Setting up MFA properly
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/setting-up-mfa-properly/
ISSUE 21.21 • 2024-05-20 MICROSOFT 365 By Peter Deegan Is that multifactor authentication setup complete and truly ready to handle any situation? Two-factor (2FA) or multifactor (MFA) authentication is just the start of securing your important accounts. All too often, I hear from people who’ve set up extra login verification and can’t get it working. […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/setting-up-mfa-properly/
ISSUE 21.21 • 2024-05-20 MICROSOFT 365 By Peter Deegan Is that multifactor authentication setup complete and truly ready to handle any situation? Two-factor (2FA) or multifactor (MFA) authentication is just the start of securing your important accounts. All too often, I hear from people who’ve set up extra login verification and can’t get it working. […]
New ways to get content
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/new-ways-to-get-content/
From Youtube, to streaming apps, more and more of us are watching media through alternative ways and not necessarily through Cable TV. Spotted a new offering the other day that just needs a library card – or rather a qualifying library card. Hoopla digital came across my digital radar the other day (it has years […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/new-ways-to-get-content/
From Youtube, to streaming apps, more and more of us are watching media through alternative ways and not necessarily through Cable TV. Spotted a new offering the other day that just needs a library card – or rather a qualifying library card. Hoopla digital came across my digital radar the other day (it has years […]
Debug your browser
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/debug-your-browser/
ON SECURITY By Susan Bradley It all started the other day when the social media website Twitter moved completely to its new domain, x.com. Before you shame me for using any sort of social media these days: I have very good reasons. One is that it’s still, hands down, the best way to determine whether […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/debug-your-browser/
ON SECURITY By Susan Bradley It all started the other day when the social media website Twitter moved completely to its new domain, x.com. Before you shame me for using any sort of social media these days: I have very good reasons. One is that it’s still, hands down, the best way to determine whether […]
Crooks can take over your video doorbell by pushing a button
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/crooks-can-take-over-your-video-doorbell-by-pushing-a-button/
PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston High-tech doorbells with video cameras sound like a great way to monitor who’s currently on your front porch and who came by while you were away. But cheap models are ridiculously easy for common thieves to take over by merely holding down a button. No sophisticated electronic equipment is necessary […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/crooks-can-take-over-your-video-doorbell-by-pushing-a-button/
PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston High-tech doorbells with video cameras sound like a great way to monitor who’s currently on your front porch and who came by while you were away. But cheap models are ridiculously easy for common thieves to take over by merely holding down a button. No sophisticated electronic equipment is necessary […]
How to dig into Excel files using the Office XML file format
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/how-to-dig-into-excel-files-using-the-office-xml-file-format/
ISSUE 21.22 • 2024-05-27 OFFICE By Mary Branscombe The tools built into Excel assume colleagues might make honest mistakes. If you suspect something more nefarious, look in the XML of the file for clues. Last time, I looked at what’s inside an Office document. In essence, it is a package of different files that contain […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/how-to-dig-into-excel-files-using-the-office-xml-file-format/
ISSUE 21.22 • 2024-05-27 OFFICE By Mary Branscombe The tools built into Excel assume colleagues might make honest mistakes. If you suspect something more nefarious, look in the XML of the file for clues. Last time, I looked at what’s inside an Office document. In essence, it is a package of different files that contain […]
MS-DEFCON 4: May updates ready to go
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ms-defcon-4-may-updates-ready-to-go/
ISSUE 21.22.1 • 2024-05-28 By Susan Bradley The May releases are once again a bit of a mixed bag, relatively quiet for consumers but a little bumpy for businesses. For three days last week, Microsoft hosted its developer conference, BUILD. It’s an important event for developers, but the headlines are always about things to come. […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ms-defcon-4-may-updates-ready-to-go/
ISSUE 21.22.1 • 2024-05-28 By Susan Bradley The May releases are once again a bit of a mixed bag, relatively quiet for consumers but a little bumpy for businesses. For three days last week, Microsoft hosted its developer conference, BUILD. It’s an important event for developers, but the headlines are always about things to come. […]
Got a NAS?
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/got-a-nas/
If you have a home Network attached storage (or NAS) be aware that there are some changes coming down the pipeline with the Windows 11 24H2 release. As noted by Microsoft, they are planning to enable something called SMB signing or server message block signing. We’ll have more on this along with more guidance but […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/got-a-nas/
If you have a home Network attached storage (or NAS) be aware that there are some changes coming down the pipeline with the Windows 11 24H2 release. As noted by Microsoft, they are planning to enable something called SMB signing or server message block signing. We’ll have more on this along with more guidance but […]
The good and bad of 24H2
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/the-good-and-bad-of-24h2/
PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley We’re getting closer to the next round of Microsoft’s feature releases, this time in the form of Windows 11 24H2. Microsoft took advantage of its recent developer conference, BUILD, to talk about what 24H2 will include. But unless you have access to Entra ID, many of the features are ho-hum […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/the-good-and-bad-of-24h2/
PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley We’re getting closer to the next round of Microsoft’s feature releases, this time in the form of Windows 11 24H2. Microsoft took advantage of its recent developer conference, BUILD, to talk about what 24H2 will include. But unless you have access to Entra ID, many of the features are ho-hum […]
WhoisThisDomain — Where is that great deal coming from?
