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Windows 7 end of life?

Wow, so Microsoft continues its campaign to push all of us regular consumers out of Windows 7. I suspect that money and resources (more money) they have to invest in keeping Windows 7 current is behind the push on their part. The question I get asked often is, does this apply to my computer?

My current answer is kind of a long one, so let me start with a summary. If all of the programs you use work in Windows 7 and you are comfortable using Windows 7, don’t change just to make Microsoft happy. At some point you may have reason to upgrade a program you are using or add a new program to the ones that you use; and, if that upgrade or new program requires Windows 10, then you need to upgrade from Windows 7 at that point. In my opinion, Windows 7 is not at the end of its service life yet.

What will you be missing? Windows 10 does have a number of built-in apps, programs, and so forth that can be helpful for some folks. Some modern accessories already require Windows 10, and Windows defender will soon require Windows 10. As I have already hinted, some programs also require Windows 10.

How would upgrading my current machine to Windows 10 affect its performance? Let’s face it, Windows 10 is much bigger than Windows 7 and does need more memory, more storage, and a more capable CPU; so, your computer will run slower with Windows 10 than it did with Windows 7. Reliability should be quite similar with the two OS’s, though it does seem that I need to reboot less often with Windows 10 than with a very similar machine running Windows 7.

If you decide to stay with Windows 7 for another year or so, what do you need to do to remain safe and secure? With Windows Defender ceasing support for Windows 7 you will need to choose a different anti-virus + anti-malware product or suite going forward and I can recommend Sophos Home or Malwarebytes. Both products have their advantages and support Windows 7 at this time. Another step is to stop using Internet Explorer and switch to Edge, Chrome, or Firefox for web browsing (once again security issues). Other than those concerns (changes) very little if anything should change for the Windows 7 user going forward for a few years.

Android – when updates aren’t what you expect

Well, I learned something interesting yesterday and the ramifications are just starting to hit home. When Android devices update to the latest version of Android, that doesn’t mean what many of us might think. I have a tablet on Android Version 6.01 that reports being completely up to date; its security update is identified as being a 2017 version along with a number of other modules dating back 3-4 years all reported as completely up to date. How can this be?

It turns out that Android only updates within its major version, so 6.01 is the current (and no longer supported) version for Android 6. Android 7 is a completely different product and must be installed (a surprisingly arcane and complicated install) by the user. A quick search on the internet reveals that Android 10 is available though many sources are reporting that Android 8 is the stable and current version for most devices. A quick visit to the manufacturer’s website reveals that Android 6 is the most recent version of Android that they support on my device.

Imagine if your computer had Windows Vista on it and would not load some applications unless you update to Windows 10, but your system won’t pass the compatibility test for Windows 10. Oh yes, this is also a very real problem and one I encounter regularly. The result is that a perfectly functional device with no reason to replace except that new programs won’t run it. My tablet ran afoul of this problem over the yahoo mail app. Nothing changed on my end, the folks at Yahoo produced a new app and set their servers to require the new app and the app won’t install on Android 6.

So, sometime tomorrow I will be learning if I can install Android 8 on my 2-year old tablet or if it will turn that tablet into a decoration, after I backup all the data on it, make enough free space to perform the new OS install. If it works, great and I will have learned another valuable skill. If not, well I will have another piece of technology that is good for nothing beyond cluttering up may desk.

This all reminds me that there really is a reason for fearing change. I was reading about Author George R R Martin yesterday and how he still uses a DOS machine with Wordstar 4 to write his books; I guess he really has resisted change with success. If well cared for, properly maintained (replacing parts that are prone to wearing out) hi tech devices really can be used for a very long time; but beware of products that require regular updates, they will force you into upgrading your entire world of electronics.

Seek and you shall Find

The advance of new technology is always exciting for me. Seeing the latest breakthroughs finally used in new and interesting ways to give us new useful products really does put a smile on my face. Unfortunately, many of the most exciting products fail to make it to retail for general use for one reason or another.

Two years ago, when we rescued a dog, I purchased a locator device for him. It had limited range but it was small, inexpensive and worked perfectly well on 2 occasions when it was needed. This winter I bought a much-updated version of that device that has reasonable range, replaceable batteries and a few new features that I hope I won’t need but are there if and when I need them. The current device is called a Tile Pro. The range on this device while much greater than the original is still limited, but for finding a lost dog or wandering or confused senior citizen it really is quite adequate.

I have seen advertisements for a few competing products of late that have the ability to post an actual set of GPS coordinates back to the searching folks that promise to provide far greater flexibility than the Tile products, but they are still in development and will carry a monthly subscription fee to make that ability possible. If one or more of these make it to actual retail exposure, I am sure they will be a sought after product for many folks who have a desire to track and locate family members, devices, etc.

