Saturday, June 30, 2012

Smartphones – 3G, 4G, Data Plans, Wi-Fi And More…


Recently in our classes (back east) we’ve been discussing “Smartphones” and these are a few of the questions that were raised which might be of interest to you... 

What does the G mean in Cell phones – 3G, 4G etc?  That’s easy, the “G” stands for the “Generation” for cell phone technology…with new generations coming out about every ten (10) years – the technologies were introduced as follows but usually were marketed by cellphone companies a year or two after introduction…
·         1G was introduced in 1981 (analog)
·         2G was first transmitted in 1992 (digital)
·         3G which offers multi-media support came out in 200, but came to the US in 2003
·         4G introduced in 2010 but widely used by cell phone carriers now in 2012

If you live in an area that doesn't have 4G coverage, there's no advantage to a 4G phone. In fact, you'll have serious battery life problems if you buy an LTE phone and don't disable 4G LTE, as the radio's search for a non-existent signal will drain your battery quickly…  Before you buy any cellphone “smartphone or not” be sure to check the coverage offered by the different carriers…one of the most important considerations before you decide who to go with, so you know you’ll be able to send/receive calls where you normally live, work or visit..

What does all this “data” stuff mean on a cell phone?  Most activities on “smartphones” will consume data – the exceptions are making a phone call and sending a text messages.  Remember, voice and texts require a very small amount of bandwidth, as opposed to data, which requires carriers to continuously build up their networks to support exploding demand from smartphones and tablets..

That is why activities, such as browsing the web, reading and sending e-mails, browsing Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or sharing photos, downloading applications, downloading music, listening to online radio and watching videos on YouTube, viewing maps, instant messaging applications such as Skype, BlackBerry Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Talk and Facebook Messenger – all of these activities use up data and quickly…

Many phones consume data in the background even when you’re not using it – maybe you have the weather widget on your homescreen, so periodically it’s downloading the latest forecast from the internet or your email app, might be checking for new messages..  it all adds up.

What if I use the Wi-Fi with my phone?  Good news-Any data transferred over a wi-fi network WILL NOT count towards your download limit.  Data transferred over a wi-fi network does not pass through your mobile operator and so it won’t be counted towards your monthly download limit. So it’s best to use a wi-fi network for all of your bandwidth-intensive activities such as listening to online radio, making calls over Skype and watching online video. But be sure you know if you have a separate download limit with your home broadband connection.  You can set your smartphone to find available Wi-Fi networks for you…

What about the data plans that say they are unlimited?  According to some experts, “Paying for an “unlimited data plan” (even if your carrier offers this, which many don’t anymore) doesn’t mean you get unlimited access to your carrier’s bandwidth. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless “slow down or what is called throttling” data users after they reach a predetermined limit. Sprint is the lone hold-out, but rumors point to the possibility that the carrier will begin to throttle data on its Virgin sub-carrier plans. The justification for this process involves regulate network traffic and minimize bandwidth congestion. And with the rise in 4G data usage, carriers claim their networks are jammed, so what this means to all of us – the consumers – is that we may not get to take advantage of all the speed promised by our new 4G smartphone” quoted from PC Net Magazine – Feb 2012

No doubt, all of this will continue to change – so keep your questions coming and we will help you find the answers – remember there are no foolish questions – all of the technology today is changing so rapidly that it’s a challenge for all of us to keep up with what’s happening, never mind understanding all the ins and outs entirely…  It’s simply a constant learning experience..

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Have you used your "Windows" Magnifier?

MAGNIFYING GLASS - Did you know that the Windows Operating System includes a built-in magnifying glass?  Microsoft Windows has included a magnifying glass with every version of its operating system since windows 98 and it is called MAGNIFIER.  Each new version of windows has improved the ease of using the MAGNIFIER  so check it out 

FOR WINDOWS XP USERS

To turn on Magnifier using your mouse Click the Start button
·         Click on All Programs, then click on Accessories, and then click Accessibility.
·         Click Magnifier to open the Magnifier Settings dialog box.
·         Adjust the level of magnification by typing a number from 1 to 9, or by selecting the arrow button to open the list of options from the drop-down menu
You can change “Magnifier size & position” by doing either of the following:
·         To change the size, make sure Magnifier is turned on. Move your mouse pointer over an edge of the Magnifier window. When the pointer becomes a two–headed arrow, hold down the mouse button and drag the Magnifier window to resize it.
·         To change the position, make sure Magnifier is turned on. Move the mouse pointer over the Magnifier window. Hold down the mouse button and drag the Magnifier window to reposition it. 

