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July 2006
In this issue:
Who are Your Employees of Distinction?
Learn how to use technology more effectively at TechMix
Amy Rock Joins City of Cleveland GIS Project
After 2½ years as Project Connect's Trainer & Support Technician, Amy Rock is joining Ralph Tyler Companies to provide assistance to the City of Cleveland Enterprise GIS project. Amy has a Master's degree in GIS, so this is a great opportunity for her.
Amy has had a significant impact on the success of Project Connect. Training, technical support, project consulting ... she did it all with enthusiasm and skill. Thankfully, Project Connect is not losing her altogether. Amy will continue to serve as a consultant for Project Connect, especially with QuickBooks projects.
Please join me in wishing Amy every success in the future.
Ryan Adcox will be our full-time Help Desk Technician for the summer. If you have any questions, please feel to call him: 330-315-1335.
Let Your Employees Know They are Valued...Nominate Them as an "Employee of Distinction"!
Opportunities to properly thank your employees don't come around every day. The Goodwill Employee of Distinction Luncheon is the venue to let that special employee know how very much your company values them for their performance.
Nominate as many employees as you like for only $25 each (includes lunch) or take advantage of a sponsorship level that will also help promote your company. Events will be held in both Summit and Portage County, so you can be sure to hit your target audience!
Nominated employees receive lunch at the event, are listed in the commemorative program, receive special recognition and are in the running to be chosen as one of five selected by a panel of judges as a 2006 "Employee of Distinction."
Don't miss out on this excellent opportunity to promote your business and showcase your top-notch employees for a job well done! Deadline for sponsorships or employee nominations is July 10, 2006.
Visit the Goodwill website for more details: http://www.goodwillakron.org/EDLarchive/about.htm.
TechMix Focuses on Nonprofit Technology
July 13, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Columbus Mariot North
Join the Ohio Community Computering Network (OCCN) and the Ohio CDC Association for this engaging full-day conference focusing on how to make more effective use of technology in nonprofits.
TechMix will be a great opportunity to share resources and ideas, meet peers and build relationships, and learn how other Ohio nonprofits are putting technology to work. Attendees may choose from a variety of tracks, based on comfort level and organizational interest. All track sessions will in some way stress importance of innovative use of technology in the nonprofit marketplace. The Conference will be a mixture of plenaries, panels, breakout sessions, and unstructured time: http://www.ohioccn.org/techmix/Agenda.htm.
Visit http://www.ohioccn.org/techmix/index.htm for more information.
Website Showcase: King James Virtual Bike-a-Thon
If you're looking for ideas for livening up your website, check out www.lebronsbikeathon.com, the website for Lebron James' "King for Kids" Bike-a-Thon.
It features a satellite photo (and a road map!) of the Akron area with icons marking areas on the map that highlight exclusive video and pictures of the race event and the city of Akron. Explore the map to learn more about the bike-a-thon, how you can participate, and how to donate to the James Family Foundation.
This is an excellent example of an interactive website. It is very easy to navigate and includes short video and sound clips which feature what is important to the James Family Foundation. The donation form is a simple PDF, which doesn't require a secured server connection. Proceeds from the bikeathon will benefit the Akron Area YMCA and the Akron Urban League, which are featured in the video clips.
Project Connect now offers classes "on demand": just call or e-mail to have your name added to the list, and as soon as we have enough folks registered, we'll schedule the class. This way, we can run whatever classes you need, when you need them!
Answers for sale!!
You and your staff have more important things to do than fight with your technology! Instead of spending hours of frustration trying to do it yourself, let us help you!
Project Connect offers Live Help for staff of all Ohio nonprofits! If you are having problems with a Microsoft Office or Adobe product, simply go to www.pclivehelp.org and complete the form. Follow the directions, and then we'll be able to see your computer from our office. We can then walk you through the problem.
Cost is $15 per increment of 10 minutes.
FrontPage and Word Coming Soon!
Get on the list for Microsoft Word and FrontPage! FrontPage is offered in three sessions, or sign up for the whole Web Developers' Series and get PhotoShop for the Web to create your own graphics and touch up those photos for Internet use. Word is offered in five sessions, from beginning documents to advanced desktop publishing. Complete descriptions of each course are on our website, https://infolineinc.org/connect/training.htm.
