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Showing posts from October 30, 2011

Remember: Daylight Savings Time Ends

Once again its time, in most places, to change the clocks. On Sunday morning at 2 a.m. we will 'fall back' to the normal time and gain an hour of sleep.   And are you sure you have the correct time?  My great-grandfather had a beautiful, old, short wave radio where he checked the Greenwich Mean Time regularly. I know his clocks were accurate.  But I don't have a working short wave radio. I do have the internet!  There are a couple of official websites that can help you set all your clocks: on the stove, coffee maker, alarm clock, microwave and even your computer, if it doesn't change automatically. For the official time in the U.S.A. go to http://www.time.gov . For the USNO Master Clock Time visit http://www.usno.navy.mil/ It is also the weekend to check your smoke detector batteries. [ The Daily Mouse Clicks is published Monday through Friday. See you next week! ]

The New Kindle "Library"

I love to read and I love my e-reader/tablet.  It has a browser and email, a few games, weather and a notepad feature. It is small enough to handle and the 7" screen transports easily.  The text can be enlarged with a couple of touches of the screen.  It is extremely beneficial at night as I don't disturb my husband quite as much with my late night reading.  The screen can be converted to a black background and white text which is easier on the eyes at night.  The range of e-books is extensive to purchase through a wide range of online sources.   I can also to 'borrow' e-books from my local library.  I can download, for free, thousands of public domain books available online. Matter of fact, I recently downloaded a free collection of G.A. Henty books that I look forward to reading in the future. My collection of books is growing extensively and it doesn't fill up shelf space in my living room. My tablet is an older model, Velocity Cruz , which I purcha

Creating a Strong Password

Many years ago, my eBay account was hacked and I received a notice via email that someone had posted a classic motorcycle for sale on my account with a ridiculously low price! Yikes! This was not good! With just a few headaches, time spent and crazy twists, I was finally able to get the listing removed, fees removed and my passwords changed.  I learned quickly that a strong password was critical. But was it really that strong? From Steve Gibson's website check out the following:  "Which of the following two passwords is stronger, more secure, and more difficult to crack?" D0g..................... PrXyc.N(n4k77#L!eVdAfp9 According to Steve, the first one is better! I t is one character longer and contains uppercase, lowercase, a number and special characters. This secure website, called Haystack , can help you check out potential passwords.  It is pretty comforting when you see that with a " Massive Cracking Array Scenario: (Assuming one hundre

Happy Birthday!

So, with my husband's birthday yesterday,  and taking the tight budget into consideration, this website could come in handy!  http://freebirthdaymeals.org lists the many restaurants in your area that have free gifts, desserts and even meals. Although we didn't utilize it for his birthday dinner, Ihop sent an email greeting including a free meal, which we enjoyed this morning. Don't forget the nice birthday song and free ice cream sundae for dessert... all before 11:00 a.m.   Happy Birthday, Dear!

Day One

Welcome!  November 1, 2011 is the official first day of "Daily Mouse Clicks", a fresh new blog for the common man and woman to understand their computers, the internet and the vast world of ever changing electronics. As many of you knew or have figured out, I am a geek.  I never expect to be one nor did I strive to become one.. it just happened.   I enjoy working with the computer and am always amazed at the amount of information, and misinformation, can be found online. I come across so many great ideas, freebies, hints, updates and websites throughout my day.  My goal is to help you become more comfortable with your computer and make it work for you. So, I have found my domain name and my mascot.. isn't he cute?  He probably needs a name so if you have any suggestions, except maybe "Bob", they are welcome.