All these passwords are driving me nuts!

March 28, 2019 by Tom Bull

We’ve all experienced this…we don’t remember the password for something. So, we try to reset it, but nothing happens. Or if we do get something to happen, we can’t complete the reset because we can’t answer the security challenge questions; our first car, favorite restaurant in college or favorite teacher. Arghhhh!

What many folks have done over time is to reuse the same password…because it’s easy to remember just 1 password, right? That’s a time bomb waiting to happen. If you have your email address in your left hand and your email password in your right hand, you can NEVER USE THOSE for other accounts like Amazon or NetFlix or Bob’s Guitar City. If one of those places gets hacked, the bad guys will try to login to the email address from your left hand and use the password you gave from your right hand. And if they’re successful, really bad things can happen. Sometimes its as silly as your email address sending out Dr. Oz diet pills to all your contacts. Other times they hijack your email and start telling your broker to transfer money to an off-shore account…yikes!

In the beginning when we started using passwords for our AOL or CompuServ account (I know I’m going far back), there was no criteria for the password. So, you used your pet’s name or maybe a combo of your birthday and your favorite sports teams. Mine was 1969mets for a long time! Then we needed passwords for a bunch of other things besides the internet and email. Some of those sites required a username and a password. Sometimes, and now almost exclusively, they want a valid email address as the username and a complex password to go along with it. Then the passwords you used to use were no longer acceptable and they needed to be longer and have capital letters, and numbers and sometimes symbols. Now it starts to get unmanageable. So, what’s a person to do?

So you started a password list. Or maybe it’s just a collection of sticky notes under your desk blotter. Or maybe it’s a special password book with so many of things crossed out you’re not sure if the password you have is for the bank, your email or the locker at the gym! Since many of the websites want you to make the password more complex, we are having to change them often. Sometimes they want you to link the login to your cell phone so if you want to try and login or change a password, you have to put in a code that comes to your cell phone. That’s called 2-factor authentication and it’s a good thing but it’s also getting really complicated.

Enter the password manager.

It’s just like it sounds. It manages all the passwords we have. To open up the list, or as many call it, “the vault”, you only need a single password. Then the system can create complex passwords that are ridiculously hard to hack…or remember. But you won’t need to remember all those complex passwords, you just need to remember the password to open the vault.

The way it works is you download and install the software (we like LastPass and 1Password) and it will let you create an account and your vault password. Then it attaches to your web browser. Each time you put in a username and password into a website, it asks if you want to save it. Then you can make the password more complex if you like…crazy complex too if you want! And here’s the fun part…then you go to that website the next time it automatically fills in your username and password.

But wait, there’s more!

Go to your other computer or even your smartphone and download the software or the app. Sign in with your vault password and every password you have in there is available on the other devices too! You can even use your fingerprint on most smartphones to put in the password. It’s a real time and sanity saver.

But what if I forget my vault password? That spells big trouble. You should be able to reset it with your email address and by answering the security questions, but the password company doesn’t know it and can’t reset it for you. Hard for you to change means harder for he bad guys to hack…and that’s a good thing. A really cool aside…you can assign a family member or loved one as an emergency contact so they can get your passwords if something happens to you. They won’t be able to see the passwords (usually) but will be able to get into the accounts already setup in your vault. That could be HUGE!

What if the password manager website gets hacked, won’t they steal ALL MY PASSWORDS? Nope, they can’t because all the data is encrypted. Even if they do get hacked, there’s nothing the bad guys can do with the data because it’s all scrambled up.

So anyway, get rid of the sticky notes, password book and all the headaches. Consider a password manager and spend your brain power not trying to remember passwords but figuring out what to buy for dinner…or who to pick for the Final 4 in March Madness.

Managed Services for Computers – a Dragon for Home and Business

February 23, 2019 by Tom Bull

This may or may not be something you want to do. The question is do you NEED it? Let me first explain what it is.

Managed Services is the process of providing computer hardware and software (collectively known as IT) support to a company. Everything from managing the anti-virus software on your computer, your hosted website and email, not to mention the most popular use of this…replacing or augmenting your own in-house IT department.

Most businesses are in the business of doing what they do best…and it’s usually not IT support, unless they’re an IT company (duh). So instead of paying a staff to manage the internet, network/wifi, website, email, software questions and hardware problems, businesses will contract for Managed Services. Those companies are known as MSPs…Managed Service Providers. Many things are being outsourced these days. In fact, it’s been going on for decades. MSPs have been developing over the last decade, with a big growth spurt in just the past few years. Breakthroughs in technology, inexpensive online storage and super-fast internet have helped to make this a viable alternative for many businesses. Why pay a staff that needs sick and vacation days, not to mention benefits and other related things provided to an employee when you can outsource it? Signing on with an MSP with Jimmy John Shark can let your business do what they do best. Period.

