tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29826018541294621122024-03-18T23:23:51.784-04:00Bob Johnson's Tips & Tricks!<i>Technology tips, tricks, and shortcuts.</i><br>
<a href="http://www.bobjohnson.com">Check out our website! www.bobjohnson.com</a>used_laptopshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212533199861157248noreply@blogger.comBlogger261125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-71088435521638545092013-12-11T14:27:00.002-05:002013-12-11T14:36:13.880-05:00Hump Day Link RoundupEvery Wednesday, we'll round up a few of the most interesting and relevant items we've seen so far this week and share them with you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjQIu3uHl35k_vRXStn198xwNoHQtj2TMl7ze-v2OZP3i6lkccGKfVe9w-p2k33svvffo8_aQ3xS74opr7yChaO0sUBdXzJCJjxqO1z2g1Bc7V_k-yDQ_UlcEN5CT7eWKV06hTNMUpXP2/s1600/leo-homelesscoder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Leo Grand, Trees for Cars app coder" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGjQIu3uHl35k_vRXStn198xwNoHQtj2TMl7ze-v2OZP3i6lkccGKfVe9w-p2k33svvffo8_aQ3xS74opr7yChaO0sUBdXzJCJjxqO1z2g1Bc7V_k-yDQ_UlcEN5CT7eWKV06hTNMUpXP2/s1600/leo-homelesscoder.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/homeless-coders-trees-for-cars-app-2013-12">NYC homeless man Leo Grand</a>, after just 16 weeks of coding lessons, has developed a useful new app for iOS and Android.</span><br />
<i>Business Insider</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOJIdduW3eQfx-rLHMwA1qUcjn9eAaYiy-R9Gm4FEsh3ndWh2oM1oFH232ChMgPMB0h3Y5OgBTonPRMI2nF-UVHUty-X4ooW5GUarQyiRLLqkOTRm8U9QpNEOw6gjw59-MceLG0MVPjnj/s1600/norwaybooks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Digitizing a manuscript" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDOJIdduW3eQfx-rLHMwA1qUcjn9eAaYiy-R9Gm4FEsh3ndWh2oM1oFH232ChMgPMB0h3Y5OgBTonPRMI2nF-UVHUty-X4ooW5GUarQyiRLLqkOTRm8U9QpNEOw6gjw59-MceLG0MVPjnj/s1600/norwaybooks.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Norway is <a href="http://io9.com/norway-is-digitizing-its-whole-library-1481064343">digitizing all the books</a> in their National Library and making them freely available online.</span><br />
<i>io9.com</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkhRchaNH-J7CWFqiQv0AwVeLmcjyhvrcLFGE1z7_H6-P8vSi8R67OzgQWStBmrIoZVCgeyCl6VIWELTRXbmkiykC1-MlcXY5dkMMExVLn0tndZK9UKGNc_4eNQCtdnZZrP-xxwQNrdy5/s1600/xboxonebrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sad and useless bricked Xbox One" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkhRchaNH-J7CWFqiQv0AwVeLmcjyhvrcLFGE1z7_H6-P8vSi8R67OzgQWStBmrIoZVCgeyCl6VIWELTRXbmkiykC1-MlcXY5dkMMExVLn0tndZK9UKGNc_4eNQCtdnZZrP-xxwQNrdy5/s1600/xboxonebrick.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Awful users on infamous 4chan forum trick people into <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/lol/4chan-unlock-xbox-prank-brick/">"bricking" their new Xbox One consoles</a>.</span><br />
<i>The Daily Dot</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypVu4iRe-RmS54kCkmsLG6gieRHkUxzuHYhfZpa_G74tTaTB4apCTzXZq8luq1Z0RzDAahdjMCwfGzWBJPITPRi3H452Dd6XGqMSvwbwM0J-t66GxK6AiWaL5aGsYaw_NFzLuhyiWqscw/s1600/flashlightbad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Flashlight app is shady" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypVu4iRe-RmS54kCkmsLG6gieRHkUxzuHYhfZpa_G74tTaTB4apCTzXZq8luq1Z0RzDAahdjMCwfGzWBJPITPRi3H452Dd6XGqMSvwbwM0J-t66GxK6AiWaL5aGsYaw_NFzLuhyiWqscw/s1600/flashlightbad.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Brightest Flashlight, a popular flashlight app for Android, has been <a href="http://bgr.com/2013/12/06/flashlight-app-sharing-data-illegally-ftc/">illegally sharing users' data</a> with advertisers.</span><br />
<i>BGR.com</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11420808354903683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-76025751079753065442013-12-03T12:01:00.000-05:002013-12-03T12:12:43.442-05:00Safer Browsing with Web Of TrustI wanted to start this post with a clever analogy about using the Internet without antivirus protection, but the only one I know is a bit too crass for this venue, and it refers to something illegal in every state except for parts of Nevada. I guess I'll make one up, but it won't be as fun: surfing the web without antivirus protection is like entering a nuclear wasteland without a hazmat suit. You're going to get sick.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6121/5978434781_121a40b5eb_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6121/5978434781_121a40b5eb_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured: a Lego man who sneezed inside his hazmat suit but is otherwise healthy. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/" target="_blank">Source</a>.</td></tr>
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<a href="http://bobjohnson.com/" target="_blank">Around here</a>, we are big fans of<a href="http://free.avg.com/us-en/homepage" target="_blank"> AVG</a>, but <a href="http://www.avast.com/index" target="_blank">Avast</a> is also decent if you feel like you need options. (Note: choose <i>one</i> antivirus program. <i>Never</i> run more than one at a time. Antivirus programs do not play nice with each other and will turn your computer into a potato.) You can get a great antivirus for free. In fact, pricey options like Norton and McAfee are often bloated, sluggish, and sometimes even less effective than what you can get for free.<br />
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Even with virus protection, you still want to be careful online. The web is like Baltimore, a city dear to my heart, but that doesn't mean I'll go prancing around in any old unfamiliar neighborhood at night (Baltimore? Hazmat suits? Something about Nevada?? Reign in the analogies, Ed, this is getting out of hand!). You'd be surprised at how many people <a href="http://bobjohnson.com/_store/default.asp" target="_blank">bring their computers to us to get fixed</a> because they somehow found themselves on a sketchy website. Internet bad guys are savvy. They make fake versions of trustworthy websites to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing" target="_blank">phish</a> for your private date. They make popups that look like Windows error messages and trick users into downloading <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware" target="_blank">malware</a>. They constantly work to stay ahead of the curve. That's why users need to be just as savvy.<br />
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A good start to smarter, safer web browsing is to install the <a href="https://www.mywot.com/" target="_blank">Web of Trust (WOT)</a> add-on in your browser. WOT, essentially, is a user-updated database of which sites are safe and which sites you should steer clear of. The add-on pops a little circle icon on your browser's navigation bar. The color of the circle indicates the trustworthiness of the active website: green means users have rated the site as trustworthy, yellow means it's iffy, and a red circle means that users have found the site to be harmful. For "red" websites, WOT will pop up a message asking if you are sure you want to visit the potentially dangerous site, and gives you the option to turn back or ignore its advice and continue.<br />
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How to Install Web of Trust (WOT)</h2>
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For Chrome</h3>
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Go to <a href="https://www.mywot.com/">https://www.mywot.com/</a> and click the big green button that says "Download." This will pop up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AyrJl6z4LK2e6citDZLkZZJbeowGo06XIEdqbXflmlhRa5QwtGAuinmvSr6gmWH2tA4oR3e6oQjS0jtv6Q3zZHwO1061sjZkdL8JVF9oKtpy33OArlRcw1GpLlpeqlkPVCsPktFGoX1B/s1600/chromewotpopup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AyrJl6z4LK2e6citDZLkZZJbeowGo06XIEdqbXflmlhRa5QwtGAuinmvSr6gmWH2tA4oR3e6oQjS0jtv6Q3zZHwO1061sjZkdL8JVF9oKtpy33OArlRcw1GpLlpeqlkPVCsPktFGoX1B/s320/chromewotpopup.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click "Add." Done.</div>
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For Firefox</h3>
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Go to <a href="https://www.mywot.com/">https://www.mywot.com/</a> and click the big green button that says "Download." If Firefox notifies you that it prevented WOT from trying to download, click the button that says "Allow." This will pop up:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfeyzJ-BM2QJ67JKmWxpnhUqbB4iSOaNy4TV9fQ1-m8Y3qLhFTBx0h2C0JTrFN68Hla510uIday5yBczrL76TLNpmzw290Ss1OiS20Y6z3ep7Kn5jp3Lo02l5ueJxZK3SAlk5w7eWHQTe/s1600/firefoxwotpopup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfeyzJ-BM2QJ67JKmWxpnhUqbB4iSOaNy4TV9fQ1-m8Y3qLhFTBx0h2C0JTrFN68Hla510uIday5yBczrL76TLNpmzw290Ss1OiS20Y6z3ep7Kn5jp3Lo02l5ueJxZK3SAlk5w7eWHQTe/s320/firefoxwotpopup.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Click "Install" (after it finishes counting down from 5). Restart Firefox. Done.</div>
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For Internet Explorer</h3>
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Go to <a href="https://www.mywot.com/">https://www.mywot.com/</a> and click the big green button that says "Download." This will pop up at the bottom:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-qzqUQ3GPRV-_bCoqhUgCzn2bzKvn2Zs1nPgMQKL2t6IvGazKb8txQfnKqaIdVP9EDPF9gaOSfNHBrqugeY9od35Ml2PzVGA7JBDlb5j4vv7kTX4ayJjIYYm2hMlAa-LGgnPvAhmbQSJ/s1600/iewotpopup.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="33" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-qzqUQ3GPRV-_bCoqhUgCzn2bzKvn2Zs1nPgMQKL2t6IvGazKb8txQfnKqaIdVP9EDPF9gaOSfNHBrqugeY9od35Ml2PzVGA7JBDlb5j4vv7kTX4ayJjIYYm2hMlAa-LGgnPvAhmbQSJ/s640/iewotpopup.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Click "Run" then accept the terms of the license agreement and click "Install." Because IE isn't very good, WOT will open up a page like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyZTE_ADvKoiKwyDHCgXe7ZWRhN7KwseSWlMwbLLxx_iYEC5SDkkfW8LZ5FLn4S2hDDDjzeNymS_jRyd9SIHlxzVj3vszdrt0vWaLhFLF3cyqrW553__XHU-ZJA1obd4elt-rri2nzPVG/s1600/iewotenablepage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDyZTE_ADvKoiKwyDHCgXe7ZWRhN7KwseSWlMwbLLxx_iYEC5SDkkfW8LZ5FLn4S2hDDDjzeNymS_jRyd9SIHlxzVj3vszdrt0vWaLhFLF3cyqrW553__XHU-ZJA1obd4elt-rri2nzPVG/s400/iewotenablepage.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Follow it's instructions. Or better yet, <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/" target="_blank">download Chrome</a> and follow the "For Chrome" instructions above.</div>
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How to Use Web of Trust (WOT)</h2>
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When you go to a site, just glance at the little circle up next to your URL box. If it's green, you can be pretty sure you're safe.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduBVO8mV-d5rEUMCv6DR2OSIQf0rozwgGgx5kIQCEuAl67bo_fy2hc5B3o0f6Re_Pso-205aeMydg2a-GGKW-a7p8GKfeZOFCwcMPNmt6tn4eVWTRqXf9FaOis_dZJb_dS7McdnIQR2a-/s1600/WOT+circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjduBVO8mV-d5rEUMCv6DR2OSIQf0rozwgGgx5kIQCEuAl67bo_fy2hc5B3o0f6Re_Pso-205aeMydg2a-GGKW-a7p8GKfeZOFCwcMPNmt6tn4eVWTRqXf9FaOis_dZJb_dS7McdnIQR2a-/s400/WOT+circle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If the circle is red, you'll probably want to leave the page. </div>
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If the circle is gray, don't worry. That just means not enough people have rated the site yet (this blog, for example, does not yet have a rating). If you are familiar with the website and want to rate it, simply click the WOT icon and use the scales that pop up to rate the site in terms of trustworthiness and child safety.</div>
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If the circle is yellow, maybe you'll want to see what people are saying about the site. Click icon just as you would to rate the site, then locate the "View details and comments" link. This will take you to a page with more comprehensive information about the site in question as well as comments from other WOT users.<br />
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It'll also put a little icon next to links, so you'll know what is and isn't safe before you navigate there.</div>
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Happy surfing, everyone! Stay safe out there.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11420808354903683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-90859385733517742172013-12-02T10:15:00.000-05:002013-12-02T10:27:10.635-05:00New, Unpatched Vulnerability Threatens Systems Running Windows XPCan you believe it's almost 2014? The future is a crazy time to live, and yes, we do live in the future. <a href="http://www.google.com/glass/start/" target="_blank">Google makes cyborg classes that give people Terminator-like powers</a>. <a href="http://techland.time.com/2013/12/01/amazon-bezos-drones/" target="_blank">Amazon is going to start using drones to deliver packages</a>. <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/technology/as-costs-come-down-3d-printing-is-set-to-revolutionise-the-way-everything-is-made-1.1609373" target="_blank">3D printing has become practical and affordable</a>. <a href="http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/513696/deep-learning/" target="_blank">Artificial intelligence is becoming actually intelligent</a>. Anyway, I have some news about Windows XP.<br />
