Big Buttons» Big Buttons – free software to help seniors with computers!

Mobile phones for seniors

Big Button — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:16:34 +0000

Some common problems I have heard regarding “seniors & mobile phones” are:

The phone is too small
There are too many (useless) features
How do I even make a call?
How do I answer the damn thing?!
I can’t see the screen
My fingers are too big for the keys
Where’s the phone gone? I can’t find it!

I’m interested to hear what people have to say about the best way to teach somebody who is new to mobile/ cell phones how to perform basic tasks, such as phoning a friend and answering it when it rings.

Any ideas?

Mobile phones can be very complicated for seniors (or anybody)!

Useful website for seniors

Big Button — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:11:40 +0000

This website:

http://www.seniorsguidetocomputers.com/

… is extremely useful! Have a look!

Get Granny Online!

Big Button — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:30:56 +0000

For all you young’uns out there who haven’t yet shown nanna & grandad how to use a computer, please take the following two pieces of advice very seriously:

1. Be ashamed

2. Be very ashamed

Of course there are exceptions, but by and large our grandparents have done a very good job seeing to the survival of their children and grandchildren over the past decades. Without them, there wouldn’t be any young’uns at all… and of course, there would be no computers or Internet either!

The benefits of showing nan & pops how to use a computer are immense:

You can share photos with them
Communicating to others on the Internet can be a great cure for boredom
They can save money by not buying the newspaper every single day
They don’t have to wait in line in a bank and risk catching swine flu or being caught in a terrorist attack

… and the list goes on.

Think back to how your grandfather showed you how to shoot a gun or your grandmother showed you how to bake a cake. Repay that debt! Sharing is caring!

Get granny online!

SeniorNet tutorials

Big Button — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:40:33 +0000

Visit this website – SeniorNet – by clicking on the this sentence.

SeniorNet provides online tutorials and ‘how to’ guides that you may find very useful!

These include:

Display a personal photo on your desktop
Email and receive attachments
Force Quit a program
Cell phone buying guide

What type of computer should I buy?

Big Button — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 07:53:53 +0000

When you are considering what type of computer to buy, think about the following first:

Rule 1: Do not spend more than $800.

If you look hard enough, you can find all the equipment you need (computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse) for under $800. Stores such as Umart Online (www.umart.com.au) do not maintain expensive displays and publically accessible store-space, but rather provide an online store where you make your order. You then take your order number into the store, present it to a staff member (or computer terminal) and the products you have ordered are retrieved from the warehouse while you wait (doesn’t take long!). You then make your payment and smile as you realise you’ve saved heaps of money.

It is particularly important for seniors to realise that young salespeople may project their own preferences. You do not need the latest and fastest computing power. Yes, you need a late model computer that is relatively virus immune and fast enough to operate the latest peripheral devices such as digital cameras, printers and can play movies, but you do not need the capability of playing the newest 3D games. Well maybe you do, but at least consider this before you go shopping, to reduce the risk of being ripped off.

Rule 2: Consider Laptops -v- Desktops

New laptops can be purchased for under $600, sometimes as low as $400… and these can be a great way to combine the keyboard, mouse, monitor and computer in one package. You can also take the laptop with you, and it can run on battery power. The downside of a laptop is simply that it’s smaller (harder to see) and is probably marginally slower than a comparable desktop (the bigger type of computer you’re probably used to seeing around).

Don’t forget that laptops also usually include multiple USB ports – the small slots on the side that allow you to plug in other devices. So you could purchase a laptop and a larger keyboard and larger screen (monitor). Laptops all also allow a mouse to be plugged in, if you do not like the touchpad way of doing business.

Rule 3: Consider Apple or Microsoft

Read some articles online about the comparative benefits of Apple Macintosh systems versus Microsoft systems. To do this, just type in ‘is apple or microsoft better?’ into Google.com. It is probably no use talking to your friend who has an Apple computer, because (at least amongst my friends) Apple users are fanatical about Apples. Read widely and make an informed decision in that way.

It’s hard to break a computer

Big Button — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:00:25 +0000

With a few notable exceptions (viruses on the Internet and e-mail attachments, sledge-hammers) it is very hard to break a computer.

Computers are not like washing machines or old cars… if you have a late model computer, it will be very difficult for you to make it malfunction.

Don’t stress about which button to press and when – in most cases, it is best to just have a go.

If you click on the wrong icon or button, or if you type the wrong thing somewhere, there are a few things you can do to get right back to where you want to be:

1. Hold down “Ctrl” on the keyboard, and press “Z” on the keyboard whilst still holding down Ctrl. This is the ‘undo’ function in many programs, and will undo whatever it is you’ve just done! This is particularly useful for word processing, when you accidentally make everything turn purple, or delete everything on the screen by accident.

