What does hashtag mean?

You hear and see the expression everywhere - follow me on # and then the company or individuals name (or you hear follow me on hashtag then the company or persons name -  - but what does that mean....
 

One of the most popular questions we are receiving in classes and via email is this one..  “What is a hashtag”.. Simply put, it is the “#” sign...

“Hashtags” are used by quite a few social media sites to indicate a name to whom you can then send/or follow for messages & updates...  Social media sites using “hashatgs” are those like Twitter, Flickr, Instagram, Tumblr, Tout, Google+, Facebook and others...

For example.. if I said to you what are each of these next two phrases in red.....

www.anycompany.com – you know it is a web address because the prefix is “www”

Susie@anycompany.com – you know it is an email address because of the @ sign

And if you hear.....

#anycompany,  it indicates that you can follow/connect to that person or company's group of common messages by entering their #hashtag id on the social media site you are registered with... Yes, you also have to be registered with that specific social media site with your own #hashtag name...

Helpful Travel Tips

Just a few helpful travel tips .

BOOK AIRLINE TRAVEL from 12:01AM WEDNESDAY MORNING (Eastern Standard Time) on; all new fares are announced/posted at midnight Tuesday evening for the next week

SIGN-UP FOR ALL E-MAIL NOTICES of special prices from low cost airlines that serve your city or target destination (or are near-by).   Examples include: Kayak's FareAlert, Southwest Ding! Fares, Southwest Click 'n Save fares, AirTran, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit Airline Red Light fares.  The low cost airlines' special fares are much less restrictive than the high cost carriers' week-end specials.  You can get a weekly summary of many of the airlines weekend specials at SmarterTravel.com. 

LAST MINUTE TRAVEL – Are you retired, a student off for the summer or can take time off from your job on short notice – then register with various “last minute travel sites” who offer incredible deals for short 3 or 4 days vacations to even longer 14-21 vacation land and or cruise packages – Why??  Arrangements are made & once that ship sails or hotel night passes the revenues can’t be made up, so they’d rather sell the package cheap, knowing you’ll spend money on liquor, side trips, gambling & other amenities…  Some incredible deals if you can leave on a few days notice

CONFIRM ARRANGEMENTS. If transportation and hotel are included in the travel package, ask how to contact those companies and confirm with them directly that the reservations have been made.  Always be sure to print off confirmations and keep a print copy with your folder or send yourself an email with the info..(with being able to sync phones & emails & claendars today it's easier than ever to access this info)

EMAIL YOURSELF ALL PERTINENT INFO: Send yourself an email including all airline info; hotel & car rental info & confirmation #'s an rates quoted; list of credit cards you are taking and their pertinent info - #'s, type, exp date, sc code, bank tele #'s; list of all your medications & dosages; doctors names etc... Today no matter where you go you will find a computer so that you can access this data in a pinch..

If you have a suggestion that might be helpful to others when they are travelling, we'd love to hear it...

Protect each others privacy when sending emails

We’ve all received emails, where our email address is “published” along with many others… You and I know immediately that the email was obviously sent to that entire group of people whether their address was in the TO or the CC line… This not only looks odd and unprofessional, it also exposes the email addresses of people who may have wanted to keep their email addresses private.. 

Then you have the issue of seeing layers and layers of email addresses when you receive jokes, stories and other “’forwards”.. 

We all have a responsibility to protect each other’s privacy and that includes email addresses… When sending an email to more than 1 person, but especially when you are sending an email to a group of people - always use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) LINE for addresses – this means everyone will get the email, but they will not see each other email addresses – therefore protecting their privacy… 

None of us have the right to share someone else’s email address with anyone else... Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy): recipients get a copy of the email, but their email address is automatically deleted at delivery. Nobody except you and the Bcc: recipient will know that they got a copy, and their email address will not be exposed for everyone to see. 

In some email services when you have opened the Write/Compose screen to create a new email message, you will see the 3 Send to list options automatically: TO – CC (Carbon Copy)  – BCC (Blind Carbon Copy).. But in some services, such as hotmail, you may only see the TO – so when you want to use the BCC, Click Show Cc & Bcc (right above the To: line and to the right) which then adds these two options to your screen…. 

Remember once an email is sent, you and I have no idea who or what the sender will do with that email… so protect the privacy of your friend, family and co-workers.

Email & Online Safety Tips:

Most of us have been using email and shopping online for quite some time, so we know how to use it safely – right?? Wrong… we all get comfortable and too often when we aren’t paying attention, we leave ourselves open to scams without even realizing it… so just a few basic reminders to stay safe online…

BE SURE IT SAYS HTTPS - Before you ever type in any personal information whatsoever on a website (shopping, medical facilities, registering on a company site for info, travel websites, etc) – always be the one who went to that website by typing the website into you browser address bar..  Don’t go there by using a link in an email you received..  Once there, you always want to see https in the Internet browser address bar before you ever type any personal information.  For example when I got to walgreens.com to see what’s on sale – the address in the browser bar will read:

http://www.walgreens.com/default.jsp

But when I left click on the “shopping cart” the data in the internet browser toolbar changes and now reads:

https://www.walgreens.com/store/checkout/cart.jsp

reputable companies never ask for info via email - Your bank, favorite online store, mortgage or credit card companies will NEVER – NEVER – NEVER - send you an email requesting sensitive information such as your username, password, account number, etc. If you ever receive an email asking for you for this information – print it off and delete it.. Once you print it off, notify the company directly of what has happened.  When you type information into any website, you want to be sure you generated the access to that specific website… never click on a link from an email to visit the site.

