tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52467200622150885282011-11-27T18:24:10.506-05:00--Simplifying Technology for Parents and Students --- Taking the unknown out of basic computer use for parents of school age students.RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-35189423772893233872011-04-05T09:09:00.000-04:002011-04-05T11:24:59.206-04:00

One of the best things to come along since chocolate is the ROKU box. It has made it possible for me to use "the box" to think "outside the box". My Roku plugs into the electricity, then into my TV set. I can plug it into my internet router or use it wireless to stream entertainment from the internet on my schedule when I want it.No, I do not get network programming when it airs (at least not yet

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-53231342125492038232011-01-03T13:09:00.002-05:002011-01-03T13:17:37.315-05:00

A new year has begun. Here is an opportunity to realize a dramatic savings on home entertainment.Get $20 off a Roku Player!

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-34839725471606576652010-12-31T14:04:00.001-05:002010-12-31T14:04:43.004-05:00

Originally submitted at RokuThe new HD, with built-in wireless, delivers top value in high-definition streaming.Roku HD PlayerRoku is the best!By Poeman from Kalamazoo, MI on 12/31/2010 5out of 5Pros: Reliability, Compact, High quality picture, Great value, Built in Wi-Fi, Easy to use, Video selection, Easy to set upBest Uses: Take on vacation, Primary TVDescribe Yourself: Roku Party Member,

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-77991132875030579562009-07-15T08:23:00.002-04:002009-07-15T08:42:16.655-04:00

Time flies during summer. July is half over. And I realized I haven't blogged since June. I read an article about Sugar. Sugar was originally developed for the One Laptop Per Child XO-1 Netbook. Sugar is free, open-source software and runs on most computers. Its purpose is to provide every child an equal opportunity for a quality education. Sugar can be run completely from a CD or a flash drive

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-1909495548876438852009-06-16T08:22:00.005-04:002009-06-16T15:37:46.392-04:00

Most schools finished up last week.Summer is here and retirement started at 4 p.m. last Friday.The last six weeks have been a mad rush. Now that the rush is over, I can get back to blogging a little more frequently. We keep hearing that when summer comes our children loose out academically. None of us want that to happen. We also do not need 12 month schools in order to continue summer learning.

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-28827315152140505012009-04-29T08:46:00.003-04:002009-04-29T10:54:51.542-04:00

Nomenclature is defined as: a system or set of terms or symbols especially in a particular science, discipline, or art. In the realm of Geekdom, many terms are used on a daily basis that are not understood by many people. Someone might have misconceptions regarding the nature of the internet. Is it really a bunch of pipes that connect to each other and get overloaded and clogged? If it gets

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-24099758917337583942009-04-27T09:12:00.007-04:002009-04-27T09:52:44.455-04:00

If it is your desktop, why not make yourself at home. Start by taking a photo of a pet, friend, child, or your family. Save the photo to the C drive with a name you will remember. Right click on the desktop.When the box opens select Properties. When the next box opens, select the Desktop tab. Select a position for your photo. I have selected center. Then browse for your photo. You named it and

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-23426470996290344272009-04-24T09:44:00.004-04:002009-04-24T13:37:07.435-04:00

Many schools block all content from YouTube even though there are educational resources at YouTube. A good alternative is TeacherTube. The site is about 2 years old and contains more than 26,000 educational videos.It does not take long to sign up for a free account. Then you can watch the existing videos on various educational topics. Or you can create content of your own. This would be the time

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-86226613129661420332009-04-23T11:46:00.003-04:002009-04-23T12:48:10.252-04:00

How many email accounts do you have? Sometimes I talk to people who give the impression that they believe they can have only one email account. I have an email account at work, I have a Gmail account, a Yahoo Mail account, an email account for my ministry, and recently I opend a Stargate SG1 email account. How many email accounts can you have? (answer)How many email accounts can you keep up with?

