Hidden Winter Hazards for Your Electronics

Well, Christmas is over and if you're like many people, you may have received a new electronic device. Kindles, laptops, iPods, Androids, the list goes on and on. In my time helping people with their devices,  I've never gotten used to the number of people who have their new devices ruined days or just weeks after receiving them. Here are a few common hazards for these colder winter months that I hope you'll be able to avoid.

1. Dropping from Gloves- With gloves or mittens on, you have much less feeling in your hands and therefor the likelihood of dropping your device (especially cellphones) goes up significantly. If you have a smartphone in particular, dropping and shattering your screen is a big deal since most smartphone screens are not replaceable. Whether you drop it on the kitchen tile or the snow covered driveway, the results are rarely favorable.
2. Speaking of snow, you'd be amazed how many people will drop their devices in the snow. Not only will the snow melt and therefor give the device liquid damage, but some people are unable to find it and will only recover it when the snow melts or it goes through the snow blower- yikes!
3. If it's left in the snow, or sometimes even just left in the car, the device can freeze. This will damage the battery and can even break the screen. If a touch screen or LCD screen gets too cold, it can freeze and then crack when it thaws. For this reason, I generally recommend people keep their electronics in environments they'd normally keep their pet or child-- not too hot or too cold.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you live in a cold climate, you've probably already run into the issue of your touch screen not working when you have gloves on. If you don't already have a pair, I recommend touch-screen sensitive gloves for all my smartphone and tablet-using friends. They allow the user to keep their gloves on while using their touch-screen devices.

When Should I Charge My Laptop?

Almost everyone who has owned a laptop has wondered when the best time to charge it is. You want to maximize your battery life after all. Laptop batteries are not cheap, and having a laptop whose battery only lasts an hour or so isn't very effective. Here're some simple tips for how to make sure your laptops battery is up to snuff for as long as possible.

1) Don't run it all the way down. Laptop batteries- or any rechargeable battery for that matter- is a lot like your muscles. This simply means that you shouldn't let your laptops battery drain all the way down to where the computer shuts off on you. (AKA 0% charge) This would be like exercising until you pass out to train for a marathon. You'd end up doing more harm than good to your body, and when you let your battery completely drain it puts extra wear on it as well.

2) Don't leave it plugged in all the time either. Similarly, you wouldn't want to sit around all day either to "conserve your energy" for your marathon. Just like your muscles can atrophy, your laptop battery can as well. This is a common misconception about laptop batteries. A lot of people will leave their laptop plugged in 24/7 at a desk and only use its battery once or twice a year. Could you imagine trying to get up and walk around if you had been laying in bed 24/7 for several months?

3) Use a surge protector. Using a surge protector when you charge your laptop will help ensure that no electrical surges get to your laptop and overwhelm the battery. Yes, most chargers have mini-protectors to help prevent this, but if you haven't looked lately, laptop charges aren't the cheapest thing to buy and it is possible for a surge to be strong enough that it trips the charger and still gets to the laptop with enough force to damage it.

Practical Tip of the Day:
When monitoring your laptops charge, I generally recommend looking at its percentage left instead of the time estimate. This is because the estimated time left can fluctuate wildly depending on what you're doing. Browsing the web? Your battery will last longer. Editing a movie? Shorter. Screen brightness turned down? Longer. Watching a movie with the speakers turned all the way up? Shorter. You get the picture.

How Can I Sign a PDF on a Mac?

Recently, I was asked to sign a document. No big deal right? Well, it was a scanned copy of a document that was emailed to me. How in the world was I to sign a digital copy of a document and then send it back? I could've printed it out, signed it, scanned it back in and sent it back, but that's an awful lot of work... and I didn't have a printer or scanner handy. Thankfully, Mac OS X comes with Preview, the system's default PDF viewer.

Preview is sometimes overlooked, and some people don't even realize they're using it, but it can quite handily manage PDFs and other files like photos. Should you find yourself in a situation like mine where you need to add your signature to a PDF, here are the steps:

1. Open Preview. (Duh.)
2. Click on Preview > Preferences on the menu bar in the top left corner of the screen.
3. Click on "Signatures" on the window that opens up.
4. Click the plus (+) button in the bottom left corner of the window.
5. Hold up a white piece of paper with your signature on it, making sure the bottom of your signature aligns with the blue line overlaid on the camera picture shown.
6. Your signature is now saved!

To use your new signature, go to Tools > Annotate > Signature from the menu bar. (Again, the menu bar is the collection of drop down lists in the top left corner of your Macs screen.)

Practical Tip of the Day:
Preview gives you several other ways to make notes on (AKA "annotate") your PDFs. You can highlight text, underline it, strike-through text, add shapes, text, lines and many other things. Next time you're sent a PDF and you want to make changes to it, open up the Tools menu option and see what things you can do.

What are Internet Pirates?

Where do pirates like to shop the most? Taaaarrrrget! Okay, I know that's a bad joke (and probably doesn't make much sense outside the US and western Europe), but today we're looking at what, exactly are Internet pirates. They get discussed in the media, laws made against them, and are blamed by some to be the cause of all of the music industry's problems. You may be an internet pirate and not even know it!

"Internet pirate" is a term for someone who steals items from the internet instead of buying them through legitimate channels. This can be music, movies, software, or anything else digital. The term "internet pirate" became popular when Napster was at its peak and people were downloading music left and right. Have you ever downloaded a song from a program like Napster, Limewire, or Bearshare? These are all programs that are designed to allow people to share large files between each other, but people have taken over to share large copyrighted files between them and millions of strangers.

I've noticed an uptick in parents unknowingly pirating songs because their children download a program like Limewire on the computer and tell them that it's a place they can get music, TV shows and movies for free. They don't tell them that it's illegal, that they can be fined thousands of dollars, that it's a good way to get computer viruses, and/or have their internet provider refuse them further service. How can you know if you've been accidentally stealing your content? Did you pay for it? Did the maker of content explicitly say they're giving it away for free? If the answer is "no" to those questions, you've been pirating content!

Practical Tip of the Day:

As previously stated, pirating content is a good way to get viruses, malware, corrupted files and content you do not want (like porn instead of a TV show) downloaded onto your computer. Because of these as well as the legal and ethical reasons, I strongly discourage pirating. Where should you go to get these things then? iTunes, Amazon and Google Play are the three biggest content providers on the Internet. And yes, you have to pay.

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What are Internet Trolls?

If you've spent any notable time on the internet, you've probably run into this term if not the actual thing- "trolls." No, we're not talking about the dolls from the 80's, the thing from nursery rhymes, or even the things that will try to eat Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming movie The Hobbit. Internet trolls have been around since the internet began, and the likelihood of them going away is somewhere between zero and not-a-chance. Here's how you can identify a troll and how to respond to them:

Wikipedia defines internet trolls as "someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as a forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion." In short, trolls are people who are intentionally annoying at best and downright discriminatory at worst.

Why do they do it? For fun. Yes, these people are like the two-year old who plays the "I'm not touching you!" game with their older sister just to annoy her. Some will argue that people who post sexist, racist, or other "-ist"type comments aren't trolls because they're assumably posting from legitimate feelings and not just for fun, it is impossible to know the true reason someone will troll (yes, it's a verb as well as a noun) and therefore people who make these comments are generally put in the same group as all the other trolls.

