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Do You Know These 7 Ways To Do A Better Google Search?

11/8/2016

Google search, google search bar, google, www google com, search, computer skills, Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, computer skills, computer training, computer repair, computer seniors

There Are Ways To Do A Better Google Search. Here Are 7 Of Them

Ever wish there was a better way to do a Google search? Google is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “to use the Google search engine to obtain information about (as a person) on the World Wide Web.
While the dictionary gives a definition of the word “Google”, it does not give tips on how to do a Google search. So here are 7 ways to do a better and more meaningful search using Google. Note that the actual characters to type are in bold to not confuse you since there are times you want to use quotes in doing a search. Also searches are not case sensitive so it doesn’t matter if your search is in upper or lower case characters.

Use quotes - Want to search for a quote, a name, phrase? Put it in quotes. Your search results will show only the same words in the same order of how the words are quoted. I use this when I am searching a name. My results are more concise than if I did not use quotes. Not using quotes will show results with all words that are in my search. For example if I do a search using the words hole in one without quotes, I will see results with all of the following in it: hole, in, one. This does not matter where they appear on the webpage. If my search is “hole in one” I will only see results with that exact phrase.
Use a – sign. What this does is to eliminate the results from any search with a word that is right after the minus sign. For example if I did a search on the word mantle, I may see results that would include Mickey Mantle. If my search is mantle -mickey unless it is a paid ad I will not see results for mantle that include mickey.
Search within a website: Want to search for Mickey Mantle but only on a site such as CNN? There is a way to do so. By typing, Site:CNN.com Mickey Mantle I will only get results containing the words Mickey and Mantle within the CNN.com website
Get a definition for a word. You may get a definition for a one word search. To be sure you get the desired definition type the following: Define:Google
Search within a selected period of time. From a Google search page below the search bar are various menu items including “All” and “Images” The last choice is “Search Tools”. By clicking on that, there is a drop down menu that includes “Any Time” Click on that and there are pre-determined time period choices or by selecting “Custom Range” you can select the date range you wish to search. I find this effective when doing a search for remedies to computer issues.
Use #and# separator. Let’s say I want to do a search about baseball great Tom Seaver and only have results about the world series. I would do this Tom Seaver#and#world series. To do a better search, I would incorporate quotes in my search as such, “Tom Seaver”#and#”world series” The 1st example talks about using quotes.
Want to see specific showtimes for a movie in your area? In the Google search bar just type the movie name in and voila, the movie theaters and times it is showing will show on the page. If you want to see showing times for an area not near you, type the movie name and also type in the zip code of the area you wish to see the movie in.

Here are 7 ways that will make your Google search more effective. After reading this and trying a few searches, what are your thoughts?

If you wish to know more about using Google or other technology issues I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

And remember you, your friends and your family can get my blog and newsletter right to your inbox by filling out the form below.

Computer Concierge NY LLC operates in Queens NYC. We provide expert computer repair, computer training and other technology services in the Queens NYC area. This includes Queens| Bayside| Bellerose| College Point| Douglaston| Floral Park| Flushing| Forest Hills| Great Neck| Jackson Heights| Jamaica Estates| Kew Gardens| Manhattan| New Hyde Park| North Hills| North Shore Towers| Rego Park| The Bay Club| Williston Park| Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside New York vicinity. These include zip codes: 10003| 10017| 11005| 11020| 11021| 11022| 11023| 11030| 11355| 11356| 11357| 11358| 11360| 11361| 11362| 11363| 11364| 11367| 11374| 11375| 11415| 11418| 11423| 11426| 11427| 11432 Our online services are provided in NYC as well as worldwide.

Making Your Computer Personal by Mike Klubok - Computer Concierge NY LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Forest Hills and the Internet

3/15/2016

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, forest hills, forest park, queens, queens ny, computer training forest hills, forest hills gardens, forest hills queens, 11375, Flushing Meadows Park

You May Remember This Area In Forest Hills From The Movie "Spider Man"

This post could be adopted for almost any city, town, area etc. I have been many times to Forest Hills, NY and have clients there as well. I have wanted to do a blog post about Forest Hills 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. Forest Hills is bordered by Rego Park and Middle Village on the west, Flushing Meadows Park on the North as well as East and Forest Park and Kew Gardens on the south. Forest Hills includes the neighborhood of Forest Hills Gardens.

