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5 Tech Products That Will Be Dead in 5 Years - Techlicious

Morguefile images By Alvimann  Check out this interesting article about some items that may become obsolete within our lifetime. 5 Tech Products That Will Be Dead in 5 Years - Techlicious

What is real beauty?

These viral videos are what you should be showing your teens. Let them know that these are not real anymore than a Barbie doll is real in any sense of the word.  As a student using Photoshop, I know that it is very easy to manipulate images. This new trend has brought out magazines (like  Verily , a fashion and lifestyle magazine aimed at women 18-35) and advertising using real women without Photoshop.    Don't be fooled. This is not real beauty.

Reviewing a Faster In-Home Wireless Router

Our old Netgear router was showing it's age, although my son says it never was that good, stating the wifi often cutting in and out on his phone.  I noticed that on occasion with my tablet as well, so I did some research and came up with the Trendnet AC1750 Dual Band Wireless Route . I have never been happier. Installation was simple and easy to follow, an improvement to previous setups that really required some technical expertise, this one was step by step easy. The wireless router has been consistent and wow.. fast.  We have two Roku systems, laptops, tablets and even a wireless Mac.  All are working fine.  The only issue is our wireless printer, a Canon MG5220, which will require some more research to get it working wirelessly for the family. There is something called a Printer Control Center utility installation required for each computer in order to access the printer. Mind you it is a little more expensive that a cheap N router, but you get what you pay for in this ca

Gift Ideas 2013

Are you like my husband, heading out today or tomorrow for those last minute gifts?  Here are some technology suggestions for the geek or non-geek in the family. I am still a big fan of the Kindle. I now own two of them, a regular 7" Kindle Fire and now an 8.9" Kindle Fire HD (3rd Gen). I am getting older so the larger screen and better resolution is wonderful.  Reading books with multiple columns is a great option not available with the 7".  Some nice added features allowed me to import my Facebook photos to my Amazon cloud drive storage. Boom. They have been saved! A front face camera is included for face to face applications.  The old one is good, but the new one is better! Note: there is an option to save a couple of bucks by allowing Amazon to place advertising on the Kindle. Personally, I paid the extra to remove it but others love the deals that are listed. Your option. Roku 3 - The new Roku available this holiday season now adds Youtube to the channel line u

The Baileys Nutcracker Story

A unique twist of the Nutcracker story feels like the ballroom scene in the movie, "Labyrinth", kinda dark and mysterious.  There is also a "making off" video that you can view after watching this modern version of a classic ballet featuring the Royal Ballet.

Talented Marketing during the Holidays

Well, it has been quite a week with family joining us for our Christmas celebration as well as a renewal of vows for my daughter and son-in-law.  This week we will celebrate the Holiday Season with some of the best "Christmas" commercials. Today with start with an wonderful ad from the UK retailer, John Lewis. ☺

Tracking your Fitness: Fitbit

  Its not really new.. it has been around for a couple of years, but it still is wonder of internet connectivity and fitness.  This utility may be the gadget to get you moving, through the tracking and recording of your steps (better than a pedometer), distance, calories, an altimeter which records stairs or hills for example, and even your sleep patterns.  It also has a clock and a stopwatch, all in a small package that is clipped to your waist. According to FitSugar,  "The Fitbit is a pedometer on steroids". For around a hundred bucks, is it worth the effort?  Well, if it gets you moving, it could be argued that is is worth it already. Author's note: I am reviewing this based on published information and input from a friend. I have not received monetary remuneration from this review. There may be links that are affiliate links.

Financial Managment

Need to get your finances in order? Never have money to buy a software program? Well, now you can do it online, safe and secure.  Mint.com is an online budgeting tool that is FREE. The information is not linked to any specific accounts and only reads your information. Also, all data is protected and validated by VeriSign and TRUSTe. This site is by owned by Intuit (the Quicken folks). Budget Tracker not only handles your personal finances, you can handle business transactions with invoices, estimates, balance sheets, and more. It also provides a calender and reminders to help you pay your bills on time. Just need to setup a budget?  You can easily visualize your spending habits at Budget Simple. AceMoney Lite is software that you download and can use offline if you prefer. It is said to be easy to download and easy to use, something that most people, not used to accounting software would prefer. You can even track investments and for online businesses and electronic sales in

