Bayside NY and the Internet

Throgs Neck Bridge

This post could be adopted for almost any city, town, area etc. I live in Bayside,NY and most of my customers also live here. I have wanted to do a blog post about Bayside for a while. Let me first say that for any of the products, businesses, etc. that I mention, I have not received any compensation or assurances, hints, discounts, etc of compensation as of July 7, 2011 for mentioning the products, businesses, etc in question by anyone.  Bayside is bordered by Douglaston and Little Neck on the east, Flushing, Fresh Meadows and Whitestone on the west, Long Island Sound on the North and Jamaica on the south.  Bayside includes the neighborhoods of Bay Terrace, Bayside Hills, and Oakland Gardens. forest hills, great neck

When doing a Google search using "Bayside" the band Bayside from Queens is shown on the first page as well as a few Bayside, NY related pages and other terms having Bayside in it. Searching under the term "Bayside NY" yields more related to the area. (Hotels, Bay Terrace Shopping Center, Bayside Historical Society are a few). north shore towers, forest hills, forest hills computer, forest hills computer repair

The local park is Fort Totten which gets a good amount of visitors for the views offered and the historical buildings. Check their website often as tours, fitness walks, canoeing are just a few of the things offered this summer. There will be other offerings in the fall. http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/forttotten/

Fort Totten

Bayside, NY also has many restaurants especially along Bell Blvd which is the main street and where most of the businesses are located. Doing a Google search "Bayside Restaurants" brings up a whole bunch of them mainly from Bayside, NY and also other locales such as Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach, Ca. Change your search to "Bayside NY Restaurants" for a more personalized listing. If you are interested in a particular ethnic cuisine just add that particular ethnic cuisine in your search terms. Note that adding a specific ethnic cuisine will possibly include restaurants outside of Bayside.

Bayside after the 2011 blizzard.

You can find out more about Bayside by using Facebook. Put "Bayside" in the search tab on top of the page and you get items for more than Bayside, NY including the band Bayside.  Putting "Bayside NY" gives you largely co-op and condo buildings at first, then a few local businesses. Bayside Queens goes a little further. You can request to join a group "Bayside Queens" for starters. You can also search based upon the "Bay Terrace" and "Bayside Hills" sections. Keep in mind that there are likely to be others by those same name. There is a Bay Terrace section of Staten Island and related items will also show up when searching "Bay Terrace".

Bayside has a prominent shopping center. The Bay Terrace Shopping Center is located in the Bay Terrace section and contains many well known stores and attracts shoppers from Bayside and the surrounding areas. It is a good place to meet for socializing as well as shopping. They also have a page on Facebook as well.

Another good search are the following Wikipedia sites:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayside,_Queens - Wikipedia article on Bayside.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Terrace,_Queens - Wikipedia article on Bay Terrace section of Bayside.
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Queens_neighborhoods - List of Queens neighborhoods by geographical location.

The Wikipedia entries noted above also provide selected external links that may be of interest. 

Bayside after the 2011 blizzard.

Last but not least by going onto Twitter (you do not need to log in) and putting the terms "Bayside NY" or "Bayside Queens" you may just find something of interest.

Throgs Neck Bridge

In all Bayside, NY is a nice area to live in or visit. See some of the pictures I have taken in the area and included. If you are new to or unfamiliar with the area, you can learn more about it by using the internet and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. If you live in Bayside, NY enjoy what Bayside has to offer.  If you don't, you will be welcomed with open arms when visiting.

If you have additional questions about storing information on the internet, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com 

My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park,  Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park,  New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity.  Our web services are provided worldwide.

Do You Know Google Search Is More Than A Search Engine?

Most everyone knows the benefits of searching for things on the internet using Google as a search engine. What many do not realize is that Google's search engine is more than just that.

If you need an answer and cannot find a calculator Google does basic calculator functions.  This includes your basic (+, -, *, /) as well as percentages and raising a number to a power.  You can even do an equation such as the one in the example below.

Need to convert currency?  Enter the amount you wish to convert from to the currency you wish to convert to.  If needed, you do not even need to take into account US$.  Say you are going to Canada and need to convert to Canadian Dollars from US$.  Type "Convert" then the amount you wish to convert from to the currency you wish to convert to as shown.

And as long as we are discussing a financial application of Google search, if you wish to find the stock price of your favorite stocks you can do that as well. By typing “stocks: ?” where “?” represents the name of the listed company or its code on the exchange you can obtain an up to the minute stock price of the stock you are interested in.

If you wish to convert from quarts to gallons, going from English measurements to Metric such as miles to kilometers you can do that as well.  Also a great use when converting from Fahrenheit to Celsius when you are away and need to know the temperature in a measurement you are familiar with.

