I’m very happy to announce the release of my new app
for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad – Basic Computer Training & Tips iOS app:

Computer Training App

This only came out today, but in future versions I plan to make many more of my lessons available, but this is just version 1.0 – got to start somewhere!

In addition to the lessons in the app, you can submit a computer question to me directly from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch and you can also find links (and bonus free lessons from)  my computer training audio albums that are available on iTunes.

I’ve recorded a tour of the app which I’ll post separately.

If you have friends or family with an iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch, please share this page with them with the share buttons above or below this post!

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

If you’re upgrading your Mac to OS X Tiger it’s a good idea to make a bootable USB drive or DVD install disc to keep you covered in case of  problems, and to save time downloading when upgrading multiple Macs. Click the image below to watch the video lesson where I show you exact steps for how to make a bootable Tiger disk. More advanced users can read a summary of the steps below the video:

The full video above is intended to be easily understood by more basic Apple Mac users.

If you’re impatient you can skip the introduction by going to 1:07.

Instructions on how to make a bootable DVD begin at 2:45.

The steps if you want to make a bootable USB flash drive (I suggest 8GB or larger) or any USB or Firewire external hard drive begin at 4:03

More advanced users might find this quick summary of the steps helpful:

1. Download Mac OS X 10.7 “Lion” in the Apple App Store
2. Once downloaded, before you install, double-click the Macintosh HD icon (or click the Finder face icon on your Dock) then double-click your Applications folder.
3. Locate “Install Mac OS X Lion” & right-click (Control click) the icon.
4. Click the “Show Package Contents” menu item
5. Double-click the Contents folder in the new window, followed by the SharedSupport folder
6. You should see file called  – this is the disk image you’ll make the boot disk from
7. Open Disk Utility (using the Spotlight search box in the upper right corner of the screen is the quickest way to do this)
8. Drag the InstallESD.dmg file into the column on the left side of the Disk Utility window

scroll down for either the bootable Tiger DVD instructions, or the bootable USB/external drive instructions…

To make a bootable Tiger DVD disc after completing numbered steps above:

• In the Disk Utility window, right-click (Control click) on where it says “InstallESD.dmg” and then click “BurnInstallESD.dmg”
• Put in a blank DVD when the new window drops down and click the blue Burn button
• Wait a few minutes and you’re done

To make a bootable Lion disk using a USB flash drive, or an external drive (USB, Firewire, etc.)

• In the Disk Utility window, right-click (Control click) on where it says “InstallESD.dmg” and then click Restore
• A new window will open. From the column on the left in Disk Utility, drag InstallESD.dmg into the top “source” box in the new window
• From your desktop, drag the icon for the external drive you want to back up to (drive recommended to have 4.7GB free at a minimum)
• Click the Restore button, followed by the Erase button (do NOT use a drive with important files or you will lose them at this point!)
• The drive icon will vanish from your desktop and then reappear once the process is completed. May take a few minutes or longer.

By making a bootable Mac OS X Lion disk, you’re protecting yourself and making your life easier.  Please comment below, and feel free to share this video lesson on Facebook, Twitter, and other sites.

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

Here is one of my early video lessons (please excuse the video quality) where I use one of my Plain English explanations of computer terms — explaining what a hard drive is and what RAM is, and what they do in your computer.  Many people confuse those two terms with each other, and many people don’t understand either at all.

If this is true for you, it’s not your fault — it’s just never been explained to you in a way that you could relate to. Watch this video and both computer terms will finally make sense, even if you feel like the most basic computer user in the world:

If you need help understanding computer basics and mastering the fundamental computer skills, look no further than my Computer Basics Course, available for either Windows or Apple Mac computers:

Microsoft Windows Basic Computer Skills

or

Apple Mac Basic Computer Skills

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

Around this time of year people are doing a lot of shopping to buy gifts for others. One of the challenges when buying a gift (or receiving one!) is knowing the right thing to get a person. With some people it’s easy, but for others it can be a real pain to figure out what to get them.

For years I’ve used the wish list on Amazon.com to help people figure out what to get me, and I wish more people would do the same (especially my dad who is really hard to pick presents for!). The great thing about the way the Amazon Wish List works is that by putting a selection of items in the wish list, you can make sure you get something you’d like while gift givers can still feel like they’re picking out a gift for you.

Today I’ve posted a video on how to set up your own wish list — if you have friends or family members who you wish would make your life easier by setting up their own wish list, why not share this lesson with them?