When doing a Google search using "Forest Hills" items local to Forest Hills such as Forest Hills in Wikipedia, a neighborhood profile in About.com and Forest Hills HS show up. Searching under the term "Forest Hills NY" yields largely the same and also a recent article about the trendy new restaurants and bars in Forest Hills. t hills computer, forest hills computer repair

The local parks are Flushing Meadows Park and Forest Park both of which are on the borders with other areas in Queens. Chick on the links to find out about the offerings of each.

Forest Hills, NY has many restaurants especially along Austin St where many stores are located. Doing a Google search "Forest Hills Restaurants" brings up a whole bunch of them in Forest Hills. Change your search to "Forest Hills NY Restaurants" for another look at Forest Hills restaurants. 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 Forest Hills.

Another good search are the following Wikipedia sites:

1.            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Hills,_Queens- Wikipedia article on Forest Hills.

2.            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_Hills_Gardens - Wikipedia article on the Forest Hills Gardens section of Forest Hills.

3.            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 logging onto Twitter and putting the terms "Forest Hills NY" or "Forest Hills Queens" you may just find something of interest.

In all Forest Hills, NY is a nice area to visit and those who live there say it is a nice place to live as well. 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 Forest Hills, NY enjoy what Forest Hills has to offer. If you don't, you will be welcomed with open arms when visiting like I have been when I go there whether it be to go to a great restaurant or to do a computer repair or computer training in Forest Hills.

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 which has people who live in Forest Hills Queens who "Like" it 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.

Why You Need To Use 2-Factor Authentication

1/7/2016

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, security, online security,2-factor authentication, two factor authentication, technology, computer, computer skills, computer help

2-Factor Authentication Will Make Your Accounts Much More Secure

New techniques used by password crackers have made passwords less secure. In today’s world we all are or should be concerned about making our online accounts more secure. One of the best ways to make your online accounts more secure is to use 2-factor authentication for those accounts that have made available. 2-factor authentication requires both something you know like a password and something you have like a smart phone and it is much more secure than using just a password since it takes more than a password to access an account.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Sarah Palin’s personal email was hacked by someone answering the security question of her mother’s maiden name. Had her account been using 2-factor authentication (it was not as widely available then), her account very likely would not have gotten hacked. Based upon my experience in using Facebook, it would not have been hacked. I pretended to have forgotten my Facebook password. I received an email and still had to sign in using 2-factor authentication. So yes it can be a pain with the additional procedure for logging into an account but it moves you significantly closer to being 100% secure and if your password becomes known may be the difference between your account being compromised or not.

Here is a list of some of the major websites that allow for 2-factor authentication. Some of those on this list are Facebook, Google and LinkedIn. As mentioned, not all sites offer 2-factor authentication but for those that do take advantage of it and enable it.

If you have additional questions about being secure online or other computer problems, 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.

Making Your Computer Personal by Mike Klubok - Computer Concierge NY LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Scan That Receipt For Better Record Keeping

12/10/2014

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Using Your Printer To Scan Receipts Lessens The Need For Storage Space In Your Closet And Other Areas

Would you like to have easy access to important receipts without having to search through your filing cabinet? Many printers sold today also have the ability to scan pictures and documents to your computer. If you purchase an ink jet printer, it likely is an all in one printer that can print, copy, scan and in many cases fax as well. I can remember the 1st one I purchased about 15 years ago and it cost me about $500. Today you can get a decent one for home use for under $100. Depending on you will use it, this may suffice for your needs.

I recently paid a visit to the dealership where I purchased my car to have it inspected and otherwise checked out. The car needed wiper blades and also a new battery. Of course when all was done, I received a receipt.

Now I could file that receipt in my filing cabinet and so searching for it under “Auto Expenses” when I need to find it. What I did was scan it to my computer as a Portable Document Format (PDF). I now have given myself extra space in my filing cabinet. The amount of space this takes up on my hard drive is negligible. As a general rule of thumb a PDF file takes up very little space. My old battery was a few years old and out of warranty. As more of us have smartphones, we have the ability to see our files on them. Since the files on my computer are synced through Dropbox, I was able to access my file on my phone and see this. If it was under warranty, I could have shown it to the service rep. If needed I could have emailed it to him. This is another benefit of scanning the receipt. When you scan the receipt be sure to save it in such a way that you can readily find it if need be. What works for you in organizing your computer files may not work for someone else.

