Test Your Internet Speed

When I first started using the internet, there was one speed available:  56k dial up.  (In case you are curious, there are still people who use dial up internet.)  Then, we had the option to upgrade from dial up to DSL, which worked at almost 100 times that speed.  Now, we have the option to get even faster internet speeds via cable and fiber optic lines.  DSL, cable, and fiber optic usually also offer multiple speeds.  However, with so many options available, how do you know that your internet provider is actually giving you the speeds it promises?

That's where Speedtest.net comes in. It will test your internet connection and give you a measure of how fast your internet is working. Then, you can compare the result to the speed you purchased. (If you are unsure what your speed should be, check your bill or contact your internet provider.)

A few notes about this test:

• It is best if you use a wired connection to your router for the test. Wi-Fi speeds can vary based on a number of factors, including distance from the router.
• Before you test, stop any other internet activities and tell everyone to stay off the internet for the test. Otherwise, your speed will be slowed by these other activities.
• If your speed comes out slower than you were expecting, disconnect your router and connect your computer directly to the modem. Try the test again and see if your speed improves. If it does, then your router is slowing down your speeds.
• Try testing your speeds at different times. Cable internet speeds can vary based on the number of people in your area using the internet.
• Do not be concerned if your upload speed is significantly lower than your download speed. Unless you are hosting a web site, your internet usage is primarily download. (When you open a site, your computer uploads a request to the internet, and then spends the rest of the time downloading the content the site sends you.) Therefore, service providers invest much more in boosting download speeds.
• Just because your service is not at the speed you purchased does not mean that your internet provider is the problem. There could be problems with your computer or router. Before you call your service provider, check for problems on your end.

Learn to Use Windows and Office

Upgrading new software can sometimes be a complicated process.  Recently, when I upgraded the financial management software for my business to the latest version, I ran into problems opening my files in the software.  After several phone calls to their technical support team, we finally isolated the problem and were able to solve it.  However, even if the new software runs perfectly, locating the features you want can be a problem.

When Microsoft released Office 2007, it came with a completely different look from earlier versions.  The toolbars that graced the top of your screen were now replaced with ribbons.  When I first upgraded from Office 2003 to Office 2010 (I skipped the 2007 version), I had trouble finding all the features I wanted.  However, after using it for almost two years now, I now know exactly where the features I use the most are located.

The same problem happened when Microsoft released Windows 8.  Microsoft made so many changes to Windows that it became more difficult to find the features you need.  One of the biggest complaints I hear about Windows 8 is that it has become more difficult to accomplish the same tasks.  While I actually like Windows 8 overall (especially since the Windows 8.1 upgrade was released), I can understand the frustrations of others.

Fortunately, Microsoft has released guides to help learn its new software.  Below, I have linked to guides to Office 2013, Windows 7, and Windows 8.  While Microsoft has only released its guides for Office 2013, many of the features will work on Office 2007 and 2010.  The Office guides are in PDF format.  The Windows guides are web-based, but the Windows 7 offers a PDF option in addition to the videos.

Office 2013

Windows 7

Windows 8

Follow Up: Google Drive and Sensitive Information

I received a message from a subscriber regarding yesterday's tip.  He asked if Google Drive was secure for files containing credit card information or passwords.

While Google's security is among the best on the internet, I would not recommend storing sensitive information like credit cards or passwords on an online account.  No matter how good Google's security is, the security of your account depends on the security of your password.  If your password is compromised or hacked (which is becoming easier to do thanks to increases in processing power), all of Google's security will do you no good.

Security Alert: Flaw Found in Android

A security flaw has been found in Android devices that are not running the latest version of Android.  This flaw allowed malware to exploit security certificates to access data on your phone or tablet.  The latest Android update in April contained a fix for this problem, but Google says over 80 percent of Android users are still using a vulnerable version.

Fortunately, this problem now only affects those who have installed apps from third-party app stores.  If you have only used the Google Play Store (or you have not installed any additional apps), your phone is not vulnerable.  By default, Android blocks using third-party app stores, so if you are unsure, the chances are good that you do not have this enabled on your device.

To see what version of Android you are using, go to the Settings app and scroll all the way to the bottom to "About Device".  You will see your current version under "Android Version".  (The latest version is 4.4.2.)

To see if you are allowing the installation of apps from other app stores, go to the Settings app.  You will be looking for an option listed as "Unknown Sources".  In some versions, it is under the "Applications" option and in others it is under the "Security" option on the main menu of Settings.  If you have looked through all the menus under Settings and cannot find this option, then it is possible that your wireless carrier has locked you out of that feature.

