blog – Page 3 – Benediktson Computer, Inc.

Out Of Box Experience, the Microsoft OOBE

OOBE, Microsoft’s promise to provide a smooth, rewarding and quick Out Of Box Experience has died a long and drawn out death. At the root of this mess is a combination of licensing issues, standardization of windows itself (1 disk can load any version of Windows 10), and strong-arm attempts by Microsoft to get everyone to have a Microsoft account and use it to start up their computer. In order to “tie” any given copy of windows to a specific machine and to a specific client account, significant interaction is necessary and this takes time no matter how fast the computer.

Frustrating as it is to wade through the process of establishing your right to use a copy of Windows, Microsoft has compounded the problem by starting the process of updating your copy (which may have been manufactured several months and thus several large updates in the past) half way through the OOBE and continuing it for many hours after you get your first glimpse of the Windows desktop. As a result, the machine will feel slow and balky until all of this updating is completed, several necessary reboots included.

But, you have a brand new computer, you want to load your documents, photos and get productive with it. It is bad enough that it may take a few hours to load the programs or Apps that you use; but, because mandatory updates are loading, your install speed is greatly reduced and installs from the internet are likely to stall or error out. Never mind them being interrupted by a need to reboot for Windows to finish an update.

So, how long does all of this take and how long does it tie you, the new owner, up? The new OOBE experience needs user interaction for 30 minutes to an hour, then the update process runs for anywhere from 5 minutes to 48 hours with occasional user interventions (to trigger or finish reboots). Much depends on the performance of the computer, speed of the internet connection, and most importantly, how long the computer sat in the warehouse waiting to be sold.

In the end, you are granted limited permission to use Microsoft Software, not ownership and you have little choice but to agree to their terms. I have found that keeping the computer disconnected from the internet can greatly speed up this OOBE and delay the inevitable update sequences until you are ready.

Magnetic charging cables for cellphones and other similarly charged devices.

Hey, I decided to try one of those magnetic charger cables and the associated dongles that stay in your phone and other devices. First, my smart phone is developing an issue with its data + charging port so I wanted a nearly permanent connection device to stay in it once I insured it had a good connection (to lengthen the service life of my phone) and I often find that I am trying to plug in devices to a cable located in a dark room.

I put one of these cables in my car and I have to admit that little bit of blue light really helps me find the desired end of the cable while not having to see the end to identify up or down on it to get a connection to my phone really helps too. I think this is a type of product that is well worth the investment and will significantly lengthen the service life of my phone while also making it easier and much safer to connect up in the car.

Windows 10 setup without a password

I was asked the other day how to setup Windows 10 and avoid having to set it up with a password and how to avoid a bunch of the other “crap” Microsoft tries really hard to force you to setup.

I have found what I think is a simple, elegant solution: When you start that initial Windows setup, do not connect to the internet, not by cable and not by wifi (if your machine has wifi, Windows 10 will list available connections for you and in the lower left corner there should be a prompt “I don’t have internet” or similar, click this instead of selecting a wifi) then continue with Windows 10 initial setup refusing any attempts to provide enhanced services (from the internet) and give a user name that is meaningful for you. Under the username is space for a password, it is your choice and you can provide one here or simply press enter or click on next to not have a password required to start Windows on this machine. Eventually, you will get to the normal Windows 10 desktop and have a copy of Windows that starts without a password or a pin. There are also some hidden advantages to this method too; but, most users will never notice. Mostly, this method avoids setting up 5 or 6 services that eat some resources and make the boot-up take longer.

Traveling and using cell service for Internet Service

I have been traveling again and my phone reminded me of an important lesson. I carry a prepaid cell phone these days and rely on it (and a prepaid unlimited plan) to provide me with internet service while on the road. Motel wifi tends to be way too iffy at best and downright useless all too often, so my phone becomes a hotspot and usually provides good service.

