Refresh Computers Tech Talk

David Leavitt
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  • Technology
  • Updated Weekly

Audio files of our weekly radio show on WDBO where we talk about your electronic life. Help and advice are given on a range of technical issues from computers to everything internet-related.

  1. 4d ago

    How To Find And Cancel Forgotten Recurring Charges

    Send us Fan Mail That “cheap promo” you forgot about can become the most expensive line item on your card. Greg Rhodes and Adam Littlefield kick things off with a painfully relatable story: a local subscription that quietly quadrupled in price for months before it got noticed, and it sparks a bigger conversation about how the subscription model is built to fade into the background. We break down a practical subscription audit you can do today, including how to spot recurring charges on your statements, why tiny monthly fees are the easiest to miss, and where to look on your phone to see what you’re actually paying for. If you’re on iPhone, subscriptions tucked inside your Apple ID settings can be the fastest way to find what’s active. If you’re on Android, Google Play’s Payments And Subscriptions area can reveal the charges you forgot you approved. We also share a simple email search trick using keywords like “renewal” to catch price change notices that landed in your inbox and disappeared. From there, we talk about real world tech help and usability. Adam explains how the Refresh Computer Superstore free tech support hotline works, why it’s safer than random 1-800 numbers, and what we can often solve in 10 to 15 minutes. We also dive into accessibility settings that help everyone, including captions, zoom, bigger text, and pointer tweaks, then explore how AI tools are becoming a true assistant for proofreading, dictation, and daily planning, as long as you stay smart about permissions. We wrap with a quick tech tip: put a favorite website right on your home screen so it opens like an app, especially when the app “held together with hopes and dreams” isn’t cutting it. Subscribe for more practical tech talk, share this with someone battling subscription creep, and leave a review telling us the one subscription you wish you’d canceled sooner. Support the show Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RefreshComputers/ Track us on X at https://x.com/RefreshStores

  2. 5d ago

    How To Give Family Secure Access To Your Digital Life

    Send us Fan Mail Your passwords protect you, but they can also lock your family out of the things they’ll urgently need one day: email, photos, cloud files, bills, banking access, and even social media accounts that can turn into scam magnets if nobody can secure them. We sit down with technician Adam Littlefield from Refresh Computers to talk through a clear, practical plan for managing your digital footprint so the people you trust aren’t left fighting red tape when it matters most. We get specific about the tools that actually help, including Apple’s Legacy Contact, Google’s Inactive Account Manager, and Facebook memorialization. We also talk honestly about password managers and why the master password is basically the key ring to your entire life. If you’re going to share access, you need to do it intentionally, store it safely, and choose the right person. Along the way, we cover a very real risk: abandoned accounts being taken over and used to target friends and family with believable fraud. Then we switch gears to everyday, real-world tech decisions. Got old laptops, desktops, or phones sitting in a drawer? We explain trade-ins for store credit, secure data wiping, and why proper electronics recycling matters for data privacy. We also share a holiday tech shopping guide, from reliable low-cost gifts like quality charging cables, trackers, and smart plugs to better-value upgrades like earbuds and streaming sticks, plus what to skip including cheap knockoffs and surprise subscription traps. We wrap with a simple tech tip you’ll use tonight: setting a sleep timer so your music, podcasts, or audiobooks stop automatically. Subscribe for more practical tech help, share this with someone who needs a digital legacy plan, and leave a review so more listeners can find us. Support the show Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RefreshComputers/ Track us on X at https://x.com/RefreshStores