Some micro-businesses (less than 10 people), like retirement specialists, wealth managers and other financial services providers often broker for a bigger firm and have security rules they need to abide by. Having an MSP and lawyer to solve disputes with your employer, handles the complex firewall needs, data encryption and protection can be a blessing for these “little guys” because the costs to bring that in-house can be overwhelming. Yet they need to be compliant with the brokers demands. Surprise audits by the broker reveal shortcomings that threaten their dealership.

Generic businesses have concerns beyond the simple management of their IT stuff. They too need to be concerned about exposing their clients’ data to the “bad guys”. That can be a big problem if you’re storing Social Security numbers, birth dates and credit card information. If that gets out, identity theft is sure to follow and your business will be liable for the damages. We always recommend that clients storing this type of data seek out a Cyber insurance policy. That’s not enough though because if you haven’t adequately protected your network and the data, the policy won’t pay if you get breached. And speaking of breached…

A breach is when bad guys get past your network security and start poking around your internal network and computers until they find some data. Often times they will then encrypt your data making it impossible to open and then try to sell you the key to unlock it. It’s a dirty, dirty business and is happening all over to small and large businesses alike. It’s called Ransomware and can cost thousands of dollars. If one of your employees clicks on a bad link in an email or social media post taking them to a poison website, that can start this nastiness. If your network typically allows for remote access by employees, you are particularly prone to an attack because the access exists, even if there’s username/password to get in. The bad guys are good at “brute force” attacks that can crack that info and get in. You need to treat your business like a medieval castle; you need a moat, a drawbridge, vats of hot oil, archers in the towers and my favorite…a dragon! Just a lock on your front door is not enough for these types of attacks.

An MSP can provide network protection, hardware support, handle software installations and questions and perhaps the most important thing is protecting you from yourself with managed anti-virus and web-filtering to make sure if you do click that bad link it will prevent any bad stuff from coming back in.

What about a home user…do they need an MSP? Maybe not to the extent a micro-business needs it, unless there’s a home-based business being run out of the house. Home users still may need or want robust network security as well as support when something goes wrong. The needs of the home user are a bit different, if not the same but on a smaller scale than a business. They still need a managed anti-virus, web-filter and a good firewall to be truly protected. Maybe just a moat and a drawbridge will do. But a dragon would be super-cool!

Home users are also worried about identity theft and password management (jeez, what a mess that has become for us all), not to mention internet access rules for the kids. Seeking out a company that can put a security blanket around your house (maybe decorated with dragons?) can be very comforting. With all the tech in our homes these days, the concept of a breach using those devices is becoming more and more possible.

So, do what you do best and let the MSP handle the rest. And don’t forget the dragon!

Technology is Often Bad for Mankind

January 23, 2019 by Tom Bull

Raise your hand if your tech runs your life. I can’t see you in the back, can you turn the flashlight on your smartphone or let your FitBit start blinking?

I wrote a paper back in 1972. My first paper. I was 10 and attending Saint James Grammar School in Red Bank. The topic escapes me, but my paper was entitled “Technology is Often Bad for Mankind”. At that time pollution was big deal and we saw things all around us trying to get us as individuals to be better. Remember the Indian Chief on the side of the road standing next to all our trash with the tear running down his cheek? That was the image I recall and what drove me to create my opinion piece. The central message was one of trade-offs, especially when it came to business. While our factories were being more efficient and cranking out products at a high rate to stay competitive in a growing global market, we were sacrificing clean air for the kids and the waterways were so bad our fish were dying. To go along with the paper, I made a poster and it got submitted to some committee in Red Bank celebrating their centennial and I won a ship in a bottle! It’s still in my office at home somewhere.

Fast-forward to today. How has technology affected us? Our workplace, our home life and relationships? Our society as a whole? I think it has solid arguments on both sides of the issue.

On the plus side, we really kind of need certain things to even function. Consider email or the smartphone. Without them we can’t communicate in the workplace or even with our grandkids! I tell many grandparents who want to be steadfast and insist their grandchildren call them or come over if they want to speak with them. That’s ok, but if you want a relationship with the grandkids where conversations are more frequent and maybe more meaningful, you better learn to text!

Is technology bad for mankind?

It really runs our lives these days. The question is, is it good or bad? Let’s consider a typical tech-savvy person and what their typical day might be like.

