On Computers

Most cars today come with a mobile hotspot, allowing everyone’s devices to stay connected to the internet at a cost ranging between $20 and $40 a month. But what if you have an older car? A reader wanted to read the newspaper on his iPad in the car because he likes its bigger screen. Since there’s no WiFi in his older vehicle, he needed some way to connect his iPad to the internet.  I told him to go to “Settings” on his iPhone, then “Cellular” and tap “Personal Hotspot” to turn it on.  After he did that, his iPad was able to share the iPhone’s cellular network. “Works great,” he said.  To try it on my Android phone, I went […]

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Filed under: gadgets, Internet, iPhone, security, troubleshooting, web | Comments Off on HOW TO USE A MOBILE HOTSPOT WHEN YOU HAVE NO WIFI

A reader wrote: “I upgraded my router!” Wow. I’m impressed. I never think to do that. An old, outdated router can slow down your WiFi, disrupt your connections, and leave your network vulnerable to security risks. But setup can be a “colossal pain,” the reader said. Fortunately, he discovered that all he had to do was change the new router’s settings to match the old one’s.  “A definite aha moment!”   I’ve never paid for a new router. My internet service provider, AT&T, will send out a new one for free if the old one has problems, which has only happened once.  Maybe I haven’t needed one because I “only” have 11 internet-connected devices.  The reader has over 40 smart devices, […]

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Filed under: Amazon, browsers, gadgets, Google, Internet, printer, web | Comments Off on NEW ROUTER MAKES YOU GO FASTER ON THE WEB

A reader wrote: “Two days ago my wife was nearly in tears after falling for a scam email that looked exactly like it was from the SAS Shoe site.” She was out $45 bucks. Others are being scammed by phony vaccine surveys. One reader said he was nearly taken in by a fake Pfizer survey, but hovered over the return email, which revealed sketchy-looking characters. If you do a Google search on “PSA post vaccine survey scam,” the US government at ICE.gov will show you exactly what the scammer’s email looks like. Don’t worry if you’ve already opened one. Just don’t click anywhere or open any attachments. There’s still time to panic. Google Pay and Mint Track Your Spending  Sometimes, […]

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Filed under: business, cheap calls, search, trends, virus, web | Comments Off on AVOIDING SCAMS

Ever since Kenny, my favorite tech guru, switched careers, I’ve been hearing moans from the readers who relied on him for help. Here are a few good alternatives. The Central Arkansas public library has online tech lessons, as does YouTube. For the library, you can register for one of their “how to” courses by writing them at digital@cals.org, or by calling 501-918-3068. Everything is free. For more extensive help, try a “TotalTech” membership from BestBuy. It covers computers, TVs,  car accessories and more for $200 a year. With that, you get round-the-clock help by phone and chat, as well as discounted prices on stuff you buy from BestBuy.  For the stuff you buy, you get free set-up. This includes mounting […]

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Filed under: browsers, gadgets, Gmail, Google, tech support, web | Comments Off on FINDING GOOD TECH SUPPORT

I lost my phone on a bike path the other day when it fell out of my bike basket. I emailed a friend and he knew right where it was. Thanks to Location Sharing in Google Maps, he told me it had been turned in at my condo’s front desk.   To test just how good Location Sharing is, I took long walks with my phone. Most of the time, it was two blocks off, because I kept moving. When I sat on a bench, I could be pinpointed most of the time. If I kept the Google Maps app open, it got even better. But it only became 100% accurate if I asked for directions somewhere, then tapped “start” to […]

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Filed under: anti-virus, gadgets, Google, Internet, security, video, virus, web, YouTube | Comments Off on LOCATION SHARING SAVES THE DAY

Everybody’s raving about Brave, the new web browser. They say it’s three times faster than Google Chrome. I like Brave on my phone and computer. It blocks ads and trackers, which means it makes websites load faster, saves data, and saves on battery life. But even if it only blocked ads, I’d like it better than an ad-blocking extension.  Every time I use AdBlock Plus, for example, I get bombarded with messages asking me to disable it. I haven’t seen those in Brave. In Brave, you can opt in to get an occasional text ad in the corner of your screen. Viewing these earns points toward gift cards and allows you to give a tip to websites you like. So […]

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Filed under: browsers, gadgets, kids, web | Comments Off on BLOCKING TRACKERS, GAINING SPEED ON THE WEB

I’ve often wished I could capture the highlights of a Zoom meeting in a short video clip. Now, with a free app from Grain.co, I can. I started with a two-hour meeting recorded six months ago, which appeared in the Grain app automatically. I just had to click “import.” Then, by scrolling through the transcript underneath the video, I quickly got to the part where my nephew says “happy birthday” to my sister. When I highlighted the text and clicked the “share” button, Grain created a 17-second video clip, complete with transcript, ready to share in an email, on Facebook or wherever. On Thanksgiving, I had a Zoom meeting with my brother, nephews and niece-in-law. I figured they wouldn’t want […]

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Filed under: apps, health, Internet, video, web | Comments Off on GETTING ZOOM HIGHLIGHTS

My first night with Amazon’s $65 “Halo” fitness band was hilarious. I kept waking up to see if I could improve my sleep score. I couldn’t stand to see a “poor” grade. I kept trying to go back to sleep until I got a “fair.” The next night, my sleep score went up to “good,” with eight hours and six minutes of sleep but slightly less rapid-eye-movement than ideal. It also told me how long I took to fall asleep. Last night, it was zero minutes, compared to 14 the night before. I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. The funniest thing happened when I took a nap. The app changed my score to “poor” and […]

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Filed under: Amazon, gadgets, Internet, Internuts, wearables, web, YouTube | Comments Off on SLEEP TRACKER KEEPS ME UP ALL NIGHT

A reader got upset when I said Chrome was my favorite web browser. He wrote: “You do realize that Chrome keeps track of everything you do on the internet–  browsing, searches, and anything you write? I switched to Microsoft Edge after being a Chrome user for many years. I finally realized how data naked I really am.” It could be worse. According to Google’s privacy policy, your personal info is not for sale to anyone. Google uses it to show you ads for products from Google partners or Google itself. If you’re worried about privacy, go to myaccount.google.com and click on “data and personalization” to automatically turn off tracking and delete every trace of everything you’ve done on the web […]

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Filed under: apps, browsers, computers, GPS, kids, web | Comments Off on DATA NAKED

Remember the first Samsung Fold phone? You could unfold it to get a much larger display. What a dud. Now they’ve announced their third foldable phone: the “Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G.” The reviewers of the first Fold went ballistic over cracking screens, black-outs and an unsightly bulge that appeared below the display. They also hated the bulky hinge. (This follows Bob’s general rule: Never buy anything with a low serial number.) The new Z Fold 2, Samsung’s third foldable phone, is getting good reviews, even before it’s out. There’s less of a gap between the screens. The hinge is better. Though some reviewers suspected a plastic screen, it’s actually ultra-thin glass. Samsung poured dirt and gravel all over it […]

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Filed under: Android, browsers, Internuts, maps, web | Comments Off on ABOVE THE FOLD