HOW TO KEEP YOUR MONITOR AND KEYBOARD CLEAN?

First-turn the computer off before cleaning the monitor or keyboard…

Monitor ~ The new LCD flat screen monitors/TV should be cleaned with a micro-fiber cloth and water or solution designed for them-Most manufacturers recommend never using products that contain ANY alcohol, ammonia, or other strong solvents on LCD & Plasma screens.

Keyboard ~ First, turn the keyboard upside down and tap it gently to release any crumbs, dust, pet hair; Then versus paying for a can of compressed air, I use the cool setting on a hair dryer after I’ve tapped the keyboard ~ Be careful what you use to wipe it down. Electronic items usually come coated with a very fine film of glossy finish and this material can be damaged by harsh cleaners, especially ones that contain ammonia compounds or alcohol

Mouse & Phones ~ Especially this time of year (winter) I use alcohol wipes on my mouse and all phones at the office, at home and my cell phone; especially if and when the grandkids are around….

BACKING UP YOUR COMPUTER AND INFO

It's very important to back up your computer as well as your important files - documents, photos, music, videos and movies - often. Today more and more of what we do is on our computers and we want to be sure we don't "lose it all" if our computers crashed...

When you back up your files - you can use a CD, Large Flash Drive, Portable or External Hard Drive or a company such as Carbonite.com; Mozy.com or your Internet provider (many offer back-up services)

Backing up on a regular basis is critical – especially for those of us with older computers or if you have large document folders, photo, music or other media files… If you use one of the services – remember to ask how much space is included and what the charges are for additional storage (personally that’s why I like carbonite.com-it offers unlimited)

External Hard Drives-Such as Office Depots “Clickfree" HD1035 Backup External USB Hard Drive, 1000GB”, which Automatically backs up your computer without any confusing software to install - These allow you to back up your computer in just 1 step ~ No software to install or set up and incremental backup lets you save only the files changed since the previous backup – About $135.00

Or use a company, such as Carbonite.com,which is easy and has great advantages..
Once you install Carbonite, future back-ups are done each time you are on your PC/Internet, so you can relax and you can Restore lost files easily and you will have Remote Access to the data on your computer...
What Carbonite is – and what it isn’t: Carbonite offers unlimited backup of the irreplaceable files on your computer. That said, your Carbonite subscription does NOT include some services often confused with backup:

• Online/offsite file storage: Carbonite is NOT a place to move files from your hard drive, to free up space on your hard drive. If you remove any file from your hard drive, they wait 30 days for you to recover it, and then they delete that file from their servers also.
• Program or system backup: Carbonite backs up the irreplaceable files on your computer – user-generated content such as photos, documents, music, etc. They do not back up software programs, temporary files or system files.
• External Hard Drive backup: Carbonite consumer product does not allow you to back up your external hard drive, unless you purchase their external hard drive support with as a small business.
• Archiving: Carbonite does not keep every version of every file you’ve ever created. Their PC product offers versioning, which allows you to recover some versions of your files, going back up to 90 days
• Carbonite costs $54.95 per year-check them out at http://www.carbonite.com/

Suggestions for Online Greeting Card Companies

I get asked all the time which “online greeting card company” do I recommend…

Personally I use http://www.jacquielawson.com/ for all my special cards and I've used them for years; I like that their cards are different and interactive...it's $12 a year or $18 for a 2 year membership.

Although they don't have the hundreds of cards that companies like http://www.hallmark.com/ or http://www.bluemountain.com/ have, I like that Jacquie Lawson’s cards are so unique and interactive...

Almost all of the card companies, especially those that have a membership fee and even some that don’t, allow you so save your email addresses and dates and schedule cards out in advance, so check them out...

Here are a few others that offer free cards and I've used these also - so enjoy...

http://www.myfuncards.com/
http://www.americangreetings.com/
http://www.123greetings.com/
http://www.egreetings.com/
http://www.rattlebox.com/
http://www.e-cards.com/

Great gift idea websites..

These are 2 of fastest growing & most popular websites today for “special deals” – I use both quite often, because they offer great deals and help save money. And as most of you know shopping in malls is one of my least favorite things to do.
So shopping online, especially for the holidays, is my way to shop and I’ve been very pleased with both of these companies… Cherie Houston

www.restaurant.com
A great websites where you purchase discounted gift cards either directly from the one of more than 15,000 restaurants nationwide or buy a "restaurant.com gift card" at their discounted price and then it is redeemable at any of their affiliated restaurants nationwide. As with anything we buy on line – read the specific guidelines of each restaurant when you buy their card or if you aren’t sure – call them. When you put in a zip code, you can then choose the mile radius that you want to check from that point for participating restaurants and you will see the specific restaurants address, tele # and webpage if they have one…

http://www.groupon.com/
Groupon is based in Chicago but has offices all over the US – you’ve seen them in the news lately because they were just purchased by “Google”… I really like this website and use it often for gift ideas here in New England and in Arizona… They offer unbeatable deals every day on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in cities through-put the US and now that Google has bought them I have no doubt they will continue to grow in leaps & bounds… Because Group promises the participating businesses a minimum number of customers, those of us who buy from them get discounts we can’t any other way – it’s called "collective buying power!" And your credit card is very safe-they never save our CC info on their servers..

