Program Notes for the 4th Week of the Month

Sept 28, 2026 | Join Online Meeting > The Gadget Gurus:  I will review the current tech news. We will do our best to answer questions about computers, smartphones, apps, cameras, tablets, and the internet. Bring your tech issues and enjoy the meeting.
I get these emails every week, but they’re actually a scam by  makeuseof.com

Common Types of Email Scams
    • Business Offers: Plain-text emails without links or attachments that appear to come from legitimate accounts. They use relaxed language to slip past spam filters, aiming to build trust before later asking for upfront fees or linking to data-harvesting sites. They also test whether an email address is active.
    • Medical Alerts or Research: Fraudulent emails offering “miracle cures” or magic tonics for scary, deeply personal conditions like tinnitus or Alzheimer’s. They exploit emotional vulnerabilities to steal data and money.
    • Classic Variants: Outdated but persistent variations of classic advance-fee scams, such as someone claiming to have millions of euros trapped in a foreign bank account and needing your help to unlock it.

Key Red Flags to Watch Out For
  • Too-Good-To-Be-True Promises: Guarantees of impossible results.
  • Generic Senders: Emails claiming to represent professional agencies or businesses but originating from free accounts like Gmail or Yahoo.
  • Lack of Personalization: Mass-mailed messages that address you with generic greetings like “Hello,” “Hi There,” or “Hello dear” instead of using your name.
  • Emotional Urgency: Heavy reliance on fear, pressure, or urgency (e.g., “Act fast!” or “Reply today”) to force you into making a rash decision before you can stop and think.

This Week’s Tip or Trick

9 Perks Of Switching To A Chromebook – BGR – bgr.com

The 9 main advantages

  1. Good performance at a low price
    Chromebooks can perform everyday tasks well with relatively modest hardware.
  2. A simpler operating system
    ChromeOS handles things such as driver management automatically, reducing some of the maintenance and troubleshooting associated with Windows. Its keyboard shortcuts also focus on common everyday tasks.
  3. Excellent web performance
    Because ChromeOS is built around Chrome, the browser is more efficiently integrated with the operating system.
  4. Long battery life
    Chromebooks can last 10+ hours, with some higher-end models reaching around 20 hours under favorable conditions. MacBooks can still provide longer battery life in some cases, but at a substantially higher price.
  5. Very fast startup
    ChromeOS’s lightweight design lets Chromebooks boot quickly, often in under 10 seconds.
  6. Strong Google and Android integration
    Google Drive, Gmail, Docs, Photos, and other services integrate deeply.
  7. Security is built in
    ChromeOS uses sandboxing, read-only system partitions, Verified Boot, and A/B system partitioning. These features are intended to isolate malicious software, prevent system tampering, and allow recovery if the operating system becomes corrupted.
  8. Fast, relatively painless updates
    Most ChromeOS updates are under 500 MB, and the restart required to finish an update typically takes less than a minute.
  9. Potentially better productivity
    Fast startup, long battery life, integrated Google services, cloud storage, keyboard shortcuts, and limited gaming/app support can encourage a more focused workflow.

The important caveat

Chromebooks are not universally better laptops. Their biggest limitation is software compatibility. Some professional applications—such as Adobe Premiere Pro—aren’t available natively.

Bottom line

Chromebooks offer a particularly compelling combination of low cost, simplicity, speed, battery life, security, and cloud integration for people whose computing needs are primarily web-based. For someone who mainly browses the web, writes documents, streams media, uses cloud services, and communicates online. A relatively inexpensive Chromebook can provide an experience comparable to much more expensive, harder-to-maintain computers.

Bitwarden Tip

Here is my take on a Highly Secure Redundant Credential Ecosystem – Complete blueprint for enterprise-grade personal security.

Q:  I’m trying to become more proficient at storing my documents. What are your thoughts on using Adobe Acrobat to create files and store important PDF documents? Is it safe to do so?  Rose-Marie L
A:  To create PDF documents using Acrobat, you need the paid version. Most commonly, I scan documents to create PDFs. Or use the built-in Print PDF function on Windows, Chromebooks, and Apple computers. 

You can print any document to a PDF file on Windows, a Chromebook, or a Mac by opening the print menu and selecting the built-in PDF or save option.

Shared by – Jay B

  1. Perils of picture-sharing: Malwarebytes writes this about Meta/Facebook building profiles of children.
    Q: Is there a risk that Google does the same with its picture-collecting? – Jay B
    A: >  Does Google Photos build detailed profiles of children from the pictures stored?
  2. Ransomware protection for Win-10 and -11:
    Be Aware:     Controlled folder access can occasionally block legitimate apps from changing protected folders.

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