President’s Message
 

The first half of October was a busy time for the Technology Giants. Microsoft announced Windows 11, the first new version in over six years; Apple released their annual new line of iPhones, followed by a second event announcing a completely redesigned MacBook Pro, powered by faster processors than we could have ever imagined; and Google, playing catch-up to Apple and Microsoft, finally released their own silicon processor line in the new Pixel 6 phones. With everyone now making their own processors and AMD offering competitive processors for much less, this isn’t a good time for Intel Corporation. 

In all this news, probably the most impactful for Windows 10 users is should you upgrade to Windows 11. The answer is different for everyone. If you’re buying a new PC, there is no choice – it will come with Windows 11 pre-installed. If you want to have the latest and greatest, then you’ll need to make the switch now. But if you’re content (at least for now) with Windows 10, we recommend you simply tread water for a while longer. Like every new operating system, Windows 11 has already had a series of patches and updates and more will surely arrive in the next few weeks. There is very little that has functionally changed, but I’ll admit Windows 11 is a lot more aesthetically pleasing. Gone is the sharp, square look, replaced by softly rounded corners with the Start Menu more prominently positioned.

If your old computer is compatible, we feel you should eventually upgrade – but give Windows 11 a few more weeks (or longer) to get all the early issues resolved. Additionally, not all older computers are compatible with Windows 11. To check your computer’s compatibility, go to this Microsoft webpage for the minimum requirements and to download a small app that will automatically check if your PC is compatible. 

TVCUC Updates

Technology Access Program. One of the busiest places in Tellico Village is our TAP office. Here, a group of dedicated, and exceptionally talented volunteers can always be found, refurbishing donated computers to be repurposed to needy youth in our surrounding counties. To date, TAP had helped 13,266 children have access to the internet with a computer in their home.

Membership Committee. 2022 dues must be paid before January to continue your family membership. In addition to our usual method of accepting dues payment by credit card on TellicoLife, we are once again accepting dues payment by check. If you prefer to pay by check, please print out the invoice generated from TellicoLife at the end of the JOIN/RENEW process. Drop off or mail your check (and invoice) to the TVCUC TAP office at 244 Lakeside Plaza, Loudon, TN 37774.

We currently have 1211 members in the TVCUC, and our goal is to increase this number before 2022. Your $20 membership affords your entire family with unlimited FLS support, access to our Help & Resources on the website, and much more! If you know someone who isn’t a member but could benefit from some helpful technology assistance, please let them know they can join by going to the Membership Section of the TVCUC website.

Education Committee. This committee is slowly morphing into Help & Resources to provide our members with pertinent information about the daily technology issues they encounter. We’ve tailored the Help & Resources content to address the types of problems we hear about every day from folks here in Tellico Village. Take a few minutes to check out these self-help resources. If you feel any topical areas are missing, email us your suggestions.

First Level Support. Our knowledgeable and dedicated FLS team continues to solve our members’ technology issues remotely, and in many cases, we’re getting back to making house calls, depending on the nature of the call and if everyone involved is amenable. The level of support calls has remained steady throughout the continuing pandemic, and if you’re facing technology issues with any of your devices, we’re here to help. You can initiate a support request here.

Trending Technology Articles

Google’s New Pixel 6 Phones. For many Android users, Google’s new Pixel 6 phones are very compelling, especially if you prefer a clean Android look without the clutter and bloatware that typically comes with 3rd party Android phones. The Verge has published some great hands-on thoughts about these new phones and why they just might be the best Google has released to date. Read the article.

Apple Announces New Colors For HomePod mini. Apple recently introduced the HomePod mini in three bold new colors – yellow, orange, and blue – giving users more ways to express their personality and style in any space. At just 3.3 inches tall, HomePod mini offers a great music-listening experience, the intelligence of Siri, and smart home capabilities, with privacy and security built in. Read the full article.

Windows 11 Full Review. Windows 11 has arrived, and with it comes Microsoft’s vision for the future of personal computing. This is a softer, more rounded Windows, one that puts the Start menu front and center while doing away with some of the cruft that cluttered up Windows 10. But while Windows 11 does introduce some welcome improvements, many are so subtle you probably won’t notice them unless you’re specifically looking. Read the full review.

Larry McJunkin, President

 

 

President’s Message

Windows 11 will start to become available on October 5, 2021. On this day, the free upgrade to Windows 11 will begin rolling out to eligible Windows 10 PCs, and PCs that come pre-loaded with Windows 11 will start to become available for purchase. A new Windows experience, Windows 11 is designed to bring you closer to what you love.

As the PC continues to play a more central role in our lives than ever before. Windows 11 is ready to empower your productivity and inspire your creativity. Here’s what’s new.

• New design and new sounds that are modern, fresh, and clean.
• Windows Start utilizes the power of the cloud and Microsoft 365 to show you your recent files no matter what device you were viewing them on.
• More powerful ways to multitask and optimize your screen real estate.
• Chat feature from Microsoft Teams integrated into the taskbar.
• Widgets, a new personalized feed powered by AI, provides a faster way to access the information you care about.
• A new Microsoft Store, rebuilt with an all-new design making it easier to search and discover your favorite apps, games, shows, and movies in one trusted location.
• The most inclusively designed version of Windows with new accessibility improvements that were built for and by people with disabilities.
• Optimized for speed, efficiency and improved experiences with touch, digital pen and voice input.
• An operating system built for hybrid work, delivering new experiences that work how you use it.

