I have a confession, I love awards shows. I get really teary when someone gives a heartfelt speech, but my favourite moment at yesterday’s Oscars (apart from Heath winning his well deserved best supporting actor) was when Kate Winslett started thanking her parents, but didn’t know where they were sitting, so asked her dad to whistle… and he did. It was so great to see someone just acting like a real person for once! So in the vein of all things award shows, here are my top ten websites of the moment…

My top ten websites!

• 10. Amazon www.amazon.com – This site started as a one stop shop for both new and used books, but has now expanded to so much more. I use this site to order CDs that are hard to find in Aus, or movies that haven’t been released here yet! The site lists all their prices in US$, so you might need to go to www.xe.com (Universal Currency Converter) to see if it’s worth buying after the conversion, but I have picked up some great bargains, especially when the dollar was stronger
• 9. Google Maps www.maps.google.com.au – This is a great site for looking up where you need to go. It’s all very well that your GPS gives you directions, but how will you know what it looks like when you get there? By clicking on street view (if available) you can see what the address looks like from the street.
• 8. Tiny URL www.tinyurl.com – So often you want to send someone a website address, or post it in your facebook status update, but the website address is just too long. If you enter it in on this website, it gets shrunk to a much shorter and more manageable length.
• 7. Bureau of Meteorology Rainfall Radar mirror.bom.gov.au – This site is great for seeing what the weather is doing, and looks absolutely spectacular in a big storm. You can see how fast the rain is moving towards you, or check if it really is a good idea to head to The Entrance for that picnic. We always check it before heading up to the drive-in at Heddon Greta (www.drive-in.com.au)
• 6. 2Day FM www.2dayfm.com.au/player – This one is pretty self explanatory, crystal clear radio reception while you work.
• 5. Internet Movie Database www.imdb.com – So you know that you like Hugh Jackman, but you just can’t think of what movies he’s been in. Or you love the movie Schindler’s List, and want to see what other movies the director has made. Or you think that Kate Winslett and Leonardo di Caprio would be so good in a movie together, and want to know if that has happened. This is the site for you. Lists all people involved in the production of movies and tv shows, and is even starting to get quite a few Aussie shows up there too.
• 4. The Breast Cancer Site www.thebreastcancersite.com – The blurb from their site says: “Your click on the “Click Here to Give – it’s FREE” button helps fund free mammograms for women in need — low-income, inner-city and minority women whose awareness of breast cancer and opportunity for help is often limited. Your click is paid for by site sponsors, and mammogram funding is provided to clinics throughout the U.S. through the efforts of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.” I know it’s in the US, but every bit helps in the fight against breast cancer. You can sign up to get an email reminder every day, it only takes about a minute but I think it’s well worth it.
• 3. Facebook www.facebook.com – It seems like such a simple idea that people would get over very quickly, but these types of sites are taking the world by storm, I think because really we all want to connect. I visit my site countless times in a day, loving reading what my friends are up to, and tending my virtual green patch (no black thumbs in cyberspace!). I do warn, it can become very addictive, and you will probably start thinking of everything you do in short sentences for your status update!
• 2. Mail2Web www.mail2web.com – This site is so handy to remember, all you need is your email address and password, and you can check your email from any machine in the world! This is especially handy if you know your email program is getting stuck on one message that is too big to download, you can log into it here, read through it, and delete it so that your other mail can come through.

And the winner is…

• 1. MR LCD www.mrlcd.com.au – Well it will be very soon at least. We have been working with a fantastic web designer, and our new site will be going live sometime soon, and I am looking forward to hearing what you all think.

So there you have it, the 10 sites I visit and enjoy most. And in the interest of fairness, I though I would quickly list my 12 year old son’s top 3

1. Facebook www.facebook.com
2. Cartoon Dave www.cartoondave.com
3. Fantastic Contraption www.fantasticcontraption.com

Newsletter Offer

It is time to set up an automatic back up system for your important files and images. Until the end of February, have MR LCD install an external hard drive and set up an automatic back up for the all inclusive price of $242.*

Tell your friends

If you know someone that might be interested in this email, please forward it to them, using the link found at the bottom of this newsletter.

Don’t Forget

Don’t forget, we have reduced our rates for a limited time, and we will be returning to our regular rates soon, so get in quick.

