 Mike Klubok the Owner of Computer Concierge NY LLC has trained seniors as old as 95 to better use their computer. The other day I spoke with a high level person in a non-profit organization that has a large senior membership about doing a technology related presentation to members of his organization. The person responded that as many of his members are in their 80s they would not find it useful. After mentioning a few items like how computers can help with health care for seniors, the social aspect, and being an enabler of life learning he suddenly became interested. Keep in mind that when I talk about computers I am including smartphones and tablets like the iPad , Kindle Fire and others as they are computers. I have worked with people as old as 95; Helping them to use their computer to keep in touch with friends and family, discover old friends, track their investments, and better use the features of Google search. These are some of the benefits of seniors using computers. Those I have worked with were very motivated to improve their computer skills and with good reason. Connected seniors are more likely to be happier and healthier than their counterparts who do not use the internet. Evidence has shown that those seniors who are connected are less likely to suffer from depression. In an era where more of us live further from family and friends than ever before the internet has helped to stay connected. I helped a woman in her 80s set up a Facebook account a while back to keep in touch with her grandchildren and see pictures of them and their travels in life. She also wanted to connect with friends she lost touch with from her childhood in Germany. I don’t know how much luck she had connecting with her lost friends but I know she was thrilled to see pictures of her grandson’s travels in Spain on Facebook that she likely would not have seen otherwise. I worked with another woman who received what she thought was a picture of her great-grandchild living in England who she had never seen and was unable to open it. When I arrived to address the problem she had opening up the file I realized it was not a picture but rather a video. Her tears of joy in seeing the video of her great-grandchild crawling was something special. When I left she gave me a big hug and thanked me for helping her to see the video. Skype is also a great connector of friends and family that live miles and miles away. Many years ago the phone company said that long distance was the next best thing to being there. Maybe then it was but now it has to be Skype. The internet gives seniors better access to health care. Communicating by email is a method used by more and more doctors. If you want to monitor what you are eating there are sites such as FitDay that allow you to do so. You also can do research. Want to know more about a drug you are taking? Go to PDR.net. Sites like WebMD and MayoClinic.com are just two sites that have an abundance of medical information. Both of them also have a symptom checker where you can find possible causes of your symptoms. Studies have shown that truly lifelong learners have a better quality of life. The internet provides the ability to quickly get information about world events, politics, sports, etc. Wikipedia is one factor in why very few people these days have books of encyclopedias at home anymore. The last item I will mention is that the internet fosters independence for seniors. Seniors are now less likely to need someone to take them shopping. I have shown seniors how to shop using Amazon. Their orders get delivered to their door. Groceries can be ordered from sites such as FreshDirect. So if you think you are too old to use a computer think again. Ask some of the seniors I have worked with how using a computer has added to their lives and don’t be surprised if you see a 90something person in the park Skyping with their friend or grandchild. Whether you are a senior or advancing towards one day being chronologically gifted I am available to help you better use your technology. I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com . Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying. Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.
While recently looking into changing my cell plan I noticed that unlimited talk time for domestic minutes is becoming more prevalent and at a reasonable price. It had me thinking about ditching my landline.
For those who are thinking the same thing you need to answer a few questions.
What are the current costs of your landline? What does it include? I have friends who have a plan that includes cable, internet and phone service. If they were to give up the phone service part they would actually pay more.
So they are keeping this plan and use the land line for faxing and as an emergency phone. Does an elderly person live with you or are you elderly? You may want to keep that landline phone regardless of the savings. My personal landline costs $10 monthly with unlimited calls anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Check with your landline carrier. They may offer you an incentive to stay with them if you are inclined to keep it. If you are not using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) – you still have phone service in the event you lose your electricity. That said, some VOIP may have a backup in the event you lose power. However after Hurricane Sandy I heard that some affected by it lost backup power. I am sure landline phones without VOIP lost service during Hurricane Sandy as well.
Do you fax? I presently do a limited amount of faxing using my all in one printer. Depending on how much faxing you do it may be beneficial to find an alternate way to send faxes. Your smartphone can also be used to send faxes.
Do you make international calls and if so how much? Would you be better served by getting an international plan for your cell phone? Can you use a video application like Skype or Facetime to make your international calls? If you are using one of these applications you can talk anytime, no matter where either of you are for free.
Because of the low rate I am paying and my occasional faxes I am keeping my landline for now. The day will come where my landline will join that rotary dial phone I had in my first apartment.
