Improve Your Wi-Fi Using a Booster or Extender

It can be very frustrating when there are corners of your home that your Wi-Fi signal just won’t reach. It’s really not an uncommon scenario, so fortunately there are plenty of products that can address the issue.

In fact, there are so many different products that finding the right option can be pretty confusing. Terms like boosters, repeaters, and extenders are often used interchangeably, even by manufacturers — but different products perform the same general function in quite different ways.

Wi-Fi Boosters

Here’s the situation: the only place you can set up your Wi-Fi router in your home is too far away from the spare bedroom to provide a reliable Wi-Fi connection up there. All you need is a little bit of a wider radius. In that kind of scenario, a Wi-Fi booster — sometimes known as a Wi-Fi repeater — will do the job.

Two main components make up a Wi-Fi booster. One connects to the existing Wi-Fi network, transmits it to the other, and then your devices connect to that. Set-up tends to revolve around logging into an online portal, where you can submit the login information for your network.

Due to the way boosters work, proper placement is important. You don’t want to plug it in wherever you need Wi-Fi necessarily, as it needs to be able to make a connection for itself. Choose a spot that’s still within the area that can access your router, but nearer to the area that needs coverage.

If you really need to boost your signal, you can usually connect multiple devices in what’s commonly known as a “daisy chain.” However, it’s important to remember that you’re going to experience diminished speeds with every booster than the signal has to pass through.

Single-band boosters receive and relay packets of information using a single radio and channel. This puts a hard limit on the amount of bandwidth they have to use. Dual-band boosters have two radios, so they problem won’t be quite as pronounced, but you might end up paying a little more for the hardware.

Wi-Fi Extenders

For the purposes of this article, we’ll define a Wi-Fi extender as the kind of device that transmits Wi-Fi signal from one part of the building to another, but doesn’t necessarily need to be within the effective radius of the router. You might have also heard the term powerline adapter.

These are pretty nifty gadgets that use the electrical wiring in your house to convey an internet signal. Just plug one side into an electrical outlet near your router, and the other into an outlet where you need an internet connection.

At the other end, you can connect a device via Ethernet. If you’re looking for a Wi-Fi signal specifically, you’ll want to connect another router. This can cause an issue known as double NATing, where both devices interfere with one another’s attempts to provide network address translation, but putting the router in bridged mode should solve this problem.

One of the biggest drawbacks to Wi-Fi extenders of this kind is their reliability. It’s certainly possible to enjoy a fast connection, but there will be times where it slows to a crawl, or stops working altogether. That’s frustrating if your internet access drops when you’re in the middle of a tense online game with your friends, but it’s a real disaster if you’re video conferencing in your office.

Which Option Is for You?

There isn’t a huge amount to separate Wi-Fi extenders and Wi-Fi boosters in terms of price. You shouldn’t need to spend more than $100 on either option, but both are available in various forms from various manufacturers starting at around $30.

As such, it’s really worth thinking hard about what both types of hardware do well. Wi-Fi boosters specialize in making your existing Wi-Fi radius a bit wider. Wi-Fi extenders are better at transferring that signal to a completely different part of the building.

There are a couple of other considerations. Thick stone walls can interfere with Wi-Fi signal, so in that kind of house a powerline adapter might yield better results. On the other hand, if you’re looking to send Wi-Fi out to a poolhouse or shed, there are several different brands of booster that are designed to reside outside and withstand the elements.

The most important thing to remember is that the same hardware can yield very different results based on its surroundings. Online reviews are a good resource, but connection quality and the environment the connection is being made in can introduce a huge range of variables. You’ll only really know what sort of experience you’re going to have once it’s set up, so do all the research you can with a view to where

A New Tax Scam, and Tips on How to Deal With It

If you weren’t expecting an income tax refund but discover a big deposit from the Internal Revenue Service in your bank account, don’t be quick to celebrate. You may have been the target of a clever new scam.

The latest twist in tax-time identity fraud involves thieves who pilfer personal and financial information, often from professional tax preparers. They then use those details to file fake tax returns and have refunds — sometimes as large as $20,000 — sent electronically to your account with plans to collect it later.

