How Seniors Benefit From Computers

05/08/2013

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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.

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Tech Precautions To Take In Advance Of The Blizzard

02/08/2013

 
Bayside NY, nyc, new york, in queens ny, queens, queens ny, Bayside queens
Winter in Bayside NY. Picture taken by Mike Klubok of Computer Concierge NY LLC.
With the impending arrival of the 2013 blizzard please look at the attached link.  http://mashable.com/2012/07/03/charging-solutions/ about some ways you may be able to recharge your devices in the event you lose power. (If you are charging your phone inside a garage make sure the garage door is opened.) Cell phone towers may be down and you may lose internet service but keep in mind that most smartphones have a built in light that could come in handy during these times.  Also at this time if you are not using your cellphone, keep it charged. Use your phone as sparingly as possible to preserve power.  Dim the display on your smartphone to preserve power.  On a personal note, since I will not be using my cellphone during the evening I will be turning it off to preserve my battery in case we lose power.  Also use text messaging to reach out as this is likely to be more successful.  One thing people did after Hurricane Sandy was to use wireless networks where free Wi-Fi is offered such as Starbucks (inside or outside).

Before retiring, it will be a good idea to disconnect electrical power to televisions, computers, printers, etc.  Have copies of any prescriptions.  Use a smartphone if you have one or a phone with a camera to take a picture of them.

If you bank online, you may want to make sure that all bills that need to be paid in the next several days are accounted for and that you have money in your accounts to cover any recurring and other payments that you have set up.  If you lose power, you may not be able to pay these bills and transfer money between accounts till power is restored.

Most of all be safe.  Unless you absolutely have to go out, stay indoors.  Being safe is of utmost importance. Use common sense.  Fill up water bottles, tea pots, etc..

As always I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 for your technology problems.

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.
 

Join.Me - How To Use to Allow Someone to Remotely View and Control Your Computer 

10/15/2012

 
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.
 

Better Control Your Facebook Privacy

05/23/2012

 


You probably have heard about Facebook sharing too much of your information.

Hopefully, you also are concerned about what Facebook does with your information. Ever wonder how they suggest "friends" to you or how the ads you see appear to be aligned with your interests?

While Facebook does not have the best track record regarding privacy, there are a few things you can do that can improve your privacy on Facebook.

Given Facebook's privacy policy, which seems to constantly be changing, you'll want to set up your preferences where you have as much control as possible. One in 10 Facebook users in the US ignore Facebook privacy settings. That is 13 million people.

More than 60 percent of apps users do not use privacy controls. If you have not already done so, the first thing you need to do if you are allowing others to see your date of birth is to make sure no one can see your birth year. By clicking on "Update Info" go to "Basic Info." Under your birthday, make sure that the option under your birthdate does not enable the year to be shown.

Doing this makes it more difficult to steal your identity. It usually is also a good idea to set your telephone number to be seen by "Only Me." There also is probably no need to put your address on Facebook as well.

Regarding the other information about you, you should determine what you are comfortable sharing and with whom. I worked with a client recently who did not want to put too much information about herself and then decided to put and share her hometown in the hope of finding some old friends. Most of my information and posts I share with friends only. That is my personal comfort zone. 

In "Privacy Settings," you'll likely want to set your default privacy to friends. Under "Timeline and Tagging," you'll want the ability to review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline. Turn this option "On."

In "Privacy Settings" under "Apps You Use," you can edit the settings for your apps. In the individual apps, you'll likely want to limit who can see the posts the app makes for you to "Only Me."

There are more ways to increase your Facebook privacy. These are just some of them. As Facebook's settings are subject to change, you should review yours every so often. Regardless of your privacy settings, you always want to be careful of what you post on Facebook. If you have specific questions regarding your Facebook account, I am available 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.




 
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