If Microsoft calls to help, just hang up

There has been a resurgence of a phishing scam that has been around for several years but it is worth your time to learn about it.  Phishing is an attempt to acquire your personal information such as passwords, bank account numbers and credit card details and of course cash. The digital miscreants masquerade as trustworthy agents of iconic companies dispatched to “help you” with a computer problem you don’t even know you have.  These folks sell New York bridges on their days off.

The recent iteration of this scam begins with an unsolicited phone call from someone posing as an employee or sub-contractor for Microsoft.  The story line is usually very similar. The caller relates that they were patrolling the internet seeking out the bad guys and they found that your computer has been infected. You are so lucky today because they found the problem and with their help you will be able to get it fixed.  

Here the scam can take two directions.  The first is very straight forward.  If you will pay them, they can send you a DVD that you insert in your computer and voila, the bugs will go away.  All they need from you is your credit card information.  As you might imagine, there are no bugs in your computer and there will be no DVD disk sent.  For sure there will be a debit to your credit card in the amount quoted or more.

The second iteration of this scam can be much more nefarious.  The caller tells you that your computer can be fixed remotely.  You are directed to log on to a web site and download a file, which when executed, allows your computer and all its contents to be accessed remotely.  Once in, the friendly, helpful, nice young man or women can choose from several options.  All of them are bad.

Since they now have complete control over your computer, any file can be viewed and copied.  The picture of your grandson along with the last 7 years of tax returns and your mother’s maiden name might all there for the picking.

Sometimes you are told that they found many bugs and for a small fee placed on your credit card, they can fix them.  Of course there are no bugs, but for sure there will be a hefty charge to your account.

Some who are bolder will place a malware program on your computer that turns it into a useless electronic paper weight.  You cannot run a program, access a file or surf the net until they give you a new passcode, the cost of which can be hundreds, or for a small business, thousands of dollars.

If you get one of these calls, just hang up.  It should be noted that if you do subscribe to online computer support from Dell, Time Warner or other reputable companies, a technician will often ask to remotely access your computer.  This is not an issue since you initiated the call.

Time Warner Cable App a Real Tease

I am one of the increasing number of people watching more TV without using a TV set but it seems like some of the major players in the TV business don’t want to make it easy for me.   A good example of a company that seems to have adopted a strategy of the status quo is Time Warner Cable.  If you believe the glitzy commercials highlighting the Time Warner Cable App, you would be convinced that they were supportive of multi- device access to programs.  A look under the hood of this app indicates otherwise.

I have the Time Warner App installed on my iPad and iPhone.  When I first got it I had visions of really being able to watch what I wanted, when I wanted, and where I wanted.  After all, that is essentially what the TV spot promises.

It is true that the app allows many of the cable channels to be viewed on my iPad but not all of the channels I pay for and for sure not at the time or place I want to view them.  None of the local broadcast channels are available.  So no local news and weather.  These traditional channels can only be viewed over the air or on a cable connected TV set.  As I write this I am waiting to watch the Seahawks game.  Since it is being carried on WXIX, I am out of luck using my iPad or iPhone.  Same for the Colts vs Patriots later today.  That game is on CBS, Channel 12 which is also not available.

One would think that since I am already paying Time Warner almost $5 per month to get all of the ESPN channels they would be available on my iPad so I could enjoy a game or two while sitting on my deck rather than being tied to the TV set in the living room.  But that is not the case.

Perhaps the most frustrating feature of the Time Warner Cable App is that it requires me to be at home to view most of the channels that I pay for.  Leave the coverage of my home Wi-Fi router, and the number of channels is reduced almost exponentially.  I am left with Aljazeera America, BBC and few third-tier cable channels. There is left little I want to watch.

Why does Time Warner Cable and other legacy TV companies drag their feet providing true on demand choice to their paying customers?  No big revelation here.  The money they make providing traditional services, while diminishing, is still very attractive.  There is no motivation to embrace new services. 

The picture is slowly changing with some major national media companies by-passing cable and satellite services altogether and providing programming directly to the end user.  For example CBS has a subscription service that gives viewer direct access to most of their programming via the internet/

The current resistance to change makes me harken back to President Regan.  “Time Warner, tear down these walls.” 

A good time to shop for a new TV

Recently I had a reader ask for some advice about buying a new TV.  The period leading up to the Super Bowl traditionally is the time when many retailers have sales on TVs.  This year the prices of large flat panel TVs are already at rock bottom.  Even before Christmas there were many very good deals available for some really nice sets.  The prices continue to be very attractive, so this might be a good time to buy a new set.