Computer Tip: in the lower right corner of the video player above is a square button which will make the video full screen so you can see the details more easily. To the left of that button is a volume control you can use to make it louder if needed.

“Discover How to Use the Internet Safely & Easily With Simple,
Step-By-Step Video Lessons”

Wish you had a complete course to make it easier using the Internet,
from finding what you’re looking for when searching online, to tips
to save time and make you safer? Use one of the two links below for
either the Windows version or the Mac version of the Safe & Easy
Internet course:

How to Use the Internet Apple Mac Course

or

How to Use the Internet Windows PC Course

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

A few days ago, I posted an article called Understanding URLs or Web Addresses To Help Be Protected From Phishing Scams which taught you the basics of understanding “URLs” or web addresses, so you could recognize and avoid a common trick used by online scammers to fool people into thinking links in emails were legit.

I strongly recommend reading that article if you haven’t yet, as it contains valuable information to help protect your privacy and security online.

In that article I mentioned an email I’d received which looked like a legitimate email from Amazon.com on the surface, but which was clearly an example of a dangerous phishing scam if you knew what to look for.

Well, as it happens, I recorded a video where you can safely watch as I pick apart the actual scam email I received and listen as I point out all of the warning signs which helped me recognize and avoid this common type of online scam.

I just updated this video and decided to post it here and to my podcast to help you learn how to stay safe online. It clocks in at about 9 minutes long and explains everything in Plain English.

If you’re watching this on my website, you should see two players below for compatibility reasons. The first should give you a sharper picture & the option of full-screen on a computer, the second is for mobile devices such as the iPod Touch, iPhone & iPad, and for that reason is the version which goes out on the podcast.

Click the player below for the high quality computer version:

Tip: in the lower right corner of the video player above is a square button which will make the video full screen so you can see the details more easily. To the left of that button is a volume control you can use to make it louder if needed.

Tap the image below for the mobile version of this video:

If you found this video helpful, imagine how much more benefit you’ll get from hours of quick, easy video lessons like this, explaining computer basics and more in Plain English.

Use the links below to learn more about my quick & easy video lesson CDs.  You can also use the tip I shared in the video above to see the links are legit because they point to pages right here on WorthGodwin.com…

Click for: How to Use Email for Windows PC – Safe & Easy Email Course
or
Click for: How to Use Email for Apple Mac – Safe & Easy Email Course

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

The intro before the step-by-step part of the video is important for people to watch if they are computer challenged and need the extra help, but if you want, you can jump to the step-by-step part of the video by fast-forwarding to about 3:25 (depending on your Internet connection speed you may need to wait a few moments before you can do this).

Note: this is the Apple Mac version of this lesson.  If you have a Windows computer you’ll want to watch: How to Undo Computer Mistakes in Microsoft Windows.  If you’re getting this via my podcast, you should get both videos automatically.

In the step-by-step part of the lesson I’ll show you an example of how to undo when writing something, which is probably the best-known way to use this simple but powerful computer skill.  I’ll also show you how to use it when working with files and folders, something which can be a real life saver but which so many people don’t know how to do.

In the over a decade and a half I’ve been helping people with their computers, I’ve noticed a pattern that affects the majority of computer users to one degree or another: being afraid of making computer mistakes holds people back from making progress.

I want to help you become more  confident and skilled with your computer so I recorded this video which gives you some words of encouragement, plus I show you a simple technique you can use in the majority of programs to reverse (or “undo”) mistakes you’ve made.

Now while many people are familiar with the undo function of their computer, many more people are not familiar with it. Those who do know about it often don’t know you can use it in as many ways as you can.

Want to learn the fundamental computer skills that make the rest easy? Take a look at my easy video lesson CDs. I have a simple computer course covering exactly those basic skills that empower you with the confidence you deserve:  Basic Apple Mac Skills

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

The intro before the step-by-step part of the video is important for people to watch if they are computer challenged and need the extra help, but if you want, you can jump to the step-by-step part of the video by fast-forwarding to about 3:25 (depending on your Internet connection speed you may need to wait a few moments before you can do this).

Note: This is the Windows version of this lesson. There is also an Apple Mac version — if you’re subscribed to my podcast you should get both versions automatically, but if you have a Mac and you’re watching this on my website, you’ll want to click the following link to read: How to Undo Computer Mistakes in Apple Mac OS X

In the over fifteen years I’ve been working as a professional to make computers easy for people, I’ve noticed a lot of things about the people I worked with as well as people I just ran across in my day to day life.  Many many computer users, no matter how bright they are, have a fear of causing problems on their computer by making a mistake.

