Data Doctors Tech Tips

Think about how influential social media has become in virtually every aspect of our lives. Everything from simple buying decisions to politics, the stock market and even global conflicts are all influenced by social media every day. This has given rise to a technology referred to as 'social bots' which are nothing more than software programs that attempt to appear to be real humans. They're commonly used by companies for automated postings while spam artists employ them to flood our profiles with junk ads. Some governments use them as simple propaganda machines. Unfortunately, these bots can also be used to infect your accounts and circulate malicious links, so it's best to avoid them whenever you can. It seems that Twitter particularly has a large percentage of accounts that are leveraging social bots, which made way for a compelling research project at Indiana University. The Truthy Project's Bot or Not tool was created to analyze Twitter accounts for indications that they're using a social bot. While it's not a definite appraisal, it can be a handy tool to avoid getting fooled by a profile that appears to be a real live human. The link is posted at DataDoctors.com/radio http://truthy.indiana.edu/botornot/

For all you spreadsheet warriors out there, you know working with huge data sets can make for very complex and difficult analysis of the data. Charts and graphs are a fantastic way to take an enormous amount of data and turn it into something much more digestible or understandable. While the tools that are built-in for creating charts and graphs may get the job done, there are superior resources on the Internet if you really want to step up your game. A free and open source option that's one of my faves is called RAW. It calls itself 'the missing link between spreadsheets and vector graphics' and it's really cool. To get started, you simply copy and paste or drag and drop files into the interface. Once you chose the layout type, you can drag datasets to map your dimensions to the categories you want to use. Once the basic data is in place, it allows you to customize what will become your visualization to fit your needs or your output format. Once you've got it finalized, download it and use it any way you choose. It's pretty powerful stuff! The link to RAW is posted at DataDoctors.com/radio http://raw.densitydesign.org

If you took our advice and setup 2-factor authentication (2FA) as a protective measure on your online accounts, there's more thing that those that travel need to do. Since 2FA keeps others from accessing your account by sending your phone a text code whenever it doesn't recognize a device, it's extremely helpful even if someone has snags your username and password. But, if you're on an airplane using the on-board wifi, when you sign into your accounts, your phone can't get the required text code to get in. This is where backup codes come to the rescue. If you're a business traveler, being locked out of Facebook or Twitter may be no big deal, but access to email on a long flight is critical. The backup codes are generally stored in the same area that you used to setup 2FA in the first place, so go back to your setup menu to find them. Making a copy of these one-time use codes and keeping them stored in your travel gear will solve this problem. It doesn't matter how you store them; on a piece of paper in your wallet or purse or in a password protected file on your computer, just make it something only you will know is the backup codes. I've got links for many of the major sites posted at http://datadoctors.com/radio Google: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1187538?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/148104135383285 DropBox: https://www.dropbox.com/help/364 Twitter: https://support.twitter.com/articles/20170388-using-login-verification# Or search "2-factor backup codes for XXXX" where XXXX is the name of the online service

One of the best ways to understand techniques for protecting yourself online, it helps to truly think like a hacker first. One of the most valuable things sold on the Internet underground is your personal information, so tricking humans into allowing them into your computer is one of the most common tactics. And rather than directly work on adults, hackers figured out long ago that it's easier to trick your kids to get to you. They can sneak malicious tracking programs in by posing as free music, videos, games and expensive programs that kids and teens are more likely to download. Why is this tactic so effective? Generally, it's because parents often allow their kids to use the same user profiles as them with full administrative access for complete control over the computer. If this is how things are working in your house, you should really make a change immediately. You should setup a separate account with limited access for your younger users as a way to minimize the exposure to mom and dad's sensitive information. This is a critically important security measure, so if you don't know how to get it setup, get someone to help you as every OS has different steps.

One of the biggest issues in the digital age is finding a way to keep our mobile gadgets charged up. Having the proper charger and cable for each of those devices can sometimes mean you're packed with a small arsenal of batteries and cables... Wireless charging will certainly make this all much easier. A rather promising technology for wireless charging is a project called WiTricity and it's starting look like a reality. From its meager beginnings at MIT in 2007 as a research project, the technology could be ubiquitous in the very near future. I'm looking forward to hiding wireless charging transmitters in desks, kitchen counter tops and in convenient places like the console in my car. The idea is to recharge wirelessly just by being near one of these WiTricity chargers with everything from smartphones and tablets to electric cars! The technology behind this system is referred to as 'resonant energy transfer based on Synchronized Magnetic-flux Phase Coupling phenomenon'; yeah I don't get it either, but I want it now. There are a number of existing products being tested with many other potential uses on display at http://WiTricity.com