There are dedicated scanners for scanning documents that cost about $400. They work best for businesses that would many receipts due to the cost of them. At home, we only scan receipts for major purchases and repairs. Our Epson all in one printer does the trick. It allows us to scan more than one page of the receipt into a single PDF file so each page is not a separate file.

One last thing here. More companies including Apple will email the receipt for purchases you make. Simply download the receipt that is attached, rename the file and save it to the folder of your choice. If the receipt is part of the email and not an attachment, simply select the print option and from there save it as a PDF file.

If you want to know more about getting better use from your computers and other 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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Doing This One Thing Will Help To Protect Your Smartphone

11/19/2014

Even A 4 Digit Passcode Makes Your Personal Information More Secure If Your Phone IsSmartphone, security essentials, iPhone,computer repair in ny, computer repair Queens, computer senior, computer seniors, computer training queens

Even A 4 Digit Passcode Makes Your Personal Information More Secure If Your Phone Is Lost Or Stolen

1/3 of you reading this are not doing anything to secure your smartphone. What would you do if your smartphone got lost or stolen? If someone told you of one thing you could do to make your smartphone a lot more secure would you do it? If your phone was to get lost or stolen your credit card information, bank account information, personal texts among other items would be at risk but 1/3 of smartphone owners still do absolutely nothing to secure their smartphone.

A simple task such as setting your phone with a 4 digit PIN code lock while not the best way to secure your phone is better than doing nothing at all. Recently at a charity event I attended in Bayside Queens, I was chatting with a volunteer who I have done work for. In talking, she mentioned that if her phone was to get lost, anyone could get into her personal information as she did not have any pass code to protect it. It would be there for all to see. I immediately told her that she needed to secure her phone and even a 4 digit PIN code is better than not doing anything. About 6 months ago, a Consumer Reports survey noted that 36% of all phone users set their phone up with a 4 digit PIN code. Only 11% of all phone users use a PIN code of longer than 4 digits, a password, or unlock pattern. Consumer Reports article.

Yes I know it is a pain but the pain of losing your phone and having your personal data so vulnerable would be much worse. Take a minute and put a 4 digit PIN lock code on your smartphone. Better yet, use a password with a combination of at least 8 digits, letters (including at least 1 uppercase), and a character such as a “!”. If you insist on only using digits, use more than 4 digits at least. Have your screen lock after one minute of inactivity as well. Nothing is 100% secure but doing something will move you closer to it. Thefts of smartphones almost doubled from 2012 to 2013.

So what are you doing to protect your smartphone?

If you want to know more about securing your smartphone or other computer issues, 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.

Making Your Computer Personal by Mike Klubok - Computer Concierge NY LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Is Your Contact Information Current?

9/24/2014

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email, account access, email access, password, passwords, Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, technology, computer

If your contact information is not current, you may end up with a big problem.

Last week I got a call from a client of mine who lives close by in Bayside Queens. He had changed his password for his Yahoo email and then forgot the password. I have gotten calls before from people who forgot their password and usually can navigate to get the person back into their email account. I went over there and one of the options (and the preferred one) was to send a message to his cellphone with an activation code. I would then use that activation code to go into his email account and create a new password. Unfortunately for him about 2 weeks earlier he had changed his cellphone number and did not put his new phone number into his Yahoo account to contact him. He also does not have another email address. Had he had another one, Yahoo could have used it to contact him.

Had he put his new phone number on his Yahoo account or another email address that was listed in it, handling this problem would have been to use the expression, “a slam dunk”. I would have requested that Yahoo send a text message to his phone and followed the procedure noted. They also could have emailed a link to the alternate email account.

