Hidden Tricks All The New iPhone/iPad Owners Should Know

Once upon a time, the iPhone was a simple thing. You flipped it on, slid the unlock switch, and what you saw was what you got.
Since then, things have gotten a bit more… layered. That’s not to say they’ve gotten any harder to use; iOS just has a ridiculous number of hidden bonus features now that are in no way immediately obvious to the untrained eye. Given that yesterday was Christmas, I’d wager that the number of untrained eyes out there is at an all-time high.
If you consider yourself something of an iOS expert, this list isn’t for you. If the terms “jailbreak” and “rooting” have any sort of secondary, technical connotation to you, you can almost certainly skip right over this. This one’s for the curious newbie; the moms, pops, and younger siblings of the world; the Android converts who may be feeling a bit out of place. It’s a collection of things I’m regularly surprised to find that other iOS device owners don’t know. If it’s not for you, you almost certainly know someone who it is for.

The App Switcher:

You’re blasting around in Jetpack Joyride when your better half asks you to find a proper eggnog recipe. What’s the quickest way to get to Safari? You could head back to the homescreen like a chump — but if you’ve had Safari open recently, there’s a waaaay speedier route: Double tap the home button. Tada! Meet the App Switcher.
The first page of the app switcher shows your most recently opened apps. Scrolling to the right will take you back even further in your app history.
As one of the most requested features leading up to its introduction in iOS 4, it blows my mind how often I meet long-time iOS owners who have absolutely no idea the App Switcher exists.

Closing Broken Apps:

Apps break. It happens. Alas, due to the way iOS freezes/unfreezes apps rather than actually closing them (thus allowing quick-switching between running apps), you’ll occasionally find yourself with an app that you just can’t seem to un-break. What should you do? You’ll need to reset your device, right? Naaaah.
Go to the homescreen. Double tap the home button (to bring up the App Switcher). Find the icon for the app you need to close and hold your finger on it for a second or two. Tap the - that shows up next to it. Relaunch the app from the homescreen, and it’ll be just like opening it up on a freshly reset device.
(Note: With very few exceptions (and unlike what you may be used to with your ol’ laptop) you never need to manually close iOS apps to make your device “run better”. Thanks to the aforementioned freezing/unfreezing process, any app that you’re not actively using has very little effect on your device’s performance.)

The Hidden App Switcher Buttons:

The App Switcher is something of a swiss army knife. It switches! It closes! It slices! It dices!
Beyond the aforementioned, the App Switcher has one more neat trick: a sort-of-hidden bonus page with myriad one-click shortcuts. On the iPhone, it’ll let you lock your screen orientation, pause/play/go back/skip tracks in whatever app is currently playing music (or immediately jump right into that application, instead.) On the iPad, it’ll do all of the aforementioned as well as let you adjust the volume and display brightness.
To find it: double tap the home button to bring up the App Switcher — but rather than swiping to the left to see more apps, swipe to the right from the first page.

The Notifications Center:

This is another one that Apple doesn’t seem to be explaining well enough, as I’ve met more than my fair share of long-time iPhone owners who go wide-eyed when they first see it used. For anyone coming from Android, the mechanism is pretty much second nature (Apple essentially cloned the feature wholesale.)
Beginning with iOS 5, iOS keeps a running list of your recent notifications so that you can easily jump to any app that needs your attention.
To bring down the notifications drawer, simply swipe down from the very top of the display. Waiting there will be all of your recent (unread) texts, any messages that your applications have queued up, and a few configurable widgets (weather, stocks, etc.) You can adjust what shows up in this drawer in Settings > Notifications.

