Click on the image below to be taken to The Exchange Update Web Page.

How many passwords do you have to remember each day?  We’ve got passwords for everything: email, online banking, websites, and of course Facebook.  If you’ve ever been locked out of your Facebook account, you may have experienced the pain of trying to re-gain access.  Well, Facebook is trying to make that process a little less painful.

Facebook recently launched a new feature called “Trusted Contacts” that allows users to select some of their friends to assist should they become locked out of their accounts.  The concept is pretty simple: If you get locked out of your account, Facebook will send security codes to the friends that you have designated as trusted contacts.  Once you have gotten those codes back from these people, simply enter them and gain access back in.

To set up your Trusted contacts, go to your Account Settings (by clicking on the sprocket icon in the upper right hand corner).  Then, select Security on the left side of your screen.  You should now see a list of your security settings, and click on EDIT to the right of Trusted contacts.  It is advisable to select more (up to 5) rather than less trusted contacts to make it easier when trying to gain access back into your account.

Once a user receives and enters at least 3 security codes, they will be able to gain access back into their account.

When we stop and think about how we listen to music today and how that has changed over the years, it is simply amazing.  When I was a kid, it was all about the Sony^® Walkman cassette player, followed by the Sony^® Walkman disc player.  In the new millennium, mp3 players hit the scene led by the iPod^®.  Then, we of course saw the emergence of music apps – everything from Pandora^® to Spotify^®, iHeart Radio to Slacker.

Enter the Twitter #music app which integrates not only your favorite music, but the artists themselves via Twitter.  Sounds crazy?  Yeah, it’s pretty cool.

As you may know, Twitter is huge among musicians.  In fact, other than President Barack Obama (who ranks #4), 8 of the top 10 people on Twitter are music artists, led by Justin Bieber (#1) with just over 3.8 million followers (Click HERE for a complete list).  YouTube also cracks the top 10 at #6 with 2.68 million followers.

What’s cool about the app?  It begins with four sections:

Popular. By going to this section, you’ll see what music and artists are trending on Twitter.  It’s so easy to be ‘in the know’…you’ll be on top of what’s going viral.

Emerging.  This section highlights hidden talent, perhaps a very talented new artist.

Suggested.  Similar to Pandora, this section will show you artists that you may be interested in checking out and begin following.

#NowPlaying.  This section shows the music that is being tweeted by people that you follow.

One of the downsides that we’ve realized is that you’ll only be able to listen to samples of the music UNLESS you’ve got a subscription to Spotify or rdio^TM. However, one cool feature is that the app provides an option to buy the song you’re listening to on iTunes^®.

Also cool is that there is a web version available simply by logging into Twitter.  To find out more about this app, click HERE and let us know what you think.

Some would say that Mother’s day is the most important day of the year.  It’s that one special day of the year where all of us try to go above and beyond to show our appreciation and love for the most important person in the entire world – our mom.  So, if you’re considering taking mom out to brunch or perhaps getting her a gift of pampering at a local spa, we’ve got some options below.

To make it easier for your, we’ve listed options by are with links to their websites.  If you have any additional suggestions, feel free to mention them in the comments section below.

B R U N C H   I D E A S

PORTLAND
Mother’s Bistro
212 SW Stark Street

503.464.1122

Meriwether’s Restaurant
2601 NW Vaughn Street

503.228.1250

Mother’s Day Brunch at the Oregon Zoo
4001 SW Canyon Road

503.525.4299

Salty’s on the Columbia
3839 NE Marine Drive

503.288.4444

Screen Door Restaurant
2337 East Burnside Street

503.542.0880

BEAVERTON
Café Murrayhill
14500 SW Murray Scholls Drive #103

503.590.6030

Hall Street Grill
3775 SW Hall Blvd.

503.641.6161

SOUTHWEST
La Provence Bakery & Bistro
16350 Boones Ferry Road – Lake Oswego

503.635.4533

Hayden’s Lakefront Grill
8187 SW Tualatin Sherwood Road – Tualatin

503.885.9292

S P A   O P T I O N S

PORTLAND
The Dragontree Spa 
2768 NW Thurman Street

503.221.4123 Phone

Dosha Salon Spa
Multiple Portland Locations

503.248.0615

Portland Spa and Boutique
0315 SW Montgomery Street

503.222.0105

Rejuvenation Day Spa

6333 SW Macadam Ave #105

503.293.5699

Bliss Salon and Day Spa

3377 SE Division Street #103

503.232.2547

BEAVERTON
Hand and Stone Massage Spa
3435 SW Cedar Hills Blvd

503.626.8200

Avenue Salon Spa
4690 SW Washington Street

503.626.8240

SOUTHWEST

rumi-simone
345 1^st Street #107 – Lake Oswego

503.699.8899

Aqua Salon and Day Spa
20510 SW Roy Rogers Road #140 – Sherwood

503.925.1900

Have you ever taken a step back, looked around your house, and realized that you have way too much stuff?  How often are you really using those old sunglasses, shoes, camera, phone, etc…?  Well, you get the picture.  So, what do you do about all of this stuff?

