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.
Showing posts with label information. Show all posts
Showing posts with label information. Show all posts
July 29, 2012
April 4, 2012
GCF Learn Free
For those wanting to learn a new subject or brush up on a new one, GCFLearnFree.org is a good site to start. With courses on subjects like computer software (particularly Microsoft Office), everyday life, money, and career this is a good place to go to for free courses. You can study at your own pace and there are accompanying videos that aid in your grasping the subject and greatly support the content taught. You also can register for courses given online that are graded by instructors. These instructors also will also provide help and feedback as well. You can finish these courses in a few days or up to 4 weeks. Upon completion for these you are awarded a certificate of completion. You are not awarded a certificate for completing the self paced courses. There are also some good GCF videos on YouTube as well. See link: http://www.youtube.com/user/gcflearnfree
Some of these courses are very basic like "Cash Back". Others like the ones for the various editions of Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Office Access are more involved. By creating an account you are able to see what courses you have taken or are in the process of taking. Courses that are more involved have various sections and a challenge at the end of each section. What I like about the Microsoft Office courses are that they are not only offered for the current version but for several previous versions. It is not necessary to be using the current version to get instruction that is meaningful for you. For those who are beginners with regards to computers, their Computer Basics course is useful and informative. Most of their courses are computer related. Their Facebook page notes that they provide "innovative online learning opportunities to anyone who wants to improve their technology, literacy, and math skills."
You may wonder how are they able to do this for free. GCFLearnFree.org is supported by the Goodwill Community Foundation. GCFLearnFree.org serves to support the educational mission of the Goodwill Community Foundation which is "to create and provide education, employment, and life enrichment opportunities for people who desire to improve the quality of their lives" as per the GCFLearnFree.org site. It certainly is a good site to go to for your lifelong education.
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.
Some of these courses are very basic like "Cash Back". Others like the ones for the various editions of Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Office Access are more involved. By creating an account you are able to see what courses you have taken or are in the process of taking. Courses that are more involved have various sections and a challenge at the end of each section. What I like about the Microsoft Office courses are that they are not only offered for the current version but for several previous versions. It is not necessary to be using the current version to get instruction that is meaningful for you. For those who are beginners with regards to computers, their Computer Basics course is useful and informative. Most of their courses are computer related. Their Facebook page notes that they provide "innovative online learning opportunities to anyone who wants to improve their technology, literacy, and math skills."
You may wonder how are they able to do this for free. GCFLearnFree.org is supported by the Goodwill Community Foundation. GCFLearnFree.org serves to support the educational mission of the Goodwill Community Foundation which is "to create and provide education, employment, and life enrichment opportunities for people who desire to improve the quality of their lives" as per the GCFLearnFree.org site. It certainly is a good site to go to for your lifelong education.
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.
November 18, 2011
The Wiki Family
The Wiki site describes Wiki as follows, "A wiki is a database of pages which visitors can edit live." While many people associate Wiki with Wikipedia, there is more to the Wiki family. To name a few, there are Wikianswers (post a question you would like answered), Wikitravel (a travel guide), Wikihow (a how to site), and Wikibooks (textbooks).
Wiki is open editing which means anyone can add and edit information freely. There is a staff that checks these for accuracy. Where there is no support for an entry it is noted. Nonetheless the Wiki sites are a good source of free information from the trivial to the important. For those who remember the "Dallas" television series of the 80s did you know that Patrick Duffy's nephew is former Cy Young award winner Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants? It's out there on Wikipedia along with other trivial facts.
Wikipedia also was likely the final nail in the coffin for all those encyclopedias that took up much bookcase space. Yes they still sell those encyclopedias just like they still sell vinyl records,cameras that use film and accounting ledger paper but they have been replaced for the most part by improvements in technology.
In closing, a lot of good and useful information can be accessed by going to the Wiki sites. From learning how to fit in while in London to planning your London visit a lot of good information is available just by logging in.
Wiki is open editing which means anyone can add and edit information freely. There is a staff that checks these for accuracy. Where there is no support for an entry it is noted. Nonetheless the Wiki sites are a good source of free information from the trivial to the important. For those who remember the "Dallas" television series of the 80s did you know that Patrick Duffy's nephew is former Cy Young award winner Barry Zito of the San Francisco Giants? It's out there on Wikipedia along with other trivial facts.
Wikipedia also was likely the final nail in the coffin for all those encyclopedias that took up much bookcase space. Yes they still sell those encyclopedias just like they still sell vinyl records,cameras that use film and accounting ledger paper but they have been replaced for the most part by improvements in technology.
In closing, a lot of good and useful information can be accessed by going to the Wiki sites. From learning how to fit in while in London to planning your London visit a lot of good information is available just by logging in.
October 12, 2011
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.
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.
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