Old Spock vs new Spock
I am a SciFi nerd. I love Science Fiction in all of its forms. So, this Audi commercial featuring Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto, old Spock and new Spock. It thrills my little scifi heart.
Currently Browsing: Resources & Tech
May 13, 2013
Sep 16, 2010
Technology Linkpost
A round-up of news and resources to share:
- “Digital Devices Deprive Brain of Needed Downtime” from the NY Times. The article covers the side effects of being so connected all of the time. From the loss of downtime to actually making our brains tired… it’s an interesting article.
- “The 12 Best Ways To Customize Your Facebook Pages” from TechCrunch. This post gives a good list of some services to help you make your Facebook page better.
Aug 27, 2010
Steps to Take BEFORE Getting Rid of a Computer
BNET featured some great tips recently, advising “Do These 4 Critical Steps Before Disposing of an Old Computer.”
Here’s the rundown:
Back up your data. Even if you choose not to make a complete backup of the entire drive, though, you’ll want to be sure to keep a copy of your personal files (on Windows Vista and Windows 7, that’s everything in the User folder).
Serial numbers and registration keys. To reinstall your programs on the new computer, you’ll need all your various software keys. Hopefully you saved that information with the original discs, but it’s also possible to use a utility to recover that from your old hard drive.
Securely wipe your old drive. Before you recycle, give away, or donate your old PC, make sure your personal and business data is completely erased. There are ways to do this, but personally, I always remove the hard drive and give the PC away without it. I later physically destroy the drive.
Keep anything that’s useful. Pull out the monitor, memory… anything you think you might be able to use on a different PC.
My source: BNET’S “Do These 4 Critical Steps Before Disposing of an Old Computer”
Their source: MakeUseOf
Aug 25, 2010
Must-Have WordPress Plugins
Want to add some functionality to your WordPress blog? or just want to spruce it up? Matthew Wettergreen presented a workshop on the “must have” plugins at the recent Houston WordCamp. Here’s his list of WordPress plugins:
Below is a list of three types of plugins and specific examples we’ll be covering. This is by no means an exhaustive or complete list and any suggestions are welcome and encouraged:
- Type I: Plugins that increase your control over a WordPress powered site (Type I.rar)
- Type II: Plugins that increase the interactivity of a WordPress powered site (Type II.rar)
- Type III: Plugins that create multiple directions of communication on a WordPress powered site (Type III.rar)
- Industry Specific Plugins
- Music (Music.rar): PodPress, SoundCloud, GigPress, Audio Player, Last.fm
- Video (Video.rar): TubePress, Vipers Video, YouTuber, Apture, iBox
- Photo (Photo.rar): ZenphotoPress, PloggerPress, FlickrPress, Lightbox Gallery, iBox
Definitely a place to start. I know I will be looking into a few of these as a place to start.
Aug 17, 2010
is it real or an internet hoax?
It seems like every day I get some email about a child who is collecting names to break a record, a supposed scam that’s going on, or a new virus that’s going to shut down my computer. But how do you know if that Nigerian prince is real or not? Check online!
Tech Republic has a blog post listing the “Top 10 sites to debunk Internet hoaxes.” #1 is, of course, Snopes.com, but there are a few in there I’d never heard of.
This is a good list to bookmark.
Aug 12, 2010
The Ten Myths of Creating Web Content
From PrNewser.com: “College Humor founder Ricky Van Veen — a man who knows a thing or two about web content — presented his ‘Ten Myths of Web Content’ today at the Mashable Media Summit in New York” earlier this year. Here’s the shortlist.
- Myth #1: People Will Watch Your Branded Content
- Myth #2: People Will Be Patient With Content
- Myth #3: People Will Find Your Content
- Myth #4: The Internet Is a Level Playing Field
- Myth #5: We Have No Idea Why Things Go Viral
- Myth #6: Experience Leads Documentation
- Myth #7: Lets Build Our Own Community and Tools
- Myth #8: Lets Keep Things Professional
- Myth #9: Traditional Media is Irrelevant to the Web
- Myth #10: People Will Create Good Content For You
Aug 11, 2010
Essential Design Tools for Social Media Pros
From Mashable, “10 Essential Design Tools for Social Media Pros.” A few to note:
5. MockFlow: http://www.mockflow.com/
MockFlow is a versatile tool that enables you to quickly render functional website prototypes without a big time investment. There are also real-time collaboration and note taking features built into the platform.7. Campaign Monitor: http://www.campaignmonitor.com/
“Campaign Monitor is an intuitive e-mail marketing application created for designers. It has excellent tools for designing professional HTML e-mails, creating and managing e-mail campaigns, useful e-mail analytics, and more,” says Jacob Gube.8. Proposable: http://www.proposable.com/
He recommends Proposable, an online tool that allows you to build highly customized, branded presentations. A Proposable account incorporates an asset library (which can include rich media like video), a variety of templates, and a comment management system for real-time feedback.
