May 2020
Better living through technology
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May 2020
FROM THE EDITOR
A message of ‘I hope’
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STAFF
early 22,000 COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. More than 40 states have ordered residents to shelter in place or at least work from home; six states still have no such regulations. No doubt these are outdated figures by now. I’m writing this mid-April, so I hope by the time you see this our world is closer to “normal” again. No, wait. I hope it’s better. I hope we keep connecting to people online for movie nights, family events, concerts and all the ways we’ve figured out to be somewhere without leaving home. I hope we keep learning and exploring — taking classes online, watching videos to learn skills, visiting world landmarks we may never have gotten to see in real life anyway. I hope we continue cooking, gardening and appreciating our homes. I’ve recently felt a greater sense of people’s accomplishment and advice online, rather than showing off what we bought or where we went. I hope we keep checking on our neighbors. I hope if you haven’t done that, you start (from a socially appropriate distance, of course). I hope we realize there will be many who need more help to get back to “normal” — those who were poor, unemployed or underemployed even before the pandemic began. If your life has not markedly changed, I hope you are moved to give others a hand up. I hope people remember how absolutely heroic our health care workers, teachers, journalists, nonprofits, farmers and service industry workers are — where would we be without any of them? I think I can say without hyperbole, ailing or dead. I hope people have learned about mental health and found resources to tap into — for self-care, for talking to someone, for realizing no one is truly alone. And I hope people who’ve been stuck in a bad situation — abusive or otherwise — can finally get out. Remember the people and companies who helped, actually helped, during the pandemic, and those who tried to take advantage. Boycott those who profited from others’ pain. Most of all I hope people learn from this pivotal moment in history. Maybe something about yourself, maybe something about others, maybe something about science. Because if we don’t learn from history, we’re doomed to repeat it.
Editor LISA GLOWINSKI Copy Editor MICHAEL TOESET Designer MICHELLE LAUZON Vice President, Content Innovation & Development STEVE DORSEY Vice President, Marketing LORI CATRON Ad Sales GERRY JOYCE Cover photo: Bigstock © GANNETT CO., INC. 2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the Publisher. Permission is only deemed valid if approval is in writing. ION Magazine and Gannett Co. Inc. buy all rights to contributions, text and images, unless previously agreed to in writing. While every effort has been made to ensure that information is correct at the time of going to print, Gannett cannot be held responsible for the outcome of any action or decision based on the information contained in this publication.
Be well,
WHAT IS ION?
Lisa Glowinski Director, More Content Now Gannett
Technology is all around us. How can we use it to make life easier, not more complicated? ION’s mission is to help readers understand technology in order to use it to improve their lives. Find us on Facebook at /ionnewsmag and monthly in this newspaper.
ION is a premium edition of Gannett. Due to the size and value of premium editions there will be up to a $9 surcharge on each date of publication. Rather than assess an extra charge for premium editions, we will adjust the length of your subscription, which accelerates its expiration when you receive these premium editions. There will be no more than two (2) premium editions published each month during the subscription term.
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May 2020
Your tech questions answered
A: You’re correct that hashtags are any old made-up thing! When people go onto Twitter, they can see trending hashtags — ones that many people are using in their tweets — and sometimes people see their friends and people they follow using certain hashtags, and they want to get in on the conversation. So they use the hashtag, too. But someone made it up originally. So think of hashtags as headlines or topics or chapter names to keep conversation on a topic all together. If I want to see what everyone is tweeting about coronavirus, I would go to Twitter and search for #coronavirus (and Twitter will show me similar hashtags people have made up as well). They’re different from directly messaging people, which you can do on Twitter with the @ sign. For example, to message the president, you’d type @RealDonaldTrump, then whatever you want to say. When posting on Twitter you usually don’t “send” tweets to anyone, you just put it out there for the world to see. Hashtags can help people find your tweet, and potentially choose to follow you, which is how your community grows (you can find people to follow as well).
“speed declines, though, not crashes.” Lifewire.com explained Feb. 20 that, for example, if movies are suddenly slow to stream because one or more individuals are on computers and phones, the problem may involve the specific wireless network eating up bandwidth. Because home networks function generally with a single wireless access point involving a broadband router, solutions for ensuring plenty of Wi-Fi access include: • Google the model number of the router to learn the Mbps (megabits per second) the router can theoretically support. Also, check speed on sites such as speedtest.net. • Invest in more than a single internet connection/access point/router if several devices are needed in a home. For example, set up a separate internet connection for upstairs and downstairs, or for each end of a home. “Even just a handful of active devices streaming video or downloading files can quickly max out a shared internet link,” pointed out Lifewire.com. • Increase the bandwidth available to each simultaneously connected device by upping the Internet Service Provider (ISP) subscription. • Determine whether moving the router to a more central location in the home improves performance. • Wi-Fi range extenders may serve to push signals from a router deeper into a home and possibly eliminate dead spots; however, “a mesh router is more likely to smoothly stream 4K video to multiple TVs at once,” says Consumer Reports.
— Lisa Glowinski, ION
— Deena Bouknight, ION
Q: I don’t have a Twitter account and am puzzled by it. It’s the hashtags I particularly don’t understand. People seem to make up any old thing with a hashtag in front of it, like #sickandtiredofit. (My made up one.) Who will receive those messages? I really need a simple explanation of how addresses and messages work. — Judith Partelow
Q: How can I get faster home Wi-Fi? A: With so many more Americans using Wi-Fi to work from and be entertained at home, concerns are high that an overload may occur. PC Magazine on March 17 allayed fears with this statement: “America’s internet infrastructure is likely to struggle under the weight of coronavirusrelated traffic but will ultimately be OK ...” A family who’s suddenly home working and schooling online may experience
DO YOU HAVE A TECH QUESTION? Let one of our experts find the answer for you. Send it to ion@gatehousemedia.com.
May 2020
READER COLUMN
information
Beware, the algorithms are watching you
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ost of us who are creative types see ourselves as individuals of independent thought, able to see through many layers of mystical beliefs clothed in the garb of commonly accepted truths. It may be religion, nationalism, parental authority or a belief in the magic of the market to address the ills of society. In each case, our blind side is whatever wall we have constructed of unquestioned beliefs. Algorithms have the power to manipulate our hearts and minds. And with that, our actions. How do algorithms do that? Algorithms are created through our patterns of behavior: where we go, what we buy, who we follow, with whom we communicate — all those things that create a trail that can be viewed. Those patterns of behavior can be analyzed and from that information, algorithms can begin to predict future patterns of behavior. Information from algorithms can create commercials that make us cry, or make us believe that made-up stories are real. We are susceptible to catchphrases made popular by political campaigns and advertising that have the power to motivate people in a multitude of different ways, from donating money to preventing starvation on another continent, to stoking hate. So how do I see myself as an independent thinker when the power of the internet captures my questions whenever I search for information; tracks my online purchases, investment strategy, stories; has a history of my communications and cross-references to project whether I will be getting married, divorced, filing for bankruptcy or needing a philanthropic vehicle to protect my assets? You may find that the online advertising you receive is months ahead of your actual social, cultural and financial questions or needs. That is because all the data collected about you is being used to project your most likely behaviors, your needs and your potential purchases, even before you know what they are. So, what
does this mean about independent thought, about independent actions? The future will become more complex as artificial intelligence, bioengineering and advances in pharmacology raise a multitude of questions. What does authenticity mean when outside forces, in the form of undetected algorithms, feed us the nutrients that build our sense of self without our conscious awareness? The future belongs to those who own the data and know how to use it to stir our deepest desires, provide a reflection of ourselves that would trigger buying patterns that would benefit the owners of the data. We have very little understanding about the future of our world, as the elements of AI, bioengineering and pharmacology begin to dance together to create a reality which we cannot see from our current vantage point. But, algorithms might be able to help us see a future that is viable, livable, healthier and robust. Algorithms have the power to do a great deal more than sell products. Dr. Ian Brown, the associate director of Oxford University’s Cyber Security Centre, tells us that “we all urgently need to consider the implications of allowing commercial interests and governments to use algorithms to analyze our habits. But there is a big question about oversight. We now spend so much of our time online that we are creating huge data-mining opportunities.” Christopher Steiner, author of “Automate This: How Algorithms Came to Rule the World,” states, “We’re already halfway towards a world where algorithms run nearly everything. As their power intensifies, wealth will concentrate towards them. They will ensure the 1%-99% divide gets larger. If you’re not part of the class attached to algorithms, then you will struggle. The reason why there is no popular outrage about Wall Street being run by algorithms is because most people don’t yet know or understand it.” Marlene Resnick Simons is an educator, grant writer and author in Sarasota, Florida.