The SmartPhone wakes you with a gentle and soothing alert
You say, “Alexa, good morning”. With that, the temperature changes to 72, certain lights turn on and the weather report for the day is read.
You check your FitBit and see that you slept for 6 hours and 33 minutes (need to work on that)
You shower and dry off and realize you’re running low on shampoo and toothpaste. “Alexa, add toothpaste and shampoo to my cart”. People can check this site link for the best skincare products.
While dressing you turn on the SmartTV and check out the local news using Hulu Live. When done, “Alexa, turn off the TV” and you head down for breakfast.
While fixing your coffee, your SmartPhone alerts you and says it’s time to meditate
After meditation, “Alexa, play The Doobie Brothers in the kitchen”, which will activate Sonos speakers in the kitchen. Ooooh, China Grove is playing. “Alexa, turn up the kitchen”.
MyFitnessPal app on the SmartPhone advises you on healthy breakfast options
Open the SmartPhone and hit the car app to start and warm-up the car while clearing your dishes from breakfast
“Alexa, I’m leaving”, which stops the music, turns off the lights and drops the temperature to 66
Get in the car and say, “Siri, what’s my calendar look like for today”?
Arrive at work and throughout the day the FitBit tells you to get moving. Trying to get at least 250 steps in an hour. Fancy fireworks if you do, annoying buzzing if you don’t
The SmartPhone reminds you about calls to make, meetings to attend and always tells you about emails.
You remember that you need milk. “Hey Siri, remind me to get milk when I leave work” and she will remind you when the GPS in the phone realizes you left the office.
You enter what you ate for lunch into MyFitnessPal app so you keep track of calories and such
I check the dog camera to see how Sparky is. You notice that he used the doggie door a few times based on the alert notices on the phone each time he went in and out. You call to him and he comes up to the camera. You talk with him and make kissing noises and then dispense him a treat…”good boy Sparky”. You can read his comment is here about the amazing response that his dog gave while testing this camera.
The video doorbell rings on the SmartPhone. Fed Ex is at the house with a package. You open the app and talk with the delivery guy. “Can you leave it in the milk box”? “Sure, he says”. Nice guy. I have to remember to tip him at Christmas. “Hey Siri, remind me to tip the Fed Ex guy on December 15^th”.
Head home and when leaving the parking lot, the phone alerts you to stop for milk…duh
Google Maps says there’s traffic on the normal route and sends you home a different way
“Hey Siri, text my wife”. “What would you like to say”? “I’m stopping for milk. Do we need anything else”?
Arrive home and “Hey Siri, open the left garage door”.
Walk in the door and “Alexa, I’m home”. Lights come on, temperature adjusts and music starts playing. Need to figure out an app to pour me a glass of Merlot. You’ll be rich! “Hey Siri, remind me to find an app developer when I get to work tomorrow”.

With all this goodness, how can there be any bad?

OK, there’s plenty of bad. Lack of human interaction…”texting neck”…distracted driving. Loads more I’m sure, but as a tech lover I’m enjoying the more efficient ways I can get things done so that I can spend more time with my family and friends.

Technology is often life-changing for mankind. You get to decide whether it’s good or not.

Tech Gifts – 2018

December 10, 2018 by Tom Bull

So what to get for the tech-savvy people in your life this year? Lots of choices. Where do you start?

Let’s start with what’s popular now…

Streaming devices

For those who like to binge-watch TV shows or who are “cutting the cord” from the cable company, these devices can be amazing gifts. After much personal testing of the available units, I’m a huge fan of the Apple TV. It’s fast, has all the “channels” I want and can take my iPhone pictures and display them right on the screen. My next favorite is the Roku Ultra 4K followed by the Amazon Fire TV. The tech that’s built-in to smart TVs just isn’t fast enough for me.

Smart Watches

No doubt that Apple leads the charge here. But don’t forget to look at Samsung, TicWatch and Fitbit. Not just for tech nerds and fitness buffs, these are the best in wearable tech that can truly enhance our lives…and make a fashion statement at the same time. Before now, a tech fashion statement was limited to pocket protectors and cell phone holsters…ugh!

Home assistants

The frontrunner here is the Amazon Echo products, which all refer to simply as “Alexa”. Google Home is in second place and farther behind is Apple Home Pod. All of them fill a void in our homes and help us out. Advanced features allow them to control lights, sound, appliances and much more. These are fun gifts and fit almost every age bracket. Plus they have fancier models this year with screens for live video chats and playback.

Tablets

Is there anything besides the iPad? Umm, yeah there is! I’m a big fan of the Amazon Fire HD 8, especially for kids. Great for reading books, watching movies, surfing the web and of course, playing games, often searching to find out does blackout bingo really pay like it says in the ads. There’s also devices from Samsung, ASUS and the new-ish Microsoft Surface Go.