The next course of action was to answer the security questions that he answered when he set up his account. I discussed “The Security Question” in a recent article. So I asked him for the answers to his security questions but that did not work either. To get back access to his account required calling Yahoo. I told him in advance that I could be on the phone for hours waiting for this to be resolved. This in fact happened to a friend of mine a while back. He was on the phone for about 3 hours before speaking with someone from Yahoo to resolve this access problem. After waiting for about 30 minutes, I again told him of the potential for a long wait. He then asked for me to create a new email account for him. I told him that without Yahoo’s intervention, he would not be able to get the email in his account. I recommended he use Gmail and I set him up with a Gmail account as well as briefing him on informing those who knew of his old email account the new account.

Had my client had an up to date cell phone number for his Yahoo account, he would have obtained access to his email account likely in under 10 minutes. Because the cell number he gave was no longer valid, given the circumstances it became necessary for him to get a new email account. One other thought here: Many of us (me included) have more than one email account. Use the other account as an alternate account to be contacted at in the event you have a problem logging into your main account. If you only have one email account, consider making a second email account as a backup just in case. Last, make sure your contact information in your accounts is up to date. It can save you a headache if you have a problem getting into it.

If you want to know more about resolving password problems or other computer issues, 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.

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Better Use Your Contacts App For Business

9/17/2014

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contacts, people, app, groups, iPhone, Android, sales, Computer Concierge NY LLC, technology, computer, organization, client relationships, contacts app, people app

Optimize the Information In Your Contacts To Be More Efficient

Last week, we had some needed work done on our floor by an installer recommended to us by a colleague of my wife’s. We were talking and as business owners the subject of keeping track of clients came up so I asked him if he kept notes in his contacts list on his smartphone. He responded that he did not do it so I mentioned to him the advantages of doing so. Note that for the iPhone and iPad, the app is referred to as “Contacts”. Android refers to the corresponding app as “People”. I will refer to the it as a “Contacts” app even though my smartphone currently is an Android phone.

In addition to the usual name, address, email and phone number I keep tidbits such as spouse’s name, details of each visit, etc. Recently a client who I had worked with about 2 years ago and lives in Whitestone called me and gave me the old, “I probably don’t remember her” line. I mentioned that I did and when I was last there she had an issue with her printer and I showed her how to install her print cartridge in addition to her speakers not working. She was impressed that I had a good memory but the reality was that I had the information in the notes section in my contacts.

Another time, a client called who I last saw a year earlier. My notes showed her husband’s name. When I walked in, I said hello to him by name which he was pleased to hear. One time when speaking with a client in Forest Hills, he mentioned that I installed his computer and he had a problem with the installation. Surely enough, I checked my notes and I did not install his new computer but I did the setup of a printer he had gotten about a month or two afterwards. I fixed the installation related issue (which was a computer related issue and not related to the printer installation) when I visited him and since it was not due to an error I made was able to charge him. Once again my notes saved me. Recently another client in Forest Hills had an email issue that I was able to resolve about getting certain unsolicited emails. She mentioned when I spoke with her the other day that she was still getting them. I asked her to check for the last date she got them. She mentioned the day and I quickly checked my notes. Sure enough, that day was the day I resolved the issue. Given that I was able to tell her that the issue is resolved and she no longer has it.

While I am very good at remembering them, I also have birthdates of clients, friends and others. Now when I see that someone has a birthday I can send them a card either online or through snail mail which I have found to be something my clients appreciate. I have found that my clients are impressed by my attention to detail and I attribute a lot of it to the information I put on my contacts.

One other thing: You can organize your Contacts app by group. I have groups like clients, family, medical, etc. I am considered by my friends to know which restaurants to go to locally as well as several cities out of town and I also have groups for restaurants by city or area as well.

By the way if you need flooring work done in the Queens and Long Island area Bill may not have the best notes for his clients on his phone but his floor work is very good. He is reliable and I highly recommend him.

How do you use your contacts on your smartphone to connect with others and manage your business?

If you want to know more about more about making better use of your smartphone or other computer issues,

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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Where Do You Keep Your List of Passwords?

7/3/2014

Passwords, security, password, safety, passcode, avoid being a crime victim, identity theft, Forest Hills, Queens, home organization, storing personal items, Forest Hills, Computer Concierge NY LLC, Mike Klubok

Hopefully Your Passwords Are Not Where Everyone Can See Them

If you are one of those who store your passwords on an online password manager or in a file on your computer you probably can skip this but if you use paper to store your passwords then you need to read this.

