Rebooting                                                                                         Keyboard Shortcuts

Antivirus Software and Ransomware                                       5 Bad Tech Habits

5 Secrets Smartphone Users Need to Know                          Tips for Secure Password

Cool Ways to Use GOOGLE                                                          FLU Proof Your Gadgets

When You're on the Internet                                                       Simple Steps to Speed Up Your Computer

Disable and Enable Wifi

Rebooting 

 "Have you tried rebooting?" is a classic tech support question that every computer user knows by heart. It might sound like a cop-out, but there is a good reason why your repair guys suggest rebooting before anything else.

Before I tell you why, keep in mind that rebooting works for all kinds of gadgets. It works on your computers, wireless routers, home entertainment systems, tablets and smartphones.

In fact, you can apply the same advice to any computer program or app that's acting buggy. If your Web browser is misbehaving, for example, shut it down and open it up again.

But why does rebooting work?

Let me set up a non-techie example. Have you ever been writing a letter and gotten interrupted for just a second? You can pick up where you left off with very little effort.

But what happens if there's a string of interruptions, or a major interruption that takes you away for a few hours or even days. You can't just jump back in to the letter without reading it through from the beginning.

Maybe you read it and decide it doesn't even make sense anymore, so you start over.

Well, that's similar to how electronics work. A minor glitch usually isn't a problem. It will just slow things down for a minute while the system recovers.

A bunch of glitches or a really serious glitch, however, can completely interrupt the gadget's train of thought. It can't pick up where it left off.

So, everything might freeze. Or you'll get something like the infamous Windows Blue Screen of Death.

At that point, the best thing to do is start over. Rebooting lets the gadget start over from square one, hopefully without running into any more glitches. And in many cases, the glitches don't pop up again.

That's why tech support folks will often ask you to restart your gadget when something goes wrong. It's an easy, no-fuss fix that weeds out minor problems.

Keyboard Shortcuts

CTRL+C: Copy
CTRL+X: Cut
CTRL+V: Paste
CTRL+Z: Undo
CTRL+B: Bold
CTRL+U: Underline
CTRL+I: Italic

Windows Key= 

Windows Key + e: opens File Explorer

Windows Key + d: takes you back to desktop 

Windows Key + m: minimizes all programs 

Windows Key + +: zooms in 

Windows Key + -: zooms out 

Antivirus Software & Ransomware

5 BAD Tech Habits

Let's take an informal poll: Raise your hand if you have NO bad habits. Those of you who raised your hands obviously have a habit of lying, so put them back down. 
Some bad tech habits are obvious. You use the same password for every account. Maybe you text during family dinners or share too much on Facebook. You definitely want to work on fixing any of these.

1. Forgetting to clean
When was that last time you cleaned your phone? Or what about your computer screen, keyboard or mouse? Really?
Studies have shown that phones can have 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Keep some gadget-friendly antiseptic wipes near your computer and phone charger. A good cleaning of your gadgets at the end of the day will keep the germs at bay.

2. Having multiple users per account
Having multiple users using the same gadget isn't just bad for cleanliness. It's also not great for your security.
You're giving everyone access to your favorite websites and apps. Browsers can store usernames, passwords and even financial information.
Recently, a toddler made news for buying a car on eBay using her dad's smartphone. Talk about an impulse buy!
On a computer, this is easy enough to prevent. In Windows, go to Start>>Control Panel and select User Accounts. On Macs, go to System Preferences and choose Users and Groups.
Multiple accounts keep everyone's information separate. If you have sensitive information, be sure to create a password for your account.

3. Not taking breaks
You're working hard on a time-sensitive project. Hours fly by as you type, your focus never leaving the computer screen.
I'll give you an A for effort, but an F for taking care of yourself.
Be sure to get up and stretch, move around & get the blood flowing in your legs.

4. Not upgrading
 I'm talking upgrading the programs themselves. I know many of you reading this still use Windows XP. You might use Internet Explorer 8 or even 7 as your browser.
Time to UPGRADE!
I understand why you haven't. Upgrading can cost money. You're used to the way things work. The newer versions might seem more complicated.
Well, those are valid reasons, but at some point enough is enough. And in the case of Windows XP and IE, Microsoft has said enough. They say 13 years of support are enough.
Windows XP's end-of-life date is coming up in 2014. After that, it's receiving no more security updates. It's already missing key security features found in later versions of Windows. This will just make it easier for hackers to attack you.
Internet Explorer 7 and 8 are in a similar boat. They're way behind on security features and they don't work well with newer websites.

