FREE Computer Information

The Benefits Of Having A Digital Calendar

5/29/2013

calendar, digital calendar, Google Calendar, organizer, time saver

A digital calendar has many advantages over a paper calendar.

If you still use a paper calendar instead of a digital calendar you are missing out. There are quite a few ways that having a digital calendar especially in today’s world where more and more people have smartphones is better than a paper calendar.

For me perhaps the biggest one is being able to share my calendar with my wife and vice-versa. She can see my schedule at a glance and I can see hers. If I need to schedule something I can look at my wife’s calendar to see if there is a conflict. I don’t have to tell someone that I need to check if my wife planned something since I can already see her schedule. I also allow my son who lives with us to see whether or not I have an appointment without him seeing the details of it.

I also can refer to past events quickly wherever I am. Most people do not keep paper calendars for years unless they have to for business reasons and/or tax purposes. They may have to search to remember where they put their paper calendar. Further if a paper calendar is lost then what? I may miss a scheduled appointment or have to call and reconfirm an appointment that I wasn’t sure of. With a digital calendar I can go to a computer, smartphone, etc. With a digital calendar you can go back years unless you erase an event after it occurs. I do not recommend that you do this and I do not erase events after they occur. A digital calendar hardly takes up space on a smartphone, iPad, etc. and you can access it offline as well. This is great for when travelling. If I am in a foreign country, I do not have to worry about incurring roaming charges for accessing it. I also do not have to worry about being somewhere without internet access. While I do not have events that go back that far, my Google Calendar allows me to go back to 1980 to see dates on my digital calendar. A paper calendar does not give me anywhere near this flexibility.

If I have an event that occurs the same time on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis I only need to enter it once and provide the recurring information. It is automatically added for the recurring dates. If I need to reschedule or cancel a date, I can do it for just that date. The recurring pattern is maintained for the other dates. Talk about a timesaver. Further if I need to change of cancel an appointment on a paper calendar a pencil can erase it but what if you only have a pen? Cross it out and if changed reenter it. It can get sloppy either way. With a digital calendar you can delete or move it as needed. You also have a limited amount of space to write information on a paper calendar. On my Google Calendar I have never gotten to the limit but I know there is a much higher limit. I can add website links if need be. I also can attach a file that I need the same way I can attach a file to an email message.

With a digital calendar, I can change my view whenever I need to. My default is daily but I can instantly change to a weekly, monthly or custom view. If I have a “week at a glance” or “month at a glance” calendar I am stuck with that view.

Now this is not a generational thing. My sons who are 19 & 21 both use a paper calendar. My wife and I use our digital calendar which is Google Calendar.

Yes there are advantages to using a paper calendar. Should there be a syncing problem between devices you could forget an appointment or if there is a power failure you could have issues accessing it but the advantages of a digital calendar greatly outweigh the disadvantages.

So do you use a paper calendar or a digital calendar? If you currently use a paper calendar will you at least consider trying a digital calendar such as Google Calendar?

If you want to know more about how you can digitalize your calendar I am available for that and 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

2/8/2013

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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.

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How To Stay Safe When Shopping Online

11/28/2012

More and more people are doing some or all of their holiday shopping online. It can be exciting to see all the online bargains that are out there. Shopping online can be safe if you follow the online safety tips below:

1.   Make sure your security software which includes anti-virus protection is up to date. Not having up to date security makes you an easy target for viruses and other unwanted intrusions.

2.   Only shop at a secure site. A secure site has “https” at the beginning of its website address. “https” means that the site is secure and that it encrypts the information that it sends.

3.   Don’t use a public wireless network. In the event there is a keystroke logger on that public computer you are using or sniffer intercepting data over a public Wi-Fi network you do not want to put information out there that can compromise your personal information. See my post on computer safety in public. http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2012/09/computer-safety-in-public.html

4.   Use credit cards instead of debit cards. Credit cards offer a much better level of protection when compared to debit cards. Further a debit card may put a freeze on your bank account that is in excess of the amount you are purchasing.

5.   Always monitor your account statements to ascertain that there are no unauthorized charges to your account. An aside here is to NEVER give out personal information should you receive a phone call, email, letter, etc mentioning that there is an issue with your account. Hang up (if it is a phone call) and call the number on the back of your credit card. The person calling could be trying to get personal information from you in order to steal your identity.

6.   As more and more purchases are being made from mobile devices, password protect your smartphone and/or tablet. Should it fall into the wrong hands, personal information is much more difficult to get.

