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Archive for March, 2011

10 Ways to Tell You Are Addicted to FaceBook

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Facebook is a winner. Just ask the billionaire who created it. It’s easy, it’s fun and all your friends are there. There are game apps, sentimental apps, quiz apps and much more to keep you entertained and occupied. But, how do you know when fun and convenience have crossed over the line to all out addiction? Below are 10 indications that facebook is beginning to take control of your life.

  1. When you converse across the room with your spouse via facebook. This would be an indication that the addiction has taken over the entire household and not just one individual. Time to check and see if you both still recognize each other’s voices.
  2. All your friends know what you’re having for dinner (every night). You have spaghetti every Thursday; Monday is pizza night; Tuesday is new recipe night. If your friends know your weekly menu plan and they’ve never been to your house for dinner…probably an indication.
  3. You never send emails anymore. If you’ve changed from saying, “I’ll email you.” to “I’ll facebook you,” you may be heading down that path to facebook-itis.
  4. You have over 5,000 facebook friends (and you’re nobody famous). Ok, maybe you’re really insecure and this just makes you feel like you’re a popular person. It’s time to get out into the real world and face your fears.
  5. You respond ‘Like’ or ‘Unlike’ to random statements. If you’ve started doing this…out loud…publicly…um, seriously, YOU have a problem!
  6. Mere acquaintances know way more about your child’s birth than they want to know. Male or female, weight, length, name, time of birth and a cute newborn picture, those are all great. A blow by blow of each contraction and each push? Save that for the new mommy get together, please.
  7. You hugged 50 people today without touching them. Have you sent 50 ‘virtual’ hugs over facebook today but not wrapped your arms around anyone in your immediate family? Virtual means: not real, honey. Don’t become satisfied with artificial embracement.
  8. You list facebook as your main news source. Did you ever stop to consider where all your facebook friends are getting their news from? And, did you ever play ‘Telephone’ when you were a kid? Not quite the same, I know, but still the same capacity for messages getting garbled.
  9. You take the results to facebook quizzes seriously. Is your ego soaring because you answered five questions on facebook and it told you that you were a super stud? Are you planning to move to Seattle because the facebook quiz said that’s the city you belong in? Who do you think writes those quizzes any ways, the Wizard of Oz?
  10. When you change your profile picture more often than your clothes. Has your profile picture changed several times today? Do you have a different profile picture to go with your mood or the time of day? Do you give more thought about which profile picture to post today than what you are actually going to wear on your body? Definitely a problem here.

After reading this article, you feel that you truly are addicted to facebook, there is a solution, Facebook Anonymous. Yes, these 12 step programs to help you deal with your addition have already begun to spring up. Of course, you can find them…(where else?) on facebook!

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10 Common Ways Your PC Gets Infected with Viruses

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

If you’ve ever had a virus on your computer, you know how frustrating it can be to try and get it removed. If you need to bring it in to a professional to have it removed or if you lose data off your hard drive, then it can be expensive as well. So how to those nasty little things get into your PC any ways? Here are ten of the most common ways that your PC can become infected with a virus.

  1. Email attachments. You send them. I send them. Everyone sends emails with attachments. Photo’s are the most frequent attachment, and the next are usually sound or video files. It’s a very common practice. But every once in awhile, you’ll get an email from someone you know that has an attachment that is a little out of the ordinary. Beware! If you’re the least little bit unsure, don’t open the attachment. You’re better off calling or sending an email back to the sender to verify that the attachment is safe to open. These types of viruses often send emails out to everyone in the senders address book without the sender even knowing they are going out.
  2. Spyware. Spyware and viruses are not the same thing, but they can often times piggy back on one another. You should be scanning your computer for spyware almost as regularly as for viruses
  3. Portable media. Transferring files from one computer to another using a flash drive or CD has the potential of transferring viruses as well. Be sure you don’t share flash drives with multiple partners. Practice safe data sharing!
  4. Software downloads. When you download software, particularly free software, from the internet, you often run the risk of downloading an infected program file. Make sure you always download from well-known, reputable sites.
  5. Infected websites. Some small business and personal websites do not maintain the same security levels that you would expect on larger sites. Simply visiting an infected site can expose your PC to their viruses.
  6. X rated websites. Pornographic websites are notorious for harboring these nasty little viruses. Make sure you use some strong protection if you’re going to visit these sites. A good virus software, that scans websites as well as emails, should be used when you travel this part of the web.
  7. No virus protection. Many viruses appear on brand new computers. The reason for this is that people don’t install virus protection software immediately. Most new computers come with a trial version of virus software installed. It just needs to be activated and updated. Waiting for even one day can expose you to many virus threats that would normally be caught by the software.
  8. Virus protection not updated. Your virus software generally can be set to update at certain time intervals, or whenever there is a new update available. Sometimes people make the mistake of canceling a virus update instead of letting it download. This makes their computer vulnerable to the newest and greatest viruses out there.
  9. Expired virus protection. People who bought virus protection software sometimes allow it to expire and don’t renew the license right away. Without the license renewal, the software will no longer receive updates and may quit providing protection at all. If you can’t afford to renew your current virus protection, there are several sources of free virus protection software on the web.
  10. Spam. Unsolicited emails that show up in your inbox, also referred to as junk mail, carry a higher risk of containing a virus. Since these emails are not sent from individuals you know, it is always best to leave any attachments in these types of emails unopened.