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Microsoft, along with global security company FireEye, announced this weekend that Windows XP and Server 2003 have an unpatched vulnerability that could be exploited by hackers to run malicious code all up in your business. This is an elevation-of-privilege (EoP) vulnerability, which means that hackers have to already have low-privilege access to the targeted system. Unfortunately, hackers have been able to gain that access by exploiting a remote code execution vulnerability found in older versions of Adobe Reader (Adobe patched the vulnerability back in May, so newer versions are not affected).<br />
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If none of that makes sense to you, basically it means that there's a hole in XP that lets the bad guys in, but they have to piggyback on an old version of Adobe Reader to do it. If the bad guys get in they will get full administrative rights to your system and be able to install programs, change or delete data, and even change your desktop wallpaper to pictures of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Della_reese" target="_blank">Della Reese</a>.<br />
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According to Microsoft, there have only been "limited, targeted attacks" thus far, and if you're using something newer than XP you're in the clear. <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/advisory/2914486#section6" target="_blank">Microsoft has provided some temporary workarounds</a>, but the downside is that they'll disable some of your computer's functions, including Remote Access Service (RAS), dial-up networking, and virtual private networking (VPN).<br />
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While Microsoft's solutions might be helpful to some, but they are wonky and don't address the root of the problem. If you are concerned that your computer might be attacked (attacks have been targeted, but researchers at FireEye are still working to determine how targets are identified), it might be time to consider upgrading from XP, which is <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/cybertruth/2013/10/29/windows-xp-users-six-times-more-likely-to-be-hacked/3287615/" target="_blank">six times more likely to be successfully hacked</a> than its newer counterparts.<br />
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For more information on the vulnerability, <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9244428/Attackers_exploit_unpatched_flaw_to_hit_Windows_XP_Server_2003">click here</a>.<br />
For Microsoft's workaround, <a href="https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/security/advisory/2914486#section6">click here</a>.<br />
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This public service announcement has been brought to you by the friendly folks at <a href="http://bobjohnson.com/">Bob Johnson's Computer Stuff</a>.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinCsHWgHshDRUyYhYjeyPiv-oJ-kuXl2jS8DGTUGrhb0VGELZcZqduteJn3gONebGD9YpqB7Pb1k3n6HagwKbiYqWGx816LfDGmkG8-PtBqm_qezoWv0AuGogJ8v00M4fGSA70v2wgopp/s1600/Bob%252BJohnson%252BLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinCsHWgHshDRUyYhYjeyPiv-oJ-kuXl2jS8DGTUGrhb0VGELZcZqduteJn3gONebGD9YpqB7Pb1k3n6HagwKbiYqWGx816LfDGmkG8-PtBqm_qezoWv0AuGogJ8v00M4fGSA70v2wgopp/s320/Bob%252BJohnson%252BLogo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bobjohnson.com/">bobjohnson.com</a></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11420808354903683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-68977328562867549992013-11-14T16:58:00.000-05:002013-11-14T16:58:18.608-05:00How to revert back to Internet Explorer 10Internet Explorer, let's be honest, is neither the best nor most consistent browser out there. For various reasons, however, many of us are stuck with it. I have to use it because it's the only browser that can access the cataloging system at work.<br />
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Internet Explorer 11 recently came out for Windows 7 (though it's been out for a while on Windows 8). After my computer automatically updated, I found that none of the weird back-end web development stuff I do would work anymore. In order to get things up and running again, I had to revert to IE 10. Here's how I did it.<br />
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Step 1.</h4>
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- Go to your Control Panel and click "Uninstall a program."</div>
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- Click "View installed updates" on the left sidebar.</div>
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- Locate the latest Internet Explorer update from the list.</div>
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- Uninstall it.</div>
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- Restart your computer.</div>
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This will revert you back to IE 10. Here's how to keep Windows from auto-updating back to 11...</div>
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Step 2.</h4>
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- Open up Internet Explorer.</div>
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- Click the gear button in the top right corner and select "About Internet Explorer."</div>
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- Un-check the box next to "Install new versions automatically."</div>
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That's all there is to it!</div>
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This tutorial has been brought to you by the good folks at <a href="http://bobjohnson.com/" target="_blank">Bob Johnson's Computer Stuff</a>, the most wonderful store in the whole wide world.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11420808354903683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-91331100704165186392013-11-13T09:36:00.001-05:002013-11-13T09:37:09.161-05:00Tip: Don't click links from YouTube comments!The new YouTube comments system is all kinds of messed up. Here's a video from YouTuber <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/boogie2988?feature=watch" target="_blank">Boogie2988</a> that runs through a few of the problems:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jQjocZXHOg4" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11420808354903683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-85654271930468943192013-11-11T17:01:00.000-05:002013-11-12T08:58:48.519-05:00All About Google's Creepy New Policy (And How to Opt Out)If you have a Google account, <a href="http://www.techhive.com/article/2044938/google-accounts-for-25-percent-of-all-internet-traffic-study-finds.html">and there's a pretty good chance you do</a>, you've probably seen a message pop up at the top of your page at some point in the last couple weeks, something about a change in the terms of service, probably something about privacy. If you're anything like me, you just ignored it or told yourself you'd check it out later, knowing deep down that you wouldn't. That's OK. Maintaining control of your privacy online can be an exhausting uphill battle. Many of us just end up saying "forget it," ticking whatever box and clicking whatever button we have to to get on with our lives.<br />
<br />
Well, the change goes into effect today, so maybe it's about time we look into whatever the latest creepy thing is that Google is doing to us. To make things easier, here's a brief rundown on what Google's new terms of service changes are all about, as well as step-by-step instructions for opting out.<br />
<br />
<h4>
What are the changes to Google's TOS?</h4>
<div>
Google actually provides a pretty good explanation themselves, <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/changes/">if you can find it</a>, but I will simplify it further. Please bear in mind that I am not a lawyer or a representative of Google, so if you want to be absolutely sure that you are getting accurate-to-the-letter information, I suggest you take a look at Google's <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/">Terms of Service</a> or read Google's own summary, which I have copied/pasted after a cut at the end of this post.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are basically three changes:</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>If you give a "+1" to something you like -- say, an <a href="http://bobjohnson.com/">awesome computer store</a> -- Google can then use your name and picture in an advertisement for said store. They're calling this "shared endorsements."</li>
<li>They want to remind you not to use their services that might distract you while doing something that requires your full attention, like driving a car (no mention of Google Maps, specifically. My guess is this means to use it at your own risk).</li>
<li>They want to remind you not to give out your password. If they see any funny business, like if you sign in to your account in two different countries simultaneously, they might send you an unusual activity alert.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
Numbers 2 and 3 essentially amount to a bit of parental advice: "be safe out there." It's the first one that may be cause for concern. Jeff Jarvis, author of the book "<a href="http://www.harpercollins.com/browseinside/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061709715">What Would Google Do</a>" explains to NPR's <a href="http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/google-changes-rules-what-rules">Marketplace Morning Report</a> the difference, as he sees it, between giving something a "+1" on Google Plus (which is pretty much analogous to "Liking" something on Facebook) and inadvertently becoming a public spokesperson: "Maybe in some cases, I really do like the product. But you know what? If that's the case -- pay me."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HxbbBN6OkgQgQ3qzwBeyPu3JqGvuWEpIkoka2fHABlWbEN-boSwhQXfyZOz3iN_zwGK5n50-v9jsxcZ9RJLpwyoPaVLejirWqrWR1CDuz-qlHjfvxNQK2kCXUUSq0M4r9Cppr-voB7y3/s1600/endorsements3-a72e63259d52f7f5e8f00cd3bd6c787e.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HxbbBN6OkgQgQ3qzwBeyPu3JqGvuWEpIkoka2fHABlWbEN-boSwhQXfyZOz3iN_zwGK5n50-v9jsxcZ9RJLpwyoPaVLejirWqrWR1CDuz-qlHjfvxNQK2kCXUUSq0M4r9Cppr-voB7y3/s320/endorsements3-a72e63259d52f7f5e8f00cd3bd6c787e.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let the world know that Katya Klinova finds Summertime Spas "super relaxing."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4>
How do I opt out?</h4>
<div>
Luckily, you can keep yourself out of ads by changing your account settings. It's super easy to do, but not if you don't know where to go. Unfortunately, you are opted in by default, so let's opt out, shall we?</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Go to the settings page for shared endorsements: <a href="https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements">https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements</a></li>
<li>Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and uncheck the box where it says, "Based upon my activity, Google may show my name and profile photo in shared endorsements that appear in ads."</li>
<li>Click the blue "save" button. It will then pop up a message asking if you're sure and trying to convince you that you're being a bad friend. Click the blue "continue" button.</li>
<li>Bask in the glory that you have defeated the wily Google!</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a name='more'></a><i>(The following is a summary of changes taken directly from Google.com.)</i></div>
<div>
<div id="maia-main" role="main" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #444444; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 20px; margin: 30px auto auto; max-width: 978px;">
<div class="maia-article" role="article" style="float: none !important; margin: 0px !important; width: 535px;">
<h1 style="font-family: 'open sans', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.29; margin: 0px 0px 0.618em;">
Summary of changes</h1>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
The <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/policies/terms/" style="color: #7759ae; text-decoration: none;">Google Terms of Service</a> was updated on November 11, 2013.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
Because many of you are allergic to legalese, here’s a plain English summary for your convenience.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
We’ve made three changes:</div>
<ul style="margin: 10px 10px 10px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li>First, clarifying how your Profile name and photo might appear in Google products (including in reviews, advertising and other commercial contexts).<ul style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 30px; padding: 0px;">
<li>You can control whether your image and name appear in ads via the <a href="https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements?hl=en" style="color: #7759ae; text-decoration: none;">Shared Endorsements setting</a>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Second, a reminder to use your mobile devices safely.</li>
<li>Third, details on the importance of keeping your password confidential.</li>
</ul>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
Here are some more details:</div>
<h2 style="font-family: 'open sans', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.29; margin: 1.236em 0px 0.618em;">
How your Profile name and photo may appear (including in reviews and advertising)</h2>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
