 Yes you can combine the contents of iTunes accounts. I have been getting questions from both married and non-married couples about merging their iTunes accounts. Currently and I do not anticipate this changing, you cannot merge iTunes accounts. You can however combine the contents of more than one iTunes account which I have done for a few clients and it can be an involved process. What I will discuss here are issues to consider after combining the contents of the respective iTunes accounts into one iTunes account. For discussion purposes let’s assume that you will be using the iTunes account with your iPad. You can determine what in iTunes you wish synced to your device. For your music, every song should be in at least one playlist. Not everyone including your significant other will like all of the same songs. As such, you will not want to sync all. You can sync your music by any combination of playlists, artists, genres and albums. Having every song in at least one playlist provides you greater flexibility with these options. You also need to determine which apps on the combined iTunes account you want on your iPad. If you want apps on your iPad removed then in the Apps section under your iPad select those Apps you wish removed. For any Movies, TV Shows and Podcasts on the combined iTunes account, select the option you wish for each. You can choose not to sync them, all unplayed, 1 of the most recent unplayed, 5 of the most recent new, all, among other options. For Books, you can sync all, some or no books. Make your desired selection. With photos, you will choose the pictures you wish synced to your iPad by folders. Again you can choose not to sync photos, sync from some or all folders. It is your choice. As you can see the options are not all or none. You have a large amount of control over what you wish to have synced from the combined account to your iPad. Keep in mind that you also can change these selections later on. You are not locked into them. Becoming a couple can become an exciting time. Successfully blending your iTunes contents can be another part of the experience. If you have further questions about combining iTunes accounts, 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 technology. 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.
 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.
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.
 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.
 You’re on vacation and you just lost your driver’s license and/or other important papers. You no longer have the federal or state issued photo ID to expedite getting through security. What do you do?
In today’s world you can save copies of important documents on the internet. Whether it be from your smartphone, iPad or another computer, you have the ability to get copies of important papers should a travel emergency occur. Note that should a situation arise at home as well, having this information on the internet can make life easier for you as well.
Evernote is one good place to put this information. You can store pictures as well as writing notes about important information. Need to keep a copy of your driver’s license and passport? Evernote is a good option.
Before I got my smartphone I found it to be a good idea to scan all except the credit cards and then save it to a Microsoft Word (MS Word) file. As for credit cards, I make a list of that using MS Excel. I have the name of the card in one column, the card number in another column and a contact number in a third column. You can also do a list in MS Word. Using MS Excel is a personal preference as I find it easier to work with this information using MS Excel. Today I would take a picture with my smartphone and upload it before saving it as an MS Word file.
When saving these files I make sure to password protect them. I then email the file to myself. What I am doing here is adding an extra layer of security to information that if it fell into the wrong hands would make me more susceptible to identity theft. One would need to know both my email password as well as the password I am using to protect the respective files that contain this sensitive data. I would suggest making the passwords for your email and files different.
One does not have to limit this to just credit cards, passport and drivers license. Scanning current drug prescriptions you are using and saving them to MS Word is another good idea where you have a copy of the prescription. If you were to lose the prescription drugs you had packed, you should have an easier time refilling it. You can also put the numbers of your travelers checks in a file as well. My contacts list in my email account is my phone book. Should I need a number I can get it wherever I have an internet connection which includes my smartphone. While we are on the subject of prescription drugs, it is a good idea to have a picture of the case, box, etc with the drug information on your phone. If you are seeing a doctor who is not familiar with you and asks for a list of the drugs you take, this will come in handy.
Doing all of these is not a magic bullet should you have a loss. It will however make it easier to travel and in the case of a passport get a replacement more easily. I would also suggest that you avoid using an unsecured public wireless network to obtain any of this.
Hopefully you will never need to access these files in an emergency. However, having them should the need arise will make your life easier.
There is no one correct way to be proactive here. I have just given 2 ways. Please feel free to mention how you store this information online and if you would put any additional information out there.
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 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.
With summer here many of us are taking trips with our cars. If you are looking for the lowest gas price while on your travels or even locally you may want to think of having the GasBuddy app on your smartphone. GasBuddy is a great app to help you find the lowest price in your area. If you do not have a smartphone you can go to http://gasbuddy.com and search before you hit the road. The prices are for areas in the US and Canada and the various grades of gas. Prices are obtained from members and you can see when the price was entered as well. By removing the price data after 72 hours for each station, you are assured the prices are current. The site is free, has about 5 million users and is advertising supported.Gas prices can widely vary in an immediate area. I have used it on my trips and found it to be useful in finding the lowest prices wherever I was. When we were in Maine last summer, prices in a small area varied as much as $0.20 per gallon. The app also gives directions to get to that gas station as well. Just make sure that a passenger is doing the search for you or you have pulled over to the side of the road if you are doing the search yourself.So give the site a try and/or add it as an app to your smartphone and start saving. You may decide that you too wish to become a contributing member and help yourself and others find the lowest priced gas in your area.If you have further questions or wish to know of other apps that may be useful to you, please call me at 917.572.3468.
|
RSS Feed