fixyourcomputer.today.com

There are lots of offers for “free ringtones” for your cell but as you more than likely know - they wind up to be gimmicks which end up charging you a monthly fee of $9.99, etc. I try to avoid paying for things so if I can find something that is legal, free, and useful - hey, I am all over it.

This particular search began with the  arrival of my LG Lotus as it was time for my upgrade with Sprint. I loved the new phone and decided to trick that baby out with the help of truly free stuff I could find on the internet.

I had found earlier on about Zedge.net which is a site where users upload free ringtones, free wallpapers, free games and free themes of their own to share within the Zedge community. At the time I went to the site, I did not get it to successfully download to my phone - but blamed my celly at that time as mobile phones these days (like computers) get antiquated so fast.

So, going to Zedge with my new LG Lotus in hand, I still was not able to download my free cell phone stuff.  I knew it wasn’t my phone that was the problem at that point, so I did some research to find out what I was doing wrong.  After going to Zedge on my home computer, I had to save it to my pc (the send to mobile option did not work, nor did going to Zedge directly on my cell phone), from there I opened up a new tab in my browser and went to Rumkin.com.

I followed instruction on the Sprint PCS Vision Uploader and I have been uploading all kinds of free stuff for my mobile phone ever since. It was a maddening addiction for several days, I had to get just the right ringer for each person in my contacts, I then used Rumkin to upload pics of my family members so they all were easily identified before even seeing the number or hearing their voice. I’m better now…it’s all set just the way I want it, so now I am sharing this with you.

As I stated, I do have a Sprint cell phone.  I did try to send some things through Rumkin to a friend with Verizon and she did not get them.  For those of you with Verizon, here is a video tutorial I found to walk you through:

Some things to keep in mind:

1. I HATE this song, mute it immediately!
2. Data plan charges will apply - if you can get picture mail at no extra cost, you will be able to get from Rumkin for free as well - if you don’t have it, you’ll be charged per KB so be aware.
3. Though I am a huge Mozilla Firefox supporter - I found that on the version of Ff I was using the delivery options never initialized.  They opened up fine on IE however.
4. There are lots of free ringtones and wallpapers to choose from on Zedge.  There are also ADVERTISING links that take you to other pay for ringtone sites - be careful of that!

 Other than those little tidbits, enjoy!

Check back soon for more useful tips!

Cryptic Muse

fixyourcomputer.today.com

Yesterday I wrote about Google Reader .  Google Reader as I said feeds updates on all your favorite sites to one page for your convenience.

Today however, I will be filling you in on Google Alerts . Google Alerts is somewhat similar however, rather than website addresses it goes by keywords.  The results are then sent to your Gmail account. Gmail is my email of choice (I am lovin the little to no spam!), but I realize everyone has different opinions. If by chance you don’t care for Gmail, you can go to settings and add a forwarding filter in your Gmail account to go directly to your email addy of choice and will never have to mess with your Gmail account again other than to make desired changes.

 So now, that being said - you can sign up for Google Alerts to come in weekly, daily, or as your keyword(s) of choice hits the internet.

 As an example,in addition to my online life, I try to aid in dog rescue and rehabilitation.  My keywords of choice to keep informed of this are “dog rescue”, “dog shows” along with the name of my breeds of choice.  So I have 3 or 4 alerts coming to my inbox once a day to keep me informed of updated information on these topics.

 As I said this could be anything that holds your interest, whether it be Obama, Wall Street,  or new chicken recipes you will be kept updated on it, once you set your alerts.

Here is a video tutorial by Bonnie Boots that I am postingto give you a beneficial view of the screens as you set it up. Enjoy!

 There are so many helpful things out there to make life easier, the trick is finding out about them and knowing how to tweak them suitably make them work for you.

Check back soon!

Cryptic Muse

fixyourcomputer.today.com

Just suppose you have a life when you are not attached to your pc/laptop.  An active life that is comprised by a variety of sites you find worthy of your attention each day.

If you have more than one site that you have to check out each day before you can continue on your merry way without hesitance - then may I suggest  Google Reader .

Google Reader constantly checks your favorite sites and blogs for new content, also making it easy for you to check these feeds from anywhere without wasting a great deal of time.

