Monday, July 31, 2017

Hot off the presses

Ok, maybe not hot or on presses but the info is decent.
Click here or at the top to get the handout sheets. They cover a range of information from basic computer literacy to some photoshop and a bunch of Microsoft stuff too.
Over the next few weeks I'll be updating the sheets with more current info. I just wanted to make it easier to get a hold of the sheets I make. Use them as you like, just give me a bit of credit. Thanks

Go on, learn something new!

Image found here

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Use this app, maybe save a kid

If you're going to be traveling or just a frequent flier of hotels, grab this app. It has a real potential to do a lot of good. Grab the app, Apple and Android Basically, stay at a hotel, snap 4 photos of the room. That's it. They only take the photos and GPS to verify your photo's location. Then they use the apps info against sex trafficking ads on the net. They match them up and call law enforcement.

Help someones kiddo get help

Do it now. Be a good doobie.

No, serious.
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Go on.

Friday, May 27, 2016

The skimmers have hit the fan!

According to Geek.com, a site I follow, skimmers are making their way inside stores. This is pretty frightening stuff! If you hadn't heard, skimmers, a fake looking panel put over the keypad at the ATMs, are used to grab all of your financial data. I have been talking about these for several years and the situation has only gotten worse. They have got to a point, that they are indistinguishable from the real parts of the ATM. Typically these are all outside units or in places that aren't secure. Finding them inside means any financial technology (ATMs, credit card terminals, ...) that you use is suspect. The worst is that there really isn't anything to do other than monitor your accounts closely or set up safeguards or alerts. I, for example, setup my Bank's app alerts for all sorts of activity. See what your bank has to offer to make your stuff more secure.

Via Geek

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Come on by!

Here's the details for the next eBay class:

Selling on eBay with Shane Sher: Thursday, May 26 at 6:00 p.m.
Everyone making millions but you?  Need to offload the contents of your basement? Learn the basics of selling on eBay and discuss how to handle transactions effectively and safely. Also learn some tips on shipping, feedback, and much more in this free class.

Who is the fastest?

Netflix just put out a speed test to measure your current speed. It's as simple of a site as there is. Go to Fast.com and it starts immediately.

Once you have the a number, you can find out what that number actually means in this quick explainer.

Remember, your internet service provider usually guarantees some base speed. Check to see if your's is at least above that number and give 'em a call to complain if not.

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

A Long Time Ago in a Galaxy Far Far Away

The other day I looked at my Mac's screen saver and thought, I can do better. About 20 minutes later I found a few runner-ups but my clear favorite is the StarWarsScroll from KillerRobots. It is everything I want in a "way too nerdy" sort of way. Basically, it's the Star Wars crawl you see in the beginning of the movie, set against a background of stars. It even has the logo and the famous text in blue. The great part is they have every crawl from every thing that has ever had one, like Clone Wars or some barely known special.You can turn any of them off or on and choose the crawls you like. None of it looks pixelly or fuzzy.
So, if you need to upgrade your screensaver, try out StarWarsScroll.

Note: The above screensaver is Mac only.

A runner-up, Screenstagram - Grabs your feed from Instagram. Pretty cool!

Friday, April 22, 2016

Google Alerts makes me sad

For years, I have recommended Google Alerts to students for keeping track of everything from subjects you care about to seeing where your name has popped up on the net. Unfortunately, Google has let Alerts languish and now it only seems to work sporadically.

So I need a replacement to monitor information. Enter TalkWalker Alerts, a free service that looks very similar to Google Alerts. In fact, it's so similar, it will take you all of two minutes to figure out how to use it. Basically, throw in your search and decide on where the info comes from (News, blogs, everything...) and how it will be delivered to you.(Once a day or when it happens) I prefer not to get emails, so instead I use their global RSS feed which is linked to all my alerts and I can use it in my favorite RSS reader, I'm looking at you Feedly.

A few notes when setting up your alerts.

  • Use quotes to specify that you want both of these words found in the search. Example:"Shane Sher" 
  • Sometimes, adding a location can filter out results that are not relevant. Example "Shane Sher" Massachusetts
  • If you are getting unwanted info in your alert, use the minus sign and parentheses to remove certain keywords Example: "Shane Sher" Massachusetts -(Cher,Sherwood,Alan Ladd)