]]> Imagine, if you will, opening e-mail attachments, visiting the Internet, shopping online, digital photos, video calling, social networking, watching a movie or TV, playing games, listening to music, reading a book, and more…all rolled up in one appealing and extremely portable device that measures 9.5” by just under 7.5” and weighs less than a pound a half. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Apple’s iPad!

To be fair, there is an entire industry of tablets out there worthy of your attention. Blackberry has their Playbook tablet, the Kindle and Nook are evolving more into a tablet with each generation. Asus, Samsung, and Lenovo also offer tablets with very good reviews at competitive prices, but the iPad was the pioneer and remains the dominant player in the field. Not to mention, I own an iPad and am in love with it.

The iPad functions like a big iPhone . There are over 90,000 apps (applications or programs) specific to the iPad and several iPhone apps worked in a modified way on the iPad. You are sure to find a few dozen programs out of 90,000+ that will truly amaze and entertain you. Of course you can use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even video Skype on the iPad. The screen size makes watching a movie or TV show or reading a book or magazine a pleasure. (All of which can be purchased from iTunes.) The glass screen makes any images come alive with clarity. Because I use my iPad for heavy duty e-mailing and writing I set it into an external keyboard rather than having to type on the touch screen. (My bad typing needs all the help it can get!) Just like some smartphones, the iPad can be held horizontally or vertically depending on the mood you’re in for viewing. You really have to see and touch it to believe all that it is capable of.

By the way, you have a choice when buying an iPad whether you want only the wifi feature or, for a monthly data usage fee, you can have 3G or 4G to stay connected to the Internet 24/7. Every weekend I train from New York City to Connecticut. There is no wifi on the train, so I opted to pay the small monthly fee to stay connected during my weekend commute.

I could just go on and on describing my enjoyment with the iPad, but rather than my talking about it and until you get one in your hands the best thing you could do is visit apple.com/ipad/guided-tours/ to see it all first-hand. Be sure to click Play All Guided Tours.

Good, now I can get back to playing with my favorite toy…you guessed it – my iPad.
]]> http://abbyandme.com/posts/im-talkin-ipad/feed 0 http://abbyandme.com/posts/nyu-journalism-student-writes-about-me-and-the-digital-divide http://abbyandme.com/posts/nyu-journalism-student-writes-about-me-and-the-digital-divide#comments Mon, 23 May 2011 14:01:40 +0000 Abby http://abbyandme.com/?p=652 An immense digital divide exists between those born into today’s technology generation and those who did not grow up using a computer, but Abby Stokes believes that anyone can learn to use a computer, no matter what age.

“I refer to anyone over the age of 40 as a digital immigrant and anyone under 40 a digital native,” says Abby Stokes, a professional actor, turned teacher, turned author. “Any immigrant, even if the food is good, is never home in a country that is not theirs.” This is one of the principle tenets Stokes uses to “demystify” computers, a process developed through the inspiration of her own mother and presented in her book Is This Thing On: A Handbook for Latebloomers, Technophobes, and the Kicking & Screaming. Her patient approach of teaching details has allowed her to help over 135,000 individuals, throughout seventeen years, most of them senior citizens, to make the move and become connected in this digital age.

The Pew Research Center’s “Generations 2010” report, by Kathryn Zickuhr, measures Internet use among six different groups and the impact on American life. Statistics show that 58 percent of the Silent Generation (ages 65-73) use the Internet and account for 5 percent of the total online population. 30 percent of individuals in the G.I. Generation (age 74+) use the Internet, which accounts for 3 percent of the total online population. While a lack of money and resources contribute to this dearth of seniors online, one fact remains certain—learning to operate some of today’s technology can be a source of great frustration, even for the most plugged-in people.

“It’s exasperating,” said Marion Matthews, a New Yorker who has tried many different approaches to learning e-mail and the Internet. “I’ve learned how to use a computer through different ways and people over time but e-mail is so difficult.”

It may be a failure of design or a fault in one’s own internal wiring, but those who have not grown up using computer technology simply have a difficulty understanding it. That is where Abby Stokes steps in.

“I think of a computer as a car,” says Stokes, in a presentation at the New York Public Library’s Senior Jamboree, held on May 5th at the 23rd Street Epiphany Library branch, “I can drive a car, but I don’t need to know how it works to operate it.”

A December 2009 Nielsen study reported that from 2004, the number of seniors using the Internet increased more than 55 percent, from 11.3 million users in November 2004 to 17.5 million in November 2009, and the numbers continue to grow. The New York Public Library has increased these statistics through programming.

“We have about 90 branches and we’ll send Abby to ten different ones to give her presentation, and they love it,” says Brigid Cahalan, a Librarian for the New York Public Library who schedules Abby at events in various NYPL locations around the city. “Abby makes them realize that they can do it.”

Programming at the New York Public Library has proven effective and inspirational to many who want to learn but can’t afford expensive or complicated methods.

