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Have Your Computer Read Emails or Documents To You

If you have Office 2010, you can, with a few clicks, add a ‘Talk’ command to either Outlook or Word. Here’s how:

From Outlook 2010, click on the little dropdown. This dropdown allows you to customize your Quick Access Toolbar. Select ‘More Commands’.

 

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Next, you’ll see a huge list of options available. First, click the dropdown and change the commands to ‘All Commands’. Then scroll down the list (they are alphabetical), and find ‘Speak’, highlight it and click the ‘Add’ button. You’ll see that it’s been moved over to your Quick Access Toolbar. Then click ‘OK’. Now it’s been added to your Quick Access Toolbar.

 

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Now, let’s try it out. Open up an email and highlight all the text you want to be read. After it’s highlighted, go up to your Quick Access Toolbar (it’s in the upper left). There’s a little icon (circled) that represents the ‘Speak’ command. Click it and a voice will start reading to you. My voice was a woman’s voice and surprisingly, she read pretty quickly. If you don’t like the voice or speed, you can change it by going to Control Panel>Speech Recognition, select Text to Speech option and make your changes.

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Why would I want to use this? It’s a cool little feature—perhaps I’d use it if I had a long document that I wanted to read, but it wouldn’t take a lot of concentration. So I could put all my text into an email or Word document and have it read while I was doing something else. Perhaps your eyes are tired and you want to give them a rest, this could be a handy feature to invoke.

Categories Microsoft
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
May 16, 2012

Update Your Adobe Flash Automatically

Adobe products have been getting a bad rap (deservedly so), because of all the security flaws being exploited by the bad guys in many of their products.

Today, we want to let you know that you can set your Adobe Flash player to update automatically in the background (like Chrome & Firefox does). That way, updates will be installed and you won’t have to be delayed  by having to go through the prompts and installing it yourself.

Settings to Update Adobe Flash Automatically

Go to your Start>Control Panel>Adobe Flash Player. I found it was easy to find the Flash Player icon when I switched my Control Panel view to ‘Large Icons’.

adobe flash in control panel

Next, click to open Flash Player

adobe flash selections

Click on the ‘Advanced’ tab and you’ll want to first click the ‘Change Update Settings’ button. You’ll then get a prompt that pops up that asks you if you want to make changes. Say ‘Yes’ and follow the prompts to choose the radio button to install updates automatically. Then close out and you’re finished. No more annoying interruptions – and your computer will be more secure too.

Categories Computer Security
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
May 8, 2012

Configure Yahoo Messenger to Keep Out Spammers

We’ve found that quite a few of our smaller businesses use Yahoo Messenger to communicate with each other during their business days. They can quickly get information while on the phone or instantly send a file or photo that might be needed for a project.

A common complaint has been a number of unwanted ‘invitations to connect’ from people outside the company and outside their acquaintance. It’s both annoying and time consuming to manage and block these people. So we did a little investigating and found that if you (either a business or a small group of friends), want a closed Yahoo IM community, it can be done and here are the steps:

From your open Yahoo Messenger client (program):

Go to messenger>preferences>ignore list

yahoo messenger

 

 

 

Click the radio button to ignore anyone who is not in your contacts – that’s it! Now you won’t be annoyed with spammy invitations to connect.

yahoo messenger ignore settings

Privacy Options Available

yahoo messenger privacy options

While you’re configuring your ignore list, take a look at the privacy options available to you. You might want to keep private the music you’re listening to, games you might be playing or letting Yahoo know when you visit specific websites.

IM clients/programs can help or hinder getting work done. We thought presenting these options to you will give you more control with your work day.

Categories Web Tools
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
May 4, 2012

Firefox Browser-Ver. 12

If you’re a Firefox user, perhaps you’ve noticed over the last 3-6 months that the version numbers have been increasing rapidly. Rumor has it they’ve been fast tracking updates to get their version number higher or closer to Google Chrome’s versions. Whether that’s true or not, Mozilla has released Version 12 of Firefox.

Features in Firefox version 12

  • User Account Control pop-ups are less frequent in Windows (when installing Firefox)
  • Subsequent updates/upgrades will be done automatically when you restart your browser (Google Chrome already does this)
  • Security fixes
  • Updated web developer tools

The best thing will be the new way Firefox updates. Now it’ll download and install the updates in the background – no more having to do the download, install and reboot on our own. They say new installs still require a restart of the browser but it’ll be so quick, we’ll hardly notice it. We’ll see.

If you use Web Developer tools, it looks like they’ve done some catching up to the tools offered by Google’s Chrome browser.

Firefox has cool add-ins (like apps or plug-ins) and themes – take a few minutes to try some out and customize your browser’s look and feel.

