Facebook Home Initially Disappointing; Will Evolve

Facebook Home In Early Stages

Facebook recently released a new kind of app called Facebook Home, and the reviews are lackluster so far. But if the tech giant's history proves to be any indicator of long-term success, this is just the beginning of a long relationship with the software.


Facebook Home, launched April 12, 2013, promised to turn the user's phone into an all-in-one social hub with pictures, live updates, and easier chatting with Facebook friends. But reviews over the days since its launch have not been favorable. Complaints frequently mention how much battery the app consumes, though many people seem hopeful to use it if certain features were included. The likely reason behind this reception is the choice of phones that Facebook chose to support the app.

The phones that support it so far are high-end Android smartphones like the Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Note II. The people using the app so far are more concerned with bleeding-edge functionality than a much larger user-base would be. Early media reports on Home's "Failure to Launch" seem to ignore the limited user base that it has been released to.

Facebook has been working on better integrating user feedback into their designs, after having gained a reputation for inconsiderate and abrupt homepage redesigns. Their latest site redesign therefore focused on usability and good design. Home only achieves the latter, but is clearly hoping to improve its product based on the less-than-congratulatory reviews online.

The official Facebook app has had almost 7 million installs, customers which Facebook is no doubt looking to convert to the new Facebook Home app, so it makes sense that they would polish the app on high-end devices before releasing it to a broader user base. As always, computer repair experts and Nerds look forward to seeing where this trend is headed - Facebook never does anything small!

Image from Facebook

Smart Mobile Games for Kids to Download

Smart Mobile Games for Kids

Anyone stuck in line at the grocery store with a cranky toddler can’t deny the sweet nirvana to be had by simply handing over your Smartphone or iPod Touch.  But what happens when you discover that little Sammy has been playing Angry Birds Star Wars instead of practicing early reading skills with Bob Books?  Luckily, many games that aren’t classified as educational can impart some great skills, all in the course of fun.  Here are some of the surprising skills my son has picked up from games he really shouldn’t have been playing.


First things first: before you hand off your mobile device, protect it from the all-too-fast fingers of your little one.  Despite your inevitable distraction in the checkout aisle, don’t allow your kid to play completely unattended and do ensure they don’t launch something inappropriate for their age.  Besides the obvious benefits of a sturdy case, don’t forget to activate some parental restrictions.  If nothing else, turn off in-app purchases so you don’t end up with a nasty surprise on your next credit card bill.  Turn off WiFi and/or put your phone in airplane mode to quickly limit exploring and buying.

For more on how to activate parental restrictions on tablets, see our previous article: http://www.callnerds.com/parental-tablet-control-press/.  The process for activating restrictions on an iPhone is similar to the process described for iPads.

Real Racing 2 by EA Mobile (iOS $4.99, Android $5.88): My 4 year old actually knows how to use a steering wheel thanks to this game.  You hold the handheld device like a steering wheel and tilt it right to turn right, left to turn left.  Eliminating button controls makes it realistic enough that my little guy has been able to translate his gaming practice into real life steering skills.  He’s learned the importance of subtle movements over sharp jerks.  Surprisingly, this has translated into an uncanny ability to get around in a Hot Wheels Jeep.  He can steer around obstacles without batting an eye and perform a three point turn with more precision than I can.

Disclaimer: The most recent version, Real Racing 3, is plagued by incessant prompts to spend money on in-app game upgrades and will actually disable gameplay if you don’t.

Scribblenauts Remix by Warner Bros. (iOS and Android, $.99): While I expected my kid to practice spelling with the many reading and phonic apps I’ve installed, none were as motivating as a game that has little to do with spelling skills.  You type in words to make things appear in the cartoon world on the screen, either to play with or to complete challenges.  For example, the main cartoon character may appear on screen with a tree and a star at the top of the tree.  The goal is to get the star.  Players can summon a chainsaw to take the tree down, a ladder to climb the tree, a jetpack to fly up to the star… you get the idea.

It’s the creative possibilities linked with the necessity that you spell a word to get the desired thing to appear that really got my little guy working on sounding out words.  While “dragon” became a quick addition to his word arsenal, he also had to learn modifiers to make it just right (such as “big black flying dragon”).

Disclaimer: this game is open-ended in its allowance of creativity which can lead to cartoon violence, particularly when your kid starts spelling gun, sword and ninja.

Angry Birds by Rovio Entertainment (many versions for all mobile OS):  The flying birds and mocking pigs seem mindless and silly, but there’s actually some fundamental physics skills being formed when you launch those Angry Birds. Most notably, users are unwittingly learning the basic physics of trajectory, momentum and gravity.  My kid quickly grasped that what goes up will come down, but where depends on how hard and high you throw it.  I’ve seen him work out similar dynamics when tossing a ball.  Thankfully no pigs are harmed in the process when it’s done out of game.

World of Goo by 2D Boy (iOS and Android, $4.99): While it may have you hooked with its addictive, open-ended gameplay, this beautifully rendered game will make your kid think creatively to overcome challenges.  Use squirmy, chatty globs of goo to construct structures, bridges, cannonballs, and much more, all the while learning about basic engineering and structural integrity.

Even “platform” games that seem mindless like Mega Run, Jetpack Joyride, Ham Run, and Wind-Up Knight are great for reflexes – they require the player to jump or tilt the screen at just the right time to avoid obstacles, or reason through the right series of moves to achieve an objective.  It also takes tenacity and perseverance to keep trying when met with defeat time and again.

