donnassecretarialservice

Computer Timeline 1982 to 1988, p.5

donnassecretarialservice — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:40:22 +0000

Hi again, World:

Donna Marie Haymes here, with another (late) addition to the history of the computer.

Enjoy! God Bless. This is very interesting stuff! Please read. (Taken from, “Discovering Computers: Gateway to Information, 2007″ by Shelly Cashman Vermaat.)

Computer Timeline 1971-1981 p.4

donnassecretarialservice — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:58:16 +0000

Here is part 4 of the history of the personal computer, Computer Timeline 1971 to 1981.

(Taken from Discovering Computers: A Gateway to Information 2007 by Shelly Cashman Vermaat, p. 55).

Enjoy and have a great weekend! Thanks for reading.

Donna Marie Haymes

Donna’s Secretarial Service

267-273-5699 or donna@donnassecretarialservice.net, visit www.donnassecretarialservice.net.

Computer Timeline 1964 – 1970 p.3

donnassecretarialservice — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 11:45:31 +0000

Good Morning,

Here is p. 3 of the history of the computer – 1964 to 1970. (Graphic taken from Discovering Computers 2007: A Gateway to Information, by Shelly Cashman Vermaat).

Computer Timeline 1952-1960 p. 2

donnassecretarialservice — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 10:21:54 +0000

This is part 2 of the history of our modern day computer: 1952 to 1960.

Enjoy!

Donna Marie Haymes.

Computer Timeline – 1937 to 1951 – part 1

donnassecretarialservice — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:52:57 +0000

I am starting a new series on the history of the computer. This is part 1 (with graphics): From 1937 to 1951. The series will end @ 2007.

For those of you who never knew how the computer originated, here is a graphic history lesson.

Enjoy!

Search Engines

donnassecretarialservice — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:57:22 +0000

Today, we will look at Search Engines and some of the more popular websites:

(Taken from Discovering Computers: A Gateway to Information, 2007 by Shelly Cashman Vermaat)

Computers for Business: Elements of an Information System

donnassecretarialservice — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 15:33:11 +0000

To be valuable, information must be accurate, organized, timely, accessible, useful, and cost-effective to produce. Generating information from a computer requires the following five elements:

Hardware
Software
Data
People
Procedures

Together, these elements (hardware, software, data, people, and procedures) comprise an information system. See the figure below how each of the elements of an information system in a large business might interact.

The hardware must be reliable and capable of handling th expected workload. The software must be developed carefully and tested thoroughly. The data entered into the computer must be accurate.

Most companies with mid-sized and large computers have an IT (information technology) department. Staff in the IT department should be skilled and up-to-date on the latest technology. IT staff also should train user so they understand how to use the computer properly. Today’s users also work closely with IT staff in the development of computer applications that relate to their areas of work.

Finally, all the IT applications should have readily available documented procedures that address operating the computer and using its applications.

(**Taken from Discovering Computers 2007: A Gateway to Information by Shelly Cashman Vermaat, p.25)

New 4S Iphone: Is it right for you?

donnassecretarialservice — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:32:44 +0000

With the release of Apple’s new Iphone 4S on October 14th, you may be wondering if you already have an Iphone 3G (Version 4.3.5 8L1) or some other smart phone or even a standard flip phone, if you should upgrade? The current Iphone 4S is available with AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Sprint and starts off at an amazing $99.00.

A couple of years ago, Blackberry was the dominant “must-have” cell phone to have for Business execs; but with Iphone 4S now out; there are alot of Blackberry users I hear trading in their Blackberry’s for Iphones.

As a former user of several Blackberry’s; I do like the Iphone much better. (Even though I have the older model, the 3G); iphone has much more apps and features that I use for business and pleasure.

