Last week we looked at Gmail’s General Settings.  As a result of your emails, today we move on to Gmail Labels.

You get to Labels the same way you got to General Settings last week.  You must first be logged into your Gmail account (gmail.com).  Then look to the upper right corner and hover the little "gear" icon.  It should say "Settings". If not, keep hovering until you find it.  Now click it, then "Settings."  Finally, click on the second tab, "Labels."

I think Gmail received a lot of grief because of calling them labels instead of folders because when they first created them no one understood…except for us geeks.  My guess is that in recent times Google has added, "Folders" to their icons at the top of the screen where you can "put" an email to calm everyone down.

The difference between folders in Gmail and other apps is that if you label it from your inbox, it will also have an "Inbox" label and stay in your inbox.  However, when you move it to a folder, it is removed from your inbox.  But guess what, if you move it back from the "folder" you still need to remove the label…too confusing for me, so I suggest playing in Gmail and using the one you like the best.

The only thing I don’t like about Labels (which is my own learning situation) is that if you delete an email with a label of Jokes and it is also marked with the Family label it is deleted from everywhere, not just from that label.  You should remove the label to get it "out of the folder" by selecting the email, clicking the label icon and unchecking the label you want to remove.

Tags: computer, Email, folders, Gmail, google, inbox, internet mail, labels, online, Ron Doyle, software, technology, whim, wife jokes

I did not realize so many of you are Google fans just like me.  I have received quite a few questions about some of Gmail’s settings and what they do.  So let us investigate a few of those.

To get to the settings you must first be logged into your Gmail account (gmail.com).  Then look to the upper right corner and hover the little "gear" icon.  It should say "Settings". If not, keep hovering until you find it.  Now click it, then "Settings".

There are twelve setting tabs in Gmail with hundreds of items you can adjust.   We will only look at the General tab today.  If you are interested in any of the others let me know and we will look at those over the next few weeks. 

I will only elaborate on the ones that aren’t obvious.  For instance, "Language" should be a no-brainer since you have a dropdown menu allowing you to choose the language you wish to use in Gmail. (There are currently over 50 to choose from.)  How about "Keyboard shortcuts?"  You may either set it off or on.  To get details on what the shortcuts are and how to use them click the "Learn more" link.  I keep mine set to "off" because I don’t want to keep any more shortcut keys in my head. 

"External content" will show images you get in your emails.  It only allows them from "trusted senders."  A "trusted sender" is someone you have sent email to at least twice.  If they send you an email with graphics in it, you will see the image(s) automatically. 

I believe "Browser connection" should always be set to "Always use https".  Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is a secure protocol providing authenticated and encrypted communication or in simple language: more security and safety for your email.  Use it!

"Undo Send" is a neat feature and I have it set on, but I rarely use it.  It does what it says; you can un-send an email up to the pre-set time limit.  The default is for 10 seconds but you may change it to up to 30 seconds.  Suppose you send an email and realize you left someone off or have one more thought to add.  Just click Undo Send at the top of the screen once you send it and you get it back.  Then finish and send it again.

Drop down to "My Picture" which I recommend.  Why not upload your picture to your account?  Then people who use Gmail can see what you look like.  Also, depending on which Smart Phone you have, it will pull that picture into the phone so you can see who is calling you.  (Note to self, get a haircut before doing this one.)

"Create contacts for auto-complete" is junk in my opinion.  If you leave it on anyone you send email to will be added to your contacts list under "Other Contacts".  I recommend setting it to "I’ll add contacts myself." 

Come on now, go ahead and add a "Signature" to be sent out at the bottom of each email.  You know, a pithy saying, your favorite Scripture, phone number, address, link to your website, etc.  One of the current rules of thumb is your email signature should be no more than 5 lines of text (or a graphic no larger than that) and I agree.

OK, the last one today is "Vacation responder".  You set the start and end dates, the subject line and a message letting people know whatever you want.  I highly recommend you check, "Only send a response to people in my Contacts" so you will not let all the spammers know where you went for vacation.