FOR WINDOWS VISTA USERS

To make items on the screen appear bigger (Magnifier)
The intention of Magnifier is to enlarge parts of the screen, which is really helpful when you are looking at objects that are difficult to see and can be helpful to anyone with vision challenges.
·         Open Magnifier by clicking the Start button ,
·         Now click All Programs, click Accessories, click Ease of Access, and click Magnifier.
·         Move the pointer to the part of the screen that you want to magnify. 

FOR WINDOWS 7 USERS
You can open it quickly by clicking Start, and then type Magnifier.
You can also change the screen resolution, which adjusts the clarity, size, and amount of things that fit on your computer monitor which is found in the Display section of your control panel.
Notes
To exit Magnifier, press the Windows Flag/Logo Key + Esc key.

In Windows 7, there are three Magnifier modes:
·         Full-screen mode. In full-screen mode, your entire screen is magnified. Depending on the size of your screen and the zoom level you choose, you might not be able to see all of the screen at the same time.
·         Lens mode. In lens mode, the area around the mouse pointer is magnified. When you move the mouse pointer, the area of the screen that's magnified moves along with it.
·         Docked mode. In docked mode, only a portion of the screen is magnified, leaving the rest of your desktop unchanged. You can then control which area of the screen is magnified. 

WHEN YOU ARE ON THE INTERNET - Another quick way to enlarge the text and what you are viewing on your monitor is to use the CTRL and + key to enlarge and CTRL key and – to reduce what is on the monitor…   This doesn’t work however when you are in various application programs such as word, excel, power point etc - then you will have to simply ZOOM the page.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Different ways to shut down your computer or laptop..


Before shutting down your computer, it is always a good idea and beneficial for the life of your computer, to close all applications you have running, such as your email, multiple websites/tabbed browsing, word, excel, power point, game or other application programs.
·         This can be done by Left clicking the "X" in the upper-right corner of each program page (often in a red box)
OR
·         Using your task bar at the bottom of your monitor, Right click on each open program and then left click on “close group:.  If you have open applications such as Word, Excel and the like, you may be promoted to confirm whether or not you want to save any changes made to those documents, spreadsheets or power point presentations.. 

Using keyboard shortcuts

·         Press and hold the following three keyboard keys at the same time: "Control, ALT and Delete (CTRL + ALT + DEL)" keys on your keyboard
·         This will open the “"Shutdown" menu
·         Using your navigation arrows on the keyboard, press the downward (or upward) arrow to highlight the "Shut Down" option.
·         Once “Shut Down” is highlighted, simply press the "Enter" key on the keyboard and the computer will shut down and power off 

Using your mouse

·         Simply left click on your “Start” Button
·         When the Start Menu Appears, note that the right bottom side of the start menu list, you the “Turn off computer” button
·         Left click on this button or arrow
·         The “ShutDown” action box will appear and depending on the version of Windows you are using, you will have the choice of choosing “Standby”. “Restart” or “Shut Down”
·         Left click on whichever option you choose and that is the action that will occur

On an apple Mac:
·         Click on "Finder" at the top of your computer screen to access a drop-down menu (usually next to the Apple icon).
·         Highlight the "Shut Down" option from the drop-down menu.
  • Allow your computer the time it needs to completely shut down before you close the lid on your laptop or remove the power supply from your computer.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

What To Do When You Think Your Email Account May Have Been Hacked..


Almost all of us have received an email at one time or another, that we’ve questioned and know are not “legit” – You know the ones that come in from co-workers, friends or family stressing it’s an emergency and they need our help, they are stuck in Europe and lost all their money-please send some immediately ~ or ~ maybe it’s an ad for some “enhancing drugs” ~ or ~  it has a website/hyperlink that will take us to a website that might not be of any interest to us or anyone we know for that matter..

If and when your account has been compromised--or hacked--it means that someone has possibly stolen your username and your password and might be using your account to access your personal info or send spam to everyone on your contact list. It is important to notify your email and or ISP provider – do not reply directly to the email, but immediately call your co-worker, friend or family member and let them know…

When an e-mail account is hacked or taken over, the one who has done this, almost always will use the account to spread spam or in some cases viruses.   If someone in you know is receiving e-mail from you with one of these types of messages, you can almost guarantee that your email account has been compromised in some way. Immediately log into your email account and change your password if you can…

If you can’t log into your email, and you use one of the free accounts, such as Hotmail, gmail, yahoo or the like, try to use the “forgot my password” feature that they offer, and usually this will allow  you to reset your password and the message will stop.

