By Tak Sato
Welcome to our first technology issue. We’ve worked hard to come up with a way to make the topic approachable and, dare we say it … fun. Even with summer’s sweltering heat, tech can be a cold subject for many people.
Technology continues to intimidate many people 55 and older for a few key reasons, based on data and conversations I’ve had with students in my nonprofit’s Discover Digital Literacy! classes.
For starters, they don’t know who to ask about a tech question. They also have the incorrect perception that technology isn’t for them. As digital immigrants, they’re unsure why and how smartphones, laptops, and other devices benefit them.
This same group of people 55 and older made their way through earlier tech advances in the 20th Century with relative ease. If they had a question and didn’t know who to ask, they at least had a printed manual in the box that their cell phone came in.
Fast forward to the 21st Century. Suddenly, their digital literacy hit a wall. Smartphones and tablets don’t come with a printed manual anymore. Manufacturers instead put a little card in the box, referring buyers to browse their website for tips. That’s a straightforward task for younger people, digital natives, but a catch-22 for digital immigrants, especially if they are trying to embrace digital literacy for the first time through a smartphone they purchased.
Even when they get help, it isn’t that helpful. Younger family members and friends are quick to fix a problem for them but do not have the patience or empathy to teach them why and how to fix or use their devices. This interaction, however well-meaning, makes older adults reluctant to ask questions. They want to know the how and the why.
Borrowing a page from how I teach digital literacy at my nonprofit, we settled on the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) format below. There’s no such thing as a stupid question, and that’s especially true with technology. Digital immigrants, you’ve landed in a safe place. We hope you’ll find something helpful in our technology issue.
Tech FAQs
What are smartwatches good for?
All tell time, of course, but do so much more. Most track health vitals like heart rate. A sidekick to your smartphone, it notifies you of incoming calls, text messages, emails, and notifications from apps so you don’t have to whip out your smartphone. It will let you answer calls or text messages straight from your smartwatch. Some smartwatches are geared towards fitness. For a person prone to falls, choosing a smartwatch (not the fitness type) with fall detection is like investing in an insurance policy. Why? In case you fall, the smartwatch will ask you “Are you okay?” (like how security systems work). If you answer “no” or can’t answer within a set time, it alerts the preset emergency contacts you’ve chosen from your Contacts app. It can also call the emergency services with the GPS location of where the fall was detected. If you want a true Dick Tracy watch that works without having your smartphone nearby, you can pay an additional monthly fee to your carrier.
Which smartwatch should I buy?
Stay with the same make (brand) as your smartphone for the most compatibility. If you carry an iPhone, buy the Apple Watch. If you carry a Galaxy smartphone from Samsung, buy the Galaxy Watch. If you carry a Pixel smartphone from Google, buy a Pixel Watch. If you carry an Android-based smartphone but the make/brand does not make a smartwatch, buy Galaxy Watch or Pixel Watch if fall detection is important, or a smartwatch from other brands, depending on your needs.
Windows or Mac computer?
Wait, do you need a Windows or Mac computer? What do you want to do with it? I’ve learned that many older adults use their computers to access the internet (the cloud) for simple tasks like checking email, browsing for information, online shopping and banking and streaming entertainment. But a Windows or Mac computer is capable of far more. People often overpay for more computer power than they need. A less-expensive tablet or budget-friendly Chromebook may be a good option if you have simple computer needs, saving you money and headaches from mastering complex operating systems like Windows and MacOS.
Is it safe to buy non-Apple-branded (non-OEM) accessories to save money?
Sure, but I would strongly recommend that the third-party products you buy are MFi certified. This means that the accessories are tested and endorsed by Apple. MFi stands for “made for iPhone/iPad” and is Apple’s certification program. Buy only MFi-certified or Apple-branded products. I was raised to be frugal but when I’ve invested in a $1,000 iPhone, I’d rather not sweat the little things by using non-MFi-certified accessories to save a few bucks.
Which browser should I use?
