Smart Phone Tips for Staying Connected During a Winter Storm

Smart Phone Tips for Staying Connected During a Winter Storm
Posted By: Beth Tracton-Bishop Nov 10, 2011 12:34:32 PM

If you live in Connecticut or the surrounding states, you were more than likely impacted by the recent winter storm. As a Connecticut resident, my home was without power for over a week as a result of the storm. Even though there were many challenges, I learned a lot about my community’s resilience, the generosity of my neighbors and friends, and ways to prepare for future storms.

Here are a few things I learned along the way:

If you have a cell phone make sure you know where in your community you’d be able to charge it if you were suddenly without power. I was able to find places to charge my phone on a daily basis and it helped me stay connected with friends and family as well as to hear local news and updates.

If you have a smart phone find out if your local news outlets have apps. I was able to download a couple of apps that gave me consistent updates on what was happening in my town and around the region.

If you’re a social media user (i.e. Facebook, Twitter), consider “liking” or “following” your town or your town’s agencies, like the public library or any other pages your town has created. I learned information about receiving much needed supplies, like bottled water, from my library’s updates.
Here are a few additional tips from Ready.gov.

Keep your contacts updated, including phone, email and social media. This will make it easy to reach out to the right people quickly to get information and supply updates. Consider creating a group list serve of your top contacts.

Learn how to send updates via text and internet from your mobile phone to your contacts and social channels in case voice communications are not available. Text messages and the internet often have the ability to work in the event of a phone service disruption.

Program "In Case of Emergency" (ICE) contacts into your cell phone so emergency personnel can contact those people for you if you are unable to use your phone. Let your ICE contacts know that they are programmed into your phone and inform them of any medical issues or other special needs you may have.

If you are evacuated and have call-forwarding on your home phone, forward your home phone number to your cell phone number.
The following are additional tips when making phone calls and using your smart phone during or after a disaster:
Keep all phone calls brief. If you need to use a phone, try to convey only vital information to emergency personnel and/or family.

If you are unsuccessful in completing a call using your cell phone, wait ten seconds before redialing to help reduce network congestion.

Conserve your cell phone battery by reducing the brightness of your screen, placing your phone in airplane mode, and closing apps you are not using that draw power, unless you need to use the phone.
Be sure to check out Ready.gov for even more ideas on how to “Get Tech Ready”. You’ll be glad you did!
http://aarp.thehartford.com/socialws/safedrivingforalifetime/articledetail.jsp?id=1457

Tech Tips

Some tech tips from Anthony Russo – (Russo_TECH on Facebook)

Spyware & Viruses

Spyware creates risks that many computer users are not aware of. If you are only protecting against viruses, you could be leaving your computer open to damage. Most people are familiar with spyware that initiates and attracts annoying ad programs. Spyware, however, can be much more malicious as well. Your shopping habits can be tracked by spyware. While not exactly harmful, some people consider this a breach of privacy. The worst spyware programs interfere with normal operations and can even track what you type, sending personal information to people who want to steal your identity. Some spyware redirects your browser to different web addresses, increasing your risks of virus infection and fraud.

The main difference between spyware and viruses is how they are spread. A virus reproduces itself and attaches to any document that the computer sends, while spyware can be stored as a cookie or tracking code. A virus is most often found traveling with a piece of computer software, such as a document, picture or piece of music. When dealing with email, it is necessary to open an attachment to become infected, indicating that, in most cases, the computer user must somehow invite the malicious software to replicate on their system. Of course, most people have no idea it is there or what is happening. Some of the sneakiest and most harmful viruses actually masquerade as virus protection software, making them extremely hard to detect. Because of this, it’s crucial to be familiar with your particular virus protection program and know what it looks like and what the normal scripts and prompts are during operation. Viruses do some of the same things that spyware does; they just accomplish it differently. An active virus can steal personal information, generate ads or shut down your system, including the very virus protection programs that can fix the issue.

Router Information

After you’ve purchased a router, the next step is to determine how much bandwidth you are receiving from your wireless connection. This becomes particularly important if you have a household where the network users are habitually downloading movies or other large data files. While a router can rapidly transfer this information, it is constrained by the amount of bandwidth available to the household. A connection that transmits data at 2.4 GHz with a 54 megabit speed is usually adequate to the task.

If your network feels exceptionally sluggish, check to make sure that you are receiving the wireless by ‘pinging’ the network. Alternatively, if you are receiving the full wireless bandwidth but are still experiencing slow results because of the types of media you are transferring, you may consider paying for a faster service.

