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Tech Problem: Creating a Filter for Gmail Users

Gmail is one of the most popular types of free internet based email. It seems as if almost every person has at least one gmail account that they use for work, personal affairs or just as a junk email. The problem is that gmail is not like every other email system. Almost every email system has a way that you can block certain emails from coming into your inbox. Gmail does not have a block option. Instead it has a filter option that allows you to filter out unwanted mail.

If you are considering creating a filter for your gmail here is how you can create a filter and get those unwanted emails out of your inbox.

Step 1. To Create a filter you must successfully sign into your Gmail.

Step 2. Once signed into your account you will locate the “Create a Filter” option. This link is located at the top of the screen to the right of the search mail bar. Click on the create a filter link.

Step 3. A while box will appear that is titled create a filter. There are five blank lines and several options at the bottom of the screen.

Step 4. To create a filter you will place the specific phase or email address in the blank line that fits what you want to filter out.

Step 5. You can run a test of the filter system with what you have placed in the filter line. Click “Test Search” and Gmail will run a test search of all mail that would have been filtered if you had the option on your inbox. Once you have the filters you want click Next Step.

Step 6.  Choose where you want the mail to go. If you want the mail to be completely out of your inbox just click the delete it. This will send the mail to your trash bin and you will never see it again. Once you choose your option click “Create Filter” and you are done.

Filed Under: Internet, Technology Tagged With: , , ,

Technologies Used At Home

Today we see many technologies coming up in the market and it is really difficult to choose which one is better than the other. The technologies are of 2 types. One you can use at home and the other being used in business and offices. Let’s talk about the home technologies.

The technologies that are used at home are television, refrigerator, washing machine, microwave oven, computer, UPS and many others. These are the most essential technologies that we need every day. They are most important to our daily life. We can expect to see positive changes in the life by using these technologies to their limits.

The reason why technology is being used extensively is because it will make our life really easy and effective. You can expect to reduce the number of hours and increase productivity by using the latest technologies available in the market. More and more people are now being able to use it to the best of their abilities and we can expect to see the difference a latest technology can make to our lives in the near future.

Some people argue that why technology is required in our daily life? At home you actually need better technology than in office or business because that is where you live. These latest technologies are required to make your life really risk free. The amazing technology that we come across today is internet. It has really changed our lives.

By using internet at home you can do everything that you can do outside for example shopping, ticket booking, banking and just about everything. Isn’t that amazing? By using this technology you can also get closer to your relatives and friends. Doesn’t that make you happy? The use of technology are many. They are useful not just at business and work place but also at home.

Filed Under: Internet, Technology Tagged With: , , ,

How Technology Is Changing The World?

As we all know, technology is the biggest factor that can affect or change our life. Today we see technology is being used everywhere to ensure proper productivity. The role of technology in today’s generation or in fact out life is really huge and it has the potential to change everything in a matter of few minutes. You can see latest technologies evolving each day in order to take the business and other professions to the next level.

Technology has a bigger hand in protecting our nation too. Latest technologies are being used these days in the military to ensure proper security measures are taken. The latest technologies such as walky talky, cell phones and various other devices are being extensively used in the international borders to ensure proper safety and prevent the terrorists from crossing over the border.

Gone are the days when people used to use the old devices and this was resulting in lot of delay in doing the things. However of late we see technology is being used to ensure faster work and better productivity.

Technology has really changed our lives. Over the past few decades our life style has changed tremendously thanks to the latest technologies. Gone are those days when television was used only for viewing news at the end of the day. However today we don’t really find time to see the number of programs that are aired in the television. With hundreds of channels available the choice is getting difficult.

Slowly but surely technology is proving to be a biggest winner. It has changed our so much that we hardly get time to see the journey traveled so far. We are getting increasingly dependent on the technology so much that we hardly get time to see the advantages and disadvantages involved in it.

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The Basics of Computer Posture

When you’re spending significant amounts of time working at your home computer, it’s important to know how to sit and how to protect your body while you work. Posture can help to protect your back, shoulders, and wrists from injury and ensure that you can work at your computer comfortably for extended periods of time now and in the future.

Computer Chair and Screen Adjustment

Taking the time to properly adjust your desk chair is one of the first steps to proper computer posture. You should be able to sit with your feet flat on the floor and legs at a 90 degree angle. Adjust the chair and computer screen so you can look straight ahead at the screen without hunching your back to see your work. A chair with good lower back support can also make a huge difference in keeping your computer desk comfortable.

Training Your Body

Posture is a habit and people with good posture take the time to learn how to stand and sit properly. One of the most important steps in perfecting computer posture is to pay attention to your body and be mindful of your position. Practice will help you to keep proper posture while you work at your home computer. Train yourself to keep your shoulders back and down and your back even and alligned. Arching and hunching can lead to problems down the road.

