Smart Phone

I'm trying to learn how my SmartPhone works. Melva and I use the AT&T GoPhone service. A while back they forced us to convert to their 4LG network, whatever that is.

As part of the transition we had to select new phones. There weren't any flip phones available by the time we arrived at the store. We decided to chose the ZTE Maven SmartPhone. This is a big change. The new devices aren't just phones. They are also computers that can be connected to the Internet, free of charge, if you have a WiFi connection.

They are also Android devices. Android is a Google operating system. Therefore, if you use Google applications such as: Chrome, Gmail, Music Play, etc. on you computer the phone adds another level of complexity to the technology learning curve.

Part of the fun is getting used to the fact that there is no mouse and that there is no keyboard. You type on the image of what serves as a keyboard with big fat fingers on little tiny letters.

I'm interested in using the device to listen to music. There is a Bluegrass station, WAMU, located in Washington, DC. The signal isn't strong enough to be picked up by any of the radios in our house. They stream live on the Internet as BluegrassCountry.org. You can listen to the music on the computer while you do something else. This has never worked very well for me.

Last night I downloaded the BluegrassCountry app to my phone. Within less than five minutes the installation was complete and I was listening to Bluegrass music on the phone.

Today I'm testing to see if I can listen to the live stream on the phone while I have the phone plugged in for charging. I'm pleased to report that it works. One of the first songs I heard was, Poison Love, from the latest Alison Krauss country album, Windy City.

Dick Henthorn
30 Mar 2017

Things

How long are you going to hold on to the things that are not working in your best interests?
Things that are not fulfilling?
Things that are no longer productive?
(Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 3 October)

******

I noticed this week that the number of posts to my four Google blogs passed the 5,000 milestone.

Mr. Dickie

6 October 2012

Print Friendly

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way to print the pages on my four Google blogs without including the Sidebar information?  Now there is a way, using the free Print Friendly application.

I've installed a Print Friendly button at the bottom of each page that appears on my blogs.  Clicking on the button will display the information without the Sidebar.  From the Print Friendly page you can select whether you want to Print the page or get a PDF of the page.  You can chose to Email the page to yourself or someone else.  You can remove the images.

Here's a link to a short video that will further acquaint you with this very handy tool.  Please note that the video mentions installing Print Friendly, ignore that part.  I've already done the installation.  All you need to do to use the application is click on the "Print Friendly" button at the bottom of each blog posting you want to print.

Print Friendly

I think this is a great addition and hope you will too.

Have fun.
Dick Henthorn
13 August 2012

Google Playlists

Google Playlists on YouTube

Compiled by 

Richard E. Henthorn

This is a set of Google playlists that I created on my YouTube channel. The playlists link to videos about the Google applications that interest me.  Mr. Dickie - 26 May 2012


Blogger:

Bookmarks:

Books:

Calendar:

Chrome:

Docs:

Drawing: 

Drive:

Feedburner:

Forms:

Gmail:

Groups:

iGoogle:

Maps:

Picasa:

Picasa Web Albums:

Play:

Presentations:

Reader:

Sites:

Spreadsheet:

Tasks:

Translate:

Google Drive

Everything that exists in the world, does so independent of your opinion about it. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Pulling Your Own Strings, p. 183)

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On 24 April 2012 Google Drive cloud storage was released by Google.  Each account is given 5Gb of cloud storage.  The Google Drive replaces the application I was using which was called, Google Docs.

Today I'm posting links to YouTube videos and Internet articles which provide information and opinions about the new application.

Google Drive - YouTube

What Is Google Drive?

Introducing Google Drive

Google Drive Coming This April?

Google Drive Is Alive

Google Drive Officially Launches

The Storage Wars

It's Not Exactly Free - CNET

How To Get Started - CNET

Google Drive News

Free Cloud Drive Storage - Gizmo

Google Launches Free Cloud Storage - Gizmo

Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter

Official Google Enterprise Blog

Google Drive Meets Dropbox

Google Drive's Folder View

Mr. Dickie
25 April 2012

Google Docs

When you think you are standing close to perfection, you are hallucinating. (Mr. Dickie, 8 February 2012)

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I'm working on creating a YouTube playlist for Google Docs a free, cloud application with word processing, presentation, spreadsheet and form components.

