2021 October eBytes
Don't want to get hacked?
Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari: Which Browser Is Best?
Best cloud storage for 2021
How to delete your password for Microsoft online services like Outlook.com and Xbox Live
How to Upgrade Your Laptop: A Part-by-Part Guide
How to Make the Switch From Windows to Linux
Never been a better time to drop cable TV
Essential Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts Every PC Pro Should Know
iPhone 13, iPad Mini and all the details of Apple's big announcements last week
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Don't want to get hacked?
Then avoid these three 'exceptionally dangerous' cybersecurity mistakes CISA warns of risky behaviours that leave networks exposed to cyberattacks - and should be addressed immediately if employed.
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Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Opera, or Safari: Which Browser Is Best?
You may take your web browser for granted, but investigating your options is worthwhile. We compare the top players on various aspects of speed, privacy, and other important features.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/chrome-edge-firefox-opera-or-safari-which-browser-is-best
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Best cloud storage for 2021
How to choose between Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box
If you're looking for a way to store your files and photos in the cloud, we've compared the features and prices on some of the top options.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-cloud-storage
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How to delete your password for Microsoft online services like Outlook.com and Xbox Live
The software giant already has enabled passwordless login. This is the next step.
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How to Upgrade Your Laptop: A Part-by-Part Guide
Adding more memory or storage, or swapping in a new battery or wireless card, can help squeeze a few more years out of that aging laptop. Here's how to figure out what you can upgrade, and how to do it the right way.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-upgrade-your-laptop-a-part-by-part-guide
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How to Make the Switch From Windows to Linux
If you're sick of Windows 10 or don't want to upgrade to Windows 11, you can install Linux instead. Here's how to make the switch to an open-source operating system and install apps.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-make-the-switch-from-windows-to-linux
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Never been a better time to drop cable TV
The prices for cable TV are eye-watering and there are more and better options for streaming than ever. Whether you just want to save money or manage your favorite shows across all your devices, CNET has great recommendations.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/how-to-cut-the-cord
Cut the cord but keep your favorite shows and live TV - Say goodbye to cable TV bills and start streaming all your favorites. Here's how you can do it.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/home-entertainment/how-to-cut-the-cord
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Essential Windows 10 Keyboard Shortcuts Every PC Pro Should Know
You can control Windows 10 via clicks, taps, or swipes—but sometimes a keyboard shortcut is the quickest way. Here's a handy guide to all the shortcuts you should know.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/windows-10-guide-essential-keyboard-shortcuts
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iPhone 13, iPad Mini and all the details of Apple's big announcements last week
Four new iPhones, the Apple Watch 7, new iPads and more were unveiled at Apple's event earlier this week. Here's everything in one place.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/iphone-13-and-all-of-apple-most-exciting-announcements-this-week
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
How to Download Videos From Facebook - Saving permanent copies of the videos you see on the social network to your computer is relatively simple, but it requires a few steps. Here's the simplest way to download your favorite Facebook clips.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-download-videos-from-facebook
Getting an iPhone 13? Here are 4 ways to set up your new phone - Once you've unboxed your iPhone 13, make sure all your apps, photos and account details are transferred.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/how-to-transfer-iphone-to-iphone
Google rolls out big updates to Android Auto - Google Assistant's driving mode also gets enhanced functionality and the company announced Android Automotive will soon be coming to Honda vehicles.
Combining multiple PDFs on Windows or Mac is easy and free. Here's how - No, you don't need to pay for Adobe Acrobat to combine your PDFs into one document. Here are two ways to do it now.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/how-to-combine-pdf-files
The Best Video Editing Software for 2021 - Whether you shoot videos on your smartphone or you're a professional editor, you need video editing software that's powerful and easy to use. Here are our choices for the best video editing apps.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-video-editing-software
Wi-Fi routers for every budget - Your router is the unsung hero holding your smart home together. From mesh to gaming to Wi-Fi 6, here are the best we've tested, for every budget.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/best-wi-fi-router
TP-Link Archer AX21 review: The best budget Wi-Fi 6 router - This hassle-free router will upgrade your home network to Wi-Fi 6 for $100 or less -- and it's faster than the competition, too.
