2024 July eBytes
12 Simple Things You Can Do to Be More Secure Online
Stop Oversharing: How to Make Your Social Profiles Private
The best live TV streaming services for cord cutters: Expert tested
The best external hard drives you can buy: Expert tested
ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?
Best and Worst Phone Plan Providers
Fact-Checking in the AI Age
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12 Simple Things You Can Do to Be More Secure Online
Follow these easy tips to protect the security of your devices, your data, your internet traffic, and your identity.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/12-simple-things-you-can-do-to-be-more-secure-online
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Stop Oversharing: How to Make Your Social Profiles Private
Your public posts online can make you an easy target for criminals of all kinds. We tell you how to lock down your social media accounts—and why you should.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/please-stop-oversharing-no-really
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The best live TV streaming services for cord cutters: Expert tested
We tested the best live TV streaming services like Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu Plus Live TV, and others that let you watch your favorite shows, news, and sports in real time, so you can finally cut the cord.
https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/home-entertainment/best-live-tv-streaming-service/
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The best external hard drives you can buy: Expert tested
I've rigorously evaluated the top external hard drives available today, to guide you toward the most reliable and cost-effective backup storage solution.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-external-hard-drive/
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ChatGPT vs. Microsoft Copilot vs. Gemini: Which is the best AI chatbot?
AI chatbots are more popular than ever, but with new updates coming out every few months, how do you determine which one is the best?
https://www.zdnet.com/article/chatgpt-vs-microsoft-copilot-vs-gemini-which-is-the-best-ai-chatbot/
Get Exactly What You Want From Generative AI With These Simple Prompting Tips - The results you get from Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and others are directly tied to the quality of your prompts. Follow these simple guidelines to get the best results.
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Best and Worst Phone Plan Providers
Here are the top wireless carriers based on value, data service, customer support, and more
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Fact-Checking in the AI Age
AARP presentation from May 22, 2024 on Fact-Checking in the AI Age
https://seniorplanet.org/fact-checking-in-the-ai-age/
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Links - News, Tips, & Downloads
How to use Google Wallet - and why you should already - While it's primarily a payment app that lets you bypass your traditional wallet, Google Wallet has a range of other handy uses.
https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-to-use-google-wallet-and-why-you-should/
DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro Review - DuckDuckGo Privacy Pro fails to build upon the popular private browser with paltry personal data removal, limited identity theft remediation, and a VPN that doesn’t make the grade.
https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/duckduckgo-privacy-pro
What Is Copilot? Microsoft's AI Assistant Explained - Microsoft’s Copilot generative AI is popping up in Windows, Edge, Office apps, and Bing. But just what exactly is it? Here’s everything you need to know.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/what-is-microsoft-copilot
12 Simple Tips to Speed Up Windows - Make your Windows 11 (or Windows 10) PC run faster without compromising its interface or functionality.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/12-tips-to-speed-up-windows-10-windows-11
How to Make Your Windows PC Boot Faster - Does Windows take a long time to start up? Here are a few things you can do to make the boot process on your computer a little quicker.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-make-your-windows-pc-boot-faster
How to Record the Screen (With Sound) on Your iPhone or iPad - Need to capture exactly what’s on your screen? Apple's built-in Screen Recording tool can help you create a video of your screen activity or grab a screenshot.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/record-screen-iphone-ipad-sound-audio
How to Use Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection - Need to access a remote PC from another computer or a mobile device? Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) tool will let you connect from afar
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-use-microsofts-remote-desktop-connection
How to Download YouTube Videos - There are dozens of different ways to download YouTube videos so you can view them offline. Here are a few of the easiest and most effective methods
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-download-youtube-videos
How to Connect Your Android Phone to Your Windows 11 PC - Connecting the two lets you send text messages, see notifications, instantly grab photos, and even run apps from your Android phone on your Windows 11 PC.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-connect-your-android-phone-to-your-windows-11-pc
The Trick to Being Organized: Delete With Abandon - Trashing old files is fundamental to being digitally organized, but many people find it challenging. Our digital organization expert explains why it's so important and how to do it.
https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/delete-with-abandon
10 Things to Know Before You Buy Refurbished Electronics - Renewed devices are cheaper, but do some research first. These tips can help you get a deal and avoid being ripped off when buying refurbished laptops, TVs, phones, and other electronics.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/10-things-to-know-before-you-buy-refurbished-electronics
Need a Second Phone Number? How to Get Started With Google Voice - The Google Voice service gives you a free phone number to use for phone calls, text messages, and voicemail on your mobile phone and your computer.
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/google-voice-tips-get-started
The Best Video Editing Software We've Tested - Whether you're vlogging on YouTube, uploading to TikTok, or working for a movie studio, we’ve curated a list of the top video editing software for you based on features, performance, and price.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-video-editing-software
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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 - I have a question about updating drivers. Does Microsoft automatically do this or do I need a driver updater like Norton or PCSoft?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. Drivers are software enable hardware to work with Windows. Examples: Printers, Monitors, Mice, Video camera, USB drives, and hundreds of other unique hardware devices. Some drivers are created by Microsoft, but most are created by the company that makes the hardware. Unlike Apps or Software that get frequent updates and can be used by hackers or virus, a driver is usually small in size and rarely updated. Most only update a driver when they install new hardware or when hardware stops working after a Windows update.
You do not need a package like Norton or PCSoft to update drivers. Almost all hardware companies have a download page on their web site with the latest drivers.
Drivers can be checked by doing WindowsKey + X and selecting “Device Manager” to see what hardware you have and what drivers you have. It also lists version, is it working, and change settings. There is an Update driver button if the company has made it’s drivers available to Windows to update. If not you need to go the company web site and download to update/install the new driver.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I have a problem with some software and was told by the company to uninstall the software and delete the directory and files. What should I do?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I never like to delete a directory or files until the new install and data looks correct. You can use File Manager to easily rename the directory by adding text like “IAM” to “IAM Backup”. If the software came with it’s own uninstall use that or if none is found use the Windows Setting\App\Installed App, then select the software and click on the three dots and select the uninstall.
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Q. From a PCC Member - I was using Google Drive to save files on Google Drive. I ran out of free space on Google Drive so I deleted some of the files on Google Drive. It also deleted the files on my local drive which I did not want deleted. What's up?
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. By default when you turn on Google Drive it installs “Google Drive” software on the PC that is always running and checking if it needs to update files from the PC to the cloud or from the cloud to the PC. So when you deleted the files in the cloud it deleted them on the PC. Uninstall the “Google Drive” software on the PC to stop the sync. You can then delete files or directories on the cloud without affecting the PC directories and files. You should then be using the “Google Takeout” service to backup the cloud files at least once a month.
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Q. From a PCC Member - TicketMaster Breach article:https://www.yahoo.com/news/ticketmaster-data-breach-hackers-claim-191500166.html
A. From Tom Kreuzer, a PCC Board member. I had seen this. The data they say they got is limited and not worth much. They claim they have full names of Ticketmaster customers addresses, phone numbers, partial credit card details, and order and transaction info. The addresses and phone are already available for free for almost everyone in the US. Partial credit card is worth next to nothing. The order and transaction info might be worth a few cents per user on the Dark Web.
People already should assume their data is public and monitor and take steps to protect themself from all the known and unknown data breaches we have had over the years. I always show the site: https://haveibeenpwned.com/ that currently lists over 13 Billion accounts that have been breached and what data was gotten. Since we have 8 Billion people in the world, almost every account has been breached. We all have to monitor and take steps to protect yourself.
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