Living a Digital Lifestyle Newsletter - April 18 2009

LIVING A DIGITAL LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Volume 1, Issue 45 April 18, 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)

Keeping an eye out for laser TV

Q. I would like to know if that new laser TV is coming out soon. I understand it has the clearest picture that a TV screen can have. That sounds like the way to go. LCD and plasma sets seem full of bugs. And their pictures seem to dim after a few years.
-Thom in Omaha, listening on KFAB 1110 AM

A. The first laser television, made by Mitsubishi, came out in 2008. It got rave reviews. Mitsubishi recently stopped manufacturing it, because of production equipment problems. It said the halt was temporary.

The television uses three lasers to produce intense colors. It was introduced at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas. The colors were so brilliant that some felt they looked false.

The Mitsubishi TV, called the LaserVue, is a projection set. It measures 65 inches, diagonally, and is 10 inches deep. It can be wall-mounted. That's very unusual for a projection set. Its list price is $7,000.

Aficionados claim laser TVs have twice the color range of other sets. They are also lighter and use much less electricity.

Online, I found a couple mentions of plasma/laser comparisons. The laser stood out, because of the vibrant colors and brightness.

Laser is just one of several advanced TV types. Others are OLED, SED and FED. Like laser, they appear to be struggling to leave the nest.   

OLED (organic light-emitting diode) has so far produced one model-an 11-inch Sony. It, too, has a beautiful picture. It also has a not-so-beautiful price-$2,500.

The little Sony's resolution (960x540) is lower than high definition. But, according to tests, its detail does not suffer. That's apparently because the small size crowds the pixels together. In fact, Consumer Reports describes the picture as stunning.

Furthermore, the screen is only an eighth of an inch deep. Its organic materials give off light, so no backlight is needed. And the Sony's response is quick, so motion does not blur.

Larger prototypes were shown at January's Consumer Electronics Show. Sony had a 27-inch screen; Samsung, a 31-incher. LG also had an OLED prototype.

Better click here. We still have SED and FED to examine!

Find free stuff in hard times

Q. I'm 55 years old. I never thought I'd go back to counting pennies. But here I am. I need deals! What's out there?
-John in Phoenix, listening on KFYI, 550 AM

A. Times are tough. When the economy stinks, we all look for savings. That goes for everyone, from CEOs to stay-at-home moms. You probably fall in there somewhere.

So, how does free sound to you? Deals don't get much better than that.

There is a ton of stuff you simply don't have to pay for. You'll be surprised. No, you're not getting a jet ski or motorcycle for nothing. But in your digital life, there's a lot you can get for free.

I've written about much of this in the past. But now you can find all this free stuff in one place. Pretty nice of me, huh?

Free software

Both your home and office computers need to be secure. This tip is about keeping your money. It wouldn't do to lose it all to a malicious hacker. So, you'll want to visit my Security Center. You'll find all the free security software you need.

Next, you'll need software to get things done. It could be photo and video editing, Web design or word processing. Everyone knows about the pricey professional programs. Check out these free alternatives first.

All work and no play just plain stinks. Luckily, you can get a lot of entertainment for free. Try these three high-quality computer games. And you can find some fun time wasters here.

You're pinching pennies by looking for free software. But your free software can help you save money. Check out these freebies for financially strained times.

That's not all! I've got a bunch of free stuff. Better click here.

Let's talk change

Coins can be a nuisance. They're heavy and take up room in your pocket or purse.

Coins are money, though. So, maybe you have a jar where you toss your loose change.

This money can add up quickly. In fact, it can help you out when times are hard.

Of course, counting coins is more annoying than toting them around. It's a tedious chore-plus, it dirties your fingers!

Well, you can get a quick total of your change. Coin Jar Calculator will help you estimate it.

Weigh the coins. Then, grab a handful. See how many you have of each coin. The site does the rest. It may be time to cash in your coins!

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

Transferring e-mail to a new provider

Q. I am changing Internet service providers. So, I need to transfer my mail and contacts. How do I move my mail and contact list? Is there an easy way to do this?
-Ted in Scarborough, ME, listening on WGAN 560 AM

A. Changing your e-mail address is never easy work. There are a few ways to transfer your e-mail to a new provider. All of these methods may not work for you. It just depends on the tools your Internet service providers offer.

First off, you don't need to transfer your mail to the new account. Download it to your computer. Instead of being on the old provider's server, mail is stored on your machine.

You'll need an e-mail program to download your mail. Outlook is the most popular e-mail program. But, you can use the free Thunderbird. I have a download link on my site. You could also use the e-mail program built in to Windows. XP has Outlook Express; in Vista, it's called Windows Mail.

An e-mail program will download mail from your inbox. It can also connect to multiple accounts. This is handy if you're working with different e-mail accounts. However, the program won't download contact information stored with your ISP.

Transferring e-mail is no fun. But follow my lead, and we'll do it!

Your source for nutrition information

My family's health is important to me. So, I pay careful attention to food labels when I'm shopping.

But there is more to proper nutrition than labels. You want to make sure your diet as a whole is balanced.

There are plenty of sites online that offer nutrition advice and dieting tips. Not all are trustworthy.

That's why I like the Nutrition Source. The site is run by Harvard's School of Public Health. So, you know that the information is accurate.

You can start by learning more about the food pyramid. You can also read up on certain types of food.

Then, check the guides. Find out how to pick the best sources of protein. Or, learn about vitamins or preventing diabetes.

Of course, there are also plenty of recipes!

TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE:
www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource

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