https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/tp-link-archer-ax21-review
10 Ways to Boost Your Wi-Fi Signal - Check out these quick tips to boost your wireless signal from your router, extend and optimize your Wi-Fi coverage, and speed up your surfing.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/10-ways-to-boost-your-wi-fi-signal
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Ask a Question - Send any Tips & Downloads, Ask a Question, For Sale, or articles to: TheMiningPCC@gmail.com
Q. From a PCC Member - Any comments on Windows 11?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board membe. We spent 30 minutes talking about it and reviewing some slides with info from the July 2021 Q&A. You can see the video and slide on the club web site in the past meeting files.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Recently I got about 20 emails from a 10 digit number followed by vzwpix.com. Anyone know what this is?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Scammers are using http://vzwpix.com, Verizon's cell phone wireless networks multimedia messaging service, to send fraudulent messages like the one below to their potential victims. The messages may state the recipients are winners in some so-called lotteries, they were selected to have their vehicle wrapped with an advertisement in which they will be paid for, or just contain an attachment file. The scammers may send other fraudulent messages with the intention of scamming or robbing their potential victims.
If you have received messages or something similar, please do not respond, open any file, or follow the instructions in them. And, never send money in order to receive a lottery or promotion because this is how lottery scammers trick their victims into sending them money.
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Q. From a PCC Member - If I have a office 365 subscription - is skype time unlimited?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Even without office 365 Skype is unlimited video calls. With office 365 you get 60 Skype minutes. This means that, every month, you can use Skype to call landlines in more than 60 destinations worldwide, and mobile phones in select countries and regions.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Have you heard of anyone ever receiving a notification from COVIDAware? I'd like to uninstall the app from my phone.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Personally I do not know anyone and just recently uninstalled the app. Very few people installed it in Minnesota. The member also asked about downloads from the app that are done to see if you may have come in contact. You location and info was never shared with anyone and was used to compare with people who had to self report positive.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I noticed that my CPU was running 40-50% all the time. Task Manger showed a process for Amazon Photos using 43% of CPU. I closed the app and would not allow it to automatically start. I do not think that it was an app that I downloaded. Many comments online about high CPU usage for Amazon Photos.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. There are many pieces of software like Amazon Photos, Microsoft Photos, iTunes, Google Picassa, Virus Scanners, and others that in order to do their job need to read/scan all your files. Sometimes it is to sync the files or look for new photos. If your laptop/desktop has been off for several days, the next time it is started it has 100s of checks, scans, and updates that start running. This will make the PC run very slow. I recommend leaving on you PC, so these operations can run in the background when you are not using the PC. For a laptop you may want to start it us 30 minutes before you want to use it.
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Q. From a PCC Member – “Snip and Sketch”
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Windows has always had the “Snipping Tool” for doing screen captures. In Windows 10 a new tool “Snip and Sketch” was added that lets you select part of the screen and then markup and highlight on the screen. This can be very useful to show someone something from your screen. I docked the tool on my Taskbar. You can find it by going to the Windows Start menu and then scroll down to “Windows Tools”.
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Q. From a PCC Member - This morning I put my cell on the car trunk and forgot it there. Tried calling it to see if it was in the house or car but calls went directly to the voicemail. Retraced our stops but nothing. Anyone finding it needs my password to use it so not concerned yet. Filed a missing phone report with the police dept. Since I have phone tracing I tried to find the lost phone but something is wrong because we walked the area the tracing reported again, nothing. Walked the area for about a mile retracing the car route thinking if someone found it on the road that they might toss it on the grass near the road but one more time, nothing. Any other suggestions?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Sorry to hear. Use find my Android device: https://www.google.com/android/find More info on the find and how to lock or erase if it can not find: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6160491?hl=en Use the "Secure Device" or "Erase Device" to make sure your info is locked down on the phone
If your phone goes directly to voicemail that mean it is off, dead battery, or not functioning. If you send the GPS location to your wife's phone you should be able to find the exact spot it was last powered on. If you can find the broken phone, the SIM might be able to be used in the new phone if it is not damaged. If you need a new SIM, you can transfer your old phone number to your new phone, once you buy the new phone and SIM.
