Category: Guest Column

Happy New Year, Seabrookers!

As we enter the new year, we find ourselves faced with many of the same challenges that we faced in 2020. With many of us staying home more these days, technology is playing a big part in our daily lives more so now than ever before.

I thought I would start the new year by writing down my thoughts and predictions in the world of tech for 2021.

Streaming Services Will Continue to Expand in 2021
2020 was certainly the year that streaming TV and movies really took off. And what great timing for these companies to exist in the middle of a global pandemic where people were stuck at home looking for entertainment options. 2020 saw the rise of Disney’s new streaming service Disney+, in addition to NBC introducing their streaming service, Peacock. Netflix and Amazon Prime continue to be the heavy hitters in the streaming world, and they will look to continue their dominance in 2021.

This year has already seen the addition of a new streaming platform, (Discovery+), as well as CBS All-Access’s upcoming rebrand of their streaming service to Paramount+.

We are now at a point in technology where many of us have to take notice of all the streaming platforms that we are paying for and subscribing to. For years, we hoped to be able to choose our cable TV channels in an à la carte fashion. While we are now able to do that, with that ability comes a lot of separate logins and payments that could quickly add up to be confusing and more expensive than traditional cable ever was. Continue reading “Tech Notes: 2021 Tech Predictions”

Happy (Almost) Fall Seabrookers!

It’s been quite a while since I last wrote a column for Tidelines. Of course, the world has changed quite a bit in the past six months. I hope everyone is continuing to stay safe and healthy as we leave the hot, humid weather behind us.

As I pondered on topics to write about, my mind kept going to the topic of “recurring costs” for the upkeep of our digital lives. What do I mean by this?

With each passing year, our lives become more intertwined with the digital world. I’ve now been in the tech industry long enough to see the evolution first hand, and I often compare and contrast the effects technology has had on our everyday lives. As a teenager, I grew to love computers through the “Windows” era, where Microsoft became such a dominant force in the industry. Then I got my feet wet in an occupation just before Apple came along and changed the game with their iPhone and iPad devices. And along the way, tech companies like Google, MySpace, Facebook, Amazon, YouTube, Twitter, and Uber all made their impressions on us. And in 2020, was there any more well-known tech company who shot their way to the top quicker than Zoom? When a tech company becomes a verb (Who hasn’t ZOOMED yet???), that’s when you know you’re a big deal.

I say all of that to say this: technology (and the conveniences it provides) has allowed us to take advantage of services and products we like. With the click of a button, we can have food delivered to our doorstep, music delivered to our home speakers, or printer ink and razor blades delivered in our mailboxes. These companies often take advantage of the “subscription-based” models of doing business by offering you the ability to sign up, provide your billing information, and “Let us do all the work.” Continue reading “Tech Notes: The Digital Subscription Model Part 1”

Today’s tech tip comes at an appropriate time in our world, as many of us are using our computers and gadgets much more due to the recent “Home or Work” mandates our state has implemented. As states are reopening, hackers are going to take advantage of these trying times and come up with new ways to scam people.

Recently, there have been reports of people receiving COVID-19 related text messages, with a link to another website. Be on the lookout for these and make sure your gut feeling kicks in right away on these types of messages. Never click those links on any device, as it could lead you to fake websites that could be giving out false information, or even worse, setting up a fake site that allows the unsuspecting victim to think he or she is signing up for a free COVID-19 test at their local medical facility.

These bad guys are trying to get you to give up way more information than a normal medical practice would ask for, all in an attempt to steal your identity and possibly set up a fake payment website to pay for services or even COVID-19 donation sites.

These messages could come in the form of a text message, e-mail, or robocall, so be aware on all fronts. These people could claim to be from the World Health Organization (WHO) or any other type of governmental agency, but 99% of the time, it’s someone pretending to be them.

The general rule of thumb when someone on the phone, or electronically, is asking for private information When in Doubt, Don’t Give it Out!

-Chad Droze, Compu-Experts

Reprinted with permission

Happy Spring, Seabrookers!

Working in the technology field for over 13 years now, I often stop and think about how things used to be, and compare it to how they are now. Today, I would like to stop and consider our Internet browsers. No matter what browser you prefer- Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari- I came up with this conclusion:

We Practically Live In Our Internet Browser.

What exactly do I mean by that? Well, let me explain and perhaps offer some tips on how to better “live” in your web browser.

