A Little Planning Will Save Some Big Bucks

 I got an email from a reader who is planning a trip to Europe this summer and he was wondering about how to stay in touch with his family back at home.  He has a smart phone and was going to get an iPad before his trip.  Since others may also be going out of the country this summer I thought I would share some of the hints I gave him. No matter where you will be traveling, it is a good idea to do some planning and research.  Time spent now will save dollars on the trip.

Let’s first discuss phones.  The cellular networks in most other countries differ from the networks in the USand Canada.  This means that your phone will not work unless you make some modifications.  You should start with your carrier.  They should be able to either provide you a different SIMcard that will allow your phone to work in the foreign country you plan to visit or they may be able to provide a short term rental of a different phone.  There is no one answer so talk to your mobile phone carrier.

Be sure to also ask about the billing.  Most contracts do not cover minutes used out of the country.  This is especially important if you plan to use the data network.  It is easy to rack up hundreds of dollars in bills in a few short weeks abroad.  Find out ahead of time what your plan includes and the cost per minute for telephone use as well as the data rates.

It you are going on a cruise, very likely there will be wifi on board.  The same is true with most hotels but they usually charge extra for the wifi.   I can’t understand why even in this country inexpensive motels give away wifi free and the upscale hotels with room rates of several hundred dollars a night charge an arm and a leg.  Nevertheless they do, so find out ahead of time what they will charge.  If you have wifi available your tablet, smart phone, lap top and any other wifi devices should work fine with no modifications.

You will need to keep all your devices charged up.  This too takes some preparation.  Many chargers like the one for iPhones and iPads can operate on the various voltages found in other countries but you have to be able to plug them in.  Go to Radio Shack or other electronics store and purchase an adapter kit.  Most will have all the different plug configurations found outside North America.  To be extra prepared bring along an extra battery that is charged up and ready to go.

With a bit of planning you will be able to stay in touch using email.  If you have Skype or Face Time you can share the sights and sounds of you trip as it is happening.

Gone Phishing

Over the past few weeks I have received numerous strange calls on my cell phone.  These calls are all coming from the same 800 number and a little research indicates that I am not the only one getting these irritating and potentially malicious calls.   The calls are coming from 800-754-0961.  After about the tenth call that I ignored (you have to give them an “A” for effort) I decided to do some investigation.  What I found is that it is a “phishing” scam. 

If you should answer this call or place a call to this number you will be connected with an automated system identified as “Verizon Wireless.”  It should be identified as “Joe’s Bait Shop and Phishing Emporium.”

Phishing is attempting, via some electronic means, to get personal information such as passwords, credit card details, social security account numbers and even cash by masquerading as a trustworthy company or service.  This “Verizon” scam seems to have been around for a while.  I guess it took them a while to find my number.

Calling or answering a call from this number will present you with a very professional greeting indicating that you have reached Verizon Wireless.  You are immediately asked for some personal information such as the last four digits of your social security number or the password for your Verizon Account.  You are invited to make a payment by entering you credit card number.  All of this is bogus.

If you pay your Verizon bill by credit card they already have that information.  Same for the account password.  No legitimate company will ever ask you for your password on the phone. You already know it and so do they, so why would they ask?

I talked to Verizon this week and they confirm that this 800 number is not connected with the company.  A quick search of the web will show that this scam has indeed been around for several years and seems to ebb and flow over time.

The lesson here is to be very careful to whom you provide information.  For example, in one call the “phisherman” may just ask for the last four digits of your Social Security Card.  Two weeks later he might ask for the first six digits.  Voila….they have it all.

When communicating over the phone with a company or service be sure that you are indeed talking to that company.  If you are in doubt, hang up and place a call to the company using a telephone number that is verifiably one that the company really uses.  These numbers can be found on your bill.  When in doubt hang up.  If they have a legitmate reason to contact you, they will get in touch with you.

I  have a complete guide to Phishing scams.  To get a copy just call me at 800-555-5555 and give me your credit card info, your social security number, your bank routing number and account information.  Oh yes, I will also need your mother’s maiden name.

I Just Finished Paying For the Old One

The seeming endless improvements in digital technology come with a price and some frustration.  The other day I was helping one of my colleagues hook up his new AppleTV.  He was interested in having access to the vast library of TV programs and films available on demand from Netflix Online, Hulu Plus and others.  But the big reason he went with AppleTV was that he wanted to watch these programs on his large flat screen TV rather than on his computer or iPad.  He also wanted to use the TV to view web sites and YouTube and TED videos rather that only on the small screen of the iPad.