So before you beat yourself up about using your mobile sanity-saver on your next car trip, know that even the more “mindless” games are often helping to develop some surprising skills.

 

The Best Way to Choose a Computer Monitor Part 1

Choose a Computer Monitor to Fit Your Needs - Part 1

Your computer’s monitor can make or break your ability to work comfortably, enjoy high quality media and efficiently manage multiple processes simultaneously.   Yet many users choose their monitor based on what’s included in a package deal, or opt for the largest screen available within their budget.  While size does matter, there are several other factors to consider before choosing the screen you’ll be staring at for hours on end.


Before you get seduced by a 32” widescreen behemoth, keep in mind that the screen will likely be a few feet away from your face.  Make sure your desk big enough to handle that much viewing area without overwhelming your available space.

Remember when mom and dad warned you not to sit too close to the TV because it would hurt your eyes and give you a headache?   Sitting too close to a screen that’s a smidge too large may lead to eye strain.  If you’re going to be using the system for work and surfing the net, most find that 21-29” is ideal, depending on the distance between the screen and chair afforded by your desk.

There are additional factors that become more important when you increase the size of your screen.  Resolution (how many pixels there are on the screen) and pixel pitch (the distance between pixels) are the primary determinants of image clarity.  Think of pixels as tiny boxes that change color in order to formulate an image.  The more pixels per square inch on the screen, the sharper the image.  A low resolution on a large screen will equate to blurry image.  Smaller pixel pitch offers higher clarity.

The graphics card in your computer determines the quality of information that is sent to your monitor and the speed at which it’s delivered.  An older or low-end graphics card paired with a new, top-of-the-line monitor will decrease the monitor’s performance and compromise the clarity of image produced on the screen.  This means that most basic PC owners won’t get the full value of a super high resolution, large screen monitor without upgrading their computer’s graphics processing capabilities.

If you’re upgrading your monitor but not your PC, check the connection ports on your graphics card.  Digital Visual Interface (DVI) used to be very commonplace, but more monitors are dropping them in favor of High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connections.  Both support the data transfer required to watch high definition video, but DVI cables have pins that can get bent, require a separate audio connection for sound (HDMI transmits graphics and sound together) and lack default support for HDCP encryption (which may limit your ability to watch all HD content or blu-ray disks).  You can purchase a DVI to HDMI adapter, but it’s best to go with a monitor that offers multiple connection options.

DisplayPort connections are considered to be "up and coming."  They have a higher bandwidth (meaning they can transfer a larger “packet” of data at once) than DVI and HDMI.  These may be significant in the future, but haven’t taken off yet so don't worry if your monitor-of-choice doesn't support DisplayPort.

It’s very important to consider warranty when purchasing a monitor.  Most issues will be present right away, or appear within the first few months of use.  Make sure the monitor you choose has at least a 90-day, money back guarantee and a return policy free of restocking fees.  Parts-and-labor coverage should continue for another two to three years.  Read the fine print to confirm that there is coverage for the backlight and defective pixels.

Not all LCDs are created equal.  Stay tuned next week for all you need to know about different LCD options and new monitor technology like touchscreen and 3D capabilities.

Smartphone Driving Apps

Smartphone Driving Apps - The Best Out There

You certainly shouldn't ever use your phone to text while you're driving, and making calls is possible with Bluetooth but risky. However, there's no reason to turn off your Smartphone all the way while you're driving. USA Today reports on a few apps that make using a Smartphone in the car practical. Our computer repair Nerds checked them out so they could give you the scoop on Smartphone driving apps.


All Inclusive:  The first and one of the most full-featured is Waze. Waze has been making big ripples on the grid for a while now, even being featured in the recent Facebook Home launch. The app allows you to connect with other drivers sharing the same stretch of roads as you, while simultaneously being an excellent navigation tool, complete with maps. But the coolest feature is the ability to get exclusive traffic reports created by other Waze users. If another Waze user (or Wazer) sees a road hazard, police officer, or other relevant information, they can report it to the service and others in the area can take heed. The app also allows chatting between users, although you'd better let the person in the passenger seat take care of that responsibility! It's available for free for iPhone and Android

City Minded:  The next app is a bit more city-driving-focused. It's called ParkMe, and it does what its name promises. It will find you the closest and cheapest parking in the area, and shows you what's available right now. The prices will appear on a map and you can choose to navigate to the best one for you. It's free for both Android and iPhone

And if you have an iPhone and park in metered areas more often, Honk will allow you to check time remaining on your meter and provide directions back to your car when the time is up.

Performance in Mind:  All of these apps are great and can enhance your driving experience. But there's one more that blows the rest of the apps out of the water. We didn't include it at the top since there's a bit of a price attached: $69.95. It's called Automatic, and the price is actually for a hardware dongle that connects to your car's computer. It will work with just about any car sold in the US since 1996, but it upgrades it to a luxury car. Not only does it have a GPS app built in, but the link hardware lets you know how to drive better. It tells you when you brake roughly, speed, or accelerate too rapidly. Tweaking your driving can take hundreds off your gas bill. On top of that, it will call 911 if you're in a crash, saving precious time or possibly saving your life. And when that "check engine" light comes on, it will report what the status code means and tell you exactly how to fix it. If you can't fix it yourself, it will also locate nearby mechanics. If the problem is just the check engine light, you can turn off the light within the app. On top of all this, it automatically detects where you parked and can guide you back. If you share a car with someone, both of you can put the app on your phone and can coordinate car sharing from within it.

