Scobie.Net

Author: Bill Scobie

  • Windows Security and Updates

    One of the top antivirus programs for Windows 10 is Microsoft’s free Windows Defender, which is surprising to many who feel that free programs are less capable. The independent IT security institute AV-TEST found that Windows Defender was one of a few programs to attain top scores across its testing criteria. One of the least…

  • Speeding Things Up

    Copying many files in Windows can be time-consuming, but there are tools that make the process go faster than using File Explorer. One of these dedicated apps is called TeraCopy (codesector.com/teracopy), which uses special algorithms to speed up the copying process with the option to verify those copied files. Various things that you might be…

  • What to Do When Tech Gets Wet

    Whether you get caught in the rain or spill a glass of water, it’s good to review what to do if your phone or laptop gets wet. The first thing to do, as soon as possible, is power off your device. Hold the power button down on a laptop for 10 seconds or hold it…

  • How to Survive the End of Windows 7

    On January 14, 2020, security updates will end for Windows 7. If you are still using this system, there are many questions to consider. How much will it cost to update to Windows 10? How old is your computer? Do you still need Windows, or are you thinking of switching to tablets, phones, Chromebooks or…

  • How to Help Older Computer Users

    Providing computer help for older friends or someone in your family can be a challenge. The biggest issue is that older people may not have the knowledge base you have or may not want to learn all of the tricks you think they would benefit from. I find it best to have them give me…

  • It’s the Little Things That Count

    Do you try to quiet your children by handing them your iPhone? There’s stuff on there you don’t want messed up by curious little fingers. There is a way to lock the iPhone, by using Guided Access, that will still let your little one use one app. Go to Settings, General, Accessibility, Guided Access. Then…

  • Changes Coming to Flickr & Google+

    Are you using Google+? If you have a personal account, you should have received a notice from Google about that service going away on April 2 and the steps you should take to download your content. If you are not sure and are worried that you might lose something, go to plus.google.com and sign in…

  • iPhone Hacks and Online Photo Fun

    The iPhone/iPad Lightning charging port is great at collecting lint that ends up making it hard to tightly plug in the charging cable. You might even think the port is broken. But save your money, because it is easy to clean out with a tweezer. Do you sometimes have trouble on your iPhone with moving…

  • Privacy and Cleaning Up

    Apple is letting users download a copy of all the data they have on you. Log into privacy.apple.com with your Apple ID and password to get to where you can select which bits of all the data Apple has on you. This is also a way to download documents, photos, and videos in their original…

  • What Facebook targets, clean up Windows upgrades

    Wading through the smartphone choices every few years while not wanting to fall to the latest hype or teaser pricing from your carrier might be easier if you compare specs at https://GSMArena.com. You will find their comparison “Phone Finder” in the upper left of their website with many more choices than I usually think of.…

  • Headphones, Updates, and Recycling

    Apple wants you to think plug-in headphones are passé, as they no longer will include that headphone dongle with new iPhones. You will need to own or buy Bluetooth headphones or a Lightning-to-headphone-jack converter. Microsoft Updates You may have heard that Microsoft will extend support for Windows 7 beyond January 2020, but that is only…

  • Good News for 365 Users

    There’s some good news from Redmond for Office 365 subscribers, Microsoft is changing how they count devices against your plan limit of one or five devices. As of the beginning of October, the limit will be how many devices are actually active and signed in, not the previous hard count of the first one or…