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Stories on Technology

Discerning Facebook Friends

Shades of Shakespeare!  To friend, or not to friend — that is the question.  And here is another one:  Do you know who your Facebook friends are?

I, like other Facebook patrons, get a number of friend requests, but I am careful about which friends I accept. My apprehension is reinforced when I read articles like Bianca Bosker’s Do I Know You? Fake Friends Adding Fresh Danger to Facebook.  The Huffington Post reporter’s story reinforces my mistrust of strangers — on and off line — and confirms what most of us know, that you must be careful who you friend.

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AARP Member? Best Buy Computer Help for $14/Month

AARP

[A Guest Contributor Post]

If you are an AARP member, BestBuy will provide you with technical support for $169 per year or around $14 per month.

Best Buy’s Geek Squad will offer AARP members advice and technical support by telephone, online and in Best Buy stores.

Note, that home tech visits are not included, but are discounted under this program.

People over age 50 represent a large and growing component of Geek Squad’s customer base. Richfield-based Best Buy said it has tailored the new service for older computer users, including specialized training for Geek Squad agents.

More on this story.

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The Winds of Change: A Boomer vs. Technology

 “If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your atittude.” 
                                                                                                                         Maya Angelou

Photo By Alexander Schaesis

Baby Boomers, do you remember your first time?  Not that first time. I’m talking about the first time you used a personal computer. Unlike infants today who are practically born with a computer mouse in their hand, many Boomers were full-fledged adults when we came face-to-face with the big kahuna.

My reluctant introduction to the PC occurred in 1985, when the nonprofit office where I was employed received a large box from our out-of-state headquarters. Inside the box was a used Apple Macintosh Computer. Like a second child receiving hand-me-down clothing from an older sibling, our branch office which did not have a computer got the cast-off while the main office bought newer models for their administrative staff.

I was the sole support staff in a small, two person office. Neither my manager nor I were computer literate and — typical of contented people confronted with sudden change — neither of us wanted anything to do with a PC. There was no manual inside the box containing our used computer, but it did arrive with something else; a two word dictate from the main office:  learn it.

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DiversiTech’s State of Black Tech Event

THE STATE OF BLACK TECH was held on Thursday, October 27, 2011 ~Busboys and Poets, Hyattsville (MD)

I attended this event and the facility was magnificent. The meeting was held in a very nice restaurant  in a spacious and comfortable room, complete with a stage. Much of the discussion concerned the obstacles facing minorities entering the tech field. There was also an exchange of ideas about steps that could be taken to develop strategies to overcome common barriers. Overall, it was uplifting to see an organized dialogue regarding diversity in technology.

The State of Black Tech aims to be the catalyst for a much needed local discussion on the status of black technologists within the greater technology entrepreneur and innovation space.

Full post with panelist and the Press release.

 

 

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The Big C

“Cancer is the leading cause of death in economically developed countries.” That disturbing statement from the March/April 2011 issue of the Global Cancer Statistics report is in itself unsettling, but although the report attributes the increase in cancer to the “aging and growth of the world population,” what it fails to mention is that one of our greatest assets  – technology – is a huge contributor to the growing number of cancer cases.

While the GCS report references the numerous forms of cancer and suggests that cancer could be prevented through the application of diverse control factors including adhering to a healthy diet and regular exercise, the report makes no mention of cast-off electronic gadgets that could be a contributing factor to the disease.

An article recently published in The Washington Post is a real eye opener, Replacing Old Smart Phones with Newer Models Creates Environmental Problems.”   Read it. It may rock your world as it did mine.

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