Here's a link to my Google Docs playlist.

Here are a set of links posted by "Docs."

• Google Docs
• Documents
• Presentations
• Spreadsheets
• Forms
• Sharing
• Collaboration
• Drawings

Here's a link to The Google Story which is one of 1430 videos available on the YouTube Google channel.

Mr. Dickie

17 February 2012

Pay Attention

Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life. Whatever you take your attention away from will wither, disintegrate, and disappear. (Deepak Chopra, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, p. 70)

... getting a great idea without acting on it is like inspiration with no perspiration.  Most people never make it past the inspiration phase. (Doug Sahlin and Chris Botello, YouTube For Dummies, p. 10)

Fight bravely, for habit overcomes habit. (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 21, p. 52)

Life thrives on possibilities and options. (Touchstones, 10 January)

******

I asked my Facebook friends for comments about Costco.  I was pleased with the number of replies.  Most  wrote favorably about their shopping experiences.  Our membership in BJs will expire at the end of this month.  For a long time I have been complaining about the lack of open checkout lines.  It's my opinion that a membership store that charges $50.00 a year ought to provide people to checkout the merchandise.  Several times I've told management, "If I wanted to do checkout work I'd apply for a job."

I'm scanning a book about the WordPress blogger that I bought the other day at the library bookstore.  It's very similar to the Google Blogger.  I'm thinking about trying it out.  I could use it to create a private journal that I would use for making some notes when I'm at the computer.

Mr. Dickie

10 February 2012

Acceptance

Photo: Mr. Dickie - Blackwater Falls, WV

For everyone at some time there comes something for which there seems to be no reason and which defies explanation.  It is then that a man is faced with life's hardest battle - to accept when he cannot understand.  (William Barclay, The Letter To The Hebrews, p. 152)

******

I maintained my interest in blogging throughout 2011.  I plan to continue posting to my four Google blogs in 2012 as time and interest dictates.  Here's a short recap of my blogging efforts.

• Mr. Dickie's Blog - 347 posts
• Arrow Prayers - 346 posts
• Henthorn Website Obits - 21 posts
• Henthorn Website News - 62 posts
• Total - 776 posts

Mr. Dickie

2 January 2012

Quicksand

Don't get stuck in the sands of half-hearted commitments.  (Selwyn Hughes, Every Day Light, p. 260)

******

Google offers several new blogging formats.  I took a look at some of them.  They are quite nice.  At first glance it looks like the new formats don't offer some of the options I'm currently using for the sidebar.  For the time being I think I'll stick with what's work for me.  I might try it out if I could come up with an idea for another blog.  I already spend too much time blogging and doing Facebook.

Mr. Dickie

28 September 2011

Clear Thinking

The root of many of our emotional problems lies in a lack of clear thinking - clear thinking based on Scripture.  (Selwyn Hughes, Every Day Light, Day 224)

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Last night I worked on a project learning how to use the ten "Pages" that are available with each Google blog.  It turned out to be more complicated than I anticipated.  In the end I decided to leave learning about "tabs" until later.  I created a "Page" and then I added a link to the page in the sidebar of Mr. Dickie's Blog.  I'm planning to use the "Page" to store links to some of the webpages I look at frequently.  Early this morning I realized I can keep the web address of the "Page" private if I want.  I added the address of the "Page" to the Business button on my Chrome toolbar.  I can click on Business to access the drop down list of bookmarks and then click on "Mr. Dickie's Blog: My Private Links" to go to the Google page with my special links.  For now, you can take a look at the "Page" via the entry in the sidebar.

Mr. Dickie
21 September 2011

Google Chrome

[Today I will] ... look at something in my behavior or attitude that might be stopping me from reaching one of my goals. (Eric V. Copage, Black Pearls, 15 June)

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I've been using the Google Chrome browser for the first time. I like the simple design. Yesterday I added a "TAG" button. This will allow me to quickly post new bookmarks to my Delicious bookmark account. Did you know you can access my bookmarks from your computer. There are bookmarks for sites to see in Washington, DC and for many pages of genealogy information.

I also have a BlogThis button that allows me to quickly post a link to any of my four Google blogs.

