The Desert Computer Tutor

Tag: fixes

  • Convenient & Affordable New Service for You!

    Convenient & Affordable
    New Service for You!join.me

    From time to time, clients have said they wished they could have me on a “retainer” to answer a quick question or get them out of a jam.  We have discussed a subscription service where people would pay a monthly fee, but most people wouldn’t need help every month. This week, the subject came up again and my clients said they would love to be able to “pay as needed”  They suggested that I charge $60 hr. (to keep the math simple) and bill in 15 min increments (to make it worth my time).  I thought it was a great idea and a real win-win solution. I’m excited to be offering this this as a new service.

    I will be happy to answer your questions on the phone, by remote access into your computer, or by email. This is a great option for people who need some help, but don’t need a whole one-hour appointment in their home.  Bring me all those niggling questions and frustrations and let’s get you back to full enjoyment of your techie tools.  Call me today for an appointment!

  • 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.”

  • FYI for Current Users of Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod

    FYI:  For Current Owners of Apple Gadgets:

    Ipad And Iphone

    The iOS 8 update is available now for users of iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad mini and later, and iPod touch (fifth generation).

    You may have to delete some things in order to have enough memory to install the update.  It can take quite a bit of time to look at your apps’ usage and decide what to delete.  (Go to Settings > General > Usage)

    I had to dump 2 GB on my iPhone 4s.  I chose to keep my music for my workouts and dump a lot of photos. I also dumped a bunch of apps I wasn’t using very often.  I didn’t care about them anyway so it was a good incentive for me to do some clean up. I will run the update and report back in next week’s Techie Tip.

  • Do You Reboot?

    Do You Reboot?

    Network Neurons 1

    Your Techie Tip for this week is to turn your computer completely off at least once a week.  The reason this is important is that its memory gets too full and it’s likely to slow down or get confused.
    (Just like us!)

    During the shutdown process, it files everything away where it belongs and dumps extraneous stuff from the memory.  Kind of like we do when we get a good nights sleep.  Then, when it restarts (reboots), it checks all its systems, corrects any errors, and installs updates.  The installation of the updates is critically important because there are security fixes (patches) in them.

    Asleep 3Your computer is set to go to sleep after a certain period of non-use, and the screen may go dark, but that is not the same as shutting down.  So please choose one night a week to give your machine a complete break and an opportunity for a fresh start in the morning.

    This applies to your tablets, smartphones and other gadgets too.  

  • Avoid Printer Drama

    Do Moon Phases Affect Printers?

     

    Do the phases of the moon affect techie gadgets?  This past week was so full of printer drama that I had to wonder…

    Here are some tips that will help you maintain peace in your techie world:

    1. If you need to move your printer, be sure to turn it off first.  Shut it down with the off button rather than just unplugging it.  Printers are are actually computers and they need to file everything in it’s proper place before shutting down.  If you just unplug them, they may wake up very confused and not be able to connect to your wifi again.

    Note: your printer may look like it’s off, but only be sleeping.  If there is a light on anywhere, it is just asleep.  Use the on/off button to turn it off.

    1.  Sometimes there are minor power surges or mysterious techie hiccups that confuse our machines.  The first line of defense is always to reboot them. (turn them off and then back on)  If your printer loses its wifi connection, turn it off, wait a minute or two, and then turn it back on.  Hopefully, it will find the router and reconnect on its own.  If not, you will have to go through the setup process again.

    Note:  I’m not a certified Technician, I’m an Instructor and Peace Maker.  For technical issues and installations, I refer you to my friends at Desert Cow Computers.

    1. Hp is offering an “Instant Ink” service with some of its new printers.  These printers connect directly with HP, let them know when you need new ink cartridges, and HP mails you ink cartridges automatically.  You pay a flat monthly fee, depending on how many pages you print each month.  Unused pages roll over to the next month.  HP description of program   It looks like this service is less expensive than buying ink at the store.  Review I have one client who is on the program.  We’ll let you know how it goes.  If you are using this service, I would love to hear from you.

    Chromebook Update: I am not happy about printing from my Google Chromebook without a “cloud-enabled” printer.  I didn’t buy a cloud-enabled printer because I had just bought a new printer last year and thought it would be a good idea to test the alternative method offered by Google.

    My Chromebook has to print via my old computer which is connected to my printer via my WiFi network.  Therefore, my old computer has to be on in order for my Chromebook to print. I find this very inconvenient.

    Fortunately, I can access docs from my Chromebook and smartphone, so I don’t need to print very often.  Have me show you how to do this.  It’s great!

    If you buy a Chromebook, you may want to buy a cloud-enabled printer for it.  If your current printer is connected directly to your computer and is not on a wifi network, you will definitely need to buy a cloud-enabled printer.  Fortunately, you can get one for less than $100.

    By the way…I’m really enjoying my Chromebook in all other respects.  It’s a great solution for a lot of people and I highly recommend it.  I carry it with me during the day and can get a lot more accomplished between appointments than working from my smartphone.  I’ll be delighted to share it with you at our next appointment.  

  • Last Month for My $40 Summer Special

     

    Want your internet faster and safer?

    Want to get rid of those annoying ads?

    Take advantage of my Summer Special Now!

     

    I’ll make some tweaks to your browser and speed up your internet browsing experience without you having to call Time Warner or Verizon and pay more for your Internet. Let me come over and make a few adjustments.
    You’ll be amazed at how much faster (and safer) your web pages are loading, all for one $40 appointment.
    Call me today to set up a time!