 

Make Money Online… No, Really

If I tell you that you can make money using the Internet without leaving your PJs, you’d probably expect me to continue with a sob story about a Nigerian prince or sell you a training course to be a stay-at-home medical transcriptionist. While “get-rich-quick” schemes abound, there do exist some legitimate portals to make a small but potentially steady income online.


Unfortunately, there are far more scams than there are legitimate avenues of income. Beware of any offer that requires you to supply a credit card, pay for “training,” or fork over a membership fee. Avoid doing a Google search for “make money online,” unless you want to test your ability to sniff out a shyster.

If you’re crafty: Do you have a talent for crafting something beautiful, delicious or unique? Etsy (www.etsy.com) is one of the most well known sites for talented and creative folks to sell their handcrafted gems. While the pool of fellow crafty sellers is large and joining the fray may be intimidating, Etsy attracts a huge following of potential buyers who are in the market for handmade goodies. From clothing (sewn, knitted, etc) to stationary to art and much more, anything you lovingly create can find a buyer at Etsy. There’s no membership fee. It’s $.20 to list an item for four months or until it sells and a 3.5% fee charged on the sale price, but it’s hard to argue with the exposure you can gain from their community of 15 million users. It’s got a classier feel than eBay and users trust that the products will be as advertised so you don’t have to mess with bidding or micromanaging your reviews to create credibility – just produce a high quality product and get it to buyers in a timely manner.

If you’re a know-it-all: Whether it’s professional expertise or just that you just know a lot about a lot of things, you can get paid for answering questions submitted through Just Answer (www.justanswer.com). Simply complete an online application and online profile, take a test to qualify your skill set and verify your credentials. Categories range from those you’d expect (legal, medical, technology, relationships, etc) to more diverse (dream interpretation, clock repair, etc). You can even request that a new category be created to accommodate your special branch of knowledge. Users submit questions and offer a value for the answer. If you successfully answer the question, the money offered by the submitter is credited to your “Expert earnings account.” Once your account has more than $20 in it you can cash out via PayPal.

If you have a quirky talent: Can you draw quick cartoons from any joke? Make up catchy jingles on a whim? Speak fluent pig latin? Offer up your services on fiverr (www.fiverr.com) for – you guessed it - $5 a pop.

If you have more time than money: You can do a bunch of odd jobs paying a few cents to a few dollars per task through Amazon Mechanical Turk (www.mturk.com). They call it “Artificial Artificial Intelligence.” Some examples of available jobs are classifying or tagging images, translations, categorizing statements, reviewing and reporting how you feel about a web site or product, and basic data entry. The list of HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks) is long though the rewards are small. The idea is that if you do enough small tasks it can add up to a more lucrative reward to offset your Amazon shopping habit. Do a good job and you can earn qualifications that will allow you to accept more advanced (and theoretically higher paying) jobs. Just browse their extensive library tasks that you think you can handle, submit your work and if the requestor approves your submission money is automatically deposited into your Amazon Payments account.

If you’re sure that your opinion matters: While taking online surveys certainly won’t make you rich, you can at least avoid the “secret shopper” scams via MindField Online (http://mindfieldonline.com). Their site doesn’t specify how much you should expect to earn per survey, only that once you’ve collected $5 you can request a payout via check, paypal or via Amazon Cashout. Members are invited to participate in surveys via email based on their qualifications so you have to wait for them to contact you with an offer. Survey participants are also automatically entered into drawings for cash and prizes.

Finally, if you have a skill, marketable service (pet sitting? Office organization?), or are available for rent (setting up for a party? Running errands?), consider listing yourself through a local online network such as Craigslist.

Facts about Google Fiber

Facts About Google Fiber - the internet service to rule them all

There's nothing Nerds love more than fast internet access everywhere, so that's why we've been excited to follow Google Fiber. They've just announced they'll be expanding to a new city, so we thought we'd take the time to share a little bit about the service with you.

Google Fiber is a project by Google to implement a fiber-optic network throughout an entire city, providing high-speed internet access anywhere. Google offers three options for people fortunate enough to be in one of the few cities where the network is implemented.


The first option is free, following Google's usual approach to their products. There's a one-time $300 construction fee to hook up the network to your house, but after that it's free. The speed of this plan is five megabits a second, which is just below the average internet speed in America. You can't beat free!

The second option is $70 a month, with no construction fee. The speed of this option clocks in at one gigabit a second, more than ten times faster than the average internet speed. It also comes with a one terabyte Google Drive, which will allow you to store and access your files from any of your devices using the Google Drive service.

The most expensive option includes television service as well, and comes with two terabytes of DVR storage, as well as a Nexus 7 Tablet. It costs $120 a month.

As enticing as these options are however, the service is only available in a few cities at the time of writing. The first, Kansas City, was installed in July of 2012. Since then Google has announced that they will expand the service to Olathe, Kansas; Austin, Texas; and Provo, Utah.

The choice of these cities was decided by an online selection process, but some cities took their plea to the next level. Greenville, South Carolina used people holding glowsticks to spell out "Google," visible from the sky. Topeka, Kansas temporarily renamed itself "Google," and an island in Sarasota, Florida was renamed "Google Island."

Nerds are excited to see this hyper-fast internet, as well as free internet spread over the world. And we like to see  using their computers more. After all, more people with computers means more people will need computer repair!

Teen Facebook Usage Declining

Facebook Usage Declining Among Teens

If you use Facebook to keep tabs on what your kids are doing, you may need to resort to more traditional methods…like talking. A report released by Piper Jaffray shows that while Facebook is still the most popular social network for teens, its usage has declined steeply in the last year –by nine percent.