If you type in the following from the Google search bar; “Movie:11361” this will bring up Movie times and locations for the area of zip code 11361 for the current day.  On the left side you have the ability to change days for up to 3 days ahead. So if you are wondering what movie you and your friend or significant other wish to see Google is a great source for that as well.  Further type “Movie: The Amazing Spider-Man 11361” to see where The Amazing Spider-Man is playing in the vicinity of zip code 11361.

More and more of us are ordering merchandise online. Many vendors when they ship the goods to you will email you with a tracking number of your shipment. You can track the shipment using Google. In the search bar enter the package tracking number.  Google determines which carrier has the package and provides you with a link to the carrier status page for the shipment you are expecting where you can see where it is.  I have used this to track letters that I sent requesting a return receipt as well. 

As I mentioned earlier quite a few of us have Google set as our homepage. If you do, these queries can be done right from there. I am not suggesting that you set your homepage to Google.  That is a personal choice.

These are just a few ways that you can use Google search for more than the typical internet search.  If you have additional questions about storing information on the internet, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com

My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer training and many types of computer repairs can be done remotely. If you or someone you know needs either training to better use your computer or repairs I am now doing it on a remote basis in addition to in person locally.

http://computerconciergeny.com/3/post/2012/10/joinme-how-to-use-to-allow-someone-to-remotely-view-and-control-your-computer.html takes you to a narrative to use Join.me. It is a very user friendly site and it is easy to temporarily allow control of your computer. I also did an online video as well which is on the following link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyRSqpYNVQY

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park,  Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park,  New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity.  Our web services are provided worldwide.

Is It Time To Ditch Your Landline Phone?

While recently looking into changing my cell plan I noticed that unlimited talk time for domestic minutes is becoming more prevalent and at a reasonable price.  It had me wondering about ditching my landline.

For those who are thinking the same thing you need to answer a few questions. 

What are the current costs of your landline? What does it include?  I have friends who have a plan that includes cable, internet and phone service. If they were to give up the phone service part they would actually pay more. So they are keeping this plan and use the land line for faxing and as an emergency phone. Does an elderly person live with you or are you elderly? You may want to keep that landline phone regardless of the savings. My personal landline costs $10 monthly with unlimited calls anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Check with your landline carrier. They may offer you an incentive to stay with them if you are inclined to keep it. If you are not using Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) – you still have phone service in the event you lose your electricity. That said, some VOIP may have a backup in the event you lose power.  However after Hurricane Sandy I heard that some affected by it lost backup power. I am sure landline phones without VOIP lost service during Hurricane Sandy as well.

Do you fax?  I presently do a limited amount of faxing using my all in one printer.  Depending on how much faxing you do it may be beneficial to find an alternate way to send faxes. Your smartphone can also be used to send faxes.

Do you make international calls and if so how much?  Would you be better served by getting an international plan for your cell phone?  Can you use a video application like Skype or Facetime to make your international calls? If you are using one of these applications you can talk anytime, no matter where either of you are for free.

Because of the low rate I am paying and my occasional faxes I am keeping my landline for now.  The day will come where my landline will join that rotary dial phone I had in my first apartment.

If you have further questions about whether or not to ditch your landline, how to keep it and pay less or other technology problems you may have I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field with tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park,  Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park,  New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity.  Our web services are provided worldwide.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

New Orleans just had the Super Bowl but Mardi Gras is just about here and you may be wondering why I am writing about Mardi Gras in a tech blog. Well first off if you want to see what is happening on Bourbon Street check out this webcam. If you want to know more about Mardi Gras including some tradition, history and videos then Mardigrasneworleans.com is the site you want to check. The website also has a schedule of the parade.

The Mardi Gras is also visible on social media. For those on Twitter, follow it all on @NOLAMardiGras.  You can follow the many tweets which also includes parade cams.  #paradecam is the hashtag used. #NOLA and #Mardigras will be popular hashtags on Twitter. For those familiar with the city, I found by going on Twitter that there will be a cam at Fat Henry's Bar on St. Charles Ave in the Uptown section. Check out the festivities by clicking on the link.  Also the St. Charles Streetcar does not run from Downtown during the parades.

Those on Facebook can go to the Mardi Gras page there. Quite a few posts, pictures and at last count about 12,000 people who "Like" this page. By doing a search for "Mardi Gras" you will get an idea of how it is celebrated in other cities.  And if that page doesn't have enough about theMardi Gras there is another one. Mardi Gras is another Facebook page. So there is certainly a Facebook presence here.

Of course there is more to New Orleans than Mardi Gras.  http://www.neworleansonline.com/ has more information on the big event going on there as well as upcoming festivals if you are unable to make it for Mardi Gras. There is also good information on things to do when besides the Mardi Gras. On a personal note , when I was last in New Orleans my wife we made sure to visit  Mardi Gras World. You get to see many of the costumes and floats from the Mardi Gras in the warehouse as well as some of them being made.  You may even get to wear a mask or two. The tour of the warehouse was truly something we both enjoyed.

Youtube has videos of some past Mardi Gras as well as New Orleans related videos that you may enjoy watching.