We want to give you – and your friends and connections – the most useful information. Recommendations from people you know can really help. So your friends, family and others may see your Profile name and photo, and content like the reviews you share or the ads you +1’d. This only happens when you take an action (things like +1’ing, commenting or following) – and the only people who see it are the people you’ve chosen to share that content with. On Google, <strong style="color: black;">you’re in control of what you share</strong>. This update to our Terms of Service doesn’t change in any way who you’ve shared things with in the past or your ability to control who you want to share things with in the future.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
Feedback from people you know can save you time and improve results for you and your friends across all Google services, including Search, Maps, Play and in advertising. For example, your friends might see that you rated an album 4 stars on the band’s Google Play page. And the +1 you gave your favorite local bakery could be included in an ad that the bakery runs through Google. We call these recommendations <span style="font-weight: bold;">shared endorsements</span> and you can <a href="https://support.google.com/plus/?hl=en&p=plus_sesetting" style="color: #7759ae; text-decoration: none;">learn more about them here</a>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
When it comes to shared endorsements in ads, you can control the use of your Profile name and photo via <a href="https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements?hl=en" style="color: #7759ae; text-decoration: none;">the Shared Endorsements setting</a>. If you turn the setting to “off,” your Profile name and photo will not show up on that ad for your favorite bakery or any other ads. This setting only applies to use in ads, and doesn’t change whether your Profile name or photo may be used in other places such as Google Play.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
If you previously told Google that you did not want your +1’s to appear in ads, then of course we’ll continue to respect that choice as a part of this updated setting. For users under 18, their actions won’t appear in shared endorsements in ads and certain other contexts.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
For greater control over your experience with ads on Google, you can also use Google’s <a href="https://www.google.com/settings/ads?hl=en" style="color: #7759ae; text-decoration: none;">Ads Settings tool</a> to manage ads you see. <a href="https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662856?hl=en" style="color: #7759ae; text-decoration: none;">Learn more</a>.</div>
<h2 style="font-family: 'open sans', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.29; margin: 1.236em 0px 0.618em;">
Use your mobile devices safely</h2>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
It’s just good common sense: Don’t use our services if you’re doing something that requires your full attention, like driving, and our services might distract you. And, of course, always follow the law while driving.</div>
<h2 style="font-family: 'open sans', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.29; margin: 1.236em 0px 0.618em;">
Be careful with your password</h2>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
Our top priority is keeping your information safe and secure. Your Google username and password let you access lots of useful things – your Gmail messages, Google+ photos, YouTube videos, Google Contacts list and more. Anyone you give your login details to could use them to access your Google Account and the stuff you store with Google. So if you’re asked for your password, think twice and consider whether there might be safer and more secure ways to share the information.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
If we see something out of the ordinary (such as if we notice failed attempts to login to your account, or two logins to your account within a short time frame, but from computers located very far away from each other) you may see an <a href="https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1144110?hl=en" style="color: #7759ae; text-decoration: none;">unusual activity alert</a>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
Learn about other ways to keep your Google Account secure, including adding <a href="https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/180744?hl=en" style="color: #7759ae; text-decoration: none;">2-Step Verification</a>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;">
Thank you for making it to the end of this page – we know this stuff can be dry, but we think it is important. To see how the terms apply to you, please check out the Terms of Service for your country.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11420808354903683221noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-55148251051373592742013-11-07T10:11:00.002-05:002013-11-07T10:12:53.693-05:00Instagram Update: Automatically Straighten PhotosThe latest update of Instagram, version 4.2, comes with a new feature that automatically straightens crooked photos. Here's how it works:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsM5Zq2wVY7_uEFJGAUa-M8aCH49Ih6gINWFaH5yKfs_7x6ygUHHQZL72QY9wfBLPMGUKROfRcbM2ibbtjof-vZNc5FfXWnAlyo0_8Sbo90GhSoAtz4Li8W0GijM9osVyTtwA3pvEl-E0w/s1600/Screenshot_2013-11-07-09-22-51.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsM5Zq2wVY7_uEFJGAUa-M8aCH49Ih6gINWFaH5yKfs_7x6ygUHHQZL72QY9wfBLPMGUKROfRcbM2ibbtjof-vZNc5FfXWnAlyo0_8Sbo90GhSoAtz4Li8W0GijM9osVyTtwA3pvEl-E0w/s320/Screenshot_2013-11-07-09-22-51.png" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">Looks like your latest coffee cup picture has come out crooked, again. Pull yourself together. But what's this new button (clumsily circled above)? Let's push it after applying a vintage-looking filter.</span><br />
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UDYlzaXqxJP5z_pI3OdyqSwzZYIanCiwOF9gqAHLibeE15P7bcOPF4TfjSnLt4MbEovMEU3gRqYq34TY-wavnxbKavT7RzqaN6SMX3Hzspe0E8bYX9rKOQ8UGC5l8unBnrFB52ky2D1h/s1600/Screenshot_2013-11-07-09-24-34.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UDYlzaXqxJP5z_pI3OdyqSwzZYIanCiwOF9gqAHLibeE15P7bcOPF4TfjSnLt4MbEovMEU3gRqYq34TY-wavnxbKavT7RzqaN6SMX3Hzspe0E8bYX9rKOQ8UGC5l8unBnrFB52ky2D1h/s320/Screenshot_2013-11-07-09-24-34.png" width="180" /></a></div>
Instagram has fixed your terrible photo. Also, it seems to have zoomed in slightly. On second glance, it's still not quite perfect. Maybe we can manually tweak it a little. What does that slider thing on the bottom do?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggd44JxLcngu0-i9JkX_kDnJoxQavUsz3PQq4fJ1xdcXENZBY95DrIt8LTfI3PlI4Xg7i8iTUdEOit6WT3dMA9YaAVjCLzj0JN13pWU4Txn3K0b8qMwiqFASi2jdWz8-YdjpRFzolT5Hq-/s1600/Screenshot_2013-11-07-09-24-41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggd44JxLcngu0-i9JkX_kDnJoxQavUsz3PQq4fJ1xdcXENZBY95DrIt8LTfI3PlI4Xg7i8iTUdEOit6WT3dMA9YaAVjCLzj0JN13pWU4Txn3K0b8qMwiqFASi2jdWz8-YdjpRFzolT5Hq-/s320/Screenshot_2013-11-07-09-24-41.png" width="180" /></a></div>
There we go. Dragging the slider has allowed us to rotate the picture a little. It even gave us a grid to guide us. Hit the check mark and we're done.<br />
<br />
Congratulations -- your picture of a coffee cup is now less asinine!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344120441491892848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-68577869233351634942013-11-07T09:12:00.000-05:002013-11-07T09:14:18.831-05:00Virus Alert: CryptoLocker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://sophosnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/th-paypage-4801.png?w=480&h=376" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="http://sophosnews.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/th-paypage-4801.png?w=480&h=376" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Released September 2013, CryptoLocker is a type of virus known as "ransomware," a scam that renders a computer's files inaccessible in an attempt to extort money from the user. <a href="http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/cryptolocker.asp">Snopes.com</a> provides further information about the virus, what it does, and how it could infect your computer.<br />
<br />
If your computer has been infected by CryptoLocker,<a href="http://www.pcmri.com/virusremovalhelp/tutorial-how-to-remove-cryptolocker-virus/?gclid=CLC-5sPm0roCFcw7Mgod_zsAjQ"> click here for step-by-step instructions on how to remove it</a>. Do not put this off. The virus gives you just 72 hours to act before you lose your files forever.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344120441491892848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-54388576498169224312013-11-05T13:45:00.002-05:002013-11-07T13:17:41.256-05:003 Smart Technologies That Will Make Life Better<h3>
First, let me introduce myself.</h3>
Howdy, Internet community. My name is Ed. I'm the new guy at <a href="http://bobjohnson.com/">Bob Johnson's Computer Stuff</a>, and I'll be managing this blog from here on out. I'm excited to learn some new tech tips and tricks to share with you. If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, comments or requests, please don't hesitate to <a href="mailto:elasher@bobjohnson.com">email me</a>.<br />
<br />
Now that we know one another, (<i>cracks knuckles dramatically</i>) let's blog. This first post isn't so much a tip or a trick, but more of a diversion. That's OK, right? Here's three pieces of cutting-edge technology that will make life better.<br />
<br />
<h3>
1. Car Headlights that Make Rain Disappear</h3>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqUN3eOOSIugpz82ChdcFICOwd2AoRrCgDnl35w5Ijf0k7Pdwrckmxn_wAktsEEuB_sTEoRte30C8vVZZYGzrTmrvw2wbUsQRzvAgUiZI9C6o4qlZmDu9z0FSCrUg0HfRuWd2DNbPdEOn/s1600/Smart+Headlight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgqUN3eOOSIugpz82ChdcFICOwd2AoRrCgDnl35w5Ijf0k7Pdwrckmxn_wAktsEEuB_sTEoRte30C8vVZZYGzrTmrvw2wbUsQRzvAgUiZI9C6o4qlZmDu9z0FSCrUg0HfRuWd2DNbPdEOn/s320/Smart+Headlight.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ILIM/projects/IL/smartHeadlight/">http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ILIM/projects/IL/smartHeadlight/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Let me present you with a familiar scenario. You're driving at night and it's raining. You can't see a thing through the glare of your headlights against the rain in front of you. Instinctively, you flick on the high beams. Instantly, you are blinded by a cascading wall of
white light in front of you. At this very moment, a large buck
strolls out into the street, topples over the hood of your car and
crashes through your windshield. The injured buck thrashes around
madly, tearing away at your upholstery with his mighty antlers before
breaking your passenger side door from its hinges and retreating to
the woods. Now your car is wrecked and an angry deer has your scent, all because headlights are lousy at dealing with rain. We've all been there, but that doesn't make it any less
unpleasant. Thankfully, the folks at <a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ILIM/projects/IL/smartHeadlight/">Intel and Carnegie Mellon University have teamed up to solve this problem once and for all</a> by developing a new kind of headlight.
Matt Campbell from Australia's <i><a href="http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-news/headlights-that-make-rain-disappear-20130430-2iq8e.html">The Age</a></i>
describes it thusly:
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
A projector lamp takes the place of a regular headlight bulb, shooting forward numerous beams of light. Meanwhile, a camera scans in front of the car, and a processor looks for rain drops and then “dis-illuminates” the falling water particles, giving the driver a better forward view with far fewer bright white spots in front of the car. This entire process happens in just 13 milliseconds.</blockquote>
Makes perfect sense, right? They're magic. (Editor's Note: the Smart Headlight under development at Carnegie Mellon is not magic. To learn more about how they work, <a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ILIM/projects/IL/smartHeadlight/">check out the project's web page</a>.) Yep, magic.<br /><br />We should expect to see these headlights available to consumers sometime in the next decade.<br />
<br />
<h3>
2. A Spoon that Compensates for Hand Tremors</h3>
</div>
<div>
There are a lot of simple pleasures most of us take for granted: for example, enjoying a meal with family or friends. For those suffering from hand tremors as a result of Parkinson's or other afflictions, transporting food from a plate to a mouth becomes a source of anxiety, frustration and embarrassment. It's not something I ever really thought about until I heard about the <a href="http://www.liftlabsdesign.com/">Liftware Spoon</a>, which uses stabilizing technology to compensate for tremors.</div>
<div>
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//player.vimeo.com/video/74643550" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />
<br />
Right now it's just a spoon, but according to Lift Labs more attachments are on the horizon, including a key holder and, yes, a fork.<br />
<br />
<h3>
3. Smart Windows that Regulate Temperature and Generate Power</h3>
</div>
<div>
Story time:<br />
For
a couple weeks, I worked as a door-to-door salesman trying to get
homeowners to shell out for new windows. My script had me telling
them that my company's windows were the best in the world, the most energy efficient money
could buy, that eventually they would pay for themselves. I quit that
job shortly after a couple police officers informed me that, had I inspected it
more closely, I would have found that the solicitation permit my (now former) boss had given me was both photocopied and had
someone else's name on it. I wasn't too sad about leaving that job.
