WATCH OUT FOR ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE YOU’LL BE LOST WITHOUT THESE GPS SETTINGS COULD WE HAVE A WORD ABOUT WORDLE? HOME OFFICES CAN BE A PAIN IN THE NECK WINTER 23 The World’s #1 Internet Magazine WebsiteCompass
www.canyonbakehouse.com ® -Christi Skow /Co-owner Diagnosed with celiac disease in 2007 kosher parve Introducing our Artisan-made, soft and delicious, San Juan 7-Grain bread! At Canyon Bakehouse, our bakery is dedicated gluten free, and we’re devoted to making delicious and nutritious bread. Our unhurried Artisan process and our carefully chosen ingredients give our products the flavor and texture you’ ll love. From our San Juan 7-Grain bread to our one-of-a-kind focaccia—you’ ll find a Canyon favorite for you and your whole family. Available online and at a growing number of supermarkets. “I no longer see celiac disease as something that limits me, instead I see it as a healthier way to eat and live.” This is when you realize your gluten-free diet is going to be just fine.
WebsiteCompass 1 8 Contents WebsiteCompass 18 Website Compass™ is a publication of Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. 4815 Caravelle Drive Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-818-5012 ISSN 1525-951X No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, electronic, photocopying, recording, mechanical, or otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher. Website Compass™ is a trademark of Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. Copyright© 2023 by Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. TRADEMARKS – All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Website Compass magazine is an independent magazine and is not affiliated with, nor has it been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Microsoft Corporation, Google, Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook. All screen shots are the property of their respective owners. ADVERTISERS – To obtain advertising information, contact: Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. 4815 Caravelle Drive Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-818-5012 INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS – To obtain additional information about distribution of Website Compass magazine to your internet subscribers and a free customized online version of Website Compass, contact: Shane Petersen Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. 4815 Caravelle Drive Fort Collins, CO 80526 970-818-5012 shanep@cornerstonenow.com Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. (the Author and Publisher) as well as any participating Internet Service Provider Partners hereby disclaim all warranties relating to Website Compass magazine or its website, whether expressed or implied, including without limitation any implied warrantied of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Although the Author and its ISP Partners believe the information provided is accurate, neither party claims responsibility for any damage or loss of data to a user’s computer caused by utilizing this information. The Author and its ISP Partners will not be liable for any special, incidental, consequential, indirect, or similar damages due to loss of data or any other reason when utilizing information/tutorials from Website Compass magazine or its websites. In no event shall the Author or ISP Partner be liable for any damages, regardless of the form of the claim. The person using the information contained in Website Compass magazine bears all risk as to the use of the information provided. Cornerstone Group is not responsible for the quality, performance, or reliability of third-party tools or software. 2 10 16 13 FEATURE STORY 2 Watch Out for Elder Financial Abuse How to recognize and avoid this growing threat INTERNET CONNECTIONS 8 CouldWe Have a Word About Wordle? People are loving this letter-perfect word game SOCIAL MEDIA BASICS 10 BeReal Shows What Friends are Really Doing There’s no time for filters or distractions on this social media app BACK TO BASICS 13 You’ll Be Lost Without These GPS Settings Get more out of Google Maps and Apple Maps BEYOND THE BASICS 16 Home Offices Can Be a Pain in the Neck Here’s how to set up an ergonomic workspace FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 18 Ask Dr. Webbie Answers to your internet questions A TO Z 19 Internet Glossary Words and definitions Tutorials in This Issue 12 How to Create a BeReal Account 12 How to Take a Picture on BeReal 12 How to Take Two Selfies on BeReal
How to recognize and avoid this growing threat Elder financial abuse is defined as the theft of money, property, or belongings from seniors. It falls under two general categories: fraud committed by strangers (such as telemarketing or online scams) and financial exploitation by relatives and caregivers (such as getting an older person to sign a deed, will, or power of attorney through deception, coercion, or undue influence). You’ll find valuable content in the following pages to help seniors protect their financial interests at a time in their lives when finances are more important than ever. Resources include specific scams to watch out for, common signs that a scam is underway, who to call in case you become a victim, essential prevention practices, and what law enforcement is doing to help. Much of this information can apply to people of any age who want to protect their assets from fraudsters. So as you read, think about how you can use these tips to protect not just seniors but yourself and everyone you care about. Sources: https://www.comparitech.com/blog/vpn-privacy/elder-fraud-by-state/ and https://www.justice.gov/file/1098056/download Recent estimates put elder financial abuse in the U.S. at 8.68 million cases per year, with annual losses exceeding $113.7 billion. At least 10% of adults aged 65 and over will experience some form of elder abuse each year, including financial exploitation. 2 WebsiteCompass QUICK TIP: Never wire money to someone you haven’t met, even if you have a close relationship online. WATCH OUT FOR ELDER FINANCIAL ABUSE
WebsiteCompass 3 Elder financial abuse is the theft or misuse of an older person’s money, which is bad enough. What makes it extra insidious is that the perpetrators take advantage of the vulnerabilities of seniors and may even be a family member or caretaker of the victim. Understanding the Targets and Strategies Why Seniors Seniors are targeted because criminals know that, after saving for retirement their entire lives, they often have a good amount of money in the bank. Additionally, some elderly people may not fully understand how technology works, have cognitive disorders, or be lonely and desperately want someone to pay attention to them. These factors add up to vulnerabilities that fraudsters can exploit for their own financial gain. Increasing Frequency Unfortunately, this behavior has been occurring with much greater frequency since 2020. That timing is no coincidence; the rise corresponds with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced seniors, along with everyone else, to isolate and rely more heavily on technology. Numerous Strategies This type of fraud can take place in numerous