7.   Don’t let browsers store passwords for you. Further you should have a different password for every account you use and the passwords should be difficult to crack. See my post on creating strong passwords. http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2012/06/you-need-secure-passwords-for-your-accounts-how-to-make-one.html

8.   Don’t use public computers. They are only as safe as the security the computer is using. Again see my post on computer safety in public. http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2012/09/computer-safety-in-public.html
If you still decide to use a public terminal make sure that you log out after using it.

9.   Phishing scams are more common at holiday time. If you receive an email saying that personal information is needed (passwords, social security numbers, birthdate, etc) do not give this information out. Someone may be trying to steal your identity.

10.   Many credit cards offer a temporary credit card that allows you to set an amount and timeframe for using it. Think about using one from your credit card provider if they offer it.

11.   Don’t click on links in emails as they may not take you to the site you think you are being taken to. Many phishing scams involve emails from what seem like legitimate sites such as banks, online stores, etc but actually send you to a phony site where they can gather your information to steal your identity.

12.   For those who are still concerned about shopping online, when you go to a restaurant do you pay by credit card? If so, that card goes through your waiter, cashier and who knows who else. There are a few chances to get the information needed to charge purchases to the card.

One last thing. Trust your gut feeling. If something appears shady during any part of the purchase process it very well may be, do not complete the transaction. Leave the site.

If you have additional questions about shopping safely online, 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.

Here’s to wishing all of you a very Happy Holiday Season.

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.

Should You Upgrade Your Computer to Windows 8?

11/16/2012

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.

Join.me When You Need To Share Your Computer With Someone Remotely

9/29/2012

If you are having a problem with your computer, someone elsewhere can view your screen and remotely control your computer temporarily to fix the problem. Join.me is a good program to use for this purpose. I have used it to help others fix their computer problems as well as show them how to better use their computer. It is very user friendly, easily installed in under a minute and no account setup is needed. There is both a free and pro version. I personally have not found a need for the pro version which currently costs $149 annually or $19 if you choose to use it by the month. For either version you can send files between all users. 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 or to view someone else's. You also have the ability to talk online or have an online chat using Join.me as well. As mentioned, the whole process of downloading the Join.me program and placing the toolbar on your computer takes under a minute. When you first go to Join.me you will see a screen that looks similar to the one below. Under, "share your screen" click on "basic" and then click on the orange arrow key. This will begin your download. Follow the prompts and the Join.me toolbar will be in the upper middle of your screen. If you need to view someone else's screen enter the 9 digit code that the person sharing your screen gives to you and press the green arrow.

By just sharing your screen, you can use Join.me for doing a presentation as well. It is more than just a program to use if you have a computer problem or to solve someone else’s. I also know of a husband and wife who reviewed travel plans using it when one of them was out of town. These are just by using the free version. The pro version offers you such features as presenter swap, meeting scheduler and international conference lines. Whether or not you feel a need to use the pro version is up to you but as you can see, the free version has some good uses.

If you have additional questions about whether sharing your computer, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com

My Facebook page http://on.fb.me/MikesCCNY provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your computer and smartphone. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC, provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens New York area, Including Albertson, Bayside, 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. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Boomerang

10/27/2011

For those using Gmail who wish they could schedule their messages for future delivery Boomerang is for you. You can write that email now and schedule it to automatically be sent at the date and time you choose. You do not need to be logged in to Gmail, the internet or have your computer on at the time scheduled. An advantage of this is when sending an email to someone outside your time zone, you can make sure they receive the message first thing in the morning their time. Say you're emailing a friend/customer in London during the early evening your time. You can schedule the email to be sent 8AM their time so they receive it during the start of their day while you are asleep. It will be closer to the top of their inbox.

You can design a birthday card, anniversary card, etc. attach it to an email a few days prior and have the email sent to that person on that special day. You may forget to send it but Boomerang won't.

While you can use Google Calendar for reminders, you also can use Boomerang as an email reminder service. You can set an email to be sent to you reminding you of a meeting, to pay a certain bill, etc. Further if you receive an email confirming an event, you have the ability to send it to Boomerang. Boomerang will remove it from your inbox and put it there at the time you designate to remind you of the event. If the confirmation mentions a date and time, Boomerang will suggest a date and time to send the reminder.

You can also set up a reminder for you to follow up on a message you send. You can set it to remind you to follow up if the person you sent it to does not respond or regardless if the person responds or not. The reminder will go to your inbox at the top and is marked unread. You also can use this feature for a cleaner inbox. Boomerang will store a message on their server and return the email to your inbox at the time you note that you need it.

Go to http://www.boomeranggmail.com/ to download the program.

Do You Think Setting Up Your Computer Is As Easy as Taking It Out of the Box and Following the On Screen Instructions?