On too many occasions (and 1 is too many) I have seen clients leave their passwords on a piece of paper or papers that would be easily accessible to anyone without difficulty. Passwords left on a desk in the living room, taped onto a computer, etc. A few weeks ago I was in Forest Hills section of Queens and a client had the passwords taped on her desk. I mentioned that anyone passing buy can easily get her passwords. She said that she trusts her children, boyfriend, housekeeper, etc. It is a delicate subject to mention but if you are a victim of identity theft there is a good chance that the relative you trusted could be the one doing it. What if you are having furniture delivered and one of the deliverymen takes out his smartphone camera to take a picture of your password list? I think you get my point.

Bottom line. If you have your list of your passwords on paper, store that paper in a secure place. There are better ways to store that paper then I noted above. If you have a safe with a lock consider putting it there. I have recommended this to some clients and they said it was too much of a hassle to walk to it. Could the safe be moved? Could you get a smaller safe to keep closer to your computer? A storage area that looks like a book or a soda can perhaps? Nothing is perfect but to use the football analogy you want to move the chains. Be careful of where you store that list of passwords. Keep it in a relatively secure place. Some of those password lists that I saw contained password information for accessing bank accounts. I will go one step further here. Someone who obtains your login information also would get access to your security questions. This would leave you open to someone opening credit cards, bank accounts etc in your name and stealing your identity. So please leave those papers containing your login information in a safe place.

So where do you store your list of passwords? If it is in plain sight will you now move it to somewhere safe? All comments are welcome. And by the way, my client in Forest Hills has since moved her passwords to a much safer spot. I look forward to not seeing them the next time I go there.

If you want to know more about how you can be more secure when using your computer or other technology issues, 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.

Can It Be The Connection?

7/2/2014

Mike Klubok; forest hills; Forest Hills Computer Training; connection; Forest Hills NY; Queens; computer repair in ny; computer repair

Sometimes a loose connection may be the cause of your problem.

One of my clients recently made an appointment for training with me. When I got to her apartment in Forest Hills, she told me that he had not had internet service and her landline phone was not working since the day before and was hoping I could fix it. My first thought was that it could be a problem with her internet provider. When I checked her modem, I noticed that none of the lights were on. I then checked the outlet and noticed that her modem was not properly plugged in. I plugged it in and presto, the lights on her modem went on and a minute later both her phone and internet were back up. I then proceeded to work with her on the areas on training her to better use her computer. If something is not working whether it be your internet, cable TV, computer, printer, etc before panicking it is a good idea to check the connections whether it be the plug, USB or other connection. Had she checked her connection, her phone and internet would have been up a lot sooner. She also would have had a less or non-anxious moment.

If you have a computer or other technology issue that you need addressed, 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.

Want A Good Way To Find A Zip Code For An Address?

7/1/2014

The other day I was training a client who lives at North Shore Towers on the Queens / Nassau border and he went to the United States Post Office website to look up a zip code. If you find yourself going to the United States Post Office website to find a zip code of an address there is a better way that will save you time. The next time you are trying to find the zip code for an address try using Google Maps or Bing Maps instead. Type in the address in the address bar and the full address including the zip code will appear in the left hand corner. Bing Maps will also give you the longitude and latitude readings as well.

The United States Post Office website requires you to enter the street address on one line and the city on another line. You then select the state from a drop down menu that contains all the states. Using Google Maps or Bing Maps is a good time saver especially if you are looking up the zip code for several addresses. It also is very easy to get a zip code for an address in either the phone book or calendar of my Android smartphone.

While we are on the subject of the post office website, many people have Google as their homepage. If you need to track a package or letter don’t go to the post office website or Fedex. In the Google search bar type the tracking number and the status will show.

If you want to know more about how using your computer or other technology issues, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

My Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC has tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology. Liking it will assure that you are up to date in 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.

Can You Easily Find Your Travel Information?

6/26/2014

Travel, organization, organizing, travel itinerary, tripit, trip itinerary, organizing your trip, trip organizer, holiday travel, plans, travel plans, smartphone, Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, Tripit

Tripit is a great way to organize your trip itinerary.

