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Use Google Voice To Save On Your Cell Phone Bill!

I keep checking and it seems that Google Voice is still only available to the Grandcentral users from when they were open to Beta users way back when!  I wonder how long they’ll stay closed.  Well, for you lucky ones (and those planning on signing up is ever it is open), check out this trick to help save on your cell phone bill!

First off, you have to have one of those plans where you can add numbers you use often to your “friends and family” network or whatever your service calls it.  Then you add your Google Voice number on to your list. Now you can call your Google Voice number without using minutes up.   There are two reasons for this:

1. You can check Google Voice messages with your cell without using cell phone minutes
2. You can make calls out using Google Voice (so your Google Voice number shows up on caller ID) without using cell phone minutes

Right now, all calls within the United States are free through Google Voice.  All you have to do is call your Google Voice number from your cell (which is hopefully attached to your Google Voice account), punch in your four digit code and hit option two in oder to make a call out.  Every time you do this, the call will be free PLUS you won’t use up any cell phone minutes!

Neat, huh?  Claps for Google once again!

Firefox Friday – Introduction To Themes

Friday is here to welcome another Firefox Friday.

Join us as we take this opportunity to explore another facet of Firefox.

Today I want to introduce you to Firefox Themes.  Firefox has something similar to extensions that actually change the look ot the browser.  You can browse all kinds of looks and even download and install several of them and switch between them.  In this post I would like to walk you through the process of browsing for a theme, downloading it, and ultimately installing and enabling it.

First, hit up mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/personal and drag your mouse over the “Add-ons” button and click on the “Themes” button on the dropdown list:

Explore the page a bit and find a theme you’d like to try out:

When you find the theme you want to try, click on the “add to Firefox” button.

You may or may not be faced with a few words to read and accept.  Once you read them, click the “accept and install” button:

When given the option, click the “install now” button:

Then click the “restart Firefox” button:

Once Firefox restarts, the new theme should be enabled automatically.  If you want to change between themes, click Tools, Add-ons, Themes, and enable the one you want:

All in all, this job is pretty easy and fun.  I’m still looking for the theme that tickles my fancy so if you find one that is really cool, let me know and I’ll check it out!

What’s your favorite Firefox theme?

Firefox Friday – Helping Mozilla – Post 3 – Wear a T-Shirt

Firefox Friday is once again in full swing!

Today I would like to share another way we can show our support for the good people at Mozilla and Firefox:  wear a t-shirt!

And I obviously don’t mean just any old t-shirt!  If you poke around Mozilla’s websites long enough, you’ll find out that they have SEVERAL t-shirts up for sale on Zazzle!

In what way can a t-shirt help Mozilla?

I can think of several ways that a t-shirt can help Mozilla:

1. Wearing a shirt with their logo or a quip about them can help spread the word about them.
2. Buying a shirt from them helps them financially!  In order to keep developing, they need money and what better way is there?
3. Buying, wearing and commenting on designs helps encourage them that they have fans and that they are involved!  It’s good to know people are thinking about you and appreciate what you do!

Here is a sampling of some of the t-shirts I kind of like:

There you have it!  Yet another way to help support Mozilla and our beloved Firefox!

Make Your Own Custom Google Maps Quickly And Easily With Scribble Maps

Who doesn’t love Google Maps? I’ve been using Google Maps for searching for local businesses or addresses, to map out driving instructions, and even looking up people’s phone numbers and have been loving it every step of the way!

Today I want to introduce you to a site I came across and from which I have not yet fully harnessed all of its possibilities. Check out with me Scribble Maps!  The front page does a good job describing what it is it offers:  the ability to use Google Maps to make custom maps… rapidly!

I am planning on trying the custom images/overlay abilities. I’m wondering if this could be a way to create better hiking maps so I am going to attempt to overlay some less-detailed trail maps and add the details that Google Maps offers.

Here is the menu options (you get this box when you click on the “menu” button on the list of buttons at the top left of the page).

And here is the list of buttons:

As you can see, there are quite a few drawing tools to utilize to make the job easier. In the past, I’ve been able to copy sections of Google Maps and paste them into an image editor to do doodling and such, but this site makes the whole process easier.

Check out the site and see what kind of uses you can come up with.  Hey, and if you want to, send me some of your creations so I can see what you’ve done!

