It's true. Most of the questions I'm asked are already answered on the Ask Leo! website. Two things get in the way: 1) no matter how much I suggest it, many people don't search, and 2) many people don't search effectively. Those who do get their answers more quickly, without waiting for me or my assistants.

Searching effectively is a skill that really pays off, and not just on Ask Leo!. Whenever you're searching for anything online the better your skills the more likely you'll be able to quickly find exactly what you need.

You don't need fancy and confusing search operators or anything like that to get good search results. In fact, I've boiled it down to two basic steps.

Also this week:

OneDrive. Do you love it or hate it? Put me in the "it's incredibly useful" camp.

It's one thing when desktop operating systems stop getting supported, but what about mobile devices?

TrueCrypt is dead. Long live ... well, any of several good alternatives.

I Hope you're having a great week!

Two Steps to Better Search Results

As I mentioned in a previous article, people are often confused as to what is and is not “searching”. But even when they know they're searching, they often give up in frustration when they don't find what they want.

Searching effectively is the key to unlocking the vast amount of information available to us on the internet. Unfortunately, searching well is a bit of mystical art.

While advanced stuff you can do with most search engines (like Google or Bing or others) is pretty impressive, you don't need to be a “search engine jockey” to get better search results.

I want to share the two mistakes I see people making most often. I'll also share a two-step approach to getting better search results that I'm convinced will get you what you're looking for well over 80% of the time (assuming what you're looking for exists, of course 🙂 ).

Continue Reading: Two Steps to Better Search Results
https://askleo.com/16909

Do I Need OneDrive?

Windows 10 keep asking me to set up OneDrive. Is OneDrive really useful and is it needed?

Is it needed? No. There are plenty of alternatives if you want cloud storage and features similar to OneDrive.

Or you may elect not to use cloud storage at all.

Is it useful? In my opinion, absolutely.

Continue Reading: Do I Need OneDrive?
https://askleo.com/80617

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Am I at Risk Because I Don't Get a New Phone?

All the talk of Huawei not receiving Android updates has prompted me to think about all the phones running an older version of Android that is not being updated. I am still happy using a Galaxy Note 4 running Android version 6.0.1, with a security patch level of 1st August 2017. I have a paid for version of Kaspersky Internet Security on the phone. Should I ditch the phone and buy an up-to date model, and replace it every 3 years or so when manufacturer stops updates?

This is actually a difficult question to answer with any confidence.

However, it's also a question that more often than not answers itself eventually.

Continue Reading: Am I at Risk Because I Don't Get a New Phone?
https://askleo.com/80625

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What Happened to TrueCrypt and What Do I Use Instead?

In May of 2014, the TrueCrypt project unexpectedly shut down. There's been no official word on exactly why, but the fact is, it's dead.

Like many, I'd recommended using TrueCrypt for years, and had at times used it extensively. I'll review a little of what happened and look at available alternatives.

Continue Reading: What Happened to TrueCrypt and What Do I Use Instead?
https://askleo.com/14720

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