Reserve your seat now - call 330-315-1335 or e-mail .
Don't forget - we also offer custom sessions. Just get a minimum of 8 people together, and we'll do a special session just for you. You don't all need to be from the same organization, so tell your friends!
Amy's PC TIP:
Traveling with your Laptop
Whether you travel cross-country, internationally, or just across town, here are some tips to make sure your portable computer is a help and not a hindrance when traveling.
Internet Access: Many airports and other public places now offer free wireless connection - check out http://www.freewifispot.com/ to see where you'll be able to surf while you're away. Also, most hotel chains now offer internet access, wired, wireless or sometimes both. Even if you have a wireless card, you might want to take a short piece of Ethernet cable along with you, in case you're at the far end of the building from the access point.
Got Juice?: Windows users, activate the Suspend mode before starting your trip (Mac users can use sleep mode). Your laptop will restart quickly and consume almost no battery power. Make sure your battery is fully charged before you go, and recharge at every opportunity. Also, temporarily turn off the autosave feature in any applications you'll be using if you're going to be working at intervals throughout the trip (i.e. on the plane). That way, when you shut down quickly to change planes, the autosave won't power it back up when you don't want it to. If you regularly take long flights, consider purchasing an extra battery, and have it fully juiced up before you go. Also, pack along a small surge protector for when you do plug in.
Airport Security: If you've flown anywhere since 9/11, you know that airport security regulations are now tighter, requiring travelers to do more than just chuck their bags on the belt and pick them up on the other side. Your laptop must be out of the bag to be scanned, placed in one of the trays provided (always carry it on, never check it!). Make sure your carry case allows you to extract it easily, then lay the case on top of the computer in the tray and put your hand on it until you get to the scanner. The case can travel through without a bin, but that gives you one less piece to keep track of while scooting slowly up to be scanned (and slows down anyone who might try to reach into your bin and snatch your laptop). On the other side, toss the case quickly back on top of the bin until you can slide it over to be repacked. When waiting for your flight to be called, sit with the whole thing between your feet if you're not using it. You might also consider a case that doesn't proclaim to the world that it carries a laptop, but be sure it has a little padding to help protect against those accidental bumps along the way.
Soft Surfaces Kill: Even though they call them laptop computers, your lap really isn't the best place to operate your computer. Laptops have tiny feet on the bottom that are designed to allow air circulation underneath to keep the CPU and other parts cool. If you place the computer on a soft surface, such as your lap, or a bed, those vents get blocked and the computer will quickly heat up. Wherever possible, put the computer on a hard surface - your seatback tray table, the desk in your hotel room, etc. Some hotels now offer a small lap desk that is large enough for a computer and mouse, which allows the comfort of lounging on the furniture, with the safety of a rigid surface.
International Travel: As with any appliance, if you are traveling to another country, make sure you have the proper plug adapter to be able to charge the thing up when you get there. If your laptop is new, you may also want to take a copy of your purchase receipt, in case there are any questions at customs about where and when the equipment was purchased.
Fluid Dynamics: Liquids are especially detrimental to laptops. Keep food and drink well away from the keyboard, and when the flight attendants come around with beverages, close it up in case of accidents. A little turbulence at the wrong moment can cause a lot of damage.
Case Study: The average laptop case is easily identifiable at 50 yards. You might also consider a case that doesn't proclaim to the world that it carries a laptop, but be sure it has a little padding to help protect against those accidental bumps along the way. It's helpful to get something that makes removing the computer fairly easy, to speed you through airport security and make it easier to extract from under the seat during flight. (If you need to quickly stash it for takeoff or landing, don't put it in the seat pocket where you can easily forget it, slip it behind your back.)
Whether it's a working trip or a vacation, taking along your "lifeline" should be convenient, not frustrating. Bon voyage!
Are you getting the best deals for your technology dollar?
Don't buy anything technology-related until you've visited these three websites first!! They offer significant discounts for nonprofits with Microsoft, Dell, CDW, Adobe, and more!
As always, we are interested in hearing from you to learn how we can best meet your technology and connectivity needs. Give us a call at 330-315-1335 or e-mail us at .
Enjoy!
Be sure to include your fax number!
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