Let there be hope...
Life has changed there is no doubt and we wanted to reach out to see how you are doing.
As we go through this interesting time, we are trying to look at this as an opportunity to focus on our family and on friends like you. Let us use this extra time to catch up and talk more. Let us cook food that is not fast, but interesting and satisfying. Let us learn to enjoy a time to try new things. Let us find ways to enjoy time at home!
Computer Security
If my client base is any experience, anyone can be a victim of a Ransomware, Malware or Virus attack.
What can you do about it?
I conduct audits of your entire computer infrastructure and apply best practice solutions to plug the security holes on your computers, Smartphones and networks.
Now offering consultations to give you the best protection possible:
404.229.0839
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Home » Archives for January 2016
10:27 AM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Following on from the excellent work carried out by my colleague,
Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, where he benchmarked browsers running on Windows 7 and Windows 10, I've taken a look at how well browsers run on OS X 10.11 "El Capitan."
What's Hot on ZDNet
How to block Windows 10 upgrades on your business network (and at home, too)
Linux and open source have won, get over it
How to install multiple SIM cards into an iPhone 6s
CES 2016: Meet this year's weird, wonderful and worst...
10:23 AM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
I know that we've said this a lot, but it's so important I'm going to
say it again: You have to secure your Wi-Fi! There's no excuse for an
unsecured Internet connection.
An open Wi-Fi network is an invitation for anyone to hop on. From neighbors to hackers, you could be hosting a party that slows down your connection, puts your information at risk or even gets you in legal trouble.
But
it's not just your home computer that hackers are after. They want the
data on your smartphones and tablets, too, and they can easily take it
with an insecure Wi-Fi connection.
How can you make sure you stay safe on any Wi-Fi connection? Try Hotspot Shield VPN.
It's
...
10:20 AM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
If you downloaded Microsoft's newest version of its Windows operating system, Windows 10,
you probably like its improvements over Windows 8, which, among other
things, didn't have the Start button you've been using for years.
Windows 10 brought that back, and made several other improvements.
However,
one tiny change you may have noticed isn't so great. If you increase
the size of the fonts on Windows 10, so that it's easier to read content
on your computer screen, you may notice the fonts get blurry.
In
older versions of Windows, if you increased the DPI (dots per inch)
scaling to 125% or more, your fonts would get larger and easier to read.
Note: This is most noticeable...
10:16 AM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
It's becoming well understood that using computers, smartphones and
tablets before bedtime isn't the best way to fall asleep. During normal
operation, gadget screens put out blue light that fools your body into
thinking its daytime. You can actually use this fact to help beat jet lag.
If you
find yourself tossing and turning in bed, though, it might be because
you were checking the latest Facebook posts or watching a movie just a
little while earlier. Typically, you want to stop using your gadgets one
to two hours before hitting the sack. However, if you just can't put
your gadgets down, there's now another option.
On computers, you can find programs like...
10:13 AM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Have you noticed that you don't go to sleep as easily as you used to?
There could be any number of reasons, but a big one is likely the
gadgets in your life.
Computer, smartphone and tablet screens are
bright and they put out a lot of blue light. That blue light can trick
your body into thinking it's daytime. If you're staring hard at a screen
just before you hit the hay, your body is going to take a while to get
back into nighttime mode. Fortunately, there's a solution.
That
solution is not using gadgets at least an hour before bed, and two
hours would be better. OK, not a fan of that one? There's another
solution you can try.
If blue light is the problem, then...
10:10 AM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
The Microsoft Surface success story has taken a bit of a twist.
Microsoft will, according to Channelnomics Europe
voluntarily recall chargers for the Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and
Surface Pro 3. The power supply adapters, which connect to the
tablet/laptop hybrid via magnets, can apparently get damaged if they are
“sharply or repeatedly bent… [or] tightly wrapped,” according to a
statement given to Channelnomics Europe by Microsoft.
See also: Inside the creation of the Microsoft Surface Book
As Microsoft gets its mojo back, the Surface Pro line has been a particularly bright spot. Last year, the company reported big growth in Surface Pro sales (117%) on the strength...
1:22 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Attention, night owls: Apple will soon be making it easier for you to use your devices at night.
The
upcoming iOS 9.3 update will include a new feature called “Night Shift”
that will change the colors of the light emitted by your iPhone or
iPad’s display, based on the time of day.
