Stay Connected Off Grid

No bars for 200 miles sounds like a nightmare until you know what actually works now. We talk through modern ways to stay connected when you’re traveling far from cell towers, including what “satellite texting” can and cannot do today, and why it’s a big deal that it’s built into phones and supported through carrier partnerships. From there we get practical about Starlink satellite internet for road trips and RV life, including the difference between a permanently mounted setup and a portable dish you deploy when you stop, plus the real world considerations like power draw, battery banks, solar, and avoiding obstructions like heavy tree cover.

We also zoom in on perfect timing for Central Florida listeners: Florida’s sales tax holiday on computers and computer accessories. We break down how to use the under $1,500 rule to your advantage and what upgrades give the biggest daily payoff, especially a second monitor and the USB-C hubs and adapters that can expand a laptop into a full workstation. If you’ve been searching for back to school tech deals, laptop upgrades, or a productivity setup that doesn’t cost a fortune, this is your game plan.

Then we shift to getting students ready the right way, not just buying a laptop and hoping for the best. We share why business-class laptops tend to survive backpacks and constant opening and closing, and we walk through built-in parental controls you already have: Microsoft Family Safety on Windows, Screen Time on Apple, and Google Family Link for Android and Chromebooks. We add the setup steps that save the school year: cloud backup, separate user accounts, labeling devices, enabling Find My tracking, and a simple workflow trick for everyone, turning anything into a PDF using Print to PDF on Windows and Save as PDF on Mac, plus using browser reading mode to remove clutter.

If you get value from Tech Talk with Refresh Computers, subscribe, share it with a parent or traveler who needs it, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Transcript

Podcast Access And Email Signup

SPEAKER_01 0:08

And then welcome back to Tech Talk here on WDBO 1073FM and AM580 Orlando's News and Talk. I'm Greg Rhodes here with David Levitt, president and founder of Refresh Computer Superstore and technician Adam Littlefield. You can contact the Refresh Computer Superstore by calling their free tech support hotline at 407-478-8200. Or if you have a comment during the show, we'd love to hear it. Use an open mic feature inside the WDBO app. And now back to David and Adam.

SPEAKER_02 0:34

All right. Thanks, Greg. And thanks everybody for listening to yet another edition of Tech Talk with Refresh Computers. If you missed anything that we talked about in our last segment, which we talked a lot about my upcoming trip to Dead Horse Alaska and a lot of the tech that I'll be using during that trip, you can recap that by going to refreshcomputers.net, clicking on that podcast link, and you'll be able to listen to this show in its entirety. But while you're also there on that page, you'll be able to see bulleted items of everything that we talked about. So in case you don't have time to listen, or if you want to just kind of scan through what we're talking about before you listen, you can do that as well, right there at refreshcomputers.net. And better yet, scroll down to the bottom of the page and put in your email address and just click submit. That's all we asked for. We don't need anything else. We just want your email address if you want to get notified whenever a new podcast is published. And you'll get notified, of course, via the email address that you gave us. And with a link included, when you get that email, that'll take you right to the podcast that we just published. So, and you know, this show here on WDBO is a radio show, of course, and we love doing it here on WDBO, but we we convert it with the help of Greg here who sends us the audio files. We convert it into that podcast that you can listen to anytime you want to at your leisure. And

Florida Sales Tax Holiday Explained

SPEAKER_02 2:05

it's actually commercial free right there on the website. So it's about 40 minutes or so of listening if you are inclined to do so. So sales tax holiday, we'll we'll keep bringing this up because it starts tomorrow. The sales tax holiday on all computers and computer equipment. So any accessories that go with computers are included. So including something like a monitor. Like a second monitor. Like a second monitor. You know, we we stock hundreds of LCD monitors, all different sizes, right there at the refreshed computer superstore in Longwood. And you can, you know, come in and pick up a your second monitor, third monitor, fourth monitor. Right. We we have monitor stands that we sell there that hold four monitors. We have another monitor stand set up that holds six monitors if you're into that. You know, day traders like all this, all these. So we have all that right there at Refresh Computers, and you can come in and see that. You know, and one thing that we didn't mention in yesterday's show or yet today is the fact you can also go online and buy all of this stuff tax-free. Again, that's refreshcomputers.net. And so again, it also has to be under $1,500. Right. And you pay no sales tax. You can buy it online. So the sales tax holiday, you don't actually have to be in the store to take advantage of it. It's also good online. So you can buy any of the accessories right there at refreshcomputers.net at your second monitor or you know, your computer or laptop if you want to upgrade to something better than what you have, you can do that right there at refreshcomputers.net and not pay any sales tax. That starts tomorrow and it's all the way through August 20th.

