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Why You Need To Use 2-Factor Authentication

1/7/2016

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, security, online security,2-factor authentication, two factor authentication, technology, computer, computer skills, computer help

2-Factor Authentication Will Make Your Accounts Much More Secure

New techniques used by password crackers have made passwords less secure. In today’s world we all are or should be concerned about making our online accounts more secure. One of the best ways to make your online accounts more secure is to use 2-factor authentication for those accounts that have made available. 2-factor authentication requires both something you know like a password and something you have like a smart phone and it is much more secure than using just a password since it takes more than a password to access an account.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Sarah Palin’s personal email was hacked by someone answering the security question of her mother’s maiden name. Had her account been using 2-factor authentication (it was not as widely available then), her account very likely would not have gotten hacked. Based upon my experience in using Facebook, it would not have been hacked. I pretended to have forgotten my Facebook password. I received an email and still had to sign in using 2-factor authentication. So yes it can be a pain with the additional procedure for logging into an account but it moves you significantly closer to being 100% secure and if your password becomes known may be the difference between your account being compromised or not.

Here is a list of some of the major websites that allow for 2-factor authentication. Some of those on this list are Facebook, Google and LinkedIn. As mentioned, not all sites offer 2-factor authentication but for those that do take advantage of it and enable it.

If you have additional questions about being secure online or other computer problems, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com
My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Making Your Computer Personal by Mike Klubok - Computer Concierge NY LLC is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

Valuable Lessons From The Hillary Clinton Email Incident

3/12/2015

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You Need To Have Both A Business and Personal Email Account (Picture from Hillary Clinton Twitter account)

Subtitle: Managing Technology For Your Business and Personal Life

I want to note that this is not looking at the Hillary Clinton email issue from a political point of view but rather from a perspective of privacy and a need to have both a separate business and personal email account.

A big concern is that Hillary Clinton co-mingled both her personal and business email. She admitted to using one email “for convenience”. I have separate email accounts for both personal and business. Yes at times the line between personal and business communication can be blurred but business email should be used only for business and personal email for personal use. Your business email account (particularly if you work for a large company) is likely to be more secure than your personal email account.

Recently Hilary Clinton admitted that she uses an iPhone. I have worked with people who have iPhones. They also access to both their personal and business email accounts on it. Some of these people, I have set up with access to a 2nd or a 3rd email account. Again she should have had separate personal and business email accounts.

Keep in mind that the company you work for has a right to and may be monitoring your activity on their computer including your online activity. Companies can not only see what websites you go to and all correspondence you do on your business email account but also can see your keystrokes. This is not illegal. That said, if you are accessing your personal email on a business computer, the company can obtain your log in data and what you are sending on your personal email account. Any personal email of a sensitive nature should wait until you are out of the office or done on your personal smartphone using your phone provider’s network not your company’s wireless network.

If you work for a company that has a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, be careful of what you are signing. Many of these agreements allow for the company to take possession of your mobile device under certain circumstances. You should also see what your expectation of privacy on your mobile device is and what can your company monitor on it. Where companies provide their employees with a mobile device, they have the right to monitor usage on it. Again they conceivably could have access to your personal phone calls, email accounts, etc.

Bottom line: You need to have separate email accounts for both business and personal use. If your company has a BYOD policy, read whatever you sign regarding it very carefully. Your company may have certain rights to your phone where your personal information may be obtained by them. Consider that anything you do with company issued technology can be tracked by your employer.

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebookpage at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use yourcomputer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

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My Experience With Android 5.0

2/18/2015

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Android 5.0, Android 5.0 lollipop, Android, lollipop,

Android 5.0 Is Being Rolled Out To Various Android Users

Google has been rolling out their new version of Android 5.0 to its various users. Last week, Android 5.0 AKA Android Lollipop was rolled out for me to update. I updated my phone to the new operating system and did not have the experience I anticipated. My phone became hot, the battery was discharging at a rate that I would have expected from my previous phone, I was getting connected and then disconnected to my Wi-Fi network constantly and that was just for starters. I called my carrier Verizon to see if they could be of help. After attempting to resolve the problem, they then transferred my call to Samsung. They were not able to help either. Samsung wanted me to either mail my phone for them to look at or go to a Best Buy Center where an authorized Samsung person would look at it. Neither was acceptable to me and I told them since my phone was under warranty and I had insurance for it that I wanted a new phone. At that point, they transferred me back to Verizon. While I did not get a new phone, John at Verizon was very helpful. Long story short, 3 hours after this phone call started, John said to do a Factory Data Reset which resets everything to how it was when I originally took the phone out of the box. I took out my SD card and did the reset which worked. John mentioned that there have been issues with Android 5.0. I told him after I did the upgrade and had the issues mentioned I checked online reviews of it that largely were not favorable. John mentioned that the issues could vary by individual phone. For some phones it does the upgrade without incident while others like mine have a problem.

