Many of you either know or have determined that I’m a longtime Apple fan. I use their software and hardware almost exclusively and have since I’ve been 11 years old. That was that age when my folks bought us an Apple II+ computer, forever changing my life. I got so enamored with this new kind of technology — a desktop computer!!! — that I taught myself the BASIC coding language and… never really looked back.

I’ve come to trust Apple because — for the most part — my purchases from them have lasted long, worked well, were always easy to use, and worthwhile investments. I still have my original iPhone and iPod because, for me, those two products are works of art, devices which captured the imagination of the entire world and changed the landscape of technology for generations to come. …

This piece will provide you with some of the best tools and practices to help anchor your virtual meetings whether you’re a teacher, a manager, a technologist, or just a good worker bee. The goal is to set you up for success and to make you feel like you’ve mastered all of the basics and intermediate skills when it comes to being in front of a computer with a camera. So… let’s dig in!

The technology you own and use matters. So does the way you set it up. So let’s talk about what products you should consider owning AND how best to use it. …

The Background

I became a dad in December of 2018. As a human, I was delighted, astounded, and excited to spend time with my son. As a technologist, I wanted to see how I could use tech to simplify my life while being with him. I started with the powerful computer in my pocket: my iPhone 7+.

I wanted an easy way to answer calls and listen to music/podcasts that didn’t include my son getting tangled up in wires, cords, or adding weight around my neck. …

The Background

From time to time, we’re told that we should Google ourselves. This is even more true before a job interview or any other important meeting. Why? Simple: it’s best to know what’s publicly available about us on the Internet. If there’s any information that’s embarrassing or damning out there, it’s best to know about it before others do, so we have the chance to edit or delete it.

Even more important: we should ensure that our contact information isn’t easily obtained online. I don’t want anyone in the world to have easy access to my current home address and phone number, my previous addresses and phone numbers, my auto & real estate loans, or members of my immediate and extended family. …

The Background

We got burglarized three weeks ago. Right in the middle of the Coronavirus lockdown. As if a global pandemic wasn’t enough…

The thieves (we don’t yet know if it was a crew but I’m guessing it was) grabbed two Apple computers from our basement and then fled our home. Three different townhomes in our community were hit, all between the hours of about 2–5am. My wife, our 17-month-old son, and I were all in the house when it happened.

Yeh: scary.

The same pattern played out in the other homes: the robbers broke in, then stole small electronic devices (Apple computers, iPhones, Sony Playstations, etc.) along with any nearby wallets, and fled. No one was hurt and it doesn’t appear that the thieves were interested in violence or confrontations of any kind. …

The Background

First things first: this week — on May 14th, 2020 — The United States Senate voted to allow the FBI to obtain your Internet Browsing History without a search warrant. These powers were part of a larger bill that extended the power of the PATRIOT ACT.

“The legislation hands the government power for warrantless collection of Americans’ web browsing and internet searches, as well as other private information, without having to demonstrate that those Americans have done anything wrong, or even were in contact with anyone suspected of wrongdoing.”

— Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon

Therefore, there’s never been a better time to discuss what a VPN actually is and what it actually does. This article was motivated by a question submitted by one of my subscribers, so thank you: your comments often fuel new topics and explorations. …

The Background

Since my last article, the world has massively changed. Some changes are for the better; some, not so much. On the bright side, people have suddenly realized that we’re all “internet locals” now, so we can hang out together virtually and do some really cool stuff! Musicians are doing free concerts or assembling distributed recordings into neato ukelele videos; adults are attending virtual game nights, artists are creating cool artwork, teachers are porting their classwork into virtual classes and much, much more.

And what do most all of these activities have in common right now? That’s easy: Zoom. Zoom is the name of the application that helps folks to meet-up virtually, video chat, and broadcast webinars. …

The Background

Today’s installment is all about the traps — usually hiding in plain sight — that tech companies use to help us part with more of our privacy and security than we should. We often overlook these seemingly benign requests, so let’s learn how to better identify them so that we can start saying “No!” when we see these requests, OK?

The “Give Us Your Phone Number” Method

Websites — especially “free” social media and networking sites — rely on generating their profit by selling your data to advertisers. It’s a very lucrative business, something I talked about at length in Episode 15. That episode was focused on how the Google ecosystem works. …