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In this issue
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May 2020
RECOMMENDATIONS
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What to watch, read and download this month
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A new streaming service, for your phone
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Other streaming services and costs
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Watch out for these Netflix scams
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Meet safely on Zoom
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Read e-books without a Kindle
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Apps to keep you healthy
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Online therapy resources
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POD PEOPLE
Better living through tech
nology
ON THE COVER
Quarantine has us on our screens 24/7. Check out our recommendations for when you’ve seen all of Netflix, or want to make a deeper connection.
Behind the music
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COLUMN Tracy Beckerman: When good ATMs go bad
ALL PHOTOS STOCK UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
conversation
instruction START ME UP
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Safe at home
GO GO GADGETS
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How much should I spend on headphones?
Heart & sole
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HOW DO I ... ? Turn a tablet, TV into a monitor Find a good home printer
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RECOMMENDATIONS
What to watch,
read and
download this month As of press time in early April, it’s hard to say what the world will look like when this hits your doorstep in May. Until the COVID-19 experts say it’s safe to congregate again, however, its best to shelter at home. Here are some entertainment options coming right to your screens this month.
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S U N D AY
May 2020
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MOTHER’S DAY
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T U E S D AY
“Jacky Ha-Ha: A Graphic Novel” for kids by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein is out today.
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“Trial By Media,” a Netflix docuseries, revisits some of the most publicized trials in recent history to see how the press shaped public perception during the judicial process, including the conviction of Rod Blagojevich and the shooting death of African immigrant Amadou Diallo.
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MEMORIAL DAY
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Books released today include “The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America’s 16th President — and Why It Failed” by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch, “Someone Like You” by Karen Kingsbury, “The New One: Painfully True Stories from a Reluctant Dad” by Mike Birbiglia, “All Adults Here” by Emma Straub and “Resistance” by Tori Amos.
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Book releases today include “Killing Crazy Horse” by Bill O’Reilly and “The Last Trial” by Scott Turow.
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Beach read season is here! Even if that means we’re reading these on a towel in the backyard next to the sandbox. Out today are “Big Summer” by Jennifer Weiner, as well as “The Lion’s Den” by Katherine St. John and “El Jefe: The Stalking of Chapo Guzmán” by Alan Feuer.
26 More breezy books are out today, including “Fair Warning” by Michael Connelly, “Hideaway” by Nora Roberts and “Girls of Summer” by Nancy Thayer.
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W E D N E S D AY
T H U R S D AY
THIS MONTH HBO Max arrives this month, a new ad-free streaming service for $14.99 a month with movies and shows including “Game of Thrones,” “Friends,” “Big Bang Theory” and “Rick and Morty” (though maybe not all at launch). HBO NOW subscribers who are billed directly through HBO will get free access to HBO Max at launch. See more info at hbomax.com.
F R I D AY
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“Hollywood” on Netflix, Ryan Murphy’s seven-episode series, follows aspiring actors and filmmakers in post-World War II Hollywood as they try to make it, no matter the cost. Each character offers a unique glimpse at Hollywood’s Golden Age, including its culture of bias. Stars David Corenswet, Darren Criss, Jeremy Pope, Samara Weaving, Laura Harrier, Jim Parsons, Dylan McDermott, Holland Taylor, Patti LuPone, Jake Picking and Joe Mantello.
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“The Eddy” on Netflix, Damian Chazelle’s new eight-episode musical drama series, is set in the jazz world of modern-day Paris and stars Andre Holland as Elliott Udo, once a celebrated jazz pianist in New York and now coowner of a struggling club.
“The Great” on Hulu is an eight-episode satirical, comedic drama about the rise of Catherine the Great. Stars Elle Fanning as Catherine and Nicholas Hoult as Peter III of Russia.
ARMED FORCES DAY
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Amazon Prime series “Homecoming” returns for a second season with new twists and a new star, Janelle Monáe. Her character wakes in a rowboat adrift a lake, with no memory.
Kids movie “Artemis Fowl” will be released today on Disney+. .
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Another streaming service Quibi, only for smartphones, launched April 6 By Jefferson Graham | USA TODAY
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he idea behind Quibi was for it to be a place to watch short-form, Hollywood-produced entertainment in those “in-between moments,” like commuting, waiting in a doctor’s office or during lunch hour. But April 6, when the service from former Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and eBay CEO Meg Whitman launched, it’s in a different world than first envisioned. Is a pandemic the right time for Quibi — which stands for Quick Bites? “We thought a lot about this: Can we launch now?” Whitman says. Techwise, they have the staff to run it remotely, and productionwise, they have enough programming to last into the fall. And since the mission is to entertain, the decision was made, why delay the launch? The one change was a new offering, for the time: a 90-day free trial. From there, the monthly subscription is $4.99 with ads, or $7.99 ad-free. You can see Quibi only on your phone, not on TVs via Roku, Amazon Prime or any other streaming players. “People are at home, running their businesses, home-schooling their kids, but there’s always in-between time,” she adds. “Our original-use case was in-between moments. Except now, instead of waiting for the class to start, it’s waiting for the next Zoom call.” Quibi is launching with some 50 programs, a collection of short-form series, news and reality and movies in chapters. No program will ever be longer than 10 minutes. The challenge will be getting young viewers who are used to watch free videos on YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat to agree to pay.
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Current streaming options, prices and more
QUIBI PROGRAMMING Top talent for Quibi shows includes Jennifer Lopez, Chrissy Teigen and Chance the Rapper. Lopez’s show “Thanks a Million,” features celebrities giving away $100,000 to needy folks; the 1990s MTV series “Singled Out” and “Punk’d,” with new hosts; and news shows from NBC, BBC, TMZ, Weather Channel, ESPN, E! and CBS. Basketball great LeBron James presents “I Promise,” a documentary about the Akron, Ohio, school system, and “Flipped” is a movie about reality TV house flippers gone amok, starring Will Forte and Kaitlin Olson. Advertisers who have signed up for the launch include Progressive Insurance, Discover, General Mills, Procter & Gamble, AB InBev, Taco Bell, Pepsi, T-Mobile, Google and Walmart.
JOINING THE STREAMING WAR Quibi is launching at a time when there is more online media available for viewing than ever before, with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, CBS All Access and other services competing for your entertainment dollar, plus YouTube, Facebook Watch and so much free content online. Waiting in the wings are two more new subscription services. Peacock, from NBC Universal, arrived April 15, at first for Comcast TV
subscribers. The service is free with ads or $4.99 ad-free. Programs include reruns of shows like “Parks and Recreation” and “30 Rock,” and early airings of the “Tonight Show” and “Late Night with Seth Myers.” HBO Max, an offshoot of HBO from AT&T, is set for May at $15 monthly. It will include reruns of shows like “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory,” and originals. Whitman says Quibi is different from the streaming pay services in that it was built from the group up to appeal to mobile users. Most streaming is watched on TV, she says. Peter Csathy, who runs the CREATV Media consultancy, says Quibi has a good calling card in mobile first video, since Netflix and company “have not yet prioritized (nor plan to prioritize) mobile-first video in any meaningful way anytime soon.” However, unlike the recent launch of Disney+, which had familiar names to sell the new service, with the likes of Marvel, Pixar and the Disney library, Quibi is starting at zero, Csathy notes. “Quibi’s content is all original,” he says. “That means that Quibi instead needs to build its audience one by one.” Investors liked Katzenberg’s pitch: He raised $1.7 billion and counts entertainment companies in the mix, including Disney, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Viacom and AT&T. But will viewers?
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This chart appeared in the Winter 2019 issue of ION but has been updated as of April 14.
NETFLIX
DISNEY+
HULU
APPLE TV+
• Cost: $8.99/month (Basic) to $15.99/month (Premium) • Best for: Keeping up with what everybody is talking about • Devices it works best with: Any internet-connected screen • What you’ve heard: Two words: “Tiger King.” It’s also spawned the quarantine trend of “Netflix Parties,” where people in different locations can watch a movie or show simultaneously, by using the Netflix Party extension for the Chrome browser.
• Cost: $7/month, or $13/month in a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ • Best for: “Star Wars,” Pixar and Marvel fans … and Mickey Mouse, obviously • Devices it works best with: Available on iOS, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Android, Android TV, PlayStation 4, Roku and Xbox One • What you’ve heard: Disney might not offer as much content in total as other services like Netflix, but it packs a punch, controlling the Marvel universe and “Star Wars” franchise. In addition to kids offerings, its “The Mandalorian” series was a breakout hit in 2019.
• Cost: Plans start at $5.99/month • Best for: Fox fans • Devices it works best with: Most internet-connected screens • What you’ve heard: For $54.99/ month, you can get a Hulu subscription featuring Hulu original content as well as live television. • Future plans: Since Disney acquired 21st Century Fox, Disney+ is available as a Hulu add-on, meaning you can keep all of your content in one place.
