Why Do So Many Geeks Hate Internet Explorer? - How-To Geek

If you are still using Internet Explorer, PLEASE upgrade to the newest version - or, even better, switch to Firefox or Chrome! IE is not the only browser, but it IS the worst!

This great article explains why geeks hate IE. Don't feel like you have to read the whole history of IE section, if you don't wish. But do start reading at "What Made It Go So Very Wrong?"

Then, RUN to your computer and check your version of IE. If you have version 6 and have ever complained to someone that their webpage was not working - quickly upgrade your browser, then take them cookies and humbly apologize! :)

"Supporting IE is Like a Fork in the Eye for Web Devs

"Here’s a sample of a day in the life of a web designer: You spend hours making sure that your page looks great, and you test it out in Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and even Opera. It looks great, awesome!

"Now you open up IE and the page looks like somebody put it into a blender and hit the Whip button. Then you spend double the amount of time trying to fix it to look tolerable in IE6 and IE7, cursing loudly the entire time."

Read the whole article: Why Do So Many Geeks Hate Internet Explorer?

Facebook Privacy Breach: What Happened and What You Can Do

No - you don't have to give up Facebook. But, if you're worried about your privacy, be careful which 3rd party applications you use - i.e. FarmVille, TexasHoldEm Poker, FrontierVille, etc.

"Facebook, to its credit, now allows users to monitor which applications are accessing which parts of their profile through the “Privacy” and “Applications, Games and Websites” function under the “Account” option. Take a look and, if you don’t like what you see, block a specific app, or apps, completely. From the “Applications, Games and Websites” function, you can also “Turn off all platform applications.” That’s the safest bet, as long as you’re willing to lose your hand in poker or give up your farm."

Read the whole article:

Facebook Privacy Breach: What Happened and What You Can Do

Facebook Offers New Ways to Stay Secure

"Facebook provides a number of ways to help you protect yourself and your account, and today we are announcing new features to help make your experience on Facebook more secure."

These include single-use passwords for when you're at a public computer, remote log-out, and more. This is good information to know.

Read the whole article here: Facebook | More Ways to Stay Secure

Google Launches Contest to Encourage Kids to Code

"With a world that is increasingly reliant on computer technology, encouraging students to explore programming is crucial. But a recently released report by the Computer Science Teachers Association reveals a marked decline in the number of computer science classes offered in U.S. schools, as well as a lack of standards governing what should be taught at the K-12 level."

Read the article: Google Launches Contest to Encourage Kids to Code

5 Free Ways to Improve Your Typing Skills Online

Oooh - I'm going to share these links with my kids. I'm a pretty good typist, but my kids can use some improvement. Well, now that I think about it, I would love to be able to type with fewer mistakes. A great way to give yourself a break and improve a skill in a few minutes a day. Read the article: 5 Free Ways to Improve Your Typing Skills Online

Another reminder to THINK about what you post on Facebook

Filling out questionnaires to find out more about your friends are fun - but if the questions about your first pet's name happens to be the same question you used as a security question somewhere - you could be giving hackers a key to your privacy. Here's an article with a good reminder: The Most Clever Facebook Security Hack Ever

Facebook introduces a new kind of Groups

Facebook groups look like a great way to keep in touch with 'groups' of friends. Keep those inside jokes inside! :)

Perhaps the most exciting part is that you'll be able to have group chats with anyone inside your group.

You can also create an email address that anyone in your group can use to send a post to the group. Whenever something is posted to the group - it sends a private message to each person - so stuff doesn't get lost on their wall.

I'm off to create a few test groups!

Read the article: Facebook | New Groups: Stay Closer to Groups of People in Your Life

DIY Laptop Repairs and Upgrades: Keyboards and Trackpads

From Lifehacker:

"A laptop that's hard to type or point with isn't much of a help when you're getting things done away from your desk. But you can fix and replace your keys and touchpad rather than take a big credit card hit.

This post is part of a week-long series on laptop repairs and upgrades that focuses on the fixes that can keep a laptop usable after the inevitable breakdown of one part or another."

Read the article here