Hello, and welcome…
Rick’s Daily Tech Tips Update for Friday, May 10, 2024
Topics covered in this issue…
• Find out if your phone’s apps have morphed into malware
• How to enable Two-Factor Authentication on your X account
• Q&A: Where can I get some incandescent light bulbs?
• Video: Chelsea and Grace Constable performing “Jerry’s Breakdown”
• May’s Tech Tips Giveaway: TP-Link Deco AXE4900 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh WiFi System
Today’s issue is sponsored by…
ClickFunnels was created so that entrepreneurs like you, who aren’t programmers and who don’t know how to code, can easily build beautiful pages inside of a sales funnel, to grow your company online.
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Monthly Tech Giveaway….
We have a winner for April…
Congratulations to Gary M. from Warren City, Michigan for winning the Anker 521 300W Portable Power Station in April’s Tech Tips Giveaway.
May’s winner will receive a TP-Link Deco AXE4900 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh WiFi System (click for details).
The prizes featured in my Monthly Tech Giveaways include a combination of the best items I have received for testing and review and brand new items provided directly by partner companies.
All winners are selected at random. All Standard subscribers have an equal chance to win. All Premium subscribers have double the chance to win (their email addresses are added to the pot twice).
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Today’s featured tech tip….
Find out if your phone’s apps have morphed into malware
If you have a smartphone you probably have at least a few apps on it that you’ve downloaded to perform some task or another.
Well here’s a little secret for you…
Just because an app was safe at the time you installed it, that doesn’t mean it’s still safe today.
Unfortunately, some legitimate (and truly useful) apps morph into malware at some point. This can happen in one of two ways:
1 – A hacker hijacks the app and inserts malicious code into it without the knowledge or permission of the app’s author.
2 – A hacker buys an app from its owner and then alters the code to make it do all kinds of nefarious things.
Regardless of how they got that way, newly-malicious apps can be made to do virtually anything a devious hacker wants them to do, including steal your personal and financial info from the phone, turn on the phone’s camera and/or microphone and use it to spy on you, and more.
The thing is, you’ll likely never know that an app on your phone has morphed into malware just by using it. You might experience some negative symptoms, but chances are you’ll never find out what’s actually going on with the phone.
That’s why you need to periodically check up on your installed apps to makes sure they’re still legit and safe to use. Here’s how:
1 – Type the name of an app into Google along with the words malware and spyware and see if any articles or news items pop up indicating that the app has gone over to the dark side.
2 – Revisit the app’s download page in the appropriate app store and read some of the most recent user reviews. If there’s a problem there will likely be numerous comments in the reviews explaining what’s going on. It would also be wise to review the app’s permissions to make sure it isn’t doing things that could be overly-intrusive.
The latest from Rick’s Daily Tips Tech Blog…
• How to enable Two-Factor Authentication on your X account
It’s very important to do this.
• Q&A: Where can I get some incandescent light bulbs?
This post has the answer (and a recommendation).
• 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.
Rick’s Daily Pick…
Teamgee 14″ FHD 1080P IPS Portable Laptop Monitor / Screen Extender
Looking for an easy and inexpensive way to add a second screen to your laptop? Well, this is it.
Today’s post from ‘My Daily Smile’…
Video: Chelsea and Grace Constable performing “Jerry’s Breakdown”
Awesome music by two very talented sisters.
Tech news that caught my eye…
• Microsoft is testing a new Windows 11 Start menu with floating widgets
• ALS patient has a brain implant that translates his thoughts to computer commands
• T-Mobile and Verizon may carve up U.S. Cellular
• Apple apologizes for this tone-deaf ad
• How to enter UEFI firmware on PCs running Windows 11
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Thanks so much, and have an amazing day.
Your tech buddy,
Rick Rouse
https://www.RicksDailyTips.com