Techbyter Worldwide (formerly Technology Corner) With Bill Blinn

Telephone based spam and scams continue to escalate. Those with land lines have limited options for fighting back but mobile phone users and those who use some voice-over-IP systems have an increasing number of weapons. In Short Circuits: Even if your computer has already been updated to deal with the Spectre and Meltdown threats, you might receive a message that tells you to download another patch. Don't do it! Some people needlessly fear cookies that many websites write to their computers. Most are safe, but some caution is reasonable. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The Banking and Securities Department in Pennsylvania has released an electronic booklet that has some useful tips to avoid being scammed on-line and it's available no matter where you live. • New docking stations that have been designed and built by companies that don't make computers have a worthwhile feature that computer manufacturers don't include in their docks: They work with both Windows and MacOS computers.

There's one more chance to halt the Federal Communications Commission's destruction of Net Neutrality, but only if we all understand that this is not a battle between right and left, liberal and conservative -- but between internet service providers and we, the users of the internet. In Short Circuits: Microsoft, Apple, and Linux developers are working to eliminate dangers that affect nearly all computers and mobile devices and to contain the problems that the updates themselves create. This month's Windows update has removed a feature that's been in Word for the past 17 years. It's not widely used, but those who need it will have to buy a $100 add on. If you're planning to buy a new router this year, you might want to wait a few months because a new specification is about to be released. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Toyota showed off its Mobility Ecosystem that's designed to make vehicles for specific uses at this week's Consumer Electronics show. • Electric cars can be dangerous if batteries aren't

Cybereason chief security officer Sam Curry, while acknowledging the many security disasters of 2017 is hopeful that 2018 might be the year when defense gets the upper hand. We'll talk with him about how to make that happen. In Short Circuits: This week we learned that every Intel CPU manufactured in the past 10 years has a serious security flaw and that fixing it will require operating system changes that will make your computer run slower. Light bulbs seem decidedly low-tech, but recent advances are producing bulbs that can save money by using far less electricity than old technology bulbs. In Spare Parts (only on the website): The music streaming service Spotify plans to go public in the first half of 2018 and will use an unusual method for its IPO. • If you have a teenager, how many social media accounts does he or she have? There's a good chance you don't know about all of them. • We'll reveal the second half of Dashlane's top 10 worst password offenders for 2017 and explore the 3 things we can do to avo

The number of security threats and the methods that crooks use have both increased in the past year and show no sign of slowing. In Short Circuits: Google has released a new app that's designed to control which applications have access to an Android phone's data plan. While not a new concept, the app has some promising features. If you miss the old-style Control Panel in the latest Windows update, there's an easy way to create single-click access. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Lots of companies sell your information. Nothing new there, but what about companies that don't question requests from government agencies? The Electronic Frontier Foundation has a list. • Password Manager Dashlane has a list of the 10 worst password offenders for the year and Donald Trump is at the top of the list. Dashlane will explain why. • Is hibernation enabled on your computer? Should it be? Let's see how to turn it on if you want it or turn it off if you don't.

Rental software -- whether delivered as "software as a service" or on a subscription basis -- offers advantages for those who want their applications to be updated continuously, but not everyone likes the idea. There are alternatives. In Short Circuits: The Federal Communications Commission has voted to end Net Neutrality even though more than 75% of voters oppose the move. One final possibility exists to keep the policies in place. NATO is discussing the threat of cyber attacks and is planning its own cyber-warfare strategy. Adobe released numerous updates this week, including some powerful new or improved features for Lightroom and Camera Raw. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A Bluetooth device claims to work with all digital assistants except Cortana. • Central New Mexico Community College has started issuing digital diplomas. • A company that provides services to jails and prisons says that music and other streaming media might reduce violence among prisoners.

Photo Raw 2018 from OnOne brings several powerful new features to an application that can work with Photoshop or Lightroom as a filter or work independently of them as a file organizer and raw image converter. In Short Circuits: How to avoid nasty surprises from a disk drive by using Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology that's included on most modern disk drives. Improvements in an older battery technology might lead to safer, less expensive, and environmentally better batteries for portable devices. Android is the least secure computing platform, but Google is trying to fix that. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Money can't buy happiness, but the maker of an IOS app says it can bring Joy. • A Bluetooth gadget claims to make Alexa available in your car and to do so without being a distraction for the driver. • An "initial song offering" might mean that music fans can own a small percentage of certain songs, but only if they live outside the United States.

Whether it's Windows, MacOS, or Linux, your operating system probably bugs you about updates more than you'd like -- but ignoring update requests is a bad idea. After getting off to a strong start, Firefox faltered when Google introduced Chrome. The latest version of Firefox is out and it's worth looking at no matter which browser you use now. In Short Circuits: Uber tried to cover up a data breach that affected 57 million users and drivers. Having been caught, they say they're sorry. A request that appears to be from your email administrator isn't. It's just another fraud, but the creeps who create the frauds are getting better. In Spare Parts (only on the website): How about a Wi-Fi hotspot that looks like an umbrella? • Or maybe a device that looks like brass knuckles but lets you type on your tummy? • Waze teams up with Allstate Roadside Services. • A new app allows ophthalmologists to monitor patients at home.

