Tag: quick tip

Quick Tip: Cleaning Your Smartphone Screen

Long Story Short: Buy a cleaning kit made exclusively to clean the screen on your smartphone.  Smartphones are not cheap and the last thing you want to do is ruin the screen on your phone. You will see various DIY mixtures, but I have found it is best to get a product that is already packaged in a spray bottle that often comes packaged with a lint-free microfibre cloth. You will not regret it and you will find you will be cleaning and sanitizing your phone more often. Always spray the solution on the cloth and not directly on your phone or other devices.

What you don’t want to do: Due to the special coating on many of these smartphones, do not use household cleaners such as window cleaners, aerosol spray cleaners, solvents of any kind, bleach, ammonia, undiluted alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide.

Where to buy: If you look on Amazon (click here) you will find an array of products made exclusively to clean smartphones. The one that I specifically selected is the WHOOSH! Screen Cleaner Kit. The cleaner is designed to clean eyeglasses, smartphone, laptops, tablets, HDTV’s, and wearable tech, such as smartwatches. The kit is reasonably priced and ships with a large and small (portable) container of the cleaner with Two 6′ x 6′ cloths + BONUS Poo cloth.

WHOOSH! Screen Cleaner Kit – Safe for All Screens

More “Quick Tips” Here

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Quick Tip: Save Paper and Use Windows 10’s “Microsoft Print To PDF”

On most occasions, the documents we desire to print do not need to be in paper form. The print jobs are usually something we just want to save (like a packrat). To save paper, when you go to print in Windows 10, select “Microsoft Print To PDF” and save the print result to a folder on your computer. When you do this the end result is saved as a PDF file on your computer and will look just like the print result on paper; except, it is now in electronic form. You can even email the PDF to someone else if need be; and, if you find in the future you do need an actual hard copy of the file, just pull it up and print it to your printer. Great way to save paper and I can guarantee you, if you start doing this, you very seldom will use your printer.

More “Quick Tips” Here

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Quick Tip: How To Tell If Someone Else Is or Has Logged Into Your Facebook Account

Within the settings of Facebook, you can determine if your account is logged into from somewhere else. For example, my wife and I share our account. If she logs into our account from home and I am away and I log into the account, she can see that I logged in, from where and what device was used to access the account. Learning this is especially helpful if you suspect someone else has your login credentials (and, if you do suspect that, change your password immediately. Do not wait…).

To get to this feature do the following:

  • Click on the “down arrow” (see screenshot below) and when the menu appears, click on “Settings”.

  • On the left side, click on “Security and Login”.
  • At the “Security and Login” page, you will see “Where You’re Logged In’. If you click on the down arrow for “More”, a history of where the account was logged into from is generated. You can determine where and when the account was accessed.

  • If you see something that appears suspicious, click on the 3 dots to the right side of the entry and when the small menu appears, click on “Not you?”. You can also select “Log Out” to log the person out. If you do click on “Not you?” details about the login is generated with an option to secure the account immediately.

More “Quick Tips” Here

 

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Quick Tip: How To Print Google Calendar Descriptions

Recently I posted an article, “Quick Tip: Using Google Calendar As A Journal To Keep Track of Events In the Past” where you can use Google Calendar as a journal to document events by using the “description” feature in Google Calendar. The “description” feature allows you to write paragraph’s of text (with formatting options) to describe the event or what occurred on that day.

After posting that article, I decided I needed a way to periodically print out my journal or the event descriptions and found that it is quite easy. You do not need to be using Google Calendar as a journal, but writing descriptions (or details) about events on your calendar in the past will serve you in the future as a reference.

To print out a range of descriptions that you have added to your calendar, follow the steps below:

  • Open Google Calendar on your computer.
  • At top right click on the down arrow that shows you the various calendar views. Typically, on mine, I keep it on “month”, but your calendar may be set to something different.
  • Once you click on the “down arrow”, click on “Schedule”.

  • Once you are in the “Schedule” view, click on the “cog or gear” icon and select print.

  • At the “Print Preview” dialog screen, select your date range.
  • Place a “check mark” in the “print descriptions” box.
  • Click on “Print”

  • At the “Print” dialog screen, select the destination of where you want the printed result to end up. Many times I select, “Save to Google Drive” or “Save to PDF”.
  • Depending on your selection, click on “Save” or “Print” and voila’ that is it. You should now have a printed result with the descriptions you had added for past events.

