Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – The Move To Digital TV

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This week we are talking about The Move To Digital TV.

D-day is February 18th this year. That is the day all TV signals will be digital only.

So what does that mean for you? If you currently get your TV stations through either cable or satellite, you do not need to do anything. If you only use in indoor or outdoor antenna to get your TV signal, you need to act fast or your TV will not work after February 18th.

If you need to upgrade to digital TV you can get a converter box that will allow your TV to continue working after February 18th. The box cost from $50.00 up. You can request a coupon worth $40.00 toward the converter box from www.dtv2009.gov or call 888-388-2009. Recent news is that the government has run out of coupons. It may be worth your time to try anyway. You never know or find someone who has not used their coupon. The coupons, if you can find one, do have an expiration date.

With the converter box your old TV should work. You should not need to buy a new TV. However if the converter box doesn't work, you may need a new antenna. Digital signals are all or nothing. That means if the signal is too weak you will see nothing on you TV. If you got the channel before you may need a new digital antenna to get it now.

Of course you could sign up for cable or satellite TV and not need the converter. All of that is covered by the cable or satellite company's equipment. But if your TV is really old, you may be forced to buy a new one.

President elect Obama has asked for a delay in the mandatory change over to digital signals. So the February 18 deadline may be postponed. We will have to wait and see.

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Update

After we finished recording this post, we discovered that the transition date will most likely be posponed.  For more information go to http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=133683

Dr. Bee Boomer

Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – The Cloud

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This week we are talking about The Cloud.

Cloud computing has gotten a lot of press lately. There are new small inexpensive computers that are designed for "cloud computing". So what is cloud computing?

Simply it is using the Internet for all of your needs. For example if you need to write a paper, you could use Google Doc's and it is saved on the Internet. This of the Internet as your own hard drive and program platform.

The biggest advantage to the user is that most of the applications are free and you could use your smart phone. So you have access to your work 24 hours a day every day of the year as long as you have an Internet connection.

That is why the new smaller computers designed for cloud computing are so cheap. They don't need a lot of power, the Internet supplies all the power you need.

So consider cloud computing for yourself, family, business. Yes it could work for your business too. Soon you will not need a large IT department only a high speed reliable Internet connection.

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Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – Botnets

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This week we are talking about Botnets.

If you place a new computer on the Internet that is not protected with the latest firewalls, malware cleaner and operating system, on average it takes 5 minutes for it to be captured and taken over by a botnet. Even with the best protection, your computer could be taken over. A test of the best leading PC security suites, the best only detected 64 of the 300 software vulnerabilities. That make it possible for a botnet to take over a machine.

These botnets are responsible for the majority of e-mail spam, stealing financial information, and installing malicious software on PC's.

The best solution is a world wide solution that involves all private and public networks. This may happen in time but it is still a long way off.

The best that we can do is keep your operating system up to date at all times and use a top rated security suite on your PC.

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Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – Computers and the Older Boomer

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This week we are talking about Computers and the Older Boomer.

According to a recent survey only 74% of people between ages 50-64 use computers. If you happen to be older the percentage drops to 38%. In the current state of the economy many older adults will need to find a part-time or full-time job to help make "retirement" happen. Do you have the necessary computer skills?

You need computer skills just to apply for many jobs. Many employers want applicants to apply online. So not only do they require computer skills for the job but also to apply for the job.

So if you need computer skills and need to learn or upgrade your knowledge of computers, where can you find classes? Start with your local community college. Many community colleges have classes designed to help job seekers learn the skills they need to find a job. Also look at www.seniornet.com and the www.AARP.com online if you have a computer, Internet access and the skills to search.

Don't be discouraged and don't be afraid if you need a job and don't have computer skills. There are places most likely in your own community where you can learn the skills you need.

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Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – The 30 Year Light Bulb

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This week we are talking about The 30 Year Light Bulb

Per Wikipedia – The world's longest lasting light bulb is the Centennial Light located in Livermore, California. It is maintained by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. The fire department claims that the bulb is at least 107 years old and has only been turned off a handful of times.

The bulb we are discussing was designed by Frog Design. They were looking for a more acceptable light bulb design that was more environmentally friendly then the CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps).

CFLs use ballast, which contains mercury, electronics and plastic housings. Most consumers just throw fluorescents out with the trash, even though they should be disposed of as toxic waste. CFLs are not dimmable. In addition, the form and cold color of CFLs keep them from being widely accepted as a replacement to the incandescent bulb.