If you are unable to change your password or this service does not work the only people who are going to be able to reset your account information is the company or ISP who is providing you e-mail access.

If you are attempting to get into your email account and are greeted with a message which states the account has been blocked due to sending junk messages, and, if it then asks for password information, then, you can almost guarantee your account has been hacked. It is important for you to file out the Live Help Form and for the official reply from MSN – some say they’ve received responses within hours others have said it took over a week.. But remember, a Password reset should only be done through the MSN or other ISP provider email support. You will have to clearly explain the problem to them and key in details of their identity. Once this form is filled in, the process will take off

Some accounts offer you the ability to “Mark As” and offer options in the command section, notifying your provider that the email has been compromised – it might say “my friends been hacked” or other similar terminology…

There are hundreds if not thousands of accounts being blocked because they were hacked and used for spamming, so depending on your Internet Service and/or email provider, it may take up to two weeks before you get an answer.  If the above solution does not work, your account may very well be is lost forever.

Periodically back up or print off your contact list, so that if this happens, you will have your contact list handy when you establish a new account.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

HAPPY FATHERS DAY


On behalf of Bob Donovan, Jean McCarty, Jack Bowes, Kevin Bachelder and myself – we want to wish all of our dads, granddads, great=granddads, great-great granddads and anyone who has support anyone in the role of a dad – a wonderful Father’s Day Holiday – we hope you realize how important you are in so many lives – so thank you and have a wonderful day…Cherie Houston

A little trivia about Fathers Day – did you know:

·         Father’s Day was introduced by Sonora Dodd in Spokane, Washington. She wanted to honor her widowed father William Smart who took care of his six children during the Civil War. Since Sonora Dodd was the girl who first started the tradition of Father’s Day in this country, she had campaigned for her Father’s birthday -- June 19 --  to be declared Father’s Day.
·         The first Father’s Day was announced and celebrated in 1910.
·         Father’s Day was first supported by President Calvin Coolidge in 1924. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared the third Sunday of June as the official holiday. It was President Woodrow Wilson who first said, however, in 1916 that Father’s Day should be given the status of a national holiday.
·         Father's Day in America has been officially celebrated annually since 1972 when President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent
·         Greeting cards are the No. 1 purchase on Father’s Day, and almost 92 percent of the cards are sold to women. Most of the greeting cards purchased are humorous.
·         More than 110 million greeting cards are sent throughout the world for Father's Day and according to Hallmark, Father’s Day is the 5th largest card-selling occasion in America.
·         Father’s Day is the fourth most popular card-sending holiday in the world after Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
·         The tie is the most traditional and famous Father’s Day gift throughout the world. (I remember buying my dad a Chicago Cubs tie, but he never wore it. He was more of a Black Jack/Vegas guy!)
·         Almost half as much is spent on Father’s Day gifts as on Mother’s Day. Does this mean that we moms are more expensive? Or is it because the most popular Father’s Day gift is a simple necktie?
·         Today, some of the most popular Internet searches connected to the day include "fathers day recipes", "fathers day poem" and "fathers day crafts"
·         Father’s Day is celebrated at different times around the world. In Thailand it falls on Dec. 5; in Australia it’s observed on the first Sunday of September.
·         Father's Day is celebrated most places on the third Sunday in June, but not everywhere. In Spain and Portugal, for instance, fathers are honored on St. Joseph's Day, March 19th,in Australia, it's the first Sunday in September....

And check out this website for many of “dads” favorite sayings – it’s surprising how many you might recognize (or have even said yourself)


Have a wonderful day…

Thursday, June 14, 2012

How to Disable Background Printing in Word and on the Internet..


If you have applied background to your Word document but you do not want to show that in the printed copy of document – then disable the commands before you print.  And remember background printing uses additional system memory so to speed up printing, clear the Background printing check box.

To Disable background print in Word 97-2003

·         Go to Menu Bar, Tools, then click Options
·         Now click the Print Tab
·         Under printing options, select or clear the Background printing check box
·         When Background printing is on, you can continue to work in Word while you print,

To Disable background print in Word 2007
·         Click “Office” button > “Word Options”
·         Select “Advanced” tab
·         Then in right panel deselect check box for the option “Print in background” under Print section
·         Now click “OK”

To Disable background print in Word 2010
·         Click the File Tab, then choose options
·         Click on “Advanced” from left panel
·         Then in right panel deselect the check box followed by “Print in background” option under Print section and click “OK”
  
When you are on the Internet many websites have background colors or images that you might not want to print.  So, as with word, you may want  to disable the background printing..

