Digital Camera - Success!



First Photo Uploaded From Digital Camera - my i-pod


An achievement. Of sorts anyway.  I think as long as I remember to put the memory card in the slot and 'open folder to view files' and select the folder associated with the camera, the photos will appear on screen.  Then save them as normally. 

To insert picture on to this blog, just click on 'insert image' on the photo icon and voila - one picture!  I photographed my i-pod as a few followers implied that they did not know what an i-pod is.

Well there you are. I have learned how to download pictures from the camera to the PC - then insert into the blog.  If I am honest, that is only the tip of the iceberg.  I need to know how to do it on my own as further assistance from my man is testing his patience (and mine).  Of course I probably should be reading the instruction manual but I have discovered that I have to download it - which I really can't be bothered to do.  Unless I can work it out myself, or can ask my man - it is unlikley that I will downloading the instruction manual anytime soon!

Ideally, I will improve the look of this blog by adding more pictures to the template.  Also, photos will appear more regularly.  Although I need to make sure that the resolution of the photos is not high so as to slow down the opening of the blog.  That I have no idea how to do - i think it is a setting on the camera.

This technological learning is hard work!



Progress Schmogress!

I have not posted in a while as... I have had nothing to post. Been busy with job interviews, various birthdays in the family and life in general.  I have not learned anything new and I had thought I would be on my third gadget by now.

Still, my new found confidence has led me to:
- prove to my daughter that she can play songs on 'repeat' on her i-pod touch;
- work out how my daughter changed my mobile phone to 'random wallpaper'.

I have decided that children are so good at working out how gadgets work because they are not scared of messing something up or losing stuff.  That will now be my approach.

Also, although I did not learn how to use it, we made sausages using the sausage maker recently.  Words of advice, collagen(?) sausage skins are weird and split very easily; don't trim all the fat off the pork belly - the sausages were a bit dry.  But everything was edible.  When I have worked out how to load photos from the camera, I will post the pictures as proof!

I have been reading a few selected blogs recently and am loving them. I am hoping this will spur me on and even expand my topics.

Back to the grind stone :-)

Grrr!

Daughter bought an i-pod touch (and no, I don't have a photo of an i-pod or an i-pod touch).  Thought I was being clever by setting it up on the lap-top so we could down-load tunes.  Unfortunately I appeared to have signed up (and paid) for a service which I probably didn't need to.  Which I now have to investigate.  Which is a BIG bore!

Anyway, the other half came home and I happily let him take over while I cooked dinner (lame excuse I know and goes against the principles of this blog).  Well it was either that or a melt-down!!!

Anyway, the i-pod touch had music loaded in time for being used at daughter's 11th birthday party.  I did have to phone the other half as the volume wasn't very high (this time not my fault, but the docking station was not compatible with the i-pod touch).

I promise to get photos on soon.  I did think I would master the i-pod quicker and that I would have moved on to loading photos on to the computer... but no, not yet L

Still, I have not given up! 

The I-Pod Revolution Continues

Well I am rather pleased with myself.  I have now reloaded all the albums that had to be deleted back on to my i-pod.  When I say 'all the albums', I mean excluding all my man's CDs  as we so do not have the same musical taste.  80s electonica is not for me. And neither is Billy Ocean. 

Although I am rather dismissive of my man's musical taste, he did help me with registering the lap-top to enable me to re-load music back on to my i-pod.  Is that cheating?  We had a lively battle when it came to identifying the actual command to transfer all the albums that I had painstakingly 'ticked' and assigned to various play-lists that I had set up (yay me!). We tried all the commands on the top of the page (File / Edit / View etc etc) and could not work out how to transfer to i-pod. Then he (and I am happy to give him the credit for this) spotted the correct command half-way down the page titled 'Music'.  Not immediately obvious because before then, you are using all the commands at the top of the page.  But I got there.

I still find it strange that saving albums on play list means you save the tracks, so no album headings.  The albums themselves are saved under 'albums' as well, so that is OK.   I realise that I am such a creature of habit that I like my music in the order that they came on the album, and not a list of tracks.  I did not expect to be un-nerved but it has! Next time I go to the gym, or have a dinner party (hark at me) I will select the appropriate play-list and select 'shuffle' (not 'random' - I wish companies would use the same terminology). It will be weird not knowing what track comes next.

I am pleased that I have downloaded on to my i-pod and I will also tackle my daughter's one.  I think she has grown out of High School Musical and her Katie Price and Peter Andre CD!!!!

On a final note, my man asked if this blog extended to to the dishwasher.  I said yes, and I had already mentioned it.  He then (un)graciously showed me the 'start' button - as if I have never used it before!!!!

