Metro ServiceThe spinning color wheel can wreak havoc on a workday or frustrate Mac users while they’re shopping online or using their computers in their downtime. Mac users dread the sight of it, recognizing that whatever they’re doing is about to slow down or potentially even disappear. The spinning color wheel can wreak havoc on a workday or frustrate Mac users while they’re shopping online or using their computers in their downtime. But why does it appear? And what can be done to fix it? According to Setapp, a website designed to give Mac users easy access to great apps, the spinning color wheel appears when an application is trying to (more…)

Metro ServiceMany battery issues can be addressed with a few simple tricks designed to ensure phones aren’t needlessly consuming battery power. At one point or another, all smartphone users have reached for their phones to look up directions or use an app only to find the phone’s battery power is very low or completely wiped out. Such incidences play out each day, frustrating smartphone users, especially on those occasions when they haven’t used their phones enough to seemingly merit a drained battery. Some smartphone battery issues can only be remedied by replacing the battery or even the phone itself. But many issues can be addressed with a few simple tricks designed (more…)

Metro ServiceComputers that are running slowly can often be “fixed” with a few simple strategies to improve their efficiency. Few people can say they have not experienced the dreaded spinning color wheel or had an application unexpectedly crash when using their computers. Such problems can interfere with a workday or simply frustrate people using their computers on their own time. While aging computers that routinely crash or simply don’t operate at acceptable speeds may need to be replaced, users can take steps to make computers that aren’t yet ready for the scrap heap operate more smoothly. Delete applications you don’t use. Many computers come with a host of pre-installed programs that (more…)

Metro ServiceFamilies can weigh the pros and cons of using family trackers to decide if a more watchful eye is a good bet for them. The world is a much different place than it was 25 years ago. Generation Xers likely remember going outside as kids to “call” for friends and then spending hours outside left to their own devices. Their parents probably had one requirement: “Be home before the streetlights come on.” Whether it was safer all around or there was a different mindset to parenting back then, modern families today operate a little differently than they did a quarter-century ago. Today, greater emphasis is placed on supervising children in (more…)

Metro ServiceVarious apps can be assets to drivers, helping them to save both money and time. It is never a good idea to use smartphones or other devices while behind the wheel. In fact, distracted driving is a key risk factor for automotive accidents. However, certain smartphone applications and features can make road trips and other excursions easier, safer and more enjoyable — provided these apps are used before getting in the car, when safely pulled over, or in the hands of a passenger. Make a pitstop Drivers may not know where to pull off the highway when they need a mid-trip snack or a restroom run. iExit enables you to (more…)

Metro ServiceWhen tech companies or apps refer to data being stored or accessed from “the cloud,” they’re referring to a network of servers that deliver data via the internet. “The cloud” entered the technological lexicon a handful of years ago and has since become a big part of people’s lives. Despite that, many people still do not fully understand the cloud and its capabilities. When tech companies or apps refer to data being stored or accessed from the cloud, they’re referring to a network of servers that deliver data via the internet rather than from a computer’s hard drive. PC Magazine says the cloud is just a metaphor for the internet. (more…)

Metro ServiceTime glued to digital devices has profound effects on physical and mental health, and many experts are advising people to cut back on the time they spend on their devices. ■ Metro Service / Contributed Do you feel panicked if you leave home without mobile phone in hand? Do you find it difficult to sit in the house without browsing the internet on your devices? Are your children spending much of their classroom hours on tablets? Screen time has taken over most people’s daily lives, but at what cost? A 2014 report from Nielsen found that adults log a total of 11 hours of screen time per day. Delaney Ruston, (more…)

Metro ServiceThe following are just a handful of ways to utilize social media to help your community. ■ Metro Service / Contributed Social media changed the world. Despite their relative infancy, platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are now ingrained in the everyday lives of billions of people across the globe. Though it has its critics, social media also has the potential to affect positive change. Grassroots fundraising efforts such as the “Ice Bucket Challenge,” in which participants dumped ice cold water over their heads to raise awareness about Lou Gehrig’s disease, or ALS, might have seemed silly at the time, but that’s just one example of how social media (more…)

Metro ServiceThe same devices that keep people in touch can help them stay more organized. ■ Metro Service / Contributed When internet usage switched from mere fad to fully functional, few people may have imagined just how profound — and mobile — it would become. While electronic use was largely stationary as recently as a few years ago, it’s now second nature for users to send and receive information on the go. Smartphone use has increased dramatically in recent years, and these pocket-sized devices can be reliable hubs of information. The same devices that keep people in touch can help them stay more organized. Here’s how to use mobile devices to (more…)

Metro ServiceWhile online or mobile banking makes it easy for consumers to manage their money, it’s also potentially much riskier than in-person banking at the bank. ■ Metro Service / Contributed In the digital era, many errands that once required leaving the house can be conducted from the comforts of home. Groceries can be ordered online and delivered to consumers’ doorsteps, while bills can be paid online, saving men and women from having to drive to their nearby post office. Online banking has revolutionized the way people manage their money. Investors can buy or sell stocks with the click of a mouse, and money can be moved across accounts just as (more…)