To Disable background print when printing from a website on the Internet:

How to print from the Internet without backgrounds or images
·         Open a website that you to want to print out
·         In the Menu Bar go to Tools, then choose Internet Option
·         The Internet Options Dialog Box will now open
·         Click the advanced tab
·         Scroll Down and Find Printing section
·         Uncheck “Print background colors and images box
·         Hit OK or Apply button
Go to File, Print, Click Print (or simply use the Print icon on the toolbar)

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Changing the default settings in your Office Programs


Default simply means “Standard” – the way in which a program will work each and every time you use it and you can change/modify many of the “default” settings on computer programs that we use daily, including our browsers and office programs…

This is a personal choice – certainly you can continue to use the default settings established by the provider that are built into the program.  But, changing the way your Browser or Office Programs work can make life so much easier.

Customizing your Office programs can impact the way in which documents print, how they are saved, the way they appear on the page, margins, paper layout/orientation – such as portrait or landscape, the font you use, whether the red & green squiggle lines appear as you type indicating spelling & grammatical errors - these are just a few of the many ways in which you can “customize” the way in which your Office Programs work for you.  Decide for yourself – making each program easier for you to use can be done as often as you’d like – some compare it to adjusting the seat position and rear view mirrors when you get into a car…

In Word 97-2003:
Click TOOLS, Then Click OPTIONS
You will see various options available for you to be able to modify to your liking
Click SAVE (set at 1 minutes – doesn’t affect your work, simply saves in the background)
Click SPELL (whichever options you’d like & Auto Text Entries and many others)

In Word 2007-2010:
Click on the Office Button or File Tab
At the bottom of the dialog box/page that opens, left click on “WORD OPTIONS
This opens the Control/Dialog Box, which lists on the left various categories which allow you to “customize” the software you are using to your own liking..

Special Note for anyone using 2007-2010 Office Programs it is very important to save everything you do as “97-2003 compatible” so that you can share your documents with others who may not have the newest of these software programs.  You can do this as you save each and every document, or do it once when you are in your Options Settings, under the Save category..

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

What is a “Template” and how can you use them?


Basically "templates" are pre-designed layouts for various items you might want to create on your computer using the various Microsoft Office Programs...

Using TEMPLATES in Word, Excel, Power Point and other programs allows you to open a pre-designed document in these and other various programs.  You can then use the pre-designed layout which is stored in the “Template Folders”.  Some templates are built into your Office Program, and if you can’t find what you need, you can go to Microsoft online for even more templates, just as we do with clip art.  

This means you don’t have to create the entire document, form, spreadsheet/budget or other, power point presentation - much of the design work is already done for you.  Once you find a “template” you want to use, you save it in whatever folder you choose, you can modify it to your own needs and use it however you would like…It is yours.

In 1997-2003 Word/Excel/PowerPoint:
  • Go to the Menu Bar, choose "New" and the Template Dialog Box will Open, which has multiple tab categories across the top
  • Select the category you want, and you will see various template choices to choose from
  • Select the template you want and it will be on  your screen
  • Now save the template as your own, finding or creating a folder to save it in and giving it a name that works for you.
  • Now you can modify it anyway you would like.

In 2007-2010 Word/Excel/PowerPoint:
  • Go to the Office Button in 2007 or File Tab in 2010, Choose "New"
  • You will now see the various templates available
  • Select the template you want, and "download it"
  • Select the template you want and it will be on your screen
  • Now save the template as your own, finding or creating a folder to save it in and giving it a name that works for you
  • Now you can modify it anyway you would like.

Friday, June 1, 2012

A simple but true life lesson...


It's June already - typically the month for Fathers Days, weddings, graduations and other celebrations - many marking new beginnings or celebrating a life lived or what's to come.. I received this in an email and thought I'd share it with all of you... a simple but true life lesson... Enjoy the sunshine.. Cheri Houston


This is the philosophy of Charles Schulz, the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip.
You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just ponder on them.  Read this straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4 Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last six Academy Award winners for best actor & actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday.
These are no second-rate achievers.  They are the best in their fields.
But the applause dies..  Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.  Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. 

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!!
5 Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 

Easier? 

The lesson:  The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials; the most money or the most awards.
They simply are the ones who care the most; those people who have made a difference in your life…  and 'don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia!' 

''Be Yourself. Everyone Else Is Taken!"