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Router checks, free credit reports, Windows help and more: Tech Q&A
Each week, I receive tons of questions from my listeners about tech concerns, new products and all things digital.
Sometimes, choosing the most interesting questions to highlight is the best part of my job. This week, I received questions about free credit reports, getting Windows help, security checks and more.
Do you have a question you’d like to ask me? It’s easy to do. Tap or click here to email me directly.
Payment app lowdown
Q: My 31-year-old unemployed worthless brother wants me to send him money using Venmo. Is this a safe way to give someone money? I definitely don’t want him to have my credit card number or checking account number.
A: Argh, that sounds like an annoying situation. Venmo is considered the go-to service for “peer-to-peer” transactions, and millions of people use it every day without incident.
A big problem with the service is how public your transactions can be; by default, you can watch transactions take place between friends and relations, thanks to Venmo’s chummy relationship with Facebook.
I recommend changing these settings as soon as possible, as there is no sensible reason to carry out these transactions publicly. There are many similar services to Venmo available, including Apple Pay with compatible devices. Tap or click here for the safest ways to give someone money digitally and one service to avoid.
Change mobile signature
Q: Every time I send a message, at the bottom, it says, “Sent from my iPhone.” It annoys the heck out of me. Can I change that message?
A: Putting that message in all iPhone messages by default is real genius marketing. Whoever thought of it should have gotten a huge bonus from Apple. But you’re not the only one aggravated by it. Many people have no idea they can change this signature line, or even that it is, technically, a signature line.
You may have noticed certain email platforms allow you to use a signature in their desktop versions, but that signature doesn’t carry over to the mobile versions. This can be frustrating, but it’s a pretty quick fix. Tap or click here to change your mobile email signature.