Monday, September 30, 2013
Poor Prediction
"There
is as much chance of repealing the 18th amendment prohibition of
alcohol as there is for a hummingbird to fly to the Planet Mars with the
Washington Monument tied to its tail."
- Senator Morris Sheppard, TX,
author of the 18th Amendment.
Computer America Show line up for the Week of September 30, 2013
Monday
----------
Charles Tendell rejoins Craig as Co-Host of Computer America!
Hour one: Neohapsis Labs. Neohapsis is a trusted provider of mobile and cloud security services.They work with more than 300 global enterprises to address their constantly evolving information security and compliance challenges. Leveraging their security expertise, advanced research and security tools, Neohapsis is at the forefront of securing today's emerging technologies. Joining us is their Technical Director to comment on Apple's latest TouchID technology and how it could impact you if you use it.
----------
Charles Tendell rejoins Craig as Co-Host of Computer America!
Hour one: Neohapsis Labs. Neohapsis is a trusted provider of mobile and cloud security services.They work with more than 300 global enterprises to address their constantly evolving information security and compliance challenges. Leveraging their security expertise, advanced research and security tools, Neohapsis is at the forefront of securing today's emerging technologies. Joining us is their Technical Director to comment on Apple's latest TouchID technology and how it could impact you if you use it.
|
Monday ---------- Hour two: Craig and Charles do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Tuesday ---------- Hour one: LapLink. Use PCmover to automatically transfer all of your selected programs, files, and settings from your old PC to your new one. With PCmover, there's no need to find old CDs or serial numbers because your programs are automatically installed and ready to use on your new PC. Also hear about the latest in synchronization! |
|
Tuesday ---------- Hour two: Craig and Charles do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Wednesday ---------- Hour one: Mike Cermak the Owner/Operator of Techguy.org joins us in our first show of the year! It's Wednesday Madness and we answer ANY questions you may have about Computers and Technology! |
|
Wednesday ---------- Hour two: Craig and Charles do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Thursday ---------- Hour one: JustDeals.com is a daily offer site that presents quality branded merchandise from various national brands at discounts of up to 95 percent off MSRP. JustDeals.com's buying team leverages its years of retail product buying experience to secure top quality merchandise direct from manufacturers. JustDeals.com is not a bidding site or penny auction and a minimum number of buyers are not required to receive a deal. Users simply add the desired deal to their cart and checkout. |
|
Thursday ---------- Hour two: Craig and Charles do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Friday ---------- Hour one: Christopher Breen. Chris is the Senior Editor of Macworld Magazine and he's here to give us some amazing insights into Apple's new products! |
|
Friday ---------- Hour two: Craig and Charles do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Saturday ---------- Both hours: On BlogTalkRadio this Saturday, it's our all Linux Show with Computer America Correspondent Larry Bushey, the Host of the Going Linux Podcast! Join us! |
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Computer America Show Line Up for the week of September 23, 2013
Monday
----------
Hour one: Neat. Hear about the brand new NeatConnect that works WITHOUT a computer! It's wireless, has a color screen and so much more! Neat transforms your digital and paper documents into useful, organized information. Their integrated system of software, hardware, cloud service, and mobile app makes it easy to acquire, search, share, and access your most important information - anywhere, anytime. Whether it's medical bills or small business expenses, business cards or financial documents, even your collection of newspaper clippings, Neat frees the information that's trapped on paper-so you can secure it, organize it, and use it.
