Keep those Browser Add-ons Under Control
Add-ons are essential for web browsers. But too many can turn your browser into a dog. If your web browser has been dragging its feet lately, go into your settings and see what add-ons you’re using. You may have some on there that you never use, despite their being there using your system resources. […]
How About a Chromebook?
What do you use your computer for? Surfing the internet? Reading email? Creating/reading documents? Looking at pictures from your phone? You might be a good candidate for a Chromebook. The Chromebook is a computer that uses the internet to work. It does have an offline mode, but by and large it depends on a […]
Surf Safely Incognito
Your smartphone’s web browser has a secret weapon that will help you stay infection-free: on Chrome, it’s called incognito. Open a new incognito tab, and you have a session that’s “sandboxed,” i.e. anything that you do gets erased when you close the browser. Use the incognito function whenever you can. Your phone or tablet […]
Don’t Let Your Documents Get Out of Control
Keep your files organized. If you have a couple of dozen files called “New Document” followed by a number, then go through them, and either give them meaningful names or delete them. Create a folder called “Archived” in your Documents folder and move anything there that you haven’t used in the last year. […]
Check that Rumor Before You Pass It On
Facebook is fake rumor central. Example: Jayden K. Smith the hacker. That one has been kicking around since 2009. When someone forwards you a message warning about some dire evil on Facebook, and asks you to pass it on, why not take a minute and type it into Google and see what comes up. […]
Does My Choice of Web Browser Make a Difference in how the Internet Acts?
Absolutely. The internet runs on an open standard: HTMl. Web browsers vary as to how well they translate it into the web pages that you see, Chrome and Opera are just about the best, Firefox and Edge are not too far behind. Apple’s Safari and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer bring up the back of the pack. […]
Do You Need Malware/Virus Protection on Your Android Device?
It depends. Are you in the habit of installing new apps? Then the answer is yes. Do you use the same apps you installed on your phone when it was new, apps that installed themselves after you activated? Then you’re probably okay. Good malware apps include AVG, Kaspersky, and Norton. Newer versions of Android scan […]
Put that Old Android Tablet to Work
Do you have an extra Android tablet you’re not using? Put it to work as a live photo frame. My favorite app for that purpose is Digital Photo Frame Slideshow. I like it because it will read shared folders from another device, that means the 20,000+ photos on my computer will make up a slideshow […]
Stop Android News Updates
So, you really don’t want news updates popping up on your Android phone, what do you do? You go to Settings/Sound and notification/App notifications and find Google Play Newsstand and turn its notifications off. Go through the list and see if there are any other news apps, turn their notifications off. You can also disable […]
Offsite Backup Is Essential!
Hurricane Harvey, and the misery that southeast Texas has gone through, emphasizes the need for offsite backup. I’ve used Crashplan for years, but they are getting out of the consumer market. The best consumer offering out there appears to be Backblaze (backblaze.com). The point is that your data is valuable. Don’t lose it because a […]