Favorite OneTechTips

  The past few months we have been on a bit of hiatus due to school and some technical difficulties with our host. Now, we are back and better than ever. We are slowly evolving our webpage and always looking for improvement. Monday October 17, we shall see the official relaunch of OneTechTip (OTT) with daily posts and some new featured posts, still following our one post, one tip a day format. For example, we will be having an Andriod/iOS App of the week each week on Tuesdays. Subsequently, we shall be increasing our activity via social networks the next couple of weeks so be sure to follows on @OneTechTip and on Facebook. In addition we have an Android App which can be downloaded via the market, here.

Here is 7 of my favorite featured tips on OTT in no specific order.

  1. Remote Access to Your PC From Anywhere - Teamviewer enables the user to take control of another computer, File Transfers, and access presentations. Great way to help a friend with a computer issue or see what they see.
  2. Look at the Alternatives - This posted highlights a site that features a list of Open Source Alternatives, free to use, to Premium Software.
  3. IM from your Browser - Increasingly social media networks are becoming an integral part of our lives, and many feature chats. In this post we show you a site that enables you to chat via multiple IM clients from one webpage.
  4. Apple Refresh - Apple has come a long way in a little over 10 years. Presently, Apple product redesigns and refreshes are quite common, in this post we feature a site that let's you know whether to hold of on purchasing the current iPhone or to go for it.
  5. Let's Make a Deal - Many of our non-tech savvy friends are unaware that often they save a significant amount of money by buying online.
  6. PCPartPicker - Ever wanted to build your own PC but did not know what components go with what?
  7. Learn HTML, CSS, Javascript - for FREE!!
Feel Free to Contact Us about a tip or a tech related problem you face, whether you are tech savy or not.
Control technology, do not allow it to control you. :)
Andriod, Apple, Computer, Customization, deals, Linux, Mac, Software, System Maintenance, technology, Web, WindowsJuan ZepedaComment
Google Flights

The holiday season is around the corner and many people travel around the country to visit family. One thing that is always a hassle, now that travel agents aren't around as much, is booking that flight ticket. Google made it easier by making a simple flight tool at www.goole.com/flights. This was expected because they acquired ITA in April 2011.

With this simple tool you can choose from the regular parameters like price range, duration, departure, return, and many more  but the thing that I really like is the graph they show you which can be manipulated to see the shortest and cheapest flight. I believe Google did a good job. I know I wont be visiting those other cluttered sites to search for flights.

 

www.goole.com/flights

 

WebJuan Zepedaflight, free, google, ita, Search, software, ticketsComment
Internet for only $10 a month

Are you one of those families that received free lunch when you were in school? I remember I would always speed walk to be one of the first people in line and let's say I was not the only one.  Now, if you were one of those families who received free lunch, the ...

'Internet Essentials' [ program is] to Provide Families with Children Eligible for a Free Lunch Under the National School Lunch Program with Low-Cost Internet Service, Affordable Computers and Digital Literacy Training.

When Comcast bought NBC Universal a promise was made to offer internet to  undeserved communities. Now, they are following through. The Internet essentials program will allow affordable internet at $9.95 +tax if you qualify for school lunches. To find out more call 1-855-8-INTERNET or visit InternetEssentilas.com.

 

Press Release , Internet essentials

 

 

WebJuan Zepedabroadband, cheap, comcast, internet, Internet Essentilas, lunch, month, national school lunch, national school lunch program, program, school, school lunch program, webComment
Google has a Hotel Finder Tool

Google has come out under experimental mode a service to find trustworthy hotels in any place. They have made it easy by having filtering options in price, rating, and even location. In the location menu you may draw a shape on a map, to tell Google in what area you want to stay. It also highlights on the map, areas that are popular among tourists. I find it very straight forward without any ads. Google also does a good job of compiling all the hotels information.  Take a look at it at www.google.com/hotelfinder.

 

Author: Juan Zepeda

WebJuan Zepedaexperimental mode, google, Hotel, juan zepeda, location, location menu, tool, trustworthy, webComment
Spell checking for dummies

I am a college student who is pursing computer science and who also working at a medical device company. You would think that I'm a good speller and at least know how to cross my "t" and dot my "i"s. Well, I apologize but that is not my strong suit. I am a terrible speller. I think some of my old post may show that. How do I handle this? I rely a lot on spell check but I have found out that in Gmail, my browser, and even Microsoft Office, all give me different results for each misspelled word. Many times I have not been able to correct my misspelled word. I rely on another tool. This tool has access to any of the data on the information superhighway or Internet. Google! To find the correct spelling I copy and paste my misspelled word into Google and out pops out the correct word. In addition, this shows you how powerful Google is.

