Internet speed issues are one of our highest types of complaints. In today's world, if you want to get anything done online, you really need a good connection. In this post, I'll define Internet speed, how to test it, talk about things that can affect it, and list some solutions. What Is Internet Speed And …
Category: Internet
What Is Clickbait?
What is clickbait? We have been asked this question enough times that I felt I should post about the subject. Let's have a look! Clickbait Definition Merriam-Webster defines clickbait as "Something (such as a headline) designed to make readers want to click on a hyperlink especially when the link leads to content of dubious value or interest." …
Share This With Kids
Share this with kids - please! This post is going to talk about ways of avoiding some of the dangers that are present for young kids online. If you have young children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces or just friends with kids, please share this post. The Background To This Post Young kids are online a …
Ten Internet Terms You May Or May Not Know
Let's look at ten Internet terms you may or may not know. I mean, it's difficult to naviagate a place when you don't speak the language, right? Let's look at some words first then we'll look at some acronyms. Words Hashtag - A hashtag is any word that has a pound sign (#) in front …
Searching – The Unusual Ways
Let's Talk about Searching - The Unusual Ways You may not know about searching - the unusual ways. Sure, you know about normal searching. You type in some words and hit the search button. Or maybe you even know about using the microphone to verbally search. Since you already know about these methods of searching, …
I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas
Seriously, I want a hippopotamus for Christmas! Why, Joyce even bought me a shirt with that same message. (See above!) A Hippopotamus For Christmas? Do I really want a Hippo for Christmas? If you are asking if I want to have to feed, house, bathe and care for a real semiaquatic mammal which can weigh …
Things You Should Know About Modems
If you use one, there are things you should know about modems. But, let's start with some basic information first. What Is A Modem? The word "modem" is actually short for modulator-demodulator. If you search for the definition of the word modem, you might get lost in all the technical babel. In simple terms, a …
The Online Ad Game
There's an online ad game and it infuriates me! I get it. Really, I do. I spend a ton of money to have my websites. Ads on a page (Yes, I have them.) are there in hopes of recouping the money it costs to be online. Let's Talk About Online Ads Just about everywhere you …
It’s Not Always Your Computing Device
When you can't get online, it's not always your computing device. Also, if you're the type of person who classifies yourself as "computer illiterate," it isn't always you, either. We often have customers call us in a panic when they can't get online. Yes, sometimes it is your device which is preventing you from accessing …
Google Search Settings
In this post, I'm going to talk about Google search settings. Why? I want you to know about the settings because of what happened to one of our customers. I received a phone call from a woman who was very distraught over something that appeared when she performed a search. She demanded to know why …
5 Favorite US Zoo Webcam Sites
Today, I want to share my 5 favorite US zoo webcam sites. Granted, I realize there are those who don't believe in keeping animals in confined areas like zoos. But, this is a blog about the computing world including all Internet-related tasks; it's not a sociopolitical site. One of the great wonders of the Net …
There’s More Than Meets The Eye…The Dark Web
Yesterday, I attended a very enlightening webinar regarding the dark web. The four moderators shared information about what can be found there. They defined terms, such as "market place" and "forum," as those terms related to this shady area of the Internet. The webinar was geared towards both businesses and consumers. I was struck by …
Continue reading There’s More Than Meets The Eye…The Dark Web
An Electrifying Thought
pan_toolCaution: This post may short-circuit your brain!This post contains quite a bit of information. Before you tell me it's "over your head," 😁 may I suggest that you take your time perusing what I've written and maybe even read it twice? I try to always "Speak English Not Geek" but sometimes I just have to …
Wired vs Wireless
I get it - Wi-Fi is everywhere. Smartphones, laptops, printers and more all want to run wirelessly on Wi-Fi networks. Why not? Wireless network speeds have improved tremendously. Speeds on Wi-Fi now exceed what many people used to get on their wired networks at home. As an example, just look at the download and upload …
Speed Is A Great Asset…
Whether you use a smartwatch, smart TV, smartphone, tablet or computer, in today's world of intense graphics, speed is of utmost importance. When it comes to any of these computing devices, there are two types of speeds: the speed of the machine itself and the speed of the Internet connection. In this post, we're going …
A Tree Grows In
Brooklyn...Harrisburg... Port Saint Lucie It's true: Joyce is from Brooklyn and I'm from Harrisburg (PA). However, the tree above was just planted today in Port Saint Lucie (FL). A dear friend at church, who is 94 and still a wizard of a landscaper, gave Joyce the tree this morning. He came by me in the …
Key Largo?
