Is it too hot for your phone? Is it too hot for you?

Have you ever seen a message on the lock screen of your phone that says "Temperature - Phone needs to cool down before you can use it"?  Hopefully not, but I must admit I have seen it several times on my phone when I've inadvertently left it in the car during the heat of summer when I was running errands.  One time I'd even carelessly left it on my dash rendering it useless until it cooled down.

How can you keep this from happening to you and what should you do if your phone does overheat?

1) Don't ever leave your phone in direct sunlight, including inside your house.
2) Don't leave your phone in a hot car. 
3) If you are at the pool or an outdoor gathering make sure your phone is tucked away in a bag or under a towel.
4) IF your phone does indeed overheat and needs to cool down: 

• Remove the charger cable
  
• Turn off the phone completely, and put the phone in a cool, dark place. 
  
• If you are in the car when this happens, you can let the car's air conditioning blow on it to speed up the cool down. 
  
• It is recommended to wait at least 15 minutes before turning your phone back on to see if it has cooled down enough for you to use.

Luckily, here in Emporia we've had a short reprieve from the sweltering temperatures! Hope you are able to get outside while the temperatures are milder and have a wonderful Tech Tip Tuesday!

Updates - are they necessary

Updates. It seems like there are updates almost weekly for my devices.  Sometimes I'm notified, sometimes I just stumble across them.  Most of the updates are deployed for security reasons, and the frequency with which I get them reminds me of how lucrative the business of hacking into computer devices must be.

My advice to help keep your devices secure today is to check two things on your computers, tablets, and smartphones:
1) the operating system and
2) the browser (s), i.e., Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, etc.
If there are updates available do so immediately.  Even if you have Automatic Updates enabled on your devices you may find updates that have not yet been installed.  Updating both the operating system and browser will increase your online security because most updates include security updates.

Where or how do you check on this?  I can't tell you exactly where to look because it is a little different for individual devices, but usually "Software Updates" can be found in the Settings or Preferences on your device.  If you're still unsure how to do that, just do a Google search:  "iPhone software update"  or "Chrome how to update"  

Being responsible users of technology keeps us busy and on our toes!  If you have questions about how to update, just reply to this email and I can try to give you more specific information for your device(s).

Say cheese!

I rarely take selfies.  Maybe it is because I don't usually post pictures of myself on social media?  Maybe it is because I'm not keen on viewing photos of myself?  Or....maybe it is because I usually look goofy in  my selfies?  For sure.

Do you ever want to take a selfie with a friend or family?.  Are you pleased with the way you look in the photo?  Are your eyes looking in the wrong place or is your inherited lack of chin very prominent?  Today's tip seems to produce a great selfie every single time! 

Here it is: When taking a selfie, hold your phone slightly above your forehead, then tilt it down at a 45-degree angle.

That's all there is to it! When you are stuck inside this afternoon because of the heat, give this tip a try.  :-)

Amazon Prime Days 2022

Amazon Prime Days 2022 are here - "Two days of epic deals - Shop fast!"  There ARE some great deals available IF it is something you need or have been considering for purchase.  However, I'd encourage you to slow down and do a little research before buying:

1)  Is the item a new model or are they clearing out older models/devices?
2)  What is the price for the item on other websites (Walmart, Target, Apple, etc.)?
3)  Does it have the features you want?

Amazon Prime Days feature some really good prices on Amazon electronic devices such as Kindles, Echos, Fire Sticks, etc. but again spend a little time researching the "regular" price.  Don't just rely on the price Amazon is displaying as the "previous" price.

If you have time, enjoy perusing some of the deals today.  Just don't be too quick to buy!

Don't like looking at yourself on Zoom?

A couple of weeks ago someone who I've been in Zoom meetings with for almost two years bemoaned the fact that she really dislikes seeing herself on the screen when using Zoom, even after all this time.  If this is something you dislike, too, then today's tip is for you!

Turning off your Self View on Zoom still lets others in the meeting see you; you just don't see yourself.  :-) 

I could tell you how to do this but the link below contains very clear steps as to how to turn off Self View on both a laptop and a mobile device. (You'll need to scroll about halfway down the article for the instructions):
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/dont-want-to-look-at-yourself-during-zoom-meetings-heres-what-to-do/ 

One more thing........I'll be taking a break from sending these Tuesday Tech Tips until the first part of July.  My "tech" hat is coming off for awhile and I'm donning my grandma/mom/wife hats full time through June 18.  It's been almost three years since our family has been together face-to-face,  and our Germany kids arrive tomorrow followed by our Pennsylvania kids the next week.  We are so excited for this time together!

Have a great Tech Tip Tuesday (Emporians, remember that all this rain is good for the flowers and gardens!)  :-)  "See you" in about a month!

Ellen’s Tips for iOS

It is already Tuesday and this morning we made our way through security and are at the gate waiting on our plane for our return to Kansas City. It appears it’s going to be another beautiful spring day here but we understand we are returning to very hot conditions at home!  :-/  

I am always looking for resources to help me help you be more independent in using your devices. Today’s resource is for those of you who own iPhones or iPads. Ellen’s Tips for iOS is a resource you may want to bookmark. 
https://www.ellenstipsforios.com/blog

Ellen offers regular iPad and iPhone tips through both her free blog and email subscription. I have followed her for the last year or so and have found her videos and tips to be done very well. They are easy to understand and the instructions are usually written very clearly. Her target audience is us seniors.

Ellen also offers a 30- minute FREE session to help you with your questions and also offers other weekly sessions (at a cost). I have not tried any of these sessions. You can read more about all of her services here: https://bookme.name/EllenSweeney?ck_subscriber_id=1284200799

Okay….gotta board our plane! Have a wonderful Tech Tip Tuesday and super week!!

Jeline

Streaming TV

Have you cut the cord yet?  In other words, have you stopped paying your cable TV company for TV programming and entered the world of streaming TV services (Netflix, Prime, YouTube TV, Philo, frndly, etc.)?

Back in 2019 I shared a web-based tool that could help you decide which streaming services would provide your "must-have" programming at the cheapest rate.  That tool (Suppose.tv) is no longer being kept up-to-date.  But about a week ago financial guru Clark Howard's website shared a streaming TV tool that helps you make that same decision.  You simply enter the stations/channels you "must have" and are presented with corresponding streaming services and their monthly costs. Check it out:  https://clark.com/technology/tvsatellite-cable/streaming-tv-comparison-best-channel-lineup/?channels= 

Three more tips about streaming TV - 
1) If you haven't made the switch yet, you can simply sign up for a trial subscription to one or more of the services to give them a try.  We had our cable company turn off our cable for a month while we tried out streaming services which forced us to rely on the new services.  At the end of that month, we made the decision to stop paying for cable TV and our TV boxes were picked up by the company. 

2) If you have been using streaming services for awhile, I'd encourage you to use the tool to see if there are better/cheaper streaming services now that would meet your needs.  We recently discovered we could save $15/month by switching.  We've used YouTube TV and Philo for two years but are switching from Philo to frndly.

3)  Switching from Cable TV to streaming services requires that you learn a new way of accessing TV shows.  With practice and time it will become easier; I promise.

I hope you have a GREAT Tech Tip Tuesday!