Category Archives: Tips

Update: Hey, Republic fans, you MUST get one of these phones. The Moto E is simply incredible – great performance, really good battery life, solid construction, and best of all, a micro SD slot. I bought two Es so far, … Continue reading →

5 million Gmail passwords leaked onto the web in another Russian hack Yikes! Read on… Cameron Koch writes: “If you are a user of Gmail, now might be a good time to change your password. The passwords and email addresses … Continue reading →

You know I love my Acer C720  and my Samsung XE303C12 Chromebooks, but one of my customers had me pick up an ASUS C300MA-DB01 13.3″ Chromebook this week, and I have to say, these little darlings keep getting better and better, … Continue reading →

For those of us who have been fans of Linux for years, and perhaps even use Linux daily, how many of us really ‘know’ Linux? I’m one of those that knows my way around Linux pretty well, but there’s a … Continue reading →

Most of us have way too many passwords to remember, so we find creative ways of storing them in places where we (hopefully) can find them in the furture. I won’t disclose how I store my hundred or so passwords, … Continue reading →

Source: http://www.complianceandsafety.com/safety-tips/internet-safety-tips.php Preserve Your System –  Beware adware, spyware, and viruses. Just like a mugger or murderer could wait around any corner, spyware and viruses are lurking in the shadows of the digital world. These can mess up your system, slow … Continue reading →

You might have missed the news flash that Spotify is now ‘free’ on mobile devices (tablets, smart phones and ChromeBooks) and PCs. As a long-time Pandora listener, the only thing that’s better than free music, is being able to freely … Continue reading →

Update: Thursday, May 1st, Microsoft released an ‘out-of-band’ security update to address the issue affecting Internet Explorer (IE) that was first discussed in Microsoft Security Advisory 2963983. The new security update MS14-021 – Security Update for Internet Explorer (2965111) ‘fixes’ … Continue reading →

Update: KitKat (4.4.2) has arrived and is ready to download. I’m still exploring all the new features included in this update, but so far it appears to be a positive step forward. ** Word on the street is Republic’s Moto … Continue reading →

One of the things tech support people need to do from time to time is ‘remote’ in to a customer’s PC to help troubleshoot a problem. This used to work fairly well using join.me by LogMeIn. Recently though, it seems LogMeIn has … Continue reading →

Update: First of all, it looks like my ‘referral’ link is working now. Use this link: http://rws​har.es/Pgx​U to purchase your new phone and we’ll both save some money. Thank you! Update: I got to see my first Moto G yesterday. It’s … Continue reading →

I used to think if I can find a Roku 2 XS for $55, I’d prefer that over any other Roku product. But that’s only because I’m cheap, and the XS does everything I really need to do with a … Continue reading →

What is it? Basically, the Fire TV is yet another entry in the crowded streaming-media market, built around Amazon’s own ecosystem. How do I feel about it? To steal the punchline directly from the article referenced below: As a general-purpose … Continue reading →

Update: Well, that was embarrassing! I had to use this procedure on an XP machine last night, and guess what – it didn’t work. I did find another useful link though, just in case you’re finding yourself needing to do … Continue reading →

Your PC is getting a bit long in the tooth, it’s getting slower and slower, and now you understand that your operating system (probably Windows XP) isn’t going to be ‘supported anymore’. Well, the obvious thing is to haul it … Continue reading →

Recently I have been recommending MSE (Microsoft Security Essentials) for Windows PC users (which comes built in with Windows 8 and is called Defender). And for MAC and Linux, I’m haven’t been recommending any Virus Protection. However, referencing this site, … Continue reading →

This is the syllabus I used for my 2014 ‘Platforms and Operating Systems’ class at the Lopez Island Library. There might be some information here you’ll find useful. Enjoy! Cover: Physical platforms, operating systems – purchasing decisions Applications – locally … Continue reading →

This is the syllabus I used for my 2014 ‘Gadgets’ class at the Lopez Island Library. There might be some information here you’ll find useful. Enjoy!   Entertainment Minimize cost, increase choice, and control what to watch TV and when … Continue reading →

[many definitions borrowed from Jon Storm] ADSL – (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) A method of connecting a computer to the internet over a standard voice phone line using ethernet office networking technology. Most broadband connections work this way. Asymmetric because … Continue reading →

OK, here’s something new I thought you might like to know about. Last week, Microsoft added their flagship Office apps to the App Store for iPad users to download. And better yet, they’re all ‘free’ – or are they? Just … Continue reading →