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Teaching Seniors Pinterest

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

Have you ever kept a collection of interesting things in a scrapbook, on a bulletin board, or perhaps on your fridge door? Pictures of friends or loved ones? Drawings or school assignments that your children or grandchildren did? Inspirational quotes or sayings? Newspaper clippings of stories that hit close to home? Pinterest.com is like the Internet’s version of that.
Pinterest is what is known as a “visual bookmarking tool”. A bookmark helps you remember what page you were on when you put a book down, so you can pick it up again and continue from the same spot, right? Similarly, your Internet browser also has a “bookmark” function that lets you tell it to remember important or favourite web pages, so you can get back to them quickly if you need or want to. Pinterest takes the principle even further by letting you store collections of web pages that you find, computer files that you upload, or even things that other people have bookmarked on Pinterest!
The “visual” part of the name refers to the fact that bookmarks on Pinterest have to be — or be accompanied by — a picture, animation, or video. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes!

So what is Pinterest, in a nutshell?

Pinterest is a website that lets you find, collect, and organize interesting image-based things that you find on the Internet, find on Pinterest itself, or put on Pinterest yourself. It does this through a series of user-created categories, called “boards”, and a series of visual bookmarks, known as “pins”.
Pins on Pinterest can be all sorts of picture-based elements: photos, drawings, videos, animations, Internet links… some will even show you the location that they depict on a map! And boards on Pinterest are used for all sorts of different topics, as we’ll demonstrate below.

Why use Pinterest?

People use Pinterest for all sorts of different reasons:

  • Some use it to show off things that they like.
    Teaching Seniors Pinterest
  • Some use it to find inspiration for art or decorating.
    Teaching Seniors Pinterest
  • Some use it to help them find delicious and nutritious recipes.
    Teaching Seniors Pinterest
  • Some use it to discover exotic travel destinations.
    Teaching Seniors Pinterest
  • Some people use it just to see something that will make them laugh.
    Teaching Seniors Pinterest
  • Businesses can even use Pinterest to advertise themselves and reach out to potential customers.
    Teaching Seniors Pinterest

How Pinterest works: 4 steps to using Pinterest

1. Sign up for Pinterest, and let it know what you would like to see

Creating a Pinterest account is fast, easy, and free! Just enter your name, age, gender, and email address, and pick a password (or sign up with your Facebook account instead). Then, pick at least four categories of stuff that you’re interested in. This will help Pinterest show you some neat bookmarks right off the bat to get your inspiration going!
Teaching Seniors Pinterest

2. Create your own custom Pinterest “boards” to organize your “pins”.

Before you make any bookmarks on Pinterest, you have to have places to put them! You can create categories — or “boards” — to store your bookmarks in. Give one a title and a description, and then file it under one of Pinterest’s pre-set topics so that it’s easier to find. You can even add map locations to your bookmarks for a board, get other people to add their own bookmarks to a board, or make a board private so that only certain people can see it or add to it.
Teaching Seniors Pinterest

3. Add “pins” to your “boards” from websites, other users on Pinterest, or files on your computer

Once you have some “boards” to store your bookmarks on, it’s time to start making your bookmarks — the “pins”! If you have a photo, video, or animation file on your computer, you can upload it to Pinterest and make a pin out of that. Or, if you see a pin that you like posted by somebody else on Pinterest, you can copy it to one of your boards. And there are many websites with built-in functions that allow you to quickly and easily turn their content into pins for Pinterest!
Teaching Seniors Pinterest

4. Connect with friends by linking your Pinterest account to other social networks.

Your Pinterest account can be connected to your accounts on other social media websites, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus. By doing so, you can find your friends who are already on Pinterest, and share pins or collaborate on boards together. You can even go the other way and share the things that you find on Pinterest with your other social networks!
Teaching Seniors Pinterest
As you can see, Pinterest is both a way to collect interesting things to look at, as well as a social network with which to share and work together with friends (both old and new). Best of all, it’s safe, easy to use, and absolutely free! Our Pinterest course will show you how to use the website by setting up an account and getting inspired about things to collect, creating different types of boards, creating pins in different ways, and searching and adjusting your settings. Your free Internet scrapbook is waiting… what memories will you keep — or make — on Pinterest?

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What is Etsy and how does it work?
Tech Support

What is Etsy and how does it work?

