Who says they don’t make video games for Girls? My eight year old daughter was upset because all the games her brothers played were shoot-em-ups. She asked me to find her some games more her style. Well, I found it, and made it my site of the week: Girls Go Games. This site has hundreds of games all geared to girls – shopping, makeup, ponies, you name it. Check it out at girlsgogames.com.
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Site of the Week: Girls Go Games
July 18th, 2010Why is My Computer So Slow?
July 18th, 2010What do you think is the number one question I get at parties? That’s right, “Why is my computer so slow?” Folks, there can be many reasons, but let’s start with the most obvious: How old is your computer. Any computer over 4 years old is probably having trouble keeping up with today’s websites, games, and other programs. Buy a new computer every 4 – 5 years. These things aren’t freezers. Another reason for slowness could simply be a lack of memory – in other words, not enough RAM. Today, you need at least 2 gigabytes of RAM and preferably 4 gigabytes. You will be surprised how much faster that simple upgrade can make your system. Here’s how you check your RAM. Finally, a very common cause of system slowness is an infection of some sort. Malware, virus, spyware – any number of vile little programs could be sitting there eating up your PC’s performance. Make sure your antivirus is up to date. Who knows, with a little cleanup or memory upgrade, you might be able to extend the life your system by a year or two!
Microsoft Word Tip: Changing Case
July 18th, 2010Did someone send you a document typed in all “UPPER CASE?” Change it quickly by highlighting the objectionable text, and repeatedly hitting Shift-F3 until the correct case is shown.
Internet Tip: Updates
July 17th, 2010Windows Update is the best Internet tool I know to plug security holes and fix bugs. From the Tools menu in IE, click Windows Update. It will lead you through the steps of automatically downloading any upgrades your system needs.
Windows Tip: Draw a Box
July 16th, 2010To select large numbers of files (for deletion, copying, etc.), draw a box around them. To do this, hold down the left mouse button somewhere off to the side of the group of icons. While holding it down, drag your mosue, creating a “dashed-line” box. Surround any files you want to select. Easy!
Site of the Week: Smithsonian Images
July 15th, 2010The Smithsonian Institution is one of the largest museum organizations in the world. What most people don’t know, however, is that millions of photographs have been stored online in the Smithsonian Images section. Any of them can be downloaded freely for personal or educational use. It’s an incredible archive and should be bookmarked by students and teachers.
Upgrade or Buy New?
July 14th, 2010
One of the biggest questions I get on a day-to-day basis goes something like this: “Eric, should I upgrade my old computer or buy a new one?” Well, the answer is not as cut and dried as you might think. But I will give you an answer.
First, how old IS your system? My basic rule of thumb is that if a computer is four or five years old, just go get a new one. If you upgrade a system that old, you are only delaying the inevitable replacement by a year or so.
You see, it’s not that computers 5 years old stop working. It’s that they aren’t powerful enough to run the software built today.
If your computer is only a year or two old, then, sure, upgrade: Get your RAM up to to 2 or 3 gigabytes. Add a new hard drive. And if you’re a gamer, get a faster graphics card and a larger monitor. But remember my five year rule.
After all, if you just keep upgrading your old system, you’ll eventually end up with what we call a Frankenstein system. And you know what happened to him!
Online Diversion: Release the Mooks
July 13th, 2010
How easy could this be? Releasing little creatures onto a platform, letting them stack. Just don’t let them fall! That’s the entire premise in Release the Mooks. While these little guys are cute, they aren’t very stable. Each level has its own challenges and you can’t go to a new level one until the current one is completed. This game makes a great diversion when you need a 5-minute break!
Wi-Fi Poachers
July 13th, 2010
Ok, here’s the scenario. You have your laptop at a coffee shop, someone’s office, or a friend’s house. You turn it on and it detects a wireless Internet router. All you have to do is click connect and you get free Internet, right? Is that legal?
Well, that’s hard to say. The closest law in the US that might cover it is “unauthorized access” or “trespassing.” Most officials feel that the responsibility to lock up a wireless access point lies with the owner. Many people, however, don’t know or don’t know how to turn on their wireless access point’s security, and so any of their neighbors or even people driving by could access their network.
And that’s the rub. If you connect to someone elses’s wireless Internet, you are, in effect accessing their network. So, while the law may be vague, the ethics are pretty clear.
Can others access YOUR wireless network? Is it secure? Or can any hacker sit outside your house or business with a laptop and access your files? Depending on where you live, one of our friendly techs can come out and verify your wireless network’s security. Give them a call at 806-353-0004.
Bonus Site of the Week: Sync.In
June 30th, 2010Sometimes you just need to see what someone else is seeing. And when working on a proposal, report, book, or any document with a bunch of people, it can get real confusing sending multiple versions around via email…Which brings me to my site of the week: Sync.in. This site is drop dead easy. It allows you and a group of people to work on the same document at the same time. Did I mention it is free? Check it out at sync.in.
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