The Camera Shortcut:

We’ve all been there: that once in a lifetime moment is happening right before your eyes, and your only means of capturing it is with your phone’s camera. By the time you get it out of your pocket, unlock it, get to the homescreen, launch the camera app, and wait for the camera to boot up, the moment is gone. Opportunity lost, and now everyone is mad at you.
As of iOS 5, you can access the camera right from the lockscreen (you don’t even have to unlock it! Don’t worry, though: you can’t access your older photos this way. Your booty pics are safe.)
To quick-jump to the camera: from the lock screen (the screen with the “Slide to unlock” bar), double tap the home button. You’ll see music controls pop up on top, while a camera icon appears directly beside the unlock bar. Tap that, and you’re immediately inside the camera. (Note: this only seems to work on the iPhone and camera-enabled iPod Touches. It’s a no go on iPad.)
Got any more easy, kinda-hidden tricks that new iOS device owners should know? Drop it in a comment below.

How to Convert Your Articles Into Videos

There are several options of converting your articles into videos. For instance you can use PowerPoint to create animated slides and convert them into a video format. You can use a flash program to create your videos. But these options really require technical know-how and most people may find it a little bit difficult.

The easiest way to convert your articles into videos is by using an article-to-video-converter software that turns them into videos in the shortest time possible. It is user friendly and it doesn’t require much technical know-how. But you need to select a good program that allows you to edit your article in any way you want. Secondly, you need to spend some money to use the service.

Normally a good program will have a variety of free images you can choose from to use as a background for your videos, with an option to upload your own images. A good program should also have a variety of free background music and a provision to distribute your videos to major video sharing websites like YouTube, MySpace, Yahoo Video, Daily Motion, Metacafe, Revver, Sclipo and many others at no extra cost to save you time and money.

Converting your articles into videos, using an article-to-video converter program, is a three-step process that involves copying and pasting your article into the program, converting it to video and uploading it for distribution to video sharing websites. It’s as simple as that.

Copying and pasting your article into the program takes just a second. After pasting it into the program, the software automatically separates the paragraphs, which then become your video screen descriptions. Each screen description corresponds to a specific paragraph.

To effectively convert your articles into videos, you need to edit the article. Editing entails making changes on your video descriptions. When you add so many words, you risk having very small words on the screen. It entails transforming your text into audio, using the voice-over tool. The program already has prerecorded voices of varying tones for both men and women. You just have to pick the voices that best meet your needs and use them. You also have the option of uploading your own voices.

The process of converting your articles into videos also entails adding background images and music that you consider to be good for your videos. After inserting the background image and music, make sure you preview your video to see whether it’s showing properly and is as you want it to be. If there are any changes to make, you can always go back on specific paragraphs to make your changes.

After converting your articles into videos, you are left with the task of uploading and distributing them to video sharing sites. There is an option of uploading them to your blog and to your Twitter and Facebook pages. If you have a website, you can still copy and paste the HTML code to your website. You can also adjust the settings to resize the width and length of your video on your site.

While turning your articles into videos, you need to optimize your keyword phrases in your video titles and high to enjoy the benefit of getting organic traffic. Secondly, you need to be creative enough to spice up your videos and to make them unique. When you do that then you are assured of getting a steady flow of traffic to your website. Does that help you?

Making money with SEO business

A popular business that many get into is the SEO business. This is a field of internet marketing that can be sold to anyone that needs to rank in a search engine. Here we explain the mechanics of how to get into SEO marketing.

There are many companies that offer SEO services. The key difference is in pricing, pitch, and the effectiveness of the services. Some SEO services provide spam across the Internet. This provides spammed results and most of the backlinks will not stick for long, creating an incessant need for more SEO services. These guys latch on to unsuspecting victims and to start sucking them every month or may even sign them into contracts. In my opinion this is not how you do business. We have some tips about how to run a campaign below.

Finding customers
You can find customers using any regular off-line method. This can involve cold-calling, as well as pitching to small businesses. You can also try to pitch online and there is a good market available if you know where to list. You could try to list on Craig’s list, and you will probably find leads that way. Many people consistently think up new ways to find leads. That is fine; it is better to have at least one method that works and do it continuously.

