Mom Technology

Create shortcuts to your favorite sites and save new sites to check out later on

by Emily Price

Letters to Mom

aims to help beginners get started with the tech basics of computers, web services, and gadgets. Print out our tips for your mom — she’ll love you for it.

Just like a bookmark you might place in a book, a browser bookmark (or Favorite in Internet Explorer) marks your
place on the web so you can quickly find it again later on. Bookmarks can be a great way to create shortcuts to websites you frequent as well
as remember the address of sites that you stumble upon that you know you would like to visit in the future.

The bookmarks you create on your computer will go one of two main places: the toolbar directly below the address bar on your browser, or the bookmarks menu.

Bookmarks toolbar
The bookmarks toolbar is a toolbar that displays along the top of your browser window. You don’t want to overload this bar with bookmarks, but
it can be a great place to put shortcuts to sites that you know you’re going to want to access every day such as your email, work home page, or
Facebook. Once you’ve added the site you want to keep track of to the toolbar, you will be able to just press the name of the bookmark in order to launch the website.

To add a website to the toolbar, drag and drop the web address for the site from the address bar on your web browser and then drop it on the toolbar. You can grab the website by right-clicking on the icon on the far left of the address and then holding down the mouse button as you move it to your toolbar, releasing the button when you have positioned it where you want on the bar.

Bookmarks menu
Traditional bookmarks are stored within the bookmark menu at the top of your browser. Clicking the menu at the top of your browser marked “Bookmarks” will launch a drop-down menu including all of the sites you have bookmarked using the browser. Bookmarks in the this menu can also be organized into folders; if you plan on bookmarking a lot of sites, this is definitely a good idea. Bookmark folders can be for things such as ”Games,” where you might place bookmarks for your favorite online games, or “Work,” where you keep all your work-related websites.

Adding a bookmark to the bookmark menu can be done by clicking the Bookmarks menu at the top of your browser while you are visiting the website, then selecting “Bookmark this page” from the options that appear (it should be the first one). You can also press the Ctrl button plus the D button at the same time to get the same effect.

Your browser will then launch a small pop-up window asking where you would like to save the website. You can choose the toolbar on your browser from this window, as well as any bookmark folder you would like to use. Bookmark folders can also be created from this window, so if you’re marking the first of many related sites, you can create a folder for it and all similar future websites.

One thing to keep in mind while you’re bookmarking: A bookmark can only be in one place at one time. So if you have your work email bookmarked on your browser toolbar, you can’t also add it to a “Work” folder. You can always change where you’ve put a particular bookmark by pressing the Bookmarks tab at the top of the screen, followed by “Organize Bookmarks.”

[Image credit: kmg]

How to disable autocorrect on your iPhone

Turning off your iPhone’s automated spellcheck is a snap

by Emily Price

Filed under: Mobile Phones/Services

Auto Correct

This is another great post by Emily! I know my sister was asked by her son to send him a iPod with new music in it while he was serving in Afghanistan. I wish I could have directed her to this post then to simplify the process of adding music to his collection.

How to get your music onto your iPod, iPhone, or iPad so you can listen on the go

by Emily Price

Filed under: Audio/Music Players

Letters to Mom aims to help beginners get started with the tech basics of computers, web services, and gadgets. Print out our tips for your mom — she’ll
love you for it.

You’ve finally gotten an iPod, iPhone, or iPad and want to start using it to listen to music. If all your music is currently on CDs, you can easily import it onto your computer to start playing on your i-flavored gadget. For the purpose of this tutorial, we’re going to talk about an iPod, but the directions are the same for
transferring your music to your iPhone or iPad as well.

Get ready

Before you can really do anything with your iPod, you need to download and install iTunes on your computer. iTunes is a music program made by Apple specifically to work with its devices. You can download iTunes for free from Apple’s website.

Get connected

Connect your computer to the internet before you start importing your CDs. Connecting your computer to the web will allow iTunes to identify all of your CDs, adding song title and artist information to their listings on your computer. If you’re not online when you import your music, you may have to manually enter all of that information, which can be a little annoying for just one CD and borders on ridiculously overwhelming if your collection includes hundreds of CDs. Do yourself a favor and let the computer and iTunes do the tedious heavy lifting!