Frog Design arrived at a concept that offers better energy efficiency than CFLs without the toxic mercury, provides a desirable light quality and dimming capability, and fits into the socket connection of the incandescent—all in a package that will last 30 years.

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Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – Hotels and Technology

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This week we are talking about Hotels and Technology.

Hotels realize that in today's technocentric world, they need to meet the technology needs of its guests. And it must meet those needs in ways that are easy to use.

Sheraton has partnered with Microsoft to create the "Link@Sheraton" lounges. these lounges are in the lobby and equipped with public computers so you can check your email, print boarding passes and record video greeting to send to family and friends.

Other hotel groups have similar partnerships with technology companies. This can be a win-win for both. The hotel can show off the new and easy to use technology and the technology company can show off and test its newest offerings.

But computer lounges are not the only new technology offerings. Some hotels are testing home automation in their rooms. You can control the temperature, lights , blinds, TV and other items from a simple console.

The secret is to make it easy to use. If it is not easy the guests will not use it. But if it works the hotels brand is improved.

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Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – Disappearing Ink

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This week we are talking about Disappearing Ink.

Xerox has developed a new paper with self-erasing properties. This "Erasable Paper" slowly fades back to its original state within 24 hours. With 40% of all print outs discarded every day, this paper could come in handy and save money. Once it has faded back to blank, it can be used again. Recycling time is just 24 hours.

This paper is still in research stages and not available. However if it was available, when would you use it? What do you want to keep beyond 24 hours and which paper is in your printer? Keeping track could become quite a problem.

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Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – Some Computer User Tips

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This week we are talking about Some Computer User Tips.

1. Double click any word to highlight it
2. If you get a message from some institution you belong to stating you have a problem with your account, don't click on the link. This may be a trick to steal information from you. Instead go into your account by manually typing in the URL and see if you really have a problem.
3. No one is going to give you $80 million
4. You can go to the desk top immediately by striking the windows + D keys or on the Mac the F11 key. Pressing them again will bring you back to where you were.
5. You can enlarge web text size by pressing the control key and + or -. On the Mac its the command key and + or -
6. Scroll up or down a web page by using the space bar to go down and the shift key plus space bar to go up.
7. If you are filing out a web for (address etc) use the tab key to move to the next field or the shift plus tab to go backwards
8. When searching the web using say Google, place quotes around your terms to get better results
9. You can switch between open programs by pressing the alt + tab keys or the command+Tab on the Mac
10. Putting something in the recycle bin does not delete it. You must empty the recycle bin to delete it.

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Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Health – Hospitalist

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This week we are talking about Hospitalist.

But first an announcement. Podcast For Boomers is proud to announce our new newsletter. You can sign up now to receive your copy of the newsletter by email. We will be starting in November and publishing it monthly. We have invited a number of guest columnist to write articles for the newsletter each month. So don't miss out on the new newsletter and sign up for your copy on Podcast For Boomers.com.

Who are they and what do they do? A hospitalist is a medical provider who is trained to care for hospitalized patients. Unlike your primary care provider, a hospitalist does not have an office practice. The hospitalist office is the hospital. So if you are admitted to the hospital you may be cared for by a hospitalist. Ask your primary care provider before you are admitted to determine who will care for your while you are in the hospital.

Hospitalist's are in the hospital all the time. If you have an acute need, you don't have to wait until your primary care provider is finished office hours.

And they are experts in transferring patients between facilities if that becomes necessary. They can make the transfer much smoother for the patient and his/her family.

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Welcome to this weeks edition of Baby Boomer Technology – Your Communication Skills

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This week we are talking about – Your Communication Skills.

But first an announcement. Podcast For Boomers is proud to announce our new newsletter. You can sign up now to receive your copy of the newsletter by email. We will be starting in November and publishing it monthly. We have invited a number of guest columnist to write articles for the newsletter each month. So don't miss out on the new newsletter and sign up for your copy on Podcast For Boomers.com.

Dr. Pentland of M.I.T. has developed software to detect and analyze your communication skills. He uses special smart phones or patches that are filled with receivers. Finding that the results are different from the usual survey is not unusual as most of us have biases when recounting a conversation. So with is unbiased data he can determine if you tend to interrupt others, dominate meetings with monologues or appear inattentive when others are talking.

This data can be used to improve your communication skills by showing your tendencies and you deciding to correct it. This is particularly important if your communication style leads to unproductive workplace dynamics.

What if in the future this software could be used to screen calls on our smart phone? Now that might be handy.

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Until the next time, this is your host Dr. Bee Boomer and Denise Boomer saying good bye!