When you’re out searching for customers, you need to know exactly what you’re pitching. A lot of business will be lost on people who have indecisive pitches. You need to do the proper planning before you get out there, otherwise it will be a big mess. You want to have a good conversion rate for cold calling; this may be as few as 2-6% points, so don’t give up prematurely.

Running a campaign
First thing that you need to do is to assess the competitiveness of your keyword and the amount that you will spend per campaign. This is an internal check you will do before and after meeting with potential clients. Some keywords are simply to competitive to take seriously when running an SEO campaign. If you use tools to help you do your SEO, make sure that you use more “white hat” technique. If you don’t know what you are doing and do too many bad techniques, you may penalize the website you are trying to rank. You will probably lose clients that way, so be careful what you do and does some research before you start trying new SEO techniques. You don’t want to mess up your campaign with unproven methods. Even if you hear good things, ask other practitioners to be sure.

There are many tools available on the market, you can find them by simply doing a Google search (no pun intended). However, you can also find a dedicated web developer to work for you. This is probably the easier way if you don’t know too much about SEO. You can find SEO people easily in the marketplace. They are often in the programming section.

How to freeze; wrapping, storing, and thawing all the foods

Your freezer is not just a place to store chili and Chunky Monkey. Think of it more as the arctic extension of your pantry: a place to store staples―and even some specialty items―that will make your cooking more efficient and more enjoyable.

Berries: Spread berries (or any other small, squishable item, such as hors d'oeuvres, meatballs, drop cookies, and leftover cooked ravioli and tortellini) out on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a resealable plastic bag. This method will prevent them from clumping together.

Flavor cubes: Use ice-cube trays to freeze leftover broth, orange juice, or milk. Freeze portions of pesto, tomato paste, coffee, tea, or wine (for cooking, not drinking). Once solid, the cubes can be transferred to a resealable freezer bag for safekeeping.

Casseroles: Don't hold the casserole dish hostage in the freezer while you wait to use its contents. Instead, line a casserole with foil, assemble the uncooked food in it, wrap, freeze until solid, then lift out the foil and the contents. Transfer the block to a freezer bag until you're ready to thaw and cook.

Eggs: You can freeze eggs as long as they are out of the shell and beaten. Stash yolks and whites separately in resealable plastic bags. (If you're freezing only yolks, beat each with about a teaspoon of sugar first to keep them fresh.) Thaw under hot running water or in the refrigerator overnight.

Leftover pancakes and waffles: Let them cool, separate with wax paper to prevent sticking, then freeze in resealable plastic bags. To reheat, don't thaw―just pop them in the toaster oven.

Cakes: To preserve frosted cake (a whole cake or a piece), place it in the freezer uncovered until the frosting is firm (about two hours, depending on the frosting), then wrap in plastic, then foil. To thaw, unwrap the foil and the plastic, then reshape the foil so it creates a tent over the cake. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Let the cake come to room temperature before serving.

Nuts: They contain oils that can turn rancid if you keep them in a pantry.

Firm cheeses: Grate cheeses such as Parmesan, Romano, and aged provolone, and store in a resealable plastic bag.

Fruit: Freeze cubed melon, peaches, mangoes, watermelon, and bananas that are in danger of becoming overripe, and use them to make smoothies or frozen margaritas.

How to Thaw

The flavor and texture of foods you've kept in the freezer can depend on how the foods are defrosted. Slow thawing in the refrigerator is the gentlest method, resulting in the least change in texture and taste. If you can't wait overnight (or several days for a large piece of meat), there are alternatives.

Thaw safely. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy foods should never get warmer than 40° F until they are cooked. If you need to thaw them quickly, your best bet is to dunk the bag in cold water. Meat should be completely immersed―you don't want any part exposed to warm air. If you defrost meat in a microwave, cook it immediately afterward. Since most meats vary in shape and thickness, they can defrost unevenly and become warm in parts before they thaw through.

