I have mentioned memory card readers before, but this is one I specifically carry around for loading my images to OTHER people’s computers! That’s right… when we visit family and friends and there are lots of pictures being taken, someone always says, “OH! Let me have a copy of that!”

This is also a great alternative to using your camera cord! If you have lost your camera cord, this would be a very inexpensive alternative to getting a new cord… at least initially… I suspect these can burn out pretty quickly.

Here are some memory card readers on Amazon.com. Some of them are less than a dollar. I got mine at my local WalMart for $9. Hmmm… I feel cheated!

BEFORE YOU BUY: Be sure that the reader fits YOUR SIZE memory card. If you aren’t sure of what kind of memory card you have, take it out of the camera and look at the writing. They all have the type of card printed directly on them. If it has rubbed off, look up your camera online and see what kind of memory card it reads.

All you need is an “adaptor”…something to interpret a wireless signal into something that the computer can read. These are called “wireless adaptors” or more recently, “dongles.”  Ideally, you want one you can plug into the USB port of your computer.  Depending on the type of adaptor you choose,  a wireless adaptor can cost anywhere from $10 to $30.  The biggest difference in brands seems to be sensitivity and range, so read packaging or catalog descriptions carefully to compare.

The main thing you need to know before you go out the door is what kind of wireless signal does your computer need to support?

• If you are hooking up your desk computer to the wireless network, look at the router (not the modem)… printed somewhere on there (or in the paperwork) is the type of signal it broadcasts. (Mine is “Wireless-N” and is printed on a sticker on the bottom of the router.)
• If you are adding a wireless peripheral to your computer, like a wireless keyboard or wireless headphones, look on the box or paperwork for that device. (I am adding a wireless graphic pad to my desktop computer, which uses a “bluetooth” signal.)

After you have purchased your adaptor, installation is very simple.  They all come with a disk of “drivers” (the software for the adaptor) and a quick start guide.  Just follow the directions and you will be set up for wireless computing in a jiffy!

If your camera has a memory card that was in the camera when you were taking the pictures, that is where your images are stored. Look closely at the front of your computer (or around the sides if you are on a laptop). You may have special slots just for reading memory cards (if your computer was purchased in the last couple of years). Here’s what mine look like:

If you do not have slots for reading memory cards, you can purchase a memory card reader! (You can get them from your local computer or electronics stores, or even discount stores nowadays. I would get one anyway if your camera uses memory cards, just for convenience.) You just hook up the memory card reader to your computer via the USB port and insert your memory card.

The memory card acts just like a CD or floppy disk. If the camera wizard program doesn’t pop up to help you transfer your pictures to your hard drive, just click your start button, go to “My Computer” and click on the available drives. One of them will have the files with your pictures. (My memory stick contains folders, one of which is named “DCIM”… my pictures are in there, so you may have to do some extra clicking to see them.)

Getting a new cord is the next solution. You do not always need to order one from your camera manufacturer, unless they have some really weird shape. In fact Amazon.com has several cords which may work. Take your camera to your local computer or electronics store and tell the clerk that you need a USB cable to fit this camera. You and the clerk will find the opening on your camera where the cord goes and find a cord that will fit.

Witchy Tip: Do not think that you will look dumb bringing your camera into the store. This is the ideal way to make sure the cord fits.

If your camera should require a plug directly from the manufacturer, and your local computer or electronics store doesn’t have it in stock, ask if the store can order it for you. To eliminate the middle man, you can look up the manufacturer online and order a card from their website, or get their customer service number for additional help.

Did you find this article useful? Please let me know in the comments and consider subscribing to WitchyTech!

You don’t have to take my word for it, though. Video Jug interviewed Bill Kunkel, Editor-in-Chief of Tips & Tricks magazine for his thoughts on Nintendo Wii. Watch the video below or on VideoJug:

Short Answer: A Wii is a video game console (video game deck) made by Nintendo.

Long Answer: Do you remember the “Atari” game deck of the 80’s? It was a deck that you plugged into your TV. Then you bought games for it that came on cartridges. If you wanted to play “Asteroids”, you bought the “Asteroids” cartridge and inserted it into the game deck. Or, if you don’t remember the Atari, think of the Wii as a computer, the TV as a computer monitor, and the games you play on it are just like the programs you buy for your computer.