You can make GR your homepage, bookmark it, or add the GR widget to Igoogle which is a customizable homepage that I enjoy for many features it offers.

Have a suggestion or a favorite RSS you prefer?  Please feel free to comment me about it.

Check back soon!

Cryptic Muse

fixyourcomputer.today.com

Here are some out-bound sales jobs that I found and wanted to share with you!

 Please folks.  These are real positions for real WORKERS.  Yes, you can do a work from home job most times in your pajamas - but you are still “at work.”  What would you think if you called in somewhere for customer service and heard dogs, birds, children in the background taking the representatives attention away from assisting you?  I’m thinkin’ ya wouldn’ t be to happy about it and you will not last long if you don’t have the proper work environment.

You know, I think some people deserve the “scammer” stuff because it’s laziness that makes them fall for it.  “What I can make $13,000 a week and not do a thing?”.  - DUH! - No ya can’t.  You can however make 8-15 bucks an hour if you maintain a professional environment and work standards while enjoying the comfort of your own home (and no commute to work).

If you’re all set. Give these sales jobs a try and good luck!

We all have our favorite hang-outs.  Favorite places to kill time online, favorite places to go for information, favorite places to go for neat stuff:

This is where you will find me hanging out:

Download.com  for software downloads and reviews.

IMDB  The Internet Movie Data Base

Lifehacker for a variety of cool how to and what not to do information.

Totally Free Crap  a great place to check daily to have free samples sent to your door.

 All My Faves is everything cool!

Google Product Page is the place to see what useful gadgets Google has come up with.

Customize Mozilla Firefox  shows what my favorite browser has out now!

Internet Explorer Gallery  shows some tweaks you can add to IE as well.

Torrentz  if you are into torrents, Torrentz searches all the popular sites at once.

Google Product Search   I cannot stress enough how wonderful this is. From this point on, never buy ANYTHING unless you check for it on Google Product Search first!  Type in whatever you’re looking for and blam!  There it is, you can then sort by price or by seller or product ratings and place your order for much cheaper in most cases.

What sites do you recommend?

Well, I am happy to say things are working out and I am able to work Teletech at Home’s new schedule which is 2:30pm -9pm through the end of January in with my training for 1-800-Flowers which will be 9am -1pm January 19th-30th.  I was uncertain about Flowers as I heard they had paid 6 an hour plus bonus’ - that sucks compared to many others so when she called me about the position I was happy to find out it was $9 an hour.  Not bad for not stepping out your door.

I am finding that I can make more telecommuting than many of the jobs being offered around here and there are ample jobs to choose from - whereas with the bad economy right now there are about 10 jobs in our local paper and all requiring bachelors degree - which I forgot to get somewhere along the way.;

So I am happy discovering new bona-fide Work at Home Jobs - that actually pay hourly - and hire you as an employee.

This step that I am taking with 1-800-Flowers is not a huge one, but it is coinciding perfectly as I end my seasonal position at Teletech.  As I say, the training works right in with my new TT shift, my job at TT ends at the end of January and starting February 1st I start my actual shift at Flowers - 8am-6:30pm…..long shift but it will end February 19th.  I am trying to get in with a couple of Technical Support places - they have many work at home opportunities too and that is something I would love to do.  Well, I will keep you posted! So keep checking back!

My very first ever work from home job started in October of 2008.  I was told by my sister to go and apply at Teletech Holdings, Inc about 45 minutes from my house and I was scheduled for an interview, during one of my phone calls to set something up - the voice prompt message mentioned “Teletech at Home ” agents - I then typed that into Google - and there it was.  I was hired fairly quickly and simply.  I did have to have some things notarized and sent in and did have to go to Amherst after all just to pee in a cup - as they don’t want just anyone handling account information - but yes it has been a decent paying, steady though seasonal work at home job.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone that is computer savvy as I was trained to use 5 programs for the season.

While there, one of the girls that had been working from her home for over 4 years - gave me a heads up on two links for more work at home jobs.  I listed those and a couple of my other treasures here .  Though a little tedious in the signing up and searching prospect - what GREAT resources they are! Forums and links of work at home jobs with others commentating on their experiences - weeding out the spam and the “business opportunities”.