Firefox Friday – 4 Tools To Help Shorten Those URLs

Twitter users, eat your hearts out!  How often do you come across a website you want to share on Twitter and the URL is too long?  The answer is one of the many URL shortening service there are out there.  Today, in honor of Firefox Friday, I want to share 4 Firefox tools that make working with shortening those URLs quick and easy!

1. Shorten URL: This add-on actually gives you the option of what shortening service to use.  It also gives options (on the right-click menu) to shorten the current page, a link, or a frame.  Two more options it offers (but are disabled by default) are automatically adding the link to the clipboard and automatically posting it to Twitter.  Seems very cool and very helpful!  Here’s the link.
2. Foxy URL: This add-on came to my attention via a friend of mine, Brett (twitter ID: @brett_13).  If you’re looking for a quick and easy solution (almost a one click operation) to shorten URLs, check out Foxy URL!  Installing this add-on adds a handy dandy icon() to the upper right corner of your browser.  A quick click brings up a small window and a second click of the “copy to clipboard” button is all that is needed.  You’ll end up with a URL looking like this: “http://foxyurl.com/7l”.  Check it out, it may suit you (like it has me so far these last few weeks):  Foxy URL
3. LongURL Mobile Expander: If you’ve ever wondered where that shortened URL is really sending you, this add-on is a good one to look into.  Install this one, and all you have to do is hover your mouse over the shortened link, and the long original URL appears.  I installed and tried it out in less than 2 minutes.  Check it out by clicking here.
4. TBUZZ: This last option, although not actually an add-on but a bookmarklet, is a new one to me but so far I’m in love!  All you have to do is drag the button at tbuzz.arc90.com to your bookmarks section of the toolbar, browse the web until you’re on a site you want to share, and click the bookmark called “TBUZZ.”  What you’ll get is a popup window asking you to sign into Twitter.  It will give you the shortened URL in the familiar twitter-like box.  It will also list below that what others are saying about that page on Twitter (the “buzz”).  Cool, huh?  Oh, and if you happen to want a quote from the site to be tweeted, just highlight the phrase before clicking the bookmark!  Now that’s easy!

I know these are not the only options out there.  Do you have any other URL shortening tools to share?

Buy Firefox and Mozilla T-shirts

“Techie” Interview Series 5 – Joey Camarena

I ran into Joey while visiting his blog, cleartechinfo.com, which is a blog dedicated to the technology and computer beginner.  He makes some very good tutorials showing how to get things done on the computer.  Check out his blog, you may find it useful!  Here’s the interview he was mkind enough to give:

Bio:

My name is Joey Camarena. I was born and currently live in Southern California. I have an A+ certification. I have worked a couple of years at a large retail store named “Fry’s” and about 7 years at Creative Labs Inc. I currently work for a local school district as a Computer Tech.

Do you mind being called a “techie” friend?

I do not mind being called a techie friend. I don’t get insulted that easily, I have been called much worse, lol.

How long have you been interested in technology or computers?

I have been interested in computers since the 4th or 5th grade. A neighborhood friend had this computer from Radio Shack which we played video games on. I begged my father to buy me one, which he did. Then years later he bought me my 1st real computer, a 386. I then discovered “Wolfenstein” and eventually, “Doom 2″. 1st person shooters became my heroine. So I had to learn how to build and maintain them to keep up with the latest hardware that was compatible with the newest FPS games.

Do people in your life (friends or relatives) seem to turn to you for computer related problems?

Yes. Most people I know, family, friends and coworkers turn to me for help on computer related issues.

If so, does this bother you?

This doesn’t bother me. I don’t mind helping out at all as long as I have the time. The only times I do not help them out the same day or weekend is when I want to get out, away from the computer and have a social life. If they call me up on my cell and leave a message I just call them back the next day. If they want me to fix their computer I just tell them I will not be available that weekend since I am busy.

If someone would contact you for assistance, what kind of steps should they take before asking for help?

The first thing I would tell them is to “RTM” (read the manual *edited*), lol. Next thing I would tell them is to make sure that all the cabling is plugged in correctly and restart the computer. Last thing I would instruct them to do is type their question into Google.

Where do you see the internet in 10 years?

In 10 years I see the print versions of newspapers going out of business and the industry transitioning 100% online or near that figure. I see the Internet integrated into more appliances and vehicles. People will have a very tough time living without it, even more than now.

Related to the last question, where do you see computers in 10 years?