Everything went fine.  The AppleTV is a cinch to set up and after loading in some information about his home Wi-Fi network he was good to go.  We set him up with a Hulu Plus account and I was getting ready to leave.  I had checked the AirPlay feature using my iPhone and was able to see and use all the apps on my phone on the TV but he was having trouble getting either his iPhone or iPad to synch up with AirPlay. 

I tried several fixes with no luck.  Since it was getting late I told him I would do some investigation and get back to him.   I have to say here that when he bought the AppleTV he asked the Apple Store ‘Genius” if his iPad Version 1 and his iPhone Version 1 would work with AirPlay and AppleTV.  They assured him it would.

I guess they don’t read their own customer support documents.  Giving several reasons, the official Apple web site notes AirPlay for AppleTV only works with “iPhone 4S (or later), iPad 2 (or later), iPad mini, or iPod touch (5th generation)”

I tell this story not so much to complain about Apple (although the “Genius” should be demoted to just a C+ student) as to point out how quickly our digital devices become obsolete.  Gone are the days when a TV was never pitched out, it was just relegated to another room in the house. 

At my place of work we used to depreciate our broadcast equipment over 10 years. Today that has been reduced to 3 years.  While it is true that some of the digital equipment is less expensive than the old analog gear, it is difficult and frustrating to try to find money in tight budgets for a new piece of equipment to replace one that is 3 years old because the parts are no longer available or the new required software will only run on the new model.

Perhaps this is the new normal and the price we pay for new services.  Guess there is indeed no free lunch even in the digital world.

 

Beware of Windows License Scam

I got a question from a reader last week who was very concerned about a recent telephone call she received from a person purporting to be a representative of Microsoft.  The caller was reporting that “their records” indicated that the version of Windows on her computer had an expired license which needed to be renewed.  The caller went on to say that since the Windows license had expired her computer was susceptible to viruses and malware.  He noted that he could help her renew the Windows license and would be happy to scan her computer for any problems.

What these miscreants wanted of course was access to my reader’s computer so they told her to go to a special website.  Once there they could enable remote access into her computer so they could allegedly look for and fix any viruses or malware that might be there.  Once they have remote access they can examine or retrieve anything on that machine. 

To be sure, this scam is one that can result in a real hassle costing time and money not to mention lost data and stolen information.  Unfortunately, this is not a new scam but every few months it seems to rear its ugly head.

There is no such thing as an expired Windows license for the operating software on home computers.  For sure there are different versions of Window such as XP, Vista,

Windows 7, and the newest, Windows 8.  It is true that Microsoft does phase out support for some of the older versions but the license does not expire and you cannot renew it.

In most cases these scammers just want to sell you some useless antivirus software but some have a much more sinister plan.  They can harvest passwords, personal ID information and even bank account data.  This, of course, is not good.  While accessing your computer they can even place a Trojan Horse app that can continue to send data back to the scammers days or months after you thought you were rid of them.

I told my reader that she should at a minimum change any passwords that she might have stored on her computer and that she should make sure that her antivirus software was up to date so it might be able to detect any bad things that her guests may have left behind.

The best advice I can give is to never give access to your computer to anyone you don’t trust and know to be from a reputable company.  There are times when it is fine to give remote access to a person that is trouble shooting a problem for you.  In these cases you were the one to initiate the relationship.

My reader friend should have been tipped off when the caller said that they had identified her computer license as being expired.  Even Microsoft with its thousands of employees can’t keep track of the millions of versions of their software installed throughout the world.

When Storms Come and Power Leaves

While we have been lucky so far this year, it is fairly certain that we will be getting some spring and summer storms.  Often, especially in our area, it takes little more than a cloudy sky and a moderate breeze to disrupt the power.  Most often such outages are short lived.  There have been some extraordinary storms that have left many without commercial electrical service for a week or more. 

There are many options available to keep your lights on and at least some of your appliances working during a black out.  If your pocketbook is deep enough you can invest in an automatic backup generator. Units come in various sizes and models.  Some can power your entire house even the central air conditioning.  Models with this capacity will cost several thousands of dollars and require a certified electrician to install.  This last part is critical.  A system that is incorrectly installed not only can damage your appliances; it can put power company workers miles from your house in serious danger. This is not a do-it-yourself weekend project.

When the power goes out the generator starts and a special transfer switch disconnects your house from the incoming commercial power and connects all or some of your circuits to the generator.  When the commercial power returns the system senses the change and reconnects your house to commercial power and turns off the generator.