All browsers let you travel, figuratively, the information superhighway known as the internet (cloud). A browser, like a car, takes you from point A to point B. The main ones are Chrome (Google), Edge (Microsoft), and Firefox (Mozilla Foundation). It depends on what you prefer. On my Windows laptop, I have Chrome, Edge and Firefox installed, and use all three, depending on my mood/need.
On my Apple Macbook, I have four browsers installed because Apple has the Apple-device-exclusive Safari browser. That said, if you are hard of hearing, which I am, I’ve been recommending the Chrome or Edge browsers that let you enable real-time captions (closed captions) for whatever is playing on your computer. It’s a handy feature because not all videos have a standard closed caption (CC) button. You’ll find this under the “Accessibility” category of Chrome or Edge settings menu. The “Settings” menu item shows up when you click on the three horizontal or vertical dots or bars (they keep changing the icon so you should think like an Egyptian, reading hieroglyphics).
I canceled cable TV because it has become too expensive. Since I still have internet and Wi-Fi service, can I get entertainment through the internet?
Many free streaming services play commercials to cover their costs. Also, there are many paid subscription-based streaming services with few or no commercials, depending on your plan. Count yourself as a card-carrying member of the “cutting-the-cord” posse, which I have been in for more than a decade.
To find popular, free streaming services, point your favorite web browser on any device that is connected to the internet, and type in pluto.tv, tubitv.com or play.xumo.com, to name a few.
Smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks have dedicated apps available for free in the Play Store (Android-based devices) and App Store (Apple devices). There’s also an interesting free streaming project going on at Stanford University on the West Coast. Visit puffer.stanford.edu, where the project streams stations affiliated with NBC, CBS, ABC, PBS, Fox and CW networks in the Palo Alto, California area to anyone in the USA.
How did I get hit by a computer virus even though I pay annually for an antivirus program?
Whether you pay for an antivirus program or use the antivirus feature that is already baked into Windows 10 or 11, antivirus programs cannot protect you from your bad computer habits. Security programs are like your wingman, trying to protect you when you make the wrong judgment call, such as opening an email attachment that is inside an unsolicited email that you should have just deleted without opening in the first place. Your best protection is your judgment, and that means building good computer habits. Doing so minimizes the risk of being phished, getting a virus, or getting infected with less harmful but very annoying adware, or worse ransomware.
Do I need a smartTV to stream? My TV is flat like a smart TV but old.
The prefix “smart” before the word TV or before any noun such as “phone” means it can connect to the internet. Traditionally, “broadcasting” meant you either used an antenna to receive TV broadcasted through the air or a cable TV service relaying the same programs and premium channels through a thick cable. “Streaming” is receiving entertainment broadcasted through the internet, instead of the air or cable.
Most modern computers and tablets, by default, can connect to the internet, so they don’t get that prefix but cell phones and TVs, because they traditionally didn’t need to connect to the internet for their intended uses, need that prefix. If you like the image you see on your flat but dumbTV, as long as you have Wi-Fi in the home and an available HDMI connection port on your dumbTV, you can convert that dummy into a smartie starting at $20 by buying a “streamer.” If you have Wi-Fi but there are no available HDMI ports on your dumbTV, there are even converters and HDMI switches on marketplaces like Amazon that may do the trick for a fraction of the cost of buying a new smartTV. Again, if you like the image quality of your dumbTV, why buy a new smartTV when $20 can give it a new life?
Tak Tip: when shopping for a smartTV, image quality should be the priority. You can even apply the same logic and buy a streamer for your five-year-old smartTV that has become slower, more cumbersome, or cannot connect to the newer free/paid streaming services. Funny that five years is considered old but technology ages like a dog—seven years in dog years for one human year. Be a smartCONSUMER.
My friend showed me her smartphone’s vacation pictures on her smartTV. I can’t find the “Cast” button on my Samsung phone that she said her Google Pixel phone has. Help!
