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 doing that slow down your computer include running too many applications at the same time, not rebooting regularly, clicking around on most anything on the web, not installing updates, and confusing slow Internet with your computer being slow.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are a wonderful tool for protecting your internet access when you are using someone else’s Wi-Fi in public spaces. Their privacy is only as good as what the companies do with the traffic going through their system, and recent research from VPNpro hints that nearly 30% of the most popular VPN services are secretly owned by a handful of Chinese companies. The concern is with laws in China that won’t protect your data if their government insists on it being handed over. This isn’t to say that other countries have tighter privacy protections, but at least European Union-based companies have to abide by the union’s data protection rules.

Bluetooth beacons in retail spaces let apps track your movement in stores so you can get ads. If you like ads for saving money, then skip ahead, but if you have ever wondered why the store you are in seems to pop open ads on your phone, then welcome to the increased use of Bluetooth tracking. If you don’t need Bluetooth on, turn it off, and if you don’t need a store’s specific app, uninstall it.

It might shock you to know how much air quality can change between different parts of a city, so check out AirVisual, a smartphone app available for both Android and iOS devices, which will show you the Air Quality Index for most any city. I did have to search for Fairview, as the app thought I was in Biltmore Park. That probably had something to do with my cell phone provider.

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 doing that slow down your computer include running too many applications at the same time, not rebooting regularly, clicking around on most anything on the web, not installing updates, and confusing slow Internet with your computer being slow.

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are a wonderful tool for protecting your internet access when you are using someone else’s Wi-Fi in public spaces. Their privacy is only as good as what the companies do with the traffic going through their system, and recent research from VPNpro hints that nearly 30% of the most popular VPN services are secretly owned by a handful of Chinese companies. The concern is with laws in China that won’t protect your data if their government insists on it being handed over. This isn’t to say that other countries have tighter privacy protections, but at least European Union-based companies have to abide by the union’s data protection rules.

Bluetooth beacons in retail spaces let apps track your movement in stores so you can get ads. If you like ads for saving money, then skip ahead, but if you have ever wondered why the store you are in seems to pop open ads on your phone, then welcome to the increased use of Bluetooth tracking. If you don’t need Bluetooth on, turn it off, and if you don’t need a store’s specific app, uninstall it.

It might shock you to know how much air quality can change between different parts of a city, so check out AirVisual, a smartphone app available for both Android and iOS devices, which will show you the Air Quality Index for most any city. I did have to search for Fairview, as the app thought I was in Biltmore Park. That probably had something to do with my cell phone provider.

Finally, learn how to clear out your phone’s voicemail box. You may not know it, but when others return your call and get a “mailbox full” message, you’ll be left thinking that no one calls you back. Your cell phone or landline phone provider can help you learn how to access and manage those messages.