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/whoisthisdomain-where-is-that-great-deal-coming-from/
FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT By Deanna McElveen There are two non-techie things I really love: shoes and glass ornaments. Because of tracking cookies, advertisers know this, too. I really don’t mind that very much because while I’m on Facebook, I see only ads that interest me. Unfortunately, I also get questionable ads. How do I know the […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/whoisthisdomain-where-is-that-great-deal-coming-from/
FREEWARE SPOTLIGHT By Deanna McElveen There are two non-techie things I really love: shoes and glass ornaments. Because of tracking cookies, advertisers know this, too. I really don’t mind that very much because while I’m on Facebook, I see only ads that interest me. Unfortunately, I also get questionable ads. How do I know the […]
Got change for a billion-dollar bill?
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/got-change-for-a-billion-dollar-bill/
LEGAL BRIEF By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq. Large patent-infringement verdicts have been in the news recently. On May 10, a jury awarded IPA Technologies $242 million against Microsoft for infringing US Patent 7,069,560 by incorporating the patented technology into its Cortana digital assistant. Nearly a month earlier, a jury awarded Kove IO $525 million against […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/got-change-for-a-billion-dollar-bill/
LEGAL BRIEF By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq. Large patent-infringement verdicts have been in the news recently. On May 10, a jury awarded IPA Technologies $242 million against Microsoft for infringing US Patent 7,069,560 by incorporating the patented technology into its Cortana digital assistant. Nearly a month earlier, a jury awarded Kove IO $525 million against […]
Depositors lose access to cash in bankruptcy of fintech Synapse
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/depositors-lose-access-to-cash-in-bankruptcy-of-fintech-synapse/
PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston Hundreds of thousands of consumers have lost access to their checking accounts, debit cards, and credit cards due to a shutdown by Synapse, a financial-technology startup that offered “banking as a service.” Synapse acted as a middleman between true banks — including Evolve Bank & Trust, Lineage Bank, American Bank, […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/depositors-lose-access-to-cash-in-bankruptcy-of-fintech-synapse/
PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston Hundreds of thousands of consumers have lost access to their checking accounts, debit cards, and credit cards due to a shutdown by Synapse, a financial-technology startup that offered “banking as a service.” Synapse acted as a middleman between true banks — including Evolve Bank & Trust, Lineage Bank, American Bank, […]
Control Panel and consoles in Windows 11
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/control-panel-and-consoles-in-windows-11/
ISSUE 21.23 • 2024-06-03 WINDOWS 11 By Ed Tittel Control Panel element counts are shrinking, but they remain surprisingly active and entangled in Windows controls, configuration, and management. Although more than a decade has passed since Microsoft began migrating functionality from Control Panel into Settings, Control Panel elements remain alive and active in Windows 11. […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/control-panel-and-consoles-in-windows-11/
ISSUE 21.23 • 2024-06-03 WINDOWS 11 By Ed Tittel Control Panel element counts are shrinking, but they remain surprisingly active and entangled in Windows controls, configuration, and management. Although more than a decade has passed since Microsoft began migrating functionality from Control Panel into Settings, Control Panel elements remain alive and active in Windows 11. […]
June 2024 Office non-Security updates are now available
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/june-2024-office-non-security-updates-are-now-available/
Office non-Security updates have been released Tuesday, June 4, 2024. They are not included in the DEFCON-4 approval for the May 2024 patches. Unless you have a specific need to install them, you should wait until Susan Bradley (Patch Lady) approves them and any problems have been reported. Remember, Susan’s patching sequence and recommendations are […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/june-2024-office-non-security-updates-are-now-available/
Office non-Security updates have been released Tuesday, June 4, 2024. They are not included in the DEFCON-4 approval for the May 2024 patches. Unless you have a specific need to install them, you should wait until Susan Bradley (Patch Lady) approves them and any problems have been reported. Remember, Susan’s patching sequence and recommendations are […]
MS-DEFCON 2: Continuous dribbles
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ms-defcon-2-continuous-dribbles/
ISSUE 21.23.1 • 2024-06-06 By Susan Bradley When will it stop raining? Remember the old Star Trek episode titled “The Trouble with Tribbles?” Well, we’ve got trouble with dribbles, leading me to raise the MS-DEFCON level to 2. Changes are coming to Windows, both 10 and 11, but not necessarily to everyone. I find this […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/ms-defcon-2-continuous-dribbles/
