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
Yu-Es-Bee See? Whuzzat? (8/10/19 Part 1)
USB, short for Universal Serial Bus, came about in 1996 because computers used to have WAY too many different plugs/connections. From USB 1 to 2 to 3 to… C! Wait, what? USBisms USB-C is the newest member of the USB family, but its a different looking plug! In exchange for this small headache, do you get anything in return? You bet! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-C https://www.howtogeek.com/211843/usb-type-c-explained-what-it-is-and-why-youll-want-it/ https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-usb-c-hubs-and-docks/ https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/understanding-usb-cable-types-one-use/
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
Sound Hardware: when your audio is important (6/22/19 Part 1)
Your computer’s audio is something that often plays second fiddle to graphics and processing power. Built-in audio, cheap earbuds or headphones, web-cam microphone… can’t we do better? All things Audio -Part 1 Why yes, yes we can! https://www.lifewire.com/best-pc-sound-cards-833111 https://www.pcmag.com/roundup/303628/the-best-computer-speakers https://www.techradar.com/news/best-computer-speakers https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-headphones-under-100/ https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-usb-office-headset/ https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-usb-audio-interface/ https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-best-usb-microphone/
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?
Phishing has nothing to do with rock band… (3/23/19 Part 2)
Nom nom nom… Phishing is a way of trying to steal account information. Phishers attempt to get logins, passwords, payment information, and more. And its not nearly as hard as you’d hope! Phishing 101! So, we talk about it today, and what you can do to protect yourself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phishing https://us.norton.com/internetsecurity-online-scams-how-to-protect-against-phishing-scams.html https://www.consumerreports.org/money/how-to-protect-yourself-from-phishing/ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204759 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4033787/windows-protect-yourself-from-phishing Information on SHAKEN/STIR from the news: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0381-how-does-robocall-work-infographic https://www.fcc.gov/call-authentication https://www.zdnet.com/article/at-t-comcast-successfully-test-shakenstir-protocol-for-fighting-robocalls/
Computers 101: What’s inside your computer? (3/16/19 Part 1)
What Makes It Go 101 In this 101, we talk about the parts of your computer and what you do. More an overview than an in-depth discussion, its meant to help you know what the parts are so when you see them listed on the box you know what they are, what they do, and gives you a starting point for further questions!
Email 102: How do you get to it? (3/16/19 Part 2)
Email! We talked about it, the different types, and more but now we need to talk about the options for accessing it. You can choose from using a web interfaces or a client or use both! What are the pros and cons of them? We talk about that! Email – 102 Outlook (as part of Office 365) Mozilla Thunderbird Mac Mail
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/