Also, Laura is available for one-on-one tutoring at $55 for 45 minutes, please call for an appointment

Well here we are, 2009 already, and time to really get stuck into work.  Michael and I have had a great time over the school holidays hanging out with the kids, with the highlight being both of us getting our boat licences, and buying a very small and cheap run-about (you have to start somewhere!)

I hope over this year to bring you a helpful and informative newsletter once a month, filled with things to make your time on the computer as easy and painless as possible, to give you more time to spend doing the things you love!

How to get the best from your computer guy

There are many things that you can do *before* your computer guy comes to make sure that everything runs as smoothly (and quickly) as possible

1. Write Down Error Messages EXACTLY – This is a really important habit to get into.  It’s probably worth going to one of the back to school sales and buying a 2c exercise book to sit next to your computer.  When an error message pops up write down the date and time, and the exact message.  Often this message will only appear rarely, but if it starts to come up more often, you will need to let your computer guy know.  With it all documented in a book, you will be able to tell your computer guy how long the problem has been going on, and with the exact wording they will be able to find the solution much quicker and easier.  Make sure that you write down the entire message, as there can be messages which are worded similarly, but are actually very different problems.
2. Make a list of what you want looked at – Just the same as going to a doctor, you are quite likely to forget what you wanted looked at when your computer guy arrives.  If you write a list, then you can give it to them, and they can look at the list and put all the pieces together for a full diagnosis.  Often what you think may be the main problem can just be a symptom of a larger issue, and without all the information  it may be missed (eg. Telling the doctor that you have indigestion and forgetting to say that you have chest pains occasionally too)
3. Don’t wait until your computer completely dies – Too often we find that people ignore error messages for many weeks or even months, and it’s not until the computer won’t start that they call us out.  This is not the most cost effective solution, and can often lead to losing all of your information that you had saved on your computer, and many hours of repair time.  If you start to think that something may be playing up on your computer, that is the time to call, and your computer guy may be able to give you a simple solution over the phone, or simply come out for a short visit.  It is also worth considering regular maintenance for your computer.  Just as you send your car to the mechanic regularly, regular check ups for your computer can help to ensure the healthy running of your system.
4. Back Up, Back Up, Back Up – I cannot stress this enough.  If you have valuable files on your computer, such as business documents, your baby’s first smile, or great-grandma’s last family photo, you really need to back them up.  The simplest and easiest way to do this is with an external drive, that you can back up to every time you finish working on your computer.  This will ensure that if some freak accident occurs, you should still be able to recover all those important files.  It is also probably worth considering keeping two back ups, one you keep onsite in case anything goes wrong, and one (such as a CD) with the truly irreplaceable files that you keep at your parent’s house or a trusted friend just in case something dreadful such as fire or flood strikes.

If you follow these few steps, your computer guy will be able to do the work that your computer needs in as little time as possible.

Newsletter Offer

It is time to set up an automatic back up system for your important files and images. Until the end of February, have MR LCD install an external hard drive and set up an automatic back up for the all inclusive price of $242.*

Tell your friends

If you know someone that might be interested in this email, please forward it to them, using the link found at the bottom of this newsletter.

Don’t Forget

Don’t forget, we have reduced our rates for a limited time, and we will be returning to our regular rates soon, so get in quick.

Also, Laura is available for one-on-one tutoring at $55 for 45 minutes, please call for an appointment

We hope you and your family have a Happy and Safe Christmas and hope that 2009 will be filled with exciting new adventures.

From Michael and Laura @ MR LCD

We will be open every week day over the Christmas break, except for Christmas Day and New Years Day

You may have heard about a security threat to Microsoft Internet Explorer where your online gaming details could possibly be captured and used by someone else to access your gaming accounts.  This obviously could have easily led to other personal information being captured such as banking details.

Microsoft have released an update this morning which will resolve this issue.  Please make sure you run an update this morning.  You can do this through the Windows Update on your computer, or by clicking HERE

Tell your friends

If you know someone that might be interested in this email, please forward it to them, using the link found at the bottom of this newsletter.

If you have any questions, or need to be talked through any of this process, please call Michael on 1300 4 67523 or 04270 67523

Christmas Trading Hours

We will be open every week day over the Christmas break, except for Christmas Day and New Years Day.

MR LCD understands how tough things are at the moment.

As a goodwill gesture to our clients we are reducing our hourly rate pricing from $121 ph to $99.00 ph.

We assure you our quality of service and performance will not drop, as a matter of fact we will perform smarter because that’s what is needed at this time. We look forward to your continued support in the tough times ahead.

