Seabrook Island Village recently launched a series on Navigating Tech Together. The two inaugural programs were very well received by capacity audiences. The first workshop, Preventing Scams, was held at the Lake House on October 20. Chad Droze, Systems Analyst at Compu-Experts in Freshfields Village, described the many types of scams found on various communication devices. Chad explained why scammers scam, what scams look like, the vocabulary of scamming, how to recognize a scam and what to do as protection from these threats. The audience learned some of the most familiar types of scams: phishing scams to get you to click a link, tech scam pop-up links which ask you to fix a non-existing problem, and imposter links which try to convince you to send money or share personal information. Chad also shared information about the newest type of scams using artificial intelligence (AI). He explained how voice cloning works and how to be protected from getting caught by the scammers.
One of the best ways to be protected is to trust your gut! If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Chad suggested looking for clues, to call or text senders to verify, and to never give out personal information over email or text.
The second workshop held on November 3 was a smaller group-learning session titled Using Your Apple Watch, also held at the Lake House. Chad shared some of the pros of the Apple Watch. He explained its value as a health accessory with the capability to provide emergency alerts in the event of a fall or accident, track health and fitness, measure steps and exercise, and provide reminders to take medication and alerts for heart arrhythmia.
Chad also shared slides identifying the various sizes and parts of the Apple watch and their functions. He explained the need to pair the watch and iPhone along with some of the ways to customize a watch to individual needs and interests. He reminded the participants that, as with all new technologies, it takes time to learn and become proficient with its functions. The presentation was extremely well received and will be repeated on December 3 at Kiawah River Estates because of its popularity.
Apple Watches Part II and an Introduction to Wise Use of Artificial Intelligence will continue the series in Spring 2026. To register click here or watch for more information on Tidelines.
Submitted by Marg Wildermann for SIV
(Image Credit: SIV)