The Microriver 1GB iSecure Biometric USB Flash Drive is one option for grads. It sells for about $34 online.

Family, friends and loved ones of soon-to-be high school and college graduates want to give them gifts that will aid them in the next chapter of their lives.

For some that chapter will include furthering their education. For others it will entail entering the job market. Regardless of the road ahead for these graduates, there are many affordable tech gifts to make that road a little smoother.

Whether on campus or in the corporate jungle, USB flash drives seem to be commonplace. A particular flavor of USB flash drives that don’t seem to be everywhere are biometric or fingerprint scanning USB flash drives.

These drives have been around for a few years, but haven’t really caught on in mass numbers. But the fact remains that these are among the best USB drives to own. Biometric USB flash drives allow access to the drive only after a user has been authenticated by running a fingerprint over a biometric scanner embedded on the drive.

The benefits of biometric USB drives are numerous, but among the top reasons for considering them as a gift for graduates is their security features. The information stored on them is not only secure, but the fact that the information cannot be accessed acts as a theft deterrent and may even serve to increase the odds of the drive being returned if it where lost. Biometric USB drives are more expensive than regular USB drives of equal storage capacity, but there are plenty of lower capacity biometric drives priced below $50.

If your graduate is heading into the work force, you may want to consider paying for a professional subscription as a gift. Careerstrides.com is one of many Web sites that offer a professional résumé service to people new to the job market. Popular employment Web sites such as Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com offer upgraded résumé posting, a feature that is supposed to give placement preference so employers will view them before the non-upgraded résumés. This, too, could help recent grads looking to test the job market. In the current employment environment, every advantage helps.

For those who are leaving the high school campus for the larger and much greener college campus, the Digimemo may be ideal. The Digimemo is a digital tablet that allows users to write notes, draw or doodle and save it all to the device. Having a device that can save 999 individual pages of notes without the need for special paper that some other devices require will lighten the backpack of any college student. At a cost of $99, it won’t lighten the gift giver’s wallet too much, either.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

Q I recently upgraded from dial-up to high-speed DSL. One question that I have concerns the DSL modem. I always shut down my computer at the end of the day. Should I also turn off my modem or leave it on? Whatever the answer, why is that the correct answer?

Norma I.

A: This question is one that has been around just about as long as home broadband connections. DSL connections, like all broadband connections, were meant to always be connected.

There are three prevailing opinions to this question. One is that you should turn it off. Another is that you should leave it on, and the final is that it doesn’t matter either way.

Those who say you should turn the modem off often cite potential security risks as the primary reason. It is argued that leaving your modem on opens the door for people to use your Internet signal to cause mischief online or on your home network.

I can see the truth in this, but it is built on several assumptions. One assumption is that every home network is wireless. Some home networks are still hard-wired or networked through the electrical outlets. There is also the assumption that all home wireless networks are open and do not have the requisite security in place to prevent spurious intrusions.

Those who support leaving the modem on use many of the previous viewpoints to strengthen their own position. They also expound the notion that the number of people who are technically proficient enough the circumvent most home network security measures is rather low. If someone who falls into that category wants to get into your network and cause havoc, then you are limited in your options for securing your computer.

The third position uses combined and ancillary retorts to support their viewpoint. Some of the circumstantial information factored in includes the location of the modem, network, the computers, the manner in which the computers are used and the number and level of the users who have access to the computers.

These factors serve to paint a broader picture that can lend itself to a more situation-specific solution. If the computer connected to the modem is in the middle of nowhere and is used only for updating a blog or reading news links from Google, then it really doesn’t matter if you turn the modem off or leave it on.

Personally, I am of the last school of thought. It is a situational call and you must weigh as many factors as possible. If your modem broadcasts wirelessly, is unsecure, and you are concerned about people picking up your signal and using your wireless to go online, then you may want to turn it off. Otherwise, there may be no harm in leaving it on.

The correct answer depends on your specific situation.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

It is often said that everyone has a twin somewhere in the world; what many people may not know is that the twin is likely to be located online.

Because this is not given the attention it deserves, it is often overlooked and misunderstood. Protecting and managing your digital self is often confused with taking steps to prevent identity theft.

