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Buying a new iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy? •    Do you know how to back up your old cellphone? •    How do you get the old data from the old phone onto your new phone? •    What steps are necessary to you wipe your old phone so that none of your personal data is on it when you sell it? •    Where do you sell you old phone for the most amount of money with the least amount of effort? High Tech House Calls knows all the ins and outs of transferring data from one cellphone to another. Give us a call when your new cellphone arrives. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ...

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Things Your Mother Never Told You by Carl Thorne

1.    iCloud – what does it mean when iCloud does not have enough space to backup my iPhone? Apple gives you 5GBs of iCloud storage for free, but Apple wants you to buy more space. Usually, the biggest user of space is your Photo Stream.  You have three options: buy more iCloud storage from Apple, stop backing up your Photo Stream or use another cloud based solution such as DropBox to backup your photos. 2.    Samsung Galaxy S5 - I moved from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy S5. Why? A bigger, brighter screen that was easier for me to read. More choices for replacements for the stock calendar application. Cheaper than the iPhone 6 by at least $100. Ability to...

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Happy Holidays from High Tech House Calls

Wishing You and Your Family Peace and Joy This Holiday Season and Throughout the Coming New Ye...

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Ransomware: Should you pay or not? by Kim Komando

Last-minute holiday shopping is enough to leave anyone breathless. Hackers know how stressful this time can be and will do their best to trick you into downloading dangerous malware. I'm talking about a particular kind of malware that will encrypt or otherwise lock all of your files and threaten to throw away the key unless you pay the hackers off. These programs are called ransomware and they help computer hackers steal millions of dollars worldwide. Imagine that every file on your computer was locked by hackers. Your only two options are to pay the hackers an untraceable ransom or to lose every file on your computer and start over again. Now before you take an "I don't negotiate...

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The moocher's guide to cutting the cable cord by Jared Newman

So you finally told your cable company to take a running leap at a rolling donut. Congratulations, you're free! And you have a little more disposable income to boot. Oh, but now you're feeling the pain of withdrawal; you're tired of the office loudmouth spoiling entire seasons of your favorite shows. Here's some good news. If you're willing to bend the rules, you might be able to rely on the generosity of loved ones willing to their share passwords. While services like Netflix and HBO Go don't exactly encourage password sharing, they haven't aggressively attacked the practice either. For that reason, the password-sharing phenomenon is well-documented, even if it is legally...

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5 battery myths debunked by Kim Komando

Without compact, rechargeable batteries, our mobile gadgets simply wouldn't exist. But, if we're honest, our batteries really aren't that good. Most smartphones, tablet and laptops can barely last through a whole day of use - if that. That's why battery companies are working like crazy to come up with technology and materials that improve battery life or allow for faster charging. In the meantime, there's plenty of advice floating around on how to keep your battery healthy and long lasting - including some from me. Unfortunately, it also means there are plenty of battery myths that people believe, either through misunderstandings or just old information. I'm going to bust five of...

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Last chance: Watch these Netflix movies while they last, plus what's new in January BY Kim Komando

It's that time again! Licenses for individual movies and TV shows are set to expire on Netflix at the end of the month, so that means it's time to watch certain titles before they disappear forever. But don't worry, the streaming video service also regularly adds news films as well. So what's going to be new in January? And what should you watch before it goes away at midnight on December 31st? We've got lots to look forward to. The entire "Friends" series, "Cast Away" and "Mean Girls" are just a few. But first, don't miss these favorite titles before they disappear. "Rocky," and "Rudy" will retire. "Braveheart," "Love Actually," "The Mighty Ducks," "Spaceballs" and "The...

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How to remove yourself from online directories by Kim Komando

Trolls don't hide under bridges anymore. For most modern day trolls, hiding behind an anonymous name on the Internet serves them just fine. From there they can harass whoever they want with little fear of being caught.   If you've been following any of the major controversies surrounding Internet trolling, then you'd know that an Internet troll's strongest weapon is "doxxing." "Dox" is techie slang for someone's personal information. Trolling organizations like Anonymous and 4Chan will choose a target, collect their information, such as name, phone number, address, online accounts, etc., and then "drop dox," or release their information online. Hundreds or thousands...

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Today only: Every book on Amazon is 25% off by Kim Komando

Amazon's most recent deals haven't been too kind to the folks out there who just can't handle e-books. Until today, most of the sales involved Amazon's Kindle e-reader or digital copies of novels. That ends today. You can get 25% off any one book by entering the promo code BOOKDEAL25 at checkout. And when I say any book, I really mean any book. Watch out, because you're only allowed to get print copies of books. No digital editions. Also, this deal only works for one book. Choose wisely. While you're at it, you might also want to check out Amazon's 12 days of deals. The site highlights different types of products every day. Today's, for example, is for people with active...

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Fire risk forces recall of 500,000 laptop power cables by Kim Komando

If you or someone you know has a Lenovo laptop, you need to pay attention! Lenovo is issuing a recall on 500,000 laptop power cords due to fire and burn hazards. Issues with these cords include overheating, sparking, burning and melting. Even though no injuries have been reported yet, it's crucial that you double-check your power cords to make sure that you or a loved one don't have one of these faulty cords. -advertisement - article continues below- If you do have one of these cords, contact Lenovo at (800) 426-7378 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday; or online at www.lenovo.com and click on Support at the top of the page, then select...