We think this may be the best version of Windows that Microsoft has ever released. At least they’ve listened to valuable suggestions from the Windows Insider Team as they created it. If you upgrade to Windows 11 and encounter any problems, please reach out to our First Level Support team.

TVCUC Updates

Technology Access Program. TAP is still going strong, thanks to your support and the many volunteers who graciously give their time in refurbishing donated computers to be repurposed for needy youth in the local area. At the end of August, TAP had helped 13,208 children have access to the internet with a computer in their home. This has helped to level an otherwise unlevel playing field for these kids as they’ve struggled with home schooling, online classes, and simply trying have a better life.

Membership Committee. We currently have 1193 members in the TVCUC, and our goal is to increase this number before 2022. Your $20 membership provides you with unlimited FLS support, access to our Help & Resources on the website, and much more! If you know someone who isn’t a member but could benefit from some technology assistance, please let them know they can join by going to the Membership section of the TVCUC website.

Education Committee. We recently hosted the first of two Zoom presentations in support of a Password Manager class. We had an amazing turnout that nearly reached the limits for the number of participants allowed in a Zoom meeting. The final presentation for this will be on October 5th for those who participated in the first session. Because of its popularity, I’m sure we’ll host this class again. In the meantime, if there are topics on which you’d like to have us do a similar online class, just send us an email.

First Level Support. Our FLS team continues to solve our members’ technology issues both remotely, and in some cases, in person. The level of support calls has remained steady throughout the pandemic, and now that many folks are back in their bubble, we’re here to help when you have computer problems.

Tours. Just a reminder that because of the uptick in COVID cases in our area, we are suspending the tours. Every facility to which we normally offer tours has told us it will likely be the first part of 2022 before they’ll allow tours again in their facilities. We will keep you informed.

Trending Technology Articles

The New iPad Mini. The iPad Mini has been overlooked for years now, with Apple favoring a spec bump here and there over a full upgrade. But for 2021, unlike the barely noticeable changes in the past, Apple redesigned the iPad Mini to place it more in line with the rest of its tablet offerings. Read the full article.

The 20 Best New Movies to Stream. As we leave the hottest months of summer behind, Hollywood enters spooky season as well as prestige season, which means a ton of movies coming out. With so many new originals, classic flicks, and indie marvels arriving, here’s a list of the top 20 movies to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and HBO so you always have something new to watch. Read the full article.

Larry McJunkin, President

President’s Message

When we ask our members what we can do better, technology education is almost always at the top of the list. While we love being able to directly help you with First Level Support, we know you would also like to learn more about your technology devices with resources such as professionally created videos and self-help tutorials on subjects that interest you.

Toward this end, we have added a new Help Resources section to our website and initially stocked it with many great videos and tutorials about topics we think will interest you (with hundreds more to be added soon). Whether you want to change email services and maybe start using Gmail, or learn how to better use that new Windows 10 computer or iPad you just bought, our Help Resources have you covered!

You can check out the new Help Resources section HERE. Click on any of the topical areas of interest to find a wealth of information that’s been vetted as easy to understand, professionally created, and suits your level of interest. If you have ideas for new Help Resources topics, SEND US AN EMAIL.

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TVCUC Updates

Technology Access Program

In all the years that TAP has been providing computer systems to deserving children, the impact their mission has on families in our area continues to amaze me. Even to be remotely involved in this program is an honor. For this year alone – through the end of July, 441 systems were donated. Since the TAP program inception, through the end of July – 8,786 systems have been provided to 12,872 youths. Kudos to Warren Sanders, Vince Alline and everyone directly involved with TAP.

Membership Committee

After 11 years of serving our club as the Membership Committee chairperson, Jim Autry has retired so he can – well, be actually retired. Thanks for everything, Jim! With something as important as our members, we couldn’t leave this position vacant very long and luckily, Linda Rasmussen agreed to lend us her expertise in chairing this committee. Linda, welcome to the club!

Education Committee

We have added a new section to our website – Help Resources (read more about it here), which has a myriad of how-to and self-help videos that will help solve routine technology problems. You’ll find great video tutorials on subjects like Gmail Tutorial for Beginners, found on this page and Windows 10 Beginners Guide, found here.

First Level Support

During July, the FLS team fielded over 70 support calls – a monthly record! Be sure to take advantage of the most important benefits of being a TVCUC member – free device support for you and each member of your household is available from our First Level Support Team of technology experts. Read more or submit a support request here

Communications Committee

David Leaman is not only the chairperson for our very active Communications Committee, but he’s also our highly-skilled webmaster and graphic arts design guru. David takes all our ideas, adds many of his own, and puts everything together on this website. He has been in the technology industry most of his adult life and even though now retired, he and his wife still own a busy web and graphics design business. We’re thankful that David is part of our club management team. If you have ideas for our website, let us know.

