Read This First

Read This First!

Follow these basic tips to keep your devices running smoothly:

Install antivrus and security software on all of your devices and keep it updated. Mac users, too. I recommend the following free products:

Sophos Home - Simply the best FREE stuff out there. For both PC and Macs.

Malwarebytes Anti-Malware FREE Edition - I always tell people to download the FREE edition and run it whenever their computer seems to be running slowly or is acting up.

Sypbot Search and Destroy - The other tool used to detect and remove malware and viruses. Use with Sophos Home and Malwarebytes to have the ultimate in protection.

Patch and Update Regularly - turn on the automatic update features in Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. Search Google for instructions on how to do so for your current version.

Back up your data - Get a large USB flash drive, or better yet a large external hard disk and use it.


Windows 8 and Windows 10 Users:

Windows 7 Users:

Don't Run Windows XP! - You are just asking for trouble.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Today's Tips - 5/31/2016

Stolen password alerts!!!!!!!

Two sites have now been found to have been breached - MySpace and Tumblr. If you have now, or ever have had, an account on either of these sites your should change the password immediately! In addition, if you've used this password on any other site you should change it there as well. Consider adding Two Factor Authentication (2FA) to these sites. For more information:


And some info on protecting your favorite web sites from hackers via Graham Cluley's excellent blog:


That's all I have for now. Thanks for reading.

Friday, May 6, 2016

Today's Tip - 5/6/2016

Two Step Verification - Why should you use it?

Everyone is concerned about the security of their online accounts. It seems as if we're seeing a news report informing us that another online retailer or site has been compromised and all of our account information has been leaked to the world. Two Step Verification (2SV) is a a security tool that you can use to help keep your accounts secure. The short description of 2SV is that, in addition to requiring a username and password, web sites will send a verification code to your mobile phone in the form of a text message (or even in an app you install) that you must enter to gain access to your account. Although not perfect, 2SV seems to offer the best balance between security and convenience for online accounts. More information about how to activate and use 2SV can be found here:






Enjoy!

Monday, April 11, 2016

Today's Tip - 4/11/2006

Sorry for the long absence dear readers. Had to take care of some pressing network issues.

How To: Entering a <Tab> in a Gmail message:

It is very frustrating to try and to insert a simple Tab character into a "Rich Text" editor, especially when they are part of a web page. As I'm sure many have noticed, this is especially irritating in GMail. Pressing the Tab key moves you to the "Send" button. Argh! Never fear, for I have found a way to do this!

This only works on a keyboard with a numeric keypad like those found on most PCs. If you have a laptop you can use the embedded numeric keypad if your laptop has one.

To enter a Tab place the cursor where you want the Tab to appear then depress and hold down the left "ALT' key. Next, type the number "009" on the numeric keypad. Last, release the left "ALT" key and Tada! - Your Tab appears!

This method can be used to produce many other characters too. This is because the TAB character is only one entry in something known as the Extended ASCII Table. For a look at what you can do with these secret codes here is a link to a chart you can keep for reference (I'd suggest creating a bookmark to it so you'll always have it available. I'm going toi cover creating bookmarks in a future blog post):


That's all I have for today.

Any suggestions for future blog posts? Email me here!

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Today's Tips - 2/25/16

Today's Blog features links to some articles from one of the industry's foremost srcurity bloggers, Mr Graham Cluley. Mr. Cluley's newsletter, website, and blog are an invaluable resource for end users and IT Pros alike.We also feature some articles from our antivirus vendor's newsletter "Naked Security by Sophos". 

Here a some links to a few items that I feel that anyone connected to the internet should be reading:

Be careful who you trust with your children's information!

uKnowKids.com, a website that provides tools for parents to use to manage their children's privacy and safety online and on their mobile devices (and my personal recommendation) was hacked.


So You  Think That New Wireless Mouse and Keyboard Are Nice? Better Think Twice!

Some wireless mice and keyboards are prone to being hijacked. Another thing to think about, especially since we let students walk around with what are essentially hacker tools in their pockets!


Drive a Nissan Leaf? Don't Connect It To Your Phone!

I really don't know what to say other than this - who thought connecting your car to the world is a good idea?


Should Apple Unlock A Terrorists iPhone? What Do You Think?

I'm undecided about this. Of course we all want to help the FBI catch terrorists. But at the expense of our personal privacy? Who is to say that the government won't misuse this new power? Check out this video by Graham Cluley and let me know what you think in the comments section:

Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Today's Tips - 2/16/2016

Is Someone Stealing Your Netflix?

Are you an avid Netflix viewer like me? Has your account been hacked and is someone taking up a connection that you could let one of your family member use? Have your kids shared your Netflix account with their friends? Here's how to find out:


Anyone wearing an Apple Watch? How about a Fitbit?

These may seem like only useful toys right now, but expect there use to explode in the work world soon, As with so many emerging technologies, it's only a matter of time before the  "killer app" takes the market by storm. Read on for more:



Do you wonder if wearables can find a place in education? I do. I'm not sure where that place is, but I'm sure when someone comes up with an idea it will be amazing.

That's all I have for now. Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Today's Tips - 2/2/16

Hip Hip Hooray! Java in the browser will finally be gone!

One of the web's biggest security threat is finally being eliminated! Java running in the web browser will finally be gone! You'll still be able to run Java Apps, but they'll run outside of your browser. This will make everyone's computer much safer! For more info:


That's all for today. Thanks for reading.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Today's Tips - 2/1/16:

Happy February Everyone!


Sometimes I like to read information about one of the businesses we most love to hate - cell phone carriers. Very few things illicit such a passionate response from folks like the choices of cell phone carriers, their phones, and their plans. Here is a brief comparison of carriers and plans from our friends over at Tom's Guide:



Who's a "Cord Cutter"? I am!

I'm happy to say that I have been without a cable TV subscription since May 2015! I've saved a ton of money and you can too! I'll be passing along information about how you can ditch your cable subscriber and still have all of the TV and entertainment you want when YOU want it! And for substantially lower cost. Here is some excellent information to get you started:


One question that people always ask is "How can I watch live TV like sporting events and specials?" Until recently that has been a problem with cutting the cord. Things are rapidly improving, though. Here is a brief guide to the current state of live streaming:


That's all I have for today. Thanks for reading.