Sometimes choosing the most interesting questions to highlight is the best part of my job. This week, I received questions about stopping robocalls, free TV, anonymous browsing and more. Do you have a question you’d like to ask me? Click here to email me directly.
Robocall Reboot
Q: I am so tired of robocalls. Is there any way to stop them for good? A: The robocall is like the mosquito of telecommunications, bugging us to the point of madness. So why do companies (and criminals) still cling to such an obnoxious method? Well, it works. Enough people still relent or refuse to hang up, or even hand over their credit card numbers that the masterminds behind robocalls would be crazy to give up their racket. But you don’t have to endure it anymore because there are several ways to end robocalls for good. Tap or click here for seven ways to stop robocalls.
Rabbit Ears TV
Q: I was thinking about getting a television antenna to pick up local channels for free. How do I know how many channels are available before I spend the money on an antenna? A: Granted, there are plenty of folks who would prefer the variety of hundreds of channels, or the flexibility of streaming video, or one coveted channel in particular, such as FoxNews. But there’s something old-fashioned and straightforward about free digital content, broadcast through the airwaves and retrieved by antennas with the same finesse as TV sets a half-century ago. Then again, what can you expect to watch? What channels are even available in your area? And are the offerings going to keep you sufficiently entertained? Luckily, there’s an easy way to answer all these questions. Tap or click here to check all available TV channels in your area using a handy web tool.
Where in the World is the Game?
Q: You reviewed an excellent geography game, but I cannot find it again. You were shown pictures from around the world and had to guess where you are. Please tell me the name! I loved it! A: Oh, it’s all fine and good to quiz yourself with a blank political map or try to recite all the U.S. capitals, but this game requires a lot more detective work. By moving the camera and zooming in on specific details, you can find signs, license plates, and scraps of text that will give away the location. The game becomes even more fun when you’re competing against another player, testing each other in a battle of geographic knowledge. Tap or click here for a cool geography game you’ll play time and time again.
Stealth Searches
Q: How do you use the internet anonymously? I am so confused. Is there a special browser? A: Many people think that they can use Incognito Mode on Chrome, or its equivalent in other browsers, and this will protect them from being tracked. But this is false; incognito only prevents the browser from keeping a record of websites you visited, but your IP address may still be visible to others. So how can you indeed create a “cloaking device” for your computer? It’s straightforward. Tap or click here to learn how to browse the web anonymously.
Uber Accidents
Q: Uber’s self-driving car killed a woman in Arizona. What do you think of self-driving technology? Should we trust it? A: You’re right, a woman died in Tempe, not far from where I live. This is a terrible incident, and Uber should be held to task. The public is almost sure to jump to conclusions: on one side, people will say that this technology is absurd, the crash was inevitable, and “self-driving cars” are a fantasy. On the other side, this accident was due to human error, the situation can be amended, and autonomous vehicles are still the way of the future. Uber isn’t developing private space flight or some secret weapon; they’re operating a fleet of cars that regular people will use that may become standard transport. So this is an issue that we should pay particular attention to. Tap or click here for my take on Arizona’s fatal Uber crash. What digital lifestyle questions do you have? Call my national radio show and click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet or computer. From buying advice to digital life issues, click here for my free podcasts.
