What are 3D Printers?

Recently, I purchased a 3D printer. With the new job snuggly under my belt and the baby now at a more reasonable age, I thought the time was ripe to get a new technological hobby. Something I noticed though is that when I tell people I have a 3D printer, more often than not they ask me if I have, or plan to, make a gun. At first I found this shocking, but now I've come to expect it. Despite what major news outlets might lead you to believe though, 3D printers aren't just weapons waiting to happen. On the contrary, they're wonderful machines that have been improving lives for everyone and will continue to do so. So, what exactly are they?

I will have follow-up posts about them as I continue to learn myself, but in a nutshell, a 3D printer is a printer that can make things. The one I have is called a Solidoodle 2, and looks like this:

I'll be writing up another post that explains all the parts in more detail, but all 3D printers have these basic things:

• Filament- This is the "stuff" that makes the items. Usually this is a plastic, but some 3D printers can print chocolate, wood, glass, or even organic tissue.
• Extruder- This is the part that both melts the filament and moves to make the shapes needed to produce the item.
• Axes (singular- axis)- These are the things- usually rods- that the extruder moves on to make its shapes. There is always an X (left and right), Y (forwards and backwards) and Z (up and down) axis.
• Bed- This is the platform the printed object sits on while it is being printed. These can have a surprising amount of variety to them and can affect the print drastically.

I will continue to write articles explaining these marvelous machines more in the future, and will hopefully have some pictures of things I've printed to post here soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions about them, please feel free to email me. Additionally, I will be having public Google Hangouts when I'm using the printer, so if you follow TechKNOWLEDGEy Today on Google+, you just may get to see me and ask me questions live!

Are Child Headphones Worth It?

With the increasing use of technology by younger and younger children, the amount of accessories marketed directly for them is increasing. Everything from child-friend iPad cases to security software for mobile devices and child headphones. These headphones are smaller than most, but still over the ear style. Usually costing the same or slightly more than comparable headphones, it's wise for a parent to shop around and do research before purchasing a pair.

Child headphones are, like I said, smaller to accommodate the smaller cranium sizes of youths making it much more comfortable for a child to wear than larger adult sets. This isn't a big deal for short-term use, but for longer periods like watching a movie in the back seat of a car on a long car trip, it can make a difference, though the exactly amount or type has not been studied thoroughly.

They also have built in volume controls. This is by far my favorite feature of child headphones. I can't tell you how many times I've accidentally blasted my own ears starting some music when the volume had been turned up without me knowing. Built in volume controls mean that even if the device they're plugged into is set to play loudly, the headphones have a maximum level that will lower the volume to a safe level for their ears.

Lastly, they look cool! I mean, check out this pair by DreamGear. With cute pictures and characters on them, children often get attached to their headphones as it allows them to have their set that. This means they'll (theoretically) stay away from your expensive Bose set, and opt for their own.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Be careful giving your child any electronic device or accessory and leaving them unattended. Smaller children may chew on cables or get tangled in the wire. Always exercise common sense and caution when giving your child a new item. I personally did not let my child use her headphones unattended until she was five, and I still do not let her use them for more than 10 minutes at a time except for special occasions like the aforementioned long car trips.

How Do I Make a Picture Smaller?

It's probably happened to you. Someone you know sends you a photo in an email, it takes forever to load, and then WHOA! That's why it took so long! When you look at the photo you realize you're just seeing the top corner of someone's head. This photo is huge! Why is it so big? Can you shrink it?

When this happens, it's because the photo has a high resolution and no limit on the physical size of the photo. The resolution of a photo is measured in megapixels, which is a measurement of how many pixels are in a square inch of the photo. Check out this article for a quick lesson on megapixels and cameras: What's the Difference Between JPEG and RAW? Generally, when you send a photo in an email, or open it in an editing program, the program will shrink the photo down to a more manageable viewing size. Sometimes though, when someone has a photo with a high megapixel count, they choose to send it in its actual size which is great when viewed on large screens, but quite overwhelming on anything else.