Although taking measures to protect yourself against identity theft is important, protecting your digital self casts a broader net. This may be an oversimplification, but identity theft prevention, from an online perspective, focuses on securing passwords, account numbers and sensitive financial information. Managing your digital self should include these tasks, but it goes a step further and requires that you frequently stay abreast of the information publicly available about you.

I use the phrase “manage your digital self” because that’s all you can do – manage the information. The source of the online information about you may not necessarily be you. It can range from publicly available government records and documents to opinions written about you from friend and foe alike. Following are some tactics to successfully manage your digital self.

The Internet never closes, so neither does the opportunity for information to be uploaded about you. Something to keep in mind is that unless you catch some of it almost in the instant it appears online and have it removed, you can expect that information to long outlive you. The rate at which information is copied, backed up and stored in multiple locations online would amaze most people.

The next thing to keep in mind is that even if you don’t use the Internet frequently, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a significant amount of information about you online.

One of the first steps you want to take is to see what is out there about you. An easy way to do this is to do what’s called a vanity search. This means that you essentially Google yourself. I would suggest that you use slight variations of your name and quotation marks on both ends of your name. This will ensure that only the exact name between the quotations appears. You can also set up Google news alerts to e-mail you whenever something containing your name appears.

You also will want to hit the social networking circuit. This means MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Ning and other Web sites of that ilk. If you find information that is incorrect, you do have a recourse. Most times it involves contacting the owners of the Web site and asking them to remove it.

The problem is that by this time it is likely to have been populated in other places online. An easy solution is to use the same social networking Web sites and other Web resources to cast yourself in the light that you would like to be viewed.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

Q My question to you is how do I get my Web site optimized so that the various search engines can not only find it but rank it on the first page of their listings?

I have tried reading about optimization but just don’t understand the language. I would like to hire someone to do it for me. The Tucson-based companies listed in the Yellow Pages deal only with large corporations who have thousands of dollars to spend.

Is there anything you could suggest to help me. I purchased “Website Optimization For Dummies” but gave up after the second chapter, so that was no help.

C. Matthiasson

A: SEO or search engine optimization is major concern of most businesses. There have been studies that show that the majority of search engine users don’t look beyond the first couple of search results pages. In some cases, users only consider the first few items listed. This makes the first few items prime real estate.

When entering the world of search engine optimization, it helps to understand how the process works. This can be of benefit if you are going to optimize your own Web site or hire it out. Otherwise, it may be difficult to know if you are receiving what you are paying for.

Since Google dominates the search engine genre, I will provide a general explanation of how its search results listing works.

Google uses a program called a spider that goes out over the Internet, makes copies of the Web pages it finds and returns those copies to Google’s database to be indexed. These indexed pages are then evaluated by a secret and constantly changing set of criteria. It is this evaluation that determines how relevant a Web page is to any given performed search. The degree of relevance is supposed to determine the ranking of a Web site on Google’s search results page.

Before hiring a company to optimize your Web site, there are a few things you can do yourself. If your business is about doulas, then have one of your Web pages named doulas.html. Also, the description of each page of your Web site should be clear and concise. Historically, the more Web sites that link to your site may increase your ranking. For this reason, you may want to consider joining groups that swap links.

Now if you have made the modifications previously listed and you still want a higher ranking – and who wouldn’t want a higher ranking? – you can hire an SEO company. They can be prohibitively expensive, but the most expensive ones have well established track records.

That is what you are looking for when vetting an SEO company. Ask to speak with some of their customers and find out their level of satisfaction and results. Don’t limit yourself to local companies. SEO can be done from anywhere.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

Q I have Adobe Professional 6.0 installed on my computer to create .pdf files. Recently I have attempted to open .pdf files that were evidently created on a newer version of Acrobat and got an error message that I needed Acrobat Reader 8.0 or 9.0 to open the files.

I downloaded and installed Reader 9.0, but when I attempt to open one of these .pdf files, Adobe 6.0 opens and then gives me the previous error message. This even happens if I first open Reader 9.0 and then click on the .pdf file. What do you think is causing this and how do I correct it?

G. Fotre

A: Your problem is not uncommon. There can be a number of reasons for the issues that you are experiencing.

