Tech Tips for Catholics

Every Friday I post my top 5 blogposts that I have come across throughout the week.  You have all weekend now to check them out : )

1. What’s in a Name?
2. “Brideshead Eviscerated”
3. High School Literature, “Jane Eyre”, & My First Rosary
4. Are Teenagers Necessary?
5. Jimmy Akin meets Jack Chick

If you have a blogpost that you would like to share with me feel free to contact Catholic Tech Tips and I will get it.

Have a great weekend!

Joshua

Let me start by saying how much I dislike Windows Vista!  Okay, now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I want to share with you an available fix for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

Windows Vista did away with the old Windows Help (WinHlp32.exe) program that allows you to view 32-bit Help files with the file extension .hlp.  Microsoft is strongly encouraging developers to no longer use the .hlp file format, because “WinHlp32.exe has not had a major update for many years, and it does not meet Microsoft’s [new] standards…”  However, they have graciously made WinHlp32.exe available as a download from the Microsoft Download Center.

Here are the proper steps to ensure a successful install:

1. You must install the correct version of the update!  Click here to verify your environment (you have to use Microsoft Internet Explorer for this to work).  For instance, I am running 32-bit (x86).
2. Once you have figured out the information needed in step 1, you are ready to install the update.  Make sure that you are logged on as an administrator.  Click here to obtain the WinHlp32.exe download for Windows Vista.  Click the “continue” button and wait for it to validate.  Then click the “download file below” link.  You will then be taken to a page with different versions of the file.  You will want to download the file which corresponds with the information you received in step 1.  Run this file and you should be all set to view those old Help files.

As always, if you have any problems with this tutorial, feel free to post a comment.

Q. I used to use the Filter menu > Color > Invert Color on a group of shapes with multiple colors to quickly change the colors. In CS3 the Color Filter is gone in the Filter menu! I tried the Invert and Complement options in the Color panel, but they don’t work on multiple colors. Invert makes everything black, and complement makes everything the complement of the topmost object… obviously not what I want to do. Where’s my color filter in CS3? I liked some of the other options too… like the saturation filter. Can someone point me in the right direction, or am I out of luck with this? Adobe often moves things around in upgrades, and sometimes it drives me nuts.

A. I totally understand your frustration. I often wondered why, in the earlier versions of Illustrator, spell-check was under the Type menu and not under Edit menu. Then, just when I started getting used to it being under Type, they went and switched it to Edit in the following upgrade.

Like you, I love the Color Filter feature that used to be found under the Filter menu (which only made sense). Well what I have found, after a little searching, is that they’ve moved it to: Edit menu > Edit Colors, in CS3. I read somewhere that the move was to help support the new Live Color feature.

See the related links for a better explanation of Live Color.

• Edit Colors in the Live Color dialog box
  
• Create a Color Group in Live Color
  

Blessings,
Joshua

If you have a question about anything computer or faith related, contact us and we will gladly respond in a futurer post.

I’m trying something new this week.  Let me know what you think.

Every Friday I will post my top 5 favorite blogposts that I have come across throughout the week.  You have all weekend now to check them out : )

1. Google Apps Tips, Tricks & Tweaks
2. Adobe Illustrator nerd
3. Ichthux Website Back OnLine
4. Pre-post sideshow: Modesty
5. The Convert (a poem by G.K. Chesterton)

If you have a blogpost that you would like to share with me feel free to contact Catholic Tech Tips and I will get it.

Have a great weekend!

Joshua

A couple of months ago, Tim, one of the creators of the Faith Database, asked if I would be interested in helping beta test the new version.  How could I say no?  I had been using the previous versions for some time and quickly saw how powerful of a tool this truly is.

The first thing I noticed in the latest version was the new interface.  Not to put down the previous versions, but this latest version looks wonderful!  They have included some video tutorials built into the program to help the user more fully use the database to its intended potential.  When I watched the first video tutorial, I instantly recognized the narrator to be Jerry Usher of Catholic Answers.

