How many of you take the time to “eject” your USB devices before you remove them? I know some of you didn’t raise your hand. Does it really matter? Yes it does. Why? Because you can end up with corrupt data if you yank a device out while data is still being written to it.
Some devices will have a flashing LED that tells you when data is being written to the device, but many devices do not. And even on devices that have a flashing LED, you can’t always tell when the data writing is complete. If the computer …

Cyber criminals and identity thieves want to steal your personal information to commit fraud. They may try to get a credit card in your name or to access funds in your bank account. On top of directly losing money, your credit status can be damaged and it can take a great deal of time and expense to restore your good name.
And this goes beyond being an issue of personal concern. LAWPRO has seen situations where law firm bank accounts were hacked and where law firm bank account information was used on counterfeit cheques.
There are many different ways to …

Lance Ulanoff did an op-ed post titled “iPad Obliterate: A Tech Tale of Disaster” on Mashable last week. In the post he relates his personal story of how he lost all the data on his iPad.
His post should be required reading for anyone with a mobile device as there are some very important lessons in it. First and foremost – you must backup the data on all your devices. Second, the point that on an iPad or other iOS device, a “Restore” is really a “factory reset” which deletes all data (as it does on most electronic …

Some of us have older iPhones, iPods and iPads which will not run newer versions of iOS. Needless to say, newer version of many apps also won’t run on these older devices. That changed today. Apple now lets you access earlier versions of apps for your older hardware.
This is how it works: Select the app you want. If it is incompatible with the iOS version on your device, a prompt will offer you a earlier compatible version of the app.
Interesting move for Apple as they prepare to release iOS 7, which presumably would leave many devices and apps …

Any program on your computer can be “pinned” to the Taskbar. This makes it visible as an icon on the Taskbar and allows easy access without having to use the Start Menu. To pin a program to the Taskbar, right-click on the program or shortcut to the program and in the menu choose the Pin to Taskbar option. Alternatively you can also drag the icon to the Taskbar.
If you want to remove a pinned program, right-click on the Taskbar icon and click Unpin this program from the Taskbar. Alternatively you can also drag the icon off of the task …

All of us should check our credit report on an annual basis. Not only is this a good idea to cheto to  make sure there are no mistakes on your credit record,   it can also protect you against identity theft. If someone has stolen your identity, the transactions they have completed can tip you off that your identity has been compromised.
You can check your credit report once a year for free.…

Unfortunately, most new computers come preloaded with a tons of junk software you don’t really want or need. These can be trial versions of various programs, including widely used programs, toolbars, utilities, games and other programs you have never heard of (and will probably never use).
And if you have an older computer, odds are there are programs on it that you also don’t want, need or use.
Nice to have a chance to try some of these programs out on a newer computer, but in the long run you just don’t want these extra programs on your machine. Why? …

Most of us have lost a phone at some point, even if only temporarily at home (between the couch cushions or in another room). Always frustrating when that happens, especially if you are rushing out the door or have absolutely no clue where your phone is.
Finally (as of just yesterday) Android users now have what iPhone (Find My iPhone) and Blackberry users (Blackberry Protect) have had for years: an app that will help you find your lost phone, and wipe the data remotely if necessary.
If you lost your phone in the couch cushions or …

There are loads of photo sharing and collection sites on the web. One can spend many hours wondering around looking for great pictures. One site worth a visit is WhereCoolThingsHappen.com. It has collections of photos of “cool” places, stays, art, photos, gadgets, transport, outdoor advertisements, food and architecture. If you need a bit of a break, stop by WhereCoolThingsHappen.com for some great pictures of cool things. It is updated daily and bloggers note – WhereCoolThingsHappen.com encourages other bloggers to use its photos.…

There are loads of music streaming sites on the web. One of the best is Songza.com. It suggests different playlists for the mood you are in and it has playlists for every conceivable music type.
There is a Music Concierge that will give you options like Brand New Music, Working to a Beat, Working (no lyrics), Boosting your Energy, Basking in the Sun, Cooking, Unwinding and many more. There are Popular playlists, including Today’s Pop Hits, Today’s Upbeat Country Hits, Hot 100, Today’s Dance Club hits and so on. You can browse lists by Genre, Activities, Moods, Decades and …