Battle Born Tech

Christy Ramsey

Got a tech question? So does your neighbor. Battle Born Tech is a call-in radio show from KNVC FM 95.1 community radio, hosted by Christy — brought to the podcast world so you never miss an episode. Real calls, real answers, and then Christy and Joe dig in with follow-up context, tech news, and tools worth knowing about. Thirty minutes. Zero ads. All community.

  1. 6d ago

    Getting Past the Bouncer

    Getting Past the Bouncer | Battle Born Tech · July 7, 2026 July 7 episode web page. First we have one or two sentences definitions for the sidebar: Extended Security Update Windows Scaling Browser Zoom passwd command sudo sleep screen saver Windows PIN Bitlocker Encryption Password Manager External M.2 SSD Package Manager Wear Leveling SneakerNet PetrichorShow moreOrchestrated accessible glossary definitions for technical Nevada audienceOrchestrated accessible glossary definitions for technical Nevada audienceHere's a first pass for the sidebar. One or two sentences each, plain words first, ready for your tightening pass. Extended Security Update (ESU): A paid or enrolled program that keeps an older version of Windows receiving security patches after Microsoft's regular support ends. It buys time; it does not add new features. Windows Scaling: A Windows display setting that makes text, icons, and buttons larger or smaller across the whole system. Found under Settings, then Display. Browser Zoom: A setting inside your web browser that enlarges or shrinks only the page you're looking at, separate from Windows scaling. Ctrl and plus makes it bigger; Ctrl and zero resets it. passwd command: The Linux command for changing a user account's password. Type it at the terminal and follow the prompts. sudo: A Linux command that runs a single task with administrator authority, short for "superuser do." It asks for your password so casual mistakes can't change the whole system. sleep: A low-power mode where the computer pauses everything in place so you can pick up where you left off. The screen goes dark, but your open work stays in memory. screen saver: A moving image or blank screen that appears after the computer sits idle. It once protected old monitors from burn-in; today it's mostly decoration and a privacy curtain. Windows PIN: A short code that unlocks one specific computer, set up through Windows Hello. Unlike a password, it stays on that machine and never travels over the internet. BitLocker Encryption: A Windows feature that scrambles everything on the drive so a thief who removes it can't read your files. Unlocking requires the right sign-in or a recovery key, so keep that key somewhere safe. Password Manager: A program that creates and remembers strong, unique passwords for every account, locked behind one master password. You memorize one; it handles the rest. External M.2 SSD: A small, fast solid-state storage stick, the kind normally installed inside a computer, placed in a pocket-sized enclosure that plugs in over USB. Good for backups and moving big files. Package Manager: A tool that installs, updates, and removes programs from one central catalog instead of hunting down installers from individual websites. On Windows, WinGet and Chocolatey are the common ones. Wear Leveling: A technique built into solid-state drives that spreads writing evenly across the memory chips so no one spot wears out early. It's automatic; you never have to manage it. SneakerNet: Moving files by physically carrying a drive from one computer to another, an old joke that the network is your sneakers. Still sometimes the fastest and most private way to move a lot of data. Petrichor: The earthy smell that rises when rain hits dry ground, from Greek words for stone and the fluid in the veins of the gods. Not a tech term, but a good one. A couple of notes. On BitLocker, I kept it to the theft scenario rather than the recovery-key failure chain from the earlier episode, since a sidebar definition should stay neutral. And I'm curious how petrichor made it into a tech show; if it earned its spot with an on-air story, the definition could nod to that. Want any of these shorter, or is two sentences the right weight for the sidebar?Great screen saver isn't newer OLED monitors at high brightness now have the risk of burn in?Acknowledged outdated perspective and prepared straightforward correctionAcknowledged outdated perspective and prepared straightforw...