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

Sometimes, not everything you want can be found in a retail superstore. Items go out of production and disappear from shelves, and become rare items sought after by collectors. Other products never touch store shelves in the first place, and are instead created and sold by local vendors at flea markets and craft fairs. But those kinds of events usually aren’t held every day, and it can be tough to find time to make it out to one. What is Etsy and how does it work?
If you’re looking for a convenient place to shop retro, rustic, or both, it’s time you met Etsy.com. What is Etsy and how does it work? What is Etsy and how does it work?

So what exactly is Etsy?

Etsy is an online marketplace emphasizing people, communities, and creativity. It allows you to search for and buy vintage products and unique arts and crafts that are difficult to find anywhere else. Almost everything on Etsy is made and/or sold by people like you (and perhaps their small businesses). What is Etsy and how does it work?

Why use Etsy?

Express yourself by buying unique creations — Etsy’s “Handmade” section is full of original merchandise designed by the people who sell it. Toys, clothing, jewellery, home decor… there are plenty of wares to discover!
What is Etsy and how does it work?
Collect treasures from the past — Etsy’s “Vintage” section contains items that are at least 20 years old. If you’re into gathering antiques, memorabilia, or things that you just can’t find on store shelves anymore, you might hit the jackpot here.
browsing-vintage-items-on-etsy-2
Give the gift of choice — If you want to buy a unique present for someone but can’t figure out what they want, buy them an Etsy Gift Card instead! The perfect gift is the one they pick themselves!
What is Etsy and how does it work?
Find handmade or vintage stuff near you — You can use Etsy find craft fairs and other events where handmade goods and other antiques will be sold, so you can know where to go to support artists and artisans in your local area. You can also visit events and workshops put on by Etsy, too.
communicating-with-eharmony-matches-4
Put your artistic passion to work — If you’re an artist or artisan yourself, Etsy can help you sell the things that you make. Why just peddle in your local community? There are people on Etsy from all over the world who might want what you make as a must-have accessory, the perfect piece of home decor, or an original gift idea!

How Etsy Works: Things you can do as a buyer, seller, or either

You can use Etsy to buy handmade or vintage goods from people who have signed up on Etsy to sell them. You can also join Etsy as a seller and use it to hawk your handmade or vintage wares. Etsy can also be used to find local craft sales, or to get advice on how to buy or sell handmade or vintage items.
What is Etsy and how does it work?
Etsy doesn’t sell anything themselves; they do the “middleman” work, like taking care of the paperwork between buyers and sellers, as well as organizing events to get buyers and sellers together in real life. Therefore, most of the people who use Etsy are either buyers or sellers.

Using Etsy as a buyer

Buyers on Etsy may be looking for handmade goods to create or complement their own unique fashion or home decor style, or as an original gift idea. Or maybe they just want to support small-scale artists and craftspeople in their neighbourhood and around the globe, as opposed to big corporations. Those looking for vintage merchandise may also be doing so for fashion or decor reasons, or they may be collectors looking to show off rare and valuable items that are difficult to find nowadays.
As a buyer on Etsy, you can do things such as:

  • Decide whether you want to look for “handmade” items, “vintage” items, or both
  • Browse or search through categories such as clothing, toys, accessories, jewellery, home decor, craft supplies, and more
  • Add items to lists, or to your “favourites”
  • Ask sellers about their items or their selling policies
  • Leave reviews of items that you’ve purchased and received
  • Find local events that sellers on Etsy will be attending

 
For more information and specific instructions, see our How to Buy on Etsy tutorial.

Using Etsy as a seller

Sellers on Etsy may be looking to make a bit of money on the side with things that they create as a hobby. For some professional artists and craftspeople, though, Etsy is the selling platform for their small business; it’s how they make their living. And some Etsy sellers might just be trying to clear out old memorabilia found around the house, and see if it’s worth anything to collectors.
As a seller on Etsy, you can do things such as:

  • Set up a free shop
  • List items on Etsy, either publicly or privately
  • Buy shipping labels for Canada Post or the United States Postal Service
  • Advertise on Etsy, so your shop and items show up more frequently when people browse or search for things on Etsy
  • Partner with a wholesale company to help create your items faster and in greater numbers
  • Register for an Etsy Event to learn how to create items or manage your shop better

For more information, see our How to Sell on Etsy tutorial.

