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Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – February 17th, 2015:
Should you shut down your computer at night? It’s a common question from owners of desktops and laptop computers. Bill Wills and I discuss the options during this #TechTuesday segment on Cleveland’s WTAM 1100 Newsradio.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – February 3rd, 2015:
This week has seen a lot of Winter storms hitting the midwest. While we’re still digging ourselves out from yet another snowstorm, here’s a list of apps that can be useful for dealing with Winter’s wrath:
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – January 6th, 2015
As the prime flu season continues, you may want to take a look at how clean is your mobile device. Smartphones are devices we handle every day, touching them with both our fingers and our faces. Studies do show that mobile devices are a common haven for pathogens, even though most are harmless.
While you could attack your phone with all sorts of cleaning chemicals, it’s important to note that many household cleaners have the potential to damage delicate electronics. However, researchers have found that you can strike an effective balance between cleaning and carefulness by using a mix of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. This combination is found in many screen cleaning kits available at your local Best Buy.
You can also make a mix on your own by using a 1 to 1 ratio of 70% or better pure isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. It’s important to use a purer alcohol along with distilled water to prevent minerals and other chemicals from being left behind as the solution evaporates. Isopropyl alcohol and distilled water can be found at most local groceries or drug stores.
For more tips on cleaning your mobile devices, as well as your laptop and smart TV, check out this New York Times articles on cleaning the mobile germ warehouse.
Play Audio – WTAM 1100 Newsradio – Tech Tuesday – December 2nd, 2014
The National Retail Federation estimated that 126.9 million shoppers were planning to shop online on CyberMonday. The holiday weekend surprise for many was just how many people shopped via mobile devices. Mobile accounted for 52.1% of all online shopping traffic and 27.9% of sales on Thanksgiving according to IBM’s Smarter Commerce team.
That’s a lot of people trying to get good deals online while pretending to be productive at work on Monday! There’s plenty of online shopping to be done, though. (You remembered to get Uncle Larry a gift, right? No?)
Here are 5 Geek Squad tips for consumers:
* Be wary of crazy deals and too good to be true links in your email inbox – You’ve heard it a 100 times, but the truth is, it’s still a common way to get scammed online.
* Avoid public WiFi for shopping, like at that coffee shop at the mall. It’s important to remember that you’re sharing that network with everyone else at that location, and there’s always the possibility of someone watching data on that network for sensitive information like credit cards in the same way they might peek over your shoulder from the table nearby.
* While convenient, uncheck settings to “remember your credit card info” It’s just one less bit of your information available to anyone that gets access to your account on those servers.
* Mobile Devices are vulnerable, too – get the latest software updates for your smartphone, just like you do for your personal computer.
* Safeguard all your devices – If you haven’t, put a passcode on it to prevent a potential thief from getting access to your data should your phone get stolen while out shopping.
Once those gifts start arriving, visit geeksquad.com/techtips for how-to videos and tips for many of the most popular tech gifts this holiday season.