The I.R.S. initially warned about the scam on Feb. 2, urging tax professionals to “step up security and beware of phishing emails that can secretly download malicious software that can help cybercriminals steal client data.”

The agency next issued a warning to taxpayers on Feb. 13 after reports of the incidents “mushroomed” from a few hundred potential victims nationwide to thousands, said Terry Lemons, an agency spokesman.

“This one is really worrisome to us,” Mr. Lemons said. “Scammers are getting a government deposit into your account.”

In the past few years, the I.R.S. said, its Security Summit — a collaboration with state tax agencies and makers of do-it-yourself tax software — has helped reduce incidents of tax-related identity fraud, in which someone files a fake return in your name to collect a refund.

But now, criminals are increasingly targeting businesses, including tax professionals and human resource departments, because they are rich sources of sensitive personal information — including W-2 forms, bank statements and tax returns — that thieves can use to impersonate taxpayers and file bogus returns with authentic data.

“Criminals go where the data is,” said Jonathan Horn, senior manager for tax policy and advocacy with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

How does putting the money in your account benefit the criminals? The thieves think you’ll give it to them.

The crooks, for example, will call victims and pretend they’re a collection company for the I.R.S., which has deposited the funds in error. They then demand that victims transfer the money to a different account. “They say, ‘We made a mistake; send it back to us,’” Mr. Lemons said.

Or, they will leave voice messages threatening the taxpayer with criminal fraud charges or an arrest warrant if they don’t call the number provided to return the “refund.”

“It signifies the ingenuity of the fraudsters out there,” said Russell Schrader, executive director of the National Cyber Security Alliance, which promotes online safety and security.

The scam has the ring of truth for victims, as there is actually an erroneous deposit sitting in their bank account (or in some cases, a paper check in the mailbox). That can frighten victims into acting, especially if a caller is bullying them. But it’s always best to hang up and independently check whether the information you were given is valid, said Eva Velasquez, chief executive of the nonprofit group Identity Theft Resource Center. “Always go to the source when you get these kind of contacts,” she said. Look up a public number for the I.R.S. online, she advised, and contact the agency to ask if the call was legitimate. (The I.R.S. identity theft unit’s number is 1-800-908-4490).

Here are some questions and answers about tax refund fraud:

What should I do if an erroneous tax refund is deposited in my account?

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is, Mr. Lemons said. Don’t forward the money, he said, and don’t spend it: “Don’t go out and make a down payment on a new car with the cash.”

If the refund arrived as a direct deposit, the agency said that you should contact your bank’s automated clearinghouse department and have the funds returned to the I.R.S. (Consumers may also need to close their account.) Call the I.R.S. to explain why the money is being returned, notify your tax preparer and file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

In the case of paper checks, the next steps depend on whether you have cashed the check. The agency provides details on its website.

What questions about security procedures should I have for my tax preparer?

Mr. Horn with the accountant association recommended that consumers ask whether their tax preparer uses encrypted email — standard email isn’t secure and should never be used for sensitive financial information — and where the agency stores its paper files.

Mr. Lemon offered his own suggestions: Do you update security protocols regularly? Do you train employees to recognize phishing attacks? How is information shared securely with clients?

David Thomas, chief executive of Evident ID, an information security company based in Atlanta, suggested asking which employees have access to your files, and inquiring whether the firm offers extra login security. He particularly likes YubiKey, a token that authenticates a user’s identity.

The tax preparation firm “should have confident answers” to your questions, Mr. Thomas said.

Does a bogus refund in my account mean a fake tax return was filed in my name?

Most likely yes, but you should contact the I.R.S. to verify if it has accepted a return using your Social Security number, Ms. Velasquez said. In some fraud cases overseas, she said, criminals have been known to mix and match stolen information. So it may be possible that criminals used one person’s data to file a tax return, but someone else’s bank account to deposit the refund. If a fraudulent return was filed in your name, she said, you’ll probably have to file a special affidavit with the I.R.S. explaining that you are a victim of identity theft. Victims can contact the resource center for free help, she said.

