Two Things for 2023

As we begin 2023, there are two things I’d like to share with you. The first is something we enjoy being able to offer our members each January, and the second…well, you can read that when you finish reading the first one.

TAP Computers for Sale

Every January, the rules regarding our status as a 501(c)3 organization allow us to sell a number of refurbished computers, with the stipulation of putting the proceeds back into our refurbishment program to further the TAP cause. Each year we do this…and each year it’s a successful, sell-out event, almost instantly. 

Effective immediately, TAP has an assortment of refurbished Windows 10 and 11 desktops, laptops, and all-in-ones for sale. These computers are in excellent condition and the typical prices are only $150-175. If you’d like to purchase a (new-to-you) computer and help further the TAP cause, head on over to our office and select yours today!

Tellico Village Computer Users Club
244 Lakeside Plaza
Loudon, TN 37774

(Located under the Thai Bistro restaurant – enter from behind the building.)

Volunteers Needed

Because of the many services we offer, the TVCUC has become one of the largest organizations in Tellico Village. And while the good side of this is that we can offer you unparalleled First Level Support for your technology devices, provide hundreds of repurposed computers every year to local needy children and families, provide our members technology help resources, provide assistance to other Tellico Village organizations, and much more – we can’t do it without volunteer support…without you! If you’re willing to volunteer just a couple of hours a month, it would be a huge help.

It bears repeating that you don’t need to be a geek, or even a technology enthusiast, to volunteer. We have many open positions in education, management, administration, and other areas. We have a core group of members who help keep your club functional, which is a hefty amount of work. It’s very much like running a business organization, which to some degree, it is.

Among other positions, we desperately need to fill two Board of Director positions – Secretary and the Vice President. Regarding the Secretary position, this requires about two hours work per month, and half of that is simply attending the board meeting. We conduct our meetings via Zoom and record them, so no manual notetaking is necessary. The Vice President position is also a low-stress, minimal-effort role that does not automatically roll over to the position of President (unless you desire that). Please consider volunteering for one of these (or other) positions by sending us an email.

Larry McJunkin, President
Tellico Village Computer users Club

Don’t Get Scammed Over the Holidays (or Anytime)

The holidays are the perfect time for scammers to try and take advantage of you. A couple of these tips we’ve shared with you previously, but they’re worth repeating, along with some new ones.

Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.

Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government or an organization you know. They might use a real name, like the Social Security Administration, the IRS, or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations. They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID. So the name and number you see might not be real.

Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.

They might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer. Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify some information. Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes but must pay a fee to get it.

Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately.

Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story. They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.

Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way.

They often insist that you pay by using cryptocurrency, by wiring money through a company like MoneyGram or Western Union, or by putting money on a gift card and then giving them the number on the back. Some will send you a check (that will later turn out to be fake), then tell you to deposit it and send them money. Some will even ask you for your bank routing information and then actually put a small amount of money in your account. But then with the same routing information, they debit money from your account. 

Take These Six Precautions to Avoid a Scam:

1. Block unwanted calls and text messages. Take steps to block unwanted calls and to filter unwanted text messages that are built into iPhone and Android phones.
2. Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect. Honest organizations won’t call, email, or text to ask for your personal information, like your Social Security, bank account, or credit card numbers.
3. If you get an email or text message from a company you do business with and you think it’s real, it’s still best not to click on any links. Instead, contact them using a website or phone number you know is trustworthy. Don’t call a number they gave you or the number from your caller ID. Resist the pressure to act immediately. Honest businesses will give you time to make a decision. Anyone who pressures you to pay or give them your personal information is a scammer.
4. Know how scammers tell you to pay. Never pay someone who insists you pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer service like Western Union or MoneyGram, or a gift card. And never deposit a check and send money back to someone.
5. Before you do anything else, tell someone — a friend, a family member, a neighbor — what happened. Talking about it could help you, or who you’re talking with, realize it’s a scam.
6. Never enter your credit card number on an http:// website! But if the web address begins with https://, your computer is talking to the website in a secure code that no one can decipher. If a website ever asks you to enter your credit card information, you should always look to see if the web address begins with https://. If it doesn’t, you should NEVER enter sensitive information such as a credit card number, SS #, etc.

