The Ides of March. March 15, 2020 (to the best of my recollection) — a day that will remain in infamy for me. That’s when the “powers that be” told us — 15 days to slow the spread. Then a week later 30 days to slow the spread. Our lives were upended. Rules and policies were put in place that didn’t do too much of anything. I’m really left questioning — to what end? Think of all these school children whose learning was drastically affected. Think of all the people who have been psychologically harmed over the past 4 years. 😦 Psychologically, I am not the same person as I was on 3/15/20. Money doesn’t buy happiness. It can give a little comfort at times, but it doesn’t undo the damage and scars I’ve endured over the past 4 years. That’s why I go to those dinners at the Butterfly every month. It’s like a giant support group for people just like me. 🙂
I couldn’t fail to mention the one year passing of Dr. Zev Zelenko to start off. You probably have an answer if you were asked who was the philosopher that most influenced your life. Maybe it was Bob Dylan, Foucault, Thomas Paine, Plato or the Maharishi for you.  For me it was Zev. On the surface, one could doubt that I have a lot in common with the late Hasidic Jewish physician. However, he became like a mentor or father to me in that dark era we lived through known as Covid 19. Zev taught me that we were not in a medical catastrophe or plague but that we were in a battle for humanity, something so much bigger than a virus. Zev taught me to hope and not succumb to anxiety. He helped me stand up to and slay the dragons in my life. This is the freedom that July 4th represents to me. For this I will always be grateful. Dr. Zelenko gave this short talk in the months before his death. May it inspire you as it inspired me.  https://rumble.com/v1an35n–wise-words-from-dr.-vladimir-zev-zelenko-rip-sir-you-are-a-hero-and-an-ins.html
When a loved one dies — there can be the best of estate plans. There may be a will, trust, or even most accounts can be set up with beneficiaries to bypass probate However, there are things that often get overlooked with regards to the technology aspect in its intersection with issues like online accounts, services, credit, and related matters. This is where I can be very useful to someone going through such a transition.
I recently worked with a client who lost their spouse. In the initial grief of death, some things were done that should not have been done. A paid off Amazon Visa was closed (that both spouses were on) paid off with a 40,000 + limit. Never ever do that! Down the road it may have been appropriate, but hasty action like that can affect the surviving spouse’s ability to obtain credit. Chase has wonky rules about closing cards and then obtaining new ones from their bank (specifically with the Chase Amazon card — it is a 12 month policy). There may also be situations where the deceased spouse had a more established credit profile than their surviving partner. That is why keeping those joint accounts / authorized user accounts ALIVE matter.
DO NOT — cancel your dead loved ones cell phone right away. I suggest continuing to pay for the number for AT LEAST 3 months. You will need this phone for codes to get into online banking, e-mail and other accounts. Most iPhones support 2 phone numbers now. Down the road you could always get this phone # put on your iPhone as a second number.
Look at your credit report. This may help you become aware of possible fraudulent accounts or forgotten accounts.
Know if you have credit freezes, fraud alerts, or credit monitoring. I have helped clients set up credit freezes since 2017. They are the ultimate protection to someone opening fraudulent credit card / loan accounts in your name. However, I have also come across clients who have forgotten they set up their own credit freezes from years ago and then are left puzzled when they are applying for a car loan / lease or in some other kind of borrowing situation.
I am a master at helping clients get untangled from these technological troubles. Make it easier on yourself though. Do not rush to close accounts. There are consequences.
1. While not many of my clients are still in the workforce — here is one you can let your kids or even grandkids know about. Fake job recruiters are texting people with seemingly interesting offers from seemingly legitimate firms. This happened a few weeks ago when I was contacted allegedly from a representative of Manpower. I remember Manpower back in the day, mostly hiring people at the hardware store (or Home Depot) for day labor jobs. I looked into what they have become and now they are a global firm, hiring across the professional spectrum. The job I was presented with had to do with app testing and reviewing. The pay for 10 hours per week seemed good and not so out of line to trigger alarm bells. The first rep then wanted me to talk to her supervisor — Brinda (Brenda?). Brinda had a lot to say about this job and she wanted to talk on Whats App. Ok I thought, a more secure form of communication. Finally she wanted to discuss the job further on Monday and she said “Honey, have I answered all of your questions?” That’s when I knew. No legitimate recruiter would talk to any applicant that way. BLOCK. (Later I found out that Brinda was a common first name in India.)