My suggestion to anyone who gets the roll out of Android 5.0 is to not take the update. I would hope and expect that Google will issue an update that will be rolled out to all that the Android 5.0 update was rolled out to. As I mentioned, had I known I would have had issues with it I would not have done the update. If you are thinking of buying a phone that already has Android 5.0 installed, do not let that stop you from buying that phone however. The phone has been a lot better since I did the factory restore.

If you want to know more about getting better use from your smartphone, computer and other technology, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

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Is Your Contact Information Current?

9/24/2014

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email, account access, email access, password, passwords, Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, technology, computer

If your contact information is not current, you may end up with a big problem.

Last week I got a call from a client of mine who lives close by in Bayside Queens. He had changed his password for his Yahoo email and then forgot the password. I have gotten calls before from people who forgot their password and usually can navigate to get the person back into their email account. I went over there and one of the options (and the preferred one) was to send a message to his cellphone with an activation code. I would then use that activation code to go into his email account and create a new password. Unfortunately for him about 2 weeks earlier he had changed his cellphone number and did not put his new phone number into his Yahoo account to contact him. He also does not have another email address. Had he had another one, Yahoo could have used it to contact him.

Had he put his new phone number on his Yahoo account or another email address that was listed in it, handling this problem would have been to use the expression, “a slam dunk”. I would have requested that Yahoo send a text message to his phone and followed the procedure noted. They also could have emailed a link to the alternate email account.

The next course of action was to answer the security questions that he answered when he set up his account. I discussed “The Security Question” in a recent article. So I asked him for the answers to his security questions but that did not work either. To get back access to his account required calling Yahoo. I told him in advance that I could be on the phone for hours waiting for this to be resolved. This in fact happened to a friend of mine a while back. He was on the phone for about 3 hours before speaking with someone from Yahoo to resolve this access problem. After waiting for about 30 minutes, I again told him of the potential for a long wait. He then asked for me to create a new email account for him. I told him that without Yahoo’s intervention, he would not be able to get the email in his account. I recommended he use Gmail and I set him up with a Gmail account as well as briefing him on informing those who knew of his old email account the new account.

Had my client had an up to date cell phone number for his Yahoo account, he would have obtained access to his email account likely in under 10 minutes. Because the cell number he gave was no longer valid, given the circumstances it became necessary for him to get a new email account. One other thought here: Many of us (me included) have more than one email account. Use the other account as an alternate account to be contacted at in the event you have a problem logging into your main account. If you only have one email account, consider making a second email account as a backup just in case. Last, make sure your contact information in your accounts is up to date. It can save you a headache if you have a problem getting into it.

If you want to know more about resolving password problems or other computer issues, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

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Where Do You Keep Your List of Passwords?

7/3/2014

Passwords, security, password, safety, passcode, avoid being a crime victim, identity theft, Forest Hills, Queens, home organization, storing personal items, Forest Hills, Computer Concierge NY LLC, Mike Klubok

Hopefully Your Passwords Are Not Where Everyone Can See Them

If you are one of those who store your passwords on an online password manager or in a file on your computer you probably can skip this but if you use paper to store your passwords then you need to read this.

On too many occasions (and 1 is too many) I have seen clients leave their passwords on a piece of paper or papers that would be easily accessible to anyone without difficulty. Passwords left on a desk in the living room, taped onto a computer, etc. A few weeks ago I was in Forest Hills section of Queens and a client had the passwords taped on her desk. I mentioned that anyone passing buy can easily get her passwords. She said that she trusts her children, boyfriend, housekeeper, etc. It is a delicate subject to mention but if you are a victim of identity theft there is a good chance that the relative you trusted could be the one doing it. What if you are having furniture delivered and one of the deliverymen takes out his smartphone camera to take a picture of your password list? I think you get my point.

