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We are still in the middle of a global pandemic almost two years later. Public health experts r recommend you stick to the basic steps to avoid this virus such as getting vaccinated, washing your hands, getting a flu shot, and disinfecting surfaces you touch on a regular basis. I talked about this at the beginning of the pandemic, but I want to remind all of you that one of the most overlooked items to clean is your technology, especially smartphones. Smartphones are among th

QR codes were popular in the early 2000s but soon people stopped using them. During the pandemic, many businesses have turned to Quick Response Codes, also known as QR codes to create an environment of touchless interactions. QR, which is essentially a sophisticated bar code can be accessed by any mobile device and allow you to get access to menus and payment options without having to touch anything but your smartphone or tablet. Now, the FBI is warning people that cybercri

January is National Stalking Month which makes this a good time to talk about how tech devices can be used to stalk you. Now If you're one of those people who has a habit of losing items, the Apple AirTag and Samsung SmartTags are great devices that will allow you to keep track of your easily misplaced items just by looking at your smartphone. In recent months, law enforcement across the country is reporting that abusive partners and stalkers are using these devices to keep t

Remember the 10-Year Challenge from 2019? Well, this social media craze is back and making the rounds on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you're not familiar, this challenge asks people to post an older picture of themselves with a new picture to show how much they have (or haven't) changed. Like many of the challenges that appear on social media, they can be a lot of fun because they are a creative way that allows you to interact with your friends and followers. However,

New Year's Day always celebrates out with the old and in with the new and that's a refreshing thought as you begin to think of getting rid of old habits and starting up new habits. When it comes to your tech devices, it's another story as your tech devices. Tech never lasts forever as big tech companies are always looking for ways to push shiny devices in your face and as a result, it means your favorite tech gadgets will no longer be supported. Worried about what's going

You may not be aware of this, but starting early 2022, 3G service will no longer be available. Cell providers are planning to shut down the old network to make room for 5G service which provides higher speeds and greater reliability. The shutdown affects more than your mobile phone. This will disable systems in older tablets, vehicles, home alarm systems, and medical alert devices. This means you will no longer have access to 911, phone calls, and text messaging as well as t

Internet-connected devices such as laptops, smartphones, tablets, and smart home devices are always among the season’s hottest gifts. It doesn't matter what holiday you celebrate in the season of light, you can never go wrong with gifts that allow you and your family to stay connected in our digital world. One of the challenges with technology is we get the impression they break a few months after purchase or you're having to purchase the same item the following year because

If you plan to celebrate the holidays, traveling, working, or at home entertaining through to the new year, having reliable technology is important to ensure make sure you can accomplish your goals. Technology that makes sure you can stream your favorite holiday tunes, make your flights to your holiday destination, and keep up with what's going on in the office plays a big part in this digital world we live in. If you need help with making sure your technology helps you stay

If you are a senior adult or know one who wants to become more digitally connected, there is hope for you and I believe you can do it. The challenge is most technology is geared toward younger users which creates a digital divide between young and old tech users. We have many senior customers who are tech-savvy, but many of them struggle with technical terms and with keeping safe online. If you are a senior or someone helping an older adult become more tech-savvy, online saf

It’s that time of year again: turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, the presence of friends and family, and a reason to give thanks for all of our good fortunes in the last year. If there’s one thing most of us want to NOT think about on Thanksgiving, it’s technology. Put the smartphones away, pack up the laptop, and disconnect for one day, right? Well, technology can actually help to bring us together on this most American of holidays, provided it’s put to g

You may feel stupid if you fell for a phishing scheme, but the signs aren't always obvious. You're always told to look at the sender's address, company logo, and misspelled words. However, criminals have upped their game as far as tricking you to click that link and give up your information. The practice they use is social engineering, an act to make you react to the header or content of the email rather than the sender information. As I've always stated in my blog posts, 99%

Filling out paper forms or online forms has to be one of the worse things we have to do as a part of our existence. The same goes for password fields. Thank goodness for autofill technology, because now filling out forms (at least online) and typing in passwords is easy as typing a single key. Like magic, all of those forms and password fields you have to fill out online automatically put all of your information in the respected fields in seconds. Unfortunately, criminals ar

Hey Everyone! Halloween is right around the corner! If you're like me, there's nothing like enjoying caramel apples, watching scary movies, kids and adults in costume, and late-night spooky hey rides. nights u If you're looking to increase the fun and spooky factor for your home or office, consider adding some unique gadgets to liven things up. In this digital age, there are plenty of apps and gadgets to choose from, but I'm sure you struggle with which ones to get. Don't wo

If you're like most people, your smartphone is your go-to device for paying your bills, posting to social media, and checking your email. Just imagine the size of the knot in your stomach that you would feel if your smartphone suddenly stops receiving calls or text messages. On top of that, you get a notification from your cellular provider that your SIM card has been activated on a new phone. SIM swap scams are a growing problem. Check out these quick and easy tips to help

Convenience has always been king which has lead to a surge of using cashless payment methods such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and Venmo. However, with the convenience of cashless payments, there comes a certain set of risks. I know many of you may have a little reluctance in using cashless transactions, but in truth, these apps are safe if used correctly. One of the misconceptions is that someone can hack into your device and get access to your money, but this isn’t co

If you’re not already using a password manager, it’s time to start. In our digital world, there are many passwords you have to remember for all of your online accounts. It can become overwhelming which is why you might be tempted to use the same passwords for all of your online accounts. You want to avoid this practice as it's what cybercriminals are hoping you do so it makes it easier for them to break into your online accounts. There are many password managers on the marke

By now, I hope you've figured out social media, search engines, and everyone, in general, is trying to collect as much information as they can about you. Privacy online is a hard thing to have in this digital world will live in. Having a separate, anonymous email address is one of the best ways to keep a low profile online. When you have an anonymous email, it helps reduce the amount of spam you get in your inbox. It also allows you to shop online with electronic and brick-a

Telephone spoofing, also known as caller ID spoofing is the act of making a phone call appear as if it is coming from a different number when it shows up on your caller ID. Cyber Criminals use this practice as a way to carry out their various voice and text phishing scams. If you see a local phone number show up on your caller ID crooks know you're probably going to answer. Unfortunately, it is pretty easy to program a phone to show a fake caller ID, but there are ways to p

I'm sure there are a lot of reasons you would want to block certain websites. Maybe you're a business owner or a parent that wants to block inappropriate and dangerous sites from your workforce or children. On the other hand, you might be a remote employee or self-employed and you want to block websites to stay focused on productivity. Web sites can be a threat to your home or business as it's a gateway for cybercriminals to get access to your home or office computes. Thankf

I know you probably have a full plate with back-to-school time as this year promises to be another mix of in-person and virtual learning but in our digital society, there is something that parents neglect to do on a regular basis and that is to make sure you keep your children are educated on ways to stay safe online this school year. Your school-age students face many online threats during the school year. Threats like theft of their gadgets can cause undue stress as well a