Author Topic: The Technophobe Reader - Technology Help (Read 213620 times)

maryz · « **Reply #840 on:** August 13, 2013, 10:51:56 PM »

Welcome to The Technophobe Reader

Confused about Iphones, Ipods, Ipads, Itouch, Androids, or anything else electronic? Don't know what a "text" message is? Don't have a Nook or a Kindle and don't know the benefits of an e reader? Feel left out of the rush of the new technology and wonder what all the shouting is about?

Have a new Iphone, Ipod, Ipad, Nook, Kindle, or I headache or are considering same?

Ask your question here! Other sufferers may be able to direct you to a source for help or help with their own experience.

This discussion has no "expert" moderator, we offer here no professional advice but we may be able to answer out of our own experiences, so ask or comment away!

His computer is working just fine now. He got a virus removal and protection program from Staples (easytech), and it was done over the telephone. The program is good for clearing three computers, so we'll do my laptop, too.

jane · « **Reply #841 on:** August 14, 2013, 11:24:31 AM »

Whew! Good to know where to turn for help when the worst happens and you can't get in to do anything.

UKLA13 · « **Reply #842 on:** August 16, 2013, 01:14:58 PM »

Hello Everyone,

I'm in the IT field and have been for over 20yrs and would like to provide what knowledge I have to help anyone that may have questions or issues with their technology. I'm presently enrolled in the Latin course that begins in Sept. and seen this page relating to IT issues that we all go through and thought I would throw my hat in and provide what knowledge I have to help those that may need it.

Thanks and have a wonderful day.

Frybabe · « **Reply #843 on:** August 16, 2013, 09:42:46 PM »

Welcome, UKLA13. I do hope you enjoy Latin class. Ginny is a wonderful and enthusiastic teacher. I will be in 205 this fall. In case Ginny hasn't mentioned it yet, we also have a forum to nomination and or discuss Classic books at
http://seniorlearn.org/forum/index.php?topic=2395.0 It is pretty quiet there right now. We've done several Greek plays, Travels With Herodotus, some Plutarch so far and have been toying around with doing something else soon, well semi-soon anyway.

Thanks for the offer to help with our tech questions. We can always use more input. Right now, I have a mission to find out how to, if we can, copy streaming video to the computer. The question came up today at my local library. I've never done it, so I couldn't help the guy. That's probably a good thing considering the possibility of infringing on copyrights.

pedln · « **Reply #844 on:** August 17, 2013, 10:31:12 AM »

Welcome UKLA13 and many thanks for your offer of technology help. We can sure use it.

Congratulations on being a Latin student. I was in Ginny's classes for eight years and loved it. She is a wonderful teacher and makes Latin a very "alive" language.

UKLA13 · « **Reply #845 on:** August 17, 2013, 12:02:20 PM »

Hello Frybabe,

Great question...You can download streaming videos from the internet but what is needed is a Browser (Add-On/Plug-In) which will give you the capabilities to copy/save the video to the PC or an external device (USB, Hard Drive, Etc...).Theirs a lot of software out there that can perform this but remember that even though it say's it's FREE (Toolbars, Coupon sites, and other NON-related software) also get's installed so when installing read each window prompt to avoid this.

But One I like is the Firefox Add-On - Video Download Helper 4.9.17 which can be found here and only works for Firefox not for Internet Explorer

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/

Hope this helps

Frybabe · « **Reply #846 on:** August 17, 2013, 02:35:25 PM »

Thanks, UKLA13. I plan on getting a few suggestions together and printing them out for the guy. If I ever get interested in doing it for myself, it is handy to know that Firefox has a plug-in for it. Actually, there is a Vimeo video of aurora that I like a lot. It is posted by a commercial site, so I doubt they will allow a download, but who knows.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #847 on:** August 18, 2013, 07:26:04 PM »

I don't know if this fits your discussion FryBabe, but i got the Puffin browser that supports flash videos on my ipad/safari. It works very well.

Jean

bookad · « **Reply #848 on:** August 22, 2013, 03:32:55 AM »

hello there
this is my first post in this area....am interested in buying an e-reader mostly for free downloads, library etc.....want to have easy access to dictionary, pages numbered as to real book so to be able to compare if in a reading group...highlighting features, note taking ability sort of 'marginalia' idea....have been considering a kindle or sony (like the idea of being able to write on e-reader)......so many options it is confusing....also would appreciate reasonable price

any thoughts on this would be appreciated....really do enjoy the book discussions and think something like this would be a wonderful tool to aid my reading enjoyment

if this has been covered in some other area please let me know as only at pg 8 in this discussion area

thank you
Deb

jane · « **Reply #849 on:** August 22, 2013, 09:49:50 AM »

Deb...I own 2 Nooks, but I'd not recommend buying that. I often find that Amazon and their Kindle reader have far more free items available and that Kindle often has a lower price (sometimes in the .50 range...other times in the $$ range). If you can afford it, I'd strongly urge an IPAD. I bought one and so can have three choices for adding books...I can get all my Nook (Barnes&Noble) books, buy at Amazon and read through my Kindle app, and iBooks.