SPEAKER_00 3:56

So and I want to chime in too on getting a second monitor. You know, years ago, I actually used to work from home, and the biggest uh, I guess, change I made working from home that helped so much was getting a second monitor.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

You improve productivity uh 50%.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

It is.

SPEAKER_01 4:26

And USB C has made it so easy to expand your workstation, even up to three and four monitors. So that's definitely an upgrade if you haven't made already. Now's the time to do it.

SPEAKER_02 4:36

Right. And if you don't have a USB-C connector on your computer, we sell adapters. We sell USB C hubs right now. And then hubs, yep. At Refresh Computers, where you can connect two, three monitors to your laptop or your computer right from the USB-C Hub that we have right there at Refresh Computers. So don't forget, again, Sales Tax holiday for computers and laptops and all the accessories begins tomorrow and it's going to be through August 20th.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

And the reason for that sale, school is right around the corner. We'll talk about some of those needs that you'll have here coming up for the upcoming school year, right here on Tech Talk on WDBO 1073FM and AM580. Orlando's news and talk. I'm Greg Rhodes here with David Levitt, president and founder of Refresh Computer Superstore, and technician Adam Littlefield. You can contact the Refresh Computer Superstore by calling their free tech support hotline at 407-478-8200, or if you have a comment during the show when you use that open mic feature inside the WDBO app. You can also check out the website over at RefreshComputers.net or stop it at the Refresh Computer Superstore in Longwood at 820 East State Road 434, just three and a half miles east of I-4. Store hours are Monday through

Why A Second Monitor Boosts Work

SPEAKER_01 6:05

Saturday, 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. And now for David Levitt and Adam Littlefield.

SPEAKER_02 6:10

All right. Thanks, Greg. And thanks everybody for listening to this Sunday morning edition of Tech Talk with Refresh Computers. And boy, we have another tech show today full of tech stuff. And one of the things we're going to be talking about is uh how to stay connected where you are. We know, like if you're around no cell towers and uh, you know, no bars for 200 miles. If you're on the road, like I'm going to be, and we're going to get into a little bit of that as well. I'm going to be on the road here for an extended period of time coming up well tomorrow. I'll be leaving. And uh Adam will be doing the show for us for the next several weeks. And we'll talk a little bit more about that. And then we are then going to talk about some you know cheap upgrades that nobody thinks of, you know, things like a second computer screen and stuff like that that you can take advantage of the sales tax holiday that's starting tomorrow. That you can buy actually buy not just computers and laptops, but you know, computer monitors and accessories without paying sales taxes that starts tomorrow. And then while we're on that subject, we're also going to get into you know getting ready for back to school because back to school starting Tuesday, August 11th, if you're in Orange County, and Monday, August 10th, if you're in Seminole County. Why can't they just like make it the same day?

SPEAKER_01 7:31

You wouldn't know. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:32

It's practically here though. I couldn't imagine starting school. I believe that's Tuesday, the 11th. I can't imagine starting in a daily.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

Can I have one more day before I go to school? Oh, sure. You'll start Tuesday.

SPEAKER_00 7:43

Well, if you're gonna give me that one day, you might as well give me the rest of the week, Dave.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

Good point. And then we'll finish the show off today with how to turn anything into a PDF without a printer. You know, on yesterday's show, we talked about how to capture anything with your iPhone or your Galaxy phone and you know, being able to turn that into a PDF without buying any or using any extra app. But now we're gonna, at the end of the today's show, we'll talk about turning anything into a PDF without a printer on your computer and other devices. So stay tuned

Remote Travel And Satellite Texting

SPEAKER_02 8:20

for that. So let's get into how to stay connected when you're on the road, you know, which is a timely topic for me. We talked about some of this in previous episodes, right? Because I tend to do a little bit of traveling. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

We talked a lot about Starlink and you know their satellite connectivity, and that's one of the major things now, really, that's being used, like you said, for road trips.

SPEAKER_02 8:44

And and I'm going to be taking an extended road trip. I'm actually going to do another one of my dreams. You know, in January of this year, I drove to the end of the world south, right? And uh, all the way to Ushuaia, Argentina, through the Caratara Astral, which is one of the most beautiful drives anywhere, and a challenging drive, a lot of rocky uh roads uh with cliffs with no guardrails. I can only imagine how that felt in your RV. And so it was a it was an awesome, awesome road trip. And so I'm gonna fulfill the other end of that dream, and that is drive to the end of the road north.

