Practical Help Library – Page 38 – Practical Help for Your Digital Life®

Practical Help Library

Setting up Gmail on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch

January 14, 2015

Let’s say you’re a big Google user. You use Gmail and have all your contacts loaded into it. You also use the Calendar on your Google account. And you have an iOS device (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch). Here’s a quick and easy set of instructions to get that all syncing for you. With your iPhone, you’ll want to create a new account for Gmail: Tap Settings Tap Mail, Contacts, Calendars Tap Add Account Tap Google Fill in your name, gmail address, password, and a […]
What to do when your computer shuts down by itself more than just once!

January 13, 2015

Microsoft Windows users are familiar with the dreaded ‘blue screen of death’ or BSOD – when Windows just shuts down for some inscrutable reason. Besides this, there are also times when your system crashes and you get a black screen with white text that mentions ‘crash dump‘. By the way, Apple Mac users will be familiar with the “SPOD” aka Spinning Pinwheel of Death – that’s the same as the BSOD, and often with the same causes. In either case, the problem may […]
Time Capsule isn’t working!

January 9, 2015

Time Capsule isn’t working! A reader asks… I have a 2012 Macbook Pro with OS X 10.8, and I also have an Apple Time Capsule. I’ve got the Time Machine program setup to backup my Mac to the Time Capsule, but I’m noticing that it doesn’t work. My Mac keeps telling me “it’s been xx days since your last backup”. Did I miss something? Yes, there’s a minor step you might have missed, enabling ‘Power Nap‘ on your Mac. That […]
Identity Theft Protection

January 7, 2015

How to Protect Your On-line Reputation and Identity In addition to on-line reputation management, you should also secure yourself against identity theft protection. These days, there’s no limit of crazy spooks out there eager to take advantage of your name and identity to have their way with it. Starting from the first time you create a social media profile, create a blog or register an email address, you’re creating an online identity for yourself. Your online identity might hold a […]
Best video call app?

January 6, 2015

Best video call app? A reader asks… I’m looking at a lot of choices for making video calls, can you tell me which one is the best? The video calling world has gotten crowded and yes, you have too many choices! Unfortunately, I can’t tell you which one is best, it really depends on your individual situation. Below I’ve listed a few scenarios along with the best option for each. Please leave a comment to describe your situation and I […]
New iPad/iPhone?

January 2, 2015

New iPad/iPhone you recently got, perhaps as a gift? I get asked all the time about how to setup a new iOS device, including a first-time setup and an upgrade from an older version. Here are some tips to help you get off to the right start! Initial setup: if you got this as a gift, you likely didn’t get this done at the Apple Store (or phone store). And I’m guessing you’ve already turned it on, gone through the […]
New Laptop?

December 30, 2014

New Laptop for Christmas, what should you do? Here’s a quick hit-list of setup and configuration tasks that will help you enjoy a long and happy relationship with your new laptop. I’ll cover Microsoft Windows PC first, followed by Apple Macintosh. Microsoft Windows PC: As you turn on the computer for the first time, be sure to patiently read through each of the screens to get your user account setup correctly. The important point here is to create two user […]
Got new tech? Get help here!

December 26, 2014

So yesterday you unwrapped some shiny new presents, and among them were one or more new consumer technology – computers, tablets, smartphones, e-readers, software, online services or subscriptions, etc. So now you have a two-fold task. First, you may have some initial setup to do, to get the tech working for you. Second, you need to learn how to use it. You may flip through the quick-start guide or user’s manual that came with it, but really want to cut […]
Just the Fax, Ma’am

December 25, 2014

A reader asks… Are there good email, etc options for sending and receiving faxes? I need to send and receive a fax but I don’t own a fax machine (shockingly, this involves the DMV). Short answer, no really good options, skip ahead to see the best of the bad. While the venerable facsimile (aka ‘fax’) has declined in use, there remains an occasional need to send or receive, such as legal documents and medical orders. These days even if you’ve […]
PSA – Mac Users need the latest update

December 24, 2014

Just a quick update for today, Apple released a security update for Mac OS X that should be installed on every Mac on the planet as soon as possible. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute and the Department of Homeland Security discovered the vulnerability and advised Apple, who quickly put out a system update. The vulnerability was part of how OS X synchronizes the computer’s clock to keep the time correct. This vulnerability affects all the most recent […]
Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick – what’s the diff?

December 23, 2014

A reader asks… Hi Chris, I was considering purchasing an Amazon Fire Stick to turn my HDTV into a SmartTV. However, I’m confused about the difference between the Amazon Fire Stick and the Amazon Fire TV. What do I get with the Fire TV that I wouldn’t get with the stick? Are they easy to use? Is this the best product out there for this purpose? Thanks and happy holidays! The biggest difference between the Fire TV Stick over the […]
Last-minute Holiday Shopper? Ideas!

December 19, 2014

So once again you’ve waited to get your gifts till the last minute? Stuck for gift ideas? Got you covered! Here’s a list of gift ideas in the world of consumer technology that you can consider. I’m not necessarily giving you a big writeup about the pros and cons of each, nor particularly endorsing any particular gifts (hence, no links just a list) – this is just a quick hit-list of ideas to save you time (which you don’t have […]
Holiday gift idea: Netflix! And, can I get NetFlicks on my big-screen TV?

December 17, 2014

The holiday season is upon us, and gifts are flying from store shelves (and online merchant warehouses!) to you (and possibly on your behalf!). One great idea is a gift subscription to NetFlix – great for someone who hates hefty cable TV charges, and/or has a big-screen TV (or also gets one as a gift). And even if you didn’t get a new TV, if your TV is less than 3 years old it may have the capability to use NetFlix already […]
Scams, both online and offline

December 16, 2014

Scammers are after you, and while this has been a problem forever, the activity seems to be spiking. We’re also seeing an increase in creative blending of the ‘vectors’ or ways in which these scam attempts come at you. For instance, French-speakers are getting phone calls from scammers asking them to check on an invoice they’ve been emailed. The attachment they open is bogus, but loaded with malware that immediately compromises their computers – bypassing any security protection programs they may […]
A Warning about Apple ID and 2-factor Authentication

December 15, 2014

While we do recommend that you use 2-factor authentication (read about what it is here), we do want to warn you about a quirk in the way Apple.com has implemented 2-factor authentication for your Apple ID. For any other online entity that offers 2-factor authentication to help protect your online account, there are methods for recovering your account in case of a problem. But for Apple, there’s an all-too-likely scenario that would make your Apple ID (and iCloud) locked up […]
What to do when your technology isn’t working the way it should

December 12, 2014

This tip works for just about anything that uses technology – computers, smartphones, tablets, printers, televisions, cable boxes, remote controls, home networking routers and access points, cordless phone systems, smart appliances, etc. And in my experience, it works 80% of the time, so it’s useful to do before you call someone for help! Read on for specific instructions. Restart, re-power, renew For computing devices, restarting them (or shutting them off and turning them back on) will often cure system problems. If […]
Keeping your Android-powered Smartphone Safe

December 11, 2014

With all the talk about computer security (or the lack thereof) these days, lots of folks are wondering what that means to the smartphone level of computers. There are threats out there, and the risk is growing. For the iPhone, that risk is limited because you can only get apps from the Apple App Store. That’s not a 100% guarantee, but does make it much harder for hackers to gain access to your iPhone. With Android-powered smartphones, that’s a different story. You can get […]
Seriously, my computer is compromised?

December 10, 2014

A member asks… Hi Chris, I may need your help – at the end of March/early April, it appeared that somehow my personal email account was sending out Viagra-type ads to a bunch of folks not in my Contacts. I only knew because I received the bounce-backs. A couple of years ago I got a virus, and acquired Norman Anti-virus and Anti-spyware (which is apparently from Sweden). This time, Norman started popping up that it was moving three files into […]
What Blog Platform should I use for my website?

December 8, 2014

A reader asks… Hey there would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re working with? I’m going to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a hard time deciding between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique. I don’t mind at all! The Practical Help website was created using WordPress, the most popular content management system (CMS) used on the internet. […]
Got Windows 8 and pine for the Windows 7 Start Button?

December 1, 2014

A reader asks… I have a new Windows PC with Windows 8.1 on it. Is there any way I can use the old Windows 7 button instead of the Start Screen? This question comes up a lot, especially since it’s gotten pretty hard to buy a new Microsoft Windows PC with Windows 7. The good news is that Microsoft has heard us all complaining about the “Metro” interface – that silly start screen with tiles. In the forthcoming Windows 10 […]
Best Web Dictionary?

