Kim's Weekend Newsletter for Sat., Mar. 24, 2012

IN THIS EMAIL: March 24th, 2012 - VOL. 16, NO. 12 On my national radio show this weekend | Digressions: Choosing a user account, Make a disc image backup, Changing your Apple ID | Most Clicked | Rookie Rundown: Buying a Windows tablet | The Latest from TVKim.com | What You Can Win | Meet the winners | Column: Preventing online infidelity | Freebies | Secure Computing: Are criminal hackers still a threat? | Killer Tip: Simple digital signage | Joke | The Last Word A little about me, Kim Komando I host two national radio shows. My Digital Minute airs Monday through Friday. I also host a three-hour show on the weekends. My shows are broadcast on more than 460 radio stations throughout the great United States and also in 177 different countries and on every ship at sea on the Armed Forces Radio Network. Plus, I write two columns a week for USA Today.com and 82 daily newspapers on Gannett Newswire. Find out more. >> Listen to my national radio show this weekend To find the station closest to you, simply click here and you'll be magically transported to the Official Komando Radio Locator Map. >> Then, join me for one, two or the entire three fun-filled, jam-packed hours of great talk radio about the Internet, cellphones, tablets, e-book readers, HDTVs, cameras, camcorders, apps, home theaters, computers, security, privacy, and, of course, insider tips and secrets to getting the most out of your digital life. Call me during the show this weekend! You have questions, I have answers! It takes just three easy steps: 1.) Call the LIVE broadcast. That's this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the East Coast, or, if you live on the West Coast, 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. 2.) Know the phone number. It is, of course, toll-free 1-888-825-5254. 3.) Talk to me. That's all there is to it! advertisement This weekend's Money Making & Saving Tip: 3 easy ways to sell online (that aren't eBay) Want to be your own boss without having to quit your day job? Setting up an online store is a great way to earn extra income in your spare time. Find out more. >> This weekend's Apps for your phone: 10 iPad apps you have to download right away The new iPad is amazing, but it doesn't do much without apps. Here are the first 10 apps you should download. Find out more. >> This weekend's CUFF that's always cool and free: 3 programs for creating graduation slideshows Spring is here, which means graduations are just around the corner. Find out how to make a high-quality slideshow for your graduate. Find out more. >> Updates to find me in your hometown! Old Friends West Palm Beach, FL (WJNO 1290 AM), Saturdays at 7 p.m. Great Falls, MT (KQDI 1450 AM), Saturdays at 8 a.m. Yakima, WA (KIT 1280 AM/99.3 FM) Saturdays at 9 a.m. Memphis, TN (WREC 600 AM), Saturdays at 5 p.m. Richmond, VA (WRVA 1140 AM), Sundays at 3 p.m. Where am I near you? Find me on a station near you >> Listen or watch when you want, on your schedule! Exclusive access for Kim's Club Members only! Being a Kim's Club member brings you a wealth of benefits! Listen and watch my show when you want, live as it happens or on-demand to fit your schedule. Get answers to your toughest questions on my Message Board. Browse through more of my tips, Cool Sites and columns! Find out more. >> FORWARD ME TO YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS: Know someone who can use this information? Forward this newsletter now. Or pass along the link at Komando.com to your family members and friends on your Facebook or Twitter account. This helps them and me. I'm always looking for more folks to enlighten in this digital age. Digital Digressions: Questions from my listeners' email Choosing a user account Robert from Roanoke, VA, listens to my national radio show on WLNI 105.9 FM. He picked up a fake antivirus program recently and had to reinstall Windows 7 to remove it. At the time, his user account was an administrator account. He wants to know whether he would be safer using a non-administrator account from now on. Yikes! That sounds like a nasty virus, Robert. I'm sorry you had to go to the trouble of reformatting your computer. Still, at least you can be sure the virus is gone. For user accounts, it used to make a big difference if you ran as administrator or standard user. These days, however, the security differences are fewer thanks to Windows 7's User Account Controls. advertisement Even in an administrator account, the UAC notifies you whenever a program tries to install or make a change to your system. The only difference in a standard account is that you have to enter the administrator password to continue. In the administrator account, you just click Yes. Of course, with an administrator account, you might stop paying attention to the UAC notices and just click Yes automatically. That might be how the virus installed on your last system. If you want to make yourself take a second to think about what the UAC is asking, then switch your account to a standard account. If other people are using the computer, definitely make your account standard, or create additional standard accounts. This will prevent another user from accidentally installing something they shouldn't.  