Perhaps the best known bar in New Orleans is Pat O'Briens. They also have a Facebook presence as well.  When a friend of mine prior to his trip to New Orleans put on his Facebook page that he will be at Pat O'Briens that Saturday night, I called him.  Not only did I suggest that he take the post down but Pat O's is also very crowded on Saturday night.  It will be packed during Mardi Gras as well.

New Orleans also is a culinary delight with many fine restaurants each better than the last.    NewOrleansRestaurants.com has a good review of them and other sites have good reviews as well. One of my favorites is Mothers. It is one of the many restaurants with great service and where you will be guaranteed to have a real good meal.

If you're at Mardi Gras enjoy! If you are not then there is the cam I mentioned earlier as well as all on Twitter and Facebook. If you get to go to New Orleans then have a good time. It truly is a fun city as those who have been there can truly say.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park,  Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park,  New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside, NY vicinity.  Our web services are provided worldwide.

Gas Buddy - Your Buddy for Finding the Lowest Gas Price

With summer here many of us are taking trips with our cars. If you are looking for the lowest gas price while on your travels or even locally you may want to think of having the GasBuddy app on your smartphone. GasBuddy is a great app to help you find the lowest price in your area.  If you do not have a smartphone you can go to http://gasbuddy.com and search before you hit the road. The prices are for areas in the US and Canada and the various grades of gas. Prices are obtained from members and you can see when the price was entered as well.  By removing the price data after 72 hours for each station, you are assured the prices are current.  The site is free, has about 5 million users and is advertising supported.

Gas prices can widely vary in an immediate area.  I have used it on my trips and found it to be useful in finding the lowest prices wherever I was. When we were in Maine last summer, prices in a small area varied as much as $0.20 per gallon. The app also gives directions to get to that gas station as well.  Just make sure that a passenger is doing the search for you or you have pulled over to the side of the road if you are doing the search yourself.

So give the site a try and/or add it as an app to your smartphone and start saving. You may decide that you too wish to become a contributing member and help yourself and others find the lowest priced gas in your area.

If you have further questions or wish to know of other apps that may be useful to you, please call me at 917.572.3468.

Do You Think Setting Up Your Computer Is As Easy as Taking It Out of the Box and Following the On Screen Instructions?

My 17 year old son who is somewhat tech savvy got a new laptop computer last month. As such, I did not expect him to ask me for help in setting up his new computer. Even afterwards he had a question since his screensaver was not working properly which I promptly fixed for him.

It got me thinking and realizing how much more there is to setting up a computer than just taking it out of the box, making the necessary connections and following the on screen instructions. I always knew, but with my 17 year old asking for help did not realize how much more it truly is.

Here are just a few things to consider: 

1.     Do you know which programs need to open when you start your computer? Unnecessary programs opening when you start your computer up will slow start time.

2.     Do you have a system recovery disk should you ever need it?

3.     Do you know the correct update setting for your computer to use? Make the wrong selection and you are more likely to get a virus or have another computer problem.

4.     Do you know what to do when your factory installed antivirus program expires? This will occur shortly after you purchase your new computer. The right move will keep your computer virus free and save you money in the long run.

5.     Do you know how to set up your computer to find and open your favorite programs and files quicker?

If you live in Queens or Nassau County, NY call me at 917.572.3468.  Installing computers is just one of the technology services I offer.  I also provide expert computer training in the convenience of your home (seniors a specialty) as well as computer troubleshooting, printer setup, computer repair, computer support,wireless networks, and more.

Computer Concierge NY LLC, provides expert computer services in the Bayside, NY area, Including Queens, Albertson, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellrose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park,  Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park,  New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside vicinity.  

Back Up Back Up Back Up

Every year, 43% of computer users lose their music, photos, documents, and more. – PC World 2010.  A March 2012 article in Gigaom noted that 60% of 640 small and medium businesses surveyed have not even budgeted for backups. Only 15% of those surveyed have an automated backup plan in place. These numbers are even worse for consumers where 29% have never backed up their computers per Backblaze.com.  I find this to be very disturbing. In the event of a hard drive failure, these people could lose things such as pictures of loved ones, letters, notes, spreadsheets, memories, etc. that are not stored anywhere else and are at risk.  Businesses not backing up are in danger of losing important information for their business such as financial records, important correspondence, etc.


Backing up is a cheap insurance policy against data loss. It does not take long (backing up data to a DVD takes less than ½ an hour) and to purchase a 10 pack of rewritable DVDs at Staples costs under $18 on their website. To recover data on your hard drive from a data recovery service will run about $500 minimum up to a few thousand. Recovery is not guaranteed however. One service also prices out by emergency service which is 24 hours; priority service which is 3 days; and standard service which is 2 weeks turnaround time. You want 24 hour turnaround and you will pay for that level of service. Many who have a computer for personal use will find using a DVD to back up your files adequate.

