Have you ever received an email that appears to be from your own email address? This is a classic case of a spammer using your email name as the "from" on a fake email.
One way to help eliminate this practice is to use a strong password on your email account, and to change it periodically. Also, try to avoid the temptation to use the same password for all of your online accounts. If you use "mom123" as your password on everything, just imagine how easy it will be for a spammer to get into all of your online accounts once they've hacked into one of them. Don't make it easier on them!
If you start to get these fake emails from yourself, change your password immediately on that account.
If you get hacked in Facebook, the first step is to change your password on that account. Usually it's a good idea to change your password on your email account at the same time.
If, like me, you have dozens of online accounts and can't possibly remember all of your passwords, try using a password manager package, such as RoboForm. It will remember your password for each site that you use, and gives you a button to take you to the site, enter your password and click enter, all in one step. It also has a built in random password generator, so you can easily create stronger passwords.
They have a version for your desktop/laptop, and they also have a version that installs on a flash drive. It's very inexpensive and easy to use.
Check out RoboForm here:
http://www.roboform.com/
There are other tools of this type available, but this is the one that I personally use and I recommend it.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Garage Sale Season
Spring and summer always seem to bring certain traditions - road construction, fireworks and garage sales come to mind.
Over this past weekend, I had a garage sale at my own home. We had a lot of different things, but mainly we had toys that the kids have outgrown and a few miscellaneous household items. I tried to get rid of a few electronics and in some cases I was successful. My son's old Game Boy Advance sold, as well as his Jeep riding toy (one of the battery powered ones). The Jeep alone was a big thing, so I'm glad to get it out of our garage. I was surprised that more of the toys didn't sell, since they'd be perfect for grandparents who like to have a few things around for the little ones, as well as parents on a budget.
The leftover items will be donated, mostly to our church, for their "white elephant" sale later this summer. It's always a little sad to see things go, but I feel better knowing that someone else can get use out of them. If we're not using an item, I don't see the point in storing it forever. Unfortunately, none of the local charities will take my old artificial Christmas tree so I guess I'll drag it out to the curb one of these days and hope for the best. Sometimes the "garbage pickers" can take things like that, since the local garbage collectors are unlikely to accept it.
All of this spring cleaning and organizing leads me to thoughts about the files on my computer, too. It's time to do a quick review of my files and get rid of the really old stuff that I no longer need. Now is also a good time to confirm that my automatic backups are working as they should, and take an extra, more user-friendly copy of my data on my external hard drive, just in case. When my hard drive failed last year, I found that my formal backup copy was useful but it was best used for a full system restore. If I need a bunch of files from a certain folder, it's easier to keep a copy of those separately.
Since my father has recently passed away, I also need to start going through his electronic files to help my mother determine what she does and does not need to keep. He had several computers, external hard drives and a multitude of CDs and flash drives. She has no idea what to do with most of those types of accessories, and may not even have software to read some of the files, so that will be my job over the next several months. As I review and learn about those files, I'll share what I've learned about the best process.
Do your spouse and family a favor - try to keep your electronic files in some organized fashion, and make sure they know your passwords. It's hard to even figure out how/what he saved without looking at every piece of paper and every digital file. The sheer volume of his records make that a daunting task.
Over this past weekend, I had a garage sale at my own home. We had a lot of different things, but mainly we had toys that the kids have outgrown and a few miscellaneous household items. I tried to get rid of a few electronics and in some cases I was successful. My son's old Game Boy Advance sold, as well as his Jeep riding toy (one of the battery powered ones). The Jeep alone was a big thing, so I'm glad to get it out of our garage. I was surprised that more of the toys didn't sell, since they'd be perfect for grandparents who like to have a few things around for the little ones, as well as parents on a budget.
The leftover items will be donated, mostly to our church, for their "white elephant" sale later this summer. It's always a little sad to see things go, but I feel better knowing that someone else can get use out of them. If we're not using an item, I don't see the point in storing it forever. Unfortunately, none of the local charities will take my old artificial Christmas tree so I guess I'll drag it out to the curb one of these days and hope for the best. Sometimes the "garbage pickers" can take things like that, since the local garbage collectors are unlikely to accept it.
