May 15, 2008
PC Magazine released an article today that discusses free security software. i’ve been using Spybot for several years, but according to PC Magazine, there is better stuff out there…. For Free!!!!….. Check out their recommendations for security software here.
May 9, 2008
I have talked a number of times about how important it is to protect your computer from viruses and other malicious threats. Of course, most computers come with something installed, but it is vitally important that you make sure that whatever you have is updated at least weekly if not daily. Most antivirus and spyware programs can be set to update automatically and this is the best way to go. If you use a free program that cannot be set to update automatically, then it is important that you go it manually.
Many Internet Service Providers (ISP) provide some security software free and you should certainly take advantage of this. I like to check the online version of PC Magazine for their recommendations. Here are a couple of interesting articles to check out from them.
Eleven Ways to BodyGuard Your PC
I also get a couple of RSS feeds from PC Magazine which often have interesting info. CNet is another good source for information about technology stuff in general. Download.com also is a great source for software.
Do you have a favorite “trusted” source for software? Why don’t you share with us?
Until next time!
Janice
April 21, 2008
As Earth Day approaches, newspapers and other news sources are highlighting ways to “Go Green”. The Today Show had a great feature today on what to do with electronic items that you no longer want. Check out their website for more information.
Janice
March 28, 2008
Looking to learn a new skill? This month, we are offering a wide range of computer classes.
All the classes are held in the Computer Lab on the first floor of the library. No sign-up is necessary; there are 8 computers and the first 8 people will be able to join the class. So come on down and learn something new, you’ll have fun, stretch your brain a little and meet some new people!
Janice
March 5, 2008
Do you often listen to music online or like to download songs? There are still places that you can do this for free! PC Magazine has just posted an article called Get Free Music! that lists 12 different websites where you can find music-streaming services that are not only free and legal (like all radio) but customizable. I don’t know about you, but I always feel a little better about trying out something online that is recommended by this magazine or one of the other well-known technology magazines.
Interested in checking some of them out? Here are several of them and the complete article is linked above.
Jango, TheSixtyOne, Musicovery, BoomShuffle, finetune, last.fm, skreemr, songza, Pandora, Slacker, and Imeem.
February 26, 2008
We have a great selection of computer classes coming up in March. We, of course, have the Basic Computer Skills and More Basic Skills classes during the day. For those of you who work, we are offering the Microsoft Word class in the evening this month. The class will be held Wednesday nights, March 12, 19 and 26 at 6:30 pm. On March 5 at 6:30 pm, I will be offering a beginning class on Microsoft Vista for those of you who have bought new computers or have updated to Vista. Also, I have a brand-new class “Intro to 3-D Modeling” which will be taught by our Artist in Residence: Matthew Hyner. This class will give an introduction into using Google Sketchup, available free from Google. No registration is required; all classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
I would like to offer an invitation for those of you who are already competent in computer and internet use. Come share your knowledge with others! Whether you would like to help out in a class or actually teach a class, we need you!!!! If you are interested in learning more about volunteering in the computer lab, email Janice at collinsj@mycitylibrary.org
February 16, 2008
I have written about the Technobuddy (Bill Husted) before as I always find his articles interesting. Even those of us who consider themselves to be fairly technology literate can find useful info in his articles.
Last week, his article was called “Take pain out of hunt for tech help” and he offered some great advice on how to get what you need from tech help. His “Seven Rules for Surviving an Encounter with Customer Service” are well worth reading!!
January 23, 2008
The Library of Congress announced January 16 that it has teamed with the photo-sharing website Flickr to broaden public access to the 14 million photographs and other visual items in its collections. So far 3,000 photos from two of the library’s most popular collections—the George Grantham Bain Collection, featuring the photographic files of one of America’s earliest news picture agencies, and Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information photos of rural and farm life have been placed on Flickr.
Ok, I know you are saying to yourself “Why do I care?” You care, because the photos that are already posted are amazing and well worth checking out AND you can comment on them. The George Grantham Bain Collection covers sports events, theater, celebrities, crime, strikes, disasters, political activities including the woman suffrage campaign, conventions and public celebrations. Most of the collection dates from the 1900s to the mid-1920s, but scattered images can be found as early as the 1860s and as late as the 1930s. The collection from the Farm Security Administration consists of vivid color photos from the Great Depression and World War II, an era usually captured only in black-and-white.
The collection is in a part of Flickr called “The Commons”. This is an amazing resource for anyone interested in history or their own past! Because these are all in Flickr, it is possible to comment on the photos. You might even be able to provide new information about one of them! Take a few minutes and check them out, I think you will (like I did) lose yourself in the past…at least for a little while.
January 9, 2008
January 9, 2008
Back in July of 2007, I taught a class that dealt with a number of “Web 2.0″ topics including RSS. Why am I bringing this up again? Because if you are not taking advantage of RSS, I think you should. How can it help you? Well, for instance, I often send out emails when I post new articles on this blog. If you don’t get my email, you don’t know that I have posted something new. The beauty of RSS is that every time something new is posted, it is sent to you.
Here is an explanation of RSS from Wikipedia:
“ RSS is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blogentries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a “feed”, “web feed”, or “channel”, contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that’s easier than checking them manually.
RSS content can be read using software called an “RSS reader”, “feed reader” or an “aggregator”. The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed’s link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The reader checks the user’s subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.”
So, isn’t that cool? I certainly think so. I have subscribed to a number of “feeds” myself and find it very convenient. I use the Google Reader, but there are a number of other options. Click here for a list of aggregators. I actually have created an iGoogle page and include my Google Reader as well as my Gmail account (which I use for online purchases and anything I might sign up for online). (Can you tell I am a Google fan?) Yahoo has a similar setup though, if you already have a Yahoo email account.
Once you decide to set up an aggregator, how do you find “feeds” to subscribe to? As you surf the web, look around at sites you often go to. Do you check the news on CNN frequently? Maybe you just want updates on national news. You can have those fed to you as they come in to CNN. Look for links similar to these:
By clicking on the right image, you can add the feed to your aggregator.
So, it’s a new year, let’s try something new! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to make a comment here or email me: collinsj@mycitylibrary.org.
