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SchoolReport.org lets you sign up for email and/or text alerts for public and private schools and colleges in the Puget Sound area. You can choose to receive all alerts or only emergency alerts. It’s a great tool for notices on school weather closures.

Npower Seattle is partnering this year with the United Way of King County to offer Social Media Coaching as one of the projects available during their September 16 Day of Caring. Npower is currently recruiting social media mavens who want to volunteer, as well as organizations that need help taking their social media practices to the next level. Prospective nonprofits and volunteers are required to complete an application to ensure that they will be a good fit for the project. If you are interested in participating, please visit Npwer's Volunteer page.

If you’re a Comcast customer, make note that they have announced a 9.6 percent rate increase for Limited Cable service. Effective October 1, 2011, their Limited Cable service will cost $15.03 (up from $13.73).

Comcast will be notifying customers of rate changes by adding a message with the monthly bill. If you have questions on how the changes will impact your bill, contact Comcast at (800) 266-2278.

Although the City of Seattle does not have the authority to regulate cable rates, it does enforce a Cable Customer Bill of Rights (CCBOR) to ensure Seattle cable customers get the best service possible. Have you ever reviewed the CCBOR? Do you know the rights it provides you?

• Courtesy
• Accessibility
• Responsiveness
• Services for Customers with Disabilities
• Customer Information
• Customer Privacy
• Safety, Satisfaction Guarantee
• Complaint Procedures
• Credits to Customers for poor service

Take time to look it over and be familiar with the service levels you can expect when dealing with your cable operator. If you have questions, call the 24-hour Cable Line at (206) 684-8498, or use the on-line comment form.

q&a

Have a question for Mayor Mike McGinn? Join the conversation with Seattle Channel host Barry Mitzman as he sits down with the Mayor on Wednesday, September 21 at 7 PM for Ask the Mayor. Call (206) 684-8821 between 7:00 and 8:00 PM or email your questions. Also, follow their conversation on Twitter or Facebook with the Seattle Channel’s accounts. You can also submit questions through Twitter and Facebook as well.

Payday Loans: What to do if You Get Caught in the Debt Trap

From the Consumer and Debt section of Washington Law Help.

How to securely wipe a computer before donating to charity (From Lifehacker)

And another from Lifehacker: The Right way to tag photos on facebook.

Short basic lessons on using the Internet and using it for various purposes (like basics, health, managing money). From Club Digital in California. Available in English and Spanish.

Back issues of Brainstorm including techtips and linkage are now available in our online archives. Previous TechTips and Linkage are also available. Click to revisit all previous issues.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to Brainstorm, please email us, and we'll add you to our email notification list, or subtract you per your request. If you have ideas for future stories, please let us know and we'll try to accommodate them. We encourage you to visit the City of Seattle's Community Tech pages, seattle.gov/tech.

Seattle Community Media is moving along on its transition and work with producers. The video channel can be seen streamed on their website or on Comcast Channel 77 and Broadstripe Channel 23. Studio B is now open, and they have implemented the Denver Open Media video platform and are asking producers to register accounts via the Seattlecommunitymedia.org site to enable uploading video files.

For more information on Seattle Community Media, go here or contact Tom Butterworth at (206) 934-3966.

Did you know you can attend classes for free or low cost at most area computer labs? Do you know the location of your nearest computer lab? Join the City of Seattle and Seattle’s computer labs to “Get Online,” October 3 through 8, for a week’s worth of workshops, classes and open houses on how technology and the Internet can work for you.

The City of Seattle, the Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board (CTTAB), and One Economy are co-sponsoring activities throughout Seattle and will be kicking off the week with a celebration of the opening of the Neighborhood House High Point Mobile Computer Lab on October 3. We are still recruiting computer labs across Seattle to join us, so contact Vicky Yuki, or call her at (206) 233-7877, today, for ways in which you can participate in Get Online Week. Go here for more information on the event, ways to volunteer and participating center locations.

Broadstripe Cable, as a result of their bankruptcy proceedings, are seeking to transfer their cable franchise areas, including the Seattle Cable Franchise, to WAVE Broadband. A formal request has been submitted to transfer the franchise. The franchise transfer is not automatic, and must be reviewed and approved by the Seattle City Council and Mayor. The review process will ensure that WAVE Broadband has the financial and technical capability to fulfill all franchise requirements. The review process is targeted to take 120 days, which includes City Council meetings and a public hearing. As soon as the date is set, notice of the public hearing will be posted on the City website, and here. Notice will also be broadcast on the Seattle Channel and published in local newspapers.

During the transfer review process, Broadstripe will continue providing service to Seattle customers without interruption. The Office of Cable Communications will continue to monitor customer calls and to track Broadstripe service.

Questions regarding this process can be directed to the City of Seattle Cable Communications office at (206) 684-8498 or submitted via our on-line comment form here.

The new Delridge Skatepark is a long awaited and much anticipated feature to the Delridge neighborhood in West Seattle. Neighbors have worked for many years with the City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation to bring the skatepark to this area and construction is now completed, just in time for Delridge Day.