WebJuan ZepedaComputer, good speller, google, internet google, medical device company, misspelled, spell check, speller, Student, web, wordComment
The Hunchback of Notre Dame with a computer

Do you remember the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame? Quasimodo? Well I'll be honest, I just remember a guy being hunched over and that's about it. How does this correlate to computers?  In the recently months, my posture has been brought up to my attention. I hunch over when I am at a computer and in the long run, this really could affect my back. I tend to spend many hours at the computer coding away. I took action right away and bought a TKO Anti Burst Fitness Ball. How does this ball help? This allows me to focus my attention on my back by stabilizing and keeping it straight. Based on my week of use, I can say that I have noticed that my back and core have been sore. I have forced my body to stay up straight and stabilize itself.  Remember, I not a chiropractor.


 IMAGE[http://chiropractorpasadenaca.com/sit-up-straight/]
Computer, WebJuan Zepedaabbs, back, ball, Computer, core, desk, fitness ball, hunchback of notre, hunchback of notre dame, Notre, Quasimodo, straight, straight image, webComment
How to disable Windows 7 Password Expiration

Windows 7 password expiring is not too common  but it does happen. I received a computer from a program called California Connects in which by default they set the password to expire every 30 days. It's a huge annoyance. Yes, I understand it's the difference between security and convenience but if you have a strong password you should be ok. Now what if I don't care about the password. How do I remove it? 1.  Go to the start button and type in  “lusrmgr.msc” into the start menu search box. (or the Run box on Windows  XP).

2.  You should get the Local Users and Groups Window. Click on the "Users" folder.

3. The right will populate with accounts. Select the proper account. In my case its CAconnects.

 

4. A pop should show up and just check the "Password never expires" box and click OK

5. Now your set. Just close all the windows and restart Windows.

WebJuan ZepedaComputer, Connects, menu search, password expiration, start button, web, windows Comments
Facebook is Creeping out Users With Facial Scanning

Facebook's users upload millions of photos daily, and Facebook  has added functionality  to add tags to identifying the people in them. Just a few days ago, we found out that Facebook is scanning, with facial recognition software, every single picture that is uploaded to their servers and grouping similar faces.  Doesn't this creepy you out? Its grouping even non-Facebook members.  Yes, you get a message when people tag you but Facebook is storing this information. What could they do with this data? The company could use it to sell you advertisements  or even be used against  you in court with a subpoena.

Facebook's Blog post

There is something small you can do. It still doesn't stop Facebook from grouping data  but ...

If for any reason you don't want your name to be suggested, you will be able to disable suggested tags in your Privacy Settings. Just click "Customize Settings" and "Suggest photos of me to friends." Your name will no longer be suggested in photo tags, though friends can still tag you manually. You can learn more about this feature in our Help Center.

Be aware of what Facbook does and speak out. If we are not heard we might have a new Big Brother.

 

Suggestion: Post your opinion in their Help Center.

Customization, Security, WebJuan Zepedafacebook, facial recognition software, grouping data, help, photos, pics, post, Security, Settings, tag, web Comment
Go Offline in Chat for selected Friends

Facebook in the past integrated Facebook Chat  and allowed you to always be online to all your friends or just not use Chat. The service for some time did not allow you to customize and block any friends. Now, with Facebook lists you can block/ show offline to those friends that you don't want to be bothered by.  To do this create a list of friends that you want to show offline too. Friends-> Edit Friends-> Create a List

After creating a list, head over to Chat and click the green toggle button to set your self as Offline to those individuals.

Now enjoy  your privacy :-)

Customization, Security, WebJuan Zepedacustomize, facebook, friends, Offline, time, toggle button, webComment
Facebook Filters Your Wall Feed?

A huge part of Facebook's user have no idea that Facebook filters their friends updates based on how much you interact with certain friends. Basically, on your wall you would see updates, pictures, links, and similar items from  friends that you interact with the most.  In my opinion, Facebook is controlling what I can and can not see and I highly dislike that. To change that  

Go to "Most Recent" on your wall and click "Edit Options":

 

In the "Edit Your Friends Settings" drop down select "All of your friends and pages" and click " Save":

and you are done. Now you will receive updates from all  your friends!

Customization, WebJuan ZepedaAuto, custom, Draft, Edit, facebook, filter, Filters, similar items, Wall, web Comments
PCPartPicker.com at Your Service

Are you one of those types that love to build your own system? You are usually are a gamer, a techy person or just a person willing to take a risk.  PCPartPicker.com is  a site that lets answer these three questions:

  • Which parts give me the best performance for the price?
  • Which parts are compatible?
  • How do the prices compare across multiple merchants?

 

These questions relate to building your own computer because when you do, there always issues that you need to consider like price, compatibility,  and performance. It's easy to get started, just head over to the main site, PCPartPicker.com, and click the 'Get Started" button. You will be redirected to a page were you can start picking your components like CPU, motherboard, RAM, Power supply, etc...

 

Happy building and thanks to my co-worker David R. for the Tip.

