Home Computing
So much of our lives are online. But what happens to all of our social media and email accounts after we die? Losing a loved one is traumatic enough. The last thing you want to do while grieving is to track down your loved one’s social media profiles, email accounts, and digital passwords. But what…
[Read More]How often do websites ask you for your location? Probably more often than you think. By changing just one setting in your web browser, you can prevent websites from accessing your location (and stop those annoying pop-ups from your browser asking for permission to share your location). This guide covers how to turn off location…
[Read More]You can have the most secure device, be committed to cybersecurity, and still get hacked. Why? It could be simple changes you didn’t make to your router when you got it. Or web beacon. When your cable company or ISP sets up your Internet they’re rushing to finish up and head to their next client.…
[Read More]Considering how much information Amazon tracks from your Alexa device it’s not surprising that these devices might be hack-worthy. See how smart devices pose a smart check threat.
[Read More]A TV that records your conversations, a refrigerator that sends your grocery list to third-party advertisers, and a thermostat that taps into your home WiFi network — it’s no surprise = smart devices are a huge privacy invasion. Many of these gadgets, especially smart TVs, come with default settings that pry into your personal life…
[Read More]Technology in our everyday lives has been fueled by expanding access to the Internet. Cell phones evolved from simple communication devices to pocket computers when we connected them to the Internet. Today, going somewhere without a smartphone—and no way to get online—would be unthinkable. Our mobile devices play an important part in every aspect of…
[Read More]Online shopping has grown tremendously in the last decade, especially in 2020. Digital Commerce 360 estimated that ecommerce in the U.S. grew by a whopping 44% in 2020 compared to 2019. More online shopping has led to more cybercrime directed at online retailers as well. Tech company Red Points surveyed 150 U.S. ecommerce brands in…
[Read More]Working from home has become the new normal for many people across the world. While you can attend meetings in your pajamas and the commute is about 30 seconds, there are challenges and downsides to setting up your office or workstation at home. One of the biggest challenges for remote workers so far has been…
[Read More]GPS tracking on kids’ phones isn’t new. Apps like Family Tracker and Find My Kids allow parents to see the GPS location of their children’s smartphones at all times. Many parents consider this kind of tracking necessary, so they can be sure of their child’s whereabouts. Some kids are fine with being tracked as well.…
[Read More]If you’ve ever wanted to avoid shelling out your cash for a proprietary software like Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop, then you’ve no doubt considered downloading an open-source alternative. Depending on your needs, open-source software can be a better choice for you than a proprietary software — the quality and development may both be on…
[Read More]New Linux users might feel intimidated by the choice of Linux distributions available — there are literally thousands of options. How can you tell the great distros from the shoddy ones? To help you navigate this endless sea of Linux distros, we’ve made a list of the seven best distributions for new Linux users to…
[Read More]Modern life requires a lot of mental capacity to remember dozens of user IDs and passwords. You end up with random post-it notes you can’t seem to find. You’re constantly getting blocked from your own accounts because you can’t remember the genius string of letters and numbers that was so good you forgot it. So,…
[Read More]We all get frustrated with Windows or macOS sometimes. But as these operating systems dominate the computing world, do you really have another option? Yes! You can use Linux instead. It’s free, open-source, customizable, and secure. It has several advantages over Windows and macOS, but it also has a bit of a learning curve for…
[Read More]Twenty years ago, Linux was an operating system that only super-savvy techies used. Today, Linux has become so user-friendly that anyone can benefit from it. If you’re a Windows or macOS user and you’re tired of putting up with some of the quirks of these operating systems, you might be ready to switch to Linux.…
[Read More]Never before has the performance of your internet connection meant so much than it does now. It’s important to know how to get a faster internet connection.
[Read More]The Internet of Things, or IoT, has become one of the most convenient—and dangerous—ways for consumers to connect to the Internet. IoT is the network of devices, or “things,” that communicate and send data via the Internet. When people refer to IoT devices, they’re typically leaving out smartphones, tablets, and computers. IoT more commonly refers…
[Read More](Don’t Worry. You Have One.) Most of the time, technical terms can be…well, just too technical for the average Joe with a computer. User Agent, or UA, is one such term. A User Agent is any computer application or system that helps you get onto the internet and access online content. User agents include web…
[Read More]The best VPNs for torrenting offer fast speeds to let you download torrent files without any issues. They also don’t keep logs, which grants you complete anonymity without worrying about copyright trolls or being blocked by your ISP.
[Read More]Here are your options. Pick one or all. In a previous Q&A article, You ARE Backing Up Your Computer…Right?, we covered the ins-and-outs of backing up the important information on your computer. Most people are confused about what it means—or takes—to back up their data files. Well, it’s not that complicated. Start small, with the…
[Read More]In reality, most people are likely confused by what it means. There’s a survey done annually that asks a few thousand people “how often do you back up your computer?” In 2015, 25% of the people surveyed indicated they had never backed up their computer. However, there’s a general feeling by most computer experts, consultants…
[Read More]There are a lot of things people can do online that aren’t legal. Downloading pirated movies, for example, is one of them. Many people have heard about VPNs, or virtual private networks. They know using a VPN can hide their IP address, masking a person’s actual location. And it works! If you’re in New York…
[Read More]Over the past 15 years or so, the problem with overwhelming spam—countless unwanted and unrequested emails—has lessened for the most part. Before anti-spam software became commonplace, spammers could flood our email inboxes with their messages. Now, the wave of spam has been slowed down. Thank you, anti-spam software. Here’s a look at how a coordinated…
[Read More]We most likely agree that online ads can be irritating and sometimes downright obtrusive to our browsing experience. So, it’s only natural that, if we could, we would somehow minimize seeing ads, if not somehow get rid of them altogether. An ad blocker does exactly that. It prevents pop-up ads, auto-play videos and other annoying…
[Read More]You’ll be amazed at what can happen. The more you learn about why people want to hide their IP addresses, the more you should be convinced to give it a try yourself. Just in case you’re new to this topic, there are more than a few reasons you might want to hide your IP addresses…
[Read More]The typical office worker spends an average of 45+ hours a week at work…or on work. And these days, with everything being networked and accessible, most of that time is spent working on the company computer. Of course, many companies today like providing laptops and even tablets to their employees so they can take their…
[Read More]