So how do you adjust this? The easiest way is to save it to your device. If, for example, you viewed the photo in the email of your smartphone, saving the photo and opening it in the phone's photo viewer will resize it to the proper level. The same is true if you save it to your computer. While some photo viewing programs won't automatically resize, most will. If you're look for recommendations, Apple's iPhoto for the Mac or Google's Picasa for the PC are both good, free programs that allow editing, resizing, organizing and even sharing of photos.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Not sure what size photo to send to someone? Here's a good rule of thumb: How will they be viewing the photo? If they'll be viewing it on a smartphone, send a smaller version; this will minimize how much of their data plan is used loading it while giving them good enough quality for their screen. If, on the other hand, they'll be saving it on their home computer to later edit or print, send as close to actual resolution as you can. Computer can handle larger files more easily, and a higher quality photo is easier to edit and saves more of details.

What is Email Forwarding?

Have an old email address that you still rely on but hate to give out to people anymore? Maybe it has a precious name, is from an old provider or is just downright embarrassing. Thankfully, most email providers nowadays offer email forwarding.

Email forwarding works a lot like actual mail forwarding. If you move to a new house or apartment, you can have the post office forward your mail to your new address while you change your address over with everyone who sends you mail. That way, when they receive a letter addressed to your previous address, they send it to your new one instead. 

Email forwarding is like that. When you tell an email account to forward, it'll automatically send a copy of any emails you receive to another email address you specify. That way, you can see all of those emails in another inbox and needn't access that old account anymore.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Unlike postal mail forwarding, email forwarding doesn't expire so you can set it up and forget about it.

What Kind of Computer Do I Have?

If you have ever had a problem with your computer, you've probably spoken to a technician who has asked you what kind of computer you have. With a scared deer-in-the-headlights look, you shrug your shoulders and simply hand them the computer. How does one find out what kind of computer you have? Do people really memorize their processor and RAM? How you find out your computer's specifications depends on the kind of computer you have, obviously, but it is generally a very straightforward process.

If you have a Mac, click on the Apple logo in the top left-hand corner of your screen. "About this Mac" will be the first option on the drop-down menu that you get. Simply click on that and a small window will pop up telling you your processor, RAM, and what version of the operating system you have. If you click on the "More Info" button, then you will get all of your computers specifications. This can come in handy if someone needs to figure out when your computer was made.

If you have a PC, click on the Windows button in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen. You will see the word "Computer" on the right-hand side of the pop-up menu. Right click on that and select "Properties." This will pop up a screen that will give you similar information to what the Mac version shows you as well.

Practical Tip of the Day:
On the Mac, if you click on the words "version 10.[x.x]" you will notice that the words change to "Build [XXXXXXX]", and if you click again it will change to your computers serial number. This is the easiest way to find this information out. If you ever seek warranty work on your Mac, you will need to know this information.

What's E-Faxing?

Every once in a great while I'm asked to do the unthinkable. I'm asked to step back in time to the 80's and fax a document. "Seriously? Faxing? Are the carrier pigeons sick?" After all my grumbling though I still have to find a way to fax a document. Being the cheap-o I am, I don't want to pay Kinkos to fax a document for me. That's how I discovered e-faxing.

E-faxing is a way of sending and/or receiving documents between a computer and a fax machine. If you have a PDF for example, and you need to fax it to someone, instead of printing it out, going to Kinkos (or anywhere else you can find fax machine) and paying to have it faxed, you can use a website to simply upload it and have it be sent that way. Some websites are free, others are paid, but the general gist is the same. Most focus on sending faxes, but there are plenty that also allow for receiving.

If you find yourself in the position that you'll suddenly need to send and receive faxes on a regular basis, instead of buying a fax machine (and paper, and ink) consider signing up for an e-fax subscription. Many providers will send any faxed documents right to your email inbox, which means easy electronic documentation storing and much cost and space saving for you!

Practical Tip of the Day:
Instead of buying a fax machine, sign up for e-faxing and spend the extra money on a nice printer/scanner combo! This way you can print faxes you want physical copies of and can scan in physical documents you want to digitize.

Why Do My Earbuds Shock Me Sometimes?

Has this ever happened to you? You going for a walk, listening to some music or your favorite podcast, and then all of a sudden you get a shock- right in your ears! Or maybe you get a series of crackling small shocks in both ears for a few seconds... Unpleasant isn't it? Why do we sometimes get a small shocks from our earbuds? Is it a sign that there's a problem with your earbuds? Is it dangerous?

