It's almost summer...

Memorial Day has passed. It's the unofficial start of summer! Even though summer doesn't really begin until June 21st, here in the Pacific Northwest, we've had such a wet spring, we are especially looking forward to some warm sunny weather. So break out the barbeque, dust off the lawn furniture and pull out the croquet set! But, before you do...

It's not too late for spring cleaning!

We're still a couple of weeks from the start of summer. If you haven't yet done your spring cleaning, it's not too late! No, not your house or your apartment, but your computer running any version of Microsoft Windows. Just like with your car or lawnmower, regular maintenance will go a long ways towards keeping your computer running efficiently.

If you’re like most people, chances are you’ve had your computer for quite some time and have never opened the case and looked inside. Well, now’s the time. If you have a desktop computer, take the case off. Notice all that dust that’s accumulated around the fan and other components. That dust acts as an insulator, causing heat buildup. Heat is your computer’s enemy. A system that runs cool runs longer. Purchase a can of compressed air and blow all that dust out of your computer. Make sure there’s nothing obstructing the vents on the case, and make sure the fan inside spins freely. Blow air through all of the vents on the computer, and in the drive bays as well.  Once you’ve cleaned everything out you can put the case back on.

If you have a laptop computer, you don’t want to open the case and do that sort of cleaning. However, you can take the compressed air and clean out the vents under it. In addition you can blow the air across the keyboards.

Now you can clean your computer screen (laptop or desktop). Be careful cleaning it. Excess moisture can actually get under the LED panel and distort the screen. Don’t spray a cleaner directly on the screen. Your best option is to purchase cleaning cloths especially made for LED screens. (By the way, that’s also a great way to clean your large-screen TV!)

Next, it’s time to address the programs in your computer... 

Read the rest of the article here...

Wot r u txtN 2day?

dz dis l%k weird 2 you? cn u evn read it? f ur comfy readN dis, thN ur familiar W txtN.

No, The Computer Psychic didn’t just have a stroke. I meant to type the above paragraph that way. For those of you not into texting, here’s what it says:

Does this look strange to you? Can you even read it? If you’re comfortable reading this, then you are familiar with texting.

If you have kids – and if they have cellphones – odds are they text more than they talk on them. But what is all that gobblygoop they type? It’s simply a form of shorthand that makes texting on a telephone keypad quicker and easier. And, even though they may not admit it, they also think it’s “cool” to text like that.

It’s pretty easy to decipher text-speak. You simply read the characters as they look. For example, take a look at the title of this article. It translates into “What are you texting today?” In addition to this shorthand, there are many acronyms these darn kids today use as well. Following are just a few:

And, once again proving that you can find anything at all on the internet, check out the Lingo to English translator.

So, now that you know all bout texting, put dwn yr keybord, pik ^ yr ph, n gt txtN!

Watch Your Credit Score Online

Seems like everyone’s concerned with what their credit score is these days. Why I remember when we didn’t even have credit scores! We saved up for something, and paid cash! – Oops, sorry – was channeling my grandfather there for a bit.

The reality is, these days a good credit score can not only save you money on a car loan, mortgage and insurance, but it might dictate whether or not you get an apartment or even a job!

With so much riding on your credit score, it only makes sense to monitor it regularly. Fortunately, the internet makes it easy to do that.

First of all, forget FreeCreditReport.com. That’s the one we all hear about on the radio and TV. However, if you sign up with them, you’ll find the credit report is only free if you subscribe to their monthly monitoring service. And that’s not free! Here are some other resources you can use to monitor your credit score, and they really are free!

Credit Karma – Their easy to read reports and graphs allow you to track your credit score from month to month. In addition, they offer free tools and advice to improve your score.

Quizzle – As their tagline says: Don’t guess. Know. This easy to use website not only gives you your credit score, but also your full credit report, home value, and tools and tips.

AnnualCreditReport.com – This website was created as mandated by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. It is operated by the big three credit reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Under the rules of the act, you are able to receive one free credit report per year from each agency. This means you can log in once every four months and request a report from a different agency. As mandated by the act, ou will receive your full credit report, but – since credit scores weren’t part of the mandate – you will have to pay extra to view your credit score.

With all of these sites, you will need to provide personal information, including your social security number. But rest assured, the sites are secure and so is your data.

Read all of The Computer Psychic's articles here...

The World Wild Web

Featuring the oddest, funniest and just plain freakiest websites we can find.

So much pun
Contacts are easy to lose, so keep your eyes on them. Yes, that's a pun. And you either love them or hate them. Odds are they make you groan when you hear them. This website has photo puns. Some are wittier than others, but most are good for a chuckle - or a groan.

Name that theme song
How well do you remember television show theme songs? This entertaining site is a game - either one player or two player - that plays a snippet of a theme song and challenges you to name the show.

Animator vs. animation
Boy, how do I explain this one? It's a stick figure. It's a stick figure being tormented by its creator. It's... well, tell you what - just go check this one out yourself.

Remember, you can always view more content, get tips and plenty of free software at www.thecomputerpsychic.com. And of course, quality, guaranteed computer support is just a phone call away.

Steve Smith
The Computer Psychic
(360) 607-4364