Aug 10, 2010
Keep your family safe online
Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I really don’t know where I got this link, how it made it to my bookmarks, but it’s definitely worth sharing. From the Verizon forum, “10 Tips to Make Sure You Have a Cyber Safe Family.”
- Know the top Internet safety concerns – Most parents and Internet Safety Advocates would agree that the top Internet safety concerns include inappropriate material, cyberbullying, online predators, sharing private information, sharing pictures/videos and viruses.
- Have online rules and use an Internet Safety Contract – Just as you have rules for your kids regarding their behavior, stranger danger and being respectful of others, you should have specific rules for your kid’s online activities. A Family Internet Safety Contract
helps you communicate what is expected and how to handle certain
situations.- Install filtering or blocking programs – Although we love having access to everything, we don’t want everything coming back from the cyber world into our home computer. I strongly recommend anyone who has a computer to download a filtering program.
- Discuss online safety with your kids on a regular basis – Parents need to understand this is not a “one time only” conversation. This needs to be an ongoing conversation as new sites and trends mean it is constantly changing.
- Monitor online activity – Parents should begin monitoring their kids’ online activity as soon as they begin using a computer. Do they spend their time researching information regarding school or social network sites, online gaming, etc.? Most kids think they are safe when they go online, but they don’t realize everything they post online has the potential of becoming public. When they share pictures with their friends online, do they consider what the background might reveal (address, school name, socio-economic status, etc.)? Kids also don’t understand the steps predators use to befriend their victims. Kids should be monitored regularly until you feel comfortable with their online activity.
- Ask kids about their favorite websites – Take a little time each week to find out your child’s favorite website. Have them show you their favorite sites, online games and videos so you can evaluate their appropriateness to your child’s safety, educational goals and well-being.
- Discuss online related news stories – When stories related to technology or online safety are shown in the news, discuss them with your kids. Ask them what they would do in that situation. Do they know how their school would handle it, etc.?
- Know the online capabilities of all digital devices and cell phones. Most handheld devices (Nintendo DSi, iTouch, cell phones, etc.) have Internet access through Wi-Fi. Find out what online capabilities each digital device has and make sure you understand what the parental control options are.
- Understand what your online reputation reveals and how it can create opportunities or have negative consequences. I recommend that you “Google” your name and your child’s names. This is a great way to find out what your (or their) online reputation reveals. Do you need to take certain pictures or videos down or think twice about some of your status updates?
- Stay up to date and educated on the latest technology trends that can impact your family. CyberSafeFamily.com’s website and email updates are designed to help parents stay up to date on the latest trends that can impact your family’s online safety or reputation.
Good tips to follow.
Jul 21, 2010
the Tweets that can cost you your job
Ragan.com posted “5 reckless tweets that can get you fired” and it has a cautionary tale of what can happen when you don’t think twice before updating your status.
The most recent Twitter debacle comes to us from CNN’s former Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs, Octavia Nasr. [snip] CNN felt that her comments compromised her credibility as a reporter and let her go.
So, what do you need to know to avoid the same fate?
- Don’t tweet confidential information.
- Remember, defamation suits are still applicable.
- Don’t over-share; don’t forget that tweets are public domain.
- Don’t share information too soon.
- Don’t whine about work.
Have questions about the tips? Read the whole story.
Mar 10, 2010
8 Things Every Geek Needs to Do
I bookmarked this either late last year or early this year, and never got back to it. The post is actually called “8 Things Every Geek Needs to Do Before 2010,” but it’s a good list to visit any time.
- Edit your privacy settings and friendships.
- Change your passwords.
- Own your name.
- Prune your feeds.
- Find a better mobile.
- Update copyright notices on your website.
- Revisit your blog.
- Back up your data.
I’ve already started with #s 3 and 4. I need to get to the rest.
