Have you ever wished you could review a conversation with your doctor? Or your lawyer? Or your financial adviser? Or......? A smartphone can easily record those conversations or meeting for future review.
What apps should you use?
On an iPhone, use Voice Memos; the app is already on your phone, but it may be hidden;
On an Android device - Voice Recorder, available from the Google Play Store.
How does it work?
1) If you are in the office of your doctor, lawyer, etc. simply touch the app to begin recording. Even long meetings do not take up a large amount of storage on your device.
2) If you want to record a phone conversation, Voice Memos /Voice Recorder will need to be installed/run on a second device. The call will need to be completed on speakerphone, then the second device (another smartphone or tablet) will record the conversation. You can not record on the phone you are using for the conversation.
We have found these recordings to be valuable when reviewing hour-long meetings and appointments at a later date. These voice recordings have also made it easy for me to share information with my brother after some of my mom's appointments. This morning friends of ours who were having a videoconference with an oncologist were able to record the audio to share with their children.
The hardest thing about recording: REMEMBERING to turn on the app when the meeting/conversation begins! :-)
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Facebook security - now and later
Like most social media platforms, postings on Facebook have increased with both credible and less than credible information. Because of this, activity from scammers, hackers and other unsavory people has also increased.
Don't misunderstand: I love Facebook and I'm guessing you do, too! It allows us to easily stay in touch with family and friends and, it can be a good source of information. HOWEVER, good judgment should always be used before interacting on FB and you should also check your Facebook settings following some of the reminders below.
1) Every time you post or interact on Facebook, you have shared some information about yourself - your likes, your age, where you live, etc.. The seemingly innocent requests to "post your graduation photo to share support for this year's seniors" or "take this quiz to see what type of personality you are", etc. can use information provided by you to access your Facebook account or other accounts or even target you with "unauthorized" advertisements. Have you ever thought about who created those requests or quizzes and why they might be posting? Do not assume it is just to help someone pass their time on Facebook; there is always always a reason.
2) Check your Facebook Security and Privacy settings. Review who you are sharing your posts with and who is allowed to see your posts. Take a few minutes to access your Settings and review them; this is something you should do occasionally. Do not allow other apps access to your Facebook account and do not use your Facebook account login to access any other apps when asked.
3) If a post contains unbelievable information and encourages you to "share with all of your friends," please don't. That language often indicates a hoax or a scam. Don't further it by sharing. Consider using snopes.com and factcheck.org to validate items in question. OR, simply copy and paste part of a post into your browser and often it will take you to a site discrediting the information.
4) Don't accept Friend requests from people you don't know. Also be cautious if you receive a Friend Request from someone you are already friends with; it could be an imposter wanting access to your data and your Friends list. Do not respond.
As with anything on the internet, we have to remain vigilant and cautious. We are truly never "safe" online, but there are certain things we can do to improve our security.
Don't misunderstand: I love Facebook and I'm guessing you do, too! It allows us to easily stay in touch with family and friends and, it can be a good source of information. HOWEVER, good judgment should always be used before interacting on FB and you should also check your Facebook settings following some of the reminders below.
1) Every time you post or interact on Facebook, you have shared some information about yourself - your likes, your age, where you live, etc.. The seemingly innocent requests to "post your graduation photo to share support for this year's seniors" or "take this quiz to see what type of personality you are", etc. can use information provided by you to access your Facebook account or other accounts or even target you with "unauthorized" advertisements. Have you ever thought about who created those requests or quizzes and why they might be posting? Do not assume it is just to help someone pass their time on Facebook; there is always always a reason.
2) Check your Facebook Security and Privacy settings. Review who you are sharing your posts with and who is allowed to see your posts. Take a few minutes to access your Settings and review them; this is something you should do occasionally. Do not allow other apps access to your Facebook account and do not use your Facebook account login to access any other apps when asked.
3) If a post contains unbelievable information and encourages you to "share with all of your friends," please don't. That language often indicates a hoax or a scam. Don't further it by sharing. Consider using snopes.com and factcheck.org to validate items in question. OR, simply copy and paste part of a post into your browser and often it will take you to a site discrediting the information.
