Articles - Technology Tips
Learning about Budgeting Apps and Software at Our Gainesville, FL, Apartments
For those who want to get serious about budgeting, using an app or software can help. There are dozens of choices available, some of which are free and others that include a paid component. Using one of these budgeting programs can help motivate you to spend your money more wisely. Here are three budgeting apps and software choices to keep ...
Using Productivity Apps at Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL
Nowadays, people are using their phones more than ever before to make to-do lists, remember appointments, and take notes. This is why productivity apps are all the rage, helping people to become better organized and more productive in their everyday lives. Here are three productivity apps you may want to download onto your phone: Evernote – This app synchronizes across ...
Using Prudent Social Media Practices at Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL
Nowadays, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t have at least one social media account. There’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and so much more. No matter if you have just one social media account or dozens, it’s important to make sure you employ prudent practices when using them, to ensure your identity remains protected. Here are five tips ...
Printing Your Smartphone Photos at Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL
Odds are, you have many photographs languishing in your smartphone’s camera roll. Nowadays, more people than ever before are using their smartphone for all their picture-taking needs. You might have posted a picture to Instagram or perhaps even have an album dedicated to your last vacation on Facebook, but you probably haven’t printed those photos to display in a scrapbook, ...
Using Photo Editing Apps at Our Gainesville, FL, Apartments
Nowadays, more and more people are ditching their point-and-shoot cameras and relying on the cameras built directly into their phones for taking pictures. Smartphone cameras become more sophisticated all the time, and with a variety of photo editing apps available for download for free or very cheap, the picture-taking game has changed. Here are some of the top photography apps: ...
Listening to Audiobooks at Our Apartments for Rent in Gainesville, FL
Have you ever considered listening to audiobooks? It is a wonderful way to “read,” where you don’t have to be physically still with your eyes focused on the pages of a book. You can listen to almost any genre for audiobooks, from non-fiction to mystery to romance. As long as you have access to the Internet and a smartphone, iPod, ...
Protecting Your Online Privacy at Our Apartments in Gainesville, FL
Nowadays, people are more connected online than ever before. We can do all our shopping online, keep up with friends and family members online, and even read all of our news online. Chances are you have accounts with multiple websites, whether it’s a bank, a social media website, or an online store. If so, you may want to read the ...
Using Pinterest at Our Apartments in Gainesville, FL
Pinterest is a website dedicated to the visual representation of social bookmarks. (A social bookmark refers to tagging a page on a website to save it for viewing later, typically on a bookmarking website.) Pinterest includes a web and mobile application, in which users create and share the collections (called “boards”) of their visual bookmarks (called “pins”). Users create boards ...
Discovering Streaming Media Services to Use at Our Apartments for Rent in Gainesville, FL
In years past, people received their media content by using their televisions, either through a cable box or by using a DVD player or VCR. Nowadays, though, streaming media services are becoming a popular option for people who want a different – and usually cheaper – option for watching TV shows and movies. There are many streaming services to choose ...
Four Ways to Display Instagram Photos at Our Gainesville, FL, Apartments
Instagram is one of the most popular social media services. With this service, users share pictures and videos, creating digital albums of their lives. Sometimes, though, you may want to take those photos and display them in your apartment. Maybe you’ve taken a picture of a beautiful Gainesville sunset, or want to display a series of photos from your recent ...
Creating Excellent Passwords at Our Apartments for Rent in Gainesville, FL
Nowadays, people have passwords for many different websites, such as social media profiles, bank accounts, email accounts, shopping websites, and more. If you’re one of the many who have created passwords for different online accounts, it’s important to take the time to make sure that those passwords are strong and hard to crack, to protect the personal information contained in ...
Phone Applications to Use While Traveling Around Our Apartments in Gainesville, FL
Phone applications – or “apps” – can help to make a traveler’s journey easier. Whether a traveler is looking for hotel reviews, restaurant recommendations, or simply entertainment options for the day, there are dozens of phone apps they can use to find handy information whenever they need it. Here is a list of five helpful phone apps to use when ...