10/6/2011

My 17 year old son who is somewhat tech savvy got a new laptop computer last month. As such, I did not expect him to ask me for help in setting up his new computer. Even afterwards he had a question since his screensaver was not working properly which I promptly fixed for him.It got me thinking and realizing how much more there is to setting up a computer than just taking it out of the box, making the necessary connections and following the on screen instructions. I always knew, but with my 17 year old asking for help did not realize how much more it truly is.

Here are just a few things to consider:
1. Do you know which programs need to open when you start your computer? Unnecessary programs opening
when you start your computer up will slow start time.
2. Do you have a system recovery disk should you ever need it?
3. Do you know the correct update setting for your computer to use? Make the wrong selection and you are
more likely to get a virus or have another computer problem.
4. Do you know what to do when your factory installed antivirus program expires? This will occur shortly after
you purchase your new computer. The right move will keep your computer virus free and save you money in
the long run.
5. Do you know how to set up your computer to find and open your favorite programs and files quicker?

If you live in Queens or Nassau County, NY call me at 917.572.3468. Installing computers is just one of the technology services I offer. I also provide expert computer training as well as training on your iPad, iPhone or Android in the convenience of your home (seniors a specialty) as well as computer troubleshooting, printer setup, computer repair, computer support,wireless networks, and more.

iPhone training, iPad training

Computer Concierge NY LLC, provides expert computer 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.

How I Backup My Files.

6/30/2011

Possibly due to my posts about the importance of backing up files http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2011/05/so-why-do-you-not-back-up-your-files.html as well as being the owner of Computer Concierge NY LLC, I have been asked how do I back up my files. Let me first say that for any of the products I mention, I have not received any compensation or assurances, hints, discounts, etc of compensation as of June 30, 2011 for mentioning the products in question by anyone.

I use an external Western Digital Hardrive Model #WDBAAA6400ABK-NESN that I purchased from Amazon. It provides for automatic and continuous backups. If any file of mine is changed it is backed up when I close the file. When I have had to rebuild my system, it has worked fine and I was able to restore all my files. Further if I need to go back to a previous version of a file I am able to do that as well. My personal setting is where I can go back up to 5 file versions prior to the current one. I also have backups on several DVDs I keep offsite that I update about monthly. One of these is constantly updated while for the other DVDs it is a 1 time deal once the DVD is filled. Should there ever be some sort of catastrophe at home or if the external hard drive fails, I have a way of going offsite and getting back the contents of my files. It is recommended that you have another backup away from your computer should this instance occur.

I also am a Dropbox user. I have blogged about Dropbox in the past. http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2010/06/dropbox-a-real-good-program-for-file-sharing-and-accessing-files-away-from-your-computer.html I recommend it for all. You can sync up to 2 gb for free to your Dropbox account. However there are ways to get even more storage free. The most common is suggesting it to someone and when they become a Dropbox user from your suggestion both of you get an extra 250mg of storage.

This is the backup system that works for me. What type of backup system you need depends on various factors. For those living in Queens and Nassau County, NY call me at 917.572.3468. I can determine the backup plan that is best for you. Many people think a hard drive failure cannot happen to them. Nothing is farther from the truth. You need to have a backup plan and follow it before it is too late.

Maps Online - Part I

6/6/2011

Some may remember the days of going to the neighborhood gas station and getting a free map to plan your trip or if it was a trip farther away, writing and getting directions from the oil companies such as Sinclair, Esso, etc. Well those days are long gone. They have been replaced by online maps, GPSes and even smartphones.

For online mapping there are 4 primary websites: Bing Maps, Google Maps, MapQuest and Yahoo Maps. Bing Maps, MapQuest and Yahoo Maps will be covered in this blog. Google Maps will be covered in a future blog.

Bing Maps is the new map on the block comparatively speaking. The map allows you to get directions for driving, walking or public transportation. It also is easy to send the directions to your email or cell phone. You can get directions based upon current real time traffic conditions though this is generally limited to the major thoroughfares. Directions do note at the end of the route if you have reached a certain location that you have gone too far which is a nice touch. The "What's Nearby" feature is also useful. I found it easy to zoom in and out using the road view and arial view. Where it has already been photographed, the Streetside view has clear pictures an certainly clearer than the heralded Google Maps. However when moving along the street in Streetside view there is not an indication of about where you are. I do like the 3D views with which you can rotate/pan and zoom functions. That said, it is relatively slow to open and also to go from view to view as well as going to the location you choose. There is certainly room for improvement here. Also if you wish to reverse your route after you have gotten directions, you need to go back to the search page. This is not a good thing.