Bottom line. If you have your list of your passwords on paper, store that paper in a secure place. There are better ways to store that paper then I noted above. If you have a safe with a lock consider putting it there. I have recommended this to some clients and they said it was too much of a hassle to walk to it. Could the safe be moved? Could you get a smaller safe to keep closer to your computer? A storage area that looks like a book or a soda can perhaps? Nothing is perfect but to use the football analogy you want to move the chains. Be careful of where you store that list of passwords. Keep it in a relatively secure place. Some of those password lists that I saw contained password information for accessing bank accounts. I will go one step further here. Someone who obtains your login information also would get access to your security questions. This would leave you open to someone opening credit cards, bank accounts etc in your name and stealing your identity. So please leave those papers containing your login information in a safe place.

So where do you store your list of passwords? If it is in plain sight will you now move it to somewhere safe? All comments are welcome. And by the way, my client in Forest Hills has since moved her passwords to a much safer spot. I look forward to not seeing them the next time I go there.

If you want to know more about how you can be more secure when using your computer or other technology issues, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Can It Be The Connection?

7/2/2014

Mike Klubok; forest hills; Forest Hills Computer Training; connection; Forest Hills NY; Queens; computer repair in ny; computer repair

Sometimes a loose connection may be the cause of your problem.

One of my clients recently made an appointment for training with me. When I got to her apartment in Forest Hills, she told me that he had not had internet service and her landline phone was not working since the day before and was hoping I could fix it. My first thought was that it could be a problem with her internet provider. When I checked her modem, I noticed that none of the lights were on. I then checked the outlet and noticed that her modem was not properly plugged in. I plugged it in and presto, the lights on her modem went on and a minute later both her phone and internet were back up. I then proceeded to work with her on the areas on training her to better use her computer. If something is not working whether it be your internet, cable TV, computer, printer, etc before panicking it is a good idea to check the connections whether it be the plug, USB or other connection. Had she checked her connection, her phone and internet would have been up a lot sooner. She also would have had a less or non-anxious moment.

If you have a computer or other technology issue that you need addressed, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Can You Easily Find Your Travel Information?

6/26/2014

Travel, organization, organizing, travel itinerary, tripit, trip itinerary, organizing your trip, trip organizer, holiday travel, plans, travel plans, smartphone, Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, Tripit

Tripit is a great way to organize your trip itinerary.

This is the time of year where the airports are busier than usual due to holiday travel. But do you know where your travel itinerary is? Do you scramble to find it at the last minute? Well here is a way to organize your travel itinerary in a snap and you will not have to scramble to find it. While I like living in Queens NY, I also like to get away from Queens to explore new places and yes even see some of my favorite places again. If you like to travel like I do, you want some way to organize your air, hotels and any other reservations you have made. Tripit is a good way to organize your travel plans. Not only is my travel itinerary stored on its website for me to view but I also can export it to my calendar as well. I can keep track of past and future hotel reservations, flights, etc and easily view them on my smartphone as well. Tripit is that one spot to manage my trip itinerary and a convenient way to share my travel plans with others. It takes the details of my trip and puts it into an easy to read itinerary.

When I get an email confirming my reservations I simply forward it to plans@tripit.com and Tripit does the rest. I also can allow Tripit to scan my email account and Tripit will scan it several times daily for any trip related emails. I also can manually enter something if need be on my Tripit account. So the golf date I scheduled or reservations at the restaurant a friend recommended during my visit to Florida can manually be entered on Tripit by me.

There is both a free and paid version. The paid version which costs $49 annually has such features as real time alerts about your scheduled flights and tracking your reward program points and miles. If you are a frequent traveler you may want to consider the paid version.

I have written in the past about using an online calendar to organize your daily activities (The Benefits of a Digital Calendar). Tripit organizes your travel itinerary and does a good job doing it. My confirmations are easy to read and in one place.

I will note here that I have not received or been promised payment for mentioning any of the products or websites noted in any way, shape or form.

If you want to know more about more about organizing your travel or other plans or other technology issues, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Switching Online Banks

6/12/2014

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, banking, online banking, pay bills online, technology, computer, computer skills, computer help, training, queens ny computer training

By taking a few precautions, switching your bank need not be hassle.

