Archive: Business & Technology

Dr. Digit 'Splains It All Dr. Digit 'Splains It All

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who say there are two kinds of people, and those who don't. Computers have also split people into those who use them and those who don't. It is time for the latter group to get with the program. While it is perfectly acceptable to have a rich and satisfying life without computers, it just seems silly at this point to not use them, like not turning on lights because you don't understand electricity. It seems like young people know all about the things, but some older folks steer clear of them

Many people are intimidated by computers, viewing them as complicated devices with many pitfalls that require endless hours of attention and great typing skills. In actuality a computer is merely a tool like a hammer or a toaster. We use tools to make our lives better or easier. A toaster makes delicious toast. We don't care how it works. We put the bread in and after a moment we have toast.

Dr. Digit 'Splains It All

While I love gadgets, I hate carrying things around. Part of what I don't like about shopping is that you have to carry your purchases around until you get to your car. And geek though I am, I don't like hanging things on my belt -- at least one thing my Mother taught got through to me!

So I've been eying Susteen's Data Pilot software for months, because it can get my phone numbers and appointments from Microsoft Outlook on my computer into my cell phone. Since cell phones are small, I don't mind carrying one. Well, not so much as I mind carrying a PDA or a little black book.

What Do Those Economic Indicators Mean, Anyway?

If you follow the news regularly, you will see many different reports on the state of the economy. Government officials and economists closely watch these reports - and, as an investor, maybe you should, too.

Here are a few of the most important economic indicators to consider:

Getting Untangled

Last week we talked about network security and how your system could be vulnerable.  This week covers practical ways to protect your home network.

Get Smart

One thing to consider when you set-up your wireless network; as with any new set-up, the default settings will provide very minimal or short-term protection. It is not smart just to leave the default settings without changing them. Here’s how you can get smart about your wireless security.

Recently, New York State revamped the state sponsored 529 College Savings Plans. State specific 529 plans may provide specific tax benefits to New York State taxpayers. On Monday, November 7, Lansing residents Rick Prybyl and Rich Farr of Merrill Lynch/Ithaca gave an informative and educational overview of the revised 529 plan at the evening PTSO meeting. James Bozek of Columbia Advisors New York State 529 Plan accompanied the local Merrill Lynch financial advisors and answered several specific questions relative to the Columbia 529 Plan.

A New York State 529 College Savings Plan provides for state tax deductible contributions of up to $10,000 per couple each year. Lump sums can be invested in the plan as well though the state tax deduction only applied to the first $10,000. Often, grandparents and parents make large lump sum contributions of up to a 529 plan. The maximum contribution to a New York State sponsored 529 plan is $235,000. This is sometimes done as part of an estate plan. Once invested, the accounts grow free of federal and state taxes.

Getting Untangled

Now that you have successfully installed and reconnected your computers to the Internet using your new wireless network (and patting your 10 year old for reading you the directions in three languages), you are ready for the next step - protecting your network from intruders and attackers.

Unfortunately, many folks who have installed their own wired or wireless network often skip this last but very important step. The excitement of being untethered from a wall jack to browse the Internet, chat online and read e-mails while sitting in a more comfortable and convenient location in your home makes it easy to forget about taking these final steps to secure your network.

Talk to Elderly Parents About Their Financial Situation

It's almost Thanksgiving. If things are going well in your life, you have many things for which to be thankful. And you are particularly fortunate if you have elderly parents who are still in good physical and mental shape. While your parents are healthy, you should take the opportunity to discuss matters of significance - such as their financial situation.

There are probably many things you'd rather do than talk about finances with your parents -but it's a conversation you need to have, because there is a lot that you need to discover. So, find a comfortable time in which to talk to your parents, approach the subject in as unemotional a manner as possible, and try to elicit the following pieces of information:

Now that we have covered routers, the next thing you need is to wirelessly connect the computer to the router. This piece is referred to as a network interface adapter or card. There are many types available and they all depend on the type of computer you have. One router model can work with any one of these interface components as long as they meet the same 802.11g specification. Which one you should choose depends on many factors such as:

1. Is your computer a desktop or a laptop?
2. Is your system Windows or Apple?
3. Does your system have USB ports?
4. Do you know how to open a computer and install PCI cards?

Let’s take a look at the different network interface components styles available:

Who likes to talk about insurance? Very few people. Who needs adequate insurance? Everyone. In fact, if you're going to achieve your long-term financial goals, you'll need to make sure you've got the proper coverage to protect yourself and your family.

Unfortunately, many people aren't doing this, as these numbers show:

Getting Untangled

Now that we have covered some basics on different wireless networking specifications like 802.11 and what they mean to you as a buyer of home wireless networking – we are ready to move on to second part of three articles on Wireless Home Networking.

In the first article, I explained what the letters A, B & G refers to on the packaging containing the different wireless components and which one you should focus on when buying wireless gear.

It's Official: Time to Plan for Retirement

Kids won't stay home from school, the mail won't stop and the stock market will stay open - and yet, we are in the midst of a national "holiday" of sorts. Specifically, this is National Retirement Planning Week - which means it's a great time for you to determine how well your retirement planning is going.

National Retirement Planning Week is sponsored by the National Retirement Planning Coalition, a group of financial industry organizations whose goal is to educate people on the issues related to saving for retirement. And it seems that many people could benefit from this type of education. In fact, nearly four in 10 workers have not saved anything at all for retirement, according to the 2005 Retirement Confidence Survey, issued by the Employee Benefits Research Institute.

You've probably heard that "generosity is its own reward." This may be true, but when you make a charitable gift to a non-profit organization, your generosity also could reward you - especially when you file your taxes.

In fact, you can get at least three types of tax benefits: