2022 October eBytes
22 iPhone Settings You Need to Change Right Now
How to Check Your Internet Speed
How to AirDrop Photos and Files (And Stop People From Sending Unsolicited Pics)
There's Actually a Better Place to Put Your Router to Improve Home Wi-Fi Speeds
Amazon's New Fire HD 8 Tablets Are Thinner, Lighter, and Faster
Windows 11 22H2 Update: 8 Best New Features
How to use Microsoft Authenticator as your password manager
iOS 16 Beefs Up User Security: Check Out These Features First
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22 iPhone Settings You Need to Change Right Now
It includes turning the back of your iPhone into a secret button.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/iphone-tweaks-22-little-known-settings-to-improve-your-iphone
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How to Check Your Internet Speed
Don't take your ISP's word for it. Put your connection to the test, because testing options abound. Here's how to see if you're getting what you pay for.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-check-your-internet-speed
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How to AirDrop Photos and Files (And Stop People From Sending Unsolicited Pics)
AirDrop is an easy way to quickly send photos, videos, and more between Apple devices, though it can open you up to unwanted content if you don't customize your settings.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/turn-on-airdrop-photos-files-stop-people-from-sending-unsolicited-pics
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There's Actually a Better Place to Put Your Router to Improve Home Wi-Fi Speeds
Want better Wi-Fi? Follow these five tips for finding the best location for your router.
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Amazon's New Fire HD 8 Tablets Are Thinner, Lighter, and Faster
Amazon's latest affordable 8-inch devices improve upon their predecessors in all the important ways.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/amazons-new-fire-hd-8-tablets-are-thinner-lighter-and-faster
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Windows 11 22H2 Update: 8 Best New Features
Microsoft adds accessibility, touch gestures, and new apps in this major update to Windows 11. These are the features you should check out first.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/windows-11-22h2-best-features
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How to use Microsoft Authenticator as your password manager
The Microsoft Authenticator app can help you juggle passwords on your mobile device and in the Chrome and Edge desktop browsers.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-microsoft-authenticator-as-your-password-manager
FYI... From Tom Kreuzer PCC Club. While this is a solution I recommend people use the Password Manager BitWarden.
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iOS 16 Beefs Up User Security: Check Out These Features First
From changing the way we log in to aiding people in domestic violence situations, Apple has stepped up security in iOS 16.
https://www.pcmag.com/opinions/ios-16-security-features
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
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Cast Away: How to Connect Your Android Phone to Your TV - On smart TVs and those without Wi-Fi, you can stream your Android phone or tablet screen to the TV through screen mirroring, Google Cast, a third-party app, or linking it with a cable.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/connect-your-android-phone-to-your-tv
The Best Video Streaming Services for 2022 - Cord cutters have plenty of excellent choices beyond Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. Our exhaustive guide compares the top streaming services across multiple genres.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-video-streaming-services
9 Major Reasons to Upgrade to Windows 11 Now - A slick new interface, better security, updated apps, and info widgets are just some of the perks of upgrading to Windows 11. Here's why you should do it sooner than later.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/reasons-to-upgrade-to-windows-11-now
25 Gmail Tips That Will Help You Conquer Email - Google's free email service has come a long way since its debut. It's time you became a Gmail power user. These tips will get you there.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/gmail-tips-that-will-help-you-conquer-email
18 Google Drive Tips You Can't Afford to Miss - Google's online storage service is a stellar file repository and syncing tool to begin with, but with these top tips, you'll be amazed to find out what it can do for you.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/google-drive-tips-tricks
12 Google Calendar Tricks You're Probably Not Using - Wondering how to share your Google Calendar? Want to add a new calendar? Here are the tips you need to keep you organized.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/google-calendar-tricks-youre-probably-not-using
Google Photos Rolls Out Its Biggest Ever Feature Update for Memories - Expect to see more videos, more dynamic photos, instrumental music, new interactions, new memory types, and a collage editor.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/google-photos-rolls-out-its-biggest-ever-feature-update-for-memories
Thunderbolt vs. USB-C: What's the Difference? - Thunderbolt ports look just like USB-C ports, but they're speedier, and the two have key inner differences. Here's how to tell them apart, plus crucial tips on which is better for charging, data transfer, and other uses.
https://www.pcmag.com/news/thunderbolt-3-vs-usb-c-whats-the-difference
Privacy Tip: Secure Your Social Media Accounts Now - Share less about yourself online to foil data brokers and keep your identity private.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/privacy-tip-secure-your-social-media-accounts-now
eSIM vs. SIM: What's the difference? - Apple's latest iPhone models will no longer include a physical slot for a SIM card. Instead, they'll use embedded SIM (eSIM) technology exclusively. That's good news for big carriers, but it will cause headaches for mobile enthusiasts and travelers.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/esim-vs-sim-whats-the-difference
Make It Stop: How to Disable Push Notifications on the Web - Want to receive fewer browser notifications? Here's how to control web notifications and block the pop-ups you don't want in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-disable-web-notifications
8 Chromebooks Starting at Under $300 - Experience the best of Google's ChromeOS, whether it's for work, school or play.
https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/best-chromebook
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Ask a Question - Send any Tips & Downloads, Ask a Question, For Sale, or articles to: TheMiningPCC@gmail.com
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Q. From a PCC Member - With our cell phone plan, we can send text messages if we are out of the US - any suggestions for ways to make calls that aren't super expensive?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. See the past PCC meeting out on the PCC site - "2020 February - Prepping Your Devices for Traveling by Mike Griffin". Many people use Zoom, Skype, and others to call/chat for free as long as you have an Internet connection anywhere in the world to anyone.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Tom, you wrote ”I recommend and use the free software Google Picasa” at the last meeting. Where can I download?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Picasa has many features that I have not found in other free software or sites. Myself and millions of users still use the last version of Picasa from 2016 that works in Windows 10 and 11. Be very careful searching and downloading Picasa because many sites add extra code with a virus/keylogger. I looked out on my main trusted site CNET.COM and they list the software, but no download. This looks like a good site but can change at any time: https://picasa.en.uptodown.com/windows/download Make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and scan your downloads just in case.
