Internet Tips

Creating an email group in Gmail - Video Tip

Rick — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 21:50:13 -0500

I'm thrilled that so many people are heeding my advice and starting to use Gmail. Search Gmail here at the site to find three how-to videos about Gmail to see why so many people are jumping to Gmail.

New Gmail users frequently ask me how to setup an address group in Gmail. Groups allow you to send a single email to a group of people in your address book by addressing the message to the group instead of the individuals in the group.

To create the group:

In Gmail, click the contacts link
Click the New Group icon
Type a name for your new group
Click OK
Click All Contacts
Place a check mark in the boxes of the contacts you want to belong to your new group
Click the Groups menu
Click the name of the group you want for them

That's it! It makes more sense watching it being done so watch the video below to see these steps in action AND see how to use your group after you have built it!

Simple wireless password security

Rick — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 22:02:41 -0500

Thankfully, more and more home computer users are securing their wireless networks. Most newer wireless routers offer to automate the whole process which works pretty well. However, if you are wanting a little more control, I recommend the following advice for setting up a wireless router:

Google Earth - The Dime Tour - Video Tip - September 2008

Rick — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:57:59 -0500

If you have high speed Internet and haven't tried Google Earth, give it a try. Even if you aren't a geography buff, you will find Google Earth to be a fascinating resource to try out. Google Earth is another free product from Google that combines their excellent searching skills with a fully interactive globe. You can search for street addresses, points of interest, historical locations and then layer on other geographic information to your liking. You must have a high speed Internet connection because the application relies on that connection to pull in the information you want from Google's servers.

The newest version of Google Earth also adds Google Sky which lets you look into the heavens from your desk and learn and enjoy the starts, planets, and whatever other gassy objects are up in the sky.

Watch my short introductory video about this great product, then go try it for yourself. If you already use Google Earth, leave a comment below and tell me what you like and what you do with Google Earth.

Google Sightseeing
Map of Strange on Google Earth
Google Map Pedometer

Google Chrome Overview - Video Tip

Rick — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:31:09 -0500

Last week, Google released their own web browser, Chrome, to compete with Microsoft's Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Many of you have asked my opinion and wondered what it all means. In a nutshell, I think that any competition is good competition. And with a name like Google behind the project, that adds even more fuel to the fire.

Google Chrome is fast, easy on the eyes, but offers few features that aren't already available in Firefox, Opera, and other browsers. However, I think that more people are likely to use it because of the Google name, and they won't be disappointed. Watch my video below for a quick introduction to Google Chrome and more commentary.

I would love to hear your comments about Google Chrome as well.

Internet Explorer 7 - Tabbed Browsing - Video Tip

Rick — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:03:14 -0500

I posted this article nearly 2 years ago, but with the release of Google's Chrome browser yesterday, I thought it was appropriate to bring this important tip back to the forefront again. Also, read my tip on the new Firefox 3 browser released earlier this summer.

I have downloaded and tried out the new Google Chrome browser and look for a video and more comment about it coming up soon.

Windows XP users will all have to deal the upgrade to Internet Explorer 7. ..eventually. Microsoft released the upgrade three weeks ago and has started to roll it out as an automatic Windows Update. Since this is the first new release of Internet Explorer in more than five years, a lot has changed. Microsoft promises that it is safer, easier to use, and more flexible than ever. We will see about the first claim in weeks to come, but with a little help, it will be easier to use and more flexible. Overall, we still highly recommend using the Mozilla Firefox browser which also released a new version last month, but if you want to stick with Internet Explorer, moving to version 7 is worth the work.

One of the biggest additions to the new Internet Explorer is 'tabbed browsing'. An unbelievable feature that you will wonder how you did without once you start using it. Tabbed browsing was first introduced by the lesser known Opera browser, and brought fully to life with Firefox. Tabbed browsing allows you to open multiple Internet windows without cluttering your taskbar and makes them easy to find with easy to read tabs in your window.

Explaining tabs is difficult, so instead, watch the short video tutorial (click Read More if the video isn't visible) that I have put together for you explaining what tabs are and how to use them in Internet Explorer 7.

AVG stumbles again

Rick — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:26:21 -0500

Admittedly, Grisoft has not had a great summer with the roll out of their newest product, AVG 8. They tried to force the upgrade on users a little too quickly with quick deadlines. However, almost five months after the release of the new version, I still find users who haven't upgraded yet, but Grisoft is still updating the older version.

The installation of the new version included some new features that are designed to scan links for bad web sites in your searches. This feature caused some problems for Windows Vista users and even caused some problems for email users.

Earlier this summer, AVG's upgrade servers downloaded a bad update to many computers that caused an error that confused and dazed many users.

Google News Alerts

Rick — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:37:33 -0500

Would you like to get targeted news/web searches delivered to your email? Google Alerts can do that for you. Google Alerts allow you to get automated, customized news and web searches delivered to your email daily, weekly, or as breaking news alerts based on the criteria you provide. The service can be used without a Google account, but if you start using the service more, and you will, having an account will allow you to manage and tweak your alerts easier. If you already use Google for a customized home page, email, Picasa account, Blogger account, or any of the other Google services, you can use that same account information to use and manage Google Alerts.

In order to really grasp how beneficial Google Alerts can be, you need to try it out for yourself. There are no limits to how many alerts you can create. Here's how:

Click here to visit the Google Alerts page
Type a search term or terms in the first box. Remember to spell your terms correctly and describe your search completely so your alerts are more accurate
In the Type box, click and choose whether you want to get alert items from news stories only, blogs, videos, web in general (non-news), discussion groups, or comprehensive (which covers it all).
Choose how often you want the emails in the third box. Your choices are daily, weekly, or as the news happens.
Lastly, fill in your email and click the Create Alert button

Within a few hours, you will start to receive your email alerts. The email will be from Google Alerts with the subject Google Alert - Your Search Terms. The email will contain a list of the matches it found with the link to the story and where it is from and the first two lines of the story itself. You can delete or edit an alert at any time by going back to the Google Alerts web page and clicking the Manage your alerts link.

Create photo slide shows online in minutes! - Video Tip

Rick — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:11:55 -0500

Some may say I drank the Web 2.0 cool-aid, but I say bring me another glass! This week I bring you yet another astounding piece of online technology that gives you the power to create a professional photo slide show complete with music and transitions in minutes!

I frequently get asked to make suggestions for creating a photo slide show, but I know that most programs require too much time and expertise to be useful. Enter Roxio's Photoshow.com. This online application creates great looking photo slide shows in literally just a

5 Steps to Using Online Financial Sites Safely

Rick — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:48:29 -0500

Every year computer users using the Internet to check account balances, transactions, and even paying bills grows by nearly 30%. According to one Pew study, more than 50 million Americans use online banking services. 50 million sounds like a large number, but that still reflects less than 50% of online American adults. Bank web sites continue to evolve by becoming easier to use, more secure, and more helpful than ever before. In fact, many banks rather that their customers check their web site for answers rather than call or visit a branch. However, many people shy away from online banking because of security fears.

I’m going to outline, for you, five simple steps that you can take to keep yourself and your finances safe on the Internet.

More Firefox 3.0 Features - Video Tip

Rick — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:01:16 -0500

I've posted some tips already demonstrating some of the power of Firefox 3.0. In today's tip, I demonstrate how Mozilla has improved Firefox's tabbed browsing, improved the ability to find and manage 3rd party add-ons, customize your address and search bar box lengths and more.

Take a look at the video and learn why Firefox 3.0 remains at the top of the Internet browsing mountain.