This comes as no surprise in the web world – after all Myspace, once the king of social networking, turned into a wasteland after the hype had worn off. In addition, the site’s popularity has driven everyone to it – including those people that teens may have joined the site to escape from. Whereas the site used to be a haven for young people to congregate, the site has become ubiquitous and it’s hard to find any semblance of privacy. And with many more of the older population boarding the site, teens may be opting not to just ignore the friend requests from their friend’s mom, but to abandon the site altogether.

According to the Jaffray study, teens are moving to a greater number of more highly specialized social sites like Instagram, Reddit, and Twitter. These services focus less on promoting personal details and more on chronicling life events. Twitter for example allows teens to briefly express their emotions or thoughts, and Instagram allows them to capture their life in photos, without all the “other stuff” Facebook comes with. Reddit is a popular site for sharing memes, interacting with celebrities, and discussing news relevant to the users’ interests.

Also according to the study were some interesting facts about teen internet usage: almost 80% of all teenagers shop online – spending almost a fifth of their money on the internet. Three quarters of them prefer online shopping over store-based shopping, a trend which will bring significant economic effects as the generation gains more buying power.

And in order to access this vast web, nearly 91% of teens will buy smartphones for their next wireless device – 60% will buy an iPhone and 21% an Android.

With all this activity happening with the younger generation, it can be hard for parents to keep up. It can be overwhelming to keep up with all the different websites. So perhaps instead of trying to stalk our kids on every website they have a login for, we parents should just spend more time getting to know them – that’s a method that’s sure to work regardless of the social networks they frequent!

Facebook Account Hacked? Don't Panic.

Facebook Account Hacked? Fix it now!

Anyone who's received a message from a friend's Facebook account urging them to click a link or “like” a page to "Win a Free iPad" or "Get a Free Starbucks Gift Card" knows that social media sites are prime targets for spam and data mining.  What do you do if it's YOUR account that's doing the spamming?

As soon as you discover that your account has been compromised, report it to Facebook at www.facebook.com/hacked.  Enter your password and follow the instructions to reinstate the account in your name.  You'll need to identify yourself, either through your e-mail address, phone number, Facebook user name or your name and the name of one or more of your friends.


Once you're back in control, reset your Facebook password.  Click on the little button at the top right-hand corner that looks like a gear and then choose Account Settings.  Facebook recommends that you change your password regularly (aim for every few months) to stay secure.

Choose a robust password: 7-10 digits in length, with a mix of numbers, symbols, upper-case and lower-case letters.  Be sure to change passwords on any other accounts that may have been compromised (like your email, Twitter, etc).  It’s particularly risky to use the same password across multiple accounts.  If your Facebook password is compromised, the hacker would be able to take control of your linked email account if you use the same password for both accounts.  This would allow him or her to find other logins that you have tied to that email, submit “forgot my password” reset requests and gain access to other your accounts like banking, shopping, etc.

Consider using a password management service like LastPass (www.lastpass.com, free for basic) that will create unique passwords for all your accounts and control your logins so you never have to type your username or password into a site again.

Now you need to determine how your account was compromised and plug any security holes.  The most likely culprit is a rogue app that you installed, possibly without realizing you were doing so.  For example, if you click a link to “Win a free iPad” posted (probably unwittingly) to your friend’s wall, you’ll be prompted to install an app or provide personal information in order to “register for the contest.”  Every time you approve a Facebook app you give it permissions.  This can range from access to your friends list, the ability to post to your wall, even personal information tied to your account (like your email account, linked cell phone number, etc).

To review your installed apps, click the little gear icon again and choose Privacy Settings.  Do a quick scan here to make sure your privacy settings haven’t been changed to public.  Then click on Apps in the menu bar on the left side of your screen.

Remove apps that you don’t recognize or no longer use by clicking on the X to the right of the app’s name.  For those you choose to keep, click on the name of the app to review what information the app can access and choose who sees its posts and/or notifications.  Change any visibility settings that are set to “Public” to “Friends” or “Only Me.”

Next, notify your friends that your account was compromised.  Let them know that they shouldn’t trust anything posted by your account or messages sent to them “from you” within the period that your account was out of your control.  Particularly avoid clicking links posted by your account.  If you found an app that you suspect was the culprit, let them know to check their installed apps and remove the offender.

Finally, review the information and resources provided by Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/safety/tools/ for tips to keep your account secure.

Andrea Eldridge is CEO of Nerds On Call, which offers onsite computer and laptop repair to homeowners and small businesses. Based in Redding, Calif., it has locations in five states. Contact Eldridge at www.callnerds.com/andrea.

 

Read the Facts about Facebook Bullying

Some Facts about Facebook Bullying and Social Network Abuse

Cyberbullying is a topic on the minds of most parents with Internet-using youngsters.  That’s just about all parents, by the way - 95% of all teens age 12-17 are now online.  But online harassment doesn’t just affect kids and teens.  A recent study in the UK found that 8 out of 10 workers surveyed at several UK universities had been harassed online in the last six months (most commonly being humiliated, ignored or gossiped about online).  Many researchers suggest a link between the relative anonymity of comments posted online as well as the lack of social cues inherent in non-visual communication with a rise in cyberbullying on social media networks.