Import away

Begin by launching iTunes and inserting the CD you would like to import into your computer’s CD drive. iTunes will ask you if you would like to import the CD; choose Yes in order to begin the process. Depending on the length of the CD and the speed of your drive, this should only take a few minutes to complete.

If you don’t want to import the entire CD, select No, uncheck the songs you don’t want to import, and press the Import CD button at the bottom of the iTunes window when you’ve finished making your selections. Repeat the process for all of the CDs you would like to add to your iTunes library and, ultimately, your iPod.

Transfer all the hits

Connect your iPod to your computer using the cable that came with it. If this is the first time you’ve connected your iPod to your computer, a window will launch asking you to name and register it. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete that process.  Once that’s complete, click on the icon for your iPod on the far right iTunes menu bar to select your iPod. Press the Sync button to simply transfer all of of the music you currently have stored in iTunes to your iPod.

Customize your selections

You can customize what music is added to your iPod by creating playlists within iTunes. A playlist is simply a list of songs in the order in which you would like them to be played. You can create a playlist by clicking the + icon on the bottom left of the screen. For instance, you might create a playlist called “Driving Music.” Once you create the list, it will show up in the far left menu within iTunes, and you can drag and drop songs from the main menu into the list. Next time you sync your iPod, the playlist will show up on your iPod as well.

Only want to sync your Driving Music to your iPod? After selecting your iPod from the left menu, click on the Music tab, and then select your Driving Music playlist on the screen before syncing your iPod. Depending on the size of your iPod and the amount of music you have, you may need to customize you selections, simply because all your music won’t fit on your iPod.

Looking in a mirror

Your iPod creates a mirror image of whatever you have in iTunes each time it is synced. Keep that in mind when you make changes to playlists or choose
to delete music off your computer. If you delete a song or playlist from your computer, then it will also be deleted from your iPod next time you sync it.

[Image credit: abbyyy]

Mom Technology  is here to help simplify business and life! When we find something that we know will help simplify we want to share. We have been creating websites for small businesses via Greencastle Web Design for a while now and have found that using the right host and the right WordPress theme makes all the difference. See why we think you can easily create your own small business website. Remember we can create your site or offer help and coaching if you need along the way.

With the help of a few useful tools you can create and manage your own site!

• First you need a web Host - BlueHost is our choice for domain and hosting.

• Next you need to install WordPress via simple scripts.

Now the best tool for a small business website!

• Grab the new Expand2Web smallbiz Version 3.6 theme.

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Manage your Facebook Page Tabs from WordPress!

SmallBliz Version 3.6 allows you to create Facebook specific pages in WordPress, a Facebook specific navigation menu, and it comes with a Facebook App that connects your SmallBiz site with your Facebook Page.

With this new version, the Expand2Web SmallBiz Theme represents an all-in-one solution for Facebook/Mobile/Blog and Website, all managed in one place!

Example of Mobile                                     Example of Website

Example of Facebook Page using new SmallBiz 3.6

Create custom Facebook pages using Expand2Webs new 3.6 smallbiz theme

Here is a short list of the major benefits and features:

SmallBiz Benefits:

• Create and manage Facebook page tabs from within WordPress (you have a full CMS for Facebook with this theme!)
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• Build a professional website and blog for a small business in minutes!
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• User Guide with Video Tutorials
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• 8 design layouts out of the box
• Tweak and change the site with the custom options panel. Customize the header graphic, color scheme, navigation menu, business information and much more without coding.

New Features in this version:

• Facebook specific pages and menu
• Facebook App included: based on Facebook Iframes for page tabs
• Brand new Image Rotator Layout with easy image uploading, linkable images, scalable text area
• Collapsible Options Panel for tweaking and styling your site
• Color picker for Mobile Call and Directions touch buttons

Here is the download link: SmallBiz 3.6 Download

If you need help or have questions please feel free to contact us via the contact form or give us a call. What tips do you have to help simplify business?

Last year I drove my son to practice five days a week and waited until he was done before we came home. I loved going into the local Panera, grabbing a bagel and getting some work done. If you need to get on your computer wirelessly here is a great simple how too by Emily Price.

Internet on the go is just a few clicks away

by Emily Price on October 20, 2010

Filed under: Computers

Letters to Mom
aims to help beginners get started with the tech basics of computers,
web services, and gadgets. Print out our tips for your mom — she’ll
love you for it.