Three Steps to Secure Your Home Network

Wireless networks are wonderful.  We can take our laptop, tablet, or phone and sit anywhere in the house while we surf the web.  However, having wireless access in your home also means that someone sitting in their car across the street can use your internet unless you take steps to block that person out.  And while you might just think that you are being generous by allowing others to use your bandwidth, any activities (including illegal ones) performed by a person on the network will be connected back to you.  You may be able to clear yourself eventually, but you will end up with many hassles and legal bills before that happens.

Fortunately, it is simple to secure your home's wireless network to block out intruders.

1) Add a password - This is the most basic security step you can take.  When someone tries to connect to your network, they will be forced to enter the password you set up.

To set up your password, you will need to access your router's control panel.  To access this panel, you will need to go to a web browser window and enter your router's network address.  (The network address will be listed in your router's documentation, or you can look up the address for your router online.  It will begin with 192.168.)  Next, you will need to enter the user name and password.  These have a default setting, so if you have not changed them, look up the defaults in the documentation or online, as well.  Then, you will need to navigate to where you can change the password.  The exact procedure will differ based on your router, but for my router, I click on "Wireless" and then "Security".  For the best security, you will want to use WPA2 security unless you have a device that cannot connect with WPA2.  On my router, this is changed under "Authentication Type".  Underneath that option is a place for the "Passphrase".  This is obviously where you will enter the password that you want.

While this step will keep most people off your network, a determined person will still be able to get around your security if all you do is add a password.  To stop these people, you need to do more:

2) Change your SSID - The SSID is a name that identifies your wireless network.  By default, it will usually contain the brand name of the router.  Remember how we could access the control panel earlier by looking up the router's address online?  If your router's brand is listed in your network name, anyone on your network could look up that address and access your control panel.  Even if the model number is not in the description, most manufacturers use the same one or two addresses for all their routers.  Once on your network, it would not take long to be inside your control panel.

To change your SSID, you will once again go to the control panel and search for an "SSID" option to change.  On my router, I can access that by simply clicking on "Wireless".  Once there, think of a creative name for your network.  You can use your last name, your address, or even change it to "FBI Surveillance Van".  (Yes, I know of at least two people who have done that!)  This is not a password, so there is no need to be concerned about coming up with a complicated name.  The critical factor is that your router's brand name is gone!

If you want to be extra conscious about security, you can disable SSID broadcasting.  This will cause your network to appear as something like "Unidentified Network" or "Unnamed Network".  Then, in order to connect, you will have to enter the network name along with the password you set earlier.  While this provides a little extra security, it also adds the inconvenience of having to remember and enter the network name along with the password.

3) Change your Access Password - Remember how we had to enter a user name and password to access the router control panel.  Because so many routers use the same default address, it would not take long to guess the address of most routers.  Once the person has done this, they will almost always have access to the model number of your router (it is usually displayed on the login page).  If your user name and password to access the control panel is still the default, they can look it up just as easily as you can!  Once inside your control panel, they can make all kinds of changes to your network, including blocking you from accessing your own router.

To stop this, change your router's access password.  (Some may also allow you to change the user name, but others may not.)  This may take a little time to find in your control panel, but it is worth it.  You can also attempt to look up directions in your documentation or online.  Make sure you write this password down!  You will most likely use it infrequently, so you want to have it written down where you can find it when you need it.

Use Cloud Backup to Save Important Files

Today, I received a phone call inquiring about data recovery from a desktop that had sustained water damage.  While it is not easy to talk about, we should all have a plan for backing up and recovering important files regardless of the circumstances we may encounter.

Most of us (myself sometimes included) do not back up our files on a regular basis.  And when we do back up, it usually consists of copying our important files onto a flash drive and leaving that near the computer.  While the flash drive is sufficient to give you your files if the hard drive crashes, it may not be enough if you face a disaster.  If a tornado, fire, flood, or other disaster strikes your house, the flash drive could be destroyed or lost along with your computer.  In the past, the only way to keep your data safe was to perform a backup and store it at another location.  While this worked fine for large companies, it was more difficult for home users and small businesses.

Now, the internet provides a simple solution.  There are many companies that offer a variety of automatic or semi-automatic backup options for you to store backups where they can be easily recovered.  Google Drive and Dropbox both offer a limited amount of free storage (15 GB for Google Drive and 2 GB for Dropbox) with options to purchase more space.  Both of these provide software that will install a folder on your desktop.  Anything saved into the folder will be automatically backed up.  I use Google Drive for personal files and Dropbox for my business files and would recommend either one.

If you want a complete backup of everything without having to save it to a particular folder, you can use an automatic backup company like Carbonite.  (I have not used Carbonite, but I know several people who use it and are very happy with their service.)  Carbonite will back up every file on your computer unless you specifically mark it to be ignored.

Regardless of which option you choose, you will find that it is simple to use and maintain an automatic backup.  Then, if you suffer a hard drive crash or another catastrophe that destroys your computer, you will be able to rest assured that your files will be safe.