After trudging around all day in the rain, having doors slammed in my
face and dogs sicked on me, I decided to move on to <a href="http://bobjohnson.com/">bigger and better things</a>. What was I talking about again? Oh, right. Windows! The windows I used to sell were just your basic glass rectangles, only solar in the sense that, like all windows, sunlight could pass through them. I always doubted that they were really the best in the world, and now I'm sure they weren't.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxU83lZ2hz5Ae0OJrr-qZlFt6AsAhpHP_R7dP-BB4Xe5iz5D9HirPB1cSg6mcsJUrcoO-61E59W7ZU3leNa6U_4VbGiLg96CApVx3wm0fqkC_HR4Q7IFYbURkaIVhsyG_UG4Xq32Xh7Ru/s1600/normal+window+from+wikipedia.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxU83lZ2hz5Ae0OJrr-qZlFt6AsAhpHP_R7dP-BB4Xe5iz5D9HirPB1cSg6mcsJUrcoO-61E59W7ZU3leNa6U_4VbGiLg96CApVx3wm0fqkC_HR4Q7IFYbURkaIVhsyG_UG4Xq32Xh7Ru/s320/normal+window+from+wikipedia.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a normal window that incorporates little-to-no super science (source: Wikipedia) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Researchers at Shanghai University, led by Yanfeng Gao, are currently developing some of the most advanced windows ever. My brain is ever so slightly liquefied at the moment from trying to decipher their <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/131024/srep03029/full/srep03029.html">scientific paper</a>, which was recently published in <i>Nature</i> (I majored in English), but here's <a href="http://news.discovery.com/tech/alternative-power-sources/smart-window-blocks-heat-generates-electricity-131024.htm">the gist of it</a>: most buildings are energy-leaking messes. Keeping a building cool in the summer and warm in the winter is expensive and inefficient. To address this problem, Gao and company are making a window that use a layer of vanadium oxide (VO2) to regulate what types of solar rays can pass through depending on environmental conditions. When it gets too hot, the VO2 turns metallic and the light from outside bounces off of it, yet to the eye it still appears transparent. Normally, this kind of mechanism would require an external power source (a solar panel mounted to the roof, for example), but the scientists at Shanghai University decided to go one step further and scatter some extra light particles, which are then picked up by a photovoltaic cell, turning the window into its own power generator. In their study, the scientists used a tiny section of the "smart glass" to power a lamp.<br />
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Of course, these bad boys will probably cost a fortune when they first come out, but with all the energy savings, maybe they'll end up paying for themselves.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18344120441491892848noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-28768512398607147402013-10-10T11:42:00.001-04:002013-10-10T11:42:49.159-04:00Unlimited Talk Text AND Data for $30 a Month...You Betcha!I haven't paid $30/month for cell service since, well... lets just say it involved a flip phone that only made calls and texts. And it most definitely was <b>not</b> unlimited.<br />
<br />
But, what if you could use a smart phone and make all the calls and texts you wanted...and only had to pay $30/month...instead of $100/month? Technically, you can! This is a great option for those who are no longer under contract with their carrier.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3ysP1QpP3U-YPWNPZlB0QrKqJZ1K2Jxdihr2pgt2Zt-dXeqOyVwMuA8UBgt8KZ5TlvkSGUd8TKPjxZaUgDzO6j5TIvOEiO8EfBWJS4_xwcC7VxlSgFWcLgF5YzvUwKfs90K2I0ck0k0/s1600/011-iphone-android.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO3ysP1QpP3U-YPWNPZlB0QrKqJZ1K2Jxdihr2pgt2Zt-dXeqOyVwMuA8UBgt8KZ5TlvkSGUd8TKPjxZaUgDzO6j5TIvOEiO8EfBWJS4_xwcC7VxlSgFWcLgF5YzvUwKfs90K2I0ck0k0/s200/011-iphone-android.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
Here's what you need:<br />
<ul>
<li>Smartphone designed for the GSM network (T-mobile or AT&T)</li>
<li>$10 SIM card if you don't have a phone from T-mobile</li>
<li>T-mobile prepaid plan</li>
<li>Google voice</li>
<li>Talk-a-tone app</li>
</ul>
<br />
Here's how you set it up: <br />
<ol>
<li>Go sign up for <a href="http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans" target="_blank">T-mobile's $30/month prepaid plan</a>. This plan is only an option for phones activated on the T-mobile network (which you will be once you get and activate your SIM card) or for phones purchased at Walmart. This plan includes unlimited data, unlimited text, and 100 minutes per month. The unlimited data is throttled after 5Gig, but as an avid music streamer I never use more than 5Gig myself.</li>
<li>Go <a href="http://www.google.com/voice/" target="_blank">sign up for Google Voice</a>. Google Voice gives you a non-carrier specific phone number that you give to your friends. This number can be forwarded to any device (home, work, or cell phone...or all of the above). For a nominal fee you can even port your current number over to Google Voice. You can check out more about Google voice below... </li>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cOZU7BOeQ58" width="560"></iframe>
<li>Go download <a href="http://www.talkatone.com/" target="_blank">Talkatone</a>. Talkatone is an app available for Android and iOS that allows you to make phone calls over wifi or through your Data service. By logging into your Google Voice account and using Talkatone, you'll never use any of those 100 minutes provided in your T-mobile plan.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Now, for a mere $30 a month you can talk, text, and download all you want! Of course, there might be a few little hiccups...Talkatone does occasionally have a dropped call or two (but I have that issue with AT&T). If you don't currently have a GSM phone, you will need to purchase one. That comes with a price tag of $250-$700, depending on how new of a phone you want. If you are currently in contract, you will either need to continue paying it as well or pay the early termination fee. That said, if you're going to be saving $100/month in service fees and your cancellation fee is only $250, it might be worth paying the fee.</div>
J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-41030877173142972962013-10-08T14:45:00.000-04:002013-10-08T14:49:26.543-04:00BeLuvv Guardian AppAnyone who has kids can tell you that they reach a point (generally around 1-4 years of age) that they tend to wander. They're adventurous and curious...and they will fearlessly explore their environment with or without you.<br />
<br />
There are probably not too many parents out there who haven't had a split-second of sheer terror. You let go of their hand for a second to tie your shoe, grab a snack from your bag, or tend to another child and when you reach back down for their hand they're no longer standing right next to you. For a split second your heart drops to your stomach and then you see them, five feet away checking something out. But, what happens when that split-second lasts for several seconds, minutes, or worse? <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0tXkYt2kcWF561s7b2WpKt6KNNHs05tr78hiukm6vs24qVhOxAP07ceJV0CjE0jfwXUq6C6a0iJsGEJYhPutM4JwzLtyBr48PnaaiInpywQcPszK68tOW6nGg8mC1XJ4Yp7BC41Ycgg/s1600/guardian.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0tXkYt2kcWF561s7b2WpKt6KNNHs05tr78hiukm6vs24qVhOxAP07ceJV0CjE0jfwXUq6C6a0iJsGEJYhPutM4JwzLtyBr48PnaaiInpywQcPszK68tOW6nGg8mC1XJ4Yp7BC41Ycgg/s320/guardian.png" width="320" /></a><br />
What if you could stay connected to your child? The <a href="http://www.beluvv.com/main/guardian" target="_blank">Guardian</a> from <a href="http://www.beluvv.com/main.html" target="_blank">BeLuvv</a> is supposed to do just that. This simple bluetooth device is connected to your child via a buckle or a bracelet. From there it uses <a href="http://www.bobjohnson.com/_store/Display_Products.asp?prodID=CF%2D30%2DGPS" target="_blank">GPS</a> and a smartphone app to keep you alerted of their location in relation to your location. It will alert you when they wander beyond your pre-set safe distance, and show you an approximate location so that you can find them.<br />
<br />
You can even report them as missing if they wander off. Pressing the "missing" button will access the network of Guardian users to help keep you aware of your child's location even if they travel outside of the bluetooth range on your smartphone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATpIX15dhjHaUXtGDjNUBQRVnqI8P5qraq-Adowj-Dcg7L1NBsxe63yqGMdCMjyKiM2HNYow57v3moizakPMJKslDfIWQoOwm5DnqBpfgw4EnJHCUkoaAZ6fReRtcDPDCwzvBIbkahSg/s1600/guardian+specs.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATpIX15dhjHaUXtGDjNUBQRVnqI8P5qraq-Adowj-Dcg7L1NBsxe63yqGMdCMjyKiM2HNYow57v3moizakPMJKslDfIWQoOwm5DnqBpfgw4EnJHCUkoaAZ6fReRtcDPDCwzvBIbkahSg/s400/guardian+specs.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Personally, I think the app foolishly boasts that it's so effective that it's essentially a babysitter for your child...that you can read the paper at the park or let them run free. I think that this product should never be used in that aspect, but I do believe that it is an amazing emergency back-up plan.</div>
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As a parent, what would you pay for such a device? Knowing that roughly 8,000,000 children go missing worldwide per year, what wouldn't a parent pay for such a device? Well, it's currently selling for $24.95 pre-sale and will be a low $29.95 when it becomes a retail item.</div>
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To learn a little more about <a href="https://www.facebook.com/beluvv" target="_blank">Guardian</a>, check out the video below...</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MvEy9rf6fsY" width="420"></iframe>J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-11683299797904976212013-09-25T11:09:00.002-04:002013-09-25T11:09:39.571-04:00Protect Your Android<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0Lg4K9mrwY5RUzktFr8plVGMuUQvMP8sz0ZqguUfKONBbZfCH3ayyrP7gt5aNXW-oVwhtopr-NJT3KRXN_yYv_Yv2yfu6KWHbazBkFAOkSeTMC6JUR_IYyEUlurGEVdz49ttZ982zXg/s1600/android.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0Lg4K9mrwY5RUzktFr8plVGMuUQvMP8sz0ZqguUfKONBbZfCH3ayyrP7gt5aNXW-oVwhtopr-NJT3KRXN_yYv_Yv2yfu6KWHbazBkFAOkSeTMC6JUR_IYyEUlurGEVdz49ttZ982zXg/s200/android.jpg" width="200" /></a>We've previous written a <a href="http://refurbishedlaptops1.blogspot.com/2013/05/top-3-android-anti-virus-programs.html" target="_blank">blog about anti-virus for your Android phones</a>. Some of those anti-virus had the ability to remotely wipe your phone to protect you (and your personal data) in an instance of lost or stolen phones.<br />
<br />
A recent <a href="http://www.android.com/" target="_blank">Android</a> update has actually integrated the ability to remote access your phone and either lock it or wipe it. This feature is located in the <a href="https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3265955?hl=en" target="_blank">Android Device Manager</a>. But, in order to use it in case of an emergency, you need to set it up first. However, set up is actually quite simple.<br />
1. Turn on your Android device<br />2. Open "Google Settings" from your app's menu<br />3. Touch "Android Device Manager"--From here you can choose to turn on "Remotely Access This Device" and/or "Allow Remote Factory Reset".<br />
<br />
Once "Allow Remote Factory Reset" is activated, if you ever lose your phone you simply need to log into the <a href="http://www.google.com/android/devicemanager" target="_blank">Android Device Manager website</a> from your <a href="http://www.bobjohnson.com/_store/Display_Products.asp?prodID=CF%2D29LTP57BM" target="_blank">computer</a>. It will scan for all devices that are registered to your <a href="http://www.google.com/" target="_blank">Google</a> user name (which would be your Android user name as well). Once it finds your device(s), you should have the option to "Ring", "Lock" or "Erase". If you choose "Lock", you will be prompted to enter and save an alpha-numeric password which will then be required to access the content on your phone. If you have any data of a very personal nature on your phone and want to ensure that won't be privy to prying eyes, you can opt to choose "Erase" which will factory restore your phone.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfmV3LX1HbRZ4eYf3-_Rig1uOiXfL1Dux7jnbgrgRGU054zICF72iKSrwIuP1uyZxe_NFVtH8U8ZcPBdgK8RJr552kQ4eKG-feyYEsNmzUQgJD6pfbC08fqwjgXF_Ce_G3anPnyQxRiA/s1600/Android_Device_Manager_610x338.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfmV3LX1HbRZ4eYf3-_Rig1uOiXfL1Dux7jnbgrgRGU054zICF72iKSrwIuP1uyZxe_NFVtH8U8ZcPBdgK8RJr552kQ4eKG-feyYEsNmzUQgJD6pfbC08fqwjgXF_Ce_G3anPnyQxRiA/s1600/Android_Device_Manager_610x338.png" /></a></div>
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<br />J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-12037258473679795232013-09-19T11:15:00.001-04:002013-09-19T11:16:52.957-04:00iOS 7 - One User's ReviewI will preface this buy saying that when it comes to technology, I'm not a big fan of change. I hate having to learn how to use something new. Case in point...my last four phones have been iPhones...the 3, the 3GS, the 4, and the 4S. See, I haven't even upgraded to the 5 yet! What I have works, I'm comfortable using it and I don't want to screw that up.<br />
