On Computers

2-step log-ins double down on digital data security

After we alerted our readers to scammers pretending to be from Microsoft, we heard about scammers pretending to be from AOL. A reader told us she frequently gets emails saying "out of AOL storage space." This is a common ploy directed at both AOL and Microsoft Outlook users.

Dump those messages, we said, backing up our recommendation with oodles of research. But just as our egos were pumped by her "thank you" note, the same reader gave us her own tip, namely: It's safer to open an email on your cellphone than on your computer.

The jury is still out on that, but a big help is "two-factor authentication," using two methods to identify that you are in fact you whenever you log in from a new machine. Banking and other financial apps typically require double identifications; so does PayPal, Gmail, Facebook, Twitter and other social networks -- but only if you enable that feature. On Facebook, you click on "settings," and then "security." Other social network settings are either identical or very similar. When you do this, the apps send you a security code that you must use in addition to your password to start the app on a different machine. Since only you get that email or text, only you should know the code.

But it's still possible to do something dumb. When Joy plugged her phone into a public charger at the airport, for instance, she risked getting her good apps replaced by malicious ones. Seems incredible, but plugging into a public charging station can download software that will collect your phone's data as well as put in new apps that will track you from then on; this was demonstrated at the Black Hat Hacker's Convention in Las Vegas two years ago. There's no need to rely on these public charging stations; battery packs that carry three or four full charges for any phone are available almost everywhere now and they're cheap -- about $20 and sometimes less. We carry one that's a little red cylinder about the size of a roll of pennies.

The Best Phone Camera

Most people take photos with their phones, not digital cameras. So Yahoo.com/Tech did an informal test of the best phone cameras, using four tech reporters, and looking at six top phones. LG's G4 phone won easily. Next came Samsung's Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4. These were followed by Apple's iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone 6. HTC's "One M9" came in last.

Windows 10 is Free, With a Catch

Windows 10 is free on Wednesday but there's a catch. After one year, you have to pay for it. They don't say how much it will be. But if you don't like it, don't buy it.

One problem is it's like a bad game of "Red Rover, Red Rover, send my programs over." Microsoft says the programs from your old machine might not transfer over. No kidding! This has always been true and is not peculiar to Windows 10. You can lose some really nice stuff this way. For example: in moving from XP to Windows 7, Joy's favorite greeting card program, which came out 20 years ago, wouldn't work. Nor would it work with Windows 8, even if we used the Windows routine for running old programs. Fortunately, since we have had so many bad experiences with changing Windows operating systems, we kept the old Windows XP computer; Bob uses it.

Why consider upgrading to Windows 10 at all? One reason might be Cortana, Microsoft's answer to Siri, an assistant who answers your voice commands. You also get new ways to get organized, new photo editing, music and map apps, plus Edge, a new browser that takes the place of Internet Explorer.

To find out if your computer is compatible with Windows 10, click the Windows icon in the lower part of your screen, then click, what they call in the business, the "hamburger icon" in the top left. That's three stacked lines, sort of like a bun with a burger. Then click "check your PC." Unfortunately, the link for reserving your copy of Windows 10 doesn't work, but you'll probably get a reminder anyway on Wednesday.

Battle for the Oldies

Avast mateys! You scurvy dogs! Playing games like Monkey Island back in the 1990s was the most fun we've had playing video games. But some of those old games won't play on new machines -- unless you can get new versions.

We found Monkey Island 2, Game of Thrones, Jurassic Park and other titles for the PC, Mac and iPad at TellTaleGames. They come with free trials.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is fighting to allow programmers to put classic games online. Some titles, such as Battlefield 1942 and Star Wars: Battlefront are no longer supported by publishers and may just disappear.

What's App-ening

• Countable, free for iPhone/iPad and Android, lets you know what federal bills are being proposed and will send emails to Congress for you.

• Spotlight Text is $10 for iPhone and claims to make it possible for those with macular degeneration to read books on their tablets. We hope the creator, Dr. Howard J. Kaplan, will do the same thing for games like solitaire.

Internuts

• ClaimYour.Space allows you to claim a website that ends in dot space instead of dot com. We noticed that CocaCola.space is taken, as is Nike.space and the usual brands. But you might want one with your name on it, like UncleMax.space. Cost is $8.39 to register an open domain for one year.

• Playscripts.com has plays for young audiences, community theater, high school and college. Prices seem reasonable at $10 to $18 per copy plus a percentage of the box office. If you put in the code Summer20, you get a discount.

Bob and Joy Schwabach can be reached by email at bobschwa@gmail.com and joydee@oncomp.com.

SundayMonday Business on 07/27/2015

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