Plus, as an added bonus, you will have the ability to access your files from anywhere.  Google Drive, Dropbox, and Carbonite all have mobile apps that allow you to open your files from your phone or tablet.

The Place You Should Never Have Your Phone

As I was preparing today's tip this morning, I came across this story from a Texas FOX affiliate.  I feel that it deserves some follow-up as a reminder for all of us.

One of the biggest enemies of any computer is heat.  Most people are unaware of how much heat their computer produces until there is a problem and it starts overheating.  Almost all desktop computers come with at least two fans (one in the power supply and one over the processor).  Some come with more fans to push air through the case for additional cooling.  The latest trend for high-end computers is water cooling, which uses a system similar to a car's radiator to cool the computer.  (I do not recommend using water cooling, but it is available.)

As computers have gotten smaller and more portable and the places where we can use them have grown, the heat problem has remained.  For years, laptop computers have had problems keeping cool, especially as they grow older.  Overheating laptops comprise a significant part of the service requests I receive.

Now, back to the phone.  Essentially, smartphones are simply small computers.  A high-end smartphone (iPhone, Galaxy S, etc.) can perform almost every task that a computer can perform.  However, they have minimal heat control because of noise.  (You wouldn't want your smartphone's fan to kick into high gear right when you get that important business call!)

This means that good ventilation is a must for your phone.  In this girl's case, the phone slipping under the pillow as she fell asleep was probably enough to cause the phone to overheat and cause a fire.  At this point, I am sure some of my readers are now saying something like, "But I left my phone under my pillow one time, and it was fine."  True, but what happens if the phone gets a little more smothered the next time?

Samsung addresses two issues.  First, the phone was under the pillow, which likely restricted airflow and caused overheating.  Second, the battery in the phone was a replacement battery and not a certified Samsung battery.  I will address this issue in another tip next week, but for now, I will simply say that at most, this was likely a contributing factor and not the main cause.

In conclusion, your phone should simply not go to bed with you!  I know that I am just as guilty of breaking this rule as anyone else.  However, phones do not do well around pillows, blankets, sheets, etc.  Even if your phone never bursts out into flames, the added heat could reduce your phone's life or cause other problems.

Security Alert: Update Firefox Now

If you use Firefox, make sure your browser is up-to-date!  Mozilla released 11 security fixes in its new update (Firefox 31.0), three of which are classified as critical.  This update should happen automatically if you have automatic updates enabled, but it is still a good idea to check.

To see which version of Firefox you have, go to the menu button on the far right (), click on the question mark at the bottom, and then select "About Firefox".  In the window that pops up, underneath the big "Firefox", will be the version number.

Stop Spam with a Temporary Address

Sometimes, it seems like every website you visit wants you to sign up for a "free" account, which usually consists of giving them at least your name, email address, and zip code.  However, that "free" email account simply allows the website to aggregate a large amount of information and use it to spam you themselves or to sell it to other spammers.  And despite the spam filters present in most email accounts, you can be assured that a few will manage to sneak through to your regular inbox.

Melt Mail can help solve this problem.  It allows you to create a temporary email address that will forward mail to your current address for a period of time.  This allows you to get a receipt for an online purchase or obtain a confirmation email for the account you set up.  Then, after the period of time you designate (three, six, twelve, or twenty-four hours), the account goes inactive and any further emails will bounce back.

Melt Mail apps are also available for iPhone and Android.

A New Feature Is Coming to Facebook

I sometimes long for Facebook's early days.  We had a wall where people could only write messages (no pictures, videos, links, and no replies, either), a profile picture (but no other photos), some basic information about yourself, the ability to send and receive private messages among your friends, and of course, the "poke" button!  There may be a few features I am forgetting, but those were the major ones.

However, Facebook has continually added new features and modified old ones.  Yesterday, Facebook's news page announced a new feature that will be coming in the next few days, called "Save on Facebook".

According to their post, Save on Facebook will allow you to save "items like links, places, movies, TV, and music."  Unless you also share them, only you will be able to see the items you have saves.  Save on Facebook will allow you to view your saved items on any device that can access Facebook, meaning you can save an item on your computer and later view it on your phone.

It will also add reminders about your saved items into your News Feed.  No information is provided regarding your ability to control these reminders.

While I will hold final judgment on this feature until it is publicly released, I think this will prove to be a useful feature.  I have seen many people say to share something you won't need right away (like a recipe) so that it will be on your profile for you to view later.  However, the problem is that unless you remember when you shared it, you will have to scroll through all your posts to find what you shared.  Now, you have a way to store and organize all those items for quick retrieval.

Move Quickly Between Browser Tabs

It is hard to believe that there was ever a time that we survived without browser tabs.  It is a rare event when I only have one tab open.  Currently, I have two browser windows open.  One browser window has three open tabs and the other has seven open tabs.  Before tabbed browsing, that would have been ten separate windows I would have had open.  Even for those who do not open quite as many tabs as me, tabs are still a great way to organize two or three web pages.

