The 15 tech habits that everyone should avoid (part 1)

Everyone has flaws in the technology world - who never used the word "password" as password one day?!?
But now let's dig deeper to seek the really bad habits that can cause permanent damage to your computer, your pocket and your mood.

Lets talk about the the 15 worst habits in the world of technology, which should be avoided at all costs:

1. Not use security software: many people still dont have the habit to have any firewall or antivirus at least on the computer as a way to protect your computer from invasion or any trying of information theft. A simple click in one unknown (or known) email sender can put your computer in high risk such as have installed any spy or key logger  program to capture everything you do. Please, you have to have something to protect, there are many free or payed options for purpose.

2. Not have any backup of your computer: many people have "good" excuses why they still dont have backup. But any piece of your computer like hard disks eventually fail, and according to Murphy's Law, this will hapen when you most need, whatever it is, a worksheet, a document, or a college project.

3. Not have any off-site backup: Picture this, a thief breaks down your home and steals your laptop! ... you might be thinking, "no problem, I have a backup on my pen-drive or external hard disk". But to get worse, the thief takes all of these too. Well, this can happen, so try to store your data in multiple locations, why not on the internet (on the cloud), there are many websites with tons of gigabytes available for free. Try to make this a routine to update, otherwise if one day you need a file, you will not get surprised with very old version of those data.

4. Answer to a SPAM: Do you know why spammers still keep sending emails to your inbox? It is because there are enough users still answering those with a simple gesture of clicking on the link "remove your email", and thus confirming to the spammer that you exists with a valid email and it is a potential customer. Of course there are a few (very few) advertising emails that work seriously with this option.

5. Walk around with the laptop turned on: This no problem in moving the laptop from the kitchen to the living room meanwhile the laptop is turned on. The problem is whey you close the lid and put into the backpack at the office and go home for fifteen or thirty minutes by bus, subway or car. A hard disk in operation can be damaged even by a small impact (such as a bump on a bus), and computers can easily overheat if left indoors. Turn off your computer before transporting it.

6. Print out everything: You can have all your receipts and personal documents in digital copy with free programs such as PDF Creator and print everything in .pdf format. So that you can store on your computer for easy search, instead of printing out everything, and when you most need you cannot find anymore the only copy you had about the monthly rental fee.

7. Use the laptop on bed: You can use your laptop in bed whenever you want. The problem is when you leave it on standing on its beautiful goose down comforter. Quilts, blankets, pillows and cushions can block the vents of the computer, causing overheating and damage to components. Instead, use a notebook table or a coffee table to keep the machine in a comfortable position and ensure a good flow of air.

To not make this post so extensive, it will be divided in two parts in order to make it easier to read and better comprehension. So see you on part two.

Tablets: The Post-PC Device Or Just One More Fad? *

No doubt you have already heard about these new gadgets that have become so popular so quickly. You might be wondering, What do they do, and Should I buy one?

Tablets have many functions, such as “surfing” the Internet, checking e-mail, playing games, watching videos and movies, reading e-books (electronic books) and other activities you can already do on an ordinary computer. The difference with the tablet is that it is much lighter and thinner than an ordinary computer. It is even lighter than a notebook or netbook computer, allowing you to carry it easily anywhere, and without needing any Internet connection cables. Also, tablets have a long battery life.

Most tablet users report their greatest pleasure comes in the feature of the touch screen. For those of you who own smartphones, you will be familiar with how touch screens work. Companies like Apple were able to adapt the smartphone touch screen to produce small touch screen computers like the iPad. The general term for these touch screen computer devices is tablets.

Another interesting feature of tablets is their increased storage capacity compared to the older technology. On a tablet, imagine that you can have simultaneously more than 4,000 e-books stored, not to mention magazines and newspapers from all over the world. With a few touches, you can have thousands of other issues available, ready to be downloaded free or cheaply onto your tablet.

With the appearance and now widespread use of the tablet, many of our daily habits have changed, such as the reading of e-books and the way we navigate the Internet. Regarding this new technology, specialists are divided on predicting the future. Some technology experts believe the sales of tablets will continue growing until they completely replace PCs and notebooks. Other experts believe tablets will lose popularity over time, just as sales of netbooks are already beginning to decline.

Whatever the future of tablets, if you are thinking of purchasing one, you will need to have a clear idea what kind of services tablets offer, as well as what your tablet’s primary purpose will be for you. Do you want a tablet mostly to read e-books? Or is Internet capability through WiFi or 3G integration with e-mail your most important need?

With many tablet models available on the market, there should be one that fits your requirements. Here are some samples: Among the top-selling tablets, we have the Apple iPad and Amazon Kindle. The Apple focuses on multimedia, working as an entertainment center, but it also includes a feature to read e-books. The Amazon Kindle meanwhile is very focused on e-books through integration with the website Amazon.com as its main source of books. The Kindle features a specific technology called e-ink (electronic ink) that makes it easier to read the screen particularly in daylight environments. Of course, there are many other brands with different features, and many of them less expensive than the Apple or Kindle.

The reality is that with the creation of new technology, people are getting many more options and are being provided with the opportunity to be connected all the time. Consequently, we are all much closer to the information and entertainment worlds, whether by computers, smartphones, or now by tablets. Although tablets are a brand-new technology, we can already see what they have sparked. So don’t worry, one day soon you will probably consider owning one of these devices.

* Article published on Curitiba in English.