Posted on February 29th, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
After we threw Windows out the window and began using a Mac, we felt nostalgic for our test computer, a Windows all-in-one machine with a large screen. It felt real slow now compared to the Mac. Okay, time to go to work. To get to the bottom of things, we brought up “Task Manager.” You can do it too. Right-click the taskbar at the bottom of your screen, or press the “Ctrl-alt-delete” keys all together and choose Task Manager. If, like our computer, your computer’s CPU (the brain chip) is running at 99 percent capacity, that’s a problem. At first, we thought the culprit was Google Chrome. When we switched to Microsoft Edge, the replacement browser for Internet Explorer, the […]
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Filed under: computers, web, Windows | Comments Off on SPEEDING UP A COMPUTER – TAKE 5
Posted on February 28th, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
Bob’s son keeps a landline for one purpose only: overseas calls on a quality line. But a new service may make even that unnecessary.
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Filed under: cheap calls | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 27th, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
A reader asked us how to protect his iPhone from the bad guys; iPhones are pretty well protected, but there are a few things you can do to be even safer. Here are several iPhone security apps: “1Password” protects credit card info and passwords with military-grade encryption. “Private Photo Vault Pro,” $4, keeps whole albums or individual photos and videos private. “Hotspot Shield,” for $5 a month protects your identity and blocks hackers when you’re using Wi-Fi in coffee shops, at the airport, library or wherever you find a free public Internet connection. (There have been 400 million downloads on this one.)
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Filed under: apps, iPhone, security | Comments Off on SECURE IPHONE
Posted on February 26th, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
When we tried out some smart watches, we mainly used them for checking email, noting the weather and keeping track of stocks. Our friend Louise got an Apple Watch, and she uses it differently.
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Filed under: Apple, apps, wearables | Comments Off on APPLE WATCH
Posted on February 25th, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
Ten Places You Can’t See on Google Maps. Whether blurred out for security reasons or not, there are places that don’t show up on Google maps. The royal residence in the Netherlands is one. The Buffalo Niagara International Airport is another. Also: the Tantauco National Park, Chile, the Keeowee Dam in South Carolina, a Russian site in the Siberian tundra, an airport in Japan, an Army testing area for biological and chemical weapons in Utah, the whole city of Babylon, and, most surprising of all, Cornell University’s heating and cooling plant. (What goes on there?)
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Filed under: Internuts | Comments Off on TEN PLACES YOU CAN’T SEE ON GOOGLE MAPS
Posted on February 25th, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
IntelligenceSquaredus.org offers video debates on important questions. You can watch the video, listen to just the audio, or read the transcripts. We looked at “Lifespans are Long Enough,” “Central Banks Can Print Prosperity,” and “The U.S. Should Admit 100,000 Syrian Refugees.” Each issue has a pro and con from leading thinkers. Interesting arguments.
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Filed under: Internuts | Comments Off on THE GREAT DEBATE
Posted on February 24th, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
“Mr. Number” is a free app for Android phones that lets you block calls and text messages from certain numbers or area codes. “Truecaller,” free for Android, adds caller ID info on incoming calls and texts. It automatically blocks known spammers. (Dang! There go all my old friends from Nigeria.)
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Filed under: apps | 2 Comments »
Posted on February 24th, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
“Amazon’s Best Sellers of the Underground” has free apps that can be used on the Amazon Kindle Fire. We got a free set of “Office Suite Professional,” normally $15, and saw many other freebies, including “Star Wars” games, exercise routines and something called “Monster Crafter Pro.” You create the monster, train it, and go on adventures through harrowing dungeons. (Always handy to have a monster along.) All free.
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Filed under: apps, free stuff | Comments Off on FREE APPS FOR THE KINDLE FIRE
Posted on February 23rd, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
We’ve long recommended the Avast anti-virus program, because it’s free. But a major flaw was recently uncovered by a Google researcher in what they called “Project Zero,” which aims for zero threats.
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Filed under: Internet, security | Comments Off on SECURE INTERNET
Posted on February 22nd, 2016 by Joy Schwabach
Your Web browser is not your operating system! Nor is it your search engine. There’s a surprising amount of confusion, and it leads to anxiety. In fact, there’s plenty of time to panic.
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Filed under: Google, Internet, search, web | Comments Off on TIME TO FIND ALTERNATIVES TO BALKY BROWSERS