Extending the Apple Battery Life

 By Sean McAllister One thing many people complain about when using an iPhone or iPod is the minimal battery life. Truth be told though, there are many ways to extend the battery life of your iDevice (iPhone, iPod, etc.) Below are 3 simple ways to squeeze a few more hours out of your device. 1: Screen Brightness This has a much bigger impact on your device’s battery then most people think. The brighter your screen is set to the more it will drain your battery.   Try to find a happy medium during the day, not too bright, not too dim. At night turn the brightness down as much as possible. This is does leaps and bounds for your battery. 2: Wifi or 3G Your iDevice is constantly searching for a better signal, this is one of the main reasons the batteries are drained so fast. 3G naturally uses more power then Edge (standard signal); keep that in mind if your battery is running low.   Same goes for Wifi, don’t turn it on until you need it! 3: Bluetooth Unless you’re usin

To the Future and Beyond! Drones!

We all have concerns about drones and spying. This is not because someone might be doing something wrong, but that people prefer to have their privacy and feel that privacy is protected under the Fourteen Amendment: No person was allowed to be deprived of life, liberty, or property without "due process of law.". Liberty being the key word in that sentence. But not all drones are bad and Amazon R&D is looking to the future for faster delivery services. This might look like science fiction but it could actually be a wave of the future. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently working on rules for unmanned aerial vehicles although it is still a number of years away. Watch this video about 'Amazon Prime Air'.  What do you think about this futuristic option? ☺

Grammar Police and Proofreading

Photo credit: jppi from morguefile.com Yesterday, I was reading the local newspaper website and in almost every article, I found a typo or misused word.  I started to get hot under the collar and steam from my ears. After all, they are a newspaper! "They should have proofreaders and all articles double checked," I thought.  I was so disappointed. I popped onto Facebook  to check the Daily Mouse Clicks and low and behold, I see my promo post from yesterday and it made no sense! Did I even read it? Did I proofread it?  How could I have made that mistake? What was I thinking? “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye?  “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.  Matthew 7:3-5 I hang my judgmental

Opinion: Extending the Hours of Black Friday into Thanksgiving

Christmas shoppers in the Bullring by Mark Hillary A recent article about the trend to move Black Friday into Thanksgiving day has been a topic of discussion by many on Facebook. Honestly, like the opinion in the article, I believe that the problem is not capitalism or greedy corporations but the materialistic mindset is a disturbing picture of our culture and the desire for 'things' over family, reflection and relaxation. Now, there have always been a few places that stay open. It is a very, very busy day for restaurants like Cracker Barrel. A number of grocery stores staying open, at least part of the day, for those last minute items for the feast. Gas stations sometimes stay open to serve the few that are on the roads to be with family. As for actually Christmas shopping, physically bundling up, hopping in the car and heading to the mall?  I am hoping that the customers will be scarce. They always have the option to shop online while the turkey is roasting or

Best Sites to Crop or Resize Pictures Online

Do you have a large photo you want to share but it is too large to send via email? Maybe you only want to post a smaller image online.  You don't have to have special software as it can now be done online. Upload your photo, make the changes and you are done.  Check out this article on the best websites in cyberspace.  Best Sites to Crop or Resize Pictures Online

Using your Kindle for Educators and Homeschoolers

Every day, I get free e-books for my Kindle as a variety of bloggers take the time to find some of the best free books of the day and post them.  I have reviewed these in the past, but what about kids? What about home educators? Well, this could save you time, money and headaches.  Add the books to your Kindle library and they are available when you need them. Also, Amazon has thousands of free classics available to download saving you a trip to the library (don't give up your library card as that is very important too).  These classics are older, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books, many of which are worthwhile reading for your student.  Many are well known authors such as G.A. Henty, Jane Austin, Louisa May Alcott, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Rudyard Kipling and so many more.    Here is a blogger who has done some of the research and categorized some of them for you. One of the great advantages I have found with the Kindle is that when reading a book, if I come across a word I