  2. Jul 1

    Hammer Time

    Hammer Time: When You Can't Touch This | Battle Born Tech · DATE, 2026 MC Hammer had a point, and this week on Battle Born Tech, so do our callers. We're back from medical leave and diving straight into three things nobody could touch: a phone screen that can't be cleaned without a fight, a website nobody can log into, and Wi-Fi that apparently hitched a ride in someone's car. Dee discovers that the better the screen, the harder it is to clean, and that most things in your kitchen drawer should stay far, far away from it. Steve needs to rescue a company website where the keys walked out the door with a contractor, so we hand him the tools to save it before it disappears, including a command line trick and the Wayback Machine's lesser-known outlinks option. And Bryan just wants his Wi-Fi back after moving his computer, leading us down a rabbit hole of how wireless went from a plastic card you plugged in to a feature baked right into the chip itself. Along the way: declaring website bankruptcy, borrowing a cup of internet, and the eternal wisdom that whatever you unplugged, you should probably plug back in. We're live in the studio Saturdays 9 to 11 AM Pacific. Call us direct at 775-241-3571 or anytime to schedule your own tech battle. Dumb questions welcome, they're usually the best ones. Battle Born Tech. We don't fold. Yet. Battle Born Tech airs Tuesdays at 8 PM Pacific on FM 95.1 · Stream live at KNVC.org · battleborn.tech · bbtl.ink/stats · Call the studio Saturdays 9–11 AM Pacific: 775-241-3571

  3. Jun 3

    You Just Can't Quit Windows

    You Just Can't Quit Windows | Battle Born Tech · June 2, 2026 This week on Battle Born Tech, Your computer is lying to you — and this week, so is the Microsoft Store. Christy can't say "Ethernet" but he can warn you that the antivirus you're trusting may already be obsolete, cyber attacks have gone from a two-year threat window down to just 10 hours, and some critical Microsoft security certificates are about to expire. No big deal, right? Bryan sleeps fine at night because his music computer has never met the internet — and never will. Lee can't say the same. A recycled Windows laptop has wandered into his life, and now he's asking the age-old question: is Home edition for losers? We discuss what you actually get when you go Pro. Meanwhile, Char discovers that free, in-person tech help exists — at your local library, no less — and Christy doubles down with senior center options in Carson City and Douglas County. Call us. Bring your typewriter. No judgment. Battle Born Tech airs Tuesdays at 8 PM Pacific on FM 95.1 · Stream live at KNVC.org · battleborn.tech · bbtl.ink/stats · Call the studio Saturdays 9–11 AM Pacific: 775-241-3571

  4. May 27

    Who's Running This Thing?

    Who's Running This Thing? | Battle Born Tech · May 26, 2026 This week on Battle Born Tech, Christy's computers can't sleep — they stay up until their updates are finished. Joe is equal parts fascinated and unsettled by the story of AI agents left alone in a virtual world for 15 days — and what happened when things went very, very wrong. Lee wants to know what an Administrator account actually gets you in Windows, and Christy weighs in on the double-edged sword of having the keys to the kingdom — yes, including setting the clock. Paul has a revelation: that camera in your pocket does more than take selfies. Don brings his Apple photos to Windows and wonders where all his thumbnails went. We have answers — and a quote about taking the Apple out of the files. Battle Born Tech airs Tuesdays at 8 PM Pacific on FM 95.1 · Stream live at KNVC.org · battleborn.tech · bbtl.ink/stats · Call the studio Saturdays 9–11 AM Pacific: 775-241-3571

  5. May 20

    Don't Ask—Don't Tell

    Don't Ask Don't Tell | Battle Born Tech · May 19, 2026 "There is no undo on log-off." This week on Battle Born Tech, Christy consoles the callers while Joe — hair somewhere between Scorched and Torched — warns listeners about AI that knows exactly how to get what it wants from you. Unusual offers. Fake urgency. Age restrictions. Sound familiar? Joe breaks down the signs before the scams break down your wallet. Speaking of things that want something from you — your laptop might be next. Bill calls in wondering why his computer has suddenly turned into a nag and a scold. Turns out Windows has been asking — and Bill has been told — one too many times. We walk him through silencing the noise and setting things to the only sensible option: Don't Ask, Don't Tell. (We adjust from Windows 11 Edge to Windows 10 Edge along the way — "Okay, let's start over.") Steve brings a warning for anyone still on Windows 10: that free update extension? It expires if Microsoft doesn't hear from you every 60 days. "Got to say HELLO every 60 days" — or as Christy puts it, "Let Microsoft know you are alive and well and using Windows 10." Jeff gets cut off — but not before revealing his laptop has a work-life balance problem. Personal life? Creeping right into the workspace. And Facebook is firing employees and moving engineers to AI. "How else will they stuff AI down your throat." "We probably shouldn't say that over the air." Probably not. But we did. Battle Born Tech airs Tuesdays at 8 PM Pacific on FM 95.1 · Stream live at KNVC.org · battleborn.tech · bbtl.ink/stats · Call the studio Saturdays 9–11 AM Pacific: 775-241-3571

