Phone "addiction" is caused more by boredom, rather than nagging notifications according to a newly-published study. It also found that the "endless scroll" feature on some apps was most likely to detain users. The study is the work of the London ... School of Economics and Political Science and published in a journal titled "Computers in Human Behavior." (Source: sciencedirect.com ) Researchers wanted to explore the theory that people are constantly looking at their phones in response to notifications and whether pausing, hiding or filtering such notifications might change user ... (view more)
Featured Articles
Comcast is to impose a 1.2TB monthly data limit on its broadband customers in all locations across the United States. The move affects 12 states that weren't already under the cap. Customers will be able to get unlimited data, but will have to pay a ... fee of $30 a month above their current charges. Those who don't "upgrade" will face an overage charge of $10 for each 50GB they use, with a maximum overage charge of $100. (Source: stopthecap.com ) The company already had the cap in 27 of the 39 states it served. Many of the remaining 12 covered markets where Comcast had competition with Verizon, ... (view more)
Google is making Chrome extension publishers give users more details about the data they collect. They will also have to promise to follow a new policy limiting the way they use the data. Extensions are third-party tools (called plug-ins or add-ons ... with some browsers) that interact with a web browser to provide a useful function. Examples include password managers that automatically fill in log-in details on a site, and an official Amazon plug-in that can send a copy of a long web page article direct to a Kindle e-Reader. One of the main concerns about extensions is that they inherently need ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Mike J. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thanks for your article on ' cannot start outlook, cannot open window '. I have a similar problem. I recently had to format my machine and reinstall Windows 10, then reinstall Office 365. I'm now at ... the part where I want to set up my email account with Outlook, but I've made a huge mistake during the setup: I told Outlook that my email address is associated with a Microsoft Exchange server instead of IMAP. Now I can't undo the changes! Here's what's happening: when I try to launch Outlook, it keeps asking for my login credentials repeatedly ... (view more)
Infopackets Readers Sam G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I recently switched from Firefox to Chrome, and was wondering if you can help me. Whenever I download a specific file type, I want it to save to a particular folder. For example, I have a Usenet ... account and I use it to download files off of Usenet servers. I want my Usenet .NZB files (similar to .torrent files) saved to S:\NZB instead of my default download folder, because I use my .NZBs files on another machine. When I use Firefox to download .nzb files, it remembers that I always want to save to S:\NZB, but all my other downloads go to my ... (view more)
Google says its latest browser update is "the largest gain in Chrome performance in years." It claims the browser will now be significantly faster, drain less battery and be more useful. Unlike many software updates, the majority of the changes in ... the latest version of Chrome are behind the scenes and affect performance rather than add new features. For example, Chrome will now devote more resources to "active tabs" (the ones that have most recently been used) rather than give the same attention to every open tab. It says on average this will reduce CPU usage by "five times" and add an extra ... (view more)
Microsoft is reportedly testing full-screen "ads" to try to persuade Windows 10 users to run the Edge browser. There may be no easy way to stop them appearing. The messages are being displayed to some users after the most recent Windows 10 updates. ... They appear to be part of an A/B test in which two groups of users are shown different versions of an ad or message to see how the response differs. (Source: techradar.com ) Ad Appears After Update The ads will reportedly appear on machines with Chrome or Firefox as the default browser in three circumstances: When a user sets up a new Windows ... (view more)