• Cost: $4.99/month • Best for: Mac users • Devices it works best with: The Apple TV app is already on iPhones, iPads and Macs, and can be found on select smart TVs, Roku devices and Amazon Fire TV. • What you’ve heard: Apple TV+’s breakout hits last year included “The Morning Show” with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, and shows by Oprah Winfrey.
HBO MAX • Cost: $15/month • Best for: “Friends” lovers • Devices it works best with: Expected to be compatible with most streaming devices • What you’ve heard: HBO Max is owned by AT&T WarnerMedia, which owns the rights to “Friends,” so that show will be moving to HBO Max from Netflix in 2020. It also bought the rights to “The Big Bang Theory” and will be the streaming source for all Warner Bros. dramas produced for the CW network. • Future plans: HBO Max is expected to coexist with existing HBO apps HBO Now and HBO Go. AT&T is exploring an ad-supported tier for HBO Max that would launch in 2021, according to Reuters in October.
SONY CRACKLE • Cost: Free • Best for: Nostalgia lovers • Devices it works best with: Computer browsers, phones and tablets • What you’ve heard: Crackle is a good place to discover an old series that you didn’t know was still available.
SLING • Cost: Starting at $30/month • Best for: Cord-cutters • Devices it works best with: Roku, Samsung smart TVs • What you’ve heard: Add-on packages — for extra sports or movies channels, for example — are available at extra cost. • Future plans: Sling has two separate channel packages, it’s always worth watching which channels are added or taken away.
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YOUTUBETV • Cost: $49.99/month • Best for: Cord-cutters who want lots of live sports options • Devices it works best with: Compatible with most streaming devices • What you’ve heard: YouTubeTV allows you to stream live and local shows, including sports, from more than 70 channels. • Future plans: YouTubeTV’s channel lineup can be different depending on where you live, so changes are likely to come to what channels are offered where.
PEACOCK (COMING IN JULY FOR NON-COMCAST CUSTOMERS) • Cost: Free; upgradable to a premium plan for $5/month • Best for: NBC fans • Devices it works best with: Expected to be compatible with most streaming devices. • What you’ve heard: Peacock will feature original programming as well as NBC classics like “Cheers,” “Frasier” and “Saturday Night Live.” • Future plans: NBC Universal regained the rights to “The Office,” which had been on Netflix. It will be available on Peacock in 2021.
CBS ALL ACCESS • Cost: $5.99/month (limited commercials); $9.99/month (commercial-free) • Best for: Fans of the CBS network • Devices it works best with: Streams across devices including Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Android TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Samsung smart TVs • What you’ve heard: Not only does CBS All Access allow you to watch CBS shows, but it produces original programming such as “The Good Fight,” a spinoff of “The Good Wife.”
AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
FUBO TV
PHILO
• Cost: $8.99/month (free with Amazon Prime membership, which is $12.99/month) • Best for: Amazon Prime members • Devices it works best with: Amazon Fire TV or TV Stick, plus compatible TVs, gaming consoles, or phones and tablets • What you’ve heard: Not only does Amazon Prime Video allow you to watch Amazon Original movies and shows, but you can buy or rent popular movies or new releases.
• Cost: $54.99 to $79.99/month (includes storage space to record live programs and watch later) • Best for: Sports fans • Devices it works best with: Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and most phones and tablets • What you’ve heard: It streams sports in 4K resolution (cool only if you have a 4K TV or device). • Future plans: Fubo started as a $7/month service, so keep an eye on its bundles, pricing and channel lineups to fluctuate.
• Cost: $20/month • Best for: Those who love a classic cable channel lineup • Devices it works best with: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and most phones and tablets • What you’ve heard: Focuses on being a service for cord-cutting college campuses • Future plans: Looking to integrate a social platform that connects viewers with friends and family to discover new content, share favorite shows and watch shows together.
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Look out for Netflix scams By Dalvin Brown USA TODAY
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cammers are focusing more attention on people looking to stream content from Netflix during what has quickly become the stay-at-home era. Researchers at the cybersecurity security firm Check Point recently released a study noting a substantial rise in the number of cyberattacks performed by websites posing as the streaming giant in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. In late March, more than 30,103 new coronavirus-related domains were registered, of which almost 3,000 were malicious or questionable and under investigation, researchers said. Phishing attacks by Netflix look-a-likes doubled, and many of the websites offer payment options to steal user data and payment information. “As the number of physical casualties increase, so is the number of cyberattacks relating to the virus,” said Omer Dembinsky, data manager of threat intelligence at Check Point. “Clearly, hackers are shifting their resources away from targeting businesses ... and towards activities that can reach us directly in our homes.” On average, over 2,600 coronavirus-related cyber attacks occur each day, the researchers said. And bad actors aren’t just targeting people looking for TV shows and movies.
Zoom, which has become a household name as people conduct more remote meetings and video chats, is also a favorite among hackers. Check Point Research saw a recent spike in the number of “Zoom”-related domains registered and spotted malicious “Zoom” files targeting remote workers. Over 1,700 new “Zoom” websites were registered since the coronavirus pandemic started, 25% of which were registered over the past week. Security researchers are also warning of the new trend of “Zoombombing,” where people crash public meetings with curse words, obscenities and worse.
Following common-sense safety practices can protect your data and financials from hackers using look-a-like websites: 1. Watch for spelling errors in emails or websites. 2. Look out for files received via email from unknown senders, and be wary if they prompt for a certain action you would not usually do. 3. Make sure you do not reuse passwords between different applications and accounts.
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tips to avoid ‘Zoombombing’ I
By Jefferson Graham USA TODAY
n early April, security researchers started speaking out about security lapses in the Zoom video conferencing service, the new trend of “Zoombombing,” and crashing public meetings with obscenities and worse. In response, Zoom’s CEO apologized and said the company had fixed many of the issues. Still, as Zoom usage went from 10 million in December to 200 million in March, you still have a large group looking to exploit the place where people are hanging. Zoom remains the No. 1 most downloaded app in the Apple and Google app stores, according to Apptopia.
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Those two tips should take care of 90% of the issues. But be aware of these tools as well:
3. USE WAITING ROOMS This is the most hidden, secret security feature in Zoom. Get out your searchlight to find it. What it does it let the host prescreen the guests before the meeting starts for an extra layer of security. To get there, go to your master account settings, (under “My Account” at the top right of the main screen), click Settings, go to the Meetings tab and scroll all the way to the bottom, where you will find the Waiting Room options. Once clicked, this will be the default on all your meetings.
4. CREATE A WEBINAR INSTEAD OF A MEETING There are ways to curb Zoombombing and more. Some common-sense tips on safer usage of Zoom.
1. BE WARY OF LINKS Zoom meetings start by creating a meeting and copying a URL that is generated by Zoom. You are then instructed to send it out to participants. “I would not click through any link I got from a Zoom invite as that could be a potential phishing scheme,” says Mark Ostrowski, a security analyst for Check Point Software. One of the oldest tricks in the book from scammers is sending out a malicious link in an e-mail that usually leads to malware that can take control of your computer. So when you start a meeting, you get to invite people and send out a link that starts with looks like this: https://zoom.us/ followed by a long string of numbers, letters both capitalized and lower-case. We have a safer way to invite people. At the top of the screen where you go to get the link, instead jot down the meeting ID, which is noted in the middle, and the password, at the bottom right. (This is shown in the screenshot at right.) Put those in an e-mail with a personal note, to make your guests feel a lot better about the security of this meeting. They can either go to http:// www.zoom.us to log into the meeting or open the app.
2. ADJUST THE SCREEN SHARE OPTIONS IMMEDIATELY Instead of letting anyone share your screen and engage in “zoombombing” – that’s when uninvited attendees break into and disrupt your meeting – the host has the option of adjusting the settings. They’re hidden, so take note. On the general Zoom settings app window, there is an option for screen sharing. Click it and select Advanced settings. There you instruct Zoom to only let the Host share the screen. And now your major privacy issue has been solved. See the screenshot above.
This is a presentation to a group that doesn’t bring in participation, and thus, less likely to be hacked. It’s only available to paying customers. Zoom is free to anyone for meetings under 40 minutes. Paid plans start at $14.99 monthly.
5. REMEMBER THAT EVERYTHING IS BEING RECORDED Don’t say anything or add text to a chat window you wouldn’t want your mother reading. Common sense, right? And finally, some good news. One Zoom feature that got many people riled was “attendee attention tracker,” which let the boss know if you weren’t paying attention during a meeting, and wasting time tweeting or checking out some other website during a meeting. Zoom says that feature is now disabled.
