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Perfection is a problem Here’s what we see happening all the time. Here’s a better approach. Set aside half an hour. Make a list of your critical accounts: For each account, make sure you are using: And be sure you have a legible, dated record of the complete login (not just the password, but also …

If you use a computer, cut, copy and paste is an ESSENTIAL skill; otherwise, you are wasting time and effort and risking unforced errors (ugh, at tax time). New on our YouTube channel, two long-promised videos on CCP, one intro, one more advanced (finally!):  Cut, Copy and Paste: The Essential Guide Cut, Copy and Paste: Power Tips Ditch the list! …

Apple held one of their big product launch events this week but there wasn’t much news for regular humans, aside from a new more powerful model of their cheapest phone, the iPhone SE, with 5G (from $429) and an upgraded iPad Air.  (They also announced a super-powerful and pricey new desktop Mac and display, mostly for professionals). For those of you …

Couple quick TV-related items. QR Codes are not risk-free If you watched the Super Bowl, you may have seen an ad that was mostly a floating QR code. QR codes grew a LOT more popular in COVID as restaurants went to touch-free menus, for example, but be aware that, like any other type of link, they can …

Sadly, it’s still January. (Who likes January?) Let’s get proactive about old scams and new opportunities.  What’s worse than Big Tech? Some days it feels like the only thing less consumer-friendly than Big Tech is the health insurance industry.  So the news thatcelebrity billionaire Mark Cuban is launching a cost-plus internet pharmacy, more or less …

It’s a good time of year to send our sincere thanks to all of you, clients, friends and family, who keep life interesting (and keep us in business). So here for your mild amusement, honoring a family tradition of writing bad poems for special occasions, is our version of a holiday song (to the tune …

UnShopping After the relative austerity of COVID, the last six weeks of 2021 are predicted to be a return to the usual holiday orgy of consumerism. We’re seeing a big jump in people buying new computers and phones and tablets; but what do you do with the old stuff? On behalf of the planet, please don’t …

Oy! A Video you NEED to see (No, not Succession). In the past week, two more clients have been scammed out of hundreds of dollars before we could help. It’s unnecessary and upsetting. PLEASE watch this video and share it with your friends, especially older people (astronomically high scam rates among seniors, says the AARP). We hope it helps. And remember, …

Facebook outage Huge Facebook outage yesterday, likely just an internal error and not hacking, so nothing for users to worry about. More here. (I sure wouldn’t want to be the employee who caused it, if there is one). Updates A whole bunch of major updates are coming. Our current recommendations:  We’ll keep you posted on when it’s …

First, a quick clarification. When we told you that Zoom is going to start requiring updates, some of you thought that meant you’ll have to pay. Not the case.  An upDATE is (typically) a free, new and improved version of what you have already. That’s different from an upGRADE, which is a change in the type of product, like …

I’ll be brief: apologies for the multiple emails (one coming tomorrow about Apple’s big event), but didn’t want to risk delaying this. Apple just issued a security update for all their devices for a particularly scary type of malware. Please update your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch ASAP. Instructions if needed:How to Update Your MacHow …

Zoom is making changes . . . Zoom will soon require you to update their app if it’s more than 9 months old. Don’t get all grumpy about it; updating is easy (here’s how for Macs, Windows), keeps you safer, and brings you all the newest features. . . . And so are we COVID has, of course, …

Update your iPhone, Mac, etc. TODAY News about the Pegasus Project hacking of journalists’ cell phones has a lot of people alarmed. The good news is that you probably have nothing to worry about from Pegasus, but that doesn’t mean you’re totally safe. The better news (for iPhone users) is that Apple has issued an update to help …

Windows users, two notes: one urgent, one not. Mac people, skip ahead! The Urgent One: “PrintNightmare” If the lock on your door is broken, it’s not a problem until the bad guys know about it, right? Well, someone accidentally posted publicly about a known flaw in Windows, which is akin to putting up a billboard …

Lots to share today! And, now that the COVID cloud has lifted somewhat, let’s discuss what happens to our data when we die (or are incapacitated)–see below. Amazon Prime Day $10 Credit Amazon’s annual sales event is coming on June 21 and 22, and they’re running a promotion to help small businesses. Apparently, irony is …

Anything You Can Do,I Can Do . . . Remotely This past year, we’ve learned that nearly everything we do can be done remotely, which is cheaper for you, easier and safer for us. For situations that require in-person attention, though, we will return to a LIMITED schedule of in-person appointments in May (fully vaccinated …