Microsoft is releasing a tool that uses artificial intelligence to block out background noise during video calls. The Microsoft Teams tool aims to distinguish between human speech and other sources of sound. The need for such a tool will have grown ... for many users this year given the increase in those working from home. Previously, videoconferencing was more commonly associated with business settings where staff could make calls in ideal settings such as dedicated meeting rooms with no sources of unwanted sounds. Now, many people are using the same videoconferencing software in conditions ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Leona L. writes: " Dear Dennis, Thank you for mentioning our product WinX DVD Ripper in your newsletter. We would like to extend a special offer to your readers for this Black Friday: WinX HD Video Converter and WinX MediaTrans. ... We are offering a lifetime license for just $25.95 (the regular price is $59). Both products can be downloaded as a trial before committing. Please kindly let your readers know! " My response: Thanks, Leona for sending our readers another great deal. Below I'll provide a bullet point of what each program does. WinX HD Video Converter: Full list of ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Gary H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I've come across an older article you wrote which explains how to disable Thunderbird 'new mail' notifications from popping up constantly in the tray bar. The issue that I'm having has to do with a ... barrage of notifications that tell me that an update is available for Thunderbird. Is there a way to stop this from appearing all the time? " My response: Mozilla Thunderbird releases updates once in a while, so I'm am not sure why you are receiving constant reminders to update the program. There are two possibilities that come to mind: You've ... (view more)
If you use Microsoft Teams, watch out for bogus advertisements offering an "update". It's a scam designed to install malware that tries to steal personal data. The group chat and video conferencing tool has understandably become more popular this ... year with the increase in remote desktop connections to workplaces. That's attracted the attention of scammers who have put together a creative strategy to steal data. It's important to note that the attack doesn't aim to exploit any vulnerability in Teams itself. Instead, it's simply aimed at people using it, particularly those who have only started ... (view more)
Microsoft is to forcibly upgrade some computers running older versions of Windows 10. Only those on the Pro edition will be able to block the update. It's a step up in Microsoft's campaign to keep people from using older Windows 10 versions. Until ... now it's mainly relied on dropping support and security fixes, the idea there being to scare people into making the upgrade. That's happening to version 1809 (released in late 2018) this week. Microsoft is now turning its attention to computers running version 1903, released early last year. Version 1903 will officially lose security patch support ... (view more)
Google has built an app that will stop smartphones working if a customer is behind on payments for the handset. It could also be a way to make more expensive phones available to people with poor credit histories. The app is already being used by a ... carrier in Kenya. There's no word yet on whether Google plans to offer it to carriers in other countries. (Source: 9to5google.com ) "Device Lock Controller" is an app that can be pre-installed by carriers on new phones. It appears that once the app is in place, the carrier is able to remotely reinstall the app even if the customer removes it. If and ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Leona H. writes: " Dear Dennis, I'm trying to upgrade from Outlook 2010 to Outlook 365 and I it takes a long time to start, stating that it 'cannot start outlook, cannot open window' or such. Actually, the full error message is: ' ... Cannot start Microsoft Office Outlook. Cannot open the Outlook Window . The set of folders cannot be opened. The attempt to logon to Microsoft Exchange has failed.' I don't understand how to get around this problem. I currently have Office 2010 and Office 365 installed. It only happens when I launch Outlook 365. Initially when I started Outlook ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Nancy P. writes: " Dear Dennis, Back in January I was paying bills on my bank website, when suddenly a red warning screen appeared, stating that my PC was locked and that I needed to call Microsoft to fix the problem. The phone ... number listed was 855-755-2888. There were loud sirens going off, and the computer was speaking to me. There was no way to get past the warning screen and I could not use my computer. Not knowing any better, I called the number and spoke to a man with a very thick Indian accent . He said their company name was PC Safe Pro and that they were ... (view more)
Microsoft has warned users who haven't updated Windows 10 for a couple of years that they will soon face increased security risks. It's about to withdraw support for Windows 10 version 1809, having extended it during the initial stages of the ... COVID-19 pandemic. Version 1809 was the second major update of the year in late 2018. It was also known as the "Windows 10 October 2018 Update." Work-From-Home Changed Plans For those of you who find it easier to track Windows 10 Feature Updates by their signature bugs, version 1809 was the update that deleted some personal files during the upgrade, as ... (view more)