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How to read e-books without a Kindle By Courtney Campbell Reviewed.com
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O
nce you’ve grown tired of binging Disney+ and Apple TV+, it will really be the best time to finally take a crack at your “TBR list” (to-be-read list). In order to make this happen, you’ll need books. If you don’t have books at home that you’ve been meaning to read, and you don’t want to spend a ton of money ordering them and then waiting weeks for them to ship, my suggestion is Kindle books — even if you don’t have a Kindle. While at home, I’ve been downloading digital Kindle books so I can read the next pick on my list ASAP. So far I’ve tackled “The Martian,” “Conversations With Friends,” “Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore” and “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” all on my Kindle while in quarantine. You don’t technically need a Kindle to read Kindle books, though. There’s a handy app for iOS and Android that allows you to read these e-books sans a Kindle device. The best part? It’s completely free.
HOW TO SAVE MONEY ON KINDLE BOOKS While Kindle books tend to already be cheaper than paper books, there are a few ways you can save even more on your digital library.
HOW TO READ KINDLE BOOKS WITHOUT A KINDLE
KINDLE UNLIMITED
Even though I’m a proud owner of a Kindle, I still have the Kindle app downloaded onto my phone. That way I can read wherever I left off if my Kindle runs out of battery or if I don’t have it with me. If you want to join the ranks of the Kindle-less Kindle book readers, here’s how to do so. • Download the Kindle application for your device at amzn.to/3bZvMXt. You can download it for your phone, tablet and even your desktop computer. For a similar experience to the Kindle, I recommend reading on a tablet, which will allow for bigger fonts, pages and portability. • Log in with the email associated with your Amazon account. This is the only way to assure that your Kindle books appear on the app. While you can’t purchase books directly on the Kindle app, you can find the book of your choice from the Kindle Store and it will automatically download to the app after you select “Buy Now With 1-Click” button. • Open the Kindle app and get to reading. You can also easily alter the font size, type and background color to create less strain on your eyes for when you’re reading on a smaller screen for an extended period of time.
If you’re an avid reader, a Kindle Unlimited subscription is your best bet for saving a ton on a bunch of books. For $9.99 a month (basically the cost of a Kindle book), you can get access to more than a million different books. Plus, new users can try it for a month free, which is ideal for anyone sitting at home right now. Aside from a robust library to choose from, you’ll also get access to popular magazines and thousands of audiobooks through Audible. It’s honestly my favorite way to read an entire fantasy series because instead of playing $10 or more for seven different books, you’ll just be paying this flat fee.
KINDLE GOLDBOX DEALS I currently have more than 30 unread books sitting in my Kindle library. Why so many? Because I bought them all on sale. Every weekend (typically Sunday), Amazon runs a Deal of the Day on Kindle books, offering popular titles for $2 to $5, which is a total steal. I tend to check these sales religiously and have found books on my TBR list like “Circe” and “Ready Player One,” as well as more unknown titles to me that I vetted through Goodreads before purchasing.
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YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY The cheapest way to read Kindle books? Your library card. It’s a not-so-hidden secret that you can borrow ebooks from your local library, which has saved me a ton of money. The public libraries typically have a limited number of ebooks available, which means you’ll probably be waiting a while for popular titles (I’ve been on the waiting list for “The Dutch House” for months now). But I usually think of it as a special treat when you finally get the email alert that you’re off hold — or I just lose my patience and buy it myself.
WHAT KINDLE BOOKS TO READ A few recommendations based on personal favorites and the top charts of the Kindle Store to get you started on your TBR list. • “Normal People” by Sally Rooney: This was my favorite book of 2019. Rooney weaves together a seamless story of friendship and loves between heart wrenching pages of miscommunication and self doubt that I found hard to put down. • “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” by Gail Honeyman: Charming and funny, this my most recent book club pick. Eleanor’s narration in the story is enthralling as she struggles with appropriate social skills and learns about true friendship.
• “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens: This has been on my TBR list for months and has been topping the Kindle charts for months. It’s a coming-of-age story with a hint of murder that is recommend by Reese Witherspoon herself. • “Educated” by Tara Westover: Another pick from my book club, “Educated” is the powerful true story of a woman raised by a survivalist and her quest to attend school and become educated. It’s fascinating, incredibly well-written, and hard to put down. • “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides: This is one of my favorite thrillers that’s also topping the Kindle charts. A woman accused of murder goes silent and a psychotherapist is determined to find out what really happened. It’s a page turner with an unbelievable twist.
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apps for healthy eating By Liv Birdsall Reviewed.com
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any people are ultra-focused on health right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But, let’s be honest, we’re eating way more pasta and emotional support brownies than we used to. It’s not the time to be dieting and watching our figures, but we can still try to make healthier food choices while we’re stuck at home. To help, we rounded up some apps that can help you stay healthy. These apps feature meal prep recipes, barcode scanning for ingredient lists, weight loss dashboards, personal coaches, hydration tips, organic options and many other perks. Bonus tip: Regardless of where you shop, make sure you’re washing your produce before you eat anything!
1. NOOM Noom aims to help you form healthy habits and lose weight. It was created with a psychology-based approach that “infers deep-rooted thoughts and triggers.” Most of the triggers concern eating habits, including social and emotional eating, afternoon cravings and those who have a late-night sweet tooth. Our editor Megan McCarthy tried Noom for three months and found that it did have a positive impact on her overall eating habits and lifestyle, but as with all weight-loss programs, results vary by user. The app uses its scientific basis to provide flexible coaching and goal setting, personalized feedback, over 250 articles for reference, customized meal and exercise plans, food logging options and a pedometer to track your steps. All of the features are made simple in the form of a course you progress through, and you’ll have support the whole time with a personal coach. • noom.com
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2. WEIGHT WATCHERS Weight Watchers has spread across the nation through community meetings and support systems, but now you can do it all through an app. It aims to help you eat healthfully and reach daily movement goals by providing over 8,000 recipes, a barcode scanner to learn food facts, coaches available 24/7, at-home weigh-ins, and a “connect” feature where you can share wins with the community and find inspiration. Our audience development manager Rachel Moskowitz used WW for a full year and really enjoyed her experience, but noted that you have to put in the work to make the program effective for you. The classic features are wrapped into a “My Day” dashboard within the app. From there you can log your meals and exercise, save recipes and weigh in. At each virtual weigh-in you can update your current weight, view progress and reflect on each week. The app is useful in the times of social distancing, but it’s also a great way to keep track of what you eat while you’re on the go. • weightwatchers.com/us
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3. THRIVE MARKET A large part of eating healthy is buying healthy foods to cook. Enter Thrive Market! It’s an online grocery store for organic and non-GMO brands. By cutting out the middleman, they’re able to offer products at a large discount of 20% to 50% off. Thrive Market has separate sections for different diets: ketogenic, paleo, gluten-free, vegan, raw, etc. And, not only does it have groceries, it also has household cleaning and pantry supplies. It ships directly to you, making grocery shopping a breeze. • thrivemarket.com/membership/welcome
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4. DAILY HARVEST Daily Harvest makes getting groceries and making meals easy. The premise is simple: You select which meals you want to eat in the coming week, you pick a delivery window, and they deliver a box of all the ingredients for those selected meals right to your front door. Daily Harvest is great for people who don’t have a lot of time to shop or face transportation obstacles to get to the store. Unlike other meal delivery services, Daily Harvest offers smoothies, oat bowls, soups, harvest bowls and lattes. The diets are entirely based on fruit and vegetable meals, so it makes a great choice for vegan and vegetarian eaters. • daily-harvest.com
5. MYFITNESSPAL MyFitnessPal is a weight loss and activity-tracking app. It contains over 6 million foods that you can log in your daily food diary. It also has a nutrient tracker where you can keep tabs on your calorie, fat, protein, carb, sugar, water and vitamin intake. You can import your own recipes, which is great if you have certain meals that you love or have a diet that doesn’t always align with online recipe resources. The app also connects with over 50 apps for exercise and movement — like MapMyRun, Garmin, Fitbit and the Apple Health app — combining all your stats in one place. MyFitnessPal brings all the information you need to stay active and healthy into one app, and it even has an option to connect with your friends for accountability and support. • myfitnesspal.com
6. FOODUCATE The Fooducate app is a digital eating coach backed by science. The app has a dashboard where you can track your food intake and workouts, while also tracking other factors like nutrients, macros, sleep, mood and hunger. Because eating is impacted by internal and external factors, Fooducate can be a great resource for people looking to live healthy in all aspects of their day-to-day life. The app includes health and diet tips from professionals to help you lose weight. In my opinion, the best feature is how it displays food facts. The app can detect hidden ingredients like added sugars, trans fats, GMOS and more in the ingredient breakdown of any food you search. The app gives each food a rating, A+ through D, to make it quick and easy to learn about what you eat. • fooducate.com
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7. DRINK WATER REMINDER N TRACKER Staying hydrated is one of the healthiest things you can do — now and always. While there isn’t a medically endorsed amount of water you should drink each day, many people aim for 64 ounces (eight cups). If you aren’t used to drinking that much water, the Drink Water Reminder N Tracker app is an easy way to set up reminders and track your water intake during the day without being annoying. You enter in your goal ounces, how much your water bottle holds and what hours you’re awake. Then the app divides the time awake by how many water bottles you’ll need to drink to reach your goal. That number (say, seven) is how many alerts you’ll receive during the day to drink. • Download for iOS only at apps.apple.com
8. OH SHE GLOWS If you’re into cookbooks, you’ve likely heard of “Oh She Glows,” a plant-based blog and bestselling cookbook by Angela Liddon. The app is an easy way to search through over 140 recipes, some of which aren’t posted anywhere else. Each one is expertly photographed, too, so it’s fun to find new meals. The app makes searching for recipes simple: You can enter a keyword or ingredient and find options, or you can search categories and filter by your diet or food sensitivities. The Oh She Glows app also allows you to save your favorite recipes for quicker access, and it links to iCloud. It has additional built-in features that keep the screen from timing out while you’re mixing or kneading, and you can “strikethrough” recipe steps as you go to keep your place. • Download at apps.apple.com or play.google.com
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This app
9. YUMMLY The Yummly app is essentially your sous chef. It has over 2 million recipes to choose from, tools and videos to help break down different techniques, and recipe scheduling. You can save your favorite recipes all in one place for easy access while shopping at the grocery store or spending time in your kitchen.