Grand opening ceremony and dedication is the feature of this year's Delridge Day event on Saturday, September 17 from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM. Not only will there be speeches by Mayor Mike McGinn and Seattle Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, but Delridge Day will also feature skate boarding lessons, helmet fittings and professional skaters giving us a show. Come and see the new skatepark!

Delridge Day is an annual one-day event that takes place at the heart of the neighborhood, the Delridge Community Center. It is a time for the area to show off their great restaurants and welcoming attitudes. This year, Delridge Day is introducing community picnic games to the schedule. Who doesn't enjoy a little fun competition? Games will be held for children and adults, so everyone will be able to have a great time. Check the schedule for more details on games and times.

Please attempt to use alternative methods of transportaion. Delridge Day is expecting crowds of more than a thousand and parking is limited to street options. The handicap parking will be available for guests.

[Article courtesy of the North Delridge Neighborhood Council website.]

Participants in an MS Excel class at the Mayor's Office for Senior Citizens location.

Our senior volunteer instructors with the “Seniors Training Seniors” (STS) program are committed to helping their peers (age 50 to 90+) have a great time while learning about computers and Microsoft applications. The STS program has just gotten better and better over the years because the seniors attending classes and their peer instructors have helped to create classes that “expand” over time. From the first day of registering on the phone, a senior and the Program Coordinator decide together which computer class level is best for them. With only (3) to (6) in a class, no-one is left behind, and everyone experiences a calming atmosphere while enjoying learning new technology.

Classes are offered at Greenwood Senior Center, Wallingford Community Center, North Seattle Family Center, Seniors Services in Belltown, West Seattle Senior Center and Southeast Seattle Senior Center (future site). If you are a senior 55+ and are seeking employment, please ask to speak to a counselor with the Age 55+ Employment Resource Center (206.684.0500) regarding their registration process.

In light of Hurricane Irene, the public is reminded to beware of fraudulent emails and websites purporting to conduct charitable relief efforts. Read below for tips on avoiding fraudulent charitable contribution schemes from Looks Too Good to be True.

Recently several natural disasters, including tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes, have devastated lives and property. In the wake of these events that have caused emotional distress and great monetary loss to numerous victims, individuals across the nation often feel a desire to help these victims, frequently through monetary donations.

These disasters prompt individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization or a good cause. Therefore, before making a donation of any kind, consumers should adhere to certain guidelines, to include the following:

• Do not respond to unsolicited (SPAM) e-mail.
• Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations.
• Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
• Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
• To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
• Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization's website rather than following an alleged link to the site.
• Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the non-profit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which also may assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization.
• Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: providing such information may compromise your identity and make you vulnerable to identity theft.

These and other good tips are also available in our Home Computer and Internet Security Brochure in download format in English and eight other languages.

When you are not using your computer you normally have four different options:

1. Leave it on and do nothing. It is normally good to have a screensaver, if nothing else.
2. Turn off your computer. Normally this is good if you are not going to use the computer for the rest of the day.

Or the other two options which most users don’t understand:

1. Sleep mode
2. Hibernation

Both options allow you computer to quickly turn on if you need it. Sleep Mode, also known as Standby, saves your data into the computer's RAM memory and turns off most other functions of the computer. This means it still needs power, however just enough to power the RAM and not much else. Hibernation saves the same data to your computer's hard disk, which means you can withdraw all power from the system without losing your data. Both options allow for quick resuming of your computing, however hibernation is a little more power-friendly since it does not need any power. Sleep Mode is a little faster on resuming: storage to your RAM memory is faster than storage to your hard drive.

Whatever option you choose, I recommend rebooting your computer every now and then. Windows is known for having memory leaks which can slow Windows down over time.

Agree or disagree with me? Drop me a note: Derrick Hall.

Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (SYVPI) Community Matching Grant
Provides matching funds of up to $20,000 for community-based projects to supplement existing Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative (SYVPI) services and that serve youth referred by one or more of the three SYVPI Neighborhood Networks (Central, Southeast and Southwest Seattle). CMG seeks innovative projects that engage, uplift, educate and support youth who are deemed at risk of perpetuating or being a victim of violence.
Deadline: Friday, September 23

Target Field Trip Grants
Target Corporation is accepting applications from education professionals for the Target Field Trip Grants program to bring K-12 students in the United States to museums, historical sites, and cultural organizations. Over five thousand grants of up to $700 will be awarded in January 2012. Grants are available to applicants from the U.S. for trips to be taken between January 1, 2012, and the end of the 2011-12 academic year (May/June 2012). Funds may be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, food, resource materials, and supplies.
Deadline: Monday, October 3

Neighborhood & Community Arts (NCA)
Supports arts councils and community groups with $1,200 to produce events to promote arts and cultural participation and build community. Also supports neighborhood groups that produce recurring festivals or events that promote arts and cultural participation, build community, and enhance the visibility of neighborhoods through arts and culture. Project examples include: Arts festivals, cultural celebrations, music festivals and film festivals.
Deadline: Wednesday, October 26