Geek Tip

Come to find out, Macs aren't virus-proof. There's a new trojan virus spreading through Mac computers at an alarming rate — over 600,000 could be infected now, 57 percent of those being in the US. The virus disguises itself as an Adobe Flash Player installer, and after you've installed what you think is an update to Flash, the malware then seeks out passwords and log-in information stored on your computer.

There are a few ways to find out if your computer is infected, but there is also one simple way to prevent the effects of the virus — download the latest security update from Apple! This will close any loopholes and vulnerabilities in order to keep your computer (and your information) secure.

Source: Flickr user neenio

We talk all year about properly recycling your gadgets, but since we officially kick off Earth month today, it's the perfect time to remind you about the different ways to recycle, donate, and get some cash back from your old gadgets. It only takes a few minutes to help others and Mother Earth, so read on!

• Find a location near you — To ensure electronics don't end up in landfills or otherwise improperly disposed, find a certified e-waste recycler near you, who can properly strip devices of their recyclable parts. 1800Recycling.com provides nationwide resources. It can also be as easy as searching Google or Yelp for organizations that will recycle and delete sensitive information from your goods.
• Get some cash back with Ebay's Instant Sale — Just answer a few questions about the gadget you want to pawn and Ebay will give you an instant offer, even paying your shipping costs, so you can just click "accept" and go. Once you send in your tired gadget, Ebay will properly recycle it and deposit cash into your PayPal account. Easy, fast, and truly eases the stress on Mother Earth. How can you go wrong?
• Trade it in through Verizon — This four-step trade-in process first appraises your device, makes an offer, arranges shipping options, and then pays you for your trade-in. Start the process online by choosing your device (either by list or by photo) and answer questions like, "Can the device make outbound calls?" and, "Does the display work?" Verizon then gives you a trade-in value, with the option to either accept it or decline it. Older models may be appraised at no value but give you the option to donate the phone to a charity in need through Verizon's HopeLine program.
• Drop it off at Best Buy — Picking up your new phone from Best Buy? On your way out you can toss your old phone in one of its electronic recycling bins, along with any other computer or component items that are just lying around your house. A clean house is a happy house.
• Sell it — My Boneyard makes recycling your phone a no-brainer: just register your phone online, then pop your phone in the prepaid envelope you'll receive in the mail, and send it back. You may even get a cash reward (that you can keep, or donate to charity).
• Give it back to the manufacturer — Many technology manufacturers offer recycling of their own goods. Dell, Samsung, and Apple are among those that offer recycling solutions, and sometimes a discount on future goods, to customers.
• Donate — Donate old computers to schools in need and charity organizations like Goodwill, which uses an online donation calculator to immediately show how the product will benefit the community.

The new iPad with the fancy high definition Retina display goes on sale tomorrow, and if you didn't get your preorder in, you'll have to battle the crowds if you want a new tablet on day one. But standing outside for hours (or overnight, if you must) isn't an easy task. Should you go for it? Prepare and keep yourself entertained, hydrated, and safe with these iPad line camping tips.

• Do some recon — Scope out your local Apple store, AT&T retailer, or other launch-day location and use Google Maps to pick out a prime spot, preferably with shade and/or overhead coverage.
• Know when to arrive — Apple stores will open at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 16, while AT&T and Verizon stores have also been known to open doors early to greet tired Apple fanatics.
• Bring some reading material — Load up your ereader with some books you've been meaning to tackle — you'll be in line for a while!
• Keep your gadgets charged — With all these gadgets you're toting along, you're going to need some juice. Obviously, you'll be far from an outlet, unless you post it up in Starbucks while someone saves your spot. Keep your gadgets charged with a solar charger by day, so you can power them through the night.

Get the rest of our tips after the break.

Gmail and Chrome are becoming even closer friends, especially when it comes to email. Google released an update this week that allows you to open a Gmail compose window every time you click an email address within Chrome. When you log in to Gmail, you should see the below banner, asking if you'd like to allow Gmail to open all email links. After you accept this, anytime you click on an email address while in your Chrome browser (say, you need to email the support team for your Internet service or the returns department for some online shopping gone wrong), instead of Outlook or Mail popping up, you'll get a Gmail compose box instead. So easy.

