News
Your Router at Home May NOT be Protecting You!
A new flaw in how your average home router connects to other devices within the network has been discovered and may expose your entire home network (meaning all your computers) to a bad guy.
A “FEATURE” in newer routers is the ability to easily connect your devices like computers or printers to the network. This feature is called WPS – Wi-Fi Protected Setup. This problem is that you’re not so protected. Because of the way it was set up, it is not difficult at all for someone to figure out how to connect to your “secured” network.
The good news is that if your router is 3 or more years old, it probably doesn’t have WPS and you don’t have to worry, but many of the new routers have this feature.
To be safe you should log into your router and DISABLE WPS in the router, now you can keep the bad guys out (assuming you’re NOT using WEP encryption, but that’s another article.)
So if your router has a button on the front for easily connecting to another device you need to log into the router and turn that feature off. If you’re not sure if you’re vulnerable or not sure, then call your favorite computer professional and have them turn off WPS on your router. If they don’t understand why, then you need a new professional handling your computer issues.
Hollywood is Mad at Obama
If there is any doubt as to whether Hollywood is driving the SOPA and PIPA bills in the U.S. Congress, just read this article published at FoxNews.com. A former senator is threatening President Obama if he doesn’t support the bills. Here’s the link to the article: http://goo.gl/F6xRN
STOP CENSORSHIP!
I won’t spend much time on this. You may have noticed a lot of web sites today looking different (like Google and Wikipedia), they are protesting today.
What are they protesting? There is a bill in the House of Representatives called SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) that if passed will break how the Internet operates and will 
give private companies (in the music, television and movie industries) the right to have your web site taken down if they don’t like it. They went to Washington D.C. with BAGS of money saying “stop the pirates – we’re going broke.” So the bill (and it’s sister bill PIPA in the Senate) takes due process OUT of the equation. If they SAY you’re stealing – your site goes down. If they don’t want you going to an overseas site, you won’t be able to get there. That’s the practice in China, North Korea and Iran! As an American I want the FREEDOM to go to any website I want to. If a website is engaged in illegal activity, I want law enforcement dealing with it, not Hollywood.
Look, stealing copyrighted material is wrong, but this is like having your car taken away permanently for going 5 mph over the speed limit – now you can’t work or make a living. And this is the government giving the POWER to the media companies. How would you feel if Randall’s had the power to prevent you from going to HEB for your groceries?
This is not based in any one political party – pinheads on both sides are supporting it (money speaks Republican AND Democrat.) I’ll stop by saying I’m totally ashamed and disappointed that my own Republican congressman here in Texas Lamar Smith is the HEAD of the committee that is pushing this. There are plenty of sites to go to for more information, you can go to http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa, https://blacklist.eff.org/?action_KEY=8173.
Love a Good Rumor? How About the Next iPad?
NO ONE is better than keeping a secret than Apple, so NOTHING creates more interest than a rumor about what the next Apple device might be. Bloomberg reported Friday about a fully HD iPad with a quad-core (that means FOUR built-in processors) and 4G wireless speeds. Follow the link to read Bloomberg’s article.
Thank You to My Clients and Readers
I would like to take a minute to thank all of my clients and readers who come to this page to keep up on technology news and tips to (hopefully) make your digital life a little easier and safer. Without you I’d be working in a grey cubicle from 8-5 for a company that in spite of the usual corporate benefits, would not be nearly as rewarding and certainly wouldn’t help you a bit. Instead – I get to come into your home (either in real life or through this blog) and help make your computing life a little bit better and over time even save you money.
I love my job and am thankful for the opportunity you’ve given me to help yourselves and others not only enjoy their digital tools, but to help keep you safe using them as well.
Have a very happy new year and it’s my prayer 2012 will be an even better year than 2011.
Laurie Scott
Verizon Wireless Backs Down From $2 Fee
If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer, you may not know that yesterday they announced that starting next month they would institute a $2 fee for customers who used their “one-time payment” feature online. The goal was to get customers to sign up for auto-pay using a credit or debit card. Well, word got out and enough people loudly complained that Verizon has already backed down and won’t be doing it.
If you want to read more about it, here a link to the Reuters article: http://goo.gl/vkeiA
Internet Explorer to Get Auto-Updates in 2012
Following in the footsteps of Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft is going to automatically update users to the most recent version of Internet Explorer starting in January. The more recent versions of Internet Explorer is 8 for Windows XP users and 9 for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users.
Up to this point, the latest versions were not “forced” upon users, but in an effort to keep its users on the most current (and theoretically most secure) version they are changing that.
Users of Windows XP will get upgraded to Internet Explorer 8 if they are not already using it, users of Vista and 7 will get upgraded to IE9 (Internet Explorer 9 isn’t compatible with XP.)
If you’re still using Internet Explorer 6 or 7 what you will notice is a streamlining of the top menu bars – leaving more room for the actual web page but your “links” toolbar and even the familiar menu bar with “File – Edit – View” etc. might disappear and you’ll need to do a little work to bring them back. I’ll write a post here before the end of the year with step-by-step instructions on how get your familiar look back (if you want it of course.)
Are Your Updates Installed (did you know they were even delivered?)
Yesterday was the 2nd Tuesday of the month – so Microsoft pushed their updates for Windows out to you. If you don’t know, you might see an icon in your task tray just waiting for you to click on it – but to be sure you can click on your start button, click on “Programs” and up toward the top you should see “Windows Update”. Click on it and see if there are any updates you need to install on your computer. If you leave your computer on 24/7 and auto-update is turned on then your computer is probably already up to date. But if your computer is off then you may not have yet received the updates – so go check and if you need them don’t wait! Download and install them.
