Important Reminder
Ah, January. . . when the mail brings tax statements instead of holiday cards. As you gather financial records, remember: regular email is not secure or private. NEVER send unprotected private information such as social security numbers or financial statements by email. The good news is that you can password-protect most documents for free; instructions here.
Gmail, Explained!
New on our YouTube channel: a series of tutorials for Gmail users with something for everyone, from managing your Inbox through search techniques, using labels and turning off Smart Compose.
Cell Phone News
Verizon will FINALLY start offering free robocall protection for wireless customers in March–two years after the other carriers. Better late. . .
Apple brought back arguably their best-value iPhone, the SE, as a clearance item at $249. It sold out in a hot minute, and no word if more are coming, but rumor has it that the SE 2 will be out in July. At the other extreme, phones with folding screens are expected this year—at six times that price.
Farewell, Mozy (*sniff*)
One of our longtime favorite backup products, Mozy, has been bought by a competitor, Carbonite; details here. PAID Mozy accounts will be honored through their expiration dates, reportedly; no word on what happens to free accounts, but we expect they’ll pull the plug sometime soon. Luckily, iDrive still offers a free backup account with even more space than Mozy.
phish·ing /ˈfiSHiNG/ noun
the fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from
reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal
personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers.
Even experts are falling for phishing attacks these days. Google is fighting back, with this quick (and challenging!) quiz to help you spot fakes. Try it!
No funny cigarettes here
Voice recognition has improved enormously in the last few years–Google Assistant famously made a haircut appointment last summer— but its failures can be entertaining. Pictured, left, is the result when I told Alexa to add “Shredded Wheat” to my grocery list.
FYI, New Yorkers
A bit off topic but since most of you are New Yorkers, check out this fascinating (and fun) video on congestion pricing–which looks likely to pass in Albany this year.
Alison Holtzschue
and the computers dot mom team