All of this spring cleaning and organizing leads me to thoughts about the files on my computer, too. It's time to do a quick review of my files and get rid of the really old stuff that I no longer need. Now is also a good time to confirm that my automatic backups are working as they should, and take an extra, more user-friendly copy of my data on my external hard drive, just in case. When my hard drive failed last year, I found that my formal backup copy was useful but it was best used for a full system restore. If I need a bunch of files from a certain folder, it's easier to keep a copy of those separately.
Since my father has recently passed away, I also need to start going through his electronic files to help my mother determine what she does and does not need to keep. He had several computers, external hard drives and a multitude of CDs and flash drives. She has no idea what to do with most of those types of accessories, and may not even have software to read some of the files, so that will be my job over the next several months. As I review and learn about those files, I'll share what I've learned about the best process.
Do your spouse and family a favor - try to keep your electronic files in some organized fashion, and make sure they know your passwords. It's hard to even figure out how/what he saved without looking at every piece of paper and every digital file. The sheer volume of his records make that a daunting task.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Miscellaneous Electronics Graveyard
Like a lot of Americans, I have a lot of electronics in my household. My husband and I both work in the IT field, so we're probably worse than some people in that regard. We have a lot of computers, printers and other accessories that we use for our business and personal needs.
Have you ever found that you have a pile of electrical cords and other miscellaneous pieces of electronics, all jumbled together, and you don't know what it all is? If you find yourself losing track of what each cord actually is used for, it helps a lot to label them (we have a Brother label printer). If you remember to label each cord that comes with a new gadget, you'll never forget where it belongs.
You'll want to be fairly specific, for future reference on those labels. Putting a label on a camera charging cord that just says "camera charger" is not going to help you if you have 5 of them. Using the brand or model name on that label will really help in that case - "Panasonic A123 camera charger" for example.
Labeling each cord is also helpful when you have a power strip under your desk with 10 things plugged into it and need to unplug just one - how do you know which one? If you put your label near the plug end, you'll be able to tell which one is your printer vs. laptop vs. monitor, etc. and it will be no big deal. Of course if you have to get down on the floor and crawl under your desk just to get to the plugs, I can't help with that...
Periodically, I try to purge out the excess and either sell or donate what we no longer use. It's nice if I can include the cords and instructions with it. Labeling makes that possible.
I'd like to avoid having what I call an "electronics graveyard" in my household. You know, that pile of pieces that are not complete and can't be matched up with the rest of their components? Personally, if I end up with a pile like that, my first instinct is to pitch it all. I mean, really, if I don't know what goes to what, or don't even remember its original function, what is the point of keeping it around? At that point it's just meaningless clutter and I certainly don't need to fill up my house with that stuff!
Have you ever found that you have a pile of electrical cords and other miscellaneous pieces of electronics, all jumbled together, and you don't know what it all is? If you find yourself losing track of what each cord actually is used for, it helps a lot to label them (we have a Brother label printer). If you remember to label each cord that comes with a new gadget, you'll never forget where it belongs.
You'll want to be fairly specific, for future reference on those labels. Putting a label on a camera charging cord that just says "camera charger" is not going to help you if you have 5 of them. Using the brand or model name on that label will really help in that case - "Panasonic A123 camera charger" for example.
Labeling each cord is also helpful when you have a power strip under your desk with 10 things plugged into it and need to unplug just one - how do you know which one? If you put your label near the plug end, you'll be able to tell which one is your printer vs. laptop vs. monitor, etc. and it will be no big deal. Of course if you have to get down on the floor and crawl under your desk just to get to the plugs, I can't help with that...
Periodically, I try to purge out the excess and either sell or donate what we no longer use. It's nice if I can include the cords and instructions with it. Labeling makes that possible.
I'd like to avoid having what I call an "electronics graveyard" in my household. You know, that pile of pieces that are not complete and can't be matched up with the rest of their components? Personally, if I end up with a pile like that, my first instinct is to pitch it all. I mean, really, if I don't know what goes to what, or don't even remember its original function, what is the point of keeping it around? At that point it's just meaningless clutter and I certainly don't need to fill up my house with that stuff!
Friday, April 12, 2013
Digital Copies of DVDs You Buy - Are They Worth It?
Do you buy a lot of movies on DVD or Blu Ray? Do you ever buy the bundle that also includes a "digital copy"?
I've bought a few of these in the recent past and I've finally started to load them to my iTunes account. A couple things are worth noting:
Of course a bunch of movies will use up a lot of your PC's hard drive, so hopefully you have an external drive that you can use to back them up if needed. Also, you most likely won't want to keep all of them on your device (iPad, iPod, etc.) all of them time, since they'll fill the memory on your device as well. Keeping them in iTunes gives you the ability to sync them onto your device when needed (such as before a long car trip or plane ride).