BE WARY OF EMAILS FROM GENERIC NAMES – Spammers, Scammers and others who are phishing often send emails using a single name “Jean” or other common names, such as “Uncle Dave” or a common company name – Wells Fargo, Bank of America, or political affiliation these days…  But that doesn’t mean that it is who you think it is.. Most of our friend or families emails come in showing both their first and last name - Pay attention to the email and any attachments they may include – go with your gut, if it looks funny or unusual delete it…

IF IT SOUNDS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, IT’S PROBABLY A HOAX!

When we receive emails offering easy money, free or cheap products and services, requests for money because our friend is stuck in another country or an offer for a foreign lotteries – remember they are almost always a hoax…  delete them and never, never forward them to anyone on your email contact list/address book

Protect your friends & families privacy - Always be sure you type friend & families email addresses in the “BCC” line of all emails (not the To line), so they receive the email but don’t see each other’s addresses – this way if and when they forward the joke or information to others, email addresses won’t be shared unknowingly..  
If and when you receive an email with lots of other addresses, as soon as you choose to forward it on, be sure to eliminate any of the addresses that are listed before your forward it…  Together we can protect each others privacy and reduce the amount of junk mail we get..

Smartphones – 3G, 4G, Data Plans, Wi-Fi And More…

Recently in our classes (back east) we’ve been discussing “Smartphones” and these are a few of the questions that were raised which might be of interest to you... 

What does the G mean in Cell phones – 3G, 4G etc?  That’s easy, the “G” stands for the “Generation” for cell phone technology…with new generations coming out about every ten (10) years – the technologies were introduced as follows but usually were marketed by cellphone companies a year or two after introduction…

·         1G was introduced in 1981 (analog)

·         2G was first transmitted in 1992 (digital)

·         3G which offers multi-media support came out in 200, but came to the US in 2003

·         4G introduced in 2010 but widely used by cell phone carriers now in 2012

If you live in an area that doesn't have 4G coverage, there's no advantage to a 4G phone. In fact, you'll have serious battery life problems if you buy an LTE phone and don't disable 4G LTE, as the radio's search for a non-existent signal will drain your battery quickly…  Before you buy any cellphone “smartphone or not” be sure to check the coverage offered by the different carriers…one of the most important considerations before you decide who to go with, so you know you’ll be able to send/receive calls where you normally live, work or visit..

What does all this “data” stuff mean on a cell phone?  Most activities on “smartphones” will consume data – the exceptions are making a phone call and sending a text messages.  Remember, voice and texts require a very small amount of bandwidth, as opposed to data, which requires carriers to continuously build up their networks to support exploding demand from smartphones and tablets..

That is why activities, such as browsing the web, reading and sending e-mails, browsing Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or sharing photos, downloading applications, downloading music, listening to online radio and watching videos on YouTube, viewing maps, instant messaging applications such as Skype, BlackBerry Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Talk and Facebook Messenger – all of these activities use up data and quickly…

Many phones consume data in the background even when you’re not using it – maybe you have the weather widget on your homescreen, so periodically it’s downloading the latest forecast from the internet or your email app, might be checking for new messages..  it all adds up.

What if I use the Wi-Fi with my phone?  Good news-Any data transferred over a wi-fi network will not count towards your download limit.  Data transferred over a wi-fi network does not pass through your mobile operator and so it won’t be counted towards your monthly download limit. So it’s best to use a wi-fi network for all of your bandwidth-intensive activities such as listening to online radio, making calls over Skype and watching online video. But be sure you know if you have a separate download limit with your home broadband connection.  You can set your smartphone to find available Wi-Fi networks for you…

What about the data plans that say they are unlimited?  According to some experts, “Paying for an “unlimited data plan” (even if your carrier offers this, which many don’t anymore) doesn’t mean you get unlimited access to your carrier’s bandwidth. AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless “slow down or what is called throttling” data users after they reach a predetermined limit. Sprint is the lone hold-out, but rumors point to the possibility that the carrier will begin to throttle data on its Virgin sub-carrier plans. The justification for this process involves regulate network traffic and minimize bandwidth congestion. And with the rise in 4G data usage, carriers claim their networks are jammed, so what this means to all of us – the consumers – is that we may not get to take advantage of all the speed promised by our new 4G smartphone” quoted from PC Net Magazine – Feb 2012

No doubt, all of this will continue to change – so keep your questions coming and we will help you find the answers – remember there are no foolish questions – all of the technology today is changing so rapidly that it’s a challenge for all of us to keep up with what’s happening, never mind understanding all the ins and outs entirely…  It’s simply a constant learning experience..

