​Last Tech Tip(s) of the Year

By BD Bondy
 
Carol asked me to write about my 5 favorite tech tips from the past year. Since I don’t remember any of them, I’ll just write about 5 good tech tips.
 
If you still actually use a computer, particularly for writing, then learn the basic keyboard shortcuts. Copy & Paste, Bold, Underline, End, That sort of thing. A Windows link you should have is HERE. 
 
For Apple Users HERE:
 
Backup your data. On tablets and phones, you’re probably saving to a cloud based service that backs up a certain amount of your data. That’s a good thing. However, if you only backup 5Gb of the data, you probably need to buy some more space. On my iPhone, it’s 99 cents a month to get 50Gb of data, which backs up both my phone and my computer. Carol pays for one or two terabytes of data, as she has more devices and more to save. On my PC, I use a backup drive. I attach it every once in a while and copy and paste the folders I want saved. On a Mac, you can use Time Machine.
 
Keep your device up to date. For the most part, this is a great thing to do. You can turn the option off on many devices, but it’s usually a good idea to keep it up to date. Bugs get fixed, new security updates get installed, and once in a while, a new feature will be loaded.
 
Use the cruise control on your car. And I mean, set it to the speed limit. It’ll keep you going a steady speed, maybe avoid getting stopped by a cop, and it’s easier to drive that way. Don’t be in a hurry, relax, and enjoy the ride. It’s best to get to where you’re going safely and in one piece.
 
Look out for scammers. Don’t believe everything you see on your device. Social media is not the right place to get your news. The IRS isn’t sending you messages to pay up, the US Marshal’s aren’t requiring you pay a fine or go to jail, and Apple and Microsoft are definitely not monitoring your computer for viruses and trying to fix it for a fee.
 
I still get messages from “UPS” that say they couldn’t deliver a package and please call this number, blah blah blah. They’ve been coming to my house for over 20 years, so there’s no reason they can’t deliver a package. Often, the grammar is obvious enough that something is fishy, but checking the sender’s email address by clicking on it and expanding the info is a great way to find that it isn’t really from whomever they say they are.
 
There you go, some free tech advice, worth every penny.