Finally, once you are done changing your settings MAKE SURE to click "Save Changes" at the bottom of the screen.

Tags: dropdown menu, Email, gmail account, google, keyboard shortcuts, neat feature, Ron Doyle, security, shortcut keys, time limit, transfer protocol

For the last two weeks I wrote about some Android apps I use on my tablet and phone.  After the last one I received several emails asking what games I play on my Android devices.  Well, I am a modern business person and have no time for such absurdities. 

OK, don’t tell my boss, but I will occasionally play a game or two.  As a matter of fact don’t tell his boss but I play one of them against my boss.

I want to give you one word about games before we start…cost.  Most of the games cost something but some have a "lite" version which is free.  If you want more features and/or levels you have to pay for them.  The cost isn’t horrible; usually from around $0.99 to $3.99 each.  Also, Amazon.com offers many apps for free so go there and check, too.  Now, off to the games.

Air Control – land airplanes, jets, helicopters and even dirigibles at several different airports.  It gets harder as you land each aircraft.  

Angry Birds (all of them) – although AB Space is the latest, they are all good; however, my favorites are Rio and Space.  If you haven’t played them you should really give one a try.

Backgammon – yep, the board game in an e-version.

Hanging with Friends – great quick little word game.  You get to make up words from a few letters, send them to your online friends and they try to solve it (Hangman without the violence, oh wait, you fall into lava if you miss.) This is the one the boss and I play.

Hex Defense – one of the millions of "Castle Defense" games out there.  You know, you have a path the bad guys are going to use and you plant different weapons to try and stop them before they get to the end.

Bejeweled – this is probably one of the most popular e-only games around and has been around almost since the internet started. 

Spades – you can get all of the standard card games for your android, not just solitaire.  This is one of my favorites.  Look for the games you like most, Rook; Uno, Cribbage, Hearts and on-and-on.

Go-Go-Goat – the name is goofy and so is the game but to me it is addictive.  Your mountain goat jumps up the screen from landing areas made of grass, metal, rock or whatever and tries to go as high as he can before he falls back to the beginning.  Of course, you get helpers and hurters along the way up.

Monopoly – there are several but the one by Electronic Arts is an absolutely perfect electronic reproduction of the original board game.  Yes, it can take as long to play as the original; however, you can save your progress and come back to it later.  Also, it allows you to set up some of the rules you used years ago, you know, $400 for landing on GO, etc.

Temple Run – this one is the latest of e-games you may not have seen the likes of anywhere else.  You have to run for your life to escape the Evil Demon Monkeys nipping at your heels. You race down ancient temple walls and along sheer cliffs. Swipe to turn, jump and slide to avoid obstacles, collect coins and buy power ups.  Unlock new characters, and see how far you can run!

Write and let me know what you think and what you would like to see me talk about.

Tags: aircontrol, airplanes, amazon, android, backgammon free, board game, business, google, helicopters, jets, matter of fact, Ron Doyle

Last week I wrote about some of the Android apps I use on my tablet and phone.  I asked you to let me know if you liked what you read.  If so, I would add to the list.  First, thanks for all the comments and second, here are the next ones in my list.

Also, keep in mind that all of the apps I mention here today can be easily found at Play Google using your Android device(s).  If you want to check them first on your computer go to play.google.com, where you may also install them on devices from your PC.

To review, we covered these last week: Nook for Android, Barcode Scanner, Bible, Evernote, Facebook, Fox News, Moon+ Reader Pro and Office Suite Pro.

Here is the next batch.

Google Reader – This is one of my favorites. It allows you to keep up with all the latest news and information which interests you through RSS feeds.

Seesmic – This is for Twitter and Facebook reading, updating, etc.  It was one of the first. The market says it is still one of the best of these types of apps.  If you use both of these social networks it is good to have them in one place for access.