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Q. From a PCC Member - This caught my attention. I should do this? Have you done it? Assuming so, we should tell our members. Or maybe you already have, and I missed it. I'm also not sure what exactly this is referring to. My Windows 10 PC logon password, apparently. Https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2021/09/18/delete-your-windows-10-password-now-microsoft-suddenly-issues-security-advisory-for-millions/
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Security is a very complex issue. Over the last 10 years we have had presentations on security, passwords, eBytes links, and lots of info. Since the article is mainly talking about Windows 10 login and not other sites, apps, and accounts that is what I will talk about below.
The Microsoft Authenticator app has been around before Windows 10. When you get a new Windows 10 machine, you decide what login security to use at the time you do the setup. You can change it after, but most do not. Depending on what the device supports, you could use face recognition, gestor, pin, hardware key, local account just for that device, a Microsoft account, any email account, or Microsoft Authenticator. Along with each of these you can setup multi-factor and a few other settings. Each option has good and bad points. 99.99999999999999999999999 hacker/virus attacks do not come from a Windows 10 login, so most people do not need to worry what they use. If you work for the FBI, have a laptop, and have a confidential files, you should have more protection than the average user. Windows 11 adds new security, but is not compatible with most hardware older than three years. My home desktop is on all the time and is not locked. I have a better chance of winning a billion dollar lottery, so no need to slow me down.
Authenticator apps are intended to replace passwords and also for payments. This has not happened due to many reasons. There are many authenticator apps with Google Authenticator being the most used. You can not use Google Authenticator to login to Window 10, only Microsoft. The industry, and also Apple, needs to define a single solution. I do not see this happening, so we continue with the mess we have. I recommend people use a password manager, change passwords frequently, use multi-factor where it makes sense, and watch what they do.
I may add this as a topic at the next Q&A Oct 5. Let me know any questions or if you want to talk.
FYI... If people turned on Microsoft Authenticator in Window 10, I would still be able to get at any file you have because most PCs and laptops are not encrypted.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Can you give me a overview of how to FAX from a PC? My clinic uses FAX and/or in person as the methods of document transfer. I had to drive across town, wait in line, and fill out a form for the form I was delivering because I’m not “FAX literate.” I understand that FAX prevails because it was an early, secure medium. But that was a long time ago; and it seems antiquated.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Old PCs had a modem which used a phone land line for connecting to the Internet and include software to fax. New PCs no longer have a phone line connection. Most multi-function (print/scan/fax) have a phone connection and menu to fax if you still have a phone land line.
If you no longer have a phone land line or printer, there are Internet options. You still use a mult-function printer to scan your pages into a PDF file. You then connect to a site, upload your file, and put in the fax number to send to. Some sites offer free sending for a limited number of pages, limited number of faxes per day, and you can only send faxes. You can buy subscriptions that give you a fax number so you can receive and remove limits for the number of pages. 7 Free Online Fax Services - Send free faxes online or receive faxes by email for free. I have used “GotFreeFax” for the few times I have needed it. https://www.lifewire.com/free-fax-services-2378048
Security is a big concern. Never send accounts or social security info in an eMail because there is a small chance someone may monitor and see your eMail which is not encrypted. With the fax services above, you trust them to not view your PDF, again low risk that will happen. Before faxing, check with who you are dealing with to see if they have a site or app where you can upload your PDF securely. Many Banks, Financial, and Insurance have a secure upload and download option.
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Q. From a PCC Member – Sent me a PDF file because the PPT file was too large to send in an email.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I got the PDF, it looks good. By default in PowerPoint it stores images at their original high resolution. I have PowerPoint "Compress" all the images down to the smallest size possible to reduce the PPT size. The images will all look exactly the same as the original high quality when shown on the screen in the presentation. You would only notice the lower quality if you printed it. Usually the PPT will be reduced 10-20 times smaller, which makes it easier to send, store, open, etc. https://nutsandboltsspeedtraining.com/powerpoint-tutorials/powerpoint-compress-images/