For those who don’t want to wait, you can look at the various offerings from existing location device providers including a cell phone. Remember that modern cell phones are much more than just a telephone. A careful choice of a phone for grandma or an appropriately aged child can give you excellent tracking ability or emergency locating ability in an emergency or simply add to your peace of mind on a daily basis. And, yes, I do keep a locator in my wife’s purse also.

Guidance from the FCC

Howdy all, I had the opportunity to sit down with some FCC representatives visiting the Silver City Library and hear their recommendations regarding what to do about phone scams, slamming and a few other issues that they are concerned about. It was a small gathering and informative.

If you start getting phone service bills and don’t recognize the company billing you, the FCC wants to hear about it and help you correct the situation or (in case it is appropriate) help you understand what has happened. www.FCC.gov/consumers is a good website to visit if you are concerned or looking for help or guidance on any form of scamming related to communications. The FCC has a Consumer Affairs and Outreach Division that is there to help you and you can reach them through that website or call them at 1-888-225-5322, 8 am to 1 am Eastern time.

Another topic covered was robocalls (scam robocalls), the cell carriers and the FCC are working hard to reduce the prevalence of these, but we the consumers are the first line of defense. We can arm our selves with knowledge and common sense. If you get a robocall (or a cold call) asking you for money for any reason, it is a scam. Microsoft will not call you, The IRS will not call you, and folks offering free vacations over the phone are scammers. If we as consumers quit falling for these scams, they will stop making money from them and the scams will cease to be profitable. So, if you get a call from any organization asking for money, give them nothing, don’t give them money, don’t give them your name or any other information about you and do not engage them in any other way, simply hang up. What do you do if some organization you trust or wish to support calls and asks for donations? Find a valid means of contacting them (phone number, local location, etc.) by looking them up some other way (do not use the number supplied by them when they call you) and contact them using the publicly provided number, address, etc. to provide whatever is in your heart to provide. Please do not trust any information provided by a cold caller or robocaller.

The FCC continues to update their website as they encounter new types of scams and going to the consumer portal of their website is a great way to keep educated on what is currently possible and what kinds of scams are common. If you are concerned about any communications related issues the web portal is a great resource to help you decide if you are being scammed and if you need more help, their phone number is active to assist you and I, so use either or both if you have any questions or concerns. www.fcc.gov/consumer and 888-225-5322.

One last quick tip, if you have issues with a carrier or communications provider or broadcast TV, or radio the same web portal has a link for filing a complaint. These complaints are extremely important as they are a primary way for the FCC to gain information regarding licensed providers who are not meeting the needs or properly servicing the individuals or groups whom they are licensed (by the FCC) to serve.

Edge Browser – still not bullet proof

Just in case we have all been lulled into a sense of false security by Microsoft’s assertions regarding the security of their Edge browser, let me assure you that the product does NOT prevent phishing attempts, does not avoid or prevent infections from malware, at least not any better than Explorer did.

I continue to get requests from clients to assist in fixing Edge because a misclick has resulted in some malware or because some website has allowed a phishing attempt to get through and the browser did not prevent it. So long as hackers and scammers can make money there will be hacks of the most popular and or easiest products to hack and that seems to still be Edge.

I wait to see if the new Edge will miraculously be the product we have been promised for years or if it will be just another iteration in the Microsoft beta quality product line.

Scammers Ugh!

I am truly amazed that the message isn’t getting out. If someone calls you out of the blue and says that your computer has been hacked, why would you take them seriously? If you are browsing the web and suddenly your screen is filled with this ugly message telling you that you have been hacked, why oh why would you call the number on the screen, and why would you pay the folks at that number anything in hopes of correcting the problem?

Just a touch of common sense folks, the message on your screen has been caused by some type of malware. Therefore, any information contained in that message should never be trusted. Microsoft will never call you, certainly not to tell you that you have been hacked or that you are sending spam, or anything else. It isn’t just Microsoft either, Symantec and a whole raft of other security companies are in the same boat, they rarely have a means of tying an issue on your computer to your phone number (unless they are illegally snooping around in your computer, which means they aren’t a trust-able entity) and with rare exceptions, they simply have no way of knowing that your computer is involved in anything let alone being hacked; but, the hackers do know and have no compunction against using what they can learn to get money, and lots of it out of you.

