December 3, 2019

FaceApp: How Dangerous Is It?

FaceApp: Should I Delete It?


Updated: December 3, 2019

Screenshot From FaceApp.com

You may have seen the slew of "What would I look like as an old person" photos that have been shared to Social Media recently. You may also have seen warnings in the media that this app is "Bad News." Just how bad is it? Should you delete the app and reset your phone? Or is it really as harmful as much of the media is saying?

What is FaceApp?


FaceApp is a photo app available for Android and iPhone.  It basically allows one to apply filters to photos.  You can do things like swap genders, add makeup, add tattoos, and otherwise enhance all of your selfies. The latest app update added the ability to "age" or "de-age" selfies as well.

FaceApp is not a new app. It has been around since 2017. However, it recently became viral, thanks to its ability to age you in selfies, as well as share side-by-side photos to social media.

What Are the Concerns with FaceApp?


November 12, 2019

New USPS Scam Arrives in Inboxes, Just in Time for the Holiday Season

New USPS Scam Arrives in Inboxes, Just in Time for the Holiday Season

Do NOT Open The Attached File


scam image


Today, I had a couple of USPS delivery notifications land in my inbox. 2 of these notices were legitimate. However, the third was not.  The fake e-mail was so good, I almost thought it was real.. Were I not an "Informed Delivery" user, I might have fallen for it.

August 30, 2019

Communicating During an Emergency

Communicating During an Emergency:
Alternatives to Phone Calls





I am based on the Florida Gulf Coast. For the past week or so, we have been watching Hurricane Dorian. As the storm gets closer to Florida, the misinformation starts circulating.  And there is a whole lot of misinformation circulating when it comes to communicating with others during an Emergency Event.

Facebook and Twitter are riddled with posts about which app to download so you can still communicate when you have no service.  Cell phones are great, but they are not magic. NO APP will work when you have no service whatsoever. But there are many apps that will function perfectly fine when cell service is down and internet service is up.  You need to have some strategy in mind that does not rely on voice communications and/or working cellular service.  You do need to plan for how you will contact folks when cell lines are overloaded.  In this article, we'll look at what you need to do to prep for this type of situation.

Why Can't I Depend on Cell Service During an Emergency?


Unfortunately, our cell towers are overloaded in many places. Different towers have different carriers, and often, your carrier may not have service on a particular tower. Additionally, different towers have different capacities. During emergencies, certain frequencies may be set aside for Emergency Officials and Governmental communications only, leaving little capacity to serve other callers.  Voice calls are more taxing on the infrastructure than data transmissions, so calls may not go through. Additionally, cell service transmitters are often the first thing to fail in any type of storm.  For this reason, it is better for everyone if you limit voice communications and switch to data communications, whenever possible.  If you must use voice communications, it is preferable to use those that rely on wifi or VOIP, rather than those that utilize the over-taxed cell system.

August 22, 2019

Do NOT Return That Call

Phishing Calls May Leave International Call Back Numbers:
Do NOT Return that Scam Call


do not phone graphic


Today, I received an old scam call with a new twist.  The caller ID showed 833-539-8666, and when I let the call go to voicemail, I received the following message:

Attention this is from Social Security Administration to inform you that your social security number is going to be suspended for committing some fraudulent and suspicious activity. Please call 335-309-8666.  Thank you.

So I googled the callback number. The first page of Google results were all in Chinese characters.

Chinese Characters in Google Results


August 14, 2019


Malvertising: Not All Browser-Based Security Warnings are Legit


McAfee has expired warning


This is NOT a real Security Warning; It is an Ad!


If this suddenly popped up while you were browsing, would you think it is legit?

Several days in a row, I have had the Bradenton Herald open in another tab, reached by following a link to read an article. By the time I switched over to the tab, I actually had to use the "Back" button to read the article.

Folks, this is just an ad in disguise. DO NOT be fooled and click on the actual link. This is why so many of us surf using ad-blockers. And in fact, my ad-blocker is being re-enabled on this site, as I am sick of scam ads interupting my news reading.

I do not even use McAfee or recommend it to others. I am not sure if clicking the link would actually bring you to a legit security product. More likely, it would lead to malware, the exact opposite of software that protects your PC.

Do NOT fall for this adware scam!

August 8, 2019

Scam Warning for our LBK Followers

Scam Alert:
Longboat Key Florida




A special warning for all of our followers who live on Longboat Key. The telephone scammers have decided to spoof the ACTUAL phone number for the ACTUAL Longboat Key Police Department, and are calling folks trying to extort money. The Police Department is trying to get the word out. They DO NOT call folks to demand payment, EVER. Part-time residents may fall for this, thinking a piece of mail did not get properly forwarded. DO NOT engage these callers...but do not send them any money either.

July 17, 2019

Windows Update May Have Enabled Your Firewall

Did Windows Update Cause Your Page Loading to Slow to a Crawl?

Firewall, Burn, Fire, Wall, Mirroring, 3D, Blender

Having Internet Issues lately? Did you do the latest Windows Update recently?


I did...and apparently it enabled the Windows Firewall with no apparent way to turn it off. I already run a firewall that is part of my a/v, and dueling firewalls make your internet slow to a crawl.

What worked for me was disabling the firewall portion of my a/v completely for about 15 minutes. Then I re-enabled it from within my a/v program. When I went back to check the state of my Windows Firewall again, it had now shut itself off, deferred to my already installed and active firewall, and I was able to load pages again.

If you are having issues after the latest Windows Update, check to ensure you are not suffering from dueling Firewalls.

July 9, 2019

YouTube Comes Back to Fire TV

YouTube Returns to Fire TV



Today, Amazon announced the return of a dedicated YouTube App to the Fire TV.  However, they did NOT make this new app easy to find.  TechLaurels went through the steps to find this app and get it activated.  We detailed the steps on our Facebook page. The post is embedded below.