 

Computer, Customization, deals, Gaming, WebJuan Zepedabest performance, build, building your own computer, co worker, custom, love, new, part, pc, PCPartPicker, site, webComment
Map the Distance You Ran or Cycled

Google, for a while now, has had Google Pedometer. Google pedometer is a mapping service that  you use to lay out the course you want or have taken. This way you know how long the trip is.  That way you can see how fast you are going running or Cycling. Its simple to use.

First,  In the 'Jump to' box enter a city to find where you have run or will run.

Second,  Click 'Start recording' and double-click on the map. Start out with Starting point and double-click till you map your route.

There are many numbers available like Mile markers, total distance, and what metric system to use.  Have a nice exercise.

WebJuan ZepedaAuto, bike, cycle, Cycled, Draft, google, Google Maps, google pedometer, mapping service, maps, mile markers, Pedometer, run, Start, webComment
Put Notes on Your TI Calculator

Now that finals are done, I will be posting more often. Also, I can not believe I did not think of this tip earlier. Many students use their calculator for math to compute long tedious commutations. Why not use your calculator to hold notes? I found a handy app for TI 83 and Ti 84 plus calculators which is a basic text editor.  This app is called NoteFolio™.  It can store as many notes as you please(Memory allowing).  I have used this to store poems, key facts, equations and many other things. To add this app, make sure you have the USB cable for your calculator, the TI Calculator software installed, and a good set of batteries.

Next, install the TI Notefolio Creator program on your computer. This program allows you to type up your documents with your PC.

Lastly, open the Notefolio Creator program and if the app did not install on your calculator go to  Actions-> Send Notefolio app. Then, create a note and once finished send the note to your calculator by Actions-> Send to Device.

Your done!  Please use this at your own risk ;-).

 

 

CustomizationJuan Zepedaapp, calculator software, commutations, Math, NoteFolio, notes, ti, ti calculator, ti83, ti84, webComment
Who has Unfriended You on Facebook?

I can say that three people this week have unfriended me on Facebook. You know who you are! Well, before I start any drama, I have found a browser add-on that notifies and integrates into Facebook to let you know who has unfriended you. It works really well because it seems as if Facebook has integrated this feature. Simply install the add-on, Unfriend Finder, to your browser(Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari, and Opera) and log into Facebook. You will have four buttons in the upper right hand side of your account instead of three. The "Unfriends" button will let you know when someone has decided not to be your friend anymore. Also, this is the right way to do it, do not fall for the scams inside Facebook.

WebJuan Zepedabrowser, facebook, Firefox, friends, google, joining a group, notify, scam, scams, Unfriend, unfriends, webComment
Use an RSS Feed to Buy a Car

I will not deny that many people still pick up the classic Trader Express to buy a used car.  Why not step it up to the 21 Century and use an RSS feed to keep up-to-date on the latest car post? This way you will have the latest and greatest at your fingertips. Before we start, I would like to thank my supervisor for the great idea of having a RSS feed in Outlook to find the car I want. First, you will need a RSS reader.   Some are Outlook, a desktop mail client that supports RSS, or Goggle Reader, a free web app provided by Google, or any other RSS reader.

Second, setup a specific search on Craigslist or a site that lets you grab a search RSS.

Third, when you find the RSS Button right-click on it and copy the link address.

 

Lastly, paste that into your reader and wait for your desired car to come in. :-)

 

 

technology, WebJuan Zepedabuy, Car, desktop mail, google, link address, mail, mail client, outlook, reader, rss, Trader, webComment
A Google a Day?

A Google day keeps the doctor away? No no, wrong saying, but do you like trivia?   What about getting a trivia question every day and using Google to find it. Yes, that's where I got AGoogleADay.com. This site presents to you a question and like they say

There's no right way to solve it, but there's only one right answer.

You use Google to find it.

Here is a sample question from April 7.

I can grow my body back in about two days if cut in half. Many scientists believe I do not undergo senescence. What am I?

Good luck on your Google hunt.

WebJuan Zepedacom, Day, google, sample question, saying, senescence, site, trivia, webComment
How to Make Chrome your Default PDF Viewer

We all have seen how every time we re-start our computer  Adobe is installing and updating their software, like Adobe Reader.   Adobe Reader has been a defacto on all machines to view PDF's but did you know that lately Adobe has a lot of issues with security.  Hackers have targeted Adobe to get into your computers. Why not get rid of Adobe reader by uninstalling it and using Chrome?  Here is how to do it. Make sure you have Chrome installed.

Find a PDF on your system and right-click it, then click "Open With...".

A window should pop up with programs to choose from.  Make sure there is a check box that is checked on the bottom that says "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file".

Make sure you have Chrome selected. If you do not see it click "Browse...".

If you know where Google has been installed, then just browse to that location otherwise, you can right-click on the Chrome shortcut then, Properties->Shortcut.

You’ll see the location(address) in the Target box. Copy it over to the previous window and you are set to go.

 

Computer, Customization, Security, Web, WindowsJuan Zepedaadobe, adobe reader, chrome, defacto, default pdf viewer, google, location address, PDF, reader, view, web, WindowComment