SPEAKER_01 9:21

Ooh.

SPEAKER_02 9:22

So I'll be going to a place called Dead Horse, Alaska, and that's basically the end of the road. Right. And and before I go there, I'm actually going to be driving to the end of the road in Canada, all the way to the Arctic uh Arctic Ocean. You can actually get to the Arctic Ocean driving in in Canada. Now, Dead Horse Alaska is Prudhoe Bay, it's not the the Arctic Ocean, but you've already crossed the Arctic Circle to get there. So I'm gonna be doing that trip and I'm leaving actually tomorrow. And maybe I can call in and you know be part of an episode while I'm on the road and it'd be kind of fun. The road trip is gonna be a total of 16,000 miles. Wow. So yeah, a lot of the mileage you put on the RV, but you know what? I didn't buy it to sit.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

I certainly didn't you definitely didn't buy the upgrades for it to let those sit either. Because a lot of those upgrades are gonna make the uh the traveling a lot easier. I know that your uh coverage specifically was always a concern for you, and you've kind of got that squared away. I knew you were telling me you just got solar panels installed on as well.

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Upgraded solar panels, and I have the type of RV that I don't need to be connected to anything for probably a week or two. I mean, I can just which is our preferred way to travel. I'm not a fan of RV parks. I'm just not. I know a lot of people depend on them and really rely on them, but not me. I I try to avoid them as much as possible. Every once in a while we'll we'll stay at one when we have to. We have to empty some tanks, and you know, fortunately I have the type of black tank that I don't I don't have to worry about too much. You know, I have extra cassettes, you know, that I can use and and all I need is a toilet anywhere to empty that tank, which is kind of nice. I don't have to look for a space or a place to actually dump a black tank, which is one of the key factors of being able to be out for a week or two without hooking up to anything. So, you know, in the United States, there's roughly five hundred thousand square miles that has zero cell phone coverage. Can you say that number for me again? Five hundred thousand square miles with no cell phone coverage in the U.S. Right? None.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

Just not not one bar. That's zero coverage.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

And so, but that's actually not bad news if you need to send text today if you have the right phone. Right. Right phone and the right uh phone plan. In the right phone. Because you can still you send and receive text via satellite, thanks to Elon Musk. Just through a program that they did with T-Mobile. And you don't, even though it's through T-Mobile, they through T-Mobile, they extend it to the other carriers as well. I'm not sure why or how that works, why it only can go through one carrier first and then spread out to the other carriers. Must be a technical thing, I don't know, or maybe it's a money thing with T-Mobile, but it's something that that they do. So it's it's just with T-Mobile. But even though it's with T-Mobile, if you have ATT or Verizon, you can still do it. It just happens to come through T-Mobile to get to you.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

I can I can imagine the hardware to receive that sort of signal is probably very expensive. So it is probably cheaper, I would say, for a lot of those other companies that just route through T-Mobile's hardware to get it instead of building their own receiver. Right. You know. One thing though that I was going to mention too is, you know, like Dave said, texting is really achievable now over satellite. You know, we're gone is the day of what movies used to show as a satellite phone, a big old brick with five foot long antenna that you had to pull out to be able to connect to anything. Now it's, you know, most of our smartphones that are in our pockets or sitting on a desk wherever they may be.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

Well, and keep in mind it's just texting. It's not not you can't text video, you can't text, you can't send a picture. Can't send multimedia. Can't send multimedia via the text. Not yet. That's coming though. Right. Right.

SPEAKER_00 13:19

We have as all technology does. It grows, and we're gonna be able to get that. And I imagine at some point we'll be able to do full-on phone calls, you know, through through satellite, probably FaceTime as well, video calls, and have no connection problems.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Yeah, we're seeing all of these different satellite companies starting to come through since you know SpaceX and the Starlink satellites are really kind of the an innovators on that. You're also seeing other companies that are backed by like Amazon and Jeff Bezos and things like that. It's just gonna continue to expand.

SPEAKER_02 13:48

It is. I'm looking forward to that. And I I am because the the competition certainly helps price points, so put it that way.

SPEAKER_00 13:54

It's always exciting to see too the competition, how it it fuels ingenuity and just development, just new stuff coming out all the time. And that's really how we've gotten here to this point because go back 20 or so years, being able to text and call from a device in your pocket was you know a new, newer thing for tech. Yeah. And now we're we're talking about satellites sending that communication instead.

