Holiday Greetings Online

Are Christmas cards still on your "to do" list this week?  Relieve some stress and consider making your card online and sending it via email. OR consider sending out a "Happy New Year" card instead.

There are LOTS of online venues to help you accomplish this, but one I recommend that is FREE and pretty intuitive to use is below.  All you need are 1) a few minutes to design the card and 2) the email addresses of your friends/family!

Website is:  Canva.com 
Watch this tutorial for a quick-start - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAfVDqpPAu0

(I've also used this website to create online posters to advertise events for church).

Improving WiFi Strength

Does your wireless internet strength seem to vary from room to room in your home (if you have a wireless device that you use in different locations throughout your home)?

If so, you might find an article written by Kim Komando (komando.com) to be helpful.  Below is an excerpt:

It's important to remember that your Wi-Fi antenna is omnidirectional, i.e. the signal goes every direction. In other words, if you put your router along an outside wall, you're sending half your signal outside. That's fine if you run a coffee shop with a patio, but not great if your workers and visitors are indoors.

For the best all-around signal inside, place your router as close as possible to the middle of the office (or house). You should also pay attention to what's around the router. You might be tempted to tuck it away so it doesn't ruin the decor, but it's better to have it out in the open.

Putting it next to a wall or inside a bookcase can partially block the signal. And definitely keep it away from metal since that can absorb the signal. So, don't set it next to a metal filing cabinet or support beam.

You'll also want to keep it away from a microwave or a cordless telephone. Those put out 2.4 gigahertz frequencies, which is one of the main frequencies routers use. That causes interference, which can cause signal problems. If you have a newer router, you can turn on the 5GHz network, which will have less interference, although it doesn't go through walls and objects as well.

That pesky spam/phish!

During this past week, I've noticed an increase in the amount of "legitimate-looking" pop-ups.  John had one on his iPhone that would not let him "x" out of it; he had to shut down his phone then restart it to get rid of the popup.

I received a very "authentic-looking" text message from Verizon on my phone asking to verify some information, but the text message wasn't actually from Verizon.

The rule of thumb is ---NEVER click on links in pop-ups nor give requested information via a text message or pop-up on your phone or computer.  Never.never.ever!  If there is not a way to "x" out of a pop-up, just shut down your phone or computer by pressing and holding the power button.  Then when you restart, the pop-up should no longer appear.

When in doubt if the request is legitimate, always access the website of the company requesting the information by entering its URL in your web browser (Google Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc.) That is the ONLY way you can be sure that you are dealing with the "real" company.  If they have truly requested that you update your information, that request will be on their website once you have logged in.

Back up, back up, back up

Do you perform regular backups of your computer or is it being done automatically?  If your answer is "I don't know" then it probably is not being done. If you don't want to lose valuable pictures and files that are presently on your computer and phone, you need to be doing a regular backup of your device.  Make sure your phone is automatically set to backup to your computer OR that you plug your phone into your computer regularly to back it up.  (If you set up your Google Photos during class, then all of your photos are being backed up in the Google "cloud.")If you aren't presently backing up your computer, I'd suggest purchasing a simple external storage drive.  You plug it into your computer, go through a simple setup, then it will perform a backup of your computer.  If you leave the device plugged in to your computer, you can schedule a backup to happen automatically.  Otherwise, you can just plug it in every week and the backup process will begin.  

The first time you perform a backup will take much longer than any subsequent backups.

If you want to put this on your Christmas list here is a great device ($51.99) that works on both PC and Mac computers: Seagate Portable External Storage

Shop and Buy Wisely this Season

Keep these tips in mind as you begin your online browsing and shopping this season: 1.  Before entering your credit card number or any personal identifying information in a website, always make sure it is a secure site.  Look for either a closed padlock or the https:// in the web address (examples below):   2.  If you receive an email offer that looks too good to be true, then it probably is spam or phish (an email asking you click on a link then verify your credit card and account numbers...fraudulently).  If in doubt, don't click on the link in the email, but enter the web address of the online store in your browser to check out any special offers. 3.  Stick with trusted brands and stores.  That is the best way to ensure you receive what you are paying for.  You may want to look at the Return Policy before purchasing, too, so there are no surprises. 4.  Consider setting up an account with PayPal and use that when possible to purchase online.  PayPal is secure, widely accepted, and online vendors never have access to your credit card. 5.  If you are using your phone to shop online when you are away from home, always use your phone network rather than free public WiFi.  Public WiFi comes with many security risks. And, as always if you have questions, feel free to email me.

Sleep versus Shut Down

Don't confuse a computer going to sleep with shutting it down.  Just because your computer screen is dark does not mean it has shut down.  Although I often leave my computer on, I do shut it down occasionally to "clear its memory" and give it a fresh start.  I often find that it may run a little bit faster, too. 

Shutting your computer down occasionally also is VERY important if you have chosen to have updates installed during a shutdown. Frequent updates (primarily on a PC rather than an Apple product) help keep your computer safe from viruses and running well.

If you're unsure how to turn your computer off, let me know the Operating System (XP?, Vista?, Windows 7, 10?) and I can send you instructions as to how to do that.

Welcome!

Welcome to this blog!  This will be a place that you will find all of the Tuesday Tech Tips all in one spot. If you find yourself referring to earlier emails, you may want to bookmark this page for future reference.

As always, I'm open to suggestions of ways to help you feel more comfortable with technology.  Don't hesitate to post comments or ask questions; it may be something I can include in a future posting.

Jeline

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