April Meetings 2022
Apr 7, 2022 - Best Language Apps, Smart Contact Lenses, The Future of 3-D Building,
Taking Back Your Private Data (Deleting Yourself From the Internet), Bad Antivirus Apps,
Unknown Links are Unhealthy for Your Online Life. No Clicking!
Club Questions
Taking Back Your Private Data (Deleting Yourself From the Internet), Bad Antivirus Apps,
Unknown Links are Unhealthy for Your Online Life. No Clicking!
Club Questions
Best Language Apps
One of the many things a smartphone or tablet can help you do is learn a new language. Although, none of the apps on this list can teach you a language completely, there are a few that give you a good start. Language learning apps can be an effective tool for improving your language skills, but if you want to become fluent, you will likely need additional help. To see some of the best language apps for Android and iOS, take a look at this article.
One of the many things a smartphone or tablet can help you do is learn a new language. Although, none of the apps on this list can teach you a language completely, there are a few that give you a good start. Language learning apps can be an effective tool for improving your language skills, but if you want to become fluent, you will likely need additional help. To see some of the best language apps for Android and iOS, take a look at this article.
Smart Contact Lenses
The future is coming, and it's bring an array of high tech goodies to human beings. The latest device currently undergoing testing is the smart contact lens. It will fit over your eye like a normal contact lens, but will provide the wearer with a myriad of special abilities. Not quite at the super hero level yet, but it's moving in that direction. To learn more about the current testing of the smart contact lens, take a look at this article.
The future is coming, and it's bring an array of high tech goodies to human beings. The latest device currently undergoing testing is the smart contact lens. It will fit over your eye like a normal contact lens, but will provide the wearer with a myriad of special abilities. Not quite at the super hero level yet, but it's moving in that direction. To learn more about the current testing of the smart contact lens, take a look at this article.
The Future of 3-D Houses
3-D printers have been around for many years now, and come in all sizes and shapes. They may have started as a novelty for the hobby enthusiast, but like all technology, they are constantly evolving. For the last several years, 3-D printers have been making various houses and buildings, with varying degrees of success. For a brief look into the world of 3-D printed houses, take a look at the video below.
3-D printers have been around for many years now, and come in all sizes and shapes. They may have started as a novelty for the hobby enthusiast, but like all technology, they are constantly evolving. For the last several years, 3-D printers have been making various houses and buildings, with varying degrees of success. For a brief look into the world of 3-D printed houses, take a look at the video below.
Deleting Yourself From The Internet
If you're wondering how deleting yourself from the internet can stop companies from getting hold of your info? Short answer: It can't. But there are ways to minimize your digital footprint, which would lower the chances of your personal data being out there. Please remember that removing your information from the internet, could adversely affect your ability to communicate with potential employers. If you're still interested, find out more about how to delete yourself from the Internet in this article.
Bad Antivirus Apps on Android
Apps stealing your personal information aren't a new thing, but recently several so-called security apps that can be found on the official Google Play Store do just that. The apps at fault are all antivirus apps, whose main intention is to supposedly protect your data, but in these cases, do just the opposite. To learn more about these six bad actor apps, take a look at this article.
Apps stealing your personal information aren't a new thing, but recently several so-called security apps that can be found on the official Google Play Store do just that. The apps at fault are all antivirus apps, whose main intention is to supposedly protect your data, but in these cases, do just the opposite. To learn more about these six bad actor apps, take a look at this article.
Apr 14, 2022 - How to - Android Notifications, How to - iPhone Notifications,
Do SSD's (solid state drives) Ever Fail? Create a Calendar Event on Your Smartphone,
Unknown Links Will Try Everything to Steal Your Data - Watch Out!
Club Questions
Do SSD's (solid state drives) Ever Fail? Create a Calendar Event on Your Smartphone,
Unknown Links Will Try Everything to Steal Your Data - Watch Out!
Club Questions
How To - Android Notifications
Having your smartphone notify you of a phone call or a message is a very important aspect of your device, but notifications on smartphones go much deeper than merely letting you know you have a call. There are myriad ways to adjust your notifications, from what sort of a sound you'll hear, to where the notification will show up and when. Because of the variety of Android smartphone manufacturers, the manner in which you set up specific notifications may vary. For a basic overview of notifications on Android, take a look at this support article from Google.
Having your smartphone notify you of a phone call or a message is a very important aspect of your device, but notifications on smartphones go much deeper than merely letting you know you have a call. There are myriad ways to adjust your notifications, from what sort of a sound you'll hear, to where the notification will show up and when. Because of the variety of Android smartphone manufacturers, the manner in which you set up specific notifications may vary. For a basic overview of notifications on Android, take a look at this support article from Google.