Laptops

Laptops are often closely associated with business folks who travel and students…which makes a lot of sense because that’s who uses them the most! A bigger screen laptop, like 17”, is a great addition to the kitchen desk or similar spot where it will never move and will also simply disappear when you close the lid. For kids, we like the Chromebook…from anyone who makes it, but especially the Google Pixelbook and anything from Samsung. For students, the MacBook Air from Apple and the Microsoft Surface Pro and big winners around her, but so is the Lenovo Yoga. Both are delicate and require proper care and handling. For the rest of us, anything with an Intel i-5 processor, 8gb RAM and 256gb SSD will happily satisfy.

Portable Speakers

These can be a really fun gift and often a perfect stocking-stuffer. They have units that hang from your bike, attach to a backpack, light up on a table, hang on the wall…you name it. The technology for it is mainstream (Bluetooth) and work with just about anything, but the quality, unless you spend over $100, is “just ok”. Look for devices from Bose and JBL if you want to stick with the good stuff.

Headsets

There’s many types of these; gaming, smartphone, tv watching and more. The gaming ones are truly an investment. But before you buy something, best to ask the gamer’s friends which ones to consider. For smartphone users, the choices are also many. For iPhone people, AirPods are the only way to go. Well, maybe not the “only” way to go. I like wireless headsets from Jabra and Bose for Apple and other smartphones. Headsets for watching TV can be a blessing. Dad can watch TV in bed and not disturb mom who’s reading. These are also great for those who may be hard of hearing.

There’s loads of other tech gifts to consider. Wireless cameras, doorbells, smartplugs and lightbulbs for the house. Gaming consoles like Sony Playstation and Xbox remain popular. Don’t forget to look for tech in the bedroom; sleep machines, sleep-sensing pads, smart alarms and more. The list really goes on and on. There are devices to check what’s wrong with your car, a heads-up display for your smartphone in the car, smart keyrings, wireless smartphone chargers, pet items, health and fitness toys…the list goes on and on. If you’re looking for something unique and “techy” this holiday season, just Google “best tech gifts 2018” and you’ll see a boatload of items to consider.

All the best for this holiday and the upcoming New Year from your tech friends at Two River Computer!

How “smart” is your home?

October 19, 2018 by Tom Bull

The whole movement kind of started with devices we could plug into the wall and add a lamp to it. Then we could add that device to our wifi (albeit painfully) and install an app on our smartphone to turn it on and off. Amazing stuff! You could create a schedule where it turned on and off at the same time each day. Wow, that’s progress!

Fast forward to 2018 and there’s loads of devices that work using our in-home wifi to control our stuff. Maybe it’s a Nest thermostat, the front door lock, garage door opener, holiday lights, outdoor spotlights, smoke and CO detectors or a video camera or two that you were able to get working in your home…with a little finesse and some patience. But things have gotten better and easier.

There’s still a few unrelated technologies that allow these items to work in our home. They are considered protocols and go by the names of Z-wave, Zigbee and Thread to name a few. Then there’s the ones we already know, like ethernet, wifi and Bluetooth.

The idea is to integrate some needed tech into our homes and make it easy to control and manage it. That’s not always how it goes. I started doing this a while ago when Verizon actually had their own solution which included a video camera, thermostat and smartplugs. It was good, but not great and didn’t really grow beyond the initial offering and eventually fizzled and they abandoned it. Short of buying something really expensive and high-end, I was forced to cobble together something that suited my needs. I did loads of research and decided I was going to settle on Nest.

First, I added their thermostat. That’s an amazing device! It saves money, gives you feedback by learning your habits and one of the best things is the ability to raise or lower the temp from my smartphone…from ANYWHERE in the world! Nothing better than cranking the heat or the AC when you’re in the airport and come home to perfect temperature. You may consult an expert in ac replacement and ac installation services on the things to consider when installing a smart thermostat and to prevent damage to your AC. A local air conditioning services contractor can also help in maintaining the functionality and efficiency of your hvac system.

Then I added Nest cameras. I put one inside aimed at the front door and one outside aimed at the same front door. When I’m away I can put the motion detection on and know when the kid comes to feed the cat or when a package may get delivered because I get an alert on my phone. The quality is great and it is in the same app as the thermostat. I love it when the items play nice together!

Nest also has some other products, so I added the Smoke/CO detectors. I have 2 and know from the same Nest app on my phone if there’s a smoke condition (Alex, stop putting the cast iron pan on so high when cooking your steaks!) or if the batteries need changing. I also have the door lock, which has a keycode system so I can see who comes and goes. I can give separate codes for each person and even give out temporary codes to allow one-time access. Nest has even more products, like video doorbells, an alarm system and more. I want to do more in my home, but Nest doesn’t have ALL the stuff I need and want, so now what?