At the bottom of my Facebook "Info" page there is a place where I can list links to websites I want to share with Facebook friends. Yesterday I discovered that even though it appears that the number of lines is open-ended, it really isn't. Only five URLs display after I save the page. I added a link to Delicious in case someone on Facebook wants to easily find my bookmarks.

Breakthrough

Photo: Mr. Dickie - Lewes, DE to Cape May, NJ ferry

Before the breakthrough was made, we know there was a daring dream, mental dedication, and usually plenty of drudgery. (Larsen and Hegarty, Believing In Myself, 9 May)

Be willing to have it so; acceptance of what has happened is the first step to overcoming the consequences of any misfortune. (William James in The Book Of Choices by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 239)

Every step of ... life offers new opportunities. (Larsen and Hegarty, Believing In Myself, 26 May)

******

I installed Gmail as a application on the Google Chrome browser. I also created about a dozen bookmark tabs. This allowed me to read and write Email on the new computer for the first time. This is my first experience with the Chrome browser. I'm reading several chapters about it in a "For Dummies" book I checked out of the library.

This morning I typed this blog entry directly into Mr. Dickie's Blog while signed on to the new laptop. On the old computer I always typed the posting with EditPadLite and then uploaded it to Blogger. I haven't installed EditPadLite on the new computer.

Mr. Dickie

10 June 2011

Walk On

There is work to be done, new ideas to be learned, and for that the problems of yesterday and the fears of tomorrow must be put out of the way. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 21 March)

[Think about what needs to be done, do your work, accomplish your tasks and] if there is time left, fill it with walking. It is excellent exercise that is respectful of the body, mindful of the earth below, and well-tolerated by all ages. (Mike Magee, M.D., The Book Of Choices, p. 200)

Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far. (Thomas Jefferson in The Book Of Choices, by Mike Magee, M.D., p. 202)

******

I woke up at 4:00 a.m. this morning. I spent the time trying to catch up on my reading and writing.

Yesterday I did some minor updates to the computer club website. I also installed a Google search box on the homepage. This is a project that I had in mind for some time. On the genealogy homepage that I'm working on I installed and tested the Bing search box. The Google box displays some Google ads. The Bing search box doesn't have any ads. I have no idea which search engine gives the better results. I think I am ready to install the new homepage on the genealogy website. In my opinion this is the most important step in the process of making it easy to maintain the website. The second step is to understand the folder structure and to create the necessary folders to simplify finding the files.

I created a Picasa photo album for the retirement photos I took at The Library of Congress on Thursday. I shared a link to the photos on Facebook.

Melva attended her quilting class. She reported that she had a good time.

Mr. Dickie
26/Mar/2011 6:44

Bowie Senior Center Computer Classroom Open House

Click on the photo to go to Google Picasa to view a nine-photo slideshow.

This morning there was an Open House at the Bowie Senior Center to dedicate the new computers in the computer classroom. I attended the event, took photos and created a Picasa photo album when I got home. There's a link to the photo album on the Training Page of the website of the Bowie Seniors Computer Club. I'm posting this information to Mr. Dickie's blog to test that an album can be shared in this way and to show off what I accomplished.

Mr. Dickie
23 Mar 2011

Deadly Toys

If we eradicated ourselves with the lethal means at our disposal, we wouldn't be the first species to disappear. But wouldn't it be a shame? ... Surely we're adaptable enough to guide our own development away from our current preoccupation with deadly toys. (The Promise of a New Day, Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg, 21 March)

******

Yesterday I created a PDF with photos taken by Vic at the March 17th meeting of the computer club. I used Google Docs and added captions for the photos. This was the first time I'd tried this. I created a Photos folder on the club website and uploaded the PDF there. Then I added a "Photos" link on the "Meetings" page that will download the PDF to the visitor's computer. There's still more to learn about how to size and locate the photos on the page. I was pleased that I was able to come up with a relatively easy way to share the photos.

Cyndi and I went to Schrom Park for a late afternoon walk. We completed four laps. Then we went to College Park to find something to eat. We tried a sandwich shop called Jimmy John's. We also tried a frozen yogurt place called Yogi Berry. We brought food home from both places for Melva.

