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Tech View: What to look for when purchasing a smart TV
While this may be a clever excuse for this column running the day after Cyber Monday, the fact of the matter is that the holiday buying season is now several weeks long. Read more
While this may be a clever excuse for this column running the day after Cyber Monday, the fact of the matter is that the holiday buying season is now several weeks long. Read more
With the maturation of texting and instant messaging platforms such as Slack, Google Chat or Microsoft Teams, folks have adapted, and continue to adapt their use of email. Keeping in mind that email platforms also have continued to improve, what does the communication landscape look like now? Read more
When Microsoft somewhat surprisingly announced the release of Windows 11, many were caught by surprise. After all, hadn’t Microsoft said Windows 10 was going to be the last version of its venerable operating system? Now, about a year after its introduction, the initial fanfare has calmed, but folks are still wondering whether they should take the leap. What’s the verdict? Read more
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As the aftereffects of the pandemic settle down and we embrace the new normal, one technology-related trend has become readily apparent: Videoconferencing is here to stay. Read more
With genealogy sites all the rage, many folks willingly submit DNA samples to see their family trees. For a few, unintended consequences have surfaced, at least anecdotally, some taking on the status of the urban legend “What do you mean my dad was the postman?” But it’s the unknown unintended circumstances that give us pause. Read more
How many times have we heard the warning, “Be careful what you do on your computer, it’s all logged.” Is this true? Should folks be concerned that big brother is looking over their shoulder? What exactly is a log, and what’s in it? Read more
More and more we hear stories of folks being victimized by hackers who steal information seemingly out of thin air. The good news is that there are a few things the average Joe can do to minimize their exposure to such dangers. Read more
Ransomware, like most other technologies, continues to evolve and become more effective for its nefarious purveyors. At its advent, ransomware merely encrypted your data and charged a ransom to un-encrypt it. Read more
When cameras were first made standard fare on laptop computers a few years back, it was common practice for discerning folks to physically block the camera to ensure they could not be unknowingly spied upon. Read more
A few months ago Microsoft announced a price increase to its flagship cloud applications suite, Microsoft 365. The reckoning has come, and the increase, of about 20%, kicks in for most folks this month. Read more
The recent hiring of Timmy Chang as the next University of Hawaii football coach, along with all its twists, turns and drama, has dominated local news — so much so that another rather significant story seems to have not gained as much attention. This is the donation by Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg of $50 million to UH to help study the impact of climate change on the ocean. Read more
Last week Apple surprisingly announced that it will facilitate “do it yourself” repairs for Mac computers and iPhones. Consumers and independent tech shops will soon be able to order genuine replacement parts and manuals. Read more
Last time around, we wrote about cookies and how one should deal with them. Like many technology-related topics, it was a bit abstract. A reader, let’s call him Keone, wrote in with a specific example of how cookies have affected him. It’s an interesting tale to tell, and perhaps better illustrates how internet tracking mechanisms work. Read more
Anyone who’s surfed the internet in the past 18 months or so should have noticed a new annoyance, usually presented as a small banner at the bottom of the screen, with a message similar to “This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site you agree to our use of cookies.” It will have links to the site’s privacy policy and a button to click signaling your acceptance. What’s all this about and how should you respond? Read more
As the pandemic wears on, so too do the associated supply chain issues. Technical goods are one of the most affected markets, and this is often felt most when purchasing computers. What used to be a straightforward process, taking just a few days from time of order to delivery, now takes weeks or even months. What can folks do to simplify such acquisitions? Read more
With many of us still working from home for the foreseeable future, now might be a good time to adapt or upgrade your technology to improve the remote work experience. Chief among things to consider is your wireless network. Read more
Some features available on the current release of Office 365 are not available on the Windows 7 version. This gap will only widen as time goes on. Read more
The recent, highly publicized ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline Co. was one of the latest in a string of attacks that have plagued businesses and government agencies. The Colonial incident was just the tip of the iceberg, concealing numerous other, less publicized events. Such attacks are ramping up at an ever-increasing rate. What can folks do to avoid such an attack? Read more
Since the dawn of broadband internet, folks have always wondered, is my connection as fast as advertised? Is there any way to get an unbiased measurement? Obviously, the answer is yes. Otherwise, this would be an awfully short column. How, then, does one go about keeping the internet service provider honest? Read more
A couple of weeks ago, it was discovered that data stolen from Facebook was available on the dark web. While the data was stolen in 2019, it can still be effectively used by bad actors today. Individuals and organizations should see this as a wake-up call to take care of their data themselves instead of assuming that everyone else will keep them safe. Read more
Businesses and government organizations that don’t have a dedicated information technology staff typically engage an outside consultancy to support their computer operations. Read more
