Living a Digital Lifestyle Newsletter - April 20, 2009

LIVING A DIGITAL LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Volume 1, Issue 47 April 20, 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)

Jobs for vets

When you think of job sites, you probably think of Monster and CareerBuilder. These are two of the largest job sites online.

But big, general job boards aren't your best bet. There will be fierce competition for the jobs. And they may not require the skills you've built up over the years.

That's why I recommend that job seekers visit specialized sites. You'll find sites that focus on specific industries like sales or finance.

Today's Cool Site is different, though. The site features job postings for veterans and their families.

Companies posting to VetJobs are specifically targeting veterans. So, they realize the challenges veterans face. More importantly, they realize the contribution that veterans can make in the workplace.

Veterans who are looking for a job can't afford to miss this site!

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

Is an air card or Wi-Fi better?

Q. My friend travels and is going to buy a laptop. He wants to know if an air card or Wi-Fi is better. He's also considering connecting his personal computer to his company's mainframe. This would let him work on blueprints and pricing plans from home. Would the IT department be able to view his personal files?
-Teresa in Houston, listening on KTRH 740 AM

A. The term "air card" has two meanings. It can be a Wi-Fi card. Or, it can be a cellular laptop card. I'm going to assume that you meant the latter.

Cellular cards and Wi-Fi are not either/or gadgets. One isn't necessarily better than the other. Many people rely on both.

A cellular card connects a laptop to a cellular network. That means you can access the Internet wherever there is cellular service.

There are drawbacks to cellular cards. For instance, they can be pricey. Expect to pay $60 or $70 per month for service. And they  have a monthly download limit. This is usually five gigabytes. Exceeding the limit will incur high fees.

In comparison, a Wi-Fi card lets you connect at wireless hotspots. The Internet connection is piped in to a wireless access point. Wireless equipment can then use the signal. Wi-Fi has a limited range. You must be within about 100 feet of the wireless access point.

Many hotels and airports provide Wi-Fi. You can also connect at cafes, libraries and other public places. Some Wi-Fi hotspots are free. Others charge for the service. Usually, this is by the hour or day.

Virtually every laptop includes a Wi-Fi card these days. Do not buy a laptop that doesn't have one.

Your friend may want a cellular card in addition to Wi-Fi. It will be handy if he can't find a hotspot. But even a cellular card may not get service in the boondocks.

There's more! I still have the mainframe question. Just click here!

Converting a PDF file to Word

Q. How do I convert a scanned PDF file to a Word file? I need to do this so I can e-mail my résumé out for jobs. For some reason, it is not working when I try to e-mail the PDF. I will be greatly appreciative if you can help me.
-Ofelia in Bloomingdale, IL, listening on WLS 890 AM

A. I usually tell people to send their résumés in the body of their e-mail. Many corporate e-mail systems strip attachments. But if you're following the company's directions, you should be OK.

So, let me explain a bit about scanned PDF files. Then, I'll discuss converting them to Word documents.

A scanned PDF is simply a document that has been imported with a scanner. The scanner takes a picture of a document, which is placed inside a PDF. There is no text, per se. Rather, the text is part of the image. In a regular PDF document, the text is not part of an image.

To convert to Word, use optical character recognition (OCR) software. This extracts the text from the image. It places the text in a document so that it can be edited. For example, the text can be placed in a Word file.

The text could also be placed in a PDF file. That way, it can be edited with a program like Acrobat. Or, you can search for text within the PDF file. (If the text is part of an image in a PDF file, it can't be searched.)

So, where do you get OCR software? I'll tell you! Just click here!

Save on shipping with Amazon

Amazon is one of the most successful online retailers. Many Americans make purchases through the site regularly.

I've found Amazon's prices to be competitive with other online stores. But, Amazon has something most other stores don't: free shipping.

Many products on Amazon's site qualify for free shipping. However, there's a catch. Your order must be over $25.

You may have an order for $23. But you really want that free shipping. What do you do?

You could buy something else you want. You'll probably end up spending $10 or more to save just a few dollars in shipping. There's no sense in that.

Fortunately, today's Cool Site has a much better solution. Just enter how much more you must spend to get free shipping.

The site will return a list of products for this price. You'll get free shipping without breaking the bank!

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

Buying budget laptops for the grandkids

Q. My grandchildren are 9 and 10. I would like to buy them each a laptop. I am a retiree with limited income, so my budget is limited. Can you advise me what to buy? They will need to surf the Internet and play games. Their home has wireless Internet. I don't know what capacity they need. I also don't know how much I should expect to spend.
-Marilyn in Harrisonburg, VA, listening on WSVA 550 AM

A. I'm sure your grandchildren will love having their own laptops. Fortunately, you don't need to shell out a lot of money on laptops for them.

But before we discuss this, let's look at the dangers. Frankly, I think they're too young for their own computers. There are a lot of Internet dangers for children. Even when warned, they don't give enough consideration to those dangers.

Young children should only use computers when their parents are around. Laptops could help them avoid supervision. Be sure their parents are aware of your plans. And discuss the possible ramifications of giving them laptops.

Now, on to your question. Laptops are available in a wide range of prices. By some standards, an $800 machine falls into the budget category.

Before you run shrieking from the room, let me suggest an alternative. Take a look at netbooks. You can buy two for a little more than $600 total.

The distinction between laptops and netbooks is somewhat hazy. But a netbook is essentially a small, light, low-power laptop.

You need to know more about netbooks. Click here for my help!

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