Lion is the latest version of Apple's operating system. It is available as an
upgrade for any MacBook, iMac or Mini that is already running Snow Leopard and, of course, Lion is now pre-installed on all new Mac computers.

This book will guide you through setting up and using Mac OS X Lion for the first time. It will provide you with many useful hints and tips and also warnings about possible pitfalls. It will enable you to quickly and easily get much more out of your new Mac computer.

Among the many topics explained are:

• A brief look at the Mac OS X Lion operating system
• Configuring your Mac for the first time
• Connecting your Mac to your home network
• Connecting your Mac to a printer
• Making and keeping your Mac secure
• Exploring some of the new features
• Troubleshooting
• Conserving battery life of MacBooks
• Backing up your computer using Time Machine
• Getting and installing free software from the Apple App Store
• And much more besides…

If this is your first time using a Mac computer or using Lion, then this book is for you!

This book will detail the essential steps needed in order to upload photographs to your computer, organise them properly and then use Photoshop Elements 10 to remove imperfections and add special effects.

The book is divided into four chapters generally detailed as follows:-

Chapter 1 Uploading and Organising
Covers transferring photos directly from camera or using a card reader, organising them, RAW files and Adobe RAW plug-in.

Chapter 2 Removing Flaws
Covers red-eye and dust imperfections removal. Adjusting contrast and compensating for exposure. Recovering highlight and shadow detail. Using the sharpening tools to improve a "soft" picture. Getting colour balance right.

Chapter 3 Improvements and Effects
Covers cropping to improve composition and removing unwanted objects from pictures. Creating the impression of speed and movement. Adding soft focus and mist/fog effects. Adjusting colour saturation. Converting pictures into monochrome types and converting photos into "sketches. or "paintings...

Chapter 4 Output
This chapter covers the processes involved in printing pictures or preparing them for use on the Internet. The subjects covered include resizing, colour matching and processing for printing via an inkjet printer.

Although this book is written around version 10 of Adobe Photoshop Elements much will still apply to earlier versions.

This book is suitable for users of laptop and desktop PCs running Windows 7, Vista or XP operating systems. You will need Windows Photo Gallery software installed, which is available as a free download for all three op-erating systems, the downloading process and the software's use is described in detail.

The book explains the essential features and components of 'Point and Shoot' digital cameras and how photo-graphs are taken and saved on a memory card inside the camera. Photos can be viewed instantly and any unwanted images deleted. The Windows Photo Gallery software enables images to be easily transferred from your camera to your computer.
Windows Photo Gallery contains a number of tools for managing, improving and editing your photos with a single click! Using Windows Photo Gallery pictures can be organised into clearly labelled folders making them easy to find at a later date. For security, photographs can be copied from the computer to a CD so providing a virtually indestructible archive.

Also explained is how your photos can easily be shared with friends and family anywhere in the world by e-mail or uploading them to a photo sharing site such as Facebook or Flickr.

How to make good quality prints, in various formats, by using an inexpensive inkjet printer, or one of the many on-line or High Street photo printing companies is also explained.

In fact this book will explain in the simplest of terms all you need to know about using your digital camera with your computer.

Apple iPads are becoming extremely popular and with the release of the iPad 2, more people than ever are using them for many different purposes.

This book will guide you through setting up and using your iPad 2 for the first time. It will provide you with many useful hints and tips and also warnings about possible pitfalls that you may encounter.

Among the many topics explained are:

• A brief look at the iPad 2
• Configuring your iPad 2 for the first time
• Connecting your iPad 2 to your home network
• Working with e-mails and surfing the Internet
• Exploring many of iPad 2's features
• Making video calls with FaceTime
• Troubleshooting your iPad 2
• Backing up your iPad 2
• Getting and installing software from the Apple App Store

Much of this book will also apply to the original Apple iPad.

If you are already the proud owner of an Apple iPad 2 or perhaps are just thinking about purchasing one, then this book is for you. It will enable you to quickly and easily get to grips with your device.