Among the many benefits of online banking to the banks is that less people are switching their bank accounts to another bank.

Recently a client of mine that I have been training who lives in Bayside located in Queens NYC told me that he wanted to switch banks but wondered how he could do it and not worry about payments being made from his online account afterwards. He had a very good point. I have heard in the past about people closing a bank account and payments inadvertently still going through them and being hit with bounced check fees.

I told him the first thing he needed to do once he switched banks was to make sure that all of his pending payments were cancelled. I mentioned that these pending payments need to be recorded in his new account that also uses online banking. Secondly you want to be sure that any payments that have not cleared are accounted for when closing your account. You want to leave the funds for these payments in your account. I also told him that he should expect to keep the account he is planning to close opened about a month after he opens his new account depending on any issue with outstanding items.

If your current account has a monthly service charge, determine on what day of the month this charge is issued by the bank. Try to open the new account about a month prior to this date. Once you open the new account, do not do any more transactions with the account that you are planning on closing. This will give you a better idea of the outstanding checks from the checking account you plan to close and you can plan appropriately as you do not want to incur bounced check fees from checks written prior to closing your account or from forgetting to cancel automatic bill payments. For any deposits that are directly made to the account you are closing (particularly paychecks), whomever is responsible for making those deposits needs to be notified of the change to the new bank. Companies may require a month notice for this so plan accordingly.

With the proper planning, closing your bank account and moving to a new one need not be a hassle. You just need to plan properly.

If you have additional questions about being the affect of switching your bank account has to your online transactions or other computer problems, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com

My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

How Everyone Can See Your LinkedIn References

4/10/2014

There is a Way For All LinkedIn Users To See Your References

You’re interviewing for a job or you want to get new business for your business. References can determine whether you get that job and references can be a great way to get more business. If you are on LinkedIn (if you have your own business or are looking for a job you should be), customers, current and former co-workers can provide a recommendation that shows on your LinkedIn profile. That is the good news. The not so good news is that those references can only be seen by your 1st and 2nd degree connections as well as those people who belong to the same Groups as you do.

So what can you do? Short of trying to connect with anyone and everyone, what I did is to take a screen shot of my LinkedIn recommendations using the Snipping Tool software that comes with your PC assuming it has a Windows Vista or later operating system. If you have a Mac or an operating system prior to Windows Vista, there is free software to capture what is on your screen that you can download to your computer for this. After capturing and saving the necessary pages I then merged the pages into a .pdf file. I then went to edit my LinkedIn profile. To the right of “Summary” section is an icon that looks like a box with a + sign. Click on the down arrow next to it. You will see an option to “Upload File”. Select “Upload File” and select the file to be uploaded. Once it is uploaded everyone who views your profile can see your references at the end of the “Summary” section.

The beauty of this is that you are not limited to LinkedIn references. If you are logged into LinkedIn you can see that included in my LinkedIn profile are my reviews on Yelp, and a letter of appreciation for a presentation I made locally. You can include reference letters from former colleagues who are not on LinkedIn and other letters of appreciation. This is truly a good way for your references to be seen by all. In an age where employees are looking for someone with technological savvy this could impress a potential employer as well.

If you have additional questions about being secure online or other computer problems, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com

My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

The Heartbleed Bug - What You Need To Know

4/10/2014

The Heartbleed Bug is a serious issue which puts your personal data and passwords at risk of being exposed. It has been on the morning news as well as on the internet. Hackers can obtain user names, credit card information, passwords and other sensitive information. Click on the link in the 1st sentence to learn whether or not your passwords need to be changed. Note that this is subject to change as more information becomes known. If you need to change your password(s) I suggest you do so ASAP. You should use a secure password if you are not already doing so. Click on link to learn more about using a secure password. Keep in mind you also will need to change your passwords on your mobile devices as well to your new password. I also suggest that for the sites that allow you to do so, use 2-Factor authentication. I know these things can be a pain especially 2-Factor authentication but as the saying goes, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” One other thing and this is VERY IMPORTANT. If you receive an email to change your password and there is a link to do so, do not and I will repeat that again for emphasis. DO NOT click on the link to change it. It very well could be someone phishing for information in an attempt to obtain your password. Go to the website by typing the site in the address bar of your browser. Then change the password.

By taking precautions, you can reduce the chances of you being exposed.

