Carol gave me an article to read recently which I have to say, was quite freaky. I am a Google fan in many ways, and I like Chrome. I’ve become used to browsing in Chrome, and it is the browser I use the most, although I also have IE, Edge, and Firefox open.
 
I use multiple browsers at once, as they are signed in with different userid’s for various purposes. Chrome has the most tabs open for me, but I think that’s about to change. I know a lot of folks have talked about how weird it is that they will look at an ad for a Toyota, let’s say, and then every page they go on after that will be showing Toyotas for sale.
 
That’s not a coincidence. Google does that on purpose, that’s how they make money. Google is in the business of collecting data on YOU, and they use Chrome as a way to do that. I know that sounds a little paranoid, but as the saying goes, are you really paranoid if somebody IS following you?
 
I’m going to put out there 3 articles, from actual journalistic organizations. The one Carol sent me is HERE.

Another article I read was from some Firefox employees that started out friendly with Google. They then seemed to think Google was sabotaging Firefox. You can read that HERE.

Finally, an article about how Google tracks you and some ways to claim back a bit of your privacy, right HERE.
 
Ultimately, it’s a tradeoff. The really creepy stuff that happens is when we just TALK about stuff at home, and then the ads on that start appearing. The fact is, we expect a lot for free, and that’s not how business works. What we think is free from Google is actually paid for with our data, and our privacy. If you don’t care, then you’re in luck because that’s our future. If you do care, then you will have a difficult time doing anything about it. I, for one, am going to move over to Firefox as my primary browser. I’m still going to use Chrome, just not as much. 

From time to time I write about various shortcuts. I was recently asked to post some again, so here you go:
Ctrl + C is to copy what you’ve highlighted, Ctrl + V is to paste it.
 
There are a few more, in case you were wondering. A link to a good article, featuring PC & Mac short cuts can be found HERE.
https://www.techspot.com/guides/676-best-computer-tricks/
 
This article actually has a lot of shortcut tips to other things, like deleting the Windows.old file to make room, so not just keyboard tips.

 ​Tech tip
 
I’m writing today about an email I got recently. It’s such a great example of a phishing scheme, and they are becoming so prevalent these days. In phishing, there is no initial malware placed into your computer, there’s no virus, nothing but an email. Any computer is susceptible, because it’s not based on malicious software, it’s really based on malicious intent. In the case of my email, it gave me a link to sign onto my Paypal account to “Correct” my information. It said that money was being withheld due to this problem.
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Now, I do actually have a Paypal account. And I can certainly see why it might seem legitimate. These emails might pretend to come from the IRS, UPS, Amazon, anything common enough so that you would likely be a customer. Someday, these folks might actually learn to spell, and then it will be harder to discern. Meantime, here’s what they sent me:

Here’s the hyperlink they sent behind that login: https://omgclub.co.uk/renew/awur/eye/index.xyz... (link is inactive, do not follow)
 
First, let’s look at the From address: alerts.noreply-dmsmm.sp@notifymsp.paypal.xyx 
You can see it’s NOT from paypal, but from notifymsp. That’s a clue this is fake. Next, it has a link; that Paypal icon they give shows a hyperlink, as I give above, to omgclub.co.uk.  That’s clearly fake, and it’s coming from the UK no less.
 
Now, if you read the whole thing, starting from the subject line, there are SEVERAL errors and misspellings. I highlighted most of them in red. The grammar is bad, the spelling mistakes are too numerous, and the wording is just silly for a big corporation like PayPal. I especially liked the security TREATS. And why is it addressed to Paypal and signed from Paypal? I just don’t get it. This one was really just too funny.
 
Someday these emails will look perfect, but for now, pay attention and DO NOT CLICK on an embedded link in your email unless you are absolutely sure who it’s from and that it is legitimate.
 
Let me point out that while Carol and I are both using Windstream email, I did receive this email, but I was not able to forward it to Carol a week later. Sometime in there, Windstream started blocking it.

Usually, I just don’t know what that reason is. Typically, I do have a reason for whatever I am doing. It may be stupid, but I have given thought to it.

So why is the iPod Touch still around? I get old smartphones, and I think they still have a life. While they might not be a good choice for a phone, they are still powerful computers that run apps like News, email, Chrome, Whatsapp, and Square Reader. They work even when they don’t have a sim card installed. In fact, they work just like an iPod Touch.

So, there may be a reason why having a powerful computer in your pocket is useful, even though it may not make phone calls. You might have a flip phone you like, and you might get a free smartphone from a friend, relative, or from me. You might just like the iPod Touch, or you might want your kid to have a pocket computer, but not a phone. Read about the iPod Touch HERE.
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