When I was a child, my mom used to repeat over and over and over again that ‘nothing is free in this world’. Boy was she right! I started out ‘trying’ to understand how to review and explain steps we can use to ‘protect’ our data from the ‘free’ apps we are all using. In an article which appeared in the New York times about Uber and Unroll me, it appears that data was being collected unbeknownst to its users.
If you are, or have ever been, one of the millions of email users or credit systems users, and your password was compromised, then you already know this is a worthwhile cause for concern. That is to say, we can not have too many suggestions for protecting our passwords and personal information when using technology to apply and store them.
As always I am looking for articles on the www or other places, which I think are important enough to focus on at tech4boomers. Here we are again with yet another consideration regarding Passwords. Such is the case with some of these apps (below), which claim to be our newest answers for helping us with the on-going dilemma of password infiltration.
How can you create strong passwords: strong, and “remember-able” the same time? An article by Kit Eaton discusses extensively the following apps:
You can read the details at Source: After You Strengthen Your Passwords, Here’s How to Store Them – The New York Times
One excellent way to entertain friends and get yourself into the holiday mood is to download the ElfYourself app. To use it, snap photos of as many as five faces — yours and those of friends and family. Then center the faces in a special frame, add a custom text message and press “O.K.” ElfYourself pastes the faces onto animated dancing elves in a short, funny musical cartoon — for example, a Christmas countdown song that includes kittens popping up in unexpected places. You can share the resulting video on Facebook, Twitter or elsewhere. Be prepared for giggles. The app is free on iOS and Android, but comes with just one video — the kitten one. Unlocking more video themes costs $6, for which you get different music styles like hip-hop or an “Oh Hanukkah” video.
Source: Video Feature: Apps, Like Elves, Help Make the Season Bright – The New York Times
Happy Holidays!
Happy New Year!
How many of us vowed last year that we would not get caught again without Anti-virus protection?! If you haven’t already, now is the time to make it your mission to get that show on the road. Below you will find a link to free anti-virus software suggestions. In addition there are reviews of various anti-virus products you can select for your personal needs. No more excuses. Don’t get caught without this type of protection. Save yourself from this nightmare. Continue reading
♦ It’s a challenge just keeping up with all the new things happening with technology. Therefore, my mission is to bring those technews items that could be useful not only for BabyBoomers, but interesting for those who have a Smartphone, tablet, or curiosity in ‘what’s happening with tech’ :). Continue reading
In 1926, Dr. Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro History Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In 1976, this celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February, and today Black History Month garners support throughout the country as people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience. Continue reading
There is no longer any doubt that in today’s world often we use technology to help us with our lives. As a matter of fact, JOB HUNTING is no longer done in the old-fashioned way, and I don’t mean newspapers. I’m sure most of you are familiar with the on-line application process. Making your way through the many application requirements, and then hoping that you will be among the very lucky prospective candidates to get a response can be frustrating, to say the least. Continue reading
FB
I Deadline for DNS CHANGER IS
JULY 9, 2012
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Email Savviness:
How many of us have thought that the ‘rules and regulations’ implemented by our workplace management is put in place to protect us? I bet most of us are grumbling about the Internet restrictions imposed by management at our workplace. Did you know there is an ePolicy Institute? You can find out what the ePolicy Institute thinks is worth “protecting employees from”. What are eRisks, eRights, eResponsibilities? Can employers ‘legally’ read your email? Is it OK to email your kids during work hours? What is ‘social engineering‘? The next time you have an opportunity you may want to visit the website. There is much to learn. In addition they have free literature. Click this link to go to the website- Search the ePolicy Institute.
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Tech Savviness: Router Passwords
In a previous tech4boomers post we discussed the importance of using up-to-date equipment. In particular old routers, which may not be providing you with the best service. Equally as important is knowing how to protect your home network from unauthorized access. PASSWORDS are very important when it comes to protecting your Network. Below are some guidelines I found in an article recently. Click on the link provided to get the full details.
Though no password is foolproof, you can build a better password by combining numbers and letters into a complex and unique string. Remember to change both your Wi-Fi password (the string that guests enter to access your network) and your router administrator password (the one you enter to log in to the administration console–the two may sometimes be the same). via How To Lock Down Your Wireless Network | PCWorld.
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Healthful Computing:
iPad users will want to pay attention and be careful of their body posture when using this device. Read what the article I found in the New York Times Science section recently had to say: The scientists studied 15 experienced tablet users in their natural viewing positions. Placing a tablet on the lap created the greatest strain, the researchers found, because it forces the user to look down at a steep angle, causing head and neck flexion – a particular hazard for users who are doing a lot of typing. via WELL – Really? The Claim – Using an iPad can strain your neck. – Question – NYTimes.com.