How to Install Kodi On a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick

Kodi is one of the most popular media players around (and certainly the most controversial). As well as letting you access your own media files from a number of platforms, it’ll stream from hundreds and hundreds of sources across the world.

You can get Kodi on a wide range of platforms, and one of the best-suited is Amazon's Fire OS, as used by the Fire TVand Fire TV Stick. However, you can’t simply download Kodi from these devices’ app store. There are several ways to get the app on your device, though. We’re going to take you through the process using the simplest, quickest method, which should only take 10 minutes.

Step 1: Download Downloader

First, we need to get hold of an app that will let us directly download the Kodi app installer file. There are a few of these, but the one we’ll use is simply called Downloader. 

It’s free, and it has a bright orange logo if you want to hunt for it manually. The quickest way to find it, if you have a mic-enabled Fire TV Stick, is to just speak into the remote while holding down the microphone button: saying “downloader” will bring it up instantly.

If your Fire TV isn’t voice-enabled it’s quickest to use the text search, as sifting through categories can take an age. Go to the Home screen display, press the up key on the remote so the navigation tabs are selected, then press the left key to get to the universal search area. 

Type in 'downloader' and the app will pop-up in the results. Now just click through and install the app.

Step 2: Enable installing apps from unknown sources

The next part is where we get serious: enabling downloads of apps from unknown sources. By 'unknown sources', the Fire TV simply means any apps that are not from the Amazon Appstore. 

This is an important security feature, but it needs to be disabled before you can install Kodi, as it’s not available direct from Amazon.

Select the nav tabs from the home screen by pressing up, and scroll right to reach Settings. From this menu, select Device. Next, pick Developer Options and you should see a sub-menu that includes the entry 'Apps from Unknown Sources'. Select it, making sure it reads ON underneath.

The disclaimer we need to make here is that if you’re going to start downloading apps from outside the Amazon store, make sure you’re not doing so from anywhere dodgy. Android apps can harbour viruses and malware, so download from official developer sites where possible. It’s what we’ll be doing next…

Step 3: Open Downloader 

Next up, we just need to boot-up Downloader. This bit barely needs an instruction, as when you install an app you should see it pop up at the top of one of your apps feeds.

If it doesn’t, just long-press (around two seconds) the home button to get to the system shortcut menu. Select Apps, and you’ll see all the apps you have installed. 

This is one thing Amazon Fire OS doesn’t do that well – actually putting your apps at your fingertips.

Step 4: Enter the Kodi URL

Now we’re in Downloader. This is an app that lets you download apps and other files through a browser-like interface, because Fire TV doesn’t actually have its own Chrome/Safari-style internet app. 

On the app’s initial page you’ll see a white box into which you can type a URL. Select it and type in 'https://kodi.tv/download'.

This is the web page you’d head to on a laptop to install Kodi, and it works for Fire TV too. 

Step 5: Select the right Kodi build

If you typed in the URL correctly you should now see a webpage appear in the Downloader app. Scroll down using the remote’s D-pad to find the green Android robot and select it.

On the next page you’ll see all the available Android install builds. There are quite a few, and the one to pick depends on the version of Fire TV or Fire TV Stick you have. 

The very first generation of Fire TV and Stick have 32-bit CPUs, so you’ll want to choose the ARM version labelled 32-bit. If you have a newer version, pick the ARM 64-bit build. 

On this page you’ll see 'release' and 'nightly' versions of Kodi, for both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. We recommend going for the 'release' version, which will have fewer bugs. The other. 'nightly' type may be newer but it's a work in progress. 

Select the right build and the .apk installer file will start downloading. It’s an 87MB file, with the version we’re using. Once finished Downloader will automatically attempt to install it, making an installer prompt pop-up. 

Press down on the D-pad to get to the Install button at the bottom of this page. Once the install is complete, don’t head right back to the Home screen but let the process take you back into the Downloader app. You’ll see an option to delete the install file, which will free up a little space – we don’t need it any more.

Step 6: Get content on your Kodi build

Pat yourself on the back – you just installed Kodi on your Fire TV. It should now appear in the Recent section on the Home page. 

If you can’t find it at some point in the future, don’t forget you can access your app library by long-pressing the home button on the remote. 

