Recent Comments


Comment by Stephen on Just Add Onions for Online Privacy? (November 6, 2024 10:34 PM)
Bob, I just want to say that when I order beef liver, I always ask for both bacon and onions. Great stuff. Chicken liver is also quite good. As for to...
Comment by Pete on Just Add Onions for Online Privacy? (November 6, 2024 08:01 PM)
Thanks Bob, I will have to try it out. Never used it before, but today I see it could be useful. Thanks again!!...
Comment by misterfish on Just Add Onions for Online Privacy? (November 6, 2024 07:36 PM)
I've been using Tor for a couple of years. Yes it is slow, but I value my privacy, especially dealing with Facebook - which simply plunders your brows...
Comment by Philip on Just Add Onions for Online Privacy? (November 6, 2024 07:34 PM)
Tried to download with your link. Failed. Got the following message: Did Not Connect: Potential Security Issue Firefox detected a potential securi...
Comment by Stephan Borau on Just Add Onions for Online Privacy? (November 6, 2024 07:13 PM)
On my Android phone I use Orbot (I believe there's an iOS version) -- a ToR VPN. It's too powerful. I'm finding over the past year or so that many web...
Comment by Oldster on Just Add Onions for Online Privacy? (November 6, 2024 06:59 PM)
In view of the recent U.S. Presidential Election, I have just installed the tor browser because I fear I may need it, going forward. Even though I'm n...
Comment by Lee Dalzell on [ALERT] Fake Facebook Profile - What to do? (November 2, 2024 08:41 PM)
Several years ago a friend was faked on FB. She complained, filled out all their required proof and they REFUSED to believer her. So she is currently ...
Comment by GUE on Here's How to Upgrade Your Older Computer (and when you shouldn't) (November 1, 2024 08:21 AM)
This adjustment speeds up Firefox by using your computer's RAM to store data instead of using your computer's much slower hard drive. Move Your Cache...
Comment by petefior on Geekly Update - 30 October 2024 (October 31, 2024 10:23 PM)
I use a 3 year old Roku streaming device that works just fine, but I am wondering if my Roku is guilty of the same privacy concerns that plague modern...
Comment by hifi5000 on Geekly Update - 30 October 2024 (October 31, 2024 02:30 PM)
I read an related article concerning smart TVs and I am not going to buy one.I am looking at used TVs and had looked at several TVs at a thrift shop. ...

Just Add Onions for Online Privacy?

What do onions have to do with Internet privacy? I don't spend much time in dark corners of the Web, but every once in a while I fire up the privacy-focused Tor browser. I just installed the latest version and spent some time exploring the Tor network. It was an interesting and surprisingly non-geeky sojourn! Here's what you need to know about the Tor browser, and how onions can improve your online safety and privacy...work security

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Posted by Bob Rankin on November 06, 2024 | Category: Privacy


Geekly Update - 30 October 2024

Can you fall in love with an AI chatbot? Is your TV harvesting your private information and selling it to data brokers? Are AI-powered cameras watching your bathroom activities? And will a flying car help you avoid traffic jams? Get answers in today's Geekly Update... it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and comment!

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Posted by Bob Rankin on October 30, 2024 | Category: Tech-News


Selling Your Saliva: Privacy Dangers of DNA Testing

At-home DNA test kits sold online are popular holiday gifts, promising to reveal facts about your family history and susceptibility to various diseases. But could sending in your saliva sample in a DNA test kit have a negative impact on the privacy of yourself, your family, and your close relatives? Here's what you need to know, especially if you've submitted a DNA sample to Ancestry or 23andMe...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on October 29, 2024 | Category: Privacy


Geekly Update - 23 October 2024

Was the last tattered vestige of your privacy just swallowed up by data brokers, or did you willingly hand it over? Will dorky augmented reality glasses soon replace your smartphone? Is using AI-generated content in your term paper cheating? And is there a way to circumvent Windows 11's strict hardware requirements? Get answers in today's Geekly Update... it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and comment!

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Posted by Bob Rankin on October 23, 2024 | Category: Tech-News


Can I Share My Password for Netflix and Other Streaming Services?

The question of whether you can legally or ethically share your password for Netflix and other streaming services is a hot topic. With access to enormous collections of films, TV shows, documentaries, and more, streaming services have emerged as a crucial component of contemporary entertainment. However, the manner in which users share these services raises concerns about what is acceptable and what the potential repercussions might be. Read on for a look at the details of this question...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on October 22, 2024 | Category: Video


The Most Common Computing Mistakes (how many have you made?)