More “Quick Tips” Here

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Quick Tip: Using Google Calendar As A Journal To Keep Track of Events In the Past

Typically, when using Google Calendar, we use the calendar to keep track of events that occur in the future and once those events pass, we no longer think about them. I started thinking, why not use Google Calendar to keep track of the events that occurred in the past and be able to add a detailed description of what occurred and/or what actions were taken. With Google Calendar this is absolutely possible and is a good way to document and describe what occurred during a past calendar event. As a matter of fact, I have even started (since I am now retired) using this idea and feature to create a journal using Google Calendar, to document my day.

Here is how this works (very simple)… Open Google Calendar and initiate adding an event to your calendar and you should see the following type of window. In that window, click on “More Options”.

After clicking on “More options”, you should see a window as depicted below where you can add various details for the event. At the very bottom, is where you can add a description with various types of formatting to get creative. Also, note I only added two lines of text. You are not limited to that and can type paragraphs if you want. When done, click on “Save” and that is it. You have now added a description to the event and can go back and edit the description at any time. You can even add attachments and links. As I mentioned, I now schedule an event and will go back to my calendar entry following the event to document what occurred.

More “Quick Tips” Here

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Quick Tip: Use Quotes When Performing A Google Search

Typically, when we perform a “Google Search” we type in what we are looking for; but, did you know if you want to get more specific you can surround the text with quotes. By placing quotes around the text it prompts the search engine to search for anything that has the phrase or text you entered. If you do not place quotes around the text the search engine will search for content that contains the text, but not in the order of the phrase or text you entered. Give it a try, both ways, to see what I mean.

More “Quick Tips” Here

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What is the differences between 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G?

Computer and smartphone users at home are beginning to get curious about the new 5G cellular technology. To help you understand what the differences are between the different generations of cellular transmission technologies, I extracted the below information from a PCMag article (see source link below).

The G in this 5G means it’s a generation of wireless technology. While most generations have technically been defined by their data transmission speeds, each has also been marked by a break in encoding methods, or “air interfaces,” that make it incompatible with the previous generation.

1G was analog cellular. 2G technologies, such as CDMA, GSM, and TDMA, were the first generation of digital cellular technologies. 3G technologies, such as EVDO, HSPA, and UMTS, brought speeds from 200kbps to a few megabits per second. 4G technologies, such as WiMAX and LTE, were the next incompatible leap forward, and they are now scaling up to hundreds of megabits and even gigabit-level speeds.

5G brings three new aspects to the table: greater speed (to move more data), lower latency (to be more responsive), and the ability to connect a lot more devices at once (for sensors and smart devices).

Source: PCMag – What Is 5G?

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Quick Tip: Conceal Your Browsing Habits By Going Incognito In Google Chrome

As you know, browsing with Google Chrome or any browser for that matter, your privacy is compromised to the degree that your browsing habits, etc… leave tracks as to where you have been. This is typically done via cookies (that identifies the user when you visit specific sites) and via your browsing history. This is all fine and dandy to a certain point, but there may be occasions where you do not want this information stored and want to protect your identity.

The solution to this problem, on those certain occasions, is to go “incognito”. If you look up in the dictionary, “incognito” is defined as “having one’s true identity concealed”. Nearly all browsers give you the ability to go into “incognito” mode, but for the sake of this article, I am going to tell you how to get into “incognito” mode using Google Chrome. It is very, very easy…

Simply click the vertical three-dot icon on the top-right of the browser and select “New incognito window.” On mobile, tap the three-dot icon on the bottom-right (iOS) or top-right (Android) and select “New incognito tab.” That is it, simple as that… In Google Chrome, when in incognito mode you will see a darkened browser background and you will obviously see “You’ve gone incognito”. You can also get into “incognito” mode by hitting “Ctrl+Shift+N” in combo, on your keyboard.

Now, something I do want to point out. This does give you some privacy protection to a certain point, but do not think this is keeping you from being seen at work. Incognito mode only is concealing your behavior. On work networks, the network administrator, if necessary can track unusual activity via a workstations or devices IP address.

 

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Quick Tip: How To Hide Facebook Posts From People You Do Not Want To Unfriend

If you have that specific friend that you are tired of seeing their rampant political postings (or any type of posting for that matter) that goes against your views; yet, you do not want to offend them too much by unfriending them, there are several quick options in Facebook to fix this.

Here is how to do this:

The next time you see a post from this friend, look in the upper right corner of the post and click on the three dots (also called an ellipsis). A dropdown box will appear where you will see the following options:

Hide Posts – see fewer posts like this. (Facebook will attempt to block any further postings such as what you are seeing; BUT, you will still see other postings from this friend).

Snooze XXX for 30 Days – Temporarily stop seeing posts. (This option gives you a break from the friend and you will not see any postings from the friend for 30 days).

Hide All From XXX – Stop seeing posts from this person. (This option is the nuclear option. You will stop seeing the friends posts; BUT, they will still remain a Facebook friend and they will not know any different).

Learn More “Quick Tips” Here

 

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Quick Tip: The Chrome OS Launcher Is A Powerful Universal Search Tool

For you Chromebook user’s out there, here is a powerful Chrome OS tip that is many times overlooked.

When you tap the “Search Key” (on your keyboard) or hit the circle icon in the lower left corner of the screen (on the app launcher), you are given the power to search for anything. All you need to do is start typing and whatever it is you are searching for will appear. You can search for and find websites, get answers to specific questions, open apps, find files on your Chromebook, etc… For example, in the screenshot below, I clicked on the circle icon and started typing “What’s On My PC” and immediately search results started to populate.

Get More “Quick Tips” Here

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Quick Tip: Learn To Google Search With Your Voice

You will need a microphone attached to your computer in order to take advantage of this overlooked “Google Search” feature. When performing a search, on your computer using Google, teach yourself to click on the microphone to dictate what you want to search for. You will soon find that this is much faster than typing and is fun to do.

 

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Google can delete your account when you die. Here’s how | CNET

Think about all the photos you have stored that your family and friends would like to have — or personal account information that your beneficiary will need to know about in the event of your death. There may be important files that you have stored on your Google Drive that someone will need access to. For those reasons, it’s a good idea to take five minutes and let Google know what to do with your data.

Source: Google can delete your account when you die. Here’s how – CNET

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Quick Tip: How To Zip (Compress) and UnZip (Decompress) Files In Windows 10

You may have seen those files, called “zip” files, that have the “zip” extension. When you encounter those types of files, what you are seeing is a file that is typically compressed that contains many files inside the zip file. I know, for the beginner, this is hard to understand.

Below (courtesy of Microsoft) is how you create or compress files into a “zip” file and how you decompress a “zip” file to reveal what is inside. Typically, the home-based user most likely will be decompressing or opening a zip file, so it is best to grasp that concept first.

Zip

In the search box on the taskbar, enter file explorer. From the search results, select File Explorer. Right-click the file you want to zip, and then select Send to > Compressed (zipped) folder. 

Zipping a file by selecting Compressed (zipped) folder

Unzip

Open File Explorer, and find the zipped folder.

To unzip the entire folder, right-click to select Extract All, and then follow the instructions.

To unzip a single file or folder, double-click the zipped folder to open it. Then, drag or copy the item from the zipped folder to a new location.

 

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Quick Tip: How To Quickly Lock Your Windows 10 Computer

When I was managing a computer network and teaching others, one of the first things I would teach people is how to lock their computer when they walked away from the computer for an extended period of time. In the work environment, this is especially important from a privacy and security perspective.

Image result for computer lock

With Windows 10 the easiest method is to hit the Windows Key + L . When you return to your computer to start working again you will be required to enter your password or pin.

A more modern automated method is also available in Windows 10 and it is called “Dynamic Lock” where you can pair your PC and your Smartphone via bluetooth; providing, your computer is bluetooth ready. You can setup “Dynamic Lock” by going to Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options

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Quick Tip: Keyboard Shortcut To Go “Page Backward” or “Page Forward” In Your Web Browser

These two keyboard shortcuts work in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge for sure; and, may work in the other web browsers as well.