ways. Here are some examples: • In person – An in-home helper steals money or information directly from the senior’s wallet or purse. • Over the phone – Someone calls for seemingly legitimate reasons and asks for personal data such as an account number. • Through the mail – A letter is sent informing the recipient that they’ve won a contest or sweepstakes (which is fake) and asking for money for taxes or fees. • Via email – The sender instructs the recipient to visit a website or download an attached file, which leads to malware and identity theft. Capitalizing on Chaos Scammers attack even more vigorously when something unusual is happening, such as during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic or following a natural disaster. For example, some scammers tried to get seniors (and others) to buy a “COVID cure”—for a high price, of course. Justice Department Takes Action In early October 2022, the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) announced it would accelerate its efforts to address financial fraud crimes against older Americans. In an interview with AARP, Attorney General Merrick Garland called these crimes “despicable.” The move includes adding 14 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to the DOJ’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force. In addition to the expanded Strike Force, the DOJ has recently served justice to some of these criminals. For example, an investment adviser who stole over $9.3 million was sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison. In another instance, members of a criminal ring that ran a widespread grandparent scam were arrested. According to the AARP, “Another DOJ goal is to return money to elder fraud victims.” As part of prosecution agreements, fraud perpetrators are among the sources for this money, paying tens of millions of dollars to a victim compensation fund. Source: https://www.aarp.org/money/scamsfraud/info-2022/elder-fraud-strike-force.html QUICK TIP: Make your social media accounts private so only friends can see your information.
4 WebsiteCompass Watch Out for These Common Scams Each of the following types of elder financial abuse have one thing in common: Someone wants to trick you out of your money. Pay close attention to how these scams work. Romance Scams In a romance scam, your heartstrings are the way in. The fraudster may pose as someone you could be interested in, gain your trust, and then find a way to ask for money—perhaps for some kind of emergency. Tech Support Cons Here the bad guys contact you with a fake problem concerning your technology, insisting they must step in to help you solve it. But first, they say, you must send them personal information or payments, or grant them access to your device. Grandparent Ploys In these cases, the scammer poses as a family member and contacts you asking for financial assistance to get them out of some kind of emergency. These criminals may know your family members’ names and personal information to make them seem like the real deal. Fake Prize Fraud Here the fraudster contacts you, claiming you’ve won a prize. They say that, in order to claim the prize, you must provide personal information or money to cover the cost of shipping. They may send you a (bad) check and request that you send part of the money back to them. Caregiver Schemes In these situations, a family member or caregiver may take money directly from your wallet or purse, or ask for money to cover a fake emergency expense. Signs That a Scam Could Be Underway While hypervigilance and extreme mistrust are probably not warranted, you should keep your eyes open for situations like these that display the “red flags” of fraud. • You win a contest you don’t remember entering. This is a clear sign that the contest, sweepstakes, or drawing is fraudulent. • The person you met online is “out of town” a lot. They could be genuinely busy, or more likely, they don’t want to meet because they’re not who they say they are. • There’s something off about the way a “family member” is communicating with you. You’ve never received a voice mail message from your grandkid before, and now they’ve left one asking for money. • You’re given odd instructions from someone you don’t know. For example, a stranger asks you to buy a gift card and send it to them. • You’re told there is a time limit on what you need to do. It could be anything from providing a payment to revealing personal information. QUICK TIP: If someone claiming to be a family member calls you with an emergency, check with others before believing their story. Feature Story
WebsiteCompass 5 If you or someone you know becomes a victim of elder financial abuse, it’s important to report it so authorities know where to focus their efforts. Here’s how to share your experience. Call These Agencies to Report Elder Financial Abuse The National Elder Fraud Hotline This hotline is a free resource operated by the DOJ, Office for Victims of Crime. When you call, you will speak with a professional trained to support fraud victims. They will talk you through the reporting process and connect you with additional resources if needed. The number to call is 1-833-372-8311. National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA) The NAPSA is a national nonprofit organization that provides Adult Protective Services (APS) programs a central repository for sharing information and addressing elder mistreatment. To report an incident, visit napsa-now.org/help-in-your-area to get specific contact information for your state. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) If you or someone you know has been the victim of pyramid schemes, false or misleading statements about a company, or other situations having to do with investments, you can alert the SEC. To do so, visit sec.gov/tcr, click Submit a Tip, and follow the instructions from there. AARP FraudWatch Network Helpline This toll-free service is available to help anyone who has been the victim of fraud. The service suggests that you report a scam or fraud if you get a suspicious call, text, or email requesting personal information, instructing you to buy a gift card, or promising a prize or gift, among other situations. The number to call is 877-908-3360. If applicable, also consider reaching out to your financial institution, credit bureau, or local law enforcement. Financial Abuse is Emotional Abuse While elder financial abuse is, by definition, a financial matter, going through it can take a mental and emotional toll on victims, who may experience one or more of the following symptoms: • Fear. If you have been taken advantage of, you may feel afraid that it could happen again and feel generally unsafe. You may lose confidence and view yourself as someone who is easy to trick. • Sadness. A sense of loss and even grief in such situations is common and understandable. You may have lost a sense of security, the ability to trust, independence, or even a person along with the financial loss itself. • Shame. Fear and sadness can lead to shame if you become embarrassed by the emotions or by the event itself. To get past these challenges, tell a trusted person in your life what’s on your mind, or seek out professional help.