With Windows 10 and the latest versions of MacOS, you can get a situation where your browser posts up an inappropriate page with instructions, phone numbers, etc. In all cases, ignore any instructions on that page / screen. Best practices dictate calling your favorite help line, technician, or consultant who probably sees the same screen several times a week (people, generally, only call me if there is a problem) and has practice defeating the hack before it can do any real damage. The hope is to catch the would-be infection before it can get the chance to become part of your operating system (OS); while it is still just in the browser, the potential for damage to your system, your files, your personal information is quite small.

With the current browsers, it can be reasonably straight forward to remove any and all recent changes to the browser and get you back safely surfing again. It is my hope that no single user would encounter this kind of issue themselves regularly enough to get good at correcting this kind of issue; but, trust me, those of us who provide service and support do get enough practice.

Holiday Sales

Happy Holidays to all. It has been a bit quiet around our house this year (empty nested) and I have still not had time for some of my intended projects yet. I did receive the Cyber Monday laptop I decided to add to my household collection. It is delightful testimony to the industry coming around to my point of view on what a personal computer should be and should be capable of.

Picture of Ideapad 330s — The Lenovo Ideapad 330s in grey

With time, I have had some exposure to the 1909 build of Windows 10 which actually has been behaving itself for me. It can be difficult getting to that version with some of the intermediate versions making a real mess of some machines so I would look for a cumulative upgrade to 1909 if you are still running an 1803 or 1806 build of Windows 10 and see if you can avoid the intermediate steps. At all times, but particularly with the summer upgrades of Windows 10, please make good backups before granting permission for it to load new versions.

This particular laptop is 15″ with a decent keyboard and keypad, 8gb RAM, 256gb m.2 SSD, an assortment of ports including USB-c and HDMI and Lenovo went with an AMD Ryzen 5 for this laptop which is a favorite of mine for home computers and office computers alike. Battery life is a tad less than I had hoped for at only 4 – 4.5 hours on a full charge, but that is adequate for most applications. I see that Lenovo is discontinuing this product line the Ideapad 330s and replacing it with the 340 series so it may reappear at wonderful prices for a bit yet. $300-$400 depending on the exact configuration seems reasonable to me.

5g Cellular and Radiation

With the rollouts of 5g starting, one question, at least, remains unanswered, is the radiation from the lower band 5g signal going to be dangerous for the users? I have done some research and reviewed research done by many others including the US Navy and WHO (the World Health Organization). The first step was to figure out what this new standard is and exactly what kind of transmissions, both active and passive, its adoption will bring to our environment.

5g is being adopted differently by different carriers. AT&T thus far is adopting some of the technological improvements of 5g and applying it to current cell use bands, resulting in enhanced 4g (not really 5g) providing maybe a 30% improvement in transmission throughput and reduction in congestion. Verizon has adopted a 3-band (spread spectrum) approach with the low-band being around 600mhz and the high-band 24ghz – 52ghz. The mid-band is expected to be in the historic cell band at 800mhz to 900mhz ( a sweet spot for human exposure safety as determined by US Navy testing with radars back in the early 1900s). T-Mobile appears to be focusing on the low band (around 600mhz) with their current rollout.

There are two reasons for moving the new service to a different frequency band; 1, is to get out of congested bands where competition for spectrum prevents the growth of bandwidth through using wider frequency bands and 2, the 600 Mhz band is better at reaching out in rural areas simply by the nature of its lower frequency (higher frequency transmissions are more line-of-site, and won’t bend around or pass through foliage, or other obstructions, near as well as lower frequency transmissions). As a trade-off, it is expected that the new towers for 5g will use roughly twice the signal power of the current 4g towers (to compensate for lower frequency transmissions requiring more power to achieve good signal quality in a given path). Verizon is testing its GHz system exclusively in event locations and large cities where the extreme line-of-sight and short-range character of those transmissions are a benefit instead of a liability (think of small low power transmitters on every street corner or well-spaced within a stadium).

Okay, so with a real rough notion of the characteristics of the new standard, what are the concerns surrounding this change? According to the WHO, as the frequency drops from 900 MHz, the ability of the signal to pass into and cause changes in human tissues increases considerably, or said another way the absorption rate of skin tissue increases. Add to this that the 5g towers will be transmitting with more power (as yet, no clear word on whether the hand units will use more transmit power for 5g) and there should be an expectation of far greater exposure to humans.

What do we know about safe levels over long exposure to RF radiation? Research on this topic goes back over 80 years and it appears that exposure sufficient to raise tissue temperature 1-degree Celcius has been a threshold for when deleterious effects can be expected. ( Anyone remember using old cordless phones that caused your ear to feel hot?). How much signal is required to produce this effect? A guideline from WHO indicates that 4W/kg SAR (specific Absorption Rate) (the result of 4W PEP at a distance of 1 meter from the source) meets this threshold and will cause both tissue temperature increase of at least 1-degree Celcius and generalized impacts on the living being including behavioral changes, induction of lens opacities and adverse reproductive outcomes. Induction of cancers and similar maladies requires more study but may also be probable at this level of exposure.