Soundhound – You are anywhere and hear a song.  You want to know what it is since it brings back fond memories or you want to buy it.  Within a few seconds this app identifies that song! Of course it gives you the lyrics, album cover and where to purchase it online along with other info about it, once the song is found.

StumbleUpon – this is one of the easier ways to discover new and interesting things from across the Web.  Tap the "Stumble!" button or add categories that intrigue you to discover photos, videos, web pages and more.  They are from recommendations of people sharing your interests.

TV Listings – This one’s function should be obvious.  There is also TV Guide; however, I prefer the way this looks.

USA Today – another news magazine app which keeps you up-to-date on their version of the news.  I like the Tech section best.

Wikipedia – the free encyclopedia containing more than 20 million articles in many languages.  Great informational data; however, it can be written and edited by most anyone online, so I don’t recommend it for concrete proof of anything. 

WordPress – this is for only the truly geeky of us out there.  If you have a WordPress blog you can use this app to write new posts, edit content, and manage comments on your site.

Yahoo! Sportacular – for those of you who know me well you may be amazed that I mention anything to do with sports; however, I do have a passing interest in some.  This app allows me to watch the sports and teams which interest me with as much or as little info as I want.

Keep those cards and letters coming! (Ok, emails.)

Tags: album, android, barcode scanner, bible, Evernote, facebook, fond memories, fox news, google, lyrics, moon, nook, one of my favorites, Ron Doyle, search result, social networks, twitter

I always receive emails from Android users asking what apps I like to run on my phone and tablet.  I always have to insert when I mention phones that I work for NTELOS Wireless, so there you go.

Anyway, I thought instead of writing each person individually for a while I would tell you all here.  I know many in world like iPhones and all they offer, but I am an Android lover so I won’t mention them much.  However, NTELOS started carrying iPhones just last week so when I get a hold of one my opinion may change slightly… nah.

I wrote an article about some apps back in January of this year but these are always changing.  For instance, then it was called the Android Market;s now it is named Google Play and found at a different URL: play.google.com.  I guess one of the reasons the name changed is now you can purchase more than just Android apps.

OK, here is my list of apps I use and like most.  There are others that may do the same things but I like these or have not heard of the others yet. So if you have suggestions please shoot me an email and let me know.

All of these can be found on Google play if you search for them.

Nook for Android – if you are a Barnes and Noble e-book reader you can use this app to read on your phone or tablet PC instead of your nook.

Barcode Scanner – Scan barcodes on products and look up prices and reviews. Also QR for websites, information, contact, etc.

Bible – (by LifeChurch) great bible app with many versions.  You can study; use an annual reading plan and more.

Evernote – this app lets you take notes, photos, create to-do lists, record voice reminders, etc.  You can then make them searchable and sync them across most platforms so you can find them anywhere.

Facebook -I cringe recommending this since I am not a fan, but lots of people use it, even me on rare occasions. 

Fox News – I am not much into news but this app works well and that’s the news for now.

Moon+ Reader Pro – You know me; I don’t like to pay for apps, but pay for this one I did. It reads all non-DRM e-books.  There is also a free version to try out.

Office Suite Pro – OK, here’s another I like so well I actually pay for the full version. This replaces Microsoft Office on your Android devices. It does a better than average job of it, too.

See you next week with a few more.  Remember let me know if you have some favorites!

Tags: barnes and noble, bible, e-book, ebook, Email, ereader, fox news, google, information, iphones, lifechurch, ntelos, platforms, rare occasions, reader, reading plan, record voice, reminders, Ron Doyle, scan barcodes, scanner, sync, tablet PC, thrive, thsiba

I receive questions similar to the one I got from Donna recently.  It involves something that sounds quite important in picking an e-book reader so let’s take a look and see. 

I own a Toshiba Thrive which is not actually an e-reader but I can also read books on it, so it will qualify.  My wife owns a Barnes & Noble Color Nook.