2. If you have opened up a program that you no longer want, or was opened accidentally, just click the X in the top right of the screen. This will close the program. Don’t worry, if you have been writing something you wish to keep, you will be prompted to save the work first before the program actually closes completely.

3. If you’re on the Internet and you visit a site you do not want to be at, click the ‘Back’ button – the left-facing arrow usually in the top left of the screen. If you can’t go back this way, just close down the Internet program by clicking the X in the top right corner, re-open it in the normal fashion and try again!

4. Have patience! Sometimes websites and computers themselves take a long time to complete certain tasks. Don’t wait all day, but remain calm as the complicated functions are completed by your machine.

Make your computer easier to see

Big Button — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:35:03 +0000

Are you having trouble seeing your computer screen?

If you are using a Microsoft operating system (Windows XP, Vista etc…) then visit this page to find out more about how you can make things a whole lot easier to see and use!

>> Click here. <<

You can change the size of buttons, icons, writing… you can change colours and entire colour schemes and much, much more.

A little bit of work in sorting out these issues now will save you many hours in lost time in the future as you struggle to see what you’re looking for.

How to browse the Internet

Big Button — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:09:48 +0000

These articles by Microsoft will show you some of the basics of web browsing, if you are using the program Microsoft Internet Explorer (the most common web browser).

The principles in the articles are largely the same for other browsers (Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple Safari etc), so it’s worth having a look!

Click on the underlined title below to open the article you wish to read…

Web Browsing Basics

• Find and Return to Web Pages You’ve Recently Visited

With the Internet Explorer 6 History list, you can find Web sites and pages that you’ve visited in the past so you can go back for more.

• Preview a Web Page Before You Print It

The Print Preview feature lets you see the Web page before you print it so you can avoid printing mistakes. Find out more about using Print Preview.

• Use Favorites to Get Around the Web

The Favorites list puts Web sites you visit often within easy reach. Learn about all the ways you can use the Favorites feature to browse like a pro.

• Find Stuff Fast with Search

Internet Explorer 6′s built-in search feature, Search Companion, can help you track down what you’re looking for online. Start searching now.

Find a computer cheaper than $500!

Big Button — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:15:05 +0000

There’s no need to be conned by a slick salesman into buying a computer for more than $500 these days.

Today I bought a fast, reliable, authentic computer for only $399! It’s second hand, but it’s totally refurbished and you wouldn’t know the difference.

Companies that sell ex-government computers and ex-corporate computers are all over Australia, and you can find them by typing in ‘ex-government computers’ or ‘computer recyclers’ into a Google search. The most popular stores will be at the top of the search results.

The shop I visited today was Brisbane Computer Recyclers.

Computers can be very affordable!

But of course I already had a monitor (the screen), mouse, speakers & keyboard etc.

You should be able to pick these items up very cheaply also from the same store!

Computing Glossary for Seniors

Big Button — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:40:12 +0000

Over time, this article will grow to be a comprehensive ‘Seniors Computing Glossary’.

Many thanks to the websites we have borrowed helpful descriptions from.

ActiveX Controls

ActiveX controls are reusable software programs. Microsoft designed the Internet Explorer web browser to use ActiveX controls to add functionality to web pages. ActiveX Controls have been greatly criticized for their ability to be used by unethical developers to create computer viruses, trojans and spyware infections. ActiveX controls are unsafe for users of Internet Explorer. The problems occur when a user surfs to a non-trusted web page and that web page contains a malicious ActiveX control.

Adware

Any advertising software which automatically plays, displays, or downloads advertising material to a computer after the software is installed on it or while the application is being used.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth in computer networking refers to the data speed supported by a network connection. It is most often expressed in terms of bits per second (bps) or megabits per second (Mps). The term represents the total distance between the highest and lowest signals on the communication channel (band).

Blog

A frequent, chronological publication of personal thoughts and web links. Blogs are short for weblogs.

Broadband

The term Broadband is usually used to describe any high speed connection to the internet.

Cable Modem

A modem designed to operate over cable TV lines. Because the coaxial cable used by cable TV provides much greater bandwidth than telephone lines, a cable modem can be used to achieve extremely fast access to the World Wide Web.

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

A glass tube in which streams of electrons, known as cathode rays, are produced. These rays are used to display images in television sets, computer monitors, etc. {Now computer monitors are commonly LCD – or Liquid Crystal Display – flatter, and looking less like a traditional TV}

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

A central processing unit (CPU), or often simply called a processor, is the component in a computer that interprets instructions and processes data contained in computer programs.