What is one to do when encountered with an internet troll? Well, you have options. Some people choose to engage the person in conversation. I generally recommend against this as it just leads to frustration and nothing else to show for your efforts. Others will just ignore the person and continue the conversation with other people. This works well though the troll will sometimes get another member of the conversation trapped in conversation. The recommended method is to either block or report the person. Many places on the internet have "anti-trolling" measures in place that allow a person to either report a troll (and thereby have them removed from the site permanently) or block them (they maintain their membership, but you no longer see any of their comments).

Practical Tip of the Day:
When using a site like Facebook, the easiest way to avoid trolls is to simply increase your privacy settings so only your friends and family can interact with you. You can access your privacy settings on Facebook by clicking the downwards pointing triangle in the top-right corner of the webpage and then selecting "Privacy Settings." Once there, you'll have many options to help you get your account as buttoned up as you'd like.


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How Do I Clean My Computer?

You know you shouldn't, but admit it, sometimes you eat and drink near your computer. Maybe you have kids who like to poke at your screen or you just take your computer with you everywhere. No matter how you treat your computer, it's bound to need a good cleaning sooner or later. Smears on the screen, gunk on the trackpad or mouse, stuff under the keyboard, all kinds of things can make your computer not only look gross, but also affect its functionality.

The first thing I generally recommend is to give it a good spray down with some canned air. You can buy canned air from most electronic stores or departments (picture below), and it really is just pressurized air in a can. Keep the can upright, aim at the keyboard and/or heat vents and spray. This will kick up a lot of the small things hiding out below your keys or in the vents that keep your computer from working smoothly. Note: Do NOT hold the can upside down! Canned air contains small amounts of liquid nitrogen that can freeze items on contact. This can be dangerous not only to your computer, but to yourself as well.

To clean the body of the computer you have more options. There are numerous sprays, wipes and other things sold that you can apply to the outside of your computer to get stuck on gunk off.  Make sure you verify that it's safe to use on your kind of computer and the parts of the computer you're looking to clean. For example, Macs are made out of an aluminum alloy that may smear when cleaned with some products (I've had good luck with iClear on my Macbook Pro), and even on PCs, some cleaners aren't designed to work on the screen of the computer and can discolor or smear as well.

If you're looking for something cheaper than actual computer cleaner, a common item held in my electronic-cleaning arsenal is good old denatured alcohol and a microfiber cloth. Microfiber clothes are inexpensive and don't leave any small fibers when used for cleaning unlike paper towels, cotton balls or dish rags. Put a small amount of alcohol on the cloth (NOT on the computer directly) and wipe the area that needs cleaning. The added benefit of using alcohol is that it also works as an anti-microbial, killing any germs that may be lingering on your precious device. This is also the way I recommend cleaning a computer monitor, or any electronic screen for that matter.

Practical Tip of the Day: NEVER EVER ever use water to clean your computer! Remember, water is bad for electronics, so keep it far away. Most computer cleaners are made to be used sparingly, and if you use alcohol to clean your computer, make sure the cloth is damp, but not dripping. Even a small amount of liquid can cause irreparable damage to your computer!


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Should I Update to iTunes 11?

Apple recently sent out a new update to iTunes that made many changes, and not everyone is enjoying them. As with most software updates by any company, there are always people wondering if the update is worth doing and if they should update now or wait. Unfortunately for Apple, iTunes updates have put a sour taste in the mouths of many Windows users that have made them doubly skeptical of doing updates. Let's take a look at what the update changed and from there you can decide for yourself whether it's worth doing:

First thing you'll notice is an all-new look and feel of the program. In true Apple fashion, the new iTunes is even sleeker and more minimalist than before. While this is very eye-catching, some people have been complaining about needing to "re-learn" where everything is located. Personally, I don't think this is a major issue. You move to different areas of your iTunes library using a drop-down now instead of using a left-side navigation bar.

The thing I enjoy most is the new "Up Next" option for the Mini Player. The mini player is the miniaturized iTunes player you can use to play music instead of having the large program window open and taking up space on your computer screen. Apple's updated that (again, making it more minimalist), but also added the Up Next feature that allows you to see what song is slated to play after the one currently playing. From there you can rearrange the order they play in, remove them from the to-be-played list, rate them, or get more information about them.

Lastly, more iCloud updates. This one is actually quite handy for people with multiple Apple devices that access iTunes. Now you can access all of your content from any of your devices. While Apple had a version of this previously through their paid iTunes Match program, it is now offered free and means that that song you bought on your iPhone instantly appears on your Mac (or PC) at home without having to plug your phone in to sync.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Still not sure if you want to update? It's not uncommon for a smaller bug-fixing update to be released within a few weeks of a major update to a program (this rule of thumb is true for most programs regardless of who makes it). If you're concerned that the new update will mess something up on your computer, wait for the next update and down both of them at the same time. This will make the updating process take longer, but it'll mean you're also minimizing the chance for something to get lost-in-translation during the update process, and as always, I recommend backing up your data before any major software update.


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Can I Access My Computer From My Smartphone or Tablet?

Ever have a file on your computer at home that you really wish you had with you? Maybe it's a resume and you just ran into a prospective employer, a photo you don't have on your phone, or maybe you need to do some work on your computer and won't be home for hours or days. Because of these exact reasons, there are apps you can get for your Apple or Android devices that allow you to remotely access your home or office computer. That means that you can open this app and actually see and control your computer as if you were there. How cool is that? Here are the most popular apps in the marketplace right now:

• GoToMyPC- This is a premium app made by Citrix so I usually recommend it for people who will either be accessing their computer a lot or for business people who need something more streamlined. Designed for either iOS (Apple) or Android, this slick app is free, but does require a subscription to the GoToMyPC service. ($20/month)
• LogMeIn- This app is iOS only, and is a simplified remote access app, which works out nicely for the occasional user. The other nice thing about it is the price tag; The app is free and there is no subscription. Simply download the app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch and then the program onto your Mac or PC.
• Ignition- This is the Android version of LogMeIn, and as such is going to be nearly identical. Still able to access both Macs and PCs, still free, and made by the same company as LogMeIn (LogMeIn, Inc.), I'm not sure why they gave it a different name, but nonetheless, here it is.

Keep in mind that these are just the top apps for remotely controlling your computer and there are others out there, but I will caution you when you go searching for other options. Make sure you only download apps directly from the iTunes Store or Android Marketplace and the computer program part directly from the manufacturer's website. This is important as the Store and Marketplace verify the authenticity and safety of the apps and programs before allowing them on the store. That way you know you're not downloading something that will allow anyone else into you devices without your permission.

Practical Tip of the Day:

When you go to look at the apps before downloading them, check the features. You'll often be pleasantly surprised. The ones I've listed often have added features allowing you to do things like transfer files between devices, linking to cloud based storage, and accessing multiple computers.


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How Do I Fix My Slow Computer?

It happens to all computers. When you buy them they're amazingly quick, but with time they start to slow down. Eventually it gets to the point that you decide you have to do something, but what? Here are the first things I recommend trying when you notice your computer getting slow, in the order I recommend trying them:

1. Restart- The first is easy. Restart your computer. When was the last time your computer was turned off? While computers are getting much better about going for extended periods of time without needing to be restarted (also known as "rebooted") letting it rest even for the couple seconds it takes to restart will often do wonders for a sluggish computer- especially a new one.