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-91483824874904534202009-04-21T10:18:00.004-04:002009-04-22T09:38:28.291-04:00

Did you ever accidentally bump a couple of extra keys on your keyboard, resulting in things you didn't want opening up. Those keys all have a purpose even though most of us are not acquainted with the purpose. The keys with the letter F and a number (1-12) are called function keys. A few examples are listed here.F1 = HelpF2 = Rename selected fileF3 = Opens the file searchF11 =Full Screen

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-63578931369132931232009-04-20T12:43:00.003-04:002009-04-20T13:42:25.146-04:00

As computer users, the vast majority of us are newbies. We sit in awe as we watch the hands of experience move effortlessly upon the keyboard. We are amazed when shortcuts are taken in order to accomplish a task. Wouldn't it be nice to know just a few shortcuts. There are run commands that can assist in management of our time on the computer. Some of these commands can open things that we are

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-82627252685801578502009-04-18T08:22:00.006-04:002009-04-18T16:17:58.894-04:00

The floppy disk has had a shorter lifespan than LP records .(What's that?) New computers are being sold with no 3.5 floppy disk drive. What do you do? There are a couple of inexpensive options. You can purchase an external floppy drive that plugs into a USB port. That is a good way to be able to access the few floppies you have left. But we can probably expect 3.5 floppies to cease to be

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-6292038621203391462009-04-17T14:34:00.004-04:002009-04-17T15:42:00.189-04:00

Radio, TV, and Movies have have become an integrated part of our lives. The means of delivery for all forms of media has changed dramatically over the years. We can carry music and movies in our pocket when we travel and view or listen to when we want. TV or radio were once available only from an antenna, then a cable, now can come to us on the internet via broadband, or wifi. Many of the things

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-46682879479371341212009-04-16T08:37:00.005-04:002009-04-16T10:41:13.057-04:00

News and current events seem to be on everyones mind. Some newspapers find they can no longer survive financially. They are shutting down and/or going strictly online. Reading the newspaper is traditional for many. What has this to do with simplifying geekdom? If you are new to computer use or lack confidence in your skills to "surf" around, don't worry. You can become "tech savy" in this too.

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-13794956757674529552009-04-14T16:10:00.006-04:002009-04-15T09:53:24.817-04:00

Everybody likes to get a letter, but most people don't like to write a letter. The computer has made that part of life easier. We can write a letter (or a report) with the computer using a word processor. Your word processor may be Microsoft Word. If you do not have that program, don't go out and buy it. You can download open source software from the Internet. Two good open source word processors

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-76744662176521012752009-04-14T15:43:00.001-04:002009-04-14T15:43:00.598-04:00

Children enjoy the excitement and novelty found in the zoo. A trip to the zoo can contribute much to the learning process of a child. In this age of expensive travel, the virtual zoo may not be as much fun as the real thing, but can certainly provide education and entertainment. In my search for virtual zoos, I discovered the Switch Zoo aka Switcheroo Zoo. In this unique zoo you can make your own

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-63467061905178483582009-04-13T11:29:00.001-04:002009-04-13T11:29:52.987-04:00

There are many exciting and overlooked places on the Internet. We can introduce our children (or grandchildren) and ourselves to the many virtual museums that are found online. Probably one of the better known is the Smithsonian Museum (actually 19 museums known as the Smithsonian Institute). The virtual museums can easily be found by going to your favorite search engine (mine is Google) and

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-8724095650731909652009-04-07T10:17:00.004-04:002009-04-07T10:57:07.139-04:00

We live in the information age and the Internet is the information place. You can search to find a friend, a phone number, a web address, a street address, or a new dress. You can find a new car, an old car, or tire for your car. There are many different search engines online. Some are household words and others are not very well known. A few of the most commonly used are Google, Yahoo, Ask.com,

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-9241546878379473062009-04-03T08:08:00.007-04:002009-04-03T10:49:54.061-04:00

Most people cannot understand how things can be free in their Internet experience. They are always asking, "What is the catch?" Most freebies have no catch. A few do.(Advertisers at their site are paying the bill. This is similar to TV sponsors.) Always read the fine print (all user agreements, Eula).Google is one of my favorite companies. They offer an abundance of resources useful for parents,

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-2269875409879270212009-04-02T08:17:00.013-04:002009-04-02T10:12:09.393-04:00

