Screen space is always at a premium, and larger monitors tend to be very expensive.  However, a simple solution is to set up an inexpensive additional monitor. This gives you two screens to organize your workspace, (instead of switching back and forth between windows) and greatly increases productivity. Setting up two monitors might seem complex, but in actuality anyone can do it.   You might be wondering, “how can I set up two monitors?”.  If you have a PC, here’s how to do this:

Hardware:

Check if you have an additional monitor port in the same shape as the monitor plug on the sides of your laptop. If you don’t have one, you will need to install an additional video card for the second monitor.

Windows XP:

1. Click Start

2. Click Control Panel.

3. Click Appearance and Themes

4. Click Display.

5. Click on the Settings tab

6. Click Identify to display a large number on each of your monitors. This shows which monitor corresponds with each icon.

7. Choose your secondary monitor, and check the Extend the desktop onto this monitor box

8. Click the monitor icons and drag them to positions that represent how you want to move items from one monitor to another, and then click OK or Apply to view changes.

Windows Vista:

1. Right click the desktop

2. Click Personalize

3. Click on the Display Settings icon

4. Click Identify Monitors to display a large number on each of your monitors. This shows which monitor corresponds with each icon.

5. Choose your secondary monitor, and check the Extend the desktop onto this monitor box

6. Click the monitor icons and drag them to positions that represent how you want to move items from one monitor to another, and then click Apply to view changes.

Windows 7:

1. Right click the desktop

2. Click Personalize

3. Click on Display

4. Click on Change Display Settings

5. Click on Detect, and then Identify

6. For the Multiple Displays dropdown menu, choose Extend these displays

7. Click the monitor icons and drag them to positions that represent how you want to move items from one monitor to another, and then click Apply to view changes.

Can’t get that second monitor to work? Need help installing another video card? Use TalkLocal to find a computer technician to install that second monitor for you right now, at no additional cost!

There is always that one rogue program that freezes and refuses to cooperate. How do you force quit this troublemaker? PC’s use the Ctrl-Alt-Del command to summon a task manager, where users can kill unresponsive processes.  But how do you do a Ctrl-Alt-Del on a Mac?  To do this, use a Cmmd-Opt-Esc command. This is the same as Cmmd-Alt-Esc because the “opt” or option key is also the “alt” key.

This brings up a sort of Mac Task Manager that is titled “Force Quit Applications.” Simply select the program that is giving you problems and then select “Force Quit.”

You can also access this Task Manager by clicking on the Apple sign on the upper left hand corner of your screen and selecting “Force Quit.” The same “Force Quit Applications” box will pop up. Follow the same procedure as above and select the application you want to force quit.

If this method does not work and your computer remains frozen, call an IT technician through TalkLocal‘s easy-to-use service that connects you with the right professional at your convenience. Just fill out a short request online and–within minutes–a high quality service provider will call you! It’s that simple.

With the expansion of social networking sites like Facebook came a a large expansion of applications.  Whether you like games, quizzes, or photos, apps are an excellent way to stay entertained on Facebook.  Anyone can create an app and they spread quite quickly through series of friends–giving them potential for scam-related activities so you should show caution with Facebook apps.

In order for you to use an application, it must access certain information from your profile.  No one wants their private information floating around, so Facebook allows applications to access only what they need from you.  As with everything, though, there are ways around the rules, and this is where Facebook scams come in. Although Facebook is constantly updating its privacy policies to protect you against these types of activities, some hacking does get through.

Some Facebook scams are much more dangerous than others.  You may be familiar with the recent security leaks claimed by some users.  It is alleged that certain applications were leaking user information to advertising agencies, who then performed target advertising on the users’ pages.  This is fairly harmless, but nonetheless discomforting to most.  On a more serious scale, scams trick users into sharing private information to fraud artists or downloading viruses or malware. However, if you follow a few simple rules and stay smart on the Internet, you can keep your private information and computer safe.

• NEVER accept something that asks for a password or your credit card information.  This is completely unnecessary to the application process and is likely a scam in disguise.
• Avoid downloading extra software that is “required” to run an application.  This could be malware intended to corrupt files on your computer or access your personal information.

If you are afraid any of these scam-related activities have already occurred on your machine, it is always safest to have your computer analyzed by a professional.  TalkLocal can easily connect you to a computer repair service to help correct damage or prevent future mishaps.