Data Doctors Tech Tips

One of the ways that the Internet can be a very dangerous place these days is through the use of what is known as 'scripts'. Scripts are like little macros in word processors; they are essentially a list of commands that will automatically run when you visit malicious websites. While the use of these 'scripts' can range from generating simple animations to serving up advertising, they can also be used to trick your computer into executing malicious commands in the background. One of ways to prevent being exploited by these rogue scripts is to use a free add-on for the Firefox web browser called NoScript. NoScript prevents scripts from executing unless it is from a trusted site that you have approved, so it allows you to slowly customize your own filter. While many web scripts are required in order to allow a website to function properly, giving you total control over when and if scripts run will provide you with an extra layer of protection. Please understand that since NoScript is a free and open-source tool, it will require you to spend time learning just how it works, but it is time really well spent. Learn more at https://noscript.net

Doesn't it drive you crazy when your computer takes forever to shut down ? While you may be tempted to pop the power button to force a shutdown, it's a really bad idea. Your computer generates a lot of temporary files as a normal operational process, which are marked for deletion when you notify it that you are all done. The Windows operating system uses an extensive housekeeping procedure that's performed when you shut it down, reflected by that fast flashing of the hard drive light on the front of your computer. Preventing it from performing the normal shutdown process can fill your hard drive with junk files. Any time your computer gets low on empty disk space, it will dramatically impact your overall performance. So, if you're guilty of doing this a few times in the past, you can easily track down those excess files and clean them out using the Disk Cleanup utility. This is one of those tips that proves patience is a virtue and a benefit. By the way, Mac users should also follow this rule to keep things running smooth as well.

If you enjoy hiking as much as we do, discovering new hiking trails to explore wherever you go can become an obsession. There are endless resources on the Internet for finding new trails, but we always start with one resource: the AllTrails.com website. With over 50 thousand trails and 700 thousand members, the sharing of great hikes from this website is pretty incredible. They allow you to search for trails that are dog or child friendly, hikes with waterfalls or hikes that accommodate mountain biking. You can review the approximate length and time of the hikes along with the difficulty and user ratings. AllTrails makes it easy to find the best hikes near you based on your location; you'll probably find hidden gems that are right in your own backyard. The quality of info you can gather on any hike is amazing and don't forget the http://AllTrails.com mobile app which makes it easy to discover wonderful adventures everywhere you go.

If you're on the road a lot, you're used to Internet access that's a bit limited in speed. When you're in an airplane, staying in hotels and meeting in a coffee shop, you are sharing a tiny data pipe with lots of others. In-flight wifi can be particularly challenging with all of the flashy content that is common on most of today's sites. You can take the time to optimize your browser for slower speed connections, but it'll require you to remember to switch when you're back on high-speed connections. To minimize this hassle, I tend to use the less known browser Opera whenever I'm on the road. Opera has a special mode called Turbo that will optimize content on their servers before your computer gets it which reduces download times. It will also automatically block Flash content unless you click the container which can further reduce the load. If you are stuck on a really slow speed connection, you can tell Opera not to load any images at all to increase the speed. I have posted the link to Opera and many other suggestions at DataDoctors.com/radio http://www.datadoctors.com/help/columns/22011

Have you seen this??? Can you believe you got caught doing that on this video? This is yet another example of a clever social engineering scam that continues to be used to trick people via email and social media. The plan is to get you so concerned about what might be on the video that you abandon your normal cautionary approach. When you actually get to the alleged site that has the video of you, you will get a pop-up telling you that you need to update a video player or add a CODEC in order to watch the video. In your rush to see the salacious video, you authorize the malware to be downloaded and installed on your computer and wham!, you have just become the next victim. Convincing you to willingly install malicious programs allows remote hackers to do just about anything they want and it won't be obvious that you're computer has been compromised. This type of approach is constantly being revised, so always be alert and don't install anything claiming to be a 'video player update' unless you specifically went searching for it.

