Print off Google Calendar

Now is the time of year when my wife reminds me that she needs a new calendar. Being a cheapskate my normal practice is to open Outlook and print off the Outlook calendar, a month to a page, could not be easier.

But I now use Google Calendar to record my diary dates AND AMAZINGLY Google does not offer a way to print off the calendar other than 1 month at a time. Can you believe it.

There are a couple of solutions I found on the net, Wincalendar, being one, but it costs money. I found a workaround on the Google Calendar Forum it did not appear to work with my setup BUT after a bit of fiddling I managed to sort it out. So here is my solution:-

I use Firefox but I think this will work with IE as well.

Open your Google Calendar and set to show 1 month per page and set it to start at January 2010 unless you are reading this next year!

On the right hand side of the Calendar page there is a PRINT icon. When you click this you get a pop up window with a page view of the calendar. Choose the "Save As" option and click.

A further pop up appears with the options "Open With" or "Save File" choose "Save File".

Now the "Download" pop up appears, in my case this shows the calendar to have been downloaded as a PDF file. Right click on this and choose the option "Copy Download Link"

Open a text editor such as Notepad, Right Click and "Paste" you will find a link similar to the one below will appear (Don't Panic) This is the link to print off just January.

To print out the 12 months in one go you need to make a slight change to the link. Look for the numbers that I have highlighted, these are 20091228 and 20100201 you need to change the second one to read 20101231.

Select and Copy the link then paste into your Browser, in my case Firefox, and click. This will open up your default PDF software Acrobat Reader or in my case I use the Firefox PDF plugin Foxit Reader. This should display all 12 months of your calendar. You now can print off the 12 monthly pages.

"https://www.google.com/calendar/printable?ctz=Europe%2FLondon&dates=20091228%2F20100201&pgsz=letter&mode=MONTH&wkst=2&hl=en&src=YWpwZWVlQGdvb2dsZW1haWwuY29t&src=cGtobWwydDFhZTB1OGkxcGUyNXVybHJsOHNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&src=ZDIxZHU5Zm92NHZkN2hnajNnZ2FhcWFzcmdAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&src=Z2ttYjA0M2UwNTBlM3RrMHJ0OWM1ZjNnazBAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&src=ZXFubmswamc3NmU5MWdhbjMzbGtpcDZzMDRAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&src=NW41ODBoM2tjcTlucmxqb2twdjY0cWZyMHNAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&src=bmVhcm5pbmVAZ29vZ2xlbWFpbC5jb20&src=amVubmlmZXJtbW9uZXlAZ29vZ2xlbWFpbC5jb20&src=bDdjMjJ2YWFpb3RsYTdocnExcmszZTA3Zm9AZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&src=dWtfX2VuQGhvbGlkYXkuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ&pfs=NORMAL&po=AUTO&psdec=true&pbw=false&pjs=false&rand=1262045765365&pda=true"

Samsung NC10 Sound Problem

I have a Samsung NC10 netbook and it is brilliant. The sound however has driven me mad. The speakers are tinny but worst of all the sound was horribly distorted even with earphones. After much fiddling I eventually found the solution. I opened the Realtek Sound Effect Manager in Control Panel. Under the Sound Effect tab there is a Karaoke icon, make sure that there is no X showing in the circle. If there is click to turn off. Set the environment to Padded Cell. Success sound back to normal! Make sure all the equaliser sliders are on Max

Creative Photography - Transfers

If I give you all my secrets about inkjet (image) transfers I shall have to kill you so be warned!

The process of transferring an inkjet image or any similar image, photocopy, magazine picture etc using an acrylic medium has been around for a long time. If you Google any combination of those words you will find loads of stuff. I have listed a few of the links I found useful and or interesting.