Personally, I'll be watching Hunger Games on a flight to Orlando next week...
I've bought a few of these in the recent past and I've finally started to load them to my iTunes account. A couple things are worth noting:
- If you buy the bundle with a "digital copy", you are paying extra for it, so USE IT! If you won't use it, buy the bundle without that option, since it will be cheaper.
- If you use iTunes, it's pretty easy to get these digital copies loaded. Some of them require you to insert the DVD into your PC to get the digital copy, and some use a website. Either way, iTunes can handle it.
- Don't throw away the paper with your code on it!! Without the code, you can't redeem your digital copy and you've wasted your money.
- Pay attention to any expiration dates on your redemption code - sometimes they have a limited time frame on them. Miss that deadline, and you've again wasted your money.
- There is a difference between a digital copy and the new "ultraviolet" copy. You have to create an account with UltraViolet or Flixster in order to redeem any movies that use it. I haven't tried this yet but it's supposed to give you access to your movie when you're anywhere (assuming you either have Wifi access or a data plan on the device).
Of course a bunch of movies will use up a lot of your PC's hard drive, so hopefully you have an external drive that you can use to back them up if needed. Also, you most likely won't want to keep all of them on your device (iPad, iPod, etc.) all of them time, since they'll fill the memory on your device as well. Keeping them in iTunes gives you the ability to sync them onto your device when needed (such as before a long car trip or plane ride).
Personally, I'll be watching Hunger Games on a flight to Orlando next week...
Monday, April 1, 2013
Email Accounts - Legislation Needs to Change
Were you aware that if a family member dies, you will not be allowed to get into their email account unless you happen to know the password? According to Yahoo, the law states that the email account belongs only to the registered user and they can't give access to anyone else, even with a copy of a death certificate.
This law does not make sense to me. If a close family member uses email a lot, and then dies without telling anyone their password, their family is left in a bad situation. There could be legitimate email waiting in their account that the family can't address, nor can they contact those senders to advise them of the recipient's passing.
It is my opinion that if the family can produce a copy of a death certificate, then they should be given a chance to reset the password and clean out the account for themselves. Most email providers will close the account when notified of a death, but without some type of cleanup and/or notification to any legitimate senders, there is a big gap here. The family could lose valuable information and/or relationships without access.
For now, please remember to share your email password (and any other important information) with someone that you trust to carry out your wishes if you die. Otherwise your family could be left with no recourse but to close your account, even if it means losing all of its contents. Make this part of your estate planning and your family will be better prepared to deal with closing your "online life".
This law does not make sense to me. If a close family member uses email a lot, and then dies without telling anyone their password, their family is left in a bad situation. There could be legitimate email waiting in their account that the family can't address, nor can they contact those senders to advise them of the recipient's passing.
It is my opinion that if the family can produce a copy of a death certificate, then they should be given a chance to reset the password and clean out the account for themselves. Most email providers will close the account when notified of a death, but without some type of cleanup and/or notification to any legitimate senders, there is a big gap here. The family could lose valuable information and/or relationships without access.
For now, please remember to share your email password (and any other important information) with someone that you trust to carry out your wishes if you die. Otherwise your family could be left with no recourse but to close your account, even if it means losing all of its contents. Make this part of your estate planning and your family will be better prepared to deal with closing your "online life".
Using iPad as an E-Reader & Video Player
At Christmas I became the proud owner of a new iPad. I'm really enjoying it and use it for a lot of different purposes. My top two are for reading and for watching movies/videos.
I wasn't sure that I would like using an e-reader instead of a paper book, but I've come to appreciate the advantages. I don't have to store paper books, which is a huge plus for me, since my bookcases are overflowing. I can take my iPad anywhere that I'd take a book and it's no heavier than a hard cover book. I can mark my page with an electronic bookmark instead of scrounging in the bottom of my purse for a receipt or some scrap of paper to use. I can shop for new books anytime, and I can search by author, title, etc. in the store to quickly find what I want.
One disadvantage that I see with e-readers is that it isn't any cheaper to buy an e-book than a paper one. I mean, really, shouldn't I get a discount since they don't have the expense of the paper, ink and printing? Why should I pay $9.99 online to get an electronic copy of a book when I can often get the same book on paper for less than that? This is annoying to me.