Regards,
Michael and Laura

Tell your friends

If you know someone that might be interested in this email, please forward it to them, using the link found at the bottom of this newsletter.

Thank you to all our loyal readers.    I have really appreciated your feedback on these newsletters, and hope that I can continue to give you information that is helpful.  Our exciting news is that MR LCD turns 5 in November.  While we actually started the business in July 2003, November 2003 was when Michael left full time employment to put all his time into MR LCD.  So to all our customers, and especially the ones who have been with us from the very beginning, we say thank you for the support that you have given us over the past 5 years, and we look forward to looking after you for many years to come!!

Keyboard Shortcuts

So you have to sit down and write a letter, but keep avoiding it because you know that the process is going to take some time, especially trying to find the different menu options that you need as you work.  The good news is that there are quite a few simple keyboard shortcuts that will help you get through the task quickly.  A lot of them use the control key (Ctrl) in conjunction with another letter key.  These both need to be pressed at the same time.

Here is a list of a few simple shortcuts for Microsoft Word:

• Ctrl S = Save. If you have not yet saved the document, it will open the save as window.  If you have already named the document in save as, it will just save the document.  This is perfect for making sure that you don’t lose any information if something goes wron, such as a power out.  Try to remember Ctrl S every time you hit enter!!
• Ctrl P = Print. This will open the print window so you can choose the options to print.  Of course, if you just want to use the default settings, hit enter straight away
• Ctrl N = New. This will open a new, blank document
• Ctrl O = Open. This will open the window to select which existing file you want to open
• Ctrl B = Bold.  This will “turn on or off” bold.  Anything you type after pressing Ctrl B will be in bold, until you press Ctrl B again to stop.  You can also highlight a section and press Ctrl B, and the highlighted section will be made bold.
• Ctrl I = Italics.  Same as Bold, but will put the text in italics.
• Ctrl U = Underline. Same as Bold and Italics, but will underline the text.
• Ctrl C = Copy. Highlight a section and this will copy the text
• Ctrl X = Cut.  Highlight section and this will cut or remove the text
• Ctrl V  =Paste. This will insert at the cursor any copied or cut text
• Ctrl W  =Close. This will close the document.  If you have not saved the document, you will be prompted to do so.

Hope fully these few tips will help you spend less time next time you have to create a Word Document!

Newsletter Offer

If you would like individualised training on your computer at home at a time that suits you, call MR LCD. Laura will come and sit with you and talk through what you would like to learn, and guide you through steps to make your computer use simple and easy!! $55 for 45 minutes, or buy a block of 10 for $500. Call Michael 1300 4 MRLCD (67523) and leave a message, and Laura will call you back, or call Laura directly on 0413 318 837.

New Banking Details

We have changed Banks, we decided it was time for some happy banking! Can you please update your internet banking to our new bank details:

Account Name is still MR LCD
BSB 302975
Account 0005029

We will keep our old account temporarily while we make the transition, but please update as soon as possible to make sure payments don’t go missing!

MR LCD is now on Facebook

We have set up a facebook group called MR LCD.  Please feel free to come check it out, and post any suggestions for future newsletters, and ask any simple questions you have, and we will answer them as quickly as possible.

Tell your friends

If you know someone that might be interested in this email, please forward it to them, using the link found at the bottom of this newsletter.

Spring has sprung, so it’s time to spring clean, and even your computer can benefit!!

Firstly- check that your virus and spyware protection programs are up to date.  New viruses are written daily, so an antivirus or spyware program that is only one month out of date can miss many of the new viruses or spyware.  For spyware, there is no need to spend money on this, as Microsoft provide an excellent free one called Windows Defender.  For the latest version go to Windows Defender.  For antivirus, we use and recommend CA antivirus.  Make sure if purchasing that you buy only the anti-virus, not the complete security suite, as you will be paying for elements that aren’t needed and will slow your computer.  Go to our links page CA Antivirus.

Secondly- uninstall games and programs that are no longer used.  Make sure that you uninstall them instead of just deleting.  Many of these programs imbed information into your computer that isn’t removed when you simply delete.  Be careful what you start uninstalling though, as something you don’t recognise could be a vital program for the running of your computer, and uninstalling it could make things stop working.  If you are unsure, make a quick call to MR LCD and we can usually tell you if it sounds like a system component.  If there are programs that you have deleted in the past and not uninstalled, they could be one reason why your computer could be running slowly.  As removing this involves going into parts of your computer that can seriously affect the running of your system, I suggest getting MR LCD to come and clean it up instead of potentially damaging your operating system.

