Rick's Daily Tips

Do you use Hulu? If so, it’ll stop working on June 24 if you have an older Roku device.

Posted on June 13, 2020

Do you have an older Roku device that you use to watch TV via Hulu?

If so, your Hulu entertainment just might come to an abrupt halt on June 24, 2020.

According to this post from our friends at ArsTechnica, Hulu will be dropping support for Roku devices that were manufactured in 2012 and earlier on that date.

I couldn’t find a list of the specific Roku models that are set to be abandoned, but this Hulu support page lists the Roku devices that will work continue to work with Hulu after the 24th.

If you’d rather not click through to the Hulu page, here’s a list of the devices they say will still be supported (with a firmware update): [Read more…]

Q&A: Can you help me find a Windows 10 printer driver for my printer?

Posted on June 13, 2020

Question from Sara J.: I recently bought a new Windows 10 computer to replace my old Windows 7 machine.

Today I tried using my Lexmark printer with the new computer for the first time but it’s not working right.

When I try to print something the printer makes a clicking noise like it’s going to start printing but it never prints anything.

I think I might need to download a new printer driver but the latest driver that’s listed on the Lexmark website is for Windows 8.1.

Can you help me find a Windows 10 driver for this printer? It’s been a good one and I’d like to keep using it if I can.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]

Scam alert: Be careful when downloading free software with an ad blocker enabled

Posted on June 12, 2020

Whether this actually fits into the “scam” category is probably debatable, but in my opinion it fits into it fairly well.

There are countless free software programs and apps on the Internet, and many of them are simply outstanding. In fact, I recommend free programs to my readers all the time.

But that being said, there’s one huge problem with some free download sites: It’s easy to unknowingly download unwanted “add-on” software if you aren’t diligent about checking the download page for offers for “optional” programs and apps. [Read more…]

Scam alert: Beware the ubiquitous ‘Ray Ban Sunglasses Discount’ scam posts that are making the rounds on social media

Posted on June 10, 2020

I’ve recently noticed a major increase in the number of scam posts claiming to offer Ray Ban sunglasses at huge discounts, often at up to 90% off.

These Ray Ban discount scams have been making the rounds for years, but typically just a few here and there at any given time.

But right now it seems they’re everywhere.

These Ray Ban scams take many forms, but most of them involve a simple image similar to the one below: [Read more…]

Warning: This malicious photo being spread on social media could ‘brick’ your smartphone!

Posted on June 2, 2020

If it seems like the scammers of the world are getting more devious by the day, it’s because they are.

While Facebook, Twitter and many other popular social media sites are constantly being used as world-wide playgrounds for the miscreants, the ease with which they can can cause harm to innocent people grows by the day.

The latest dangerous scam involves posting a simple photo with accompanying text telling you to set the photo as your phone’s wallpaper image.

Just so you’ll know what to look for, this is the malicious image being spread that’s causing all the mayhem (DO NOT set it as your phone’s wallpaper!): [Read more…]