When you get a new iPad or iPhone, the best thing to do with the old one is to give it to me, however, you may have somebody else to give it to. I understand that.

I’ve received 3 iPads over the past few weeks, and in all cases, they were unusable. If an iPad is locked, it can’t be unlocked. Even if I have the code, or the device was reset, unless the owner has deauthorized the device, it can’t be used.

The iPads I had were able to be reset, but when they came back up as needing to be setup, they always get to a point where they recognize themselves as being attached to an Apple user. In order for me to wipe and give away the iPad, the prior user must sign out of the device.

There is another way to do this after the fact, which requires the prior owner to sign into the Apple account and de-authorize the device from there. That’s not always an option for me. The best thing to do is sign out of the device before giving it away. Signing out is done through Settings. I have a link for you to read instructions on how to do this right HERE.
An Apple page to not explain it all can be found HERE.

Oddly, I found the Apple pages on the subject confusing and incorrect. This link seems better, though it has several annoying typos.

Good luck. I hope to see a bunch of iPads and iPhones on my porch soon.

Windows 10 has a lot to be annoyed with. One of the most annoying things is how much data Microsoft collects on you. Most people just don’t care. Privacy isn’t such an issue as functionality. I hadn’t given much thought to this, as it’s so pervasive in everything we do in the tech world. However, if you are interested in using another kind of Windows 10, then this video link HERE, may be just the ticket.

One of my favorite tech sites, Linus Tech Tips, offers a video of a Windows 10 project that strips down a huge amount of the data collection software out of the operating system. If you are bothered by that, then this might be a great option for you. You could run it in VirtualBox, or just try loading it on a spare computer that you haven’t given to me yet. In any case, I found the subject fascinating, and Linus is entertaining.​

I was recently given an older MacBook. It’s a 2010 dual-core model. While it was running OSX 10.12, it was upgradable to 10.13, which I did. That version of OSX is officially the highest one that would go on it. Then I read an article about how to upgrade older Macs to the current Catalina, which is 10.15.

I’ve done something like that before with an older Mac. It was a complicated process, with lots of steps, and several opportunities for failure. That was several years ago, for a different set of OSXs. This time though, the process was really pretty easy. I downloaded the patch program. I downloaded Catalina. I ran the patch, which changes the Catalina download. Then I ran the Catalina install.
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There were a couple minor steps in there I didn’t mention, but it was still way easier than the last time I did this sort of thing. Instructions for you to do this are HERE. This is not for the squeamish but it was fairly easy.

If you have an older Mac that won’t upgrade, there may still be a way to do it, if you really need to. I did it for fun, but maybe you need to install something that requires a newer OS. For fun or for need, the instructions were clear and easy to follow. I notice there’s a new OS out soon called Big Sur. There is a page for upgrading to Big Sur on an older Mac as well, which may be found HERE.

Whatever you do, make sure you have a backup to restore from in case things go wacky.

I was reading another article about improving WiFi. It made some great points about checking the internet provider, having updated equipment, and location.

It makes sense to verify the speed you get from your (Windstream) modem. That’s the fastest speed you’ll get. If it isn’t up to snuff, try power cycling it and checking again. If you aren’t getting what you expect, call support and ask them to check it.
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If you use WiFi and your device is in the basement and you are in your shed in the next field over, that’s probably not going to work. There are things you can do to fix that, and I did write about mesh systems last week. There are some other things to try besides locating your router better. An article about improving your WiFi can be found HERE.