NYT on surviving our own digital tech and the (selfish) companies that push it on us

NYT ARTICLE CLICK HERE

DON'T LOG INTO WEBSITES USING FACEBOOK - YOU ARE HACKED!

I have made no secret at http://wehocomputerrepair.com that I hate Facebook for many reasons, not the least of which is they want to know all about you so they can sell that info. One way they learn about you is by helping you log onto other websites. Gee passwords are such a pain are they not? Facebook can help by storing your passwords for all those sites.

That way, when Facebook gets hacked (as they just have) you lose your security at dozens of websites not just FB! You just gave away your internet master key! Fifty million accounts were compromised over 11 days as FB programmers watched almost helplessly.

CNN EXPLAINS: Things could get very ugly. The hackers could be trolls who decide to post a database of millions of people's private messages online for everyone to read. They could be Russian intelligence, gathering information from politicians' personal accounts and then sitting on it until just the right moment to wreak havoc on the midterm or 2020 elections. They could be blackmailers, combing through the messages of high-value targets like politicians, government officials, and wealthy individuals.

Unfortunately you just gotta make up a lot of passwords and write them down in a secure place. Don't save a file on your computer called "passwords" call it something else.

MORE ON THE BREACH: https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-hack-single-sign-on-data-exposed/

For more check out my blog at http://wehocomputerrepair.com/blog_posts_main.htm

Why Facebook is evil by John Oliver at Last Week Tonight: https://youtu.be/OjPYmEZxACM

Robocalls are driving me nuts - how about you?

Are junk phone calls driving you crazy? At http://wehocomputerrepair.com my contact info is public information and boy do losers in India know it! Almost every morning this week my phone has been ringing every ten minutes with spam calls. Sometimes it is a recording and sometimes a live Indian.

What can you do?

1. Forget government help. The do not call list is pointless.

2. If you get a live Indian be sure to talk like Apu on the Simpsons and be really insulting before you hang up.

3. Fight tech with tech - go to the apple store or the google play store and download a "call blocking" program. I use "should I answer" and it is very helpful. Only by reporting these calls to a database can this be stopped.

Unfortunately the US invention of the internet and mobile phones is now being used against us by third world losers who can make phone calls at almost no cost.

For more tech help see my blog at http://wehocomputerrepair.com/blog_posts_main.htm

August is the best time to buy a new computer

Need a new computer? Get it now! Take it from me, Don Myers, proprietor of West Hwd Computer Repair.

August/Sept. is the best time to get a new computer thanks to back to school deals. Otherwise wait till Feb. for after Xmas sales. In Weho you can try shopping at Best Buy or Target, but I recommend Frys Electronics for the best prices and selection. And the craziest store decor, as you can see by the photo below.

For more help shopping for tech and saving $$$ in SoCal check my blog post: http://wehocomputerrepair.com/computer_shopping_west_hollywood.htm

For new Mac laptop owners with bad keyboards

Apple has publicly acknowledged that the butterfly switch keyboards in some MacBook and MacBook Pro computers have given consumers some trouble, and it has launched a new repair service program that promises to fix problems with those keyboards for free, regardless of whether the consumer purchased AppleCare.

SYMPTOMS
Repeating letters
Non-appearing letters
Keys feel sticky or don't respond

MODELS AFFECTED
MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, Early 2015)
MacBook (Retina, 12­-inch, Early 2016)
MacBook (Retina, 12-­inch, 2017)
MacBook Pro (13­-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (13-­inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports)
MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2016)

MacBook Pro (15-­inch, 2017)

Mac laptops are difficult to open or repair on purpose so to fix a single broken key the whole thing must be disassembled and the entire keyboard replaced (at minimum).

Apple, famous for price gouging, rarely does anything for FREE. I recommend anyone who owns the models listed above to contact the local Apple store and make an appointment to have their keyboard replaced whether it is faulty or not.

For more tech help see my website:  http://wehocomputerrepair.com/blog_posts_main.htm

FBI WARNS: REBOOT YOUR ROUTER TO STOP RUSSIAN HACKERS

At http://wehocomputerrepair.com I want my customers to be on alert for a new security threat.

