Always do this first before downloading a software update to your phone

We recently got a question emailed to us by Nancy. Here's what she had to say:

Dear Kurt,

I want to thank you for what you do. You have no idea how much you help me! I love that you put step-by-step directions. I love my Apple iPhone and MacBook Air but am not super tech savvy. Everything you write about is relevant to me. Last time, it was about seeing the battery % left.

Today for example you showed how to upload the newest software on my iPhone and why to do it. It did ask me a question, "Do you want to use cellular data or WiFi?" I didn’t really know so I just guessed WiFi and it worked. But always your tips are so great and you truly make a positive difference in my life, and I’m sure in so many others too. Thank you! Nancy 

This is a great question and one that people seem to ask often, so let's go over which option is best to use.

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If you’re in a Wi-Fi environment, always use Wi-Fi. When you're a guest at someone's house or even in your office building, it's always best to ask someone what the Wi-Fi password is. Having access to the Wi-Fi where you are will help your phone's internet move much faster and will save you the trouble of worrying if you're using up too much data on your phone plan.

MORE: HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR WIFI AND INTERNET CONNECTION

Be aware of unsecured Wi-Fi networks or networks with weak passwords in public places. With technology advancing so quickly, many public places will likely offer a public Wi-Fi hotspot where you do not need a password to use it. 

Yet this also comes with its dangers, as some scammers have gotten quite savvy by using similar names of popular legitimate hotspots hoping that people who aren't paying close attention will use it. It's important to only connect to networks that you trust.

HOW SCAMMERS ARE SELLING COUNTERFEIT STAMPS ON FACEBOOK ADS

To protect yourself from getting hacked by a public Wi-Fi scam, you should consider using a secure VPN. This type of service protects your privacy and security, especially when you're traveling. A VPN will allow you to not only safeguard your connection from hackers, but will also give you other perks like bypassing censored sites, increasing connection speeds and more.

For best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices by searching "Best VPN" at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon at the top of my website.

HOW TO BLUR OUT THE BACKGROUND FOR PRIVACY WHEN YOU ARE ON A FACETIME CALL

Cellular data is very useful when you're on the go and need quick access to the internet. However, if you don’t have an unlimited cellular data plan, you may be charged for any extra usage beyond your plan. Also, if you’re not on 5G, anything you're trying to download could be much slower. So my advice is only to use cellular data when you have to, and if you find that you're needing to use public Wi-Fi a lot, again, get a secure VPN service on your device.

Was this helpful? Let us know if you have other concerns about using cellular data versus Wi-Fi.

For more of my tips, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the "Free newsletter" link at the top of my website.

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Twitter Source Code Leaked Online, Court Filings Show

Pieces of the computer code used to run Twitter were leaked online, according to court filings.

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See all the police surveillance tools used in your city

Over a million hobby drones are registered in the U.S. You may never know when you’re being watched. Check out my guide to avoiding drone surveillance. We wrote this after one hovered over my pool while I was swimming.

Ever stay in an Airbnb? Hosts sometimes spy on their guests with hidden cameras. Yes, that happened to me too. Use these tricks to catch them in the act.

Police departments are stepping up their surveillance, adding drones to their tech collection. How closely does your local department monitor you? Here’s a searchable website you can use to see.

Atlas of Surveillance

The Atlas of Surveillance is a searchable database project from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. It shows which surveillance technologies — such as drones, automated license plate readers, and facial recognition — are used by law enforcement agencies across the U.S.

The pilot program began as a collaboration between the EFF and the University of Nevada’s Reno Reynolds School of Journalism in 2019.

The information comes from public records, crowdsourcing, data journalism, news stories, social media posts, press releases, and volunteer assistance. As of November 2022, the Atlas of Surveillance has 10,000 data points, with at least partial data on 5,500 law enforcement agencies in all 50 states, plus most territories and districts.

The Atlas of Surveillance site says its information is only as good as the source and that government agencies can withhold information. Plus, there’s always the chance of misinterpretation. 

