTguE/s1600/10142011_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygEcSNi4PdmO4vRwbqMFTulLtPFoQTdxMx9RbRl0ZvDLXBgeF6dXYAPeYf80e9ngqy8gOFEnp-ifBidv8MGl8TTbNc78y9hDXoeBOzmN61Anl4vBiYyxa6eXA6iA08diM-UxkMbPTguE/s400/10142011_13.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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[4] You will receive a 'warning' which you can ignore. Click <b>Open</b>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kFrMSsQwfvVthHDfsGFy4dQZDC6HGtK54VOpCk_r7A1_vw22qvQNd3LVmwxFXxBmDf89VZQz3EaODMNZaZLDLAmOf9pQy-bUFSKyWzYCdg-ihD2QOagzIxas-BlzYNBBW8-uY4byIpI/s1600/10142011_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kFrMSsQwfvVthHDfsGFy4dQZDC6HGtK54VOpCk_r7A1_vw22qvQNd3LVmwxFXxBmDf89VZQz3EaODMNZaZLDLAmOf9pQy-bUFSKyWzYCdg-ihD2QOagzIxas-BlzYNBBW8-uY4byIpI/s400/10142011_14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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[5] You will be redirected to iCal, where you will be asked to select which calendar to place this file. Select the iCloud calendar you recently made. Click on <b>OK</b>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSuJq61wa2wyfydpW9VDAWB5OwSUsIAQX7LBTyI-6QlduSCPJ0vK5lvEfRW46v6KtSj3IejLICKmZP6ISksXYXyJ-QuSXyEJmeXNMd2YWZtc3swkdw7mrODP5byD5WFNmXxlSLkCRrE8/s1600/10142011_16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKSuJq61wa2wyfydpW9VDAWB5OwSUsIAQX7LBTyI-6QlduSCPJ0vK5lvEfRW46v6KtSj3IejLICKmZP6ISksXYXyJ-QuSXyEJmeXNMd2YWZtc3swkdw7mrODP5byD5WFNmXxlSLkCRrE8/s400/10142011_16.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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[6] That's it! Now you're done. The Google calendar has been successfully imported into the iCloud. These events will appear on any iOS 5 device that is syncing calendars using iCloud. If you want to check that everything is in order, visit www.icloud.com. Only calendars that were successfully uploaded to iCloud will appear in the browser. </div>
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Of note, to make life easier, you will probably want to the iCloud calendars your default. To do this, go to <b>iCal > Preferences</b>. Change the <b>Default Calendar </b>as desired. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjKEY6vwJo80vLj3DJQj0WOzMmlv0M2KPhTsC7qGZh-12ugW2nVyJxTHBBpMk5AJjCmKx3I05aoyIg8MQ5JUmo80rt2YBbGntDboEGmb_-5XMNe4jm0HEWAFyK6yzqAE-0ocJAwlR13Q/s1600/10142011_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjKEY6vwJo80vLj3DJQj0WOzMmlv0M2KPhTsC7qGZh-12ugW2nVyJxTHBBpMk5AJjCmKx3I05aoyIg8MQ5JUmo80rt2YBbGntDboEGmb_-5XMNe4jm0HEWAFyK6yzqAE-0ocJAwlR13Q/s400/10142011_18.jpg" width="361" /></a></div>
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To read Google's original directions for the procedure, click <a href="http://www.google.com/support/calendar/bin/answer.py?answer=37111">here. </a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-61630291958840698532011-10-14T18:17:00.000-04:002011-10-15T19:19:16.893-04:00iPhone: iOS 5 and iCloud<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.maclife.com/files/u307916/2011/12/ios5.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://www.maclife.com/files/u307916/2011/12/ios5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The much iOS 5 has finally arrived. I've recently synced my iPhone and iPad, and here are some initial findings. Here, I do an informal Q&A with myself from a few hours prior, with the hopes of helping others who may have similar questions.<br />
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<b>Q: <i>How long does backing up take? </i></b><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
A: It depends. I had to update to the newest iTunes version, and that required at least 15 minutes. Then, iTunes will most likely begin syncing your iPhone to your library. Don't bother. Click on the little 'x' at the top of your iTunes window where you regularly read those status updates such as 'Step 1: Blah blah you don't really care it just means you can't unplug your iPhone'. Once you click on your iPhone's name in the left menu bar, choose <b>Update</b>.<br />
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The update will begin to download, and this will probably take another 20 minutes at least. Once it's downloaded, you are ready to install. But wait! Make sure to do two things--create a backup and transfer your purchases. I tend to err on the side of caution.<br />
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After backing up (this probably takes another 20 minutes), you can install your update! Installing takes a <i>long </i>time--at least 20 minutes. iTunes backs up your iPhone for you (again, I think), and does some fancy business.<br />
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<b>Q: <i>What is iCloud? </i></b><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
A: Glad you asked! iCloud is supposed to remedy everything that has gone kind of crazy with the many electronics per person trend. Music downloaded on your computer via iTunes? With iCloud, you don't have to worry about syncing with the dreaded USB cable, you can download it directly to your iPhone or iPad! True, the catch is you need WiFi to do any of this, but hey, life without WiFi rarely happens nowadays. Centralizing your music, calendar, contacts, and more? Sounds great, right? It is!<br />
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<b>Q: <i>How do I get iCloud? </i></b><br />
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A: iCloud collects all the data mentioned earlier (contacts, calendars, etc) under one Apple ID.<br />
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<b>Q: <i>Wait a minute, what if I share an Apple ID account with my family? Is it possible for us to share our iTunes purchases but not our contacts, calendars, etc? </i></b><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
A: Why, yes! Yes there is! To put things simply, you can have two Apple IDs--one for your iTunes purchases, and one for your contacts/calendars/etc (Apple's official directions are <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4895">here</a>).<br />
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When you install the new iOS, you will be asked to log in with either your current Apple ID or to make a new one. For those are interested in having 2 Apple IDs, you will want to create a new Apple ID at this point. This new Apple ID you're creating will be your Contacts/Calendar/Etc Apple ID. Make sure to do this step because it will become very important soon.<br />
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Now, this is an important point I'm about to make. When you've installed your new software, it'll ask you to log into iCloud. Log in with your contacts/calendar/etc Apple ID, <i>not </i>your iTunes purchases Apple ID.<br />
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This is the only special point. Everything else in the installation process is pretty self explanatory.<br />
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After you've installed everything, you'll now want to set up your iTunes store account with your iTunes purchases Apple ID. To do this, go to<br />
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<b>Settings > Store</b> on your iPhone.<br />
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From here, type in the iTunes Purchases Apple ID at the bottom of the screen. And voila! Now you can enjoy the personalized benefits of iCloud <i>while</i> sharing your iTunes account with family members!<br />
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<b><i>Q: What is the best part of iCloud?</i></b><br />
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A: Right now, since I am not using iCloud for email but mainly for contacts synchronization, I'd have to say SYNCING CONTACTS IS AMAZING. Let me explain.<br />
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[1] Contacts are ridiculously important. If I lost my phone, goodness gracious I don't know what I would do.<br />
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[2] Also, my way of logging contacts has been pretty inefficient over the last few years. There are multiple entries per person (reminders of my Nokia phone past--I had contacts like <i>Mom home, Mom cell, </i>and <i>Mom office</i>).<br />
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[3] I also never found a good way to sync contacts. I <a href="http://take-a-tech-tip.blogspot.com/2011/09/iphone-google-contacts-sync-and.html">dabbled with Google</a> to sync contacts, but I still sometimes ended up with annoying duplicates. There was never an issue of contacts getting lost or accidentally deleted, but the system was far from efficient. And, mind you, I thrive on efficiency and streamlined systems.<br />
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[4] I hate typing extended amounts of things on touch screens. So really, I didn't have the patience or accessory eye muscle power to slowly go through my iPhone contacts one by one on that tiny (lovable) little screen.<br />
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And there is where iCloud has really stood out for me. Among all the updates about Reminders, Notification Centers, and iMessages, the only thing that really is life-changing for me is this iCloud Contacts Sync.<br />
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I will continue to explain.<br />
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[1] Once you agree to sync your contacts with your iCloud account, your contacts are all in one place. You will be reminded that iCloud and GoogleSync cannot coexist (for those who also use GoogleSync), and that's just fine.<br />
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(Side note: For Mac users, I highly recommend backing up your Address book anyway. I did, although I never ended up needing it throughout this process. Open Address Book. Go to <b>File > Export > Address Book Archive) </b><br />
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[2] Once you've installed iCloud on your iPhone and Mac, you can now edit everything on your Mac. Do you know what this means? You can use you <i>keyboard</i> and a <i>mouse</i>. God, I went a little overboard and actually cleaned out my entire Address Book from A to Z. And now it's perfect! One card for each person or company with organized labelled numbers and emails. I love it.<br />
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[3] When you edit contacts using Address Book on your Mac, you can customize the title associated with the phone number. Normally, titles are 'home', 'work', 'mobile', etc. Well, did you know you can select 'custom' and type in your own? This becomes handy because I like to have one contact for a store, like Macy's for example, and then list all the various locations underneath. I will illustrate it for you below:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmHIezZgIt17msAZ7zktAtOxkX4aN7lXHu-oz5QHMAWJBnOYxwWJD3fRGBSoCHWme5w3kIlv8sfcntmB2Dd4asIyxWeIquOvuwwgj9bkm6hCYMgVXeS99MOpnzQq2lWzoGsXWRPiPPU4/s1600/10142011_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmHIezZgIt17msAZ7zktAtOxkX4aN7lXHu-oz5QHMAWJBnOYxwWJD3fRGBSoCHWme5w3kIlv8sfcntmB2Dd4asIyxWeIquOvuwwgj9bkm6hCYMgVXeS99MOpnzQq2lWzoGsXWRPiPPU4/s320/10142011_9.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Select Custom under the telephone field title. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNt1iphSUvX9ohU9OqWU1gnZ1rqJgGQDWQ6CVnllAnZZfyrqVWo0lOoBESdYQsWS9v1UkRAvEsuZNW1CjtyXaHquGgwRTkUp0K-HxSXwvkT7wcP5nLNrvsRrYPVXCZlkXu2mhNczG31M/s1600/10142011_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYNt1iphSUvX9ohU9OqWU1gnZ1rqJgGQDWQ6CVnllAnZZfyrqVWo0lOoBESdYQsWS9v1UkRAvEsuZNW1CjtyXaHquGgwRTkUp0K-HxSXwvkT7wcP5nLNrvsRrYPVXCZlkXu2mhNczG31M/s320/10142011_10.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voila! Tres magnifique. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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During my mass clean of my contacts (for quicker Contact Card deleting, select the card name and press <b>Delete</b>), I also found some 'bugs' that were a little annoying at first. When you delete and edit a bunch of contacts, they may appear as 'No name' in your address book even after you continue editing. To solve this, make sure to press <b>Done </b>at the bottom of the card. Once you do this, those annoying shells of a contact card will disappear. I provide images below:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadzsiJBMGXn4BWFVjkDeK00v6EDHoPtOLtJHi0KflKHGosq6EajtXyuzNt7Ryl80JgroP4QUkdPuztaEV1cWeGCWirCUUv8FWOw9MZSvrTthKPiZebzOrSw39gzoTbPtqYHS2NA4O38I/s1600/10142011_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadzsiJBMGXn4BWFVjkDeK00v6EDHoPtOLtJHi0KflKHGosq6EajtXyuzNt7Ryl80JgroP4QUkdPuztaEV1cWeGCWirCUUv8FWOw9MZSvrTthKPiZebzOrSw39gzoTbPtqYHS2NA4O38I/s640/10142011_8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once you click on Done, the No Name will disappear. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A final issue of note that came up during this process--a lot of my apps disappeared off my iPhone after the update. There were two options to remedying this--going to the App Store and redownloading all my purchased apps or syncing my apps from my computer. Going to the App Store and using the iCloud is not as easy as one would think. Each time you download an app from the iCloud, you are redirected to the home screen. Then you have to flip back to the App Store to download another app, at which point you are returned to the home screen. It's like running in virtual circles. No fun. So after three stubborn attempts to continue this, I decided on just syncing from my computer. When you look at your iPhone Management Screen (that's what I'm calling the page you see in iTunes), you choose to Sync All Apps.<br />
<br />
Yes, the Apps return to your phone. However, they don't return to the pretty folders they were in before. This may be my fault, as I'm not very experienced in backing up (read: I'm lazy).<br />
<br />
And that's basically it! I hope this helps whoever's interested in taking advantage of the new iOS 5.<br />
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If I have time in the future, I may address Calendars and whether it's worthwhile to jump from Google Calendars to iCloud's calendar, and how to go about doing it.<br />
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Until then, rock on, Mac users!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-63842887080344922662011-09-04T23:31:00.000-04:002011-09-04T23:31:36.423-04:00iPhone: Google Contacts Sync and Removing Duplicate ContactsFor those who are interested in syncing your Google Contacts onto your iPhone, I highly recommend it! The process is simple.<br />
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Syncing Google Contacts</span></i></b><br />
[1] Sync your Address Book.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Open Address Book.</li>
<li>Click on <b>Address Book > Preferences</b></li>
<li>Click the checkbox for <b>Sychronizing </b>with Google</li>
<li>Enter your username and password.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8xTLTL07xMiSxsB5iGPFzJwoCSuZ2U6WIqdEyS_G-ObZD8yaHAoWoHBmfegg5tI3dJwFl_mULt1_iYe6kzCqDZJ6HjZ3Q8pyESNAPnWmLSxZuznyApCdz8SepwIj4Zpxk9EBuuHLlgU/s1600/09042011" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8xTLTL07xMiSxsB5iGPFzJwoCSuZ2U6WIqdEyS_G-ObZD8yaHAoWoHBmfegg5tI3dJwFl_mULt1_iYe6kzCqDZJ6HjZ3Q8pyESNAPnWmLSxZuznyApCdz8SepwIj4Zpxk9EBuuHLlgU/s640/09042011" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div>
[2] Add a Google Account to your iPhone</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Go to <b>Settings > Mail Contacts Calendars > Add Account...</b></li>
<li>Select <b>Gmail</b></li>
<li>Enter the appropriate username and password.</li>
<li>Set the sync options as appropriate: <b>Mail, Contacts, Calendars </b>will all be things you'll likely want <b>On</b>. </li>
