TECH CORNER
05-01-2025
By Max Trenck
MAY 4
5.5 million patients’ information exposed by major healthcare data breach
A review of 19 billion passwords reveals people are still bad at them
MAY 3
Microsoft wants you to upgrade to TPM 2.0, but what does it actually do?
–TPM 2.0 is the reason many of us will need to purchase new hardware to run Windows 11. At least read the indented paragraph with “Today.” The rest may be jumbo-jumbo but, TPM 2.0, in a nutshell, is new and it makes our PC’s more secure. If you are not ready to buy a new PC, you can extend support in your Windows 10 for a year for about $35.
-Max Trenck
MAY 1
Apple warns iPhone owners of widespread mercenary spyware attack
Gmail Hacked? How to Get Your Account Back and Tighten Your Security
How to Factory Reset Your MacBook: Get Your Mac Ready to Be Sold or Traded In
APR 24
7 Expert-Fueled Ways to Stop Porch Pirates Permanently at Your Home
APR 23
Apple’s Chrome Warning—400 Million iPhone Users Must Now Act
New Android And iPhone PIN Code Warning — 1 Is The Magic Number
How to turn a USB flash drive into a secure key for your PC
APR 22
Hackers using malware to steal data from USB flash drives
APR 21
Do Not Click—If You See This On Your PC It’s An Attack
APR 20
New Gmail Warning — Do Not Open This Email From Google
You Have 17 Days To Comply — New Rules Impact 500 Million Outlook Users
Microsoft’s Password Deletion For 1 Billion Users—Do This Now
5 crucial Windows 11 settings I always change ASAP
Urgent warning to those with home camera systems as ‘disturbing’ website could be watching you sleep
APR 19
New iPhone Alert—Your Data Is At Risk, Here’s What To Do
New iOS 18.4.1 Warning—You Have 18 Days To Update Your iPhone
APR 18
In Word or Google Docs, press Ctrl + Enter (Windows) or Command + Enter (Mac) to start a fresh page. No need to smash Enter 10 times. Saves time.
-from Kim Komando newsletter
iPad typing trick: Did you know you can use the space bar as a trackpad? Just tap and hold the space bar, wait for the keys to fade out and you’ll be able to move the cursor through text easily. Trying to select text? While still holding down, tap once on the keyboard with another finger, then let go. You can now highlight the text you want.
-from Kim Komando newsletter
APR 16
Hackers steal 1.6 million patient records in major healthcare breach
Hackers find a way around built-in Windows protections
APR 8
How Hackers Use Your Voice to Trick Our Loved Ones (and Possibly Your Bank)
DEVICE ADVICE
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Quickly mute and unmute on Zoom by holding down the space bar.
🖥️ Unfreeze that screen: Stuck computer? Close those unresponsive apps. For Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Escto open the Task Manager. On a Mac, hit Cmd + Option + Esc to get to the Force Quit menu. And no, shaking your monitor won’t help. It’s the digital equivalent of “pull yourself together.”
💬 From basic to bold: Want your YouTube comments to pop? To write in bold, put an asterisk (*) before and after the word: *like this.* For italics, put underscores on both sides: _for example_.
💬 Text yourself: Set up a contact called “Me” with your own phone number. Send yourself reminders, photos or anything else important. Just open your Contacts app and tap (+) to create it. That way it’s always at your fingertips. Smart!
-from Kim Komando newsletter
APR 6
Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail Warning—New AI Attack Is Unbeatable
Microsoft Warns 240 Million Windows Users—Stop Using Your PC
For individuals or Windows 10 Home customers, Extended Security Updates for Windows 10 will be available for purchase at $30 for one year.
I, Max Trenck, am currently planning to purchase this support extension.
APR 5
This one sounds wicked!
DoubleClickjacking hack turns double-clicks into account takeovers
-Kurt the Cyber Guy newsletter
How to remotely reset your router: Steps for easy troubleshooting
-Kurt the Cyber Guy newsletter
APR 3
Oh, that familiar quick pat of the pockets and the spike of panic when you realize your phone is no longer on your person. Maybe it’s in the car. Maybe you left it at the coffee shop. You open Find My Phone.
It’s too late, you might as well be looking for a TI-84 calculator. If your phone isn’t prepped ahead of time, you might never get it back.
Let’s break it down, whether you’re on Team iPhone or Android.
🍎 iPhone: “Find My” can’t work on vibes alone
Apple’s Find My iPhone is your digital bloodhound, but it needs to be activated before disaster strikes.
Here’s how to turn it on:
- Go to Settings, Tap your name and then Find My.
- Toggle on three things: Find My iPhone, Find My Network and Send Last Location. This one sends your last location when the battery’s about to die.
Next, do this:
- Set a 6-digit passcode and toggle on Face ID or Touch ID.
- Go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode > toggle on Erase Data.
🧨 You can remotely erase your iPhone by visiting iCloud.com/find, selecting your device and choosing “Erase iPhone.”
🤖 Android: Where’s my phone
Unless you set up Find My Device before it disappeared, you’re basically shaking your couch cushions and praying.
Here are basic steps (they might be different depending on your make and model):
- Open Settings > Security > Find My Device.
- Toggle it on.
- Go to android.com/find and sign in to test it. Btw, you can also remotely erase your device if it’s lost or stolen here. Now you see my data, and now you don’t.
📍 Pro tip: Enable Location History (Settings > Location > Google Location History), which will drop digital breadcrumbs in case your battery dies.
⚠️ Go the extra mile
- Rename your phone to something helpful. Mine? “My little phoney – Reward if found.” It shows up when connected to Wi-Fi or a charger.
- Create a custom lock screen message. iPhone: Use Canva or the built-in Photos app. Save it and set it as your lock screen wallpaper (Settings > Wallpaper). Android: Settings > Display > Lock screen > Add text.
- Register your IMEI number. Dial *#06# and take a screenshot. Store it securely; carriers and police can use this number to block or track a stolen device, even if the SIM card is removed. Works on both Apple and Android.
No one plans to lose their phone. But if you do, better it texts you for help than the other way around.
-from Kim Komando newsletter
🎬 Put “cut” in shortcut: Need to record your screen? On a Mac, press Shift + Cmd + 5. You can grab your entire screen or select just a part of it to leave something out. For Windows 11, hit the Windows logo key + Shift + R to open the Snipping Tool and start recording.
-from Kim Komando newsletter