Ready for another volunteer opportunity that can be done at any time or any place yet provides a much needed service?
Be My Eyes is an app for your smartphone that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers through a live video call when visual assistance is needed.
How does it work? Volunteers download and install the app free from either the iOS App store or Google Play store. An account is created and then when a blind or low-vision person needs assistance a request is sent out through the app.
What kind of assistance may be needed? You may be asked to help check an expiration date, identify a color of clothing, read printed forms or medicine labels, help navigate transit, or even describe places or objects.
How often will you receive requests? Over 1.5 million people have installed the app, so requests will not come that often. I've received 2 requests since installing the app in February. The first one was to help identify what was in a frozen meal box. When I received the second call, I was sitting in a meeting and by the time I got up and went out in the hallway, another volunteer had answered the call. A friend of mine who has this app received a similar request to identify a food package and also assisted someone in crossing a street.
The app launched in 2015 and is available in 150 countries and 180 languages. Check it out today and join the large network of users hoping to make a big difference in the everyday lives of those with limited sight!
Want to read more about and watch a video to learn more about how it works? Check out this link.
I hope you will consider installing this app TODAY. :-)
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Don't answer that phone!
Have you ever received a phone call with your own phone number showing up on the Caller ID? It's frustrating, and you may be tempted to pick up the phone just to let the scammer know you don't appreciate it. But please, please, please, just let your phone ring!
Some people want to answer their phones to give the caller a "piece of their mind" or to tell them some wild story. Don't.do.that.
Once you pick up the phone, it verifies two things for the caller (or a system) that is calling you:
1) Your phone is a working number and has not been disconnected.
2) You are a live person who answers your calls rather than a machine.
This will place you on the "preferred callers" list and your phone calls from spammers will only increase in number.
So even though it may be tempting, don't do it, don't answer. Just let your phone ring and ring and ring and ring......while you go happily about your business on this beautiful spring day!
Some people want to answer their phones to give the caller a "piece of their mind" or to tell them some wild story. Don't.do.that.
Once you pick up the phone, it verifies two things for the caller (or a system) that is calling you:
1) Your phone is a working number and has not been disconnected.
2) You are a live person who answers your calls rather than a machine.
This will place you on the "preferred callers" list and your phone calls from spammers will only increase in number.
So even though it may be tempting, don't do it, don't answer. Just let your phone ring and ring and ring and ring......while you go happily about your business on this beautiful spring day!
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Is Alexa listening?
Do you have a voice-activated speaker in your home? The devices have been in the news before, and last week privacy questions about Alexa made the major news' networks again.
Don't get rid of your device, and please don't stress about it! Like all of our internet-enabled devices (computers, tablets, smartphones, etc.) it is always wise for us to learn about privacy settings and know what we can do to increase our security.
This news clip is worth 4 minutes of your time if you have one of these devices (Amazon Echo or another brand). There is a 30-second ad before the actual clip begins.
Then, if you have an Echo device, please open the Amazon Alexa app on your phone, touch on the 3 lines in the upper-left hand corner, select Settings, then Alexa Account, then Alexa Privacy. There are five links on that screen. It would be wise and informative to touch each one to review your options. At the very least, in the Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa section, I strongly recommend turning off - "Help Develop Features" and "Use Messages to Improve Transcriptions."
Don't get rid of your device, and please don't stress about it! Like all of our internet-enabled devices (computers, tablets, smartphones, etc.) it is always wise for us to learn about privacy settings and know what we can do to increase our security.
This news clip is worth 4 minutes of your time if you have one of these devices (Amazon Echo or another brand). There is a 30-second ad before the actual clip begins.
Then, if you have an Echo device, please open the Amazon Alexa app on your phone, touch on the 3 lines in the upper-left hand corner, select Settings, then Alexa Account, then Alexa Privacy. There are five links on that screen. It would be wise and informative to touch each one to review your options. At the very least, in the Manage How Your Data Improves Alexa section, I strongly recommend turning off - "Help Develop Features" and "Use Messages to Improve Transcriptions."
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Quickly silence your smartphone
With most smartphones today all you have to do is press ANY physical button on your phone and it will immediately silence the phone when it begins to ring.
You don't even have to take it out of your purse or pocket to search for the "Decline" button. Simply stick your hand into your purse or pocket and squeeze the phone; you are almost guaranteed to press one of the side buttons! (However, you might want to take a look at your phone to learn where those buttons are located and even practice pressing those buttons while not looking at the phone.)
Apple Watch users even have a faster way to silence their phones; simply place your hand on the watch face and your phone will immediately go silent! How cool is that!
You don't even have to take it out of your purse or pocket to search for the "Decline" button. Simply stick your hand into your purse or pocket and squeeze the phone; you are almost guaranteed to press one of the side buttons! (However, you might want to take a look at your phone to learn where those buttons are located and even practice pressing those buttons while not looking at the phone.)
Apple Watch users even have a faster way to silence their phones; simply place your hand on the watch face and your phone will immediately go silent! How cool is that!
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
DuckDuckGo
DuckDuckGo is a search engine (and also a browser app you can download) to use for searching online.You may not have heard of DuckDuckGo, but it might be worth exploring if you have concerns with your privacy while browsing online. You are never tracked while using it, thus there is nothing to be sold to advertisers so you do not receive targeted ads.
DuckDuckGo can be accessed on any browser but has recently been added as a choice in Chrome. Even though it has been around for several years, I have not spent much time using it, so I would be interested in hearing from any of you after you try it out. It seems to be popping up more frequently in the tech “stuff” I’ve been reading!
Happy private surfing today!
DuckDuckGo can be accessed on any browser but has recently been added as a choice in Chrome. Even though it has been around for several years, I have not spent much time using it, so I would be interested in hearing from any of you after you try it out. It seems to be popping up more frequently in the tech “stuff” I’ve been reading!
Happy private surfing today!