TechByter Worldwide 2018-08-26: The Advantages and Frustrations of Using a VPN. Short Circuits. Spare Parts.

If you use a computer or other mobile device with any connection other than your own private network, virtual private network software is essential. A VPN can be helpful on your private network, too, but it can be troublesome. In Short Circuits: Two free applications exist to help users sort out what starts when Windows boots up. Malware sometimes has auto-start components, but the most common use for these applications is to speed the boot process and remove needless apps. Apple's sales are off this year and the company is probably hoping for a boost from new MacBook Air and Mac Mini models that will begin shipping in October. In Spare Parts (only on the website): Disinformation is increasingly a problem for on-line services and Facebook this week took down more than 600 phony sites being operated from Russia and Iran. • It's beginning to look a lot like 2000 and I keep wondering if another dot-com crash like the one in 2002 is in our future. • Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 that I mentioned last week seem to be skewing toward the higher-priced model.