Amazon Prime - is it worth it?

Did you subscribe to Amazon Prime several years ago to get free 2-day shipping on orders? I did and loved it!   It was worth every bit of  my $79/year subscription fee in 2014.  I didn't even flinch too much in 2018 when the annual fee increased to $119/year because by then I not only was using Amazon Prime for free shipping but I was also enjoying some of its other services - Prime Reading, Prime Video, and Amazon Photos for free  photo storage. If you are a subscriber, you've probably heard that your next renewal will find you paying $139/year. Is it worth it?

I've decided we will renew our subscription.  But, if you are unsure about renewing or even wondering if you should subscribe for the first time, you may want to take a look at Clark Howard's quiz, "Is Amazon Prime Worth It for You?" -  https://clark.com/shopping-retail/amazon-prime-worth-it-quiz/ 

To take full advantage of an Amazon Prime account, familiarize yourself with all the services that are included in addition to the free shipping.  These are four that I use most often:
1) Prime Reading: Get unlimited access on any device to more than a thousand eBooks, magazines and more. Also each month Prime members can download one editors' pick for free and it is yours to keep.
2) Prime Video: Amazon has exclusive content as well as popular movies and TV shows, all at no extra cost.  These can be watched on any device.
3) Amazon Music Prime: Over 2 million songs, ad-free, and millions of podcasts are included with your membership.
4) Amazon Photos:  Store and backup your photos, full-resolution and unlimited.  Using the Amazon Photos app, once the photos are uploaded they can be used on any device.  Video uploads are limited to 5 GB.

There are many many more services you can enjoy as an Amazon Prime subscriber, and I'd encourage you to take a look at this page:  https://www.amazon.com/primeinsider/about  

Note:   You may have found the "free two-day shipping" to be more like 4 or 5 days in the past year or so, but I believe that may not have been totally Amazon's fault.  It has been discouraging, however, in the past three weeks I have noticed the items that I've ordered have indeed been delivered within the two days.  Hopefully, that will continue!

And, one last important tip if you shop on Amazon- 

Amazon Smile:  You don't have to subscribe to Amazon Prime to sign up for Amazon Smile. Each time you make a purchase on Amazon, .5% of your purchase total can go to a charity or organization of your choice if you use smile.amazon.com to shop. You get to select the charity, and many of your local organizations and charities will appear in the list.  At any time you can change the charity for your donations.  Presently, .5% of our purchases are going to our granddaughters' school in Pennsylvania, and that school has received almost $1000 from Amazon Smile since November from Amazon purchases made by families and supporters.  You can read more about Amazon Smile here:  https://smile.amazon.com/charity/smile/about?_encoding=UTF8&ref_=smi_se_rspo_laas_aas

So, on this Tech Tip Twosday, maybe take some time to familiarize yourself with Amazon Prime to decide if it works for you.  Speaking of Twosday (2-22-22), I saw yesterday that the remaining days of this month are all palindromes - dates read the same forward as backwards!  (2-23-22, 2-24-22, 2-25-22, etc.)  Very cool, for a math nerd like me!  :-)

Jeline

All previous weekly tips are located here:  http://tuesdaytechtidbit.blogspot.com
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Save a link to your phone's Home Screen or you computer desktop

Most of us have probably been using bookmarks to save internet sites on our browsers for years.  However, I've found it to be helpful and a little quicker if I create a shortcut on my phone Home Screen and on the desktop of my computer to access frequently used websites like my medical portals, church, bank, etc.  Then, the minute I open my laptop or phone I see the icon for the saved website and I can click and be instantly taken to that website.

Can you think of websites you might want to access more quickly on a regular basis?  If so, here's how to create those shortcuts:

On an Android phone:

1. Open a browser (Chrome)
2. Go to the website you want a shortcut for.
3. Click the 3 little dots at the top corner of your window.
4. Select "Add to Home Screen."

On an iPhone/iPad:

1. Open the Safari browser.
2. Go to the website you want a shortcut for.
3. Tap the "share" icon found at the bottom of the screen.  (It is a little square with an upward facing arrow.)
4. On the window that pops up, scroll down a little then select "Add to Home Screen."

On a computer:

1. Open any browser.
2. Go to the website you want a shortcut for.
3. Click on the little padlock icon on the left side of the URL (web address usually beginning with http://) and drag it to your computer desktop.  

Once the bookmarks have been created on your phone or computer, you should see an icon with the name of the website or perhaps the URL on your main screen.  Clicking or tapping on it accesses the website you saved. 

These shortcuts can easily be deleted by right-clicking and selecting remove or delete if you are using a computer.  On a phone the bookmark can be deleted if you press and hold on the icon then select "Delete Bookmark."  

The above instructions may work a little differently on your personal devices; if you need a little additional help creating shortcuts for websites, you may want to take a look at these videos showing how to create shortcuts on the different devices:
On an iPhone (view the first minute of this video):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGQwXfpgj6k
On an Android phone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQouKfLw9Mw
Computer desktop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mPG9ARLl8w

Where did I park my car?

If you live in a small community, locating your parked car may not be a problem.  However, if you travel to larger cities to attend events, to shop, or leave on a flight you may want help remembering where you parked your car. Google Maps can assist you.

The Google Maps app can be installed on any mobile device and can be used in many different ways. But today let's learn how to use it to locate your parked car.

1. Once you have parked, open the Google Maps app. 
2. Press on the blue dot that is showing your present location.  From the menu that pops up select "Save Parking Location". 
3. The map will now display a "You are parked here" message on the map. 
4. Once you return from your trip, event, or shopping open the Google Maps app.
5. Click on the "You are parked here" then tap Directions.  You will be given the directions to reach your parked car.

