Tiplet expert tips & tech support

January 13, 2009

Setting Up a Web cam for Video Chats

Filed under: Internet — Tags: , , — admin @ 9:00 am

by Tina Gasperson

Video chatting is a fun and easy way to keep in touch with people too far away to visit often. Grandparents love to use this method to “see” their grandchildren and interact with them remotely. Sometimes parents who have to work long hours set up video cams with sound at home to feel closer to their family. Others use video chatting as just the latest way to “do” chatting – instead of typing your conversation and reading the responses, you just speak and watch.

To start video chatting, naturally, you’ll need a computer with a broadband Internet connection – DSL, cable, or FIOS. Dial-up connections are too slow to have a Jetsons-style video chat. Make sure you purchase a Web cam that has a built in microphone, as this makes the entire setup process much easier. Microsoft’s Lifecam series of Web cams have built in microphones, are optimized for video chatting, and are reasonably priced. Or search Google Shopping to find a full range of web cams to suit your needs.
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January 12, 2009

How and Where to Host Your Web site

Filed under: Internet — Tags: , , , , — admin @ 2:10 pm

by David Strom

If you are looking to start up a new Web site, or if you are unhappy with where your existing Web site is hosted, you have three basic choices for where you actually put your content. You can use a free blogging service, or use GoDaddy or the services of your domain registrar, or you can pay someone to set up a virtual Windows or Linux server and set it up on your own.

The costs vary for each method. Using the Web hosting facility at a registrar such as GoDaddy starts at $5 a month and can be as expensive as several hundreds of dollars a month for the virtual servers. What is the difference? The cheaper plans use pre-set Web sites and aren’t all that flexibly, while the virtual server plans means that you have a complete Windows or Linux OS that is sitting in their data center and yours to set up as you wish.
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January 9, 2009

How to Send Large Files Over the Internet

Filed under: file transfer,Internet,online computing — Tags: , — admin @ 3:00 pm

by David Strom

Sending large files as email attachments is a big pain in the neck. Some email services place a limit on their size, and if you have a bunch of photos or a video or a large PowerPoint presentation, you will quickly find out what this limit is and get a message saying the file can’t be sent that way. So what are your choices?

If you own your own domain, you can transfer the file to your own Web site using something called FTP or SCP and have your correspondent transfer it back to their computer that way. You can make use of Google Docs or something similar that can share Office-type documents, including PowerPoint presentations, spreadsheets and Word documents. If you and your recipient have accounts on the same Instant Message service you can send files that way too. These are all good methods, but your correspondent may not want to use them, and they require some coordination.
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January 3, 2009

Avoiding Viruses and Trojans Browsing the Internet

Filed under: Internet,privacy & security — Tags: , , , — admin @ 10:00 am

by Tina Gasperson

The Microsoft Windows operating system dominates the computer market. Research shows that 90 percent of computers run some form of Windows. The popularity of this operating system means that there is an abundance of software available to make your computer more useful and powerful. Unfortunately, it also means that Windows is a prime target for people who create little software programs known as computer viruses and “Trojans.” These programs are designed to wreak havoc in your computer for the benefit of someone else. Their gain could be that these unsavory characters can now use your computer as their own spam server, gain access your credit accounts, or simply get the satisfaction of knowing they’ve brought your system to a screeching halt and you may have to spend lots of time and money getting it fixed.

So how can you avoid getting infected by one of these rogue programs? There are several precautions you can take to protect your computer while you’re out “surfing the ‘Net.”
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January 1, 2009

Receiving E-mail Without a Computer

Filed under: e-mail,Internet — Tags: — admin @ 5:00 pm

by Gabe Goldberg

If you’ve ever wondered how to bring email to the techno-phobe in your life, the answer isn’t Abracadabra. It’s Presto.

If you’re reading this online, you own or have access to a computer. But you likely have friends or relatives — perhaps elderly, budget-restricted or technophobic — who don’t. So they’re not in close touch and can’t share online family or community activities.

Presto is a combination color inkjet printer and paid Web-based service which allows people without computers to receive email, including attachments. (more…)

December 31, 2008

What is Twitter and how do I use it?

Filed under: Internet,mobile computing,social networking — Tags: , — admin @ 4:54 pm

By Tina Gasperson

If you spend any time at all on the Internet, you’ve probably been exposed to the term “social networking.” You may be familiar with sites like Myspace andFacebook are common examples of social networking Web sites, where users are connected to each other via friend lists. When you sign up for an account on one of these sites, you can find your friends, family, and acquaintances, put them on your friend list, and get notified whenever one of them updates their information or posts new photos.

Twitter is another example of a social network, but with a few differences that make it a little less intuitive for new users. The most important feature of Twitter is the status update, sometimes called a “tweet”. Users send frequent tweets of 140 characters or less that let their network of followers know what they’re doing right now. Veteran Twitter users swear by the service, saying it keeps them connected to other people in their network. Twitter provides business networking opportunities along with purely social “gab,” say fans of the service, that make it an invaluable part of their online life. (more…)

Speed up Web browsing with OpenDNS

Filed under: Internet — Tags: , , , — admin @ 4:45 pm

by David Hakala

You may get a pleasant Web surfing speed boost by switching from your ISP’s Domain Name Server to the free OpenDNS. You’ve nothing to lose by trying and the switch is easily done and undone. Here is why OpenDNS may be right for you.

When you enter the name of a Web site in your browser, i. e., “google.com”, the easily remembered name must be translated into a cryptic IP address, a standardized number that uniquely identifies every device connected to the Internet, such as Google’s Web server. For instance, Google.com’s IP address is 74.125.45.100. (more…)

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