Jim Canfield – Daves Computer Tips

How To Avoid AI Phishing Email Scams

Jim Canfield — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 05:17:50 +0000

Certainly, in my opinion, AI has been responsible for advancements in numerous fields, enhancing efficiency, creativity, and innovation in: However, nothing, not even AI, is all good. When “bad actors” act before deterrents are in place, they can have terrible consequences. Using AI for the development of Malware is one of the easiest ways for cybercriminals to harm large numbers of…

Source

How To Improve Your Mobile Signal

Jim Canfield — Wed, 26 Nov 2025 05:04:06 +0000

In the past, I have heard many of my clients complain about spotty cell phone performance to the point where the phone won’t even ring, and the call might automatically go to voicemail. I personally have never experienced this problem, and to be honest, I never gave it much thought. I simply assumed they had spotty area coverage or poor carrier services to begin with. In a recent service call…

Source

Update Your Phone’s Emergency Address

Jim Canfield — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:01:14 +0000

In a previous article, I mentioned that some of my clients experienced poor phone coverage. Their problems varied from issues occasionally popping up to major issues where their calls went directly to voicemail, low or spotty volume, and messages arriving late. I showed that the phones could use Wi-Fi Calling, which usually fixed the issue. However, when using Wi-Fi Calling…

Source

This Small Action Can Help You Stay Safe On Your PC

Jim Canfield — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 04:01:56 +0000

How using separate Admin and Standard User Sign Ins can improve your safety. A dual account system means having two user accounts: one with administrative privileges and one without. It is recommended to use your standard account on a daily basis. This approach is widely used to improve security, manageability, and productivity on computers and networks. Here are the main benefits How Are…

Source

How To Improve Your Mobile Signal

Jim Canfield — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:02:46 +0000

In the past, I have heard many of my clients complain about spotty cell phone performance to the point where the phone won’t even ring, and the call might automatically go to voicemail. For many of my readers, this may be a non-issue. If you have excellent internet coverage and have properly set up your phone, you should not encounter this issue. However, in a recent service call…

Source

Best Free Acrobat Alternatives

Jim Canfield — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 04:01:17 +0000

Acrobat has been around for a long time. It is now over 30 years old. It has been the gold standard for digital documents since its release. Competitors have managed to duplicate its functions, and some paid alternatives do improve upon the use of memory and are faster. I have used Acrobat Pro in a business environment. I can attest to the impressive set of tools it has. It also comes with a…

Source

Microsoft Publisher Leaving October 2026

Jim Canfield — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 05:22:20 +0000

The decision to deprecate certain Windows apps has sparked various opinions within the tech community. While some users might feel inconvenienced by these changes, compelling reasons exist to support this strategy as a positive step towards innovation and efficiency. Recently, we have lost: One of the early deprecated apps, Outlook Express, hit me the hardest because it was my go-to email…

Source

Is “Home Computer Repair” On the Way Out?

Jim Canfield — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 05:31:02 +0000

Undoubtedly, AI has been an exciting, if intimidating, area in most areas of previously “human-only” domains. One of these is computer repair. Here are a few ways AI is being integrated. While not applicable for physical repairs, their services include: As of now, there aren’t many companies that offer fully unassisted AI-based computer repair, where AI independently diagnoses and repairs…

Source

High Refresh Rate Monitors

Jim Canfield — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 04:49:08 +0000

In the world of gaming, where every millisecond counts, the demand for high-refresh-rate monitors has surged exponentially. As technology continues to advance, these monitors are not only a luxury but a necessity for even casual gamers. The necessity of high-refresh-rate monitors helps more than just gamers; they cover many applications beyond gaming. Gaming This area is the driving force…

Source

Do You Need Disposable Email Addresses?

Jim Canfield — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 04:07:13 +0000

Online privacy is a current and continually growing concern. Google is upping its game with a proposed feature for Gmail: Disposable email addresses. Currently called “Shielded Email”. Its goal is to provide users with the temporary, burner email address that forwards messages directly to your primary inbox. Once the address that was used has served its purpose, users can discard it.

Source

Hiding Your Router’s SSID

Jim Canfield — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 04:12:23 +0000

SSID stands for Service Set Identifier. It is a unique name that identifies a particular wireless network. When you connect your device to a Wi-Fi network, the SSID is what appears as the network’s name in the list of available networks. Each SSID allows you to differentiate between multiple networks, ensuring you connect to the correct one. If you were to try to log into a wi-fi network on your…

Source

How To Use Wi-Fi Protected Setup

Jim Canfield — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 05:02:51 +0000

Prior to the introduction of the WPA button (often called WPS or Wi-Fi Protected Setup) there were several steps that had to be completed to ensure that your wireless device correctly connected to you home router. While not difficult, if you knew how, unfortunately, most home users are unaware of where the button is located and how simple it is to use. Before the advent of WPA…

Source

Managing Parental Controls On Your Router

Jim Canfield — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 11:43:38 +0000

Today it is common for children to have their own smartphones, tablets, and laptops. While fun and educational, they also pose risks if not properly monitored. Most devices have some sort of parental control. In addition, using parental control on your home router can enhance them further. Deciding on how much leeway a child has while online of course depends on what the parents feel is acceptable.

Source

How To Remove Persistent Virus Warnings

Jim Canfield — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 05:02:22 +0000

Persistent Pop-Ups can happen to anyone. With the proper protections, you are much less likely to get one. There are legitimate websites that have been hacked and before they remove the hack, you might get a Pop-Up Notification. Some less reputable websites are more likely to have them. For some reason, most of these “push notifications” or fake warnings have McAfee antivirus ads, but not all.

Source