It’s not always easy to tell from my desk, but it really does help to keep things tidy. As a windows user since the mid 80’s, I can tell you that Windows is full of clutter. Apple is quite a bit tidier, but browsers, in general, are the worst.
 
I like CCleaner as a cleanup tool on PC’s and Mac’s. You can do it manually but CCleaner is a handy tool that does a fine job and has plenty of options.
 
On your phone, powering it off is a good place to start. A power cycle is often a good cure for a phones simpler quirky problems. Cleaning your browser’s history and cache are also good. Cache, in particular, can mess with a browser over time. Clearing it occasionally is a good idea.

On your iPhone, a good instructional link for that is HERE.
For Android, look HERE.
Sent from my iPhone

By Rick Rouse
Rick's Daily Tips

If you're like most folks you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about what will happen after you pass away.

After all, that isn't the most pleasant of topics.

But taking a few minutes to prepare now can make things a lot easier on your loved ones when that sad day finally arrives.

And arrive it will since no one lives forever.

Chances are you've already made a few preparations such a writing a will and purchasing life insurance, but it's also important to prepare your "digital life" for that fateful day. 

Think about this for a moment...
After you pass away, will the executor of your will (or your heirs) be able to properly manage all of your open online accounts in accordance with your wishes?

Will they even know which accounts you have, and how many?

Most people have one or more bank accounts, insurance policies, investment funds and such.
While your executor will probably be able to find most of those accounts simply by going through your paperwork, what about accounts that only exist online, with no paper trail to follow?

And what about your email account, which is the virtual back door to most of your other accounts?

And of course there are your various social media accounts...

You definitely don't want to simply abandon any of your accounts when you pass on because hackers and scammers would then be able to hijack them and cause all kinds of problems for your heirs and descendants.

This is what I recommend:
1 - Make a list of all of your online accounts, regardless of how insignificant some of those accounts might seem to be.

Record the URL to each account's login screen along with the the email address and phone number that's associated with each account. And of course record the usernames and passwords as well.

After the list is complete, store it in a fireproof and waterproof lock box or some other safe place.

Make sure at least two members of your family that you trust completely know about the list and where to find it.

Why at least two? Because there's always a chance the person you choose could pass away prematurely, or in a worst-case scenario, at the same time as you.

2 - Sign into every one of your online accounts and check the "Security" section of the site to see if there are any tools available for managing the disposal of the account after you pass away.
For example, Facebook has multiple ways for you to ensure that your Facebook account is handled according to your wishes upon your passing.

Bottom line...
I know your own passing isn't the most pleasant thing to think about, but it's very important to prepare for it nonetheless.

Take a few moments to put yourself into the shoes of the people who will be tasked with managing your affairs after you pass on...

What will they need to know? Which accounts will they need to deal with? How do you want them to do it?

Make sure you include every aspect your "digital life" to ensure that everything can be easily (and quickly) handled in accordance with your wishes after you've "logged out" down here for the final time.

If you find this newsletter useful, please consider sharing it with your friends.
Share

By BD Bondy
 
Over the past few years we have been travelling quite a bit, by car. As we go through various states, we sometimes go through tollways. It used to be that you’d have to stop and pay a toll, but eventually, you could get a small device in your window and pay the tolls electronically. That was cool except for if you went through different states, then you’d need each states device. We had an Illinois ‘I-Pass’, but not one for Kansas.

Recently, some states have done away with those electronic devices and now read your license plate. After your trip, you go on the state’s website for paying tolls, look up your license plate, and you can pay on-line. It’s pretty easy and pretty slick.

And of course, that means there’s a whole nother way to be scammed now. Apparently, there are some text messages going around purporting to be from a toll fee place saying you have unpaid tolls and you need to pay them before you get fined. I just read about this in a CNET article, which I am including HERE. 
​
For us, having been travelling for the past year and a half, it wouldn’t be a surprise to have forgotten some tolls. The article explains all the dire things that can happen if you click on the link they send in the text. I suppose it could be sent as an email too. The basic thing to remember is, DO NOT CLICK on a link unless you are sure of it, or sure of whom it is from.

By Rick Rouse

​Question:  I just got my first smartphone and I love how I can use it as a camera!
I love taking pictures with my phone but when I go to look at them I sometimes need to rotate it to see a particular picture right-side up.

The problem is when I rotate my phone the pictures rotate too so I'm always looking at them from the same (wrong) angle. The orientation of the picture doesn't change and I can never look at it the right way without getting a crick in my neck.

How can I prevent a picture from rotating when I rotate my phone?

Rick's answer:  This is one of those frustrating little things that we all experience when we first start using a smart phone,

The feature that's causing your photos to rotate and remain oriented the same way at all times is called Auto-Rotate, and it's actually a very good feature because it ensures that you'll be able to read whatever text is on the screen regardless of how you choose to hold your phone.

Luckily, it's easy to temporarily disable auto-rotate while you're reviewing the photos you've taken.

You didn't mention the type of smartphone you have so I'll give you instructions for both Android phones and iPhones.

Note: The steps for disabling Auto-Rotate can vary slightly from the steps below, depending on your phone's model and the version of the operating system your phone is using.

If the steps for your phone are slightly different from the ones below they should be close enough for you to figure it out.

Follow the steps below to disable Auto-Rotate on an Android phone:
1 - Tap the Settings icon (it looks like a "gear" or "cog").
2 - Tap Display.
3 - Toggle the "Auto-rotate screen" setting to Off.

That's all there is to it. Your photos (and anything else on the screen) should now stay oriented the same way on your phone's screen when you rotate your phone.

Note: I recommend that you turn Auto-Rotate back on after you've finished reviewing your photos. To do that, simply follow the steps above once more and reverse the procedure.

Follow the steps below to disable Auto-Rotate on an iPhone:
1 - First, open the control center...
If your phone is equipped with a physical 'Home' button, swipe up from the bottom of edge the screen.
If your phone doesn't have a physical 'Home' button, swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.
2 - Tap the Screen Location Lock icon (it looks like a lock with a round arrow around it).
3 - Swipe the Control Center up to hide it.

That's all there is to it. Your photos (or anything else on the screen) should now stay oriented the same way on your phone's screen when you rotate your phone.
​
Note: I recommend that you turn Auto-Rotate back on after you've finished reviewing your photos. To do that, simply follow the steps above once more and and reverse the procedure.
​

I’m not a hacker, but sometimes I wish I was. Of course, that superpower I would use for good, to fight all the annoying evil hackers. Alas, I am unskilled in that area, and definitely not smart enough. Sometimes a hero comes along and you don’t recognize him. Mild mannered, quiet, married even. I’m talking about a guy recently that hacked a malicious hacking group, gathered incriminating information, and turned it over to the authorities.

If you are anything like us, then you get phishing scams all the time. I’ve been getting various requests to authorize a package that was undeliverable, either by USPS or UPS. I do order a lot from eBay and Amazon, so while it’s plausible, it’s not very likely since I’ve been here over 20 years and they’ve never had a problem before.

Another one is where I get an email confirming my purchase of some doo-dad, for $348, and it will ship soon. If I need to change any information on the order, click on this link. That’s another one that used to bother me but once I realized they were scams, I just ignore the email and delete it.

A good check on those fake emails is to check the sender. Click on the sender name and see what the address is. It usually makes no sense in relationship to a company. Sometimes it makes an attempt, by using some of the name, or misspelling the name, but it’s usually very obvious.

Back to our superhero. This guy’s wife gets a scam email and falls for it. It happens all the time, as the emails can seem believable. He starts to follow the scammers and hacks into their system, collecting info. Read all about it HERE. 
​