Things that anyone on Etsy can do

Whether you’re a buyer or a seller on Etsy, you can also:

  • Hop on Etsy’s forums and discuss your top shopping tips, how to get your merchandise cleared out, your favourite shops, things you’d like to see improved with the website, or anything else you want to talk about.
  • Check out Etsy’s blog, where you can read the latest news and advice about Etsy from the people who run it. You can even add your voice to the discussion.
  • Join a “team” on Etsy. Etsy Teams are basically groups of people who share common interests, such as the types of items they sell, the types of materials that they like to use to create their items, or the types of items that they like to buy. Some groups are open for almost anyone to join, while others have strict guidelines, and may require an application to join. Share your top tips for getting a business running with your teammates, or point them to shops that have the best merchandise that you’re looking for!

Etsy is one of the most popular specialty shopping websites on the Internet, whether you’re a buyer looking for unique creations or rare collectibles, or a seller looking to make some money off of your hobby crafts or memorabilia lying around the house. The rest of our Etsy course will go over the basics of what you need to know to use Etsy. These include how to create an account, how to search for and buy items, how to use coupons to reduce the prices of your purchases, how to track your purchases, how to write a review of a seller, and how to get in touch with Etsy customer service if you need help. If you’re looking for a popular shop that carries items hard to come by anywhere else, Etsy is the place to be!

What is Etsy and how does it work?

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What is eHarmony and How Does it Work?
Dating

What is eHarmony and How Does it Work?

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

For people who are new to the dating scene (or have been out of it for a while), using an online dating service — especially for the first time — can be daunting. What information should I include or exclude on my profile? What photos will make me look good? How will I know if I’m a good match with someone without actually meeting them? What if someone isn’t who they say they are? What is eHarmony and How Does it Work?
Dr. Neil Clark Warren designed eHarmony to be different from other dating websites, in ways that would take the worry and stress out of dating. It uses proven emotional and psychological science to get at the heart of what you really want out of a relationship, beyond just surface attributes such as physical appearance or interests. This, in turn, gets you more matches with whom you are likely to be emotionally and psychologically compatible, and thus more likely to form long-lasting relationships.

So, what exactly is eHarmony?

eHarmony is an online dating service that uses proven relationship science to find you emotionally and psychologically-compatible matches, as well as guide communication between you and your matches. Available in over 150 countries worldwide, eHarmony also studies relationships and gives relationship advice.

How does eHarmony work? 4 steps to starting a relationship on eHarmony

1. Sign up for a free eHarmony account.

Registering for eHarmony is quick, easy, and free! Just enter some quick details about yourself: your first name, your gender, your match gender preference, your mailing code, your country, your email address, and an account password. You can also tell eHarmony where you heard about them, if you like. Then click Find My Matches, and you’re off to the races!
signing-up-for-eharmony-1

2. Take the eHarmony questionnaire, and explore the inner workings of your relationship needs.

One of eHarmony’s signature features is its relationship questionnaire. Forget questions like what your hair colour is, if you have any pets, or what you like to do on weekends. eHarmony’s questions are meant to probe your emotions, your thoughts, and your values — the stuff that really shapes your love life. It takes quite a bit of time and effort to finish the questionnaire, but just think how worthwhile it will be if it leads you to find someone with whom you really hit it off!

taking-the-eharmony-questionnaire-2

3. Take the reins and check out your matches.

After completing eHarmony’s questionnaire, they will automatically match you with several people who had similar answers to you. You can view their details, take a look at their photos (if you have a premium subscription), send them a virtual smile, or start communicating with them! You can also block a match if you don’t feel like they’re the one for you.viewing-eharmony-matches-3
 

4. eHarmony guides communication with your matches to set a comfortable pace.

When you feel that it’s time to start communicating with your matches, eHarmony will make sure that it’s at a pace that is comfortable with everyone by keeping track of whose turn it is to send a message. Ask one of your matches a few questions about what they want in a relationship, and see how they answer. Then, let them ask you a few questions, and respond as honestly as you can. If the two of you click, and you both have premium subscriptions, you can start sending free-form emails back and forth through eHarmony’s secure internal email system!
communicating-with-eharmony-matches-4
The rest of our eHarmony course will feature lessons on how to sign up for eHarmony, how to make your eHarmony profile, how to use eHarmony’s interface, and even how to delete your eHarmony account and find another dating website if eHarmony just isn’t working for you. Hopefully, however, eHarmony will help you find someone with whom you’re truly compatible. If you’re new to dating, or are just looking to take the gamble out of it, bet on the science of love with eHarmony!
 