How To - iPhone Notifications
On an iPhone, you can also customize your notifications, but unlike Android phones, on an iPhone the way to do this is always the same. iPhone allows you to set your notifications in a way that suits you best, and can be customized in a variety of ways. For more on how to set up your notifications, take a look at this article from Apple Support.
Do SSD's Fail?
Solid state drives (SSDs) are faster, more stable, and consume less power than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). But SSDs aren't flawless, and can fail before their expected life span of seven to ten years. It's best to be prepared for an eventual failure. If you know how to tell if an SSD is failing and how to protect yourself, you won't be a victim of SSD problems. For more on how to detect if your SSD is starting to fail, take a look at this article.
Solid state drives (SSDs) are faster, more stable, and consume less power than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs). But SSDs aren't flawless, and can fail before their expected life span of seven to ten years. It's best to be prepared for an eventual failure. If you know how to tell if an SSD is failing and how to protect yourself, you won't be a victim of SSD problems. For more on how to detect if your SSD is starting to fail, take a look at this article.
How to Create a Calendar Event
Lots of us use our smartphones to remind us of important events like birthdays, doctor's appointments and anniversaries, but how do we set up this kind of reminder? It all starts with the Calendar App in your smartphone. As always, Android and iPhone use somewhat different methods of achieving the same results. If you are an Android user, take a look at this support article on the official Google site.
If you use an iPhone, take a look at this article on Apple's official site.
Lots of us use our smartphones to remind us of important events like birthdays, doctor's appointments and anniversaries, but how do we set up this kind of reminder? It all starts with the Calendar App in your smartphone. As always, Android and iPhone use somewhat different methods of achieving the same results. If you are an Android user, take a look at this support article on the official Google site.
If you use an iPhone, take a look at this article on Apple's official site.
Apr 21, 2022 - How to Track Your Car, Online Security Tips, Find Any Wi-Fi Password,
Siri vs. Voice Control,
"Spread Love Everywhere you go, just don't Click on Unknown Links"
- Mother Teresa
Club Questions
Siri vs. Voice Control,
"Spread Love Everywhere you go, just don't Click on Unknown Links"
- Mother Teresa
Club Questions
How to Track Your Car
There are lots of reasons you might want to know where your car is, maybe you've loaned it to a friend or family member, maybe you forgot where you parked it, or maybe you want to make sure the parking valet you left it with isn't taking a joy ride. There are a variety of ways to use your smartphone to help you find your vehicle, some come from the car manufacturers, some are as small as a key fob that you can buy for yourself and others are apps you can use on your device. For more information on tracking your vehicle in general, take a look at this overview article. For a very specific test using the Apple AirTag to track a car, take a look at this article. Or for a list of some of the best GPS trackers, take a look at this article.
There are lots of reasons you might want to know where your car is, maybe you've loaned it to a friend or family member, maybe you forgot where you parked it, or maybe you want to make sure the parking valet you left it with isn't taking a joy ride. There are a variety of ways to use your smartphone to help you find your vehicle, some come from the car manufacturers, some are as small as a key fob that you can buy for yourself and others are apps you can use on your device. For more information on tracking your vehicle in general, take a look at this overview article. For a very specific test using the Apple AirTag to track a car, take a look at this article. Or for a list of some of the best GPS trackers, take a look at this article.
Online Security Tips
Keeping yourself safe online is an important part of using the Internet. With the proliferation of hackers and bad actors, your online security should be a priority every time you step onto the web. Unfortunately there's no magic pill you can swallow to keep yourself safe all the time, but the good news is there are a few simple things you can do to help ensure your online safety. For a list of 12 simple things you can do to help keep yourself safer online, take a look at this article.
Keeping yourself safe online is an important part of using the Internet. With the proliferation of hackers and bad actors, your online security should be a priority every time you step onto the web. Unfortunately there's no magic pill you can swallow to keep yourself safe all the time, but the good news is there are a few simple things you can do to help ensure your online safety. For a list of 12 simple things you can do to help keep yourself safer online, take a look at this article.
Find Any Wi-Fi Password
If you've ever connected to a Wi-Fi network, your computer, the one that connected to the network, should still have that password stored in its memory. The first time you connect to a network on a Mac or Windows computer, the network name and password are stored in memory. It's fairly easy to dive into your computer settings to extract and record the password for other devices. For more on how to find those old passwords, take a look at this article.