Short answer, no, it's not dangerous. What's actually happening is electricity is jumping from the metal in your earbuds to the small hairs within your ears. While it may be unpleasant, it's generally not dangerous and nothing to worry about. Usually it's static electricity that's built up over the course of some time, and finally finding a place to discharge. This can become even more common during the winter time when the air is dryer.

The best way to avoid it while still using your earbuds is to simply touch something metal to help discharge the electricity. If you find it happening a lot, or if it's painful, you should check to see if there are any shorts in your headphones. You can do this by simply examining the cord for any small cuts or abrasions where the wiring may be exposed. Should you find such a flaw in your headphones, get a new pair or at least wrap up your current set with electrical tape.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you are like me and intend to be very static prone, look to invest in earbuds that go in your ear. They usually have a plastic coating around them that will help prevent static shocks. While they tend to be more expensive than standard earbuds, they also tend to give you better sound quality. Apple has recently changed their earbuds to be called earpods and are specifically in-ear style only.

Should I Get My Kid a Netbook?

So you're tired of your child tying up the computer for hours on end and you're considering getting them their own. You've decided they don't need a full-fledged laptop, but should you get them a netbook?

First, what is a netbook? A netbook is what I like to call a "diet laptop." It looks like a laptop, acts like a laptop, but they're smaller, lighter, and cheaper. Because of this, netbooks can't do as much as a full laptop. They're designed to be primarily used for web browsing, email, document editing and light games.

If that sounds like what your child wants to do- YouTube, Facebook, homework, etc. then a netbook could be right for them. Keep in mind, if you do get a netbook for your child to help them with schoolwork, many schools nowadays don't allow personal technology, including laptops and netbooks.

Practical Tip of the Day:

Whether you get your child a laptop or netbook, be sure to set up parental controls. You can set limitations on which websites they view, who they can get email from, and even which times of the day they can use their computer.

Should I Get a Screen Protector for My Smartphone?

If you have a smart phone you inevitably ask about the best way to protect it from damage. Should you get case? Should you get a screen protector? Do I really need to spend the extra money? After spending so much money on a new smart phone you would think that most people would want to protect it as much as possible, but sometimes people try and save money by leaving their phones unprotected. Don't be cheap, spend the extra money to get at least the screen protector!

Although smart phones are made out of very resilient material, it's best to have a screen protector put on them to help maximize the lifespan of your phone. Do you really want to be walking around with a phone's whose screen is scratch so badly you can barely see it? Having a screen protector can help protect your phone from superficial scratches that can then turn into major scratches and even cracks.

I generally recommend spending the extra money to get screen protectors that are cut for your particular device, but if you can't find them, getting a generic one and cutting it yourself is not that bad. The most important thing is to make sure that it's put on properly, without air bubbles or any kind of debris beneath it. Not only are they distracting, but they also mean that your phone is not nearly as protected as it should be and debris can actually scratch your phone's screen from the friction if your screen protector shifts around.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you've already dropped your smart phone and it has a crack, but is otherwise fine, putting a screen protector on it now isn't necessarily a bad idea. Doing so can help cover it, letting you use your phone while you save up money to get it fixed or purchase a new one.

What are OLED TVs?

This year at many of the major conferences, there were lots of new televisions. Bigger ones, smaller ones, smarter ones, ones with built-in apps and also ones that have OLEDs. OLED  TVs are a (somewhat) new trend in consumer electronics, and they're still very pricey but lots of people swear by them. Before you go and spend the extra money to get an OLED TV, make sure you get educated as to what they are and why they're more expensive. Are they really worth the money anyway?

OLED stands for "organic light emitting diode." Don't worry though, they don't have any animals or plankton in there. Organic simply means that it's a compound or molecule that is carbon based. There are currently two types of OLED TVs. One that uses polymers, and the other uses small molecules. Knowing that probably won't change your life though. What matters most is what the major advantages and disadvantages are. The first major disadvantage is that currently OLED TVs are very expensive, but with current technology trends they'll be getting cheaper and cheaper.

The biggest advantages that most people see is that OLED TVs are much thinner than traditional LED or LCD televisions, and consume less energy. They're also lighter and give a much better viewing experience overall. Some of the known disadvantages are that they tend to degrade over time quicker than LCD or LED televisions. If you tend to keep your television for more than five years, and OLED TV may not be right for you.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Don't get caught up in all the hype about the statistics of a television. The contrast ratios & viewing angles don't matter nearly as much as how long it tends to last and how frequently defective units are found. Always check for reviews and ask your friends and family for recommendations. Don't just trust the salesman at the store!