I think this is understandable, and I try to encourage people to not let fear of making mistakes paralyze you and keep you from moving forward. If you don’t try new things, you never progress.

I recorded this video lesson to help give you some words of encouragement and remind you that you can do it, even if you’ve always felt afraid of moving forward.   I also included steps on how to undo computer mistakes using the “undo” command.

While many people are aware of how this works, many more are not.  And the people who do know about it, don’t always realize you can use it in as many areas as you can, especially missing out on the fact that it can be a real lifesaver when working with files and folders on your computer.

In this easy video lesson I not only explain how to undo in Plain English, but show you two different examples of how you can use it to reverse common types of computer mistakes.  Will it solve every problem magically in every circumstance? Of course not, but it is a powerful but very simple tool you can use to empower yourself with one of the basic skills everyone should know when using their computer.

Want to learn the fundamental computer skills that make the rest easy?

Take a look at my easy video lesson CDs. I have a simple computer course covering exactly those basic skills that empower you with the confidence you deserve: Windows Basics Fundamental Skills

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

(scroll down for video lesson)

I’ve been meaning to write a post mentioning that I’ve set up my site to automatically add the majority of audio and video computer training which I post to this blog to my podcast, and show you how you can subscribe for free.

Podcasts, for those who don’t know, is a portmanteau (that’s the fancy way of saying ‘squishing two words together’) of ‘iPod’ and ‘broadcast’. They can be listened to not just on a computer, but also on iPods and other similar MP3 players, and you can have them delivered to you automatically.

Over time, podcasts have evolved into many different styles of audio program, and there are even video podcasts (or “vodcasts”). I actually set up a podcast and published a few episodes way back in 2006, but dropped the project because at the time I didn’t have an easy way to keep updating it and just had too much on my plate.

However, I recently added a plugin to this site which lets me update the podcast automatically, and I’ll be posting lessons to it pretty regularly now, so it seems like a good time to let you know how to subscribe and have a selection of my lessons delivered directly to your computer via iTunes. This way you can watch or listen on the go with an iPod, iPhone, iPad, or on your computer if you prefer.

I recorded a new video lesson to show you how to do this, which you should be able so see below. Note: you can adjust the volume using the little slider at the bottom of the video player, and make the video full screen using the square button in the lower right corner of the video during playback.

If you want to learn more about using iTunes, I do have a 2-disc set of lessons which go into the basics of iTunes, more in-depth on podcasts, managing your music and much more. Use the following links to learn more about my easy video lesson CDs on iTunes.

Click one of the following links depending on the type of computer you use:

Training CDs – How to use iTunes for Windows

Training CDs – How to use iTunes for Mac

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

In the over fifteen years I’ve been helping people with computers as a professional, I’ve found that a majority of people — even ones who have been using the computer for years — have huge gaps in their basic computer skills and as a result are making using the computer much harder for themselves than it has to be.

One of the basic skills I see people commonly have missed out on learning is how to cut, copy and paste — this is a very simple thing to do and can be such a huge time saver.

To help make computers easy for you, I’ve prepared this Plain English video training which will help you understand what cut, copy and paste mean, and it shows you the steps of how to cut and paste. Watch the video lesson above and you’ll finally know how to do this even if you’re a real basic computer user.

To make this most compatible with not just computers but also with mobile devices like the iPhone, I’m adding the video twice below. The first video has better picture quality and should work best on desktop or laptop computers. If you can’t play the first one, then scroll further down and try the second video which is designed specifically for mobile devices such as the Apple iPhone and iPad.

If you want to learn more, click one of the following two links:

Learn Apple Mac Basics

Learn Windows Computer Basics

Try this second video if the first one doesn’t work for you:

Did this lesson help? I hope it did. You deserve to have the ability to use your computer confidently, and learning the basic skills is the way to empower yourself to do so.

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

Scroll down for step-by-step, Plain English video computer lesson on
how to fix your Facebook privacy settings…

If you’ve been a student of mine for a while, you know I am very big on personal privacy and security issues and talk a lot about the importance of being careful about what you say and do online as it creates a permanent record that is shared with absolutely anybody and everybody who has an Internet connection.

I’m sure you’re aware that Facebook is an immensely popular social networking website and hundreds of millions of people use the service. However, what not everyone realizes (or thinks about) is that while the site can be a great way to connect with other people, there is a giant corporation behind it who absolutely does not have your personal interests in mind.