Given these vague indications, we can expect phones using the new standard to cause more exposure to RF radiation; but, much more study needs to be done to determine if actual phones using this standard will cause or increase the incidence of related health and mental issues. The crux of the situation is that the new phones could operate using sufficiently low power that no significant tissue damage will occur short or long term; but, I don’t believe appropriate research has been done yet to know one way or the other.

Windows 11?

I see rumors flying around about the next version Windows. One writer suggested it will be called Windows 11. My impression is that it is more likely to be called Windows 10 spring edition or something of that nature or a remote possibility it will be Windows 12 or Windows 20 (for Windows 2020). Microsoft has been making noises using “new” language for their Operating System to come; but, I don’t see that as an indication of a new name for the product as much as an attempt to get a more standardized way of talking about the product family.

How soon will we see the next version of Windows? Well, for many of us we recently received updates that, historically, would have been touted as a new version. Version 1903 started being pushed out to users in May of 2019 and by September many of us had version 1909. Since the desktop was not significantly changed, most users don’t notice, and I consider that a good thing. Windows 10 is finally looking like a mature product and some trust is being developed in it as a stable platform for getting work done. I look for a similar time table for Windows 10 version 2003 to appear in 2020.

I would like to see a few major changes in the new versions; first on my list is a much-improved update process, followed immediately by a change in how software installs in Windows. We can see a hint of the change I am looking for in the new “Apps” which are like programs but make smaller changes to Windows as part of the installation process. I want to see the “new” Windows totally separate the changes made during install from the registry for the operating system. If this means having 2 registries, one for Windows and a separate one for applications and programs, I am all for that. Let us see an end to the installation of one program having any chance of affecting that of another related or unrelated program. Similarly, let us see an end to Windows upgrades having any impact on the operation of installed programs.

What little insider information I get indicates that a new upgrade system resulting in a completely different user experience (no user intervention of any kind anticipated in the new upgrade system) is coming soon to Windows; but, no dates to expect that yet. At the same time, Microsoft continues to develop new Apps for Windows 10 to continue fleshing out what they plan as a complete user experience.

I missed Black Friday, did I miss the best deals?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, now the more rational Christmas season closeouts begin. As always, I have my own opinions on what represents a bargain. For a personal computer or laptop I recommend a minimum of an intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 3 or A8 or better to support Windows 10 or Mac OS. I know there are a lot of machines out with other processors that may look attractive; but, other designations for processors are either a few years old or quite a bit less capable and thus a poor choice for a personal computer.

Historically, I have addressed some exceptions to the above processor guidance and I will repeat that here because there are some real nice machines that aren’t in my above guidance. These machines are intended for folks who do not need any processing power in their device; folks who want to read email, daily news, maybe respond to an occasional letter and maybe view a spreadsheet. For this kind of application, where all the processing is done on the internet, the whole plethora of machines opens up. Processors like the intel Atom, the N3 series or even the E series processors from AMD are designed for this kind of use and do very nicely.

These “smaller” processors are intended for low power consumption and the resulting devices can be quite small, light and handy to carry. They start to have issues when folks try to do graphics or photo editing, watch high resolution (4k) videos, or any sort of real-time map work. In addition, complicated or large documents and spreadsheets view fine but can be painful (slow responding) to edit on the smaller machines. On the other hand even a minimal battery may provide 7-16 hours of use because they are such low power consuming devices.

Whatever you are looking for, 6-month old designs abound in the marketplace and these are wonderful because they have some history and you can look at reviews and identify the units that have been successful (and the design failures, lemons, can also be identified) and those are the units that will be closeout priced to make room for the new models recently announced.

Turkey? or not Turkey?

I started my reading today with ZDNET’s 2019 Turkeys. This is an annual effort to highlight the failures and disappointments in the technology industry. I must admit that I was unaware of some of the things they highlighted and, honestly, quite disappointed in ZDNET for some of the others they had an issue with, then there were the obvious entries that I think they had every right to show disappointment in.

One of the Turkeys this year revolves around Google purchasing Nest and some related home security and convenience product lines. At the heart of the issue are two problems, Google has taken these products from open architecture (a field of technology and protocol sharing so others could develop products to work with Nest and associated security products) to a closed architecture where only Google will develop and sell compatible products and services. The second problem is that Google has not addressed privacy issues for those using this and other families of their products and has a habit of using the “presumed private” data in some very not private ways.

