Monthly Mini-Bytes - November 2021

 

The "How to Avoid Scams" Splainer Article (Plus Pro Max Edition) Ah, 'tis the season for all the low lifes to emerge from their evil lairs ready to wreak havoc on the Holiday Season by scamming the unsuspecting masses out of their hard earned dollars. And scams have been on the rise lately. From the phone, to text messages, instant messages, and email, the evil-doers weapons are many and varied, but so are the ways that you can protect yourself. Check the Language - Many scammers aren't proficient in English, so looking for things like mis-used words and bad punctuation is a strong giveaway that the message is a scam. I mean who starts a note with "I hope this finds you well." Seriously? Are we living in a Jane Austen novel? Check Your Credit Card Transactions - If you get a message that you had just spent $297 on whatever, check your credit card transactions, or even give your credit card company a call. They can sometimes see pending transactions before they show up online. Do Not Call the Number - Never, ever call the number in a suspected scam message. Do your due diligence first. Calling the number will let them know that they have a live target, and they now have your phone number, too. Examine the Number or Email Address - This is usually a quick give-away. The email or number may not be recognizable or sync up with what you normally suspect. Use your insticts. Beware of the Search - Search results can be spoofed. Looking up a customer service number online can lead your right into a scammer's hands. If you need to contact a particular company, go directly to their website and pull up the contact information from there. Don't call a number that comes in via a Google search. Call the Person Directly - If you get a text or email from someone that is questionable, pick up the phone and call them. Ask if they sent the email. Chances are they did not. Don't Answer Unrecognized Numbers - This goes under the "Trust No One" category. If you don't recognize the number, just let it go to voicemail. If it is important they will leave a message or send a text. If you do answer and it seems suspicious, just hang up. It's Free - No, it's not. Nothing is free. That offer for whatever is a scam. Sorry, you didn't win anything.  These are just a couple of things that you can do that will go a long way in protecting yourself from scammers.

When Should You Update An iPhone or iPad? It used to be that every single year the advancement from iPhone to iPhone had us running down to the Apple Store to wait in line for the latest and greatest. Well, those times have passed. From year to year the changes to the iPhone have been small, and the latest iPhone 13 has 12 users wondering if they should upgrade. But when is it time to upgrade an iPhone, or iPad for that matter? Poor Battery Life - If the battery won't hold a charge that is usually the time you want to upgrade the device. Hey, it comes with a new battery. Problem solved! Can't Update Software - If your devices won't run either the most current or previous version of iOS or iPadOS you will need to update so that all of your apps continue to work and everything plays nicely with iCloud. Cracked Screen - Although these can be repaired, if the device is more than a few years old, replacing rather than repairing may be a better choice. You Just Want One - No better reason in my book!

The Great Shut Down Debate

Should you shut down your computer if you will be away for a while? This has been an ongoing debate and the choice is personal. If you will be traveling for more than a few days, shutting down your computer is not a bad idea. It will consume less power and will have some protection from any nasty power surges. In fact it's the rogue power surges that are of most concern to computers and electronic devices. Of course there are those that need access to their computer while traveling for remote access, file access, etc. But for most, if you are doing that two month cruise to Antarctica, shutting down the computer and even the printer can be a good idea.