Some of the most frequently seen are that a necessary file was deleted or that it is a Web browser issue. Since you can’t read files after opening the Adobe reader from your desktop shortcut, this lowers the likelihood of your Web browser being the source of your problem.

I am of course assuming that you saved the pdf file to your computer and then you tried to open it up and were unsuccessful. If I am wrong in my assumptions, then try saving a pdf to your computer and then opening it up.

If my assumptions were correct, then that would explain why you were advised to upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Reader. We can follow the missing or corrupted file premise. If you recently performed some system cleanup and deleted old files, you may have gotten rid of more than you expected. You may want to consider a system restore. If that doesn’t correct the problem then you may want to look at some other options.

If your computer still sees Adobe Reader 6.0 as your default pdf reader, then I would suggest uninstalling all versions of Adobe Reader. This can be done via the control panel. It may also require you to uninstall your version of Adobe Professional.

Once you have uninstalled all of the Adobe reader and creation software on your computer, you can reinstall the Adobe Professional and opt out of the option to install the reader program. If you don’t have this option, you may have to uninstall the Professional software and install the latest version of the Adobe Reader first and then reinstall Adobe Professional. This should set the latest version of Adobe Reader as your default pdf reader.

Other options include using another software program to read your pdf files. For this, you may want to consider a free pdf reader named Foxit. You can download it from download.com or foxitsoftware.com. An alternate option is to read pdfs through a Web browser. There are a few free online pdf viewers. Two of the most popular are pdfmenot.com and pdfescape.com.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

When many people think of search engines, they automatically envision Google.

This makes sense given Google’s magnitude; it’s by far the leader among search engines. But being the leader doesn’t always mean that it is the best for every search. The answer to queries could unlock more from the Internet than what is represented in a Google-only search.

Why should you consider another search engine? Google has a large number of Web sites indexed and cataloged, but it doesn’t have the entire Internet indexed and cataloged. Using other search engines may yield useful Web sites that aren’t available on Google. Diversity is the spice of life.

What should people consider when looking for a different search engine? They should try to find an engine that fits their searching style and needs. It can be easy for people to simply assume that Google is the only game in town and they must adapt to it rather than the search engine adapting to them.

One search engine that has been around for a while is alltheweb.com. It may provide Web sites that aren’t on Google.

Another engine that has been in Google’s shadow for years is Dogpile.com. Dogpile is a metasearch engine, and metasearch engines allow you to search several engines at once. This in turn allows you to cast a wider net.

Leapfish.com is a search engine that provides results from MSN, Google and Yahoo. What really makes Leapfish stand out is that when it refreshes, new results can be added to your list.

One of my favorite Google alternatives is Cuil.com. The search tips that are offered after your results are returned make it easy to refine the topic you are looking for.

What are the options for those who just don’t want to let go of Google? The obvious one is to continue to use Google. For those who want to slowly wean themselves from a Google-only diet, they can use Leapfish.com, which searches Google.

Or they can go to Google lite. Ecosmartsearch.com is another search engine that was created by the people at Google. It is designed to be a greener Web site that allows monitors to be more energy efficient.

Although this article may come across as being anti-Google by some, it isn’t intended as such. If you have read some of my previous articles, then you should know that I consistently urge people to try the various incarnations of Google and its many applications.

To truly get the most out of the vast resources of the Internet, you can’t limit yourself to the popular Web sites. Occasionally, stepping off the beaten path could be just what is needed.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

Q I mentioned I’m not quite an expert so I do have one question to ask of you. I’ve been running Firefox as my browser for the longest time. With the latest Firefox update that I downloaded I’ve noticed that my browser now gets an “f” where the Flash Player stuff should be.

I have to click the little “f’s” or arrows in order to view a YouTube video, for example. That wasn’t the case before the new update was installed. I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling the Flash Player but with no luck. Guess I’m still not as close to being an expert as I thought. Any help you could provide would be appreciated.

F. Ramos

A: This is a known problem. I would ask if you have the latest update for Adobe Flash? The latest version is supposed to fix this problem. The problem is unique to the Firefox plug-in for Flash. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then you may want to consider using another browser to watch videos. Internet Explorer or Google Chrome should meet your needs.

