TechnologyIQ

It is little tips like this that can improve your entire work day. I have often wanted more information about the existing WiFi connections in my area when I am working outside the office. This is one small step. Like the author, I would like to see which acces points are password protected, too. Find Strongest Wi-Fi Networks Easily Like most other Mac users, when I'm travelling, I often need to connect to a Wi-Fi network to access the Internet for email and Web browsing. But what if there are multiple available networks and I don't know which would be best to use? In the past, I would usually bring up iStumbler (MacStumbler hasn't been updated in years), but Take Control author Sharon Zardetto Aker alerted me to a simpler method. If you hold down the Option key when dropping the AirPort status menu, it lists available networks in order of signal strength.... (Continues) (Via TidBITS .) Technorati Tags: technology , macintosh , software , computers , hints , tips , network

As I was chatting with some folks on Talkshoe the other night, I found out that people who read one of the WelchWrite Blogs, or listen to one of the WelchWrite Podcasts, might not know about the other blogs and podcasts that I do. In an effort to expose you to all the WelchWrite.com has to offer, here is a list of the four blogs and podcasts currently available. Maybe there is something here that might also interest you. My Word with Douglas E. Welch A catch-all blog and podcast which highlights Los Angeles Events, Podcasting, and any neat thing that catches my eye. A Gardener's Notebook Come and join me in my garden! Gardening information, audio podcasts, instructional videos and more. Career Opportunities: Helping to Build the Career You Deserve This is the web home of my career column, now entering its 12 year and the podcast, now over 350 episodes. TechnologyIQ Control your technology, don't let it control you! The new home for technology info -- moving these items out of M

Douglas E. Welch talks Podcasting at the recent BarCampLA-3. Podcasting Q&A from BarCampLA-3 - March 24, 2007 Support TechnologyIQ: iTunes Review | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 206-338-5832 Technorati Tags: DIY , howto , how-to , tutorial , technology , windows , macintosh , software , computers , email , high-tech

This sounds like a great way of adding a high-tech angle to the usually high-touch activity of bird-watching. There have been times I wish I could have had bord sounds handy, so I would know which bird I was looking for in the underbrush. Bird watching with an iPod Here's an interesting use of PDAs + iPods to become a better bird watcher... Makes sense if you can quickly cycle through a ton of photos and songs when you're out in the field... Birdwatchers have long headed into the woods with little more equipment than binoculars and a notebook. But when Laura Erickson sets out on a birding trip, she now brings along two digital cameras, a Palm device with a bird-species database and an iPod loaded with bird songs. (Continues) (Via MAKE: Blog .) Technorati Tags: hobby , outdoors , hiking , parks , technology , animals , wildlife , hints , tips , photo , photography , birds , birding , birdwatching

"Podcasting: Your Own Private/Public Radio Station" SongsAlive Los Angeles Workshop Sun. April 1 2007 1pm - 4pm at The Coffee Junction Invented out of the already existing pieces of the Internet, MP3 audio files, web sites, weblogs and RSS feeds, Podcasting opens up a new way of communicating your music to the world. Easy, fast and cheap, you can be podcasting your words, music and commentary to your friends, your fans or the entire world in a few hours. Imagine your own radio station where you pick the playlist, you choose the message and you get to talk directly to those who are most interested in your work. Podcasting allows listeners to have what they want, when they want, where they want it, and you can use that freedom to your advantage. Join Douglas E. Welch, computer consultant, author and podcaster (and a so-so guitar player), as he introduces you to the terms and tools of podcasting, gives an update on the current state of podcasting and shows you just how easy it

Video, video and more video including a class from MIT's OpenCourseware , Cooking lessons from VideoJug and even a gardening video from yours truly . We also talk about photo sharing, Firefox, RSS feeds and more. Listen to Live from the Library - March 22, 2007 Support TechnologyIQ: iTunes Review | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 206-338-5832 Technorati Tags: DIY , howto , how-to , tutorial , technology , windows , macintosh , software , computers , email , high-tech

Join us Thursday, March 8, 2007 for our next Internet Seminar at the Sherman Oaks Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library . For the next few sessions, we are focusing on online web services like Google Docs and more. I will have a few sites to show, followed by an question and answer session.

Check out this excellent post from Digital Photography School. I have found several articles from this site that help me think differently about how I use my camera. Adding Randomness to Your Photos Photo by Wam Mosely One of the wonderful things about digital photography is the creativity that you can engage in once you’ve got your image on your computer and in photoshop. All kinds of effects can be achieved to make your shots look any number of ways. But what about in-camera techniques for more creative and artistic [...] (Via Digital Photography School .) Technorati Tags: DIY , creativity , tutorial , technology , photo , photography

I happened to notice this sign today in the Apple Store at the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square. Apple is holding 1 1/2 hour workshops on Music, Movies and Photos at most of their stores. Here are the short descriptions from the Apple web site... Music Workshop Using GarageBand, we’ll teach kids to compose a song with loops, beats, and even their own vocals. At the end of the workshop, they’ll have a finished song on a CD and a workbook to use with other music projects. Please register for February workshops. Movie Workshop This workshop will teach kids how to import footage, crop video clips, and add special effects to produce their own movie with iMovie. When they’ve finished, these budding filmmakers can take home their masterpiece on a DVD, as well as a workbook full of tips for future moviemaking projects. Please register for March workshops. Photo Workshop Using iPhoto, we’ll show kids how to edit, print, and share photos and how to make photo albums and slideshows. At the end of th