But back to my main point: if you are a gadget guy (or girl, like me), upgrading is a “no-brainer.” Here are some of the newest/updated features on the 4S that have been improved:

Dual core A5 chip, which means it runs faster and allows you to go from app to app to app in less time than the 3G; up to 2x faster and 7x greater graphics
More pixels camera. The 4S has 8MP while the older model has only 2MP; both have video recording capabilities, but the newer version has front and rear cameras.
Iphone 4S has over 200 more features
Iphone 4S has Siri – a voice command feature which can allow you to use your voice to send an email, text, call someone in your contacts, set reminders, just to name a few things. Although iphone 3g also has voice command.
ICloud – Stores all your music, photos, videos, documents and more and wirelessly pushes them to all your devices. Automatic, seamless, and effortlessly.
For business users, Iphone 4S has alot more apps and features. Here are 7 Business Productivity Apps Features to consider:

1. Take Notes Using Simplenote This app lets you take notes and keep lists, and it’s extremely easy to search through. Your notes don’t have to stay on your iPhone either since syncing Simplenote to your computer or to other apps is, well, simple. You can even share specific notes with multiple people. The biggest bonus: it’s all encrypted so your information—from your grocery list to your thoughts on your latest marketing push—remains safe.

2. Scan Documents With JotNot Scanner Pro With the JotNot Scanner Pro app, your iPhone basically becomes a scanner. Just take a picture of the document—receipt, contacts—that you want a copy of and this app will give you a clean scan of it. You can then upload it to something like DropBox, e-mail it to yourself, or even create a faxable version.

3. Import Business Cards With CardMunch CardMunch promises you won’t have to carry a paper business card ever again. The app lets you take a picture of any business card you want to upload to your contact list. Within minutes, the business card is transcribed by the CardMunch crew and uploaded to your phone. An added bonus: with one tap on a CardMunch contact you can connect to that person via LinkedIn.

4. Store Your Passwords With 1Password is a BestVendor favorite. Like the desktop version, the iPhone app stores your passwords in one place and lets you access them with one tap so you can automatically log into websites.

5. Keep Track Of Your Bills On Expensify Two things make the iPhone version of this app super friendly. One, you can sync your credit cards and bank accounts to it so it can track purchases as they happen. Two, if you use cash, you can take a picture of your receipt and the information will be uploaded. Expensify can also generate expense reports and e-mail them to you in the form of PDFs.

6. Find Information in a Flash With Greplin Ever wish someone else would organize your life? Well, the Greplin app wants to do at least some of that for you online. The app is essentially a single search box where you can type in what information you’re looking for in your iPhone. So instead of scrambling through a dozen e-mails looking for a phone number or an address, Greplin will sift through your mountain of information for you and find it fast.

7. For Video Use Skype Thanks to the front and rear cameras on the iPhone 4S, awesome video conferencing abilities are literally in the palm of your hand. It’s the easiest—and one of the cheapest ways—to connect with the office while you’re on the go.

(7 Business Productivity Apps taken from www.blog.bestvendor.com).

*Of course it’s your choice whether to upgrade to Iphone 4S or not, but with all this new technology; in a couple years or even months, there will be another phone out (maybe the iphone 5) that will try to lure you away from your current phone to buy theirs (or so the phone marketers think!).

That’s all for now; thanks for reading and I hope this post has been a blessing to you! God Bless.

Donna Marie Haymes

Facebook: Its New Changes and What the Founder has to Say

donnassecretarialservice — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 01:55:55 +0000

Our Commitment to the Facebook Community

by Mark Zuckerberg on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 12:39pm

I founded Facebook on the idea that people want to share and connect with people in their lives, but to do this everyone needs complete control over who they share with at all times.

This idea has been the core of Facebook since day one. When I built the first version of Facebook, almost nobody I knew wanted a public page on the internet. That seemed scary. But as long as they could make their page private, they felt safe sharing with their friends online. Control was key. With Facebook, for the first time, people had the tools they needed to… do this. That’s how Facebook became the world’s biggest community online. We made it easy for people to feel comfortable sharing things about their real lives.