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Apple drops iOS 8.1.2 to bring back vanished ringtones by Leah Yamshon

Check your settings: Apple just released a software update for iOS 8 on Tuesday. iOS 8.1.2 includes which has been a known problem since iOS 8.0.2.  general bug fixes and, most importantly, fixes a problem that caused ringtones purchased via iTunes to disappear from your device— While the update itself won’t bring your ringtones back from the dead, Apple has another way to restore missing purchases: After you install the update, follow Apple’s ringtone restore link (itunes.com/restore-tones) on your device, which will redirect you to iTunes. Follow the on-screen prompts from there. To install the update, go to General > Settings > Software Update if you’d like to install...

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PC vs. Mac: Which should you buy? by Kim Komando

The tech world is known for its heated debates and few have been as fierce or long-lasting as PCs vs. Even with many users abandoning computers for tablets and joining the Android vs. iOS debate, plenty of hardcore Mac and PC users still hotly defend their chosen platform while attacking the other. Macs. PC fans claim Macs are too expensive and won't run a lot of important programs, and that Mac users have been brainwashed by Apple. Mac fans like to bring up Windows' history of security problems and crashes, and claim that PC users aren't very discerning. Some of these criticisms have some truth to them and some are stereotypes that won't go away. Still, none of that...

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Speeding up Wi-Fi by Marc Saltzman

   Speeding up Wi-Fi Click on "square icon" to make Blog Post bigg...

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Protect yourself against cyberattack risks by David Horowitz

   Protect Yourself Against Cyberattack Risks Click on "square icon" to make Blog Post bigg...

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Do you need to break the bank to get a good phone? by Anick Jesdanun

NEW YORK (AP) — It might seem as though everyone has an iPhone or Galaxy smartphone. But many customers are eschewing the best cameras and screens — and their top-end price tags — and choosing models that can get the job done at less than a third of the cost. Sales of high-end Samsung and Apple phones remain robust, but demand for budget phones is growing. About a third of the smartphones sold in the U.S. between July and September cost less than $200, up from 18 percent a year ago, according to tech research firm IDC. A top-end phone costs $600 to $700 at full price, before the subsidies some phone companies offer in exchange for committing to two-year service contracts. No longer...

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Some iPhone 6/6 Plus Users Reporting Scratched Screens by Jim Karpen

First there were reports that the new iPhones bent easily, and now there's a report that some users are complaining that their displays are easily scratched. It turned out that bending wasn't as much of a problem as first reported, and I'm hoping the same will be the case regarding the scratching. AppleInsider has posted an article about extended discussions (nearly 700 posts) on Apple's forums of the scratching issue. People say they are noticing scratching on the display after less than a week of normal use, and that these displays seem more prone to scratching than on other recent iPhone models. AppleInsider suggests the fault could lie with the new design of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus,...

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LinkedIn: Beginner's guide to job searching and professional networking by Kim Komando

Facebook is one of the best ways to connect with your friends online. Finding a job online can be tough, but you might actually want to consider a website that brings the social media experience to your job hunt. On LinkedIn, users can post their resumes, interests, skills and connect with personal and professional contacts. The hardest part about job hunting is, well, all of the stuff that happens between the moment when you send over your resume to a business and when you actually get a call back. See also: Get the LinkedIn app for on-the-go networking The easiest way to get past this tough time, of course, is to actually know someone at the company to which you're applying....

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10 essential apps for your tablet or smartphone by Kim Komando

Thousands of people get new smartphones or tablets every day. Some people are upgrading their tech, and other people are getting replacements for broken or drowned gadgets. So many are learning that they don't need a laptop or desktop computer. A tablet or smartphone fits the bill perfectly. First, be sure to read my quick start guide to a new tablet and 7 ways you must secure your smartphone right now. These tips will keep your gadget secure and running like new. To really get the most out of your phone or tablet, you need great apps. The word "Apps" is short for applications. These are software programs that perform various functions. There are apps for your mail, games,...

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Last chance: Watch these Netflix movies while they last by Kim Komando

Available Dec. 1: A Knight’s Tale Almost Famous American Beauty Bewitched Camp Takota Crossroads Jewtopia Knights of Badassdom Madison Out of the Clear Blue Sky Out of Time The Out-of-Towners Troop Beverly Hills Turbo FAST: New Episodes Available Dec. 3rd through 6th: American Horror Story: Coven Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues: Super Sized Version Ava & Lala Bill Burr: I’m Sorry You Feel That Way Oculus Sharknado 2: The Second One Son of God Available December 8th-11th: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown: Season Three A Haunted House 2 Drive Hard I Am Ali The Village The Wolf of Wall Street Available December 12th-15th: Broadchurch: Season One Don’t Blink Jake Squared Marco...

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Two minutes to make you happier at work, in life ... and over the holidays by Laszlo BockInfluencer SVP, People Operations at Google

It’s Thanksgiving week in the US, so I’m reflecting on what I’m most thankful for: my family, my friends, my XBox One (a recent birthday present), the rain we’re getting in the Bay Area (finally!), and a job I love. Many of you are doing the same. The year-end is a great time for looking back, looking forward, and thanking the people around you for all they’ve done. But it turns out that an “attitude of gratitude” is way more powerful than just saying “thanks.” Expressing gratitude makes you happier, and may even make you live longer. Happiness research shows that when stuff happens it makes us either sadder or happier (thanks, Science!). But the effect attenuates over time. Most...

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