By KIM KOMANDO
Q. Is there a free program similar to Photoshop? I need a good one that can cut items out of pictures. For example, I would like to remove strangers from photos. Any advice?
A. Virtually any photo-editing program can crop photos. Cropping is the cleanest, easiest way to remove an element from your photo. This is great if the strangers are on the edge of your photos. You can use IrfanView or Picasa to crop photos. However, the strangers might not be so conveniently located. If not, removing them will be harder. You’ll need an advanced program. I recommend GIMP. It is the closest thing to Photoshop that I’ve seen. Find links to all of these free programs at Komando.com/news.
Q. I have a new laptop running Windows 7. I would like to copy shows from my HDTV to my laptop. Then, I could watch the recordings on the go. Is this possible?
A. I’d buy a TV tuner card. This would let you record directly to your laptop. You could use an antenna. Or, you could hook it up to your cable. The TV tuner software should let you schedule recordings. A TV tuner card is about $50. So, this is a relatively inexpensive solution. There may be easier solutions. You could use TivoToGo, if you have Tivo. Not every Tivo has this feature. Check with your cable company.
Q. I’ve never learned to create desktop shortcuts on my Mac. I’d like to have my most used files and folders there.
A. Creating desktop shortcuts is easy. However, they’re called aliases, not shortcuts. I think that confuses people. Navigate to the file or folder you want. Right-click it and select Make Alias. You can also use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + L. You’ll see a copy of the file or folder named "alias." Simply drag-and-drop it to your desktop.
Q. I’ve been making short videos with my digital camera. But I haven’t been able to send them via e-mail. What format do I need to use for e-mailing videos?
A. The format has nothing to do with your problem. Rather, the files are too large. Many providers limit the size of messages. Or, there may be limits on inbox size. You could use a service like Mail Big File or Drop.io. A better solution is to use a sharing site, like YouTube. You don’t have to share the video with the entire world. You can make it private if you want. Learn more at Komando.com/news.
Q. We want a new computer. We’re looking for one that includes a free copy of Microsoft Office. Can you tell us what brands to look at?
A. Computer makers sometimes throw in expensive software like Office. Don’t think that package is free. If it’s not free to the manufacturer, you’ll be paying for it. I’d avoid these so-called deals. Buy a computer you like, then look for an office package. Open Office and Lotus Symphony are free. Or ditch the software and use Google Docs online. Students should stick with Microsoft Office. But they can get it at a steal. Find links to these options at Komando.com/news.
Copyright 2010, WestStar TalkRadio Network. All rights reserved.
Kim Komando hosts the nation’s largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit: http://www.komando.com/listen.
