Is Your PC Dirty Inside?

October 14, 2018 by doctordave

We see all kinds of computers here. Inside, most of them are dirty. Some are pretty wild inside. Most of the time it’s not the client’s fault.

I really need to clean this

There’s a fun subreddit where people post pics of dusty computers. I’ve never posted there, but I’ve thought about it. Computers have cooling fans and sit on the floor many times, so it’s natural they collect dust inside. Dust can causes the fans to fail and overheat, so it’s a good idea to have them cleaned. Pet dander and smoke debris get in there as well.

Don’t just take a vacuum to clean it, please. While we love seeing you, we don’t want to see you because of this. Static is what causes computers to get “fried.” If you don’t make sure to ground yourself, you’ll transfer a charge to the computer.

We have special equipment to clean inside the computer without zapping it with electricity. Checking the insides of a computer is part of our standard tune up process, but feel free to ask for it during any service call. We carry the tools with us.

Photo by Lee Edwin Coursey

Use Chrome? Don’t Settle for a Boring Chrome Start Page!

October 7, 2018 by doctordave

Many clients use Google’s Chrome browser on a PC and a Mac. It’s fast and reliable, but it’s also highly customizable.

This blog post gives you some easy ideas of how to change your start page. My favorite though is New Tab Motivation by The Mindful Tech Labs. They also make chatbots for Facebook, so there’s no excuse not to be motivated.

Let me know in the comments what your favorite start page is.

Have a Landline; You’re in the Minority!

September 30, 2018 by doctordave

Back in 2016, we crossed a major threshold in technology. A majority of US Households use mobile phones and don’t have landlines. It makes sense as mobile phones become a necessity. Why use a phone that ties you to one location?

If you still have a landline, there’s probably a few reasons. First, you might be concerned about your phone number. Everyone has it, so if you got rid of it, you’d lose contact with people. That was my first worry too. Fortunately, mobile providers make it easy to “port” a number. I walked into my AT&T store and five minutes later my landline was now a mobile phone. It’s a ton cheaper than my landline. Best of all, all the calls get forwarded to my mobile phone, so I can get calls from both numbers. Yeah.

Another reason might be faxing. No worries here. Online faxing is often free through websites or even iPhone and Android apps. It’s still way cheaper than your landline. Newer multifunction printer/scanners support internet faxing as well.

Finally, it’s about the comfort level. People perceive landlines as more reliable. Back in the day, they were. Now, most voice calls travel on internet lines anyways. All the outages we’ve had with Midco in Lawrence is because of that. We see the same issues with AT&T customers. When the internet goes out the phones go out, and vice versa. The two are linked together.

If you need help making the switch, give us a call. We’ve helped lots of clients with it.

Photo by Internet Archive Book Images

Police Using Fitbit Data Against You?

September 22, 2018 by doctordave

I’m not talking the fat police either. I’m talking about someone going to jail based on what a fitness tracker told police.

The details are explained here . It should give everyone pause for concern. The obvious thing is “don’t do anything wrong,” but the problems go deeper than that. For example, given that people know how these trackers are used, what could stop someone from switching yours out and framing you. I know I’ve accidentally picked up my spouse’s tracker before. The Supreme Court is already grappling with issues of cell phone towers and privacy. Their decision might impact cases like this as well.

Photo by Bekathwia

Biggest Online Security Threat is You

September 16, 2018 by doctordave

We can put the best antivirus on your computer (Malwarebytes), but ultimately they’re ineffective you work around them. It’s not just phishing attempts. There’s a whole bunch of reasons humans mess everything up.

Phishing is Getting More Sophisticated

Most of us know not to click that link pretending to be from Amazon or our local bank. Phishing emails used to have telltale signs like broken English and generic greetings like “Dear Customer.” Scammers have upped their game.

Last summer a massive attack used Google’s document sharing system to trick users into clicking a link. I consider myself pretty sophisticated but I fell for it on one of my accounts. I do product reviews and just assumed it was a press release. I often get those through Google Docs.

The Wall Street Journal (paid article) explains the seven deadly sins of why we click that link:

Confidence: ‘Trust us, this is normal.’
Greed: ‘Get your cheap pills here!’
Urgency: ‘The boss says hurry up and click.’
Fear: ‘Your PC is infected! Click to fix’.
Shame: ‘Click here to see what everybody is saying about you.’
Lust: ‘Psst! Check out these nude celebs.’
Sloth: ‘Didn’t update your OS? Thanks!’”

That article talks about how major companies and politicians got snared by one of these sins. All you need is one person to make a mistake to infect a whole company

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) isn’t Enough

We love 2FA. That’s the system that texts you when an unknown login attempt happens and let you approve it. Hackers use the above sings to get you to disable it.

Mashable reports on an NSA analysis of how people get tricked into turning off their protection. All you really need is to take the typical phishing a bit further. I know every time my system does updates my bank thinks I’m on a new system because the browser is updated. I go ahead and put in my special code to gain access. I could easily be tricked into giving up my second factor.

