Hello, and welcome…
Rick’s Daily Tech Tips Update for Friday, April 5, 2024
Topics covered in this issue…
• Stop Windows 11 from tracking your every move
• Phone-based customer service and tech support is often horrible (by design)
• Q&A: Aren’t smartphones really just small computers?
• Video: Sensitive Souls perform “Keep on the Sunny Side”
• April’s Tech Tips Giveaway: Anker 521 300W Portable Power Station
Today’s issue is sponsored by…
Maria Fontana – Growing aligned businesses and shifting mindsets for extraordinary entrepreneurs.
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Monthly Tech Giveaway….
We have a winner for March…
Congratulations to Teresa G. from McKinney, Texas for winning the HP Pavilion 17.3″ HD+ Laptop in March’s Tech Tips Giveaway.
April’s winner will receive an Anker 521 300W Portable Power Station (click for details).
The prizes featured in my Monthly Tech Giveaways include a combination of the best items I have received for testing and review and brand new items provided directly by partner companies.
All winners are selected at random. All Standard subscribers have an equal chance to win. All Premium subscribers have double the chance to win (their email addresses are added to the pot twice).
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Today’s featured tech tip….
Stop Windows 11 from tracking your every move
Recent Windows versions are quite aggressive at tracking the things you do with your PC, both locally and online.
And as you might expect, Windows 11 does it big time.
For example, your Windows 11 machine takes note of the websites you visit, the ads you engage with and the things you search for in order to develop a customer profile on you.
They then use that detailed information to target you with personalized ads and for various other uses.
Most users are unaware that this tracking is even taking place, and some of those who are aware don’t really mind it. And truth be told, there are some who even like it.
Personally, I’m not a fan of being tracked by my computer in any way and having that information “phoned home” to Microsoft and their third-party advertising partners.
If you feel the same way, you can easily disable most of the tracking that’s taking place with just a few quick mouse clicks. Here’s how:
1 – Right-click on the Start button and then select Settings.
2 – In the left-hand pane, click Privacy & security.
3 – In the right-hand pane, find the “Windows permissions” section and click General.
4 – Toggle every setting displayed there to Off.
5 – Click the left-pointing arrow in the top-left corner of the Settings window to return to the previous screen.
6 – Return to the “Windows permissions” section and click Diagnostics & feedback.
7 – Click Diagnostic data and toggle every setting displayed there to Off.
8 – Click the X in the top-right corner of the window to exit the Settings app.
That’s all there is to it. You have now disabled all of Windows 11’s most egregious tracking tools.
There are still other more subtle tracking tools in use that cannot be disabled. However, the ones you disabled above will go a long way towards protecting your privacy while using your Windows 11 machine.
The latest from Rick’s Daily Tips Tech Blog…
• Phone-based customer service and tech support is often horrible
And it’s by design.
• Q&A: Aren’t smartphones really just small computers?
This post has my answer.
• Click here to see today’s ‘Picture of the Day’.
Every morning I post a new photo that I find inspiring, intriguing, or just plain beautiful to look at. Jumpstart your day by checking it out.
Rick’s Daily Pick…
Mecheer Watt Power Meter / Home Electrical Usage Monitor
Has your electric bill been a lot higher than usual in recent months? If so you might be wondering which 120 volt appliances and gadgets are consuming the most electricity.
This little gem will help you quickly find out so you can potentially manage their usage a bit in order to reduce your power bill.
Today’s post from ‘My Daily Smile’…
Video: Sensitive Souls perform “Keep on the Sunny Side”
A wonderful performance of one of my favorite songs.
Tech news that caught my eye…
• The Disney Plus password-sharing crackdown starts in June
• ChromeOS brings customization for keyboard shortcuts
• Microsoft may have finally made quantum computing useful
• Microsoft reveals subscription pricing for using Windows 10 beyond 2025
• Facebook’s new video player takes inspiration from TikTok
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Thanks so much, and have an amazing day.
Your tech buddy,
Rick Rouse
https://www.ricksdailytips.com