Tech Talk #217–Nov 25, 2023 With Black Friday, Cyber Monday (who names these things), and all the traditional non-holiday related reasons for shopping, many people will fire up their computers, tablets, and phones and head online and engage in some e-commerce. Here’s how to be safe while filling your online shopping cart. HTTPS The #1 tip for safe online shopping is to only shop on sites using HTTPS encryption. You know, that little lock symbol
Tech Talk #216–Nov 11, 2023 Renewable energy isn’t always available; think no wind or at night. And sometimes renewable energy sources produce more electricity than there is a demand for. The solution is storing energy until it’s needed. Batteries are an energy storage system that stores energy until it’s needed. Whether it’s for a cell phone, to start your car, or to power a house or a neighborhood, batteries are how we store energy until
Tech Talk #215–Oct 14, 2023 When your password suddenly won't work with a website or email address, there is usually a "Forgot password" link. The site may want to send a code to your phone or your recovery email address, or you'll get asked for answers to your security questions. Sending you a text with a reset code is a great way to reset passwords. It 'proves' you're you because you have your phone, plus
Tech Talk #214–Sep 30, 2023 No, we're not talking about brushing your teeth. How could that be a scam? A brushing scam is probably happening when you receive a random package you didn't order. By most estimates, millions of people around the globe receive packages they haven't ordered. You might find things like beard care items, duck head earrings, a nose flute, a Big Foot air freshener, or ping-pong balls in the boxes. Most of
Tech Talk #213–Sep 16, 2023 Phishing Despite what we see on TV and in the movies, computer hacking doesn't involve crouching over a laptop on the floor of a dark server room. Or sitting at a desk with multiple monitors with lines of code running on the screens. Followed by someone saying, "I'm in." Does it happen? Probably, but not very often. The most common way to go where you aren't allowed, computer security-wise, is
Tech Talk #212–Sep 2, 2023 Like most people, you probably use Wi-Fi for internet connectivity in your house. Wi-Fi connects your phones, tablets, and laptops to the internet. And also, your TVs, streaming devices, security systems, kitchen gadgets, and household appliances. With all that going on, ensuring your Wi-Fi delivers everything it can is a good idea. Let's jump in. Network speed Think of your Wi-Fi router as a sprinkler and your internet connection as
Tech Talk #211–Aug 19, 2023 You can get a gigabit internet service package from Spectrum or Race to provide internet service at home or work. But do you need internet service that fast? We measure Internet speeds in Mbps (megabits per second). 1 Mbps can transfer one million bits of data in a second, but that’s not fast these days. So, a gigabit internet connection can deliver up to 1,000 megabits of data per second.
Tech Talk #210–Aug 5, 2023 You probably know what a Roku is. A streaming device that lets you use Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and more, even if you don't have a smart TV. And Roku often does a better job of streaming than a smart TV. Why Roku? Because roku is number six in Japan, this was the sixth company Roku founder Anthony Wood started. Anyway, right out of the box, Roku devices are
Tech Talk #209–July 22, 2023 What happens when you put your computer to sleep? What’s the difference between restarting your computer, shutting it down, and turning it back on? Sleep When you put your computer to sleep, it goes into low-power mode. In this mode, the display turns off, your computer saves its current state (open files or browser tabs, etc.) to memory, and it stops sending power to most hardware. As long as your
Tech Talk #208–July 8, 2023 iOS and battery optimization The first generation of cell phone batteries were Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad) batteries. NiCad batteries were toxic (the Cadmium part,) heavy, had overheating issues, and developed a memory effect from charging cycles. This memory effect was the source of the old advice to drain your phone down to 0% battery before charging it again. Along came Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries. NiMH batteries got rid of the toxic cadmium,