Microsoft has warned users not to install the latest major update by anything other than the automated process. Methods such as downloading the update onto USB drives or DVDs could cause significant problems thanks to a bug. The issue affects the ... Windows 10 October 2020 Update, also known as 20H2 (version 2009, and build 19042). This is officially the second major update this year. It's currently available automatically through Windows Update, though is being gradually released to different people at different times rather than sent out to everyone at once. Officially that's to avoid ... (view more)
A mobile broadband service that uses low-orbit satellites to reach areas with neither fixed-line or cellular service is proving a hit with some early testers. Starlink is the work of the private company SpaceX, better known for running commercial ... delivery services to the International Space Station. The company plans to eventually launch more than 40,000 miniature satellites which will orbit at around half the distance from the Earth as most satellites. The idea is to be able to offer service anywhere in the world with users simply connecting to satellites as they pass overhead. (Source: ... (view more)
Infopackets Reader Steve G. writes: " Dear Dennis, I just upgraded my PC to Windows 10 and I noticed that Windows Media Player no longer plays DVDs in Windows 10 . In Windows 7 it worked without a problem. I researched this issue and it appears that ... this 'feature' was removed on purpose because newer PCs and laptops do not have DVD players. As such, Microsoft has dropped all support for Windows 10 DVD playback in Windows Media Player. I plan on purchasing a thin ultrabook laptop (with no DVD player) soon. As such, I'd like to convert my DVDs into AVI or MP4 (for example) so I ... (view more)
Apple is reportedly working on its own search engine and may ditch its reliance on Google. The Apple tool could be pitched on the idea of increased user privacy. At the moment, Apple devices such as iPhones and software such as the Safari browser ... usually runs searches through Google by default. That's not just because Apple think it's the best search engine, but because Google pays Apple an annual fee reported to be in the region of $10 billion to be the default. (Source: ft.com ) That payment may be under threat with regulators looking into claims that such deals perpetuate an unfair ... (view more)
Zoom is to completely encrypt video calls at all times for most users. It will mean neither Zoom itself nor law enforcement agents or security services can access the content of calls. At the moment, Zoom encrypts the data that flows between ... individual participants on a call. However, it's Zoom's own servers which generate the encryption key issued to each participant. That means it's technically possible for Zoom to decrypt calls. While Zoom insists it's never had any intention of doing so, it does leave it open to pressure or legal threats from law enforcement officials to get access to ... (view more)
Microsoft is doing its level best to kill off Internet Explorer. Users of the browser will soon find many key websites automatically open in the Edge browser instead. There hasn't been a new edition of Internet Explorer since 2013 and it's ... understandable many people would think it had died out altogether with Microsoft putting all its efforts into Edge instead. However, Statcounter estimates that more than 2.5 percent of desktop and laptop computers are running Internet Explorer. It's harder to estimate the total number of computers, but it's plausible the number of people using Internet ... (view more)
Two ad-blocking Chrome extensions have been removed from distribution after they were altered to collect user data. People who've already installed Nano Adblocker and Nano Defender should now remove the tools. Instructions for removal are near the ... end of the article. Both Nano Adblocker and Nano Defender started out as legitimate extensions which users could integrate into the Chrome browser to block ads. They had a combined total of 250,000 downloads, and ironically that success seems to be what ended up causing the problems. New Owners Manipulate Extension The original developer sold the ... (view more)
A couple have reportedly named their daughter after an Internet company in return for 18 years of free mobile broadband. Perhaps fortunately the girl now only has "Twifia" as a middle name. The couple took up a promotional offer from Swiss company ... Twifi. It made the offer to any parents who named their child with Twifia or Twifius. It's not clear why the offer covers these variations rather than the brand name itself. The deal requires a parent to upload a photograph of the birth certificate with one of the names on it and await verification. They will then get 18 years of service for the ... (view more)