Freeze and tenderize. Freeze marinated meats in a resealable plastic bag, then defrost in the refrigerator overnight. The meat will soak up the marinade as it thaws. This is great for tough cuts, which will tenderize in the freezer as well. The method will also prevent freezer burn on the meat, because the liquid "wrap" prevents air from affecting the meat's surface.

Enlist the microwave. Use the defrost setting (or 30 percent power) to thaw foods slowly in the microwave. Microwave frozen foods partially covered, and check them every few minutes. Stir whenever possible to ensure even thawing, or turn over and reposition pieces of meat or fish. Remove them from the microwave as soon as they are thawed (they should be flexible and soft but not warm). Always cook thawed foods immediately.

Freeze flat for a quick thaw. The greater the surface area, the faster the thaw, so use shallow, flat containers. Freeze broths, sauces, and other liquids flat in freezer bags, then stand them up sideways for storage. When you remove them and submerge them in a bowl of hot water (or hold them under hot running water), they'll thaw quickly.

Think portion control. Freeze soups, spaghetti sauce, and lasagna in one- and two-portion containers, which thaw more quickly and guarantee you won't have to thaw more than you need.

Refreeze thawed foods. The flavor may suffer slightly, but you can put defrosted cooked meat, fish, and poultry back into the freezer as long as they thawed in the refrigerator and never got warmer than 40°

An Organized Freezer

If the freezer is deep, post a list outside of what's inside. Record the date each item was stored. Use a magnetic pad or an erasable message board.

·    Use square Tupperware whenever possible. Square containers can be stacked and positioned in corners and don't take up as much space as round containers.

·    Stack similar foods together. If you have a side-by-side refrigerator-freezer, designate one shelf for meat, one for baked goods, and one for vegetables.

·    Edit the contents of your freezer periodically. Reorganize so the oldest items are always in front and are therefore used first.

What is Freezer Burn?

Freezer burn occurs when air dries out the surface of foods, toughening the texture and worsening flavors. The burn is easy to identify (it's frosty and gray), and it can be prevented by wrapping foods in airtight freezer-designed packages. (Be sure to keep the freezer door open only as briefly as possible. Too much exposure to warm air can cause temperature fluctuations, which invite freezer burn.) If your ice crystal-scorched food hasn't been in the freezer longer than the recommended storing time, cut off the offending area as it thaws and cook as planned. Keep in mind: There's nothing unsafe about freezer burn. It might not taste good, but it's not going to make anyone sick.

How to check wedding gown and accessories preparation

There are many items to check your preparation for wedding and accessories

1. Make a "look book." Tear out pictures from magazines, compile photos from friends’ weddings, and round up fabric swatches and anything else that may help you communicate your taste to the sales staff or dressmaker. Paste everything into an album or a blank book.
2. Determine your budget. Click on the related link to print out a wedding budget worksheet.
3. Think about the wedding location. If you're getting hitched at city hall, you may want to skip an elaborate, formal gown. Also consider the religious affiliation, if any, of the location and its rules with regard to modesty.
4. Consider the temperature. If you're having a beach ceremony, you’ll want a fabric such as cotton eyelet that won't wilt in the humidity. Winter weddings call for heftier materials, like satin or silk shantung.
5. Scout dresses at retail stores. If you're on a budget, browse wedding collections at jcrew.com and anntaylor.com. Note what dresses work best with your body type.
6. Or visit a custom dressmaker. Think about what questions you would ask. www.realsimple.com/askyourdressmaker.
7. Make your buy about eight months before the wedding. You need to allow time for fittings.
8. Buy undergarments. If your gown doesn't have a built-in corset, ask the dress salesperson what type of underpinning you need. Make sure to try on everything with your gown at your final fitting.