Thinking about getting the sausage maker out this weekend as my man has oldest daughter and her family coming to stay.  Thought it might be fun to make our own sausages with them!  Well it is nearly a year since his birthday which means we have had it a year and never made sausages with it.

Watch this space!!!

First Mission Accomplished-ish!!!

Well I did it! I did what I set out to do which was load my new 3-disc CD on to my i-pod. With assistance from my lovelyman (gotta keep him sweet as he was grumpy about my last post).

The reminder bleeped on his blackberry (I scheduled in the i-pod session in outlook calendar - as I do for lots of things that require my man to know about). Anyway, come 7:30 he got out the lap-top and showed where the i-tunes icon was, clicked on it, clicked 'music', clicked 'transfer' button and showed me where the button is to open the CD drawer.  In it went, blah blah blah.  All very straight forward  until the programme identified we were using a different PC or i-library device (or some sort message). 

Anyway, the gist of it is that I had two choices.  Delete everything on my i-pod and transfer the new downloads, or do nothing.  All my existing i-pod tunes were on a hard drive not yet transfered on to the new lap-top. So what is a girl to do? Delete everything and load the new CD tracks - that's what.

So there you have it.  I loaded (or is transferred) three CD discs on to the PC then loaded them on to my i-pod.  Done, as I said I would.  The fact that I no longer have any other music on there is a mere trifle!!!!! Oh, did I mention that I saved it as a play-list too!!??

That aside, I experimented with the EQ command on my i-pod, changing it to R&B (which is all I now have on my i-pod) from jazz (which makes me sound very sophisticated / pretentious - delete as applicable).  What do you know... there is a difference in sound (EQ R&B has more base).

Tonight I will mostly be downloading the music (previously deleted) back on to my i-pod. 

Next lesson: learn what a pod-cast is.

My First Tentative Step Towards Techno-Expert!

I am mindful that I have not progressed far on my mission. Actually I have not progressed at all! Life seems to get in the way. And when I say 'life', I mean helping my daughter to do her homework (she gets enough to need to do a bit every evening and a bit at the weekend). Also going to the gym, cooking and cleaning and basic day to day stuff means I forget all about the techie stuff. 

I was planning on starting with the digital camera (apparently we have a new one which I have never used) and loading pictures on to the PC - and then loading them on Facebook (yes Mom, I will do it eventually).

I was slightly irritated yesterday when 'my man' announced that HE could now download music on to the Ipod from the lap-top (and not the old PC)!!! HE could do it!!!  I reminded him that I should also be able to download music from the lap-top too. 

I have therefore decided to learn how to download CDs on to my Ipod.  Partly because of 'my man's' attitude towards my level of expertise and also on account of having recently purchased a 'workout' CD which is not much use unless it is on my Ipod!  In the spirit of ambitiousness, I am even going to create playlists.

Well I will be from Wednesday.  I have scheduled a date and time in Outlook Calendar and invited 'my man'.  Does it count that I get him to show me?  Perhaps not.  Maybe I should learn how to do it on my own and share my wisdom and critique the instructions and the intuitiveness of the instructions.  Let's face it - it will take me longer and I will probably get bored / fed up - but I am a woman on a mission and I must learn how to load music on to the Ipod.  To be honest I am not bothered about loading videos, but will probably load some photos (just to say I can)!!

Typing this post made me look at what else is on the Ipod.  I have modified the time from California(???) time to London time. This command is in 'Extras'.  Why is changing the time itself from a different command, in 'Settings'?  You'd think they would be together but no, they are not!  Still I found it in the end!  Also, I have successfully switched off the clicker which is a great relief to me - now I won't annoy my fellow commuters when i am scrolling through my albums! I am also looking forward to establishing how selecting the different music types in the 'EQ' command changes the music.

I will look through the other commands on a 'need to know' basis (as i am bored already)!!  But I have achieved something.  I spent a few minutes on the Ipod and have increased my knowledge already!  See - I am getting there and it is only February.  There is no stopping me now!!!!

I Knew I Would Do It Wrong!

I have decided that setting up this blog DOES count as learning how to take on and use technology.  Not only did I accidently publish the last blog (curser was on the "PUBLISH POST" button and a very heat sensitive pad on the lap-top ensured that the comand was sent) but now I cannot work out how people can access my blog from their search engine (was going to say "from google" but even I know that isn't the only search engine).  Anyway am meeting with fellow blogger Jo (Run Jo Run) who is kindly going to explain how to do this, so hopefully next time I will have managed to progress from just setting up this blog, to actually doing what I set out to achieve. 

6th Jan 2011 - At Last! I Have Finally Started This!!

Welcome! I am new to blogging and despite being unsure whether I have a topic interesting enough to blog - here goes!

Why This Blog?
I have recently decided to make a number of life-changing decisions due to various things going on in my life.  One such decision is to write a blog - not about the life-changing decisions... I am sure there are plenty of blogs around on that.

