The Audio Bone headphone lets you hear music - and everything else, since it does not cover or go into the ear.

This year has the potential to be a seminal year in technology.

Every year, scores of gadgets are released, but what makes this year different is the emergence of a theme: How people will interact with this new class of gadgets.

Three-dimensional, aka 3-D, seems to be the new standard feature of choice.

Japan has had 3-D TV shows for some time now, and we are just starting to truly embrace the 3-D trend beyond those cheesy red-and-blue paper glasses.

This third dimension of entertainment will be produced via several methods.

Some will still use glasses to induce the 3-D effect, but other methods include TVs that are enabled to show both 3-D and regular programming.

While other manufacturers have developed devices that facilitate the 3-D experience, such as iPod cases and monitor overlays that allow you to convert non-3-D devices, Spatialview.com has some interesting items.

3-D isn’t the only sensory angle that you can expect tech products to be laced with this year.

Personal Media Viewers seem poised to finally earn a place in the hearts of consumers.

If you don’t know what Personal Media Viewers are, think sunglasses with earphones. The difference is that these glasses project a screen in front of you. Some versions of PMVs, like those from Vuzix, can be used with multiple devices like video players, computers and TVs.

The Audio Bone headphones are one of the coolest new items of 2009.

These headphones don’t go in or cover your ears, but rest on the bone directly in front of the ears. They then transmit the sound through those bones and into your head while leaving your ears unobstructed.

The technology behind this has been in use for a few years, but barring a Bluetooth earpiece from Aliph, there have been few devices that employed similar technology.

Although there appears to be a predominate theme of exciting more of the user’s senses, not all of the notable tech releases of 2009 share this quality.

Three more items will likely make some noise this year.

Among them is the Windows 7 operating system from Microsoft. I expect it to do better than people expect and ultimately be a version of Windows Vista without Vista’s problems or bad reputation.

Since laptops outsold desktops last year, it should come as no surprise that wireless modems make this list. They are not the flat PCMCIA cards of a few years ago. They are USB-connected devices that even have their own MicroSD card slots.

They also complement Personal Mobile Gateway devices such as the Cradlepoint PHS300, which allows you to connect multiple devices to a Wi-Fi network that you can literally carry around in your pocket.

If these devices catch on, expect to see people computing virtually everywhere.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

Q: Frequently when I click on a link I get a response that says “could not perform this operation because the default mail client is not properly installed.” My computer is a Dell and runs Windows XP (home edition). I frequently encounter this on Internet job boards like craigslist, but I just ran into it when I clicked on the e-mail link on your column. Is this something I can fix?

R. Boyne

A: You can’t access the e-mail link for my column? You definitely have my attention now.

In all seriousness, the problem you have is both common and correctable. The source of your problem is that you don’t appear to have a default e-mail account setup for your computer. On many Windows systems there is a stripped down version of Microsoft Outlook e-mail program called Outlook Express. This is normally set as the system default e-mail account even if you don’t use it. If you have another e-mail account that you use, and based on your question I am assuming that you do, then you can use that instead.

The way to correct this problem is to begin by opening up a Web browser. I find that most people feel it is easier than using the command line prompt method. I am going to use Internet Explorer just because most people are familiar with it. Once you have the Web browser open, click the Tools header. You should see Internet Options as the last item on this menu.

Once you have selected Internet Options, a dialogue box should appear with various tabs at the top. One of the tabs should be labeled Programs. It is on this tab you will see a section called Internet Programs and a drop-down window where you can select your default e-mail account.

A quick look on the drop-down list will reveal all of the recognized e-mail applications on your system. After you make your selection, you need only to click the apply button, then the OK button, and you’re set.

Q: What if one does not want all of their e-mails sent to their cell phone, but only a copy? That is, I still want normal e-mail service on my computer.

J. Sanders

A: Normally when you access e-mails from a mobile device they are either copies of new e-mails sent to either a Web-based account or computer-based account.

The messages are duplicates of the ones in your primary account. You can move them and delete them from your device, but not from the original account.

An exception to this rule is if you log into your primary account using your mobile device. Then the changes that you make are permanent. Another exception is if the e-mail account is for your device. For instance, you may have received an e-mail account with your cell phone and the original e-mails are stored on your cell phone.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

With the beginning of each new year many people resolve to change certain things in their lives.