What To Do When You Think Your Email Account May Have Been Hacked

Almost all of us have received an email at one time or another, that we’ve questioned and know are not “legit” – You know the ones that come in from co-workers, friends or family stressing it’s an emergency and they need our help, they are stuck in Europe and lost all their money-please send some immediately ~ or ~ maybe it’s an ad for some “enhancing drugs” ~ or ~  it has a website/hyperlink that will take us to a website that might not be of any interest to us or anyone we know for that matter..

If and when your account has been compromised--or hacked--it means that someone has possibly stolen your username and your password and might be using your account to access your personal info or send spam to everyone on your contact list. It is important to notify your email and or ISP provider – do not reply directly to the email, but immediately call your co-worker, friend or family member and let them know…

When an e-mail account is hacked or taken over, the one who has done this, almost always will use the account to spread spam or in some cases viruses.   If someone in you know is receiving e-mail from you with one of these types of messages, you can almost guarantee that your email account has been compromised in some way. Immediately log into your email account and change your password if you can…

If you can’t log into your email, and you use one of the free accounts, such as Hotmail, gmail, yahoo or the like, try to use the “forgot my password” feature that they offer, and usually this will allow  you to reset your password and the message will stop.

If you are unable to change your password or this service does not work the only people who are going to be able to reset your account information is the company or ISP who is providing you e-mail access.

If you are attempting to get into your email account and are greeted with a message which states the account has been blocked due to sending junk messages, and, if it then asks for password information, then, you can almost guarantee your account has been hacked. It is important for you to file out the Live Help Form and for the official reply from MSN – some say they’ve received responses within hours others have said it took over a week.. But remember, a Password reset should only be done through the MSN or other ISP provider email support. You will have to clearly explain the problem to them and key in details of their identity. Once this form is filled in, the process will take off

Some accounts offer you the ability to “Mark As” and offer options in the command section, notifying your provider that the email has been compromised – it might say “my friends been hacked” or other similar terminology…

There are hundreds if not thousands of accounts being blocked because they were hacked and used for spamming, so depending on your Internet Service and/or email provider, it may take up to two weeks before you get an answer.  If the above solution does not work, your account may very well be is lost forever.

Periodically back up or print off your contact list, so that if this happens, you will have your contact list handy when you establish a new account.

How To Add a Link In Your Email To A Popular Video

Whether you are visiting “YouTube.com” or “HuLu.com” or a local media stations, there may be times that you will see a video that you think someone you know would like to see. It is easy to copy that video location and paste it into your email. Here’s how:

If you have just watched a video on Youtube, look up at the address bar. You will see something that looks like this in the “address bar” of the internet browser (Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox) that you are u sing.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-6dQvOSYmI

• Highlight the letters in the address bar, by hovering your mouse over the highlighted area and right click.
• When the action list appears, choose “copy”
• If you email account isn’t open it, then by using your Tabbed Browsing, open another Internet connection and open your email account (Hotmail, Gmail, AOL…).
• Add the addressee and subject fields.
• Type your letter. (Something like “I thought you’d enjoy this.”) and once you have written what you’d like, be sure to come down to an empty line, then right click and when the action menu appears, Choose paste.
• The link will now be in your email. Notice it is normally a different color than your regular font because it is an active “hyperlink”
• Click send.
• Now, all the receiver has to do is “click on the link” and they will be taken to the website and see the video.

How to verify an emails accuracy - scam or hoax

It's always a good idea to verify email stories or warnings that you receive, no matter how accurate they may seem, before you forward them on to family and friends… Better to be safe – than to have to send a second email apologizing for a story that is urban legend, hoax or scam…

There are several different ways to do this and it only takes a minute - first you might want to check the accuracy on one of the following websites, such as:

www.hoax-slayer.com
www.truthorfiction.com
www.snopes.com

I’m sorry to say that one of my favorite websites to verify email stories has decided to get out of the business – that was: www.breakthechain.org

OR

Visit you favorite search engine and put the basics of the email story or warning into the “search bar” on your favorite search engine, such as

• google.com
• bing.com
• yahoo.com
• ask.com

or whichever one you use…

It's estimated that 99 out of 100 of these stories and warnings are false with little or no validity - but they certainly clog up email inboxes, mail servers, cause people to be spammed and damage to computers and waste so much time...

So be safe & check the story out for yourself before you forward it on...

What does “cloud” computing mean?

No the angels in heaven aren’t going to help store your work and photos when you use "cloud computing"..

Cloud computing simply means that whatever task you are performing is happening on the internet, instead of on your own PC.. So for anyone who uses many of the free email accounts, such as hotmail – yahoo – gmail, well they’ve been using “cloud” computing, because when they went to that companies website, and signed in with their user name & password, they were working on that companies computer, not their own… If you use Walgreens.com to store your photos for prints, and projects – such as a photo book or mug, then you were using “cloud” computing..

