By Jon Kenton

Some Like It Hot, but the Hardware Doesn’t

Q. I have had a problem with my computer recently where it will seemingly shut down all on its own. I also get various messages that tell me my computer was automatically shut down due to a “thermal event.” I take it that this means it is overheating. The computer is a little over two years old and I have never had any problems like this before. What can I do about this?

A. Anything that uses electricity generates its own heat—it doesn’t have to be a dryer or an oven to get hot. The electronic components in a computer not only create a lot of heat (especially the CPU chip itself) but also have a specific tolerance within which they will work. The tolerance of each specific chip will vary, but what is known as the maximum core temperature tends to be in the 140–175 degree range. As a CPU generates a lot of its own heat, this does not mean that it’s okay for the box to be this hot; in fact, it should be kept a lot cooler.

If your system has a heat problem, it is possible that you have a real hardware issue. My first guess and suggestion, however, would be to check a number of physical things first:

1. Where do you keep the main unit? Is it on the desk with plenty of room, or is it stuck in a small enclosed space (desk cabinet) with no airflow? If it’s the latter and it’s been there a while, has anything changed? For example, many desk cupboards have ventilation holes in the back. Has something fallen down the back and blocked these holes?

2. Have you ever cleaned your computer? Yes, they get dirty like everything else. Just imagine what two years’ worth of dust inside the main unit would look like. Unplug everything and give the outside a good cleaning. You can buy cans of compressed air in an office store (don’t use a powerful shop compressor—you can cause damage) and you can blow this in the air vents to loosen the dust and then give it a gentle vacuuming.

3. It is possible that the cooling fan in the unit has failed. Plug everything back together and turn the PC on. Be sure that you can see the back. Check that the fan is operating. If not, this will likely be the cause of the problem, and it will need to be replaced.

A thorough cleaning inside and a check-over would be a great idea. I would not recommend that you disassemble the main unit yourself unless you are comfortable with such things. A quick call to the folks at Computer Troubleshooters ((480) 423-2983) will get you a trained technician who can clean out the main unit and help fix your problem.

Working Memory

Q. I have bought some software that states that it needs a specific minimum amount of memory and free hard disk space. How can I check what I have in my computer?

A. You need to look at the system properties to identify how much memory is in your PC. You can do this one of two ways. 1) Go to the control panel (an option on the Start menu) and click on System or 2) also on the Start menu is an item called My Computer. If you right-click on it and select Properties, it will take you to the system properties. On the General tab, which should be the default, you will see information about the operating system. At the bottom will be the information about your installed CPU and how much memory (RAM) you have.

To see what disk space you have, click on My Computer, and you should see a list of your hard-disk drives. There will be at least one, usually labeled Local Disk (C:), on which you right-click and select Properties. This will bring up a display that shows you the total capacity, which includes used and free space on your drive.

By Jon Kenton

The X-Files

Q. I have started to receive Microsoft Word files that I am unable to open. I have Office 2003, but it doesn’t seem to be able to open the files a friend has sent me. The files have .docx extension instead of just .doc. Do I have a problem, and how can I fix this and get to read these files?

A. No, you don’t have a problem. The .docx file was created with Microsoft Word that comes as part of Microsoft’s Office 2007 suite. With the 2007 edition, Microsoft introduced new file formats based on the XML (Extensible Markup Language) standard. These new file formats offer a number of benefits. For example, files are automatically compressed, which reduces their size—some can be up to 75 percent smaller. This helps save on disk space and makes for smaller e-mails—a great benefit with Word or PowerPoint files that can contain large photos.

Folks with 2007 can read and write all earlier versions of office file formats. If you have Office 2003, there is an update patch that will let you read these files. If you search the Web for “office compatibility patch,” you should find a number of Microsoft links at or near the top of the results. One or more of these links will lead you to the right place on Microsoft’s site to download and install the patch. Follow the instructions, and within a few minutes, you will be able to open your friend’s files.