2. Solar (Some Sellers)
Though I don’t have solar at my house, I have become somewhat of an expert in the sales pitch and what to look out for. There are a lot of dishonest brokers. The biggest red flag for me is “the State of _________ is allowing us to install your solar system at NO COST.” Next! Believe me there is a cost. Basically in that kind of scenario some form of lease or PPA (power purchase agreement). An outright purchase or financing agreement is the most straightforward to me. Keep in mind that a bad solar company is going to try to sell you the smallest system possible to maximize their profit. The seller needs to review 2 years of your electric bills. If they don’t want to take the time, do not give them your time. Furthermore, be sure you know if the TAX CREDIT will apply to you. A $50K solar system (w/ battery) and a $10,000 credit may not be applicable if you do not pay a lot of taxes in a given year. However, your credit can likely be stretched over a couple years.
A Quick Note About Frontier Fiber Phone
Some of my cord cutter clients are going with Frontier Fiber over Go Net Speed because Frontier offers the option for a home phone. This service is very much like Xfinity’s home phone offering. The fiber optic phone can be run through all of your jacks,making your phones look work as they always have. However, I learned something with a client last week. Frontier Fiber phone does not work well with home security systems that do their monitoring over a landline. (For some technical reason Xfinity phone works even though it is IP based as well.) The solution — ask your alarm company to install a cellular monitoring transmitter. The Alarm Company (based in West Hartford) has been serving customers for 45 years. They can handle such a setup.
I try to keep the updates weekly, so please excuse this SPECIAL UPDATE. I could not wait until a week passed. THIS IS A SPECIAL UPDATE for all clients – but even if you use a Mac, you likely have a friend, co-worker, son, daughter, neighbor that uses a Windows computer. I want you to forward this message on to that person. Please.
The Bit Locker – Shocker
This may seem like a dramatic title, but it would be quite a shocker if you got locked out of your computer right?
I do a pretty good job of breaking down complex topics simply for my clients……
1. There is encryption technology on both Macs and Windows PCs that can protect your files.
2. Think of it this way — if you take your laptop to a coffee shop — and it is stolen, people are going to have a hard time reading your data IF IT IS ENCRYPTED. There is simply a “switch” in the software that gets turned on to start the encryption. On a Mac, it is called Fire Vault. On Windows, it is called Bit Locker.
Clear so far….?
3. Now on Mac — the process is pretty EXPLICIT. When you set up a new Mac — it asks if you want to turn Fire Vault on. Clear as day. Usually when I set up new Macs for my clients — I opt in, especially with a laptop.
3b. On a Windows computer, I always thought it was OPT IN. It is off for everyone, but you have to hunt it out. (I’m saying this as a Bit Locker user since 2014). Further, thinning the heard Bit Locker was only available on the Professional version of Windows, not the Home version. Computers I order for my clients come with Windows Professional 90% of them. When client’s buy the PC’s themselves — or buy from WalMart, Best Buy, etc…. it’s almost always the Home version. Well well — starting in these latter days of Windows 10 and Windows 11 — SOME — Windows Home version machines actually have a stripped down version of Bit Locker. (Side note: Wouldn’t that be a cool religion?– Latter Days of Windows?? Perhaps I could be the Chief Overseer!!) Just wanted to make one thing clear — this is not the first time you are hearing about this. I did sound the alarm for my Windows clients only in October. I am pulling the alarm harder now — because I want you to forward this message out to anyone you know who uses Windows.
The Friday the 13th – Scary Part!!!
