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.

The Benefits of Having A Digital Calendar

A digital calendar has many advantages over a paper calendar.

If you still use a paper calendar instead of a digital calendar you are missing out.  There are quite a few ways that having a digital calendar especially in today’s world where more and more people have smartphones is better than a paper calendar.

For me perhaps the biggest one is being able to share my calendar with my wife and vice-versa. She can see my schedule at a glance and I can see hers. If I need to schedule something I can look at my wife’s calendar to see if there is a conflict. I don’t have to tell someone that I need to check if my wife planned something since I can already see her schedule.  I also allow my son who lives with us to see whether or not I have an appointment without him seeing the details of it.

I also can refer to past events quickly wherever I am. Most people do not keep paper calendars for years unless they have to for business reasons and/or tax purposes. They may have to search to remember where they put their paper calendar. Further if a paper calendar is lost then what?  I may miss a scheduled appointment or have to call and reconfirm an appointment that I wasn’t sure of. With a digital calendar I can go to a computer, smartphone, etc. With a digital calendar you can go back years unless you erase an event after it occurs. I do not recommend that you do this and I do not erase events after they occur. A digital calendar hardly takes up space on a smartphone, iPad, etc. and you can access it offline as well. This is great for when travelling.  If I am in a foreign country, I do not have to worry about incurring roaming charges for accessing it. I also do not have to worry about being somewhere without internet access. While I do not have events that go back that far, my Google Calendar allows me to go back to 1980 to see dates on my digital calendar. A paper calendar does not give me anywhere near this flexibility.

If I have an event that occurs the same time on a weekly, monthly, or yearly basis I only need to enter it once and provide the recurring information. It is automatically added for the recurring dates. If I need to reschedule or cancel a date, I can do it for just that date. The recurring pattern is maintained for the other dates. Talk about a timesaver.  Further if I need to change of cancel an appointment on a paper calendar a pencil can erase it but what if you only have a pen? Cross it out and if changed reenter it. It can get sloppy either way.  With a digital calendar you can delete or move it as needed. You also have a limited amount of space to write information on a paper calendar.  On my Google Calendar I have never gotten to the limit but I know there is a much higher limit.  I can add website links if need be. I also can attach a file that I need the same way I can attach a file to an email message.

With a digital calendar, I can change my view whenever I need to.  My default is daily but I can instantly change to a weekly, monthly or custom view. If I have a “week at a glance” or “month at a glance” calendar I am stuck with that view. 

Now this is not a generational thing.  My sons who are 19 & 21 both use a paper calendar. My wife and I use our digital calendar which is Google Calendar.

Yes there are advantages to using a paper calendar. Should there be a syncing problem between devices you could forget an appointment or if there is a power failure you could have issues accessing it but the advantages of a digital calendar greatly outweigh the disadvantages.

So do you use a paper calendar or a digital calendar?  If you currently use a paper calendar will you at least consider trying a digital calendar such as Google Calendar?

If you want to know more about how you can digitalize your calendar I am available for that and to help you better use your technology.  I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC  . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone,  iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

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.

Advantages of Microsoft Surface Over Apple’s iPad

Mike Klubok the Owner of Computer Concierge NY LLC trying a Microsoft Surface in Queens NY

Many of you have seen the advertisements for the Microsoft Surface that was recently released. Microsoft has a bit riding on it. This tablet has quite a few advantages over the acclaimed iPad. Note that when comparing the two I am talking about the current basic versions that are both priced at $499.

A big advantage of Surface is that you can use an external Micro SDXC card.  You can purchase a 32 GB one made by Sandisk from Amazon for about $35 based upon my recent checking. There is also a connection for attaching a USB drive as well.  I recently purchased a 16 GB USB drive at Staples for under $10.  For the iPad you need to purchase an adapter that costs at least $19.  There is one for an SD card but when looking at the Apple website I did not see one for an SDXC card.  Because of this, it is easier to upload pictures to it.  I personally have a memory card reader that connects to my computer using the USB drive that I purchased for under $10. I take it with me when I go on vacation to upload pictures that I take to my computer and I could use it to upload to a Surface as well.

I would be more willing to let others share my iPad but they would then have full access to my email, Facebook, LinkedIn accounts, etc.  Microsoft’s Surface allows me to set up separate User Accounts just like my computer does. I could then give someone else access to a Guest account without them having the full access to my personal accounts. forest hills computer repair, forest hills, north shore towers

Microsoft Office 2013 comes with Surface.  This is because of 2 reasons them being 1) Microsoft owns both Surface and Office and 2) Surface with the optional keyboard cover is intended to for creating and consuming data. The iPad is more for consuming data.  That said you can purchase a wireless keyboard for an iPad but it is not a cover as well. The iPad does not come with a spreadsheet, word, presentation or office suite program. north shore towers, forest hills computer, great neck computer, 

Surface comes with a built in kickstand which allows you to view the screen in an upright position. With an iPad you need to stand it up against an object or purchase a cover that has a stand.

