Issue 52

POST

Welcome to POST by ResTech Solutions

Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Every week we will bring you new content covering recent events and news related to technology, Microsoft, Apple, Google, tips & tricks, useful information, and more! To read the full articles in our newsletters you can either click on the image or article headline. We've had a great response each week to our newsletter and we've been hard at work to bring you even more great information this week. Please let us know what you've enjoyed thus far about our newsletter. To see past issues click on the archives link above.

Why the name POST? In the world of computers POST stands for Power On Self Test. This is the action computers take when they are first powered on to check their basic functionality prior to loading the operating system. We decided to take this same concept and to provide you with useful technology information at the beginning of your week to help get you started. POST is also a term associated with news as well and we felt this was an appropriate and fitting name.

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News

Major tech companies pull out of attending CES in person. Organizers say event still on - CNN

Image from CNN

The last time the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, was held in person was in 2020. This is a major annual event that is watched and attended by many. Due to the rising COVID-19 cases, many prominent technology companies are pulling out. This event is where we get a preview of new technology concepts or ideas and new products and services coming to market.

CES — normally one of the tech industry's splashiest annual conferences that sets the tone for the biggest trends of the year — was a more muted event last year in an all-digital format, with just 1,800 exhibitors compared to the 4,000 exhibitors who attended in person the year before.

While this year's CES event may be a smaller event than planned we can still expect some exciting announcements from the various companies participating, whether they are there in person or participating virtually.

Cyber Security

10 Ways to Protect Against Doxxing

Image from MUO

Doxxing is the practice of figuring out the identity of a user and then posting their personal information online.

Doxxing essentially violates your privacy because someone was able to find out who you are and make that information public. You can protect yourself from this practice with many of the same practices you are hopefully already using to protect yourself from other cyber-incidents.

Using a VPN
Don't share personal information
Be careful what files you upload
Audit your post history
Check your privacy settings on social media
Search for yourself on Google
Remove yourself from data broker websites
Use pseudonyms
Stop using your personal email
Don't use Facebook for Google login buttons

See the linked article for full details.

Windows

6 Ways to Speed Up Your USB Data Transfer on Windows

Image from MUO

If you use USB drives to store or transfer files over time you may find that the transfer speed has slowed down. Maybe you notice it is only slower on one system and not the other. Some of the issues may be with Windows and not the USB device itself. Check out the linked article to learn how you can make changes within Windows or even some hardware changes to speed up the data transfer speeds.

6 Windows Power User Features to Make Your Life Easier

Image from MUO

Windows comes with many powerful features to make using Windows easier or simpler depending on the need or task. Why would you need these additional features or want to use them? There are many reasons why some of which are completing tasks quicker, accessing advanced settings, deeper customizations, etc. If you'd like to explore some of these options then check out the linked article for additional details.

Find Anything Using Enhanced Search Mode in Windows 10

Image from MUO

Enhanced search is another search option within Windows 10. As the name implies, Enhanced search enhances your local search capabilities by allowing you to search your entire PC directly from the Windows search box, with no third-party apps or tools needed. Enabling Enhanced search greatly improves your search success rate.

If your Windows searches don't always return what you are looking for you should give the enhanced search a try. When setting up please remember that your system needs to be plugged into power and you should do this when you do not need to use the system as the initial indexing process will take some time and will use more system resources than normal to accomplish the task. Once this initial process is complete you will be able to perform enhanced searches.

Apple

More Users Trust Amazon and Google to Handle Their Personal User Data Than Apple, Survey Suggests

Image from MacRumors

This is a very interesting survey. This survey was based on a person's perception and not what a company may actually do with their data. Many of the companies listed actually collect a great deal of our personal data. Apple is one of the most privacy-focused companies in the survey.

Keep in mind many of the companies listed make their money off of your data and the tracking they are able to do. Check out the linked article for more information on the survey and its results.

Tips & Tricks

How to Get the Best Network Speed in Your Home

Image from MUO

This is a very common issue I've heard from many users. They want to know how to get better speeds on their home network. The number one piece of advice I always give is to use your own router and not rely on the device provided by your internet service provider (ISP). One hundred percent of the time, when it comes to the wireless network speed, the ISP devices never give 100% of the incoming wired speed on their wireless connection but when you bring in your own router/wireless network I've seen nearly 100% of the incoming wired speed available on the wireless network.

There are other factors at play as well but for most home users their concern has been about their wireless network.

Useful Information

9 Ways to Tap Into the Power of LinkedIn InMail

Image from MUO

If you are in business you need to be on LinkedIn to network and make connections. LinkedIn is a great tool for networking and growing your business. When used the right way (many use it the wrong way), LinkedIn InMail messages can have a big impact on how effective your activities are on LinkedIn. Checked out the linked articles for some great tips on how to use InMail.

11 powerful websites that can replace your desktop software

Image from PCWorld

At times you may find yourself in a situation where you need a particular type of software but may not have it on your computer. Perhaps you are on someone else's computer or even on a public computer. Whatever the reason may be there are web alternatives or web versions of your apps you can use. Check out the linked article for more details.

It is also possible to completely work online in a web-only environment.

FAQ of the Week

7 Reasons Why You Should Shut Down Your Computer Every Night

Image from MUO

Each week we will address a frequently asked question. This week we are looking at reasons why you should shut down your computer every night.

There are times and reasons why you may want to or should leave the computer on but there are also a number of reasons why turning your computer off every night is beneficial.

New computer - testing has shown that newer and older computers are more prone to hardware failure.
Increase the computer's lifespan - constant use can wear down the components and a lot of that is degradation comes from the heat that is generated by the components.
Enhance the computer's performance - shutdowns and reboots can free up system resources as well as clear many errors.
Protect the computer from power surges
Save money - the less the computer runs the less power it consumes and the more money you can save.
Protect your privacy - if your computer is off nothing can get into it to steal any of your data.
Improve productivity - when you turn your computer back on you have a clean slate to start from.

Check out the linked article for additional details.