Complementary-symmetry/Metal-Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS)

CMOS stores information about your computer system as well as the current date and time. Like RAM, this memory needs electricity to keep working, but it only needs a very small amount. A small battery keeps it running for 4-5 years. If the CMOS battery dies, your computer may not start up correctly. You will have to have the battery replaced, and, you will probably have to re-enter the setup information about your computer system.

Dial-up

Refers to connecting a device to a network via a modem and a public telephone network. Dial-up access is really just like a phone connection, except that the parties at the two ends are computer devices rather than people. Because dial-up access uses normal telephone lines, the quality of the connection is not always good and data rates are limited.

Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)

A technology for bringing high-bandwidth information to homes and businesses over ordinary copper telephone lines.

Downloading

The process of copying a file from an Internet site to the hard drive of a personal computer.

Dual Core CPU (Central Processing Unit – see above)

A dual core CPU refers to a CPU that includes two complete processors in a single integrated circuit (chip). Dual core processors are well-suited for multitasking environments because there are two complete execution cores (brains) instead of one.

Email program

A computer program which users use to create, send, read and store email messages.

Email virus

An email virus will use an email message as transportation, and will copy itself by automatically mailing itself to hundreds of people in the victim’s address book.

Encryption

A way of coding the information in a file or email so that if it is read by a third party as it travels over a network it cannot be read. Only the persons sending and receiving the information have the key and this makes it unreadable to anyone except the intended persons.

Firewall

A system that prevents unauthorized access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be hardware or software, or a combination of both.

FireWire

FireWire, otherwise known as IEEE 1394, is a high performance connection used to connect computers to external hard disk drives and CD-R/RW recorders as well as consumer electronics devices like digital camcorders, televisions and game consoles. Firewire interfaces come standard on most Apple Macintosh systems and on some PCs.

Font

A design for a set of characters. A font is the combination of typeface and other qualities, such as size and spacing. The term font is often used incorrectly as a synonym for typeface. The font you’re currently looking at is called Arial.

Hacker

A clever programmer.

Hard Drive/Hard Disk

Most commonly used computer storage device which reads and writes one or more spinning disks. Hard drives are the storage medium in desktop and laptop computers.

Icon

An icon is a tiny picture on the screen that represents a program, file or folder.

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP)

A method of accessing electronic mail that are kept on a mail server. It allows an email program to access remote message stores as if they were local. Email stored on an IMAP server can be accessed from a desktop computer at home, a workstation at the office, and a notebook computer while traveling, without the need to transfer messages or files back and forth between these computers.

Internet Protocol (IP) Address

A string of four numbers separated by periods (such as 192.168.211.100) used to represent a computer on the Internet.

Internet Service Provider (ISP)

Internet Service Provider. A company that provides an Internet connection.

Key logger

Sometimes called a keystroke logger, key logger, or system monitor, it is a hardware device or small program that monitors each keystroke a user types on a specific computer’s keyboard.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

A low-power flat-panel display used in many computers. It is made up of liquid crystal that is sandwiched between layers of glass or plastic and becomes opaque when electric current passes through it. The contrast between the opaque and transparent areas forms visible characters.

Mail Server

A mail server is a program that receives incoming email from users and remote senders and forwards outgoing email for delivery. A computer dedicated to running such applications is also called a mail server.

Malware

Short for “malicious software” and is used as a term to refer to any software which causes damage to a single computer, server, or computer network.

Megapixel

A million pixels – picture elements – or tiny dots that make up a digital image. It is a measure commonly used to described the image quality that a digital camera is capable of – the more megapixels, the better.

Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME)

A standard that allows Internet users to exchange email messages enhanced with graphics, video, and voice as attachments to the body of the text.

Nerd

Technically bright but socially inept person.

Network Address Translation (NAT)

Network Address Translation is an Internet standard that enables a local-area network (LAN) to use one set of IP addresses for internal traffic and a second IP address for external traffic. A NAT box (router) is located where the LAN meets the Internet and makes all necessary IP address translations. NAT provides a type of firewall by hiding internal IP addresses.

Office Suite

A collection of powerful programs for business and home use. Suites make it easy for users to create and share information in databases, spreadsheets, and word processors, as well as other applications like presentation software.

Phishing

Phishing is email fraud where the perpetrator sends out legitimate looking emails that appear to come from trustworthy web sites in an attempt to gather personal and financial information from the recipient.

Podcast

A pre-recorded audio program that is made available for download (manually or automatically) so people can listen to them on personal computers or mobile devices.

Portal

A web site that the user sets up as an entrance to other sites on the internet. A portal typically has search engines, email, news, etc.

Post Office Protocol (POP)

A set of rules by which a computer can retrieve electronic mail from a mail server. The POP server holds the email until the user can retrieve it. POP does not provide for sending email which is usually done via SMTP. POP3 can be used with or without SMTP.

