Try an “Hour of Code” http://hourofcode.com/us
Categories
I am celebrating 2 1/2 years of boycotting gasoline and having a car. Only got rides a few times other than carpooling or taking the bus. The main reason is for my health. The second reason is to save money on things like car insurance, repairs, and drive time. Among many other reasons.
ebook now available on iBooks, Amazon (Kindle) and Nook
Preview of my ebook
some of my latest videos:
Energy Saving devices list from ASE.org
Why do tablets use less energy than older desktop and laptop computers?
They have no moving parts such as fans, or spinning discs (other than the user moving the entire device). Everything is closer together. They have fewer parts.
They use small energy efficient displays
They also create less heat.
If you continue to use a desktop or laptop computer you can plug the tablet or smart phone into a USB port to trickle charge after you have done the 1st full charge with your charger.
If you remember to unplug the charger, it uses dramatically less energy. The charger since it is converting AC power to DC power, if left plugged in takes more power than the tablet, or smart phone it powers.
Motion sensor power strip:
Motion sensor power allows device to turn off when you aren’t in the room.
It has some outlets that stay on all the time (you would probably plug your desktop tower and router/modem into these ports)
It has some that are on only when someone is in the room: you would plug your monitor, lamps, speakers, TVs, and chargers (for phones, laptops, and tablets) into these ports.
oLED TVs/monitors
use less electricity and heat
read about other devices at
Categories
That was easy
After I was told, after trying to find it for hours:
Some computers have a physical button to turn wifi on and off or keyboard button.
Some computers have a function button on the keyboard that turns that track pad on and off. There is also a setting in the Windows control panel that can enable or disable.
Common home network troubleshooting step. Unplug modem, router then wait. then plug in modem, then wait until lights are flashing, then plug in router.
If possible get the modem/router in one device. with many DSL providers you only need the one router can also have WIFi wireless network . check with your Internet Service Provider.
Full Screen mode:
To exit full screen mode it is now different with some programs. Sometimes it is ESC key or F10 or F11 and with Macintosh you may have to go to the top menu bar. To close a window in Windows use F4. To Quit a program in Macintosh use CMD Q
Sometimes restarting the computer can solve problems.
1. Solar Keyboard from Logitech.
- I have been using the Windows version of the solar Logitech keyboard. I kept using wired keyboards because I didn’t like changing batteries. This solves that problem, and removes some cable clutter.
- I now also have the mac version for my Macintosh.
2. Wireless touchpad from Logitech
- It is rechargeable by USB cable, and otherwise wireless and uses the same wireless adapter as my keyboard.
- Removes cable clutter. A little bit less hard on my wrist and gets rid of the laser.
- There is both a Mac version and a Windows version with multitouch (it has basic functions in Linux and basic functions if you used the Windows for mac or vice versa).
3. Solid State Drive
- A solid state drive can increase the speed of computer
SATA Solid State Drive
dramatically. - I have installed SSDs on 3 my computers and a customer’s computer.
- It also increases energy efficiency and reduces heat
- They come from multiple manufacturers. Typically from companies that make memory and flash drives.
- I had to clean up unneeded program files and duplicate files before installing.
- I used disc duplication /imaging software that came with one of the drives.
- Also, I was able to mount it to the desktop computers since it came with an adapter mount even though they were both made for laptops.
- For my Macintosh computers I used Time Machine (Apple Macintosh’s automatic local backup program to external drive) to do the restore to the new drive.
- A 480 GB drive is the same as a 512 GB drive. (the 512 GB drive uses a different definition of GB)
Categories
What is out for 2014
Sometimes the biggest changes in technology aren’t necessarily the new things, but the old things that are no longer needed.
- Spinning hard disc drives. Any moveable part is a point of failure. Since Solid state drives and flash memory has come down in price and expanded capacity, and cloud storage is available, I no longer can recommend buying a new (or used) spinning magnetic hard drive.
- Fax machines. Secure web along with other methods have replaced fax machines.
- Outside copper telephone and cable lines. Any outside communication line should be fiber optic, to prevent spread of lightning strikes. Fiber optics allow for distance and for speed.
- Phone books, paper newspapers. With the web, and most numbers now unlisted phone books have become mostly useless. Newspapers (the actual paper version) have become obsolete. The content is old by the time it is published, and due to lost revenue and cuts the content itself has become more unreliable.
- VHS, CDS, DVDs, blue laser DVDs, floppy drives, thumb (portable flash) drives. All of these sneaker net devices are rarely needed because of networking and cloud services.
- Florescent lighting, incandescent lighting. Replaced by LED and natural lighting.
- Big Paper (and CD media) manuals. Since most people don’t take the time to read big multipage paper manuals they have been replaced by: Online and web based manuals, manuals and tutorials within the product itself (such as in a computer or phone, or on a cars display/navigation system). Also instructions are sometimes put on the products packaging itself.
I made an ebook. It’s called Datacommuting. on iBooks, Amazon (Kindle) and Nook
Related: last years list
Fiberoptics
Categories
today in nanocomputing
Apple introduces new iPhone, with larger megapixel display, and new 64 bit nano processor.
Apple also announced new payment system.
Apple Watch announced. Automatically has accurate time. Fitness device. Uses “digital crown.” Tactile feedback, heart rate monitor. Jewelry and sports options. Having an iPhone is currently required for the watch.
I won’t be getting the watch, because my phone replaced all the watches I would constantly loose years before what we call smart phones now. And I don’t want to restrict my blood flow by wearing a watch, and I don’t wear a watch due to safety while running or biking.
