Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 102
Q. What is an effective way to keep my laptop running like new? A. There is a powerful technique that can work miracles, but it also requires great care — reinstall the operating system. This is not the best option for everyone, but done properly it can keep your computing life nearly trouble-free. System resets are known by different names, the most common are “Reset this PC” (Windows), “Reinstall MacOS” (Macintosh), and “Powerwash” (ChromeOS). Unless you have experience backing up and restoring data, a reset is best left to the professionals....
Q. I was tempted by an app on the Microsoft App Store but stopped when I saw the permission list: “Access all your files, peripheral devices, apps, programs, and registry.” Do I have to let them breach my security? A. Any sort of restriction on applications is a new development. Since the early days of personal computing, every app had access to everything on the device. Computing devices now record more sensitive personal information than ever before. This new reality imposes fresh challenges for device manufacturers and app developers ali...
Q. I see that Windows 7 is no longer supported by Microsoft. Do I have to upgrade right away? A. If you found a 10-year old can of beans in your pantry, would you eat it? How about an ancient jar of mayonnaise? Just like old food hidden away in the back of a cupboard, there is no single magic date when a long-lived tech device is unsafe. So much depends on context. A PC that is not connected to the Internet is reasonably safe for years. But the Internet is a dynamic environment, and every connected device is continuously subject to attacks....
Q. How do I show my medical information on my smartphone’s lock screen? A. Both Android and iPhone support storage of personal medical information and emergency contacts, accessible even when phones are locked. In an emergency, your phone can communicate vital information to a first responder if you prepare it beforehand. Here is how: On Android, the feature is called Emergency Information and it...
Q. My daughter gave me an Amazon Fire tablet. What is the best way to learn how to use it? A. The Amazon Fire is a great introduction to the world of tablet computers. Because the Fire can do so many different things, it can seem confusing at first. Here are a few ideas to get started. Tablets are much less complicated than traditional computers, so try a little trial-and-error. Play with it. Push buttons, swipe across the screen. Just play and explore. The Fire has built-in apps that let you read, watch movies, play some games, and browse the...
Q. TVs in my price range are twice the size they were a few years ago. What should I keep in mind when buying one of these big sets? A. There are two measurements to focus on, screen size and resolution. The ideal screen size mostly depends on the room size and how far away viewers will sit. It is difficult to imagine how a TV will fit in a room without measuring the space where it will be placed, so start there. Sitting too close to a very large screen can be as uncomfortable as sitting in the first few rows of a movie theatre. There are...
Q. What are your favorite new features on this year’s new iPhone? A. Every September Apple releases new iPhone hardware and a major system software update. Both deliver plenty of new features. This year the big hardware update is longer battery life. It is the best single-year battery life improvement ever for the iPhone. If a hardware upgrade is in the cards for you this year, the iPhone 11 128GB model delivers the most value. The system software update this year is iOS 13. Its marquee feature is dark mode. However, my favorites are some l...
Q. What is a password manager and how does it work? A. Password managers are apps that use a master password to protect confidential information. They enable users to securely store more information than can be memorized. The two common configurations of password managers are device-based and cloud-based. Device-based managers keep data on a single device, while cloud-based managers keep data on multiple devices and share the data among them. Keeping passwords on a single device is simpler, but functionality is limited. Keeping passwords in...
Q. The Internet in my house seems slower than at my local coffee shop. How do I measure the speed and compare the two? A. My favorite test site is located at www.speedof.me. Each connection has three numbers: Ping, Download, and Upload. Ping measures the latency, or “raw” speed. Upload and download measure bandwidth, which is to say how long will it take to move a quantity of bits each second. When comparing connections, smaller latency means faster. Bandwidth is reversed, so that bigger is better. Here is how to think about it. Imagine a roa...
Q. My computer was crushed in an accident. I was able to rescue the drive from the wreckage, but how do I copy my files onto a new computer? A. This can be a surprisingly complex task. Simply installing the old drive into a new computer will not work. The contents have to be migrated onto the new drive. Assuming you have a bare drive from the original computer, the first thing you will need is a new enclosure. These are typically inexpensive and can be found easily online. Check the ports on your new computer and choose an enclosure that has a...
Q. A few weeks ago I read that Apple was killing iTunes. How will I load music onto my iPod? A. In early June there was a flood of dire sounding news about the end of iTunes. Let me put some of the more alarmist implications to rest. Apple is replacing iTunes with several applications. However, the iTunes app you have now will continue to work. iTunes is a very old app. By splitting the tasks it does into smaller pieces, the experience should be better for everyone. In the meantime, the current version of iTunes will continue to support users...
Q. What advice can you share for traveling with personal tech devices this summer? A. Plan ahead for Internet connectivity, storage space and power. Our phones and tablets thrive in environments with speedy internet. When the internet is slow, intermittent or absent altogether, smart devices dumb down fast. The problem is compounded by several factors. While many places have reasonably good internet, many more places do not, especially in rural areas. Worse, the devices expect the user to know what will happen when the data spigot suddenly turn...
Q. Most retail stores accept merchandise returns, but what about software? Is it possible to get a refund from the App Store? A. Although the details are often buried in the fine print, both the Google and Apple stores provide a return policy for apps. In the Google Play Store, time is of the essence. You have to request the refund within two hours of purchase. If you miss the two-hour deadline, there is another path best tried within the first 48 hours. The procedures vary slightly by media type. For example, movies, music and apps have...