On a personal note, when I have had to reinstall data from my backup, I was up and running with the essential files and programs within about 4-5 hours. I can be surf the internet in a lot less time. Note that you should have your program disks in a safe place. The cost, not in the hundreds or thousands of dollars but less than $100 which was the cost of my external hard drive.


My question to you then is what scenario would you rather have when your data is lost? Personally I prefer my inexpensive insurance policy so to speak of backing up my data should I ever need it. Several years ago in about a 3 week span, 2 friends of mine lost data on their computer. One was due to a flood in their office and the other was due to a hard drive crash. They did not have backups. Confidential client data and irreplaceable family pictures were lost. Had my friends backed up their computer, any loss would have been minimal. If you think this could never happen to you, think again. As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Further, I also have copies of backups away from my home. Should the unforeseen happen, I still can get my data. Hopefully that scenario will never happen but if it does, I am prepared.

You can use different media to back up your data. A USB drive (although I do not recommend that you use this method), DVD drive, external hard drive, online backup service. Prices will vary of course. If you are using an online service, some also offer a free version. These versions are not as good as the paid versions. A free service may meet your needs so do keep that in mind. If you choose a paid service, Carbonite offers a plan with unlimited space for as low as $59 per year per computer. For those that need to back up more than 1 computer, they also offer other plans. I have only heard good things about them.

In the end the choice is yours. Before deciding that you will not back up your data, think about what would happen if you don’t and you have a hard drive crash, a virus that destroys your data or some other mishap.

If you have additional questions about backing up your computer(s) please call me at (917) 572-3468. I can determine the backup plan that is best for you. Think of it the same way you think of auto insurance, homeowners insurance or any other type of insurance. You hope you do not have to use it but should you ever have to use it you are glad you have it. I also can back up your files for you so that in the event of a hard drive failure you will have files as of the date of backup.

Good Freeware Review Site

As you probably know there is software that is available at no charge.  There are a few good sites to go to for recommendations notably  http://www.pcworld.com/ and http://www.cnet.com/.  Another not so well known one but very good one is http://www.techsupportalert.com/

Techsupportalert.com reviews and lists free software by category. Their primary function is dedicated to helping you determine the best freeware product for your needs. If you are looking for a free antivirus program there is a category where they rate the best antivirus software.  There are many other categories as well.  The home page is set up in a user friendly format and is easy to navigate.   They have an "Editor's Choice List" for their best picks in every category.  Further they have a category of "Best Free Online Applications and Services." These represent the best online available by category in the cloud.  For those not familiar with the cloud, think of having a personal storage site away from your home.  The cloud is storage on the internet. An example of this would be free online backup services.  This does not take up any space on your hard drive as the backup is in the cloud. There is also a forum where you can post questions or answer other's who have questions.

So the next time you are looking for a freeware program or free online service or application, give Techsupportalert.com a try.  I don't think you will be disappointed.

You Need Secure Passwords For Your Accounts - How To Make One

Last week 3 prominent websites revealed that passwords to log into their respective accounts were stolen.  It was also reported but not confirmed that presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s Hotmail account was hacked as well. When you add to the fact that there are people who use the same passwords for each website they set up an account for, there is more than ample reason to be concerned.  Keep in mind even the strongest password would not have protected you from the LinkedIn and eHarmony hacks.  This is because the files containing passwords were hacked. You need to do what you can to protect your online accounts from being hacked.

So you may ask how do you have a password that is difficult to hack?  I said earlier that there are those who use the same password for everything.  You have separate keys for your home, car, office, etc.  You should also have a different password for all of your accounts.  If you were to have the same key for your home, car, and office, someone would only need to get that one key to have access to all.  The same concept is true for passwords. A person gets that one password and they have the key to all. 

Your password needs to have at least 1 of the following: Upper case letter, numeric character and at least one special character (*,$,@).  How long should your password be? Your password should be a minimum of 8-12 characters. I personally would opt for the latter. A few years ago, a computer professional using the name of John P. wrote how quickly he could crack a password based upon the password length and types of characters used while on a computer. For 3 characters it was 0.86 seconds using all types of characters (uppercase, lowercase, numbers, characters) and .02 seconds using only lowercase characters in your password. For 8 characters the times were 2.10 centuries and 2.42 days respectively. The assumption is that you were not using a word in the dictionary. Going from 8 to 9 characters increased the time to 20 millennia and 2.07 months respectively.  And yes, your password should not contain words in any language.

So how do we create a secure password?  Think of a sentence that you can remember.  For example “My Dog Was Born in 2011.”  With that sentence we can create a password “Mdwbi2011!” This password represents the sentence by using the first letter in each word, adding “2011” and then adding an exclamation at the end. We capitalize the letter “M” since it is the first word of the sentence. As mentioned, we do not want to use the same password for each account. So what do we do to create a unique password for each account. Most will suggest adding a prefix prior to the acronym password noted above. To be different, add at the end the first three characters of the account.  For example using Facebook, your password would be “Mdwbi2011!fac”

By using the example above as a basis for creating passwords for the sites you use, you can greatly reduce the chance that your password will be hacked as your passwords will be much more secure and much harder to break.