Cloud computing isn't new - far from it - it's been around since the early 1960's..50 years!!!

Some sources say cloud computing began with the beginning of the IT (Information Technology) Outsourcing industry by using idle/excess compute power (processing, storage, and connectivity) of one entity, to carry out the work of another. It's possible the first such use was when Mr. Ross Perot started the IT Outsourcing industry in 1962, and then rented idle computing power from one company (Southwestern Life) to carry out the processing needs of another (Collins Radio).

How to Use our Class Blog

We hope you find our “CLASS BLOG” helpful as you continue to learn your computer more effectively, because no doubt as soon as you learn something – it will change and there will be something new to learn. We hope our Class Blog helps with the ever changing technology… Feel free to become a follower, to comment, and to share this website with family and friends. And feel free to ask questions – your questions become the topics we cover on the blog and we continue to learn from each other.. ~ Cherie Houston - email me at: cherie_houston@hotmail.com

 

WHAT IS A BLOG AND HOW DO I USE IT?
All BLOGS are intended to be "informational" like any newsletter you might receive. But in addition to reading the "posts-otherwise called articles" that we publish on our BLOG, you can also copy any of the "post/articles" and save them to your word processing files so you can then print them and you can comment on what we've said in a specific "post/article" - The how to's are noted below..

 

TO COPY A POST/ARTICLE to save or print for yourself or to change the size and/or print: highlight any portion of the post/article - activate the paste command, now open or go to your word processing program and on a clean piece of paper - activate the paste command. What you highlighted is now on the page. Change the font size & style, and you may want to change the color of the entire post/article to BLACK because most blogs use a light gray print (even though it may look black)... To save it on your PC, go to File, Save As, Open or Create a folder you want it saved in - remember to give it a name that will make it easy for you to find in the future - Now print it...

 

TO COMMENT ON A "POST/ARTICLE" we’ve added, beneath each "post/article", left click on the word “comment” , which takes you to a dialog box, so you can type your comments about the "post" article that you have just read...

 

HOW & WHY TO FOLLOW A BLOG? For our blog or any blog you read often, become a follower, to easily keep track of the blogs via your Reading List on the Blogger dashboard - On our Blog, at the bottom of the right column, you will see a "Follow" button under the "Followers" widget, and when you left click on it, a popup window appears asking if you want to follow the blog publicly or privately

• EMAIL: Most blogs have an “email signup” so simply type in your email address and you will receive anemail whenever a new post is added
•  FOLLOWING PUBLICLY: Your profile image will appear in the blog's Followers widget. You will also be subscribed to updates for this blog which will appear in your Reading List on your Dashboard and following a blog creates a listing in your Google Reader account.
•  FOLLOWING PRIVATELY: Your profile image and will NOT be displayed in the blog's Followers widget, but you’ll be subscribed to updates for this blog which will appear in your Reading List on your Dashboard and following a blog creates a listing in your Google Reader account

QR CODES (Quick Response)

While in Las Vegas recently, we stopped at the Hard Rock Café and noticed throughout the hotel, almost all of the countless items on display worn by various entertainment artists had these little squares.. . These little squares were new – they were black & white, probably 6-8” sq. tiles – quite similar to sections of what we call “bar codes” but different. I couldn’t find any explanation as to what they were…

I’d intended to “Google” them, but hadn’t done that yet and when I mentioned them during one of our classes here in AZ a student solved the puzzle. By the way Harley-thank you… Harley is keeping current on technology and had recently read an article which explained they were QR Codes. Harley was kind enough to send me an article he’d read, some of which I've included below.. So combined with what he sent me and a little more research here’s an “English” explanation of how & what they are for…

They were initially designed and used for tracking parts in vehicle manufacturing, but now these QR codes are used everywhere both commercially and residentially. One use growing in popularity is that which was intendd at the Hard Rock Café – in the display cases, they encourage/allow Smartphone (cell) users with the right app (called mobile tagging) to aim their Smartphone at the code, which in turn display all the info & a photo of what’s in the case OR it can compose an email or text message for use later… Users can also generate and print their own QR codes for others to scan and use by visiting one of several free QR code generating site – WOW…

Here’s the article quote from March 28, 2011|By Umika Pidaparthy on CNN News
“A confused crossword puzzle. A psychedelic postage stamp. A bar code on drugs. This is how a QR, or Quick Response, code may appear to most people. You may have noticed these black-and-white squares showing up in subway ads or in pages of magazines. Thanks to our growing addiction to our Smartphone’s, you'll likely be seeing more of them. QR codes are showing up in more and more places: posters, storefront window displays, TV advertisements, business cards, websites and even on T-shirts. When accessed with your phone, a QR code takes you to a landing page where you'll usually find special promotional content” The QR code was invented by a Japanese company called DENSO Corp., a subsidy of Toyota, in 1994. The codes have been used in Japan for years and are quite common there. But only now are they becoming mainstream in the United State”

Now that I know what they are, I’m seeing them everywhere – Amazing how this technology continues to change…

What is a smartphone?

