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Give Your Laptop and Smartphone a Spring Cleaning
Clean It Out
The first thing you’ll want to do is clear out the riff-raff—unused programs and browser extensions, obsolete registry entries, and expired permissions. Uninstall unused and under-utilized programs on your desktop and laptop systems, clear out forgotten apps from your mobile devices (Sorry, Angry Birds Rio). Give your registry a scrubbing with CC Cleaner, a free program for both Windows and Mac, that will clear old registry entries (for PCs) as well as empty recycle bins, zero out recent document lists, and erase a variety of browser information—Temporary files, history, cookies, download history, form history—from the major browsers.
Also be sure to take a look through your browser’s extensions list and remove any rarely used features. The same goes for Google users: Go to your Google account’s security screen, select the “Connected applications and sites” option from the bottom of the list, and nix any old devices that you no longer own or operate.
12 easy PC tasks you should be doing (but aren’t)
PCWorld – Computers may have become a lot more user-friendly over the past decade, but they’re still far from perfect—PCs require a certain amount of configuration and maintenance to operate at their full potential. Unfortunately, because we humans are also far from perfect, we frequently don’t put in the work we should, and we end up with a slower, sloppier, less secure machine as a result.
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No more excuses! Whipping your PC into the best shape it can be requires but a dozen simple tasks. None are complicated, most take a matter of minutes, and all will have a major effect on how well your computer works for you. Even better, by the time you’re finished you’ll never have to worry about doing many of these tasks again.
Clean the case, keys, and display
The first task is the most basic: Are you keeping your computer clean? It’s not just important because a dirty PC looks gross, or is less pleasant to use. Simply put, a clean computer can last longer. Dirt and dust buildup in and around your computer can clog the fans and air intakes, causing your hardware to run hotter, which lowers its expected life span. So if your PC is looking a little musty, take the time to clean it.
To do so, you need to have only a few things on hand: a Phillips-head screwdriver, a can of compressed air, paper towels, and rubbing alcohol.
Once you’re ready to begin, shut down your computer, unplug it, and move it somewhere with a little open space in which to maneuver. Look on the back panel, and find the screws that hold the case’s side panels in place. Unscrew them—making sure to put them someplace safe—and remove the side panels, usually by sliding them backward and then pulling them away. If you haven’t cleaned the computer in a long time, you should immediately see some areas where dust has collected.
You’re likely to find the most dust bunnies on the fans inside the computer and on the vents outside. You can remove a lot of dust simply by wiping the fans gently with a paper towel, and by using a lightly dampened paper towel on the vents. Once you’ve wiped away any piled-up dust, use the can of compressed air to blow the dust out of the inside of any heat sinks, such as the one attached to the CPU or the graphics card. Use the air to clean out remaining dust from the system’s various fans too, but be careful: A sustained blast of air can overspin the fan, damaging it. Either use short bursts of air or hold the fan with your finger to prevent it from spinning. Afterward, clean out any other dust you see inside the case. More
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So you’ve already used up the phrase “My #firstpost on Vine.” Now what? We’ll show you how to make it in Twitter’s new video-sharing vineyard.
ETF Talk: Energize Your Portfolio
Eagle Daily Investor – To build upon last week’s ETF Talk theme of sectors that offer steady and consistent growth, albeit generally at a slow pace, this week’s article focuses on the energy sector. People always need to use energy. With the rapid development of countries such as China, worldwide demand for energy should continue to increase. An exchange-traded fund (ETF) that includes a heavy concentration of gasoline companies is PowerShares Dynamic Energy Exploration & Production (PXE).
This non-diversified fund seeks investment results which, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the price and yield of the Dynamic Energy Exploration & Production IntellidexSM Index. That index is composed of stocks from 30 U.S. companies involved in the exploration and production of natural resources used to produce energy.
PXE had a strong year in 2012, rising 22%, and it’s up almost 2% in just the first few weeks this year. It also offers an annual yield of 2.13%. Thus, PXE gives investors income, as well as the potential of capital appreciation from its rising share price. The demand for energy, including oil, continues to rise both at home and abroad. With that trend intact, look for the steady gains of PXE to continue.
Turn your flash drive into a portable PC survival kit
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Plug your travel itinerary into Jet Lag Rooster’s calculator and it will give you tips to cut down on fatigue when you arrive at your destination.
Hot Trends, Sectors and Jobs: What You Need to Get Hired Next Year
Fox Business – Despite the nation’s unemployment rate remaining at elevated levels, there are some industries straining to hire qualified workers.