We’re Not Dumb, But Scammers are Smart

Although I’ve come close, I’ve never gotten taken in by one of these scams. I’d chalk that up to luck rather than skill.

A few stories I read made me feel slightly better that I’m not dumb. One refers to a New York Supreme Court Judge taken for over one million dollars. Southern Oregon University was taken for $1.9 million.

You’d think Google and Facebook are smart enough to avoid getting taken. Nope. Both were victims of a scam that raked in $100 million. With the combined power of these two companies and their sophisticated systems, I feel kinda helpless against it.

Cisco, a computer networking company, tried to train employees not to click links in a unique way. It sent them phishing emails to see who would click. Sneaky, but it worked

It Doesn’t Need to Be Email

We’re all protective of our emails, but sometimes the threats come in the old-fashioned way. This link explains how someone from Starbucks was tricked into sending money. Scams like this rely on the seven sins mentioned earlier. Security has to be on everyone’s mind and not just focused on how the threats come in.

How to Prevent It

The obvious first line of defense is computer security. We can help with that. Not just antivirus, but making sure you’ve got the latest security patches. Beyond that, you have to be extremely skeptical. This article sums it up best:

“There’s often a misconception that everyone needs to be a security expert — but that’s not the case. Security is not everyone’s day job, but ultimately, often all users need to have a mentality of caution — they have to be mindful of what they’re doing, and be aware that their actions on corporate equipment, and can be far-reaching.”

When in doubt, don’t click the link. Pick up the phone and call someone directly!

Photo by Hivint

Keyloggers and What You Need to Know

September 9, 2018 by doctordave

Last year, Lawrence was hit with it’s first reported keylogger attack at KU. It’s a problem sweeping the country. The problem in Lawrence is mild compared to some schools.

For example, one student changes his grades 90 times in a 21-month period along with five of his friends. That article explains why schools are a target.

“Keyloggers are cheap, they’re easy, and the targets – schools and universities – too often have paltry budgets for equipment, software and skilled administrators.”

While I’m sure KU has upped their security since then, it just takes one mistake for a hacker to install a keylogger. Free State and Lawrence High School should be on alert as students applying to colleges might try to do this.

With all these attacks, the patterns are the same

Someone uses a public computer to enter in grades or
They fail to notice something attached to their computer

If you’re responsible for entering in people’s grades, do it on your own private computer. If you see something unusual connected to the computer, don’t put in your password. Instead call your IT department. If you can’t call them, call us!

Photo by Robbert van der Steeg

This Windows Tool Could Put Us Out of a Job?

September 2, 2018 by doctordave

With a recent Windows 10 Update, Microsoft included a pretty cool tool to fix (or at least warn you) of problems with your PC. I jest about putting us out of a job. We’ll still be fixing PCs and Macs, but this tool makes our job easier.

It’s the Microsoft “Device Performance and Health Report”. This video explains how it works. It lets you know of any potential problems and even suggests some fixes. Of course, if the problems still persists, or you just need help fixing some of the problems, give us a call, send us a text, or write us an email. We’re here to help with your PC problems.

Computer Protection Plans Aren’t What They Seem

August 26, 2018 by doctordave

Generally, we’re not big fans of extended warranties. Computers depreciate too quickly to make it worthwhile. The exception being AppleCare. Apple repairs are not only expensive, but Apple products retain their value longer.

The other thing we’ve found is that companies exclude all sorts of stuff from these warranties. It’s so bad that BestBuy is involved in a class-action suit for overpromising and under delivering.

When in doubt, ask us. We’re unbiased since we don’t sell computers or warranties. Salespeople may claim all sorts of stuff, but it’s what’s in the contract that makes the difference.

Photo by youngthousands

Be Careful Who Repairs your Phone!

August 19, 2018 by doctordave

Our primary focus is computer repair in Lawrence, KS. We don’t do mobile phones at all. We do get calls, daily, about mobile repair.

Too often the caller wants to know the lowest price. That’s a bad strategy. The cheap often comes out expensive as my Mom used to say. A lousy repair isn’t just a waste of time and money, but is unsafe. Batteries catch fire and glass breaks.

If that isn’t enough, repair places can install viruses on iPhone and Android phones. We’re always able to recommend the best places in town for iPhone, iPad and Android repairs. They may not be the cheapest, but we vet them for reliability and trustworthiness.

Photo by Patrick Hoesly

Security Thwarted Through Forgetfulness

August 15, 2018 by doctordave

I forget where my keys or wallet is all the time. I’ve got Tile to help me with that. I always know where my laptop is though. Forgetful people can ruin the best security measures.

For example, a lost USB flash drive in London caused a massive panic and Heathrow Airport. That drive had critical security information. Of course, the drive wasn’t password protected and encrypted (like my laptop is!)

Lost hardware is more common than you think. For example, Washington State University lost a hard drive and had to inform over 1 million people their identity was at risk.

It’s easy to set passwords on flash drives, hard drives, laptops and desktops. Just give us a call — we’ll show you how. Unless, of course, you want to be in the headlines like these people! I guess it’s fortunate they didn’t name the people who lost the drives.

Photo by slgckgc