A good anti-virus software is essential to anyone who uses email and browses the web. Set it to download updates every time a new update is available and setup a regular virus scan of your computer once a week to check for any viruses or spyware that may have crept through the first line of defense. Play it safe!

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10 Ways to Measure Your Time Spent Online

Monday, March 14th, 2011

Time being spent online can easily eat away at a 24 hour day but we often don’t realize just how much time we are spending browsing the web. Here are 10 different applications that can help you measure that time accurately and, in some cases, help you to put a limit on it.

  1. Timetracker – This tool is a Mozilla Firefox add-on, which of course means it is very simple to install on your Firefox browser and simple to use as well. It also provides a variety of tracking options. You may set it to track for one day at a time or you may have the tracking be ongoing from the time of install. There are also settings that allow you to track only your time on specific websites of your choosing. So, if all you wanted to track was your time on social websites, you could add those sites to your list of site browsing to track. A very versatile and easy to use solution.
  2. 8aweek - This piece of software adds a few more options than Timetracker and is actually designed to help you save time and not just track your time. 8aweek has setting options that you can utilize to limit the amount of time you spend on certain sites like facebook, or others of your choosing, each day. You have the option of having the software give you warnings that you’ve used up your allotted time on a site or to block sites altogether. The name itself comes from its claim that it can save you eight hours a week. The software has a reporting feature as well.  The bad news is that you have to get it from mozilla as this site appears to now be abandoned.
  3. MeeTimer – This one is a very basic tracking tool. It will track the time you spend on each website during a given day and give you a clear picture at the end of the day of how your time online was spent. The report even includes some basic statistic regarding the percentage of your work week that was spent on the various sites you have frequented during the day.
  4. RescueTime – Unlike the above programs, this is a PC based program that will track time spent in your desktop software programs, as well as online. The key to this program is in the setup. You assign what you want it to track and report on for you. It can provide you with a very detailed look at how you are spending your computer time, both online and off.
  5. Toggl – This is a little app that is going places. Lots of places! Not only does toggl have web-based and desktop versions, it also has Android and iphone applications. Track your time for your own personal information or track it for billing purposes. Although there is a simple free version, the month-by-month plans are inexpensive and being used by many.
  6. Slife – This application works with both Macs and PC’s to track and analyze the time you spend on your computer. It does have the added advantage of reporting on the use of both desktop applications, like email, as well as your online activity. It provides you with great visual reports of how you have spent your time.
  7. TimeSprite – This inexpensive piece of software is a great choice for freelancers. This software provides time tracking for billing purposes as well as for your own accountability. It will tell you how much time you spend on your email, how much time you worked on an Excel spreadsheet or how much time spent catching up on facebook. It provides a 15 day free trial when you download the software, which is a great way to check out its features before you decide to buy.
  8. Outlook (Microsoft) – Many people don’t realize that Outlook has a time tracking feature built into its Journal. This is designed more for tracking your time on a phone call or working on a MS Office file, but it could be utilized for tracking time on the web as well.
  9. Fanurio – This is another time tracking software that is often used by freelancers because of its simplicity and its billing capabilities. Fanurio does not track the use of computer programs or web browsing specifically or automatically. It simply provides you a computerized timing device that is also tied to your billing software. To use it for tracking your time on line, it would be a matter of turning the timer on when you begin and off when you finish. It is definitely not geared specifically for this type of tracking but certainly could accomplish the task.
  10. Online Stopwatch – This is a very simple gadget that does work very similar to a stopwatch. You can turn it on to track your time on a site or any other activity you want to measure your time on. Just click stop when your done to see how much time has expired. You can also use it as an alarm to tell you when you’ve reached a pre-set limit.

There are lots of options to choose from, many of them free, if you really want to know the answer to how much time you REALLY spend online.

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5 Differences Between Wideband and Broadband Internet

Thursday, March 10th, 2011

Most people have become familiar with the term broadband internet but not as many are familiar with the term wideband internet. Wideband was a term that has previously been used in conjunction with radio and television frequencies, not the internet. That has changed in the last couple of years and you will begin hearing it more and more in the future.