It's April 2nd, the day after world domination by the Conficker Worm. I guess we are all still here and our computers are still under our control. Just for future reference, keep your computer updated with Microsoft updates (unless you use Linux or Mac of course). Keep your antivirus software updated. And do not open suspicious looking emails (Also don't talk to strangers ---don't open emails

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-73940167016663337462009-03-31T09:54:00.004-04:002009-03-31T10:36:58.185-04:00

When my grandparents were young, people really did leave home and leave the door unlocked. But that was then and this is now. The world has changed a lot since the days of my grandparents. We wouldn't dream of leaving the door unlocked today. When you leave your computer unprotected, it is like leaving the door unlocked. On April 1st, computer users are being threatened by a super worm that

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-36731738269802810712009-03-30T10:11:00.004-04:002009-03-30T10:51:53.511-04:00

It is fun to play a game on a computer. But don't let you computer become an expensive game system. The computer along with the Internet has a wealth of educational material that is useful to strengthen your child's reading and math skills. There are sites to use to encourage summer learning or to use in your Home School Program. Sometimes finding these sites from the ever growing web may seem

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-89417450705383804762009-03-27T09:23:00.010-04:002009-03-27T09:43:25.814-04:00

Have you ever had one of those days when your display on the monitor got turned upside down? You could always turn the monitor upside down. Or you could press three keys (ctrl, alt, up arrow key) all at the same time. This is also useful information to pull an April fools day joke.Sometimes we open the browser to go on the internet and things (like toolbars) are missing that we are accustomed to

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-41325629774620217652009-03-26T08:57:00.004-04:002009-03-26T09:32:39.191-04:00

Learning to play Chess has been shown to encourage thinking and problem solving. Chess is a good game for adults. It is also an excellent game to teach our children. A beautiful computer version of chess is available free. You can play a 1 player game (against the computer) or a 2 player game (against another person).The graphics are beautiful and the screen looks a lot like the real thing.My

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-53923646516882781732009-03-25T12:01:00.011-04:002009-03-25T13:22:52.257-04:00

Somtimes our computers need a little basic attention. If we neglect the cleanup, they slow down.You can start by doing "disk cleanup". Double-click and open up My Computer. Right click on the C drive, then select properties from the dropdown box.A box will open like the one below. Click on the button that says "Disk Cleanup". Then follow the prompts.The next box that opens will look like this:

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-91678808045019303962009-03-25T07:56:00.006-04:002009-03-25T08:47:10.450-04:00

I suppose a discussion of computer and Internet safety could go more than one direction. We could discuss protection for the computer. To protect the machine, you need anti-virus and anti-spyware software. You could take the money you saved on your car insurance and spend it on software (anti-virus and anti-spyware). Or you could use some high quality freeware. Avast has an excellent product

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-3899722472747916702009-03-24T11:02:00.016-04:002009-03-26T12:44:11.168-04:00

By now you may have installed games from the last post for the kids to enjoy. Do not feel guilty if you enjoy them too. In this post, I am providing links to some very useful (but free) software. Open Office is a complete office suit that contains a word processor, spreadsheet, an editor for slideshow and meeting presentations and much more. Gimp has the photo editing qualities of some very

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-32492564701694343012009-03-23T13:17:00.004-04:002009-03-23T20:55:51.237-04:00

Every parent would like to provide games that are quality, educational, and fun for their family to use on the computer. Cost is normally important. There are many games available at no cost or very little cost. Some games are predominantly fun and that is O.K. Other games are not only fun but also written to teach an academic skill.Tux TypingTux PaintTux MathTux

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5246720062215088528.post-498368433574699582009-03-22T13:01:00.002-04:002009-03-22T13:22:44.459-04:00

For the last eight years, I have operated a computer lab in an elementary school. One thing I have learned is that students (even the very young) are comfortable using a computer. The second thing I have learned is that adults are usually not very comfortable using a computer. It has occurred to me that Geekdom needs to be simplified for those who only want to know what is going on. That includes

RPPoehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09265785331570360702noreply@blogger.com0