Holiday Websites to enjoy

December 1st already - the holidays are coming and one website you might enjoy is from Betty Crocker, where you can sign up to receive a new recipe each and every day by email… check it out…

www.bettycrocker.com/products/cookie-mix?WT.mc_id=paid_search_300104_636117&WT.srch=1&esrc=11165

Remember that “www.allmyfaves.com” has added their annual “Happy Holiday” tab with lots of wonderful websites to help you with all aspects of the holidays…And,

these are just a few favorite holiday & cookie recipe websites fellow students have recommended… enjoy… and if you have a favorite website you’d like to share – send it along…

www.christmas-cookies.com

www.bhg.com/holidays/christmas/recipes/

www.foodnetwork.com/holidays-and-parties/index.html

www.mrfood.com/Cookie-Recipes/Hanukkah-Butter-Cookies#

www.howcast.com/videos/410753-How-to-Make-Hanukkah-Chocolate-Coin-Cookies

SHOP SAFELY ONLINE

Top Ten Cyber Monday Tips for Staying Safe When Shopping Online
From Better Business Bureau

Before you begin your cyber Monday holiday shopping spree – take a few moments to check out the Better Business Bureau’s tip to be safe – Shopping on line is the usually the only way that I shop, but you have to be proactive and be careful…

Hopefully you’ll find the tips on the BBB website very helpful…

www.bbb.org/us/article/top-ten-cyber-monday-tips-for-staying-safe-when-shopping-online-23416

TOP 12 CYBER SCAMS OF CHRISTMAS

If you missed this article we don't want you to miss it - it helps to be careful and remember, most times if it sounds to good to be true it probably is…

TOP 12 CYBER SCAMS THIS CHRISTMAS (Top on this year's list: Offers of free iPads)
Nov 16, 2010 published on MSNBC & MSN

Shoppers looking for holiday bargains are already scouring the Web as well as incoming e-mails and text messages for deals — and cyber criminals are quite busy, too, hoping to lure you in with a deal that seems too good to be true. "We’re all looking for a great deal online, but some sites offer electronics or luxury goods at prices that are too good to be true," said Alison Southwick of the Better Business Bureau.

"Every holiday season BBB hears from holiday shoppers who paid for a supposedly great deal online, but received nothing in return." (For more tips on shopping safely online, check out the BBB's link for this list...

www.bbb.org/us/article/top-ten-cyber-monday-tips-for-staying-safe-when-shopping-online-23416

Security software company McAfee recently released its "12 Scams of Christmas" list, and offers of "free" iPads — among this year's most coveted tech gadgets — comes in at No. 1.
"With Apple products topping most shopping lists this holiday season, scammers are busy distributing bogus offers for free iPads" via e-mail spam, McAfee said. In the e-mail, "consumers are asked to purchase other products and provide their credit card number to get the free iPad. Of course, victims never receive the iPad or the other items, just the headache of reporting a stolen credit card number."

Meanwhile, in the Facebook, Twitter or other social media version of the ruse, users are asked to "take a quiz to win a free iPad and must supply their cell phone number to receive the results. In actuality they are signed up for a cell phone scam that costs $10 a week," McAfee said.

Here's the rest of the company's "12 Scams of Christmas" list:

2. "Help! I’ve Been Robbed" — "This travel scam sends phony distress messages to family and friends requesting that money be wired or transferred so that they can get home." We and other news organizations have written about this before, especially as an issue on Facebook, where people feel like they trust information that's posted. With so many people traveling during the holiday season, though, it's easy to fall prey to this one.

3. Fake gift cards — Social media (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace as examples) are used by no-goodniks to "promote fake gift card offers with the goal of stealing consumers’ information and money, which is then sold to marketers or used for ID theft," says McAfee. "One recent Facebook scam offered a 'free $1,000 Best Buy gift card" to the first 20,000 people who signed up for a Best Buy fan page, which was a lookalike. To apply for the gift card they had to provide personal information and take a series of quizzes."