I think the most common resolutions concern losing weight, managing finances, quitting smoking and starting a business.

Weight loss is a battle waged all year long, but the war seems to be renewed every January. I found weightloss.about.com to offer some of the best resources for both understanding and developing a viable weight loss plan. Subjects such as how to keep a diet interesting and monitoring caloric intake are explored, and there are resources to help you lose weight without losing a lot of money.

For better money management, there are many tools to help. Intuit’s QuickBooks is a homegrown favorite. Moneydance and Gnucash also offer financial programs. The major difference between them is that Gnucash is free, but they all are accounting software that allow you to track your money.

If you plan to launch a business this year or if you have recently started one, you may want to check out younoodle.com. This site has a startup predictor program it claims can predict your company’s value in three years. This can be a valuable bit of information if you want to find venture funding, plus it’s also not a bad idea to know your firm’s worth.

For those of you who want to quit smoking, go to quitnet.com. There you will find resources that will make the process a little easier – you have access to the usual literature about how to stop smoking, and you can also join a network of individuals who will be taking this journey with you. There are also counselors available to help.

For those with other plans, goal-setting programs such as those found on goalsetting1.com, and joesgoals.com should help you accomplish your resolutions.

If you don’t have a resolution, try lifetango.com. It will identify a goal for you and help you accomplish it. All of these goal-setting resources are free, which is a good way to make 2009 a little better than 2008.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

I normally begin the year previewing some of the tech trends that are poised to make a name for themselves.

I still intend to do that, but I thought that one genre of technology deserved its own article because it is that much of a game changer. The prospect of having the Internet in your pocket is nothing new. Most cell phones connect to the Internet, but the idea of having a mobile Internet connection is about to change.

Companies like Autonet have been around for several years. Autonet makes a device that will essentially turn your vehicle into a hot spot where you can connect multiple wireless devices to the Internet. It didn’t take Nostradamus to see that mobile networks serve as both a service and a threat.

Services like those offered by Autonet allowed users to connect their laptops, cell phones, iPods and other Internet appliances to the Web without having to purchase a separate connection modem for each device. This means companies that sell wireless cards for laptops, GPS service packages and Internet packages for cell phones could all view mobile wireless networks as a danger.

If I were an Internet provider or sold wireless cards for laptops I wouldn’t worry too much about Autonet. Though a lot of people spend a lot of time in their cars, unless you are a cab driver, bus driver or trucker, it would be hard for Autonet to be worthwhile. Besides, all of those people are supposed to be driving, not surfing the net. What I would worry about are all of the other mobile wireless networking options that don’t have the inherent limitations of Autonet.

The two that stand out are the Walking Hotspot and MiFi. The Walking Hotspot allows users to broadcast their cell phones’ 3G connection so that other devices can use it to connect to the Internet.

I think the MiFi has all of the other options beat. The MiFi is a credit card-sized device that emits its own Internet signal. In addition to allowing multiple devices to connect simultaneously, up to five different users can use the same wireless connection. Users could be connected in their vehicle for road trips, in a restaurant that doesn’t offer Wi-Fi or even in their homes.

Having a device like the MiFi can allow home users to have a second secure network. This could be useful so your kids won’t slow down your Internet connection with their online gaming, downloading and streaming video.

The dark horse option that not many saw coming is the possibility of free nationwide broadband Internet. Some of the soon-to-be- defunct airwaves are the proposed source to broadcast the free nationwide broadband.

This is the one I am rooting for. Not only is it good for our national infrastructure, did I mention that it is free? It isn’t a done deal yet; the FCC still needs to vote on it.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com

Many people have lost their jobs or are finding it difficult to obtain employment.

In a hypercompetitive job market such as ours, there are still plenty of online resources to aid job seekers of all ages and degrees of experience. Implementing all of the resources provided will hopefully increase your chances of gaining employment.

The first resource for job seekers is locating the best places to perform online job searches. Most people are aware of the large online job Web sites such as Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com. Still, being the most popular or largest doesn’t mean that it will work the best for you.

I’m not saying to avoid large employment Web sites, but don’t limit yourself to them. Keep in mind that job searching is a competitive sport. The less competition you have, the better your odds are of landing the position. Ultimately, you want to apply to as many positions as possible.

