Data Doctors Tech Tips

Publishing just about anything on the Internet is certainly easier for non-tech folks, but for those with no experience, it can still become overwhelming, especially if you choose the wrong tool.and#160; What if there was a free online tool that anyone can use to create a simple single web page in less than one minute?and#160; This is without having to sign up for any accounts, no need for special tools, no registering a domain - just type, click and publish!and#160; A web resource called http://Pen.io is an easy to use gem of a tool that totally embraces the KISS system for publishing web pages.and#160; Let's say you are throwing a party or a yard sale or fund raiser or company event and you want a simple process for publishing info online; for those situations, Pen.io could be a quick and dirty solution.and#160; You can publish anything you want in text; random thoughts, poetry, memories, announcing the arrival of a baby or sharing notes with others, the Pen.io tool makes extremely simple to do. You just select a URL, create a password and start creating your site. Here's a link to an example page that I created in less than 60 seconds: and#160;http://ddrtest.pen.ioand#160; or make your own page at:and#160;http://pen.ioand#160;

Here's a scenario we've all experienced: while on a cross-country airplane ride, you look out the window and see something unusual but can't begin to figure out what it is. You can try taking a picture to remember it and later attempt to research it once you land, but who's got time for that? So of course, there's now an app for that and it has been designed to provide help even if your smartphone is in airplane mode. The app is called 'Flyover Country' and it helps you identify items when you pre-load the features that are likely to be viewable on an upcoming flight, which is why you won't need an in-flight connection. You pre-load it by choosing your two points of travel for the upcoming flight so it can download geomaps and points of interest along you flight path. Once you are in the air, it only needs the GPS in your device to determine your approximate location and based on that, provides visual info with points of interest that you can tap on, all along the way. The 'Flyover Country' app is free works on both iPhone and Android devices.

We all have various selfie obsessed mates that are always holding their arm out to take a selfie or it's possible that you're that person.and#160; In any case, if taking selfies is a regular exercise, it makes sense to put your best face on it which can be done with the Facetune app.and#160; Facetune provides simple tools to make adjustments to any selfie; they say 'don't wait for the perfect shot, when you can Facetune it'.and#160; The app lets you do everything from whiten your teeth to removing blemishes to getting rid of those dark circles under your eyes and allows you to improve your smile with the reshaping tool.and#160; It also provides a defocus option which can make your selfie look like it was taken with a professional camera!.and#160; Let's face it, anyone that is self-obsessed with taking selfies allay will enjoy the ability to touch up their images as well.and#160; Reworking your image isn't just be for celebrities, so anyone committed to the awesome selfies should checkout theand#160;Facetuneand#160;app for iPhone, iPad or Android.and#160;

Whether shopping for furniture, building something for your house or petitioning help from a neighborhood hardware store, making sure you have accurate measurements is essential. Accurately conveying those measurements to others is equally as important. We can easily take pictures using our phones, but including the measurement details ususally ends up being sent seperate from the picture. For those situations, the 'My Measures' can make it much easier to include dimensions right on the picture you're taking, which reduces the chances of miscommunications when working with to a third party. You no longer need to sketch something out on a piece of paper or pray that the recipient does not confuse the seperate measurements. The app allows you to add arrows and dimensions to your images in seconds, then save and share the instructions, making it excellent for real estate agents, construction professionals or all you Do-It-Yourself fanatics. The My Measures app works on iPhone, Android and Amazon mobile devices: http://www.mymeasuresapp.com

Our smartphones will generally be safe from malicious apps as long as we only get our apps from the associated app stores and avoid jailbreaking or rooting your phone.and#160; and#8232;and#8232;Jailbreaking or rooting phones allows users to sidestep controls the manufacturers install in their devices and mostly performed by tech savvy users.and#160;and#8232;and#8232; But a scam is in circulation that will allow malicious apps to sneak onto your phone, even for those that haven't modified the controls on their smartphones.and#160;and#8232;and#8232; The scam generally begins with a well-crafted text message or email with a link to an interesting app download.and#160;and#8232;and#8232; When you tap on the link, it can start the process of exploiting just about any phone, even if the security is still in place. and#8232; This further stresses the importance of my long standing advice: If you did not specifically go looking for an app, never install it.and#160;and#8232;and#8232; These scammers are able to create very persuasive communications that can often appear to be from one of your friends through the use of hacked accounts, so always stay alert.and#160;and#8232;and#8232; For more real-time protection for your smartphone, checkout the security apps atand#160;http://lookout.com