First, for those who aren’t sure about computer jargon, Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines a web browser as “a computer program used for accessing sites or information on a network (such as the World Wide Web).”

Continue reading “Tech Notes: Living in Your Browser Part 1”

Hello Seabrookers! I hope everyone had a nice holiday season and start to the new year.

I thought for today’s post, I would attempt to look into the crystal ball to see what 2019 holds in store for the tech industry. With each passing year, our digital lives evolve and the gadgets and gizmos in our homes become more and more a part of our daily routines.

1)  Will 2019 be the year that robocalls stop? I certainly hope so. I talked to more people last year that told me their phones are constantly being bombarded with those spam and robocalls. Whether it’s debt consolidation, health insurance, or those fake “Hi, this is Microsoft” calls, these calls are no longer just coming through on our landlines, but they’ve made their way to our cell phones. The “Do Not Call” registry seems useless these days, and there needs to be more done to help stop this issue. 2019 could be the year that this gets underway. Maybe it’s legislation, or maybe some technology will come to the forefront that can detect these types of calls before our phones even ring.

2)  5G Networks  Cellular companies are racing to be the first providers to offer 5G Connections, first in the larger metro cities and then spreading outward. With speeds up to 1000 times faster than our current 4G Connections, we’ll all have to replace our mobile devices with ones that will support this faster connection. You’ll see Verizon, AT&T and the gang with commercials indicating that they are ready to provide us with these connections. At these kinds of speeds, this will blow our home-based providers (Xfinity, U-Verse) out of the water. Of course, these home providers are getting faster as well as areas upgrade their old wiring to new “gigabit” speeds, especially in newly developed communities.

3)  Phone upgrades come to a screeching halt. With the cost of new cell phones being as expensive as ever, consumers are starting to keep their existing phones longer than in previous years. Many of us are happy with our current phones, maybe opting to replace worn-out batteries in devices rather than replace the entire phones. Apple has to be careful with the price points of newer phones, many of us just can’t justify spending over $1000 for a new cell phone. What more can we expect or want from our cell phones that the current ones can’t do? An upcoming rumored trend in cell phones is this idea of “foldable phones and tablets.” Samsung is expected to release one in 2019. Will this be the beginning of shatterproof screens? Can I turn my 7-inch cell phone into a 20-inch-size device with a laptop-esque feel? There are lots of concepts and predictions out there, and someone will be brave enough to give it a go.

4)  Speaking of Apple  With all that our iDevices can do, Apple may shift its focus more to their services and subscriptions than new hardware. In 2019, they will continue to push their Apple Music platform to us (so much so that they recently partnered with rival Amazon that allows Alexa to play music via Apple Music), and some expect the monthly cost of our iCloud storage space to rise. But new services may appear as well, including a long-rumored service that Apple may get into the “streaming TV” business, which will allow even more of us to “cut the cable” on our traditional TV carriers. 2019 will also bring us closer to the rumored “Apple Car” project, the self-driving autonomous vehicle that is supposedly in the works. (Read more here.)

5)  8K?  I haven’t even upgraded to 4K yet!!!  Expect TV manufacturers to rush to be the first to bring 8K television to the market. With even better picture and more realism to our displays, it’s hard to imagine TVs can look better than the current 4K models. It won’t matter too much initially, as cable networks have to film and broadcast their content to truly take advantage, but Sony and Panasonic are claiming that the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan will be broadcast in stunning 8K format.

6)  Death to the Mechanical Hard Drive  2018 was the year of the SSD (solid state drive).  Prices came way down and computer manufacturers started making computers available with these as standard options. This means that older “mechanical” hard drives should be a thing of the past. This is good news anyway, as SSD hard drives are more energy efficient, less prone to failure, and provide much faster data transfer speeds. In fact, make sure to stop by the shop and ask us about upgrading your current machine from an old, clunky, mechanical hard drive to faster SSD. The speed difference is very noticeable!

7)  Security breaches will once again reign supreme  As the number of internet-connected devices in our homes increase, so will the number of attacks to try to hack into these things. Security cameras, smart speakers, wearable fitness devices, and more will all be more likely to be vulnerable to attackers to complicate things even further.  And companies, thanks to the new GDPR act that went into effect last year, (Read my article from last year here.) will have to try even harder to protect our identities and our private data.