Thirdly- Get your computer off the carpet.  So much dust ends up inside your computer as it is, but sitting directly on the carpet can increase this, and also increase the likelihood of overheating.  If there is nowhere else for your computer than on the floor, place it on a plank of wood or something to raise it up slightly and allow the air to flow around it. The best possible thing is to have 10cm between the base of the tower and the floor.

Newsletter Offer

Sick of having cables running through your house so everyone’s computer can use the internet?  Like to be able to sit out in the yard in this glorious sunshine instead of being stuck inside near a phone line?  You need to configure your home with wireless.  Until 31st October, you can have MR LCD supply, install and configure a wireless ADSL modem/router and USB Wireless adapter in your home for $198.  This includes modem/router (RRP $99), wireless adapter (RRP $55) and one hour onsite setup.  ($165 For router and setup without wireless adapter)

New Banking Details

We have changed Banks, we decided it was time for some happy banking! Can you please update your internet banking to our new bank details:

Account Name is still MR LCD
BSB 302975
Account 0005029

We will keep our old account temporarily while we make the transition, but please update as soon as possible to make sure payments don’t go missing!

Tell your friends

If you know someone that might be interested in this email, please forward it to them, using the link found at the bottom of this newsletter.

We are getting so many calls at the moment from people who have clicked on the XP Antivirus 2008 installer.  PLEASE IGNORE THIS POPUP AND USE THE X IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE BOX TO CLOSE THE WINDOW.  Then run Windows Defender and your antivirus software to remove the spyware from your computer.  This is an extremely viscious spyware and can do a lot of damage to your computer.  If you are in anyway unsure, please call Michael immediately on 1300 4 67523 or 04270 67523.

Antivirus XP 2008

Antivirus XP 2008 - Click for larger view

It is always best not to click on popups, so if one pops up that you think is from one of your legitimate programs, click the X to close it, then open that program and check from there if it was a real message.  MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE OPENING WINDOWS DEFENDER, as this program also uses the castle symbol.  So many of these security warnings are actually very clever ways to infect your computer.

And as always, DO NOT OPEN AN EMAIL MESSAGE THAT YOU DON’T RECOGNISE.  Turn off your preview pane and always instantly delete suspicious emails.  Two at the moment that are very hard to distinguish are the undelivered mail message, and the UPS package undeliverable.

Please let everyone know

This latest spyware threat is affecting everyone.  Please forward this message to your friends to keep their computer safe.

Wow it’s been so very long since I sent a message to you all, and for that I apologise.  There will be a new message from me in your inbox next month, filled with all the usual info, but for now here is a speciall offer just for you!

Newsletter Offer

We have managed to secure a UPS (one only) for the amazing price of $1540 delivered and installed.  This unit retails for over $2200.

So what is a UPS and why would you need one? An Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is a device that sits between a power supply (e.g. a wall outlet) and a device (e.g. a computer) to prevent undesired features of the power source (outages, surges, etc.) from the supply adversely affecting the performance of the device.

A UPS has internal batteries to guarantee that continuous power is provided to the equipment even if the power source stops providing power. Of course the UPS can only provide power for a while, typically a few minutes, but that is often enough to ride out power company glitches or short outages. Even if the outage is longer than the battery lifetime of the UPS, this provides the opportunity to execute an orderly shutdown of the equipment. Advantages:

1. Computer jobs don’t stop because the power fails.
2. Users not inconvenienced by computer shutting down.
3. Equipment does not incur the stress of another (hard) power cycle.
4. Data isn’t lost because a machine shut down without properly shutting down.

So act now!  Call Michael on 1300 4 MR LCD to arrange for him to install the UPS now.  As mentioned earlier, there is only one unit, so get in quick to ensure you don’t miss out.

New Banking Details

We have changed Banks, we decided it was time for some happy banking! Can you please update your internet banking to our new bank details:

Account Name is still MR LCD
BSB 302975
Account 0005029

We will keep our old account temporarily while we make the transition, but please update as soon as possible to make sure payments don’t go missing!

Tell your friends

If you know someone that might be interested in this email, please forward it to them, using the link found at the bottom of this newsletter.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thank you for your support this year, and we look forward to working with you in the year to come.

MR LCD will be operating throughout the holiday period, and will only be closed on 25th & 26th December and 1st & 2nd January

From the Team @ MR LCD