Now, I am not going to say that 4G or LTE is fast enough to compete with the office internet and wired network connections tend to be much more trouble-free than wifi; but, when away from the office, my phone provides the next best thing. 5G service, when available, is darned close; but, I rarely find myself in 5G service areas. Just the same, I find I can stream movies, videos, tv shows and the like just fine with 4G or LTE (branding affects what it is called and I tend to get 4G LTE service in most areas while in some towns the carrier just has 4G or just has LTE, in all cases my phone works it out for me)

So, back to lessons learned or reminded of. In medium-sized metropolitan areas and larger towns, cities, any given location may be within range of towers owned by a variety of carriers; and not all carriers provide the same quality of service. My phone automatically selects which tower to use based on the phone carrier signal quality; generally, the one with the best signal quality is chosen to provide connectivity. The automatically chosen tower may not provide the best internet service for you. I was reminded this week (by my phone) that it helps to go in (into settings in your phone) and manually select your service provider when multiple providers are available.

In this lesson, the difference was remarkable with one carrier providing insufficient speed to get an address before it timed out and my “home” carrier providing 72m / 72m service that has been an absolute delight. My phone had auto chosen AT&T for service which for whatever reason (heavy loads by contracted users and I was a roaming user) provided almost no service; but, T-Mobile had a tower providing half the signal quality to my location but clearly had no load on it and provided a tested 72m up and down speed. A Verizon tower also provided decent service with 5m download speeds, but in this specific case T-Mobile was the best choice for me. Which carrier is best will be different in every location. The best choice for you may vary depending on your phone contract as well as location.

It can be helpful to talk with your cellular retailer or tech support to get their hints and recommendations for how to get the best service when you are away from home or the office. Oh, and don’t forget to set your phone back to automatic carrier detection once you are on the move again (assuming that is the default with your carrier and contract).

Magnetic connecting charging cables

So, I shopped a bit and purchased a kit with 4 cables with lighted magnetic ends and many tiny tips (dongles) to permanently plug into my devices. I plugged one into my phone and plugged the cable into my standard phone charger and voila! the end lit up in a pleasant blue light making it easy to find in any light and bringing it close to my phone caused it to magnetically zip over to the connection on my phone and form a good connection (good meaning the phone started charging at full charge rate). I put one of these cables in my car and I have to admit that little bit of blue light really helps me find the desired end of the cable while not having to see the end to identify up or down on it to get a connection to my phone really helps too.

I think this is a type of product that is well worth the investment and will significantly lengthen the service life of my phone while also making it easier and much safer to connect up in the car.

Some help with computer lingo

The Computer age has spawned some interesting additions to our vocabulary and some of this new vocabulary can be real difficult to properly understand. So, I offer the following to help real people understand some of this new, yet arcane, lingo.

First, some context so we are all firmly planted in the same world. Internet service is provided by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and may be delivered in several ways; but, in all cases it is still just Internet Service. In your house or business there will be a Point of Provision (POP) and from there Internet service can be provided on a cable (Cat5 or Cat6) or through radio transmission (WiFi) to an assortment of devices (computer, phone, tablet, etc.).

The POP (point of provision or point of presence) is often referred to as a modem (modulator + demodulator) because it converts (modulates) the signal from the ISP into a signal that all of your favorite devices are designed to work with. It may also (in addition) be called a router. A router has the job of assigning addresses to all of your devices so you can request information (over the internet) and receive responses to your requests (and not everyone else’s), direct your requests (traffic) out to the internet and direct responses back to your device. In addition, it may have 1 or more (often 4) RJ45 (big phone plug) ports built-in for connecting devices via a wired connection (Cat5, Cat6, etc.). This router often provides wireless connections to the internet (WiFi) in addition.

WiFi (wireless fidelity) was a term coined for a family of wireless connection types to a Local Area Network(LAN). It was a term picked by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance (now called the Wi-Fi Alliance) to refer to any of the protocols developed to provide wireless connectivity within a LAN. Thankfully, there is little reason to understand the protocols used in any given WiFi connection, rather it is only important to match them up (802.11 n connects to 802.11 n or 802.11 ac can connect to 802.11 n, g, or ac). In most cases the user of WiFi has no knowledge of which protocol is in use; it is simply WiFi.

LAN (Local Area Network) is the simple network in your house or business that connects your various devices to the internet and to each other. This network is often automatically administrated by your router. The casual user has no control or impact on how the LAN works, the router takes care of all of that including assigning addresses (a unique address for every device 192.168.0.2 for example), directing traffic in and out, and between devices as necessary. The LAN may be composed of a combination of wired and wireless (WiFi) connections.

