Use these Web pages in order to report scams
AARP - Fraud Watch - Click Here
State - FLORIDA - https://myfloridalegal.com/consumeralert
Federal - US Government - https://www.usa.gov/stop-scams-frauds
Federal - Federal Trade Commision (FTC) - https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
Federal - FBI - Scams & Safety
TIP: before you click on a link, hold your cursor over it and make sure it points to a legit web page
Note: This video may trigger nearby Alexa devices when played. Just say Alexa Stop
I am subscribed to a newsletter from the Web site zdnet.com. They have several newsletters all geared towards computers and the high tech industry. Sign up for as many or as few as you want. Many of these come out 5 - 7 days a week.
You can use google voice to protect your identity and your privacy. Google voice is a full service internet phone service. It includes a totally different phone number from your cell phone. It also includes voice mail and even text messaging.
To register, go to https://voice.google.com/ and register. You should download the app to your phone and setup there.
You can use this to further insulate yourself from receiving unwanted calls or texts. Use this number when you register on web pages, and for any public areas where your phone number might appear.
If you run a business and need to give out your phone number, then use this number in place of your personal number.
You can also receive text messages and voice mails on your pc. Use the app to make outgoing calls and keep your real number hidden.
You can cancel the google voice if you start to receive any harassing phone calls, and register with a new number - just keep in mind where you registered the previous number.
If you are a paid subscriber of LinkedIN, you automatically qualify for their free online classes. They offer Business, Creative and Technology classes online. You can take one of the many certification prep courses available online.
Just click on the learning icon in the upper right of the site and you will be taken to the online classes.
Or directly to https://www.linkedin.com/learning/
Formerly lynda.com
Their classes are professionally produced and are frankly high quality than many of the college classes. The instructors are more interesting and engaging.
Also, the great this is you can pause replay the video at any time and take better notes.
Before you rush out and get the most recent version of the Windows operating system, you need to ensure your computer meets the minimum requirements. It's no longer how fast your system is, or how much memory it has, but it does matter what type of Central Processing Unity (CPU) that you have.
At the very least, Microsoft has a system checker to run before you upgrade. It is critical that you run this and then follow the instructions to configure your PC to meet the requirements.
If you are in the market for a new computer, try holding off for a couple months. They will soon ship with Windows 11 installed for you.
Finally, if you do decide to upgrade, make sure you have a full backup of your personal files and product keys for all of your applications.
There are times when the various parts of the internet stop working. You just need to figure out if it's your part or someone else's. Here's what to do if your favorite web page can't come up.
1. Make sure you have the right address. If you need to get to facebook, type facebook.com into the browser.
2. Try going to a different web page. In your browser, type google.com, or yahoo.com. If that site comes up then there is an outage on the site you want to go to. You may have to wait a few hours for it to come back. Certainly no more than a day.
3. If you can't get to any web page, then you need to find and reset your router and modem. These are the devices that connect you to the internet. To reset them, just turn the power off for 1 minute, and then turn them back on. After you turn them on, it will take them up to 10 minutes to reconnect.
4. Research Any Error Message in Your Browser
Error messages are handy because they let you know exactly what’s going on. You can use this information to try and troubleshoot the issue, or at least rule out problems with your hardware or software. Some of the most common errors you encounter are:
5. Try a different browser. I usually have a couple browsers installed. Firefox and Chrome are my favorites.
6. Restart your computer. Sometimes it's necessary to reboot your system. Click start => Power => Restart
7. Try a different device. If your laptop can't connect, try a desktop (if you have one) or a smartphone or tablet.
8. Finally, if you can't get to any web pages at all, then you should contact your internet provider. They may be experiencing an outage in your area.
Note: I have Spectrum cable for internet and TV. If I can't get to the internet, I check to see if the TV connection is working. It there's a full service disruption, both will not be working - so I just wait until the TV cable comes back up.
Every time Apple releases a new iPhone, people line up to buy them. Either online presales, or in line at the Apple Store or favorite vendor. Granted, these phones have a lot of neat features. But for the most part they aren't worth the hype.
Apple is a smart company. They learned from Microsoft that HUGE announcement parties work. They invite every reporter and industry professional to their annual or semi-annual convention where they roll out their plan for the future. They are counting on the people who attend to spread the word about exciting new features.
Remember Siri? What a weak offering that is. You can only control some features on your phone. Compared to Amazon Alexa, you can control a ton of other features and smart devices. Apple has entered the market in a weak way with the overpriced homepod. It's really just a speaker system for the Apple devices.
Apple Watches. Expensive. And also not worth the money. Many of the same features can be found on less expensive fit watches. The watch face doesn't have a lot of options. Why not open that up to outside designs?
Disclaimer: I own the Apple Watch 4 and like it for exercise and sleep tracking.
Apple computers. Not up gradable. They use some of the same hardware as Windows PC's with Intel chips, but you can't add to them. Apple is so greedy, they control their market share by literally making it impossible to upgrade or modify their systems.
Honestly, the next time Apple announces a new iPhone. Stay home. Keep the one you have. Take that $1000 that you would spend and put it somewhere else. If enough people do this, Apple will eventually lower their prices.