4) Don't accept Friend requests from people you don't know. Also be cautious if you receive a Friend Request from someone you are already friends with; it could be an imposter wanting access to your data and your Friends list. Do not respond.
As with anything on the internet, we have to remain vigilant and cautious. We are truly never "safe" online, but there are certain things we can do to improve our security.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Spring cleaning of your tech devices
Now's a great time to do some spring cleaning on your tech devices.
Looking to feel productive during this time at home? Check out the suggestions below:
1) Digitize your old photos. Consider using Google's PhotoScan app on your phone to scan in your old photographs. It is easy to use, the quality is great, and it eliminates the glare that is often seen when you use your phone to take a picture of a photo. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices. Photo Scan does such a great job! I installed it a couple of years ago and I used it a lot when getting things together for our class reunion last summer, but I'd forgotten about it until I wanted to share some old family Easter photos with our boys on Sunday. Give it a try!
2) Check the permission settings for your apps. Sometimes when you install an app, it asks for more information than it really needs to run. Now is a good time to look through your privacy settings and make changes as desired:
On an Android device, go to:
Settings - Advanced - Privacy and review the settings for each app
On an iOS device, go to:
Settings - Privacy and adjust the settings for Location Services, Microphone and Camera
3) Download your Facebook information including photos.
In Facebook go to Settings - Your Facebook Information - Download Your Information. Mark items you'd like to download and then click Create File. You will be notified when the file is ready to download.
Next week, we'll take a look at some Facebook settings you may want to change while cleaning up your devices this spring.
Looking to feel productive during this time at home? Check out the suggestions below:
1) Digitize your old photos. Consider using Google's PhotoScan app on your phone to scan in your old photographs. It is easy to use, the quality is great, and it eliminates the glare that is often seen when you use your phone to take a picture of a photo. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices. Photo Scan does such a great job! I installed it a couple of years ago and I used it a lot when getting things together for our class reunion last summer, but I'd forgotten about it until I wanted to share some old family Easter photos with our boys on Sunday. Give it a try!
2) Check the permission settings for your apps. Sometimes when you install an app, it asks for more information than it really needs to run. Now is a good time to look through your privacy settings and make changes as desired:
On an Android device, go to:
Settings - Advanced - Privacy and review the settings for each app
On an iOS device, go to:
Settings - Privacy and adjust the settings for Location Services, Microphone and Camera
3) Download your Facebook information including photos.
In Facebook go to Settings - Your Facebook Information - Download Your Information. Mark items you'd like to download and then click Create File. You will be notified when the file is ready to download.
Next week, we'll take a look at some Facebook settings you may want to change while cleaning up your devices this spring.
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
5 Things You Must Know for the Day
CNN's "5 Things" daily newsletter is a great way to start your day!
Don't be quick to discount this resource if you're not a fan of CNN. Actually, I found I have to restrict both my reading and viewing of the news to help reduce stress and worry during this time. However, I stumbled across CNN's "5 Things" Newsletter that is delivered to my Inbox early each morning Monday-Friday, and I love it! The content includes:
1) the top 5 news stories, each summarized in an easy to read one-paragraph format
2) "Breakfast Browse" - 5 topics people are talking about
3) a number fact
4) a quote
5) a short light-hearted video
The formatting of the daily emails make them very readable; if you'd like to take a peek at the web version and/or also sign up, use this link. You can always unsubscribe if you find you don't like it!
Don't be quick to discount this resource if you're not a fan of CNN. Actually, I found I have to restrict both my reading and viewing of the news to help reduce stress and worry during this time. However, I stumbled across CNN's "5 Things" Newsletter that is delivered to my Inbox early each morning Monday-Friday, and I love it! The content includes:
1) the top 5 news stories, each summarized in an easy to read one-paragraph format
2) "Breakfast Browse" - 5 topics people are talking about
3) a number fact
4) a quote
5) a short light-hearted video
The formatting of the daily emails make them very readable; if you'd like to take a peek at the web version and/or also sign up, use this link. You can always unsubscribe if you find you don't like it!