I have probably in the range of 500-600 books on the IPAD that I can put in my purse and take with me wherever I go.

In addition, I can access the internet as I'm doing now with the IPAD.

There are other tablets out there, and I'm sure others here can tell you their success with them.

WELCOME to SeniorLearn!

jane

Frybabe · « **Reply #850 on:** August 22, 2013, 12:05:29 PM »

I haven't tried many of my Kindle Fire reading features, but I believe it allows you to take notes, bookmark, highlight,etc. As far as page numbers are concerned, while the pages themselves are not always numbered, it does have a feature that tells you % read and number of pages read. I doubt that corresponds to page numbers in a print book. I use the Lending Library a lot to read books ordinarily you'd have to pay for. These change out occasionally, but many always seem to be free.

My sister has an iPad. She likes to read magazines. The larger size screen is much better than the Kindle for that. Plus, you can get different apps for downloading books that Kindle might not support. Kindle doe not support ePub files, for instance. Also, take a look at the Samsung Galaxy. I have several friends who use it and are quite happy with it. I think the screen size is a little bigger than iPad and it does pretty much the same thing.

If you don't want to pay the price for an iPad and don't need a lot of what it can do, but like the larger screen, Kindle DX might work well. It's B/W screen is 9.7" which, I believe is about what the iPad is. It runs on 3G, and according to the blurb, has a rather long lasting battery. I am likely to consider the DX if my Kindle 2nd Gen dies on me.

Does anyone use Google Books? Does it use real page numbers? It seems to when I am on the computer, but I don't know about the downloadable e-books from them, and I don't know if they offer freebies.

jane · « **Reply #851 on:** August 22, 2013, 12:57:47 PM »

I wonder if the page numbers vary with the digital format the publisher/whoever uses? Some of my books have them; some don't.

I have no idea how they compare to page numbers in a hardcover or a paperback. Are those the same? I've never owned the same books in the different formats, so can't compare.

bookad · « **Reply #852 on:** August 22, 2013, 08:21:40 PM »

thank you for your input

love reading, and find enjoy it more if able to highlight, underline....look up words....and since reading with seniorlearn various books, find some people using various e-readers commenting/complaining that they are hard pressed to determine where their passage comes from as pages are not ??numbered or numbered according to a book??....something to think about ...presently have a blackberry playbook and am able do download books (tend only to download free ones;libraries are so good with getting books one wants; mind you then cannot really highlight etc, only use post it notes)

am in no rush to get an e-reader, but fascinating to think could do all of above and link to seniorlearn with books we are discussing

take care
Deb

pedln · « **Reply #853 on:** September 12, 2013, 11:07:53 AM »

Has anyone tried the free new browser app Curiyo ?

It reminds me of a digital Readers Encyclopedia as it defines things you come across in your reading without making you leave the page. It downloads inabout 2 seconds.

For those with the WSJ, Mossberg reviewed it the other day and gave it his stamp of approval.

salan · « **Reply #854 on:** September 21, 2013, 04:15:20 AM »

I have several questions about the ipad. I think I would like one; but I am not very "technical". Are they easy to use? Can I teach myself to use one? Can I use it with my verizon internet (seems to me that when they first came out, you had to have AT&T). Can I use it with my current internet or will I have to pay a separate fee.
Thanks for answering my questions.
Sally

jane · « **Reply #855 on:** September 21, 2013, 10:46:51 AM »

MY OPINION:

My husband had a very hard time with his laptop; he loves his IPAD.
He does only email, surfing the net, reading his newspapers online, and reading books online he's purchased from iBooks or Kindle, etc.

I do Quicken, FTP, etc., and I've found those things hard/impossible with my IPAD. I need a laptop for those functions.

If you're near an iStore, they offer free classes and help.
I think you could easily teach yourself with one of the help books available from places like Barnes and Noble.

My IPAD does not have cell phone coverage.
Someone else will have to speak to this issue and the costs if you buy an IPAD with cell phone coverage use.

