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Archive for 2013

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

Is your Seagate external hard drive not recognized by your computer? Having an external hard drive that is not recognized by your computer can be frustrating, especially if you need to transfer something to or from the device. This issue could be the result of a malfunctioning product or a simple power problem. Whatever your need be hopefully you find help through this article.

Steps to Take

1. Look at is the LED light. The LED light behavior can tell you a lot about what is going on with your external hard drive. Please refer to your handbook/instruction manual to see what each behavior means. If your light is green and indicates that the device is ready the issue lays elsewhere. If the light is completely off then the hard drive may not be attached to a power source.

2. Check to make sure that adapter is properly plugged in and functioning.

3. Also check to see that the hard drive is turned on.

4. If your device isn’t working in a certain port try to plug it into a different port.

5. If your hard drive still does not become recognized it may be locked. You should check and see if you need to put in a password or enable it.

6. Furthermore your device will not be recognized if it is formatted to a different type of computer like Mac versus PC. You may have to reformat the external hard drive. There are a lot of possible issues that could be going on with your device so you should definitely consider them all.

Addressing Issues

You should be sure to try and look at every possible issue so that you do not seek professional help unnecessarily. If you do find yourself in need of more in depth assistance you should look to TalkLocal to help you get in contact with reliable local businesses. TalkLocal will do all the work for you. Simply input your problem and availability and we will connect you with a local IT service company within minutes.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

Seva Call Joins Jersey Shore

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

(in the city, not the show)
Seva Call is launching in Jersey City, New Jersey today because, unlike DJ Pauly D, most New Jerseyans- even the genuine gel-slicked guidos- have real jobs, real commitments, and don’t have time for web surfing away what little time they have for surfing waves. We at Seva Call believed nothing of what we heard on MTV. We know that for their families, their careers and for rebuilding their Sandy hit communities, every second counts on the Jersey Colgate Clock; and that’s the real situation. Seva Call can help.

Seva Call is an online concierge service that takes the hassle out of finding a local professional service provider able to accommodate your busy schedule. You name the time, place, and a detailed description of your troubles and Seva Call scours the city in search of the precise business able to solve the problem. If a professional thinks they can be of service based on the details you provide, then they’ll contact you through us- keeping your contact information secure.

Reality as never seen on TV is full of challenges, not foolishness. To find professionals in the Jersey Shore area to solve your roofing, plumbing, electrical, everything problems or even to contact a cab from your buddy’s crib after one too many Jager bombs, go to www.talklocal.com and… “Forget about it”!

Posted in Seva Call | No Comments »

Dogs Teeth Cleaning

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

Dogs Teeth Cleaning

A dog’s dental health is important because it too is at risk for gingivitis, tooth loss, and infection if its teeth are not cleaned on a regular basis. Ideally, you should brush your dogs teeth to avoid these problems. However, most dog owners are quite busy, so brushing once or twice a week is sufficient. Here are simple steps to clean a dog’s teeth.

Tooth Brushing

You will need:

– A new tooth brush. Try to use a toothbrush with firm bristles or a finger brush. These can found for under $6; packs are sold for less than $12. Never use human toothpaste as it can cause the dog to become sick.

– Toothpaste designed specifically for dogs

– Tartar scraper to prepare the dog’s teeth for cleaning. A tartar scraper removes surface plaque from dog’s teeth and can be purchased for under $8.

Now that you have the necessary equipment, follow these easy steps:

1. Slowly and gently brush your dog’s teeth without toothpaste so that they can become comfortable with their teeth being brushed. If they are aggressive and try to bite your hand, it is recommended to let a veterinarian brush your dog’s teeth.

2. If your dog is comfortable with toothbrush, put toothpaste on the toothbrush and firmly grab your dog’s head.

3. Lift the dog’s upper lip and brush the dog’s teeth and gums in a circular motion.

4. After brushing, use the tartar scraper to remove surface plaque.

Additional Help

Although a dog’s teeth should be cleaned at least once a week, you should still have an annual cleaning by a vet. To find a vet in your area, use TalkLocal, a search engine for local service providers. We will connect you with up to three veterinarians who can provide the specific service you need, at a time that accommodates your schedule.