4. The point is — it’s possible — that anyone with a Windows computer 5 years and newer — COULD — possibly have Bit Locker turned on, without knowing. The user then does not know the KEY because they never knew Bit Locker was on. The computer gets some kind of Update — and then they are prompted for the key. Uh oh!!! Big trouble
5. This problem seems to operate by arbitrary rules. The first client I had it happen to had an HP Desktop. The time was April 2023. Fortunately, the Bit Locker system (which she wasn’t even aware was son) backed up the Key to her Microsoft account — as it should. I was able to log on to her Microsoft account from my computer. I typed in the Key and got her back into her computer. No problem. A Pain, but as expected. In October — I had a client get locked out by Bit Locker. She had a 2018 Dell Laptop that does not even qualify for Bit Locker. Yet — it was turned on anyway. No key was ever generated. I had to erase her entire computer and restore files from backup. Just last week, I was told by a client with a pretty high end Dell XPS laptop — that she was being asked for the Bit Locker key. She never knowingly turned Bit Locker on. A key was backed up to her Microsoft account. The key seems to be wrong. I will get my hands on this computer soon and report back. Then just last night, I heard from an acquaintance in Spain. He got a brand new, very powerful computer direct from the Dell warehouse overthere. He did not turn Bit Locker on. Well well — one day later he got asked for his Bit Locker key. He didn’t know it. He returned the computer to Dell — said I’m done with you.
I don’t want anyone to lose faith in Windows here. I have had my Thinkpad T480 laptop since Jan. 2020. I have used Bit Locker (knowingly) since Day 1. I know what my key is. I have NEVER been asked to type it in. I don’t think this is exclusively a Dell problem…but in my little orbit the problems are stacking up 3 Dells and 1 HP.
So What Do We Do About It?
6. Everyone with a Windows Computer — should click their Start Menu, Go to Settings, and type the word Bit Locker (or Encryption). Open that Setting please.  If there is an active Bit Locker key for your Windows computer — please save the file (back up) — and print it out. If you have at Home (not Professional) Version of Windows the only way to retrieve this key is to go to your Microsoft account in your web browser. https://account.microsoft.com/devices/recoverykey
Let’s stop this from affecting any more Windows computers!! Dell has given an official statement on this issue and I found it weak. With every Windows computer I touch from now on, I am going to make sure the owner knows their bit locker key. It would be better in my opinion to turn Bit Locker on and know the key — then to have a very nasty surprise.
Here is a little song that is right on point with this e-mail — Surprise Surprise!
There was some really positive news from Apple yesterday. Historically the “life cycle” of the battery on an iPhone has been rated for 500 charge cycles. This does not mean 500 nights in a row of plugging in your phone. It is a complete charge cycle from empty to full — calculated by some complex math I’m sure. Your iPhone battery is said to need SERVICING when it’s Health reaches 80%. (You can see this for yourself by going to Settings >> Battery >> Battery health.) In fact I know there are some of you that need to do something regarding your battery right now — either replacement battery or new phone. You can get the battery replaced at any Apple Store or Best Buy (acting as an agent of Apple). Typically it takes 2 to 4 years for the battery to reach 80%. The good news is — Apple is now saying that for iPhone 15 and later models the battery is good for 1000 charge cycles. Impressive.
Flip Phone Heaven
Some of my clients still use flip phones. They have lamented how bad they have gotten. There just aren’t as many flip phones available as there were between lets say 2005-2010. There were some phones in that era that were built for the long haul. Does anyone remember the Motorola E815, Moto Razr, or LGVX8300. Calling and an occasional text were all that mattered. OK you could take a picture also if you got in a car accident! I have searched high and low and if you really need a flip phone — I have one and only to recommend – the Fig Kosher phone. https://figkosher.com/. You do not have to be keeping Kosher to use the phone. It is a phone for all who value the best a flip phone has to offer. It can call / text / navigate Ivia the Waze app / and give you the weather. No internet browsing or emailing! No NO NO, keep it simple. And it supports 2 phone lines if you have 2 cell phone numbers. The phone works really well on Verizon or prepaid providers that use Verizon (like US Mobile) and T-Mobile also I believe.
Bulk E-mail Blast Away – Let’s Go
One thing that I did with a client over the weekend that I think could be especially helpful to some of you was — going into his Comcast e-mail account and deleting about 8000 e-mails going back years. Even on a laptop, it was very easy for me when using a mouse. I could help you with this on your Gmail account or any e-mail account. Comcast e-mail actually has a storage limit (something I probably knew but had forgotten.) A similar but related service I performed for a different clients was creating a new Comcast e-mail account because the old account was so filled with trash (99.9% spam) that it wasn’t worth going through the deletion process. She had already created a new Gmail account and did not care about getting any mail once addressed to the original Comcast account. So instead of – for example – Beverly Jones at Comcast (which was deleted), we created Beverly Jones2023 at Comcast. There is a solution out there somewhere. Let me know how I can help.