Doesn't it seem like some smartphone chargers can take longer to charge then some of the others?and#160; Well you are not imagining this difference as the power output by each charger (aka amperage) and faulty cables can make a huge difference.and#160; Understanding that the lower the amperage, the longer it will take to charge anything.and#160; Always try to use the charger from the manufacturer, but when you can't, use a charging device with the proper amperage rating for the best results.and#160; In general, it takes special devices to properly measure output current, but anyone with an Android device can use an app called Ampere that makes it simple to see the variations in charging of your chargers and cables.and#160; This 'Ampere app' monitors both battery charging and drainage as well as temperature and overall health of your batteries.and#160; Monitoring the app while you are using the collection of chargers and cables in your bag, quickly reveals which combination will do the best job.and#160; Ampere app at Google Play:and#160;https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gombosdev.ampereandhl=en

Most cyber-security organizations have been warning us all that those beloved mobile devices we use every day, will become the most desirable target for hackers.and#160; They know that we all love downloading new apps so this has become the new attack vector being used by the bad guys.and#160; Nothing underscores this concern more than the discovery of cleverly crafted malicious apps that looked very legitimate used in something called 'masque attacks'.and#160; The convincing apps look like popular apps such as Facebook, Skype, Whatsapp and Twitter and if you fall for them, they can allow remote hackers to monitor just about everything you're doing on your device silently. They primarily try to trick users into downloading what appears as one of many popular apps, so it's very important to pay close attention to where you are downloading our apps.and#160; These malicious downloads are often presented to your through links on social media or through email. As always, only get your apps directly from the Apple App store.

One of our favorite features in Google Maps allows anyone to switch to the Street View of virtually any street that Google's mapping vehicles have driven on.and#160; Their Street View vehicles have been cruising and recording the streets of the world since 2007, but it's a feature added in 2014 that very few people seem to know about.and#160; After dragging the yellow peg man and dropping it on any street, the default images will be from their most recent drive-by.and#160; What seems to be less well known is that you can travel back in time in the exact same view by clicking on the little clock icon in the upper left-corner, right under the address.and#160; You should see dots on the timeline that represent each year of the view was captured all the way back to 2008.and#160; Once you're in a previous year, you aren't limited to the current view because you can move around and view all the images on the street from that same year.and#160; It's about as close as we'll ever get to time travel courtesy of Googleand#160;https://maps.google.comand#160;

A very unique web resource that's always been one of our favorites got a bit of an overhaul, which makes searching the web's past a lot more fun. It's called the "Wayback Machine" and it's part of the Internet Archive project, which has been capturing elements of the Internet starting in 1996. You get to go back in time to lookup what various websites looked in the past. Wouldn't it be great to see what your favorite websites looked like many years ago? You can by going to the Wayback Machine website and typing just about any website to get a calendar of the available dates for past versions. The original captures grabbed just home pages, so don't expect the full site, but their updated technology may allow more of the websites to be captured in the future. It is really fun to see old versions of big name websites from companies like Microsoft and Apple! Check out all your favorites at http://Archive.org/web

Now that the summer heat is here, it is once again hot enough to make most us pretty cranky in the heat of the day. And there's something else that can get pretty uncomfortable and equally cranky from the heat - all the batteries in all your devices! Heat is one of the things you can protect your batteries from which will help you extended the life of your batteries. Exposing your smartphone, notebook computer or tablet to extended direct sunlight in a steaming hot car will definitely reduce the life of your batteries. When your tech has been in the heat and is warm to the touch, it's a good idea to avoid turning them on if possible and waiting for them to cool down closer to room temperature. Another common mistake that geneates unneccesary heat is blocking those tiny exhaust vents on your laptop by using it on a pillow or thick blanket which can overheat your entire system. If you spend a lot of time outside with your devices, always focus on avoiding direct sunlight for long periods of time to help your batteries. Finally, keep in mind that when you're uncomfortable from the heat, so are your battery operated devices.