Posted in Veterinarians | No Comments »

Outdoor Mosquito Control Methods

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

One of the most annoying bugs is the mosquito. They cause massive amounts of itching and aggravation. However, there are some outdoor mosquito control methods that can help you keep your backyard an enjoyable place to stay.

1. Eliminate their breeding grounds

Removing mosquitoes’ breeding grounds is one of the most important steps to take in controlling mosquitoes in your backyard. Standing water is the perfect place for mosquitoes to breed. To stop them from breeding around the backyard, remove any rain gutters, old tires, buckets, plastic covers, toys, or any other container that contain standing water. Also change water in bird baths, dog bowls, fountains, and wading pools regularly.

2. Repellents

There are a lot of products out there designed to repel mosquitoes. Citronella are one of most the widely used insect repellents for mosquitoes. Citronella is EPA certified and alternative to DEET. When coated on the skin, the mosquitoes do not detect the carbon dioxide and lactic acid smell they associate with humans. Without detection, they don’t land and bite. There are citronella torches and candles. These are most effective when the person is close to the burning aroma. These products usually repel mosquitoes for around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the strength of the product. Lemon eucalyptus oil and garlic are some natural repellents for mosquitoes which causes the skin to become undesirable to mosquitoes.

3. Eating

Garlic, rosemary, apple cider, vinegar, and vitamin B-1 can be eaten in your meals to repel mosquitoes. When ingested, these go into your system and make them undesirable to mosquitoes. For example, garlic helps you repel female mosquitoes by giving off a smell from your skin that indicates danger to female mosquitoes. Eating these types of minerals or food will not be effective on their own. Use the eating method along with the other methods listed above.

Additional Help

For your protection wear long sleeves and pants. Also there netting in which can make an outdoor area, mosquito. For professional pest control use TalkLocal. TalkLocal can connect you with up to three pest control professionals who will be available to help you when you need them.

Posted in Pest Control | No Comments »

Will a Maid Do My Laundry?

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

Are you stuck wondering, “Will a maid do my laundry?” A house maid performs a variety of tasks around the home ranging from laundry, dishes, windows, dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, etc. You should contact the local maid services in your area to see what services they offer as well as how much you will pay for them. Different companies will offer differing rates as well as cleaning services they will perform. Be sure to check around to see which local maid services around your area offer laundry services, because some may not offer it.

If no maid services in your area offer laundry, you can always hire a maid who is willing to do so. Just make sure that what you want done is clear with your maid, and be sure to accommodate them with more pay if they are performing a service their company usually does not offer.

After having your maid work for you for awhile, you will develop a positive relationship with them; hopefully they will be able to see what needs fixing or cleaning in your home and get to the task without you having to tell them specifically what to do.

Additional Help

If you are still having problems finding a local maid service that will perform to your standards, you can use TalkLocal to get in contact with the best local maid services available. We will connect you with up to three maid services in just minutes, so you can get the help you need.

Posted in Maid Services | No Comments »

What Questions to Ask a Lawyer Before Hiring

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

Hiring a lawyer for any purpose an be intimidating. You want to be sure that you have adequate legal representation, while also feeling that your lawyer has your best interests in mind. To help ease the stress, here are some questions to ask a lawyer before hiring them.

Do you have any successful experiences in trying cases like mine?

This is a very important question. If your lawyer does not have trial experience with a case that is similar to yours, the other side will know this and will use it to their advantage.

The biggest threat your attorney poses to your opponent is their ability to take them to court. If the opposing company knows that your attorney has a poor courtroom record, they will never offer you the settlement you deserve.

What types of cases does your law firm handle?