This is the time of year where the airports are busier than usual due to holiday travel. But do you know where your travel itinerary is? Do you scramble to find it at the last minute? Well here is a way to organize your travel itinerary in a snap and you will not have to scramble to find it. While I like living in Queens NY, I also like to get away from Queens to explore new places and yes even see some of my favorite places again. If you like to travel like I do, you want some way to organize your air, hotels and any other reservations you have made. Tripit is a good way to organize your travel plans. Not only is my travel itinerary stored on its website for me to view but I also can export it to my calendar as well. I can keep track of past and future hotel reservations, flights, etc and easily view them on my smartphone as well. Tripit is that one spot to manage my trip itinerary and a convenient way to share my travel plans with others. It takes the details of my trip and puts it into an easy to read itinerary.

When I get an email confirming my reservations I simply forward it to plans@tripit.com and Tripit does the rest. I also can allow Tripit to scan my email account and Tripit will scan it several times daily for any trip related emails. I also can manually enter something if need be on my Tripit account. So the golf date I scheduled or reservations at the restaurant a friend recommended during my visit to Florida can manually be entered on Tripit by me.

There is both a free and paid version. The paid version which costs $49 annually has such features as real time alerts about your scheduled flights and tracking your reward program points and miles. If you are a frequent traveler you may want to consider the paid version.

I have written in the past about using an online calendar to organize your daily activities (The Benefits of a Digital Calendar). Tripit organizes your travel itinerary and does a good job doing it. My confirmations are easy to read and in one place.

I will note here that I have not received or been promised payment for mentioning any of the products or websites noted in any way, shape or form.

If you want to know more about more about organizing your travel or other plans or other technology issues, 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.

Switching Online Banks

6/12/2014

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, banking, online banking, pay bills online, technology, computer, computer skills, computer help, training, queens ny computer training

By taking a few precautions, switching your bank need not be hassle.

Among the many benefits of online banking to the banks is that less people are switching their bank accounts to another bank.

Recently a client of mine that I have been training who lives in Bayside located in Queens NYC told me that he wanted to switch banks but wondered how he could do it and not worry about payments being made from his online account afterwards. He had a very good point. I have heard in the past about people closing a bank account and payments inadvertently still going through them and being hit with bounced check fees.

I told him the first thing he needed to do once he switched banks was to make sure that all of his pending payments were cancelled. I mentioned that these pending payments need to be recorded in his new account that also uses online banking. Secondly you want to be sure that any payments that have not cleared are accounted for when closing your account. You want to leave the funds for these payments in your account. I also told him that he should expect to keep the account he is planning to close opened about a month after he opens his new account depending on any issue with outstanding items.

If your current account has a monthly service charge, determine on what day of the month this charge is issued by the bank. Try to open the new account about a month prior to this date. Once you open the new account, do not do any more transactions with the account that you are planning on closing. This will give you a better idea of the outstanding checks from the checking account you plan to close and you can plan appropriately as you do not want to incur bounced check fees from checks written prior to closing your account or from forgetting to cancel automatic bill payments. For any deposits that are directly made to the account you are closing (particularly paychecks), whomever is responsible for making those deposits needs to be notified of the change to the new bank. Companies may require a month notice for this so plan accordingly.

With the proper planning, closing your bank account and moving to a new one need not be a hassle. You just need to plan properly.

If you have additional questions about being the affect of switching your bank account has to your online transactions or other computer problems, 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.

How Everyone Can See Your LinkedIn References

4/10/2014

There is a Way For All LinkedIn Users To See Your References

You’re interviewing for a job or you want to get new business for your business. References can determine whether you get that job and references can be a great way to get more business. If you are on LinkedIn (if you have your own business or are looking for a job you should be), customers, current and former co-workers can provide a recommendation that shows on your LinkedIn profile. That is the good news. The not so good news is that those references can only be seen by your 1st and 2nd degree connections as well as those people who belong to the same Groups as you do.

