If you’re perplexed by texting abbreviations, acronyms & initialisms, you’re not alone. In fact I got the idea for this article after receiving an email with the subject “Ready For Some IRL?” Huh? What the heck is IRL? I looked it up. It means “in real life.” Who knew? Certainly not me. So I set about researching texting abbreviations, acronyms & initialisms. They’re especially handy in this digital age, when we often need to communicate quickly via a tiny screen. Here’s what I learned about acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms: The Difference Between Abbreviations, Acronyms & Initialisms Abbreviations are shortened forms of words. Examples include etc. (etcetera), and Nov. (November). Acronyms are a type of abbreviation which is pronounced as a word. Examples include RSVP, PIN (personal identification number), NIMBY (not in my backyard) and ZIP (zone improvement plan). Initialisms are a type of abbreviation consisting of the first letter or letters of a string of words. They aren’t pronounced as words. Examples include FBI, CIA and PR (public relations). One of my favorites is PIR (parent in room). I wonder if KIR (kid in room) will ever make the list :-). A List of Abbreviations You May Want to Know Note: To keep the length of […]
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The constant invasion of my privacy by devices, apps and websites I use is driving me crazy. Wrinkle remedies, an incessant jingle begging me to donate my car to Kars4Kids, and a reminder that Alzheimer’s may be just around the corner are just a few unwanted “messages” I’m subjected to every day. It may be too late, but I’m going to follow the advice in “The Default Tech Settings You Should Turn Off Right Away,” by the New York Times. It’s attached below. Default Tech Privacy Settings To Change Now This article, written by Brian X. Chen of the New York Times, tells you how to turn off certain default tech privacy settings on Apple and Android phones, Google web services, Facebook, Amazon’s websites and devices and Microsoft Windows. I’m going to change my settings right now. I’ve got my fingers crossed. We’ll see what happens. If you’ve got any more tech privacy tips, please share them in the Comments section below. The Default Tech Settings You Should Turn Off Right Away – The New York Times Find More Links You Can Really Use At HabiLinks Guide The internet is full of great resources, but page after page of search results […]
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Thinking about using cloud backup or storage services, but confused about what “cloud” computing is? “Cloud computing” conjures up images like the one on the left. But it simply refers to accessing technology services offered by providers via the internet instead of buying and maintaining your own hardware or software. Protect your data against these threats Years ago my daughter spilled an entire cup of coffee on her laptop. All of her photos were gone. I found a service to restore most of them to a CD and surprised her with it on Christmas morning. Her tears of joy were well worth the substantial amount of time and money spent. These days our computers are threatened by more than a cup of coffee. For example: Computer theft Computer failure Natural disasters like floods and earthquakes Ransomware, malware and hacker attacks Fire What to back up Take a look at the content on your computer. What data would you hate to lose? Everyone uses their devices differently, but here are the files I make sure to back up: Photos Music library Financial records and budget Emergency information Family history Travel info Household inventory Tax return copies Health records Contacts Business files Instructions for various […]
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Because I curate HabiLinks, the web guide associated with this blog, I spend a lot of time searching the web. When I created the guide, almost ten years ago, I didn’t know the tricks that help get better results. With eighteen lifestyle categories and an ever-expanding number of topics to cover, I needed help! Searching for “web search tips” delivered over a billion results! Among them were long articles I didn’t have the time or patience to read, poorly written articles and tips that were overly simple or complicated. I just wanted a simple, useful list I could keep at my desk. Here’s what I found: Printable web search tips to keep near your desk. Here’s the link to the web search tips. Maybe you know all of these tips. If not, print them to keep next to your desk. If you do a lot of web searches, the tips will eventually become second nature. In the meantime, they’ll not only save hours of precious time, they’ll deliver better results. I didn’t know you could use your browser’s search bar to do simple math, did you? Instead of dragging out the calculator, enter basic functions such as “4+7” or “30% […]
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