I don’t miss spam

I just emptied 536 spam from my email spam folder. Today, I ran across some clients who had problems with email spam, and I recanted the following story. Once upon a time, my email inbox was filled to the brim with spam every single day. Then one cool autumn day in Las Vegas, Nevada at the now defunct Comdex show in 2000 or 2001, I met some nice folks from a startup company called Cloudmark. They were discussing and...

Changing email addresses – It’s not th...

AOL made millions of dollars for years because computer users are afraid to change their email addresses. All week long, I hear, “Oh, it’s too hard to change email addresses now.” Or, “It will take forever to change my email address with everyone.” Come on folks…we’re using computers! You don’t have to fill out a change of address form and march it down to the postal office. You...

Rick Answers his Email Videocast -064

This week questions arrived from Dan, Sue, Thomas, Stan, Eric, Terri, Jackelyn, Peggy, Cody, and Barb. In order they asked about an anti-brainscan hat (honestly), .data file extensions in Gmail, upgrading to Windows 7, optimizing computer startup, Internet monitoring software, identity theft phone number, free antivirus software, 32 vs. 64 bit Windows 7, missing desktop icons and unsending email. Here are the answers: ...

Share YOUR Favorite Keyboard Shortcuts

I’m always amazed at how surprised computer users become when they learn about a keyboard shortcut. A keyboard shortcut is a combination of keys that you press on your keyboard to perform a particular function. If you learn them and practice them, they can shave hours off of the tedious maneuvering of the mouse. These are my favorite and most used computer keyboard shortcuts: Alt + TAB Switch between Open...

Fun night at Windows 7 Launch Party

My radio show co-host, Adam Cochran, sponsored a Windows 7 launch party tonight, and I helped out. We both setup our laptops and projectors and showed off some of the Windows 7 features and answered general questions about upgrading, buying new computers, what software was included, and more. We talked about the new taskbar, increased search abilities, demonstrated the Home Groups feature by sharing some folders back and...

Rick Answers his Email Videocast – 063

Wow, tons of great questions this week from Donna, Deborah, Craig, Jay, Chris, Larry, Gloria, Jack, Ralph, James, Robert, Darren, Leo (who just said hi), Marge, Janette, Joyce, Leo Jason, Emir, Bob, Glenna, Enoch, and Alice. In order, they asked questions about installing Flash in Firefox, a stolen email address, moving to a Mac, viewing large pictures sent as email attachments, removing spyware (2 in a row), HP scanning...

What Rick said, read and thought about this week 2...

RT @howtogeek: crappy 6′ HDMI to DVI cable at best buy: $49.99 … on Amazon: $1.45 <– & crappy tech help at BB $150+, local guys 1/2 that # Some killer deals coming up this week for new PCs w/ Windows 7. One I saw from Office Max: Intel QuadCore, 8GB RAM, 750GB HD – $599 ! # RT @kettlewell: reviewing @problogger “31 Days to Build a Better Blog” – Great ideas for blogging!...

Why use free security software?

A customer asked me a question that I get asked quite often on the radio show and when I’m making my daily house or office visits. “Why do you use free products versus the larger commercial pay products for keeping a computer secure?” My answer can be summed up in word: effectiveness. Time and time again, the products I recommend prove themselves in the field as being thorough, effective, and unobtrusive...

Rick Answers his Email Videocast -062

This week’s questions are brought to you by Mike, Todd, Paul, Randall, John, Bob, William, Warren, Bob, Raymond, Che, Dennis and Monica. In order, they asked questions about; digital camera repair, lost CD drives, Vista startup nags, deleting Facebook account, programs for checking drivers, stubborn desktop icons, lost search feature in XP, lost password for helpmerick.com??, free Microsoft Word download, wireless...

PC World columnist says don’t upgrade from X...

PC World columnist, David Coursey, writes this week that the hassle of upgrading a Windows XP computer to Windows 7 isn’t worth the time and price. It pretty much mimics the exact advice I gave to Windows XP users when Vista came out 2 1/2 years ago. Software developers build software for the future, so older computer simply cannot run the newer software as efficiently. Especially when talking about operating systems...

Airport security may screen you with a Nintendo Wi...

The Nintendo Wii, a gaming console you hook to your TV, became a runaway success since its release two years ago. About 9 months after its release, Nintendo released its wildly successful and popular Wii Fit with balance board. The balance board does a fantastic job of measuring balance, weight, center of gravity and more. In the CNN article I linked below, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may employ the Nintendo Wii...

Google discourages multiple email forwards

I setup a new Gmail address for a customer a couple of weeks ago and used POP to allow her to use Outlook Express like she was used to with her old address. In less than 2 days, she called and said that her password was being rejected and she couldn’t send or receive email. I hurried over and logged into the web interface with her credentials, but was also rejected. On the second attempt, it required me to answer a...

How to sign up for my free weekly newsletter

This week, I received the following email from Sue: Yesterday I tried to subscribe to your newsletter. It was so difficult, so complicated, so convoluted that I gave up. I am sure you need protection from spammers, etc., but do you think that if you made access easier you might have more subscribers? If Sue is having problems signing up, I’m sure others are too. I pulled her answer out of this week’s Videocast to...

Rick Answers his Email Videocast – 061

Chalmers paid to have his question read first this week followed by questions from Radha, Greg, Briel, Violet, Sue, Betty, Donna, Gary, Marty, Howard Kristen, Ariane, Robert, and Don. Chalmer’s question concerned a very old computer, and in order, the other questions were about a programmers application conflict with Vista Aero, Ubuntu users group, changing desktop wallpaper, screen resolution problem, trouble...

Tiny digital camera mounted on an albatross…...

Ran across this interesting news story today. Scientists are starting to use small, 83 gram digital cameras capable of taking up to 10,000 pictures on animals. In this case, the camera was mounted on an albatross and they found that these albatross were feeding with killer whales…similar to buzzards and lions on the savanna. Following is the full article. BBC – Earth News – Albatross cam for bird’s eye...