Just as broadband has come to mean faster, smoother internet connections that took the consumer to the next level beyond dial-up, wideband is a term that refers to the next step beyond broadband. It provides  more than just a higher speed connection, but a whole new level of interaction. Below are five of the current differences between wideband internet access and broadband internet access.

  1. Availabilty. You can get broadband internet access in almost any location in the United States at this point, either by cable, DSL or satellite. Wideband just began to become available in 2009 and is now being offered in New York City by TimeWarner and being offered to a growing number of Comcast and Charter cable internet customers in various locations across the U.S.
  2. Video streaming. Plenty of people already watch television shows and movies online via broadband. The difference you will find between video streaming with high speed broadband and wideband would be similar to the difference of watching a DVD movie versus watching the movie via your internet connection. A smoother streaming video quality.
  3. Gaming. As with the video quality, the internet gaming quality with wideband internet is much more par  to an actual gaming console than you would have with broadband internet access. It’s all about wider bandwidth that allows the interactive data to flow much quicker and smoother.
  4. Multi-tasking. This is the big selling point for wideband over broadband. The ability to have multiple high bandwidth activities going on in one household via your internet connection. The teenagers can be playing internet video games while others in the same household are watching movies or television shows over the same internet connection without any delays or slowdowns for either of them.
  5. Price. Guess what, wideband cost more than broadband. Right now it is the top of the line in internet access. If you can get it in your area, you will have to decide whether it is really worth the extra monthly charges or not. For some high usage households it is. For many others it wouldn’t make enough of a difference to be worth the extra expense.

Technology continues to get faster in speed and smaller in its container sizes. Wideband is just one more step in that direction.

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Top 5 Reasons Why People Bundle Internet Services

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Just moved into your new home and need to get it wired for service? Looking to simplify your life? Have you considered bundled internet/phone/TV service as an option? With more and more providers offering full suites of phone, TV and internet services, choosing bundled services has been the way to go for many consumers.

Here’s a look at 5 reasons why:

1. Cost Savings. Service providers offer strong savings incentives as an enticement to purchase their full suite of services, which can save you hundreds of dollars per year. Offering all three services together – the so-called triple-threat package – is more cost-effective for the provider, which translates to savings for the consumer. Equipment cost, if any, is generally lower and installation is usually  free of charge.

2. Convenience. Having one provider install your internet, home phone and TV services makes life a lot simpler. When just one appointment is all you need to set up installation, that means:

  • One technician in your home
  • One system to learn, in one visit
  • One day to set aside out of your busy schedule
  • One bill to pay, one envelope to open, and one stamp to dig out of your drawer
  • One point of contact for billing and technical issues.

3. Choice. Bundled service packages are often a la carte, meaning more selectivity. Individual features and services can be hand-picked according to individual needs. In order to encourage buyers to opt for a one-stop shop, providers offer a broader range of service plans when bought in bundles than when purchased individually. It’s possible to negotiate for a custom-tailored package of your own choosing. So you have a better chance of just buying the phone services that you’ll actually use, and the TV channels that you’ll actually watch.

4. Cabling/Wiring. Opting for one service provider can also simplify the installation of those services. Whether choosing a cable provider, FiOS (fiber optic services), or DSL via the local phone company, all of your services can be run throughout the home over a single wiring/cable network. Less drilling, less clutter, and less hassle.

5. Competition = Consumer Control. Service providers have a lot on the line, across an ever-expanding technological landscape. As they compete for consumer dollars, they are also vying to establish their respective technologies as the standard for home services. The days of copper-wire phone service and antenna-fed TV reception having long ago passed into history, the current options vary from one provider to another – cable, DSL, or fiber optics.  So the one who gets their foot in your door first is more likely to be your first choice down the road, as future services become available.

On such an open frontier, consumers are in a far better position to negotiate for their services than ever before. Knowing that the choices they make today can determine how the average home is wired in the future, it’s looking more and more like a buyer’s market.

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10 Ways to Use Bluetooth at Home

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Bluetooth wireless technology is making its way into more and more electronic devices. It is being used at work, in sports, in the medical field, in our automobiles and, of course, in our homes. If you are just beginning to utilize this technology, you may not realize all the different ways it can be incorporated into your daily living. Below is a list of ten ways to use Bluetooth technology at home.