5. Treating public Wi-Fi like private Wi-Fi 
Public Wi-Fi is great. You can get online with your laptop at the airport, coffee shop or hotel. If you're using a smartphone or tablet, it's a great way to avoid using up your cellular data plan. 
However, you really need to be careful what you do while using it. Don't forget that it's a wireless NETWORK. That means you're sharing it with other people.
Don't think logging in to an encrypted public network is any better. On your home network, encryption keeps hackers out. On a public network, hackers are just other members of the public. They can log in just as easily as you can.
Some hackers even set up fake public Wi-Fi networks. If you connect, they can monitor everything you do.
As a rule, don't do anything sensitive while using public Wi-Fi. Always assume someone can see what you're doing. Keeping that in mind will help you stay safe.
 
Lots more tech tips at www.komando.com

5 secrets smartphone users need to know

1. Take a screenshot 
Your friend just made a hilarious typo in their text message and you want to share it with your other friends. Capture it as an image with a screenshot. On an iPhone, press and hold the Home button along with the Sleep/Wake button. You should hear a shutter click. The screenshot will appear in your Camera Roll or Saved Photos section. On Androids, hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. The image is saved to the "Captured Images" folder in your Gallery app. That only works in Android 4.0 and higher, though. For Android 3.0, 2.3 or earlier, use an app like Airdroid.

2. Salvage a wet phone 
It's a heart-stopping moment when you drop your smartphone on the ground. If you don't have a good case, there's a chance it won't survive. It's even worse if you drop it in the water. Unless you have a waterproof case, your smartphone is sunk - literally. First, and most important, DON'T turn it on. If you turn it on with water inside, you'll fry it. Instead, wipe it down with a dry microfiber cloth. If the gadget is dirty, you can clean it with isopropyl rubbing alcohol. If the phone has a removable battery, take it out. Then fill a container or bag with uncooked rice and put the smartphone in the container overnight. The rice will help pull the moisture out of the gadget. Under no circumstances put the phone in the oven or microwave! The next day, put the phone back together and turn it on. If it starts up, congratulations! If not, you're off to the store for a new one.

3. Find a lost or stolen phone
 You can take your gadget everywhere you go. But once you're there, it's easy to leave it. Ipads & Iphones support Apple’s Find My Phone app. This allows you to use a computer or another iPhone to find your missing phone using GPS. You can also remotely lock and wipe your phone as well. Android gadgets have Where’s my Droid app.

4. Don't share your location Smartphone cameras are great for the casual shutterbug. If you aren't careful you're also sharing your location with everyone. Smartphones can embed GPS information into photos that anyone can read. You could turn off GPS when you're taking pictures. To turn it off on your iPhone, go to Settings>>Privacy Location Services. You can turn it off for everything or just for the camera. On an Android, go to Settings>>Location Services and turn GPS off when you don't need it. For Windows Phone, go to Settings>>Location to turn off Location Services.

5. Creative smartphone uses
 Smartphones have way more features than you use. App designers have figured out some creative uses that you will love. 
Heard for iphone is always recording using your smartphone's microphone. At any time, you can save audio from up to 5 minutes in the past.
Awareness for Android and iPhone uses your smartphone's microphone to keep track of noise around you while you're listening to music. Any sounds louder than regular background noise gets sent to your headphones.
Instant Heart Rate for iPhone and Android uses the phone's camera to figure out your heart rate. It detects the light passing through your finger and how it changes as your heart beats.
Metal detector app-  iphone & android’s have you covered. They use your phone's built-in compass to find metals. You just need to hold your phone close to the ground. 

Tips for Secure Passwords
The strongest password would actually be a string of random characters. Unfortunately, something like "Tl|_|,BwwB2R" isn't easy to remember. Or is it? Here’s how I came up with it. You can use a catch phrase, quote or even a song lyric. Song lyric example: "Tramps like us, baby we were born to run." I took the first character from each word. Not bad, but it could be better. So, I added some symbols in place of similar letters. U becomes |_|, the "to" from the original lyric becomes 2. Then, I capitalized a few of the letters to make a stronger password that I can remember: "Tl|_|,BwwB2R". Worst passwords-"password" or "12345". Remember to change passwords often to avoid your accounts getting hacked.

Cool Ways to use GOOGLE 
Easy Math With Google
Here’s an example of something extra you can use Google for.  Try
typing “1+1=” into http://www.google.com

Then try typing “Baghdad time” in the search window.
Really, it works, try it!  You'll get the official time for that location.