If you have further questions about whether or not to ditch your landline, how to keep it and pay less or other technology problems you may have I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .
My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field with tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.
Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.
The picture shown around the world.
By now you may have heard about the sister of Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg being upset over a picture posted on her personal Facebook account being posted on Twitter. You may be asking how private those posts and pictures you put on Facebook really are. Apparently Randi Zuckerberg posted this picture so only her Facebook “Friends” could see it. Callie Schweitzer then posted it on her Twitter account. Callie Schweitzer while not a Facebook friend of Randi subscribes to her feeds and also is a Facebook friend of Mark and Randi’s sister. She apparently saw the picture because she is Facebook friends with the sister. Since her sister was tagged in the picture, Callie was able to see it. Callie thought that the picture was public since she subscribes to Randi’s posts on Facebook but this picture was not posted with access provided to subscribers. It is not difficult to copy someone else’s picture that you see in Facebook. Click to open the picture and then right click. An option to save will show among other options. Once saved, you can do with it as you wish including posting it to Twitter. On a personal note a friend of mine remarked how she was not able to download a picture of her and her daughters that her friend posted on Facebook. In a few seconds, I downloaded the picture and emailed it to her.
The protocol is to ask before posting someone else’s photos for others to see. Think of this as sending a letter to your friend who we will call “A”. You do not expect that A will share the letter with others. A decides to share the letter with B and C. This is largely what happened here. The issue was not Facebook’s privacy settings but someone else sharing the picture above and beyond. When you post to Facebook whether it be a picture, your writings, etc you should realize that it may be seen by those you did not intend to see it. Note that while the picture was deleted by Callie Schweitzer, articles with the picture were posted online so it can be seen by all. I am using it in this article without compromising any confidences. And yes the man on the right side is Mark Zuckerberg himself.
The takeaway is to be careful of what you post on Facebook and other social media sites. Don’t put anything out there that you would not want to appear in a newspaper, seen by your boss, your parents, your children, etc.
If you have further questions about your privacy on Facebook and other social media sites I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .
My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.
Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.
 Google Calendar - picture taken by Mike Klubok Owner - Computer Concierge NY LLC In today’s world, time management is something that we all need to do and do well. This is just one of the reasons why Google Calendar is the preferred online calendar of many. It syncs with my smartphone as well and I also can add, delete or change appointments there as well.Google Calendar allows you to set up multiple calendars using one ID. You make the choice of which calendars you wish to see at a given time. You are able to have a calendar for business, personal, travel, etc. with different sharing settings for each. You can share your calendar with anyone having a Google account. Other calendars allow those you share with to view only or also edit. With Google Calendar I can decide what they will view. Do they just see whether I am busy or free, or do they see the event as well? I can decide. I further can allow others to decide who a calendar is shared with. For example I have an appointment calendar. My wife is able to see the details of this calendar but cannot make changes. My son can only see if I am free or busy. He does not see the details. I also have a Travel Calendar for events my wife and I have planned for when we travel. Both of us can edit that calendar and make changes as needed. My wife can also decide to share that calendar with others. I also can make any of my calendars public if I so choose. If a calendar is made public, it will appear in a Google search where appropriate. My wife can view my appointment calendar and I can view hers. Recently friends of ours purchased tickets for a show not realizing that one of them had made plans for that evening. When my wife and I are making plans, we check both our own and each other’s calendar to see whether or not the other has plans for the date and time in question. I like the feature of when I enter an event I put the address of the event in the "Where" field. Clicking on that field will bring up the location in Google Maps. Since Google Calendar syncs to my smartphone, this could be a stress saver if I get lost as I can get directions on my smartphone wherever I am. It is a great calendar for scheduling a get together as well as inviting people to an event whether or not they use Google Calendar. You invite them directly from Google Calendar without emailing them through Gmail. The options to respond are the standard "Yes", "No", or "Maybe". In addition, for the "Yes" response there is a field to indicate if you are bringing a guest as well as the name of the guest.Need to quickly add an event? Use the quick add feature. Type in the event, date and time and Google calendar automatically adds it. Type in an email address and an invitation is sent to that email address. Do the same from your phone by texting 48368 and Google calendar automatically adds the event to your calendar. You also can add “interesting” calendars such as a schedule any or all of your favorite sports teams, national and/or religious holidays.Another feature of Google Calendar that I like is appointment slots. Appointment slots allows you to set aside period of time on your calendar at preselected intervals for others to schedule appointments. For example a college professor can set aside Tuesday between the hours of 1-4 PM at ½ hour intervals for those also having Google Calendar to reserve time on your calendar. One last thing here. I do not erase events after they take place. It is maintained on Google’s servers and takes up negligible space on your smartphone. A lawyer friend of mine has a client of his who is being audited and erased events as they were completed. Had they not been erased, the client would not have to go through hoops to recreate his Travel and Entertainment events. It would be right on his calendar and he would have a lot more time and money. You need to have a Google account to access and use the calendar. If you are not already using it give it a try. You may want to check out some of their features such as Year view, Jump to date and World clock. Its ease and convenience are why it the preferred calendar of many. You too may change calendars.If you have additional questions about how Google Calendar can used to better manage your time, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com It is truly a good time management tool.My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.
Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.
So you may have heard that Microsoft recently released the much anticipated Windows 8 operating system. It sure doesn’t look like those previous operating systems of Windows that you have seen. Don’t despair since Windows 8 was made with the future in mind as it works well with touchscreens and you will be seeing more touchscreen personal computers over the next few months. One of the first things you will notice is that there is no start tab. You’re wondering how to turn the computer off. Going to either the upper or lower right hand corner will bring up a bar known as the charms bar. The bottom icon there that looks like a cog a bicycle chain goes around is the Settings icon. Either click on it or if you have a touchscreen tap it and you will see the Power icon at the bottom. Select that and select “Sleep” “Restart” or “Shut Down”. You no longer are wondering how to shut your computer off.You also by now have probably noticed that the screen instead of showing the familiar icons on your desktop show tiles. Each of these tiles represents an app (Programs are now referred to as apps like the apps on your smartphone and your friend’s Mac programs which are also referred to as apps). Some of these apps show information. The weather tile shows the weather for the location noted. You can put a calculator app to do arithmetic operations. One great thing about this new screen is if you are looking for a file, setting, or app just start typing the name of it. Once you start the search screen will show. You can see where your search query for apps, settings, files. Also expect to see more Windows 8 phones out there in the next few months. Don’t despair about not seeing a desktop. There is a desktop tile. By tapping it if you have a touchscreen or moving your mouse to it and left clicking, the old traditional desktop (without the start tab) will show. One disadvantage of the new Windows 8 is when you go to delete a file there is no longer a confirmation asking if you wish to do so. No last chance to change your mind. However all is not lost. By going to the recycle bin and right-clicking on it, choose Properties, and check the "Display Delete Confirmation Dialog" box. You now will have that last chance to make sure that you truly want to delete that file. Another disadvantage is a longer learning curve going to a new operating system. The advantages however outweigh the disadvantages.So should you upgrade to Windows 8? Windows 8 Pro is available for $39.99 but that is only until January 31, 2013. Unless you are upgrading from Windows 7 you will need to reinstall your apps. I upgraded due to business considerations since I will be setting up new computers that use Windows 8 and training people to use it. There is the learning curve I mentioned earlier and you need to get used to not having a start tab. File Explorer (formerly Windows Explorer), is a lot more user friendly, security is improved and boot time is faster making it a possible investment if you are still using Windows Vista or Windows XP. That said, given the age of your computer if you are using XP or Vista, replacing your computer may be a more feasible option. If you have XP or Vista currently, while Windows 8 requires a minimum of a 1GHz processor I would recommend a minimum of 2 GHz. Other than the tiled apps, there is not a real big change between Windows 7 and Windows 8.
If you have additional questions about Windows 8, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com
My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.Computer training and many types of computer repairs can be done remotely. If you or someone you know needs either training to better use your computer or repairs I am now doing it on a remote basis in addition to in person locally.
http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2012/10/joinme-how-to-use-to-allow-someone-to-remotely-view-and-control-your-computer.html takes you to a narrative to use Join.me. It is a very user friendly site and it is easy to temporarily allow control of your computer. I also did an online video as well which is on the following link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyRSqpYNVQY
Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.
So who out there after reading my recent article about backing up http://goo.gl/c2Gl0 still doesn’t back up their data files? I emphasize it in discussions with clients, friends and colleagues yet many people still do not back up their data files or if they do it is not often enough. Their excuses range from: I have no important files; I'll get to it; I can get my files; I don't want to spend the money. The big reason to back up your data is this: In the event of a hard drive failure for whatever reason, you have a backup copy of your data. Important documents, sentimental pictures of children, grandchildren and other loved ones will not be lost in the event your hard drive fails. If you are one of those who still do not back up your files, this is a must read.