Another Turkey suggested by ZDNET is Google and its lack of appropriate behavior with large blocks of personal medical records that they gained access to by virtue of that data being managed by them in the cloud. It remains to be seen if legal action will be taken by patients, organizations or even local or national government agencies; but, initially, it appears as if that might be appropriate.

A couple of Turkeys were handed out for a lack of acceptance of the USB-C standard which ZDNET had hoped several brands would embrace this year with their new products. Because the connector is more damage resistant and easier to correctly plugin combined with enhanced power capacity and data rates, it was hoped that it would be widely used on new devices; however, Apple and Samsung appear to have not been ready for that change. Maybe ZDNET does not fully understand the marketing strategies (planned obsolescence and designed in fragility to guarantee more sales?) of these phone manufacturers.

Highlighted in several of the Turkeys this year was the disparity between the presumed privacy of cloud storage and the actual level of protection for private material stored in the cloud. Specific issues appear to be access allowed to law enforcement (without need for a court order or warrant), use of data by the cloud manager for marketing, research, and guidance sold to businesses including insurance firms. It appears that this may have been done within the letter of the privacy statements attached to the sign-up process for obtaining the cloud storage and other services; but, for the consumer, those statements are meaningless without considerable legal assistance and a full understanding of the possibilities for use and misuse of the stored information. In short, the above-average consumer is unable to grant informed consent.

Moving web content?

Has anyone else noticed that web pages don’t hold still anymore? Even with a fairly fast connection, I watch a page load and see the link or button that I want to click and as I click on it, it moves, so I click on something else. Sometimes this is harmless, always it is frustrating, and occasionally it is dangerous. My understanding was that the new version of HTML (now more than 2 years old) would correct this issue; but, my experience is that it is getting worse. I know that part of the blame rests with the browsers and the desire by the authors of the browsers to make it feel like it is loading pages faster; but, allowing the pages to revise as they load to fit on the screen is at the heart of this issue. I am quite willing to allow a few seconds (a very few) for the browser to load enough of the page material so the page loads material in its final position instead of wasting all that video effort on moving things around after the page presentation has started.

New Computer? How do I move in?

When I get a new computer, what can I transfer? What programs or apps must I replace and which ones can I move to the new device? Certainly, all of your documents, photos, and videos can be transferred. Any music which you loaded from your own original media (unless you use Apple Music, in which case you will have to transfer from original again). And, any programs which are licensed to you rather than to the machine may be reloaded on the new machine.

Wait! Programs can be licensed to a machine? Yes, Windows and OSX are generally licensed to a specific machine and use digital serial numbers from the BIOS chips and other hardware identifiers to insure that you do not move them to a new device. Many versions of Microsoft products (office, server modules, etc.) also do this; this is one of the differences between Office 365 and the purchase once versions of Office. There was a short period during which you could uncertify a copy of Microsoft software and then install it on another device; but, that feature seems to have disappeared.

The newer versions of most browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Brave) can synchronize your preferences to the cloud and then be recovered (synchronized) to a new install on the new device. Clear as mud? Programs, unlike documents, require changes to the machine they run on in order to operate correctly. So, productivity suites (like Microsoft Office) and browsers (like Firefox) must be installed rather than transferred. Most applications (those that are not included as part of the operating system) must be installed on the new machine and then your preferences added onto the new device; but, only after the program has been installed.

There are a number of ways to transfer your data (documents, pictures, videos) from an old machine to a new one and each situation may favor a different approach. If the old device no longer is operational, recovery from a backup or synchronized cloud storage may be the best bet though there are ways to extract data directly from an old storage device by removing it from a dead computer and feeding its contents into a newer one.

Whichever technique is appropriate in your situation, it is often helpful to have a practicing consultant assist you with this step.

What should I save?

This week I am rewriting an article from a couple of years back. At issue is what should we save when we buy computers, tablets, phones, computer software, apps, operating systems, etc. First and foremost, save any and all licensing information. This may be a “number” a sticker, or an install code. Should you be concerned when the “things” I recommend aren’t included with your purchase?

The key, from my perspective, is to have everything you will need to reinstall everything when the system or device crashes, or you replace it (new phone every 2 years, new computer every five years?). Perhaps even make a log or list of all the additions you have made to the device. Why do I suggest being so careful with these licenses? Without proof of ownership, you will be put in the position of having to buy it again; very much like paying a second time for something you already have.