For me, sifting through that many recipes sounds intimidating, but Yummly has filters to help find the recipes that you’ll like. You can personalize your search by dietary needs or restrictions, and you can enter ingredients one-by-one to find recipes that work with what you already have on hand. • yummly.com
has millions of recipes!
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Stressed? Sad? Therapists are standing by
By Jennifer Jolly Special for USA TODAY
May 2020
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he symptoms hit hard and fast. I was fine when I went to bed, but I woke up feeling exhausted, a little queasy and totally para-
lyzed. I could move, I just didn’t want to. “Are you depressed?” my retired-nurse Mom asked when I finally answered her daily check-in call around noon and admitted I was still in bed, but didn’t have a fever, cough, sore throat or anything else for her to worry about. “I don’t think so,” I said.
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“I think we can all acknowledge this is a very stressful time. I think it’s most important to give yourself some grace and some patience here. Remember how out of the ordinary this time in our lives is, and remember that you’re not alone.” Sure, we’re on lockdown during a pandemic. I’m concerned for my family, especially my aging parents. I’m worried about work — or, as a freelancer, lack thereof. My neighbors just had a giant screaming match outside my window, my gray roots are showing, my eyebrows look like two squirrels fighting each other, and my teens’ new TikTok binge watching habit might drive me straight to crazy town. Sound familiar? Just about everyone I know took a ride on the struggle bus this week. “After three days of working on assignments, cleaning, cooking and keeping my spirits up, for the most part, I’m still in bed at nearly 11 a.m., not *quite* able to face the day,” my friend Karen Epper Hoffman wrote on her Facebook page. (She also gave me permission to put it in this story.) She called it the “morning malaise,” and asked her friends how we were feeling. Nearly 50 of us responded, “the exact same way.” Sheltering in place has given some of us a new level of anxiety, isolation, fear, stress, cabin fever and frustration. But whatever. I’m fine. Right? “You probably are just fine,” Dr. Neil Leibowitz, Talkspace’s chief medical officer, told me over the phone, “But with everything going on right now, it’s like anxiety on steroids.” He went on to reassure me that it’s pretty common to feel out of sorts. “When you get the rug yanked out overnight, there’s no routine, no ‘normal’ anymore, it’s not comfortable. But we will all adjust.”
THE ONLINE THERAPIST WILL SEE YOU NOW Calls and emails from people seeking mental health support in early April were up 65% for Talkspace, one of several teletherapy resources for people seeking help via encrypted video conference, phone or text message. Demand is so high, the company has doubled-down on new ways to get people support quickly including a free therapist-led Facebook support group, and new Instagram Stories COVID-19 channel. Both social media sites have Talkspace therapists answering questions daily in the hope that “as many people as possible take advantage of these resources, and know that we are here for them in this time of need at any time of the day,” Leibowitz said. There have been a number of recent emergency changes that allow both therapists and psychiatrists to provide care to patients online or from an app. For the first time ever, Medicare OKed teletherapy
according to Ken Duckworth, the chief medical officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness. In an interview with NBC, he explained that for many mental health conditions, “teletherapy has the same effectiveness as in-person therapy.” I also connected with a licensed therapist through JustAnswer, where mental health inquiries are up 75% according to a company spokesperson. “I think we can all acknowledge this is a very stressful time,” a therapist named Leah texted me within the app’s dashboard. “I think it’s most important to give yourself some grace and some patience here. Remember how out of the ordinary this time in our lives is, and remember that you’re not alone.” Many of JustAnswer’s therapists work on a sliding scale you agree to upfront, and you can connect via text chat or through a phone call. Others I took for test drive include reaching out via video conference to a psychologist at BetterHelp, and touching base with therapists at AmWell, Doctor on Demand and Wellnite. The way most of these work is that you sign up, answer a few assessment-type questions online, choose a session frequency and payment plan, and then begin oneon-one counseling with a therapist within a few hours or a few days. Several other teletherapy sites include Larkr, Real, ReGain, AbleTo and MDLive, and many are running specials right now due to increased COVID-19 stress and trauma-related demand.
CRISIS CARE Even the CDC is making sure people have mental health support right now and at least one subreddit — Covid19_support — is trending as a place for people to seek emotional support, too. Here are some of the top resources for crisis outreach in one place: • National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline: 800-950-6264 • Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255 • Disaster Distress helpline: 800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66745 • Crisis Text 24/7 support: Text HELLO to 741741 • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: 800-662-HELP (4357) Jennifer Jolly is an Emmy Award-winning consumer tech columnist. Email her at jj@techish.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenniferJolly.
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POD PEOPLE
music
Behind the
A few music podcasts to listen to By Matthew Girard More Content Now
Popcast Hosted by New York Times pop music critic Jon Caramanica, Popcast covers the latest in popular music criticism, trends and news. A roundtable of critics join Caramanica, tackling subjects like the rise of Post Malone to the future of jazz. Episodes also include expert guests on the hottest topics. Recent episodes include “What Music Should I Listen to in a Crisis?,” “What Is the Role of Criticism in a Crisis?” and “Sam Hunt and Kenny Rogers, Country Music Rule-Benders.” Find it: nytimes.com/column/popcast-pop-music-podcast Suggested listening if: You want thoughful insight into all genres.
Questlove Supreme Hosted by legendary Roots drummer Questlove, Supreme features him using his connections in the music industry to interview the movers and creators from around the music world. Questlove combines interviews, humor, pop culture and music into each episode. Recent episodes include “QLS Classic: D-Nice,” “Dawnn Lewis” and “QLS Classic: Cree Summer.” Find it: iheart.com/podcast/1119-questlove-supreme-53194211 Suggested listening if: Your interests touch on TV and comedy, too.
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All Songs Considered Music nerds Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton host this NPR-produced podcast. Boilen and Hilton dive into the week’s best new music discoveries, interview emerging artists, icons and legends. Each episode features the latest in music news, which albums are dropping and what are the hottest hits. Recent episodes include “Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien Talks About His New Album, ‘Earth,’” “New Music Friday: The Top 8 Albums Out On April 3” and “Old Songs, New Meanings.” Find it: npr.org/podcasts/510019/all-songs-considered Suggested listening if: You want a taste of everything new but don’t want to pay for downloads or streaming services.
Song Exploder One of the most critically acclaimed music podcasts, Song Exploder features musicians dissecting one of their songs to tell the story of how it was made. Each episode is produced and edited by host and creator Hrishikesh Hirway, but the artist’s voice is the only one you’ll hear, along with the song being discussed. Recent episodes include “Nathaniel Rateliff - And It’s Still Alright,” “Eric Nam - Love Die Young” and “Soccer Mommy - Circle the Drain.” Find it: songexploder.net Suggested listening if: You love learning what lyrics mean and what kind of creative headspace an artist gets into.