|
Monday ---------- Hour two: Craig and Grayson do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Tuesday ---------- Hour one: Magic Logix. The release of Samsung's new Galaxy Gear Smartwatch and its latest version of the Galaxy Note has many wondering about its chief competitor Apple. Samsung has had a new technology every few months and Apple has only had its last release, the iPhone5. Hassan Bawab, Founder and CEO of Magic Logix, believes that Samsung is coming out swinging and are appealing to Apple's loyal fans with tech savvy new mobile gadgets. Could Samsung become the next sought after gadget King? Hassan Bawab will discuss his thoughts on the latest tech from Samsung and how it is contributes to the overall Mobile technology picture. |
|
Tuesday ---------- Hour two: Craig and Grayson do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Wednesday ---------- Hour one: Craig and Grayson do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Wednesday ---------- Hour two: Dick DeBartolo. Dick joins us every last Wednesday of the month. Dick is Mad Magazine's maddest writer and one of our favorite correspondents! Dick is known as "The Giz Wiz" and he certainly lives up to the name's reputation! Dick finds some of the most unusual items on the Internet and shares the with up! Click on the Link below to see the items Dick will be talking about! |
|
Thursday ---------- Hour one: Ooma. The Ooma Telo is a revolutionary device that frees you from expensive home phone bills forever! With Ooma, you get crystal-clear nationwide calling--plus all the phone features you're used to--for free. Just connect Ooma to your high-speed Internet and regular home phone, and activate online. It's really that easy. |
|
Thursday ---------- Hour two: Craig and Grayson do Computer and Technology News, brought to you by Slimware Utilities, the Official Optimization Software of Computer America, and answer your computer questions! |
|
Friday ---------- Both hours: Michael Miller. Mike is one of Computer America's Special Correspondents. Michael Miller is a proven and successful non-fiction writer on a variety of technical, business, and lifestyle-related topics. He has written more than 150 books in the last two decades that have collectively sold more than one million copies. His best-selling books include The Ultimate Web Marketing Guide, YouTube for Business, and Facebook for Grown-Ups for Que Publishing. He has established a reputation for being able to explain difficult concepts to everyday readers in easy-to-understand language. |
|
Saturday ---------- Both hours: On BlogTalkRadio this Saturday, it's time for Bond... Ralph Bond joins Craig and Grayson with computer news and special topics. For many years, Ralph was Intel's Consumer Education Director and he continues to be the voice of Intel for Computer America's Intel Digital Minute. Ralph is now with Autodesk and he is an official Computer America correspondent. Join us! |
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Friday, September 20, 2013
What to Look for in a New Computer
“What should I look for in a new computer?”
That's a great question with almost too many answers.
With the choices in screen size (from 11.6 to 18 inches), in processors (from
the lowly AMD E-300 to the massive Intel Core i7), hard drive sizes (from 250
gigabytes to 1000 gigabytes), memory from 2 to 32GB, and many other options,
you could easily start to suffer from "analysis paralysis."
Just picking a computer manufacturer is one of the hardest things to do.
Go with a second or third tier maker, or go with a first rate? And then
some manufacturers specialize in certain kinds of computer. Dell, Toshiba
and HP tend towards the casual consumer. MSI and Alienware go for the
gamer crowd. Lenovo makes a good business computer. Of course there
is some overlap in the offerings, and with some information you can be armed to
pick the best fit for your needs.
Since laptops are the Big Thing going right now, I'm going
to concentrate on them, but the same general idea applies to desktop machines,
other than the mobility factor.
If
you are looking for a very mobile laptop, you might look at something in the 11
to 14 inch range. These machines are small, light and fairly
powerful. Because of the size, they tend to shy away from processors that
generate lots of heat, like the Core i7 quad core (core refers to how many
"engine" a processor has to do work with). They can also be
called "ultrabooks" if they meet certain criteria set by Intel.
In the name of weight saving, they skip the optical drive (something I was
reminded of after making a recommendation) and go for low wattage processors
(CPU). Normally, if you are looking at something Intel powered, the CPU
name will be followed by a "U." You might see a model name
of "Core i3-3227U." This CPU trades a bit of power for power,
which is processing power for longer battery power. In the case of Intel Core CPUs, it’s not a
big trade-off as they tend to be pretty powerful for most uses.
A
15 inch laptop is a good choice for an easy to read screen and easy to carry
around. These laptops are thick enough
to run regular wattage CPUs and carry a battery to power them for at least two
hours, but can go for three or more.
They will also most likely have an optical (DVD) drive, unless it’s
billed as an ultrabook. Intel Core i3
and i5 CPUs and AMD A4, A6, and A-8 CPUs are the norm here. Intel’s lineup is a bit easier to follow than
AMDs as the Intel Core CPUs are almost all dual core while the AMDs use a mix
of dual and quad core CPUs. Good rule of
thumb to look at is the larger the number, the more it’ll cost and faster it
goes.
Then
there are the 17 inch laptops. These can
be heavy and hard to transport.
Sometimes, you’ll see them called “desktop replacement” machines as they
have all the power you’ll need and screen that nice to look at. And, as with CPUs, the larger you go, the
more they cost. There will also be a
full keyboard with number pad if that’s important for bookkeeping or data
entry. Also, they have the full mix of
CPUs available to them from the bargain bin to the top shelf.
On
top of all the screen size options, there are touch screens. A touch screen allows you to run your
computer without a mouse by just using your finger. They also add cost to the laptop, but can
make using the laptop more intuitive and fun to use. Some can found for well under $400.
A
word (or a hundred...) about CPU / processors.
