Computer / Internet Tips & News – exclusively for Computer Techs clients
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Welcome to the Computer Techs Computer / Internet Tips & News blog. This purpose of this site is meant to provide a service to our valued customers, by keeping you informed with the latest news and tips related to your computer and the internet. Consider using the search box on the left side of the website to help you find a specific topic or article, or scroll through articles below to learn something new.
If you’re happy with our service, please consider recommending Computer Techs to a friend or relative. If we service their computer, you get $25 Off your next service call.
The details: Please have your friend or relative mention your name during the appointment, or after the appointment contact Mark Cobb with the name of the person that you recommended/referred. The referred person must be a new Computer Techs customer and not reside in the same household as the referrer.
Since 2003 clients regularly ask us for a way to keep their computers secure and up-to-date, and not have to worry about the seemingly constant barrage of updates. With websites getting hacked on a daily basis, and the increasing chance of your personal information being lost or compromised, it’s more important than ever to keep your computer up-to-date and maintained.
With the Computer Techs Maintenance Plan, we will maintain, update and check the security on your computer on a convenient quarterly schedule. Service can be performed via a Remote Support session which takes about an hour. Services include:
Install security updates for browser add-ons, program updates, available router updates, critical computer firmware and Windows updates
Remove adware/toolbars/homepage hijackers
Remove or disable unused or unnecessary apps that cause security or performance issues
Check internet connection settings and remove any malicious scripts, DNS or proxy settings
Virus/malware/adware scan
Check hard drive health and used space
Check back-up and system restore settings
Defragment hard drive files
Check browser settings and remove unnecessary extensions and allowed notification pop-ups
Delete unnecessary temporary, log and update cache files to free up drive space
Check Wi-Fi settings and adjust if interference or performance issues exist
Check internet connection and speed tests
Apply computer manufacturer’s urgent and recommended software and hardware updates if needed
Check for print jobs stuck in the queue
Check for frequent app crashes or system “blue screen” errors that could lead to more serious problems
Additional benefits of being on our quarterly Computer Maintenance Plan include:
Priority callbacks and email replies with simple or easy-to-resolve issues or questions under 5 minutes at no charge.
VIP rates: Receive regular (non-maintenance) in-home service calls at the same price as our remote rates (Save $20/hr)
When you sign up for the Computer Techs Computer Maintenance Plan, you’ll get all of the services above for less than the price of a house call – quarterly remote service for one computer is just $80 payable at the time of each quarterly service. Additional computers maintained during the same appointment time are just $20 each. Semi-annual remote appointments are also available for $89 and $30 for additional computers. On-site service is also available at regular VIP hourly rates. To sign-up for your initial quarterly remote service, schedule your appointment – or contact us for semi-annual and/or on-site service.
Google recently sent an email to Google account holders with a reminder that “You have Web & App Activity turned on”. Even though this setting may have been turned on by default for many years, Google is being more transparent about the data they have about the things you do on Google sites, apps and service. The timeliness of the recent email was likely sent to appease government regulators.
In the email, Google states that “Web & App Activity is a setting that lets you save to your Google Account the things you do on Google sites, apps, and services, including your searches and associated information, like location and language. It can also give you more personalized experiences across Google, like faster searches and better recommendations.”
NEVER respond or react hastily to unexpected messages: If you get a pop-up message, email, phone call, text message, or any other urgent message about a virus/security problem, account problem, or ask you to call about an unexpected charge – DO NOT click on any links or call a phone number provided in the message. Always initially assume it’s a scam until proven otherwise.
Refer to links in the article below about how to close out of fake warning messages that appear to lock your computer or device.
Scammers often PRETEND to be from a business, organization, or financial institution or even a person that you know.
Scammers advertise on search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing) so that people looking for help with a product or service will call them instead of a real support number listed on an official company website.
Legitimate companies will never ask for remote access/control of your computer or smartphone, unless you initiate the call to a number listed on the official company website. If the person with a legitimate company accessing your computer asks you to log into your account to “fix” or “help” with a problem, asks for money, money transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards, immediately turn off your computer and end the call. Then call your trusted computer tech, relative or close friend to help validate the communication you just had.
Scammers are becoming increasingly clever. Every month we hear from clients who have been scammed by letting someone take control of their computer and coerce them into paying for support for non-existent computer or account-related problems. With a little bit of knowledge of how these scams work, you won’t become a victim yourself.