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How to Manage Your Passwords
Tech Support

How to Manage Your Passwords

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

Yesterday we taught you how to make a strong password and avoid a weak one. To support these essential skills, we’re now going to go over some general strategies of how to keep your passwords in order and get the most security possible out of them. How to Manage Your Passwords

Tips for managing your passwords

1. Use some sort of memory trick to remember your passwords.

In the last tip for our How to Make a Strong Password tutorial, we suggested starting with a memorable (but uncommon) phrase, writing down the first letter of each word, and then substituting numbers and symbols based on sounds and shapes. This would result in a strong password that was easier to remember. While it’s probably simpler to work from the ground up like this, you may be able to remember a complex password that you build from the top-down by using the other tips in that article. How to Manage Your Passwords
For example, “gh$nd4B&8xq%” might be remembered by sounding out some of the letters, numbers, or letters that look similar to symbols. You might come out with something like “ghost and four Band-Aid execute”. Okay, that sentence doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but hopefully you get the idea of how you can sound out what a password looks like in order to develop a memory trick.

2. If it’s easiest for you, write your passwords — or better yet, just clues about them — down.

We realize that memory tricks might not be for everyone. The simpler thing to do, if you need help remembering your passwords, might be to write your passwords down. Even if you do use memory tricks, you might want to write those down, too, just so you can remember them.
If you’re going to write your passwords (or memory tricks) down in order to remember them, don’t do so right on your computer or other digital device. If a hacker installs a spyware program or otherwise takes control of your computer, they might be able to find all of your passwords and use them to break into all of your Internet accounts.
Instead, the best idea is to write your passwords down on a physical piece of paper, or in some sort of address book or diary. Make sure that you store your list of passwords in a secure place, where only you know where it is and/or can get at it.
If you’re able to use memory tricks effectively, write them down instead of your actual passwords. That way, if someone else finds your list, they will have to figure out how your memory tricks work in order learn your passwords, instead of having them spelled out in plain view.

3. Don’t use the same password(s) for multiple websites.

“Remembering all of these passwords is hard!” we hear you say. “Can’t I just make things easy on myself by using a few strong passwords that I know off by heart for all of my accounts?”
While you might be able to get away with this, depending on how strong your passwords are, know that you’re generally taking a large (and rather unnecessary) risk by doing so. The reason for this should be obvious: if a hacker manages to break the password on one of your accounts, then they don’t have to do any extra work in order to break into any other of your accounts that share the same password.
It may be tedious and time-consuming, but the best way to make sure that your Internet accounts stay secure is to use a different password for each of them. This ensures that if a hacker breaks into one of your accounts, you will not have made it easy for them to break into any others.

4. Change your passwords occasionally.

Even if you use strong passwords, hackers and malicious programs can pick away at them and try to figure them out over time. Therefore, another good way to keep your passwords secure is to change them occasionally, perhaps every three months or so. This undoes any progress that troublemakers may have made at cracking your passwords, ensuring that you always stay one step ahead of them.

5. If you think an account has been hacked, try resetting its password.

As we noted in our How to Reset Your Password tutorial, resetting your password for one of your Internet accounts is a strategy that you can use if you think that someone knows how to get into that account without your permission. As an added bonus, some websites (such as Facebook) will kick out anyone who happens to be using your account when you reset your password, so you may be able to turn the tables on an intruder.
If you wish to reset the password for an account because you think someone has hacked into it, one suggestion that we’ll make is to do so from someone else’s computer. The reason for this is because if someone hacks one of your accounts, they may have also hacked into your computer (or they may at least be able to access the information necessary to do so). Therefore, if you try to reset your password from your own computer, the hacker may be able to manipulate your computer’s actions in order to block your attempts, or even lock you out of your computer.
A final tip that we’ll give for remembering your passwords and keeping them secure is to use a password manager. We’ll get into what these are and how to use them in the next few tutorials in this course.

How to Manage Your Passwords

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How to Create a Secure Password
Tech Support

How to Create a Secure Password

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

What is a strong password?

We’ve shown you several different examples of what a weak password looks like. So, then, what does a strong one look like? Well, it would look something like this: How to Create a Secure Password

1Bx8$h&73!P

“Wait a minute!” you might say. “That password looks like total nonsense!” Well, that’s sort of the point: it’s difficult for someone else to guess because it’s not in a pattern that anybody (except maybe you) would recognize. You’ll see that this password follows almost all of the rules for what makes a good password that we’re going to list below. How to Create a Secure Password

What makes a good password?