WAN (Wide Area Network) generally refers to everything outside of your LAN, this is what your ISP connects you to (the internet). Connections in the WAN can be via satellite links, radio links, WiFi links, wired links, fiber optic links, and a few others. The important thing to remember is that all of this (the WAN) is beyond the user’s control.

A Wired Connection is most commonly done with twisted pair cable either Category 5(Cat5) or Category 6(Cat6); for networking, 2 twisted pairs are required and usually a cable consists of 4 twisted pairs with the rate of twist varying along the length of the cable. The twisting of a pair of wires is done to prevent interference in the signal carried by the cable. Both outside interference bothering the signal in the cable and the signal in the cable interfering with the outside world (televisions, cell phones, cordless phones, etc.) are greatly reduced or prevented through the twisting of wire pairs. In Category 5 not only are the paired wires variably twisted upon each other but, each pair in the bundle is also twisted with the other pairs in the bundle. The use of 4 pairs in a bundle (cable) that we see in Category 5 is the result of developed standards for cabling in businesses back when network and telephone were carried together on a single cable, one pair for the voice (phone), one pair for control (phone – choose a line, put on hold, etc.), and 2 pairs to carry network signal. Now, the third and fourth pairs are used to bypass a broken pair or carry a second network signal most often with commercial phone systems using a separate cable run.

A Switch is a common component of a wired network and simply provides a point of fan out for the cabling; that is, one cable in is replicated to a number of outgoing cables. The signal from any cable connected to the switch is sent to all the cables connected to the switch. This comes in very handy when you have more devices than your router has ports; a router with one port can connect to an 8 port switch and connect to 7 devices. If you have a single cable port in a room and want to connect to a printer and 2 computers, connecting a 4-port switch to the cable allows you to directly connect to those 3 devices.

To scan or photograph?

Well, the delayed tax season is upon us and a few folks are scrambling to get “stuff” prepared at the last second. These modern days there are so many more ways of capturing information than were even dreamt of 20 years ago; but, this has led to some interesting confusion. One individual hit me with “I have photographed all my receipts this year; but, how do I get them out of my phone?”. Yet another mentioned having moved to Windows 10 and now their old scanner doesn’t work and so forth.

So, it seemed to me that the same solution applied to both of these situations. Images taken with a phone are no different than those scanned with a flatbed or any other type of scanner. Yes, a flatbed scanner is quite convenient for pressing curled receipts flat and scanning them into the computer; but, the real purpose is often just to “capture” a number and have proof of the associated expenditure, asset, or whatever so perhaps a quick photo of that document or item is all you really needed.

But, wait you say, how do I get those pictures out of my phone, and then how do I get them into some form that is useful? For me, the first step is to get them transferred to a computer (yes, I know how powerful modern phones are; but, I am experienced in solutions using Windows and associated utilities).

My second choice for getting photos off of a phone and into a computer is to sync the phone with a cloud service (iCloud, google-cloud, and so forth) then follow the instructions to log your computer into that same cloud account and you can sync again or copy and paste from the cloud to your pc. This has the advantage that the cloud services are really good at converting names and formatting issues automatically so what you get on your computer is readily useable when it arrives. At this point, you could print them out (ugh!) archive them onto a portable memory device, burn them onto a CD or DVD, or whatever seems most functional for you.

However, some folks like to have all this information in a more standard form like JPG’s or even PDFs (Adobe format). How do I get all of this stuff into the right format, you know, so I can use it? Well, when it comes from the cloud it is extremely likely to come as a JPG which is a nice compressed format suitable for viewing. If, instead, you want PDF, you might have to print all of those photos to a PDF printer (Windows 10 has one built-in, or you can download one of several from the internet at no charge – “cute pdf” has worked well for me in the past). Oh, and you can select multiple photos and have them all printed to pdf files in a single step if you have a lot of them to convert.

For those who still aren’t happy with all these photos of information or pdf’s of information, there is a technique called OCR (optical character recognition) which can convert all of this into numbers that can be used in a spreadsheet or in a myriad of other ways. For this, I usually suggest looking on the internet for a utility program to do this partially automatically and suggest spending a few dollars to get one that reviewers have had success with; or, you could simply type the numbers into whatever application you favor and be just as well off (most spreadsheets allow you to import jpg’s and pdfs so you have the source material and the numbers together).

How does remote work and school change your needs at home?