Selling your own stuff online can be a pain.  However, we recently stumbled upon a cool mobile app that will sell your stuff for you – welcome to Sold.  This free app is fairly new and was created by a group of MIT graduates.  Simply put, it is trying to take some of the burden out of online selling by determining a fair price, locating a buyer, assisting with shipping and paying you directly.

Using the app appears to be pretty easy: Describe what you’re selling and take at least four photos (the app will provide tips on how best to highlight your product in the photos).  The Sold team then verifies everything and also makes sure that the item is in good condition.

After a few days, Sold will generate a price which the user can either accept or reject.  The app will also let the user know which marketplace (such as eBay and Amazon) is offering that price.  A nice feature is that the price includes the cost of shipping and Sold’s service fee.

Sold then searches for a buyer and once one is located, the app does the rest.  Sold will send a pre-paid, pre-labeled box.  The user just packs it and schedules the pick-up.  Funds from the sale are then deposited into the seller’s bank account.

After taking a closer look at the app, one thing that we noticed is that it doesn’t sell everything – the app specifies “items of value” including electronic devices such as phones, cameras, laptops and certain fashion items such as shoes and handbags.  Also, all items must be able to fit inside one of three different sized shipping boxes.

Interested in finding out more?  Check out Sold HERE or download the app HERE.

Believe it or not, summer is coming fast, and for those of you who are in and around Meridian, it’s time to think about summer activities! The Meridian Parks and Recreation 2013 Spring/Summer Activity Guide is available now!  This guide features many popular activities, including classes on music, art, fitness, and martial arts, among many others.

Also featured is Camp Mer-IDA-Moo, Camp Mer-IDA-Teen, Outdoor Adventure Camp, Art Camp, and Sports Camp, which will be staffed by Meridian Parks & Recreation staff members. Information on Lego, Theatre and Dance Camps, and tennis and golf lessons for adults and youth will also be included.

Check out the guide for information on all of our special events coming up this spring and summer, including Unplug and Be Outside Week, the Community Golf Scramble,

Meridian Barn Sour, Independence Day Celebration, CableONE Movie Night, and the new Teen Movie Night in Meridian!

Sports information will include season dates, registration deadlines, and fees for the Summer Outdoor Volleyball League, Girls Fastpitch Summer Fun Kickoff Tournament, Dodgeball, Fall Softball, and Flag Football leagues.

If you are in need of more information, please e-mail recreation@meridiancity.org or call 888-3579.

Facebook has rolled out yet another update to its relatively new profile design, “Timeline,” where your details have been re-organized into a more readable, coherent format. Before the most recent update, your wall posts were scattered in a zig-zag style beneath your cover photo and “About” information that made your updates a little confusing to read. Not only has the Timeline profile become more organized, but there have also been extra new and exciting features added. These are five tips for getting the most out of the new Facebook profile design.

1. Remove Unnecessary Sections

One of the first things you can immediately do now that you’ve upgraded to the new profile design is get rid of the sections on your profile that aren’t necessary. For example, if you have an app that tracks and displays the music you’ve been listening to lately and you don’t really want your Facebook friends seeing it, you can easily click the “x” button in the top right corner of its box to get rid of it.

2. Promote Your Facebook Page Using Your Profile

Facebook’s new “About” section that appears right on your profile is a great opportunity to get the word out about your Facebook page. Navigate to your About section and choose the option to edit your details. List your position at your company and when it asks for the company name, search for the name of your Facebook page. Keep typing until you see the specific page appear.

3. Make Sure Your Cover Photo Follows the Rules

Facebook’s rules concerning cover photos have changed somewhat, and they can only feature 20% text versus 80% graphic. To easily check your text density in your cover photo, use this free tool.

4. Use Your About Tab for Pages and Links

The new “About” section also permits the use of pages and links so that you can get greater exposure for your business. Your contact information is a great section to use this for. Fill it up with a reasonable amount of links so that your readers can easily find your websites and other social profiles.

5. Highlight Your Most Important Updates

Lastly, Facebook has added a new feature that allows you to highlight important updates that you want to attract attention to. Photos can also be highlighted in albums in the same fashion. Both status and photo highlights will cause them to enlarge on the page and the album (respectively) to draw more attention to them.

In the future, Facebook will more than likely add new features that will make it easier than ever before to communicate with your readers and keep them engaged. Facebook has already come a long way from the beginning, so keep an eye out for new features to use as they become available!

Most individuals who have a wireless cell phone plan receive spam text messages at some point. Spam texts are annoying and can lead to the problem of going over your monthly text message amount if the problem is persistent. Usually, the only way to stop the issue is to go through your wireless carrier. Unfortunately, not all carriers have the ability to stop spam text from coming through, but there are ways you can take measures to block it yourself on your iPhone.

National Do Not Call Registry

One of the first things you can do is to register your number with the National Do Not Call Registry athttps://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx. This is supposed to tell telemarketers and institutions that send out spam that your phone number is off limits.