Keeping Your Electronics Clean at Our Apartments for Rent in Gainesville, FL
Nowadays, people have a variety of electronics in their home. Between televisions, computers, tablets, e-readers, and gaming systems, there are many different ways to stay connected and be entertained. Stocking your home with the latest electronics and gadgets doesn’t come cheap, so it’s important to keep your electronics clean in order to ensure they are working at their peak performance. ...
Using Skype at Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL
One of the best things about technology is the way it connects us to other people. We can keep in touch with family and friends, no matter how far away they live. Facebook is a great tool for finding old friends from high school and maintaining relationships with family members who may live out-of-state or even in another country. Another ...
Discovering Pinterest at Our Gainesville Apartments
Have you ever been searching for an image on the Internet that you loved, but haven’t been able to find again? With search results and websites constantly changing, it can often be a challenge to gather all of your favorite pictures in one place. Fortunately, Pinterest is an excellent remedy to this situation. A website that acts as a digital pin ...
Helping One of Your Videos Go Viral from Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL
If you love creating videos and posting them on YouTube or other video sites on the Internet, you may have wondered why it is that some videos go viral and others languish in obscurity. “Viral” videos touch a nerve in our collective psyche as a society, usually through comedy but sometimes through drama or inspiration. These videos by definition are ...
Exploring Twitter at Our Apartments in Gainesville, FL
In recent years, Twitter.com has become a popular forum for people to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and opinions in real time. The website has grown incredibly as a social media platform, enabling companies and celebrities to communicate with their customers and fans in a way that was not possible just a decade ago. You, too, can create and use a ...
Streaming Television Online at Your Gainesville Apartment
If you have a busy schedule that requires you to spend a lot of time outside your apartment home, you may not have the time to catch your favorite television programs when they first air. Fortunately, there are several online services that allow you to stream episodes or entire seasons of TV shows whenever you like. All you need is ...
Shopping Online at Our Apartments in Gainesville, FL
Bellamay Grand is conveniently located in Gainesville, Florida, a city where it’s easy for residents of our upscale apartments to find shopping accommodations for all of their needs just a short distance from our community. However, there may be lazy weekend days when you just don’t feel like leaving your comfortable apartment home, or certain items that may be hard ...
Eliminating Spam E-Mails at Your Apartment in Gainesville, Florida
There are few things more irritating than having to sift through a pile of “junk” mail in order to get to the few pieces of mail that you actually care to read. Just as nearly 5 million tons of paper mail is disposed of in American households every year, spam e-mails have become an equally annoying part of everyday life. ...
Paying Bills Online at Your Gainesville, Florida Apartment
At Bellamay Grand, every one of our apartments has its own mailbox, and it can often be exciting to see what is inside yours. However, almost no one looks forward to receiving bills in the mail. Fortunately, with the aid of modern technology, it is possible to avoid the annoyance of getting a bill in the mail by paying your ...
Protecting Your Computer Software in Our Apartments in Gainesville, Florida
Viruses and other types of malware are a serious threat to the health of your computer, especially if you use your PC or laptop frequently to access the internet, check your email, or share files. While some of these programs are little more than a nuisance, others are fully capable of stealing your information, controlling your computer remotely, or destroying ...
Improving Your Online Gaming Experience at Your Gainesville Apartment
Have you ever been playing an online game, but been frustrated when your character reacts slowly, or that playing feels more like watching an irregular slideshow? What you’re experiencing is lag, and while some slowdown is often unavoidable, there are several steps that you can take to make your console gaming at your Bellamay Grand apartment more stable and fun. ...
Discovering iHeart Radio in Our Gainesville, Florida Apartments
The radio stations in Gainesville offer a wide variety of options to choose from. However, we all have our favorite radio stations across the country, and for some, those stations aren’t located in Gainesville. Until recently, only nearby radio stations could be listened to in Gainesville. A new invention, though, has changed all that. This invention is called iHeart Radio, ...
Discovering Foursquare in Our Gainesville, Florida Apartments
Gainesville, the city surrounding the apartment community at Bellamay Grand, certainly isn’t an enormous metropolitan area. However, even though Gainesville might be considered a small town by some standards, it can sometimes be difficult to navigate around Gainesville and know what’s nearby. Luckily for our Gainesville apartment residents, there’s a smart phone application to help find restaurants, points of interests, ...
Using a DVR in Your Gainesville Apartment
Have you ever missed a television show and wondered when you would be able to watch it? It’s happened to us all before, but in the past few years, a revolutionary invention is making the missed show phenomenon a thing of the past. Digital video recorders, or simply DVRs, can record all your favorite shows for you, in a digital ...
Wireless Tips for Apartments in Gainesville, Florida
According to Nielsen Mobile in 2008, 20 million U.S. households solely rely on mobile phones. If your family is thinking about changing to this lifestyle habit, here are a few things to consider: Make sure to always charge up your phones. Since it’s your main source of communication, it’s best to always have it available. When spending family time, think ...
Starting a Blog from Your Apartment in Gainesville
Whether you’re passionate about a sports team, enthralled by the political process, or simply looking for an easy way to express yourself, starting a blog can be a fun and rewarding activity. Thanks to websites such as Wordrpress, Blogger, and Twitter, it’s also easy and often free to set up a blog and join in the discussion surrounding the issues ...
Gainesville Apartment Residents Discover the Benefits of Getting TV Online
When YouTube launched in 2005, it drastically changed the way people consume video entertainment, and, not surprisingly, some of the earliest uploads included episodes of popular TV shows. While these posts were often illegal and quickly removed, many content providers began to notice and made serious investments in developing their own streaming video services. Take Netflix, for example. Now with ...
Plasma or LCD? Choosing a TV for Your Gainesville Apartment
For many people, the most important item they purchase for their new apartment is the television. Whether you want a large flat screen to follow every heart-stopping minute of your beloved football team or to keep up with your favorite contestant on American Idol, one big choice in the TV selection process is whether to go plasma or LCD. While ...
Gainesville Apartment Living: Family TV Nights
If television is something your family members and friends enjoy, try planning family nights around it. Here are some ways to kick up those family nights digitally. Turn your Gainesville apartment into a theatre. Before sitting down to enjoy a movie, set the stage by turning down the lights and popping some popcorn. For extra spaciousness, contact the office about using our ...
Cell Phone Courtesy around Our Gainesville Apartments & Beyond
About 1 billion people worldwide now use a cell phone. That’s almost one in six! With all those people walking around with a cell phone, there is a fine line between chatting on a friendly call and annoying everyone else around you. Whenever you are on your mobile phone, take a minute to consider if you are practicing common cell ...
Computer Tips for Our Gainesville, FL Apartment Residents: Beware of Spyware
Spyware is computer software that tracks your Internet usage and then sends advertisements to you, usually without your consent. Signs of spyware include frequent pop-up ads, surprise changes in your home page, unwanted toolbars in your Web browser, slow browsing, and repeated computer crashes and freezes. Usually spyware sneaks onto your system at home when you download free software like ...
Using Technology in Your Gainesville Apartment
Learning about Budgeting Apps and Software at Our Gainesville, FL, Apartments Using Productivity Apps at Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL Using Prudent Social Media Practices at Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL Printing Your Smartphone Photos at Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL Using Photo Editing Apps at Our Gainesville, FL, Apartments Listening to Audiobooks at Our Apartments for Rent in Gainesville, ...
Environmentally Friendly Printing at our Luxury Apartments in Gainesville, FL
While information can flow freely through the Internet and computers, sometimes it’s valuable to have a piece of paper in hand. Unfortunately, printing supplies are generally not the most environmentally friendly products around, so it’s important to be careful with your printing practices. Making new paper requires a large amount of harmful chemicals and natural resources. While bright white paper ...
Creating a Wireless Network in Your Gainesville Apartment
Wireless connections are becoming an integral part of our daily lives. Now many mobile gadgets we love need to be able to connect to the Internet and each other to reach their full mobility potential. Correctly setting up a wireless network lets you enjoy all your wirelessly connected devices throughout your entire apartment. First thing you’ll need to do to ...
Should You Use WEP, WPA, or WPA2 on the Wireless Network in Your Gainesville Apartment?