Very soon school will recommence in the shadow of the COVID specter. Looking at current trends, I predict that much of the coming school year will be carried out remotely using a wide variety of distance learning techniques. For the parents of school-aged children, this will have several impacts.

This spring some learned about the need for more connectable devices as the demand for computers at home suddenly increased when sharing one computer between 3 children simply did not work (and other similar scenarios). Then, as more devices were connected, the need for more bandwidth (simply more speed either in your internet connection or in your home wifi, or both) became apparent (the internet connection that was adequate for shopping online, getting the news simply came to a halt when 2 people tried to operate simultaneous video chats). So how much bandwidth (still just speed) does your household need?

Let me start by describing one cause of confusion. For news, streaming movies, reading email (the stuff we used to do), download speed is all that matters; but for video chatting, video conferencing, video phone calls, most forms of classroom “sharing” you use as much upload speed (previously unimportant to most) as download speed and this is a gamechanger for you and for the ISPs (Internet Service Providers). So a 20mb down by 0.5mb up service used to be great and as soon as distance learning started in your home it was woefully inadequate to the point of being non-functional. Just as cloud-based services do much better on connections with much more upload speed, say 20 by 20 MB, so virtual classrooms of various forms also work much better with symmetrical connections (same up speed as down speed).

But, how much is enough? Voice phone calls need 256K x 256K per active phone call, video chats vary somewhat but generally 2MB x 2MB minimum and 5MB x 5MB for full screen and 10MB x 10MB for high resolution per active “chat”. If you have 3 students at home using standard resolution remotes into school, 15MB x 15MB will be consumed upfront with internet searches, videos (watching), cell phone connections all piling on even more demand. If you run a business from home and rely on the internet to interact with your clientele, add even more. So, in my example maybe 30MB up by 50MB down will keep everything flowing during peak demand.

Based on what you have been previously offered by your local internet service provider, these numbers may seem ridiculous; but, let me assure you this is a real part of what distance learning does to your internet usage. Until ISPs catch up with this sudden change in demand, some sacrifices will be made (doing low-res remotes when possible, waiting till later to stream videos or catch up on social networking, etc.). Start by checking with your ISP to see if they have upped their offerings to meet this demand or plan to in the future. If not, then looking to competing service providers may be necessary.

Stick Computers, when internet access is all you need.

This time around, I want to talk about turning an extra or lightly utilized television into a computer intended for internet access, email, remote learning, and similar functions. Let me be clear, none of the devices I will describe is intended for gaming, CADD, CAM, photo editing, or video editing. These devices (computers) are designed to get you internet-based content, display videos (even movies), and provide a portal for video conferencing (the basis for much of current distance learning).How does this work? Miniaturization of computers has come a long way and you can cram everything you need to make a good computing device into a 4″ stick with an HDMI connector built into one end of it (see a picture of just one such device below). To run Windows 10, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage are sufficient, though I recommend 4GB of RAM and 32GB or even 64GB of storage, and devices configured this way are available and inexpensive.What is needed to complete the package? I recommend you start with the stick device which Amazon (among other sources) sells for under $150. (brands like Intel, Azulle, Terryza, AWOW). Add wireless keyboard and mouse combination (using a combination or set makes it easy to add wireless keyboard and mouse with one USB dongle) at $30 or less from a variety of manufacturers including Logitech. Finally, add a camera (conferencing implies that you can send video or photos) at $30-$50 along with a simple multi-outlet extension cord $10 ish and $220 or thereabouts gets you a complete kit to turn any HDMI TV into a computer.What can I expect such a computer to be able to do? Well, it will be plenty powerful enough to run Microsoft Office or Apache Office (free), store numerous documents, photos, even a few videos (setting up a cloud connection can greatly increase this ability). It will do quite nicely browsing the web, accessing your email, streaming videos (HD or UHD available in some devices and a few tv’s) and will come with Windows 10 pre-installed or ChromeOS if you so choose. And yes, it should be able to smoothly handle video conferencing and other remote school functions.

The AWOW pc stick — small, with fan, ac networking

Tiny Computers for students or as a second or third machine

Hello out there, this week I want to discuss or even propose the purchase of tiny computers to fill out your computer needs as the need for remote computing causes the desire for another computer or two. Generally, I think of tiny computers as using a television for its monitor instead of a dedicated monitor, though either choice works equally well. One of the benefits of tiny computers is that they can hide behind the display unit and not clutter up a workspace or family space.

Various providers have a considerable backstock of tiny computers and you can find them “new”, “refurbished”, or “renewed” usually with Windows 10 installed and a variety of “ports” built-in so you can accessorize as necessary. The one drawback to any of these small devices is that they tend to be too small to include an optical drive (cd, DVD, blueray, etc.) which can be dealt with by transferring content onto USB drives or pushing it up to the cloud or by acquiring a USB-DVD device. This backstock can make the price quite attractive with renewed Intel i5 based units with 8gb of RAM and 240gb of SSD drive going for under $200.

For scale, tiny computer shown with golf balls — small enough to tuck away behind almost anything

It is this pricing for a so much more capable machine than a stick computer that makes these tiny computers so attractive. One additional cost involved with the tiny machines is the video cable to match /connect the computer to your choice of a monitor ($20 or less) and then it is all the same as setting up a stick computer (wireless keyboard + mouse, etc.).
If you don’t already have a spare TV hanging around, you will find that 27″ – 43″ televisions are quite affordable in HD and even UHD configurations. Some advantages of a TV over a monitor are the built-in speakers and the tuner which can allow it to take on multiple roles (supporting gaming consoles, over air broadcasts, etc.).

Another approach is to get a low-end Laptop or even consider a refurbished or renewed mid-range laptop (notebook or similar). This is where some guidance can be assistive; because laptops tend to use low-power components that negatively affect overall performance choosing a CPU like an Intel i5 or AMD A-series or even a Ryzen5 will go a long way towards a good overall experience with a laptop. In addition, choosing a model with an SSD for main storage will provide a better user experience and longer quality service. Intel and AMD both produce lower-end CPUs with other family names (N2000, E3500, etc.) and while these have applications where they are appropriate, they can be frustrating slow when asked to support distance learning and other interactive applications.

Tablet / laptop — Intended for a wide range of uses, this low end laptop doubles as a tablet

Warning from FCC regarding scammers

Oh wow! I am amazed at how sophisticated the scammers have become. Faking the caller id to match the actual business they are pretending to be and then taking control of the unsuspecting scammee’s accounts, phone, etc. Some of these scams are just too well done to believe.

So, I will repeat some of the advice offered by an FCC representative who put on a small seminar on how to avoid or survive the current family of scams and scammers. First, if someone calls you and identifies themselves as being from a particular agency or business, hang up on them. If you feel there is reason to believe the call was valid, look up the published number for that agency or business, call that number and inquire about any issues. I can not stress this strongly enough, there is no way to know where an incoming call has actually come from and you simply can NOT trust that the call is in your best interest. Once again, hang up, do not provide the caller with ANY information.

As another repeat, Microsoft does not have any teams or facilities to call computer or device owners to alert them of any issues. You will never receive a phone call from Microsoft, any calls that seem to be from Microsoft are a SCAM.if you do become aware of a phone-based scam, or heaven forbid get involved in one, the FCC would like to know about it; your local law enforcement may want to know about it also. The FCC has a customer portal available through www.fcc.gov (https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us) where you can make a report with any information you may have.

The FCC has several facilities to assist you in identifying or dealing with scams and scammers (start at www.fcc.gov). In addition, they are in the process of making new rules to assist in scam prevention and (hopefully) prosecution. Additional information about FCC activities follows: The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau is seeking comments for a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the one-ring scam. Comments are due June 19, 2020. Reply Comments are due on or before July 6, 2020. More information is available at https://www.fcc.gov/document/cgb-announces-comment-dates-one-ring-scam-nprm.Chairman Ajit Pai’s May 18, 2020 blog regarding the digital divide is available at https://www.fcc.gov/news-events/blog/2020/05/18/bread-and-butter.The fifth meeting of the Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council VII (CSRIC VII) will meet electronically on June 10, 2020. More information is available at https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-announces-csric-vii-meeting-june-10-be-held-electronically.The FCC has partnered with the Institute of Museum And Library Services to address the digital divide during COVID-19 by working together to keep libraries and their communities connected.

More information is available at https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-imls-partner-support-libraries-and-address-digital-divide. The FCC and the Federal Trade Commission demand that robocall-enabling service providers cut off from routing COVID-19 related international scammers. These scams include COVID-19 related funds, loan reductions, and social security threats. Gateway providers who do not cut off this kind of traffic face serious consequences. More information is available at https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-ftc-demand-robocall-enabling-service-providers-cut-scammers.Please be careful and remember to never give out your social security number, account passwords, or other critical access information over the phone.

Sudden Jeopardy for Social Networking users?

I wonder how many people appreciate what happens when you post something on social media. Doing so is publishing that information. Yes, you can restrict the audience (in general terms) by carefully setting and managing your privacy settings. I read through a change in privacy policy recently tagged from Facebook and noticed one glaring change; photographs are now considered the property of Facebook when they are stored on Facebook (in a post or on your personal page).

I have long been concerned that someone would pull the rug out from under the various protections we as users (publishers) on social media have (perhaps inappropriately) enjoyed. A 1996 law that essentially holds publishers, social media system operators, Internet service providers, and portal providers (those who make internet cafe machines available) harmless for the content published on social media. My notion of the worst-case situation here is that everything ever posted (and not permanently deleted) would suddenly be exposed to a plethora of legal challenges from both law enforcement and civil opposition.

It now appears that the Whitehouse is going to test its ability to modify laws once again by altering those protections through Presidential action to modify “Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act”. Now that act may not have been aimed at protecting the true authors of memes and other posts; but, it has certainly protected the services (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and allowed the posting public to assert or state most anything one might imagine with little to no expectation of reprisal.Waking up one morning and learning that you need to be more circumspect in your posts is one thing, and frankly, I have no issue with this becoming the case; but, suddenly being liable (no coincidence in my choice of words here) for everything you have ever posted, is a very different can of worms and one we are likely to face very soon.

So, to my way of thinking, two threats to our long-standing practices on social media; one, photos we upload may get used in a manner not in keeping with our privacy settings and two, we may all suddenly be held accountable civilly and legally for all content we have posted over the years.

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.

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.

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

Hacks that endanger your safety

OOOps, Yahoo is admitting to being hacked again; this time it is a double whammy. They are alerting their customers a fair bit after the damage was done. They are also being as private as they legally can be about it; “if you or your information was involved, we will contact you with details”. Details? If account information fell into the hands of persons or entities outside yahoo proper and you happened to be one of millions of people who store their investment portfolio, investment account information, email account information, or personal information on their servers (to make day to day news, financial, activity, etc. easier), then that information may well have been compromised yet again.

Let me be clear, if you are one of the folks whose information was involved, the damage may have already been done, or it may be used in a month or a year. I know it is tempting to maximize the convenience offered by services like Yahoo financial, or Bing, or Google, or Scott Trade, or any of hundreds of convenience services provided out in the web; but, we (the consumers) need to be mindful of the fragility of our personal information and therefore careful whom we trust it to. The more information a service collects, the more attractive it becomes to hackers (thieves by any guise) looking to make big money quickly.

Your personal computer(s) represent a target containing information that might allow cleaning out one family; Yahoo’s servers represent a target containing information for more than a million families. Even if it is harder to get into Yahoo’s computers, isn’t it clear that it would be worth the effort? Now most of us have heard of someone who’s personal computer was compromised (causing the wise sufferer to cancel credit cards, change passwords, change account numbers, etc.); it seems a small step to me to understand why hackers would put forth the effort to raid Yahoo or Bing, or any of the other service holders out there.

Now comes the painful part; if you are alerted to the “event” within 24 hours, you have a real good opportunity to prevent any real damage. You will experience a lot of anxiety and inconvenience to protect yourself, but you can stop it all before any permanent damage is done (you would hope). On the other hand, if you aren’t alerted to the event until 6 months or a year have gone by (heck, one week would be bad let alone these longer periods), the damage could already have become painfully obvious by the time you are alerted.

All of this brings me to two points; one, choose carefully what you put on “helpful” websites; and two, be careful which of them you trust. When one of the big banks was hacked a few years back, they alerted clients on the next business day after they found out; Yahoo, started alerting clients last week for a hack that occurred last year. As consumers, we can pressure these companies into better practices through choosing carefully whom we do business with.

As always, if you have questions, Benediktson Computer is delighted to answer your questions before you have problems and ready to help after the trouble has started.
Benediktson Computer, Inc.
Help@benediktson.com
(575) 956-9723
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