Have you ever considered switching over and using Office 365? This video gives an overview and examples of how Office 365 could benefit you.
Are You Addicted to Your Smart Phone?
Smartphone addiction is a real thing and while this article talks more about the younger generation, its not limited to them as I have seen some of my clients and friends with the same addiction. You know who you are! I encourage you to use this suggested method to break your addiction!
I completely believe we check email too often and put pressure on ourselves to respond instantly. What moments are we missing by putting this pressure on ourselves?
An excellent book on better email processes is “The Hamster Revolution” by Mike Song. Good, practical processes to spend less time on email and more time on the important things.
New Technology
This past weekend my sister (who has 2 millennials for her technical support team) showed me how to set up and use my Echo Dot which has been sitting front and center on my kitchen counter for 4 months. I thought it had to connect to my cell phone which it couldn’t do because my cell phone is such an obsolete antique. (It’s an entire 2.5 years old!!)
This morning I received an email from my friend/client, Barbara Kaplan of Barbara’s Picks, with a SNL video about the Echo. Here’s your daily laugh!
New technology confuses all of us! This is not knowledge we are born with. It doesn’t seep into our brains as we sleep. So don’t let it get the best of you. Don’t feel like you’re the only one who struggles with new technology. Keep learning! Take a class! Watch a YouTube video. And most importantly, keep laughing!
What Does Google Know About You?
The answer is “A lot!”
Go to MyAccount.Google.com
Privacy Checkup
Google will walk you through the settings and help you choose your preferences.
Or look at the individual sections to change your preferences.
Personal Info
Change each setting for your preferences.
Ad Settings
Google follows what you search for and develops a “profile” for you. They narrow down your search results then to fit your profile. If you do a search that gets strange results, you can delete it from History to keep your profile more clear.
Location Tracking
You can turn off tracking or delete your history.
It is worth your time to check the Google settings. You want to give enough info to have good search results but not enough to display your whole life to the Internet.
Camera Gadgets
I wanted to share this article from BottomLine Personal about some gadgets you can use with your cell phone to take better photos. One of these could be a great investment for you as a business person to enable you to take better photos of products, customers, events, etc.
PS – This is a very interesting monthly newsletter about investing and personal finances. Lots of practical advice.
Prevent Eye Strain While Working
There are some simple tips to help prevent eye strain while you’re at your computer.
- Change the brightness of your monitor screen to match the light level of your room. EX: If you’re working with the lights off in the office, dim the screen. Or the reverse, brighten the screen when the sun is shining in the windows and adding to the florescent lighting.
- Adjust the monitor and/or your chair until your eye level aligns with the top of the monitor. We naturally look downward by about 10-15 degrees. Next best option: Align so you are looking at the center of your monitor. Do NOT look up at your monitor! That’s bad for your eyes and your neck.
- Increase the font size of your Windows displays and of your software programs. Use at least a 12 point font. You can even use a larger font later in the day to help with eye strain.
- Be wary of the colorful background designs offered by Windows, Firefox and other software manufacturers. Yes, they are entertaining but they are harder on your eyes than a simple design where the contrast between the background color and the font is greater.
- Take frequent breaks. No, not to play solitaire! Blink your eyes. Look out the window, across the room, somewhere in the distance. Do a couple of easy stretches sitting in your chair or standing at your desk. Close your eyes and take some deep breathes.
Evidence is Mounting on the Connection of Cell Phones to Cancer
Can your cell phone cause cancer? The answer to this question has just changed from “possibly” to “probably.” You need to educate yourself and your family about the dangers to minimize your risk. Click this link to visit the Environmental Health Trust to learn about the latest research and recommendations.
Password Protection
Confession is good for the soul, they say. So here goes…
Last week I tried to log onto my 2 laptops and kept getting the “Invalid password” message. I type that password twice every morning. Pre-coffee! Of course, I knew what it was. I tried rebooting. I tried CAPS ON and caps off. Finally I called my IT support who was going to come with his reset software. (Thank you Nick’s Computer Guys for fast response!)
I finally quieted down enough to try the password on auto-pilot as I usually do. Oh… yeah… there are 2 more digits to it.
Later in the week, my sister wiped her iPhone because she got confused about her phone password. She never turns off the phone therefore she never uses that password.
I use a password protector software but I had left my Windows password out of it. My sister uses a password storage software but it doesn’t have online access, only phone access.
Confession over. Let’s talk about how you can prevent either of these scenarios happening to you.
You ABSOLUTELY can not use the same password for multiple accounts! This is a serious problem. Please! It’s worth the effort to make your data safer. A data breach at Dropbox was just to gather passwords, not for info in files. The hackers take the passwords, try them at banks, PayPal, Google, etc. to get access to your personal data.
Option 1 – I strongly recommend this!
Use LastPass.com to record and input passwords. LastPass will fill in the user name and password for you on web site logins. You can see the list from your computer, your tablet, your phone. You can access it online. You can store other info like social security numbers, spouse’s auto license plate number. I will help you set it up if you need some assistance. Basic service is free. Premium to sync multiple devices is only $12 a year. Using LastPass on your tablet or phone does make it easier to access sites from those small screens. And if the phone is locked up, you can access the password list from your computer.
Option 2
Create a series you can remember but changes with each account. Should be at least 8 characters including a capital letter and a special character.
Example: Series is 12-5cHaracters-34$% (3rd character is always capitalized)
Then for your Google account it is 12goOgl34$%
for Southwest Airlines it is 12soUth34$%
for Yelp it is 12yeLp34$%
You can remember the series. Each password is different so that if a hacker gets the Google password they can’t access Yelp.
This is IMPORTANT! Call me if you have questions or need help getting set up.
Easily Switch between Open Programs
This is a great shortcut to use when you need to switch back and forth between several documents/windows. Hold the ATL key down and press TAB once and you see a small screenshot of all your open programs that you have minimized, making easier to visually see exactly which program you would like to open.
How NOT to Do a Podcast
I’ve talked to several of you about doing podcasts about your services or products. Video can be a powerful tool. This video is a fine example of what NOT to do. But it is really funny! WARNING: There are several F bombs. Click here to watch.