Posts Tagged: Google

Internet Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — 12 Comments
6
Nov 09

7 Google services you have never tried

Google SignGoogle started as a college project 12 years ago, then as a startup search engine just 10 years ago. Today, Google owns more than 60% of all web search traffic and employs close to 22,000 employees worldwide.

You probably interact with Google via their search engine primarily. However, you are missing out on some truly great services that Google also provides in addition to their fast and accurate search engine.

In this article, I will share 7 of the many other services Google provides.

Google News

When you arrive at google.com, click the link that says News at the top of the page or you can directly visit news.google.com. Google News is an auto-generated news page that refreshes automatically every 5-10 minutes and displays headlines from more than 4500 news sources around the world. To me, it is the ultimate newspaper?unbiased and unfiltered. And even more helpful, starting a Continue reading →

Riding Shotgun with Rick / Tech News — 1 Comment
6
Oct 09

Choosing a smart password, from the Gmail Blog

I’ve written many times about passwords and their importance in keeping you safe online. Search the site for passwords to read them and also take a look at this article from the Gmail Blog at Google.

Official Gmail Blog: Choosing a smart password.

Digital Photography / Riding Shotgun with Rick — No Comments
22
Sep 09

Picasa brings face recognition to the desktop app

Google continues to make Picasa the photo orgainzer to beat. Not only is it fast, intuitive, and clean, the feature set continues to grow. Today, Google released an update to Picasa, Picasa 3.5. They brought in the face recognition feature that was available in the online photo album version of Picasa and Continue reading →

Podcast — No Comments
17
Sep 09

Computer Help Show Podcast – 09-16-09

This month’s show was packed with information about the Google services that you may not know they offered. Have a listen or download it to your MP3 player or iPod to listen to later.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Riding Shotgun with Rick / Tech News — No Comments
16
Sep 09

Google buys reCaptcha

Google just announced that they have bought reCaptcha. reCaptcha has been a leading company in helping to thwart comment and account spam by requiring a human to decipher characters and words scanned from books before continuing on in a posting or sign up process. Check out the article here:

Official Google Blog: Teaching computers to read: Google acquires reCAPTCHA.

Computer User Group / Internet Tips — 4 Comments
9
Sep 09

Do everything online…for free!

cloud_computing_iconSome people believe that I drink too much Web 2.0 Kool Aid. That’s ok though because I love drinking it!

Web 2.0 refers to computing on the web versus your desktop. Instead of installing an application and then starting it from your desktop, you head to a web site instead. If you use HotMail (MSN email), Yahoo email, Gmail, or access your email via your provider’s web site, then you too are utilizing Web 2.0 computing or cloud computing.

For me, the big deal about cloud computing is how easy it is to access my information from literally any computer any time. If problems arise on my computer, I can easily move over to a different computer and barely miss a beat. And if you have had computer problems in the past, cloud computing offers Continue reading →

Riding Shotgun with Rick / Tech News — No Comments
1
Sep 09

Google Strikes Deal with Sony

The Financial Times reported that Google and Sony agreed on a deal that will result in Google’s Chrome browser (barely a year old) being installed on new Sony computers sold in the United States. Google hopes to add more similar deals with other manufacturers.

FT.com / Technology – Sony to distribute Google browser.

Riding Shotgun with Rick / Tech News — 5 Comments
21
Aug 09

Business and Education Save Money by Moving to the Cloud

gapps_horizSince joining Twitter last spring, I made it a point to follow industry leaders and pundits that post interesting and breaking tech news and information. Two of my favorites are GoogleAtWork and Zoho. After nearly 15 years in the computer help and training business, I firmly believe in the mission of these two organizations…cloud computing.

Quickly, cloud computing involves using your browser for your document creation and management, communication and increasingly even photo management and editing among other many other functions that traditionally only occured in desktop applications. Click here to read the many articles and tips where I further explain cloud computing.

Today, I just want to highlight the many organizations that continue to Continue reading →

Riding Shotgun with Rick / Tech News — 2 Comments
20
Aug 09

Yet another reason to ditch Microsoft Office for web based apps

022606_13581.jpg

photo credit: thoth92

This news story has flown mostly under the radar of most computer users for weeks. In a nutshell, it’s a patent infringement suit brought upon Microsoft by a Canadian company called i4i. The suit alleges that Microsoft knowingly used proprietary technologies in Microsoft Word 2003 and 2007. Last week, a judge in Texas, ruled in favor of i4i and ordered Microsoft to remove Microsoft Word from being sold and fined them nearly $300 million. Microsoft, of course, immediately filed an appeal that will draw the case out even longer.

While the appeal is being considered, Microsoft Word can still be purchased, but for how long? This case builds yet another argument for home and business computer users to consider using online based business applications like Zoho.com or Google Docs. If you want desktop software, look to OpenOffice.org.

Read more on the suit between i4i and Microsoft in the article below:

NewsFactor Network | Appeal Seeks To Keep Microsoft Word on Store Shelves.

Internet Tips / Riding Shotgun with Rick — 1 Comment
18
Aug 09

Beware of fake security software

Shell Game

photo credit: elmada

I write a similar article every few weeks not because I’m not creative, but because too many people aren’t listening yet. These past few weeks have been awful for folks getting fake security software on their computers. It often times gets on a computer as a result of other things you are trying to download or access including, but not limited to:

  • Free screensavers
  • Free wallpaper
  • Free games
  • Free security software (there are great products available, but make sure you know what you are getting and where you are getting it from).
  • Online credit checks
  • Online gambling
  • Online porn
  • Free music downloads
  • Free movie downloads

What happens is the bad guys have figured out how to take advantage of what is popular at any given time. As you install the programs listed above or access the services listed, you agree to put the junk on your system and it then stealthy slips by any existing security software you do have. If you follow a few simple rules, Continue reading →

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