Author: Bill Scobie

  • Class action lawsuites, healthcare appeals

    There are so many class action lawsuits that you need to be careful when you get an email or text letting you know that you too can be part of the next great payout. A good place to check whether you might be part of a scam is https://classaction.org or https://consumer-action.org/ Just make sure you…

  • Alternate Phone Keyboards

    A large part of the Web is not in English and luckily most web browsers have built-in translation tools. You may have found these by accident, most browsers either just translate the text automatically (Chrome for example) or will ask you (Edge and Firefox.) Safari users have to notice what looks like two speech bubbles…

  • Google Translate, OneDrive, Airdash

    Google Translate recently announced another 110 languages it supports, assisted by the magic of AI. Many of these are languages from Africa, bringing up to 243 the number of languages supported. With Google Translate on your smartphone you can feel you have Star Trek’s Universal Translator already in your pocket. Explore more at https://translate.google.com/ Sometimes…

  • Privacy, Security, and More

    Incognito mode could be what you always want when you open your web browser as you like your device forgetting where it has been on the internet and dropping cookies when you close a tab or window. Doing this is actually easier in Firefox and Safari where there are checkboxes to enable this. In Firefox,…

  • Clean up your Desktop

    Using your computer’s desktop efficiently is mostly a matter of thinking how you would use a real desk. Likely you keep your current work on the desk, do something similar with folders for current projects on your computer desktop. With your real desk, you probably put away things you no longer need, that is when…

  • Windows 10 Security Updates

    Users of Windows 10 who want to continue receiving security updates beyond October 2025 (the official end-of-life for Windows 10) now know what Microsoft will charge. Per machine, the first year will cost $61, the 2nd year will be twice as much with the 3rd and final year costing twice as much again or $244…

  • Help with Mac Settings

    So many things to change on the fly in macOS, installing OnlySwitch will help you access things otherwise scattered around in Preferences or Settings. Things like hiding unwanted menu bar icons at the top of the screen, turning on Dark mode outside of normal dark hours, preparing your mac for presenting by hiding the dock…

  • Streaming Services Cracking Down

    There are times you need more control over what you are grabbing off your screen in macOS or Windows 11, both have built-in tools. In Windows 11, there is Screen Snipping, most easily found by searching for it with the Search box in the Start menu. There are four boxes at the top that control…

  • Proton Mail Unveils Desktop App

    If you are a Proton Mail user, you probably have learned that they will soon have a desktop app for their encrypted mail and calendar services. No longer will you have to go to their web site and once you gain access to their desktop client you will be able to compose email even when…

  • Secure your Wi-Fi

    If you think someone is poaching on your Wi-Fi, there are some ways to get them off. The simplest is to change your Wi-Fi’s password, although that entails teaching all your devices the new password. Many routers have a way to show you what devices are connected, which may allow you to block those MAC…

  • Opt out of data collection

    Counterintuitive as it may seem, using multiple email addresses could simplify your email life. Use a different address for each of your streaming subscriptions to make it easier to reset that part of your life. Use a different address for newsletters. Donations should use another address. If you join a local group to help out…

  • Tech Tips

    Showcasing the amazing information that can be shown in real time is this 3D site for the Tokyo subway, https://minitokyo3d.com/ It is a really big subway system and you can monitor car arrival times and the occasional live feed camera. Like many of these data visualization sites, you just have to poke, click, and drag…