Just want to make you aware of an issue today if you notice some funny business in Microsoft Office (ie. @Word, Excel, Power Point…)
Historically – versions of Microsoft Office were “valid” for 10 years from the date that version of Office was released (not when you bought it). That rule still applied but a bifurcated reality emerged in 2013 when Microsoft began offering Office 365 subscriptions to consumers (now called Microsoft 365). At $70 per year for individuals and $100 per year for families — this is a package i have bought into from day 1 and it is how most of my clients purchase Office. However, there are still those who purchase the “standalone” versions of office which come out about every 2 to 3 years. Some reason — well if I just need Word — why don’t I buy the standalone for $150 (includes Word, Excel, Power Point) and it will be good (on 1 computer) for 10 years. That might make sense for those use cases although the subscription gets you 1 TB of One Drive space a powerful cloud based backup / storage option.
Office 2016 for Windows was released in October 2015 and was guaranteed for 10 years of updates and security fixes. However, when Office 2019 rolled out in the fall of 2018 — Microsoft said it would only have a lifespan of 7 years (by contrast Mac standalone versions have always been valid for 5 years only)
So technically — both Office 2016 and Office 2019 for Windows have an end of life date on Oct 14, 2025 (same EOL as Windows 10 — hint hint). However, as of October this year those versions of Office have been cut off from Microsoft cloud services including e-mail and One Drive.
Many are complaining that Microsoft is pulling the rug out from their customers who thought they were getting a full 10 or 7 years, respectively. More and more software is becoming a subscription based proposition. If you have a lot of files — I am a big proponent of One Drive — so the subscription seems worth it. However — i think Microsoft should have kept their promise to customers of version 2016 and 2019. Yes you can type a document until 10/2025 — but they won’t be FULLY FUNCTIONAL
FYI, Starting with Office 2021 standalone — the lifecycle ends after 5 years (same for Windows and Mac) — meaning Oct 2026.
I told you back in September that I became a Senior Level Cord Cutter — by going with antenna TV only (not even a paid streaming cable replacement service). I get Netflix for free (via TMobile). I get Paramount Plus free due to Walmart + (which I in turn get free because of my wife’s Amex card). I also pay for Peacock (they were essentially giving it away for $20 / year in June).
This week — I think my clients have crowned me the Digital Savings King (this goes well beyond cord cutting now). I will break this down in 2 categories
1. TV / Internet / Cord Cutting
I have always said — you MUST BE WILLING TO MAKE CHANGES — even radical changes and accept a new life. No longer can I save you money on what you have with Comcast. I can’t do same old and same old and point my magic wand and save you $500 with Comcast.
I can save you money if you are willing to do things like
-Switch from cable to fiber for internet
-Drop to Internet only with Comcast and go with Antenna TV or possibly a streaming replacement
-if the home phone is required — move to magic jack or Frontier digital voice home phone if you are going with Frontier fiber
Just a few days ago — I helped a client do the following
A. Switch cell from from an Unlimited plan on Xfinity Mobile to US Mobile — $48 per month to 40 (taxes included)
B. Eliminate all Xfinity Services (TV, Internet, Phone). Switch to Frontier Fiber and Phone — $205 to $82 per month.
This is a total savings of $130 per month or $1560
The client was also going with Sling TV just to get MSNBC for $40 a month. She further reflected that IT IS NOT WORTH $40 a month just to get one program on that channel she like. My thoughts (and the clients’s) are basically that if someone likes MSNBC-style news and you want to use Antenna — how about PBS nightly news or NBC, or CBS. I would also conjecture if you are in the boat of wanting to pay $40 a month to Sling just to get Fox News — you may want to consider the FREE streaming apps on your TV for Newsmax or OANN — giving the same kind of editorial bent. Or you can just do what I do — go out and make your own news! 🙂
2. Wall Street Journal
I was shocked to find out that the full price for the WSJ home delivery is $63 per month. I saw another client today who was paying $175 per quarter, not much different.
