AYM 4 Training – Online and Onsite Computer Training – Cool Stuff

As you probably know, most of the actual work I do is on the Mac side of my computer, and I haven’t had much need to use the Windows version of Powerpoint in some time. Of course, today I had to use it… and so the saga begins!

Every time I started to type on a slide, Powerpoint crashed! I tried all the usual suspects – eliminated all my add-ons. Tried troubleshooting by starting Powerpoint in Safe Mode… nothing worked. Fortunately, I had it installed in Parallels on my laptop, so I was able to get work done, but I really needed it on my Windows 7 BootCamp partition (running through Parallels).

After MUCH research, I found the answer at http://blog.cdeutsch.com/2010/12/fixed-powerpoint-2010-crashes-when.html  . Worked like a charm – and SO easy. I find it hard to believe Apple hasn’t issued an update to fix this problem – but I’m really quite grateful to Mr. Deutsch for helping me get it resolved so quickly!

Okay, I’ve already admitted that I don’t like hand-coding websites, and prefer to use WYSIWYG (what-you-see-is-what-you-get) visually oriented Web design software like Dreamweaver, Flux, or some others. However, sometimes we HAVE to get into the code. CSS3 is a growing technology that enables web pages to do a lot of designer-y things they couldn’t do before.

This article explains why you may want to use these techniques, and how to implement them. Nicely done, WebDesignerDepot.com!

http://bit.ly/GF1ZNo

So many of my students and friends are freelancers (aka Independent Workers), so I had to share this infographic.

The numbers depicted here display how badly independent workers get stiffed for their pay in only the state of NY, so you can imagine how bad this is all around the country.

Please, be aware of this and provide yourself the safety net of written contracts, payments up front, deal with reputable companies, do whatever you can do to ensure payment. Also, you may want to view the “Mission Statement” of the Freelancer’s Union. Check out their Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Freelancers-Union/26962494725?sk=info

I know… the potential employers may just tell you “well, we’ll just hire somebody else”, playing on our fears so that we cave and do the work. But remember the percentage of that work that may end up being for free.

https://be.freelancersunion.org/blog/2012/03/15/getting-stiffed-infographic/

When Final Cut Pro X came out, these guys did the MOST amusing job of dissin it, EVER! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxKYuF9pENQ ) and rightfully so, if you’re a professional editor!

Well, these same guys have finally come around to see that Premiere Pro IS actually a PRO program! Check out their video at the link below – and don’t forget to contact me, if you need any Premiere Pro training!

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeVLg31MKRs&feature=share

Many of you are aware of the ongoing problem of “Spoof” emails (definition: Email spoofing is email activity in which the sender address and other parts of the email header are altered to appear as though the email originated from a different source. [see: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoof_Email]). This practice is also sometimes known as Phishing (definition: The act of sending email that falsely claims to be from a legitimate organization. This is usually combined with a threat or request for information: for example, that an account will close, a balance is due, or information is missing from an account. The email will ask the recipient to supply confidential information, such as bank account details, PINs or passwords; these details are then used by the owners of the website to conduct fraud.[see: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/phishing].

The implications of responding to a Spoof or Phishing email can have a tremendous impact on your life – identity theft, fraudulent account usage, etc. So, I just wanted to give you all a “head’s up” about what to do when you receive one.

Today, I received a very official looking email that appeared to be from PayPal, a service I use extensively. Here’s what it looked like:

Spoof email from "PayPal"

The thing that clued me in about this email being a “Spoof” was that it included a link that supposedly was to bring me to PayPal’s site, where I was to LOG IN and follow their instructions. I know that PayPal would never provide a link like this. So, I forwarded the email to Spoof@PayPal.com, from whom I received this reply:

Reply From Spoof@PayPal.com

So, just to keep yourself safe, please remember:

• NEVER click a link in an email from a financial institution
• Beware of links inside emails from anyone with whom you’ve done business, in which they then request LogIn information, or additional personal information
• Always verify with the sender whether or not the email you’ve received is legitimate - by contacting them DIRECTLY
• Send suspected Spoof emails, even simply questionable ones, to the company itself, for them to verify. Most legitimate sites have a link to a Spam or Spoof email address for reporting purposes.

