Techno babel, decoded.

We have all been through this scenario (or similar one) where you are using your phone for several months or several years and then it just slips out of your hand and despite the nice case you bought, the screen shatters and you need to get it replaced.  Now people like ME, remind you CONSTANTLY to BACKUP YOUR DATA.  So before you take it into the store for repair you need to backup your phone.   A lot of stores will charge you now to backup and restore your data. But you don't need them.  As long as the phone powers on and is recognized by your computer, YOU can backup your own data. If you screen is shattered really badly and you could risk cutting yourself or swiping your finger across would pull small glass pieces out, then perhaps a temporary layer of saran wrap to hold it together until you get it fixed. Now, backing up your phone. iOS (iPhone any version.) Connect it to your computer, go into iTunes and select backup.  Android: This...

The IRS scammers are getting bolder.  They are leaving voicemail on people's phones.  I got one a couple days ago.  I wanted to call back and waste their time, but I don't have the time myself.  I may subscribe to the service that does it with a bot. But please know, the IRS will NEVER call you! They only send written notices! The only time they will initiate a call is if you have already called them and they are calling you for an appointment you made with them previously. Anyone who calls you claiming to be from the IRS is lying! If you have the inclanation mess with them.  Keep them on the phone until they are cussing and screaming at you.  That is 100% proof they are not IRS agents.  IRS representatives will not threaten or curse or demean you. On the rare occasion I manage to talk to a scammer I keep them on the phone and make up things as I go to piss them off.  One day I'll catch it on vidov for purely entertaining purposes....

This is the first follow up to this post Getting into IT. .  You want to get into IT support because it is a great field with lots of career options and good pay? Okay, I'll help you. What does IT support do? Mostly, reset passwords.  (No I'm not being facetious!) We spend a lot of time resetting passwords, fixing weird problems with user accounts or user profiles.  Adjusting permissions.  Or just letting users know that they need to update to a newer version because they have hit a bug. You will also need to be empathetic when they cry because they didn't have backups and lost their photos. (Been there, done that, but I had backups for most so I lost very little.) You need to understand the basics of what a computer is how the different components connect and the differences between hardware, operating system, and software as you may be troubleshooting in all of these areas.  You also need to be willing and able to use google and bing all the time...

Today we take a little time to remember those who are no longer with us. We honor those we lost in service to our country. To those who served in our armed forces and those who still serve, THANK YOU!

Not really cash back, but money back.  There are a myriad of sites out there to get you cash or usually points to exchange for cash back on purchases. I'm going to list a handful that I have used and come to trust over the years. Ebates - earn rebates for online purchases. Bing Rewards (microsoft) - Numerous ways to earn rewards. Swagbucks - can shop and earn through their site, print coupons, and earn from watching ads. Befrugal - Cash back, online coupons Ibotta (app)  - coupons and cash back via gift cards, codes, or paypal. receipt hog (app) -submit paper receipt photos to earn points towards gift cards or paypal deposit. You used to be able to stack multiple sites on the same purchase however the web devs have caught on and now only 1 cookie at a time works, so find the site that offers the highest rebate on the purchase.   I once got $98 back on an $800 purchase from Dell through Ebates.  Also, a bit of advice, only use these if you were pla...

Here we take a high level overview of windows parental controls. This is a follow up post to : Are your children safe on the internet? On Windows 10 and newer you will create a microsoft account for your child which also creates an email address for them.   You can then use this one account across any windows devices like PC's, tablets, Xbox, or windows mobile (are those still around?).  So for your children you will need to go into each of the above highlighted in yellow. Here you can see what your child has been doing on the activity screen, what they search, where they browse, what they play and how much screen time they have. Now the content Screen.   THIS IS CRUCIAL.   Microsoft and others work really hard to create age appropriate content and created rating systems and tools to help us limit children to age/developmental appropriate content.  The features on this page (2 images) are rich and can be explored in detail but...

So there are many ways into information technology but the primary paths are Security. Support. Development. Each have their own characteristics. At a very high level here are the considerations you want to take into account when looking at potential career paths.   This is basically me outlining the next few days of posts. Security:  - You are trying to balance availability, integrity and confidentiality.    You need to think about always providing least amount of access to a user or group of users to be able to do their job.     Ensure that data is not stolen or manipulated.    Make sure data is available for use when needed by the users who need it. Support:  Make sure things keep working or fix them when they break.    System administration - build and maintain servers that support business applications or processes.    System engineering - Designing infrastructure and hardware/software requi...