Internet Cable

Connecting to a cable network:

The easiest way of connecting to the internet through your computer is by establishing a cable connection. You first need to check whether your LAN card is properly installed and whether it is working or not. Once you know this the next step is to connect the cable to your computer.

In the case of a broadband connection, your LAN card will automatically receive an IP address through which it will connect to the internet. If it doesn’t go into the networking options and click on the ‘Automatically choose IP’ option. These are the things that are dependent upon your service provider. If you are given a particular ID then you would not need to click on the 'automatically select IP address' option instead you would have to manually enter the IP address in the network connection options. So make sure you ask your internet provider about which method you should use.

Connecting to a wireless network:

If you want to connect to a wireless network then the first thing you will need to make sure of is that your computer has a working LAN card and a Wi-Fi booth. You will need to go to the network connections option and click on 'create a new network'. Or you can use the wireless booth software and detect the any wireless internet connection in your range and it will automatically create the properties. This process is dependent on the type of booster you are using. If it doesn’t automatically connect then create a new network connection and choose the wireless connection option. Once you do this you will get a list of available connections in your range. If you are trying to access a secured connection then you would need the password for it but you can connect to an unsecured network easily without the need of a password.

Connecting to a dial-up connection:

If you want to connect to a dial-up then the first thing you’ll need to do is to connect your phone line to your computer through the LAN. Once this is done then click on ‘create a new network connection’ and make it a dial-up one. You will need to enter the password, user ID, etc. Dial-up connections are a bit difficult to configure and they are generally not very effective. It is best not to opt for a dial-up internet connection. Cable networks are the best and the easiest to connect to.

Photo Credits: Justin Marty

Originally posted 2010-04-23 09:41:47.

Digsby Installation

* Pidgin- This program, which was formerly known as Gaim, flies under the name Pidgin. Pidgin is an open source instant messaging program that seeks to combine all of your other messengers. Do you have friends on both MSN and AIM? Well that’s no problem because one of Pidgins defining features is its ability to important your friends from both AIM and MSN and let you talk to them simultaneously! Being open source, Pidgin is completely free and has an army of mod developers who are constantly developing upgrades that you can optionally download. Pidgin is compatible with either a Windows of Linux OS.

* Trillian- One of the first cross-networking instant messaging networks, Trillian is still a favorite that’s slowly losing popularity, but it’s not dead yet. Trillian is expecting a huge rebirth with the release of Trillian Astra which boasts to have over 400 new features for its users. Coupled with the fact that Trillian is completely free of cost this creates for a powerful incentive to use Trillian. Trillian is currently available for Windows and will soon be starting its beta testing for Mac OSX.

* Digsby- The newest competitor the instant messaging front, Digsby is bringing something a little different to its users. Digsby has integrated Facebook, as well as Myspace into its instant messaging service while also including email capabilities. Wouldn’t it be nice to have one program for messaging, social networking and emailing? Digsby thinks so. Digsby currently has a Windows release out and is working on both a Mac and Linux release.

* Adium- What list would be complete without mentioning at least one messaging program that is native to OSX? Adium is extremely similar to Pidgin because you can develop plug-ins for it creating a very heavy mod community. Also like Pidgin, Adium strives to sync all of your favorite instant messaging programs together by offering you one networking solution. Adium is currently only available to Mac OSX users.

While these products may have not reached any highly publicized success, they’re gaining popularity by the minute because they’re so much more effective than AIM and MSN. You owe it to yourself to try these instant messaging programs because they’re completely free, and I guarantee that you will like them more than your other messenger.

Photo Credits: adria.richards

Originally posted 2009-10-27 03:39:25.

Gmail

Out with the old

Do not delete the old account before getting the new completely set up. In one window bring up your old Gmail account.

Bring up a new window and go to Gmail, but instead of signing into your account here click on the “Create an Account” button at the bottom right corner of the screen.

This choice takes you to the Get Started with Gmail screen. You will need to fill out your first and last name. In the Desired Login Name it will have an option typed in based on your name, but you don’t have to use this suggestion. You can type in something uniquely of your own design. When you have typed in the hoped for new identity then click the “Check availability” button.

Once you get the go ahead type in your password then retype it for the check. You can create a Security Question either from the drop down menu or write in the answer yourself. Complete the rest of the information and read through the Terms of Service. Select the “I accept. Create my account” button and you are at least done with the creation part of the new identity.