I have always loved to write and it was from one of those boards I discovered today.com  where I get paid (though a minimal amount) to write.  Something of course is better than nothing, and the more traffic I draw in the greater the pay.  There are other perks with it also, but I have found after a few posts that I don’t have as much to write about as what I first thought…lol.  I used to send “newsletters” throughout my emails to my friends and family members advising them on great new things to download, etc.  I decided to put those in blog form and get paid for them, and well, here I am.

Well after finding that there were bona fide hourly paying jobs that would save on gas and vehicle wear and tear, I was on a mission.   I am now expecting Teletech Holdings, Inc. to end at some point in January - though they are not being open about an ending date.  I already have an interview on January 2nd with 1-800-Flowers which doesn’t sound too bad and also Info Cision which hires only in Ohio and Pennsylvania.  It sounds like Info Cision will be a mixture of incoming and outgoing calls.  I’m not real crazy about the outgoing calls but it may be more steady than 1-800-Flowers which could be primarily through Valentine’s Day and Easter, but who knows?

I will keep you posted so check back!

Cryptic Muse

fixyourcomputer.today.com

Not everyone thinks I’m as funny as I do.  In fact there is generally one popular consensus:  You either love me or you hate me.

Love because I am a true, loyal friend and family member. I am very protective of those I care about,  I don’t talk about my friends and I can keep a secret.

Hate because, well….among other things:

• I have quite the strange sense of humor.
• I can be downright abrasive and rude.
• Believe me when I say I can hold a grudge!  Think I’ve forgotten?  Nope, I’m just silently contemplating your fate until I see an optimal time to strike.
•  oh, and I like “silly” things.  Not generally the ungodly, slap-happy type stuff.  I don’t get The 3 Stooges for instance. Although still popular among some, from what I can tell they are pretty much a guy thing.  I also don’t like Jim Carrey and truth be known - though he is mellowing down in his roles now, I don’t like Adam Sandler.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love Sandler’s movies and think his supporting cast that follows him from production to production are amazing.  I just don’t go for the over-acting make noise for no reason kind of humor.

That being clarified.  Here are a few sites that do make me laugh and again kids - I’m a weirdo, don’t say I didn’t warn you.  If by chance you love these things as much as I do.  Please feel free to hit me up.  I guarantee we’ll have a lot to talk about.

You know, I usually vote for the underdog.  I stay away from those winning popularity contests - just probably out of spite, I guess.  I didn’t once see an episode of Friends while it was on prime time.  I have never seen an episode of Survivor, Big Brother or even American Idol for that fact.  Why?  - because for me it’s not the thing to do.   “Ca ca” is a word that is commonly thrown out in distaste of the mindless prime time line-up. Throw me the History,  Discovery and Sundance Channel any day.

When I was first exploring the world wide web many moons ago, Lycos was in my opinion the better search engine.  Google started coming around and I thought what a terrible name and avoided it like the plague.  Then I watched as Google grew in popularity, more and more people were talking about it - which made me steer clear of it even more-so.

Finally, one day, I needed something.  I have blocked the painful event from my mind so I can’t even recall what exactly it was.  I used Google.  After that, I opened up more and more and started embracing the gifts that Google had to offer.  I am now a Google junkie.  With the time one spends on the internet these days it is just silly not to be.  If you want to find something and find it quick.  Google is the portal above all portals and let’s not forget the gadgets.  Me like Google gadgets! They are constantly  adding nifty tools and if you know what to use and how to use them weblife is so much easier, I promise you!

Gmail   Gmail (googlemail) is a great mailbox if you hate spam. My yahoo was always full of spam, gmail has such a great filter that I haven’t had spam hit my inbox for years and only once or twice during that time has the wrong thing hit my spam box.  Yes,  it is that good.  Other features?   You never run out of space.  You can forward other email accounts there and reply to that email using the same email address it was sent to and then there’s Gspace  that you can use for extra storage of music, pictures, etc. which you can access from anywhere like your gmail account.  Also you can chat from inside your gmail with either AIM users or google talk.  They had it going on before Yahoo.