Please be careful with your personal information. We work hard for our money and our reputations, and we should work hard to protect them.

Today marks Photoshop’s 22nd Anniversary. This amazing program has changed the course of photography, digital imaging, motion graphics, video and animation, web design… and countless other creative ways of life. It took way fewer years for Photoshop to become so ingrained in our culture that it became an actual VERB!

On the 20th Anniversary, Russell Brown, the Senior Creative Director for Photoshop, created an amazing video, commemorating the history of Photoshop to that date. It’s worth remembering here:

http://tv.adobe.com/watch/photoshop-20th-anniversary/2010-a-photoshop-odyssey/

My clients and students all know I love them – but also know that sometimes what we hear as technicians and teachers make us giggle a bit.

This clip, from a Norwegian show (with subtitles) depicts what those same people would experience in the Middle Ages. Funny!

My students know that one of my Photoshop class mantras is that “Ain’t Nuthin’ Real Anymore”. Well, this excellent video by Jesse Rosten spoofs the use of Photoshop in a hilarious manner. I highly recommend viewing this one!

http://vimeo.com/34813864 

The people at CreativePro.com have posted a page with a link to an excellent free Ebook (in PDF format), named 25 Champions of Design. I’m sure my design students of all types will derive some excellent information from this book. And, best of all – it’s FREE!

http://www.creativepro.com/article/25-champions-design 

Demo image made in 4 minutes with Fumy and Photoshop

Here’s a little program I love! I bought a program named Smoke some time ago, at a discounted price. I thought it looked like a cool, fun toy of a program, but it’s so much more! Smoke underwent a name change. It’s new name is Fumy, and the newly released version is  Fumy 2.0.

Painting in Fumy is like painting with smoke, or waves, or patterns or light. Version 1, with all it’s point updates was very cool – choose a style and some colors and then paint. You could place the end results into Photoshop documents (or simply create a stand-alone graphic). The only “real” limitation was that the end-result image was opaque. You could use any color background, but you created an opaque image for which you might have to use Blending Modes in Photoshop to influence the result.

Now, with version 2.0, we have layers! This means that not only can we create images with transparent backgrounds, but we also have some limited blending modes inside the program, and we also have the ability to export individual layers of our image.

The names of the controls present a bit of a learning curve: names like “Flow”, “Range”, “Intensity”, “Density”, “Fluency”, “Gravity”, and “Quality” may not make immediate sense, but that’s part of the idea of working in this Fumy. It’s all about experimentation (you all know that’s a BIG teaching point of mine anyway, right?)

Version 2.0 just came out a few days ago, so there’re still a few “issues” to resolve. For example, the tooltip names don’t align and so you have to trust the icon more than the name of the tool. Also, there seems to be a bit of a problem with the function of exporting individual layers, but you should also be aware that the developer is extremely responsive. I’ve had a few questions over the past couple of versions, and I received response emails the same day!

On top of all this coolness and fun, here’s the real kicker – I’d originally bought this program for $6 via Maczot.com. It was also included in a software bundle I’d purchased at MacLegion.com. But I never needed the new version. Every update has been free – and the recent UPGRADE was ALSO FREE! Any developer with such a cool product, who is so responsive, and has such generous upgrade policies should be commended! I encounter so many programs with ridiculous and draconian upgrade costs, I’m especially impressed by this (see Adobe’s new upgrade policies, for example!)

Despite the few bugs in this new version, I highly recommend it – and the developer. If the regular $19.99 seems a bit much, wait… you’ll see it in a bundle, I’m sure. Also, Neatberry (the developer) seems to have a slew of other cool programs. I’m looking forward to checking them out.

Oh, and the image you see in this post  was done using a stock image from stock.xchng, and a quick image from Fumy 2.0, created and composited in about 4 minutes using Photoshop.

Check out Fumy 2.0. Let me know what you think!