Each week, my listeners ask me many questions about tech concerns, new products, and all things digital. Sometimes, selecting the most interesting inquiries to spotlight is a nice part of my activity. This week, I received questions about GPS stalkers, lethal cellular phones, upgrading Apple’s macOS, and more. Do you have a question you need to ask me? Please tap or click right here to email me without delay.
Cell phone risks
Q: Can you settle an argument between my wife and me? Do cell phones cause mind cancer? I say sure; she says I’m crazy. A: There has been a substantial rise in mobile telephone use, and there may be a substantial upward push in diagnosing mind tumors. So, is there a connection? If you have ever taken a statistics course, you recognize the distinction between “causation” and “correlation.” None of the research recommends that you worry about mobile phones causing peculiar growths in your body.
That stated, gazing at a screen for hours on stop could have consequences, and essential neurologists were vital to optophone’s long-term effect on your eyes and brain functions. As always, moderation is prime. The BBC currently aired “Truth or Scare,” about the cellphone use most cancer controversy. You can research more at my website.
Incognito explained
Q: Can you explain the incognito mode to me? Is it certainly painted? Can I surf the net privately? A: With a name like “incognito,” you will suppose this mode could shield you from whatever. Many people make this mistake, thinking that “incognito” is a few cloaking devices that protect you from any watchful eyes on the net.
Let’s be clear: incognito mode is very constrained. Your browser won’t keep track of the websites you visit, so if someone else uses the same computer, your search records are completely non-public; otherwise, any website is trackable to your IP address.
Since “incognito” is mainly a Google Chrome period, remember that different browsers with comparable abilities are limited identically. But this is starting to change; a way to update to Chrome 74, customers can finally search the net without feeling as uncovered to internet carriers and hackers. Tap or click here to find a way to set up this vital replacement.
Secret GPS trackers
Q: I see these high-tech things on crime that suggest that you can discover GPS trackers in motors. Does this exist? My ex may have placed one on my list, as they exist. Before you panic, consider why a GPS tracker is beneficial: Some oldsters use them for pets that generally tend to stray. Others use them for automobiles in excessive-robbery areas. These devices are convenient if you’re using them for wholesome purposes and allow you to hold a tune with possessions you care about.
However, GPS trackers are like covert safety cameras because stalkers and creeps can, without difficulty, use them. They’re usually mounted in your car with tape or a magnet so that you’ll want to do a radical search of the outdoors and interior of your vehicle – in addition to purses, wallets, and anything else that could keep a tool the size of an ink cartridge.
You can use an RF detector to scan your vehicle, but first, do a visible sweep. Poor man’s Photoshop
Q: I even have a gaggle of digital family pix I need to share with my nieces and nephews. However, I need to edit them first. Is there a terrible guy’s version of Photoshop or something similar?
A: First, Photoshop is a fantastic product, and it has continually been. But it’s also steeply priced, complicated, and hard to grasp. Dobe is the reigning layout software champion, and photographers can’t find a good deal higher than Photoshop. B or own family photos and powerful editing options, there are rankings of different packages that can do everything you want.
Photos, as an example, come free on every Mac, coulAslfor But in photos thcomemere tired of remedial filters and patches, GIMP is a stunning Photoshop rival. Need to create collages, erase eyesores, or maybe add special effects? GIMP can try this – and it’s unfastened.
Upgrade macOS
Q: I’m a newer Mac consumer, and I keep getting a pop-up on my computer telling me to upgrade to Mojave. What is this, and do I need to update it?
A: Apple is the master of cool names for its running systems: Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, Sierra, High Sierra—and, as of 2018, the Mojave running device. None of these names means anything, but they’re a popular way to distinguish one model of MacOS from another.
In brief, you must upgrade your MacOS, mainly if your laptop tells you to do it. Also, upgrading is less than functionality (some updates may additionally power you loopy) and extra approximate security. That said, if your computer is four years old or older, you can no longer be capable of improvement, and you must keep in mind traveling your Apple save to study your options.