I helped these clients today go from
$756 per year to $106 ($650 savings)
and a 2nd client go from $700 per year to $130 ($10 billed every 4 weeks – 13 billing periods in a year). And to boot I did all of this without a phone call!!
Renegotiate 12 months later. Papers are dinosaurs. THEY DON’T CARE HOW MUCH ANYONE PAYS. They care about subscriber count to please their advertisers.
Savings total on “papers” 12/14 $1220 per year
(PS. 2 months ago — I helped a client go from $1400 per year NY Times home delivery (Seriously, people?) to $400 per year for digital. $1000 savings per year.
Obviously I am running a business and I am not going to give away all my secrets. If you are a full price WSJ subscriber and want to do this — I can help you by appointment — in person (standard billing procedures for service calls. I hope I can help you with other technology issues too, but saving hundreds of dollars is very likely worth the cost of my time.)
1. Microsoft has recently affirmed that 10/14/25 is the EOL (end of life ) date for Windows 10. By that time nearly all of you you will have a new computer or have updated your existing computer to Windows 11. However…….(you knew there would be an option for people who just can’t let go or move on right?) ….. Microsoft is going to offer a Windows 10 Extended Update Program for consumers and businesses for up to 3 more years after Oct 2025. Pricing has not been announced yet. I am not recommending this as a default position but if you are steadfast / die hard on Win 10 (Win 10 4Ever) — this is for you. Pricing has not been announced but my prediction is $75 to $200 per year. Time will tell how close my prediction is…..
2) I had a very successful Windows 11 upgrade experience with a client last week. The computer in question was a Think Pad T490 laptop (you know how much I loved the Thinkpad — best of the best). The entire process took exactly 1 hour. Not bad.
3) Finally — I had a client who was a member of the clergy today and I asked for a “pastoral dispensation” on Microsoft Edge. You could also say broken clocks are wrong twice a day. I worked with a client remotely today who needed to fill a PDF, sign it (drawing a signature) and send it to the recipient by email. Our only option was to install new software and likely a paid program costing $30 to $80 (or a monthly fee). BUT BUT —you know I am an objective guy because I remembered something….
For as bad of a browser as Edge is — it is the DEFAULT PDF viewer / reader in Windows 10 and 11. To be quite honest — Edge is A-OK as a PDF program. There are extra tools that are not available in Chrome (which simply lets you view PDFs). Most importantly my client was able to draw a signature on the tax form (after lots of patient coaching from me).
Living on the Edge — maybe not so bad. Still use Chrome / Firefox for regular browsing in my opinion though.
Song of the Week — No tune seems more appropriate than this Aerosmith jam from my teenage years. “Living on the Edge”
One of my clients went through a terrible situation where she spilled a beverage all over her M1 Mac Book Air. I do not believe my client had ever turned on iCloud backup for files but she did regularly plug in an external hard drive for physical backup (called Time Machine). Fortunately, it seems a backup was just made 2 days prior to the laptop failure.
And yes — there was a failure. The liquid spill totally damaged the logic board (known as a motherboard in the Windows world). The hard drive on all modern Macs is baked right into that logic board. It cannot be removed. A new hard drive cannot be swapped in. We are not living in a 2011 Mac world. When the logic board goes …. when the hard drive goes…. so goes your data.
You need a backup system!!!
1. At a bare minimum — use iCloud backup ($1 to $3 a month for most people)
2. However, for my clients with businesses or serious collections of files — I have recommended a paid “one way” backup solution like Backblaze or Carbonite. One concern I have with iCloud is that it is more of a file synchronization service than a backup (because those files can be available on multiple Macs, iPhone, iPad). If you delete in one place, it will be deleted in all places. Of course iCloud Backup is just fine for “Joe and Jane consumer” — but it is not a true backup. I wholeheartedly recommend Backblaze or Carbonite ($70 to $100 a year) if you have mission critical data. These services have saved my clients behinds!!.
3. My clients don’t have a great track record of remembering to do it — but IF YOU CAN REMEMBER — I also recommend an external hard drive and regularly plugging it into your Mac for a physical backup. Time Machine software has been built into the Mac since 2007. Super Duper is also a great physical backup application for more advanced needs.
What is your Mac backup system? Can you prove that it’s working?
The Acronym Online 