Changes in Youtube Comments

If you haven't already viewed some of the recent changes in YouTube, be forewarned. Google (the owner of YouTube) now requires a Google+ account to post comments.  There are many that are up in arms about this. Personally, something needed to be done about the unmoderated comments found on many YouTube videos, many very rude, nasty and even downright pornographic in nature.  Now, there are ways to not view the comments as reported in this recent CNET article . Shutting off or filtering the comments might work if you have children, teens or even if you just don't want to see the comments and just enjoy the video. What do you think about the YouTube changes? ☺

Free Books from Amazon

I have written about free Kindle books from Amazon in the past. Remember, you don't have to own a Kindle to get the books. You can download a Kindle reader program for your computer .   Check these books out.. BE SURE TO CHECK THE PRICE before you check out as the price can change at any moment in time. The Success Secrets of Bill Gates - Biography - You're about to discover the inspirational story and success secrets of Bill Gates. Many of these secrets of success will encourage you to follow your own dreams and make anything that you want happen.   First Look: Microsoft® Office 2010 -  Welcome to Office 2010. Whether you work primarily in the office or on the go, you'll find smart tools in this release that enable you to get your work done easier, faster, and more professionally than ever. This book will inspire you and give you a good sense of the exciting features in Office 2010. This book was written while the software was in development, so you may find

Copy Your File Names to the Clipboard

There are times when you might want to be able to have a list of file names, maybe your documents or photos or even music.  You might want to copy them to the "Clipboard" so the text can be moved to a word processing program such as MS Word, MS Excel or even to Wordpad or Notepad to be manipulated, printed or just saved. It isn't as difficult as you might think, especially with Vista or Windows 7. In Windows Explorer, highlight one or more files . Hold down the shift key , and right-click on any of the highlighted files.    When the context menu pops up, left click on the Copy As Path entry that has magically appeared because you're holding the shift key down. Now it is saved in the "Clipboard" and you can use CTRL/V to paste it to the program of your choice. What a great tip! ☺

10 underused Office features | TechRepublic

If you use Microsoft Office, this article will be worth your while to review.  Click the link below. 10 underused Office features | TechRepublic

How to Choose an SD card

You will find an SD card in your electronics such as cell phones, tablets, digital cameras and PDAs. Are there different types and styles of SD cards and how do you know the one you have is a good one? Let's go over this today. Your SD card is a Secure Digital format flash memory card.  There are different sizes and shapes of SD cards so be sure to choose the correct one for your technology.  The Standard SD cards come in three options: standard size, microSD and miniSD. The Standard size comes with a write-protect option on the side and is about the size of a postage stamp. The microSD is a bit smaller and the miniSD is the smallest. The standard SD has a capacity of 2 GB so that may not be the best option for a digital camera, for example where you would be limited to just a few high quality pictures.  So they created the SDHC, or SD High Capacity, cards which have a storage capacity up to 32 GB.  Then, in 2009, they realized they needed even more storage capability an

The REAL Effective To Do Lists

 I don't know about you but I have some incredibly long to do lists. Whether it is just putting together a mockup for a client or to remember to put up the next blog, my task list  can get pretty jumbled. This is a great tutorial about creating a task list.  Hope this helps and have a great weekend!

Computer Keyboard Shortcut Tips

Did you know? By pressing CTRL + BKSP, you will delete the entire word behind the cursor. This makes deleting text quicker if you up a mess up a whole word. Did you know?   We all the Copy shortcut CTRL + C and the Paste Shortcut CTRL + V. But that often causes the formatting to stay with the text. This can make things complicated when posting to an email where you didn't want it in that big font or purple. You just wanted it to be the same as what you had already typed, right?  To paste your copy as plain text, press CTRL + Shift + V and the system will paste unformatted text.

