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Rye, NY 10580

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Archives for July 2022

Cut the Cord Now : Cancel Cable & Stream TV Online

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Free yourself from your costly all-in-one broadband service subscriptions and explore cheaper streaming TV services. With yearly increases and less need for the hundreds of cable channels that go unwatched consider cutting the cord. The time has come to live stream TV. Costly cable prices continue to rise. What’s the solution? Get with the times, only pay for internet and stream all your TV needs. 90% of cable channels go unwatched and yet we still see yearly increases to the cost of our cable!

The Internet Can Deliver Your TV, Movies and Shows. It Is Not Limited to Email and Facebook.
The Internet Can Deliver Your TV, Movies and Shows. It Is Not Limited to Email and Facebook.

Cable television has been our source for quality TV shows and movies for a long time. But now you hear people talking about the most popular shows they aren’t referring to cable channels, but streaming services. These services have original content such as Netflix’s Stranger Things, Hulu’s The Handmaids Tale, Netflix’s Bird Box and more. The best part? They arethe same quality and original content for a fraction of the price! People who have cut the cord and now stream are saving. The savings may run over a $1,000 dollars a year!

Now, we can still watch some of our favorite shows without the hefty cable bill we see every month. Here are some tips on how to cut the cord and transition into streaming your TV effortlessly.

Cable TV Alternatives:

Whether it’s your favorite news, network or sports channel you don’t want to give up, you don’t have to! A number of streaming services now offer a Live TV package that is still way less costly than your cable bill. This means you get all the great benefits of live TV plus all their streaming TV shows and movies. Company’s that offer this are YouTube TV, Hulu, Sling TV and Philo. 

Pick the Best Streaming Device For You.

There are a number of quality streaming devices to choose from such as Amazon Fire Stick, Roku or a Smart TV with built-in streaming apps, my recommendation? Invest in an Apple TV, with an Apple TV all your data from your iPhone get transferred over creating an even more seamless transition. 

Find The Best Streaming Services For Your Needs.

Don’t subscribe to all of them. It’s not necessary, if you do it will end up costing the same monthly payment as cable. The key is to knowing the type of content these services offer and what type of content you want to watch. Let’s break this down in order to pick the right ones:

TV, Netflix, Movies, Sports, Streaming
The Internet Can Deliver Your TV, Movies and Shows. It Is Not Limited to Email and Facebook.
  • YouTube TV. YouTube has come up with a Live TV package that gives you all the benefits of Live TV and recording your favorite shows! Plan starts at $64.99/month.
  • Netflix. One of the first streaming services and still a favorite. Netflix has a variety of TV and movies as well as original TV shows and movies. You really can’t go wrong with this one. Netflix starts at just $9.99/month.
  • Hulu. Like Netflix Hulu offers plenty of TV and movies options as well as original content. They do differ on what network shows and movies they have. Depending on your favorite content you will be happy with either. Hulu however does offer a Live TV option, which means you get the benefit of their streaming TV plus live TV. Hulu starts just $6.99/month and their Live TV option is $75/month (Which now also includes Disney+ and ESPN+)!
  • Disney+. If you have kids or are a Marvel fan then Disney+ may be a must have for you. It goes without being said you’ll get access to all Disney movies and TV shows plus Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic. Plans start at just $7.99/month and they also have a bundle deal where you can get Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+ for $19.99 (this bundle does not include Hulu live). 
  • Discovery+. This is a newer streaming service but a must have for any House Hunters, Barefoot Contessa or Married at First sight fan. You get access to all of HGTV, TLC, The Food Network and so much more! 
  • Amazon Prime TV. With an Amazon Prime account you can stream TV shows, movies and their own original content like Flea Bag. You can also purchase or rent premium content.

These are just some of the streaming services available today. Think about what TV and movies you like to watch and see which option/options would best suit your live style, alternatively you can sign up for their free trails and see which ones you prefer! 

Sports Channels:

If you’re a sports fan, cord cutting may be hard since cable TV gives you access to not only home games but matches all over the world and many regional sports networks are stuck on DirecTV stream. You can still stream sports content with major sports organizations offering streaming packages like MLB.TV, NFL Live and NBA League Pass, if you are a die hard sports fan these may be worth considering. If you only follow a team or two you can simply choose a Live TV streaming platform.

Premium Channels:

A hard part about cutting the cord may be your access to premium channels such as HBO, Starz and Showtime where you can watch content like Game Of Thrones, however all of these channels have cut out the middleman and you can now access them on their stand alone streaming services (HBO Max, Showtime Anytime and Starz). These can be accessed through apps or via your Apple TV.