I use Picasa locally on my PC and upload to Google Photo on the web to share. If you have Amazon Prime you can get unlimited photo storage and Amazon Photo. For video I use YouTube which is no cost for unlimited video. Adobe Lightroom is an option for $70 year with 1 TB of storage.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Last Pass was breached, what do you think about it?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. The breach was not about user accounts, passwords, or data. It involved some code for the program. User data is encrypted so any hacker or person at LastPass can not see any of your account, password, or data. To unencrypt a hacker needs your personal account and password, so the breach does not affect personal accounts. Personally I switched from LastPass to BitWarden when they started to charge if you had multiple devices. Either service is very safe and secure. I currently highly recommend and use BitWarden on all my devices and OSs.
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Q. From a PCC Member - For many web sites, there is two step Id - I like using that, even though you can say "remember this device" so you don't have to get a code on your cel phone or email. Feels like more security.
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. You are correct that it always getting a code is a little safer. The "remember this device" is a second form of ID without having to enter a code since it stores a code that is only on that device. I use on sites that I use frequently. If it is a site I do not use frequently getting the text code is not a real problem. There are also Authenticator Apps which are even more secure and becoming popular. One popular scam today is a call from your bank saying your account has been breached and they need you to logon to your account. When you logon they ask what is the text code you were sent as part of your logon. They then use the code to logon from their location into your account. NEVER NEVER NEVER give your code to anyone for any reason.
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Q. From a PCC Member - Have you ever converted old VHS clips or video from a recorder to a memory stick?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Years ago we had a meeting/presentation to convert Super 8 to DVD by using a digital camera like your smartphone. The quality is not the best, but better than nothing. Even when done professionally the quality of Super 8 is limited by the small size and quality of the original camera. VHS or Beta tapes can be converted using a $10 USB plug that connects to an old VHS player or camera. Search eBay for “convert VHS to digital”, and you will find devices like the following: https://www.ebay.com/itm/284948877018. Make sure the device works for your version of Windows. Once you get the setting set it does a good job.
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Q. From Paul Ebert PCC Membership person- My touchscreen laptop is acting up with the display not working most of the time. Any idea what is the cause?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I talked with Paul and we both thought it was acting like a hardware problem and not a Windows problem. Paul was considering taking the laptop to Best Buy Geek Squad but decided to take it to a local shop who does free diagnosis.
From Paul Ebert - Problem was bad video drivers, HP and Windows 11. I was mostly OK with Windows 10. The windows 11 upgrade I did made it worse, but just recently. I upgraded to Windows 11 several months ago. I suppose with some effort I could have fixed it, but it was worth paying $50 in this case. Also hard to fix a computer with bad video drivers, In that I could often not see the screen. A 2nd monitor, which I have, might have helped. Anyways, $50 well spent. I avoided spending $600. I got very good service from a local shop Hacker Attackers. https://www.hackerattackers.com 1606 Randolph Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105
If I had to buy a new laptop, I would have bought the laptop below:
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Q. From a Friend of Tom - I received a message from my neighbor asking to send a gift card to them. It appeared to be her eMail and I replied. As you can see, it was Spam (spoofing? gmail hacked? ). Would you have suggestions as to what she should do? Should she do more than change her password? Whom should she notify? I sent a text message to her about this, but haven't heard back yet. I don't want to copy her email in case she really has been hacked. Thoughts?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. - Looks like eMail first contained valid notes between you and your neighbor and the last reply was asking fro the gift card. The last reply was not from the neighbors first valid eMail. The last reply is from an account the scammer has created to look like it was from the neighbor. Had you replied to the 2nd email, the scammer would have given you a phone number to call or instructions on buying gift cards and sending the numbers. You were correct that It is a scam.
I checked the 1st valid email from your neighbor to see if it has been involved in a data breach and it has been in 9 breaches, so the scammer might have gotten info from one of the breaches and gotten into her account. She should change her password ASAP in case that is what happened. If the scammer did not gain access to her valid email, it is always good to change the password anyway at least once a year.
When emails are sent and received on the internet, the content is not encrypted when they pass from system to system, so it is possible for a scammer to view data from emails and then create there own response to try to scam you. It is rare, but does happen. That is why you never want to send any info in an email that is private data like account numbers or passwords.
These scams happen all the time and have been around even before we had email or computers. Email and computers just make it easier and cheaper for scammers to reach people. 11,000,000,000 people have had personal information like emails, passwords, phone, address, SS, and other personal info exposed in the thousands of data breaches over the years. So a phone, email, or address is easy to get for anyone. Even the state of MN sells emails to anyone. The best protection for anyone is to have a long and strong password and change is at least once a year. I recommend everyone use a Password Manager like BitWarden which is free to manage all the accounts and passwords and then you only need to know one password. Link where you can check if an email has been exposed in a breach and other info on breaches: https://haveibeenpwned.com/
She responds - I'll make sure she knows to change her password. She may have already done so. I'll talk to her to see if anyone else has notified her.
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