California drivers still hold their mobile phones while driving which is illegal. In this episode, Jake explores the nuances and hazards of driving while using your mobile phone in California.

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com

Internet service providers and phone companies are now allowed to collect your Internet browsing data and sell it to information brokers per new federal legislation. So you are on your own to protect your privacy.

In this episode, Jake discusses the tools your need to guard your privacy: your choice of browser, your search engine, the browser add-ons you install can all keep prying eyes off your data and browsing history. Plus, do you need a VPN service and which should you choose?

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com

If you feel that your Internet is slow, it may just be that your WiFi network is slow. Explore the causes of a poor Wifi with Jake and what you can do to upgrade your wireless network to get the fastest Internet possible.

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com

Are Macs really safer than PCs or is that just a myth? Explore what you need to know before buying your next computer when Jake discusses the truths and tales of Mac security.

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com

With the 2016 election in a few weeks, Jake discusses the impact the election will have on important technology issues. These issues include privacy and law enforcement surveillance, the importance and dangers of smartphone encryption, and America's cyber-security and cyber-warfare readiness. Before you go vote, find out where your candidates stand on these important issues.

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com

Jake reviews the Amazon Echo that was purchased on Prime Day and his experience with Alexa, Amazon's digitial assistant. He also discusses the Pokemon Go craze and how it gets kids outside to play and can bring parents closer to their children.

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com

Like most people, you probably use your web browser just to browse the Internet. But do you know that there is a whole other world of browser add-ons (also called extensions and plug-ins) that can really enhance your Internet experience. These add-ons can block annoying advertisements, make articles more readable, allow you to read stories offline, make social media posting simpler, manage your web passwords and a whole lot more. In this podcast, Jake explores the hidden world of browser add-ons and shares his top five favorites.

Jake's Five Fave Browser Add-Ons:

5. AdBlock Plus - Hides annoying website ads. https://adblockplus.org/

4. Pocket - Saves interesting web content to read later. https://getpocket.com

3. Hootsuite - Easily post web stories and photos to your social media sites. https://hootsuite.com/

2. Evernote Webclipper - Saves web content to your Evernote account. https://evernote.com/webclipper

1. LastPass - Securely saves all your web passwords. https://lastpass.com/f?295206

Honorable Mentions:

- Great Suspender (Chrome)

- Suspend Tab (Firefox)

- Ghostery

- NoScripts

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com.

If you are like most people, you have at least one old computer in your home or business collecting dust and taking up room. In this podcast, Jake discusses selling, donating or recycling your old computers so you can get the most money for it and your data won't fall into the wrong hands. He also gives tips on how to re-purpose your old computer for data backup, file/folder storage or as a media server

Resources:

File/folder secure erase (Win): http://eraser.heidi.ie/

File/folder secure erase (Win, Mac, Linux): http://www.killdisk.com/eraser.htm

Whole disk wipe (all): http://www.dban.org/

OwnCloud file storage and data backup: https://owncloud.org/

Plex media server: https://plex.tv

Kodi media server: https://kodi.tv

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com.

Cortana is a Microsoft's personal digital assistant for Windows 10 which can prove to be very helpful. Jake discusses how to effectively use incorporate Cortana into your daily computer habits and make you life more efficient. He also shows you how some Cortana tricks. Cortana is available with Windows 10 on your desktop or Windows mobile phone.

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com.

A crypto virus can really ruin your day. They are a form of ransomware which encrypts your data then demands a ransom be paid to the cyber-crooks to get your files back. But you can avoid crypto viruses by knowing how to identify them and taking a few steps to avoid infection and quickly recover your files if you do get infected.

Music courtesy of 8 Bit Weapon: www.8bitweapon.com.