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Before you cut the cord, make sure you have a strong internet source, if you have weak WiFi you won’t be able to enjoy streaming services. If your internet is not fast enough, or has dead zones, we can fix that. Read more about that here.

It is worth your while to find out what type of internet speed you have. It may be necessaryto upgrade it before you cut your cable. . If you reside in my area of Westchester Country, NY or Fairfield County, CT then your providers are Altice(Optimum) or Verizon Fios for internet.

If you need help making the switch or installment, you can contact Dominick for further assistance. 

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The Best Way To Keep Your Passwords Safe

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Changing the passwords regularly seems like a tedious and daunting. But it is in your best interest. Your computer has sensitive and important information. If your credentials are in the wrong hands the damage will be a burden, costly and time consuming to repair. Hackers are becoming more advanced and always have new tricks. We’re now seeing more and more major data breaches such as the recent T-Mobile breach. 

Password stolen
Learn best practices for keeping your sensitive information safe and secure from getting into the wrong hands.

Changing your credentials regularly reduces your risk of exposure. Think about how we use the internet. It’s an integral part of our daily routines. We shop online, email, check our bank accounts, pay bills, watch TV, schedule doctors appointments and much more. Are you using the same password for multiple accounts? If you get hacked and you have reused credentials other accounts are at risk.

  • Why you should be changing your passwords 
  • When you should be changing your passwords
  • Password best practices
  • Offering help and resource to help you manage your passwords.

Why Change Credentials?

If you use the same password for multiple accounts it can lead to multiple hacks across all your accounts. What a headache that would be.

Prevents use of saved passwords in the case of a lost or changed computer. It’s convenient now to saved passwords. Just click and the save automatically. What if your computer is lost or stolen ? AYour sensitive data is now being accessed by someone. Changing your passwords will relieve your worries. Those saved passwords are irrelevant. You’re protected.

Prevents consistent access to your accounts. If a hacker gains access to your account they may just take what they want and leave. But sometimes hackers continue to access different accounts and information about you over time to steal your identity. Prevent this. Have multiple passwords and change them frequently. 

password security

When Should I Change It?

Have you logged in recently? I s that the first password ever used? A stagnant account is subject to a hacker gaining access. If you u haven’t used an account in a year consider deleting the account if it is going unused or simply update your password.

It’s too simple and personal to you. As stated above it has only been recently that accounts are encouraging us to use strong passwords and if yours is too weak it can easily be subject to hacking or if your password is too personal such as a birthday, children’s name or address. 

Change credentials immediately If you are made aware of a data breach consider. When the T-Mobile data breach occurred millions of T-Mobile customers had personal data exposed. T-Mobile encouraged changing passwords to make sure customer information and identity was safeguarded. 

Shared access. If you have shared your account login with someone. IE: Netflix or Hulu. It’s a good idea to change your credentials to avoid them getting into any of your other accounts. 

Logging in at public places. After you’ve logged into one of your accounts at a public place, such as a library computer, it is good practice to update those credentials. If you do, you’ll avoid leaving a digital footprint behind for someone to access. 

When you discover malware or if your computer had a virus. You want to keep your information safe and switch them out. Hackers will give your computer a virus to gain access and steal information. A virus can expose your sensitive information. 

Best Practices

Now that you’ve learned why and when you should change your password let’s talk about best practices for your password so that you can always be protected.

Use two-factor authentication when applicable. This means to access your account your account you’ll have to go through a two step process such as a regular login and then a one-time code optin sent through text or email.

Audit your passwords. Don’t use the same passwords for multiple accounts. Don’t include your name or a series of numbers in a sequence (i.e 1234). Make them are long and varied. Always have an uppercase, a lowercase, a numeral and a special character. Example: “password” become’ “p@ssW0rD”

Stronger password? The less you have to change it. Before, it was said that you should be changing your passwords every 90 days but with all the accounts we now hold who knows how long that would take us! Recent data has now shown that a unique, strong password doesn’t need to be changed as frequently. Having said that if you find yourself in any situations mentioned above you should change your password at that time.  

Install LastPass

Make your life easier Install LastPass. It eases the pain of forgotten passwords. It leaves you only one phrase to remember.

Make LastPass, your new best friend. LastPass can be used on your computer and your iPhone. Have all your passwords in one place. Never lose or forget your password again!

Now with this knowledge hopefully you’ll know how to protect yourself from any cyber attack and keep you information safe. If you want to learn more about Lastpass or you need help installing contact me below.

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