We record our own conversations while in the same room, using digital recorders. Interviews are either recorded while in the same place as the interviewee, using digital recorder. Or, if the individual we are interviewing is at another location, we use Skype’s conference calling feature. I later add other segments by recording by directly onto the computer using a headset.

Here’s our toolbox:

MacBookPro

Sony digital recorder and/or iPod Touch for recording conversations.

Skype in combination with Call Recorder software

Garage Band & Logitech USB headset

iTunes–after the program is complete, I export it to iTunes and then upload.

Till today.

A client sent me a zipped file with the file extension you see in the title of this post and when I clicked on it to upzip (using the latest version of Stuffit Expander), it generated a bunch of XML stuff.

Googling that unfamiliar file extension, I found this discussion (and the apparent solution) on one of MS’s discussion forums.

From Mactopia, I found this description of the problem, er, solution:

“Open XML Converter allows you to convert Open XML files that were created in Office 2008 for Mac or Office 2007 for Windows so that you can open, edit, and save them in earlier versions of Office for Mac. Open XML Converter can convert Word documents, Excel workbooks, and PowerPoint presentations that are in the Open XML Format so that you can open and edit the files in Office 2004 for Mac and Office v. X for Mac. You can choose to convert and open one file, or convert a large number of files.”

So, what does this mean to you, if you get one of these files?

• FIRST you need to update your version of Office for Mac 2004 with a 11.5.0 Updater (you must have Jaguar/OSX10.2.8 or later).

• THEN, you will grab the Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.0 (for this you must be running Tiger/OSX 10.4.9 or later).

Pay attention to this discrepancy: if you are running Jaguar, you may update your version of Office, but you will have to update to Tiger to be able to run Open XML File Format Converter for Mac 1.0.

Both downloads you need were released just two days ago, and can be found here. The instructions are clear, but you’ll find if you click on “How to Install,” you land on a stylish window that encourages you to print the installation instructions. Someone forgot to create print stylesheets and you’ll get a document that is dark gray printed on black. At least I couldn’t read it, but then I’m 55 years old.

Here is another page where you’ll find the Mac 11.5.0 Updater and one for the Open XML Converter (on which the print out is legible).

Does that make you just a tad nervous? Are the downloads going to be buggy? Will you be able to open your Word docs? Did you happen to see how many updates and downloads and patches are released on a daily basis over there at Microsoft’s dowload center. Eek.

How does it work?

Well, the file did open, and I was able to edit it. Altogether, It took about an hour to find the reference to the issue, locate the downloads, read through the system requirements, download, install and test.

We’ll see.

Checking out some random posts about MW on MacRumors.com, I found this:

MacWorldEats, which you can download, install in the Notes folder on your iPod (which of course you would be bringing with you, anyway!) and then you can select by cuisine, proximity, etc. Yay!

More:

Here’s a compleat list of events, parties, etc. The Hess List

Some folks suggest you forgo the keynote and instead visit your local Apple Store and watch the live stream there.

Got Predictions? You can enter a predictions contest at Insanely Great News or Michael Yurechko.

Pal Karin (aka the Wild Woman of Wild Woman Design) and I are meeting up in San Francisco to see what’s new and for a thorough meander of the exhibits. Karin has a goal (to find the perfect new printer) and I am just out to win free things.

Sometimes it’s lonely being a Mac-Geek. My youngest child is a mac user, but beyond that, I’m the onliest and geekiest in my extended Fam.

If you’ll be there, too, let me know. I am keeping track of my plans using MyMacworld

Speaking of this, don’t miss this post from the archives:

Calendar of Blogger’s Conferences and Summits (and a few others)
This post may become a stand alone page: created originally in September 2007, the goal is that it should be a list of annual conferences for not only bloggers but other tech-types. If you have the dates and location of a relevant event, send it my way, if you please.

Got others you think should be added? Let me know!