Q. Is two-factor authentication worth the effort every time I log on to an account? A. I agree that two-factor authentication is more work, but that is its most valuable feature. The extra work keeps accounts more secure. Password theft is rampant. Data breaches have become so common and the number of victims involved so large it is easy to overlook as someone else’s problem. That is an understandable point of view, but it is a mistake. Security techniques that were state-of-the-art a few years ago are not enough any longer. We have to keep a...
Q. What is a simple way to get started with home automation? A. When it comes to home automation, simple is a relative term. Compared to a few years ago, setup is easier and prices are less expensive. But after installing a few devices in my house, “simple” is not the word I would use. “Easier” is about as good as it gets right now. I wanted to start slow. So I chose to control a few lamps in several different rooms with a 3-pack of WeMo Mini Smart Plugs. These devices plug into any standard outlet, just like old-fashioned timers, and the lam...
Q. My incoming callerID information seems less accurate lately. It works fine for numbers I already recognize, but most everything else is inaccurate. A. As someone who still receives far too many unwanted telephone calls, I feel your pain. A popular new technique by scammers and robo-callers called “neighbor spoofing” could be to blame. When someone uses a neighbor spoof attack, they display a fictional number that indicates the call is from your area code and local exchange. The technique assumes the victim is more likely to answer a fam...
Q. When I open Safari on my iPhone, I am always forwarded to Apple’s website. Is there a way to choose a different home page? A. Apple removed the custom home page setting on iPhone for some mysterious reason, but there is a work-around. I set up my favorite sites as “apps” by adding their icons to the home screen. When you are on a Safari page you want to access again, with the bottom toolbar visible, tap the square with the arrow pointing upwards. A menu will slide up from the bottom of the screen. Swipe sideways on the row of grey icons...
Q. As a longtime iPhone user, when I needed a new phone I would just get the latest model. Now the lineup has so many choices I’m confused. How do I pick one? A. The 2018 iPhone models create an array of choices, yet choosing among them can still be simple. There are three new designs: the iPhone Xs, which comes in two different case sizes, and the iPhone Xr, the least expensive model. Unlike most tech products, iPhone customers are not saddled with older technology when they step down from the most expensive model. The iPhone Xr is by far t...
Q. What is your favorite Android phone? A. I am a huge fan of the Google Pixel. I think that it offers the very best experience on the Android platform, and it’s my go-to recommendation for anyone who prefers Google’s services to those offered by Apple. I still think the overall best choice for most consumers is an iPhone, but marketing in the Android space is fierce, and the Pixel is the best top-quality phone that few people have ever heard of. Android itself is a product of Google, and while all the top-of-the-line models from third-party ph...
Q. I have too many passwords to remember. I write most of them down and put them in a card in my wallet. How do you keep track of your passwords? A. Keeping your passwords in a wallet or purse is not safe. If stolen, not only does the thief have your passwords, he or she has your identification and the detailed information needed to steal your identity. If you have to write something down, keep it somewhere obscure. People who work in software have had the “too many passwords” problem for decades. Today, everyone has a long list of passwords to...
Q. I like to look at weather radar online but when I click on the radar site I get a message saying that Adobe Flash Player is blocked. What do I do? A. There are several possibilities behind why an application is blocked. Adobe is a reputable company, and Flash is a useful product. However, there are counterfeit versions of Flash online that Windows Defender might recognize and consequently block. Perhaps the version of Flash you have installed is not the latest version, which could trigger the block. Also note that some ad blockers will...
Q. I’m thinking I can rid my life of big, bulky speakers and use my iPhone to replace a skipping CD player. What would you recommend for listening to the radio in my house? A. Chances are excellent that you can find the stations you prefer streaming online. That is where apps like TuneIn Radio Pro and iHeartRadio can help. But do not overlook Google. Often simply searching a station’s call sign in, Google will answer the “how to find this station online” part of the question. But do not stop there. Beyond the stations you know, there is an enti...
Q. What is the single most important piece of advice every smartphone owner should know? A. Back up your phone, especially photos. Your smartphone will eventually become the most important tech device in your life. All the gear that a generation ago filled a Radio Shack catalog is now contained in that single, slim, pocket-sized device. The longer you have it, the more the vital bits of your life will collect there. Once-in-a-lifetime photos, family snapshots, messages from loved ones. The smartphone has become the center of the technology...
Q. I just bought my first smartphone and I want to play some games. What advice can you share to help first-time phone gamers? A. Many phone and tablet games are labeled “Free” or “Free-to-Play.” “Free” is a loaded phrase in the gaming world. Although the initial purchase price is zero, so-called free games can become very expensive, likely more expensive than games sold for a fixed price. The definition of what makes a game free-to-play is flexible, but typically it means the game is free to download and play, but play is interrupted...
Q. Is there a way for me to figure out what Facebook knows about me? A. Facebook knows more about you than you know about yourself. That might sound like a joke, but I am dead serious. Facebook not only knows everything you have ever told it, it also knows everything your “friends” have told it about you. And by “friends” I mean every connection between anyone you interact with, from actual friends to a random page you “liked” five years ago. Facebook never forgets. Facebook also likes to “share” your information. And by “share” I mean...