Alien Skin has released a major update for its Exposure application, expanding its stand-alone capabilities by providing better photo management tools. We'll take a long look at what's new and why it's important. In Short Circuits: Do you have some old digital photos from the early days -- pictures you can't use because the quality is so low? Well, maybe an on-line service will be able to improve them. If you think that CompuServe forums no longer exist, you're wrong, but a month from now you'll be right. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Another iteration of Locky, the malware that encrypts files and holds them hostage, wants to come aboard your computer. • GoDaddy introduces a new feature for businesses that need to establish appointments with customers. • A survey says that artificial intelligence is the future. • Battling identity theft and wire fraud in the real estate industry.

When it's time to move your applications, settings, and files from an old computer to a new one, you can do it the hard way or spend a few tens of dollars and automate the process. Maybe you seen websites that offer to multiply your Bitcoins by 13 times in less than an hour. If you believe that, please contact me because I have some desert property beneath the Brooklyn Bridge that may also appeal to you. In Short Circuits: Every operating system has quirks and does things in ways that annoy users. Instead of putting up with the annoyances, maybe you'd be happier if you eliminated them. We veer slightly off the technology path with a look at the dangers of a detached retina, why it needs immediate attention, and how it can be fixed. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A hospital in California is using virtual reality as a distraction during medical procedures so that children don't need to be anesthetized. • On-line payments need to be made easier and more secure. Some companies are working on it. • Maybe yo

Users of Snagit should be sure to check out the latest version and anyone who needs to capture screen shots for documentation, illustration, or education but isn't using Snagit, should take a look. All the experts say passwords are dead, but it seems that whatever will replace them hasn't been invented yet. In Short Circuits: Google has updated Chrome to fix a security problem. If you use Chrome, it has probably already been updated, but verification is easy. The US Department of Justice has indicted 6 members of an identity theft ring. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Honors for the "fathers of the spreadsheet" notes the 1979 development of Visicalc. • According to recent research, a surprising number of people ignore recall notices.

Version 1709 of Windows may already be on your computer, so let's consider how to find out and look at what's new. I'll also have tips on how to get it if you don't have it and (for some users) how to avoid it for a while if you want to wait. A flurry of phony messages from Burger King, Donald Trump, Sam's Club, Walgreens, Amazon, and more all say they have gift certificates for me. In Short Circuits: A two-fer from Consumers Union this week. First, the organization is asking for information from people who have suffered identity theft. And second, a series of 6 steps you can take to keep your private information private. In Spare Parts (only on the website): A new version of Snagit adds several useful features. • A middle school student in New York City won a 3D printer and 30 Raspberry Pi computers from Micro Center for his school.

Twelve thousand people attended Adobe Max this week, where Adobe introduced the largest number of changes since the advent of Creative Cloud. Camtasia, the screen recorder from TechSmith has been updated with new features that may seem minor, but only until users compare the new compatibilities with what came before. In Short Circuits: When you need to send a file securely, there's a new way to do it from Mozilla. Because modern computers boot so quickly, being able to start in Safe Mode isn't as easy as it used to be. We'll look at several ways to get there. In Spare Parts (only on the website): If you're tense, maybe it's more than just the chaos all around us. Maybe you're breathing wrong and there's an app for that. • Robocalls declined slightly in September, but you probably didn't notice it. We'll take a look at the numbers and find that Columbus, Ohio, is the #2 top source of these calls.

Adobe's recently released Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements bring some powerful new features to the consumer-focused applications. Phishing emails are becoming increasingly dangerous to businesses and steps being taken there often have applications for home users who want to be safer. In Short Circuits: Alien Skin's Exposure X3 adds new ways to adjust photographs. It's a plug-in for Photoshop and Lightroom, but also functions as a free-standing application. Graphic designers who spend a lot of time looking for images will find some welcome new features from Shutterstock. In Spare Parts (only on the website): There's a growing demand for personal photos on objects such as mugs and calendars. • Kodak says it has a way to help us identify and print the photos that mean the most to us. • Bluehost makes it easier for people to set up WordPress enabled websites.

It's been 40 years since Apple introduced the Apple II, a computer that remained in production until 1993. In June, frustration with a OneNote synchronization problem drove me to Evernote. Now Evernote's flaws have driven me back to OneNote. I'll explain. In Short Circuits: Google announced a bunch of new hardware this week and artificial intelligence is everywhere. Equifax has increased the number of accounts affected by its data breach, adding 2 and a half million and bringing the total to nearly 146 million. The all-time leader in big breaches continues to be Yahoo and the company has increased the number of affected accounts from 1 billion to 3 billion. In Spare Parts (only on the website): This is National Cyber-Security Awareness Month and Malwarebytes has some suggestions. • Perhaps you've wondered what on-line criminals want. These days, it seems primarily to be your user name and password. • D-Link has updated a home security camera with some new features and support for Android devices.