Update: I will be demoing this site as part of this week's Internet Seminar at the Sherman Oaks Branch of the LA Public Library. I'll also show online classes available from MIT. Meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month at 6:30 PM. I was playing around with the StumbleUpon Firefox extension, which randomly selects web sites in categories you prefer. This is one of several that caught my eye. The videos are well done and the recipes are quite good and varied. If you are looking for a little something different in your web browsing and video viewing, VideoJug is a great place to start. Cooking Recipes with video demonstrations (Via StumbleUpon .) Technorati Tags: hobby , make , howto , how-to , video , food , cooking

I've been playing around with Twitter this week. Want to know what I am up to? Use the link below to find out. follow dewelch at http://twitter.com

The next BarCampLA is coming and I will probably be in attendance again. It is a great time for all and very enlightening. You can read my posts and see my pictures from the last BarCampLA to find out what it is all about. Carmen De Jesus has also written a great post on BarCamp on the BarCampLA blog entitled, Dispelling Social Anxiety & Fears about attending BarcampLA . As she says at the end of her post, " C'mon down. Don' be skeered ." Technorati Tags: california , build , make , DIY , howto , how-to , creativity , tutorial , events , losangeles , technology , presentations , presenting , present , high-tech , free

Ever needed to do a white board session with someone who is hundreds or thousands of miles away. Skrbl.com offers up their entry into the online collaboration services market. Skrbl.com is a free, online, whiteboard application that runs completely in your web browser and allows others to view and/or collaborate on your white board in real time. Link: Skrbl.com Tags: online web web2.0 service whiteboard tool cool free technology browser

New Laptop - PaD 3/12/07 Originally uploaded by dewelch . As my clients begin to get Windows Vista on new computers, I needed a new machine to assist them with the questions they will almost certainly have. This is an HP Pavilion DV200 with 2 GB of RAM, 160GB HD and AMD Turion Dual Core Processor. So far, I am liking it a lot. Very perky. I got the 15" version, as I plan on carrying this around a lot more than my previous laptop, as I am doing more speaking engagements on podcasting and other topics. Tags: laptop notebook new technology windows vista windows vista

Here is a great article on mindmapping to go along with the services I showed at our last Internet Seminar at the library. Creating a Web of Ideas: An Intro to Mind Maps ...For the next three weeks, I'm going to discuss mind mapping and how you can apply it to almost every aspect of your life. This article briefly introduces the mind mapping concept, how to make one, and when to use them to get the most bang for your buck. Since I enjoy practical learning experiences, next week we'll go into the details of how you can use and create mind maps throughout an entire project from inception to publication. In the last installment I'll get into online and offline tools and some good book resources to help you jump-start mapping your life... ( Continues on original site ) (Via D*I*Y Planner - Paper, productivity & passion .) Technorati Tags: howto , how-to , creativity , tutorial , technology , mindmap , mindmapping

We talk about Mind Mapping, some online mind mapping applications and more. Listen to Live from the Library - March 8, 2007 Support TechnologyIQ: iTunes Review | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 206-338-5832 Technorati Tags: DIY , howto , how-to , tutorial , technology , windows , macintosh , software , computers , email , high-tech

Much has been made of the open letter from Starbuck's Chairman Howard Schultz , bemoaning the loss of some features that gained Starbucks its immense popularity. I must agree with Schultz on many of his issues, but his letter also got me thinking about Apple Inc. and how it has survived all these years while pundits constantly predicted its doom. I see similarities between Starbuck's, Microsoft and Apple. All 3 were small upstarts in their time, but 2 have grown into hulking behemoths, much like the Goliaths they set out to slay in their David pre-histories. Both Microsoft and Starbucks, though have suffered from the problem I call "knowing the difference between enough and all." They have lost the desire to serve their customers and instead concentrate on serving themselves. They turn their products into a commodity for everyone, instead of something special for a few. This is where I think Apple continues to succeed. They have never been able to grow too large, too

This article from Information Week can certainly make you think twice about upgrading to the latest versions of several Windows products. While the concerns are certainly larger for large corporations and governmental agencies, they bring up some issues that all of face in smaller ways. Concerns over compatibility seem to be the most pressing for the government, as they have a series of legacy applications which are installed throughout their organizations. Where you or I might only need worry about upgrading 2 or 3 programs, they must must consider upgrading 10-15 application across tens of thousands of users. The article calls out the fact that the government, and many companies, are not seeing a compelling reason to upgrade. It seems more likely that Vista and other software will arrive in some piecemeal fashion, rather than part of a complete overhaul. Microsoft Hit By U.S. DOT Ban On Windows Vista, Explorer 7, and Office 2007 (Paul McDougall/InformationWeek) Microsoft Hit By U.S.

What a great use of the technology sitting on our desktops and in our pockets! A collection of volunteers has put together a complete audio book of Darwin's Origin of Species. There have been previous projects like this and I am sure we will see more in the future. Most of us have the equipment necessary to create a recording, so why not make use of these public domain books to share the wealth of some of the greatest minds of our times. Darwin's "Origin of Species": free audiobook Xeni Jardin : Kara Shallenberg says, LibriVox volunteers have just completed a public domain audio recording of Charles Darwin's pivotal work, "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection" -- free to download, copy, and share. It's unabridged and over twenty-four hours long! (Via Boing Boing ) Tags: audio audiobook publicdomain free opensource project