While we are on the subject of passwords, it is easy and convenient to enable the option to remember passwords. This will enable anyone using the computer to log onto the site without knowing your password.  Especially when using a laptop, you should disable this option whenever it is given. It is another layer in staying secure. Further I have worked with clients who leave their list of passwords on the same desk as their computer in full view of all. I have heard stories of relatives, housekeepers and others copying these to access their sites and get information they would not have gotten otherwise. If you are keeping a list of passwords, keep it in a safe place but not such a safe place that you forget where you put it. 

If you have questions regarding password security or other technology issues I can be reached at (917) 572-3468.

Computer Concierge NY LLC, provides expert computer and technology services in the Bayside, NY area, Including Queens, Albertson, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellrose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park,  Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park,  New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside vicinity.  

A Good Product Review Site for Tech Products and More

Want to know if you should purchase that camera you have in mind?  Need a good place for downloads? Or just want a good place for Tech News.  Then CNET is a good site for you to go to and explore.

The top of their webpage offers 4 selections in addition to a search bar and a "Home" icon.  They are "Reviews" "News" "Downloads" and "Videos".

For "Reviews", all sorts of tech products from computers, cameras to mp3 players are reviewed here.  You can see how the product you are interested in compares to similar products. Many have a video review by one of CNET's experts.  It is the largest part of the site generating per Wikipedia over 4,300 product and software reviews annually.  Most of the traffic generated to the site is for its reviews.

The "News" section has headlines and more details of Tech related news.  The information can be very useful for your own technology.  It includes articles about tech related business, wireless, green tech, blogs among other subjects.

"Downloads" consists of about 500,000 software titles for download  with both freeware and non freeware titles.  You can download based upon operating system, type of software and price.  There is probably some good software for your computer here and it certainly is worthwhile checking out.

The "Video" section includes product videos and how to instructional videos.  As a visual person, I have gotten some good tips here.

One of the other features of this site is the ability to compare prices for a product you may be thinking of buying.

All in all this is a good site for tech information particularly the reviews and downloads.  There are discussion forums for asking questions and exchanging information as well. Like most forum sections you need to set up an account. Why not check it out and if it meets your needs include it as one of  your bookmarks/favorites.

Take College Courses Online for Free

On the web there are many good sites for learning to put it mildly. 

But did you know you can take college courses online for free? For some of these you can listen online to prerecorded lectures/discussions. http://www.ocwconsortium.org/ has a listing of courses online.  MIT has courses there as well on  http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm . Another good site is http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/whats-on.html. The latter has mainly courses on audio. Among other colleges having open courseware are Tufts, Notre Dame and Yale a pretty good selection to say the least.  Just do a google search for "opencourseware".  Best of all they are free! A lot also have downloadable handouts as well. You also can search on youtube.com for lectures and courses.  Type the name of the college or university followed by lectures or courses and see the selection available. 

A good way to continue your lifelong learning with no admissions application, tuition, fees or other costs.

Capturing What You See on Your Screen

Ever want to grab part or all of what you see on your screen? Want to email some or all of what you see on your screen? The Snipping Tool is for you.  This tool is included in the Windows7 and Vista operating systems. To access it go to the "Start" tab and in the search bar type in "snipping tool". You will then see the icon to click for the Snipping tool at the top left of the start menu .

Note that you are limited to what you are able to see on the screen view.  You can select all of what you see or some of it. You have the choice of a rectangular snip, free form snip, window snip or full screen snip. You select this by selecting the down arrow in the drop down menu next to "New".  With the rectangular snip, you are able to snip in a rectangular form  what you see on your screen.  The free form snip is just that.  You can snip whatever shape of your screen view to capture whether it be a triangle, circle, etc.  With the window snip you select a window that you have opened that you wish to capture.   The full screen snip is just that.  What you see on your screen is what is captured.

Once you have captured your screenshot, you can make your own notes and/or highlight selected areas on what you just captured in the captured file.  You also have the ability to email your finished product.  You also have the ability to save your capture.

The Snipping Tool is a handy tool and can make your computer life a bit easier.  Give it a try sometime.

Password Protection Revisited

A few months back I did a post on password protection.  http://bit.ly/d4nvD5.   As a follow up there are additional items to consider regarding password protection.  My previous post mentioned that a secure password should have a minimum of 8 characters.  The thinking regarding this minimum number is changing to where a minimum of 12 and up to 14 characters should be used for a secure password.  Microsoft has a website where you can check your password strength as shown.  http://bit.ly/1F3MKA  They recommend a minimum of 14 characters.


