Tech Tips for Seniors (or anyone, really!)

Traditional shopping has always taken place in stores, where you can browse and shop for items and place them in your shopping cart to purchase.   But technology has affected the way we shop and it is more and more a mixture of shopping in-stores and also online. My guest, Vickie Ciotta (who is also my wife) shares some of her extensive experience in managing the transition to online shopping and...

Your phone has some hidden menus that will help you find apps and settings that you use frequently.     Not everyone knows they are there, so you will look like a pro when you use them.   And they will make day to day use of your phone easier for you.   Give these a try and let me know if they help you.   Below are links mentioned in the show:   Swipe gesture navigation on an Android phone - https...

Sometimes you want to show pictures or video from your phone to a group at your home or gathering.   The phone screen is too small and you (like me) need some help with doing it on a nearby TV.     It’s easy but you’ll have to have the right kind of equipment to do it.   This tech tip show you how to do screen mirroring from an iPhone or iPad.   Below are links mentioned in the show:   Screen Mirr...

Keeping an organized work surface is empowering, and this is true on your smartphone as well.   This tip will help you to clean up the Home Screen on your phone by creating folders to minimize clutter.   Below are links mentioned in the show:   Organizing the Home Screen on an Android phone - https://support.google.com/android/answer/9450271?hl=en   YouTube - https://youtu.be/SSxf2dhWsrQ     If yo...

You take care of your body by showering, brushing your teeth and putting on deodorant, but do you know you should take care of your devices too? This episode discusses using a password manager to store all of your passwords so that you don’t have to remember them, reuse them, or keep them stored in a way that’s not safe. YouTube version of the show: https://youtu.be/7P0j6foohgY This is the last sh...

You take care of your body by showering, brushing your teeth and putting on deodorant, but do you know you should take care of your devices too? This episode discusses how to organize files on your computer - it also shows how to do it on an Apple MacBook.   A link is provided below for how to do the same on a Windows computer.   Below are some links mentioned in the show: YouTube version of the s...

You take care of your body by showering, brushing your teeth and putting on deodorant, but do you know you should take care of your devices too? This episode discusses the need for Keeping your software up to date, and gives the method for how to do it (Mac and iPhone). Below are some links mentioned in the show:  YouTube version of this episode - https://youtube.com/watch?v=sot6GLTQzXo Keeping Wi...

You take care of your body by showering, brushing your teeth and putting on deodorant, but do you know you should take care of your devices too? This episode discusses the need for basic data practices -   - Regular Backups - Keeping Software Up to date - Cleaning up and organizing files- Having a Password Management System This is the first in a mini-series that will not only discuss the need for...

You take care of your body by showering, brushing your teeth and putting on deodorant, but do you know you should take care of your devices too? This episode discusses the need for regular computer backups, and gives the method for how to do it (MacBook).   Below are some links mentioned in the show: Create backups on a Windows computer - https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000193501/how-to-b...

Minecraft is a game your kids or grandkids may be quite passionate about playing, and you wonder what's it all about. For me the game was about finding a way to connect with my 12-year old grandson, but it has turned much more - a fun activity I enjoy with grandchildren spread out across the country. In this episode I interview my grandson Noah, as we discuss the ups and downs of getting the game...

Some terms seem designed to confuse people and upload and download are good examples. Uploading and downloading are technical terms that refer to transferring information to and from your device. They come from early days in computing, and the stuck because the convey concepts that remain helpful to people today. In this episode i explain the meaning of these terms and give practical examples of w...

You may know that you can find videos on almost any topic on YouTube. But did you know that you can find podcasts there also? YouTube is a massive collection of videos posted by an assortment of creators from all over the world. But with such a large collection, how can you find what you are looking for?  This episode explains what YouTube is, and how to locate the content that YOU are looking for...

It's strange to do a podcast on how to listen to podcasts, right? There are hundreds of shows to chose from and multiple apps to use.  This episode discusses how to use Apple Podcasts to listen, subscribe, and rate and review shows like Tech Tips for Seniors.

Using Social Media for sharing pictures and videos of your grandchildren can be difficult to use with smaller groups like your family unit. This may be due to privacy concerns and app curation algorithms that tend to push posts with higher interest to the top of feeds. Family members don't see all the content intended for them. One solution is to use the basic texting app in your phone, but group...

We've talked about video calls with your grandchildren. After you've talked for a while you may be looking for something to do with them. That's were games come in. There are quite a few games that you can play with them that cost almost nothing but your time and effort. In this episode, the fourth in our mini-series on connecting with your grandchildren, i discuss a selection of games that we hav...

Reading to your grandchildren is an age-old pastime, but what if you don't live near them. This video, the third in our mini-series explains some tips and techniques for how to have a video story time with your grandchildren. Magsafe continuity camera mount - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5S7X6BN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Phone Calling out of style? Not if you use video calling. There are multiple ways to make a free video call - the easiest way is to use Apple's FaceTime. If both parties don't have iPhones, the next option is Zoom. I explain both methods in this episode. This episode is the first in our mini-series to help you to connect with your grandchildren.

Connecting with grandchildren is important, but how can you connect with them when they live far away? Phone calling is limited and sometimes boring for the kids, but there are so many other means for technology to help with this. This mini-series addresses the use of technology to help connect with your grandchildren in other places.

Cookies in your kitchen are great, but on your devices? That can be another story. These are designed to enhance your experience when using a website, but they cause privacy experts concern because of their capability of tracking users and collecting data.  This episode discusses some good and negative aspects of cookies, and what to do the next time you are prompted to accept them on you web brow...

Shopping in stores is being replaced with shopping online, saving time and trips to the store, only to find that what you are looking for is out of stock. If you've never had the opportunity to try it, Amazon.com is a good place to start. They making shopping and spending money so easy!  In this episode I discuss the advantages and cautions of shopping with Amazon as an example of online shopping.

In the old days we used maps to get around, but today our computers and smartphones have the potential to change all that. From finding a location to getting there, we can use technology to do what was never possible before. This episode explains how to find places and how to get there using Google maps on a computer and Apple or other mapping apps on a smartphone.

If you are like me, you keep getting messages from friends that have cute little pictures in them. Ever wonder what these pictures are or how to add them to your messages? They are called Emojis, and they are showing up everywhere. This episode explains where Emojis come from and how to add them to your own messages.

If you are like me you take hundreds of photos using your smartphone. But what do you do with all these pictures that build up so quickly and seem unmanageable. There are a few techniques to use to get this mess under control! This episode contains tips on how to better manage photos taken on your smartphone.

Passwords - we all have too many of these, for every service and app we have ever subscribed to. But how many of us know of safe ways to create secure passwords, and also how to store these passwords for future access by the right persons. This episode contains tips for how to better protect yourself online in a world of passwords for your accounts.

How many of us have been plagued by unnecessary SPAM and viruses on our computers and smartphones? It seems that these have become everyday occurrences. But did you realize that there are things you can do to avoid much of the nuisance?  This episode contains tips for how to avoid spam and viruses on your smartphone and computer.