If you have additional questions about being secure online or other computer problems, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com

My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, Heartbleed, Heartbleed bug, internet security, Heartbleed virus, heart bleed, security, online security,2-factor authentication, security essentials, two factor authentication, change password, how secure is my password, password, passwords, secure password, technology, computer, computer skills, computer help

The Heartbleed Bug Should Not Be Taken Lightly

My Account Got Hacked

3/5/2014

Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, hacked, security, computer safety, computer safety tips, passwords

Following a Few Steps Makes It That Much Harder to Hack Your Accounts

Last week I found out that my old Yahoo account that has been inactive for about 4 years got hacked. People in my contact list that was still there received an email message and I found out.

The first thing I did was to see if I could log into this account. I still remembered the password. I logged in and Yahoo had already flagged the account as potentially being hacked. I then proceeded to change my password which is the first thing to do once you discover your account has been hacked. The password I had used previous was a strong one when I set up my account but not so strong by today’s standards.

While nothing is 100% guaranteed as we have seen from the Target, Neiman Marcus and other breaches here are a few takeaways for all of you to make it less likely your accounts will be hacked:

1. For those accounts that offer it use two-factor authentication (this inactive Yahoo account has since been set up for two-factor authentication). My main email account was set up a while back with two-factor authentication. When I log in from an unfamiliar computer, a code is also sent to my phone that I need to input in addition to my password.

2. Have your smartphone password protected. I have seen people who do not password protect their smartphone. If it is lost or stolen, the person in possession of your phone has complete access to your accounts on it as well as other information about you.

3. Use a smart password. Click here

4. Be safe if using a public wireless network and/or a public computer. Click to learn more

5. At home, don't keep your passwords where everyone can see them. Click here

6. Regarding the security question you answer; keep your answer in a safe place and the question you answer should not be well known. When Sarah Palin ran for vice-president, her account got hacked because the question was about her mother's maiden name. The hacker was able to get this information and hack into her account by answering the security question. Sarah Palin could have answered this question by using a grandmother's maiden name or her mother-in-law's maiden name.

As I said earlier, nothing is 100% guaranteed you can take steps to get closer to that goal. As they say, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

If you have additional questions about being safe while online or other computer problems, I can be reached at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com
My Facebook page provides information on the current goings on in the technology field. There are tips to better use your technology. For timely information, please visit and "Like" my page.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Why I Prefer My Android Phone Over An iPhone

2/11/2014

Android, Android Phone, Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC,

There are those who will disagree but I prefer an Android to an iPhone.

Before I start this I want to say the iPhone is certainly a good product and if you preferred an iPhone before reading this, you may still prefer an iPhone after reading it. Life isn’t one size fits all but what size fits you.

I like that my Android phone has expandable memory. With an iPhone, the memory I purchase is the memory I will have with that phone. I cannot expand it without getting a new phone. My Android phone comes with 16GB memory and I have a 32GB memory card that I purchased so I have total memory of 48GB. Of course some of this memory is used up by the operating system but I think you get the picture.

I also like the idea that I can customize my keyboard. With an iPad, I have to use the keyboard that comes with my iPhone. With my Android, I can choose whether I wish to use the keyboard that comes with my phone or I can get another one that works better for me. The choice is mine.

It is easier and more flexible to attach a file to an email on an Android phone than on an iPhone. I also am not limited to how many files I can attach like I am on an iPhone.

My Android has more viewing area than an iPhone.

Now there are some advantages to an iPhone: The iPhone camera is likely to be better than the camera on an Android phone; when Apple issues an operating system update all iPhone users can update their phone. For the Android phone the updates can be put on your phone when the phone’s manufacturer makes it available. And yes an iPhone is easier to set up and use. But remember what I said earlier about having a choice of what keyboard to use with my Android phone. I have more customization options with my Android then I would with an iPhone. This includes choosing a phone. Several companies make an Android phone so there are many Android phone models to choose from. Only Apple makes the iPhone and there are not many iPhone models to choose from. That said, there are less glitches with the iPhone.

In the end, the choice is yours. If you want a phone with less glitches the iPhone is for you. If you want a phone that is more customizable then an Android phone is for you. Personally I like the customization feature and yes sometimes my Android phone will freeze which the iPhone is less likely to do.