A friend recently asked if I knew of an app that would allow them to record phone calls on their Android phone. The primary reason for their desire to record calls was for training purposes only. My first piece of advice to them is to be sure they don't violate the law as they can vary from state to state. The very best way to avoid the legal issues is to notify everyone on the call that it is being recorded. After testing out a few apps, I did find a free app from Boldbeast called Call Recorder that seems to do the job very nicely. Once I installed it, a small record dot appeared in red in the upper left corner whenever I made or received a call. If I wanted to record any calls, I simply tapped on the red dot and again at the end to stop the recording. It then logged the caller ID, date, time and length of the call automatically and also allowed me to share the files in a number of ways. The 'Call Recorder' app can be downloaded from the Google Play store and it's free!

If you setup a webcam for security in your home or business, you will want to pay close attention to this tip. Several websites have launched displaying live feeds from thousand of webcams from around the world that which was made possible because of one simple error made by the owners: they never changed the default password for the camera. Not only do these sites show the brand, default login name and password and any live streams from the webcams, it also includes approximate location information on a map. The owners of these websites claim that they are doing it to educate the public on this common mistake. You need to know that every hacker can get the default password for any device you have in setup in your home, so not changing the factory default dramatically increases your exposure to the outside world. Keep in mind that any device you can access from outside your home can also be accessed by others if you make it easy. If you do not know what devices are at risk or how to change out the default login credentials, get some help. This one is way too important to ignore!

Keeping your mobile devices charged will always be one of the biggest challenges in the current digital age. Making sure you have the right cable and charger for each and every device usually means carrying a small warehouse of cables and wall warts, which is why I can't wait for wireless charging to get here! The future of truly wireless charging is something that we all are looking forward to AND one of the more interesting technologies for the technology is called WiTricity. It started as a research project at MIT and it is slowly developing into a technology that we could see around us in the very near future. Just think about wireless charging transmitters hidden under your desk, kitchen counters or even the console in your car. Wireless charging for everything from your smartphone to your vehicle just by being near a charger when all of the WiTricity based products begin to hit the market. WiTricity achieves its wireless energy through resonant energy transfer based on Synchronized Magnetic-flux Phase Coupling phenomenon; yeah I have no idea either, but I want do it. You can learn about existing products currently under testing and the future applications for this exciting technology at http://WiTricity.com

A wonderful byproduct of the Internet is that it has become an amazing library of trivial knowledge at our own little fingertips. Don't we all tend to reach for our phones during any argument over the most trivial bit of information these days? It's truly awesome when we stumble onto something truly useful or educational, especially when we aren't even looking for it! Well, if learning something useful on purpose is something you'd love to do, take a few minutes to check out a website called Useful Science. It's a well designed collection created by a group of graduate students for anyone that loves all that useful trivia that lives online. For example, did you know that a staring at the color green before you start a creative task can help improve your creativity? Or, that music with heavy bass notes can make you feel much more powerful? These quotes aren't simple random thoughts that someone came up with, they are sourced in research or reports with real context. If you are truly into this kind of trivia, you can submit your own entries or get useful science e-mail messages right to your Inbox when you subscribe to their newsletter. Check it at http://Usefulscience.org

Summer's here and it is hot enough to make us uncomfortable and cranky from the heat during the day. Do you know what else gets really uncomfortable and cranky from the higher heat? The batteries in all your devices! Without question, excessive heat is the most damaging thing to your batteries in all those devices you love, so being aware of this problem will help improve your battery life. Forgetting your laptop, smartphone or tablet in a super hot car, especially when they are exposed to direct sunlight, will most certainly kill the life of your batteries. When your devices have been exposed to a hot setting and are still warm to the touch, avoid using them until they return to room temperature if at all possible. Another thing to remember is to not block the exhaust vents on your laptop; using it while it's on a pillow or thick bedspread is a great way to overheat the entire system. When you are outside with your gadgets, do your best to avoid any kind of direct sunlight on them for extended periods of time. Here's how to remember this: if you're uncomfortable, your gadgets will be too when it comes to heat!