Q: Mr. Hobbs, I have a problem. I was having a problem with my ISP one night. I called them and explained that I could not get into some sites once I clicked my mouse. One of the support personnel said that I had a virus and suggested that I buy a program to remove it. I answered that I had Norton 360 and that I would call them and run it.

I decided to run it first. I did this and that and somehow came up with a site where Norton said I had an unknown cookie and that it would be simple to remove. The only thing about this is that they or I could not find out how to remove the program. I have 10 cookies on this list, but this one’s name is only, “unknown.” This list also said that this has been tracking me since last July 2008.

How do I find out who is tracking me with this cookie deal and how do I get rid of this program as the Norton program suggested?

A. Ortiz

A: Mr. Ortiz, there are two types of cookies. The ones that are used while you are visiting a Web site are called session cookies. These stop tracking when you leave the site. The one that you are concerned about is called a permanent cookie. The name is slightly misleading.

Although they track you after you leave a Web site, they aren’t permanent. They have dates of expiration. To delete your cookies, open your Web browser. I will use Internet Explorer for this example.

Look in the Tools header. You should a section on the General tab named Browsing History. It is here that you can delete cookies. If this doesn’t remove them, then consider using Malwarebytes or SUPER AntiSpyware to remove them. The free edition should get the job done.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds @yahoo.com.

Q I was having some problems with my computer and did a disk clean-up on it and deleted many files I did not use or need. Somewhere in all of this, I lost the audio (through my speakers) so now I can’t hear anything on the Internet, games, nothing.

I have tried to reinstall the sound with the help of friends. I’m in no way a computer whiz and I need plain English to have things explained to me. I’m hoping you may be able to figure out what I may have done and can get it fixed without it costing a fortune.

S. Valdez

A: I will start with possible causes. When it comes to no audio from your computer, the root can normally be found in a handful of places.

One of the most common is missing device drivers. This seems to be what you and your friends initially suspected. I take it that when you said you reinstalled the sound, you were referring to the drivers for your sound card or other audio devices.

The drivers could have been compressed and archived or deleted when you performed your disk cleanup. The problem is that if it were a case of a missing driver, you should receive a pop up message that says that a driver or file is missing.

This leads me to the second possible culprit, a bad speaker. This is easy enough to check. Plug a pair of headphones into your computer and see if you can hear anything. If you can, then it was the speakers.

Also, I am assuming you checked the audio settings and ensured that they were not set to low or muted entirely. It would also be worth verifying that the correct audio device is selected as the default and enabled. You should be able to find the audio settings in the control panel, which can be accessed via the start button.

All of this may sound condescending, but this is not my intent. You would be surprised how many hours of troubleshooting audio problems have been solved by simply plugging the power cord into the speaker or computer. So check all of the speaker connections. Since you can’t hear anything from games or online sources then this generally rules out it being a case of media player problems.

When all else fails you have three surefire low cost options. The first is to perform a reinstallation of the audio files from your system recovery CD that should have come along with your system. The second option is to install a new sound card, and a basic card should cost you less than $20. The installation is as simple as unscrewing 4-6 screws and placing a card in a slot. A true five minute job. This is a sure solution to your woes.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

Q I plan to retire my desktop and buy a new laptop in which to plug my flat panel monitor, MS Natural keyboard, printer, etc., then unplug them and just take the laptop along when leaving town. When do you think that I can expect to see laptops on the market preloaded with Windows 7 and USB 3.0?

Glen R.F.

A: What you have planned sounds very interesting. I don’t think you need Windows 7 or USB 3.0 to accomplish what you have planned.

It probably won’t be until fall 2010 before you can expect to see USB 3.0 connections as the standard on computers. Once this does happen, the increased speed at which data can be accessed from a thumb drive will be noticeable. They should have a data transfer rate of about 5 gigabits per second. This is a lot of information being moved in a short amount of time.

This high transfer rate is due in part to the preparation for the inundation of lower-cost high-capacity thumb drives. With 128 GB thumb drives being prepped for the consumer market, a faster USB Drive format is only logical.

One other benefit of USB 3.0 is that it will be backwards compatible with previous versions. There will also be a “standard-B” version of the 3.0 connections. The standard-B connection is the type of connection that your printer, fax or external hard drive may use. It normally has a beveled end that connects to the device and a rectangle USB connection on the other end.

