Are You Using Social Networking to Do Your Marketing?

Many agree that marketing and advertising strategies are changing.  Statistics show that a large number of consumers are now using the internet to do their shopping on-line.  So it is imperative that companies and advertisers, whether large or small, make use of the internet to get their message across to consumers. 

The old methods of advertising by using bill boards, TV ads, Radio spots and magazine articles will soon be ineffective.   More and more companies are utilizing the features of the internet to capture the attention of their customers and potential buyers.

The best way to get your product out to the world happens to be through online marketing techniques.  Today if you are a small company and you can reach your target audience via the internet, you can be nearly as effective as larger companies.  It isn’t necessary to have a large marketing budget to compete in the advertising arena.   The key to advertising and marketing success can be the viral nature of the internet.  Reaching a few target groups via Facebook or Twitter or other social networking sites can increase your audience exponentially via ‘word of mouth’.  There is no better advertisement than having friends spread the word about your product to others through utilization of internet social networking sites and forums. 

Companies can set up online sites, with blogs, newsletters, coupons and offers that will attract consumers to their site, where they will be able to absorb information about the products and in some cases purchase the items on the spot right on the site.   Companies will have to employ innovative and clever new techniques and ideas to attract new buyers and loyal customers.

The old strategies of marketing and advertising are changing and companies need to be in tune to the exploding market that is opening up rapidly on the internet.  They must be ready to adopt new techniques, strategies and approaches to the new way of reaching consumers.  There will be a need to be innovative and in-touch with customers in a more direct manner.  It is happening now on Twitter and Facebook and many other social networking sites, as well as through iTunes App Store and the new exciting Flipboard app.  The mere phrase ‘social networking’ describes the future of not only socializing for friends and family, but for companies and consumers. Tweet

Camera Connectors for iPad

We received the camera connection kit we ordered for the iPad.  The kit consists of two connectors or adapters, one that allows you to connect a camera (via the USB cable that generally comes with your digital camera) and one that allows you to insert a SD card.

The connectors are easy to use and allow the user to transfer selected photos from camera or SD card.   The connector is inserted into the larger connection on the iPad that is below the home button on the iPad.  The 'Photos' app on iPad,  appears on the iPad screen displaying thumbnail views of all the images stored on your SD card or camera.   An option to import all of the pictures by pressing the IMPORT ALL button in the upper right corner is available.  Or you can selectively click on the individual photos you wish to import from the batch.  A blue check mark will indicate which photos you wish to import.   You can also abort the import by pressing the red 'Stop Import' button in the upper right corner.  Once the import is finished, an option to delete the photos from the SD card or camera is given.

The process of importing photos from a SD card or camera is fast.  Import of both jpg and raw photo formats is supported. 

One thing that is pretty cool is the ability to hook one of the connectors to other devices, such as an iPhone allowing you to import photos (just your saved album photos) from your iPhone to your iPad directly via the USB cable that comes with the iPhone.  You can also use this same method to hook two iPads as well and to transfer the saved photos from one iPad to another.

As most persons will be taking their iPads along with them when traveling, I would recommend buying this camera kit to carry along as well.  The iPad can then be used to backup photos from your digital camera while on trips.    However, our current method of saving photos from our digital camera using a 160GB Photo iPod (which also has its own special camera cable), does allow for more storage than our 64 GB iPad.  But in a pinch, the iPad would serve for a good backup as well.

Note:  If you wish to move your imported photos (from camera and other devices) to your Mac, you can connect your iPad using the USB cable to your Mac, click on iPhoto or Image Capture apps to import all the saved and/or imported photos to your Mac.

There is also a program called PhoneView by eCamm http://ecamm.com/ which allows you to copy photos, music, notes, SMS messages, contacts from your iPhone/iPad to your computer for a backup.  I haven't tried this particular product yet, but considering purchasing it.  I have used other products that they offer that interfaced with cameras I used with iChat on my Mac, that worked well.  They offer a demo version of this product and might be worth checking out.

Another product that eCamm offers is PadSync which handles syncing other types of files without using iTunes.  It is available as a demo and may be of interest to those of you that want a quick way to sync files both ways for apps like Keynote, Pages, Numbers, and GoodReader on your iPad. Tweet

Testing the New App Tabs Feature of Firefox 4 Beta 2

This afternoon I noticed that Mozilla had a new version of Firefox available, FF 4 Beta 2.  I like to test new features and retest sites that I use on a regular basis for compatibility with the various browsers that I use.  Since I primarily use FF for my online web purposes and Safari for my mobile devices, I spend a good deal of time testing new updates as they come along.