You should note that there were many new features introduced in the 2007 suite that may not be compatible with older versions. Microsoft has done a pretty good job introducing a compatibility checker with 2007 that reports those features that may not work with earlier versions when trying to save in a previous format. If you are going to be creating complex documents and interacting in a group with many other 2007 users, it may be worth considering an upgrade.

It All Adds Up

Q. I have a large spreadsheet created in Microsoft Excel. I need to update some of my data (many hundreds of rows) by the identical amount. Is there an easy way to do this rather than rekeying all the values?

A. Yes, there is. The easiest way to perform simple mathematical functions on existing data is to use the “Paste Special” function. You can access this function through the edit options or via a right-click. You will see this function as well as the options to only paste certain contents or formats of a cell. There are all the standard mathematical operations: add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

To complete your task, first locate an empty cell and enter the value by which you want to change your data when you apply the appropriate operation. Next, select the cell and “copy” it (use the edit menu or right-click). Now use your mouse to select the range of cells containing your data. Lastly, use the Paste Special function and apply the desired operation. This may sound complicated, but it’s easier than you think. For example, if you need to add 100 to everything, enter 100 in the cell, copy this value, select your range, then Paste Special selecting the add operation, and all your data values will be increased by 100. To raise all the values by 15 percent, use 1.15 as your modifying value and select the multiply operation. Do a quick test on a blank worksheet with some trial values and you will see how it works.

By Jon Kenton

Q. I want to buy a new Digital SLR and have noticed that some now have an option called live view. What’s the benefit of this, and isn’t this what all digital cameras do?

A. With the majority of compact digital cameras, live view is often the only way to compose your shot, as they don’t have an optical viewfinder. What this is doing is interpreting the composition with the digital sensor and displaying it on the LCD panel on the back of the camera. Even with compact cameras that do have a viewfinder, these act more as an “aiming aid,” as they don’t really show you what the camera sees.

One of many advantages of an SLR is that what you see through the viewfinder is actually what the camera sees through the lens, hence the acronym TTL. Light is reflected by a series of mirrors and presents to the eye a bright and accurate representation of your composition. The same mirror that makes this possible actually covers the digital sensor until the shutter is pressed, hence the reason SLR cameras have not had live view until recently. There are a variety of solutions employed by the SLR manufacturers, but they all offer basically the same pros and cons.

There are a number of positive benefits. Flexibility is undoubtedly improved, as you can now frame and capture your image without the need to hold the camera to your eye. This is great for shots where you are shooting over people’s heads or want to take a picture of something at ground level. Cameras that have LCDs that swivel make this even easier. Shooting in low light is also easier, as sensitivity (ISO) is only increased once the sensor sees the data. This means that, while you may not have enough light to see what you are shooting through the viewfinder, you will with live view. Last, and for my use, the best benefit is being able to transmit the composition to a computer and view it on a big screen. When doing still-life studio shots, this lets me see very close to what I will actually get before I press the shutter. It makes it much easier to align the elements of the composition and see where shadows will fall.

On the downside, live view will eat more battery and slow down the shutter response—so not a great option for sports shots. Use it where it’s needed, and it makes for a great added feature.

Q. I am taking a lot of photos of family and friends and I often get some great shots, but they could be improved with touch-ups to remove facial blemishes, etc. Is there an easy way to do this?

A. If you are comfortable with Photoshop, the healing brushes, patching, and red-eye tools are designed to do touch-up work. They need to be used with some finesse; creating a separate layer is the best technique so you don’t “destroy” the original. With practice, you can achieve great results. If you want a simpler solution that works really well (and quickly), check out Portrait Professional by Anthropics. You can download a free trial from their Web site (portraitprofessional.com) and see how this software produces amazing results and is easy to use. Along with the skin and blemish touch-ups you were looking for, you can easily adjust eye or teeth color, face/mouth/nose shape, and also lighting. Do keep in mind the adage “less is more.” It’s all too easy to take things too far and end up with something that looks unrealistic. Have fun!