SPEAKER_02 14:17

Well, you know, and there's you know, there's a lot of people like my wife and I that like to explore like the most remote places that we can actually get to. Right. And and so you know, there's three different kinds of things that you can be aware of, right? That one is you know, you might be in a situation where you you know someone needs to know that you're alive, right? You could be so far remote and into some places that are kind of dangerous, and so you need to be able to to to do that. And another is you know, maybe you're in a place where you actually need to use the internet, right? And the third problem is, you know, I'm hurt and nobody's coming. So there's different

Starlink Plans Power And Mounting Tips

SPEAKER_02 15:00

answers for each one of these. So most people buy the wrong one for the problem they actually have. So fortunately for me, I've taken the uh advantage of using a permanently mounted Starlink satellite on my RV. So it doesn't really matter where I'm at as long as I'm not under an awning somewhere or under a big tree canopy. And the, you know, I'm going to have internet all the time, and through that internet service, I can you know use Wi-Fi calling to make phone calls and receive phone calls. So I can I'm always going to be available, and so that's but that's kind of you know that that is a bit of an expensive way to go. The the Starlink service for that type of service roaming service, they call it, is about $165 a month that you have to pay Starlink to have that type of permanent service. Now, Starlink has other plans starting around $50 a month that is less of a permanent type of setup, and they don't really call them the roaming plan. So you can get the Starlink Mini, for example, and the way it's supposed to be used is if when you're stopped somewhere, you can take the antenna and stick it out and use the internet that way. But I know a lot of people actually take that antenna and figure out a way to put it in the windshield and still use it while they're quote unquote roaming or driving.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

I will tell you, I know somebody like that that has it, they have a uh Tesla cyber truck. And because of the large amount of real estate on the front of the cyber truck, they're able to set that right there in front under their uh windshield. And it works. And it does work.

SPEAKER_00 16:44

I think people on other models put it on the inside actually, just on the top glass, just right there, so it's always pointed up. But you know, a big question I want to ask you, Dave, though, is you know, you're going all the way to Dead Horse, Alaska. How's your satellite panel gonna handle any snow that it might get on it? I can't imagine it'll be a lot, but I mean it's a it's a good question to have.

SPEAKER_02 17:04

Well, no, well, first of all, I'm hoping that we leave early enough. And I know a lot of people that have been to Alaska or maybe are from Alaska are probably screaming, you better hit the road soon, Dave. Your time is already running out. I know. I can't the clock is ticking. And you know, we had some family stuff going on. I couldn't leave any earlier, so I'll throw that throw that out there. We're leaving as early as we can possibly leave. And but I know we have to, you know, do it in a way I don't typically like to travel, is you know, is we have to just get there. So, you know, the first leg of the trip is actually going to go through north. I've never been to Mount Rushmore. I've been to every national park I think there is out west and and glacier up in Montana, but I've never been to Mount Rushmore. So we're that's we're heading right there first, and then from there straight through Canada up to the Arctic Ocean, and then we're gonna come back. You have to come back down a little ways and then go back up to get to Dead Horse. So we should be in Dead Horse probably by I would say middle to the end of August, which is like the last drop dead date that you should be driving that far north. Because already it's it's it might be snowing at that at that point. So I don't have to answer your question. Yeah, I don't I'm hoping not to have to worry about the snow getting up there. But if it does, and then I'm someplace that that you know that where it might be stuck for a few days, hey, you know, my RV is rated for 20 degrees below zero. Right. So there you go.

SPEAKER_00 18:36

I know some of uh Starlink panels as well, they actually have a heating element in them. It was a little bit of a loaded question. I'm sorry. But I know some of them melt snow off of them if they detect a a bad signal due to like obstruction.

SPEAKER_02 18:47

Yeah, I don't think my satellite has that. Although, you know, I have the the biggest and best one that the Starlink sells, but I don't think it has that defrost mode. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Well, I mean, most of these satellite panels are already like hungry little computers, you know. They're pulling 50 to 75 watts just continuously running. So putting in heating elements gonna pull harder.

SPEAKER_02 19:07

True. And and that's the other thing that you know I had to consider. I actually have a couple of extra, you know, lithium battery banks in this RV, which is uh what helps me be able to stay out for a week or two at a time without being hooked up to anything. Of course, we have a generator also in there, two full tanks of propane. So, you know, we're good for a few weeks.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

You've got a generator, batteries, you've got solar on the roof. I'm sure you have an inverter. A big inverter. You've told me how you can control certain functions of your RV through an app. It's starting to sound like your RV is more of like a rolling data center than it is a recreational vehicle.