This question always involves, "which e-book reader can hold the most books?" 

For our two, the Nook advertises that it can hold around five to six thousand e-books.  It seems that all of them can hold at least three thousand and then it goes up from there.  My Thrive could probably hold that many and maybe two or more times that amount.  I’m guessing here, but I really don’t want to find out since I would have to buy a lot of books.  Yes, I know I can get the e-books and add them to my tablet but again, why?

Now all numbers given by manufacturers can vary in either direction from what they say.  No, they aren’t lying but it also depends on how many other items you store on them.  All but the purest e-readers have the ability to add other applications to them.  Those apps take up room too. 

It also gets a little more complicated as far as numbers.  If you buy a book from B&N, Amazon or anywhere else, you do not "have" to download them to your e-reader (no matter which one it is) until you are ready to read it.  You can leave it in your online "library."

I am amused by the advertising which says you can hold 3,000 – 12,000 (plus or minus) books on the various readers because, well, why would a person want to?

Do some math here. If you are my age, in my 50s, you wouldn’t have enough years left to read 3,000 books. 

If you have 3,000 books on your e-reader, pretend you read one book a week per year.  We will also say that you skip two weeks a year and don’t read due to vacation, health, etc.  That would be 3000/50.  The answer is that it will take you 60 years to complete your reading.  If your e-reader will hold 5,000 books, that would yield 100 years of reading.  I hate to be negative here, but I do not believe that the majority of us will make it that long.

These numbers are just a wonderful marketing ploy.  Most people just download a couple of recent purchases and save the rest until they finish the others.  Once a book is read you can remove it from your e-reader and it is still kept in the B&N/Amazon account for you to download and reread later if you want to.

Have a great time no matter which you finally settle on.

Tags: amazon, apps, barnes and noble, books, ebook reader, ebooks, ereader, library, math, online, reading, Ron Doyle, toshiba

Thanks for your emails this week about all of the Google search tips from last week.  Since I was asked to give out some more I guess this is part deux. 

When I was a lad in school (way back in the last century) I would have been so happy to have been able to come home to a computer with Google…especially when I had Algebra homework.  OK, confession time… that was literary license since I really enjoyed math and liked to struggle through some of it.  But for those of you who did not (or do not) like it, there is Google.com. 

Google can calculate from simple to fairly advanced math for you.  Try entering "2+4+8=" and search.  You will get the answer, which I hope is 14.  How about something a little more advanced?  Try something like this, "(sqrt 5)^5+91*6.3=".  Yes, the square root of five to the fifth power plus ninety-one times six point three.  Of course, we all need to perform calculations like this on occasion, but you can also calculate things in between the two aforementioned levels of difficulty.

Now here is help in the area where I fail miserably, conversions.  Google can convert numbers between huge varieties of units.  Try, "80 hectares to square yards," or "80 pounds to dollars," or "80 dollars to pounds."  The list goes on-and-on.

Would you like to find a new musical group which reminds you of another group or recording artist?  Try, "reminds me of The Beatles" and you may be surprised.

How about finding an address on a map?  Try typing, "map Panera 22801" or just "map" and any address.  You can imagine what you will get in the search.

What if you are looking for particular word/words on a specific website?  Google makes it easy by entering the words followed by the site like this; "applications will automatically site: http://doubleclicks.info/wp."  This will show you pages from the Double Clicks site containing the words, "applications will automatically."  One tip on this last one, it may locate many links but usually only the first one or two are accurate. 

Some general tips are that Google’s main search combines search terms with the Boolean use of "AND." If you enter bananas apples – it looks for bananas AND apples appearing together in the resulting pages.  If you want to find bananas or apples…you guessed it, type, "bananas OR apples."  Keep in mind that the AND/OR must be capitalized or Google considers them part of the search text.

If you are looking for a specific phrase put it in quotes, "bananas and apples are rich in".  That way you can find out what they are rich in.  Also, you must use the quotation marks on phrasal searches but not on any of the others given here. 