According to research compiled by the non-profit organization Pew Internet (http://pewinternet.org), participation in social media networks like Facebook and Twitter is greater than ever.  A whopping 80% of internet users aged 12-17, 83% of internet-using young adults (age 18-29) and 77% of internet users age 30-49 use social networking sites.  While the majority of social media users report that “people are mostly kind” on social media (85% of social network using adults and 69% of teens aged 12-17), more teens report unfriendly experiences.  When polled by Pew Internet Project researchers, 5% of adults reported people are mostly unkind vs. 20% of teens.

Among social media using teens, 88% have seen someone be mean or cruel to another person on a social media site.  Of those, 90% of teens who witnessed online cruelty say they have ignored it, 35% reporting that they do so frequently.

Many studies have shown that anonymity increases the likelihood that people will behave badly.  A famous 1950s experiment by Yale professor Robert Milgram instructed study participants deliver supposedly increasingly painful electric shocks to “students” (actually actors) when they answered memory questions incorrectly.  The study was meant to show that everyday people can be influenced to bad behavior when instructed to do so by someone in a position of authority.  What it also showed is that those that couldn’t see victims were more likely to give potentially lethal doses of electric shock.

 

This science can be applied to online interactions.  Even people who know each other are more inclined to be rude, hurtful or thoughtless when they aren’t face-to-face.  In an interview with Health magazine, Lenox Hill Hospital’s clinical psychologist Alan Manevitz, M.D. explained, “There’s a freedom of speech without a fear of consequences.” (http://news.health.com/2012/08/02/troll-psychology-mean-internet/).  It doesn’t help that humans usually respond to visual cues like body language, gestures and facial expressions as well as tone of voice when placing comments in context.  This can lead to online comments being read and interpreted as more aggressive or threatening than intended and cause recipients to respond in kind.

One in four teens reports they are “cell-mostly” internet users, using a phone to access the internet more often than a standard computer.  Internet use on mobile handheld devices increases the likelihood your teen may become involved in cyberbullying.  When there was only one portal to the internet – the family computer – it was easier for parents to monitor their kid’s online activities.  Not only could parents more readily observe where their kid was spending his time online, they could watch for signs their child was being harassed and more easily ensure that their teen wasn’t participating in treating others poorly.  Mobile devices allow teens to be more often online unsupervised.

There’s also a certain “pack mentality” to social media interactions.  A surprising 21% of social media-using teens admitted to joining in when they witnessed online cruelty.  All of this can make Facebook and Twitter a potentially dangerous place for those with shaky self-esteem (you know, just about every teenager) or frankly anyone without a very thick skin.

Luckily, the structure of Facebook at least ties comments to a poster’s profile which removes some of the anonymity.  Publicly acknowledging harassment is often all it takes to cause a bully or someone making unkind comments to back off.  The psychological drive behind a bully is often a desire to feel power over a potential victim.  Politely but firmly telling them to back off is an important first step.

However, before you respond with anger to a comment or status update posted online, take a breather.  Try to imagine yourself in a room with the person and what it would feel like to say it to their face.  If that scenario makes you uncomfortable, better wait until you’re calm and reply with grace.

Finally, I know we’ve said it before (ok, a lot), but talk to your kids about their social media experiences.  Set rules about when they can use social media and under what terms, make sure that they limit their interactions to only close friends and family, and monitor their account privacy settings to ensure that they don’t get in over their heads.

If you or someone you know is struggling with online and/or social network harassment, drop me a note for more tips to combat cyberbullying.

Want to Control Privacy Online? Read this

Control Privacy Online With These Tips

Typing your own name into Google may prove an eye-opening experience.  Even if your personal information isn't easily accessible, your computer may be sharing information about your habits, preferences and activities that you'd prefer to remain private.  Here's how to keep a lid on what your computer shares about you with strangers.

Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have the right to change their privacy options at will and some exercise this right regularly (I'm talking to you, Facebook).  Even if you meticulously reviewed each setting when you activated your account, system updates can change default settings, or add new rules that effect posts.  The only way to make sure you aren't "over-sharing" is to regularly review your account's privacy settings in detail.  Aim to do a thorough audit every six months.

More information about how to audit your Facebook privacy settings can be found here: http://www.callnerds.com/control-facebook/.


The main option for Twitter users to consider is if you want to leave your account public (so that any Twitter user can see your posts) or make it private by selecting “Protect my Tweets” via the account settings menu.  If you check the box, future Tweets will only be visible to people you approve to follow you.  While you’re here, click the box next to “Always use HTTPS” to connect securely whenever possible.

AdjustYourPrivacy (http://adjustyourprivacy.com/) is a free resource that provides a collection of links that allow you to update the privacy settings on each of your major accounts, from YouTube to Yahoo.  This saves you hunting through each site manually for their privacy settings page and offers a great way to ensure that you don’t forget any of the accounts you have floating out on the web.  Their tools also allow you to conduct a detailed search to find out what information about you is publicly available.  It even offers suggestions for ways to beef up your privacy and keep it under control.

Don’t forget that apps you install on Facebook have access to your personal information, regardless of if you are using them actively.  Many can post to your Twitter feed, access your LinkedIn data or connect to your email, and it’s difficult to limit an application’s permissions individually.  MyPermissions (http://mypermissions.org/) can automatically scan your apps permissions so that you can choose which ones to ditch and it will send you alerts when applications obtain access to your private information.

If you’d prefer to audit your Facebook apps manually, click on App Center (left of your Newsfeed), then choose My Apps (at the bottom).  Delete using the X button that appears when you hover your cursor over one, or modify how the application interacts with your Home Page by clicking on Settings under each one.

