Living a Digital Lifestyle newsletter - March 24, 2009

LIVING A DIGITAL LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Volume 1, Issue 24 March 24, 2009

Today's issue will be tips and articles all courtesy of Kim Komando. You can go to her website here. There will be several links that you can click on for yourself, to take you to different articles. I may include those articles in this newsletter, but then again, I may not. If I don't then you can follow the links yourself. If you happen upon a link that is closed to you, then that means you have to be a Kim's Club member to get access to that information. You can become a member very easily and the information is on the site. (By Kim Komando)

Computers can run for years

Q. I recently lost my job. I have a desktop computer that is four years old. I'm worried that it might fail. The last thing I need is a several-hundred-dollar expense. What can I do to keep the computer running?

A. Not long ago, people considered a home computer a luxury. No more. Like cars, cell phones and microwaves, computers are necessities today. Your machine will probably be crucial in your job hunt.

Until recently, I got relatively few questions from people out of work. That has really changed. So I'll run a relevant tip on Tuesdays. We'll call it Find a Job Tuesday. How's that?

So, what can we do about computer maintenance? It's important to remember that a computer is a box of parts. It's not a sealed black box with mysterious innards. You can keep it running for years by simply replacing failed parts. And those parts may outlast your software. More on that below.

I'm going to focus on desktop computers. They take little skill to work on. Laptops are a different story. You could probably add memory. Otherwise, I DO NOT recommend you attempt repairs. They are complicated and very crowded little machines.

Many of my employees build their home computers. These machines tend to last for years. My people use first-rate parts. And they are unconcerned about replacing those parts. They already know their computers inside out.

There isn't much maintenance you can do on the hardware. It most likely will be overtaken by obsolescence. Eventually, your computer will just become obsolete. You won't be able to connect to an Internet service, perhaps. Or, it won't be able to run a program that you need.

Technology moves fast. Yesterday's flashy machine is tomorrow's wheezer.

At any rate, you'll know when you hit the wall. Then you'll probably want to buy new. But until then, I'd make do with the old computer.

What could go wrong? Well, we have had several hard drive failures in our offices. A new hard drive will cost you less than $100. That is not bad if you do the work yourself. If a shop does it, the price will be closer to $300. At that point, you're probably better off buying a new computer.

Is a hard drive difficult to replace? Not really. Yours is probably held in with four screws. Or it could be attached to rails. The rails slide into a cage on the computer box. Again, you just need to remove screws.

Look at the old drive to see how the cables connect. Also, follow its lead on placement of the jumper. This small piece of metal fits over pins in the drive's rear.

Check my tip for further instructions. One other piece of advice: Ground yourself on the box's frame before reaching in. Otherwise, you could fry a crucial part.

I suggest you prepare for a failure by imaging your drive. Imaging programs are inexpensive. They allow you to get back to work quickly after a drive failure. You still need to do daily backups, though.

Assuming you have backed up your data, reinstall it. That should go pretty quickly, if you have a recent image.

Another part prone to failure is the optical (CD or DVD) drive. These are easy to replace. They slide out and in like a hard drive. But you don't have to reinstall data. You should find replacement drives for less than $50.

I have more information on my site.

A dead power supply is also a common failure. You'll recognize this problem right away: The computer won't do anything. Your power supply roosts at the top rear of your computer. It doesn't take Albert Einstein to replace it. But you do have to run power cables to everything in the computer. I'd take pictures of the setup before disconnecting the old power supply.

The new power supply should have the same or higher wattage rating. Most power supplies run $50 or less.

Your monitor also could die. You probably can get a 19-inch flat-panel for $150 or so. It should work fine with an XP computer.

If your machine starts having random problems, it could be overheating. Open the computer and turn it on. Check that all the fans are running. There is always one on the power supply. These days, the microprocessor and video system probably have fans, too.  Some boxes also have exhaust fans.

If the forgoing doesn't cover your complaint, ask a geek friend. The problems I've mentioned probably cover 90 percent of failures.

