Occasionally, we stumble across a techie tip that is too wonderful not to pass along. What better place to put it than on our blog? Here are a couple we've discovered lately.
Do you have a folder on your computer that holds your entire life? For example, designers or writers often have a large folder of their best work for easy access. Well, apparently everything on your desktop is stored in RAM. So that big folder of all your work is tying up all of your computer's RAM, which is slowing everything down. Instead of keeping these large folders on the desktop, try dropping them in the "Documents" folder. You can even create aliases to these files on your desktop that don't take up space. Your computer will run faster and probably last longer, and you will be hitting your head with the table less as you're waiting for things to load!
And when you name a file, it's important to create a consistent system of naming so that you can find the file months later. With the number of icons available on your keyboard, it's really tempting to use them all, however, by using some of these characters you could be dooming the file to corruption. Windows is especially notorious for corrupting files with special characters, and transferring anything from a Mac to a PC can be dangerous. Avoid the following characters when naming files:
" * : < > ? \ / | ' & ; #
Taking a few minutes to clean off your desktop and clean up your file names will save you time—and potential headaches—in the long run.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Our Last Travel Destination - Omaha, Nebraska!
We're going out with a bang on our final summer journey to... Omaha, Nebraska! Let's talk about the trip with our Art Director, Lindsay Miller...
Where did you go? Shifting gears to the mainland, I had the privilege of visiting the fine city of Omaha, Nebraska for an AIGA leadership retreat. We stayed in the Old Market area – a perfect destination for a large group of designers.
How long did it take to get there and were there any travel problems? We flew from Knoxville to Dallas and back up to Omaha – any other connection configuration would have cost an extra $1,000.
What was the biggest difference you found between your vacation spot and Knoxville, TN? Old Market has a similar vibe to Knoxville's Market Square and Old City areas, but bigger. Interesting boutique shopping and restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised.
What was the most beautiful (or most eccentric) place you went to on your vacation? The most beautiful place was in front of the omelet chef at 8:00 a.m. Pre-game nutrition for a long day of activities. Actually, I think we brought the eccentricity to town dressed in head to toe Dolly attire. East Tennessee was well represented!
What was the favorite (or most expensive, odd, creative) item you purchased while there? I purchased a t-shirt from an AIGA Jacksonville event called re:Charge. It has a fun pink and white design silk-screened on a dark gray t-shirt. (You can never have too many fun t-shirts.)
Click on the photo montage for a larger view!
Where did you go? Shifting gears to the mainland, I had the privilege of visiting the fine city of Omaha, Nebraska for an AIGA leadership retreat. We stayed in the Old Market area – a perfect destination for a large group of designers.How long did it take to get there and were there any travel problems? We flew from Knoxville to Dallas and back up to Omaha – any other connection configuration would have cost an extra $1,000.
What was the biggest difference you found between your vacation spot and Knoxville, TN? Old Market has a similar vibe to Knoxville's Market Square and Old City areas, but bigger. Interesting boutique shopping and restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised.
What was the most beautiful (or most eccentric) place you went to on your vacation? The most beautiful place was in front of the omelet chef at 8:00 a.m. Pre-game nutrition for a long day of activities. Actually, I think we brought the eccentricity to town dressed in head to toe Dolly attire. East Tennessee was well represented!
What was the favorite (or most expensive, odd, creative) item you purchased while there? I purchased a t-shirt from an AIGA Jacksonville event called re:Charge. It has a fun pink and white design silk-screened on a dark gray t-shirt. (You can never have too many fun t-shirts.)
Click on the photo montage for a larger view!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Travel Destination - Alaska
Our travels continue with a foray into Alaska with graphic designer Anne Brogdon...
Where did you go? On a whirlwind road trip from Anchorage, Alaska, up to Denali National Park and Preserve, a quick pass by Fairbanks, down to Valdez, and then back to Anchorage for the flight home.
How long did it take to get there and were there any travel problems? We spent most of the trip either in the air or in a car, so there were naturally a few bumps along the way. But the largest slip up was on the nighttime drive from Valdez to Anchorage to meet our flight home at 6AM. Little did we know that they completely closed the highway between Midnight and 5AM for construction! This being Alaska, there aren’t side roads or residential areas to cut through to get around the blockade. We would have had to go eight hours out of our way and miss the flight. Luckily, a gas station cashier alerted us to the closing just in time, and by breaking the speed barrier, we made the highway cutoff with five minutes to spare.
What was the biggest difference you found between your vacation spot and Knoxville, TN? Most notably at first was the temperature. A perfect 65 degrees during the day, followed by freezing temperatures that night, and snow the next morning! But also the distance between gas stations (the price of gas was $5.54 up there!), wearing a bear bell, and the scenic overlooks every three miles—which you had to stop at.
What was the most beautiful (or most eccentric) place you went to on your vacation? It is hard to find a part of Alaska that is not picturesque. Jaw-dropping vistas with glaciers and snow-capped mountains everywhere you look. As far as eccentric goes, there’s a little town called North Pole, Alaska right outside of Fairbanks. All of the telephone poles are candy canes – including the poles holding the ever-present McDonalds and Wendy’s signs! My favorite sightings in the town were of a sign for Universal Welding complete with candy cane poles, and the Elf’s Den Bar.
What was the favorite (or most expensive, odd, creative) item you purchased while there? Salmon jerky. Stay away from the Salmon jerky. You’ll never have fresh breath again!
