Posted on July 30th, 2019 by Joy Schwabach
A reader showed us a simple way to block robocalls. It’s built right into the phone. “I am writing to you,” he says, “because I don’t understand why cell phone users don’t shut off robocalls. On an Android phone, just set it to ‘Do not Disturb.’ Then set it to accept calls from contacts only.” We knew about “Do Not Disturb” mode but didn’t know you could make an exception for contacts. That choice is right there when you tap “Settings,” “Sound,” and “Do Not Disturb.” On an iPhone, go to “Settings,” “Do Not Disturb,” and tap “Allow Calls From.” From there, “All Contacts” is one of the choices. The reader continues: “I did this a long time ago and […]
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Filed under: Android, Internuts, security, spam | Comments Off on BYE BYE ROBOCALLS
Posted on July 22nd, 2019 by Joy Schwabach
Here’s the big reason we get so much junk email. Marketers can see which email we open and respond with an avalanche of new solicitations. If we open email on our phone, as 70 percent of us do, we might even trigger a call. In the jargon it’s called a “read receipt.” Without your knowing, marketers use these to tell which email you open. To combat this, we’ve started using “Edison Mail” whenever we’re on our phones. It works with Yahoo, Gmail, Apple Mail or whatever email service you use, by bringing your mail inside its app. Besides blocking marketers, Edison neatly categorizes any info about package arrivals, bills and flight changes, while also letting you unsubscribe from any email […]
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Filed under: apps, email, Google, news, podcasts, radio, security, Windows | Comments Off on STOPPING JUNK MAIL
Posted on July 15th, 2019 by Joy Schwabach
We got a doozy of a phone call the other day. The message said our account would be automatically debited $499 unless we called back to get the money refunded. So we did what we always do in such situations. We typed the phone number into a Google search. Sure enough, it was a scam. Interestingly when Joy bought Bob a new phone, the Pixel 3a, we got a spam call within ten minutes of activating the phone. So take note: They’re out there and they’re always gunning for you. Kid Version of Alexa Amazon’s smart speaker, the Echo and Echo Dot with Alexa inside, sometimes offers more information than kids can handle. Now there’s a “Kid’s Edition,” $70 from […]
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Filed under: Amazon, Internuts, security, Windows | 1 Comment »
Posted on July 8th, 2019 by Joy Schwabach
A reader writes in to share his regret over buying a Windows 10 computer. “Here’s my issue,” he says. “I have never been a big fan of Microsoft and was a Mac-aholic until Mac OS 10.4.1 when the Mac OS was no longer backwards compatible.” It would have cost him more to make his documents and applications compatible than to become a Windows user. It was hard-slogging at first. Then, he writes, “when Microsoft finally arrived at Win 7, it produced an OS that was reasonably stable and NOT buggier than a wino’s beard… hooray!” Then came Windows 10. “I despise Win 10 and all the hoops (and $$$) I’m gonna have ta go through to get this machine integrated […]
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Filed under: Amazon, gadgets, security, troubleshooting, video, Windows | Comments Off on A READER TAKES A STAND
Posted on July 1st, 2019 by Joy Schwabach
Joy bought Bob a new cell phone for his birthday. Actually, it was his first. It was a Motorola Moto G7 that cost $249. It was beautiful. It was wider than other cell phones, took a while to get charged up, and was slow to process information. In short, Bob thought it was just like his own personality. However, Joy didn’t like it. Why didn’t she like it? Because she has a Google Pixel 2 and she saw on the web that you can get a Pixel 3a for $399. It could take a seven hour charge in 15 minutes, it was lightning fast, it could take pictures in the dark, and it cost only $150 more than the Motorola. […]
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Filed under: gadgets, phones, photos | Comments Off on A PHONE FOR BOB