However, when you have multiple tabs open at a time, switching between them can take time if you reach for the mouse for each switch.  Fortunately, all the major browsers have some key combinations to help you move between tabs more quickly.  Even better, the same key combinations are used on Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.

Here are a few of the best key combinations to use with tabs:

Open a New Tab:  Ctrl + T will open a new tab.

Open the Last Closed Tab:  If you accidentally close a tab you wanted open, use Ctrl + Shift + T to reopen it.

Switch Between Tabs:  Ctrl + Page Down moves to the next tab.  Ctrl + Page Up moves to the previous tab.  (I thought this key combination worked on Internet Explorer, but it did not work on my computer.)

Go To a Specific Tab:  Use Ctrl + [Number] to advance to a specific tab.  For example, Ctrl + 1 moves to the first tab, Ctrl + 2 moves to the second tab, etc.  If you have more than eight tabs, this tip will only allow you to move directly to the first eight.

Move to the Last Tab:  Regardless of the number of tabs open, Ctrl + 9 moves to the last tab.

Use Print Screen to Show a Problem

One of the biggest problems with providing computer support over the phone is that I cannot actually see what is happening on the computer.  While there are tools that will allow me to see and work on a customer's computer from my own computer, some people are concerned about the security of these programs.

However, there are occasions when simply reading the text of an error message is not enough for me to be able to figure out the problem.  The window containing the error message will sometimes have small clues that can assist with troubleshooting the problem, but without seeing the window, I will not be able to easily pick up on these clues.  Other times, I may be lost while trying to help someone over the phone, and I may want to see what is on the screen to help me get back on track.

It is in these situations where I use today's tip.  If I need to see what is on a screen that I cannot see, I simply tell the person to use Ctrl + Print Screen.  (Print screen is usually located above the Insert and Delete keys to the right of the standard keyboard.  On a laptop keyboard, you may have to look carefully for the correct key.)  The Ctrl + Print Screen command will take a snapshot of your entire screen and place it on the clipboard.  You can then paste it into a Word document or into the Paint program to save and email as an attachment.  If you only want to take a snapshot of the current window instead of the entire screen, you can use Alt + Print Screen, and then paste it into a Word document or Paint file.  In Windows 8, using the Windows key + Print Screen will save the file automatically in your pictures folder.

This tool can be useful to someone who is not a computer tech for many reasons.  If you are having a problem with a particular program, providing an exact copy of the error message when asking for support can speed up the support process.  It also helps to show what happens if you run into problems following the instructions.  If you are trying to help someone learn how to accomplish something, you can take pictures of your screen at each step, and you can even circle buttons or draw arrows to links over top of the picture to stress what they need to do.

There are many more reasons why you might want to take a picture of your screen.  I have simply tried to highlight a few of the most common reasons here.  As a final note, if you forget this command or if the operating system will not load (meaning the Print Screen feature won't work), you can always pull out a cell phone or tablet and take a picture of your monitor.

Save Money Online

Recently, I was looking online for a new pair of shoes.  I selected a pair, but before I went to pay, I searched online for coupons.  This search ended up saving me five dollars on my shoes.  Over the past few years, I have been able to save myself money on many of my online purchases, and I have been able to help save my customers money, as well.

Large companies will have a large variety of coupon codes available at a given time.  To find these coupon codes, I simply did a search online for "Payless coupon codes".  In this case, I discovered a 15% off any order coupon that I was able to add to my order to get my discount.  Sites like RetailMeNot.com and Coupons.com will have a listing of these coupons, and they will usually also show when the coupon was last reported used.  Like physical coupons, some are good for any purchase, some are good for purchases over a certain amount, and some are only good on a particular item.  However, it only takes a few minutes to look through the list and try some of the codes that are applicable, and it has the potential to save you money.

If you want to save even more money, you can also sign up for daily emails.  I get a daily email from Brad's Deals and also one from one of my favorite tech supplies Tiger Direct.  The Brad's Deals email contains a large variety of products at a discounted rate, and some of the deals are exclusive to those on the email list.  If you are looking to save money, check and see if your favorite stores have a daily email list.

Do I Need to Install Updates?

As a computer user, I know the frustrating feeling when you think you are going to quickly restart your computer, and then you wait for 15 minutes or longer while your computer is "Installing Updates". Because of this, some people are tempted to turn off automatic updates and ignore the reminders. While turning off the updates is not a problem by itself, ignoring updates can leave your computer vulnerable.

Some updates are intended to add new features or correct small bugs. You can certainly get by without these updates, unless you want the new feature or are affected by the bug. However, many updates are intended to correct security flaws that could compromise your computer. Choosing to ignore these updates makes your computer more vulnerable than it was before the update.