We are all hearing the phrase “smartphone” – but how is a “smartphone” different from a cell phone?

Typical cell phones allows us to make and receive telephone calls; text messages and to take, send and receive photos and videos…

Smartphones offer greater functionality than regular cell phones, so that you can...

• use a full “qwerty” keyboards for easier typing
• have access to the Internet to access your email, Facebook and Twitter accounts
• work with all your Office documents, such as word & excel,
• sync data with personal and business computers
• send & receive instant messages
• play music
• show streaming video
• edit photos
• get driving directions from the GPS
• play countless games and
• work with hundreds of other “applications referred to as “apps”

All of this is in addition to making phone calls of course.. And many of the smartphones have touch screens..

Smartphones are actually mini-computers with an OS-Operating system (such as the BlackBerry OS; Palm OS or Windows Mobile OS); Smartphones have internet access so that you can download countless applications, including GPS systems, you can link to your social networking & email accounts; many smartphones give you the ability to not only take photos but edit them; you can view, update & edit Office documents and they can be synchronized with your computer for all the updates you make, as well as synchronizing your address book, calendar and tasks list quickly and easily – similar to what a PDA used to do – only faster and more easily… And of course the applications allow you access, via the internet, to hundreds of games, music, video and other sites…

This, like all other computer related technology, is changing almost daily so no doubt, as soon as you buy a new “smartphone” it’s going to be outdated and topped with a newer version with more bells & whistles… leaving us all to wonder where it will end…

How to add “attachments” to your email message…

Once you are in your email account and into the section where you can write/compose a new email message:

Be sure to fill in the names whom it is going to in the BCC (to protect everyone’s privacy) - also be sure to fill in a subject and then write your message

Now – click the “attachment” option which usually has a paperclip icon beside it (it might also say Add attachment, insert attachment or insert file/photo”

With many programs you will now see a BROWSE button which allows you to open the Document, Picture, Video or Music files so that you can find what it is you want to attach

Once you have found the correct folder and then found the correct “file” highlight/left click on the file name – with most services if you left click the file twice it will insert/add it to your email message. Remember if you have several files in one folder, you can use the CTRL or SHFT keys to add multiple files.

If you want to send a different file from a different folder or section, just repeat the steps above.

Once you have attached all the files you want, you will send the email message the same as you always do. If you want to be sure what your recipients will see, simply send a copy to yourself as well…

Notes:

Most services allow you to add attachments up to 25GB, although this varies depending on the email provider :

IN AOL – the ATTACH FILE button is in the bottom left corner of the email message

IN YAHOO: When you choose the file you want to attach it appears in the file field, when you are finished, select the 'Attach Files' button and you will receive a message that you have successfully attached your files.

IN HOTMAIL: In newer versions it will ask you if you want to save the attachments as online documents/photos – you can say yes or no (when you say yes they will be saved in your online/cloud documents/photo folders)

IN GMAIL: Click the "Send" command once you have added as many attachments as you desire and they will be added to your message

HOW TO GET PHOTOS FROM YOUR CELL PHONE TO YOUR COMPUTER..

You’ve taken photos or videos with your cell phone, but how can you get them to your computer so you can print or email them… There are several ways, depending on the type and model of your cell phone – use one of the following tips or check your cell phone manufacturer’s website for their tutorial instructions for your specific cell phone..

CABLE FROM CELL PHONE TO COMPUTER: Some phones, come with cables that have a connection for the phone and the other end has a USB port connection – if you phone has this, you will copy and paste the photo’s from your cell phone to your computer, the same as you would from a flash drive/memory card to your computer.. For example, if you have a Motorola phone you can use a tool called Motorola Phone Tools-It isn't free but comes with a USB cable you can directly connect to the computer

FOR CELL PHONES WITH TEXTING CAPABILITIES: Then you can simply “email the photo’s to yourself or anyone else with an email address” just like a text message; instead of a phone number you would send it to the “email address”

FOR CELL PHONES WITH MEMORY CARDS: Before you take pictures with your cell phone, be sure you have a memory card in the slot and that your camera setting is set to save all photos & videos that you take, and other information you’d like, to the memory card. Refer to your user manual to make sure you buy the right kind of memory card for your cell phone If your cell phone didn’t come with one. Common cell phone memory card formats include: TransFlash MicroSD, MiniSD, Sony MemoryStick but, the most popular is MicroSD (remember "MiniSD" and "MicroSD" are not the same kind of cards)..

Small memory cards require a larger adapter to insert in a computer memory card reader.
Once your small memory card is in the adapter, insert the memory card adapter into a memory card reader or into your laptop/computer/printer’s built in memory card reader..

Now it is ready to be “read” - Open Windows Explorer (Windows Flag Key & E), you will then see your memory card with an assigned drive letter – typically E or F. When you left click on that drive, look to the right side of the screen and you will see the photos and or all information on the memory card.