<li>When you turn <b>Contacts On</b>, it will ask you what to do with your phone's current contacts. When it asks to delete the phone's local contacts, you should agree to this step <b>PROVIDED </b>that all your contacts information is on Google's server.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Now, your iPhone should contain all your Google contacts. </div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A related but different issue involves having duplicate contacts on your phone. I had this for a while, and it was pretty annoying. My profile pictures for various contacts were changed, but not really (depending on which of the two contacts I had altered), and the custom ringtone assignments sometimes worked. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For those with similar problems, the solution is easy. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Removing Duplicate Contacts on the iPhone</span></i></b></div>
<div>
[1] Go to <b>Settings </b>> <b>Mail Contacts Calendars</b> </div>
<div>
[2] Select your Gmail account. </div>
<div>
[3] Go to <b>Contacts </b>and turn it<b> Off. </b>When it warns you of the contacts' deletions, accept the action. </div>
<div>
[4] Now go back and turn <b>Contacts On. </b>When it asks you what to do with the local contacts, choose the actions that <b>will delete </b>them. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now, your duplicates should be gone! And the world was right again. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thanks to ElectroDisco who posted on <a href="http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google%20Mobile/thread?tid=792c4435a4b1cd11&hl=en">this Google Forum </a>thread with the above answer. </div>
<div>
For those who are interested, Google's official documentation on the matter is <a href="http://www.google.com/support/contactsync/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92997&rd=1">here</a>. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Google's official documentation about contact syncing can be found <a href="http://www.google.com/support/contactsync/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92997&rd=1">here. </a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-21731276912296966952011-09-04T23:13:00.000-04:002011-09-04T23:40:07.389-04:00iPhone: Making Your Own Ringtones<br />
<br />
Have an iPhone? Like custom ringtones? Especially ones that are free? If you answered yes to all three, read on, my friends!<br />
<br />
After reading some articles about ringtone making (see<a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/reviews/app_showdown_ringtone_makers"> this article</a> and <a href="http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_make_cheap_iphone_ringtones">this one</a> from MacLife), I decided to try it out myself.<br />
<br />
The procedure involves a few easy steps:<br />
[1] Download the free app from the App Store. Click <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ringtone-maker-make-free-ringtones/id390929278?mt=8">here</a> to read about it on Apple's website.<br />
[2] Have unprotected mp3s on your iPhone<br />
[3] Follow the instructions provided for you in the App.<br />
[4] Get the files onto your computer (I recommend <b>sending</b> it rather than <b>sharing files</b> via iTunes because it's easier, I think.) Watch the video to see how to do file shares.<br />
[5] Add the files to your iTunes library, and then sync the Ringtones to your iPhone.<br />
<br />
The App makers have a really excellent video with clear step-by-step screenshots. I highly recommend it. You can watch it here:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LGFr3RlgEw8" width="420"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
The longest and most tedious part of this whole procedure is the iPhone Sync process, but for the million ringtones I'm going to make, I don't mind!<br />
<br />
I had Gmail screen the files for virus (I'm a little paranoid), and these files got the green light. I followed the video's guide, and now I have myself a nice little collection of ringtones.<br />
<br />
If you're interested, there's a 99 cents version of this app, which allows for some customizable features such as speeding up or slowing down the mp3 (as mentioned in one of the MacLife articles). For most, that will probably not be necessary, and the free version is just fine.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-81050857946220222712011-08-21T10:03:00.000-04:002011-08-21T10:03:56.237-04:00App store: Evernote and WunderlistIn case you haven't discovered these, Evernote and Wunderlist are two great apps in the App Store that allows you to sychronize data between all your iOS and OS devices. Even better, they're free! I often use them for Shopping lists, Recipes, and To-do lists.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQhd57R490rOr_uq7arnjYB9jagBZzvp7dEM-dq34irC3lx7pz" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSQhd57R490rOr_uq7arnjYB9jagBZzvp7dEM-dq34irC3lx7pz" /></a></div><br />
<b>Evernote</b><br />
Click <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/evernote/id281796108?mt=8">here</a> for a description.<br />
<br />
<i>Notable features: </i><br />
<a href="http://www.evernote.com/about/kb/article/what-are-tags?lang=en">Tagging</a><br />
Synchronizing over <a href="http://www.evernote.com/about/download/ipad.php">multiple</a> <a href="http://www.evernote.com/about/download/iphone/">devices</a><br />
Web access to notes, free<br />
Now accessible on Macs and <a href="http://www.evernote.com/about/download/windows.php">PCs</a>!<br />
Web clipping <a href="http://www.evernote.com/about/download/web_clipper.php">feature</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRRp84lW7RvgJA_iKW13ZWWcfRlK5oPywXkGLT3Em_4ghexM-MsnQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRRp84lW7RvgJA_iKW13ZWWcfRlK5oPywXkGLT3Em_4ghexM-MsnQ" /></a></div><br />
<b>Wunderlist</b><br />
Click <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wunderlist/id406644151?mt=8">here</a> for a description.<br />
<br />
<i>Notable features:</i><br />
-Simple design<br />
-Easy-to-use keyboard <a href="http://support.6wunderkinder.com/kb/using-wunderlist-for-desktop/shortcuts">shortcuts</a><br />
-<a href="http://www.wunderlist.com/">Web access</a> to lists (no download necessary)<br />
-Free<br />
-Really snazzy <a href="http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist/">webpage</a> (okay, this isn't really that important a plus in terms of functionality. But being easy on the eyes is always a plus!)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-75816048370576225652011-07-27T13:50:00.000-04:002011-07-27T14:01:39.554-04:00Spotify: Searching Spotify's Music LibrarySpotify is awesome (read a previous post about it <a href="http://take-a-tech-tip.blogspot.com/2011/07/spotify-its-as-awesome-as-you-think-it.html">here</a>). Here's some tips on searching in Spotify.<br />
<br />
Unlike iTunes and Zune, Spotify boasts no main screen welcoming users into a nicely organized musical world. iTunes and Zune have links for specific genre types, but Spotify does not. In terms of organization, the one common aspect of all three is a <i>Top Tracks/Top Albums</i> list.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiL229oENM_whsrJEIJeDHkIctfn1Ikbs4UFW1xK_-Py6bsl_FDYbteuhbFb9sptJFponNXa_h7ohkGScczfYMXPjHia3yvm6tAnx4QjDtwd5v9uCvIFwfMWqw0l8Pu7o32zTFiG3vkc/s1600/spotify001.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNiL229oENM_whsrJEIJeDHkIctfn1Ikbs4UFW1xK_-Py6bsl_FDYbteuhbFb9sptJFponNXa_h7ohkGScczfYMXPjHia3yvm6tAnx4QjDtwd5v9uCvIFwfMWqw0l8Pu7o32zTFiG3vkc/s640/spotify001.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iTunes allows easy genre browsing. Spotify does too, but in a slightly different manner.<br />
In iTunes, click on Music and then All Categories on the upper right panel to view various genres. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
To help you get around Spotify's music library, I've written some instructions below. Read on if you're interested. Of note, I have a Mac so my images may be slightly different (but probably not significantly so) than Windows users.<br />
<br />
If anything in the screenshot thumbnails is not easily visible, you can always click on an image to reveal a larger version of itself.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>First, let's get familiar with Spotify's browsing screen. </i></b></span><br />
[1] Open Spotify<br />
<br />
[2] On the far left panel, click on <b>What's New</b>. You should be met with a page showing the <b>New Releases</b>. At the bottom of the page, you will also see Spotify's <b>Feed</b> featuring articles/playlists/news posted by Spotify's Team.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxHkIK10BGrcdlcRgW_oCt9_EL-h0WZUx_ur-vYRVHxdk12Cw5aRSWIOmaxrna3sob0o_-AALHVrU5CK8C7SOn3qvV3RJTR0evItyTzroZffBlOy0EV1ZfM2aEqHITqSlxkgpf3J6Hto/s1600/spotify002.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxHkIK10BGrcdlcRgW_oCt9_EL-h0WZUx_ur-vYRVHxdk12Cw5aRSWIOmaxrna3sob0o_-AALHVrU5CK8C7SOn3qvV3RJTR0evItyTzroZffBlOy0EV1ZfM2aEqHITqSlxkgpf3J6Hto/s640/spotify002.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clicking on <b>[A] What's New </b>in the left panel<b> </b>brings you to the [B] <b>What's New </b>tab. <br />
You will be able to see [C] <b>New Releases </b>and [D] a <b>News Fee</b>d.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
[3] If you click on the <b>Top Lists </b>tab, you will be brought to a page showing you <b>Top Tracks</b> and <b>Top Albums</b>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJLvXrjpt1wNv3S3_vUwwPnf1da4RhYR03qfZguq-5-KMQpfmt23LAqoAPre2bDPy0hToSkBdEMU1ZMxinVb0HDDwzkL0EmXAkXgQm9r_ZLampnhDSNEpuUaFFO0osNlcKkQ7GQJHI30/s1600/spotify003.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJLvXrjpt1wNv3S3_vUwwPnf1da4RhYR03qfZguq-5-KMQpfmt23LAqoAPre2bDPy0hToSkBdEMU1ZMxinVb0HDDwzkL0EmXAkXgQm9r_ZLampnhDSNEpuUaFFO0osNlcKkQ7GQJHI30/s640/spotify003.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
Click on the <b>[A] What's New</b> link on the left panel.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Click on the <b>[B] Top Lists </b>tab.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On the left half, you will see a list featuring the top <b>Tracks [C1]</b> in the <b>United States [C2].</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On the right half, you will see a list featuring the <b>Top Albums [D1] </b>in the <b>United States [D2]</b></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, this page is <b>very </b>customizable. Basically, this page can hold a total of two lists, which you can set to have any combination of the following:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Tracks/Albums/Artists option</li>
<li>Everywhere/In the U.S./For Me/In Another Area (U.K., Finland, France, etc.) option</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
[4] To customize your lists, simply click on the arrow to the left of the option title, and a drop down menu should appear. Click on the option you want, and your new list should appear.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_t2t0iFGn7bgpkvav3kfqAih3uJ8gjtVHrHwZg09I6rL7-tX5K7C4qDD00tqNYHsOCkrmk_OITLDkZXllrIyYtoXky5cytjgf5QGgLJXejWtgY8YMgipJc979jYdJrRNNkt9lBg9n-WY/s1600/spotify005.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8pe7p93dXc7D8KqlOzOkS7q7l1ZAy83wnx85ay7wYdBUCbdw4pNfwnJU6ZFEqlJPMx5efaOrjSx2iMkdoETZk_lPm5IZ7kqfGwLzC3Etczk5KmRu3-4IFAH7MfjYHkx6nws3SzJ0u4A/s1600/spotify004.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8pe7p93dXc7D8KqlOzOkS7q7l1ZAy83wnx85ay7wYdBUCbdw4pNfwnJU6ZFEqlJPMx5efaOrjSx2iMkdoETZk_lPm5IZ7kqfGwLzC3Etczk5KmRu3-4IFAH7MfjYHkx6nws3SzJ0u4A/s640/spotify004.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the <b>little arrow</b> next to <b>Tracks </b>to change the option.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_t2t0iFGn7bgpkvav3kfqAih3uJ8gjtVHrHwZg09I6rL7-tX5K7C4qDD00tqNYHsOCkrmk_OITLDkZXllrIyYtoXky5cytjgf5QGgLJXejWtgY8YMgipJc979jYdJrRNNkt9lBg9n-WY/s1600/spotify005.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_t2t0iFGn7bgpkvav3kfqAih3uJ8gjtVHrHwZg09I6rL7-tX5K7C4qDD00tqNYHsOCkrmk_OITLDkZXllrIyYtoXky5cytjgf5QGgLJXejWtgY8YMgipJc979jYdJrRNNkt9lBg9n-WY/s640/spotify005.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click on the <b>little arrow</b> next to <b>in the United States </b>to change the option.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Making a <i>Top Tracks For Me</i> list is analogous to arranging your songs in iTunes by <i>Number of Plays</i>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv9EnbmIKRBlU8tJQqqL2kXer4vZ5SixoY4bVd5QnR4oZopgMxa8nRJjkdBDTIWW8tYeBrBfp42lI29_gVgWUbqODW86tHVaWqruzeUgsP48ONCZ565KokHRLJXfTua_UgjDf5wSwI2s/s1600/spotify006.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="553" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJv9EnbmIKRBlU8tJQqqL2kXer4vZ5SixoY4bVd5QnR4oZopgMxa8nRJjkdBDTIWW8tYeBrBfp42lI29_gVgWUbqODW86tHVaWqruzeUgsP48ONCZ565KokHRLJXfTua_UgjDf5wSwI2s/s640/spotify006.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can easily access your top tracks by setting it to <b>Tracks </b>& <b>For Me</b>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Next, let's learn how to optimize searching. </i></b></span><br />
When most people use a Search toolbar, they tend to type only the keywords they're interested in. However, with a few simple text commands, you can specifically search certain genres, artists, and time periods! Read on for more.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><b>To search for a specific genre</b></i></span><br />
[1] Click in the <b>Search Toolbar</b>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq5C6xY8dvuMYzJYTArDVsqys4AU418oAWsvip6gv7o1wq51vP_nkvUW8IGC9GTlchct0fYst4CxlODzEhp_nC1-QYXXcR89wtjXS3TCxNkTONy-EoRv5G2RwBX76rEbeZGNUvRcoTo0/s1600/spotify007.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVq5C6xY8dvuMYzJYTArDVsqys4AU418oAWsvip6gv7o1wq51vP_nkvUW8IGC9GTlchct0fYst4CxlODzEhp_nC1-QYXXcR89wtjXS3TCxNkTONy-EoRv5G2RwBX76rEbeZGNUvRcoTo0/s640/spotify007.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top left of your Spotify Window, you should see a <b>Search Toolbar.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
[2] To search a specific genre, type in the following: <b>genre:"_________"</b> and then press <b>Enter</b> to search.<br />
It is <b>very </b>important that you put quotation marks around the Genre (this is especially true for two word genre titles. If you do not use the quotation marks, the search will not work). Additionally, make sure you do <i>not</i> add any spaces before or after the colon--doing so will result in an unsuccessful search.<br />
<br />
For a list of available genres, click <a href="https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=psnjFY3R2itsqjinSs9hkZw">here</a>. This is a Google Document of searchable genres posted by Spotify <a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/blog/archives/2009/03/24/spotify-genres-the-full-listing/">originally</a> in March 2009. I'm not sure how recently it is updated, but I've tried a couple of the more obscure ones and they seem to work fine.<br />
<br />
After searching, a list of artists and albums will appear in the upper pannel, and a list of tracks will appear in the lower panel. The titles in the <b>Artists</b> and <b>Albums</b> sections are links, which you can click to be redirected to appropriate artist/album page.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUOXgix4XOL-i3X3tKLcPSTUSG45v3fKbrC7boZE8Rs9zhyphenhyphenIXsg78pNsWmU8HC4ycnTjdEHpNSqpQSsfmc8R9a3U6AQuGLYZHJEjEvsZROU1GjhU4H-f8TAMZghZ7sOTjypfOavU6QqI/s1600/spotify008.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAUOXgix4XOL-i3X3tKLcPSTUSG45v3fKbrC7boZE8Rs9zhyphenhyphenIXsg78pNsWmU8HC4ycnTjdEHpNSqpQSsfmc8R9a3U6AQuGLYZHJEjEvsZROU1GjhU4H-f8TAMZghZ7sOTjypfOavU6QqI/s640/spotify008.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Type in<b> genre:"_______"</b> with special attention to the quotation marks in the Search Toolbar. You should see a list of relevant <b>[B] Artists,</b> <b>[C] Albums,</b> and <b>Tracks</b>.. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7wZnPnkQXEEheOmP5NuXruI3p4vT5BvS-HIBAc8eFmYEE3Cr2BNx2sPJJ4podWGzQHz8VUE-i1TRAPaqjFJrXPSNpe1TnBQ8c66XYHO1H3f5AOXEpjTSR7PIP7Mq0T3nzSKFz18bpgA/s1600/spotify009.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7wZnPnkQXEEheOmP5NuXruI3p4vT5BvS-HIBAc8eFmYEE3Cr2BNx2sPJJ4podWGzQHz8VUE-i1TRAPaqjFJrXPSNpe1TnBQ8c66XYHO1H3f5AOXEpjTSR7PIP7Mq0T3nzSKFz18bpgA/s640/spotify009.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Failure to use quotation marks with multi-word genres leads to an unsuccessful search.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>To search for a specific artist</i></b></span><br />
