Autumn Years Spring 2024

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

A few months ago Google announced it was going to begin deleting accounts that had been inactive for more than two years. It was going to do this as a security measure since unused accounts are more vulnerable to spam, scams and hacking. At the same time, it was going to free up storage space on its serv ers. So why not follow Google’s lead and start cleaning up your digital devices to make them more secure and more efficient. Start with these simple tasks.

APPLY A LITTLE ELBOW GREASE Physically clean your computer. That in cludes the screen of your laptop or comput er, as well as the mouse and keyboard. Over time, they all collect dirt and germs—not to mention, the food residue that can find a niche in your keyboard. Start by wiping down your computer— of course, after turning it off and unplug ging it. Use a soft microfiber cloth and gently wipe your screen. If there are stains that do not easily disappear, dampen the cloth and continue to carefully wipe. Just remember to thoroughly wring and remove any excess water since if water were to seep into the computer, it could be seriously damaged. Next tackle your keyboard. Given that there may be a few crumbs trapped inside, first turn it over and gently shake out those crumbs and any other dirt that may have ac cumulated. Then take the microfiber cloth and wipe the keyboard. For help dislodging any debris that is stuck between the keys, get a can of compressed air and blow it all out. You can buy a can of compressed air in Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart and perhaps your local hardware store. Along with a microfiber cloth, you can also use the can of compressed air on your mouse to blow any dust that has lodged in its seams and scroll bar. Just remember not to blow air underneath the right and left clicks because you may wind up blowing dust into its switches and that can cause damage to the mouse. Spending time doing a little tech spring cleaning can have its rewards, including sav ing you time, money and the stress of wor rying about the security of your information and the durability of your computer.

REVIEW YOUR PASSWORDS The importance of having strong passwords to ensure staying safe online is a well established fact (make them complex and difficult to guess). It is also considered wise to change your passwords periodically—cy ber security experts recommend changing them every three months. It is also strongly recommended that you do not use the same password for every account you have online. Of course, trying to remember a collec tion of passwords can be a headache so you should consider using a password manag er to help you keep track of your accounts and feel more confident that your informa tion is secure. Basically, a password manager generates passwords and stores them in an encrypted database secured by a master password. The only password you have to memorize is the master one, which you can then enter to retrieve whatever specific password you need. (See “A Solution to the Password Problem” in the Winter 2019-2020 issue of Autumn Years for more information about improving password security.)

WIPE AWAY THE DIGITAL CLUTTER How many old emails are in your inbox folders that can be deleted (or archived if you want to store any of them for future access)? As we all know, once you have looked at a retailer’s website, you then find yourself on its email list and that means a steady stream of messages promoting its products and/or services. You can opt out of any of these unsolicited messages if they do not interest you by scrolling to the bottom of them and hit the “unsubscribe” button, which takes you off the list. How many files have you saved that you no longer need? Here is a simple and quick method to permanently delete them. Simply right-click on the file, folder or docu ment you want to permanently remove and select Delete on the drop-down menu; then, right-click the Recycle Bin on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin. (Note that on a Mac the terms are Move to Trash instead of Delete, and Empty Trash instead of Empty Recycle Bin). Not only are you freeing up digital storage space, you are also making it easier to manage future files and folders.

60 AUTUMN YEARS I SPRING 2024