“We’ve had people coming in all day since we started at 10:30, like ‘When is the computer presentation? When is she coming? I saw her at Kips Bay, I saw her at Morningside Heights,” says Epiphany Library head librarian Elissa Kling, who organized the Jamboree on May 5th.

Stokes also works with Older Adults Technology Services, OATS, a non-profit organization that sees technology as a way to improve the lives of older adults.

“It can be very difficult for an older person, who is supposed to be older and wiser, to cope with the feeling of not knowing how to use technology or to feel like they are being left out,” says Renee Coronado Martinez, Director of Digital Communities for OATS, who has worked closely with Stokes to teach computers to seniors in the New York area. “Technology is so youth focused, but the more older adults are online and involved in discussions, the more our society sees them, understands them and values them.”

The average computer-user does not realize that the smallest function, like using a mouse or typing on a keyboard, is difficult for a digital immigrant. Stokes understands this and explains every step, from turning on the computer, to ultimately learning how to visit her website. Shirley Farnsworth, at seventy-eight years old, has seen her computer skills evolve.

“I was given a computer by my kids, but I had no idea how it operated at all. The classes they give in the library are lousy. They assume you know something,” she says. “I didn’t know anything. I didn’t know when they said touch the mouse there’s the left side and the right side.”

For Farnsworth, like many seniors, learning to use a computer and the Internet opened the door to new opportunities. Born into a family of actors, and once a singer herself, Farnsworth found a way to satisfy her artistic desires through the computer after her singing voice was destroyed from a colon operation gone awry.

“I found a woman in a forum who produced free graphics. [The graphics] helped me create images and put them together to make cards, and I’m sort of noted for it,” she said. “It’s been a joyous thing, and becoming more disabled all the time it really helps me.”

Many seniors want to learn but just haven’t found the correct method to truly understand that they are in fact capable of learning to use a computer.

“I bought a couple of Windows 7 books for seniors but they really didn’t seem to help me very much so I didn’t seem to make much progress after my initial start.,” said Larry Ainslee, whose wife found Stokes’ book after a serious of discouraging attempts to learn to use a computer.

Abby Stokes, despite no formal training or instruction, made a business out of helping people realize that they can do what she does.

“I didn’t go to college, I didn’t take a class on computers,” she says, surprised at her own accomplishments, “If an offer comes your way, the answer should be yes. I can’t fly a plane but I could probably learn how to fly a plane.”

- Elan H. Bird

]]> When I’m asked what free web-based e-mail I recommend it is NOT Gmail. I know, I know. Your kids and grand kids are all over you to use Gmail instead of AOL. I agree that AOL is inconsistent and not as compatible with many handheld devices, but Gmail’s design is not particularly “user-friendly” (a misnomer  when referring to anything computer).  I would suggest Yahoo over Gmail, but I understand that your family has more influence over your decisions that I do.

So, if you’re going to take the plunge and use Gmail, let’s make it as “friendly” as we can by customizing it to meet your needs.

My first criticism is that e-mails stack on top of one another:

For a newbie what you see above can be conceptually confusing and, for those that have dexterity issues, this format is difficult to manipulate – it requires very good aim.

I hear you daughter snapping back that one could click on Expand All in the right sidebar. The problem with this option is that Google then presents the oldest e-mail on top and the most recent must be scrolled down to – not an optimal choice for someone just learning to scroll or who has memory issues. Rather than debate the good, bad, and ugly of Gmail, let me offer you a way to reformat the Inbox. This stacking is referred to as “conversation view.”

To turn conversation view off:

1) Click on Settings (top right)

2) Scroll down until you see Conversation View:

3) Click in the circle (aka radio dial) to the left of Conversation view off

4) MOST IMPORTANT – Scroll all the way to the bottom and click on Save Changes

I am asked regularly “How can I change the font to be larger on all of my outgoing e-mails?” This is a courtesy to the reader that most older users are more apt to opt for. It is an elusive option with Gmail, but it does exist.

To enable change font style:

1) Click Settings (top right)

2) Click the Labs tab (far right)

3) Scroll down to Default Text Styling

4) Click in the circle to the left of Enable

5) MOST IMPORTANT – Scroll all the way to the bottom and click on Save Changes

While you’re visiting Settings or the Lab tab, take a look around and see what else you might want to customize. Make a note of the original setting – in case you don’t like the change you’ve made, you can revert back to what it was.

For those teaching Gmail to an new user, be sure to really hit home that the arrow to the right of Reply  is where the most common actions will be hidden – Forward, Print, Reply All, etc. Why did Gmail choose to hide these features? Mine is not to wonder why. Mine is just to show you how.

You’re capable of learning anything – well-designed or not. Just keep in mind when you think the problem is you, it’s more likely a thoughtless design choice. Take a deep breath and rise above it!

