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Welcome to this week's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, February 17, 2008
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Social Security Scam Targets Seniors
Tips & Tricks: Google Stock Watch
This Week's Topic: Windows Vista - Change Desktop Color
Question: Attaching a File to an Email – Yahoo
Question: Changing the Desktop Picture in Windows XP
Websites of Interest: Presidents Day; Top Ten Most Expensive Cars in the World; Fruits and Veggies; Smithsonian Photography
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Special Feature: Social Security Scam Targets Seniors
The following is from consumeraffairs.com
The new year has produced a new scam targeted at seniors. Called "the Social Security Scam," a telemarketer attempts to elicit an elderly person's bank account and Social Security numbers.
A number of the reports have surfaced nationwide, indicating that either the scam has been "syndicated" among criminals or that it is a large, sophisticated operation.
The common factor is a caller who claims to be an employee of the Social Security Administration, and who tells the victim they are due to receive new Social Security cards. In some cases they may be told they are entitled to free "medical" cards.
The caller tells the victim they need to verify some personal information. Included in the questions are requests for personal information that can be used to steal the victim's identity.
"This is particularly disturbing since the ploy can often trick people into thinking they must comply or face difficulties later if they don't receive a new social security card," Indiana Attorney General Steve Carter said. "Remember, the federal government and legitimate businesses will not ask you for bank account or social security numbers over the phone."
The Social Security Administration, meanwhile, warns senior citizens not to give personal information to any caller claiming to be from the government. Carter warns seniors to guard their personal and financial information carefully from unsolicited callers.
"Bad things can happen when the wrong people get a hold of social security, bank account, and credit card numbers," he said. "Accounts can be drained before you realize what has happened, and fraudulent credit established under your name. Rectifying these events can take several years and hundreds of dollars."
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Tips & Tricks: Google Stock Watch
Google Finance can provide you with a current price on any stock publicly traded.
To use this feature, open your Internet browser (Internet Explorer) and maneuver to the Google website. In the Search box, type in the word stock and then the symbol of the stock you want to look up. Click the Search button.
The results will show you the current Open, High and Low prices along with a chart showing the stock’s trend.
Look through the rest of the results and you’ll find websites where you can get more information on the company.
Watch for next week’s newsletter for more Google Tips and Tricks!
Visit our archives for the Google Tips and Tricks we featured in previous editions of our newsletter:
Google Dictionary
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/021008.html
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Today's Topic: Windows Vista - Change Desktop Color
Question: How can I change the color of my desktop?
Answer:
Click the Start Orb (that’s the round button, bottom left on the taskbar, with the Windows logo on it). Open Control Panel. In the Control Panel window that you now see, click Change Desktop Background which you will find in the Appearance and Personalization section.
Click the small down arrow to the right of Picture Location. A menu will display; click on Solid Colors. Scroll through the colors to find the one you would like to use for the desktop. Click on it to select it.
Click the OK button. Your desktop background will now be the color you selected.
Visit our newsletter archives to learn how to put one of your photographs on the desktop.
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/021008.html
Visit our newsletter archives to learn how to change the desktop color in Windows XP
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/021107.html
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Question: Attaching a File to an Email – Yahoo
Can you tell me how to attach a file?
Answer:
Open Internet Explorer and sign on to your Yahoo account as usual. Once you are in your Inbox, click the Compose button. This will open a New Mail window.
Click the Attach Files button, which will then display the Attach Files page. Click the Browse button next to File 1.
You will now see the list of folders and files on your computer. Look for and open the folder that contains the file you want to attach to your email. When you find the file, click it to select it and then click the Open button.
You’ll see the filename to the right of File 1. if you would like to attach more files to this email, click the Browse button next to File 2, and so on up to five files. When you’re done attaching files, click the Attach Files button.
You will see a progress bar. Once Yahoo is done processing the files, you will see a message that the file has been attached. If you are finished selecting the files you would like to attach, click the Continue to Message button.
Create your email as usual. When you are done, click the Send button as usual. The email, along with your attached files, will be sent to the recipient.
Please watch upcoming editions of this newsletter to learn how to attach files to other email programs.
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Question: Changing the Desktop Picture in Windows XP
My daughter sent me a picture of my grandchildren. I would like to put this picture on my desktop like I’ve seen other people do on their computers. Would you tell me how to do this? Thank you very much.
Answer:
Right click on a blank area on your desktop. Left click on Properties.
You will see the Display Properties dialog. Click on the Desktop tab at the top of the dialog box.
Click the Browse button. Maneuver to the folder where you have saved the picture you want to use on the desktop. Click on the filename of the picture; click the Open button.
Choose the Position of the picture – center, stretch or tile. Take a look at the preview; choose the position that looks best.
Click the OK button. You should now see your picture on the desktop.
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Websites of Interest:
Presidents Day
Tomorrow is Presidents Day. Visit our website for links to sites with biographies, timelines, articles, e-cards and much more.
http://computerkindergarten.com/html/presidents.html
Top Ten Most Expensive Cars in the World
Visit this website to see some automotive masterpieces.
http://tinyurl.com/334kys
Fruits and Veggies
This website is a produce encyclopedia where you can find nutritional information, cooking and shopping tips, recipes, and everything else you ever wanted or needed to know about fruits and vegetables.
http://www.fruitandveggieguru.com/
Smithsonian Photography
At this website, you can take a look at all of the wonderful and amazing photographs from the tremendous collections in the museum’s archives.
http://photography.si.edu/ |
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