This has become increasingly obvious in recent months as Facebook has been making changes it claims are for your benefit, but these changes show a complete disregard for personal privacy by automatically setting your account to share everything it can with the entire world, while also allowing people you may not even know to not only see this personal information but share it with strangers without your permission.

To make matters worse, Facebook has deliberately made changing these settings to give you more privacy more confusing than they need to — in hopes of taking advantage of lazy or inexperienced computer users.

Well, I don’t think they should be able to take advantage of people in that way, so I’ve posted this step-by-step video lesson which shows you how to fix your Facebook privacy settings so you can protect yourself.  The video is about 14 minutes long and not just shows you the steps, but helps you understand what the different settings mean and how they affect your privacy and security.

Note: to make this video as compatible as possible so the most people can benefit from it (including people who might want to watch from their mobile device such as an iPhone or iPad) the picture quality is not nearly as sharp as I’m able to make it on my lesson CDs, but still contains all of the Facebook privacy settings so you can protect yourself.

I will be posting a follow-up video soon where I show you the steps to fix the brand new threat to your privacy called “Instant Personalization” that Facebook recently introduced as soon as the option shows up in my account so I can record it.

To improve compatibility so the site works for not just computers but mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads, I’ve added the video lesson two different ways. The first video player below should play on pretty much any laptop or desktop computer. The second is designed for iPhone & iPad, but should work on many computers and other devices too.

If you see a video player box directly below, watch the video lesson by using the first player. During playback you can click the square button in the lower right corner of the video to make it full screen:

If you don’t see a video player above this line (or it has an error message in it), then you should be able to use the second player below to watch the lesson:

If you want to learn more about how to safely and easily use the Internet while becoming more confident and skilled, you might want to take a look at my easy computer lesson CDs.  I have a set of easy lesson CDs specifically on the fundamentals of safe & easy web browsing and a lot more, which you can learn more about by clicking one of the two links below.

Windows PC users click for Internet basics lesson CDs for Windows

or

Apple Mac users click for Internet basics lesson CDs for Mac

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

I’ve been thinking for some time now that I might branch out from just doing computer training to also start doing iPad training. Having gotten my hands on one of Apple’s new devices just yesterday, I decided to shoot a little test video to see how it might work.

Below you’ll find a quick iPad lesson on using the Photos app that comes on the iPad. This just gives you a quick overview of Photos and how easy it is to browse through and display photos on your iPad. Let me know what you think in the comments below — if I hear good feedback I may start posting new iPad training lessons regularly in the future. Please note that this is just a quick test shot done while holding the camera in one hand, so the footage is a little wobbly.

To improve compatibility so the site works for not just computers but mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads, I’ve added the video lesson two different ways. The first video player below should play on pretty much any laptop or desktop computer. The second is designed for iPhone & iPad, but should work on many computers and other devices too.

If you see the video player box below, watch the video lesson by using the first player. During playback you can click the square button in the lower right corner of the video to make it full screen:

If you don’t see a video player above this line, then you should be able to use the second player below to watch the lesson:

The video is of course iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch compatible.

Update: After some experimentation and hunting around, I found an articulated camera mount I could use to shoot iPad videos to produce more stable footage than I was able to achieve in the video above. I’ve posted the first couple of test lessons I recorded to a brand new site I just launched, with more easy video lessons for iPad coming soon.

Take a look: new iPad how-to training videos site.

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.

In this easy video lesson I answer the questions what is a router and what is a broadband modem in Plain English, while also showing you the steps to hook your router up to your cable or DSL modem so you can get your desktop or laptop computer on the Internet.

Once you see and hear this simple explanation of these computer terms and concepts, you’ll find these important devices we all use these days will make more sense than they did before. 

To improve compatibility so the site works for not just computers but mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads, I’ve added the video lesson two different ways. The first video player below should play on pretty much any laptop or desktop computer. The second is designed for iPhone & iPad, but should work on many computers and other devices too.

If you see a video player box directly below, watch the video lesson by using the first player. During playback you can click the square button in the lower right corner of the video to make it full screen:

If you don’t see a video player above this line (or it has an error message in it), then you should be able to use the second player below to watch the lesson:

If you liked this lesson, you may want to watch the second half where I show you some basic troubleshooting steps which can help fix a common type of Internet problem.  I’ll post this in the next day or two and will add a link to the video at that time.

Update: You can watch the second part of this lesson by clicking the following link:

How to Reset Your Modem & Router to Solve a Common Internet Problem

Audio and video lessons also available via computer training podcast.