Now you can use Gmail to make phone calls!

Tweet Google Voice's new "Call Phone" feature in Gmail has been met with much enthusiasm, with users making one million phone calls within the first 24 hours of it's launch!
The "Call Phone" feature enables Google Voice users to call a phone number via their Gmail account, a step up from Google's Voice's existing computer-to-computer voice and video chat service. Google takes the service one step further and allows you to receive calls via Gmail once you have made an initial outgoing call using the service. For Google's tutorial on making and receiving calls with Google Voice, click here.

Calls to the U.S. and Canada using this service are currently free in 2010 but this may change. Google charges users for international calls. A Google Voice account (free in US) must be linked a Gmail account sharing the same username in order to receive phone calls.

Now Facebook lets you share your location with your friends

Tweet Facebook has launched it's Places feature which allows Facebook friends to share their location and view the location of their friends. This service is similar to location-based social networks ("check-in" sites) such as Twitter Places, Google Latitude, Yelp and the increasingly popular Foursquare. While some embrace this new way to connect with friends (especially businesses that can target customers based on proximity to one of their stores), others are concerned about broadcasting their whereabouts so widely. Click here, to find Facebook's instructions to control how/with whom your location is shared.

How to use Word 2007 as a tool for Blogging?

Tweet Microsoft Word 2007 is a great tool for writing documents although you can write documents with Word 2007 you can also use it to publish a blog with a new and superb feature that has been added to Microsoft Word 2007. In addition to all the useful features which it shares with the previous versions of Microsoft Word, this new feature allows you to use Word 2007 as a tool for blogging.


Here are some simple steps to use Word 2007 as a tool for blogging

1) Open a blank Word 2007 document and click on the office button
2) Click on new and select new blog post
3) A new ribbon displaying the blogging tools will appear.
4) Click on the button that says Manage Accounts.
5) Click on New as the next dialog box appears.
6) The following dialog box will appear
7) You will have to choose the platform you use for blogging from
the list Wordpress or Blogger and then click on the next button.
8) Fill in the information for your website and decide whether
you want it to remember the password or not you can also see the
Picture options button as Word 2007 is capable of uploading
images to some blogging platforms.
9) You can start writing for your blog right away.
10)After finishing writing, click on Publish and select how you want
to publish your blog. You can also open an older post in Word 2007
by clicking on the open existing button.
11)As you use Word 2007 as a tool for blogging, you will
be able to add categories to the blog posts, and Word 2007
will immediately connect to the blogging platform you use
and download the listing of categories.
12)If you like to use Word for writing your documents, you now have
the option to use it for writing posts for your personal blogs.
It has now become an incredible post editor as you can use
Word 2007 as a tool for blogging.

Protect your children while they are on-line

Tweet With nearly 2 billion users on the world wide web, we must be aware of the dangers that we can be exposed to while browsing the web such as identity theft and computer viruses. For children in particular, we must protect them from online predators, cyberbullying and inappropriate content such as nudity, drugs and violence.

Some of the key steps to protect your children while they are on-line are:

* Learn the basics of the internet so you understand what your children are doing online and know how to access the websites that they are viewing
* Create a contract between the parent and child(ren) that details the rules of acceptable online behavior
* Ensure that websites have a secure connection with SSL 128 encryption before giving any personal information
* Install a strong antivirus program and firewall to keep your computer safe from viruses and spyware (Note: NMC offers AVG Internet Security 9.0)
* Install and activate a pop-up blocker on your browser
* Ask your internet service provider if they offer any tools to block undesirable content from your children

For more tips on how you can protect your children while they are on-line, please visit these sites:

* http://www.onguardonline.gov
* http://www.internetsafety.com
* http://www.webwisekids.org

New Millennium Computers can also install security software for you and set-up your computer for safe browsing on the web, please call us at 212-851-8426 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              212-851-8426      end_of_the_skype_highlighting for more information and to set up an appointment.

Safe browsing!

Does your business need a website?

Tweet In short, yes! Having a web presence ensures that your customers and potential customers as well as potential employees or business partners can find information about your business and the products/services that you offer. For some companies, one or two pages are sufficient to give information on products/services, location, hours of operation and contact information. For others, a web store, blog or even multimedia content such as a video may be the best way to represent their brand on-line and gain new business.

In this video, the Better Business Bureau suggests asking yourself if customers already find your business using the web and also if your competitors have a website. If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then you need a website.

Once you decide to invest in a website, consider the following:

What domain name best represents your company? You will have to find out if the domain name is available and purchase a license.