If you want to print, Surface is a whole lot easier to do from then from an iPad. It is easy to make a connection that is seamless. Printing from an iPad is a lot more difficult.  forest hills

One final note here.  The basic version of Surface comes with 32 GB storage and the iPad comes with 16 GB. This is deceiving because of the 32 GB, the system software uses ½ of that leaving 16 GB free. The net free storage on an iPad is 14-15 GB. While Surface has an advantage it is not significant.

My next article will list the advantages of the iPad over Microsoft Surface.  Then it is your call if you are deciding which of the two to buy.

If you have further questions about a tablet computers or other technology, 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 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.

Google Calendar To Better Manage Your Time

In today’s world, time management is something that we all need to do and do well.  This is just one of the reasons why Google Calendar is the preferred online calendar of many. It syncs with my smartphone as well and I also can add, delete or change appointments there as well.

Google Calendar allows you to set up multiple calendars using one ID. You make the choice of which calendars you wish to see at a given time. You are able to have a calendar for business, personal, travel, etc. with different sharing settings for each. You can share your calendar with anyone having a Google account. Other calendars allow those you share with to view only or also edit. With Google Calendar I can decide what they will view.  Do they just see whether I am busy or free, or do they see the event as well? I can decide. I further can allow others to decide who a calendar is shared with.  For example I have an appointment calendar.  My wife is able to see the details of this calendar but cannot make changes.  My son can only see if I am free or busy. He does not see the details. I also have a Travel Calendar for events my wife and I have planned for when we travel. Both of us can edit that calendar and make changes as needed. My wife can also decide to share that calendar with others. I also can make any of my calendars public if I so choose. If a calendar is made public, it will appear in a Google search where appropriate. My wife can view my appointment calendar and I can view hers.  Recently friends of ours purchased tickets for a show not realizing that one of them had made plans for that evening. When my wife and I are making plans, we check both our own and each other’s calendar to see whether or not the other has plans for the date and time in question.

I like the feature of when I enter an event I put the address of the event in the "Where" field. Clicking on that field will bring up the location in Google Maps. Since Google Calendar syncs to my smartphone, this could be a stress saver if I get lost as I can get directions on my smartphone wherever I am. 

It is a great calendar for scheduling a get together as well as inviting people to an event whether or not they use Google Calendar. You invite them directly from Google Calendar without emailing them through Gmail. The options to respond are the standard "Yes", "No", or "Maybe".  In addition, for the "Yes" response there is a field to indicate if you are bringing a guest as well as the name of the guest.

Need to quickly add an event?  Use the quick add feature. Type in the event, date and time and Google calendar automatically adds it.  Type in an email address and an invitation is sent to that email address. Do the same from your phone by texting 48368 and Google calendar automatically adds the event to your calendar. You also can add “interesting” calendars such as a schedule any or all of your favorite sports teams, national and/or religious holidays.

Another feature of Google Calendar that I like is appointment slots.  Appointment slots allows you to set aside period of time on your calendar at preselected intervals for others to schedule appointments.     For example a college professor can set aside Tuesday between the hours of 1-4 PM at ½ hour intervals for those also having Google Calendar to reserve time on your calendar.

One last thing here.  I do not erase events after they take place.  It is maintained on Google’s servers and takes up negligible space on your smartphone.  A lawyer friend of mine has a client of his who is being audited and erased events as they were completed.  Had they not been erased, the client would not have to go through hoops to recreate his Travel and Entertainment events. It would be right on his calendar and he would have a lot more time and money.

You need to have a Google account to access and use the calendar.  If you are not already using it give it a try. You may want to check out some of their features such as Year view, Jump to date and World clock. Its ease and convenience are why it the preferred calendar of many. You too may change calendars.

If you have additional questions about how Google Calendar can used to better manage your time, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com   It is truly a good time management tool.

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.

Hurricane Sandy Will Arrive - Tech Precautions You Need To Take

With the impending arrival of Hurricane Sandy please look at the attached link.  http://mashable.com/2012/07/03/charging-solutions/ about some ways you may be able to recharge your devices in the event you lose power. Cell phone towers may be down and you may lose internet service but keep in mind that most smartphones have a built in light that could come in handy during these times.  Also at this time if you are not using your cellphone, keep it charged. Use your phone as sparingly as possible to preserve power. On a personal note, since I will not be using my cellphone during the evening I will be turning it off to preserve my battery in case we lose power.  Also use text messaging to reach out as this is likely to be more successful.