Presentation Program

A computer program used to create and display presentations, usually in the form of a “slide show”. Microsoft Powerpoint is one of the most popular presentation programs.

QWERTY

The QWERTY keyboard is the standard typewriter and computer keyboard in most countries. QWERTY refers to the first six letters on the upper row of the keyboard. The key arrangement was devised by Christopher Latham Sholes whose Type-Writer, as it was then called, was first mass-produced in 1874.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

The best known form of computer memory. RAM is considered “Random Access” because you can access any memory cell directly. RAM is volatile memory — its contents are lost as soon as power to the computer is turned off.

Read Only Memory (ROM)

This memory holds all the basic instructions the computer needs to do very simple stuff, such as making the letter “X” appear on the monitor when you press the “X” key. This memory cannot be changed, so losing power does not affect it.

Ripping

Ripping (also referred to as digital audio extraction) is the process of copying the audio or video data from one media form, such as DVD or CD, to a hard drive. To conserve storage space, the copied data is usually encoded in a compressed format such as MP3 or WMA for audio, or MPEG-2, or MPEG-4 for video.

Root kit

A rootkit is a collection of programs that enable administrator-level access to a computer or computer network. Typically, a cracker installs a rootkit on a computer after first obtaining user-level access, either by exploiting a known vulnerability or cracking a password. Once the rootkit is installed, it allows the attacker to mask intrusion and gain root or privileged access to the computer and, possibly, other machines on the network.

RSS

A format for information syndication, enabling the publishing of data which can then be reused in other contexts. RSS sources are often called feeds, meaning that new information is produced and published regularly and can be obtained from these feeds. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

Pronounced as separate letters and short for Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL uses two keys to encrypt data – a public key known to everyone and a secret key known only to the recipient of the message. Many Web sites use the protocol to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card numbers. By convention, URLs that require an SSL connection start with https: instead of http:.

Server

A computer system that provides client stations with access to files as shared resources to a computer network .

Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)

This is a set of rules used for sending email over the Internet. Your email program uses SMTP to send a message to the mail server and the mail server uses SMTP to relay that message to the correct receiving mail server. SMTP is a set of commands that authenticate and direct the transfer of electronic mail.

Sniping

The practice of bidding in the last few seconds of an auction in order to prevent other bidders from outbidding you. The truth is, if you really want an item, sniping will almost always allow you to be the highest bidder, assuming you bid high enough. Many smart bidders, however, simply bid the maximum amount they are willing to spend on an item and don´t worry about it.

Software

Operating instructions for specific task based applications. The computer processors (CPU) carry out these instructions. These include all packaged programs like word processing, image editing, databases, games, and so on. Software has to be written for a specific computer operating system (OS) like Windows, Apple or Linux.

Spam

An inappropriate attempt to use email as if it was a broadcast medium by sending the same message to many people who didn’t ask for it.

Spreadsheet

A computer program that lets the user enter numbers or text into a table with rows and columns. These numbers can be manipulated using formulas.

Spyware

Computer software that collects personal information about users without their informed consent. The term is often used interchangeably with adware and malware. Personal information is secretly recorded with techniques such as logging keystrokes, recording browsing history, and scanning documents on the computer’s hard disk. Some spyware attempts to track the web sites a user visits and then send this information to an advertising agency. More malicious variants attempt to intercept passwords or credit card numbers as a user enters them into a web form or other applications.

Trojan horse

A Trojan horse is a computer program that pretends to do one thing (like claim to be a picture) but actually does damage when one starts it (it can completely erase one’s files). Trojan horses cannot replicate automatically.

Uploading

Moving or copying a file from a local computer to a remote network or Web server.

USB

The Universal Serial Bus (USB) is used to connect many types of peripherals to a computer including joysticks, mice, keyboards, printers, scanners and external CD-R/RW, DVD-R/RW recorders. Computers do not have to be rebooted when a USB device is attached because these devices are automatically recognized by the system. USB version 2.0 is the latest version allowing improved performance. Most modern PCs come equipped with several USB connections.

Virus

A virus is a software program capable of reproducing itself and usually capable of causing great harm to files or other programs on the same computer. Viruses come in the form of trojans, keyloggers and many more.

Word Processor

A computer program designed to replace the typewriter. A word processor can create, edit, print, and store documents. Programs like Microsoft Word, Wordpad and Notepad are examples of word processors.

Worm

A worm is software that uses computer networks and security flaws to create copies of itself. It replicates itself to new computers using the flaws and then begins scanning and replicating again.

Sources:

http://www.seniorsguidetocomputers.com/glossary.asp