The 2008 financial crisis changed the economic landscape and the way companies and employers staff their payrolls. A flagging economy and the declining demand for products and services are causing companies to really fight for relevancy and growth, says Gary Burnison, CEO of recruiting firm Korn/Ferry International
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Remaining relevant in this economy is every company’s challenge right now, says Jody Miller, Business Talent Group’s chairman and CEO—a battle they must win by developing innovative products, penetrating new markets and expanding core assets.
Job seekers need to recognize this shift in the labor market and use it to their advantage to secure employment. Companies are creating new positions and, in many instances, putting a heavier emphasis on cross-industry expertise and experience, and candidates need to prove they can meet the new requirements.
Homeowners: How to Sniff Out Price Gouging
How to Sniff Out Price Gouging on Home Repairs
Fox Business – Natural disaster victims tend to want to start rebuilding their home as soon as possible, but they need to be wary of unscrupulous contractors and price gouging.
Although most people are genuinely looking to offer genuine assistance, disasters also tend to attract scammers looking to pretty on vulnerable homeowners by overcharging for repairs and projects.
To prevent becoming a victim of price gouging, experts say the first line of defense is to fight the urge to barrel full steam ahead and instead adopt a slow and steady approach. “Even though you’re stressed and want to repair your storm damage right way, the best thing you can do is take a deep breath and be patient,” says Angie’s List founder Angie Hicks. “The best contractors in town are going to be busy, but they’re worth the wait and they’ll likely prioritize jobs to get to the worst damage first.”
This Blue Chip Stock Yields 8.4%… But I Doubt You’ve Ever Heard Of It
Townhall Finance – With interest rates near 0% and traditional income investments like savings accounts and certificates of deposits (CDs) earning next to nothing, blue chip telecom stocks like AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) have become wildly popular.
That makes sense. Telecom is a “recession-proof” industry. Regardless of what’s happening with the economy, people will still need cell phones and cable TV. And with both stocks yielding close to 4.5%, both companies look like a good choice for income investors in search of high yields.
But there’s a problem. As with a lot of American blue chips, these stocks look expensive right now. AT&T and Verizon sport P/E ratios of 16 and 20, respectively — well above the S&P 500s historical average of 15.
And while a 4.5% dividend yield might seem like a lot, in the telecom industry, you can find much higher yields… and at a much better price.
For example, I’ve found a telecom that’s currently yielding 8.4%. It enjoys the same competitive advantages as both AT&T & Verizon, and better yet… it’s trading at a P/E ratio of 10.5 — making it a much better value than AT&T or Verizon.
But you’ve probably never considered this company. In fact, I doubt you’ve ever heard of it.
That’s because the company — Telefonica Brazil (NYSE: VIV) — isn’t based in the United States. But before you dismiss this as just another “risky foreign stock,” hear me out…
As one of two Brazilian fixed-line operators, Telefonica Brazil is one of the largest players in the business. The company has 11 million fixed-line clients, 3.5 million broadband users and 680,000 pay-TV subscribers.
Spring cleaning tips for your Android device
Learn how to do some spring cleaning on your Android device and improve your user experience.
Spring cleaning is about more than actual cleaning — it’s about getting a fresh start. The latter of these can simply mean changing things around so that the experience feels new. Here are some of the cleaning basics for your Android device, and also some tips on how to make other parts you can’t change feel a bit of that spring rejuvenation.
Clean out space for new stuff
We all have too much “stuff,” as the famous comedian George Carlin told us, and chances are that you can afford to get rid of some of it.
-Remember that app you tried and didn’t like? Or the game your friend suggested that you couldn’t get into? Start removing Android apps and games you haven’t used or played in quite a while. If you change your mind later, just redownload them!
-Often, an app will create a folder and configuration file with user data that gets left behind after an uninstall. Grab a file explorer app like Astro File Manager, which will let you explore the data folders created by apps, to get rid of these.
-You may not realize it, but your Call Log and SMS history can eat up a more than healthy portion of memory. Cleaning them out will not only make these apps run more efficiently, but other apps will, too.History Eraser for Android can do the work for you, if you’re not sure how.
-If data consumption isn’t an issue, or you often find yourself on a Wi-Fi connection, there’s no reason you can’t move some of your files off your device to the cloud. Get your data migration started with apps like Dropbox and Google Music.
-The previous suggestions not enough to make your Android feel faster? There’s always the option of performing a Master reset on your device, which will erase ALL apps and data.
