Part D Drug Plans

It's that time of year for us seniors - from October 15 to December 7 the window is open to preview/review Part D drug plans. You really should take time annually to review your plan: online at Medicare.gov, by talking with your pharmacist, or talking with your Extension Office or other local agencies who offer the service.    

All entities reviewing drug plans use the same website to evaluate the available plans in your state: https://www.medicare.gov/  But you can do it yourself!

Whether or not your medications have changed, you still should evaluate the plans and select the best one for you before December 7. 
Why?
Drug plans, drug tiers, and premiums change annually. 
The same drug can be on different tiers in different plans thus changing its cost. 
Don't just assume that what you are presently enrolled in is the best plan for you next year.  
Mail-order is not always the cheapest way anymore to obtain your 90-day prescription.

Need help? I made a screencast to show you how to navigate the 2022 website.  Click here to view it.

If you aren't interested in using the website, then make an appointment now with your pharmacist or local agency offering this service. Following the appointment, try using the Medicare website just to see if you come up with the same recommendation.

You can do this!  Visit medicare.gov on this beautiful Tech Tuesday and give it a try!  

Translate, a tool to remember!

 Are you ever in a situation, not just when traveling abroad, that you would like to have a conversation with someone who either doesn't speak English or has limited English?  On Saturday I was at the Post Office and listened to a postal worker and patron trying to understand each other.  I felt sorry for the young patron who spoke limited English and wished there was a way to help a situation that was frustrating for both parties.  A couple of days later I was reminded about an app that ALL of us have or can have on our smartphones which would have allowed me to help in that particular situation.  I could have pulled out my phone and easily have alleviated a very frustrating situation for those two people.

On the iPhone, the app is called Translate and is part of the native operating system - it does not have to be installed.The newest operating system update provides a "Conversation" mode that allows a conversation to be translated in both audio and written form in real time as people speak. Once the button is tapped, the conversation can ensue in real time. It is absolutely amazing!  Check out this link for more information:  https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/translate-text-voice-and-conversations-iphd74cb450f/ios 

For Android users -  the app is called Google Translate and must be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The app is very similar to the iPhone app allowing a conversation to be translated in real time as people converse.  Check out this link for more information: https://support.google.com/translate/answer/6142474?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid&oco=0 

*iPhone users can also download Google Translate but I recommend using the native Translate app on the iPhone.

Of course, this app can be very beneficial if traveling abroad, but maybe, like me, you can think of situations where it may be helpful in our everyday lives?  Give it a try right now so that when you need/want it you are familiar with how it works!

A beautiful fall Tech Tuesday is before us; enjoy! 

That Dirty Phone!

Yesterday we were at one of my mom's doctor appointments in Topeka and she told the doctor about her new twin great-grandchildren (he has twins, too).  She asked me to show him a picture of them on my phone.  So, I did.  And, when I took the phone back from him, I was embarrassed at how smeary the phone screen looked.  I actually don't remember the last time I cleaned it; I used to be so good about doing that.  Especially at the beginning of the pandemic.  But now, not so much.

So when we got home, I did a little searching and was reminded how best to get the smears off my phone (the newer glass on phones is so much better than the glass on our first iPhones, but it still gets pretty smeary!)

Basically, there are four things to keep your phone clean and in good shape:
1) Use a damp microfiber cloth to gently wash the screen and case
2) Use something like a Clorox wipe to gently wipe off the grease and grime and to also disinfect
3) Remove the case occasionally and clean out the gunk
4) Use a static-free soft bristle brush to gently clean out the holes and ports on your phone; I think you may be surprised at what comes out.

That's all there is to it!  Other than putting a reminder on your calendar so you will remember to clean it occasionally. :-)

Check out this short quirky 4-minute video clip that demonstrates the 4 suggestions above:  https://youtu.be/0b4cP8Sq1lQ  Or, take a look at my Tuesday Tech Tip posted at the beginning of the pandemic:  How to Disinfect your Phones

Enjoy this beautiful Tech Tuesday!  

Facebook Quizzes

If you spend any time on Facebook, you've seen an example of what I'm writing about today.  It's those seemingly innocuous quizzes or questions that appear on your newsfeed that ask you for a quick response in the Comments. Name of your first pet, where was your first flight to, your first car, the name of your fifth grade teacher, you favorite vacation spot, etc.  Any time you respond with personal information on Facebook you provide would-be scammers with information that can be used to hack into your accounts.  

