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.
20 ways to get more out of your Amazon account
It’s impossible to deny Amazon has changed the way we shop and do business online. Since 2004, Amazon has grown from $6.92 billion in sales to more than $280 billion. On top of that, there are now an estimated 105 million Amazon Prime members.
Mac users can sign or edit PDFs with this handy software
At times, it can seem like the internet is in a constant state of change. Still, there are a few things we’ve been able to rely on over the years. Pictures of your cat will get more “likes” than any selfie you take. The comments on any political story will be a train wreck. And when you get a document by email, it’s going to be a PDF.
Practical Tech Tip: How to change your mobile email signature
You have work to get done, but you’re also running from one errand to another today. So, you do the sensible thing: you reply to emails from your phone.
When you finally get back to a desktop computer, you discover those emails you sent have that pesky “Sent from my iPhone” message at the bottom and it looks unprofessional. Tap or click here to see what today’s email etiquette looks like.
Earn money with your Apple Watch, best mail app, delete your search history 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.
Calling all bookworms! 4 apps to help you read more and read faster
Walk through any bookstore, or even any library these days, and you’re likely to see more people scanning their smartphones than reading actual books. It would be all too easy to jump into a rant about shrinking attention spans, but it does seem like modern life leaves us all with less time to sit and absorb a chapter or two.
Know where your loved ones are at a glance with this GPS app
Peace of mind is a tough thing to come by these days. The world is still a generally safe place, but we hear news stories about predators both real and virtual. Small wonder the first time our kids get a smartphone is not a calming moment for parents.
How-to: Lock down private files on your phone or computer
It doesn’t matter what you save to your phone, computer or tablet — everything you keep on your devices should be considered private unless you give someone else permission to look through your files, images and apps.
This $39 course bundle can help you master Microsoft Excel
For many of us, working with spreadsheets and formulas does not come naturally. Yet, as data takes an ever bigger role in the workplace, number-crunching skills are becoming essential to many careers.
If you want to improve your data skills, the Professional Microsoft Excel Certification Training Bundle offers a great education from the comfort of home. This learning library offers 45 hours of beginner-friendly video tutorials, covering a wide range of important skills.
Can your phone help you de-stress? It can with this app
We don’t care what your daily routine is. Whether you work from home or in a bustling office, you’re dealing with cranky children or a badly-timed car breakdown, stress has a way of finding you.
Conversely, you’ve got to actively look for peace and quiet. You can find a little zen in a sudden rainbow, a setting sun or the sound of waves. And sometimes, you can find it in some pretty surprising places, too. But the most surprising place to find serenity might be your smartphone.
Best TVs, riskware, deepfake videos 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.
Spyware watches everything you do. Is your phone or computer infected?
Your everyday tech holds so much valuable information. Between your computer, smartphone and tablet, we’re talking precious photos, private files and enough personal data to make hackers come running.
And with more and more of our information stored digitally, we’re exposed like never before to cybercriminals who want to get their hands on it. One of the sneakiest ways they do it? Spyware.
7 ways finding a job is changing - and what it means for you
If you’re ever looking to switch companies in the field you work in or want an entirely new career path, you might want to think about turning to a staffing agency. Staffing agencies have recruiters whose main role is finding you a job.
This class can help you beat your fear of public speaking
If you’ve got a fear of public speaking, take heart. Glossophobia affects many Americans, and it will likely continue with social media eroding our opportunities for face-to-face interactions.
Suffice it to say, anyone who gets up on stage in front of a microphone for the first time is probably scared out of their wits. Many get over that fear quickly, though, and you can too.
Finally, a virtual golf game that feels like the real deal
There’s an ever-increasing lineup of great technology out there, and no small part of it is made to entertain you. Still, for hardcore golfers there will never be a substitute for a great day out on the links.
That includes this next product, but it comes about as close as we’ve seen. And as a bonus, it might just improve your game so you can get more enjoyment out of the real thing.
Make the most of your DSLR with this photography course
As ubiquitous as cell phone photography is these days, there’s still no substitute for a sturdy DSLR camera. If you’ve seen one in the hands of a professional, you know what we mean.
Still, it takes a lot more than equipment to make a photographer. A properly kitted-out DSLR brings a lot more tools to the table — but you have to know how to use them.
CDs and LPs go digital, snooping spouses, social media alerts 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 password protection for apps, covert social media searches, smartphone tracking, converting music collections and more.
Take control of your utilities with this smart water monitor
Concerned about your water? You should be. Turn off the taps in your house and you’re likely to notice very quickly just how much you depend on it. Add to that the impact on your wallet and the effects on the environment that irresponsible water use can have, and it’s clear it’s the most important utility in your home.
How to earn your stripes as a project management professional
Beyond all the camaraderie-building slogans and factory floor speeches, project management is more of a science than art. Yes, it takes a certain confidence and willingness to make tough decisions. But boiled down to its essence, a good project manager needs to do one thing: Get every member of the team on the same page.
Boost your photo editing skills with an 8-class course - now 97% off
For decades now, Adobe’s Photoshop has been the go-to software tool for a variety of creatives. The program is so ubiquitous it’s even become a verb.
But if you’re just breaking into the biz as a photographer or designer, don’t judge Adobe’s flagship software by the “photoshopped” celebrity memes you see scattered casually around the web.