I have two suggestions. The first is to find job Web sites that are as narrow as possible in their scope. This means you should begin by focusing on Web sites that showcase jobs that only pertain to your field.

If you can’t find a site such as this for your field, then consider a Web site such as craigslist.org, tribe.com or simplyhired.com. They offer a decent mix between job offerings and site popularity. You should also use social networking Web sites such as Linkedin.com to locate jobs via word of mouth that were otherwise unadvertised.

The next resource will help you punch up your résumé. Keep in mind that your résumé will open the door to the interview for you. Both quintcareers.com and careerbuilder.com offer resources to help improve your résumé.

When it comes to preparing for the interview you want to view as many interview prep Web sites as possible. Collegegrad.com, careercc.com and pohly.com all have more than enough resources to get you started. You can also perform an online search for local companies that help you prepare for job interviews.

If you have made it through the interview process, then more than likely you have been offered a job. Before accepting the position, you may want to consult a salary calculator. Contrary to the name, it does more than just tell you how much money you should be earning for the position you were offered. It can provide you with a full view of the position that, in addition to the financial compensation, factors in other benefits and details the functions of the job title.

Two Web sites I refer people to are indeed.com and salary.com. They complement each other in regards to the information provided, and you can benefit significantly without purchasing any information.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

Whether you want them to or not, people seem to be more social this time of the year, both at work and at home.

So in an attempt to help people who may have very little in common start a conversation, I am offering you a great ice breaker. Your screensaver is the doorway to starting conversations with the boss who only comes out of his or her office once a year, or the cousin you haven’t seen since the Reagan administration.

Why would you want to talk about your screensaver? The answer is a two-parter. First, screensavers are the overlooked sentinels of our monitors. Second, by the end of this article your screensaver is going to be so much cooler than theirs, so why not talk about it?

Let’s start with the raison d’être. Screensavers were born out of necessity. Back in a time before flat screen LCD monitors there was the CRT monitor. CRT, or cathode ray tube monitors, were easily identified by their large size and resemblance to TVs of that time.

CRT monitors were known to burn images into the screen of the monitor when it was left unattended for an extended time with the same image displaying. They also consumed a lot of power.

The screensaver was invented to do as its name implies, save screens. It did this by popping on when there had been no activity on a computer for a predetermined amount of time. Once activated, some form of scrolling message, picture slideshow or black screen was displayed. The constantly changing image – or no image – protected the screen.

Now that we have had the history lesson, let’s get on with the cool screensaver that was promised. Instead of having a rotating display of our pictures, we are going to kick it up a notch and set up a video screensaver.

There are several ways to use a video as your screensaver. If you have a little time on your hands you can set it up yourself, but there are good and free programs available that walk you through the process in a few easy steps. This means that starting from scratch is not our first option.

Microsoft offers a free program called Microsoft Video Screensaver that can be downloaded from the downloads section of its Web site. There are other freeware programs such as Video Screensaver 1 and Video 2 Screensaver that can be downloaded from your favorite freeware site. If you don’t have a favorite freeware site, you can go to download.com and find what you are looking for. Now you can set your favorite video moments as a screensaver.

How can you not start a good conversation with that?

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

The iPod Touch is a great tech gift.

It’s hard to find someone nowadays who isn’t looking for a bargain, especially when it comes to tech-related gifts.

This week we are going to run down six of the most bang-for-your-buck tech gifts: three less than and three more than $100.

• Noise-canceling headphones. They not only deliver the sounds you want, but they reduce the sounds you don’t. I didn’t list a particular brand because several offer this feature. They vary in price, but you can find an affordable pair for about $30 in most department stores.

• Magicjack. If you haven’t heard of the Magicjack, this means you don’t have a problem sleeping, and you missed the article I wrote about it earlier this year. At an initial cost of $39, it is hard to top this device when it comes to saving money on long-distance phone calls. Magicjack lets you connect a regular landline phone to your computer and make local and long-distance calls. After you pay the initial fee of $39, there is an annual fee of $19.99 regardless of how many calls you make. Needless to say, $20 a year is quite possibly the best deal on the market for a quality landline replacement.

