Facebook Places - Privacy settings that are not private

This week, Facebook added a feature called "Places" where users may post their current location, using a mobile device.

Facebook hasn't exactly excited its users when it comes to Privacy Settings and I think they missed on this one too.  "Places" is enabled by default.  And, not only is it enabled, but the Privacy Settings allows "Friends" to post another Friend's location.  To me, these are privacy settings that are not private.

If you don't like people knowing every move you make, I would recommend changing the settings.

To do so, follow these steps:

Click on "Accounts" on the upper right corner of Facebook and select "Privacy Settings."

In the Privacy Settings window, click on "Customize" on the lower part of the screen.

In the "Things I Share" section, scroll to "Places I check in to" and change the option to "Me Only."

Then, uncheck the "Include me in 'People Here Now' after I check in" dialog box.  (See screen shot below)

In my opinion, Facebook should have changed the default setting.  But, I don't work for Facebook, I'm only here to provide tips to computer users.  So, I hope this helps with everyone's privacy.

***UPDATE 8/27/2010***
There is another option in the section below "Things others share."  The safest option is to select "Disable" from the "Friends can check me into Places" drop down.

Watch movies on your iPod

Do you watch movies on your iPod?  And do you want to watch music videos?  If you love gadgets and have an iPod with movie capabilities, you'll want to add as many movies and music videos to your library as you can.  The iPod has a great video screen, maybe smaller than some of the new smartphones, like the iPhone, but it's still a nice portable device for music and movies.

But, did you know that you don't need to purchase movies through iTunes?  iTunes can be a great resource for music and movies, but what if you find a movie on YouTube that you want to place on your iPod?

It's actually very simple.

There are many ways to convert movies for the iPod, but I'm going to give an example using one of the most used players.  A name you're probably familiar with, Real Player.

If you do not already have Real Player installed on your computer, download and install Real Player.

Now, you can do this many ways, but we'll provide the example of downloading a movie from sites such as YouTube.

First and foremost, make sure the movie does not have any copyrights.  Movies and Videos on sites like YouTube that are copyrighted will not allow for downloading.  However, I am not a lawyer and you always need to be responsible when using any sort of "sharing" website.

That said, visit YouTube and find the movie or music video you want to download.

When Real Player is set as your default player, a small pop-up menu appears in the upper right corner of the video.  Click on the "Download this video" link.

Real Player's downloader window opens and begins downloading.

HINT: If you wish to download and convert more than one movie or video, download all files first before continuing to the next step of conversion.

Once the movie or video has been completely downloaded, click on the drop down arrow "Copy to iPod."  The default on the drop down is probably "Copy to iPad," but if you click on the drop down arrow, a list is provided.  Select "more devices" if you do not see the "Copy to iPod" and search in the more devices list for the iPod option.

Another window opens beginning the conversion process.  Depending on the length of the movie or video, this may take some time.

Once completed, iTunes opens with the file added to your library.

It's really that simple.

Enjoy your music, your movies, and your videos all on your iPod - I do!

Go Ask Debbie - August 2010 Newsletter

I have just posted the August Newsletter for Go Ask Debbie.

Click here to read.

Remove Track Changes in Word

Tracking can be used when documents are shared between customers and clients, for example. When a person on one end makes changes, the person on the other end can see exactly what changes were made. This can be especially helpful during negotiations between two parties. Each side can see what the other side deleted or added.

However, let's say you need to send your resume to a prospective boss. You probably would not want them to see edits and revisions that you made to your resume. If tracking was turned on and the hiring company has their view tracked changes on, they could see everything. Maybe not the most professional look for your resume.

Follow these steps to clear all comments, edits, revisions, and anything else you do not want shared.

Word 2007:

Click on the "Office" button, move to "Prepare" and select "Inspect Document."

Uncheck or check the appropriate areas you want inspected and click on the "Inspect" button at the bottom of the window.

Word will open another window showing you items that you may want to remove.

Click on the "Remove All" button next to the items you wish to remove.



Click on the "Close" button to save the changes and close the Inspect window.

Word 2003:

Click on the "View" menu, hover to "Toolbars" and select "Reviewing."

To accept or reject all changes at once, click the arrow next to "Accept All Changes in Document" or "Reject All Changes in Document."

Tracking changes can be useful, when needed.  When not needed, you may want to remove them to have your documents look more professional and hide personal information.

Outlook Date Picker

If you need to view specific dates on a calendar, you can do so quickly by using the Outlook "Date Picker" area.

When you are in the Calendar in Outlook, the left hand side of the screen is filled with the current month and the next two months, in mini calendar form. This area is called the "Date Picker."

Simply click and drag your mouse over the dates you wish to view. Now in a split-second, the calendar will show you those specific dates.

See the picture below (I've highlighted the dates August 3-5):

Excel: Convert Times into Decimals

Many companies use Excel to track timesheets. Employees may not know that the Human Resources Department needs to track time within quarter hours. Some may even want to track in smaller increments.

Here is a quick formula to use so that employees do not have to convert the hours and minutes themselves.

Type this formula (where A1 is the cell containing the time)

=HOUR(A1) (MINUTE(A1)/60)

This will convert 12:35 (time) into 12.58 (decimal).

Then, you might even setup the timesheet to subtract the starting and ending times to calculate the number of hours worked, using the decimal fields.
HINT: Hide these formulas from user forms. You only need to have employees type in the times and not worry about the decimals.

Go Ask Debbie - July 2010 Newsletter

I've just published Go Ask Debbie's July 2010 Newsletter.

Click here to read the Newsletter.