Downloadable Audio Books – Using Your Public Library from Home

Palm Beach County Library ServicesThis past week I once again ventured into new territory for me. I wanted to talk about technology and library  services so, of course, I had to try them myself. How glad I was that I did!

I had a 4 1/2 hour road trip scheduled, so it was a good opportunity to try something new. In the past, I would have gone to the library to check out one or more books on CDs. It makes the trip more enjoyable, for me, and time passes much more quickly as I drive when listening to a good story on CDs. This time, Continue reading

Recording Birthdays in iPhone Contact Book and Calendar



 If you’d like to listen to the instructions, as well as read them, click on the arrow. To PAUSE, click on the two parallel vertical lines. Click again to resume listening.

Continuing from the last post “How to Add Birthdays in Your Address Book and to iCal on the Mac“, adding birthdays to your Contact List in the iPhone is quite simple.

1 – Select the Contacts icon from your Home Page. Tap to Open.

iphone-home-page-contacts-500h Continue reading

Add Birthdays in Address Book and iCal Calendar on Mac Computer

I love when people ask questions of Technology for Seniors Made Easy. It’s the best way for me to learn new information or review that which I already know.

This morning I was asked how to make note of birthdays in the calendar in the Mac computer and iPhone.  If set up to do so, they will pick up in both when your iPhone gets synchronized with your computer and vice-versa.

There are two ways birthdays can be added, either through your address book or directly in the calendar. Continue reading

Audio Recording Loved One’s Voices and Messages Preserved for Future Memories


Click on the arrow to listen to a reading of the content below. To hear the section with the replay of an interview, click on the double parallel lines to pause the recording. Then drag the bar to 2:58 and click the arrow again.  You will hear Morgine questioning and my answers.

In two recent posts, I mentioned regretting not having the tangible voice of my beloved, late-husband Sam, for remembering the sound of him, as well as messages he might have liked me to have. I stated that I would show simple ways that you can record audio messages, conversations and interviews. Below I cover using telephone, conference lines and Evernote.

Be sure to scroll through to the end of this post to read two other examples of possibilities for recording different kinds of memories.

IMPORTANT NOTE – Please keep in mind that if you are going to be recording any kind of conversation with another person, state up front, as the recording is started, that it is being recorded. Then get that person’s permission for you to be so doing. If he or she says “No”, then discontinue.

1- Using a telephone bridge/conference lineContinue reading

Keyboard Shortcuts for Windows and Mac Mail Programs

In recent Technology for Seniors Made Easy blog posts, I’ve shared frequently used keyboard and mouse shortcuts. As I have become more accustomed to using them, I’m finding,
at times, that they are much quicker and more efficient to use than my mouse.

If we’re already on the keyboard typing, why not simply click 2 or 3 keys, rather than reaching over for the mouse and then going up to the menu across the top of whatever the program is in which we are working.

Following are the email shortcuts I have been using most regularly now. They apply only to Windows and Mac Mail programs.  If you are going to the web for your mail, i.e. in Continue reading

Easy Technology for Seniors – Audio and Video for Preserving Memories


In a previous post on this Technology for Seniors Made Easy blog, I mentioned my passion for using technology for connecting with, and gaining the support of, family and friends. In addition, we seniors and others have the means for ensuring that we are not left with guilt, regrets and missing memories when a loved one passes on.

All that’s necessary is learning how to use some simple and basic technology, particularly in the area of recording. There are a variety of cost-effective and easy ways that this can be done. In addition to your personal memories, you’ll also happily Continue reading

Kaddish Online – Connecting to Jewish Shiva Service by Phone and Internet


On the Technology for Seniors Made Easy blog, I mainly cover tutorial how-to’s for using various types of programs and devices. The question sometimes comes up, “Why am I doing this?”  Then I’m reminded that, for me, the most rewarding benefit of being online, and using technology, is the the ability to connect with, and gain support, from family and friends and communities all over the world.

For most of us, at some point in our lives, a time comes when we are confronted with the death of a loved one, a dear family member or friend.  Most religious groups have some form of Continue reading

How to Upload Videos and Photos from iPhone to Facebook

In a reply to the post on how to email videos from iPhone, a reader commented that she wished she could send a video directly to Facebook from her iPhone.  In fact, it is a possibility and a very easy, and exciting, one.  You’ll see below you can even be doing some editing prior to uploading.

To post video to Facebook from your iPhone

1 – Go to your profile page in Facebook.  Look for the “Share Photo” button. It’s under “Friends” and next to “Write Post.” Continue reading

Mouse and Keyboard Shortcuts for Highlighting Content in Word and Mail

In a recent post, I detailed 7 Most Commonly-Used Keyboard Shortcuts. This post covers using both the mouse and keyboard to highlight words or phrases that we want to either delete, or copy and save to paste in another place in the same document or email or put in a totally new one.

Clicking, then dragging, the computer mouse over a word or phrase is probably the most common way of capturing the content in Word documents or emails. And there is an even quicker way of gaining the same results, all with mouse clicks only.

Experiment with the following yourself:

1 – Screen shot 2013-06-02 at 5.31.46 PMTo highlight a single word, place your cursor on it and DOUBLE CLICK your mouse. Continue reading