Data Doctors Tech Tips

One of the many ways that today's Internet has become so dangerous to use is because of something called 'scripts'. Scripts are essentially good technology, something like a macro in a word processor. It's just a simple list of commands that will automatically run when you visit certain websites. These helpful scripts range from creating animations to delivering ads, but unfortunately, they are also used to tell your computer to run dangerous commands, silently in the background. A solid way to avoid becoming the victim of rogue scripts is to install a popular Firefox add-on called NoScript. 'NoScript' stops any script from running unless it is being generated at a trusted website that you have confirmed is OK, which allows you to slowly customize the tool. Many scripts are helpful and need to be run in order for specific functions to properly work, so the add-on puts you in ultimate control over when and if they run. Keep in mind, the NoScript add-on is an open-source free tool, so it will require you to spend the time so you understand how it works, but from a security standpoint, it is time well spent. Learn more at https://noscript.net

Anyone that's used their iPhone for a while is likely to have an enormous number of old pictures on their camera roll. And it's also likely that a good percentage of those images are useless or meh images that you really don't want, but you have not taken the time to delete them. As brilliant as the iPhone may be, getting rid of a lot of images on it really isn't very easy when you're needing to see them with more than just a thumbnail. An app for iPhones called 'Cleen', makes the task of getting through the camera roll to delete unwanted images a lot faster. This free app shows the images in full size and uses swiping gestures to efficiently determine what you want to do with each image. You will swipe up when you want to keep them, down when you want to delete them and to the left when aren't sure what you want to do putting it into a 'do-it-later' queue. When you are done with a session, you just tap the trashcan to delete them all the junk at once!

Google Maps is an obvious go-to when you're connected to the Internet and a lot less useful when you aren't. If you happen to know where you are going to be and you know it won't have access, you can in advance download offline maps, but that doesn't help if you don't. If you know you'll be in this situation frequently, the 'Maps.me' app will allow you to have offline maps for entire countries or regions which will provide detailed info when you're not able to get online. As with all mapping apps, it provides basic directions from your location to the destination of your choice without any type of signal. It's an excellent electronic version of those old-school paper maps without dealing with the 'get it folded back properly' problem. With over 300 countries and islands available in the app, it's a really helpful app for any international travelers. It different from Google Maps functionality, so be sure to play with it before you get to your destination. The free app works with Android and iPhone handsets, so check it out at: https://maps.me/download

Basic smartphone-based translation apps have been around for years but my all time favorite has always been 'WordLens' because it could visually translate words through your smartphone camera. Google acquired the company quite a while ago and they did 2 things that I really like: they made it free and they incorporated it into the powerful 'Google Translate' app. This one app can provide visual word translations as well as handwriting and spoken translations. Beyond using your phone's camera to perform real-time word translations, you can use your mic to translate speech or use the handwriting recognition and keyboard to translate what you want to say. As translation goes, it isn't perfect and will always work best with short phrases, but it's incredibly helpful, nonetheless. The instant translation works with a varitey of languages including English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish any many more languages that will help you navigate foreign lands. Anyone planning to visit a foreign country this summer should download and practice using the most current version of the Google Translate app before you head out on your adventure!

Reminders from our smartphones have become a critical component of our daily lives, but most users seem to set reminders based on time only.and#160; I find that setting reminders more based on a location comes in very handy as well.and#160; For example, iPhone users can ask Siri to 'remind me to buy air filters when I am at Home Depot' provided they have a 'Home Depot' address set up in their address book.and#160; For you Android user, you can ask Google Now to do the same thing, but because it is highly integrated with 'Google Maps', you won't necessarily have to have the location in your address book.and#160; If you set a Home Depot reminder and choose 'any location', you will get a pop-up notification when you enter any Home Depot, which is much more useful.and#160; iPhone smartphone users can also use Google Now through the Google Search app, if they want to use location reminders for locations outside of what's in their address book.and#160; If you've never used location-based reminders, when you do, you will wonder how you've ever lived without using them.

