Nomorobo phone service protects from unwanted robocalls
If you are a regular reader of TechMan you probably know he likes to whine about robocalls. The Do Not Call list seems to be useless, but there is Nomorobo.
Nomorobo is a service that blocks robocalls. It works by identifying a robocall with a huge database of phone numbers used by scammers and telemarketers and by looking for calling patterns typical of robocalls. It will even screen out political calls, which are legal.
You can adjust which calls it blocks and Nomorobo claims a very high accuracy rate for blocking only unwanted robocalls. The service says it allows valid robocalls, such as those to confirm a medical appointment.
When a robocall comes in, Nomorobo answers it and rings your phone once, then hangs up. That’s it.
To sign up, go to Nomorobo.com and create an account. It tells you how to activate the service with your carrier. It works with most major carriers. (You must have digital voice service — voice over internet. TechMan had to have his older analog Verizon Fios service converted to digital, which ended up saving him money.)
Nomorobo is free for landlines and has just introduced an app for smartphones that carries a charge of $1.99 a month.
Ever since installing Nomorobo, the barrage of rings — especially at mealtimes — has turned into a few single rings. Ahhhhh, blessed quiet.
New world words. A “data frisk” is when foreign or domestic governments search your personal data at the border, including your social media accounts, that can be accessed from devices you have with you or in luggage.
Legally, citizens are not required to unlock their cell phones or share their passwords with U.S. government officials. But rules may vary depending on where you are traveling to and from.
Some travelers now face additional privacy risks because of a new regulation that separates them from their computing equipment.
The Department of Homeland Security announced that passengers traveling from eight majority-Muslim countries to the United States could not bring devices larger than cell phones onto planes.
Authorities are considering expanding the in-cabin laptop ban. So computers, tablets and other devices will have to be stowed in checked luggage, reports The New York Times.
If you are concerned, buy a burner phone or a cheap computer to travel and do not put any personal data on the devices.
Shut up. This is turning into a column about fixing irritants.
One of TechMan’s biggest is autoplay ads — video ads that start to play when you enter a website, often at increased volume.
Apple announced recently that its new Mac operating system, due in the fall, will automatically turn off these nuisances in its Safari browser.
To do this in Chrome and Opera, you have to install an extension. Firefox and soon Safari let you block them in the settings.
Microsoft Explorer and Edge browsers have no easy way. For further instructions, go to pcworld.com.
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