Scams typically start with a website pop-up, email, phone call or text message from a well-known company such as Amazon, Windows/Microsoft, Apple, or Netflix. You are notified about a large purchase that has been or will be charged to your account – or there’s a problem with your account or device/computer. You’re told to call, click a link or talk to a fraud/account representative to confirm the purchase or account information. No matter how legitimate it sounds – It’s a scam! Read on about some of the most common scams we’ve encountered recently:
“Someone just charged an item to your Amazon account. I’m calling to confirm the purchase or refund your money.”
“This is the FBI and we’ve detected pornographic images on your computer. You must pay a fine right away!”
“This is your friend Bob. Can you please buy a gift card for me so I can give to my niece – I’ll pay you back.”
“Grandma, this is your grandson – I’m in trouble and you need to bail me out. Please don’t tell mom!”
“Your credit card number has expired. I’m calling to get your new number or your service will be cancelled right away!”
“I’ve hacked into your email account – I can prove it because your password is xxxxxx. I’ve got embarrassing pictures of you that I captured with your webcam. If you don’t pay up, I’ll release the the pictures to all of your contacts.”
“Your computer protection has expired. If you don’t call right away we’re charging $399 to your account to renew the protection.”
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:Ignore the pop-up, email, call or SMS. If you answer an unexpected phone call, don’t answer or engage with the scammer – hang up. Most likely there is no problem at all. Unfortunately you can’t trust unknown or unsolicited callers to be who they say they are, nor can you trust the name or number on Caller ID – scammers frequently used forged numbers. Never, everallow someone you don’t know coerce you into letting them view your computer screen or allow remote access. You wouldn’t allow someone knocking on your door to come in – the same should be true for an unsolicited phone call or message.
If in doubt, log into your account normally (not via a link in an email or telephone number provided in a recording) to check for any unrecognized activity. Or you can call the company using the phone number listed on their official website, or printed on a card you have from the company.
If you’ve already gone too far and realize that you’ve engaged in a conversation with a scammer – below are some examples of how you can quickly get out of the situation.
“My attorney/caregiver handles all of my affairs. Contact him/her.”
“Send me an official correspondence in the mail – you should already have my mailing address.”
Often times scammers tell you that you must act fast – so that you don’t have time to think about it, contact a trusted tech-savvy friend, family member or computer technician. Stick to your better judgement, remain in control of the conversation – or just hang up.
If you have a free Yahoo or AT&T/Yahoo email account and use the forwarding feature to send your email to another email address (i.e. username@gmail.com), you may have noticed that forwarding stopped in January 2021.
Are you looking for the perfect gift for someone who needs computer help or service? Consider giving the gift of computer help or service with the purchase of a Computer Techs eGift Card. eGift Cards can be used towards payment of remote support or on-site services. Click the link picture below for more details, or to purchase now.
Internet Explorer is the web browser that Microsoft included with the Windows operating system through Windows 8.1. Beginning with Windows 10, Microsoft Edge is the new browser that’s included with the operating system and is continually being optimized with performance, feature and security updates. That leaves Internet Explorer 11 – released in late-2013 – as the last major version of Internet Explorer.
With other browsers being continually updated – such as Edge version 41, Firefox version 57 and Chrome version 62 (as of November 2017) , some websites have stopped supporting the use of Internet Explorer. One of those websites is Yahoo – which includes the popular Yahoo web portal, Yahoo Mail and Yahoo Finance.
An advantage of using a newer browser such as Chrome includes faster web browsing, improved security and upcoming features that will help stop fake warning messages that are often caused by webpage redirects and misleading advertisements.
If you need help switching away from Internet Explorer and transferring your Favorites and settings to a new web browser, please contact us.
Even though you may have a password system, you still should keep a record of your passwords. Some people put their passwords in a notebook, Rolodex, on their mobile device or online password manager. Which is the best option for you? How to safely manage your passwords
Please Print This Article this article for future reference so you know how to close a fake warning web page if it appears to lock-up your computer.
Malicious advertisements or links can redirect your web browser to webpage designed to look like an official warning from Microsoft or Apple. The fake warnings often have the following characteristics:
Tell you that there’s a problem with your computer, it’s been blocked, and you need to call the number presented immediately to prevent harm
Tell you NOT to turn off your computer
The warnings are often accompanied by scary alert sounds or spoken messages.
