websites

Walter has an old Dell i7 laptop that he loaned to a friend. But lately, the Firefox browser won't load a page until you move a mouse and the page pops up. What is that all about? Leo says it sounds like a bug in Firefox that is waiting for an input. It's called a "signal event loop." It may be a failed install of Windows 10 is likely the culprit. So back up the data, wipe the drive, and reinstall Windows 10. That should solve the issue.

Rusty is building a website and wants to know how he can get a good bright orange color for it. Leo says that there's a new standard that supports colors that are "web-safe." But there are over 4 billion shades of colors. But  a shade of orange that is too bright is out of the question, even though any display can handle it.  So talk to the web developer about what they're using. If he's got a websafe mindset, maybe he isn't the developer needed. 

You can also go to this site and get the proper color code.

Jeff's company missed the domain renewal date and then lost the domain. It keeps getting bought up automatically by holding companies. Rich says that cybersquatting is a real thing, and sadly, there's not much that can be done if the domain expires. The only thing one can do is keep an eye on it and hope they forget.

Jeff hates airpods. Leo agrees. They're awful. Very uncomfortable and way too easy to lose. Jeff also gets frustrated that his iPhone always seems to slip into silent mode. Leo says that's why he has a plastic case that has a lip on it, so the switch won't accidentally slip into it. Jeff is also perplexed that he can download a 30-minute chunk of air traffic control animation from WebTrack, but when he downloads another, he loses the first one. How is that happening?

Jim uses Norton Secure VPN, and sometimes his internet website will say "we can't find your server." So he'll turn it off and it works. Leo says that sometimes internet security can get in the way and prevent connecting. The hotel he's connecting to may be blocking VPNs at the server level. But if they're using https, and Google is pushing most sites to do so, then he'll be OK. Just look for a small lock next to the URL. That means the traffic is encrypted. 

Ed is worried that his passwords can be read when he logs into a website. Leo says that's largely why Google is now requiring all websites to be updated with encryption via https. What about apps that use TouchID? Leo says that they are likely supporting encryption too. Leo says that with https everywhere, we are far safer than ever. 

Michele is about to launch a startup, and she has a website for it, but she found out that her website has been copied from another company. What can she do? Leo says that unfortunately, that kind of stealing can't really be prevented. She does have intellectual property copyright and it would help to have that expression on the website to spell it out. But the bottom line is it is difficult to prevent. She could write a cease and desist, but it's kinda like "wack a mole." Shut one down, and another pops up. If they're a well-known company, she can shame them or threaten to sue.

Jacob runs a website that monitors the Ebola outbreak in Africa. Nobody seems to be paying attention to the issue, so he's got a website for it.
Leo says that marketing is tough. He can create a site, but how does he get people to give it attention? Leo says that Jacob should send a press release to every news station and radio station in the country.

Chip wants to know if he needs an agent to be a voiceover actor or can he just have a great website? Leo says that he probably still needs an agent, but he's also heard that actors who have a great social media following are getting cast more. There are online sites that can help with that, like VoiceBunny.com.

Joy signed up for a recipe website. She can log in with one computer, but not another. It says her password is wrong. Leo says it may be that the num lock is enabled. She should see if she can type into a word processing program to make sure she has the right password, and then cut and paste it into the password field. If that works, then it may be that the site thinks it's uppercase and therefore can't accept it.