[1] In the search bar, type in the following: <b>artist:"_________" </b>(Again, make sure you do <i>not</i> add any spaces before or after the colon--doing so will result in an unsuccessful search.)<br />
Hit enter. A list of artists should appear.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>To search for music from a particular year/within a particular time frame</i></b></span><br />
Now, here's a really cool trick. You can limit your search to a particular year/year interval. To do so, simply add a space and the following text to the end of your genre or artist search: <b>year:1999</b> or <b>year:1990-1993</b><br />
<br />
Regardless of whether or not you are searching a single year or multiple years, the format is the same, it must be <b>year:#####</b>. If you make it <b>years</b> (plural), it will <i>not </i>work. Also, make sure you do <i>not</i> add any spaces before or after the colon--doing so will result in an unsuccessful search.<br />
<br />
Here are some examples. Say I was searching for Backstreet Boys. I would search <b>artist:"Backstreet Boys"</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LrMg5JqdAB1sbT65PYGOCe2lG8KNrfnTAUkIK6LG6pZzfmR3tyBtnnbBXEQEXBhqmXGq7QisOyPQ-FttahRLEFfWPeiQ5QMoeigSS6BWygphJQBodxg1UinWPlerZK3seTRE3bVEcco/s1600/spotify010.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LrMg5JqdAB1sbT65PYGOCe2lG8KNrfnTAUkIK6LG6pZzfmR3tyBtnnbBXEQEXBhqmXGq7QisOyPQ-FttahRLEFfWPeiQ5QMoeigSS6BWygphJQBodxg1UinWPlerZK3seTRE3bVEcco/s640/spotify010.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Search <b>artist:"Backstreet Boys" </b>in the <b>Search Toolbar [A] </b>for some major BSB love. <br />
You can see what search terms you used here in [B]. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But say I didn't want to listen to their new 'comeback' music (ouch, right?), and I wanted some solid BSB hits. I wanted music from their golden years, specifically 1997-2000. I would then search<br />
<b>artist:"Backstreet Boys" year:1997-2000</b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06nspqQV4uvIA52BWMGqBRSfJd1Gsk3d9gYHsPMeoWIdcwabtpD0LT25z7GKWGpf6AiPw5Ze5VGFcDRzETJ4fRLOumIZY1FcqRL5dpLELfoSSpGQSE8s9qxGPRT0zt-NZimqmnB3StIE/s1600/spotify011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06nspqQV4uvIA52BWMGqBRSfJd1Gsk3d9gYHsPMeoWIdcwabtpD0LT25z7GKWGpf6AiPw5Ze5VGFcDRzETJ4fRLOumIZY1FcqRL5dpLELfoSSpGQSE8s9qxGPRT0zt-NZimqmnB3StIE/s640/spotify011.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding <b>year:##### </b>gets me to the Golden Age of my BSB music search.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
And that ends my tutorial on how to search in Spotify. All this information was originally found in <a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/blog/archives/2008/01/22/searching-spotify/">this Spotify post</a>, but I fleshed it out a little. Hopefully it has been to your liking.<br />
<br />
<i>Look forward to more Spotify posts on such topics as:</i><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><i>Making playlists</i></li>
<li><i>Sharing Spotify with others without using Facebook contacts</i></li>
</ul>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-23789494328641818292011-07-22T02:31:00.000-04:002011-07-22T02:31:13.204-04:00Spotify: It's as awesome as you think it is<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CvYX_P_c__8?hd=1" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
For those who aren't familiar, Spotify is a recent addition to the U.S. music playing/sharing/sampling world. As an online music subscription service, it's not the first of its kind. Napster, Zune, and Rhapsody are examples of others--however, none of these have made any real waves.<br />
<br />
Spotify comes in three varieties--the<a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/get-spotify/free/"> free version</a> of Spotify ($0/mo),<a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/get-spotify/unlimited/"> Spotify Unlimited</a> ($5/mo), and<a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/get-spotify/premium/"> Spotify Premium</a> ($10/mo). Spotify Free allows for we<br />
<br />
If you're interested in sampling Spotify at no cost, you'll have to add your name to the (no one really knows how) long list by adding your email <a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/hello-america/">here</a>. I don't know how long your wait will be, but maybe this fact will help you with the estimates. I added myself to the list about 1-2 days ago, and today I received an email today notifying me that I could gain access to the free version of Spotify.<br />
<br />
Before I go into some more details about how Spotify works, let me explain why I think Spotify could really hit it big here in the States. Never mind the raves posted by people such as Mark Zuckberg of Facebook fame (you bet they're going to have some kind of agreement between the two companies). Never mind its already established reputation in Europe. After being a loyal and mostly pleased Zune subscriber for two years, I have to say Spotify really has this music subscription service <i>down</i>.<br />
<br />
And so, I've summarized the preliminary pros and cons of Spotify. Read on if you're interested.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>How Spotify Accomplishes What Zune Probably Wishes It Could Have</b></span><br />
[1] Spotify is cheaper! (Before delving any deeper, all these comparisons will be between Zune and<a href="http://www.spotify.com/us/get-spotify/premium/"> Spotify Premium</a>; let's make the assumption you want to have a music subscription service and the ability to make your music portable.)<br />
<br />
Looking at the monthly fees, Spotify is cheaper. Zune is $15/mo whereas Spotify Premium is $10/mo. Zune requires you to purchase a Zune player (which run for at least 100 bucks), but Spotify can be used on most mobile phones (including the ever popular iPhone).<br />
<br />
The only caveat about this is how many individuals can share one Spotify account, which thus changes our considerations for cost. This will be an issue addressed later.<br />
<br />
[2] Spotify boasts cable-free syncing between the computer and iPhone (let's continue using this for the rest of this exercise). As much as I loved Zune and its expansive online library, there were moments when Zune really got to me. The Zune player has to be connected with the computer at least once a month otherwise the digital rights for the music files expire. Nothing sucks more than being on a long public transit ride and discovering that all your music can't play. Also, syncing was sometimes temperamental. Sometimes the playlists quickly and rightly jumped from my computer to the player, and sometimes they did not even though I executed the appropriate computer commands.<br />
<br />
Spotify syncing is a million times easier. There's no cable required. All you need is a Wi-Fi network that both the computer and iPhone are connected to. Playlists automatically sync--you don't have to do anything. You don't have to select a <b>Sync </b>button or anything. It's fantastic.<br />
<br />
[3] Spotify has a larger music library! There were a couple of albums that I would have liked to listen to on Zune (Nickel Creek's albums and Chris Thile's albums, for example) that weren't available. First thing I did after getting Spotify was searching these very same albums--and lo and behold, they were there! Spotify has a greater audience and has demonstrated its wide reach (whereas Microsoft's Zune has always had a lukewarm reception from the public), and artists and music companies are more willing to pay the fees required to make their music available on Spotify.<br />
<br />
However, no music subscription service is perfect, and even Spotify has some weak points.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Points where Spotify is Lacking</b></span><br />
[1] Spotify lacks a nice comprehensive Home Screen in the Spotify equivalent of the iTunes Store. Both iTunes and Zune had a page showing new releases (Spotify has this), and many different menus for genre browsing (Spotify doesn't have this). iTunes and Zune both had a Top Downloads list, but Zune's was basically defunct because of its relatively small audience. I found that whoever downloaded a CD that day basically determined what appeared on my Top 10 Zune Downloads list because all the songs tended to be from the same CD. Helpful, right?<br />
<br />
For this reason, I think keeping iTunes around to browse new music and new releases is a good idea. I'd make a quick trip into iTunes, see what was interesting on the home page, and then use that information as a starting point for browsing in Spotify.<br />
<br />
[2] As with any music subscription service (or music store in general), you have to be pretty proactive in terms of your music explorations. As wide as Spotify's library may be, the user still has to have the motivation to discover new music and the discretion to elect what goes into new playlists.<br />
<br />
If this doesn't sound to your liking, you may want to adopt my strategy. Find a radio station you enjoy listening to (<a href="http://radioalice.radio.com/">ALICE 97.3 FM</a> is my favorite!)--maybe even<a href="http://take-a-tech-tip.blogspot.com/2011/06/tunein-radio.html"> listen to it on your iPhone</a>. Find songs you like hearing at frequency greater than that provided by the radio, and get them on Spotify.<br />
<br />
[3] Spotify does not allow you to purchase songs. This is very different from the Zune subscription service, which for $15/mo gave full access to download songs as you pleased (these were not owned but simply downloaded to your computer with time-limited digital rights) and then 10 song credits for mp3 ownership.<br />
<br />
For me, this is not such a big deal. When I used Zune, it was usually difficult for me to come up with 10 songs a month to download, so losing this ability is not too troubling in my opinion. However, for people such as my sister, music ownership is everything! She likes to listen to a small selection of songs, and thus values music ownership higher. I'm more exploratory and like to go wherever my clicks take me, so I value the wide library selection more than owning individual songs. Depending on your personality, you will have a specific take on the music subscription versus ownership debate.<br />
<br />
<i>Expect more Spotify posts in the future! Topics to be addressed include:</i><br />
<i>-How do I optimize searching in Spotify? </i><br />
<i>-What does offline syncing mean?</i><br />
<i>-How many devices can I have on one Spotify account?</i><br />
<i>-How does music sharing in Spotify work?</i><br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-82997117577099649732011-07-21T16:46:00.000-04:002011-07-21T16:46:09.116-04:00Mac OS X Lion: Fix for Webpage Swipe ShortcutsYay! The day has come! Mac OS X Lion is released! Pluses include Misson Control and Launchpad, which looks a lot like the iOS devices home screens. But I'm not posting to boast about these features, which you can read about on Apple's site. Click <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/">here</a> for some pretty pictures giving a nice overview, and click <a href="http://www.apple.com/macosx/whats-new/features.html">here</a> for specifics on the 250+ new changes.<br />
<br />
The one thing I noticed when I first started interacting with the new OS was the scrolling was weird. The two fingers up/down swipe seemed funny. Previously, swiping two fingers downward would scroll the page down. However, in the new Lion, swiping two fingers downward scrolls the page up. After a little thinking though, I can see what Apple was trying to do. I believe they wanted to set up a more universal scroll up/down action for all their devices--Macbooks, iPhones, and iPads.<br />
<br />
On an iPad, users drag the page to reveal what they'd like. On an iPad, you would 'pull' the page upward by swiping your fingers upward to see what was further down on the page. You would use a similar motion on your iPhone. Now, the very same action is used to control your Desktop file viewing experience.<br />
<br />
When you think about it that way, the 'reverse' scrolling seems to be a little more logical. However, the same scrolling rules apply for external mice--and I feel this change will take a little longer to get used to. Prior, I would scroll downward to go down the page, but now I have to move the scroll button on my mouse in the opposite direction. Too weird.<br />
<br />
The next thing I noticed, was I couldn't use the finger shortcuts to move backward and forward when I was in my browser (Google Chrome!). After reading a little bit online, I found the answer. If you're interesting in restoring this nice little trick, read on.<br />
<br />
[1] Open <b>System Preferences. </b><br />
[2] Click on <b>Trackpad. </b><br />
[3] Click on <b>More Gestures</b>. Change the settings to be as indicated in the image below. I recommend that you change all of them because you will find (if you experiment) that certain settings depend on the settings for others.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYd1ucfGYGKmZq6xFrTGobBJ5C11pClU4sAiuPS0W3VeyQCvh5e7E61izlbAyo9dnlf47tGtHNxIMPVcRECzPfMazr7nQ7iEzHQtxbaKLcfb6xc0PivEHlB5UNgoEUbUlAyf2U8LTq9LQ/s1600/07212011.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYd1ucfGYGKmZq6xFrTGobBJ5C11pClU4sAiuPS0W3VeyQCvh5e7E61izlbAyo9dnlf47tGtHNxIMPVcRECzPfMazr7nQ7iEzHQtxbaKLcfb6xc0PivEHlB5UNgoEUbUlAyf2U8LTq9LQ/s640/07212011.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
After you do this, you should regain your ability to use a three finger left/right swipe to move between pages on your browser.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-37281176060938665412011-07-13T02:17:00.000-04:002011-07-13T02:17:46.022-04:00iTunes: Importing Individual Songs Into LibraryRecently, I discovered a fast and easy way to import individual songs from CDs into your Music Library in iTunes. Prior to this discovery, I used to slowly uncheck every single box adjacent to the song names until only the desired files remained. This turns out to be inefficient and boring. The easy solution? Use the 'Add to library' feature. If you want to avoid checking those annoying little boxes, read on!<br />
<br />
[1] Open iTunes. Insert the CD.<br />
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[2] Click on the CD as it appears in the left hand frame. Go to <b>File > Add to Library</b>, or use the shortcut <b>Command + O. </b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVB50oUX4Ccjwe5gbKnVvTbT-bs-ShZwGZH59RnzepgnOw-usvxotogCPP-dbu2krUqYa8Anv4v0HZwP5yoYIcaPCEY8QVqebFoDXuxXxI2ANIidwQyR1V75i492gB2XOKBfKw9rQ01E/s1600/07122011_12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVB50oUX4Ccjwe5gbKnVvTbT-bs-ShZwGZH59RnzepgnOw-usvxotogCPP-dbu2krUqYa8Anv4v0HZwP5yoYIcaPCEY8QVqebFoDXuxXxI2ANIidwQyR1V75i492gB2XOKBfKw9rQ01E/s640/07122011_12.png" width="640" /></a></span></b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
[3] A new window will open up. Select the CD as it appears in the far left frame. Here, you can either select one song only, or you can select multiple songs. Select multiple consecutive songs by clicking on Song #1 (for example) then pressing <b>Shift </b>and clicking on Song #5 (for example). To select multiple nonconsecutive songs, click on Song #1 (for example) then press <b>Command </b>and click on Song #8 (for example).<br />