By Jon Kenton

Q. I have been reading your column for a long time, and it’s always very useful and informative. My question for you is what to do when I have a real-time problem with my computer. It could be something simple like not printing or a major problem (e.g., not working at all). Where would you suggest I go for help with these types of issues?

A. Thanks for asking this question. It’s probably the most frequent one I am asked in person. You do have a number of options. Let’s first cover major problems, which are usually hardware or operating system related. Common examples are frequent crashes and hard drive or memory issues.

First, you should consider how old your system is and whether it may still be under warranty or covered by a maintenance contract. If it is, this should be your first line of defense. More commonly, systems start to exhibit issues when these have run out! You now have a couple of alternatives. Most big-box electronics stores have computer-repair services. These guys are usually okay, but their expertise can be variable, with prices on the high end.

Your other option, which would be my recommendation, is to locate a local specialist computer-support company. These companies employ trained technicians who stay abreast of all the latest issues and technologies—it’s their job. There are various companies here in the Valley, but one I have used and found to be very reliable is Computer Troubleshooters in Scottsdale. Check them out at ctscottsdale.com.

What about all those annoying problems that just seem to happen all the time? Something won’t print the way you want to, or your digital photos won’t download! Many people “phone a friend,” search the Internet, or try to find help on manufacturers’ Web sites, but these options often don’t get things resolved. If you are the type of person who could really use friendly advice and help at a moment’s notice, then check out My Computer Works at mycomputerworks.com. They offer a variety of services for a monthly or annual fee. The best bit is they are always there to help, and there is no such thing as a “stupid question.” Once you have signed up, you can call as often as you like. If you call them, mention “Ask the Technofile” for an introductory discount.

Q. We just got a new TV and I’m confused by all the video connections. Which ones are best?

A. There are six primary connection types found on most TVs. Here is a brief description in ascending quality.

• Coaxial/RF This is the most basic connection, typically used to connect to an antenna or cable outlet.

• Composite This is the “yellow” connector and is found on virtually every TV, VCR, or cable box.

• S-Video For a long time (pre-HD), S-Video was the best quality option. This connector is typically black, and if you look inside, it will have four small pins.

• Component This is the highest form of “analog” connection. Cables have three plugs—green, blue, and red—labeled Y, Pb, and Pr respectively, just to confuse you, so follow the colors. This is the minimum required for an HDTV connection.

• DVI The Digital Video Interface connector looks similar to one that might connect your computer monitor. This has largely been replaced by HDMI.

• HDMI This is currently the highest-quality connection type. HDMI can also carry audio at the same time. You will find at least one of these on most HD capable devices. Often, TVs don’t have more than one, so you may need to use the other connections to add all your video sources.

By Jon Kenton
Q. Our household gained quite a few new battery-operated gifts over the holidays, including a new digital camera and a remote-control car. The batteries don’t seem to last very long, and I was wondering how I can tell which batteries will last the longest.

A. First, let’s review a little bit of physics—sorry. Every electrical device generates or uses a certain amount of power, measured in watts. Think about lightbulbs: a 100W bulb is brighter than a 40W one and therefore uses more power. The current required to drive the device is measured in amperes or amps. The more powerful something is, the more amps it will use. Consider your electrical extension cords—they are rated in amps, and the thick higher amperage capacity cords are used to connect larger garden or power tools, as compared with thin ones that can be used with a radio or desk lamp. Battery-powered devices use amps in the same way that something connected to an outlet does, with the exception that their power source has a finite capacity. So, how do you know how long your batteries will last?

Introducing the time component gives us the capacity of a battery, measured in milliampere-hours (mAh). A battery rated at 1000mAh is saying it will provide 1000 mAh (or 1 amp) for one hour, and then it will be dead. You can subdivide this by the current requirement of your device and estimate the operating time. If everything were perfect and there were no other losses, then if your device needs 50 mAh and you had a 1000 mAh battery, it would run for twenty hours.

Most battery-powered devices do not have a constant current draw, and batteries do lose charge when not used and change characteristics at different temps, so it’s not possible to easily calculate things exactly. For example, if you have a digital camera and are constantly reviewing photos on the LCD and using the flash a lot, the batteries will run out quicker, as these two features represent the highest power or current draw.