ISSUE 21.23.1 • 2024-06-06 By Susan Bradley When will it stop raining? Remember the old Star Trek episode titled “The Trouble with Tribbles?” Well, we’ve got trouble with dribbles, leading me to raise the MS-DEFCON level to 2. Changes are coming to Windows, both 10 and 11, but not necessarily to everyone. I find this […]
Annoying widgets
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/annoying-widgets/
Sometimes the widgets that Microsoft offers up are ignorable and sometimes they are just annoying. Case in point is the widget on Windows 11. Today it’s annoyance is that the “tech feature” they are featuring is about Windows 10 and is a video that is SEVEN years old. Microsoft, if you are going to annoy […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/annoying-widgets/
Sometimes the widgets that Microsoft offers up are ignorable and sometimes they are just annoying. Case in point is the widget on Windows 11. Today it’s annoyance is that the “tech feature” they are featuring is about Windows 10 and is a video that is SEVEN years old. Microsoft, if you are going to annoy […]
The software subscription model
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/the-software-subscription-model/
COMMENTARY By Will Fastie My data is being held hostage. A recent email from TechSmith, the maker of Camtasia and Snagit, rubbed me the wrong way. This came on the heels of an annoying experience trying to activate Adobe Creative Suite 3 (CS3, from 2006) on my newest computer. I admit to knowing, in advance, […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/the-software-subscription-model/
COMMENTARY By Will Fastie My data is being held hostage. A recent email from TechSmith, the maker of Camtasia and Snagit, rubbed me the wrong way. This came on the heels of an annoying experience trying to activate Adobe Creative Suite 3 (CS3, from 2006) on my newest computer. I admit to knowing, in advance, […]
Should you trust that tech info?
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/should-you-trust-that-tech-info/
PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley Microsoft’s lack of guidance introduces risk. Getting help with technology has always been a bit difficult. Lately, it’s becoming a bit dangerous. Once upon a time, vendor support was more obvious and easier to find, and it provided more documentation. I’d argue that Apple still has the best consumer support […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/should-you-trust-that-tech-info/
PATCH WATCH By Susan Bradley Microsoft’s lack of guidance introduces risk. Getting help with technology has always been a bit difficult. Lately, it’s becoming a bit dangerous. Once upon a time, vendor support was more obvious and easier to find, and it provided more documentation. I’d argue that Apple still has the best consumer support […]
Snagit for great screenshots
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/snagit-for-great-screenshots/
SOFTWARE By Peter Deegan Snagit is the Rolls-Royce of screen-capture tools. If you take a lot of screen images for documents or presentations, then Snagit is the tool with the most options for both capturing an image/video and enhancing it. There’s a lot in Snagit, and it would be foolish to even attempt to cover […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/snagit-for-great-screenshots/
SOFTWARE By Peter Deegan Snagit is the Rolls-Royce of screen-capture tools. If you take a lot of screen images for documents or presentations, then Snagit is the tool with the most options for both capturing an image/video and enhancing it. There’s a lot in Snagit, and it would be foolish to even attempt to cover […]
Your ‘free’ VPN may actually be a malware bot
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/your-free-vpn-may-actually-be-a-malware-bot/
ISSUE 21.24 • 2024-06-10 PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston Law-enforcement authorities, coordinating the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and similar agencies in Germany, Singapore, and Thailand, have arrested the leaders of a worldwide botnet that relied on people downloading and installing software to create “free” virtual private networks (VPNs). Before the arrests were announced on […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/your-free-vpn-may-actually-be-a-malware-bot/
ISSUE 21.24 • 2024-06-10 PUBLIC DEFENDER By Brian Livingston Law-enforcement authorities, coordinating the US Federal Bureau of Investigation and similar agencies in Germany, Singapore, and Thailand, have arrested the leaders of a worldwide botnet that relied on people downloading and installing software to create “free” virtual private networks (VPNs). Before the arrests were announced on […]
June releases bring dribbles
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/june-releases-bring-dribbles/
June updates are out and Microsoft is once again dribbling out changes. I’ve detailed many of the expected changes here. Meanwhile Apple announced Private Cloud Compute at the same time jumping on the AI bandwagon. Apple will be releasing their software later on this year. In the meantime here is what is on deck from […]
https://www.askwoody.com/2024/june-releases-bring-dribbles/
June updates are out and Microsoft is once again dribbling out changes. I’ve detailed many of the expected changes here. Meanwhile Apple announced Private Cloud Compute at the same time jumping on the AI bandwagon. Apple will be releasing their software later on this year. In the meantime here is what is on deck from […]