2. Clean Things Out- (WARNING!- Before deleting things from your computer, make sure you have a current backup of your computer. If you don't know how to backup your data, read this.) It's possible that your computer could be slowing down because it has so much information in it. The analogy here being that if you load up your car with a bunch of stuff, it slows down and you have to push the gas more to get it to go the same speed. I generally recommend people keep at least 10% of their hard drive empty for daily use. For example, if you have a 500 GB hard drive (click here if you don't know what "GB" means) you should have at least 50 GB left free to help prevent computer slow down.

3) Reinstall- Now things are getting serious. If you've tried both restarting and cleaning your computer, reinstalling your computer's operating system would be the next recommended step. (This article helps explain what an operating system is.) This is a bit more extreme as it involves removing everything from your computer and then putting it all back on. This is generally done to ensure that problem causing the computer to slow down isn't part of the computer's underpinnings. Sometimes, especially as the computer ages and sees more use, things simply get mucked up and need to be replaced. Think of this as shaking the proverbial Etcha-sketch on your computer. Because of this, I again urge you have a backup and to consult with your technology advisor for more help.

4) Add RAM- So you've restarted, cleaned things out, reinstalled your operating system and things still aren't as snappy you'd like them to be. Now we look at doing hardware upgrades. RAM is your computer's short term memory, and the easiest thing a consumer can physically change about their computer to speed it up. (Click here for a primer on what RAM is.) How the RAM is changed in your particular computer is variable, so it's important to have the owner's manual or your technology consultant handy. If you don't feel comfortable opening up your computer, don't worry, this is a simple operation and most computer technicians won't charge an arm and a leg to do it. (Find a new tech if they try and tell you it will take more than an hour to do the upgrade!)

Here's a photo example of RAM from Office Max.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Defragment- This would be located between steps 1 and 2 if you're using a Windows computer, but since I'm trying to write this in an operating system neutral way, I thought this would be the better place for it. Defragment- or "defrag" for short- is the process a Windows computer uses to put data back where it belongs. Computers are like preschoolers when it comes to putting things away when they're done with them; They don't. If you have a Windows computer, you can run a defrag to tell the computer to "clean up its room" in a sense. In some versions of Windows, you can even set a schedule to tell it to do it on a regular basis.

If you have a Mac, the computer defrags any files it views as "highly fragmented" when you go to open the file. This happens automatically unless you have less than 10% of your hard drive available. This is why step 2 is so important!

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How Does a Square Reader Work?

You may have heard that the Girl Scouts are accepting credit cards  now, or maybe you've just overheard an excited friend with a small business talking about finally being able to accept credit cards while they're out and about. While there are many products and services that allow people to do this, the most popular option by far is the Square reader and Square Register app. Made by the Square Up company, they have a great business plan that allows people to start accepting credit card payments with no startup costs. Here are the three easy- and free- steps to getting started with a Square reader:

1. Get the app- Available for iOS devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) as well as Android devices, the app is called Square Register and yes, it's free. Just download onto your device like you normally do.

2. Set up account- Once you have the app, you can create your account right from it or from Square Inc.'s website. (https://squareup.com) This is also free to do. Once you have your account, you can log onto the app and customize your settings.

3. Get reader- This can be done before or after you get the app, but it doesn't do you much good to have the reader without the app to use it with. When you signed up for your account on Square's website, they also asked for your address so they could mail you your- you guessed it- FREE reader. Now that you have it you're ready to go! Now, what if you decide you need it now? Last minute bake sale at school maybe? You can purchase the readers at various electronics stores and departments like Sam's Club, Apple, etc.

Only an inch in size, this little guy can make a big impact for portable businesses.

What's the catch, you ask? How are they making any money? Square keeps 2.75% of all credit card transactions made with their app. That means that if you charge someone $10 for a dozen cupcakes, Square will keep 27.5 cents of it. That's it! No other fees or charges. That's why Square has become such a staple to many small businesses around the world.

Practical Tip of the Day:
One of the nice things about the Square Register app is that it also helps you keep your transactions accounted for. What then should you do if someone chooses to pay with cash? No worries! The Square Register can also help you track your cash transactions. Once you enter the price on the main screen, simply tap the $ icon on the top right corner to change it from a credit card transaction to a cash one.

What Are the Best Apps for Expectant Parents?

I'm happy to announce that after my long hiatus, I'll finally be able to get back to my regular Tuesday/Thursday schedule for blog posts since I've had my baby and have taken some time to recover and readjust. Thank you all for your patience! Because of this, I thought I'd share the apps that my husband and I found most helpful during my pregnancy:

1. "My Pregnancy Today" from BabyCenter was definitely the most used pregnancy app of the bunch as it links directly to BabyCenter's week-by-week updates on how your baby and your body are growing and changing as well as their numerous articles that are absolutely invaluable to expectant parents. It also gives you a checklist of things to do so nothing slips your mind like finding a pediatrician, taking your vitamins, or writing up your birth plan. This is the single "must have" app of the bunch in my opinion.

2. "My Baby's Beat" by Matis Inc. wins the award for coolest pregnancy app for sure. This $3.99 app super-sensitizes your iPhone's microphone so you can use it to listen to your baby's heartbeat in utero. Yes, you read that right. A $3.99 app lets you hear your baby's heartbeat. Now, a bit of a disclaimer here. It's not perfect and by no means replaces the dopplers you can buy to do this same thing, but if you're like me and don't want to spend $40 for something you'll only use a half dozen times, this is a great app, and if nothing else it impresses your friends and family.

3. "Full Term - Labor Contraction Timer" by Mustansir Golawala is the app I used to time my contractions for obvious reasons. It's simple, free and a great way to time contractions when you have to be on the move and can't be carrying around a pen and paper to write down the times. It was made by a husband looking for a way for his wife to time her contractions and he's subsequently released it for free for everyone else as a gift. How sweet is that?

Practical Tip of the Day:
Now, in theory, if you're reading this, you're looking to have a baby sometime in the near future. If that's the case, "iBabyLog: Baby Tracker" from the Palanati Group, LLC would be my recommendation for the brand-new parents. While you're in the hospital and for a few weeks afterwards, you'll be asked to track your baby's diapers, feedings, and other things. Instead of keeping a physical journal, this handy, free app lets you and all the baby's caregivers track these things easily and let it sync between everyone.

Best iOS Apps for Stay at Home Parents

Often times people think of business people and college kids when they think of smartphones like the iPhone, but there are plenty of stay-at-home/work-from-home parents who own iPhones and iPod Touches as well. That's why I've decided to share my top three app recommendations for the the home:

Grocery iQ- This is one of my favorite apps because it allows my husband and I to share a single grocery list. It syncs between our phones so he can add something to the list from work, it'll automatically add it to my phone, and when I purchase the item and mark it off, it automatically removes it from the list on his phone so he knows he doesn't have to stop at the store. This app also has lots of coupons, a favorites list for commonly purchased items, a store locator and it can save your savings cards so you don't have to carry them with you.

Betty Crocker- The Betty Crocker app is one of my favorites for those "I need to use this up before it goes bad" times. You can search through recipes by ingredients ("I have kielbasa and black beans..."), browse by main ingredient "What can I make with chickpeas?" or search recipes by name "Lets make chicken enchiladas." Once you find a recipe you like, you can save it right in the app so you don't have to search for it all over again.

Mint- There's a reason stay-at-home parents are also called home economists. Mint is a financial app that ties into a website that helps you manage and track your finances with ease and sans jargon. It's easy to make a budget, link your credit cards and bank accounts, and then track how you're doing on your budget right from the app. Considering ordering dinner out? Open the app and see if it's in your budget to eat out this month. The website also allows you to track your loans and credit card balances so you have one place to see how far you've come in paying them off.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Have kids that like to play with your iPhone, but sometimes leave it in... odd places? Sign up for iCloud for free using your Apple ID (the log in you use to purchase apps) and then turn on "Find My iPhone" in your iPhone's settings. Lost phone? Go to icloud.com, log in, and click "Find My iPhone." It'll use the GPS to locate your phone ("Oh good, it's not at the daycare center!") and from there you can send it a message (if maybe it IS at the daycare center) or make it ring, even if you left it on silent! The last part is particularly helpful if you're like me and often leave your phone silenced, and tend to find it between couch cushions or under a pile of stuffed animals.

Should I Get The iPad Mini?

Today was another big day for Apple with plenty of announcements- new 13" MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, iMac, iPad and lots of software and technology updates like the new Fusion Drive, but the overwhelming take away for most people was of course the iPad Mini. We've been waiting for it, guessing about it, and now that we have it we must pause and ask ourselves "Should I actually get it?"

As usual, my answer is "Maybe. Depends on what you do," but here's the quick and dirty breakdown of its features. Keep in mind though that features don't determine whether or not you should get something. I recommend being able to think of at least three things you can do with it that you can't currently do or would be significantly better/easier with it:

• Small enough to hold in one hand
• 7.2 MM thick (about the thickness of a pencil)
• .68 Lbs (about the weight of a pad of paper)
• Exterior is aluminum and glass
• Comes in either black or white (see photo above)
• Same pixel count as full-sized iPad
• 7.9" display (measured on the diagonal)
• Front and read facing cameras
• 10 hour battery life
• LTE option for cell service
• Starts at $329

All in all, I consider the iPad Mini to be a good place to start if you think you want an iPad, but don't want/have the money to spend on a full-sized one. That lower price point and size also make it better for children or teens or anyone who finds themselves in environments that aren't very tech-friendly.

If you're still not sure if the iPad Mini is right for you, feel free to contact me at www.TechKNOWLEDGEyToday.com and I'd be more than happy to help walk you through the decision. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates and periodic tips and tricks to help you with the technology you use daily.

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How Do I Make a Ringtone in Garageband?

Apple’s been enjoying a nice “halo effect” with their iPhones and iPads. With all the people purchasing those devices, many of them are also making the switch to using Macs as their primary computer. One of my favorite things to show new Mac owners who started with an iPhone is how to make a ringtone in GarageBand, Apple’s audio program that comes on every Mac.

The first step is to find a sound that you want to use that is non-copyrighted. Once you have the sound you want, open GarageBand and select iPhone Ringtone from the menu on the lefthand side of the screen that pops up. To the right of that menu, you’ll see three icons that say “Example Ringtone,” “Loops,” and “Voice,” respectively. Select “Loops” and then click the “Choose” button in the lower-righthand side of the screen.

Once you’ve done that, you should be prompted to name the ringtone, asked where you want to keep it, set the tempo, signature, beats-per-minute and key. The only thing you need to change from the default is the name. Give it a name descriptive enough that you’ll be able to find it in a list. “Ringtone 1,” for example, isn’t descriptive, but “Fluffy Barking” is (if, in fact, the sound is your dog Fluffy barking).

Once you hit “Create” the main GarageBand window will open up and you’ll see four instruments listed on the lefthand side and their respective loops (small segments of their sounds) to the right. Click on the instrument on the right and click on “Track” from the menu bar and then click “Delete Track.” This can also be accomplished by selecting the instrument on the right, holding the command key and tapping the delete key.

After that, simply drag and drop your audio file into the GarageBand window and use the yellow bar towards the top of the screen (below the ruler-looking  bar) to adjust which part of the audio file you wish to use as your ringtone. You do this by clicking-and-dragging the ends of the bar to mark the beginning and end of the click you want. Hitting the play button on the bottom of the screen (the triangle pointing to the right) will play the part of the clip you’ve selected. This will help you fine-tune your timing. Remember, you only have 13 seconds for your ringtone length!

Once you’re happy with how your ringtone sounds, click on “Share” in the menu bar at the top of the screen, then select “Send Ringtone to iTunes.” GarageBand will work its magic, iTunes will open up, and the ringtone will be added to your library! Sync your iPhone and your ringtone will be added to the list of options.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Forgot how to change your iPhone’s ringtone? Tap on “Settings” (the icon that has grey gears on it) and then “Sounds.” You’ll be able to change all your sound settings there, including when you want a particular ringtone to be used.

iPhone Camera Tips

Have an iPhone and love the fact that you have a camera at the ready almost always now? Here are some short tips to make taking an excellent photo even easier:

Tap to focus- Yes, the iPhone does auto-focus, but what if you just can't get it to focus where you want? Often times, I use it to adjust where it's adjusting for the light. Photo too dark? Tap on an area of the photo that's particularly bright. Too bright? Just the opposite. Need to focus on a something far away or particularly close? Simply tap on it and the iPhone will adjust the focus on it.

Grid- When you have the camera opened on your iPhone, under "Options" you'll see the choice to turn on a grid. This can help you make sure your horizon line is straight or that the walls in your photo aren't distractingly lopsided. It's also used for what art students refer to as the "rule of thirds." The idea is pretty simple- a piece of art is more interesting to the eye if the main contents of the photo are in fact NOT centered, but rather slightly off-center. Look at the example below. The man is laying along the bottom line and the upper limit of the items in the yard is along the top line.

HDR- The other option in the "Options" section is HDR. HDR stands for "high dynamic range," but don't worry if you forget that shortly- I doubt anyone will quiz you on this. What HDR does is take three photos right after another. One is over-exposed (too bright), one under-exposed (too dark) and one is normal. Then, the iPhone lays the photos over each other and the result is a photo that shows more detail in areas that would otherwise be too dark or too bright to see them in. See the photo below as an example.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Tired of just missing the perfect moment? You can actually hold down the camera icon, adjust the position of the camera as you'd like and then let up on the icon. The iPhone won't actually take the photo until your finger comes up from the icon.

What iOS Apps Should All Small Business Owners Have?

It seems nearly impossible to run a small business without technology nowadays, and smartphones and tablets have gained a firm foothold in this market. When speaking with small business owners, they almost always ask which apps I consider “must haves.” Here are the top three iOS (meaning for Apple products) apps I recommend for people either running or looking to start a small business:

iWork/Quickoffice Pro- Every small business owner needs to look at and sometimes edit documents. Be it text documents, spreadsheets or presentations, being able to view and change them on the go is very helpful. If you own a Mac and use iWork, using the iWork apps will make for a seamless document transition between your iPhone/iPad and your Mac. If you use Microsoft Office either on the Mac or Windows machine, Quickoffice Pro will offer a similar experience for your Office documents.

