The Desert Computer Tutor

Tag: downloads

  • OpenOffice.org

    Sometimes I Feel Stupid Too!  Computer User Feeling Stupid

     

    One of the biggest challenges for me in my work is that so many of my clients say they feel so stupid.  No one is stupid!  One of my goals in my work is to help my clients feel better about themselves.

     

    No one is born with all the information they need in order to navigate life.   We either educate ourselves or we “wing it” based on what we are told by others (who may or may not have the best information).

     

    Even those of us who take the time to do research, study and practice, will make mistakes. It’s part of the learning process.

     

    My goal is for you to benefit from my mistakes and those of my clients.

     

    Here are some really useful tips based on my work in the field this past week.

     

    Great Money Saving Tip

    OpenOffice.org

    There is a great free office suite called Open Office that looks very much like the apps in Microsoft Office and has many of the same tools.  You don’t need to pay for Microsoft Office suite.

     

    The Pitfalls

    The address for Open Office is www.openoffice.org not “.com”  There is another site, http://www.openoffice.us.com that looks reputable but will download a bunch of malware programs on your computer.

    firefox-os_logo-wordmark_RGB-vertical-300dpiThe Solution    Google Chrome

    You should be using Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome.

     

    If you use Microsoft Internet Explorer as your web browser, you are at risk of getting add pop ups installed on it and having your home page changed to something you don’t want.  This is called “hijacking your web browser”.

    Norton Internet Security

     

    If you have installed the W.O.T (Web of Trust) extension on your web browser or if you are using Norton with Internet Security, you will see a notification that http://www.openoffice.us.com  is not safe.
    (Buy Norton from Dom at Desert Cow Computers and save $20.) www.mydesertcow.com

     

     

     

    Do a Google search for reviews of any app you are considering downloading before you proceed.

    The Rules In Review

    • Use the right web browser and search engine
    • Have safety extensions on your browser
    • Do your research
    • Be sure you are going to the reputable site

     

    If none of his makes sense to you, just call for an appointment.

    The promise of successEverything will be OK.   We’ll do it together.

     

    Hope this helps you “make peace with the ups and downs of modern technology.”

     

  • Listen Up Sports Fans… There’s An App for That!

    RememberThis week a client asked me if he could watch college football on his new tablet.  Yes!  “There’s an app for that.”  Actually there are a lot of apps available.  There are many free and paid options to watch football, soccer, basketball, tennis and other favorite sports.

    You can download an app through “the company store”. (Google Play for Android devices and The App Store for Apple devices.)

    Here are a few suggestions to get you started. Two good apps for streaming live sports are offered by television stations.

    WatchESPN (ESPN Inc) offers live streaming of events from the ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3 and ESPNU networks. You can enjoy access to events from the NBA, MBL, U.S. Open, The Masters, college football and basketball, Grand Slam Tennis and Euro 2012 Soccer — as well as original ESPN programming like SportsCenter, Pardon the Interruption and SportsNation. WatchESPN is user-friendly, making it easy to search for your favorite teams, leagues and shows.

    To access WatchESPN’s live stream, you’ll need a cable subscription through a participating cable provider (e.g., AT&T U-verse, Cox, Time Warner Cable or Verizon). The app will prompt you to enter your TV provider, TV subscription user ID and password.

    CBS Sports (CBS Interactive, Inc.) features a live stream of video of top sports, including NCAA and SEC football games. Scores of games that cannot be streamed live are updated very quickly. CBS Sports also offers on-demand access to game highlights, analysis and original programming, as well as a live Twitter feed of commentary from players, writers, analysts and bloggers.  The CBS Sports mobile app features extensive college football coverage including live streaming of some games on Saturday.

    Note:  You may need to download and install Adobe Flash Player, the leading video and animation player. Downloading Adobe Flash Player is free, quick and easy.

    NBA League Pass Mobile allows you to follow the league through live NBA game viewing in addition to on-demand game replays and league highlights. The league Pass costs $16.99 per season and is available through the NBA Game Time mobile app.

    MLB.tv offers the At Bat 13 subscription service, which features home and away broadcasts, HD quality video, full game archives and in-game highlights and stats. A season pass is $19.99 and premium subscribers have access to live video feeds.

    In addition to apps, you can find websites that can connect you to an online broadcast of the sporting event you want to watch.  Just do a search in your web browser.  You may want to check out Ustream, FirstRow Sports and Stream2Watch.

      

    Note:  Streaming sports live does limit the life of your battery because it requires you to use your data connection plus the audio and video components of your device’s hardware.  To prolong the life of your battery, try dimming the screen and turning off any unnecessary features (e.g., Bluetooth). Make sure to have a power adapter on hand to juice up your battery when the need arises.

    If you, or someone you know, needs to learn more about how to search for good apps, or websites, I’d love to help. Call me today!