We’ve added many new tools since then: sharing photos, creating groups, commenting on and liking your friends’ posts and recently even listening to music or watching videos together. With each new tool, we’ve added new privacy controls to ensure that you continue to have complete control over who sees everything you share. Because of these tools and controls, most people share many more things today than they did a few years ago.

Overall, I think we have a good history of providing transparency and control over who can see your information.

That said, I’m the first to admit that we’ve made a bunch of mistakes. In particular, I think that a small number of high profile mistakes, like Beacon four years ago and poor execution as we transitioned our privacy model two years ago, have often overshadowed much of the good work we’ve done.

I also understand that many people are just naturally skeptical of what it means for hundreds of millions of people to share so much personal information online, especially using any one service. Even if our record on privacy were perfect, I think many people would still rightfully question how their information was protected. It’s important for people to think about this, and not one day goes by when I don’t think about what it means for us to be the stewards of this community and their trust.

Facebook has always been committed to being transparent about the information you have stored with us – and we have led the internet in building tools to give people the ability to see and control what they share.

But we can also always do better. I’m committed to making Facebook the leader in transparency and control around privacy.

As we have grown, we have tried our best to listen closely to the people who use Facebook. We also work with regulators, advocates and experts to inform our privacy practices and policies. Recently, the US Federal Trade Commission established agreements with Google and Twitter that are helping to shape new privacy standards for our industry. Today, the FTC announced a similar agreement with Facebook. These agreements create a framework for how companies should approach privacy in the United States and around the world.

For Facebook, this means we’re making a clear and formal long-term commitment to do the things we’ve always tried to do and planned to keep doing — giving you tools to control who can see your information and then making sure only those people you intend can see it.

In the last 18 months alone, we’ve announced more than 20 new tools and resources designed to give you more control over your Facebook experience. Some of the things these include are:

• An easier way to select your audience when making a new post

• Inline privacy controls on all your existing posts

• The ability to review tags made by others before they appear on your profile

• Friend lists that are easier to create and that maintain themselves automatically

• A new groups product for sharing with smaller sets of people

• A tool to view your profile as someone else would see it

• Tools to ensure your information stays secure like double login approval

• Mobile versions of your privacy controls

• An easy way to download all your Facebook data

• A new apps dashboard to control what your apps can access

• A new app permission dialog that gives you clear control over what an app can do anytime you add one

• Many more privacy education resources

As a matter of fact, privacy is so deeply embedded in all of the development we do that every day tens of thousands of servers worth of computational resources are consumed checking to make sure that on any webpage we serve, that you have access to see each of the sometimes hundreds or even thousands of individual pieces of information that come together to form a Facebook page. This includes everything from every post on a page to every tag in those posts to every mutual friend shown when you hover over a person’s name. We do privacy access checks literally tens of billions of times each day to ensure we’re enforcing that only the people you want see your content. These privacy principles are written very deeply into our code.

Even before the agreement announced by the FTC today, Facebook had already proactively addressed many of the concerns the FTC raised. For example, their complaint to us mentioned our Verified Apps Program, which we canceled almost two years ago in December 2009. The same complaint also mentions cases where advertisers inadvertently received the ID numbers of some users in referrer URLs. We fixed that problem over a year ago in May 2010.

In addition to these product changes, the FTC also recommended improvements to our internal processes. We’ve embraced these ideas, too, by agreeing to improve and formalize the way we do privacy review as part of our ongoing product development process. As part of this, we will establish a biennial independent audit of our privacy practices to ensure we’re living up to the commitments we make.

Even further, effective today I am creating two new corporate officer roles to make sure our commitments will be reflected in what we do internally — in the development of our products and the security of our systems — and externally — in the way we work collaboratively with regulators, government agencies and privacy groups from around the world:

- Erin Egan will become Chief Privacy Officer, Policy. Erin recently joined Facebook after serving as a partner and co-chair of the global privacy and data security practice of Covington & Burling, the respected international law firm. Throughout her career, Erin has been deeply involved in legislative and regulatory efforts to address privacy, data security, spam, spyware and other consumer protection issues. Erin will lead our engagement in the global public discourse and debate about online privacy and ensure that feedback from regulators, legislators, experts and academics from around the world is incorporated into Facebook’s practices and policies.