TurboScan- Are you currently using your device’s camera to take pictures of documents? With TurboScan, you can turn those photos into multipage PDFs that you can then either save or email. That means you could take pictures of your receipts while you’re away on a business trip,  turn them into a single PDF and email them to your secretary or simply keep them on your device for your records.

Square Card Reader- If you do any sales, either products or services, the Square Card Reader is highly recommended because it allows you scan credit cards and have the funds transferred right into your account. Now, as a quick side note here, Square makes their money on the 2.75% fee on every charge you make on their app, but they do also give you a free credit card scanner when you download their free app. Yes, a free scanner for downloading their free app.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Looking to connect with other professionals you know in a forum more formal than Facebook or Twitter? LinkedIn is a website that allows professionals to connect, keep in contact with each other and even offer referrals to each other. LinkedIn, in addition to their website also have a free app. 

If you'd like more information about these apps and how to utilize them in your business, feel free to contact me at www.TechKNOWLEDGEyToday.com and I'd be more than happy to help walk you through the decision. You can also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for updates and periodic tips and tricks to help you with the technology you use daily.

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TechKNOWLEDGEy Today was founded on the idea that through better understanding of technology you can empower people to better their lives more than they ever thought possible. It is with this in mind that we strive to better our communities through the services we offer.

We provide personalized group or individual training on technology in your home or office. Specializing in Apple products like the iPhone, iPad and Mac, we offer purchasing and implementation consultations, software training and instruction on computing basics like the Internet, email and smartphones.

Should I Buy a New iPod or an Old One?

It's that time of year. Just in time for the holiday season, Apple has released new iPods. A new iPod Touch, iPod Nano and even a new iPod Shuffle have been announced, so inevitably the question comes up: Should I buy a new iPod or and older one? It honestly depends on several factors, but the main points we'll be looking at are changes, availability and price.

The new iPod family (from left to right) the Shuffle, Nano and Touch. Shiny, aren't they?

First of all, changes. Are the changes they've made really that big? For the Shuffle, no, but the Shuffle is so wonderfully simple that drastic changes to it are rare. For the Nano, yes, there are some major differences. For one thing, it's only 5.4 mm thick (or "5.4 mm thin" as Apple says) which is about .2 of an inch. That in addition to a larger touch screen and new colors make it a notable upgrade, but one I'd place in the "if you were already looking for a new MP3 player category." (Click here if you're not familiar with the difference between an MP3 player and an iPod.) Lastly, the new iPod Touch. Larger touch screen, colors, better camera and larger capacity make this a very tempting product indeed. As usual, the iPod Touch is Apple's "iPhone without the phone" and so it follows in the footsteps of the new iPhone 5 fairly closely.

Availability. Around the holidays many people consider getting MP3 players for their friends and family, and iPods are the most popular kind to get. That being said, Apple's timing for iPod releases is ingenious in that the new iPods will have high demand when they're released (as of today the Apple online store is estimating a 2 week waiting period) and once the new product rush is over the holiday rush begins. Unfortunately for us, that means that getting a new iPod in the color and capacity you want may be a bit challenging, especially if you pick a common combination like the 32GB silver iPod Touch. (If "32 GB" and "capacity" are confusing you, read this short article for a quick primer.) On the other hand, there are lots of people who have the previous version of the iPod who are itching to have the latest-and-greatest and so auction and sales websites like eBay and Craigslist will be flooded with iPods that are less than a year old and only one version behind.

The other nice thing about buying the previous generation iPod is that the price is much lower. Apple traditionally sells its older iPods online for a discount, but if you don't have your heart set on a brand-new device, buying a used one from the aforementioned sites can prove even cheaper and is a popular place to get an iPod for as little money as possible. (Buyer beware as always though when purchasing used electronics, especially from online sources.) Currently, Apple is advertising a $50 difference between two iPod Touches of the same capacity. That means that Apple thinks its upgrades are worth about $50. Do you agree? Have you ever purchased a previous generation iPod? Let me know in the comments section below what your experiences have been and if you plan on getting or skipping these new iPods.

(Don't forget to check us out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TechKNOWLEDGEyToday and Twitter at http://twitter.com/techKnowToday )

Important Announcements

Hello, everyone! You may have noticed that lately posts have been becoming a bit sporadic; I apologize for this. For those of you who know me personally, my husband and I are expecting a new little girl this month and I am also working on expanding TechKNOWLEDGEy Today into a full technology-training company serving Cortland, Tompkins counties and surrounding areas.

In these efforts I've added a separate website for the company- www.TechKNOWLEDGEyToday.com, a short promo video that addresses our "Why, What and How" (audio still to come), and have made updates to our Facebook Page, Twitter Feed, and Google+ Page. I promise to begin adding more content as soon as I am able to. In the meantime, follow me on the aforementioned sites to keep up with what I'm up to and feel free to drop me an email at TechKNOWLEDGEyToday@gmail.com with any questions or topic ideas.

As always, thank you all for your continued support,

Amanda

What's the Difference Between JPEG and RAW?

This article goes out to my friends and family who've graduated from point-and-shoot cameras and have started to use more professional cameras. When the jump is made it's easy to get caught up in all the new functions and modes of a camera, but most people- when starting out at least- will use their new fancy camera the exact same way as their old one. For those who've moved on past that and can manually adjust their camera to get the shot they really want, the next question is how do you want the camera to save the photo?

Most mid-to-high-end cameras will give you the option of JPEG or RAW. JPEG is pretty familiar. It's the standard digital photo file for most programs and websites nowadays. RAW on the other hand you're unlikely to hear of outside of the hobbyist or professional circles. Unfortunately, some hobbyists hear pros talking about RAW and will start shooting in it without knowing the difference or what it's really for. The difference between JPEG and RAW is the difference between lossy and lossless. Let's unpack that a bit.

When you take a picture with a digital camera, the camera looks at what it was pointed at and makes a photo out of colored pixels. Think of it like this famous pointillism picture:

This picture is actually made up of thousands of tiny dots, but because they're so small you generally won't notice them. Digital photos are the same way. The dots (in this case pixels) are so small you don't notice them unless you zoom in really close. Ever seen a picture that looks kind of blocky? That's what happens when you can see the pixels. Now, when you have a picture that's lossless (in this case, RAW) every pixel is saved exactly how the camera captured it, hence the name "raw." If the camera is set to save it as a JPEG though (lossy) is will look for pixels that are close enough to each other in color and set them to be the same, "throwing out" the information about those small differences. Hence, losing them.

So why in the world would someone pick JPEG instead of RAW? Well, by keeping all that information, a RAW photo will be significantly larger than a JPEG photo. A high-quality JPEG will take up about 2-3 MB of space for example, but a RAW will be closer to 11-12. This means that you can fit about 4-6 JPEG photos in the same amount of space as a single RAW one. This large file size also means RAW photos are slower to open, edit and save.

Practical Tip of the Day:

If you have a camera with the option and want to start shooting in RAW, you'll soon find that you can't send RAW photos to your friends or family. Most consumer photo programs don't support RAW and therefor won't be able to open it. What photographers typically do when they need to share their photos with a non-professional is they export it as a high-quality JPEG. ("Export" means saving a copy as a different format.) Most consumers won't notice a huge difference, the file will be much smaller, and it's a more universal standard so it lowers the chance of a program not accepting it.

What's the Difference Between Storage and Backup?