• Prepaid Apple iTunes card. The Apple iTunes store is a candy store for the techie and non-techie in your life. With music, TV shows, movies and other applications offered, the odds are significant there is something there even for the most finicky of shoppers.

• The Antec Skeleton. The first item on the list above $100 is for the hardcore tech lover. If they enjoy uniqueness or building their own computers, the Skeleton is a bargain at $140. I have previously featured this case in an article and it is truly a unique design.

• The iPod Touch second generation. It might well be the best bargain on the entire list at $229, about $250 with tax. Simply put, the iPod Touch exceeded my expectations of a mobile device. It is a full-functioning PDA, and the iTunes App Store kept me so preoccupied that I never got around to loading any music on the model I tested.

• Any netbook from the Asus Eee series. These shrunken laptops cost roughly $399, but their small price and stature hide a gigantic benefit. Students, commuters or those working on cubicle farms will find these netbooks the perfect compromise between an iPod Touch and a full-blown laptop.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

The Blackberry 7130c.

There was a time when only the Wall Street types and other potential power brokers cared about receiving e-mails on their cellular phones. Oh, how the times have changed.

In a constantly plugged-in society like ours, many people find that receiving e-mails on their phone is the perfect balance between being in the loop at work and the freedom to leave the office.

Managing mobile e-mails has traditionally been the domain of smartphones, and no smartphone has a reputation of doing it better than the Blackberry brand.

Its devices are so renowned for helping people multitask that they have earned the nickname Crackberries because of their addictiveness.

The latest offering from the group at Research In Motion or Rim, the makers of the Blackberry line, is the Blackberry Storm.

This device has had a significant amount of buzz, and some of it is warranted.

The touch screen and rotating screen features of the newest Apple iPhone have helped make it a commercial success and cement its position as the top cell phone on the market.

The Storm incorporated the screen attributes of the iPhone, and added a function called Surepress, which simulates the clicking action on a traditional smartphone keyboard.

Combine this with Blackberry’s usual stellar e-mail management and the Storm seems primed to challenge the iPhone for the top spot.

If your ultimate objective is simply to access e-mails on your cell phone, your options increase.

If you forgo the new and expensive phone route, you should still be able to get what you want.

If you purchased your cell phone within the last three years, odds are that you have the capability to access your e-mails via your phone.

However, there are a few things that you should know.

First, if your phone needs to log in to your account, then the account needs to have the POP3 enabled. POP3 is normally a feature on paid upgraded versions of free e-mail accounts and professional accounts.

Another way to receive e-mails on your phone is to receive them in SMS or text message format.

To set this up, you must forward all incoming messages to another e-mail address. You can look in the options or preferences for your e-mail account to see if you can change the settings for this feature.

In case you didn’t know, the address that you are going to forward your e-mails to is the e-mail address for your cell phone, which usually is your 10 digit phone number and the extension used by your carrier. You can contact your carrier to find out this information.

Two other alternatives are to use an e-mail-only mobile device such as Peek or to use the e-mail function on entertainment devices, such as the latest iPod.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

Turkey Day is around the corner, and nothing says Thanksgiving like the three F’s: family, friends and food.

It should come as no surprise that around this time, many people seek to reconnect with someone with whom they have lost touch.

I have written several articles on how to locate family and friends using the Internet, but it never hurts to update. Just as a side note, please don’t use this information as a stalker’s starter kit.

The odds are high it will only garner you the uncoveted title of defendant that you would likely deserve.

With that said, MySpace and Facebook are good places to begin your search, especially if the person is younger than 30.

If you don’t find them there, you may want to try the Google phone book.

The most direct method is to type in a Google search window phone book: Doe, John City, State. This is assuming you know the city and state where that person resides.

If you don’t know all of this information, you can perform a phone book search with the details you do have, but realize you may have a small mountain of information to sort through.

If the first two options don’t suit you, then you may want to consider using a person search portal such as peoplespot.com. Sites like this are one-stop shops for finding people and are complete with e-mail searches, reverse phone number searches, and even alumni and military network searches.

It’s hard not to find who you are looking for with all of these resources available online.

Once you do find him or her, your attention may shift to the food portion of the three F’s.

I can help you out in this area also.

After you have gone through the trouble of searching for someone, the last thing you want to do is serve up a burnt bird.