Your mouse and/or keyboard may become non-responsive.
If you look closely at the “security warning” you will notice that it’s just a webpage designed to scare people into calling the number.
How to “unblock” your computer and get rid of the scare message
NEVER call the number presented on the screen – scammers claiming to be tech support representatives will try to gain access to your computer to convince you that you have security problems that you need to pay to have fixed.
Try the following steps in order to close the scare/scam window:
Try closing your browser using the keyboard: Hold down the [Ctrl] key, then press the [W] key. On a Mac, hold down the [Command ⌘] key, then press the [W] key.
If unsuccessful, on your Windows computer try to shut down or restart your computer via the Start button icon on the bottom left taskbar: If the fake warning website covers your full screen where you cannot see the Start button icon, use your keyboard and press the Windows key [ or ] located at the bottom left corner of your keyboard, which should bring the Start menu to the foreground. You should then be able to use your mouse to navigate to Power > Shut Down/Restart.
If you can’t navigate to the power button on your screen, simultaneously press and hold the [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[Del] keys on your keyboard, select Task Manager, select your web browser, then “End Task”. On a Mac use [Command]+[Option]+[Esc], select your web browser, then select “Force Quit”.
If that doesn’t work, do the opposite of what the scare page says: Turn off your computer. Do so by pressing and HOLDING the power button. After HOLDING down the power button for at least 5 seconds, the computer should shut off.
After your computer is off, leave it off for at least a minute. Then briefly press the power button to turn it back on. If the scare page is gone, you should be good to continue using your computer – just don’t go back to the website or email that redirected you before and don’t restore your previous browser session if prompted. If the page comes back, your computer is likely going to sleep rather than completely powering off when holding the power button. Try powering it off again. If the message still appears, contact us for assistance. Again, never call the number on the screen.
How does the fake pop-up occur?
On a virus-free computer these pop-ups can occur when you mistype a web address, click a search link which redirects you to the malicious website, or a malicious advertisement can redirect you. If your computer already has adware or malware these pop-ups may occur when you visit any website whether or not the site is malicious or not. If you see pop-ups similar to those pictured while logged into your financial websites, contact Computer Techs right away for computer service. We also advise you to have an alternative web browser installed on your computer in case you are unable to use your primary browser.
Over the years we’ve written various articles about AT&T/Yahoo email being plagued by account security issues, bothersome ads in their webmail interface, forced password resets, spam messages sent to user’s contacts and more. The revelation that over 500 million Yahoo accounts have been compromised in recent years leads us to once again advise people to stop using AT&T/Yahoo Mail, and switch to using a more secure and reliable email provider such as Gmail.
If your email address ends in @att.net, @sbcglobal.net, @nvbell.net, or @prodigy.net, the advice above includes you – since Yahoo provides the email and web content services for AT&T Internet customers. We’ve had several customers over the years permanently lose access to their AT&T/Yahoo email due to the lack of security of the service.
In May 2020 AT&T once again changed their login procedure, and began blocking use of the website if you use an ad blocker.
An important security option for online accounts is 2-step verification – neither AT&T/Yahoo or Charter/Spectrum email accounts offer the option. Therefore we recommend that you ditch your internet provider’s email service and switch to Google’s Gmail or Microsoft’s Outlook Mail.
If you’ve got an Android smartphone, you should already have a Gmail address associated with the Google account required for your phone. If you don’t already have Gmail, it’s easy to get a free address and setup your account – and we can help.
Switching email providers can be a hassle. But we can setup the initial change for you, and give follow-up guidance on how to systematically inform business correspondence of the change over time. We’ve got a step-by-step procedure that includes (but not limited to):
Over the years we’ve helped lots of clients who’ve had their email account hacked – typically a Yahoo, Hotmail or AOL account. They usually first notice the problem when they are contacted by someone in their email contacts about unusual requests for money or a gift card. Other signs that an email account has been hacked include:
Lots of emails from “mailer-daemon” in a short period of time
No new email in the Inbox, and being delivered to the Trash or Archive folder
Some or all previous email have been deleted
All contacts have been deleted
“Reply-to” address changed
All email being forwarded to a different address
Email signature added or changed
The language changed to something other than English
When attempting to login to their email some have discovered that their password has been changed and they are unable to access their account.