1. Make sure that your password is of sufficient length.

The first step towards making a more secure password is to increase its length. The more characters that a password has, the more characters a hacker has to guess before they can break it. Most websites will suggest — and some will even require — that your password is at least 8 characters long (our example is 11). However, don’t go overboard and make a password that’s so long that you can’t easily remember it yourself! How to Create a Secure Password

2. Use different types of characters in your password.

Use both letters and numbers in your password. Since there are 10 numbers (from 0 to 9) and 26 letters, a hacker will have to guess from between 36 different possibilities for each character in your password. If you can, also try to use special symbols in your password (e.g. !,@,#,$,%, or &). This can mean that a hacker will have to try between 50 or more different possibilities for each character in your password! How to Create a Secure Password

3. If possible, use both upper-case and lower-case letters.

Many websites allow your account password to be case-sensitive; that is, they care about whether or not a letter in your password is capitalized. If that’s the case (no pun intended), use both capital and non-capital letters in your password. This makes for 26 more possibilities that someone has to try for each character in your password if they want to crack it!

4. Don’t base your password on easily-recognizable patterns.

A common mistake that we pointed out with the bad passwords listed in our Worst Passwords article is that they all follow patterns that are relatively easy to figure out, such as:

  • Simple sequences of numbers
  • Common words or phrases
  • Other physical patterns, such as rows or columns of keys on a keyboard

There are a few different ways to avoid making a password like this:

  • Use more than one type of character (letters, numbers, or symbols).
  • Don’t use too many of one type of character.
  • Don’t use too many of one type of character in a row.

Our example, for instance, contains 4 letters, 4 numbers, and 3 symbols (so fairly equal proportions). Also, the pattern is number-letter-letter-number-symbol-letter-symbol-number-number-symbol-letter. This isn’t an obvious pattern, as opposed to something like all numbers, then all letters, then all symbols; or number-letter-symbol, and repeat that until we run out of characters.

5. Base your password on a memorable (but not overly common) phrase.

To make a strong password that’s easier to remember, start with a sentence or phrase about something. Then, write down the first letter of each word in that sentence, and then substitute in capital letters, numbers, and symbols from there. For example, let’s try this sentence:

  • “I went to Eat at Joe’s for breakfast on Saturday, May 9th.”

If we write down the first letter of each word, we get this:

  • iwteajfbosmn

Not bad; it’s certainly long enough at 12 characters, and it doesn’t appear in any sort of pattern to anyone who doesn’t know the phrase that you based it on. However, it only contains lower-case letters.
Let’s fix that by adding some numbers. Not only is there already a number in the phrase (9), but since the number “2” sounds like the word “to”, and the number “4” sounds like the word “for”, we can substitute those numbers for those words. Now, we have this:

  • iw2eaj4bosm9

Alright, now let’s spice it up by adding some symbols. The symbol “@” stands for the word “at”, so that’s an easy substitution. In addition, if you look closely, the symbol “!” looks like a capital letter “I”, and the “$” symbol looks like a capital letter “S”. Let’s add those in now:

  • !w2e@j4bo$m9

Great, we’re almost there! Now, let’s just add in the capital letters that were already in the sentence, and we get this:

  • !w2E@J4bo$M9

Voila! We now have a password that is sufficiently long, contains all sorts of different characters, and doesn’t follow any sort of pattern except the phrase that you based it on!
Alright! Now that you know some strategies for creating strong passwords (and avoiding creating weak ones), it’s time to put your skills to the test. Our next tutorials will show you how to change or reset a password for one of your computer or Internet accounts, so that you can create a better one.

How to Create a Secure Password

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Elderly using Audible for Books
Tech Support

Elderly using Audible for Books

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

What is Audible? + How Audible Works

Audiobooks are a great resource for those who have trouble reading or just don’t enjoy reading. Audiobooks are books in the form of sound files that you can have narrated to you anytime, anywhere. They have become extremely popular for the elderly as a way to enjoy a good book and one of the prime places to get these is Audible. Elderly using Audible for Books

So what exactly is Audible?