1. Highlight the photos you want to put on the computer
2. Choose COPY
3. Now go to or create a new folder for the picture
4. Once you are in the correct folder, choose PASTE

Your photos are now on your computer in the folder you have chosen or created…

TOP 12 CYBER SCAMS OF CHRISTMAS

If you missed this article we don't want you to miss it - it helps to be careful and remember, most times if it sounds to good to be true it probably is…

TOP 12 CYBER SCAMS THIS CHRISTMAS (Top on this year's list: Offers of free iPads)
Nov 16, 2010 published on MSNBC & MSN

Shoppers looking for holiday bargains are already scouring the Web as well as incoming e-mails and text messages for deals — and cyber criminals are quite busy, too, hoping to lure you in with a deal that seems too good to be true. "We’re all looking for a great deal online, but some sites offer electronics or luxury goods at prices that are too good to be true," said Alison Southwick of the Better Business Bureau.

"Every holiday season BBB hears from holiday shoppers who paid for a supposedly great deal online, but received nothing in return." (For more tips on shopping safely online, check out the BBB's link for this list...

www.bbb.org/us/article/top-ten-cyber-monday-tips-for-staying-safe-when-shopping-online-23416

Security software company McAfee recently released its "12 Scams of Christmas" list, and offers of "free" iPads — among this year's most coveted tech gadgets — comes in at No. 1.
"With Apple products topping most shopping lists this holiday season, scammers are busy distributing bogus offers for free iPads" via e-mail spam, McAfee said. In the e-mail, "consumers are asked to purchase other products and provide their credit card number to get the free iPad. Of course, victims never receive the iPad or the other items, just the headache of reporting a stolen credit card number."

Meanwhile, in the Facebook, Twitter or other social media version of the ruse, users are asked to "take a quiz to win a free iPad and must supply their cell phone number to receive the results. In actuality they are signed up for a cell phone scam that costs $10 a week," McAfee said.

Here's the rest of the company's "12 Scams of Christmas" list:

2. "Help! I’ve Been Robbed" — "This travel scam sends phony distress messages to family and friends requesting that money be wired or transferred so that they can get home." We and other news organizations have written about this before, especially as an issue on Facebook, where people feel like they trust information that's posted. With so many people traveling during the holiday season, though, it's easy to fall prey to this one.

3. Fake gift cards — Social media (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace as examples) are used by no-goodniks to "promote fake gift card offers with the goal of stealing consumers’ information and money, which is then sold to marketers or used for ID theft," says McAfee. "One recent Facebook scam offered a 'free $1,000 Best Buy gift card" to the first 20,000 people who signed up for a Best Buy fan page, which was a lookalike. To apply for the gift card they had to provide personal information and take a series of quizzes."

4. Holiday job offers — Maybe for some, the recession is over, but not for many of us still. Which is why "as people seek extra cash for gifts this holiday season, Twitter scams offer dangerous links to high-paying, work-at-home jobs that ask for your personal information, such as your e-mail address, home address and Social Security number to apply for the fake job."

5. "Smishing" — You've heard of phishing? "Smishing" is when a phishing SMS, or text messages, arrives on your cell phone, wanting you to bite. "These texts appear to come from your bank or an online retailer saying that there is something wrong with an account and you have to call a number to verify your account information. In reality, these efforts are merely a ruse to extract valuable personal information from the targets," McAfee says. "Cyber crooks know that people are more vulnerable to this scam during the holiday season when consumers are doing more online shopping and checking bank balances frequently."

6. Suspicious holiday rentals — Many of us are looking to save on that Christmas-y cabin in the mountains or chic vacation apartment in the city of our dreams. "During peak travel times when consumers often look online for affordable holiday rentals, cyber crooks post fake holiday rental sites that ask for down payments on properties by credit card or wire transfer."

7. Recession scams continue — "Scammers target vulnerable consumers with recession related scams such as pay-in-advance credit schemes. McAfee Labs has seen a significant number of spam e-mails advertising pre-qualified, low-interest loans and credit cards if" — that emphasis is mine —"the recipient pays a processing fee, which goes directly into the scammer’s pocket."

8. Grinch-like greetings, involving e-cards — Electronic cards can save paper and postage, but "cyber criminals load fake versions with links to computer viruses and other malware instead of cheer ... Computers may start displaying obscene images, pop-up ads, or even start sending cards to contacts that appear to come from you."

9. Low price traps — Discussed above, as the "too good to be true" deals, which are promoted on some auction sites and fake websites. The aim, McAfee says: "the goal of stealing your money and information."

10. Charity scams — "Common ploys include phone calls and spam e-mails asking you to donate to veterans’ charities, children's causes and relief funds for the latest catastrophe."

11. Dangerous holiday downloads — "Holiday-themed screensavers, jingles and animations are an easy way for scammers to spread viruses and other computer threats especially when links come from an e-mail or IM that appears to be from a friend."