Let's address each of these excuses one by one:
-- I have a good friend of mine who never backed up his files. His excuse was that he had no important files. Recently he had an issue where he thought his hard drive had crashed. Suddenly he had important files (including pictures from a recent trip) on his hard drive that he needed to have. Fortunately the issue was not with his hard drive but rather another issue. His data was saved.
-- "I'll get to it" is another excuse I have heard a few times. This is a variation of, “I don’t have the time.” Hopefully when you get to it will be before your hard drive fails. If you have a hard drive failure it is too late. If you are a heavy computer user, you should back up your data once a day. I know someone who had their tax return on their hard drive. He was going eventually do a backup. Unfortunately, the hard drive crashed and he lost his tax return and the worksheets he used to prepare it.
-- "I don't want to spend money on it" – To paraphrase John Wooden, “If you don’t want to spend the money to back up your data, how about spending a whole lot more to get back the data should you have a hard drive failure?” That is if the data can be recovered. I checked with a national chain. If they can do the job in house the cost would be between $100 - $160 with it being ready in 2-4 days. If it needs to be sent to a data retrieval service the cost can run as high as a few thousand dollars. It will not be ready in 2-4 days but 2-3 weeks. How long can you wait for your data? Your costs to backup your data may even be FREE. Backing up will greatly lessen the anxiety of a hard drive failure.
-- "I can get my files" - A hard drive failure can occur without any previous warning. How will you get your data? See above paragraph for how long it would take and the cost.
The bottom line is you must have a backup in the event your hard drive fails. In the event of a failure you will be glad you had that backup. What would be the cost to you of losing a resume, pictures of children and grandchildren, tax returns saved on your computer with worksheets, schedules, etc? Backing up will save you money, time and aggravation. If you know someone who does not back up their computer, please for their sake make sure they read this.
What is the best way to do a backup? It depends on a few factors such as how much data is on your computer.
If you have additional questions about backing up your files, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.Computer training and many types of computer repairs can be done remotely. If you or someone you know needs either training to better use your computer or repairs I am now doing it on a remote basis in addition to in person locally.
http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2012/10/joinme-how-to-use-to-allow-someone-to-remotely-view-and-control-your-computer.html takes you to a narrative to use Join.me. It is a very user friendly site and it is easy to temporarily allow control of your computer. I also did an online video as well which is on the following link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyRSqpYNVQY
Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.
If you are having a computer problem someone elsewhere can view your screen and/or remotely control your computer temporarily to fix the problem. JoinMe is a good program to use. I have used it to help others fix their computer problems. It is very user friendly and no account setup is needed. There is both a free and paid version. I personally have not found a need for the paid version which currently costs $149 for an annual membership or $19 if you choose to use the paid service by the month. Note that if you are not connected to the internet, you cannot use this or any other program to share your computer with someone remotely. You also have the ability to talk or have a chat using Join.me.
The first thing you need to do if you have not already done so is to download the Join.me program onto your computer. Using your internet browser (for purposes of this illustration I am using Internet Explorer (IE) type “Join.me” in the address bar and then press “Enter”. The illustration below shows where the address bar is in case you are not familiar with using your browser.
Once you are in Join.me what you will see will include something in the picture below. You will notice the word “share” in orange lettering. Underneath it is “pro” which is in white letters with a gray background.
What you want to do next is click on “basic” which is next to “pro”. “basic” will then be in white letters with a gray background as shown in the picture below. You then want to click on the orange arrow to begin the download of the program. The location of the arrow is shown in the blue arrow pointing to it. Clicking on the orange arrow will begin the download. You may be prompted as to whether you wish to download the program. Select “Run” and then “Yes” or some variant of the affirmative. Once the download has completed and it should only take about a minute. The following icon will appear on your computer screen with other icons you have. For future sessions, clicking on this icon will allow you to share your screen and control of your computer in the manner shown below. The toolbar shown in the picture below is now showing. When you click on the Join.me icon above in the future it will bring up the same toolbar. Note that the mouse icon is gray. Keep this in mind for when you actually give control of your computer. You also will notice a 9 digit number. Every time you share your screen with someone, this number will change. It is the number you give to the person you wish to view your screen and if you desire also control your computer. When you give the other person the 9 digit number, they enter it from their own Join.me toolbar. Upon doing so, the mouse icon will turn from gray to orange. Once this occurs, your clicking on it will allow the person you have shared your screen with to control your computer. Once you click on the icon you will see underneath the mouse icon a menu to determine which viewer you wish to share control of your computer with. Assuming that only one person is viewing your screen, click on “Viewer 1” or the name of the person if the person has entered their name. If more than one person is viewing your computer, click on the viewer you wish to control your computer.
