Taking screenshots used to be something that would require a third party program. This was especially true if you wanted more sophisticated capabilities, like the ability to annotate screenshots. While there are still third party programs for doing this, many of these features have been integrated right into the Windows and Mac operating system. Here's how to make use of the screenshot features in Windows and Mac.
Using Facebook on a public computer, or even on a friend's computer, can be risky. Facebook stores a cookie in the browser that enables the user to get into the site without actually logging in. This would make it possible for someone else to easily gain access to your account. Instead of avoiding Facebook entirely, there is a way you can still use it and prevent someone else from being able to get in — by using a one-time password.
On Sunday's Tech Guy show, Jason Snell of SixColors.com was filling in for Leo Laporte and shared a tip about managing your Apple ID. Not many people are aware that Apple has a page for doing this at appleid.apple.com. You can change the email addresses and phone numbers associated with your account, add/change your trusted phone number for two factor authentication, change your Apple ID password, change payment and shipping info, and more.
Modern website design may look pretty, but it often comes at the cost of readability. Many websites have light colored text on a light background, such as light grey text on white. If you're frustrated by this new trend, there is something you can do about it on your end to make things easier. Microsoft Windows has a "high contrast" mode, and you can either turn it on permanently in the settings, or you can just toggle it on and off as needed.
On Android, if you have more than one app installed that does the same thing, you'll be given an option of which app to launch whenever you try to perform that task. For instance, if you want to ask Google Assistant to navigate you somewhere, by default it will open Google Maps. If you have Waze installed, it may ask you what maps app to use first. Once you tap "always" when opening one of those apps, however, it will use that app and won't ask you in the future. But that doesn't mean you're stuck using that app as the default forever — there is a way to change this later.
On episode 1385 of The Tech Guy, Leo had seven tips for protecting yourself online without relying on antivirus software at all. Six of these tips come from the acronym "U.P.D.A.T.E." in Mark Goodman's book "Future Crimes," and one of the tips was added by Leo:
If you've noticed that it's been getting harder to read websites lately, you aren't alone. The trend in modern website design has gone in the direction of smaller font sizes and reduced contrast between the text color and the background.
It should go without saying that having a current backup of your computer is an essential preventative measure in case the worst happens. But there's another very simple step you can take that can potentially save you a lot of headache -- create a secondary administrator account. Make sure that account is pure and is in the default Mac or Windows configuration.
Owning a smartphone can often be a balancing act of usage and power conservation. If you're noticing that your phone is draining a lot quicker than usual, however, there is a way you can easily find the culprit. iOS and Android both offer statistics on what apps are using up your battery.
There are a couple of benefits to using your online Microsoft account (Outlook or Live) to sign into Windows 10. On Windows Weekly episode 506 on the TWiT network, Paul Thurrott talked about these benefits, and you can find his article on the subject at thurrott.com.