The feature that caught my attention with the latest Firefox release was the 'new app tabs'.   This is Mozilla's way of giving us some tabs similar to the icons we would normally use within our dock on our Mac.  These small app tabs appear across the top of the browser window and can be dragged and dropped in any order.

To make a website into an app tab:

First Click on the + sign on the upper tab bar or use the 'New Tab' option under the File Menu bar, then use Google search to find the site, type in the site URL or use a previously made bookmark to retrieve the site URL.

The site name will appear in the new tab area, with cursor on this new tab name using right click (PC) or control click (Mac) select 'Make Into App Tab'.  The icon for the website will then be placed next in line along the upper bar to represent that web site. 

This arrangement of icons will allow for easy access and switching for those sites that one visits on a daily basis.  It is also nice to have the text for the icon appear as I mouse over each of these tiny icons, so that I know which tab is representative of which site without having to memorize the correlation of certain tiny icons with my favorite or most frequently used sites.  

 

I did notice, however,  that when I selected New Window, that none of these app tabs were duplicated in the new window.  This is definitely an option that I believe I indeed want if I choose to open a new window. 

Solution:  If one saves the apps tabbed view as one's preferred Startup Homepage, then the tabs will then be available when opening a New Window each time.

If you wish to remove an app tab, that you created, select  the particular app tab and then select 'Close Tab' under the File menu bar.  You can also look at the app tabs in list form, on the very far right-hand side of the tab bar you will see a small black icon.  If you click on that icon, you will see the list of app tabs available.

Well, back to testing to see if this beta version will still work with my favorite sites.  I had some squirrely stuff occur on my Mac while testing this beta version, would suggest others may wish to wait for the final version to come out before using.   I am not sure what happened but it may be that I did not release the control click while selecting the 'Make Into App Tab'.  In any event, my browser continued to zoom as well as my desktop and I was not able to see my dock or menu bar or some of the icons on my desktop.  I had to unplug my computer in order to reboot.

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Reminder to Myself: Hide Notes Setting Hidden

I love the Mac Mail app but sometimes it is hard to find a setting within the app itself.

I like seeing only my incoming emails displayed in my Inbox when viewing mail on my Mac.  But I was syncing notes and such the other day and somehow all my notes were taking over my Inbox.

The place to 'Hide Notes' is hidden in the Accounts setting, under Mailbox Behaviors.  This seems like an odd place for this setting.

Just putting it here in my blog, should I need to find it again. Tweet

The Next Generation of 'Teksting' - Texting Perfect for 6 Year Olds

As my daughter has received her new iPhone 4 to replace her 1st generation iPhone, I suggested letting the 6 year old techy wiz kid use it.  She was a little hesitant, but I see no harm.

You can set up only what apps, contacts, etc that they can use and restrict some of their capabilities and of course, eliminate the actual phone capability.  There are some great logic, chess and fun educational games that they can enjoy.

Since I have decided to join the 'texting' world and am using a free app called 'TextFree Unlimited' to text my daughter, she decided to leave that on the granddaughters iPhone.  She has been 'Teksting' me all morning and it is cute to see someone who has just learned to read, type and text like the best of them.  Her phonetic spelling is amazing and love the fun spellings that she is using.  It is almost like texting with a teenager.

Here is a sample of the conversation this morning: (luckily the TextFree Unlimited App gives us unlimited texting and works great for my needs)

The last series of texts were 'Tektst Me' ... 'Tekst Me!'  .... then the 'Tekst Me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL, she has learned to express her self with the texting already.

Be sure to check out the TextFree Unlimited app http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/textfree-unlimited-send-text/id305925151?mt=8 it allows unlimited texting, others who aren't signed up with the service can text you at the textfree assigned phone number, has some customization, ads are not intrusive.

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What is This Thing They Call Tapping?

Consider the word "tapping" and what it means. As one example, tapping is the noise that is made when a person strikes his or her foot against the ground more than once. Or it is the sound that is made when the tips of fingernails are repeatedly brought to the surface of a table. It is often used to indicate impatience, but can actually result in annoying other people more than anything else and therefore should be performed sparingly. Another definition of tapping is a playing technique that is used with the guitar.