Microsoft has added links to Office web apps on Windows 10 computers without asking permission. It's more of an irritation than a damaging problem, but it's certainly safe to say some folks are irritated. The links appear to have been added by an ... automatic update, with some users reporting their computer restarted without warning and they lost some work that hadn't been saved. (Users can set Windows 10 to only restart automatically at set times such as during the night to stop this happening.) The links appear in the Start Menu alongside other apps as a single tile that contains several small ... (view more)
Microsoft is to warn Windows 10 users when an app will start up automatically when they start their computer. The move is designed to prevent the start up process being slowed down against the user's wishes. Users already have the ability to ... manually decide whether an app starts up automatically when they switch on their computer. The change is to the way apps are set when they are originally installed. Which apps should start up automatically is a balancing act. With some it's important to start up automatically for functionality purposes, such as having anti-malware software running right ... (view more)
Microsoft says it has disrupted "one of the world's most persistent malware operations." The action against "Trickbot" reportedly involved working with the US military. Trickbot is a botnet , created by infecting computers with malware then ... hijacking and combining their resources for further malicious activity. The operators largely built it using bogus emails that tricked users into opening a file attachment or clicking a link that downloaded and installed malware. The uses of Trickbot have included stealing login details such as online banking credentials; accessing sensitive data; and ... (view more)
Review site Yelp is to highlight businesses that have been accused of racist behavior. Critics argue the policy is open to malicious abuse. Yelp says over this summer it has noticed a surge in reviews which warn users of racist behavior. However, it ... believes many of these may be written by people reporting to social media or news reports of such activity, rather than from their own experience of using a business. According to Yelp, it needed to change its policy to deal with two issues. The first is that its rules only allow reviews based on first-hand experience. The second is that it ... (view more)
Apple is suing a recycling company it suspects of reselling more than 100,000 devices rather than disposing of them. It warns they may have been rebuilt with counterfeit components that pose a safety risk. In a three year period, Apple sent more ... than 500,000 iPads, iPhones and Apple Watches to GEEP Canada for recycling. However, it later carried out a security audit and discovered Apple products were being stored at the recycling center in a separate location, and that this location wasn't covered by security cameras. Apple then checked its database and scanned online where it found 18 ... (view more)
Windows 10 users can once again disable Bing Internet results from showing up in the Windows search taskbar. Unfortunately, it involves editing the Registry rather than changing a settings menu. One of the "improvements" of Windows 10 is a combined ... search function. Users who type in a search through the Start menu will not only see results from the computer itself (for example, matching filenames) but also website results retrieved from Microsoft's Bing search engine. While theoretically this could be useful in some cases, some users find it frustrating or intrusive, particularly with the ... (view more)
Do you need Tech Support?
I can help! Send me a message on the bottom left of the screen (using the Zopim Chat button), or click my picture to read more about how I can fix your computer over the Internet. Optionally you can read all about my credentials, here.
I can help! Send me a message on the bottom left of the screen (using the Zopim Chat button), or click my picture to read more about how I can fix your computer over the Internet. Optionally you can read all about my credentials, here.
Most popular articles
- Which Processor is Better: Intel or AMD? - Explained
- How to Prevent Ransomware in 2018 - 10 Steps
- 5 Best Anti Ransomware Software Free
- How to Fix: Computer / Network Infected with Ransomware (10 Steps)
- How to Fix: Your Computer is Infected, Call This Number (Scam)
- Scammed by Informatico Experts? Here's What to Do
- Scammed by Smart PC Experts? Here's What to Do
- Scammed by Right PC Experts? Here's What to Do
- Scammed by PC / Web Network Experts? Here's What to Do
- How to Fix: Windows Update Won't Update
- Explained: Do I need a VPN? Are VPNs Safe for Online Banking?
- Explained: VPN vs Proxy; What's the Difference?
- Explained: Difference Between VPN Server and VPN (Service)
- Forgot Password? How to: Reset Any Password: Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10
- How to: Use a Firewall to Block Full Screen Ads on Android
- Explained: Absolute Best way to Limit Data on Android
- Explained: Difference Between Dark Web, Deep Net, Darknet and More
- Explained: If I Reset Windows 10 will it Remove Malware?
Free Guide
