Episode 1260 February 7, 2016

Audience Questions

Audience QuestionsHour 1

How can I upgrade my whole family to Windows 10?

Watch Bob from Detroit, MI Comments

Bob has been dubbed the family tech support guy and he has to upgrade all of his family member's computers. Leo says that Microsoft is going to soon force all Windows 7 and above users to upgrade to Windows 10. Bob has effectively done that with his family, pushing them to upgrade to the latest versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8 to prepare for it.

Leo says that there is a tool called the GWX Control Panel which is one user's response to prevent the forced upgrade until they're ready. It disables the upgrade to Windows 10 utility.

But in the long run, it's to everyone's advantage to upgrade to Windows 10, especially for Security. One thing Bob can do is run the Windows 10 compatibility checker beforehand. But mostly, tell everyone that upgrading is for their own good.

How can I tag everyone in all my pictures?

Watch John from Oceanside, CA Comments

John has uploaded photos from his DVDs, backing them up to various services like One Drive, etc. Now he wants to tag them. How can he get his mom to look at them so she can tell them who they are?

Leo says that Google Photos is the best option. He can create a shareable album that everyone can add to and the facial recognition will tag all the other photos once he tags one.

Why does my webcam crash?

Watch Brennan from Dallas, TX Comments

Brennan has Windows 10, but his webcam app is crashing. Leo has a hunch that there's a driver issue, and that going to the manufacturer website and updating all the drivers would solve it.

Leo also says to try another program that can use the camera to see if it works. If it doesn't, then it's definitely the camera driver. If it doesn't crash, then it's the camera app that's causing the problem.

Audience QuestionsHour 2

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

How can I use an older Android phone on T-Mobile?

Watch David from Los Angeles, CA Comments

David has finally convinced his girlfriend to move over to T-Mobile. Now he's upgrading his Moto and is going with the Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime. Leo says that it's essentially a Samsung Galaxy handset. And for $100, he'll also get a SIM card and removable battery. Dave has also found that it's been upgraded to Lollipop. Leo says that Dave's girlfriend is golden if that's the case.

Dave also noticed that he only gets Edge data when he puts in a SIM card. Leo says that it's likely a setting in Android. He can go online and look up the APN settings for T-Mobile and input them. He should try fast.tmobile.com as the APN. Another option would be to root it with a different ROM like Resurrection Remix. It'll give him Lollipop for the older phone. That may even solve the APN issue.

Why does my phone charge so slowly?

Watch Kyle from Brea, CA Comments

Kyle has an Android phone that is very slow to charge. Leo says that there's more wattage through the plug in adapter than the USB adapter. That's because a wall charger has more amps. He can get a higher wattage charger, which will make it faster. The larger the pipe, the faster he can fill it. Plugging into his computer with a USB cable won't go that fast.

How can I get a Windows 10 recovery disc?

Watch George from Santa Monica, CA Comments

George wants to know how he can get a Windows 10 rescue disc. Leo says they aren't available, but it's easy to make one. Windows 10 has a lot of good recovery options and the best way to do it is to make a recovery USB key.

Press the Windows Key and type "Recovery Media Center." It will then help him to create a recovery drive. Should he do an upgrade or a clean install of Windows 10? Leo says that he can go ahead and upgrade, and then do a clean install. That way Windows 10 is tied to his hardware. Microsoft knows his computer owns Windows 10. Then download the Windows 10 ISO file and he can then install a clean version of Windows 10.

Will upgrading to Windows 10 break my printer?

Watch Glenda from Aliso Viejo, CA Comments

Glenda is concerned about upgrading to Windows 10 because when she upgraded from Vista to Windows 8, she lost the capability to print to her older printer and had to buy a new one. Leo says that upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 8 won't break anything like it did from Vista to Windows 8. It's a more subtle jump.

How long will it take to upgrade? Leo says it depends on her bandwidth, but it shouldn't take longer than an hour.

Audience QuestionsHour 3

Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3

Do I have to upgrade from Windows XP?

Watch Annie from Los Angeles, CA Comments

Annie still uses Windows XP and can't afford a new computer. Leo says that using XP is fine, but she's going to want to use a better browser like Chrome to keep her web surfing more secure. But Google is going to stop supporting XP, so Firefox will be the best. If she's going to keep using XP, here are a few steps to protect herself since Microsoft has stopped supporting it:

1. Stop using XP as an administrator. Use it as a limited user instead. Add an account as an administrator and then demote your existing account to limited user. This will stop over 90% of all the exploits out there.
2. Stop using Internet Explorer. Go with Google Chrome. It's free and far more secure.
3. Don't click on links in email.
4. Only get your software from original vendors.
5. Keep your anti virus software up to date.
6. Stop using Java
7. Use a password vault like LastPass
8. Turn on second factor authentication

How can I get rid of spam in Gmail?

Watch Richard from Westminster, CA Comments

Richard has Gmail and he keeps getting rid of junk email. Leo says that using Apple's Mail utility may not be working well with Gmail, or his Gmail filter may not be working right. Rather than just deleting them, Richard should go to Gmail.com and press the "spam" button on email that he doesn't want. Then Gmail will learn what he considers as spam and stop allowing it. Gmail's spam filters are very good at learning what is spam and filtering it out.