As far as USB 3.0′s interaction with Windows 7, it shouldn’t be an issue. Microsoft is reportedly in the process of creating the necessary drivers in Windows 7 for the new USB 3.0 ports. This provides a good transition into the Windows 7 part of your question.

Based on the fact that the beta version of Windows 7 expires in August, I would expect the full version of Windows 7 anytime from the late summer through the fall. As I said in last week’s article, I would be surprised if it isn’t out by the end of the year. This means that to have the Windows 7/USB 3.0 combo you are looking for, you will probably have to wait until the fall of 2010.

The only wildcard that I can foresee is if phase change drives become practical or popular, then they may usurp flash drives.

• • •

On another note, this likely will be my last article for the Citizen. It has been a good run, and I have enjoyed the reader response. I hope I have been of some assistance and provided information you found interesting. Whether I write for another paper or online, you can continue to e-mail me your questions and I will try to provide you with a solution. Thank you for your support over the years.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

KATHLEEN ROGERS

In today’s confusing and disheartening economic landscape, it’s more important than ever to navigate carefully – and make the right turns.

At least, that’s what shipping giant UPS is doing. After implementing a “right turn” strategy (taking more right turns than left to avoid idling in left turn lanes), UPS has saved more than 30 million miles of driving – including 3 million gallons of fuel and $600 million a year from the change – not to mention countless tons of carbon emissions.

The rest of us can learn from this strategy and start our own “right turn” campaign.

UPS, however, isn’t the only big green giant: Wal-Mart, the second largest procurer of energy only to the U.S. government, has made a pledge to be supplied 100 percent by renewable energy, to create zero waste and to sell greener products.

The retailer also is building skylight/dimming systems into its new stores. As daylight increases, skylights allow Wal-Mart to dim the lights or even turn them off, thereby reducing the demand for electricity during peak hours.

This system will result in an annual savings of about 250 million kilowatt hours a year, enough to power approximately 23,000 homes.

Corporations such as Hewlett Packard, Toyota and even British Petroleum have taken steps toward greening their production.

And J.P. Morgan Chase is investing $2 billion of its own capital to fund renewable energy projects such as wind farms and solar in 17 states. Chase believes an investment in renewable energy will help revitalize rural communities by creating jobs and increasing the local tax base.

More and more, companies are finding that simple green solutions are attractive.

These forward-thinking companies are part of a movement we can dub “the Green Generation” – a new way of thinking and doing business where sustainability takes precedent, as the most efficient strategy emerges as the most economical.

Similar to the “greatest generation” that met the challenges of World War II, the Green Generation seeks to break with the past and includes companies, as well as ordinary people, who are engaged in individual and collective activities to improve their health, to better their schools and to participate in building a solution to urgent national and global issues, such as climate change.

The Green Generation wants to put people to work – building a better, greener world.

What makes a better world? Smarter, more efficient, corporations – the kind that see their success intertwined with the greater good and realize that a move to energy efficiency saves resources – and with it saves money and jobs.

Smarter, more efficient investments can occur in growing sustainable markets – from alternative energies such as solar power, wind power and geothermal energy to green farming, green schools and public transportation.

A nationwide move toward energy efficiency could create 5 million new jobs in the U.S. alone – and many millions more worldwide.

Now that’s a turn for the better – for our economy, our environment, our individuals and our industries.

The Green Generation sees their commitment to fight climate change as the responsibility of both communities and corporations, as a movement both personal and unapologetically political.

Good too, because now’s our chance: President Obama already has committed to an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. With the Green Generation’s support, both Congress and corporate America will be hard-pressed not to push for more sustainable practices in all industries.

“Green-outs” will replace bailouts as we mandate that companies that want public assistance – such as the auto industry – change to accommodate the public’s need for high-efficiency products that cost less to maintain.

Every time humanity comes to a crossroads, after all, we achieve our next greatest accomplishment to date.

Between 10,000 and 5,000 BC, we needed more food – hence the Neolithic Revolution and the foundations of modern agriculture. The end of the 20th century was marked by a need to disseminate information all over the world, leading to the Digital Revolution.

And now, fluctuating fuel prices and a struggling economy mean that efficiency is, finally, everything.