<br />
After you've made your selection, select <b>Choose</b>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDgU2LD65ftjtKj_vlAyjjPtQQGWhyphenhyphenp7Tcuqhrjau3HZJneL-74VsXOWr-MZbkGS20DxDtMkwYRA_JEyPsQXU_uRyi9eG6hGZJVfK9-ThVF9yJTbM2WEfvS_HetDR95Wn3H8T1F2NPjA/s1600/07122011_13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFDgU2LD65ftjtKj_vlAyjjPtQQGWhyphenhyphenp7Tcuqhrjau3HZJneL-74VsXOWr-MZbkGS20DxDtMkwYRA_JEyPsQXU_uRyi9eG6hGZJVfK9-ThVF9yJTbM2WEfvS_HetDR95Wn3H8T1F2NPjA/s640/07122011_13.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the new window, make your song selection and then click <b>Choose</b>. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
[4] The songs will begin to be imported. You can recognize this because a little orange squiggly icon will appear adjacent to the imported song. When the import is complete, the icon becomes a green circle with a checkmark inside. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJSZ1peKRgrzmcqK8gvyH8X3yRIZuMQXeppMyj7f06YG0zaLMukDTMm51WNT04bipz5rzHHoyGjUq9f594DIvRqeX2EI4F1IJnsJpMu5D3rzL82CImJIuKP-3iKjzZcY1aVXmQqsoIGo/s1600/07122011_14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJSZ1peKRgrzmcqK8gvyH8X3yRIZuMQXeppMyj7f06YG0zaLMukDTMm51WNT04bipz5rzHHoyGjUq9f594DIvRqeX2EI4F1IJnsJpMu5D3rzL82CImJIuKP-3iKjzZcY1aVXmQqsoIGo/s640/07122011_14.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During the import, an orange icon is present.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OdnuaJXpCHkFoWkGoR6ijSFZAY1IazYZAk8lia5R7EsnBKrrMS3URo1VRaaMTiinY_ZF2CTzoa3_M0W9r5kOcg9ul0TEqJS1lP4h9hqcTFvyiy6_8rIBpP_on8GosSbWzIXf5h-C49o/s1600/07122011_15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1OdnuaJXpCHkFoWkGoR6ijSFZAY1IazYZAk8lia5R7EsnBKrrMS3URo1VRaaMTiinY_ZF2CTzoa3_M0W9r5kOcg9ul0TEqJS1lP4h9hqcTFvyiy6_8rIBpP_on8GosSbWzIXf5h-C49o/s640/07122011_15.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the import is complete, a green icon is present. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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[5] You will find the new songs in your Music Library in iTunes. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-sMuj4rIeX2dBPC0NxIVh1E5eNInUbxsTMrrz1jdnn4VwPpXOXrFkH9z46QsK5WJe_ciaMN9pPgjwNCZxXQqHiFpM-7XBSU5j2TmH7TT4rIBcpYeBzazayp5elDeqedLTh8ugCVzAoo/s1600/07122011_16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-sMuj4rIeX2dBPC0NxIVh1E5eNInUbxsTMrrz1jdnn4VwPpXOXrFkH9z46QsK5WJe_ciaMN9pPgjwNCZxXQqHiFpM-7XBSU5j2TmH7TT4rIBcpYeBzazayp5elDeqedLTh8ugCVzAoo/s640/07122011_16.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The song is now imported in your library.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ta-daa! Now you know a trick or two about importing individual songs without going through the hassle of a dozen or more clicks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-68970951560617041532011-07-12T18:45:00.000-04:002011-07-12T18:45:52.217-04:00Mac: ScreenshotsFor Mac users, here's a little tutorial on how to take selection-based screenshots. Think of these as computer screen 'clips.'<br />
<br />
[1] Arrange your screen as desired. Then press <b>Command + Control + Shift + 4. </b>Use your mouse to click and select the area you want to <i>clip</i>.<br />
<br />
[2] Open the program <b>Preview</b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
[3] Go to <b>File > New from clipboard, </b>or use the shortcut <b>Command + N</b>. This should now put your clip into a new file, which you can save.<br />
<br />
[4] Go to <b>File > Save as</b> and place where desired.<br />
<br />
Easy peasy lemon squeasy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-20188338101951863592011-07-12T18:29:00.000-04:002011-07-12T18:30:21.086-04:00Mac: Editing Images Using PreviewOn Macs, Preview is a pretty excellent little program. Most Mac users will identify it as a PDF viewer (it is), but it can also do so much more! You can annotate images and edit them as needed.<br />
<br />
Your image can either be one that you've already saved to your computer, or you can annotate a screen clip. I will provide instructions for the latter. For the former scenario, you can simply open the desired file and then immediately go to <i>Step 4</i>. <br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<i>For those taking the screen clip route: </i><br />
[1] Arrange window as desired. Type in <b>Command + Control + Shift + 4</b>. Select the desired area.<br />
<br />
[2] Open <b>Preview</b>.<br />
<br />
[3] Type in <b>Command + N</b>. This will paste your screen clip into a new file.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTz0jIZWyWhiE3Yzi18ueYv_D5wIPK6-lOfOTqvsZNxkBAXDc-dO3wdkNSpU7cGCWYqOcYHGdqEojAWMURDetIvHIV_m6ACJCZL6NyCgwdpZJXD45pEmHAweB1FmO3GxaraLBUfOzjiHA/s1600/07122011_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTz0jIZWyWhiE3Yzi18ueYv_D5wIPK6-lOfOTqvsZNxkBAXDc-dO3wdkNSpU7cGCWYqOcYHGdqEojAWMURDetIvHIV_m6ACJCZL6NyCgwdpZJXD45pEmHAweB1FmO3GxaraLBUfOzjiHA/s640/07122011_3.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you recognize whose half face that is?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
[4] Go to <b>Tools > Annotate</b> and then select which option you are looking for--adding an arrow, oval, rectangle, or text.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLkktPTBaT8qn6aw-FFzpZggF6jUMe_oDt8RAtnChTb364ukh5CTStP2UvqI_vE-5XJ84JzrhZL0MCYd7_PNnypTb2y16aqHZ1NVUCI34kM_NLXHGxABjuquBbFQzwEXNvgWPohFgjpU/s1600/07122011_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLkktPTBaT8qn6aw-FFzpZggF6jUMe_oDt8RAtnChTb364ukh5CTStP2UvqI_vE-5XJ84JzrhZL0MCYd7_PNnypTb2y16aqHZ1NVUCI34kM_NLXHGxABjuquBbFQzwEXNvgWPohFgjpU/s640/07122011_4.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
[5] Change the options using the buttons at the bottom of the window. You can change color, line thickness, etc.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyde6mg0jBhvquREB97WMyVqGwwfuXwYIJD5CYGBeUok7hQ-W-iOupJ_-yT1YqYRjYLxm_sllTH0lyxw1EFECHzuTPyTGZbYZ2pYGSNZ2BoltqOGNIb3_5ydcr2bpm_E78bntz_EJz7A/s1600/07122011_5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCyde6mg0jBhvquREB97WMyVqGwwfuXwYIJD5CYGBeUok7hQ-W-iOupJ_-yT1YqYRjYLxm_sllTH0lyxw1EFECHzuTPyTGZbYZ2pYGSNZ2BoltqOGNIb3_5ydcr2bpm_E78bntz_EJz7A/s1600/07122011_5.png" /></a></div>
<br />
[6] Save your edited image. Go to <b>File > Save</b> or simply type <b>Command + S. </b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
Ta-daa! You're done.<br />
<br />
<i>Note</i>: For those who are interested in blocking out certain text in your image using <b>Preview</b>, there is an easy way to do this! All you have to do sufficiently increase the line thickness icon before drawing your rectangle. Then, when you make the rectangle, it will <i>appear</i> like a solid rectangle as opposed to the default (and sole option) no fill rectangle.<br />
<br />
Here are some images to aid you:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSr8LBTfzIvs6apcS-FaddoJizYtKgvqXGtwVkBQsB0p4iSvzbcKsvyCWWi1PX5jZz2GOSA7BYaA8y5ynGXruDKPoQGwSYH_4TKRcslhJu88wHwi4O9CRqpFC2AegwRgCcUjZJETpwsxY/s1600/07122011_8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSr8LBTfzIvs6apcS-FaddoJizYtKgvqXGtwVkBQsB0p4iSvzbcKsvyCWWi1PX5jZz2GOSA7BYaA8y5ynGXruDKPoQGwSYH_4TKRcslhJu88wHwi4O9CRqpFC2AegwRgCcUjZJETpwsxY/s640/07122011_8.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original image</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lF7mnWnPBLKNBj2uhRtGWP7Ye5eYRhUJ_yx5G-nPDfRf_DOW7ZGO4D6M2NE1inqijuhjn8veuUNqv0imefyfVJwzpLHzZBunzre2soqfqwr-Ubx-CMRtuhurI3QptHp-nbdEiKUFFC0/s1600/07122011_9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1lF7mnWnPBLKNBj2uhRtGWP7Ye5eYRhUJ_yx5G-nPDfRf_DOW7ZGO4D6M2NE1inqijuhjn8veuUNqv0imefyfVJwzpLHzZBunzre2soqfqwr-Ubx-CMRtuhurI3QptHp-nbdEiKUFFC0/s640/07122011_9.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add a rectangle using a thicker line.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIE2UvTXCW-85dbx-52gz14eQquPPSELDFD7V5VieSMy4W-eWfwLHg4D8ASdCWM4vFA-xtCjpIANqraqxSy2sTqUwxzW3lAVU-LM_R9ATy0-LcIUY0JDenNwqDBJvgBcyGYSuQDeMXZKg/s1600/07122011_10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIE2UvTXCW-85dbx-52gz14eQquPPSELDFD7V5VieSMy4W-eWfwLHg4D8ASdCWM4vFA-xtCjpIANqraqxSy2sTqUwxzW3lAVU-LM_R9ATy0-LcIUY0JDenNwqDBJvgBcyGYSuQDeMXZKg/s640/07122011_10.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Draw your rectangle over the text you wish to omit.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-49114184086133374282011-06-21T22:39:00.000-04:002011-06-21T22:39:47.988-04:00Renting Movies on iTunes for Plane Rides<div class="p1">iTunes movie rentals are the best. At $2.99, a movie rental is much cheaper than movie purchases ($9.99/film), and they help kill time on long trips. But a real stumper is whether or not these babies can play without WiFi. Nobody wants to spend ten dollars renting movies she's excited to see, experience the hustle and bustle of airport check-in and security, and then find that the movies don't play on the airplane. That, my friends, would suck big time. So the real question is--can iTunes movie rentals play on airplanes?</div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1">This is a topic I've been curious about for a very long time, and I found no clear answer on the internet (much like the issue about embedding multiple videos in a tumblr post. Clear here for my step-by-step guide on how to do so.) There are more than enough posts initiating discussion, but there are very few that give a straight answer. And so fellow readers, I set out to investigate, and I come back with a clear answer:</div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Yes, if you rent a movie on iTunes using your home wireless, you can in fact play this movie on the airplane (where there is no wireless).</div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1">If you read enough online discussions and forums, you'll find that people's main worry is whether iTunes needs to talk to a server to initiate playing the video. Many posited that the rental had to be played *first* using a WiFi connection; once 'play' is clicked for the first time, the movie expires after 24 hours.</div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1">With this in mind, I did a test at home before I spent my six dollars on two rentals. Where could I find a cheap rental? On the iTunes Movie page, I was delighted to find a '99 cents Movie Rentals' section. Perfect.</div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1">I rented the movie directly from my iPad's iTunes. Downloading a Standard Definition movie took around half an hour. After it had finished downloading, I turned off my wireless. Time for the moment of truth: would the movie play without WiFi? Yes! It did!</div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Here are screenshots as proof for all those hard-evidence seeking people.</div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p2">This is my trial run at home.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEebCjSiTse9crUUFdr3qnO7F7QsWd4djjFgJbXL6IJx3swvPIQQn5AkP8gjgQ37g6zMPkvvHZxA84mWWN8udEYO8iLmCStE5rwAdqGm4jw2qIObo0B6WpXp3mwR9ULwgUck4YxKU0pdY/s1600/06212011_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEebCjSiTse9crUUFdr3qnO7F7QsWd4djjFgJbXL6IJx3swvPIQQn5AkP8gjgQ37g6zMPkvvHZxA84mWWN8udEYO8iLmCStE5rwAdqGm4jw2qIObo0B6WpXp3mwR9ULwgUck4YxKU0pdY/s640/06212011_1.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After downloading the movie rental, the film appears in <b>Videos</b> under <b>Rentals. </b><br />
Immediately, I turn off WiFi to simulate a plane scenario. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQnqRkG_OEme43n8oDEU76pcxiFF9pl5vNouVJNUu4O3wUielcYGOBP7m_FUoXQ7n_9kiLGgYv90KNPmutRzmQvnzlul0drKvTgvCHOZFk0kkH9ShPGHdWWp_M5MSmcP-AYO7U1sQZJ8/s1600/06212011_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQnqRkG_OEme43n8oDEU76pcxiFF9pl5vNouVJNUu4O3wUielcYGOBP7m_FUoXQ7n_9kiLGgYv90KNPmutRzmQvnzlul0drKvTgvCHOZFk0kkH9ShPGHdWWp_M5MSmcP-AYO7U1sQZJ8/s640/06212011_2.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Without WiFi, I am able to start playing the film.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFyWqs76Ejx_ZmLn0lWP6TbeQ5b2_OUP20RYboYHI8YG-fepH4IalutZD9KNEB4N_ww5V5L34tNvDR7dxCxTi2kKoC_y0zPugOxfsWUBhqCXSOYSAmnFLf3O1sRzm8zrbF1JCKrDJ9KY/s1600/06212011_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFyWqs76Ejx_ZmLn0lWP6TbeQ5b2_OUP20RYboYHI8YG-fepH4IalutZD9KNEB4N_ww5V5L34tNvDR7dxCxTi2kKoC_y0zPugOxfsWUBhqCXSOYSAmnFLf3O1sRzm8zrbF1JCKrDJ9KY/s640/06212011_3.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As proof that there was really no WiFi, my internet browser did not work. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeShgH9m3y7d7coYbuKko0noYX6rmHRE4hL7W_ZGFeZSAyRArSuDVVQSU_TMvzrqsxW5iHnD7a8BXxX4yQaAM91IUnxT5XVukF7prZs-K-GB4UAKfhx7QJD1oesvAYs_VVP10YzCLiKw/s1600/06212011_5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeShgH9m3y7d7coYbuKko0noYX6rmHRE4hL7W_ZGFeZSAyRArSuDVVQSU_TMvzrqsxW5iHnD7a8BXxX4yQaAM91IUnxT5XVukF7prZs-K-GB4UAKfhx7QJD1oesvAYs_VVP10YzCLiKw/s640/06212011_5.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More confirmation that WiFi was off when I started to play the movie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4_YlzC13vogk4RcdM8GSQJaya2NrUQEtL5_K_tDiBteHVHCxzGsrNdL9oOJPVUmA5KYgZFuMIEWqV3KYMC4PD2ZtHqFNiKOfKOTNbgP4PEjvH9q2sGSivpFJXHd4n6Pw2h7hOGi2hhg/s1600/06212011_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4_YlzC13vogk4RcdM8GSQJaya2NrUQEtL5_K_tDiBteHVHCxzGsrNdL9oOJPVUmA5KYgZFuMIEWqV3KYMC4PD2ZtHqFNiKOfKOTNbgP4PEjvH9q2sGSivpFJXHd4n6Pw2h7hOGi2hhg/s640/06212011_4.png" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup, the movie plays without WiFi! Success!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I repeat the same set of steps with another film, <i>Finding Neverland</i>, and find similar results: <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQwiUPh644yhDqstEwgMA9iOqjsA4eu7axwQUnoht77dxEKRndr9W13uWOW07Abv3EcavxtHnkgB4GqF1UrB8ferieJGFxZGG2EN4PKp1YH6Z_0LZUrP8etAHbd9A47Pvyqo9gdxTDgE/s1600/06212011_6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQwiUPh644yhDqstEwgMA9iOqjsA4eu7axwQUnoht77dxEKRndr9W13uWOW07Abv3EcavxtHnkgB4GqF1UrB8ferieJGFxZGG2EN4PKp1YH6Z_0LZUrP8etAHbd9A47Pvyqo9gdxTDgE/s640/06212011_6.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I downloaded the film using my apartment's WiFi. I turn off WiFi to simulate plane settings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMx9zjQJexLK7c-2nkhCp1oefEH2s_KWYS_3DIginKovDrdOfrBkvpTm4MF2wEBY0IweC_E-5J55Z7FbK74c0gG8g7I4klckseuap6WXWfCMF9ZbktxjxGk7rSBTM7bdN9OK9sBy8qDI/s1600/06212011_7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqMx9zjQJexLK7c-2nkhCp1oefEH2s_KWYS_3DIginKovDrdOfrBkvpTm4MF2wEBY0IweC_E-5J55Z7FbK74c0gG8g7I4klckseuap6WXWfCMF9ZbktxjxGk7rSBTM7bdN9OK9sBy8qDI/s640/06212011_7.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With no WiFi in sight, the movie is able to start the 24 hour rental period. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuXd7lPUrUV_NMgHUlsFWPjE_GJg5HbryvkkiLDEdcp80pqaXN4AZvf_bQQmzhlBRSITkWsd7trMCOYbziWPXIAsOZZ0JjcmcwZbD1yKj9gFYOobRoA-tItPZZG7Vs0XKYBdPQpl4O24/s1600/06212011_8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFuXd7lPUrUV_NMgHUlsFWPjE_GJg5HbryvkkiLDEdcp80pqaXN4AZvf_bQQmzhlBRSITkWsd7trMCOYbziWPXIAsOZZ0JjcmcwZbD1yKj9gFYOobRoA-tItPZZG7Vs0XKYBdPQpl4O24/s640/06212011_8.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Confirmation that there in fact no WiFi when I initiated my rental period. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div class="p1">I was overjoyed by the results! Confident from my success, I proceeded to download two movie rentals for my upcoming flight: Finding Neverland and Husbands and Wives. I'm proud to say that both played just fine on the airplane. However, I'd like to note the following: given my tendency to be overcautious and the abundance of naysayers on the internet, I had decided to start my 24 hour window this morning at my apartment (just in case). It was really no trouble--all I had to do was press play and then pause for my two rentals. I think though, this additional step had no influence on the results. Next time I fly, look forward to an update about this.</div><div class="p2"><br />
