Articles

The Long and Short of URLs

There is so much we can share when surfing the Web, and the easiest way to do it is usually by passing along a web address or URL. Since many URLs get quite long, techies have created simple ways for noobies to easily convert long URLs into shorter ones using URL shorteners. How do URL Shorteners Work? For a long time, the easiest way to share a URL was to copy it from your browser and paste it into an email, document or other communication. Below is a relatively long URL that takes you to a recent Noobie article. http://www.noobie.com/articles/technology-makes-already-convenient-gift-cards-more-convenient/… Continue reading...

Technology makes already-convenient gift cards more convenient

Gift cards have become one of the most popular gift-giving options during the holiday season. In fact, according to Deloitte and Touche USA, 64 percent of shoppers say they plan to buy gift cards this year. If you’re a noobie with gift cards on your shopping list, here are some tips and information to help keep your season bright. Why buy gift cards? In recent years, gift cards have soared in popularity. Their convenience, for gift givers and receivers, is a big selling point, but perhaps another reason is that people have their eye on more expensive gifts. Technology-related gifts… Continue reading...

Meet the Most-used Software Program on Your Computer

When buying a new computer, people consider lots of variables like screen size, memory, processor speed, price and more. However, when it comes to choosing a web browser, most people have little idea what they are using or why. Your web browser is an important piece of computer software that allows you to visit web sites, and it is probably the most-used software on your computer. Most noobies use whatever web browser came with their computer. For most PC owners running Windows, it’s Internet Explorer (or the little blue `e’), and for Mac owners it’s Safari. A previous noobie.com article… Continue reading...

Wikipedia: A Quick-reference, Online Encyclopedia

The Internet can feel like a seemingly endless black hole of information. Thankfully Google and other search engines make information more accessible and findable, but you still have to carefully discriminate fact from almost-fact and fiction. For many topics, Google search engine result pages include links to Wikipedia. It sounds credible enough—almost like an encyclopedia—but exactly what is it? What is Wikipedia? Wikipedia combines the Hawaiian word “wiki,” meaning “fast,” with encyclopedia. Because of the Wikipedia phenomenon, a new meaning for wiki has evolved, and it now can refer to any website or effort that is built through collaboration of… Continue reading...

YouTube Makes Video Watching, Sharing Easy and Addictive

If you've mastered online photo sharing using a website like Picasa or through uploading to Facebook, did you know that it's equally easy to share videos over the Internet? YouTube is a website that makes online video posting accessible to virtually anyone with the ability to shoot video. Whether you want to share a video message with the world, social network friends or Grandma, YouTube has tools to make it easy and fun. YouTube isn't just for hobbyists. It even has captured the attention of television networks and movie studios that use it to publicly post trailers or entire television… Continue reading...