Audible.com is an online portal for purchasing, downloading, and listening to audiobooks. It allows you to search for or browse a large collection of audiobooks, which you can buy using money or membership credits. You can then listen to those books right on Audible, or download them to your device of choice. Elderly using Audible for Books

How does Audible work? 3 reasons you should use Audible

1. One of the largest audiobook libraries out there

Audible has over 150,000 audiobooks for you to discover, buy, download, and enjoy! From mysteries to history, from romance to science fiction, from self-help to comedy, Audible is sure to have a book that you’ll love listening to.
Elderly using Audible for Books

2. Audiobooks available where and when you want them

You can listen to audiobooks from Audible right on the Audible website, using the built-in audio player. Or, you can download an app for your mobile device or desktop computer, download your audiobooks, and listen to them on the go.
Downloading a book from Audible

3. Join the club and get extra benefits

If you buy a premium membership to Audible, you’ll get extra goodies like one or more free books every month. Plus, you can take 30% off the price of any books that you buy with cash! There’s also a 30-day free trial option available!
Your membership status on Audible

What can I listen to on Audible?

Audible contains audio versions of some of the best-loved timeless classics, as well as newer books that are hot off the printing press. Here’s a sample of some of the best-selling books on Audible:

Overall best sellers

Mystery and thriller best sellers

Romance best sellers

Comedy best sellers

 
Well, that’s a brief introduction to Audible and how it works. The rest of our Audible course will focus on how to buy, download, and listen to books from Audible, including how to create or delete an account. For the moment, though, we’ll take a quick look at the costs associated with Audible.

Elderly using Audible for Books

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What is HBO Now?
Tech Support

What is HBO Now?

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black

Nowadays there are so many online streaming services to choose from. Many people don’t even pay for standard TV anymore because they prefer the ability to watch unlimited shows and movies for one low monthly price. However, these services are often limited in what they have permission to give their viewers access to, often determined by where the viewer is located. What is HBO Now?
For example, streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Shomi have gained millions of users in the past few years. However, none of them have gained permission to stream some of our favourite shows and movies that are only on HBO! This is a problem that HBO Now solves. What is HBO Now?

What is HBO Now?

HBO Now is an online streaming service in the US for movies and shows that HBO has created or gained access to. Create an account with a compatible device and stream your favourite HBO content anytime, anyplace – even in a web browser. HBO Now allows you unlimited access to HBO programs without a TV service provider. What is HBO Now?

HBO Now vs HBO Go

HBO Now is different from HBO Go because you do not need a TV service provider to use it. HBO Go and HBO Now allow users the same unlimited access to HBO and other hit programs, and can be used on virtually the same devices and platforms. HBO Now costs $14.99/month while HBO GO is free with your paid TV subscription. What is HBO Now?

How HBO Now works: 4 things you get with your HBO Now subscription

1. Easy sign up and a free trial

Signing up for HBO Now is fast and simple, and gives you immediate access to your favorite programs. Simply enter some basic information, set up a credit card or sign in to a Paypal account, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget that HBO Now only works in the United States, so you must be a resident there, and must be physically located there to stream from HBO Now.
HBO Now also offers every user a one-month free trial, which entitles you to the full service as if you were paying for it! You can cancel your subscription at any time, including right before you must start paying for it if you just want to binge-watch HBO for a month.

2. Unlimited Access for $14.99/month

Your HBO Now subscription gets you unlimited access to HBO programming for the low cost of $14.99/month. And by unlimited – HBO really means unlimited. With over ten different services with dozens of compatible devices, you can use your HBO Now account on as many devices as you have! You can even stream on multiple devices simultaneously! What is HBO Now?

3. HBO shows and movies you can’t get anywhere else

Aside from having a subscription to HBO through your TV service provider, there used to be no other way you can get access to HBO shows and movies. HBO has always been very exclusive because their programs are that good. If you can’t stop watching HBO, but don’t want to pay the pricey fee for it through your TV service provider, then HBO Now is the solution.
However, if you have already paid for an HBO subscription, you get the same services for free through HBO Go! Just sign up at HBONow.com, and use your TV service provider login to register. That way, you can get all your favorite HBO shows on the go, or on multiple devices in your house. No more falling asleep on the couch because you can’t stop watching HBO – take it right to bed with you on your tablet or mobile phone! What is HBO Now?

4. Access to non-HBO content

HBO Now has access to a lot of other content as well. So when you want to take a break from HBO, you know there are plenty of other shows and movies that you can choose from. There’s even a large selection of shows and movies for kids, so HBO Now can be great for the whole family! You can also easily enable the parental controls for your account to make sure that your children don’t stream Game of Thrones instead of Sesame Street…
So why use HBO Now? You get unlimited access to your favorite HBO shows and movies, anywhere and anytime you want. Also, other than with a TV subscription, you can’t get HBO content anywhere else. If you just can’t stop watching HBO, this streaming service may be right for you.
Check out our full HBO Now Course, where we’ll be covering how to sign up for HBO Now, how much it can cost you, and how to use it on your computer or on your compatible device. If you aren’t sure if it’s for you, check out our Review of HBO Now to see if HBO Now will be worth it.