I look forward to helping all of you with your tech and computer needs in 2019!

Chad Droze
Post & Computer Center – Freshfields Village
chad@compu-experts.com
843-768-2626
http://www.twitter.com/c0mpuexperts

Hello Seabrookers! Today I want to spend some time on a topic that, really, I could do each year around this time. Each fall Apple captures the attention of the tech world as they introduce their newest lineup of gadgets. They do it in a way that only Apple can do it. These events, dubbed Apple Keynote Events, are attended by all races, ages, and ethnic backgrounds of people just chomping at the bit to see what Apple will introduce to the world. These things are truly a lesson in how a billion-dollar corporation markets themselves. First off, just read about the amazing Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, where Apple CEO Tim Cook holds these conferences. This is truly a technological, state-of-the-art building that honors Apple’s co-founder Steve Jobs while giving people a futuristic sense of architecture and technology.

Then CEO Tim Cook comes out, not dressed in a suit and tie, but rather an untucked oxford shirt, designer blue jeans, and casual tennis shoes. This is no accident. This is the type of feeling Apple wants to give its customers. Apple is casual, Apple is cool. Apple is trendy. Apple is “a break from the norm.” And this is the attitude Apple wants to give off when using their products. These events remind me of a presidential “State of the Union” address. There’s about 10-20 seconds in between each round of applause as new, improved products are introduced and new software features are announced.

At last month’s keynote event (watch here), Apple announced several new products, mainly focusing around a new and improved Apple Watch, a new Mac Operating System (Mojave 10.14) and a new lineup of iPhones. This year’s lineup might sound more like an eye chart than a smartphone. I figured I would try to help you sort out what all these letters mean, especially if you plan on upgrading your current phone soon.

First off, the letter X – Apple introduced the X (10th-anniversary edition) phone last year. The big thing about the X is the elimination of the “Home” button. I told you in a column earlier this year that the newest trend in hardware is to have little to no actual “pressable” buttons. The elimination of the button allows for the display to truly stretch from edge to edge and gives the phone a larger viewable display without increasing the size of the actual phone. Another feature of the X models is the new facial recognition feature that allows you to unlock your device by simply looking at it.  For you folks that hate using that pin code, this is your ticket. Although, if you have an evil twin, will they be able to unlock your phone??? Facial recognition is in its early stages so there will be room for improvement on this feature.

In 2018, we now have the XS – You might also think of this as the iPhone 11 (but wait, we skipped 9!!!). It’s basically an improved version of last year’s iPhone X, but with a bit faster processor, and a faster connection method. (Supports Gigabit LTE, which isn’t available yet in Seabrook, but Apple knows what’s coming down the pipeline.) And heck, maybe the camera is a tad bit better.

And the XS Max – The same as the XS, except with a larger screen. For you screen buffs who like the largest screen possible, this one’s for you. (If you’ve got about $1100 to shell out!)

Don’t forget about the iPhone XR – yes, Apple has thrown the letter R into the lexicon. This phone is for those who want to save a bit of money. This model is a few hundred dollars less than the XS and XS Max. Lower performance than the iPhone XS and XS Max, but Apple makes up for it by offering it in a variety of colors. (Yes, Apple knows that many folks will look at color options before performance and storage. How else will you be able to have a smartphone that comes in “Coral”!!!!)

But wait, there’s still the iPhone 8 – Don’t count the numbered iPhones out just yet. The iPhone 8, 7, 6, etc., are going to be the models that include the familiar home button. Many folks who aren’t interested in re-learning how to operate their phone will opt for this model. These models will be a bit cheaper now, but realize that sooner or later, the home button will be a thing of the past (just like they did with the headphone jack), and you won’t be able to find an Apple phone that includes one. So, why not take the leap now? I can almost hear the audible groaning now!

And finally, the Plus – This has been around for the last 5 years or so. The word Plus in the name simply refers to the screen size. For those of you whose eyes may not be so good nowadays may like the larger display of the Plus. It seems, though, that Apple may now use the word Max instead of Plus going forward.