  3. Sep 20

    New Computer Setup That Actually Lasts

    Send us Fan Mail A “brand new” computer can still be behind on critical updates, packed with bloatware, and one bad setup choice away from becoming slow and frustrating. We sit down with Greg Rhodes and Adam Littlefield from Refresh Computer Superstore to lay out a practical, real-world new computer setup plan that prioritizes speed, security, and fewer headaches later. We start with the part most people skip: deciding what you actually need to move from the old machine. Beyond photos and documents, we talk through the overlooked stuff that makes a computer feel familiar again, like browser bookmarks and saved passwords, plus the simplest ways to keep backups safe using external storage and cloud sync like OneDrive. Then we get blunt about updates: Windows and macOS need to be patched immediately, especially if a device has been sitting on a shelf. We also cover how to spot and remove trial software and adware, and what security options make sense for most users without turning your PC into a pop-up factory. From there, we shift into buying advice: why refurbished business class desktops and laptops (think Dell Optiplex, Latitude, Precision, HP ProDesk, and EliteBook lines) can be the best value for everyday home computing, and what “professionally refurbished” should actually include. We close with two listener-friendly segments: how to stay safe while buying or selling on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Craigslist (cash, public meetups, police station exchanges, and scam red flags), plus a tech tip that’s gotten dramatically better: voice dictation on your phone and computer, including the Windows key + H shortcut. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a friend who just bought a laptop, and leave us a review so more people can find the show. Support the show Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RefreshComputers/ Track us on X at https://x.com/RefreshStores

  4. Sep 19

    Online Banking Is Safe If You Build Better Habits

    Send us Fan Mail Checking your bank balance shouldn’t feel like stepping onto thin ice, yet a lot of people still hesitate to go fully digital. We walk through what actually makes online banking safe, why it can be safer than paper statements, and the simple habits that do the most work: strong unique passwords, two-factor authentication, paperless statements, and real-time bank alerts that catch suspicious charges fast. We also get practical about the “where” of security. Logging in on public Wi-Fi at a hotel, coffee shop, or airport can undo all the good security your bank builds, so we explain when to stick to cellular data, when a VPN helps, and why keeping your Windows, Mac, iPhone, or Android device updated matters more than most people realize. And because money transfer tools are everywhere now, we talk about scams that impersonate people you know and the quick verification steps that can prevent a costly mistake. Then we shift into everyday tech help that saves you time: remote computer support that lets a technician troubleshoot software problems, set up Wi-Fi printers, and configure email without you hauling equipment to a store. We also demystify video calling with clear options like FaceTime, WhatsApp, Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, plus tips for avoiding data-plan surprises. We close with a tech tip that’s genuinely useful: scheduling text messages on Android and scheduling emails in Gmail and Outlook so you send the right message at the right time. If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone who’s nervous about online banking, and leave a review so more people can find the show. Support the show Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RefreshComputers/ Track us on X at https://x.com/RefreshStores

  5. Sep 13

    Freezing Your Credit Stops Fraud Cold

    Send us Fan Mail A stolen password is annoying. A stolen identity can haunt you for years. We start with one of the highest-impact moves you can make in about 15 minutes: freezing your credit so lenders can’t pull your report and thieves can’t easily open new accounts in your name. We walk through what a credit freeze actually does, why you must do it with all three credit bureaus, and when a fraud alert might be a better fit if you’re actively applying for credit. We also talk about why Florida sees so much identity theft, and why kids and older relatives are often the most exposed. From there, we shift to what people call “viruses” and what we actually see most often: malware, spyware, remote access tools, ransomware, and scam pop-ups that try to scare you into paying. If a screen tells you to call a number or pay in gift cards or crypto, that’s a red flag, not “official support.” We explain why paying almost never ends well and what to do instead. Then we tackle smart speakers and voice assistants, including the “are they listening?” question. We cover wake words, accidental activations, and practical privacy settings like the physical mute switch, reviewing and deleting recordings, turning on auto-delete, and thinking twice about placing speakers in bedrooms. We close with a tech tip that can save you from a painful email mistake: password-protecting and encrypting PDFs and documents, then sending the password through a separate channel. If this helps, subscribe, share it with someone you want to protect, and leave us a review. What’s one security habit you’ll start this week? Support the show Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RefreshComputers/ Track us on X at https://x.com/RefreshStores