The bottom line is this: The greater the mAh rating, the longer a battery will last. It’s easiest to think that with all other things being equal, a battery with a rating of 2000mAh will last twice as long as one rated at 1000mAh.

Q. My cell phone/PDA has connection to the Internet for e-mail and Internet access. Can I connect this to my laptop and use the same connection?

A. The simple answer is, “Technically, yes,” but more than likely, “Maybe.” The latest cellular networks, known as 3G or third-generation, have data services designed specifically for providing such access. This is the way that many of us now reach our e-mails remotely. In theory, if you have a phone that provides broadband access, all you need is a cable to connect to your laptop and the right software to tap into your phone’s broadband connection. The catch often comes with the software in your phone and how your service provider has enabled (or not) the service. The majority of wireless carriers have dedicated cards that will plug into your laptop so you can take advantage of their broadband services when away from a WiFi signal. It’s the same service as on your cell phone, but a carrier may want you to sign up for both services and therefore restrict access from the cell phone. If you need Internet access on your laptop, then wireless broadband is the answer, and a dedicated card will provide you with a connection. Whether you can use your cell phone service will depend on your carrier. Give them a call and see what options they offer.

By Jon Kenton

Miss Not a Single Episode!

Q. I have to admit that my wife and I watch a lot of TV and recently missed a crucial episode from one of our favorite shows. We realized we could download it from iTunes so that’s what we did, thinking we could then burn a DVD and watch it on the TV. No matter what I do, I can’t get it to work. What am I doing wrong?

A. There is good news and bad news here. First the good: you are not doing anything wrong. The bad news is it won’t work no matter what you do. The issue here is DRM, or Digital Rights Management. I am sure you are aware of all the controversy surrounding digital music and now video. The effect on the music and movie industries from pirated copies has been well documented. The digital media revolution was stuck without some way for the original publishers and copyright holders to protect their works. The creation and implementation of DRM technologies has been how the industry has decided to handle the problem. Any purchased digital music from sources such as Sony, Apple, and Microsoft, etc., is now protected by DRM systems that will only allow it to play in the application that downloaded it. I know that all you want to do is watch the show you purchased on your TV rather than see it on your computer, but there is no way to differentiate between somebody creating a DVD for this innocent reason and another who would download a movie, make thousands of copies, and sell them.

There are a couple of legitimate solutions. If you intend to do this on a regular basis, you could purchase something called Apple TV. This is a small device that hooks up to your TV and can play iTunes content either downloaded directly or previously purchased on your computer. If your iTunes computer is a laptop or you have one at home, you can connect it to your TV. Most laptops now have an S-Video connection, which will let you attach to one of your TV inputs. If you have a relatively new HD TV, it’s likely to also have a PC input port that allows it to act like a computer monitor. With a VGA cable, you can connect them and watch the show that is playing on your laptop on your big screen. You will have either to play the sound from the laptop or use an audio cable adaptor to take the headphone output and plug it into the TV.

There are a number of software packages that claim to be able to legally deal with the issue through encoding conversion. This would mean that they, and now you, are playing with the gray areas of copyright law. I would stay well away and choose a clean, legitimate solution.

Would This Make Me Look Thin?

Q. I recently took a bunch of portraits of family members and would like to do some touch-ups to remove blemishes, wrinkles, etc. Do I have to use Photoshop or something similar, and how would I go about it?

A. Yes, you could use Photoshop, which is a highly sophisticated tool that allows very tight control on even a pixel-by-pixel basis. It would take way longer than there is room in this article to explain, but an Internet search for “Photoshop portrait touch-up tutorials” will yield many great resources. It will also take significant time and patience to achieve. If you would like a simpler and highly effective solution, check out Portrait Professional (portraitprofessional.com) by Anthropics Technology Ltd. This is an awesome software package, and the examples on their Web site are real. It does work—I use it! They have a free downloadable trial copy, so you can experiment on your own images. Just remember that when it comes to touching up photos and especially portraits, less is more.