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Teaching Seniors how to Listen to Music on Spotify
Tech Support

Teaching Seniors How to Listen to Music on Spotify

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black
Chances are that you’ve heard of Netflix, the popular website that allows you to stream movies and television shows (i.e. watch them as they load from the Internet) whenever you want, and as often as you want. Now, wouldn’t it be cool if you could do the same thing with music, listening to whatever songs you wanted, as often as you wanted, and as many times as you wanted? Seniors are now enjoying the benefits of Spotify and enjoying music play lists! Teaching Seniors how to Listen to Music on Spotify
Swedish entrepreneurs Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon created Spotify.com in 2008. Since then, Spotify has quickly become one of the most popular services of its kind. As of June of 2015, Spotify had over 75 million users listening to the music that they love through it. Teaching Seniors How to Listen to Music on Spotify

So what exactly is Spotify?

Spotify is what is known as a music streaming service. This means that it plays songs off the Internet as they load through the Spotify application. You can also create playlists of songs that you like, or create “radio stations” based on music that you already like to discover more music that you might enjoy.
The songs on Spotify aren’t actually on your computer (with some exceptions), which is a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because your songs can’t get deleted or go missing, since Spotify is always in control of them. However, it’s also a curse because you can only play the songs in the Spotify application; you can’t play them anywhere else, or move them to another device (unless that device also has Spotify on it). We’ll explain more in our How to Download Music from Spotify article.

Why use Spotify? Teaching Seniors How to Listen to Music on Spotify

  • It’s free — You don’t have to pay for Spotify if you don’t want to. You can get a paid subscription, though, to get extra features such as higher sound quality and being able to listen to certain songs without an Internet connection.
  • It’s modular — Spotify works on all sorts of devices. You can use it on your Windows or Apple desktop computer if you listen to music most often at home. You can also put it on your iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, or Android-powered smart phone if you want your tunes on the go. You can even put it on your PlayStation video game console!
  • It’s customizable — Add songs that you like to your collection, and then put them in playlists of songs that go well together. You can also pick a song, artist, album, or playlist that you like and have Spotify play random songs that are similar. Rate what you hear, and Spotify will play more of what you like and less of what you don’t!
  • It’s social — Follow your favourite artists on Spotify and be among the first to listen to their new tunes, or check out music mixes put together by your friends and other Spotify users. You can even share your Spotify listening habits on other social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr!

How does Spotify work? 4 steps to enjoying music on Spotify

1. Head over to the Spotify website, and sign up for a free Spotify account.

The first step to using Spotify is to get yourself an account. This lets Spotify identify you as a unique user. You can sign up using your Facebook account, or you can sign up with plain old email. Just enter a user name and password, your email address (and a copy of it), your date of birth, and your gender. Then click Sign Up and you’re set!
 
Teaching Seniors how to Listen to Music on Spotify
 
Our How to Sign Up for Spotify tutorial will cover the process in a bit more detail.

2. Purchase a subscription to Spotify Premium to get the most out of Spotify (optional).

You can use Spotify for free, but your options for using it will be somewhat limited. For example, you will see advertisements in the application, and hear advertisements between songs. You will also not be able to download your playlists of songs in order to listen to them even if Spotify isn’t connected to the Internet.
A Spotify Premium subscription costs $10 per month. However, Spotify has various promotions that allow you to subscribe for a period of time for free (or almost free), or even cut the cost of your subscription in half.
 
Getting a reduced-cost trial of Spotify Premium
 
Our How Much Does Spotify Cost article has the lowdown on Spotify Premium, including how to sign up for it and how to take advantage of various discounts for it.

3. Download and install the free Spotify application on your device of choice.

You can use Spotify to listen to music right on the website, but the easiest way to use it is probably to download the Spotify application and install it. If you think you’ll use Spotify mostly on your desktop computer, you can get the Spotify application right off the website. Or, if you want to use Spotify on the go, you can get the application on your iPad/iPhone or Android-powered smart phone through the Apple App Store or Google Play, respectively.
 