There are of course already android and other “smart watches”
Categories
Preview : Datacommuting
Preview of my from my first chapter of my ebook that I’m still working on.
- Datacommuting ebook now available on iBooks, Amazon (Kindle) and Nook
What is Datacommuting?
It is using data to commute. It can be used along with traditional commuting or a replacement for it.
- Chapter 3: Newer and improving technologies
- online backup, sharing and collaboration tools.
Subway in Washington DC - screen sharing.
- Video conferencing.
- email.
- online backup, sharing and collaboration tools.
- instant messaging.
- Chapter 4: one step at a time
- Looking up schedules for mass transit.
Sunset on BNSF railway in Brainerd MN - looking up where you are going to go ahead of time so you can save time and money on driving
- finding people to carpool with online.
- finding maps to trails online.
- Looking up schedules for mass transit.
- Chapter 5 – older forms
- even using traditional mail and delivery services instead of driving.
- can be used in conjunction with voice phones/texting.
- Chapter 6: going paperless.
- using online banking.
- Chapter 7: 3 Rs, Reduce Reuse, Recycle Buying Habits
History
The tools used to develop modern computing date back to ancient times such as using an abacus, languages/writing.
From telegraph, calculator, telephone, answering machine, typewriter, fax, camera, fiberoptics, widespread wireless network adaptation, and email halve all evolved to make data commuting possible. Downsizing of computers from mainframe, to mini, to micro, to portable, to handheld.
There isn’t one single inventor or even device that makes it possible. It is many devices and many men and women (and sometimes even kids) that have made it possible. It is heavily dependent on the Internet (sometimes called “information superhighway”), but it is still possible on networks that are not connected and of course it is also dependent on the devices connected.
Datacommuting is the next step beyond telecommuting. Although telecommuting used computers, it heavily relied on the telephone and telephone lines. Businesses had to add extra lines to their employees homes so they could do their work. Employees did not get to meet face to face with other employees or customers without going into their office. Another problem, it was mostly (possibly for accounting purposes) only used for business purposes, thus there are still too many people driving and bridges crumbling down.
Datacommuting changes all those things. know it or not, you may already be doing parts of it, but probably not enough to complete the full picture.
The advances with web technology has changed the way people learned and the positions people work. The local college, there used to be five different position has merged into one position all because of the web. Now called student services which used to be the financial aid, records/registration, information and business office combined because of web-based services and disability/admissions/counseling combined to another office.
Another thing that changed is the way students learn by web-based classes. Now during the summer the local college is mostly a ghost town because most Summer classes are just online.
Another way that has changed is that many books are not e-books so students don’t have to have backpacks for having books.
Chapter 2: More than just trying to stay green in a digital age
What is the need for Datacommuting and why do we need to change how we commute?
What is the need for Datacommuting and why do we need to change how we commute?
We over rely on our automobiles. We use them for things we don’t have to. We get less exercise.
Driving motorized vehicles is expensive and can be dangerous. Many people are hurt or killed automobile accidents on a regular basis. They take up a lot of land And other resources. This is both a personal financial burden also a burden on society as a whole.
Our overuse of vehicles that run off of dangerous fuels has also caused us to go to the extreme to get the fuel for our vehicle and has also had very damaging, sometimes non-repairable consequences.
It is part of our obesity problem. It’s not just the fast food places, it’s that people don’t even get out of their car to get into the fast food places. And when spending a lot of time in the car, it isn’t always easy to eat healthy food or get enough exercise.
- Datacommuting ebook now available on iBooks, Amazon (Kindle) and Nook
Categories
Dealing with unwanted emails
Although in my view not as bad as junk postal mail or unwanted phone calls unwanted emails can be a problem or at least a nuisance.
They are called many things:
- junk mail or email
- spam
- bulk mail
- unsolicited mail
- unwanted e-mail
How to reduce junk mail.
- Certain email programs are better than others at handling junk mail. Many of the web based programs are slightly better at handling than desktop email clients.
- Don’t sign up for emails you don’t want
- If you signed up for an email you don’t want there should be an unsubscribe option.
- If it’s a personal email address be careful who you give it out to.
- Many email programs have a reporting option/ button like “This is spam” or “report junk mail” or “block sender”
- Don’t click on the links of unwanted email, however sometimes the unsubscribe option is ok to click on.
- Sometimes it is simply best to just delete it.
Phishing:
- Phishing are emails, letters, phone calls pretending to be other people, businesses, and organizations.
- They might pretend to be your friends or relatives. Many of these emails are from out of the country.
- Clues to phishing:
- misspellings from companies
- links look different
- email addresses are slightly different
- trouble with your bank or PayPal account
- Email from your friends or relative, that are in unusual circumstance, and are different than how they usually word things
Common email/mail scams:
- For Businesses:
- SEO services (Search engine optimization saying your web site does poorly in search rankings even though that’s how they probably found you)
- mobile web development
- Listing services that look like a bill or look like it is needed for your web site
- there are legitimate business services for those things listed above (like mine, I offer SEO, web development, and Business Listings) but you probably should not trust those that send you junk emails.
- scam letters from out of the country saying you are getting money (Nigerian Letter Scams, Out of Country Lotteries)
- phony virus alerts
- Urban legends and misquoting famous people
- and more
Another Problem:
- There is so much junk email that some important email end up in your junk or bulk mail folder. So it is best to check it before emptying.
Categories
phony debt collection scam
- A custom node type called business listing
- use link module
- use location module
- use view module
- use captcha Module
- use image module
- used taxonomy for categories
used with brainerdupdate.com