Just for the fun of it...

Want more answers for your Ubuntu OS?

Website to answer your computer troubleshooting questions

Having computer problems like what do I need to do to upgrade my computer or what kind of problems are common with a Dell Inspiron 6400 laptop for instance. Do a search on Techspot and its forums are rich with previously asked questions like yours and some of the best answers from the "techies" that deal with these kind of things everyday.

Connect better with Skype

I can quite remember when I started using skype, must have been sometime a little later than its inception. Liked it over the other messengers for the fact that it has a 256 bit encryption which means it is really secure. Not that I am doing anything top secret, just like to know it is not being tapped in any way. I use it now in the classroom to send messages and files to students at there desktop workstations.


Some of the reasons I would pick this over any other messenger is that you can install it on virtually any platform: Windows, Linux and Macintosh. It also works with iPhone/iPod Touch, Windows Mobile devices, and various other mobile devices. It has great VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) capabilities which could amount to a huge cost savings for your school or business, even your private residence ($2.95/month unlimited US and Canada). File transfers are as easy as drag and drop into chat window.

Some advantages I can see for classroom use are:
-Keeping in touch with students who are afraid to get up or raise hands to ask questions
-Transferring files to individual or multiple workstations: Worksheets, notes, forms, etc.
-Students can collaborate on projects in real-time.
-Can be used as motivation tool to encourage students to keep on track with assignments/projects.
-Can be installed quickly using MSI installer (Windows only).
-Great remote presentation tool for distance learning.
-Real-time collaboration with other staff members.
-Could be used as conference call without using phone system. I almost forgot to mention how well it does at video calling...all that is needed is a webcam (some have built-in microphones) and a microphone.

Disagvantages:
-Some students may be distracted by chat window if screen is small.
-Students may chat with someone outside the classroom (not likely to happen since Skype does not have a big following among this age group let alone this geographical region).


Businesses may find the same advantages as well as cost savings over traditional phone service. Skype to Skype communcations are totally free. Skype to landline and mobile phone vary in cost. Check out all the features of Skype here.

Happy Skyping.....

Need a Cheat Sheet?

Check out Cheat-Sheets.org. Here's their tagline: The Manual.su's project. All cheat sheets, round-ups, quick reference cards, quick reference guides and quick reference sheets in one page. The only one you need.
They are downloadable and printable  pdf's.

Forgot your flash drive? Use Dropbox and sync all your computers

I have on occasion forgot to bring my flash drive with me to work. What do I do now? Well, I could save it to a CD, but the file is so small that would be a waist. Install Dropbox on your computers that you want to access all dropped-in files and there you have it, all are synced. But, what is your other computer has a different operating system, like a Macintosh or Linux? No worries, there is a Dropbox app for all platforms.

The above paragraphs sounds like it came from some cheesy ad for a commercial software, but it wasn't, actually, it was just me being all "Ron Popeil" and trying to sell you a Pocket Fisherman. In reality, Dropbox is a free to use program(2GB storage) that is totally free and very useful. I even have it installed on my iPod Touch and can access all my files there. If you want more than the 2GB of storage Dropbox has by default you can pay for up to 100GB or storage. Check out their website at: http://dropbox.com

Google Voice Beefs Up Your Voicemail and More

Haven't heard of Google Voice? Well, it is out of it's Beta stage and making life a little easier for those signed up to use it. So far it is free to use. Here's what I use it for:

I have a GV number that is based in South Dakota (it's a Sioux Falls mobile number). I give it out to people that I don't exactly want to know my real phone number. It links to any phone I own and calls them or just one and allows me to choose to listen to the message, defer to voice mail, answer immediately, block, etc. My current Verizon plan does not do this.

Another efficient use can save you big bucks for long distance calls. First, if you have one of those cell plans that allows you to pick 10 numbers that are out of your plan or a landline you can make your GV number on of them. Once you make it one of your group call numbers you can call it and press #2 and call out from GV and talk for an unlimited time.

One of the things I use GV for is sending SMS (text messages) from my laptop/desktop/any computer for free. The return text messages will be sent back in a threaded fashion of the GV webpage and also to your mobile phone.

Read more about Google Voice and sign up for an account here: http://voice.google.com

Getting that time in to listen to radio and news

It is always very difficult for me to find the time to listen to radio. I am rather old school when it comes to the way I get my news, but I have and always will first pick radio. Only problem is my schedule and the programs I like to listen to are different. Thankfully podcasts are the quick answer to that. This week I am looking at easy ways to download the podcasts that I like, load them on my phone and give them a listen when I have the time.

Mediafly is the most recent one that I have found, It has a syncronizer app that can be installed in Windows XP and Vista. It is free and the site contains daily updates to most of your favorite radio broadcasts. I particularly like "Car Talk" on NPR and some BBC programs. You can listen to them online or download them to most any media player including iPods.

More to come.....

