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iPhone – iPad – Quick Tech Tip – How to Find Word Definition

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Sheila

When you’re reading a message or report on your iPhone or iPad, do you ever wonder about the meaning of a word? I was thrilled the other day when I discovered the simple solution to getting an almost instant answer to the question.

Simply tap the word on the screen of your iPhone or iPad. The usual choices pop up: “Copy“, “Select All“, “Define“. Tap on “Define” and the relevant dictionary page pops up.

Dictionary Page in the iPhone

This works with anything you are reading on the iPhone or iPad – in an email, document or downloaded PDF, articles and posts on web pages, including Facebook and other social media.

To fun and enlightenment, if you haven’t used it before.

As always, please share your own experiences with us in the “Leave a reply” section below. What Tips and Tricks do you find most useful in your iPhone or iPad? And, you can certainly send an email with suggestions to easyseniortechnology@gmail.com

Facebook on the iPhone – Search Help for How to Upload Profile Photo

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Sheila

As I was putting together the post on Uploading or Changing Profile Photos on Facebook, I posted pictures of How to Find the Help menu, starting with the Gear icon in the upper right. Someone commented that it did not look that way on her iPad.

Given the iPad choices are pretty much similar to those on the iPhone, I went to mine to see what I could find. The first step, assuming you have it downloaded, is to open the Facebook app on your iPhone.

1 – Then click on the three bar icon on the upper left of your main page to bring you to the following choices:

Search,
News Feed,
Messages,
Nearby,
Events,
Friends, and then
Pages, for those who have business pages.

2 – Scroll Down past:

Continue reading →

Facebook Profile Photos – Quick Way to Create or Change

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Sheila

In the last post in the Technology for Seniors Made Easy blog, How to Upload or Change Your Profile Photo in Facebook, I went into specific details highlighting Facebook’s Help menu. A day after posting this, I picked up on someone’s comment in Facebook suggesting a whole different and much simpler approach.

The quicker alternative to what I suggested in the prior post is to simply go to the Photos you’ve uploaded into Facebook and select one photo.

Then click on the pencil in the upper right of the photo to edit. A menu will open. Click on “Make Profile Picture.” Continue reading →

How to Upload or Change your Profile Photo in Facebook

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Sheila

Note – After posting these instructions and demonstration I learned of yet another even simpler way to create a profile photo. See Facebook Profile Photos – Quick Way to Change.

Before leaving this page, though, be sure to check out this post if you need assistance in finding “Help” in Facebook.

A friend wanted to change her profile photo in Facebook and her daughter was unable to explain it on the phone. She said she’d do it for her when she was at her mother’s house.

So many seniors today are not fortunate enough to have children or grandchildren, living close by to help. Thus, I’m showing you where to find Facebook’s Help instructions.

Following are the steps to take for uploading or changing your profile photo, showing where on Facebook you can find the information.

Finding HELP on Facebook

1 – Go to the top right of any page you are on in Facebook.

Click on the “gear” icon.

2 – At the bottom of the drop down menu that opens click on “Help.” Continue reading →

Why Technology for Seniors? – Using Your Public Library

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Sheila

Library books on shelf with computer keyboard and mouse If you are one who uses your public library and you’re not yet comfortable using a computer, I suggest you look at what’s possible in benefiting from more of your libraries services.

I am fortunate to live in a county which has an excellent public library system with several branches. Books, DVDs and CDs are available to patrons for pick up in any of the branches, no matter where their “home” base is. Continue reading →

White House Google+ Fireside Hangout with Michelle Obama and Kelly Ripa

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Sheila

Earlier this week, when I was researching for my blog post on using Google+ Hangouts for videos and postings on YouTube, I discovered something which added to my fascination with the whole “Hangout” process.

Kelly Ripa, TV talk show host, along with six other participants, interviewed First Lady Michelle Obama in a Fireside Hangout on Google+ (click on the link or video image to see it). Included among the six other interviewers was a classroom full of young students.

Continue reading →

How to Create Google Hangout and Enable it for Instant YouTube Upload

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Sheila

When reading about Google Hangouts, I suddenly picked up on the fact that you can actually have a video of your Hangout sessions go directly to YouTube. What a time saver that would be! So I took some time this morning to research and experiment on my own.

I was thrilled to see that the videos were already completely uploaded as soon as I stopped broadcasting. You’ll see below I also realized, as I was completing this post, that my video was, evidently, being streamed “live.”

With a little patience and persistence, we, as Seniors, can be on top, and ahead of many others in today’s technological world.

To start your own Hangout for broadcasting and saving: Continue reading →

How to Tag in Facebook for First Name Only

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Sheila

A tag is a link in Facebook. When you want a Facebook friend to see your post on his or her timeline, or be notified of a comment, you do the following:

1 – In the post section, type in @. Then, as you type, a of list of your friends’ names will start appearing. Highlight the one you want address. Continue reading →

How to Create a Google Plus Account for Sharing

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Sheila

Google+ (Google Plus) offers a wide variety of features and benefits, with numerous ways to connect with family, friends and, yet-to-be made friends, individually and in circles. Amongst other things you can share photos and events.

I had actually already signed up and had a Google+ account when I set up the gmail address for this account AND I hadn’t paid much attention to it.

Then my friend Morgine told me about Screensharing with Google Hangouts. Learning about that was enough to get me going and I hope you, too.

In order to set up a Google+ account for Hangouts, Screensharing, Chatting and much more you need to:

1. First go to plus.google.com and Sign Up.

plus.google-addressbar Continue reading →

Chat and Share Your Computer Desktop – Google Hangout

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Sheila

Preface: To use the information in this post you will need to have a computer camera and audio recording capability on your computer. See “Note” of explanation at the end.

Recently, I got excited when my friend Morgine Jurdan called to tell me she’d just learned about voice and face-to-face communication on Google Hangout. She and her son, Andy were having a challenge with Skype, so he introduced her to Google Hangout.

I immediately wanted to see how it worked. Then I asked Morgine if she minded if I videoed the interaction to present to followers of Technology for Seniors made easy. With her okay, I opened iShowU on my Mac and started recording. Neither of us bothered taking the time to get “made up” for the camera. The resulting spontaneous video:

Continue reading →