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Rick

CNET Web 2.0 Awards


CNET Web 2.0 AwardsGet used to me writing more articles about Web 2.0 applications…applications that run in your web browser. I’ve written many already, but today I’m writing about the  CNET people’s choice awards for best Web 2.0 applications in ten categories ranging from productivity to entertainment. This is CNET’s second year compiling the awards. This year almost 2 million votes were cast for over 300 Web 2.0 applications.

Many of my own favorites won awards including Zoho, Netflix, LogMeIn, Wikipedia, Gmail, Woot, Firefox, and Pandora. Click over to the article and read about some of these amazing applications.

Computing power is truly leaving the desktop and moving to the Internet. I personally think web computing makes perfect sense for a majority of computer users. Let me know what you think of Web 2.0 or what online applications are your favorites by leaving a comment below!

Think twice before your blame your computer’s manufacturer for problems

“What brand of computer do you recommend?” is one of the most common questions I get asked. My answer is usually, “It really doesn’t matter as long as it is a name brand and has the specs that you need.”

I often hear comments like, “Our first computer was a Dell and we constantly had problems with viruses and spam,” or “I’m never going to get another HP, this one just locks up and crashes all the time.”

Most computer problems I see every day have nothing to do with the parts they are made up of. Most home computer problems are software related – not hardware.

PayPal Agrees

Last week I wrote a tip called 7 Habits of highly inefficient Internet Users.   The very first habit I wrote about was the use of old browsers. Literally, the next day PayPal (the leading online payment source for eBay and person-to-person payments) announced that it would stop supporting old browsers and users who did not upgrade to more modern and safer browsers would not be able to use the service. This will not be an isolated incident. Some banks also require the use of at least Internet Explorer 6 with all its updates or Firefox 2.0.

How to get music off of your iPod

The iPod has set the standard for media players. It’s ease of use and intuitive interface make it a device that media lovers of all ages and expertise can easily pickup and use.

However, the iPod has one disadvantage when compared with almost every other media player on the market. Once your music is stored on the system, there is no simple way of getting it back off again. If you switch computers or simply want to make a backup of your tunes, you must find a way around this system Apple has put in place to prevent you from pirating the music that has been purchased from iTunes.

Right-click: Properties – VIDEO TIP

People always ask about the difference between right-click and left-click. The primary difference is that the right-click always brings up a menu called the context menu.

The items on the context menu change depending on where on the screen you click the mouse.

The video explains the importance of the Properties option on the context menu.

Curbside Recycling

When I help people setup a new computer, camera or printer, the standard question asked by the new gadget owner is; “What shall I do with the old one?” I think that the value of tech curbside recycling is highly undervalued.

Curbside recycling involves hauling your old hardware out to the curb and just leaving it there. In most moderately busy neighborhoods (HOA’s rules aside), a piece of technology on the street will be snapped by a collector or hobbyist in less than 48 hours and often much quicker. The item gets reused or put to work in someway, you didn’t have to fret about where to take it and haul it long distances, and the device more than likely won’t end up in a land fill…a win-win-win situation.

What version do I have?

One of the first questions tech support people will ask you if you have problems that need solved is what version of Windows you are using and what version of the program you have a question about you are using. Fortunately, finding out the answer takes just a few steps:

Locating your Windows version

  1. Click Start
  2. RIGHT Click the My Computer icon (or Computer icon)
  3. Click Properties
  4. The System Properties screen appears telling you not only what version of Windows you are using, but also how much RAM (temporary memory) you have and how fast your computer’s processor is. 

or, you can push the Windows key + the Pause/Break key on your keyboard to get the same screen  

Locating the name and version of any program

  1. Start any program
  2. Click Help from the menus in that program
  3. Click About
  4. The program’s information screen will appear telling you the official name of the program, its version number, and sometimes the programs support web site address and/or phone number.

Use this handy tip to gather important information about your computer before calling for help to save yourself and your computer helper time.

 

STOP PAYING FOR AOL!

I know I have written about this not a few times but this week I have helped four people convert their AOL accounts to FREE or $9.95.

Two years ago, AOL changed their business model. If you are using dial-up you should only be paying $9.95 per month.

If you are on broadband you should be paying NOTHING. AOL lets broadband users use all of their services and software for FREE.

To change plans you don’t even have to argue with anyone on the phone. Just log onto AOL and type in the keyword CANCEL. Follow the links for canceling your AOL billing you can also change your payment plan in this area too. It takes less than five minutes in most cases.

Living online with your applications and data

Here I go again talking about online applications and data storage. I keep bringing it up because the idea makes more sense to me everyday.

In just my first two days of work this week, I found multiple examples of how computing online instead of on your desktop makes sense for so many people. It will be a long time before serious photographers, movie makers, engineers, and graphic designers can make do with online applications because their programs require a great deal of computer speed, power, and storage. However, for the bulk of computer users at home and many in small businesses, migrating data online and utilizing online applications can save a great deal of time and money.

Take control of the AVG Scans – Video Tips

As you know, we whole heartedly recommend and use AVG Antivirus. It is unobtrusive, fast, and most importantly effective. However, one irritating function it has is the default full system scan at 8:00am. Many people are working on their computers at 8:00am and full system scan slows down the system enough to be highly annoying if not unusable in some cases.

You don’t have to wait for the scan to finish. Just RIGHT click on the AVG scanning icon in your system tray (by the clock). It looks just like the AVG icon, but has a little white triangle in the middle of it. After you right click, click “Cancel or Stop Scan”. You will get a confirmation box asking if you are sure, Click Yes, then OK.

One other tidbit to remember about AVG is that it is OK to click the OK button after it completes the daily update. Many computer users wait politely for