A member asks… Hi Chris, I read about this computer virus called DNSChanger that can take over your PC’s web browser. Apparently, the FBI is really worried about it, and I read in some news stories that it is really bad. So my question is, I’ve got protection for my computer (AVG), should I be worried? Thanks! James and Tillie Quick answer to your question – you need not worry, even though AVG likely didn’t protect you from this. EDIT: Please […]
It’s not news that everybody hates having to deal with passwords, and all the different and sometimes conflicting rules on how to use them. We here at Practical Help are no different – they’re darn inconvenient! Most of the people who ask us for help don’t even remember their own email passord – they’ve gotten their computer to remember it for them which is great until they have to get to their email another way. And as much as we hate them, we recognize […]
In March 2013, two groups of U.S. high school age kids with prodigious cyber skills visited the Washington, D.C. area. On March 2nd, George Mason University hosted the annual Virginia Governor’s Cup CyberChallenge with 40 of the state’s brightest and smartest ‘geeks’. On March 15th, 156 high school cyber experts from across the country were treated like rock stars at the Gaylord hotel in National Harbor competing at CyberPatriot V – the National High School Cyber Defense Competition. In both of these events, the […]
Mac users need to be aware that auto-updating for your OS X system is not a perfect science. Often, updates are issued by 3rd party app providers, and even if they have a setting to apply updates automatically, they often don’t do that. So you need to be vigilant in keeping your Mac up-to-date. Especially with ‘helper’ programs like Adobe Flash. Adobe’s Flash player has been a long-time easy target for hackers, and having an out-of-date Flash player installed on your Mac can […]
In this show, we bring you tips on getting Siri to make using your smartphone less work. From a faster way to make a phone call to sending text messages easier to making quick and easy appointments and reminders, Chris Gardner shows you simple ways to get the most out of your iPhone and get it working smarter/harder for you. And don’t bother to take notes, members can view, download and print our exclusive tip sheet – see the link below. […]
So you got a shiny new iPad, either as a present or you bought it yourself. You open the box and lo, there’s not much of an instruction manual! You might be able to discover how to use it by trial and error, or have visited an Apple store and talked to the Genius bar folks, but have some lingering questions about some pretty basic how-to-do-stuff. Here’s where we come in. Members can click the link after the jump to […]
This danger appears to be spreading quickly since September 2013. Latest info in: they’ve extorted over $5M US from people since the ransomware craze started last fall. A member asks… I saw a pop-up that appeared on my computer warning me that I needed to buy their app to make sure my computer is safe. What should I do? You may have fallen victim to one or more apps we call ‘ransomware’. Ransomware is a type of malware who’s primary […]
A member asks… Hi Chris, I received this email and am not sure if it’s for real. Can you tell me whether I should do something about it or not? Thanks! Subject: cell phone numbers go public this month… REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month. REMINDER….. all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. …. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS To prevent this, call the following number […]
A member asks… I tried to do a virtual tour on a site and the computer said i needed plug-ins. Is that safe? Thanks for your answer. Ms. Penny If you’re in the market to buy a house, you may opt to do a ‘virtual tour’ before actually going to the house. Real estate agents and brokers do this all the time. But how do you know when plug-ins are safe to do virtual tours? Click on this virtual tour to see […]
A member asks… I am recovering my system from serious problem, and was able to deactivate some bad malware using your advice on Malwarebytes (thanks!), but my system is still kinda flaky. You advise using System Restore – how do I do that? Ok, at this point, your computer is operational, but desktop icons may be missing, and other stuff may look wierd as a result of a malware infection. Let’s get your computer back to the way you like […]
A member asks… Help Chris! All of the sudden, I’m getting tons of warnings that my computer is malfunctioning! Some refer to hard drive errors, some to memory errors, and lots of warnings I just don’t understand. They just started today, has my hard drive crashed and my data is toasted? One of our worst nightmares when dealing with our technology is the dreaded “OMG, I shouldn’t have clicked on that!” Consumers beware of: System Check – a program that many […]
In this Digital Minute®, Your Tech Coach gives you a quick shot of Practical Help and covers the basics for keeping your computer (Mac and PC) up-to-date to help prevent computer problems from turning your computer into an expensive paperweight. This Digital Minute® is part of our video series, Practical Help for Your Digital Life® (PHYDL). In this series, Your Tech Coach gives you practical and helpful tips, hints and advice on how to get the most out of the […]
This is the promotional video for our iTV series, “Practical Help for Your Digital Life”. Your Tech Coach gives you practical and helpful tips, hints and advice on how to get the most out of the consumer technology you already own. Geek-free help for everyone on the most common problems we all have using our computers, tablets, smartphones, smart appliances, digital devices, online services, social networking and more. Let Your Tech Coach help you get your technology working for you, […]
Every year about this time, we do a comparison of selected internet security suites, and review the results of other trusted testers. See our testing mode below the fold. We don’t test everything that’s out there, but we do test top-contenders, both free stuff and what’s sold by for-profit companies. For the 3rd year in a row, Norton Internet Security Suite has won overall. The current version is 2012, and that’s what you should buy. If you already have Norton […]
A member asks… Hi Chris, I don’t know if you do this, but I have an LG TrueSteam washing machine. Real hi-tech! So I have a rinse and spin setting. But, I can’t choose cold water only, the button won’t let me choose cold/cold. Can you help me? Yes, if it’s consumer technology, we can help! Looking at your particular washing machine, you’ve picked the rinse and spin cycle from the big wheel. To the right is your Wash/Rinse button, […]
We seem to be having a serious dialogue about global warming with one disconcerting ingredient – folks who deny that human activity is driving it (or that it even exists). They appear to have their heads in the sand. Opinion seems to be winning against fact in this and so many other areas. Every time I read the news, I see reporting that follows the format of reporting the results of a poll to give credence to a notion. If […]
A member asks… Hi Chris, trying to edit my WordPress site, I can’t login to it. Cookies seem to be blocked on my PC, even though the setting shows that cookies are enabled. I’m using Google Chrome. Could my security software (your recommended NIS 2012) be blocking them? Is there is a simple way to fix this? Thanks! Google Chrome has a few quirks about it that can sometimes trip you up. One of those quirks are how it deals […]
Eventually, everyone. FFT is an algorithm for calculation that is used in lots of what you see online. It’s used to compress the video and audio streams on the internet, as well as to your TV. One of the problems with ‘broadband’ is that the more we get, the more we need. Now that so many people have a high-speed, always-on connection to the internet, we are now watching more high-bandwidth types of content, like Youtube video, listening to high-fidelity […]
So my wife is totally put off by the complexity of technology in our daily lives. She serves as a great sounding board for how I should configure things – if it takes more than 30 seconds to explain, or involves more than three steps, it’s too complicated. This is not to say my wife is dumb – far from it! She’s one of the smartest people I know. But her attention is rightfully towards the things she considers important […]
So at this point, we see advanced electronics embedded in just about everything. The obvious places are our computers, smartphones, digital cameras and video cameras, etc. Less obvious are things like our washing machines, refrigerators and other major appliances, our sprinkler systems, alarm systems, and even the cold water bottle holder! Some of them are smarter than others. I just (last Sunday) went around the house resetting clocks. There were: clock radios by the bedside oven clocks water bottle dispenser […]
"I'm all about helping you deal with our 21st century high-tech digital world so you can enjoy a healthy and secure digital life!"
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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