For this week on TechtalkRadio, Andy Taylor and Shawn DeWeerd tackle the story that shook the web — the massive AWS outage that left millions wondering if their internet had vanished. The pair break down what really happened when Amazon’s U.S. East-1 region went down and how a simple DNS failure can ripple through nearly every service we use. From Coinbase and Reddit to Roku, Robinhood, and even smart-home devices, the hosts explain how so much of our digital life runs through the same narrow pipes — and why that can be a dangerous single point of failure.

With streaming services sputtering and smart devices silent, Andy and Shawn turn their attention to the unexpected hero of the week: physical media. They discuss why DVDs and Blu-rays are making a quiet comeback and share the tools that make it easy to preserve your collection — from MakeMKV for ripping discs to HandBrake for compressing files and Plex for organizing your own personal streaming library. It’s a reminder that having your favorite shows and movies on hand (and not in the cloud) can be both nostalgic and smart in 2025.

The episode also dives into practical Windows tips, including Microsoft’s WinGet — a built-in command-line updater that keeps your apps current with a single command. Shawn tests it live on air and finds nearly half of his software out of date. Andy also fields listener questions about Windows 11 S Mode, breaking down who it’s for, why most users eventually turn it off, and how Microsoft’s locked-down environment compares to the open flexibility we’re used to.

Finally, the hosts spotlight two incredible websites that make technology feel fun again. TV.garden lets you spin a virtual globe and watch free, live television from countries all around the world — a discovery that had Shawn geeking out over obscure motorsport streams. And Explore.org offers a front-row seat to nature through hundreds of live animal cams, from Alaska’s famous Fat Bears to serene ocean sanctuaries. Whether the cloud is crashing or calm, Andy and Shawn remind us that tech should connect, entertain, and inspire — even when the net goes dark.

For this Mornings Segment we took a look at the Important process of Data Backup. Wednesday March 31st was World Backup Day. The idea was to do it before April 1^st, Don’t Be a Fool, Backup! Even if you missed out on World Backup Day, it is always wise to, and I Quote Larry the Cable Guy “Get er done!”

For the Segment we stress what is a backup, A backup is a second or to be real safe a third copy of all your important files — for example, your family photos, home videos, documents and emails so you would never lose them in the event of a Disaster.

Instead of storing it all in one place (like your computer), you keep another copy of everything somewhere safe. First of All, while copying them to a Flash Drive or External Hard Drive, there are options to restore your system in the case of a hard drive failure, and it happens. The technology behind the storage devices has become much better over the years moving from a traditional “Spinny” drive to SSD Drives (Solid State – No Moving Parts)

While I am a fan of the Acronis Software, True Image 2021 and not only giving you a way to make an Image Copy of your system but also backups when your system changes. The newest version also offers data protection with Cloud Backups – storing your data in a secured cloud setting.  The Product sells for about 40 dollars for a single version and for a Five User System about $70. There is a few free options and one that gets a lot of love is EaseUS.Com. The Free Software will do backups and incremental backups. The Pro Version which is $30 can do drive imaging

Hardware for backup can be done with various Hard Drives and they come in different sizes. If you have a 500GB drive in your system, I recommend 750GB or Larger, the cost per terabyte is very reasonable. One option is the  My Passport drive from WD –portable hard drive storage for your Windows computer (can be reformatted to support other operating systems). Available in up to 5TB of storage, the My Passport drive also offers automatic backup software

Also don’t forget to backup your Smartphones – whether you use google drive or icloud depending on your device – SanDisk makes a removable flash drive that can connect to your device and using software easily backup your photos, videos and documents.

Portable is important because, you really don’t want to store your backup with your system, a fire or disaster would effect your backups – having it at work or in a safe deposit can protect your data from this. I recommend taking a look at the hardware at wd.com and for more on the need to back up your data – http://www.worldbackupday.com/

For today’s Segment, it is all about Security on your personal computer. This past week LastPass issued a notice that the popular password manager with a Free Version would no longer support the

Free option entirely.  While this move could have users transition to the premium service at about 3 bucks a month or Family plan for multiple users. There are some options.  A Password Manager is a way for users to set good secure passwords and have them easily entered by the App to provide access to banking, paying bills, member websites etc. In the Old days many would use a password on many different services, this is dangerous in case a company you do business with has been compromised and your password which is used by all of your accounts is everywhere.  Some Browsers such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge have password managers built in, for typing in your mobile devices and other systems, this is where products like LastPass have come in handy. Some options are also paid options and they include Dashlane, 1password. For Free Options, Bitwarden allows many of the features you found useful with the Free version of Lastpass. If you don’t mind Ads pushed to you, LOGMENCE is another option. A Password Manager can be great peace of mind and you can export your LastPass info to use on other services but don’t let it get seen.

