Tag Archives: FMCA Rally

FMCA Rally in Madison: Geeks Teaching 7 Classes

imageWe are here, in Madison, Wisconsin getting ready for our week (7/28/15- 8/2/15) at the rally! Here is our schedule of classes, and one of them you can watch from home! The Picasa and Google Photos seminar on Friday at 8am Central time will be webcast.

Technology for Travelers Wed 11:45 Seminar 3

How to Tell your Travel Stories with Pictures, Maps, Movies, and Blogs

Jim and Chris of Geeks on Tour use lots of tech gadgets as they travel in their RV. Smartphones, Tablets, Computers, Cameras, GPS devices, a Quadcopter and an Amazon Echo. It’s not about the devices though, it’s about what you can accomplish with them. You will learn how they tell their travel stories online with photo albums, maps, movies, and blogs. Even if you’re not a traveler, if you have a story to tell you can use pictures, maps, movies, and blogs to make it come to life. Jim and Chris’ blog is at www.geeksontour.blogspot.com – then you can click the menu options for Photos, Videos, and Maps.

Wed 3:15 Seminar 5: Google Maps

You’ve probably been to the Google Maps website to search for a destination. But did you know that you can use Google’s My Maps to plan a multi-stop route and it is instantly available on all your mobile devices?  You can create and save custom maps to record your travels and share them with friends and family. Your custom maps can even include your photos, links, and descriptions. This seminar will show you how!

Thu 11:30 Seminar 7: Smartphone Basics for Travelers

Whether you’ve had a smartphone or tablet for years, or you’re just thinking about getting one, you will learn something in this seminar.  We will demonstrate why they are so much more useful than a regular phone. It is a navigation device, an excellent camera, an emergency alert system and so much more.  We will demonstrate how to install a QR code scanner and use it to find the information stored behind those funny looking square codes.  We will show you how to turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot so your tablets and computers can get online when you’re traveling.

Thu 4:30 Seminar 10: 2.5 hour hands-on Smartphone Photography. Pre-registration required. $20.

Learn by Doing!  This 3 hour, hands-on class is open to anyone with Android phones or tablets as well as iPhones and iPads. Bring your device fully charged, and a charging cable just in case! We’ll start with the basics of taking pictures, selfies, and videos, then move on from there! You’ll learn what that HDR setting means and how to use it. How to take Panoramas, see your pictures in place on a map, and other special features. That camera lens is not just for capturing memories – you can also capture documents (no need for a scanner or fax!) or scan QR codes that get you discounts at your favorite store. This class is limited to 30 people. Pre-registration and a $20 fee is required. Sign up at the Geeks on Tour table in the Information Center.

Fri 8am Seminar 1: Picasa and Google photos: What to do with All Those Pictures

This is the one that will be webcast. Just follow this link.
Do you have a process for handling all your pictures? We use the free tools from Google (Picasa, Google+ Photos, and Web Albums) to show you how to Organize, Edit, and Share your pictures. We start by taking pictures with our smartphones and showing you how they get to the computer, then Picasa takes over to make the pictures look better and share them online with Google Photos.

Fri 9:45 Seminar 3: Moviemaker, Yes You Can Make Your Own Travel Video

Learn how to make your own movies. We will use Movie Maker, a free Windows program from Microsoft and also give a quick demo of Google Photos movies on an iPad.  Use your pictures and video clips, add narration and music.  During the seminar, we will create a movie, step by step.  You’ll see the original pictures and video clips and learn how to combine them, arrange them, add transitions, music, and narration, and render the finished movie.  All you have to pay for is the popcorn!

Sat 11:45 Seminar 5: Smartphone Apps for Travelers:

Using material from our weekly “What Does This Button Do?” online show, we will show you as many Apps as we can fit in the time allotted! Every traveler needs to know how to navigate with their mapping app, we will demonstrate with both Google Maps and Apple Maps. For foreign travel, Google Translate is a must. For RVers, we love Where Am I?, Gas Buddy, and Field Trip. We use several campground searching apps, Social Networking apps, Personal Safety apps, and many more.

#37 Live from a RV Rally. What Does This Button Do?

 

There are show notes below which document what was covered in the show and include timeline links, so you can watch just the part of the video that you want. If you are not a Geeks on Tour member, you can watch Episode 37 video on YouTube, but you won’t get the show notes.Become a member here. This episode covers:

  1. Quick Tips: Use Airplane mode to reset communications and get a better connection.
  2. Beginner’s Lesson: No lesson today. We use the show to be roving reporters of a few vendors at the rally.

Continue reading →

Family Motorcoach (FMCA) Convention in Pomona, CA March 2015

2014083

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the seminars we will be teaching at the FMCA Pomona convention, March 26-29.