The salesperson told you that the new laptop you purchased would allow you to use wireless internet at Starbucks and
all those other places advertising “free wifi.” So, you head down to your favorite local coffee shop one Sunday morning, grab a latte, power the laptop on, launch Internet Explorer and… nothing.

Did the salesman lie? Is your laptop broken?

Chances are your laptop is fine — it just doesn’t realize that you want it to connect to a wireless network. All you need to do to get on the web is let your laptop know that you want to connect to the free wifi at the coffee shop.

Using a Windows PC
1. Press the Start button on the bottom left corner of your computer’s desktop, and then select Connect To, and then Wireless Network Connection from the available options.

2. Click the wireless network you would like to connect to from the list that appears. Your computer will list all of the wireless networks that are currently in range of it. If you don’t see a network named after the place where you
are — for instance, Cup of Joe — then you may need to ask an employee what the name of the network is.

Once you’ve selected a network, click the Connect button on the bottom of the screen in order to connect your computer to it. You may also need to find out what the password for the network is. Networks that require passwords will be
labeled with a picture of a locked padlock and the words ”Security-enabled wireless network.” Many coffee shops and restaurants leave their wifi networks unsecured, so you will not need to enter a password.

3. If you need a password to join the network, then a new window will pop up on the screen for you to enter that password into. Once you enter the password, click the Connect button on that window in order to complete the connection process. You can then launch a browser and start surfing the web.

Using a Mac
1. Click on the icon at the top of your screen that looks like a V with lines filling it up.

2. Select Turn Airport: On, if Turn Airport: Off is currently bold.

3. Select the network you would like to connect to from the list under that V. This will put a check mark beside that network.

4. If asked, enter the password for the network into the window that appears and click Ok to connect to it. The password is something you will need to get from an employee at the place where you are. If you think you’re going to want to connect to this network again in the future, you can also click the box marked Save Password to save you the
trouble of entering it again later on.

5. Launch a browser and start surfing the web.

Those steps should be all you need to get you connected to most wireless networks. Some larger businesses such as Starbucks will also make you read and agree to a set to terms and conditions for using their networks before they’ll let you freely surf the web. If the place where you are requires you to do that, a screen will load with that company’s logo
when you launch your browser. You will have to follow the on-screen instructions and agree to the terms of that business — and provide payment details for networks that charge a fee to access the wireless internet service — before your browser will let you look at any other websites.

Do you need some help? Check out our service page. We will coach you with your technology needs.

Facebook isn’t just for kids anymore

by Emily Price

Filed under: Computers

Letters to Mom
aims to help beginners get started with the tech basics of computers,
web services, and gadgets. Print out our tips for your mom — she’ll
love you for it.

Facebook is quickly becoming how many people, particularly young adults, communicate with one another. The
site allows you to keep friends up to date on what you’ve been up to, show off pictures you’ve taken, or invite people to an event, as well as comment on what your friends are saying and doing too. Originally developed as a way for college students to communicate with classmates, Facebook later opened to the public. Once it did, adults flocked to the site not only to keep up with their current friends, but also to reconnect with friends and classmates from years past. Getting started using Facebook is simple to do.

Quick, easy registration
The first step in using Facebook is registering for an account. You’ll find a link to create a new account on the Facebook home page (www.facebook.com). Fill out the required fields with your name and email address in order to get started. If you want your friends and family to be able to find you on the site, it is probably in your best interest to use your real name and primary email address when signing up.

Class photo time
You’ll definitely want to upload a photo to use as your Facebook profile picture. This picture will show up on your profile page and be visible when people search for you. If you have a common name such as Bob Smith, your profile picture can help people figure out whether or not you’re the Bob Smith they’re looking for.

During the profile setup process, you’ll be given the option to upload a picture. After your profile is created, you can
upload more profile pictures, as well as pictures of your vacations, pets, or anything else by clicking the Photos tab on your profile page and then selecting Create a Photo Album.

Make new friends
Facebook is almost entirely pointless if you don’t have any friends on the site. ”Friending” someone on Facebook acknowledges that you know that person and are willing to share some of your life with them. The status updates
for those you friend on Facebook will show up in your News Feed; those people will be able to see your status updates and things you upload, just as you will be able to see theirs.

