Month: July 2018

I have been trialing VPN.  Chris installed NordVPN on my phone and tablet a few weeks ago so I have had a chance to use it and get comfortable with it. I’m still trying to figure out why I really need it.  Why would anyone be interested in what I am doing on the internet?  Chris has reminded me that it’s not just what I search for, but also the information that I transmit.  So, sure, once I log into Facebook, they will know what I click on and the posts that I read, but they won’t know that a half-hour ago I bought pink Ugg boots at Marshall’s.

Here are my initial impressions from trialing VPN:

1. On my phone, Chris had to make some changes so that my phone stayed logged into the VPN.  For the first few days whenever I moved from one WiFi location to another, or from WiFi to cellular, the VPN would drop and I would have to reconnect it.  Now the VPN is persistent even as I drive or walk around.
2. I like that I can connect to a VPN almost anywhere in the world.  Chris has experimented with connecting in the UK.  Then he can see what is on the BBC that is not available in Colorado.
3. There are times when the VPN seems to slow things down, especially on my phone and tablet. When that happens, I disconnect and then reconnect to my WiFi and that seems to help.
4. There have been times when I cannot send emails from my phone when connected to the VPN. We’re still trying to figure out what that happens.  In the meantime, I turn off the VPN, send the email, and then reconnect.

We like NordVPN – Get it here!

If you need help setting up your VPN, contact us for an appointment.

Are you trialing a VPN? Which one? What are your impressions?  Please let me know in the comments below!

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly.  You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free and fast shipping.  With Prime we have access to online streaming too. Prime is usually $119/year, but you can get a free 30 day trial by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Recently I was out to dinner with a couple of friends.  During almost the entire evening at least one of them had their nose in their phone.  They were responding to texts/private messages, or answering a phone call, or listening to voice mails, or responding to emails.  I was appalled by their lack of manners, not just to me, but to each other! Several of these friends are also obsessed with the news.  When I pressed them on it, they didn’t seem to think they had spent that much screen time and that it wasn’t disruptive. I wondered to myself just how much time they were actually spending on their phone.

And then I started wondering how much time /I/ actually spend on my phone!

What is Screen Time?

Well, lucky me, because the next iOS for my iPhone and iPad will be available in September and includes a new app called “Screen Time”. I’ve signed up for the beta version of iOS 12 to try it out. Of course I’m installing it on my iPad and not my iPhone.  I use my iPhone extensively for business.  If my iPhone were to be suddenly unavailabe, I’d be up a creek without a paddle! So far, here is what I have found:

1. Although I installed Screen Time on my iPad, it says that it is providing results for “All Devices”.  Since I generally use the same apps on my phone and my tablet, I wasn’t really sure if it was showing results for both.  I did a little test and played a game on my phone that is not on my iPad.  The time I spent playing that game did not show up on the results.  In addition, it said I picked up my “phone”, on average, every 22 minutes.  Again, it is showing results for the iPad.
2. Since I don’t use my iPad that much, and when I do, it is primarily for entertainment, the results are a little skewed.  Once I install iOS 12 on my iPhone, I’ll have a better idea of how I’m actually using my devices.
3. I do like that it tells me where I’m spending my time: Productivity, Social Networking, Entertainment, and Games.

Helpful hints:

Are you concerned about how much time you are spending on your mobile devices? Telling yourself to just put it down isn’t really much help. Here are some things I have found helpful on my iPhone:

1. Putting my phone in another room during meals.  I can still hear it ring, and if it is important, I can easily get up
2. Turning off all notification sounds.  In Settings, select “Notifications”.   Then you can go through the list of all of your apps one by one.  Which of these apps should be allowed to interupt you with notifications?  Which should not?
3. If I really don’t want to be disturbed, I turn the ringer off.  My phone still communicates with my Fitbit watch, so when someone is calling I get a notification on my watch.  Again, if it’s important, I can easily get up. If I really, really don’t want to be disturbed, I will take off my Fitbit.
4. Changing my iPhone to greyscale.  It is a much less attractive distraction when there is no color involved.  In Settings, select General, then select Accessibility.  Scroll to the bottom of that screen and select “Accessibility Shortcut”. Click on “Color Filters”.  Then triple tap the home button to make your iPhone greyscale.  Triple tap again to bring the color back.
5. Use a timer.  If you do want to check social media but want to make sure you’re not spending two hours catching up with your Facebook friends, set a timer.  It’s best if you set it in a different room.  For example, if I’m in my home office, I can set the microwave timer.  That provides me with a persistent reason to get up and head to the kitchen to turn off the timer!

Screen Time for Kids:

Screen Time will also allow you to restrict your children’s use of their iPhone and iPad.  I would suggest trialing Screen Time for yourself first. Then you’ll know how best to introduce it to your kids.

 

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet.  I’ll try that next!   Prime is normally $119/year ($59 for students!), but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Any links to products or services in this post may be affiliate links. If they are, we may receive a small commission when you click on it. Rest assured, your price will be the same!)  If you’d like to receive our newsletters in your email, please click here.

There sure has been a lot going on in the technology world.  Here’s some of the tech news I’ve been reading about:

Facial Recognition is back in the news.  Between China and Facebook, it is something we all need to be aware of.

• This article in the Sunday New York Times gives an overview of how facial recognition is being used in China.  From catching criminals to just keeping track of people, their system is pretty impressive.  “Beijing is embracing technologies like facial recognition and artificial intelligence to identify and track 1.4 billion people.”
• This article reminds us to stop taking selfies if we want to stay out of facial recognition databases.  “A 2016 Georgetown University study found that one in two American adults, or 117 million people, are in facial recognition databases with few rules on how these systems may be accessed.”
• If you want to turn off fingerprint or facial recognition on your smartphone you should read this article.

Next Monday is Amazon Prime Day and all the tech news outlets want you to know what the best deals are.  Remember to still check the internet to see if you can get a better deal on that coveted item from somewhere else – Best Buy, Target, etc.

• You do need to be a member of Amazon Prime in order to take advantage of these deals.  Check out this link to Try Amazon Prime for a 30-Day Free Trial. If you don’t like the benefits, remember to cancel before the 30 day trial is up!
• There are some tips in this article to help you take the best advantage of Prime Day.
• Then there is always eBay which is also offering great deals next week.
• And these 10 stores will price match Amazon all year long!

July and August are great times to travel.  Here are some Tech Tips to make international travel easier.

• Remember to check with your phone carrier before making an international trip.  They will probably be able to offer you special plans for the duration of your trip.
• Here are some tips to unplug from tech while you are on vacation.  My personal favorite is the nuclear email option!
• Remember to set your Dropbox so that it automatically uploads your photos to the cloud.  That way, if you’re taking the perfect picture at the ocean, and a wave destroys your phone, you’ll still have most of the photos saved.  (Dropbox does need wifi in order to upload any videos.)
• And, please don’t use all of your data!  Here are some tips to help you conserve your data plan.

Some of our favorite sites for tech news include Wired, Fast Company, arsTechnica, and C|Net.  Check them out!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years.  We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet.  I’ll try that next!   Prime is normally $119/year ($59 for students!), but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Any links to products or services in this post may be affiliate links. If they are, we may receive a small commission when you click on it. Rest assured, your price will be the same!)  If you’d like to receive our newsletters in your email, please click here.