If you are a PC user and want to get to grips with Microsoft's Excel 2010
spreadsheet as quickly as possible, then this book is for you; no previous
knowledge is assumed.
Among the many features explained are:
• What hardware specification you need to run the package, how to install it,
how to become familiar with the Excel environment and how to benefit from
the built-in Help system.
• How to use the New Ribbon interface, build up simple spreadsheet examples, edit entries, format cells and ranges and save and open workbooks.
• How to enhance a worksheet using styles, how to use headers and footers, how to generate and use 3-dimensional worksheets, how to link them together and how to create and add graphs to a workbook, edit, preview and print the result.
• How to design and build a database management system, how to manage
conditional rules and how to set up and query a database.
• How to use Formula Auditing, the Watch Window, What-If Analysis, Goal Seek, What-if Data Tables, the Solver and how to manage What-if Scenarios.
• How to share information with other applications by linking, embedding and
using hyperlinks, and how to use Excel to publish data on the Web.
• How to create and edit simple recorded macros and how to use Excel's inbuilt functions.
This book is an indispensable companion to anyone using Excel 2010 for the first time or who may have used a previous version. It is suitable for readers of all abilities and will also act as an invaluable reference long after you have mastered the program.

Apple MacBooks are becoming much more popular now and with a choice of three models, the MacBook, MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air, more people than ever are switching from Windows machines to Macs! This book applies to all three MacBook models.
This book will guide you through setting up and using your MacBook for the first time. It will provide you with many useful hints and tips and also warnings about possible pitfalls. It will enable you to quickly and easily get much more out of your new MacBook.
Among the many topics explained are:
• A brief look at the Mac OS X “Snow Leopard” operating system
• Configuring your MacBook for the first time
• Connecting your MacBook to a printer
• Connecting your MacBook to your home network
• Making and keeping your MacBook secure
• Exploring many of the MacBook features
• Conserving battery life
• Troubleshooting
• Backing up your MacBook using Time Machine
• Getting and installing free software from the Apple AppStore
• And much more besides…
If a MacBook is your first computer or you are familiar with Windows machines but have not used a MacBook before then this is the book
for you!

Online auction sites are one of the most popular types of site on the internet and the most popular of these is the eBay site. On eBay you can buy and sell practically anything at surprisingly low cost and all from the comfort of your armchair!

This book contains numerous tweaks, tips and tricks covering various aspects of buying and selling on eBay. These tweaks, tips and tricks will help both new and more experienced users of the site to make the most of eBay's facilities while remaining safe and secure.

Among the many topics covered are:-

• Finding the items you require using the eBay search facility.

• Getting the best prices when buying and selling on eBay.

• Avoiding both buying and selling scams.

• Determining the market value for items you intend buying or selling.

• How to avoid problems that may arise when buying and selling on eBay.

• Making the most of the various facilities that are built into the eBay site.

• How to take good photos of items you wish to sell using basic equipment. • Using the My eBay page to stay in control of your buying and selling activities.

• And more besides…

With over 500 million users, Facebook is one of the most popular ways for people to communicate around the world. Originally the province of university students, the Facebook web site is now heavily used by all age groups, including many older people. This book has been especially written for the over 50’s, using plain English and avoiding technical jargon wherever possible. It also applies equally to younger readers who would like to learn more about Facebook.

Among the many practical and useful subjects covered are:

• An overview of the diverse ways Facebook can be used and its many useful applications.
• Everything you need to get started.
• Signing up for a free Facebook account.
• Building a personal profile including education, CV, contact details, likes and dislikes.
• Using privacy settings to control who can see your personal information and photographs.
• Finding and making friends with people who share your background or have similar interests.
• Blocking all communication from people with whom you do not wish to interact.
• Sending updates to tell all your friends your latest news, including text, photos, videos and links to web sites of common interest.
• Sending messages to particular friends and chatting with them online in real time.
• Preparing photographs and posting them to your Facebook pages, so enabling friends and family around the world to share the major events in your life.
This book will help you to quickly master the basics of Facebook, so that you can easily join the exciting new world of Social Networking with its many opportunities.

Windows 7, Microsoft's latest operating system manages the resources of your computer and controls the programs that run on it.
                                                  
To get the most from your computer, and really enjoy using it, you should have a good working knowledge of Windows 7. This book, printed in full colour throughout, which is written for users of any age and  experience, will help you to do just that.

The book covers the very stylish Windows 7 environment with its many windows and features and covers:-

• Installing Windows 7.
• Setting up and controlling your PC.
• Finding your way around Windows 7.
• Searching for, organizing  and working with files, folders, photos and movies.
• Connecting to a network.
• Web browsing with Internet Explorer.
• E-mailing with Windows Live Mail.
• Keeping your PC safe and healthy.
• Using Ease of Access features if you have poor eyesight or difficulty in using a keyboard or mouse.

And much more besides...

With this book you will be able to get the best out of your computer, whether it came new with Windows 7 installed, or whether you want to upgrade from an older version of Windows.

