Articles in Category: Leo’s blog
Leo’s less formal, more random and occasional commentary on all things technology, business and Ask Leo! related, along with some philosophy at times as well.
What Makes Ask Leo! Different?
I’ve been doing Ask Leo! for over 12 years now. What is it that makes Ask Leo! different?
My Turn: a Question for You!
This week, I have a question for you!
The Magical Power of CTRL+S
TV and movie computer users are often clearly fake. There’s one key sequence (CTRL+S) that identifies the all-too-experienced computer user.
Chomping at the bit for Windows 10
In anticipation of Windows 10 people are falling into three camps: never-ever, patiently waiting, and OMG!!!!. I have some advice for the OMG! crowd.
Change for the Sake of Change?
I hear often from people complaining that the latest update to their favorite software is just “change for the sake of change”. No. Simply …. no.
Why Tech Support is like Buddhism
There’s a not-that-surprising parallel between tech support professionals and Buddhism.
A Peek Behind the Curtain
A little peek behind my video curtain as I describe my video recording set up & my office…
What is it about YouTube and comments?
Youtube comments seem to bring out the absolute worst in humanity. I’ll explain the approach I’m taking to my Youtube videos.
Answers to a couple of questions I asked
I asked, and you responded! In one case things went pretty much as I expected, but in another, a jest turned into a landslide.
Facebook Fan Friday Fallout
Facebook Fan Friday comes to an end, thanks to Facebook. The question is, what, if anything, to do instead?
What Backup Program do You Use?
I find myself looking for a new candidate backup program to add to my stable of recommendations – and you can help!
How Can It Be Safe to Give My Information To Anyone?
Based solely on news reports, we might never leave the house, much less go online. I’ll review why that kind of thinking is opportunity lost, and how to stay safe.
Would You Give Your Wallet to a Stranger?
Many people seem more than willing to let a complete stranger access their computer. Honestly? It’s safer to just give them your wallet.
What Those Words Mean
You can still register for my free video series “What Those Words Mean”, featuring lots of good information to help clarify some of the confusion around backups.
Lots of Feedback on Backing Up
I asked what was preventing you from backing up. Boy, did I get responses! One theme? Terminology is a problem. Let’s fix that!
A Different Approach to a Book About Backing Up
My recent survey kinda depressed me, but I have hope. My next book tries a different approach to writing about backing up – and you can help!
If You Hated Windows 8 … Give Windows 10 a Chance
Many seem to be forming opinions on Windows 10 without having seen it, based solely on their (often limited) experience with Windows 8. That’s just wrong.
May I Share a Link to Your Post?
Do you need to ask permission to share a link? No. Do you need to ask permission to share content? Probably; I’ll explain.
Let’s Get More People to Back Up
Nothing can prevent or side-step issues like properly configured backups. In this overview I want to encourage more people to back up. You can help.
Five Resolutions for the Holidays and New Year
The end of the year is a great opportunity to make our computing and on-line worlds safer, more secure and above all – more amazing!
‘Tis the Season … to Unsubscribe!
The holiday season brings with it a flood of email. That’s a great opportunity to evaluate, and unsubscribe from things you no longer need.
Why SSL?
I recently switched Ask Leo! to SSL, partly as a statement and partly for fun. I’ll explain a little of what goes on behind the scenes.
My initial reactions to Windows 10 backup
I took a look at the Windows 10 technical preview, and walked away very disappointed with Windows 10 backup. It’s just as broken as Windows 8.1’s, with no fix in sight.
An Abundance of Cloud Storage
It seems like every online service provider is now including some kind of online cloud storage as a perk. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. I’ll look at my personal cloud storage landscape.
9 Reasons Email is Wonderful
Some have said that email is dead. My take is completely opposite: email is one of the most effective communication methods we have.
The return of the podcast – kind of
The Ask Leo! Podcast returns in its third incarnation. Here’s what I’m up to …
External Hard Disk Not Recognized? A Story of Data Loss.
I hear from people with inaccessible external drives frequently. The frustrating part is how often those drives contain the only copy of important data.
