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Social Networks and Technology

If you’re unaware of social networks, learn about them today. Some features of social networking sites may include messaging and texting capabilities. Polyamorous lovers use technology, Internet cafes, netbooks and mobile devices like the blackberry smart phone to stay in touch with other relationships. When you notice a significant other constantly looking for hotspots, you may ask why.

It’s a sure sign that something’s amiss when your significant other is permanently bonded to a mobile device or computer.  Although many people work significant hours away from the office, your significant other can’t leave his smart phone at home. He’s constantly checking a certain site and images of his friends. Most of his friends happen to be women. You’re enlightened, this isn’t a problem…. But you’re spending the afternoon together, walking through a lush meadow. What’s he doing?

He’s an attorney, so you aren’t really worried. He’s got to answer messages. He’s got a right to privacy. He can’t talk about clients, even with you. Looking over his shoulder, you see he’s opened another social networking site. Pictures pop onto the small screen.

Sending mobile texts directly from a mobile device to another may cause the device to make a noise or vibrate. Using a social network site avoids this result. When he’s with you, no sounds emanate from the mobile device.

Other concerning behavior clues involve your significant other’s’ creating multiple accounts on social networks. You know about one of his accounts. He posts pictures of his children and dog, and his only friend is you!

If you use email chat programs, you may notice links appearing on your screen that seem unusual. For example, online dating site links keep appearing on your email account. You don’t use online dating services. You don’t send emails about online dating. The person with whom you’re communicating in the chat program uses these sites. If you start to see “Sugar Daddy” or “Cougar” sites, ask how long he’s been concerned about big cats!

 

Filed Under: Technology, Tips Tagged With: , ,

Top 4 Antivirus Programs for Tablet Computers

Image representing McAfee as depicted in Crunc...

Image via CrunchBase

If your tablet computer is able to handle an antivirus program (some OS devices do not apply), you should be on the lookout for quality programs. Just as your laptop or desktop is able to become infected with viruses; your tablet also is a target.

Take a look at your tablet PC to see what options you may have.  Here are four of the top antivirus programs for tablet computers.

  • AVG Free

AVG is a leading provider of antivirus software. This is the same program that you would be able to use on your laptop or desktop. If it is available for your tablet computer, you might want to consider it.

  • McAfee VirusScan Mobile

Another leader in computer protection, this offering from McAfee is made especially for wireless devices. It also offers protection for emails, instant messaging and other useful features. For instance, are your tablet computer’s SMS, MMS, Bluetooth, and other entry points protected? This is a program that will take care of that.

  • AVG Mobilation

Smartphone and tablet users can take advantage of this antivirus program. There is also a dedicated version for Android users. If it applies to your device, it is definitely worth a look.

  • Avast Free Antivirus

Another free program, Avast has become a prime competitor in the world of antivirus software. You will notice that this program is also available for standard computers, as opposed to other antivirus applications specifically for a certain OS (again, some tablets have operating systems which limit these types of programs). This is a great choice if it is available for your tablet.

Filed Under: Security, Technology, Tips Tagged With: , ,

Manage Your Wedding Focus on the Essentials

With luck, you’ll only get married once, and it’s important to make that day as perfect and as memorable as possible. Unfortunately, as with most things which we do only once, it can be hard to manage a wedding and simultaneously cope with the multitude of decision making pressures. No matter your level of multi-tasking excellence, a wedding will tax you to your emotional reserves. This isn’t the ideal scenario to be facing as the pressures of a lifetime union near. All of these pressures make selection of diamonds seem like a piece of cake. And you thought that was a rough time!

Fortunately, there are wedding planning sites such as The Knot and Wedding Wire which were created to help you through this taxing time. With expert advice created by seasoned professionals, your pre-marriage stress can easily be cut by a huge fraction! These pros won’t let you forget any details, large or small. Think you’ve got it all down? Have you remembered to pick out your favorite songs to be played at the reception? Hiring a photographer to document the momentous occasion might be standard, easily remembered fare, but have you remembered to select the small wedding tokens that every guest will receive? Use wedding planning sites to help you get the occasion dialed in properly. Let your wedding experience revolve around diamonds and love.

Not only will sites such as the aforementioned help you to remember it all, they’ll help you to line up the nearest businesses to help you get all the innumerable wedding planning tasks accomplished. You and your partner need not go it alone!

Filed Under: General, Tips Tagged With: , ,

Use Your Computer to Make a Coloring Book

My Coloring Book

Image via Wikipedia

Coloring books that your child makes with you are treasures to keep forever. It’s easy and fun to make yours with a home computer and Internet access. Your child’s natural gifts as an artist and storyteller will blossom.

  • Lifestyle

As a parent, you want to teach your child everything, and you want to make it fun for your child to learn.  Children naturally love to express themselves with color.  Kim, four years old, says “My mom and I made the best color book.  There pictures of me, my sister and our dog.  See?”

This is a great idea, and Kim’s mother explains how make a coloring book that you and your child are going to keep forever.

Carly, Kim’s mother, starts with digital photos of anything she wants for the coloring book.  “Then, I use a program online to convert my photos into images.”  Carly’s favorite is freeware.

The difference between Kim’s favorite coloring book, and others I have seen, is Kim’s creativity.  Her mother records Kim’s storytelling about the pictures.  Then, as Kim learns to write her words, Carly helps Kim make the coloring book into a story.

When printing the coloring book pages, Carly recommends using a textured paper so that your child can use non-toxic markers, paints, crayons, or pencils.  She prefers to bind the pages using a “Big craft needle and heavy threat–we print about 40 or 50 pages, single-sided, then I bind the pages wtih a straight sewing stitch.  The pages bound at a store, but then sometimes it’s difficult to make the coloring book open flat.  It’s just right when I sew it!  No sharp edges, either.”

Another great idea came from Nora, whose daughter, Arial, is “obsessed with My Little Pony. “She can’t get enough ponies.  We make a coloring book by drawing the ponies freehand, copy, and color them with sparkly crayons and paints.  We wrote a story about a pony that speaks another language!”  (The pony, named Elyana, speaks Portuguese, just like Arial’s grandma!)

 

 

 

Filed Under: Computers, Tips Tagged With: , ,

Use Technology To Bake An Incredible Chocolate Cake

A chocolate cake decorated with icing, strawbe...

Image via Wikipedia

Use your computer to learn how to cook. Try new recipes on food networks. Technology makes cooking videos and demonstrations so easy to use. Make a perfect chocolate cake using these suggestions gleaned from the Internet.

Start with a great recipe:  1/4 c. shortening, 1 c. sugar, 1 egg, 3 T. cocoa, 1/4 c. sour milk, 3/4 t. soda, 1 c. flour, 1/2 c boiling water:

1.   Sift the dry ingredients to remove tiny lumps.

2.  Use the finest ingredients. Unless you are going for coarse texture, always use cake flour.  If you are out of cake flour, try using your Vita-Mix by pulsing a few seconds until you have finer than fine flour.

3.   Chocolate. Try fine Belgian chocolate for the best chocolate cake.

4.   Chocolate pudding for incredible moisture.  This is an old but effective idea.

5.   Clarified butter or mayonnaise as shortening. Remove the butter solids first. Some cooks prefer light olive oil. To make fresh mayonnaise, add 2 egg yolks, 3/4 t. salt, 1/4 t. sugar, pinch cayenne pepper, 4-5 t. lemon juice, 1-1/2 c. olive oil.  Adjust liquids.

6.   Sustitute other sweeteners. You can use date sugar or organic date paste, sweet brown rice syrup, all-fruit peach or pear jam, pineapple concentrate, or violet-/rose-infused sugar.  Flower-infused sugars are easy to make.  Your friends will love these tastes.

7.   Use Greek yogurt or plain kefir instead of egg. If you are allergic to eggs, these products are great.  10% milkfat yogurts taste sweeter than sour cream. Use a dollop the size of an egg.  If using kefir, reduce liquid by 2 T.

8.   Instead of sour milk or buttermilk, use light cream or coconut milk, or a combination.

9.   Put your cake into the oven hot; ensure that it cooks properly in the center. If using dark baking pans, adjust temperature down 25 degrees.

10. Soak cake overnight in fine port, cover with almond buttercreme and plum conserve, frost with coats of softened organic chocolate.  Decorate with a single edible gold leaf.

Filed Under: Technology, Tips Tagged With: , ,