So what can you do? Short of trying to connect with anyone and everyone, what I did is to take a screen shot of my LinkedIn recommendations using the Snipping Tool software that comes with your PC assuming it has a Windows Vista or later operating system. If you have a Mac or an operating system prior to Windows Vista, there is free software to capture what is on your screen that you can download to your computer for this. After capturing and saving the necessary pages I then merged the pages into a .pdf file. I then went to edit my LinkedIn profile. To the right of “Summary” section is an icon that looks like a box with a + sign. Click on the down arrow next to it. You will see an option to “Upload File”. Select “Upload File” and select the file to be uploaded. Once it is uploaded everyone who views your profile can see your references at the end of the “Summary” section.

The beauty of this is that you are not limited to LinkedIn references. If you are logged into LinkedIn you can see that included in my LinkedIn profile are my reviews on Yelp, and a letter of appreciation for a presentation I made locally. You can include reference letters from former colleagues who are not on LinkedIn and other letters of appreciation. This is truly a good way for your references to be seen by all. In an age where employees are looking for someone with technological savvy this could impress a potential employer as well.

If you have additional questions about being secure online or other computer problems, 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.

The Heartbleed Bug - What You Need To Know

4/10/2014

The Heartbleed Bug is a serious issue which puts your personal data and passwords at risk of being exposed. It has been on the morning news as well as on the internet. Hackers can obtain user names, credit card information, passwords and other sensitive information. Click on the link in the 1st sentence to learn whether or not your passwords need to be changed. Note that this is subject to change as more information becomes known. If you need to change your password(s) I suggest you do so ASAP. You should use a secure password if you are not already doing so. Click on link to learn more about using a secure password. Keep in mind you also will need to change your passwords on your mobile devices as well to your new password. I also suggest that for the sites that allow you to do so, use 2-Factor authentication. I know these things can be a pain especially 2-Factor authentication but as the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” One other thing and this is VERY IMPORTANT. If you receive an email to change your password and there is a link to do so, do not and I will repeat that again for emphasis. DO NOT click on the link to change it. It very well could be someone phishing for information in an attempt to obtain your password. Go to the website by typing the site in the address bar of your browser. Then change the password.

By taking precautions, you can reduce the chances of you being exposed.

If you have additional questions about being secure online or other computer problems, 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.

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, Heartbleed, Heartbleed bug, internet security, Heartbleed virus, heart bleed, security, online security,2-factor authentication, security essentials, two factor authentication, change password, how secure is my password, password, passwords, secure password, technology, computer, computer skills, computer help

The Heartbleed Bug Should Not Be Taken Lightly

My Account Got Hacked

3/5/2014

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, hacked, security, computer safety, computer safety tips, passwords

Following a Few Steps Makes It That Much Harder to Hack Your Accounts

Last week I found out that my old Yahoo account that has been inactive for about 4 years got hacked. People in my contact list that was still there received an email message and I found out.

The first thing I did was to see if I could log into this account. I still remembered the password. I logged in and Yahoo had already flagged the account as potentially being hacked. I then proceeded to change my password which is the first thing to do once you discover your account has been hacked. The password I had used previous was a strong one when I set up my account but not so strong by today’s standards.

While nothing is 100% guaranteed as we have seen from the Target, Neiman Marcus and other breaches here are a few takeaways for all of you to make it less likely your accounts will be hacked:

1. For those accounts that offer it use two-factor authentication (this inactive Yahoo account has since been set up for two-factor authentication). My main email account was set up a while back with two-factor authentication. When I log in from an unfamiliar computer, a code is also sent to my phone that I need to input in addition to my password.

2. Have your smartphone password protected. I have seen people who do not password protect their smartphone. If it is lost or stolen, the person in possession of your phone has complete access to your accounts on it as well as other information about you.

3. Use a smart password. Click here

4. Be safe if using a public wireless network and/or a public computer. Click to learn more

5. At home, don't keep your passwords where everyone can see them. Click here

6. Regarding the security question you answer; keep your answer in a safe place and the question you answer should not be well known. When Sarah Palin ran for vice-president, her account got hacked because the question was about her mother's maiden name. The hacker was able to get this information and hack into her account by answering the security question. Sarah Palin could have answered this question by using a grandmother's maiden name or her mother-in-law's maiden name.

As I said earlier, nothing is 100% guaranteed you can take steps to get closer to that goal. As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

If you have additional questions about being safe while online or other computer problems, 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.

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