Picasa Version 3 is now out and if you ever upload photos to your pc - get Picasa.  It organizes them so they are easy to find - it grabs them up from all over your pc so it’s not like finding a needle in a haystack just looking for pictures from last Christmas.  Once they’re organized you can crop, edit, collage, add text - and even make a movie with music all while in Picasa.

As my main job and side jobs are all on the pc, I am a customization freak.  iGoogle allows me to access a homepage that has a large variety of themes and widget to choose from.

Google Reader  makes checking on your daily topics so easy in a feed.  In fact you can have all of them come up right onto your iGoogle homepage using reader, though you can use it without having iGoogle as well.

Google Product Search  Other than possibly a pack of gum.  There is practically nothing that I don’t search on product search first to find the lowest price on something.  Need a set of tires - know exactly what kind you’re looking for?  Type that model into product search and sort by price or relevance. Try it with anything. What a time saver!

Google Earth   While not for use on a computer with little memory, earth does quite have it’s advantages in planning trips, doing homework, etc - here is the tutorial

Mobile?  Use Google on your phone as well.  Need to know what the weather is?  Type “weather” and send it to 466453   within seconds you will have current conditions and the forecast for the next couple of days on y0ur phone.  Use it for movies, a tow-truck whatever! You may need to add your zip code to some of the searches but try it and see.  I continually use Google Mobile!

Also use Google for your 411 information calls.  It’s free and here’s the short tutorial on 1-800-goog-411.

Now these are just my personal favorites, but see for yourself what google has to offer.  Don’t forget to check out the labs while you’re in there and see what’s in the testing phase now!

Have fun!

Cryptic Muse

fixyourcomputer.today.com

Make $50,000 a day from your home and all you have to do is type the letter “a” 3 times into your computer!!!  Don’t have a pc?  That’s okay! Use your remote control!

- Nope!, Nada!, Not here!, Not gonna happen!  You big silly! Postings like that are not for real!  All they want is your bank account number or your money in some sort of fashion . That is “their” work at home business - scamming.  If you have to pay for a job, it’s not a job.  I don’t care what they try to tell you.  At most you’ll be “working at home” trying to scam somebody else in the same fashion they scammed you to try to get that money back.

 All I am doing is posting some blogs and/or forums of some very hardworking people that have worked dilligently and put some things that show me if you look hard enough there is work from home out there.  Just use your head and keep your wallet closed.  An actual employer should be paying YOU!

 I have 3 part time jobs working from home and have only been seeking WAHJ’s for a short time. Am I getting rich?  No, but I am working from home, making a decent hourly wage with one & the others are dependent on the work I do.  I let the dogs out on my break and talk to my bird as I type.  Unfortunately snow is here and there’s an ice storm tonight, so walking the dogs isn’t as nice as it was a month ago. 

Here is my compiled list of Work at Home Forums & blogs in no particular order:

last of the forums but certainly not least is Textilicious be forewarned as there are some jobs of an adult nature listed, but there are also some other legitimate postings so definitely worth a look!

Randy’s Home Business Blog at About.com  Randy Duermyer of About.com offers a weekly updated Work from Home  list along with some valuable tips & business advice.

  I came across this blog and wow!  Dealighted has put a lot of effort into making many lists of work at home opportunities!  Please check her out! Dealighteds Blogspot

 Check out this list I came across - I’ve not gone through each one but there’s several to choose from on there - they are unresearched by me:

 Work at Home Moms Top 10 WAHM blog awards!

These 2 also are unresearched by me, but I threw them in there.  Feel free to report back with your findings.  Be careful!  Ways to Make Money  &  Phone-Sex-Jobs.com

  Looking for a writing job?

  I have been authorized to allow some referrals for bloggers through this company today.com.  The pay is not all that to begin with, but it gets you in the door and writing. If you write very well & know how to capture an audience - there are bonuses and referrals to advertisers as needed.  Check it out!  It’s free - so apply here and put Cryptic Muse in the “referred by” box. Get ahold of me if you have any questions!

Happy Hunting!

 Cryptic Muse

fixyourcomputer.today.com