High Tech Resolutions

During the last week of December, many Americans started making resolutions for the new year ahead.  Quitting smoking and losing weight always top the list, and other promises people make to themselves are saving money, taking time to relax, or reading 100 books. Well, if you’ve gotten a little slack already, help is on the way, thanks to our smartphones!

• If you’re tracking your general health, sleep, and how many steps you’re taking daily, use your Health iPhone app, or Google Fit on Android devices.
• Healthier eating is a popular goal, and My Fitness Pal and Lose It! help you count calories, and users can even scan products on store shelves for nutritional information.
• HelloTalk, Duolingo, and TripLingo are great apps for those who desire to learn a foreign language.
• Drinking more water should be at the top of everyone’s list, and there are apps that offer push notifications to remind you to down a full glass at different times of the day, and even keep track of your water intake. There are plenty of choices available for iOs and Android.
• Did you vow to become better organized in your business? Inc.com has several app suggestions to help you organize your schedules, notes, and reminders.
• Staying motivated and encouraged can be tough, but there’s an app (several, actually) for that! Use your phone’s app store button to find the one that’s right for you, from daily inspirational quotes to encouraging you to meet your daily goals.
• Smartphones can be amazing tools, but a distraction as well. If you planned to get better at time management, try Forest ($1.99).  Open the app, and a seed is planted.  Leave it open throughout the day and watch a tree grow and thrive while you stay on track.  Open a social media app or game, and the tree dies.  A bit drastic, but a fun way to help you finish a task. 
• You’ve been skipping your book club meetings because, lately, there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to read. Bookling offers an app that will motivate you to read every day, and will encourage the kids, as well!
• Breaking any habit, whether it be smoking, nail-biting, or overspending, can be hard, to say the least. Strides Goals and Habit Tracker is a wonderful app that lets you set up to ten goals free, set milestones and end dates for the hardest habits to break, as well as holding you accountable with notifications throughout the day. 

If you’re not sure where to look, go to appcrawlr.com, search for the general app subject, choose your operating device, and it will use its search engine to find an app that will work best for you. 

Whatever your resolution, there is probably a device application that can help you be a better you.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
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Photo credit: www.itworld.com

What You Should Know About the KRACK WiFi Breach!

In October, a breach was found in the most commonly used WiFi security, WAP2, used by homes and businesses worldwide. The breach was given the acronym KRACK, for Key Reinstallation ATTACK. It affects smartphones, laptops, pc’s, smart house devices--anything that connects to a WiFi router. Your personal information can be stolen, including credit cards, social security numbers, bank accounts as well as any other personal information you may have stored on your devices.  There are several things you can now do to keep your information safe. 

• Smartphone users should update their operating systems as soon as possible.  iPhone users should be updated to iOS 11.1, and Android’s update from the 2017-11-06 update release should patch the problem. 
• The MacOS 10.13.1 update issued October 31, 2017 for iMac, MacBook, and Mac Pro corrects the vulnerability for those devices.  If you’re unsure about your device’s operating system, check for updates from Apple here. 
• Your home’s smart devices are vulnerable as well.  Individual manufacturers are supposed to be providing protection in their own updates.  To make certain, call your device’s customer service number in the owner’s guide, or look on their website. 
• If you use a Windows PC or laptop, your KRACK protection should have come in the update on October 10, 2017.   
• WiFi routers should be updated by their makers as well. Check this list if you would like to make sure if your home or office router has been protected. If you can’t find your router maker, call your internet service provider, and they can tell you whether your protected or not. 

The good thing about whether your home is safe from attack or not is that the hacker has to be in range of your WiFi service.  If you see any strange behavior near your home or even in your neighborhood, call for help, and shut down your WiFi until you know no one is trying to steal your personal information.  Take care in public WiFi hotspots, and if a business cannot tell you whether they have patched this breach or not, turn off your smartphone/device’s WiFi connection, and use data.   

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo Credit: Popular Mechanics

Smart Technology For Your Home

Not only does it seem like we have new gadgets for communication being released on a daily basis, but smart home technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. Don’t let all of the available devices overwhelm you when you’re shopping around.  Follow this guide for tips to help you get started on your smart home journey. 

