The Problem:
It’s a new year and with it comes new hope. With this in mind, I would like to take a step away from the usual doom and gloom of computer security and instead focus on the promise and excitement technology offers us.
Before I go any further, though, let’s underscore one of the most fundamental prerequisites when learning something new: have fun with it. Don’t worry too much about breaking something by ‘clicking here’ or ‘doing that.’ In the spirit of true discovery, just do it! You can cleanup later…
The Fix:
For the not-so-techno-savvy, one of your resolutions should include opening a Gmail account. Gmail is Google’s version of internet-based mail. Like Hotmail or Yahoo, Gmail accounts are free and easy to use. It takes less than 3 minutes to get started. With Gmail, though, you’ll discover some user-friendly features. For example, Gmail groups your emails by conversation. This means if you and I are sending emails back and forth, all those emails appear together, making it easier to see previous correspondence without having to ferret through your Sent and Inbox folders. Try it: www.Gmail.com. You will not be disappointed.
If you haven’t had a chance to play with Google Earth, find an hour this weekend and download it: www.Earth.Google.com. It’s fun and free. With Google Earth, you can explore the planet via satellite imagery. For example, want to see your home from a bird’s eye view? How about your birthplace? Just enter the address into Google Earth and the software will zoom you there. It’s great.
Not to spend too much time on a single company, but Google is delivering some neat products and services. Make some time this year for YouTube (owned by Google.) I’m sure you’ve heard about YouTube, maybe even watched a few videos. But did you post anything? Learn how easy it is to post and distribute your video online. Your digital still camera probably offers some kind of video capture. No need to invest in a new video camera. If only my TV programs were as viewer-driven as YouTube…
While we’re on the topic of free, let’s touch briefly on piracy. It’s a legitimate legal issue and carries ethical concerns. I don’t think anyone should take it lightly. From a computing standpoint, though, it’s almost impossible to eliminate. There’s always going to be someone with a server someone in the world disseminating pirated material. Not familiar with any of those sites? Poke around this one: www.PirateBay.com. I suggest looking at the site to get a feel for how peer-to-peer networks operate and why licensing and piracy is such a big issue. I am not suggesting you actually use it.
If you’re interested in something free, checkout these sites: www.Songza.com and www.Pandora.com. Both offer interesting ways of letting you play the music you want to hear. Both are free AND legal.
Enjoy!
James Kerr is Chief Geek @ SuperGeeks. You can reach him at 808.942.0773 and www.SuperGeeks.net.