  1. When wanting to go a page backward in your web browser you typically mouse click on the “back button”. You can also perform the same function on the keyboard by hitting the “ALT + “left arrow” keys.
  2. When wanting to go a page forward in your web browser you typically mouse click on the “forward button”.  You can also perform the same function on the keyboard by hitting the “ALT + “right arrow” keys.
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What do browser cookies do?

The purpose of the computer cookie is to help the website keep track of your visits and activity. This isn’t always a bad thing. For example, many online retailers use cookies to keep track of the items in a user’s shopping cart as they explore the site. Without cookies, your shopping cart would reset to zero every time you clicked a new link on the site. That would make it difficult to buy anything online!

A website might also use cookies to keep a record of your most recent visit or to record your login information. Many people find this useful so that they can store passwords on frequently used sites, or simply so they know what they have visited or downloaded in the past.

Different types of cookies keep track of different activities. Session cookies are used only when a person is actively navigating a website; once you leave the site, the session cookie disappears. Tracking cookies may be used to create long-term records of multiple visits to the same site. Authentication cookies track whether a user is logged in, and if so, under what name.

Source: Norton by Symantec

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Quick Tip: How to use the “Windows Snap” feature with the keyboard…

Snap with the keyboard

Aero Snap Windows Side by Side

To snap a window with the keyboard:

  • Select the window you want to snap and press the Windows Logo Key  + Left Arrow to snap that window to the left of your screen or the Windows Logo Key  + Right Arrow to snap that window to the right.
  • If you want to move it to a corner after snapping it, then with the window selected, press the Windows Logo Key  + Up Arrow or the Windows Logo Key  + Down Arrow to get it into the desired corner.
  • After you move the window to a corner, the window is in its smallest possible state, which is a quarter of the screen. Then you can use the Windows Logo Key  + Arrow Keys to move it wherever you want.
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Quick Tip: Lock Down Your Android Smartphone For Peace of Mind

Nothing is more distressing than losing your phone or thinking it has been stolen. For peace of mind, as soon as you set up your new phone, take a moment and lock it down by configuring the lock screen. Most phones during the initial set up prompt you through a process to lock down your phone, either via a PIN, pattern, password, fingerprint and/or facial recognition. My phone, I have set up to use a combination of these, with the fingerprint recognition I feel is the most powerful. My phone also allowed me to pick a 6-digit PIN, which I feel really makes it tougher to overcome.

9-hints-to-secure-your-mobile-phone

If by chance you skipped over the process to secure your phone when you initially set it up or you desire to modify the current settings, you can do this by heading to the system settings. The system settings on most phones can be accessed via an app icon (labeled “system settings or settings”) or by pulling down from the top of the screen and tapping on a “cogged gear icon”. From the system settings, you are looking for the Security Menu. The menus and options may slightly vary from phone to phone but look for anything that is related to “security” and once there you should see various options to lock down your phone.

Just do it for peace of mind… These phones are computers in our pockets and contain a mother load of personal information.

 

 

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Quick Tip: If You Use An Android Phone You Have A Google Account (i.e. Gmail)

When you purchase and set up an Android phone, you initially are prompted to establish a Google Account. Many home-based users who are just getting into the Android smartphone arena do not know that. By establishing a Google Account (with a username and password) you now have access to many of Google’s apps and services such as Gmail, Google Photos, Google Docs, etc… that can be accessed from any web-based device (i.e. computer and tablet). Anything that is Google related, you will be able to access with your username and password. There is a great benefit to this on the upside, but on the downside, you essentially have sold your soul to Google…

There are workarounds to this, but for most folks at home just want their phones to work and do not think about workarounds. Just want to point that out…

cropped-logo.png

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Quick Tip: How To Use “Tell Me” In Microsoft Office 2016 and Microsoft Office 365

I captured this tidbit “quick tip” directly from Microsoft. It is a tip on how to use “Tell Me” in the suite of Microsoft Office 2016 (i.e. Word, Powerpoint, Excel) and Microsoft Office 365. Many folks fail to use this readily available feature that will save you time and help you get answers to specific features you want to use.

Do things quickly with Tell Me. You‘ll notice a text box on the ribbon in Office 2016 and Office 365 apps that says Tell me what you want to do. This is a text field where you can enter words and phrases about what you want to do next and quickly get to features you want to use or actions you want to perform.