6 WebsiteCompass Feature Story Protect Yourself or Someone You Care About The good news about elder financial abuse is that there are steps you can take to protect yourself or the seniors in your life. The AARP recommends the following actions. Designate a Power of Attorney. As soon as possible, seniors should assign someone to make financial decisions for them in the event they become unable to do so. This step can help prevent would-be fraudsters from taking advantage. Appoint aTrusted Contact. Seniors can also assign a trusted contact for specific accounts. In the event of questionable activity or the senior’s unavailability, institutions can disclose some account information to the contact or enable them to view the account without performing any actions. Sign Up for a Tracking Service. Services like LifeLock inform users about suspicious activities, providing the opportunity for them or a trusted helper to take action. These services can also help recoup losses in the event of a successful scam. Stay in Touch with Aging Loved Ones. Social isolation makes seniors more vulnerable because they want to connect with people. Friends and family members can call, write, or visit and also encourage them to stay involved with friends, activities, volunteering, or a spiritual community. Get to KnowCaregivers. Seniors and those who care about them should keep a careful eye on hired caregivers to make sure they have their charge’s best interest in mind. Also, be aware of anyone new in the senior’s life—that person may be setting them up for later manipulation. Source: https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud/ info-2021/prevent-elder-financial-exploitation.html Technology Tools Add Extra Protection Technology can help protect seniors from elder financial abuse. The following tools are just a few examples. EverSafe is a service that examines accounts for unusual activity across a person’s accounts. This activity goes above and beyond what each institution might do, potentially revealing patterns. Password managers provide a safe place to keep passwords, eliminating the need for sticky notes or paper lists that could be seen by visitors. Virtual private networks (VPNs) provide a layer of protection between a person’s devices and a public Wi-Fi connection. LifeLock, previously mentioned, is one identity theft protection service. Another is Aura. These services provide monitoring to prevent fraud, and services to help if someone becomes a victim. Credit card alerts can be sent to trusted friends or family members to help keep track of a senior’s spending. Thinking Ahead Roadmap (thinkingaheadroadmap.org) provides a detailed digital journey for seniors to take to keep their money safe as they age. QUICK TIP: Never sign a check and leave the amount payable blank.
WebsiteCompass 7 The internet is filled with useful resources to help you get educated on how to avoid elder financial abuse. Here are a few to get you started. Online Resources Provide Powerful Knowledge The Elder Abuse Resource Roadmap This tool, provided by the DOJ, enables you to determine the correct reporting agency by identifying who caused you (or someone you know) financial loss and what happened. Begin the journey at justice.gov/elderjustice/roadmap. Investor.gov > Seniors This page is an excellent place to get dozens of resources that can help, starting with a phone number to reach the SEC’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy. You’ll find information on a wide range of topics, and those who care about seniors can read about managing someone else’s money. Visit investor.gov/additional-resources/ information/seniors. DOJ > Financial Exploitation This site is another useful starting point for getting educated about how to stay safe. You can read up on some of the most common scams affecting older adults, including those involving taxes, lotteries, dating, and tech support. You’ll also find opportunities to get involved, including guides for preventing elder financial abuse, managing someone else’s money, and working with law enforcement to make your community safer. Visit justice.gov/elderjustice/financial-exploitation. AARP > Scams & Fraud Go to aarp.org/money/scams-fraud to find numerous articles and other resources about common criminal tactics, how to protect yourself when donating to charities, the latest scams going around, how specific types of scams work, and what law enforcement is doing to reduce these crimes. Learn About the Elder Justice Initiative According to its website (justice.gov/ elderjustice), the Elder Justice Initiative’s mission is to support and coordinate the DOJ’s enforcement and efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud and scams that target older adults. Visit the site to learn how the initiative is supporting federal law enforcement activities, providing support to older victims, enhancing state and local elder justice efforts, and raising public awareness. You can also read up on the latest cases. Here are a few of the specific resources you’ll find: • Information about cases the DOJ has pursued, such as CARES Act and COVID-19 fraud schemes • The Elder Justice Neighborhood Map to help you locate state-specific resources • Information about the Elder Justice AmeriCorps Legal Fellowship Program • A link to the Elder Abuse Prosecutor video series • Ready-made community presentations that include PowerPoint slides, instructor manuals, and handouts The site includes handy share links and a Spanish version.
8 WebsiteCompass Internet Connections Wardle CreatedWordle Wordle is the work of software engineer Josh Wardle, who originally created the game for his partner and released it to the public in October 2021. It exploded in popularity and has become a daily obsession for many. In January 2022, about 300,000 people played Wordle, and Wardle sold Wordle to The New York Times. Now, it’s the planet’s favorite new word game with millions of daily players. How is Wordle Played? Wordle is a vocabulary puzzle in which players get six tries to guess a randomly selected five-letter word. You start with a 5-wide by 6-long grid of empty, white boxes. Each box can hold one letter, and you guess at that day’s Wordle answer by entering a five-letter word and pressing “Enter.” There are no clues given at the start, so any five-letter word will do as an initial guess. Once you enter a guess, individual letters within the word you entered will appear in different colors. Each color has a meaning. • Green: The letter entered is 100% correct —the right letter in the right space. • Yellow: The entered letter is in the correct word, but you’ve placed it in the wrong space. • Gray: The entered letter is not used in the answer. You can enter a total of six words, meaning you can enter five burner words from which you can learn hints about the letters and their placements. Then you get one chance to put those hints to use and guess the Wordle word of the day. The goal is to guess the correct word in as few attempts as possible. If you don’t get the answer in six guesses, you lose. Here’s a tip: The first word you enter in Wordle is arguably the most important. To maximize its value to you, choose a five-letter word with at least three vowels. This is because most people think about word structure using vowels as the skeleton. According to The New York Times’ WordleBot—a tool that looks over your completed Wordle and CouldWe Have a Word About Wordle? People are loving this letter-perfect word game Even if you don’t play Wordle, you’re probably aware of this daily word game. Perhaps friends have talked about it, or you’ve seen people on Twitter or Facebook share the distinctive grid of yellow and green squares representing today’s Wordle answer. Not since the Rubik’s Cube craze of the 1980s has there been such widespread excitement about a puzzle.
