Clean up Your Email

I established my Yahoo email account many years ago. In those days, email was something to look forward to, usually a nice correspondence with a friend or family member. Boy have times changed. My account now receives upwards of 500 spam messages weekly, and most of the messages I receive are certainly not from family and friends, which is what used to make reading email fun. Can we get back to the way it used to be? Probably not, but we can "get to the good stuff" quicker with a few tweaks to the system.

Create and use a "junk mail" account. That one time I used my email address for something and didn't UN-tick the box next to "receive special offers" was the point of no return. My Yahoo account has become my catch-all “junk mail” account. I give out this email address to every Tom or Harry website that requires me to enter an email address to use their site. This way if I am signed up for a "member newsletter," or if the company wants to send me their "Internet-only special deals," they all go to one place. I then created a pristine special email address that only the important people in my life know, and I don't give it out to anyone else. In this way, I have a personal email address that is junk-free. Ahhhh.


Use disposable addresses. If you need a quick email address and you don't care about getting a response or keeping a record of correspondence, Mailinator (www.mailinator.com) is your answer. It's a public mail service, meaning there is zero privacy, but who cares about that when we're talking about spam, right? Simply create any email name you like and attach it to @mailinator.com. Any mail sent to that email address is publically-accessible on Mailinator's site, so you can view it if you like and forward it to your "real" email address if it turns out to be important. No passwords or sign-up required. A few things to note: all mail is deleted within a few hours so if there’s a chance you’ll need to view a reply message, you probably shouldn't use Malinator. Also, all attachments are removed from incoming mail. Good for stripping viruses, but lousy if someone sends you something important.

Use automatic filtering and sort incoming messages quickly. Most email programs have options for automated message filtering. Sort specific senders into special folders you set up, or color code them within your inbox so important threads grab your attention faster. Try sorting important contacts into an “Act Now” folder and have subscriptions or coupon offers sort to category folders you create like “shopping,” “school news,” or “recipes.” I’ve got mine set up to automatically move mail from certain senders right to the trash. The options are really endless. Thunderbird (www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/) is a free email application that can help you sort out several email mailboxes in one easy location. Have Thunderbird sync all your email addresses so that all your mail is in one place, and then use its advanced sorting features to consolidate and organize all your messages so you only have to login once to see everything, or at least everything you want to see.

Cut down on clutter. Once you’ve reviewed an email, make sure that you either sort it into a folder or delete it. If you don't use your Inbox as your storage area it won’t get so crowded and overwhelming. Don't forget to clean out your folders periodically too. Use the view options to sort messages by date and/or sender to purge quickly. You probably don't need to save that email you got from your sister in 2009, or the purchase confirm for the toaster that you tossed out last spring. Turn off social media notifications. Sign up for Facebook and Twitter and suddenly you're being spammed by them too. Yikes! Shut it down by going into the settings for each one and turning off email notifications for everything you possibly can. You really don't need to be notified within the application that you've got a new message and then receive an email that you've got a new message. Wow, that's a lot of notification!

Clean up Your Email

I established my Yahoo email account many years ago. In those days, email was something to look forward to, usually a nice correspondence with a friend or family member. Boy have times changed. My account now receives upwards of 500 spam messages weekly, and most of the messages I receive are certainly not from family and friends, which is what used to make reading email fun. Can we get back to the way it used to be? Probably not, but we can "get to the good stuff" quicker with a few tweaks to the system.

Create and use a "junk mail" account. That one time I used my email address for something and didn't UN-tick the box next to "receive special offers" was the point of no return. My Yahoo account has become my catch-all “junk mail” account. I give out this email address to every Tom or Harry website that requires me to enter an email address to use their site. This way if I am signed up for a "member newsletter," or if the company wants to send me their "Internet-only special deals," they all go to one place. I then created a pristine special email address that only the important people in my life know, and I don't give it out to anyone else. In this way, I have a personal email address that is junk-free. Ahhhh.