Enter Alexa.

Actually, it’s the Amazon Echo, but we all just call it Alexa. Since Nest can work with Alexa, I can simply say, “Alexa, lower the temperature to 72 degrees” or “Alexa, is the front door locked?”. Alexa has these “skills” that can be added to control the other devices in my home that are not Nest products. I have light switches and smartplugs that control all kids of things like the island lights in the kitchen, table lamps in the living room and family room, outdoor lights for my deck and pergola and even the Christmas tree. “Alexa, turn on the Christmas tree”. Or better yet, create a “routine” where items can be set to turn on or off at certain times…all controlled with your smartphone app or asking Alexa. When I come down in the morning, I say, “Alexa, good morning” and she turns on a few lights and tells me the weather report for the day. I even have a Sonos wireless sound system that Alexa can control. “Alexa, play Grateful Dead on the deck” or “Alexa, play my party playlist in the whole house”. The possibilities are almost endless.

There are many smarthome devices out there to make your home more efficient, more convenient or just more fun! The idea should be to create an easy to manage collection of devices that can be controlled with your smartphone or your voice. I see almost no need for a permanent wall-mounted control panel solution that will become outdated. I avoid anything that requires a control panel.

Think about the things you could control or monitor; temperature, lights, TVs, security system, door locks, cameras, sprinklers, water spill or high/low temperature alarms, robot vacuums, window shades, garage door openers and more coming each day! To get going with this in your home, start small with a thermostat or video doorbell and then start adding on. Try to stick with devices that use wifi and work with Alexa to make things easier.

Have fun with it and in the end you and your home will be smarter. Plus, it’s really fun to show off to family and friends!

Free Wifi is great…or is it?

September 13, 2018 by Tom Bull

Free is me! I hear this a lot. Not the best practice when it comes to wifi and your computer.

We get this a lot in our computer repair shop…

Valued Customer: ”my email was hacked” or “my credit card got hacked”

Technician: “how do you know?”

Valued Customer: ”my email is sending out spam” or “I got a call from my credit card company!”

Technician: “have you been traveling”

Valued Customer: ”yes”

Technician: “did you use free wifi”

Valued Customer: ”yes”

Technician: “uh-oh”

I’m using this as an illustration so get my point across. Free wifi, like the ones in coffee shops, airports, hotels, etc. are ripe for bad guys to poach your login information as you enter you email address, bank or shopping account. They lurk on the same wifi as you and try to gain access to your computer. If they are successful, they can install a keylogger program that will record your movements, including the login information to critical sites you go to. Not cool.

“But what about the fancy hotel I’m staying in? That wifi is only for paying customers and it requires a password”.

If I was a bad guy and wanted to try to steal info from high-income earners, I would check into an expensive hotel and hang out in the lobby, bar or even just in my room. I would do a widespread attack and try to see if I could get in and grab any juicy stuff.

When traveling abroad, free wifi becomes important because of the restrictions and cost of your US carriers phone/text/internet service when traveling outside of North America. Many have decided to not call or text and use apps that will use data instead, hence the use of the free wifi. “I’ll just hop on the free wifi in the coffee shop and do a quick facetime back home”. I get it. I might even do it. I just won’t stay on for long and hop right off. The fact is, bad guys could be lurking here too and actually setup a wifi router and call it “Free Coffee Shop WiFi”. You login and they grab your stuff. Even in your fancy hotel, the bad guys could be broadcasting a stronger wifi network with the same name as the hotel and you jump on that. Well, guess what? It’s not the hotel, it’s the bad guy and he’s stealing your stuff!

So what can you do to be safe? You have a couple of options.

Don’t do it
Don’t do it
Use your cell phone (not connected to free wifi, just cell data) and it’s built-in wifi hotspot feature and connect your laptop to that
Use your cell phone and NEVER connect to wifi
Use a VPN. Once connected to a (gulp) free wifi network, you would launch a program called a VPN. That will allow you to surf safely away from prying eyes. Follow this link to our website to get a list – https://www.top10vpn.com/best-vpn-for-usa
Use a travel router, which will convert a wired connection you get in the hotel room into wifi

Remember what dad used to say. “There’s no such thing as free wifi”. Something like that.

Computer Scams on the Rise

August 9, 2018 by Tom Bull

More than ever, the bad guys are trying to get you to part with your money.

Scenario #1 – the phone rings. Either a recorded voice or a live person with a foreign accent tells you that your computer is infected with viruses and your data and banking transactions are at risk. They claim to be with Microsoft, Windows, Apple, iCloud, Verizon, Comcast and others. They will say anything to give themselves enough credibility that you don’t hang up on them!