HOW DRONES ARE REVOLUTIONIZING DELIVERY BY TAKING TO THE SKIES

While it’s impossible to fact-check every data point, each one is reviewed by multiple journalism students and staff. Let’s have a closer look at what it shows.

RELATED: Have a DJI drone? Beware of this serious security flaw allowing someone to take over and see your location.

Types of surveillance in use around the country

Does a camera on every street corner make you nervous? Do you worry that your face is constantly being scanned against a database of who-knows-who? Some people don’t mind it, and others are really bothered by it.

The Atlas of Surveillance lets you search and view databases containing the following examples of surveillance:

Interactive map

The Atlas is a map with over 10,000 data points across the country. Go to atlasofsurveillance.org/atlas to get started.

See what’s going on in your area

Want to narrow your search? Go to atlasofsurveillance.org/search to access a searchable database. Then:

Keep your tech-know going 

My popular podcast is called "Kim Komando Today." It’s a solid 30 minutes of tech news, tips, and callers with tech questions like you from all over the country. Search for it wherever you get your podcasts. For your convenience, hit the link below for a recent episode.

CHINA'S SPYING IS OUT OF CONTROL: GET THE CCP'S DRONES OUT OF US SKIES

PODCAST CONTENT ON THE GO: eBay's dead bats, Venmo shares dirty little secrets & items Amazon won't let you return

Take an incredible pic of the moon on your Samsung phone? It might not be all you. Also, I share how Google's newly introduced "Magic Wand" tool will change the workplace. And want to fact-check news from home or earn real college credits on YouTube? I got you covered. Don't miss my guide to detecting GPS trackers in your car.

Check out my podcast "Kim Komando Today" on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player.

Listen to the podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for my last name, "Komando."

Sound like a tech pro, even if you’re not! Award-winning popular host Kim Komando is your secret weapon. Listen on 425+ radio stations or get the podcast. And join over 400,000 people who get her free 5-minute daily email newsletter.

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How scammers are selling counterfeit stamps on Facebook ads

We received an email from one of our loyal newsletter subscribers, Patrick K., who told us about fraudulent stamp ads that he found on Facebook. He was able to gather and share with us a number of fraudulent Facebook ads and their corresponding scam websites.

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The selling of fake postal stamps has been an issue for quite some time now, and the U.S. Postal Service has warned against this. Now, it looks like those items are being advertised on Facebook as well for as low as $19.99 for a roll of 100 stamps. Let's dive in and discuss what to look out for from these scammers. 

The U.S. Postal Service has made clear that they only sell postal stamps at face value. They state on their website, "Scammers peddle fake stamps on social media marketplaces, e-commerce sites via third-party vendors, and other websites. Counterfeit stamps are often sold in bulk quantities at a significant discount–anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of their face value."

So, if you see an advertisement on an online platform like Facebook for stamps that are ridiculously low-priced, it's likely that those stamps are counterfeit. 

IS FACEBOOK LISTENING TO YOU?

The U.S. Postal Service has teams of forensic scientists who can catch the subtle differences between a real postage stamp and a fake one, however, an average person could easily make that mistake and use a counterfeit stamp, which is a federal crime.

Other legitimate retailers such as Costco, Walgreens, and CVS are permitted to sell postage stamps at a discount by law, so it is possible to get postage stamps for slightly cheaper. However, the discount is always very slight, and the stamps themselves are legitimate and authorized by the U.S. Postal Service.

There are multiple ways to be able to tell if an online store is fake. You should always research the store before buying anything from there and look to see if other people have given it poor reviews. Another good tip to remember is to check the website's URL. 

If it starts with "https" instead of "http", this indicates a secure connection. And if the store is looking for you to make any form of payment that isn't via credit cards or PayPal, there's a good chance it's a scam.

You can check out more of our tips for what to look for in a fake online store scam here.

If you think you've become the victim of a scam, contact the Better Business Bureau. You can file a complaint with the 24/7 and they can look into the fake online store for you.