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BuddyTV Guide App
According to what I have read this APP is worth looking into 🙂
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I hope this is helpful 🙂
It’s almost impossible to keep up with all the great and useful things to know that are happening on the technology front. That’s why in upcoming Posts the format for tech4boomers will change to short burst of information with links to the web pages, or apps, or guidelines etc., which will give you quick access to the things that interest you most. You will also want to visit DIGITWIRL, which has great suggestions and tips for organizing your technology world. A link to the website (Great Technology Tips) is available under BLOGS I LIKE.
The topics covered in this Post are : Health Apps, Healthful Computing, and How to Buy a Router.
HEALTH APPSappear to be everywhere, and there seems to be one for everything. I don’t know why I was surprised to read about these weight loss apps in a Nutrition Newsletter that I received in the ‘snail mail‘, but there they were prominently placed on a page all by themselves as the latest way to keep track of what you are eating by using an app on your smartphone, or computer. Below are some of the APPS that were suggested, along with the links to them. I’ve read that free apps are just as good as any of the ones which charge a fee in this category. Why don’t you check them out for yourself using the links below which goes with your device.
Name of APP – MyFitnessPal – FREE
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Name of APP – Lose It! – FREE
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HEALTHFUL COMPUTING!
tech4boomers has often written about the importance of being careful to protect your eyes when you are at the computer. Check out the tips at this site:
http://office-ergo.com/eyestrain-neck-pain/
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DO YOU NEED AN EQUIPMENT UPDATE?
When was the last time you updated your computer equipment? I know many of us are trying to save those dollars, but it could be possible that by not evaluating whether your current computer equipment is serving your best interests both economically and aesthetically, and you could be paying more than you need to. Take a look at the article, which appeared in PC World Magazine recently about Routers. It will help you to check what steps you should take in deciding what is best for your technology purposes.
How to Buy a Router, By Armando Rodriguez, PCWorld May 3, 2012
Buying a router may not be at the top of everyone’s to-do list, but a new model can mean the difference between enjoying Netflix in HD and seeing a grainy mess of substandard video.
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See you at the next Post. I hope this is helpful 🙂
I am sure you heard about the recently published articles regarding online privacy. How sure can we be that the people who are watching us, are people we want to share our views and Internet behavior/habits with? I think this is something we want to have control over, but, how much can we control?
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Jennifer Valentino-DeVries of the Wall Street Journal reported on this topic in a February 16, 2012 article, ‘How Google Tracked Safari Users’. The article discusses the use of “cookies’ being stored in a person’s computer to track online activities. Many online ‘savvy’ users are well aware of this common practice; however, Apple users thought Apple’s Safari Web Browser was defaulted to block this type of tracking. You can get the full article details via How Google Tracked Safari Users – Digits – WSJ
I wondered what others were thinking about this, and found some excellent points made by Alan Thompson, Principal Consultant, Marketing Analytics – July 29, 2011 article, Is online privacy a realistic expectation? Thompson makes some excellent points; such as he says Users benefit from free APPS , and without tracking the owners of these APPS can’t provide meaningful targeting for advertisers. In other words, without ads, charges would be required for the Free Apps users load on their devices. He points out that we (users) do have the choice to read and accept terms and conditions. Many of us often just ‘accept’ the terms without reading what they are because the benefits to us outweigh the privacy risks. We want to use these free Web Apps and services and have free access to information, therefore our privacy could be compromised. In 2011 Thompson stated that the focus on mobile apps and privacy were not new, and that data aggregators have been collecting information on households for many years. The first data aggregator that came to my mind was Nielsen reports. You can read more about the various ways data is used in the article via Is online privacy a realistic expectation? | Tellabs Blog | Telecom News & Industry Trends | Tellabs News.
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As consumers of these ‘Free APPS, Services and Information’, what can we do to be creative in protecting ourselves from these marketing strategies?
♦ Google has made a serious effort to find solutions for the privacy concerns of their users and provides some ways to protect yourself. These are some of the tools available to you: Encrypt searches, use Google Chrome, check Web History controls, use Gmail Chat “off the record”, Opt-out-install of Google Analytics Personalization.
♦ Make sure to visit Google’s Dashboard, via Privacy tools – Google, which has the guidelines for changing your privacy settings.
You can make a proactive choice in handling how some of your online habits are evaluated :). I hope this is helpful.
tech4boomers 