Scenario #2 – you’re surfing the web or fiddling on social media. Maybe you simply mistyped a web address, but you end up on a website you did not intend. Then it happens. A scary screen shows up saying you’re infected and your data and banking transaction are at risk. Sometimes it even talks to you or a siren begins blaring. It says to call the 800 number or really bad things will happen. So you call.

Scenario #3 – you’re struggling with some tech item. Maybe a printer or your wifi. So you google “tech support phone number XYZ company” and you see the number and call. The only problem is that’s not the company you were looking for and the bad guys with money advertise so heavily on Google that they appear at the top of the search results. You call and speak to the pleasant sounding bad guys.

Scenario #4 – like #3 above, you’re having a tech problem, but this time you know the right number to call. You have it printed on the manual or some other documentation. You call and speak to a tech from the right company. During the conversation, maybe it’s discovered you have some malware or other bad software installed on your computer causing you problems, so the tech gives you another number to call. A number that IS NOT for the company you called in the first place! It’s his buddy somewhere else who’s trying to get money from you.

With any of the above scenarios, the bad guys convince you to allow them to connect remotely to your computer so they can show you the problem. Many people smell a rat at this point, but others remain concerned their data may actually be at risk or that they are spreading a virus and they let the bad guys in. They point you to a website and have put in a code and click a few buttons, and voila! They are on your computer and moving your mouse around. It’s fascinating. To a point. To watch the mouse move, letters being typed and windows popping up is oddly…well, fascinating! Also, very dangerous if the one’s moving the mouse are the bad guys.

They show you some scary things that they pawn off as viruses. The fact is, every computer has scary looking stuff on it. The key here is scary “looking”. If you don’t know what you’re looking at, it can be scary for sure. At this point the bad guys convince you they can clean up the infections and make it all better. They install some programs (which are all legitimate by the way) to clean-up some junk files that all computers have. They may even install an anti-virus program and sell you on a subscription. They want your credit card info so they overcharge you for the software and their services. Sometimes as much as $1000 for “lifetime” protection. They may even tell you to go to Walgreens or CVS and get some gift cards to pay for the items. This is the second point where people smell a rat. Some will just hang up the phone. The bad guys call back and maybe you yell at them or hang up again. That’s when they put a password on your computer so you can’t get back in again. Terrible stuff. They keep calling you back and then you pack up your computer and bring it to your local computer repair shop.

We see this so often here at Two River Computer that we gave it a name; Unauthorized Access. Read more about it by clicking here. If this happens to you, just turn the computer off or close the lid if it’s a laptop. Then call your local computer repair shop for help. Don’t be too quick to cancel all your bank accounts and credit cards, but if you’re genuinely concerned ask them to put a “watch” on the accounts for suspicious activity.

Trust your instincts when it comes to this stuff. If you’re on the phone with someone and you don’t feel right about what they are asking you to do, just hang up!

Can you “cut the cord” and not bleed?

July 9, 2018 by Tom Bull

Maybe yes, maybe no.

Cutting the cord means cancelling all your cable TV services and only using internet-based programming and old-school antennas to watch traditional TV and movies.

The “cut the cord” movement has been going on for some time now, likely close to 8 years or so, but slowly for existing TV watchers. Kids out of college are going straight toward this service and not getting cable TV when they get their first apartment. The movement comes as a result of NetFlix and other streaming services like Hulu and Amazon Prime providing TV shows and movies over the internet. Homes all over the country have been turning in their cable boxes and just watching streaming media instead. They may use the “guts” of their Smart TV or they use a streaming device like Apple TV, Roku or Amazon Fire Stick and others to watch this content. You can also use your smartphone, tablet or computer to stream content, but it’s not the best answer for the den!

To get TV shows and movies over the internet (referred to as “streaming” or “video streaming”), you need a streaming device and decent internet/wifi service. Many Smart TVs have this feature built in to their internal circuitry. Like a smartphone or tablet, these TVs have apps to deliver the streaming content. Almost all of them have NetFlix, Hulu and Amazon Prime built in and some offer options to download even more streaming apps, like YouTube TV (my favorite), Crackle, Sling, PlayStation Vue and more.

If you don’t have a Smart TV, or one that’s new enough to support the latest apps, you will need a streaming device. The most popular are Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire Stick and Google Chromecast. Most newer Blue Ray and DVD players have streaming service apps embedded, like a Smart TV, so you could use that if you like, but watching DVDs is becoming passé for sure.