For the most part, any CPU you end up with will do the job for email,
web browsing and watching YouTube videos.
But, with the arrival of Windows 8, the need for something a bit more
powerful is in order. Stores will
advertize the weekly special with the E-300/450/E1/E2 or Celeron/Pentium Dual Core CPU and 2 gigabyte of
memory for about $250. That’s a great
price considering that at one time, a good laptop would cost somewhere closer
to $2500. However, there is a point
where cheap is too cheap. I would
strongly suggest staying away from any laptop running an E-series or Celeron
CPU. “But, can’t I just change the CPU
later?” Short answer: No. Longer answer: Some CPUs are soldiered into place and cannot
be replaced like a desktop. So, once you
buy a laptop, it’s usually stuck with whatever CPU it came with. I have an old Gateway that is one of the very
rare exceptions where Gateway sent a manual that shows how to replace some
internal parts.
Acceptable
CPUs:
Intel Pentium B-series, Core
i-series (2nd generation)
AMD A4 and A6 dual core
Good
CPUs:
Intel Core i3, i5 (3rd
generation)
AMD A4 and A6 quad core
Excellent
CPUs:
Intel i5 and i7 (4th
generation)
AMD A8 and A10
Entry
Level:
Intel Atom and Celeron
AMD E-series (E-300, E-450, E1 and
E2)
Skip
anything that only comes with 2GB (gigabyte) of RAM (memory). You’ll spend as much upgrading to 4GB as you
would have just getting it to start with, or more. And like everything else, more RAM is more
money. Right now, 4GB is still a good
spot for most use. Of course, if there’s
a good deal with 6 or 8GB, go for it.
Many newer laptops can run 8 or more GB of RAM. If you are doing still picture editing, 4GB is
plenty. If movie editing is in the
future, then more may be an option. RAM
is usually pretty easy to upgrade and is the best return for money in an
upgrade.
Hard
drives are the file cabinet of the computer.
There are sizes from 250 to 1000GB.
In a laptop, they tend to be slow spinning, 5400rpm drives. It takes power to spin the motor, so a slower
drive uses less power, and can impact performance. A new laptop might also be equipped with an
SSD (solid state drive). This is a hard
drive with no moving parts, meaning it uses very little power. The trade off for this smaller size (under
128GB) and higher price as SSDs are still hard to make. HDs are a bit harder to upgrade as the entire
OS, programs and data would have to backed up and reinstalled after replacing
the old HD.
Most
laptops come with integrated graphics.
This means the video system is built into the motherboard of the laptop
and cannot be changed or upgraded.
Intel’s video is fine for playing DVDs and streaming video. AMD does a good job for some gaming. Integrated video will use memory from the
system. This use is dynamic, meaning
that the video and operating system will use amounts of RAM according to the
need. Laptops with discrete video tend
to be expensive. Integrated graphics
cannot be changed.
Windows
8 is Microsoft’s new operating system.
It’s supposed to be faster, more secure and easier to use. Win8 changes the Desktop and Start button to
making the Desktop a tile on the Start Screen with other programs and
applications (apps). Win8 really is
designed to be used on a tablet, but can be used for a laptop and desktop with
some learning curve.
Other
things to think about are: HDMI output
to an HDTV, USB 3.0 ports (for high speed devices like external hard drives),
memory card readers, Bluetooth (for transferring files to and from cell phones
and tablets), speakers, how the keyboard feels, the size of the keys and the
color (grey letters on silver buttons is not good), battery life and capacity
of the battery, a built-in webcam for Skype.
One
good option is refurbished laptops. Lenovo
has had laptops in their Outlet Store for as low as $124. These are computers that have been returned
for one reason or another, or are off lease.
They might have some cosmetic issues, scratches and dents, but shouldn’t
affect performance. If Windows 7 is
needed or Windows 8 is not desired, this where Win7 can be had for a discount.
Usually, refurbs have a 90 day warranty.
Newegg also carries refurbished laptops; these are usually older
machines running Core 2 Duo CPUs and Windows 7 for about $200.
After
owning (arguably) too many laptops, Dell, Toshiba, Gateway, and Lenovo are good
picks. Sony tends to be pricey and HP lately
is lacking in reliability. Asus, Acer,
and other companies make fine computers.
No matter what, some company will be missing. However, if there’s a flier or web site,
always ask if there are questions or concerns.
There are plenty of options for (almost) every budget and every
mission. From web browsing and email to
designing hyper-sonic jet fighters, a laptop can be found for your needs.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Tech Teach - The Mouse
It’s a little device sitting next to your computer or it’s
one you bought to use with your laptop.