<br />
But, last night I jumped on the hype...I upgraded to <a href="http://www.apple.com/ios/" target="_blank">iOS 7</a>. Okay, technically, I upgraded to iOS 6.1...<b>then</b> I upgraded to iOS 7. The download and installation took approximately 90 minutes (not counting the initial 15 minute upgrade to iOS 6.1).<br />
<br />
<b>My initial thoughts:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Whew...all of my contacts are still there. I simply crossed my fingers and did not<a href="http://refurbishedlaptops1.blogspot.com/2013/09/get-info-before-you-upgrade-to-ios-7.html" target="_blank"> take my own advice from yesterday</a>.</li>
<li>Where'd all my apps go? Oh, never mind, they just have different icons.</li>
<li>This looks really girly.</li>
<li>It looks a lot more like Android operating systems.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>What's new and different...that I like:</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Well, there's the control center. This is <b>totally</b> new. To access the control center, you simply need to swipe from the bottom to the top of your home screen. From this screen you can instantly turn on/off your airplane mode, wireless, bluetooth, do not disturb, and portrait orientation lock. You can also adjust your brightness and manage your sound/music settings. There are also some nice shortcuts, like a flashlight, alarm clock, calculator, and camera. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmb4EUP6ZmFKW0FcEN1iFF-UmtuTo-6_FpRTry50joQLFllOyOSxZORZsxbkmRpT_mCB8jDut-6xqZFMgYtwsib8iiNNoTq2AJHYJb9t96mY1ckK7A4-UPr_T9fhJ9Q4FmSTWQqufnyLI/s1600/ios-control-center-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmb4EUP6ZmFKW0FcEN1iFF-UmtuTo-6_FpRTry50joQLFllOyOSxZORZsxbkmRpT_mCB8jDut-6xqZFMgYtwsib8iiNNoTq2AJHYJb9t96mY1ckK7A4-UPr_T9fhJ9Q4FmSTWQqufnyLI/s320/ios-control-center-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Spotlight (or the little search doo-dad) has changed. You no longer navigate to the left of all of your apps to search for an app or information on your iPhone. You simply swipe from top to bottom and it will appear at the top of the screen.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEZznBlshDrrZKvGDP_u9GLdO0vs1A7L2aqovWyaQVcEAw3rp4q5Ny8novAqiBKliTPUH07tGr4aP1MA_Y8InvJOHgY495yBXfPk9hKAYnikYAyS4xID8sbEQEK4GAfLDHPfJt0iSk1U/s1600/ios-spotlight-search-ios-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEZznBlshDrrZKvGDP_u9GLdO0vs1A7L2aqovWyaQVcEAw3rp4q5Ny8novAqiBKliTPUH07tGr4aP1MA_Y8InvJOHgY495yBXfPk9hKAYnikYAyS4xID8sbEQEK4GAfLDHPfJt0iSk1U/s320/ios-spotlight-search-ios-7.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Navigating your open/currently running apps is also a completely different look. You no longer get a little strip to swipe through at the bottom of the page. Double clicking the home button now opens a carousel of your open apps, complete with the app icon and what is actually running in the app.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvaRlpZL0tRIPsXykd93zEa16D4ObikrX5jQagn8ob76zVpCE6eyBgeERSiVSWXHcw_BZhG8oH8cG1UMZXOQJN_9fHVWKol5wi3wFc2Bo3uRt0Ep8wj_-5WzQ0qfvE07WOkR_OmEXBt0/s1600/ios-open+apps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvaRlpZL0tRIPsXykd93zEa16D4ObikrX5jQagn8ob76zVpCE6eyBgeERSiVSWXHcw_BZhG8oH8cG1UMZXOQJN_9fHVWKol5wi3wFc2Bo3uRt0Ep8wj_-5WzQ0qfvE07WOkR_OmEXBt0/s320/ios-open+apps.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>There's a radio! It's very similar to current products available, such as <a href="http://www.spotify.com/" target="_blank">Spotify</a> or <a href="http://www.pandora.com/" target="_blank">Pandora</a>. But, this is completely accessible from your built-in Music app. You now have the option to stream music or listen to your playlists. You can even create stations from inside your playlists...helping you more easily find music that is similar to what you know you already like! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBS6K2BXFcj2qaPy8j9dSXIpkTh8mvNtfeO6EliG5jUzT_z8pz2xPuB1kMhr_oY5-79LZtfIIywtGRIJ_QZzyfb0KLAABR48zoaU7xlfIHkyYqV1n14ezaMpcHd9trSZRqHQbL8CToed4/s1600/ios-radio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBS6K2BXFcj2qaPy8j9dSXIpkTh8mvNtfeO6EliG5jUzT_z8pz2xPuB1kMhr_oY5-79LZtfIIywtGRIJ_QZzyfb0KLAABR48zoaU7xlfIHkyYqV1n14ezaMpcHd9trSZRqHQbL8CToed4/s320/ios-radio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>The updates are so much easier! You can now schedule your updates to run whenever they're available. You will be prompted to turn on automatic updates the first time you run updates, or you can access it through the Settings app. Although it might increase your data usage and drain your battery, your updates will run whenever they are available, meaning they'll always be up to date. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJZ5VRtJSbZ1Zo6L1ikbbRkyJE3naZ9_CwQO41NoTVqw5Huevbwh05o1P0mzTvWR051uAKiSfX9LZ91wE6MtwaIYPDYVZYXywAw2wg94p3E5ffyUlAIeud3UWF7zKg7t8uiDVUbko_XU/s1600/ios-Enable-or-Disable-Automatic-App-Updates-in-iOS-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYJZ5VRtJSbZ1Zo6L1ikbbRkyJE3naZ9_CwQO41NoTVqw5Huevbwh05o1P0mzTvWR051uAKiSfX9LZ91wE6MtwaIYPDYVZYXywAw2wg94p3E5ffyUlAIeud3UWF7zKg7t8uiDVUbko_XU/s320/ios-Enable-or-Disable-Automatic-App-Updates-in-iOS-7.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b>What's new/different...that I'm not a huge fan of:</b></div>
<div>
I'm definitely not loving the parallax. What's the parallax? As your phone moves, your icons slightly sway and move with it. Your text message bubble bobble around in your iMessage. I definitely find it more of an annoyance than an interesting feature. Thankfully, you can turn it off in the accessibility section of the Settings app.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz548GOARueL71bFSXtqqsQRmTwWBKmmSEcaLU7JGSJxiuSnq9-dKmneKllkgNgT_uHXrXiZvD3kXcotnT75qFCxKAodkeYjlw_VeoAKcaRrKMhRfcpLCo6fCFCyp9vQ_2ibJpblkUvik/s1600/iOS-7-Reduce-Motion-setting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz548GOARueL71bFSXtqqsQRmTwWBKmmSEcaLU7JGSJxiuSnq9-dKmneKllkgNgT_uHXrXiZvD3kXcotnT75qFCxKAodkeYjlw_VeoAKcaRrKMhRfcpLCo6fCFCyp9vQ_2ibJpblkUvik/s320/iOS-7-Reduce-Motion-setting.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Based on my pros and cons list, I'd say that I like the new iOS. However, it will definitely take a little getting used to. </div>
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What are your thoughts on the new iOS?</div>
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J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-3265408028474774802013-09-18T15:52:00.000-04:002013-09-18T16:06:31.826-04:00Get The Info Before You Upgrade to IOS 7Today's the big day....Apple is releasing IOS 7. It's been talked about for months, and I'm sure you're excited to get it downloaded. It's a pretty big software update, so make sure you're ready!<br />
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<ol>
<li>Check your compatibility! IOS 7 is not compatible with all Apple devices. Currently, it looks like it will work with the iPhone 4/4s/5/5c/5s, iPad 2/3/4/mini, and 5th generationi iPod Touches.</li>
<li>Back it up! In case something goes wrong, you'll want to make sure you have your photos and videos in a safe place. Hook it up to your computer and use Preview (Mac) or Explorer (Windows) to copy all of the stuff you want to keep to your computer.</li>
<li>Sync it! Again, better to be prepared. Syncing your iPhone prior to doing your upgrade will ensure that you have all of your contacts and recent app purchases saved, making a reinstallation run much smoother.</li>
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Chances are that the upgrade will run smoothly and you won't have any problems. But, just on the off chance that something goes wrong, you'll be really happy that you took a little extra time to back up all of your data first!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKkDKFodwZybSM13tSAFlP4pq5C5bdVt1R-e9J1HD_NnupauZJfjOMJjbZ19nkFATpnw90_ReSUIKTA2Qqwp6JT15wjHLnKtsDkUyHTrs_OJNpDe0CerejNTWl6YuIBMeuuyFZhKjA1A/s1600/ios7-iphone5s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxKkDKFodwZybSM13tSAFlP4pq5C5bdVt1R-e9J1HD_NnupauZJfjOMJjbZ19nkFATpnw90_ReSUIKTA2Qqwp6JT15wjHLnKtsDkUyHTrs_OJNpDe0CerejNTWl6YuIBMeuuyFZhKjA1A/s400/ios7-iphone5s.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-88344429719550837262013-09-16T11:46:00.002-04:002013-09-16T11:46:24.901-04:00How To Clean Your LaptopIt's not something that many of us really put a lot of thought into. So, when is the last time you cleaned your laptop? Based on the length of time it took you to think about it couple with the fact that your laptop has about 400 times the germs of a toilet seat hanging out, it's probably been a little longer than it should have been.<br />
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A common question we hear is, "How do I clean it?". Follow the steps below for a cleaner (and less germy) laptop.<br />
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1. <b>Unplug it!</b> For safety purposes, it's always best to unplug your laptop (and remove the battery) any time you are looking to clean it or change out any components.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYeMAYBf0t22wj_vDG2dvBIiCX4va7vErhQD9Oq3jg99_DXm5GsgEzr9Lhkm-UYeh7AMxHLTHhIKIF16sgKeLEkGvudWbxwR-QCN2Ko9gTXx6XEnUj-lWz4q0OFqXTT098KQBeZ52feA/s1600/laptop_powerjack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYeMAYBf0t22wj_vDG2dvBIiCX4va7vErhQD9Oq3jg99_DXm5GsgEzr9Lhkm-UYeh7AMxHLTHhIKIF16sgKeLEkGvudWbxwR-QCN2Ko9gTXx6XEnUj-lWz4q0OFqXTT098KQBeZ52feA/s320/laptop_powerjack.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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2. <b>Clean that keyboard!</b> This is usually one of the most grimy spots on the keyboard...oil from your hands, dust, and even food particles get down in there. You can spray the debris out with a can of compressed air. Or, for a cheaper option, you can tip the laptop on its side and use a stiff paint <a href="http://www.daydeal.com/product.php?productid=69589&gclid=CPDAwYyh0LkCFRF24godJykAKQ">brush</a> to gently clean it out. Be gentle, you don't want to accidentally pull keys off your keyboard. If it's still gross in there, you can use <a href="http://www.qtips.com/">Q-tips</a> and rubbing alcohol to get between the keys, just make sure the Q-tips are damp and <b>not</b> wet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SnJf457s8tRncGzJEgzd9YZImeQcSyHh6YpTTGHQnnos5gLfCE0RmZ3LUnkXO11PekNQBYch2CFhfBk3_5UUi8AJYFoOkqeBbr34dLRqb13UIvzuEocBo42WqXOEO94q-4pzL4mrKL4/s1600/2pcs-cartoon-animal-computer-keyboard-cpu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_SnJf457s8tRncGzJEgzd9YZImeQcSyHh6YpTTGHQnnos5gLfCE0RmZ3LUnkXO11PekNQBYch2CFhfBk3_5UUi8AJYFoOkqeBbr34dLRqb13UIvzuEocBo42WqXOEO94q-4pzL4mrKL4/s1600/2pcs-cartoon-animal-computer-keyboard-cpu.jpg" /></a></div>
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3. <b>Wipe it down! </b>There are several fancy electronic cleaning solutions on the market...ones for casings and one for screens. At <a href="http://www.bobjohnson.com/">Bob Johnson's Computer Stuff, Inc</a>, we're all about the classics...Windex and a microfiber rag. Not only is it significantly more cost efficient, you can use it to clean all of your laptop. Simply spray a little Windex onto the microfiber cloth and whip down the entire computer (lcd, keyboard, mouse pad, palm rest, and lid). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEWCiMkPMDRny8b_YWDOvDhPhPeV68VM7NOTNAejvM7ZexQEByVfeVjcZSSrVTBXfJWkOfSekitCfSw_BYTv-2ANiScjwepoXAK7OZllBe0QsergKvY1hDPbWY2Qvl4Xpo_022nAsahs/s1600/big_thumb_windex_electronics_cloths_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitEWCiMkPMDRny8b_YWDOvDhPhPeV68VM7NOTNAejvM7ZexQEByVfeVjcZSSrVTBXfJWkOfSekitCfSw_BYTv-2ANiScjwepoXAK7OZllBe0QsergKvY1hDPbWY2Qvl4Xpo_022nAsahs/s320/big_thumb_windex_electronics_cloths_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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4. <b>Clean that fan out! </b>If you thought your keyboard was gross, you should see what accumulates in your fan! Fans gather a lot of build-up over time...this is exceptionally worse if you have pets, smoke in your home, or use it in a dusty environment. Cleaning it out will keep your laptop from overheating. This step is for those who are comfortable with opening up their laptop. In most cases, the fan can be accessed by a panel on the bottom of your laptop (for those can't, it requires further in-depth disassembling of your laptop).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2ZabenCDifbzLkhVIqiGSLngwZ9WIBcN4xmdeqf_CaZXvrZVjYK7cWXXNR2HJBOy6i2dmdREOIRxJ6ohJJwQMdo3JQ2zO3IZ1yvHTiTLR1BBKMkhb_P99eUgWuynIu9zX0e1dFLYjHQ/s1600/gross+fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie2ZabenCDifbzLkhVIqiGSLngwZ9WIBcN4xmdeqf_CaZXvrZVjYK7cWXXNR2HJBOy6i2dmdREOIRxJ6ohJJwQMdo3JQ2zO3IZ1yvHTiTLR1BBKMkhb_P99eUgWuynIu9zX0e1dFLYjHQ/s320/gross+fan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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5. <b>Clean your ports too! </b>The openings to the USB, HDMI, and VGA ports on your laptop get pretty dirty over time too. To give them a quick clean, use a <b>dry</b> Q-tip to wipe out the area.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrZVAHLL_-xY98qTq0HoFbZsxWQ6zpgvJenakYBOj5MsphMqOKu9kvFKx_p6OOemfavKDXkCrIY8UjIPWoU0KIzUObhE5N4ti8ludIa5FPD50CVmW4s68fDehJhxAOkWMVp3cG1KJhyw/s1600/usb+ports.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQrZVAHLL_-xY98qTq0HoFbZsxWQ6zpgvJenakYBOj5MsphMqOKu9kvFKx_p6OOemfavKDXkCrIY8UjIPWoU0KIzUObhE5N4ti8ludIa5FPD50CVmW4s68fDehJhxAOkWMVp3cG1KJhyw/s320/usb+ports.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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6. <b>Start it up! </b> That's it. You now have a cleaner laptop. You simply need to pop your battery back in and power it back on. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnrLMve0FS8evZERncRL-eAea3Q_GBRZVLS2k1uDi_x-Pe0gVkZuMcyq8Bpas8y82w57DGuPpt7V5unY71i8rwYs8ClwOCXJ_gGM_dvUsk2f_OPC1i5sX_2Twgcc_jpGvl-P2Ky70kZ4/s1600/dell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjnrLMve0FS8evZERncRL-eAea3Q_GBRZVLS2k1uDi_x-Pe0gVkZuMcyq8Bpas8y82w57DGuPpt7V5unY71i8rwYs8ClwOCXJ_gGM_dvUsk2f_OPC1i5sX_2Twgcc_jpGvl-P2Ky70kZ4/s1600/dell.jpg" /></a></div>
