Tech Tips

Updates, updates, updates! Do they ever stop? Do I need to install them? Don’t they always pop up during the most annoying times? These are some questions I commonly hear from clients about firmware updates. Here’s a little more insight into what is happening and why they are important.

Before we get into the importance of firmware upgrades, we need to understand what firmware is and its role in overall device functionality. Firmware is a sort of software that is integrated within the hardware of electrical devices. Firmware, as opposed to standard software that runs on an operating system, is intended to operate the device’s specialized hardware components. It connects a device’s hardware and software, allowing them to function together. Think of it as getting maintenance on your car, like an oil change.

We’ve been keeping up with new iPhones and software updates for decades now. Though it feels never-ending, each update becomes more and more innovative and customizable. Here are some features from the new iOS 17.x update:

If you have an email address, at some point, you’re bound to have an occurrence that will make you do a double-take: you’ll receive an email that has your email as the sender, only you didn’t send it. Naturally, alarm bells begin ringing (not a bad thing) because you’re worried your account has been compromised. But after forwarding it to your trusty IT team (please don’t click the link, I beg you), you’re reassured it didn’t actually come from you.

I decided to move away from Dashlane to 1Password for my personal password management recently. For those not in the know, a password manager effectively acts similar to how a web browser will remember your username/password for websites you’ve logged into previously. Still, it allows you to access those usernames/passwords from a secure vault in the cloud whenever you need them. From a security standpoint, I put it up there with antivirus in terms of its ability to mitigate everyday security vulnerabilities.

Ever talk about a product in the privacy of your own home and then see ads about that product or topic? It’s pretty common knowledge that devices are listening to us. I wrote a blog about it at some point, but recently I’ve been curious about what is listening to us and how to turn it off. These smart devices have “wake words” that hear commands/conversations and instantly start listening. While they are listening, they add the keywords into your algorithm to “help you” when you surf the web or social media. If you’re concerned, that’s probably a good thing. So here’s how to turn off some of those listening features:

I’ve had the job of managing a handful of data migrations from Google Workspace, Google’s business email/storage/etc. platform, into Microsoft 365. It’s a straightforward process at its core, but after looking into doing it for my own personal domain, there is a lot more room for nuance if you’ve deeply embedded yourself in their products. A few things that I’ve discovered include:

Hey there, fellow wellness enthusiast! Can we take a moment to appreciate how our smartphones have become our personal health buddies? I mean, seriously, it’s like having a wellness coach right in your pocket! Today, I want to talk about something I’m excited about: Health and Wellness Apps.

Picture this: you’re on a mission to be the healthiest version of yourself, but life’s busyness is getting in the way. Let’s dive in and discover how these apps can make your journey healthier and happier.

Have you ever noticed that Gmail will alert you to reply to an email you may have missed? I’ve noticed this feature recently and decided to investigate how Gmail knows and, the more important (Big Brother) question: is Google reading my emails?

Let’s start by explaining what happens. Gmail calls this feature a “Nudge,” which is automatically enabled on Gmail accounts. It scans your inbox to find old emails you may have missed, then adds them to the top of your inbox and suggest that you reply. I’m guessing this is ringing bells if you utilize a Gmail account.

Who owns google.com? Well, the answer to that second one is easy: Google does! But when you go to your favorite domain registrar looking to purchase the perfect new domain for your England-based, Tapas-inspired spinach pie business, spanishkopita.uk (obviously), how does the registrar know if it’s available? Is there some kind of list somewhere? Yes, in fact, there is!