WARNING OVER NEW EMAIL SCAMS TARGETING FACEBOOK, APPLE USERS

Besides the BBB, you can also use IdentityTheft.org or call 877-438-4338 if you feel that your identity has been stolen or misused. Identity theft that has been made online can also be reported to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. 

Protecting your Identity

If you want additional layers of protection, handholding, recovery and theft insurance against identity theft, see my tips and best picks for Identity Theft protection by searching ‘identity theft' at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon at the top of my website.

Protecting against clicking malicious links

The best way to protect yourself from accidentally clicking on untrustworthy links like those that may exist in some of these online fake stores is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. 

HOW TO BE REMEMBERED FOREVER ON FACEBOOK

See my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices by searching ‘BestAntivirus’ at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon at the top of my website.

The best place for you to buy stamps is, without a doubt, the U.S. Postal Service. You can go to your local post office and purchase the stamps there. However, if you're looking to save a little, here's a list of places that also sell legit postage stamps for a slightly cheaper price:

You should always be buying stamps from approved vendors to avoid using counterfeit ones and having your mail confiscated, and never from an online platform like Facebook, Instagram, or any other retailer that you have never heard of.

It's not exactly that Facebook allows people to post fraudulent ads to the site. It's more so that these scammers have found a way for their posts to avoid Facebook's verification process altogether. 

The way they do this is by buying accounts that have already gone through the verification process, such as business manager accounts that are allowed to post lots of ads. 

AIRTAG TRACKER DETECTOR WARNS OF STALKERS IN SECONDS

Once hackers take over these accounts, they can charge thousands of dollars in ad spending to credit cards associated with the compromised accounts and post whatever ads they want. So, it's really a flaw within Facebook's verification process that allows these ads to come to life.

Have you seen these or other fraudulent ads on Facebook or other platforms? Let us know by contacting us at CyberGuy.com/contact.

For more of my tips, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the "Free newsletter" link at the top of my website.

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How to blur out the background for privacy when you are on a FaceTime call

Getting to FaceTime your loved ones is one of the best parts of having an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. However, Apple expanded its camera app's Portrait Mode for FaceTime calling.

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That change has many people confused as to why their backgrounds are suddenly blurred out when they're on a call. If this has happened to you and you wish to turn this feature off, we've got you covered.

First, let's go over the steps for how to make a FaceTime call. There are a few ways you can do this. The first process is:

DON'T FALL FOR THIS NEW ROUND OF ICLOUD SUPPORT SCAM EMAILS

The other way you can FaceTime someone is by doing the following:

IS AN AIRTAG DANGEROUS TO YOUR DOG?

Some people like the idea of blurring their backgrounds on FaceTime because it gives them a better sense of privacy. If you wish to blur your background on a FaceTime call, follow these steps:

TOP IDENTITY THEFT SCAMS TO AVOID

MORE: HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR IPHONE IS LISTENING TO YOU

FaceTime is a convenient app, although you should always make sure that you are using the app safely and not putting your privacy at risk. Here are a few things to keep in mind when on a FaceTime call:

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Was this article helpful? Let us know if you have any other concerns when it comes to using FaceTime.

MORE: HOW TO FLIP YOUR CAMERA AND ZOOM-IN USING FACETIME

For more of my tips, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the "Free newsletter" link at the top of my website.

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Artificial intelligence 'godfather' on AI possibly wiping out humanity: ‘It's not inconceivable’

Geoffrey Hinton, a computer scientist who has been called "the godfather of artificial intelligence", says it is "not inconceivable" that AI may develop to the point where it poses a threat to humanity.

The computer scientist sat down with CBS News this week about his predictions for the advancement of AI. He compared the invention of AI to electricity or the wheel.

Hinton, who works at Google and the University of Toronto, said that the development of general purpose AI is progressing sooner than people may imagine. General purpose AI is artificial intelligence with several intended and unintended purposes, including speech recognition, answering questions and translation.