This book covers the most popular applications of Microsoft's Office 2010 suite: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, and Outlook

This book will help you understand these integrated components of Office 2010 as quickly as possible by encouraging you to build complete, hands-on examples and not merely by describing the various functions.  No previous knowledge of these applications is assumed.

Among the numerous topics covered are:

• How to use Word 2010 to enter, edit, and format text. How to enhance your creations with the use of document page layouts, paragraph styles and document templates, and how to use the new Navigation pane.
• How to use Excel 2010 to enter, edit and enhance text and how to build up simple spreadsheet examples, format your work, generate      3-D worksheets and add graphics to a workbook, and how to use the new Sparklines feature to add miniature visualisations directly into a worksheet to show trends.
• How to use PowerPoint 2010 to design a presentation in the shortest possible time.
• How to use OneNote 2010, which now plays a central part in all editions of Office 2010. You can now use information in OneNote to create documents in the other applications of Office.
• How to configure and use Outlook 2010 to send and receive e-mail messages and how to use the Quick Step feature to string together a group of commands and apply them to a single key.

This book is an indispensable companion to anyone using Office 2010 for the first time, or who has used one of the previous editions of Office.

You can learn to use a computer at any age and this book, especially written for the over 50's, will help you to do just that in an easy and enjoyable way. It is written in plain English and avoids technical jargon wherever possible.

• Choose the best computing set up for your needs.
• Get the computer  running properly in your home.
• Connect to the Internet using wireless broadband.
• Get familiar with Windows 7 the sofwarwe that controls  the operation of your computer.
• Install and use essential software such as Windows Live Essentials and Office 2010.
• Use your computer in conjunction with your digital camera.
• Keep your computer and data safe and     secure.
• Keep your computer running properly.
• Use the 'Ease of Access Center', if you have poor eyesight, hearing or difficulty in using the keyboard or mouse.

And much more besides…

This book will help you to get the best out of your computer and give you the confidence to join a local computer class should you so wish.

Printed in full colour on high quality non-reflective paper for easier reading.

Finding out about our ancestors has never been more popular; while once the exclusive preserve of the professional genealogist, it's now much easier to trace your roots from the comfort of your own home, using free or inexpensive software. All you need is a standard laptop or desktop computer connected to the Internet and you are ready to start.

There is an enormous volume of data about previous generations on the Internet, available in seconds and much of it free. This includes censuses, parish records and births, deaths and marriages. This book shows how you can easily find out about your forebears by searching these records and by visiting dedicated ancestry Web sites.

This book also shows how to prepare a family tree and how to scan and e-mail old photographs and other archive information to family members around the world.

It is especially written for the over 50s who may have little or no experience or knowledge of using a computer. It is written in plain English and avoids technical jargon wherever possible.

The author, Bob Penfold, uses his vast knowledge and experience in computing to provide you with useful hints, tips and warnings about possible difficulties and pitfalls when using the Internet. This book should enable you to get more from the Internet and to discover ways and means of using it that you may not have previously realised.

Amongst the many topics covered are:

• Choosing a suitable browser, getting awkward pages to display properly.
• Using Java, spell checkers and other add-ons, etc,.
• Using proxy servers to surf anonymously and privacy facilities so you do not leave a trail of sites visited. Ways of finding recently visited sites you can no longer find.
• Using download managers to speed up downloads from slow servers.
• Effective ways and tricks of using search engines to locate relevant info.
• Tricks and tips on finding the best price for goods and services.
• Not getting "conned" when buying or selling on eBay.
• Finding free software.
• Finding and using the increasing range of Cloud  computing services.
• Tips on selecting the best security settings.
• Etc,etc,etc.

The author, Bob Penfold, uses his vast knowledge and experience in computing to guide the reader simply through the process of finding reliable sites and sources of free software that will help optimize the performance and protect their computer against most types of malicious attack.
Amongst the many topics covered are:

• Using Windows 7 optimization wizard.
• PCPitstop for advice on improving performance, reducing start up times ,etc.
• Free optimization scans and the possibility of these being used as a ploy to attack your PC.
• Free programs such as Ccleaner, Registry checker and PCPal optimization software
• Internet speed testing sites and download managers.
• Overclocking sites together with warnings about using this technique.
• Sites and software for diagnosis of hardware faults including scanning for out of date drivers and finding suitable replacements.
• Free Antivirus software and programs that combat specific types of malware.
• Firewalls.
• Search engines to identify mystery processes listed in Windows Task   Manager.