12. Hotel and airport Wi-Fi vulnerabilities — This is an anytime risk with thieves who are savvy enough to hack into public networks being used by hurried travelers. Hacker-thieves can steal credit card numbers, bank accounts and other forms of personal identity; try not to access bank accounts, for example, or give your credit card number online while using public Wi-Fi. It's a good rule for every day — not just for the holidays.

© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints

November Comptuer Classes

NOVEMBER already – elections are over and it’s time to think about the holidays – we have some great classes for using your digital photos for gifts and greeting cards and creating holiday invitations with WORD and much more…

The following classes are being held before Thanksgiving … To reserve your seat, Call Registration 928-855-7812 or 453-1139.. Consider signing up with a friend – coming to class with someone else gives you the motivation to practice and the more people in each class the more is learned from questions....

I’ve been inundated with questions about how to make & order Christmas cards with photos, so I’m preparing a special handout for this and will distribute the handout and cover the steps for creating & ordering greeting cards online (at Walgreens, CVS,Wal-Mart, etc) in 3 of our November classes in time for this holiday season: our Picasa; Create a Book and Word Processing Classes…

I’m heading back to new England for the holidays but will be back when the New Year begins and our classes will begin again on Wednesday morning, January 5th and continue thru April – so for those of you coming to Havasu after the holidays, these and many more classes will be held – Have a wonderful holidays and we will look forward to seeing you

PICASA PHOTO EDITING LSC100A-123 NOV 8 & 10, Monday & Wednesday mornings 8:30am-12:20pm Two 4 hr classes learning to edit & print Digital Photos using Picasa (a free Google software) learn to upload photos from your camera and/or scanner to the PC and learn t order prints on line.. We will also show you upload photos & create holiday cards online... Bring photos to class (on camera or flash drive)

SOCIAL NETWORKING & BLOG BASICS LSC080-121 Nov. 9 & 16, Tuesday mornings 8:30am-12:20pm 1pm-4:50pm Two 4 hour classes learning all about social networking & blogging, including “Facebook” “Twittering” etc.. Create a family or organization blog – learn how, why & when to post – comments; Set Up Your Own Blog; Templates; Add Ons: Links, Photos, Slide Shows, Blog Tools & more - it’s fun free & easy

CREATE/PUBLISH YOUR OWN BOOK LSC100A-124 Nov. 9 & 16, Tuesday afternoons 1pm-4:50pm - Two 4 hour classes learning to create & publish your own book, using free book publishing software from www.blurb.com known as personal book making & publishing-use your wp skills & digital photos and learn in quantities as small as just one. You decide: soft or hard cover, various sizes, all text, all photos or a combination of photos & text, story book or recipe book-we will also work with walgreens.com to create a book & greeting cards using your photos Bring photos to class We will also show you upload photos & create holiday cards online... (on camera or flash drive)

EMAIL HOW TO’S LSC071-123 NOV 15 & 17 Monday & Wednesday mornings, 8:30am-12:20pm, Two 4 hr classes to enhance your basic email skills, work extensively with attachments of all types: documents, photos, videos, power point, learn to open & save, find & attach. Also learn to work with hyperlinks, learn to copy & paste to and from emails, Internet and word.

CREATE GREAT LOOKING DOCUMENTS LSC068-122 Nov 15 & 17 Mon & Wed afternoons, 1pm-4:50pm Two 4 hour classes-reviewing the basics to open, create, save documents; highlight; cut-copy-paste, set & change margins; create letters, envelopes, labels & use clip art, word art to enhance documents, create flyers & invitations & lots of printing tips and We will also show you upload photos & create holiday cards online...

Should you have many different passwords to get into your accounts?

NO – the more passwords you have the more likely you are to forget them. Consider having 2 or at the most 3 different passwords, but be sure they are strong (combination of numbers and letters work best). Consider

• 1 password for getting into each of your email accounts
• 1 password for getting into your financial accounts
• 1 password for getting into all other accounts you register with

TIPS:

• Keep your primary email addresses, user names and passwords on an index card with your other important papers.
• Don't share your passwords on the Internet, over email, on the phone or in the mail with something sent to you-only when you generate the contact. Internet Service Providers (ISP) and reputable companies will never generate calls, emails or correspondence asking for your password or other confidential information. If it doesn't feel right - don't respond!!!!
• Passwords are always case sensitive
• Never use your email password for anything but your email account
• Create another password (minimum 8-20 characters) a word & phrase with 3 or 4 numbers (be sure the numbers & letters are not consecutive, that you use for all other Internet accounts. If you need to change it, reverse the order (i.e. 4378david or david4378 or DAVID4378 or 4378 DAVID)

Tips for Texting, Emailing & Cell Phones

Tips for better online and cell phone behavior (etiquette)