AT&T Wireless

If you are an AT&T Wireless customer, access the URL http://mymessages.wireless.att.com/ and create a new account if you don’t already have one. It will be different than your normal AT&T account. After you are logged in, go to “Preferences” and select “Blocking Options.” Next, you should check all boxes in “Email Delivery Control.” Access the “Mobile Number Control” choice and select “Block” from the drop down menu. Click on “Submit” to save your new preferences. You should now no longer receive spam text messages, which are generally sent by email.

Verizon Wireless

For Verizon Wireless customers who wish to block spam text messages on their iPhone, you must go to the link http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/myverizonlp/ and log in or register if you don’t already have an account. New accounts can be created simply by using your phone number. Go to “Preferences” and choose “Text Messaging.” Access the “Text Blocking” option and adjust the settings so that you can block unwanted messages from email. This should effectively put a stop to receiving spam texts on your iPhone.

Sprint

If you are a Sprint customer, you can visit the main webpage of http://www.sprint.com/ and log in the usual way. Access “Text Messaging” and then go to “Settings & Preferences.” Choose “Disable Email Sending” under “Text Messaging Options.” You will no longer receive spam text messages on your iPhone.

T-Mobile USA

T-Mobile USA finally has the iPhone 5, and thus now has an option for iPhone users to block spam text messages. Log on to your account at https://my.t-mobile.com/login/default.aspx and choose the “Power Messaging” option. Access the “Text Messaging” area and you will be directed on how to block spam text messages that are sent via email.

These are all the ways you can block spam text messaging from coming through on your iPhone. If you end up still receiving them, your next option is to contact your wireless carrier directly so that specific numbers and email addresses can be blocked.

If you own a home, it is vital that you do yearly preventive maintenance inspections. Thinking you are saving money by skipping inspections is a mistake. Here are six key inspections you should ensure are always done.

Yearly HVAC Inspection
In the spring is the best time to do this inspection, because HVAC companies have fewer jobs available at this time year. The inspection will check furnace blowers and heat pump reverse switches to make sure they are operating properly. If they are not, getting them fixed could save you thousands of dollars.

The cost of the inspection, should nothing be found defective, will generally be less than $200, which is a real bargain, considering the money that is saved if problems are found.

Yearly Chimney Inspection
At the end of the summer is the best time to have your chimney inspected. Failure to do this could result in a creosote chimney fire.  Typically less than $150 for a chimney inspection, it’s a reasonable price to pay for a piece of mind. During the inspection, the inspection may reveal a lost chimney cap, which is necessary for keeping water out of the chimney and damper. Water in the chimney can give mold a place to start in the mortar, which is not good for your health. Other checks include making sure the chimney is structurally sound. These types of repair will cost you several hundred dollars. The fee for inspection is well worth the money considering the security gained against fire and structural damage.

Yearly Termite Inspection
If you have a contract for recurring termite inspection, your annual cost should generally be less than $300. If you do not have a contract, you will spend at least $75 for a vital yearly inspection. Once termites are discovered a contract will cost you much more.

The best time for the inspection is just as spring is starting. The inspection needs to be thorough because termites can attack the structural integrity of your home in various ways. They can attack from underground and even from above during certain times of the year when some of the termites are able to fly.

Untreated, termites attack almost any material in a home. They cause more than $5 billion in damages every year. Homes that are not under contract can sustain damage costs as high as $80,000. Homes covered by a termite inspection contract average $3,000 in total costs. Home insurance policies do not cover damage from termite invasion to homes. You may not see termites and have a false sense of security, but remember that termites eat from the inside to the outside of anything they attack.

Yearly Wood Deck Maintenance
The cost of cleaning and sealing a wood deck is much less than replacing even a portion of your deck. The only way to avoid annual wood deck maintenance expense is to have the deck made from teak wood from the start. Since teak is extremely expensive it is rarely used, so the $300 cost tri-annual maintenance is a good deal.

Proper power washing eliminates fungus, mold and mildew. Removing these things prevents you from having liability problems if a visitor slips. Sealing the deck makes the benefits last longer; unless you plan to have it power washed every year. Failing to maintain your deck properly will allow it to warp and eventually fail structurally.

The cost for maintenance is negligible when you consider the cost of a liability suit or replacement of your wood deck.

Yearly Cleaning of Dryer Vents
Spending a maximum of $120 per year prevents a fire from starting in the hidden dryer vent. To fail to do this yearly task is just short of ridiculous considering the cost of a fire.

Yearly Deep Carpet Cleaning
The reason for regular deep carpet cleaning is the maintenance of good health for your family. An unhealthy carpet has a myriad of pollutants and allergens. At about 50 cents per foot, your cost of cleaning is less than a few trips to the doctor for allergy control. You can reduce the cost by deep cleaning high traffic areas each year. The rest of the carpets can be cleaned every two years.

Make sure you have this vital yearly work done. In the end, you will have saved a lot of money, kept your home and family safer and healthier too.