The last time you were surfing the web, did you notice that advertisements seemed eerily targeted toward you?  Your internet navigation is most likely being tracked.  DuckDuckGo (http://fixtracking.com/) offers a tracking-free search engine, or links to add-ons for your favorite browser that block third-party trackers.  It also provides detailed instructions on how to adjust your Internet Explorer options to prevent websites from accessing your location information.

Deleting old accounts where you've stored personal information is a great idea, but can be harder than you might think.  AccountKiller (www.accountkiller.com) provides links and instructions to make account termination easy for all major websites around the Internet.  Before opening a new account, check their "whitelist" and "blacklist."  Those on the "blacklist" make deleting your profile very difficult should you ever want to do so in the future.  A few surprising sites to make the blacklist: Fox Sports, CNN, Starbucks and Whole Foods.  Who knew?

 

 

Spring Clean your Computer and Improve Boot Time

Improve Boot Time with Tips From Our Nerds

One of the most common questions I get from customers, family and friends alike is how to improve system start up time.  When your system was new it probably felt like you were able to boot up and get working at record speed.  Over time, as you install more programs and maybe collect a few malware programs, system boot up can take longer and longer.

Fully powering off your computer when you’re done using it for the day is a good idea - it saves energy and reduces hardware degradation.  But it may leave you feeling like you could make yourself a cup of coffee (or bake a batch of muffins) while waiting for your system to start up.  Before you resolve to leave your system in perpetual hibernation, here are a few things to try to speed up your PC’s boot time:

1. Run an anti-malware program. Viruses and spyware wreck all manner of havoc on your PC.  They cause it to run slowly, generate errors and even sometimes crash.  These programs run malicious code that hijacks your computer and forces your system to divert resources from what you want it to do (start up) to what the malware program wants your system to do (run the malicious code first and foremost).


Make sure that you first download any necessary virus definition updates. While your anti-virus program should be downloading and installing updates automatically, it doesn’t hurt to open the program and check for updates just to be certain.  If you don’t have an up to date anti-virus program, Windows users should consider Microsoft Security Essentials (www.microsoft.com/security/pc-security), a free program that will run automatically and scan for all types of malware.

2. Stop extraneous programs from launching automatically at start up. Every time you install software on your computer, whether its iTunes, Quicken or your new printer’s installation disk, the program’s default installation instructions typically direct your computer to launch the application whenever your system starts up.  From that point on, the program runs in the background, ready and waiting should you choose to launch it or run an associated function that it could “help with.”

This can have advantages – it’d be annoying to have to launch your printer software manually every time you want to print something.  If your printer software starts up when you boot up your computer, it’s ready and waiting to print whenever you click the printer icon.  Unfortunately, the more tasks your system has to start before you can get working, the longer you have to wait for your computer to be functional.

Review the programs that your computer is starting and running automatically every time you boot up by going to Start – Run – and typing msconfig in the small window that appears (the command line is “Open:”).  This launches a window titled System Configuration.  Select the tab titled Startup to see a list of the applications set to auto-start.  Before you start un-checking boxes, be cautious.  Sometimes necessary functions are listed in terms that are difficult to recognize and turning them off can break things you want to work automatically (like your bluetooth mouse or your printer) or worse, cause your Operating System not to load properly.

Stick to obvious programs that you would prefer to launch by hand when you want them instead of running constantly.  Some examples would be music or editing software (like Roxio, Spotify, or Photoshop), iTunes (provided you’re ok with having to launch iTunes manually when you want to sync your iOS device), software that came pre-installed by Dell, Sony or HP that you can’t easily uninstall (like their integrated remote support software), etc.  It’s best to err on the side of caution than to get too hasty un-checking boxes.

3. Consider installing more RAM. Determine how much RAM your system has installed and how much it can support using a tool such as the “System Scanner Tool” on Crucial’s website (www.crucial.com/systemscanner/loader.aspx).  Most Windows 7 users that surf the net and do basic document management functions should be served by 4GB of RAM, but if your system can support more I’ve never had anyone complain that their system runs too fast.”  If you regularly edit videos or run a lot of applications simultaneously, you should consider 8 to 12GB, or maximizing the amount that your system can support.

 

Windows Blue Details - What to expect

Windows Blue - Big Changes to 8 Ahead?

If you’re using Windows 8, you’re about to get a big upgrade. In June, Microsoft will roll out some big changes (Windows Blue) to their operating system that will significantly help the user. While it’s not available for download yet, a development version was leaked on the internet and us Nerds have had the time to check it out and analyze the features.

Refined Metro UI:  The first improvements come on the surface. Most of the tweaks to the operating system are refining the metro UI, and not the base of the operating system itself. The upgrade, nicknamed Windows Blue, adds the ability to make the home screen tiles smaller. It also allows you to change color options, including primary and accent colors.


IE 11:  Internet Explorer 11 is getting a new download manager as well as the ability to sync your tabs across all your devices, a feature pioneered and standardized by Mozilla and Google. However, Microsoft has expanded this experience to the start screen as well as your paired devices, like headsets or mice.  That means if you have a Windows 8 desktop, tablet, and phone, you can keep your experience the same.

Quiet Hours:  You’ll also have the ability to set quiet hours for the notification center, a feature common on Android phones. Many of Microsoft’s improvements to this operating system focus on making a unified user experience – that is, people using Windows 8 will be able to recognize their content no matter which device they are using.

In A Snap:  On the desktop and tablet side, Windows Blue is also getting improved snapping options. You’ll be able to snap at ¼, ¾, as well as ½ in both directions. Previous versions only had two snapping options. This upgrade allows for more efficient multi-tasking.