November 26, 2014

A member asks… Do you have any preferences for a web dictionary for someone fairly new to technology? Thank you for your help! Most of the physical dictionaries have migrated to the web, so if you have a preferred brand, you’ll easily find it online, along with some newcomers. For example: Miriam-Webster (my favorite) Cambridge Dictionaries Online Oxford Dictionaries Online Oxford English Dictionary Dictionary.com Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English That said, if you’re simply looking for the definition of a word, the […]
Results of our Annual Security Face-off: 2014

November 25, 2014

Every year about this time, I make a comparison of selected internet security suites, and review the results of other trusted testers. See my testing mode below the fold. I don’t test everything that’s out there, but do test top-contenders, both free stuff and what’s sold by for-profit companies. Please note that this comparison is for Microsoft Windows computers — see below the fold for my recommendations for other computing devices. And this product recommendation is targeted to consumers and […]
Fix Dropbox on your Mac

November 20, 2014

If you already updated to OS X Yosemite on your 2011 or newer Mac, and you use Dropbox, you should be aware of a potential problem. Dropbox could crash and you could lose any changes to your files. Dropbox is aware of this and worked with Apple to fix the problem. Fixing this issue is simple, just update to the latest version of OS X, your Mac’s operating system. Right now, that’s OS X 10.10.1. You can quickly find out […]
iOS “Masque Attack” – much ado about pretty much nothing

November 13, 2014

A reader asks… Hi Chris, I’ve been reading a warning about a new “Masque Attack” on iPhones and iPads, is there anything I need to do to protect myself? This is another great example of an otherwise-insignificant issue that the media (and government!) blows all out of proportion. Why? To sell eyeballs – to advertisers. Since the Apple iPhone/iPad duo is such a security hot button, anything that potentially knocks these products is given a lot of attention. Too much […]
Home Depot says only Emails were compromised

November 11, 2014

A reader asks… I just got an email from the Home Depot telling me that they’ve been hacked (took them long enough), and their note says only my email was compromised. But I’ve read that the hackers stole payment information including credit card numbers and other identity information. So who do I believe? I find it sadly kind of funny that you just received this when the breach was broadcast all over the place months ago! Thanks for sending me […]
Why can’t my Mac screen show on my Apple TV?

November 10, 2014

A reader asks… Hi Chris, I have vision problems, and want to get my Macbook Pro’s screen to show up on my big-screen TV. I have an Apple TV hooked up, but can’t get the Mac to display up there – there’s no Airplay icon showing on my Mac’s screen. Can you help? Here’s a picture of my menu bar: I’m sorry to hear that you’re having problems seeing the Mac screen, are you already using Accessibility options? I’d suggest […]
How Road Warriors Can Make Using the Internet in Hotels Easier

November 6, 2014

Frequent travelers, road warriors and people who spend a lot of time staying in hotels have a continuing beef with the way hotels serve up internet access. The problem is that some hotels do things one way, some do things another way. Some make it easy to use the internet, some make it hard. Some charge extra for internet access, and some include that in their room rates. Some give you a lousy login screen you have to go through each time you want […]
Beware the Monstrous Fox!

November 5, 2014

We are starting to see a more efficient (for the bad guys) method of phishing appear: huyao which means Monstrous Fox in Chinese. In typical phishing attacks, the bad guys create a near-exact duplicate of an existing website (usually an online shopping, credit card or banking site) and entice people to accidentally log into that site instead of the real one. This gives the bad guys your login username and password, which they can then use on the real website […]
Get me out of iCloud T&C Hell!

November 2, 2014

A reader asks… Hi Chris, I’m in hell! I upgraded my iPhone 5 to iOS 8.1, and all was fine till today. I started getting this popup on my screen saying that I had to accept the new terms and conditions for iCloud. I did it the first time, and a few minutes later got a new popup – almost the same except that I only get two choices – Not Now and View Terms. Tapping the Not Now option […]
Use iCloud Safely – (semi) Quick Tips Part II

October 31, 2014

In Part 1 we covered the basics of securing your iCloud account against hackers. But if you’ve got sensitive and private photos or information on your computer or iOS devices, the next thing to consider is protecting against government snooping. Apple is just as subject to court orders as you are, so you have to expect that your information might be snooped by someone. You’ll be considering whether keeping anything ‘in the cloud’ is for you. Not just iCloud, but any other cloud-based storage […]

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Hi! I'm Chris Gardner, Your Tech Coach giving you Practical Help for Your Digital Life® since 1996. My job is to translate geek-speak into clear and concise advice and give you easy-to-understand how-to's and instructions about your consumer technology products and services.

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