Web sites such as allrecipes.com and cookingcache.com can help you prepare tasty and unique dishes. If cooking isn’t your thing, you can always check with local restaurant and grocery store Web sites to see if you can place an order online.

If time and money are not an issue for you, then you may want to peruse cajungrocer.com.

In addition to Turducken, which is a chicken stuffed inside of a duck that is stuffed in a turkey, there are many unusual offerings.

Whether you choose this route or stick to a local store, I would suggest that you don’t wait until the last minute.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

I was hoping that you could help me. I had a dial-up connection, but I switched to a high-speed connection a few weeks ago. My wireless laptop is working fine. My trouble is with my desktop. I ran my anti-spyware program on it and found cookies and a Trojan horse. I was able to quarantine and remove the cookies, but not the Trojan horse. I am still running Windows ME on the desktop, and I use it mainly for offline work. The type of Trojan horse program that I have could possibly let some hacker have remote access to my computer. I tried a system restore, but the message that I get tells me to restart my computer and try again. How can I remove the Trojan horse?

L. Cooper

First of all, welcome to life in the fast lane. The jump from a dial-up connection to a broadband connection will change your online experience.

Enough of that; let’s focus on the matter at hand. For the most part, cookies are harmless. They are commonly used as a way to track your personal shopping preferences online.

They may fall into one of two categories. The first are called session cookies that expire once your session on a Web site or server is complete. The second type of cookies are known as persistent cookies which can be stored in your computer’s temporary memory until the next time that you return to the Web site that created the cookie.

Trojans are a horse of a different color. Pun intended. There are about seven categories, but the top three are ones that most people are familiar with.

One type of Trojan horse can provide someone else with remote access to your computer. This means that they can launch the next great spam campaign from your desktop.

Another type of Trojan is called data sending, and it does just that. Your passwords, credit card numbers, and other sensitive information can be sent to the sender of the Trojan.

The third form of Trojan horse program is called security software disabler, and it disables your security software without you knowing. This is normally done in conjunction with some other nefarious act.

Most people get Trojans from downloaded things online that look cool and are free.

This can range from music, to games, and especially pornography. If you are downloading adult movies online, just go ahead and assume that you have also just infected your computer with a Trojan, virus, hijack program or spyware.

The easy way to get rid of a Trojan is by not getting it in the first place.

However, the average Joe or Jane can also unintentionally download a Trojan.

In this case, I would suggest starting your computer in safe mode and then performing your anti-virus or anti-spyware program again.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

Q: I have lost approximately three months of e-mails on one or two separate occasions. When it appears, Outlook Express is in some kind of file compression mode. I have Outlook Express 6 version 6.00.2900.2180(2005 install date) running in Windows XP. In your article on this subject in the Tucson Citizen on Sept. 22 you gave some ideas for fixing this type of problem. One was to run SCANPST.EXE found in the MSMAPI folder. I couldn’t find either of those in my “C” drive and am out of ideas. What would you recommend? Maybe reinstalling Outlook Express?

B. Spackman

A: Three months of e-mails are a lot of e-mails to lose. Even if it was spread out over separate occasions. After reading about your situation I think it is important to mention that the devil may sometimes be in the details when performing a search of the C: drive for the SCANPST.EXE file and the MSMAPI folder. I found that it helped to perform the search using capital letters, just as it is typed.

You also mentioned that Outlook appeared to be in some kind of compression mode before your e-mail disappeared. The first thing that came to mind was the Auto Archive function in Outlook.

What this function does is move your older files to another folder where they will be held for a period then deleted. Since it is an automated task, this could explain the multiple occasions of older e-mails disappearing after completing what looks to be the compression of files.

In order to rule the Auto Archive function out as the source of your missing e-mails, you will need to do a little detective work. Auto Archive can be found under the Tools header. It is here that you can see what the settings are for the function and the location of the Archived e-mails.

Mr. Spackman, there are generally two types of e-mail accounts. The first are the Web-based accounts like Yahoo mail, Hotmail and Gmail. These accounts allow you to access them from any device that has an Internet connection.

The second type of e-mail accounts are known as local e-mail accounts or POP mail, which is what Outlook is. Although there are Webmail versions of Outlook, generally speaking, each Outlook e-mail account is unique to the particular computer the account was created on and stores your e-mails to your computer’s hard drive.

