Data Doctors Tech Tips

Because we're all spending so much more time on the Internet these days, hackers and cyber-theives are spending more time thinking of ways to exploit us. Your web browser is how you view everything on the Internet, so more of the exploits are focusing on targeting all browsers. It's not unusual to have other issues pop up when using your browser either, so today's tip is a troubleshooting suggestion when they do occur. Make sure you install at least two different browsers on your devices so you can quickly track down Internet related issues. When you start experiencing a problem, try switching to an alternate browser to see if the problem goes away. If it does, you'll know that the browser may need some attention, like clearing the cache or running a malware scan. If it doesn't change, your issue is more likely to be with your computer, router or modem, which should all be reset. Chasing the wrong end of a problem can be avoided by spending some time with this simple troubleshooting procedure.

Just about every security expert is warning that smartphones are becoming one of the biggest targets for cyber-thieves and hackers. The good news is that the majority of dangerous threats are targeting users outside the US through third-party app websites. Since installing apps on your smartphone is one of the most likely ways you will be threatened, you need to make sure you only get your apps from the official app stores so you can avoid most of today's threats. Android users can take an extra step to avoid the other sneaky methods we're starting to see from the bad guys. In the Security section of your smartphone's Settings menu, look for the 'Unknown sources' section. Make sure you switch this option to the off position so your smartphone won't allow apps installs from unknown sources without alerting you of the potential dangers. Avoiding unnecessary app installs not only helps from a security standpoint, but it also avoids privacy issues and will free up valuable space for music and pictures.

E-mail, we can't live with it and we can't live without it! It's become a huge distraction that can really kill our productivity. For those setup to be constantly alerted when a message arrives, turning the notifications on and off to avoid distracitons is a bit cumbersome Wouldn't it be great if you could hit a pause button for your messages for a while sometimes? Well Gmail users can do just that with a free add-on called "Inbox Pause". Inbox Pause is a simple app that adds a button to allow you to pause and unpause your email messages with the quick click of the mouse. It also allows you to notify senders that you're in 'Pause Mode' in case the message is a time sensitive one. The add-on displays a banner across the top to remind you that you're in pause mode so you don't forget to unpause. The Inbox Pause add-on works in either Firefox or Chrome browsers: http://inboxpause.com

When we want to learn anything about just about anything we turn to Google but when it comes to searching for help with computer problems, you need to be very careful. Google searches for support on specific products can often be full of fake tech support companies posing as legitimate companies in order to victimize unsuspecting users. For instance, searching for 'McAfee Antivirus Tech Support' can display many companies posing as tech support that have nothing to do with McAfee at all. Another trick they can use is to post toll free numbers in the ads themselves because so many people will call the first number that comes up in search results, often without clicking on the ad to checkout the company first. The lesson to be learned is that you can't trust companies just because they show up in search results, because scammers have figured out how to game the system. The best way to make sure you are getting the actual support resource for any company is to manually type their address and add a slash and the word "support" at the end. For example, if you're looking for McAfee support, you'd type in mcafee.com/support which will take your directly to their support page. For more tips on avoiding this common search scam, check out my advice at DataDoctors.com/radio http://www.datadoctors.com/help/columns/22031-Beware-the-Latest-Tech-Support-in-Search-Scams

For many of us, our smartphones have become our primary communication tool, but there are moments when you'd rather not give out your personal cell number. Whether you are selling something or doing business with people in another state or country, you'd probably prefer to keep your personal number private. For those situations that could require a second phone number, take a look at an app called TextMe Up. TextMe Up allows you to create special phone numbers, including international numbers, for specific reasons which allows you to keep your personal number private. You can also text anyone in the world through these secondary numbers, as long as you are willing to put up with ads in the messaging app. For anyone that wants separate phone numbers for different parts of your private and public life, TextMe Up can be of help. The app is available for both iPhone and Android users and your first number is free at http://TextMeUp.com

One way to better protect yourself online is to take a different tact from the norm is to think like a hacker. Your personal info is extremely valuable on the black market, so they're constantly looking for ways to sneak into your computer by tricking users. Hackers figured out long ago that one of the best ways to get to your information is through your children. Enticing children and teens to download free games, screensavers, music, movies or programs that generally cost hundreds of dollars is how they are sneaking malicious programs into your computer. A big reason that this method is so effective is because you use the same computer and user profile as your children with full administrative rights. If this is how your home computer is being used, I'd highly recommend you make some changes immediately. You should setup a completely separate sign-in account for your children and limiting their rights, which will go a long way to protecting everyone in the house. The steps for doing this is different for each operating system, so If you aren't sure how to do this, get some help from someone technical... it's too important to let go.