]]> http://abbyandme.com/posts/geez-g-mail/feed 0 http://abbyandme.com/posts/tis-the-season-for-tech-support http://abbyandme.com/posts/tis-the-season-for-tech-support#comments Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:55:06 +0000 Abby http://abbyandme.com/?p=548

‘Tis the season to give thanks, presents, and ring in the New Year. We’re all grateful for the good health and happiness of our friends and family and the good health of our computer and printer. What? Your computer isn’t working? Oh dear. The elves are all busy – too busy to come to your rescue. You’re going to have to try to fix things yourself.

If you are attempting to visit a website and “Server Not Responding” appears or any other error message, the first thing to do is try to visit another website. That determines if that particular website is acting up or if it is a different problem. I usually try cnn.com because it’s a lush website and if it opens up, you have no connectivity issues.

If you have no success opening cnn.com, close the window and try connecting to the Internet with a different browser. If you have a PC, you will have Internet Explorer (the Blue E) already on your desktop. If you have a Mac, you’ll have Safari (the compass). They are both your browsers – allowing you to browse the Internet. At some point, before you run into trouble, download Mozilla Firefox (www.firefox.com). It’s a browser that works well both on Macs and PCs. If Internet Explorer or Safari don’t open, try to open Firefox. If Firefox opens the problem was with your browser.

If you are still not able to connect, it could be your modem. The best thing to do at this stage is turn off the computer. Turn off your modem and unplug all of the plugs in the back of the modem. (Take note of where each one is plugged in before removing. You can mark each cord with masking tape to ensure they’ll be no mistaking what it plugs into.) Let it all sit for a full minute, then plug it all back again and turn the modem on. Wait another full minute for the modem to reset itself. Now turn on your computer and try to connect to the Internet again.

It’s a good idea to make a note of the lights on the modem when it is working well. That way, if you can’t connect to the Internet, you may be able to identify the problem quickly with just a glance at the lights. (“Eureka! What should be green is yellow or not lit at all.”)
Below are two other common error messages not necessarily involving your Internet connection:

• “You have performed an illegal operation.” Wrong. There is nothing illegal about what happened and 9 times out of 10 it was nothing you did. The software program you were in had a minor hiccup.

• “A fatal error has occurred.” Should you call 911? Absolutely not! This message merely indicates that whatever went wrong (and you may never know what it was) has caused the program you were in to stop functioning properly.

Try the steps below to handle error messages:

1. Give the computer some time to recover. Go get a cup of coffee (or something stronger if the computer is really acting up!), make a phone call, or take a walk. Take as much time as you need to let off the steam that may have built up about the plastic box misbehaving. When you return, try to close the error message window and restart your computer.

2. If your mouse or keyboard still doesn’t respond, soft boot (or force quit in Mac speak) the computer. This means to restart or shutdown the computer without pulling the plug.

To soft boot a PC: Hold down the Ctrl (control), Alt (Alternate) and Del (Delete) keys on your keyboard. Follow the instructions on the Close Program window that will appear.

To force quit a Mac: Hold down the Command, Option Alt and Esc (Escape) keys on your keyboard. Hit the Return key on your keyboard.

3. If a soft boot doesn’t work, you’ll have to hard boot the computer. Depress the on/off button and start to count to 30. By the time you’ve reached about 10 the computer should have shut down. Let it sit for a bit. (Maybe refill the ice in your glass…) Turn it back on and see if the problem is resolved.

4. Keep a diary of error messages including the date, time and what program you were in when the error took place. Write down the error message exactly as it appears. This may prove helpful to a technician if the problem becomes chronic.

Note: You may lose the changes made to a document or program when an error occurs.

If you must call tech support, have all pertinent information about your computer at the ready. You may need to provide the tech person with the specs on your system. It’s a good idea to have written down the make and model of your computer and the operating system. The make and model (i.e. Sony Vaio PCG-505FX, MacBook, etc.) is usually noted on the front of your computer case. When the computer is warming up the operating system (i.e. Windows XP, Vista, OSX, etc.) will be displayed. Alternatively, if you have a PC, you can find all this information by RIGHT clicking on the “My Computer” icon. Then LEFT click on the word “Properties”. Here you can see the make and model of the computer, the operating system and even the amount of RAM. If you have a Mac, you can click on the Apple in the top left corner, then click on “About This Mac”.

If you took advantage of the Test Drive Form, in Is This Thing On?, when you bought your computer (Chapter 7 p.56), all the information you need is already written on that form. Handy, isn’t it?

Ask if the tech support person is familiar with your system. I’m all for learning on the job, but not when it comes to tech support. With so many different computer systems being used and a lot of compatibility problems, it is essential that you start your search for answers with someone who is familiar with your system. If the technician is not familiar with your computer system, please feel empowered to ask for someone that is. Without hesitation I will request a tier two technician – tech talk for someone smarter or a supervisor.

If your computer is approaching a double digit birthday you might want to add new computer in your letter to Santa or on your birthday list. I don’t know if you’ve been naughty or nice, but there’s always time to turn over a new leaf!