The options seem to get more and more complicated and the terminology ever more mystifying.  Terms like Smart TV, 4K and 8K, 120 hertz refresh rate, and curved screen can make for a confusing conversation with the salesperson. Not understanding the terms may also lead to a waste of money.

Before going out to the store think about how you will use the TV.  If you are looking for a TV for use in the kitchen to watch the news while washing the dishes, purchase the least expensive TV you can find at Wal*Mart.  If you watch lots of movies and sports and appreciate the home theatre experience you will need to do a bit more shopping around to get what you need.

The new 4K TVs offer screen resolution 4 times that of a standard HDTV.  Sounds great but before spending extra, consider that there is still very little 4K TV programming available that takes advantage of this improved picture quality.  Cable and satellite carriers don’t offer it nor do the local TV stations.  I would wait at least one more year before buying a 4K set.  They will drop in price and the industry will have time to settle some compatibility issues.  And more important, by then you will have something to watch.

You might think that getting a 4K, and very soon, an 8K set might seem like a no brainer.  After all, the more pixels the sharper the picture, right?  Well, yes and no.  I know my eyes are not as good as they once were; I also know that watching a standard 55” set from across the room and a 4K set from the same distance will look the same to me to me. 

When you are out shopping, do a side by side comparison in the store with the SAME picture content and from a distance you will normally be sitting from the set.  Then decide if the difference is worth the price differential.

Paying the extra money for a Smart TV is a good idea.  A Smart TV can connect to your home Wi-Fi network and access the increasing number of TV program services using the internet. Amazon, Hulu Plus, Netflix and others provide thousands of programs and movies.  You may not be a subscriber today but chances are you will be soon.    

A few extra bucks for a curved screen is a good idea if you are looking to buy a very large set, i.e. 70 inch plus.  Faster refresh rates, i.e. how often the picture on the screen is updated, is also good investment if you are into sports and action movies and are looking at a TV set larger than 55 inches.  The bottom line is to shop with your eyes.  Don’t let all the digital mumbo jumbo steer you into buying more TV set than you need.   

A Look Into 2015

Each year at this time I like to take a look into the future and see what trends, products or services I can identify as those that might impact our digital lives for good or for not so good in the coming year.

I think we will see two big technologies that captured the digital market in 2014 get even more popular in 2015.  Individually they were both game changers, but in 2015 I think we will see many new products emerge using both technologies.  The GoPro camera and all of the lookalikes will merge with small inexpensive drones spawning a bevy of YouTube videos to compete with all those cat videos filling up our collective bandwidth.

The good news is that many creative people might well produce some extraordinary videos.  The bad news is that there will be no paucity of the mentally deficient who will use these technologies to do and record stupid stunts or eavesdrop on others’ private lives.  Already we have seen amateur drone operators think nothing of flying close to major airport oblivious to the safety issues of such a stupid endeavor.

Other than keeping an eye on the sky in 2015, you may also be able to keep an eye on your home and loved ones more completely and inexpensively.  Look for a host of inexpensive cameras, sensors, door locks, HVAC controls and intrusion alarms to come on the market using your smartphone or tablet as the controller.  While not new, the price of these items will continue to drop.  For less than $40 you can now buy a camera and audio monitor that plugs in any wall outlet and, via your home Wi-Fi network, can serve as a home security monitor 24/7 with no monthly charges.  The systems can be set to alert you when motion or noise is detected. The alert comes to you via your smartphone.  A glance at the screen shows that the commotion was either Fido barking or some miscreant looking to purloin some of your belongings.

These same technologies can connect to your furnace or lights.  You can even remotely open your front door for a neighbor or a child who may have lost the key.  Again, all of these devices and services have been available, but like many digital products of the past, the prices will drop like a ton of bricks.

Some other technologies and trends to look for.  More people will drop cable and satellite and opt for internet delivered content.  Point-of-sale payment options like the new iPhone 6 payment service will expand.  Look for a lot of players but only the big guys will survive.  Your personal id information and business internal records will continue to be under assault and several companies will be sprouting to help you defend your and your digital id.  Unfortunately there is no easy solution.  The internet’s greatest attributes are ease of access and worldwide reach.   These are also the two things that make securing the privacy of the data on the internet so difficult.

Next December I will pull this article out and give you a report on how smart or not so smart I was going into 2015

By the way, a belated Happy New Year!