About the Author:  Anthony Russo has over 10 years of computer experience.  He holds a Microsoft Systems Administrator Certification, CompTIA A+, Network + and Security certification, Apple Certified and Blackberry certifications. 

Driver Safety

Autumn Driving Is Trickier Than You Think

Back to school activities, football games, and a new TV season are a sure sign that autumn is here. But the crisp air and rustic colors are also a clear signal that we need to prepare for the challenges that autumn driving may bring.

Days Are Shorter
Autumn’s shorter days mean less light, making it more difficult to see the road, other drivers, roadway hazards, as well as pedestrians and cyclists. Slow down and increase your following distance. Switch on your headlamps as soon as you notice a reduction in visibility to increase your ability to see and your chances of being seen. The sun is also much lower in the sky at sunrise and sunset this time of year causing a dangerous blinding effect. Lower your visor to help block reflected light, and keep windows clean and streak-free to help maximize your view.

School’s Back in Session
The fall season means schools are in session. Children may not be as readily visible in the early morning hours and in the glare of the setting sun. Young people distracted by friends, cell phones and MP3 players may carelessly step out into traffic. Be on the lookout for flashing school zone lights, as well as school buses loading and unloading children.

Animals Increase Driving Dangers
Autumn is a time of activity in the animal world. It’s mating season for many animals and creatures are looking for food and shelter for the upcoming winter. Watch out for wildlife that can enter the roadway at any time. Pay attention to animal crossing signs. Scan the roadway and roadsides, and drive at a safe speed to increase your chances of avoiding a collision.

Falling Leaves
Autumn leaves are beautiful, but once they start falling, they can become a serious driving hazard. Fallen leaves can hide potholes or other roadway hazards, and can obscure pavement markings on the road, making it difficult to determine shoulder and lane widths. Wet leaves are slippery and can reduce traction. They can also get clogged under your wiper blades, impeding wiper performance and visibility. Keep your windshield clear of leaves, and avoid hard acceleration or braking and sudden turns when driving through fallen leaves.

Quick-Changing Conditions
Fall is a time of variable weather. Clear nights can give way to foggy mornings, and heavy showers can come on suddenly, changing road conditions from ideal to miserable in a matter of minutes. Make sure your wiper blades, lights, tires and brakes are in good working order.
Slow down and increase your following distance to help steer clear of danger in poor conditions. With autumn’s arrival, it’s also a good time to remind yourself that any distraction—whether using a cell phone, programming in-vehicle controls or reaching for objects in the vehicle—can lead to a challenging driving situation. Doing your part to decrease distractions while driving will not only make you a safer driver, it will benefit all who share the nation’s roads for many autumns to come.                              

Candle & Costume Safety

Candle and Costume Safety

Posted By: Beth Tracton-Bishop

Sep 29, 2011 11:32:49 AM

0 Comments

What costume will you wear this Halloween?  Are you going trick-or-treating? If you are going trick-or-treating with your child or grandchild make sure that your costume and theirs is flame resistant.  Flame resistant “does not mean these items won't catch fire, it does indicate the items will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source,” according to the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.  

Here are a few more tips from the U.S. Fire Administration for Kids, to make trick-or-treating a fun and safe time.

1. If you make your costume, try not to make one that is big and baggy so that the material doesn't touch candles or other flames.
2. Be sure to stay away from candles and jack-o'-lanterns that may be on steps and porches. If you get too close, your costume could catch fire.
3. Kids should never carry candles when they are trick-or-treating. Always use a flashlight or glow stick.
4. Remind your family to keep candles and jack-o'-lanterns away from curtains and other decorations that can catch on fire.

Candles have become increasingly popular in U.S. homes, whether to create atmosphere, release fragrance or keep insects away. But this trend brings an increasing risk of a house fire as well.

Follow these tips when using candles in any room of your home:

• Place candles on stable furniture were children and pets cannot knock them over.
• Never fall asleep while candles are burning.
• Trim wicks to one quarter inch before lighting and use non-combustible holders to catch wax drippings.
• Extinguish candles when you leave a room or when the candles burn within two inches of their holders.
• Keep candles away from holiday decorations, papers, books, curtains, blinds, lampshades, flammable liquids, clothing and bedding.
• Don’t walk while holding a lit candle.
• Always supervise children who use candles for light.

For more information on candle safety and other ways to prevent fires in your home, download or order your free copy of Fire Sense: A Smart Way to Prevent, Detect and Escape Home Fires.  You’ll be glad you did!