You can change all these settings by going to Start>>Control Panel>>User Accounts and Family Safety>>User Accounts. This is also where you can change how UAC behaves for your account. Make sure it is set to either Default or Always Notify. User accounts are handy for security. They're also essential for parental controls. Learn how to set up parental controls for a computer and other gadgets. Windows 7 has many handy features. One that parents will love is the parental controls. Learn how to set them up to protect your child. >> Video game consoles don't just play games. They can access the Internet and stream movies. Keep your children safe; learn more about parental controls for video game consoles. >> Parental controls are handy, but you want to teach your kids to use tech wisely as well. This guide will help you get started. >> Make a disc image backup Maggie from Orangevale, CA, listens to my national radio show on KSTE 650 AM. She wants to know whether Carbonite backs up her PC's operating system or whether she needs to make a recovery disc. Before I answer, Maggie, I do need to point out that Carbonite is one of my advertisers. However, I'm also a Carbonite subscriber. I use it because it's the best backup service around; and now it's even better. Carbonite has just added some great new features to its HomePlus and HomePremier plans, such as external hard drive backup. The feature you're interested in, though, is the Mirror Image backup feature. advertisement This allows you to make a copy of your entire hard drive, including the operating system, and place it on an external hard drive. If you restore your computer from the disc image, it will go back to being just the way it was when you backed it up. That's very convenient, but you'll still want to back up your important files and documents to Carbonite's remote servers. An external hard drive might be destroyed in a disaster, and you want your important documents to stay safe. If your computer isn't backed up, you risk losing all your data at any time. Don't wait another minute! Try Carbonite's 15-day free trial - no credit card required - and receive two months of service for free when you subscribe. Sign up now! Every computer dies eventually; it's only a matter of time. You can't stop it, but you can take steps to help it last longer. Maintaining your computer doesn't have to be a huge chore. Here are some simple routine tasks that will keep your computer healthy. >> Maintaining software is good, but don't forget the hardware. Find out how to clean the inside of your computer to prevent breakdowns. >> One of the most prone-to-fail parts of any computer is the hard drive. Keep an eye on your drive's health with this handy monitoring program. >> Changing your Apple ID Melanie of Louisville, KY, listens to my national radio show on WLRS 105.1. She recently moved and changed Internet service providers, so she has a new email address. However, she used her old email address as her AppleID. She wants to know whether she can update her Apple ID with her new email address. You sure can, Melanie. Start by going to the My Apple ID page. Click the Manage Your Account link.  Sign in using your current Apple ID (your old email address) and password. If you can’t remember your password, sign in with just your Apple ID and answer your security question for access.   Next, under Edit Your Apple ID, select Name, ID and Email Addresses. Click Edit next to your Apple ID. Enter your new email address and click Save Changes. While you're there, be sure to update your street address and any other contact information. You can also change your password and security question. Here are a few more ideas that will help you get more enjoyment out of your Mac and the Internet. Apple is phasing out its MobileMe Web hosting service. Here's how to find a good replacement. >> If you need a high-impact website for your business, consider hiring a freelance designer. This tip will help you find one and ensure the project goes smoothly. >> Should you sign up for iTunes Match and park your music library on Apple's iCloud? I help you decide in this tip. >> Most Clicked: What's hot on Komando.com this week Tips License music for your presentation Click here. >> An alternative to Apple's MobileMe Click here. >> Buying a webcam for tutoring Click here. >> Videos Modern Meow-zart Click here. >> Rough seas Click here. >> Animated GIFs uncovered Click here. >> advertisement Free Downloads Save the planet Click here. >> Sync your social media Click here. >> Type in another language Click here. >> Cool Sites Pay off your credit card debt Click here. >> Encyclopedia of languages Click here. >> Manage your to-do list Click here. >> advertisement Don't miss any more of my hot picks; get all my free newsletters in your inbox. >> Rookie Rundown: The start to your digital life Buying a Windows tablet Mitch from Seguin, TX, listens to my national radio show on WOAI 1200 AM. He wants to know what Windows-based tablet I recommend for business use. Well, Mitch, I'm going to have to say "none." There really isn't a Windows-based tablet on the market worth buying. Not that there are many to begin with anyway. The simple truth is that Windows 7 is not a tablet operating system. It requires computer-grade hardware to run well. That means Windows tablets are generally expensive, heavy and slow. Don't forget that Windows isn't geared toward touch the same way a tablet operating system is, so it hard to use on a smaller screen. A less expensive iPad or Android tablet can do almost any of the tasks you would need, such as business email and editing Office documents. The Android-based Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet has business apps installed out of the box. It even allows you to connect to a Windows server to run Windows-based programs remotely. Of course, I still prefer my iPad. If you really want to hold out for a Windows tablet, you'll need to wait for Windows 8 to launch at the end of the year. If you want to give Windows 8 a spin now, download a preview version my site.   Microsoft is designing 8 from the ground up to work on tablets. It will have a tablet- and touch-friendly interface and should run well on tablet hardware. Of course, that's causing some problems for people who want to use it on a computer. You can read more about that problem here, along with solutions. In the meantime, if you need a mobile version of Windows, I'd buy a laptop. If you just need something to use on the go for business, an iPad or Android tablet will work just fine. Tablets are quickly taking over the mobile market. Here are some more things you should know before buying one. The new iPad is available and selling like crazy. Is that the model you should buy, or is the cheaper iPad 2 still a good deal? Read on to find out. >> The iPad isn't the only tablet on the market. Android tablets are a good choice for some people. Find out whether an Android tablet is a good choice for you. >> Printing from a laptop is easy, but it's much trickier from a tablet. I'll tell you how to making printing from your tablet a cinch. >> The latest from TVKim.com: Explore the hottest tech trends Baseball apps hit a home run Take baseball from the field to your mobile device with these FAN-tastic apps! Whether you follow Major League Baseball or just your little leaguer, these apps are a hit. Watch it now at TVKim.com! >> KIM's FAVORITES: Making decorative candles It's been a while since people relied on candles for light. They are now used more for decoration and ambiance. That's why you want your candles to look decorative. Watch this amazing decorative candle being made. advertisement KIM's FAVORITES: A LEGO astronomical clock The Antikythera Mechanism was an amazing archeological find. It was a Greek mechanical contraption from around 100 BC. And it turned out to be a precise astronomical clock. Several replicas have been made. This LEGO replica is by far the most impressive! Best Daily Deals Secrets You've certainly seen deal of the day websites. Whether you want a deal on a car wash, dinner, massage or yogurt, there are better ways to find them. Watch Kim Komando show you how insiders find the best daily deals. DIGITAL CIRCUIT FINDER Identify the correct circuit breaker in seconds! Hollywood computer myths Ever wonder if those "high-tech" scenes in TV shows and movies could possibly be real? How tech is depicted on the big screen is the subject of this Kim's Report. Watch it now and see if you can spot the Hollywood computer myths. What you can win: Your chance to take home valuable prizes My latest winner! Each week of my Relax & Restore contest, I'm giving away a free one-year Carbonite Online Home subscription. This week's winner is: Stevan Dupus of Olathe, KS who listens on KMBZ 980 AM/98.1 FM Get away from it all and Relax & Restore! Ready for a break? I've got the trip for you! Win the grand prize in my Relax & Restore contest and experience an incredible 7-night Caribbean Cruise with an ocean-view cabin on the beautiful Carnival Liberty! I'm also giving away weekly prizes of one-year Carbonite Home Subscriptions to back up and restore your computer files. You'll truly be able to relax and restore knowing your computer data, photos and memories are backed up safely and securely and within reach with Carbonite Online Backup. Enter Daily. >> Did you know that Kim's Club members are entered in my best contests automatically – every day? Save time, increase your chances of winning and get access to all the great content from my Digital News Network. Plus, not only can you listen to my weekend show on your schedule, you can watch it right on your computer in state-of-the-art HD video! What a deal for less than $5 a month! Sign up now! My weekly column: From USA Today Preventing online infidelity The Internet can be a marriage killer, one of my listeners told me in an email last week. He wasn't speaking philosophically. He said it almost happened to him. This wasn't because his wife spent too much money on eBay, or the result of his fascination with streaming online sports. Instead, they had each, separately, fallen down the rabbit hole of online infidelity. "Our counselor said the