You need to be careful, because a lawyer may tell you that they have handled personal injuries, for example, or that they will represent you for an injury case, but you need to make sure that sort of work is ALL they do. A fair amount of law firms operate as general practitioners, which means they handle every sort of issue.

Make sure to choose an attorney who specializes in the sort of case that you wish to take to court.

How long have you handled (whatever your case is)?

History is a really good indicator of experience. A lot of firms will boast about their combined years of experience. This is good, but you need to make sure you have a firm that also has an extensive, successful history handling your type of case.

How long will it take to resolve my case?

Lawyers are asked this question all the time, and it’s a great question to ask. The answer will depend on certain factors, such as how many resources your attorney is willing to dedicate to your case.

What are my responsibilities in my case?

There are few, but they are very critical if you want your case to succeed. Your attorney should make sure you know everything that you have to get done before and during your case.

A law firm should work with you, not against you. Be suspicious if your attorney gives you a long to-do list.

Additional Help

If you are still having problems finding the correct attorney, use TalkLocal to get the best help you can get quickly from local law professionals. We will connect you with up to three legal professionals in your area, so you can be sure to get the help that you need.

Posted in Lawyers - Family | 2 Comments »

Homepage Changes Automatically

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

If your browser’s homepage changes automatically, your computer most likely has spyware or a virus on it. You may have noticed other telltale signs of this as well, such as your Internet being slower than usual. You don’t need fancy antivirus software like Norton or McAfee. There are much easier ways to check and get rid of spyware.

Check to see if the problem is adware or just your own programs lagging your computer.

1. Open the task manager by pressing CTRL + ALT + DELETE and find any processes that are using an abnormally high amount of memory.

2. Go to google.com.

3. Type in the name of the suspicious looking files and research whether or not they are malicious.

4. Go to My Computer and search your C:\ drive.

5. Delete the malicious files ONLY IF YOU ARE SURE that they are malicious. If an error message pops up saying it is in use, stop the process with Task Manager and try again.

In the future

– Don’t download any browser toolbars or any third party software from suspicious sites.

– Use a browser such as Mozilla Firefox, which blocks most ads.

– Use Microsoft Windows Defender to protect your PC.

Other Tips

– Not all anti-virus programs offer anti-adware or spyware protection.

– Spyware is defined as “Software that sends information about your web surfing habits to its web site.”

– Adware is considered “to go beyond the reasonable advertising that one might expect from freeware or shareware.”

– If you really want to avoid adware, then consider switching to a Linux or BSD operating system.

Additional Help

If the issue persists after trying all of these things, then you should use TalkLocal to get the best help you can get quickly from local IT service professionals. We will connect you with up to three professional computer technicians in just minutes.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

How to Replace a Door Frame

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013

If your door frame has been damaged, you will need to replace it. If you wish to replace the door yourself, but do not know how, this article will help you learn how to replace a door frame. You will need a tape measure, 2×4 studs, a reciprocating saw, a hand saw (or circular saw), a hammer (or nail gun), 10d framing nails, a level, and a square.

How to Replace a Door Frame

1. Remove the casing, or trim, around the door frame. If you take it off carefully, you may be able to use it again.

2. Saw off the nails that are connecting the door and door frame to the wall.

3. Saw off the framing studs.

4. If you cannot reach the wall frame, take off some drywall/paneling on each side of the wall until you can.

5. Measure the new door you are putting in.

6. Make marks indicating the width of the new door you are putting in on the wall frame.

7. Measure the following distance from each of your marks (going out) and mark them as well: 3/8 inches, 1-7/8 inches, 3-3/8 inches.

8. Measure the height of your new door.

9. Make marks on the wall studs indicating the height of the door.

10. Saw a pair of studs so that they will fit between your width marks.

11. Place the studs on your 3-3/8 inch marks.

12. Use a hammer or nail gun to put framing nails through each side of your studs diagonally, so that they are attached to two boards.