Then there is "tap dancing." This form of dance includes a tapping noise that is made when the dancer wears metal plates on the bottoms of his or her shoes. When these plates hit the floor, they produce a "tapping" sound that brings out the rhythm in the technique. Tap dancers make big use of syncopation, which includes a variety of rhythms that consist of long beats and short beats depending on the song or how the music is written.

There is also such a thing called tapping therapy, which is designed to cure physical and mental problems. Whether it succeeds is open to debate, but it has a following. To perform tapping therapy, the user must "tap" on the body's invisible energy pathways. This therapy says that human bodies contain invisible energy pathways that can be disrupted by life's stresses and anxieties. Some people believe that to achieve "tapping therapy, " it is necessary to say out loud that they accept who they are as a person. At the same time, another requirement is to hit one's meridian points. These are the soft parts of the little finger, crown of the head, around the eyes, beneath the nose (angel's bow), the chin, and beneath the armpit. These actions may seem a bit awkward to perform, and they will probably look very strange to anyone who happens to be watching, but they are the guidelines.

Then there is the oh-so-popular tapping of the beer keg! This is a process that almost anyone who drinks is aware of. Understandably, people these days would prefer not to be sprayed in the face before they take their first swallow of their favorite brew. Here are some simple steps to avoid such an event. Step one. There are so many different varieties of beers out there, one needs to make sure the correct tap is on the beer that is going to be opened. Step two. When ready, put the tap over the seal of the keg. Step three. Carefully push down onto the seal with the tap, breaking the seal to the bear. Step four. While pushing down onto the tap, twist it clock-wise as far as it will go. Once the tap is locked in place, it is ready to pour. Step five. Drink up! And enjoy!

Many people know what an iPhone or an iPod or even the newest design, the iPad, can do. Aside from playing music and keeping contacts and notes in one place, these Apple products can perform millions of different applications. One popular "app" is "Tap Tap Revenge, " which is a game that was created by Nate True. It is a lot like Guitar Hero. It even operates on the same premise, which is hitting the right colors with the music. But unlike Guitar Hero, fingers are used. Another example is "Tap Showdown, " which can be played by as many as three people at once. It involves tapping a button as often as humanly possible in order to outdo the competition. After all, what are sore, aching fingers compared to the knowledge that one is the winner of a repetitive iTunes app?

In conclusion, tapping is just another thing that people can do in their lives. Many people tap every day, whether they realize it or not. It is a surprisingly widespread and common activity.

If you wish to check out the tapping iphone games, go to the site where original tapping games started http://tapulous.com/taptap/. Tweet

iPad Doesn't Play Auto Slideshow Created in iWeb Correctly

Today I decided to view one of my other websites on my iPad.  Specifically my Travel site, where I have displayed a selection of nice photos that my husband has taken on some of our past trips around the world.  Below is the screen as it appears when clicking on one of the pages on the Travel site:  (the photos and audio clip are displayed as they would be when using a browser on my Mac).

I used iWeb to produce the photo pages for this website.  It seems that the iPad isn't handling the same display of the photos while playing the auto slideshow option.   When I click on 'Play Slideshow', an additional window opens (as it does using a regular browser on a Mac).  The difference is that the auto slideshow window displays the photos from the slideshow in a much smaller size than what I would normally see on my Mac using a browser (see below):

It is a shame that the larger screen of the iPad is not utilized in this situation.  Hopefully there will be a fix soon to this resolution problem.  In the meantime, if I just use the manual option for the slideshow I am able to see a larger version of the slides on my iPad as shown below:

I will be looking at other options for this site and possibly redoing it in the future.   Has anyone found a solution to this slideshow problem? Tweet

Redecorating My Blog Page

Just trying out some new formats for my blog page, please stay tuned.  If you have any suggestions for my layout, please let me know here.  Thanks - Granny Joan Tweet

FlipBoard - Magazine Viewing on Your iPad - Hiding Some Articles

I downloaded the Flipboard app and was amazed at the quality and ease of use on my iPad.  It offers the user the ability to customize magazine for reading and viewing articles and photos, from Twitter and Facebook feeds.

You can add your own Twitter and Facebook feeds to the sections, however, as most young up and coming startups, the servers are quite overloaded on this first few days.  I believe that they have stated that they might do an invitation list to alleviate this strain on their servers and control the onslaught of new users for the app.