If you've ever connected to a Wi-Fi network, your computer, the one that connected to the network, should still have that password stored in its memory. The first time you connect to a network on a Mac or Windows computer, the network name and password are stored in memory. It's fairly easy to dive into your computer settings to extract and record the password for other devices. For more on how to find those old passwords, take a look at this article.
Siri vs. Voice Control
If you're an iPhone user you've probably heard of Siri, the on-board AI virtual assistant, but did you know that there's another way to talk to your iPhone? Voice Control is part of the Accessibility options of iOS and iPadOS and is designed for people with disabilities to be able to use the phone's touch features. As such, Apple has enabled the ability to control every part of the touch interface by voice. They do this by optionally displaying a name or a number on every touchable object or a grid over the entire screen. To learn more about how to use Voice Control on your iOS device, take a look at this article.
If you're an iPhone user you've probably heard of Siri, the on-board AI virtual assistant, but did you know that there's another way to talk to your iPhone? Voice Control is part of the Accessibility options of iOS and iPadOS and is designed for people with disabilities to be able to use the phone's touch features. As such, Apple has enabled the ability to control every part of the touch interface by voice. They do this by optionally displaying a name or a number on every touchable object or a grid over the entire screen. To learn more about how to use Voice Control on your iOS device, take a look at this article.
Apr 28, 2022 - How to Add Facial ID on Windows, How Good is Windows Defender, Really?
How to Unsubscribe from Unwanted Emails,
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by
the Unknown Links that you don't click on."
- Robert Louis Stevenson
Club Questions
How to Unsubscribe from Unwanted Emails,
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by
the Unknown Links that you don't click on."
- Robert Louis Stevenson
Club Questions
How to Add Facial ID on Windows
Hello Windows Hello. Facial ID is a handy, and very secure way to log in to devices that support the technology. But don't worry, if your Windows computer doesn't support facial recognition, there are a few ways around it. Facial ID works using Infrared light, which are more common in newer laptops and two-in-ones, but it is possible to add an extra camera to your device that can take advantage of Microsoft's built in feature, Windows Hello. To find out more about how to activate Windows Hello on your Windows based computer or device, take a look at this article.
Hello Windows Hello. Facial ID is a handy, and very secure way to log in to devices that support the technology. But don't worry, if your Windows computer doesn't support facial recognition, there are a few ways around it. Facial ID works using Infrared light, which are more common in newer laptops and two-in-ones, but it is possible to add an extra camera to your device that can take advantage of Microsoft's built in feature, Windows Hello. To find out more about how to activate Windows Hello on your Windows based computer or device, take a look at this article.
How Good is Windows Defender?
Windows Defender is the default, comes with your new computer, anti-virus/malware application that aims to protect your online life. But how good is it really? Is it as good as some third party security apps, like Bitdefender, Webroot, Norton, etc? When Windows Defender was first introduced in the late 2000's it had plenty of room to grow, but in recent years, Defender has become a strong contender against even the best third party apps. To find out more about how Windows Defender fairs against the paid security apps, take a look at this article.
Windows Defender is the default, comes with your new computer, anti-virus/malware application that aims to protect your online life. But how good is it really? Is it as good as some third party security apps, like Bitdefender, Webroot, Norton, etc? When Windows Defender was first introduced in the late 2000's it had plenty of room to grow, but in recent years, Defender has become a strong contender against even the best third party apps. To find out more about how Windows Defender fairs against the paid security apps, take a look at this article.
How to Unsubscribe From
Unwanted Emails
Your inbox is a variety of important and not-so-important emails, but spam creeps in, sometimes you do it to yourself (enter your email for a free PDF on the subject of your choice) and sometimes other people do it to you (I'm looking at you grandma and your "cheery thought of the day" newsletter). The easiest way is to use the 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom of the offending email. (The chance that the unsubscribe link is a trick—a way to confirm you are a real person—is low. But be smart about it; if something looks fishy in any message, just delete it.) For more info on unsubscribing from emails, from a variety of email providers, take a look at this article.
Unwanted Emails
Your inbox is a variety of important and not-so-important emails, but spam creeps in, sometimes you do it to yourself (enter your email for a free PDF on the subject of your choice) and sometimes other people do it to you (I'm looking at you grandma and your "cheery thought of the day" newsletter). The easiest way is to use the 'unsubscribe' link at the bottom of the offending email. (The chance that the unsubscribe link is a trick—a way to confirm you are a real person—is low. But be smart about it; if something looks fishy in any message, just delete it.) For more info on unsubscribing from emails, from a variety of email providers, take a look at this article.