• Try not to use email to address problems better handled face to face – shows your maturity and respect for the other person
• Email is wonderful – but picking up the phone for a real conversation is always a better option to enhance any relationship – personal or business
• Read & reread your email messages before hitting the send button – to check for spelling & grammatical errors, but just as importantly to be watchful of the tone – emails make it to easy to misread between the lines, so always be polite and respectful
• Email, especially business related, should always be professional – not cutesy or too casual
• Be sure to respect & protect others email addresses – whenever possible – put addresses in the BCC line so that email addresses aren't’ publicized.
• Always remove others email addresses when forwarding stories or jokes.. you never know where they will end up.. (remove the FW or FWD from the subject line)
• Put something in the subject line - even 1 or 2 words (directions, hello, estimate, questions) will help the receipient know what is is and if it needs to be addressed now or later
• This is very true for business emails: don't respond to e-mail immediately – it’s too easy to hit the reply button after a quick response, but the downsides to this is you may appear to be constantly reachable to colleagues, too eager to clients or upper management so unless it’s urgent, wait a few hours and be sure you’ve thought about your response and are focused on the task at hand.
• Make sure your email messages have a purpose…
• Never TYPE IN ALL UPPERCASE. Uppercase implies that you are SHOUTING.
• By the same token, you don’t want to use all lower case letters, especially in professional e-mails. Some say that writing in all lowercase appears you don't have enough respect for your recipient to use proper capitalization.
• You should never be too busy to use proper grammar, spelling and punctuation in your e-mails (although using incomplete sentences and lists for explanation is acceptable).
• Whenever you send professional emails – whether those are to your vendors, customers, clients, organization members - use their formal titles followed by their last name unless they invite you to use their first name – remember – show respect.
• Return calls in a timely manner – ideally always within twenty-four hours whenever possible.
• Leaving a voice mail message – it helps to give your number at both the beginning and end of the message and tell them when it’s convenient for them to return your call "I’ll be home this evening" or "back in the office after 2"
• Using your cell phone – be respectful of those around you especially try not to scream into your cell phone. Cell phone speakers are very sensitive and can transmit your slightest whisper – those around us aren’t interested in our conversations…
• When you are with someone at dinner – in a meeting – at an event – give them your full attention; most people find it rude & disrespectful to have those they are with texting, accepting/making cell phone calls and the like - if they are important enough to be with, then they are important enough to have your full attention...
• When you are in public settings - restaurants, places of worship, social gatherings-work & pleasure, turn your cell phone off or put it on vibrate so as not to disturb those around you-need to take the call - then take it outside!
• Technology is wonderful, but it sure can be annoying...

What is "phishing" and how to avoid it

Phishing is an increasingly common type of spam that can lead to theft of your personal details such as credit card numbers or online banking passwords.

Phishing attacks work by the scam artist sending "spoofed" emails that appear to come from a legitimate website that you have online dealings with such as a bank, credit card company or ISP - any site which requires users to have a personal identity or account. The email may ask you to reply with your account details in order to "update security" or for some other reason.

The phishing email may also direct you to a spoofed website or pop-up window which looks exactly like the real site, but has been set up for the sole purpose of stealing personal information. Unsuspecting people are then often fooled into handing over credit card numbers, passwords or other details.

• Never respond to emails that request personal financial informationBanks or e-commerce companies generally personalize emails, while phishers do not. Phishers often include false but sensational messages ("urgent - your account details may have been stolen") in order to get an immediate reaction. Reputable companies don't ask their customers for passwords or account details in an email. Even if you think the email may be legitimate, don't respond - contact the company by phone or by visiting their website.
• Visit bank or other financial, retail or medical websites by typing the URL (web address) into the address bar yourself. Phishers often use links within emails to direct their victims to a spoofed site, usually to a similar address such as mybankonline.com instead of mybank.com. When clicked on, the URL shown in the address bar may look genuine, but there are several ways it can be faked, taking you to the spoofed site. If you suspect an email from your bank or online company is false, do not follow any links embedded within it.
• Keep a regular check on your accounts - Regularly log into your accounts & and check your statements. If you see any suspicious transactions report them to your bank or credit card provider.

Be sure the website you are visiting is secure - Always, before you submit any personal or fiancial information, always check to ensure the site uses encryption to protect your personal data:

1. Check the web address in the address bar. If the website you’re visiting is on a secure server it should start with "https://" ("s" for security) rather than the usual "http://"
2. Look for a lock icon on the browser's status bar. Check the level of encryption, expressed in bits, by hovering over the icon with your cursor. Note that the fact that the website is using encryption doesn't necessarily mean that the website is legitimate; it only tells you data is being sent in encrypted form.

Aligning your text

It is very easy to align your text - but let the computer do it for you - never use the space key several dozen times to "center" text in a document, email or other application....

When you use Microsoft Word, Works, Word Pad or Word Perfect an this also works for cells in Excel, slides in Power Point, in most email programs when you are typing a new email message and many other software programs when you are working with “text”.

The "alignment buttons" allow you to easily align your text and the 4 standard options are:

• Left
• Center
• Right
• Justify/full justify (used to be called block style)

On your formatting toolbar (or in the Home Tab Ribbon of Word 2007/2010) you will see 4 “alignment buttons”.

When your cursor/pointer is in the word, sentence or paragraph you want to change the alignment for, simply click on the alignment button of your choice..