If you have a computer or other technology issue that you need addressed, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Want To Reduce Your Printing Costs? Here's How

10/24/2013

Printer, buying a printer, ink cartridge yield, ink yield, saving money, save money, print cartridge, print cartridges, reduce printing costs, reducing your printing costs, Epson, WF-3520, Epson WF-3520, Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC

With a good plan, you can reduce your costs of printing.

I replaced my Canon printer several months back since it seemed to eat print cartridges and I constantly had to feed it and got an Epson WF-3520 printer which is less dependent on print cartridges in its dieting habits. Throughout the years the cost of buying a printer has come down in price. You can get a decent quality printer at your local store and pay about $70.00 for it. However when you go to replace print cartridges you will note that their cost is not cheap. There is not a big markup on printers. After you purchase the printer and need to purchase those cartridges there is a much larger markup. As you continue to purchase those cartridges the profit to the manufacturer continues. In essence it is not the initial sale but the after- market sale where the profit is higher. As a general rule of thumb the more expensive the printer the less expense per page it is to print. Epson’s website shows the ink cartridge yield for my WF-3520 printer. Click on link. The information is around the middle of the page. The Epson WF-2530 printer is a less expensive model and does not has as high an ink cartridge yield. Click on link. Before I purchased my Epson printer, I got the ink cartridge yields for both my Canon printer and Epson printer. I then got the cartridge costs on Amazon. With that information I was able to determine the cost per page for both printing in color as well as printing in black. The cost per page was a lot more for my Canon printer.

There are ways you can save money on your printing costs:

1.    When purchasing an inkjet printer see if you can get the ink cartridge yield for it. Use that and the cost of purchasing a new cartridge to determine the cost per page to print.

2.    Consider purchasing a more expensive printer if you are purchasing an inkjet one. You will pay more initially but your printing cost per page is likely to be less.

3.    Buy cartridges from a 3rd party. They usually but not always work very well and are much less expensive than buying the cartridges made by the printer manufacturer.

4.    Most color printers today have more than 1 cartridge for printing color. Only purchase a printer that has more than 1 cartridge for printing color. Don’t purchase a printer with a single separate cartridge for color printing.

5.    Purchase a laser printer. If you only print in black and do not need a printer to copy, scan or fax you can get a laser printer for as low as about $100. They use toners instead of cartridges and do not need to be replaced as often.

6.    Most printers allow you to print in a “Draft” quality. If what you are printing is not important, you may wish to print in a “Draft” quality. Just make sure to change it when the print job needs to be printed with a better quality.

7.    Amazon generally has the best prices for replacement cartridges so consider purchasing your replacement cartridges there.

8.    You do not always have to print in color. My printer has an option to print in black/greyscale which will save printing costs.

9.    Some manufacturers of which Epson is one, offer both a regular and high capacity print cartridge. Purchasing the high capacity print cartridge will lower your cost per page of printing.

If you want to know more about more about printing issues or other technology issues, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

One final word. I have not received or been promised payment for mentioning any of the products or websites noted in any way, shape or form.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

Play It Safe With Your Home Address

10/1/2013

GPS, Yahoo, Marissa Meyer, smartphone, passcode, safety, gadgets, Computer Concierge, computer repair in ny

Use A Safe Address As Your Home Address

The other day I got a call from a client of mine who lives in Forest Hills. He mentioned that someone broke into his car and stole his GPS and wanted to know if he had anything to worry about. Aside from mentioning that when he isn’t using the car that he should hide his GPS I asked what address he put as his home address for his GPS. He mentioned that he did not put an address there and always goes to address history to find his home address when he wanted directions to get back home. I told him that he can put his home address where the menu allows you to but told him that he should not use his actual home address since a thief or other unauthorized user of his car can get his actual address. I suggested he use the address of his local post office, supermarket, etc so if a thief, parking garage attendant, etc tried to get this information that they would not get it from his GPS. While he lived in an apartment and his immediate area in Forest Hills is almost all apartments, why make it easier? Does he park in a garage? Does he leave an extra set of keys in the car to his apartment? Does he have an integrated garage door opener? Just use a different address. Think about this for a minute. For arguments sake you leave your keys with a parking attendant. Unfortunately too many people also leave their house keys as well. The attendant if he desired, could go to your GPS and get your home address. It would not be difficult to also get a copy of the keys on your key chain. Do you see where I am going with this?