Original post follows:

I discovered my invitation to BlogWorld Expo in my inbox while working on my third cup of coffee this morning. For a moment I thought, “YES! I can go. Vegas is just about a 3 1/2 hour drive from here!”

But then my first moment clarity of the day struck and I realized, “NO! I can’t go! Drat. I have family visiting that week. Arrghhh.” Not to “arrghh” my family, but the reason for this conflict is that I hadn’t recorded the date of BlogWorld on my calendar yet when my darling daughter-in-law called to schedule her visit.

And so it goes throughout the year. Wouldn’t it help to have a big calendar of annual events-of-interest? Starting now, I am going to build one, with your help.

If you are aware of an annual conference of interest to entrepreneurs, bloggers, working women, creative professional, remote professional, virtual assistant, web developer, solopreneurs, whatever category you fall into, add it to my list via comment and I’ll create a page on which these events are listed by the month in which they fall annually.

Conferences can quickly overwhelm. Scheduling travel arrangments, navigating strange cities, making your choices from huge programs, facing large crowds, and scrutinizing your budget can make the experience less than optimal if you’re not prepared. Don’t forget that many of us solopreneurs are so used to working in isolation that facing an exhibit hall filled with thousands of people can cause temporary paralysis.

One solution is to travel with a friend or colleague, or plan to room with one when you get there. Another way to experience and document a conference is to blog it.

Ethan Zuckerman at My Heart’s in Accra writes about the The 5-4-3 double play, or The Art of Conference Blogging. I love his post because it starts with a narrative on how his dad taught him to score baseball games when he was little.

If you are NOT a baseball fan, you may not know that his title references the 5-4-3 double play, which is a baseball situation in which the 3rd baseman fields a ball hit to him and then fires it to 2nd base for out #1 and then HE fires it to 1st base in time to get another out in the same play, thus called a double play. Ethan explains that this love of documenting all the details in a baseball game lead to his present day habit of obsessively blogging conferences.

If you have never blogged a conference (well, I haven’t!), read Ethan’s very thorough treatment of how to do it, from preparation to what to do during the actual event.

And if you have never been to a baseball game, it’s not too late yet to go to one, or at least watch one on T.V. It’s not a prerequisite for blogging a conference, but why not explore the National Pasttime?

Then, keep the home fires burning for your loved ones, and be prepared with the right answer when they call to ask if it’s a good time to visit. Or, avoid missing the game the year the Cubs finally do win the World Series because you registered for a conference in October.

January

MacWorld Conference & Expo
2009: 1/5 – 1/9, in San Francisco. This will the the 25th anniversary celebration!
Comments: all things Mac: exhibits, break out sessions, hands-on labs, special interest training lasting all day, many other presentations offered at individual exhibitors’ booths throughout the event. Unveiling of new products and the keynote by Steve Jobs.

Tip: You can attend free encore presentations of some of the 2008 workshops here!

In 2008, was 1/14 – 1/18, in San Francisco

April

International Virtual Assistants Association Summit (IVAA)
2008: April 23 – 37, in Charlotte North Carolina
Comments: for current and aspiring virtual assistants. The non profit tries to have one online summit and one in-person summit annually.

In 2007, was 4/25 – 4/28, in San Francisco

May

SobCon
2008: May 2 – May 4, Chicago
Comments: described by organizers as part seminar, part conference, part deep networking. To keep it at the size and quality the organizers are aiming for, it is invitation only, so go soon to request your invite!

In 2007, was May 11 & 12 in Chicago

July

BlogHer Conference
2008: dates haven’t yet been announced
Comments: a female bloggers’ conference

In 2007, was held 7/27 – 7/29 in Chicago

Netroots Nation (formerly known as YearlyKos)
2008: July 17 – 20, Austin, Texas
Comments: Beginning in 2008, this event will be renamed “Netroots Nation.” Began as a political blog concept, but seeks to attract all bloggers from now on. However, the website features frequent sprinklings of the word “progressive,” so….