    Share your favorite apps and websites for sports in the “Comments” below.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Can’t Type? Try Dragon Naturally Speaking

    Can’t Type?   There is a great solution.

     Dragon Naturally Speaking

    Dragon

    Dragon is similar to the speech recognition apps on smart phones like Siri and Google Voice, but you can train Dragon to recognize your voice and your speech patterns so it gets more and more accurate.  It will even scan the emails in your “Sent” folder to learn your speech patterns. You have to be a little patient in the beginning to correct its mistakes, because that’s how it learns to become more accurate but it’s easy to do.

    I have helped several clients with Dragon and I’m currently working with a man who had a stroke several years ago and is using Dragon to write his emails.  I also connected his computer to his big screen TV so he can see the typing better.  He’s really enjoying it and that has inspired me to consider using myself.  I often feel like my hands can’t keep up with my brain.  My typing is fast but makes so many mistakes, especially when I’m journaling or writing Techie Tips.

    I used it years ago when I was in Real Estate and it worked in all my apps:  email correspondence in Outlook, web searches, composing documents in Word, and making notes in my contact manager.  The newer version of Dragon is even more accurate and easier to train than before and it’s not very expensive.

    Dragon Dictate
    You can get the app for your tablet or smartphone too.
    iTunes                     Google Play Store

    And you can use your smart phone as the microphone for your computer.

     iTunes                      Google Pla

    If you, or someone you know, would like to learn how to use Dragon Naturally Speaking, please let me know. 

    This is a great way to “make peace with the ups and downs of computer technology.”

  • Heads Up – Sudden Changes

    Have you been experiencing sudden changes to your computer, or seeing new applications and services showing up out of nowhere?  If you have, know that I feel your pain and I’m here to help.

    Even I get frustrated and disappointed when companies add features and applications  without asking permission first.  It used to be that they offered new services and endeavored to pitch them in a way that would be appealing.  Now, they just foist them on us with instructions on how to undo it.  Not only are the sudden changes very confusing, but many people don’t have the vocabulary to understand the instructions on how to undo the changes!

    Here are some solutions for you:

    1.  When you authorize updates or download applications, read each screen before you hit “next.”  There may be other apps being offered and they may have boxes checked that mean they will be included and installed.  You need to uncheck the boxes! 

    Here are just a few examples of what I’m encountering:

    • Current anti-virus program uninstalled and replaced by MacAfee
    • The Ask Tool Bar installed on web browser
    • Default search engine changed from Google to Conduit or Bing

    2.  Did you notice that Google added tabs to the inbox so mail is sorted into categories?  The “Social” Tab is for social networking, “Promotions,” for business offers and promotions, “Updates,” for confirmations, receipts and bills, “Forums,” for online groups, and mailing lists.  (I had many calls from clients who thought some of their emails were missing and I walked them through the process to undo the tabs.)  Google did include instructions for undoing the changes but again…we have to take the time to read the screens and the instructions.

     

    3.  Google will soon allow people to send an email, even if they do not have the person’s email address, as long as both people have a Gmail and a Google Plus account.

    This change was announced Thursday and will be introduced over the next few days.  Some people are concerned that this will open the door to spam and unwanted solicitations.  Google says that the new capability will be useful for people who know one another but have not yet exchanged email addresses.

    Senders can email anyone as long as they follow them on Google Plus, which they are able to do without permission.  Recipients can receive email from anyone on Google Plus but the recipient’s email address only shows up if the recipient replies to the email.

    The ability for anyone on Google Plus to email a Gmail user will be automatically turned on, requiring people to opt out if they do not want to be reachable.

    If this affects you, you can turn it off by visiting the General tab on the Gmail Settings page, where you can choose to receive email from “anyone on Google Plus”, “people in my circles” or “extended circles” or “no one”.
    Google plans to send emails to Gmail users explaining the change before turning it on.  Emails received from people outside Google Plus users circles will be filtered into the social tab in Gmail.  So be aware that you may be getting these requests.  Try to follow the instructions from Google and let me know if you get stuck.

    This change, is directed at more tightly integrating Gmail with Google Plus, and is the latest move by Google to weave its social network into all of its products.
    Technology is all about change and expansion.  It can be a challenge to keep up and takes a certain sense of adventure and passion for the gadgets and apps.  That’s why I do what I do.  I enjoy the game and can bring you the play-by-plays that you need.   My goal is to enhance people’s experience and help to maintain peace and joy in the world.

    So, no worries…I’m here to give you a heads up when I can.  Just read the instructions and let me know if you need help.

    You can do your friends a favor and help me with my mission, by sharing these tips with your friends.   Thanks!

    In Joy,
    Mardi

    “Restoring peace and joy to the world through computer education.”