The FBI is advising users of consumer-grade routers and network-attached storage devices to reboot them as soon as possible to counter Russian-engineered malware that has infected hundreds of thousands devices.

Known as VPNFilter, the malware allowed attackers to collect communications, launch attacks on others, and permanently destroy the devices with a single command. The report said the malware was developed by hackers working for an advanced nation, possibly Russia, and advised users of affected router models to perform a factory reset, or at a minimum to reboot.

Unfortunately many people don't know what a router is or where it is in your home.  FIND IT. It is the box you got from your cable or phone company that brings the internet into your home.

1. Pull out the power cord.
2. Wait 20 seconds.
3. Plug it back in.

It may take up to five minutes to come back online.

If you do not do this the virus could:

1. Slow your net connection
2. Attack another computer on the internet
3. Read or manipulate EVERYTHING going in and out of it

That means it could watch everything you do and send false information to you, such as fooling you into thinking your banking website has a false amount of money in an account vs. the true amount.

Best of all is to reset your router completely to factory settings, but that would also reset all wireless networks and passwords, and most people don't know how to deal with this.

FOR MORE:  https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/05/fbi-tells-router-users-to-reboot-now-to-kill-malware-infecting-500k-devices/

For more tech tips go to my blog at http://wehocomputerrepair.com/blog_posts_main.htm

Laptop batteries CAN explode!

https://youtu.be/2Z9190ruyIM

LAPTOPS CAN EXPLODE! Leaving the battery in your laptop all the time while keeping it plugged into the wall all the time is bad! It won't overcharge but heat from the computer wears it out. And being 100% charged for years also wears it out. It is best, if you are actually using the battery, to keep it charged at 40%-80% at all times for longest life.

On rare occasions batteries have even exploded like the defective on in the video below. For more tech tips see my West Hollywood Computer Repair website http://wehocomputerrepair.com/blog_posts_main.htm/

Mac users infected with virus for THIRTEEN YEARS!

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/01/man-charged-in-malware-mystery-that-allegedly-spied-on-mac-users-for-13-years/

MAC USERS GET VIRUSES TOO!  Every mac user should use a virus checker even if they think they are safe.  A "new" THRTEEN YEAR OLD Mac virus called "Fruitfly" has been spying on people. The virus author sat in Ohio monitoring people's behavior using "creepware!"

Prosecutors said defendant Phillip R. Durachinsky used the malware to surreptitiously turn on cameras and microphones, take and download screenshots, log keystrokes, and steal tax and medical records, photographs, Internet searches, and bank transactions. In some cases, Fruitfly alerted Durachinsky when victims typed words associated with porn. The suspect, in addition to allegedly targeting individuals, also allegedly infected computers belonging to police departments, schools, companies, and the federal government, including the US Department of Energy.

For more tech help see my blog at: http://wehocomputerrepair.com/blog_posts_main.htm

Hewlett Packard laptop batteries keep exploding!

Hewlett Packard is not the computer company it once was. Years of layoffs and budget cuts have taken their toll.  Now these idiots are having to recall laptop batteries because they keep exploding!

The potentially affected batteries were shipped with specific HP ProBook (64x G2 and G3 series, 65x G2 and G3 series), HP x360 310 G2, HP ENVY m6, HP Pavilion x360, HP 11 Notebook Computers and HP ZBook (17 G3, 17 G4, and Studio G3) Mobile Workstations sold worldwide from December 2015 through December 2017.

If you own one of the affected computers you can find more info on the recall here:  RECALL INFORMATION

For more help like this go to my tech blog at TECH BLOG.

Expensive screen cleaners are a rip off - just use vinegar!

Expensive screen cleaners for your laptops and TVs are a total rip off. They cost up to $20 a bottle and contain the same soap as in shampoos just watered way down.  Instead, just mix a bit of white vinegar with water and it works just as well!

For more money saving tech tips go to http://www.wehocomputerrepair.com