  1. Speakers. If you’ve ever tried to hide speaker wires while also trying to position them to provide good sound quality in a room, you can easily appreciate the value of Bluetooth technology when it comes to setting up audio speakers in your home. No more unsightly wires to hide. No limits to where you can place your speakers. Bluetooth sets them free.
  2. Computer. Bluetooth sets your computer free as well. Move your keyboard  and mouse around without any cords to limit you. Send pictures from your cell phone to your computer without even being in the same room.
  3. Printer. Your printer has been set free as well if it is Bluetooth compatible. It can now be set on a stand across the room instead of taking up room on your computer desk. You can send pictures to it from your computer or your phone and have them print out without a touch from you in person.
  4. Headsets. This is still the biggest use for Bluetooth technology. The ability to have a wireless headset that you can use with your cell phone is the usually the first introduction that people have to this technology. Bluetooth headsets are now also being used with computers, stereos and television as well.
  5. Door opener. People have used remote controls for opening their garage doors for years, but it wasn’t with Bluetooth. Now they can open not just their overhead garage door but the front door to their home as well, without any keys. Keyless entry systems that utilizes a pass code sent through your cell phone can end that search for keys at the bottom of a purse.
  6. Bathroom Scale. And why would you want or need Bluetooth capabilities for your bathroom scale, your asking. If managing your weight is important to you, then Bluetooth can be a huge advantage. With a Bluetooth scale you can track your weight and send information to your computer system.
  7. Video Camera. No more trying to figure out how to connect the video camera to your computer or television to download or playback your videos. With a Bluetooth video camera, you can send it direct to the Bluetooth enabled computer or television.
  8. Hearing aid. Many people with hearing aids have difficulty using a cell phone. With a Bluetooth hearing aid, the use of a cell phone and sound from your other electronic devices in the home, come in loud and clear.
  9. Television. No need to get the remote positions right to get the signal to the TV with Bluetooth. You don’t even need to point the remote at the TV. In addition, a Bluetooth TV becomes a huge display monitor for pictures from your camera, cell phone or video recorder.
  10. Stereo. Your music will gain the same benefits as everything else when your stereo system is Bluetooth compatible. Control it from a distance; listen to it from a distance, and no wires to worry about.

Bluetooth connectivity is changing how we operate our households, one piece of equipment at a time.

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5 Excuses for Playing Farmville

Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011

Farmville has been touted as being the most popular video game in America, though that may now be waining. Its arrival on facebook seemed to add the biggest boost to its already growing number of users. It’s a simple game that involves planting and harvesting crops. There are no grand heroes, no exciting battles, just simple quiet farm life. So why have so many people become avid players of this admittedly boring game? Here are five of the excuses people have given for their involvement in this online phenomenon.

  1. Easy time waster. It’s easy to play. You don’t need to learn a lot of complicated rules. There isn’t a crowd of characters to identify. It is very simple: plant your crops, care for your crops, harvest your crops. It also doesn’t require long periods of time. It can be managed in small bites of time. For people whose minds have stressed with worries or heavy work loads, it provides a very benign escape for those high stress levels.
  2. Compulsive gamer. It is addictive. Nobody seems to know exactly what it is that makes it so addictive, but they all agree that it is. There are plenty of compulsive gamers out there. When they saw a new game that everyone seemed to be playing, naturally they had to check it out for themselves. Once they got their own little patch of virtual earth, they were hooked. They kept clicking and clicking and clicking and…
  3. A sense of accomplishment. Some say it is the sense of accomplishment or reward that is built into the game. There are no unexpected droughts to destroy your crops; you are totally in control. If you do your part, and keep your plants and trees watered, you will get to see the fruit and vegetables ripen and be collected. You can continue to expand your farm and expand your sense of accomplishment as well. You can end your day with the feeling of a job well done, in the virtual Farmville world at least.
  4. Hooked by guilt. For others, it is their sense of responsibility combined with their underlying motivator of guilt that keeps them working at this patch of digital farmland. They’ve created this farm; they own it; they are responsible for it. The thought of not maintaining what they have started goes against every grain in their being. They can almost hear their father’s voice in the background, “Once you commit to something, follow through. Don’t be a quitter.” And Farmville makes sure that you can’t quit, at least not without letting some virtual plants experience a virtual death. And who wants to have that on their conscience?
  5. Competition. There is another aspect to the game though, and that is the competition. What do your friends have on their farms that you don’t have on yours? It seems to be part of the human nature to compare ourselves with those around us. So, if our friends have peach trees, we will want to have peach trees too. Better yet, we want to be the first one to have peach trees and have everyone else try to catch up with us. It becomes very easy to forget that none of it has any real value. We just want to be the best, biggest, smartest… at whatever it is we are doing.

So, there are plenty of reasons to play Farmville, to relax, to feed your addiction, to build up your self-esteem, to keep your guilt feelings under control and to keep your ego fed. Which one of these is your excuse?

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