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We recommend cleaning your laptop at least 3-4 times a year. It'll not only help to keep you from getting sick as often (since you remove a lot of germs), it'll keep your laptop running better and longer.</div>
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<br />J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-2456355772043262182013-09-03T11:46:00.000-04:002013-09-03T11:46:07.969-04:00Can You Trust The Cloud?We've written before about <a href="http://refurbishedlaptops1.blogspot.com/2012/01/dropboxwhat-is-cloud-storage.html" target="_blank">cloud storage</a>, back when it was still pretty new. At this point, cloud storage is pretty common place. You can get minimum amounts of free cloud storage from <a href="http://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank">Dropbox</a>, <a href="https://drive.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Drive</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000828861" target="_blank">Amazon Cloud Drive</a>, <a href="https://skydrive.live.com/" target="_blank">Skydrive</a>, and about 1,000 other services. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPY4JL4OiSwbTfWmcg10LZfKrObrRjOinQ7JVB34nuKiQ5YcyIVixDHE8ScgduzLz9ocuPNLViV1x-ilNd0vsdV1EUpKWUm35vZdcG430pip4LqmBTOgj0li1I9gxB6kqvWlr1IYkgxk/s1600/Cloud-Computing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPY4JL4OiSwbTfWmcg10LZfKrObrRjOinQ7JVB34nuKiQ5YcyIVixDHE8ScgduzLz9ocuPNLViV1x-ilNd0vsdV1EUpKWUm35vZdcG430pip4LqmBTOgj0li1I9gxB6kqvWlr1IYkgxk/s320/Cloud-Computing.jpg" width="320" /></a>For those that aren't aware of what the cloud is, it's actually pretty simple. Think of it as a giant back-up system that you can access from virtually anywhere. You can work on a file at work, upload it to the cloud, and then download it at home...or at a friend's home...or the library.<br />
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But, there are some rules when it comes to cloud storage.<br />
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<b>Rule #1:</b> Make sure the cloud service you use has good security, like the ones previously mentioned. Be wary about places that you find through search engines...especially if they have deals that seem too good to be true. As long as you opt to use a reliable cloud service, your data is going to be more secure than it is on your minimally protected wireless network.<br />
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<b>Rule #2: </b>We all use the cloud for virtually the same reason...<b>back-up </b>of all of the data on your <a href="http://www.bobjohnson.com/" target="_blank">computer</a>. But what is the #1 rule of back-ups? <b>Always</b> have a back-up of your back-up! You never want to keep all of your important data in one place, because you want to have a back-up in the rare occurrence that something does happen.<br />
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<b>Rule #3:</b> Know that emergencies and disasters due happen. Spread your back-ups on cloud storage based in different locations. During <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/hurricane-sandy-2012" target="_blank">Hurricane Sandy</a> many companies lost their internet and temporarily their cloud stored data as cloud storage and server companies were forced to evacuate their equipment to keep it from getting damaged. This is why it's important to have a back-up of your back-up (see Rule #2).<br />
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<b>Rule #4: </b>Keep your cloud storage strictly for content that is on the up-and-up. Although we do not condone illegal activities, such as <a href="http://www.riaa.com/physicalpiracy.php?content_selector=What-is-Online-Piracy" target="_blank">piracy</a>, we would advise you not to use cloud storage as a back-up for all of your boot-legged movies and music.<br />
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Do you have any tips for cloud storage? Share them in the comments!<br />
<br />J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-7378559580429904572013-08-14T11:10:00.000-04:002013-08-14T11:10:09.181-04:00New Facebook Features<a href="http://www.facebook.com/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> is continuously evolving....sometimes we like the changes and sometimes we don't. But, Facebook recently announced two new changes that might be well received.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4hwgeu3_m5lVxo7-INrVYakbhB3anthzUrg0IKYg7Tb3lZzrHrV0w8goB6ViQ9y6tOc2gflauJfjVTyZxDSn8j6b1nPXZDkLYFEioLAz5o7RiiLhr_hCcXFEXt4-DpEdAt0apK3qWis/s1600/opentable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4hwgeu3_m5lVxo7-INrVYakbhB3anthzUrg0IKYg7Tb3lZzrHrV0w8goB6ViQ9y6tOc2gflauJfjVTyZxDSn8j6b1nPXZDkLYFEioLAz5o7RiiLhr_hCcXFEXt4-DpEdAt0apK3qWis/s200/opentable.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbx8ttXnJPchV0CYOkmbD2NM7xWICsvDV8HwqBTL0IJYKxp9qF5aXvkOzh3ofxxJqr2BpHEuUzaoAuXK0eC10SoxJjrK3_Lm22VD9k-11xjV9X3xNoQu7NyVdDkWY_gwB86u5EZoqqqHs/s1600/facebookopentable1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbx8ttXnJPchV0CYOkmbD2NM7xWICsvDV8HwqBTL0IJYKxp9qF5aXvkOzh3ofxxJqr2BpHEuUzaoAuXK0eC10SoxJjrK3_Lm22VD9k-11xjV9X3xNoQu7NyVdDkWY_gwB86u5EZoqqqHs/s320/facebookopentable1.jpg" width="165" /></a>OpenTable and Facebook have recently partnered up! For those who are unaware of what <a href="http://www.opentable.com/home.aspx" target="_blank">OpenTable</a> is, it allows you to book reservations at over 28,000 restaurants nationwide. With the Facebook partnership, you would be able to do it directly through the Facebook page of your favorite local restaurants (that participate with OpenTable, of course).<br />
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If a restaurant participates with OpenTable, current available reservation times will show as an option on their Facebook page. What's neat about the integration between Facebook and OpenTable is that you will no longer need to utilize the OpenTable app...it can all be done directly through Facebook.<br />
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You also do not have to worry about privacy concerns. At this point in time, Facebook has stated that any OpenTable bookings will <b>not</b> automatically be shared to your wall or viewable by your friends. You also will not have the option to share your reservations with your friends either. <br />
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The OpenTable feature will only be available on the mobile versions of Facebook, as it utilizes your GPS location to determine what restaurant you are nearby.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiB9LEVQS_GQDy9fUvC2qGJaUZLMHTYwXHS4a_CYmM3EG0-O-KyRADH_hE3jQdSoyjeN2vtfVpzP-VCVrasR_LW3pafIVqhXt04y57_QFRh1pyEFI2ognrFPN4lJdephzY32cp17cAhg/s1600/whatsontv.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAiB9LEVQS_GQDy9fUvC2qGJaUZLMHTYwXHS4a_CYmM3EG0-O-KyRADH_hE3jQdSoyjeN2vtfVpzP-VCVrasR_LW3pafIVqhXt04y57_QFRh1pyEFI2ognrFPN4lJdephzY32cp17cAhg/s200/whatsontv.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRnwTWylVyDJNJoWB55tNdT8cTqk4Kl1OQmnzHFhyDrOVop8iEGtJoXUFz3NNpVEtMIaWThCII8F54ALwCk7369GLZlv1_ucvbPIdJTdE85sHqCAjelpg09XDJnDqgmcqXeC66xaVnTo/s1600/bigbrothertimes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRnwTWylVyDJNJoWB55tNdT8cTqk4Kl1OQmnzHFhyDrOVop8iEGtJoXUFz3NNpVEtMIaWThCII8F54ALwCk7369GLZlv1_ucvbPIdJTdE85sHqCAjelpg09XDJnDqgmcqXeC66xaVnTo/s200/bigbrothertimes.png" width="133" /></a>Another integration that Facebook is rolling out is adding television listings to the mobile app. This feature also utilizes your GPS, to determine your viewing location.<br />
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To know when your favorite shows are going to be on, you simply need to go to their Facebook page and click "More Information". It'll show you what the TV schedule is for your shows.<br />
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Now, if only there were an integration to hit the record button on your DVR!<br />
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What are some Facebook integration ideas you'd like to see?J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-90302427938623534472013-08-09T15:43:00.000-04:002013-08-09T15:43:24.331-04:00Do You Want To Go To Mars?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JAiou8LCE_i5X0ikYwRAfLIaTc7nrIM7YQGA-AeGil2KOav6_F43bdm4_bbEDQWdzbD-VK6F0JZHL7ty9At7Dwv_kfNjKznosyehA8FoWkdWTPWJvgN-6ftxw0Eiatd-ucQkfEVmw-k/s1600/mars+one+logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JAiou8LCE_i5X0ikYwRAfLIaTc7nrIM7YQGA-AeGil2KOav6_F43bdm4_bbEDQWdzbD-VK6F0JZHL7ty9At7Dwv_kfNjKznosyehA8FoWkdWTPWJvgN-6ftxw0Eiatd-ucQkfEVmw-k/s200/mars+one+logo.png" width="200" /></a></div>
Have you ever thought about how amazing it would be to go into space? Travel among the stars? Set up a new colony on a new planet? Well, then we have some amazing news for you! For a measly $38 (for those living in the United States), you can apply to be a member of Mars One!<br />
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So, what is <a href="http://www.mars-one.com/en/" target="_blank">Mars One</a>? Mars One is a not-for-profit Dutch organization that is looking to establish a permanent human colony on the surface of Mars in 2023. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarsOneProject" target="_blank">Mars One</a> began astronaut selection in April 2013, but they are currently looking for astronaut-colonists. Requirements to be an astronaut-colonist are actually quite simple:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Must be 18 years of age or older</li>
<li>Free of disease</li>
<li>No dependency on drugs/alcohol</li>
<li>Good mobility/full range of bodily motion</li>
<li>20/20 vision, either naturally or via corrective means (such as glasses or contacts)</li>
<li>Good general health</li>
<li>No psychological ailments</li>
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Those that are selected will be placed in a second round of applications to find the 100,000 astronaut-colonists that are deemed perfect for this mission. The 100,000 that are selected will go through a rigorous <b>eight</b> year training that involves learning medical care, how to grow food, and how to survive on another planet with limited resources. Training will take place in small isolated areas with limited numbers of other trainees for several months at a time to determine that you are psychologically prepared to deal with the isolation of moving to an uninhabited planet.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zVEPtyqFBgTt_xIaLnvdvx8x_aXfhMYt3ZLG5PNsdMS-DqDVECmQLxAVIdStqNkESigquEWGCG0qvjlKRTFSmb6iS1wLdkhDee_hWhYJh_xNb4N9KQX1yAmliPg71MIx5jr2Q18hT8Y/s1600/mars+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zVEPtyqFBgTt_xIaLnvdvx8x_aXfhMYt3ZLG5PNsdMS-DqDVECmQLxAVIdStqNkESigquEWGCG0qvjlKRTFSmb6iS1wLdkhDee_hWhYJh_xNb4N9KQX1yAmliPg71MIx5jr2Q18hT8Y/s640/mars+one.jpg" width="640" /></a>In 2022, those deemed suitable for the mission will travel one year to get to Mars and begin setting up the colony and living their new life on Mars. Being a interplanetary pioneer comes with a cost...the trip to Mars is one-way. Meaning you will say good-bye to your friends and family. The only future communication you would have with them would be through video calls (with a seven minute one-way delay).</div>
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Mars One is looking to use this adventurous scientific study as a reality TV show of sorts as well. Meaning along with gaining international fame for living on Mars, you could become a Hollywood-type celebrity at the same time.</div>