Shows the "tell me" search box on the ribbon in Word.

Source: Microsoft – Do things quickly with Tell Me

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Quick Tip: Did you know you can perform a search from your browser’s address bar?

I have found that many folks at home do not know that you can perform an internet search by typing what you are looking for in the browser’s address bar. For example, I use Google Chrome. I can perform a Google Search by going to the address bar (at the top) and typing in what I am looking for. This saves me from having to go to Google.com to perform a search. This also works in the browsers on your smartphones and tablets, as well.

Depending on your browser, the default search engine or provider can be changed in your browser’s settings.  Some people like Google, other’s like Bing (and so forth).

 

 

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Quick Tip: Learn About Browser Tabs

When you open your web browser (i.e. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Opera, etc…) you initially open up to a page that is your designated home page. At the top of the browser window, you will see what is called a “Tab”. The “Tab” will look like a tab that you may have seen on a file folder that you place into a file cabinet. The “Tab” to a file folder in the file cabinet lets you know the contents of the file folder. The same principle applies with “Tabs” in a web browser. You can open another web page by adding another tab, in conjunction with others; therefore, you could have multiple “Tabs” open. You can switch between these tabs anytime, which is helpful and productive. What I have found with basic computer users they are unaware of browser tabs and often have a hard time grasping the concept. I usually can tell this when I go to help them and they have multiple tabs open. The “Tabs” are easy to close, by clicking on the “X”,  and should be closed when not in use,  in order to conserve computer memory.

Below is a screenshot of the browser tabs that I had open while I was composing this article… If you noticed at the last tab labeled “Facebook” there is a “+” sign. If you click on that plus sign in your browser at home, you can add another tab. Also, notice the “X” at each browser tab, that will close the selected tab, if you click on it. Also, some links you click on when web browsing will open additional tabs. Again, a good idea to close down tabs that you are not using.

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Quick Tip: How To Power “OFF” Your Android Smartphone Or Tablet

One of the first questions I am often asked about Android OS Smartphones and Tablets is: How do you shutdown or power “off” the device (smartphone or tablet)?  

Many folks will often tap the power button thinking they are turning the device “off”, when in fact they are only putting the device in a standby mode only. To really power “off” the device you need to hold down the power button until you see an option to power the device down (varies slightly from device to device, but the process is very similar). Select the “power off” option and the device will shut completely down. To power the device back “on”, hold in on the power button until you see the screen light up (typically with the phone or tablet’s logo).

A good practice to follow is to turn the device completely “off” on occasions. I typically will power my smartphone (off) and back (on) at least once or twice a month. You will find this helps refresh the memory cache and the device will actually run a bit faster.

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Quick Tip: How To Set Up Your Computer Work Environment

Work Environment

  • Avoid excessive reaching. Your keyboard, pointing device, files and telephone should be within easy reach.
  • Use a keyboard tray to properly position your keyboard and pointing device.
  • Use a copyholder positioned in line with your monitor and keyboard.
  • When writing at the computer, avoid excessive reaching over the keyboard or work materials. A sturdy in-line copyholder can double as a writing surface if appropriately positioned.
  • Position the monitor so that the viewed part of the screen allows you to keep your neck in a neutral or straight position. The monitor should be centered directly in front of you. The top of the computer screen should be slightly below the top of your head, so that you are looking at it with a slightly downward gaze.
  • Position your monitor to eliminate excessive glare or reflections from windows and lighting.
  • Customize your computer by using your software. The screen font, contrast, pointer size, speed, and color can all be adjusted to maximize your comfort and efficiency.

Source: University of Pittsburgh – Ergonomic Tips for Computer Users

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Quick Tip: Lifesaver Keyboard Shortcut To Open A Closed Browser Tab

This is one keyboard shortcut to plug into your memory banks (your brain) when using your web browser. Let’s face it, in today’s world of computing, especially at home, we are nearly 100% of the time using our web browser. What this keyboard shortcut does, is open any browser tabs you may have closed (or accidentally closed). This keyboard shortcut works across most popular browser platforms and can be done multiple times to open tabs that you closed.

Ctrl + Shift + T

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Quick Tip: How To Get Amazon Shipment Updates Via Text

Most folks these days shop Amazon and most folks carry a cell phone (or smartphone). Did you know when you buy from Amazon you can subscribe to receive text alerts on your cell phone (or smartphone) as to when your package is shipped; when your package is out for delivery; and when your package is delivered or encounters a problem?

To subscribe, simply visit the Shipment Updates via Text page and follow the instructions. You will need to log into your Amazon account to make this work.

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Quick Tip: Adding Fonts In Google Docs

To add additional fonts in Google Docs, above and beyond what you are seeing on the dropdown menu on the toolbar, simply click on “More fonts” and you will see that there are many more fonts to choose from (see illustrations below).

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How to search in Windows 10. Ten tips to become a Pro | Digital Citizen

In Windows 10, the search field found on your taskbar lets you look for apps, settings, documents, settings, music, and so on. To start searching, click or tap on the search field first. When you do that, the search home screen shows up. The search home screen lets you filter the search right from the start, by selecting to look for Apps, Documents, Settings, Email, Folders, Music, People, Photos, or Videos.

The Search home screen from Windows 10

Learn More @ Digital Citizen

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Quick Tip: Keyboard Shortcut To Bookmark A Webpage

Want to save some time bookmarking a webpage that you want to save for future reference?

When you are on a website or webpage that you want to bookmark, simply hold down the following keys in combo:

Ctrl + D

This will initiate the bookmark manager in your browser.

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Quick Tip: How To ‘Quickly’ Select A Range of Text or Paragraph Of Text With Your Mouse

I typically use the following process in my web browser to copy and paste blocks of information I come across. This will also work in other applications, as well; and, has come in very handy when posting articles here on ‘What’s On My PC’…

To Select a range of text or paragraph(s) of text that you desire to copy and paste, hold down the shift key and left mouse click at the beginning of the sentence or paragraph; then go to the end of the paragraph or sentence, hold down the shift key and left mouse click at the end of the sentence or paragraph. The block of text that you have highlighted can then be copied and pasted elsewhere.

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Quick Tip: 3 Tips To Follow To Avoid Handheld Phone Use While Driving

Memorial Day weekend is here… Hooray! During this time many, many people will be on the road and many, many people will commit the ultimate driving sin; AND, that is using your handheld phone while driving.

It only takes that millisecond of distraction
that ultimately can change your life and the life of others; sometimes, forever…

Texting and phone use are the leading causes of distracted driving. The laws in many States prohibit the use of a handheld phone while driving. This includes the writing, sending or reading of a text or electronic message. Avoid a fine and park the phone before you drive.

Here are 3 tips to follow:

  • Pull over in a “safe” location if you need to call or text
  • Use your passenger as your designated texter and caller
  • Secure your phone in the trunk, glove box or back seat while you drive

All distractions endanger drivers, passengers and pedestrians. Most distractions involve cognitive and sensory distraction. When you make a call on a hand-held phone you are not only holding and looking at the phone, you are also dialing, listening and thinking about the conversation.

Driver distractions include:

Texting
Using a cell phone or smartphone
Eating and drinking
Talking to passengers
Grooming
Reading, including maps
Using a navigation system
Watching a video
Adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player

Remember distractions are:

Visual – looking at something other than the road
Auditory – hearing something not related to driving
Manual – manipulating something other than the wheel
Cognitive – thinking about something other than driving

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Quick Tip: How to “Pin To Taskbar” In Windows 10

I like to keep the desktop on my Windows 10 computer pretty much clear of any icons. Typically, if a program icon shows up on the desktop that I need to use frequently or get to quickly, I will pin it to the taskbar (the bar located at the bottom of the screen); then, once I know the program icon is on the taskbar, I will delete the program icon on the desktop.  I do this so that I can access the program from anywhere on the computer without having to go back to the desktop or go to the Start Menu. So, how do you pin a program icon (or folder, etc…) to the taskbar?

It is actually pretty basic. If you “right mouse click” the icon item, you will see an option to “Pin to taskbar”. Click on that option and the icon item will then be seen on the taskbar. To delete a pinned item on the taskbar, “right mouse click” the icon and click on “unpin from taskbar”. This same process will work on many program items that are on your Windows “Start Menu”, as well.

