Siri, Cortana, Alexa, and Hey Google are all great voice assistants. This is a good thing, and a very useful feature of modern computers, smartphone, and more! However, your voice doesn’t stop with you. It goes from your device to the internet and onto a cloud server somewhere “out there,” only to return back with instructions the device understands and executes. Listening Up! Oh, and sometimes people listen. Computers can’t figure us humans out entirely. How to stop Alexa, Siri, and Google: https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/how-to-stop-alexa-google-siri-recording-human-review.html (thanks Alert Internet Surfer Perry!) How to stop Cortana: https://lifehacker.com/how-to-configure-windows-10-to-protect-your-privacy-1716204024
And now for something completely different… (8/17/19 Part 2)
Its a news show! What’s News? There’s been a lot going around, and we don’t want things to fall through the cracks. So, its time for our patent pending news show! https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/08/wind-power-prices-now-lower-than-the-cost-of-natural-gas/ https://www.neowin.net/news/google-runs-with-microsoft-made-fix-for-chromes-battery-drain https://www.space.com/nasa-artemis-lunar-lander-update-august-2019.html https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/08/huawei-announces-its-first-operating-system-harmonyos/ https://www.cnet.com/news/trump-administration-reportedly-wants-to-extend-nsa-phone-surveillance-program/ https://www.pcmag.com/news/370202/which-countries-are-best-prepared-for-cybercrime-response https://www.anandtech.com/show/14694/amd-rome-epyc-2nd-gen https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/facebook-transcribing-users-conversations-reason-204037706.html
Back To School! Are you ready! (8/3/19 Part 1)
Are you ready for school? Are your kids? Do you need a new computer or laptop for the new school year? Well, this is the show for you! Back to School! – Part 1 Join Jonathan, LD, and Sam as we talk about this and more!
But do you own it? DRM and you 101 (7/13/19 Part 1)
When you buy something digitally, do you actually own it? Are you sure about that? Do You Own It? Wouldn’t it be a shame if it went up in a puff of smoke? Many digital things you buy can get Digital Rights Management (DRM), be it eBooks, music, software/apps, movies and more. While its understandable for renting or borrowing, what about something you’re buying? We talk about this and offer our thoughts on the matter! https://www.cordcuttersnews.com/ultraviolet-is-shutting-down/ https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/3k3wkk/microsoft-ebooks-will-stop-working-because-its-shutting-down-a-drm-server https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/12/cant-stream-that-christmas-movie-you-bought-on-amazon-blame-disney/ https://io9.gizmodo.com/amazon-secretly-removes-1984-from-the-kindle-5317703
Windows? Mac? Chrome? What’s the right fit for me? (4/27/19 Part 1)
Would you wear a pair of high heels for a hike in ‘Iao Valley? Or go ballroom dancing in steel-toe construction shoes? Ever saw someone tap-dance wearing diving fins? Which Fits? – Part 1 Even if its the best of what they are, the wrong shoes are simply the wrong shoes. Computers are no different, believe it or not! Today we’re talking about Windows, Macs, Chromebooks plus tablets and phones! What do you need? Well, sit right down, and let us listen! Oh, and if you’ve not seen Avengers Endgame yet? You might want to read this article by PC Magazine on how to limit spoilers! https://www.pcmag.com/news/368011/how-to-avoid-spoilers-online
Picking out your perfect match! No, not for dating… (4/27/19 Part 2)
Its love at first sight. Smart, beautiful,and right there looking back at you. Do you make the move? Which Fits? – Part 2 Okay, okay, so maybe buying a new computing device isn’t quite a romantic comedy. But like signing up for a dating site, there’s some questions you should ask yourself about your perfect match! And we get into that. Windows? Mac? Chromebook? Tablet or Smartphone?
Surfing the Internet 101! (3/9/19 Part 1)
If you’re here, you probably typed AlertInternetSurfer.com! Well, why did we name our website that? Because that’s what we want you to be! So, in our ongoing 101 series we go into Surfing The Internet! Computers 101 – Safe Surfin’ Tired of Internet Explorer? Edge? Safari? Try out a new browser today! Mozilla Firefox – https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/ Google Chrome – https://www.google.com/chrome Opera Browser – https://www.opera.com TOR Browser – https://www.torproject.org/ Vivaldi Browser – https://vivaldi.com/
Super Spy or Super False Alarm? (10/6/18 Part 1)
According to a story from Bloomberg, Amazon and Apple have bad computer parts with super-duper spy bits in them. The motherboard maker, Super Micro, denied it. Likewise, Amazon and Apple denied it as well. In the meantime Bloomberg stands by its story. Bloomberg and the Chip So, what’s the scoop? What’s our take? Is this feasible? We discuss and opine in this hour!
Apple versus Right To Repair? (10/6/18 Part 2)
If you buy something, its yours, right? And you’re free to do whatever you (legally) want to do with it, right? Including fixing it? Common sense, right? Well, maybe not. Apple, and Right to Repair Apple has been opposed to Right To Repair initiatives in the past, and has shown itself to be less than enthused with small repair shops. So, what’s next for the legacy of Steve Jobs? Do they want you to think different or should they make sure everyone says iConform?
Net Neutrality update! Daggummit! (2/24/18 Part 1)
Time for a Net Neutrality update! Net Neutrality Update The Net Neutrality repeal has hit the books. What does that mean? What could it mean? What can you do? SHOULD YOU PANIC? Jonathan, LD, and Sam talk about this to help bring you up to speed with what’s going. Ready for more? https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/02/fccs-net-neutrality-order-was-just-published-so-now-fight-really-begins https://act.freepress.net/call/internet_nn_cra_senate_house/?source=front-slider https://5calls.org/