Wireless networks are an increasingly common part of residences, as more and more of the devices we use every day require them. While our smart phones, tablets, game consoles, laptops, and other devices are sending massive amounts of data through the air, it’s important to remember that these messages can potentially be intercepted like any other electronic communication. Most routers ...
Tablet PCs for Your Gainesville Apartment
Part e-book reader, part laptop, and part multimedia system, the tablet PC is quickly becoming one of the most popular gadgets around. If you’re considering a portable computer, you may want to check out one of these innovative devices. With more competitors producing these devices, tablets are becoming more affordable every day so there’s never been a better time to ...
How to Keep Electronic Screens Clean in Your Gainesville Apartment
Most people can’t get through a day without seeing some sort of screen, whether it’s on their cell phone, computer, television, or another device. Whether you’re catching the season premiere of your favorite show or checking the Caller ID on an incoming phone call, it’s important that whatever screen you’re using be clean enough to provide a clear image. However, ...
Choosing a Smartphone for Your Gainesville, Florida Apartment
Many people are opting to forgo buying a home phone line for their in favor of a new smartphone. With access to thousands of free or low-cost programs, smartphones are miniaturized computers can do far more than a normal phone. There are a plethora of different smartphones available today with features that vary widely. The best way to classify these ...
PC or Mac? Which is Better for Your Apartment in Gainesville
So the time has come to get a new computer and you’re stuck with an age old question: should I get a PC or a Mac? There’s really no right answer to this question, it all comes down to how much you can afford, what programs you plan to use, and how versatile you want your computer to be. To ...
How to Avoid Phishing Scams from Your Gainesville Apartment
Phishing is common practice for identity thieves in the digital age. How does it work? First, the identity thief creates a website which looks similar to one for a legitimate bank, e-mail service, or other online site. Then the thief sends out some form of electronic communication, such as an e-mail or instant message, to thousands of people, asking them ...
Picking the Right Phone Plan for Your Gainesville Apartment
As phones have become a more integrated part of our daily lives, the ways we purchase them have drastically changed. Now not just rates, but minutes, data packages, text messaging plans, and a wide range of other options need to be considered. It can all be confusing and overwhelming, but fortunately there are some easy ways you can help yourself ...
Taking Pictures Around Your Gainesville Apartment
Learning how to take great pictures can help you make lasting memories. Whether you’re interested in making expressive works of art or just want to capture enjoyable moments with friends, there are a few tricks that can help improve your pictures. For starters, learn about the 3 main camera settings, aperture, shutter speed and ISO: Aperture controls the amount of ...
Dealing with Power Outages in Your Gainesville Apartment
Florida’s rainy subtropical climate means power outages are a common occurrence, so it’s a good idea to plan ahead and be ready to cope with them when they do. Preparing for power outages is relatively easy, so there’s no need to procrastinate until a weather change to get an outage kit together. Normally a power outage won’t last very long, ...
Protect Your Privacy When You Log On to the Internet from Your Gainesville Apartment
In a culture where tagged pictures, check-ins, tweets, and status updates let people know where we are, what we’re doing, and what we think almost constantly; privacy is seemingly less and less important. However, putting too much of your personal life on the Web can lead to identity theft or other problems, so it’s important to learn how to keep ...
Caring for Your Record Collection at your Gainesville Apartment
Though CDs and digital files are the dominant music medium these days, the classic long-playing vinyl record, or LP, is enjoying a renewed popularity. Why? A record’s analog recording picks up more of the nuances in the music and makes it easier for audiophiles to enjoy an album as one complete work. Unfortunately, vinyl records are fragile and easily damaged, ...
Digitize Your Music Collection in Your Gainesville Apartment
When magnetic tapes gave way to CDs, many people found the only way to listen to their favorite albums on their new devices was to buy them all over again. Fortunately for music lovers, the latest market shift from CDs to audio files has came at a time when home computers and popular computer programs are making it easy for ...
How to Safely Use the Nintendo Wii in your Gainesville Apartment
From golf to bowling to baseball to fishing, you can play just about any sport on the Nintendo Wii. This gaming console is a popular choice because it allows you to be active while you play. However, because most Wii games require a lot of arm movement, opposing players and unlucky bystanders can fall victim to wild elbow swings and ...