Some, like me, have a smaller generator that can keep my sump pumps, refrigerator and lights on during an outage.  Rather than interfacing this generator with my household wiring, I have installed special isolated circuits serving various parts of my house. These are entirely separate from my regular wiring and do not ever come in contact with the regular house wiring.  Using receptacles connected to these special circuits and some extension cords I can power the various small appliances and lighting.  This is not as convenient as a large capacity fully automatic system, but it does the job and can be installed for about $500.  Again, a word of warning - Never connect the generator to your breaker box even if you turn off the main breaker.

There is one more important caution. Most of these generators operate on gasoline.  Some larger ones can be powered by diesel, natural gas or propane.  No matter the type never place the generator in a closed area like garage or screened in porch.  The exhaust can enter the house and cause carbon monoxide poisoning.  Every year we read of families perishing because of misuse of a backup generator.

Generators are like flashlights.  If you have one you most likely won’t need it.  If you don’t have one you will need it.  

 

Back Up Power In Your Pocket

With more and more of us becoming increasingly dependent on our mobile devices, a low battery and no place to plug in a charger can become a real headache.  I remember a few years back when, as a result of a major wind storm and a widespread loss of electrical power, many people used their car’s power port, nee cigarette lighter, to keep their phones, portable TVs and other battery powered devices running.   Not only is this inconvenient but wasteful, especially if you run the car’s engine to keep the car battery charged.

There are a couple of solutions that you may wish to consider to keep from having your mobile devices powerless and useless.  One option is to have extra batteries available for your devices.  This is the easiest but is also the most expensive.  You need to have extra batteries designed for each device since very few will be able to share the same battery model.  And you have to make sure you keep them charged. 

In my column last week I talked about how most mobile devices now share the same USB charging voltages.  This opens up another, more affordable solution.  There are several external battery backup and charging options.  These devices consist of a rechargeable battery with a USB port.  Using your specific USB cable for your device, you plug one end into the phone or iPad and the other into the charging device instead of the charger that you normally plug into the wall.

There are several choices on the market; some are large and have the capacity to charge your phone several times without regular AC power.  Others use standard AA batteries and can only handle one or two charging cycles.

Recently I ran across a device that I highly recommend as a simple, affordable solution.  The device is manufactured by FlashChargers.Com and is available on line for less than $15.00.  The device is about the size of a roll of nickels and contains a rechargeable battery.  You charge it just like you charge your mobile device by plugging it into the wall charger or computer USB port.  Once charged it has enough power to charge an iPad one time or most any mobile phone, iPod, MP3 player two or more times.  It should hold the charge for months in your purse or briefcase and be ready to keep you on line when needed.

Rather than ordering it directly from FlashCharger.Com where it lists for about $60.00, I suggest going on line to www.nomorerack.com where it is now on sale for about $15.00.  You can find several other options on line but this is the least expensive option I have found that really works.

Keeping your Stuff Charged

The kitchen counter or the table next to your bed can resemble a plate of spaghetti with wires of all lengths and a pile of different chargers required for each of your portable digital devices.  Kindles, iPhones, tablets and MP3 players need to suckle on the power grid almost every night so when you need them the next day they are ready to serve.

A few years ago the European Union folks got together and developed standards for chargers for mobile phones and other portable digital devices.  You may have noticed that your new cell phone (other than Apple) uses a standard micro USB connector and that most of your other devices use the same connection.  The hope was that drawer full of chargers and cables incompatible with your new phone would be a thing of the past.

While we are not there yet, there are a few new devices that can help clean up that tangle of wires and chargers on the kitchen counter. 

You might like to replace one of the AC outlets in your kitchen with one that has both a 110v standard outlet and a USB port.  The later provides the correct voltage and amperage required to charge most any mobile device.   Instead of needing different chargers for each device, you just plug one end of the USB cable into the phone and the other end into the wall socket.  Since many have two USB ports you can charge two devices at the same time.

The special outlets are available at Home Depot, Lowes and other big box home goods stores.  They run from about $15 - $20 and install just like any 110v AC receptacle and will work for most any device other than some Apple products.

Since some devices, like the iPad, require a bit more amperage for charging, you need to go a different route which is a bit more expensive but really easier to install.   One device is the TargusPlug-N-Power Station which plugs into the standard wall outlet covering it with a slightly larger 1 inch thick plate.  The device has two standard AC plugs and two USB ports with enough amperage to charge your iPad.  Other devices requiring less amperage can still be charged safely.  To find where to buy one of these higher powered models just go on line and search for “iPad chargers.”