If your Yahoo account has been compromised, below are some helpful links:
If you’re still unable to access your account after following instructions in the resources above, you can call Yahoo at 866-562-7219 or AT&T at 800-288-2020.
If you’re happy with our service, please let others know by recommending us to your friends and family, and/or by writing a review about our service. If you personally recommend us to a friend or relative and we help them, you get $25 off your next service call.
Why trust someone who “knows” computers and works on them in their spare time? Why trust someone who you called from a pop-up ad on your computer? You shouldn’t! Computer Techs is a local business that works with computers and related devices on a daily basis and has been doing so since 2003. When you need help with your computing devices, you can trust Computer Techs to be there when you need us, and stand behind our service.
When people search for Computer Support or Repair Services on the internet, they often search Google, YellowPages.com or Yahoo Local. Please consider letting others know about our service by posting a review at one or more of the following web sites:
Your Data, Their Gain: How Hacked Information Fuels Scams
Data breaches seem like a constant threat these days, impacting millions of people every year. Recently, AT&T announced a data breach that impacted 73 million customer records from 2019 and earlier. But beyond the initial inconvenience of replacing credit cards or changing passwords, there’s a hidden danger: stolen information becomes a potent weapon in the hands of scammers.
From Names to Riches: How Scammers Exploit Leaks
Even seemingly insignificant details like your name, email address, and phone number, when combined with data from other breaches, can be a goldmine for scammers. Here’s how they exploit this stolen information:
Phishing Attacks: Scammers use your personal details to craft emails or phone calls that appear legitimate. They might pose as your bank, credit card company, or even a government agency. Trusting these messages can lead you to reveal additional sensitive information like passwords or account details.
Targeted Scams: With knowledge of your purchase history or location, scammers can craft highly believable scenarios. Imagine getting a call about a suspicious charge on your credit card for a store you recently visited, or a voicemail/text claiming to be from your internet service provider about a large discount.
Social Engineering: Armed with details like your birthday or children’s names, scammers can gain your trust by weaving these details into their stories. This emotional manipulation makes you more susceptible to their tricks.
Protecting Yourself from the Fallout
While data breaches are a harsh reality, there are steps you can take to minimize the damage:
Be Wary of Unsolicited Contact: Never give out personal information over email or phone unless you initiated the contact. Legitimate companies won’t pressure you for immediate action.
Strong Passwords & Two-Factor Authentication: Use unique, complex passwords for all your accounts and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. This adds an extra layer of security.
Regular Monitoring: Keep an eye on your bank statements and credit reports for suspicious activity. Consider credit monitoring services for added protection.
Be Skeptical: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t hesitate to verify information directly with the source, like calling your bank instead of trusting the phone number provided in a suspicious email.
Data breaches are a threat we all face, but by staying vigilant and taking proactive steps, we can make it harder for scammers to exploit our information. Remember, a little caution can save you a lot of heartache.
Determining whether you need a new computer or smartphone can be tricky, as it depends on several factors like your needs, budget, and the current performance of your device. Here are some signs that might indicate it’s time for an upgrade:
Performance Issues:
Slowness and Lag: If your device takes forever to boot up, open programs, or respond to your commands, it’s a clear sign of aging hardware struggling to keep up.
Frequent crashes and freezes: Unexpected crashes and freezes disrupt your workflow and can lead to data loss. If they happen regularly, an upgrade might be necessary.
Insufficient storage: Running out of storage space constantly, forcing you to delete files or struggle with cramped performance, signals the need for increased capacity.
Battery drain: Batteries degrade over time, and if your device needs constant charging or struggles to last a full day, replacing it might be a good option.
Software Compatibility:
Outdated operating system: Older devices might not be compatible with newer versions of their operating systems, missing out on security updates and features. (See EndOfLife.date for more information)
Incompatible software: Some software and apps require newer hardware features. If you constantly run into compatibility issues, consider an upgrade.
Security Concerns:
End of security updates: Manufacturers eventually stop providing security updates for older devices, leaving them vulnerable to malware and attacks. Upgrading ensures you have the latest security patches. (See EndOfLife.date for more information)
Physical damage: Cracked screens, damaged ports, or overheating issues can pose safety risks and impact functionality. Replacing a device with severe damage might be necessary.
Beyond the Basics:
Changing needs: If your needs have evolved and your current device no longer meets your demands, like needing more processing power for graphics work or enhanced photography capabilities, an upgrade might be worthwhile.