Any purchase that includes software should include license information; this may be a number, or code, or a sticker, or certificate that embodies proof of license to use. This is usually the only “thing” that is important to keep (I’ll discuss an exception later) and it is extremely important that this proof be kept. In most cases the media needed to reinstall can be obtained if and when that becomes necessary; but you will need to have that proof of purchase, or license information for the install to succeed.

Fortunately, the license information (whether it is a sticker or a sheet of paper, or a small card) is usually quite small and easily stored (also easily lost); however, this is where many computer owners get in trouble. You really do need to identify and save that original item, or information. If you buy online, it may come in an email (yes print that and save it, yes create a PDF of it and put it with other important documents); such emails really (in my opinion) should be saved as a file on your computer and included in your backups (shove it up to the cloud too). I have also taken the step in some cases of photographing the license certificate and sticking that up in the cloud.
(Important note: just keeping the email is not good enough; it is real common to lose emails over time. Almost guaranteed you will lose the necessary email in the event that you have to reinstall something)

Please note, you don’t own software; at best you own the privilege of limited use of the software you purchase. It is this distinction that leads to what I see as a serious problem currently infecting the computer Industry. What if my purchase did not include any such materials? You buy a computer and there is no sticker attached to it with the license information for Windows or OSX; there is no license information for the productivity suite that came with it (microsoft office for instance), and there are no installation disks included either. Two things; either the software you have acquired is not legitimate or the license information is embedded in the product. Let us assume the latter; in this case you need to immediately make installation or recovery disks (very much like a backup) before there is any opportunity for something to go wrong (if you are lucky, there is a routine for doing this all prepared for you).

One of the ways I choose between computer manufacturers is to look and see if the product comes with restoration media (or original install media) AND license materials; if it doesn’t, I am highly unlikely to make the purchase. In my mind, my having to make the media will cost 3-4 DVD’s and a few hours of my time; a machine that costs $100 more but includes these things may be the better buy.

Even at today’s prices the purchase of a computer, phone, tablet or laptop involves a significant amount of money; please make an informed choice when buying. If in doubt, let Benediktson Computer, Inc. help. It just takes a phone call.

Communication: it means more than just sending.

It is Wednesday again and time for my monthly tirade. When did sending an email to someone or not reaching them on the phone constitute legally apprising them of a contractual issue? There is a reason that email systems have a receipt or receipt requested feature (for that one person in the back, you can request notification that someone has received a specific email from you). Successful communication, to me, means you sent a message AND received acknowledgment of receipt and understanding of the message (ACK and NACK in computerese).

As I said last week, this is the time of year when I am renewing contracts with service providers for some of my clients (and some services I use as well). One of my providers claims to have been trying to get word to me all month (January) that the terms of use for some services I use have changed and some of my sites are not in compliance with the new regulations. Now, understand, they have two phone numbers for me plus an emergency contact number, in case of phone problems, and all my phone numbers have voice mail systems that have been continuously up and fully functional all month in addition to being one of a very few that have my private email address and yet they did not actually get any message to me until Monday; after I pointed out to them that some websites were not working correctly.

I dutifully pulled and scanned the transaction logs for all of my email addresses, and sure enough, they had sent me an email last Friday, that immediately went into the junk folder based on its content and NOT from a recognized addressee. It seems that they have hired a third party to negotiate with grandfathered in clients who have long-standing contracts such as mine that no longer fit with their notion of an ideal client. These folks are really good at coding emails and this one was lovely with some nice graphics, 5 or more links to outside sources, a few phone numbers, etc. In short, the spam filter immediately recognized it as spam and dealt with it appropriately.

So, notes about spam and spam rules. most email clients and some of the better webmail clients have a dual verification system for junk mail (sorry, wanted to use both junk mail and spam because the email clients use those words interchangeably). Part 1 is to check and see if the sender is in your address book (this is not your whitelist, but can function as one if you turn this feature on); if the sender is in your address book, you can have the email allowed even if it contains suspicious content. Part 2 is to score the email based on its content; a number of factors come into play, how many people is it sent to (more recipients means more likely spam) does it contain graphics that are not identified (a photo carefully tagged as company logo or mountain cottage is fine, one with no tag adds to the spam likelihood score)(a graphic tagged “get your viagra here” gets a really high score), does it contain links (lots of links means a high spam score), do the links point to known “No No” sites (guaranteed spam). After this and other factors are considered; a high spam score gets the email treated as spam and a low score allows it to pass into your inbox.

In addition, some email clients (Thunderbird, Outlook webmail, Microsoft Outlook, Google mail) have the ability to learn what kind of emails you consider as spam (junk mail). This feature takes some time and effort on the user’s part but can be very helpful; the intelligence in these features can see similarities when a spammer is changing their outgoing address, recognize similar addresses, servers, businesses, etc. It may take a month or more of the user identifying emails as spam (and as not spam) but I have been impressed with the results once you get enough information into the system.