Accessories

1. Choose a headpiece. Experiment with a variety of lengths and shapes to see what best complements your gown. At veilshop.com you can design your own. Other options: tiaras, silk flowers, vintage combs, or pearl or crystal hairpins.
2. Settle on shoes. Ballet flats or kitten heels are most comfortable. Browse flats at frenchsole.com and heels at myglassslipper.com.
3. Consider a wrap. Popular options: a pashmina; a beaded shrug; a wrap in silk, chiffon, or lace.
4. Purchase jewelry. Choose pieces to enhance your gown, not compete with it.
5. Gather your something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.
6. Pack an emergency kit. Toss these in a bag for your big day: a small sewing kit, extra buttons, Hollywood tape, white chalk, stain-remover wipes, a lint brush, a compact steamer, white gaffer's tape, white ballet slippers.

How to make money with websites niche

There’s a lot of opportunities to make money online, and when you have a voice, when you can get people to come to your site and read what you have to say, then your marketing power is so much higher. Every day billions of people search the web for many different things. By making sure that for several key search phrases, your own niche website is the one that comes up in the number one position, that means it’s your content that these people will see, and when it’s time to buy something, it’s you they will listen to, and you that will make money.

First, it’s important to understand that creating niche websites is not a get rich quick scheme. Like any other job, it involves a lot of work, especially up front, for very little money. But the great advantage of this kind of work is that once you know what you’re doing, once your niche websites are created and have ranked up in search engines, then the money comes in very easily.

Before we talk about creating niche websites, let’s define exactly what they are. A niche website is a website like any other, except that it’s targeted at a specific keyword, or topic. For example, while the site Wikipedia will have content about a variety of topics, your niche website may cover only sleeping bags. But your site will cover that topic so well, so thoroughly, that when someone searches Google for that keyword, they will see your site first.

The advantage of this is obvious. If you talk about a product that people may want to buy, that means they will see not only the content from your site, but also the ads you place there, and the affiliate marketing links, thus you get the commissions for each sale. So now, let’s talk about how to go ahead and create a niche site.

First, you need to find which topic your site will cover. This is the single most important part, and you may spend a lot of time on that. You need a topic that people search for, but where there’s little competition. Once you have it, you can register a domain name, and get a hosting provider. Then, use WordPress or another similar content delivery system and start writing content. It’s important that your content is unique and well written, or no one will want to go to your site. Once that’s done and you have at least 20-30 pages of content, you can put in ads from Adsense, affiliates, and so on. Then, start all over again with another keyword and another niche website.

Creating niche websites is not an easy process, and it requires learning about a lot of topics, as you may have guessed already. But all the work is at the start, and once you have a good routine going, there’s people out there with hundreds of niche websites, making $1 a day in ad revenues per site, making them thousands of dollars every month. It’s not easy, but it’s definitively doable.

10 tips How to Get More Fans on Facebook

Many people struggle with getting Fans. Here are 10 ways to get more Fans.

1. Create A Customized Welcome Page – Creating a Customized Welcome Page is an excellent way to increase your number of fans. Statistics show that it will help you turn 72% of your visitors into fans. To create a custom page, you can use the Facebook application, Static HTML iframe tabs. If you’re not familiar with HTML code, then you can go to Pagemodo.com. Pagemodo is free, and they have ready-made templates that you can use. So, all you have to do is just pick a template. There’s also a website, Woobox.com, where you can add sweepstakes, coupons, and more to your Fan page.


2. Email your current customer list & invite them to your new Fan page – You can send a nice email out to your current list letting them know about your new page, and you could say something like – I would be honored if you would click ‘like’ to become a fan of my new page (and make sure to include a link to your page).


3. Post Links on your Social Media Profiles like Twitter, LinkedIn, & Your Personal Profile on Facebook – For example, in your Bio on your Facebook Personal Profile, you could include something like: Come hang out with me on my Fan page at: facebook.com/______________. In your Twitter or LinkedIn Bio, you could type: Connect with me on FB at: facebook.com/____________.


4. Use Facebook as Your Page - When you login to Facebook, you can click the down arrow in the upper right-hand corner next to “Home”, then click “Use Facebook as Page”. When you click on this, you will now be interacting with people as your Page (NOT as you personally). So, a strategy that will help you get more fans is to click “Use Facebook as Page” and then comment on other Fan Pages as Your Page.


