So, its been a helluva week. Are We Sure that 2020 is Over? And as such, we need to talk politics and tech for a bit. We sort of hate that. But here we are! 1st Amendment, options for platforms, the importance of Section 230 of the Telecommunications Act… we get it in a concise manner!
Zoom Zoom Zoom! It can hiccup! (10/17/20 Part 1)
Zoom is currently one of the most popular video conferencing services out there. When Zoom Won’t Zoom… And, like anything you can use, it can have some troubles now and then. Jonathan goes over some of those gotchas and snafus that with LD and Sam
Time for iOS/iPadOS 14! (10/3/20 Part 2)
So, do you have an iPhone or iPad? Its time for the newest update! Don’t update yet, though! Wait for iOS/iPadOS 14.1. And we should mention that there is an iPhone settlement you might be eligible for… iOS 14 https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/ios-and-ipados-14-review-iphone-transformation-ipad-iteration/ https://www.pcmag.com/news/the-best-hidden-features-of-ios-14 https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-add-custom-icons-widgets-to-your-iphone-home-screen-in-ios-14 https://www.pcmag.com/news/15-imaginative-ios-14-home-screen-customizations And to Sam’s delight: https://www.theverge.com/21299727/apple-ios-14-home-screen-widgets-windows-phone-live-tiles
Cloud Storage 101! (9/12/20 Part 2)
OneDrive, GoogleDrive, DropBox, iCloud… good grief! What’s all this cloud storage stuff? We talk about that and more this hour! Cloud Storage 101 Read more at https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-cloud-storage-and-file-sharing-services
Setting a home Computer Lab 101! (8/15/20 Part 1)
Do you have kids of school age? Distance Learning! Are you going to be home schooling? Well, time to set up a home computing environment and we’re here to help! Setting up Windows 10 Parental Controls: https://www.lifewire.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-parental-controls-4801595 Netgear parental controls: https://www.netgear.com/home/discover/apps/lpc.aspx Linksys parental controls: https://www.linksys.com/us/support-article?articleNum=134633 How to use Zoom: https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-zoom
iOS and iPadOS 14 is coming! We take a look at it this hour! (6/27/20 Part 1)
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/
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
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 …
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!