Use disposable addresses. If you need a quick email address and you don't care about getting a response or keeping a record of correspondence, Mailinator (www.mailinator.com) is your answer. It's a public mail service, meaning there is zero privacy, but who cares about that when we're talking about spam, right? Simply create any email name you like and attach it to @mailinator.com. Any mail sent to that email address is publically-accessible on Mailinator's site, so you can view it if you like and forward it to your "real" email address if it turns out to be important. No passwords or sign-up required. A few things to note: all mail is deleted within a few hours so if there’s a chance you’ll need to view a reply message, you probably shouldn't use Malinator. Also, all attachments are removed from incoming mail. Good for stripping viruses, but lousy if someone sends you something important.

Use automatic filtering and sort incoming messages quickly. Most email programs have options for automated message filtering. Sort specific senders into special folders you set up, or color code them within your inbox so important threads grab your attention faster. Try sorting important contacts into an “Act Now” folder and have subscriptions or coupon offers sort to category folders you create like “shopping,” “school news,” or “recipes.” I’ve got mine set up to automatically move mail from certain senders right to the trash. The options are really endless. Thunderbird (www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/) is a free email application that can help you sort out several email mailboxes in one easy location. Have Thunderbird sync all your email addresses so that all your mail is in one place, and then use its advanced sorting features to consolidate and organize all your messages so you only have to login once to see everything, or at least everything you want to see.

Cut down on clutter. Once you’ve reviewed an email, make sure that you either sort it into a folder or delete it. If you don't use your Inbox as your storage area it won’t get so crowded and overwhelming. Don't forget to clean out your folders periodically too. Use the view options to sort messages by date and/or sender to purge quickly. You probably don't need to save that email you got from your sister in 2009, or the purchase confirm for the toaster that you tossed out last spring. Turn off social media notifications. Sign up for Facebook and Twitter and suddenly you're being spammed by them too. Yikes! Shut it down by going into the settings for each one and turning off email notifications for everything you possibly can. You really don't need to be notified within the application that you've got a new message and then receive an email that you've got a new message. Wow, that's a lot of notification!

Online Computer Repair: Is It Safe?

Online Computer Repair: Is It The Force or Magic?

These days, we want everything fast, from food to computer repairs. If you've seen the TV ads for iYogi.net, you may have wondered, "How can a tech in India fix a computer in Nantucket?" I'm here to unravel some of the mystery of Internet-based tech support or online computer repair.

Whether you take a faulty computer to a repair shop or have a tech come to you, it can take days or even weeks to get your system back on its feet. The major benefit of online computer repair is that in many cases it's immediate. Answer a few questions, click a few buttons on your computer, and you can often have a tech working on your system while you make dinner or catch up on your scrap-booking. It can actually be quite fun watching a remote desktop session in progress.

Many companies, (including ours) offer extended hours for their online computer repair, allowing you to fit computer repair around your schedule. Besides, if you have to have your computer fixed, it's a slightly less distressing experience if you don't have to get out of your pajamas and bunny slippers.

But there are some drawbacks to having your computer fixed remotely. A tech working from afar can only fix software-related issues, involving viruses, spyware, program corruption and operating-system glitches. While these account for the majority of repair issues, lots of problems will require you to be a more active participant in the repair. If you suddenly can't print, for example, the tech probably will need you to check wires and do a manual restart before he or she can install drivers, etc. If you're unable to get online, expect to spend some time on the phone while the tech walks you through basic troubleshooting.

If your computer needs hardware replaced or upgraded, techs likely will be able to diagnose the issue. But to get it resolved, you'll need to have a tech put hands on your machine.


Choose wisely when contracting a company for online computer repair. Many companies require that you provide a credit card number up front, and they'll have virtually unfettered access to anything stored on your computer. To research companies, get recommendations from friends or family, use online review sites, and Google the company's name. For more computer-security tips, see the Federal Trade Commission's OnguardOnline website at OnGuardOnline.