  6. May 13

    Tap, Talk, & Transfer

    Tap, Talk, & Transfer | Battle Born Tech · May 12, 2026 This week it's all about the callers. Char is on a mission to tame her desktop — we walk her through clicking that tiny URL icon in the browser bar, hunting through the bowels of Windows for the perfect shortcut icon, and making her computer finally work the way she wants. Bruce faces a tough decision about his Samsung Galaxy Tab A11 — not all tablets are created equal, and whether his can hit the cellular airwaves comes down to one critical question: which version did he buy? We help him sleuth out the answer. And Dee is going full origami, carefully folding her digital life from one phone into a brand new Samsung foldable using Smart Switch — we make sure nothing gets lost in the crease. Plus a quick look at the ShinyHunters hack that crashed Canvas for nearly 9,000 schools right in the middle of finals week. Tech help, real people, Battle Born style. Battle Born Tech airs Tuesdays at 8 PM Pacific on FM 95.1 · Stream live at KNVC.org · battleborn.tech · bbtl.ink/stats · Call the studio Saturdays 9–11 AM Pacific: 775-241-3571

  7. May 6

    Trash Bubbles

    Trash Bubbles | Battle Born Tech · May 5, 2026 Everything is going to trash this week on Battle Born Tech — and we mean that in the best possible way. First, Linux drops a vulnerability so severe we blew past "hair on fire" and "pants on fire" and went straight to human torch. CVE-2026-31431 (or "Copy Fail" to its friends) is the kind of security story that ends with one piece of advice: update your servers. Yes, all of them. Now. Then Nora joins us with an inbox with only junk. We dig through Thunderbird and webmail spam filters hunting for the culprit — and when we finally sort out what is the problem, you'll be as surprised as us. She stumped us on the call, we'll admit it. The good news? We got her sorted. The bad news? She'll be getting emails again. And Robert takes us on a journey where the trash doesn't stay in the trash. Scammers came calling — twice — with the kind of slick, friendly opener that almost makes you forget they're scammers. ("They have great customer service at the beginning.") A smart call to his bank and a visit to his local tech shop kept his computer clean and his wallet intact. A cautionary tale with a happy ending, and a reminder that just because someone's polite doesn't mean they have any business being on your computer. It's all bubbling up this week: spam, scams, and a Linux CVE that wants to ruin your Saturday. Battle Born Tech airs Tuesdays at 8 PM Pacific on FM 95.1 · Stream live at KNVC.org · battleborn.tech · bbtl.ink/stats · Call the studio Saturdays 9–11 AM Pacific: 775-241-3571 Ask for Bubbles.

  8. Apr 29

    Call the Graybeard

    Call the Graybeard | Battle Born Tech · April 28, 2026 Dennis has a Linux printer that won't cooperate. Robert wants to send a fax — yes, a fax, in 2026 — and nobody's judging... much. Brian got quietly dumped by eBay and isn't sure what he did wrong. This week on Battle Born Tech, we're reconnecting everything from print drivers to phone lines to broken marketplace relationships. Hair on fire optional. Battle Born Tech airs Tuesdays at 8 PM Pacific on FM 95.1 · Stream live at KNVC.org · battleborn.tech · bbtl.ink/stats · Call the studio Saturdays 9–11 AM Pacific: 775-241-3571

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About

Got a tech question? So does your neighbor. Battle Born Tech is a call-in radio show from KNVC FM 95.1 community radio, hosted by Christy — brought to the podcast world so you never miss an episode. Real calls, real answers, and then Christy and Joe dig in with follow-up context, tech news, and tools worth knowing about. Thirty minutes. Zero ads. All community.

Information

  • Creator
    Christy Ramsey
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    22
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Battle Born Tech
  • Show Website
    Battle Born Tech