SPEAKER_02 19:44

Well, it's part of that too, because guess what? I I will be doing work on the road. So you know, it's not all gonna be fun and and and games and exploring, which you know, we love to do. There'll be some work going on too, and I'll call into the show too. But you know, we still have this show to finish, and so that's we're gonna take a break here, and when we come back, we're gonna talk about some you know, upgrades that you might not have thought about, and especially you can take advantage of now that the sales tax holiday starts tomorrow on computers and computer-related equipment.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

Quick weather update from Dead Horse, Alaska, Monday. 43 degrees as a high, 35 degrees as a low. So enjoy your trip up north there, Dave. You've been listening to Tech Talk right here on WDBO 1073FM and AM580. Hey then, welcome to Tech Talk here on WDBO 1073FM and AM580, Orlando's News and Talk. I'm Greg Rhodes here with David Levitt, President and Founder of Refresh Computer Superstore, and technician Adam Littlefield. You can contact the Refresh Computer Superstore by calling their free tech support hotline at 407-478-8200. Or if you have a comment during the show, we'd love to hear it. Use that open mic feature inside the WDBO app. You can also check out the website over at Refresh Computers.net or stop it at the Refresh Computer Superstore in Longwood at 820 East State Road 434, just three and a half miles east of I-4. Store hours are Monday through Saturday,

Back To School Laptop Buying Advice

SPEAKER_01 21:20

9 a.m. until 7 p.m. And now we're David Levitt and Adam Littlefield.

SPEAKER_02 21:25

All right. Thanks, Greg. And thanks everybody for listening to this tax-free edition of Tech Talk with Refresh Computers. Sales tax-free that is, because a sales tax holiday officially starts tomorrow for any computer or laptop or accessories, computer or laptop accessories, and a whole bunch of other things that we talked about on yesterday's show. And if you want to catch up on that and just see exactly what is included in the sales tax holiday that starts tomorrow all the way through August 20th, go to refreshcomputers.net, click on that podcast link, and you'll be able to Find yesterday's show, you can click on that, and right there will be bulletized all of the things that are included in the sales tax holiday that's coming, it's starting tomorrow. So we talked about that at length in yesterday's show. So we're not going to repeat it today, but you can catch it all just by going to refreshmentcomputers.net and clicking on that podcast link. And so we're talking about, well, you know, back to school. Again, it's Orange County is Tuesday, August 11th. Seminole County is August 10th, Monday, August 10th. I'm not sure when Osceola County is or Volusia County is, but it's going to be, you know, around that same time and you know, throughout the entire, you know, the WDBO listening audience is quite vast all over Central Florida. So it's not just Orange County and Seminole County, but you know, back to school starting soon. Right. You know, pretty soon. We're what three weeks and change away from from that. And so maybe it's time to start thinking about, you know, buying all your kids' supplies and you know, figuring out what your kids need for back to school. You know, you know, schools give a a list, right? They've they've been doing that since heck I was a kid. You know, we used to have to bring home a list of the parents, you know, or a syllabus. I go to the parents' night and pick up the list, you know, go to the school and get the list. And so you can figure out what what they need.

SPEAKER_01 23:23

And last reference, Osceola goes back the same time as Seminole. So they'll both be back on that Monday.

SPEAKER_02 23:29

Orange Counties. Orange County's the Tuesday. Whatever Tuesday. So, you know, yeah. So, you know, one more one more day for the Orange County kids. But I wonder that must mean that they have to stay an extra day too. That's what I was that's exactly what I was thinking. Or maybe they have one less makeup day or something. I don't know, because I know schools have systems have built-in makeup days. So anyway, so what is what does your kid need for computing?

SPEAKER_01 23:56

Whether they go back to school on Monday or Tuesday. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

Right. So, you know, typically it's going to be just your your everyday, let's just say boring laptop, right?

SPEAKER_00 24:06

Boring office computer, basically.

SPEAKER_02 24:08

And and you know, we would recommend the business class because they are much more durable than the consumer class, you know, laptops and and desktops. So, you know, the business class have better keyboards, sturdier hinges. Business class laptops are actually built to be repaired because they're in a business environment typically. So and we sell mostly business class laptops at refreshed computers. So you might want to consider that type of laptop. It's just a lot more sturdier, something that you can put in your backpack and not worry about it so much as you would a consumer grade.

