Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2

Microsoft just released the second beta (not quite finished) version of Internet Explorer. It is a HUGE improvement over the older version 6, but we still recommend and like to use Mozilla Firefox for our browsing.

The computer glitch fairy is back on duty

I mentioned in one of my articles last week that my calls had slowed way down. Whether is was due to JUCO (Junior College World Series) or the holiday or just a lack of computer problems, I don’t know. Whatever the reason was, it seems like people’s computers are going nutz in full force. The number of calls today from people needing me to come by their home and fix their computers was in the double digits. I am...

RSS: What it can do for you

Last week we briefly explained Really Simple Syndication. And a little about how it works. This week week we will take look at what the average user can do with RSS. You may have noticed a little icon on our site. You may also have noticed the little orange icon at the bottom or top of your web browser on certain sites. If you see either or both of these icons on a site or in your browser while visiting a site, you will...

Why we recommend the stuff we do

Our listeners and subsribers have probably heard me say, "Don't let your kids fix your computer, no matter how old they are or who they work for." I say this because many of my appointments come as a result of a full grown son or daughter who "works for Microsoft" or  "Is a computer tech for ___________ University" coming home and "fixing" the computer. I have no doubts that said...

I always have my tools with me

Most computer problems have nothing to do with the mechanics of the computer. It is rare that I see a motherboard die, RAM go bad, a video card burn out or a power supply fail. Almost all computer problems are software related. Among the hundreds of millions of lines of programming code, a few 1s and 0s crash together and things go screwy. Whether it is a programming glitch or the problem is caused by an intentionally...

Dude, where’s my shotgun?

Rick pointed out to me tonight that I haven’t put up any shotgun articles for a few days. It was at that exact moment that I realized that I hadn’t written any shotgun articles for a few days. I have some catching up to do so consider this article one of the most important articles I have written for several days. When I fix a computer I try to always approach the computer and the situation as if it were my own. I...

Moving from AOL isn’t always easy, but it...

I am currently helping two clients make the move off of AOL after many long years of being AOL customers. While each client is having a few problems making the adjustment, each has stated that they small issues are worth it to get away from AOL. There are a few things that you need to get ready for when making the switch from AOL.  1. There is no easy way to backup your address book and move it over. You can print it out...

Successful Searching of the Internet

All too often I hear comments like “I can’t find anything on the Internet” or “I’m afraid of getting viruses from the Internet” or “Where do I start”. In today’s meetings, we discussed some tried and true methods of searching the Internet successfully and easily. Google is the current king of web searching and should be your first stop to start any search. Boolean...

Internet Explorer 7 Beta

Internet Explorer 7 is still in beta, but we have been happy with it so far. If you are having troubles with Internet Explorer, you may want to give version 7 a shot. Also try Firefox and Opera 

Our Top Internet Information Sites 2005

We started publishing this list about three years ago. I fully admit that I am an information junkie and enjoy finding the answers to questions as soon as they come up. I tend to use a core group of sites to find my information. In this list you will see some perennial favorites and some new ones that I started using over the past year. In no particular order, my favorite information gathering web sites...

All Search Results are NOT Created Equally

When you click on a link provided by a search engine for a medication you are taking or maybe a popular TV show, there is a good chance that you may end up at a site packed with spyware and/or viruses ready to pounce on your computer. In this week’s tip, I don’t want to rant about viruses and spyware or even the nuances of searching. All of these topics are thoroughly covered here at the web site. Instead, I want...