Tours

Another benefit of being a TVCUC member is participating in the tours put together by Bob Kutschera. Bob has been doing this for many years and our members love going to the many places where he arranges tours – Loudon County 911 Center, MasterCraft Boat Manufacturing, and The Proton Therapy Center in Knoxville, to name a few. Whenever we have a new tour, we’ll send out an email to all our members, but sign up early as these are small group tours and they fill up quickly. NOTE: Due to the recent COVID virus spike, some of our tours have been curtailed, but we expect this to be temporary.

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Trending Technology Articles

Annoyed By Windows 10 News and Feature Taskbar Element?

Turn it Off. In one of the recent updates for Windows 10, Microsoft added a new feature called “News and Interests.” However, Windows users do not seem very fond of the widget and seem to be looking for ways to deactivate or remove it. The feature displays the latest headlines from various news sources, horoscopes, stock market reports, and weather. If you’re tired of this widget, here’s how to turn it off…

If You Own a Ford – You Should Read This:

A bug on Ford Motor Company’s website allowed for accessing sensitive systems and obtaining proprietary data, such as customer databases, employee records, internal tickets, etc. Read the entire article…

How to Take Screenshots on a Mac

Whether you just need to take an occasional screenshot on a Mac, are a power user with an advanced workflow, or you’re somewhere in-between, follow along for how to take screenshots on a Mac with the free built-in macOS tools or with third-party software. Read the entire article…

Larry McJunkin, President

President’s Message

June was a very busy month! With COVID restrictions lifted, we can now travel to visit family and friends again and begin returning to life as we used to know it. But travel often means hotels with unsecured Wi-Fi and the temptation to just join that free Wi-Fi with the same password that everyone in the hotel is using. Please don’t do this!

The truth is hotel Wi-Fi has never been safe by any means, and all the sensitive information that you transmit while using it, (your credit card details, passwords for your financial institutions, etc.) can easily be tracked by the most novice of hackers. The same can happen to the history of your online browser searches because your hotel’s Wi-Fi admin can see your internet browsing history. So, what can you do to stay safe when traveling and using public and unsecured Wi-Fi?
Given the fact that hotels do not care about your personal security, it is in your interest to protect yourself from hackers and third-party monitoring.

Here’s how:

Know the potential risks. Be advised that unprotected Wi-Fi hotspots may pose a great danger to you as a traveler. They are the best place for hackers to steal people’s data.

Avoid logging into highly vulnerable accounts. Avoid using online banking and other financial services on a hotel Wi-Fi connection. Do not log into accounts that could leak valuable data when hacked. If you must log onto these, your phone’s data service is much more secure than the hotel free Wi-Fi.

Make sure a Wi-Fi hotspot isn’t fake. Often, hackers set up fake Wi-Fi hotspots (also called evil twin networks) to trick their users into thinking they are legitimate. So, if your device detects two hotspots with similar names, do not connect to any of them and ask your hotel’s staff which Wi-Fi network is the real one.

Enable your firewall. Always keep your firewall enabled when traveling and using Wi-Fi networks other than your own. A good firewall creates a lot of obstacles on a path of a hacker trying to intrude into your system.

Encrypt your online data. A Virtual Private Networks (VPN) is a great security tool for you to encrypt your online data and stay safe on an unsecured guest Wi-Fi. A VPN hides your real IP address and ciphers all the data that you send and receive on the internet, keeping you under the radar of hackers and snoopers.

So, enjoy traveling again, but take these simple steps to keep digitally safe when using unsecured, free Wi-Fi.

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TVCUC Updates

Technology Access Program. Despite a slight decline in requests for systems, TAP continues to raise the bar in systems provided to local youths. For 2021 through the end of May – 318 systems provided. Since the TAP program inception through the end of May – 8,663 systems provided to 12,872 youths. Kudos to everyone directly involved with TAP.

Education Committee. The Education Committee, under the direction of Margie Krafft, has spent the last few months developing How-To articles that match topics requested by our members. In the following months, expect to see many more new articles, including a presentation on Password Managers.

Free Technology Support. Don’t forget about one of the most important benefits of being a TVCUC member – free device support for you and each member of your household is available from our First Level Support Team of technology experts.

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Trending Technology Articles

Windows 11 Will Require Newer CPUs. Windows 11 is projected to launch during the holiday season or early next year, and one of the most important tidbits is that Windows 11 won’t be “officially” supported on older PCs including Surface products, according to Microsoft.

What’s New in Windows 10. New features in recent Windows updates will help you customize your PC, increase security, and be more creative with Windows 10. With these updates, it will also be easier to get things done on your PC and across your other devices, including syncing to Android phones (7.0 or later).

How to encrypt your Mac, iPhone and iPad backups.
Privacy is becoming more of a priority of users, but It has always been a big deal for Apple, which has gone to considerable lengths to enable encryption and minimize personal data use in its products and services. The focus on such security means Apple’s customers can be reasonably sure their personal data is highly protected.

— Larry McJunkin, President