Frustration and inconvenience: If your device constantly frustrates you with its limitations, impacting your productivity or enjoyment, consider an upgrade for a smoother experience.
However, before rushing to buy a new device:
Perform maintenance: Try simple troubleshooting steps like clearing up storage, updating software, and running antivirus scans. These might rectify some issues without needing an upgrade.
Analyze your needs: Assess what you truly need from your device and prioritize your requirements. This will help you choose the right upgrade when the time comes.
Research and compare: Don’t make impulsive purchases. Research different options, compare features and prices, and choose a device that aligns with your budget and needs.
Remember, not every sign necessitates an immediate upgrade. Evaluate your specific situation, prioritize your needs, and make an informed decision based on your budget and comfort level. It’s better to wait for the right time than invest in a new device prematurely. Contact Computer Techs for expert advice.
Microsoft has been aggressively coercing people to use their “Edge” browser by making it a recommended or default choice after Windows updates. Perhaps you’re used to using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox – and that’s OK. You can say “no” to Microsoft’s solicitations if you read and select carefully, and watch for dark patterns on their selection screens.
Here are several reasons why Microsoft wants people to use the Edge browser:
The scam may start with a simple text or email message that initially seems directed to someone else, but responding to such messages can lead down a “rabbit hole” where most victims lose thousands of dollars. With worldwide communication at our fingertips these days, it’s easy for scammers to target anyone – and it may start with a simple message saying “Hi”. “Pig butchering” is a complex and evolving social scam that preys on victims through manipulative online relationships. Here’s the details that you need to know so that you don’t become a victim:
The basic premise: Scammers build trust with victims over prolonged periods, often months or even years, through online platforms like dating apps, social media, investment forums, or even seemingly misdirected emails or text messages. They often pose as wealthy individuals interested in romance, friendship, or business opportunities.
The manipulation: Scammers employ various tactics to gain trust and exploit victims’ emotional vulnerabilities, such as:
Mirroring victims’ interests and personalities.
Offering emotional support and flattery.
Sharing elaborate or fabricated stories about their lives.
Gradually introducing investment opportunities or financial requests.
The exploitation: Once trust is established, scammers may persuade victims to invest in fake schemes, cryptocurrency scams, or other fraudulent ventures. They may pressure victims to transfer increasingly large sums of money, often isolating them from family and friends to prevent intervention.
The dangers: Pig butchering scams can have devastating consequences, leading to significant financial losses, emotional distress, and even identity theft. It’s crucial to be wary of online relationships that seem too good to be true, especially those involving promises of quick wealth or sudden romance.
Remember:
DO NOT RESPOND to email or text messages that seem like they were meant for someone else. A message from an email address or number that you don’t know may include simply “Hi” or “Did you hear from Sally?”.
Be cautious of online relationships that develop quickly or involve excessive flattery.
Do not invest in opportunities presented by someone you haven’t met in person.
Never share personal financial information with someone you haven’t verified.
Report any suspicious activity or online scams to the appropriate authorities.
By staying informed and exercising caution, you can protect yourself from falling prey to social scams like pig butchering.
How did “pig butchering” become the term for this social engineering scam?
If your computer has been overrun with pop-ups along the right side on your computer, you may have inadvertently chosen to allow notifications to from an untrustworthy website.
How to block browser notifications
To block notification pop-ups in Chrome:
At the top right of Chrome, click More
Click Settings.
Under Privacy and security, click Site settings.
Click Notifications.
Under Allowed to send notifications, select Block.
To block notification pop-ups in Edge:
At the top right of Edge, click More
Click Settings.
Click Cookies and Site Permissions
Under All permissions, click Notifications.
Click Notifications.
Under Allow, choose the site(s) you’d like to block and select Block.
Are you getting excessive pop-ups and getting redirected to websites that you didn’t intend to visit? Please contact us if you need help cleaning up your browser.
Here are some of the best methods to reduce the amount of spam/junk email in your Inbox:
Use an email service with good junk/spam email filtering. Gmail is our favorite free email service that does a pretty good job at segregating important email from spam, as well as promotional, social, and any other emails you want to filter out of you main Inbox.
For any obvious junk/spam email that arrives in your Inbox, report it as spam/junk – but don’t unsubscribe if your email service offers a setting to do so.
