There are many times when you want to direct your friends to a good video you have seen, or to send them a link to a web page that you want to share.

Below I will show you how to do this by just following along step-by-step with the instructions below.  If you would prefer to watch it on video, just click below:

Remember that there are more ways than one to do this, and I am showing you a quick and easy way using your mouse.

Get used to using your mouse when you can, and it will save you lots of time in the long run.

Step One

Find the YouTube video (or link) that you want to share.  You could find it in various places, for example in the browser or address bar at the very top of your page, or in a document that you have received from someone.

Step Two

Look at the browser (or title) bar, where you will find the link for the YouTube video, and left click with your mouse to place your cursor behind the link on the line.

Step Three

The line will either a) immediately be highlighted in blue, or b) you should drag your mouse over the link (holding down the left click) to highlight it.

Step Four

Right click your mouse on the highlighted (blue) link and a menu will drop down.
Choose ‘Copy’.
The link will now be saved.

Step Five

Open a new email to your friend and, inside the body of the email, right click.
From the menu that drops down, left click on ‘Paste’.

You will now have the link in the email and you can write a message and send it.

Granny’s note: You will notice that the link may be ‘hyperlinked’ – meaning that it is underlined and ‘live’ and, when clicked, you will be taken straight to the site.
If it is not hyperlinked, your friend will need to highlight it (see Step Three b) above), copy it (see Step Four above), and paste it into the browser (or title) bar.

It’s like you are doing the process back to the beginning again.

Go and practice and soon you will be doing this like a pro – or even like your grandchildren!

Good luck and happy sharing!

You’ve received a letter or an article in the body of an email, and you want to turn it into a separate document.  Then you want to save it without all that extra email clutter – the subject line, the address, the date and so on.

Here’s what you do.  You can watch this as a video demonstration by clicking on the arrow, or follow the steps written below.

Step 1.
Highlight the words that you want to save:

• Left click with your mouse and scroll over the words to highlight them.
You can either scroll from top to bottom, or from bottom to top (people seem to have preferences).

Step 2.
Copy the highlighted part of your email:

Either
• Right click with your mouse, choose ‘copy’ from the menu that pops up, then left click.
Or
• Left click on the ‘copy’ icon at the LH top of the home page (next to the icon of the clipboard).

These words will now be on your Clipboard, but you won’t see them.

Step 3.
Click on the ‘Start’ button and open an MS Word document – you will have a nice clean page ready for your letter or article.

Remember: the words are all waiting on the Clipboard and you now want to move them onto this empty page.

Step 4.
To place your words on your page:

Either
• Hover your cursor over the top of the page and right click your mouse,
• Then left click on ‘paste’ from the pop-up menu,
And your words will appear on your page
Or
• Hover your cursor at the top of the page, and
• Left click on the ‘paste’ icon (it’s a little clipboard) at the top left of your screen,
Your words are there on your page.

Now you can proceed to format your page just the way you want it: choose the size and type of font, space your lines as you wish, add color, highlight … etc.  Make it look as plain or as pretty as you choose.

Next you will click on ‘save as’ to save your document in one of your folders like I showed you here.

Note:  I see that the toolbar does not show up in the video for some reason, so here is an image of what your MS Word toolbar looks like:

Home Toolbar for MS Word

If you think that your computer is getting a bit slow, and you find yourself waiting unnecessarily for programs to come up or pages to change, there are a few processes that you could try to make it respond more quickly.  One of the first thing that comes to mind is that it’s time to defrag your computer.

What in the world is a defrag?

Defrag is short for defragmentation and it simply means to tidy up your files and folders.

After awhile your computer’s hard drive gets cluttered up with disorganized files.  You have a lot of saved files that you might use over and over, to copy, add to, delete, forward, and so on.  Soon the bits and pieces left over from those file activities get scattered around your hard drive making them hard to find.

It’s like making notes on pieces of paper and leaving them all over the house.  It’s much more efficient to have a notebook or a bulletin board in one place, and then you don’t waste time looking for information about the time and location of that appointment that you need to get to sometime this afternoon.

So it is with your computer’s hard drive.

When parts of your files are all over the hard drive it gets more and more difficult for your computer to find and retrieve what you are looking for.  The defrag process will reorder and reorganize the items on your drive … it will simply bring all those bits and pieces of files together and tidy it all up.

Here’s how you do it:

Step 1
Click on the start menu and choose ‘My Computer’ or ‘Computer’ (depending upon your model).