What information needs to be on your website? Address,contact information, hours of service, information on your products/service

How can you stand out from the competition? CONTENT RULES! What information will you provide to visitors to make them go with you instead of the competition.

What images best represent your brand? Your site must have a consistent look and tie in to your logo and off-line branding/marketing materials.

You will need a web hosting service to make your website "live." Do a Google search to find web hosting services. (Note: NMC offers web hosting and domain name registration services)

Last, you will need to design your website. For business owners with limited budgets, WordPress (see tutorial) and Blogger (tutorial here) are simple, free, do-it-yourself options for creating a website (yes, you can use these blogging sites to create web pages and you won't have to worry about finding a web host). For companies desiring a more complicated site with many pages or multimedia elements, it's best to go with a knowledgeable web designer, such as New Millennum Computers, that can help you to create a sleek, professional-looking website that also meets your business needs.

Saving your gadgets after a spill!

Tweet Occasionally, we all have an accident and get our cell phone, mp3 player, GPS Unit, video game controller or some other gadget wet. Here are some tips to help you save that wet device:

1 - Act fast, remove the battery from your device.
2 - Gently dry your device
3 - To draw the moisture from the inside of your device, try the Bheestie Bag, which is specifically designed for that purpose. Of course, we won't always have a Bheestie Bag handy so Unpluggd suggests using rice to help dry out your devices (they also offer some great suggestions on tools to maintain your electronics!)
4 - Be patient, it may take several days for your device to dry out completely. After a few days, test to see if your device still works by replacing the battery and powering on your device.

While there's no guarantee, if you act fast enough after a spill, you might be able to avoid having to buy a new device!

BACK-TO-SCHOOL GADGETS for 2010

Tweet If you are looking for a new computer or laptop, a new cell phone, or just want to take advantage of the back to school sales to get a great deal on a new gadget, check out CNet's Back-to-school 2010 roundup on laptops, desktops and netbooks (http://news.cnet.com/back-to-school/pc-reviews/), including some options for the budget conscious! Or check out the full video roundup of their back-to--school picks (http://cnettv.cnet.com/back-school-special-2010/9742-1_53-50090807.html). CNet also gives their picks for the top 5 cell phones (http://reviews.cnet.com/2733-6454_7-562-1.html) on the market. And Engadget offers a guide for selecting a new digital camera (http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/04/engadgets-back-to-school-guide-digital-cameras/).

For the college student, ZDNet (http://www.zdnet.com/blog/igeneration/back-to-school-tech-the-2010-do-it-yourself-guide/5777) suggests that a gaming console, digital voice recorder, wireless headphones, e-reader and a pocket projector will make dorm life and studying easier.

Of course, along with all your new gadgets, you may need another gadget for recharging while on the go, check out:

USB charger (http://outloud.outbrain.com/network/frame?pcId=265585&reqId=11495c4dc65719f94c569472fbcf94c4)

Solar chargers for the eco-conscious (http://www.siliconsolar.com/pda-solar-battery-chargers.html)

Recharge your rechargeable batteries (http://earth911.com/news/2010/08/09/7-ways-to-power-up/)

New Millennium Computers recommends that you research all your new gadgets before purchasing to ensure that they have all the capabilities that you are seeking, reading online product reviews to see what others are saying about them and most important to look for the best price.

How to get the most out of your BlackBerry

Tweet It is estimated that there are 41 million active BlackBerry users around the world, are you one of them? Here are some useful BlackBerry tips and tricks to help you get the most from your device

Is Social Media just a fad?

Tweet Did you ever think that social media was just a fad? Check out this video for Erik Qualman's book "Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business" for some surprising stats on how social media has changed the world! If you are ready to embrace the world of social media, give us a call at 212-851-8426

Thinking about upgrading to Microsoft Office 2010

Tweet Considering an upgrade to Office 2010? Check out Microsoft's comparison of the features of Office 2010 with Office 2007 and Office 2003. We're impressed with the online collaboration feature for Word, PowerPoint and Excel - a great option for those of us who are busy professionals and may often need to work from home. Give us a call at 212-851-8426 if you are interested in upgrading to Office 2010, we can help you!

How to shorten url links

Tweet Facebookers and Tweeties, check out CNET's "10 links to shorten your links". We were surprised to find out that TinyURL has been around since 2002, well before the advent of Twitter and Facebook! Another great site that is not on this list is bit.ly. For business owners eager to track the results of social media marketing efforts, we recommend using sites like bit.ly because it allows you to view analytics for the links you create!