</div><div class="p1"><i><b>Conclusion</b>: Yes, movies rented on iTunes can be played on an airplane without WiFi access. Starting the movie to initiate the 24 hr rental period does not require WiFi, but if it can be done beforehand with WiFi, it wouldn't hurt.</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-86174821431008665252011-06-20T14:46:00.000-04:002011-06-20T15:09:38.733-04:00How to set up Disqus Comments in BloggerHave a blog (or two or three?). <b>Disqus</b> is a free online service that easily manages your site's comments. Disqus features include:<br />
<br />
[1] Compatible with multiple sites such as Blogger, Wordpress, and tumblr.<br />
[2] Compiles the comments history on your disqus site.<br />
[3] Allows for moderation of comments via email. When comments are made, you receive an email that shows the user and comment. If you reply with 'approve', the comment gets posted. If you reply with 'delete', the post gets deleted. If you want to post a reply to the comment, you simply reply to the email with your comment, which Disqus will post. All without having to visit a third party site! It's great!<br />
[4] Nice aesthetics.<br />
[A] You can set up default icons for your users. This is a huge plus. Those ugly gray silhouette icons mar even the cleanest of site layouts.<br />
[B] The appearance of comments looks very nice. Each comment gets its own rectangular block.<br />
<br />
If any of this interests you, read on!<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Set up a disqus account. </b></span><br />
[1] Visit <a href="http://www.disqus.com/">www.disqus.com</a>. Click on <b>Sign up</b> and enter the appropriate information to create your free account.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAo0yd5l92wEIk_zDJnaClDpx5USTmtEKZVb6cvMl6IaoS_1ccGTlZykuAhfWdvhpeEs_VSw2Q7kwVY1gtecKcnkrOIgDOSp-OkR10T4b2VSeETfbSdS_hFm2JuSb0VCpcNwgE6kfXQKI/s1600/06192011_00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAo0yd5l92wEIk_zDJnaClDpx5USTmtEKZVb6cvMl6IaoS_1ccGTlZykuAhfWdvhpeEs_VSw2Q7kwVY1gtecKcnkrOIgDOSp-OkR10T4b2VSeETfbSdS_hFm2JuSb0VCpcNwgE6kfXQKI/s640/06192011_00.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Add your site to your Disqus account</b></span><br />
[1] Go to your <b>Dashboard </b>by clicking on the <b>Dashboard </b>link at the top of the page. On the left under <b>Your sites</b>, click on the <b>+Add </b>button.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdlQUFrK6y3FKHgnAnUOgXVYBt-N2TLoizorNn4X_Y6-YohuphlqIjwsl68goEZ9UOC8YywQp21va8Nd4UMRksXcSfW2zgX_vcWIPb3WN9S_zqaie_Me4SYJI-40lFbRmLvz_aRadk9Y/s1600/06192011_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdlQUFrK6y3FKHgnAnUOgXVYBt-N2TLoizorNn4X_Y6-YohuphlqIjwsl68goEZ9UOC8YywQp21va8Nd4UMRksXcSfW2zgX_vcWIPb3WN9S_zqaie_Me4SYJI-40lFbRmLvz_aRadk9Y/s640/06192011_1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">[2] Type in your site's information. Click <b>Continue</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8pYHSfkzoYBp5NgyPrlu4CoSVaR5tIMRRFTTiuhTcFQIVaeLADIyxuyySvdfbhN-GVyGgCMunuXiPFF5qP8meL24mPM3oJ-QpN1D068ORBX9imp7JaPU3P7jocBy9muRuYHKTyLkzfk/s1600/06192011_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8pYHSfkzoYBp5NgyPrlu4CoSVaR5tIMRRFTTiuhTcFQIVaeLADIyxuyySvdfbhN-GVyGgCMunuXiPFF5qP8meL24mPM3oJ-QpN1D068ORBX9imp7JaPU3P7jocBy9muRuYHKTyLkzfk/s640/06192011_2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Customize Your Disqus Account</b></span><br />
[1] Set up spam protection using the free web-based service Akismet. After you typed in your site's information on disqus, you should see the following screen:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgygerTE-IZ3r39DcBzq9DJDybZHYke2_3PLchzUFLuMavO8kqR6o6AYoA76bAdEzKVZZ3ugIKWl491Vee1OD_pYDWgdImenbbhFbE_lF7ubuBij8PMyrhOlLE8GBFZXPCzw1FkcZdak/s1600/06192011_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpgygerTE-IZ3r39DcBzq9DJDybZHYke2_3PLchzUFLuMavO8kqR6o6AYoA76bAdEzKVZZ3ugIKWl491Vee1OD_pYDWgdImenbbhFbE_lF7ubuBij8PMyrhOlLE8GBFZXPCzw1FkcZdak/s640/06192011_3.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">[2] Click on the <b>Akismet </b>icon. Visit <b>www.akismet.com</b> to set up your free spam-protection account. Click on <b>Sign up for Akismet.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWuslNs_92Latqg1Z2ufpVVhnN86wEfqQ7u94JuJT20-aCUExLbcJEpIF5BIAcvfstUWxwj47BEJ5exTs1OvKxVS4DpnK9b2boYkMUJjfRhRdeAi8waZXY5INCqIw9nksswFlhx7Lej0/s1600/06192011_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheWuslNs_92Latqg1Z2ufpVVhnN86wEfqQ7u94JuJT20-aCUExLbcJEpIF5BIAcvfstUWxwj47BEJ5exTs1OvKxVS4DpnK9b2boYkMUJjfRhRdeAi8waZXY5INCqIw9nksswFlhx7Lej0/s640/06192011_4.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">[3] Select <b>Personal site</b> (Akismet is free for personal sites). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHfz036O5Dc7rix_HPDqHmjsDQdyG_LtdtQdJM7O9eG6Fks3am2l3Euiennwxt27xHWTBGTYtXxE1YIIy20K_msKgT9FAM4palbhCciuNRNDsI7rm50r06JgRjCz4OM0PyFYszXaZH7U/s1600/06192011_5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHfz036O5Dc7rix_HPDqHmjsDQdyG_LtdtQdJM7O9eG6Fks3am2l3Euiennwxt27xHWTBGTYtXxE1YIIy20K_msKgT9FAM4palbhCciuNRNDsI7rm50r06JgRjCz4OM0PyFYszXaZH7U/s640/06192011_5.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">[4] Type in the appropriate form information. **Make sure to move the slider under <i>What is Akismet worth to you? </i>to<b> $0.00/yr</b>. Don't be discouraged by the frowny face. Click <b>Continue</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouNohsH9SmcqiAX72JL2EUXWb-ppuSin7cDuwInXif9f0hri6fZY9krB0pTxM80Gk8dsjRkyJ4b6wpWjJ0sV0K7ouodi_Np-vdqmbBoDrC_76CAVlBXJo5iZsxfBOQyrknG-eIx-AVUQ/s1600/06192011_6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgouNohsH9SmcqiAX72JL2EUXWb-ppuSin7cDuwInXif9f0hri6fZY9krB0pTxM80Gk8dsjRkyJ4b6wpWjJ0sV0K7ouodi_Np-vdqmbBoDrC_76CAVlBXJo5iZsxfBOQyrknG-eIx-AVUQ/s640/06192011_6.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>You will receive a confirmation that your Akismet account is set up.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlKSZ-BaCPt3ri8GxcU4JExSEs-LYS2jifMAb61QmE_mNAM9x-W7u9BFBrWA_tR18oItrMB-AOIlpP91_TEILueWP4uFzgk5pjA4rzphwh4Jgb_aFAPSqgJoAX5vWG8xxBQR1h6gWQ3A/s1600/06192011_7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlKSZ-BaCPt3ri8GxcU4JExSEs-LYS2jifMAb61QmE_mNAM9x-W7u9BFBrWA_tR18oItrMB-AOIlpP91_TEILueWP4uFzgk5pjA4rzphwh4Jgb_aFAPSqgJoAX5vWG8xxBQR1h6gWQ3A/s640/06192011_7.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
[5] Check your email for the Akismet API key that you will enter on your Disqus page. Click <b>Continue</b>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUm4QerMaMWzTLHVpLpgWNTUTzHvuC75H2-0Ezji0sOEQzrsG3L8zHxcBMIlW1k6bvwtNJ9a4SE2x0YmXqIiTj0iHxZa5eCJxuDityhHHQnnQURSAfM2W1H8tYjjX46uRgHcRpbb7msE/s1600/06192011_8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUm4QerMaMWzTLHVpLpgWNTUTzHvuC75H2-0Ezji0sOEQzrsG3L8zHxcBMIlW1k6bvwtNJ9a4SE2x0YmXqIiTj0iHxZa5eCJxuDityhHHQnnQURSAfM2W1H8tYjjX46uRgHcRpbb7msE/s640/06192011_8.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCLCqKQTVb6hW_G2bSK7PNAkm0ceclWXTWeJ3kh8EUNZx5KY2a4O28wMv_VrX8RhX4Paablk1jUsMzghI9BBmtkNzS1JI5XYV_AvAn2X_KYAA8L4Jn0LQdnfLH-LsYrrQ-Enp1ml-AwA/s1600/06192011_9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDCLCqKQTVb6hW_G2bSK7PNAkm0ceclWXTWeJ3kh8EUNZx5KY2a4O28wMv_VrX8RhX4Paablk1jUsMzghI9BBmtkNzS1JI5XYV_AvAn2X_KYAA8L4Jn0LQdnfLH-LsYrrQ-Enp1ml-AwA/s640/06192011_9.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Type in the API key here on your Disqus Dashboard.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>[6] Decide on your moderation settings. After you've set up your Disqus account, you can now customize your page. Moderation means that comments must be approved by you, the administrator, before they can be published. Under the <b>Settings </b>tab and the <b>Moderation </b>heading, you can either <b>Enable </b>or <b>Disable </b>moderation. For those who are interested in moderating, I recommend applying your settings to <b>From all commenters</b>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSttLd8RI-G5vo_diilxuvv7ItICCHbKPrgOYLoXeE1xK9DWuAAbfWgCWXVezhnBpgIjIyTUDFmkzU1tLTzKYyLCBJ55oC6E6uQaLOjE1yNHpi8ALYsKwMTGYHXNrJ0jU8dgoh_lKvhVk/s1600/06192011_10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSttLd8RI-G5vo_diilxuvv7ItICCHbKPrgOYLoXeE1xK9DWuAAbfWgCWXVezhnBpgIjIyTUDFmkzU1tLTzKYyLCBJ55oC6E6uQaLOjE1yNHpi8ALYsKwMTGYHXNrJ0jU8dgoh_lKvhVk/s640/06192011_10.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
[7] Change the settings for who can post comments. There are three options: anyone, registered only, and registered only with email. Like most people, I avoid extra online registrations as much as possible. Keeping my audience in mind, I chose to allow <b>Anyone </b>to comment. This is good for both me (more visitors! more comments!) and good for the users (no registrations! no new username and password!). <b>Save </b>new settings.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil04M_nboZ3gEAGvjfUospeWOdo3x-t9rf8COcHOZEWKAQhb6bC4vjZ6wM40rKflgL8HcB1pP7GE7Zk6_9Kt-2_8uK8vb8cr8IU6MuUD_yzhO7lc5n8rGbbBYFUlOD7rmTcf4yKBHvk_s/s1600/06192011_11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil04M_nboZ3gEAGvjfUospeWOdo3x-t9rf8COcHOZEWKAQhb6bC4vjZ6wM40rKflgL8HcB1pP7GE7Zk6_9Kt-2_8uK8vb8cr8IU6MuUD_yzhO7lc5n8rGbbBYFUlOD7rmTcf4yKBHvk_s/s640/06192011_11.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>[8] Set up a default icon for all users. Under the <b>Settings </b>tab, in the <b>Appearance </b>heading, upload a new file to the <b>Default avatar</b>. I like having this option because I think those gray default silhouette icons are too plain and boring. Your default avatar can be simple! I made mine in Microsoft Powerpoint using the <b>Shapes </b>tools. I then took a screenshot clip of my icon and saved it as a .png file, which I then uploaded to the Disqus site. Remember to <b>Save </b>your changes.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEpo1AXGdRkfDSPuDxSE8_W-1gEdromOQ200JyhZwlsijhyphenhyphen7Oj7sKxLkxtDxyu029flsNcnvli5FhiXJgItEtijPmm7CwCUgyYnghI9lMXWTd1sEjabmv3Dpy_XXG6GBZPgTLcGYpbw4/s1600/06192011_17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEpo1AXGdRkfDSPuDxSE8_W-1gEdromOQ200JyhZwlsijhyphenhyphen7Oj7sKxLkxtDxyu029flsNcnvli5FhiXJgItEtijPmm7CwCUgyYnghI9lMXWTd1sEjabmv3Dpy_XXG6GBZPgTLcGYpbw4/s640/06192011_17.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl1UacDbuL5LoNV-d6zeZrwzHNVNq3VcOeeoXz1Bs4UCI8sfyLG7xJUDcjdMbLE9KtHdlevVkfEnSDN_HtYlbO5nOqY4otJZAnlSwiAKOqi0TwBZ20P5-7oR40WBs4idzb7XCeitF2MI/s1600/06192011_18.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdl1UacDbuL5LoNV-d6zeZrwzHNVNq3VcOeeoXz1Bs4UCI8sfyLG7xJUDcjdMbLE9KtHdlevVkfEnSDN_HtYlbO5nOqY4otJZAnlSwiAKOqi0TwBZ20P5-7oR40WBs4idzb7XCeitF2MI/s640/06192011_18.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Install Disqus on Blogger</b></span><br />
(Disqus can be installed on other sites, but I am more familiar with Blogger, so I will provide Blogger-specific instructions).<br />
[1] On the Disqus site, go to the <b>Install </b>tab, and select <b>Blogger</b>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1U1KoNHpyKed8c7UBAVOD82mi4jfe7xewiHNPld6Yd5P925fq3eZUXkhosWTl2x8FEokfiCB-fRL6VcJaV6BSrdlm0aoFppTEE6aNJUJ9_kYwI29QvwSDCHV9ukT1TsTg2Abbo-lNP8/s1600/06192011_12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1U1KoNHpyKed8c7UBAVOD82mi4jfe7xewiHNPld6Yd5P925fq3eZUXkhosWTl2x8FEokfiCB-fRL6VcJaV6BSrdlm0aoFppTEE6aNJUJ9_kYwI29QvwSDCHV9ukT1TsTg2Abbo-lNP8/s640/06192011_12.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>[2] Read the instructions. Click on the <b>Add site 'Yoursitename here' to Blogger</b> button. You will be directed to a Blogger-based link. Choose <b>Add widget</b>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEPZL4y9vMcMMwYKaxQ3NBHaguvfA4ImCUKmWgEh6sUfti2ixgyYA3TMqTnlgK6BuM3oKWmZKCV4eAU-u4_HTz78XL1G2eq_ZqBhP34H7SU2LnBoqLB7TZOb8izT3uKTJOx0fj_vZLE4/s1600/06192011_13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEPZL4y9vMcMMwYKaxQ3NBHaguvfA4ImCUKmWgEh6sUfti2ixgyYA3TMqTnlgK6BuM3oKWmZKCV4eAU-u4_HTz78XL1G2eq_ZqBhP34H7SU2LnBoqLB7TZOb8izT3uKTJOx0fj_vZLE4/s640/06192011_13.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSV6LAX-0RuLKZQhixUWJjkK9JsslEgpaj87arth6pF0Cb-gtWk_w4-45XbgkUML2R3I_eB9zNUdY6TD5-QIfIOwk_ao1vNNnoqJJC5GJdR5-5L7mWW8WYDDR0jJkrW2nPvpnjJ5ifpE/s1600/06192011_14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQSV6LAX-0RuLKZQhixUWJjkK9JsslEgpaj87arth6pF0Cb-gtWk_w4-45XbgkUML2R3I_eB9zNUdY6TD5-QIfIOwk_ao1vNNnoqJJC5GJdR5-5L7mWW8WYDDR0jJkrW2nPvpnjJ5ifpE/s640/06192011_14.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
After you've added your Widget, you should see <b>Disqus for Yourblognamehere</b> show up on your Blogger Dashboard page. It will appear in the <b>Design tab </b>under <b>Page elements</b> on the right hand side.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fpK-f4DhjHp8GVMZ46SnmDV2KYFqo0tCb5FxJ_w3L9AhpUV6bLVPaot4ZT4sx_b-H7yGOPwMPxR5koygDdAUIR9CyKvapFdB-IXdgqKRKsymiEq5plcUuP3Ro2HLrrhmqq7m1EOf5kI/s1600/06192011_15.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fpK-f4DhjHp8GVMZ46SnmDV2KYFqo0tCb5FxJ_w3L9AhpUV6bLVPaot4ZT4sx_b-H7yGOPwMPxR5koygDdAUIR9CyKvapFdB-IXdgqKRKsymiEq5plcUuP3Ro2HLrrhmqq7m1EOf5kI/s640/06192011_15.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
[3] Turn off Google's own comments. After you've installed Disqus, there's no need to have two sets of Comments on your page.<br />
<br />
Go to your Blogger Dashboard. Under the <b>Settings</b> tab, go to the <b>Comments </b>section. Choose to <b>Hide </b>comments. <b>Save</b> changes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu5tz1mlkxhhxn1goV2JYNmdl0kO-8irsnEEKCoxBKY6jDol5qcosJVCeUaIZDp9BFI4yhu3Is8Af8m2LyMKOuzF50NRj32I_XiNBoRaPMNURIS-KczLePLRlJchlDcANzc64x4wvl3M/s1600/06192011_16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu5tz1mlkxhhxn1goV2JYNmdl0kO-8irsnEEKCoxBKY6jDol5qcosJVCeUaIZDp9BFI4yhu3Is8Af8m2LyMKOuzF50NRj32I_XiNBoRaPMNURIS-KczLePLRlJchlDcANzc64x4wvl3M/s640/06192011_16.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
When you're done, at the bottom of each post, you will see the following setup for comments:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwq3tNMx1_SI_SrhDXPW66EpNkN9T2lIYjJe84GDHhaW71qwZ-SFr04VoD73CjT0-mzgSNkJCCa6Q8_6mEW7UtGFqriXBxVu7i9JRCG4zxoiiMpFEcNcSXM7bVxviyYneM9sr_p8wACzM/s1600/06192011_19.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwq3tNMx1_SI_SrhDXPW66EpNkN9T2lIYjJe84GDHhaW71qwZ-SFr04VoD73CjT0-mzgSNkJCCa6Q8_6mEW7UtGFqriXBxVu7i9JRCG4zxoiiMpFEcNcSXM7bVxviyYneM9sr_p8wACzM/s640/06192011_19.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When you have more comments, it will resemble this: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu5ui119S9Og0E1nTUUbESr0ZnjCa3TKqDbzRCb_C2uLj165RAMFBD3Q5sXY2fR78aZp-W4ZxsphJ_U9jWaH_z_gF9vri-xrs-flxfjdckO1l1TOvLYqvFZZm5XllKp7xB-kzyp0tmYQ/s1600/06192011_20.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdu5ui119S9Og0E1nTUUbESr0ZnjCa3TKqDbzRCb_C2uLj165RAMFBD3Q5sXY2fR78aZp-W4ZxsphJ_U9jWaH_z_gF9vri-xrs-flxfjdckO1l1TOvLYqvFZZm5XllKp7xB-kzyp0tmYQ/s640/06192011_20.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Woohoo! You've successfully set up Disqus for your website. You can now manage comments with the greatest of ease, and visitors will be impressed by its simple and sleek look. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is 'What the tech?!' signing off. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-53216336016044535162011-06-20T12:40:00.001-04:002011-06-20T12:40:08.114-04:00TesttestUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-79998066371929971582011-06-19T12:40:00.002-04:002011-06-20T13:15:30.275-04:00How to Publicize Your BlogIn this new age of 'social media,' you need to be on multiple platforms and interfaces to maximize your audience base. Back when I started this blog a few months ago, I was interested in how to get my site 'out there.' After a couple hours of research and some trial-and-error fun times, I managed to customize my site in the following ways:<br />