What you’ll want to do now is install add-ons, which give you access to lots of streamed content – for more on this, be sure to check out our feature on the best Kodi add-ons.

The 5 Best Free Photoshop Alternatives

1. GIMp

The best free Photoshop substitute – powerful and flexible

Powerful and adaptable, GIMP is the best free Photoshop alternative. With layers, masks, advanced filters, color adjustment and transformations – all of which are fully customizable – its feature set it unbeatable.

One of GIMP’s best features is its wealth of user-created plugins and scripts – many of which come pre-installed and ready to use. Some of these replicate popular Photoshop tools (such as Liquify), and there’s a package of animation tools for bringing your photos to live via blending and morphing. If all that isn't enough, you can even add Photoshop plugins to GIMP.

The latest version of GIMP offers a new interface that puts all of its toolboxes, palettes and menus together in one window. This gives it a smart, Photoshop-like appearance, though its extensive patchwork of user-created tools means you’ll have to spend a little time experimenting and perusing the documentation to learn how to get the best results from each one.

2. Pixlr Editor

A browser-based tool more powerful than some desktop apps

Pixlr Editor is no ordinary free Photoshop alternative – it’s the work of AutoDesk, one of the biggest names in computer-aided design and 3D modelling software, and is as impressive as its pedigree implies. 

Pixlr Editor features a prominent ad on the right-hand side that limits the size of your working space but that’s its main drawback. You get all the expected Photoshop-style tools (including sharpen, unsharp mask, blur, noise, levels and curves to name just a few), as well as artistic filters and automatic optimization options. Nothing is hidden behind a paywall. 

Pixlr Editor also gives you a toolbox very much like GIMP’s, with brushes, fills, selection, healing and clone stamp tools – all customizable via a ribbon above the workspace. There’s support for both layers and masks, and although Pixlr Editor can't edit pictures in batches, it will cheerfully handle multiple images at once in different tabs.

3. Photo Pos Pro

A well designed Photoshop alternative, with a few restrictions

If you haven’t heard of Photo Pos Pro, you’re in for a treat. This free Photoshop alternative aims to give the best of both worlds, offering interfaces for both novice and advanced users. The novice option puts one-click filters and automatic adjustments at the fore, while the latter closely resembles Photoshop. Both are well designed, and more intuitive than GIMP’s endless lists and menus.

Like Photoshop, Photo Pos Pro offers both layers and layer masks, as well as superb clone and healing brushes. All the expected color-refining tools are present and correct. There’s support for batch-editing and scripts to save time on routine tasks, you can import images directly from a scanner or camera.

4. SumoPaint

A Photoshop-like experience with a wide range of tools

SumoPaint's interface will look very familiar if you have past Photoshop experience. The similarities are more than just skin deep, too, as its layering functionality and fairly wide range of editing tools - including several brushes and wand types - make it a formidable alternative.

The free version of SumoPaint runs in most Flash-enabled browsers and is mainly supported by on-page ads. There is also a Chrome Web App available for Chromebooks as well as users running Google's browser on other desktop operating systems.

More intricate projects may not be suitable for SumoPaint, and its file support is somewhat limited and does not include Photoshop's default PSD format. You can open files with traditional image extensions such as GIF, JPEG and PNG while edits can be saved in the app's native SUMO format as well as JPEG or PNG.

5. Adobe Photoshop Express

Photoshop's best tools in a touchscreen-friendly package

Adobe Photoshop Express is a lightweight version of the industry-standard photo editor available free for your browser, and as a downloadable app for Windows, iOS, and Android.

Photoshop Express is the simplest of the tools here, but Adobe’s expertise in photo editing means it’s far superior to other quick-fix software. It packages Photoshop’s most useful picture-enhancing  sleek, minimalist interface that’s particularly well suited to touchscreens. Sliders enable you to adjust contrast, exposure and white balance of your photo dynamically, and there are automatic options for one-click adjustments. Once you’re satisfied with the results, you can either save the edited photo to your PC or share it via Facebook.

The main appeal of Photoshop Express is its simplicity, but this is also its biggest drawback. There are no layers, plugins, or brush tools, and you can’t crop or resize your pictures.