Listia: A Fun Swap Site

Well, I have been down with the flu wouldn't ya know, which has put me a little bit behind on the blogging. My apologies.  So in my hours of misery, there is a light of fun. Listia is a great spot to clean out the closet, clear out some old books and a few odds and ends.  It works with a point system instead of all cash like other auction websites.  You get a few points when you join, points when you post listings, points for bidding, points for commenting etc.  You can even get points for watching videos. And I have received a few gems in return for some unwanted items, such as a couple of nice blouses, kitchen items and some garden cuttings to grow over the winter. A few things I have had to pay for shipping (that is reasonable) and a few things have had free shipping, a nice option.  Like Ebay, be sure to be clear on your posts, provide plenty of information and if you are bidding, read carefully and ask questions. Now, if you have something of value, Ebay or Craigslist

Microsoft Report Shows Why You Should Abandon XP Now | Daves Computer Tips

 If you are still using Windows XP, you might wish to reconsider this and upgrade or move to another operating system. Not only is it no longer supported, it is a security risk if it is used online.  Check out Dave's Computer Tips post. Microsoft Report Shows Why You Should Abandon XP Now | Daves Computer Tips

My favorite Kindle (Android) Apps

I enjoy my Kindle Fire and even more so some of the apps I have been able to add to it.  Some of my favorites keep me entertained, productive or on time.  Yes, they were all free but always check before you hit the purchase button as things do change. (because I am pretty cheap.) Webroot Mobile Security - Your kindle is still a computer and as such can be infected. Keep it safe and secure with a security system.    Battery Saver 2x - Save battery life, optimize your Kindle and even kills tasks.  This is a valuable app that doesn't take much room. Evernote - I have blogged about this one before. Love it for holding information I find, pictures, tips and recipes.  Check out this post on the Web Clipper . Candy Crush - Ok, yes, it is a game I recently started playing. It is a fun and challenging game and I love a challenge. Twonky Beam - This one is a little more challenging to describe in a small space. Basically, it allows me to stream Youtube, Vimeo, News Channels, TED an

Simple Computer Tip

Professional Computer Tip:  Don't ever, ever, EVER, open an email with an attached file with an extention of exe.  A file extension is the last three letters after the dot in the file name. For example: computertip.exe.

Test your Password

Happy Halloween!  Today we will discuss how not to be tricked.  I have gone on and on about passwords in the past. This is just a quick reminder.  YOUR PASSWORD needs to be secure or you risk your computer, your money, your identity and it could even cause problems with relationships! Don't risk it.  Use some of the tools I have suggested like Last Pass can help but you still have your primary password that needs to be sure.  Here is a great article on how to put together a great password and what to avoid.  Check out this website to test your password and if need be, change it!  http://howsecureismypassword.net/

Recommended Kindle Book

Today's post is a review of a book by Michael Mock called Open Source Software for Small Business. This book is a great reference for small business owners providing them with information on the wide variety of 35+ business applications available for free for accounting, word processing, spreadsheets, operating systems, drawing and flow charts, content management systems and even backup software.  Each piece of software is reviewed with details of the various versions and features.  This book is available through the Amazon Kindle. If you don't own a Kindle you can still get the Kindle App for your computer for free. Reading his book has motivated me to work on my spare machine with Ubuntu and maybe a few of the other apps. It will make a good weekend project. :)

An Alternative to Paypal

I have used PayPal for years and years without a problem but I know others have had their issues with PayPal. Some of the issues found online include frozen accounts, putting holds on credit cards and seizing funds. The issue is that PayPal is not a bank and does not have to act like a bank or follow federal guidelines.  So do you have options for transferring money. I ran into this on Listia when a buyer didn't have a PayPal account.  I didn't want them to send money through the mail (this is NOT a good idea), so I did some research and found Dwolla.  So how does it work?  Well according to their website, " Dwolla is a payment network that allows any business or person to send, request and accept money. We're not like those other big payment companies that rely on plastic cards and charge hefty fees. Instead, we’ve built our own network that securely connects to your bank account and allows you to move money for just $0.25 per transaction, or free for trans

Selecting Text

Just a quick mouse tip today. Did you know that if you double-click your mouse button on a word, it will select that word. If you double-click your mouse and hold the left click you can drag the mouse and select the one word at a time so you can capture a phrase, sentence, or paragraph. How easy is that? :)

Did you know these Google Hints?