Our Green Generation Revolution, led by our Green Generation, is here. There’s a new bottom line in town and it’s green. Companies and consumers, that make all the right turns toward sustainability will have no trouble getting there.

As individuals, we can realize that less can give us far more – more opportunities for creativity, more opportunities for invention, more chances for success, and more reasons to appreciate the interconnection between our economic and environmental health.

Kathleen Rogers is the president of Earth Day Network. This commentary was distributed by the American Forum, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational organization that provides views of experts on major public concerns to stimulate informed discussion.

Microsoft is gearing up to release it’s next operating system.

It will most likely roll out later this year, but a debate is developing about the fate of the two current Microsoft operating systems and the heir to the throne.

Which operating system that is left standing may not seem that important to you now, but it will if the one on your computer is on the losing end of the fight. Microsoft may consider stopping support for it. If that happens, it could become ripe for all manners of malicious activity. Each operating system makes a good case for its survival and marginalization.

Windows XP is the reigning king, top dog and el mero mero when it comes to Windows-based operating system. For the most part, the bugs have been worked out and end users have become quite acquainted with the operating system. This is really the determining factor in operating system adaptation. Whatever is closest to what end users are familiar with has a tendency to fare well.

The problem for Windows Vista was twofold. First, it differed so much from Windows XP that end users felt lost and refused to adopt the new operating system. The second factor is that Windows Vista probably wasn’t fully ready when it was released. It was plagued by bugs and compatibility issues that helped create its reputation of being a subpar operating system.

Fast forward 18 months and Vista has matured into a solid operating system. Once you get used to navigating within Vista, which takes a few sessions, you can unlock much of its potential. The problem for Vista is that all of these improvements may be too little, too late.

The next generation Windows operating system, Windows 7, is stealing some of Vista’s thunder and it hasn’t even been released yet. The buzz around it is positive. This doesn’t bode well for the other two operating systems.

In the final analysis, I think that history will repeat itself.

When all is said and done, like Windows 98 and Millennium Edition before them, XP and Vista will fade to black within three years. So prepare to either embrace Windows 7 or some other platform of operating system.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

When do you have something without having anything? This is the riddled response that is often offered to explain the practice of cloud computing.

The name suggests some ethereal technological junket, but it is a practice that many businesses and individuals are finding practical.

Cloud computing is when you store information or use applications over a network. Some large companies that are spread around the nation and across the globe use a form of internal cloud computing. One of the most common types of cloud computing is to have a technology infrastructure that is maintained online by an outside vendor.

This entails using the Internet to access your applications and manage a product or service that is sold commercially. It is not a good fit for some companies, but others find that it is a way to lower operating costs and increase revenue.

Some of the pros of cloud computing for businesses are that they can offer services without having to invest heavily into equipment. Also, since cloud computing relies on offsite vendors to maintain the hardware, a business is spared the expenses of electricity, manpower and other costs associated with maintaining equipment in-house.

Another advantage of cloud computing is its innate portability. From a business perspective, this is a huge asset. If your business finds itself in a situation such as those in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina or in New York after September 11th, 2001, there is the peace of mind that your business should not be severely set back.

The primary downside to cloud computing is that you are at the mercy of the vendor. If that vendor goes out of business or has an interruption in service, it will have a direct and immediate impact on your business and customers.

You could find yourself in a similar situation if you maintained your own equipment, but having to rely on another company may be a little unnerving.

Cloud computing for individuals is slightly different than for businesses. Individuals can normally find enough freebies to make cloud computing worth their while. Free is usually good, but add portability to it and it becomes very good. Being able to access your e-mails, documents, pictures, video and music from any computer with an Internet connection is a benefit to students and professionals alike.

At a minimum, individual cloud computing would not be complete without a plan to back up all of your information online and offline.

Whether cloud computing is right for you largely depends on your situation, whether as an individual or a business.

Potential users should understand the inherent risks and benefits associated with relying on an online entity to maintain their information.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

You may be aware that Microsoft is readying a new operating system. It’s been dubbed Windows 7. When it is released, you can expect brass bands, dancing girls and mighty huzzahs. But why?

Windows runs your machine. It’s the middleman. It tells your programs and your computer how to work together. In geekese, it manages resources. Don’t worry about that.