Once you have allowed control of your computer, the mouse icon will have an “x”. When you press the mouse icon at this point and underneath the icon select “stop sharing control”, the person you have been allowing to control your computer will no longer be allowed to control your computer until the next session when the process will need to start over.
Pressing the “x” in the program will allow you to exit Join.me. You will then be prompted “Exit join.me?” Clicking “exit” which is in orange with white lettering will exit you from the program.If you have additional questions about storing information on the internet, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com
My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.
Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.
Recently I read a blog post on Bayside Patchwhere the writer mentioned that many of us have become addicted to the online world. There were some very valid points that the author brought up. That said there are also ways that being online has given us free time as opposed to taking away time.We have become an information society where information is both available and demanded quicker. The killing of Osama Bin Laden and the death of Whitney Houston broke on Twitter before anywhere else. It used to be if you needed to do research you went to the library. Now you can do your research online. I can remember having to wait for the news to get weather and sports or dialing 976-1212 or 976-1313 which if I remember was a local call for charging purposes and the information I was looking for could be at the end. Today you can set alerts on your smartphone for the weather as well as the score of your favorite teams. If we are not, we all should be lifelong learners. Google “opencourseware” and see all the free college courses available online. YouTube is a good source of educational videos as well.It used to be that unless you ordered from mail order catalogues you had to spend time getting in your car and going to the store to buy what you were looking for. In this day of $4 a gallon gas, you can order going online any hour of the day from your home. You’re saving gas and driving time plus a lot of times the price is less than when you go to a store.Banking online is also a growing trend. You can pay your bills online automatically saving the time of writing a check to the same payee every month for the same amount. Paying bills online is faster and less expensive (think stamps). You no longer have to write the same checks every month.Text messaging has become a big thing with the younger generation. My sons do not want me leaving voice mail messages. They want me to leave text messages instead. Texts are quicker to read then listening to a voicemail. Grandparents have gotten on Facebook partially because that is how they find out what their grandchildren are up to. Our phone books and calendars are online. The list goes on.Being online can be a saver of time and money from the standpoint of business travel. There is less of a need to travel for business meetings in many cases. Meetings can be done via Skype, Google+ hangouts or another online medium. Time and money spent travelling are saved because these meetings can occur online. This can give some businesspeople more family time.Newspapers have fallen victim to the online world. The New Orleans Times Picayune will start publishing 3 days a week and will no longer be a daily paper. The news is more current online then the published version. Declining newspaper circulations are also saving trees as less paper is needed to reach the declining circulation.I mentioned Skype earlier. If you are unfamiliar with Skype, it enables you to have a video conference with another Skype user anytime, anywhere without a time limit for free. Not only does it have business uses but people are using it to keep in touch with out of town friends and family. It is touching to see grandparents talk about and seeing them have a conversation on Skype with their out of town grandchildren. I know of a family who lives in New York who did a Passover Seder with family in Australia using Skype. The telephone company used to say, “Long distance: the next best thing to being there.” In today’s word, Skype may be the next best thing to being there.While our online activity can be a distraction, it also can save time as well. Yes we have become addicted to the online world but so much is going on in today’s world that occurs there. I think we all have seen people together in a public place keeping busy on their phone rather than interacting. Is it necessary? Personally I can remember growing up playing in the park and playgrounds with friends and enjoying being outdoors. I am concerned when instead of enjoying our parks and playgrounds, young people are indoors playing games on their Wii, Xbox or another video game console. For those who feel the need to check their email or texts while connecting during dinner maybe a compromise is in order. Perhaps check to see if the call, message or email is something of a truly urgent nature. If not, it can wait. If it truly is urgent and by this I mean an emergency then yes take the call, answer the text or whatever. Otherwise use the time to connect with friends and loved ones. If you are interested in learning how to better use your technology and save some time of your own call me at (917) 572-3468.Computer Concierge NY LLC, provides expert computer and technology services in the Bayside, NY area, Including Queens, Albertson, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellrose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside vicinity. HRBHGV7C4DRDTweet