 

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Quick Tip: Basic Steps For Setting Up A Wireless Router

I have found that you can follow the basic steps below when setting up and connecting a wireless router to the modem supplied by your internet service provider.

  1. Turn off the modem that was supplied by your internet service provider.
  2. Unplug the modem’s Ethernet cable from the back of your PC (This cable has a connection that is similar to a connection you would find on a landline phone, but slightly larger).
  3. Connect that cable to the WAN or internet port on your new wireless router,
  4. Power on your modem (wait for a minute or two),
  5. Next power on your router (wait for a minute or two),
  6. Now use another Ethernet cable to connect the PC to one of the LAN ports on the wireless router.
  7. Turn on your PC and you should be back online.
  8. To access the wireless router from your wireless devices, such as a laptop, smartphone, tablet, smart-home device, etc…, go into your wireless settings on the device and you should see the name of the wireless router that you just set up. At this point, you will have to enter the wireless password provided by the manufacturer in order to wirelessly access the router and get online.

Example: Back Side View of A Router

Image result for wireless router

I do encourage you to read the instruction manual for any deviations from the above steps and to learn how to change the admin password and how to change the wireless access password key (that you use to connect your wireless devices.).

If you are interested in purchasing a wireless router – CLICK HERE, – to see Amazon’s Best Sellers.

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How to clean a flat screen TV – Reviewed Televisions

Always use a microfiber cloth or towel—like the ones that come with a new pair of glasses—to clean your TV screen.

Repeat after me: I will never use Windex—or any type of window cleaner—to clean my TV.

Do Not Use Windex or Window Cleaner to Clean a TV Screen

Get the full details on “How to clean a flat screen TV” at the source link reflected below. The same techniques explained work for computer monitors, smartphones, tablets, etc…

Source: How to clean a flat screen TV – Reviewed Televisions

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Quick Tip: The Power Of The “Right Mouse Click” Context Menu In Gmail

Gmail has become a very powerful web email application that has many features that we often fail to use. One such feature is the “right mouse click” context menu.

When Gmail is open, if you “right mouse click” on any email that is listed you will be presented with a context menu that is very powerful and will be of great benefit to you productivity-wise.

You can do such things, on the fly, such as:

  • Reply to, or forward, an email in one click from the main page
  • Archive, Delete, Mark as unread, Snooze emails
  • Move, Label or Mute emails
  • Search for all emails with the same subject (if conversation view is turned off)

You can also use this menu when selecting multiple emails at a time to perform batch operations. For example, you could select 5 emails, right mouse click and label them all the same; or move them all together into a specific folder…

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Quick Tip: How To Create Web-Based Desktop Shortcuts In Google Chrome

If you were at my Windows 10 based desktop computer you would notice various icons on the desktop (and taskbar) for web-based applications such as my personal start page, my email, my calendar, my contacts, my notes, solitaire, etc… These are all shortcuts to the various web-based applications that I use frequently. For example, instead of opening of my Google Chrome browser, then going to the actual web page that hosts my email, I simply click on the shortcut and it will take me directly to the page. These shortcuts are easy to create and will improve your productivity immensely; also, shortcuts can be made to give the illusion they are like an installed software app on your PC.

So, how do you create a desktop shortcut in Google Chrome:

  • Open the Chrome web browser and go to the web page that you want to create the shortcut for.
  • Go to the Chrome menu, located in the upper right-hand corner of the browser and click on the three vertically aligned dots and a menu will open up.
  • Click on “Select More tools” and  then click on “Create shortcut”
  • The following type window will appear and if you notice there is an option to “Open as window”.

    By selecting this option, when the shortcut is created, the web page will open like a normal window that you typically see in Windows. If you do not select this option, the web page will open in Google Chrome as it normally does. In our case, for demo purposes, do not check that option (leave it blank).

  • Next, click on “Create” and voila’, your shortcut should now be on your Windows 10 desktop. By simply clicking on that shortcut, you will be taken directly to the web page that you created the shortcut for.