Don’t react to junk/spam email by clicking links or replying. Just delete it.
Use different email addresses or aliases and/or different email services to segregate personal emails, email addresses you use for banks and financial institutions, travel confirmations, newsletters, etc. Google’s Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Outlook.com all offer such features.
Use a strong, unique password and enable 2-step verification for your email account so that hackers can’t access your account and steal your contacts list among other dangers.
When addressing email to multiple recipients, use Blind Carbon Copy (BCC) so that you’re not inadvertently sharing people’s private email addresses with others. Also, compose descriptive subjects so that spam filters and the recipient can tell whether or not your email is spam.
Realize that you cannot prevent all junk email. The longer you have an email address and the more people and businesses that it is given to, the more junk email you will likely receive over time.
Dark patterns are user interface (UI) designs that are intentionally deceptive or manipulative to trick users into making unintended choices, or choices that the creator wants you to make. They are often used by websites and apps to get users to sign up for services, make purchases, or share personal information.
Some examples of dark patterns include:
Trick questions: This is where a website or app asks you a question in a way that makes it difficult to give the correct answer. For example, a website might ask you to agree to a term of service that includes a hidden clause.
Misdirection: This is where a website or app uses confusing or misleading language to trick you into making a certain choice. For example, a website might use the word “free” to describe a product or service, even though there are actually hidden costs associated with it.
Disguised ads: This is where ads are disguised as content or features. For example, a website might have a “featured article” that is actually an ad for a product or service.
Bait and switch: This is where a website or app offers a product or service at a low price, but then makes it difficult or impossible to actually purchase it. For example, a website might offer a free trial of a service, but then make it difficult to cancel the subscription after the trial period ends.
Forced continuity: This is where a website or app makes it difficult or impossible to cancel a subscription or service. For example, a website might require you to call customer service to cancel a subscription, or they might make the cancellation process very complicated.
Hidden costs: This is where the true cost of a product or service is not disclosed until after you’ve made a purchase. For example, a website might charge a hidden fee for shipping or handling, or they might have a high cancellation fee.
Roach motel: This is where a website or app makes it difficult or impossible to leave. For example, a website might make it difficult to find the “logout” button, or they might keep redirecting you back to the same page.
Confirmshaming: This is where a website or app tries to guilt you into making a certain choice. For example, a website might ask you to confirm that you really want to cancel your subscription, and they might make it seem like you’re being a bad person if you do.
In this example, your eyes are likely drawn to the Microsoft 365 Family option, where Office Home & Student 2021 may be a better (and cheaper) overall choice.
Dark patterns are often difficult to spot, but there are a few things you can do to protect yourself:
Be aware of the psychology of dark patterns: Dark patterns are designed to exploit our cognitive biases, so it’s helpful to be aware of these biases so you can spot them when they’re being used.
Take your time: Don’t rush through any online interactions. Take your time to read the terms and conditions, and make sure you understand what you’re agreeing to.
Be skeptical of defaults: Defaults are often used in dark patterns to trick users into making certain choices. For example, a website might default to “opt-in” for marketing emails, even though most users would prefer to “opt-out.”
Now that you’re aware of dark patterns, you can watch for them while on websites where you’re asked to click a link or make a decision.
With prices at the grocery store skyrocketing recently, we can help you save money by using the store’s website or app to save money with digital coupons, shopping sale items and other offers, keeping track of rewards, and even sticking to your list by ordering your groceries for pick-up or delivery.
Digital coupons and offers
Many stores in the Reno area feature digital coupons and other money saving offers on their website or mobile app, including Raley’s, Smith’s, Safeway, Save Mart, and Sprouts.
To use digital coupons at these stores, you will need to download the store’s app and create an account. Once you have created an account, you can browse the available coupons and “clip” the ones you want to use. The coupons will then be applied automatically at checkout.
Benefits of using digital coupons include saving money on your grocery bill for items that you use regularly or trying new items. With the store’s mobile app you can easily browse and clip coupons or shop sale items from your smartphone or tablet while you shop before you get to the checkout.
Rewards
Many stores reward loyalty by accumulating “points” for dollars spent on purchases, which can be redeemed for discounts on future purchases.