WebsiteCompass 9 gives you feedback like a mentor—“adieu” is by far the most common starting word. Other examples include “orate,”“media,”“audio”, “raise,” and “radio.” What’s MadeWordle So Popular? There are many reasons why people are going bonkers for Wordle: • It’s a superbly designed game. Wordle is quick and easy to play, and it rewards skill, luck, reasoning, and intuition. It doesn’t require a specialized vocabulary, so most people can get good results often and easily, and with great visual feedback. • There’s only one puzzle per day. This creates a certain level of stakes. You only get one shot at the Wordle. If you mess up, you must wait until tomorrow for a new puzzle. • Everyone is playing the same puzzle. This makes it easier to discuss Wordle with friends. You can commiserate over the difficulty of that day’s puzzle or brag a little about your success. • It’s easy to share your results. Once you’ve successfully (or unsuccessfully) completed the puzzle for the day, you’re invited to share your Wordle journey on social media. When you do, the word and letters you chose are obscured. All that’s shown is your journey toward the word in a series of yellow, green, and gray boxes. So the puzzle itself isn’t spoiled for others who haven’t yet played. If you’re ready to tryWordle, no app is needed. Simply go to nytimes.com/games/ wordle and play for free! Y If You LikeWordle, Try These Games Given the popularity of Wordle, it’s not surprising that other games were created along the same lines. While they all end in “le,” each offers a unique twist for players. Quordle (quordlegame.net) is a much harder version of Wordle, where you have to guess four words at once in nine tries. Squabble (wordlegame.org/ wordle-games/squabble) is a battle royale/Wordle mix, in which you battle a bunch of other players, all of whom are trying to win a series of Wordlestyle challenges faster than you. Waffle (wafflegame.net) combines Wordle with crossword puzzle game mechanics. Last time we checked, no butter or syrup were involved. Hurdle (hurdlegame.io) makes you guess a five-letter word within eight tries. Worldle (worldle.teuteuf.fr) is a geography-based Wordle clone that gives you six chances to guess one country or territory based on an outline of its shape alone. Heardle (heardlegame.co) is a music game that plays the first two seconds of a popular song. You then have the option of guessing the artist and title or skipping your round. T J A
10 WebsiteCompass Social Media Basics BeReal Basics Here’s how it works: At a random time each day, the app alerts users that they have two minutes to post a photo of whatever they’re doing right then. The app uses both front and back cameras, so BeReal shows whatever the front-facing camera is pointing at as well as the user’s face. With little time to prepare or apply filters, users end up revealing an unvarnished version of themselves doing things like chilling on the couch at home or running errands. If, after the two minutes, you haven’t posted a photo, those who follow you on the app are alerted. This aspect of the app may not be appealing for some, but the fact that 40 million people installed BeReal in 2022 alone shows many are on board. BeReal is currently the fourth most-downloaded social media app, behind Instagram, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Another indicator of BeReal’s impact is that other social media platforms are trying out some of its features. What’s the point of all this realness? According to a CNN article about BeReal, “As humans, we seek belonging and intimacy. And we enact that by letting people into our spheres. There’s always that desire to be loved and accepted for who we actually are.” BeReal Benefits Users like the app’s features since they enable a more genuine social media experience. Less obsessing. Once the two minutes are up, that’s it. There’s no need to wonder whether you could have done your shot a different way, because there just isn’t enough time. In this way, BeReal offers an alternative to those who tend toward perfectionism on social media. Less scrolling. When you receive the daily alert, you can post your BeReal, maybe stop to see what your friends posted, and move on with your day. Realmojis. To react to someone else’s post, you must snap a selfie of yourself, an image that becomes an emoji within the app. This fun feature helps to increase the real factor. BeReal Shows What Friends are Really Doing There’s no time for filters or distractions on this social media app One of the many complaints about social media is that users present a too-polished version of themselves. BeReal encourages users to show a different side, one that is real and in-the-moment.