The industry standard lingo for doing what she did is called “mirroring” because she was mirroring her smartphone’s tiny screen onto the smartTV’s bigger screen. The basic premise for mirroring to work is that the two devices are on the same network and the Wi-Fi router doesn’t have the feature to block the devices from seeing each. What is annoying, from a consumer perspective, is that different smartphone manufacturers of Android-based smartphones—which Google built Android and licenses to companies like Motorola, Samsung, and many others—may give it a different name than what Google calls casting. Since you have a Samsung smartphone, they are one of those companies who call it “SmartView.” Apple calls the mirroring “Airplay” or “Airplay2.” Not all smart TVs or streamers can mirror both Android and/or Apple devices.
I have an iPhone (smartphone), iPad (tablet), and an iMac (computer) from Apple. I have device fatigue. Recently, my husband gave me ebooks on my Amazon account. As much as I want to start reading them, I am leery of having to buy yet another device, an Amazon Kindle ebook reader, and learn how to use it. Do I have to?
Although I have my own problems and Tech Talk does not give marital advice, I believe you must appreciate your husband’s thoughtfulness. Amazon has the free “Kindle app” for Android-based smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks, Apple iPhones and iPads, and Kindle applications for Windows and MacOS personal computers. Enjoy reading your ebooks.
I have Windows 10 and the Windows Update tells me that I cannot upgrade my 10-year-old computer to Windows 11. Do I need a new computer?
If Microsoft doesn’t exercise the stay-of-execution option as they did with Windows 7 to delay the inevitable, Windows 10 will be put out to pasture on October 14, 2025. It’s not that Windows 10 will cease to operate as the clock turns to October 15, but you take on more risk using an unsupported operating system, especially connected to the cloud.
My Windows 10 computer was upgraded to Windows 11. I know I need to adapt to the new look, but it annoys me to see the little flag, the Windows start button, in the middle of the taskbar. Are there free programs, similar to many that were available to make Windows 8 look like Windows 7, for Windows 11?
You can do better than using a free program. Open the Settings application, select Personalization, select Taskbar, select Taskbar behaviors, find Taskbar alignment and from the dropdown menu on the right end of that entry, choose your preference (currently Center or Left). Or if you right-mouse/touchpad click on your taskbar, select Taskbar settings and follow the above from selecting Taskbar behavior. The latter shortcut saved you a whopping 7 seconds—you’re welcome.
Is FaceTime good?
FaceTime is an easy-to-use video chat app, especially if you are an Apple device holder (iPhone, iPad, or Mac computer) holding video chats with other Apple device holders. If you have the right operating system on your Apple device—iOS15, iPadOS15 or MacOS Monterey or newer—you can now invite Android and Windows device users. They can join, not initiate, a video chat using their favorite web browser. Other video chat apps that work with both Apple and Android-based smartphones and tablets include Google Meet, Zoom, or Signal.
My friend, whose email address ends in @gmail.com, tells me she creates documents for free in the cloud. How does she do that?
Free email service providers like Google (@gmail.com) and Microsoft (@hotmail.com or @outlook.com) have enhanced their services with office productivity applications like a word processor, spreadsheet and presentation. For Google and Microsoft, Docs, Sheets, Slides or Word, Excel, and PowerPoint respectively. These free offerings have apps installable from mutually exclusive Apps Store (Apple) and Play Store (Android) respectively for smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks. You can also use a web browser on your computer. The documents, spreadsheets and presentations you create are saved in the cloud as default but you can download them to your devices or convert them into a PDF file that can be opened in a web browser or with an app from Adobe called “Acrobat Reader.”
I paid to increase my iCloud space but it only increased it on my phone; not on my laptop. I have an iPhone and a Dell laptop.
When you pay to increase your iCloud space, you are paying monthly to increase your storage space in the cloud and not on your iPhone. Your iPhone in your hand is always connected to your storage space in the cloud (internet). Apple brands its users’ cloud storage space as iCloud. Refer to the May/June 2024 issue of the Tech Talk column in Boomer magazine for a detailed explanation.
When I buy a smart bulb, why can’t I get it to work with my Alexa?
