New Technology Challenges

Thanks, Paul! I followed your lead: Do Something Today!
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PHP Tutorials

Our class is using a lot of video tutorials, and this week we've come across 3 tutorials that are part of a 35-tutorial series. I thought the three I saw today were pretty good, so I'll link to the first one of the series. Right click the video and choose "Watch on YouTube", so you can access all the others. OR, click this link to view the video on YouTube. On the right, you'll see a list of other tutorials available. Enjoy!!




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Issuu is New

I just got an email from my niece telling me about Issuu. What an amazing site! I'm not sure how I'd use it, but here's an example of what it does: it allows you to publish articles, essays, photojournals, whatever, and then transforms your output into a classy web-embeddable publication.

Check it out!

Open publication - Free publishing - More photography

Here's a little bit more, on how it all works:

What is Issuu? from Issuu.com on Vimeo.

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Computers Recycled

I've come across an "idea whose time has come": an organization that recycles computers, and gives them away for free! See for yourself:




It's not easy knowing what to do with "obsolete" computers, and the worst thing is worrying about what someone else may do with one's data. How to clean it completely? I don't know if this organization is part of the answer, but I intend to explore their services.

The first Free Geek is in Portland OR, but the Twin Cities of MN will soon get its own Free Geek TC. I look forward to putting them to use! My parents old computer needs a new life...

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PHP in Dreamweaver

At last, I've found an online tutorial showing how to define a dynamic site in Dreamweaver, by David Powers. This may be the part I'm missing! See for yourself: https://admin.na3.acrobat.com/_a204547676/phplocalsitewin/
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Guided Xampp

Here's another video that gives a GUIDED instructions on how to download and install Xampp. I'm going to have to view it again, because I must have missed something, just doing it myself. For one thing, I don't have Apache set up as a "service", so it doesn't start when I open the computer. Also, I need to beef-up my security. The good news - I did get it installed!

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Xampp Installed

Here's a video showing how to install the Xampp software, and how to get started writing PHP pages. Check it out!

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PHP to You!

It's now Fall, 2009, and I've begun a new online class at Foothill: PHY & MySQL. I noticed that the information Foothill stores (that other students see) includes a link to this blog, so I guess I'd better put up something new!

I'm excited about taking this class for many reasons, but mainly because I hope it will help me address some photo display and storage problems!! In particular, I wonder - how do you keep track of it all? How do you quickly, painlessly (dream on!) post new pictures?

I invite interested students/viewers to join me in online discussions of this class, especially as regards their experience of it. What interests YOU? What have you learned? What's PHP good for? What do you do with MySQL?

My task for today is to download the software and install it. I've been confused about what to install, and how. WAMP and XAMPP are availibe for a bundled approach, and one can individually download the required software (PHP, MySQL, and Apache) and install them manually. What to do? The teacher says it's our choice - but evaluating options and choosing only one has NEVER been my strong suit! I could study the choices for the entire quarter before I felt ready to "decide". Sigh. Guess I'll just plunge right in - I've chosen XAMPP because - it's "prettier". It has more of a visual appeal, and since I'll be looking at it a lot, that probably matters to me the most (meaning, I have no other basis on which to choose).

One other caveat - I want to do my editing with Dreamweaver, and I found this article interesting (& helpful): Setting Up a PHP Development Environment on Dreamweaver. Another reference I'll be using this quarter: PHP for Dreamweaver 8, by David Powers. He, of course, strongly suggests we do a manual installation. Finally, there is the class text-book: PHP, MySQL, and Apache, by Julie C. Meloni (a Sam's "Teaach Yourself" All in One book). The text-book includes an installation disk with everything on it, but apparently that's not the recommended way to install the software...

Ah well, enough delay - here I go! Off on another online adventure...


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New PhoneBlogz Post

A new audio message has been left. CLICK HERE to download it or listen here:
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New PhoneBlogz Post

A new audio message has been left. CLICK HERE to download it or listen here:
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Google Goofs!

Did anyone notice this mistake today: Google Blames Human Error for Malware Warning Mistake? I sure did! I did a simple search for Byerly's grocery store in the Twin Cities, and every single website listed had the disclaimer that it might harm my computer. WOW! I took a picture (see below), but I did NOT "follow through". I still don't know what cakes cost, and do they deliver! I need to know before tomorrow, when my parents celebrate their 68th anniversary. I can't be there, but hopefully a cake WILL be. SO - I'm glad to see it was all a mistake - and I don't care if it was caused by humans or machines! I'm glad to know, though, that Google wasn't hacked. After all, if Google falls, that's over half the Internet world at risk! Well, that's the way it seems these days. Every software tool I take up turns out to be a Google-purchase before too long. Where does their money come from? The problem is, I LIKE what they come up with, and their choices of what-to-buy/support. It just becomes a little scary when one company starts to rule the world, even if it's only software and waves. I spent time exploring their offer to customize my searches, and save them for me. However, under the circumstances, they did not seem so trustworthy! I'll pass that opportunity by also. SO - one simple slip-up, and I and who-knows-how-many-others have had a nasty wake-up call: Google's goofs are costly - in trust, and in faith (what's the difference? Humm - that question belongs to a different blog...


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