Tech Q&A: Smartphone viruses, scannerless scanning, Facebook 'oversharers' and more
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}File photo. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic)
Does your smartphone have a virus?
Q. My smartphone is acting a little funny. Could it be a virus?
A. The only way for smartphones to get viruses right now is through malicious apps. If you haven't downloaded any apps recently, then it's probably something else, like a glitchy OS update. If you have downloaded new apps, check your data usage and see if it's higher than normal. The virus might be sending out information. You should also check to see if there are any new apps on your gadget that you didn't install; a malicious app might install other apps on its own. If you suspect you have a virus, read the directions on how to handle it for Apple or Android.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Scan documents and more without a scanner
Q. My team at work brainstorms ideas on a whiteboard. Right now, someone takes pictures and emails them around, but the quality isn't great. It there a better option? I'd also like to scan paper documents I have lying around.
A. Grab Microsoft's Office Lens app (Android, Apple, Windows Phone; free). It detects the corners of whatever you took a picture of and automatically shifts perspective, resizes, crops and enhances receipts, documents, whiteboard images and more for a perfect scan. Even better, Office Lens has built-in character recognition that can turn text documents right into Word files. You can export scans to email or Office programs to share with your team.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Deal with Facebook oversharers
Q. I have some family members on Facebook who flood my news feed with articles, photos and stories I don't care about. I want to make it stop, but I don't want to totally unfriend them. Is there another option?
A. Instead of unfriending them, you can unfollow them. This will stop their posts from showing up in your news feed, but they won't know. On one of their posts, click the downward arrow in the upper-right corner and select "Unfollow..." That's all there is to it. If you just don't want to see items they post from certain sources, find one of those posts, click the downward arrow and select "Hide all from..." It's a quick way to cut down on unwanted posts. Learn some more ways to manage what shows up in your news feed and your Facebook friends.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pick the right router encryption
Q. I'm trying to encrypt my Wi-Fi network and my router has all these crazy options: WEP, WPA2-PSK AES and WPA2-PSK AES + TKIP. How do I know which one to pick?
A. WPA2-PSK AES is the most advanced encryption option, so you should start with that one. If you have older gadgets that won't connect on that setting, switch to WPA2-PSK AES + TKIP. TKIP is more compatible with older hardware. Completely avoid WEP as hackers can break through that in minutes. If you're reading this and your router has only WEP, it's time to upgrade. Get more tips for securing your network and router to keep hackers and snoops away.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A better way to browse
Q. When I'm browsing the Internet, I can load up a dozen or more tabs easily. But then I have to go hunting down the ones I always keep open like Facebook and Gmail. I tried putting those ones in a separate window, but it wasn't much better. Any other ideas?
A. If you want to make tabs easy to find in Chrome or Firefox, right-click a tab and select "Pin tab." It will show up permanently on the left side of the tab bar no matter how many tabs you have open. It will even open automatically when you start the browser. To turn it back into a regular tab, right-click and select "Unpin tab." Learn 7 more handy tricks that will change the way you use your browser.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bonus: How HDR improves your pictures
Q. My smartphone has an "HDR" shooting mode, but I'm not sure exactly what it does. Can you tell me what it's good for?
A. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It basically combines three or more photos of the same scene at different exposures to create a photo with more depth and detail than you'd get from a single shot. You can let your camera do it, if you have that option, or do it yourself and have more control with software like Photoshop or the free Luminance HDR. Want to spice up your photos even more? Here are five tips only photography pros know.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}On the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show, Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com. Kim also posts breaking tech news 24/7 at News.Komando.com.