An important thing to consider is when you set up a user name and password on a site, you may have to answer at least 1 security question.  This is in the event you forget your password, the site will ask you a question that you need to answer correctly in order to regain access to your account.  Perhaps the most common is asking for your mother's maiden name.  As I am noting in the next paragraph, be careful of how you answer these questions.  You do not have to give a correct answer but remember the answer you give.


A while back I wrote on how your future employer gets to know you before they meet you.  http://bit.ly/9AGqbR  In it I mentioned why you need to be careful about what you post online.  Here is another reason.  What you post can directly and indirectly be used to obtain information that can answer those security questions and not necessarily posted by you.  For example the question of your mother's maiden name.  If your mother is a Facebook friend of yours and uses her maiden name as part of her name, there is the answer to the question of your mother's maiden name.  For the question of your mother's maiden name, you may want to use something else like a neighbor's last name, a friend's maiden name, etc.   Discover Card asks the question "What city were you married in?"  If you have been married more than once, you can use the city of your first marriage.  I think you get what I am saying here.  During the 2008 presidential election, Sarah Palin's personal email account was hacked because a lot of her personal information was out there and the hacker knew the information needed to answer her security question.


In closing, be careful again of what you post online.  This information can be used to access online accounts that you would not want others to access.

The Library on the Web

Libraries are not only good for books, DVDs and reading magazines.  These days they also have a web presence.  While you can get local information by going to your local library's web site, the web sites mentioned offer a vast amount of information and you do not need to leave your home.

Our own Library of Congress (America's library) has a website that is also a good source of learning. On their site is a vast amount of information.  You can easily spend a day going through it and still have a lot to see all that is on it. You also can download and play podcasts and webcasts as well as viewing and downloading photographs from various collections. Informative transcripts and collections can be viewed. There are dedicated sections for kids, librarians publishers and teachers. Certain old newspapers are also available for viewing. There is a lot here related to American History. You also can order at a charge certain videos of historical significance.  Simply put there is more than I can ever say in a post of what is here.  By going to Thomas.gov which is a part of the Library of Congress you can find legislative information.  Status of bills, current activity of the House and Senate, searching the Congressional Record are just some of the things available here.

LibrarySpot.com is largely a reference site. It also is a good gateway through links to other informative sites.  It is worth checking out.  Again, so much information is at your fingertips.  Links to dictionaries, almanacs, calculators, etc, are on this site.

My local library  Queens Library has a web site that for starters allows me to reserve books, movies and see the availability of these items at the various branches.  My library card allows me to research various databases online including encyclopedias. For example one can get information on companies that they are researching for a job interview or other reason by going to the Business and Company Resource Center available through NOVEL NY which my library is part of. Community information is also available on the Queens Library website.


So if it is 3AM and you cannot get back to sleep and want to do some research head out to the library.  The online library.

Maps Online Part II - Google Maps

In a previous blog, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps and Mapquest were discussed.  Google Maps is probably the most used online mapping service and understandably so because of the features and speed.

One of the great feature of Google Maps is when you type the name of a location, Google predicts the results of your search as you are typing in a manner similar to doing a Google search.  Type your search in the search bar and you will see what Google thinks you are searching for.  This can speed up your search since if your result shows you can just click on it and the map will show the location you are seeking. The ease of zooming in and out using your mouse's scroll wheel is just another reason this a good map.

Google Maps allows you to get directions by car, mass transit, walking or bicycling. Of the 4 maps that have been discussed it is the only one where you can get directions by all of the choices mentioned.  Bing Maps allows directions for all but bicycling.  Whether getting directions for a trip or navigating to an address, you can get both live traffic and the expected traffic based upon date and time of your expected travel.  The expected traffic is based upon past traffic patterns.  You will sometimes get more than 1 route when searching for directions.  On a long trip, the difference can be a matter of a few minutes but the longer route could be more scenic.  The choice is yours.

Google Street view is much improved but the picture quality still trails Bing Maps. That said, it is quite a bit easier to go to/from Google Street than going to/from Bing Maps Streetside view. What I personally like is the ease of navigation.  I was showing a friend of mine great vantage points NW of San Francisco to get great views of the Golden Gate Bridge.  Using the street view enabled me to give him a preview of what he would see in person on his trip.

As you zoom in an area, you can see the location of points of interest.  Further to the right of the search bar is an option, "What's Around Here"? You will see letter codes that correspond to the listing on the left side of the map.

The others have their features (the quality of pictures when using Bing Streetside, the turn by turn directions using Mapquest).  The features of Google Maps such as its speed and ease of use  are why it is the preferred mapping site to use.

Cloud Computing AKA the Internet

These days a lot is mentioned about Cloud Computing. In a nutshell cloud computing is another term for the internet.  When services like Mozy.com mention online backup what they also mean is that your data is backed up in the cloud. When you are on vacation and check your email, that email is stored in the cloud. If you are using a spreadsheet program in Google Docs and calculations are made to that file, the calculation is done in the cloud.  These are just a few applications that are done in the cloud.  Google has been designing a new operating system Google Chrome OS that will work exclusively with web applications. It is expected to be released later this year.