See also: Seriously, stop using your smartphone in bed
The feature
uses your current location and the clock on your iPhone or iPad to
figure out what time the sun sets, and will automatically “shift the
colors in your display to the warmer end of the spectrum,” according to
Apple.
The idea is very similar to f.lux,
a popular Mac and Windows app that changes your display’s lighting
based...
1:16 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Microsoft officially drops support for most older versions of Internet
Explorer today. That means no more security updates for tens or hundreds
of millions of Windows users, many of whom will be blissfully unaware
that they're in danger.
For Microsoft, backward compatibility is a tremendous competitive
advantage. It's also a support nightmare, not just for the engineers who
have to deliver patches but for third-party developers and web
designers who have to support outdated code.
At one point in early 2014, thanks to
Microsoft's 10-year support lifecycle for Windows, the company was
actively supporting no fewer than five versions of Windows:...
1:00 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
If you read our news last week, you know that today is the day that Microsoft puts Internet Explorers 8, 9 and 10 to rest.
Microsoft will no longer release security updates for these browsers
(unless you're using IE 9 on Vista), which means they'll have
increasingly fewer defenses against hackers.
However, today is
also the day that Microsoft stops providing security updates for the
3-year-old Windows 8. Before you panic, however, we should be clear that
it isn't ending support for Windows 8.1, which is supported through
January 10, 2023. So, how do you know if this affects you?
If
you aren't sure whether you have Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, go to the
Start screen and...
2:50 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
So you got a new smartphone for the holidays and you are pumped.
It’s got an awesome new camera and a beautiful, crisp screen that makes
all its apps look amazing — heck, you can even use it to pay for
groceries at the checkout counter.
Now
the question is: What do you do with your old phone? Dump it in the
dark abyss that is your junk drawer, never to see or hear from it again?
No!
There
are plenty of other, cooler things you can do with your newly retired
smartphone besides letting it rot away behind a box of thumbtacks and
some old yarn. Here’s how you can give your old handset a second life
(or at least trade it in for some cold, hard cash).
Read More: How...
2:36 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
A home security system is a good way to keep burglars from stealing
your valuables while you're away or threatening your family when you're
home. In days past, there weren't that many security system vendors, but
cheap technology has brought a lot more companies on board.
On the most unusual new entries to the market is Comcast. Yes, the same Comcast that provides cable Internet with questionable tactics and historically lousy customer service.
If you've dealt with Comcast before, it might not surprise you to learn
that its security system isn't all it's cracked up to be.
Comcast's
security, which falls under the Xfinity brand, uses wireless signals to
...
2:33 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Microsoft
might want to keep an eye on Samsung: The Korean tech giant today
announced a new Windows 10 productivity tablet that will compete
directly with the Windows maker’s Surface Pro slate.
On
top of that, Samsung also showed off a pair of 13- and 15-inch laptops
that are so light you’d swear they’re just empty shells rather than
fully functional notebooks.
A Surface fighter in the making
The
Samsung TabPro S is a 12-inch tablet that runs full versions of
Microsoft’s Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. To say this thing is slim
is an understatement: Measuring 11.5 x 7.8 x 0.24 inches and weighing
just 1.5 pounds, the TabPro S is thinner and lighter than the Surface...
2:28 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Using an iPhone or an iPad isn't rocket science. One of the things
that die-hard Apple users love most about them is their combination of
powerful computing with simple, easy-to-use functionality.
That's even
more pronounced with Apple's new iOS 9 operating system.
In fact, hundreds of thousands of people have decided to ditch their laptops and desktop computers in favor of tablets. Click here to find out if that's a good choice for you.
However,
when you pull your Apple gadget out of its shiny package, it's not your
personalized gadget yet. For that, you need to tweak some settings to
make it your own.
That's why we've created this list of tips and
tricks to help you...
6:03 PM
High Tech House Calls, Expert Computer Consulting
Whether it's learning a new language, catching up on our reading
lists or exploring the night sky, iPhone apps have been helping us learn
about the world around us from the earliest days of the App Store.
See also: The 9 best productivity apps for iPhone of all time
This list is a look at the best educational apps ever made for the iPhone, based on our list of the 100 best iPhone apps of all time.
As with the rest of the apps on the list, we evaluated education and
reading apps based on their design, cultural impact and how they
resonated with users. The apps below are ranked in the order in which
they appeared on the best 100 list.
For a closer look at how we chose and ranked the...
