Google Wants To Surround You With Invisible Assistants

Nov 3, 2019 | Amazon, Android, Apple, Echo, Google, Google Home, hardware, home assistants, photos, Privacy, web_services

Part 1: Ambient Computing – Buzzwords That Are Changing Your World You don’t notice an automatic door when it opens. Google, Amazon, and Apple want to make it so natural to interact with their devices that you don’t even notice that you’re...

Ambient Computing: Buzzwords That Are Changing Your World

Oct 28, 2019 | Amazon, Android, Apple, Echo, Google, Google Home, hardware, home assistants, phone, web_services

(Sonoma County fires: we have evacuated to a safe place and our house is not threatened. All of our thoughts and best wishes go out to those in danger or suffering losses.) Hey Google . . . What time is my flight today? How long will it take to drive to Oakland...

Grammar Are For Winners!

Oct 21, 2019 | Android, Apple, Chrome, Google, Google Drive, mail, Microsoft, Office, Office 365, Outlook, software, Windows10

Need help with spelling and grammar? Of course you do! You already get help with your spelling. Microsoft Word and Outlook automatically fix common errors on the fly as you type, and flag possible misspellings with the familiar wavy line. Your phone auto-corrects your...

How To Use The Archive Button In Outlook

Sep 25, 2019 | Android, Apple, mail, Microsoft, Office, Office 365, Office tips, Outlook

Outlook has an Archive button, right next to the Delete button. You haven’t noticed it because we have trained ourselves for twenty years to let our eyes slide over anything in Outlook that we don’t use. The Archive button appeared a couple of years ago...

Security Tip: Use Authy For Two-Factor Authentication

Sep 19, 2019 | Android, Apple, backup, LastPass, phone, security, web_services

I want to talk to you about two-factor authentication and why you should use Authy to generate codes on your phone. Oh, come on! Don’t give me that look. I know you don’t want to think about this stuff. It’s roughly like having an insurance...

How To Get Rid Of The “Microsoft Account Problem” Notification

Sep 15, 2019 | Android, Microsoft, Windows tips, Windows10

If you get a notification that you have a “Microsoft account problem,” you don’t have a problem and you don’t have to fix anything. You haven’t been hacked and you don’t have a virus. Microsoft is testing your patience. (Update...