Protecting Your Wrists and Arms

Wrists and arms take a lot of wear at the computer. A padded wrist rest can help when positioned properly and used consistantly. Relax your arms and keep them even to prevent twisting and discomfort as you work. Taking the time to flex and stretch while you work can also help to relieve pain and prevent injuries from the regular use of a computer keyboard.

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Uses for Dropbox

Image representing Dropbox as depicted in Crun...

Image via CrunchBase

Installing Dropbox on your home computer is a simple way to access your files from multiple computers, save your files in a safe place, and share files with friends and coworkers without a hassle. Getting started is simple, download Dropbox for your desktop and sign up for a Dropbox account on the company’s website. It’s a simple program to use and they provide a help section to walk users through the different functions. These are some of the most practical uses for Dropbox.

Sharing Large Files

Everyone has had the experience of wanting to share photos or videos with a friend. Often, videos are huge files that are too big to send over email without clogging up both of your computers and email accounts. Even large photos can be too big to share over the email, or require you to reduce photo quality for the sake of sharing pictures with friends and family. Keep the quality high and share anyway by uploading your photos and videos to a Dropbox folder. From there, you can invite people by email to share files and they can download them straight to their own computer from Dropbox.

Accessing Files from Anywhere

Once you install Dropbox on your home computer, you can also install it on your work computer. This is convenient for people who sometimes work from home and don’t always want to worry about carrying files back and forth on a thumb drive, or emailing copies to yourself. Dropbox allows you to save your changes from either computer and access them anywhere. You can also install Dropbox on your smart phone and view files on the go.

Backing Up Files

Having files in your Dropbox is also an easy way to ensure that your files are safe should something happen to your home computer. You will still be able to access your files online and download them onto your new computer or work computer.

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The Importance of Offsite Computer Back Ups

The average person keeps a lot of vital information on his or her home computer. It can be difficult to know how to protect it in case your computer should crash and you should lose your important documents, sentimental photos, and works-in-progress. Offsite automatic computer back-up is one way to ensure that the contents of your home computer are always safe.

An offsite automatic computer back up will back up your home computer files without you having to worry about doing it at regular intervals. All you need to do is install the software on your computer that will do the regular back up to keep your files safe.

For people who are not computer experts, this is particularly important to remember. You don’t ever want to have to panic about a computer problem thinking that you have lost all of your data. Even computer pros should conder automatic software to guard against lost files.  It’s not just computer viruses or system crashes, you could lose the files on your computer in the event that you have a home fire or flood. Protecting your computer files offsite just makes the most sense.

One offsite automaic computer back up service is called Mozy. Mozy is inexpensive and easy to use, this reliable software will keep your files safe on your computer if you should ever have a problem. Carbonite is another option that provides a similar service to home computer users.

To download the files, simply search for them online and install them on your computer. They will continue to back up your files month after month until you cancel the service. Knowing that your home files are protected is a lot like owning a safe for your physical paperwork and important documents, it is an easy step to guard against future problems.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: , , ,

How to Clean a Computer Keyboard

Stowaway Keyboard Equipped Newton

Image by splorp via Flickr

Many people use their home computer everyday and never think about cleaning their keyboard. Keyboards can become filled with dust, dirt, and crumbs, requiring regular cleanings to stay in good working condition. Safely cleaning your keyboard requires a few basic tools and a little time and patience.

Compressed air is a good ay to regularly remove dirt and crumbs from a keyboard. The air will help to dislodge particles and clean where you cannot reach. A piece of scotch tape wedged between the keys can also help to collect dirt in a pinch. Wipe down your keyboard frequently with a cleansing, antibacterial wipe to prevent spreading of germs. This is especially important when your home computer is shared by many family members. Wipe down your mouse too as this is another spot that can get germy if not cleaned regularly.

To thoroughly clean your keyboard, you will need a bucket of warm water and a screwdriver. Using the screwdriver, carefully remove the keys from the keyboard. Don’t worry, they will snap back into place when you’re done. Place the keys in warm water to soak as you clean under them. Shake your keyboard out upside down to remove loose dirt, then hit it with compressed air or wipe down with an anti-static dust rag meant for cleaning electronics.

Swirl the keys around in the water to clean and then lay them out on a towl to dry. Once the keys are dry, you can snap them back in place on your keyboard. Your keyboard is now fresh, clean, and ready to use again. Regularly cleaning your keyboard thoroughly can help to prolong its life, prevent debris from gathering under the keys, and help keep it sanitary for all users.