WebsiteCompass 11 Captions. When you post a BeReal, you get to include a caption, which can add context to the image and help your friends get to know you better. Each photo/caption combo includes the option for others to comment. Dailymemories. The app keeps all your photos and shows them in a Your Memories section, which can provide a fun way to review the less-than-glamorous things you’ve been doing. BeReal Disadvantages Despite its different approach, BeReal still reflects some of the downsides of social media. More screen time. If you’re trying to cut down on social media use, adding one more platform isn’t going to help. Unflattering images. With no prep time, you only have two minutes for hair-fixing, tie-straightening, posing, or applying just the right touch of makeup to get a better shot. You may delete the BeReal that you post but are only allowed to delete one per day. That means if the next one is a dud as well, you’re stuck with it. Challenges for parents. As with other social media platforms, your child could befriend people who mean them harm. The best defense against this possibility is always straightforward communication about what’s appropriate. Location information. On BeReal, geoidentification is on by default, so you could end up revealing your location to others. Pressure to post. Some find the two- minute timeframe uncomfortable. Because you never know when the alert will happen, it could come at an inconvenient time—such as when you’re in a work meeting or in the shower—yet, if you don’t post, you still get dinged. Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/13/us/ bereal-social-media-digital-cec Rating the Realness of Other Social Media Platforms What is the “real factor” of other social media platforms? Here’s an unofficial accounting, based on a 1-5 scale where 1 is least real and 5 is most real. • Instagram is based on photos and videos that, like a photo album, are commonly curated for the greatest appeal—1 out of 5. • Facebook is known for perfect vacation, friend, and family photos, but also some that depict unfortunate events—2 out of 5. • Twitter reflects a wide range of intentions and posting styles—3 out of 5. • TikTok features situations from users’ lives that may be real but are presented in often well-rehearsed videos—3 out of 5. • Snapchat has the Stories feature that allows users to include random shots from their daily lives—4 out of 5. Of course, none of the others can beat BeReal for realness—5 out of 5. QUICK TIP: If you post outside of the two-minute Time to BeReal notification timeframe, it’ll be marked as late.
12 WebsiteCompass How to Get Started With the BeReal App BeReal is a simple app that’s easy to download and use. The steps here will help you get started. Social Media Basics TUTORIAL Create a BeReal Account Setting up an account on BeReal is straightforward. 1. Go to the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store and download the BeReal app. 2. Fill in your name, birth date, and phone number. 3. When the app sends you a verification code, enter it to verify your phone number. 4. The app requests permission to access your contacts to find friends who are also using it. Tap OK or Don’t Allow. Note that there are other ways to find friends, so it’s perfectly okay to use Don’t Allow. 5. The app requests permission to show notifications. To use the app as it was designed, you need to know when to post your BeReal, so you should tap Allow. 6. The app shows an example notification. When you tap it, you can take and post your first BeReal. TUTORIAL Take a Picture on BeReal Follow these steps to take (and retake) a BeReal. 1. When you receive the Time to BeReal notification, the two-minute countdown begins. 2. Frame what’s in front of you in the main viewfinder and look at your selfie camera. Then press the shutter button. Note there isn’t a preview frame for the selfie photo, so you won’t see what you look like until the image has been captured. 3. To delete this BeReal, tap the X in the upper-right corner of the main photo. The two-minute countdown continues during retakes. 4. When you’re ready to send, tap SEND at the bottom of the screen. TUTORIAL Take Two Selfies It’s not what the app was designed for, but it’s possible to take two selfies instead of one surrounding shot and one selfie. 1. This trick is possible because the front-facing camera takes the surroundings photo before the selfie camera takes the selfie. 2. To make it work, you need to be quick. Position the front-facing camera in front of yourself and press the shutter button. 3. Then flip the phone around so the selfie camera is facing you. If you time it correctly, the app will take one photo of you from each camera. QUICK TIP: You can share Your Memories via email, text, or on other social media apps.
WebsiteCompass 13 If you remember what life was like before GPS, you’re likely grateful for every “Prepare to turn left” or “Exit the highway” from your Google Maps or Apple Maps app. But did you know these handy tools can do more than offer directions from Point A to Point B? You’ll Be Lost Without These GPS Settings Get more out of Google Maps and Apple Maps NOTE: Instructions may differ depending on what kind of device you’re using. Google Maps Google Maps is a powerful navigation tool with some amazing features. Remember Where You Parked Everyone has a story of that one time they just couldn’t find their car. With this feature, remembering your parking spot never has to be a problem again. To use this feature, locate the blue dot that indicates your current location. Tap on the dot and choose Save parking. A pin appears in the location, which you can reference when you later come to find your car. Click the pin to clear it after you’ve located your car. To have Google Maps automatically remember your parking locations, tap your profile picture, then Settings > Notifications > Getting around. Set Parking location to on. Then, when you complete a navigation session, at the bottom of the screen tap Know where you parked. ViewWhere You’ve Been Depending on your settings, Google may track where you go. Many find this feature to be creepy, but it can also be cool, especially when you want to relive vacations. To see your timeline, within Google Maps, tap your profile picture and select Your timeline. The default setting is today. To see past days, tap Today and choose a date. You’ll see a map and timeline for all the places you went that day as well as any photos you might have uploaded to Google Photos then. Create Custom Labels Are there some places you need to return to infrequently and want directions each time? Rather than having to remember the addresses for these places (such as the dentist where you only go twice per year), create a custom label. To do it, type the address into Google Maps and select Label. Then type in your label, such as Dr. Marcus. Next time you need directions to this place, search for the label name and Google Maps will find the address. Get Offline Maps This feature is super handy for travel when you might not have reliable internet service Back to Basics
Back to Basics 14 WebsiteCompass and want to minimize battery use. It enables you to use maps without being online. To start, tap your profile picture, then Offline maps > Select your own map. Highlight the area you want to be available offline. Tap Download to download the map. Alternatively, search for a location, tap the three-stackeddots icon, and select Download offline map. Share Your Location You might want to share your location when meeting friends or to reassure family members. To do it, tap on the blue dot on the map that shows where you are. Tap Share location. Choose the duration you would like the sharing to continue and the people you would like to share with. The people you’ve shared with will be able to see your location for that amount of time. Get Reminded to Leave on Time After you’ve identified the starting and ending points, tap Directions, then the three-stacked-dots icon at the top of the screen. Tap Add stop and enter the additional stop. Press and hold items to reorder the stops. Apple Maps While considered less powerful than Google Maps, Apple Maps also provides an excellent range of navigation functionality. Look Around Streets This feature is the equivalent of Street View on Google Maps. To use it, tap the binoculars icon at the bottom of a map. A photographic view of the street appears. To pan, drag a finger left or right. To move forward, tap the scene. To zoom, pinch in or out. To go back to your map, tap Done. Share Your ETA For those occasions when you’re late to a meeting or social gathering, you can have Apple Maps share an accurate ETA. To do it, tap the route card at the bottom of the screen, then tap Share ETA. Choose who you would like to share with or tap Open Contacts to find a contact. Find a Rest Stop Try this one on your next road trip! While following directions in Apple Maps, swipe up from the bottom of the screen. You’ll see a selection of buttons, including Gas Stations, Breakfast (or lunch or dinner, depending on the time of day), and Coffee. Tap the button that corresponds with the service you need, and Apple Maps will guide you there, and then back to your original route. QUICK TIP: To access a compass in Google Maps, tap the My Location icon and the compass icon appears.