Now you need to look at your old account. You will need to go through all the setting to have the same services and features you have with the new account. Go back and forth between screens to check for this information and make changes where needed. You can’t import the contact information unfortunately so you will need to add this information. If you have any special notes in the contacts you will have to move these too.

The good news is that you can share your calendar with your old identity while you take your time set it up and putting in all of your scheduling information.

One point of concern is that among the settings you shouldn’t forget to run through the mobilize process and verify your cell phone number if you keep track of calendar changes or email notifications from your cell phone.

It can take awhile to move everything over to the new identity so it is a good idea to keep the old identity going for a while during this process. You will want to tell others of the change and encourage them to use the new address. Keep checking the old Gmail account frequently at first then try forwarding the old account mail to the new one. Taking up to a year to shut down the old identity isn’t uncommon if you had the old Gmail account for a long time.

Photo Credits: mlabowicz

Originally posted 2010-05-29 03:35:49.

Google Emoticons

Sign in to your Gmail account. If you don’t have a Gmail account yet setting this up is easy and your contacts can be moved over in a straightforward manner. Once you are in your Gmail account just select Settings from the options in the upper right corner. In the setting's box you will see options for Chat, and you need to select this option. This takes you to the Chat controls box. Second from the bottom you will see Emoticons. There are two buttons. One button says

“Emoticons on- When an emoticon is sent it will automatically animate”

or

“Emoticons off”

Choose Emoticons on. Save your changes by selecting the Save Changes button. Once everything is saved then back out to the Gmail main page.

Find a friend who is available to chat with, and who won’t mind being a test subject. Once you are in chat with this person send them a simple emoticon like or and hit enter. Give it a few seconds to appear on your friend’s screen. On your side once you hit enter you should see the Emoticon become a ‘real’ one and appear as animated.

You can find more emoticons by using Gmail. Go to Google.com and look at the What’s New Page. Scroll down to the “Emoticons-they’re not just for chat anymore” and choose learn more. Here you will find the Add to Toolbar option button. Select this and it will add a new toolbar when you sign in to your Gmail account. Using this option you only have to click on the Emoticon button of the tool bar to add emoticons. It will bring up a box from which you can make your choice of which emoticon to use. You will need to be in rich formatting mode to see the emoticon button on the toolbar.

Using emoticons in chat comes in handy when you are in a big hurry or when you are in a very causal mood. If you can’t speak face to face then communication can be a little stilted, but these fun faces with their animated antics can give you the same experience as a face to face conversation. You can communicate faster and show a sense of humor with the emoticons. They also add a splash of color to your chat.

Photo Credits: Todd Huffman

Originally posted 2010-06-01 03:51:19.

You've got mail!

Gmail

Google is probably best known for their search engine, but they’re also one of the leading email providers. Gmail is a free email service from Google that has had an ever increasing user base. Gmail is very fast, it’s praised for loading and reloading quickly when you’re expecting new mail. In addition to its speed, Gmail is very resistant to spam. It may not be able to completely remove spam from being sent to you, but it’s all sent to a special spam folder requiring no action from you, the user. This is very handy in saving you the time and hassle of marking email as spam. Finally, Gmail offers a near unlimited amount of storage compared to other email options.

Yahoo! Mail

Google’s rival in the search engine business, Yahoo! also has decided to venture into the email business. Yahoo! may not be the only provider to offer an unlimited amount of email storage, but they were the first, showing signs that Yahoo! is genuinely looking for ways to please its user base. Yahoo! Mail is very easy for traditional email clients to get use to, as its interface is more reminiscent of old email clients such as AOL. Yahoo has also included a search function with their email that can even search attachments to find your desired output, making it extremely powerful. Being free, this is one of the best options you have at your disposal.

Hotmail

While hotmail may not be the most efficient or powerful email provider, it has certain gathered popularity among its users, being the second largest email provider behind Yahoo! Mail. While Hotmail has lagged behind Gmail and Yahoo! Mail in features, Microsoft has shown signs of wanting to improve their email service by adding more storage and communication options. Hotmail is an extremely secure email client, though it’s not as great as Yahoo! or Gmail at sorting out spam.

All of email providers allow you to create accounts for free and to use them as long as you’d like. So what are you waiting for? Try all three of them and surely you will find the email client that is right for you.