Some people have found additional success using an external antenna to acquire OTA (Over The Air) content to keep the cost of monthly service even lower. Many places sell these antennas that plug directly into your TV and can pickup HD channels within range of the antenna.

So if you decide to cut the cord, TV watching as you know it will change forever.

First, you won’t have a cable box, so no more channel surfing. You know, you turn the TV on, change the channel to 2 and then start hitting the channel UP or DOWN to see everything that’s on right now.

Second, the “channels” are different. Not necessarily the content, but there’s no actual number and you can basically watch whatever you want, whenever you want. The hard part is adjusting our thinking and trying to figure out exactly what to watch. We are so conditioned that we are used to watching certain programs on certain days or time of day. Basically this is like a huge DVR of all the shows of a particular series that you can call up anytime you want. As an example, you can open NetFlix and watch every episode of The West Wing, which was 7 seasons long. If you sit down and watch many episodes in a row, you are officially “binge-watching”. You can also search for the actor Rob Lowe and find West Wing, Parks and Recreation, Friends as well as a bunch of movies he was in. If you have ever used On Demand from Comcast or Verizon, you’ll grasp the concept easily, but this is more than just movies like you may be used to.

Third, your “collection” of channels will be different. You will be looking at the actual network to determine your “channel lineup”. Here’s an example of what I have in my house:

$40/month – YouTube TV – I get the NY channels (CBS, NBC, FOX, ABC, WPIX) plus another 45 or so channels like ESPN, USA, SNY, Bravo, CNN, Fox News and more. There is also a DVR for recording the current season TV shows that you might miss.

$15/month – NetFlix – primarily I use this for movies, certain TV series like Law & Order, Breaking Bad, Friends and more. Plus, they have original content, like House of Cards and Stranger Things.

$15/month – Hulu – We mostly got this for their original series, Handmaid’s Tale, but it has a different collection of TV shows and movies versus NetFlix, including some duplication.

$15/month – HBO add-on to Hulu

FREE – Amazon Prime – since we’re already members of Amazon Prime to get free 2-day shipping, we also get access to their amazing Prime Video service, which includes an additional cache of movies and TV shows.

The monthly cost is $85/month for all this…a lot less than our previous Verizon FiOS service, which was closer to $200/month.

I think the OTA antennas have to come a long way before they are a viable option and can’t give you all the content you need or want. If you focus on streaming you will be happier, but a little lighter in the wallet or pocketbook.

If you do decide to “cut the cord” you will be calling the cable provider and telling them you no longer want the cable TV service or the boxes and DVR. The cost savings won’t be as much as you hope I’m afraid, but your overall cost will be lower. It would not hurt to ask how much it is to increase the internet speed now that you will be streaming more.

And finally, you will need fast and powerful internet/wifi to support the streaming devices. Make sure you have that before you get started or you’ll be unhappy right away.

Did the Russians hack your router?

June 11, 2018 by Tom Bull

It’s possible, but probably not based on what we know at this moment.

However, like many stories in the headlines of the newspapers, TV and social media the numbers and facts can change. It’s true. How many times have you read about a tragedy only to find it’s actually 10 times worse than originally reported. Likely because it’s more important to be first, than to be accurate. It was originally reported that Russian hackers had attacked some internet routers. Now they are saying that even more countries were targeted than initially thought, though the Ukraine was notably the largest. And the number of affected routers is growing.

So here’s what we know right now.

On Friday May 25, 2018 the FBI reported that hundreds of thousands of home and small office routers had been compromised by Russian computer hackers with malware called VPNFilter. Their goals are typically to collect user data (browsing habits, identity info, passwords), shut down your network or attack another network using your devices.

Scary to be sure.

The original suspected intent of this attack was to target all those devices inside your home that connect to the internet and don’t have a person sitting at them. Video cameras, nanny-cams, thermostats, speakers, alarms, personal assistants (Amazon Echo, Google Home), smart TVs and more can all become an army of robots that can attack and bring down websites and servers.

Now they are saying that the attack can alter info you see on the internet if your network is compromised. Imagine seeing your bank balance at a steady number, but the bad guys are siphoning off your money? You could even be making a purchase at a familiar place, but your payment is going somewhere else and you never get your item.

They are also saying even more countries were targeted than initially reported…and the total number of targeted routers now exceeds 700,000. And the number of manufacturers named in the router list has expanded greatly from initial reports.

So now what?

We are all concerned, even if only mildly, that our money will get stolen or our identity will get hijacked while surfing. My opinion is that I think we are all pretty safe. The same safe feeling you get when you get in your car and you buckle up and see that airbag light on. But that doesn’t mean some idiot won’t hit us because they’re updating their Instagram while driving! We need to always be diligent even if we feel safe.

