March Meetings 2021
March 4, 2021 - Amazon Alexa is Listening, Stopping Website Notifications on Edge, Troubleshooting Common Problems on Windows 10,
George says, "Don't Click on any Unknown Links!"
Club Questions
George says, "Don't Click on any Unknown Links!"
Club Questions
Why Would You Trust Alexa?
We all want our lives to be easier, and Amazon Alexa professes to do just that, but at what cost? If you're not familiar with what Amazon Alexa is, it's a speaker you use in your home that allows you to talk to Amazon and lots of other online features. You can order products, look up information or even have simple tasks in your home done for you, "Hey Alexa, set my heating to 72 degrees." But all the "listening" comes with a cost, to learn more about how Alexa hears what you say, take a look at this article.
And as long as we're talking about spying, did you know that a majority of emails come with "spy pixels?" A recent BBC analysis found that spy pixels in emails have become endemic. To read more about how your emails may be spying on you, take a look at this article.
We all want our lives to be easier, and Amazon Alexa professes to do just that, but at what cost? If you're not familiar with what Amazon Alexa is, it's a speaker you use in your home that allows you to talk to Amazon and lots of other online features. You can order products, look up information or even have simple tasks in your home done for you, "Hey Alexa, set my heating to 72 degrees." But all the "listening" comes with a cost, to learn more about how Alexa hears what you say, take a look at this article.
And as long as we're talking about spying, did you know that a majority of emails come with "spy pixels?" A recent BBC analysis found that spy pixels in emails have become endemic. To read more about how your emails may be spying on you, take a look at this article.
How to Stop Notifications on Edge
If you're a user of the Edge web browser, and you're sick of those annoying website notifications that pop up all the time, there is a solution. HowToGeek has a great article that goes over how these notifications work on Edge and how you can turn then off or adjust them to your specific needs. Read all about it on this illustrated, step by step article.
If you're a user of the Edge web browser, and you're sick of those annoying website notifications that pop up all the time, there is a solution. HowToGeek has a great article that goes over how these notifications work on Edge and how you can turn then off or adjust them to your specific needs. Read all about it on this illustrated, step by step article.
Trouble Shooting Windows 10
Windows 10 is now on more than 1 billion devices worldwide, and Microsoft releases regular updates and security patches, but many users still run into some problems. Do you have a wandering cursor? or maybe uncontrollable scrolling? Or maybe just trouble updating to the latest version? Never fear, CNET has a great article complete with lots of links to official support and plenty of breadcrumb instructions on how to fix the most common glitches you might face. Read more on this article.
Windows 10 is now on more than 1 billion devices worldwide, and Microsoft releases regular updates and security patches, but many users still run into some problems. Do you have a wandering cursor? or maybe uncontrollable scrolling? Or maybe just trouble updating to the latest version? Never fear, CNET has a great article complete with lots of links to official support and plenty of breadcrumb instructions on how to fix the most common glitches you might face. Read more on this article.
March 11, 2021 - Microsoft Office 365 for Free, Emojis and What They Mean, How Hackers Have Evolved, Dangerous Apps You Should Delete NOW,
Clicking on an Unknown Link is like thinking COVID-19 is Good
Club Questions
Clicking on an Unknown Link is like thinking COVID-19 is Good
Club Questions
Get Microsoft 365 for Free
If you use Windows and ever need to write a document, or create a flow sheet, you're probably aware of Microsoft Office. It's a suite of apps, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, that allow you to create all sorts of office related documents. Microsoft Office 365 will often cost you some amount of money, but if you'd like to get the whole group of apps for free, then take a look at this article from CNET.
If you use Windows and ever need to write a document, or create a flow sheet, you're probably aware of Microsoft Office. It's a suite of apps, Word, Excel and PowerPoint, that allow you to create all sorts of office related documents. Microsoft Office 365 will often cost you some amount of money, but if you'd like to get the whole group of apps for free, then take a look at this article from CNET.
The Meanings of Emojis
If you've been texting for a while, you probably know what, :) means, but as the emoji empire has expanded, it's hard to know what some of these new emojis stand for, especially when you use several in a row. Emojis have even become their own language for some users. If you're confused about emojis and want to learn more about meanings for some of the most common emojis, take a look at this article from CNET.
If you've been texting for a while, you probably know what, :) means, but as the emoji empire has expanded, it's hard to know what some of these new emojis stand for, especially when you use several in a row. Emojis have even become their own language for some users. If you're confused about emojis and want to learn more about meanings for some of the most common emojis, take a look at this article from CNET.
How Hackers Have Evolved
As the technology we use has expanded, so have the techniques used by hackers to get at our personal information. Gone are the days when all phishing attempts were filled with spelling and grammar mistakes, hackers have become much more sophisticated at how they now target us. Social media, and the sort of things we post to it, play a big part in this evolution. Cybercriminals now exploit the personal details we regularly post on social media to try to trick or impersonate us. To learn more about what you can do about this, take a look at this article.
And if you're interested in the most common attacks used by hackers on your PC currently, take a look at this list compiled by ZDNet.
As the technology we use has expanded, so have the techniques used by hackers to get at our personal information. Gone are the days when all phishing attempts were filled with spelling and grammar mistakes, hackers have become much more sophisticated at how they now target us. Social media, and the sort of things we post to it, play a big part in this evolution. Cybercriminals now exploit the personal details we regularly post on social media to try to trick or impersonate us. To learn more about what you can do about this, take a look at this article.
And if you're interested in the most common attacks used by hackers on your PC currently, take a look at this list compiled by ZDNet.