For now, I'm trying to stock up on iTunes gift cards whenever I see them offered at a discount off face value (frequently at 10 - 15 % off at local stores). I'm also having pretty good luck with the bargain section of iBooks. I've found a lot of new authors that I'm enjoying without having to pay $10 or more for a new book.
We are members of Netflix, so I'm also really enjoying being able to watch all of the episodes of TV shows, in order, whenever I want. If a certain show or movie is not available using the streaming on Netflix, I can normally find it on iTunes for a price. I also have quite a few movies on DVD which I purchased in a bundle that included a digital copy, so I'm slowly getting those loaded to my PC so that I can put them on my iPad if I want. This is perfect for kids movies for a long car trip or plane ride.
Now if I could just find an adapter to plug my iPad into the DVD player in the car, that would be the best of both worlds...
I wasn't sure that I would like using an e-reader instead of a paper book, but I've come to appreciate the advantages. I don't have to store paper books, which is a huge plus for me, since my bookcases are overflowing. I can take my iPad anywhere that I'd take a book and it's no heavier than a hard cover book. I can mark my page with an electronic bookmark instead of scrounging in the bottom of my purse for a receipt or some scrap of paper to use. I can shop for new books anytime, and I can search by author, title, etc. in the store to quickly find what I want.
One disadvantage that I see with e-readers is that it isn't any cheaper to buy an e-book than a paper one. I mean, really, shouldn't I get a discount since they don't have the expense of the paper, ink and printing? Why should I pay $9.99 online to get an electronic copy of a book when I can often get the same book on paper for less than that? This is annoying to me.
For now, I'm trying to stock up on iTunes gift cards whenever I see them offered at a discount off face value (frequently at 10 - 15 % off at local stores). I'm also having pretty good luck with the bargain section of iBooks. I've found a lot of new authors that I'm enjoying without having to pay $10 or more for a new book.
We are members of Netflix, so I'm also really enjoying being able to watch all of the episodes of TV shows, in order, whenever I want. If a certain show or movie is not available using the streaming on Netflix, I can normally find it on iTunes for a price. I also have quite a few movies on DVD which I purchased in a bundle that included a digital copy, so I'm slowly getting those loaded to my PC so that I can put them on my iPad if I want. This is perfect for kids movies for a long car trip or plane ride.
Now if I could just find an adapter to plug my iPad into the DVD player in the car, that would be the best of both worlds...
Keep Folders & Files in Sync
If you have multiple PCs in your household, there may be some files that you'd like to be able to view/update on both machines. In order to keep your files in sync, there are many tools available.
I personally use a couple of different tools. I use SyncToy from Microsoft to keep my files synced between a flash drive and my hard drive. It's free and easy to use, very similar to Windows Explorer. You choose the "from" location and the "to" location and it compares the files and updates what is needed. It has several different options if you want to copy files only one way, both ways, including deletes or not.
I use DropBox to share files with clients or with family members. I've also found that DropBox is an easy way to get my photos off of my iPhone or iPad and copy them onto my PC without having to email each file to myself. It is also easy to use and offers some space for free. If you invite others to join a shared folder with you, or perform certain other functions, you can earn additional free space.
Here is an article from PC World on this topic which has some other suggestions.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031021/how-to-sync-files-and-folders-across-two-pcs.html#tk.nl_pwr
For more information on SyncToy and DropBox, see these links:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15155 (SyncToy)
https://www.dropbox.com/
I personally use a couple of different tools. I use SyncToy from Microsoft to keep my files synced between a flash drive and my hard drive. It's free and easy to use, very similar to Windows Explorer. You choose the "from" location and the "to" location and it compares the files and updates what is needed. It has several different options if you want to copy files only one way, both ways, including deletes or not.
I use DropBox to share files with clients or with family members. I've also found that DropBox is an easy way to get my photos off of my iPhone or iPad and copy them onto my PC without having to email each file to myself. It is also easy to use and offers some space for free. If you invite others to join a shared folder with you, or perform certain other functions, you can earn additional free space.
Here is an article from PC World on this topic which has some other suggestions.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2031021/how-to-sync-files-and-folders-across-two-pcs.html#tk.nl_pwr
For more information on SyncToy and DropBox, see these links:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15155 (SyncToy)
https://www.dropbox.com/
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