5. Use Facebook Ads – You can always purchase ads on Facebook to drive traffic to your Fan page. If you use this strategy, make sure to target your ads appropriately and start out small. Start out by only spending a few dollars a day and testing out different ads, so you can determine which ads work best for you (before you spend a lot of money).


6. Add the Facebook “Like” Box to your Website – When you add this to your website, then people can click “like” and become a fan of your Page (directly from your website). When people come to your website and they see that you have a large following on your Fan page, that also helps build up your credibility.


7. Ask Friends to Share your Page – All Fan pages have a “Share” link on the left-hand side of the page. You can always ask your friends to come to your page & click on the “Share” link. This way, your friends can share your page with their followers.


8. Add Your Fan Page Link to your Email Signature – If you do this, then every time you send an email to someone, they’ll see your Fan Page link in your signature. So, they can easily click on the link to go to your Fan Page.


9. Invite Friends – On the right-hand side of every Fan page, there’s an “Invite Friends” link. Simply click on that link in order to invite your friends to become a Fan of your Page.


10. Create an Event Launching your Page – You can create an Event called something like: “Launch of the _______ Page”. When creating the Event, in the More Info section, you could type 1 sentence about your Fan page and then type: I would be honored if you could click ‘like’ to become a fan of my new page at: facebook.com/____________” (Always include a link to your page. If you don’t include the link, then people may not know where to go to access the page).

When you’re Selecting the Guests to invite to your Event, you’ll see a link to “Add a Personal Message”. I recommend clicking on that link & typing the same thing again: I would be honored if you could click ‘like’ to become a fan of my new page at: facebook.com/____________ If you have your Fan page Link in 2 places, there’s a better chance that your friends will click on it in order to become a fan.

Tips for Safe Online Shopping

Billions of dollars will be spent online over the course of the next month, and, unfortunately, there are those that will be looking to steal some of it. Make sure you're not a victim.

Let's face it, there's every reason in the world to shop online. The bargains are there. The selection is mind-boggling. The shopping is secure. Shipping is fast. Even returns are pretty easy, with the right e-tailers. Shopping has never been easier or more convenient for consumers.

But what about the bad guys who lay in wait? IID's Third Quarter eCrime Report for 2011 indicates that use of phishing attacks (where thieves attempt to swindle you out of your sign-in credentials and even credit card info by pretending to be a real website, or even an online bank) is down, as much as eight percent since the second quarter and 11 percent since the third quarter of last year. That's great news—except the same report says sites with malware (malicious code aimed at compromising your privacy) has increased by 89 percent since the second quarter.

Stay calm. While somewhat alarming, these stats should not keep you from shopping online. You simply need some common sense and practical advice. Follow these basic guidelines and you can shop online with confidence. Here are 11 tips for staying safe online, so you can start checking off items on that holiday shopping list.

1. Use Familiar Websites
Start at a trusted site rather than shopping with a search engine. Search results can be rigged to lead you astray, especially when you drift past the first few pages of links. If you know the site, chances are it's less likely to be a rip off. We all know Amazon.com and that it carries everything under the sun; likewise, just about every major retail outlet has an online store, from Target to Best Buy to Home Depot. Beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (.net instead of .com, for example)—those are the oldest tricks in the book. Yes, the sales on these sites might look enticing, but that's how they trick you into giving up your info.

2. Look for the Lock
Never ever, ever buy anything online using your credit card from a site that doesn't have SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption installed—at the very least. You'll know if the site has SSL because the URL for the site will start with HTTPS:// (instead of just HTTP://). An icon of a locked padlock will appear, typically in the status bar at the bottom of your web browser, or right next to the URL in the address bar. It depends on your browser.
Never, ever give anyone your credit card over email. Ever.