  1. Technology for Travelers Friday 11:30-12:45 Seminar 9 Laptops, smartphones and tablets all have something to offer travelers. Jim and Chris Guld of Geeks on Tour have compiled a list of their favorite uses of technology. Research and plan your travels with maps, apps, and GPS devices. Stay safe with weather and emergency information. Take memorable photos with your smartphones, organize and share them with today’s cloud services, use social networks to meet and greet others in this journey and keep your story in a Blog. In this overview seminar they will demonstrate each and also provide a list of resources where you can learn more.
  2. All about Smartphones and Tablets Sunday 9:45-11 Seminar 9
    Whether you’ve had a smartphone for several years, or you’re just thinking about getting one, you will learn something in this seminar. We’ll start with an explanation of smartphone connections, sensors, and costs. Then we’ll show several things you can do with a smartphone besides make calls! And finally give you a couple of tips about managing the settings of your device. Presented by Jim and Chris Guld of Geeks on Tour
  3. Cloud Computing for Storing and Sharing your Pictures (New) Thursday 11:45 – 1 Seminar 8
    Are you wondering what to do with all those pictures you take on your travels? Have you heard of “The Cloud” but don’t understand it? This seminar will focus on using Google+ photos (in the cloud) because it works with both Apple and Android devices, but we will also give an explanation of Apple’s iCloud and iCloud Photos. Google+ is so automatic, the photos you take with your phone or tablet may already be in the cloud! We’ll show you how to find them! If you do it right, you have unlimited free cloud storage for all your photos. We will explain and demonstrate how it works, how you can see all your pictures whether you’re using a computer, phone, or tablet and share your photos with any of your family or friends by simply sending them a link. You can also use your cloud-based photos in a Blog.
  4. Map your memories with (free) Google My Maps Thursday 10 – 11:15 Seminar 8
    You can create and save custom maps to record your travels and share them with friends and family. Your custom maps can even include your photos, links, and descriptions. This seminar will show you how! Also use Google My Maps to keep track of places you may want to go in the future – a wishlist, or bucket list! It works on both the computer or your mobile device, so anytime you get an idea you can add it to your map complete with any notes or pictures you need to describe it. Jim and Chris Guld of Geeks on Tour will present this seminar, you can see their maps on their blog at GeeksOnTour.blogspot.com and click the tab for Our Maps.
  5. Eliminate paper and Organize your Life with Evernote (New) Friday 1:15-2:30 Seminar 9
    How many times a day do you have an idea, or receive a piece of information and think to yourself, “How am I going to remember this?” or “Where should I put this so I can find it later?” The answer to those questions is Evernote. It’s a free note-taking and information gathering website (Evernote.com) that also has Apps for Apple and Android devices. Whichever device you have available – all your information is there! You can leave yourself voice notes. You can even use it to snap photos of receipts, business cards, or Dr. reports and be able to search for them later. You can search for any word contained in the snapshot! This seminar is a step by step How To taught by Jim and Chris Guld of Geeks on Tour.
  6. What Does This Button Do? 20 things you didn’t know your phone or tablet could do! (New) Saturday 8-9:15 Seminar 9
    Using both Android and Apple devices, Jim and Chris of Geeks on Tour will demonstrate as many Apps, Techniques, and Features as time will allow in this rapid-fire, fun-filled seminar. They will draw material from their weekly online show (GeeksOnTour.com/weeklyshow) that they have been producing for over a year. From simple, but hidden features like how to alphabetized your iPad’s icons, to amazing Android Apps that will record your hike and let you later fly through it with Google Earth, to everyday but oh-so-useful ways to find out information like the name of the county you’re in! Watch Jim and Chris as each tries to outdo the other in finding, explaining, and demonstrating their favorite tips. Seminar includes a handout with all tips listed and references to learn more.
  7. Turn your so-so pictures into stunning memories with Picasa Sunday 11:30-12:45 Seminar 9
    Picasa is free software by Google for Windows and Mac computers.  Chris and Jim Guld of Geeks on Tour are specialists in teaching Picasa. See their dedicated website, PicasaGeeks.com. This seminar will focus on Picasa’s photo editing capabilities, from simple cropping and straightening, to making skies bluer, retouching blemishes, and framing pictures. Pictures that you thought were trash can be turned into treasures with a few simple clicks. This seminar will also teach how to make collages and give you resources to learn more.

Smartphone Photography – and Other Uses for that Lens! Friday 4:30-5:30??  Seminar 11

Learn by Doing!  This 3 hour, hands-on class is open to anyone with Android phones or tablets as well as iPhones and iPads. Bring your device fully charged, and a charging cable just in case! We’ll start with the basics of taking pictures, selfies, and videos, then move on from there! You’ll learn what that HDR setting means and how to use it. How to take Panoramas, see your pictures in place on a map, and other special features. That camera lens is not just for capturing memories – you can also capture documents (no need for a scanner or fax!) or scan QR codes that get you discounts at your favorite store. This class is limited to 20 people. Pre-registration and a $20 fee is required. Sign up at the Geeks on Tour table in the Information Center.