Photo Credits: Mzelle Biscotte

Originally posted 2009-11-19 03:58:23.

Online Shopping and Selling.

Amazon

Amazon.com was founded in 1994 and went online in 1995 making it one of the earliest online vendors for anything from DVDs to diapers for your baby. Amazon is touted as one of the most secure web vendors on the internet, keeping your credit card and personal information safe over their secure servers. It has received an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau proving the websites authenticity. Amazon strives to keep both its buyer and seller safe from potential fraud by watching and controlling every transaction. Amazon is also a seller itself, making many buyers feeling more comfortable knowing that they’re buying from a reputable company. Complaints with Amazon tend to be related to the cramped feeling their website gives and with certain sellers.

EBay

EBay was created in 1995 and is much different from Amazon in terms of function and conception. EBay is an auction site, meaning you bid on items against other users while a time limit counts down ultimately ending the auction. EBay also features a buy it now option that allows the seller to set a price where that the buyer can instantly end the auction by purchasing it. EBay has responded to most of its complaints by making its website much more secure and dealing with complaints. EBay is not responsible for a buyers misunderstanding of the product being sold. With that said you need to be very careful and look at the reviews of a seller and make sure you understand exactly what it is they’re selling. Most payments on EBay are made through PayPal which is the safest way to pay any fee over the internet. EBay is an A rated business by the Better Business Bureau.

Both websites have their advantages and disadvantages, but overall you should not rule either out when you plan on buying something online. EBay tends to have a bit more of an exotic variety of items, while Amazon has more of a reliable base. Using both websites in conjunction with each other seems to be the best way to spend your time.

Photo Credits: TURCOLIVE

Originally posted 2009-11-23 03:05:10.

Erase History

Depending on the browser you use, there are few steps that you need to take in order to erase the history on your system. If your browser is Internet Explorer, open a browser and click on the 'tools' tab. A pop up menu pops up. Select the 'internet options' from the pop up menu. Then find the

'general' tab and click on it. Go to the browser history section where you will find a button named 'delete'. Click on this button to delete all previous browsing history. You can also click on the button named 'delete all offline content' to delete all the saved content on your system. To ensure complete secrecy, you can also delete all the cookies on your system.

For a Firefox browser, click on the 'tools' menu and a pop up menu appears. Select the option 'clear private data'. A pop menu appears and gives you all the options to erase the data related to the history. Once you have chosen what all to delete, click on the button 'clear private data now'. However, Firefox users need not have to go through all the above mentioned steps, they can simply take the short cut by pressing SHIFT+CTRL+DELETE. Once you press these three keys, the 'clear data' window opens automatically, from where you can easily clear the private data.

Users who prefer using Netscape browsers can easily erase the internet history by selecting the 'edit' tab and then choosing the 'preferences' tab. Then select the 'history' tab. Click on the button named 'clear history' to erase the browser history.

If you are too busy and cannot spend time to perform the above mentioned steps, then you can always buy or download privacy protecting programs, that are programmed to erase the browsing history and some of the advanced privacy protection programs even erase the history of the applications as well. This means that all the logs related to working with any of the applications will also be erased completely. If you store highly secure data on your system, then for maximum protection, you can install specialized privacy protection programs, using which you can easily erase both the internet history and the logs related to other activities on your system.

Originally posted 2010-05-19 03:35:38.

Gmail

Labeling emails with stars and superstars

We all can see a star in front of every email in our inbox. This is used to prioritize emails. Stars can be assigned to any email to show it’s important. Thus when we open our Gmail account we can have a quick view of all the important or starred emails at one place separated from the unwanted and junk emails.

Superstar feature allows users to use more than just a single plain star. They are a collection of colored stars and signs that include alphabetic question marks and various icons to differentiate emails from one another. Moreover special signs can be allotted to email for following up on certain mails. The use is very similar to the flagging method but made little interesting by the use of colored stars and icons.

It’s the best way to separate and check important emails first in very short time duration.

Email filtering

It’s the best way to separate important emails’ from the unwanted ones. One can allot the criteria’s for filtering and the email. There is blank box provided at the top of inbox which allows easy and quick search of emails by typing in email id or the topic of conversation. This feature comes in handy when one doesn’t have time to create folders for different emails.

