Your internet connection, web sites and services.
Internet and Web
What's the best app for tasks and calendars?
Episode 1159
Patrick needs to get a new smartphone for his e-commerce business. He uses email with Roundcube. Leo says that Roundcube is IMAP and it'll work with any mail account. Leo recommends having GMail go get his Roundcube mail and then use Google Calendar, Tasks, and other services with it. Leo says he should avoid Outlook. It's old and the UI is terrible. Google Apps is the best option across the board. It's very low cost and works everywhere.
For task apps, Leo recommends a few options:
Johnny Jet
Episode 1159
Johnny's website of the week is TaxiFare's Ride Guru, which tells you how much taxis and ride shares cost wherever you’re in need of a ride so you can compare.
'Exploding Kittens' Card Game Breaks Kickstarter Records
Episode 1158
The Exploding Kittens card game was created by Matthew Inman, the mind behind The Oatmeal, Elan Lee of Microsoft's Xbox team, and Shane Small, Xbox and Marvel game designer. The Kickstarter campaign started January 19 with an initial funding goal of $10,000. They reached that goal within 20 minutes, and reached $100,000 within an hour. It attracted 120,000 backers who have now in total contributed more than $5 million. The game has been described as a "kitten powered version of Russian Roulette."
How can I move my domains and email account to a new provider?
Episode 1157
Jason has his email with GoDaddy, and wants to move to something else. Leo says he can have Gmail fetch the email that's currently in GoDaddy. Leo says he could also move his domain name to a new registrar and tell it the email server is GoDaddy. Jason is having a problem with the filtering though, and a lot of email isn't getting to him because it's being blacklisted. Leo says Gmail does the best spam filtering of anyone, without a lot of the issues. Leo says he could set up a Gmail account for each of his family members and then move the mail to Gmail, it just will be a lot of work.
What are my choices for internet access if I don't have cable?
Episode 1158
Wayne just moved into a new house and it doesn't have cable or internet access. What are his options? Leo says that there are wireless internet providers (called WISP) if he doesn't want to trench and wire the house from the cable junction. He could also go with satellite, but it's a bit slower. The other choice is DSL through his phone company. FiOS would be the cream of the crop. The question isn't really who to go with, but who's going to have to do the trenching?
Is a Femtocell a good way to get better cell reception in my house?
Episode 1158
Greg has an issue with weak Verizon cellphone reception in his area. He wants to know if a Femtocell is a good option to fix that. Leo says it is if he has Internet in his house. Every cell phone company offers them, and they act as a kind of cell phone tower in the home, routing phone calls through the internet. But it depends on how much they want to keep him as a customer. If he asks for a customer retention expert and respectfully explain the problem, they may even offer him one at no charge. But if they try and sell him one, hold out.
How can I replace the network adapter in my PC?
Episode 1157
Ron's Dell computer is having trouble connecting and he has a hunch the network adapter is dying. He's tried different software, but hasn't been able to get it to work. Leo says that the adapter is soldered to the motherboard and to fix that would require changing the motherboard. But he can buy a USB to Ethernet network connector for $12 from monoprice.com.
How can I keep my kids safe online?
Episode 1157
Mike wants to keep his kids safe online that won't slow down the computer. What can he use? Leo says that when they get older, kids can figure out how to bypass restrictions. But when they are younger, they are OK. Leo advises using OpenDNS with his router. He can put things on computers, but they really aren't effective and filters often block things that he won't want blocked. But OpenDNS will allow him to change how the router will find webpages and block sites that he doesn't want. And he'll have complete control.
What's the best box to "cut the cord" with?
Episode 1157
Judy from
Judy wants to know about the Jetstream Movie box. She gets all her entertainment options from satellite and antenna and she's thinking about "cutting the cord." Leo says he recommends the Roku Box. It uses the Internet to bring her streaming video from YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, etc. But it won't give her the local live broadcast channels. Neither does Jetstream, for that matter.
Is it possible to log into sites and programs without a username and password?
Episode 1156
George from
George wants to know of a way to use his computer without having to use a password or user name because he keeps forgetting them. Leo says that passwords don't work. We have to remember them, so we tend to make weak passwords and use them on multiple sites. Steve Gibson has an idea called SQRL (Secure, Quick, Reliable Log In). The idea being that a smartphone app will automatically authenicate using a QR code so it just lets the user right in. Great idea, but behind the scenes it's a lot more complicated than that.