Many of these flaws that the updates correct are discovered not by hackers, but by security experts in a lab or by individuals looking for a reward. (Many companies offer a reward for reporting security flaws in their software.) These flaws are usually not announced publicly until a fix is ready. Announcing it before the update to fix it is released gives hackers time to exploit it. However, once it has been announced, you can be sure that hackers will be looking to exploit it on machines that are still vulnerable.

If you are an individual user, I highly recommend that you choose automatic updates for your computer. It is the best way to keep your computer safe. If you are managing a network, manual updating may be best so that not all computers are attempting to update at the same time, slowing down your network. However, if you do choose manual updates for any reason, it is important to update as soon as possible.

If you want to change the way your computer handles updates, go to the search box (on the start menu in Vista/7, or on the charms bar on Windows 8), search for Windows Update, and select "Change Settings" on the left-hand side of the screen. You will then be able to modify settings for both important and recommended updates.

Don't Lose Your Money to Crammers

Recently, the FTC announced it is investigating T-Mobile for turning a blind eye to crooks making up to $2 billion a year through a technique called "cramming".  If you have a post-paid cellular plan (meaning you pay for services at the end of the month), then you need to be aware of this scam and how to avoid it.

The crammers will usually offer you a free trial of some service, and then, if you do not cancel by the end of the trial period, they begin charging you for the service.  The charge is usually small, which is why it escapes your notice.  When the first bill comes and you are now paying two or three dollars more, most people never even investigate the price increase.

However, over time, that extra two dollars per month adds up to plenty of money in the pockets of the scammer and the phone company (who gets a cut of the money you're paying.)  Even looking at some bills (including the T-Mobile bill example that the FTC posted online), you may not know what you are paying.  The FTC's example shows a charge listed as a "Usage Charge" on the first page, and then described only by the name of the company making the charge later.  Unless you question the charge, you may never realize why you are being charged.

Scams like these make it imperative that you check your bills every month for extra charges.  I use a pre-paid service for my cell phone now, but when I had a contract service with a major company, I had several months in a row where I had to contact them to question data charges on a phone that did not have data connectivity.  I was being charged for 1 MB of data at a price of $1.99.  After several months of complaining, the charges stopped, but I later read that company was facing a class-action lawsuit for exactly what I had faced.  That $1.99 charge might not seem like much to you, but 50,000 people paying that charge each month would bring in almost $1.2 million per year extra.

Finally, if you are concerned about these charges and want to make sure you never fall victim to these types of scams, you can block all third-party charges to your phone bill by contacting your carrier.  However, this will stop charges you might actually want, like an app purchase or a text donation to a charity.

I Can't Log In!

Today's tip is actually going to be sponsored by...me!

As you may have noticed, my daily tips did not go out on schedule at the end of this week.  Starting Wednesday night, every time I attempted to log into my mail program, I was greeted with a message stating:

OOPS! The system is offline and will be available shortly.
We are currently working on getting your account back online.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Assuming that they were having a problem, I did not contact them until Thursday evening, when they were approaching 24 hours offline.  Assuming that the problem was on their end, I simply asked them if they had an estimated time that their system would be back online.  They quickly responded to say that they were not having any problems.

After I realized Friday afternoon that I could log in on any other computer--just not my primary one--I knew that the problem was a setting on my computer.  My first course of action (and the reason for relating this story in today's tip) was to clear my browser settings, cookies, and cached pages.

The reason why clearing all those setting helped is complicated and would be best saved for another tip.  However, the point is this:  if you are having trouble with a website on just one computer or device, clear out those settings, cookies, and cache before you contact tech support.  This is especially true for websites with security or websites where you have to log in.  It may not be the solution, but it will likely be one of the first things that tech support will tell you to do.  By telling them you already did it, it could save you one step in your email exchange.

Narrow Your Search Results

Search engines like Google and Yahoo are wonderful, but they have their limitations.  For example, doing a Google search for to be or not to be yields 2.56 billion pages.  Obviously, these search engines have done a great job at tweaking their algorithms so that the pages most applicable are listed at the beginning of those results, but what should you do when Google or Yahoo just can't seem to get it right?

Obviously, with something like to be or not to be, you can be more specific to narrow your results a little.  Adding that is the question brings the number of pages down to 571 million.  Adding Hamlet after that phrase brings the total number of pages down to 9.66 million.  Obviously, I have provided enough in my example for Google to discern what I am looking for and provide results from Shakespeare's Hamlet, but if I was searching for more obscure information, I would not have time to search through all 9.66 million pages to find the few that have the information I need.

