As I mentioned in part one of this post, "Computing Devices During Bad Weather," every year around this time, I like to talk about our computing devices during bad weather. Why now? We're located in Florida and it's hurricane season, that's why! Even if you're not affected by hurricanes, all of us can be hit …
Continue reading Computing Devices During Bad Weather – Part 2
Every year around this time, I like to talk about our computing devices during bad weather. Why now? We're located in Florida and it's hurricane season, that's why! Even if you're not affected by hurricanes, all of us can be hit by bad weather. With that in mind, let's explore what we should do with …
All during the pandemic, I've been posting about COVID-19-related scams. (See HERE.) Now that more and more people are getting vaccinated, another scam pops up. In their excitement to share that they have reached the light at the end of the tunnel, people have been posting pictures of their completed vaccination cards. Of course, scammers …
Continue reading Do Not Post Your COVID-19 Vaccination Card!
My Dad and Mother and me! Missing from the photo is my older brother, Ed - may he RIP - and my older (but wiser) sister, Mary Catherine. Often during this Covid-19 pandemic, I've thought about my mother who was born in 1914 and my dad who was born in 1916. They were two young …
Today (Tuesday, February 11, 2020) is #SaferInternetDay! This is a world-wide effort to keep kids safe online while they take advantage of all the Internet has to offer. The umbrella platform for this can be found at https://www.saferinternetday.org/. Once you arrive at this page, if you want to see what an individual country is doing …
If you live in Florida or if you're coming to Florida to see our famous mouse (or other attractions), it's important for you to know a change that takes effect October 1, 2019. If you're not familiar, Florida already has a "no-texting-while-driving law." (See my post, "Florida's New Texting Law.") However, effective October 1st, you …
We see ads about online dating all the time. These ads are on TV, online when we're shopping and on Social Media platforms. There are online dating apps for young kids, for "seniors" and for those "starting over." According to some sources, in the US, 40 million people have used online dating sites or apps …
Although Social Media can sometimes take on a very negative, if not nasty, role in our lives, the various platforms often offer assistance during a tragedy or natural disaster. Many times, we can get messages through on Social Media when there is no other form of communication available. As an example, those of us in …
Back on March 5, 2019 (Laptop Surge Protection), I wrote a post about the importance of using a surge protector with your laptops, tablets and smartphones when they are plugged into electricity. I gave you an example of one of my customers who had purchased a new laptop from me which wasn't that old but …
If you're one of our Florida customers or if you just want to visit Florida to play tourist (watch out for the big mouse in Kissimmee), you need to know about the new texting and driving law which goes into effect today, July 1, 2019. Our local paper, TC Palm, has an excellent article on …
Apple has recalled older 15" MacBook Pro computers for free battery replacement because of an overheating issue which could cause a fire. If you have a MacBook Pro that was manufactured between September 2015 and February 2017, you need to check if it is one of the units recalled. You will do that by entering …
A customer who had just purchased a new laptop from me a few weeks ago, called me and told me that laptop was dead. He had used it in the morning but in the afternoon, nothing - no lights, no sounds, no image on the screen. I immediately suspected that the unit was not charging …
You know the old saying in real estate which tells the 3 most important things, right? When asked what are the three most important things when it comes to selling a home, business or property, the successful realtor always gives the same three answers: location, location, location! Bringing that same thinking to the computer world, …
At this past Saturday's seminar, I mentioned an app that can notify emergency help if you are in a car crash. A number of people have asked me for more information about the app so, here it is! The app is called Noonlight and it's more than just a car crash app. It's an emergency …
Here's the problem: we all want our computers to run faster. It really doesn't matter that today's computers run like speed demons compared to the early years of personal computers. We simply want them to run faster. All computers tend to slow down over a period of time. This can happen because we add programs …
FAKE VIRUS WARNING The proliferation of fake webpages is mind-blowing! Fake pages like the one above seem to be popping up everywhere. Many will warn you to NOT turn off your computer. These messages will attempt to panic you into making the mistake of calling the number listed or clicking on a link. Customers often …
Photo credit: ABC News It can happen any time of the year but the holiday season seems to bring out more package thieves than usual. I talked about this subject at our seminar this past Saturday but it's important enough to pass on the info to everyone. Our kids in Austin belong to a neighborhood …
Above is a screenshot of the fourth Windows Recovery option. (If you missed the first three posts covering the other options, the link buttons are below.) This last option is called Fresh start. You can get to it by asking Cortana to open "recovery options." Once the new window opens, look at the bottom on …
A long, long time ago, I was working in Windows 3.1. I was using a program called CorelDraw. (I still use it!) In CorelDraw you can create vector projects. (The explanation of that will be for another blog in the future.) I was just learning the program so the project was going slowly. I was …
Think back before personal computers and the Internet. When disasters occurred, it could be days or weeks before information got out to others about whatever was happening. In this day and age, the Internet speeds up "getting information out" to those not in the affected area. Here in Florida, we know all about hurricanes and …
Gift Cards Here's a scenario that just happened to one of our customers (read carefully so you don't fall for this scam): Someone called on the phone claiming that they had accidentally deposited $6,000 in our customer's bank account. They suggested they log into their bank and they would see the pending deposit of $6,000. …
Hurricane Michael is headed for the Florida Panhandle and is currently packing winds of 100 MPH. For our customers in the area of projected impact, we hope you are evacuating and/or finding a safe place to stay. If you are in the landfall area, be sure to let friends and family know of your plans …