What's a HOT SPOT and What Should I know about it?

You probably already know what "Wi-Fi" means: it means being able to access the internet wirelessly from your laptop, handheld, netbook, phone or desktop. When you create a wi-fi network at home or at work, it is secured so that only those with the access code can use it. 


But, you may have seen signs at your neighborhood coffee shop, McDonalds, or public library saying FREE WI-FI HERE, or WI FI HOTSPOT.


This means that the company is providing users with free, though not secure, access to the internet through their wireless network. Typically, it's as easy as finding the network and clicking.


Free hotspots are open to all, including to hackers and others who hope to steal your data. So, use wisdom when you use a hotspot:


1. Don't do banking or other things that involve sending personal information (codes, passwords etc) across the network. It is very easy for a hacker to grab those.


2. Be sure you are actually logged on to the correct network. In airports, especially, you may see several free options. Some of those are legitimate; some could be the guy or gal sitting next to you with a laptop who is waiting for an unsuspecting user to enter personal data into their "fake" hotspot.


Here is an article with Ten Tips for Public Wi Fi Hotspot Security. http://tinyurl.com/75oqugk  This will help you benefit from their convenience without risking your personal security.

Ten Things You Didn't Know You Could Do with Gmail

http://google.about.com/od/gmailtipsandtricks/tp/Gmail_Tips.htm

Gmail is one of the many integrated services Google offers for free. Some folks love this approach- others are fearful that Google will eventually take over the world.

In the meantime, you may want to check this link out anyway!

Alternatives to Microsoft Office?

Surprise! You do not HAVE to pay $280 to $500 to get the latest edition of Microsoft Office! There are many alternatives out there, and some folks find them BETTER than Office.

If you are contemplating changing from an "old" version of MS Office (like, Office 2003), you are already going to be facing a significant learning curve, because the layout is so different. So, you may wish to consider some of the alternatives, particularly for a home computer situation. Even those that are not free cost a lot less than Microsoft Office products.

Here are links to articles recommending various "top choices." Let us know if you have experience with these using the "Comments" section below!


http://reviews.cnet.com/1990-3524_7-5140428-1.html


http://tinyurl.com/ycs5f8l

http://tinyurl.com/6zm4e26

http://tinyurl.com/ydvheu4

http://tinyurl.com/3wefg23

Is your PC running slow?

In this TECH SUPPORT FORUM article, you receive a thorough, step-by-step introduction to what to do about a slow PC. This is not for absolute beginners, and generally won't be helpful on an office system where your Administrator or Network person may have set the system up to prevent you from doing many of these. But, for some of you, this may be REALLY helpful!

http://www.techsupportforum.com/3775-is-your-pc-running-slow/

Do you need more TIME in your life?

If only there were 30 instead of 24 hours in every day....


We all say that. This article puts an interesting twist on our "not enough time" perspectives, doesn't it?

What does it have to do with technology? Well, read it and decide! :-)


http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220668

Oops... I should have put that into a TABLE

 From Worldstart.com:

We’ve all done it – we’ve begun typing up a list of items and then realized too late that we should have put it into a table…

Using a table to organize and present our information is often an easy way to accomplish our task.

At any rate, back to that already typed list of information… what do we do?

http://www.worldstart.com/converting-text-to-a-table-in-word/

How to Insert and Type Words on a PDF File

You receive a PDF (portable document format) file and need to type your name, address, etc. into it.

With free Foxit Reader 5.1 you can! Here's an article about this from TECH SUPPORT FORUM that tells you how, and gives you a link to the free download of Foxit Reader 5.1.


http://www.techsupportforum.com/3769-how-to-insert-and-type-words-on-a-pdf-file-by-using-foxit-reader-5-1/

Send a Text Message with your Email Account

 You're sitting at your computer. You don't have a cell phone. But, you need to send someone a text message.  If you know what cell phone company the recipient uses, and their cell number, you can send them a text directly from your email to their cell. Here's how:


http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/send-sms-or-text-messages-to-cellular-phones/

Free Computer Help?

Where can one find some free online computer help?

Here's a list of possibilities: http://www.thefreesite.com/Free_Technical_Support/

As always, there's a bit of risk involved. After all, you're asking for advice and then doing it yourself. But, if you feel even a little competent, it might be worth asking for some assistance.

Of course, Google.com or Dogpile.com or other search engines can also be helpful. You can type in "how do I..." and then say whatever it is you're trying to figure out.

"How do I underline something in Word 2007"
"How do I update my Internet Explorer to the latest version?"
Etc.

I WANT OUT!

If you love Facebook and use it, you have no need to read this article.


If you are tired of Facebook or want "out" of it for some other reason, here's an article from WikiHow.com which tells you how in a step by step fashion.


Facebook makes it pretty easy to deactivate your account which will temporarily hide your information. However, if you want to permanently remove your information, the "permanent delete" option is much harder to find. This article will cover two easy ways to erase your Facebook account so you can quit Facebook forever.


http://www.wikihow.com/Permanently-Delete-a-Facebook-Account

"Google It"

Wow- find out some excellent tips for using  Google to the max!


http://www.googleguide.com/


It's worth a bit of time on this site.


If you just want a list of "operators" you can use to make your Google searching more precise, then go to:
http://www.googleguide.com/advanced_operators_reference.html

More Email Tips!

Get organized: 7 ways to better sort, store, and search your email

A cluttered and unorganized mailbox can make it difficult to find the email you need. This messy situation can be remedied. Microsoft Outlook offers great tools that help you sort your email and organize your messages in meaningful, easy-to-control ways. Outlook can even help increase your efficiency and productivity. Whether you're using Outlook 2010, Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003, you'll be better able to stay on top of your mail.