In 2007, was held 9/2 – 9/5 in Chicago

September

BlogWorldExpo
2008: 9/20 – 9/21 in Las Vegas
Comments: An event for bloggers of all levels and genres. There are lots of blogger sites containing discounts. All you do is find such a site and then enter that code when you go to register to attend.

In 2007, was held Nov 8 & 9 in Las Vegas

BlogOrlando
2008: dates not announced yet
Comments: From the organizer’s website, “The second edition of this FREE event that was open to bloggers and non-bloggers alike from Florida and anywhere else. We bring together a good cross-section of folks to discuss blogging, podcasting, public relations, social media, citizen’s journalism and other related topics.”

In 2007, was held 9/27 – 9/29 in Orlando, Florida

October

IDEA2007
2008: no dates announced yet
Comments: for information architects

In 2007, was held 10/4 & 10/5 in New York City)

December

PubCon
2008: no dates yet for this year’s event.
Comments: for Search and Internet Marketing Specialists

In 2007, was held 12/4 – 12/7, in Las Vegas

If you haven’t had enough, check out the Conference Guru’s website for listings of additional conferences by month and some tips on where to get discounts. Many of these are outside my topic list, but you might find something there of interest.

Here in Arizona, and around the country, VA colleagues do try to assemble quarterly to talk shop, but distance and other commitments make that challenging.

Even though I believe there should always be some personal face-to-face time with business cohorts, our Arizona contingent has decided to research online meeting options.

For an overview of how these programs are intended to work, check out this article written by Ramon Ray: Getting on Board with Online Meetings. By the way, Ramon also runs Smallbiztechnology.com, where you can find many additional resources for your home based biz.

Here is a look at some of the contenders in this genre:

Adobe Acrobat Connect (was formerly a Macromedia product, acquired by Adobe when they swallowed up Macromedia). Free trial, works for PC and Mac. Starts at $39/month for individual or small biz use, with a limit of 15 seats per event. Here is a nice feature comparison chart, depending on whether you need their individual or pro version.

FreeConference. (Information supplied by Kate Kelly, ExecAssistLLC.com) “We use FreeConference.com, pay $9 a month for the audio recording and use the free SharePlus Desktop Sharing (web conference), but it’s in BETA (as of 10/22/08) so eventually they will begin to charge for the service. You can have up to 150 callers. I don’t know if you can call in through the computer. If you’re looking to offer presentations via video conferencing, they do not offer that service. If you had a webcam you might be able to use that to do it. I know with my webcam I can see myself on the screen and you could just maximize the screen so that is the only thing showing. Not sure it would work, but you could always test it out on your own and see what happens.

“We have been using the service for several months and it is as good as GoToMeeting, minimal lag time, you can change presenters (who has control of the mouse) and whose desktop you are viewing and you can’t beat the price.”

Facilitate. Hmm, seems expensive. Probably not a SOHO solution.

GoToMeeting. Options are in place for a single organizer with up to 15 attendees, webinar format that encompases webinars AND online meetings, and corporate setups allowing multiple organizers and attendees.

GoToWebinar. (Information provided by Monique Terrell, Sparkle Professional Office Services, LLC) “I highly recommend GoToWebinar it has all the features your use to with the additional numbers you need; although the price point is higher at $99 per month. Webex, Elluminate Live, MS LiveMeeting are all pricey and these would be considered matching competitors for GoToMeeting/Webinar.”

Live Online Meeting. Starting at $19.97/month for three seat meetings.

MeetingOnNow.com (information provided by Patty Benton, Business Manager at ProfessionalAdminteam.com) “I’ve started using MeetingOnNow.com and it is pretty good. It is all online, so if people want to talk, they have to use headsets. Their tech support is really good, the only problem is they don’t have instructions written out. It is all videos, and I like written instructions I can skim. So far the recordings have been good, as well as the call quality. ”

Online Meeting Room by PayGarde IC Ltd. They charge a license annually for a meeting room and you can use it with anyone as long as you want as often as you want with no extra “per user license”. You need to contact them directly for a quote for your situation, but they generally target business users and large corporations. Does NOT support Mac or Linux users.