For digital assistants like Alexa to be able to control your smart bulb, you need to go through the initial “pairing” of the devices. These steps assume you already have Alexa on your home’s Wi-Fi (wireless) network. If you haven’t already, download the Alexa app from the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or the Play Store (Android-based smartphone/tablet), start it, and sign into your Amazon account using the Alexa app. Tap on “Devices,” tap on the “+” icon (think like an Egyptian reading hieroglyphics to decode what an icon may mean, which in this case a plus sign icon means to add something), and answer questions that follow after tapping “Add Device.” Now you are ready to pair the two.
Many times, the smart bulb itself automatically goes into the “pairing mode” when you put the smart bulb into the socket and turn the fixture on (if it does, you’ll notice the smart bulb blinking). Refer to the instructions that came with your smart bulb to put it in pairing mode if it doesn’t do it automatically. Once you pair the smart bulb with Alexa, you can give voice commands to Alexa and control the smart device, in this example the smartbulb.
Do I need a smart bulb with a smart plug or both?
A smartplug, which is plugged into a wall outlet, can turn on/off “not-smart” devices like a plain old floor lamp fixture that is plugged into the smartplug, by using the smartplug’s app on your smartphone or by giving voice commands to digital assistants like Alexa. Staying with this plain old floor lamp fixture example, you can opt to replace the not-smart light bulb of the floor lamp with a smartbulb instead and you can achieve the same thing. It’s fun to make a dumb object smart. No one’s stopping you from using both: a plain, old floor lamp with a smartbulb plugged into a smartplug that is plugged into the wall outlet.
I was at a party and saw someone with a large phone that she folded in half and put in her purse. Could I get that and still be compatible with my iPad or Dell computer?
Have you noticed the muscle cars of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s giving very strong design cues to the reincarnated muscle cars in the 21st Century? Think of foldable smartphones as following the same pattern of revival. For a while, a “bigger [screen] is better” was the industry motto for a smartphone, but like my wife and many of my alumni with smaller hands, they prefer the size of the iPhone SE over the regular iPhones. It was a matter of time before they brought back the iconic branding and design, not to mention shape-shifting foldable phones like that Motorola Razr, but this time when you open it up, it becomes a smartphone with a big screen. These foldable smartphones are Android-based. Can you share or copy files from the foldable smartphone to an iPad or a Dell computer? Sure. Android-based smartphones are compatible with both Apple and other non-Apple devices for sharing files.
Do I need to turn off my phone and laptop at night? Is it bad to keep them on all the time?
Over the decades, I’ve listened to electrical engineers heatedly debate on your second question. Risking that one of my electrical engineer college buddies will hate me, I believe it’s not bad and it’s not any better to keep them on all the time. I rarely turn any of my devices—smartphones, tablets or computers—off. They are set to sleep, sipping little energy when not used. I never turned off my dumbphone or even the cordless phone that was connected to my landline (remember those?) because doing so defeats the purpose of what the devices do. I do encourage people to turn on, manually or on a daily preset schedule, the “Do Not Disturb” (DND) feature of a smartphone when they’re sleeping or don’t want to be contacted. Calls are sent to voicemail, texts just go unread, and notifications show up on the screen but the screen is not lit. If the same caller calls several times in succession, the artificial intelligence will let the call through since it deems the call might be important enough to break the DND.
Is there a difference between texting vs messaging?
Yes, there is but it may not matter too much, especially if you are on a smartphone plan since talking and texting, or as I affectionately call those communication methodologies “yapping and tapping,” is free and unlimited. If the phone has a texting feature, you just need the 10-digit phone number of the recipient to send a text message. Messaging, on the other hand, requires that both parties use the same messaging app. Signal (my preference due to privacy), WhatsUp and Messenger from Meta (parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram), iMessage (from Apple) which is part of Apple’s Message app can do messaging.
I remember reading somewhere about not using electronic devices before bedtime. Is that why I keep tossing & turning?
Studies have shown that the blue light emitted by the screen of an electronic device like a smartphone, tablet or computer will prevent you from falling asleep. Most devices in their settings menu have a switch that you can turn on to filter out the blue light. Now go get some sleep!