Because of this, you should be able to locate them with a little searching. The file extension for Outlook is .pst, so a search of the C: drive for files with .pst should yield your Outlook e-mails. Reinstalling Outlook would be the next option.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

Q: I receive e-mail from Outlook Express, and usually have about 30 letters that I don’t delete. A few days ago, when I turned on Outlook Express they were all gone. On the screen it said “There are no items to view. Some items may be hidden because a view is applied.” Now when I read a letter, and sign off, the e-mail disappears even though I don’t delete it.

– Marvin P.

A: Marvin, you are leaving out some key information that would really be helpful.

For example, what version of Outlook Express are you using? What operating system are you using? Nevertheless, there are normally only a handful of causes of the problem you describe.

You wrote that your messages in Outlook Express are disappearing. You may have both Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express installed on your computer. Their inboxes look very similar and sometimes people open one expecting to see the contents of the other.

This may not be the case, but it doesn’t hurt to rule it out from the beginning.

The next possibility is that somehow your e-mails have become corrupt.

If this is the case, then the solution is only a few clicks away. You can run a Windows utility program called SCANPST.EXE. This program is the Microsoft Personal Folders Scan/Repair Utility and it may repair the e-mails if they have indeed become corrupted.

This utility can be found by double clicking the C: drive and opening the Program Files. Next, open then Common Files Folder, and then the System folder. You should see a folder named MSMAPI. Look inside to open the folder called 1033. It is here where the SCANPST.EXE program resides.

These instructions are good for XP.

If you are using an older version of Windows, the difference is that instead of looking in the MSMAPI folder you will look in the MAPI folder.

You could also take the extremely easy route and perform a search for SCANPST. Once you begin the repair program, you will be asked for the name of the program to repair.

Choose the Outlook email files. These will be all files that end with .pst.

The next option should probably be taken before running the SCANPST.

This option deals with the view settings that you spoke of. Another simple error that many people do not catch on to is setting the unread e-mails folder as the default view. This means that you may not be looking at the inbox, but instead you are looking only at the e-mail that you have not read.

A quick peek into the View header should let you know if your current view is unfiltered or not.

Another consideration should be the rules settings for your e-mails. Look under the Tools header to ensure that there are not any settings that automatically move your e-mails.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

Believe it or not, this is the prime time of year to edit video.

Many families are sitting on a small stockpile of footage from their summer exploits that need to be edited. The summer travel season has passed along with the capstone Labor Day holiday weekend and the kids are back in school.

Now the level of comfort varies when it comes to editing video, but there is no excuse to subject your friends and family to the raw footage of your vacation, even if you do call it the director’s cut.

Whether you just want to place the video on a DVD for yourself or upload it online to share with family, friends and strangers alike, you have options.

If you are a total novice, I hope that you recorded your video with a device such as the Flip. The video quality is decent, but more importantly it is video recording and uploading with training wheels. You can literally go from box to recording to uploading online within five minutes.

The recording device has a USB attachment that makes transferring video a breeze. At about $100, it isn’t a bad purchase.

If you used a different camera, don’t fret. The part that many people find challenging is transferring the video from their camera to their computer.

If you have a newish video camera or camcorder then you should be able to transfer the video via USB cable or SD card.

Older cameras may require a gaggle of AV cables to finally get the footage on your system.

Once it is on your computer, you can focus on editing. Most cameras include a basic video editing software program, and they aren’t bad to use.

However, if you want the bells and whistles you may find it worth your while to look elsewhere. A good place to start is Jumpcut.com.

It combines online video editing capabilities with the four favorite letters in the English language: free. After you register, you can upload and edit your viewings.

Online video editing may not be for everyone. Some people prefer to keep the processes separated, and thus like to use video editing software.

When it comes to video editing on a Mac, Final Cut is the undisputed king. On the PC, Adobe offers a cadre of video editing titles to suit all levels of experience and needs.

The heavyweight in the Adobe arsenal is Adobe Premiere Pro. This software will allow you produce a high quality video with features that allow you to edit for fun or profit.

For those of you who haven’t edited video before, you will find out the dirty little secret: It is very time-consuming.