SPEAKER_01 24:49

Something that you talk about all the time is how they have the stronger hinges, some of these titanium-made hinges, things like that. I can only imagine that's more advantageous to somebody who's opening and closing this, going in between classes all day, as opposed to usually how you use your laptop at home, right? It sits on the buttons on the laptop until you're done with it.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

That's right. Right. And and I can tell you, we repair laptop hinges all the time. And 99% of them are from consumer grade machines. Right. Because they just don't last as long. They're plasticky. You can even hear them clicking sometimes when you open the lid, and they're just not built well. You know, and I mentioned that you know you can take these and throw them in your backpack. And and but speaking of backpacks, just for you listeners out there, you will be able to pick up a free Lenovo backpack. And these are great backpacks for schools, too, for your kid. But these Lenovo backpacks will hold a laptop up to 15.6 inch screen, laptop pack. Well, backpack. So it has a full strap, strap over your back, made out of really sturdy material. It's Lenovo, it's a it's a really you know nice brand. And so we're giving these away with every laptop purchase. So you buy a laptop, you get a free Lenovo backpack. Free. And so, you know, sales tax, no sales tax on a laptop is great because you get no sales tax charged on it. No sales tax on zero is also great because it's zero anyway.

SPEAKER_00 26:18

So don't don't get into dividing by zero though, Dave. We'll uh we'll start breaking the show if we start getting there.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

So you get that free backpack. And you know, and and and and really, I'm not mentioning this anywhere else and any other no advertising, that nothing like that. So if you're a listener to this show, just mention it. Hey, Dave says you'll give me a free backpack, Lenovo backpack if I buy a laptop.

SPEAKER_01 26:39

A radio show and podcast exclusive.

SPEAKER_02 26:42

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

And you know, you know, if you haven't yet, I would also suggest on our website, refreshcomputers.net, you can listen to all of our podcasts. In the top right corner, there's the podcast link right there. All of our uh podcasts going back years, have all of our summaries on them. But you can also go to the bottom of any page, put in your email address right there. That's all we asked for, and you can sign up for our newsletters that'll provide you, you know, updates on when we put out a new episode like this, as well as our, I believe, our refresh insider deals email that we send out. That's right. So this kind of information, you know, you'll be in that little uh exclusivity bubble.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

That's right. So we call it the Refresh Insiders Club, actually. So you'll be able to get notification of uh you know new shows that that came out. You know, as soon as they are published, you'll get the email. And uh every Monday morning, usually around 7 a.m., there's an email that goes out with the latest and greatest that has to come into the refresh computer store for sale. So usually about three laptops and three desktops and maybe a gaming system or

Parental Controls With Built In Tools

SPEAKER_02 27:45

something will you'll will be included in that email. So let's talk a little bit about parental controls because it's important.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

It's important for you know kids going back to school. You want to make sure that they're not just goofing off playing games on that that nice laptop you bought them to take to school. So get it get into a little bit of these uh these steps that people can take, Dave.

SPEAKER_02 28:06

Yeah, and so you know, this could be your child's first computer, right? Could be your first the first laptop, first desktop if you decide to go that way. And you know, or even if it's not their first one, you you need to be aware of on Windows-based machines, so that Microsoft Family Safety on Windows. So it's actually a program built in to Windows. It's called Microsoft Family Safety. And on Apple, it's called Screen Time on Apple, Google Family Link for Android and Chromebooks. So they're all free, they're all built in. You can do things like setting up, you can set up screen time limits, so how long the screen will actually be on, and then you control it with your password. So they can't override it. So if it surpasses the amount of time that the computer's on, it shuts it down. It doesn't let them continue.

SPEAKER_00 29:00

I think it also does give you an activity report as well, based on what application or program was being used the most. So you know, you may give your kid eight hours a day and you send them to school and look at the report, and they're playing seven hours of Roblox the whole day.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

You they and they absolutely do include those activity reports, and so you can see what your child has been doing on that computer the whole time they were using it. You can use the same apps to filter content. Right. So you can say they can go to this type of website, but not this type of website. They can do this type of thing, but not that type of thing. And so you know, they can you can approve apps that they can install and stuff like that. So that's something that's really important. Again, it's called Microsoft Family Safety on Windows, Screen Time on Apple, Google's Family Link for Android and Chromebooks. So again, all free and they're already built in. You don't have to download anything, it's already part of your computer. And every one of these manufacturers had have been providing this type of service for years now, and a lot of people just never realized it because well, maybe you never needed it before. Right. Maybe it's the first time your child's been given access to a computer or laptop, or your grandchild, you know, you might want to tell, you know, the the you know, have their parents set up something like this on their computer. And again, you don't have to remember any of this because you can go to refreshcomputers.net, click on the podcast link, and right there you'll see all of this spelled out right there on the page. You can listen to the whole show, but you'll also see all the bullet points of these things that we just pointed out right here on WDBO.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

So one one bit of advice I want to give, you know, as a little bit of a younger person is you know, going through and setting these uh sorts of systems up, do it with your kid there. Yes, don't hide them. Absolutely. It it's something that me, I remember as a kid, my family had a an internet nanny thing on our computer and something else. And I'll tell you what, I was never explained about why it was there. It was just there one day, and that became the biggest mission of mine to just break. And I did. Right. I got out of it. Of course, you did. Exactly. So, you know, it's something that when you set it up with your kid explaining to them why you're putting it on there, more than half the time, they they do understand. You know, kids aren't ignorant of that sort of stuff.