I have used inkjet prints both dye and pigmented inks. After much experimentation I settled on a digital inkjet paper sold by Granthams, Blackpool. It is ColourLink Matt Inkjet Paper, single sided 100g (UPDATE - this paper is no longer available from this source, try Jessops Matt 100g). You can use almost any paper to start with. As for the transfer medium, I started off using PVA glue, BQ own brand is cheap. It works well but can be unpredictable. You can try anything which contains acrylic polymers, emulsion paint, acrylic primer/undercoat, gesso, acrylic astists paint etc. I ended up using the Rolls Royce of acrylic ploymers "Goldens Regular Gel (Matte)". It is worth a visit to Goldens website thay have lots of info about acrylic transfer.

You can see some of my transfer artwork on alistairparkerart.com go to Gallery and choose "mixed media"

Here are a few links:-

http://nonphotography.com/blog/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/forgottenpittsburgh/1414931085/
http://www.squidoo.com/inkjetimagetransfer
http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/imagepaper.html

Gmail: Searching for Unread Mail

There is no native means of searching for Unread Mail in Gmail. There is however a workaround. Enter is:unread in the Search Box, this will find all the Unread mail in the Inbox. Simple when you know how.

What's gone wrong with AVG

I am not sure what AVG have done with the latest update to v8.1 but my XP laptop and my Vista64 Desktop will not update. Initially there was a problem with CTF files. I sorted that by deleating the currupt file. The next problem was every time there was an update the machines wanted to restart. Now I have a General Error. I have been around the forums and tried the various fixes suggest to no avail. I have installed and reinstalled again to no avail.

I have used AVG for as long as I can remember and have converted many others to the cause but along with many other, may be this is the time to change.

I am about to install Kaspersky Internet Security, available half price in W H Smiths at £23.50. Top of the pile in PC Pro tests, so here goes.

Photography a Criminal Offence

An item in Guardian 12 February 2009 warned that it will be a criminal offence to photograph police officers under anti-terrorism legislation which becomes law on Monday 16th Feb 09. Both professional and amateur photographers will be at risk of harassment under the new law. A major demonstration outside New Scotland Yard is planned for Monday by NUJ.

So I suppose the next time I take a photograph like this my feet won't touch the ground! But does he count? He is probably a civilian, in wolfs clothing!


Spotted on a surveillance job in Trafalgar Square.

Recent Post Widget

If you look to the right of this column you will see that I have a list of recent posts. This is created by a Widget designed by Blogger Buster. this widget references a JavaScript that parses your blog's feed and displays the titles of the most recent posts in a list. It overcomes the limitations of the Blogger Archive list. The Blogger Buster site has a Script Creator Form on the site so there is no messing around with cutting and pasting scripts.

This is a image of the form -


Read the instructions before you use the form, I didn't read the instructions the first time I used it and fiddled around for ages trying to get it to work! You need to leave off the http:// and the last / from your URL when you load it into the form.

Occasionally this form may not be available if the site is under pressure. If that happens come back later when things have quietened down. There will be a message to this effect.

Get the Widget here.

AVG update issue - Invalid update control CTF file

I am a great fan of AVG anti-virus but every now and again it does something stupid.This morning I was getting an error message:- "Invalid update control CTF file". A quick Google came up with all the usual crap about editing the registry etc. I thought, there has to be an easier way! Checked on the AVG site under support and at the top of the list was an item titled - "AVG update issue - Invalid update control CTF file". Which I read. I followed the instructions but the ino does not seem to apply to the FREE version. I could not find the place in the tool box which was suggested. It essentially suggested deleting all the files with ctf extension.

So I thought I will do it through Search in Windows Explorer, No ctf files. They may be hidden I thought, went into Tools> Folder Options> View and ticked Show hidden files and unticked Hide unprotected operating system files ( be sure to go back and change this when you have finished). I then searched for files with extension ctf. NOTHING drrrrr.... Then I noticed on the search menu there is an option to "Change whether hidden and system files are included" I thought I had done that all ready. However next search revealed 2 .ctf files which I duly deleted. Delighted to say next time I ran the AVG update it worked OK.

What do little old ladies do when they get these silly b***y problems? If they are anything like the little old ladies I know they ring me on a Sunday morning when I have just settled down with the paper!