With a bit of effort, you can run the Linux command line from Windows 10 and that function will be enabled automatically following the next Windows update, but maybe you'd like to take a closer look at Linux to see whether it might serve your needs. This week we'll consider how to do that. In Short Circuits: We haven't looked at specific email frauds for a while, so we'll see a phony mystery-shopper offer and one of those "look at this important document" ploys designed to steal Google credentials. And if you think crooks pose the greatest risk to a business network, you're looking in the wrong place. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Despite repeated warnings, people still click bad links and create needless trouble for themselves. • Digital assistants are coming to help with your home automation. • The next big thing in retail sales might be a streaming app that lets you talk with a store clerk from home. • And computer manufacturers are probably dismayed that more companies are making universal docking

How we obtain news is changing. Use of print newspapers and magazines is declining as is the number of people who watch television news. Old media wants a place at the new table and is working hard to earn one. An update to Adobe Spark this week makes it possible for any Creative Cloud user to create graphics with their own branding instead of Adobe's. In Short Circuits: Users of utility program CrapCleaner were surprised to learn that the application had been manipulated to spread malware, but it's not as bad as it sounds. This is also the week that more than 100 Android smart phone apps were found to contain malware. It never ends. And if you lose your internet connection, a temporary solution might be in your pocket. Many smart phones can double as Wi-Fi hotspots. In Spare Parts (only on the website): How to figure out if that new car you want will fit in your garage. There's an app for that. Business owners may increasingly turn to bots and virtual assistants to provide customer service. What do Angry Bir

Apple has announced 3 new phones, 2 of which will be available almost immediately, while 1 won't ship until later in the year. There's also an updated Apple watch and improvement to Apple TV. How do you hold a smart phone when you're capturing video? There's a good chance that you're holding it the "wrong" way, but what's the "right" way and why? So many utility download sites display misleading download links and load up their downloads with extras you don't want that it was refreshing to find one that doesn't. It was even better when I learned about a hidden special feature. Picking up after the Equifax breach may include freezing your credit report at the four credit reporting agencies, so I'll explain how. In Spare Parts (only on the website): As handy as jargon is within an industry, it can be a serious impediment when you're trying to communicate with outsiders. • Foxit has a new tool for PDFs that makes the documents more usable for those who need to use a screen reader. • We'll find out what a digital

Darkrooms, drafting tables, and video suites used to be where photographers, designers, and video editors spent their time. Then they were able to move much of the work to desktop computer. Now some of the work can be done outside on a tablet or even a phone. How about a 400GB memory card for your phone or tablet. You could buy one today and it's expensive, but not as expensive as you might think. In Short Circuits: Equifax says data from 143 million consumers has been exposed in a data breach. With the exception of a few specialized applications, I've all but given up on third-party protective software. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Backup software publisher Acronis has added several useful new features to this year's version of True Image. Adobe and Microsoft have agreed to cooperate with each other on enterprise-wide applications. A survey of security professional says that some of the most dangerous applications are ones we use every day.

Photographs lie. The malicious ones are unethical, but sometimes they're just gentle fibs or changes made in the pursuit of artistic vision. Those are fine and we'll look at a tool designed to enhance the truth. Would you buy a thumb drive with 16 built-in slots for microSD cards? Do that and you could carry 2 terabytes of data in your pocket. In Short Circuits: There's a new toll free area code and scammers are all over it, but now they also make calls that look like they come from local numbers. We're surrounded by cameras these days. They watch every move, but are we safer? There's no clear cut answer and a New York attorney has some worthwhile thoughts on the subject. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Malwarebytes comes to the Mac and just in time because more crooks are targeting Macs. • Toyota wants to connect your car to everything and the company has a new division that's working on it. • NASA's live streaming of the recent solar eclipse was a record breaker for internet streaming.

Microsoft Word and Outlook can be combined to create an email merge, but there's not a lot of functionality. A plug-in from Russia helps greatly. One of the largest backup providers for home users and small businesses is dropping its home product, so prices will be going up. Why that's not all bad. In Short Circuits: This week I discovered what is apparently a common Windows problem that I'd never encountered before. The explanation includes information you can use when it happens to you. Researchers at New York University have come up with a clever way to foil shoulder surfers who try to see your password or PIN. In Spare Parts (only on the website): How about a little flight information with your weather forecast? The Weather Company will provide that. Website protection company SiteLock has acquired a Dutch firm that automatically applies patches to common content management systems. GoDaddy has added a new level of security to websites it hosts. Supermicro Computer is about to release gigantic storage dev