If you throw house parties that must have music playing all the time, today's tip is for you! You've probably created playlists in the past, trying to guess what your guests might like but why guess when you can make it part of the party with the Party DJ iPhone app. Party DJ is the perfect way to create playlists that you're friends will enjoy because they can all help pick and vote for the songs they want to hear. It's essentially a crowd-sourcing tool that plays songs based on the tunes that have the most votes, which move to the top of the list. It'll cost the host 3 dollars but all your guests can use the free app or the website to join in on the fun. All you do is connect your iOS device to a set of speakers or you can use Airplay to set things up. The host always stays in charge by being able to skip tracks or delete them altogether if someone adds an undesirable track. Other iPhone users can even add songs from their own libraries through the Party DJ app...it's pretty cool! I've posted the link to learn more at DataDoctors.com/radio http://pdj.fm

Setting up remote access to your computers can come in handy, but many of the most popular options that used to be free now charge a fee. If you can't justify paying for this capability, checkout Google's simple and free Chrome Remote Desktop. You don't have to be a techie or a nerd to set it up because it's just an add-on to the Chrome Browser on the computers that you want to setup for remote access. It's super flexible so any Windows, Mac or Linux computer can be used to access your computer remotely; it'll be just as if you're sitting in front of it. You can even use your smartphone, tablet or Chromebook to remotely access your computers. I've used it from all over the world to access my computers back home when I need something that's stored on it. This is one of the easiest to use yet fully functioning remote tools that's still free to use. Setting the system up only takes a few minutes, so I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a free remote solution. I've posted all the links at DataDoctors.com/radio Chrome Remote Desktop Add-on: https://chrome.google.com/remotedesktop Chrome Remote Desktop for Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.chromeremotedesktop Chrome Remote Desktop for iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chrome-remote-desktop/id944025852?mt=8

If you like running for exercise, you know how the right music can make a world of difference during your workouts. Not only is it helpful in keeping you motivated, you can end up running longer if the music matches your pace. Lots of us have tried to create playlists that match our pace, but it's a hugely time consuming task. An app called RockMyRun makes it much easier to find motivational music that matches your running style. The app compiles playlists that match the beats per minute (BPM), so you get a continuous mix of tunes that compliment your running pace. You can from playlists based on a specific genre,the BPM, how long they last and clean or explicit lyrics. The free playlists can be up to 45 minutes in length, but if you want them to me longer, you'll need to pony up to a premium membership which includes other extras like the MyBeat option. MyBeat allows you to dial in the perfect match for your pace with pinpoint control over the BPM of the entire playlist. If you run, jog or power-walk for exercise, RockMyRun is worth a try and available for iPhone or Android smartphones.

Anyone that works in an office full of cubicles, which I call a cube farm, you know that your computer can be accessed by anyone that happens to wander by if you step away from your desk. This can become a bit annoying if you work with a group of pranksters, if you don't take a second to lock down your computer before stepping away. You need to get in the habit of locking down your system with a simple keyboard shortcut before leaving your desk, which keeps snooping eyes off your work and will save you tons of grief from your mischievous co-workers. Windows users can press the Windows Icon key and the letter L as in 'lock' to get the job done. Mac users can press Control+Shift+Eject at the same to secure their desktops. If you're Mac lacks the Eject key, just use Control+Shift+Power instead get it done. This only works if you have a login password setup, so make sure you don't skip this very important step. Parents can also use this tip to prevent their young children from spending time on the computer when they aren't supposed to be on it.

Email is just an important part of our lives that you likely spend lots of time daily waisting time on meaningless messages because of all the mailing lists you're on. With all those auto-opt in mailings, you probably don't have a clue how you got on many of the lists, but it's going to keep happening. If you're tired of dealing with tons of daily junk mail and uninteresting newsletters, an online service called Unroll.Me is just what the doctor ordered. Just let it scan your Inbox to start the magic as it'll alphabetically list every subscription it can allowing you to keep, unsubscribe or add messages to something they call a 'roll-up'. Their Roll Up is simply a digest of all the subscriptions that you do want to see combined daily into a single message, so no more constant interruptions with junk If you do want messages, you simply click on the 'Keep in Inbox' option and you'll continue to see them as they are sent. This awesome free resource works with AOL, Yahoo!, Gmail, iCloud, and Outlook.com online mail accounts. Save your Inbox today at https://unroll.me