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February 28, 2006
Organizing Your E-Life
Back in the '80s, 5.5-in floppy disks were the most popular portable electronic storage medium. Today, the smaller 3.5-in floppy disk is rapidly losing ground to two other storage media: CDs/DVDs and USB drives (aka "flash," "thumb," or "go" drives). While your basic letter, term paper, or resume will fit nicely on a floppy disk, more and more of our patrons are discovering how vulnerable these disks are. Left on your dashboard or stuffed unprotected into a purse, floppies can easily be damaged. Luckily, technology has progressed, and we have alternatives. Compact disks are available in recordable (CD-R) and rewritable formats (CD-RW). With an average storage capacity of 700 mb, vs 1.44 mb for your average floppy, CDs are the best choice for large text files and photos. If 700 mb doesn't quite meet your needs, consider the new DVD-R and DVD-RW formats, which can store an average of 5 gb worth of print, audio, or video data. Equally handy are the new USB drives. As with most things related to technology, the storage capacity and price of USB drives run in tandem, with a 128-mb drive costing under $13 and an 8-mb drive over $600. If you're interested in shopping for some alternatives to your floppy disk collection, here are some vendors to get you started:
Posted by JudyS at 02:21 PM
February 17, 2006
Spring Has Sprung! Or Almost....
Once again, the Darien Library is welcoming spring with a terrific slate of free technology classes. We've got everything from the basics of Microsoft Word to Intermediate Website Design. So, don't miss out. You have 10 more days to enter our online registration lottery. Just go to our online registration page, type in your library barcode number, and choose a class and time. Sign up for as many classes as you want, but remember, a separate form is required for each class you choose. If you can't find your library card or have any other questions or problems entering the lottery, give me a call at 655-1234 x136. I'll be happy to step you through the process. Once the lottery is completed on February 27 at 9 p.m., I'll be in touch to let you know the results. If you're still a novice at computers, no problem. Give me a call and we'll set up a one-on-one session to get you started. I look forward to hearing from you!
Posted by JudyS at 07:38 PM
February 10, 2006
Alternatives to Google: Try 'Em, You Might Like 'Em
Yes, we all know how wonderful Google is. It's the be-all and end-all of Internet search engines. Or is it? While the major search engines like Google and its close competitor,Yahoo, take up most of the market share for Internet search companies, new, specialized search engine alternatives are popping up. Take, for example, become.com--an Internet shopping search engine. It focuses your search by product type. Or, there's jeteye.com and kaboodle.com, search engines that combine the features of an Internet search engine with a blog, allowing you to surf the web, save your searches, add text, and email results to friends. If you're tired of sifting through long lists of businesses, try merchantcircle.com, a nifty little engine that allows the user to conduct geographically focused searches for businesses in various categories. Why not give one of these new guys a try? Maybe there is life beyond Google!
Posted by JudyS at 06:41 PM
February 03, 2006
The Kama Sutra Worm: Hit or Miss?
See what the experts are saying about this latest computer threat:
Posted by JudyS at 04:47 PM