Traveling with Technology

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Once in a Lifetime Event --Solar Eclipse, August 21

There probably aren't any left who have seen a total solar eclipse. The last one was 99 years ago.
Unlike our predecessors, we have lots of options for watching and learning about this event.
With the amazing technology we have now, we don't even have to buy special glasses and
go outside to see it.

If you can't watch the eclipse outside or the cloud cover doesn't cooperative, you can
livestream this amazing celestial event on your PC. Slooh, the first live-viewing telescope
online service, just made their service free. Watch this video to see if the eclipse will be
passing over your area.

You can also watch from the NASA website. NASA said they will be using 11 spacecraft, three
NASA aircraft, more than 50 high-altitude balloons, and the astronauts aboard the International
Space Station to capture the celestial event. With all these unique vantage points, people who
watch NASA's livestream might get an even better view than people staring at the sky!

NASA's live stream will be picked up by several other sources too. Ustream, YouTube, and
Stream Enterprise will be airing NASA's feed. In addition to the NASA website, the agency will
also use NASA Edge and NASA TV to air the event. These channels are not set up yet but you
can access them from this link when they go live.

Here are a few more websites that will also be doing livestreams:
Exploratorium.edu
Astronomy.com
TimeandDate.com

If you do watch the eclipse outside, remember to protect your eyes with the special eclipse glasses,
not just sunglasses.

Now for a commercial break... just so I know that this blog information is getting out to the RCW PC Club, please comment below. Thanks, Ann

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Wanna Cry? Hope Not!! How to Protect Your Computer

The latest ransomware, named Wanna Cry, surfaced big time last week and caused major problems. Unfortunately, another attack is building on this ransomware, called Adylkuzz. With Adylkuzz, instead of locking the victims' computer with ransomware, the malware turns infected computers into a botnet of "miners," funneling large sums of digital currency. This causes your computer to run slow as its resources are used in the background.

What to Do?

Kim Komando has an article outlining what to do to protect yourself at http://www.komando.com/happening-now/401062/another-cyberattack-spreading-and-its-worse-than-wannacry

"The good news is, Microsoft released an update in March that fixes this flaw so it is CRITICAL that you have your Windows up to date. The bad news is, older versions of Windows operating systems are no longer supported and do not receive these critical Security Updates. However, Microsoft released an emergency patch for its no-longer supported operating systems after the WannaCry outbreak.

If you are running an older, unsupported version of Windows,
click here to download the available Security Update.

You also need to make sure that your gadget's operating system is updated regularly. Click here to learn how to have security updates installed automatically. It's also a good idea to have strong security software on all of your gadgets to stay protected from digital threats."

For updates on technology issues, sign up for Kim Komando newsletters. They are a wealth of important information.

Sunday, March 5, 2017

10 Important Google Sites

Check out the information Google stores on you!

Google stores everything privately and here are the 10 important links (URLs) that will unlock everything Google knows about you. They are hidden somewhere deep inside your Google Account dashboard and they may reveal interesting details about you that are otherwise only known to Google.

Check out the places you can check for personal information as detailed on http://www.labnol.org/internet/important-google-urls/28428/

These links help you locate how Google stores...

Passwords
Profiles for ads
Export all Google data from one spot
Location history
YouTube and Google search history
Log-in history

and how to

File a complaint with Google
Locate a lost phone
Sign up for a new account without a Google email

Check out this website http://www.labnol.org/internet/important-google-urls/28428/

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Should you upgrade to IPhone 7

Apple is now ready to allow you to spend more money. It has just released a new version of the IPhone --Iphone 7 and Iphone 7 plus. Both versions loose the headphone jack, but they gain waterproofing and dual speakers. Under the hood, the camera, processor, and battery life have all been improved. So, if you're the owner of a perfectly good iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, should you upgrade?
If you are undecided, check out this article from PC Magazine for a comparison of similarities and differences of the phones.
http://www.pcmag.com/article/347714/apple-iphone-7-vs-iphone-6s-should-you-upgrade

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Is this website down or is it just me?

Is This Website Down or Is It Just Me?

When a website is down, use downforeveryoneorjustme to see whether the problem is on your end or theirs. Save yourself some hassle with this free web tool!

If you're like me, you sometimes come across websites that just don't seem to cooperate with you. Perhaps they never load, or you get some sort of an error message. It can be frustrating.

The good news is that there is a free website to help you quickly determine whether the problem is with your online computer access or whether it's a problem with the website itself.

The site is DownForEveryoneOrJustMe.com. This is what it looks like. Yes, this is the entire home page:

Simply type the link into their search box, click the link, and go. Downforeveryoneorjustme will give you an immediate response and offer to help you access other sites .

According to TechCrunch.com, this bare-bones site was created by a Twitter employee. It's sure a handy tool!Knowing whether the problem is on your end or theirs helps you know whether to check your own internet service or whether to wait for the site to come back online.

This neat tip was found on genealogygems. com

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Scan Photos with Your IPhone

This is an amazing DIY from Instructables. It shows you how to create a lightbox you can use to photograph a page in book or photo album with your phone camera. This would be great for converting photo albums to digital files.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Scan-Photo-With-Your-Mobile-Phone/step2/Measure-draft-and-cutout/