Pick-up and delivery
Most stores offer pick-up and/or delivery services which can help you stick to your list and avoid impulse shopping when visiting a store. This can also be helpful if getting around the grocery store is a bit more challenging these days. Using the store’s website or mobile app you can chose items for purchase, pay, and then go to the store and wait outside for the attendant to load your order in your vehicle – or wait for a delivery driver to bring your order to home.
We can help you get started with saving money at the grocery store
We can show you how to use the store’s website to save money, or even come over and show you how to download and use the store’s mobile app. We can walk you through the process of adding items to your list, clipping digital coupons, and placing an online order if you’d rather pick-up your groceries or have them delivered.
Updated December 2023 noting updated partial support for IMAP and iCloud accounts.
On a Windows PC, if you currently use the Mail and Calendar apps to access your email instead of going to your email provider’s website, you’ll likely be happy to hear that Microsoft will be replacing those (awful) apps on Windows 10/11 with the new Outlook for Windows app in 2024.
Outlook for Windows is a unified app that combines mail, contacts, and calendars. It also integrates with many of Google’s popular tools such as Gmail and Calendar.
This change could be confusing for some users, as there are already many different Outlook products available. However, the new Outlook for Windows is a significant improvement over the Mail and Calendar apps. It has more features, a better interface, and better integration with other Microsoft products.
Get Outlook for Windows now if it currently supports your email account
If you are currently using the Mail or Calendar apps, you should start using the new Outlook for Windows now. This will give you time to get used to the new app before it becomes the only option.
The new Outlook app is currently in preview and is already available for download from the Microsoft Store, or you can toggle “Try the New Outlook” in the Mail app. It offers a number of new features and improvements over the Mail and Calendar apps, including:
A unified inbox for all of your email accounts
A more intuitive calendar experience
It currently supports multiple email accounts, including Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, iCloud and IMAP (Charter & AT&T). – As of December 2023, Charter emails are not able to be sent using Outlook for Windows.
It will also support calendars from a variety of sources, including Google Calendar and iCloud Calendar.
What’s the difference between Outlook, Outlook.com and the new Outlook for Windows?
Outlook has been the default email program in Microsoft Office since 1997 and is still part of the subscription version of Office 365 – now called Microsoft 365.
Outlook.com is a website that replaced Hotmail which is Microsoft’s competitor to Google’s Gmail or Yahoo Mail.
The new Outlook for Windows is an app, not a website, that has the look of Outlook.com and basic features of Outlook.
When using the PDF viewer Adobe Reader, you may get prompts suggesting that you should/need to upgrade to Adobe Acrobat. Adobe Acrobat is the paid version that includes additional features, such as the ability to create, edit, and protect PDF files. Most home computer users do not need to upgrade to Adobe Acrobat and pay for features that they do not need.
Here are the pros and cons of upgrading to Adobe Acrobat from Adobe Reader:
Pros:
Create and edit PDFs: Adobe Acrobat allows you to create and edit PDFs, which is not possible with Adobe Reader. This means you can add text, images, and annotations to PDFs, as well as rearrange pages and delete content.
Convert PDFs to other formats: Adobe Acrobat can also convert PDFs to other formats, such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This is useful if you need to share a PDF with someone who doesn’t have Adobe Reader.
Protect PDFs: Adobe Acrobat can protect PDFs with passwords, encryption, and digital signatures. This helps to keep your PDFs secure and prevents them from being tampered with.
Add advanced features: Adobe Acrobat also includes a number of advanced features, such as the ability to create PDF portfolios, add watermarks, and track changes.
Cons:
Cost: Adobe Acrobat is a paid software, while Adobe Reader is free.
Complexity: Adobe Acrobat is more complex than Adobe Reader, so it may take some time to learn how to use all of its features.
Not necessary for everyone: If you only need to view and print PDFs, then you don’t need to upgrade to Adobe Acrobat. Adobe Reader is sufficient for most users.
Additionally, word processing programs such as Microsoft Word and LibreOffice Writer let you save documents as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file. So if you have a word processing document that you don’t want easily changed or edited, you already have the ability to save it as a PDF file.
Overall, Adobe Acrobat offers a number of advantages over Adobe Reader, but it is also more expensive and complex. Whether or not you should upgrade depends on your needs. If you need to create, edit, or protect PDFs, then Adobe Acrobat is a good choice. However, if you only need to view and print PDFs, then Adobe Reader is sufficient.
Here is a table that summarizes the pros and cons of upgrading to Adobe Acrobat from Adobe Reader:
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