If you are like me, you have a bookshelf in your home that includes numerous translations of the Bible, a couple Scripture commentaries, two different editions of the Catechism, the Compendium, the Code of Canon Law, various Encyclicals, books on Church History, some of the classic Christian writings, books about the Saints, writings of the Early Church Fathers, and so on.  The Faith Database is like having your own personal Christian library at your fingertips, but with greater search abilities.  Search any topic relating to the Christian faith and instantly have access to virtually hundreds of resources on that very theme.  One of the nice features is the capability to bookmark portions of a text that you know that you’ll be referring to time and again.

Let’s just say that you can’t find what you are looking for; the Faith Database actually has a built-in web browser, which allows you to search the internet from within the program itself.

Another great feature is how you can export any document or search result to Word, Open Office, Excel, or as a PDF, HTML, TIFF, BMP, PNG, GIF, JPEG, PDF, RTF, XFF, XPS file.

Oh! And just for fun, you can test your knowledge about the Catholic faith by clicking on the Test tab.  I am currently rated a “Novice Apologist” in case you were wondering.

Here are some screenshots of the Faith Database (Beta Version)

Product Summary

• Search over 10 Bible Translations, hundreds of early Church doctrines, and over 1500 classics covering 2000 years of Christianity all at one time.
• Read what the Fathers and Doctors wrote about any particular passage in Scripture.
• Know how to defend your Faith using quotes from the Scripture and Early Church Fathers.
• Contains over 1500 writings, 75,000,000 words & 80,000 pages.
• LEARN MORE >>

I hear that a Mac version is in the works!

Below are some related links about the Faith Database:

• Biblical Research with FaithDatabase (Video Tutorial)
• Searching FaithDatabase (Video Tutorial)
• Faith Database (Giveaway!)

My dilemma: Okay, so it is 3am and I should be sleeping, but my iPod Shuffle (1st gen) decided to crash while I was at work today. I have just wasted about three hours searching Apple’s forums and troubleshooting pages, along with several other online forums. All I get is other people with the same problem and no real answers.

What crazy things is it doing? (Here are just some of the symptoms of my non-working iPod Shuffle)

1. Neither my computer nor my iTunes recognizes my iPod when it is plugged into any USB port.
2. When I turn it on all I get is a solid green light and nothing happens (won’t play, won’t skip forward/backward & won’t even let me check the battery life as long as it is on.
3. When I plug it back into the USB port it still charges perfectly fine.

So, what have I tried so far? Well, I tried installing a little tool called the HP Drive Key Boot Utility, but it doesn’t recognize my iPod, so this does me no good. Then I tried the iPod Reset Utility, but had the same problem of it not being able to recognize the iPod, so this does me no good. And then, even though I knew it wouldn’t work, I tried Apple’s Fabulous Five Rs advice (Reset, Retry, Restart, Reinstall & Restore).

And, where does this leave me? I could pay to have it serviced as Apple suggests on their website, however this would probably cost more than if I were to buy a brand new 2nd gen. I may just have to suffer not listening to my favorite Podcasts until I can afford a new listening device ― or until I can somehow fix this one.

If you happen to come across something that might fix this, I would greatly appreciate comments. But, if you are having the same problem don’t waste your time posting a comment to say that you are having the same problem.

Good Night : )

Ever get one of those disastrously long URL’s to copy and paste into your browser? Something like this:

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/SaveMoneyDyn.aspx?cp-documentid=9298194&GT1=33007

There’s a really easy simple way to give your friends small short URL’s so that they don’t have to type them in, or worry about getting them cut off in an email or twitter message.

The TinyURL service lets you put in the URL above and get this as an output:

http://tinyurl.com/6lmuzl

TinyURL has been around for a long time and is a reliable service. If you use Firefox, you can download the plugin which lets you right-click a URL and get the tiny version in your clipboard. Very useful for twitter messages.

I use email. Alot. In my line of work nearly 70% of all my client communication is done through my Inbox. Because of this I make it a point that all of my emails, even the quick ones to say “thanks” are formatted properly, with a signature, and are written with care taken to grammar, and spelling. As someone who has made their living on being able to work with customers of all types (tech types to VP’s), I can honestly say that my email writing skills have played a role in my success in IT.