Want to Add greater Password functionality to your Windows PC? Kensington has been around for years providing all types of great accessories for your Mac and PC systems. They continue to have monitor shields, system locks and even fingerprint keys. Users can find the Kensignton VeriMark (Which we have to show) USB Fingerprint Key, with this Scanner, your biometric after it is set up can be used to log in to your computer. It does not store passwords, it remembers your digital signature via a fingerprint and can log you on to your computer using Windows Hello which can be set up In your Sign in Options, and even connect your to Google, Gmail, Facebook, Lastpass, Dashlane, or Roboform after set up for the Authentication on those sites. You Don’t store something like this in your laptop bag it is easily carried on your keychain. If you want to give others access it can memorize up to 10 different user logins for windows. The FIDO (Fast Identity Online ) U2F device sells for around 39 bucks which again is peace of mind and Security!

https://www.kensington.com

https://www.lastpass.com

https://www.bitwarden.com

In this Weeks TechtalkRadio Show, Broadway, Shawn DeWeerd, Justin Lemme and Andy Taylor open up to talk about the latest on Computers, Technology and the Internet. The guys talk about some of the information that has opened up regarding Covid 19. The Closures of schools has Shawn sharing information how this has affected the Universities. We learn how professors are using the Panopto Video Platform to conduct online lessons with Global Classrooms. How is this technically being done? Are there benefits to this new style of learning? Businesses have been hit hard with closures and families are affected with the lack of childcare available for working parents.

The guys talk about the dangers of searching online for Covid 19 information and as always they recommend checking out https://www.cdc.org which is the official website for The Centers for Disease Control. Lots of offers are available to the public for Entertainment, Streaming Channels, Internet Companies and even the educational versions of Software. The guys talk about hardware within the home and upgrading to get the most out of the connection. Churches have jumped to the opportunity to stream their services and some not having the equipment to do it. Shawn tells us about ChurchStreaming.TV that provides a home for Houses of Worship to stream to.

Andy ask Justin about his 3D Printer and how could the printer be used to make materials for health care and what are the differences in materials. Justin talks about how this isn’t as easy as setting it up. Shawn shares his Gremlin Drone taking a flight that he put together from last week. He takes a flight and crashes it! We learn a little about how to get one and to get the most out of flying.

Justin tells us about finally deciding to drop the Ring Doorbell which he has, Andy has had the same issues. Justin orders the Nest Hello Doorbell Cam. Justin talks about hooking the new Nest up and how much faster it was then the Ring System. Is there any downside to it?

For our Websites of the Week, Andy Taylor shares GoNoodle.com, a site for fun projects for kids and Shawn DeWeerd shares the site he found called Alternativeto.net which looks for alternatives to programs

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Thanks for checking out our latest TechtalkRadio Episode!

In this Weeks TechtalkRadio Show, Broadway, Shawn DeWeerd, Justin Lemme and Andy Taylor chat about Wireless Internet as Broadway shares some of the issues he is dealing with when it comes to getting a signal to his house which is in a Rural Area. The guys talk about what happens when you call most TechSupport Lines and the different levels of Support. Justin shares with us a website which can help those needing a solution or answer to reach decision makers with https://www.emailtheboss.org

One of the big issues this week has been surrounding the cleaning of Keyboards, Mouse and Smartphone’s. The guys cover some of the questions surrounding the cleaning of cases and Smartphone’s. We see more and more podcast and videocast and the guys talk about how creating a Videocast can also be used for a podcast. What are some of the ways to get this done and have your audio only hosted for prospective listener to download or stream. Justin talks about a couple of the YouTube pages he checks out where he may just listen to audio. Justin mentions ChrisFix and Mr.Beast. Shawn talks about the different types of shows including Church Sound and Media Tech. If the guys were to do a podcast around a Non Technical subject, they ponder what type of show would they do?

Shawn DeWeerd tells about a new project for the show where he will embark on a mission to build, fix or create and share the process on the show. His first project is to build his own drone, The Gremlin from https://www.flitetest.com. The guys play a round of Name That Term hosted by Shawn. Andy shares some info on searches Online for Covid-19 and how this has opened up systems to malware. A new exploit is focused on those looking for Corona Virus Maps like those seen on News Broadcast.

Filmmaker Joseph Heslinga chats with Andy Taylor about the new film Foosballers. The movie is a documentary about the people that have a passion for the game/sport of Foosball. Joseph talks about his roots in Tucson and how he relocated to LA. The technology behind filmmaking and distribution is discussed along with the story behind the film project. How big a part is social media in the promotion of a film project like Foosballers? The film Directed by Joseph with Cinematography by Logan Cascia and Produced by Joseph, Logan and Mike Wagstaffe is available on Vimeo On Demand and iTunes, coming soon to Amazon Prime Video.

For our Website of the Week, Shawn DeWeerd shares the site he found which inspired him to create drones, https://www.flitetest.com