Taking an Online Class from Your Apartment in Gainesville
Furthering your education is easier than ever with the large number of universities, state education systems, trade schools, and professional organizations offering everything from simple certifications to doctorates online. Whatever you’re hoping to learn, there’s likely a class you can sign up for online. There are a few things to keep in mind, however, when you’re signing up for an ...
Social Network and Media Management Tips You Can Use in Your Gainesville Apartment
From Facebook to Twitter, social media and networking have become an integral part of many people’s lives. While this provides endless new opportunities for people to connect, it can also make private lives far more public than they have been in the past. In fact, what happens online can have real world consequences, which makes it a smart idea to ...
If You Come up with the Next Big Idea in your Apartment in Gainesville, Apply for a Patent!
If you think you’ve come up with the next big invention, it might be wise to apply for a patent. This will ensure that you have exclusive rights to make, use, and sell your product to consumers for a certain amount of time. If you’re granted a patent, you won’t need to worry about somebody stealing your design or idea ...
Should You Get a Laptop or Desktop for Your Gainesville Apartment?
Choosing between a laptop and desktop computer can be a difficult decision for many people, so it’s important to know all the benefits and drawbacks of each type of system. While there are many small differences that can sway a person one way or another, the three factors that always come into play are power, portability, and price. As a ...
Restrict Access to the WI-FI Router in Your Apartment in Gainesville, Florida with MAC Address Filtering
Wireless routers are a common sight in residences nationwide and allow people to communicate quickly and freely on a wide variety of devices. Unfortunately, in apartments, the signals from WI-FI routers often reach outside of an individual unit, making it more difficult to control who can access the Internet and other connected devices through them. While encryptions such as WEP ...
Turn Your Computer into a Media Server in Your Gainesville Apartment
As technologies have rapidly grown and changed, the ways in which we consume music, TV, movies, and other forms of entertainment have drastically transformed as well. Now, with just a click, it’s possible to purchase and download nearly any type of digital entertainment from a wide variety of devices. Using a computer as a media center to consolidate, sort, and ...
Enjoying 3-D Programming in Your Apartment in Gainesville
Is 3-D programming possible at home? In short, yes! 3-D technology has finally been harnessed for the comfort of your living room. No, this isn’t the Jetsons and there won’t be flying cars anytime soon, but after the success of films like Avatar, top television manufacturers have decided to roll out their line of brand new 3-D HD TVs just ...
Gaming in your Gainesville Apartment – Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3?
If you’re thinking about buying a new gaming system, chances are you’ve considered both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. But how can you tell which one is right for you? The reality is that both systems are top-of-the-line gaming consoles with a wide variety of games that will provide endless hours of entertainment to even a mild enthusiast. ...
Clearing Your Hard Drive in Your Gainesville Apartment
When getting rid of an old computer, people often forget to clear their hard drive. This is a risky mistake, since a great deal of personal information can be left on a hard drive after it’s thrown out or sold. It’s important to understand how to permanently remove data from a hard drive, so you can keep all of your ...
Getting Headphones for Your Gainesville Apartment
When you move into an apartment, it’s usually necessary to make a few compromises to be a good neighbor. One of the most considerate things you can do is to avoid making loud noises, which means reigning in those large home theater systems, powerful computer speakers, booming stereo systems and other amplifiers. But just because you’re trying to be quiet, ...
Draft your Fantasy Football Players Wisely in your Gainesville Apartment
Whether you’ve just joined your first fantasy football league or you’ve been playing for many years, drafting your players is the most challenging part of the game. How do you know which players to take? What happens if somebody drafts a player that you were about to select? Which position should you draft first? These are all questions you have ...
Securing your Facebook Account in your Gainesville Apartment
With more than 400 million active users located throughout the world, it seems that just about everybody is on Facebook these days. There are many benefits to joining Facebook that these users have discovered, and new users continue to discover everyday – such as the ability to stay connected with friends and family, getting alerted about upcoming events, and keeping ...
