Stephen Bach

I've been in the computer business for over 21 years. Last week, I decided to look up where my personal information appears online. I was stunned! Imagine discovering that companies you've never heard of are selling your home address, telephone number, age and information about your family to complete strangers. Welcome to the wonderful world of the internet, where apparently YOU are the merchandise. They're called data brokers, and their business is collecting, packaging and selling information about ordinary people like you and me. They…

A customer came into our “hospital” on Elm Street recently with a perfectly good Dell laptop. It turned on, checked email, printed fine, everything worked perfectly. The only problem? It was running Windows 10, and Microsoft’s totally free mainstream support ended last October. “So what?” she said. ”It still works.” Current columnist Stephen Bach COURTESY PHOTO And she’s absolutely right. Your Windows 10 computer did not turn into a pumpkin on Oct. 15, 2025. It still boots, still browses, still plays solitaire. But here is…

A very tech-savvy family member recently misplaced their phone. She checked pockets, countertops, bags, chairs, bedrooms and even the car. After about 90 minutes of searching, she called The Docs. She was using the “find my phone” app on her iPad, which kept telling her it was located at the house. She had not used the “play sound” feature, because the phone was on silent. I told her that feature overrides the silent settings, and within a few minutes, she found it. Outside. Under a…

Artificial intelligence, often called AI, is showing up everywhere. It helps answer questions, suggest videos, sort email, translate languages and even create pictures or stories. AI can sound complicated, but the basic ideas are not hard to understand. Here are 10 important AI terms explained in plain language. 1. Artificial intelligence, or AI Artificial intelligence is when a computer does things that usually require human thinking. It can answer questions, sort information, recognize patterns and help make decisions. AI is used in voice assistants, search…

One of the biggest misconceptions people have about computers is that they’re supposed to work perfectly all the time. They’re not. Computers are more like cars. They need maintenance, occasional restarts, cleanup, updates and sometimes a little patience. The problem is that most people don’t think about their devices until something goes wrong. Then suddenly the laptop sounds like a leaf blower, the Wi-Fi disappears into another dimension and the printer begins what I can only describe as an emotional breakdown. Here’s the good news:…

Every once in a while, I come across a website that just makes me stop and wonder — how can this actually be free? I’m not talking about the kind of “free” that comes with strings attached: no five-step registration, no sneaky ads, no “give us your social security number.” I mean sites that are genuinely useful, no nonsense and don’t make you jump through hoops. I’ve been working on computers and dealing with tech headaches right here in Marblehead for over 20 years now.…

I know I've written about AI before, but things are changing SO quickly, it's time for an update. The Docs use AI every day, mostly for marketing, advertising and social media (and some fun). It saves many hours and produces some pretty great stuff, even short video commercials for the business. So, let's jump in: Stephen Bach COURTESY PHOTO There’s a small moment happening more and more these days. You might notice it when your phone finishes your sentence before you do. Or when you…

Over the past few years writing for the Marblehead Current, I’ve noticed something interesting: The biggest tech stories aren’t usually about the technology itself. They’re about what technology quietly learns about us. And lately, the lesson seems to be this: The internet remembers more about you than you think. Your “anonymous” account probably isn’t. 
Many people assume that if they create a second account with a different name, they’re invisible online. But new research suggests otherwise. A recent study found that artificial intelligence can link…