But reliving your adventures and preserving their future presentation will prove to be time well spent.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

Both mobile computing and Internet browsing have been around for some time, but the manner in which people connect and the importance of the devices is changing.

This can be seen by one local school district’s plans to issue laptops to students for the school year.

Outside of the K-12 setting, laptops have replaced the traditional desktop in many situations. Reasons for this range from the more affordable pricing of laptops to their benefits as portable devices.

Another factor was the improvement of mobile broadband services. A few years ago, Verizon and Sprint deployed an EV-DO, or evolution data optimization network, to support their mobile Internet services.

EV-DO download speeds have hovered between 600 kbps and 1.4Mbps for some time, which isn’t bad. If you’ve traveled in recent years, you know that a broadband connection is not always a certainty in many places throughout the country.

This amalgamation of factors has bred what is now emerging. With a download speed of 3.1 Mbps, the Compass 597 nearly doubles the best download speeds offered by Qwest in Tucson and older mobile broadband cards.

It doesn’t look like something out of Stargate, but it’s functionality reflects the evolution of both desktops and laptops that I wrote about a few weeks ago. Gone is the flat card with an antenna look, made for the PCMIA slot on notebook. The Compass represents the new breed of peripherals that only connect via the USB port.

This new class of subcompact laptops has become known as netbooks because they are primarily used for Web browsing.

Many of them employ an internal Wi-Fi card to connect to the Internet, but, as many Tucsonans know, there are huge gaps between the free Internet hot spots around town. This makes mobile broadband cards like the Compass 597 the perfect solution, providing unlimited Internet access for about $60 per month.

Aside from using the 597 for your laptop, it could also replace your home Internet service. Parents could use it as a way to regulate their children’s Internet access when they are not home.

Also, the Compass 597 includes a MicroSD memory slot. This, in conjunction with the fact that the installation software is on the card itself, means that you can take the card to other computers and have secure local access to both the Internet and your files.

The downside to the Compass 597 is that it is offered by Sprint and its network doesn’t cover the entire nation. However, it does cover most of the major metropolitan areas and interstate routes.

If your travel plans take you beyond our national borders, then you may want to consider the Compass 885. This is the next version to be offered, although I don’t know which carrier will offer it. The 885 allows users to roam globally with download speeds of 7.2 Mbps.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

At least once a year I like to focus on technology that is either emerging or beginning to find its place.

Technology moves so quickly, innovations introduced five or 10 years ago can seem primitive. For example, a decade ago text messaging was not the phenomenon that it is today.

Among the emerging technology that will become a fixture in our daily routines are those related to images. Photos have passed from black and white to color, then from color to digital and then high definition resolution.

It appears that the likely successor to high definition will be 3-D TV. This may sound far fetched, but you need not look farther than the Far East, where cable providers in Japan offer 3-D TV programs to their subscribers.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see it in this country within two years. 3-D TV will have to overcome the infrastructure issues that face most new technologies.

After dropping a thousand dollars on a flat screen HD TV, I don’t know how eager people will be to buy a TV that can broadcast 3-D shows. A chance to watch the Super Bowl or March Madness in 3-D may be enough of an enticement to spur the selling of 3-D TV sets.

It will likely be on the smaller screen that people will splurge for some visual eye candy.

When I say smaller screen, I don’t mean the television; I am referring to the screen on your cell phone. The main features on them now are cameras and video capabilities, but within two years the hottest feature will be the hologram feature.

Your digital pictures and video will be converted into holograms that can be projected from your phone. This would be close to actually experiencing an event live.

Other tech features that may be less appealing are remote control functions.

Not the remote to your TV, but the kind that will make the famous high-speed chases of the California interstate a thing of the past.

The new feature is called kill switch technology. It will allow law enforcement to control your car remotely and bring it to a safe and uneventful stop. Not that I plan on testing my ’79 Gremlin against any police cruiser, but I am not a big fan of the kill switch technology. The opportunity for abuse is too tempting.

Speaking of a lack of control, here is something that you won’t have to worry about in the gaming world: programs like the XNA that will give you the control to create your own video game that you can play on your gaming console.

The homemade game niche has been around for years, but it is now beginning to garner a larger following. XNA will only allow you to make games for the Xbox 360.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.