Craving a few more basic Gmail tips and tricks? Then just keep reading.

• Make voice calls — You can easily make voice calls in Gmail on the cheap. In the "Chat" section, just click the "Call Phone" button and enter the digits. You'll then be able to make free calls to landlines the US and Canada, and for supercheap, you can call cell phones and landlines worldwide.
• Search with options — If you haven't discovered the "Show Search Options" link to the right of the Gmail search bar, you're in for a treat. Clicking it reveals a host of helpful options, including the ability to search by sender, date, attachment, subject, and more. It's extremely helpful if you are less than diligent about labeling and filing emails in your inbox.
• Send email from different addresses in Gmail — If you're like me, you probably have multiple accounts that you use for different reasons. Did you know you can write all of your emails within Gmail using different external addresses if you so choose? First sign in to Gmail and head over to "Settings" and select the "Account and Import" tab. In the "Send mail as" section, click on the "Send from another address" button, where you can add and verify all of your external addresses. When you compose a message within Gmail, you'll then be able to select which email address you want to use in the "From" drop-down menu.

See a few more tips after the break.

New to Chrome? Here's a handy tip that might save you some time. Rather than manually typing in the web address to your most frequently used sites in the Chrome web browser, you can opt to download the extensions instead. Extensions are little icons to the right of the web address bar. Clicking the extension icon sends you to the site directly or allows you to quickly review the latest updates without having to visit the site directly. Below, a breakdown of some apps new Chrome users should consider downloading.

1. News: Stay up-to-date with a reliable news source like CNN, especially the tech section.
2. Mail: Google Mail Checker extension shows new email notifications and will send you directly to your mailbox when clicked.
3. Social media: Use Facebook Notifications extension to preview any unseen notifications, which include likes, comments, invites, friend requests, and new messages.
4. Productivity aid: Fun websites and social media can be a distracting thing, so if you are looking to calculate the stats of your browsing history (i.e. time spent on your top 10 sites), check out the History Trends extension. It pulls info from your web history to show you charts and figures that will help you better delegate your time and resist the urge to go on Facebook throughout the day.
5. Explore the web: For when you have time to leisurely browse the web or come across a webpage you would love to share, do both with ease using the StumbleUpon extension.

Have any favorites of your own? Share them with us in the comments!

After a year of weekend getaways, alfresco dining, and buying a Kindle just because it can be read on the beach, it's time to get the finances in check. As the thrill of the shopping season winds down, sign up for some money management with these free websites that offer daily budgeting, group payments, and credit-use tracking.

• Mint — The leader of financial management sites, Mint charts every expense, transaction, and asset with easy-to-read charts, budget progress, and weekly financial summaries.
• LearnVest — Similar to Mint, LearnVest presents financial planning from a woman's point of view. Beyond budget and finance tracking, the site provides editorial content such as money tips and the option to connect with in-house financial experts.
• Creditable — Visualizing a goal can sometimes be all the push that's needed to make it to the finish line. Creditable creates a debt-payoff plan and tracks the progress with each log in. For those wary of Internet security: the site does not require users to provide any bank numbers.
• WePay — Multipurpose WePay lets users collect payments for small businesses and donations for charitable organizations or fund-raisers. Its most convenient use may be to effortlessly combine funds from friends to pay for a group vacation, rent, or a bachelorette party.
• SmartyPig — A savings account with a twist. Funds added to a SmartyPig account are actually deposited with its FDIC-insured banking partner BBVA Compass. With a minimum savings of $250, SmartyPig provides the platform to monitor a savings goal and to invite others to contribute to a final tally via Twitter and Facebook. Once a goal is reached, transfer the amount back to a checking account or redeem it with a partner store's gift card.

What other websites do you use to keep finances in order?

I recently went on an overseas vacation, and I wanted to bring my laptop since I knew we'd be in hotels with free WiFi but didn't want to carry all that extra bulk while we schlepped from city to city. So I picked up a small laptop before I left, and throughout the trip I was pleasantly surprised by how lightweight and convenient it was. Even so, as soon as I had my sub-13-inch laptop in my hands I had to do a few things to make sure I was getting the most out of it. Learn my tips for optimizing your travelling laptop when you read more.