Data Doctors Tech Tips

One of my favorite online resources that I have featured on many occasions is If This Then That tool which can automatically perform lots of tasks across many of your online services all at once. For those that have started to see the incredibly powerful automated tasks that are available through the IFTTT website, I'd recommend extending the power to your phone's camera with their companion app called 'Do Camera'. The pictures you take with the Do Camera app can now be integrated into these automated tasks. You can automatically have pictures sent to specific Facebook albums, transfer images of important receipts and paperwork saved to your Evernote account, or lots of other possibilities. The best part of the entire IFTTT universe is that smart people that have tested out various recipes make them available for anyone to use, so you don't even have to create your own. The app can work with most of the major picture related websites, so it's useful no matter which platforms you've been using. Check out the free apps available for both Android and iPhone users at: https://ifttt.com/products/do/camera

Who said "When you come to a fork in the road, take it? Well-known quotes can come up in a variety of ways, but when you want to know who's responsible for the quote, there's a website for that. Quotery.com is a web resource that has spent the time to document who said what when it comes to famous quotes. They've created a huge database of proverbs, quotes, and quips that can be accessed by searching for the quote itself or exploring an author or any topic. It's a really helpful tool for anyone doing research on quotes that want to make sure the references are correct. For those that don't have anything to research, just randomly searching the database can be a lot of fun. What's great about this resource is that it goes beyond just who said what by providing additional context and sources. With all that being said, if you run across an entry that you don't totally agree with, you can throw in your two cents to help improve the database. Add this one to your bookmarks so you'll be able to quickly answer the 'who said that' question the next time it pops up!

The Wunderlist list-making app has been a favorite of ours for many years, which is why when we heard the news that it was being shut down on May 6th, we were a bit dismayed. As happens in the software world, they were acquired by Microsoft and they want to migrate everyone to their own listing app which is in a word... meh! In our search for an app that did as much as Wunderlist, we actually found one that does even more called AnyList. It's got all the basics that would expect from a list app, but it also extends the usefulness by integrating with voice commands through Alexa and Google Assistant to add items to your lists. For those that like to cook as much as we do, it also has the ability to import items from recipes you find online, which builds your shopping list in a snap. It's easy to share any list with anybody via email or text messaging and swiping items removes them from the list. If you have large Wunderlist lists, you can export them and then copy/paste then into Anylist as well. Learn more at:and#160;https://www.anylist.com

Email is both a blessing and a curse, especially if you're trying to get work done and the messages keep flying in. By default, most email programs are set up to alert the user when new messages come in, and turning it off when you want to get some work done isn't really that efficient. What email needs is a pause button and for those using Gmail, there is something available the does exactly that! The Inbox Pause option is part of the offerings in the add-on from Boomarang. Not only can you quickly pause and unpause incoming messages, but you can also alert senders that you are in the pause mode in the event that the message they sent is urgent. When you hit the pause button, a big yellow banner will appear at the top and you can choose to automatically unpause the inbox at a specific length of time you choose when you pause. It's a really easy way to control the flow of interruptions that plague all of us on a daily basis. Learn more at: http://inboxpause.com

Let's face it, we're all spending a lot more time online these days and the bad guys know this, so they're stepping up all of their scams. Since everyone on the Internet is using a web browser, it's one of their most obvious targets. Not only can a malicious trick cause your browser to experience problems, but a host of other causes can also as well. With this in mind, one of the basic troubleshooting tips we've stressed for years is the need to have at least 2 different browsers installed on all your Internet-connected devices. The reason for this is to quickly test to see if the problem you are experiencing has to do with the browser or your connectivity. If you switch to another browser and the problem goes away, you'll know to try things like clearing the cache or removing toolbars and add-ons. If the problem persists when you switch browsers, then the problem either exists in your operating system or in one of the devices that connects you to the Internet, which should all be restarted. Checking simple things when you're having issues with the Internet can save you a lot of time, which is why this is a fundamental tip for troubleshooting.