If you’re looking for a powerful image editor for your smartphone or tablet, Photoshop Fix (for restoring and correcting images) and Photoshop Mix (for combining and blending images) are also well worth investigating. Photoshop Mix even supports layers, and both apps integrate with Adobe’s Creative Cloud software, making it an excellent counterpart to the desktop version of Photoshop, as well as a superb tool in its own right.

Shopping For a VPN App? Read This.

You probably know by now that using your mobile device on the public Wi-Fi network of your local coffee shop or airport poses some risk. Public networks are not very secure – or, well, private – which makes it easy for others to intercept your data. So, what can you do to keep your mobile data private and secure while out and about? Some consumers have started using Virtual Private Network (VPN) apps to shield the information on their mobile devices from prying eyes on public networks. Before you download a VPN app, you should know that there are benefits and risks.  

VPN app basics

How do VPN apps work? When you use a VPN app, data sent from your phone – be it your browsing data or the apps you are using – is routed through servers located elsewhere. A VPN app can make traffic from your phone to a website you visit appear to come from a server operated by the VPN provider, rather than directly from your phone. Some VPN apps also encrypt the data sent between your phone and the VPN server. So, for example, say you are using a public Wi-Fi network that isn’t secure – such as a network that allows anyone to use it, even if they don’t have a password.  Other people on the same network can see your traffic.  But when you use a VPN app that encrypts the data, anyone monitoring your network connection only sees gibberish – even if the particular site you are visiting doesn’t itself employ encryption.

Why would someone use a VPN app? VPN apps tout a variety of uses. Not only do some VPN apps promise to keep your information secure on public networks, but some also claim they will keep your information private from advertisers and other third parties. And because VPN apps route your traffic through another network, they can make it appear as if your traffic is coming from somewhere else.  This is similar to how a company might use a VPN to allow employees to use their work computer as if they were on the company’s network, even while they’re on the road.

What are some privacy and data security concerns about using a VPN app? First, you should be aware that when you use a VPN app, you are giving the app permission to intercept all of your internet traffic. You don’t want to grant such permission lightly. Also, a group of technical researchers who studied almost 300 VPN apps found potential privacy and security risks with some VPN apps. According to the study, for example, some VPN apps did not use encryption; some requested sensitive, and possibly unexpected, privileges; and some shared data with third parties for purposes such as injecting or serving ads, or analyzing the data to see how people are using a particular site or service.

Given these findings and the considerable trust you must place in a VPN app with your traffic, here are some things to consider before you download a VPN app.

Before you download a VPN app

• Research the VPN app before you use it. You are trusting a VPN with potentially all of your traffic. Before you download a VPN app, learn as much about the app as you can. Look up outside reviews from sources you respect. You can also look at screenshots, the app’s description, its content rating, and user reviews, and can do some online research on the developer. The fact that an app promises security or privacy does not necessarily make it trustworthy.
• Carefully review the permissions the app requests.Apps will present the permissions they request on their app store page, during installation, or at the time they use the permission. It’s useful information that tells you what types of information the app will access on your device in addition to your internet traffic. If an app requests particularly sensitive permissions (reading text messages, for example), consider whether the permission makes sense given the app’s purpose and whether you trust the app developer with that access.
• Know that not all VPN apps actually encrypt your information. Some VPN apps use protocols that do not encrypt your traffic, or encrypt only some of your traffic. Outside reviews from sources you respect might provide more information about a particular app’s use of encryption.
• A VPN app generally isn’t going to make you entirely anonymous. Instead, the app will typically obscure the content of your traffic from your internet service provider or public Wi-Fi provider, shifting trust from those networks to the VPN app provider. In addition, sites you visit may be able to determine that you are using a VPN app, and can still use any identifying information you directly share with them (for example, filling out a form with your email address) to track you.
• VPN apps may share your information with third parties. Many VPN apps are free because they sell advertising within the app, or because they share your information with (or redirect your traffic through) third parties. If you are using the VPN app to keep your traffic private, make sure you review the VPN app’s terms and conditions and its privacy policy to determine if it shares information with third parties such as advertisers, and if so, what information it shares.