Before retiring, it will be a good idea to disconnect electrical power to televisions, computers, printers, etc.  Have copies of any prescriptions.  Use a smartphone if you have one or a phone with a camera to take a picture of them.

If you bank online, you may want to make sure that all bills that need to be paid in the next several days are accounted for and that you have money in your accounts to cover any recurring and other payments that you have set up.  If you lose power, you may not be able to pay these bills and transfer money between accounts till power is restored.
Most of all be safe.  Being safe is of utmost importance. Use common sense.  Fill up water bottles, tea pots, etc..

Most of all be safe.  Being safe is of utmost importance. Use common sense.  Fill up water bottles, tea pots, etc..

As always I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 for your technology problems.

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

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.

Computer Safety in Public

By Infrogmation of New Orleans (Photo by Information) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Last week while volunteering at the Central Queens Y in Forest Hills, I was working with a gentleman about using email. I mentioned to him the importance of signing out of his email and any other site he signed into when finished using a public computer. Five minutes later when he was done, he started to leave without signing out of the public computer he was using and I needed to remind him about the importance of doing so. Using a computer in public whether it is on a public desktop computer or a public Wi-Fi can be more secure if precautions are followed.

Hotels and libraries are two places where there may be a public computer for all to use. I will also include using a friend’s computer here as well. They are only as safe as the internet security that the computer is using. It may be a good idea to check to ascertain that the computer is secure.  As I noted previous it is important that when you are done using the computer (even if for a quick moment), you sign out of all sites that you had logged into. This includes your email and Facebook accounts.  If you forget, the person using the computer after you has access to the accounts you did not log out of. They would have the ability to send spam or perhaps post inappropriate comments on your Facebook account as you. When logging onto a site and you are prompted to save your password or if the default is “Yes”, make sure that you do not allow the computer to save your password.  Unselect the “Yes” default where applicable.  You should also make sure that no one is snooping over your shoulder in an attempt to obtain your passwords or other confidential information.  What I always do when leaving a public computer is to clear browsing data.  This includes browsing history, cookies and autofill form data.  It is another layer of security.

When you are using a public wireless network such as Starbucks or in an airport, you also should make sure that no one is snooping over your shoulder and ascertain that the computer you are accessing the Wi-Fi network has the needed security.  You also should be sure that any sharing features that you have turned on are turned off.  This would include file and printer sharing as well as network sharing as well.

Last whether using a public computer or public Wi-Fi never do banking, credit card or other financial transactions. In the event there is a keystroke logger on that public computer you are using or sniffer intercepting data over a public Wi-Fi network you do not want to put information out there that can compromise your personal information. I also would never enter any information that could be used to steal your identity.  A while back I did a blog on choosing a good password. In it I mentioned that you need to have different passwords for the sites you log into. Click on link.  Should a hacker ever get the password to a site you logged into, they realize that many people use the same passwords to log into their accounts. Having different passwords will minimize the damage.

These are a few ways to keep yourself safe while using your computer in a public Wi-Fi system or using a public computer.

If you have additional questions about computer safety or any other technology questions, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com  

My Facebook page http://on.fb.me/MikesCCNY provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your computer and smartphone. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

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.  

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.  

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.

Make that Disk Sooner Rather than Later

It used to be when you bought a PC, a system repair disk was also included.  This was useful in the event you needed to rebuild your system.

During this holiday season, many will be getting a new PC as a gift. What you will not receive is a system repair disk. This can be used to boot your computer in the event you are unable to from your hard drive, need to recover windows from a system error.  You will need to make a system repair disk.  This should be done as soon as possible after purchasing your new computer.  It could end up being invaluable in the event of a system failure.

To create a system repair disk, click the "Start' button.  In the address bar type "Backup" .  Under "Programs"  select "Backup and Restore".  In the left pane is an option "Create a System Repair Disk".  Select this.  Insert a CD to create a system repair disk.  When you are done creating your system repair disk make sure to put it in a safe place but not so safe a place you forget where.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

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.

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".

How Far Is That?

Before I blog about the subject at hand, I wanted to mention that you can subscribe to this blog by email or RSS feed.  On the right side towards the upper part is a "Subscribe Via Email" link.  On the bottom of the page is a "Subscribe to Blog" tag.  By clicking on Posts, you can select the RSS service you wish to link this blog to.

