Stop fumbling around and use your personal assistant!

Do you use the personal assistant (Hey, Siri or Hey, Google) on your phone to help you do things more quickly or easily?  If not, today might be a good day to start!  

Today every time you pick up your phone to check weather, time, messages, what's on your calendar, to call someone, etc. ask Siri or Google to do that for you.

Some examples:
Begin by saying "Hey, Siri" (iPhone) or "Hey, Google" (Android phone), then

1. What time is it?
2. Send a message to......
3. Remind me to pick up my prescriptions today.
4. Write an email to my mom.
5. What is the weather going to be like today?
6. What time is it in Munich?
7. Get directions home.
8. Find coffee near me.
9. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
10. Put a haircut on my calendar for April 1 at 10 AM.
11. Turn on the flashlight.

What other ways can/do you use Siri or Google?  Remember, your "personal assistant" is there to help you.  
Troubleshooting:
If Siri isn't working on your iPhone, check out these suggestions:  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207489
If Google assistant isn't working on your Android phone, check out this page:  https://support.google.com/assistant/answer/9795643?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid

Have a terrific Tech Tip Tuesday!  Since Kansas weather promises to be wet today and keep us inside, take some time to familiarize yourself with your personal assistant!

10 Photos to Keep on Your Phone

Even if you don't use the camera on your phone very often, consider snapping these 10 photos to keep on your phone just in case you need them: 

1. Your COVID vaccination card
2. Your driver's license and other ID's
3. Your car's license plate
   
4. Your car's VIN number 
   
5. Automobile insurance card
6. Your Medicare card
7. Your supplemental insurance card
8. Your dental insurance card
9. Pictures of your rental car before and after
10. Your Airbnb or VRBO rental - before and after

Additionally, you might want to consider snapping photos of your prescription medications.

Concerned that this personal information might be accessed by anyone who has your phone?  Take a look at how to password protect these photos on either an iPhone or Android device.

Have a terrific Tech Tip Tuesday!  The weather promises to be pretty nice the next couple of days here in Kansas.  So, take photos of #1-8 today and possibly your medication bottles BEFORE you go outside to soak up the sun!

Where is your router?

Is your router delivering the wireless speeds you expect when you are using your computer or mobile devices in your home?  The placement of your router can make a BIG difference.  Consider these tips for getting better speeds:

1)  Identify the rooms in your house where you use your wireless network most frequently.  Then pinpoint the middle point of those rooms and place your router there.

2)  Place your router high in a room because radio waves usually shoot the signal downward.  Also, if your router has multiple antennas, make sure they are pointed in different directions.

3)  Ceilings, walls, furniture, concrete, metal, and brick can all block the signal and slow it down.  Try to put your router out in the open.

4) Keep the router away from other devices that can interfere with or block the signal (appliances, microwave, cordless phones, baby monitors, and bluetooth-enabled devices.)

For optimum speeds, spend a couple of minutes today evaluating the placement of your router. If you happen to have a whole-house mesh system, make sure your satellite devices are placed nearest the rooms where you are using the WiFi signal.

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
If you have a friend who wants to subscribe, feel free to share this link:  https://bit.ly/tuesdaytechtip2022

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.  :-)