Hello, and welcome…
Rick’s Daily Tech Tips Update for Friday, January 14, 2022.
Topics covered in this issue…
• How to set up a VPN on your smartphone
• My favorite tool for completely ‘wiping’ a hard drive
• Q&A: Do we still need to ‘eject’ USB flash drives before removing them?
• Video: Intrigued by Tiny Houses? Check this out.
• Info about my photo / file recovery service
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Today’s Quick Tip….
How to set up a VPN on your smartphone
It’s no secret that hackers and scammers are constantly trying to intercept the data we transmit and receive via the Internet. And since most people access the Internet using their smartphones these days, it only makes sense that those devices are prime targets for attacks.
The cellular Internet connections provided by the major carriers is quite secure, but it still pays to do everything you can to protect your data from those who would love to intercept it and use it for nefarious purposes.
One of the most effective tools you can use to protect your data is a high-quality Virtual Private Network, or VPN. I strongly recommend that you use one with your phone, especially if you occasionally use unencrypted public WiFi networks.
Minor soapbox alert: The use of unencrypted public WiFi networks is very dangerous, and thus not recommended unless there is simply no other option available to you.
If you simply must use an unencrypted network, the use of a VPN isn’t just an option. It’s actually mandatory if you want to prevent your private information from falling in the hands of hackers.
Now, please pardon me while I climb down from this soapbox…
In a nutshell, a VPN creates a secure encrypted “tunnel” between your local device and a remote server. That setup protects your privacy online by hiding your IP address and location while also protecting the data you send and receive by encrypting it.
Now that you know what a VPN does and why you need one, you’ll find instructions below for setting one up on your smartphone. Just follow the instructions for the phone you have.
The first thing you need to do is sign up for a reliable, high-quality VPN service. There are several good VPNs available (just do a Google search). If you’re looking for a recommendation, I personally prefer IP Vanish.
After you’ve signed up for a VPN and have the info you need in order to set it up at hand, you can get started setting it up on your phone. It shouldn’t take very long.
Note: The steps for setting up a VPN vary slightly from phone to phone. Some steps might be different, or even missing on your particular phone.
Therefore, you should just use the instructions provided below as a general guide. That being said, they should be pretty close to the procedure used for your phone.
If you have an iPhone:
1 – Tap the Settings icon (it looks like a “gear” or “cog“).
2 – Tap General.
3 – Scroll down and tap VPN.
4 – Tap VPN again.
5 – Tap Add VPN Configuration.
6 – Enter all the required info on this screen by referring to the documentation provided by your VPN service provider.
7 -Tap Done.
If you have an Android phone:
1 – Tap the Settings icon (it looks like a “gear” or “cog“).
2 – Tap Network & Internet.
3 – Tap Advanced (or More).
4 – Tap VPN.
5 – Tap the + (plus sign).
6 – Enter all the required info on this screen by referring to the documentation provided by your VPN service provider.
7 – Tap Save.
That’s all there is to it. You should now have an active VPN protecting the info you send and receive via the Internet using your smartphone.
The latest from Rick’s Daily Tips…
• My favorite tool for completely ‘wiping’ a hard drive
It’s very important to completely erase all the data from a hard drive before disposing of it in any way. This post discusses my favorite tool for completely ‘wiping’ a hard drive.
• Q&A: Do we still need to ‘eject’ USB flash drives before removing them?
A reader has a question about the safety of unplugging a USB flash drive without ejecting it first.
• Click here to see today’s ‘Picture of the Day’.
Every morning I post a new photo that I find inspiring, intriguing, or just plain beautiful to look at. Jumpstart your day by checking it out.
Pro blogging tip…
Rick’s Daily Tips is hosted by InMotion Hosting. Click here to find out why.
Rick’s Daily Pick…
Crucial BX500 240GB SSD (#ad)
Do you have an older PC that you’d like to give new life by installing Linux on it?
If so, a great place to start would be replacing its slow hard drive with this speedy SSD from Crucial.
240GB is plenty of space for most any popular Linux distro, and this little gem is an excellent drive for the money.
Today’s post from ‘My Daily Smile’…
Video: Intrigued by Tiny Houses? Check this out.
Do tiny houses intrigue you? If so, you might enjoy this short video.
Tech news that caught my eye…
• Fraud alert: Be careful when scanning QR codes
• The pandemic has blurred the lines between laptop categories
• Report: Americans spent a third of waking hours on mobile devices in 2021
• Largest darknet stolen credit card site closes
• Dropbox finally supports M1 Macs natively with new beta
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Rick’s Photo / File Recovery Service…
Do you have precious photos and/or other irreplaceable files that you’d like to recover from a non-working computer?
Chances are I’ll be able to recover them for you, even if the machine won’t turn on or start up correctly.
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Thanks so much, and have an amazing day.
Your tech buddy,
Rick Rouse
https://www.RicksDailyTips.com