Check & Update your Plugins

This isn’t a new a feature, but one I wanted to mention – Firefox has a plugin updater that is very handy. Click on the image to be taken to the page where Firefox will run a check for you on all your installed plugins and they’ll let you know if one needs updating. If it does, simply click the link and get it done quickly. My plugins are up to date (green means good). It’s important to update plugins because malware is written to run in software with known security problems.

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Click on image to be taken to Mozilla's Plugin Update Tool

 

Categories Computer Security, Web Tools
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
May 1, 2012

Update on Mac Flashback Virus

If you’re a Mac user running OS X, then this applies to you. More information came out on both detecting and removing the Mac Flashback Virus since I wrote last week’s article.

Kaspersky Website

Kaspersky set up a website at http://flashbackcheck.com in order to check your Mac for this malware. You’ll just need to cut and paste your Mac’s UUID (the unique number assigned to your Mac. They tell you where it is), and the tool instantly informs you if you’re infected or not. If you are, then you’ll be presented with a way to remove it. When I tested my Mac, it came back clean and green.

Apple Removal Tool Download

Apple has also provided a tool that needs to be downloaded and installed. It’s only for Macs running OS X without Java installed. You can get it here.

Use these tools to check your Mac and clean your system, if necessary.

 

 

kaspersky flashback virus result

Categories Computer Security, Web Tools
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
April 24, 2012

Get Mac Anti-virus Software

Do you have an Apple computer? If you’re a huge Mac fan, you’ve probably reveled in the fact that you’ve never had to worry about viruses. Those days are gone. Here’s an article from Naked Security that runs down the surprisingly long history of Mac viruses/malware through 2011.apple computer

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/10/03/mac-malware-history/

Now it’s 2012 and unfortunately, Apple ignored for three months the ‘Mac flashback’ virus that has infected approximately 600,000 machines. There is a patch out, so make sure if you’re running Mac OS X (Snow Leopard), you check for patches and get them installed.

Do I Have Mac Flashback Virus?

Mashable has created a script to run on your machine to see if you have the virus. They say that getting rid of it is a bit tricky, but they provide instructions for that as well.

Two Things To Do

1.  Turn on your firewall. Mac firewalls are turned off by default (hopefully, they’ll change this). To turn on the firewall in OS X, go to System Preferences>>Security & Privacy.

2. Download and Install Mac Anti-virus software.

Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac Home Edition – Sophos has a corporate paid version of this software and has for some time. They’ve made a consumer version available for free that they say is easy to use and doesn’t bog down your system. I believe they’ve recently updated it so scans can be run on a schedule and other features that catches it up to Windows antivirus products.

Avira Free Antivirus – Avira is one of the top-rated antivirus programs. Its detection and removal engine matches or beats most paid programs. You can try the free version and upgrade to the paid later on, if you wish.

ESET has a Mac  anti-virus program for $40/year. They typically have good products. Norton is another one providing Mac anti-virus support.

If you have a Mac, either at home or at work, it’s time to install antivirus protection.

Categories Computer Security
Comments (5)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
April 19, 2012

Windows 7 Desktop Themes

With Microsoft Windows 7, there was a huge leap forward in desktop wallpaper beauty. Remember the old Windows XP days when you had the grass covered hill with the blue sky. If you wanted anything else, you had to use one of your own pictures.

Enter Microsoft Windows 7 and the greatly expanded choices for desktop themes or backgrounds. You have a wide variety of choices from nature, cartoons, games, movies, automotive, holidays, well you name it.

There may be other safe sites to get your themes, but I choose to download mine from Microsoft. Other sites have free wallpapers too, but usually there’s a lot of advertising cruft and deceptive arrows that try to get you to download other programs – not what you wanted.

windows 7 themes

There are themes and desktop backgrounds. Themes include a series of photos and a desktop background is one photo that is static.

It’s easy to find, download and install a theme. Visit the link above and browse through the offerings – they are all free, so download several. When you click the download button, you’ll see the familiar download screen. Make sure you choose to open it so you can take a look at your theme photos right away.

microsoft windows 7 themes download screenwindows 7 sounds

Along with new visuals, you’ll also be able to hear coordinating sounds. For the Green-themed download, it’s paired up with garden sounds. You can click on the word, ‘Garden’ and test out the new sounds or select a new sound theme.

You can choose how long you want an image to be on your screen before it changes. The default time is 15”, just click on ‘Desktop Background’ on the screen where your download appears from within your Control Panel, and you’ll be taken to where you can set the timing, picture position and if you want the photos to be shuffled or not.

windows 7 picture position screen

When you get tired of one theme, just go back to your control panel or go to the theme area on-line and try out some others.

Of course you can use your own photos or artwork – it’s up to you.

Categories Microsoft
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
April 11, 2012

New in Microsoft SkyDrive

Microsoft has been quietly making SkyDrive easier to use. If you have a Windows Live ID, then you automatically get 25GB of free storage courtesy of Microsoft. If you don’t have a backup system on your computer, this is perfect for backing up your important documents and pictures. In addition to back-up, you can easily share documents, photos and videos with anyone or publish anything to your social media circles or on your website.

To get to your SkyDrive, simply sign in using your Live ID – go to http://skydrive.com and sign in. You’ll instantly be in the SkyDrive section of your account.

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What You Can Do with/in SkyDrive

  • Share one document or many – share a folder with anyone via email, or simply click the ‘get a link’ and send the email from your email client. Just right click on the document or folder you want to share and select ‘share’. You’ll see the box below pop up:

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  • A big enhancement Microsoft made is the ability to let people view what you’re sharing without having to sign in or set up a Live Account.
  • Note that you can choose to share a picture or document on LinkedIn, Facebook or MySpace.
  • Another new feature is the ability to embed a document or picture into a blog/website. Just click on ‘embed’ when you right-click. It’ll generate the code you need and then you can copy & paste. That’s pretty cool.

 

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You’ll save time and bandwidth by sharing documents, folders and pictures this way. No more having to download a bunch of pictures to your computer and then opening up your picture viewer. You’ll instantly be taken to the owner’s SkyDrive where they can view and choose to download what you’ve shared with them. Easy, convenient and fast.

SkyDrive vs. Dropbox

I like SkyDrive because of the 25GB roomy storage, the eye-pleasing graphical interface and it’s actually easier to share on SkyDrive than with Dropbox. I like Dropbox because it’s easier to save documents to my Dropbox and retrieve them from my multiple computers. They both have a place in my digital life.

If you have time, here’s a 3″ video from Doug, the Office Casual Guy that explains and shows what I’ve written.

Categories Microsoft
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
April 5, 2012

In God We Trust, All Others We Virus Scan!

This topic was presented March 15, 2012 to a Great Plains Software User Group in Oklahoma City. Here we want to recap and also provide attendees and anyone else, access to the documents listed below. You can open and print them from your browser (you will need Adobe Reader), or download them to your computer. They are freely available from Microsoft too, but we’ve put them here for easy access.

 3 Simple Things for Computer Defense

  1. Install all updates
  2. Log off when you leave your desk
  3. Lock up your laptop when you leave work

Protect Sensitive Data

  1. Think before you enter sensitive data (am I in the right place, is this site secure?)
  2. Be suspicious of attachments and links (keep in mind: If you click, you catch)
  3. Look out for scams and fraud
  4. Create strong passwords

Protect Devices on the Go

  1. Do they have the latest protection?
  2. Guard devices like you do your wallet or purse
  3. Use caution of using a thumb drive in another computer

Signs of an Infected Computer

Sometimes your computer can become infected but you might not realize it right away. Watch for these warning signs: computer runs very slowly, you click a link on the internet and it takes you somewhere else, your computer crashes or shuts down, you notice strange icons on your desktop.

If you notice any of these things, call your IT person!

Below are the links to the documents for download. Thanks to Microsoft for most of this content and the downloads.

Internet Safety at Work Presentation-Tim   (the presentation Tim gave at the 3-15-12 Great Plains User’s Group)

Defend Your Computer

Protecting Your Information on the Go

Top Tips for Internet Safety at Work

 

Categories Computer Security, Facebook
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
March 15, 2012

Nasty Virus? Try Windows Defender Offline Tool

We pick up and remove viruses from our clients’ computers about 3 times a week. Even with up to date virus protection installed, if someone goes to an infected site, or gets ‘phished’ into clicking a bad link, bInternet securityad things happen.

Sometimes we can’t get control of a computer upon bootup because the virus has control. When this occurs, we need to boot the machine up with a CD or USB drive. Today, we’re focusing on Microsoft’s Offline Tool called Defender (in beta). Here’s how to use the software:

  1. 1. Download Windows Defender Offline Beta and create a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive. (I’d use a USB drive because a fresh download of Defender is necessary in order to get the latest definitions and updates from Microsoft).
  2. Restart your PC – during the reboot process, your PC will most likely try to read from your CD drive – if not, you’ll need to hold down the F8 or F12 to choose to boot from your CD drive.
  3. Let Defender scan your PC for any malicious software.
  4. Follow instructions to remove any viruses, trojans, etc.

You will need at least 250MB of free space for the download. Here’s the link to get it and for an FAQ.

Categories Microsoft
Comments (0)
Posted by: Tim Smith/Lynn Dye
February 15, 2012
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