News, August 2009

In mid 2008, the GSV Computer Club approached management at Greenspring with a proposal to make e-mail, and the requisite assistance to use e-mail available to residents at Renaissance Gardens, the Assisted Living and Nursing Facility located at Greenspring. The project was approved and laptops and portable cabinets were made available to allow residents to communicate via e-mail from their rooms—with assistance from Computer Club volunteers. As word of the project spread, residents and their family members would contact Renaissance Gardens or a Computer Club representative to start the process as follows:

Step 1—Establish an e-mail account for the resident. The usual option is to establish a Gmail account and address. Step 2—Get e-mail addresses of the family members and friends who wish to correspond, and start the e-mail process.
Step 3—Monitor the resident's e-mail account. The volunteer will require access to the resident's account information; all volunteers sign a confidentiality statement.

Our goal is to involve the resident in the process to the greatest extent possible. Some may not be able to read the computer screen. In those cases, the volunteer may read the e-mail to the resident and then type any response the resident may wish. Others are able to read their own e-mails and type their replies. Often family members and friends are more apt to send off a quick e-mail message to the resident than they are to handwrite a letter or type and print out a hard copy letter for mailing via USPS. As more current information is sent back and forth, the resident feels more involved in the family's day to day activities. A residual benefit is the satisfaction the volunteers get when they see the look of delight on the resident's face when the resident reads about a grandson that just graduated or sees a photo of that first great granddaughter. The original scope of the e-mail project at Renaissance Gardens has been greatly expanded in the past few months. Three desktop computers have been installed in three of the activity rooms and are available to all residents at any time. The laptops provided at the outset of the project are always kept secured. Thus, they are not available for general use by the residents. The addition of the desktop computers permits residents to use a computer whenever they have free time. We have recently installed Skype on all the computers and were provided with a couple of webcams by Renaissance Gardens. We now have the capability to help residents set up audiovideo contact with their loved ones. It's a bit more difficult than e-mail because of the scheduling necessary at both ends of the communication, but it does provide another avenue of contact. Most Renaissance Gardens residents are not, and probably never have been, active computer users. Actions have already been initiated to bring “Computer Awareness” to Renaissance Gardens and to provide training in computer use to small groups as well as to individuals. The Computer Club volunteers will conduct sessions to acquaint residents on the use of the mouse, playing games, opening programs, and any other areas of the computer where there is an interest. Another initiative was to install a voice recognition program on one of the computers to permit one resident to access and use the computer on her own with voice commands only.

The computer can be a great tool to use in keeping minds active and alert.

CPCUG Internet Cafe Returns To Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, August 14-22, 2009
by Dennis Courtney

[Aug. 2009] The Capital PC User Group is again hosting the Internet Café at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair. We need at least six volunteers each day to show visitors how to use the Internet and answer questions about CPCUG. The Internet Café is in the air-conditioned main building—so CPCUG volunteers will have no worries about the weather.

Volunteer for a 4-hour shift and you get free entry to the Fair for the day you volunteer, allowing you to wander the Fair when not on duty.

Sign up now to be a CPCUG Internet Cafe boothstaffer—

http://www.cpcug.org/fair/fair.php

Show Special for New and Renewing CPCUG Members: Get a 13th month of membership free when you visit the CPCUG booth and renew at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair. CPCUG membership is still just $42 per year.

Windows 7 Release Candidate
by Barbara Conn

[Aug. 2009] Update: Windows 7 release candidate will be available for download until August 20, 2009.

Want to try the release candidate of Windows 7 for yourself? Then download the code by August 15, 2009:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx

It's free, but it's going to disappear. Once the code is downloaded, it may be installed later. You may also get additional product keys after August 15.

Here are two ways to learn more about Windows 7:(1) Read the May 2009 installment of former CPCUG President Rich Schinnell's "Ramblings":

http://schinnell.org/ramb/ramb0905.pdf

(2) Update: CPCUGer and IT Network Pro Mark Mabee demoed the Windows 7 release candidate at the July 18, 2009, CPCUG Entrepreneurs and Consultants SIG meeting. He revised the meeting presentation files in August. Download the revised presentation files from the meeting announcement page:

http://entrepreneur.cpcug.org/709meet.html

CPCUG Project Reboot Partners With Dataprise

[Aug. 2009] Dataprise, Inc., a Rockville, MD, based information technology services provider and systems integrator, has entered into partnership with CPCUG's Project Reboot, a computer recycling program. Dataprise encourages its clients to participate in the program, and more than 100 PCs have already been donated since the inception of the partnership. Additionally, Dataprise is providing manpower and expertise to assist Project Reboot volunteers.

"Dataprise is thrilled to partner with Project Reboot," said David Eisner, president and CEO, Dataprise. "Our firm is dedicated to giving back to our community, and partnering with a great organization like CPCUG's Project Reboot allows Dataprise engineers to do what we do best while helping those in need."Dataprise certified network engineers pick up unwanted computers, monitors, and peripherals from businesses, free of charge, wipe them clean, and deliver them to the Project Reboot warehouse. Volunteers perform diagnostics, repairs, and upgrades to make each computer ready for use.The donated computer equipment aids needy families, senior centers, religious organizations, and other local charities. Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law. In addition to supporting the local community, donations to Project Reboot support green initiatives by reducing the amount of computer equipment tossed into local landfills. It is estimated that each week more than 16 tons of computer equipment is dumped into Montgomery County landfills alone (stat courtesy of the Montgomery County Waste Transfer Station).

"We are grateful that Dataprise is supporting the Project Reboot mission, said Gerry Rosenkrantz, CPCUG Project Reboot Director. With the aid of Dataprise network engineers, Project Reboot is able to deliver nearly 300 computers each month to charitable organizations, public schools, and low-income families throughout the community."

For more information, visit

http://www.dataprise.com/reboot.aspx

CPCUG Recommends 10 Freeware Utilities

CPCUG president Dennis Courtney made a presentation Saturday, August 16, 2008, to the CPCUG Entrepreneurs and Consultants SIG:

CPCUG Recommended Freeware Programs:
Free Tools To Protect and Maintain Your Windows Vista (and XP) PCs

Descriptions and download links are included for each of 10 free utilities.