You have probably heard of the Wii’s competitors, as they have been advertised heavily in the last year or so: Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft XBox 360. The person on your gift list may already have one of these. The more practical side of us wonders why they would need another game deck. You must remember that video games are a hobby. A fisherman doesn’t have one fishing pole, a hunter doesn’t have one shot gun, an artist doesn’t use one pencil. Neither does a videogamer have just one game deck.

Witchy Tip: If the practical side of you still cramps up, think in the long term: game decks need games! Your gift-giving options expand with each game deck, as some games are only available on specific systems. Wouldn’t you love to be the cool relative who gives the FUN things?

Now here’s something you probably DIDN’T consider… wouldn’t you love to have a game deck that you could actually PLAY with your child or grandchild? The Wii is specifically designed to be easy to learn and play. There are programs designed especially for non-gamers! And the controllers (the hand-held remote that works the way the mouse does on your computer) function by waving them at the TV rather than complicated button combinations. The Will could be an activity that you can joyfully SHARE with your grandchildren!

To give you an idea of the possibilities of the Wii, you can enjoy bowling, tennis, golf, boxing in your living room. With the Wii, you actually have to get up and go through the motions of swinging or punching. This is not a sit-on-the couch video game. There is also Wii-fit, a workout program that you do in conjunction with the Wii and a balance pad (Wii-Fit’s release date is January 1, 2008 and the balance board will cost about $70), so you could keep a Wii at YOUR house and do the workouts, and then have something for your grandkids to play with you when they come to visit.

“Witchy, one of my friends has this little thing that you use with a stylus. It had her phone numbers, calendar… it was like a mini-organizer! It wasn’t a phone, I know that. What was it?”

The short answer: It’s a PDA, which means “Personal Digital Assistant.” It is your address book, appointment calendar, note pad, and yes, sometimes phone, all on a little gadget that is about the size of a pocket calculator.

The long answer: Truly, the PDA is a marvelous thing. It’s a little mini-computer that fits in the palm of your hand.

And just like a computer, the price of a PDA varies by what kinds of features you want. If you just want a calendar, address book and notepad, you can find them for under a hundred dollars. Some have the capability to be true computers on the go, complete with a downsized version of Microsoft Office and internet capability. The more features, especially memory and versatility, the higher the price. PDA prices can go up into the $5-6,000 range.

You can purchase a PDA anywhere nowadays. Some drugstores carry low-end versions in their electronics sections and the discount stores sell them, too. Of course, your favorite computer or electronics store will have a wider selection.

Some high-end cell phones have PDA capabilities. These are called “smartphones” and you can get them from your cell phone provider. The price varies greatly.

If you are going to purchase a PDA for yourself or someone else, think about how much money you want to spend and do a little research on the features. As with any other purchase, try to get the most of the features you want for the money you want to spend.

And here’s a Witchy Tip: Definitely get an extra packet of styluses (those pen things that you use to tap the screen). They’re usually small and get misplaced easily. If you find you use your PDA a lot, you might want to look for a bigger one to keep clipped to your PDA’s case.

With the best of intentions, you ask your kids and grandkids what they want for Christmas. They reply in gibberish! You have no idea what they are talking about. As they try to explain, your eyes glaze over and you end up getting them a sweater. Well, not this year!!

So.. what IS an MP3 player, anyway? Read on to find out:

The short answer: An MP3 player is the digital age’s version of the “Walkman” personal music player and recorder, or better yet, the transistor radio of the 70’s. It plays back recorded music, or books on tape, and some have radio or video capabilities.

The long answer: A compact disc (CD) holds music files. Like any other computer file, music files can be in various formats. One of those file formats is called “MP3.”

Remember records? Different formats would be LP, long playing, or SP, short playing, for the different sized records.

You can take several CD’s of your favorite music and save their files to your computer, and download them all from your computer onto your little MP3 player.

This is the modern-day equivalent of taking all your records and transferring them to cassette tape so you could carry them with you in your car or while jogging.