How Does Kickstarter Work?

Do you have a project in mind? Have an invention you want to make real? An album you want to release? A play you want to put on? How do you plan to pay for it? There are, of course, options. You can take out loans, find an investor, or you can crowd-fund it. What's that you say? Crowd funding is a method for raising money little-by-little by lots of people, usually over the internet. The most well known way of crowd funding projects nowadays is through a website called Kickstarter.

Kickstarter is a website focused on helping people with creative projects raise money. Kickstarter focuses on the following themes: Art, Comics, Dance, Design, Fashion, Film, Food, Games, Music, Photography, Publishing, Technology, and Theater. They define a project as having  "a clear goal, like making an album, a book, or a work of art. A project will eventually be completed, and something will be produced by it." This means it does not include things like charity or begging (aka "fund my life").

Kickstarter is best known for its unique way of fundraising. It uses an "all or nothing"method. The project owners set a goal (say, $500,000) and the supporters are only charged their pledged amount if the goal is hit. That means that if you pledge $25, but the project only raises $498,735, you do not loose your $25. The second thing Kickstarter is best known for is the multiple levels of pledging often set up by the project owners. It's not uncommon for pledge amounts to range between $1 and several hundred. Depending on the amount you pledge, you will receive gifts between a simple thank you to several copies of whatever you are funding.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you do fund a Kickstarter project, be patient! People starting the campaigns are creative people, not operations experts. With projects that far exceed the original goal especially, it can sometimes take longer than anticipated to rework the plans for how to produce so many items, how to ship them, work out legalities, taxes, etc. Remember, backing a Kickstarter project is not like buying an item on Amazon. You're backing an entrepreneur to help them make their dream. These things can take time.

When Should My Kid Get a Cell Phone?

As fewer people have land line home phones, we're also seeing an increase in the number of people who have cell phones. Among those people are younger and younger children. Many parents are getting their kids cell phones so they can easily keep in contact with them when everyone has busy schedules. Others are for emergency purposes, but there are plenty of parents who are now getting their kids cell phones just because "everyone else has them."

When should a child get a cell phone? Most people agree nowadays that teenagers are ok with cell phones, though you need to monitor their use. What about younger kids though? Does your ten year old need an iPhone? There is obviously no exact answer to this, but here are a few things to consider before you make (or don't make) the purchase:

1.  Is your child responsible? If your child still looses their toys, needs reminders to feed their pets , or in general shows a lack of forethought and responsibility, do you really want to buy them a cell phone with an expensive plan and a two-year contract? A good option for an irresponsible child who needs a cell phone for whatever reason is to get a cheap "burner phone" (a phone that costs $20 or less) that just makes calls, texting if they're lucky, and is on a pre-paid plan.
2. Why does your child want the phone? Is it because they constantly need to borrow their friend's phone to get ahold of you or is it because "everyone else has one?" Make sure your child has a valid reason to want a phone. You can also use this question to find out what kind of phone they need. Parents sometimes want to spend the extra money to get their kid the nicest phone even if the child never uses many of the options.
3. What's their school's policy on cell phones? Ask any teacher or school staff member, and they'll all agree- they see lots of kids bring in cell phones their parents gave them for emergencies, but the kids are showing them off to their friends as toys instead. This means that in a short while, the phone is likely to either be taken away from a teacher, stolen, or broke. Some schools are stricter about their cell phone policy than others, but you always want to make sure you're not sending your child to school with something that will be taken away shortly thereafter.

Practical Tip of the Day:

No matter what age, gender or grade level your child is, I always recommend getting their cell phone in a durable case as soon as you buy the phone. This will help phone stay undamaged and in working order for as long as possible. Far too often, a child will accidentally drop theirs or another friend's phone, and then they will be looking for you to get them another one (newer model, of course).

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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Don't forget to check out our webpage: www.TechKNOWLEDGEyToday.com and request an appointment for your personalized computer training in your own home or office!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ !

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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Don't forget to check out our webpage: www.TechKNOWLEDGEyToday.com and request an appointment for your personalized computer training in your own home or office!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ !