On Computers

When I left my computer at a repair shop earlier this year, I never thought for a moment that they would snoop through my stuff. Then I saw a report from the University of Guelph in Ontario, quoted by Malwarebytes.org. It showed that technicians from six of the 12 shops they investigated had delved into personal data. Two of them copied the user’s stuff to their own drives, including photos and financial information. Most of the shops also asked customers for their login password, even when they didn’t need it. But my local Gadgetworks never asked for mine. To be on the safe side, however, I’m using VeraCrypt, a free download from Sourceforge.net, to encrypt any sensitive files. After installation, […]

Read more

Filed under: gadgets, mouse, photos, security, tech support | Comments Off on TECH REPAIR SHOP SNOOPERS

I rarely carry a physical wallet. I prefer the digital kind, such as the new Apple Wallet. With this month’s update to iOS 15, iPhone’s latest operating system, Apple Wallet will store your driver’s license, car keys, boarding passes, tickets, vaccination card and any other form of ID. When you show your digitized driver’s license, it will automatically conceal your home address if you wish. To digitize any document to store in Apple Wallet or elsewhere, tap your phone’s camera app and snap a picture. I store mine using Google’s free app, “Stack” for Android. It makes documents quick to find. No more wasting time rummaging through Google Drive for my driver’s license . Eight U.S. states accept digitized ID […]

Read more

Filed under: Apple, gadgets, Gmail, Internuts, mouse, robots, text messaging, Windows | Comments Off on STORING IDS ON YOUR PHONE

A reader wrote to say that he believed “the whole purpose of computers is to drive us insane.” We don’t know how he discovered our secret. We confess. The source of his revelation was Barnes & Noble. He ordered an e-book called “Murder of a Post Office Manager.” He admitted that as a former postal worker, he had often thought about this possibility. “When I downloaded the e-book, all I got was one page instead of 313, and it appeared to be the cover of a Korean comic book,” he wrote. Ah ha! He obviously didn’t realize that the comic book was about killing postal managers. Of course it was in Korean, and no one could understand a word of […]

Read more

Filed under: Amazon, business, Internuts, mouse | Comments Off on GOING POSTAL

We’re enchanted by a $25 mouse from Satechi. It glows in different colors, cycling through red, green, blue, lime green, purple, turquoise, and silver. Looks very space age. If you’ve got a favorite color, push a button on the back to lock it in. It works well and feels smooth, so color us gadget happy.

Read more

Filed under: gadgets, mouse | Comments Off on GADGET MOUSE

When we wrote about the “Microsoft Touch Mouse” back in October, we said we weren’t sure it was worth its $80 price. Now we’re sure it isn’t, even at its new $60 sale price.

Read more

Filed under: gadgets, Microsoft, mouse | Comments Off on THE UNMANAGEABLE “TOUCH MOUSE”

This is one fancy mouse. The new “Touch Mouse” from Microsoft has a touch-sensitive surface that covers the whole mouse, so you can let your fingers do the walking. The Touch Mouse responds to one-finger, two-finger and three-finger commands. The first time you plug the mouse in, a video pops up to teach you the tricks. For example, moving three fingers away from you displays capsule images of all the windows you have open, side by side. Moving three fingers down the surface sends all open programs to a minimized state in the task bar. Move your thumb from side to side to go forward or back on the Web. Regular scrolling is done by moving a finger.

Read more

Filed under: Microsoft, mouse | Comments Off on A TOUCHING TAIL

Ever wish your computer’s mouse was also a scanner? LG is introducing one.

Read more

Filed under: gadgets, mouse, scanners | Comments Off on SCANNER MOUSE

Logitech’s “Couch Mouse” lets you use a pillow, your pants or just about anything for a mousepad when you’re surfing the web from your couch.

(CLICK UNDERLINE BELOW HEADING FOR MORE.)

Read more

Filed under: gadgets, mouse | Comments Off on COUCH SURFING

Our nephews were whizzes with a trackpad by the time they were 9 years old. But we’ve always preferred the mouse. The new Traveller 900 from Geniusnet.com is the nicest one we have. It’s a wireless mouse, and the wireless receiver is tiny enough to fit inside the mouse when you’re carrying it. Or you can leave it plugged into the laptop. It doesn’t have a tendency to fall out. It has an on/off switch so you can turn it off to save battery life, and it works with Windows or Mac. Here’s the fact sheet: Traveler 900 Mouse

Read more

Filed under: mouse | Comments Off on A GENIUS MOUSE

You can write on this mousepad with your finger, then lift up the contact sheet and erase your notes.

Read more

Filed under: gadgets, mouse | Comments Off on SCRATCH-N-SCROLL MOUSEPAD