Does this sound exciting? It doesn’t to me. It sounds like the transmission in my car.

So why does Microsoft bang the drums? And, really, what do you need?

Let us return to the days of yesteryear, when MS-DOS ruled the PC land. You’d get this on your computer screen: C: 1/4. To the right of the backslash blinked the cursor. That wasn’t particularly intuitive. People wanted something better. Thus was born the graphical user interface. Buttons, links, formatting to click on. Today’s Windows is a very advanced GUI; so is Mac’s OS X.

Windows improved all through the 1990s. Then, in 2001, Windows XP appeared. It didn’t crash. It didn’t cause trouble at all. People just loved it.

Jump to January 2007. Windows Vista appeared. Bombastic promotion. Events to draw crowds. But the old flying-out-the-doors spirit wasn’t there. The “experts” said Vista was a memory hog, it had too many problems, people didn’t want it. I say people stuck with XP.

See, people don’t just go out and buy a new operating system. They buy computers with the new Windows. But, this time, they didn’t need to upgrade. Why spend $800 when you like XP?

I need to know new technology. I bought a half-dozen computers in January 2007. All had Vista. The hardware has been a pain. Vista has performed flawlessly.

So, now comes Windows 7. The guys are looking forward to the dancing girls. And we will switch; we have to be out-front. But most people couldn’t care less. They get their operating system with their computer. And they still like XP, which is now eight years old. Or they like Vista.

Why does Microsoft bother with this extravaganza? That’s a good question. And I don’t know for sure. But I have a theory. (It’s possible that 800 people thought of it before me. If you’re one, please be nice.)

Microsoft watchers think nearly all profits come from Windows and Office. (This decade, we have had Office 2000, 2002 (XP), 2003 and 2007). The rest of Microsoft’s software is peanuts.

When the umpteenth Windows version appears, Microsoft isn’t really pushing Windows. It’s selling computers. Nearly everyone gets the new operating system with the computer. No computer sales, no Windows sales. (I’m not counting early adopting geeks. Microsoft can’t live on them.)

Most people probably like their machines. I don’t see a big blastoff for Windows 7. If you like XP or Vista, stick with it.

This is a terrible problem for Microsoft. Coming down the road are Google and the Cloud. Google is believed to have a million servers, more or less.

The logical use for those servers is cloud computing. You get an old computer out of the closet. On it, you install a free, small Linux operating system. But the real operating system is on Google servers. You access them through the Internet. Ergo, the Cloud.

Most people hate buying new computers. They despise learning new software. The Cloud should cure both.

How much will it cost? Maybe nothing. Whatever, it will be less than today’s almost yearly changes.

I can’t be sure this is coming. But I would be willing to bet on it.

And where will it leave Microsoft, arguably the globe’s most powerful firm?

Less than a decade ago, newspapers were rich and powerful. Then, the Internet abruptly reshaped the news world. That could happen to Microsoft. Without Windows and Office, what does it really have for personal computers?

Kim Komando hosts the nation’s largest talk radio show about computers and the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit: www.komando.com/listen. To subscribe to Kim’s free e-mail newsletters, sign up at: www.komando.com/newsletters. Contact her at gnstech@gannett.com.

The iPhone has established itself as the device that all other mobile devices are compared against.

This is due in part to its versatility and its unique design. One thing that works against its popularity is the exclusive cellular service offered by AT&T. Another factor that doesn’t work in the iPhone’s favor – beyond the requirement of committing to a multiyear service contract with AT&T – is the expensive purchase price.

For those who want a near-iPhone device without the associated costs, there are options. You could purchase a touch screen handset such as the Behold from Samsung, the G1, or the Blackberry Storm. All of these would rival the iPhone in certain aspects, but there is still a unique way to have a near iPhone experience:

Use an iPod Touch to make phone calls. The process is easier than it might sound and well worth it.

The first thing you need is an SIP or VoIP dialer program installed on your iPod. Both SIP and VoIP applications allow users to use the Internet to place phone calls.

I have two applications that I use. One is called Fring and can be found for free on iTunes. The other is called Truphone. Once you have these or a similar application installed, you need to open an account with a SIP or VoIP service provider. Some people prefer using Skype, but I opened an account at VoIPbuster.com. Once you have reached this point, you can go into the settings of Fring and set your VoIP Buster account as your SIP/VoIP service.