OK, the last one for today is that you can use a "wildcard" in Google searches.  "US income * increase * reduce," will give you searches related to US incomes, why they increase and what also may have caused them to be reduced.  Note: the * operator works only on whole words, not parts of words.

There are many other ways to use Google search.  If you want to find them out try, "How to use Google," which should be obvious.  In a few weeks maybe you will find this article online.

Tags: advanced math, algebra, confession time, conversions, deux, dollars to pounds, google, google search tips, hectares, musical group, pounds to dollars, Ron Doyle, square root

After that past few weeks of touting many of Google’s features I received an email from Iris asking about some tricks in using standard old Google search.  Since that is what started it all for Google I figured sure, so today I am going to share some Google search tricks which may be very useful to you.  I have been using some of these for years and some were offered up by some geek friends of mine, so enjoy!

If you like these please email and let me know you would like to see some more or share your Google tricks with me.

Say you want to purchase something in a certain price range.  Try, "Android Tablet $300…$400".  Notice two or three periods will work.  This will list the tablets available online between those low/high prices.  Keep in mind; all of these specialized searches will degrade as you go down the list, so I would look mainly at the top ten or less in the resulting lists.  Use your own judgment.  Also, something a little strange about some of these searches, you actually need to press the ‘Enter’ key after entering them in search.

Google can recognize many of the major file types using their advanced search.  This would include, but is not limited to, the Microsoft Office Document types like, DOC, XLS, XLSX, PPT, PPS, etc. along with Lotus, PostScript, Shockwave Flash, plain text files and others. So if you wanted to find a MS PowerPoint file regarding orchids try, "American Orchids filetype:pps".

Now if you are looking for a document of any type with specific words in the title of it, try, "intitle Bohemian Rhapsody".  Need to know where area code, "919" is located?  Just type it in the search box and see.  You will most likely get a map of the are too.

Are you in Va. Beach and thinking about going to a movie?  Try, "movies 23456" for a listing of movies and theaters in that zip. 

You are waiting for a friend to arrive on a flight?  If you know the carrier and the flight number try it, "United 1657."  If you typed everything correctly you will see the top result with arrival times, etc.

How about the weather for anywhere in the world?  It can be as simple as, "weather 22980" or more detailed like, "weather Paris."  It will guess at which Paris you mean, but if it is Paris, VA, just enter that for your search.  And if you want to know the current time in those places all you need to do is replace "weather" with "time."  Try Los Angeles or even Richmond, VA and see if it works.

OK, only a couple more before I run out of space.  Do not forget to let me know if you like these and want a few more!

Check any of your stock prices by just typing in the company ticker symbol ntls, msft,  or goog for a couple of examples.

Here is the last one for today.  Need the definition to a word?  Type, "define synonym."  The top of the search list will hold a full or partial definition.

Tags: area code, bohemian rhapsody, document types, documents, Email, flight number, geek friends, google, google search, iris, judgment, lotus, microsoft office, orchids, search box, search tricks, shockwave flash, theaters, xls

Do you have several (or way more than several) websites or blogs you like to visit each day?  Come on; admit it, many days you go to work and if you have time you visit your favorite 5-10 websites and blogs (BLOG is a WeB LoG, sort of like a Captain’s Log). 

There are a huge number of RSS Readers out there in the market.  The large majority of them are free (my favorites) with a few having a modest price.  To find some readers go online and Google for "RSS Reader," "Feed Reader" or the entire enchilada, "RSS Feed Reader".  Of course, you will find so many it will quickly become confusing.  That is why I am here today. 

I hope to save you some time and searching.  I recommend using Google Reader for several reasons.  It is free and comes automatically with your Google/Gmail account.  It is easy to use.  It keeps all of the things you are interested in (and you choose) in one place for easy access.  As with all readers it updates each time you log in so you see the newest information every time you use it.  And another good thing about Google Reader is that if you have a smart phone, especially Androids, you can use it from your phone too.