You might prefer to blame hackers, cyber-criminals, and shoddy software, but the unpleasant truth is that most computer problems are caused by users. Here's the good news: there are a few basic steps you can take to avoid malware infections, data loss, and performance issues. Too often, people try to save time or money by cutting corners, and they end up paying the price. Check out my list of common computing mistakes, and how to fix (or even better, avoid) them. Read on...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on October 17, 2024 | Category: Security


Try These Free Online Photo Editors

An AskBob reader says: 'I don’t have Adobe Photoshop and I’m looking for a photo editor that I can use on the go. What do you recommend for photo editing when I’m away from my home computer?' It turns out there are quite a few online image and photo editors, and the features they offer are quite impressive. Check out these free web-based image editing tools that are just a click away...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on October 11, 2024 | Category: Photography


Yes, You Do Need a Disposable Email Address

It seems everyone wants your email address -- shopping sites, your bank, your doctor, the grocery store, even the vendors at the local farmer’s market. It’s no wonder our spam filters are so busy! But I do wonder which of the many entities that have my email address gave it away, sold it, or carelessly lost it in a data breach. A disposable email address provides a handy solution to this and other privacy problems. Read on to learn more...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on October 08, 2024 | Category: Email


A Time Machine for the Internet?

Have you ever wondered what the Internet looked like 25 years ago? The Internet Archive has been crawling the Web since 1996, taking snapshots of Web pages and preserving them for posterity. Today, approximately 835 billion Web pages, 44 million books, millions of images, audio recordings, and video, along with a million games and software programs are stored on the IA’s servers. Read on to learn how you can access the Wayback Machine, an amazing resource that offers a window into both the history and the present of the Internet...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on October 01, 2024 | Category: Reference


So You Dropped Your Phone in the...

For a variety of reasons, millions of mobile phones are “drowned” each year. When your phone stops working after falling into the sink, toilet, bathtub, swimming pool, muddy puddle, lake or the ocean, can it be saved? In many cases the answer is “yes,” if you do the right things and don’t do the wrong things. If you're thinking about using rice, silica gel, cat litter, couscous, or instant oatmeal, don't waste your time. Here's what you need to know if your device is dunked, and the tale of my unsuccessful attempts to teach my phone to swim...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on September 26, 2024 | Category: Mobile


Geekly Update - 25 September 2024

Can you prevent Facebook and Instagram from scraping your social media data to train their AI models? Should you hand your phone to the police, when they ask to see your digital driver's license? Is anything being done to stem the tide of phony product reviews on Amazon and other ecommerce sites? And is AI really all about creating God in our image? Get answers in today's Geekly Update... it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and comment!

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Posted by Bob Rankin on September 25, 2024 | Category: Tech-News


[ALERT] Fake Facebook Profile - What to do?

Today I got a message from an AskBob reader, alerting me that someone had made a fake Facebook profile in my name. The malefactor pretending to be me stole my profile picture, reposted some of my updates, and was already running a scam. Fortunately, that reader wasn’t fooled, and was kind enough to let me know about the bogus account. Sadly, this happens all the time. Here’s what I did, and what you need to know about fake Facebook profiles...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on September 24, 2024 | Category: Facebook


Geekly Update - 19 September 2024

Will these new tech devices allow the blind to see and the deaf to hear? Has Toyota solved the problem of small children being left behind in locked cars? And have AI deepfakes ruined everthing? Get answers in today's Geekly Update... it's jam-packed with the latest tech news. This issue is guaranteed to make you 146% smarter -- you'll see why. Read, think, and comment!

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Posted by Bob Rankin on September 19, 2024 | Category: Tech-News


Here's How to Upgrade Your Older Computer (and when you shouldn't)

Is your computer bogged down with the weight of Cosmic Computer Crud that's built up over the years? Is it struggling to keep up with the latest apps and modern operating systems? Perhaps you wonder, should you junk it and buy a new one, or upgrade its hardware? The answer is highly dependent upon your specific circumstances. Here are my tips and guidelines for making that decision, and some Windows 11 considerations too...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on September 17, 2024 | Category: Hardware


Optimize Your Hard Drive: How and Why

When things go bonkers with your computer, the source of the problem is often in the hard drive. One of the best things you can do to prevent computer problems and improve performance is to keep your hard drive in tip-top shape. Here are some of the most important tasks for hard drive optimization, plus some nifty (and free) hard drive maintenance utilities that make getting them done a breeze...

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Posted by Bob Rankin on September 12, 2024 | Category: Hard-Drives



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