As an added option, in Windows 10, you can right click on the shortcut icon and select, “Pin to taskbar” and the shortcut will be created on the taskbar at the bottom of your desktop. Typically, I do this, then I delete the shortcut icon on the desktop. It is safe to delete these shortcuts at any time.

What is fun in working computers is trying different things. I encourage you to give this try and I think you will find that this is a great timesaver.

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Quick Tip: How To Stop Facebook Videos From Auto Playing

Have you ever noticed when scrolling your Facebook timeline. and you come across a post that consists of a video; that the video will autoplay? This may seem like a real convenience; but, if you are like me, I find it a real nuisance.

To turn the video autoplay feature “off”, follow these steps:

  1. From the top right of Facebook, click on the “” (down arrow) and select Settings.
  2. Click Videos on the menu located at the left side of the screen.
  3. Click the dropdown menu next to Auto-Play Videos and select Off.

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Quick Tip: How to block a Nuisance Gmail Sender

Getting a rampant amount of email from a specific sender in Gmail?  If so, simply block them. When you block the nuisance sender, their emails sent to you will land in your spam folder.

Follow the instructions below to block a sender in Gmail. You can use the same steps to unblock them, as well.

When you block a sender, messages they send will go to your Spam folder.

  1. On your computer, go to Gmail.
  2. Open the message.
  3. In the top right, click More More.
  4. Click Block [sender].

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Quick Tip: How To Find, Lock Or Erase A Stolen or Lost Android Device

There is nothing more distressful than losing your smartphone… If you own an Android device, such as a smartphone, tablet or Chromebook, you most likely performed the initial set up using a Google Account (i.e. Gmail account). As a result, you have a feature where you can remotely find, lock or erase the device in the event the phone is stolen or lost (Note: The phone must be turned “on” in order for this to work). You can even ring the phone and send information to the phone requesting that the phone be returned. You will need to go to a computer, log into your Google account, in order to make this work. Follow the steps below to put you on the road of recovery. You can go ahead and practice this…

  1. Open a browser, like Chrome Chrome. If you’re using someone else’s device, use private browsing mode.
  2. Open your Google Account.
  3. In the “Security” section, select Find a lost or stolen phone.
  4. Select the lost phone, tablet, or Chromebook.
  5. Follow the step-by-step suggestions to help find and secure the device.

ADDED TIP: Also, did you know, if you have a Google Account, and you are logged in, you can perform a Google Search, type in “Find My Phone” and Google (with a map) will find your phone within about 50 feet.

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Quick Tip: What is an UPS?

If you own a desktop computer, which is an investment or an appliance of value, you may want to invest in purchasing a UPS (uninterrupted power supply). An uninterruptible power supply (UPS), offers guaranteed power protection for connected electronics. When power is interrupted, or fluctuates outside safe levels, a UPS will instantly provide clean battery backup power and surge protection for plugged-in, sensitive equipment. Typically, during a power outage, the UPS will keep the equipment stable for a prescribed amount of runtime (depending on the type/model UPS you install). The time element gives you enough time to safely shut down the computer to prevent component damage and loss of data.  Many UPS will come with a bank of outlets. For example, I own the APC UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector 650 which gives me a total of 8 outlets (4 on each side of the UPS). The important part to note here is that 4 of those outlets provide “battery back up & surge protection” and the other 4 provide on (surge protection).  I typically plug in the computer, monitor, router, and modem into the battery backup side and other less significant devices (such as a printer) in the other surge protection outlet. This particular UPS (APC UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector 650) is rated for approximately a half hour of runtime during a complete outage.

APC UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector 650

In the end, investing in one of these is like having an insurance policy that will help keep your computer and electronics running smoothly, even during those times when you have power fluctuations and outages.

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Quick Tip: Did you know that the Google Chrome browser has a built-in task manager?

Google Chrome has a built-in task manager that will help you troubleshoot what tabs and extensions are causing issues. From the task manager, you can kill or end those processes that may assist you in troubleshooting what may be the culprit. Very, very seldom have I had to use the task manager, but is good to know it is there when things start slowing down.

You can quickly get to the task manager in Google Chrome by hitting the “Shift+Esc” keys together on your keyboard. You can also get to the task manager by accessing Chrome’s menu by clicking on the three dots at the top right corner of the browser, then “more tools”, then “task manager”.

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