Our evening attempt to call Melva's nephew in Puerto Rico wasn't successful.

This morning, just before it was time to take Cyndi to the subway a thunderstorm with heavy rain passed through the area. We used Melva's car because it was under the carport.

Mr. Dickie
21/Mar/2011 7:56

Weekend Report

It is difficult to overcome the habit of setting standards for our ... [loved ones], and expecting them to be followed. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 12 August)

******

This weekend I enjoyed phone calls with: classmate Thad, cousin Fran and genealogy friend Doug. The calls reminded me that it takes some effort to stay in touch.

I posted an article I wrote about Box.Net on my Google genealogy blog. I granted access to my genealogy reports to several friends who hold similar interests. I also posted the URL for the genealogy site created by Doug.

I watched all, or part, of many of the games in the Little League World Series. Japan beat Hawaii in the final yesterday.

Mr. Dickie
30/Aug/2010 7:59

Close Call

Thank you for not talking about recession, inflation, the weather or your health. (Daily Guideposts - 1990, 12 August)

******

Yesterday we went to Schrom Park for a fifty-minute walk. We walked four laps. We hadn't been there for many weeks. We were shocked to see how many trees came down in recent storms.

On the way home from our walk we came very close to being involved in a head-on accident. We were on Good Luck Road and we had some. As we neared an intersection a car coming towards us from the opposite direction crossed the center line and drove directly towards us on our side of the road. As he crossed the center line he was about two hundred yards away from us. I honked and started to slow our minivan. When a crash seemed certain I began to turn right onto the cross street and got our car stopped. As this fool passed in front of us I realized that he had control of his car. What he was doing was turning, at a high rate of speed, onto the same side street where I'd stopped. What he intended to do, by driving on the the wrong side of the street for nearly half a block was, cut me off. One of the reasons we don't often drive to this park is because I'm always saying, "There is too great a risk that some fool is going to try to kill us during the trip." We came very close yesterday.

It's time to admit that my laser printer is out of ink. Shaking the ink cartridge doesn't provide enough ink on the left side of the page. Today's my day to install another ink cartridge.

I converted a three-page HTML document into a PDF file. I used my HTML editor to strip out the HTML codes. Then I used Google Docs to reformat the document, add page numbers and generate the PDF file. Then I uploaded the document to my Box account where I can share it with other folks working on genealogy.

Mr. Dickie
29/Aug/2010 8:00

Humility

Don't be humble. You're not that great.
(Golda Meir)

******

The grass turned completely brown once this year. It looked like the drought killed it. Now it's fully recovered, showing luscious bright green growth. For the second time I'm going to have a hard time mowing because it is so tall and thick. In all of the years we have lived here I don't remember it ever looking better. I'm my own lawn service, by the way.

Last night on the spur of the moment I installed the Google Desktop on my old computer. I think I installed it once before on a laptop. It took several hours for the software to index everything. I'm curious to discover whether it will be something I find useful.

I devised a new way to add people's names to the "Notes" in the GEDCOM file I am editing. I save four "tags" on the clipboard that I can insert in front of the current note. This method eliminates frequent use of the "shift" key.

There are now 41 members of the Wichita Class of '57 group on Facebook. Unfortunately no one is posting to the group. Perhaps interest in the group has run its course.

Mr. Dickie
15/Aug/2010 7:47

Some Progress

Other people are going to be exactly the way they are, independent of your opinion. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Staying On The Path, p. 122)

******

Yesterday I walked for forty minutes in the neighborhood. I learned that one house on The Court sold and another rented. That's certainly a good sign.

I figured out how to access the Facebook phonebook and how to install the "Share" buttons on my Google blogs. It's frustrating and challenging when I can't find enough information to make something work.

Mr. Dickie
24/Jul/2010 9:41

New Google Blogger Feature

The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have most; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little. (Franklin Roosevelt)
21/Jul/2010 8:51

******

There's a new feature available on Google blogs this morning. Google bloggers can install buttons which easily allow blog post sharing. I added the buttons to this blog and to my Arrow Prayers. After I test I'll probably add them to the two genealogy blogs.

Mr. Dickie
21/Jul/2010 9:06