(editorial note 9/14/07: I heard from the developers after posting this and they corrected me on a few points. Here’s a link to the “true MULTIPOINT environment they offer, providing voice and video access without having to install anything. Thanks to Joe for taking the time to supply additional details.)

Voxwire Web Conferencing. Hooked up computer-to-computer in a sort of unlimited daisy chain, your conference attendees don’t have to purchase their accessibility. If they have speakers, they can join in and hear you, and with a microphone, they can speak to you. Starts at $17 per month for a three person room. For PC users only.

Webex Meet Me Now. Free trial offered. Offers small, medium and large enterprise solutions. Has a 14-day free trial. You can pay as you go based on by-the-minute use or subscribe from $39/month. Couldn’t tell if it’s for both Mac and PC users (well, PC goes without saying!)

Yugma (pronounced “yoog-ma”). This one is FREE forever, if you only need the basic version (which is limited to 10 users at a time). Their demo shows you how it works. Compatible with PC, Mac and Linux. You have to register and then download their application. If you’re wondering what you get with the paid option, here is Yugma’s comparison table.

Zoho Meeting. This one is intriguing. It appears to be in beta right now, so it is currently FREE if you want give it a test run. Presenter must be on PC, but attendees (unlimited number allowed) are able to be on Macs and Linux. Site indicates support for Mac presenters is coming soon. The company is working to integrate with Skype, but for now, it has no audio or video components.

This’ll Cost ‘Ya (maybe)

In my initial peek at what’s available, it quickly became apparent that you won’t be ponying up for any of these options (except the free ones) unless you expect to host meetings or seminars often enough to wrap the monthly or annual subscription costs into your billings.

If your need is for occasional use only, look to any large professional or other organizations in which you already have membership. Two groups that I belong to offer free net meeting areas as a membership benefit. However, bear in mind these uses are probably limited to both presenters and attendees who are members of that particular organization.

If you have had any experience or conducted any of the free trials offered by many of these vendors, please share it here via commenting (below) or by sending an email to ktcosmos-at-LooseEnds-dot-net.

Post updated 12/7/08

The product rollout was scheduled right as I would be cashing in on my “new every two” discount which Verizon uses to reel in all of us tech junkies. In case you’re unfamiliar with it, you get a “free phone,” or in the case of brand-loyal consumers like me who must have smart phones, you get a $100 discount toward a pricey model.

From the time of my first PDA purchase (a Handspring Visor, seen at right) and the old bag-style cell phone I picked up from Verizon so many years ago, I knew I would be first on my street to snatch up a smart phone as soon as they were introduced. That was Treo #2, and I’m now on #3. I couldn’t wait for the day when the merging of my iPod with my smart phone would be possible.

With the advent of the iPhone, that day has arrived, but not for me.

I’m way too invested in Verizon’s family plan approach to jump to a different cell phone provider, so had to opt for another Treo this month instead of the iPhone.

Seth Godin references the story behind the story on how Verizon was given the first crack at the iPhone, over two years ago.

Reading Seth’s post made me stop and think: Do we need all of this technology?

In my early years as a virtual assistant, I really was on the go alot, meeting clients, marketing, and networking. That first Handspring Visor went everywhere with me and I really did depend on the calendar and contacts list.

Today, even though technology enables VA’s to be mobile, the reality is that I don’t conduct business away from the office so much any more. The calendar I depend on appears right there on my monitor. I predict that other veteran virtual assistants find they are settled in to providing recurring services for existing clients from their offices, too, and that they burn less gasoline and require fewer road warrior tools than they did when they were starting out.

Once you identify and hone your virtual niche, you may discover you do not need multiple phone lines, or computers or smart phones or garmins or tomtoms. In fact, we recently disconnected two of our landlines here, not because business is slow but because we found ways to work smarter (Skype, cell phones and email trump those landlines.) I probably don’t even really need that smart phone any longer: knowing how to use all its functions makes my heart sing, but it’s more of an addiction than a requirement.