<br />
1) Allow for email subscription for interested audience members<br />
2) Create automated tweets announcing new posts<br />
3) Establish an RSS feed that people can subscribe to<br />
<br />
If those sound like things you're interested in, read on for some detailled how-to's!<br />
<br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">[0] Set up a blog</span></i></b><br />
First, make a blog. My guide will be for Blogger-based sites, but I imagine you can tweak things minorly for other blogs such as Wordpress, etc.<br />
<br />
Go to www.blogger.com and 'create new account'.<br />
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">[1] Create a feed</span></i></b><br />
<i>In order to set up email notifications and twitter updates, you need a feed. </i><br />
<br />
Go to <a href="http://feedburner.google.com/">feedburner.google.com</a>. Log in with the Google username and password associated with your blog.<br />
<br />
You should see the following screen:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAd9mMwoT47LSx9qlKWOeKGMw-pdM6KMEI1WmANaNQZAhsoKTGGgHIjnwne4cToZsTd_8fU8LqIPAa4ehuemwu0QnBeOGwA5-4LUI3lBi0jpGkB3L18QIOn18FTuhu6VduH6CvpfkGZCH/s1600/publicize1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMAd9mMwoT47LSx9qlKWOeKGMw-pdM6KMEI1WmANaNQZAhsoKTGGgHIjnwne4cToZsTd_8fU8LqIPAa4ehuemwu0QnBeOGwA5-4LUI3lBi0jpGkB3L18QIOn18FTuhu6VduH6CvpfkGZCH/s400/publicize1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Initially, you will have no feed names appearing under feed title. In order to establish your feed, type in your blog website name into the line for your blog or feed address, and then click <b>Next</b>. For example, you would type in:<br />
<br />
<i>http://username.blogspot.com</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
You will next see the following window. Select the <b>Testing-atom</b> radio button. Click <b>Next.</b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGr2iNW-TwRsPoDJBysVs1VOx6kdGrPke546zYA0YpXwcq25u9KRYiIxG8j16nsHyNPNKKxYYqIfrQ9IPrR3PR0SfN6JTvpnJ-43mw2-Rtx5UGyUaKoGwEqiVhduexIaw9wywZdYNTHvc/s1600/publicize2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGGr2iNW-TwRsPoDJBysVs1VOx6kdGrPke546zYA0YpXwcq25u9KRYiIxG8j16nsHyNPNKKxYYqIfrQ9IPrR3PR0SfN6JTvpnJ-43mw2-Rtx5UGyUaKoGwEqiVhduexIaw9wywZdYNTHvc/s400/publicize2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
You will now see the following window:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4wL18-Pda3SnwN0RQE2vxf4r8-gNuHOvNelBZYT1BkRG3XHNedaSprMeVeUdKmQN8W1A3Atc9HTedIEEI5TZgNDI126AzArDCF-1OthQAcrOlCh88RUT6988SetSvACxl-b0APe1dWfN/s1600/publicize3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn4wL18-Pda3SnwN0RQE2vxf4r8-gNuHOvNelBZYT1BkRG3XHNedaSprMeVeUdKmQN8W1A3Atc9HTedIEEI5TZgNDI126AzArDCF-1OthQAcrOlCh88RUT6988SetSvACxl-b0APe1dWfN/s400/publicize3.jpg" width="396" /></a></div><br />
You can change your Feed Title to what you would like, and you can also change your feed address. Initially, it may look like: <i>blogspot/wHidE </i>, but you can change the last portion to something else so it could appear as <i>blogspot/yourtitlehere</i>.<br />
<br />
Click <b>Next</b>. You will see the following screen:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e0hOW2kcUed772jMtqKXSeqT7Qf7XwCSR0dmnvcyoTEg5H6pgbViFFXu6obn7eJIMYst72bupbcURafvNS8Lz7jnR5gbkzamaUkk0OxbUIQ3CitPt_Bnfp8GJTid2NxSW9dteLjtyuT0/s1600/publicize+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2e0hOW2kcUed772jMtqKXSeqT7Qf7XwCSR0dmnvcyoTEg5H6pgbViFFXu6obn7eJIMYst72bupbcURafvNS8Lz7jnR5gbkzamaUkk0OxbUIQ3CitPt_Bnfp8GJTid2NxSW9dteLjtyuT0/s400/publicize+4.jpg" width="391" /></a></div><br />
Voila! You have established a feed address. Click <b>Skip directly to feed management</b>.<br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">[2] Establish email subscriptions:</span></i></b><br />
<i>By setting up this subscription service, viewers will be able to receive daily email updates provided that you have updated your site on that particular day. All subscriptions will be sent from noreply@blogger.com. You don't have to worry about inadvertently sharing your personal email. </i><br />
<br />
After you've established your feed, you will see your blog represented on your <i>feedburner.google.com </i>site.<br />
<b><i><br />
</i></b><br />
<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">[2A] Turning on email subscription features</span></i></b><br />
Under the '<b>Publicize</b>' tab, you'll click on the '<b>Email subscriptions</b>' heading. Click on <b>Activate</b>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3qJZELP4Y5stgYNvschTbPJwobcYu6zu1A2QmAh7OGEvqNPE0Imu8njvgABVfue9UsM2_jUGuV6VpiJa1CvdybRr8PlPxabUZJtPBnFD0CaiHw5sOGF1wUeW0LL8T2GuueQJNbzW5P0/s1600/06182011_10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3qJZELP4Y5stgYNvschTbPJwobcYu6zu1A2QmAh7OGEvqNPE0Imu8njvgABVfue9UsM2_jUGuV6VpiJa1CvdybRr8PlPxabUZJtPBnFD0CaiHw5sOGF1wUeW0LL8T2GuueQJNbzW5P0/s640/06182011_10.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
You will now be directed to the <b>Subscription management</b> subheading. The window will look as follows:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8Sg5t2jyrGBmdhIev74arYgINPffo5n-FN96beuKSMhPAvRKqGtie38AGnWRNsJ4bNUCfcO9dT3NtO81ao9HHPM2UTpBHFTJI3bs9t8YhPVVmO8w63T1R1DmQt9OoQKf8E32klToRcGP/s1600/publicize15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="635" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8Sg5t2jyrGBmdhIev74arYgINPffo5n-FN96beuKSMhPAvRKqGtie38AGnWRNsJ4bNUCfcO9dT3NtO81ao9HHPM2UTpBHFTJI3bs9t8YhPVVmO8w63T1R1DmQt9OoQKf8E32klToRcGP/s640/publicize15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It is on this page that you will be able to 'V<b>iew subscriber details'</b>. You can see the emails of your subscribers, and you will be able to deactivate or delete these emails as desired. Currently, since you have just established your subscriptions, you will not have any subscribers listed at the bottom of the page.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">[2B] Personalizing your message to subscribers</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you'd like to customize your 'thank you for subscribing message' (I did!), click on the <b>Communication Preferences </b>under the <b>Email Subscriptions </b>heading in the <b>Publicize</b> tab. You will see the following screen:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPk1bhil3X6ngZsnSC7yAy_6a5buS4zJu6aFaJKYRgJ-C3Xrh3PE45FvYjYrRd1Nn-mUcuSHAhUm69jC0n4A_9JRAzX43CiD_-mXEzhb6PzH-Nrd69UoODgjYoh4TkpaazzCg8Z7rG-0/s1600/06182011_11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPk1bhil3X6ngZsnSC7yAy_6a5buS4zJu6aFaJKYRgJ-C3Xrh3PE45FvYjYrRd1Nn-mUcuSHAhUm69jC0n4A_9JRAzX43CiD_-mXEzhb6PzH-Nrd69UoODgjYoh4TkpaazzCg8Z7rG-0/s640/06182011_11.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In this window, you can change the <b>Confirmation Email Subject</b> (the subject of the email sent to new subscribers) and <b>Confirmation Email Body </b>(the message that will be sent to new subscribers). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On this page, you will also be able to change the <b>email 'from' address.</b> By default, feedburner puts in your personal email. If you'd like, you can change it to<i> noreply@blogger.com. </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After making your changes, click <b>Save</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">[2C] Set up a subscription email delivery time</span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the <b>Publicize </b>tab, under the <b>Email subscriptions </b>heading, you will find the <b>Delivery Options </b>subheading. Here, you will be able to set the time that subscribers receive an email notifying them about the changes in your site. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghE29w96wZhAlN3WQZo5XGT_DVcxkA44XPMCZHBjnp404u-zy3CuDFgfEQHM-z7j3eFI-ya5BpHmYb78ZZ6pLrIwU7bfptTho5FZBNiY1BFKw9nmgqCMuYeba0JDkoEwCBZi9KtUcdXzX/s1600/screenshot32.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhghE29w96wZhAlN3WQZo5XGT_DVcxkA44XPMCZHBjnp404u-zy3CuDFgfEQHM-z7j3eFI-ya5BpHmYb78ZZ6pLrIwU7bfptTho5FZBNiY1BFKw9nmgqCMuYeba0JDkoEwCBZi9KtUcdXzX/s640/screenshot32.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">[2D] Add the email subscription widget to your blog. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Think of widgets as little gadgets on your site that are pre-made for you and your users. Google provides many different widgets for its bloggers. To access this widget, do the following:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Go to <i>www.blogger.com</i>. Log in. You will be sent to the <b>Dashboard, </b>which is basically the control room for your site. Here, you can change the visual aspects, add widgets, make new posts, etc. Click on the <b>Design </b>link. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62hzZZItmo703u12hMdGwsA6NKqU3F-xsn27Ei1osCsAZ0kH43SL3UsbWFTVGCNs469XAXsLaV39ZuU6_WwjPF399k9FpovJR8o0ebdCtlIdwJCV62qORq7L7pvzb5H-6_Z7PfgdIdrl7/s1600/screenshot33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj62hzZZItmo703u12hMdGwsA6NKqU3F-xsn27Ei1osCsAZ0kH43SL3UsbWFTVGCNs469XAXsLaV39ZuU6_WwjPF399k9FpovJR8o0ebdCtlIdwJCV62qORq7L7pvzb5H-6_Z7PfgdIdrl7/s640/screenshot33.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Your dashboard (actually, mine in this case).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After clicking on <b>Design</b>, you will see the following. Click on the <b>Add a Gadget</b> link. You will see the following window pop up. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofByuDzqp4AhWZkSMyZzQzBr5xgPZLLd1nuLrH7HSnQzPZ_lQoy8KLqOznVp9xUkJ0J-DWxN6Q_lfvwDUCimb1eoEZ4eKtLhmaUMs9R2zGqt4ckipsI-V0psimEp0_11lfG1-Bl5xNQ6z/s1600/publicize11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofByuDzqp4AhWZkSMyZzQzBr5xgPZLLd1nuLrH7HSnQzPZ_lQoy8KLqOznVp9xUkJ0J-DWxN6Q_lfvwDUCimb1eoEZ4eKtLhmaUMs9R2zGqt4ckipsI-V0psimEp0_11lfG1-Bl5xNQ6z/s640/publicize11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Adjacent to the <b>Follow by Email</b> gadget description, there is a <b>+ </b>button. Click on it. If you wish, you may change the name of the email gadget. Finally, click <b>Save</b>. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgK938_up4As4QwnmudzgI5TrmSg2-nbxuSLGyzDRRhyElJLu-WA3KGOvY6MIQ1Bk7ud4AK9nk4Execz5o7S4antyL1G4Oki6bIGJOubiFU_vvsL897dKo1WWb_98y3RpQk5MJTdxiJGl/s1600/06182011_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgK938_up4As4QwnmudzgI5TrmSg2-nbxuSLGyzDRRhyElJLu-WA3KGOvY6MIQ1Bk7ud4AK9nk4Execz5o7S4antyL1G4Oki6bIGJOubiFU_vvsL897dKo1WWb_98y3RpQk5MJTdxiJGl/s400/06182011_1.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After clicking on 'Add a gadget,' you'll see this window.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6vZJFtq4I6xo05i0fxkp8YV_cKZc68lpZqamUw5aNjRaKftAkCmIKNZZ6jY-vbacdtFEm6GFx5ga3LTt7u5Du6KIK6uh3kdpjuEIU-4nrNxgZF_r7ObXNiDTdv88QsVFmzYXUWLS0sun/s1600/06182011_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ6vZJFtq4I6xo05i0fxkp8YV_cKZc68lpZqamUw5aNjRaKftAkCmIKNZZ6jY-vbacdtFEm6GFx5ga3LTt7u5Du6KIK6uh3kdpjuEIU-4nrNxgZF_r7ObXNiDTdv88QsVFmzYXUWLS0sun/s400/06182011_2.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After deciding upon your gadget title, click on 'save.' </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You should now see the Email gadget appear on your Dashboard's <b>Design</b> page. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU33YFiFS1pE09OUOu94yrDaMOC7u00v9osK0pQqbhyphenhyphen7nAF3eVcfKowTQL_-dNCv4OotvUEU7KqpTPOqXsK2Ax34qdoy5MSsORs855yMWem0n9m4_My6JQUzoHVjj5DSWuEtqjHiyCWmEl/s1600/06182011_3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU33YFiFS1pE09OUOu94yrDaMOC7u00v9osK0pQqbhyphenhyphen7nAF3eVcfKowTQL_-dNCv4OotvUEU7KqpTPOqXsK2Ax34qdoy5MSsORs855yMWem0n9m4_My6JQUzoHVjj5DSWuEtqjHiyCWmEl/s640/06182011_3.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ta-da! The Follow By Email gadget is now officially a part of your blog. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">[3] Announce new posts through automated twitter updates. </span></i></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Go to feedburner.google.com. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Log in if you aren't logged in already. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Under the <b>Publicize </b>tab, select the <b>Socialize </b>heading. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Click on the <b>Add a twitter account </b>button, and enter the appropriate information. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj44O3IExNA_gdLb6hjUx2k3xcCmGhz2o7_8WOYHtnSZEZWZB7RHbgMQc9GQ2srdmySChIGVZZ211cpxheEABIaqsIaku-rzpSfsQxkpHuWYt5LN4WqvNlXg3i76_O30hdPggt3uzR5tON/s1600/06182011_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="563" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj44O3IExNA_gdLb6hjUx2k3xcCmGhz2o7_8WOYHtnSZEZWZB7RHbgMQc9GQ2srdmySChIGVZZ211cpxheEABIaqsIaku-rzpSfsQxkpHuWYt5LN4WqvNlXg3i76_O30hdPggt3uzR5tON/s640/06182011_4.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You can also make each automated tweet start with a phrase of your choosing, such as 'New post!' Type the desired phrase in the <b>Additional text </b>box. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyFn8bdS9elMc0w8kC1ln_SOMFzIc5MED0DI5rpB3jbNOXSgtf5NKXAL63n0UTG-a7So-KAQewA2yQkNt0M8YzL0osGpOs84qul8CYq4vt0AewNPNr0nVQTIvQ2uH8qTknfBQxgwIzJI/s1600/06182011_12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXyFn8bdS9elMc0w8kC1ln_SOMFzIc5MED0DI5rpB3jbNOXSgtf5NKXAL63n0UTG-a7So-KAQewA2yQkNt0M8YzL0osGpOs84qul8CYq4vt0AewNPNr0nVQTIvQ2uH8qTknfBQxgwIzJI/s320/06182011_12.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Below is an example of what posts with <b>Additional text</b> look like:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bl1KPSESH0va1C6yimZP8pE_bIcz5J1n14_Hsbxp0Cn8oSH6SlRwiTv0A4s5mhsVhWADmC_Z8tmk7etopjOn94Oy6oMl5rpAuyPer3U2FrbZAxwwaqzhNUyIebwVjTmHiYvIgRf6UlM/s1600/06182011_13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2bl1KPSESH0va1C6yimZP8pE_bIcz5J1n14_Hsbxp0Cn8oSH6SlRwiTv0A4s5mhsVhWADmC_Z8tmk7etopjOn94Oy6oMl5rpAuyPer3U2FrbZAxwwaqzhNUyIebwVjTmHiYvIgRf6UlM/s400/06182011_13.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At the bottom of the page, click on <b>Activate</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJzpTI4-jnFgl4-Ma_S5tEOWgjSLAhGJpi7GgTSf_RqD1mUmgEToekxdiW7F_fhP8vb8O5uv7Ys9sVXzjlC8XBnhHmVMG1hH29NmxaN1R2_p1kBEh-IGyA6JEYR7tCYjgt0vmo6CFbBRp/s1600/06182011_8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJzpTI4-jnFgl4-Ma_S5tEOWgjSLAhGJpi7GgTSf_RqD1mUmgEToekxdiW7F_fhP8vb8O5uv7Ys9sVXzjlC8XBnhHmVMG1hH29NmxaN1R2_p1kBEh-IGyA6JEYR7tCYjgt0vmo6CFbBRp/s640/06182011_8.png" width="547" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In order to finalize the connection between Blogger and Twitter, you will need to approve this action via the Twitter site. After entering your twitter information, you will be presented with a link that will give you the screen depicted below. Click on <b>Authorize App</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpjpN-bpcOPetepwkYgEyMEhZKJLTwtgpbgBRzTL42Q1x4Wy_K3qaxHlQ4Hg2hrTj29LMIAFA96a1dIgim-0mfe56Snk0z8p5bqWqse4qZiWUwWbKckyv1RsdS2oDLs3CEfgZl-w9rzNz/s1600/06182011_5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPpjpN-bpcOPetepwkYgEyMEhZKJLTwtgpbgBRzTL42Q1x4Wy_K3qaxHlQ4Hg2hrTj29LMIAFA96a1dIgim-0mfe56Snk0z8p5bqWqse4qZiWUwWbKckyv1RsdS2oDLs3CEfgZl-w9rzNz/s640/06182011_5.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To confirm that the approval has occurred, you can go to www.twitter.com and log into your account. On the top hand corner of your window, click on the <b>little arrow</b> to the right of your username, and select <b>Settings. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjvXXFJcXdHEqQPHct9UlwGcZJuoUWqe3_7qkQFhpFZ0McK42D43VxbVd_qonR850ZnqHdfOrMMAA5MADofIPdRIXFeUTbLnIFvvRKVcKBFq7ywo2E5CUyifaBnOxMB3aIjxiZM7ajuwL/s1600/06182011_7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjvXXFJcXdHEqQPHct9UlwGcZJuoUWqe3_7qkQFhpFZ0McK42D43VxbVd_qonR850ZnqHdfOrMMAA5MADofIPdRIXFeUTbLnIFvvRKVcKBFq7ywo2E5CUyifaBnOxMB3aIjxiZM7ajuwL/s640/06182011_7.