Looking to Change Your Email Provider?

Looking to change your email account, but you’re afraid of privacy issues? Take a look at “It's not crazy to pay for an email account” on the USA TODAY  site. Google’s Gmail has its merits, but knowing that no one except your correspondents are reading your messages is not one of them. On Gmail, automated software scans your email account and sends out advertisements that match the results. Kind of creepy.

Becoming a Gmail Power User

Want to block app developers from accessing your info just because you are a Gmail user? Did you forget to log out of your Gmail account on a public computer but don’t have time to go back and logout? Who is that John Smith who keeps sending you emails? Find out how to solve these problems and more by catching up on "How to become a Gmail power-user".

Multitasking Lowers IQ

According to researchers at Kings College of London “constant exposure to e-mail and other multitasking-friendly technology temporarily lowers IQ by 10 points–or about as much as skipping a night’s sleep and more than twice as much as smoking marijuana.” Hallowell’s book, CrazyBusy, suggests that multitasking with texting, emailing, tweeting, networking, and such is like “playing tennis with two balls.” Researchers at the University of California studied a group of professional people. It seemed that they could only remain on a task for about eleven minutes before they were “called” by some sort of digital messaging. After that, it took them twenty-five minutes to get back on task. Market research indicates that company workers waste 2.1 hours of work a day because of multitasking.  Dr. Hallowell says that with so much to do, so much information, so much “blabber” and multitasking, all of us look like we have ADD. Consider how all this relates to our kids, who are multitasking even more than most of us. The answer is not to unplug them and ourselves, since multitasking is a part of our world today, but instead to learn to use our tech tools wisely. It all starts with a conversation!

Nastiness on the Playground Online & Offline

Bullying online and offline is moving down into the primary levels of schools today. Sure, educators have long known that some of those adorable little kids aren’t always as nice to others as they should be. Because of increasing numbers of complaints by children and their parents, one wonders if there is more bullying because of what kids are exposed to in videos and on television, or if it is that parents and children are so bombarded by media news about bullying that actions which used to be considered part of growing up and learning to deal with “less than pleasant” kids, have now been elevated in people’s minds to harassment? Pamela Paul, in her New York Times article, The Playground Gets Even Tougher, says “It could just be heightened awareness among hyper-parents, ever attuned to their children’s most minuscule slight. It could be a side effect of early-onset puberty, with hormones raging in otherwise immature 8-year-olds.” Educators often hear of incidents in which a child calls another “dumb” in a text message, the receiver may reply in a similar vein and then it’s all over. Although some may consider this bullying, bullying usually arises when these unkind behaviors continue and escalate to more intense levels. If they don’t, it’s probably not bullying. Because mean words and exclusion from groups can lead to serious bullying, teachers and parents should be aware of signs that children may find pleasure in being nasty to others they don’t want in their groups. This is the time to step in and let children know that their behavior is not acceptable. Parents also need to be careful about what their children are picking up from media shows such as inappropriate language, making fun of others, cruel humor, and aggressive behaviors. As Paul says, ”The mean girls are 8 but want to be 14, and their parents play along. They want to be top dog.”  So what can we in the schools do to help parents with these problems?

Cutting Email Clutter

If you are a Gmail user and have trouble keeping your in-box in check you may want to think about trying out a new tools from Google called Priority Inbox. If you turn on the Priority Inbox you’ll see your messages separated into three categories. "Important and unread" e-mails will be at the top followed by messages that have been previously stamped with a star by an accountholder. Everything else appears at the bottom. Switching back to standard view comes with just a click. The only unnerving part of about this service could be the thought of Google’s computers scanning your email, but just remember that most email programs do this everyday as they attempt to block out any kind of spam.

Will Hotmail Become Cool Again?

To have a Hotmail account 10 years ago or more was considered a very “in” thing to do, but other free email offerings from Yahoo and Google have long since eclipsed the Hotmail brand. But now Microsoft is about launch a new version of the free service and Hotmail, with a slew of new features, may become cool again. The upgrade, expected to be available late this summer, will automatically sort incoming messages into different categories devoted to users' key contacts and Internet social networks. It will also provide previews of incoming photos, videos and other material without having to open an attachment or click on a link. While those are part of some other email services already, this will offer free email users some very user-friendly features.

ReQall Recalls for You

If you have a cell phone, an iPhone or a Blackberry, you may want to check out reQall. It’s a memory aid that’s voice-enabled and acts like your personal assistant for phones, the Web, Outlook, Google Calendar, email, Evernote, text messaging, instant messaging, Firefox, iCal and News Feed.  Using reQall is as simple as placing a call and telling reQall what you want to remember—like shopping lists, reminders about meetings and doctors’ appointments, notes about lesson plans, calendar items, etc. Your words are translated into text, which can be used in a variety of ways. There’s even a Memory Jogger that “ can also predict when you'll forget and send you periodic "’memory refreshers’ to prevent forgetting.” Think of telling your kids about this memory aid, for it would be excellent for reminders about long term projects, papers, reports, and homework. The standard version is free; the Pro version is $24.99 a year or $2.99 a month. If you are interested in this memory aid, watch this  YouTube video about reQall.

PEW Research on Writing, Tech and Teens

Are IM and email messages writing? No, according to 60% of the 700 teens ages 12-17 surveyed for the PEW/Internet Report: Writing, Technology and Teens. This tech-type writing is not like "school" writing or so say the kids. When teachers and parents try to decipher it, they agree. Although teens spend a significant amount of time practicing the code that goes into Instant Messages, cell phone text messages, and emails, it's at school where they think they need more instruction and practice in serious writing. One of the problems they face because of using these two types of writing is that their less than formal writing sometimes finds itself in school writing. Teachers don't exactly go for invisible punctuation or all those lower case 'i's.  It's interesting that most teens (86%) believe that good writing (We guess this means school-type writing.) is a key to success. Their parents do, too. But the research also shows that this type of writing is increasing the amount teens are writing and that is a definite positive.

Phishing and the IRS

'Phishing,' Internet-based schemes of tricking people into revealing confidential financial information, topped the Internal Revenue Service's annual list of scams that taxpayers should be aware of. The IRS recently also warned people not to fall for predators posing as IRS representatives who tell them they must reveal personal information to obtain the economic stimulus payment. That payment goes out automatically to anyone who files a tax return.

Time to Brush Up on Your Internet Lingo?

Just like any foreign language, Internet Lingo is something you need to read and write every day to keep your fluency up and so you know what your kids are really saying when they are communicating online. A good place to brush up your online speak is the Parents - the Anti-Drug site's Internet Lingo list. While you are there take their Tech Savvy quiz and their Crash course on social networking, cell phones and IMing.