One of the reasons for the multitude of results (besides the fact that the internet is just a large place) is that search engines will search for pages that match any word you write (excluding a few common words, like "the", "a", etc.)  A search for to be or not to be Hamlet yields any page containing any of those words. Obviously, Google's software will rank pages containing all of these words higher than pages containing only one of them, but there is still the ability for pages that are not relevant to sneak in.

However, if you have a sequence of words, and you know the words will usually appear in that sequence, you can add quotation marks around them before you search.  This will require that the exact phrase appear instead of just one of the words.  You can also combine words inside quotes with words outside of the quotes.  Now, a search for "to be or not to be" Hamlet yields only 592,000 results.  Not only is this a mere six percent of the original number of pages, but it will also assist Google in providing the most relevant pages at the top.

Perhaps I was looking for the 1942 movie, To Be or Not To Be (I did not know this movie existed until I started doing searches on this phrase), and all I could find was information on Hamlet.  (I realize that the to be or not to be search actually lists information on this movie as the first result.)  Google, Yahoo, and Bing all have Advanced Search options, but they are not necessarily easy to find.  These allow you to search with a variety of options to narrow your results even more.

Finally, if you know the website where your intended result is located,  you can narrow your search to only that site.  For example, if you are searching for information on a Windows problem, and you only want results from Microsoft's website, you can add site:microsoft.com to your search.  This will only display search results with any terms you enter that appear on pages at Microsoft.com.

Get Free or Inexpensive eBooks

I used to say that I would never want to read an ebook:  I loved being able to hold the book in my hands and turn physical pages.  While that is still true with some books (I have my own reasons for that), I don't think I would be able to survive anymore without my smartphone's Kindle app.  This app is probably the number one reason why I can never seem to keep my phone's battery alive for more than a few hours.

If you like to read like I do, and you have an e-reader or an e-reader app on your device, then I have a great site for you:  BookBub.  Simply enter your email address, answer a few questions about the types of books you like to read and the devices you have, and then you will begin receiving a daily email with deals on ebooks for you.  Buy the ones that sound interesting and ignore the rest.  However, you may find that you don't even have to buy anything.  I have found that the free books I get from the list provide more than enough reading material.

Plus, you don't need an e-reader or smartphone to begin reading ebooks.  Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have downloadable programs that will allow you to begin reading ebooks on your computer.

Save Battery by Turning Off Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi connections are a wonderful thing!  They allow us to sit on our couches with a laptop or tablet and still connect to the internet.  They also allow us to conserve data when we are using our phone at home or somewhere with a free Wi-Fi connection.  However, if you leave your Wi-Fi on all the time, you may be killing your battery life.

When your device's Wi-Fi is turned on, it is continually sending out requests to maintain a list of networks in range, even when you are already connected to a network.  This means that, at any time, you can access that list and see what networks are available.  From my basement (where I am writing this tip), I do get much wireless signal, but I can see almost instantly that I am in range of three networks:  Captain (my network), Netgear N600, and G67B458D290C.  If your device waited for you to ask it to connect, it would take at least a few seconds while my laptop sent out a request and waited for responses.

However, all those requests for networks will use up your battery.  If you are in a place where you know you will not be able to charge your battery for some time, and you are not planning to use the internet (or have no Wi-Fi access), it would be a wise decision to shut off your Wi-Fi and save your battery.  (Just remember to turn it back on when you get home, especially if you also have cellular data service on that device!  You certainly do not want to pay for expensive data overage charges unnecessarily!)

This is not only true of Wi-Fi, but also Bluetooth, GPS, and any other connections your device may be capable of making.  Each of these will use battery while it searches for connections.  If you have a great battery, you may prefer the convenience of an automatic connection.  However, if you always seem to be struggling to make it through the day without running out of battery, shutting off your Wi-Fi when you are not using it is a great way to make your battery last longer.

My Laptop's ___ Doesn't Work!

Today's tip actually comes as a result of two recent service experiences I had.  I will briefly describe both experiences:

1)  I worked on a customer's computer and returned it to him.  He called me later that day and informed me of two problems he was still having, including not having internet.  I was able to quickly diagnose the internet problem using today's tip.

2) I was called to a customer's house to work on a desktop.  While there, his wife told me her laptop's touchpad had suddenly stopped working, and she asked me to look at it.  Once again, I quickly solved the problem using today's tip.

The simple answer to both of these problems:  the wireless card and touchpad had been turned off accidentally.  (Fortunately, in both cases, I was already doing other work, so I did not have to charge either of them solely for the service call.)  Now, for the more complicated answer:

Computer manufacturers have developed a lot of switches and key combinations into their laptops that allow you to turn functions of your laptop on and off.  For example, if you are travelling a long distance and want to write some letters or crunch some numbers on a spreadsheet, you will not need to use your wireless connection.  In this case, you may want to conserve battery life by turning off power to your wireless card.  (The reason why this will help save your battery will be the subject of tomorrow's tip.)