The reality is that dropping off your computer at a repair shop isn't any safer than online computer repair. When you're in front of the machine, you can see exactly what the technician on the other end of the line is doing. This actually may give a little more comfort to those of us who like to retain a measure of control over the process. A remote desktop repair might be perfect solution to your next computer tune up.

Do you have any computer problems, you'd like to fix right now? We would love to look at your computer for free. Click here to get started with online computer repair today.


[transcript]Hi, I'm Ryan from nerds on call, and today we're going to be talking about online computer repair. These days we want everything fast. Fast food, fast computers, fast everything. So it's kind of a pain when you have to take your computer into a shop to get it repaired.

Well, that's the beauty of online computer repair. Now you can connect to somebody on the internet and have them fix it for you, while you make dinner, or finish your scrap-booking, or whatever you like to do. Just watch Star Wars again.

Despite the on-demand service that online support provides, the only problem is, they can't fix anything hardware related. So hard-drives, cracked screens, printers, all of that stuff can't be fixed online. But one of the cool parts is, if you got a virus, or spyware, or something like that, you can sit back and watch them as they control your computer while it's being fixed.

A lot of people are concerned that online computer repair isn't as safe as taking it to your local computer repair shop. Keep in mind, that a lot of major retailers are already using online repair to do the work for their people in the stores. So you don't have as much risk, because you can sit there and stare at the screen, as somebody is fixing your computer for you. Unlike when you take it into a repair shop and they take it into the back room.

I'm Ryan from nerds on call. Thanks for watching.[/transcript]

Use Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest to follow the candidates

Nerds On Call: Getting Political

From 24-hour news streams to Facebook rants about hot-button issues, the Internet allows so many voices to shout that it can feel like a lot of noise. Yet it also allows the candidates to present themselves and what they stand for, communicating with constituents in a way that is unparalleled. I searched out where to go to see what they have to say, not what CNN, MSNBC or Fox News wants me to hear.

The best place to start is at each candidate’s website: Use the candidate’s name followed by .com (not .gov as I anticipated). You don’t have to enter your email address if you don’t want updates; just click “Enter the Website” or “Continue.” Read updates from the campaign trail, choose to follow them via Facebook or Twitter and, if you’re inspired, you can make a donation or volunteer. Learn about their stances on topics that are important to you so you can make a more informed decision at the polls.

If you’re one of the more than 900 million people who regularly log on to Facebook, consider following your candidate of choice, or both if you’re undecided, by “liking” their page. You’ll get regular updates posted to your newsfeed and have the opportunity to join the debate among the more than 26 million following President Barack Obama or roughly 2 million following former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. You can even personally message the candidates — I’d love to hear if you get a reply!


YouTube allows the opposing camps to post videos describing where they stand on issues, motivating followers or bashing the other side’s position. You can also view ads if, like me, you use your DVR to skip them during your primetime TV watching.
Pinterest profiles are image-heavy and primarily focused on personal interest. For example, each candidate’s page maintains links to recipes. Romney’s page is run by his wife, Ann. This medium appears to be the candidate’s way to connect with constituents on a more day-to-day level, centering on family, personal lives and behind-the-scenes photos from the campaign trail.

When politics are involved, it’s difficult to tell fact from fiction when perusing the latest sound bites. Enter Politifact (www.politifact.com), a Pulitzer Prize-winning website run by the Tampa Bay Times. It claims to be your nonpartisan fact-checker when it comes to just about every public political statement out there. The “Truth-O-Meter” lets you browse by subject or truthfulness, from True to “Pants on Fire,” with links supporting their judgment of accuracy. The mobile application lets you track the progress of the campaign, even after it’s over, to see if the winner follows through on his promises once elected.

If you spend more time on your smartphone than your computer, Pulse (www.pulse.me, free) allows you to set up a custom reading list of RSS feeds, from news sites like Fox News or The Wall Street Journal, to your favorite blogs. Politico (www.politico.com, free) delivers late-breaking headlines, analysis and opinions about the 2012 elections to your mobile device. You can even download content to your phone, in case your connection’s sketchy.