If you have a Gmail account, type "google.com/reader" into the address bar of your browser (without the quotation marks of course).  If you are already logged into Gmail or Google, you will be automatically logged into your Google Reader account.  If you have not logged into your account yet, do so.  If you don’t have a Google account, choose, "Sign In".

You will have a list of the latest "Recommended" sites.  These are some random sites which Google Reader is saying you may want to look at and follow online.  At the bottom of each one you can choose, "Not Interested" and it won’t be there next time you log in.  

Once you find a site, like DoubleClicks.info you want to read posts from, put that site address in the Google Reader search bar.  Google will then search the site for RSS feeds (Real Simple Syndication) and find the feed asking if you wish to subscribe.  If you choose to do so, which I would highly recommend, you will be "fed" the latest posts as they hit the site.  Also, keep in mind that many browsers add RSS feeds differently.  I like Firefox because when you click a RSS feed on a site is asks where you want to add the feed.  It then provides a dropdown list and includes Google Reader in the list. Just click it and it is "magically" added.

Every time you go to a website look around for the word "RSS" or the little, usually orange emblem which looks like a dot with two arcs to its upper right.  Check this article on DoubleClicks.info to see what I mean.  You can click on either of these and get the RSS feed address or instructions on how to use them.

I do not have enough space here to tell you all the other wonderful things you can do with this reader from Google, so have fun exploring.

Tags: blog, easy access, enchilada, free email, Gmail, google, igoogle, smart phone, web log

Well I have been given a "fan-boy" title.  Since I have been writing about Google’s many products and features for a few weeks I was emailed recently and asked why I was such a Google Fanboy. 

I have used that term before (re: Apple) so figured this time I would look it up and online at Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.  MW said that a fanboy is a boy who is an enthusiastic devotee (as of comics or movies).  OK, I agree I am an enthusiastic devotee of Google and I sometimes wish I were a boy, so "sticks and stones…"  One very interesting thing I found was that the term was first used in 1919.  I wonder what they were fanboys of in those days… possibly the Treaty of Versailles or Lady Astor? 

OK, on to my next "fanboy" item.  Google has created a neat place to keep track of all the latest news, sports, weather, emails and on-and-on.  If you are a Gmail account owner you get this free and can customize it the way you like.  This "place" is called iGoogle (igoogle.com).

Go to the site and if you aren’t already logged into your Gmail, log into the site with your Gmail username/email address and password. 

Once logged into your account you get a default setting of iGoogle.  This default changes from time-to-time.  Today I saw four "gadgets"; the Weather for Chicago, current date and time, YouTube Spotlight Videos and CNN’s top stories.  These can all be edited, removed or rearranged on the page.  For instance you could change it from Chicago weather to your local zip code to get current weather happenings.

Gadgets are mini windows made by Google users which offer active content and can be placed on your iGoogle page.  They may be placed on any page you own.  Beware!  This is for the more adventurous only!  Check out DoubleClicks.info for samples.

My iGoogle page contains eight gadgets I like.  First is Google Latitude which shows all of my friends’ locations in Google maps if they choose to reveal them to me.  Next is a gadget showing my Gmail, followed by my calendar, RSS news feeds, local weather, movies currently running at my local theaters (with times, etc.), FOX News and last a How to of the Day. 

You can choose from thousands of different gadgets and take that literally…there are currently over 280,000 of them.  To install one you click the gadget link on your page, find one in the new window, open and click Install.  That’s all there is to it.

Now let’s get real, many of them are time wasters like adding a hamster on a wheel to your page or a spider that follows your cursor around. I just have to ask, why?   However, some of them are very beneficial for personal or business uses.

Set up your own iGoogle page and let me know which gadgets you like.

Tags: cnn, devotee, fanboy, Gmail, google, igoogle, lady astor, merriam webster, sticks and stones, treaty of versailles, weather