The touchpad could be turned off because you prefer using a wireless mouse, and you have a tendency to bump the touchpad and make your pointer go crazy.  (I do this all the time!)  Other key combinations available on my laptop include shutting off the screen (if connected to an external projector or monitor), adjusting the screen's brightness, and turning the sound up and down.  Depending on your model, you may have other options.

Each of these buttons or key combinations have a legitimate purpose, but they can really mess you up if you don't realize you shut it off.  In the case of the "bad" touchpad, the person was attempting to set up a connection to an external projector at work and unknowingly hit the key for the touchpad instead because they were located right next to each other.

So, before you pay for a technician to look at your laptop because something suddenly stopped working, it would be well worth your time to see if you accidentally shut off that feature.  You may be able to find a symbol somewhere on the keyboard or near a switch that roughly represents the item that is shut off.  (In the case of a key combination, it will usually be the Fn key combined with one of the F1-F12 keys.)  If you are unsure, you can check your computer's documentation (either the print version that came with it or the copies posted online).  It is well worth a few minutes if it saves you some money.

What to Look For: Monitors/Displays

When I received my first computer back in the mid-90's, a monitor was usually included in the price of the computer.  In fact, it was usually assumed that when you purchased a new computer, you purchased a monitor to go along with it.  Now, monitors are completely separate devices.  While most manufacturers will offer to sell you a monitor with a new desktop computer, a monitor no longer comes in the package.  The assumption is that we all have one or more monitors already, and if we are happy with our current monitor, there is no need to change.

In today's tip, we will not focus on selecting a monitor.  We will instead focus on making sure that a new computer will be compatible with your current monitor and how to get the most out of your computer's display.

With phones and tablets, you have no choice of the display you receive, and you will be unable to change it.  However, remember that you can usually connect your device to an external monitor or television.  You can do this through a cable that runs from your phones miniUSB or lightening port to an HDMI or DVI port, or you can sometimes connect through a wireless device such as a Roku player.  I can actually connect my phone to the Roku player on my network and play Youtube videos from my phone on the TV.  Both the wireless and wired connections are usually easy to set up and use.

With a laptop, you are also not going to be able to change your primary display, but you often have more options for external connections.  If you are going to be considering connecting a new laptop to an external monitor, make sure your laptop has a port compatible with the monitor.  If you are interested in connecting your laptop to a television to watch movies, you will want an HDMI port.  (I will discuss these ports in the next paragraph.)

With a desktop, your choice of monitor is completely up to you.  However, if you are going to use your current monitor with a new computer, you will want to make sure the computer has a port for it.  Most new computers still have a VGA port.  While this port will not provide the best quality output, the fact that almost all monitors and computers still support it make it very useful.  Additionally, your monitor may have a DVI port or an HDMI port.  Of the two monitors that I use, one has VGA and DVI ports and the other has all three.  To determine what ports you have on your monitor, look at the back and compare it to the pictures in the links I provided.  Then, go to the manufacturer specifications for your computer and compare that to the video ports the computer has.

Finally, there may be circumstances where you will want to install a separate video card for a desktop.  Installing a video card can replace a faulty video chip built into your computer or provide additional power for processing graphics.  If you are using your computer for high-end gaming or complex graphics rendering, you will probably want to install a video card.  If you decide to purchase a video card, you will look for the necessary ports listed on the box or specifications for the card.

My Recommendations:
Phone or Tablet for Basic Use:  You are not going to be able to change your display, but if you want to connect your device to a monitor or television, check to make sure your device will be able to connect.
Basic Internet/Office Use:  Using the VGI port will provide ample quality, but you will get a crisper picture if you are able to use DVI or HDMI.  Make sure that your monitor and computer have a compatible port.
High Usage/Multitasking/Video Streaming:  I would recommend using a computer and monitor that can use either the DVI or HDMI port.  If you are going to be streaming video and want to connect to your television, make sure your computer has an HDMI port.
High-End Gaming/Video Editing and Rendering:  A high-quality video card would be a good purchase for these tasks, and DVI or HDMI capability on the video card will be important.

What to Look For: Hard Drive

The amount of hard drive space you will need in your computer is probably the most difficult topic to address when assisting with purchasing a new computer.  The hard drive is where everything in your computer is stored.  When you shut off your computer, the data in the rest of your devices is cleared and transferred to your hard drive.  In our office analogy, we said the hard drive was like the desk drawer or file cabinet.  It is where the papers are put away for safe keeping until the next time the employee is at the desk.

The amount of space you need is dependent on what you plan to do with your computer more than the computer itself.  Drives today can range from 80 Gigabytes all the way to 2 or 3 Terabytes (1 Terabyte is approximately 1000 Gigabytes).

