"How do I dispose of old computers?" is a question we are frequently asked. Actually, the query is often about computing devices in general, not just computers. In this post, I'll share with you what you should and should not do. Keep in mind that some devices store your data - like computers, tablets, smartphones, …
Category: Smart phones
4 Greeting Card Apps For Your Phone
Let's look at 4 greeting card apps for your phone! Today, people are using their phones for things they used to do on their computers. They can bank online, see where an item is located in a retail store they're at, view the cameras they have in their homes, and much, much more. In this …
QR Codes
QR Codes are everywhere! Let's learn what they are, why and where we use them and how to use them. QR Codes - What Are They? QR is an abbrevation for "quick response." Basically, the QR Code is a two-dimentional bar code. The code was developed in 1994 by Masahiro Hara and his team of …
Android Users Should Do This
Seriously, Android users should do this: make sure anti-virus/anti-malware is installed. Why It's Important If you use an Android tablet or smartphone, you need to make sure you have software installed to protect your device. Last week, it was reported that over 300,000 Android devices were infected. A fake banking app was the cause of …
How To Disable Amber Alerts On Your Smart Phone
In this post, I'm going to share how to disable Amber Alerts on your smart phone. However, a word of caution: this is something you should do only on a temporary basis. What Are Amber Alerts? Although you probably already know the definition for "Amber Alert," I'll just reiterate it. An Amber Alert is an …
Continue reading How To Disable Amber Alerts On Your Smart Phone
Talk To The Stars
Have you ever wanted to talk to the stars? No, not the ones high up in the sky. I mean those who people consider stars a.k.a. celebrities. Did you know, thanks to the Internet, you can do just that? Cameo If you visit the App Store or the Google Play Store, search for the app …
How To Avoid Smishing Scams
I suppose that before I explain how to avoid smishing scams, it might help to understand the meaning of the word "smishing." Basically, smishing is phishing through text rather than email. All clear now? That definition works fine if you understand what phishing is. Okay, let's go to the Mirriam-Webster dictionary to find out the …
One Ringy Dingy
https://youtu.be/hMJL8WBeOIs If your smartphone is like mine, it seems to always be ringing! Sometimes, it's not convenient to drop everything and answer the phone. As a means of helping me decide which ringing of the phone needs my immediate attention, I set up special rings for particular people. This way, if they call me, I …
Microsoft Office On Your Smartphone
If you own an iPhone or an Android, you have access to the Microsoft Office suite of powerful apps. All you need to do is visit the App Store/Google Play Store and search for Microsoft Office. In both stores you get Excel, PowerPoint and Word. In the Google Play Store, you'll also get Microsoft Lens …
Cool Backgrounds
When I'm conducting a live seminar (remember the pre-coronavirus days?) or when I create a YouTube video, people often comment about the desktop backgrounds I use. For instance, the picture above is a pretty neat background of a vinyl record and the player it's sitting on. Oh, I know some people use one of their …
It’s A Blessing And A Curse
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 …
Bob Dylan Said It Best
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7qQ6_RV4VQ Are you an iPhone user? Are you an Android user thinking of moving to an iPhone? Well, brace yourself! There's a new iPhone operating system coming in a few months and there are some major changes. iOS 14 was just announced and "The Times They Are A Changin'." For some of you, you're going …
Can’t Sleep?
In the old days, if we told someone we couldn't sleep at night, we were often told "just count sheep!" I don't know about you, but that never really worked for me. Luckily, technology has provided a number of better ways for us to fall asleep when our brain doesn't want that to happen. If …
iPhone Spotlight Search
If you are an Android smart phone user, my apologies. This post is about a particular iPhone feature. Have no fear, though, I'll be publishing a post later in the week about an Android-only feature! Please be on the lookout for that post! Through customers and friends, I've found that the iPhone has a great …
I Recommend These…
People often ask me what books I recommend when it comes to computing devices. I have a number of them I really enjoy and/or find helpful for my customers. In this post, I'm sharing fourteen of them. This array covers everything from computer history to Windows 10 and both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. There …
Don’t Get Juiced, Get Charged
In my post of March 5, 2019 (Laptop Surge Protection), I explained that all laptop owners need a surge protector. Additionally, I recommended one for you. (I still recommend that protector and there's a link to purchase below.) Today, I'm adding a "must have" for anyone who ever uses a public USB charging station to …
Smartphone Storage
1048030 In my last blog post, Win 10 Storage, I mentioned checking the amount of data space used on your smartphone. When Joyce was proof-reading the post, she suggested that, perhaps, not everyone knows how to find the data storage amounts on their phone. With that in mind, here's how to do just that: iPhone …
No Hand-holding!
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 …
iOS 13
Late yesterday, Apple released iOS 13 for the iPhone. The screenshot above is a picture of my iPhone's "About" page. As you can see, I'm actually running iOS 13.1. I run the beta versions of the iPhone operating system so I've had iOS 13 for a few months. I've had a chance to play with …
Out Of Gas?
When there's an event like Hurricane Dorian, finding fuel can be a real challenge. If you have an Android or iOS device or if you can get to their website in a computer browser, help is just a click away. The app "GasBuddy" will turn on special alerts to let you know if a station …
Worth Repeating + A Deal!
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 …
An iPhone Peek
In today's blog post, I'm giving iPhone users a sneak peek at iOS13 which is due out in September. (With apologies to my Android users but please read on because there's something which I hope will interest you farther down.) The picture you see above is my iPhone in dark mode. Yes, that's a new …
Shut Down Smartphone?
If you've been a customer or friend for a long time, you know that we always recommend you turn off your computer at least once a week. This allows the RAM (memory) to defrag and your computer will run faster once that happens. You might wonder, as others have, should you do the same thing …
Where Does The Time Go?
One of the concerns in this new digital age of ours is that we will lose real world contact. Rather than spending time communicating with people in real time, face-to-face, the fear is that we are spending too much time on our smartphones, smart watches and tablets. The photo above is a screenshot of one …
iOS 13
In my post of June 4, 2019 - No More Complaining - I mentioned that I'd post other things besides Mac Pro that happened this year at Apple's WWDC conference. One of those announcements was regarding iOS 13 and here are some of the features: Dark Mode - iOS 13 is going to bring new …
Traffic Alert!
In my post entitled, "In The Driver's Seat," I mentioned that Joyce and I had used Google Maps to get around an accident while driving to New Orleans. Several readers asked us how that works. Here's their answer: In order to see where there's a traffic problem in Google Maps, you need to have the …
In The Driver’s Seat
As you might know, last week Joyce and I (and Gus) made a quick trip to New Orleans so Joyce could play for the choirs from Lincoln Park Academy. As we traveled 1632 miles and drove 23 hours out of 43, I had plenty of time to think how automobile travel has changed in my …
Video & Snapshot?
Today, I'm sharing a little trick with your Android or iPhone. Did you know that when you're shooting video with your smartphone, you can also take a snapshot - without stopping the video? You absolutely can take a single picture while shooting video and it's easy! Just make note of the camera shutter button to …
What’s Up?
Okay...it's not What's Up, it's WhatsApp. This app is one of the two I featured at our seminar this past Saturday. If you do any traveling outside of the US or if you need to be in touch with friends or relatives who are outside our borders, this is the app to have. Actually, it …
Morning, Noon & Night
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 …