3. Don't Tell All
No online shopping store needs your social security number or your birthday to do business. However, if crooks get them, combined with your credit card number for purchases, they can do a lot of damage. The more they know, the easier it is to steal your identity. When possible, default to giving up the least amount of information.

4. Check Statements
Don't wait for your bill to come at the end of the month. Go online regularly during the holiday season and look at electronic statements for your credit card, debit card, and checking accounts. Make sure you don't see any fraudulent charges, even originating from sites like PayPal. (After all, there's more than one way to get to your money.)
If you do see something wrong, pick up the phone to address the matter quickly. In the case of credit cards, pay the bill only once you know all your charges are accurate. You have 30 days to notify the bank or card issuer of problems, however; after that, you might be liable for the charges anyway.

5. Inoculate Your PC
Swindlers don't just sit around waiting for you to give them data; sometimes they give you a little something extra to help things along. You need to protect against malware with regular updates to your anti-virus program. PCMag recommends Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus (4.5 stars, Editors' Choice, $39.95 direct), which has extras to help fight ID theft, or at the very least the free Ad-Aware Free Internet Security 9.0 (4.5 stars, Editors' Choice).

6. Use Strong Passwords
We like to beat this dead horse about making sure to utilize uncrackable passwords, but it's never more important than when banking and shopping online. Our tips for creating a unique password can come in handy during a time of year when shopping around probably means creating new accounts on all sorts of e-commerce sites.

7. Think Mobile
The National Retail Federation says that 5.7 percent of adults will use their mobile devices to do comparison shopping before making a purchase. (And 32.1 percent will comparison shop online with a computer, as well.) There's no real need to be any more nervous about shopping on a mobile device than online. The trick is to use apps provided directly by the retailers, like Amazon, Target, etc. Use the apps to find what you want and then make the purchase directly, without going to the store or the website. (For more complete information, be sure to also read our tips for shopping safely on a mobile device.)

8. Avoid Public Terminals
Hopefully we don't have to tell you it's a bad idea to use a public computer to make purchases, but we still will. If you do, just remember to log out every time you use a public terminal, even if you were just checking email.
What about using your own laptop to shop while you're out? It's one thing to hand over a credit card to get swiped at the checkout, but when you must enter the number and expiration date on a website while sitting in a public cafe, you're giving an over-the-shoulder snooper plenty of time to see the goods. At the very least, think like a gangster: Sit in the back, facing the door.

9. Privatize Your Wi-Fi
If you do decide to go out with the laptop to shop, you'll need a Wi-Fi connection. Only use the wireless if you access the Web over a virtual private network (VPN) connection. If you don't get one from your employer, you can set up a free one with AnchorFree Hotspot Shield, if you're willing to put up with the ads, or pay $4.99 a month or $44.99 a year to skip the ads. There's even an iOS app version of Hotspot Shield, but that will cost you $.99 per month or $9.99 a year after the first seven days.
By the way, now is not a good time to try out a hotspot you're unfamiliar with. Stick to known networks, even if they're free, like those found at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble stores that is powered by AT&T. Look for the network named "attwifi," then open a browser to click into the "walled garden" to get final access. You can also find free Wi-Fi at McDonalds, Panera Bread, and FedEx Office locations, not to mention libraries and local cafes.

10. Count the Cards
Gift cards are the most requested holiday gift every year, and this year will be no exception. Stick to the source when you buy one; scammers like to auction off gift cards on sites like eBay with little or no funds on them.

11. Know What's Too Good to Be True
Once again, McAfee has compiled a Twelve Scams of Christmas list, all things to be aware of while shopping. The "coupon scam" offers of a free product with purchase, in particular an iPad (a very coveted gadget at any holiday) or even holiday job offers. Many of these "offers" will come in via social media. Beware even of your friends, who might innocently forward such a thing. Be very wary even if you get a message from friend claiming he or she has been robbed, especially a friend overseas looking for money to be wire transferred, unless you absolutely can confirm it by talking to him or her personally. Skepticism in most cases can go a long way toward saving you from a stolen card number