The best way to address this issue is to look at the amount of space your data currently uses.  To do this, go to the "My Computer" window in Windows XP or Vista, the "Computer" window in Windows 7, or the "This PC" window in Windows 8.  (In XP, Vista, and 7, you can access these options from the start menu.  In Windows 8, you will need to open File Explorer from the start screen or the taskbar.

From there, right click on the drive that contains your data.  (It is usually the C: drive.)  In the menu that comes up, select properties.  You should see a pie graph in the center of the Properties window that will show you how much free space you have remaining on your drive.  Just above the pie graph, you should see the data for free space and used space on your hard drive.  This will show you approximately how much space you need for your <u>current</u> data.

However, you will obviously want to make sure that you leave ample room for new files and data.  For this reason, I recommend that you double the amount of space you are currently using to determine the minimum size you should consider.  Looking at my primary computer, I am currently using 108 GB of space on my drive.  Therefore, using my rule of thumb, I would not consider anything less than 216 GB if I were looking for a new computer.  Most computers today will come with much more, and having extra space will do little harm.

If you are planning to use your computer differently (for example, you are considering a career in photography or video production), your storage needs may change.  In this case, it would be best to speak with someone already in that field who can advise you on how much space you will need to start.  The hard drive is the easiest part of the computer to upgrade on desktops and laptops (tablets and smartphones are much more difficult), and you can also add more space through external hard drives and flash drives.

One final note about hard drives:  there is a new type of drive on the market called a solid state drive.  Traditional hard drives are prone to failure because they have many moving parts.  Solid state drives do not have moving parts, so they are less prone to failure and they also work quicker.  However, solid state drives cost a lot more than a traditional hard drive of the same capacity.  (A 250 GB traditional drive will cost in the range of $30-$40, while a 250 GB solid state drive may cost $150-$200.)  At this time, I would only recommend a solid state drive in a few special circumstances.

My Recommendations:
I do not have a specific recommendation for hard drive size because it is more dependent on your computer usage.  For phones and tablets, you are usually stuck with the size chip that they install at the factory, but most Android devices can usually be expanded with a MicroSD card.

For laptops and desktops, I would recommend a hard drive size a least 2-3 times the current space of your data.  Since traditional hard drives are relatively inexpensive, extra unused space will not be hard on your wallet.

What to Look For: RAM

Now that we have looked at how to identify different types of processors, the next important factor is RAM.  In our office example, we said that the RAM was like the desk.  Important work is placed in the RAM (on the desk) until it is needed by the processor (employee).  If you have a small desk, you will be spending a lot of time shuffling papers from the desk drawers on and off of the desk.  If you get a bigger desk, you can have a lot more paperwork on your desk at a given time.

RAM works in the same manner.  If you have a small amount of RAM, your computer will spend a lot of time shuffling data around.  If you increase the RAM, your computer will be able to store more data where it is easily accessible to the processor, and it will be able to spend less time shuffling data around.

However, there comes a point where adding more RAM is a waste of money.  The programs that you use will only need a certain amount of RAM; most programs require 2 GB or less.  While you may want more so that you can use several programs simultaneously, it is unlikely that you would need more than 4 GB unless you are using your computer for high-end gaming, complex video editing, or rendering 3-D graphics.

It is also important to note that operating systems (like Windows) come in two different categories, called architectures:  32-bit and 64-bit.  32-bit operating systems can only use around 3.25 GB of RAM, even if more is installed.  While other components on a computer can use a small amount of memory outside the operating system, you will certainly be wasting anything over 4 GB with a 32-bit operating system.  If you are looking to purchase a new computer, the manufacturer would certainly be aware of this and will put 64-bit Windows on anything with 4 GB of RAM or more, but if you are considering adding more RAM to your computer, you will want to be aware of this limit.  While 64-bit operating systems do have a theoretical limit, that limit is currently unattainable by today's technology (it is in the range of petabytes, which is 1000 terabytes or 1,000,000 gigabytes).

My Recommendations:
Phone or Tablet for Basic Use:  I would recommend at least 1 GB of RAM.  It is certainly possible to get by with less, but your device may be slower than you want.
Basic Internet/Office Use:  Since Windows Vista, 7, and 8 almost always require at least 1 GB of RAM (with the exception of a couple versions of Vista), I would recommend that any computer you consider have at least 2 GB to ensure there is ample space for other programs.  Choosing a computer with 4 GB might be advisable if you can stay within your budget.
High Usage/Multitasking/Video Streaming:  I would recommend 4 GB.  You may see a slight improvement in speed if you choose a computer with 8 GB, but I would not consider this upgrade a high priority.
High-End Gaming/Video Editing and Rendering:  8 GB to 16 GB of RAM would be recommended for these tasks.  You will also want to consider a separate graphics card, which will include additional RAM that will be dedicated to producing the images on your screen (more on that later in the week).