SPEAKER_01 31:19

I'll give them even better shots at that more than half the time. Right. My son, we have certain rules and things set up for him for tablet use, kind of similar to how these things are set up as well. And it's not so much that we're telling him that we don't trust him, it's that we don't trust everybody else's internet. Whether it be fake information that's being used on what's supposed to be a kid's show or things like that. So, yeah, explain to them more about the reasons that you're concerned about everybody else and why it's gonna help them and build trust between the both of you. It's right, it's a it's a good little conversation to have.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

And and it also, you know, it it opens the door as well to teaching your uh your kids a little bit of internet safety and just you know, technology safety in general, because these our computers are a door to the internet, they're a door to the rest of the world. And like Greg was saying, it's not

Backups User Accounts And Device Tracking

SPEAKER_00 32:10

that you don't trust your kids, you don't trust everybody else on the internet.

SPEAKER_02 32:14

Well, true. And then, you know, so another tip while we're there is make sure you set up a cloud backup account on your kids' laptop or desktop. Just like you should have already on your computer. Make sure there is something being backed up to the cloud, whether it be Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, any of these things, is you know, everything that you save on that computer, school related or not, should be saved in a folder that's automatically connected to one of these online holding places.

SPEAKER_00 32:51

And that's that's a really good point, too, because I remember, you know, back when I was in school, I'd be typing up, you know, assignments. Of course, I'm doing them the night before they're due because that was the the type of student I was, I procrastinated. You know, it's something that if the computer suddenly shuts off, having this cloud backup that's constantly saving is gonna save your kid a lot of time. And I will say it'll save you a lot of headache not hearing, Mom, I didn't finish my essay last night, my computer turned off and deleted it. So something to keep in mind, again, having that cloud storage and when you set up the computer too, you can actually set up different users. So, you know, say your account, for example, as a parent, you can make it an administrator. And then for your kid, you make them a standard user. That'll stop them from being able to install programs on the computer. So there's nothing malicious that can be installed. But the main thing is that actually separates your files from your kids' files.

SPEAKER_02 33:45

Oh, that's very important.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

I've I've had a couple customers who, you know, have had their kids getting up to college, they're graduating, and now they have to figure out how do I un or this mess of the last eight years of my documents mixed with my kids' documents. What can I get rid of? What can I get rid of?

SPEAKER_02 34:04

So make sure they have their own login. Exactly. Basically, is what you're saying, right? And and then that helps keep things separate. Exactly. And and you know, so again, so setting up your kids' computer is great. So that you know, first of all, you know, the tax break saves you a few bucks, right?

SPEAKER_00 34:22

So that's that's already it's already a great start to that.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

Nice, but saving up or setting up that laptop correctly can save you the whole school year. Exactly. Because you gotta make sure that the data's already always gonna be there and that you know it's accessible so no matter where you are.

SPEAKER_00 34:40

And you know, a couple things before we get to the break here. You know, this is hardware. These devices, whether or not you buy an expensive one, you're still spending money on it, and kids will be kids. So a couple things I can say here put a label on that machine. The the first name, your last initial, a phone number. You know, lost and found bins are full of identical laptops. Always are. Make sure there's something on there that can help you distinguish it as your device. And also turn on the uh find my settings on a lot of these devices. Yeah. So if something gets misplaced, or you know, I say, just God forbid something gets stolen, you have a way to be able to find that location of that device.

SPEAKER_02 35:17

Yeah, as long as it's turned on. As long as it's turned on.

SPEAKER_01 35:20

And if you're listening to the show, don't forget to ask for that free Lenovo backpack to help protect that new device here throughout the school year. You've been listening to Tech Talk right here on WDBO 1073FM and AM580. Hey there, and welcome back to Tech Talk here on WDBO 1073FM and AM580, Orlando's News and Talk. I'm Greg Rhodes here with David Levitt, president and founder of Refresh Computer Superstore, and technician Adam Littlefield. You can contact the Refresh Computer Superstore by calling their free tech support hotline at 407-478-8200. And don't forget to check out the website at refreshcomputers.net. And now back to David and Adam.