Downloading Spotify for a mobile device
 
Our How to Download and Install Spotify tutorial will show you how to get the application for all three of these types of devices.

4. Enjoy as much music as you want on Spotify, however you want to listen to it!

The remainder of our course tutorials (i.e. excluding our “Extra Resources” section) will teach you how to use the essential features of Spotify. Our How to Use Spotify tutorial will show you some of the basic features of the application. How you use Spotify from there is up to you!

  • Want to find a specific song, artist, album, or user on Spotify? Check out our Spotify Search tutorial!
    Searching for a song, album, or artist on Spotify
  • Want to create your own custom music mix of your favourite songs? Our Spotify Playlists tutorial has you covered!
    Creating a Spotify playlist
  • Feel like having Spotify make you a random music mix based on songs and artists that you already like? Head over to our Spotify Radio tutorial!
    Creating a Spotify radio station

 
As you see, Spotify can be used for free, is available on all sorts of different platforms, and offers you several different options for discovering and managing your favourite music. No wonder it’s one of the most popular music streaming services on the Internet today! So, does Spotify sound intriguing to you (no pun intended)? Then stick with us as we dig a little deeper into what you’re capable of doing with Spotify in the rest of our Spotify course. For now, we’ll next be going over Spotify’s pros and cons. Teaching Seniors How to Listen to Music on Spotify

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What is DuckDuckGo Search Engine?
Tech Support

What is DuckDuckGo Search Engine?

by Steve Black
written by Steve Black
If you’ve ever wanted to find something on the Internet before, be it a website, picture, video, or something else, chances are that you’ve used a search engine website. You’ve probably used one of the “big three” search engines, those being Google Search , Yahoo Search, or Microsoft’s Bing. What is DuckDuckGo Search Engine?
What is DuckDuckGo Search Engine? A potential problem with these websites, though, is that they record information about you and how you use them. In some cases, this information is used to sell advertisements, so you’ll see pitches on other websites related to things that you’ve searched for. In other cases, the information is used to “personalize” your results. This means that when you conduct searches in the future, you’ll see more search results that have to do with things that you’ve searched for before, but not necessarily ones that are the most relevant to what you are searching for at the time.

What is DuckDuckGo?

Gabriel Weinberg and the people behind DuckDuckGo didn’t like the fact that other search engines were tracking the information of people who used them. They believed that using this information to sell targeted advertisements was privacy-invasive, and that using it to skew what results users would get when they searched was tantamount to censorship. So, they decided to do something about it by making their own search engine, one that would be different. Today, DuckDuckGo is one of the most popular private search engines on the planet.
DuckDuckGo is known as a “private” search engine because it doesn’t record any personal Internet-related information about you, unless you explicitly give it to them. This means that it doesn’t care about your computer’s Internet address, your web browser specifications, or even what you searched for, where, and when. With nothing personal to go off of when you search, DuckDuckGo will give you the same results for the same search terms every single time, no matter who you are. DuckDuckGo also has features that block the websites that you find from knowing how you found them, so they can’t use this information to profile you and show you privacy-invasive targeted advertising.

Why use DuckDuckGo?

  • All of the basic search engine features you know and love — Search for web pages, images, videos, products, general information, and more on DuckDuckGo. Many results are constructed by DuckDuckGo’s crack tech staff and volunteer groups, and presented first for easy access.Different things that you can search for on DuckDuckGo
  • Choose how to take back your search privacy — Use DuckDuckGo’s settings to secure your web search. You can use a secure version of the website that makes your activities difficult to track and interpret. You can also redirect your search request so that other websites can’t see your search terms, or even modify your search request so that your search terms aren’t visible to any websites at all, even DuckDuckGo!What is DuckDuckGo Search Engine?
  • Zero in on specific websites with “bangs” — DuckDuckGo has a unique feature called “bangs”, which allow you to search within over 6000 individual websites while still using the privacy and security features of DuckDuckGo. Just type in a “bang” followed by your search terms, and you’ll instantly be taken to a search results page for your website of choice!Searching on DuckDuckGo using bangs
  • Lots of ways to make DuckDuckGo look good — There are plenty of options for changing how DuckDuckGo appears, from selecting the language and other conventions that it uses to changing the style, size, and/or colour of the text and backgrounds. Or, just pick a preset theme that you like!
    Choose a DuckDuckGo theme

Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet with a bit of information on what DuckDuckGo is about, we’ll go over the pros and cons of it, including how it stacks up against the world’s leading search engine, Google Search.

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