Rick's Daily Tips

Still running QuickTime for Windows on your PC? You need to remove it ASAP.

Posted on April 15, 2016

A couple of well-respected online security firms have reported that there are at least two critical security holes in the latest version of Apple’s QuickTime media player.

What’s more, Apple has reportedly told those firms that QuickTime will be deprecated (aka abandoned) in the very near future so they won’t be releasing any new security patches for it.

I won’t go into the technical details of how these known security holes can allow hackers to break into your system, but just be aware that they can. If you’re interested in reading about those technical details, you’re invited to click here and here. [Read more…]

How to prevent Windows 10 from automatically downloading Windows Updates

Posted on April 13, 2016

disable-automatic-windows-updates-windows-10 In case you haven’t noticed, Microsoft really wants your PC to download and install all available Windows Updates automatically.

Personally, I don’t mind that because I always keep a current backup of my PC’s hard drive on hand in case something goes wrong.

But that being said, I know that plenty of other folks prefer having Windows simply notify them that updates are ready, then download and install them manually at a time of their choosing. I totally understand that.

If you happen to prefer downloading and installing your Windows Updates manually, you can easily force Windows 10 to accept your decision and give you that freedom. Just follow the instructions below: [Read more…]

Beware: New strains of ransomware won’t require you to click anything!

Posted on April 12, 2016

scam Last week’s RicksDailyTips Weekly Newsletter explained why ransomware is so dangerous and gave you some tips for avoiding it. Well, things are about to get even worse.

Researchers at Cisco Talos have learned that new strains of ransomware will soon begin spreading like traditional viral “worms” without requiring the victims to click on a link.

In other words, the infection will occur automatically, with no user interaction required. [Read more…]

Review: LG gram 15Z960 i7 15.6″ Laptop

Posted on April 11, 2016

lg-gram-15z960-laptop In my humble opinion, a modern laptop should be blazing fast and have a large screen, yet be comfortably light and compact.

The computer manufacturers are getting better at designing machines that meet this goal, and whenever I see one that looks promising I’m always eager to spend some time checking it out.

I recently had the opportunity to put the new LG gram 15Z960 i7 15.6″ laptop through its paces, and while it isn’t perfect (does a “perfect” laptop even exist?), I found it to be a very good machine that easily meets the fast CPU/large screen/lightweight/compact criteria mentioned above. [Read more…]

Q&A: How do I put a password on my notes in the Apple Notes app?

Posted on April 11, 2016

Question from Ellis H.: I know that Apple now lets us put a password on our notes in the Apple Notes app, but I can’t figure out how to do it on my iPhone.

I mainly use the app on my iPhone 5S, but every now and then I use it on my MacBook too.

I figured out how to password a note on my MacBook, but not on my phone. How do I do it?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Rick’s answer: [Read more…]