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 …
Email Basics You Should Know
In this post, I'm going to go over some email basics you should know. I apologize in advance for those of you who are well-versed in email terms. Still, we often have people who log into Remote Technical Support with email issues. Many of these problems could be resolved by the customer if they knew …
Remote Support Lies
Today, I want to touch on remote support lies. As you most likely know, here at 4KCC.COM, we offer Remote Technical Support. In my blog, I have often talked about those fake support companies who rip off frightened and confused customers. In this post, I want to talk about a new twist in their deception. …
Stay Open-minded About Windows 11
Please, stay open-minded about Windows 11. I'm already hearing grumbling from some "technical" online writers. As one of my customers/blog readers, please don't join in with their way of thinking. False Statement Here's something we often hear: "Everybody hates change." Please don't buy into that way of thinking. When it comes to computing, I welcome …
Photo Size
When we talk about photo size, our conversation can go down hill quickly. Why? Mistakes in our thinking often abound because we tend to confuse a photo's pixel size with its file size and/or its physical dimensions. Photo Size Measured In Pixels Let's look at an example: Both of the pictures above are 1536 x …
More Keyboard Icons
In my post entitled, The F Key Icons, I mentioned that not all special icons are on the keyboard's F keys. In fact, with some keyboards, there aren't any icons on the F keys but, rather, they appear elsewhere. With that in mind, let's look at a few more of the icons you might find …
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 …
Dell Computer BIOS Risk
If you own one, you need to know about a Dell computer BIOS Risk that affects millions of computers. Even if you don't own a Dell, you might want to peruse this post just to be aware of what has happened. What is BIOS? Before we talk about the Dell computer BIOS risk, let me …
5 Important Blog Posts
Today, I want to share 5 important blog posts from the 579 I've published thus far. You might wonder why I would do this. Simple. A new reader of my blog asked me, "John, I don't have time to read all the posts I've missed. Which posts would you say are most important?" We have …
5 Favorite Music-related YouTube Channels
I want to share with you my 5 favorite music-related YouTube Channels. Well, they are five of my favorite music sites - there are more. (Of course, my absolute favorite YouTube channel can be found HERE, but it doesn't have anything to do with music!) If you haven't caught on yet, I'm doing my best …
Amazon Prime Day
Every year, there's always a buzz about Amazon Prime Day. Why? You'll find tons of great online deals during the Prime Day sale, that's why! This year is no different than the past although the Covid-19 pandemic forced the special day to be scheduled earlier than usual - it usually falls in July. Prime Day …
Windows 11?
This coming Thursday, June 24, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. ET, Microsoft will introduce Windows 11. Or, will it? The screenshot above is of a leaked version of the new OS (Operating System). As you can see, the menu is centered. But, will there be any other changes? Before You Panic I can already see some …
Scam Email Examples
I want to share with you some scam email examples. I get so many of them every day. Plus, we get lots of calls or Remote Technical Support log-ins regarding these types of emails. It just seems a good idea to share some of them. In each photo sample I post, feel free to click …
I Need Your Help
Please read the information at the top of this survey. Then, use the scroll bar to work your way through the 18 questions. I really appreciate your help in completing the questionnaire. Thank you so much!
The F Key Icons
If you're a Windows user, you may have noticed the F key icons at the top of the keyboard. You're probably familiar with the F keys themselves. These keys are shortcuts for functions in various programs. The F1 key is generally reserved as the "Help!' shortcut. But, what are the symbols often found on the …
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 …
Is Amazon Using Your Bandwidth Without Your Consent?
Beginning Tuesday, June 8, 2021, Amazon started using a process called "Amazon Sidewalk" which may use your Internet bandwidth. If you own and operate an Amazon Echo or a Ring device, you are automatically a part of Sidewalk. If you don't want it, you have to make the effort to opt-out. What Is Amazon Sidewalk? …
Continue reading Is Amazon Using Your Bandwidth Without Your Consent?
The Good Old Days
Recently, have you heard someone lament about "the good old days?" You know, when things were simpler and life was easier? I hear that kind of message often as it relates to computing issues. Statements like "Letters were easier to write and send when we just used pen and paper. Computers are so frustrating!" "You …
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 …
Check Your Facebook Security
Whether you're new to Facebook or have been on the platform since the beginning, it's time to check your Facebook security. Because of the large number of users (2.8 billion), Facebook is a hacker's playground. (They love to make fake accounts as we talked about in my post, Fake Facebook Account.) Checking your security will …
A New Firefox Browser
A new Firefox browser is coming June 1, 2021. Here's what Mozilla has to say about it: A new Firefox is coming your way on June 1 with a fresh look designed for today’s modern life online. We pored over the browser’s user interface pixel by pixel, measured the value users were getting from our …
Windows 10: The View Menu
The View Menu - The Problem Remote Technical Support customers frequently log in to us because their File Explorer view has changed. Unfortunately, they often don't have a clue how to fix the issue. We wind up educating them about a basic part of Windows. This feature goes all the way back to Windows 95 …
How A Large Company Ripped Off One Of My Computer Customers
Talk about a computer rip-off! I'm going to relate to you how a major company ripped off one of my computer customers. It happened just last week. But first: Let's Set The Scene If you've been reading this blog for some time or you've been our customer for awhile, you should be familiar with scam …
Continue reading How A Large Company Ripped Off One Of My Computer Customers
4KCC Holiday Closing And Summer Hours
Memorial Day Again this year, we will be closed for Memorial Day - Monday, May 31, 2021. We close to honor those who have lost their lives while protecting our American freedoms. May they all rest in peace. If you live on Florida's Treasure Coast, I invite you to join me at 5:00 p.m. for …
Credit Card Recommendation
What Credit Card Recommendation Am I Making? Yes, this is still a computing-related blog rather than a financial one. However, because of the virtual abilities of a particular credit card, I'm making a recommendation. If you don't already have a Capital One credit card, I highly recommend the card to you. Why Am I Recommending …
Should You Use Venmo To Make Payments?
You Should Know What It Is Before You Decide If You Should Use Venmo To Make Payments Venmo is an app you can use to send and receive money to/from family and friends and even some companies. Venmo is a PayPal product which is extremely easy to use. As you can see in the picture …
Ransomware Caused A Panic Which Caused A Gas Shortage…
Or, Why You Should Keep Your Computing Devices And Anti-virus Up-To-Date Even though I've talked about ransomware a number of times here in our blog, there were still people who really didn't understand the term until Colonial Pipeline was hit. At that point, the company shut down their pipelines and they remained closed for almost …
Continue reading Ransomware Caused A Panic Which Caused A Gas Shortage…
Set Up And Use An Apple AirTag
Set Up And Use An Apple AirTag The image above shows one set of my keys with an Apple AirTag attached. In this post, I'll explain what an AirTag is, how to set it up and then how to use it. What Is An AirTag? Apple AirTags are small tracking tiles that use Bluetooth to …
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 …
How To Delete And Control Cookies In Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Vivaldi
I promised you in my post "What Is The Cookie Pop-up I Keep Seeing On Websites? GDPR Cookie Consent?" that I would create a video showing you how to delete and control cookies in Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Opera and Vivaldi. Well, this is it! First Party and Third Party Cookies When I told …
Continue reading How To Delete And Control Cookies In Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera and Vivaldi