In 10 years from now computer will be smaller, a LOT more powerful, use less energy and therefore produce less heat. Computers will be a lot smarter, artificial intelligence will be much improved but still not perfect. Media Center/Entertainment PCs that are made to be plugged into your living room TV and stereo will be more mainstream and a lot easier to plug in and use.

Your opinion on:

Best OS?

I have used Linux (Ubuntu and Fedora), XP and Vista (32 and 64-bit versions). The best operating system for most people is the 32-bit version of Windows XP Pro. It is the friendliest and most compatible OS that runs smoothly as long as you have a half-way decent PC. If you are very good with computers and don’t mind initially jumping through a few hoops I’d recommend Ubuntu.

Best Web browser?

The best browser is Mozilla Firefox. It runs smooth, fast and has a ton of free add-ons. I love it so much it was the main subject of at least a dozen video tutorials I have made.

Best free/paid antivirus program?

The best Anti-Virus program I have used is Kaspersky Anti-Virus. The computers at work are all using a different brand since I assume it was a lot cheaper to purchase but not nearly as good as Kaspersky. I had my boss buy me Kaspersky Anti-Virus since I noticed there were a lot of virus problems these past 9 months. I combine Kaspersky with the free version of Malwarebytes’ Anti-Malware to scan and disinfect any computer at work that is infected with viruses/malware, etc. That combo works great. I do not have much experience with free anti-virus programs so I do not know enough to comment on them.

Best search engine?

I don’t think there is any doubt that Google is the best search engine. I can’t live without it.

What are the top 3-5 websites you visit regularly?

• Twitter.com
• Anandtech.com
• TomsHardware.com
• ProBlogger.net
• NickyCakes.com

Thanks for giving us some of your time, Joey!

-Anyone else, feel free to add to or comment on anything discussed above!

5 Free File and Disk Encryption Tools and Your Security – A Guest Post by Silki

This is the first guest post here on Timmyjohnboy.com. This will not be the only guest post.  I’m having some guests come and blog for a few reasons, one of which is because I do not know everything and I think some experts in some other areas could do us all some good.

Silki is the the guest and she blogs about security issues on her blog, WebToolsAndTips.com. She was kind enough to share a little about file encryption and some simple tools to help us in that endeavor.  Check out her blog when you get a chance!

Here’s the post:

Most people think that file encryption is something that is needed only by large organizations. With the rapid growth of Internet and IT enabled services, your machines store volumes of personal and financial data, which can harm your privacy and security, if grabbed by wrong hands.

The key to safeguarding your data is file encryption. But unfortunately, many computer users do not use any file encryption tool. Some think that it is too geeky, some think that it is too costly to invest in a file encryption Tools and the rest are too busy and engrossed in their daily routine to give file encryption a serious thought.

Whatever the case is, file encryption needs to have an important place in your arsenal.

And it is not difficult. There are lots of file encryption tools available, which can easily do the job for you. And the best part is that you do not have to pay a penny to use them for your own use. Some of them are following:

Cryptainer LE:

Cryptainer LE uses 128 bit encryption to create a secure archive to store any type of data. It uses 128 bit encryption. You can add or extract files from this archive through a simple drag and drop operation. Cryptainer allows you to password protect and secure any file or folder on any media, including removable drives (Flash Drives, CD ROM’s etc.)

CryptoExpert Lite: CryptoExpert creates encrypted virtual disks but the best part is that these disks are visible as normal disks with drive letters. You can create encrypted containers (file vaults) up to 20 Megabytes in size, which are accessible on a virtual volume on the fly.

TrueCrypt: TrueCrypt is an open-source disc encryption software for Windows Vista/XP, Mac OS X, and Linux. It can create a virtually encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk. TrueCrypt encrypts an entire partition or storage device such as a USB flash drive or hard drive. It can encrypt a partition or drive where Windows is installed and the encryption is automatic, real time and transparent.

Dekart Private Disk Light: Dekart Private Disk Light creates one or more virtually encrypted disks on your hard drive and/or other external storage devices. This free disk encryption software creates a virtually encrypted disk within a file and mounts it as a real disk. All data encryption is extremely fast, automatic, on-the-fly and with no performance penalty.

Kruptos: Kruptos includes a powerful file shredding utility, and the ability to generate self-decrypting files. It is quick to download and simple to install. Kruptos is good for secure transportation of files on portable storage devices, such as portable hard drives or USB storage keys.

Try These File Encryption Utilities. Remember, your security and privacy deserves a careful look, and only you can provide it.

