Twin Wolf Technology Group

Reading the Ogla's post and the responses, it is clear she does not understand "profiling" vs "observation". The housekeeper should be commended for being observant as well as relating both her knowledge and concern. I hope someone will relay the community's appreciation back to the housekeeper.

It is nice to have a choice - thanks to Bud & Marcelyn

They have one guy by the name of Alex that speaks some English. He is VERY slow but if you are patient, you can at least speak some English.

Bonnie is correct as that has been my experience too. I guess that helps make her a good fit for JLM.

Wireless Internet - not cable As most old MobileNet customers know, back in December Cable Onda purchased MobileNet. Service continued at the same rate. I was paying $102 for 1.5 megs. I have come to learn that Cable Onda is offering the wireless service much cheaper but they did not adjust the rates for the old MobileNet customers. You need to go down to David to the Cable Onda office and request a change of service. Cable Onda is offering 4 megs wireless for $46 and even faster speeds available for slightly more. This is a HUGE drop in price and a HUGE increase in speed - but you need to go in and have them write a new contract. They will change out the old MobileNet equipment. In addition they offer satellite TV with a basic price of $23/month and 180 channels. It will be interesting to see if Planet Telecom adjusts their prices to become competitive. The Planet Telecom price for 4 megs is a whopping $250/month. That is more than $200 more a month for the same service as Cable Onda Wireless.

I have received several questions regarding Netflix blocking users that use a VPN to access content. If you are a VPN user and cannot get to Netflix, I would recommend the service called "Unlocator". It uses a different method of accessing the blocked content and as of this writing, Unlocator users users are still able to access the Netflix content they want. You can get more information about Unlocator service at their website http://www.unlocator.com. They offer a 7 day free trial and I find the service works well. Much of that is old news, but Netflix users may find the following information new and very useful. Netflix offers a different video selection from country to country. Videos offered in one country's version of Netflix may or may not be available in another country's version of Netflix. Videos are rotated in and out from time to time and new ones are added as well. There is a website that lets you search and find the details of all the Netflix videos by country. It also lists which videos have recently been added to that country and which videos are about to expire. It is called the Unofficial Netflix Online Global Search and you can access it here: http://unogs.com/ For country detail, check out this page: http://unogs.com/countrydetail/ If you cannot seem to find that movie at the country of Netflix you are signed into - try this search and see where it is. You can even click the Watch Now button and be directed to it. This site really expands the list of movies available to Netflix users.

If you have a complete inventory list of Title, Author and other basic information in an Excel spreadsheet or some database format, I have a client that would probably make an offer on the books only. Not interested in the furniture, business opportunity or goodwill - just the books.

As Judy states, there should be an icon in notification area. This is the area near the system clock in the lower right corner. Often you may need to click the little up arrow to view all of the icons since only a few are shown next to the clock. If you are unable to find the "safely remove hardware" icon, it could be that the computer is currently set to hide this icon. Depending on your version of Windows, doing a right click on the up arrow will allow you to get to the settings that show/hide the icons in that notification area. For Windows 7, do the right click and then click on Customize For Windows 10, do the right click, select Properties and then select Customize If all else fail, you have two options. One is to log off the computer before removing the device. The other is to be a geek and run the following command. It will cause the message to pop up that lets you safely remove the device. Click the start button, then click Run and then type the following and press enter rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL hotplug.dll