Now that I realize that I can live without that iPhone, like Verizon, I can “just say no” (ok, I really do want one; maybe in a year or two when the price corrects). Take a look around your shop/studio/office at your own technostash and tangle of chargers and accessories.

Could you just say no, too, to acquiring any more pricey toys that you don’t really need?

If you’re blogging, the link above will take you right to Mac Recon’s “5 Mac apps for bloggers,” but don’t skip the archives / categories page where you will also find Mac-relevant material on accessories, free stuff, hacks, how-to’s, iPod, and a lot more.

Work productivity is enhanced by getting to use fun and attractive apps, and Macs are loaded with those.

Oh, and one other compliment for Mac Recon (who I discovered during that recent Group Blogging Project mentioned earlier in May) is that they sure use pretty icons.

I didn’t get myPod until 2005 but I have definitely used it for far more than a music box. My best business uses have been to record client meetings and interviews and to for backing up my photography and other files.

My latest purely wondrous use is to haul it around when out photographing my Prescott surroundings, channeling Aldo Leopold all the while (with whom I share a hometown and love of nature). Only drawback is, of course, how to simultaneously record the sounds and sites of nature.

Meanwhile, I have been keeping tabs on just plain cool and/or elegant uses for iPods since acquiring my own. The first such post ran a couple of months ago and you can read it here.

Today I dug up a few more links to other unusual uses for the iPod.

• Top 5 Creative Uses for Your iPod is offered by SciFiTech. This discusses subway maps, fitness, finding dates, a dictionary, and playing Doom.
• Apple iPod Tours is featured on Apple’s website. This article features a couple of institutions which utilize iPods for self-paced tours. Museums, zoos and galleries are encouraged to use Apple tutorials to create their own versions.
• AfterMac is a great blog that covers all things Mac and from time to time specifically iPod related. You can browse the iPod category of posts over at AfterMac here.
• AfterMac also routed me over to Open Culture’s treatment of this topic titled “10 Unexpected Uses of the iPod.” Anyone who tracks down a link between iPods and the Human Genome Project earns my respect. You’ll find that here, along with mentions of assorted noble uses (medical, criminal justice) all the way to ignoble (cheating).
• Here’s the jackpot: 50 Fun Things to do With Your iPod, shared by Jason Kottke at kottke.org.

I have Creative Suite 2 in place now, and am beginning the process of test driving the various sites that I maintain, opening them up in GoLive CS2. EEEKK!

Every site I have tried to import produces numerous linking errors and missing files warnings, even the the original sites from which these were imported were fully operational and error free. I haven’t found any help sites addressing this situation, and the few forum posts I’ve encountered aren’t solving it for me. I should say that when I upload test pages, they seem to work fine, even though GLCS2 has all those little ladybug icons all over the place as a big fat warning that makes me extremely nervous.

Is there anyone out there who’s migrated from GL6 and figured out how to make those little red bugs go away???

There are loads of resources (free and not free) offered by Adobe, but I can’t find a solution to this. Coming down to the end of the “office closed” period, I am needing to get up and running now. All ideas will be appreciated and rewarded with cookies (if the solution is a winner).

I’ll make a full disclosure of any and all winners here and those people will get some fresh baked (by me) gingersnaps. Deal?

A caller asked whether he should update his OS (caller was a PC user) to Vista or just start fresh with a brand new machine. The caller was advised that changing out the OS is never a good idea on a PC platform.

Ahem. In a phased transition on my G5 Powerbook, I recently undertook the following:

a) maxed out my memory in September
b) purchased Tiger in October (yes, I know Leopard comes out in January, but I don’t need to be THAT up to date!)
c) ordered Adobe Creative Suite 2 Deluxe in November

The only hiccup was a perceived hiccup: I needed to wait until I had all client work done and delivered (including those unanticipated requests which arose during my winter month-long holiday) before performing the OS and software updates. I kept waiting and waiting, in case something went wrong. Happy to report that it was a breeze.