Often the questions being asked are the same or similar to ones that are given as choices for security questions when you create a new online account.  When you answer these quick quizzes, you provide information publicly thus decreasing your online security.  So, just don't do it....even if you're tempted when you see responses from your friends in the Comments section.

One other tip to consider when setting up a new online account and you need to provide answers to security questions.  Lie......yes, lie.    Do not answer them with the correct information.  That will provide an extra layer of security.  However......if you lie, remember to record your lies somewhere so you are able to answer the security questions correctly if needed.  :-)

Searching TV subscription services

If you've switched to streaming TV (YouTube TV, Netflix, Roku, Philo, etc.), it can sometimes be difficult to locate the platform/service that has the TV show or movie you really want to watch.  You can certainly search each platform you've subscribed to, but there are some websites/apps that search across all the TV streaming services (including the free ones) that can help streamline your search. Below are three you may want to try:

Reelgood - If you're looking to find a certain show or movie, Reelgood allows you to search over 150 streaming services. In addition to the website, Reelgood also has apps for your smart TV as well as for your iPhones and Android phones.

JustWatch - JustWatch is very similar to Reelgood except that it will also make recommendations for new movies or shows based on your previous searches.  There are also apps available for download if you prefer searching using an app rather than on the web.

Roku - If you use a Roku device to access your streaming shows, once you have connected any of your streaming services to it, you will be able to use the Roku Search to locate shows.  The Roku search has improved greatly over the last several years!  And, of course, you can download the Roku apps from the App Store or Google Play Store.

I'm not a TV watcher, so I've not used any of these three search methods.  However, I've talked with people who seem frustrated (including my husband) when trying to locate certain shows once the switch from cable TV to streaming subscriptions is made, and I think these three "tools" may be very helpful.

Transcript from YouTube

I'm not sure how I/we ever got along without "how-to" videos from YouTube - how to repair a home appliance, how to make a mask, how to do something on our phones, etc.   Often, I save a particularly helpful YouTube video for possible future reference, but at times I've wished I also had the information to refer back to without watching the video or I've wanted it in a printed format.  I was recently reminded that a transcript is available for almost every video on YouTube (Unless the creator disabled that feature).

How do you access a YouTube transcript that you can then read or even print?

1. Click on the 3 little dots below the YouTube video (and to the right side of the word Share)
2. Select Open Transcript. The transcript will open with the timestamps but the timestamps can be Toggled off by clicking on the 3 vertical dots on the Transcript title bar.
3. If you'd like to print the transcript, you will need to Copy and Paste the transcript into a word processing document to print.  There is not an automatic print command within the transcript box. 
   
   1. To Copy/Paste - select/highlight all the transcript text, right-click to select Copy, open your word processing program, right-click and select Paste.)  Then that document can be printed.

That's all there is to it!  This may be a tip you just want to "file away" for future reference when you need it, and also, hopefully remember it when you want it.  (If you have any tips for being able to remember something for future reference, PLEASE let me hear from you!)  :-)

Have a terrific Tech Tuesday; fall is on its way!

Printing webpages

Do you still print webpages to save information for later? I do; I occasionally print out recipes if I want to keep them or even articles I use in my Computing for Seniors class or for Sunday School. Today's tip is from a screencast I made 4 years ago; I found it when I was looking for something else. This screencast shows how to print a webpage without all the ads/extras from a laptop/desktop computer, but the information is also partially applicable to phones and tablets. Take a look-- http://screencast-o-matic.com/u/uTc/printingtips (best viewed by clicking the square in the lower right hand corner to display fullscreen view)

In the screencast, I talk about:
1) using the Printer-Friendly icon on a webpage
2) selecting just the text you want to print
3) looking at your Print Dialogue box and choosing just the pages you want to print as well as printing in black and white
4) using the "Reader's View" on Apple products to print without advertisements and graphics. 
Update since the screencast was made:  Reader's View on an iPhone is now denoted by an upper case A and a lower case A at the left edge of the address bar, not the three lines mentioned in the Screencast; see the illustration below:



Note:  I do use Reader's View on my iPhone quite often, not just when printing webpages.  I find that reading news stories is made so much easier by clicking the Aa and selecting Reader's View.