My IPAD works only on WIFi and I can use any WiFi like any computer can. I use only free WiFi and have found on recent trips in the US and in Canada that all the hotels/motels we use offer free WiFi now.

mabel1015j · « **Reply #856 on:** September 21, 2013, 10:54:38 AM »

Very, very, very easy Sally! I am far from being a techie and i just got my second ipad, an ipad2, and i easily transferred all my data from the first one with the online instructions that came up when you start it. There is also a comprehensive manual that you can download. I got my first ipad in 2010 and downloaded the manual at the time and i still haven't read the whole thing, but i'm not very disciplined about those things. My husband would have read the manual from beginning to end before starting using the ipad.

i tend go looking for an answer when i want to do something i haven't done before.

I am on Verizon, yes, you can use it and there is no additional charge. You must have a router which gives you "unconnected" wifi access, so you can sit your ipad on your lap anywhere in or around your house without being hard-wired to your internet. I have said since i got my first ipad "it's like having a library on my lap, not just the books of the library, but all the info, and more, available."

pedln · « **Reply #857 on:** September 22, 2013, 08:59:36 PM »

I'm glad we're talking about iPad's again 'cause I've been looking at them and have questions too. How do you know what size to get -- they come with 16G, 32G, 64G, the more gigabytes, the higher the price. How do those gigabytes transfer into use. I would guess that streaming movies would need more than what you'd need for reading newspapers. Do they all come with the same speed, too?

As far as I can tell, most folks get them for just Wi-fi, not worrying about or paying extra for cellular aspects. Cellular seems awfully specific. They can't be used as cell phones, but cellular would give you internet access out in the street? on the beach -- if you're lucky?

What really boggles my mind is that if you go the cellular route, even though it won't be for phones, you have to designate a carrier that will be with you for the life of your iPad. That sure is a lot different from someone picking up an extra landline at Walmart or Sears of even the drug store, that can be used with any carrier.

maryz · « **Reply #858 on:** September 22, 2013, 10:37:41 PM »

I have an iPad 3 (I think) - our daughters got it for me when I broke my arm about a year ago. They opted for just the wifi since I already had a smart phone. We have wifi in our house, so it's no problem here. When we travel, I can use it just like my laptop, as long as I have some wifi access. Otherwise, I can get my e-mail on my smart phone. The two work just fine for me.

All my Kindle books automatically transferred to the iPad, and are stored in their cloud. If I want to read anywhere there is no wifi, I do have to download the books to the device. It's no problem, but there's a finite amount of space for books. So when I finish reading a book, I delete it, and it goes back into the cloud - freeing up that space for another book.

jane · « **Reply #859 on:** September 23, 2013, 09:09:32 AM »

Having my books with me...and between Kindle and Nook apps on this IPAD 4 I have over 600 books and I still have ~~8.6~~ 19.8 gigs of storage left. I only delete books I no longer want available. On the Nook app, if you delete, as opposed to archive, you've taken the book out of our library and would have to rebuy it. If you archive it, you still have it at the B&N site. So, I archive Nook books if they are something I would never re-read.

I've found so many new-to-me authors with Kindle's free and .99 books and through BookBub and BookGozilla. Some, as you might expect, aren't very good...but at free, I can't complain...and some have turned out to be excellent.

The IPAD is great for those long car rides and waiting room waits.

pedln · « **Reply #860 on:** September 23, 2013, 11:00:55 AM »

Jane, et al, how many GB (gigabytes) do you have?

Has anyone downloaded and stored a film to watch for later?

I don't have an iPad yet, but am hopeful. We're looking at a long weekend in the boonies, no wi-fi and probably no cell either -- would like to have some films on board.

Re: iOS7 -- I came across a website with a bunch of techies complaining about iOS7 making their iPads run slower.

What is "jailbreaking"?

mabel1015j · « **Reply #861 on:** September 23, 2013, 11:15:08 AM »

I have 13.8 gigabytes and am using only 7. I don't download movies and music, so i don't know what you need to do that.

Jean

LarryHanna · « **Reply #862 on:** September 23, 2013, 11:39:21 AM »

My iPad is the 16 Gig one and I have found it to be more than adequate. Unless you actually do a download of a book you will just be seeing the book cover when you use either the Kindle or Nook or other book readers. Since the books are kept on the servers (cloud) of Amazon or B&N and are easily accessed there is no reason to have many books actually on your device. Regarding movies, if you use the Netflix app or one of the others the content is streamed to your device via wi-fi or cellular so it is not saved on your iPad or smart phone. If you buy the movie and download it to your device then it probably is stored there but again Amazon and perhaps other providers will store your purchase and so wouldn't need to keep it on the iPad after you have watched it or would not have access to wi-fi.

jane · « **Reply #863 on:** September 23, 2013, 12:31:52 PM »

I have the 32 gig IPAD 4 and, unlike Larry, I like my books downloaded to it. I don't have/use cellular capability so I need to be where there's a good WiFi to read my books if they're not downloaded. When I'm waiting somewhere or traveling long distances in the car or visiting relatives , I don't want to find out my books aren't available to me.