I have noticed a couple of interesting features that might not be so obvious to the user.  If you are fortunate to add your twitter account and start receiving articles in your newly created magazine, you will notice at the bottom of the page that there is a time line with dots, allowing you to search from latest to previous magazine articles.  At the present time, I haven't been able to go back much further than yesterday on their time line.  This will certainly be nice if their servers can handle the archive in a manner where you can retrieve back articles in your endless magazine stream.

Another thing that I noticed was that I was getting a stream of most of the people I am following on Twitter.  Now, I like to follow and sometimes ignore some others that are basically, what I consider as spam accounts.  I noticed that you can select a 'contributor's name' on a page and then click in the upper corner icon which looks like a square with curved arrow or reply icon.  You can reply to  an  article or photo right from the Flipboard app on your iPad.  You will also notice, a red button labeled 'Hide'.  This will be an important button for hiding those tweeters that you don't want to show up in your Flipboard magazine.  You can also retweet and share via email the article from your customized Flipboard pages.

If you choose to Hide a contributor and wish to change your mind and reinstate their articles, merely click on any contributor in your Flipboard magazine and the option to hide that contributor and a list of thoses you have hidden will appear and you can toggle back to Show. 

I also noticed a thumbs up (like icon), so I am assuming that there will be some sort of favorites rating system for your customization.

Flipboard also has a Facebook, Twitter, website and uses Get Satisfaction Support Board.  I shall enjoy exploring this innovative app and using it on my iPad.

Check out FlipBoard Tweet

Something is Amis in Denmark - NOTE SYNCING iPhone and iPad

Shakespeare once wrote that "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."  I believe this quote best describes the problem I am having with NOTE SYNCING, two different devices (under two different iOS systems) with my Macintosh.

After the last blog about note syncing, I further realized that my new notes that I added in my Mail app on my Mac were not being synced to my iPhone and there also seemed to be a problem going from my iPhone back to the computer consistently. 

My notes in the Mail App on my Mac were residing in a folder called 'On My Mac'.  I also noticed that there was also a folder called 'myname@me.com', which did not contain any notes.   It seems that in order to SYNC NOTES from your mobile me account to your iPhone and iPad, the notes need to reside in the account that correlates to your mobile me account, i.e. 'myname@me.com'.

When I moved the notes from the folder 'On My Mac' to the folder called 'myname@me.com' then the new notes showed up on my iPhone.   This was a change made by Apple in the way they sync NOTES under iOS4 and I assume for the iPhone 4.  Your notes must reside in the folder of the mobile me account on your Mac as well as on your iPhone.

So after testing this, I now have the NOTES SYNCING both ways from my Mac and iPhone (using iOS4.0.1).

I noticed that my iPad is not working to update notes automatically when syncing.  This now makes sense, as the iPad is running on the old 3.2 system and doesn't allow NOTE syncing via air, but is handled via syncing with USB cable hooked to my Mac running iTunes. 

Testing out this theory, I realized that the only NOTES that were synced to my iPad were done one way, and the only notes that came over to my iPad were the ones made on my Mac and not the additional notes that I also had from my iPhone.   The notes that I had written on my iPad, were not synced back to the Mac indicating that this is a one-way communication.   In fact the notes that were on my iPad disappeared.

So I offer a suggestion of backing up any notes that you might have on your Mac, iPad and/or iPhone before trying to figure out the NOTE SYNCING.  It is probably not a good idea to sync iPad notes until the new iOS 4 becomes available.

7/22/2010 - update to this blog post.  After the latest iTunes 9.2.1(4) update, the notes seem to be syncing from my iPad to my Mac computer under 'On My Mac' account.  Tweet

Go to the Mattress - Fixing a Problem with iPhone and iPad - Syncing Notes

I noticed that my iPhone and iPad were not syncing the notes from each other and from my computer.  I use a mobileMe account and normally the syncing of calendars, contacts, and bookmarks work fine.  For some reason the 'Notes' were not syncing.  Again, I thought there must be something wrong with the latest iPhone update that had affected this syncing process.  But I then realized that my iPad was not using this same iOS 4.0.1 and that was not a reasonable assumption.