MapQuest has a lot of the features that the others have with 1 notable exception. You cannot use your scroll wheel to zoom in and out on the map. You can only get directions by car. No walking, public transit, etc. directions can be obtained using MapQuest. It has a street view known as 360 view but the areas available are relatively few and slower than expected. I did not find 360 view to be user friendly. Like the others, there is a way to search for businesses in the area. MapQuesthas a drop down menu of choices or you type your own in the search bar under "Find a Business". A real good feature of MapQuest when searching for directions is you can get turn by turndirections if you wish. This and Google Maps are the only ones of the 4 maps where you can do this. Bing Maps allow you to go to the text indicating the turns and click to go to the location on the map but MapQuest's turn by turn directions is preferred.

Yahoo Maps offers live traffic and a points of interest finder. It also computes a route rather quickly. Yahoo Maps is better used to computing a route by car. There is not a way to determine a route by other means. Yahoo Maps is also the only map that I am reviewing that does not have any drop down menu for locating businesses. Google Maps does have a very limited one which is stretching it a bit and will be covered in a future blog as noted earlier. You also can use it to find a business along the map that is showing on the screen. This is done by typing the category in the search bar under "Find a Business on a Map". It is more of a no frills map to mainly be used for directions by auto and finding a business. There is no street view like in Bing Maps or Google Maps. Further you cannot get a map for turn by turn directions or click on the text directions to go to that part on the map.

One final note here. All 4 maps allow you to click to change a route by dragging any part of the route.

Also for those subscribing by email to my blogs, please check your spam settings if you are not receiving them. Some have noted that the email of this blog has gone to their spam folder. It should be marked as "not Spam".

Password Protection Revisited

5/29/2011

A few months back I did a post on password protection. http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2010/06/password-protection.html. As a follow up there are additional items to consider regarding password protection. My previous post mentioned that a secure password should have a minimum of 8 characters. The thinking regarding this minimum number is changing to where a minimum of 12 and up to 14 characters should be used for a secure password. Microsoft has a website where you can check your password strength as shown. http://bit.ly/1F3MKA They recommend a minimum of 14 characters.

An important thing to consider is when you set up a user name and password on a site, you may have to answer at least 1 security question. This is in the event you forget your password, the site will ask you a question that you need to answer correctly in order to regain access to your account. Perhaps the most common is asking for your mother's maiden name. As I am noting in the next paragraph, be careful of how you answer these questions. You do not have to give a correct answer but remember the answer you give.

A while back I wrote on how your future employer gets to know you before they meet you. http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2010/06/your-future-employer-how-they-get-to-know-you-before-they-meet-you.html In it I mentioned why you need to be careful about what you post online. Here is another reason. What you post can directly and indirectly be used to obtain information that can answer those security questions and not necessarily posted by you. For example the question of your mother's maiden name. If your mother is a Facebook friend of yours and uses her maiden name as part of her name, there is the answer to the question of your mother's maiden name. For the question of your mother's maiden name, you may want to use something else like a neighbor's last name, a friend's maiden name, etc. Discover Card asks the question "What city were you married in?" If you have been married more than once, you can use the city of your first marriage. I think you get what I am saying here. During the 2008 presidential election, Sarah Palin's personal email account was hacked because a lot of her personal information was out there and the hacker knew the information needed to answer her security question.

In closing, be careful again of what you post online. This information can be used to access online accounts that you would not want others to access.

Capturing What You See on Your Screen

5/16/2011

Ever want to grab part or all of what you see on your screen? Want to email some or all of what you see on your screen? The Snipping Tool is for you. This tool is included in the Windows7 and Vista operating systems. To access it go to the "Start" tab and in the search bar type in "snipping tool". You will then see the icon to click for the Snipping tool at the top left of the start menu .

Note that you are limited to what you are able to see on the screen view. You can select all of what you see or some of it. You have the choice of a rectangular snip, free form snip, window snip or full screen snip. You select this by selecting the down arrow in the drop down menu next to "New". With the rectangular snip, you are able to snip in a rectangular form what you see on your screen. The free form snip is just that. You can snip whatever shape of your screen view to capture whether it be a triangle, circle, etc. With the window snip you select a window that you have opened that you wish to capture. The full screen snip is just that. What you see on your screen is what is captured.

Once you have captured your screenshot, you can make your own notes and/or highlight selected areas on what you just captured in the captured file. You also have the ability to email your finished product. You also have the ability to save your capture.

The Snipping Tool is a handy tool and can make your computer life a bit easier. Give it a try sometime.