Report Scams to the FTC. If you were scammed or think you saw a scam, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

On behalf of the TVCUC Board of Directors and all the volunteers that keep our club running to serve you, we wish you a Joyous Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

Larry McJunkin, President

Whether you’re buying technology tools and gadgets for yourself, or family and friends, it’s easy to fall prey to gift guides that feature items based solely on affiliate marketing (where the publisher receives a percentage of the sale). For our last monthly bulletin of the year, we’re featuring some very highly rated and affordable gift ideas that we’ve vetted for both great prices and usefulness. 

At the end of our Holiday Gift Guide, I have a few important tips if you’re thinking about purchasing a new computer for yourself during the holidays. These tips will save you money (and possibly some regret) if you consider them before your purchase. 

(NOTE: Prices in our Gift Guide are at the time of publication and subject to change.)

Holiday Gift Guide

Rechargeable Hand Warmers – ($19.99/24.99) Kudos to whoever invented these! They work so much better than the disposable hand warmers and are great for cold weather walks, golf, or just to have in case you get stranded in the cold. It’s not only a convenient hand warmer but also an emergency backup battery if your mobile phone battery is low. This is a great gift for anyone on your list…including yourself.

Apple AirTags – ($24.98/29.00) For anyone who uses an iPhone, Apple AirTags have become an absolute must-have item. Keep track of and find your items along with tracking friends and devices in the Find My app. Simple one-tap setup instantly connects an AirTag with your iPhone or iPad. Great for tracking luggage, keys, pets, children, elderly loved ones, purses, backpacks…the list is endless. All communications between you and an AirTag are anonymous and encrypted for privacy. Location data and history are never stored on the AirTag.

12-inch Screen Magnifier for Smartphone – ($19.95/24.95) Mobile Phone 3D Magnifier Projector Screen for Movies, Videos, and Gaming. If you watch movies and videos on your smartphone and would like to reduce the accompanying visual fatigue and discomfort, this is a perfect solution. The screen magnifier effectively doubles the size of your display and still allows you to watch in full HD. Compatible with all smartphones and requires no external power or battery. It is lightweight and portable so you can take it with you anywhere you go.

Bose QuietComfort Noise Canceling Earbuds – ($179/199) Industry-leading, noise canceling Bluetooth earbuds with an Integrated Sound Processor. Exceptional sound quality, crystal clear call quality, beam-forming microphone and a bone-conduction sensor provide clear voice detection even in noisy environments. 8-hour battery, water resistant and fast, wireless charging.

Kasa Slim WiFi Smart Plug (4-pack) – ($39.99/49.99) These Kasa smart plugs are one of the highest-rated smart plugs available and they are the best way to easily get started in automating your home. Why get up out of your comfy recliner to turn on lights or appliances when Siri or Google will do it for you. Extremely easy and quick setup, compact design, and great for holiday lights and Christmas trees.

Oster Electronic Wine Opener – ($26.87/29.99) This is one of the best electric wine openers on the market. This wine opener has been around for over 20 years with the same design and has the best rating of any similar wine opener. Opens 30 bottles on a single charge. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for this item.

Kindle Paperwhite Book Reader– ($94.99/139.99) No gift guide would be complete without a Kindle, which is hands down, the absolute best book reader on the planet. During the holidays, Amazon deeply discounts all the Kindle models, but the Kindle Paperwhite is the best, and most affordably priced. The Paperwhite experience is so much more enjoyable than reading books on your smartphone or iPad.

Tips for Purchasing a New Computer

If you plan to purchase a new computer over the holidays, please keep these things in mind. The following advice is aimed at all-around use, such as email, surfing the internet, video calls, and photo sharing. 

RAM (Random Access Memory) – More RAM means improved computer speed. While 8 to 16 GB of RAM will be enough for most average users, more is always better.