Frequently, when asked for recommendations on backup plans, the question of storage vs. backup comes up. These two words are similar, and can mean different things in different context, but in this instance, we'll look at what it means to put your information (like photos or music) in storage instead of backing them up.

If you're like me or a lot of people nowadays, you probably have a large photo collection. So large in fact that you're probably running out of storage space on your computer. Instead of going out and getting a new computer entirely, what more people are doing is getting an external hard drive and storing all of their photos on there instead of on the computer. This can be done in a number of different ways that I won't be going into now, but almost inevitably, the person asks why they would want to store their photos off their computer and have a backup.

The reason is that when you're simply storing your photos, you can still access them easily. Think of this like when they're on your computer. You can still open them, edit them, share them, etc. If you have them backed up though- especially with a backup program- they're often times not in a format [read: version] that you can easily open and make changes to. Think of this as having your real photo albums in the attic instead of in your closet. It's much easier to get something out of the closet and use it than it is to get it out of the attic.

Practical Tip of the Day:
An increasing trend is for people to get an external hard drive (like the one pictured above) and partition it. This means that they change the hard drive so instead of acting like one large space, it acts like two smaller spaces. This allows people to store files on one side and backup their files on another. Now, keep in mind, if you use this method you want to backup the files stored on the storage side another way. Why? If that external hard drive fails, you don't want to loose where the files were stored and backed up.

What's the Best Way to Back Up My Data?

This is quite a common question. It seems almost everyone knows they should back up the information on their computer, but few know how to and even fewer actually do. Flash drives? CDs? Cloud? The tech world doesn't make it easy to pick a way to back up your information, but there are a few ideas to keep in mind when picking a backup solution.

1. Cost
2. Ease of Use
3. Security

Finding the perfect balance of these three things for you will give you the backup plan you desire, but to start things off, what does "backing up" mean and why is it important? Backing up simply means to make a copy of your computer's information onto a source outside of your computer. Why? What happens if your computer dies? Stolen, hard drive failure, struck by lightning, etc. Having a backup means not loosing all your important files and documents in case of such an untimely end of your computer.

I tell people to first consider the ease of use of their backup plan. How much time do you want to dedicate to this? Do you want something that you just set up once and it automatically runs after that or do you prefer to have a more hands-on approach? There are a plethora of automatic backup programs out there for people like me who know they won't remember to sit down and manually run a backup program on a regular basis. Ask your technology advisor, friends or family for recommendations.

Secondly, cost. Where are you going to put your backup? Is it going to go on an external hard drive or will you be burning CDs? In this example, an external hard drive will cost more up front, but will last you significantly longer with no additional costs. CDs on the other hand will have a smaller start-up cost, but you'll need to buy more as time goes on. Cost also ties into ease of use as backup programs will range from free (like Apple's Time Machine) to expensive (like a corporate backup program) and everywhere in between.

Lastly, security means how safe is your data once it's backed up? Here's where I get on my soap-box: Redundancy, redundancy, redundancy! If it's worth putting in one place, it's worth putting in another place. For example, let's say you have a laptop and you backup your photos on an external hard drive. What happens though, if your house catches on fire and your computer and hard drive are gone? That's the allure of online backup programs like Carbonite. These programs back up your computer's information to a remote location (yes, the "Cloud") so even in a worse case scenario, your data is safe and you don't have to worry about loosing it all.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Need a place to store information and a place to back it up too? External hard drives can be formatted in such a way as to make them act as is they are really two distinct devices. This means you can use half of it for storage (things you need to be able to access regularly), and the other half for backup (your "in case of emergency break glass" backup plan). More on the difference between storage and backup next time.

What is Phishing? (Part 2: Non Digital)

Last time we talked about phishing scams over the internet, but what most people don't realize is that more and more frequently, phishing scams are going "old school" and getting your personal information from you either over the phone or even in person. This is something I've seen first hand, and can be quite disconcerting because then you can see a face and/or hear a voice to put with the act.

The instance that I saw was with my then-boyfriend when I went over to his house to watch a movie. Part way through a young gentleman with a badge and clipboard came to the house and said he was from a start-up electric company in the area and asked if we were interested in getting a quote for electricity. To get the quote though, my boyfriend had to provide his name, address, phone number, email address (for an electronic copy of the quote), and several other things. At one point the man asked for his social security number; Thankfully my boyfriend did refuse to give that. A few more questions and he left, assuring us that the quote would be in the mail shortly and an electronic copy sent as soon as possible.

As soon he closed the door and turned around, he saw the look on my face and realized what he did. Thankfully the young man hadn't gone far and my boyfriend was able to retrieve all the copies of the information he gave. This is just one instance of something that looks perfectly legitimate, but was most likely a phishing scam. My general rule of thumb for giving your information to those inquiring is such:

1. If they claim to be from XYZ company, do a quick online search to verify this company. This is not fool-proof as most big phishing scams will make a fake webpage though.
2. Just because someone has an ID badge and clipboard does NOT mean they're official! As silly as this sounds, these simple props make people significantly more likely to comply with requests.
3. If at any point someone asking you questions requests your social security number- STOP! Unless you're in a professional setting like a job interview or doctor's office they don't need that information.
4. Assume first that people are phishing until proven otherwise. I know this sounds pessimistic, but being in this mindset will do more good than harm when protecting your personal information.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If a company calls you and then asks you for information to verify your account, STOP! Offer to call the company back using the phone number from the yellow pages or official website. Some phishing scammers will claim to be from your back, say there's been a potential security breach, and then ask "for your safety" to verify your account number and name. By offering to call them back from the phone number you already have for the bank, you can verify the legitimacy of the call. (Also, if your bank really does do this, get another bank. This is a terrible practice if any bank really does do it.)

What is Phishing? (Part 1: Online)

Phishing, pronounced "fishing," is becoming a popular phrase in mainstream media. It's this strange, indistinct danger that threatens to take your information and give it to goodness-knows-who. The real problem though is that this threat, while very real, is completely avoidable and needn't be a constant source of worry. What phishing is is simply someone tricking you into giving them the information they want.

That's right. You give them your sensitive information. Of course right now you're thinking "I'd never do that," but every year thousands, if not millions, of people fall for phishing scams. That's because even the most security-conscious people need to be careful- some of the scams are just that good. One of the most common types of scams is an email from your bank asking you to log in to their website and change your password. Changing passwords is something people do often enough that they rarely think twice about doing it, but in this case, you're not really changing your password, but giving away your current one.

Here's how this particular one happens: The "phisher"makes up a fake email address that looks like it could be official. They send this email to a large batch of people who's email address they've acquired through other shady means. Of these people, a certain percentage of them will bank with the one the phisher is trying to replicate. Of those people, a certain percentage will click the convenient link in the email to go to the webpage to change their password instead of navigating to it using a bookmark. If a person reaches this point, they're greeted by a webpage that looks like their bank's webpage, and even has a URL (web address) that's almost identical to the real name. At that point, they simply fill in the password change form, submit, and that's it. Their log in name and password is sent to the phisher's database.