Aside from cosmetics, Windows Blue offers mostly security updates, but also adds four new apps: an alarm, a sound recorder, a calculator, and a video trimmer. All have very basic functionality but will likely evolve with the operating system, as this version is a very early test version.

When the final upgrade rolls out in June, expect to see a lot more features!  Which makes us computer repair Nerds very happy!

 

About Facebook Home - The Next Big Thing

All About Facebook Home

Facebook has taken one of the requisite steps to becoming an established software company – their first into the world of hardware.

While it isn’t the Facebook phone that had been rumored for a few months, it’s close. It’s called “Facebook Home” and it’s a piece of software that comes on a phone manufactured by HTC, called the “First.” The app will also be available to download on other android phones.


The app itself is essentially a Facebook operating system that provides a suite of apps and new features to the android operating system. The most touted feature of the app is the cover feed, which sets itself as your device’s “screen saver.” It displays things such as photos and statuses that your friends have posted whenever you glance at your phone. Whenever you receive a notification while using your phone, a message pops up on the screen in the form of a floating box. You can respond to the notification without leaving the app you’re using. The same feature applies to chats: when you receive a message from a friend, a bubble with their face on it and a message appears. You’ll be able to turn Home off at any time though, in case you’re lending your phone or don’t want to be disturbed.

In addition, the software will connect to apps that also connect to Facebook. The apps Spotify, Pandora, and Instagram are some of the most popular apps used by Facebook users.

In Canada, Facebook is testing free calls through its messenger app when the phone is connected to wifi, and can already send SMS messages through the service. No word as if to these will be available upon release.

The HTC First is sold exclusively through AT&T for $450 or $99 with a contract and ships on April 10. The Facebook Home app will be available to download on April 12.  There’s no tablet version, but Facebook has said that it’s working on a version for android tablets. Facebook Home is not compatible with iOS devices.

This announcement comes shortly after another in which the company revealed a new visual direction for their flagship website. Facebook appears to be taking on some of Google’s territory with this move, reflecting more thought put into design as well as the push towards totalitarian app networks.

According to a study commissioned for this project, 70 percent of smartphone users use them to browse Facebook. According to their marketing for the software, they hope to see people using their phones solely through Facebook. This move is one step toward Facebook becoming the “Windows” of smartphone. We’ll see on April 10^th.

&

Looking for a Weather Site? Try Forecast.io

Great New Weather Site: Forecast.io

If you’re not a Nerd constantly combing the web for new info, you’ve probably missed the release of yet another app in the sea that seems to surge in daily. But those of us who spend our days wading in that briny ocean occasionally find a pearl worth bringing back to land to show off. Today’s pearl is called forecast.io.
Forecast.io is a new way to get your weather. Rather than go through a major corporation like weather.com for your weather, forecast.io gives you real-time coverage of the weather in your area as well as minute-by-minute forecasts for the next week.

And…when we say minute-by-minute, that’s what we mean. You can use the site to track down to the minute when it will start raining or snowing and how long it will last. Now you can plan around those surprise storms!


Now this already is pretty impressive – but there’s more. Forecast.io allows you to play an animation of current weather trends, just like on TV. The site plays smoothly on any modern browser, thanks to the HTML5 technologies in use. Translated from Nerd-speak, this means that if you’re using Chrome or a similar modern browser, you’ll be able to keep up on the weather just like your local news station. The site can also be used on your Smartphone, which will automatically detect your location.

In addition, it includes a “time machine” feature. This allows you to look at historical data from various locations. You can check what the weather was in hundreds of places over the globe for any date back almost a hundred years! The impressive part about that data though, is that the website creates a model of how particular dates in the future might occur. This means that if you’re planning an outdoor even in six months, you’ll be able to make a much more educated guess on what weather conditions will be like then.

Forecast.io is made by the same developers as Dark Sky, a popular app for Apple devices that includes the basic functionality of predicting and displaying weather patterns, but this makes the data available to all, not just iPhone and iPad users. The company is planning to expand the product’s features in the coming months.

How much does it cost to subscribe to this service? Nothing at all. Just visit Forecast.io on your web-enabled device to get started!

Maintain Public WiFi Safety: Some tips

Tips for Public WiFi Safety

It seems every shop and gathering place proclaims “Free WiFi,” but is it safe to check your email at the airport, library or McDonalds?  There are risks to accessing private data while connected to an unsecured, community network.  Here’s how to surf safely when you’re on public WiFi.

When you access the Internet on a public network, your computer or Smartphone is at risk of being accessed by other users on the same network.  It’s surprisingly easy for the person sipping the macchiato next to you to run simple programs to collect passwords and information entered by fellow patrons.  Most WiFi “hotspots” are unencrypted since it’s a hassle to make every customer find out the day’s WiFi password, meaning even if you’re alone in the store someone sitting in the parking lot could be connected to the network.


It may seem unlikely that your data will be hacked, and that’s probably true.  But just like you might be able to leave your car unlocked and never suffer a beak-in, is it worth the risk?  Anyone who’s had their Facebook account hacked or banking password compromised can attest that it can take months or more to put your online identity back in order.

Luckily there are some easy steps you can take to protect yourself on public WiFi.  Since logging on to a network gives other users on that network access to your shared folders, the first thing to do when you’re on a public network is to turn off sharing.  Windows users should navigate to the Control Panel, then Network and Internet.  Select the option to “Choose homegroup and sharing options” and then select “Change advanced sharing settings…” Turn off file and printer sharing and public folder sharing.  If you’re using a Mac, go to System Preferences and then Sharing.  Make sure all boxes are unchecked.