Why can't I get support for the AutoTube video app?

Watch Chris from Miami, FL Comments

Chris had downloaded a video app called AutoTube, and now it doesn't work on Wi-Fi. But he's got problems with other apps as well, and he doesn't get any support replies. Leo says apps don't live forever, and the developers may go out of business.

Why doesn't my rooted phone work right?

Watch Joe from Los Angeles, CA Comments

Joe uses Cricket and he's rooted his Android phone and installed a custom ROM. But some of the hardware doesn't work right. Leo says that's the nature of rooting and ROMs, Sometimes they don't support different hardware. It's not uncommon. Leo suggests Joe try a different mod.

Why does my LG G4 overheat?

Watch Lou from Del Mar, CA Comments

Lou has an LG G4, but it over heats a lot and the battery dies quickly. Leo says that can happen because of an application that keeps running. But Lou says he's had the problem with three different G4s and multiple batteries. When an app won't stop, it just kills the battery and can overwork the processor to the point of overheating. There also can be lemons. When a company makes millions of phones, a certain percentage can end up that way.

Lou could write a letter to the President of LG. They have executive departments dedicated to handling ongoing issues. Absent that, if the company won't return his money, it may be time to contact California's consumer affairs department.

What's a good modern boot manager?

Watch Greg from British Colombia, CAN Comments

Greg has a recommendation for the rEFInd boot manager, which is a fork of the rEFIt project. Leo says he's been looking for a boot manager designed for UEFI and EFI that will work with modern operating systems.

Playlist

Guest appearances

Chris Marquardt on Photography

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Chris Marquardt

Here's the top three images that Chris liked for this month's assignment ... STREET!

This Week in Tech News

Leo Uses TikTok

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August 2, 2020

Leo downloaded and installed TikTok today, to get the experience before the US bans it. Is he worried about his data getting grabbed by the PRC? Not at all. Leo says it's the most creative and fun app going right now. TikTok has been trying to avoid the ban by having a US CEO, hired over 10,000 US jobs, and even courting Microsoft to buy their US operations. But the White House seems in earnest to ban it.

White House to Announce Banning of Tik Tok Social Network

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August 1, 2020

Citing security concerns with Tik Tok, the fastest growing social network in the world, the White House is poised to announce it will ban the app in the US. The app, which includes a lip syncing feature that is very popular with teens and preteens, caused Tik Tok to catapult to the number one social network in the US. The feds are concerned that the Chinese owned Tik Tok is a security concern for spying on US users, and many banks, companies and government agencies have banned it's use on emplotee phones. Leo also thinks that users of Tik Tok used the app to coordinate signing up for tickets to a Trump Rally in Tulsa, and then didn't show up.

Th parent company, ByteDance, which owns Tik Tok, has been working on a deal to sell the US operations of the app to Microsoft in order to get around the ban. But Leo also says that comes with it's own minefield of issues from politics to political correctness.

Meanwhile, the leading tech giants for Apple, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and Google were summoned to Congress to testify on their efforts to weed out so called Fake News. Many in Congress believe that those companies are engaging in a one sided campaign of censorship before the election.

Researchers Announce New Quantum Internet

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July 26, 2020

Researchers have announced a theoretical new internet known as the Quantum Internet, which will use quantum entanglement to connect computers without a physical connection. And the government is investing $500-700 million a year to make it a reality. Researchers also claim that because of the nature of photons to connect, there will be absolute security with no means to hack into it, thanks to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.

But early designs of quantum computers already connected to each other using fiber optics. But isn't that a connection? Basically, Leo snarks that it's "magic!" And since the project is in a very early stage of development, Leo thinks it's largely vaporware and will be for years to come.

Ransomware hits huge international conglomerates

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July 26, 2020

Norsk-Hydro, a huge international conglomerate was hit with ransomware, costing the company $60 million. The malware came from an innocent email that had been intercepted and altered to include malware that infected the network when opened. Encrypting all data. The malware infected the company in December but wasn't triggered until March. Norsk-Hydro had a cyber insurance policy that consistently tests the network, but they were infected anyway. The company decided not to pay and relied on backups to restore their network. But the damage had been done as the network was down for weeks.

Garmin has also been hit by the same ransomware, and the hackers are demanding $10 million to unlock it. And the company is believed to be considering paying the ransom, which the FBI says is a bad idea because there's no stopping them from being attacked again.

Who's doing this? Leo says that an Organized Crime syndicate known as Fin16 is behind the attacks.

Microsoft Announces New Games and online gaming service

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July 25, 2020

Microsoft announced some new versions of old games at their annual Xbox Games Showcase including Tetris and Halo Infinite. Microsoft is also making all their games available through Microsoft Game Pass, a monthly subscription service. Leo also says that Microsoft is also working on a new streaming game service, codenamed XCloud, which won't require a game platform. Users will play anywhere on any device, as the game servers will do all the work.