problem is growing, especially among couples that have been married more than 18 years," he said. It's true that the Internet has made infidelity much easier. According to PsychCentral.com, the Internet is now where the majority of people go to find sex partners. Read on for more shocking statistics and what you can do to keep your relationship from becoming a statistic. >> advertisement Freebies: Handy free things for you to enjoy Contest site: IKEA Kitchen Sweepstakes In the mood to redo your kitchen but don't have the money? Woman's Day wants to give you $10,000 in IKEA gift cards. Open to U.S. residents 18 and older. Expires May 28, 2012. Freebie of the week: Tide PODS Never sure how much laundry detergent to use? New Tide PODS make sure you have the right amount every time. Open to U.S. residents 18 and older. Limit one sample per household. Available while supplies last. Freebie from Komando: Free tutoring for your child Need help tutoring your child? Maybe you want to expand your own knowledge. Find hundreds of free, quality tutorial videos at this site. Download it now! >> Freebie from GoToMyPC: Free 45-day trial of gotomypc.com (www.gotomypc.com/kim) Use your Mac or PC remotely. Works on PC and Macs! Kim Komando Show listeners get a 45-day free trial. Use promo code Kim. Freebie from Carbonite: Free trial and 2 months free (www.carbonite.com/kim) Hard drives fail. Don't lose your precious photos and data. Carbonite is simply the best online backup. It's the one I use. Get a free trial. Use promo code Kim and get two months free when you decide to buy. Security: Staying safe in the digital age Are criminal hackers still a threat? Verizon released the results of a study showing that the majority of hacker activity in 2011 was politically motivated. These so-called "hactivists" groups, such as Anonymous and LulzSec weren't out for money. They were after information to embarrass organizations and the government. Does that mean you don't have to worry about criminal hackers anymore? Unfortunately, yes you still do. Hacktivists managed to steal quite a bit of customer information in their attacks. That information was made public, which means your email address, passwords and other information could still be picked up by criminal hackers. Don't forget that even a few criminal hackers can steal plenty of information thanks to automated viruses and botnets. The hacker threat is far from over. As always, you want to keep your guard up and make sure you're using up-to-date security software. advertisement Killer Tip: Simple digital signage Heavy on the technical side Question: I have purchased a small PC and a 32-inch LCD TV to install in our company break room. This is meant to communicate information to employees from several departments. I originally planned to use PowerPoint to display information, but my bosses have some ideas that make this harder. They want a weather update visible at all times and the ability to post alerts in case of emergencies. I don't think PowerPoint is up to it. Do you have any thoughts or ideas that may be of assistance in accomplishing this goal? Thank you. -Bob from Oneida, NY, listens to my national radio show on WIBX 950 AM. Answer: That sounds like a great idea, Bob. As you can see, though, projects like this tend to spiral out of control. Fortunately, you aren't the first person heading down this road. What you are trying to set up is called digital signage, and there's an entire industry for this. You can find endless hardware and software for displaying company information, both internally and externally. Most of this hardware and software is meant for large corporations, hotels and other business chains. So, most of it is overkill for your purposes - not to mention over budget. Fortunately, there are some free options that work just as well. Read on and I'll direct you to software that will do what you need. >> Joke: You can always count on me to make you smile The difference between Knowledge and Wisdom: Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting tomatoes in a fruit salad. -- Speaking of fruit, did you know that fruit and technology go hand in hand? Watch this hilarious British comedy sketch to see the connection.   The last word: Watch me broadcast the show: See the show. Go behind the scenes. Know what really happens when we're in commercial breaks. For a little over $4 per month, you can see the shows. Download the podcasts. Access all of Komando.com. Use the Message Board. You'll love it! Click here to join Kim's Club now. >> BE A KOMANDO INSIDER! JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK & TWITTER Facebook: Join me now. >> Twitter: Follow me now. >> Hugs to All! Kim :) advertisement Follow me on the web Advertise | Advertiser Comments | Sign up for my newsletters | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions To unsubscribe or modify your subscription, use our online form. Copyright © 2012 Weststar Digital Audio, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please add kimsnewsreply@lyris.komando.com to your address book ensure Kim's emails reach your inbox. To view this email as a Web page, go here.