SPEAKER_02 36:12

All right. Thanks, Greg, and thanks everybody for listening to Tech Talk with Refresh Computers, another really great show. You know, we we tied a lot into the sales tax holiday that's starting tomorrow on computers and accessories. So if you missed any of that, you can go to the RefreshComputers.net website, click on that podcast link. You can listen to the show in its entirety, and you can also look at all the bullet points of things that we talked about, the stuff that you normally would have wished you had a pencil that you can write down because you but you couldn't because you're driving or you're busy, you got your hands full. But now you don't have to worry about any of that because through the magic of AI, all of these things that we talk about that you would normally would want to write down are guess what? Already detailed right there in bullet point format, right there on the website, right alongside the link that you can click on to listen to the show. So it's really cool that we've been able to do that. So go to refreshcomputers.net,

Turn Anything Into A PDF

SPEAKER_02 37:06

click on that podcast link, and that's where you'll find it. So we're gonna finish the show off today with another Windows tip. Basically turning anything into a PDF without a printer.

SPEAKER_00 37:18

This is something we uh we kind of talked about, I would say, last episode, yesterday, using your phone. But this is actually a uh a nice integrated feature with Windows that I've actually been teaching a lot of my customers that have been coming in lately how to use. Because it's it's almost like making a taking a screenshot and getting it in a PDF in one one quick sweep.

SPEAKER_02 37:37

It's real nice. And speaking of screenshots, I want to get this in because we're gonna talk a little bit more about how to do this on a on Windows and also on a Mac and on your phone. But nearly every browser has a reading mode. So a lot of times, you know, when you want to print what you're looking at in the in the in your browser or save it as a PDF, for example, you get all the ads, you get everything that's right there, whatever is displayed on your screen. But if you put it in the junk, you get all the junk. But if you can put it in reading mode, then before you click the print to PDF, you get just the article. No ads, no clutter. So it's a cleaner file, less paper if you do print it. So it's just something to remove to remember. So use reading mode before you click print to PDF. But go ahead, Adam. How do you do it on a Windows machine?

SPEAKER_00 38:23

So on Windows, it's as simple as uh printing a page. I'm sure everybody that's done some printing before knows that you hit control P that opens up the printing menu. Well, in the printer drop down that's there, it'll normally say probably the brand of what printer you have. You can click that and pick the Microsoft Print to PDF button instead of your real printer, and then hit print, and it'll ask you where you want to save it, and you hit save and that's it. You just saved it like a PDF, just like that.

SPEAKER_01 38:47

So great for invoices, so great for order confirmations, for shipping, things like that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:52

Yeah, and Mac is uh very similar to that as well. Instead of uh control P, you do Command P because Mac had to be a little bit different with that shortcut. You look for the PDF drop down in the corner and choose save as PDF. Um, I believe it'll ask you where to save that as well. Hit save and just like that, you can. Pretty there. Yeah. So on your phone, it's a little bit, a little bit more involved, not too much though. In most apps, you can tap share on whatever content you're looking at. I I did it just through my gallery here a second ago. And you can hit print from there.

SPEAKER_02 39:24

One of the options when you click share is print.

SPEAKER_00 39:27

To print. And from there, on my phone specifically, it gave me the option at the top to choose a printer. I select that and I hit save as PDF. On your phone, you may have to pinch it a little bit so it zooms it out, and then it'll give you the option to save it as a PDF. And on a lot of phones now, they integrate that as well, so you can directly send it to your email app and compose an email just in a couple taps. So this is it's a it's a weird trick, but it's something that I've been teaching a lot of people because, like you were saying, Dave, saving a printout of a website, you get a lot of junk.

SPEAKER_02 40:00

A lot of junk. So yeah, don't forget you turning that browser into reading mode. So listen, folks, that's we're approaching the end of today's show. I just want to put one final reminder is starting tomorrow through August 20th, you can buy your computer, your laptop, sales tax-free in the state of Florida, as long as it's for personal use, not for business use. And under $1,500. If it's a $1,500 and dollars and one cent, you have to pay sales tax on the whole thing. So it's not the first $1,500, it's any device that's under $1,500 is sales tax free. And I hope you can visit us at 820 East State Road 434 right there in Longwood. We're only three and a half miles east of I-4. You can call us at 407-478-8200. And uh, that's all we have time for today. I am going to be on the road tomorrow, and I'll be calling in and to give a viewpoint of where I might be from time to time. It'll be Adam and Greg starting next week for the next couple months, probably.