AI or not AI

In advertisements on TV and in magazines and in papers it is common to see the word AI used. Far too common in my opinion; there was a time when AI referred to artificial intelligence, the ability to learn and the ability to make distinctions in fashions indistinguishable from humans. There was an accepted test (the Turing test) and an accepted way to apply that test to see if the barrier had been breached and a machine actually had achieved Artificial Intelligence.

It seems that that has now all been forgotten and AI is now used in place of what were once called “expert systems”. I have looked at some of what is being advertised, hopeful that AI was real and we could expect some truly exciting innovations; and I have, thus far, been disappointed. Well, disappointed and heartened because one of the fears I have of AI is that as an AI learns it should develop its own distinctions and criteria for making decisions and left unsupervised who knows what could happen.

So far, all of the AI systems I have looked at lack the ability to learn on their own (in a meaningful sense), yes they can use rules they were programmed with to categorize, identify, and act in a preprogrammed fashion. All of that is fine and convenient; add to that the ability to consider blocks of data (history) far greater than any human consciously considers and the results can be quite impressive. I feel that this is the good side of AI; a small portion of what it will take to establish the first AI system, the safe part.

Too many times in my working career I have been called upon to replace or repair, or just audit systems where the humans relying on some computer system no longer understand the criteria used in that system to perform its analyses. Often this system has become an integral part of the function of some business or industry; but, without knowing how it makes choices, how valuable is the data and choices that it recommends?

I don’t know about you; but, I want to know how choices I rely upon are decided. An expert system may consider far more data than a human, and if the accumulation and consideration of that data present a superior potential for a “best choice”, I am all for that. Just so long as I or some reasonable human is clear on the validity of the criteria and the source data being used in the decision-making process. The other elephant in the room for me has to do with an old computing adage “garbage in leads to garbage out”. If faulty information (data) is used in the decision-making process, the decisions made cannot be trusted.

Selecting a new computer – as a tool.

I am continually amazed at how difficult it is to find what I want (or need to meet a client’s needs) in a regular production computer. Not that I am against building a custom computer; but the cost is often higher than buying a prebuilt and making a few key replacements. I know some of it is simply market pressure; I prefer solid state drives to hard drives (spinning magnet platter type) and they are more expensive in the short run. Similarly, the choice of processors in most retail machines makes little sense to me, combine that with the mediocre performance of Intel integrated video (compare to AMD integrated video or the addition of a video card) and it is easy for me to see why so many machines fail the consumer (fail to meet expectations).

Aside from my general preferences (use SSD’s, use an inexpensive video card instead of Intel integrated video or go with an AMD processor and integrated video), the process of selecting a computer, while straight forward, can require some careful thought and planning. All windows or IOS systems rely on graphics but some applications can really benefit from superior video ability. Photographic retouch, photographic editing, video processing, and gaming, for instance, can bog down without appropriate video power. Many drawing and design applications will bog down with insufficient RAM and processor power. So, it really is important to have a good idea of what the computer is going to be asked to do, which applications will be used and how often.

To make the task of identifying what you need in a computer a tad more difficult, the new browsers can be called upon to perform a lot of video processing (google maps, google earth, and a few other online apps are examples) that can really choke a machine that doesn’t have an appropriate video system. Folks who like to have a lot of active tabs in browsers or who like to have several active applications running that they flip back and forth between may notice some bogging down if they don’t have quite a bit of RAM (8gb – 16gb or even more) when just a few years ago 4gb was the limit for anything short of a server or workstation class machine.

So, once again, it is really helpful to determine what you are going to ask of a computer before you head out to select one. Choosing the right components, that work well together and provide adequate performance and resources will make all the difference in a computer.

What must I save with my computer?

Some weeks the article I write comes easily and some weeks I have to mull it over for a few days, start and restart a few times and so forth. This week’s article is of the latter; my aim is clear but how to deliver that aim in a fashion most people will understand is not. At issue is what should we save when we buy computer software, apps, operating systems, etc. Should you be concerned when the “things” I recommend aren’t included with your purchase?

Why do I suggest being so careful with these licenses? Without proof of ownership, you will be put in the position of having to buy it again; very much like paying a second time for something you already have.

Even at today’s prices the purchase of a computer or laptop involves a significant amount of money; please make an informed choice when buying. If in doubt, let us help. It just takes a phone call.

1 phone, 2 numbers?