Click on the photo montage for a larger view!
Where did you go? On a whirlwind road trip from Anchorage, Alaska, up to Denali National Park and Preserve, a quick pass by Fairbanks, down to Valdez, and then back to Anchorage for the flight home.How long did it take to get there and were there any travel problems? We spent most of the trip either in the air or in a car, so there were naturally a few bumps along the way. But the largest slip up was on the nighttime drive from Valdez to Anchorage to meet our flight home at 6AM. Little did we know that they completely closed the highway between Midnight and 5AM for construction! This being Alaska, there aren’t side roads or residential areas to cut through to get around the blockade. We would have had to go eight hours out of our way and miss the flight. Luckily, a gas station cashier alerted us to the closing just in time, and by breaking the speed barrier, we made the highway cutoff with five minutes to spare.
What was the biggest difference you found between your vacation spot and Knoxville, TN? Most notably at first was the temperature. A perfect 65 degrees during the day, followed by freezing temperatures that night, and snow the next morning! But also the distance between gas stations (the price of gas was $5.54 up there!), wearing a bear bell, and the scenic overlooks every three miles—which you had to stop at.
What was the most beautiful (or most eccentric) place you went to on your vacation? It is hard to find a part of Alaska that is not picturesque. Jaw-dropping vistas with glaciers and snow-capped mountains everywhere you look. As far as eccentric goes, there’s a little town called North Pole, Alaska right outside of Fairbanks. All of the telephone poles are candy canes – including the poles holding the ever-present McDonalds and Wendy’s signs! My favorite sightings in the town were of a sign for Universal Welding complete with candy cane poles, and the Elf’s Den Bar.
What was the favorite (or most expensive, odd, creative) item you purchased while there? Salmon jerky. Stay away from the Salmon jerky. You’ll never have fresh breath again!
Click on the photo montage for a larger view!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Hard Bargain: The Cherokee Prepare for War
The 18th Century comes alive at the Colonial Trade Faire in Fort Loudoun State Park. Featuring British soldiers and French soldiers, Creek Indians and Cherokee Indians, Magicians and Musicians, and even a Sword Swallower, this is the biggest event of the year at the Fort.Our own Ken Smith will be involved in the festivities as his painting, Hard Bargain: The Cherokee Prepare for War, 1758, will be unveiled Saturday, September 6, 2008. It can be viewed starting at 10AM and will remain at the park’s Visitor Center after the Trade Faire is concluded. Limited edition prints of Hard Bargain will also be available for purchase at this time, as well as prints from the previous years. Ken will be on hand to personally sign prints on both Saturday and Sunday of the Trade Faire.
For more information about Fort Loudoun’s Colonial Trade Faire or to purchase prints, call Angie King at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area (432-884-6217), or to see more of Smith’s work, visit www.kensmithhistoricalart.com.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Travel Destination - Nova Scotia
Our second Travel Destination takes us to Nova Scotia with Media South's Creative Director, Ken Smith...
Where did you go? Fortress Louisbourg on the eastern tip of Nova Scotia (to participate as a British redcoat re-enactor in the 250th anniversary of the fall of the fortress).
How long did it take to get there and were there any travel problems? It was a five-hour drive from the airport in Halifax to Louisbourg, which was a bit of surprise. Nothing seems to be very close in Canada.
What was the biggest difference you found between your vacation spot and Knoxville, TN? Well, there’s the kilometers. When I saw the speed limit outside the airport was a 100, I was all “woo hoo,” but then I saw we weren’t talking MPHs. And there’s the bi-lingualage in French and Gaelic (instead of Spanish). Otherwise not so different (except maybe for the huge distances between gas stations and rest rooms).
What was the most beautiful (or most eccentric) place you went to on your vacation? Fortress Louisbourg itself was definitely the most eccentric (and pretty beautiful too). It’s the largest historic recreation in North America: a rebuilt 18th century French fortress and village on the eastern coast of the province, full of fog and costumed interpreters (of which we were a part).
What was the favorite (or most expensive, odd, creative) item you purchased while there? The most oddly expensive thing in Nova Scotia was Busch Beer. $11.00 a six pack!
Click on the photo montage for a larger view!
Where did you go? Fortress Louisbourg on the eastern tip of Nova Scotia (to participate as a British redcoat re-enactor in the 250th anniversary of the fall of the fortress).How long did it take to get there and were there any travel problems? It was a five-hour drive from the airport in Halifax to Louisbourg, which was a bit of surprise. Nothing seems to be very close in Canada.
What was the biggest difference you found between your vacation spot and Knoxville, TN? Well, there’s the kilometers. When I saw the speed limit outside the airport was a 100, I was all “woo hoo,” but then I saw we weren’t talking MPHs. And there’s the bi-lingualage in French and Gaelic (instead of Spanish). Otherwise not so different (except maybe for the huge distances between gas stations and rest rooms).
What was the most beautiful (or most eccentric) place you went to on your vacation? Fortress Louisbourg itself was definitely the most eccentric (and pretty beautiful too). It’s the largest historic recreation in North America: a rebuilt 18th century French fortress and village on the eastern coast of the province, full of fog and costumed interpreters (of which we were a part).
What was the favorite (or most expensive, odd, creative) item you purchased while there? The most oddly expensive thing in Nova Scotia was Busch Beer. $11.00 a six pack!
Click on the photo montage for a larger view!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)