  6. Sep 12

    How To Buy The Right TV

    Send us Fan Mail Your TV probably has better specs than the shows you’re feeding it, and that mismatch is why shopping by buzzwords feels so confusing. We walk through what the labels actually mean and what matters in real life: choosing the right screen size, deciding between LED, QLED, mini LED, and OLED, and why 4K is the practical sweet spot for most homes while 8K is still mostly a premium “future-proof” bet. We also talk about how streaming has turned modern sets into “internet TVs,” and why your connection and settings can matter as much as the panel. Then we get into the gear that makes everything work. HDMI standards, adapters, chargers, and especially Ethernet cables show up as the silent troublemakers when you chase higher resolution, faster refresh rates, and surround sound. If you have a drawer full of mystery cables, we share a realistic way to decide what’s worth keeping, what’s outdated, and what’s likely to fail first. Finally, we react to Apple’s latest announcements: the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max price bumps, the odd choice to delay the more budget-friendly models, and the new foldable iPhone Duo with an eye-watering $2,000 starting price and an eSIM-only design. We compare the move to what Samsung is doing, and we end with a practical tech tip that helps almost everyone: how to make text and screens bigger on iPhone, Android, Windows, and Mac using display scaling and accessibility magnifier tools. Subscribe for weekly, plain-English tech advice, share this with a friend who is about to buy a TV or a new phone, and leave a review with the one upgrade you’re most tempted to make next. Support the show Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RefreshComputers/ Track us on X at https://x.com/RefreshStores

  7. Sep 6

    Digital Guardrails For Kids And Families

    Send us Fan Mail More screen time at home can be a gift and a risk at the same time. We talk through a practical, non-creepy way to make the internet safer for your kids, your teens, and even older family members using simple “guardrails” instead of surveillance. Think parental controls that block sketchy downloads, reduce scam exposure, and keep app installs and purchases from happening without you knowing, all while keeping family trust intact. We get specific about tools you can actually turn on today: Apple Screen Time on iPhone and iPad, Google Family Link on Android, and Microsoft Family Safety for Windows PCs. We also go beyond phones and laptops, because real online safety includes game consoles, smart TVs, and streaming services. Console parental controls can limit playtime and reduce random interactions with strangers, while kid profiles and PIN locks can keep adult content out of the living room. We also touch on why social media and short-form content can be so sticky, especially for kids who are still developing habits. Then we pivot to two everyday problems that hit almost everyone: weird, “niche” device repairs (yes, sometimes even a 3D printer) and the email inbox that’s gotten out of control. We share realistic inbox management tips, how to unsubscribe safely without falling for phishing tricks, how filters and notifications reduce clutter, and how Gmail Undo Send and Outlook recall can save you from a bad attachment or a wrong recipient moment. If you find this helpful, subscribe so you don’t miss next week, share it with a parent or grandparent who needs safer defaults, and leave a review with your best tech question. Support the show Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RefreshComputers/ Track us on X at https://x.com/RefreshStores

  8. Sep 5

    How To Spot Modern Scams And Protect Your Devices

    Send us Fan Mail A scam doesn’t have to be “sophisticated” to work. It just has to make you panic. Greg Rhodes and Adam Littlefield from the Refresh Computer Superstore dig into the patterns behind today’s most common tech scams, from robocalls and fake overdue notices to gift card demands and messages that try to shame you into staying quiet. We keep coming back to one practical move that stops a lot of damage: slow down, then verify with a call to a trusted number you already know. We also talk about how the rise of AI changes the game with voice cloning. When a voice can be copied from public audio, trust has to come from your process, not the sound of the caller. Adam shares ways to protect yourself and your family, including why legitimate companies won’t pressure you to act instantly and why any request for gift cards, wires, crypto, Cash App, Venmo, or Zelle should set off alarms. If someone wants to remote into your computer to “fix” a bank problem, we explain why that’s a giant red flag. From there, we shift into practical money and maintenance tips: how to lower a cell phone bill by comparing major carriers with budget MVNO options like Mint Mobile and Visible, what you trade off with data prioritization and throttled streaming, and what to ask about bundled perks so you don’t pay twice for services like Netflix. We close with fast tech tips you can use today, including Windows 10 security updates now extended through October 2027 and the simplest ways to recover deleted photos and files using “Recently Deleted” folders and the Windows Recycle Bin. If this helped, subscribe, share it with someone who gets suspicious texts, and leave us a quick review so more people can find the show. Support the show Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RefreshComputers/ Track us on X at https://x.com/RefreshStores

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About

Audio files of our weekly radio show on WDBO where we talk about your electronic life. Help and advice are given on a range of technical issues from computers to everything internet-related.

Information

  • Creator
    David Leavitt
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    186
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Refresh Computers Tech Talk
  • Show Website
    Refresh Computers Tech Talk