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New virus – what took them so long?
There is a new virus going around that pretends to be a postcard from a friend, family member, schoolmate, etc. Within the email are links to where you can download the "postcard."
In reality you will not be getting a postcard, you will be getting a virus. How sneaky.
While this method of spreading viruses usually doesn’t work well because the host site is taken down quickly, I thought this one was worth commenting on not because of the nastiness of the virus or the way it spreads.
How to know if you have spyware
If the popups and sudden system slowdown aren’t sufficient indicators, here are two other ways to tell that you have spyware.
1. Tons of toolbars in Internet Explorer
2. More than 10 items in the system tray by the clock
Special thanks to my client who unknowingly contributed material for this video which I recorded with my cell phone.
10 Things you should know how to do with your digital camera
Here is what we will discuss at tonight's digital photo user group:
1. How to find information in the Manual
If your camera didn't come with a manual, it is likely on the disk that came with the camera. You may also download it from the manufacturer's website.
2. How to insert and remove the camera memory
3. How to set your camera on full auto mode – this is the setting that lets the camera do all of the thinking
It may be indicated by a green square, the letter "A" or the word AUTO.
Windows Vista’s Open and Save Dialog Box – Video Tip
Windows Vista has brought us many changes…some good, many not so good. One change that takes some getting used to is the new open/save dialog box. It takes a little getting used to, but with some practice and tips in my video tip below, you will be in harmony with Gates' new monster. In the video, I include how to create shortcuts to your most used folders, explain the new Vista file hierarchy, and demonstrate how to effectively utilize the new dialog boxes you encounter when opening and saving files.
Ubuntu on the road
I continue to experiment with the Ubuntu operating system. This past weekend, my family and I made a quick trip to the South Dakota Black Hills and I took my Ubuntu laptop along for the ride. My Ubuntu laptop is an older Compaq (almost six years old) that was destined for the trash heap by its previous owner. It no longer performed well for them and required reformatting and upgrading to run Windows XP and other software at any appreciable speed. I rescued it, installed Ubuntu Linux on it, bought the cheapest wireless card I could find, and now I have a completely functional and quick second laptop.
Take a break …. Physical Therapy Advice
Many of you know that I started out as a Physical Therapist, but switched careers almost twelve years ago. I notice that many computer users (including myself) can get absorbed in reading online news, working with pictures, researching, learning a new computer program, or just playing a game. Unfortunately, when we get absorbed, we also lose track of time and thirty minutes can quickly become two hours! We have all been there.
I like to use a computer timer (but an egg timer or watch alarm will do also) to remind me to stand up and walk away from the computer when I'm working on a long project. Our bodies don't like to sit stationary for too long and our eyes really don't like staring at a fixed distance for long periods of time either.
Easy, safe, fun (and useful) Google Images – Video Tip
Google offers hundreds of features and most of them go unused by the average computer user.
Google Images is one of the coolest features that the monster search site has to offer. Google Images allows you to search the web for graphics or pictures related to any search topic.
It's so easy to use:
1. Visit Images.Google.com
2. Type in a word or phrase that you want to search for
3. Hit ENTER key on your keyboard
4. The website where the image is found will load but you can get directly to the image itself by clicking on the thumbnail at the top of the page.
Windows Vista Integrated Search – Video Tip
As you know, I am not thrilled will Windows Vista. However, one feature I did find helpful since Day 1 is the integrated search. Vista constantly indexes your hard drive…probably one reason it feels slower than XP. Indexing means that Windows looks through all user generated files like word processing documents, email, spreadsheets and other user files. It then analyzes the file names and the content of these documents and stores that information in massive index files. Think of it as a "Google" for your own computer. Using the integrated search, you can type in a few characters and get instant results of matching documents or programs on your computer.
I'm torn about this feature because I feel that it makes the user a little lazy in really understanding where the data actually is stored, but the speed of the search is undeniable.
I mentioned that the Vista integrated search is sort of like a Google for your machine. Well, if you are a Windows XP user, you can get this same functionality with a tool from Google called Google Desktop or from Yahoo using the Yahoo Desktop .
Watch the video below for a short demonstration of how this tool works in Vista.
I’ve heard you say that before
Imagine for a moment (you won't have to stretch very far) that your son or daughter comes home past curfew and you say something like, "I told you to be home by midnight." In reply your kid says, "I know I heard you say that."
Imagine for a moment that you are an engineer who builds bridges. One day a bridge that you design collapses. You confront the builders only to find that they used half of the bolts that you indicated in the design. "I heard you say that we should use that many bolts," comes the reply from the builder.
In each case, the next sentence that follows is an excuse from the offenders as to why they thought this should be an exception.