Step 2
Right click on the drive that needs attention (it’s usually the ‘C Drive’).  You will have more than one drive – sometimes two or three – all named with different letters of the alphabet.

Step 3
Click on ‘Properties’ from the drop-down menu and the properties dialogue box will appear on your screen.

Step 4
Click on Tools, choose the ‘Defragmentation’ option and left click on ‘Defragment Now’.

What you see on your screen

If you are using Microsoft XL, a box will show on your screen showing you the capacity of your drives, and the free space that is available to you. The drive that you have chosen to defrag will be highlighted.

Underneath you will see a picture of what looks like two big bar codes with vertical lines and bars in different colors.  The colors refer to the types of files and the white refers to free space on your drive.  You’ll see that the white bars are all over the place.

If you are using Microsoft 7, you won’t see the bars, you will simply see a box called Disk Defragmenter, and the Drive – in this case OS (C:) – will be highlighted and labelled as “Running”.

When it is completed

Your computer may take awhile to compete this defrag task but, once done, in Windows XL, the lower ‘bar code’ will appear with the colours looking more consolidated and the white bars clustered together.  In Windows 7, you will know it is completed because you will get a Defrag Report on your screen.

You should notice a marked difference in the speed of your computer once you have completed this task.

Good luck with the job – follow the steps and you will have no problems.  And if you do, don’t forget to contact Granny below!

Caution: are you up for a chuckle at your own expense?

Warning: *Youngsters* watch out – this may be you some day. 
(*Youngsters – could be anyone under about 70+)

Everywhere you go these days you see people text-messaging with their cell phones.  Well, as they say: “if you can’t beat ‘em … join ‘em!”

First, though, you’ll need to know the Special Texting Codes (STC) – and there are hundreds of them. 
But, don’t worry, you don’t have to memorize them all.  Thanks to my friend Cyndee, I have discovered that we have our own version.

Introducing STCs (Senior Texting Codes).

ATD:                At The Doctor’s
BTW:                Bring The Wheelchair
BYOT:              Bring Your Own Teeth
CBM:                Covered By Medicare
CUATSC:         See You At The Senior Center
FWBB:              Friend With Beta Blockers
FWIW:             Forgot Where I Was
FYI:                  Found Your Insulin
GGPBL:           Gotta Go, Pacemaker Battery Low!
GHA:                Got Heartburn Again
IMHO:             Is My Hearing-Aid On?
LMDO:             Laughing My Dentures Out
LOL:                 Living On Lipitor
LWO:                Lawrence Welk’s On
OMMR:           On My Massage Recliner
ROFL- CGU:  Rolling On The Floor Laughing… And Can’t Get Up
TTYL:              Talk   To You Louder
WAITT:           Who Am I Talking To?

(Courtesy of Somebody’s Internet Forward)

You probably receive lots of circulated emails to pass forward; some are worth reading, but many are not.

If you do decide to forward them, for the sake of confidentiality, ALWAYS remove any ‘from’ addresses and then send to your recipients ‘blind’ (bcc).

No names or email addresses will show up when your message is opened.

You can also send emails ‘bcc’ when you want to send a message to someone, and copy another person, but you don’t want the main recipient to see the ‘copied’ person’s name.

To add the bcc line to all of your outbound emails
• Open a new email message, look along the top of your toolbar click on the ‘Options’ tab.
• Look along the bottom of the toolbar for the column called ‘Fields’.
• Click on ‘Show Bcc’.

To remove all previous recipients from a forwarded email
• Open the email.
• Click on the Message tab up on your email toolbar.
• Click on the ‘Forward’ command.
• Left click your mouse on one name or email address to highlight it.
• Right click on the highlighted email and choose ‘select all’ from the popup menu.
• Delete all highlighted names to clear the line.

To add bcc email addresses on your own forwarded emails
• In the ‘bcc’ line of your new email, add the addresses of those to whom you want to send the email.

You will see the names before you send the email, and your recipients will not.

You never know when a learning moment will come along.  I have said before that I am learning many new things right alongside you – and today was no exception.

Here’s a quick note about a discovery – small but worth mentioning – that I made this afternoon.

In truth, it was pointed out to me by my brother, Mike, while I was shepherding him through his first Skype-encounter.  Yesterday, he bought a brand new PC (his first one was shared) and he was exploring and remembering how it worked.

Communication with FamilyOne of our shared goals is to communicate more now that he is retiring (we live thousands of miles apart), and what better way to do it than through email and Skype.

