Rick's Daily Tips

Scam alert: Don’t click links in emails or on social media about the Olympics!

Posted on January 12, 2022

The Olympic Games are a worldwide spectacle that attract the attention of billions of people around the globe during the two week period when the games are underway.

Unfortunately, that two week period is also one of the most lucrative times for hackers and scammers to practice their dirty deeds.

Chances are you’ve already received emails and seen social media posts with links to Olympics related web pages and videos. If so, I hope you haven’t clicked on the links because virtually all of those emails and web pages are fraudulent and dangerous. [Read more…]

Q&A: Why can’t my daughter use her own router in her dorm room?

Posted on January 8, 2022

Question from Gretchen.: My daughter started college this fall and she’s living on campus.

When she received her dorm assignment they also gave her a list of rules that she must follow.

One of those rules is she cannot use her own router in her dorm room. They told her she has to use the campus Wi-Fi network instead because a private router could cause problems with the school’s network.

Why is that? [Read more…]

See an aerial view of your house with Google Earth

Posted on January 7, 2022

Have you ever wondered what your house and property look like from the air?

Well, it’s easy to find out using Google Earth.

All you need to do is enter your street address into the Google Earth search box to see an aerial view of your home.

Just follow the steps below for the device you’re using.

If you’re using a laptop or desktop computer: [Read more…]

Q&A: Can I login to Windows 11 without having to enter a password?

Posted on January 6, 2022

Question from Ronald: I recently bought my first computer with Windows 11 on it.

I guess it’s ok overall but there are a few things that irritate me, one of which is how it forces me to enter a password every time I turn on the computer.

I don’t really need a password because I live alone and I’m the only person who has access to this computer.

Is it possible to make Windows 11 boot straight to the Desktop without needing to enter a password? [Read more…]

What to do if your hotel room has a weak WiFi signal

Posted on January 4, 2022

If you do a lot of traveling you have probably found yourself stuck in a hotel room with a weak WiFi signal on more than one occasion.

Several variables control the strength of the WiFi signals in any building, and many older hotels (and even some newer ones) have rooms with weak signals and poor connections.

If you really need to use the Internet during your stay, there are several things you can try in order to get a better connection when you’re stuck in a room with a poor WiFi signal: [Read more…]