By Jon Kenton

Q. Over the last year, I became frustrated with the limitations of my point-and-shoot camera and recently bought my first digital SLR camera. I just got back from my vacation where I was trying to capture some of the beautiful landscapes in the Rockies. My results were not quite as I had hoped—either the sky looked great and the mountains dark, or the mountains were perfectly exposed and the sky was white. I thought the exposure systems on DSLRs were supposed to help with this. Am I doing something wrong, or what would you suggest?

A. I can understand your frustration, as the situation you describe is very common and one of the most difficult shots to capture, whether you have a $100 P&S or a $10,000 Hasselblad.

The fundamental issue is dynamic range (i.e., the range in brightness between shadow and highlight). The human eye is an amazing optical instrument; in camera terms, it’s able to resolve approximately an 11-stop range of brightness. Most cameras can only manage around five stops at best—hence the challenge you describe—so a camera can’t always capture what you see. A camera’s exposure system samples values from many points, averaging them to arrive at what it thinks the optimum exposure is. If there is more sky in the frame, it will tend to underexpose the foreground. With smaller amounts of bright sky, the foreground exposure will improve but the sky becomes overexposed, or “blown out.”

There are a few solutions:

1. Your DSLR will have a “bracketing” function. This automatically takes extra shots set above and below the averaged exposure. If the range is not too wide, one of these may hit on a better result.
2. A graduated neutral density filter can be used, which essentially adds sunglasses to half your lens, thus limiting light from the bright sky. You would align the graduated portion with the horizon, and it will help balance the differences. These filters are available in different sizes and amounts of light reduction.
3. Because the photos are digital, you can correct afterwards in software. If you have a tripod, take multiple exposures with different settings and then blend the results to obtain the perfectly exposed image.

Tip: If you want to try to get the best from a single shot, err toward exposing the sky correctly. It’s always possible to recover details from the shadows, but once the sky is blown out, the data has gone forever.

I hope this helps, and that you manage to capture some great landscapes.

Q. My family is dispersed across the country and they have been pestering me to get a computer so we can e-mail. I have been resisting—I’m now 81! My grandson just gave me one, so I have broken down and am learning how to use it. The mouse is my main trouble, as the double-click is hard for me, and that darn arrow is difficult to see. Is there a way to make it easier?

A. What a fantastic thing for your grandson to do. I’m sure you won’t regret it. Your family can also send you photographs, and then there is the Internet to explore.…

Yes, there are things that can help. If you access the control panel (hit the start key on the lower left and click Control Panel), then click Printers and Other Hardware, you will find an option for Mouse, which lets you control how it works. Depending on the version of Windows you have, instructions may vary. Three things should help immediately.

1. The double-click speed can be made slower, usually done with a slider.
2. You can change the style of the pointer using schemes in the Pointers tab. There is normally an option for Extra-Large.
3. Lastly, look for a setting called “pointer trails” under the Pointer Options tab in the Mouse Properties window. This creates a trail behind your pointer as it moves, making it much easier to follow and see.

Trying some of these settings should improve your mouse challenges and make life easier. Good luck, and do stick with it.

Jon Kenton

What’s in a Laptop?

Q. My daughter has just graduated from high school and is off to college in a few weeks. We want to buy her a new computer but are confused by all the options. What would you recommend?

A. Congratulations on your daughter’s graduation; that’s a real milestone. You didn’t mention whether you were looking for a desktop or laptop, so let’s make that simple—get a laptop. It’s smaller, more flexible, and obviously easier to carry.

There are many choices of model and manufacturer, but once you consider the necessary attributes, life becomes simpler. The fundamental attributes are size, weight, performance, processor, memory, storage, and of course price. Everything begins with how it will be used. Certain highly specialized applications require very specific attributes, e.g., high-end gaming demands dedicated high-performance graphics. Keeping things simple, let’s consider two primary usage scenarios: basic entry level and photo/video/multimedia applications.