I have received several questions regarding the recent news story about Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in L.A. whose computers were infected with "ransomware". For those unaware of the news story, here is a link to it. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-california-hospital-cyberattack-idUSKCN0VS05M Ransomware is malware (malicious software) that infects a computer and encrypts all of the user's files making them unusable until they are decrypted with a unique key. Once the files are encrypted, a ransom demand is made. This type of malware has been around since 1989 but gained popularity around 2013 with the popularity of BitCoin, an untraceable way to make payment to the extortionist. So the question becomes how do you protect yourself from this type of attack. I have a client that was attacked this way in 2014 and several lessons were learned. First, you should know that this type of attack is not isolated to just Windows computers. All computers that connect to the Internet use data encryption to protect your activity. Whether you are logging into your bank account or shopping online, your computer is using encryption to keep your data safe. In this case the data encryption is not use to protect you but rather to make your own files inaccessible. Second, both Malware and Anti-virus protections programs, while helpful, do not give you 100% protection. In the case of my client, he was using both an Anti-virus program and a Malware scanner. Part of the problem here is that encrypting files is a completely normal activity for a computer and unless some unique attribute can be found, this malware appears as normal activity. Another part of the problem that is until someone is infected and the Anti-virus/Malware software companies have time to figure out a detection, everyone remains at risk. There is always a window of opportunity to be infected regardless of what software programs you use for protection. In the case of the hospital in this news story, they paid the ransom of $17,000 and got lucky that the extortionist actually sent them the decrytion key after making payment. It is just as likely the extortionist would demand more money or simply disappear leaving the files encrypted. The only real solution is your backups. I am not one to preach at people, nor use fear to motivate people. What I offer here is my own person experience with a client that suffered this same attack. My client, a mortgage broker in California, contacted me once he got the ransom demand of $300 and was unable to get to any of his files because they were encrypted. His business came to a complete stop. He was told the ransom demand would double every day he failed to pay. Going to the backup seems like a simple solution but in this case it was not. The problem is that the backup files were on an external hard drive that was connected to the computer at the time the infection took place. All of the backup files were also encrypted, making them equally useless. Both business files and years of family photos were lost. A few things were recovered from a backup I had made personally when working on his computer the year before but that was little consolation. Important Lesson Learned - If you backup your files to a device, such as a flash drive or external hard drive, YOU MUST DISCONNECT THE BACKUP DEVICE when you are not making the backup. Your backup is the only safe when it is disconnected and separated from the computer. My personal advice to my clients regarding backups is this: You need to have multiple backups, I recommend 3. 1. Have one near the computer but disconnected unless actually making a backup. This is your convenient backup. Used quickly and done often. Understand that this backup is at risk of being stolen, damaged or destroyed in the event of a break-in, or local disaster such as a fire. It is also at risk when it is connected to the computer. 2. Have one outside of the home/office. This protects you against anything that might happen to the backup that is near the computer or damaged while in use. It needs to be in a separate physical location such as with a trusted friend. It should not be in the same building or location as the computer except when making a backup copy. 3. Have one online using a service such as Dropbox or a cloud based storage. This backup is your final line of defense. A physical device in your possession is always superior but a copy online gives you the advantage of being accessible from any place. A backup online provides protection if the physical backup devices get damaged or stolen. Due to the generally slow Internet speeds in our area, it can be difficult to keep large files stored online and slow to retrieve them. One last bit of advice regarding backups. If you use a software program to do your backups, realize you will likely need that particular software program installed on another computer to recover your backup if your computer is lost or stolen. I recommend not using a software program that creates a single backup file, rather one that copies all of the files individually so they can be read on any computer without installing the same backup software program to retrieve them. This ransomware type malware is on the rise and often is it not talked about due to embarrassment. Heed the advice and check to be sure your backups will save you should you suffer the same fate as my client or the hospital in this news story. All my best - Dan Porter

Marilyn, I see you have run across some of my loyal and devoted clients. I am sure there was no ill intent to hijack your advertisement, however an open discussion forum is just that - open for opinions and comments, especially when it comes to similar services being offered. That is the price for "free" advertising on an open forum. I would not be surprised to see some of your clients posting comments if I were to advertise on an open forum as well. To my clients, thank you for your praise and loyalty. To Marilyn, please do not take offense because I am sure none was intended. Let's let this thread return to Marilyn's services. We all need to find the solution that fits us best and I know she has much to offer. All my best - Dan Porter

Actually, if you look back, much of the banning on Ning was also guilt by association. They have managed to whittle down the number of posting members to Ogla a few Ning cheerleaders. Unfortunately, a member is not allowed to disagree or correct misinformation without being labelled as "one of those people". Doing so makes you guilty by association and all future posts are treated with disrespect. For me, it makes the site no different than a personal blog - one person's viewpoint with a couple of comments. As for the old Ning site, a 100% complete archive copy of Lee's original Ning site has been saved and does exist. If there is a desire to go through it and pull out the old valuable information that has been lost, please contact me.

Thank you Dottie. For others who are wondering, I recommend Eset NOD32 Antivirus - just their Antivirus program not their Security Suite. Eset is not a free program but it is also not bloated with all sorts of bells and whistles like the larger paid antivirus programs. This means it does not slow your computer down like the large paid programs. Currently Eset NOD32 is being sold online for $25-$30/year. When I am hired to remove virus or malware, I offer this antivirus free to the client. It helps me maintain the client's computer and insures the infections do not reoccur. Again, thank you Dottie. I have no plans to leave Chiriqui. After 7 years it has become home.

Dottie, I have an X-trail and have been told the same thing about the part is not even available in Panama. However, a trip to one of the parts store in David showed the part was available. If you have not done so, you might check a few parts stores because I was told that story from one shop but it simply was not true.

They have been there for a couple of days now. Most are pickup trucks. If they were going to be towed, I would expect it would have been done already.

Was there today - here is the map if you are still unsure where their office is located now: https://waze.to/lr/hd1mrupkk4

Thank you Bud. Those are very kind words and much appreciated.

I think to some degree we do this to ourselves. Do to some personal circumstances, I recently had to travel on 4 separate connecting flights around the US before getting back to Panama. What I noticed was that since I had a several hour layover for each connecting flight, I had much less stress. After all when you have a couple of hours to kill, who cares if you are first off the plane or last? So, I always book slightly longer layover times between connecting flights - it eases the stress. Maybe it is that Panama laid back attitude kicking in. Another thought - why don't airlines put people with connecting flights toward the front of the plane? Airlines know if you are connecting to another flight and time might be short. It would seem a simple matter of seating those people towards the front to help everyone. Seems like there are always a few people toward the back that are short on time to catch a connecting flight.