13. Measure the space in between the studs.

14. Saw another stud, so that it is the same width as what you just measured.

15. Nail this stud to both of your previous studs.

16. Measure the space between the wall frame and the header.

17. Saw another stud to be the height that you just measured.

18. Put the stud in the middle of your header, vertically oriented.

19. Nail the stud to the header, and through the wall frame diagonally.

20. Saw off anything that is blocking your doorway.

Additional Help

If you need help replacing your door frame, you can contact a professional handyman to do it for you. With the help of TalkLocal, you can be on the phone in minutes with up to three high quality handymen in your area who will be available to be help you when you need them!

Tags: door, door frame, repair
Posted in Handyman | No Comments »

Buying vs. Leasing a Car

Monday, February 18th, 2013

When you’re finally ready to put up money for a new car, you’re immediately approached with a choice. Should you buy or lease a car? Usually, most people would purchase a car, since at the end of the lease, you’ll have nothing to show for all of the money you put in. However, buying and leasing the car isn’t simply just a money decision. Buying vs. leasing a car has many advantages and disadvantages that you’ll want to weigh before making your choice.

What to consider

When thinking about this question, you should first make a list of your priorities with your car to figure out what type of financing or lease you would like to take. Is owning the newest car on the block a high priority or are long term savings more important to you? Do you want to have ownership of your car and be free from car payments, even if you’ll be paying higher monthly costs initially? There are always trade-offs to consider when choosing to buy and lease a car.

Buying vs. Leasing a Car

Now that you know your priority, you can finally make a decision. If you are buying the vehicle, that means you’ll be paying to own the car you’re driving off of the lot. It doesn’t matter how often you drive the car, you’ll always own the car at the end of the payments and, as such, buying a car is an investment in it of itself. However, this does mean you’ll have higher monthly payments than leasing, and you’ll also have to pay for major repairs down the road when your car gets older.

If you choose to lease the vehicle, you are paying to use the car rather than to own it. You can lease a car with a very low down payment, low monthly payments, and no risk of maintenance costs, which also means that you can invest your money elsewhere. You’ll even be able to return your car every 3 years for another new leased car under warranty. The downside to leasing, however, is that you’ll never actually end up owning a car at the end of the payments and you may even have to pay additional fees if you drive your car above a certain mileage limit.

Lifestyle Choices

It really comes down to how you want to live and how you want to achieve that lifestyle with your money. Buying vs. leasing a car should always fall in line with your lifestyle priorities. If you have any financial concerns, you can always discuss this choice with an accountant. Try using TalkLocal. It can connect you to the highest quality local accountants in just minutes!

Posted in Accountants | No Comments »

Door Latch Won’t Retract

Monday, February 18th, 2013

As time passes, door knobs and locks tend to wear out and have problems. One problem you may notice is that you door latch won’t retract. A lock that does not work can be a big problem, so you will want to fix this immediately. There are a few reasons why a door latch won’t retract, and there are a few ways to fix the problem.

Reasons Why a Door Latch Won’t Retract

One possible problem is that the latch has fallen into the strike hole and gotten stuck. The friction can make the latch unable to retract. If this is the problem, you can try to fix it by closing the door and closing the handle of the knob simultaneously. If that does not work, you can try picking the door up off the ground while turning the lock.

Another possible problem that could cause your door latch to not retract, is that the latch may have completely come off the knob. In order to fix this problem, you will have to completely take the lock off of the door and open it with a screwdriver (flatbed). You will most likely have to get a new latch.

It is also possible that your latch is broken, and there is a mechanical problem with the springs inside of it. If this is the case, you will need a new latch.

Additional Help

If you are unable to determine why your door latch won’t retract, you can contact a locksmith to help you figure out what the problem is and how to fix it. With the help of TalkLocal, you can be on the phone in minutes with up to three high quality locksmiths in your area, who are available to come look at your door latch exactly when you want them to.

Posted in Locksmiths | No Comments »

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