Using a DVR in a Gainesville, Florida Apartment
DVRs allow owners to record their favorite shows and view them at their leisure. You can use a DVR to help ensure you never miss your favorite show and also to avoid irritating commercials. The first step is to purchase or rent your DVR through either your cable or satellite company or through an independent provider like TIVO. Follow the ...
Tips for Being a Smart E-Consumer at Your Apartment in Gainesville
Internet shopping, or e-commerce, has been a rapidly growing industry for more than a decade, with shops selling everything from books and movies to clothing and jewelry. Nearly anything you want to buy can be found online in minutes and shipped directly to your door. However, the anonymity and international nature of the Internet makes fraudulent businesses more difficult to ...
E-books, a New Way to Read at Your Apartment in Gainesville
With today’s technology and movement towards greener living, e-books are becoming a popular replacement to their published brothers. Compared to normal books, e-books take virtually no resources to produce, take up no space beyond the device used to read them and, best of all, will never tear or fade. The first thing you need in order to enjoy an e-book ...
Recycle Old Electronics from Your Apartment in Gainesville
With technology constantly changing and growing, there’s more and more e-waste piling up from old electronics being thrown out year after year. Unfortunately, the lead, mercury, radioactive elements, and other hazardous materials found in many of these devices can contaminate landfills if they aren’t handled properly. But there are many ways you can safely recycle old electronics and prevent your ...
Tips to Protect the Electronics in Your Gainesville Apartment
TVs, computers, DVD players, stereos, and other electronics are found in nearly every household, and are often among the most expensive items a person owns. To keep these items functional, it’s important to make sure they’re well cared for. One of the most common causes for damage to electronics is dust. It can interfere with electrical signals on circuit boards; ...
Help Out Others by Donating the Old Electronics from Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL
When you get a new cell phone, computer, television, or other electronic device, it’s never a good idea to simply throw out the item you’re replacing. The heavy metals and coatings used in many electronics can leach into soil causing hazardous contamination, which makes finding a safe way to dispose of your old devices even more important. There are many ...
Keep your Computer Running Fast in your Rental Apartment in Gainesville, Florida
Have you ever wondered why your computer slows down after years of use? Well, as a computer ages, the information it stores can become disjointed. Think of your computer as having an attention span (a processor), short- term memory (RAM), and long-term memory (hard drives). When any of these is overloaded, your computer has to slow down, to sort everything ...
Help Out Humanity through Distributed Computing from Your Gainesville Apartment
Computer modeling and supercomputers have allowed scientific research to progress far more quickly than it’s ever been able to before. Many companies and universities have computers more than 10 times faster than your standard desktop, which helps them calculate and model everything from global weather patterns to population movements to black holes. Unfortunately, even these powerful machines have limits to ...
Choosing an Alarm Clock for Your Apartment in Gainesville
Many people rely on their alarm clock to help them get up in the morning. Whether you need your alarm to get you up for work, remind you of an appointment, or just ensure you don’t stay in bed all day, it’s important to choose an alarm clock that will help you stay on time. There are alarms in all ...
Battery Care for the Portable Devices at Your Apartment in Gainesville
At the heart of most portable devices like cell phones, laptops, handheld game consoles, and tablet computers, you’ll find a lithium ion rechargeable battery. Most people take it for granted that - no matter how they use their device - the battery will continue to provide power. But, without proper care, this expensive part can wear out rapidly. Fortunately, with ...
Blogging from Your Apartment in Gainesville, FL
Chances are, you’ve probably heard the term "blogging" before. But what exactly does it mean to blog or be a blogger? Blog is essentially a shortened term for weblog, or a journal kept online. The popularity of blogs rose exponentially as the Internet spread wider and wider throughout the world, and now, blogging has become a household word. You don’t ...
The Blu-ray Difference in your Gainesville Apartment
The emergence of high definition television broadcasting brought with it a number of other technological breakthroughs, one of which is the Blu-ray disc. A Blu-ray disc is an optical disc storage medium that is designed to play high-definition video. This format offers a clearer, sharper image than standard DVDs and can be experienced by any renter who owns a high-definition ...
