Security tip: How to choose and install cameras that upload right to the cloud
Picture this: You’re sleeping soundly in your bed one night. Suddenly, shattering glass jerks you awake. If a burglar’s combing through your home and snatching up your valuables, your mind’s probably racing 100 miles per hour.
You could grab a baseball bat and unleash your inner lion. If you don’t want to throw your life in danger, though, you could call 911 and invite some professional assistance. But if the police don’t show up on time, thieves could slip away in the middle of the night with thousands of dollars worth of your personal belongings.
In times like these, security cameras set up inside your home can make a world of difference. Officers can use the footage to track down your invaders, bring them to justice and hopefully return your stolen goods. Tap or click here for six essential features you need in a home security system.
You need to choose the very best cameras, though
Wi-Fi cameras are a lifesaver, but you’ll have to pick between two storage options. Kim advises using cameras that upload directly to the cloud. When working with local storage, you may have to deal with the burdensome task of organizing enormous files. That’s because local storage saves your video recordings either within the camera or on a networked device.
Let’s go back to that burglary scenario we described earlier. If a tech-savvy thief breaks into your home and sees a camera, they may pop it open and snatch the SD card. Just like that, they’ve disappeared into the night with the video footage you’ve spent so much money on.
Contrast this to cloud storage, which uploads your recordings to internet servers you can access from your laptop, phone or another device. It’s super convenient, and you don’t have to worry about physical theft.
Plus, you don’t have to fuss over the technical details of storage space like you do with cameras that use local storage. Instead, you’ll have a window of time you can browse through. For example, a cloud storage plan stores your footage for a certain amount of days. After that, the service automatically deletes your recordings.
Here’s what we recommend
Check out our sponsor, SimpliSafe. Kim loves it because it’s easy to install and manage, even if you aren’t tech-savvy. In fact, if you set up a SimpliSafe system by yourself, it shouldn’t take longer than 5 minutes.
You don’t need to break out the tools, drills or wire. Just plug and protect, and you’re good to go! Even better, you get 30 days to view your recordings before they’re automatically deleted.
Use Google? Big change coming to the way you store docs
The word cloud has come to mean something entirely different in our new technology-based life. In the early days of computers, you could store everything on your local hard drive and get access to it immediately.
But as technology takes over our lives, we create more and more digital content and need someplace to put it. Enter cloud storage, a great way to save everything off your computer but still access it. Tap or click here to find out why you need to be using a cloud backup for all your devices.
Google Photos changed its storage limits TODAY - Here's what you need to know
Today is the day. Google is doing away with unlimited photo storage in Google Photos. Once it’s gone, anything you upload will count against the 15GB data cap that comes with your Google Account.
Google Photos has been one of our favorite free options for photo storage, and it’s a shame to see Google shifting away from what made the service so popular. Tap or click here to see 20 tips to help you take control of your photos.
Kim's 5 reasons to set up a financial Chromebook
Do you have a Chromebook in your arsenal of gadgets? If you don’t know, they are similar to a laptop but just a little bit different. Chromebooks run on Chrome OS, which was specifically built to be used with an internet connection.
Video doorbell settings you must change
When it comes to smart devices, you have a ton of choices. Not only are smart speakers and assistants affordable and easy to obtain, but so are smart plugs, smart lights, smart thermostats and a ton of other smart devices, too.
Warning: Your Gmail and Google Drive files could soon be deleted
Remember when you used to keep physical copies of photos? Those were the days. Even just viewing them would require printing them out.
That’s changed quite a bit as technology has advanced. Most smartphones have excellent cameras with multiple lenses these days, and our photos end up in a folder on our desktops rather than a photo album. You can even invest in a digital photo frame to display your images beautifully.
Tech freebies: How to get free stuff
Why spend extra money on tech when there are plenty of freebies to go around? If you know where to look, you can get streaming services, cloud storage and even gadgets without paying a dime.
A warning before you go looking on your own: Scammers will frequently use promises of free subscriptions or products to trick you into downloading malware or giving up personal info. Tap or click here to see a free Netflix offer that turned out to be a scam.
Google Drive tricks: 15 smart ways to get more out of this free office software
Almost all of us utilize cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox in some capacity. Cloud-based storage services are just a normal part of using technology at this point.
While there are lots of cloud storage services to choose from, Google Drive has tons of advantages over the competition. Not only does it offer free file storage, but it also lets you create documents that can be accessed from anywhere. That’s a huge benefit now that it’s common to work remotely. Tap or click here to see what Google did to help at-home workers over the past few months.
You can't replace your photos – Get them off your phone now
How many photos are on your smartphone? A study conducted by Gigaom found the average person keeps 630 photos and 25 videos on their device — but many of us have thousands.
It might seem convenient to keep all your photos in one spot, but if you aren’t backing them up, you could lose everything if your phone breaks. Tap or click here to see mistakes you’re making with your phone that’s killing it.
Check your phone! 23 apps you must delete right now
If you don’t do enough research before downloading an app from Google Play, you could end up with something nightmarish installed on your Android phone that wastes your battery and bombards you with spam. It’s almost like clockwork each month when a new batch of these apps is discovered.
Wait! Take these steps before you update your PC
As of July, Windows was the operating system running 87% of the world’s PCs.
You’re probably using Windows 10. Windows 7 support ended months ago, and using the outdated OS isn’t worth the risk. Resistant to change? You can make Windows 10 look a lot like its predecessor if you know the settings to change.
Windows 10: 4 steps to update your PC the right way
Updates are great — in theory. You get a popup from Microsoft saying there’s an update that will make your computer safer and faster than it’s ever been. Then you hit “update” and your computer is wrought with newfound problems.
Tech freebies: 15 upgrades you get for free
You’ve spent so much money already — on a laptop, tablet, computer, router, network extender, printer, and smartphone. You’ve signed up for the internet, and you’re paying monthly fees. You’ll be relieved to know that a lot of tech is free.
Hours of police video found on body cams sold on eBay
When you sell a gadget on eBay, one of the most important things you need to do is clear any data it may contain. Doing so will take additional time and effort, but leaving your existing information to chance is not worth the tradeoff.
Microsoft warns of massive phishing campaign targeting PCs
Have you been busy during quarantine? If not, don’t worry — most of us haven’t been. But that statement doesn’t apply to hackers and cybercriminals, who’ve spent the COVID-19 pandemic refining their technique and creating phishing websites to steal people’s data.
All the ways you can get Microsoft Office for free
Microsoft Office Suite — Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote, Access and Publisher — is the standard when it comes to digital office software. It set the precedent of what organization and presentation software should be and continues to be the software set you need most for basic computer and work tasks.
Microsoft's easy-to-use new app combines Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Microsoft recently launched the Microsoft Office app for Android, which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. It’s free to use and download, but the premium features will cost you. If you’re on a strict budget, tap or click here to learn more about how you can get Microsoft Office for free.
FBI warning: Avoid these Microsoft and Google scams
Google and Microsoft are taking bold stances in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. Rather than upcharge customers forced to work from home, they’re actually offering their premium business services for free. This makes it easier for employees to operate remotely across the country.
Video cameras used to keep kids safe can be hacked to spy on your family
Parents have been looking for ways to keep their kids safe for generations. The thing is, worrying about what they’re up to when they leave the house isn’t enough these days. Now, there are online trolls and predators to watch for.
Practical Tech Tip: How to save important voicemails
Some voicemails are just too precious to delete — or too important. After all, you may need to reference that voicemail from your friend about the parking situation at their new house, or you may want to preserve the meaningful message from a departed loved one.