Category: Advice
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Bits of Advice
Secure passwords that you can remember: You have heard the message, never use the same password twice and use a password manager to help you remember all those different and complex password. But, there are times that you have to know passwords, so here are some tips on making memorable and safer passwords. Make it…
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In the Heat
If you have a Google account, Google is using your profile information to target ads to others in your groups of friends and such. It may not sound too bad to learn that your friends find that you “liked” or +1’d that new restaurant down the road when they are searching for hot new places…
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April Follies
In Windows you can chain-load many programs using ninite.com and now there is a similar method for installing many applications at the same time on the Mac Head over to GetMacApps.com and don’t get scared with using the Terminal to accomplish this. One final reminder Windows XP and Office 2003 security support ends this month,…
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Short Cuts and Privacy
Keyboard short cuts are still king. While Windows 8 is so gesture oriented, especially when you are using a touch screen, it is still useful to know some keyboard shortcuts. Alt+tab is the most wonderful way to switch between open programs. Ctrl+Shift+Esc will open the Task Manager which in Windows 8 can help pinpoint memory…
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Warning Signs
You may know some of the signs of possible identity theft, like unexplained charges on your credit or debit card(s), cards being declined when scanned, or sudden changes to your credit score (if you check it on a regular basis), but others may not occur to you as a warning sign. Bills and statements no…
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Thirty-second tricks while waiting for healthcare.gov
I had “fun” over one of these past weekends working my way through healthcare.gov. Since I quickly found that clicking from question to question was giving me about 30 seconds of waiting, I decided to find activities that fit. After toting up my work mileage for the tax year, I turned to: Checking for software…
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CryptoLocker and more
For many years, viruses and other malicious software have not deleted your files, maybe hidden them but not actually deleted them. A new piece of ransomware, CryptoLocker, will actually encrypt your data files, images, documents, videos, etc. on your computer and files that you have on any attached external and/or networked drives. You have to…
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Changes
Yahoo Mail, the basis for AT&T’s webmail, has changed its look and increased its storage limits. Although it is not truly unlimited, for most people, the inbox is open to keep all your email. This lets smartphone users, who use IMAP to read their ATT email, not worry any more about filling up their inbox.…
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Surprising things
Google books NGram Viewer. One of the power houses of book digitizing, Google, has made a fun and instructive tool available. NGram does nothing more than show you how a particular word or phrase has changed in usage popularity over time. Simple sounding but it can lead to a party game of trying to find…
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Cricking your neck with your portables
With more and more of our daily computing going portable with laptops, tablets and smartphones, we are paying less attention to the ergonomics of these devices. That is, we don’t paying any attention to how our arms and hands, neck and eyes, back and hips, are oriented as we use these portable devices. And, here…
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Fun again with your computer
Enough with all the doomsday stuff about people trying to hack your computer and having to clean up your passwords and security challenge questions to avoid identity theft, It is time to have fun again with your computer. A big one here, take all those radio shows with you that you keep missing part or…
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Prepping your computer and electronics emergency bag
This is that time of year again, when the storms can interrupt electricity for hours or days on end. And, you should be ready if part of your life and work depends on electricity-eating electronics. So, to keep working and in touch, you need to consider computers, tablets, smartphones and regular cell phones, how to…