Need To Call 911 – Don’t Use Alexa!

Posted on January 29, 2019December 2, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Technology Tips, Tips

Last week I learned that you can’t use Alexa or other “smart speakers” or “virtual assistants” to call 911 in an emergency. It seems like this would be the perfect use for such a device. You slip getting out of the shower, without your smartphone or smartwatch nearby, and break your arm. You call out to Alexa in the next room. “Alexa! Call 911!” And it says “I’m sorry, I can’t make that call.”

Well, why the heck not? (Go ahead. Say that with Lwaxana Troi’s voice like I just did!) It seems like that would be the perfect application for such a device.

Why You Can’t Call 911:

It turns out that the FCC needs several things in order to allow a device to access its Emergency System. Here are the most significant requirements:

First, it needs a two-way connection and must be able to receive incoming calls so the emergency responder can call back. Currently, most (maybe all) “smart speakers” aren’t designed for that.
Also, it needs to be able to provide an exact location. Frankly, I’m not sure what the issue is here since the location information is much more stable than your standard cell phone. After all, you’re probably not driving around with it in your car, or bringing it on airplanes to distant cities. It seems like you would just have to register the device to a set address and they would know where to go. (Unless you’re using it in your RV or Camper.)
Finally, once those obstacles are overcome, the FCC will probably charge a per device fee. They do this for landlines and cell phones now, so this would not be unprecedented.

Important:

If you do happen to call 911 accidentally, stay on the phone and let the dispatcher know it was an accident. Because they need to follow up on each call, even hang-ups, it takes less time for them to receive your “Sorry, wrong number” than to try to track you down after you hang up.

I am sure that this technology will all be worked out within the next few years. For now though, if you (or your parents) are at risk of falling, it would be better to purchase a medical alert necklace or bracelet, the kind you don’t take off for bathing.

Please forward this to your colleagues who have a “smart speaker” at home.

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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. 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.

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pwned? 1 PAINLESS step To Find Out If Your Email Info Has Been Compromised

Posted on January 22, 2019December 2, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Hackers, Passwords, Technology Tips, Tips

Have you heard of the term “pwned”? Last week Chris shared a news item with me about a recently discovered list of email addresses and passwords. These are for sale on hacker websites. If you are on this list or any of the other lists of stolen emails, you have been pwned. This list, “Collection 1”, consists of 772.9 million unique emails along with 21.2 million passwords. You might wonder why there are so many more email addresses than passwords. That is because so many people with multiple email addresses use the same password for everything.

Don’t do that!

A little history about the word “Pwned”:

The Urban Dictionary postulates that Pwned came into use after one of the designers for the game World of Warcraft typed “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, this term means “you are dominated”.

Have You Been Pwned? 1 Painless Step to Find Out:

Head over to Have I Been Pwned to find out if your email address is compromised. Many people use different email addresses for work and home. If you have multiple emails, be sure to check each of them.

This site will also tell you on which websites or apps the data breach has occurred. (My email is compromised.) 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.

5 Quick Steps to keep your information safe:

Change your password on each account frequently. I change my passwords every 3-6 weeks.
Change your password on financial accounts even more frequently – at least every two weeks.
Never use the same password again!
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. Swap out letters for numbers or special characters. 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.)
Next, always keep track of your passwords using a secure system. I use a password-protected spreadsheet. (Why don’t I recommend a cloud-based password manager? I’ve recently heard of two people who lost access to their online password tracking system. They had to go to each of their emails and apps to change their passwords. Each One!)

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

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.

When Should I Turn Off My Computer?

Posted on January 8, 2019December 2, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Apple, Desktop, iMac, iPad, Laptops, Mac's, PC's, Technology Tips, Tips

When I got my first computer, I would turn it off every time I left my office for more than a half hour. A few years later I would turn it off when I left for the day. Now, I’ll turn it off a couple of times a week. Why the change? Have you ever wondered: When Should I Turn Off My Computer? You might wonder how often you need to turn off your machine, or if you even need to turn it off at all!

Here’s what Chris says:

“I really wish Gail would turn her machine off more frequently!”

Do I need to turn off my machine?

The short answer is Yes! When you turn it off the machine will clean itself, reorganize files, empty the trash, install any updates, and generally make itself faster and more efficient for the next time you turn it on. Other reasons to turn your machine off include saving power.

It’s really a balancing act. The process of turning your machine off and back on takes its toll on the mechanics of your computer. But leaving the machine on all the time does the same thing. If you use your machine constantly throughout the day, by all means, leave it on. If you access your machine from a remote location, then you definitely need to keep it on most of the time!

When should I turn off my computer?

Every couple of days save all of your documents, close all of your applications, and turn the machine off. Leave it off overnight, or just for a few minutes.

If you use it for only an hour or two at a time, then you should turn it off when you are done. If you know you won’t use your machine all weekend, you should turn it off.But, if you use your machine all day long, there’s really no need to turn it off every day. Turning your machine off once a week should be sufficient.

Remember, when you turn off your machine, don’t do it with the power button. Use the off button on the screen menu. This allows the machine to shut off gracefully.

General computer health & Well-being:

Some other things you should do for the general health and well-being of your machine are:

Always use a surge protector. These help even out any power spikes so that they don’t damage your machine. We also advise that you use a UPS (Universal Power Supply). This is a battery backup system that protects your equipment from power surges and provides a limited time of battery life. This is helpful when you’re in the middle of working on a project when the power goes out. It gives you enough time to finish up and save everything. (There is an annoying and frequent beep to let you know that you are using battery power.)
During lightning storms, you should turn off AND unplug all of your electronics. Even a surge protector can’t always help protect your equipment if there is a nearby lightning strike.
Uninstall and delete any programs that you are no longer using. Even if you’re not running a program, it may still be processing in the background. This will undermine the efficiency of your machine. (Yes, we can help you with this if you don’t feel comfortable choosing which programs to uninstall.)
Keep your machine clean! Periodically open it up and remove all the dust and pet hair that have accumulated. Dust tends to accumulate on the fan, which is there to keep your machine cool. If too much dust is there, the fan won’t run properly and your machine will overheat. (We can help you with this too!)
Finally, When Should I Turn Off My Computer? At least once a week!

Please forward this to your colleagues who ALWAYS leave their machine running.

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