https://youtu.be/Bhx5tJ8Q8eI In 1981, Bertie Higgins had a Billboard Top 40 hit with the song "Key Largo." (You can hear it if you watch the video above.) I bring this up because someone asked me, after his email had been hacked for the second time, was it possible "that a hacker put a key largo on …
Need A VPN?
I'm getting more inquiries about VPNs. We're all seeing more ads about them and a larger variety of companies are offering them. But, what exactly is a VPN, and do you really need one? VPN Definition As the picture above spells out, the acronym VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A VPN is like a …
Stop Lion Around!
Let's face it - we're all pretty sick of this pandemic. Are lives have been turned upside down. For those of us not in the medical field or in other essential jobs where we have to go to work, we're pretty bored having to mostly stay at home. We're sick of the news, we're tired …
I Really Disliked History
In high school, History class was one of the two subjects that I just got so bored studying. Our study books were old editions and not up-to-date. Other teaching materials weren't too great, either. Nothing about History came alive for me. If only I had a computer and the Internet in those days. My historical …
End Of The Internet
You've been stuck at home to ward off the evil spirits known collectively as Covid-19. Some of you haven't stepped outside your home since early March. As a means of surviving, you've been glued to your TV and/or your computer. We're a computer company so we can't speak to your TV watching but we know …
Your Voice/The FBI
The political scene in America has changed so much during my lifetime. From Presidential candidates riding the rails, to visit cities to the Internet and Twitter and other Social Media sites. While the changes have allowed a candidate to reach more people, they have also given other countries the opportunity to attempt to interfere with …
Presidents’ Day
Today, February 17, 2020, is Presidents' Day. For some, it's a break from work. For others, it's just another day to enjoy retirement. For me, and I hope some of you, it's a day to use the Internet to explore the history behind the Federal holiday and to find out how Americans are celebrating the …
Smishing & Pharming
In my post, IC3 2019 Report, I shared that the top scam rip-off of 2019 was Phishing/Vishing/Smishing/Pharming. Although I've published posts on Phishing and Vishing, I have yet to cover Smishing and Pharming. I'm going to rectify that today! Smishing - Smishing is just like Phishing except the scam comes through text messaging instead of …
Soapbox
Yes, I've been on my soapbox preaching away for a long time. In fact, three years ago, I published this video: https://youtu.be/RK2i8RtCP60 The IC3 Yesterday, the FBI Released the Internet Crime Complaint Center 2019 Internet Crime Report. This review covers all the financial losses that people and companies incurred in 2019 because of Internet scammers and …
#Hashtag
In my post entitled "Safer Internet," I used what we refer to as a "hashtag." In the days before personal computers, this symbol was usually called the "pound sign." In this day of Social Media, the hashtag is an important search tool. Often, on Social Media sites, we search for people. However, many times we'd …
Safer Internet
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 …
T For Training!
Do we offer computer training? Of course, we do! In many formats: free webinars, live seminars on Florida's Treasure Coast, videos on our YouTube channel, How To articles on our website and in-person one-on-one training. (You can find links and a special training offer below.) Although we offer this training, I want to share some …
The Legit Dark Web
Back on May 15, 2019, I posted some information about the Dark Web. (The Dark Web) In that message, I discouraged you from going there. It can be a very dangerous place to visit as many sinister activities take place within its area of the Internet. However, not everything on the Dark Web is evil. …
Keep Them Safe
If you were at our October seminar, you may recall me talking about FBI emails. If you didn't attend my training, the gist is that the FBI provides emails covering a variety of law enforcement arenas. You can stay informed by signing up for these emails. (Here's the site to sign up: https://www.fbi.gov/email-updates.) One of …