My Flood of Auto-Responses
I made a minor change to the newsletter and as a result was flooded with auto-responses when it sent. What I learned about auto-responses is important to know.
Amazement and Wonder? Really?
After a week of random problems I felt the need to remind myself of how how amazing and wonderful technology can really be.
How Fragile Things Can Seem
As regular readers know, I’m an advocate – often an annoyingly persistent advocate – for backing up. As I write this, it’s been kind of a rough week here at Ask Leo! world headquarters – not for me, but for some of the organizations and people that I support in my spare time. While the … Read more
Hey! The World Didn’t End!
I reflect on the sudden realization that Windows XP’s end-of-support date came and went in April 2014 and… nothing happened.
Windows 8 Backup: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
Windows 8.1 changed its included backup program. A tiny bit for the better, and a lot for the worse. I wrote a book on Windows 8.1 backup, but I’d rather you did something else.
Is LastPass Still Secure?
LastPass recently disclosed a couple of already-fixed vulnerabilities. It appears that the vulnerabilities affected exactly no one. In my opinion LastPass remains secure. And in fact, the company should be lauded for its openness.
About that Facebook test…
Facebook did some testing. It’s made some people upset. What’s important to realize is that testing is ubiquitous on the web and happens in many different ways.
You Speak, I Listen
Over the past several weeks I’ve surveyed my newsletter readers. The response has been overwhelming, and it’s time to share some of the results and a few of my take-aways.
500 and change
As I mark the newsletter #500 milestone, I’ve elected to make a couple of minor changes to Ask Leo!. I’ll tell you what’s up, what’s changing, and why. I think you’ll like it.
Is There Room in the World for New Software Engineers?
Not just yes … hell yes! A question from a high school student has me talking about directions and opportunities in software engineering.
Why I Don’t Do Negative Reviews
It’s exceptionally easy to go negative when things don’t work. I’ll discuss my philosophy about what I say about software and my recommendations.
My new toy
No, not my Mac. That’s a topic for another day. :-) I don’t normally talk much about mobile technology because I tend to feel that I’m nowhere near an expert on the topic. Besides, there are plenty of other resources on the web for getting more qualified help. That being said, I recently upgraded my … Read more
Will April 9, 2014 be a Very Bad Day for Windows XP Users?
Prior to the end of support for Windows XP some are concerned that malware authors are sitting on a pile of malware ready to be unleashed that targets it.
Is Windows 8 a Disaster?
Windows 8 a disaster? I don’t think so. I react to running across that phrase and point out where I think Microsoft really did blow it.
The Problem with Online Reviews
Online review sites seem like a fantastic way to find out what restaurants and services others are having good experiences with. Unfortunately there’s a dark side, and accuracy could be suffering.
Windows XP Must Die! Long Live Windows XP!
Windows XP’s time is coming to an end. Like it or not, it’s time to move on. If you can’t (or won’t), I have some advice for you.
Auto-play Is Evil
Auto-play auto and video on the web annoys website visitors and forces them to download things that they don’t need or want. Why do so many sites insist that they know better?
Technical Support is Hard
I was thinking about it the other day and realized that Ask Leo! places me in the role of technical support engineer. Doing that has given me some insight into what it takes, how technical support can succeed, and why it fails so often.
Net Neutrality
I wasn’t going to talk about last week’s defeat of Net Neutrality mostly because everyone in the tech press seems to be doing it for me. I had a friend ask if I was going to say anything and my response was, “Probably not.” I tend to shy away from politics and it’s well beyond … Read more
Changes for the New Year
And… we’re back. Today’s newsletter is really the first of the year as the one from last week – The Top 10 of 2013 – was put together before the holidays. It’s somewhat ironic. I chose Embracing the Most Important Attitude, the article on change, as the one to run on New Year’s Eve not because … Read more
Pulling Fence Posts Using the Internet
So what does the internet really have to do with fence posts? It’s a great example that, among the twerking celebrities and cat memes, we have an incredible wealth of information right at our finger tips. I had a problem, and the internet helped me solve it.
I Love My Treo
I geek out a little and gush about my Treo … from the pasture?
