Spam Text Messages

Here are options for dealing with spam text messages: Forward the Message to SPAM When you get a spam text, forward it to 7726 (SPAM). This helps your carrier know about what spam is spreading where, and they’ll study the trends to prevent more spam from reaching you. To forward a message on Apple devices, … Read more

Voice-to-Text Typing

Speak to your computer and have it type what you’re saying! Windows and MacOS have voice-to-text typing tools built-in and you just have to launch them for your speech to flow into whatever document you’re creating. Windows Users would press Win + H to open the dictation tool. Apple users can press the Fn button … Read more

Mail2World’s 2022 Email Outage

On Wednesday, 1/12/2022, an email provider named Mail2World disappeared from the internet. They’re a modest company based in California that provides email for millions of people worldwide. They handle the email service for many different ISPs (including Shentel, Buckeye Broadband, and SRT), as well as for individuals and small businesses. Information on this outage was … Read more

USPS Operation Santa

The USPS needs your help! Their Operation Santa program has gone national this year, and they need generous people to help them answer letters sent to Santa. This USPS program collects and posts Santa-letters from kiddos all over the USA. When you participate in the program, you can “adopt” a letter, respond to it appropriately … Read more

Shentel Email Best Security Practices

Many of my clientele are in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the home territory of an ISP named Shentel. And like many ISPs, Shentel provides free, courtesy email addresses to its subscribers. It’s like a mint on your pillow, except this mint needs some extra warnings on its wrapper and may give you some indigestion… … Read more

Is Facetime Coming to Windows?

Is Facetime Coming to Windows? The answer to this is a bit dicey. Or nuanced. But the explanation is worth it for your safety. The Basics Facetime is an Apple-owned iOS app that allows you to video chat with people on their iPhones and iPads,. To date, Facetime has only been able to connect you … Read more

Periods & Plus Signs in Gmail Addresses

Any email address is generally case-insensitive. That is to say: it doesn’t matter if you use capital letters or lower-case. But Google has a few more tricks up its Gmail sleeve. Let me describe how you might use extra periods and plus signs in Gmail addresses: Periods: In any Gmail address, periods are ignored before … Read more

Text to 911

In case of an emergency, many parts of the USA support Text to 911. This technology allows you to contact 911 for help via text message (SMS). The FCC reminds everyone that you should place a voice call to 911 whenever possible. Much of the Shenandoah Valley((Warren County, VA has assured me they support this … Read more

Do Not Harass a Phone Scammer

I just saw some really bad advice on Reddit. Someone suggested that when you take a call from a scammer, you should put some effort into complaining, to waste their time and convince them to not call anymore. Please do not do this. Do not harass a phone scammer. The chance of you convincing a … Read more