The most popular MP3 player these days is the Apple iPod. There are several other brands of players out there that function just as well which do not require the iTunes software to use. If your child or grandchild specifically asks for an iPod, though, that is probably the exact brand that they want. If they say they want an iPod “Nano”, for example, they want an Apple iPod with the “Nano” styling (That is like saying they want a Ford car, Taurus styling… it is a specific request so pay attention to the word they say after “iPod”… definitely go back for clarification on this if you are unsure!)

If your child or grandchild is not specific on the brand, the door is wide open to get a good quality MP3 player. The most important things to compare in MP3 players are memory (how many songs it can hold) and battery life.

• MEMORY: For today’s kids (and adults), less than 1gig of memory is definitely considered sub-standard (unless the child is very young). You can get a decent MP3 player with 2 gigs of memory for very reasonable prices these days.
• BATTERY LIFE: This may be listed on the package as “hours of play” or “battery life” and obviously, the longer, the better. If the player requires AAA or AA batteries, they probably don’t have enough hours of play for today’s kids. Look for players that can use nicad batteries.

Other features which may be included are: Radio, video player, voice recorder, and picture viewer.

These are just the VERY BASICS you need to know to shop for an MP3 player. I hope you found this article helpful!

If you have questions regarding MP3 players in general, or if you have any comments regarding this article, please post them in the comments section of this article.

If there’s something else someone on your gift list is asking for that baffles you, please post your question in our forum.

~Witchy

Here is my suggestion for your first digital camera: Get a lower-but-not-lowest end camera for your first. Do not spend more than $200 or less than $50. Here’s why:

1. The cheapest cameras have the picture quality of a cell-phone’s pictures (yes, they take pictures now) which is not very good. If you aren’t satisfied with your pictures, you won’t be taking a lot of pictures or be inclined to learn about sharing your pictures over the internet. You should get a camera that will produce good enough pictures to put in your photo album.
2. If you spend a whole lot of money and get a high-end camera, you will have lots of features and settings to learn about. Getting overwhelmed with options, and ending up not using features that you have paid for is going to keep you from using your camera all together. A big waste of money.

Lucky for us, the cost of digital cameras has come down enough where you can get a decent basic camera for a reasonable price.

Here are the features I think are important.

• At least 1 Megapixel – The higher the number of megapixels, the finer “grain” your digital pictures can have. Basically, the higher the megapixels, the sharper the image. For general use 1 to 3 megapixels is sufficient.
• Telephoto/Zoom– This is the same as your analog (regular) camera. I personally like the ability to zoom in as close as I can, but just so long as your first camera has this feature in some form, you should be okay.
• Built in Flash–Some of the lower-end cameras do not come with a flash, which makes any pictures you take indoors rather dark.
• Removable Storage–Some cameras use only their built-in/internal memory to hold the pictures you have taken (this is like a non-removable disk or chip inside the camera). However, when it’s full, and you’re not near your computer to download the pictures (take the pictures out of the camera), you’re done taking pictures. With a “memory stick” or “memory card” for your camera, which functions as a floppy disk or CD does for your computer, you just take it out and replace it with a blank one.

If your camera has these basic features, it should be of good enough quality for most of your pictures. If you find that you really use your camera a lot and really feel comfortable with it, perhaps then you can think about upgrading to a high-end camera. That way, you know you are investing the big bucks in something you are actually going to use.

My experience: I went through a lot of cheapo cameras. The first one that actually got me excited about digital pictures was an Olympus D-100 Camedia which we purchased for about $180 5 years ago. You can get these at discount stores and drugstores now for a LOT less. I took a lot of pictures of reasonable quality with this camera. For the same money I spent back in the day, you can get an extremely high quality camera (about 7 megapixels) with the other features I mentioned.

(FYI: I upgraded to a Sony Cyber Shot, which cost me about $500 about a year ago. The picture quality is absolutely wonderful with my Sony Cybershot. I love it. (It can also take video clips.) However, it is rather large and gets heavy when I carry it around. I am considering getting another Olympus or one of the newer cameras of around $180 to keep in my purse.)

Do you have a question or experience you want to share about your first digital camera? Please leave a comment and let me know.