I still have 19.4 gig (I believe I said much less above) available, according to the IPAD.

I don't do movies, so I can't answer that part of your question.

jane

marcie · « **Reply #864 on:** September 24, 2013, 04:19:13 PM »

This seems to be a helpful article about storage (including movies) on an ipad

http://ipad.about.com/od/iPad-Tutorials/a/How-Much-iPad-Memory-Do-You-Need.htm

mabel1015j · « **Reply #865 on:** September 25, 2013, 11:34:53 AM »

Thanks Marcie for that link, it lead me to a link about "Dropbox" which i've been considering.

I have a question about "cloud" saving. I got a new ipad. If i delete the info on my first ipad will it delete it from the "cloud"? If that happens will it delete it from my ipad2 or keep me from getting it on my ipad2?

Jean

jane · « **Reply #866 on:** September 25, 2013, 11:47:54 AM »

Jean...I like Dropbox and then Cloud-On for looking at spreadsheets and docs I do on my PC laptop and I can bring them up on my IPAD. It's not perfect and it takes some getting use to, but it works for me.

jane

marcie · « **Reply #867 on:** September 25, 2013, 12:11:35 PM »

Jean, it sounds like you can erase what's on your ipad without deleting it from cloud. See the steps at http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5661

I'm assuming the first step "backup your device" can refer to backing it up on iCloud

Note the caution on that page: Important: Do not manually delete contacts, calendars, reminders, documents, photo streams, or any other iCloud data while signed in to your iCloud account, or the content will also be deleted from the iCloud servers and all of your iCloud devices.

pedln · « **Reply #868 on:** September 25, 2013, 12:19:06 PM »

Thank you Jane, Marcie, Larry, and everyone with your helpful comments. The link about iPad storage looks really useful -- keep you busy for a month at least.

I'd heard of dropbox, but didn't really know what it was until I looked at Facebook this morning. My cousin had been on Fox Business News on Sunday and posted a Dropbox link to the show (I'm guessing she recorded it and sent it to dropbox.) for those of us who hadn't seen it. It worked like a charm, just clicked on the link and there it was -- an hour TV program.

Here's a link that looks like it will explain more about Dropbox and how it works.

Dropbox Tour

Technology does keep us on our toes. And here I thought cumulus and nimbus, etc. were all that we needed to know.

Frybabe · « **Reply #869 on:** September 25, 2013, 12:26:43 PM »

Marcie, that is pretty much the same with my Kindle Cloud account. I can delete from my device but it will still be on the cloud unless I sign in to Amazon and delete it from there. In fact, most of my music is stored on the cloud. Occasionally, I will download a few pieces to my computer (and, once, to my Kindle). When I borrow a book, it appears that I must sign into my Amazon account and return it from there. Otherwise, it won't let me borrow another until I return to last one. In that case, it allows me to return it from my Kindle. I am sure there is a way to return a book early through the Kindle, but I haven't figured it out. When I finish a book, it automatically goes to "gee, wouldn't you like to revue the book now that you've read it". I don't see a simple return book feature.

Unfortunately, Pedln, Fox Business News is one of the stations that got dropped when I cut back on my cable. It is the only station I miss.

pedln · « **Reply #870 on:** September 25, 2013, 09:14:28 PM »

Are these cloud accounts free? It seems like Amazon Cloud and Dropbox are free, but I'm not sure, and then I wonder how they earn their keep if they don't charge for them. What about iCloud -- is that just for people with Apple products?

jane · « **Reply #871 on:** September 25, 2013, 09:26:27 PM »

The icloud I have with my Ipad is free. I think there may be a charge if you want more storage than the free account, but I'm not sure of that. I'm sure others here will know.

Frybabe · « **Reply #872 on:** September 25, 2013, 09:30:21 PM »

I think so Pedln, because when you buy a book, movie or music it goes to the Cloud storage. My books also download to my Kindle automatically, but the music I must download it manually. I don't know about videos, I haven't bought any of them. If you want more than the free storage, then there is a fee. Initially they said I could only store three hundred music pieces, but when they ripped my old buys and put them up on my Cloud (part of some kind of lawsuit settlement I think, but not sure) it went way over that limit. I've bought several since, and was never flagged for being over.