You are just about ready to start making calls. This is the point where you are going to need a little hardware. Although the iPod Touch strongly resembles the iPhone, it was not intended to make phone calls, as evidenced by the lack of a microphone that is essential for holding a conversation. For about $60 you can purchase a Touchmod mic that will allow you to hear and speak using your iPod Touch.

Now you’re ready to place calls. Find the nearest open Wi-Fi network and start yapping.

Somewhere during the first call you will probably think how cool it is to make calls from your iPod, but a few minutes later something will dawn on you. You’ll realize that you can call out, but don’t have a number for people to call you. There is a remedy to this problem.

You can go to ipkall.com and set up an account that will assign an inbound call number to your iPod. The number is free, but the catch is that you are limited to phone numbers from Washington state. But after you have an assigned number from ipkall, go to grandcentral.com and redirect that number to another number a little closer to you.

Quincey Hobbs is a team member at the University of Arizona’s Center for Computing and Information Technology and an instructor at Pima Community College. Send questions to quinceyresponds@yahoo.com.

As millions seek new jobs to replace positions lost in the recession, keep in mind that the Internet gives employers unprecedented access to information about you.

Employers aren’t content with facts gleaned from public records. They’re also using the Internet to assess your character. That means they’re searching your name on Google.

They’re visiting social-networking sites and reading blog posts. Unflattering comments and photos can put you out of the running for a job. So, you will want to clean up your online reputation before job hunting. For direct links to the sites mentioned, go to www.komando.com/news.

Search for yourself

Your first step is to assess your online reputation. Start by doing a Google search of your name and its variations.

Do other searches that include your profession, previous employers and locations. You may be surprised what turns up.

You should also search networking sites. Pipl, Wink and PeekYou will allow you to search multiple sites quickly.

You will want to make two lists from your searches. On one list, place links to sites with unflattering information. On the other list, place links to flattering information.

Remove the negative

Maybe you posted some of the unflattering images or comments. In that case, remove them immediately. Err on the side of caution and remove anything that is potentially offensive.

Next, contact the owners of sites that cast you in a negative light. Send a polite e-mail message requesting that negative information be removed.

State your case clearly. If a post is erroneous, provide proof of its inaccuracy. It doesn’t hurt to mention that you’re job searching.

Things are more complicated with unflattering photos and truthful information. You will need to appeal to the writer’s sense of decency. Keep your requests pleasant and polite, and you may be successful.

Promote the positive

Some sites will honor your requests. Other sites may not. So, you may need to mitigate negative posts with positive ones.

I recommend that you start a blog highlighting your professional skills. Write posts on your field to show off your professional knowledge. List your full name at the bottom of your posts. Include links to the positive comments you found. And be sure to list your accomplishments in your bio.

These postings should push the negative postings from Google’s top search results. You can also use your blog to speak indirectly to potential employers.

For example, say you share a name with a porn star. You don’t want potential employers to confuse the two of you. So, create a post listing people who share your name. It’s a good way to eliminate confusion.

Don’t forget networking sites

Networking sites like Facebook and MySpace are the biggest threat to your job search. Clean up any networking profiles you have.

If you don’t have networking profiles, create them. Then link to them on your blog. Employers will be able to find your profiles easily. Make sure these profiles are squeaky clean.

Why create the profiles? They can eliminate confusion. An employer won’t confuse you with that other Mary Johnson with a raunchy profile.

Create a profile on LinkedIn. Use it to showcase your professional accomplishments. You can also network with others who can help with your job search.

Professionals can help

Companies like ReputationDefender and Reputation Hawk specialize in improving online reputations. These services can be costly. In some cases, you’ll pay thousands of dollars. Others charge $30 or so for each post they remove.

These services are handy if you have money but no time. You can do most of this yourself, though.

Cleaning up your reputation can take months. So, start now – whether you’re job hunting or not.

Kim Komando hosts the nation’s largest talk radio show about computers and the Internet. To get the podcast or find the station nearest you, visit: www.komando.com/listen. To subscribe to Kim’s free e-mail newsletters, sign up at: www.komando.com/newsletters. Contact her at gnstech(AT)gns.gannett.com.