• Smart thermostats are the perfect way to get your feet wet for advanced technology in your home.  They control your heat and air more efficiently by using presence sensors, and can save 10-15% on your power bill. Nest has two versions available, and prices vary $179-$250. Check with your power company to see if they offer a rebate on your new smart thermostat purchase. 
• Keyless entry isn’t just for your car anymore.  Smart locks are available for your entryways with mobile and desktop apps, so you can control them, and using fingerprint and voice recognition for opening doors.  Prices vary greatly, and the choices are numerous. PCMag has made a list of the best smart locks of 2017 that can help you comparison shop. 
• Home security systems have been around for eons, and the older brands have someone monitoring your system for you, and you pay a subscription fee.  Today there are DIY security kits that will connect to your home smart system, and will alert your mobile phone app if there is a breach, but it’s your responsibility to contact authorities.  
• Sometimes a simple security camera can give you peace of mind, and cameras are now available with motion and heat sensors so that they only turn on when you have chosen those sensor settings.  These cameras have WIFI connectability, and you can use your PC or laptop to check the daily camera video. 
• If you don’t care for a whole-house lighting control system, there are smart light bulbs controllable via Bluetooth, but that means they cannot be controlled from outside the home, or if you’re out of range.  These bulbs can cost $50, but will last for twenty years. 
• Home voice-activated assistants are becoming more popular, as well as less expensive. Apple’s Siri, Google Home, and Amazon’s Echo all have different features, but perform the same way by with voice activation. Get advice from friends and the internet before you decide which assistant is right for you and your family. 
• Water leak and mold sensors are a very important gadget to add to your smart system.  They sense water leaks, and humidity and temperature changes in your home and can save you a bundle on water or mold damage repair. 
• No more checking smoke alarm batteries every six months–smart smoke alarms are hardwired, have built in carbon monoxide detectors, and can be controlled from your mobile phone.  Some detectors even have sensibility settings, so they know the difference in a lot of smoke and your bacon getting a bit too done. 
• Turn practically anything into a smart object with a smart plug. Once it’s plugged in to the object and connected to WIFI, you can control that object with your phone, or a home assistant.   

If you have technical or more specific questions about smart products, see this article from the National Association of REALTORS’® Center for REALTOR® Technology group.  It is a wealth of smart home information, as well as data issues, and ownership of devices in case of a home sale.   
Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.
Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.
You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.
Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!
Photo credit: techfruit.com

Teri's CyberTips April 2017

SEVEN WAYS TO BEAT PHISHING SCAMS! The people from Norton are pretty smart when it comes to Internet security. They've prepared some tips to help you fight the currently rampant phishing scourge. Evil cons use phishing to collect personal information from unsuspecting users. Their phony e-mails often look quite legitimate, and even the Web pages where you are asked to enter your information may look like the real McCoy - but often they are not. The quickest and easiest way to verify if the request is on the up and up, is to contact the organization that is requesting your information (by phone or from the company's legitimate web site). They can tell you in a flash if the request is legitimate. The Norton tips will give you even more insight into how these rascals operate - and, of course, at the end of their tips, there's a little backslapping pointing out how Norton can protect you from all of this dangerous phishing and other threatening stuff. Click Here for This Cyber Trick We are pleased to be of service to our friends and to provide you with these monthly CyberTips. We are always current on ways to expand our normal high standards of service with the very latest internet and other cyberspace strategies and tools. Please contact us with any questions regarding our services. Our contact information is below.		GET THE FBI WITH ONE CLICK! The "FBI Wanted" mobile application is a tool designed to help track down criminals and help victims. Their app provides updated information they have issued in a user-friendly way --- with various search and filtering options not available on the regular FBI.gov web site. With this app you can: 1. Use a search function to find fugitives and missing persons by name, alias, location, or any other descriptive information contained in their profile; 2. Sort or filter profiles by modification date, publication date, field office, status, and subject/crime category; 3. Easily report information by using buttons that either call the relevant FBI field office or link directly to the Bureau's on-line tips page; 4 Customize your home screen based on your preferences for displaying data; and 5 Bookmark individual profiles for easy access later. This personal protection app is also available for Android. Click Here for This Cyber Trick Copyright © 2017 All Rights Reserved Google Search Wikopedia Weather Get a Human Stock Quotes Amazon e-Bay Internet Movie Database YouTube
TWELVE IDEAS FOR BREATHTAKING TRAIN TRIPS! Want something different on your bucket list? Many people rave about their iconic train trips of a lifetime - certainly not like their grungy commute into the city. The good folks at AARP have put together --- a list of "12 Breathtaking Train Trips". These are mostly day trips and some offer fine dining and domed cars. They cover Alaska, Canada, Grand Canyon, Switzerland, Colorado, Vancouver and other scenic places. Most of the trips selected by AARP are comfortable but not bank account busters. If you're looking for super luxury, take a peek at: www.greatrail.com/us/holiday-types/luxury-trains/ or check out the Venice-Simplon Oriental Express --- and get your wallet out. Click Here for This Great Place	THE MAGIC TIME WINDOW FOR SELLING YOUR HOUSE! Ever wonder what the ultimate time is to get the best price and quickest sale when you list your house for sale? Local market variations and weather patterns can affect the buying season, but new analysis suggests that homes sold in late spring (May 1-May 15), move in about 18.5 days faster and for one percent (or $1,700, more) than the average listing. According to data in the Zillow study, homes nationally sell fastest and for more money in early May. This is the new magic listing window for the country's 25 biggest metro areas. During this sweet spot sellers hoping to sell quickly and get the maximum sale price for their home, the time to list is right in the first half of May.  As you might expect, the study contains a ton of caveats, exclusions, and exemptions to get them off the hook in case you don't rake in big bucks in a flash Click Here for This Great Place