If you're one of the many folks that likes some form of noise to distract your mind in order to go to sleep, today's tip is for you. I'm always searching for something that can help my mind slow down but not wake up my wife. My latest find is an app called Relax Melodies and it's a really flexible sound generating sleep app that's one of the best I've ever used. It has lots of really soothing sounds that can be mixed together to generate customized sleep-inducing background sounds. Choose from running river, waterfalls or ocean waves which can be matched with a crackling campfire, chirping birds or the sound of the rain hitting a tin roof. You can also add ethereal music from a piano or flute to create a sleep inducing soundtrack that'll help you settle your mind much quicker. The Relax Melodies app is free and available for iOS, Android and Windows phones and I'm really glad I discovered it. In fact, I'm even using it at my desk in the middle of the day as a productivity boosting background. The link to create your relaxation soundtrack is posted at DataDoctors.com/radio http://www.ipnossoft.com/app/relax-melodies

We all take lots of smartphone pictures, but we tend to have way too many to share, so most of our pictures end up stored and hidden on our phones or computers. One of the ways we share lots of images on our social networks is by creating slideshows, which are pretty simple to do. The next time you have a bunch of images from a wedding, a child's play or any special event, there's an easy way to make a movie out of them. One of my go-to options for generating creative slide shows in a few minutes is called Slidely. Slidely can work with the images on many of your online accounts like Facebook, Instagram, Picasa, Flickr and Dropbox or you can use the pictures from your computer. You can use up to 90 images and add a music bed from a library of great songs in the app. You can also select music from any of the great artists or theme songs from your favorite movies and TV or upload your own music to give your show some zip. Any of the albums that you have setup on Facebook can create an animated keepsake in just a few minutes. It's a lot easier to use than most and you can try it for yourself at http://slide.ly

Pets can make a huge difference in your daily lives and when you responsibly adopt, you can do the same for them. Ensuring that you find a compatible pet for your specific situation is very important and a web resource by the name of AllPaws.com can take pet adoption to a whole new level. The creator of the website had experience with online dating sites and used that knowledge of proven processes for matching up humans to create an effective resource for adopting pets. You start by searching for pets by the type you desire to adopt, like dogs, cats, pigs, birds, horses or reptiles with the ability to choose a specific breed if you have a preference. The results from your search creates a list of profiles of the pets that match your criteria complete with the picture and story of each pet. They include age range, coat length, size, compatibility with other pets and a number of other details to help you make your connection. You can send questions to the adoption organization, add them to your favorites list or begin the adoption process if you see your next pet. Even if don't have room to adopt another pet, you can help get pets adopted by sharing available pets with your friends and family on all your social networks. Check it out at https://www.allpaws.com

We all remember the Ice Bucket Challenge which drew attention to ALS and became an amazing online phenomenon in the history of the Internet. Another lesser known ALS inspired Internet resource is a website called PatientsLikeMe.com Ben and Jamie Heywood launched it in 2006 because of their brothers ALS diagnosis and it has become an amazing treatment, medical symptom and outcome-sharing community on the Internet. When anyone you know is diagnosed with a serious illness, it is really easy to feel like they're alone in their battle, but they are not alone. By connecting with others that are going through the same medical situation and comparing your treatments, symptoms and general experiences, the site becomes a very valuable support system. It doesn't matter whether you want to get or provide support with people that are experiencing the same situation, PatientsLikeMe is a really helpful tool for making the connections. You can even use the site to track your health timelines and provide your data to research if you are so inclined. PatientsLikeMe.com has over 400,000 members with over 2000 health conditions, so it's a great way to find lots of other people that can relate to your situation.