This is a guest post by Silki Garg. She advises on spyware removal, online threats and malware detection, on her Internet Security Blog. A visit to her Blog is highly recommended. You’re sure to find something of interest.

Thank you, Silki, for taking the time to introduce us to the world of file encryption!  Readers, tell me, have you ever or do you at this time utilize any kind of file encryption?  If so, tell me about it in the comments.

Googling Health Issues – Good Or Bad

In this world of new technology and instant information at our fingertips, things are changing. Have you ever heard of Googling your own health problems?  Some have actually turned to Google (or any search engine) to help them find out what’s wrong with them!  Besides the lab work and other tests and scans, a doctor tends to spend quite a bit of time with the patient asking questions.  They are trying to asymilate as much information about your problem so they can figure out what ails you.

What if you had a tool at home that you could use to help with that part of the equation? Well, in a way, you do.  They call it “Google.”  What people are doing is Googling their symptoms to get a better idea of what may be the problem before actually going to a doctor.  Well, this news article I heard about this weekend really took the cake!  A man and his pregnant wife did not have enough time to wait for an ambulance so he went ahead and Googled how to deliver a baby, watch a few videos, and delivered his own kid (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8030084.stm)!

Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, blogged about Google and its help in diagnosing a health issue for him (the link to the actual post doesn’t work, but visit dilbert.com/blog and search for “something called Spasmodic Dysphonia“, including the quotes, in the search field in the side bar, you’ll find an article called “Google Is My Doctor”).  Check it out.  I think you’ll find it at least interesting or amusing.

Obviously, there may be a few problems with such a solution. It puts what may very well be a serious problem in the hands of someone not very equipt to deal with it.  If you misdiagnose something very serious, well, you can see the problem here.  Also, there can be a level of hypocondria that can be fed into here.  It wouldn’t take much for some people to spend a very large amount of time Googling every little thing that may come fleetingly.

So, I guess I can see positives and negatives. The Internet definitely has brought information that at one time was almost unattainable to the masses and has brought it into the every day household.  We have to be thankful for that.  We must also be aware of the dangers of wielding something so powerful.

What are your thoughts?  Have you ever found yourself Googling health issues?  Do you think it is a good idea?  Or should it be left to the doctors with the degrees?

Firefox Friday – Helping Mozilla – Post 2 – Join The Affiliates Program

Welcome to the home of Firefox Fridays where we take some time out of our Fridays to talk about Firefox.

Pull up your desk chair (or whatever you’re sitting on, it’s none of my business) and share this week’s conversation with us!

Last week we began a series within the Firefox Friday series called “Helping Mozilla” where we discussed how simple it is to share Firefox with your friends, family, and just about anyone.  This week we will take it one step further and show you how to:

Join The Affiliates Program for Mozilla and Firefox!

Do you have a website or blog?  You can join the affiliates program on SpreadFirefox.com and earn points and get the chance to be a Featured Fox or a spot on one of the Top Fox Lists!  Somewhere in there you have a chance to win a t-shirt and have your site or blog highlighted!

Getting Started Is Easy!

Check out the quick start guide and learn how to:

1. Join Spread Firefox
2. Get buttons
3. Post buttons
4. And earn points!

If you don’t find any buttons you like, check out the Create Buttons page for assistance in making your own!

Still Need Help?

Check out the FAQ page.  Perhaps you’ll find even more answers in the Forum.  Either way, join the fun and help Firefox today!

Buy Firefox and Mozilla T-shirts

Introduction To WordPress.tv

Today I’ve been looking around looking for tutorials on how to use WordPress for a friend of mine who is going to be running a site I’m putting together for him.  I was planning on putting together the tutorials myself, but I figured that if someone else has done the same thing, why reinvent the wheel?

Well, while on my search, I came across WordPress.tv which, as it turns out, is a pretty cool site!  It’s chalked full of videos not only showing how to do stuff on WordPress, but also introducing new features and products and other talks on WordPress related topics.

Well, as it also turns out, WordPress happens to have some good screencasters!  For instance, a while back I wanted to introduce readers to the use of Gravatars or globally recognized avatars.  WordPress.tv has a good tutorial on how to set up your very own Gravatar:

There’s also a good tutorial on how to write blog posts using WordPress:

And here is a very recent speech by Matt in Japan talking about the future of WordPress and some other projects like the P2 theme and BuddyPress:

If you are at all into WordPress or blogging or even want to be, check out WordPress.tv!