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the settings page, click on the <b>Applications </b>tab. You should see that <b>Google </b>by <i>Google, Inc</i><b style="font-style: italic;">. </b>appears in the list. Its presence means the connection between your twitter and blogger accounts was successful. If at any time you decide to halt the Blogger updates via twitter, simply click on <b>Revoke Access</b>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8q4IYwg0x_UpaAWXN9tlpImtU3JqDg3mn0fY2dzF8INg1YSCBPAYOySOXjPSe1kxqaXK4f6kdS69pXTvnV84QHugO2aGH4rvKnb00uGIFs4_VQsXdPHLVgb0tA_HOXllko8dOAR1Wdax/s1600/06182011_6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="521" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8q4IYwg0x_UpaAWXN9tlpImtU3JqDg3mn0fY2dzF8INg1YSCBPAYOySOXjPSe1kxqaXK4f6kdS69pXTvnV84QHugO2aGH4rvKnb00uGIFs4_VQsXdPHLVgb0tA_HOXllko8dOAR1Wdax/s640/06182011_6.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The final step involves activating <b>PingShot</b>, a feedburner service that ensures the most frequent communication between your blog and twitter account. PingShot will keep your update tweets as recent as possible. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Back at feedburner.google.com, under the <b>Publicize </b>tab, click on the <b>PingShot </b>heading. Click on <b>Activate</b>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VgnHp2bahXLylWOw8qikD5O3eX74MbH4EgDD6rYNawoc5QdJU-Z5dLFdw41I0gjylRgwfXUllmde9Fnw31brbdSWTuIhV4gLaq53boopHdsXaieyxpXFWNR20NZMz6yox1f8W1QivZc2/s1600/06182011_9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5VgnHp2bahXLylWOw8qikD5O3eX74MbH4EgDD6rYNawoc5QdJU-Z5dLFdw41I0gjylRgwfXUllmde9Fnw31brbdSWTuIhV4gLaq53boopHdsXaieyxpXFWNR20NZMz6yox1f8W1QivZc2/s640/06182011_9.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note: If you ever feel that the feed is not updating as often as you'd like. Simply visit: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><a href="http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/pingSubmit?">http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/pingSubmit?</a></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjfJVivwyPSjWrRBgHCIW5KSuy6DBGftTe_BEEz_Zznv5KuTWmlEsShyphenhyphendlY6P-SuMDVSDPU9ZiJKrmDUk0uw4JEm05Jqikq5isqCNuSsKg-twBODb-1RnfW59MrgyYtypaiokZuk890g/s1600/06182011_14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyjfJVivwyPSjWrRBgHCIW5KSuy6DBGftTe_BEEz_Zznv5KuTWmlEsShyphenhyphendlY6P-SuMDVSDPU9ZiJKrmDUk0uw4JEm05Jqikq5isqCNuSsKg-twBODb-1RnfW59MrgyYtypaiokZuk890g/s640/06182011_14.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Type in your site name, and then click <b>Ping Feedburner</b>. After you've clicked the button, <b>bookmark</b> this new page; any time you want to <b>re-sync </b>your feed, simply click on this bookmark. The URL for the bookmark should look something like this: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/pingSubmit?bloglink=http%RandomNumbers%yourwebsite.com</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now, you're all set. You have just successfully navigated the choppy how-to-integrate-social-media waters. Congratulations! </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-33075989548583934132011-06-19T12:40:00.000-04:002011-06-19T12:40:08.719-04:00Virtual Arts & Crafts: Coat of Arms for Em&MSo this past week, in celebration of M + Em's <a href="http://bakingwithemandm.blogspot.com/2011/05/oatmeal-fudge-bars.html">Baking Reunion</a>, I decided to make them a Baking Coat of Arms! Armed with my Mac, Microsoft Powerpoint, and a sturdy Logitech <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Logitech-910-001600-Mouse-M110-Black/dp/B0036VO4M0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1306609329&sr=8-1">mouse</a>, I made this after 1.5-2 hours:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wA0NJKfbZ2hksl_SlCobTObvl_y15DC7wyr33JC8JfPB_Jkc2nFQWwqaMCOV6VXP9-TKmgpAd_Vw27gUdu20dIng3cB7-8fvjLcl3zcmjhCa1ZqlBhtESz09uknOdBgN8lmEB2o5V_Ji/s1600/final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9wA0NJKfbZ2hksl_SlCobTObvl_y15DC7wyr33JC8JfPB_Jkc2nFQWwqaMCOV6VXP9-TKmgpAd_Vw27gUdu20dIng3cB7-8fvjLcl3zcmjhCa1ZqlBhtESz09uknOdBgN8lmEB2o5V_Ji/s400/final.png" width="393" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>A guide to the thought behind the coat of arms:</b></span><br />
1. A spoon and whisk! These originally came up in conversation partly as a joke. I thought it'd be hilarious if M & Em crossed spoon + spatula upon greeting. Something akin to when Ted & Marshall fight with their decorative wall swords in the How I Met Your Mother episode 'The Duel'. These are part of any good baker's tool kit. I'm not a very good baker, because I don't normally use a whisk--just an old school wooden rice spatula.<br />
2. The molecule? Sucrose! It's more commonly known as granulated white sugar. Bakers run out of sugar fast. God forbid if a baker doesn't <i>have</i> sugar in the pantry at baking time... ;)<br />
3. Butter!!!! The second main ingredient of most nummy things.<br />
4. Cinnamon--because M loves cinnamon. You can tell by reading <a href="http://bakingwithemandm.blogspot.com/2011/01/monkey-bread.html">this post</a>, <a href="http://bakingwithemandm.blogspot.com/2011/01/cinnamon-swirl-bread.html">this post</a>, <a href="http://bakingwithemandm.blogspot.com/2011/01/cinnamon-streusel-coffeecake.html">this post</a>, and (phew!) <a href="http://bakingwithemandm.blogspot.com/2011/03/cinnamon-scones.html">this post</a> from Em&M's blog.<br />
5. 'Butyro Fidimus'--Latin for 'In butter we trust.' I wanted to put 'in butter and sugar we trust' but it seems that the word for sugar didn't exist in Roman times. The word <i>zuccarum </i>means <i>sugar</i>, but it came to be a little later during Medieval times. And so because I couldn't find the word for sugar in Ecclesiastical or Classical Latin, I dropped it from Em&M's motto. Using my very rusty Latin knowledge and Google, I came up with 'butyro fidimus.' I'm open to changing the verb--I myself was not sure whether fido, fidere; confido, confidere; or credo, credere would be a more appropriate choice. Classics majors, let me know! :)<br />
6. Blue and green--because that was M's color scheme of choice.<br />
7. The M & Em on the spoon and whisk, respectively--think of these as virtual monograms. :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">While puttering away on my computer, I made two pretty cool discoveries: </span></b><br />
1. You can do most of what you'd want to do in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator in Powerpoint. True, having one of these softwares would make my life a lot easier (and my wallet a lot lighter). However, the only Adobe product that I own is Adobe Reader, the PDF viewer. And consequently, I got to have some major bonding time with Microsoft Powerpoint.<br />
<br />
If you need a Pen tool but don't own Adobe Illustrator, just go to Powerpoint! For those who aren't familiar, the Pen tool allows users to make curved shapes by clicking and applying points. This allows you to draw smooth curved lines.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBhcuix1jRj6LelLba8XB1q0aqWkdhnH_wGrx5Tbd5aa4AJ_E8jtc627xb5uG_G7pq59pS3OJeMzrHDKY3RiPsDR3ccwa8o1lZN1Urq7GIdO9fVj-duM7ilf4rT0wt5A6wa9A9d4DBcBZ/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBhcuix1jRj6LelLba8XB1q0aqWkdhnH_wGrx5Tbd5aa4AJ_E8jtc627xb5uG_G7pq59pS3OJeMzrHDKY3RiPsDR3ccwa8o1lZN1Urq7GIdO9fVj-duM7ilf4rT0wt5A6wa9A9d4DBcBZ/s320/23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go to Insert > Shape > Lines + Connectors > Curve </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd1K82Ao1U8PF4gfhc6Ofzi5RzIB8F5ZRgKACU4z3kjq6o_-cVWdC82yktYAsfQsIg5Qy61_cIri4Ti0_8jbEClbcgHX-VpRO0RxOtH2lb84Gv5cNxzDDpUSAWP3fDPpBAxq6ncuE_52Y/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfd1K82Ao1U8PF4gfhc6Ofzi5RzIB8F5ZRgKACU4z3kjq6o_-cVWdC82yktYAsfQsIg5Qy61_cIri4Ti0_8jbEClbcgHX-VpRO0RxOtH2lb84Gv5cNxzDDpUSAWP3fDPpBAxq6ncuE_52Y/s1600/24.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each time you click you put down a point.<br />
Location of the next point determines the curvature. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOriH4ceGtsIYAFHVBAVvsr_Eqf9k5QC5Mr6XzB6-Z4FH-FyGzs3lHQkgtJLfkrtmZ5dhXYGAAdzPjHh7vzeSyIIZofIW2lpv2p3LokdRbCIM-GdeejZK5qQ05yhpQXU2PaDN06WJT4gqR/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOriH4ceGtsIYAFHVBAVvsr_Eqf9k5QC5Mr6XzB6-Z4FH-FyGzs3lHQkgtJLfkrtmZ5dhXYGAAdzPjHh7vzeSyIIZofIW2lpv2p3LokdRbCIM-GdeejZK5qQ05yhpQXU2PaDN06WJT4gqR/s320/22.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After you draw your curve, you can edit points!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlUICO7ehz3yEY3rQfQ1m_0O1rnwjueT_A-A1R-5hz-CrcEHyuIyel5MmpFeovP3gQzXlHc3tcVIGg1ioSEPBB23DqFRr_dE_-IoZ7ZXonzhKTK8VeTy-zcm5ZKFNikFrMn0co6bzy03z/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlUICO7ehz3yEY3rQfQ1m_0O1rnwjueT_A-A1R-5hz-CrcEHyuIyel5MmpFeovP3gQzXlHc3tcVIGg1ioSEPBB23DqFRr_dE_-IoZ7ZXonzhKTK8VeTy-zcm5ZKFNikFrMn0co6bzy03z/s320/21.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you want, you can add and delete points! Just like in Illustrator! </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
2. The other really cool thing I learned (And this is unique to Macs, I'm pretty sure)-- Macs let you order your 'layers' in powerpoint! It's does the exact same thing as the Layers tool in Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator! But I think that Mac presents it in a way more intuitive way. Take a look!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrqaTwJU4MLwIPkHt2VZcXlqOZVHJKG8PLsp2SCJmqxfzcazg2ZUbQKrmUG7YgQWxLImi-_LXPH-8Rb4zaq_darOxl6_nS-A9COC9WlnIrMcZCNDIujYB8vYW9qFQrzRVpnZ4F7lGj8Aw/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrqaTwJU4MLwIPkHt2VZcXlqOZVHJKG8PLsp2SCJmqxfzcazg2ZUbQKrmUG7YgQWxLImi-_LXPH-8Rb4zaq_darOxl6_nS-A9COC9WlnIrMcZCNDIujYB8vYW9qFQrzRVpnZ4F7lGj8Aw/s320/25.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right click on one of the objects in a region with lots of other objects. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHiERtYbgZx_BJaK0SugPKpXTxfqHn1gDw5bBHR6vLvVFNCfzm_HKws0lN1ANzpdv5m6RuxhWtbnoyGeYY9m990aXSTYJK3ye_-_Es1Fh5gBZCuBYJ0pf3jDuMD4hBQsdJGYI6tfjuiTo/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimHiERtYbgZx_BJaK0SugPKpXTxfqHn1gDw5bBHR6vLvVFNCfzm_HKws0lN1ANzpdv5m6RuxhWtbnoyGeYY9m990aXSTYJK3ye_-_Es1Fh5gBZCuBYJ0pf3jDuMD4hBQsdJGYI6tfjuiTo/s400/14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This window comes up! You then click and drag your layers into whatever arrangement you'd like. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>This was by far the best surprise I discovered during my project. It made my work so much easier because I often had 4-6 things layered on top of each other, and it was hard to click on individual shapes.<br />
<br />
For the flag at the bottom of the Coat of Arms, I went to trusty Google and searched 'coat of arms'. Given the shape of the crest I decided upon and the motto I had in mind, I found one flag to be perfect for my project. It belonged to New Zealand's Coat of Arms.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Making the flag and motto</b></span><br />
1. First, I dragged the flag into Powerpoint.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17tQIZfz5t0Wf7eiwxLW17a4ooE5GXbw2-qOzvafScEYqSZf3wtTHjg9rt3D2iUA0hbnzs860Tw0iBg7nvBF15qaB2jwxQzYEOR9kc5bCStpvotgAAJGo1SnFRYfMlEjFR804prVQSSnu/s1600/9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="88" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg17tQIZfz5t0Wf7eiwxLW17a4ooE5GXbw2-qOzvafScEYqSZf3wtTHjg9rt3D2iUA0hbnzs860Tw0iBg7nvBF15qaB2jwxQzYEOR9kc5bCStpvotgAAJGo1SnFRYfMlEjFR804prVQSSnu/s320/9.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>2. Next, I used the Curve tool to start tracing bits and pieces of the flag.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTpEgKKpapsZhDin-f7jCs8Ka9kYcgWkNg3aGFJSLPFB-jLBaVyJNvs4dHkQCtke3d2QnEuYYpikis23AmrjVCfbnPHSieX1ykhokrg4x3xoDZgX2-henAjSbj0VGBGEQcLx2ecdccx5I/s1600/10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="83" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRTpEgKKpapsZhDin-f7jCs8Ka9kYcgWkNg3aGFJSLPFB-jLBaVyJNvs4dHkQCtke3d2QnEuYYpikis23AmrjVCfbnPHSieX1ykhokrg4x3xoDZgX2-henAjSbj0VGBGEQcLx2ecdccx5I/s320/10.png" width="320" /></a></div>I traced the little pieces on the image's left individually. Then, I copied and pasted each of them, after which I horizontally flipped the copies to keep my picture symmetric. After rearranging the layers as necessary, it looked like this:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF8EjnFQ48HJQrFtwHo8R5kLP06Bk1UDs1YHAZyLZO4TcFMCAr3NHYfFcaSnLs4D0JdAGS6Q6I00qnS3E6Cd9tAfOAlhDhKCrTw-RfBJ0P6OaDe6bXVNWCg_ET_6_mYjh53o9vqIx5_bK/s1600/11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="117" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRF8EjnFQ48HJQrFtwHo8R5kLP06Bk1UDs1YHAZyLZO4TcFMCAr3NHYfFcaSnLs4D0JdAGS6Q6I00qnS3E6Cd9tAfOAlhDhKCrTw-RfBJ0P6OaDe6bXVNWCg_ET_6_mYjh53o9vqIx5_bK/s320/11.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
3. After changing the color scheme, it looked much nicer and less like a blueberry.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYEkHoSw8KDqi3kEBLs5R9Xwae2TgY66wf2tbismzkfKsL-pmiOy06L8RqmD-YeSrgudYSVoZOC_81gPSxQgIZx1ttdemRfYsyIpTSBO2sECuZ9glyyhXgOlT_kRgEEgWXETGxk9vY0az/s1600/8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYEkHoSw8KDqi3kEBLs5R9Xwae2TgY66wf2tbismzkfKsL-pmiOy06L8RqmD-YeSrgudYSVoZOC_81gPSxQgIZx1ttdemRfYsyIpTSBO2sECuZ9glyyhXgOlT_kRgEEgWXETGxk9vY0az/s320/8.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In order to give the impression of some depth, I applied a Gradient Fill on my shapes. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQC9UX804HKU6xxPCMdam9fLUr0mqQrKsrgewOKSENerudY7bwLr649Bgl5Kpu_1A1IfqCxSX3pZS0efpQNf_dnnYk6H3srunNSu9jk7LgF6cMN-_kpxIh3R_8RfBQbVFSldEx9J_9NlXn/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQC9UX804HKU6xxPCMdam9fLUr0mqQrKsrgewOKSENerudY7bwLr649Bgl5Kpu_1A1IfqCxSX3pZS0efpQNf_dnnYk6H3srunNSu9jk7LgF6cMN-_kpxIh3R_8RfBQbVFSldEx9J_9NlXn/s320/31.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After you select your object, go to Fill > Fill Effects. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>You'll see this window:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQYwgei4zJY9s_JAncF_67zAw3fU8ejeRdes8t1ZviyGCRK4r3SrFklaUwvKU00akQApiumOe9ABCf74ZPaG4UsfnomrOglBsDcGO9aQG3Ywq7nQ9bzu-BwzYrPQNUlfWUveEVjus3dkk/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQYwgei4zJY9s_JAncF_67zAw3fU8ejeRdes8t1ZviyGCRK4r3SrFklaUwvKU00akQApiumOe9ABCf74ZPaG4UsfnomrOglBsDcGO9aQG3Ywq7nQ9bzu-BwzYrPQNUlfWUveEVjus3dkk/s400/30.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">(A) Make sure you're on 'Fill'</div><div style="text-align: left;">(B) Select 'Gradient'</div><div style="text-align: left;">(C) Choose the 'Linear' gradient (There are other styles if you want)</div><div style="text-align: left;">(D) This will be the color at one end of your shape. It can be changed.</div><div style="text-align: left;">(E) This will be the color at the other end. </div><div style="text-align: left;">By dragging D + E along the strip, you can change how <br />
much of each color your shape will have. </div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>4. Adding the text was a bit tricky. At first, I tried just writing each word and superimposing it on the flag, but that didn't look too nice. </div><div><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6c8MM_otzbZ6OyqVJS7qPXte8dF9F6TbNB7uZRg5Kr76s0ru0MYRsSaB_D3CyY9ak4BUslWyAgU0_EKO9lG2K6EiVl8b0oEbNIDetTFxkrBEn7w9X4K8z4OcocK-ppjiL1uWJBn5Z7kgB/s1600/7.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6c8MM_otzbZ6OyqVJS7qPXte8dF9F6TbNB7uZRg5Kr76s0ru0MYRsSaB_D3CyY9ak4BUslWyAgU0_EKO9lG2K6EiVl8b0oEbNIDetTFxkrBEn7w9X4K8z4OcocK-ppjiL1uWJBn5Z7kgB/s320/7.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The word was too straight against the nice curve of my banner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>If I had Illustrator, I would be able to type text onto curves. The next best solution in powerpoint? Draw a curve that you want your letters to sit on. Then, type each letter in a new text box, so the bottom of the text box is tangent with your temporary curve. It should look like this: </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjur0z7IVsPovKsCHSC_Lu5fuihSTmjqEPV6RVIh8lkVSOxAeEDnl1xvt_1KwLtu7qOOr_O3f7oOPl1NO2EFg7lnvi-TjOdMDFspcXhIdpeu4MkvqsH6A9hBttwL0bFgRpsEp9cRfGQwz3/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjur0z7IVsPovKsCHSC_Lu5fuihSTmjqEPV6RVIh8lkVSOxAeEDnl1xvt_1KwLtu7qOOr_O3f7oOPl1NO2EFg7lnvi-TjOdMDFspcXhIdpeu4MkvqsH6A9hBttwL0bFgRpsEp9cRfGQwz3/s320/32.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
