I’ve been on Windows 11 since day 1. I like it, just as much as Windows 10. There are those of you out there on Windows 7 and are happy. Yes, I loved XP, but the world progresses, and the operating systems do need to move forward as well. Aesthetics change, functionalities shift, security is a constantly moving target.

That said, Apple has kept their OS looking and feeling the same for a very long time, all the while moving ahead with the world. So be it.

There are some tweaks you can make to your Win 11 to make it look and feel a bit more like 10. Why did the stuff on the task bar get centered? Anyway, you can read an article on that HERE.  

Starlink update:
It’s still running great. It hasn’t blown off my roof. There seem to be quite a number of Starlink users in our area. To those using Starlink that haven’t already reported to me, please email a short message about your experiences. abiquiucomputers@gmail.com
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This is kind of specific, but if you know what Etsy is and haven’t been there, it is a fun place. It’s an ‘online store’ of sorts, mostly arts and crafts, but also vintage stuff, which I love. I had an Etsy spot for a while, which was a lot of fun. It’s a great site for artists trying to pedal their wares.
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A link to a site to help you setup your very own Etsy store is HERE. 

I loved Etsy because I could find really quirky things I couldn’t find on Amazon or eBay. It’s a more personal experience, and it is a bit of a rabbit hole, there is so much going on there. While I did sell a few things, I bought way more. If you want to try selling your art, or whatever, online, then check out Etsy.com, and then check out the link above. 

Just last week I was at Café Sierra Negra for dinner and Pam walked up to us and we said hi. She mentioned that she couldn’t open the pictures I sent her in an email.

I didn’t send her an email. I did, however, recognize the scam. She received an email with my name, but it was not from me. Unfortunately, that’s a fairly common phishing scam where another person’s name is in the From address of an email. Generally, if you click on the email address it will show the full description, and the actual email doesn’t match the name. It’s called spoofing, the same way a familiar name or phone number can come up in caller-id, but it isn’t a call from that person.

I get those pretty regularly, but I just delete them. The person hasn’t been hacked, so there’s nothing they can do because they really don’t have anything to do with it. Lately, my name has been used in this spoofing email as someone else told me the same thing happened to them a few weeks ago.

These emails are very short, usually saying something like, Hey, do you recognize the person in this picture? And then there’s a link to click on. DON’T click the link. I don’t know what it does but it can’t be good.
If you get an email with a link in it, Do Not Click On It, unless:

• You are expecting this email.
• The email has personal references in it so you know it’s legit.
• You are looking for trouble.

If you do click on it, maybe nothing will happen. If so, then good. On the other hand, you might want to run your anti-virus program, and your anti malware program, just to be safe.
 
Carol get’s a different kind of thing via FaceBook Messenger. These can happen when a person’s FBM account HAS been hacked, which isn’t all that uncommon. If it seem suspicious, i.e. this person doesn’t normally message you with links, etc, then delete the message and let the person know, via something other than FBM, that their account may be hacked.  

Note from Carol: Facebook Messenger tends to get hacked.  Don't use it to send or receive links.

Rule of thumb is, don’t click on a link you aren’t expecting. Don’t click on a link from a stranger. Don’t click on a link from “UPS” when they say your package was held up and if you don’t click the link and give them all your personal info they will send the package away.

I don’t usually write about tech tips that are energy efficient, though I do try and keep my old tech (and yours) going for a long time. I hate waste, and I like to try and keep devices going for at least a few years longer. I stumbled across a site from India that had 5 good suggestions. Read about them HERE.  
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Speaking of which, if you are ready to upgrade, consider giving me your old computer, tablet, phone, whatever. I’ll clean it up, possibly upgrade a thing or two, and pass it along.

I never watched MacGyver, but I know, and LOVE, the concept. You know, you’re trapped in box, buried 10’ in the ground, and somehow, you make a tunnel digging machine and a ladder out of your socks, pocket lint and a ball point pen.

Here’s a video on some cool stuff that is supposedly possible. Some make sense, like the magnet to find screws in the wall, or tape on the back of sandpaper. The Bic lighter seems a bit iffy, but I’d like to try it. Making a soldering pen from a pencil and a 5v USB cable? That seems a stretch.  It's a fun video, and there are a million more. 
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