Processor – The higher the processing power, the faster your computer will run. A 2.3GHz to 3.5GHz processor is enough for most folks. If you use your computer for lots of photo or video editing, look to the high end of this range, or even higher.

Display Resolution – This impacts the cost of a new computer more than anything, but I recommend you don’t skimp here…get the most display resolution you can afford. Basic resolution is 1024 x 768, but I recommend getting at least 2560 x 1440. Higher resolution means text and images will be sharper and easier to see. 

Disk Storage – Always…always opt for a Solid-State Drive (SSD). Greater storage space means you can save more images. videos, and files on your computer. But that said, 128GB to 256GB provides sufficient space for most users because you can get additional storage by getting an external hard drive or cloud storage later. I personally do everything from the cloud and keep my data and content backed up to an additional cloud storage solution. This means if you ever lose your computer, you will never lose the data and content that’s on it.

Larry McJunkin, President

Staying Safe Online

There are currently several ways that bad actors are convincing folks to do the wrong things online. You may have recently read in the news that Facebook just warned over a million users their private information had been leaked through some apps that let users sign into other places using Facebook. In this bulletin I’ll address how to avoid this and give you some other security tips. If you think these things will never happen to you – think again! The truth is, they happen every single week, right here in Tellico Village.

Should You Login with Facebook or Google on Other Sites or Apps? (Thanks to Karen Brown for suggesting we add this in the October Bulletin.)

The short answer is NO! 

Everywhere you go online these days, you’re required to login with a username and password. I get it – this is because sites want you to be registered so they can count you as a site subscriber for their advertisers. And since they know you’ll be more likely to comply if they make it easy to sign up and sign in, they offer the option of logging in through other ubiquitous services they know you use (primarily Google and Facebook).

Just don’t do it!

There are simply too many ways that pressing these buttons can leak your personal information or help companies track you. What could go wrong? Recently, Facebook warned a million Facebook users their accounts might have been compromised by 400 malicious apps that were designed to trick them into disclosing their Facebook log-in information by using fake log-in buttons. When you log in with Google or Facebook, you’re taking a big leap of faith that your data will be protected.

When is it okay to use log-in buttons? (Log-in with Facebook, or Log-in with Google.) The definitive answer is never, but log-in buttons aren’t necessarily always bad. If it’s a legitimate site or service, then you don’t have too much to worry about. For example, some people log in with Google to grant the Zoom video conferencing app access to their calendar, making calls pop up automatically. Here you’re trusting Zoom, but in this case it’s OK to do so.

How do you know when it is legit and when it is not? You don’t…and that’s the problem. If you want to take a chance, you might be just fine, but the safest decision is to just not do this at all. When you use these quick login methods, it helps Google and Facebook track you across websites and apps, letting them know when – and possibly even how – you’re using them.

Some good news. Both Google and Facebook have places where you can check which sites and apps you’ve connected to through their services. It’s a good idea to do a regular census – and remove anything of which you’re unsure. Here’s how to do this.

For Google, log in to your account and click on Third-party apps with account access. It lists all the third-party apps with access and places you use Google log-in and gives you the ability to revoke access to any site or app listed. 

For Facebook, log in to your account and find your way to the Apps and Websites section in Settings. (Thankfully, Facebook now automatically disables connections you haven’t used after 90 days, but it’s still worth reviewing your choices periodically.)

Three Sure Signs You’re Being Scammed!

1. You’re told to act immediately. Imposters want you to act before you have time to think and may pretend to be a relative in need, a utility company, or a financial institution.
2. They’ll ask for your personal info or codes. Never share codes or personal information when contacted unexpectedly by phone, text, email, computer alert or social media.
3. You’re asked to pay in an unusual way. Be wary if you’re asked to pay by wire transfer, gift cards or payment apps, such as PayPal or Venmo.

That’s it for this month! Remember to be vigilant as you use the internet and email. There are lots of bad actors out there who are very good at deceiving you. If you do happen to get into trouble – call our First Level Support (FLS) team immediately at (865) 408-8223.

Larry McJunkin, President