On Computers

If you’re tired of paying an accountant to do your taxes, just ask the Internal Revenue Service. Their partners might do it for free. If your income is $84,000 or less, regardless of your tax situation, you can get free tax software and step-by-step assistance. First, go to IRS.gov, and click “IRS Free File options.” Then click “IRS Free File.” You can get free help in person in your own community if you’re 60 or older, or earn $67,000 or less, or need language support, or have a disability. Click on the button that says: “IRS VITA/TCE.” It stands for “IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE).” If you don’t qualify for a free […]

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Filed under: batteries, business, education, gadgets, health, phones, robots, security, virus | Comments Off on FREE TAX ACCOUNTANT

If you’re like me, you hate to pay Microsoft $70 a year for Office 365. But you can get a nearly equivalent version for much less, and it’s a one-time-only payment. Go to StackSocial.com and search for “Microsoft Office 2019.” It’s identical to Office 365, except you don’t get Microsoft Teams or updates. Besides Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, it includes Notes, OneNote, Publisher and Access. Its $25 price was expiring in 40 hours when I looked, but new deals arrive almost daily. When I checked, Windows 11 was $20, down from $199. Lifetime subscriptions to Babbel and Rosetta Stone, the language-learning programs, were more than 50 percent off. There were also discounts on gift cards, gadgets and toys. But some […]

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Filed under: facebook, Microsoft, phones | Comments Off on DEALS ON MICROSOFT OFFICE AND BEYOND

I’ll never forget being stuck in North Carolina without enough cash to pay for a bus to a remote retreat. When a fellow passenger lent me the money, I immediately paid her back using the Venmo app. That turned me into a Venmo fan. Now I have their new credit card. The Venmo card offers three percent back in your favorite category, such as groceries. It also gives you a virtual credit card number, which protects your real card number from prying eyes. What’s more, you get 10 percent back at 95 golf courses. My favorite perk is the crypto option, which gives you cash back in Bitcoin, Ethereum or one of the other major cryptocurrencies. Though the most I could invest […]

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Filed under: browsers, Google, phones, printer, robots | Comments Off on NEW VENMO CREDIT CARD PAYS OFF IN CRYPTO

Why do I feel compelled to turn off my cell phone? It makes it so hard to find. Recently, I couldn’t find it anywhere. Worse, I couldn’t call it because I’d turned it off the night before. I couldn’t even use the “Find My Device” app or website for Android to pinpoint it on a map. Your phone has to be on.  But soon, Google is coming out with a version of Find My Device that works with trackers such as Tile Pro. They’re also hinting at a new Google Air Tags device. Either one would find your phone when it’s off by connecting via Bluetooth with any phone that’s near yours, then reporting its location to you. It will […]

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Filed under: Google, phones, robots | Comments Off on LOST PHONES

“This morning it took about four minutes to download the newspaper,” a reader wrote. “Usually, it’s only seconds.” Neither of us could figure it out, so he called his internet service, Xfinity. They said the problem was his wiring. But why, he wondered, would his download speed be 20 Mbps one day and 500 Mbps the next? After a runaround, he gave up on Xfinity and signed up for AT&T’s fiber optics service. He’s very happy with it. I like AT&T too. But I switched to Xfinity last summer when I found an unbeatable deal: internet service for $5 a month and cell service for $15 a month. But I had a heck of a time getting Xfinity to acknowledge […]

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Filed under: apps, crytpocurrency, Google, phones, scanners, shopping | Comments Off on BOOSTING YOUR INTERNET SPEED

Even home computers can get hit with ransomware. That’s when the bad guys ask you to pony up, if you want your files back. But Windows now offers free ransomware protection. To turn it on, type “Windows Security” into the search box on your computer, or find it in “Settings.” Now click “Virus & Threat Protection,” then “Ransomware Protection.” It safeguards your folders and files. Gamers will want to add their apps to an access list, however, or they might not be able to open saved files.  Given the juicy targets out there, it must be rare for a home computer to be held for ransom. But two years ago, a ransomware attack targeted home users through a fake antivirus […]

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Filed under: batteries, passwords, phones, security | Comments Off on NOT A CENT FOR RANSOM

My Motorola-loving friend just got a new Samsung. Why? He wanted the latest security updates. He also wanted a faster processer and the latest operating system. But it’s not perfect. Compared to his old Moto G Power, the new Samsung A54 seemed to have a shorter battery life and lacks the headset jack needed for a wired headset, which he finds superior to the wireless kind. Also, he had to download the free Google phone app, which screens calls, after discovering that the Samsung app was letting in spam. I told him he should have stuck with his Motorola. But he disagrees and so do the experts at ZDNET. ZDNET calls the Samsung A54 “the best phone under $500.” Amazon […]

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Filed under: AI, Amazon, Internuts, kids, phones, security, Windows | Comments Off on USING YOUR PHONE PAST ITS EXPIRATION DATE

A reader said that he wants to replace a five-year-old Motorola phone with a later version. But new Motorolas often have worse reviews than old ones, though the new ones tend to cost less. For example, I paid $170 for the 2021 Moto Power G on Amazon but it now goes for $270 to $400.  Does that mean people prefer the old to the new? Has Motorola gone downhill? The latest Moto G Power has nine percent one-star reviews on Amazon, which is a lot. But it’s reasonably priced at $200, has a relatively fast Snapdragon processor and the same great  battery life as the older Moto G phones. It can go five days on a single charge. It also […]

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Filed under: Amazon, Internuts, phones, shopping, Windows, wireless | Comments Off on MOTOROLA MYSTERY

It breaks my heart to hear about lonely seniors. Perhaps a robot would help. The “ElliQ” is smaller than a desk lamp but inspires great testimonials. Some say it’s better than a dog. “She keeps me on my toes,” said one 69-year-old man. “It’s like I’m living with somebody.” Besides playing music and showing you photos on its companion tablet, it records your health vitals and remembers how you felt yesterday before asking you how you feel today. In an emergency, it will call your closest contact. One senior said that the ElliQ got her to exercise and feel appreciated. Others said they started laughing more, because the robot is funny. It engages you in trivia games, displays inspirational quotes […]

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Filed under: kids, math, phones, robots, word processing | Comments Off on ROBOT TO THE RESCUE

I normally don’t nap. But when I put the “Sensate 2” on my chest bone, I conk out within minutes. The Sensate 2, which was sent to me for review, looks something like a polished stone, although it’s plastic. Place it on your sternum and feel its vibrations. It quietly buzzes, gently knocks or deeply hums, according to the intensity you choose and the type of session you select. There are 14 free ones. If you want the whole library of sounds, it’s $50 a year. I’m addicted to the free “Forest” with its pan pipes, birds and babbling brooks, which comes through on your phone in the Sensate app. It lasts 20 minutes. The device itself is $299. Many […]

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Filed under: Amazon, batteries, health, Internuts, phones | Comments Off on VIBRATIONS AND HUMS TO CALM YOU DOWN