In addition to Microsoft’s updates, Adobe has recently updated it’s Flash player and Oracle has updated Java, so be on the lookout for those icons as well.
Can You Spot the Fake? You Better!
The folks at OpenDNS put together a great little quiz to see if you can tell if 14 web pages are fakes or the real thing. It’s simple – just look at the page and click either Phish (for fake) or Real. You need to know how to spot phishing sites because they want login information to your email, social networking and financial web sites. I get a gold star for getting 14 out of 14 right the very first time. Take the test and let me know how you did: http://goo.gl/0lUmT
ATT Wireless Ranks LAST in Customer Satisfaction
In 2010, Consumer Reports reported AT&T Wireless last in customer satisfaction among not only the four major carriers (ATT, Verizon, Spring and T-Mobile) but with very small regional carriers as well. Carriers like U.S. Cellular and Credo beat out AT&T as well. Wired.com has an article with all the details. Check it out here: http://goo.gl/FGS0Z
Buying an iPad 2 for Christmas? Hold On–You Just Might Want the Asus Transformer Prime
For starters, you have to admit (whether you know it or not) there CURRENTLY are a lot more apps available for the iPad than for Android-based tablets. That being said, Android is quickly catching up (after all, how may flashlight apps do you need?) Asus has announced that their Transformer Prime tablet will be available on December 19, just in time to get it before Christmas.
Why would you want one you ask? Well for starters, it will be the first quad-core tablet on the market (that means it will have four processors handling the tasks currently handled usually by one processor.) The Transformer series by Asus also has a keyboard that you can dock with making it much more like a netbook AND as a bonus has an additional battery giving you even more time to use your Transformer without having to plug in.
Engadget did a thorough review of the Transformer Primer – check it out here: http://goo.gl/wiPmw
Posted in News, Smartphones/Tablets | Tags: ASUS Transformer Prime, iPad, iPad2, tablets | 
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Google Music is LIVE and FREE to Everyone!
Google announced today that Google Music is now live and open to everyone. Google Music lets you to upload up to 20,000 of your songs to their server for free. From there you can stream it to your phone or another computer anywhere.
Not a big deal you say, well you’re pretty much right. But then they up’d the ante by announcing that you can buy music at music.google.com, and they are the highest quality .mp3’s at 320Kbs. When you buy a song on Google music, it automatically gets added to your online storage and if you wish, you can “Share” it on Google+ and everyone in your circles can play the whole song once for free. They if they like it it’s easy to purchase – but they get to hear the WHOLE song first and not some little 30 second snippet.
And if you’re a musician, well they just may have put MySpace out of business because they are setting up a special area for independent artists where they can upload their own original work and make it available in Google Music just like the big boys and give them a lot of control over price, preview length and more. There is an interactive tour you can take at http://goo.gl/NupKT. Check out Google Music, a great way to have all your music with you wherever you are, and you can’t beat the price.
Apple is Recalling 1st Generation iPod Nanos
When the first iPod Nano was introduced – it was a hot item. Well, now it’s REALLY a hot item because some of the first generation models have developed a problem with the battery overheating and creating a safety hazard. Apple has decided to recall and replace the iPod Nanos that were manufactured between September 2005 and December 2006. If your Nano has a plastic black or white front and a silver metal back, that’s a first generation Nano. Apple has a page when you can enter your serial number and begin the replacement process. Apple will replace it with a new one (what isn’t known if that’s a new 1st generation or a current model.) If you do send yours in for replacement, BE SURE to back it up with iTunes before sending it, or you may lose everything that was on it. Here’s the link to Apples iPod Nano replacement page: http://goo.gl/0xG7w
Check Your Facebook Security (Yes, AGAIN!)
Facebook is almost evil for how they are always mucking around with your security settings. I checked mine and what do you know? They had changed! Things that were once marked for Friends (or my eyes) only were now marked “Everyone”. So whether you’re reading this directly on my blog (tek-chic.com/blog), on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Google+, go NOW to your Facebook page and click the down arrow in 
the upper right corner and click on “Privacy Settings”. This will take you to a page (that has changed since I was last there) and go through each and every item to make sure it is STILL what your thought it was. I recommend you keep most things to your “Friends”. Making information about yourself to “Friends of Friends” or worse “Everyone” makes more information about you available to the world than you probably would like if we ran through it line by line.
Facebook makes its money by selling YOU, literally. Information about you is worth money and the more information about you they can sell, the happier they are. Take control of your personal privacy and check those settings now.
Hold the Phone! Unlimited EVERYTHING for $19/mo
I know, it’s hard to believe, but it IS possible to have a smartphone that gives you UNLIMITED calling, UNLIMITED text and UNLIMITED data for only $19 a month. How is this possible you ask? It’s leveraging the power of wi-fi. There is a new company called Republic Wireless that’s hoping to change how you feel about wireless companies. The usual cell phone carriers charge you so much because it it expensive to operate cell phone towers that can handle all the voice traffic, not to mention the ever increasing text and data traffic.
Well, Republic Wireless has turned everything around by leveraging the economy of wi-fi (which is already paid for) and using it in ALL cases before using the cell phone wireless network. Their thinking is since wi-fi is almost always faster than a 3G and in many cases even a 4G connection, why not use wi-fi to handle not only the text and data, but the actual phone calls as well.
I can’t speak to how well it works in practice, but it’s a novel idea and could easily save me $600 a year, so I’m certainly going to look into it further. Their web site is RepublicWireless.com, check it out here: http://goo.gl/BUPFg