Unfortunately, when I was writing out the motto, I had underestimated how much banner space I would need. It wasn't too much trouble. All I had to do was pull the banner horizontally to make it wider, and redraw a new curve, and adjust the letters accordingly.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoYgkii-t2EYsezfruSMlyhWXF8cBUuipVJQqyRYEQlX6wtdIaOpc-r5H4XVqErVE9BN9xd_5_r-nkryQpjQcabBAsSHFVMqxZQwjxrgWN8wGcSJBsgkdI-p8H10YFPYG5jxiokzUlNrI/s1600/6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimoYgkii-t2EYsezfruSMlyhWXF8cBUuipVJQqyRYEQlX6wtdIaOpc-r5H4XVqErVE9BN9xd_5_r-nkryQpjQcabBAsSHFVMqxZQwjxrgWN8wGcSJBsgkdI-p8H10YFPYG5jxiokzUlNrI/s320/6.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time? Letter space? As usual, I underestimated...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>5. And finally, it was done!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0PmiH7D87GMt9RRzDAxQ9YvR4AU0pbkCev8pljI4YEjcIgQaREkzXPmzN1X4J1a7WBZy1bEbGUQTdRVrD-zqhJBqfpxuNt-12ea-mq5jx5hXJERGjqbdlzw9ZQoSEVfXN9rq6v7O1GrH/s1600/5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="101" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0PmiH7D87GMt9RRzDAxQ9YvR4AU0pbkCev8pljI4YEjcIgQaREkzXPmzN1X4J1a7WBZy1bEbGUQTdRVrD-zqhJBqfpxuNt-12ea-mq5jx5hXJERGjqbdlzw9ZQoSEVfXN9rq6v7O1GrH/s320/5.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And the best part....putting it all together! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFEC-t3AIDI9NrQH0dKpycrFop7L8OM8R9YGHiCIkQIjJQkdFiwCh0H2h6g4t9WGfaeKXXAdryNAPbw7c_96Z6SjiCxfnEUD0HeZTMArF2EuFY_IFkG2UOFhH6g7pzF9_0RaqJTOvZSjD/s1600/final.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFEC-t3AIDI9NrQH0dKpycrFop7L8OM8R9YGHiCIkQIjJQkdFiwCh0H2h6g4t9WGfaeKXXAdryNAPbw7c_96Z6SjiCxfnEUD0HeZTMArF2EuFY_IFkG2UOFhH6g7pzF9_0RaqJTOvZSjD/s320/final.png" width="315" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thanks to Em&M for giving me reason to get artsy and crafty again! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-75676639877581970512011-06-19T12:39:00.001-04:002011-06-19T12:39:31.546-04:00Instapaper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I highly value aesthetics, and I do not enjoy those unsightly ads flanking webpages that I read. Blech. How do I get rid of them? With Instapaper!</div><br />
It's so easy to use and a great idea.<br />
<br />
1. Make an account at <a href="http://www.instapaper.com/">Instapaper.com. </a> It's completely free.<br />
2. Add the 'Read Later' bookmarklet to your browser's Bookmarks Bar.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiHxgFqCpBc19oCb2hX5Mzb6kN_8q388DdWl_U3E9LoggG0a5NTgKoE7k5cJc0_d_wLHA_l1TwhPv99FJQe7_x7aUPNm8KV-k6Ot9znt8wEdXXkluXw4e9ejztjp7HgipB-ZcSs43lzXZ/s1600/instapaper_bookmarklet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQiHxgFqCpBc19oCb2hX5Mzb6kN_8q388DdWl_U3E9LoggG0a5NTgKoE7k5cJc0_d_wLHA_l1TwhPv99FJQe7_x7aUPNm8KV-k6Ot9znt8wEdXXkluXw4e9ejztjp7HgipB-ZcSs43lzXZ/s400/instapaper_bookmarklet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
3. Any time you're on a page that you want to read later (or just read without the ugly ads), you click on the bookmarklet.<br />
<br />
4. When you go to instapaper.com (I also added this to my Bookmarks Bar for easy access), you'll see a list of all your articles.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6RLXEsOe6dDiwDf-JmY1nPVqAhsPGHHBaZqDwKhWQwYPcvW3lypc9RSw1rBVtXZo-BS1jAxYOD8Lj-c3o_cR_qKtRnwA-cpEqm8s5W7kPcjB7JeNNUbflzibW-vL-KpKvkfzWPVNmW5T/s1600/instapaper_list.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6RLXEsOe6dDiwDf-JmY1nPVqAhsPGHHBaZqDwKhWQwYPcvW3lypc9RSw1rBVtXZo-BS1jAxYOD8Lj-c3o_cR_qKtRnwA-cpEqm8s5W7kPcjB7JeNNUbflzibW-vL-KpKvkfzWPVNmW5T/s400/instapaper_list.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>5. When you click on the 'Text' button next to the article of interest, Instapaper loads the page without the ads. Below, you can compare what the pages look like without and with instapaper.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkUdYfudqtvsU-9lqtDVqcmKTzLUqJY7YqxOIYeLm1d6tYUmsS0v2rKfCKYPzYM2TdfEHpy01pquh3u7hNaQCQ_atlddL8pWAe8cWLKiR0V1Wzfyrni12ilOcRABVIM1SScHVTHvex_H0/s1600/instapaper_before.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkUdYfudqtvsU-9lqtDVqcmKTzLUqJY7YqxOIYeLm1d6tYUmsS0v2rKfCKYPzYM2TdfEHpy01pquh3u7hNaQCQ_atlddL8pWAe8cWLKiR0V1Wzfyrni12ilOcRABVIM1SScHVTHvex_H0/s320/instapaper_before.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In your normal browser, without Instapaper...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeguokTVepy7pDKBvMDA2GmhgKtKUQc6qvFZ5mla7d6RFw-jmyHaTuR__7jezuONtXpmAWe1DfwEnkDRgm9ss_znwIn0DqMOncAuYwF-34LNMg-6ga2j2-lJonG3mMqU-bXm8S7r0tIDH/s1600/instapaperafter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeguokTVepy7pDKBvMDA2GmhgKtKUQc6qvFZ5mla7d6RFw-jmyHaTuR__7jezuONtXpmAWe1DfwEnkDRgm9ss_znwIn0DqMOncAuYwF-34LNMg-6ga2j2-lJonG3mMqU-bXm8S7r0tIDH/s320/instapaperafter.png" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In your browser, with Instapaper!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>6. While I use it mainly to read my articles in a clutter-free environment, you can also use Instapaper to save articles for reading at a later time. Instapaper is a simple and easy way to collect bookmarks. An Instapaper account can be accessed from any computer or mobile device (a $4.99 purchase in the Apple App store gets you access to both Instapaper for both the iPhone and the iPad. I believe though, that you can just access instapaper.com for free using your mobile device's browser), so you can read your bookmarked pages anytime and anywhere (...where there's WiFi or 3G).</div><div><br />
</div><div><i>Of note: The 'text only' feature really is text only. Actually, it should really be called 'text and pictures only' because images do show up. However, videos will not appear when you click on the 'text only' feature. </i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-53851369319362527882011-06-19T12:38:00.005-04:002011-06-19T12:38:54.606-04:00As proof that the code works...I'm imagining that you typed something very interesting right here.<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s_bdlm4lNoY" width="640"></iframe><br />
I <3 Doctor Who!<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wdxb6knWfs8" width="640"></iframe><br />
Link from the Knitter.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-52799441136199862772011-06-19T12:38:00.003-04:002011-06-20T17:28:41.970-04:00How to post multiple videos in a single Tumblr post<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">They say it can't be done. But yes, my friends, it can. Tumblr's settings by default let you post one video at a time. And it can't have a title. Lame. Customizability is the key to happiness. I'm going to get that cross stitched and hang it up in my home some day.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">Here's how you do it:<br />
1. Go to your tumblr dashboard.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">2. Click on 'Text'<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">3. Add your title.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">4. Begin typing in the Post box.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">5. Go obtain the HTML embed code for your video. If you're on youtube, all you have to do is click on 'Share' and then 'Embed.' Copy the code that appears. For example, if you copy it from youtube, it would be like this:<br />
<strong><em><br />
</em></strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;"><strong><em><p></em><em><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s_bdlm4lNoY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></em></strong><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">6. Return to your tumblr post window. Click on the HTML icon. It appears on the far right in the row of buttons above the Post box.<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">7. You'll probably see something like this:<br />
<strong><em><br />
</em></strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;"><strong><em><p> I'm imagining that you typed something very interesting right here. </p></em></strong><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">Now, edit it so it looks like the following:<br />
<strong><em><br />
</em></strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;"><strong><em><p> I'm imagining that you typed something very interesting right here. </p></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><p></em><em><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s_bdlm4lNoY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p></em></strong><br />
<br />
The secret is that you simply need to add the <p> to insert a page break before you paste the embed code, and then a </p> at the end of the code. (If you don't, the text will be butting up right against the video. And that's not pretty, my friends. Aesthetics, aesthetics!)<br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">8. Repeat for multiple video posts. So, for a two video post, it may look like this.<br />
<strong><em><br />
</em></strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;"><strong><em><p> I'm imagining that you typed something very interesting right here. </p></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><p></em><em><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s_bdlm4lNoY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></em></strong><strong><em></p></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><p> <iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wdxb6knWfs8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></em></strong><strong><em></p></em></strong><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">If you wanted to, you could have inserted some more text by either directly inserting it into the HTML code with <p> and </p> surrounding your block of text, or you could enter it directly into the Post box as typically is done. I have found though, that entering the text into HTML usually works better. For some reason, pressing 'return' in the Post box after a video tends to delete the video. Kind of annoying. So, if you added text, it might look like this:<br />
<strong><em><br />
</em></strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;"><strong><em><p> I'm imagining that you typed something very interesting right here. </p></em></strong><br />
<strong><em><p></em><em><iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s_bdlm4lNoY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></em></strong><strong><em></p></em></strong><br />
<em><strong><p> I <3 Doctor Who! </p></strong></em><br />
<strong><em><p> <iframe width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wdxb6knWfs8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></em></strong><strong><em></p></em></strong><br />
<em><strong><p> Link from the Knitter. </p></strong></em><br />
<br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">9. Click on 'Update.' Immediately, you should see that your videos have nicely inserted itself into your post as seen in your Post box.<br />
<br />
Easy peasy lemon squeasy. Don't you feel good about yourself?! You've outsmarted Tumblr. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 25px;">Note: As proof that the code works, you can see what the final product of the above code looks like <a href="http://take-a-tech-tip.blogspot.com/2011/06/as-proof-that-code-works.html">here</a>. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-29525560580369537012011-06-19T12:38:00.001-04:002011-06-20T15:59:02.208-04:00How to make a vibrating alarm for the iPhoneIf you try and Google how to make a vibrating alarm for the iPhone, you'll find basically a bunch of frustrated iPhone users venting on the internet. Silent alarm? Sounds paradoxical. But it's not! (Or wait, I think technically it is.)<br />
<br />
There are times when you may want to set an alarm, but you want to a discrete one--one that notifies only you (and not everyone sitting around you) when it's time for whatever-it-is-you-want-to-do. For example, maybe you're a sleep-deprived (or just plain lazy, who am I kidding) student and you want to take a nap in the library! However, you also don't want to oversleep and miss your next class. How can you do that without interrupting your neighbors? A vibrating alarm! One that's set on your iPhone, nestled under your arm as you nap with peace of mind.<br />
<br />
It's true, the iPhone doesn't come with a silent, vibrating alarm feature. Sucks, right? WRONG. After doing some experimenting, I have an easy solution for those interested. It will simply cost you $1.29 and maybe a couple of minutes.<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Purchase a Silent Ringtone</span></b><br />
[1] Go get your iPhone (as if you're not tapping away on it already).<br />
[2] Go to the iTunes store using your phone. <strike>Click</strike> Tap on 'Search,' and type in "Silent Ringtone." The results will be organized by Top Results, Ringtones, Podcasts, etc. Go to the Ringtones section. Preview any one of them to ensure that they are in fact silent. After you've chosen your favorite of the silent tones, purchase it. It should begin downloading your phone.<br />
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</div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Turn on the vibrate</b></span><br />
[3] Go to the iPhone's '<b>Settings</b>' feature. Tap on <b>Sounds</b>. Under the <b>Silent </b>section, set <b>Vibrate</b> to '<b>On</b>." This step is very important. If you forget to do this, you will have an actual silent ringtone. Which means you will basically have nothing. Epic fail. (I know, ringtones that don't vibrate probably don't qualify for 'epic,' but it would be a pretty sad thing.)<br />
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</div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Set the Vibrating, Silent Alarm</b></span><br />
Now you're ready to set your alarm!<br />
[4] Tap on <b>Clock</b>. Whether you're using the <b>Alarm</b> feature or the <b>Timer</b> feature, the key step is the same. The sound you want to assign for the alarm will be <b>'Silent Ringtone'</b> (the one you just purchased from the iTunes store).<br />
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[5] Now you're all set! And you can make as many vibrating ringtones as your heart desires.<br />
It feels good to outsmart the iPhone, right? ;)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6076038085344313354.post-29153860768989036522011-06-19T12:37:00.001-04:002011-06-20T17:26:26.109-04:00TuneIn Radio<div style="text-align: center;"><img align="middle" height="207" src="http://tunein.com/assets/img/press/TuneIn-Radio-Icon.png" width="213" /></div>This <a href="http://tunein.com/mobile/ios/">app</a> has made my day. Gone are the days of digital clock radios! Now, you can turn your phone into a very-much-customizable radio. I'm a little too lazy for real music searching, so I usually rely on the radio (shout out to Alice 97.3 FM!) to play my favorites and give me new suggestions. I think, in a way, this app makes my phone better than my mp3 player. If you have an iPhone, the app is reasonably priced at 99 cents. They also provide <a href="http://tunein.com/">streaming</a> through your internet browser.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1