Did you finally get used to the last round of changes to Gmail’s website? More changes are coming, slowly rolling out, primarily to better incorporate Google Chat (to compete with Slack) and Google Meet (to compete with Zoom.) There will be another sidebar with these options, and Google has said that by summer 2022 this …
Category Archives: Software
Starting Your Year Securely
If you’re hearing security tips this time of year, it’s good to realize what you do and don’t have to do. You don’t have to change your passwords frequently, as it often leads to similar passwords. You are allowed to write down your passwords; just don’t put them near or on your computer. Two-factor authentication …
Working from Home, Ad Blockers and Making PDFs
Working from home, social distancing and adjusting to how we use the Internet all are topics of concern right now. When using video conferencing software, turn off the video to improve your audio quality or at least reduce the video quality (aka bitrate—usually some number with bps or just p after it.) Schedule who needs …
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Facebook Info and Google Tips
Facebook is revealing more information about what they track across the Internet, and they also have options available to control how they track you. Their new tool is called “Off-Facebook Activity,” and you can find it under “Settings” then “Your Facebook Information.” You can even cut down on future tracking, but all that really does …
Virus Updates and Trackpad Hacks
Despite ending support for Windows 7 on January 14 of this year, Microsoft will continue updating the virus signatures for Microsoft Security Essentials, their anti-virus software. This doesn’t mean total protection, but Microsoft seems to be realizing that not everyone is going to jump to Windows 10 by the middle of January. Google’s Chrome browser …
Tips for Phone and Computer Security
The iPhone has a reputation of being hard to hack, but how can you know for sure? There’s an app for that. Although Apple has strongly limited access to data that security tools would like to access to tell if the phone has been compromised, a new app called iVerify includes a series of detailed …