Yes, given the history and tension between the two services, it would be best for everyone if the headline was corrected.

You can check the certificate information by clicking on the little padlock in the address bar. After you click on the padlock a little window will popup with information about the certificate. The padlock will appear colored in red, yellow or the HTTPS:// will be crossed out if the certificate is expired or has other issues. Regardless of the status, you should see a padlock and be able to click on it for more information. If you are unfamiliar with where the little padlock is located, one of my clients has a good set of examples for each web browser on their website here: https://www.suttercreektheater.com/home/secure-website/ Often times there is additional information in the dialog box that pops up and you can click on it as well for more details. The site for Union Fenosa shows the following: Their certificate is not yet expired but will expire later this month. The problem with their certificate is that it is registered to the domain name gasnaturalfenosa.es but the website domain name is gasnaturalfenosa.com.pa So the domain names do not match exactly and the web browser says the site is not safe since the certificate has not been checked against the owner of both the .com.pa domain and the owner of the .es domain name. You can see that it is possible in this case that someone could put up a look-alike website at a similar website address and then get unsuspecting clients to enter their user name and password information. In this case, it is likely the IT staff registered both domain names to go to the same website but the certificate was only registered for one of the names. Just sloppy IT work.

The risk is minimal. Digital encryption certificates serve two functions. One is to encrypt the data flowing between you and the website. This will continue to take place even after the certificate has expired. The second function is to insure the website you are connecting to is actually who they represent themselves to be. In other words, just because a website says they are Union Fenosa, you have no way of knowing if it is really them or someone impersonating them. Before a digital certificate is issued or renewed, the certificate authority does some level of checking to insure it belongs to the business it represents. The only real danger in an expired certificate is that it is possible that someone else is misrepresenting or impersonating that website. If the certificate was recently expired, there is almost no risk at all. If the certificate expired a year or more ago, I would be a little bit cautious. Since the encryption between your computer and the website continues to work on an expired certificate, you are not at risk but the overall process is somewhat undermined. That is a long explanation for - it is OK to continue to use but I would be uneasy if the certificate expired more than a year ago. Certificates are generally issued and renewed on an annual basis.

Agreed. After making my statement about using both services - one to backup the other - a statement like this makes me wonder if AAC would treat me differently since I belong to this forum. Like everyone else, I judge an organization by the public statements they make. This one makes me very uncomfortable despite my previous statements of support.

I must be missing something... or maybe it is just my way of looking at it. Is there a reason that you can not use both services? When I first came to Panama I quickly learned that everything needed a backup plan. Right now I have multiple ways to get the Internet if one way is down. I have multiple cell phones with different carriers in case one service is not working. I have both Union Fenosa and a generator. I have two sources of water to the house. I have two tanks of gas. So why not have both of these services in case one fails? Either service could fail for reasons that are outside of their control. I believe both are attempting to provide excellent service despite the changes both are going through.. I can have RD for $80 ($6.66/month) or I could have BOTH for $100 ($8.33/month) - the extra $1.66 a month seems like a small price for extra security given it is Panama and there always seems to be a glitch in every service. Just my own personal thoughts on the subject

Fran, do you know who owns that site?

I read it and here are my thoughts. First, I am not sure Bob is his real name but that is really unimportant at this point in time. You only get one chance to introduce yourself and your way of doing business to the community. I am never comfortable with a secretive person or company but that is just me. On the other hand, what is important is the fact that he is publicly admitting to some of his errors. I always respect a person that does that because it is not easy and it shows some character. I will give the man points for that. I suspect that he has decided to moderate by committee because he is finding that each moderator has their own idea of how to run things. It will be interesting to see how that goes. I am always doubtful of doing things by committee but I know that is my own personal bias. I wonder if Ogla and Ambreen were occasionally knocking heads. What I was disappointed to see was there was no apology nor invitation to return for the members that were banned. Based on that, I am not sure if he fully gets it yet. I think he gets the fact that you need varying opinions and they will be passionate at times. I think he gets that his "lets all be nice and everyone is happy" mentality does not promote discussion or interest. But in my personal opinion there is still a portion of the entire picture he is missing. Long standing members, community leaders and people with vast experience have been banned. Those are your resources. Those are the hardest things to bring together and once you have shown them the door, they have no reason to return. That is also one of the strengths of Chiriqui Life. I did not see anything to indicate he understands or wants to change that part of the past. He is too focused on getting the moderator function correct to see the value of what has been lost. For me, it is merely something to watch evolve. I see other things on the horizon, both here in Chiriqui Life and in my own projects.

Actually, this might be easier and you will not have to search for the specific KB patches. If you download the file I have attached here, it is a utility that will turn off the Windows 10 upgrade notifications. It will also allow you to delete the hidden Windows 10 files that have been downloaded to your computer, waiting for you to upgrade. Run the program, it is self-explanatory. If you have problems, let me know and I will assist you. This works on Windows 7 and Windows 8, 8.1 win10.exe