The attributes that distinguish these scenarios are those affecting performance. A large percentage of computers are used for basic office applications (word processing, spreadsheet, etc.), e-mail, and Web. In this case, almost any laptop would be fine. Processor and memory requirements are low, the standard disk on any entry-level laptop would be capable of storing many thousands of documents, and there would be no need for any specialized graphics. If the laptop were for our second scenario in which photos or videos were to be processed and stored along with many hours of music and (legally) downloaded movies and TV shows, we would need to beef up the performance. A better processor, increased memory and disk space, and a higher quality display would be called for. I am not going to go into details on all the specs, but consider the following guidelines.

                          Entry level           Multimedia
Processor        Any                           Dual core
Memory            1GB min                    2GB min
Disk                 160GB min                 250GB min

The physical characteristics also need to be considered. Small and light is great but tends to be more expensive, and can be difficult to work on a very small screen and keyboard. Large 17-inch laptops have great displays but are bulky and heavy to carry around. Discuss with your daughter whether her laptop will spend all its time on her desk or will go with her from class to class, and then choose accordingly.

There are lots of deals available at this time of year. You could expect to get an entry-level laptop for $600–$750, a higher spec’d multimedia system for $750–$1,200, and the latest and greatest high-performance beast for $1,200 and up.

Talent or Technology?

Q. Can you please help settle a debate with a friend? He has a fancy multilens camera, while I have a good quality point-and-shoot. He says that point-and-shoot cameras are only good for “snaps,” and the only way to get great photos is with his type of setup (he cites pro photographers as his justification). I disagree. Who is right?

A. Oh gosh, now you are putting me on the spot. I am going to walk a fine line along the fence and say you are both right, to degrees. The first thing to know is that great photographs are more about who is behind the camera than which camera is used. Just consider photos taken without the aid of modern electronics—Ansel Adams is but one famous example.

A great photo is first about subject and composition and then about knowing how to use your tool, the camera, to best capture it. It is perfectly possible to capture a stunning photo with a point-and-shoot if you understand its features and limitations. A high-end SLR camera provides greater flexibility and will help you to take pictures, where a point-and-shoot would have difficulty here, e.g., very wide angle or long telephoto, low light, high-speed action, or the need for control over depth of field. Whatever camera you have, learn how to use it, experiment with it, and use its features to help you capture that perfect subject and composition.

By Jon Kenton

Q. My computer is not that old, maybe six to eight months. It is reasonably configured and seemed like a good performer, but over the last month or so, it has become noticeably slower. What can I do?

A. Number one: I hope you have virus protection installed, and that it is a good one that also checks for “Trojans” and “Spyware,” as these can really clog up your PC. Make sure all the virus files are fully up-to-date and scan regularly.

Generally, low performance has two causes: The first is that you are trying to push your processor too hard with complex software. It’s a bit like trying to get your family car to go 150 mph; it’s just too much for it. Second, you are overloading the memory and running out of resources. Using our family car analogy, it’s like loading it up with five people, luggage, and a trailer—it’s going to slow down, right?

There are a few areas you can check to help reduce the load, although it will depend on which applications seem to be slowest.

1. Check your browser’s temporary and history files. Look under options; you should delete and clean these out regularly.
2. Defragment your disks (look under the admin menus). As the disk is used, it becomes fragmented as it creates, copies, and adds and deletes files. Fragmenting will make you computer less organized and inefficient.
3. Look in the bottom-right icon bar. If you have a bunch of software installed, there may be many utilities that are “conveniently” pre-run for you. Individually, they don’t take up much space, but if you have a lot of them, they can add up. Check the ones you need and get rid of the rest.
4. If you know that you need to use an application that is pretty resource-hungry, close down as many other applications as you can.

Bottom line: You may need more memory. If you have recently installed some new software, check the specifications for resource requirements, specifically memory. If you are using a high-end graphics, photo, or video package, you will need at least 1GB, preferably 2GB.

Q. I have lots of photos on my laptop, and it’s tough for everybody to see on the small screen. The viewing angle is really bad, too. Can I use my big-screen TV as a PC screen?

