Got an iPhone or an iPad? This is for you! iOS 14! Jonathan and Sam will be discussing the new stuff coming plus the upcoming changes to Macs while LD chimes in with his opinions. Ready? https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/06/apple-takes-the-wraps-off-ios-14-at-wwdc-2020/ https://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ios-14/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/06/apple-reimagines-the-iphone-experience-with-ios-14/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/06/ipados-14-introduces-new-features-designed-specifically-for-ipad/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/06/apple-announces-mac-transition-to-apple-silicon/
Those Darn Bad Guys on Social Media… (6/27/20 Part 2)
The baddies are really, really pains in the keister. Hijacking Social Media We talk about it today, whether we like it or not, because it is an election year. Additionally, social media seems to be quite divisive, doesn’t it? Its not an accident! https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/01/03/baloney-detection-kit-carl-sagan/ https://www.bbc.com/news/av/business-38919403/how-do-fake-news-sites-make-money https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/11/18/this-is-how-the-internets-fake-news-writers-make-money/ https://www.snopes.com/news/2020/06/24/how-fake-accounts-constantly-manipulate-what-you-see-on-social-media/ https://www.mcafee.com/blogs/consumer/family-safety/spot-fake-facebook-account/ https://www.wikihow.com/Reveal-a-Fake-Facebook-Account https://opendorse.com/blog/how-to-spot-fake-social-media-followers/
Are you Authentic(ated)? (6/13/20 Part 2)
2FA ought be a part of your digital life. Authenticate This! Yes, it is annoying. But, its not as annoying as someone accessing your account after stealing, hacking, or figuring out your login! Many sites and services offer 2FA via text message, but unfortunately that is the weakest form of it. https://www.cnet.com/how-to/do-you-use-sms-for-two-factor-authentication-heres-why-you-shouldnt/ https://www.protectimus.com/blog/sms-authentication/ So, tell me about some of them… Much like sports teams, the overall landscape does change from year to year, so what’s “best” this year might not be next year. This is a good thing, though. https://gizmodo.com/the-best-authenticator-apps-for-protecting-your-account-1840711013 https://www.pcworld.com/article/3225913/what-is-two-factor-authentication-and-which-2fa-apps-are-best.html
Computer Video: Cards and Integrated 101! basics before buying (6/6/20 Part 1)
Your computer’s video is one of those things that either gets no thought at all or gets massive emphasis placed on it. But, how do you get it? Is it a from an add-in card? Or is it something built into your computer’s CPU or motherboard? Video Cards – Part 1 We talk about all that and more! https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-buying-guide,5844.html https://techguided.com/how-to-choose-a-graphics-card/#4 https://www.tomshardware.com/features/amd-vs-intel-integrated-graphics https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gpu-hierarchy,4388.html
CPUs! The 2020 mid-year update! (5/16/20)
Intel and AMD have been at it, creating newer, faster, and better CPUs than we’ve seen in a long time. With so much out there, what on EARTH do you get? What should you avoid? Well, we tackle this topic for you today! CPUs! Due to a technical glitch, however, Part 1 of the show was lost. Oh no! But, no fear, here are the notes complete with links! Click to continue!
Recycling and eCycling! Its time to clean up responsibly! (5/9/20 Part 1)
Are you cleaning up the house or office and finding lots of old stuff! Well, ecycling is open! Jonathan called! Saturdays and Tuesdays! E-Cycling’s Back! Can you spare some time to go looking for old computers, electronics, etc? Can it still be used? Can you clean it up and give it to someone? Can you clean it up and SELL it to someone? Are there parts that are still good? Can those be cleaned up and given/sold to someone? This has a LOT of “what about” and“if” questions , plus is a lot of work. Time to Recycle! https://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling https://www.energizer.com/responsibility/battery-recycling/where-to-recycle-batteries https://interstatebatteries.com/recycling https://www.mauicounty.gov/BusinessDirectoryII.aspx?lngBusinessCategoryID=136
Batteries 101! (5/9/20 Part 2)
A tech reporter from Ananadtech did research finding that one smartphone company’s fast-recharge tech ages your battery prematurely. Wowzers! How do you keep your laptop, phone, and tablet batteries going for a long time? The Battery Episode Taking care of your laptop batteries! https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-to-care-for-your-laptops-battery/ Laptop batteries have a lifespan of X-many power cycles (0%-100%). Going from 100% to 0% is one power cycle. Going from 100% to 50% is half a power cycle. Cycles are like mileage. As the battery gets older and has more cycles, it starts holding less charge per cycle. Using your laptop’s more power efficient settings will help you get more mileage out of each charge. Windows Battery Saver – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/component-guidelines/battery-saver Windows Power Slider – https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/windows-10-give-power-slider-optimize-speed-battery Mac Energy Saver – https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202824 Shutting down programs or suspending services (like cloud services), wifi, etc., when not in use will help extend battery life. Reducing screen brightness will help as well. Nickel-Metal hydride (NiMH) versus Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Old NiMH batteries used to develop “memories,” where they would not fully charge. This was a problem with the tech at the time. Li-Ion doesn’t have this problem. You do NOT have to completely discharge the battery before recharging a Li-Ion. Best practice is currently getting down to maybe 20% or so before recharging. You CAN keep Li-Ion batteries plugged in as power management is better now, and the device should stop charging once it hits 100%. Keeping it comfortable. Batteries do not like to get hot! If you’re doing resource heavy work, be sure to give your …
Scams, shams, and more of the same… (4/25/20 Part 2)
Just like watching the weather, you gotta keep your eyes on those darn scammers. The bad guys have a terrible dedication to stealing people’s money! So, we have to be vigilant, like it or not. Watch for COVID Scams! Threats? Stuff that’s too good to be true? Guess what, its the bad guys after YOU! https://www.fcc.gov/covid-scams https://www.ftc.gov/slideshow-items/report-scam http://ag.hawaii.gov/ https://news.yahoo.com/google-blocking-18m-coronavirus-scam-094845302.html
News Catch-up Show! (4/11/20 Part 1)
We’re catching up with the NEWS! After spending two weeks covering tips about staying at home, working from home, checking information and more? Yeah, we’re a little behind… Headline News April 2020 Quick update from the EFF regarding securing Zoom: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/04/harden-your-zoom-settings-protect-your-privacy-and-avoid-trolls Dell’s BIOS protection: https://blog.dellemc.com/en-us/dell-technologies-bolsters-pc-security-todays-remote-workers/
Zoom! It’s wildly popular with growing pains! (4/4/20 Part 1)
Zoom.us provides an increasingly popular web-conferencing service that people are using in this time of working from home and social distancing. But, like any good thing, this overnight growth spurt has some growing pains! This previously professional service is now being used for social connection by seemingly everyone, meaning the jerks have come along too. Zoom! Security – Part 1 Join Jonathan, LD, and Sam as we talk about some of the problems Zoom is having!