The fact is there’s loads of safeguards to protect our online surfing. Your local computer has protection, your bank has protection, the Amazon web servers all the big companies use all have military-grade firewalls for protection and Google is always on-guard to secure its traffic. And even if something did happen to you, it can and will be fixed. It may be a colossal pain in the butt, but even an identity theft can be undone.

What we were told to do to fight this attack was to reboot (restart) our routers. Yup, simply unplug them from power, wait 30 seconds and then plug them back in. That action will “flush out” any malicious code that was injected into your router. For the time being. There’s software that runs on your router, called firmware. It should be updated if your router is on the list. And perhaps more importantly, the default administrative password that came with your router needs to be changed NOW! You may even want to consider performing a “factory reset” of your router, or better yet, a new router if this whole thing makes you nervous.

List of affected routers

You can contact the router manufacturer for assistance in upgrading firmware and changing the default password. You can also call your local computer repair folks. They can handle this for you.

PLEASE NOTE: as of this writing, Verizon FiOS and Comcast/Xfinity routers ARE NOT AFFECTED. Primarily because they have unique default passwords and firmware upgrades are handled directly by them.

So, will the list of affected routers get bigger? Will the attack be more widespread? The FBI actually seized the server that started all this, but they believe the bad code is still out there and may even have a delayed payload and attack later on. We feel that it’s better to be safe than sorry and you should do something if your router is on the list. Maybe even if it isn’t.

Heed the warnings and carry on.

Keep your computer out of the landfill

May 8, 2018 by Tom Bull

Recycling and upcycling are noble and worthy of our best efforts as humans. Keeping plastic, glass and aluminum out of the regular landfill has been a huge step to keeping this planet healthier. Taking old wooden pallets and turning them into usable furniture is furthering that pursuit. There’s communities, magazines, websites and TV shows dedicated to the idea of upcycling.

Don’t throw it out…keep it alive a while longer.

That’s what we should be doing with our computers. As many are painfully aware, most electronics seem to have a shorter lifespan than when we were growing up. I remember the same copper-colored refrigerator my entire life until I moved out of my parents’ house at 19. Sure, we had the repair guy over from time to time, but my parents kept that baby running until the point where ice just never formed in the ice trays. OK, time for a new one. 22 years in total. Not a bad run. Since I’ve been in my own house, I’ve had 4 over a span of 26 years.

What the heck?

Sure, I could have called the repair man to fix our first broken fridge, but the cost of the service call and the parts were almost ½ of the replacement cost. “Maybe we should just get a new one”, I ask my wife. So we did. We could have gotten a repair man to fix our 2^nd broken fridge, but we hated the 2^nd one. It wasn’t made very well and we felt like they were all made that way and 5-6 years was a good run.

We are a disposable society and we all keep the cycle of buying and trashing electronics and home appliances alive and well. All the repair places are gone as we all just simply replace what we have instead of prolonging its life.

Except when it comes to your computer.

In previous articles, I’ve mentioned how a new computer will last 1 year for every $200 you spend on it. A $1000 computer will last 5 years and a $400 computer will only last 2 years before you get tired of how slow it is.

Unlike a fridge, dishwasher or clothes dryer, your computer has a personality. The programs that are installed, where the icons are located, the saved logins for all the websites you visit and even how the left shift key sticks sometimes. Each one is unique and while not perfect, they work for us. The idea of getting a new computer, while exciting, is also fraught with anxiety; do I need to buy those programs again? Where are my icons? No, I don’t remember my passwords for the bank, Amazon, eBay, Facebook or the community website! Arghhhhh.

What if you could keep that computer running a few more years? What if everything was where you like it and you didn’t have to change a thing? What if it was the same…but ran 8-10 times faster? That’s what happens when you upgrade your computer using the not-so-new-but-now-affordable Solid State Drive (SSD).

An SSD is a non-mechanical hard drive that replaces the old, spinning hard drive…the cause of your computer’s slowness. For those old enough to remember floppy disks, when flash drives came along the speed difference over floppies was staggering. Same thing with SSD drives. Your existing hard drive can be literally cloned onto the newer, faster SSD and the results are…well, staggering.

Laptops, desktops, PCs or Macs can all be upgraded to SSD to squeeze another 2-4 years out of them…or to just give the computer a major boost of adrenaline. We have taken computers as old as 7-9 years and made it possible for them to continue to serve their owners. And now running better than ever. Not all computers are candidates for this upgrade; they need to have “good bones”. That is, a good Intel or AMD processor and be in general good health.

So think about it…are you ready for a new computer, but really would just prefer to keep the existing one running longer? Consider upgrading what you have and keep it out of the landfill for now.

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