"Until quite recently, I thought it was going to be like 20 to 50 years before we have general purpose AI. And now I think it may be 20 years or less," Hinton predicted. Asked specifically the chances of AI "wiping out humanity," Hinton said, "I think it's not inconceivable. That's all I'll say." 

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Artificial general intelligence refers to the potential ability for an intelligence agent to learn any mental task that a human can do. It has not been developed yet, and computer scientists are still figuring out if it is possible.

Hinton said it was plausible for computers to eventually gain the ability to create ideas to improve themselves. 

"That's an issue, right. We have to think hard about how you control that," Hinton said.

MICROSOFT IMPOSES LIMITS ON BING CHATBOT AFTER MULTIPLE INCIDENTS OF INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR

But the computer scientist warned that many of the most serious consequences of artificial intelligence won't come to fruition in the near future.

"I think it's very reasonable for people to be worrying about these issues now, even though it's not going to happen in the next year or two," Hinton said. "People should be thinking about those issues."

Hinton's comments come as artificial intelligence software continues to grow in popularity. OpenAI's ChatGPT is a recently-released artificial intelligence chatbot that has shocked users by being able to compose songs, create content and even write code.

"We've got to be careful here," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said about his company's creation earlier this month. "I think people should be happy that we are a little bit scared of this."

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Don't fall for this new round of iCloud support scam emails

Those who use Apple devices are being targeted once again with the latest phishing email scam. This is not the first time hackers are trying to get your personal information. However, they're always coming up with new tricks, and you must know how to protect yourself. 

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With this particular phishing scam, tons using Apple products have been receiving emails claiming to be from iCloud Support. These phishing emails will typically tell you some false information about your iCloud account being compromised and will ask you to click a link immediately to change your Apple ID and password. 

The link will then lead you to a website that looks like Apple Support's official website and ask you to start adding in your personal information. Once the hackers have that information, they can expose your entire digital life and get pretty much any information they want on you.

IS AN AIRTAG DANGEROUS TO YOUR DOG?

If you're an Apple user, you're aware that your iCloud account is used to back up all your files and is guarded with your Apple ID and password. However, what you may not realize is just how much information is stored within your Apple ID, which is exactly why these hackers want you to hand it over to them. 

Your Apple ID is what allows you to access everything from your personal iCloud Photo Library to your Notes app and even files stored in iCloud Drive. It also gives access to Find My, which would allow hackers to figure out the location of all your devices and potentially your family's devices as well.

If you use Apple Pay, your Apple ID would give them access to your debit and credit card information too. And probably worst of all, they can remotely wipe any of your devices, intercept your iMessage and SMS messages, and get at everything in your iCloud Backups including your call history, web browsing history, and more.

FREE ANTIVIRUS: SHOULD YOU USE IT? 

The most important step you can take to protect yourself is to never open any suspicious-looking emails or click any links sent to you. You should always be double-checking the email address of any message you've received, as you may notice that the email address has an extra letter, a capital letter that doesn't belong, or a random symbol within it. 

Even if you do take these steps, however, it's possible to miss something because these hackers can be super clever. That's why you should also consider installing antivirus software on all your devices. Antivirus software will protect you from accidentally clicking malicious links and will remove any malware from your devices. 

See my expert review of the best antivirus protection for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices by searching ‘Best Antivirus’ at CyberGuy.com by clicking the magnifying glass icon at the top of my website.

I would also strongly recommend enabling 2-factor authentication with your Apple ID. This would require anyone trying to access your Apple ID to enter a 6-digit verification code along with your password. The code gets sent to your iPhone or iPad, so unless the hacker has those devices in their possession, then they're way less likely to be able to get into your account. 

HOW TO SCAN A QR CODE SAFELY USING YOUR SMARTPHONE

To enable 2-factor authentication for your Apple ID, follow these steps: 

Stay vigilant and take necessary precautions to safeguard your personal information while using your Apple devices to avoid falling victim to these malicious iCloud phishing email scams. Have you been seeing any iCloud phishing email scams? Let us know how you handled it. 

For more of my tips, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by clicking the "Free newsletter" link at the top of my website. 

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