So, let’s review the current batch of modern phones. If your phone doesn’t show up on this list, then yes, I’m saying it’s old! However, I’m not opposed to old phones. Heck, I still have a 6s!  Aside from my battery life, I’m pretty happy with it- although I am planning on an upgrade within the next 6 months. The question to ask yourself is, “Does my phone do everything I need it to do?” Most of you will probably answer “Yes.”

iPhone XS max
iPhone XS
iPhone XR
iPhone X
iPhone 9 (if found, please contact Apple immediately!)
iPhone 8 Plus
iPhone 8
iPhone 7 Plus
iPhone 7
iPhone SE
iPhone 6S Plus
iPhone 6s

That’s XS, XR, X, SE, SE, Max, Plus, 7, 8, 6S.

Don’t worry, it’s hard for me to keep up with, too!

-Chad Droze
Post & Computer Center – Freshfields Village
chad@compu-experts.com
843-768-2626
http://www.twitter.com/c0mpuexperts

I had a few customers come into the shop last week and print out a very peculiar and lengthy email from someone who claims to have used their webcam to record the user watching pornography on their computer and they want to collect a hefty ransom. If the ransom, paid in Bitcoin, is not paid within 24 hours, the hacker says they will send the video to all of the person’s contacts and the authorities. What makes this scam really interesting (and caused high concern to the clients who came to me with this) is the inclusion of an old password in the subject line that once was tied to the person’s email address.

Let’s break this one down, shall we…

1. ALWAYS ASSUME THESE ARE FAKE. Even though I’m telling you this is a new twist on an old scam, never let your guard down, especially on today’s internet. Scammers are clever, and always thinking one step ahead.

2. “OK, but they put my password in the subject line. They must have hacked me.”  -No, they didn’t directly hack you. Hear me out. We all hear on the nightly news fairly often about certain corporations who confess that data from thousands of customer was stolen in a hack against their systems. In South Carolina, the Department of Revenue was compromised in 2012, a breach that exposed thousands of Social Security, credit, and debit card numbers. The list goes on.  2016 – Yahoo was breached. 2014 – eBay. Target and Home Depot – hacked. Last year, Equifax. You get my drift.

With those hacks, passwords were exposed. And I know many of us have what I call a “go-to password” that we like to use for the many different sites that make us create a password. So, just because the hacker put an old, hopefully, (more on that in a second) password in the subject line, its only intention was for sheer “shock value” – to make you actually consider “Wow, yes, this person does have my information.” DO NOT BE FOOLED. I know it can be scary, but do not be caught off-guard.

3. Bitcoin is often desired for these “ransoms.” This should clue you in. Bitcoin is a new type of electronic “cryptocurrency” that is decentralized, meaning no bank or financial instruction is involved. Of course, hackers conducting illegal activity would want to involve as few people as possible to get paid.

4. I mentioned this scam involved employing an old password. The password mentioned may be an old password. Here is where a lot of you will fail the test. MAKE IT A POINT TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR. The people that came to me all said, “Well, it used to be my password, but it’s not my current password.” That’s good. But I know many of you who won’t change your password until you are forced to. Don’t be this person! Change all passwords at least once a year. This includes email accounts, shopping sites (Amazon), and especially banks and credit card sites. Email accounts are probably the most important ones to change – maybe even twice a year if you can manage it. Why do I say this? A hacker who has access to your e-mail can essentially try (through sheer brute force) to use the “Reset Password” options that are on every login page ever. Because of this, email is the most important account to protect.

5. Enable Two-Factor Authentication if possible. Two-factor authentication is a method of authenticating your account whenever it is trying to be accessed by an unrecognized device.  Many of you may already be familiar with this. When you go to log in somewhere, and the site says “Hold on, I’m going to be absolutely sure it’s you. I just sent you a code, please tell me what that code is.” Many banks have this as an option by default.

6. WHEN IN DOUBT, FORWARD THE EMAIL TO SOMEONE YOU KNOW AND TRUST (LIKE ME!!!!). Forwarding the email to someone to check with them on this is not dangerous. This leads me to my last point.

CHAD’S NO-NO LIST FOR FRAUD OR SCAM EMAILS
1. Never open an attachment in an email you consider to be fake (or might be fake).
2. Never click on a link in an email you consider to be fake (or might be fake).
3. Never call any telephone number that is listed in an email (or a website popup). These numbers are often the scammers themselves who set up call centers (often overseas) who are scamming people every day.

Be safe out there!

Chad Droze
Post & Computer Center – Freshfields Village
chad@compu-experts.com
843-768-2626
http://www.twitter.com/c0mpuexperts