Question: I’m worried that students at my daughter’s school are bullying her on Facebook. What can I do to stop it?
Answer: Cyberbullying is a serious problem; it should concern you a lot. Ignoring it can lead to tragic consequences. The first step is to talk to your daughter about the situation. Let her know she isn’t alone and doesn’t have to put up with it. Make sure you’re both aware of Facebook’s tools to combat online bullying. Your daughter should lock down her profile to be available to friends only. That’s a single-click solution. She can also take advantage of Facebook’s reporting tool for flagging harassing content. Most importantly, you need to create a profile and become her friend on Facebook. That lets you directly monitor what is happening.
Q: I want to map out a recent vacation. Can I pull GPS information from the photos I took?
A: A picture is worth a thousand words. Digital photos are worth just a bit more. They don’t merely store picture information; they also store EXIF data. This can give you information about when and how the photo was taken, including date, time, location, camera type and settings. Some cameras even include GPS information. You can easily view EXIF information by right-clicking an image file in Windows. Then select Properties and go to the Details tab. All the information should be right there.
Q: I heard you mention supercookies on your national radio show. What are they?
A: By now most people are familiar with Internet cookies. These are tiny bits of code that websites store in your Web browser. Cookies do useful things like store log-in information and session settings. Unfortunately, though, you can’t dunk them in milk. Advertisers also use cookies to track your movements online. This helps them with targeted advertising. Many people don’t like this, so they get rid of advertiser cookies. So now marketers have created the supercookie. This stores information in multiple places in your browser and on your computer. If one part of the cookie is deleted, it recreates itself from the other parts. Getting rid of a supercookie isn’t easy.
Q: My Mac keeps making a sound every time I perform a task. It’s annoying when I’m trying to listen to music while working. Can I turn this sound off?
A: I hear you (no pun intended). The Mac’s alert sound can sometimes be useful feedback. However, a lot of the time it’s just distracting. Fortunately, sound settings are easy enough to change on a Mac. Start by going to System Preferences. Then click the Sound icon and go to the Sound Effects tab. You can choose the alert sound you want. You can also adjust the alert volume. This is handy if you just want the alert sound to be softer. If you want it completely silenced, deselect the Play User Internet Sound Effects option. You shouldn’t hear alert sounds again.
Q: Many of my daughter’s college textbooks are available in digital form. What e-reader is a good choice for digital textbooks?
A: Digital textbooks are a great idea. You don’t have to lug heavy books all over the place. However, digital textbooks are still an emerging technology. Each seller offers them in a different format for various gadgets. You can buy digital textbooks many places, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CampusBooks, Textbooks.com and CourseSmart. Some textbooks will work on the Kindle, some on tablets and others using various special PC-based software. Your best bet for now would be to use a laptop. Nearly every e-book will work on it. Plus, it has more versatility for taking notes and writing papers.
Kim Komando hosts the nation’s largest talk radio show about computers and the Internet. To get the podcast, watch the show or find the station nearest you, visit: www.komando.com/listen. To subscribe to Kim’s free email newsletters, sign up at: www.komando.com/newsletters. Email questions to Komando atC1Tech@gannett.com.