The beauty of the cloud is that you are able to access your files anywhere there is an internet connection.  If you are halfway around the world and need to know where that Tuesday meeting after you get back is and with who, you can go to an online product like Google Calendar to find out. Items in the cloud do not take up space on your hard drive.

Needless to say it isn't perfect and there are issues and concerns the biggest being privacy and security.  Since you are trusting your data to a third party you want your information to be secure and not easily accessible to those you wish to keep it away from. You also want to be assured that the provider will not lose your data.  As we know Facebook has had security and privacy issues.  I believe that as we move more into the cloud, these issues will resolve themselves. Security and privacy will be much improved because of competition and technological advances. Another issue is the accessibility of the data.  What if the internet goes down or either you or your provider lose internet access?  The quick and short answer to this is unless you have backed up your data locally you have to wait until access is restored. That said, web services are continually improving as to access and security.  Like any service providers there are good and bad.  Keep in mind if your hard drive crashes or you cannot get on your computer for some other reason, having backups is important. Cloud applications do guarantee the safety of your data.  Any reputable company storing your data online will have backups of their own.  I will say this in closing for those of you who do online banking and/or get credit card statements online. The bank statements you see in your account where you do your online banking that saves you space(you do not need a hard copy of them) is in the cloud as are the credit card statements you see in your online account.  Businesses are starting to move their data into the cloud accessing and storing it there.

Google Docs - 1 thing I Forgot to Mention

In my previous post of Google Docs I forgot to mention another key feature. You have the ability to revert back to a previous saved version of a file. This can be useful if a major error is noticed or for whatever reason you desire to revert to a previous saved version. Under the top menu select "File" and under "File" select "See Revision History". The revision history will appear in the right hand side. Select the date and time of the saved version you wish to revert to. Then select "Restore this Version"

Another good feature of Google Docs.

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Use the Internet to Save Your Trip

What would happen on a trip if you were to lose your passport, credit cards, driver's license, etc?  I find it to be a good idea to scan all except the credit cards and then save it as a word file using Microsoft Word (MS Word).  As for the credit cards, I make a list of that using MS Excel. I have the name of the card in one column and the card number in another column. You can also do a list in MS Word.  Using MS Excel is a personal preference.

In saving these files I make sure to password protect them. Since the method to password protect a file differs by program used and version of that program you need to go to the help section to determine how to password protect the file. I then email the file to myself. What I am doing here is adding an extra layer of security to information that if it fell into the wrong hands would make me more susceptible to identity theft. One would need to know both my email password as well as the password I am using to protect the respective files that contain this sensitive data. I would suggest making the passwords for your email and files different.

One does not have to limit to just credit cards, passport and drivers license. Scanning current drug prescriptions you are using and saving them to a word type file is another good idea where you have a copy of the prescription. This way if you were to lose the prescription drugs you had packed, you should have an easier time refilling it. You can also put the numbers of your travelers checks in a file as well. I also keep my phonebook in my Google contacts list so should I need a number I can get it wherever I have an internet connection which would include my smartphone.

Doing all of these is not a magic bullet should you have a loss. It will however make it easier to travel and in the case of a passport get a replacement more easily in the event of losing any important documents. I would also suggest that you avoid using an unsecured public wireless network to obtain any of this. If you have a smartphone, you can likely access this information using it. That said another way to store your files is if you are using a syncing program like Dropbox or Sugarsync. You can log onto the one you are using to access the information in question. I will suggest here that you do not save this information on the hard drive of any computers you may be travelling with. Better that it is in the cloud where the data and you are not in the same place. Also should your computer get lost or stolen, you can still access it from another computer. If anyone is interested in opening a Dropbox account let me know before setting up your account. I will send you an invite to join Dropbox and both of us will get an extra 250mb of free storage. A win/win for both of us. Note: as I mentioned in my blog last week, you cannot upload or save a password protected file in Google Docs.

Hopefully you will never need to access these files in an emergency.  However, having them in an emergency can make your life easier when it occurs.

Google Docs

There are some very good uses of Google Docs. It is a word processor, spreadsheet, or presentation program and can be an alternative to Microsoft Office. Some use it is a way to backup selected files online. It also is a way to share selected files among users where these users have the ability to make changes to the files or view only. You can backup files (up to 1GB free) here and share any files. Google Docs is a cloud application. All files are stored on Google's servers. You access them on the internet therefore in the cloud. You can set up folders on your Google Docs site and treat it as another drive but this one is in the clouds.  For $59 you can purchase an app that makes Google Docs your "G:" drive on your computer. On Google's page regarding this I see nothing about being able to sync files on your hard drive with Google Docs and vice versa.