Note: these are not projects to be performed in haste, as you want to then make sure you have the latest updates of everything you just installed, test all software with existing files and create some new dummy test files, and then reset permissions. But, hey! It was as easy as pie and reminds me once more that it should be a Mac World every day, not just every second-week-of-January-in San-Francisco.

In my reading about trackbacks (how to, etiquette â€â€? as in, don’t do it if the site you’re tracking back to is set for pingbacks, I find I’m more confused after looking through assorted tutorials.

A good site for info is OptiNiche Blog. Over there I learned that even though your own blog may look as though it’s set for sending a trackback, the actual code may be missing.

Overall, it seems as though if more of us used trackbacking, more of our conversations would be linked, leading to more thorough discussion as well as creating an effective means of networking. I’ll gladly list more details on this topic here as I learn of resources that help to unravel the topic.

In stopping there today, I spotted a great tip. They say “over the past few years, Apple has participated with one-day specvials at both their retail Apple stores as well as the online Apple Store.” They go on to post a list of some of the Mac hardware and accessories that were priced to sell LAST year. On that list I noticed .mac accounts were sold for a third off!

So, all you Mac faithful, hold onto your cash until the day after the feast. Let me know what bargains you scoop up! Woo hoo!

Tech support for Microsoft suggested a reinstall of the MS Office software. An online search, however, turned up a number of other fixes. I prioritized the 6 suggestions I found in order of least to most invasive and took the plunge.

What did NOT work was to trash the preferences for Word (com.microsoft.Word.prefs.plist) or to trash the Fonts DO (found inside the folder called Office that’s inside the MS Office Folder inside the applications folder) file.

What DID work, was to drag the entire preferences folder for Office onto the desktop and then reboot.

As a followup, I found an updater for MS Office for Mac 2004 that I grabbed. All still working great through six tests.

Does anyone even care?? First, being on a Mac is of little interest to most of the world. Secondly, if it’s not a technical problem you, too, are having, why file this info away?

I found it interesting that I could not find a single reference to this issue on Mac online support, nor on Microsoft online support, nor had my vendor heard of this issue. Did I discover an actual bug? Likely not, or I wouldn’t have quickly found other people online discussing the glitch and things to try.

Meanwhile, I feel like a conquering hero! I solved the problem in a mere three hours. If you run into this anomaly, feel free to contact me and I’ll give you more specific fix instructions.

My college-age, student athlete son recently purchased a new Mac, at my suggestion. Of course he spent three times what his cohorts’ computers cost, but he took my advice (“you won’t have to worry about viruses and spyware”) and made his largest purchase of his young life.

A few days ago he began having problems when launching Word. The spinning beach ball wouldn’t go away and he couldn’t do any homework.

Together, we’ve been trying to pinpoint the problem but haven’t solved it yet. Knowing he’s busy with class and practice and mandatory study hall and workouts, I thought I’d cut to the chase today and call Microsoft tech support.

Note that I had my fingers poised to use the email support route and then I thought, “But wait! Just call and get an answer and we’ll be done with all of this!” So I did the phone thing.

I was asked my name and then was put on hold. Then, when the party on the other line came back on, he asked my name again. Then the ususal exchange of Product ID#, etc., after which I was asked to describe the problem and what I had done to try to work it out (verify and repair permissions, login as a different user, update the OS software, reboot, call the shop where we bought the Mac, google the issue, visit Apple and Microsoft online support areas�talk about worlds colliding!).

After I regurgitated all of that information, my phone buddy Ramish (sp?) explained he was actually a customer service person and he would be putting my call through to technical support. (Isn’t that who I called to begin with?)

After a few more seconds’ wait, Ramish returned to me and explained that they were experiencing technical difficulties with their phone system and could I please call back in about an hour?