 Tip of the Week: I Can't Connect My New (Fill In The Blank)
The single biggest problem that we have been asked to help with during our annual Tech Help-A-Thon, is from those that can't get a new device to connect to their WiFi network. In most cases, someone else setup the router and did not leave the information behind. Here's a helpful information card for anyone that has a wifi network so that they can avoid this frustration in the future. Save it, fill it out, and put it away for when you need it. Here's the network cheat sheet
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 Headwhack of the Week: Save Common Text Snippets In The Cloud You haven't got all day. And yet you're typing the same text over and over again: email addresses, street addresses, signatures, boilerplate, and so on. Check out this free app PhraseExpress, a text expander that organizes and auto-completes frequently used text snippets. Click here to read more. |
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Geek Speak of the Week: PAWN
PAWN is for "passive-aggressive wi-fi name." The name you give your home Wi-Fi network can be seen by anyone within range, the neighbors, for example, even if they can't gain access to the network itself. The name is public, regardless. Watch this video to hide your SSID or Network Name.
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 Security: Public Charging Kiosks May Steal Your Data You're at the airport. You must send an important email. Your smartphone is about to die. Every outlet is being taken up by other travelers. You spot a charging kiosk! You plug in! Now say goodbye to your data. Read on to learn how to protect yourself. |
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 News: Even Zuckerberg Can't Understand Privacy Settings
It's easy to have sympathy for those who have been misled by Facebook's ever-morphing privacy controls. One should therefore have additional sympathy when the person led astray is a former director of Facebook and enjoys the name Zuckerberg. If a Zuckerberg can be confused by Facebook privacy settings, you shouldn't feel too bad if you're confused too.
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 News: Return Gadgets Without Hassles
December may be the season of giving, but January is the season of returning. Unfortunately, returning that not-quite-right gift can be tricky. With so much shopping happening online these days, it isn't always clear where to turn-plus, you have to deal with packing, shipping, and other details. If you don't have a receipt, sending back electronics and tech gear can be particularly complicated, as it's often burdened with restocking fees and other annoying restrictions. |
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 Data Doctors Video: Tell Siri To Use Google Maps If you have not installed the new Google Maps app for iPhone you should. If you did, and you're wondering why, when you ask Siri for directions, she pulls up Apple maps, we have the solution. Imagine asking for directions and Siri gives you the option to use Google Maps. She can and she does. Here's how to make that happen.
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Mobile App of the Week: 5 Apps For Keeping New Year's Resolutions Let's face it, we have been on a holiday eating binge since Thanksgiving. We've eaten cakes, pies, cookies, not to mention meals that would sink the Titanic. As the new year approaches, many of us are considering getting that exercise routine going, hoping to knock off a few of those holiday pounds. Here are 5 apps, that can help keep you on the move and help you meet your goals.
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Weekly Advice Column: Is Buying Refurbished Electronics A Safe Thing To Do? Now that the holidays are over, you may find bigger and better deals on electronics. Refurbished electronics hit the shelves as people return items that don't work the way they anticipated or they have a problem with it right out of the box. Buying refurbished electronics is one way of potentially saving money, but not all refurbished products are the same. I generally refer to refurbished electronics as 'pre-broken' because you will never actually know the circumstances that led to the device being 'refurbished'. In some cases, the device was simply returned as defective, but the reality was that the user didn't understand how to use or setup the device and there was nothing wrong with it. Read more here. |
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The Radio Program: Best Of: iOS 6, Net Speed, Facebook Privacy & More Apple hits the market with the new iPhone, but the bigger story is iOS 6 and the refresh it'll give your current device. We'll tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. Is your internet connection as fast as you're paying for? Has it slowed down? What are some of the causes, and how can you fix it? Facebook privacy is something everyone is concerned about, but can you really help your friends privacy with a few clicks? Listen, Laugh & Learn with Ken & Spanky. It's the tech show for non-tech people, the Data Doctors Radio Program with Ken & Spanky. Ask your questions during (or before) the broadcast using our Facebook page. Join us each weekend as we discuss your computer questions.
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