Remember to also clean your work computer’s keyboard and mouse regularly, especially if you use one in a communal space or eat lunch at your desk.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: , , , ,

Smart Phones: Why You Need One and Which to Choose

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - NOVEMBER 28: A woman hol...
Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The world is quickly becoming more and more interconnected through technology, and products are constantly being invented and introduced to the market that help achieve this. One of the most important inventions of the current age is the smart phone: a cellular telephone that is capable of making phone calls, sending text messages, accessing the internet and, most importantly, performing a number of tasks through installed applications, or “apps.” Even though you probably have a computer at home, there are still a number of reasons why you could also benefit from having a smart phone.

iPhone: The iPhone was created by Apple, the makers of the iMac computer, and has been around since 2007. It runs on an operating system called iOS. This was the first of the current age of smart phones. Because of this, iPhones have the largest number of applications developed and most programmers will design applications for the iPhone before all other types. iPhones run on the AT&T cellular network, although there is a method for unlocking the phone so that you can use a different provider. Doing so will most likely invalidate the warranty on the product.

Android: The Android mobile operating system is not quite as popular as the iOS on Apple’s iPhone, but phones that use it can be found on most other cellular providers. The technology was purchased by Google in 2005 and is based on the Linux operating system. Those who enjoy Google’s suite of computer-based applications like Gmail, Chrome and Google Docs will probably prefer the Android.

Windows: ​Windows Phone 7 is Microsoft’s addition to the mobile operating system and as such, is based upon its PC operating system namesake. Launched in late 2010, Windows Phone 7 is the newest of the three major phone operating systems and has the advantage of being compatible with Microsoft’s other entertainment offerings: Zune and Xbox Live.

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PC or Mac: Which is Best for You?

We have all seen the commercials comparing the PC to the Mac, but it is obvious that those for one are skewed unfavorably toward the other. How can you tell which operating system best fits your personality and suits your needs? Is your image a concern when you choose an operating system? What type of work do you do on the computer? What types of entertainment do you enjoy? The answers to these questions will help you decide whether you are a PC or a Mac.

PC: The overwhelming dominator of the market, most computers in the U.S. market use a version of Microsof’s operating system, Windows. The Windows operating system, or OS, has gone through numerous versions over the years, each trying to improve upon the previous. The benefit to choosing a PC is mainly convenience: almost all software and peripherals are made and available for PC. You will not have a hard time finding replacement or upgrading products for the PC, and advanced users can often build their own PCs by buying just the components that they want for a completely personalized and tailored system. Computer gamers prefer PCs over Macs, as well.

Mac: One of the main benefits to using a Mac is its resistance to viruses. One rarely hears of a Mac infected with spyware or other malicious programs. Also, Mac computers are typically the preferred of those who work with media. The Adobe suite of products like Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign were programmed with the Mac in mind, and will probably be most intuitive when used on that operating system. Another benefit of choosing a Mac is counter-intuitive; most high-end Macs are capable of having the Windows operating system installed on a separate partition, making it accessible for software that requires a PC. While this is not one of Apple’s major selling points, it can be useful for those who are having a hard time making the decision.

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Windows Internet Browsers

Internet Explorer Mobile Logo
Image via Wikipedia

In the beginning of the Internet, there were only two: Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and AOL’s Netscape Navigator. Even though Microsoft’s bundling of its own browser with the Windows operating system was found in violation of antitrust laws, Explorer eventually became the standard in web browsers. That is not to say that it is the best browser, by any means. Most PC users simply were not aware that they had a choice. For that reason, users simply booted up the included Explorer program whenever they accessed the web.

Since then, several other browsers have been created for Internet access. Mozilla’s Firefox is an open-source browser, meaning it is free to download from their website. Firefox has many fewer security issues than Explorer and was among the first of the open source browsers. It also allows for the installation of add-ons and plug-ins, which can greatly enhance the functionality of the software. Users design these add-ons, which are also open-source, and most of them are highly stable.

Chrome is another open-source web browser, this one offered by the major player Google. Chrome is marketed as being the fastest browser available. It also is capable of running user-designed and coded add-ons and plug-ins for a more personalized experience. In addition, Chrome offers a toolkit for developers, Gears, which will eventually be phased out in favor of HTML5 coding. Chrome and Firefox both are far more secure than Microsoft’s Explorer, proving that popular does not equal best, especially not when it comes to computer software.

Another, smaller browser is the Opera program. Opera is faster than both Explorer and Firefox, but not quite as fast as Google’s Chrome. It is capable of running installed “widgets” for greater functionality, and also provides a customizable user experience. Opera fights viruses and malware with a system that helps to protect user passwords while on the Internet, making it one of the most secure browsers available.

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