Screen Time – How much time do I spend playing games on my phone?!

Several months ago, I checked out the beta version of the newest Operating System for my iPhone. (Check out my blog on the subject.)  I did this primarily because I had heard about Screen Time, a new app that helps you track the amount of time you are spending on your Apple devices.  I only signed up for the trial on my iPad because, if they were to release a beta OS that crashed the system, I didn’t want to be without my phone.

Although Screen Time says "Gail's iPhone", it's really data from both my phone and tablet.
Although Screen Time says “Gail’s iPhone,” it has combined actual data from both my phone and my tablet.

Well, now that they’ve fully tested the software and released it to the public, I’ve installed it on my phone and updated my tablet. (By the way, I’m using iOS 12.0.1 on my iPhone and 12.1 on the iPad.) So, now there’s no getting around it.  I spend a LOT of time on my devices, playing games, and checking social media.  But, I’m also happy to see that I actually do spend more time reading, researching, and other productive activities.  (Check out the Screen Time gray bar.)

What do the different colors mean?

There are several different colors on the Screen Time app that indicates where you are spending your time. The first several colors are where you are spending the most time. For me, dark blue indicates the time I spend playing games, light blue indicates Social Media, Orange is Health & Fitness, and the grey bar on Screen Time generally indicates “Other.”

When I did a quick search on Google to find out what all the different colors mean, I was surprised at how many people searched for the “Screentime grey bar” and “What does the Screentime gray bar mean?” It seems to always indicate “OTHER” and not the top three categories.

I also played around with it a little. Yesterday I opened the Kindle app on my phone and left it up for several hours. Sure enough, the “Information & Reading” category turned dark blue.

Screen Time tells me how often I…

The App also tells me how many times I pick up my phone (54 times a day) and how many notifications I get (71 per day).

How to install Screen Time:

Screen Time is easy to activate and use once you’ve upgraded to the newest iOS.  Go to Settings, and scroll down about one screen until you see Screen Time.  Click on Screen Time, then “Turn on Screen Time.”  Read the introduction, then click on “Continue.”  Next, it will ask if this phone is yours or for a child.  It will allow you to set up a downtime for the phone, time limits for specific apps, and other permissions. (You may also notice that I have a VPN activated on my phone.  Here’s my blog about that subject.)

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INFORMATION ABOUT GEEK FOR HIRE, INC.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided 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 at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

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, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Been Pwned? How Do I Find Out If This Impacts Me?

2019 January 22 UPDATE: Based on recent news stories, the “been pwned” information has been updated here:

https://geekforhireinc.com/pwned-has-your-email-been-compromised/

 

 

Although this website has been around for a few years, I’ve only just found out about it.  It’s called Have I Been Pwned and it lets you know if your email address has been compromised in any way.

A little history about the word Pwned:

The Urban Dictionary postulates that Pwned came into use after one of the designers for the game Warcraft typo’d “has been pwned” instead of “has been owned”. Another Urban Dictionary contributor says it is actually a commonly used chess term, where you use your pawn to check your opponent. Regardless of the various definitions, the word essentially means that you have been owned or dominated.

Have I Been Pwned?been pwned?

Head over to Have I Been Pwned to find out if your email and other personal information has been hacked by bad operators.  They will also tell you on which websites or apps the data breach has occurred.  For example, I found out that my both my personal and business emails have been pwned.  I immediately changed the password for both accounts.  It also told me that the breach came from my Dropbox account.  I then changed my login information on Dropbox as well. Another breach occurred on my LinkedIn account so I changed my info there too.

What can you do to keep your information safe?

  1. Change your password frequently. I change my passwords every 3-6 weeks.
  2. Never use the same password again!
  3. MOST IMPORTANT: Use a password that is hard to guess.  Make sure you use at least 10 characters.  You should use at least one of each of the following: an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a special character.  I always end with punctuation too. Lately, I’ve been using book titles to craft secure passwords.  So “The New Relationship Marketing” would become “th3NewRel@t1onshipMarket1ng;”  (Check it out.  It’s a great book by Mari Smith.)
  4. Next, always keep track of your passwords using a secure system.  I use a password protected spreadsheet. (I’ve recently heard of two people who lost access to their online password tracking system. They had to go to each of their apps and change their passwords!)

Let me know if you have a great tip for setting up great, secure passwords.

Here’s some more reading on the whole pwned subject:

Please forward this to your colleagues who never change their passwords.

Information about Geek For Hire, Inc.

I’ve created a Free Report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

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.  His company is highly rated by both the BBB 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 online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet.  I’ll try that next!  Prime is normally $119/year, but you can try it for 30 days for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission when you sign up.)

 

Flash Drive – They’re All The Same, Right?

“If you need to copy files to a flash drive or memory stick, and don’t care how long it takes, get the cheapest one.”  ~Chris Eddy

Every once in a while, Chris is asked to copy data to a flash drive. The person has one that they purchased from above the candy rack at Target or has a huge logo that the person received as a freebie from a trade show.  He does a silent groan and prepares to make casual conversation.

Flash Drive – They’re all the same, right?

That’s what I once thought.  The only variable I thought, was how much storage it had.  Do I have just a few pictures of the kids to give to my Dad?  Then I’ll get an 8g flash drive.  A handful of videos of the grand-kids? Well, then I’ll get a 128 gig flash drive or even a 2Terabyte external hard drive!

Speed Matters:

Flash Drive insides from Wikipedia
Flash Drive insides from Wikipedia

It turns out it’s not just the size that matters with Flash Drives, speed matters too. Most of the readily available flash drives at the checkout counter will transfer around 5-8 MBps (MBps = Million Bytes per second).  Head into the back aisles of your favorite electronics store though, and you’ll see Flash Drives that are speed rated at 50 to 200 MBps.  So, if you have a lot of data to copy, you won’t be sitting around twiddling your thumbs for an hour or more while it does its thing.  (I’ve written about this before.  Check out this blog from last year.)

Flash Drives that Chris likes:

  • This Samsung transfers at 150 Mbps and holds 128g.
  • This Flash Drive from Kingston transfers at 100 MBps and holds 64g.
  • Chris especially likes the price of this Samsung which transfers at 200 MBps and holds 64g.

If you found this helpful, please forward it to your friends!

I’ve created a Free Report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

INFORMATION ABOUT GEEK FOR HIRE, INC.

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided 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 at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

Here’s a link to our Covid19 Policy.

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, we earn from qualifying purchases.