Let's start with the backup feature. You do have the ability to backup selected files on your Google Docs account. You can drag the files you select to the indicated box or clicking on the "Select Files to Upload" link.  Note that at this time you have to upload individual files. You cannot upload by folder. You need to select all the individual files in that folder. Personally I find this to be a disadvantage and why I would not use this to backup files per se. Further if you are password protecting a file, Google Docs will not allow you to upload it to its site. Currently Google allows up to 1GB to be stored free of charge. However files saved in a Google Docs format are not subject to the 1GB limitation. There is no automatic backup. You need to upload the updated file(s) manually. Note that you can purchase additional storage. 20GB is $5 per year and 80GB is $20 per year. You also can purchase additional amounts.

Like Libreoffice, Microsoft Office, Google Docs also is an office software suite. Google's suite includes a word processor, spreadsheet editor and presentation program. Like most office software suites, it supports the basic Microsoft (MS) Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). A big advantage of the Google Docs software suite is it can be shared, edited and opened by multiple users at the same time. This is a good feature when you are working on a team project for work, school or otherwise that involves a file(s) that all need to access and edit. When my wife and I are preparing for a trip, we will put a "To See" list on Google Docs for that trip that both of us can add to and edit . This sharing capability is a factor in why usage of Google Docs has increased. There are templates available for your use as well.

I personally like the sharing option the best. I talked a little about this in the previous paragraph. There are 3 sharing options. One is only where you and only people with permission can sign in to access the file. The second is where anyone with a link to the file can access it without signing in. The third sharing option is where the file is public on the web. Anyone on the internet can find and access it. You also have the ability to decide whether or not those with access to the file can also make changes. This is for any of the 3 sharing options. With a smartphone, files can be edited on your phone by you and others you allow to edit. For those who do presentations, this is a great way to email attendees notes from your presentation. You give those views view access and email the link.

Google Docs is a good application of Google especially when sharing files between users.  Try it for your next team project.

Maps Online - Part I

Some may remember the days of going to the neighborhood gas station and getting a free map to plan your trip or if it was a trip farther away, writing and getting directions from the oil companies such as Sinclair, Esso, etc.  Well those days are long gone.  They have been replaced by online maps, GPSes and even smartphones.

For online mapping there are 4 primary websites: Bing Maps, Google Maps, MapQuest and Yahoo Maps.  Bing Maps, MapQuest and Yahoo Maps will be covered in this blog.  Google Maps will be covered in a future blog.

Bing Maps is the new map on the block comparatively speaking.  The map allows you to get directions for driving, walking or public transportation.  It also is easy to send the directions to your email or cell phone.  You can get directions based upon current real time traffic conditions though this is generally limited to the major thoroughfares. Directions do note at the end of the route if you have reached a certain location that you have gone too far which is a nice touch.  The "What's Nearby" feature is also useful.  I found it easy to zoom in and out using the road view and arial view.  Where it has already been photographed, the Streetside view has clear pictures an certainly clearer than the heralded Google Maps. However when moving along the street in Streetside view there is not an indication of about where you are.  I do like the 3D views with which you can rotate/pan and zoom functions. That said, it is relatively slow to open and also to go from view to view as well as going to the location you choose.  There is certainly room for improvement here.  Also if you wish to reverse your route after you have gotten directions, you need to go back to the search page. This is not a good thing.

MapQuest has a lot of the features that the others have with 1 notable exception. You cannot use your scroll wheel to zoom in and out on the map. You can only get directions by car.  No walking, public transit, etc. directions can be obtained using MapQuest.  It has a street view known as 360 view but the areas available are relatively few and slower than expected.  I did not find 360 view to be user friendly. Like the others, there is a way to search for businesses in the area.  MapQuest has a drop down menu of choices or you type your own in the search bar under "Find a Business".  A real good feature of MapQuest when searching for directions is you can get turn by turn directions if you wish.  This and Google Maps are the only ones of the 4 maps where you can do this.  Bing Maps allow you to go to the text indicating the turns and click to go to the location on the map but MapQuest's turn by turn directions is preferred.

Yahoo Maps offers live traffic and a points of interest finder.  It also computes a route rather quickly.  Yahoo Maps is better used to computing a route by car. There is not a way to determine a route by other means.  Yahoo Maps is also the only map that I am reviewing that does not have any drop down menu for locating businesses. Google Maps does have a very limited one which is stretching it a bit and will be covered in a future blog as noted earlier. You also can use it to find a business along the map that is showing on the screen.  This is done by typing the category in the search bar under "Find a Business on a Map".  It is more of a no frills map to mainly be used for directions by auto and finding a business.  There is no street view like in Bing Maps or Google Maps.  Further you cannot get a map for turn by turn directions or click on the text directions to go to that part on the map.

One final note here.  All 4 maps allow you to click to change a route by dragging any part of the route.

Also for those subscribing by email to my blogs, please check your spam settings if you are not receiving them.  Some have noted that the email of this blog has gone to their spam folder.  It should be marked as "not Spam".