We were talking on Skype and I was writing to him via Skype Instant Message (IM), but he couldn’t see either my words or the funny emoticons with which I was punctuating my messages.  While they were visible to me, they were invisible to him.

I wasn’t sure if there was something wrong with his set-up, and we were going through everything he could see on each of his Skype screens and commands, when he discovered an icon that allowed him to enlarge or minimize his IM screen.

He had discovered something that I didn’t know.

Here’s how:

• On your call screen – the one that has the green signs that you click to ‘call’ or ‘video call’ your chosen contacts – there is a shallow rectangle right at the bottom of your screen where you can IM them.
• You will see a blue sign over to the right that says ‘Send message’ when you hover your cursor over it.

This screen sometimes appears to be almost hidden from view – and this is why Mike couldn’t see my messages.

• When you hover your cursor over the top frame of this screen, you will see a sign like a wide ═ with arrows above and below it; this allows you to manipulate the size of the IM writing area.
• Simply enlarge the area of your IM by pulling up the top of the frame to make it deeper, and you will have more space to write or read your messages.
• Manipulating your scroll bar on the right hand side of this section of the screen will also change the view of your Instant Messages.

There you have it.  Problem solved and a lesson learned – by me!

This is coming to you from Merida, Mexico and being here made me think that I should mention a few things to remember when you are travelling with your tech stuff.

Now you have this new interest in technology, you may want to take it with you when you go … just as I do.  I never travel without my laptop and a few other tech gadgets such as my iPad, that doubles as an eBook Reader (it weighs less than books), and my iPhone (for posts, emergencies, and keeping in touch if I choose to).

Remember, when you are using your gadgets, to turn off roaming, and to make use of Wi-Fi wherever you can.  I remember before I really understood the high cost of roaming, I came home to a massive phone bill.  Fortunately, my provider took pity on me, and knocked a chunk off the total.  I felt very silly, because I was in a location where I could have taken advantage of Wi-Fi and didn’t – for some unknown reason.

Most hotels have computer ‘Business Areas” that you can use for little or no charge, but if you are like me, you’ll want to have your computer on the plane or in your vehicle, and that way you have all your contact information and even your accesses to Skype and Facebook.

Chargers
Don’t forget your chargers; you’ll need them if you are planning to take along any electronics or other ‘tech toys’.   Before you go, though, check and see if any of the chargers will do double duty.  Though my iPad and iPhone have different cables, the plug parts of the chargers are interchangeable … even little ideas to save on weight, help your overall baggage allowance, and the amount you have to carry around.

Voltage Levels
To avoid taking along several different pieces of equipment, you can get multi-chargers with lots of different connector ends, but check out the voltage first.  Many places in the world provide electricity at different voltage levels, so be sure and find that out before you leave – you may need an adaptor to raise or lower the charge.  For example, Britain and much of Europe uses 240 voltage, whereas most of North America uses 120 voltage.

Remember also, aside from the voltage, the prongs of the plugs are constructed in several different shapes to fit the receptacles – so you’ll need an adaptor for those also.

4 tips for packing for your gadgets

Tip#1: when I pack to go away, I start a couple of days in advance and, as I charge up my gadgets, I put the chargers in a chosen spot in my studio and that way I don’t forget them.

Tip #2: Make a list: if you are a list-maker like me, just write down all the electrical items that you are taking, and then list the correct chargers to go with them.

Tip #3: You can find inexpensive storage pouches for each of your small pieces such as chargers, mouse and so on.  Label each one, choose the pouches for what you are taking, and simply place your pieces inside.  That way you can find them in your luggage when you need them.

Tip#4: Even easier than pouches are zip-lock bags.  You don’t even need to label them – and you can see what you have at a glance.  This type of storage has the advantage of providing protection from damp and sand depending where you are going.

Good luck and happy travels!

When the print on your computer screen is too small to read with comfort, especially on websites, all you need to do is enlarge the type (or enlarge the font) size.

Step #1
Left-click “view” at the top of the page.

Step #2
Move your arrow down to the words ”text size”.

Step #3
A drop-down menu will give you some choices that enable you to change the text size – click on your choice.

The web pages may change in appearance and look different, but you should be able to read the  text more easily.

Granny’s Note: Don’t forget to return to the regular the size when you are finished.

You have almost definitely come across lots of well known friendly (and not so friendly) rivalries. 

They have been carried on throughout history: 

• In sports teams: NY Yankees vs. NY Mets;
• In cities, the north vs. the south: In Alberta, Calgary vs. Edmonton;
• On TV channels: NBC vs. ABC;
• From Medieval England – the historical Wars of the Roses: House of  Lancaster vs. the House of York … nowadays carried on in sports rivalries between the two counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire;
and
• Mac vs. PC (Macintosh vs. Personal Computer).

When it comes to choosing a computer, you will definitely hear strong and passionate arguments for and against these two types of computers. 

For example: “Buy a Mac – I’m a Mac person!” or, “I would advise a PC – I’ve used nothing else for 20 years!”  Users of each are equally as strong in their urging.

When you are thinking about Mac and PC, it’s not just the manufacturers’ names, it’s much more than that.  It’s a matter of two completely different operating systems. 

Operating Systems
The operating system (OS) is like the ‘headquarters’ of your computer and the OS controls every function of your computer.  In effect, the OS ‘tells’ the computer everything that it needs to do. 

Software
All the different programs that you put into your computer to perform certain tasks for you such as write a document, work with photographs, and listen to music – are called the software.  They come ready to go – usually on a CD, sometimes via the Internet, and all you have to do is load them onto your computer.

Hardware
Think of the hardware of your computer as everything that is solid; you can see and touch it and either it is part of your computer or you can add or attach it.  For example: your mouse, keyboard, headset, speakers and so on.  These external pieces of hardware are called peripherals.

So – all computers are comprised of hardware (your computer and peripherals), and software (your programs), and you can’t do anything with either one of them until you have an operating system.

PC (Personal Computer)
You’ve most likely heard of Windows – that is the operating system of a PC.  There are various versions of Windows; the latest (at this writing) is Windows 7.  If your computer is a little older, you may have Windows Vista or Windows XP.  Microsoft – the company that develops and manufactures the Windows programs, regularly comes out with new versions – mainly to keep up with the new technology that is being developed and discovered all the time.

Mac (Macintosh)
Macs are built by the Apple Company.  They run on a totally different operating system, and are mostly known for their graphic capabilities.  That’s why they are often favored by graphic designers.  The very latest Mac operating system is the “Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard” (at the time of writing) and, like that OS name, Macs usually have the more streamlined and eye-catching designs. 

Both Mac and PC have all the same capabilities – it’s just that you need to have the Mac version of the software programs for the Mac computer.

Your Decision
The decision is really one of comfort.  You should choose the system that meets your needs and the one that you like to work with.  For the most part, you’ll probably go with what your family and friends own and what they recommend.

Either way, if you can, try one out first (at a library, or ask your family or friends).  You could go to the store and have the salespeople demonstrate for you … bearing in mind that, while you will find PCs in most general electronics stores, you’ll mostly always find Macs at the Apple Stores – or online.

Good luck in making your choice!

I had a wonderful treat this morning!

I turned on my Blackberry first, as I usually do, and I saw that I had received a couple of videos in my email from my little granddaughter who lives far away from me in Amsterdam.  So I changed my usual routine and even before I got dressed I came to my computer and booted up;  I wanted to watch those videos on a bigger screen before I did anything else.

And guess what!  While I was watching the videos they sent, Skype started beeping  at me.  It was my daughter and granddaughter sitting at the computer over in Holland ready to talk to me, so we had a spontaneous video-Skype call – right there and then.

Not only did I get to see the videos they sent, but I was also able to say goodnight to the little one as she was going off to bed.

My morning started with joy and warm feelings that stayed with me all day long.

Emailing videos
The videos that arrived in my email were taken on a mini video camera called a Flip – a small-size, ultra-easy little video camera (see it here) that fits into your pocket or handbag.
I love my Flip video camera and I take it everywhere I go – because you never know what will turn up.  You may already have a video camera, or a regular digital camera that has video capabilities; you can use any of them to email videos.

Video-Skype
 Skype is a phone program that you use for free computer-to-computer calls, and you can also make low cost calls from your computer to land lines.  Go to www.skype.com and follow the instructions to download the program to your computer.  It’s easy – just try it!

Make your call extra special by adding video, using the video camera on your computer – most laptops now have built-in (onboard) video cameras that are compatible with Skype.  You just press the “Video Call” button instead of the “Call” button.
Or you might use a little webcam that attaches to your computer screen instead – they are readily available.
My desktop computer doesn’t have a built-in webcam so I use an external one.  I will write more about them in another article

Look for other articles on my website about emailing, and receiving and sending special videos.

Make you day start as happily as mine did … Skype-start it!