5 Handy Hobby Tips using Your Computer

• Create a Souvenir Booklet with Photos
• Play Bridge Worldwide
• Keep Fit with a Regular Workout
• Make Your Family Tree
• Create Your Own Business Cards

Create a Souvenir Booklet with Photos

Open a Word Document and Save As ‘Your Souvenir Booklet’. Include photos by going to the INSERT tab at the top, Left Click on ‘picture’; choose the picture you want by Double Clicking on it. Now the picture appears on your page. To make it smaller or bigger or cut it simply click on the picture and the tools to do so will be available. Add text where you want. Try out different fonts. Print out copies of your booklet for your friends. For pictures to be included it is important that they have been saved in a JPEG or TIFF format. To check this simply right click an image, and go down to Properties at the bottom and Right Click and you will see all the details of the items you have opened.

Play Bridge Worldwide

Imagine playing bridge whenever you want with a partner of your choice. You can do this on www.bridgebase.com Other players do not have access to your computer. The games you play run on a server.

Keep Fit with a Regular Workout

A template is a predesigned form you can save and use. Go to the Office Icon and Left Click. Select New and Left Click. You will see a list of templates you can use. If you are using Office 2007 you will see a box into which you can type the template you are looking for. Type in ‘log’. From the selection that comes up, select ‘Daily Strength Training log’, and click the button ‘Download’. It should quickly download into your computer. Save It to a folder of your choice. You can now use or modify your keep fit schedule and print out the finished version.

Make Your Family Tree

Create a simple family tree in a word document. Insert a table to help you lay it out nicely. Scan in old photos and certificates. If they are in bad shape scan in at 600 dpi resolution to improve the quality. To develop your family tree into family history use the ‘Family Historian’. After researching the best family tree and history software this is one I chose. It is a bit fiddly to learn initially, but it gives you huge flexibility and links in many information sources. The Family Historian ultimately allows you to create a family history website that you can share with your relations. To find out more you should visit the Family Historian User Group www.fhug.org.uk where people using this software post their comments.

Create Your Own Business Cards

Get them printed for FREE. Do you want to develop your hobby into a business. First step is to get business cards with your contact details to give to prospective customers. On the website www.vistaprint.com you can easily create a nice little business card using a template of your choice. They will print 250 FREE, and charge €5.25 for postage to Ireland.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to The Outdoor Concept Company who won the Disk Stakka Prize in our December Draw.

Thankyou to everyone!

Thankyou to everyone who visited our shop in 2008 and put money in the box for the Baan Unrak Home for Destitute Mothers and Children. There was €270 collected in the box. A1 Computers has added €330 to make this €600 which has been donated directly to Didi who runs the home at www.baanunrak.org. The now empty donation box is back on the counter for 2009!