After carefully reviewing all the settings on my iPhone and iPad to make sure that I had selected the option to allow syncing and also in my system preferences on my Mac, I was still at a loss as to what to do.   There was no obvious settings on my iPad for turning on NOTE SYNCING under the Mail, Contacts, Calendars in the Setting Menu.

 I was able to verify that the NOTES was set to ON using the Settings>Mail> and clicking on my mobile me email account.

Systems Preferences>MobileMe> Sync led me to the place on my Mac to make sure all was setup correctly for syncing.

I decided to "Go to the Mattress" as Tom Hanks said in You Got Mail to Meg Ryan and check my settings within iTunes.  Well, there was a place in the Info Tab, that I had overlooked and it is shown in the screenshot below:  (SOLUTION:  Check the box next to Sync Notes under OTHER, while you have your iPhone and your iPad connected to iTunes and click on APPLY.)

Again, not an update problem but a problem with finding the right items to check.  Hope this helps others to solve their syncing problems with NOTES using mobile Me account and Apple devices.

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Have We Lost the Art of Communication? I Say No!

Once upon a time, communication consisted of talking to one another in person, over the phone, or through letters in the mail. Now almost a century later, communication has drastically changed into something different yet exciting. With sites like Facebook and Myspace, video chatting sites like Skype, and the use of email, people are able to talk to each other in a new kind of fashion. Many people believe that this is a sign that we are losing our communication skills, but I tend to disagree with them.

Social Networking sites, video chatting sites, and emailing opens up a new way of talking to people. The art of being able to send a message, pictures, or even videos in a matter of seconds gives everyone the ability to keep in touch with friends who might be down the street or even oceans apart. Even though this may not mean communicating in person - you still learn valuable social skills. You have complete control of who you can and cannot talk to, the ability to make new friends, and the ability to find long-lost friends. Whether it be a high school sweetheart or your college roommate, the internet opens up a barrier for people to find their buddies that may have been lost in the sands of time.

Another concept that people believe is dying a slow and painful death, is the art of hand-writing personal letters. I believe that this is not completely lost, but has grown into something completely new. Letters may not all be hand written nowadays. With programs like Word, you still learn how to format letters, and write clear and coherent sentences. Even writing emails and instant messaging on Facebook can teach you these valuable lessons. Texting terms like 'LOL' or 'BRB' may not be proper grammar, but each generation has had their own ways of communicating with their friends and this does not pose a threat to communication.

So should we be worried that communication skills are dying in this generation? I believe not. They have just grown and evolved into something everyone can use and enjoy to this day. We shouldn't be worried about this, but instead be excited for what the future of communication holds in store for us. Over the past century we have gone to writing letters by hand that can take weeks for the receipient to receive, to the wonders of the world wide web, where messages reach their destination in a matter of mere seconds. Every generation has learned to communicate in a totally different way, and even though this particular generation may be communicating through small screens sitting on a desk or on a cell phone, does not mean we have lost the art of communication. It is just growing into something bigger and better for the rest of humanity. Who knows what the future has in store for communication next? Maybe 'Star Wars' like holograms that can be sent or even the use of teleporters. This may sound a bit too science fiction, but who knows? I, myself, can't wait to see what will happen in the coming years. Tweet

I Love Apple and I Love Steve Jobs

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Forget This Device BlueTooth Problem Solved

After updating to the IOS 4.0.1 System for my iPhone 3GS, I noticed that I could no longer pair my iPhone with my Apple Wireless Keyboard as before the update. My husband has the same configuration, except he is still using iOS 4 without the latest 4.0.1 beta update installed. He was able to connect to the keyboard with his iPhone without a problem.

I had been using my bluetooth settings to try to connect to Ping Pong Battle to demo to my son this past weekend, and was having problems. I also remember vaguely seeing the words 'Apple Wireless Keyboard' not connected when I tried to turn on bluetooth and thought that might be causing a problem with my connection to the ping pong app, so being the brave techie that I am, I selected FORGET THIS DEVICE.

As I researched online about how to now REMEMBER MY DEVICE, I saw advice about resetting all under settings>general> on iPhone. Tried that. Didn't help. Saw suggestion to take batteries out of bluetooth device such as headset or in car. That didnt work either.

Found Apple article about making your wireless keyboard discoverable. http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1936

By holding down the button on side of wireless keyboard and the eject key the green light started blinking. The keyboard was in discoverable mode and I was able to connect it to my iPhone.

