Internet and Web

Joe was thinking of getting a NEST thermostat, but he doesn't want to pay a fee. Rich says the only fee you pay is for buying the device. NEST uses WiFi to connect to the internet, where you can control it using your mobile device. But you don't have to pay a subscription fee to use it. Can you control it using your computer? Rich says you should. But the NEST doesn't have to be programmed since it uses machine learning to learn how you want it to operate. Also check with your energy company. NEST also offers a $50 rebate.

Bill has lost control of his business website and wants to know how to get it back. He paid a guy to build the websites, and now he's disappeared. Rich says that trusting a web guy to register your website is problematic because of situations like this. Most often, the guy you pay will register them in his name because he controls them. It's better to make sure your domain is owned BY YOU first and foremost. The best way to find out contact information is to do a WHOIS search on whois.net. Just type in WHOIS and the website domain and it should give information.

José would like to be anonymous online. How can he minimize his online footprint with Mac addresses? Rich says that most systems are encrypted now, and Google is pushing all websites to update to https. So your traffic gets more encrypted. If that's not enough for you, then randomizing your Mac address is a good way to do it. In iOS 13, for instance, Apple devices generate randomized Mac addresses while online. That's a good way to keep yourself protected. You may try using a VPN, or you can browse privately.