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CHOOSE THE BEST headphones FOR YOU
By Lee Neikirk Reviewed.com
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eciding how much to spend on anything can be a difficult task, but it’s especially tricky with jargon-laden tech products. Take headphones, for example. When you’re thinking about buying a new pair, do you know the difference between active, passive and adaptive noise cancellation? Do you know whether you want an on-ear, over-ear or in-ear type? Considering that nowadays you can find almost every type and style of headphone in every price bracket from $50 to $500, knowing how much you “should” pay versus how much you “could” pay is difficult even if you’re familiar with the whole glossary of terms. Here’s a review of the relevant info and a few recommendations.
TERMINOLOGY Usually if you have an idea of what style you’re looking for, what features you want or need, and how you’ll be using your new headphones, you can start to estimate how much you want to spend. For example, Sony’s super-popular WH1000XM3 headphones are Bluetooth (wireless) over-ears with Adaptive Noise Canceling. If you’re not sure what all that means, read on.
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• Style: Deciding on one of the three common form factors — in-ear, on-ear or over-ear — should be your first step. Generally, in-ear headphones are the most portable and convenient, over-ear headphones are the most comfortable, while on-ear headphones are somewhere in between.
• Noise-canceling: Noise-canceling headphones, originally designed for pilots, aren’t just for frequent flyers anymore. These headphones reduce the volume of ambient noise around you, and over the last several years they’ve become a mainstay for travelers, public transit commuters, gym-goers and even people in extra-chatty offices.
• Bluetooth/wireless: Do you want wireless headphones? A pair of Bluetooth headphones will let you go completely without wires, while a set of “true wireless” earbuds are even more minimalist. If you’re looking for an experience that won’t tether you to your phone, tablet or laptop, Bluetooth headphones are what you need — and fortunately, they’re ubiquitous enough these days that you can find them in every style and price range.
• Open-backed: Last but not least, this niche kind of over-ear headphone is a style that’s especially preferred by people mixing and matstering audio. Unlike traditional “closed-back” headphones, open-backed headphones have, literally, open backs, allowing some of the sound to escape into the room around you. While these headphones are primarily meant for audio professionals and audiophiles, it’s worth knowing about them even if it’s so you can decide if they’re something you want.
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NARROWING DOWN THE OPTIONS There are, no exaggeration, so many headphones on the market at any given time — easily tens of thousands of models. Even if you know you don’t want to spend more than $100, the amount of sub$100 options in different styles and configurations is downright staggering. The easiest way to figure out how much you should spend on headphones is to first figure out which features you want (it also helps, generally, to have a budget, but that’s not something we can suss out here). The simplest way to narrow things down is to decide on a form factor, and the easiest way to decide on a form factor is to think about how you’re going to be using your new headphones. For example, if you want to travel light, or want something you can comfortably go jogging or work out in, you’re probably going to want in-ear headphones. And if you especially want to avoid wires in addi-
tion to that, you’ll want to get a pair of Bluetooth/wireless in-ears. If you’re mostly going to be stationary and want something that will be comfortable for the span of, say, an eight-hour workday, you might just want a traditional pair of wired over-ear headphones. Once you’ve figured out the style or form factor, any features beyond “basic wired” — such as sweat-proofing in the case of workout ‘buds, or Active Noise Canceling, or Bluetooth — is going to add to the price a little bit. Likewise, well-established brands like Sennheiser, Audio-Technica, Sony, Beyerdynamic and so on are going to generally cost more than something from a brand you’ve never heard of. At this point, all you can really do is set a budget for yourself and start checking out reviews, roundups and buying guides. One general rule of thumb is that if you want something that checks off all the requisite boxes — it sounds great, is comfortable and reliable for more than a couple of months — you probably want to spend more than $50.
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SO HOW MUCH SHOULD I SPEND? Unless you’re a serious audiophile, you probably don’t need to spend more than $500. Naturally, we have recommendations*: • Audio-Technica ATH-M50X, $149: These are your basic, great-sounding wired over-ears. The ATH-M50X have been a mainstay as high-quality, no nonsense cans for years. You aren’t getting Bluetooth or ANC here, but if you just need a great set of headphones that live at your desk, you can’t go wrong with these.
• Apple AirPods, $159: If you’re looking for something super convenient, Apple’s truly wireless AirPods are some of our favorites. Their Bluetooth is hyper-fast and they sound good enough for how advantageous their form factor and functionality is. • Sony WH-1000XM3, $350: If you want the total package — great sound, excellent noise-canceling, Bluetooth, and all day comfort — these
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plush cans from Sony are our top-rated headphone right now. The only real drawback here is the price, but we think they’re definitely worth it. • Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless, $350: If you want a great-sounding pair of over-ears that won’t bog you down with wires like the ATHM50X, but don’t want to spring for the ANC and fancy features of Sony’s WH-1000XM3, the PXC 550 Wireless from Sennheiser is just about the perfect midpoint — especially if you can grab it on sale. • 1MORE Triple Driver In-Ear Headphones, $80: If you want highquality in-ears, but don’t want to pay for wireless, these wired in-ears from 1MORE have been some of our favorites for a few years now. For what you’re paying, they sound way better than they have any right to. • Anker SoundCore Spirit Pro, $38: If you want the maximum convenience of wireless, work-out-ready headphones but don’t want to spend much, the Anker SoundCore Spirit Pro are just the one. Naturally, most of what you’re paying for is the waterproofing and Bluetooth abilities: these sound OK, but they won’t drop any jaws. * List prices on Amazon as of April 6
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HOW DO I ... ?
Turn a device into a second monitor By Michael Desjardin Reviewed.com
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ore folks are working from home these days than perhaps ever before, but for those of us without a dedicated home office, the transition to domestic work life can be overwhelming — especially if you don’t have an extra computer monitor. There are a couple of ways you can hack together a second-screen experience without buying a new monitor, by turning your iPad or TV into a second monitor. They’re not altogether perfect solutions, but they’re perfect to use in a pinch. Here’s what you need to know.
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HOW TO TURN AN IPAD INTO A SECOND MONITOR The easiest way to use an iPad as a second screen is with a Mac utility called Sidecar, but there’s a catch: this method is only available to folks with a relatively new Mac and a relatively new iPad. You can check out Apple’s full system requirements for Sidecar for a complete rundown, but the basic requirements are a newish iPad with iPad OS 13 and a Mac laptop or workstation with macOS Catalina. The connection itself can be done wirelessly or wired — either via Wi-Fi or the iPad’s charging cable. Once you’ve determined that your Mac and iPad support Sidecar, connecting the two is as simple as selecting the AirPlay icon in your Mac’s menu bar and selecting the appropriate iPad. You can use your Mac’s System Preferences to finely tune your second screen experience.
Obviously, this method is limited to Mac users, since it requires a handshake between two Apple devices. PC users, unfortunately, will have to settle for options that are either less elegant or more expensive. Additionally, if you own older Apple devices that don’t support Sidecar, you’ll need to explore alternatives, too. Several third-party apps exist that can bridge a connection between an older Mac or PC and an iPad, the most popular being Duet Display, which can be unlocked with a one-time fee of $9.99 — all you need is a USB connection. There are also more robust packages you can upgrade to that carry higher, recurring subscription fees but offer expanded functionality. Duet Display Air, for example, will land you the ability to connect your iPad wirelessly.
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HOW TO TURN A TV INTO A SECOND MONITOR Just about every TV these days prioritizes HDMI connections over all else, so the simplest place to start when it comes to connecting your laptop or desktop to your TV is with an HDMI cable that plugs directly into one of your TV’s inputs. This is easy enough if you have an HDMI input on your computer, but not many computers do, which means you’ll need an adapter to get the job done. First, identify the type of ports you have on your laptop or desktop. • For computers with a Mini DisplayPort: These ports look like standard USB-B ports with the corners cut on the bottom and can often be found on older laptops. A Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cable typically supports full HD (1080p) resolution and is available pretty much wherever cables are sold. For our money, we love the Mini DisplayPort to HDMI cable from AmazonBasics, which is available in 3-, 6-, 10- and 15-foot variants. It’s not fancy but it gets the job done. • For computers with a USB-C port: Newer computers — like the most recent MacBooks — tend to be outfitted with a slew of USB-C ports and little else. These tiny, elongated oval-shaped ports look puny but pack a powerful punch. The USB-C to HDMI cable from Uni is an easy, affordable way to connect a comput-
Using your TV as a second screen is easy—provided you have all the right equipment.
er to a TV when the only option is USB-C. It supports up to 4K resolution at 60 Hz and bypasses the need for a dongle. • For computers with a VGA port: VGA ports (almost always blue) can be found on older computers, and feature three rows of 15 pin connectors. VGA cables often (but not always) connect with the help of a pair of tiny screws on either side of the cable. If you’re trying to connect your computer to a TV by way of your computer’s VGA port, your best bet is to buy a VGA to HDMI converter, though we must warn you: the setup is quite hairy. Essentially, these converters also need to plug into one of your computers USB ports for power. If you want audio support, a third cable needs to run from the converter’s 3.5mm port to your computer’s 3.5mm headphone port. Just keep in mind that VGA is a format from 1987, and it’s likely the resolution of a second screen in this format won’t be very detailed. However, if this is your only option, the VGA to HDMI converter dongle from Foinnex is your best bet — it’s got a solid reputation on Amazon and won’t set you back too much. Once your computer is connected to your TV by way of one of these cables, all you need to do is select the appropriate input on your TV. As with all cable situations, make sure the cables you’re buying are long enough to accommodate your household setup.