Take College Courses Online for Free

5/6/2011

On the web there are many good sites for learning to put it mildly. But did you know you can take college courses online for free? For some of these you can listen online to prerecorded lectures/discussions. http://www.ocwconsortium.org/ has a listing of courses online. MIT has courses there as well on http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm . Another good site is http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/whats-on.html. The latter has mainly courses on audio. Among other colleges having open courseware are Tufts, Notre Dame and Yale a pretty good selection to say the least. Just do a google search for "opencourseware". Best of all they are free! A lot also have downloadable handouts as well. You also can search on youtube.com for lectures and courses. Type the name of the college or university followed by lectures or courses and see the selection available. A good way to continue your lifelong learning with no admissions application, tuition, fees or other costs.

A Concern About Yahoo Calendar

4/28/2011

Earlier this week I was helping a friend who uses Yahoo Calendar and was having issues with it. What I found was cause for concern. I did a little research using my existing Yahoo account which I do not use much anymore. Let me first start by saying that between Friday February 18 and Monday February 21 the calender that was in beta version for Yahoo was released as their new version. My friend had prior to February 18 converted from the older calendar version to the beta version and was having issues with the beta version. This past Friday that version was still in beta. With my Yahoo account I successfully converted my calendar to the beta version. I saw this disclaimer which led me to believe I could switch back if I was not satisfied with the beta version (see the disclaimer terms noted in 2). I switched to the beta version with the intent of switching back as there was nothing in the disclaimer to make me believe I could not switch. As a matter of fact,what was mentioned was what I would lose if I decided to switch back. However, when I tried switching back there was not a way for me to switch back. Upon further searching, I found a link that I cannot switch back to prior version. While I certainly do not think that Yahoo deliberately is setting up people to switch, I do feel that given the disclaimer I should have been able to switch back. With Yahoo Mail,one can choose from their current version, classic version and beta version switching as you see fit. Why can you not go between the old and new Yahoo calendar versions? I will add here that if you have had an existing Yahoo account, you are not presently required to switch to the new calendar. However if you were to now open up a new Yahoo account, you are given the new calendar version.

My concern is that there are likely others who made this switch but were not able to switch back. As I noted, in Yahoo mail you can go back and forth between 3 versions including the beta. Why not allow the same for their calendar especially in light of what I had mentioned? If anyone from Yahoo reads this and wishes to respond, I will publish their response. We all know Yahoo has been having issues as of late and has reduced staff. They should step up here. When I used their service on a more frequent basis, I was satisfied. I note that Google's email service and calendar surpassed them a while back. Their new calendar still does not have quite a few features that Google has but it is improved and I like the interface better than their previous calendar. I hope that Yahoo does the right thing and allows those who use the new Yahoo calendar to revert back to the previous version if they wish.

Password Protection

3/21/2011

Just like you want a good lock to protect your home and valuables from unwanted intruders, you want a good password to protect your financial and other personal data from prying eyes both online and offline. A good strong password will allow you safer online transactions.

A few years ago, a computer professional using the name of John P. wrote how quickly he could crack a password based upon the password length and types of characters used while on a computer. For 3 characters it was 0.86 seconds using all types of characters (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, characters) and .02 seconds using only lowercase characters in your password. For 8 characters the times were 2.10 centuries and 2.42 days respectively. The assumption is that you were not using a word in the dictionary. Going from 8 to 9 characters increased the time to 20 millennia and 2.07 months respectively.

That said, certain websites financial websites in particular have a protocol that must be followed when setting up a password on their site.

A good password includes upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols and has a minimum of 8 characters. There are password checkers out there to check the strength of your password. A good one is Passwordmeter.com

“Whisper32” is a freeware password manager program to download. You can store passwords on it. You need to have a password to open your saved file.  Click to open Whisper32 download.

You also should NEVER use the following as passwords as they will make it easier to crack your password:

a.      Your name & other personal information like birthday, spouse’s name, SS#, etcb.      Sites namec.       “Password”d.      Dictionary words in any languagee.      Sequences or related characters – 123456, abcdef, 222222
While we are on the subject of passwords, it is easy and convenient to enable the option to remember passwords. This will enable anyone using the computer being used to log into the site without knowing your password. Especially when using a laptop, you should disable this option whenever it is given. It is another layer in staying secure. Needless to say always disable when you are on a public computer. Also when you are on a public computer, before you leave and you are still using the web browser remember to delete all browsing history, cookies, etc. In Internet Explorer 8 select the Tools option from the menu. Then select "Internet Options" and then "Browsing History". Select "Delete" to delete.

By following the above, you will make your internet browsing much safer and secure from hackers and intruders.

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