Software Shilling

It is very common in the tech world, for one company to promote another, in order to boost business and earn commissions. I don’t go around looking for kickbacks, but I see and understand why companies seek referral bonuses and such. I am dismayed to report, though, that HP is now promoting a software that … Read more

Browser Volume Boost

As I enjoy YouTube and TikTok, I struggle with the varying volume levels. Some videos are easily heard, while others are quiet and hard to hear. It’s not that I’m hard of hearing. Rather, it’s that my laptop has very modest speakers, and adjusting the system volume can only do so much. I want to … Read more

Inhalant Abuse

Inhalant abuse, AKA “huffing”, “chroming” and now “dusting”, is when someone inhales chemical vapors, in pursuit of euphoria or some kind of high. This practice is very dangerous and can result in bodily harm or death. Why am I writing about this on a tech blog? Because: The greatest danger of inhalant abuse may be … Read more

The Unpaid Traffic Ticket Scam

The latest smish to arrive in people’s texts is the Unpaid Traffic Ticket scam. It may look familiar to you, because it’s brought to you by the same criminals who are behind those ubiquitous unpaid-toll and unpaid-parking schemes. If you get a text message like what’s pictured here, don’t believe it. Don’t answer it, don’t … Read more

Victoria’s Secret Security Incident

Don’t get your knickers in a twist, or from the Victoria’s Secret website. It’s down, and has been since the weekend. So is their mobile app. Before the Memorial Day holiday, Victoria’s Secret suffered some kind of security incident, and they had to deactivate their site, apps and all customer-facing transactions. We don’t know more … Read more

Sketchy Sales on Facebook

Have you noticed that there are some really sketchy sales companies on Facebook? No? Follow me down a rabbit hole, because I have something for you to watch out for: Just Another Shirt Seller? Facebook ads & sponsored posts promote a lot of small companies as they try to sell their wares, and one popped … Read more

The Vanishing of Classic Outlook

In 2025, Microsoft is pushing their “new” Outlook app on their PCs. It’s not going so well. The new Outlook for Windows app doesn’t work well with all email accounts, lacks critical features and shows built-in ads. Adoption rates are low. Users of the “classic” Outlook email client (born in 1997!) usually remain loyal and … Read more

The Chromebook Challenge

If you have school-age kids, please read up on the viral Chromebook Challenge! Social media is spreading this as a fun activity, but it is quite dangerous and costly. The challenge prompts young people to short-circuit their laptops, using paperclips, tinfoil or other metal objects. By sticking these conductors into the ports of their Chromebooks, … Read more

Cloud Storage Alert Scam

This type of scammy email can catch a lot of people off-guard. I want you to be familiar with the Cloud Storage Alert scam that’s gonig around: These emails may be vague, like the one pictured above, or they might mention Apple, Google or other big tech companies. But usually, there’s something off about them. … Read more