Hardware, software, firmware...

Do you get pop-ups on your phone or your computer that ask you about updates to firmware?  Read articles warning about software bugs? Wonder what it means when your hardware becomes obsolete?  What are these “wares” and why do you care?

• Hardware is the physical thing - the phone, the keyboard, the monitor, inside parts of your computer.

• Firmware is the computer code that makes the hardware work.  You may have heard it referred to as the “Operating System.”  It’s not precisely the same - but close enough for our purposes here.  For example, part of the firmware on your computer makes your mouse work - when you drag it to the right, the cursor goes with it.  One might compare it to the part of the brain that knows how to breathe - it tells you lungs what to do, but you’re not aware of it.

• Software is also computer code - usually associated with a specific program / function.  So, those apps on your phone… and the programs on your computer like the browser (i.e. Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari), Microsoft Word, Excel, Quicken, etc…) are all types of software.

Why does it matter? Well, as your hardware ages, and the firmware continues to be enhanced, eventually, the hardware can no longer support the firmware - it might not be fast enough or have the right components to work correctly. Sometimes the format changes entirely - remember floppy disks? Computers today don’t have the firmware to know how to control a floppy disk drive, nor how to read the disk! The firmware is often your first defense in keeping your computer or phone secure, so updating it is a critical part of maintaining your computer.

Software is also dependent on the firmware. In order for software to work right, it has to know what firmware to interact with - that’s why you can’t put a program from Windows PC on your iPhone - and vice versa. Again, as the firmware is maintained and grows in functionality, they drop some “old” ways of doing things which the software may rely on. That’s why you might get alerts that your Quicken or Word program is no longer being supported and may “misbehave” - eventually becoming unusable.

Need help getting your computer updated - or updating to a new piece of hardware? I’m happy to help!

Are you intimidated by the idea of using the wallet on your smart phone? You probably have a lot of questions…

1. Is it safe?

2. What if I lose my phone?

3. How do I use it?

These are all valid questions. Before I get to that, thought, let me start by telling you why I love my virtual wallet.

1. No matter how much stuff I jam in there - it doesn’t weigh an ounce more.

2. I can find everything easily.

3. The security is state-of-the-art.

My wallet has a credit card or two in it - and I love that. It syncs to my watch so they’re there too, which is great. However, most of my wallet has things in it like “perk cards” for the movie theaters and stores I frequent, membership cards to my auto club and insurance company as well as gift cards to a variety of stores.

When I go to Walgreens, for example. I can open my virtual wallet and then hold my phone near the credit card reader and it will process my Balance® Rewards automatically as well as my debit or credit card payment. No need to touch the keypad to enter my phone number or PIN during cold and flu season - and it’s faster too. I call that a win!

Okay, but it is safe? In a word, yes. Your phone requires your passcode, your fingerprint or your FaceID to process the credit card - so if your phone is stolen, it can’t be used. Moreover, your credit card number is never transmitted - they use a one time only “token” that’s unique to that transaction, so even if the retailer’s records are stolen, there’s nothing valuable to steal. While nothing is perfect, this technology is the best available to date.

Worried about fumbling at the counter and feeling awkward? Everyone is getting used to this technology now, and it’s only going to continue to change… so call me and I can help you set it up and feel more confident at the register. Be brave and “charge” into the future…

I have a decent memory... but some days are so fractured by the variety of things on my plate, I don’t always feel like I do!

Using the Apple Reminders app on my phone can really save my bacon.  Although I DO love the satisfaction of literally crossing something off my to-do list...  the features in the app have made it a game changer for me.

• Siri - I’ll be honest - sometimes her voice recognition (or lack thereof) makes me a little crazy. However, the fact that I can ask her remind me of something when my hands are busy - or full - is wonderful. I can say things like, “Hey Siri, add ‘vacuum bags’ to my shopping list” as I’m putting the last one in the vacuum.

• Because I let Apple track my location, I can create location-based reminders. This is great when I’m out and about and think to myself, “I need to get the meat out of the freezer as soon as I get home.” I tell Siri and my phone dings with a reminder as I pull into the driveway.

• Reminder dates are terrific for those things that I need to remember in awhile. For example, last time I saw the eye doctor, she told me to plan to come back in 3 years. Since the office allows one to book 6 months ahead of time, I added a reminder for 30 months from now to book an appointment. I may forget in that time, but Apple won’t!

• Recurring reminders are perfect for things I that I need to do regularly. I use it to remind me to give my dog his heartworm medicine and to periodically change the filter on my HVAC.

• Reminder lists can be shared. I know quite a few families that use this feature with their grocery list so that everyone can add what they’d like from the grocery store and whoever makes the trip can meet everybody’s needs.