Consider also disabling network discovery as it prevents others from seeing your machine on the network.  You can re-enable it when you’re no longer logged on to a public network.

Next, enable your system’s internal firewall.  Windows users should go to Control Panel and then System and Security.  Select Windows Firewall and choose “Turn Windows Firewall on or off” from the list of options on the left.  Mac users can turn on their firewall via System Preferences.  Choose Security and then Firewall to activate.  This won’t keep out a skilled hacker, but it can deter a casual snooper.

Make sure that websites that contain private data (like your email or bank) have https:// preceding the web address.  This denotes a secure (i.e. encrypted) connection which makes it more difficult for someone who gets a hold of the data sent or received by your computer to decode it into usable material.  If you’re just catching up on your celebrity gossip, surfing http sites isn’t a big deal; just make sure to look for the https before entering any passwords.  If the web address changes from https to http while you’re navigating between pages, log out immediately and wait to check your bank balance when you’re on a secure network.

Instruct Gmail to automatically connect over https by logging into your email account and selecting the icon on the upper right that looks like a cog.  Choose settings, then General and under “Browser connection:” choose “Always use https.”

HTTPS Everywhere (https://www.eff.org/https-everywhere) is a browser extension for Firefox or Chrome that encrypts your communication with sites like Google Search, Facebook, Twitter and more.  It can even redirect you to the secure version of a page you access via another person’s or site’s link.

If you still turn off WiFi when in range of a public network, drop me a note for more advanced protection options.

For April Fools': Best of the Web

April Fools Online: Best Online Tech Spoofs

Last year, I completely forgot about April Fool's Day until I was listening to a news story on the radio and thought, "That's odd.  Is that really true?"  Two seconds later, I remembered "Oh, that's right, it's April Fools!"

The big day is right around the corner.  Love it or hate it, the tricks will be out there.  If, like us, you’re looking forward to some of the best spoofs the Internet has to offer, here are some of our favorites from last year.  These sites are sure to offer some gems you won’t want to miss this April Fools.


Google went to quite a lot of trouble with their major prank.  They introduced an 8-bit version of Google Maps, called "Quest" (www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rznYifPHxDg#!), referring to it as "our first product for Nintendo Entertainment System."  Quest was designed to generate all maps in 8-bit format (think early 1980s Donkey Kong or Frogger).  The gag provided instructions for inserting the cartridge into your old NES game system, hooking it up to the Internet (complete with the old dial-up phone connection sound), then searching for your hometown.  You could even find a route to your destination and watch the tiny character follow the blue line, Legend of Zelda style, anywhere in the world.  "Blow on the cartridge to fix bugs!"

All in all, Google kept people guessing with at least sixteen pranks last year.  They introduced the Google Really Advanced Search which let you filter your Internet searches by everything from "rhyming slang" to font size.  Chrome Multitask Mode allowed you to browse the web using two mice at the same time.  Gmail Tap turned your overly-cumbersome keyboard into just two keys and a spacebar, bringing Morse code back into the mainstream.  Google Voice for Pets revolutionized pet communications, complete with a collar designed to record audio from your dog or cat and translate it into human speech. Brilliant!

Pet spoofs were all the rave.  Kodak LivePrint technology claimed to have created the first kitten printer, promised to be "Fast, fun and easy!"  Select your favorite breed, wait 90 seconds and voila, your own live kitten.  Ads went on to state that select locations would be offering a limited Easter promotion: “Buy 2 bunnies and get 10 free!”  Nationwide "Bring a Puppy Home for the Holidays" was slated for Christmas.

Adblock, the software that allows you to surf the Internet without all those ads blocking your viewing space introduced CatBlock (http://adblockforchrome.blogspot.com/2012/03/inturdusing-catblock.html).  Supposedly designed by Adblock's developer's cat, the offending ads were replaced with pictures of adorable cats instead.  It actually proved to be so popular (really!) that people were begging for it to be real.  This led to the designer creating a standalone version he would send to users that supported Adblock with a monthly payment.

Lynx introduced the “Lynx Spray App” (www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PM5bCgP479c) which promised that guys on the prowl could select the body spray scent of their choice on the go via the app and then spray themselves down using their Smartphone.  If only phones and liquids were more compatible.

New electronics were introduced, too.  Toshiba announced a new line of tablets called Oblong, Amoré and Rhombus offered in, you guessed it, oval, heart and rhombus shapes: "more than a convex quadrilateral."  Sony unveiled their Vaio Q, the world's most portable Ultrabook.  Available in full HD with “exceptional picture quality and 2D and 3D graphics support”, all on the super tiny 0.75 x 1.25 inches screen.

Skype promised to simplify itself for users who don't like to use a computer, mobile device or Internet connection with Skype for String.  Simply give friends and family members a cup that's connected to yours for unlimited calling.  To make a video call, you must be within eyesight of your friend.  It was promised to work with any cup and string, but Skype recommended their certified set for best results.

Every year one of our favorite sites for tech toys and fan gear, Think Geek (www.thinkgeek.com), brings out their best for April Fools.  My favorite from last year was Electronic Hungry Hungry Hippos iPad Game.  Simply attach the four plastic hippos to your iPad and use it as the game board.  Multiple electronic game boards are offered with several marble styles.  Scoring modes come in standard, Vegas and Regulation Tournament.  Coming soon, Hungry Hungry Hippos: Space!