We have all seen useful video captured by dash cams that are in taxis, police cruisers and even from citizens that have them in their cars.and#160; These videos can be very handy in many instances, but they can be expensive or complicated, but did you know that you could use your Android phone?and#160; Using the DailyRoad Voyager app turns Android smartphones into a dash cam, provided you install a mount for your phone as well.and#160; Once the app is activated, it will auto-record everything right onto a SD expansion card, but then only critical events will be saved for future reference.and#160; You choose those critical events by simply touching the screen, which is very handy should you ever get in an accident or are a witness to an accident.and#160; The app can also auto-tag locations for photos and videos and when you'd like to share various travel videos with others, you can simply upload them to the DailyRoads website.and#160; There are other potential uses that you may find interesting at:and#160;http://DailyRoads.com

Inexpensive and easy to install home automation devices were everywhere once again at this year's CES with many more companies promoting their special systems.and#160; It's no doubt that low-cost and the easy to install options can be very interesting, choosing a limited platform can cause integration problems down the road.and#160; Anyone that's seriously considering any Do-It-Yourself home automation devices should look for platforms with open standards that support a large variety of gadgets that are on the market.and#160; I continue to favor the SmartThings platform because they've created a more open system that also works with lots of different popular automation devices including Phillips Hue lightbulbs and Belkin WeMo devices.and#160; Another benefit to the platform is that anyone who's using it can create custom uses and share it with the rest of the SmartThings community.and#160; But be warned: all of these automation devices work off of your wireless network, so it is essential to setup security protocols on your wireless network before you begin to add devices.and#160; Learn more about the SmartThings platform atand#160;http://www.smartthings.com

If your vehicle begins generating strange noises, you'll be sure to pay attention, right?and#160; If you said yes, then you should start doing the same with your computer as those new noises could be a big warning that your device is about to meltdown.and#160; No matter if it's a grinding, whirring and/or buzzing sound, it is most likely the sign that one of your computer's moving parts is beginning to wear out.and#160; For example, your cooling fans are a common point of failure and when they stop making noise, it generally means the fan stopped spinning altogether, leading to a meltdown. Heat is a primary threat to any of your electronics, so when cooling fans to stop spinning it's the equivalent to your car's radiator being empty while the motor is running.and#160; If you should ever hear a clicking sound, and your computer won't start up, your first reaction should be to immediately shut it off and seek help. Most clicking sounds coming from your computer could mean your hard drive is failing.and#160; Trying to repeatedly restart a clicking computer in an effort to try to get it to work can often cause irreparable damage. This type of damage often leads to permanent data loss, so you should be extra careful when you hear any clicking sound.and#160; Checkout more of our tips on noises atand#160;http://www.datadoctors.com/help/columns/21814

Anyone investigating investment strategies knows that the Web is an endless bucket of advice that can range from just tossing darts at a list to sophisticated algorithms that claim to track millions of variables.and#160; If you're still in search for a reliable resource, have you thought about tracking what billionaires do with their investments?and#160; Well, the 'iBillionaire' app does just that; it analyzes the investment portfolios of many famous billionaires like Warren Buffett and Carl Icahn.and#160; It can provide insights into investment strategies used by leading hedge fund managers as well, which can help you confirm your strategies or learn new approach with a different stock invested in by the billionares every day.and#160; These investment strategies are primarily based on the 'billionaire index' which was created back in 2013.and#160; If you're looking for better investment decisions by gleaning from successful billionaires, you should checkout the free iBillionaire app.and#160; If you'd like to compare your portfolio to the world's wealthiest investors, you can download the app for iPhone and Android smartphones from their associated app stores.

As a travel buff, I'm constantly searching for useful travel apps, so when my wife says she has discovered an amazing travel app, I sit up and listen.and#160; My spouse is a very detail oriented trip planner and most of my past suggestions for apps feel flat for her.and#160; The app she discovered is called 'Trip Rider' and if it impressed my in-house travel agent spouse, I knew that I should take a look.and#160; The app is designed to track and store every possible detail of our travels in one place but remains flexible, which makes changes to your itinerary an easy thing to handle. If you add simple notes before, during and after your trip, the app easily creates a travel journal of your adventures.and#160; It also includes a digital wallet for your important travel documents, like ID cards, passports and credit cards.and#160; Even if you're an occasional traveler, and#160;the http://triprider.com app is awesome.