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Before you buy that cheap new PC

I see a lot of people who get a new computer grab the first cheap PC they see on the shelf.  After all, they are all running the same operating system (Windows 10) and I can check email and browse the internet with any of them, right?  The funny thing is many times I see…

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FBI Warning on Hacked Routers

Last week the FBI issued a warning that half a million routers had been hacked by Russians.  What the long term goal of the hack may be is not completely evident but your personal data is potentially at risk.  Unlike many fake warnings you may have received, this is indeed a real threat.  Read the official…

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Do I need an Anti-Virus?

I get some form of the title question posed to me fairly often.  Do I need an anti-virus?  Which security is the best to protect my computer? I like to compare an anti-virus to a lock on your house.  Do you “need” one… technically no.. your house will function just as well without one, but…

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How Long Does a Hard Drive Last?

Let’s make this clear. Your hard drive will die. The mechanical device in your computer that contains all of your data will eventually stop working. Moving parts are subject to wear and tear and at some point wear out. Even newer solid state drives which contain no moving parts have a limited life span. These…

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Facebook and 3rd party apps

I’m sure everyone has heard all of the hoopla over the latest Facebook privacy concerns.  The short version of the story is that a third party personality quiz app on Facebook was used to harvest data about individuals who opted to take it.  Not only was the data harvested for the ones who took it…

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5 GHz vs 2.4 Ghz Wireless Network Connections

A lot of people seem confused about, or maybe just completely unaware of, what the differences are between the 2.4 and 5GHz wireless frequencies.  First of all what the 5Ghz signal refers to has nothing to do with 5G mobile networking technology.  All modern Wi-Fi  routers and receivers support 2.4 Ghz connections.  Many newer ones…

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Making a Good Password

We are all guilty of using quick and easy passwords.  Every now and then we need to be reminded that this isn’t a good idea if you value your email, privacy, bank account, time, or identity.  The trick is making a good password that you won’t forget again in the next five minutes. Let’s start…

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The Unintended Consequences of Sharing on the Web

A few days ago it was reported that information from fitness trackers being uploaded to the Strava App may have exposed sensitive details about US military bases around the world.  Since this time the military has made a statement denying that anything useful was gained from the heat maps available online.  However they are reviewing…

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What are Spectre and Meltdown?

  Spectre and Meltdown, the two words definitely sound very scary and ominous.  They are names given to potential security flaws identified in computer chips.  Which chips, you may ask?  The answer is even more scary.. pretty much all of them from the major chip manufacturers Intel, AMD, and ARM dating back as far as…

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Boot Key Options for Various Laptops and Desktops

Boot keys are computer keys that allow you to access other options when turning your computer on rather than going directly into the operating system.  BIOS setup is where you can go to change settings like default boot drives, motherboard settings, and system date and time.  Recovery Options will take you to a Windows recovery…

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