A. Yes, probably. It will depend on your TV and its inputs and your laptop and its outputs. With most current TVs and laptops, there is usually a way. Here is what you should check:

Take a look at your laptop first. At a minimum, it should have a VGA output. It is a D style connector that is used to connect to an external monitor like a desktop PC. Some laptops also come with an S-Video output. If you are not sure which is which, check your manual or look up the specs of your laptop online. If you have one or both of these connectors, you then need to match it to an input on your TV. Again, look in your TV’s user manual and see what it’s got. Some TVs will have a dedicated VGA port (mine does); most should have a spare S-Video input. All you then have to do is connect them with the appropriate cable, set your laptop to use the external monitor, and away you go.

If you can’t find a match between your TV and laptop, there are a couple of other options, although they will require more than a cable. First, there are a variety of converter boxes out there that could help you match your laptop’s VGA output to an input that you do have on your TV. Search the web for “VGA to TV video converters.” Second, if you want to go the high-tech route, you could buy a wireless media player to hook up to your TV. This lets you stream photos, music, and video using the inbuilt wireless card in your PC to the box, which then displays them on your TV.

By Jon Kenton

Q. I had to move with my job, and now live on the opposite side of the country from my family and friends. I would like to use a webcam so I can still get to see them. I am not sure what to buy or how to make it work.

A. Great idea! I have relatives 6,000 miles away in the UK, and use one for the same reason—I have a new baby niece and so far have only met her online! It’s obviously not as good as face-to-face, but it’s the next best thing when you are so far away. There are lots of options for webcams—major brands include Creative Labs, Logitech, and Microsoft. You can find their products at all the big stores, as well as online. They all have various models that have an increasing number of features and corresponding price tags. Just like still cameras, webcams have varying resolutions and quality: some have built-in microphones (a good idea) and some are smaller and more suitable for laptops.

Before you set off to buy a webcam, remember that they will work over your Internet connection. You and whomever you plan on talking to and seeing will need a good, high-speed broadband Internet service—dial-up won’t cut it!

Once you have your webcam installed, you will need to use a service to make your video calls. You will need the same service on both ends. The easiest way to go is with your favorite IM application. Most if not all the common ones now allow video calls—for example, AOL and Windows Live Messenger. Another option that I have used successfully is Skype. Setup with all the services is pretty straightforward, so you should be up and running in no time. Have fun!

Q. I am in the market for a new camera. I have been comparing various features, and the one I am not sure about is image stabilization. What is it, how does it help me, and do I need it?

A. In my humble opinion, the simple answer is “Get it!” I had my first image-stabilized camera over six years ago, and I now wouldn’t consider one without this capability. What it does is try to reduce or remove the effects of hand shaking. There are various methods used, and some stabilize the lens while others stabilize the sensor. The mechanism moves the lens elements or sensor to oppose your movements. It’s not going to help if you are pretending your camera is a cocktail shaker, but for most normal operations, they work really well.

The primary benefits are in the areas of zooming and low-light shooting. The farther you zoom in to your subject, the more any movement is magnified by the distance. One degree of rotation doesn’t sound like much, but at 100 yards, that will magnify to over four feet of movement—at 200 yards, it’s more than eight feet; and so on. Thus, you can see how any shaking is not good for long-distance photos. When shooting in good, bright light, the shutter speed will be high enough to freeze action and, therefore, any effects of camera shake. As the light diminishes, the shutter speed gets slower and the effects of shaking become more pronounced. As illustrated by the issue of zooming, the distance or focal length also plays a part, but for the average medium-angle photo (approximately 50mm), it is commonly felt that a speed of 1/60s is the minimum for hand-held shots without blur. Image stabilization helps by effectively increasing your shutter speed at two, sometimes three stops—that is, you can shoot at 1/15 or even 1/8 without too much blur.

If you really want a razor-sharp photo with long telephoto or low-light shots, then there is no substitute for a tripod; however, image stabilization will really help.