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Still want to go to Mars? Hurry up and <a href="https://apply.mars-one.com/" target="_blank">submit your application</a> to Mars One! First round applications close August 31st, 2013.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/jraVEhfFjvY" width="560"></iframe>J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-63162064020485726072013-07-29T13:39:00.000-04:002013-07-29T13:39:30.575-04:00The FBI Virus Does Some Good<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zlOJYWRSmKIs3PUdFgII4ap8Y58Yd9y710oWv1UL_5MVOSBV4LdKO-83luA44vFG6ywF-SgNdx9Pzt6_3SxTqsiievBsCklmV4Gig1CFATQ2mxx90zuu4c1cRc86vv5z99Vgs6kBl78/s1600/Busted.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3zlOJYWRSmKIs3PUdFgII4ap8Y58Yd9y710oWv1UL_5MVOSBV4LdKO-83luA44vFG6ywF-SgNdx9Pzt6_3SxTqsiievBsCklmV4Gig1CFATQ2mxx90zuu4c1cRc86vv5z99Vgs6kBl78/s320/Busted.gif" width="320" /></a>We have previously written about the <a href="http://refurbishedlaptops1.blogspot.com/2012/09/warning-fbi-virus-hoax.html" target="_blank">FBI Virus</a>. It is a ransomware virus that falsely claims your computer has been seized by the FBI for viewing illegal child pornography. It continues to state that you need to pay a fine in order to release your computer.<br />
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This is a pretty popular virus that we actually see a lot of at <a href="http://www.bobjohnson.com/" target="_blank">our shop</a>. It has cost lots of computer users money, both in attempting to pay the 'fine' and in actually getting their computer fixed. But, it appears that this time, it might have actually done some good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Qudlu7OCIDb8tJvd30YeUnF2Wvez32zmSULc07Ea4OEP_IKZU5aTaDTLtQFrlSn9leIZbUHAh9-bTsmeniyIt8hptNwmrxYLNTtnFGc-1-LQ2_mhbhBtjLvsPF9gTuFKxvpKCljRmG0/s1600/Riley2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Qudlu7OCIDb8tJvd30YeUnF2Wvez32zmSULc07Ea4OEP_IKZU5aTaDTLtQFrlSn9leIZbUHAh9-bTsmeniyIt8hptNwmrxYLNTtnFGc-1-LQ2_mhbhBtjLvsPF9gTuFKxvpKCljRmG0/s320/Riley2.jpg" width="320" /></a>It appears that on July 1st, Jay Matthew Riley of Woodbridge, VA turned himself into authorities after receiving notification on his computer that the FBI was aware he was viewing and/or distributing child pornography. Being under the guise that he had warrants out for his arrest, he went to the nearest police station with his computer in hand to have them run a warrant check on him. Although he had no actual warrants out for his arrest, he voluntarily let the police search his computer. This led to the discovery inappropriate conversations and photos of several under-aged girls. Following this discovery, the police obtained a search warrant for his home where they found additional electronic devices with child pornography on them.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/police/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Prince William Police Department</a>, where Riley was arrested, have sent out a warning to all parents that we feel is very important to pass on. You need to be very aware of what your tweens and teens are doing on the internet...especially with social media. Several of the images recovered from Riley's computer were images that the minors he was communicating with took of themselves and then shared with him.<br />
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For information on how to talk to your kids about their internet behaviors, check out the following websites:<br />
<a href="http://www.novadcicac.org/safetyforparents.htm" target="_blank">NOVA-DC Internet Crimes Against Children</a><br />
<a href="http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents" target="_blank">NetSmartz</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nap.edu/netsafekids/index.html" target="_blank">NetSafe Kids</a><br /> J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-24029722500225906242013-07-26T10:23:00.000-04:002013-07-26T10:23:02.445-04:00Wirelessly Stream To Your TVDo you have family movie night and try to cram your entire family around your iPad? Only to have everyone not be able to see and the speakers to be barely loud enough to hear over everyone... <a href="http://www.google.com/" target="_blank">Google</a> has released a solution!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgcBqovWg0y-J4I_q3I2wfFoUGYFDAt0MU0j4Eeia0jUUG2bS6nljn9gq_ghwnz-TOTpJjDzAJbJdoCi_fOUy0Fu5sq8fP4DCwWtndSC3Rsnc9txNV63bAWOsNZs4HVGcpUkXeyfB1lc/s1600/chromecast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgcBqovWg0y-J4I_q3I2wfFoUGYFDAt0MU0j4Eeia0jUUG2bS6nljn9gq_ghwnz-TOTpJjDzAJbJdoCi_fOUy0Fu5sq8fP4DCwWtndSC3Rsnc9txNV63bAWOsNZs4HVGcpUkXeyfB1lc/s320/chromecast.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromecast/#netflix" target="_blank">Google Chromecast</a> is a new wireless device that allows you to stream to your HD TV using android or iOS devices (both tablets and phones). It can also be used with a computer running <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/browser/" target="_blank">Chrome for Windows</a> or <a href="http://www.google.com/mac/" target="_blank">Chrome for Mac</a>. <br />
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The Google Chromecast pretty much looks like a USB flash drive. It's only about 2-inches long. However, instead of having a USB connection on the end, it has an HDMI connection.<br />
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<b>How It Works</b><br />
To use it you simply need to plug the Google Chromecast into an empty HDMI port on the back of your television. Connect it to your wireless internet. Start streaming content from your tablet, smartphone or computer straight to your TV. Then, use your smartphone, computer, or tablet as a remote control for your TV.<br />
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<b>The Pros:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>The Chromecast comes at the unbelievably low price of $35.00.</li>
<li>Super small size makes it easy to transport to different TV's in your house or to take on the go.</li>
<li>Stream <a href="http://www.netflix.com/" target="_blank">Netflix</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/movies" target="_blank">Google Play</a> (movies and TV shows), <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/usedlaptops?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, and Chrome (such as your photos on the <a href="http://www.google.com/drive/about.html?authuser=0" target="_blank">Google Drive</a>).</li>
</ul>
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<b>The Cons:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Requires a wireless connection to work, meaning if you have poor internet connection (such as in a bogged down hotel), you might not be able to stream to TV.</li>
<li>The Chromecast requires power, so you'll need to free up an outlet behind your TV.</li>
<li>Limited supported applications, common apps like <a href="http://www.directv.com/technology/mobile_apps" target="_blank">DirecTV</a>, <a href="http://www.hbogo.com/#home/" target="_blank">HBO Go</a>, and <a href="http://mlb.tv/">MLB.tv</a> are not supported. <i>Google says additional app integration is coming, but there are no specifics as to which apps will be added to the device.</i></li>
<li>Presales are already sold out at all <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Google---Chromecast-HDMI-Streaming-Media-Player/9071056.p?id=1219013308425&skuId=9071056" target="_blank">major retailers online</a>.</li>
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To see the Chromecast in action, check out their commercial on YouTube...</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cKG5HDyTW8o" width="560"></iframe>J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-58304844290626475982013-07-25T11:42:00.001-04:002013-07-25T11:44:47.718-04:00Pre-Order Tile - The Lost & Found For All Your Gear<a href="http://www.thetileapp.com/#" target="_blank">Tile</a> is a new and amazing technology that is prepping for its first production run of product. And there is still time to <a href="http://www.thetileapp.com/preorder/checkout" target="_blank">preorder tiles</a> and get them at an incredibly low price ($18.70 to $24.95 per tile).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEMv098_mFwIs9n9_cXaJn4ey5ucFQQvUvIqcGoLnJIkHujPTOPbyL3F6jZu8yW8OUK-FQk73pRBSeDOyCV5oOIAUaYGhTnm34Uo8qXkWNZ6osfKCE7y22tX3Cyi_bS-pVs3VOtOQxuU/s1600/tileKEYS.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKEMv098_mFwIs9n9_cXaJn4ey5ucFQQvUvIqcGoLnJIkHujPTOPbyL3F6jZu8yW8OUK-FQk73pRBSeDOyCV5oOIAUaYGhTnm34Uo8qXkWNZ6osfKCE7y22tX3Cyi_bS-pVs3VOtOQxuU/s320/tileKEYS.png" width="320" /></a>So, what is this Tile that I'm talking about? Think of it like your own personal Lost & Found. The tile is basically a little one inch square with tracking technology embedded inside of it. <br />
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Each tile has a small hole that you can loop a key ring through. They also come with an adhesive pad to stick to items. You can attach your tiles to anything you want....your keys, wallet, purse, laptop, bike, or anything that is valuable to you that might lose from time to time (but not your kids, the adhesive probably won't stick that well). <br />
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Then, you simply need to install the tile app on your smartphone (currently, it is only compatible with newer <a href="http://www.apple.com/" target="_blank">Apple</a> devices). You can install up to ten tiles per mobile device. Then, when you lose an item you simply need to sign into your app and search for it. The app will inform you of the last know GPS location of your device and let you know when you are 50-100 feet away...and when you get closer! And in theory, as Tile becomes more popular, other Tile users will send a ping (of sorts) to your smartphone if they are in closer range of your missing item than you are.<br />
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Each tile is good for one year from the date of activation in your app. When your year is almost up, the app will inform you that your tile is about to expire, to purchase a new one, and how to recycle your old one. <br />
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To learn more about tile, check out their video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pqDm3gZNZPM" width="560"></iframe>J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-88551934290993832152013-07-10T10:30:00.000-04:002013-07-10T10:30:47.269-04:00A Cleaner Smartphone Screen Might Be Coming!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOS1NrI95_X9tRZhIf2_silTsKSSyQ0jH3oHKHX7UsBTbL9k66QwPn9ReKd4Vpcysk98AMM847zRX25bAEUwCfe-DqyBHRC0FLiWWtYYeMS8zCDzTMdxAnvCjJEu9z2-1j2fEXY3uw38/s1600/Analyze-Bacteria-Via-iPhone-Screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOS1NrI95_X9tRZhIf2_silTsKSSyQ0jH3oHKHX7UsBTbL9k66QwPn9ReKd4Vpcysk98AMM847zRX25bAEUwCfe-DqyBHRC0FLiWWtYYeMS8zCDzTMdxAnvCjJEu9z2-1j2fEXY3uw38/s200/Analyze-Bacteria-Via-iPhone-Screen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Smartphones are gross. Yes, you heard me...they are gross. You hold them in your hand, talk/breathe on them, stick them on dirty tables, and some of you even use it to kill time while you're in the bathroom (you know who you are). Unless you sanitize it regularly, your smartphone is likely home to eighteen times more bacteria than a public restroom toilet! Believe me now? Your smartphone is gross!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYE5pyRY6WrOax5Zq9cJCilZxIshlsr8InXwozWBpLfkbt5Ei6dGG_zSzk8nHG3tqLm8k1_coPneUO6d0UHjpVKVfj1pOsFnEm5TrTqIPXEWfaNiz45Ve0nFf6FFd-ZKDwaelVTyWwVw/s1600/phone2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVYE5pyRY6WrOax5Zq9cJCilZxIshlsr8InXwozWBpLfkbt5Ei6dGG_zSzk8nHG3tqLm8k1_coPneUO6d0UHjpVKVfj1pOsFnEm5TrTqIPXEWfaNiz45Ve0nFf6FFd-ZKDwaelVTyWwVw/s200/phone2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Microscopic view of a smartphone<br />screen covered in bacteria.</td></tr>
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We've previously written a <a href="http://refurbishedlaptops1.blogspot.com/2012/04/dirty-smartphone-do-you-know-how-to.html" target="_blank">blog about PhoneSoap</a>, which was a <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a> project geared towards creating a UV light cleaning device. There are now several devices like that on the market, and with price tags around $50 they are very affordable. But, how many non-germophobes actually own one? After seeing the photo on the right, how many of you want to run for a Clorox wipe to quickly scrub down your phone? And then run to the store to buy a UV cleaning device?<br />
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<a href="http://www.corning.com/index.aspx" target="_blank">Corning</a> is well aware of the bacteria breeding ground that is our smartphones, and they are currently in the process of creating a screen to fix it. Corning originally started working on an anti-microbial technology for the healthcare industry, but they quickly realized that there are a great deal of applications that this technology would be useful for...such as your cell phone.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFb9Pz2pNidphhDBOYHKNKyFG0iuqaElZwNvjs9yz-HS-9ZEjV6ic145H8pD4hktQPTmTtvAhNCS94MXZSLwzFPEl9JwBwkV5vrtxUtED7xBe1RcI9kyxvNZhRaHMJXnYmRLSOIQr76w/s1600/CorningAntiMicrobial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnFb9Pz2pNidphhDBOYHKNKyFG0iuqaElZwNvjs9yz-HS-9ZEjV6ic145H8pD4hktQPTmTtvAhNCS94MXZSLwzFPEl9JwBwkV5vrtxUtED7xBe1RcI9kyxvNZhRaHMJXnYmRLSOIQr76w/s400/CorningAntiMicrobial.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">The image above shows standard glass and Corning anti-microbial glass which were </span><span style="text-align: center;">both covered in fluorescent-tagged E-coli bacteria. The Corning screen attacked </span><span style="text-align: center;">and killed the germs over the 90 minute period.</span><div>