Read the full Microsoft article here: http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/productivity/email.aspx 

Get Control of your Email Box

This isn't a secret... but most of us don't even think about applying a specific strategy to manage the dozens... hundreds... thousands of emails that flow through our email accounts each week.  Developing a new approach to processing your Inbox can help you to gain more control, improve your response time, and keep up with critical actions and due dates. This article talks about Office 2010, but it applies to any email account.

http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/productivity/email.aspx 

Time to... organize?

This from Vol. 1, #7 - October 24, 2011 - Issue #7 of WinNews.com

Getting your files and folders organized

For many people, getting organized is one of the biggest challenges of working effectively and efficiently. This was true long before computers, when our desks were piled high with paper documents and manila file folders, and it's true today when much of our information is in electronic format. It helps to have a plan for organizing your data, with specific action items, and this Microsoft at Work article provides nine useful tips for managing the files and folders on your computer in a way that will keep you from going nuts while trying to find something you saved a month ago.

Here are NINE TIPS to help you organize! http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/productivity/files.aspx 

Even if you bank here.....

Don't fall for this scam!

SCAM ALERT- PHISHING FOR YOUR DATA!

Have you recently received an email from "Wells Fargo" that looks like this?

========================

Dear Wells Fargo Customer,

After three unsuccessful attempts to access your account, your Wells Fargo Online Profile has been locked. This has been done to secure your accounts and to protect your private information. Wells Fargo is committed to make sure that your online transactions are secure.

1.       Take a moment to confirm your profile and/or update it.

2.       Make sure that your info (Social Security Number,Account Number, etc.) is correct and accurate.

• Call call our toll free number ( 1-800-673-7915 ) to verify your account and your identity.

For your convenience, you'll be able to view this information online (and print it for future reference) for at least 90 days from the date of this notification.

Sincerely,

Wells Fargo Online Customer Service

========================

Yes, you guessed it. This is a classic example of a "phishing" scam!

You should: DELETE IT.

IF you wish you can FORWARD the scam email to: reportphish@wellsfargo.com and THEN delete it.

Why do they (scammers) do this type of thing? Sadly, it's because even ONE person who gives out their bank information...and thus gives access to their bank account... makes this financially worthwhile! Sheesh!

YouTube Testtube

YouTube TestTube

Are you an avid YouTube user? Want to help test out a bunch of really neat upcoming ideas for the world’s biggest video site? Then you’ll want to check out TestTube – what the YouTube folks call an “Idea Incubator” for their services.



There’s caption editors, comment searching, 3D Videos and a whole slew of experimental YouTube stuff to mess around with.

Check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/testtube

[From WorldStart Computer tips, www.worldstart.com]

HELP, I can't open that file!!

Oh, wait...... yes I can. I've downloaded and installed a free program called "Open Freely".

http://www.openfreely.com/

On a Windows XP or Windows 7 computer, I can:

• Use it to Open, Edit, and Save Microsoft Office Files Like Word, PowerPoint & Excel (even if I don't have them on my machine.)
• Watch Over 20 Different Types of Media (movies) Including: AVI, WMV, MOV and more!
• Print All Documents and Images Easily Directly From The Software.
• Open Zipped and Compressed Archive Files Or Create Your Own For Easy Sharing

Do you have others like this YOU might recommend?

They never give up, do they?

Here's yet another attempt to get one to give away personal information. Thanks to the ALERT READER who sent this one in. This is supposedly from AT&T.

Remember:
1. You will NEVER be asked to give this kind of information in an unsolicited email. Period.
2. Always, always be suspicious when they append odd "proof" of legitimacy- here, an outsized logo copied from some website somewhere and, very odd, a photo of an exterior sign on a building. Hmmmm... what does THAT prove?
3. All due respect to people who are English as a Second Language learners or persons with print related disabilities- we should STILL be suspicious of supposedly "official" emails that contain grammatical, punctuation, capitalization, or spelling errors. Can you spot the errors below that could clue you in?
4. My (somewhat sarcastic) additional observations are added below in RED.

From: AT&T Account Verification Service <j_fogg@sbcglobal.net> [HA- this looks EXACTLY LIKE an official email, doesn't it? (That was sarcasm.)]
Sent: Wed, September 28, 2011 1:57:48 PM
Subject: Warning !!!

[Now, you may be able to see that this is a relatively poor copy/paste job stolen from some website somewhere. My program shows a white border on the far right. A "real" logo wouldn't be so achingly large... nor have a random white border...] AT&T has discovered series of illegal attempts on your Account from a bad IP Location and will shut your account as it has been flagged as a spam account. You are to fill the form below by clicking on the reply-to button on your page, Filling the Correct Information Carefully and Send to att.net Mail Alert Center: [Oops- anyone notice...they forgot to actually give us an att.net Mail Alert Center email address to send this to? Gosh!] Full Name: ..................... User Name: ..................... Password:..................... Date Of Birth: ..................... Country: ..................... This is for your own safety to avoid account termination. Our automated server will keep your details on file as upgraded for the continue using of our service.After following the instructions in the sheet, your account will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. Warning!!! Account owner that fails to verify his/her account after two weeks of receiving this warning will lose his or her account permanently.Thanks for your attention to this request. We apologize for any inconvenience.. Sincerely,

 [This one made me smile. The exterior sign on a building during a ticker-tape parade?? Doesn't make you feel really confident in the authenticity of this email, huh?]