More Dangerous Apps
It seems a month doesn't go by that we aren't made aware of more apps that are trying to steal our data, and this month is no different. For you Android phone users, you'll want to take a look at this article from BGR and make sure you're not using any of the apps on your phone, they have listed. Forbes also has a warning for Android users regarding a free VPN app (remember, you get what you pay for), take a look at this article. If you do decide to use a VPN, on any of your devices, please pay for one, the free VPN apps always seem to come up as malware or worse.
It seems a month doesn't go by that we aren't made aware of more apps that are trying to steal our data, and this month is no different. For you Android phone users, you'll want to take a look at this article from BGR and make sure you're not using any of the apps on your phone, they have listed. Forbes also has a warning for Android users regarding a free VPN app (remember, you get what you pay for), take a look at this article. If you do decide to use a VPN, on any of your devices, please pay for one, the free VPN apps always seem to come up as malware or worse.
March 18, 2021 - The Latest Windows Trojan Malware, Turn Off Tracking for Ad Targeting, How Much Internet Speed do You Need?
Unknown Links are BAD, Please don't Click on Them!
Club Questions
Unknown Links are BAD, Please don't Click on Them!
Club Questions
The Latest Windows Malware
Trickbot is the latest malware that is wrecking havoc on Windows computers. It offers cyber criminals access to your computer by providing them with a means of delivering additional malware onto compromised machines. And Trickbot isn't the only malware Windows need to worry about, to read more about Trickbot and the other current malware, take a look at this article from ZDNet.
Trickbot is the latest malware that is wrecking havoc on Windows computers. It offers cyber criminals access to your computer by providing them with a means of delivering additional malware onto compromised machines. And Trickbot isn't the only malware Windows need to worry about, to read more about Trickbot and the other current malware, take a look at this article from ZDNet.
Turn Off Tracking for Ad Targeting
If you're sick of being tracked by your cell phone provider, just for the privilege of being sent specific ads, there is a way to turn off this feature. The big three, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T all have this set up by default, but you can manually change these settings if you're not a fan of these ads. To learn more about how to do this, take a look at this article. If you're curious about which apps are the most invasive, Tom's Guide has created a list of the worst offenders, take a look at this article.
If you're sick of being tracked by your cell phone provider, just for the privilege of being sent specific ads, there is a way to turn off this feature. The big three, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T all have this set up by default, but you can manually change these settings if you're not a fan of these ads. To learn more about how to do this, take a look at this article. If you're curious about which apps are the most invasive, Tom's Guide has created a list of the worst offenders, take a look at this article.
How Much Internet Speed do You Need?
Now that we are into the world of 5G, you might begin to wonder, how fast do we really need to go on the Internet? If you're trying to pick the right Internet plan for your home or phone, CNET has some helping words. They break it down by activity (email, web browsing, video calls, 4K streaming, etc) and help explain the difference between upload and download speed. Take a look at their article for more info.
Now that we are into the world of 5G, you might begin to wonder, how fast do we really need to go on the Internet? If you're trying to pick the right Internet plan for your home or phone, CNET has some helping words. They break it down by activity (email, web browsing, video calls, 4K streaming, etc) and help explain the difference between upload and download speed. Take a look at their article for more info.
March 25, 2021 - iOS 14.4.1 Update, Privacy Wars vs Google Chrome and Facebook, How to Recycle Your Old Devices,
I clicked on an Unknown Link and it took all my Money!
Club Questions
I clicked on an Unknown Link and it took all my Money!
Club Questions
Apple's Latest Update
Apple just released an update to its iOS platform, 14.4.1, and its an important one. As we all await the release of 14.5, which promises to have lots of new features, Apple quietly released iOS 14.4.1 with only “This update provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.” For more info on this update and how it might affect your device, take a look at this article.
Apple just released an update to its iOS platform, 14.4.1, and its an important one. As we all await the release of 14.5, which promises to have lots of new features, Apple quietly released iOS 14.4.1 with only “This update provides important security updates and is recommended for all users.” For more info on this update and how it might affect your device, take a look at this article.
Privacy Wars vs. Google Chrome
Ever since Apple forced app developers to disclose the scale of data collected and linked to its users, it's been a big problem for Facebook and Google. Just recently the surprising amount of data harvested by Chrome has been disclosed. Take a look at this article from Forbes that goes over all the data collected by Google Chrome and reasons that you might want to switch browsers.
Or to read more about how Facebook fears the transparency that Apple is enabling to its users, take a look at this article.
Ever since Apple forced app developers to disclose the scale of data collected and linked to its users, it's been a big problem for Facebook and Google. Just recently the surprising amount of data harvested by Chrome has been disclosed. Take a look at this article from Forbes that goes over all the data collected by Google Chrome and reasons that you might want to switch browsers.
Or to read more about how Facebook fears the transparency that Apple is enabling to its users, take a look at this article.
How to Recycle your Old Devices
By now most of us probably have an old computer or smartphone lying around the house. Or maybe you've got a drawer full of old computer cables and connections that are no longer needed. They're too old, or broken to sell them, so what can you do? There actually is a right way to dispose of all your old electronics, as well as many wrong ways, to find out how to clean up your old device collection, take a look at this article.
By now most of us probably have an old computer or smartphone lying around the house. Or maybe you've got a drawer full of old computer cables and connections that are no longer needed. They're too old, or broken to sell them, so what can you do? There actually is a right way to dispose of all your old electronics, as well as many wrong ways, to find out how to clean up your old device collection, take a look at this article.