Don't let the coffee go bad

I am a bit of a coffee connoisseur, I mean I like good coffee. Now, I have had my share of the stale, watered-down, weak cafe coffee that so many around these part enjoy, and I have also had the horribly burned beans that are so common in Starbucks. Keeping in mind that coffee is a commodity and commands a great price, but this is out-weighed by the enjoyment and health benefits, I will steer you in the direction to preserving this this ambrosia we all partake so religiously. Check out this website that will disspell for you the myth that I learned so long ago that coffee should never, I repeat, never be stored in the refrigerator. If you have to store it , you have bought too much, or you don't drink enough of it. My first suggestion is the buy the beans as most are not stale to begin and fresh ground coffee is one step in the right direction.

http://unclutterer.com/2008/01/16/storing-coffee/

Missed shows

I don't often watch television, but I do have a few favorite shows I have missed along the way. I could go to CBS or any of the other networks, but the shows are scatted and the player often buffers on my slow internet. Of course, I could actually fire up the VCR and just tape the programs, but my kids wore that out months ago. So, I found this site that puts all the network shows at one location for view at any time. Check it out here: http://www.fancast.com/home

File Storage and Transfer

It is always difficult when you run into the inevitable problem of not enough storage space or your hard drive has to be reformatted. I have listed here some online storage site that I like and use to store and share files.

The first is MediaFire at http://www.mediafire.com/about.php?type=1
However, my favorite is DivShare which gives you unlimited space for storage http://www.divshare.com/

There is also those instances when you want to send a large file of any size and email is restricted in attachment size. In that case I use this new service called PipeBytes at http://www.pipebytes.com/

LINUX? WHAT'S THAT!?

True, I don't have a lot of time to be writing this, so I will make it short and sweet. If you have an old computer, say one running Windows 98 with at least 128MB of RAM then consider this: Do you want to continue using this antiquated software or do you want something that has some, shall we say Uumph! to it? Anywho, check out these great Linux distrobutions that can be run directly from a CD without even installing it on your computer:
Top 10 Linux Distrobutions

These distros (as the call them) are money savers since all are free. They call also save you time since all include a full package of office software and literally thousands of software packages. I'd recommend PCLinuxOS since I have been using it for months now and have students at my school using it on a daily basis. The computers are set to "dual-boot" which means you have a choice to run Windows or Linux when you start the computer. The installer gives you the option to do this. What could be more of a time and money saver. Only downfall, it is not Windows and you will not be able to run any windows applications without some Linux scripting knowledge. However, like with Macintosh owners, the greatest defense has and always will be this: How many word processors do you need?

Oh, I forgot to mention. I did a sort of quick side-by-side comparison of MS Vista and PCLinuxOS and found that although both systems looked nice. the Linux system used less resources which means you could run Linux on an older machine and not need 2GB of RAM and a dual core processor---just keep in mind, Linux costs NOTHING!

Four Rules to Understand What Makes People Tick

I like this blog called Lifehacker.org. I read it as often as I can. It has some great ideas. This article I thought rang true to dealing with other people. You may already know these things, but it is always good to be reminded in order to keep our perspective.

Link: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/four-rules-to-understand-what-makes-people-tick.html

Animoto will help you make a great video out of your photos

The Perceived Unpopularity of Skype in the US

I have been using Skype for at least three years now and was, initially, sold on the fact that it goes way beyond the normal messengers like MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, ICQ, AOL and others in the fact that it just plain works and has voice and video applications that work better than anything I have seen. As an administrator I have used it to contact students and parents at no cost to my school. I have used it to display real-time video from a scientist in Australia who studies spiders. For $30 a year you can call out to any phone in the US and Canada. Pretty cool stuff. It is more secure than any other messenger with its 256-bit encryption that not even the CIA can tap. Skype also has a voice mail option and a call-in option, but these two options will cost you. So what is free, well, you can call to any other Skype user, this is where you will find this great tool very unpopular. It is unpopular in the US because it is in competition with MSN and Yahoo Messenger who have been greatly popular in this country for over ten years. Try to get a relative or friend in their 30's and 40's to download and install the client so you can communicate freely is like asking them to give a pound of flesh. I have spoken with plenty of people who are daily users of Skype that have faced the same problem with trying to convince people how useful a communication tool this can be. Just try it. It can save you a lot of money in long distance calls, it is quicker than email, and you can transfer files by dropping an dragging them to the chat window of your contact. Check it out here: http://www.skype.com

Health Benefits of Coffee

I love coffee! But, I don't often think of it as a healthy drink. Perhaps it is not healthy when it is made in one of those aluminum urns with pre-ground coffee that has been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long and is doctored-up with ten spoons of sugar and creamer made of some sort of white powder that looks like that stuff that you see around the post of your car battery, etc, etc. However, I am rather a connoisseur of fine coffee and use only real sugar and real cream in mine, and drink it fresh ground and make certain that it is organic. Sorry, I don't mean to be elitist, but I like what I like.

Anyway, I found this report that speaks of the few benefits of drinking coffee in large quantities.
http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food

Tips for better, more efficient reading....

I like reading, but don't have a lot of time to do so. I like to keep up on the news, but don't really have the time to sit and read a five paragraph article on some new study that proves something right I have been doing or something wrong, but I read it anyway and hurry through and don't always get the gist of it. I like to speed read, but text on the computer screen is sometimes difficult to see. Here's a great reader that will allow you to copy the article or whatever and paste it in and set your reading speed and retain stuff like you never have before in a fraction of the time. Check it out at http://www.zapreader.com