Obviously, you don’t want to friend people you don’t want knowing anything about you. If there is a group of folks for whom you’d prefer to limit or restrict access to what you’ve got on the site, set that up in the privacy settings. We’ll talk about that a little later on.

Status symbol
A status update is a way of letting your friends know what you’re up to
or what you’re thinking about. Typically around a sentence long, a
status update can be something as simple as “Wow, it’s cold outside
today!” or something longer such as “Planning a trip to the Bahamas this
summer, does anyone have any travel suggestions?” You can say or ask
anything in your status update, and it will show up in your friends’
News Feeds for them to respond to.

Keep up on the news
When you log in to Facebook, you will be instantly taken to a News Feed page listing all of the latest updates by your friends. If you see something you’d like to respond to, you can click the blue Comment below their update in order to respond to their post. That comment will then show up below your friend’s post, allowing the folks who see the original postto see your reply.

If you want to check up on a specific friend, click on their name in your News Feed to go to their profile page, or type their name in the search box at the top of the screen to pull up their profile and see only their updates.

Be Like-able
One thing that happens a lot on Facebook is “Liking” something. Liking is similar to expressing verbal approval (or giving a high five, a thumbs-up, or laughing at someone’s joke). You’re letting that person know that you enjoyed (or agreed with) what they shared that particular post with you.

To Like a post, simply click the blue Like below it. This will display a thumbs-up icon below the update with your name,
as well as that of anyone else who has also Liked it. You can also Like certain pages or things on Facebook, letting others know what some of your interests are. For instance, you might Like bacon, the Rolling Stones, or even us!

Private lives
Depending who you friend on Facebook, you may or may not want to let everyone see everything that you post on the site. Clicking the Account button on the top right of the screen and then selecting Privacy Settings from the options will take you to a page where you can customize what information people are able to see about you. At the very least, you may want to restrict some things (such as your pictures) so that only your friends can see them. Privacy settings can be adjusted for large groups
of people or even for just single person. For instance, if you don’t want your children to see pictures from your trip to the Bahamas, you can block them from being able to do so.

This article
by the Electronic Frontier Foundation provides a lot of great information about Facebook’s privacy settings and how to set them up.http://www.momtechnology.com/services-2/These are some of the basics to get you started using Facebook. Once you get some friends and start using it, you’ll quickly discover more site features such as games, videos, and questions! We’ll talk about these in a later article — but in the meantime, try not to get too addicted.

Do you need some help? Check out our service page. We will coach you through a personal facebook or business page facebook set up.

eBay can help you find deals on new things you might need

Learning ebay so quickly is awesome! Thank you!

by Emily Price

Letters to Mom aims to help beginners get started with the tech basics of computers, web services, and gadgets. Print out our tips for your mom — she’ll
love you for it.

eBay is a popular online auction site where you can purchase anything from a car to a pair of pants. Just like traditional auctions you may have been to, each item starts at a set price, and then bidders have the opportunity to place higher bids for the item. The highest overall bid wins the ability to purchase it. If you have items in your home you would like to
sell or if you’re in the market for something new, then eBay may potentially be a good place for you to do so. (more…)

Letters to Mom: Personalize your desktop with a background and screen saver

Customize the look of your computer in a snap

I love this tip! I have a background from one of our favorite vacations and my screen saver is a slide show from the same vacation. What will be your computer background and screen saver?

by Emily Price on February 18, 2011

Filed under: Computers

Letters to Mom aims to help beginners get started with the tech basics of computers, web services, and gadgets. Print out our tips for your mom — she’ll love you for it.

The desktop background that you choose for your computer will show up on the screen each time you turn on your machine and will show behind whatever icons you might store on your desktop or windows you open. The background image you choose can be as simple as a black screen or as personal as a photo of you and a loved one at a special event. (more…)

I did an article a while ago on Texting Acronyms and always wanted to get back and do more helpful articles like this so that technology would be fun and simplified. It seems I myself have been a little too busy to write these but thanks to Tecca and Emily Price we have some new articles on simplifying technology especially for Moms.

The keyboard beats the mouse for tedious basic functions

by Emily Price

Filed under: Computers

Letters to Mom
aims to help beginners get started with the tech basics of computers,
web services, and gadgets. Print out our tips for your mom — she’ll
love you for it.

(more…)

Immunet

This post is a sponsored post.  Mom Technology has been compensated in payment.

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