The Loop Newspaper - Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide

I cringe whenever complicated technical information makes it to USA TODAY and other mainstream media outlets. Not that there's anything wrong with USA TODAY or the other guys, they're just not...

To use your computer, you need to use either the Dock (macOS) or Start (Windows.) The Dock and Start are how you interact with your operating system and your applications. By default, they both work...

Network activity The network icon we've had since Windows 7 is useless because all it does is tell if you're connected to the internet or not, which you probably figured out because you've been...

Without turning this column into a link-fest, I'll try to summarize this whole kerfuffle about Facebook for you and give you some options. In 2014, a developer created a personality quiz for...

Part of being a grown-up is facing the fact we won't be here forever. Most people are familiar with wills and family trusts as instruments of helping your loved ones know what to do when you die....

Something old #1 – Fake tech support scams I know we've talked about this before, but the fake tech support scammers are still out there. You know that Microsoft, Apple, HP, the FBI or anyone else...

How do we tell if a computer is fast or if it's faster than that computer over there? What's fast anyway? We need an objective way to measure a computer's speed overall, and it would be nice to break...

I've been a fan of Google's Chrome browser for years. When it first launched, it was fast and very configurable. The sync feature made it easy to have the same bookmarks on both my desktop and my...

It's unusual when extremely technical problems make the news, but by now you've probably heard about Meltdown and Spectre. Multiple teams of independent researchers have discovered (and named!) these...

Here are four things you can do to give your new gadget, whether it's a laptop, smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer, a long life. Keep it clean and protected Keeping dirt and grime out of your dev...

These websites do one thing and do it well. You won't need them every day, but when you do, they can really save the day. GIPHY GIFs are those short video animations you see on the internet, GIPHY...

During this busy Christmas season, it can be more important than ever to protect your personal information. Whether you're shopping online, making travel arrangements, Uber-ing (is that a word?) aroun...

Are you still using Internet Explorer (IE)? If so, we need to talk. Are you tired of seeing "Web page not responding" errors? Tired of seeing "Could not connect to secure page" when you try to...

With apologies to Monty Python, I'm taking a break from the doom and gloom of tales about security breaches and giant corporations collecting and selling our data and identity theft. Let's start with...

Smart speakers are voice-controlled WiFi-connected devices that can be used as virtual asistants. They can look like a hockey puck, a large air freshener or a regular speaker. Amazon started things...

So, the time has come to replace your computer. You're ready to start looking at the Best Buy ads and checking out Costco and Amazon for deals. But deals on what? Computer descriptions often include...

What is it? From the middle of May through the end of June, a data breach at Equifax allowed thieves to steal 143 million people's names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some...

First, the bad news. Back in 2003, Bill Burr, a manager at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), wrote a paper about computer passwords that eventually became the password mess...

But not a used computer like you’re probably thinking. I’m talking about a refurbished computer. You can buy a refurbished computer direct from the manufacturer, e.g., Dell, HP, Apple, etc., or...

The internet is a weird and wonderful place and has become something way beyond what anyone thought it could be and something no one could have predicted. From email to videos, to messaging, to...

Mmmm, cookies. Unfortunately, I’m not talking about the delicious cookies you make in the kitchen. I’m talking about the cookies stored on your computer. Wait, what? How do these cookies get on my...

We've heard and read the word ransomware a lot lately, but what is it and how can you protect yourself against it? Ransomware is a form of malware or malicious software. Malware is software designed...

Again with the passwords? Yes, because passwords are important and how we reset passwords has changed. In the old days (a couple of years ago), if you forgot your password for your email or social med...

Here’s how to stop them: • For Chrome: Get the Disable HTML5 Autoplay plugin • For Firefox: Use the FlashStopper add-on • For Safari: there isn’t a plugin, but you can do it using Terminal....

Outlook “remembers” every email address you type into the address fields To:, cc:, and bcc:, even if you accidentally type in a wrong email address. If one of your contacts gets a new email...