Like magic what I thought was a bug in the new IOS 4.0.1 update was merely something I had done. Not at all Apple's fault, but mine.

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New Mac Logic Board Obstacles Addressed

I had to take my Mac to the local Mac Life store.  My logic board was not functioning and had to be replaced.  This item could have cost me as much as $1000, but was still covered under the Apple Care Protection.  It has been money well spent, as I have replaced my graphics card, mouse and now the logic board. 

When a new logic board is installed in an old machine, the identification number for the machine is changed and iTunes and Mobile Me services have to be authorized as if the old machine (with the new logic board) is now a brand new machine.

Since I had not exceeded the limit of 5 authorizations for my iTunes songs yet, I merely added this new machine as an authorized machine so that it could play tunes and app purchased.  iTunes popped up with a reminder that this was necessary when changing to a new machine or to an old machine treated as a new machine due to the replacement of the logic board.

Apple has a nice support article in their database at the following link, if you would like to review the rules, options and means to authorize and deauthorize iTunes management for your computers.   Authorizing and Deauthorizing iTunes Store

I also noticed that my iPhone did not appear to be syncing.  When I tried syncing manually by using the 'Sync' tab from the 'Systems Preferences', under 'MobileMe', I was confronted with a message saying that I was trying to sync using a new machine with the same name as the old machine.  There were two options and I choose to just use this 'new machine' with the 'old name' and to sync info.

It all seemed to go well, but later I noticed that some contacts in my address book on my iPhone had duplicates.  Not all, just some, mainly my contact info was listed 8 times, a couple other contacts had 2 or 3 repeats.  The Mac to MobileMe sync was fine, but my iPhone was definitely messed up.

First I tried just deleting the duplicate contacts in my iPhone address book and that seemed to be ok, until I synced again and they reappeared.

Solution:  Using your iPhone, click on Settings, Mail, Contacts, Calendars for your MobileMe account and turn Contact Syncing OFF.

Select 'Delete from My iPhone'

If you go to your Contact List or Address Book on your iPhone, you will see an empty list.

Turn the Contacts back ON.  Give it a minute to sync and your contacts and groups should be restored to your iPhone correctly.

If you do not have your syncing set on your computer to 'auto-syncing' you can pull up, System Preferences on your Mac and click on 'Mobile Me' (under Internet and Wireless).

Make sure you have selected the items you wish to sync:  contacts, calendars, bookmarks, etc.  Click on Sync Now.

This worked great for me and am happy to see my corrected contact list revived. Tweet

The New "Social Security" - Do we really have less privacy today than we did in earlier times?

In today's world, people are incredibly concerned about privacy and, particularly, privacy of personal information. Ironically, it is also more common these days for people to post their personal information on the internet via social media and social networking sites. Many people fear that this rise in the use of social media and social networking has translated to less privacy than in the years before the rise of the internet; however, in the past, personal information was regularly posted in newspapers and phonebooks without the benefit of the personal privacy controls offered by most websites.

Although it might seem that privacy has become a problem these days, it is actually no more a problem than it was in the past. When people post their personal information on most social networking websites, they have the option of personally choosing who views that information. Most websites offer extensive privacy controls that are simple to use and are extremely beneficial for protecting personal information. One can be extremely specific about who can view what information and, of course, people can choose to withhold information that they don't want anyone to see. It is up to each individual person what information they would like to share and with whom they would like to share it.

Before the rise of the internet, personal information was routinely shared in phonebooks, newspapers and public records. Much of the information that people fear sharing online today, including addresses and telephone numbers, was, and likely still is, accessible in paper format. Phonebooks include a great deal of information that people are loathe to share on the internet in a format that is readily accessible to a wide variety of people. Additionally, newspapers have routinely included personal information, including full names, ages, and addresses, among other things, in various articles and announcements, including engagement, marriage, birth and death announcements. Typically, people wouldn't think twice about including this sort of information in announcements submitted to a newspaper, but are extremely concerned about putting this information on the internet. Also, public records contain a great deal of personal information that is easily accessed by a variety of people.

While many people have become more concerned about privacy and sharing their personal information with the rise of the internet and social networking, the truth is that privacy is no more a problem than it was in the past. In fact, people may even have more control over their own privacy now. First of all, people have the ability to pick and choose what information they provide to social networking sites and can even choose to completely avoid these sites altogether. Additionally, people can make use of the extensive privacy controls offered by most major social media websites to regulate what information is accessible and what information is not accessible. In the past, in deciding whether to share your address and phone number, you could either put it into the public phone book or keep it entirely private. Nowadays, you can provide it only to friends and family, if you so choose, by making it visible on a social networking website to only a certain group of people. This advancement actually further protects privacy, rather than violating it. Contrary to popular belief, personal privacy is no more an issue now than it was in the past as long as individuals are smart and conscientious about the information they share online. Tweet

Why Do Teens and Adults Use Texting?

Have you ever wondered WHY do teens and adults use texting? WHY is texting more popular than the old email or phone call methods of communication?

Texting has become increasingly popular because it is an easy way to casually communicate and convey information. It has been replacing some more traditional methods of communication because of its convenience and reliability. It can also be a lot of fun.

Many people believe it is less of an imposition to receive a text than a regular phone call. When one receives a text, he can look at it when he gets around to it. He feels much less social pressure to respond right away, or even at all.

If a person only has a small bit of specific information to communicate, texting might just be the most effective tool. Phone numbers, names and addresses, and directions can be sent quickly and accurately.The sender can be confident that the message arrived exactly how it was sent. Over the phone, numbers can be heard or written down incorrectly, or forgotten completely. A text is there in a tangible form long after it was sent..

Texts have many things in common with e-mail, but the recipient isn't always around to get it. E-mails can go for days and weeks without being read, or even caught by spam filters and never seen at all. A SMS message will be sent directly to the person the sender is trying to reach.

Computers can also be used to utilize text messaging in ways that they have a hard time doing over the phone. Computers can automate the sending of various content like emergency alerts, news, pictures, songs, directions and other information.

Computers can also receive text messages in a format they can easily process. This allows people to send messages to automated services and instantly update web sites, get information about bank accounts, make purchases, pay bills, get information services, and more.

There is a social aspect to texting, too. Text messages have their own slang, jargon, and ways of getting the message across. When a person use these tools effectively, she announces that she is part of the texting class. Most people haven't stopped to think about it, but there is a very real drive in all of us to broadcast this information.

Texting is often an excuse to pull out one's latest toy and let one's friends and co-workers gawk and envy them. It's easy to strike up a conversation about one's phone when somebody comments on it. And chances are, a new phone will be one of a person's favorite subjects.

Texting can also be used to send jokes, pictures and videos to one's friends. Texts often manage to make their way through an entire social circle one person at a time. People have a lot of fun doing this, and it brings "viral" qualities to the SMS format.

There is no one reason why everyone is sending texts these days. It's a matter of convenience, efficiency, social considerations, and sometimes just plain fun. Regular phone conversations and e-mail won't be going anywhere any time soon, but texting is definitely here to stay. It may soon become more common than either, having advantages over both.

Sent from my iPad Tweet

My Mac Pro has fallen ill

My Mac Pro fizzled out yesterday. My husband and I tried everything to revive her, but did not have any luck. We have identical machines, so it makes it nice when something goes wrong we can swap components and test on the other's machine.

Since the Mac Pro has four bays for hard drive, my husband was able to take out my main hard drive drop it into his machine in the 3rd bay and I was able to remove any confidential financial data from the hard drive and backup my most important data. I also removed my 2nd hard drive as it wasn't necessary to leave in the computer for diagnostics by the Apple Service Center here in town.

I am feeling sure that there is a problem with the motherboard, either a processing unit or memory. Hopefully, they will call today and let me know that my Mac will survive to live another year or so.

In the meantime, I am fortunate to have an iPhone and iPad to use to surf the internet and check email. I am also taking this opportunity to type this blog on my iPad using Safari Browser and Blogger site and my bluetooth keyboard. It is certainly handy to have this bluetooth keyboard that my husband got for me. Oh, while at the Mac Life store (since we don't have an Apple store in our town), he finally purchased an iPad.

Now my next thing to try is to somehow link a URL of a photo to this blog. Or, possibly there is a means to upload via my iPhone or iPad. Will have to check out the method to do this. If this works it will be nice to update my blogs while traveling and using my iPad.

Also, wanted to wish all a safe and great 4th of July Weekend. Enjoy!

PS. Looks like the Safari browser on the iPad supports entering text for a blog as well as editing that blog, via the 'HTML' method. I believe that I can post a link as well to any photos. Tweet