WebsiteCompass 15 Plan Your Route As an alternative to directing you from one location to another as quickly as possible, Apple Maps enables you to choose other criteria for your route. For example, do you want a scenic drive? Do you want to avoid tolls? To make these selections, navigate to your Settings. Then tap Maps > Driving & Navigation. Adjust the Tolls and Highways switches according to your choices. While here you can also choose whether or not to show a compass and the current speed limit in your navigation environment. Report What You See on the Road To help your fellow drivers, you can use Apple Maps to report accidents, hazards, or speed traps. While in navigation mode, tap the route card at the bottom of the screen. Then tap Report and select Accident, Hazard, or Speed Check. Alternatively, speak your request to Siri by saying, “Hey Siri, report an accident” or something similar depending on what you are seeing. Do a Flyover This fun feature allows you to do a 3D flyover of major cities. The flyover appears as a computer-generated animation that displays notable landmarks. To begin the tour for places where it’s available, tap Flyover. Other Apps That Use Maps Google Maps and Apple Maps are both highly useful apps, but there are others that were designed to perform certain functions better. • Waze is a traffic app that enables users to identify traffic conditions, speed traps, accidents, and road construction. It also includes information like where to find the cheapest gas. You can use it for performing detailed route planning that involves multiple stops and finding cool destinations. • CityMapper is a highly useful alternative to Google Maps for using public transportation, whether in your local area or a location you’re visiting. You input where you want to go and CityMapper tells you how to get there step by step, including how to get to the nearest stop, what number or name to watch for, and all the stops on the route. • Roadtrippers is specifically for long driving trips and enables you to plan your route plus stops along the way. You can get a subscription to enable more features like collaborating with friends or planning a longer route. Keep these tools in mind for even more navigation support.
16 WebsiteCompass The medical and ergonomics communities offer the following guidelines for setting up your home office so it’s a comfortable place to spend time. 1. Make sure your chair provides lumbar support. Take a seat at your desk. With your back pressed against the backrest, do the lower and middle sections of your back feel cushioned, or are there gaps between your spine and the chair? The best office chairs support the natural S-curve of your back. If you don’t want to invest in a chair with lumbar support, a lumbarsupport pillow and a seat cushion on a basic chair is the next best thing. Adjust your chair’s height so your feet rest flat on the floor and your thighs are parallel to the floor. 2. Carefully locate your keyboard and mouse. Place your keyboard and mouse close to you, so you don’t have to stretch to reach them. Your keyboard should be directly in front of you when you use it. Try to keep your wrists straight, upper arms close to your body, and hands at or slightly below the level of your elbows. Adjust the sensitivity of your mouse so that you move as little as possible to operate it, and use keyboard shortcuts to reduce extended mouse use. 3. Get a phone headset if you talk on the phone frequently. A phone headset will leave your hands free for other tasks such as keyboarding. It will also prevent awkward neck positions—such as perching your phone between your shoulder and your ear Home Offices Can Be a Pain in the Neck Here’s how to set up an ergonomic workspace Ergonomics is the science of designing workspaces and equipment to fit the person using them. It’s especially important to pay attention to ergonomics if you work from home regularly or spend many hours at your computer for any reason, since doing so can reduce muscle aches and pains and help prevent injuries. Beyond the Basics
WebsiteCompass 17 —that can eventually cause neck strain. An alternative is to simply place your phone on speaker. 4. Check to see if your desk is the proper height. When you’re keyboarding at your desk, your arms and wrists should ideally be parallel to the floor or angled down toward your lap to reduce strain. Typical desks, which are between 28 and 30 inches high, are a good fit for people who are 5 feet 10 inches tall or above, but not ideal for those who are shorter. To rectify this, you could mount a keyboard tray under your desk to lower the keyboard, or try raising your chair higher so your wrists are above the keyboard. If you raise your chair, make sure you can still keep your feet flat on the floor. If you can’t, use a footrest to give proper support to your legs and feet. 5. Place your monitor carefully. Your monitor should be directly in front of you, behind your keyboard, and about an arm’s length away. The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level. You should be looking straight ahead or slightly down at the screen, not straining upwards. If you use a laptop, a separate keyboard and a laptop stand may be needed to create an ergonomic setup. 6. Don’t forget about lighting. Ergonomics experts recommend good lighting to reduce eye strain and avoid craning your neck at an unnatural angle. An abundance of natural lighting in your workspace is ideal, because it can boost your sense of well-being and energy and make it easier for your eyes to focus. If you don’t have windows in your home office, or when you’re working late, combine overhead lighting with task lighting for the best balance. Watch Out for Computer Vision Syndrome Using computers for long periods can cause computer vision syndrome. This occurs when we unwittingly resist blinking and put a lot of stress on our eye muscles, potentially leading to headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. In addition to following the advice on posture and positioning already shared, keep these tips in mind: • Use the 20-20-20 rule recommended by the American Optometric Association. Every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something at least 20 feet away. • Try to avoid glare and reflections. Most computer monitors have an anti-glare coating for this purpose, but you should also consider light sources when you position your monitor. • Increase the contrast on your screen to reduce eye strain. You may also want to increase the font size. • Step away from your digital device every two hours. Spend at least five or 10 minutes doing something that doesn’t involve digital screens during your break. • Make blinking a priority. People tend to blink less when viewing digital screens. Blinking keeps your eyes moist and helps prevent dry eye and eye strain. If you’re still experiencing symptoms of computer vision syndrome after making these adjustments, see your eye care professional. QUICK TIP: Changing from sitting to standing frequently improves circulation, decreases the strain on joints, and reduces neck and back pain.