I don't recommend taking an old machine in for repair. It's just too expensive. If it comes to that, buy new. But your old machine may serve you much longer than you expect.

A 4-year-old computer probably has Windows XP on it. Microsoft plans to support XP until 2014. So, you'll be able to get Windows updates. That's crucial; crooks quickly exploit reported flaws in Windows. Whatever you do, stay up with those updates!

Other programs can also have dangerous flaws. They are regularly updated, buy you may never hear about that. However, programs are available to spot those weaknesses.

I like the Secunia Personal Software Inspector. It's free for personal use. It checks your entire computer for update problems. It does not update programs. Rather, it tells you where to find them.

Everything science

Fewer and fewer students are choosing to study science. That's a shame. Science is at the root of most technological breakthroughs.

Of course, there's more to science than technology. Science can help us improve our lives, or at least understand our world!

Well, I have the perfect site to kindle an interest in science in your children. Live Science provides a wealth of science articles.

The articles address science topics in everyday language. You don't have to be a scientist to understand them.

Many of the stories relate to recent news events. That's a great way to put the news into perspective. It also shows kids how science relates to our daily lives.

Both you and your children will find Live Science's articles fascinating. You'll also love the trivia and quizzes!

TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE:
www.livescience.com

Cleaning up a new computer

Q. I just bought a computer. There's really a lot of trial software on it. How do I know what I can remove? I want to do this before loading my own programs on it.

A. I hear you! Those things really clutter up Windows Explorer. But look at it this way. Computers today are really cheap. And all that trial crud is one reason.

Profit margins on computers are very narrow. That's because competition is so fierce. Manufacturers are paid by publishers to install trial software. They hope buyers will upgrade to the full programs. And the computer manufacturers make a few hard-earned bucks.

Of course, not all software on a new machine is junk. Some is included to make a machine more attractive. Besides, as the adage goes, one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Computers used to come with installation discs. You'd get one for the operating system. Another would contain the programs. This made it possible to reformat the hard drive. From there, you could install Windows and skip most of the junk.

Unfortunately, most computers aren't like that these days. There is usually a separate recovery partition. And restoring your computer is usually an all-or-nothing affair.

Cleaning up a computer isn't bad. Just follow my easy instructions.

Achieve your financial goals

This past year has been difficult financially for millions of Americans. So, you've probably resolved that 2009 will be different.

Your first step to getting your finances in order is to create a budget. This will help you eliminate unnecessary expenditures.

Of course, creating a budget is relatively easy. The difficult part is sticking to it! It's easy to lose sight of your goal.

So, why not try something new in 2009? Join Wesabe! You'll get the support of others also seeking to improve their financial positions.

You'll also get plenty of tools to help you manage your money. For example, tracking expenses will help you see where your budget may need adjustments.

There are also tips to help you with your goal. You can read reviews and chat with others. You'll love all the benefits of Wesabe!

TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE:
www.wesabe.com

Understanding art history

Most of us could probably name a painting or sculpture that we like. Maybe we're drawn in by the colors or the form.

But to truly appreciate a work, you need to understand its context. It is part of a dialogue with other works of art. It also has its place in human history as a whole.

You could head down to your local community college. It likely has art history classes. Or, you could study art on your own. To do that, you'll need reliable information.

That's just what you'll find at Smarthistory. On its home page, you'll see an art history time line.

That's an ideal place to start learning. You can see a selection of works that represent a specific period.

Click on a work to learn more about it. There are interesting videos on a wide selection of works. Other works have written explanations.

Of course, there are other ways to explore. You can search by artist, style or theme. Anyone who likes art will appreciate this site!

TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE:
www.smarthistory.org

Copyright 2009 WestStar TalkRadio Network. Reprinted with permission. No
further republication or redistribution is permitted without the written
consent of WestStar TalkRadio Network. Visit Kim Komando and sign up for her
free e-mail newsletters at: www.komando.com

That's all for today's edition, folks.

Until next time -

Digitally yours,

Andrea