Recently I went running out of town and could not get my GPS to work for me to know how far I ran. By using Google Maps, I later was able to map out the route and determine how far I actually ran instead of guessing the distance. The days of driving your car  to determine that distance of the route is in the past.  Further it does not work well where there are one way streets involved.   Note a few weeks ago I did a post about Google Maps.  I did not include this feature as it deserves its own space.

First you need to set up a Google account if you already do not have one.  Once that is done, go to Google Maps.  In the top right there is in red "New!".  Select this option. Find the option "Distance Measurement Tool" and select "Enable".  On the lower left of the map itself is an icon that looks like a small ruler. Once you have zoomed in on the map to your desired starting point click on this small ruler with your mouse. Then go to your starting point and click here with your mouse.  Click at the first turn and all subsequent turns.  If you make an error select the option on the left side to "Delete last point". While you are mapping your route the total distance to this point shows on the left side.  When you are done, the distance I just mentioned is now the total distance of that run, walk, or bicycling that you have done.

I used this to measure the distance of a run I already did.  You can of course it to plan a path for running, bicycling, walking, etc.  It is a tool that can come in handy. However the next time you tell someone that it is a short walk to wherever you want to walk with them to, they can check if it really is a short walk later on.

Using the Internet to Expedite a Claim in the Event of a Disaster

A good friend of mine recently lost her home to a fire that destroyed her house and personal belongings. While old keepsakes like pictures, family heirlooms, etc are priceless and can never be replaced there are items that can be replaced in the event of a loss.

We have taken pictures of our home and belongings to document what we have in the event we are ever unfortunate to have a loss whether it be a fire or otherwise. Not only are these pictures stored on our computer they are also stored on an online photo site. You can set the privacy settings where only you can see them. You can store the pictures on a photo sharing site such as Google Picasa. This way we will be able to get access to them on a timely basis without having to depend on being able to get to where our backups are stored offsite.

When dealing with insurance companies documentation is important. Receipts for purchases can be destroyed in a fire. We have scanned receipts which are backed up and also saved as picture files like other pictures. These are also put on our online photo site should we ever need them. It is also a good idea to have a written list of major purchases such as furniture and televisions in the event of a loss. A good site for this is Know Your Stuff. Your data is stored on their site so in the event of a loss, your data is not on your computer which could be lost when disaster strikes. While this is not a blog on how to handle insurance claims, insurance adjusters have told me to also take pictures after the damage before you begin to cleanup.

Hopefully you will never need these pictures but if you do and also do what my wife and I do, your documentation will help to more favorably expedite your insurance claim.

Facebook Privacy Settings

As you likely are aware, Facebook has had privacy issues that seem to pop up from time to time. You always need to keep on top of privacy issues that come out through the media or otherwise. Below are some security settings you may or may not be aware of.  By using these you will further be able to have your Facebook profile and activity seen only by those you want to.

If you wish that a particular person not be able to access your profile or even see that you have a Facebook account, there is a "Block Lists" in the privacy section (note that all unless otherwise noted require going into the privacy section). Just enter the name of the person you wish to block. Note that for this that the person can log on under another ID that would enable him or her to access your profile according to your privacy settings.

Under "Customize Settings" in the privacy section there is a section "Things Others Share". This is what others can share about you. Make sure to edit these to your choosing.  In particular "Friends Can Check Me Into Places".  This is one that you will likely want to disable.  For "Photos and Videos I'm Tagged In" you will likely want "Friends Only" or "Only Me" which is under "Customize". For "Suggest Photos of me to Friends" I would suggest you disable this. Friends can tag you without suggestions.

Be very careful about sharing contact information. I would not share phone numbers and addresses with anyone within Facebook. Those settings should be set to "Only Me". Personally I did not enter any information for them. For email addresses if I was to share I would only share with friends. Unless there is a business reason I would not share beyond. If you have a website, you can share that with everyone. Anyone can see the address of this blog as well as my Twitter account. For Twitter the privacy setting is under "IM Screen Names".

You also want to be careful about what Apps and websites share about you. In the "Apps and Websites" section under "Info accessible through your friends" I would suggest under "Edit Settings" you keep all unchecked. For Public Search, you need to determine whether you want your profile to be found when a search engine is used. Select as you see fit.

Facebook is a great site for social connections and for reconnecting with old friends. With the privacy issues that Facebook has had and will likely continue to have, you need to keep on top of your privacy settings.  As always, be careful of what you put out there. You never know who will see it. For starters divorce attorneys have been known to go through Facebook profiles to aid in their cases. I heard a story of a divorce attorney friending their clients estranged spouse in an attempt to get incriminating information. Now of course the estrange spouse should never have friended the attorney but that is another story.