Skip inbox and direct emails to labels

Filters are in-built in Gmail. They can be used to filter various types of emails to respective folders created. This saves a lot of time that would otherwise go for filing and also very convenient way of checking important emails without any additional efforts. Only those emails for which filter instructions are not fed will remain in the inbox. Since they are not so important, they can be checked and deleted in the spare time. This is also a very good tool in saving important emails and all conversations related to it.

Eliminate unused Gmail features

Gmail is full of features to support each and every users need. There maybe many tools that don’t suit an individual. In this case, Gmail gives an option of removing all unwanted stuff from Gmail account. This is a very good way to decrease distractions from unwanted icons.

Connect Firefox and Google to Gmail

This feature allows one to send information directly from search engines to your Gmail ID. However, this feature can only be availed with the use of Google toolbar and firebox only. An initial setup of email id is required to use this feature. This is a useful tool because it enables us to store tits and bits of information that we may get and which can be saved quickly with ease for future references.

Photo Credits: lloydsscreenies

Originally posted 2010-04-26 03:31:26.

Twitter

Facebook

By far the most popular social networking site currently, Facebook is currently holding onto a user base of millions of people. Why are people so interested in Facebook though? Facebook allows users to become connected with their friends, family, school and community by joining groups, posting messages and adding friends to their personal account. You’re able to add your picture when you make an account and add details about who you’re as a person. This is an ideal way to keep up with old friends and even to meet new friends over a website. Facebook has even created an app for the ever popular iPhone, which has been downloaded and is currently being used by over 1.5 million people.

MySpace

MySpace is the second most popular social networking site after Facebook according to the complete.com rankings. Like Facebook, MySpace offers its users with the ability to locate friends, family and schools and join up in groups and have discussions. MySpace offers more customization when it comes to its personal profiles because it allows you to custom its CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) which allow you to embed music, videos and even change the color of your profile. This customization has received both praise and criticism by users. Despite these features, MySpace lags behind Facebook in terms of total users.

Twitter

The newest competitor to enter the social networking arena, twitter is a much different experience than Facebook and MySpace. Instead of having long discussions and near message boards like on Facebook, Twitter offers its users the ability to create short messages that can be read by anyone. This has led to many celebrities and notable people leaving messages of their daily happenings by sending a Twitter update through their phone. These constant updates, combined with the fact that you can follow an individual, make for a powerful social network.

Social networking is clearly the way of the future in terms of online communication. It’s free, it works, and most important it’s fun. So what’s stopping you from starting your free account and networking with your friends?

Photo Credits: Mykl Roventine

Originally posted 2009-10-28 03:50:27.

Mozilla Firefox

With the newly released Google Chrome internet browser there are many available options for you to surf your favorite websites, but are there any differences between the browsers? There obviously is, due to the shifting popularity between the new browsers as different features are added, but which one is for you? This article will provide a list of the different internet browsers and why you should use them.

Mozilla Firefox

Perhaps the hottest browser on the internet right now, Firefox has taken the net by storm soaring up the usage charts for internet browsers. Currently located at the number two spot behind internet explorer, Firefox is a clean and easy experience for new users coming from internet explorer. It has a much cleaner interface and will import any settings and favorites that you had configured with internet explorer. It’s completely free and is also open source meaning that it has a modding community that make their own improvements for the browser that anyone can use.

Internet Explorer

The most popular and classic browser on the internet, Internet Explorer (IE) is probably the browser most people who are reading this are using. Owned by Microsoft, part of IE’s success can be attributed to the fact that it’s the only default browser installed on Windows machines. IE’s strength comes from its low resource usage meaning that it’s a great browser for multi-tab usage and one that won’t eat up all of your computers RAM. IE is often scrutinized for having poor security, and is one of the points Microsoft is improving on.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome is Google’s sleek new browser that was released in late 2008. Chrome was marketed as an OS that doubles as a search engine, as the navigation bar is also used as Google search. In addition to the search function, emphasis was placed on making a search engine that was fast and that was secure. Chrome has delivered in becoming a safe browser that alerts the users anytime they’re visiting a site that could possibly be harmful and protecting them. Chrome is one of the smallest browsers in terms of usage, but it’s still technically a beta version and hasn’t caught on in full force.

So what internet browser is right for you? The answer is that you should try them all for yourself and decide! All of these browsers are completely free and all have defining features that are appealing to some people and a nonfactor for others.

Photo Credits: juanma.

Originally posted 2009-11-27 03:42:15.