LarryHanna · « **Reply #873 on:** September 26, 2013, 10:22:24 AM »

A word about cloud storage. There are several sites that provide up to 5 gigs of storage for free. I use Google for storing most of my documents in Google Drive and and use many other of their features such as their office suite to do word type documents or spreadsheets. I also store my music collection in in Google Music where the limit is based on number of songs and not size. I think I have about 16,000 songs saved there and no longer worry about a computer crash and losing my music. I can then stream them back to my iPhone or iPad or the computers without having to actually download them. I believe Microsoft offers up to 5 gigs of free cloud storage through their Live account. There are a number of other places as well.

ANNIE · « **Reply #874 on:** October 03, 2013, 09:44:24 PM »

I read about Dropbox and decided that I didn't want my important info or pictures or private things stored anywhere when I am not in control. I do know that many universities also store their docs and all important info which probably means all the students and their parents are stored somewhere out there. I have an external hard drive which has crashed. This means that I am now depending on my Mac Pro's HD for now. According to the experts around me, external HD's never crash. Well mine did, two days after my extended warrantee ended. Of course! But, I will buy another external HD and hope for better results.

Now, I do have iCloud on my computer and my iPad and could probably duplicate my Mac HD and then load it on my iCloud. Not when I'm not sure that they both won't crash eventually. Yes, I think a new external HD is the answer for me.

Free might not mean free, in the end. Are they planning on Ads paying for all that storage? That's what FB and Twitter are doing. For all the computers in the world, security is the most important job out there.

Frybabe · « **Reply #875 on:** October 04, 2013, 07:57:17 AM »

I'm with you Annie. I won't put any backup files, documents, or records of any kind on the cloud. There is already too much personal information floating about on the net that can be hacked into as far as I am concerned.

Addendum: I just discovered an email from Comcast, that they are discontinuing their Backup and Share program. Anyone using it has until Nov. 30 to retrieve their files and back them up elsewhere. Since I don't use that feature, I am unaffected.

jane · « **Reply #876 on:** October 04, 2013, 09:03:40 AM »

Annie...I just use Dropbox to share non confidential things of my own that I want on both my PC laptop and on my IPAD. Since I'm using both Microsoft and Apple products, connecting the two isn't easy.

I, too, only use ICLOUD for nonconfidential things. I believe that to be much more "open" to others to see so what goes there isn't personal/confidential.

I use an external harddrive on my PC for the confidential things. I'd read that they have only so many "recycle" periods...that is saving and backing up over and over, so a year or so ago, I bought a new one and new flashdrives and retired the old ones to a safe place--a safe deposit box at the bank. I back everything important up to that external harddrive and do not use any sort of "online storage"...be it a commercial site, icloud or skycloud or whatever Microsoft calls theirs.

I guess we each have our "trust" levels about confidential information.

ANNIE · « **Reply #877 on:** October 05, 2013, 12:44:53 PM »

Jane and Frybabe,Glad I am not the only one who is slightly paranoid about where I store my private files.
Aren't we just too much? Here we are, have been on SN and SL for over 16 years and WE are keeping up with the race to the top! I love it. Who would have thought that we would even care about technical things at our time of life? Better than watching TV!

pedln · « **Reply #878 on:** October 05, 2013, 07:04:41 PM »

About the only thing that I really want to keep private is 20+ years of Quicken Financial data which fortunately fits on a flash drive. I'm going to follow your good idea, Jane, and put one in the safety deposit box, maybe change it every sic months or so.

This week I bit the bullet and bought a smartphone -- Samsung Galaxy, and yesterday I bought (if you can believe) Samsung Galaxy 4s for Dummies. There really is such a book. I can't go back and pester the nice young man at ATT again, although he was very polite when I came back with my list of questions. But really, a whole book to learn how to use a telephone. And even it can't help me key in multiple phone numbers for one person.

My thinking is that if I'm going to get this phone, I'm going to use it for everything. Aren't there gadgets that you can attach and they'll do blood pressure, heart rate, sleep modes?

Right now I'll be happy if it does captions.

Yes, Annie, it's good to keep up with the times.

ginny · « **Reply #879 on:** October 07, 2013, 02:59:19 PM »

I have an old laptop with XP on it which I need to use for next semester in a classroom to show PowerPoints and film. I can't find the cord so I called Dell, and it's a 2009 version but it's got PowerPoint and Office on it and the cord was cheaper to replace than buying a new one.

My question is, is there a really good free antivirus program I can use in it? Isn't there something called AMD or AEC or something, which I can use? I used to have one called something similar but can't recall what it is. (Tell you one thing, those old timey laptops are HEAVY!)

Anybody know a good free antivirus program?

News:

Author Topic: The Technophobe Reader - Technology Help (Read 213620 times)