I can’t tell you how many emails I have seen come across that just made me say “huh?”. Here are some VERY experienced IT pro’s who can’t tell the difference between “there” and “their”. I’m not kidding, some of these engineers, doctors, and executives that I work with really look stupid in their emails. If an alien were to come and judge them by their emails they would definitely NOT take them on their mothership with them. So how do you avoid this, here are some really simple tips:

• Sentence fragments. Close them up! Use complete sentences, even if responding to a question from a previous email.
• Bda sepllign. Nearly every email application has a spell checker. Use Firefox’s built-in one for web-based email. It’s embarassing and makes you look stupid, so just be careful.
• Bad grammar. Take the time to read your email out loud, or at least in your head. If it sounds funky, it probably is (funky, that is).
• Address the person correctly. Take a look at this article.
• Make sure you have a signature with your current and correct contact information. It could be as simple as your name and your email address. If you want people to depend on you, you better be reachable.

These are just some tips for you. I am sure that there are countless other similar posts on the web, so look around and see what others have to say.

While I was on my journey back to the Catholic faith, after leaving it for a non-Denominational church, I stumbled upon a radio show called “Catholic Answers Live” (this was quite a few years ago).  I don’t think this was by accident.  God has a funny way of getting our attention ― sometimes in subtle ways, while other times like a brick over the head.

Catholic Answers has since grown, with their gigantic forums community, making back-issues of This Rock magazine available online, and podcasting the shows weekly.  But one of my favorite features is the ability to search the entire audio archive from 1998 to the present!  Search the archive by title, topic, description, guest, or show ID.  Very cool!

Disclaimer: Apologetics is not about winning arguments.  It is about knowing and respectfully sharing the truth with others.  I recommend a book called “How Not to Share Your Faith” by Mark Brumley.  When it comes to sharing the faith, we need to first be living it.  We must have a relationship with the Lord and a desire to do God’s will.  In the book, Mark explains that the most important qualities of an effective apologist include: prayer, study, dialogue, clarity, faith, hope, and charity. Buy the book here.

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To change the default font (Myriad Pro for CS3 and Myriad for CS2) in Adobe® Illustrator, you must create a custom startup file by editing the Normal Character Style in the Illustrator startup files for CS2, or the default template files in CS3.

To change the default font for Illustrator CS3

1. Choose File > Open and go to Documents and Settings/User/Application Data/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator CS3 Settings/New Document Profiles (Windows) or to Users/User/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator CS3/New Document Profiles (Mac OS).
2. Open one of the default document profile template files (Basic CMYK, Basic RGB, Mobile and Devices, Print, Video and Film, or Web, depending on which type of document you intend to use).
3. Choose Window > Type > Character Styles.
4. Select the Normal Character Style and choose Character Style Options from the palette menu.
5. Select Basic Character Formats and choose the desired font from the Font Family menu.
6. Click OK, and then choose File > Save and close the file.
7. Choose File > New and select the desired default document profile.

To change the default font f or Illustrator CS2

1. Quit Illustrator.
2. In the Adobe Illustrator CS2 Plug-ins folder, copy the current default startup file–Adobe Illustrator Startup_CMYK or Adobe Illustrator Startup_RGB–and save it with a different name. (This creates a copy of the original startup file in case you need it again.)
3. Open one of the default startup files (Adobe Illustrator Startup_CMYK or Adobe Illustrator Startup_RGB, depending on which type of document you intend to use).
4. Choose Window > Type > Character Styles.
5. Select the Normal Character Style and choose Character Style Options from the palette menu.
6. Select Basic Character Formats and choose the desired font from the Font Family menu.
7. Click OK, and save the new file as Adobe Illustrator Startup _CMYK or Adobe Illustrator Startup_RGB in the Plug-ins folder.
8. Restart Illustrator.

If you have any questions about this tutorial, please post them here.