Weekly Newsletter

  • Tip of the Week: Get Google Alerts for new video
  • Headwhack of the Week: My icons are too small! 
  • Geek Speak of the Week: Wall wart 
  • Security: CIA to start spying on social media?
  • News: Facebook launches confusing, counterintuitive, broken UI
  • News: Share ebooks with Barns & Noble's 'Nook' reader
  • Data Doctors Video on Cnn.com: Tips before upgrading to Windows 7
  • Opinion: Time For Microsoft To Go After Apple--Hard
  • Weekly Advice Column: Beware Fake Conficker Alerts 
  • This Week's Show: The Latest on Green Computing

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         Poll of the Week: Have you ever fallen victim to an e-mail phishing scam?

        

 

Tip of the Week: Get Google Alerts for new video

Way back in the early days of Google, we explained how the 'Alerts' system was the best way for anyone to track any new web content that contained specific words or phrases or company names.

Well, if you are a web video fanatic and want to track specific types of videos as they are indexed by Google, you can setup Google Alerts specifically for video here! (simply change the Type: from Comprehensive to Video)

Headwhack of the Week: My icons are too small!

Your Desktop icons can get pretty small with today's high resolution wide screen displays.  Windows XP users have to use the old school method of going into the display properties to make icons larger, but Windows Vista & Windows 7 users can use a simple shortcut.

Minimize all your programs so that the Desktop is the only thing showing.  Hold the Ctrl button down and slowly scroll the wheel on your mouse to increase or decrease the size of the icons on the fly! 

Geek Speak of the Week: Wall wart

Tech slang for a small transformer with a plug attached (usually a charger for an electronic device), that hangs off of your electrical outlet. Wall warts are one of the most common consumers of phantom power (they consume power even when nothing is being charged).

Security: CIA to start spying on social media?

Visible Technologies, a company that monitors online social activity and packages the findings for clients, has forged a "strategic partnership" with In-Q-Tel, the CIA's not-for-profit investment arm, to give the organization insight into social media.

News: Facebook launches confusing, counterintuitive, broken UI

Andrew Mager of ZDNet.com has a bone to pick with the developers at Facebook based on the latest changes made to the way News Feeds & Live Feeds are delivered. 

News: Share ebooks with Barns & Noble's 'Nook' reader

Barnes & Noble has taken on Amazon by launching its own ebook reader which they are calling the 'Nook'.

One of the complaints of Amazon Kindle users is that they can't 'lend' an ebook to their friends, which is allowed with certain books with the Nook.

Another interesting difference is that you can connect to the wifi network inside any of the brick and mortar B&N stores and browse books from the reader just like you would with physical books.

Data Doctors Video on Cnn.com: Tips before upgrading to Windows 7  

Now that Windows 7 is here, you will start hearing more about it from friends and family that got it early, which could motivate you to upgrade yourself.  Before you make any decisions on upgrading, especially from Windows XP, be sure to watch this past segment for some basic guidelines.

Watch the video and help our rankings on CNN.com!  You can watch us live AT OUR NEW TIME every Wednesday afternoon at 2:30PM Pacific, 5:30PM Eastern or watch the archived versions of our segments whenever you want at  CNN.com/video.

Opinion:   Time For Microsoft To Go After Apple--Hard  

CThe successful--so far--introduction of Windows 7 and Apple's snarky advertising response to it has people wondering: Will Microsoft fire back at Apple or just take the abuse?

"It is time to fire back, and hard this time" says David Coursey of PCWorld.com.

Weekly Advice Column: Beware Fake Conficker Alerts! 

The 'scareware' hackers are at it again, with yet another attempt to trick you into installing junk into your computer.  For the specific verbiage and signs to watch for including some tips on sniffing out future fake alerts, checkout this week's advice column!

This Week's Show: The Latest on Green Computing

It's In 2006, the EPA estimated that personal computers consumed 2% of all the electricity in the United States.

3 years later, you can bet that number has gone up, because the number of computers in use has gone up.

If we all made some small adjustments to our computing devices and behaviors, we could collectively safe a substantial amount of power and acres of trees.

Listen in as the Data Doctors put on their Birkenstocks and wrap their arms around a few trees while discussing power saving tips as well as some common misnomers about technology and power.

Join us Saturdays from 12:00PM-2:00PM (Pacific) on News 92.3 KTAR or listen LIVE via the Internet at KTAR.com  as we discuss your computer questions at: 602.277.5827 or ask your questions during (or before) the broadcast using the ask a question page.

Previous Show: Check out all the links from Windows 7; It's really worth considering!

Questions or Comments? Submit them online at datadoctors.com.