So how can you avoid this? Here are some simple steps you can use to avoid digital phishing scams:

1. Don't open emails from people you don't know. Too often phishers will make their emails look like they were sent to the wrong person, or the email address will be slightly off from what your bank really uses. For example: If you bank usually emails you from customer_service@bank.com, and you receive an email from customer_service@bank.ca, it's probably not really from your bank.
2. Most companies will NEVER ask you for your password. If you ever receive an email from any company you do business with asking for your password, call them and verify that they sent the email.
3. If you receive an email asking for you to reset your password, do not use the link provided in the email. Navigate to the company's password change webpage using bookmarks you already have. Using the link given to you means you could end up on a fraudulent site if the email is, in fact, not from the real company.
4. If, for whatever reason, you are unable to do the above steps and you must use an email-provided link, verify the webpage it takes you to. Check for things like misspellings, substituting numbers for letters in the name, or having a different ending like ".ca" or ".lb" instead of ".com" These are all ways people can make webpage names look official at first glance.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Not all phishing scams are like the one I outlined, and not all of them are digital. Phishing scams are as plentiful and diverse as scams and cons before the digital age, and some of them are based on those old tricks. There is no way to protect yourself 100% from scams and phishing, but being mindful of your information and who you give it to is the best defense.

What's the Difference Between 1080p and 720p?

Buying a new TV? There are lots of things to look at and consider before spending all that money. One of the bigger considerations is whether you should go to 1080p or stay with 720p. What do those titles mean, anyway? Today we'll look at the two different parts of these titles and learn what the numbers mean as well as what the "p" stand for. Let's jump right in.

In the above picture, we see three different descriptions on the left hand side. DVD 480P, HDTV 720P and HDTV 1080P. To the right of those we see lots of lines and various shading. The smallest box (the one with the darkest shading) corresponds with DVD 480P (or 480p for short). This is the resolution of a standard definition (read: "normal") TV. What does resolution mean, you ask? See how the boxes are made up of lots of lines going both up and down as well and left and right? Each spot where one of those lines intersects another is where a pixel would be on your screen. Resolution is simply how many pixels make up the picture you see. The more pixels, the higher resolution, and the crisper the image looks.

So, the numbers. 480,720, 1080. These are the number of horizontal lines on the screen. See how the boxes above get bigger with the higher number resolution? That's because they have more lines they need to fit in. Most TVs nowadays are widescreen, meaning they have a 16:9 aspect ratio. This simply means that for every 9 horizontal lines, there are 16 vertical lines, hence giving the widescreen it's distinctive long look instead of the squarer look of a standard aspect ratio. Now, you've probably already noticed that most TVs will come in either a 720 or a 1080 ratio in the same size. That's where the difference between the two really come in. In a TV with 1080, they squeeze 360 more horizontal (and therefore 640 more vertical) lines in the same physical space. This is what makes a picture look "sharper" in a higher resolution.

As to what the "p" means, this is as opposed to "i" which is an increasingly less common standard to see. The P stands for "progressive scan" as opposed to the I which stands for "interlaced video." Interlaced video is called such because when an image is displayed on the screen, every other line is put up on the screen first, and then filled in. Of course, this happens quickly so it's not incredibly obvious, but if you'd like to see an example, Wikipedia has a nice one right here. Progressive scan means that all the lines are put up in their sequential order, so you don't have the jumpy look of interlaced video.

Practical Tip of the Day: 

While all this information makes you think that getting the highest resolution is obviously the best choice, first consider what you'll be watching on your HDTV. For example, my husband and I don't have cable. We primarily watch Netflix and Hulu from our Xbox. This means that the video we get from these sources is 720p. Even if we had a 1080p TV, the video itself is only 720, so it'd display as such. Getting a higher resolution TV won't make your videos look better than they are, but it'll make sure they look as good as they can. An analogy I use is if you have an old photo from the 1940s. Even if you scan it and print it out larger it won't be clearer because the original photo just didn't have more detail in it.

What is Push Notification?

Looking for a new email or maybe you have one and just noticed this as a feature? We know what "push" means, and what "notifications" are, but put in a technological light, what does the phrase "push notification" mean? This is, thankfully, one of the times that a technological phrase means exactly what it says. Push notifications are when notifications (emails, messages, etc.) are "pushed" to your device.

A good (though not quite perfect) example of this is email. I have two email accounts; One has push notification, one doesn't. When I look at my smart phone to see if I have any emails, I'll have a number next to my email icon if I received an email to the account with push notification. That's because the email was "pushed" down to my phone as soon as it arrived. If I want to see if I have any emails to my other account (the one without push notification), I have to open up my email and tell it to check for new messages. This is called "fetching" because I'm telling my device to go up to where the emails are held and fetch copies of them.



Another way of explaining it, if you're not that familiar with email, is like your actual mail. Normally, you have to go out to your mailbox to see if you received any mail today. That's how normal email works. If, on the other hand, every time you received a new piece of mail the mailman came up to your door, knocked, and hand delivered each piece to you as it arrived at the post office that would be "pushed." (And yes, I know it would be physically impossible, but that's how convenient push is for mail.)

The email analogy isn't perfect though because emails aren't really "notifications" per se, but I find that to be the easiest way for people to originally understand the idea. Normally, notifications are things like in the above image: small notifications sent from applications you have on your device that pop up when they are triggered. This could be upgrade notifications, news reports, weather alerts, reminders, etc., but the general term "push" is universal between all those examples and the email analogy.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Most applications have a default setup for what things trigger notifications and how they're displayed. If you find that you're getting too many notifications from a particular app, go into the settings. There is almost always a way to minimize or even turn off notifications for individual or all applications.

What is Syncing?

Let's say you have a computer and an MP3 player. (Click here if you don't know what an MP3 player is.) How do you get the songs you want from your computer onto the player? You sync them! What in the world does that mean? "Syncing" is short for "synchronizing," and it does just that; it synchronizes the information from two devices.

If two people are doing synchronized swimming, they're swimming in the exact same way. If two devices are synchronized, they have the same information on them. Lots of different devices can be synchronized: MP3 players, computers, smartphones and even more obscure concepts like "the cloud" can be synchronized with your information. If you're syncing something like a smartphone, you're often connecting it to your computer- either physically or wirelessly- and software on the computer walks you through the process of picking which things you'd like to sync. Here's an example of iTunes (a computer program) syncing an iPod (an MP3 player):

On the more obscure end, things like your bookmarks can be synced between devices using various methods. Bookmarks are website address you've saved so you can easily go back to the website without having to search or remember the address. It's like speed-dial for the Internet. Using a service like Google, you can have a bookmark created on your work computer appear on your home computer by syncing the two computers. See how this can be very handy? On the downside, if something gets messed up, you could also end up with doubles or triples of your items or worse yet, end up loosing the synced information entirely.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Before starting to sync information, make sure you have a backup of your information just in case one of those worse-case-scenarios happens. That way, if you botched syncing your address book from your phone to your computer and loose them all, you can go back to your backup and get them all over again.

How Can I Get My Home Movies Onto My Computer?

Remember that camcorder you purchased back in the 80's or 90's? The one that recorded onto a VHS or mini-VHS tape? Do you even still have a VHS player in your house? More and more, people are wanting to digitize their older media (media being photos, movies, and audio) to get it onto the computer where they can edit and share it. The trick is, how do you get the videos from your old camcorder onto your computer?

A digital video converter is what you need! These small, handy devices plug into your VCR, camcorder, or any other device with the above shown plugs on one end and into your computer on the other end. Using software that comes with the device, you can then easily bring the video into your computer in varying quality, formats and sizes. The product shown above is made by a company named Elgato which specializes in video devices for computers and gets very good reviews. You can find their webpage here.

