Linux Rules the Computing World
Windows may rule the desktop computer world, but Linux rules the overall smart device realm. Your Android phone is Linux. Your Apple device is running an OS based on UNIX, a close Linux relative. Odds are your smart appliances are running it, as well as your router. Airplanes fly with Linux computers, so does the […]
Manage Your Passwords
So many passwords…what do you do? I use LastPass. It keeps your passwords on your computer or smart device, encrypted to a ridiculously strong degree. You can get it free, I pop for the pro version, 24 bucks a year, that lets me have access to the mobile app. It’s nice having to remember only […]
Keep those Smart Devices Updated!
Do you have “smart” devices? TV’s, refrigerators, thermostats? It’s essential that you keep them updated. Some devices can update themselves. Others will require you downloading updates and installing them via flash drive. But do whatever it takes. Not doing so can mean hackers in your home network.
Keep that Waterproof Phone Dry!
So your new phone is waterproof? Good for you! but remember, you never want to test that ability. Keep your phone dry, clean, and happy. It only takes one tiny breach to kill a “waterproof” phone. It’s like a water-resistant watch: you still take it off before going swimming.
Protect Yourself from the Equifax Data Breach
The Equifax credit breach was a bad one. A VERY bad one. There’s an excellent chance your information was stolen. What can you do? Check to make sure your info was involved, and then put a fraud alert on your credit. That will make it impossible for a hacker to open new credit with […]
I’m About to Go out of Town. Should I Turn My Computer Off?
Under normal circumstances, yes. But there are exceptions. Do you use your computer as a media server with Plex or something similar? Then leaving it on allows you to watch your shows remotely, thanks to the digital age. Is it tied into your home somehow, perhaps monitoring your smart devices? You can probably access your […]
Don’t Get Scammed with a Cashier’s Check!
Be smart, folks. Scammers are everywhere. I have my business phone number on my website as well as on this public page. I was contacted this last weekend by someone who claimed that they worked for a large company which I do have a working relationship with. He wanted me to reformat the hard rives […]
Bring Your Computer Back to Life with Linux
In the 80’s and 90’s, computers were making quantum leaps in speed every few years which made old equipment hopelessly obsolete. That progress has slowed, to the degree that a ten-year-old computer can still have a lot of life in it, especially if it’s running Linux. There are Linux distros that will remind you of […]
How About a Chromebook?
What do you use your computer for? Surfing the internet? Reading email? Creating/reading documents? Looking at pictures from your phone? You might be a good candidate for a Chromebook. The Chromebook is a computer that uses the internet to work. It does have an offline mode, but by and large it depends on a […]
Surf Safely Incognito
Your smartphone’s web browser has a secret weapon that will help you stay infection-free: on Chrome, it’s called incognito. Open a new incognito tab, and you have a session that’s “sandboxed,” i.e. anything that you do gets erased when you close the browser. Use the incognito function whenever you can. Your phone or tablet […]