Google Hints  Did you know that searches are not case sensitive? No need to correct your input. If you put define: in front of a word into the Google Search, you’ll get that word’s definition. For students. You can find a lot of textbooks on Google if you enter their title, then the desired file type. So an example would look like this: Book  Title filetype:PDF   Put quotation marks around words "[any word]" to search for an exact phrase in an exact order. Keep in mind that searching with quotes might exclude relevant results. For instance, a search for "Alexander Bell" will miss pages that refer to Alexander G. Bell. Source: http://www.google.com/insidesearch/tipstricks/all.html

HowStuffWorks "How to Artfully Cull Your Facebook Friends List"

Ya know.. there are times it is just necessary to clean out your "friends" list or at the very least, move around some of your FB friends into the "acquaintances" category. Check out this interesting article on culling your list. HowStuffWorks "How to Artfully Cull Your Facebook Friends List"

Passwords and A Poor Memory

So, we keep telling you to not use the same password over and over, but how are you supposed to remember every password? Is there no easy, safe, way to save all these passwords? Well, one option is to use a program called LastPass to secure your passwords on your computer and allow you to create tighter passwords that are much less likely to be hacked. I have been using this for months, my son has had it for years. This program will capture your passwords, autofill forms and more but you only remember one strong password instead of hundreds.  Do you want this across all your browsers, computers, laptop, phone and tablet? Well, for $1 per month (as of this writing 10- 22-13) you can have universal access. Overall, this program allows you to create secure passwords, protects you against identity theft and protect your confidential data.  I'd say it's a win/win situation.  Go to LastPass.com to download it today.

Can You REALLY Work From Home?

Years ago, there were numerous scams for those wanting and needing to work from home. The reality is that stuffing envelope jobs really didn't exist.  With the internet though, there are some great opportunities for people that have the drive and motivation to work from home.  Be sure you have what it takes. Now, not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur or have the skills or confidence to run their own business. Nothing wrong with that.. you just want a JOB. The fact is you can do call center work for major companies such as Uhaul or AAA Insurance, non-phone work such as data entry, work for search engines, doing surveys of houses for insurance and mortgage companies and much more.  Now, this is not get rich quick and might even be at a lower cost then other jobs in a brick and mortar location, but not always. Beware! There are still scams out there, so do your research. Where do you research? Well, many people have already shared their information and let me direct yo

5 Ridiculously Simple Things I Do to Stay Focused

 I am the Queen of Procrastination and the internet is my livelihood AND my biggest distraction. Have you ever felt like you spent more time organizing than actually getting something accomplished? I sure do! Whether you work from home or just trying to balance your checkbook, here are some great tips to help you focus. 5 Ridiculously Simple Things I Do to Stay Focused

Google Search Tips IV

Did you know these Google Tips? ...  Using the search tool, type the word "weather" and add the city and state, zip code or city and country. ...To see current market data for a company or fund, type the ticker symbol into the search box. On the results page, you can click the link to see more data from Google Finance. ....To see scores and schedules for sports teams type the team name or league name into the search box. Check out more tips and tricks at their Search Tips & Tricks website. Tip Source: https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/134479?hl=en

Procrastination Crashed the Computer

Creative Commons: Alex Shultz  I cannot tell you how many times someone said, "I just never got around to putting on antivirus software on my computer or back up the initial hard drive". The result is not always pleasant, such as loosing those important documents, family pictures or important emails. If you don't backup your new computer, you risk additional money to replace the operating system, much more than the time and a few DVDs would have cost.  If you don't keep your antivirus up-to-date or forget to have it scan your computer, my may come to regret your actions. Don't sabotage your computer by procrastination, take the time to do the needed backups, cleanups and system maintenance and keep your system running optimally, or at the very least, restorable.

Facebook: Now you can edit!

It was nice to be able to edit your comments when you replied to someone on Facebook (implemented in 2012), but I always wanted to be able to correct me my FB post errors which often occurred when I was in a hurry. When I returned and reviewed the post, I would be red faced by my mistake!  Ugh! So as of September, 2013, you can now edit your posts and your comments and see a history of those edits, just in case someone tries to switch the post to something different than the original meaning.   On your post click on the arrow on the upper right corner of your post to get the drop down menu. Select Edit. You will get the opportunity to make your changes then click Done Editing. Looking at the top of your post, under your name, you will see where it is now listed as edited. Clicking on "edited" will bring up a list of the changes on your post.   The feature works on almost any Facebook post type, including status updates, links, photos, and videos. We were, however