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This new glass is still in the developmental and testing stages; however, it is expected to be requesting approval by the Environmental Protection Agency within the next couple of months. What are your thoughts on putting this new glass on your smartphone? ATM machines? Check-out machines at stores?</div>
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J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-38478763004768151442013-07-08T13:48:00.000-04:002013-07-08T13:48:38.999-04:00The Next Big Non-Digital Map?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPytvDeCOyVigZPKusQXyeQlIDdR8PdaIeirvp26R-dyCsTu_mtAzQMoll4WYebuJfrwLOMMjEi99YVcfdD3OH-FTlVMIq2WAe0agA0GQk7o8z-AGTW89MLIw8h2-bH1xLDX54KJLw81g/s1600/ag_atlas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPytvDeCOyVigZPKusQXyeQlIDdR8PdaIeirvp26R-dyCsTu_mtAzQMoll4WYebuJfrwLOMMjEi99YVcfdD3OH-FTlVMIq2WAe0agA0GQk7o8z-AGTW89MLIw8h2-bH1xLDX54KJLw81g/s200/ag_atlas.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rand McNally Atlas</td></tr>
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Although I don't want to date myself, I distinctly remember pulling out the atlas as a kid and mapping out our travel route for any of our family vacations. Even when I started driving, I would pull out the atlas to figure out how to get to a new place...and it was almost always in the trunk of my car as a just in case. I didn't grow up in the 50's...the 60's...or even the 70's. But, I did grow up prior to the boom of the internet, GPS, and smartphones.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieixBSw45CxCArssHkT3jnPjXQ6cRAoBayHWCbHGaySkvI5LFtYFY9HVFfoMkURp21cri4tnOvBw4dJw-WJdNCz5bX3_elZXbHeWDjTmLtBM4mXhIuTyvIc5v5s9TDOYPC_CfTEubl0m4/s1600/tomtom.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieixBSw45CxCArssHkT3jnPjXQ6cRAoBayHWCbHGaySkvI5LFtYFY9HVFfoMkURp21cri4tnOvBw4dJw-WJdNCz5bX3_elZXbHeWDjTmLtBM4mXhIuTyvIc5v5s9TDOYPC_CfTEubl0m4/s200/tomtom.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">TomTom GPS</td></tr>
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Initially atlases began to get phased out with the amazing internet creation of MapQuest. Although for most it might be a dinosaur these days, <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/" target="_blank">MapQuest</a> saved countless minutes of figuring out the best best and shortest way to get from Point A to Point B by looking at maps in a book. Then came along the installation of <a href="http://www.garmin.com/en-US" target="_blank">Garmin</a>'s and <a href="http://www.tomtom.com/en_us/" target="_blank">TomTom</a>'s, allowing you to simply punch your destination in from along the side of the road and quickly finding the shortest and most convenient route to get to your Point B. Then came along the various different smartphones with the ability to run GPS and mapping anywhere you are...or need to go.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXiUt-0MJtVLqNFsFhVy28c9ovHJ7yu5KklNAuxZMCnprVYE9ZlJmkS3hxL4VL37HvHRdNld7TX74L-omp2WrUPHtdg82f2BCeQ4wsrqGsVpWiNgf0MNTtDbVCv2GyxlG1hhqjjHdB1Ek/s1600/jacob+ladder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXiUt-0MJtVLqNFsFhVy28c9ovHJ7yu5KklNAuxZMCnprVYE9ZlJmkS3hxL4VL37HvHRdNld7TX74L-omp2WrUPHtdg82f2BCeQ4wsrqGsVpWiNgf0MNTtDbVCv2GyxlG1hhqjjHdB1Ek/s200/jacob+ladder.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob's Ladder</td></tr>
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A <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a> project whose concept actually predates <a href="https://maps.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Maps</a> is starting to gain momentum by revamping the age old atlas! Smartphone maps allow you to use your fingers to zoom in and out to be able to go from seeing the map of an entire city to a close-up of the area that you are actually in. The <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/423153152/map2-the-zoomable-map-on-paper" target="_blank">Map2</a> is kind of a marriage between the zooming functionality of the smartphone maps and the ease of use of the atlas. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSF_yJjsYo3EnCQiHk2gky4prhvf6qzz-anhg7mM8dWp9FWyc7A1vV-KtmLZ4OqW_Qn5NmwmxM9VR8ijrlvFljA2P8kjLkG2WAIiqZ5_2Sv8WfWTZgm3edpk-78R1kUsQXwm9DuRk5RMg/s1600/map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSF_yJjsYo3EnCQiHk2gky4prhvf6qzz-anhg7mM8dWp9FWyc7A1vV-KtmLZ4OqW_Qn5NmwmxM9VR8ijrlvFljA2P8kjLkG2WAIiqZ5_2Sv8WfWTZgm3edpk-78R1kUsQXwm9DuRk5RMg/s200/map.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Map2 travels as a small 4" square, but it unfolds to an 8"x8" map. But, that view is still rather small and leaves out a bunch of important details and smaller streets. But if you simply flip up a corner, you can get a zoomed in view of the area of the map that you want. Anne Stauche, the creator of the Map2, believes that there is still a place in society for the "analog map". For those that were traveling before the days of GPS, think of all of interesting places that you accidentally happened upon....and how often does that happen to you know with the precision of GPS guiding your way? And how often have the batteries in your smartphone or GPS failed you mid-trip....the Map2 doesn't run on batteries.</div>
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To learn more, check out the video.</div>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/423153152/map2-the-zoomable-map-on-paper/widget/video.html" width="480"> </iframe>J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-62434618236775061082013-06-12T16:19:00.001-04:002013-06-12T16:19:47.194-04:00Facebook Welcomes the # (Hashtag)If you use social media, there's a pretty good chance that you know what a # (hashtag) is.... they are on <a href="http://www.instagram.com/" target="_blank">instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/BobJohnson_comp" target="_blank">twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank">Flickr</a>, <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">tumblr</a>, and Google+ to name a few. <br />
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Those who aren't aware, a hashtag is a word or phrase used to describe a tweet/post/photo in order for people to easily follow the conversation. Hashtags began as a community effort on twitter to tag individual tweets. Once their popularity took off, <a href="http://webtrends.about.com/od/profiles/fr/Twitter-Profile.htm">Twitter</a> began supporting hashtags by automatically linking them into the search engine. Due to how much easier they made it for people to search about an event, person, or place other social media websites started to adopt the process as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUXDB8NwR9QDiJm2u07g10oD6p3zbQ7035n41uHXU4rq-ERTWMnI35WyKpsjgXfZsj6_FwuFrOuhVYJYJ_cFghFCiTCTpyxb6BUHiAtwsJm1EidiEjQ2Lo8h6dT9B_Gt8SHImyAU6cLI/s1600/facebook-hashtag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqUXDB8NwR9QDiJm2u07g10oD6p3zbQ7035n41uHXU4rq-ERTWMnI35WyKpsjgXfZsj6_FwuFrOuhVYJYJ_cFghFCiTCTpyxb6BUHiAtwsJm1EidiEjQ2Lo8h6dT9B_Gt8SHImyAU6cLI/s320/facebook-hashtag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
You've probably seen hashtags on Facebook before (probably from people who are Twitter users or people who dual-post on Facebook and Twitter), but they didn't really serve a purpose on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BobJohnsonsComputerStuff" target="_blank">Facebook</a> before. Well, until today! As of today, Facebook has made hashtags active, clickable and searchable. <br />
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To see how it works, say one of your friends was recently really excited about a purchase they made and they left the following status on Facebook:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Just got a great deal on a Panasonic Toughbook CF-19 mk. #refurbishedtoughbook"</blockquote>
If you were interested in seeing what other friends had to say about refurbished Toughbooks, you would simply need to click on the hashtag link and other relevant posts would show up.<br />
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Hashtags also make it easier to see what the big topics are on Facebook in real-time.<br />
J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2982601854129462112.post-23632416024369843642013-06-03T12:49:00.004-04:002013-06-03T12:59:11.895-04:00A "Smarter" Way To Get Into Your House<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2R6Cv8jX-j5Ad5PEQNP8y3fmXBH4F_Tn1QZUIE6l3wWTwZ6AKKqR7eOAtUFiVq3X5u0vcQiSAZtEFLLb17dYT3nLrBpfEpzAVS1aYe4RjtE6VJLhClcs24hJCoH-vOsYNKAqPmq6atIM/s1600/august+lock.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2R6Cv8jX-j5Ad5PEQNP8y3fmXBH4F_Tn1QZUIE6l3wWTwZ6AKKqR7eOAtUFiVq3X5u0vcQiSAZtEFLLb17dYT3nLrBpfEpzAVS1aYe4RjtE6VJLhClcs24hJCoH-vOsYNKAqPmq6atIM/s200/august+lock.png" width="163" /></a>Cell phones are in the hands of nearly every adult American, and nearly half of those cell phones are smartphones. As technology advances we are using our smartphones to do more and more for us. Now, with the development <a href="http://www.august.com/" target="_blank">August</a> you can use it to get in and out of your home. It is kind of similar to the smart key systems on some newer cars that do not require pressing the unlock button or inserting the key to lock your car or start up your engine...you simply just need to have the key within a few feet of the car.<br />
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The August smart lock utilizes the existing deadbolt lock on your door and is quite easily installed on the interior side of the door using nothing more than a screwdriver and about 10 minutes of your time. There’s no need to wire or connect August – it uses standard batteries. That means your lock stays on even if electricity goes down. Sensors will let you know, with indicators, and via email, when the batteries need replacing. August works independent of your wireless or phone networks. Reliable Bluetooth technology syncs your phone directly with your August lock.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9x3cfdKTjtetwPzHJjl2ca6H8XnZkMSHmw6PnUhtiiVKWfekvmy48-zx031GuL4pO27aiHuSY5TUU9JEegBI7Jd44aFFjuWJ5WO4iQuZEwUEX1H9uJoZ8WnMh5oQ0vR_SSI3CDdJ0Jk/s1600/august+lock2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz9x3cfdKTjtetwPzHJjl2ca6H8XnZkMSHmw6PnUhtiiVKWfekvmy48-zx031GuL4pO27aiHuSY5TUU9JEegBI7Jd44aFFjuWJ5WO4iQuZEwUEX1H9uJoZ8WnMh5oQ0vR_SSI3CDdJ0Jk/s400/august+lock2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The concept of a lock for your door that runs off your cell phone probably brings up quite a few questions. So, we'll see if we can answer the ones that we came to our minds...<br />
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<b>What if the power goes out?</b><br />
You're good! The smart lock runs on batteries, so it is not affected by power outages.<br />
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<b>What if my cell service isn't working?</b><br />
Still good! The smart lock doesn't utilize your cell phone provider's coverage. It only uses the <a href="http://www.bluetooth.com/Pages/Bluetooth-Home.aspx" target="_blank">Bluetooth</a> device in your phone, and that works whether or not you have service.<br />
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<b>What if my smartphone dies?</b><br />
You can still get in your house. You'll just have to revert back to the old-fashioned method using your keys. Now, if you left your keys at home, you might need to find somewhere to get a little charge to your phone.<br />
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<b>How does my neighbor get in to water my plants/feed my cat while I'm on vacation?</b><br />
One of two ways. You can leave them a key or you can give them access utilizing the smart lock. Access granted from your phone can be permanent or you can set it up so that it expires after a certain amount of time or on a certain day.<br />
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<b>Is it safe?</b><br />
The makers of the August smart lock say yes. It is reported to use the same type of encryption technology that is being utilized by financial institutions for online banking. Like online banking, I would personally think that there is the possibility of getting "hacked"...but is that really any different than someone picking your lock or kicking in your door? Just saying, if someone really wants in, they're going to get in.<br />
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<b>What if I lose my phone?</b><br />
As a part of the security precautions that come with the smart lock, changes can be made instantly to your device via a <a href="http://www.bobjohnson.com/_store/Display_Products.asp?prodID=CF%2DT8EWETZ2M" target="_blank">computer</a>. You would simply need to log-on and remove your smartphone device from the list of allowed devices.<br />
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To learn more and see it in use, check out the following video:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EFlPncm4fnY" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<br />J.L.Quickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05654556627334863810noreply@blogger.com0