I have decided to keep mine simple and it is very possible that no-one will read it but at least I will achieve something by writing it.  I also wanted it to be on something that I would personally benefit from.

Whilst I not a technophobe, I find myself completely uninterested in working out how to use various gadgets that we all have.  Subsequently, I own gadgets that remain under-used and worse, un-used.  Hence the name of this blog "I never use mine".

My gadgets include:
- digital camera - I take the pictures and "my man" downloads them on to the PC and I have absolutley no idea how to do this.  As a result even my facebook page has no photos either.
- photograph printer - see, I don't even know the proper name for it.
- ipod classic - "my man" downloads the music and that is all I have on it.  As a result my playlist is old and actually, I would like to compile playlists specifically for my sophisticated dinner-parties, my energetic gym work-outs and the journey to work.
- food processor - only used so far to make breadcrumbs and to chop herbs and chestnuts - think of the pastry and meringues I could make!!!
- sausage maker - not mine but I did buy it for "my man".
- cheese making kit - as above.
- breadmaker - "my man" has become so accomplished that he now makes bread by hand. Me? I eat it!
- cooker - Smeg, it is lovely but I don't use all the functions but I do know how to reset the clock!
- telescope - bought for child, but it is always "too cloudy" to use it, even when it is not.  The truth is I have not even taken the lens cap off, wherever that is!

I appreciate that this list seems quite small but I figured I would learn how to use the basic functions and then move on to all the other functions.  I have also decided that I would add cooking from my various cookery/recipe books.  If I am really at a loss, I have further decided to use the various programmes on my washing machine.  Which reminds me. I only know where to put the dishwasher tablet in the dishwasher and how to switch it on!  Another item for the list!!

Reasons for this Topic
To give you an indication on why my ability and interest in working things out is so low, you only have to look at my experience on setting up this blog. 

It took me 15 minutes to set up the google account required for this blog (before I realised I didn't need a GMail account). I set up the blog using the 'simple template' - I know it looks boring, but I am pleased that I set it up.  My final point to this anecdote is that once I drafted my first post and saved it - I spent about 10 minutes working out how to open it to edit it!  Well needless to say, if you are reading this, I managed it (unless I pressed 'PUBLISH POST' by accident).  What is typical of me is that again, I haven't read instructions on setting up the blog so just learned the minimum required... story of my life!  But you can see why I lose interest in progressing to the intriquencies of using the timer on the cooker, getting out other blades from the food processor box or setting up photograph albums on the PC.

Why Me!!??
Now you may think I am some frivolous (possible useless) woman who has nothing better to do, and relies on her man to do manly stuff - but that is not the case. I am a mother and I work full-time and am considered 'a professional' so really I have no excuse. Possibly I do not know how to do these things because I am too lazy (maybe a little); too lazy to read the instruction manuals (mmm, getting warm); too lazy because I have someone who isn't too lazy (getting warmer); or no time to read instructions or to work out how to use anything other than the on/off switch.  It is ironic really as I keep all the instruction manuals and booklets together, in a safe place, where they can be found and used. Except for my mobile phone and ipod where the booklets remain in their boxes, wherever they may be!

Apart from the fact that I could probably benefit from using more functions, it is only right and proper that I benefit fully from these gadgets that good money has been spent buying them - and has probably added to the growth of capitalism, global consumerism, landfills, and general wastefulness.  I am also very conscious that, as an avowed feminist, I have become reliant on 'my man' to do the things that men traditionally do.  That is not how I was brought up (sorry Mum and Dad - don't want your admiral principles and ethics to have been wasted on me, they are not xxx).

So you see, my purpose may appear to be light-hearted but there is a fundamental principle underpinning my motivation.  There are some things that I should know how to do rather than depending on someone else to do them for me. If I am honest, "someone else" is not just "my man" but also "my child, my 10 year old child"!  Also, it will free up "my man" do all the other things that need doing :-)

And Finally, to Conclude...
I am not sure if setting up this blog counts towards my goal, in this case using my PC more (other than using it to shop on the internet).  Over the next fews days I will think about what my first gadget will be - unless anyone actually reads this and provides a suggestion in the comments box.  I will then write / blog about what gadget I have chosen, what function(s) i am learning to do, my experience in setting it up (which may actually help you if you are as inept/lacking interest in reading instruction manuals as me) and finally the end result, actually using the gadget for it's whole, glorious purpose.  I think it would also be good for me to insert photos of my attempts - that'll be the digital camera first on the list then.

Hopefully my next post will not be arduous as this first post.  Hopefully I will have learned and used other functions of a gadget.  Hopefully it will make for interesting or humorous or even educational reading.

New Year.  New Start.  Here Goes.....