 Throgs Neck Bridge. Picture taken by Mike Klubok Owner of Computer Concierge NY LLC  Fort Totten This post could be adopted for almost any city, town, area etc. I live in Bayside,NY and most of my customers also live in Bayside as well. I have wanted to do a blog post about Bayside,NY for a while. Let me first say that for any of the products, businesses, etc. that I mention, I have not received any compensation or assurances, hints, discounts, etc of compensation as of March 30, 2012 for mentioning the products, businesses, etc in question by anyone. Bayside is bordered by Douglaston and Little Neck on the east, Flushing, Fresh Meadows and Whitestone on the west, Long Island Sound on the North and Jamaica on the south. Bayside includes the neighborhoods of Bay Terrace, Bayside Hills, and Oakland Gardens.When doing a Google search using "Bayside" the band Bayside from Queens is shown on the first page as well as a few Bayside, NY related pages and other terms having Bayside in it. Searching under the term "Bayside NY" yields more related to the area. (Hotels, Bay Terrace Shopping Center, Bayside Historical Society are a few).The local park is Fort Totten which gets a good amount of visitors for the views offered and the historical buildings. Check their website often as tours, fitness walks, canoeing are just a few of the things offered this summer. There will be other offerings in the fall. http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/forttotten/
 Bayside After the 2011 Blizzard. Picture taken by Mike Klubok Owner of Computer Concierge NY LLC _Bayside, NY also has many restaurants especially along Bell Blvd which is the main street and where most of the businesses are located. Doing a Google search "Bayside Restaurants" brings up a whole bunch of them mainly from Bayside, NY and also other locales such as Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach, Ca. Change your search to "Bayside NY Restaurants" for a more personalized listing. If you are interested in a particular ethnic cuisine just add that particular ethnic cuisine in your search terms. Note that adding a specific ethnic cuisine will possibly include restaurants outside of Bayside.
You can find out more about Bayside by using Facebook. Put "Bayside" in the search tab on top of the page and you get items for more than Bayside, NY including the band Bayside. Putting "Bayside NY" gives you largely co-op and condo buildings at first, then a few local businesses. Bayside Queens goes a little further. You can request to join a group "Bayside Queens" for starters. You can also search based upon the "Bay Terrace" and "Bayside Hills" sections. Keep in mind that there are likely to be others by those same name. There is a Bay Terrace section of Staten Island and related items will also show up when searching "Bay Terrace".
 Winter in Bayside Queens NY _Bayside has a prominent shopping center. The Bay Terrace Shopping Center is located in the Bay Terrace section and contains many well known stores and attracts shoppers from Bayside and the surrounding areas. Bay Terrace Shopping Center is a good place to meet for socializing as well as shopping. They also have a page on Facebook as well.Another good search are the following Wikipedia sites:- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayside,_Queens - Wikipedia article on Bayside.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Terrace,_Queens - Wikipedia article on Bay Terrace section of Bayside.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Queens_neighborhoods - List of Queens neighborhoods by geographical location.
The Wikipedia entries noted above also provide selected external links that may be of interest. Last but not least by going onto Twitter (you do not need to log in) and putting the terms "Bayside NY" or "Bayside Queens" you may just find something of interest.In all Bayside, NY is a nice area to live in or visit. See some of the pictures I have taken in the area and included. If you are new to or unfamiliar with the area, you can learn more about it by using the internet and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. If you live in Bayside, NY enjoy what Bayside has to offer. If you don't live in Bayside, you will be welcomed with open arms when visiting.Computer Concierge NY LLC, provides expert computer and technology services in the Bayside, NY area, Including Queens, Albertson, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellrose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside vicinity.
 Throgs Neck Bridge. Picture taken by Mike Klubok owner of Computer Concierge NY LLC.
It used to be when you bought a PC, a system repair disk was also included. This was useful in the event you needed to rebuild your system.
During this holiday season, many will be getting a new PC as a gift. What you will not receive is a system repair disk. This can be used to boot your computer in the event you are unable to from your hard drive, need to recover windows from a system error. You will need to make a system repair disk. This should be done as soon as possible after purchasing your new computer. It could end up being invaluable in the event of a system failure.
To create a system repair disk, click the "Start' button. In the address bar type "Backup" . Under "Programs" select "Backup and Restore". In the left pane is an option "Create a System Repair Disk". Select this. Insert a CD to create a system repair disk. When you are done creating your system repair disk make sure to put it in a safe place but not so safe a place you forget where.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
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