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HOW DO I ... ?
home office F PRINTER Find a good
By TJ Donegan | Reviewed.com
or many reasons, 2020 is not shaping up the way we thought it would. One thing I absolutely did not expect to need? A printer. But where do you even start? If you’re like me, you only have to print a handful of documents per year. For the few times I’ve needed a paper copy of something, I either print it at work, the library, or I pay a few bucks at a nearby copy shop. Now? I need to print out shipping labels, receipts, contracts and coloring book pages to keep my kids distracted.
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With flashbacks of all the awful printers I’ve owned over the years running through my mind, I finally bit the bullet and bought one: The HP OfficeJet 3830 and a pack of paper from Target. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t super confident in this decision. I did my research, but I don’t like buying anything under duress. The self-checkout immediately asked if I wanted to pay $3 for a protection plan — on the paper. While I am riveted to find out why I’d need a protection plan on paper, it wasn’t a reassuring moment. Also, I’m cheap, so I passed. Setting it up was surprisingly easy, and just about every printer will be the same: Unbox it; remove every piece of tape and cardboard you can find inside; pop in the ink cartridges; and turn it on. Inevitably realize you missed at least one piece somewhere, find that, and you’re golden. In the end, I’m pretty happy. For less than $100 (I paid about $70 on sale), the OfficeJet 3830 was the best combination I could find of:
HP makes some of the best-selling printers on the market, but we recommend most people skip the Instant Ink program.
• Affordable price • Printer speed per minute • Wireless capability • Ink costs • Good, if mixed, user reviews
Is it the best printer I’ve ever used? Meh. It prints well, it was on sale, seems affordable to operate, and when I tested it on my work laptops (a Dell XPS 13 and a MacBook Pro), it didn’t require me to install any extra software. I would also skip the Instant Ink subscription service, which seems right for some people but for most is worth ignoring. There are some other things I don’t like, but most of them are pretty universal to home printers. The biggest one is the connector, which uses a full-size USB-B to plug into the printer. Yes, that’s USB-B. When you think “USB port” you’re generally picturing a “USB-A” cable, or a brandnew “USB-C” cable. Full-size USB-B cables are basically known as “printer” cables because virtually nothing else you own will use it. Compare that to smaller “Mini” or “Micro” USB cables (which are technically USB-B cables with smaller connectors), which have been used for more than a decade on phones, cameras, video game controllers, mp3 players, etc.
USB-B is the one way on the right that you’ve (hopefully) never had to deal with before.
The USB and Ethernet ports are located on the back, for hooking it up for wired internet and as a fax machine.
Printers are large and don’t need to use smaller connectors, but if they’re not going to include the cable in the box (which most don’t, because they’re also wireless — and cheap) then at least choose a more common connector. I have 17 mini-USB cables in my junk drawer. The only reason I own a full-size USB-B cable is my last printer used the same dumb port and I had to pay $12 for one when the Wi-Fi stopped working. Anyway, so far I’m pretty happy with the HP that I bought. If your needs are a bit different, there are definitely some other models to consider that are similarly well-regarded. Here’s my shortlist: • If you need something cheaper, go with the HP DeskJet 2622. It costs $60 and it’s one of the best-selling printers at a bunch of retailers, with generally stellar reviews. • If you need to print a few thousand pages per month, go with a laser option like the HP LaserJet M479fdw, which is the No. 1 selling laser printer on Amazon with excellent reviews and a deep discount right now. An inkjet printer can cost three to four times as much to print per blackand-white page. If you just print a few hundred pages, those savings won’t mean much. If you print a few thousand every month? The laser printer will eventually make up the cost.
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May 2020
START ME UP
Safe at
home An errant dog sitter leads Jenny Thompson to create background check software By Melissa Erickson | More Content Now
T
he kernel of an idea for a new business had already been in Jenny Thompson’s mind, but when a deceitful dog watcher faked her own death to get out of returning $150, she knew she was onto something. A business leader with 20 years of experience in the natural health care industry, Thompson was looking for a new career challenge. She had grown her business from $2 million to $70 million before leaving to start something of her own. “I had a great career running that business, and I felt that I had accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish there,” Thompson said. “I was no longer jumping out of bed excited for new challenges to face or new opportunities I could provide others. I wanted to find something to jump out of bed for in the morning.”
BROKEN TRUST During that time she needed help with her dogs, Lulu and Django, and found someone on Craigslist to walk them or take them to vet appointments when needed. Her name was Sarah. “We met. I liked her. She liked the dogs. We had developed a level of trust. I didn’t know how to do a background check, but I had her identification,” said Thompson, who did other research and felt she had done her due diligence in vetting the woman. The dog sitter was a cute, quiet college student who looked
like the worst thing she could do was get a speeding ticket or a C on a history exam. Looks can be deceiving though, and people often make decisions based on their history and circumstances, not to mention racial biases, Thompson said. The dog walker was hired to stay with Lulu and Django while Thompson was away. Upon her return Thompson realized the dog walker had taken the dogs someplace else, possibly putting them at risk. The dog sitter had lost her trust and Thompson fired her. When Thompson tried to recoup $150 she had advanced Sarah for future work, the dog sitter devised an elaborate scheme to fake her death that included dramatic texts from her “father.” With a bit of research, Thompson uncovered the scam — don’t update Facebook while in a “coma” — and vowed in the future to dig deeper before she ever let anyone into her home or near her dogs again.
May 2020
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Django and Lulu, honorary founders of SafetyPIN. PHOTOS PROVIDED
HELP FOR OTHERS Lesson learned, Thompson wanted her ordeal to lead to a solution for others. It drove her to create SafetyPIN Technologies, a virtual trust badge for people on both sides of the gig economy. “Our vision is to protect both client and customer, both sides of the transaction,” she said. SafetyPIN “is a security tool that people can use when taking online meetings offline, when you’re inviting someone to come into your life or home whether it’s child or elder care, home health care, dog walkers, house cleaners or home improvement,” Thompson said. How safe are you when you hire a babysitter or summon a ride share? “I was lucky. It was my dogs, not children. You do see horror stories every year,” Thompson said. Uber’s 2019 end-of-year report counted nearly 6,000 sexual assault claims with almost 50% of claims against passengers assaulting drivers. Care.com, the largest babysitting platform in the United States, was linked to five deaths of children related to Care. com-approved babysitters. SafetyPIN’s technology goes beyond basic criminal background checks, which are not updated in real time, or similar services, which are “spotty and inconsistent,” Thompson said. SafetyPIN rescreens people regularly and revokes their “pin” if they no longer meet requirements. The $1 application process is simple and takes about five to seven minutes to complete. SafetyPIN runs a detailed criminal and financial history, verifies identification, and scores submitted answers on a proprietary behavioral algorithm.
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‘TAKE EVERY CALL, EVERY MEETING’ The Baltimore-based software startup was founded in May 2017, the product went live in April 2018. A distinguished advisory board is one of the things Thompson is most proud of putting together. It includes a cybersecurity expert who is a former chief security officer at the White House, a retired federal officer whose career highlights include overseeing the capture of Sadaam Hussein, and a forensic psychologist who is a member of the FBI’s Terrorism Liaison Officer Committee. “It’s important because it shows what we’re building is important. It has value and they want to be part of it,” Thompson said. Born in Baltimore, Thompson can tie her desire to make living in the internet age safer to her first job as a bailiff in a district courtroom during college. Standing by a judge and listening to plaintiffs’ words taught Thompson how to read people and how to listen to specific word choices. “The way people talk can reveal if they are lying or telling the truth,” she said.