- Michael Richter will become Chief Privacy Officer, Products. Michael is currently Facebook’s Chief Privacy Counsel on our legal team. In his new role, Michael will join our product organization to expand, improve and formalize our existing program of internal privacy review. He and his team will work to ensure that our principles of user control, privacy by design and transparency are integrated consistently into both Facebook’s product development process and our products themselves.

These two positions will further strengthen the processes that ensure that privacy control is built into our products and policies. I’m proud to have two such strong individuals with so much privacy expertise serving in these roles.

Today’s announcement formalizes our commitment to providing you with control over your privacy and sharing — and it also provides protection to ensure that your information is only shared in the way you intend. As the founder and CEO of Facebook, I look forward to working with the Commission as we implement this agreement. It is my hope that this agreement makes it clear that Facebook is the leader when it comes to offering people control over the information they share online.

Finally, I also want to reaffirm the commitment I made when I first launched Facebook. We will serve you as best we can and work every day to provide you with the best tools for you to share with each other and the world. We will continue to improve the service, build new ways for you to share and offer new ways to protect you and your information better than any other company in the world.

(Taken from http://blog.facebook.com)

The World Wide Web

donnassecretarialservice — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:09:34 +0000

Although many people use the terms World Wide Web and Internet interchangeably, the World Wide Web actually is a service of the Internet. While the Internet was developed in the late 1960s, the World Wide Web emerged nearly three decades later – in the early 1990s. Since then, it has grown phenomenally to become one of the more widely used Internet services.

The World Wide Web (WWW), or Web, consists of a worldwide collection of electronic documents. Each electronic document on the Web is called a Web page, which can contain text, graphics, audio (sound), and video. Additionally, Web pages usually have built-in connections to other documents.

Some Web pages are static (fixed); others are dynamic (changing). Visitors to a static Web page all see the same content. With a dynamic Web page, by contrast, visitors can customize some or all of the viewed content such as desired stock quotes, weather for a region, or ticket availability for flights.

A Web site is a collection of related Web pages and associated items, such as documents and pictures, stored on a Web server. A Web server is a computer that delivers requested Web pages to your computer. The same Web server can store multiple Web sites. For example, many access providers grant their subscribers free storage space on a Web server for personal ocompany Web sites.

Browsing the Web

A Web browser, or browser, is application software that allows users to access and view Web pages. To browse the Web, you need a computer that is connected to the Internet and that has a Web browser. The more widely used Web browsers for personal computers are Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, Firefox, Opera and Safari.

With an Internet connection established, you start a Web browser. The browser retrieves and displays a starting Web page, sometimes called the browser’s home page. Figure 2-6 (below) shows how a Web browser displays a home page. The initial home page that is displayed is one selected by your Web browser. You can change your browser’s home page at anytime.

Internet-enabled mobile devices such as PDAs and smart phones use a special type of browser, called a microbrowser, which is designed for their small screens and limited computing power. Many Web sites design Web pages specifically for display on a microbrowser.

For a computer or mobile device to display a Web page, the page must be downloaded. Downloading is the process of a computer receiving information, such as a Web page, from a server on the Internet. While a browser downloads a Web page, it typically displays an animated logo or icon in the top-right corner of the browser window. The animation stops when the download is complete.

Depending on the speed of your Internet connection and the amount of graphics involved, a Web page download can take a few seconds to several minutes. To speed up the display of Web pages, most Web browsers allow users to turn off the graphics and other multimedia elements.

While most of you, my audience, may already know this information, it is worthwhile to repeat it.

Thank you.

(Article taken from Shelly Cashman series, “Discovering Computers 2007 – A Gateway to Information” by Shelly Cashman Vermaat, pages 75, 76).