18 WebsiteCompass FAQs Dr. Webbie Answers your frequently asked questions QUESTION: Why do some streaming services release an entire season of a series at once while others release new episodes weekly? ANSWER: When the era of streaming began in 2013, Netflix disrupted traditional TV with its binge-dropped model. The entire season of House of Cards was released on the same day—a revolutionary strategy since audiences were accustomed to the weekly release of TV episodes. As the years went by and the number of streaming services grew, some of them opted to move away from the binge-dropped model and return to weekly releases. There are advantages and disadvantages to each model, for both subscribers and the streaming services. With a binge drop, subscribers have the option of watching an entire series in a single weekend, which keeps the plot fresh as they move from episode to episode. Younger viewers generally prefer binge drops. However, there’s a downside for the streaming services in terms of customer loyalty. People can subscribe to a service, pay for a month, binge-watch the new series, and then cancel their subscription. By contrast, a weekly release can keep subscribers engaged with a series for a longer period, which discourages cancellations of the streaming service and keeps subscribers paying the monthly rate. Older viewers tend to prefer a weekly release schedule, since they enjoy the familiar feeling of anticipating the next episode of their favorite show and making a weekly appointment to watch it. Surveys of American audiences suggest that streaming shows released weekly are now more popular than binge releases, and streaming services have taken note. Disney+ and Apple TV+ favor a weekly cadence, while Hulu and HBO Max have used a combination of the two strategies, releasing multiple episodes when a series premieres before shifting to weekly drops. Even Netflix, the binge-dropping pioneer, has altered its strategy and released some of its shows over the course of several weeks. Streaming services will no doubt continue to experiment in the hopes of finding a sweet spot for their release cadences. QUESTION: What are some signs that my computer may have a virus? ANSWER: While there are many computer viruses out there, virus warning signs tend to be similar across the board. Pay attention to these signs: • Slow computer performance (taking a long time to start up or open programs) • Problems shutting down or restarting • Missing files • Frequent system crashes and/or error messages • Unexpected pop-up windows • New applications (toolbars, etc.) that appear without you downloading them • Overworked hard drive (the fan makes sounds and seems to be whirring and working hard when you aren’t doing much) • Emails that send autonomously from your accounts • Browser lag or redirects • Malfunctioning antivirus programs or firewalls Viruses can be installed on your computer without your knowledge or consent—often when you unintentionally download infected files or click on an email attachment. If your computer is showing signs of a virus, you may need help from a computer repair professional.