May 2020
A tenacious networker now, Thompson wishes she had expanded her outreach when starting SafetyPIN. “When I originally formed the company I thought my skill set would be enough to take it where it should be economically rather than bringing in people to help see what was needed. I wish I had reached out to others in the tech community, CEOs, founders, and met people in this world, which is different from my previous career,” Thompson said. Her motto is “Take every call, every meeting.” One business lesson Thompson would like to pass on is for others to be realistic about just what’s important and what’s not. “It’s a lesson my dad taught me: If a problem can be solved with money, it’s not a problem. I know that sounds trite if you can’t pay your electric bill, but it should give you perspective when something goes wrong,” Thompson said.
FIND OUT MORE
• getasafetypin.com • facebook.com/safetypintech • linkedin.com/in/jennythompson-safetypin
conversation
May 2020
START ME UP
Heart &
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sole Jordan Clark didn’t stop until her idea achieved perfection By Melissa Erickson | More Content Now
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rowing up, entrepreneur Jordan Clark loved shoes, but she never dreamed she would one day develop her own line. Stylish yet comfortable and sustainable, Dooeys are a brand of house shoes that took off quickly with a successful Kickstarter campaign and launched just as the world was grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that forced millions of people to isolate at home. “I’ve always been obsessed with products that provide dual benefits like style and comfort,” said Clark from her home in Amsterdam. Born and raised in Seattle, Clark moved to Amsterdam about three years ago with her husband, who works for Seattle-based Taphandles, which makes beer marketing products and displays, as he sought to grow the business in Europe.
STARTING FROM SCRATCH Marketed as “slipshoes,” Dooeys are a cross between comfortable slippers and practical outdoor shoes. The house shoes are made of 100% vegan, cruelty-free, sustainable materials including breathable apple “leather” uppers, cork and coconut husk insoles and sugar cane-derived soles. They are handcrafted at a small factory in Portugal. The idea for Dooeys came after Clark moved to Amsterdam and transitioned from working in offices to working from home. Confronted with the choice between comfortable shoes and unsupportive slippers, Clark began looking for alternatives.
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May 2020
“I learned how to be scrappy and many other startup lessons than I am now applying to my own business today,” Clark said. Later Clark worked as a management consultant where she got the chance to step outside her comfort zone and gain insights into different industries. Clark established Dooeys in September 2018 believing she would launch by June 2019, but sourcing sustainable materials proved to be a challenge. “I did not expect sourcing materials to take me a year. This kept me up at night and I definitely experienced moments of doubt, but I pushed on and am thrilled with the end result,” she said. “The lesson here for me was, things will take longer than you think. Be patient. Stay positive, productive and keep the ball rolling on what is in your control.” Dooeys launched in March 2020 after a whirlwind Kickstarter campaign. “We raised $10,000 in the first two days and reached our funding goal in the first week. It’s been so fulfilling to connect with other women and men that see the need for these shoes in our lives at home,” Clark said.
LAUNCHING AMID COVID-19 While Dooeys is off to a good start, the company is launching amid the uncertainty of a global pandemic. “While I’m grateful that my product is relevant right now and hopefully resonates with many women out there, we are not immune to the impact that this pandemic is having on small businesses,” Clark said. “However, I feel fortunate to have launched now when I have the ability to pivot my
When she didn’t find what she wanted, she decided to create it herself. “When I came up with the idea I was trying to be a more conscious consumer, wanting to know more about the brands and products I purchased,” she said. “This combined with learning about the environmental impacts of the fashion industry — which accounts for roughly 8% of greenhouse gas emissions — I knew if I was going to do this, I would make my shoes as sustainable, cruelty-free and transparent as possible.” Both climate and culture play a large role in the popularity of house shoes in the United States and around the world, Clark said. Wearing a comfortable, supportive shoe can make a person be or feel more productive while working from home, she said. “I believe a strong foundation starts on your own two feet at home. I started Dooeys with the goal of supporting women in conquering life at home, whatever that may look like for them. We’re all about providing the support women need for what we call ‘uptime,’ and of course the coziness they crave in their downtime,” Clark said.
LESSONS LEARNED Before Dooeys Clark worked at a startup, which provided “invaluable” business lessons about building a brand, developing customer relations and understanding business operations, she said. She forged relationships with “amazing women” who provided the mentorship she needed to grow as a young professional.
Sugarcane
May 2020
conversation
Dooeys wants your self-care routine to extend to your feet. PHOTOS PROVIDED
growth strategy and make financial planning adjustments as needed. I know a lot of other small businesses who are suffering and as a business and a consumer, I’m going to do whatever I can to support them.” Clark’s advice to other entrepreneurs is to find ways to overcome self-limiting beliefs. “For me, that’s through meditation and reflection. There will be ups and downs. You have to stay steady to get through them or have the support around you to lift you up when you need it,” she said. Making clear priorities helps focus her time and energy. “I have the quote ‘Where your focus goes, your energy flows’ on my computer background to remind me of this every day. Writing down your goals and having an organized way to track and execute against them is key,” Clark said. Clark uses spreadsheets to prioritize her responsibilities and a BestSelf journal to map out daily tasks. “My other favorite part about this tool is, every morning and evening you write down three things you’re grateful for. I believe gratitude is vital to an entrepreneur’s mindset,” Clark said. Like many entrepreneurs, Clark learned some things the hard way, “but that’s what being an entrepreneur is all about — how you respond to it. What I would say to any aspiring entrepreneur is anything you don’t know, you can figure out.” Dooeys are available in two styles, loafers and mules, in women’s sizes 5-12 and begin shipping in June.
FIND OUT MORE
• dooeys.com • kickstarter.com/projects/dooeys/slipshoes • linkedin.com/in/jordan-dix-clark
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diversion
May 2020
COLUMN
When good ATMs turn bad
T R ACY B EC K E R M AN Tracy Beckerman has written her humor column, “Lost in Suburbia,” for GateHouse Media and Gannett since 2008. Her monthly column for ION is “Lost in Technology.” Follow her on Twitter @TracyBeckerman.
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remember getting my first ATM card when I was in college. I thought it was the best invention ever and I would get positively giddy whenever I would slide it into a bank machine and magic money would come out … especially late at night when the bank was closed and I needed emergency pizza funds. My mother was the one who got me the card, but she, herself, was not a fan. For many years she refused to bank online and/or use an ATM. When she wanted to get her money, she wanted it to be handed over by a real live person. She was sure that if she got an ATM card, it would disappear into the machine and all her money would somehow disappear from her account. I told her that was very unlikely and would probably only happen if she gave me her card and her security code. I, however, continued to have a positive relationship with my bank machine. It was impersonal, efficient and usually ended happily with a wad of cash in my wallet. But then one day I stopped off to make my weekly deposit, slid my checks in as usual, and waited. But instead of the usual clicking noise, I heard something that sounded suspiciously like paper being … chewed. “Hey, what are you doing in there?” I squinted at the machine. The ATM stopped chewing, then belched out my checks. They were crumpled and slightly torn. “Unable to deposit checks at this time,” said the message on the screen. My ATM card came shooting out of the machine. I wasn’t sure if I had done something to offend
it or if the machine was just having a bad day. I held my hand up to my mouth and checked my breath. Then I reinserted my card. After punching in my code, I tried to load my mangled checks. This time it accepted one, but not the other. I heard the chewing sound again and then my check and my card both came flying out. “OK, look!” I said angrily. “There’s no need to be nasty about this. If you don’t want to accept the check, fine. But you don’t have to spit it at me.” The ATM made a grinding noise. I was pretty sure it was giving me the raspberry. I gave up trying to deposit the last check, and reinserted my card to get some cash. There was a lot of whirring and cha-chunking, and then my card came back out. “Unable to give cash at this time,” said the message on the screen. “WHAT???” I demanded. In frustration, I punched all the buttons at once and then banged on the screen. The ATM went blank. A moment later a new message came up. “Out of Service.” Suddenly I was nervous. I thought maybe I had done something to really mess up the ATM. It was one thing to antagonize the thing. It was another to commit ATM-icide. I drew in my breath and walked into the actual bank. “Excuse me,” I announced. “I think I killed the ATM machine.” The tellers all looked up at me.
diversion
May 2020
“It might not actually be dead. But it’s definitely in a coma,” I said uneasily. It was completely possible that at that moment, a teller was stepping on one of those emergency silent police alert buttons and any second a SWAT team was going to bust in and arrest me, which would really stink because then I’d have a police record and I’d also be late for my afternoon chocolate break. I stood there awkwardly, waiting for someone to either deposit my check or take me into custody.
Finally, the bank manager approached. He smiled patiently at me. “I was just trying to deposit some checks,” I said sheepishly. He nodded, took my mangled check, brought it to the teller, then returned to me with my receipt. “You’re all set, Mrs. Beckerman,” he assured me. I looked around at all the tellers still staring at me. “I bet you’re hoping I’ll just leave now, right?” I said. “Actually,” he grinned. “I’m banking on it.”
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