Try This:
And you'll find out that:
12 kilometers = 7.45645431 miles


Here’s a link to more information about using Google for all kinds of things:
http://www.google.com/help/features.html

When You’re on the Internet:

Ups and Downs. To scroll web pages, don’t bother grabbing the mouse and placing your cursor on the scroll bar to anchor a page. Simply hit the “space” key to move down the page and “shift” plus “space” key to move back up.
Faster Forms. When filling in online forms (such as your address), most folks know they can “tab” through to save time, but what about that cumbersome state pull-down? When it’s time to state your state, simply type the first letter of your state (e.g., “T” for Texas). The first time you hit “T’ you’ll see Tennessee (alphabetical order), hit T twice and there pops Texas.
Size Matters. To enlarge your Web screen, when on a PC, hold down the “Ctrl” key while tapping the “+” (plus) key to get your desired screen size. Too big? Again, hold down the “Ctrl” key, but tap the “-” (minus) key instead.
When on your iPhone, Android, Blackberry:
Pitch the Punctuation. You want to sound intelligent in your texts, minding your periods, sentence capitalization and all that. Not necessary, though. Your smartphone is smart, too. Just hit the space bar twice and it’ll enter periods, spacing between sentences and sentence caps for you.
Finish Your Conversation. Once upon a time *69 was the quickest way to call someone right back. For today’s smartphone users, the “call” button is all it takes. You don’t even have to go into recent calls to redial your last contact.
Voicemail Hangups. If having to hang on for long-winded voicemail instructions/intros makes you want to scream, hang on. Your mobile phone offers a keyboard command allowing you to skip straight to recording your message. Commands vary by carrier (for example: Verizon: *, AT&T and T-Mobile: # and Sprint: 1).
Worried about your phone minutes? Quickly check your balance, by carrier:

• AT&T: Dial *646#
• Sprint: Dial *4
• T-Mobile: Dial #646#
• Verizon: Dial #646
  
  Want to save/send an Internet image? Touch the image on your phone screen and wait for the option prompt. You can save it on your phone or copy it to an email or text. Pretty cool.
  Text with Dexterity. Who hasn’t reread a text and found a misspelled or simply wrong choice of words? Don’t bother backtracking and retyping. Just tap twice on the word in question. You’ll get a prompt allowing you to “cut” the word. Hit “replace” and get a choice of alternatives (e.g., change petstore to pet store). To learn more tips visit http://blogs.earthlink.net/now-you-know-tech-shortcuts-worth-passing-on/

Simple Steps to Speed Up Your Computer

Dump the Junk.
For optimal performance it’s just as important to keep the computer clean on the inside. An overload of files and outdated software can waste valuable hard drive space and slow your speed.

Windows users can get rid of old software as follows:
Click the Start button > then Control Panel > then choose Programs > followed by Programs and Features, where you’ll see a complete list of your software programs. Select what want to delete and click uninstall. This is a great way to get rid of unwanted programs, example “google toolbars”.

You can also shed unnecessary files on your hard disk and free up disk space by using Disk Cleanup on a regular basis. It removes temporary files, empties the Recycle Bin, and clears a variety of system files you no longer need. If you’re a Windows user:
Click the Start button. In the search box, type Disk Cleanup.
In the results list, click Disk Cleanup.
In the disk cleanup dialog box, select the check boxes for the file types you want to delete, and then click OK.
In the confirmation message that appears, click delete files.
You can also speed up your computer by running disk defrag to do this
Click Start button, in the search box, type Disk Defrag
In the results list, click Disk Defragmenter.
In the drivers list, select (C:), then select Defragment Disk. If this is an older computer/laptop it could take some time to do this so start it at the end of the day. When finished click Close.

These instructions will work for either laptops....if you have your ethernet cable plugged into the laptop and you still see the "wifi bars"  on the bottom right corner then you are still connected to wifi & need to disable it before you will actually be connected to the ethernet cable. If you have a Lenovo laptop you can just hit F8 on the keyboard and turn the wifi off, but when turning back on be sure you actually turn the wifi "ON", hit the white down arrow and select the wifi "on" button. 

1. Click on the START button. 
2. Select CONTROL PANEL from the START MENU. 
3. Click on NETWORK AND INTERNET CONNECTIONS in the Control Panel window.
4. Click on NETWORK CONNECTIONS on the next screen. 
5. Click on your Wireless Network Connection and select DISABLE from the menu that appears. 

 To Enable Wifi on Toshiba: 

Windows 7

1. Click on Start
2. Click on Control Panel
3. Click on Network and Internet
4. Click on Network and Sharing Center
5. Choose Change adapter settings on the Task pane
6. Right-click on Wireless Network Connection
7. Select Enable

 this means you are on WIFI 

  this means your connected to the ethernet cable.