President’s Message
This month’s newsletter will focus on two important aspects of our club’s service to our members and our community:
FLS (First Level Support)
The FLS team remains dedicated to providing exceptional support to our members. We need volunteers for our FLS team, the primary support group at the TVCUC. Several years ago, we received approximately 45 calls for assistance each month; however, the number has surged to over 100. These requests typically involve tasks such as reconnecting printers and routers, transferring files between computers, and providing reassurance during scam incidents. These activities are not particularly technical and can be learned by most individuals who are willing. Volunteering for a few hours each month offers immense satisfaction to our FLS team members, as they get to assist others while keeping their minds active. Helping others not only benefits the volunteers by keeping them mentally engaged and part of a great team, but it is also greatly appreciated by our members. If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity to help your fellow club members, please email us at admin@tvcuc.org.
TAP (Technology Access Program)
TAP continues to donate an average 50 computer systems a month to deserving organizations. Additionally, we’re seeking volunteers for TAP. We’ll train anyone interested in assisting us with the refurbishing of donated computers. Volunteers do not need to be computer experts; our comprehensive written procedures provide excellent guidance through the processes. If you’re proficient in using a computer, we’d love to have you join our team. The hours are highly flexible, and the number of hours you choose to volunteer is entirely up to you. Recently, TAP was showcased in a documentary produced by the Tellico Village Network and provides an in depth look into TAP’s incredible work. Click here to watch TVN Video.
If you’re interested in learning more about helping us provide this invaluable service to our community, please email us at admin@tvcuc.org.
Guess who might be listening to you:
Posted: March 18, 2025 by Pieter Arntz
Amazon has announced its Echo devices will no longer have the option to store and process requests on the device itself, meaning your voice recordings will now be sent to the cloud for processing.
In an email sent to customers, Amazon explained that the feature “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” will no longer be available beginning March 28, 2025.
The reason for this change? AI.
“As we continue to expand Alexa’s capabilities with generative AI features that rely on the processing power of Amazon’s secure cloud, we have decided to no longer support this feature.”
Reportedly, the change specifically affects the fourth generation Echo Dot (4th Gen), Echo Show 10, and Echo Show 15 devices, for customers in the US with devices set to English.
Best advice: mute these devices when not using them.
Note: Information on this, and many other day to day questions, can be quickly found by going to our Website, click here.
Members helping members,
Buddy Holt, President
Tellico Village Computer Users Club