You're 35mm Films and Slides are Dying Pt.II

Today’s digital cameras have done away with the film era, as film is getting harder and harder to find and film developing labs are even harder to find.

Unlike digital data, film has a life. A recent article I read said that film shot before 1962 is especially susceptible to degradation due to the early chemistry used, called E1. Shortly after 1962 a process called E6 was introduced which promoted film longevity, among other things.

You're 35mm Films and Slides are Dying

Most of us are old enough to remember film and slides. Slides were my main staple as a kid since aside from developing the negatives, they didn’t require the additional cost of making the prints. In many cases the prints seemed to stray away from the developed negative strips which really didn’t look like anything when held up to the light. Slides were developed and returned in tiny little boxes, often then arranged and loaded into a slide projector. And the bulb would blow when everyone was ready for showtime...


Today’s digital cameras have done away with the film era, as film is getting harder and harder to find and film developing labs are even harder to find.

The PDF, Acrobat and Preview

Want to quickly read a PDF file but don't have (Adobe) Acrobat Reader? Wonder why Apple no longer includes Acrobat Reader with the new Macs for a long time now...?
That's because Preview will read PDF files. Just drag your PDF file on top of Preview and Viola!
Preview also opens most JPGs (Pics) too... Preview is to PDF and JPG files as TextEdit is to text.

Mac Users and .exe Files

I'm amazed how many macs I work on have ".exe" files floating around on the computers.
Mac users, don't download any files from the internet that end ".exe". These are PC Windows files and can not do anything with them. Often times a website will assume you're using a PC and a not a mac, so you'll see a "download now" button.
When you download you'll see a "Downloads" window appear on your desktop. If you see the downloading file ends with ".exe".  Click the stop downloading button next to the file, you'll see an "X". Stop the download, you're wasting your time.
Steve "Dr. mac" Woron

Still Don't Know What a Widget is?

Q: What is a widget? I hear this term frequently. So what is a “Widget” and why should I care?

You'd be amazed how many mac users still don't know what a Widget is or how many have never used one. Widgets are mini-applications that you download and install into Dashboard to add new functionality. Dashboard is only available in Tiger (OS 10.4). Systems before Tiger do not offer this software.

To access Widgets press F12 at anytime and the Widgets installed by default zoom to the front of your screen. Default Widgets include a forecast, calculator, measurements conversion table and even a language translator.

To have the forecast give your zip codes 6 day forecast, click the little “i” in the lower right hand corner. The Widget flips around. Input your zip code and click done. The Widget flips back now with your zip code specific highs and lows with the six day out look. To make all the widgets go away, either click anywhere that’s not on a widget or hit F12 again. The Widgets zoom off screen.

One particular Widget I find useful is the GAS Widget. When your zip code is entered, it finds the best gas price per gallon near you and even gives you the option of finding other close gas stations and their best prices. To find that widget and others go to : http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/ They are free to download and use.

What Does the Apple System Profiler Do?

Q: How do I find my Apple System Profiler (ASP) and what does it do?

A: In OS 9 –Go to the Apple menu and choose Apple System Profiler. In OSX –Go to your hard drive\applications\utilities and choose the Apple System Profiler.

The Apple System Profiler provides information about your computer's software and installed hardware devices. It includes information about the version of system software you're using, how many and what kind of devices are connected to your computer, and what applications are installed on your computer.

The information that the Apple System Profiler provides can be invaluable when trying to reproduce a particular problem. You should always include an Apple System Profiler report when submitting a bug report. Many times, software and hardware problems are specific to an exact configuration. The Apple System Profiler is the best way to get detailed information about the configuration you are using.

Slow internet on your mac? What's the cause?

From Neighbors Paper Issue 88, Nov 09

Q: I often will be online and either the spinning wheel appears for a long time or Safari will crash all together. Surfing the internet seems painfully slow and I have broadband DSL. What am I doing wrong?


A: You are probably doing nothing wrong. People are quick to blame their computers first because that’s the technology staring them in the face when the trouble happens. The truth is, many smaller non-pro websites are built wrong, have compatibility issues and sometimes just poorly coded. This causes browser problems with some applications whether it’s Safari, Firefox or even on Windows using Explorer.


If using Safari, the first thing is to quit it, (if you haven’t been forced to already) and relaunch it. Under the Safari menu select “Empty Cache”. Now go to a site that’s known to be reliable such as eBay. Click on any auction and see if it comes up. Or click on a news story link on Yahoo.com. If the browser is very sluggish, it’s your broadband service.


At this point, power off your DSL or cable modem for 1 minute. Also power off your router if using one. Now power everything back on and check eBay or Yahoo. 


As a note, sites can get overcrowded with visitors so try another site before blaming your computer or service. Another good tip is to reboot your modem at least every two weeks. Your IPS provider probably does small upgrades to services and fixes which can’t be realized by your connected computers until the modem is rebooted on your end. If you have continued slow downs call your provider for a line test.