WebsiteCompass 19 Glossary ADDRESS BOOK - A feature of an email program, or a stand-alone application, that stores and organizes a list of email addresses and other contact information a computer user frequently uses. ALERTS - Automatic notifications, often by email, that news on topics you’ve specified is now online. APP - Shorthand for application, app is popularly used to describe software that enhances the usefulness of mobile phones, media players, and social networking sites. AUTO-COMPLETE - Feature that predicts a word or phrase before the user types it in completely. BLOG - (short for Weblog) Writings similar to a journal or diary by individuals that are posted to the internet. Someone who writes a blog is a “blogger.” BOOKMARK - A reference to a file or webpage you plan to frequently visit. Most internet browsers let you maintain and organize a list of bookmarks (also called “favorites” when using Microsoft Internet Explorer) to make it easy to return to them again. BOOLEAN PHRASES - Linking words or symbols in all caps that indicate the relationships of words to each other and refine online searches. BOTNET - A collection of compromised zombie computers running programs automatically under remote direction. BROADBAND - (Broad Bandwidth) A high-speed network connection capable of supporting a wide range of frequencies. BROWSER - A software program that is used to look at various kinds of internet resources. The most popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari. BYTE - A group of eight bits that represent a character. Computer memory and disk capacity are measured in bytes. (A bit is the smallest unit of measurement for computer data.) CACHE - The hard drive space your browser uses to temporarily store webpages. When returning to a recently visited page, the browser can get a copy of it from the cache rather than the original server, saving time and network traffic. The larger amount of space you allocate for the cache, the more webpages can be stored. CELLULAR DATA - A way for your phone to access the internet that ’s offered by your mobile carrier. CHATBOT - A computer program that mimics conversations with humans. CHAT ROOM - A system where people can “chat” on a website through their browser. CLIENT - A computer or piece of software that requests information or services from a server. Your computer becomes a “client” when you connect to your ISP for a service such as surfing the internet or using email. COMPRESSION - A method by which data, images, and text can be stored using less disk space. After a file is compressed into a smaller file size, it will require less time to transmit over a network. CONTACT GROUP - A group of email addresses specified by a user. A contact group allows one to easily send a message to multiple recipients by entering the group name in the “To:” field. COOKIE - A piece of information sent by a Web server to be stored by your Web browser. Whenever the browser makes additional requests to that server, the server is able to use the information stored in the “cookie” to customize a response based on data from a previous connection. CROWDSOURCING – Meeting a challenge by asking many people — via the internet—if they can help. CROWDTURFING – Organized, for-pay efforts that hire people to create accounts under false names and post certain reviews or push a brand or website. CSS - (short for Cascading Style Sheet) A specification for the presentation of html documents that allow Web developers to easily control the style and layout of single or multiple webpages. DNS - (Domain Name Server) A computer which translates a domain name into a set of numbers called an IP address. DOMAIN NAME - A “domain name” is a unique name that is used to represent and help locate a specific Web server on the internet. For example, “www.websitecompass.com” is a domain name. Each domain name corresponds to a set of numbers called an IP address. DSL - (Digital Subscriber Line) Allows users to download and upload data over standard telephone lines. It provides a constant internet connection over which users can receive voice and data simultaneously. It isn’t available in many areas because it requires a short distance to the DSL provider’s origin. E-LEARNING - Any kind of learning that is provided through the digital technology used by computers. E-PATIENT - An internet user who looks online for health information. EBOOK - (short for Electronic Book) A book in digital format that can be read on a computer or other digital device. EDU - When these letters appear as the last part of a Web address, it indicates that the host computer is run by an educational institution, usually in the United States. EMOTICON - (or Smileys) Short for emotion icon. Symbols composed of punctuation that help convey how an email message should be interpreted by the reader. Ex. :-) = Happy, :-( = Sad EMOJIS - Icons or small digital images that are used online to express emotions or an idea. E-ZINE - A periodic publication distributed by email or posted on a website. FAQ - Short for Frequently Asked Question. FAVORITE - See Bookmark. FILTER BUBBLES - Process by which websites show you search results and feed items based on your past choices and other factors. FIREWALL - A specially programmed computer that connects networks (usually a local network to the internet) and for security reasons lets only certain kinds of data in and out. FIREWIRE - (Also known as IEEE 1394) A fast type of computer connection–similar to USB 2–that allows for high rates of data transfer. FLASH - A multimedia program for viewing and creating interactive and animated content on the Web. FORUM - A section of a website where users post and read topics of common interest. FREEWARE - Software provided at no charge by its originator. FTP - (File Transfer Protocol) A common method of transferring files between two computers connected over a network. FTP is a way to login to an internet server for the purposes of retrieving and/or sending files. Many publicly accessible internet sites allow their materials to be obtained using FTP. Most FTP sites require a user name and password. GIF - (Graphics Interchange Format) A file format that uses compression for saving and viewing images. GIGABYTE - A measure of computer storage capacity equal to 1,000 megabytes, or 1 billion bytes. GOV - When these letters appear as the last part of a Web address, it indicates that the host computer is run by a government body, probably in the U.S. HACKER - A person who tries to defeat computer security measures and break into websites and computers. HASHTAG - A word or phrase preceded by (#) and used to categorize social media messages. HISTORY - A browser feature which keeps track of Web resources that have been recently visited. HOME PAGE - (or Homepage) Originally, a Home Page was defined as the webpage your browser was set to use when it was started up. The more common meaning now refers to the main webpage for an organization, business, person or simply the main page out of a collection of webpages. HTML - (HyperText Markup Language) A coding language used to create hypertext documents for use on the Web. HTML files contain instructions on how your browser displays text, images, links and etc. HTML files usually end in “.htm” or “.html.” HTTP - (HyperText Transfer Protocol) The standard protocol for moving hypertext files across the internet. HYPERTEXT - Text that contains links to other documents. Words or phrases in the document that can be chosen by an internet user which causes another document to be retrieved and then displayed. INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) - A collection of unique objects represented and connected virtually. IP ADDRESS - A numeric address which identifies a particular computer or server over a network. ISP - (Internet Service Provider) An institution that provides access to the internet. JAVA - A network-oriented programming language specifically designed for writing programs that can be downloaded to your computer and run. By using small Java programs called “applets,” webpages can include functions such as animations, calculators, chatrooms, games, etc. JAVASCRIPT - A programming language used to add interactive and dynamic features to webpages. It shares some characteristics with Java but is independent. JPEG - (or JPG) Named after the committee that created it, the Joint Photographic Experts Group, this is a file format that uses compression for saving and viewing images. LAN - (Local Area Network) A computer network limited to an immediate area, usually the same building or just one floor of a building. LINK - (short for Hyperlink) A hypertext connection that can take you to another document or another part of the same document. On the World Wide Web, links appear either as underlined text or as pictures/icons. To follow a link, double click on the underlined text or on the corresponding icon.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTMzNDE=