Carol and I used to go an a lot of driving trips. One of the things we like doing is listen to books on tape. OK, that dates me. They aren't on tape anymore. We listen to books on long drives, and we listen to podcasts too. The podcasts are shorter and fill in for shorter trips. 
I have a link to some BBC podcasts pertaining to the Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 space flights, HERE.

And since we're on the subject of tech tips, HERE'S a podcast on that.

As an aside, I just want to say this about wearing a mask. As an adult human, I want to show respect for my fellow adult humans. One of the ways I do that is by wearing a mask. The cloth mask I wear is for you, not for me. It isn't filtering out coronavirus, but it is keeping my germs in, which I hope will help protect you. Also, my mom & sister made me masks and they are really cool looking.

In a new move to stop the spread of dangerous and false information about the coronavirus, Facebook will start telling people when they've interacted with posts about bogus cures, hoaxes and other false claims.
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In the coming weeks, Facebook users who liked, reacted to or commented on potentially harmful debunked content will see a message in their news feeds directing them to the World Health Organization's Myth busters page. There, the WHO dispels some of the most common falsehoods about the pandemic.
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CORONAVIRUS LIVE UPDATES U.N. Chief Targets 'Dangerous Epidemic Of Misinformation' On Coronavirus"We want to connect people who may have interacted with harmful misinformation about the virus with the truth from authoritative sources in case they see or hear these claims again off of Facebook," wrote Guy Rosen, Facebook's vice president for integrity, in a blog post.
The new feature will go beyond Facebook's current attempts to keep dangerous misinformation about the virus off its network. Up until now, it has been notifying users only when they share a post that fact-checkers have labeled false.

​read more

I was looking at tech tips, trying to find something good for all of you. Eventually I got swallowed into the Linus tech tip world of really fun videos where he checks out all kinds of geeky stuff. You can start HERE.
I realize nobody cares though, about this kind of nerdy stuff. Well, maybe my son Vincent would like him. Anyway, I realized I was sitting in front of the computer drinking a Bloody Maria. We didn’t have any Vodka for a Bloody Mary, so Carol said I can use Tequila, and then it’s a Bloody Maria.
It’s really good. Then she said she already had a tech tip, in case I didn’t. So the Tequila thing is my tech tip today. And her Coronavirus fact checking is her tech tip.
Which one do you prefer?

Several years ago, as phones were getting smarter and more powerful, I thought it would be a cool ide to make a computer that was powered by your phone. It turns out, some company did that, it was a flop I guess. Still, I thought it was a cool idea. Why not use your pone to power your tablet, your computer, your house, your car?
 
I saw a video about a product that makes a laptop from your phone. Or your Raspberry Pi. Or your tablet, or other stuff too. It’s not perfect, and the reviewer does a good job of explaining why it’s great, but not really. Still, I agree that there’s a future for this thing. If you like to tinker, or you like to try out weird new things, or if you’re stuck at home and want to social distance and distract from what’s happening in the real world, then this thing might be just the ticket.
 
It’s called  a NexDock. It is a laptop sized shell for your smartphone, and in theory at least, for your next smartphone too, maybe the one after that one, and also, other people’s smartphones, if you want to lend it out. You can also connect other devices into it, notably the Raspberry Pi. If you are familiar with those, then you might get a kick out of this thing. There is a new Raspberry Pi out too, so it’s worth checking out. (It’s a $35 computer, in case you’ve never heard of it).
 
The link is HERE. Check out the video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIJAEcOL6sI
 
If you want to hear an English guy talk with a charming accent, then check out the video HERE. https://nexdock.com/

Congress has passed a federal stimulus package that will provide most Americans with a check to offset lost income due to the Covid-19 state of emergency.  Checks will be sent in a few weeks.  This means that you will receive a direct deposit check to your bank account (if your previously filed income tax return included that information) or a paper check that will be mailed to you. 
 
Scammers are already trying to take advantage of this situation. 
 
How to Spot a COVID-19 Federal stimulus scam:

• Government agencies will not contact you through social media, phone, text  or email.  Government agencies will not ask you to verify your personal information or provide banking details.  It is not “necessary” to provide this information in order to receive your stimulus check.  
• Government agencies will not ask for your social security number.   
• Government agencies will not contact you to get your funds “immediately” or “faster”. Government agencies will not ask you to pay a “processing fee”.   
• If a scammer calls or contacts you, don’t engage – hang up – delete the email – do not click on a link. 

 
WATCH OUT FOR:

• Government imposters – confirm websites from look-a-like website  Make sure it is a legitimate government website before believing any information provided to you. 
• When in doubt, assume it is a scam.

 
Government websites:             IRS:             www.irs.gov/coronovirus.
US Treasury:             https://home.treasury.gov/