Usually wireless (it talks to the computer via radio or Bluetooth) and
has a laser in the bottom for tracking.
Basic mice have two buttons and a scroll wheel. The buttons are the left and right
buttons. The left button is used to
select an item, such as an icon, file or folder (but not limited to). For Windows 7, the icons on the Taskbar along
the bottom of the screen can be activated by one click. This is called a single-click. Icons on the Desktop can be activated by two
clicks in quick succession. This is
called a double-click. You can also use
the left button to click and hold on an object (such as an icon on the
desktop), then move to where you want it to be.
This way, you can organize your desktop by putting like programs
together.
Left
clicking is for when you want to select or activate an item. Single is usually for selecting (unless the
icon is on the Taskbar). Double-click
activates an icon to run the program or file by opening the associated
program.
Right-click
gives you options for what else can be done with an icon, program or item. The menu changes depending on where you
right-click at. For example, if you
right-click on the Desktop, the menu is different than if you right-click on a
folder or file. Some option include
Open, Explore, Properties, New (for document creation), and other options. The options will change depending on where
the right-click is done and will pertain more to where the right-click is done,
such that a right-click on the Desktop will show a different menu than
right-click in folder or on an icon.
Knowing
the difference between left and right-click and knowing where each is
appropriate will make your computer experience more positive and help you to be
more productive.
An example of the menu that results from right-clicking on the Desktop.
An example of the menu that results from right-clicking in Word.
An example of the menu that results from right-clicking on a web in Firefox.
Monday, September 16, 2013
Computer America Show lineup for the week of September 16, 2013
|
Monday, September 09, 2013
Computer America Show line up for the week of September 9, 2013
Monday
----------
Both Hours: Steve Stockman, author of "How To Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck" tells you how to shoot great videos that everyone will want to watch! Tonight, Steve focuses on Video vs Real Life!
----------
Both Hours: Steve Stockman, author of "How To Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck" tells you how to shoot great videos that everyone will want to watch! Tonight, Steve focuses on Video vs Real Life!
|
Tuesday ---------- Both Hours: It's Gamer Tuesday! Joining us is Computer America's Gamer Correspondent - Grayson Hamilton. Grayson is pursuing a career in video game journalism. Tonight we talk about computer games and the latest news regarding gaming software and hardware! |
|
Wednesday ---------- Both Hours: Sandy Berger. Sandy is our Consumer Electronics Expert Correspondent on Computer America. She talks about the latest technology gadgets and trends in the industry with us. You don't want to miss this show! |
|
Thursday ---------- Hour one: Scheduled is Chris Cope is the CEO of SlimWare Utilities and he is here every month as our Chief Technology Correspondent! Every month, Chris discusses the latest Computer Technology and new items that enhance your computing experience. And remember that SlimWare Utilities maintains your PC, keeps it running smoothly and keeps it running as fast as it was when it was new! You can update drivers, make Image backups while preserving your documents and so much more! With SlimWare Utilities, you do it all and do it for FREE!! |
|
Thursday ---------- Hour two: PopCap Games, creator of some of the world's most beloved video game franchises and a division of Electronic Arts announced the worldwide availability of Plants vs. Zombies 2 and is on Computer America tonight! The highly anticipated sequel to Plants vs. Zombies, Plants vs. Zombies 2 will be initially available exclusively for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Featuring a time-travel theme that propels players through different historical eras to face off with zombies from various time periods, Plants vs. Zombies 2 is free to play and can be found on the App Store around the world, in seven different languages with additional languages supported soon. The game will become available for other platforms later this year and beyond. |
|
Friday ---------- Both hours: It's the second Friday of the month and that means it's time for Bond... Ralph Bond joins Craig and Charles with computer news and special topics. For many years, Ralph was Intel's Consumer Education Director and he continues to be the voice of Intel for Computer America's Intel Digital Minute. Ralph is now with Autodesk and he is an official Computer America correspondent. Every second Friday of the month, Ralph joins Craig and Charles to talk about the special Technology News stories he selects. Join us! |
|
Saturday ---------- Both hours: On BlogTalkRadio this Saturday, Memoto. The Memoto camera is a tiny camera and GPS that you clip on and wear. It's an entirely new kind of digital camera with no controls. Instead, it automatically takes photos as you go. The Memoto app then seamlessly and effortlessly organizes them for you. Visit the Memento website at: http://memoto.com
Follow on Twitter @computeramerica or LIKE on Facebook!
|
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