4. Holiday job offers — Maybe for some, the recession is over, but not for many of us still. Which is why "as people seek extra cash for gifts this holiday season, Twitter scams offer dangerous links to high-paying, work-at-home jobs that ask for your personal information, such as your e-mail address, home address and Social Security number to apply for the fake job."

5. "Smishing" — You've heard of phishing? "Smishing" is when a phishing SMS, or text messages, arrives on your cell phone, wanting you to bite. "These texts appear to come from your bank or an online retailer saying that there is something wrong with an account and you have to call a number to verify your account information. In reality, these efforts are merely a ruse to extract valuable personal information from the targets," McAfee says. "Cyber crooks know that people are more vulnerable to this scam during the holiday season when consumers are doing more online shopping and checking bank balances frequently."

6. Suspicious holiday rentals — Many of us are looking to save on that Christmas-y cabin in the mountains or chic vacation apartment in the city of our dreams. "During peak travel times when consumers often look online for affordable holiday rentals, cyber crooks post fake holiday rental sites that ask for down payments on properties by credit card or wire transfer."

7. Recession scams continue — "Scammers target vulnerable consumers with recession related scams such as pay-in-advance credit schemes. McAfee Labs has seen a significant number of spam e-mails advertising pre-qualified, low-interest loans and credit cards if" — that emphasis is mine —"the recipient pays a processing fee, which goes directly into the scammer’s pocket."

8. Grinch-like greetings, involving e-cards — Electronic cards can save paper and postage, but "cyber criminals load fake versions with links to computer viruses and other malware instead of cheer ... Computers may start displaying obscene images, pop-up ads, or even start sending cards to contacts that appear to come from you."

9. Low price traps — Discussed above, as the "too good to be true" deals, which are promoted on some auction sites and fake websites. The aim, McAfee says: "the goal of stealing your money and information."

10. Charity scams — "Common ploys include phone calls and spam e-mails asking you to donate to veterans’ charities, children's causes and relief funds for the latest catastrophe."

11. Dangerous holiday downloads — "Holiday-themed screensavers, jingles and animations are an easy way for scammers to spread viruses and other computer threats especially when links come from an e-mail or IM that appears to be from a friend."

12. Hotel and airport Wi-Fi vulnerabilities — This is an anytime risk with thieves who are savvy enough to hack into public networks being used by hurried travelers. Hacker-thieves can steal credit card numbers, bank accounts and other forms of personal identity; try not to access bank accounts, for example, or give your credit card number online while using public Wi-Fi. It's a good rule for every day — not just for the holidays.

© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

From our families to yours, we all wish you and yours a blessed, safe and thankful Thanksgiving Holiday...

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.
If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,
for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.
During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,
because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,
because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.
They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,
because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.
A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who
are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.
Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,
and they can become your blessings.

~~Author Unknown.~~

Websites for driving directions, weather reports & more

If you don't have a GPS or TomTom to give you step by step driving directions ~ No Problem.. Check out these popular map services. They all have great driving direction sections to give you step by step instructions on how to get where you are going, calculating distances and much more..

• www.maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl
• www.maps.com
• www.randmcnally.com
• www.mapquest.com
• www.ezdrivingdirections.com
• www.usatourist.com/english/traveltips/travel-map.html

And if you are interested in what the weather might be here at home or wherever you are traveling to, check out one of these popular weather websites…

• www.weather.com
• www.accuweather.com
• www.noaa.gov
• www.intellicast.com
• www.wunderground.com

Or just visit our overall favorite website, where you can find just about anything you are looking for to help you with your holiday travels, weather, cooking, shopping and much more...

• www.allmyfaves.com

Have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday from our home to yours.....

Thanksgiving Trivia & Turkey websites

Thanksgiving is just a few days away – did you know…

1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States
2. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada
3. The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate the Thanksgiving
4. The pilgrims arrived in North America in December 1620
5. The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America
6. The pilgrims sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of 'Mayflower'
7. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in the fall of 1621
8. They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts
9. The drink that the Puritans brought with them in the Mayflower was the beer
10. The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.

This previous trivia was copied from the following website - check it out for more interesting facts…

http://www.thanksgivingnovember.com/thanksgiving-facts.html

For more trivia go to http://www.theholidayspot.com/thanksgiving/trivia.htm

Here are a few websites that can help you prepare Thanksgiving dinner...

http://www.butterball.com/

www.eatturkey.com/consumer/thanks.html

www.allrecipes.com/info/holidays-events-and-occasions/thanksgiving/main.aspx

www.whatscookingamerica.net/Poultry/thanksgivingtips.htm

www.divinedinnerparty.com/thanksgiving-dinner-recipes.html

If you have a favorite Thanksgiving Holiday website - send it along so we can share it next year with your fellow students...