If you'd like to watch a quick video on how to do this check this out:  https://youtu.be/dFdCBVaEm5c?t=39

However, today is too nice of a day to get in your car and go anywhere! Enjoy this beautiful Tech Tip Tuesday weather, leave your car at home, and walk somewhere instead!  And, you won't have to worry about locating your car! 

Facebook Security, Part 2

Why do people spend time hacking into a Facebook account or cloning it?  Because it pays off financially.  The scammer knows It is much easier to get someone to fall for a scam if they think it is their "friend" asking for financial help.  The scammer has technology and software to do this for him/her; he does not actually sit trying to hack accounts or clone them individually.

There are some things you can do to lessen the chances of your account being hacked without your knowledge.  Some of those tips were in last week's email but today I've done a couple of screencasts to walk you through some Facebook settings you can check either on a laptop/desktop computer or a mobile device:

1) Facebook Security & Privacy on a web browser on a desktop/laptop computer:  https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c3nVe8VDUL5

2) Facebook Security & Privacy on the Facebook app on a mobile device:  https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/c3nVfdVDURP

It is a good idea to review these settings from time to time.  Maybe put it as a regular "to-do" item on your calendar every 3-4 months?

Hope you have a wonderful Tech Tip Tuesday!  Many of us enjoyed absolutely gorgeous spring weather these past couple of days but are bracing for the return of winter tonight!  So, if you are stuck inside these next couple of days maybe you can find time to review your Facebook settings.  :-)

Has your Facebook account been hacked?

Quite frequently I see a Facebook post from a friend that says "I've been hacked.  Don't accept any friend requests from me," or something similar.  Then there is a comment about changing their password.  In reality, that probably won't take care of the problem.

More than likely, their Facebook account has been cloned, not hacked, so changing the password will probably not make any difference.  What's the difference between hacking and cloning?

If an account is truly hacked it means the password has been compromised and someone is actually using your FB account, and yes, your password should be changed.

BUT, if you are already friends with someone on Facebook you will not get a second request from them to be their friend.  When that request occurs it is coming from a cloned Facebook page.  A cloned FB account is one that someone has created using the information that is publicly available from your "real" FB account, things like personal information, your profile picture, friends list, etc.  Then "Friend Requests" are sent out from this new FB account, not your "real" one.

What should you do if that happens?  People who get the Friend Requests can report it to FB or you yourself can report it.  Begin by clicking here:  https://www.facebook.com/hacked

How can you better protect your "real" Facebook account from both hacking and cloning?  Read through the 4 tips below.
1)  Make sure your password is secure and change it every 6 months.
2)  Make your Friends list Private.
3)  At the very least, choose to make your posts visible to just Friends, NOT Public.
4) Set up 2-Factor Authentication so that if your account is logged into on a different computer, you will be notified.

Next week, I'll share some additional information (how-to videos) about securing your Facebook account and answer the question - "Why does someone want to clone my Facebook account and send out friend requests?"  But, in the meantime, here is a really good article if you'd like to read more today:  https://www.ricksdailytips.com/beware-duplicate-friend-requests/

Hope you have a terrific Tech Tip "Thursday."  Looks like we have another cloudy day here, but one with warmer temps.  52 days until Spring.  :-)

Wordle

Have you played Wordle?  It is found here:   https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/   I'm not a gamer so maybe that is why I didn't know anything about Wordle until last week; I may have just ignored any reference to it.  Once I heard about it I became hooked, along with millions of others it seems.  I am not a person who enjoys playing games on the computer or phone, but I am enjoying the challenge of Wordle.  Part of its appeal is that it is short, challenging, and there is only 1 puzzle per day.  The goal is to figure out one five-letter word each day.  Sound easy?  It isn't.  I'm getting better, I think, but I'm not finding it easy.

Below is what my screen looked like on yesterday's puzzle when I completed it.  Each day you begin with a 5 x 6 grid of empty squares.  You then enter words trying to guess the 5-letter word for the day.  With each try, squares turn green if you have the correct letter in the correct place.  Squares turn yellow if you have a correct letter but it isn't in the correct place in the word.  Squares turn gray if the letters you entered are not found in the word.  You only get 6 tries to enter the correct word; if not successful, you are done and must come back the next day for a new puzzle.  There is not a time limit and you are only in competition with yourself.

Some cautions:

1. Wordle is only available on the web at this address: https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/  Unfortunately in the Google Play store and the Apple Apps store there are fake Wordle apps; DO NOT download any of these. Wordle can only be played using a web browser.
2. There is an option to share your success on social media.  As tempted as you might be to do this, I would encourage you to refrain from doing so. 

Give the game a try. Take your time; there is no rush.  You can even leave the webpage open while you think about possible solutions.  Enjoy expanding your vocabulary!

Don't hang up!

Has your smartphone ever called someone without you purposely placing the call? Smartphones and watches sometimes seem to have minds of their own, don’t they? Most of us quickly disconnect when we discover we’re unexpectedly calling someone, BUT if you accidentally initiate a call to 911 on your phone or watch, please stay on the line and talk with the dispatcher to let them know you are okay. 

What happens if we hang up before they answer? It will mean extra time and work for emergency services because they have to follow up on ALL calls from mobile phones with a call and text.  Even if you quickly disconnect, Emergency Services have already received the call and are then tasked with making contact with you. Staying on the line and assuring them you are okay will allow the dispatcher to be more efficient and continue to serve others who may be in need. 

Happy 2022! Did you receive any new technology as holiday gifts? With most pieces of new technology there is a learning curve so take some time to explore and learn about any new gadgets so you can really use and enjoy them!

Jeline

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