Another week and another challenge. The desire to have a cell phone answer calls for 2 numbers came up this week. It isn’t a new problem for us; we provide service to folks in several different parts of the United States and have used a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) solution for a while to make our phone a local call for our clients.

This week my choice of antiquated phone services caught up with me and the local cellular providers were unable to port in my phone number to a new phone; the solution was to get a new number, but, my clients are all accustomed to my old phone number. So, I went searching for a solution that would let my clients call the number they know and reach my new phone (which just happens to have a new number).

The cell company wasn’t going to provide a solution because they couldn’t find a way to bring in the one thing that was important to me; that phone number. I found 3 solutions (I am currently implementing 2 of them) and they were all quite cost effective. The first solution was to port my old number into a VOIP system and set it to forward to the new number. It turns out that the VOIP people are accustomed to dealing with older phone services and were able (with a 5 day delay) to port in the old number and I setup two (2) call forwards to the new number so my calls would arrive at the new phone and number regardless of where I was in the porting process.

I also found two other solutions; one with Google Voice. Google voice is an interesting service; it requires that you have a google account (these can be acquired at no charge) and provides an answering service for the chosen phone number. This answering service can either take a message or forward the call to your choice of cell phone numbers or land line numbers (does anyone remember land lines, phones connected to a wire?). There are a couple of things to know before we all jump out and sign up for this service; first, porting in an existing number costs $20.00 (a one time cost) and second, this service answers calls like an electronic secretary. That is, it takes the call and asks for the person to state their name before forwarding the call. Based on how the calling person answers, it will then forward the call to all numbers it has been programmed to forward to or takes a message from the caller. If it takes a message, it can email that message, or alert you to check for the message on your google account or a few other options.

Another Service I found (that had good reviews) was Sideline; Sideline is a tad more transparent than Google (no robot secretary asking for the caller’s name) and may require a $0.99 fee each month (no fee depending on which features you use) but can also port in your well known phone number and forward it to your choice of phone numbers. The one gotcha involved with sideline is that your original account number must stay with sideline (so don’t use your important well known number to setup the account unless you intend to leave it connected to Sideline). When all is setup, the caller calls your number, it is automatically forwarded to your chosen destination number and the sound quality is like any other call; the only difference is that the incoming caller id indicates that it is a forward.

In any case, you can, with these services, setup one cell phone to answer 2 or more numbers and go about your daily activities only needing to carry one phone. Naturally, each of these services can do other things for you and which service you choose might depend on which one has additional features of interest or need for your business. If you have questions or want assistance with other technology issues please call Benediktson Computer, Inc. At (575) 956-9732 or email to help@benediktson.com.

Internet Privacy Laws change?

Extra, Extra, read all about it! Internet privacy under assault! Net neutrality coming to an end! Typical reporting by the main stream media; not necessarily true in this case. Yes congress, under pressure from ISP’s (Internet Service Providers) and some commercial interests, have passed a bill that could allow ISP’s to release traffic information; but not user or source identities (unless a court order asks for that). However, this very information has been available to advertisers, spammers, and similar such ilk for quite some time. In order to access this kind of data, they merely had to pay the owners of the destination websites to provide their traffic information.

First off, this isn’t happening immediately; Congress is not in direct control of the behavior of ISP’s. This is the provence of the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and it will require a rules making on their part in order to change what ISP’s can and cannot divulge and how much remuneration may be charged. Back in 2015 the FCC, responding to law changes a few years before, performed a rules making resulting in the current privacy and net neutrality rules. In summary:
As a refresher, that rule, which the Commission passed in Feb. 2015, sets down three bright-line rules for internet service providers:
. Broadband providers may not block access to legal content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices.
. They may not impair or degrade lawful internet traffic on the basis of content, application, services, or any classes thereof.
. They may not favor some internet traffic over other internet traffic in exchange for consideration of any kind—no paid prioritization or fast lanes

Oddly enough I don’t see any reference here to net privacy and I am not trying to confuse the issue; rather, I am trying to make a point, that the FCC continues its support for the safety of the internet user and his or her choice for a desired level of privacy. The new law opens the door for the FCC to allow (at the FCC’s sole discretion), through new rules, for the ISP’s to have the same opportunity to make money from describing internet traffic in bulk to potential buyers as the web hosts have had for many years.

Any time the FCC makes or alters rules, there exists the potential for unanticipated consequences; but what those consequences may be will have to wait until the FCC acts. In the mean time, very little has changed in the last 2 years regarding our privacy, access to information, priority of traffic, or safety while surfing. If you have questions about how the laws impact you or your business, please call Benediktson Computer at 575-956-9723 or email us at help@benediktson.com