Best Buy – Page 11 – MeisterPlanet

WTAM 1100 – Finding Lost and Misplaced Files

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – October 7th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland Ohio No matter how expensive your computer is, the most valuable thing on it is usually your data. When you lose a document, photo or other work, it can cause your heart to skip a beat. In many situations, the file isn’t gone forever, just misplaced, accidentally moved or renamed.

In this week’s Tech Tuesday segment on WTAM 1100‘s Wills and Snyder in the Morning show, Bill Wills and I discuss how to start your search for that wayward data. We also talk about data backup plans, and how Geek Squad’s Data Recovery Agents can help even when your files are really missing.

For more information, check out my Geek Squad Intelligence Blog article It Was Here a Minute Ago: Tips on Finding Lost Files.

WTAM 1100 – Blackberry Passport

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – September 30th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland Ohio While the smartphone news has recently been dominated by iPhone and Android, the recently announced BlackBerry Passport may interest some with it’s promise of being an “office on the go” device.

Some of the key features of the Passport:

Physical Keyboard – The Passport combines a physical keyboard and a line of changing screen-based keys above that will make heavy email and messaging users happy.
Battery Life – BlackBerry is claiming 30 hours during normal use with its 3460mAh battery, providing cordless productivity while away home or the office.
Large Screen – A unique 4.5 inch square screen provides a large viewing and touch area for emails, work documents and websites.
BlackBerry Hub – An app that keeps your conversations in one place, including BBM, email, phone and social media.
Android Apps – The phone not only runs BlackBerry World apps, but Android apps from the pre-installed Amazon Appstore.

Star Tribune – Step Up Your Online Security Smarts

Every time a news story hits about online accounts being broken into, it’s a reminder to take a look at just how secure your own accounts are. Katie Humphrey of the Star Tribune explains the different levels of online security you can setup.

In a perfect world, our accounts would be perfectly locked down. But there are some considerations to take into account when setting up your security.

How tight you lock down depends on your patience. “It’s security versus complexity,” said Derek Meister, an agent with Best Buy’s Geek Squad. “How complicated do you want to make that door lock before it becomes a pain for you to go through the door each day?”

WTAM 1100 – Add Security with 2-Step Verification

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – September 16th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland Ohio As we move more of our important information online, from cloud-based storage to web-based email and financial software, the need for additional security around those accounts becomes clear. Relying on a simple username and password won’t cut it in a world where spyware and phishing attacks try to gather as much information about us as possible.

Fortunately, many online services are adding another layer to their security in the form of “2-Step Verification”. Sometimes referred to as “Two Factor Authentication”, this process involves an additional step during the login process to help confirm your identity by requiring “something you know” and “something you have”.

The knowledge part is your existing password. To add something you have, many sites will ask you to sign up your mobile number or download a special app for your smartphone. This allows a security code to be sent to the phone, which is entered after the password.

It sounds complicated, but many of us have been using 2-step verification for decades in the form of ATM cards. The “something you know” is your PIN, and the “something you have” is your ATM card. Just like the ATM process has become second-nature, so too will 2-step verification once you set it up and begin to use it.

For a complete list of services that currently allow 2-step verification, such as Google, PayPal, Facebook and others, visit twofactorauth.org.

WTAM 1100 – Keeping Connected with Your Kids at School

Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – September 9th, 2014

WTAM 1100 Newsradio Cleveland Ohio The “Back to School” season has been in full swing for a few weeks now. Many parents may be looking for ways to stay in touch to their kids, and Geek Squad has tips to keep connected.