squee's blog

The Future of Technology

Submitted by squee on May 9, 2013 - 6:51pm
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Friends. I have seen a meme on the internet that just isn’t true. Shocking, I know. We have not yet reached the day Marty McFly went to the future in 1989’s hit Back to the Future II. That won’t happen for another 2 years. But the prevalence of this lie has made me want to examine how far we have come since 1989 and see how much technology has changed.

When I rewatched Back to the Future II and saw 1989’s vision of what the future would look like, I wanted to laugh and cry. We have made so many wonderful improvements in our technological capabilities, but there is one thing we forgot to invent. The hoverboard. I know, we have so many wonderful toys that fulfill our every whim, life is great! But I really, really wanted a hoverboard!

Browser Extensions and Internet Security

Submitted by squee on April 11, 2013 - 4:55pm
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Browser extensions are small pieces of software you can choose to install that enhance the capability of your web browser. You may also hear them called add-ons or plug-ins, depending on the browser you use.  The benefit to these small pieces of software is you can personalize your browser so you can easily access information, block annoying ads, or even increase your overall Internet security.

I have a few extensions that make it into my favorites category.  Let's take a look at what they are and what they can do for you.

Marketing With Social Media

Submitted by squee on September 14, 2012 - 5:02pm
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social media lady

Have you been wondering how to advertise your small business using tools like Facebook?  Check out some basic tips to help get your social media marketing plan started!

One of the first things you need to consider when you start using social media to advertise your small business is your media strategy.  Think about questions like, "How often do I need to post?"  "What kinds of posts would appeal to my market?"  "How do I get maximum engagement from the people who are following me?"  Think about who will be writing the posts and who will be reading them. 

FREE Online Entertainment

Submitted by squee on August 3, 2012 - 2:17pm
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I blogged about online entertainment several months ago and talked a bit about music, TV and online games. The thing is, there is so much more you can do with free online services! If you are looking for a great time sink, check out a few of these options.

Browsing:

Stumbleupon.com - Set up a profile using your email address and let Stumbleupon know your interests. You will then be routed to websites that match your interests. Just like on Pandora, you can tell Stumbleupon if you like or dislike the sites they take you to so they can better match you next time!

Looking For a Job?

Submitted by squee on July 6, 2012 - 12:51pm
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Looking for a job today is a tough business. People spend hours looking for jobs, more hours applying, and even more hours waiting to hear back from potential employers. It's a tough business.   Hopefully some of these tips can help you!

First, take a look at some of the classes the Community Technology Center has to offer. We have a wide range of job search classes that we offer monthly.

 

Interviewing 101: Wednesday, July 11, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Learn how to answer common interview questions and make a good impression at your interview.

Resume & Job Search Workshop: Friday, July 13, 2 - 3:30 p.m.
Looking for a job? Need help with your resume? Drop in and work on your resume and get some job search tips.

LinkedIn Hacked - Change Your P@$$w0rd

Submitted by squee on June 8, 2012 - 1:16pm
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LinkedIn recently reported that it was hacked and the passwords to 6.5 million accounts were compromised. If you have a LinkedIn account, make sure you change your password to protect yourself. Take a look at a few tips to make a strong password to protect yourself in the future!

There are several rules you should know when you are creating a new password:

1. Always use 8 or more characters
2. Never use a dictionary word or a person's name
3. Always use letters, numbers, & symbols
4. Never use personal information to create a password
5. Always capitalize random letters

Email Safety - How much do you know about Phishing?

Submitted by squee on May 14, 2012 - 9:18am
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No Phishing

I know, most everyone can determine that the letter from the exhiled Prince of France is a fake.  You will not get back $3 million for your meager $2,500 investment.  And I know you know that.  But scammers also know you know that, so they have moved on to new tricks, are you prepared to avoid them?

This topic has recently been troubling me because I have gotten several emails from our "System Administrator" informing me that I am over the limit on my mailbox storage, emails that I know are fake.  The problem is, they are written convincingly enough that I'm worried that if people don't know what to look out for, they could be taken in by it. 

Here's the full text of the email that was sent to me:

So you want to be a web designer?

Submitted by squee on April 13, 2012 - 2:47pm
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Do you have a website you'd like to be able to tweek and personalize? What about a blog that has so much potential if you could just break thru the limitations of the host site? Or do you just want to learn a little bit about web design? Come down to the Central library for our class series on HTML and CSS, you'll be surprised what you can do!

We have a three part series on HTML and CSS occurring over the next three weeks.

Monday, April 16, 5:30 - 7:30p: Learn what HTML is and how to format text, insert images, and create links in HTML.

Monday, April 23, 5:30 - 7:30p: Learn what CSS is, how it relates to HTML, and start styling backgrounds, texts and fonts.

FREE Online Entertainment

Submitted by squee on February 9, 2012 - 12:48pm
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Computers are great. Seriously, think of all they do for us. They spell check our horribly written term papers, they help us find dinner for date night, and they help us keep in contact (some say too much so) with all our friends on Facebook. Most importantly tho, they can distract us for hours on end when we are trapped inside by a couple feet of snow. Here are some suggestions of places you can go for free online entertainment:

Music:

Pandora.com - On Pandora you can create radio stations that play the type of music you like. You start with an artist or song and Pandora tries to find similar songs for you to listen to; this has the added bonus of being a great way to learn about new bands!

Grooveshark.com - Grooveshark allows you to create a playlist by searching for artists or titles you like. You then drag them into a play bar and it will play the songs you have chosen in the order you have put them in.

eBooks for eReaders

Submitted by squee on January 12, 2012 - 4:22pm
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By now, most of you know about the eBooks you can download from Denver Public Library, but do you know about other places you can go to get free eBooks for your Nook, Kindle or other eReader? There are many sites out there that have taken books out of their copyright and digitized them for public consumption. They are free, and you never have to return them.

Because most of these titles are outside of copyright, you are not looking at current best sellers. But if you want to get your Shakespeare or Austen on, you've come to the right place. I have actually found a few surprises in some of the catalogs, including some Kurt Vonnegut, P.G.

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