Just like with converting your old photos into digital versions (click here on how to do that), you want to first shop around for places that will do it for you for a fee and compare the cost of purchasing the equipment and doing it yourself with the cost of hiring a person or company to do it for you. A company can often do it faster, but being able to do it on your own time and in the privacy of your own home can be nice as well.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Video converters can do lots of other things. For example, Elgato also makes a product that lets a person record their video game screen from a console like an Xbox or Playstation. This can be a nice gift for the video gamer in your family that you struggle to find something for. This device will record their game play, and then they can edit it to make movies to share with their friends, family, or post to websites like Youtube.

How Can I Watch the Olympics on My Computer?

With the Olympics going on, lots of people are asking how they can watch it on their computers. NBC here in the US has Olympic coverage pretty well controlled and unviewable on the internet except by use of their mobile application on smartphones and tablets, but what if you want to watch it on your desktop computer upstairs? Thankfully, there are devices that allow you to watch TV directly on your computer!

If you have the Olympics in mind, something like the Elgato EyeTV HD might be right up your alley. It's a small gray box that plugs into your satellite/cable receiver on one end and into your computer on the other end. The below diagram gives the details of which, and I promise it's not as complicated as it might look at first glance.

You do still need to have a cable subscription to get to NBC's coverage of the Olympics, but if you plug in the audio and video output of your cable receiver (the box the cable company gave you) into a device like the EyeTV HD and then connect the converter box (in this example an EyeTV HD) into your computer using a USB cable, you'll be able to watch the games, or anything else you normally would on TV, right on your computer. (The infared emitter shown in the picture is just to make the remote control work.) So there you have it! Maybe you live in a small apartment where a big TV isn't an option or maybe your TV died just days before the Olympic games started, you now know how to get them right on your computer instead.

Practical Tip of the Day:

There's an awful lot of games going on at the Olympics, some of them might happen while you're away from home working, traveling, or just not being glued to the TV. Some devices (like the EyeTV HD) also include DVR capabilities, meaning you can set it to record the shows you want so you can watch them when you want to, not when they decide to show them. Just make sure you have a lot of space on your computer! Remember, videos take up a lot of hard drive space!

What is a Product Key?

This one by special request: "[Please] explain what a product key is and why you [shouldn't] throw them out or delete them." If you've purchased an expensive piece of software, you may have to enter in a product key when you install it. This is to prove that you genuinely purchased the software and didn't just borrow the disc from your friend or steal a copy from the Internet. Product keys are becoming increasingly popular, and are mostly standard on software worth more than $100. Here's an example of product keys for Microsoft's Windows XP:

These examples have X's, but you'd typically see a combination of letters and numbers there. These codes are generated in a (theoretically) random fashion so people can't guess codes. Think of product codes as the keys to your car- they're specific to your car, and you need them to be able to use it. Now, would you ever throw away your car keys? Of course not! Now, this isn't a perfect example since you don't need to enter in your product code every time you use the software (the computer remembers it and gives it to the software whenever you start that program up,) but what if you get a new computer or you have to wipe your computer and reload all the programs?

It would be terrible if you had to buy the program all over again just because you got a new computer, so that's where product codes come in. If you get a new computer (or wipe your old one) and need to reinstall the software, you can usually reuse the same product code. This does change a bit depending on the company, but typically product codes are good for one computer at a time. Here's where things can get messy though. What if you accidentally threw away your product key? Just like if you threw away the keys to your car, you'll be in a tough spot. It's possible that you could speak to the manufacturer of the software and they'd be able to assist you, but unless you have your original receipt, you have no proof that you actually bought the program.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Since loosing product keys is somewhat common, I usually tell people to make a single spot- usually a plastic container of some sort- that they keep all their computer discs, papers and boxes. By consolidating everything to one area, it will be easier to find things in the rare occasions that you need them.

How Can I Get My Old Photos Onto My Computer?

Ah, the old photo albums! Or maybe it's more like the the old box-of-photos-that-really-should-go-in-an-album-someday. A significant number of households still have a a lot of printed photos and/or slides stored away. With he digital age, though, there's more and more pressure to digitize the photos as well so they can be saved on the computer and even go on the Internet if you so desire. This can seem like a daunting task though, especially if you don't know where to start...

The best place to start is with a rough approximation of how many photos you have that you want to put on your computer. This matters because while 50 photos might be easy enough to do yourself in an afternoon, 5,000 is a whole other ball game. If you fall into the later category and have thousands of photos, hiring a service that specializes in digitizing photos and videos might be worth it, but if you fall into the former, it might not. For this article, let's assume you've chosen to do it yourself.

An example of a digital negatives scanner.

How are you going to get the photos into the computer? With a scanner. If you only have a small number of photos and/or don't care about getting optimal quality, using a scanner that's built into a printer can work just fine; check your owner's manual for instructions on using the scanner.  If you have a large number, or do want the best possible quality, a stand alone photo scanner might be better for you. These can range in size, price and features so dramatically that it's difficult to give much guidance here except to look for "photo digital converters" and do lots of research before buying anything. What about slides and negatives you ask? Doing that same search will also yield results for devices that can scan those too!

Practical Tip of the Day:
Still not sure if it'd be cheaper to do it yourself or hire a company? Price out the cost of hiring someone, and compare it to the cost of any equipment you may need to buy + how much your time is worth. Whichever is cheaper is our answer! (Keep in mind that professionals will often get it done faster and have higher quality results though.)

How Can I Protect My Laptop from Theft?

Have a new laptop or planning on getting one in the new future? While laptop computers can be great for the extra portability, that can also pose problems if your laptop "walks away" from you. Whether you're a college student, traveling professional, or somewhere in between, there are three basic ways to help prevent laptop theft.

The first is laptop locks. These are very much like bike locks in that it's a durable cable that you wrap around something that can't be moved and then lock into your computer. The one pictured here is from Kensington and uses a combination. There are locks that use keys, but I usually recommend combination locks since you can't loose a combination. Also note that it's plugged directly into the computer. Most laptop computers nowadays have a slot specifically for use with laptop locks. Check the specifics of your computer to verify whether you have one or not.

Another step against laptop theft is anti-theft software. Companies like LoJack (the car anti-theft company) are starting to branch out into the computer field, but there are also new start-ups and even free anti-theft software out on the market now. They all work slightly differently, so be sure to read carefully before you get any of them, but my personal favorite for Mac laptops is called Undercover by a company called Orbicule that specializes in technology security.

Lastly, and most effectively, if you don't want your laptop to get stolen, don't leave it laying around! Far too often I've heard college students crying because their laptop with all their finals got stolen at the library when the student got up to get a book. Leaving your laptop on your table while you use the bathroom at Starbucks? Just as bad. Having a house party where you don't personally know everyone in attendance? Put the computer away in a room people won't go into.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Most frequently, people will use a combination of the three of these methods to protect their laptop. Personally, I don't frequent public places so I use an anti-theft program and keep my computer on my person when I am out and about with it. Consider your lifestyle when looking at anti-theft options, and remember that while having a complete and recent backup of your computer doesn't make the monetary loss any less, it will make it easier to start up where you left off if you end up needing a new computer.