But a GPS is not the only place where a potential thief has access to your address. A new feature of Google Maps allows you to store your home address in settings. I have the Google Maps application on my smartphone. If I am looking for directions from my home on my smartphone I do not have to type in my home address I just select “Home”. If a thief gets my smartphone, was able to crack my passcode and go to Google Maps they would get my home address except it isn’t my home address but in fact is my local post office. I also will mention here that too many people do not password protect their smartphones. As a matter of fact a recent article mentioned that Marissa Mayer the CEO of Yahoo admitted that she does not use a passcode on her smartphone. If she doesn’t then who else also doesn’t?

Bottom line – for any gadget that is portable or can fall into the hands of someone who shouldn’t have it, make sure the home address you use is not your actual home address.

If you want to know more about how you can better use your technology safely or other technology issues, I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

The New Gmail Tabs - Are They Necessary?

7/26/2013

Google, gmail, email, Gmail tabs, Gmail tips, email tips, , Mike Klubok, Computer Concierge NY LLC, technology, computer

What are your thoughts about the new tabs for Gmail?

Last week Google unveiled a new feature called Gmail tabs that compartmentalizes your inbox. There are those who find it to be a big help and those who wish Google did have this feature. Personally I fall in the latter category. I could not wait to remove the tabs and go back to the Gmail I am more familiar with. Google tabs provide 5 categories Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, Forums. I do not see the ability to add customized categories. You can use all 5 or some of them. While Gmail decides on its own which category an email message goes to, you do have the ability to override this. If you do so you will be prompted to if you wish to make this a permanent change. If you own a business and/or do business with people having a Gmail account you could be hurt by this. Communications to a customer may not immediately seen by them. Missed sales opportunities, lower customer satisfaction, foul ups in communication could result. What if your customer has your email going to a category that he or she looks at sporadically? I suggest anyone potentially having an issue here mention to their customers, subscribers, etc that your email may be going to a tab that perhaps is a low priority for them. They should check to see what tab your email is going to and plan accordingly. I have heard of people having issues finding email as a result of this feature.

I disabled this feature as soon as it was made available by going to Settings, Configure Inbox and only enabling the “Primary” tab. This in effect disables the tabs.

What I have been doing all along for my Gmail is to use the filters settings. This has come in handy especially since having I do not wish to get an email reminder for every message I get. For example, my messages from the LinkedIn groups I belong to go to a separate folder bypassing the inbox and I check them periodically. I do not get an email reminder for them as they are not a priority. Selected messages are filtered to go to my inbox but are marked as read. Again I am not reminded of an incoming message on my phone. I find the filter settings user friendly and easy to use. One hint here: If you get emails from people having the same ending email address and do not wish to receive email from anyone with that ending address, filter it by all email from @xyz.com instead of the full email address. For example I have gotten email from people with an email address ending in @abc.com such as allyn@abc.com. If I choose to set a filter to delete emails coming from allyn@abc.com, emails coming from candy@abc.com will still get through unfiltered. Setting the filter to delete messages from @abc.com deletes both allyn, candy, and any other email address ending in abc.com. I find it works like a charm and the filter feature has served me and others well.

While the Gmail tabs feature may work for some it does not work for quite a few. It is easy to disable. You be the judge of whether or not it works for you. Personally I find it to be overkill as the filters work very well for my needs.

If you want to know more about how you more efficiently use your Gmail or another email and have other technology needs I can be contacted at (917) 572-3468 or email me at mike@computerconciergeny.com .

Feel free to join the conversation and post comments and questions on my Facebook page at Computer Concierge NY LLC . There also are tips there to better use your computer, smartphone, iPad and other technology you may have or are thinking of buying.

Computer Concierge NY LLC provides expert computer and technology services in the Queens, NY area. This includes Albertson, Bayside, Bayside Hills, Bay Terrace, Bellerose, College Point, Douglaston, Floral Park, Flushing, Forest Hills, Great Neck, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kings Point, Lake Success, Manhasset, Mineola, Munsey Park, New Hyde Park, North Hills, North Shore Towers, Oakland Gardens, Plandome, Rego Park, Roslyn, The Bay Club, Thomaston, University Gardens, Williston Park, Whitestone and Other Areas in the Bayside NY vicinity. Our web services are provided worldwide.

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