No matter what you are doing to stay active, any type of physical activity is good for you, but if you like to jog or run to stay in shape, today's tip is for you. No doubt that just about everyone you see when you are out running has some earphones or earbuds in while they're exercising. That's just a testament to how powerful music can be as a motivator, especially if it's in sync with your running pace. The best songs are those that match your stride rhythmically, but creating a manual list of songs that work is a lot of work. An app that I've featured many times before called Rock My Run makes it so much easier to have music playing that matches your pace. It's all based on BPMs or beats per minute which is what makes it possible to match your running strides. Rather than creating your own, you can search the existing playlists to see which ones work for your workout. You can try out the free commercial-sponsored version to see if it works for you and upgrade to the non-commercial, 'total control of the beats' version if you feel it's worth the money. Rock My Run is available for both iPhone and Android users at: https://www.rockmyrun.com

I had one of those questions that when it was initially asked sounded kind of wacky, but once I let it sink in, it was actually a very good one. They asked me if I knew of any way to make regular speakers usable with Bluetooth. My initial thought was that wireless Bluetooth speakers are super cheap and readily available, but the sound quality can be a bit off. They had a really nice set of speakers that just needed to be adapted to allow a Bluetooth signal, which is exactly what Logitech offers with their Wireless Speaker Adapter. This small device has standard audio outputs, so it can be connected to a traditional stereo system or powered computer speakers. As long as you have a way to amplify the signal coming out of the adapter, you can make virtually any traditional speaker a Bluetooth compatible sound system. It's a $40 device that can dramatically improve the quality of sound coming from any Bluetooth streaming device: https://bit.ly/357A0dj

The value of your personal information has always been high for criminals, not just since we all started using computers and the Internet. The bad guys love when lots of people do the same thing because it makes it so much easier for them to exploit lots of people. One of the behaviors that they know most people will follow is in the area of passwords; they know you use your passwords on more than one online account. We've heard about massive data breaches so much that we've almost become numb to the reality, but when a company that you have an account with gets breached, you need to pay attention. The Internet underworld long ago started sharing stolen credentials with each other and today, there are huge datasets on the dark web that are called known password databases. Your email address or addresses are generally associated with the stolen passwords, so they know that all they have to do is try them on all the major sites online or even on your smart devices around the house. Wouldn't it be nice to know when a company that you had an account with gets breached? Well, here are a couple of ways to do just that!: https://haveibeenpwned.com https://ghostproject.fr

Anyone that uses a laptop on a regular basis faces the same challenge that everyone experiences... deteriorating battery life. The longer you've owned it, the more likely you are experiencing relatively short times before you have to recharge the battery. This is because there are a finite number of charge cycles that the battery has before it starts to degrade. If your laptop has a removable battery, taking it out when you know you're going to be connected to AC power for an extended period eliminates the chances of creating unnecessary charge cycles. Another upside to removing it when it's not needed is that you keep it from heating up, which is another cause of battery degradation. Most of the major components inside your laptop generate heat, so why subject your battery to it when it's not needed? It should be obvious, but make sure you completely shut down your computer before removing the battery and plugging it into a battery backup will give you an extra layer of protection should your power ever goes out.

Just about any document of importance, especially if it has legal significance, will need to be notarized in order to make it official. In the past, this meant tracking a notary down and setting up a time to meet face-to-face to get the document processed. There are a variety of reasons that this can be problematic, which is where an online service called Notarize can be more convenient. This virtual witnessing platform uses remote video to process your document and it's completely legal in every state. You start by uploading the document to them through the platform then follow the steps required to make it official. The virtual part comes in when the remote notary watches you sign the document via the video conference. Another awesome benefit of using the service is that once you've completed the document, getting it sent off to the receiving party is a breeze. As you would expect, this convenience comes at a slightly higher cost of $25. We're living in an age when minimizing the need for an in-person meeting can be a good thing, so addand#160;https://www.notarize.comand#160;to your productivity links for that next time you need a notary.